《Another World Awakening Transcendental Create Skill》


 CH 1

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be taking the majority vote now. Raise your hand if you agree or disagree to remove him, Takaya Nagami, from the class.¡±


    The voice of the boy who was in charge echoed while a heavy atmosphere dominated.


    He was a well-liked member of the school committee in the original world and was also the captain of a strong athletic team.


    No one disagreed with the agenda he raised.


    ¡°First of all, those who agree¡±


    With his voice as a signal, the hands of those around him rose all at once. As if to show their will, unapologetically.


    There were many thoughts in my mind, but in the end, the hands of thirty-seven people were raised to the sky, receiving the warm sunshine through the trees, except for me, the center of this agenda, a dull boy named Takaya Nagami, who is the defendant in this class trial.


    ¡°¨CThen, those against¡±


    Takaya was also given the right to raise his hand, but he just looked down and shut up.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to raise your hand?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s useless anyway.¡±


    From between his long bangs, Takaya looking at the chairman, Akihito Harukawa, muttered so.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s disgusting ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop it¡­¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s true right ¡­¡±


    At that moment, a faint ridicule rose from a group of female classmates who were watching.


    Even in such a situation, they are weak-minded idiots who don¡¯t miss putting on their make-up every morning and only care about their appearance.


    For once, Takaya clenched his fists as if he was going to punch them, but he stays at home all the time except for going to school, and his grip isn¡¯t that strong.


    Even if he did, he would be suppressed as a group by the idiots of justice who only care about their evaluation from the women around.


    That¡¯s right, Takaya muttered.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know who came up with this, but as soon as it came up, it was clear as day what was going to happen to me¡¯.


    Takaya had spent his school days without any friends or even acquaintances, there was no way he could find a messiah or angel to save him from this predicament.


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry, but this is the consensus of everyone in this class. Please understand.¡±


    Akito, the chairman, put a small bag of gold coins in Takaya¡¯s hand. It may have been a parting gift, but there was no point in giving him a sum of money that would run out in a week.


    If this was a school, it would still be fine. Even if he was kicked out of the class, Takaya had some escapes. It could be a staff room, the infirmary, or even his own home.


    But now he doesn¡¯t have that option.


    Because this was a world in a completely different dimension from the world they used to live in, in terms of culture, language, and ecosystem.

 CH 2

    All thirty-eight boys and girls, including Takaya, were sent to a mysterious world because of a bus accident during their school trip.


    While heading to the slopes deep in the mountains for a ski camp, the driver of the bus had a heart attack and fainted. Losing its operator, the bus went out of control, crashed through the guardrail, and tumbled down a cliff.


    Takaya¡¯s memory ended as they fell towards the bottom of the valley in an iron box called a bus, shaking from right to left and up to down.


    An accident where victims couldn¡¯t be saved by any means.


    But for some reason he and his thirty-seven classmates were all able to wake up. There was no sign of the teacher or the bus crew.


    All that was left was the wreckage of the bus, wrapped in layers of what looked like thick ivy.


    This is where the survival of Takaya, Akito, and their classmates begins.


    ¡Á ¡Á ¡Á


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry Nagami. Sorry it turned out like this.¡±


    As Takaya was packing up his belongings after the class trial, Akito, who had left the circle of cronies, spoke to him.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t help it. I was aware that I was the only useless person in the party.¡±


    It¡¯s been about a month since the accident, but during that time it was really harsh, we faced various attacks and had no choice but to survive.


    From encountering strange creatures they¡¯d never seen before to being attacked day and night by thieves speaking in a language they couldn¡¯t understand, the situation was so panic-inducing that it¡¯s a wonder no one had been killed so far.


    Why were they still able to survive?


    What made this possible were the skills that emerged in their classmates whenever their lives were in danger.


    ¡°Harukawa-kun. What skills can you use now?¡±


    ¡± Ah, well¡­ I think my handling of weapons is better than it was when we first got here. My hunting time is getting shorter and shorter, and if it¡¯s the kind of monsters around here, now I can fight them one-on-one. Also, I¡¯ve recently been able to produce electric shocks from my hands ¡°


    After saying that, when Akito focused his consciousness on his palm, something like a pale electric shock flashed with a popping sound.


    ¡°Magic huh, as expected of the chairman.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. If it¡¯s just magic, there are guys who can use even more amazing things.¡±


    Looking towards the group, they had already begun preparing breakfast.


    While giving one of their classmates a death sentence, they were already chatting and laughing, completely ignoring Takaya¡¯s existence.


    Are we really the same humans?


    ¡°¡­ Why can they do it, but I can¡¯t?¡±


    After saying that, Takaya looked at his hand and tried many times. However, unlike Akito¡¯s electric shock, nothing happens.


    While almost everyone acquired the ¡°power¡± necessary to survive, such as ¡°magic¡± and ¡°martial arts,¡± only Takaya did not yet have any ability.

 CH 3

    Takaya could only watch from a distance as his classmates survived the hardships one after another with their awakened talents.


    He spent his days lost in their luggage, hoping that the enemy wouldn¡¯t pay any attention to him.


    He thought he could become ¡°something¡± like everyone else.


    However, that time never came, and he became an outcast in this other world.


    ¡°¨CIs that all your luggage?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes. I don¡¯t have a lot of my own stuff.¡±


    Takaya put most of his luggage in the storage space of the bus, so he himself was almost empty-handed in this new world. By the way, there was nothing left in the bus covered with ivy.


    There is only the change of clothes in the backpack that I brought into the bus, and the ¡°something¡± that I¡¯ve had for a while since I came to this world.


    ¡°Hey, Harukawa-kun. It¡¯s my work tool, but what should I do with¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Nagami. My bad to interrupt while you¡¯re talking, but please do a little bit more at the end.¡±


    When he tried to ask Akito about the treatment of ¡°it¡± that he was holding in his hand, a demon beast that looked like a wild boar was thrown in front of Takaya with a shameless remark from the side. Of course, it was already dead.


    It must have been hunted early in the morning, and the rigor mortis had already set in, and even touching it from the top of its fur, he could see that its muscles were stiff.


    ¡°Hey Suetsugu, Nagami is no longer in our party ¡­ And you¡¯re leaving such a big job to him.¡±


    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s only this much that this guy can do, so let¡¯s use him all the way to the end.¡±


    One of the classmates, Shunichi Suetsugu¡¯s Gaze is directed toward Takaya. Compared to Takaya¡¯s, his large and muscular body is as different as an adult¡¯s from an elementary schooler¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m ¡­ Gueh¡±


    When Takaya opened his mouth, Shunichi¡¯s log-like arm wrapped around his neck and squeezed without hesitation. Takaya was suffocated by the quick work of a guy who had the ability to compete in national competitions in judo. He¡¯s also a mainstay of the vanguard of the party, and has demonstrated his skills to the fullest in this world.


    ¡°What? I? I just want you to handle this corpse? Then your answer should be ¡± YES ¡°. I didn¡¯t allow you to say¡± I am ¡± right? ¡°


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey stop! No matter what the problem is, we¡¯ve decided with everyone in class to stop violence !?¡±


    Akito, panicked at the sight of Takaya flapping his limbs, obviously in pain, immediately tried to pull Shunichi¡¯s arm away.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a joke, Akki, don¡¯t be so annoyed by such small skinship. That¡¯s why you¡¯re an honor student.¡±


    As expected, he couldn¡¯t go against Akito, and released Takaya while mumbling.


    ¡°Goho ¡­ goh ¡­!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Nagami. So what¡¯s the answer to the previous question? YES or let me do it? Which one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it ¡­ Goho¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, then that¡¯s fine. Do that and get the hell out of here..¡±


    Perhaps satisfied with Takaya¡¯s answer, Shunichi returned to the circle of friends in a good mood. When Shunichi opened his mouth, the people around him burst into laughter.


    ¡°Nagami, I¡¯m sorry¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, there are only so many things I can do.¡±


    Takaya then thrust his ¡°corpse dismantling knife,¡± the only decent piece of luggage he had, into the corpse of the magical beast in front of him with a familiar hand.


    The job of dismantling the magical beasts caught by his classmates and transforming them into food and other materials.


    This was the only job he had been given in this world, within this party.

 CH 4

    This demon beast is about the size of a large dog and is basically covered in thick fur, making it difficult for a knife to penetrate its body.


    However, no matter which animal or demon beast, there are always parts that are easy to handle. It may be a gap between joints or a soft fleshy place, and Takaya was able to find them by feeling.


    ¡°¨CHmph!¡±


    After laying the demon beast on its back, he put a blade on the throat of the corpse and put his whole weight on it.


    After confirming that the blade was firmly inserted, Takaya pulled the blade in a straight line towards the belly.


    At that moment, a large amount of red-black blood, from the demon beast, and a large number of internal organs inside popped out from the wound.


    ¡°¡± Ugh¨C ¡°¡±


    Akito and Shunichi who witnessed the scene couldn¡¯t help but distort their faces. It¡¯s no wonder when the undigested objects in the stomach pop out and give off a bloody stench.


    However, Takaya, who is handling it, does not stop. If left as it is, the internal stench and blood will spread through the flesh in the blink of an eye. In that case, no matter how valuable the food is, it won¡¯t be very edible. Especially because some ingredients can be poisonous.


    In the beginning, Takaya himself when dismantling animals much smaller than this one, churned his stomach many times, but he gradually got numb to it as time passed. Now he doesn¡¯t feel anything anymore. Familiarity is a scary thing.


    ¡°¡­ Wow, Nagami. I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡±


    ¡°This is something anyone in this world can do. Now that you know that, you don¡¯t need me do you?¡±


    I cut the meat into pieces that would be easy to cook later: belly, back, and front and back legs. The thick skin that covered the meat could be cleaned under running water later and used as winter clothes. Of course, it can also be sold.


    By the way, when he opened its internal organs, he found a red shining stone in the heart of the demon beast, so he secretly put it in the pocket of his gym suit jersey when Akito and Shunichi turned away. This object, which can be rarely found when dismantling demon beasts, seems to be a ¡°magic stone¡± and is traded at a high price in the city.


    However, Takaya thinks that anyone can do this kind of dismantling with just a little knack. In fact, when he visited a neighboring village with his classmates, a lot of dismantled monsters and animal meat were on sale.


    Of course, if you pay for it, they can dismantle the monsters you have hunted.


    If you ask outside, they can do it¡ªwhen this fact was known, Takaya¡¯s only identity collapsed.


    ¡°You should have just obeyed me from the beginning. Well then, thank you for your hard work, Nagami-kun! You can disappear wherever you want now.¡±


    Putting the meat of the demon beast, which became a beautiful ingredient, in a bag, Shunichi disappeared into the circle where many girls in the class gathered without giving a glance to Takaya.


    ¡°Suetsugu! You¡¯re always like that ¡­!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, Harukawa-kun. He probably won¡¯t hear the words of a decent person.¡±


    ¡°but¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Anyway, this is the last time.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Takaya put the knife he used earlier in his backpack.


    If he leaves it at the party, no one will use it anyway. Akito didn¡¯t blame Takaya for his choice either.


    ¡°Hey, Harukawa-kun. I want to ask you one last thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Since it¡¯s the last time, I¡¯ll answer whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, ¡­¡­ it¡¯s more like a confirmation.¡±


    Takaya turned his hatred towards the group of girls who were still shouting like monkeys in the mountains.


    To the idiots who do whatever they want in the upper caste of the class just because they have a good face.


    ¡°¡­ They¡¯re the ones who said to kick me out, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°!¨C¡°


    Hearing Takaya¡¯s words, Akito turned down silently.


    Takaya smiles at the overly overt attitude.


    He thought the chairman was really a good person and, really, the worst piece of crap.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    Akito continues to make excuses to Takaya, no, to tell himself.


    ¡°I tried to stop it, I really did. I said it doesn¡¯t really matter if there¡¯s one less person or not, it doesn¡¯t affect the party at the moment. But those guys were stubborn and didn¡¯t budge. They said, ¡°If we don¡¯t get rid of him, we¡¯re out. Their reasoning was, well, it was a terrible accusation.¡±


    They may not seem to be thinking about anything, but they were a valuable asset to the class. They were a group that could use a wide variety of magic, from attack to assistance to healing.


    ¡± We can¡¯t afford to lose them. We can¡¯t let them go, no matter how horrible the accusation was to get rid of you.¡±


    Takaya, who can only do chores, versus the female groups who have awakened their magic talents.


    The choice between the two was clear as day.


    ¡°Nagami, goodbye. If you¡¯re still alive, let¡¯s meet again somewhere.¡±


    With that said, Akito also easily leaves Takaya.


    He made it seem as if he cared about Takaya the most, but in the end he abandoned him for his own reputation. Of course, he didn¡¯t blame him. If Takaya had been in the opposite position, he probably would have made the same choice.


    However, Takaya will probably never be in that position.


    Yes, forever.


    ¡°¡­¡­good bye¡±


    Takaya slowly turns his back on his classmates and starts walking, leaking a thin mutter that no one can hear.


    ¡°Well ¡­ where should I die now?¡±


    Takaya¡¯s tearful muttering melted into the morning sunlight and disappeared.

 CH 5

    Takaya thought he was as good as dead when he was banished from the class.


    It may have been small in scale, but the classmates other than Takaya had literally survived the ¡°battle¡±. Now miraculously everyone is safe, but it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if any of them became a casualty.


    In the future, in order for him to survive in this world, he will have to fight alone and without the help of anyone.


    Would he, who can only mess with corpses, be able to fight off the demonic beasts and other creatures that come at him in the flesh, full of life and intent on attacking? Absolutely not.


    ¡®I know that it¡¯s useless to resist¡¯, Takaya¡¯s thoughts were negative and depressed and he thought it would be better if he died by his own hands.


    ¡°Fortunately, I have the tools for that ¡­¡±


    He picked up the dismantling knife he had been using until a few moments ago and lightly placed the blade against his wrist.


    Since he was using it for work, he had to maintain it constantly, and even though the blade dulled a little, it was still sharp. If he pulled it with all his strength, he could easily cut the blood vessel in his wrist.


    If it¡¯s left like that, he would die of blood loss and then it¡¯s goodbye.


    It¡¯s ironic that the weapon he had been using to slice and dice his prey would end up killing him.


    It¡¯s not like I want to do it- but¡­


    ¡°Well, where should I go now?¡±


    Takaya was currently in the woods, a little further away from the neighboring village. His former classmates, who he had already separated from, are planning to continue through the forest and head for the city just beyond the mountain.


    Akito said at a meeting a while ago that their current goal is to somehow return to their ¡°original world¡± and to go to as many places as possible to gather that information. Takaya remembered. But now it has nothing to do with him.


    When Takaya shook his head to forget about them, he suddenly remembered the little weight on his waist.


    ¡°Money and the magic stone¡­ what should I do?¡±


    The money in Takaya¡¯s pocket was about a week to a month¡¯s worth of living expenses, thanks to his stealing of the magic stone, but that wasn¡¯t necessary for someone who was about to die.


    However, it feels like a waste to let it rot.


    ¡°¡­ Should I try to use it all up in a day?¡±


    If he stayed at a cheap inn and saved food expenses as much as possible, he could extend it to two months. It¡¯s not a small guilt for Takaya, who was small-minded, to use it all at once.


    But he was going to die in the not-too-distant future anyway.


    So he shouldn¡¯t have any complaints about doing that. Besides, Takaya was alone now. There was no one to nag him like before and he would not be subjected to violence.


    With that in mind, he felt his depressed mood getting better.


    Takaya, wearing a jersey with his backpack on his back, decided to turn back and go to a small town nearby.

 CH 6

    Thinking about how to spend the money, Takaya returned to the city he had left last night.


    Of course, this town had a name. There was a sign at the entrance, but Takaya couldn¡¯t read what it said at all. He could vaguely understand the meaning of the language of the people on the street, but that was it.


    ¡°I just left this to those who were awakened ¡­When I think about it, It¡¯ll be hard to do a lot of things alone ¡­¡±


    Until now, there was no problem because the classmates who ¡°awakened¡± to be able to understand the other world¡¯s language ??were in charge of selling the earned materials and procuring food and other daily necessities, but for Takaya, trying to do this alone would be a bit of a pain.


    Originally, Takaya was not very good at communicating with others. It was hard to get used to even talking to his own classmates, and he definitely didn¡¯t want to talk to a stranger from another world with a different language system.


    But¨C.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Takaya turned his gaze toward the alleyway where a certain store was located, just outside the center of the city.


    A narrow, dimly lit alleyway with few pedestrians, hidden behind buildings. There was a woman standing there, wearing a slightly revealing dress. A large-breasted woman with long ears hanging down like a beast. She was probably a beastman.


    It may not be a very prosperous place in the countryside, but whether it¡¯s a downtown area in the original world or a shabby arcade district in the countryside, if you look hard enough, you can find it.


    One of the ways Takaya was thinking about spending the money along the way was to use the so-called ¡°night shop¡±, or, to put it bluntly, ¡°brothel¡±.


    The day before yesterday, in the middle of the night, he saw several of the male group, including his former classmate Shunichi, sneaking away from the party and disappearing into the store, and Takaya himself had been thinking about it.


    Takaya also realizes he¡¯s doing something stupid. However, it¡¯s too pathetic to die while leaving his virginity as it is.


    He is also a young man with a healthy sex drive. It would be a lie to say that he¡¯s not interested in a woman¡¯s body and sex.


    So, slowly but surely, like a winged insect attracted to light, Takaya¡¯s feet gradually moved towards the beastwoman¡¯s touting.


    ¡°There are no other customers yet ¡­ maybe their peak period will be a bit later, so if I do it now, it won¡¯t be noticed and I can quickly go to the next destination ¡­¡±


    And, while Takaya was spinning around with innocent thoughts that were really virgin-like,


    ¡°¡ó ¡ø ¡î * ,! # &%. I?¡±


    From behind, I was struck on my shoulder with some strange words.


    ¡°What? Um ¡­¡±


    ¡°I, ¦¤¡ì ¨Œ ¡à? Here = &%¡¯# 9, @ #¡± >> ¡®8, XX? ?? ¡°


    I could only hear the ¡°I¡± part, but since she was dressed like the woman standing in front of the store, she might be an employee of the same store.


    The woman¡¯s gaze kept going to Takaya¡¯s waist, or in other words, to his bag of gold coins, so she was probably locked on to him as the duck of the day.


    However, on the contrary, this was convenient. Originally, Takaya was here because he wanted to receive service at the store. It may be a little overwhelming, but if he can achieve his goal, it¡¯s okay.


    ¡°¡Á ¦¥ +, #)¡¯¡«¡« £½, ¡ó ¡Á¡Á¡Á, ???


    ¡°¡± P @: + _! £ü ¡« sM %%! ¡°


    However, Takaya, who was surrounded by two large beastwomen who were very enthusiastic about it, was not a man who could afford to think so much.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry ¡­ I, words, that, I don¡¯t understand, no, no¡±


    Takaya desperately shakes his head with a strange sweat on his forehead.


    There was no boy¡¯s face full of expectation or anything like that, but there was a stooped, wilted man child with an eager desire to be alone.


    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s just money right!?  I¡¯ll give it, so stay away from me!¡±


    While they were distracted by his scattering of gold and silver coins from the bag, Takaya fled from the scene without a fight.


    ¡°Even if I have money, I can¡¯t even be a customer. ¡­¡­ What the hell is wrong with me?¡±


    In the end, after silently buying alcohol and food at a nearby store, Takaya decided to aim for today¡¯s bed.

 CH 7

    {TN: The author switches a lot between first person and third person perspective in this novel}


    Takaya, who finished shopping and entered the forest again, was wandering in search of a place to die instead of today¡¯s bed.


    I could have stayed at the hotel since I still have money left, but if I die on the bed, it would be a terrible annoyance to the host. There¡¯s no regret in this world and I have no intention of leaving a grudge, but the possibility of becoming an evil spirit after death is not zero.


    ¡°I should just leave it to the people living after I¡¯m dead¡­ what am I doing really?¡±


    So Takaya made the decision to go to the forest.


    Takaya made his way along a roadless path in the forest, which was shrouded in total darkness. The area was silent, of course, with only the occasional distant chirp of some bird, but there was no sign of nocturnal predators or bandits.


    As I walked on the vegetation as quietly as possible, I suddenly caught sight of a white light in my field of vision, which had been pitch black until then.


    As if being drawn in, Takaya approached the spot.


    ¡°¡­ Oh, this place looks pretty good¡±


    What appeared in front of him was a huge stone that seemed to glow in the faint light of the moon. The area around the stone, which was supposed to be thickly covered with randomly grown plants, was covered only with normal field grass, which made him feel as if he were on top of a small hill.


    So Takaya immediately went beside the stone and sat down.


    Well, it¡¯s a good place for my last supper.


    ¡°Alchohol ¡­ I bought it on impulse but I wonder if it was a good idea.¡±


    Looking at the swaying purple liquid in a glass bottle large enough to fill a box, Takaya, a small-minded person, muttered awkwardly.


    Underage drinking is prohibited in the original world. I don¡¯t know how it is under the laws of this world,


    ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    Then, Takaya put his mouth directly on the bottle and poured what looked like wine down his throat.


    Takaya dies, whether or not he chooses to die himself. He can¡¯t go back to the original world, therefore he chose to end it by himself.


    He felt alcohol passing down his throat for the first time.


    The moment he put it in his mouth, Takaya first felt a fierce astringency (bitterness). He thought it would be sweet since it was called ¡®grape wine¡¯, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    At the same time, a burning sensation struck.


    The alcohol he tasted for the first time in another world was very bittersweet.


    ¡°! Goho ¡­ Eho ¡­ What is this?¡±


    Takaya, who couldn¡¯t bear it, spit it out in a gagging manner.


    To drink such a thing as ¡°delicious¡±, he thought that the taste of adults might be broken, then he rinsed his mouth with the water he¡¯d set aside.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a waste to just throw it away ¡­ Should I drink it slowly while eating food?¡±


    In addition to the liquor, the cooked food he bought was spread out, and Takaya¡¯s lonely last supper kicked off.


    ¡Á ¡Á ¡Á


    ¨D¨D Yes, the school trip group selection is ¡­¡­. Hey Nagami, which group are you going to be in?¡¡You¡¯re the only one who hasn¡¯t joined any, so tell me the group you want to join.


    In front of the blackboard, where only his name is out of a group, Takaya was scolded ruthlessly by his homeroom teacher.


    The school trips are usually conducted in groups, and the room assignments for the accommodation are decided based on this.


    On the blackboard, there were already groups of four to five people, and they were already discussing how to use their free activities.


    He was not allowed to go alone, so it was fine if he was put it in an appropriate place. However, Takaya¡¯s body stiffened at the words that came out of someone in the class.


    -Don¡¯t come to us, it¡¯s annoying.


    Takaya himself knew that. In a group formed by good friends, if a foreign element is thrown in, It just spoils the atmosphere.


    It¡¯s only natural that they don¡¯t want to tarnish their last memories with their one-time friends.


    ¨CHey, who said that?¡¡Who said such a thing? It¡¯s ¡­¡­ awful to say that in front of Nagami.


    Immediately, the chairman, Akito, stood up and blamed him.


    ¨CThen you take care of him.


    Akito¡¯s face also tensed up at those words.


    Akito probably doesn¡¯t want to go on a trip while paying attention to Takaya, the foreigner in the class. But that doesn¡¯t mean he can ignore him.


    After apologizing to the other members, Akito reached out to Takaya.


    ¨D¨DNagami, put your name in our group.


    Takaya¡¯s hand, which wrote his name in Akito¡¯s group, was quivering as he held back the tears that threatened to overflow.


    ¡Á ¡Á ¡Á


    ¡°¡­A Dream?¡±


    Takaya regained consciousness when the gentle moonlight entered the gap between his eyelids.


    Around him, there were messy dishes and the empty bottle of wine that I thought was bad but eventually emptied.


    Apparently I drank too much and fell asleep.


    The moon was still hovering in the sky, so it seemed that day hadn¡¯t broken yet.


    In such a conspicuous place, even though I threw out all my valuables and fell asleep, there was no evidence of being attacked.


    ¡°Hah ¡­ to think I¡¯d dream about it. I did well to endure without crying that time.¡±


    Thanks to Akito¡¯s wearing a good boy skin, the damage was somehow stopped, without that, the class would have turned into an annoying hell.


    Why us? Why not you. I hope you can take care of him. Why should we have to take such a disgusting guy- A group split that would have baffled even the homeroom teacher was going to happen because of Takaya alone.


    ¡°But that hell is over.¡±


    Wiping away the tears that were still rolling down his cheeks, Takaya going with the flow, took his partner knife from his backpack, put it to his wrist, and pulled it with all his might.


    Feeling the warmth slowly flowing from his wrist, Takaya lay down beside the stone monument.


    Again, intense drowsiness strikes Takaya.


    ¡°Goodbye, my shit life. If there¡¯s a next one, I¡¯d be happy if I could lead a better life this time.¡±


    Takaya¡¯s eyelids gradually grew heavier and he finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he closed his eyes.


    Finally, I¡¯m released from these hellish days-Takaya thought while trying to be invited into the darkness.


    However,


    ¡°¨CHey, hey! are you okay? Heyyy!¡±


    Before that happened, a strange woman¡¯s voice called out to him, bringing his consciousness back into the light.


    When I don¡¯t want to die, I¡¯m told to die, but when I¡¯m about to die, I¡¯m not allowed to die.


    ¡°The world is really selfish ¡­¡±


    Takaya thought so with a laugh.

 CH 8

    ¡°U¡­¡­n¨C¡°


    Takaya woke up, feeling like he was called by someone he didn¡¯t know.


    The light of the day which entered my thinly opened eyelids was dazzling, and I frowned unintentionally. Apparently I slept until morning.


    However, it¡¯s a little strange considering the situation.


    Why am I not dead?


    He must have made a big cut on his wrist last night, relying on the momentum of the alcohol. He was intoxicated, and although his immediate consciousness was dim, he should still have had a significant amount of bleeding.


    So why?


    As Takaya tried to grasp the situation,


    ¡°Oh~!¡¡It looks like he¡¯s finally awake. ¡°Hey, Dike, and Roar, this kid finally regained consciousness?¡±


    A woman in a priest¡¯s uniform with lightly pigmented whitish blond hair and jade-colored eyes.


    It could be seen at a glance that she¡¯s a beautiful woman.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve had a rough night, huh?¡¡You shouldn¡¯t drink in such an open place. What would you do if a bear ate you before you knew it?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, um ¡­¡±


    ¡±Ihihi¡±, she laughed gently, and her face was dazzling, Takaya looked away not knowing what to do. From the appearance, she should be a person from this world, but Takaya, who had no experience of talking to such a person, inevitably stumbled.


    He tried to move his body to get away from her, but the alcohol he had consumed last night was making him dizzy and giving him a headache. He also felt like he was about to throw up.


    Perhaps this is a hangover, but if it was going to make me feel this bad, I shouldn¡¯t have tried it, Takaya regretted.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I took the liberty of taking care of the wound myself. It¡¯s not a big wound, so I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be a problem, but make sure you go to a treatment center later so it doesn¡¯t leave any scars, okay?¡±


    At this point, two more people appeared in front of Takaya from behind the priestess.


    They were a knight in heavy metal armor and a Ranger with a bow.


    They seemed to be a party of three adventurers along with the woman.


    ¡°Oh, I, why ¡­ not dead, because yesterday I cut my wrist myself.¡±


    A white bandage had already been neatly wrapped around the wound on Takaya¡¯s wrist. Seeing that there was no blood leaking out, it seemed that the bleeding had stopped completely.


    ¡°Ah? Did you hurt yourself with that knife? Were you going to die?¡±


    The knight pointed to Takaya¡¯s partner which was on the ground beside him and asked, so he nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°Um ¡­ well, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±¡­¡­¡­¡±¡±¡±


    When they saw Takaya¡¯s reaction, they looked at each other and then burst out laughing.


    ¡°? Um ¡­¡±


    ¡± What are you saying man? That¡¯s a ¡®dismantling¡¯ knife, right?¡¡I don¡¯t care how drunk you were, that¡¯s a joke.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    He got more and more confused. Certainly, Takaya used it to dismantle the demon beasts he usually hunted.


    However, It should be no different from a knife. Whether it¡¯s a cutter or a kitchen knife, even if it¡¯s not used for its original purpose, it should still be able to do the job if it cuts a vital point.


    ¡°Hmm, maybe he¡¯s a country boy who doesn¡¯t know the language of skills.¡¡But he seems to be able to speak the world¡¯s language quite fluently, and he¡¯s also dressed in a strange outfit,¡­ he¡¯s a mystery.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we just talk and listen? Fortunately, we¡¯re done with our mission.¡±


    ¡°Well ¡­ it seems like it¡¯s going to be a hassle, but it¡¯s a boat we got on.¡±


    Saying this, the three of them embraced Takaya.


    ¡± First of all, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Meirir, tentatively a priest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Dike. I¡¯m kind of a knight, as you can see from my outfit. And next to me is the captain of our party¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Roar. Unlike these guys, I¡¯m a proper archer.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m Takaya. Takaya Nagami ¡­¡±


    There were many things I didn¡¯t understand listening for the first time, but I would have to listen carefully to the three people in front of me, including about the fact that I could not die.


    In this way, Takaya¡¯s life in a different world was about to begin again, triggered by an encounter with the local adventurers.

 CH 9

    ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s how you ended up in such a state.¡±


    When I explained to the three of them how this had happened, Meirir nodded as if she understood.


    ¡°Um, ¡­¡­, is this kind of thing common among adventurers?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of removing one person from the party on the way, even if there¡¯s a dispute about the rewards. The reason is a mess ¡­ Hey, Takaya, your ex-party, was it a gathering of idiots who¡¯re adventuring on their own? ¡°


    Roar, the leader of the trio, answers Takaya¡¯s question without hiding his indignation.


    Because they cut Takaya off so easily he felt sorry for them. Sorry for all those idiots.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about something. Takaya, what kind of work did you do at your old party?¡¡It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t do anything, right?¡±


    And here, Dike joined the conversation.


    He called himself a ¡°knight,¡± but he didn¡¯t have a sword, the symbol of a knight. He has a shield, but that¡¯s it.


    ¡°That¡¯s right ¡­ but it¡¯s a job that anyone can do. For example, handling the prey they¡¯d hunted¡­¡±


    ¡°In other words, a [processing shop]?¡±


    ¡°Processing, shop?¡±


    A word I hear for the first time comes out of Dike¡¯s mouth.


    From the way he spoke, it seemed that even the work that Takaya thought was just a chore had a proper name in this world.


    ¡°Dike, you have to speak more clearly. Takaya¡¯s been puzzled for a while now.¡± (Meirir)


    ¡°Shut it, I already know that. It¡¯s just like this muscle-brained priest to preach to me.¡±


    ¡°What? Any complaints??¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m kidding. It¡¯s nothing, sorry.¡±


    The look in Meirir¡¯s eyes as she glares at Dike is scary. Speaking of which, she has a really good physique, even though she¡¯s wearing a priest¡¯s uniform. She¡¯s slender but well trained, with no useless fat and a good figure.


    If anything, Takaya got the impression that she might be more of a martial artist than a priest.


    ¡°As the name suggests, a processor is someone who is tasked with converting the corpses of magical beasts, plants, trees, and flowers obtained during the course of an adventure into food or materials used to refine items. For example, you can ¡®process¡¯ your hunt by cutting it into various parts so that it can be easily cooked. Do you get it so far?¡±


    Takaya nodded to Dike¡¯s story. So far he had only handled prey, but apparently a processing shop¡¯s work is diverse.


    ¡°Well, from what you said, the processor seems like a very capable and indispensable member of a party..¡±


    ¡°¡­ What are you talking about? In fact, processors are a group of insanely talented guys. You can¡¯t do it without talent, and there are very few of them.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But if you go to the city, there are so many people ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, but even if they have the qualifications, they¡¯re only level 1 dismantlers at best.  If you want to become a processor, you need to be at least a level III or IV to be able to do so.¡±


    ¡°level¡­¡­¡±


    Once again, Takaya was confused. This time it was levels. Moreover, it seems that it¡¯s divided into several stages. I feel like I¡¯m in a game world.


    ¡± Hey, you two. Why don¡¯t we take Takaya with us to the capital?¡¡It would be quicker to have the people from the guild explain things to him than to have us here talking about things we don¡¯t know much about.¡± (Meirir)


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but ¡­¡­ what are do we do, leader?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s a strange boy, no doubt, but at least he¡¯s not as useless to us as he thinks he is.


    ¡°Okay!¡¡Well, it¡¯s settled then. Takaya, you¡¯ll come with us right?¡±


    I had no reason to refuse. It¡¯s a life I tried to throw away once anyway, I might as well live freely in this world until I die.


    He took the hand offered to him and stood up, and together with his three new adventurer friends, he moved to the new stage they called ¡°the capital¡±.

 CH 10

    Takaya, accompanying the three adventurers Meirir, Dike, and Roar, returned to the city he had left yesterday, Aria (or so he was told by Meirir).


    It seems the city where the three of them are based is about three days away from here on a horse-drawn carriage with regular rides. By the way, it¡¯s the exact opposite direction from where Akito and the other former classmates are aiming for.


    ¡°Hey Takaya, what¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve been down since a while ago ¡­ are you still feeling sick?¡± (Meirir)


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the case, but ¡­¡±


    The place where the four people are waiting for a regular ride is a relatively busy place in the city of Aria. There are stalls, stores, and small shops that sell weapons and armor, and many people visit the street depending on the time of day.


    Meanwhile, Takaya was hiding in the shadows of the three and looking around while looking suspicious.


    The reason is, yes, the exchange at the brothel yesterday evening.


    Takaya was worried about seeing those women again.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you keep looking at the back alleys ¡­ oh¡±


    Dike, who noticed the intention of Takaya¡¯s mysterious action, quietly whispered so that Meirir wouldn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take care of it in the shops around here. They can¡¯t speak the common language, so you can¡¯t convey subtle orders, and the hygiene in the store is bad.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve experienced it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. There are stores like this all over the world, you know.¡¡As an adventurer, it is only natural that you should always aim for the top. By the way, these shopkeepers only have very erotic bodies. ¡­¡­¡±


    The carriage arrived at the boarding platform at just the right time as Takaya slipped into a daze, wondering what ¡°top¡± meant.


    If we talked any further, Meirir¡¯s contemptuous gaze would keep worsening at mach speed.


    ¡°Four people to board up to Bay Road. The fare is ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Roar-san, please wait a moment.¡±


    As Roar was fumbling with his wallet to pay the driver, Takaya hurriedly broke in.


    In this trip, Takaya is being treated as a customer, but it felt strange to leave everything to them. He still had a lot of money left for the trip, including uncashed magic stones, so he thought he could do this much.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Even if we board the carriage, it doesn¡¯t cost much cause it¡¯s a shared carriage, and above all, we just have to charge our employer later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but it¡¯s still bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    As they were arguing about whether to pay or not, a magic stone suddenly rolled down from Takaya¡¯s bag of coins.


    It was the clearest one and radiated a red light, Roar¡¯s line of sight was nailed to that one point.


    ¡°Hey Takaya ¡ª this is ¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. It¡¯s a magic stone that I removed from the heart of a demon beast I handled a while ago.


    ¡°Takaya !!¡±


    Roar, who suddenly changed his tone, grabbed Takaya¡¯s shoulder.


    Perhaps he was too excited, the power put in his hand was so strong that Takaya groaned unintentionally.


    ¡°! I¡¯m sorry. I got too excited.¡±


    ¡°No ¡­ but what¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s certainly expensive, but it¡¯s not so rare ¡­ I was able to collect it quite often while I dismantled.¡±


    ¡°Quite often!??¡±


    Roar¡¯s eyes are opened further in astonishment.


    From their reactions, it seemed that the magic stones he had been casually collecting, and Takaya who had been collecting them as a matter of course, were quite valuable to the locals.

 CH 11

    ¡°Wow! I thought he was just a normal person from his appearance, but after all Takaya was a great child ~¡±


    After hearing the story from Roar, Meirir happily stroked Takaya¡¯s head saying ¡°good good¡±. Obviously she treated him as a child, but he didn¡¯t think it was so bad for her to praise him that way.


    Takaya was an only child in that world, so he liked having someone like an older sister in this world.


    ¡°Well ¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s so amazing. I don¡¯t really understand.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s really amazing. A magic stone is a blood crystal in the heart of a demon beast, a rare material used for materials such as magic wands and magic drugs. In order to take it out, you need to have at least level III dismantling skills.. ¡± (Roar)


    ¡°Level ¡­ Does that mean that the higher the number, the better you are at separating such rare materials?¡±


    ¡°Simply put, yes. I don¡¯t know much about it, but the higher the level, the more likely you are to find rare materials, and the more likely you are to be able to dismantle magical beasts that are difficult to even process for food. Like dragons.¡±


    ¡°Dragon ¡­ you can eat dragon meat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not limited to dragons. Most magical beast meat has the ability to improve the potential ability of the person who eats it. This is how we adventurers grow and become stronger little by little.¡±


    If that story is true, it¡¯s understandable that Akito and his former classmates woke up to their abilities one after another. At first, they ate the flesh of small demon beasts, and gradually became stronger and woke up to magic and swordsmanship skills.


    And maybe Takaya also.


    In his case, the growth vector was just towards the acquisition of skills and abilities as a processor, not for combat.


    ¡°Takaya, are you going somewhere after this?¡±


    To Roar¡¯s words, Takaya shook his head.


    I used to act with the purpose of ¡°returning to the original world,¡± but now that I¡¯ve been kicked out of class, that feeling is completely disappearing.


    Or rather, it doesn¡¯t really matter anymore.


    Anyway, the only thing I care about now is how to survive in this world.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ then¨C¡°


    ¡°Hey Takaya, if you don¡¯t have a destination, why don¡¯t you join our party? Right now, Roar is acting as a dismantler, but he¡¯s totally bad at it. So, we¡¯d love to have you!¡±


    ¡°Oi¡±


    Apparently, Meirir spoke before Roar and said a word too many.


    ¡°Oh, I agree. If you have enough skill to collect magic stones, you have at least level III or higher. As a dismantler, you¡¯ll be much more useful than the level I Roar. ¡°


    ¡°¡­¡­Oi¡±


    It¡¯s probably a joke within the group, but it seems a bit terrible for Roar. Maybe no one wanted to do it, so he was just doing it as the leader.


    Takaya had no choice but to feel close to him. Sorry for your troubles.


    ¡°So what do you think? I think it would be better to have someone than to do various things alone.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡±


    Normally, I would have accepted this offer with two words. Takaya liked the three of them very much, and they would probably be able to clear up any problems that might arise in the future, such as food, clothing, and housing. But


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that, just a little ¡­ let me think about it.¡±


    Takaya didn¡¯t immediately nod his head.


    ¡°Huh, why? Why? You don¡¯t really like being with us?¡±


    That¡¯s absolutely not the case. She¡¯s a bit weird, but Meirir is beautiful and kind, Dike is nice like a big brother, and Roar is Roar.


    Compared to my previous party, there¡¯s a big difference.


    But that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t easily accept this offer.


    ¡°That ¡­ I definitely don¡¯t want to be extra baggage for this party. Unlike the previous guys, everyone has been kind to me¡­ so I want to be sure I can contribute to you properly. When I¡¯m convinced, I hope you¡¯ll invite me again. ¡°


    Respond with sincerity no matter how trivial the matter¡ªthat was Takaya Nagami¡¯s original humanity.


    ¡°¡­ I understand your feelings. Well, we still have time before we reach our destination. Take your time and think slowly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important for Takaya and for us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until we get back to our home base first. Once we get a clearer picture of Takaya¡¯s skills, all of us will be satisfied.¡±


    Thus, the four riding the carriage, headed for the coastal city of Bay Road, the base of the adventurers.

 CH 12

    Taking breaks along the way and rocking slowly in the carriage, it took us about three days to reach our destination, ¡°Bay Road,¡± which is the capital along the coastline.


    When Takaya and his group set foot in the city, which was built on a bay that had been shaved off by the waves for many years and had become a complex terrain, the sea breeze with the scent of the tide greeted them.


    ¡°Wow ¡­ it¡¯s kind of like a foreign resort.¡±


    While listening to the cry of birds flying comfortably in the deep blue sky, Takaya gave such a childish impression.


    For Takaya, the ¡°sea¡± was a small beach where people wriggle like ants, but this street, which was also known as ¡°port city¡± (I heard from the others), is quite different from that of the original world.


    The large bay was lined with no less than a hundred or two hundred ships, and fishermen were returning from today¡¯s work bringing in their catch of the day to the nearby market. At the same time, a number of wooden boxes, large enough to be carried by a dozen people in cooperation, were unloaded from a ship perhaps from another city.


    Even in the original world, there were scenes such as fish markets and industrial areas by the sea, but Bay Road has an atmosphere that enhances the scenery with fantasy.


    ¡°Takaya, how about our base?¡± (Meirir)


    ¡°Well ¡­ it¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been to such an amazing place.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m glad to hear that but it¡¯s a bit shabby compared to other countries. If you go farther, there are places where it¡¯s so prosperous that it makes this place seem like a pea.¡±


    If this is a pea-sized city, how big would the world¡¯s largest city be?


    Takaya, who has been living in a small country, in a small region, and in a small community with a narrow view, can¡¯t imagine.


    ¡± Takaya, after all, the best place to be is at home. If you¡¯re a regular customer, they¡¯ll even give you backstage services and then some¨C. ¡°


    For the time being, I¡¯ll leave the story of Dike, a lewd man who was talking about a sex shop as usual.


    Don¡¯t ignore it, just leave it. For now.


    ¡°Takaya, we¡¯re going to put off the sightseeing for now and have you come with us to our base, the adventurer¡¯s guild in Bay Road. There, we¡¯ll measure your abilities. You¡¯ll also meet our boss, so keep that in mind.¡± (Roar)


    ¡°Adventurer Guild ¡­¡±


    Takaya finally realizes that it¡¯s become a fantasy, although it¡¯s been a long time since he was blown into a different world.


    Searching for ruins and treasures, subduing monsters, bounty hunting, e.t.c ¡­ The situation he had always dreamed of while pretending to sleep on the desk in the classroom, ¡®if I could enter the world of games¡¯, is now a reality. It was right in front of him.


    Although the reality was so overwhelming he had a hard time accepting it to be honest.


    ¡°What?¡¡That¡¯s the end of our job, right? Hey, leader, since Takaya¡¯s here, let¡¯s go for lunch, it¡¯s noon.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, it¡¯s our job to complete the report. Besides, we didn¡¯t bring Takaya here as a tourist, we brought him here to be one of us.¡±


    ¡°One of them¡­¡­¡±


    Takaya felt a pang in his chest at Roar¡¯s casual comment.


    This was the first time in his life that he had heard such words and it was even from someone he only just met in a different world.


    It made him happier than any words he had ever heard in his entire life.


    ¡°¡­ Yosh yosh, Takaya¡±


    As he tried to keep the tears from spilling from his suddenly moist eyes, a soft, white hand gently stroked Takaya¡¯s head. The smiling voice that said, ¡°Hihihi,¡± belonged to Meirir.


    Meirir really cares about Takaya. At that time, she was probably the first to discover Takaya, who had his wrist cut, but she hasn¡¯t asked about the situation. Knowing he¡¯s shown a considerable blunder, he¡¯s also too embarrassed to ask.


    ¡°You¡¯re free to be emotional, but we haven¡¯t decided yet. First, let¡¯s check your aptitude in the guild.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, then please take me to your adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure what his true abilities were yet, but he was anxious and hopeful, then the three of them took him to their base near the port.

 CH 13

    ¡°Oh, I can read ¡­the characters!¡±


    On the way to the adventurer¡¯s guild, while observing the streets of the Bay Road, Takaya was alone in his excitement.


    He was able to understand all the signs and languages that were flying around, Unlike how it was in Aria.


    ¡°By the way, which country do you come from, Takaya?¡¡I thought it must be very far away considering your strange outfit.


    ¡°Oh, um, it¡¯s an ¡­¡­ island country. It¡¯s all surrounded by the sea, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be much interaction ¡­¡­ with other countries these days. However, it is certainly very far from here.¡±


    Takaya answers with half truth and half lie, and a little vagueness. In the first place, there¡¯s no way that people will believe me if I say that I wandered into another world due to a bus accident.


    However, since the language of the original world is called ¡°world language¡± or ¡°common language¡± in this world, there might be some kind of relationship.


    It has nothing to do with Takaya anymore though.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. This is the adventurer¡¯s guild ¡°Searat¡±, our home base.


    The three adventurers¡¯ base was located on the main street leading to the harbor.


    Beside the front door is an emblem with a rat-like image against a background of raging waves. And, there was a big sign with an arrow that said ¡°Request here!¡±.


    ¡°Our guild widely accepts requests from customers at first sight. The Sea Rat is a term coined by our boss, but it means we¡¯ll take care of any request that happens in this city, even cleaning sewage.


    Rather than a guild, they probably work as a do-it-all shop.


    In this seemingly peaceful city, it¡¯s unlikely that you¡¯ll be asked to subdue demon beasts or capture a bounty, so they may have to do some other small work.


    It¡¯s still morning, but when I look inside, there are already several customers talking to the counter staff about some kind of request. They seemed to be doing well.


    Instead of the front entrance where customers come and go, we entered from the back entrance dedicated to employees.


    ¡°Oi Mitta. Is the boss in?¡±


    As soon as he entered the guild, Roar called out to a female employee carrying a large pile of documents. Like a beastman, she has big, fluffy dog ??ears hanging down.


    ¡°Oh, the three idiots are back. The president? Well, I think he¡¯s in his room since he¡¯s been at work since morning. And the boy over there, is he a customer or something?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a prospective member. His office right, thank you.¡±


    As soon as they were done talking, Roar quickly took Takaya up the stairs to the second floor.


    The second floor of the building has only one door, except for the space where office equipment and other things are placed in the corner. Apparently it¡¯s a room for employees.


    After this, I¡¯ll have an interview with the president to find out about ¡°skills¡± that I don¡¯t fully understand and my own potential.


    ¡°Um, Meirir ¡­ what am I going to do now? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had an interview like this ¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡¡Oh, there¡¯s no need to be nervous. He may have the title of ¡°president,¡± but he¡¯s usually a friendly person. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll accept you just fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Takaya. If you show master your abilities, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to make you an employee right away.¡±


    Boss, president, and master. Apparently, each of them adore the president of Searat.


    And even though it was an interview, the three of them were by his side. Even if Takaya can¡¯t explain well, they would follow up for him.


    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m back now. Boss? Are you there? Can I enter?¡±


    Roar knocked several times on the door with a small sign saying ¡°President¡¯s Office¡±, but there was no answer from the other side of the door.


    According to Mitta, he was in the room since morning.


    ¡°¡­ Maybe he¡¯s out?¡±


    ¡°No, the door doesn¡¯t seem to be locked, and I can hear him talking from inside, so he must be there. Boss, I¡¯ll open it. All right¨C¡°


    After saying that, Roar opens the door without waiting for a reply.


    Then


    ¡°Oh! Yes, yes Miss! Please curse this pig more and more, step on me with your beautiful feet!¡±


    ¡°No, stay away, don¡¯t come any closer you orc-man! Don¡¯t touch the body of this noble forest mistress with your filthy, swollen fingers!¡±


    There was a fat uncle who was on all fours with his face uplifted and drooling, and a little elf-eared girl who was stepping on his head with her feet.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Silence reigned in the room as the gazes of all four, including Takaya, and the two of them facing each other met at the same time.


    ¡°Eh ¡­¡±


    After turning his eyes from each of the three familiar faces, the uncle¡¯s eyes stop at Takaya.


    ¡°Hmm, ehem ¡­¡±


    The uncle put on his clothes and sat down in his chair as if nothing happened.


    ¡°¨CI¡¯m Rudra, the Guild Master of Searat.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±We know!!¡±¡±¡±


    Takaya thought as he watched the three of them shove into the boss at the same time,


    Is it really okay to join this guild?

 CH 14

    ¡°Hmm, this boy is ¡­¡±


    Hentai Lolicon Mazo ojisan (Takaya arbitrarily named him in his heart), Rudra, the guild master of ¡°Searat¡±, heard Takaya¡¯s evaluation from Roar and had a doubtful look on his face.


    While stroking the beard stored on his chin, his eyes were sharp as he observed Takaya as if he were suspicious. It¡¯s a big difference from when he was excitedly being kicked around by the little girl with elf ears.


    ¡°Huh, you don¡¯t trust Takaya¡¯s words, do you?¡¡Takaya may look unreliable on the outside, but he¡¯s actually quite awesome. He said he collected this magic stone himself.


    Meirir handed Rudra a magic stone with a sour look on her face.


    It¡¯s the most beautiful magic stone collected by Takaya. The clearer the stone, the higher the purity, and the more valuable it is.


    ¡°¡­ What do you think, Feria¡±


    ¡°I always think, master, your difference between work and non-work is too big¡­¡­. ¡°


    The elf girl beside him sighs loudly at Rudra, who is in full work mode.


    By the way, as I was introduced by Roar earlier, she, Feria Is the number two in the guild after Rudra and is said to be a genuine elf. She has straight blond hair and dark green eyes. She has no feminine bumps yet and looks like a little girl.


    However, her age seems to be over 200 years old. What a different world.


    ¡°If you¡¯re skilled enough to collect the rare red magic stone, you can usually feel something. Well, it¡¯s difficult to judge if you have the skill of ¡°root¡± type, For the time being, I have no choice but to examine him ¡­¡­ first.¡±


    Saying this, Feria took out a piece of old paper from the drawer of Rudra¡¯s office desk.


    Is it about the size of an A4 paper? In the center of the paper, a character string that Takaya could never understand was engraved in a circle.


    ¡°This is a tree paper ¡­ It¡¯s a paper that measures the degree of potential sleeping in a person. Takaya, this will show us the¡± tree ¡°inside of you. Put your finger here.¡±


    ¡°Uh, tree ¡­?¡±


    There have been some incomprehensible stories flying over Takaya¡¯s head since he came here, but for the time being, he has no choice but to do what everyone says.


    Takaya put his finger in the center of the circle, as Feria told him.


    The moment he did, he felt as if his fingertips were burning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It just sucked some of the bioenergy flowing through you. Look at it.¡±


    ¡°ah¡­¡­¡±


    The character strings engraved on the paper showed a mysterious movement.


    When I thought that the ink spread randomly around the circle as if it were bleeding, I found that it was gradually being drawn into ¡°something¡±.


    ¡°Is this ¡­ a tree?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The tree paper is a way to tell what kind of potential a person has in the form of a tree. It will tell you if you¡¯re good at combat, if you¡¯re good at magic,¡­ and It shows you how far you can reach. ¡°


    I don¡¯t know what the shape of the drawn tree should be, but I do know that it should be a beautiful large tree.


    And that Takaya¡¯s ¡°tree¡± will never be that way.


    The proof is that the black ink that leaked from him, even a while after he put his finger on it, didn¡¯t settle into a neat shape at all, it just kept crawling on the bottom half of the paper like a worm.


    ¡°Huh? Dike. Isn¡¯t this strange?¡±


    ¡°Yeah ¡­ that¡¯s right. It¡¯s weird, this movement.¡±


    Meirir and Dike, who noticed something raised their voices.


    ¡°What do you guys mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know Roar?¡¡Normally, when you put your finger on it, it forms a shape pretty quickly.¡¡It¡¯s like, ¡°Here¡¯s what you¡¯re capable of¡±.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess so. For a piece of paper, It usually presents the reality quite clearly. ¡­¡­¡±


    However, Takaya¡¯s tree paper still can¡¯t measure his ability.


    It¡¯s as if it¡¯s complaining that it can¡¯t shape his true ¡°tree¡± within the bounds of this form.


    ¡°Uh, Feria-san ¡­ what should I do?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ Feria, san?¡±


    Although Takaya calls out several times, she is stuck with her eyes wide open staring at Takaya¡¯s paper.


    And so was Rudra, the president.


    ¡°-Hey, Roar, Dike, Meirir ¡­ You guys might have picked up a hell of a guy.¡±


    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s as Rudra says ¡­ I¡¯ll look into it a bit more just in case, but this boy named Takaya may have ridiculous talent.¡±


    The two tops of searats¡¯ serious gaze were focused on only one boy, Takaya Nagami.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­?¡±


    The dark daily life of a boy who thought he was a shadow and couldn¡¯t be anything. That was about to change when this event in the otherworldly city of Bay Road occurred.

 CH 15

    While he waited for Faeria, who had gone to her house to pick up the necessary tools to see Takaya¡¯s qualities in more detail, Takaya was ushered into the guild¡¯s reception area on the first floor.


    Right now, in front of him is Mitta, a guild employee. The dog-eared woman who talked to Roar when he returned to the guild.


    ¡°Um ¡­ President? I¡¯m sitting here without any instructions, but what should I do?¡±


    Suddenly called by Rudra while responding to the reception window, she seemed to be confused when she was placed in front of a boy who looked timid.


    ¡°Teach this boy everything about ¡®skills¡¯. You can even go through the rudimentary stuff.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can ¡­ but aren¡¯t you more knowledgable about this sir? Shouldn¡¯t you be the one teaching him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going out to meet someone. I¡¯m the president, I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about the three idiots?¡±


    ¡°They went with Feria cause they have to carry her luggage.¡±


    This is one-on-one.


    ¡°Che-¡°


    Mitta looked really annoyed. She still had work to do. She wasn¡¯t free.


    It was written on her face, ¡°Why should I do this with no extra pay?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to make such an annoyed face. If all goes well, your current low monthly salary may become about average.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Is that for real! ?? What about the bonus? Will the bonus go up?¡±


    As soon as it became a story of money, Mitta¡¯s tension suddenly increased.


    ¡°Maybe it will go up. The summer bonus, which was a small amount, may increase by about one month, no, two months worth.¡±


    ¡°Really! Hyahou !!¡±


    The eyes of everyone in the venue focused on Mitta, who raised her voice and pumped her fist up without worrying about their stares.


    ¡°Ah, no, hahahahaha ¡­¡±


    Rudra moved his mouth, saying a small ¡°choroi¡± (easy) as Mitta sat quietly with her cheeks slightly blushing. Takaya, who was observing the series of exchanges from the side, did not miss it.


    As the president, it seems he knows how to raise employee motivation.


    ¡°Hmm ¡­ since that¡¯s the case, should I get a little motivated?¡±


    Even as she said this, Mitta had already put on her glasses and started drawing on the white paper provided. She seemed motivated already.


    After seeing this, Rudra moved his mouth again, saying ¡°Choroi¡±, and when he told other staff members that he was going out, he quickly stepped out.


    With that said, it finally really became one-on-one between Takaya and Mitta.


    ¡°Let¡¯s raise my salary! So it¡¯s time to start. But before that, let¡¯s introduce ourselves.¡±


    She pointed to the name tag on her uniform.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mitta. As you can see, I¡¯m the receptionist of this guild. Sometimes I go out. And let¡¯s see¡­¡­ Yes, my recent trouble is that my salary is so low sometimes I wonder if dinner will only be the grass that grows around the area. ¡°


    Mitta made a serious confession, but the tone was so bright that it didn¡¯t create a heavy atmosphere. However, I think she should be paid a little more for the time being.


    ¡°I¡¯m Takaya Nagami. You can call me Takaya like everyone else. Well, after that, recently, my worries ¡­ my worries are¡­¡±


    I tried to answer in the same way, but I couldn¡¯t find the best answer.


    Or rather, if I think about it, I have too many worries.


    Even though I¡¯m a high school student, I¡¯m still a middle-aged boy, and my sitting height is about below average. After that, I came to this different world.


    After fumbling for a while with my eyes swimming around, the face-to-face Mitta laughed.


    ¡°Pufu, you don¡¯t have to imitate me that much. Were you trying to suit me?¡±


    Mitta strokes his head saying, ¡°yosh, yosh¡± (good good). Meirir often does this, but do I have a talent that attracts slightly older women out of nowhere?


    ¡°Well, now that we¡¯re done introducing ourselves let¡¯s start right away. By the way, we¡¯re really starting from the beginning ¡­¡±


    Mitta, who has a serious atmosphere, asks Takaya.


    ¡°Hey, Takaya. Do you think we humans can fly in the sky?¡±

 CH 16

    ¨C Do I think humans can fly? Not really¡­


    Of course they can¡¯t. Even if you used magic, you probably wouldn¡¯t even reach the sky. And I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what the topic at hand is headed towards.


    ¨C Right? We humans don¡¯t have such things as wings. Only those living beings that were already born with ways to fly can do it.


    Mitta pulls out a paper and draws a human gazing enviously at a flying bird.


    ¨C It¡¯s a bit of an extreme example. The point is, there are things you can naturally do, and things you just can¡¯t do. Are you following so far?


    ¨C I guess


    I nodded.


    Effort. That word was thrown around very often in my original word. But in the end, you needed talent.


    There was no one dumber than people who would claim you could get anything with just effort. You can only get so far by trying hard. At some point, you¡¯ll need talent to surpass others.


    Talent only exists due to effort.


    ¨C Takaya, I don¡¯t know what country you came from, or what education you received. But in this world, you need skills. Without them, you can¡¯t do anything.


    Mitta started drawing again. It looked like she was drawing¡­ flowers and a cup?


    I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s aware, but her drawings aren¡¯t exactly the best. Next to the drawings, she wrote ¡°Medicinal Herb 1¡±, ¡°Medicinal Herb 2¡±, and ¡°Mixing Pot¡±.


    ¨C Alright, one last question. Imagine this scenario. Someone is trying to make a Potion 3 using these ingredients. They already know the recipe, so they just have to pulverize them. They then mix it with water and heat it up. No need for any magic. Do you think the Potion 3 will be successfully crafted? By the way, the person doing this has no skills at all.


    As long as you know the recipe¡­ you should be able to.


    Of course you should. If it¡¯s just pulverizing and mixing even a monkey would be able to do it.


    So I answered without thinking about it too much.


    ¨C Hehehe~ Sorry, Takaya. You¡¯re wrong.


    Mitta wrote ¡°Pulverize Medicinal Herb 1 with Medicinal Herb 2 and mix with water¡±.


    ¨C That should make a Potion 3, right?


    ¨C Wrong. It won¡¯t work. If it was someone with the skill for it, they would be able to transform the ingredients into an actual potion.


    ¨C So you need the skills to make it work¡­


    ¨C Exactly. I thought this was common sense anywhere in the world though~


    Mitta seemed to have some doubts.


    Maybe this world is simply like that.


    I¡¯m once again left thinking about how the laws and common sense of my original world don¡¯t apply here in the slightest.


    ¨C Mitta-san, I have a question. But it¡¯s not a pretty one.


    ¨C Hm? Do you want to ask about my measurements? I can at least tell you the middle one. I¡¯m poor so at least my body is thin.


    ¨C Oh, no, it¡¯s not that.


    So she says, but I¡¯m sure she would be able to beat me. Anyways, this is a serious question.


    ¨C As long as you don¡¯t ask me to reveal a lady¡¯s secret. What is it?


    ¨C Do you need a skill to commit suicide?


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    Mitta¡¯s body tensed at my straightforward question.

 CH 17

    ¨C Uhm¡­ Well- Uhh¡­


    Mitta¡¯s cheerful expression clouded after hearing the question.


    At the same time, she slowly moved away from me. I tilted my head trying to decipher what happened.


    ¨C M-Mita-san? What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something weird?


    ¨C W-Well, jumping into a topic like suicide so suddenly is kind of¡­


    ¨C Oh.


    At that moment I realized my mistake.


    I¡¯m still wondering why my suicide attempt failed that night. When I told Meirir and the others about what happened the night they found me they just laughed at me.


    All the information from this lecture left me thinking that maybe I need to meet a condition to inflict a lethal injury to my wrists. I just wanted to confirm it.


    Of course, I¡¯m not planning on ending my life anymore.


    But Mitta doesn¡¯t know that. She doesn¡¯t even know the circumstances that led to me asking that. It¡¯s understandable that she was so shaken.


    ¨C Sorry! I just asked out of curiosity. I¡¯m not actually planning on dying or anything. I¡¯m, uhh¡­ enjoying every day of my life!


    ¨C O-Oh, is that so? Well, it¡¯s fine I guess. But don¡¯t scare me like that. You¡¯ll make me worry.


    Mitta let out an annoyed sigh and then flicked my forehead. It hurt, but it¡¯s what I get for starting this misunderstanding.


    If there¡¯s such thing as Communication Skills, I¡¯d be Level 0 for sure.


    ¨C Anyways, going back to my question¡­


    ¨C We are NOT going back to it! Listen here, Takaya. You got some really weird interests. If you insist that you don¡¯t have a death wish I guess I could answer it. It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s such a weird question. I¡¯ve never stopped to think about it.


    Mitta grabbed a paper and drew a person on it. It seems she has a habit of drawing when she¡¯s deep in thought.


    ¨C If you throw yourself down a cliff, you don¡¯t need a skill for it, right? Uhh¡­ What else? I guess you could try to get yourself killed by some thugs in an alley. Ah, but you¡¯d probably need Negotiation Skills for that. Cutting yourself¡­ Uh, I guess if you have the right tools.


    The usually composed Mitta was struggling to find an answer.


    She was reluctant to answer at first but now she¡¯s trying her best to come up with a satisfying response. She¡¯s the most suited person to be a receptionist.


    ¨C The answer is Yes and No. Are you happy with that? What a dumb question.


    Suddenly someone else¡¯s voice answered my question.


    The voice belonged to Feria, the guild¡¯s vice president. Apparently, she got the stuff she needed. Behind her were Meirir and the others carrying something that looked like a large scroll.


    ¨C Welcome back, vicepres.


    ¨C Thank you. By the way, where¡¯s Rudra? Seems like he¡¯s not around here.


    ¨C He said he was going to meet someone and then left. I wonder who he was meeting with. Maybe it¡¯s a lover!? How dare he! Even though he has a vice president for himself-Owie!


    ¨C Stop it with your idiotic delusions and get back to work already.


    While Mitta was daydreaming in her fantasy world, a small lump of air passed by my side and hit her forehead.


    I didn¡¯t see anything flying by, so it was probably magic. Feria is an elf, so it wouldn¡¯t be weird for her to be able to use wind magic.


    And apparently, everyone else is aware of Rudra and Feria¡¯s weird relationship.


    ¨C Takaya, we¡¯re gonna see your true potential. This place is too small, let¡¯s go outside.


    ¨C Understood. I¡¯ll be there in a second. See you, Mitta-san! I¡¯m sorry for the weird question.


    ¨C Don¡¯t sweat it. More importantly, the vice president is going to test you? Good luck man. If you become one of us, make sure to bring a lot of work so I can get paid.


    Mitta-san said something so terrible with such a happy face.


    Will I be worked to death if I join this guild? While thinking that, I was also remembering that somber night. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t die.

 CH 18

    ¡°Roots of the Big Tree¡±


    At Feria¡¯s instructions, some people came out of the staff room to begin the preparations.


    ¨C Aaahh~ Been a long time since I¡¯ve seen these bad boys. I forgot how big they were. (Meirir)


    Across the garden in the guild grounds were big tree papers spread around. From the way Meirir is talking I assume she has used them before.


    Come to think of it, I still don¡¯t know what the trio¡¯s skills are.


    By her figure, I assume Meirir is a healer. Dike is good with swords and martial arts. Pretty much anything that¡¯s close range. But he still seems slightly unskilled sometimes. Roar is¡­ whatever. He¡¯s not very useful. But he¡¯s the leader for a reason, so he has to have a good skill.


    ¨C All living beings are born with a skill. There are things we can and cannot do. We spend our lives growing and learning, but we¡¯re still unsure about the skills that rest deep within ourselves. Are they related to our race? Social standing? Lineage? Friends? There could be many reasons.


    I was listening intently to Feria¡¯s explanation.


    What she¡¯s saying also applies to my original world. Every day you would go to school even if you didn¡¯t want to, you would choose something to graduate on, and then you¡¯d find a job that you don¡¯t really like in order to live your life.


    Of course, there are a few that discover their talent way earlier and are able to make fortunes off of it.


    Even if your talent would be widely renowned, if you make the wrong choices you¡¯re done.


    You have to let talent and skill bloom equally.


    How unfair for the world to be like that.


    ¨C So our ancestors thought about a way to discover skills as early as possible.


    ¨C And they came up with this tree paper?


    ¨C Yes. Although it¡¯s made from extremely expensive material, so it¡¯s very rare. They probably didn¡¯t even know about them in wherever you¡¯re from.


    If only there was a version of this tree paper in the other world. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve survived long, but at least I would¡¯ve avoided making pointless efforts.


    ¨C Vice president, everything is ready.


    ¨C Alright, thank you.


    After getting the thumbs up from Roar, Feria pushed my back.


    ¨C Takaya, just like last time. Place your hand in the circle and don¡¯t move. The paper will drain your energy, but don¡¯t worry. You can get it back with a day of sleep.


    ¨C You can also consider it a day off of work. (Roar)


    ¨C Shut up and start it already. Some of us have important matters to take care of in the guild.


    ¨C Alright, fine.


    As told by Feria, I put the palm of my hand on the center of the tree paper.


    Suddenly, a feeling of feverish heat assaulted my hand.


    ¨C Kh¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t take your hand off. It¡¯s just like a needle, you¡¯ll get used to it.


    Actually, it hurts more than just a needle. It feels like a lethal injection.


    Just as I was about to yell that back, I was distracted by the alteration in the paper.


    ¨C W-What¡­


    That¡¯s all I could say.


    ¨C Uwaaah!


    ¨C Wow, what is with this guy!?


    ¨C Takaya!


    ¨C Mhm, just like the vicepres said¡­ No, maybe even better.


    Everyone had different reactions. But they all shared the same shocked expression.


    ¨C Uh, Feria-san, what¡¯s the result? What¡¯s my skill?


    I could only see what looked like a bunch of roots and branches covering the bottom half of the paper.


    ¨C Takaya, this¡­ Your skill is¡­


    Feria¡¯s voice was slightly quivering.


    ¨C Manufacturing. The power of production. Also known as The Roots. You could master it all.

 CH 19

    ¡°My companions¡±


    ¨C ¡°Production¡±?


    I asked Feria while looking at the big roots spreading around.


    Considering all the things I went through with my previous group, I assumed I had at least some experience with processing materials.


    But I never thought it would be this relevant.


    Manufacturing in this world is similar to what you would see in a game. Blacksmithing, creating potions, etc.


    I looked again at the roots in the tree paper.


    Looking closely I realized that some of the various roots had phosphorescent fruits hanging from them. The details of this drawing were impeccable.


    ¨C The tree paper takes a person¡¯s energy and uses it to form a tree. Sometimes it¡¯s a tall tree that reaches the sky, sometimes it¡¯s a tree with abundant leaves, sometimes it¡¯s a tree with countless fruits. That¡¯s how we judge someone¡¯s skill.


    ¨C But my tree is just roots, right? There are no branches or leaves.


    The upper part of my ¡°tree¡± was merely a stump. You¡¯d think that with such roots the tree would have a giant trunk and tons of branches.


    The stump was cleanly cut.


    ¨C Goes to show how rare you are. It¡¯s true that the upper part might be empty, but the lower part is more than enough to describe you. (Feria)


    ¨C Yeah Takaya, don¡¯t sweat it. You¡¯re one hell of a guy. My tree paper looked like a drawing made by a 3-year-old. (Roar)


    ¨C Of course it did. It¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about. (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah, figures. (Dike)


    ¨C ¡­Hey. (Roar)


    Any opportunity to make fun of Roar is welcomed. But I wonder what their own trees looked like.


    ¨C Takaya, you passed. You¡¯re now a part of Searat. In fact, I want you to be one of us. I can¡¯t let go of someone with a skill like yours.


    There are so many things to learn from now on.


    But now, I¡¯ve become a member of Searat.

 CH 20

    ¡°Welcome Party¡±


    At night, after everyone had finished their jobs and the guild was closed, Searat gathered in a nearby bar.


    Glowing orange lamps illuminate the place, creating a lively atmosphere. The place was near a harbor, so some of the men were close to the sea talking about their day.


    Smiles were stuck on everyone¡¯s faces as I heard the constant clinking of glasses.


    These were all my new companions.


    ¨C Well everyone, let the party begin! The costs are covered by the guild but don¡¯t go overboard. You¡¯re supposed to be working tomorrow.


    The vice president Feria took the lead for the toast.


    Usually in these situations it would be up to Rudra, the guild leader, to do the honors. However, Rudra started drinking before the party started. He was now busy hugging Feria¡¯s waist and rubbing his cheeks on her thighs.


    Feria pinched Rudra¡¯s face with all her might, but he couldn¡¯t stop smiling anyways.


    I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gonna get into business mode anytime soon.


    ¨C Yoo Takaya, make sure not to overdo it with the alcohol like last time. Get what I¡¯m sayin? (Meirir)


    ¨C Oh, yeah¡­ Sorry again.


    ¨C Naah don¡¯t sweat it. If you didn¡¯t do that we wouldn¡¯t have met. Eeeverything is A-OK buddy.


    I kind of share that feeling.


    That time had I had a place to throw myself from¡­


    Or a rope to hang¡­


    I was supposed to disappear, both from the last world and this world.


    But now I feel different. I¡¯m not alone anymore.


    ¨C Well then. Cheers! (Feria)


    ¨C Cheers! (Everyone)


    ¨C C-Cheers¡­ (Takaya)


    At Feria¡¯s signal, Meirir, Dike, Roar, Mitta, and everyone else started drinking. Takaya, as overwhelmed as he was, took a sip too.


    I¡¯m still not used to it, but being part of a group like this¡­ it¡¯s not bad.


    The taste of the alcohol was bitter. But maybe, one day, I¡¯ll come back exhausted from an adventure with my friends. That day, the beverages might taste better.


    ¨C Tehee. Takaya, I hope you enjoy your stay~ If you ever need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. There are so many things I gotta teach you~ (Mitta)


    Mitta suddenly hugged my arm.


    Searat had many receptionists, but today Mitta was here in representation of the guild.


    Since the party was held on such short notice, there were only 7 of us here right now including me, but other members of the guild were scattered around.


    For someone as shy as me, suddenly being surrounded by so many friends was a bit exhausting.


    ¨C HEY! Mitta! What do you think you¡¯re doing!? I was the one who found Takaya first. It¡¯s my duty as her guardian to take care of the lil¡¯ guy. (Meirir)


    For some reason, Meirir came running to hug my other arm. They¡¯ve barely drunk anything yet their faces are fully reddish.


    ¨C Uhh¡­ I will¡­ make sure to ask around if I need anything. (Takaya)


    ¨C No! I¡¯ll be the one to educate you~ (Meirir)


    ¨C What in the world are you talking about? *I* am the most qualified to help him. Right, Takaya? My lectures were so easy to understand~ (Mitta)


    Somehow I ended up in the middle of a big issue.


    They¡¯re likely too drunk to notice, but they¡¯ve been glued to my body for so long that I¡¯ve started to¡­ ¡°react¡±.


    (It might not look like it from their dresses¡­ but they do have some¡­ Stop! What am I thinking!?)


    I shook my head violently to prevent any weird delusions.


    ¨C Hey, Dike, Roar, can I get some help?


    ¨C HUH??? (Dike and Roar)


    ¨C Uhh, nothing. Nevermind.


    I tried asking for help, but my wishes were strongly rejected.


    Two of the women were fighting over Takaya, and the other one had been stomping Rudra for a while now. Dike and Roar had no option but to talk between themselves.


    I apologized internally.

 CH 21

    ¡°The Great Sage¡±


    ¨C Hnngh¡­ Ugh¡­ Morn.


    It¡¯s the morning after the party.


    I woke up in the storage room on the second floor of the guild.


    We decided yesterday that I would stay here for now.


    ¨C Ughh¡­ My head~


    I still have a small painful throb in my head. I might¡¯ve overdone it with the alcohol last night.


    Meirir warned me about it but I guess we partied a bit too hard.


    My body was limp, but it¡¯s much different from the first time I got drunk.


    This time I had fun.


    ¨C I hope we can do it again someday.


    Or so I think.


    Most of my memories are still blurry. I only remember laughing so hard that my throat hurt.


    I remember Mitta and Meirir left me and started arguing over who could get the drunkest first. I remember Dike and Roar encouraging them. And I remember Rudra being tied half-naked and Feria laughing at him with a bottle of wine in her hand.


    Everyone there was a drunk mess.


    I laughed out loud thinking about it.


    I don¡¯t remember the last time I was this exhausted.


    This would¡¯ve never happened in my previous world. I was always the one to watch people from afar and make fun of them. Always on guard.


    But now, I was on the other side. And I liked it.


    ¨C Ah, you¡¯re awake. Took your sweet time, huh? Did you have a nice dream?


    I heard someone calling for me as if it was already worktime.


    My field of view became clear after rubbing my eyes.


    ¨C Hm, I see. After hearing about you from Rudra I was wondering what you looked like. You¡¯re pretty cute.


    ¨C Uh¡­


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Uhh¡­ To whom do I owe the pleasure?


    In front of me was a young woman wearing a flashy robe.


    Her hair was a clear blue reminiscent of the beautiful sea. Her eyes had a glittering and daunting purple color, and she was holding a large wand. Would it not be for the vibrant colors all over her she would be the walking definition of a wizard.


    At some point, I realized I was staring at her voluptuous chest, so I looked away embarrassed.


    ¨C Ah, sorry. I guess names are important, right, my disciple?


    ¨C Excuse me? Your what?


    I asked the wizard in return, dumbfounded.


    From what she¡¯s telling me I can infer that Rudra talked to her about me and then she wanted to come to see me in person. But¡­


    ¨C When you say ¡°disciple¡±¡­ What?


    ¨C Exactly what you think. Takaya, you¡¯re now my pupil. You will come with me and work at my mansion. I¡¯m not as nice as Rudra, so get ready. My name is Ever.


    She extended her hand and I just kept looking at it.


    I thought I would stay with Meirir and the others and go on adventures¡­


    I thought my talents would flourish after countless experiences¡­


    But it seems like the guild has another perspective on how I should develop my skills.


    I have a lot of questions for Rudra.

 CH 22

    ¡°The Great Sage 2¡±


    A few minutes after a crazy wizard barged into the room¡­


    ¨C Hey Takaya. You drank a lot yesterday, how¡¯s the hangover?


    Feria and Rudra just so happened to be walking by on their way to work when they saw a familiar face.


    I had a lot of questions for Rudra, but it seems he has some of his own.


    ¨C Uhh, Great Sage, may I ask what brings you here?


    ¨C What do you mean? I¡¯ve come to take my disciple just like we arranged.


    So the person that Rudra went to meet was her.


    She must be a great magician if she¡¯s called ¡°The Great Sage¡±. Rudra¡¯s stiff reaction also gives it away.


    ¨C W-Well, yes, we did talk about that. But I thought we agreed on waiting until Takaya had settled in¡­


    ¨C Oh, nonsense. This kid is destined to become my disciple anyways. The sooner the better.


    ¨C Hwogh!?


    As a way to assert dominance, Feria buried my face on her chest.


    ¨C Uh, Ever-san, can you please let me go?


    ¨C You say that, but it seems you¡¯re enjoying it.


    ¨C Eeh!


    ¨C This part down here has been pretty lively.


    Ever slid her fingers into my clothes, which made me groan a pitiful moan.


    What is wrong with her?


    What if Meirir were to appear right now?


    ¨C Takaya! Hii~ Wow, yesterday was so fun. We should do it agai- HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? (Meirir)


    Right on time.


    ¨C Geez, could you please keep it down, you noisy rascal? It¡¯s too early for this. (Ever)


    ¨C Me!? You¡¯re the one getting all flirty with Takaya! Actually, who even are you!? (Meirir)


    It seems Ever doesn¡¯t usually show her face around the guild.


    ¨C Hello, Ever-senpai. You haven¡¯t changed a bit. (Feria)


    ¨C Neither have you, Feria. You¡¯re still as small as ever.


    ¨C Thank you for your unneeded concern.


    Feria and Ever seem to know each other. It¡¯s not a big surprise. Feria is rumored to be about 200 years old. Surely she knows a lot of people.


    But even then she¡¯s addressing Ever as her superior.


    Which means Ever is older than Feria. It¡¯s weird to think about it, but Feria views age from the perspective of an elf.


    I took a glance at Ever. With her body and mannerisms, I don¡¯t think she would be older than late 20s.


    What an enigmatic woman.


    ¨C Takaya, Meirir, allow me to introduce her. Her name is Ever, an old acquaintance of mine. One of the few Level IX magicians. The only sage capable of using Master Class magic.


    ¨C Sage¡­


    I still don¡¯t know much about skills and stuff, but even I can tell that this person holds an absurd amount of power.


    I was about to become the apprentice of a powerful sage that uses magic very few people are able to use.

 CH 23

    ¡°Training¡±


    After introductions were over, Rudra shoved us into his office to keep talking.


    It¡¯s so early that there are barely any people in the guild, but the second-floor hallway isn¡¯t the best place to talk about this. We don¡¯t want unneeded attention.


    Dike and Roar also just came back from a job so we filled them in.


    The topic of this discussion will be ¡°How will we train Takaya¡±.


    ¨C Feria, do you have Takaya¡¯s tree paper?


    Feria handed over the tree paper to Ever.


    ¨C Indeed, this kid is capable of using Production magic and anything related to it. Only that field though. It¡¯s likely he can reach Master Class Level IX.


    Ever was able to describe my skills just from looking at the tree paper.


    Is this how capable a Great Sage is?


    ¨C I thought so. When I first saw the paper I assumed he could reach at least Level VI. Meirir, I can¡¯t stress this enough; Good job finding him.


    ¨C Hehee. I know, right? I have a pretty good eye for men.


    ¨C Big words for someone who is 19 and still a virg- FWOH!?


    ¨C SHUT UP.


    Meirir, who was now blushing, sunk her fist into Dike¡¯s head. I tried to act as if I didn¡¯t hear anything, but this information is ingrained in me.


    Meirir is 19¡­ and a virgin.


    ¨C Uhh, by the way, what is with those ¡°Level¡± things? Obviously the higher the better, but that¡¯s as much as I understand.


    ¨C Hey, Rudra. Where did this kid come from?


    Ever¡¯s purple pupils examine my whole body. Not in a weird way like last time.


    ¨C Takaya, levels are basically measures of how much you can do with your skills.


    There are so many words and terms I still don¡¯t understand. Feria held the tree paper and started explaining.


    ¨C The higher your level is, the more complicated things you can do. At Level I, you can process some meat for consumption. At Level II you could detoxify a poisonous beast¡¯s body. At Level III you could start gathering rare magical stones. And the list of examples goes on.


    ¨C So I¡¯m already at Level III, right?


    ¨C Yes. The length of the tree in the tree paper shows how far someone¡¯s skills can go. If the roots extend to the bottom of the paper, it means you are able to reach Level IX.


    Which is exactly where my roots are.


    So that¡¯s why everyone in Searat was surprised.


    Ever was able to use Level IX magic, but she was one of the very few sages.


    I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to become one.


    There are only a few that are capable.


    I could become a mage of monstrous abilities like Ever.


    ¨C I was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to properly raise a hidden gem like him, so I asked the sage for advice. (Rudra)


    That¡¯s completely understandable. Even a genius kid could have their talent ruined if not raised properly.


    It¡¯s very common that someone has enough talent to reach the top but decides to drop out and is unable to crawl back again.


    ¨C So this guy right here thinks that the best person to raise a monster is another monster. Thus, Takaya will become my apprentice.


    ¨C Great Sage, please don¡¯t say that. Takaya, you¡¯re a very important treasure to Searat. We would love to raise you ourselves. But we¡¯re no more than ordinary people. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to help you grow to your full potential.


    ¨C My full potential¡­


    ¨C Yesterday, while you were drunk sleeping, Roar and the others told me about your circumstances with your previous group.


    Rudra laid his hand on my head.


    And he very stiffly stroked my black hair. It reminded me of my dad.


    ¨C Takaya, those people that made fun of you, don¡¯t you want to show them what you¡¯re capable of?


    ¨C ¡­


    At those words, my chest heated up.

 CH 24

    ¡°Training 2¡±


    Once I met Searat, I tried to forget everything that happened before that.


    I was only able to meet them by cutting off my past. There is no need to taint my dormant skills.


    Who cares about my classmates. Who cares about the old world.


    Of course, it¡¯s not like none of them had regrets when casting me aside, but that¡¯s not an excuse to throw me out into the wolves.


    I met Meirir, Dike, Roar, which led me to meet Rudra, Feria, and Ever.


    I¡¯m certain my circle of friends will only continue to expand.


    I have to leave the past behind.


    ¨C I¡­


    But I couldn¡¯t deny what Rudra said.


    Show them¡­ what I¡¯m capable of¡­


    The ones who have pushed me to the edges, both physically and mentally.


    I could get back at them.


    Long ago these thoughts would have never even occurred to me. I would always have been outnumbered.


    But now¡­


    I looked again at the roots of my tree paper.


    ¨C ¡­I can do it.


    I would never win in a fight. I don¡¯t have the talent to punch or use magic.


    But now it¡¯s different.


    I could probably do unimaginable things once I reach Level IX.


    It will take effort. It will take time. I won¡¯t become an expert from one day to another.


    But I have a chance.


    ¡°How should I learn?¡±, ¡°What should I study?¡±


    That¡¯s what this tree paper would tell me.


    ¨C I¡¯m not saying you should get revenge on them. All I¡¯m saying is, you could show up as a Level IX mage and humiliate them.


    ¨C Humiliate? That¡¯s not what I had in mind when you said ¡°Show them what I¡¯m capable of¡±.


    ¨C From what I heard, those guys are idiots. They might not even notice you, but at least you¡¯ll get some closure out of it.


    Rudra knocked my chest with his fingers.


    ¨C Takaya, go with the Great Sage. Don¡¯t worry about us. Come back once you¡¯ve grown stronger. Make me feel like I made the right decision.


    ¨C Uh, I still haven¡¯t decided if I¡¯m going with Ever.


    ¨C No, you did. Your eyes are saying it. They remind me of my young self.


    Rudra was able to feel my determination.


    ¨C Hey, don¡¯t be rude. Takaya¡¯s eyes are way more beautiful than yours. (Ever)


    ¨C I agree. When I met you, your eyes were already as empty as a dried water channel. (Feria)


    ¨C Feria, when I first met you, my mind was illuminated. You opened the unknown doors of legal lolis. (Rudra)


    ¨C Ugh, disgusting pig.


    I wonder how they met for him to have ended up like this.


    But they still talk like normal. Their relationship is not necessarily bad. Maybe they¡¯re lovers?


    ¨C Meirir-san.


    ¨C Yes?


    I turned to ask something to Meirir, who immediately responded with a smile.


    She probably knows what I¡¯m about to say.


    And she¡¯s ready to accept such a selfish request.


    She¡¯s truly amazing.


    ¨C I am deeply grateful that you found me. I would like to return the favor by working with you. Would you please wait for me?


    ¨C Of course. Go to that woman¡¯s place. I¡¯m obviously worried, but if that¡¯s what you want, then I won¡¯t stop you.


    Meirir held my wrist.


    There were some scars left.


    In order to erase those scars, I have to become stronger.


    ¨C Hey, why don¡¯t you ask me for permission too? (Dike)


    ¨C Just so you know, it was me who made the decision of dragging you here. (Roar)


    ¨C Sorry guys. I¡¯m leaving for a while.


    ¨C Good luck. (Dike and Roar)


    They both shrugged. I don¡¯t think they were going to try to stop me.


    But I knew they would be happy for me.


    I¡¯m also incredibly indebted to them, just like I am to Meirir. I¡¯ll make sure to pay it back.


    ¨C Looks like it¡¯s settled then, apprentice.


    ¨C Ever-san, I still have a lot to learn, but I hope you can take care of me.


    ¨C Of course. But please, call me Grandmaster. Everyone calls me that back at home.


    ¨C Yes, Grandmaster.


    ¨C Great. From now on you will be under my guidance. I will take you to my headquarters. You will live in the Sage¡¯s Palace.


    Ever grabbed my hand and shining particles of light started appearing.


    ¨C I¡¯m going to teleport us. Do not let go of my hand. You might end up stranded in a different dimension.


    ¨C Wait, I still haven¡¯t finished saying goodbye.


    ¨C You can always come back anytime you want. The dimensions are tied together so I have no issue traveling here.


    As the particles surrounding Ever and I were getting stronger, I took a last glance at everyone.


    Meirir, Dike, Roar, Rudra, Feria¡­ It¡¯s a shame Mitta isn¡¯t here but I¡¯ll write her a letter eventually.


    Everyone looked proud of my departure, so I gave them the best smile I could muster.


    ¨C Thank you all.

 CH 25

    ¡°The Sage¡¯s Palace¡±


    Once the light dissipated, I found myself in a completely different world.


    I was standing on top of a mountain. Under the fenced-off cliff was an endless sight of green.


    The sea was a different sort of a beautiful blue.


    ¨C Surprised? Well, it¡¯s the top of a mountain. Unexplored sights, unexplored ecosystems.


    ¨C Uh, how far are we from home?


    ¨C Hmm, I always use teleportation magic, so I don¡¯t really have a concept of distance. If you tried to go back using any means of transportation, it would probably take you about a hundred days.


    One thing is clear: I would NOT be able to escape from here if I wanted to.


    For now, let¡¯s see what Ever has in store for me.


    ¨C Well, now that you understood that this place is basically a prison, let¡¯s go to my palace. The house of the Sage of the Forest.


    Ever pointed at a palace so big that it could easily be mistaken as a fortress.


    ¨C Ah, by the way, there are no maids or butlers or anything here. There are countless rooms, just pick one and settle in. They all have furniture already.


    With such a big place might come some inconveniences, but I¡¯m sure this is a good place to live in.


    Or so I thought.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Uhh¡­ What?


    I was welcomed with a screen of white smoke.


    ¨C *Cough* G-Grandmaster, is this¡­ dust?


    ¨C Hm? Ah, yes. As I said, we don¡¯t have any cleaning personnel. I might be a Sage, but I¡¯m not good at cleaning. I was looking for someone that could help me in that regard.


    Ever looked at me and winked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not teaching you for free. You¡¯ll have to clean this whole mess in return¡± is basically what she¡¯s saying.


    ¨C Give and take. I get it. I don¡¯t mind.


    ¨C It¡¯s a deal then.


    Ever threw me a mop and a bucket that she probably had ready at hand.


    Am I really starting now?


    ¨C While under my roof, you follow my rules. Even if you don¡¯t like them, you do not complain. Got that?


    ¨C What if I do?


    ¨C You will be punished. As to what that punishment will be¡­


    Ever licked her lips and started carefully observing my entire body.


    I just so happened to remember this person is not very respectful of others¡¯ boundaries.


    ¨C I will abide by any rules. I would rather you didn¡¯t suck the youth out of me.


    ¨C Oh, come on, don¡¯t be so boring. Just a little lick won¡¯t hurt. Actually, before you start cleaning, let me take your virginity.


    ¨C I HAVE CLEANING TO DO!


    I ran away and started moping, fearing for my masculine parts.


    I was worried about the training, but I¡¯m starting to think I should be more worried about coming back home with a pure body.

 CH 26

    ¡°The scene of the crime¡±


    ¨C Man, this place is really dusty.


    After barely escaping Ever¡¯s claws, I was left staring at the terrible state of the palace while mopping.


    Hallways, windows, corners. Everywhere I look there¡¯s dust as if it was piled up snow.


    I wonder how many years without cleaning it takes for a place to be this dusty.


    ¨C What gives. I have to finish as soon as possible.


    Enough complaining. I should probably get to choosing my room already.


    Ever told me I could choose any room. If I¡¯m going to be living here I¡¯d rather make sure I choose a good place.


    I started looking at the rooms on the ground floor. From the outside, I could see 3 floors, each with about 30 or so windows.


    So I¡¯m going to carefully take a look at each room.


    ¨C First, here.


    I opened the door at the corner of the hallway.


    If it¡¯s in the corner, there has to be a window with good lighting. Also, having only one neighboring room means I won¡¯t have to worry too much about noise.


    There¡¯s no one else here, so I shouldn¡¯t worry about those things, but I used to live in a poor apartment. Some habits never die.


    ¨C *Cough* As I thought, full of dust. This isn¡¯t bad though.


    The room was about a room of six tatamis (10m~) and the only furniture was the bed and a small lamp. The lack of appliances would make this much easier to clean.


    Maybe I¡¯m deciding too fast. I should open the windo-


    ¡± H E L P ¡±


    There was some writing on the windows.


    ¨C ¡­¡­


    I quickly wiped the dust off the window with my finger, and then¡­


    ¡± H E L P


    I W I L L B E K I L L E D ¡±


    ¡°B E C A R E F U L


    A D E M O N


    R E S I D E S


    I N T H I S P A L A C E ¡±


    ¡± I T W I L L


    F O L L O W M E


    U N T I L T H E E N D


    ¡± I M S C A R E D


    P L E A S E H E L P M E


    H E L P M E


    H E L P M E ¡±


    ¡°H E L P M E H E L P M E H E L P M E H E L P M E I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E


    I W I L L D I E H E L P M E H E L P M E H E L P M E I W I L L D I E H E L P M E


    H E L P M E I W I L L D I E H E L P M E I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E


    I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E I W I L L D I E¡±


    Those words appeared on the window.


    And then-


    *THUD*


    ¨C EEK!?


    The door suddenly slammed shut, which made my heart rate skyrocket.


    When I looked at the door-


    ¡± W E L C O M E ¡±


    A message was written with blood. And there were countless bloody handprints filling the rest of the door.


    ¨C HYAAAAAAAAAA! EXCUSE MEEEEEEE!


    After the warm welcome from the invisible people, I rushed out of the room. I cannot imagine what would¡¯ve happened to my heart had I not been able to open the door.


    Was the Sage¡¯s Palace built on a graveyard or something!?


    I was excited to show everyone in Searat how much I had grown after my training, but I¡¯m starting to regret my decisions.

 CH 27

    ¡°The Other Disciple¡±


    When I explained the terrifying experience I just had, Ever responded as composed as ever.


    ¨C Oh, yeah, that.


    ¨C ¡°That¡±?


    ¨C This palace was once used as a fortress during a war. There are about 30 rooms in this palace and only 2 are not cursed. Mine and one other.


    ¨C Do you not think you could¡¯ve told me that earlier!?


    The only response to my protest was a snarky smile.


    If I had responded ¡°Thanks for the welcome!¡± to the door I might have been transported into a hellish landscape.


    How many people were killed in that room during the war?


    I got shivers just from thinking about it.


    At least now I don¡¯t have to look for a room.


    ¨C Grandmaster, could you please tell me where the other room is?


    ¨C Hm? It¡¯s the one right after the second-floor stairs.


    ¨C Second floor. Got it.


    ¨C Hey, wai-


    I rushed to the second floor without realizing Ever had yet to finish talking.


    Even though it was my first encounter with ghosts, I was still ashamed I had to run to my Grandmaster for help.


    I¡¯ll just go to my room and stop messing around.


    ¨C Right after the second-floor stairs¡­ Here?


    Stepping on the dusty carpet, I walked to the door and opened it.


    It hasn¡¯t been long since I got here and I¡¯m already exhausted. Both mentally and physically.


    Let¡¯s finish cleaning and get some rest already.


    I have training to do tomorrow.


    ¨C Well, let¡¯s get this cleaning done.


    ¨C Huh?


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    I thought this room was empty, but there¡¯s a girl here.


    Black hair extending to her waist, her eyes are black with a small taint of red. Her ears are a bit pointy and her face small.


    And now, my mouth was wide open.


    She¡¯s naked.


    ¨C Uh¡­ Uhhhhh¡­


    ¨C ¡­


    My sight accidentally shifted to her breasts.


    ¨C W-What¡­ are you LOOKING AT? GET OUT ALREADY! YOU STEWARD!


    ¨C I-I-I¡¯M SO SORRY!


    After her yelling made me snap from my confusion, I managed to close the door.


    ¨C Huh? What? I thought no one but the Grandmaster was here?


    Was it a ghost? No, it can¡¯t be. Her figure was too pretty for a dead person.


    Then who was that beautiful girl?


    ¨C ¡°My other apprentice lives there. Be careful not to intrude on her¡±, is what I was going to say before you left.


    ¨C SAY IT FASTER THEN!


    Ever followed from behind as I was puzzled by the recent event.


    I¡¯m getting worried about my future here.

 CH 28

    ¡°Tsubakibaru¡±


    ¨C ¡­!


    ¨C Ahm, uhh¡­


    After ¡°the other apprentice¡± finished changing, Ever prepared a place for us to introduce ourselves.


    If only we could¡¯ve done this without the awkward atmosphere of me bumping into her being naked.


    Since the moment she left the room, the girl has been staring daggers at me.


    She¡¯s wearing something Japanese-themed, but I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s a kimono or a hakama.


    Her eyes, her pointy ears, her black hair, her clothes. She¡¯s a beauty all-around.


    ¨C This is Takaya, my new apprentice. He looks weak, but his skills are impressive. Takaya, this little brat here with the nice body is-


    At Ever¡¯s teasing words, a pale blue katana reached her proximity.


    She¡¯s skilled with katanas. I couldn¡¯t even follow it with my eyes.


    ¨C Grandmaster, you¡¯re leaving me no choice.


    ¨C Whatever you say, This is-


    ¨C Tsubakibaru, Grandmaster. I believe you¡¯re the one constantly grumbling about respecting your name.


    ¨C You are so dense. That¡¯s why you¡¯re still a vir-


    ¨C GRANDMASTER?


    ¨C Yeah, yeah.


    Ever shrugged and moved the katana away. She then started introducing the apprentice again.


    ¨C Takaya, this is Tsubakibaru. She¡¯s from a small island near this continent. She wasn¡¯t meant to become a disciple but her parents insisted on it, so now she lives here as my research assistant.


    ¨C Ohh.


    I looked at Tsubakibaru but instead of bowing, she turned her back on me.


    ¨C I¡¯m really sorry, Tsubakibaru-san. I had no idea there was someone else here.


    ¨C Huh, I see. I understand now. It¡¯s a certain someone¡¯s specialty to forget about important parts. I¡¯m sure you also stepped into one of the cursed rooms. And I¡¯m sure after that you also came to ¡°the only other room that¡¯s not cursed¡±.


    It seems we have a lot in common.


    We share the common factor of being able to complain about Ever. We¡¯ll get along.


    ¨C Do not misunderstand. The Grandmaster might recognize your talent and skills, but I don¡¯t. To me, you¡¯re just a weak-looking excuse of a man.


    Tsubakibaru glared at me while holding her sword. I might¡¯ve given her the worst possible first impression.


    ¨C S-So¡­ About our room¡­


    ¨C ¡°Our room¡±? It¡¯s a room for one, and I have no intentions of letting go of it.


    I have to ask Ever for a solution.


    There could be a lot of problems with a girl living in the same room as a boy, but my main concern is that I don¡¯t want to sleep in one of the cursed rooms.


    ¨C Hm? If for me it was, I¡¯d rather you two lived in the same room. It would make things much easier.


    There¡¯s a very thin line between Ever not even seeing me as a man and Ever wanting to assault me.


    ¨C Takaya, I am willing to leave this incident behind. Simply do not involve yourself with me anymore. We might both be apprentices, but I have no intentions of helping you.


    I feel bad, but after what I did, I understand her decision.


    I¡¯ll let the Grandmaster decide how I should take responsibility for it.


    ¨C Huh? Non non, what are you two talking about?


    Apparently, the Grandmaster has a different plan for us.


    ¨C Tsubakibaru, I¡¯ve decided you¡¯ll be in charge of Takaya¡¯s education. You can complain all you want, but at the end of the day, you have to listen to my orders.


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s settled then. Hope you two have a good time! Come on, handshake!


    Ever clasped our hands together.


    ¨C ¡­ (Takaya and Tsubakibaru)


    Do I have to train every day with this person?


    We were both thinking the same thing.

 CH 29

    ¡°Instruction¡±


    Eventually, it was decided that I would be sleeping in Ever¡¯s room on the third floor.


    Since Ever¡¯s room is the biggest one in the Palace, her bed can fit two people. There were some unnecessary comments such as ¡°We can share the bed, Takaya <3¡± that I strongly ignored.


    Her age is unknown but she looks rather young. Still, she¡¯s my mentor, not my girlfriend.


    I need to draw the line.


    I spent my first night in the palace thinking about ways to prevent my personal space from being ignored.


    Next morning¡­


    ¨C Hngwah¡­ It¡¯s morning already?


    I cleared the dust off the bed and slowly got up.


    After yesterday¡¯s craziness, I was able to fall asleep immediately. Though I was worried about a visit from the residents of the other rooms.


    ¨C Hm, I wonder if the Grandmaster is still asleep.


    There are no clocks in the room, but from the dim light, I assume it¡¯s rather early.


    ¨C Grandmaster, it¡¯s morning already. Come on.


    ¨C Hmm? Ugh¡­ Give me 5 more days¡­


    ¨C No. And also, 5 days? How much fuel do you spend?


    We decided that I would be in charge of any housework in the palace. The kitchen seems to be somewhere else, so I need some guidance. I could ask Tsubakibaru, but considering yesterday¡¯s events I¡¯d rather not have to rely on her too often.


    I shook Ever trying to wake her up at any cost.


    ¨C Come on, wake up. You¡¯ll miss breakfast.


    ¨C Ugh, that sucks. I care a lot about my eating habits. Ok, let¡¯s go.


    After 5 minutes of going back and forth from ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wake up¡± to ¡°Just a little longer¡±, Ever rose up.


    Her hair is messy from turning around on the bed. She looks like a completely different person from the first time I met her.


    ¨C Mmh¡­ Hi, apprentice¡«


    ¨C Good morning, Grandmaster. I have to make breakfast. Would you please show me the way to the kitchen?


    ¨C Oh, you¡¯re right¡« Let me get changed first.


    Ever still hasn¡¯t fully woken up.


    She took the sheets off and fell to the ground.


    ¨C Gwah! (Takaya)


    I immediately became stiff after taking a look at Ever.


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Why is your face so red?


    ¨C U-Uh¡­ You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re uhh¡­ Naked.


    I averted my gaze.


    Why was she not wearing any underwear while sleeping!?


    ¨C Oh come on. If we¡¯re going to live in the same room, you¡¯ll have to get used to stuff like this. Sometimes I might even ask you to help me change.


    ¨C Whaaat?


    I never had any contact with a woman before, so this sight is very tempting.


    I¡¯ve been trying very hard to strengthen my resolutions, but Ever is trying hard to destroy that resolve.


    I wonder how old she is.


    ¨C You know what? Let¡¯s try it now. My underwear is in that drawer. Give me my bra-


    ¨C w-w-WHAT ARE YOU SCOUNDRELS DOING!? (Tsubakibaru)


    The upright disciple found the idiot and the grandmaster committing stupidities first thing in the morning.


    She rushed into the room with her katana.


    ¨C Grandmaster! How could you expose your flawless naked body to such a disgraceful and abominable beast like this man!? Whatever is going through your mind!?


    ¨C I can do whatever I want. Takaya is going to be sleeping here from now on. I¡¯m not going to change my habits just for him. It¡¯s nothing new to sleep naked. Sometimes I even reach my hand down and start pleasuring myself.


    ¨C PLEASU- GRANDMASTER!? You¡¯re a respectable woman, please behave as such! And Takaya, you perverted dimwit, are you perhaps enjoying our conversation!?


    ¨C What do you want me to do!?


    This early in the morning I already have to deal with a crazy master being naked and a pretty girl swinging a katana to my face.


    We ended up agreeing on me sleeping in the kitchen in the basement.

 CH 30

    ¡°Instruction 2¡±


    A month later¡­


    I was already used to living in the palace.


    Sleeping on the hard floor of the kitchen doesn¡¯t bother me anymore. I still have to get used to the ghosts playing pranks on me, but it¡¯s not like they hurt me. They just drop furniture to scare me and pranks for the sorts.


    Life was going well.


    And what about the training?


    ¨C Ughh¡­ Takaya¡« I¡¯m so sleepy¡« Help me put on my underwear¡­


    ¨C NOT AGAIN! I¡¯ll leave it on your bed, do it yourself!


    ¨C Hey, Takaya. What happened to our breakfast? You¡¯re 10 minutes late alread- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?


    ¨C Uwah! Tsubakibaru-san, please put the katana down!


    And this is how the month has been. I¡¯ve been so busy with housework that I haven¡¯t done any progress.


    In the morning I dodge Tsubakibaru¡¯s slashes and help Ever get changed. Then we all eat breakfast and I start cleaning and doing housework. After that Ever and I go to the closest city using teleportation magic to buy groceries and whatever else we need.


    Basically, all I¡¯ve done is housework and errands.


    Rather than an apprentice, I feel like a butler.


    ¨C And¡­ There we go.


    I made my way back to the castle after washing everyone¡¯s clothes in a small river close by.


    The path back is quite steep, but I can manage as long as I take it slow.


    I can feel my physical endurance growing as I do errands throughout the vast territories of the Great Sage.


    I¡¯ve also gained some muscle since I came here a month ago.


    ¨C Hey~ Takaya~ Can you come here for a second?


    I was about to rest after drying everyone¡¯s clothes and bedsheets but Ever called me.


    ¨C Yes, Grandmaster. What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Nothing. I just wanted to see your body.


    Ever slipped her fingers through the opening in my clothes and started feeling my body. This would usually be normal behavior for her, but now she¡¯s touching my arms, my shoulders, and my belly.


    ¨C Hmm, might not be enough. Eh, whatever, we can make do.


    ¨C Uhh, what?


    ¨C What do you mean ¡°What?¡±? I was looking at your skills. You¡¯ve grown to Level IV during this month, so I was thinking it was about time to start training. Hey, A-Sorry, Tsubakibaru. Are you ready?


    When the Grandmaster called her, Tsubakibaru came out of the palace wearing a coat over her usual clothes and two katanas on her hips. The swords were different from the ones she normally uses.


    ¨C This is for you. There are a lot of things inside, so don¡¯t go swaying it around. (Tsubakibaru)


    Tsubakibaru handed me a bag. Inside, there was a mortar and a pestle for making potions, a whetstone, a knife to dismantle ingredients and materials, and camping equipment.


    ¨C Takaya, you¡¯ll go deep into the forest with Tsubakibaru and try to survive there for some time. The Sage¡¯s Forest is a relentless environment, so use all the skills you have in order to survive.


    ¨C What an absurd mission that is, but if it comes from you, Grandmaster, I can¡¯t refuse.


    During this month I¡¯ve learned more about how Ever¡¯s mind works. This is something I have to do in order to further improve myself.


    ¨C Grandmaster, may I ask, for how long am I to share the same breathing air as this brute?


    ¨C Hm, let¡¯s see¡­ You can come back once Takaya has been able to produce a Double High Potion, and once he can create a new knife exclusive to himself.


    ¨C Double¡­ Isn¡¯t that a Level V recipe?


    I only have some information from Ever about the recipe. It¡¯s a potion that heals your wounds and restores your strength and magic power with just a sip.


    I can¡¯t do it right now, so one of our end goals is for me to be able to produce one.


    ¨C Of course, the knife is also a Level V thing. Tsubakibaru knows more about those blacksmithing things, so ask her if you need any help.


    ¨C Ah, she¡¯s¡­


    ¨C So what? Any problem with that? (Tsubakibaru)


    ¨C By no means. (Takaya)


    She¡¯s probably going as both my bodyguard and my instructor. I better not upset her.


    ¨C Well then, get going. I¡¯ll go pester Rudra and Feria in the meantime. Once you¡¯re done just contact me.


    ¨C How?


    ¨C Just use one of my many familiars. Anyways, bye~


    Ever teleported away in the blink of an eye.


    Even if it¡¯s just training, we¡¯re probably going to have real battles. In such case, we should be able to contact our master should anything go wrong, but alas. I guess this is her way of looking out for the guild for me.


    I would love to see Rudra and the others¡¯ faces after they hear everything that¡¯s happened this past month.


    ¨C Aahhh¡­ (Takaya and Tsubakibaru)


    We both sighed exaggeratedly. Knowing Ever, Tsubakibaru also got the rundown of this not too long ago.


    ¨C Well, shall we go? (Takaya)


    ¨C Let¡¯s go then. (Tsubakibaru)


    Trying to gather any feeling of unity we could muster, we headed deep into the forest.

 CH 31

    ¡°The Sage¡¯s Forest¡±


    ¨C Tsubakibaru-san, please wait for me!


    I was desperately trying to keep up with Tsubakibaru


    I might¡¯ve gained more stamina, but I¡¯m still a novice compared to her.


    Still, she slowed her pace ever so slightly and used her sword to cut down tree branches along the way to ease my path.


    According to Ever, Tsubakibaru has skills related to swords and some blacksmithing. Her paper tree must¡¯ve looked way more different to mine.


    She seems to be Level VI. As expected from the disciple of the Grandmaster.


    ¨C How pathetic. If you¡¯re already complaining now, how do you expect to survive the rest of the training?


    ¨C I can¡¯t really do anything about that¡­ Also, how much more are you planning to walk?


    Ever said to go deep into the forest, but I have no clue how big this forest is.


    ¨C There are barely any usable ingredients around here. We¡¯ll go to the next mountain.


    Tsubakibaru explained our destination while looking at her map.


    Apparently, there is another mountain similar to the palace¡¯s where the ingredients we need grow naturally.


    ¨C There is a cave up ahead. I despise the idea, but we may rest there. In the meantime, we can work on the knife.


    ¨C How close are we to the cave?


    ¨C About 40 kilometers away. Close, right?


    ¨C Close, you say!?


    She wants us to walk almost a full marathon!?


    I already knew she wasn¡¯t human, but rather than an elf, is she some kind of monster?


    Just as I was about to suggest a stop to refill water-


    ¨C ¡­Hm?


    Tsubakibaru stopped in place and her pointy ears twitched.


    ¨C Tsubakibaru-san, what¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Shh! Quiet.


    She caught wind of something, but I can¡¯t tell what it is.


    The trees, the riverbed, the birds, everything is flowing as usual.


    ¨C ¡­The forest is jittery.


    ¨C Is it? I can¡¯t tell anything different.


    ¨C Not here. Over there.


    Tsubakibaru pointed to the place we were heading towards.


    ¨C So~ Is that place -dangerous-?


    ¨C Likely, yes. The creatures of the forest are making a ruckus. Could be them complaining about two strangers intruding in their forest, or could be¡­


    Something other than us?


    ¨C It makes no difference. Our plan is still the same.


    ¨C Well, we could just talk to the Grandmaster and call this off.


    ¨C I refuse. There are always unexpected situations in life, and you have to learn to deal with them. I will send a letter her way just in case.


    Tsubakibaru used her fingers to whistle, and a white pigeon immediately flew to her side.


    ¨C This is a grosbeak. A carrier pigeon. It used to be my family¡¯s familiar long ago. Grosbeak, take this letter to the Grandmaster in¡­


    ¨C Searat. An adventurers guild in Bay Road. She¡¯s probably spending the night there.


    ¨C Understood. Searat.


    Tsubakibaru tied the letter to the bird¡¯s leg and sent it flying.


    The pigeon elevated as silently as a ninja and then flew away at the speed of light.


    ¨C If we¡¯re in danger, the Grandmaster will come to our rescue. For now, we shall focus on our training. Let¡¯s get going. I want to reach our destination before sunset.


    ¨C Alright¡­


    Filled with anxiety, I followed behind Tsubakibaru.


    I was hoping her uneasiness was just her imagination, but my thoughts were drowned by the far-away roar of a beast.

 CH 32

    ¡°Irregular¡±


    I was worried about Tsubakibaru¡¯s ominous hunch, but we managed to keep walking with no issues.


    ¨C We made it. This is the cave to get to the other side.


    The forest is divided into two sections by a large mountain. There¡¯s a path to traverse the mountain by climbing it, but we decided to go through the cave.


    Although apparently, this path is so hard to cross that even the Grandmaster went through it only once out of curiosity.


    It¡¯s almost an unexplored area. I wonder what kind of resources, or creatures, live there.


    ¨C Huff¡­ Huuffff¡­ We¡­ Made it¡­ Finally, I can rest¡­


    We had to take a break along the way so that I could regain my strength. We didn¡¯t make it before sunset, but at least we made it.


    I¡¯m at my limit. I can¡¯t take another step.


    ¨C Takaya, what are you doing? We are not yet done with our schedule. I¡¯m going to gather resources. You¡¯re in charge of setting up the camp. You are not allowed to rest until you¡¯re done.


    Tsubakibaru sighs, disgusted by my lack of stamina. It¡¯s amazing how we both walked the same path but she¡¯s not even sweating.


    She¡¯s probably used to walking around for hours every single day. I, on the other hand, have never walked this much my entire life.


    My joints were screaming, but I decided to start the camping preparations. I was in charge of setting up a fire and cooking the food.


    ¨C Let¡¯s see¡­ We have water that we gathered along the way, so we¡¯re good on that front. I¡¯ll leave the food to Tsubakibaru, and I guess we can throw in a few other ingredients.


    In the forest from the side of the palace, there are pretty much no medicinal herbs. But, there are plenty of edible plants and fruits to use as seasoning. Cooking is in a way a processing task, so I can do it to an extent.


    It¡¯s also why I was on cooking duty in the palace.


    ¨C Let¡¯s see¡­ We can use this¡­ and maybe this mushroom¡­


    I¡¯m not entirely familiar with my skills, but due to the experience I gathered with my previous group, I¡¯m able to at least identify whether something is poisonous or not just with my naked eye.


    This might be what Feria described as a ¡°Skill command¡±. I¡¯m unconsciously using ¡°Examination¡± to determine if an ingredient is dangerous.


    I gathered a few ingredients not too far away from the camp.


    By the way, I¡¯m only taking the necessary for today¡¯s meal. If I took entire plants it would take too long for them to grow back. I¡¯ve learned the importance of moderation.


    I must be a descendant from an actual butler.


    ¨C Today¡¯s food will be spicy. Red sage, yellow marigold petals, some pepper¡­


    After quickly making a fire with flint, I pulverized the ingredients with the mortar.


    Using seasonings, depending on the ingredients, can have positive effects on the body. The most important one is the recovery from physical and mental fatigue. I feel like, in this world, such recovery is greatly accelerated compared to my original world.


    It¡¯s weird, but that¡¯s just how this world is.


    ¨C Ahh, that smells good. Is that garlic?


    Tsubakibaru came back as I was frying some ingredients in the iron pan I brought.


    ¨C Yep. We still have a lot of training to get through, so I want to get my energy back as much as possible. What¡¯s for dinner?


    ¨C Here.


    Tsubakibaru threw a small hare in front of me. As small as it is, it should be enough for both of us.


    I carefully cut up the body of the magical beast and mixed it with the rest of the food.


    Fried hare with vegetables and mushroom soup. The fire here is stronger than the one in the palace kitchen, so it didn¡¯t take long for the food to be ready.


    The tasty smell was filling our nostrils.


    The grumbling inside our bellies was synchronized.


    Come to think of it, neither of us has eaten anything since we left.


    ¨C *Cough* It would be a waste to let this cool off. Shall we start eating?


    ¨C Right.


    As soon as I took the first bite-


    ¡°Awoooooooo~¡±


    From the previously silent woods came a frail howl. At a quick glance, I also saw a shadow moving towards us.


    Silver fur, golden left eye, covered in mud and dirt, an animal the size of a large dog was looking at us. It looked like a wolf, but without the wolf pack behind it.


    ¨C Do you think it got separated from the rest? Maybe it just followed the food smell.


    I was about to ask Tsubakibaru what to do with it, but when I turned to face her, I noticed she was shaking.


    ¨C Takaya, forget the luggage and run away. Sprint towards the palace as fast as your legs can move. I¡¯ll gain some time.


    ¨C Tsubakibaru-san?


    The older apprentice, with her eyes wide open in fear, unsheathed her sword to protect me.

 CH 33

    ¡°Irregular 2¡±


    I was astonished by Tsubakibaru¡¯s expression of fear.


    The wolf is probably wary of intruders in the forest.


    It¡¯s definitely a magic beast. But it¡¯s not really that big, and it doesn¡¯t seem to be hostile.


    It just seems hungry.


    I don¡¯t think we need to be so careful, but Tsubakibaru hasn¡¯t lowered her guard.


    ¨C Uuuuu¡­


    The silver wolf slowly made its way to our campfire. The flames were blazing furiously but the beast showed no signs of fear.


    ¨C TAKAYA! Get ahold of yourself! Do you want to die!? Run away, now!


    ¨C Wait. It just seems hungry. Maybe it will leave if we give it some food.


    ¨C You fool! Do you not understand!? I told you I didn¡¯t sense any magical beasts around, yet here is this wolf.


    ¨C So you weren¡¯t able to sense it until we saw it? Is that how strong this thing is?


    Neither of them took their eyes off of the beast for even a second.


    ¨C I have been studying under the Grandmaster for years. My swordsmanship is second to none in my hometown. But even then, I stand no chance against this beast.


    If Tsubakibaru, a Level VI swordsman, can¡¯t stand her ground, we would probably need someone as strong as the Grandmaster.


    That¡¯s just how impressive this being is.


    ¨C How do you expect me to be able to run away from a beast like this?


    ¨C I already told you, I will gain some time.


    Tsubakibaru drew in as much air as she could, and screamed


    ¨C HAAAAAAAAA!


    The air around her started vibrating.


    I was frozen in place admiring her strength.


    Her black tied up hair became undone, and it turned into an incandescent red


    ¨C ¡­A horn?


    A small protrusion appeared in her forehead.


    She¡¯s less human than I thought.


    ¨C I know this is the first time you glance at this form of mine, but this is not the moment for explanations.


    ¨C Uuuuuu!!!


    The beast became aware of Tsubakibaru¡¯s new strength.


    At any moment now, a battle could start.


    ¨C RUN, TAKAYA!


    ¨C R-Right!


    Tsubakibaru signalled me to run. I would¡¯ve preferred to stay with her, but I¡¯d be more of a burden.


    ¨C HAAA!


    She took the initiative. The moment the beast focused on her I made a run for the exit.


    The wolf was struck by an attack so fast someone like me couldn¡¯t even see it.


    ¨C Uuu!!!


    ¨C Did I hit it!?


    Tsubakibaru¡¯s attack didn¡¯t actually connect, as the wolf managed to dodge it at the very last second. It then retaliated and tackled her.


    The disciple¡¯s expression turned from confident to grim.


    ¨C You little¡­


    Tsubakibaru tried to swing again, but the wolf caught the sword with its fangs.


    It has an abnormal reaction speed and even fangs that can stop a blade!?


    Tsubakibaru can barely stand her ground against it.


    After only one attack, the wolf¡¯s true strength was showing.


    ¨C Gaaah!


    The beast managed to fend off Tsubakibaru, and was now looking at me.


    It¡¯s probably very skilled at hunting down its prey.


    ¨C This is bad. This is bad.


    ¨C Uuuuu¡­


    With a single leap, the wolf¡¯s fangs reached the back of my neck in an instant.


    *Fwump*


    ¨C Huh!?


    I heard an uncharacteristic sound followed by a weird cloud of smoke surrounding me. I could feel something on my chest.


    ¨C ¡­A girl!?


    Dog ears, a yellow tail, and the body of a girl.


    As if discovering Tsubakibaru¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t enough to leave me amazed, I now had a wolf turn into a girl right in front of me.

 CH 34

    ¡°The Wolf Girl¡±


    I reached out my hand to the wolf girl.


    ¨C Ugh¡­


    She was so light even someone like me could carry her.


    In fact, she was unusually thin.


    It was hard to tell as a wolf because she was covered in fur, but she¡¯s literally just bones and skin.


    ¨C Takaya! Are you okay!?


    Tsubakibaru rushed to see how I was. Her hair was already back to normal and her horn had retracted.


    ¨C I¡¯m fine. I think this girl used up all her remaining strength and fell unconscious.


    In my arms was a very slender girl with silver hair and dark circles under her eyes.


    ¨C I doubt she can hurt me while in this state.


    Tsubakibaru sheathed her sword after confirming there was no danger. It broke in only one strike, despite how much time it must¡¯ve taken her to forge it.


    Where does this girl hide so much strength? What race is she?


    ¨C *Cough*


    The girl retorted and coughed some undigested food.


    She must¡¯ve eaten random mushrooms around the vicinity due to extreme hunger, which caused her to get poisoned.


    ¨C It was a Grenbenni. When a human eats it, it burns its insides with devastating pain. The poison is so strong it could kill a person in a matter of minutes. (Takaya)


    I could tell immediately. I can identify almost all the mushrooms growing around here with my skills.


    The one she ate is probably the most poisonous around. Especially in the conditions it¡¯s growing.


    ¨C First, we have to make her vomit the rest. Then we can give her an antidote. We should-


    ¨C Hold on, Takaya. Are you planning on aiding this thing?


    Tsubakibaru looked at me dumbfounded.


    ¨C Should I¡­ not?


    ¨C Of course not. We should get rid of it while it¡¯s weak.


    She has a point.


    This girl might look like a defenseless husk, but she can also turn into a fierce wolf.


    Once she wakes up she might attack us again. No, in fact, we attacked first, so she¡¯s obviously going to be on the offensive.


    Still, I turned my back to Tsubakibaru and decided to help the girl.


    ¨C Takaya, are you OUT of your MIND?


    ¨C Maybe I am. I can¡¯t tell anymore. It doesn¡¯t matter if she looks like a girl, she¡¯s still a beast. It¡¯s unreasonable of me to try to help something that perceives us as prey.


    But¡­


    ¨C She reminds me of me when I got separated from my old group. Alone, scared, careless¡­


    Looking at the girl, she still seemed very young. Her parents should be somewhere close.


    But they¡¯re not.


    There are people that are worried about you. Or they were, but they abandoned you.


    I know that pain more than anyone.


    ¨C I want to help her. I know it would be better to leave her to rot, but I don¡¯t want to become that kind of human.


    I wouldn¡¯t be any different from -those- people.


    ¨C Even if I were to abandon you here at your own luck?


    I nodded.


    I am decided. I won¡¯t hesitate anymore.


    ¨C Goodness gracious. Out of all the qualities you could¡¯ve inherited from the Grandmaster during this month. A troublesome one you are.


    Tsubakibaru gave up and decided to help me.


    ¨C Tsubakibaru-san¡­


    ¨C Get going already, we have no time to waste. She might look tough but the sooner we detoxify her the better.


    After extinguishing the fire we picked up our luggage and started walking.


    Tsubakibaru is willing to cooperate with me for once.


    She might not show it often but she¡¯s a good person at heart.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry for troubling you with such a selfish request.


    ¨C ¡­.Akane.


    Her face a slight red, she uttered those words.


    ¨C Huh?


    ¨C Akane. That¡¯s my name


    ¨C So what is ¡°Tsubakibaru¡±?


    ¨C That is my family¡¯s name. Just like yours is ¡°Nagami¡±, if I recall correctly.


    ¨C I see.


    So the culture in her hometown is similar to my original world¡¯s. Maybe there¡¯s a connection.


    ¨C Thank you for telling me, but can I ask why you decided to tell me now?


    ¨C Tch.


    ¨C I¡¯m sure the Grandmaster already knew. Why did you hide it?


    ¨C Gh¡­


    Her face became fully reddish.


    ¨C Well, obviously because¡­ Whatever! Shall we end this conversation already!? Please hurry up if you so wish, you imbecile.


    Akane picked up her pace. Greatly so.


    By the time I realized, she was so far ahead I could barely see her back.


    ¨C I don¡¯t really get it but should I assume you trust me more now!?


    Akane kept walking without answering me. I was left behind carrying our luggage and a mythical-creature-girl.

 CH 35

    ¡°The two and the beast¡±


    Eventually we (the two of us and the wolf girl) got through the cave.


    The forest is so much more peaceful during the day compared to nighttime.


    A dangerous road where the moonlight barely reaches.


    I could occasionally hear the howling of different beasts, but I tried my best to follow Akane without bothering the girl on my back.


    ¨C Ugh¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll help you. Just hold on a little longer.


    Her face was completely red from the fever.


    ¨C Around here should be good enough.


    After walking for so long, we reached the end of the cave. We were looking at a flat surface with no apparent obstacles at first sight.


    Judging by her appearance we should get to treating the girl right now.


    ¨C Takaya, I will keep going on ahead to scout for medicinal herbs. I would rather not entertain the thought of being your maid and doing your work, but circumstances call for it.


    ¨C Thank you, Akane-san.


    ¨C !?


    ¨C Uh¡­ Akane-san?


    ¨C J-Just tell me what you need already. We are short on time.


    ¨C ¡­


    I¡¯ve never seen someone get this embarrassed just from being called their name.


    She might be irrational on most occasions, but she¡¯s pretty cute right now.


    ¨C *Cough* I¡¯ll be back in about ten minutes. Don¡¯t leave her side.


    I gave Akane a paper with the things I need and I watched her walk away from my sight.


    Grenbenni poisoning is dangerous, but there are many antidotes. We¡¯re still in time to heal the girl without any remaining injuries.


    ¨C Augh¡­


    I tried to lay her down on a soft spot but she wouldn¡¯t stop clinging to my clothes.


    ¨C Come on, just lay there. It¡¯s way more comfortable.


    ¨C Uuu¡­


    I tried to shake her off but the more I struggled the more she resisted.


    Seems as if she likes my body temperature.


    ¨C Were you not about to die? How do you still have this much strength?


    I gave up and held the girl in my arms.


    She¡¯s really light so my arm won¡¯t hurt for some time.


    Though I don¡¯t think I can make the antidote like this.


    ¨C I wonder¡­ Is this what having a sister is like?


    While thinking that I kept making as many preparations as I could while having my arm restricted.


    Tonight is going to be a good night.

 CH 36

    ¡°Master¡±


    We started aiding the girl as soon as Akane came back.


    I¡¯m a complete novice. I have close to no knowledge of healing magic or anything of the sort. I¡¯m merely relying on her strength.


    If she was able to survive the poison, her body must be very resilient.


    She¡¯s doing her best, and so should I.


    ¨C Hmm¡­ The antidote¡­


    I¡¯m just following the recipe from this book I brought. The ingredients shouldn¡¯t combine if I don¡¯t have enough Level for it, but everything seems to be good so far.


    I was just planning on camping every day with no issues. At no point did I expect something like this to happen, but the Grandmaster probably did. I have to do this.


    I can only imagine she¡¯s at the guild leaning back on her chair while drinking tea.


    ¨C It¡¯s done. Take this, it¡¯ll make you feel better.


    ¨C Ugh¡­ Augh¡­


    I tried giving her a spoonful of the antidote but her body was so weak she couldn¡¯t even open her mouth.


    Even if I manage to get it into her mouth, it won¡¯t have any effect if it doesn¡¯t reach her stomach.


    ¨C Huh¡­ I guess I have to do -that-.


    I looked around nervously to make sure no one was watching. Akane wanted to get more sleep, so as long as I¡¯m quick she won¡¯t notice.


    This is an emergency.


    If Akane sees me I¡¯ll just make an excuse.


    Though her sword might not want to hear excuses.


    Well, here goes nothing.


    ¨C PFU! Why is it so bitter!?


    I tried holding the antidote in my mouth.


    I guess this isn¡¯t edible seasoned food, it¡¯s medicine.


    Dobudokudami, Kusayabana, Oetsusou¡­ The ingredients I used would be foul on a food plate, but they¡¯re pretty effective as medicine.


    ¨C I know this isn¡¯t what you want, but I have to do it.


    I gave her the medicine mouth-to-mouth.


    To prevent the medicine from dripping down her lips I used my tongue to guide the liquid to her throat.


    If she were to wake up and bite, my tongue would be a goner for sure. I¡¯m lucky she¡¯s sleeping like a log.


    I made completely sure the medicine reached her throat.


    Now we just have to wait for the antidote to take effect.


    ¨C You can do this¡­


    I wrapped her in my arms to diminish any anxiety she could have.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    And so, the long first night of our training ended.


    I waited a bit just to confirm the antidote worked. After confirming the girl¡¯s body had stabilized I passed out.


    ¨C Ngh¡­


    Noticing the sunlight reaching my eyes, I decided to wake up.


    I might be awake, but my thoughts are fuzzy. I stayed up until pretty late and even skipped dinner.


    ¨C Also, there¡¯s something suffocating¡­


    I tried to breathe in, but something was preventing air from reaching my mouth.


    Something felt wet, and I could hear the sound of water splashing.


    ¨C Master¡­ Master¡­


    ¨C Huh? ¡°Master¡±?


    An unknown voice lured me back into reality.


    When I opened my eyes, I saw an adorable girl with golden eyes and dog ears.


    ¨C You¡¯re awake, Master.


    ¨C Huh? Are you¡­ Hm?


    That¡¯s when I realized, her mouth was extremely close to mine.


    D-Did she kiss me while I was asleep!?


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough¡­


    ¨C Hey, Takaya. Good job yesterday. I got some ingredients and water. I¡¯ll get everything for breakfast read-


    Akane and I made eye contact.


    From her perspective, this looks like a little girl kissing a guy first thing in the morning. Now, I would consider this to be an unavoidable act of God, but I don¡¯t think she would agree.


    ¨C Uh¡­ Hey, Akane-san! Uhm¡­


    ¨C You¡­ YOU LITTLE¡­


    ¨C I don¡¯t know about you, but to me, this seems like an inevitable convergence of the threads of fate! Am I right!?


    ¨C ¡­WHAT?


    Seething, Akane turned to look at the girl, but the result was even worse than I could¡¯ve imagined.


    ¨C Master, I love you.


    ¨C YOU DEGENERATE! IS THAT WHY YOU WANTED TO NURSE HER!? I¡¯LL DECIMATE YOUR WORTHLESS BODY!


    ¨C No! I swear!


    Akane swung her sword and held it right in front of my nose.


    Just a peaceful morning in the Sage¡¯s Forest.

 CH 37

    ¡°Godparent¡±


    I somehow managed to clear the misunderstanding, so we started eating breakfast.


    While in the castle, breakfast, lunch, and dinner were a must.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re out training.


    We still have to follow that habit.


    ¨C Come on, open wide.


    ¨C Aaa¡­ Mg.


    I gave the girl a spoonful of meat.


    It would¡¯ve been nice if she ate by herself, but when we tried that, she could barely hold the spoon and wouldn¡¯t stop spilling soup on herself.


    ¨C Isyummy.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad.


    Her energy seems to have returned thanks to the antidote. Her fur wasn¡¯t dirty anymore, and every strand of her hair was shining in contrast to the sun. She¡¯s still suffering severe malnutrition, but that¡¯s not something we can fix in one day.


    Seeing her happy face while eating made me glad I took the decision of saving her.


    ¨C By the way, what¡¯s with the ¡°Master¡±? Is it because I helped you?


    She finished chewing what she had left in her mouth, then looked at me.


    ¨C Master, you saved me. Even though I tried to eat you, you saved me. I¡¯m so grateful.


    The girl brushed her cheeks against mine.


    She probably just feels indebted to me.


    ¨C I¡¯ve always been alone. So lonely, so cold, so afraid¡­ But no one helped me. Except you, Master.


    ¨C So you wanted to thank me for that?


    ¨C Yes! I decided I want to serve you, so you¡¯re now my Master, Master.


    She must¡¯ve thought a lot about how to repay me.


    It¡¯s not like I wanted anything in return though. I didn¡¯t want to abandon her and become like ¡°them¡±.


    ¨C So, what if I said that you don¡¯t need to serve me? Actually, what if I said it would be better if you didn¡¯t? You could finish your rice and go your own way.


    ¨C Master¡­ You don¡¯t¡­ want me?


    ¨C It¡¯s just hypothetical. What would you do if I said ¡°I don¡¯t need a servant¡±.


    ¨C Uuu~


    After doubting for a bit.


    ¨C No.


    That was her response.


    ¨C I want to be with you, Master. You¡¯re nice, warm, and I don¡¯t feel lonely when I¡¯m with you.


    She threw a tantrum and clung to me.


    Is this the first time someone has been nice to her?


    And now that she found someone that was gentle to her, she can¡¯t let go.


    I kind of understand the feeling.


    ¨C Takaya, you started this nonsense. It¡¯s your responsibility to see it through.


    ¨C I know, I know. I was intending to do it anyway.


    I kept thinking while patting her head.


    This must be how Meirir felt when she found me.


    ¨C Sorry for the weird question. I know I helped you, but I didn¡¯t want you to feel indebted to me.


    ¨C So can I be your servant!?


    ¨C Of course. In fact, it would be great! Especially since you¡¯re much stronger than Akan-


    ¨C HUH?


    ¨C Oh hey uhm sorry haha I got carried away I¡¯m sorry!


    I immediately apologized due to the kindness of my heart and not due to the katana in my close proximity.


    She¡¯s as scary as always. Better not joke around.


    She¡¯d be cuter if she was more honest.


    ¨C *Sigh*¡­ So, Takaya, what name will you give her?


    ¨C Hm?


    ¨C Don¡¯t act dumb. She¡¯s your pet now, so name her. You know, something like Raigoumaru or Ginjirou.


    Pet? She¡¯s a girl¡­ But Akane does have a point.


    If we¡¯re going to be together from now on it would be weird to keep calling her ¡°The girl¡±.


    I have to give her a proper name.


    But there was an issue.


    ¨C Come on. What will it be?


    ¨C Hmm, let me think¡­


    After a couple of seconds of silence, I came up with a name.


    ¨C How about ¡°Mike¡±? (*)


    ¨C ¡­Are you serious?


    I have the worst naming skills in this world.

 CH 38

    ¡°Mike¡±


    Akane might be considered a ¡°boring¡± person to some people¡¯s standards. I¡¯m sure to those people my naming abilities are repulsive, to say the least.


    ¨C Takaya, that¡¯s a name you would give to a cat. Your pet is a wolf. You know, something more akin to a dog.


    ¨C I know, but I couldn¡¯t come up with anything better.


    I actually gave it some serious thought. I even thought about ¡°Pochi¡±, which is a bit more dog-like.


    That was a popular name back in the old world.


    Even if it¡¯s basic, I thought she¡¯d like it.


    But then it hit me.


    She¡¯s a girl.


    Pochi is a name for male dogs.


    It would be awful of me to name her that.


    So I kept thinking.


    If not Pochi, what else?


    I¡¯ve seen dogs named foreigner things like John and Mary. The mental image I have is them walking around the city with their poop hanging from behind. I don¡¯t think that applies to this girl.


    With such stupidities in mind, I finally realized.


    ¡°Ah, of course. Mike!¡±


    Mike would be perfect. It¡¯s not something bad, and it fits a girl.


    So I decided to go with that.


    It wasn¡¯t until Akane mentioned it that I realized ¡°Mike¡± is more of a cat name.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ You are¡­ Very disappointing.


    ¨C I completely understand.


    I was about to ask Akane to choose a name herself.


    ¨C Mike¡­ Is that my name?


    ¨C Yes. Well, we haven¡¯t decided yet.


    But the dog herself seemed pretty happy about it.


    ¨C Mike¡­ Mi ke¡­ I like it. If the master chose it, then I like it. Mike.


    ¨C You like it?


    ¨C Yeah!


    Her face had a wide smile.


    I hadn¡¯t noticed, but her tail is wagging and her ears are folding and opening in excitement.


    I thought I was jumping the gun, but it seems like we found the perfect name.


    Mike, the wolf, totally not a cat.


    ¨C By the way, Akane-san.


    ¨C What now?


    ¨C I was wondering what name you would¡¯ve given her.


    I wanted to know what magnificent names she could¡¯ve come up with.


    ¨C Why are you asking? We¡¯ve already moved on from the topic.


    ¨C No no, madame. You said I was a disappointment, so I would like to know what your idea was. I need samples to learn, after all.


    ¨C Gh¡­


    ¨C Well then, Akane-san?


    ¨C FINE. You get so hung up on such pointless matters.


    Akane turned to Mike and frowned.


    It took her some time, but she eventually muttered:


    ¨C Uhh¡­ Perhaps¡­ Pomegranate.


    ¨C Pomegranate? (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­ (Takaya & Mike)


    Complete silence.


    ¨C Whatever! We¡¯re done with this conversation!


    ¨C ¡­Sure.


    ¨C You two are weird, haha. (Mike)


    Mike, the wolf girl we nursed back to normal, laughed at the two apprentices.

 CH 39

    ¡°The Helpful Servant¡±


    With the wolf girl Mike joining our group, we decided to resume our work.


    It¡¯s been one day since Akane¡¯s familiar sent the message to the Grandmaster, but no reply yet. According to Akane, if we do get a reply, it should take at least a few more days.


    Though something tells me we¡¯re not getting a reply.


    Basically, ¡°The mission is still the same¡±.


    So no change of plans.


    ¨C We should get started with the medicines. I feel like I¡¯ve gained some experience already from treating Mike.


    To increase my Level, I need experience. For a swordsman, that would be swinging their sword a thousand times, for example, or defeating a thousand magical beasts. For me, I have to mix ingredients as much as I can.


    That¡¯s how I have to develop my ¡°tree¡±.


    ¨C Hey, Master.


    By the way, Mike has been walking very close to me and tugging my sleeve.


    ¨C Yes?


    ¨C Do you need me to do anything?


    Her tail was slowly wagging.


    I¡¯m glad she wants to be helpful in any way.


    ¨C No, not for now. You¡¯re still not fully recovered, so just focus on that for now.


    ¨C Muu¡­


    I patted her head, but she appears dissatisfied.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about me. I might not be at my best but I¡¯m still better than the others around.


    She¡¯s right. She lives in the Sage¡¯s Forest, and when she showed up, the rest of the beasts made sure to stay far away.


    I¡¯m sure they¡¯re no match for Mike.


    ¨C I can¡¯t really think of anything. Akane-san, what about you? What would the Grandmaster say?


    I could have her gather ingredients, but this is my training, I should be the one doing it.


    ¨C Nothing. At all.


    ¨C Huh?


    But Akane had an unexpected answer.


    ¨C Takaya, have you forgotten your duty? Your mission is not to collect ingredients, it¡¯s to process them, and depending on the situation, produce them.


    ¨C But even I can do that.


    ¨C Drop the vanity. Of course, even someone like you can pick up a few plants. But what if you had to battle a beast to gather its remains? Or what if you had to collect something from the top of a cliff?


    ¨C Well¡­


    I can¡¯t. I might¡¯ve gained more strength, but I¡¯m far away from being able to combat, endure a harsh environment, or use magic.


    Which is why the Grandmaster sent Akane as my bodyguard.


    ¨C Master, I¡¯ll work hard to make myself useful for you.


    Mike surrounded herself in white light and transformed from a beast girl into the wolf we originally knew.


    ¨C Awooo!


    She doesn¡¯t seem to be able to speak while in wolf form, but she¡¯s ready to obey any request.


    ¨C Come on, just order her something simple.


    ¨C Let¡¯s see¡­ Alright, Mike, there¡¯s something I need you to fetch.


    I showed her the ingredients of a potion.


    The Double High Potion. Capable of restoring someone¡¯s strength and magic power.


    I need the skill ¡°Double Processing¡±. I have to take an ingredient that has already been processed and re-do it.


    I¡¯m leaving Mike in charge of finding a Rensagoke, a rare ingredient for a Double Potion. There are very few places where they grow. It¡¯d take ages if I had to find one by myself.


    ¨C Uuuu¡­ Awooo!


    After staring at a drawing of the ingredient for a bit, Mike ran deep into the woods.


    If she¡¯s that healthy I don¡¯t think we have to worry about her. Few magical beasts would be able to match her.


    ¨C We can leave that to her. Let¡¯s go back to the cave. (Takaya)


    ¨C Right.


    We still have to work on the knife. Akane has a lot to teach me about blacksmithing.


    I¡¯ve sharpened Akane¡¯s swords before in the palace, but forging them is a completely different matter.


    I¡¯ll process the ore to make a knife exclusive to me, the way I want. Rather than processing, this is more weapon production.


    I finished packing and got pumped up to start training.


    ¨C Gaaah!


    I heard Mike¡¯s growl from behind.


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s wrong Mike, did you forget something?


    The Mike that I just sent in a mission came back.


    She can easily track my smell, so finding me takes her no time.


    I thought she was so excited that she forgot what I ordered her, but I was wrong. She had a plant on her mouth.


    ¨C Huh? Is this a Rensagoke?


    It hasn¡¯t even been a minute since I sent her off. Actually, it hasn¡¯t even been 30 seconds!


    But there¡¯s no doubt. That¡¯s a Rensagoke.


    ¨C You found it already!?


    ¨C Wau¡­


    Mike was waggling her tail.


    Even if by any chance there happened to be one growing around here, that was still incredibly fast.


    ¨C Uhh, Thanks, Mike. Good¡­ job?


    ¨C Kuuun~


    I patted Mike¡¯s head. Her tail wagged increasingly faster.


    Akane was right. This does feel like I have a pet.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ your pet might be more capable than I thought.


    ¨C I know¡­


    We could only stare dumbfounded at Mike.

 CH 40

    ¡°Chapter 40: Training finished¡±


    We knew from the start how capable Mike was, but she continued to prove her usefulness by finding ore in the cave.


    ¨C Akane-san, when the Grandmaster said ¡°A Level V knife¡±, what exactly does that mean?


    ¨C Hmm¡­ You need to make a knife that suits your capabilities. That cheap knife you have¡­ it gets the job done, but could it cut through the skin of a dragon?


    I shook my head. There¡¯s no way. Not just because of the knife, I doubt I¡¯d even have the talent to gather the remains of a dragon or process its materials.


    I wonder if I¡¯ll reach that level one day.


    But for that, I need a strong weapon. Something that can cut through a dragon¡¯s skin and muscles if necessary. Trying that with my current knife would be like using a bamboo sword against a giant dragon.


    ¨C Are we looking for anything specific? (Takaya)


    The caves in the Sage¡¯s Forest are pretty much unexplored territory, so there are lots of rare minerals around.


    ¨C First, we have to hone your blacksmithing skills. We can use Iron for that. My specialty is swords, but the basics are still the same. Making a small knife should be no problem.


    ¨C So I should process the iron ore over there¡­ Mike? What¡¯s wrong?


    Mike was back to human form, and I noticed she kept staring at the ceiling.


    ¨C Master¡­ Those are pretty.


    ¨C ¡°Those¡±?


    She was pointing at a faraway place in the distance. There was a faint blue light on the roof.


    ¨C That¡¯s a Sky Blue crystal.


    ¨C And what is that?


    ¨C It¡¯s a very popular material for swords. So-called ¡°Heaven Jewel¡±. We are in good fortune that we happened to stumble upon one. It turns blue from the magic wafting around the cave and the purity oozing from the water. They¡¯re used as materials for Holy Swords, an extremely rare type of weapon.


    An extraordinary material¡­ growing on the Sage¡¯s Forest.


    ¨C What Level do I need to process it?


    ¨C Even I wouldn¡¯t dare to touch it. My guess is Level VII. I don¡¯t even think we would be able to reach it, it¡¯s too high up.


    The walls were slippery due to the water seeping from the mountain, and there was no place to get a foothold.


    ¨C Mike, do you think you can¡­ Huh?


    I turned to face Mike, but she was nowhere to be seen.


    No way¡­


    ¨C Gauu!


    ¨C I knew it.


    Mike was climbing the walls to get to the Heaven Jewel. She¡¯s doing it so effortlessly it looks like she¡¯s just walking on the air.


    The crystal shone strongly for a second.


    Mike came back to me with a steady pace.


    And of course, the Heaven Jewel on her mouth.


    ¨C Mike¡­


    ¨C Gaur.


    Let¡¯s just put the crystal away first.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    A month later.


    The training took a lot of time, but it went smoothly.


    The first trial was to refine steel into Tamahagane, a type of steel made from black sand. Akane was kind enough to teach me the basics of blacksmithing.


    I know in the original world blacksmithing was an extremely exhausting process. However, in this world, a lot of that process is omitted. Once the materials are collected, a craftsman with blacksmithing skills will shape them to their desire.


    I was able to make a High Double Potion. I sent a sample of it to the Grandmaster through the grosbeak. Her response? ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re done already?¡±. And then she gave me the OK.


    ¨C Akane-san, how is this?


    Using the improvised furnace we made in the cave, I finished the item.


    Akane is not used to crafting knives, and she was the one giving me instructions, so it ended up looking like a kitchen knife. But it still works just as fine for dismantling purposes.


    ¨C Hmm.


    Akane took a serious glance at the knife crafted with the Heaven Jewel.


    ¨C Master, this is so pretty.


    Even Mike who knows nothing about blacksmithing and weapons was amazed by the knife. There was not a single speck of dirtiness on it.


    ¨C I approve. You¡¯ve passed. I can¡¯t believe you actually did it. Well done, Takaya.


    Satisfied with my work, Akane patted my head.


    After recluding ourselves in the mountains, my relationship with Akane progressed to the point where we feel comfortable touching each other.


    By the way, Akane is 18 years old. Same as Meirir, 2 years older than me. Yet another ¡°older sister¡±.


    ¨C Well then.


    ¨C Your training is done. It took you quite some time, but since you worked so hard I¡¯ll let it slide.


    ¨C Haaah, finally. Now I can meet everyone again.


    Ever since I stepped into the palace I¡¯ve been worried about the guild.


    Also, whenever I thought about Meirir, a smile would form on my face.


    I would always wonder what she was up to. Was she smiling as usual? Was she getting into trouble?


    ¨C I want to meet her¡­


    She¡¯s the one that saved me. I want to show her more than anyone how much I¡¯ve grown.


    ¨C Well, if you really want to reunite with her then perhaps we should get going.


    ¨C Huh?


    From my very close proximity, I could hear a familiar voice.


    At a nonexistent distance from my face was the Grandmaster, who got here using teleportation magic.


    ¨C Grandmaster?


    ¨C Your training is almost over, so I wanted to see how you were doing. You¡¯ve been through a lot, but you did great. Or so I¡¯d like to say¡­


    Ever put her hand on my shoulder and got ready to use teleportation magic.


    ¨C Uh¡­ Grandmaster? (Takaya)


    ¨C Takaya, you¡¯re needed at the guild immediately. I¡¯ll be teleporting you there. Akane, Mike, you¡¯re coming too.


    ¨C Huh? Wait- (Akane)


    I¡¯m used to the Grandmaster taking decisions abruptly, but this is too sudden, even for her. Her serious face isn¡¯t helping ease my anxiety either.


    And so, without any explanation, my life at the palace came to an end.

 CH 41

    ¡°Chapter 41: Back to Bay Road¡±


    Using the Grandmaster¡¯s teleportation magic, we reached my home.


    The town was as busy and bright as ever.


    I only spent a few days here. In fact, I¡¯ve spent more time on the Sage¡¯s Forest than here. Yet this place makes me feel strangely nostalgic.


    ¨C This town¡­ reminds me of my hometown. (Akane)


    ¨C Uuu~~ It smells weird here. (Mike)


    This time, Akane and Mike were also with me. I¡¯m sure Mike would¡¯ve come along anyway, but it¡¯s strange to see Akane here.


    ¨C Grandmaster, why didn¡¯t you teleport us directly into the guild?


    We were in a close-by street. Not too far away, though. We could make it to the guild in a couple of minutes.


    But Ever shrugged.


    ¨C Come on Takaya. You don¡¯t want to reunite with your old pals like *that*, right?


    ¨C Huh?


    Ever pointed at my bangs. They were already long before going to the palace. One month living with Ever and another month spent training, my bangs were now covering the top half of my face.


    I could tie a ponytail with my hair.


    ¨C The Grandmaster is right, Takaya. I was ignoring it since we were in the middle of training, but you¡¯re unpresentable.


    ¨C Master, you stink a little.


    I¡¯ve had the same sweaty clothes for I don¡¯t know how many days.


    I didn¡¯t particularly care, but it seems the three of them were disgusted by my current state.


    ¨C So, before you go to the guild, I¡¯m going to fix you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let Rudra know you¡¯ll be late.


    ¨C Uhh, so, where are we going?


    ¨C First, to take a bath. Then we¡¯ll change your clothes. Don¡¯t worry about money, the guild will take care of it.


    ¨C I can use my own money, you know¡­


    I somehow got dragged into a bathhouse.


    ¡Á


    After making sure to wash every inch of my body, I put my clothes on.


    Up until now, I¡¯ve been wearing the magical robes Ever gave me. The effect is barely noticeable, but they¡¯re supposed to be imbued with defensive magic in the back.


    But as soon as I entered the clothing store, Ever ripped off my clothes and burned them down.


    I became a clothing doll for Akane and Ever. They were aiming to make me look like a sage.


    ¨C Yeah, this is fine. (Ever)


    After almost an hour, Ever finally released me.


    I was now wearing a light robe with a new shirt and pants. I also had a few talismans here and there.


    I have no idea about fashion, but this fits perfectly for me. It also highlights my new knife.


    My hair is now shorter than before. Honestly, I¡¯m barely recognizable.


    ¨C Akane, what do you think?


    ¨C Great, isn¡¯t it? Now you don¡¯t have to be ashamed of going out in public. Silver looks good too.


    ¨C Silver?


    ¨C Your knife¡¯s name. I just came up with it. Perfect for you.


    I know I¡¯m not one to speak, but what a terrible naming sense.


    Silver. Because the knife is a clear silver color.


    ¨C Master, you look great.


    ¨C Thank you, Mike.


    We also bought new clothes for Mike. They¡¯re cheap but good enough. I do wonder if they¡¯ll rip once she transforms.


    ¨C Now that we¡¯re done here, we can go to the guil-


    ¨C Takaya~ Where are you~ Hehehe~


    Just as I was about to exit the clothing store, I heard a familiar voice.


    That ¡°Hehehe~¡±. It can only be one person.


    ¨C Meirir-san!


    ¨C Yep, das me! How have you been!?


    She hasn¡¯t changed a bit.


    Just like the first time I saw her. A woman capable of brightening the world with her smile.


    ¨C Wow, Takaya, you¡¯ve changed a lot. Feels like you transformed!


    ¨C You think? I don¡¯t really feel different.


    ¨C Of course! You look stronger. Like Dike and Roar. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d say the same-


    Meirir¡¯s expression stiffened.


    She finally realized Mike has been clinging to me, and Akane is hiding behind my back.


    ¨C Hey, Takaya¡­ Who is that girl? And the beauty with black hair? Who are they supposed to be?


    ¨C Uh, they are¡­ It¡¯s a long story.


    ¨C I¡¯m Mike, the master¡¯s servant. If he orders, I follow. I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯m my master¡¯s dog.


    ¨C I-I-I¡¯M T-T-T-TSU-TSU-T-TSU-T-TSU-


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? (Takaya)


    ¨C DON¡¯T TURN! Listen, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen a human other than you and the Grandmaster.


    Mike is acting as usual, but Akane¡¯s reaction is surprising.


    She¡¯s just as shy as me.


    ¨C A girl that claims to be your servant¡­ A beauty hiding behind you¡­


    Meirir, now with the eyes of a dead fish, started muttering while looking at the girls.


    ¨C UWAAH! Takaya! You came back as a playboy!


    Meirir ran away crying.


    ¨C She¡¯s gone. (Mike)


    ¨C Fuh¡­ Who was that? Why was she so rude? (Akane)


    ¨C What are you two standing there for!? We have to clear this misunderstanding! (Takaya)


    ¨C What a noisy one you are. You¡¯re that upset about having two cute girls to sleep with? (Ever)


    ¨C GRANDMASTER!


    After this incident, I earned a rather distasteful nickname for a while. But that¡¯s a story for another time.

 CH 42

    ¡°Chapter 42: The First Request¡±


    ¨C Oh~ Takaya, you look so different!


    We followed Meirir back to the guild. Mitta greeted us at the entrance. She looks chummier. Probably because she got paid, so she doesn¡¯t have to make do with eating grass from the corner of the roads.


    ¨C Hey, Mitta-san! Uh¡­ Do you know where-


    ¨C The idiot? She¡¯s over there staring at the wall.


    Mitta pointed at the corner of the room, where Meirir was hugging her knees and trembling.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ Playboy¡­ Even though I¡¯m younger¡­ That old witch snatched him¡­


    ¨C Snap out of it already (Mitta)


    Akane and I had our moments during the training, but absolutely nothing that could be misunderstood.


    They¡¯re all beautiful, but the Grandmaster is the Grandmaster, Akane is like an older sister, and Mike feels like my pet. They¡¯re my family.


    ¨C Ugh¡­ I¡¯ll do something about the birdbrain. Just go to Rudra¡¯s office. They¡¯re waiting for you.


    ¨C Thank you.


    We left Meirir to mutter by herself.


    ¨C Oh! Takaya! You¡¯re here!


    ¨C Roar!


    After going up the stairs I found the leader of the three idiots waiting for me. Dike doesn¡¯t seem to be around.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry for calling you so suddenly while you were out training.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I had just finished. By the way, where¡¯s Dike?


    ¨C He¡¯s in the office reflecting on his actions.


    ¨C ¡­Actions?


    I turned to the Grandmaster looking for an explanation, but she only chuckled and looked at the door.


    ¡°Open it and you¡¯ll know¡±?


    ¨C Hey everyone, I¡¯m back! It¡¯s me, Takay-


    The door opened as I knocked. There were 4 people inside.


    Rudra and Feria were sitting on a sofa. Dike was rolled up in a mattress on the floor.


    The last person was probably the client that called for me.


    They¡¯re wearing a hoodie so I can¡¯t tell what they look like, but they¡¯re as small as Feria.


    Probably a girl?


    ¨C MmmMMmM! MMmMMMmmmmmMMmmm!


    Dike¡¯s mouth was covered too. He was trying to reach me while squirming uncontrollably like a worm. What in the world did he do?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Takaya. That moron ran his mouth about you. (Feria)


    ¨C My apologies too. I knew Dike was an idiot, but I should¡¯ve been more careful. I¡¯m sorry. (Rudra)


    Rudra and Feria bowed their head.


    The guild wanted to hide the fact that they had a potential Level IX member with Production skills, and apparently, Dike leaked the secret.


    ¨C Haha. That man is so stupid. I heard he got drunk and tried to pick up on the store clerk. Well, at least that led him to me. (???)


    The client finally spoke up while laughing at Dike. By the pitch of the voice, I can tell it¡¯s a girl.


    ¨C Sorry, do you need something from me? (Takaya)


    ¨C You¡¯re right I do. You¡¯re the Level IX creator, right? I take it that one with the scary face is the Forest Sage.


    ¨C I don¡¯t know what someone like you is doing around these places, but be very careful. Lay a finger on Takaya and your head will fly off before you can even blink. (Ever)


    ¨C Woah, scary~. Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t come here with any ill intentions. Besides, there¡¯s you, sage of the forest, and that girl over there from the tribe of the divine wolves. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.


    I just realized Mike, from the ¡°tribe of the divine wolves¡±, had already transformed and was ready to fight.


    Rudra and Feria were keeping their calm, but the hostility in the air was too overwhelming.


    ¨C Mike, that¡¯s enough. Everyone¡¯s nervous. (Ever)


    ¨C Guuu¡­


    ¨C Trust me, this person didn¡¯t come here to fight. (Rudra)


    I patted Mike¡¯s head to calm her down. The Grandmaster¡¯s words didn¡¯t seem to be reaching her.


    ¨C Fine. But please be careful, master.


    Mike returned to her humanoid form, but she was still hugging me while eyeing the client. It¡¯s easy to tell how powerful this person must be.


    ¨C Heeh~ A divine wolf hugging a human like this¡­ What an impressive Level IX mage.


    ¨C I¡¯m not as important as you think I am. I¡¯m just a human minding my own business. But enough of that. Would you mind introducing yourself already?


    ¨C Right, right. As undercover as I want to be, wearing this clothing is annoying.


    With all eyes on her, the client revealed herself.


    Purple hair, horns growing on her head, and the most important thing, wings extending from her back.


    ¨C My name is Mumuruu. My name is known throughout the entirety of the demon world. Today, I come to you with an important request.


    Mumuruu handed me a long object in a blanket.


    ¨C This is¡­


    Taking the clothes off revealed a spear-esque item similar to a trident.


    ¨C You, human! In fact, forget my pride. Oh, Grand Creator¡­ No¡­ Oh, Majestic Takaya!


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    Mumuruu started acting strangely.


    This so-called demon royalty clung to me and begged.


    Even the Grandmaster was surprised by this turn of events.


    ¨C Please! Please make a new demonic spear for me!


    Just when I thought I¡¯d finally be able to go on adventures with Meirir and the others.


    My first request is from a high-class demon.


    I sighed as I saw myself getting involved in something extremely bothersome yet again.

 CH 43

    ¡°Chapter 43: The Melancholy of the Shimmering Succubus Leader Mumuruu¡±


    ¨C Okay, first, let¡¯s hear the whole story.


    ¨C Really!? Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I¡¯ve been rejected by so many blacksmiths!


    I still haven¡¯t made a decision though. But she¡¯s already jumping out of joy.


    Where did the imposing aura of a high-level demon go?


    ¨C Uh, Grandmaster¡­ Is this person really that powerful?


    ¨C As far as I know, she is. Or was, at least. ¡°Mumuruu, the Shimmering Succubus Leader¡±, I¡¯ve fought against her in the past. One of the 10 most powerful demons.


    An elite among the elites.


    Why did she come here, to this small guild in this town, out of all the places?


    Let¡¯s hear what she has to say.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, could you please start from the beginning? Including whatever happened to this spear.


    Needless to say, this spear is nothing normal. If it was, I would be able to make a replica in no time, but this looks like something out of my Level.


    ¨C Well, you see, it¡¯s a long story.


    Mumuruu told us everything up until before she arrived at Bay Road.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Aaah~ We start working again in a month¡­ I wanna rest more~.


    In a world different to the humans¡¯, the Succubus Leader Mumuruu was complaining in her room.


    The demon world is divided into five areas, ruled by the Demon King and the five Four Fiendish Guardians.


    No, that¡¯s not a mistake.


    The Four Fiendish Guardians are actually five.


    The demon world is divided into northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Each of the lords rotates every hundred years or so.


    There are 5 guardians due to the millennial war with the humans.


    The demon world is ruled by force. Only the strongest survive. The weaklings are loathed and killed. That¡¯s just how it works.


    So, what would happen if one of the Four Fiendish Guardians disappeared?


    There would be a war between clans to replace the missing guardian. It would be chaotic, to put it mildly.


    To prevent this, the Demon Lord at the time came up with a system. An extra guardian would be on standby to replace one of the guardians were they to disappear.


    Mumuruu is currently the demon on standby.


    By the way, all the guardians are doing just fine for now. Mumuruu temporarily assigned the northwest commander to her area so as to rest.


    The cycle goes Northeast -> Southeast -> Southwest -> Northwest -> Standby -> Northeast


    ¨C I¡¯ve rested enough, my powers are back to full¡­ But I don¡¯t wanna do anything~


    This ¡°resting period¡± has been quite long. Likely due to the peace the demon world has been experiencing lately. More than 200 years of nothing.


    Honestly, Mumuruu didn¡¯t want to work anymore.


    Not all demons in the world want to fight. Some just want to spend all day lazing around.


    And Mumuruu was definitely one of them.


    ¨C Mistress, I¡¯m back- UGH, WHAT IS THAT SMELL!?


    Letty was the one who entered Mumuruu¡¯s room. Letty works as a maid, bodyguard, and pretty much anything. She¡¯s also Mumuruu¡¯s childhood friend.


    ¨C Hoi, Letty~ Welcome back, did you buy anything for me?


    ¨C I did. But please, I cleaned right before leaving. Why is your room such a mess again? Are you stupid? Do you have some sort of worm eating away your small brain?


    Mumuruu¡¯s room was full of filth and garbage except for her bed. Most of it was empty bottles of liquor and food leftovers.


    ¨C Ehh~ But it¡¯s such a pain to clean~


    ¨C *Sigh*¡­ Just so you know, you¡¯re one of the Four Fiendish Guardians. And you¡¯re going back to your duty soon.


    ¨C But I¡¯ll be gone for hundreds of years. I want to spoil you with some work before that~


    ¨C You do know that I¡¯ll be going with you, right? That¡¯s not an excuse. Whatever. I¡¯ll take care of the cleaning. Please go get the weapons in shape.


    ¨C Tch.


    Letty pulled her out of the bed by force. Mumuruu sighed and picked up her ¡°partner¡± from the bed.


    ¨C ¡°The Demonic Spear, Trident of Darkness¡±¡­ When was the last time I used this? I¡¯ve just been throwing it around while at home~


    A cursed spear that has been passed down from generation to generation in Mumuruu¡¯s family, equivalent to Level VII or even VIII. Her go-to weapon before she took a break.


    She would¡¯ve liked to give it some more rest, but duty calls.


    ¨C Aah~ I¡¯m so tired~ Hey, Letty, make some tea.


    ¨C Is your stamina non-existant!? I still haven¡¯t finished cleaning. Get to polishing that thing already.


    ¨C Eh~ Why? I¡¯ve had it since my Great Grandad¡¯s generation and it doesn¡¯t matter how rough I treat it, it doesn¡¯t break or lose quality.


    This spear has existed for countless centuries. It has seen an absurd amount of wars. Yet it was still as new as the first day.


    So, even Mumuruu wasn¡¯t able to explain:


    *Crack*


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    Such a legendary weapon, yet without prior signs, the spear broke in half.

 CH 44

    ¡°Chapter 44: The Melancholy of the Shimmering Succubus Leader Mumuruu. Part 2¡±


    *Clunk*


    ¨C ¡­


    Mumuruu could only stare at the spear lying on the floor.


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Mistress? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten how to-


    The maid Letty turned around and saw Mumuruu¡¯s petrified face.


    In fact, her face was starting to turn blue.


    And then, the demonic spear came into Letty¡¯s field of view.


    ¨C W-W-WHT-HAHTHWTHTHAWHTHWATHTWHWHAHTWHAT DO WE DO!?!? LETTY! WHAT DO WE DO WHAT DO WE DO WHAT DO WE DO!? I PICKED IT UP AND IT JUST BROKE IN HALF! AAAAAAAAHHHH!


    ¨C HOW!?


    Letty was in complete disbelief. Deep down she was hoping Mumuruu was playing some sick joke on her.


    But Mumuruu was freaking out too much for it to be a joke.


    ¨C It¡¯s broken¡­


    The famous demonic spear, the weapon that had brought unimaginable power to so many members of Mumuruu¡¯s generations. It was just lying on the floor.


    It might be too late to once again reconsider whether this is actually a joke.


    ¨C WHAT are we going TO DO!? I have to go back to duty soon! How am I gonna deal with all the idiots there!? Hey, pal, stop messing around, fix yourself or something!


    In addition to being dangerously sharp, the Trident of Darkness also had a magical effect that considerably increased the power of dark magic used by its wielder.


    This was the reason why the Succubus clan, and thus Mumuruu, was able to rise to be one of the Four Fiendish Guardians.


    ¨C Aaahhh, this is bad. This is terrible. I can already hear it. ¡°Oh, so the real Succubus leader was actually the spear after all, huh¡±


    ¨C Well maybe you should¡¯ve treated it better!


    It doesn¡¯t matter how sharp a weapon is, if you don¡¯t take care of it, it just becomes a rust collector.


    ¨C Okay, relax. We just have to get it fixed. Fortunately, we have a blacksmith here in the castle.


    ¨C R-Right! Let¡¯s go then. If father finds out I¡¯m not gonna hear the end of it. And if dear mother finds out I¡¯m not gonna hear ever again.


    Mumuruu¡¯s mother, the previous Succubus leader, retired and gave her position to her daughter, but she was still as powerful as ever.


    If she finds out her precious Trident of Darkness broke, who knows what she¡¯ll do to Mumuruu.


    The spear had to be fixed as soon as possible.


    They had a month. Plenty of time.


    But their optimism was quickly crushed.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Huh!? What do you mean!?


    Mumuruu couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    All the demon races had their characteristic weapons. Swords, spears, hammers, bows. They all hire the highest-level blacksmiths to take care of them.


    Normally, hers should be at the castle, so Mumuruu sent Letty to look for the blacksmith.


    ¨C His workshop should be there, but it¡¯s not. The place is vacant. Vanished with no traces.


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¨C He was lured away.


    There are way fewer people with crafting abilities than combat abilities.


    Especially in the demon world, where most demons are born to battle.


    Which is why the most powerful demons try to gather as many skilled blacksmiths as possible.


    Of course, they¡¯re paid very well. Mumuruu¡¯s blacksmith was no exception.


    But he was probably offered more money to leave. Demons follow their desires. If they¡¯re offered a slightly bigger carrot than the one they¡¯re eating, they¡¯ll take it without doubting.


    ¨C What now!? We have to do something, or we¡¯ll end up with only one finger each! (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu was the one who broke the spear, but Letty will be found guilty too for neglecting her duties.


    Of course, if possible they¡¯d like to keep all their fingers intact.


    With that in mind, Letty came up with an idea.


    ¨C Mistress, let¡¯s go to the human world. We have to find a human capable of forging a spear just as powerful as the Trident of Darkness.

 CH 45

    Chapter 45: ¡°Negotiations¡±


    ¨C And that¡¯s how we ended up in the human world looking for a craftsman to repair the spear or make a new one. Undercover, of course.


    I¡¯m sure it must¡¯ve been hard to find one.


    ¨C It wouldn¡¯t take long to find a creator capable of making difficult things like heavenly swords or demonic swords. Even if it was, Letty and I are Succubi, we can get information out of people easily.


    Mumuruu and Letty (Who¡¯s not here) were acting as bar girls to overhear rumors about potential craftsmen.


    ¨C But they all turned you down?.


    ¨C How pathetic. For the Shimmering Succubus Leader, one of the Four Fiendish Guardians, to fall this low¡­


    Mumuruu lowered her head.


    ¨C These two suspicious people with their faces covered approach you and ask you to fix something for them. Anyone would be wary. The few people that didn¡¯t immediately turn us down saw the spear and said ¡°Sorry, this is impossible to fix¡±.


    I don¡¯t blame them.


    Just from a quick glance, I can tell this spear is completely done for.


    I firmly believe that, regardless of the weapon or armor or whatnot, every blacksmith leaves a part of them in their creations.


    Even Silver or Akane¡¯s swords have emitted some sort of light at some point, as if proving that they¡¯re part of us.


    But I can¡¯t sense that energy in the spear. This trident is no more than a weapon.


    ¨C We visited every possible place and we couldn¡¯t find anyone. The spear is still broken. In a way, we came here to sightsee too. We wanted to give our fingers one last look at the sea before they disappear.


    Mumuruu looked at Dike.


    ¨C MmMM! mMmmmMMm!


    ¨C This man was running his mouth with Letty. She might not be very powerful, but she¡¯s one of the best-looking demons out there. He said something along the lines of ¡°We have a Level IX creator in our guild! I¡¯m his friend, so we¡¯re gonna get super rich!¡±. He was trying way too hard.


    ¨C Is that so, Dike?


    I freed Dike¡¯s mouth and his response was to look at me apologetically with puppy eyes.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Takaya. I barely remember anything about it. It¡¯s just been so long since a pretty woman has wanted to talk to me¡­


    ¨C Come on, don¡¯t be so rough on the little guy. Letty used some of her magic to dry the money out of his pockets anyways.


    Then I guess we can¡¯t really blame Dike. Besides, no one expects a demon to be lurking around here.


    ¨C We thought he was just lying to get under Letty¡¯s pants, but then he mentioned that the Level IX mage was being trained by the Sage of the Forest herself.


    So Mumuruu came to the guild looking for her last hope.


    ¨C I see. This is the first time I¡¯ve had a human apprentice, I wanted to keep him a secret for a little longer. (Ever)


    Ever bit her lips. She probably wanted to keep training me for longer before sending me out to the real deal, but now her course of action has changed.


    ¨C And that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Oh Illustrious Takaya, I beg of you, please take my request. I¡¯m willing to pay any price necessary. And don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t spill the beans about you. Please! Save our fingers from being used as sausages!


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    If the fingers thing is true, I can¡¯t just turn them down.


    I never thought my first request would be fixing a demonic spear from someone as important as a demon ruler, especially considering how worthless I always thought I was.


    I should not get involved with this. So many blacksmiths rejected them. It¡¯s not something I can do.


    But Mumuruu is begging on her knees.


    Besides¡­


    ¨C Magnificent creator, please accept our request!


    ¨C Letty¡­


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Mistress. I know I was ordered to wait outside, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to watch any longer.


    Golden hair and clear white skin, it was obvious the person who intruded into the room was the one who charmed Roar.


    ¨C Takaya, Searat, if you accept this request, I will become your hostage for as long as you want. Does that sound good to you?


    ¨C Huh!?


    Everyone in the room looked shocked after hearing her statement.

 CH 46

    ¡°Chapter 46: Approval¡±


    ¨C Wha- #%!¡±&!%($!#$%#¡±(/$/¡±!%#¡±!?


    ¨C Mistress, please calm down. They can¡¯t understand demon language.


    ¨C What are you talking about!? Hostage!?


    Mumuruu is the most shocked out of all of us, but Letty¡¯s face shows no signs of hesitation.


    ¨C So you¡¯re saying we should look for someone else? It¡¯s a miracle that we found the people of Searat. We can¡¯t let this opportunity slip away.


    ¨C But I should be the one taking respons-


    ¨C I¡¯ve already asked my subordinates to care for you once you¡¯re back on duty. I¡¯ve made all the necessary preparations.


    They really meant it when Mumuruu said she was willing to pay any price. Letty knows her own price as a servant and as a weapon very well.


    ¨C ¡­Why are you going so far? (Takaya)


    ¨C That¡¯s just how we demons are. (Letty)


    Letty answered confidently.


    ¨C For a demon, pride and honor can be more important than their own life. Even the tiniest mistake is unforgivable. Imagine what would happen if it was known that one of the most important demons broke her weapon due to being careless.


    No one would respect a demon who¡¯s constantly being made fun of.


    The demon world is divided into different areas. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an issue of inequality among the areas.


    The human world is already like that, so I can¡¯t even imagine how bad it must be in the demon world.


    ¨C So you¡¯re willing to sacrifice yourself? (Takaya)


    ¨C Ever since I became the mistress¡¯ maid I was ready to throw away my dignity at any time she needed it.


    She¡¯s going as far as to give her own body in exchange.


    As a demon, she might be pretty low ranked, but as a maid, she¡¯s completely devoted to her master.


    ¨C So you¡¯re bowing your head to a human?


    ¨C As much as I don¡¯t want to, this is no time to be worrying about my pride.


    Mumuruu can¡¯t return to duty like this, everyone will notice immediately. We are humans, and none of us have contact with demons, so the information won¡¯t leak from us.


    Even if it¡¯s not the same spear, she can just say she got a new one because it was better.


    ¨C Takaya, the choice is yours. You might be my apprentice, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re my puppet. Feel free to choose.


    ¨C Grandmaster, do you think I should do it?


    ¨C As you please. You won¡¯t be able to do this easily, but if you can complete the task, the reward will be huge. They¡¯re demons, so we can trust their word.


    ¨C President, Vice-president¡­


    I turned to Rudra and Feria.


    ¨C I don¡¯t mind. We knew this would happen eventually, so we¡¯ve been preparing for it for the 2 months that you were gone. (Rudra)


    ¨C You heard it. Also, once we get paid we can repay all the debts we have.


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    They had the same opinion as the Grandmaster.


    Actually, why are they acting like they know I¡¯m going to accept?


    I still haven¡¯t said anything.


    ¨C You¡¯re way too easy to read.


    Akane sighed.


    ¨C You can never reject a cry for help. Even if you do, you¡¯ll still care about what happens after. You¡¯re just that kind of person.


    ¨C Master, you¡¯re very simple. But I love you!


    The best example of Akane¡¯s words is waggling her tail right here.


    Exactly because I¡¯m a caring person, Mike is alive and breathing.


    ¨C Heh, so you all knew from the beginning¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s decided then.


    Mumuruu and Letty were anxiously awaiting my response.


    I don¡¯t want to see such anxiety.


    ¨C Understood. I will accept your reque- UWAH!?


    Both of the demons hugged me firmly.


    ¨C THANK YOU! Thank you, Takaya! No, thank you, our deity!


    ¨C We demons don¡¯t believe in deities, but you are surely godsent.


    ¨C Uhh, thank you, but could you please get off me?


    They were demons, and they were Succubi alright. Their smell was making my brain lose any sense of control.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever understand how pressured they felt to fix the spear.


    ¨C Takaya, sorry to ruin THE FUN, but are you sure you can do this? It¡¯s way past your current skills.


    Stressing ¡°the fun¡±, Akane made an important remark.


    She¡¯s right, my current skills are around Level V, barely scratching Level VI.


    ¨C Wait, REALLY!? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Yes. I was told I could *eventually* grow to Level IX. But I¡¯m not actually Level IX yet.


    ¨C THEN HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO IT!?


    Mumuruu¡¯s cheerful expression turned grim.


    ¨C Calm down, please. No need to make that face. Even if I can¡¯t process the materials necessary for a demonic spear, I can still repair this one.


    ¨C Hm? What do you mean? (Letty)


    ¨C Letty-san, do you know what is the most classic way to fix something?


    Letty shook her head.


    ¨C If something is broken, just glue it together.


    I turned to see my backpack.


    More precisely, to see the Heaven Jewel we found during my training.

 CH 47

    ¡°Chapter 47: Takaya¡¯s Fort¡±


    ¨C I¡¯m not skilled enough to make a new spear, and attempting to repair it will only do so much. But I have an idea for some first aid.


    I took the sky blue crystal out of my backpack. It was still shining as vividly as when Mike first found it.


    ¨C Takaya, I know you fiddled with that during your training, but you weren¡¯t even able to mold it. What do you expect to do? (Ever)


    ¨C You see¡­ When you heat up a Heaven Jewel, it becomes slushy and sticky. Conversely, if you freeze it, it becomes incredibly hard, but if you hold it, it¡¯s as light as a feather. An incredible mineral.


    I didn¡¯t have a habit of tinkering with crystals, but the Heaven Jewel was an exception.


    Even if you heat it up, it returns to its original form once it cools down. I¡¯ve tried cutting it with Silver but it just repairs itself.


    It¡¯s both fragile and hard.


    Shape memory alloy was a thing back in my previous world, but the Heaven Jewel is more like a Shape revival alloy. It doesn¡¯t matter what you do, it comes back to its original form. It would be a nightmare to make a sword or spear out of this.


    But that¡¯s not my plan.


    ¨C Rudra-san, is there a furnace around? I¡¯d like to get started as soon as possible.


    ¨C In Bay Road, we import most of our weapons. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find any blacksmithing workshops close by.


    ¨C Then let¡¯s go to the Ever¡¯s palace.


    ¨C No need for that.


    Feria smiled at me.


    ¨C I told you, we made preparations while you were away. Rudra, the key.


    ¨C Yeah.


    I received a silver key.


    ¨C What is this?


    ¨C We built a fort for you under the guild.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    After Takaya left to train with Ever, Feria and Rudra went to different banks and merchant guilds asking for ¡°favors¡±.


    Favors, also known as money.


    With the scope of abilities that Takaya could have once he reaches Level IX, Rudra knew an investment like this would be necessary. At first, the idea was to let him go on adventures with Meirir and get money slowly but surely while he developed himself.


    But Ever set her eyes on Takaya. She was very clear on how special he was.


    The Sage of the Forest herself was training Takaya. He was bound to quickly become a splendid creator.


    For Rudra and Feria, Takaya was almost like a son.


    Searat is not a profitable guild. And that¡¯s a mild way to put it. Of course, they¡¯d like to pay their members as much as possible, but it¡¯s just not feasible. Feria and Rudra themselves might look like they¡¯re loaded in money but they live a pretty modest life.


    If Takaya found out about it, he would just nod and keep working without care. He would keep smiling just like he did at his welcome party.


    As long as he¡¯s able to spend time with everyone, he¡¯ll be happy.


    But that¡¯s not the future Rudra wants for him.


    He was the one who told Takaya to show his previous friends how much he could grow.


    Then, wasn¡¯t it Rudra¡¯s job to help his son? Otherwise, he would just be leeching off of Takaya.


    So Rudra and Feria bowed their head multiple times to ask for money.


    A furnace to produce the best weapons, a high-quality hammer and anvil, tools to research and develop medicines, tons of ingredients to choose from, plenty of space to work in. Rudra worked hard to make a place that Takaya could use as a workshop.


    ¨C Amazing¡­


    Takaya, the boy that once had the eyes of a dead fish, was now elated looking at his new toy. Rudra and Feria shook hands behind his back.

 CH 48

    ¡°Chapter 48: True Showcase of Skills¡±


    ¨C This is my¡­


    The moment I saw the workshop, my heart was filled with emotions.


    I¡¯ve never been good at this kind of thing. In fact, I don¡¯t think blacksmithing suits me at all.


    But, the more I trained, the more I became absorbed in mastering my skills.


    I can turn a useless rock into something useful.


    Actually, there¡¯s no such thing as something ¡°useless¡± in this world.


    I¡¯m glad my growth made me realize that.


    ¨C Rudra-san, Feria-san¡­ Thank you for going so far for someone like me.


    ¨C You don¡¯t have to worry about it. If you really want to repay us, then get to work. (Rudra)


    ¨C Right. We have to pay our debts, otherwise we¡¯ll all end up on the streets. Well, I guess we¡¯d make that work out somehow. (Feria)


    I¡¯m so happy to be here. I¡¯m so glad I was able to join Searat.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to express just how grateful I am.


    But first, I have to see Mumuruu¡¯s request through.


    I slapped my cheeks and got fired up.


    ¨C Akane-san, I¡¯m going to melt the Heaven Jewel. Could you please get the furnace ready?


    ¨C I¡¯ll get on it. What are you planning to do?


    ¨C I¡¯ll mix it with this.


    I grabbed some of the rensagoke.


    ¨C I trust you know what you¡¯re doing. Let¡¯s get to it then.


    Akane lit the charcoal in the furnace.


    ¨C Master, what should I do?


    ¨C Please keep watch. I don¡¯t want anyone to interrupt me.


    ¨C Yes!


    Mike transformed into a wolf and ran to the door. I don¡¯t really mind being interrupted, but if I didn¡¯t give her anything to do she would frown at me.


    ¨C Hmm, I can feel your determination. I got myself a fine disciple!


    Ever nodded in delight at the two apprentices and the wolf.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, the spear.


    ¨C Y-Yeah.


    I laid the broken Trident of Darkness on the workbench.


    I felt a strange sense of discomfort when looking at the broken section.


    This spear has been used for thousands of years. I¡¯m not surprised it broke, especially considering how poor Mumuruu¡¯s maintenance must¡¯ve been.


    However, there¡¯s also the possibility that it didn¡¯t just break by itself. Someone could¡¯ve damaged it. And if they did, they didn¡¯t do a good job of hiding it, since even a novice blacksmith like me can tell.


    We¡¯ll find out soon.


    If it broke due to old age, I won¡¯t be able to repair it.


    Otherwise, someone purposefully did it.


    ¨C Takaya, what did you mean by ¡°gluing it¡±?


    Letty asked, doubtful.


    ¨C I¡¯ll use some of the Heaven Jewel as adhesive and mix it with the spear.


    There¡¯s nothing else I can do. No, I should say this is what I CAN do.


    It was finally time to show what I¡¯m capable of.

 CH 49

    ¡°Chapter 49: True Showcase of Skills 2¡±


    ¨C ¡­ The Heaven Jewel?


    That question came from someone in the room.


    In this world, there are very few ways to repair a weapon.


    Suppose there¡¯s a blacksmith with enough Level to fix the demon spear.


    In such case, they would put one half of the spear back in the furnace to melt it and try to reattach it. The issue is, some minerals have an unusual resistance to heat, so they need to be processed in a special environment.


    It¡¯s no surprise that Mumuruu promised a great reward.


    But I¡¯m tackling the issue differently.


    If my hypothesis is correct, even if the mineral is different, as long as we have enough adhesive we can glue it together.


    This should also apply to any type of weapon.


    ¨C If this works, it¡¯ll be a huge uproar¡­ (Rudra)


    Rudra couldn¡¯t hide his amazement.


    If we make this ¡°adhesive¡± technique work, and if we¡¯re able to monopolize it, the guild could become rich in a matter of weeks.


    ¨C This is the extent of Takaya¡¯s capabilities. Rudra, Feria, get ready to witness the prodigy you¡¯ve found.


    The wit to repair a weapon not through reforging but with medicine.


    A perspective that no one from this world would¡¯ve thought about.


    ¡°Welcome¡±, Ever whispered.


    ¨C Akane-san, how is the Heaven Jewel?


    ¨C Already melted. It¡¯s up to you now.


    Akane put the gelatinous substance into the mixing bowl.


    Once its temperature drops, it¡¯ll be drawn back to the Heaven Jewel to return it to its original shape.


    Before that happens, I have to mix it, process it, with the rensagoke. It¡¯s a race against time.


    I believe that, in order to prevent the stone from being drawn back, you have to make it think that its new form it¡¯s the original form.


    If my mixing skills are good enough, it should turn into glue.


    The rensagoke should add the adhesive property to the mix.


    ¨C ¡­


    I kept praying as I worked.


    ¨C Are you really sure you can use a Heaven Jewel like that?


    ¨C Maybe. I think I can.


    I reassured Letty¡¯s doubts.


    ¨C In fact, the Heaven Jewel isn¡¯t just a rock. It can be seeping through the water, it can be magical power in the air, it can even be miasma.


    According to the book the Grandmaster gave me, the Heaven Jewel is originally transparent. Depending on the place where it grows it changes the color of the light it emits.


    ¨C This is the solution I came up with. If we trick the spear into thinking the glue is part of its body, we¡¯ll be able to fix it while also maintaining the trident¡¯s magical capabilities. Although I also had to use rensagoke for this.


    ¨C Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t get a single word you¡¯re saying, but you¡¯re saying it¡¯s gonna work, right!?


    ¨C Yes. This is just first aid, so be mindful. Once my blacksmithing skills get better¡­


    ¨C You¡¯re gonna fix it once and for all!?


    ¨C Yes. That was your request, after all. I might- UWAH!?


    With wet eyes, Mumuruu threw herself at me.


    ¨C You¡¯re a god! Please, everyone, refer to him as the God Takaya!


    ¨C Uhh¡­ I¡¯m trying to work!


    Her chest might be smaller than Letty¡¯s, but it¡¯s still very much distracting me.


    I¡¯ll never get used to this feeling.


    ¨C Master, what are you doing?


    ¨C Uhh, Mike-san, could you take Mumuruu off me?


    ¨C Hmph.


    Mike pouted as she flung Mumuruu towards Letty.


    ¨C Takaya, I¡¯m SORRY to ONCE AGAIN ruin THE FUN, but it seems to be ready.


    Akane pointed at the compound while staring daggers at me.


    ¨C Alright. Let¡¯s put this on the demonic spear and then pour cold water on it.


    I spread the adhesive on the broken part while it was still hot.


    Then, with the tongs that had been readied, I dropped the spear into cold water.


    Steam filled the workshop room.


    Luckily, this place had a chimney, which also worked for ventilation.


    ¨C Hopefully it worked¡­


    Once the steam dissipated, I grabbed the spear.


    At first glance, it looks fixed.


    Now the real test.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, try using your powers.


    ¨C Gotcha.


    With her partner now in her hands again, Mumuruu focused on the spear.


    The trident emitted a purple light that accumulated on its three tips.


    ¨C The magic amplification¡­ It¡¯s weaker than before, but it works! I can make do with this.


    The experiment was a success.


    I sighed as exaggeratedly as I could.


    ¨C Takaya, it¡¯s not completely fixed, but you deserve all my gratitude. I¡¯ll make sure to repay you as soon as I can.


    ¨C No need for that. I didn¡¯t fully repair it yet. Save the reward for later.


    ¨C Non non, Takaya. (Ever)


    Ever interrupted me.


    That smile¡­ Oh no¡­ She¡¯s scheming something¡­


    ¨C Letty, you said you¡¯d give your body as a reward. Is the offer still up?


    ¨C ¡­Of course it is. If Takaya so wishes, I will devote my body to him for however long he wishes.


    ¨C I see. Mumuruu, are you okay with that?


    ¨C If she says so then I won¡¯t complain. Although she¡¯s currently contracted to me, so we¡¯ll have to break that first.


    ¨C Oh, don¡¯t worry. No need for that.


    Ever snapped her fingers.


    ¨C !!?? (Mumuruu and Letty)


    Magic words floated around Mumuruu and Letty right before chains appeared on their necks.


    ¨C Uhh, Grandmaster?


    I just realized the chains were tied to my hand.


    I really hope this isn¡¯t what I think it is.


    ¨C It¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking, Takaya. These two beautiful Succubi just became your property! All thanks to me!


    ¨C ¡­WHAAAT!? (Takaya/Mumuruu/Letty)


    We yelled at the top of our lungs.

 CH 50

    ¡°Chapter 50: The Demon Maid¡±


    ¨C WHA- WHAT DO YOU THINK Y!3$iS)%6z)%$4!sz%)(??


    ¨C Misstress, please calm down. No need for such language.


    From the way Letty frowned, Mumuruu had said some pretty foul stuff.


    ¨C Complain as much as you want. You can¡¯t go back on this anymore. Mumuruu, the Shimmering Succubus Leader from the Four Fiendish Guardians, is now my disciple¡¯s pet. Aahahahahahaha!


    The Grandmaster kept laughing, but I could only sigh at the sight. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s having fun, but I¡¯m not going to just accept these two as personal maids or something.


    ¨C Grandmaster, please. Letty-san aside, Mumuruu has her duty in the demon world.


    ¨C YEAH! He¡¯s right! I wouldn¡¯t be able to go back if I¡¯m chained to Takaya!


    ¨C Hm? Listen, you two came here with a request for my apprentice. He delivered, you were satisfied with it. This is just what we deserve. By the way, Mumuruu, what¡¯s your payment?


    ¨C Well¡­


    ¨C We never actually decided. I was the only one who made an offer.


    Ever nodded at Letty¡¯s words.


    ¨C That¡¯s right. The price for Mumuruu¡¯s part of the request is that you two become Takaya¡¯s property. Not just your attractive bodies, your own servants and all your wealth too!


    ¨C Uhh, Grandmaster, does that mean-


    ¨C I¡¯ll get to pluck every hair out of your private parts one by one!!! Ahahahahahahaha!!!!!


    It means ¡°My disciple¡¯s property is also my property¡±.


    I¡¯m starting to wonder who the real demon is.


    ¨C Grandmaster.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong, Takaya? These two will be able to live their life without worries!


    ¨C GRANDMASTER.


    I raised my voice towards the lively Ever, who, as a response, just clicked her tongue.


    ¨C Please take off their collars. This is not what I want. Though I do want the money, but the guild can take care of that.


    ¨C B-But, Mumuruu is one of the Four Fiendish Guardians! She could be useful for us in the future.


    ¨C Release them. Or else, you¡¯re not getting dinner tonight.


    ¨C Ugghhh¡­


    The Grandmaster was supposed to be my superior, but she flinched as soon as I pulled out the secret weapon.


    My cooking skills have improved a lot. So much so that the Grandmaster almost drools just thinking about it.


    She can¡¯t let herself miss out on my meals.


    ¨C *Sigh* Fine. I get it. I took the joke too far. Please, I don¡¯t want to taste Akane¡¯s cooking ever again.


    Ever shrugged and released the two Succubi.


    Akane, who no one seemed to be noticing, was seething in the back of the room. I pity her a bit.


    ¨C Phew¡­ You really scared me there. I¡¯m myself am pretty good at magic but with the spear in this state, I¡¯d be no match against the Sage of the Forest.


    The Four Fiendish Guardians seem to be no joke. They could stand up to Ever at their full power.


    I wonder what shape would form with a tree paper from Mumuruu.


    ¨C Thank you so much for saving us, Takaya. I wouldn¡¯t be able to begin explaining how the Mistress became someone¡¯s pet.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about it. Please continue taking care of Mumuruu. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d accomplish anything without you.


    ¨C Heh, of course. What a troublesome Mistress.


    Letty looked lovingly at Mumuruu, who was lashing out at Ever.


    I¡¯m sure the sentiment goes both ways.


    It¡¯s a beautiful thing.


    ¨C Well, Mistress, you should get back to the demon world already. It¡¯s been a month since we came to the human world. You have to get back on duty soon.


    ¨C Right. I have to welcome dear mother¡­ Wait, Letty, what did you just say?


    Trident of Darkness in hand, Mumuruu turned to Letty.


    ¨C Hm? I said you should go back to the demon world.


    ¨C What? You¡¯re coming with me. Hey, why are you hugging Takaya¡¯s arm?


    I hadn¡¯t realized, but something soft was pressing against my arm.


    ¨C I¡¯ll stay here at the guild and work as Takaya¡¯s maid. That was the price to pay.


    ¨C B-But, what about helping me?


    ¨C As I told you, I¡¯ve made the necessary arrangements already. Send a familiar if you need anything.


    But I just told her that it wasn¡¯t necessary¡­


    I thought she didn¡¯t want to work here.


    ¨C So, Takaya¡­


    Letty¡¯s grip on my arm tightened.


    ¨C Can you feel it? My heart¡­ Takaya, I fell for you the moment I saw you working so earnestly. I was mesmerized.


    ¨C Uh¡­ Letty-san!?


    ¨C Takaya¡­


    Letty pulled my completely blood-colored face closer to hers.


    Everyone in the room was surprised by the sudden turn in Letty¡¯s behavior.


    ¨C Heyyy~ Sorry about that misunderstanding! You two have been taking care of Takaya these past two months, right? Come on Takaya, you should¡¯ve said something soone-


    And here we have Meirir intruding with impeccable timing.


    ¨C GghhMeirir-san!? (Takaya)


    ¨C A. (Meirir)


    Meirir¡¯s gaze was fixed on Takaya first and then switched to Letty, who clearly had a crush on him.


    ¨C Aaa¡­ HahaHAHAHA! I think I have intruded on something I shouldn¡¯t have!!! Excuse me!!!!!


    ¨C No! Meirir-san!


    ¨C UWAAAAAAAAAAHHH! AND NOW A BLONDE MAID TOO!? TAKAYA, I HATE YOU!!!


    Meirir ran away at maximum speed while crying her eyes out.


    ¨C Ahh, not again¡­


    And thus goes another day in my noisy life.

 CH 51

    ¡°Chapter 51: The Morning of the Reunion¡±


    Living at the Sage¡¯s Palace, training, and then my first request.


    It was tough, but I¡¯m finally able to live a normal life at Bay Road.


    ¨C Takaya, please wake up. It¡¯s time to work. (Letty)


    ¨C Ehh? Already? I lose track of time when I sleep the night at the workshop.


    I woke up to see my personal workshop in the guild¡¯s basement.


    I looked at the workbench and saw the ingredients for a Double High Potion. I still had to make another 100 before the deadline, so I stayed up until late in the night.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you¡¯re so eager to work, but please take care of yourself. Here, have some black tea.


    ¨C Thanks, Letty.


    ¨C Come on, Mike, you too, wake up already. Stop using your master as a body pillow.


    ¨C Mmm~ Letty, you¡¯re a meanie sister-in-law~


    ¨C Where did you even learn that? Let me guess, was it Mitta?


    Mumuruu went back to the demon world and Letty stayed here to work as my caretaker and Searat¡¯s receptionist.


    She¡¯s only been employed for a few days but she¡¯s already excelling at her job. That, and due to her looks, she¡¯s gained quite the popularity among the guild.


    I¡¯ve spent most of my time down here in the workshop, so I can¡¯t really tell the difference, but from what Mitta has told me, the number of visitors increases exponentially when Letty is on the counter.


    ¨C Come on, Mike. We have to go to the Grandmaster¡¯s today to look for ingredients.


    ¨C To Akane¡¯s? Okay~


    After I fixed the spear, Ever and Akane went back to the Sage¡¯s Palace. There are ingredients I need that I can only get in the forest.


    It¡¯s a give and take. I get to use Ever¡¯s teleportation magic to go to the forest, and in exchange, I swing by the castle to do the housework. If I left it to those two the palace would be in ruins in no time.


    By the way, we still haven¡¯t received the full payment for fixing the spear, but Letty is working to make it happen.


    ¨C Takaya, what¡¯s the plan for today? You¡¯re almost done with the orders.


    ¨C I was planning on doing something different.


    ¨C By different you mean?


    I finished drinking the tea and stood up.


    ¨C Well, this is an adventurers guild. It¡¯s nice to go out every now and then.


    It¡¯s the one thing I haven¡¯t done.


    ¨C Letty, can you deliver a message to Meirir, Dike, and Roar?


    ¨C Of course. What would you like me to tell them?


    ¨C Hmm~


    I kept thinking.


    ¨C Maybe¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go on an adventure!¡±

 CH 52

    ¡°Chapter 52: The Morning of the Reunion 2¡±


    30 minutes later, I found Roar and Dike at the front door of the guild.


    They were about to get to work, so all their equipment was ready.


    ¨C Yo, Takaya! Man, Letty is the best. I asked her to please step on me and she told me to go jump off a bridge.


    ¨C Dike, you have to stop. One day you¡¯ll really regret being like that.


    Letty might be a guild member, but she¡¯s only loyal to Rudra, Feria, and me. Of course, as long as people are polite to her she¡¯ll be nice. Clearly, that¡¯s not the case with Dike.


    First Rudra, now Dike¡­ I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s with Searat and getting stepped on.


    ¨C Thank you for inviting us. How¡¯s work?


    ¨C Lots of orders. Anyways, where¡¯s Meirir-san?


    I couldn¡¯t find the person who I¡¯m looking forward to meeting the most.


    Her place is minutes away from the guild. Even if she wasn¡¯t expecting the invitation, it shouldn¡¯t have taken her long to get here.


    ¨C She¡¯s over there. (Roar)


    ¨C Huh? (Takaya)


    ¨C Ah¡­ (Meirir)


    Hiding on the shadow of the building was Meirir looking at us from afar.


    ¨C Uhh, Meirir-san, how long have you been there?


    ¨C Since before the three of you got here.


    ¨C You should¡¯ve said something.


    ¨C Aaah, right? Yeah, probably. I don¡¯t know. I couldn¡¯t find the time to get in the conversation. Haha¡­ This is awkward¡­


    Meirir was acting pretty distant, but it¡¯s not the first time.


    She was acting like this too after I came back from my training.


    She talks with Dike, Roar, and Mitta just as usual. In fact, she¡¯s nice to Mike too. But she¡¯s definitely been ignoring Letty and me.


    Well, I guess I can see why. I¡¯ve been surrounded by an alarming amount of beautiful women in these past months. Not that I meant to in the first place.


    Her behavior isn¡¯t that surprising considering the incident with Letty. Mitta made sure to clear up the misunderstanding, but I guess she still has her own doubts.


    I don¡¯t think she hates me though.


    ¨C ¡­Takaya.


    Roar poked my back with his elbow.


    He¡¯s saying ¡°Get this over with already¡±.


    This mood could lead to communication issues. Which, in a dangerous environment, could lead to one of us getting sliced.


    ¨C We still have an hour before we leave. How about you two go for a walk?


    ¨C Yeah. She¡¯s kind of the light and soul of our party. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t want to adventure like this, right?


    ¨C Right.


    But how do I even go about this?


    It¡¯s just an hour, but it¡¯ll be like a date.


    I¡¯m not at a Level where I could ask someone out, let alone be asked out.


    I wish I had a better spread of skills.


    ¨C DEAR LORD. Hey, Meirir. We forgot to buy something. Go kill some time with Takaya somewhere.


    ¨C B-But¡­ What about Letty-chan?


    ¨C Forget about that. Takaya invited only US today.


    ¨C ¡­


    Roar and Dike caught on to my intentions pretty quickly.


    I invited them all just to have an excuse to talk to Meirir.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ Is that true?


    ¨C Uh, of course! We haven¡¯t been able to talk properly lately.


    ¨C I see¡­


    I was so embarrassed I could barely look at her, but Meirir¡¯s face brightened up considerably.


    ¨C Aw~ Come on! You invited us just for that? You wanted to spend time with us? You little dummy~


    ¨C *Cough* Yes, that¡¯s exactly it.


    Meirir got close and patted me on the back.


    I¡¯m glad she understands some things can¡¯t change in just a few months.


    ¨C Well, we got time. We can walk around for a bit! Off we go!


    ¨C S-Sure, but you don¡¯t have to pull me.


    I might be a bit embarrassed, but at least our relationship is back to normal.

 CH 53

    ¡°Chapter 53: The Morning of the Reunion 3¡±


    Meirir was happily dragging me through Bay Road.


    After some time I¡¯ve gotten used to the layout of the city. I¡¯m even starting to recognize some faces the more I walk around.


    ¨C This is Road First, the busiest and first street to be built in Bay Road.


    Bay Road is divided by 4 streets that are used to deliver the goods that arrive from the port. Road First and Road Second are straight lines connected to the port. Road Third and Road Fourth are at their left. As the city grew, its layout became more fan-shaped.


    Because of those streets, Bay Road is also divided into 5 districts.


    We¡¯re currently between Road First and Road Second. This is District First.


    District First is full of coffee shops with fancy tables outside the stores, financial institutions, merchant associations, armor shops. This is the commercial district of Bay Road.


    ¨C District Second is full of pubs and nightclubs, so let¡¯s leave that for another occasion. If Dike or Rudra invite you there just say no. Got it?


    ¨C Of course¡­ I think.


    I averted my gaze.


    ¨C By the way, what¡¯s in District Third and District Fourth?


    ¨C That¡¯s where most people live, including the wealthy. It¡¯s also where schools and public offices are.


    ¨C So it¡¯s a residential area?


    ¨C Yeah. And on the other side is where we live. Might not be the nicest or safest place, but it has its own charm once you get used to it.


    So it¡¯s the impoverished area.


    I guess that¡¯s another thing in common with the previous world.


    ¨C Takaya, you want some tea? I¡¯d love to keep walking around but we don¡¯t have much time left.


    Dike ¡°forgetting something¡± was a lie, so we don¡¯t actually have any time constraints. They can wait a little bit.


    Though I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep going like this.


    ¨C Uh, Meirir-san¡­


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s up? Why is your face red?


    ¨C Well, uhh, your hand¡­


    ¨C Huh? AH!


    She finally realized.


    She¡¯s so excited she didn¡¯t notice we¡¯ve been holding hands this entire time.


    To everyone we probably look like a dumb couple flirting in public.


    Actually, I¡¯ve been getting quite the stares from people passing by.


    ¨C SORRY! I- Uh¡­ Haha!


    ¨C D-Don¡¯t worry about it.


    We both blushed and hung our heads.


    I heard a tongue click from a nearby shadow behind a building. Seems like Dike came to see how we were doing but ended up peeking on us.


    ¨C W-Well, we can skip the tea. Maybe we should go back?


    ¨C Uh, right!


    Why did I say that? I wanted to stay here a little longer.


    It¡¯s just like always.


    But honestly, that¡¯s fine.


    There¡¯s no need to rush.


    There are many days ahead of us.


    As I was thinking that-


    ¨C ¡­!?


    I heard a snapping sound, followed by a sharp pain in my neck.


    That felt like¡­ electricity?


    That¡¯s weird. I don¡¯t think my clothes should cause static.


    ¨C ¡­Lightning magic¡ª¡ª


    I got goosebumps.


    Many people could learn to use lightning magic. The Grandmaster, Akane, even Letty.


    But only one person crosses my mind right now.


    Someone that once said ¡°Hey, I can use lightning magic now¡±.


    ¨C Takaya? What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re completely pale¡­


    ¨C ¡­Meirir-san, please run away.


    ¨C Huh?


    I slowly turned.


    ¨C ¡­So it was you.


    There he was standing.


    ¨C Heey, Nagami! Long time no see. Glad to see you¡¯re doing well.


    Someone I would never be able to forget. Harukawa Akito.


    The president of the class that once voted to kick me out.

 CH 54

    ¡°Chapter 54: Again¡±


    I wanted to forget.


    I wanted to forget about everything before that night.


    I¡¯ve surrounded myself with good people. I¡¯ve polished my talents. I live a fulfilling life.


    There¡¯s someone I¡¯m interested in.


    I wanted to forget.


    I wanted to forget how much they humiliated me.


    But as soon as I see him I can¡¯t stop the memories from coming back.


    ¨C Harukawa Akito.


    I uttered the name of my classmate.


    ¨C That¡¯s right, Nagami! It¡¯s me! How many months has it been? Man, I¡¯m glad I found you.


    A blatant lie. He says it like I got lost on my own.


    It was you who caused it.


    ¨C Takaya, who is that?


    ¨C Meirir-san, remember what I told you about before I joined Searat?


    ¨C Of course I do. A family of about 40 people who threw you away. Is he¡­


    I nodded.


    This is a concern I¡¯ve had ever since I discovered my capabilities.


    When we came to this world, my classmates were just as clueless as me.


    We were all just thrown into another world after an accident.


    They may have kicked me out for being useless, but that¡¯s what allowed me to grow. I met Meirir.


    Which led to me learning about my dormant skills.


    If they hadn¡¯t abandoned me, I wouldn¡¯t have found Meirir. If I hadn¡¯t found Meirir, I wouldn¡¯t know about my skills.


    ¨C Harukawa, why are you here? (Takaya)


    It¡¯s not hard to imagine his answer.


    They finally caught on.


    They realized how useful my skills are.


    I don¡¯t know how he found me, but there are 37 people in the class. Someone probably has a skill that helped them.


    ¨C Hey, hey. Why so on guard? We¡¯re classmates, aren¡¯t we?


    Akito¡¯s clothes were full of dirt.


    He wasn¡¯t wearing his school uniform anymore. He had a frayed cloak, a steel longsword that looked like it would break at any moment, and gauntlets that had lost any shine they previously had.


    Clearly, he was having a rough time.


    ¨C Nagami, come on. Come back with us. We were stupid. We didn¡¯t know how this world works.


    ¨C Of course you didn¡¯t. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have kicked me out.


    Out of the 37 people, not a single one could fulfill my job.


    Someone with the skills to do the dirty job that no one wants.


    ¨C But now we know. So we came to look for you. What do you say?


    Akito kneeled in front of me.


    He was¡­ pleading to me.


    How pathetic do you have to be to come back and beg for help when you were the one that kicked me out.


    ¨C Please, come back with us. Please, Nagami, help us. We¡¯ll protect you this time.


    ¨C ¡­No thanks.


    I bluntly declined.


    I already have friends.


    Friends that actually care about me.


    Meirir, Dike, Roar, Rudra, Feria, Mike, Ever, Akane, Letty, Mumuruu, and the people of Bay Road.


    ¨C I¡¯m not going with you. I¡¯ll live here, in Searat, with everyone else.


    ¨C Takaya¡­


    Every minute Meirir kept closing the distance between us. I¡¯m also a part of her life now.


    I¡¯m not just a visitor in this world anymore.


    ¨C I see. They care about you, unlike us.


    Akito stood up and stopped crying once he realized the negotiations were over.


    ¨C You¡¯re taking a no for an answer?.


    ¨C Well, you¡¯ve already decided. There¡¯s no point in trying to persuade you.


    Slowly, Akito stepped away from us.


    ¨C Did you really think I¡¯d say that?


    Lightning flashed before my eyes.


    Somehow Akito managed to appear behind us.


    ¨C Ugh-


    ¨C Takay¨DAgh.


    Akito hit both of us with an electric shock.


    I can¡¯t move. Did he paralyze us?


    I¡¯m starting to lose consciousness.


    Meirir dropped to her knees and then fell to the ground.


    ¨C Sorry, Nagami. I¡¯m taking you with me. You belong to us.


    ¨C Kh¡­ Meirir-san¡­ Anyone¡­ Help¡­


    I could only curse my powerlessness as I looked at Meirir laying on the floor.

 CH 55

    ¡°Chapter 55: Again 2¡±


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Ugh¡­ Huh?


    Takaya was standing in a classroom.


    The first row in front of the teacher¡¯s desk. Takaya¡¯s seat is still the same.


    ¨C Come on, Akito. Get the groups done already. I have club activities.


    Takaya heard a voice behind him he didn¡¯t recognize. Probably someone from the sports club. He didn¡¯t really care.


    On the blackboard, there were groups from A to F, all filled with Takaya¡¯s classmates. They were planning their trip to a ski lodge.


    37 names written on the blackboard. The entire class, except for one.


    ¨C Nagami, just write your name wherever you want.


    The class president hands Takaya a chalk and tells him to write.


    But Takaya didn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t move.


    He put the chalk close to group A, but he heard a groan from someone in the back. He put the chalk close to group F, but one of the girls very loudly expressed her discomfort.


    ¨C Nagami, why don¡¯t you just put yourself in group G? You know, just by yourself. That way we can all be happy.


    The classroom was filled with barely audible laughter. ¡°Yeah!¡±, ¡°Good idea¡±. Shut up, shut up, shut up, he thought.


    But Takaya couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    He only looked at the class and giggled awkwardly.


    ¨C ¡­What is this?


    This is a dream. With memories from the previous world that Takaya thought he had sealed away.


    Why, though? Why was he dreaming about these bunch of idiots? Did he not forget about them already?


    ¨C Ah, right.


    He slowly got more lucid and started remembering.


    ¨C I¡¯m going back to square one, aren¡¯t I?


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C ¡­!


    I woke up after being violently thrown to the ground.


    Where am I?


    I tried to find an answer with the little vision I had.


    Akito stunned me and dragged me somewhere. I remember that much. The effects of his attack are still lingering. I can¡¯t move as well as I¡¯d like to.


    ¨C Stop squirming. My lightning magic is at Level VII. If I had to guess an estimate, you probably won¡¯t be able to move for the next 3 days.


    ¨C Harukawa¡­


    He¡¯s talking about Levels. They finally know how skills work.


    ¨C Where are we?


    ¨C This is our hideout. We need money. A lot of it. So we¡¯re saving up here.


    I could barely move my mouth and eyes. The only thing I could sense was the dim light of a lamp and the smell of ground.


    We seem to be inside a cave.


    Using a cave as a base lets them have complete control of the territory. They know where and how to move.


    But why stay here to save money? Could they not just stay in a city or move somewhere better?


    There can only be one reason.


    ¨C Harukawa, don¡¯t tell me you guys have resorted to looting.


    ¨C Hahaha! Quick on the uptake, Nagami!


    Harukawa laughed like a little kid.


    ¨C But, you know? It¡¯s their fault too. The people from this world always had an unfair advantage. We¡¯re just getting back what we deserve.


    They¡¯ve been stealing rare ingredients and products from their prey.


    That¡¯s the best way they have to get easy money.


    ¨C Food wasn¡¯t an issue, but our money was slipping away very quickly. We couldn¡¯t afford armor to protect ourselves or potions to heal the wounded.


    ¨C So you became bandits? Harukawa, is that what you tell yourself to feel better?


    ¨C Yeah. Is it bad?


    I don¡¯t know what happened to him these past few months. Frankly, I don¡¯t care.


    But this Akito is different.


    The stress from living in another world has worn him out mentally and physically.


    ¨C Harukawa, why did you bring me here?


    ¨C I told you. We want you to rejoin us. Use your skills to help us out.


    ¨C I refuse.


    I¡¯ll say it as many times as I have to.


    My body might be paralyzed, but my common sense isn¡¯t.


    ¨C I¡¯m part of Searat now. I¡¯d never join a group of bandits like yours.


    ¨C Heeeh¡­ Big talk for someone laying on the ground unable to move. How long do you think you¡¯ll be able to keep up the tough act? Suetsugu, your turn.


    At Akito¡¯s words, another one of my classmates came out of the shadows.


    ¨C Hey. It¡¯s been some time, Nagami-kun. You¡¯ve been a mischievous little guy, eh?


    ¨C ¡­Suetsugu!?


    ¨C Yo. I like that expression. You¡¯ve changed. Ah, this will be fun.


    ¨C W-What are you doing with that!?


    Suetsugu was holding Silver in front of my eyes.


    ¨C Well, well. Shall we begin the punishment, Nagami-kun?


    ¨C Kh!?


    With as little strength as I had, I firmly gripped the talisman Ever gave me.


    The real test was about to begin.

 CH 56

    ¡°Chapter 56: Friends to the Rescue¡±


    ¡°Takaya was kidnapped¡±


    About an hour after the incident, Dike and Roar, who were worried about the two idiots, went to check on them just to find Meirir collapsed on the ground. They immediately told Letty to send the message to Ever and Akane.


    Akane couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Overall, Bay Road is a safe city. No magical beasts roaming, lots of people walking around.


    Besides, Takaya is always being escorted by either Letty or Mike.


    Apparently, he was attacked while walking out with Meirir. How could this happen?


    Akane grabbed her best katana, which she received from her family long ago, and headed towards Ever.


    ¨C Grandmaster, we have trouble. The Succubus says Takaya-


    ¨C I know. He was attacked.


    Contrary to Akane, who was ready to jump into action, Ever was unusually serene.


    She was staring at a talisman that looked just like Takaya¡¯s.


    ¨C I noticed his vital signs were getting weaker. He¡¯s pretty far away from Bay Road, and I doubt he walked all the way just because he felt like it.


    The talisman Ever gave Takaya was not just for styling purposes.


    It was a magic tool that could sense Takaya¡¯s vital signs.


    Takaya doesn¡¯t have the skills to feel the talisman¡¯s effect, so he probably still thinks it¡¯s just a good luck charm


    But in reality, it¡¯s a talisman to protect him.


    Ever will always rush to help one of his apprentices no matter what.


    ¨C How¡¯s the situation?


    ¨C Mike and Meirir are looking for him, but the guy seems to have fled pretty far away from Bay Road.


    ¨C Akane, send the grosbeak. Tell them the exact position. Those people need Takaya, so they won¡¯t kill him, but they¡¯re torturing him.


    Ever has already pinpointed their objective and their whereabouts.


    She also came to the realization that the culprits must be Takaya¡¯s previous companions.


    They abandoned him and then realized how useful he could be.


    It¡¯s been years¡­ No, decades, since there was a Level IX creator. Everyone would be dying to exploit him if they knew.


    Whether it¡¯s a powerful nation, the demon king, or a party of adventurers, anyone would want Takaya on their side.


    Takaya himself doesn¡¯t seem very aware of this.


    Blacksmithing, mixing, cooking, alchemy, processing of ingredients and materials¡­ He¡¯s capable of all that and even more.


    ¨C Akane, bring ¡°that¡± from the ¡°storage room¡±. It¡¯s time for us to jump in.


    ¨C Eh?


    Akane was shocked at Ever¡¯s words.


    ¨C ¡­Yes, Grandmaster.


    Akane immediately left to look for ¡°that¡±.


    As her older disciple, she knows how to get a hint on Ever¡¯s attitudes.


    ¨C Well then.


    Ever held the talisman in her hand and stripped naked.


    A body so beautiful no one would believe she has lived for so long.


    Red letters started appearing from her body.


    ¨C It¡¯s been a long time since I got serious.


    Ever knew she was being too impulsive. These are Takaya¡¯s former teammates, so they¡¯re young and ignorant.


    But to her, they made a terrible mistake.


    They kidnapped her favorite kid, and now they¡¯re even torturing him.


    Ever could not let this go with just a slap on the wrist.


    She would harshly punish anyone who dare hurt her precious new family.


    ¡°I¡¯ll crush their skulls¡±.


    The Sage of The Forest was determined.


    ¨C Time to teach these brats a lesson.


    Ever¡¯s eyes were cold. Her temper was rising by the second.


    Chapter 56 Chapter 55 Chapter 54 Chapter 53 Chapter 52 Chapter 51 Chapter 50 Chapter 49 Chapter 48 Chapter 47 Chapter 46 Chapter 45 Chapter 44 Chapter 43 Chapter 42 Chapter 41 Chapter 40 Chapter 39 Chapter 38 Chapter 37 Chapter 36 Chapter 35 Chapter 34 Chapter 33 Chapter 32 Chapter 31 Chapter 30 Chapter 29 Chapter 28 Chapter 27 Chapter 26 Chapter 25 Chapter 24 Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Chapter 21 Chapter 20 Chapter 19 Chapter 18 Chapter 17 Chapter 16 Chapter 1-15


    Prev

 CH 57

    ¡°Chapter 57: Again 3¡±


    Shunichi Suetsugu.


    He might be the person Takaya feared the most when he changed classes.


    Suetsugu was constantly on the lookout for new targets. His previous toys would often disappear or break.


    ¡°Is there no one else?¡± he wondered.


    Anyone that could turn around the boredom of his daily life. And one day, such a person showed up.


    ¨C Uh. Uhh, I¡¯m¡­ Nagami¡­ Takaya


    Just by his name and his weak voice, Suetsugu knew.


    Out of all his toys, this is the one that would break the fastest.


    But it doesn¡¯t matter.


    If it breaks, he just has to look for a new one.


    Suetsugu was blessed with a great physique which he used to threaten Takaya. He would ask him to do humiliating stuff, like taking off his clothes in front of the girls.


    But he didn¡¯t break.


    Shunichi would constantly kick him, or rip his clothes off, but he still wouldn¡¯t miss a day of school.


    He already had the eyes of a dead fish. ¡°How has he not broken yet?¡±. He would always come back.


    How much longer would he last?


    Suetsugu¡¯s interest began to rise to dangerous levels.


    And then, the class was involved in an accident that sent them to another world.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C I couldn¡¯t go all out at school. But I can freely be myself here.


    ¨C Kh¡­


    Shunichi kicked me so hard in the face I was sent flying.


    My vision was blurry, but I could see Shunichi¡¯s smirk.


    ¨C You know, I didn¡¯t want to kick you out, Nagami. You were a great toy to kill time. But I finally found you again!


    ¨C Gweh¡­


    He kept kicking me on the stomach with incredible strength. His body grew even sturdier since coming to this world.


    ¨C I thought you were already dead. We were barely able to survive in a hostile environment. I assumed you were being digested by a magical beast or something. Luck is the only thing you have going for you, huh?


    ¨C ¡­ I found good people. Not like you b?a?s?t?a?r?d?s?. If you can even be called people.


    I raised my head and stared deep into Suetsugu.


    ¨C HEY, WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO TALK LIKE THAT!? EH!?


    Shunichi grabbed me by the hair and slammed me on the ground with all his might.


    ¨C Don¡¯t get too excited just because you got all cuddly with the natives. All you do is mess around with weapons and food. Some of us have been battling on the front lines!


    I was pushed against the hard wall and beaten harshly with my own freehand. Blood started pouring from my mouth and several of my teeth were broken.


    ¨C Hah¡­ Haha¡­ You guys are so stupid.


    But not even this will break me.


    Suetsugu¡¯s expression turned into a twisted scorn, same as the rest of my classmates who had been watching for a while.


    I¡¯m not the same Nagami Takaya that would endure this without saying anything back.


    ¨C You call yourselves a party? A real party would help each member when they need it. There are those who can fight, those who can use magic, and those who can only look from afar. They¡¯re all equally important.


    This is something I realized during my time in this world.


    Everyone in Searat has things they can and can¡¯t do. Whenever they¡¯re in trouble, they complement each other.


    They¡¯re doing the best they can with whatever the world gave them.


    They¡¯ve never once told me ¡°You can do anything if you try hard enough¡±, their mindset is ¡°Let¡¯s try our best!¡±


    ¨C ¡°Mess around with weapons and food¡±? Haha¡­ And yet your leader had to bow down to me. How pathetic is that?


    Everyone sank into silence.


    That¡¯s what you get for cutting me off.


    You deserve the worst.


    ¨C COME ON, SUETSUGU. WHAT¡¯S WRONG!? I¡¯m still conscious! You wanted to break me, right!? Is that all you got!?


    At that moment, I felt an indescribable pain in my arm.


    ¨C Don¡¯t talk to me like that, you little s?h?i?t?.


    Silver was piercing my arm.


    Suetsugu was staring directly into my eyes.


    ¨C YOU WERE WEAK. WHEN DID YOU BECOME LIKE THIS!? WHO SAID YOU COULD LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!?


    ¨C Agh¡­ GWAH!


    Shunichi kept stabbing both my arms using Silver.


    The fact that he had no idea how to use a knife only made the cuts worse.


    ¨C Hey, Shunichi, that¡¯s enough. Our healers can¡¯t fix him if he¡¯s dead. (Akito)


    ¨C SHUT UP. Stay out of this, you goody two shoes.


    Suetsugu shook the class president off.


    ¨C I couldn¡¯t care less if he dies! When a toy doesn¡¯t work anymore you throw them away!


    Engulfed by his rage, Suetsugu threw away Silver and grabbed his signature axe.


    ¨C I¡¯ll break your bones one by one. And then I¡¯ll take your head.


    Even Akito can¡¯t stop him. This might be it for me.


    ¨C BEG. BEG FOR YOUR LIFE. All the girls are watching, just like old times. Say the line! ¡°Please spare my worthless life¡±.


    He pressed the axe against my neck.


    I guess this is as far as I¡¯ll get.


    ¨C You¡¯re the one that¡¯ll need to be spared.


    I laughed with one last bluff.


    ¨C Are those your last words? So be it. Until never, Nagami.


    Mentally broken, Suetsugu raised his axe.


    The image of my friends flashed before my eyes.


    ¨C AWOOOOOOOOOO ¨C


    Everyone stopped in place as the howl of a beast reached our ears.

 CH 58

    ¡°Chapter 58: Counterattack¡±


    ¨C What?


    Everyone stopped in place after hearing a howl that made their bones tremble.


    ¨C Is that a wolf? Hey, what happened with the ones we left guarding?


    ¨C I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll go ask.


    After receiving the order, one of my classmates started talking in a different language. It wasn¡¯t anything like demon language.


    ¨C AWOOOOOOOOOO ¨C


    The beast kept roaring.


    And it kept getting louder every time.


    ¨C Kh¡­ Come on! Say Something! What¡¯s going on!?


    ¨C What? Your magical beasts?


    Akito unsheathed his sword.


    Something unexpected was happening.


    Their formation was falling apart.


    ¨C The magical beasts are not listening to me! They say they can¡¯t go against their emperor¡¯s orders.


    ¨C Emperor!? Why would something like that be- TAKAYA, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?


    Akito took a step towards me.


    But it¡¯s too late now.


    Using the little strength I had saved for this opportunity, I yelled my lungs out.


    ¨C MIKEEEEEEE! I¡¯M HEEEEEERE!


    ¨C Grr¡­


    The howling suddenly stopped in response to my cry for help.


    ¨C Tch. This is bad. We have to abandon this place.


    ¨C EH!? It¡¯s just a little dog, Harukawa. What are you so scared of!? (Suetsugu)


    ¨C You idiot! Look at your feet!


    ¨C My feet!? What abou-


    Shunichi finally realized the current state of affairs.


    ¨C W-W-What is the meaning of this!?


    Shunichi was leaking.


    With each howl, everyone around except for Takaya was suffering some sort of abnormality.


    Some couldn¡¯t stand up, some couldn¡¯t stop shaking, some were foaming while having seizures.


    ¡°Panic¡±


    A status inflicted by the fear of having to face an opponent of much higher strength. It¡¯s different from paralysis since it can¡¯t be cured with antidotes or magic. It lasts for as long as the threat is close to the person.


    I¡¯ve been trying to raise that divine wolf properly.


    And now her howl was saving the person she was devoted to.


    The morale of my classmates was on the floor by now.


    The only ones that could move were Shunichi and Akito.


    ¨C We can¡¯t escape. What are we supposed to do with Nagami?


    ¨C Who cares about him!? Our party is full of high levels, and look at what a simple howl of that beast did to them! What do you think is gonna happen to us!?


    The leader and the muscles of the group were arguing while running out of time.


    Why are they wasting time?


    Mike and the others will be here any second now.


    ¨C GAAAWR!


    Mike ran through the cave at full speed. Or, to be more precise, she bit and clawed through the walls to get here.


    Every silver hair of hers is on edge, and her fighting spirit is overwhelming.


    Not even I would be able to control her anymore.


    She¡¯s way too far gone.


    To Akito, Shuichi, and everyone else who made fun of me:


    I¡¯m sorry.


    This is where you all die.


    My consciousness slipped away.

 CH 59

    ¡°Chapter 59: Meirir¡¯s feelings¡±


    The wolf¡¯s fightning spirit was more than enough to make everyone lose their will to stand their ground.


    ¨C Grrr¡­


    ¨C What is this¡­


    There¡¯s no way they can win.


    Akito was indecisive.


    He hadn¡¯t been playing around these past few months.


    He was stranded in an unknown world.


    Once he awakened his powers, he started becoming stronger and stronger.


    But he made a crucial mistake.


    Abandoning Takaya.


    It was simply a decision to keep the structure. He couldn¡¯t fight at all, so the people in the front lines were complaining about him being a hindrance. Something had to be done.


    But things started to go south after that.


    They were looking for a way to return to their previous world, but their adventure would end here, after finding the guy they abandoned.


    ¨C We finally found you. You¡¯re the one that attacked me and Takaya.


    Behind the wolf full of bloodlust appeared a woman wearing priest clothes.


    It was the girl who was with Takaya when he was kidnapped. She was wearing a medal from her guild.


    And her facial expression was not one of compassion.


    ¨C Mike-chan, I¡¯ll leave Takaya to you. Take this medicine. It¡¯s just first aid until everyone else gets here.


    With the medicine on her fangs, Mike rushed towards Takaya.


    She desperately licked Takaya¡¯s bloody face.


    Their relationship as master and servant was clear.


    And it was obvious who the master was.


    Akito barely managed to reach Level VII. This beast had powers equal to Level VIII, or maybe even IX. What sort of device could Takaya possibly be using to control the wolf?


    ¨C You guys are Takaya¡¯s previous group, right? Why are you doing this? You went on adventures with him, you ate food from the same pot, how can you be so cruel?


    Meirir was getting more enraged with every word.


    She was angry because she cared so deeply about her friend.


    ¨C W-What did you want us to do!? We didn¡¯t think this would happen! We thought he would be a loser like he always had been!


    Shunichi had been standing next to Akito for a while, but he finally spoke up.


    Akito and the rest took long to discover how skills work. They had a merit system where those who participated in fights had a bigger leadership role than those who didn¡¯t.


    ¨C If you knew about his skills, would you not have kicked him out?


    ¨C Of course! He¡¯s finally useful for something. Actually, why are you acting so almighty? You picked him up because you knew about his skills.


    ¨C Don¡¯t lump me in with the likes of you.


    Her response was cold.


    ¨C You don¡¯t know ANYTHING. When we found Takaya, his face was covered in tears. He was so lonely he resorted to cutting his own wrists. If he wasn¡¯t so unskilled he would¡¯ve died for sure.


    ¨C So you helped him without knowing anything about him?


    ¨C OF COURSE I DID.


    Meirir didn¡¯t falter.


    ¨C How could you even think about leaving him alone!? I can¡¯t even begin to understand.


    She took a step towards the two.


    ¨C Alright. Fight me. (Meirir)


    ¨C Huh? What are you talking about?


    ¨C Exactly what I said. Fight me. I don¡¯t care if you both come at me at the same time. Mike won¡¯t interfere.


    Akito could tell she wasn¡¯t very strong. She¡¯s probably a few Levels below Shunichi.


    ¨C If you win, I¡¯ll spare your lives. And the rest of your group¡¯s too.


    ¨C Kh¡­


    This proposal was the ray of hope that Akito and Suetsugu were looking for.


    If it was the magical beast, they would be done for, but surely they can beat Meirir.


    ¡°This is our chance¡±


    Takaya was already out of the question. But at least now they have an opportunity.


    Both Suetsugu and Akito were thinking the same.


    ¨C Are you sure you wanna do this? We¡¯re not holding back.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care. Come at me with all you¡¯ve got.


    Meirir adjusted her gloves and readied herself.


    Her fightning spirit was not wavering in the slightest.


    ¨C Too late to go back on your word now. Harukawa, don¡¯t interfere. She¡¯s mine.


    ¨C A-Alright¡­


    For a second, Meirir¡¯s appearance became blurry.


    Akito was starting to get a bad feeling about this.


    But he let Suetsugu fight on his own.


    That was his last mistake.

 CH 60

    ¡°Chapter 60: Takaya and Meirir¡±


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¡°What a cute looking boy¡±


    Meirir saw the boy leaning against a pillar in the middle of a meadow.


    She found him as she was coming back to Bay Road from a job.


    They were investigating a small forest fire caused by an explosion.


    No real conclusion came out of it. When there¡¯s a forest fire, the flames usually get carried by the wind, which makes the fire propagate. But this wasn¡¯t the case. Only a specific radius was burning. As if it was burnt by some sort of special fire.


    There¡¯s a clear border between the burned and unburned areas.


    It was the first time they had seen something like this.


    ¨C Yo, Meirir. What are you doing? The road is this way¡­ Hmm?


    When Dike came to check on Meirir, he saw the boy.


    ¨C An adventurer? Was he knocked out?


    ¨C Maybe. But something¡¯s off. Aside from his weird clothes.


    All he had was a simple knife, a small blue backpack, and a sake bottle.


    Her wrists had scars of recent cuts.


    ¨C What¡¯s going on here?


    After Dike came Roar looking for his friends.


    Roar has been a reliable leader ever since they started working together.


    ¨C Roar, look at this kid.


    Meirir stepped aside to show him.


    ¨C Must¡¯ve been something serious.


    ¨C ¡­Right?


    It¡¯s not often you see a scene like this.


    He was holding the knife on the hand opposite to his cut wrists.


    Rotting away, face full of snot and tears, he obviously did this to himself.


    If this was the top of a snowy mountain or a forest in the middle of nowhere, maybe.


    But here? In a safe area with almost no roaming magical beasts or any other possible danger?


    ¨C Just leave him alone. His wounds are deep, but the bleeding has stopped. He probably just passed out from the sake.


    Roar wanted nothing to do with this.


    ¨C Yeah. We already finished our job. I¡¯d rather not bother. Let¡¯s just go back.


    Dike was in the same wavelength.


    Meirir tried to be logical. This person might be trying to deceive them. The wounds weren¡¯t bad enough to cause suicide, so why would he do it?


    But she couldn¡¯t just leave him behind.


    Would a bandit really look like this?


    His lips were bitten, probably because he was trying so hard to hold back his tears. His resting face gave her a horrible sense of anguish.


    ¡°He¡¯s not making this up¡±


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it.


    ¨C Dike, please¡­


    ¨C No. I don¡¯t want to. That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to say but I know you wouldn¡¯t let me hear the end of it.


    ¨C Come on, this isn¡¯t just a stray dog.


    When she gets like this, they can¡¯t not listen to her. Even if they went on ahead, she would stay here to help the boy.


    Also, Rudra and Feria would get mad at them for leaving her behind. Her innocence is sometimes unfitting for an adventurer, but her skills are too useful.


    Dike doesn¡¯t really have a choice.


    ¨C Alright. Whatever. I don¡¯t need to use my special powers for this, just a simple heal will be enough. But only this time. Once we get to Bay Road, he¡¯s on his own.


    Reluctantly, Dike started getting the medical procedures ready.


    He can be reliable sometimes.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t leave you like this. Don¡¯t worry, everything will be fine. (Meirir)


    ¡°What is he dreaming of?¡±


    Meirir thought as she patted the boy¡¯s head.


    This was the crucial moment in their lives when they, especially Meirir, made the right choice.

 CH 61

    ¡°Chapter 61: An instant¡±


    ¨C I can do this.


    Meirir took a long breath. A huge man was standing in front of her.


    His armor had blood spilled on it.


    Takaya¡¯s blood.


    They tortured him in the depths of a dark cave until he was about to die.


    ¨C Did you do this to him? (Meirir)


    ¨C Eh? Yeah, I did it. So what? I didn¡¯t intend to get so far, but it happened. He deserves it for trash-talking me.


    ¨C I see.


    And then the conversation ended.


    Meirir realized there was no point in talking. The man was rotten to the core.


    He had not a speck of sympathy for Takaya.


    She was at the limit of her kindness.


    ¨C Enough talking. Come at me. (Meirir)


    ¨C Heh¡­ A priestess fighting with her fists?


    ¨C I might not have the healing skills my friends have, but I¡¯d never lose a one-on-one.


    Meirir leaned back and readied her stance.


    This was Meirir¡¯s secret. She acts and wears clothes like a priestess, but she was born to fight.


    She once asked to be part of the clergy of a secluded church.


    But one of the sisters realized Meirir couldn¡¯t use even the simplest of healing spells. Instead, she had an aptitude for martial arts.


    A priestess that can¡¯t heal isn¡¯t a priestess.


    Having given up on her dreams, she saw the announcement of a guild in Bay Road looking to recruit people due to staff shortage.


    ¨C Never lose a one-on-one? Hahaha! Don¡¯t make me laugh!


    Shunichi wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest.


    ¡°There is no chance I would lose to this girl¡±


    His thought process was obvious.


    ¨C It wasn¡¯t a joke.


    ¨C There¡¯s just no way you¡¯re serious. I can tell. You¡¯ve been training for a long time, but your fighting aura is nowhere near our Level.


    He thought he knew everything.


    Those who have to participate in fights, whether it be on the backline or frontline, use the life force flowing through their bodies to strengthen their weapons and reflexes.


    Their strength, their muscles, their focus. Everything is enhanced.


    The most vital skill a fighter needs is the ability to visualize energy. They need to make sure they¡¯re allocating all their energy to the correct places.


    Of course, this also allows a fighter to see someone else¡¯s energy. It¡¯s an essential ability in one-on-one fights.


    ¨C Your aura is yellow. Level IV at most. There¡¯s no way you can beat a Level VII like me!


    Level 0 is transparent, I is light blue, II is dark blue, and IX is pure white.


    Meirir doesn¡¯t understand how colors work, but she knew that the higher the level, the better control they have over their body.


    Just a single Level is enough to make a significant difference, and here she was, facing an opponent 2 or 3 Levels higher than her.


    It was a reckless idea.


    But Meirir¡¯s pupils became slightly magenta from her overflowing fighting spirit.


    ¨C You talk a lot for someone who¡¯s scared of a girl.


    Rather than being afraid, she was confident enough to trash talk her opponent.


    ¨C I¡¯m gonna disfigure that pretty face of yours. And then I¡¯ll strip you in front of your entire guild!


    Shunichi swung his axe towards Meirir.


    The movement was fierce enough to cause a strong gust of wind.


    ¨C Too slow.


    But Meirir predicted the attack and dodged it.


    She then used her full weight to counter with a spinning kick. The timing of both the dodge and the counter had to be impeccably perfect.


    ¨C Heeh, quite the power for someone Level IV. If I didn¡¯t guard in time I¡¯d be on the floor. But that¡¯ll never happen.


    ¨C Kh!!!


    But Shunichi let go of the axe with one of his hands to block Meirir¡¯s kick.


    ¨C Come on. Don¡¯t tell me this is all you got. Entertain me.


    ¨C Sorry, but that¡¯s it. I can¡¯t do much with just Level IV martial arts.


    If trained well enough, a simple kick can be lethal at a high level. But such is not the case for Meirir. She¡¯s just a normal fighter.


    ¨C But I¡¯m gonna win anyway.


    ¨C Then do it. I can¡¯t wait to have fun with your sexy little body.


    They both rushed towards one another


    ¨C HAAAAAAAA!!!


    Meirir was the first one to move.


    She launched another kick so slow that Shunichi could¡¯ve blocked it with his eyes closed.


    ¨C Haha, pathetic. Is this how you plan to beat m-GWOAH!?


    But for some reason, the kick now connected perfectly, landing directly on his jaw.


    ¨C Wh-What? It disappeared in front of my eyes¡­


    With a surprise attack, Meirir knocked out Shunichi and any fighting spirit he had left.


    ¨C I told you. I don¡¯t lose one-on-one. Especially against a new opponent.


    And thus, the battle was won in an instant. The winner was the ¡°weak little girl¡±.

 CH 62

    ¡°Chapter 62: Unusual Abilities¡±


    ¡°Master!¡±


    ¨C Ugh¡­


    My body temperature started rising back to normal levels.


    There¡¯s a bittersweet taste in my throat.


    I know this flavor.


    It¡¯s one of the prototype potions I made recently.


    I got the idea for the recipe while I was working. A potion so powerful it could temporarily heal someone that was on the verge of death.


    ¡°Master, please, wake up¡±


    ¨C Mi..ke¡­


    The words of a well-known wolf reached my ears.


    Right. I have to wake up. I can¡¯t let those idiots kill me.


    Guided by the voice of my friend, I exited the dark world.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C I¡¯m¡­


    My body felt better.


    I slowly moved my hands and feet.


    It hurts. It feels as if there are a hundred needles piercing every one of my muscles.


    But it means I¡¯m alive.


    The bleeding from Silver¡¯s cuts had almost stopped.


    ¨C Master, are you ok!? Are you dead!?


    Mike carefully examined my face. She was in her human form, which I guess made it easier to nurse me.


    ¨C No, I¡¯m not dead, the medicine saved me. But my entire body hurts from the injuries.


    I patted Mike, who seemed on the verge of tears.


    There¡¯s some of my blood painting her hair.


    ¨C WAAAAAAH! MASTEEER!


    Mike, who didn¡¯t cry even when we found her malnutritioned, buried her wet face on my chest.


    I feel bad for making her worry so much.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Mike. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if I had brought you along.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re fine.


    She¡¯s a pretty nice girl at heart.


    I have to become stronger to avoid scenarios like this.


    ¨C Wait, Mike! Where are those guys!?


    I finally remembered everything before passing out.


    Mike being here with me means the matter is already settled.


    Their combat skills are nowhere close to Mike. She must¡¯ve killed them all.


    ¨C ¡°Those guys¡±?¡­ Ah! The ones that tortured you. Meirir took care of them.


    ¨C !? Meirir-san!?


    This is¡­ Definitely not what I expected.


    ¨C ¡­What kind of illusion did you use!? (Akito)


    ¨C Illusion? I just knocked his lights out. (Meirir)


    ¨C The course of your kick was clear. I saw it, and Shunichi did too. It disappeared for an instant and caught him off-guard. (Akito)


    Meirir and Akito are talking while Shunichi is unconscious on the floor drooling blood.


    She defeated Shunichi!?


    Rudra always describes the three idiots as ¡°just average¡±, how could she take down such an opponent!?


    ¨C It¡¯s impossible, does she have some sort of hidden ability or something!? (Takaya)


    ¨C She does, actually.


    ¨C Huh?


    I heard a voice from behind.


    The other two idiots from the trio were there.


    They both came to help me¡­


    ¨C Dike! Roar!


    ¨C You took quite the beating, huh? But at least you¡¯re not dead.


    Roar handed me a bottle of water.


    ¨C Dike, you think you can handle this? (Roar)


    ¨C I don¡¯t know how much I can do, but let¡¯s try. (Dike)


    ¨C What? (Takaya)


    Dike started flailing his arms.


    ¨C What? Do you not want to be healed by a guy?


    ¨C No, I mean, aren¡¯t you a knight? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yes. So? I can heal too. But my healing powers are Level IV at most.


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    I turned to Roar.


    ¨C I guess we never told you. Dike is a healer that always wanted to be a knight. Meirir is a martial artist that always wanted to be a priestess.


    ¨C So they both got the opposite of what they wanted?


    Roar nodded with a bittersweet smile.


    ¨C But their clothing¡­


    ¨C They both spent a lot of money on the armor and the priestess uniform, so they didn¡¯t want to throw them away.


    Meirir, who had an unusual physique for a priestess, and Dike, the knight who would never wield a sword.


    I had been wondering about them and their capabilities ever since I met them.


    So this is what it was¡­


    ¨C I know you have a lot of questions, but we have to heal you. Time is important.


    Dike forced me to lie down and started chanting a spell.


    It¡¯s healing magic for sure, but I don¡¯t feel anything. The pain has ever so slightly disappeared.


    ¨C Dike, what kind of magic is this?


    ¨C It¡¯s just some anesthetic. My healing magic hurts WAY more than your usual magic, so I¡¯m getting you ready.


    He wasn¡¯t doing a good job at making me feel relaxed.


    ¨C Roar, hold Takaya¡¯s body. Mike-chan, I¡¯ll need your help too.


    ¨C Are his injuries that bad? (Mike)


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll return your master back to normal.


    Dike reassured Mike with a wide smile. She switched to wolf form and held me tight. Her wolf body is so big that I wouldn¡¯t be able to move even if I tried my best.


    ¨C Takaya, this is gonna be awful, but please try your best to endure it.


    The moment he put his hands on my body-


    ¨C GAAAAAAAAAH!


    All my closed wounds started reopening again, and indescribable pain invaded my whole body.

 CH 63

    ¡°Chapter 63: Unusual Abilities 2¡±


    ¨C W-What-


    Dike¡¯s magic made every one of my muscles scream in agony.


    Blood was pouring out, bones were creaking, and my wounds were re-opening.


    It¡¯s as if Shunichi was torturing me again.


    His creepy smile came back to my mind.


    I¡¯m barely able to stay conscious through the pain. I can¡¯t imagine if Dike hadn¡¯t anesthetized me.


    ¨C AAAAAHH!!!!


    The pain was making me squirm uncontrollably.


    Do we really have to do this!?


    ¨C Kunnn~


    Mike saw my tears and looked at Dike.


    ¨C Hold it together! We can¡¯t treat this with normal medicine. If you want to go back to Searat in one piece you have to endure this.


    Dike didn¡¯t stop. He kept chanting ¡°Go back¡± with sweat filling his forehead.


    ¨C Dike, what do you think?


    ¨C We¡¯re about to get to the worst part. It all depends on my stamina.


    He took his armor off, drank a potion, and focused all his magic on me.


    ¨C RAAAAHH!!


    And then.


    My body felt light as a feather.


    ¨C Ughhh¡­ Huh?


    I couldn¡¯t tell what was going on.


    ¨C The pain¡­ It¡¯s gone?


    The pain disappeared, my wounds were nowhere to be seen, and my teeth were back to normal. As if everything that happened had been a dream.


    I could move all my limbs just fine.


    ¨C Well, I was able to rewind an hour¡­


    After accomplishing a miracle way beyond what my potion would¡¯ve been able to, Dike fell to the ground.


    ¨C Dike!


    ¨C Heh, thank you for tolerating the treatment. I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve handled rewinding much longer.


    Dike passed out.


    He was smiling, probably from being glad to be helpful.


    ¨C Let¡¯s let him rest. He really outdid himself.


    ¨C Roar, what was that? And why was he chanting ¡°Go back¡±?


    ¨C It¡¯s exactly what it seems. Dike¡¯s magic turned back the time on your body. That¡¯s his hidden power.


    ¨C ¡­What!?


    I was at a loss for words.


    He rewound time? Is that why my wounds reopened for a moment?


    How is that even possible? I know this is a different world, with skills and levels and magic just like in a game.


    But, Dike? Having a power like that?


    To think it¡¯s not the leader, not the priestess, but the womanizer who has such an ability.


    ¨C Everyone¡¯s tree paper is different. Some don¡¯t have roots, some don¡¯t even have a tree.


    A soft voice reached my ears.


    It was a voice I was happy to hear.


    The Sage of the Forest made an appearance, wearing a dark green robe.


    Behind her was, of course, Akane.


    ¨C Grandmast-Bwhafh!?


    I couldn¡¯t even finish my sentence before Ever asphyxiated me with a hug.


    ¨C YOU WORRIED ME, IDIOT. If it wasn¡¯t for the talisman you would be part of a magical beast¡¯s feces right now.


    The talisman hanging from my neck started shining along with Ever¡¯s.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Grandmaster.


    ¨C You¡¯re not excused. You¡¯ll have to clean my entire palace. And be my butler. You¡¯ll be by my side at every moment of the day.


    I don¡¯t mind being her butler, but I do not want to step a foot into the haunted rooms.


    ¨C Takaya, this is yours.


    Akane handed me my knife.


    The blade had turned black, presumably from having to go against its master¡¯s orders, but it¡¯s back to pure white.


    ¨C Akane-san¡­


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe you got kidnapped by bandits. I thought you were better than this.


    Despite her harsh words, Akane was relieved to see me.


    ¨C Well, then.


    Ever¡¯s gaze turned to my classmates. Shunichi, who was unconscious, Akito, who was restrained by Meirir, and the rest of them gathered in a corner.


    ¨C Hey, tomboy. Yeah, you, Meirir, your turn is over. Now it¡¯s mine. (Ever)


    ¨C TOMBOY!? Also, I¡¯m the one who beat them. I should be-


    ¨C Meirir. (Ever)


    ¨C ¡­?


    Ever muttered in a low voice that gave everyone chills.


    Even Mike flinched a bit.


    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Ever this angry.


    ¨C The power to fast forward time for an instant. A strong ability, but extremely easy to counter once it¡¯s revealed. You wouldn¡¯t be able to beat that kid.


    ¨C Tch¡­


    Meirir left Akito and joined us.


    ¨C Meirir-san.


    ¨C Sorry, Takaya. I couldn¡¯t take revenge.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about it. You defeated Suetsugu, which is more than enough.


    I had a bigger grudge with Shunichi than with Akito anyways.


    The knight Dike, capable of rewinding time. The priestess Meirir, capable of advancing time.


    I am forever indebted to these people.


    ¨C We lost.


    Akito sighed looking at the state of affairs.


    He might be strong, but now Mike and Ever are here.


    There¡¯s not a chance in this world they could win.


    ¨C Hey, you lightning moron. You¡¯re the one who kidnapped my precious disciple, aren¡¯t you?


    ¨C Yes.


    Akito could feel the strong bloodlust coming from Ever.


    The curtain falls on the story of the adventurers who just wanted to return to their world.

 CH 64

    ¡°Chapter 64: Punishment, and the aftermath¡±


    Akito gave the signal for everyone to gather.


    30 people in total.


    My class had 37 people, so there¡¯s 7 missing.


    According to Akito, some of the girls left the group after I was kicked out. They were some of the ones calling me disgusting behind my back


    They also used their frontline as a laughing stock. After Shunichi, their group is the one I would¡¯ve liked to humiliate the most.


    ¨C What are you planning to do with us?


    Ever had restrained Akito¡¯s legs and arms using magic.


    He¡¯s kneeling at my feet.


    How the tables have turned, huh.


    ¨C I wonder. To be honest, I don¡¯t care about you guys anymore. You almost killed me, but you didn¡¯t make it. We could just strip you all from your possessions and let you go with just a warning.


    ¨C Alrigh-


    ¨C But that¡¯s just my opinion. Not my friends¡¯. I¡¯ll let them decide.


    I turned my back on them.


    No one in that group would treat me badly if I were to rejoin them.


    But I don¡¯t care. This is goodbye.


    I would rather spend my life with an actual family that cares about me.


    ¨C Are you done? (Ever)


    ¨C Yes. (Takaya)


    I¡¯ll leave them to the others.


    Even if I forgive them, that doesn¡¯t mean the rest of Searat does.


    Especially Ever, Letty and Mike.


    ¨C Master, how do you want me to kill them? I can bite their heads off in just seconds. (Mike)


    ¨C No. They would die too quickly. We can use demon magic to keep their consciousness alive while they watch themselves get decomposed for eternity. (Letty)


    ¨C Hmmm, not a bad idea. But I got my old robe ready and everything. I¡¯d like to kill them myself. Maybe I can summon a giant tree in the forest to slowly suck their life force until they turn to bones. (Ever)


    I can¡¯t believe the things I¡¯m hearing. Maybe Dike¡¯s magic affected my ears?


    Meirir, Akane and Feria were only bystanders in the discussion, but they were nodding at the suggestions.


    ¨C Hey, Roar? When did we hire so many lunatics? (Rudra)


    ¨C Beats me. (Roar)


    Rudra and Roar were talking in the back while taking care of Dike, who seemed to be having nightmares due to the concerning ideas being discussed.


    ¨C Master. (Mike)


    ¨C Takaya. (Letty)


    ¨C Takaya. (Ever)


    ¨C ¡­Yes?


    ¨C What do we do? (Mike/Letty/Ever)


    ¨C *Sigh*.


    In the end, we couldn¡¯t reach an agreement, so we decided to lock them up in the basement of Ever¡¯s palace.


    They will have to rot there until I decide what to do. If I so wish, their heads could be chopped off in a matter of milliseconds.


    I want them to experience the same despair and loneliness I felt.


    It might not be the right thing to do.


    But I don¡¯t care.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    The night after the kidnapping.


    Another story was about to end. The story of the girls who were promised they would overcome their limits.


    ¨C W-What!? What are you doing!?


    One of the girls yelled.


    They were the girls that left Akito¡¯s group.


    Money was running out, so not long after kicking out Takaya, one of them suggested escaping.


    Unlike the boys, who could only frontline like barbarians, these girls had an exceptional talent for magic.


    ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy this world. Together. The 7 of us¡±


    ¡°We are special. We are the chosen ones¡±


    ¡°We will do great things in this world¡±


    An unforgettable charming voice for sure.


    Which is why they felt they could trust her.


    But they were terribly wrong.


    ¨C Heheh¡­ Their clothes are weird, but for sure a pleasant find. Surely we can train these animals. Or sell them, that¡¯s fine too.


    The girls ran away with some of the money and materials from the class.


    But 6 of them were attacked at an inn on their way to Royal Capital, the biggest city in this world.


    ¨C Let me go!


    One of the girls was being dragged by her hair and slammed.


    Usually, they would use their magic to fight. Their flames, or their transparent sword, or their sickle. One of them had an ability to enhance her physical strength, which would¡¯ve been perfect to fend off the bandits.


    But for some reason, nothing worked.


    Even if they prayed, even if they plead.


    Their abilities would simply not come out.


    ¨C Why!? Why is our magic not working!? I thought we were special!


    One of the girls screamed while the other was getting beaten by the bandits.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The one who gave an answer was¡¾Her¡¿


    ¨C Good evening, dears.


    ¨C MINAGAMI, THIS IS YOUR DOING!?


    Minagami Shiori smiled behind the bandits.


    ¨C Correct. It was easy to convince you. So naive.


    Shiori was the other class president aside from Akito.


    A beautiful figure accompanied by long black hair that accentuated her innocence. Always quietly obeying Akito¡¯s orders. But her personality drastically changed once they got stranded in this world. She took advantage of the girls¡¯ anxiousness to convince them to run away.


    The 6 of them believed in her.


    If they followed Shiori, they would be unbeatable.


    ¨C It took some time, but I¡¯ve already absorbed your skills. You serve no purpose anymore.


    ¨C You b?i?t?c?h?, this was your plan all alon-GWUH!?


    Shiori¡¯s kick broke the girl¡¯s jaw thanks to the enhanced physical strength she stole.


    ¨C Hey, easy there, lady. These girls are ours now.


    ¨C Apologies. Please accept compensation for that kick.


    Shiori threw a bag of coins to the bandits¡¯ leader.


    The girls might¡¯ve thought they had a special bond, but Shiori only ever saw them as objects.


    ¨C I¡¯ll take my leave, then. Please suit yourselves with your new goods.


    ¨C Wait! Shiorin! Please! I thought we were friends! We are, right!? You said we¡¯d all be together!


    ¨C ¡­


    Shiori stopped at the pleading voice of one of her classmates.


    ¨C Farewell, pigs. A fitting end for scumbags that can only hide behind others.


    Smiling, Shiori walked away.


    The whereabouts of the 6 girls are still unknown.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Now I only need ¡°The Roots¡±.


    Shiori murmured while looking at her tree paper.


    The upper part of the tree was so extensive it didn¡¯t even fit in the tree paper.


    The trunk, branches, and leaves were all different colors as if they had been grafted.


    However, this tree had no roots.


    The drawing was very out of place all around. It looked as if the tree had been cut from its roots and then planted in another garden.


    ¨C Just you wait, Nagami-kun. My power of ¡°Void¡± will surely enjoy your roots.


    Shiori muttered that phrase into the nothingness while looking at the empty part of her tree paper.

 CH 65

    ¡°Chapter 65: The Bawling of the Shimmering Succubus Leader¡±


    With the help of my friends, I was able to go back to my daily life.


    Thanks to Dike, my body had not a single injury.


    I feel even better than before the incident.


    I finally got over the inferiority complex I had with my classmates.


    The sight of Akito and Shunichi begging on their knees for forgiveness made me feel refreshed.


    Surely I¡¯ll finally be able to have exciting adventures as a member of Searat.


    ¨C Hey, so¡­


    My first words of the day were addressed to everyone that slipped into my bed at night.


    ¨C Mmuuu~ Master, I¡¯m still sleepy~


    ¨C Good morning, Takaya. What a beautiful day we are having. (Letty)


    ¨C Takaya, did you sleep well? Aw, look at that face, of course you did. (Ever)


    ¨C I didn¡¯t, actually. Probably because of you three.


    My bed is only big enough for one person. At most two. Definitely not four.


    This is normal behavior for Mike, but Ever and Letty have been especially clingy since the incident.


    Letty was using the excuse of ¡°Taking care of my body¡±, and Ever was using the excuse of ¡°Taking care of my training¡±. All-day long.


    Of course, they all had their own rooms. But that didn¡¯t stop them from sneaking into my bed at night.


    ¨C Whatever. It¡¯s not like I mind. I know you¡¯re worried about me. Also, sleeping like this is¡­ ¡°warming¡±.


    ¨C That¡¯s what I like to hear. You need to sleep in a secure environment to rest well! (Ever)


    ¨C Yes. Thank you. But¡­


    My gaze went from myself to them.


    ¨C Why am I naked?


    Just for the record, I went to sleep fully clothed.


    I¡¯m sure of it.


    But now all my clothes were on top of a table.


    And yes, of course, the girls were in their underwear.


    ¨C Do you not like it, Takaya? You have a small body like Mike¡¯s, a young and beautiful body like the Sage¡¯s, and a Succubus. There¡¯s a part of you getting excited.


    ¨C This is just a physiological reaction!


    I quickly hid my body with the blankets.


    ¨C Just get your clothes on already! (Takaya)


    I have to draw the line. This is still the guild¡¯s headquarters. Also, other members have access to this workshop, so at any momen-


    ¨C Ay, Takaya! I know it¡¯s early, but I¡¯m here to wake you up! I made breakfast for us, what say you?


    And of course, I¡¯m also getting used to this scenario.


    ¨C Meirir-san, I¡¯ve said this a lot, but I¡¯ll say it again. This is not what you think.


    ¨C ¡­


    Meirir¡¯s eyes switched from me to the girls.


    ¨C UWAAAH!


    ¨C Oh dear lord, how many times do we have to go through this? (Ever)


    Just another day in my life in another world.


    ¨C Hey, uh¡­ Sorry for interrupting?


    ¨C WAAH¡­ Huh?


    I put on my clothes and chased after Meirir, only to stumble upon a familiar face.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san!?


    ¨C Takaya! Letty told me everything that happened. Glad to see you¡¯re doing fine!


    Mumuruu looked dejected. She had bruises on her body and face.


    ¨C Mistress, what happened? I didn¡¯t hear about any plans to visit. Besides, aren¡¯t you supposed to be on duty?


    ¨C Well, you see¡­ Dear mother found out.


    Mumuruu clung to me and started crying.


    ¨C Oh, Grand Takaya! Would you please come to the demon world with me?

 CH 66

    ¡°Chapter 66: The Bawling of the Shimmering Succubus Leader 2¡±


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Heheh, no one suspects a thing.


    Mumuruu was relaxing in her private room in the Northwest region.


    She was looking at the Trident of Darkness, the spear that should¡¯ve lost its power.


    ¨C It doesn¡¯t even look like it was fixed.


    Mumuruu tried using the spear after coming back to the demon world, and it worked just fine.


    On her first day back, she showed all her subordinates her astonishing powers coming from the famous demon spear that has been handed down through generations.


    Though, in reality, it was only 70% of the power it had before it broke.


    ¨C Whew, I really owe him.


    She recalled the face of the boy that saved her.


    Mumuruu thought all humans were just war commanders or sages. They would scream off the top of their lungs about wanting to kill their enemies.


    But Takaya was different.


    Unreliable strength, questionable appearance, and a docile personality.


    But his strong points were his caring personality and his impressive talent.


    He didn¡¯t even turn her down after learning she was a demon. Takaya drastically changed Mumuruu¡¯s perspective on humans.


    ¨C I wonder what he¡¯s up to¡­


    Mumuruu sighed while holding the spear.


    It¡¯s the first time she¡¯s ever felt this way.


    Of course, she was biased since he saved her.


    And then she realized.


    Letty is a Succubi. And she had the chance to be in bed with Takaya.


    ¨C Ahh, what am I even thinking about¡­


    Mumuruu plunged face down onto her bed.


    She¡¯s a demon. One of the Four Fiendish Guardians, no less.


    As relatively young as she was, it was about time for her to find a demon partner.


    Letty caught wind that such conversation had reached Mumuruu¡¯s parents.


    Of course, Mumuruu understands the reasoning. Preserving the lineage, marrying to a powerful family, et cetera.


    That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been.


    As lazy as Mumuruu was, she wasn¡¯t planning on deviating from the path.


    But now a new road had appeared.


    The destination was hazy, and it could lead to an abyss.


    But she was willing to walk it.


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to snatch him from Letty though.


    Letty has always been her best friend. They¡¯ve gone through so many problems together.


    So she felt really conflicted when it came to *him*.


    But she¡¯s a demon. If she wants him, she has to make the run for him.


    That¡¯s just how demons are.


    ¨C AAHH, whatever. I¡¯ll take a nap. I have things to do but I can postpone them for another week.


    Mumuruu shook her head to get rid of the intrusive thoughts and got up from the bed.


    ¨C I don¡¯t mind you procrastinating. It¡¯s late at night, after all. But, daughter, throwing away 7 whole days?


    ¨C Uh.


    Another voice resounded within the room.


    A face similar to Mumuruu but much more mature, wings the size of an adult bat, and horns similar to a ram.


    ¨C D-Dear Mother!?


    ¨C Mumuruu, show me that spear right now.


    ¨C !?


    Mumuruu could feel a chill running down her spine.

 CH 67

    ¡°Chapter 67: The Bawling of the Shimmering Succubus Leader 3¡±


    Her name is Azaasha.


    The great demon who was once part of the Four Fiendish Guardians.


    The guardians might be strong, but that strength doesn¡¯t last forever. Sometimes they¡¯re overthrown by subordinates who have become even more powerful.


    There was a time when the Succubi race was the weakest out of the guardians.


    But Azaasha had never been overthrown.


    She was the most powerful Succubi throughout any generation.


    The easiest way to tell was the size of her wings and horns.


    The bigger the wings, the more magic the Succubi has. The horns indicated how complex was the magic they could use.


    Mumuruu was better than Letty and the other subordinates, but she was still nowhere close to her mother.


    ¨C G-Good evening, Dear Mother! To what do I owe the pleasure of such an impromptu visit at this hour?


    Even her, someone who is very loose with her words, becomes upright when talking to Azaasha.


    Unlike Mumuruu¡¯s grandmother and great-grandmother, her mother valued respect way above many other values.


    Mumuruu once talked to her mother as if she was talking to Letty. An accident that was rewarded with a fist cracking every bone in her skull.


    ¨C I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s too early or too late for you. By the way, where¡¯s Letty? I¡¯ve looked for her everywhere.


    ¨C *Gulp*


    Mumuruu was sweating profusely.


    ¡°Come on, come on, come on, think of an excuse¡±


    Letty¡¯s family has been serving Mumuruu¡¯s family for generations. Azaasha took a liking to her very quickly.


    So much so that she¡¯s asking about her first thing.


    ¨C Uh¡­ Ehh¡­ Ah, L-Letty! I sent her to gather information about the human world. We¡¯ve received intel that the humans at Royal Capital are scheming something.


    Of course, that was a lie. There have been no signs of a war in decades.


    ¡°Yes, Mother. I broke the trident, and as payment, Letty now works for the humans as a receptionist for an adventurers guild!¡±


    There¡¯s no way she can tell her the truth.


    Mumuruu¡¯s face would end up looking like very poorly made mashed potatoes.


    ¨C Alright. And, Mumuruu?


    ¨C Yes, Dear Mother?


    ¨C I told you to show me the spear.


    Mumuruu started getting dizzy from panicking.


    She knows her mother will find out.


    ¨C I saw you showing off to your subordinates. But you can¡¯t fool me. I saw some bits of holy sword mixed in.


    The Heaven Jewel is used as one of the materials for the creation of a holy sword.


    Takaya¡¯s fix was just first aid, and it worked well enough to fool everyone.


    Everyone, except for the previous owner of the Trident of Darkness.


    Mumuruu couldn¡¯t deceive her.


    ¨C Huh? Holy sword? Whatever could you be referring to? You know Letty takes care of the weapo-GWUH!?


    Mumuruu was struck by a fist with absurd power in the blink of an eye.


    Her face was buried on the wall.


    ¨C Do you really think you can get away with lying to your mother, you rascal!? I don¡¯t remember raising you like this!


    ¨C A-Aaa¡­


    ¡°Why? She¡¯s retired. Why would she come now!?¡±


    Azaasha grabbed her daughter¡¯s face with the entirety of her hand.


    ¨C Am I interrupting something by being here!?


    ¨C A-Apologies, Dear Mother.


    She had no choice but to confess.


    Apologizing to her friend who was enjoying her new life in the human world, Mumuruu told her mother the whole story.

 CH 68

    ¡°Chapter 68: The Second Request¡±


    ¨C Ahh, so that¡¯s why your face is¡­ like that.


    ¨C Uuu¡­ Imagine if people found out one of the Four Fiendish Guardians got scolded by her mom.


    Mumuruu buried her face full of tears on Letty¡¯s chest.


    We tried treating her face but some bruises just wouldn¡¯t disappear.


    From what Mumuruu said, her mother put an ¡°Incurable¡± curse on her, so she would have to lift it herself.


    ¡°Incurable¡± is a condition that prevents the wielder from healing, both by normal regeneration or by potions.


    Another way to revoke it is using holy potions.


    Other than that, the only thing for curses is to prevent them before they happen.


    Maybe the Sage of the Forest would be able to do something, but she¡¯s too busy laughing exaggeratedly at Mumuruu¡¯s face.


    By the way, I would not be able to make holy potions. The level required to mess with holy water is way too high for me.


    ¨C Anyways, let¡¯s go back to the story. Mistress, I understand why you¡¯re here, but why does Takaya have to go to the demon world?


    Letty asked as she cleared the snot from her clothes.


    ¨C Well, Ma was furious that I broke the spear, and that our blacksmith was gone. She was interested in Takaya, though. You know, fixing the trident isn¡¯t a piece of cake.


    ¨C So, this Azaasha-san asked you to bring me to the demon world?


    ¨C Yep.


    What does she need me for?


    At the very least, I know I won¡¯t be killed. Although I¡¯ll likely get a scolding too for using the Heaven Jewel to fix the spear.


    ¨C Out of curiosity, what would happen if I don¡¯t go?


    ¨C I¡¯ll die.


    ¨C She¡¯ll die. For sure. Her mother will put a nail on each of her fingers and toes, and then she¡¯ll slash the mistress¡¯ fingers, then her ankles, then the wrists, elbows, hips, and shoulders. In that order. With a huge machete.


    ¨C Alright, I got it. You can stop now. It gets worse the more I hear.


    I feel a little sick. What kind of yakuza torture is that?


    ¨C Hmm, the demon world. Grandmaster, can I ask you something?


    ¨C Of course you can. Because surely you won¡¯t ask if you can go to the demon world. Right?


    ¨C Uhh¡­ Well¡­ Yes, actually.


    From the moment Mumuruu showed up I already knew I wanted to help her.


    Partly because I didn¡¯t want to see Letty and Mumuruu being distressed, partly because at this point Mumuruu is my number one client.


    From a business perspective, having a good relationship with a trusted client is always a good idea. Especially with a Succubi.


    I have to go visit that Azaasha.


    There is a lot in my mind.


    An adventurers guild that makes business with an entire demon race.


    Is there anyone in this world who has even come close to this?


    ¨C UWAAAH! Takaya, you¡¯re a saint! You¡¯re a god! Thank you so much!


    Me refusing would¡¯ve caused Mumuruu to lose all her limbs.


    But honestly, I¡¯m more concerned about this Azaasha person. Her strength might be comparable to Ever.


    I wonder if I¡¯ll get beaten to death with just seconds of meeting her.

 CH 69

    ¡°Chapter 69: ¡°To the Demon World¡±


    ¨C The demon world? Really? (Rudra)


    ¨C Why are you always getting involved in stuff like this? (Feria)


    After agreeing to help Mumuruu, we went to Rudra¡¯s office to ask for permission.


    While we¡¯re in the demon world, Letty and I won¡¯t be able to help the guild.


    We still don¡¯t know what Azaasha wants. Might take us a day or two, depending on how it goes.


    At most, we could be there for a week.


    ¨C Takaya, I don¡¯t mind you going to the demon world. But I am worried about how you¡¯ll defend yourself.


    I was thinking about that myself.


    After seeing my talent, Searat started a selling potions as a business


    Nothing fancy so as to prevent unwanted attention. Healing potions or poison antidotes equal to Level I or II. But even then, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.


    The effect of a single potion is good enough for people to realize their amazing quality.


    The recovery effects are twice as powerful and fast as any other potion in the market.


    For now, there are only rumors about my existence. I¡¯m sure as I keep developing my skills people will start trying to poach me.


    In most cases, people can only specialize in one skill. Mixing, blacksmithing, processing.


    Supposedly one day I¡¯ll be able to master all of those skills.


    It¡¯s not a surprise that everyone would want me.


    Just like my classmates.


    ¨C Letty and Mumuruu have guaranteed my security. They also said I could bring the Grandmaster and Mike to protect me.


    It¡¯s extremely unusual for a human to visit the demon world. Looks like Azaasha wanted to keep this confidential, so the fewer people the better.


    So, this time, Meirir, Roar, and Dike will have to stay behind.


    By the way, as per Ever¡¯s suggestion, Akane will replace Letty as a receptionist. Given her personality, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, but it¡¯s not really my problem.


    ¨C Hm. Alright. If Ever and Mike are with you, it should be fine. Feria?


    ¨C They¡¯re way too strong for this guild, honestly. I trust you¡¯ll be fine in their care.


    I received approval from both of them.


    ¨C Hey. Can I have a minute with you three?


    Ever approached us with an awkward expression.


    Akane¡¯s white pigeon was waiting on Ever¡¯s shoulder with a message.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t come with you.


    Ever was holding a bright red letter decorated with gold ornaments.

 CH 70

    ¡°Chapter 70: To the Demon World 2¡±


    ¨C Grandmaster, what happened?


    ¨C It¡¯s been a long time since the last meeting. I REALLY REALLY don¡¯t feel like going, but I should at least have the decency of showing up.


    Ever was trying to convince me to not go, but now she¡¯s looking dejected at the letter.


    ¨C Also, for personal reasons, I¡¯m taking Mike with me.


    ¨C Mike?


    ¨C Yes. As a bodyguard.


    ¨C A bodyguard? For you?


    Does she really need one?


    It¡¯s not hard to tell that Ever is one of the most powerful beings to ever grace this world. She might as well not be considered human anymore.


    I don¡¯t think a woman capable of annihilating an entire country needs an escort.


    ¨C Ever, is it a letter from the Council of the Six Sages? (Feria)


    ¨C Council? (Takaya)


    ¨C Hm? Did she not tell you? (Feria)


    I shook my head.


    I knew there were other Level IX mages, but I thought they would have their own alias.


    ¨C Don¡¯t you think your disciple deserves to know more about you? (Feria)


    ¨C Ugh, shut up. I wanted to tell him but I kept forgetting. (Ever)


    It was a rare sight to see Ever pouting like a kid.


    ¨C Does Akane-san know about it? (Takaya)


    ¨C Of course. You¡¯re probably the only one that doesn¡¯t know. (Ever)


    It¡¯s not so strange considering I come from another world.


    ¨C The Six Sages are the Level IX wizards that fought for humanity during the war against the demons. The Sage of the Volcano, The Sage of the Sea, The Sage of the Clouds, The Sage of Light, The Sage of Darkness, and The Sage of the Forest. (Feria)


    ¨C My specialty is wind and earth magic. I can also control vegetation at my will. Of course, I can use other types of magic, but those 3 things are my forte.


    So that¡¯s why Ever is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees.


    ¨C So you were called to a meeting?


    ¨C Ugh, who even came up with this idea of meetings? Just when I thought I could spend all day flirting with my new disciple.


    ¨C I¡¯ll ignore what you just said. Can¡¯t you refuse the invitation?


    ¨C It¡¯s not that simple. This letter has a time seal on it. Once it runs out, I¡¯ll be teleported to the designated spot.


    ¨C Hm, so it¡¯s like a curse.


    The red in the letter was looking more like blood.


    ¨C So why are you taking Mike with you?


    ¨C Our magic is so strong that it has a different wavelength to other wizards. We interfere with each other¡¯s magic, so there¡¯s a seal that shuts off any of our powers. Without them, I¡¯m just a sexy young lady, so I¡¯d rather bring Mike along.


    Going from what she¡¯s saying, I¡¯m assuming all the sages are women £¨¡ùWhether or not they¡¯re seductive is not my business£©


    ¨C So who¡¯ll come with me to the demon world?


    Mumuruu and Letty might be with me, but they¡¯re demons. They respond to the orders of Azaasha.


    It¡¯s not something I want to think about, but were they to turn on me, I¡¯d be dead for sure.


    I¡¯m not confident Akane and Meirir would be able to stand against demons.


    And the other choice would be Akito and Shunichi. But they¡¯re not in conditions to fight.


    So, the last option is¡­


    ¨C Fine. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll go with Takaya to the demon world.


    The elf Feria spoke up.

 CH 71

    ¡°Chapter 71: To the Demon World 3¡±


    ¨C You? (Takaya)


    ¨C What? Stop making that face. It¡¯s better than going alone.


    ¨C I guess¡­


    I know Ever and Feria used to be friends. Maybe she knows how to fight too?


    But, along with Rudra, they¡¯re the only people in charge of administrative duties.


    How will the guild survive if she¡¯s not here?


    ¨C Takaya, are you thinking about the business? (Rudra)


    ¨C Well, yes. Feria feels like the backbone of the guild. Also, isn¡¯t she your¡­


    Rudra¡¯s knuckles cracked my head.


    ¨C Idiot. You¡¯re allowed to be selfish. Besides, Feria and I aren¡¯t little kids like you and Meirir.


    ¨C W-Why did you mention Meirir-san?


    ¨C Let¡¯s leave that topic there. Ever, are you okay with me accompanying Takaya?


    ¨C Yeah, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll leave him in your charge.


    ¨C Got it. I won¡¯t disappoint you.


    And so it was decided. Feria would be my escort.


    Mumuruu, Letty, Feria, and me.


    An odd team for sure.


    By the way, Roar was appointed as a substitute for Feria.


    I should restock on medicine before leaving.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    I had to make preparations and finish up all the remaining work I had.


    The morning after, I met up with everyone.


    ¨C Master¡­


    ¨C Mike, don¡¯t cry. You have to be strong and protect the Grandmaster. Got it?


    ¨C B-But¡­


    ¨C I¡¯ll be fine. Make sure you do your job correctly.


    ¨C Is that an order?


    ¨C Uh, well¡­ It¡¯s just a request. I know you don¡¯t want to do it.


    I patted Mike to reassure her.


    It¡¯s only natural that it¡¯s taking so long to convince her.


    She feels the most responsible for the incident with my classmates. Had she been there with me none of it would¡¯ve happened.


    ¨C Ok. I¡¯ll follow your orders. I¡¯ll protect Ever.


    ¨C Thank you.


    I lightly kissed Mike¡¯s cheek to lighten her mood.


    ¨C ? ???? ???? ??? ?? (Meirir)


    ¨C Hm? What was that?


    ¨C UH, NOTHING. I didn¡¯t say anything! Haha!


    Meirir also wanted to come with me, but she recognized that her skills might not have been enough to help me in a dangerous situation.


    ¨C We¡¯re ready to go. Where¡¯s pointy ears? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C She said she had to arrange some things with the guild¡¯s president, but she¡¯s certainly taking her time. (Letty)


    ¨C I¡¯m here! Sorry for being late!


    An out of breath Feria came in from the back door.


    She¡¯s wearing a silver breastplate on top of her green clothes along with a bow bigger than her.


    ¨C It¡¯s weird for you to be late (Takaya)


    ¨C Sorry. Rudra was being a bit rough.


    ¨C ¡­Rough? (Takaya)


    ¨C N-N-N-NEVERMIND. Anyways! Let¡¯s get down to business already!


    Feria fixed her disheveled clothes while walking towards the portal Mumuruu made for us.


    ¨C Ah, to be so luscious and energetic. (Letty)


    ¨C What do you mean? (Takaya)


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about it. Just talking to myself. Shall we go?


    Letty and I walked towards the portal.


    ¨C Takaya, if anything happens, send me a letter. Your enemies are my enemies.


    ¨C Thank you, Grandmaster.


    ¨C Good luck, disciple.


    Feeling the touch of Ever¡¯s lips on my forehead, my body was engulfed by the light of Mumuruu¡¯s portal.

 CH 72

    ¡°Chapter 72: Miasma Whirlpool¡±


    I was floating in the air.


    ¨C Woah.


    ¨C Takaya, please hold tight. We still don¡¯t know where we are.


    Letty was holding me while flapping her wings.


    Unknown to where we were, we followed a black hole at the end of our vision.


    ¨C We¡¯re close to the demon world. Are we all ready? Pointy ears?


    ¨C Stop calling me pointy ears. I¡¯m a highly ranked elf.


    Feria readied her stance to use wind magic.


    ¨C Leaf Force!


    A green light engulfed us as if to shield us.


    Strong gusts of black wind emerge from the black hole, but Feria¡¯s shield dissipates the waves.


    ¨C Takaya, use this. Do NOT breathe the miasma. The demons are used to it, but it would be poisonous for us.


    I covered my mouth with a dark green scarf Feria handed me.


    Apart from the usual nitrogen and oxygen, the air in the demon world is filled with miasma.


    I don¡¯t know the specifics of it, but apparently, miasma putrifies the body of humans, magical beasts, and others once it enters the body.


    It can cause drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting, horrible headaches, and in the worst cases, it could cause body paralysis.


    Maybe I can use it as an ingredient for something.


    Look at me, thinking about work even while going to the demon world.


    Goes to show how much I love what I do.


    ¨C We¡¯re almost there. Hopefully, we land on Succubi territory. Or at least in the northeast region. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C HUH!? Wait a minute. (Takaya)


    Mumuruu just said something very concerning.


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s wrong? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C You don¡¯t know where we¡¯ll land!?


    ¨C Ah, right. The miasma also interferes with any magic that isn¡¯t dark magic. Teleportation magic could leave you anywhere.


    ¨C So we could end up on the complete opposite side of our objective!?


    ¨C Yeah. But don¡¯t worry. We can get anywhere in a day or two if we fly fast enough.


    If we fly ¡°FAST¡± enough!?


    ¨C Hey, Letty.


    ¨C Yes?


    ¨C Out of curiosity, for absolutely no other reason than curiosity, how far away is the furthest place from Succubi territory?


    ¨C Not that far. I believe it is 2000 human distance units.


    ¨C So 8000 kilometers?


    We could fly slightly faster than a bullet train (320Km/H) if we wanted to.


    ¡°See? Not that far¡± Letty thought as she looked at me. Perhaps I should stop trying to decipher what distance and speed are like in this world.

 CH 73

    ¡°Chapter 73: Encounter¡±


    Wishing to land as close as possible, we entered the demon world.


    The moment we arrived, a sludge of miasma tried to get in our bodies, but Feria¡¯s magic repelled it.


    Once the fog cleared, I saw the devastated land that was the demon world.


    ¨C So this is it, huh.


    No matter how much I looked, I couldn¡¯t see a single plant.


    The earth was full of cracks.


    When I went training with Akane, I was impressed by how magnificent the Sage¡¯s Forest was. I¡¯m once again impressed, but not in a good way.


    ¨C The demons live like this every day?


    ¨C Yes. The miasma works as nutrients to our body. We didn¡¯t have an option, our organs just had to adapt.


    In that way, there¡¯s not much difference with humans.


    ¨C Hmm, I don¡¯t recognize the sky. Letty, where do you think we are?


    ¨C Based on the temperature and the concentration of miasma, my guess is the southwest region. (Letty)


    ¨C The Decapitator? We should get going as soon as possible. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Uh, ¡°Decapitator¡±?


    ¨C A title held by another of the Four Fiendish Guardians. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s been handed down through the generations of the Red Demon race. (Feria)


    ¨C You know your stuff, shorty. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Don¡¯t call me shorty, you half-wit. I can tell by your reaction that we¡¯re in a bad place.


    ¨C Yeah. I can¡¯t say we Succubi have a good relationship.


    Even the Four Fiendish Guardians have their internal quarrels.


    The Demon King is the one who chooses his guardians, as well as who would replace him. It¡¯d be awful to leave a bad impression.


    The Demon King. The ruler who oversees the demon world. Anyone would want to steal his throne.


    For example, it would be terrible if he found out that one of his guardians broke their most powerful weapon and needed a human to fix it.


    ¨C Takaya, Feria, I¡¯ll use Hide on you two. No one cares about what we do in the demon world, but having a human along would raise a lot of questions. (Letty)


    ¨C Alright. Takaya, take off the scarf. Some miasma might get in your lungs, but you¡¯ll have to deal with it. (Feria)


    I uncovered my nose and mouth. The noxious air caused my vision to darken, but I eventually recovered.


    ¨C I¡¯ll leave that to you, Letty. I can¡¯t control my magic very well. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C By the way, where¡¯s the demon spear? (Letty)


    ¨C My stupid mom has it. I couldn¡¯t convince her to let me bring it.


    Mumuruu doesn¡¯t have the trident with her. I don¡¯t think any demon is stupid enough to pick a fight with one of the Four Fiendish Guardians, but as she said, the Succubi are not well-liked around here.


    ¨C Hold your breath for a second- Dark Hide!


    A gray smoke emerged from Letty¡¯s horns and clung to our bodies. Our vision became blurry.


    ¨C I know this isn¡¯t ideal, but please bear with it until we get there.


    Mumuruu and Letty held us and we immediately started moving.


    Perhaps it¡¯s because they can freely use their magic in this world, but they feel way more secure and dependable moving around.


    ¨C Mistress, let¡¯s go in the direction of the king¡¯s fortress first. We can¡¯t fly at full speed, but we might get to Succubi territory in half a day.


    ¨C Right. Let¡¯s leave this horrible place.


    The moment we rose to the air-


    ¨C Yo. Demon garbage. Why here?


    Several red-skinned demons appeared around us.

 CH 74

    ¡°Chapter 74: Encounter 2¡±


    ¨C Tch, that was fast. (Mumuruu)


    A group of red demons from the southwest region surrounded us.


    As opposed to Succubi, which look very similar to humans, the Red Demons look more like magical beasts.


    Their skin is completely red, their bodies are double the size of any of us, and their limbs look like large wooden logs.


    ¨C Pieces of trash. What doing here?


    ¨C You don¡¯t need to go out of your way to talk like an uncivilized human. We already know you¡¯re not the brightest of the bunch among the demon races.


    Letty wasn¡¯t trying to hide any of her repulsion.


    ¨C We hear you two speaking like human. So we too.


    I can¡¯t see very well what¡¯s going on, but they don¡¯t seem to have noticed Feria and me.


    In that case, the move would be to wait for them to get bored and then walk away.


    ¨C How about go back to question. Why you here? You territory here not.


    ¨C You guys are probably the lowest of ranks. We have no need to tell you our business. Go back to arm wrestling with each other all day or whatever it is you Red Demons do.


    But one of us didn¡¯t think about de-escalating the situation.


    ¨C What you say!?


    ¨C You like to boast about your strength, right? Come on, shoo, go play king of the hill or something.


    The Red Demons were growing increasingly upset, as was Letty, who couldn¡¯t stop retaliating after her pride was hurt by the phrase ¡°Demon garbage¡±.


    ¨C You  s?h?i?t?. Watch you mouth!


    ¨C Don¡¯t make us tear limb apart.


    I¡¯m getting more and more nervous with each second. Even if I¡¯m just hiding behind Mumuruu.


    Instead of trying to calm Letty down, Mumuruu was simply looking at the situation.


    ¨C Mistress, do I have permission? I cannot stand such humiliation towards the Succubi.


    ¨C What do you plan on doing with our ¡°luggage¡±?


    ¨C You may take care of it. I can deal with this by myself.


    I felt the weight of another person. Perhaps it was Letty stealthily putting Feria on my back.


    I wanted to tell Letty to stop, but we weren¡¯t in a situation where I could simply reveal myself and talk.


    ¨C Hold it. (???)


    One of the demons at the back was controlling a pack of animals that were about to jump on Letty.


    Slowly, a demon with armor and a black sword with a black blade emerged from the group.


    His speech was way more fluent than the others¡¯.


    ¨C Bad, bad. Don¡¯t underestimate subordinates, Succubi. How about you go your own way and we forget about this?


    ¨C Are you the leader of this bunch?


    ¨C Yes. Name¡­ don¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not important.


    As opposed to the others, this demon seems to know how to resolve problems without fighting.


    This might be our chance.


    ¨C We went to the human world and when we came back we landed here. That¡¯s it. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C I see. No other reason for Succubi here. Right?


    ¨C Of course. Things just got a bit heated. Come on, Letty, say sorry.


    ¨C Apologies.


    Mumuruu forcefully lowered Letty¡¯s head.


    Even if Letty has a different opinion on the matter, she has to remain silent.


    ¨C Very good. We return to our patrolling. No one see anything today.


    The knight demon slowly walked away followed by his subordinates.


    Relieved that we avoided confrontation, I took a deep breath.


    But that was a mistake.


    ¨C A-Achoo!

 CH 75

    ¡°Chapter 75: Hostile Sneeze¡±


    ¨C Achoo!


    The noise echoed.


    Everyone was frozen in place.


    Well, I messed up. Big time.


    I was so relaxed that I completely forgot about the miasma. A few particles entered my nose, which caused me to sneeze.


    What a stupid blunder.


    And it won¡¯t be a cheap one.


    ¨C ¡­! Forget the Dark Hide!


    The screen covering us dissipated.


    ¨C Takaya, hold tight.


    Mumuruu spread her wings to covered me.


    But the Red Demons approached us, clearly realizing something was off.


    ¨C Great Mumuruu, what was that? (Demon Knight)


    ¨C Hm? Ah, I sneezed. Sorry. Weird mushrooms they have in the human world, huh. Come on, keep patrolling the-


    The tip of a black sword faced Mumuruu.


    ¨C May I ask WHAT do you think you¡¯re doing? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Enough. We not so stupid. Succubus, what hiding?


    ¨C Kh¡­


    I made eye contact with the knight.


    ¨C Shimmer Succubus Leader. What is that?


    ¨C ¡­


    Mumuruu remained silent.


    A human was hiding behind a demon.


    For years both species fought viciously, and now one of the most prominent demons was covering a human.


    ¨C No answer?


    The knight raised his sword, and the rest of the group was ready to attack me at any second.


    ¨C Well then. FULL FORCE, EVERYONE!


    The Red Demons jumped at me while rambling incomprehensible gibberish.


    ¨C *Sigh*, I¡¯m just a babysitter, huh.


    A strong gust of wind hit the Red Demons.


    ¨C %&%#__?-


    ¨C Remember this, demons. We elves have a saying.


    I looked behind me and saw Feria with her bow drawn.


    ¨C Elf!? (Demon Knight)


    ¨C ¡°The moment our winds touch our opponent¡¯s skin, the battle is over.¡±


    A rain of unsurmountable arrows rained down on the demons.


    Before I realized it, her quiver was empty.


    ¨C Feria-san!? (Takaya)


    ¨C Mumuruu, take Takaya and go ahead. (Feria)


    ¨C What about you? (Takaya)


    ¨C We will clean up this mess and catch up with you. Dark Bolt! (Letty)


    Letty shot a black lightning bolt towards the demons.


    ¨C Well, now the secret is out.


    ¨C You want fight us!? Really!?


    ¨C Fight? Oh my, you Red Demons really have no brains, huh.


    Letty¡¯s horns grew even bigger.


    ¨C This will be a one-sided slaughter.


    She wasn¡¯t pulling any punches now that I was discovered.


    Really makes me think who the real Succubi leader is.


    ¨C So, mistress, do I have permission to fight or what?


    ¨C *Sigh*, just make sure to delete any evidence.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t leave a trace.


    I¡¯d prefer if we didn¡¯t have to beat anyone, but I guess the demon world has its own way of doing things.


    Besides, now the demons know I¡¯m here. We can¡¯t afford any other slip.


    ¨C Good luck, Letty. We¡¯ll meet later. (Takaya)


    ¨C Of course we will. I wouldn¡¯t leave my beloved master just like that.


    We could¡¯ve sneaked through the demon world peacefully. All of this is just because I let my guard down.

 CH 76

    ¡°Chapter 76: Different Course of Action¡±


    ¨C Mistress, go!


    ¨C Gotcha.


    Mumuruu grabbed me and flew away while watching Letty fire off her spells.


    ¨C Feria, take this!


    The elf and the maid were pretty far away, but I managed to hurl a bottle with green liquid towards Feria.


    ¨C What was that? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C A new potion I made. It has an issue, though.


    ¨C Issue?


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about it. Feria supervises every creation I make in the guild. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll know how to use it.


    ¨C I guess we just have to trust her.


    Mumuruu took one last glance and picked up the speed.


    We were flying at a speed that no human should experience. I didn¡¯t even want to think about opening my eyes, I just clung to Mumuruu¡¯s chest.


    Occasionally a whooshing sound would reach my ears, perhaps from a magical beast from the demon world.


    ¨C Just a little longer. Hold tight.


    ¨C ¡­Right.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Feria, what is that?


    ¨C A gift from Takaya. It¡¯s a potion, but not for us.


    The contents of the potion were unclear to Letty.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just Takaya being thoughtful once again¡± she assumed.


    But it¡¯s thanks to that thoughtfulness that they were here today.


    Takaya might be a bit unreliable, but he always shows up when it¡¯s most needed.


    His only flaw is being too humble.


    That¡¯s the Takaya that Letty fell in love with.


    ¨C You seem to have an idea (Letty)


    Letty focused on her opponents.


    She¡¯s pretty good at fighting, but she¡¯d rather leave the strategizing to the elf.


    ¨C Letty, I¡¯ll leave the offensive to you. I¡¯ll take care of the defense.


    ¨C Understood. But, aren¡¯t you a backline fighter too?


    ¨C Yes, but I¡¯m a wind magic user. Not very effective when the air is filled with miasma.


    Elves are a very non-confrontational race. Even more so than humans.


    Feria doesn¡¯t talk much about her past, nor about how she joined Searat, nor about why the president of Searat behaves like her dog.


    ¨C They run away. Smart, but stupid.


    But none of that matters now.


    ¨C Stupid? Rich coming from you. Be it four or two, we can beat you with one hand.


    For now, their job was to protect Takaya in the demon world.


    And they would blow away anyone who dared interfere.

 CH 77

    ¡°Chapter 77: Azaasha¡±


    Several minutes after Mumuruu started flying at an incredible speed, I was finally able to open my eyes.


    I don¡¯t know where we are, but by how fast we were flying, I assume we reached our destiny.


    ¨C Takaya, we¡¯re here.


    Mumuruu whispered into my ear as she slowed down.


    I opened my eyes and saw the Succubi territory below me.


    ¨C There¡¯s nature here¡­


    ¨C The northeast region we live in is less noxious than the southwest region. Even then, our vegetation is withering.


    There are very few plants in sight, and all the trees are short and have leaves as black as charcoal.


    The only petals I can see have all sorts of ominous colors.


    ¨C Those Red Demons, they called us ¡°Demon Garbage¡±. We Succubi can convert miasma into magic power. Our organs develop faster thanks to miasma.


    So different species have different tolerance to miasma?


    The demons believe in ruling by force. Strength is everything. If a race evolves to be strong due to the miasma, it would be seen as a failure among the rest.


    ¨C Even the Succubi have their good things though.


    They might be a belittled race, but Succubi have their own redeeming qualities. They seem better than other races at handling dark magic, and they have bodies that can easily seduce any human.


    In any way, they¡¯re much better than brainless warriors who can only boast about their strength.


    ¨C Hehe, thank you, Takaya.


    Mumuruu might be a little clumsy and dork, but it¡¯s impossible to dislike her. She has that something that makes you want to help her at any cost.


    I can understand why Letty has been her maid all this time.


    ¨C We¡¯re almost at Ma¡¯s. Let¡¯s hurry so that we can look for Letty and Feria.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    Not long after, we reached the castle that Azaasha uses as a retirement home.


    Though more than a castle it looks like a mansion.


    ¨C Welcome back, Mistress.


    ¨C Welcome back.


    Two Succubi maids were standing at the gate ready to greet Mumuruu.


    For a moment their gaze turned to me.


    ¨C Lemy, Yamy, where is Ma¡­ther?


    ¨C Azaasha-sama is waiting for you in her private room.


    ¨C She asked you to please get your butt in there as soon as you arrived here. I believe she wasn¡¯t in the best of moods.


    ¨C Oh, she¡¯s in a bad mood? Takaya, would you happen to have at hand a potion to restore pulverized bones?


    ¨C Excuse me!?


    What kind of monster is this ¡°mother¡±?


    I do have a potion but it¡¯s one of the ¡°defective¡± potions I gave Feria, so I¡¯d rather not use it.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san¡­


    ¨C Yeah?


    ¨C Do we REALLY have to go meet her?


    ¨C Great minds think alike. I was just considering that.


    The maids Lemy and Yamy guided us to the doors of Azaasha¡¯s room.


    This is the scariest moment of my life.


    My magic aptitude is extremely mediocre, but I can feel on every hair of my body the murderous intent in the magic in the air.


    Is it too late to run? Maybe I can still make it back to the human world.


    I made eye contact with Mumuruu, who was on the same page as me.


    ¨C It would be wise for us to step back. (Lemy/Yamy)


    We tried turning back, but the moment the doors opened-


    ¨C GWH!?


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    A lightning-fast silhouette flashed on the corner of my eye, followed by the sound of Mumuruu crashing onto the wall.


    ¨C I KNOW THAT¡¯S YOU, MUMURUU. TRYING TO RUN AWAY AND WASTE MY TIME AGAIN? YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF MEDIOCRITY.


    A dark-skinned Succubus was standing on the door menacingly.


    ¨C You¡¯re finally here, human. My name is Azaasha, the previous Shimmering Succubus Leader. I also happen to be the mother of that worm you see there pinned on the wall. Even if you¡¯re a human, you¡¯re our guest today. We ought to receive you with a proper welcoming.


    I¡¯ve never wanted to yell ¡°NO THANK YOU¡± so badly.


    I looked at the Trident of Darkness thrust on Mumuruu¡¯s head while I pondered whether to laugh or cry.

 CH 78

    ¡°Chapter 78: Azaasha 2¡±


    I entered Azaasha¡¯s private room.


    Not that I had a choice. My head would fly off if I refused.


    ¨C Sit down. Even if you¡¯re a human I should have the decency of offering you tea. Lemy, Yamy.


    ¨C Understood. (L/Y)


    The two maids left the room.


    How nice would it be if they had been ordered to take me back to the human world.


    ¨C H-H-H-Hhoooohoooo


    I thought the trident had landed directly on Mumuruu¡¯s cranium but she barely managed to catch it with her teeth.


    ¨C How much longer are you planning to blabber on, Mumuruu? Come here already.


    Azaasha pointed to the sofa next to hers.


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    Mumuruu glanced at the sofa next to mine.


    She probably wanted to sit next to me, but disobeying her mother would be kind of a bad idea.


    The previous Shimmering Succubus Leader and the current Shimmering Succubus Leader. Both sitting in front of me.


    ¨C Let us wait until the tea arrives.


    ¨C S-Sure.


    The first thing that comes to mind when I see Azaasha: She¡¯s huge.


    I¡¯m obviously not talking about her breasts. Well, those are big too. But she¡¯s huge in general.


    Her presence is so different from Mumuruu¡¯s.


    The easiest way to tell the difference is her horns and wings. Compared to Mumuruu¡¯s, Azaasha¡¯s look like a dragon¡¯s.


    ¨C ¡°She¡¯s more of a Succubi than her daughter¡±, is what you¡¯re thinking. Correct?


    ¨C W-What? No, no!


    It¡¯s exactly what I was thinking.


    How did she read my mind so accurately?


    I can see why Mumuruu told her about me so quickly.


    ¨C Are you wondering why I left my job to my daughter even though I¡¯m still strong?


    ¨C Uh, yes, actually. Any human would be able to tell the difference in your strengths.


    Azaasha grabbed Mumuruu¡¯s head and slammed it against the now nonexistent table.


    ¨C Just as you say, my daughter is leagues weaker than me. She¡¯s definitely not the strongest of the guardians. But her talent and her chemistry with the Trident of Darkness make up for her weaknesses.


    ¨C I see.


    ¨C Mumuruu is the only demon that can properly handle that spear. Without it, she can¡¯t even control her powers, but with the spear, she might even be the strongest one of the Four Fiendish Guardians.


    Azaasha grabbed Mumuruu from the horns and pulled her up.


    ¨C And now THIS BRAT BROKE THE SPEAR, WHICH I VALUE MORE THAN MY OWN LIFE. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she asked A HUMAN to fix it.


    ¨C A-Apologies, Dear Mother, but-


    ¨C BUT WHAT? Come on kid, say it.


    Mumuruu started moaning from the pain of her mother¡¯s grip on her horns.


    ¨C Azaasha-sama, you might be overdoing it a bit¡­


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I tried asking her to please stop.


    ¨C WHO do you think you¡¯re talking to, human? Do you want to suffer like her? Or perhaps I should kill you right now?


    ¨C Kh¡­


    Azaasha grabbed my neck with her free hand.


    She¡¯s not using any strength, but her claws could easily pierce my skin.


    If she wanted to, she could kill me.


    But there was something preventing her from doing it.


    ¨C Is this a proper way to behave towards your mother, Mumuruu?


    ¨C Take your hands off him, mom. I am not kidding.


    Mumuruu was holding the trident on Azaasha¡¯s throat.

 CH 79

    ¡°Chapter 79: Family Quarrel¡±


    ¨C Azashaa-sama, here¡¯s the tea.


    ¨C H-


    Lemy and Yamy came back holding a silver tray with tea cups. Their bodies stiffened as soon as they saw the trident being held against Azashaa¡¯s throat, but their expression remained the same.


    ¨C What are you doing? (Azashaa)


    ¨C What am I doing? I should be asking you that. What do you think you¡¯re doing to my master?


    The veins on Azashaa¡¯s face could be seen from miles away. She was furious at Mumuruu, who had lost any respect towards her mother.


    Mumuruu¡¯s horns started bleeding from the cracks caused by her mom¡¯s grip.


    ¨C What. Did. You. Just. Call. This. Human. ¡°Master¡±!?


    ¨C Yeah. That¡¯s what he is. Letty calls him master too.


    ¨C LETTY TOO!?


    I unvoluntarily turned away as Azashaa stared daggers at me.


    ¨C Letty knelt down to a human!? To THIS human!? Don¡¯t make me laugh. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a Great Sage or something, he¡¯s just a little kid. He can¡¯t even look at me in the eyes.


    ¨C Someone like you would never understand what¡¯s so good about Takaya. Now, mom, I¡¯ll say it one last time.


    Magic started emanating from the trident.


    ¨C Let him go. Or else¡­


    Mumuruu¡¯s lips ever so barely moved.


    ¨C £Â£¤£Ò£Ã¡±¡¢£¦£Ê£Å


    ¨C £¦¡¢£¦£«£¥£Ì£¥!!!


    I can¡¯t tell what they said since it was in demon language, but it¡¯s obvious by Azashaa¡¯s expression that it wasn¡¯t something nice.


    ¨C LEAVE. If you so wish to stay with that human, then live your life in the human world. How dare you break the spear, ask a human to fix it, AND THEN FALL IN LOVE WITH THE HUMAN?


    ¨C Oh, it would be my pleasure! I can¡¯t believe an old hag like you with the brain of a Red Demon is my mom!


    ¨C YOU DARE LUMP ME WITH THE LIKES OF A RED DEMON? YOU RASCAL.


    Furious as she was, Azashaa flung me towards the wall.


    ¨C Uwah!


    I braced myself for the impact, but instead I was embraced in a soft sensation.


    ¨C Are you alright, Master?


    ¨C Letty!


    Letty, who we left behind fighting, managed to catch me just in time.


    Of course, Feria was here too.


    Their clothes are a bit torn but they don¡¯t seem to be injured in the slightest.


    ¨C I see things didn¡¯t go well. (Letty)


    ¨C We didn¡¯t even get to the main conversation. (Takaya)


    If only we could¡¯ve talked for a little longer. But I don¡¯t regret what I did.


    ¨C Letty, you leave too. I don¡¯t want to see anyone right now. (Azashaa)


    ¨C ¡­Understood.


    Letty bowed her head and left the room.


    Lemy, Yamy, Letty, Feria, Mumuruu, Azaasha¡­ Everyone in the room was thinking the same.


    To wait until everyone cools down to talk this out.


    Everyone except me.


    ¨C Azashaa-sama.


    I faced Mumuruu¡¯s mom.


    ¨C Out of my sight.


    ¨C No. We still haven¡¯t talked about the demon spear.


    Azaasha¡¯s ears twitched.


    She hasn¡¯t decapitated me yet, which means she still has a smidge of composure left.


    All I have to do is catch her interest.


    ¨C Azashaa-sama, would you allow me to forge a spear even stronger than the Trident of Darkness?

 CH 80

    ¡°Chapter 80: Bluff¡±


    I was decided.


    The current trident is only glued together, which makes it difficult to draw power from.


    It¡¯s impossible to fix it back to its original form.


    The solution is to make a new one.


    ¨C You? YOU¡¯ll make a new spear?


    ¨C Yes.


    I can¡¯t back down anymore.


    The level required to craft holy weapons and armors is at least VII.


    If I want to make a spear that can surpass the Trident of Darkness, I would need to be Level VIII.


    ¨C You¡¯re a funny human! How many years do you think my family has used that spear!? Can you even count that high!?


    ¨C Several thousand years.


    ¨C Right! Not a single craftsman has been able to create a better weapon throughout all that time. Whatever makes you think a feeble human with barely any lifespan could surpass it?


    I might not be able to read minds as well as her, but I could tell she was dangerously close to stabbing me.


    It¡¯s thanks to the support of my friends that I¡¯m still able to stand here.


    My blacksmithing levels are VI at best. I would need to grow another 2 levels before even attempting to make a better trident.


    I can¡¯t even make the ¡°demon¡± part of a spear.


    After all, this was all just a bluff I made on the spot.


    I¡¯m fairly sure my friends realized that too. I was just lying to appease the situation.


    ¨C I¡¯m sure the mas- I mean, Takaya-sama, will be able to make a weapon worthy of a Succubi. Isn¡¯t that right, mistress?


    ¨C Of course! That¡¯s just how good Level IX creators are!


    Letty and Mumuruu followed my bluff.


    Feria could only sigh at the barrage of lies she was witnessing.


    ¨C What did you say!?


    The moment Azaasha heard ¡°Level IX¡± the color of her eyes changed.


    Unsurprisingly so. It¡¯s the limit that any human or demon wishes to reach.


    Power is everything for demons. The idea of having a spear even more powerful than the Trident of Darkness would surely blind Azaasha.


    ¨C Hey, human. Is that true? Are you Level IX?


    ¨C Yes, that¡¯s right. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have made such an outrageous proposal.


    Needless to say, I¡¯m way past the point of saying ¡°Tehee~ Just kidding!¡±.


    ¨C I believe your name was Takaya.


    ¨C Nagami Takaya.


    ¨C Well then, Takaya. If you are able to make such a weapon, I will forget the blunders my daughter has done.


    ¨C Really!?


    ¨C Rest assured. I was once the Shimmering Succubus Leader, so you have my word.


    Mumuruu, Letty, and I nodded.


    The three of us will be held accountable. But we¡¯re not scared.


    ¨C Get to work, then. I will witness with my own eyes a human becoming part of Succubi history.


    ¨C Thank you for the opportunity. Excuse us.


    Saying goodbye to Azaasha and the two maids, we headed towards Mumuruu¡¯s guardian fortress.

 CH 81

    ¡°Chapter 81: To the Demon Fortress¡±


    ¨C Haah¡­


    Well, we¡¯re not scared, but we definitely don¡¯t feel motivated.


    I can¡¯t believe I said all of that.


    I had to tell Azaasha I¡¯m Level IX.


    And now I have to grow enough to cover my lies.


    How am I supposed to do that?


    Not only do I have to worry about the Levels issue, I also have to think about how to get all the materials needed for the spear.


    ¨C ¡­Takaya. Takaya! Are you listening?


    We were walking to Mumuruu¡¯s fortress when Letty called me.


    ¨C Ah, sorry. I was deep in thought.


    ¨C I can tell by your face.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry for getting you two involved in this. I¡¯ll try my best to make-


    ¨C Shush.


    ¨C Ghwp!?


    My cheeks flushed as Letty pulled me into her chest.


    ¨C L-Letty!? What are you doing?


    ¨C Takaya, you did not ¡°involve us¡±. We all lied to Azaasha-sama.


    ¨C But¡­


    ¨C She¡¯s right. We¡¯re your accomplices. We might not have powers to help you with blacksmithing, but we can at least morally support you.


    ¨C My accomplices¡­


    That definitely makes me feel better.


    ¨C Sorry in advance, but I¡¯ll be bothering you two a lot.


    ¨C Please. It¡¯s my duty as a maid to help you.


    ¨C I might not be a maid and I might be useless, but I¡¯m a guardian! You can use my fortress as much as you want. Feel free to exploit my subordinates too. I have a lot of them.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯d go that far.


    But using her fortress would be very helpful. Maybe her subordinates can help me with equipment and stuff.


    ¨C So, what do you think, vice-pres?


    I turned to Feria who had been following us saving her distance.


    I don¡¯t blame her. She was supposed to be my bodyguard, and now she¡¯s involved in this fiasco.


    ¨C You really went deep this time. This is not an easy task, Takaya. It¡¯s not unusual for holy and demonic weapons to take hundreds of years to be made. But, if you somehow manage to get through this, it would be the best learning experience you could wish for. Of course, I¡¯ll try to help as much as I can. So get ready.


    Adding a ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to die¡± at the end, Feria flicked my forehead.


    ¨C Thank you. I look forward to your guidance.


    ¨C That¡¯s what I like to hear. Also, I¡¯m not that ¡°grandmaster¡± of yours, so don¡¯t expect me to treat you like a kid.


    ¨C Thank you, little santa elf. Our destiny rests on your shoulders too. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C MY NAME IS FERIA.


    ¨C Come on, you two. I see a castle over there, is that it?


    ¨C Oh, right. The Gana Vares is the magical fortress assigned to the guardian in the northeast. The one you¡¯re seeing is just an illusion.


    Mumuruu faced to our left.


    ¨C Show yourself! O¡¯Castle of mine! Dispell!


    A large black pile of blocks appeared to form a castle in the direction Mumuruu pointed her trident at.


    This is where Mumuruu¡¯s subordinates reside.


    Are they strong? Are they dangerous?


    I readied myself just in case.


    But it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¨C Aahh, Our demon idol back! Our empress! Mumuruu-sama!


    ¨C What? (Takaya)


    A horizontal banner was displayed in common language.

 CH 82

    ¡°Chapter 82: To the Demon Fortress 2¡±


    Are we supposed to go inside?


    ¨C Hey, Letty¡­ Did they say ¡°Idol¡±?


    As if the fact that they¡¯re using a word from the human world wasn¡¯t enough, ¡°Demon Idol¡±?


    She¡¯s a Succubus, after all. It¡¯s not surprising even demons would find her attractive. But, Idol?


    ¨C I¡¯m aware that some of her subordinates think very highly of her. I did not know they spoke human language.


    ¨C I-I didn¡¯t know either! They¡¯re always meddling in- (Mumuruu)


    Letty looked directly at Mumuruu, whose entire face was blushing.


    The fact that Letty didn¡¯t know must mean that Mumuruu taught them human language very recently.


    ¨C Hehe, how considerate, Mistress.


    ¨C Uh, Letty? (Takaya)


    ¨C Let¡¯s go inside first. I¡¯m sure the people holding the banners can answer any question you have. (Letty)


    The atmosphere in the castle is not as awkward as I thought it would be. In fact, it seems quite neighborly.


    I was told the demon world was a ruthless place where only the strong survive, so this is definitely a surprise.


    For the better, though. I didn¡¯t come to this world to have a quarrel with every demon I stumble upon.


    ¨C I¡¯m back, you f?u?c?k?e?r?s?! Did anything happen while I was gone?


    ¨C Uoooo


    The first things I noticed were zombies, skeletons, and other undead creatures. Most humanoids but some had four legs and wings.


    ¨C £Ñ¡±¡¢£Ñ¡±£Å£Ä¡±


    ¨C Hey. Again. Demon world.


    ¨C O, sorry. Is fine fine.


    Two skeletons, one wearing a gold crown and the other a silver crown, stepped in front of us. The one with a gold crown had a black wooden magic wand with a red jewel, and the one with a silver crown had a shield and a sheathed sword.


    ¨C We¡¯re doing fine. By the way, Michael, what was that banner?


    ¨C Letty¡­ We surprise Mumuruu-sama¡­


    The gold-crowned skeleton answered Letty. Apparently, his(?) name is ¡°Michael¡±.


    ¨C Human here soon. Order. Remember to greet. Mumu-£½¡±£È£££ì£¥¡¹


    Just like Azaasha did with her, Mumuruu blew back the skeleton¡¯s skull with the trident.


    ¨C Wh-What are you talking about!? I told you to learn human words in case we ever have a war again¡­


    ¨C Oh, is so? That there. Kid. Mumuruu-sama always call name. Mumuruu-sama happy when¡ª£¦£½¡±£¥


    Now it was the turn for the other skeleton to fly off.


    ¨C Wow, Werg! It seems humor is the only use for that hollow skull of yours! But how about we stop with the jokes!? And that goes for everybody else.


    The rest of her subordinates lowered their head.


    ¨C Ah, geez. What a time for all of you to be so active.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, are you okay? Your face is red.


    ¨C D-Don¡¯t worry! Takaya, aren¡¯t you tired? I¡¯ll show you to the guest room! Come on, Letty, take that grin off your face and help me. You¡¯re supposed to be my servant.


    ¨C Understood. Takaya- Oh, perhaps I should call you ¡°The Husband¡±?


    ¨C LETTY!!!


    ¨C Allow me to guide you and Feria to your room.


    ¨C Sure¡­


    Seeing Letty, Mumuruu, and the subordinates all smiling reminds me of a certain guild I know.

 CH 83

    ¡°Chapter 83: Room Allocation¡±


    The Gana Vares is way more complex than I thought.


    I have to take an insane amount of detours and walk through windows towards external corridors just to get to my desired location.


    Even to get to the guest room, which is right beside Mumuruu¡¯s, I have to walk a very specific path. I would surely get lost if I were to walk on my own.


    ¨C This is the guests¡¯ room. It¡¯s a bit cramped. Sorry about that.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t feel relaxed if I have too much space.


    We won¡¯t be forging the spear here, so I don¡¯t particularly mind.


    The room is 8 tatamis long (13m~) with a small bed, a sofa and a large bed.


    The bed is big enough for two people, which is nice for someone like me who¡¯s used to sleeping on the floor of my workshop.


    ¨C Well. Where do we start with the spear?


    ¨C First things first. What is your alchemy level?


    ¨C I haven¡¯t trained a lot. The Grandmaster said it was around Level V.


    Alchemy is the process of creating precious metals by combining specific ores and materials.


    It¡¯s impossible to find ores like adamantite, orichalcum, and mithril without alchemy.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, what is the Trident of Darkness made of?


    ¨C Dark Matter. I think the hag said it¡¯s a crystallized form of the miasma floating around the demon world.


    Ah, so that¡¯s why the trident is so compatible with miasma.


    So we should get some dark matter first, and then decide where to go from there.


    ¨C Takaya, I know this might not be the most appropriate moment, but¡­ (Letty)


    ¨C Yes?


    ¨C How are we going to share the rooms?


    ¨C ¡­Oh.


    Certainly, this is a room for two only.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, what¡¯s your room like?


    ¨C Just like this one but with more decorations and furnit- WAIT, LETTY, I know what you¡¯re trying to do!


    ¨C Hm? Whatever are you talking about, Mistress? You have your own room. Please enjoy it while I sleep with Takaya on the same bed.


    ¨C Wha- (Takaya)


    I swear I can see sparks between Mumuruu and Letty.


    ¨C How about no!? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Why? Surely you don¡¯t mind sharing your room with Feria. Right?


    ¨C Of course I do! What do you mean you¡¯re sleeping with Takaya!?


    Am I supposed to have a say in this?


    Obviously, I wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to Letty. I¡¯m the same pathetic virgin as always. But Letty probably won¡¯t care.


    She¡¯s a Succubus after all.


    And if she were to do something, I won¡¯t be able to resist.


    ¨C Oh, wow. Apologies, Mistress. I had no idea you wanted to sleep with such a fine man so badly. As your maid, I shall respect your desires.


    ¨C What? W-W-W-What!? N-No!


    Feria sighed and decided to take care of this herself.


    She and I would sleep in the same room. Mumuruu and Letty would sleep in Mumuruu¡¯s room. This reduces the probability of any unwanted mistakes.


    Although, in the end, I ended up sleeping on the floor.

 CH 84

    After reluctantly accepting their room allocation, Mumuruu and the rest of us decided to keep exploring the castle.


    As giant as this place is, there are very few rooms for basic necessities. Kitchens, bathrooms, etc.


    Not surprising considering most of the residents in this castle are undead or slimes.


    All the other Succubi that serve Mumuruu live somewhere else.


    Conditions for blacksmithing and alchemy are basically nonexistent here.


    All in all, my first day here was pretty rough.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    The night of the first day.


    ¨C Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t think I can hold it until the next morning¡­


    I was wriggling under my blanket.


    A strong urge to release my inner fluids was ravaging me, amplified by the cold air running through the castle.


    Basically, I need to pee so badly.


    If Feria saw me she would get annoyed and say ¡°If you have to go, just go¡±. Problem is, there¡¯s only one bathroom in the castle. And it¡¯s surprisingly far away from here. I would need a guide to not get lost.


    As embarrassing as it is, I would have to ask Mumuruu or Letty to take me to the bathroom.


    ¨C Hey~


    I sneakily opened the door connecting our room with Mumuruu¡¯s.


    ¨C Do you need something, Master?


    Mumuruu is fast asleep, but Letty woke up as soon as she heard the tiniest creak from the door.


    ¨C Uh, I¡¯m sorry to wake you up, but¡­


    ¨C Ah, I see.


    I¡¯m so glad to have a maid that understands what I want without having to say it.


    Or so I thought.


    ¨C It would be my pleasure.


    Letty pulled open the bust part of her maid uniform, kneeled in front of me, and opened her mouth.


    ¨C Letty-san. May I inquire about what the hell you are doing?


    ¨C I inferred you wished to take care of ¡°your business¡±. I¡¯d be overjoyed to oblige.


    ¨C Sorry, Letty, you can just go back to sleep. Actually, don¡¯t ever come close to me again.


    ¨C Eh? But I was joking¡­


    ¨C Somehow I don¡¯t believe you.


    And here I thought I was safe from stuff like this.


    I¡¯ve never had experience with an actual woman, let alone with a Succubus.


    After forcefully waking up Mumuruu, I received a note with the instructions to reach the bathroom.


    I appreciate Mumuruu putting a stop to Letty, who nonchalantly said ¡°It is my duty as a maid to accompany my master to pee¡±

 CH 85

    ¡°Chapter 85: Night of the Astray 2¡±


    ¨C Phew, I almost didn¡¯t make it.


    Despite Letty¡¯s little scene I managed to get to the toilet in time.


    The toilet wasn¡¯t flushing like a human one. It just had a hole. I¡¯m not sure how the sewage system works or if they even have one.


    ¨C I should stop thinking about it.


    Before my mind reached unwanted places, I took another look at the note and came back the way I got here.


    ¨C It¡¯s really cold in here huh¡­


    The castle is inhabited by the undead so the temperature has probably never been an issue before.


    I wish there was something to keep me warm-


    ¨C GWOOOOOOOOHH


    ¨C HYEGH!?


    A skull appeared right in front of my eyes. The red circles in its eye sockets were staring at my soul.


    ¨C Oo. This. Possible? Takaya-sama?


    ¨C Huh? Oh, wait. Werg? Is that you?


    ¨C Ye. That one. Werg. I patrol for Mumuruu-sama.


    I only recognized him because of his silver crown.


    ¨C What wrong, Takaya-sama? Room far.


    ¨C What? Mumuruu¡¯s notes said this was the shortest path back to the rooms¡­


    I looked past Werg and saw stairs that should NOT be there according to the note.


    ¨C Oh.


    Mumuruu¡¯s notes only say ¡°And here you turn right¡± or ¡°Left this way¡±. It does not say anything about a staircase with a lever on the side.


    ¨C Werg-san, by any chance, do the corridors in the castle change according to the time?


    ¨C Yes. Just change now.


    As a fortress, it would be meaningless if intruders knew the structure¡¯s layout, so the corridors are constantly changing.


    Well, I¡¯m lost.


    I should¡¯ve accepted Letty¡¯s help, even if at the cost of my virginity.


    ¨C Worry don¡¯t. I lost too. Happen often. Michael. Big Brother. Lose too. Very.


    ¨C Ah, right.


    This sack of bones won¡¯t be of any help.


    NOW I¡¯m lost for sure.


    ¨C Uh, let¡¯s see if I can find the right path.


    I could just stop here and wait for Letty and Mumuruu to look for me, but I¡¯m too scared to stay here.


    I kept hearing a rumbling sound coming from the toilet. And I didn¡¯t want to find out what it was.


    I decided to walk up the stairs that just appeared in front of me.

 CH 86

    ¡°Chapter 86: Takaya¡¯s little adventure and his encounter¡±


    I kept climbing up the cold stairs, but everything was filled with darkness. I could barely see my step.


    ¨C Come on, I can do this¡­


    Considering this castle is a fortress, I might as well fall into a pit full of hungry monsters if I were to take a wrong step.


    But surprisingly, rather than fear, I¡¯m filled with curiosity.


    ¨C Exploring is a basic instinct for adventurers¡­ Or something like that.


    Honestly, I¡¯m just hungry for adventures.


    Ever since coming to this world, I¡¯ve only been getting involved in trouble over and over again.


    I¡¯ve yet to be able to have a proper ¡°adventure¡± with the ¡°trio of idiots¡± in Searat.


    Being expelled from my group, finding Meirir and the others, joining Searat, training with Ever and Akane, the incident with Akito, and now I¡¯m in the demon world.


    Of course, I¡¯m grateful I have the skills to help the friends I love.


    But I joined Searat with the intention of going on adventures and having exciting times with my friends.


    ¨C ¡­


    My eyes are drawn to every corner of every wall, door, or stair. There are creatures patrolling, so I assume there shouldn¡¯t be any deadly traps like arrows coming out of the walls or burning floors, but I should be careful anyways.


    ¨C Of course there are no such things¡­ *Sigh*. I¡¯m acting like a kid.


    I climbed the stairs through the silence, darkness, and the small hints of Miasma I could feel.


    My eyes were slowly getting used to the dark. In the distance, I could see two doors.


    But as I was focused on the two doors, I happened to realized something.


    The floor below me disappeared.


    ¨C What!?


    Or rather, it would be more precise to say I walked into nothingness without realizing it.


    I started falling into the pit of darkness.


    A pointless distraction for a demon with wings. But that¡¯s not my case.


    ¨C OW!


    My butt landed on the ground.


    ¨C Huh? This is not as deep as I thought.


    The hole was deep enough for someone to realize in time that they were falling but shallow enough that a kid could¡¯ve dug it.


    ¨C I¡­ must look SO stupid right now.


    I can¡¯t believe I keep babbling about going on adventures when I¡¯m so easily distraught by stuff like this.


    ¨C Good thing no one saw me. That would¡¯ve been embarrassing.


    ¨C I know, right? Imagine if girl you like saw you. I would stay in hole forever.


    ¨C Yeah. Mumuruu and Letty would laugh at me, and Feria would straight up punch me¡­ Wait, what?


    Hold up.


    I seem to remember saying ¡°Good thing no one saw me¡±.


    Why did that comment receive an answer?


    ¨C Ah, apologies. I happened to spot a stranger in the castle, so I decided to follow after. Don¡¯t worry, your secret is safe with me.


    ¨C ¡­ And who are you?


    ¨C Me? I¡¯m¡­


    The owner of the voice stretched his translucent arm and pulled me out of the hole.


    ¨C I¡¯m merely but a worthless amorphous living being. For now, at least. I believe your kind calls me a slime.


    An androgynous-looking slime that can speak human language was standing in front of me.

 CH 87

    ¡°Chapter 87: The Top of the Gana Vares and the Secret Room¡±


    The slime is talking¡­


    I mean, skeletons can talk, and their vocal cords are supposed to be rotten.


    But the surprising part is that this slime is speaking human language.


    ¨C Ah, forgive me. It¡¯s been quite some time since I¡¯ve interacted with a human. I just felt like teasing you.


    ¨C Who are you?


    ¨C Just a passerby. I came to this castle looking for a little something. Trust me buddy, not a very interesting topic. Who might you be?


    He¡¯s already talking as if we¡¯re friends.


    He formed a lip-like shape around what seemed to be his head in order to talk.


    Apart from the nucleus in the middle of his constitution, he looks just like a translucent human.


    ¨C My name is Nagami Takaya. I come from the east-


    ¨C Oh my! The east? From Shizuma? That¡¯s so far away! But you don¡¯t seem very strong¡­


    ¨C Uhh¡­ Yeah! I was just born weak.


    How does he know so much about the human world? Even I don¡¯t know anything about Akane¡¯s hometown. Well, not that I¡¯ve asked her.


    ¨C Hmm. Well, that aside. What you here? From your sleeping clothes, I see you not an intruder.


    ¨C I¡¯m a guest of Mumuruu-sa¡­ma.


    I¡¯m very wary of this thing.¡¡At the very least I can tell he¡¯s not one of Mumuruu¡¯s servants.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get the full story.


    ¨C That impulsive brat? She invited a human?


    He doesn¡¯t have eyes, but I can feel him staring at me.


    ¨C Huuuh¡­ Hey, Takaya. Do you have a minute?


    ¨C Well, I was just wondering around. I got lost after going to the bathroom. I think Mumuruu-sama and Letty will get worried if I¡¯m not back.


    ¨C Ah, perfect then! I¡¯ll drop you off while I finish some business.


    ¨C Really?


    ¨C Sure. This castle is like my playground.


    Who is he? How does he know the castle? Why does he refer to Mumuruu as a kid?


    Well, I¡¯ll be lost without him, so I might as well follow him.


    ¨C Great! Although we¡¯re almost at our destination.


    The slime crossed to the other side of the room and ever so slightly opened the right door.


    He then slammed it close immediately.


    And that moment-


    ¨C ¡­ That light! (Takaya)


    Teleportation magic-


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, Takaya. I can¡¯t leave the castle anyways.


    Both of our bodies were engulfed by the light.


    Next thing I know, I was greeted with a sight I didn¡¯t expect.


    ¨C Is this¡­ A library?


    The small room was decorated with a pile of papers on a desk, a rug stained with ink, and shelves in every direction.


    ¨C Well, well. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had a guest, instead of an intruder. I felt like asking for your opinion.


    The slime grabbed a bunch of papers and handed them to me.


    ¨C ¡­What!?


    Just by reading the title I was amazed.


    This book¡­ It has drawings, speech bubbles, panels¡­


    This is a comic.


    Just like the ones I read in my previous world.


    ¨C Take a look. You think they¡¯d sell well in the human world?


    What in the world is this person?

 CH 88

    ¡°Chapter 88: The Top of the Gana Vares and the Secret Room 2¡±


    ¨C So? What do you think?


    ¨C Hmmm¡­


    The pages depict a fantasy story. Although, if this new world is fantasy to me, what do the inhabitants call it?


    [The protagonist is a lonely demon king. He was born as powerful and talented as he was selfish and arrogant.


    He didn¡¯t grow out of these attitudes. By the time he became the demon king, he didn¡¯t have a single trusted friend.


    But he was strong, so he ruled by force, imposing fear on everyone.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t last long.


    He was overthrown by a group of brave heroes and his own subordinates.


    In his very last moments, he cursed his arrogant demeanor.


    But then, he was suddenly reborn as a human]


    And that¡¯s basically the gist of it.


    The demon king, who was reincarnated with his memories and abilities intact, gathers a group of trusted friends to get back at the brave heroes.


    A rather simple but popular trope. It has its interesting bits and the drawings are pretty good.


    Though it does have an issue.


    ¨C Slime-san.


    ¨C Hm? Did you find any contradictions in the story?


    ¨C No, it¡¯s just¡­


    I pointed to a panel with a completely naked woman.


    ¨C This is quite the drawing¡­


    The comic was quite R18.


    The protagonist tries to find different companions with powerful skills, but the women are all extremely beautiful. And he has relationships with all of them.


    Not just that, but he constantly saves women from danger. Which is then repaid by going to bed with him.


    This is just a fantasy R18 manga¡­


    ¨C Of course! Erotism is the source of all creativity! What kind of artist would refrain from having their libido take form in the shape of their drawings?


    ¨C Well, at least not all of it is erotic.


    We then started talking about his original question.


    I¡¯m not sure what other people would think about this. But the drawings are amazing, so it would probably sell better as a one-shot first instead of a manga.


    Despite the weird topic of conversation, we managed to have a pretty constructive talk.


    ¨C Wait, the sun is rising already.


    ¨C Hm? Time really flew, huh.


    The sky was slowly lightening up. I could see a very dim curtain of miasma reflected in the air.


    I also realized we were at the top of the fortress.


    ¨C Well, it seems the castle is getting a bit noisy. I think it¡¯s time for me to finally take my leave.


    The slime bounced off the desk and drew a magic circle around us.


    ¨C I don¡¯t think I heard your name. I assume you have one.


    ¨C Ah, right. I forgot about that. My name is K-


    *Boom*


    ¨C Woah!?


    The entire castle is shaking.


    There¡¯s no way this is a trap or an intended mechanism. It feels as if the fortress is about to crumble.


    ¨C Takaya, go meet with the demon brat. She must be worried about you.


    ¨C What about you?


    ¨C I¡¯m running away. I¡¯d love to help you but I¡¯ve used too much power already.


    Our bodies started fading.


    ¨C Until we next meet, Nagami Takaya.

 CH 89

    ¡°Chapter 89: The Decapitator¡±


    Once the light dissipated, I found myself back in Mumuruu¡¯s room.


    ¨C Takaya-sama!


    ¨C Mumuruu-san! Letty!


    Just like the slime whose name I didn¡¯t get to know said, they were both happy to see me.


    The two Succubi hugged me.


    ¨C Where were you!? You said you were just going to the bathroom!


    ¨C Sorry, I happened to find someone. We were hanging out in the room at the top of the castle.


    ¨C ¡­The top?


    Letty tilted her head.


    ¨C I just came from there using teleportation magic.


    Now that I think about it, all four walls were bookshelves. There was no door. No way in or out without magic.


    ¨C Looks like you had quite the night. But now is not the time for stories.


    Feria opened the door wearing her full equipment and tossed Silver at me.


    Letty is in her maid uniform and Mumuruu is wearing her battle armor along with the Trident of Darkness on her back.


    ¨C What was that tremor?


    ¨C I deeply apologize. This is my fault. I was too careless.


    ¨C What do you mean?


    ¨C I didn¡¯t think anyone could be watching¡­


    Feria and Letty were looking dejected.


    *Boom*


    Again?


    ¨C Tch. Michael and Werg won¡¯t stand a chance.


    ¨C Is this someone¡¯s doing?


    ¨C Of course. Someone who¡¯s strong enough to break into the Gana Vares.


    It must be one of the strongest demons from the strongest tribe then.


    ¨C ¡­GET DOWN EVERYONE!


    ¨C Woah!?


    Mumuruu¡¯s expression stiffened and she pushed me down as fast as possible.


    While falling, I noticed a black shadow piercing through the ceiling into the next floors.


    The hole was right where I was standing.


    A shockwave made a ruckus on the room as if a tornado had just struck.


    ¨C Khh!!!


    The wind caused by the shockwave was so strong that even Feria, an elf, was trying her very best not to fly off.


    ¨D £¦£Å£¬£×¡±£Ç£Ã£Â£Õ£Å£©¡££Õ£Ð¡±¡º£Ê£Ã¡ç¡»£×¡±¡ç£º£Ù£¿


    The man speaking in demon language was a Red Demon with dark red skin. His body hair looked like fire.


    ¨C Raigoh, The Decapitator¡­

 CH 90

    ¡°Chapter 90: The Decapitator 2¡±


    ¡¾I would like to hear the reasoning for you to be raiding my fortress, you unsightly orangutan¡¿


    Mumuruu¡¯s animosity was making the air heavy.


    Letty is right behind me translating demon language.


    ¡¾Is it not obvious? Your bunch started this¡¿


    ¡¾Huh? What the  f?u?c?k? are you talking about?¡¿


    ¡¾Stop acting dumb. It¡¯s already disgusting enough to be in the presence of a failure of a race like yours. Come on¡¿


    Raigoh signaled the subordinate standing behind him, who brought a demon with a black sword into the room.


    It was the guy we found right as we landed in this world.


    ¨C (Letty, you made sure to handle him appropriately, right?)


    ¨C £¨Yes. I followed Feria¡¯s instructions. I used your potion 10 minutes after beating them up)


    The potion I gave them was a Recovery Potion with the side effect of Amnesia.


    At some point, I realized I could make strong Recovery Potions if I added a side effect along with the ingredients.


    Of course, technically speaking, it¡¯s poisonous, so we can¡¯t sell it.


    Beating up the demons to death wasn¡¯t an option, so I thought it would be best to erase any evidence. Including their memories.


    Amnesia is considered one of the most troublesome abnormalities. It clouds the victim¡¯s consciousness to the point that they¡¯re unable to remember anything. When drinking the potion, both their injuries and their memories are back to before the battle.


    ¨C (I¡¯m assuming there was a witness£©


    ¨C (Likely. Even if the victims have no memories, a witness could easily connect the dots)


    They clearly have enough proof if they barged in destroying the place.


    I didn¡¯t think they would be prepared for something like that.


    ¨C ¡­Letty, seems you messed up. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Apologies.


    Letty bowed her head, but Mumuruu didn¡¯t chastise her any longer for the blunder. She just sighed.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine. At the end of the day, this is my fault.


    Mumuruu turned to Raigoh.


    ¡¾I assume you didn¡¯t come here just to destroy my fortress. What do you want?¡¿


    ¡¾Oh, not much.¡¿


    Raigoh unsheathed his sword and stretched his hand towards Mumuruu.


    ¡¾Shimmering Succubus Leader, as compensation for you scum hurting my people, I will take you to my castle, and you¡¯ll become my wife¡¿

 CH 91

    ¡°Chapter 91: Demon¡¯s Bride¡±


    Mumuruu glanced in my direction when she heard the word ¡°Wife¡±.


    ¡¾W-What!?¡¿


    ¡¾Don¡¯t even think about refusing. You have to pay for your subordinates¡¯ actions¡¿


    ¡¾I am one of the Four Fiendish Guardians. What will you do with my replacement if I were to live in your castle? Don¡¯t tell me you just want to start a conflict for no reason¡¿


    ¡¾Not at all. I¡¯m sure you can ask your mom to come back from retirement. She¡¯s way more suited than you, anyways¡¿


    He¡¯s right. Azaasha could retake the position. But that¡¯s not a reason to marry Mumuruu.


    She should be the one to decide.


    Besides, marrying Raigoh would also mean bearing his child.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Takaya-sama, I¡¯ll be leaving your side for a bit.


    ¨C Letty?


    Letty walked up to Mumuruu¡¯s side.


    ¨C Excuse me, Raigoh-sama. I can¡¯t allow that.


    ¨C £Õ£Ù£Ñ¡±£Ç£Ø£Ê


    ¨C My name is Letty. I am Mumuruu-sama¡¯s maid. It¡¯s a pleasure.


    ¨C Letty, what are you¡­


    ¨C Mistress, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t accept this. It just doesn¡¯t feel right. A patrolling unit? Right where we happened to land?


    I actually agree with her train of thought.


    We landed in a completely random location, yet there just so happened to be a unit patrolling, and we just so happened to stumble upon them.


    What if someone knew Mumuruu and Letty were going to the human world?


    What if no matter where in the demon world we landed, there would be a patrolling unit looking for us?


    Did someone set us up?


    ¨C Funny words coming from the mouth of the repulsive demon race. AND you¡¯re speaking in human language too. Is it for that human back there?


    It seems Raigoh is also capable of speaking human language. He¡¯s superior to the rest of the Red Demons in every way.


    It¡¯s no surprise he¡¯s one of the Four Fiendish Guardians.


    ¨C That is, sadly, none of your business, Raigoh-sama. In regards to your request, our answer is¡­


    Letty took a deep breath, absorbing large amounts of miasma.


    ¨C Please, kindly f?u?c?k? off. (Letty)


    ¨C WHAT DID YOU SAY!? (Raigoh)


    ¨C Take this, ¡°Guardian¡±. (Feria)


    A gust of wind caressed our skin as arrows rained down from the sky.

 CH 92

    ¡°Chapter 92: Demon¡¯s Bride 2¡±


    ¨C An elf!? (Raigoh)


    Feria must¡¯ve taken advantage of the commotion to find a good offensive position.


    ¨C Howl and pierce through! Spiral wedge, Storm Helix!


    All the arrows Feria shot were converging on Raigoh¡¯s neck.


    ¨C NGUH!? (Raigoh)


    Surprised by the sudden attack, Raigoh stretched his arm in an attempt to grab the arrows.


    ¨C Nice try. (Feria)


    ¨C Kh¡­ (Raigoh)


    But the arrows dodged his grab and redirected their trajectory towards his throat.


    ¨C Letty, do something! (Feria)


    ¨C No need to say it twice. (Letty)


    Imbued with dark magic, Letty jumped towards Raigoh.


    ¨C You insolent. (Raigoh)


    ¨C You barge into my mistress¡¯ castle and start destroying everything¡­ You¡¯ll pay for this.


    Letty punched Raigoh¡¯s stomach with her enhanced strength, which caused him to fly off.


    ¨C Mistress, what are you standing there for? Come on!


    ¨C ¡­Alright!


    Moved by Letty¡¯s words, Mumuruu started charging the Trident of Darkness.


    Bolts of light were forming on its tips.


    ¨C No hard feelings, Raigoh. But this is how it has to be. You¡¯re going down. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C You lowly scum¡­


    ¨C Until never, Decapitator. I don¡¯t want to see your horrible face ever again.


    The lightning bolts pierced Raigoh¡¯s heart.


    It was the perfect combination. Feria¡¯s arrows perforated his neck and throat, Letty¡¯s punch destroyed his defenses, and Mumuruu¡¯s strike dealt the finishing blow.


    ¨C Huh, is that it? (Raigoh)


    I thought he would be dead after all of that, but Raigoh¡¯s face formed the most sinister smile.


    ¨C I guess it¡¯s time to show you all how it¡¯s done.


    Raigoh sent the two demons and the elf flying with a shockwave of pure fighting spirit.


    ¨C Letty, Mumuruu, Feria!


    They weren¡¯t injured, but they were clearly looking defeated.


    Such a simple attack was even more powerful than everything we did.


    ¨C Mistress, are you sure you hit him?


    ¨C I wouldn¡¯t be so surprised if I didn¡¯t.


    ¨C My arrows landed on his vital spots. How can he still move?


    ¨C It must have something to do with his cursed sword. We all have our own special weapons. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C ¡­We don¡¯t have time to figure out how it works. (Takaya)


    The Decapitator was standing in front of us, wounds completely healed.


    ¨C Aaah, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve played with Succubi. And now a human too. I¡¯ll give you a taste of my sword, Daybreaker.

 CH 93

    ¡°Chapter 93: Demon¡¯s bride 3¡±


    That sword¡­ It¡¯s as powerful or even more so than the trident before it broke. It could probably destroy the entire fortress in a single slash.


    It¡¯s three times bigger than me, entirely black from the blade to the handle, including all its decorations. It would be more appropriate to say that it looks like a bunch of shadows took the form of a sword.


    ¨C Letty, take the two and run away to mom¡¯s place. As angry as she is, as long as Takaya is there, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll kill you.


    ¨C Mistress, what is your plan?


    ¨C I¡¯ll buy time. I¡¯m the only one that can stand their ground against him.


    Mumuruu swung her spear and started chanting a spell.


    ¨C ¡­Understood.


    Letty might have wanted to help, but against another guardian, she¡¯ll be more of a hindrance.


    Demons have limits just like humans. Willpower alone isn¡¯t enough to be strong.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Takaya. I won¡¯t be able to help you with crafting the spear.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san!?


    At that moment I realized. Mumuruu doesn¡¯t even intend to win. She has already accepted her defeat.


    She¡¯s just trying to buy time so we can escape.


    ¨C No. Mumuruu-san. Stop it. We can do this. We can get out of this. We just have to work together. It¡¯s for these occasions that I have this.


    ¨C Takaya.


    Mumuruu stopped my hand as I was reaching into my bag.


    ¨C I know you came prepared. But this is not the time.


    ¨C But he will¡­


    ¨C No need to worry. He¡¯s not gonna kill me. He wants to make me his wife. It¡¯ll be fine, I think.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san¡­


    It won¡¯t be fine.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be shaking like this.


    ¨C By the way, as compensation for not being able to help with the new spear, I¡¯ll give you the materials.


    ¨C Materials? Wait¡­ you don¡¯t mean¡­


    ¨C Yeah. Use this. It¡¯ll be way faster.


    Mumuruu handed me the Trident of Darkness.


    ¨C Letty, I¡¯ll leave Takaya to you. If anything happens to him, I¡¯ll make sure to punch you real hard. Even if I¡¯m behind bars.


    ¨C I promise to protect him with my life.


    ¨C £À£¹£Ä¡­¡­£×¡±£Æ¡¢£Å£ª£¡ (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Yes! (Letty)


    At her master¡¯s words, Letty grabbed me and flew away.


    ¨C MUMURUU! MUMURUU-SAN!


    ¨C Relax! The situation won¡¯t change just because you scream your lungs out. Just do as she says. (Feria)


    ¨C Damn it¡­


    Frustration is the only thing I feel as Mumuruu grows distant.


    What is the point of being able to grow up to Level IX if I can¡¯t help my friends in situations like these?


    Mumuruu is sacrificing herself, and here I am, just watching.


    ¨C MUMURUU-SAN!


    I shook off Feria¡¯s hand, which was covering my mouth, and yelled.


    ¨C JUST WAIT FOR ME! I¡¯LL MAKE A NEW SPEAR FOR YOU! A SPEAR DESIGNED ONLY FOR YOU! I PROMISE!


    Until then¡­ please be safe.


    ¨C ¡­


    I saw the faintest of smiles forming on Mumuruu¡¯s face.


    I couldn¡¯t make out what she said, as I could barely see her lips.


    But I know my words reached her.


    Now, I have to make them come true.


    The sound of a huge explosion reverberated throughout the demon world.

 CH 94

    ¡°Chapter 94: Mumuruu the Prisoner¡±


    After escaping, we headed towards Azaasha¡¯s mansion. Lemy and Yamy listened to us and let us in.


    ¨C LETTY, YOU FOOL.


    After telling Azaasha the story, she grabbed Letty¡¯s cheeks and stretched them as hard as she could.


    Letty was sent flying back as Feria and I watched.


    ¨C Are you okay?


    ¨C D-Don¡¯t worry¡­ Even if she told me to do it, I deserve this for leaving my master behind.


    ¨C Do you comprehend what you morons have done? The Decapitator, who hates us Succubi, marrying my daughter!?


    ¨C It¡¯s not their fault! They set us up. (Takaya)


    ¨C KEEP QUIET, HUMAN. I don¡¯t care if it was a trap or an accident or whatever. It¡¯s inexcusable to lose a battle against another demon race!


    ¨C Even if it was by a surprise attack?


    ¨C Of course! What do you think the Gana Vares is for? This is all Mumuruu¡¯s fault! If only she had taken care of the trident, she would¡¯ve been able to beat Raigoh.


    I can¡¯t say anything to that.


    If only they had taken care of the trident properly.


    If only it never broke.


    If only we had never met.


    ¨C No solution will come from this conversation. You have to save your fellow Succubus, right? (Feria)


    ¨C ¡­ You are correct. But what could you possibly do? If you wish to get Mumuruu back, you¡¯ll have to face Raigoh once again. Don¡¯t tell me you expect to beat him with that spear.


    Azaasha pointed at the spear in my hands.


    Based on our last fight, this spear doesn¡¯t stand the tiniest of chances against Raigoh¡¯s sword.


    ¨C I¡¯ll make a new one. A spear capable of beating Raigoh¡¯s sword.


    ¨C I thought you¡¯d say that. You have the Level for it, but do you even have any idea how to do it? How are you planning on transforming dark matter? Regular flames won¡¯t do. Do you honestly think that puny little hammer of yours will do the trick?


    ¨C Tch¡­


    We¡¯ve settled on using the Trident of Darkness for materials. I assume it should be all we need.


    But that¡¯s all we have.


    Given the circumstances, we should get to work as soon as possible, but we still need to solve so many problems.


    I¡¯m just sitting here cursing my uselessness while Mumuruu is captive.


    ¨C Please. Tell story. Might, able to help.


    ¨C Hm? That voice¡­ Michael?


    I turned to see a skeleton holding a skull with a gold crown.

 CH 95

    ¡°Chapter 95: Looking for the Key¡±


    ¨C Michael¡­ Are you okay? (Letty)


    ¨C Sure. Saw Takaya-sama others go Azaasha-dono palace. Followed use magic.


    ¨C Well, your head was blown off. You don¡¯t seem okay.


    ¨C No worry. Michael, not bones.


    Michael pointed at the skull he was holding.


    ¨C Werg too. Soul live in crown. Human, doll, puppet, whatever. Cursed items. And move.


    Going by what he says, Michael and Werg are immortal as long as their crowns are intact.


    I wonder if I can wear one of those cursed items like in games.


    Not that I want to do it, but it¡¯s an interesting idea.


    ¨C By the way, where¡¯s Werg?


    ¨C Probably. Lie around somewhere. Crown fine.


    If his crown is untouched then he¡¯s probably fine too.


    ¨C So, Michael, what did you mean by ¡°Might able to help¡±?


    ¨C Not sure. But Letty-dono go there, high chance of clue.


    Letty looked at Feria and me, clearly confused.


    He¡¯s not certain about this clue of his. It could end up being a waste of time.


    But we have nothing else to bank on.


    We have to act before Mumuruu becomes Raigoh¡¯s wife.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go. We could use any help right now. Where is this hint you speak of, Michael? (Letty)


    ¨C It¡­


    Michael turned towards the direction we came from.


    ¨C at Gana Vares.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C What¡­ (Takaya)


    We were greeted with a terrible sight. The fortress was pretty much in ruins.


    The mechanisms to keep intruders out, Mumuruu¡¯s subordinates, just scattered around.


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe this¡­


    ¨C Unacceptable. I¡¯ll make sure the Decapitator pays for this.


    To make up for the lack of Mumuruu¡¯s power, we borrowed Yamy and Lemy. Apparently, they¡¯re as strong as Letty.


    ¨C We have to hurry. Michael, where do we go?


    ¨C Original. Ask person themself. Better.


    Michael dug through a stack of rubble and threw a silver crown at me.


    ¨C Werg!? He¡¯s unharmed!


    But I can¡¯t find anything to put the crown on.


    ¨C ¡­Takaya (Feria)


    ¨C Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Why is your face red?


    ¨C If you need a body for Werg, you can use this.


    Feria took out a stuffed rabbit from her bag.


    ¨C Do not say anything. Do not ask anything. It¡¯s a sort of sleeping charm I use.


    It¡¯s hard to imagine Feria sleeping with a stuffed animal. But it¡¯s surprisingly adorable.


    After she was done making up obvious excuses, I put Werg¡¯s crown on the rabbit.

 CH 96

    ¡°Chapter 96: The Hidden Room in the Fortress¡±


    The stuffed rabbit suddenly started moving.


    ¨C W-Where¡­


    ¨C Werg!


    ¨C That face¡­ Am I perhaps being blessed by the presence of Takaya-sama?


    His way of speaking is completely different. I guess it depends on the object being possessed.


    According to Feria, ¡°Diana talks like a noble warrior¡±.


    ¨C This is indeed me. My previous vessel has been destroyed. Thus, I will take this appearance for now.


    ¨C Does that mean¡­


    ¨C Mumuruu-sama kidnap. Werg, we save she, but need preparation. Show hidden room you mentioned.


    ¨C The hidden room? Hmm. Very well. I have yet to fully digest the situation, but I do understand that we are against the clock.


    Werg jumped off of my arms and walked away.


    ¨C I believe it is this way. If you please.


    And so we headed towards the ¡°hidden room¡±


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    Something that I¡¯ve just now learned is that the Gana Vares has rooms that not even Mumuruu or Letty know of.


    One example is the room I was in with the slime.


    No one knows how such rooms were created or for what purpose.


    ¨C We are here. This is it.


    Werg used to get lost in the castle even in his previous body, but he managed to get to the room eventually.


    Sometimes he would purposefully set off traps in order to take shortcuts.


    One of those shortcuts was a room filled with black lumps of sludge wriggling on the walls and ceiling.


    I¡¯m only doing this for Mumuruu. But I¡¯m never going through something like this ever again.


    ¨C The door! And¡­ Someone?


    At the end of the narrow hallway was a door with several large locks. Alongside was a barely transparent girl with no legs holding a giant key.


    ¨C Oh my. Quite a lot of people today. My name is Mary. My master asked me to guard this door.


    The girl grabbed the edges of her skirt and bowed politely.


    Her skin is pale and her eyes are pitch black. By all means, she¡¯s clearly a ghost.


    ¨C Sorry for intruding, but could we please take a look inside the room? We¡¯re in a bit of a hurry. (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t. The master was very clear. Only the master or certain select people can enter.


    ¨C Master¡­ do you mean Mumuruu-san?


    ¨C No, my master is not the Shimmering Succubus Leader.


    ¨C But she¡¯s the owner of this fortress. Whose room is that, then?


    ¨C I can¡¯t answer that.


    Her mannerisms are polite, and her expression shows kindness, but she¡¯s very blunt at rejecting us.


    I can tell Letty is starting to get impatient.


    ¨C Takaya, we should just brute force this. That ghost doesn¡¯t look very strong, and we can probably break the locks ourselves.


    ¨C Calm down, Letty. Let¡¯s try talking this out.


    With Feria, Letty, Lemy and Yamy, we have quite the strength, but I¡¯d rather avoid confrontation if possible.


    Besides, we have no idea of what Mary is capable of.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ Would you happen to be Nagami Takaya?


    ¨C Uh, yes. That¡¯s me. Do I know you?


    ¨C No. But my master said, ¡°If by any chance a guy called Nagami Takaya comes here, make sure to help him as much as you can¡±.


    Is her master that slime thing I met? Why is he the owner of this room?


    ¨C Please do come in, Takaya-sama. It is by no means a beautiful place, but I hope you all can enjoy your stay.


    ¨C Thank you¡­


    Mary bowed and opened the door.


    ¨C Welcome to my master¡¯s warehouse.

 CH 97

    ¡°Chapter 97: The Hidden Room in the Fortress 2¡±


    ¨C T-This place is huge¡­ (Takaya)


    Everyone was as surprised as I was.


    How does a room like this even exist?


    It¡¯s full of books, tools, medicine, and weapons. The bookshelves are so tall that I can¡¯t see the top.


    ¨C The master said you¡¯re free to use anything. If you need any help, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.


    ¨C Huh? You know where everything is?


    ¨C Well, I AM the guard of this warehouse.


    ¨C Why are you doing this, though? Your master told you to help someone you don¡¯t even know.


    ¨C Who knows. I¡¯m only but a ghost. I can¡¯t possibly read my master¡¯s mind. But¡­


    ¨C But?


    ¨C He said something like ¡°It¡¯s not fair when only one side is favored¡±.


    ¨C ¡­


    Fair?


    Did he know about Raigoh?


    Regardless of who the slime is, it¡¯s clear he has a lot of information about the demon world.


    Is he even more important than the Four Fiendish Guardians?


    ¨C Takaya, what¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something. Anyways, we have to hurry.


    I¡¯ll keep digging once we¡¯re out of here. Besides, he did say we¡¯d meet again.


    ¨C Mary-san, we¡¯re looking to forge a new demonic spear. We have to melt the Trident of Darkness. Do you think this place has the tools for that?


    ¨C The trident¡­ I see. You¡¯ll need some books and a powerful mallet. Please wait here.


    Mary grabbed a key from the hundreds of keys on her waist and floated away. Apparently, all the vaults in this place are locked.


    I¡¯d like to see them all but it would probably take weeks.


    After a brief moment, Mary came back with books and a bag of tools.


    ¨C Here. Do remember that we¡¯re only lending you these for the time. Make sure to return them.


    ¨C Of course. Thank you.


    One of the books was a training guide on forging demon swords and spears. It was written in demon language but Letty was translating for me.


    ¨C Trident¡­ Here!


    After flipping through the pages, Letty found a weapon that looked exactly like the one I¡¯m carrying.


    The instructions were very specific and detailed, as opposed to the rest of the weapons described in the book. It¡¯s enough to be able to tell that the person who wrote this was just like me. Anxious, but meticulous.


    ¨C Letty, what do we need to melt the trident?


    ¨C It says here that the only thing with enough temperature to melt it is the breath of a zombie dragon.


    ¨C And where can you find a zombie dragon?


    ¨C They don¡¯t live in any specific place, they fly around the demon world. We just have to use bait to lure them.


    As expected from dragons, they¡¯re a very rare species.


    ¨C Is there no other way?


    Letty shook her head.


    ¨C Mary-san, just in case, would you happen to have bottled zomb-


    ¨C No.


    I guess it won¡¯t be that easy.


    ¨C Our only choice is to wait for a dragon to use the destroyed fortress as its new place.


    ¨C G W R O O O O O O O H H H ¨C


    A roar strong enough to shake the warehouse resounded.


    ¨C Letty¡­ Uh¡­ Is that¡­


    ¨C I¡¯m not sure. I find it hard to believe that something so convenient would happen.


    We all had the same reaction.


    ¨C The zombie dragon?

 CH 98

    ¡°Chapter 98: VERSUS Zombie Dragon¡±


    ¨C G W R O O O O O O O H H H ¨C


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe this¡­ (Letty)


    The moment I stepped outside, a horrible smell invaded my nose.


    It is a zombie, after all, but the dragon was in a complete state of decay. One of its eyes (or what was left of it) was dangling out of its socket.


    Its ribs were sticking out of its body, and some of the organs were exposed through the ribs.


    ¨C Takaya, stay behind. The liquid it sprays is highly poisonous. Be careful with letting the smell reach your nose.


    Letty stepped in front of me to prevent the yellow liquid from pouring on me.


    The decayed ooze filled with maggots reached the castle and dissolved the rubble.


    ¨C Lemy, Yamy, don¡¯t take your eyes off it. (Letty)


    ¨C Roger.


    The maids spread their wings and rose to the sky.


    ¨C Feria, I¡¯ll act as a decoy. Its breath is stored inside its body, it works like solid fuel. Collect it. (Letty)


    ¨C Understood. I¡¯ll protect Takaya.


    ¨C Letty, don¡¯t do anything stupid. (Takaya)


    Letty nodded, smiled, and then flew right onto the zombie dragon.


    The dragon is big enough that it could overshadow the entire fortress. Trying to defeat it with just our group would be stupid.


    But we only need to fulfill our goal.


    ¨C Elf unit, use this bottle to save the pilot light. (Werg)


    ¨C Thank you Diana¡­ Well, I guess you¡¯re Werg now. (Feria)


    When light shone through the brown bottle, I could see magic words on its surface. It must be a special bottle to store certain items.


    ¨C G W R W O O W O O O O O H H H ¨C


    ¨C Let¡¯s hide behind the rubble. You, skeleton, protect the stuffed animal.


    ¨C Stand. (Michael)


    The four of us hid in the gaps between the rubble while trying to avoid the ooze raining down. Feria¡¯s magic can repel it, but I¡¯d rather she saved it for now.


    ¨C I wonder if Letty will be fine. (Takaya)


    The dragon¡¯s movements are slow due to its size and the rotting of its joints, but with every roar or maneuver it sprays poison everywhere.


    ¨C Aaah, come on, just spit it out already! (Takaya)


    As far as I know, dragons are supposed to attack using mostly their claws and breath, but this one isn¡¯t showing any sign of it. It¡¯s just roaring in annoyance.


    ¨C I think we should assume that¡¯s its trump card. (Feria)


    Feria readied her bow to provide cover at any moment.


    If things get bad, she¡¯ll have to jump into action.


    ¨C ¡­Hm? That-


    I spotted something small and black accompanied by a buzz.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Nothing. Seems like there are mosquit- Kh!?


    The mosquito bit me. I tried killing it but something was wrong.


    ¨C Wh-


    ¨C Takaya!?


    ¨C I can¡¯t¡­ move¡­


    Immediate paralysis?


    When I turned towards the dragon again, I saw a dense fog of mosquitos swarming the field.

 CH 99

    ¡°Chapter 99: VERSUS Zombie Dragon 2¡±


    ¨C G H W O O H ¨C


    Behind the curtain of mosquitos, the zombie dragon shifted its focus to us.


    ¨C Tch. I guess its brain isn¡¯t rotten yet.


    The constant roaring and flailing was probably a distraction to divert the attention from the mosquitos.


    ¨C G W O O A A A A A A H ¨C


    ¨C Here comes the breath!


    It wants to finish us off.


    ¨C Feria, focus on dodging first!


    ¨C I know!


    Feria grabbed me and jumped out of our hiding spot while using her wind magic to repel the mosquitos.


    The Succubi tried to catch the dragon¡¯s attention but it was dead set on us.


    ¨C Bones! What are you doing? Come here, you¡¯ll get caught up in the breath!


    Michael was just standing there with mosquitos swarming his body.


    ¨C I decoy. I at least able to that.


    ¨C But Michael, your body!


    ¨C No care. If crown, no problem.


    Michael hurled the stuffed animal and the gold crown towards us.


    ¨C Dragon probably can¡¯t tell. It aim where mosquito.


    ¨C But¡­


    ¨C Takaya, we won¡¯t make it! Give it up already!


    ¨C Damn it¡­ Just wait, Michael! I¡¯ll find you a new body just like with Werg!


    Michael¡¯s body was reduced to shattered bones being eaten by mosquitos.


    ¨C R O O O O O O H ¨C


    Moments later, a roaring flame struck the location.


    We managed to avoid it thanks to Michael, but our skin turned red just from the heat of the attack.


    ¨C Takaya, are you okay?


    The Succubi rushed to see our current state. They took one of my antidotes from my bag and used it on me.


    My body immediately regained its strength.


    ¨C Thank you. I¡¯m fine now.


    The problem isn¡¯t necessarily the mosquito poison, it¡¯s how many of them there are.


    ¨C G W O O O H ¨C


    There are probably hundreds of thousands surrounding the dragon. Even the Succubi¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t enough to lower the number significantly. It just keeps generating more and more.


    Thanks to Michael, we can retrieve some fire from the spot it attacked. But it¡¯s not going to be that easy.


    Even if it¡¯s remnants of the original fire, the blazes are so hot that it¡¯s hard just to get close. I would need assistance to retrieve it. Specifically, the assistance of Feria and Letty.


    ¨C Lemy-san, Yamy-san, do you think you two can distract the dragon?


    ¨C We were battling as three. (Lemy)


    ¨C And this is how it turned out. (Yamy)


    ¨C Alright. What if there were no more mosquitos?


    Both of the maids looked at me as if I had just said something outrageous.


    ¨C In that case¡­


    ¨C The dragon is slow, so I believe we can.


    ¨C ¡­ Well then. I¡¯ll get rid of the mosquitos.


    ¨C What? (Lemy/Yamy)


    The recipe for victory had begun taking form in my head.

 CH 100

    ¡°Chapter 100: VERSUS Zombie Dragon 3¡±


    Lemy and Yamy were confused, but Feria and Letty were smiling.


    ¨C Letty? Feria? What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Nothing much.


    ¨C Lemy and Yamy might be surprised since it¡¯s their first time, but we were kind of expecting you to say that at some point.


    What? I¡¯m just trying to find the best case scenario using our skills and aptitudes. Is that something weird?


    ¨C So, what¡¯s your plan?


    ¨C I¡¯m making a pesticide. I brought more than enough ingredients, but I have a specific one I want to use.


    I took out a brightly colored mushroom.


    As bright as it is, it¡¯s incredibly poisonous. But poison can also be used as medicine if mixed correctly.


    ¨C A Grenbenni from the Sage¡¯s Forest?


    Just like Feria said, this is a Grenbenni. The mushroom that once almost killed Mike.


    Now I¡¯ll use it for the pesticide.


    ¨C I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to use it directly on the mosquitos. At the very least, it¡¯ll work as a repellent. I¡¯ll spray a less toxic version of the pesticide on Lemy and Yamy, and then with Feria¡¯s magic we¡¯ll try to attack the main curtain of mosquitos. I¡¯m sorry that this is all I can do.


    ¨C No, that¡¯s enough. That¡¯s more than enough, actually. (Lemy)


    ¨C If you can take down the mosquitos, we can beat the dragon easily. (Yamy)


    Lemy and Yamy¡¯s irritation for not being able to properly deal with the dragon only further motivated them.


    As for me, I mixed the Grenbenni powder with a healing potion. There has to be a more optimal way to prepare this, but this is what we get for now.


    ¨C G H W O O H ¨C


    It doesn¡¯t seem like the zombie dragon is keen on waiting for us to finish. We have to be careful about a second wave of breath.


    ¨C I¡¯m done!


    The green potion changed its color to yellow.


    Though it is fundamentally poison, the pesticide has reduced toxicity, so it shouldn¡¯t be dangerous for us unless we directly ingest it.


    I immediately sprinkled Lemy and Yamy with some of it.


    ¨C Your skin might tingle a bit. (Takaya)


    ¨C Nothing wrong on my end.


    ¨C Alright, get going. This is a plan made by Takaya-sama himself, so I will not allow any mistakes. (Letty)


    ¨C Yes!


    The maids flew with such force that the mosquitos around us were blown away.


    The sky was filled with black dots.


    ¨C The mosquitos are opening up a path!


    The pesticide was working. The mosquitos could only watch from the distance.


    ¨C I would expect nothing less from you, Takaya. Good job.


    I¡¯m glad I was finally able to do something to help my friends.


    But it¡¯s not over yet.


    ¨C Just you wait. We¡¯ll tear off your entire skin.

 CH 101

    ¡°Chapter 101: VERSUS Zombie Dragon 4¡±


    ¨C G W O O A A A A A A H ¨C


    The dragon that had been fighting calmly up until now had started controlling the mosquitos erratically.


    It¡¯s not attacking us.


    The mosquitos approach the maids, but they don¡¯t bite like before, they just retreat as soon as they get close.


    ¨C We¡¯ll show you, rotten lizard.


    ¨C It¡¯s your turn to run away.


    The maids appeared right in front of the dragon¡¯s dangling eye.


    ¨C DARK RAY! (L/Y)


    ¨C G W O O O O O O H ! ? ¨C


    The attack hit the dragon¡¯s eyeball but it spread throughout its skin before exploding.


    The dragon roared as the Succubi presumably hit the organ it used to sense the mosquitos.


    ¨C Well done! (Takaya)


    ¨C Let¡¯s finish it off (Letty)


    Once I made sure the dragon was focused on the maids, I started preparing as fast as possible.


    The more toxic I make the insecticide, the less spray it has. I need to get the right amount of Grenbenni.


    ¨C There! Done!


    I brought 10 potions with me, and they¡¯re all gone already. I¡¯ll have to make more later.


    ¨C Letty, Feria.


    ¨C Of course. (Letty)


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you¡¯re relying on us.


    I don¡¯t have the skills to kill dragons.


    I don¡¯t have any magic powers like Meirir and Dyke.


    I just make weapons and medicines.


    It¡¯s the only thing I can do. But it¡¯s the only thing I have to do.


    ¨C Letty, throw the bottles of insecticide near the dragon. Feria will take care of spreading it, so try to aim them all at the same spot.


    The biggest swarm of mosquitos was distracted by the two maids, so Letty flew up quietly so as to not catch their attention.


    ¨C OVER HERE, LIZARD (L/Y)


    Lemy and Yamy caught on to Letty and intensified their attacks.


    The insecticide is losing its effect as the chemicals are evaporating from their skin, but the maids don¡¯t seem to care.


    ¨C Vicepres!


    ¨C Got it! Do it, Letty!


    Letty threw all the bottles around the center of the dragon¡¯s body.


    ¨C Go! Wind arrow!


    With astonishing dexterity, Feria shot the bottles with an arrow. The arrow itself didn¡¯t seem to be decreasing its speed. Quite the contrary.


    ¨C Huuff¡­ (Feria)


    She exhaled as if the battle was already over. Her years of experience can tell her that the arrow is going to hit the objective for sure.


    ¨C R O O H ! ? ¨C


    The arrow grazed the dragon.


    It probably thought it was a puny attempt of a distraction from a faraway enemy.


    But the imposing zombie dragon realized its defeat once the liquid from the bottles reached its body.

 CH 102

    ¡°Chapter 102: Pilot Light¡±


    (Narrator¡¯s Perspective)


    ¨C H W O U U U H ¨C


    The dragon looked around, wondering why the mosquitos weren¡¯t chasing their prey.


    Regardless of how much it roared or spun, they were all falling to the ground.


    As if they were dead.


    ¨C G W O O O O H ¨C


    It doesn¡¯t matter. If they die, it just has to make new ones.


    The dragon still had countless larvae left.


    ¨C . . . ¨C


    But something was wrong.


    The adult insects that formed its armor were not regenerating.


    The dragon is more fragile than one would think. Its interiors are exposed, and its skin is rotten. Which is why it needs to create a dense curtain of mosquitos to protect itself.


    ¨C You¡¯re done for, lizard.


    ¨C H W O G H ! ? ¨C


    A voice echoed in its barely functional ears. Moments after, a violent gust of wind struck its head.


    ¡Á


    (Takaya¡¯s Perspective)


    ¨C I hope you enjoy my Fairy Ballista. (Feria)


    After shooting the bottles, Feria drank a potion and shot her next skill directly at the dragon.


    In a world where the air is filled with miasma, the effect of magic spells that don¡¯t use dark magic should be feeble. Such did not seem to be the case for Feria.


    There¡¯s a reason she¡¯s the vice-president of Searat.


    ¨C G W O H ! ? ¨C ¨C R O . . . O H ¨C


    The dragon¡¯s face was already deformed, but Feria¡¯s shot made it even worse. As much as it tried to roar, its jaw was shattered.


    Now it won¡¯t be able to use its breath attack on us anymore.


    ¨C ¡­We did it.


    Letty came back to me for our last job. Lemy and Yamy are left fighting the poor excuse of a dragon.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go retrieve the pilot light.


    The three of us ran towards the rubble left from the dragon¡¯s attack.


    ¨C Ugh!


    As soon as we returned to the place where Michael(¡®s body) died I was already suffering from the abnormally extreme heat caused by the flames.


    Due to my skills, I should be the one to collect the fire.


    I don¡¯t have any combat or direct healing skills. What will happen to a normal person like me once I get too close?


    ¨C Let¡¯s go, Letty.


    ¨C Yes. I will protect you with my life.


    ¨C Takaya, come back as soon as you have it. My recovery magic is below average, but I might be able to heal some of your burns.


    Letty covered my body with a dark magic veil. Not that it does much. When I collect the fire I¡¯ll have to use my hands. Granted, I have gloves, but considering the high temperature, they¡¯ll be completely worthless.


    ¨C Silver, it¡¯s your turn. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll repair you if you melt. One¡­ Two¡­ Now!


    At the count of three, Letty and I jumped into the blazes.


    I was aiming towards one of Michael¡¯s bones.


    ¨C Kh!


    I cut off a bone with some of the sticky liquid fire on it and put it in the bottle.


    The blazes were constantly trying to penetrate the veil to burn me alive.


    Silver¡¯s blade got deformed due to the heat.


    But I can¡¯t give up now. I can¡¯t let everyone¡¯s efforts go to waste. I have to get the pilot light.


    If I fail, our only shot at saving Mumuruu will be gone.


    I can¡¯t let that happen.


    I was quickly losing any sensitivity in my hand.


    ¨C I DID IT! I HAVE THE PILOT LIGHT!


    We¡¯ve overcome our first challenge.


    ¨C Well done, Takaya. You can rest on my bosom if you want.


    After confirming I had the bluish-white fire in the bottle, we quickly left the scene.

 CH 103

    ¡°Chapter 103: Level Up!¡±


    Feria, Letty, and I left the field to look for the warehouse.


    We didn¡¯t defeat the dragon, but we don¡¯t need to. Lemy and Yamy will return once they¡¯re done dealing with it.


    ¨C Aaagh, it hurts¡­


    ¨C Hold on just a little longer.


    Feria tried healing me, and Letty did some very quick first aid on my hands, but they¡¯re still pretty badly burnt. I¡¯ll have to get proper treatment once I¡¯m back in the guild.


    ¨C Takaya, do you need to rest? You won¡¯t be able to use a mallet like that.


    ¨C No, it¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t make the spear yet anyways.


    Even if I know how to forge it, I don¡¯t have the level to do it.


    I held the mallet from the warehouse.


    ¨C It¡¯s too heavy¡­


    Apparently, it¡¯s called Raidbalk. Unusually heavy and made from dark matter.


    I¡¯ve grown physically stronger since coming to this world, but I still need to use both of my hands to lift it.


    Needless to say, that might not be a possibility with my hands in this state.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you.


    Letty put her hands on top of mine. Hers are scarred from the burns too.


    And then on top of our hands were Feria¡¯s


    ¨C I can help too. Letty and I will lift it and you take care of the details.


    ¨C Got it.


    We might need Lemy and Yamy¡¯s help too.


    But with all of us, I¡¯m sure we can do this.


    ¡Á


    The maids came back from their battle, so we got to work as soon as we could.


    It seems the dragon decided to flee after realizing it was on the wrong side of the battle. So much roaring for nothing.


    Now, it was time to get this over with.


    We used some wood we borrowed from the storage as fuel. The pilot light we collected has the property of turning everything into a flame as strong as the dragon¡¯s breath, so any kind of fuel would work.


    As we had expected, the trident quickly reached a temperature to where it was possible to reforge it. The glue from the first aid I applied with the Heaven Jewel disappeared easily.


    ¨C Here we go.


    On my count, the three of us struck the trident with Raidbalk. Not so forcefully, as the weight of the mallet was enough.


    One, two, three, four. Crush it, stretch it, fold it, and repeat.


    Once it¡¯s complete, I¡¯ll shape it to look like the one in the guide. Letty, Lemy, and Yamy are dark magic users, so they will be in charge of carving the magic letters that amplify the user¡¯s magic.


    For this job, we¡¯re using a Heavenly Dagger, which we also borrowed from the warehouse. I can¡¯t thank Mary enough, even if she¡¯s just following her master¡¯s orders.


    We¡¯re working with temperatures so high that even a ghost like her is frowning.


    I¡¯ve sweated so much water that my head is dizzy.


    ¨C Takaya, drink some water. Actually, take a break. (Letty)


    ¨C I don¡¯t need to. Finishing this is more important.


    ¨C ¡­Understood.


    I was so focused that time passed in a matter of what felt like seconds.


    ¨C Is it¡­ done?


    ¨C Yes. For now, at least.


    We completed the Trident of Darkness.


    Three points, magic words carved onto it, same length. It looks just like the original.


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯ll finally be able to beat Raigoh and get Mumuruu back!¡± is what everyone probably thought.


    Except for me.


    ¨C Well, time to get rid of this thing. (Takaya)


    ¨C WHAT? (Letty/Feria/Lemy/Yamy)


    I threw the entire recently forged spear back into the furnace.

 CH 104

    ¡°Chapter 104: Level Up! 2¡±


    ¨C Why!!?? (L/Y)


    Lemy and Yamy were just as shocked as Letty and Feria.


    Of course they would be. We worked so hard for it. And I just threw it into the furnace without even needing to test it.


    ¨C Ah, sorry. You might be wondering why I did that. I was trying to see if the instructions worked.


    ¨C What? (Lemy)


    ¨C You wanted to confirm that you could make a spear by following those steps, right? (Yamy)


    ¨C Yes. But also, I told Azaasha-sama that I would make a spear even stronger than the Trident of Darkness, not the same one.


    It has to be strong enough to beat Raigoh¡¯s sword.


    ¨C Ah, that¡¯s what it was. You definitely surprised us. (Letty)


    ¨C MAYBE SAY SOMETHING BEFOREHAND, YOU IMBECILE (Feria)


    Letty and Feria probably realized at some point that that wasn¡¯t the demonic spear we needed.


    It looked like the trident, but it wasn¡¯t the trident.


    The reason is simple. I¡¯m not Level VII. It doesn¡¯t matter how hard I try, this world dictates that a Level VI blacksmith like me can¡¯t properly forge it.


    ¨C ¡­ You wanted to gain experience. (Letty)


    If I want to make a spear better than the trident, I¡¯d have to be Level VIII.


    And the only way to gain experience is through trial and error.


    Even when I forged Silver along with Akane I had to fail multiple times to get to the final result. This is no different.


    ¨C Vice-pres, I need you to fetch me this ingredient. Ask Mary to help you look for it.


    ¨C You¡¯re using me to run your errands? Did the fire burn your brain?


    Feria¡¯s fist stopped mid-air.


    ¨C *Sigh* Fine. I can¡¯t really help in any other way.


    She sighed after seeing what I wrote on the note and headed towards Mary.


    ¨C What did you ask for? (Letty)


    I looked once again at the fake trident burning on the fire.

 CH 105

    ¡°Chapter 105: Everyone¡¯s Spear¡±


    And so I made several spears so as to increase my level.


    ¨C I¡­ I DID IT!


    After so many attempts, I finally raised my level.


    To a normal person, reforging the trident over and over again might¡¯ve seemed stupid, but thanks to everyone¡¯s efforts, I reached Level VII.


    I could feel this spear being on a whole new level in contrast to the others I¡¯ve made.


    Only a guardian would be able to properly fight with this.


    It does, however, have a flaw. But I¡¯m the only one that knows about it.


    ¨C Takaya, what will you name it? (Letty)


    ¨C Name?


    Well, I guess it¡¯s natural. This might look like the Trident of Darkness, but it¡¯s a different weapon.


    ¨C Feria, any good ideas?


    ¨C Why are you asking me? You¡¯re the one that made it.


    Well, she¡¯s not wrong.


    But Mike is living proof that I should not have the right to give names.


    ¨C I¡¯m sure you can come up with something amazing. Just go with your instinct. (Letty)


    ¨C If you say so¡­ Hm¡­


    The spear used to be called Trident of Darkness.


    It¡¯s made for Mumuruu, from of us.


    All of us-


    ¨C All¡­ Trident of All.


    Everyone¡¯s spear.


    The moment I said the name, the spear emitted an ominous black light.


    ¨C See, I told you.


    ¨C Well, as long as the spear likes it I guess it¡¯s fine.


    I apologized to the spear in a low voice.


    ¨C Lemy and Yamy told me about it, but I can¡¯t believe a warehouse like this exists in the demon world.


    ¨C Azaasha-sama!?


    Mumuruu¡¯s mother appeared behind us.


    ¨C Did something happen?


    ¨C Relax, Letty. I just came here to deliver a message. You borrowed my maids and I have no familiars available at the moment, so I have to do it myself.


    Azaasha handed me a paper, which I gave to Letty since it was written in demon language.


    [Today during the early night a ritual will be held. Bear witness to the final moments of Mumuruu as a filthy Succubi leader. You are all invited. Sear the image into your worthless brains]


    ¨C Is this an invitation to fight?


    Raigoh is planning to use this as an opportunity to decimate the Succubi race. If he gets that much power¡­


    ¨C Mary-san, what time is it now?


    ¨C If you want to reach the Decapitator¡¯s fortress, you will have to leave immediately to make it in time.


    It¡¯s good that we managed to finish the spear in time.


    I genuinely don¡¯t care about Raigoh¡¯s ambitions or what he plans to do in the demon world.


    But one thing is clear.


    ¨C We¡¯re getting Mumuruu back.


    ¨C To be honest, I can¡¯t stand him anyways. (Feria)


    ¨C He¡¯s a troublesome one, for sure. (Letty)


    ¨C Lemy, Yamy, you two keep helping them. I¡¯ll be waiting at my castle. (Azaasha)


    ¨C Understood (L/Y)


    The five of us prepared equipment and potions for our next destination. Though Mary prohibited us from taking anything from the warehouse.


    ¨C Takaya-sama, may I please have a minute of your time?


    Mary stopped me right as we were about to leave.


    ¨C Could you make it quick, please? Everyone is waiting, and we should get going as soon as possible.


    ¨C Apologies, but I have a message from my master. He wanted to extend his gratitude for reading his manga.


    ¨C Oh, I don¡¯t need any grat- Wait, what¡¯s the message?


    ¨C It¡¯s about Daybreaker. The Decapitator¡¯s cursed sword.

 CH 106

    ¡°Chapter 106: Clash¡±


    In the Decapitator¡¯s fortress, Mumuruu was waiting quietly.


    Not that she could do otherwise, as her hands were restrained with shackles that prevented her from using magic.


    Basically, a prisoner. With guards taking shifts to carefully watch every one of her movements.


    ¨C Takaya-sama¡­


    Laying on her knees, that was the only thing she muttered.


    In the demon world, becoming a wife basically means turning into a walking pregnancy station. Such is especially the case for the Succubi.


    And among the Succubi was Mumuruu.


    Unlike humans, it is certain that demons will always inherit the capabilities of their parents.


    Most demon races are physically outstanding, but they lack prowess in magic skills. If they want to improve those areas in their lineage, they have to bring in skills from other races.


    Which is likely why Raigoh is doing this.


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to¡­


    Rationally speaking, in terms of strength it¡¯s not a bad idea to bear Raigoh¡¯s children.


    Mumuruu used to think it was fine if that was her duty as a guardian.


    But that¡¯s Mumuruu from the past.


    Only one certain boy crossed her mind now.


    ¡°Wait for me¡±, he said. Just remembering that makes her heart beat faster.


    She¡¯s a Succubus. She¡¯s had relationships with other demons and humans before. But not a single one was able to charm her like Takaya.


    Deep inside, she knows that forging a spear stronger than the Trident of Darkness is impossible. But that¡¯s exactly why she¡¯s waiting for him.


    Because she knows that Takaya will achieve the impossible.


    ¨C MUMURUU-SAN!


    ¨C T-Takaya!?


    And so started the counterattack.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, it¡¯s me! Takaya! I came to save you as I promised!


    I shouted with all my might as Feria, Letty, the maids and I arrived at the Zelgarea, Raigoh¡¯s fortress.


    The Trident of All was in my hands. It would be cool to break into the fortress using it, but I can barely hold it with both hands.


    Three insignificant demons, an elf, and a human.


    Raigoh sent us that letter because he¡¯s underestimating us.


    But we¡¯ll take advantage of that.


    ¨C TAKAYA!


    Mumuruu ran to my side.


    ¨C Sorry I¡¯m late.


    ¨C You¡¯re finally here, human. I thought you¡¯d be too terrified, but you actually had the guts.


    ¨C Decapitator.


    Raigoh appeared next to Mumuruu, carrying the weight of Daybreaker on his shoulder.


    And behind him were all his subordinates.


    ¨C You¡¯re disgusting. (Letty)


    ¨C Not only that, you seem to have quite the superiority complex too. (Feria)


    ¨C Oh, how flattering. Do you want to be my wives too? (Raigoh)


    Raigoh and his subordinates sneered at us.


    ¨C Shimmering Succubus Leader, take that spear. Your last showing against me was pathetic because you lacked the power from that spear, right? And you, human.


    ¨C What? Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not fighting.


    ¨C You see, I¡¯m a benevolent leader. I will allow you to give your last words to the filthy Succubus. She seemed to be very worried about you.


    ¨C ¡­f?u?c?k? you.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, Takaya. I¡¯ll make sure to crush him with this spear.


    Mumuruu¡¯s expression¡­ It reminds me of someone who had that same expression. Someone that once saved me from dying and then took care of me.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, I have something to tell you before that.


    ¨C What? Are you going to confess to me? Hahaha. Save that for after the batt-


    Before she was able to finish her sentence-


    ¨C Nnn, Nnnu!?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry.


    My face turned bright red as I stole Mumuruu¡¯s lips.

 CH 107

    ¡°Chapter 107: Clash 2¡±


    I had a lot of things to tell Mumuruu. And they weren¡¯t farewell speeches.


    Raigoh probably thought he was being funny by giving us ¡°a last word¡± to further demoralize us. But that¡¯s exactly the opportunity we needed.


    ¨C Phf. T-T-T-TA-TA-TAKAYA!? WHAT WAS THAT!?


    I never told the others the details about the plan so they¡¯re just as surprised as Mumuruu.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, I don¡¯t want us to be separated.


    ¨C O-Of course, I don¡¯t want to either¡­


    Everyone was laughing at our powerlessness.


    This took a lot of courage to do, but for better or worse, I¡¯m used to being humiliated.


    ¨C (Mumuruu-san, we have a traitor.)


    ¨C (What!?)


    ¨C (Act normal. Don¡¯t raise any suspicions)


    ¨C (Okay¡­)


    Mumuruu relaxed and put her hand on my back after understanding the situation.


    I wonder how pitiful we look right now.


    I gave her the spear, told her everything about Daybreaker¡¯s ability, and slipped in a trump card in case of an emergency.


    ¨C Good luck.


    ¨C Thanks.


    After giving her the new trident, I walked back to the group.


    This is all I can do. Now it¡¯s up to her.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san. You got this.


    Mumuruu turned towards Raigoh. Her posture really shows that she¡¯s the Shimmering Succubus Leader.


    ¨C To think that not only did you bring a human into the demon world, you¡¯re also THAT close to him.


    ¨C You know, I have to thank you. At the end of the day, I met him because of you.


    The trident¡¯s points started emitting a dark light as Mumuruu poured her magic into it.


    ¨C Ohh? Looks like your trident is back to normal. How amusing, you think that¡¯s enough to beat me?


    The Decapitator pointed at the sword that easily destroyed the Gana Vares.


    ¨C Here¡¯s a heads up, Succubus. Three strikes. In three strikes, my sword will crush all your hopes and dreams.


    Raigoh¡¯s subordinates were cheering and laughing, but Mumuruu¡¯s confidence didn¡¯t falter.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t talk? (Raigoh)


    ¨C Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about how you still think you have the upper edge. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C What did you say!?


    Mumuruu¡¯s magic power was leaking out to an abnormal level.


    ¨C What is this!?


    Raigoh knows about the trident¡¯s power. He knows it¡¯s capable of multiplying the user¡¯s magic power.


    But even then, he doesn¡¯t seem to be ready for what he¡¯s witnessing.


    Will he really be able to win this?


    ¨C Three strikes. I¡¯ll kill you with three strikes. Takaya said this spear won¡¯t last long, but that¡¯s all I need.


    ¨C ¡­ What!? How did you find out!?


    ¨C Wow, look at the Red Demon leader representing that slow brain they have.


    Mumuruu put on the smuggest smile she could muster.


    ¨C Three strikes, Decapitator. I will crush your hopes and dreams in three strikes with the Trident of All.

 CH 108

    ¡°Chapter 108: Clash 3¡±


    ¨C You can be pretty reckless sometimes, did you know that? (Letty)


    ¨C Sorry, that¡¯s the best thing I could come up with.


    ¨C You could have just hugged her. You can¡¯t talk when your mouth is full.


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    I wanted to make the Red Demons think that our relationship was deep, but maybe I overdid it.


    ¨C At least Mumuruu is fired up now. The more chances we have of winning the better. Isn¡¯t that right, Lemy, Yamy?


    Letty turned towards her used-to-be partners.


    They were being restrained by Feria¡¯s skill, Shadow Bind. It fuses her bow with the target¡¯s shadow in order to immobilize them.


    ¨C You really found out, huh.


    ¨C For how long have you known that we are on Raigoh¡¯s side?


    ¨C Since the moment we finished the first new trident.


    ¨C I see¡­


    ¨C Is that all it took?


    ¨C No, that¡¯s not ¡°all¡±. I had to connect many other dots to reach that conclusion.


    Raigoh looked at them, filled with anger, and said some words in demon language that I can guess were not polite.


    ¨C Allow me to explain. I realized something was off when I managed to make a similar trident on my first attempt. I was only Level VI when I came to the demon world. How likely is it that I would nail my first try on such a complex weapon?


    In other words, there was someone who had better blacksmithing skills than me.


    We saw Letty¡¯s tree when she joined the guild, and we know Feria isn¡¯t a blacksmith. Thus, either Lemy or Yamy have Level VII or higher skills.


    That would also mean¡­


    ¨C It was you who broke the trident in the first place.


    ¨C ¡­ (L/Y)

 CH 109

    ¡°Chapter 109: Lemy and Yamy¡±


    ¨C Why? Why did you betray them?


    The maids stayed silent.


    These are trustworthy servants that Letty could confide in.


    ¨C Why, you ask?


    ¨C We did it for the future of the Succubi race.


    ¨C FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR RACE? You allied with THE Decapitator, and you wanted to give up the mistress!? WHATEVER IS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD?


    Letty was uncharacteristically emotional. She gets angry quite often, but this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen her raise her voice like that.


    ¨C Hehe¡­ (L/Y)


    ¨C ¡­ Is there anything funny? (Letty)


    ¨C Of course you would say that. You¡¯re strong.


    ¨C Our bodies are not like your-gwoh!?


    Black blood came out of Yamy¡¯s cough.


    ¨C Yamy¡­ (Letty)


    ¨C Letty, our bodies aren¡¯t naturally resistant to miasma like yours. We have trained to resist it, but we can¡¯t fully tolerate it. (Yamy)


    ¨C You too? (Letty)


    ¨C Yes. (Lemy)


    ¨C It¡¯s not nearly as bad as human intolerance, but we can¡¯t live our lives as freely as Azaasha-sama, Mumuruu-sama, or you. (Yamy)


    ¨C We Succubi can¡¯t reach the level of intelligence humans can reach. The only thing we have going for us is our looks. Something completely worthless in the demon world, where strength is the only quality that matters. (Lemy)


    In Raigoh¡¯s case, he only wants Mumuruu¡¯s skills and blood.


    ¨C We are weak. And there¡¯s no way to fix it now.


    ¨C But maybe we can do it for later generations. Letty, would you like your children to be weaklings that get constantly ridiculized?


    ¨C ¡­ (Letty)


    After being called a failure of a race by Raigoh and his men, Letty must surely understand how they feel.


    ¨C The Red Demon race might be barbaric, but they¡¯re strong. Much more so than the Succubi. It¡¯s the opportunity we¡¯ve been waiting for.


    ¨C Making Azaasha-sama or Mumuruu-sama have descendants with Raigoh? (Letty)


    ¨C Yes. We made this plan, we broke the trident, and we told Raigoh that a human was coming to fix it.


    ¨C Your win, Takaya-sama.


    ¨C You even found out the flaw we left on the new trident.


    ¨C Right. Once I realized you two were traitors, I made sure to adjust our strategy. The rest is up to both guardians. Shall we watch? (Takaya)


    The Decapitator, Raigoh, against the Shimmering Succubus Leader, Mumuruu.


    In this world, only the strong survive.

 CH 110

    ¡°Chapter 110: Cursed Sword VERSUS Demon Spear¡±


    ¨C How¡­? (Raigoh)


    ¨C How is the spear working so well? I regret to inform you I found the best blacksmith in the human world. (Mumuruu)


    Even Mumuruu was surprised at how much power was overflowing from the trident. Enough to make someone like Raigoh flinch.


    Just like with potions, having a side effect meant I could polish other aspects of the trident.


    It¡¯s the best spear Mumuruu has ever seen.


    ¨C Amazing. I¡¯ll give you that. But if it only lasts 3 hits, there¡¯s no way you can beat me.


    Raigoh quickly changed his strategy from ¡°Beating you all to death¡± to ¡°Survive three attacks from the spear¡±.


    ¨C Guard up, Decapitator. Entertain me, hehe.


    ¨C SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, SCUM.


    All the energy Mumuruu was pouring into the trident was manifesting as a mist around us.


    ¨C HAAAAA!!!


    ¨C HWOO-


    The clash of the Trident of All against Daybreaker resounded throughout the land.


    Mumuruu¡¯s attack didn¡¯t have any strategizing behind it. It was a simple brute force attack.


    Raigoh managed to block it with his sword. Perfect timing, except Mumuruu didn¡¯t care. She kept pushing forward.


    A crack appeared on the handle of the trident.


    ¨C YOU¡¯LL NEED MORE THAN THAT


    Mumuruu¡¯s first strike was blocked and her momentum deviated to the side.


    She was left completely open for a counterattack, but Raigoh himself was struggling to keep up.


    ¨C Haah¡­ Two more strikes!


    Mumuruu managed to reposition herself by flying away. Still, a single hit is all it took for her to be out of breath.


    ¨C IS THAT IT, SUCCUBUS? I don¡¯t have a single scratch. Do you really pretend to kill me like that?


    ¨C Oh I¡¯m gonna tear open your stomach.


    Raigoh¡¯s men had turned silent until they saw the difference between both guardians¡¯ stamina.


    ¨C That sword really is no joke, huh¡­


    At first glance, it looks like we¡¯re doomed.


    But Mumuruu knows.


    ¨C Just like planned.

 CH 111

    ¡°Chapter 111: Cursed Sword VERSUS Demon Spear 2¡±


    Mumuruu licks her lips as she carefully considers her next move.


    With the raw strength from the spear, the best course of action would be to keep attacking him head-on.


    Daybreaker isn¡¯t just a cool-looking sword either. It¡¯s so sturdy that even a proper Level VIII weapon would have a difficult time breaking it.


    If I hadn¡¯t told Mumuruu about its special ability, she would probably be dead by now. I can imagine a scenario where she managed to kill him, only to then get her head cut off by a regenerated Raigoh.


    But her goal is not to kill the Decapitator.


    Mumuruu traced her fingers along the scar that her mother left on her horn and then lunged towards Raigoh once more.


    ¨C KEEP TRYING. (Raigoh)


    But Raigoh realized Mumuruu was aiming for his heart, so he quickly guarded.


    ¨C DAYBREAKEEEER! (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu switched her target from her opponent¡¯s heart to his sword.


    ¨C So you did realize I was trying to trick you. I can block your attacks with ease.


    ¨C I¡¯ll break your sword first, and then I¡¯ll break you.


    For her second attack, Mumuruu used all her strength to pierce Daybreaker.


    A creak was heard on both weapons.


    ¨C Oh, adorable. (Raigoh)


    ¨C What!?


    Mumuruu was convinced the sword had broken, but when she looked up again, she saw Raigoh swinging down his weapon on her.


    The Succubus was caught off-guard. She barely managed to protect herself using the trident¡¯s remaining durability.


    ¨C That¡¯s three. Ahahaha!!! (Raigoh)


    ¨C Crap!


    ¨C What a pathetic end for such a powerful weapon.


    ¨C Ghoh-


    Raigoh kicked Mumuruu on the stomach before she was able to fly away.


    Mumuruu was knocked against the wall and fell to the floor. She was hugging her stomach while spitting out yellow liquid.


    The trident was laying on the floor with several cracks. It would break and become unusable any second now.


    ¨C The ability to completely heal the user. That¡¯s the specialty of Daybreaker. That¡¯s why I was unwounded when you pierced my heart back at the Gana Vares. Although it seems you have already realized that.


    ¨C *Cough* S-So¡­


    ¨C Yes. The sword can also repair itself. It¡¯s made out of a Heaven Jewel, so it doesn¡¯t matter how much you break it. Of course, the body regeneration part drains a lot of my blood and magic power, but it¡¯s a small price to pay for victory.


    Long ago, during the war between humans and demons, both sides witnessed the strength of holy and cursed swords. This is the result.


    ¨C It was quite a surprise to see the power of your spear, but you¡¯re still weak.


    Mumuruu tried to stand up, but all her energy was put into her attacks.


    When the battle started, Mumuruu stood at the top. Now, even the crowd is declaring Raigoh as the winner of this duel.


    ¨C Haha. Yeah, whatever you say. (Mumuruu)


    * D O N N *


    Mumuruu grinned, as a ray of light descended from the sky and fell onto Raigoh.


    ¨C W-What!? What is this!?


    ¨C Man, you REALLY like to babble on about obvious stuff. Here, have my thanks, Decapitator.


    A letter fell to the ground from Raigoh¡¯s ribcage.


    ¨C It¡¯s a letter that forces you to teleport. I believe you¡¯re headed to the ¡°Meeting Room of the Council of the Six Sages¡± in the ¡°Royal Capital¡±? Something like that.


    I asked Ever to write a letter for me with a teleportation spell before we left.


    ¨C You¡­ WAS THIS YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG!?


    ¨C Until never, Decapitator. I¡¯m glad I won¡¯t have to see your horrible face ever again.


    ¨C YOU B?I?T?C?H?. DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? AS LONG AS I HAVE MY SWORD-


    ¨C Your sword? Oh yeah, you should get that thing checked, hahaha.


    ¨C WHAT ARE YOU TAL-


    * D O N N *


    Before he could finish, Raigoh was teleported to the Royal Capital.


    With this, Mumuruu has come out victorious. The rest is up to ¡°them¡±.

 CH 112

    ¡°Chapter 112: Judgement for the Holy Sword¡±


    (Narrator¡¯s perspective)


    Raigoh knew exactly where he was going. It was written in the letter, after all.


    ¡°The Meeting Room of the Council of the Six Sages¡±.


    Even in the demon world, the six sages are very well known. Volcano, sea, clouds, light, darkness, and forest. They might claim to be humans, but they¡¯re perceived as something superior.


    Raigoh was able to witness his ¡°Decapitator¡± predecessor fight against one of the sages.


    At the time, he wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance against them.


    However, he¡¯s stronger now. He¡¯s one of the Four Fiendish Guardians. And he has Daybreaker with him.


    If one of them was able to turn both the sword and him into dust at the very same time, he might be done for.


    But there¡¯s no way that would happen. Not to the Decapitator.


    Winning will be hard, but losing will be impossible.


    Once he¡¯s done with the sages, he¡¯ll return to the demon world and crush the Shimmering Succubus Leader.


    ¡°Come at me, Sages. YOU WILL PERISH LIKE THE FOOLISH HUMANS YOU ARE¡±


    Raigoh finally reached his forced destination.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Heeh, is this the famous Decapitator? The one and only Red Demon guardian? Hey, Woodsy, your disciple really pulled it off. (???)


    ¨C I told you to stop calling me that. (Ever)


    ¨C You did? I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve met.


    As Raigoh opened his eyes, he was greeted by a short-haired woman with dark red hair and a blue-haired woman sighing behind her.


    Behind them is a small dragon that burned like magma and a silver-haired divine wolf.


    ¨C What a shame, though. Mr. Decapitator came all the way here but we can¡¯t defeat him ourselves. (Ever)


    ¨C I would rather not fight him. Honestly, I would rather not even breathe the same air as him.


    ¨C Oh, don¡¯t worry. I have someone prepared. A female knight that loves decimating demons.


    Ever snapped her fingers.


    ¨C Excuse me, Sage of the Forest, but I¡¯m an adventurer. You can¡¯t call me on such short notice. (???)


    ¨C Come on now, I was the one that brought you here. I even went through the trouble of getting one of the Four Fiendish Guardians for you.


    ¨C It¡¯s still sudden regardless! Why are you always like this!?


    The knight in armor is talking with the Sage of the Forest as if one of the most powerful demons isn¡¯t even there.


    ¨C DON¡¯T GET SO COCKY NOW!


    Daybreaker absorbed Raigoh¡¯s magic and blood to increase its power.


    Even if they are humans, Raigoh knows this won¡¯t be an easy battle.


    ¨C I will erase your pathetic existence with my sword- (Raigoh)


    ¨C Who gave you the right to speak, savage?


    In an instant, the arm holding Daybreaker fell to the ground.


    Cold sweat running down his neck, Raigoh was just standing there, unable to react.


    He couldn¡¯t even see if the knight used her sword or magic.


    ¨C Impressive for a human, but a wound like this is nothing for me-


    Raigoh¡¯s right arm wasn¡¯t regenerating.


    ¨C HUH!? What¡¯s going on!?


    ¨C Ohh, that¡¯s a cool sword you have there! But it¡¯s being eaten away by an Incurable curse.


    ¨C ¡­What!?


    Sure enough, Raigoh looked at the sword and found a crack at the tip of the blade.


    Incurable¡­ Only one bloodline of demons with such a curse came to Raigoh¡¯s mind.


    He suddenly remembered Mumuruu¡¯s last words.


    ¡°Your sword? Haha, you should get that thing checked¡±


    ¨C N-No¡­ Impossible¡­ Ho-HWOAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!


    ¨C Blade of mine, purify all demons. Seventh Fall! Leave no demon alive!


    The Decapitator¡¯s scream vanished into nothingness, as did his body and soul.

 CH 113

    ¡°Chapter 113: Settling Things¡±


    Thus, the series of events that began with Mumuruu asking me to fix the spear came to an end.


    Raigoh and his sword are no more.


    The person that was supposed to take care of him wasn¡¯t Ever, nor any of the other sages.


    It was the greatest adventurer in the Royal Capital.


    I have no idea what kind of person they are. Ever didn¡¯t tell me, as usual.


    But if they¡¯re capable of singlehandedly defeating Raigoh, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re absurdly powerful.


    ¨C An adventurer capable of taking out one of the Four Fiendish Guardians with ease¡­


    Every day I¡¯m reminded of how big this new world is.


    ¨C Takaya?


    ¨C Ah, yes, Mumuruu?


    Mumuruu knocked on the door and came into the room.


    The curse inflicted by her mother has been lifted off, and I healed the bruises from the battle with the Decapitator using a Recovery Potion.


    With all the experience I got in the demon world, I¡¯m also able to make Level VII potions.


    ¨C The hag- Dear Mother wants to talk to you.


    ¨C Azaasha-sama?


    After the battle, Letty, Mumuruu and I told her all the truth. She was obviously furious, and Mumuruu¡¯s face took most of the responsibility, but she forgave us since we managed to beat Raigoh.


    Mumuruu took me to Azaasha¡¯s private room.


    ¨C Here you are.


    In the room were Azaasha, Letty, Lemy, and Yamy. The latter two were restrained with dark matter chains.


    ¨C Uh¡­ How may I be of use?


    ¨C Oh, please. No need to be so afraid. Someone was calling for you. And we need to properly sentence these two.


    They¡¯re on their knees, eyelids slightly open, staring at nothing. No resistance, no pleading. They¡¯ve already accepted their punishment.


    ¨C Lemy, Yamy, you will be executed after the matters with the Four Fiendish Guardians are settled. (Azaasha)


    ¨C Yeah¡­ (Takaya)


    It¡¯s not the outcome I would¡¯ve chosen, but there¡¯s no denying what they did.


    ¨C However, the children you¡¯re pregnant with will be forgiven. They are not to blame for your actions.


    ¨C ¡­!? (L/Y)


    Their soulless eyes came back to life.


    ¨C I gave birth to that idiot over there. You can¡¯t hide a pregnancy from me. Though I did find out very recently.


    They fought the zombie dragon while pregnant?


    I shot a glance to Mumuruu and Letty. They didn¡¯t seem to have realized either.


    ¨C Azaasha-sama¡­ (Lemy)


    ¨C Why? (Yamy)


    ¨C For the love of¡­ Why are you so surprised!? What kind of demon do you take me for!?


    ¨C A cold-hearted old b?i?t?c?- (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu was sent flying, leaving a trail of blood


    ¨C You two seem to be misunderstanding something. Yes, it¡¯s important to become stronger as a race. But to become strong, you have to pull yourself out of your own weaknesses. We Succubi are considered a failure in the demon world. Our bodies are weak and we¡¯re similar to humans. So what? We¡¯re still demons. We¡¯ve been able to survive for so many generations.


    All the previous generations could¡¯ve interbred with a stronger race, but they chose not to. They wanted to show that they could become strong on their own. The title of Shimmering Succubus Leader is proof that they were able to do it.


    ¨C Although, to be honest, the reason is a bit more shallow than that.


    ¨C And that would be? (Letty)


    ¨C You can choose whoever you want to be the parent of your children. Disregard strength, status, race. None of that matters.


    ¨C Oh, Reall- (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Here, look at this moron. Just like her father, she has as many brain cells as limbs, and yet she¡¯s courageous when she needs it the most.


    Mumuruu is speechless by her mother showing her feelings.


    ¨C You two will die. I will be the one to execute you. But first, let¡¯s hear it from yourselves. What will happen to your babies?


    ¨C Spare them.


    ¨C Please.


    They answered with no hesitation.


    ¨C Very well. We¡¯ll raise them and educate them. We won¡¯t hide what you did, that is up to them to judge once they grow up.


    Mumuruu shrieked at the part of ¡°Raise them and educate them¡±. Her childhood didn¡¯t seem very pleasant.


    ¨C Now that that¡¯s out of the way¡­ Takaya, you have a matter to attend to.


    Azaasha handed me a letter.


    ¨C The Demon King wants to talk to you.

 CH 114

    ¡°Chapter 114: The Demon King. His Name Is¡±


    We left Feria and Letty at the castle. Mumuruu, Azaasha and I headed to the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    Except for the servants that work there, only the Four Fiendish Guardians are allowed in the castle. It¡¯s unprecedented that a human would be invited.


    ¨C Huh, not as big as I expected. My Grandmaster¡¯s palace is twice as big.


    I was expecting it to take us an entire day to navigate through the castle of the most important demon in this world.


    Mumuruu guided us up the stairs. We were surrounded by very deep trenches filled with swamp water. I¡¯m pretty sure I saw a giant eyeball looking at us from the water, but I¡¯ll try to forget I saw that.


    ¨C Shimmering Succubus Leader! What brings you here today?


    ¨C The Demon King invited us. Here¡¯s the letter.


    Mumuruu handed the letter to the servant. The man was the living image of a vampire. Pale-white skin, red fingernails, bloody red eyes, and sharp teeth.


    ¨C Looks legit. Very well then, allow me to show you the way.


    The vampire opened a small door near the gate.


    ¨C You¡¯re¡­ not going to open the gate? (Takaya)


    ¨C It¡¯s a fake gate that leads to a trap. It teleports intruders into another dimension. (Mumuruu)


    I think I have an idea of who this Demon King is. Building a library at the top of the Gana Vares, building a warehouse, making a trap like that¡­


    The inside of the castle was surprisingly bright. There were colorful lamps reflecting light onto the floor.


    ¨C The guests have arrived. The Shimmering Succubus Leader, her mother, and¡­ Understood.


    The servant clapped his hands and a vampire maid dressed in black came out of his shadow.


    ¨C Apologies, but only Takaya-sama may enter now. You two will have to wait in another room.


    ¨C I can¡¯t go in with him?


    ¨C The king said so. He wants to have ¡°a man-to-man conversation¡± with his guest.


    Mumuruu still hasn¡¯t let go of my arm. She¡¯s been clinging to me a lot more since recent events.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, thank you for your concern, but we¡¯re guests. Let¡¯s do as they say.


    ¨C Uuuhhh¡­ Just yell if anything happens, okay?


    I entered the room by myself.


    I followed the red carpet through the painfully dark room. The only source of dim light was a small window. But that light was enough to see the slime sitting on his throne.


    ¨C Yo. Thanks for coming.


    ¨C So you¡¯re the Demon King.


    ¨C Yeah, you probably guessed after I showed some favoritism. Couldn¡¯t really help myself. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve found someone like me.


    ¨C Like you?¡­ So¡­


    ¨C Yes.


    The slime transformed into a human-looking being with a school cap and a black school uniform.


    ¨C My name is Tozaki Kouya. I, too, come from the other world.

 CH 115

    ¡°Chapter 115: Kouya and Takaya¡±


    There are more people from my world other than my classmates?


    I had a hunch, but to think it¡¯s actually true¡­


    And on top of that, he¡¯s the ruler of the demons.


    At first glance, he looks one or two years older than me, but he seems to have more experience in this world, so his aging might have distorted at some point.


    ¨C You missed something, though. I¡¯m not actually the Demon King. I just act as a representative.


    ¨C Representative? Then who¡¯s the Demon King?


    ¨C Hey, China-chan(*), come out already.


    Kouya looked at the bed in the corner of the room. From the bedsheets peeked a pair of eyes.


    ¨C Kou-kun, can we trust that person?


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, we come from the same place.


    The girl stared at me with her red eyes.


    ¨C Uh, my name is Nagami Takaya.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ Your name sounds similar to Kou-kun¡¯s.


    ¨C Only the last syllable. But I probably come from the same place as him


    ¨C Dark hair, dark eyes, not many people like that here. (Kouya)


    The girl got out of the bed and hid behind Kouya.


    ¨C Takaya, this is Tilchina. I know she might not look very intimidating, but she¡¯s undoubtedly the ruler of all the demons. Her skills are unmatched.


    The girl stood firmly for a second and bowed before returning to Kouya¡¯s back.


    ¨C Tozaki-san.


    ¨C Just call me Kouya. Age aside, we were both students in the old world.


    ¨C Kouya, thank you for helping us. The warehouse, Daybreaker¡¯s secret. If it wasn¡¯t for you, the Succubi race and I would¡¯ve been killed.


    ¨C I know, which is why I thought I could give you a hand. But did you really have to use that horrible insecticide? My body still hurts.


    ¨C ¡­What?


    Kouya struck a pose like a TV superhero and transformed.


    ¨C G W O O O O O O H ¨C


    ¨C Kou-kun, you stink.


    ¨C That dragon was you!?


    The dragon poofed back into its original form.


    ¨C That was me. ¡°Perfect Imitation¡± is my tree. Well, it¡¯s called perfect, but it does have some conditions.


    I knew it was too much of a coincidence to find a zombie dragon at the exact moment we needed one.


    ¨C No need to apologize. I know you wouldn¡¯t have killed me if you knew.


    Maybe I overdid it with the insecticide.


    Kouya, Tilchina and I sat around a nearby table.


    ¨C It took me a long time to get to where I am. No time would be enough to cover it all, but that¡¯s what you came here for, right?


    ¨C Yes. Please tell me everything. How you got to this world, and how much you know about it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    (*) TLN: Same with Mike, China is pronounced ¡°Chi-na¡±, not ¡°Chai-na¡±

 CH 116

    ¡°Chapter 116: New Guardian?¡±


    Tozaki Kouya reincarnated in this world after dying in a plane crash a long time ago.


    Just like me, it was during a school trip. There were so many students that they had to split the flight into two groups, but a lot of students died anyways.


    I hadn¡¯t been born at the time, but it was such a big accident that I often saw articles about it.


    The plane went missing, and the rescue teams weren¡¯t able to find a single hint about its whereabouts.


    ¨C We were flying over some country and the engine started malfunctioning. We were supposed to crash onto the ground but the plane exploded before landing. I was engulfed in flames, and next thing I know, I was here. I thought it was some sort of disgusting prank.


    ¨C I had something similar happen. Does that mean that other people get reincarnated into this world regularly?


    ¨C Seems like it. The flow of time is different here. It¡¯s been hundreds of years.


    ¨C ¡­How old are you in this world?


    As far as I know, the lifespan of humans is the same. He should be dead by now.


    ¨C Hmmm, I don¡¯t really remember. I stopped counting after I started serving China-chan¡¯s household. China-chan, do you remember?


    ¨C Fhihonhenhenhereiheh.


    ¨C Whoops there, don¡¯t talk with your mouth full! Anyways, it¡¯s probably been a thousand years already.


    So Kouya abandoned his humanity to become a demon?


    ¨C I wasn¡¯t as lucky as you, Takaya. I landed in the demon world when I reincarnated. There were a lot of us, but they were decimated almost immediately. We just so happened to reincarnate during a war between humans and demons. I¡¯m still mentally scarred from the things I saw.


    He¡¯s right, I was lucky. I shiver to think what would¡¯ve happened if the first thing we saw in this world was Raigoh¡¯s face.


    ¨C It was Tilchina who helped me. Weird things had been happening in the demon world, so she ran away from the castle. I found her and picked her up. One thing led to another and¡­


    ¨C And you became the representative of the Demon King.


    ¨C Yep. Sometimes I had to deal with the idiot you killed plotting to assassinate me. But overall, I¡¯ve been managing.


    Kouya¡¯s life had been uneventful in the previous world, but he¡¯s smiling now.


    Exactly like me.


    ¨C So, what¡¯s your plan? I¡¯ve already chosen to live here with China-chan, but what will you do now?


    ¨C Well¡­


    After my classmates abandoned me I had lost any interest in going back to the previous world. But now, with Kouya¡¯s help, maybe¡­


    ¨C Kouya, do you think it¡¯s possible to go back to our world?


    ¨C I wonder¡­ If there¡¯s a connection from there to here, surely there has to be a connection vice-versa. Right?


    Living happily in this world with my friends from the guild seems like the best idea.¡¡Surrounded by people that love me, living my life to the fullest. That¡¯s what Kouya decided to do.


    ¨C My plan? I haven¡¯t decided yet. But, if you were to find a way to go back, I¡¯ll give it some thought.


    It¡¯s not just me I have to think about. My classmates are still locked in Ever¡¯s basement.


    I¡¯ve been told that Ever put them in a state of comatose. Not alive, nor dead. Their lives are still in my hands.


    Violence, looting, kidnapping¡­ They¡¯re victims themselves, but they still have to atone for what they did.


    ¨C Gotcha. Think about it, I¡¯ll help as much as I can. As long as you¡¯re not China-chan¡¯s enemy, you¡¯re my friend.


    ¨C What a way to put it. You would turn on me?


    ¨C Why, of course! China-chan is the most important thing to me. Lay a finger on her and I¡¯ll kill you.


    Kouya¡¯s eyes turned blood red.


    Needless to say, I have no intentions of betraying them, but I¡¯ll have to keep this in mind for sure.


    ¨C Master, may I?


    Tozaki¡¯s eyes came back to human form as one of his butlers knocked on the door.


    ¨C Yes?


    ¨C The Four Fiendish Guardians have gathered. You should get ready.


    ¨C Ah, I was so entertained with our talk that I forgot.


    ¨C What will you do?


    ¨C Well, now that the birdbrain is dead, we have to name the new guardian.


    Impressive. Raigoh has been gone for such a short time and they¡¯ve already moved on.


    I guess that¡¯s my cue to leave.


    ¨C Hey, hey. Where are you going? You¡¯re the star of today¡¯s party.


    ¨C ¡­What?


    ¨C You¡¯re the new guardian!

 CH 117

    ¡°Chapter 117: The Demonic Creator Takaya¡±


    ¨C ¡­ Come again?


    ¨C Well, the Decapitator is dead, right? Someone has to succeed him. And who else other than the guy that defeated him.


    ¨C Mumuruu is the one that beat him. We were just standing in the back looking at the battle.


    ¨C But she used your strategies. She even praised you so much.


    I made the trident, I found out about Daybreaker, and I gave Mumuruu the letter. From her perspective, she probably assumes the victory was all mine.


    ¨C But I¡¯m a human. Will the other guardians accept me?


    ¨C I¡¯ll make them accept you if I have to. China-chan, any objections?


    ¨C Nope, Takaya-kun seems like a good boy.


    ¨C There you have it. The approval of the one and only Demon King.


    ¨C Her standards seem rather low¡­


    There¡¯s no way I can accept this. I didn¡¯t even want to get involved in this turmoil.


    I have a place to return to.


    ¨C Come on, let¡¯s get going.


    ¨C But¡­


    Kouya dragged me away with his overwhelming strength. Not that I could¡¯ve resisted even if I wanted to.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Yo, sorry for making you wait. (Kouya)


    All eyes turned to us as we entered the room.


    Other than us three, there were four people and a big insect in the room. Two of those people were Azaasha, and Mumuruu, who was waving at me and smiling.


    ¨C Oh my! Kouya-chan! It¡¯s been some time~


    ¨C Zeze, glad to see you¡¯re doing well.


    ¨C I¡¯m almost done getting used to the miasma. Soon enough I¡¯ll be as powerful as I was up there.


    The first one to speak to Kouya was a blonde woman with black and white wings growing out of her back. I couldn¡¯t help but look away from her figure, similar to Azaasha¡¯s.


    ¨C Takaya, that¡¯s the Godslayer Leader Zezekiel. She¡¯s a fallen angel.


    ¨C What a lovely surprise. You¡¯re just as cute as Kouya-chan. Forget that brat over there and come with me~


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    Zezekiel¡¯s blue and golden eyes locked on me. Her hand was stopped before reaching my cheeks.


    ¨C Oh? What¡¯s wrong? Want to say your farewells to your little boy?


    ¨C ¡­¡­£Ä£¼£¹¡¢£È£Ã£Æ¡±£Æ¡±££ (Mumuruu)


    ¨C £££££¡£¿£¿¡¡¡±£ú£Â£ß£Ø£¡£¡ (Zezekiel)


    ¨C Behave, you two. You¡¯re in the presence of the Demon King.


    The one that stopped them was a dragon covered in black scales. I say dragon, but he¡¯s nowhere near the size of Kouya¡¯s transformation. He¡¯s more akin to a wyvern.


    ¨C Ah, shut up Tokage. Want me to take you out first with my Divine Caning?


    ¨C If you wish to fight I¡¯d be happy to oblige, but Kouya-sama and Tilchina-sama¡¯s announcement takes priority. How about you two relax?


    ¨C Tch. Fine~ (Zezekiel)


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Commander of the Draconic Demons. (Mumuruu)


    The two leaders settled down and went back to their seats.


    There was one more person(?) observing them.


    ¨C That bug¡­ I don¡¯t like it. (Tilchina)


    ¨C That¡¯s Nobudo, the Silk Bugs Leader. Not very talkative, but certainly a loyal one.


    Although she (or he?) had a humanoid form, their head looked like a fly¡¯s and they had small transparent wings.


    The Shimmering Succubus Leader, the Godslayer Leader, the Commander of the Draconic Demons, the Silk Bugs Leader, and the Dragon King. The strongest of the demon world gathered in the same room.


    ¨C Well, now that we¡¯ve all calmed down, let me introduce you to Raigoh¡¯s replacement. This is Takaya, the Demonic Creator.


    ¨C Uhh¡­ The pleasure is¡­ mine?


    How did I end up in this position?

 CH 118

    ¡°Chapter 118: Together with Mumuruu¡±


    Apparently, I¡¯m now the Demonic Creator Takaya, one of the Four Fiendish Guardians.


    The other guardians had been notified in advance. None of them opposed the decision.


    Azaasha herself was very surprised by the outcome, but as the word of the king is absolute, she did not protest.


    ¨C Kouya, this is a bit¡­


    ¨C Ok, hear me out.


    Kouya moved to whisper in my ear.


    ¨C (Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s cool?)


    ¨C What?


    ¨C To be known as a guardian!


    Kouya guided Tilchina to the throne. I sat next to Mumuruu.


    ¨C Well then, I¡¯m sorry for getting straight to the point. From now on, Takaya will be part of the Four Fiendish Guardians. If you have any complaints about it, feel free to share them with Raigoh. Except you can¡¯t, because he died for disobeying us.


    All the guardians giggled and nodded. It seems Raigoh wasn¡¯t the most popular among his peers.


    ¨C About our management: Up until now, we¡¯ve had 6 people to rule over 5 regions. With me in the center, everyone else rotates their duties every 100 years, with one in the reserve. Last one to have entered reserve is Zeze, and the last one to have left was Mumuruu. We¡¯ll be making some changes to that system.


    ¨C Am I about to get the short end of the stick?


    ¨C Aha! Quick on the uptake, Zeze! Takaya will take your place in the reserve for a short time.


    So that means I can freely go back to the human world?


    ¨C Zeze, you¡¯ll take the northwest area for a bit. The Commander of the Draconic Demons will take Raigoh¡¯s area.


    ¨C As you wish, my lord. May I ask what am I to do with the remaining demons?


    ¨C Eviscerate them as soon as you see any suspicious activity. Though hopefully, it doesn¡¯t come to that.


    ¡°Eviscerate them¡±? I don¡¯t think I would be able to make that choice if that were me.


    After that, everything went smoothly. I¡¯m required to attend meetings on a regular basis, but apart from that, I¡¯m free to do whatever I want wherever I want.


    I wonder how I¡¯ll tell the rest of Searat about this.


    ¡°Hey guys! I became one of the Four Fiendish Guardians. The most powerful demons in the demon world! Neat, right?¡±


    ¡­


    There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll believe me.


    ¨C That¡¯s it for our meeting. We¡¯ve sorted out everything. Except¡­


    ¨C What¡¯s left? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C I have a job for you all. I need you to find a person.


    Kouya began explaining the other main reason to gather the guardians today.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Thank you for everything.


    After the meeting concluded, it was time for us to go back to the human world.


    That entire incident with Raigoh happened in the span of 12 days. Time really went by quickly.


    It¡¯s around midday, but the sky is dark due to the miasma.


    ¨C It¡¯s our last day here, I wish the sky was clear¡­


    I guess in a way this is fitting for the demon world.


    ¨C Takaya, please take care of yourself first and foremost.


    Letty was making sure I had everything ready to go back.


    She will stay in the demon world to help Azaasha until a new maid is trained to replace her. It¡¯s sudden, but with the absence of Lemy and Yamy there¡¯s no other choice.


    ¨C Letty, I wanted to give you this. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like it¡­


    ¨C A box? Can I open it?


    ¨C Yeah.


    Inside the box was a necklace I made myself. It¡¯s made out of the broken parts of the Trident of All, so it has no magical powers or anything special.


    But Letty looked happy anyways.


    ¨C Takaya-sama, you didn¡¯t have to¡­


    ¨C ¡­Letty?


    ¨C ¡­Oh, it¡¯s nothing.


    I heard a faint ¡°I don¡¯t mind being your second option anytime you want¡±.


    ¨C Aw, come on! Why her!? What about me!? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C ¡°What about me¡±!? You¡¯re going back with him! And you have the guts to ask for a present too!? How needy are you!?


    Mumuruu is going to replace Letty as my maid and bodyguard.


    The title of Shimmering Succubus Leader will return to her mother, along with the role of guardian.


    ¨C Are you sure this is fine?


    ¨C Of course. You¡¯ve helped me so much. Now it¡¯s my turn to help you. From now on, I¡¯m your spear. I¡¯ll pierce through anything you need.


    ¨C Uhh, thank you?


    ¨C No, thank YOU. My one and only master.

 CH 119

    ¡°Chapter 119: Looking for a Room in Bay Road¡±


    After finishing our business in the demon world, we came back to the place I call home.


    Everyone in Bay Road is energetic as usual. Maybe that¡¯s why I like it so much here.


    Life in this world is great.


    But I still have some stuff to sort out.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Humm¡­


    Just another morning. I wake up in my workshop.


    At this point, I¡¯m pretty much living here. It¡¯s spacious enough to fit two workshops, so I had no issues bringing in a bed and some basic necessities.


    ¨C Master, hug me more~ (Mike)


    ¨C Hehehe¡­ Takaya, something so big won¡¯t fit~ (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Alright, this is too cramped. (Takaya)


    At some point, the sleeping dorks sneaked into my bed.


    These two are also working and living at the guild.


    If it was just me I wouldn¡¯t mind living here like this, but I should think about Mike and Mumuruu too.


    If possible I¡¯d like each of us to have our own room.


    ¨C Sometimes you need your own alone time. Otherwise, you¡¯ll save too much of that down there.


    ¨C Yeah¡­ Wait.


    And there was yet another person added to the list of my problems.


    ¨C Grandmaster, with all due respect, do you not have your own room?


    ¨C Don¡¯t sweat the details. I just thought I¡¯d swing by to feel my cute disciple for a bit~


    ¨C Thank you, but no thank you. And for the love of god, wear some clothes.


    Akane¡¯s cooking is so bad that lately Ever has been stopping by to have breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.


    The guild is already marked as one of Ever¡¯s shortcuts for her teleportation magic.


    Basically, my privacy is nonexistent.


    My current problem is ¡°How to solve the lack of space¡±.


    Not nearly as bad as ¡°How to defeat one of the most powerful demons¡±, but still a problem.


    ¨C AAAHH WHATEVER. Fine, I¡¯ll do it!


    ¨C Hnn? Takaya? What¡¯s wrong? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Unyuu¡­ Do what? (Mike)


    ¨C Get changed, we¡¯re leaving after breakfast. We¡¯ll look for a new place.

 CH 120

    ¡°Chapter 120: Looking for a Room in Bay Road 2¡±


    ¨C So, I¡¯d love it if you can guide us through the process.


    ¨C Sure thing. Coming to me for help was the right choice.


    The four of us ate breakfast and I gave Ever enough food to go back to the castle. After that, we went to Rudra to ask for some guidance.


    ¨C Feria and I can put our names for you, but if you want to take a look around, wouldn¡¯t Meirir be more helpful?


    ¨C I¡¯ve asked her already. She said no.


    Meirir has, once again, been avoiding me since we came back from the demon world.


    It might have something to do with the fact that Mumuruu is glued to my arm all day long.


    Well, that, and all the other women that are constantly surrounding me.


    There are a lot of things I want to tell her, so I better fix our relationship soon.


    ¨C *Sigh* That idiot¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll go with you. Wait outside until I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll have to leave Roar some work.


    By the way, while I was in the demon world, Roar replaced Feria as the vice-president of the guild, but apparently, he was doing such a good job that he was promoted to substitute president. Something he wasn¡¯t very happy about.


    ¡Á


    Mumuruu, Mike, Rudra and I headed to meet an intermediary that Rudra is acquaintanced with.


    A lot of people have been moving to Bay Road lately. Probably because it¡¯s close to the sea, probably because it¡¯s such a lively place.


    With that in mind, I¡¯m glad Rudra is with us. We might get scammed otherwise.


    ¨C Anything specific you¡¯re looking for? (Intermediary)


    ¨C Hmm¡­


    I¡¯d like to have a room for myself. I need some private space.


    But then I¡¯d have to worry about money.


    The currency in this world is called Serch (S). I get paid about 70,000S a month.


    Currently I don¡¯t have to pay rent since I live in the guild, but most of my monthly income is spent on food.


    Not my food, by the way. Mumuruu and Mike eat way too much.


    ¨C This is out of my scope, for sure.


    This apartment has a shared living room, a kitchen, and a room for the three of us.


    It¡¯s already out of my budget. By a lot.


    100,000S. Not a delusional price, but not enough for me.


    Maybe if business at the guild takes off, but until then¡­


    ¨C Takaya, do you need me to get a job? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Thanks, but you don¡¯t have to.


    As happy as I am that she¡¯s willing to help, I¡¯m the one that wanted to bring them along.


    ¨C Hm? What is this?


    One of the places caught my attention.


    It¡¯s close to the lower neighborhoods, but it¡¯s only 10,000S.


    ¨C Uhh, I wouldn¡¯t recommend that place. (Rudra)


    ¨C But it has everything we want. And it¡¯s cheap.


    ¨C Weird things happen there.


    ¨C Ah¡­


    ¡°Weird things¡±.


    I know very well what that means.


    ¨C Master, why is your face pale?


    ¨C Just having some flashbacks.


    If it¡¯s a ghost that I can communicate with like Mary it would be fine.


    But if it¡¯s a bunch of ghosts that write ¡°W E L C O M E¡± with blood and try to scare me to death, that¡¯s a bit of an issue.


    ¨C I can take care of that. (Mumuruu)

 CH 121

    ¡°Chapter 121: Haunted Place¡±


    Following the map we were given, and putting my trust in Mumuruu, we headed to this ¡°haunted¡± spot.


    As Meirir explained before, Bay Road is divided into 5 sections. From left to right: Fourth, Second, First, Third, and Fifth.


    District First and District Second are commercial areas. District Fourth is where the wealthy live, along with schools and government offices. District Fifth is for the most part a very unsafe place. And District Third is the middle-lower class residential area, which is where we¡¯re going.


    ¨C Uhh¡­ Right by the liquor store, into the alley, straight to the end, turn right, down the stairs on the left¡­ This is it.


    ¨C ¡­ This is it alright. (Mumuruu)


    Let alone Mumuruu, even I could tell something was off with the atmosphere of the place.


    ¨C Can you feel something?


    ¨C Yeah. What humans call ghosts, we consider curse heralds. Spirits that are on the look to spread curses, like the one I and mom have, except these are more like ¡°Go insane!¡± or ¡°Lose your mind!¡±.


    ¨C Can we do something about it?


    ¨C Of course! We can have our love nest for as cheap as 10,000S.


    If we can lift the curse it would be a lifesaver.


    ¨C Mumuruu, I don¡¯t know the details, but I thought curses could only be lifted by the user or with holy water.


    ¨C Right. And spirits are ghosts, they¡¯re already dead, so there¡¯s no one to lift it. If you had to buy holy water for the whole place you¡¯d go broke. But don¡¯t worry, I told you I can take care of it.


    Mumuruu tightly held the new spear I made for her.


    ¡Á


    We explained the situation to the owner of the Maison Alheib and stepped into Room 303.


    ¡¾uuUuuUuuuuUuuUu¡­¡­¡¿


    ¡¾HIhhIHIIHIIHHIiiiIiIii¡­¡­¡¿


    *Thud* *Bang* *Thud*


    ¨C W-What a warm welcome¡­


    This room is a whole new world. There are no curtains on the windows but for some reason it¡¯s pitch black in here. There¡¯s also no water running but I can hear the sound of water.


    ¨C Looks like the previous owners are still here. Well, whatever. Hey, Takaya, stop pulling my sleeve. (Rudra)


    ¨C Huh? (Takaya)


    ¨C Huh? (Rudra)


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Mostly because I¡¯m busy hiding behind Mumuruu.


    ¨C Mumuruu-san, please, just get rid of them already¡­ (Rudra)


    ¨C Hooh, what¡¯s wrong, gramps? Big guy ended up being a coward~


    Mumuruu held her spear as if she was a priest and began chanting.


    ¡¾£×¡±£×£ª£¬£×¡±£×£ª£¬£×¡±£×£ª£×¡±£×£ª£×¡±£×£ª£×¡±£×£ª£×¡±£×£ª¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­£¡£¡¡¿


    Her weapon is a new spear I made exclusively for her. It¡¯s called ¡°Trident of Red¡±. It¡¯s made from Red Iron, which is obtained from demon beasts.


    It¡¯s definitely not as strong as the Trident of Darkness, but it gets the job done.


    ¨C LEAVE, LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE. LET TAKAYA AND I HAVE OUR NEWLYWED LIFE IN PEACE.


    ¨C Master, what¡¯s wrong with Mumuruu?


    ¨C I would like to know too.


    Someone seems to have forgotten that we¡¯re still here. And that Mike will be living with us.


    ¨C Hm? The room got brighter¡­ (Rudra)


    Light was coming through the window, and all the racketing came to a stop.


    ¨C Hehe, not bad, right?


    ¨C Thank you¡­ But how did you do that?


    ¨C Well, my curse is stronger, so I just kicked them out.


    ¨C What? That¡¯s it?


    ¨C ¡­Yeah? Most ghosts are kind of like animals. When they sense someone stronger they just run away.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ I¡¯m going to be honest with you, sometimes I feel like this guild could conquer the world if we set ourselves to it. (Rudra)


    Mumuruu was dancing happily in the middle of the room.

 CH 122

    ¡°Chapter 122: Shopping Date¡±


    Thanks to Mumuruu, we were able to rent a place for a reasonable price.


    Neither of us had much luggage. We only had to worry about furniture.


    So I asked a certain someone to help me with that.


    ¨C Hmm, I wonder if this outfit is okay¡­


    I¡¯m standing at the entrance of the guild waiting for the person.


    I chose the most stylish clothes Ever had for me. Obviously, since they¡¯re from her, they have defensive spells imbued.


    ¨C Takaya! Sorry for the wait. (Meirir)


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I just got here. (Takaya)


    ¨C Really? Cause we¡¯ve been standing here for a while. (Mike)


    ¨C Mike!? Would you like to stop talking!? (Takaya)


    Meirir accepted my invitation, so I decided to arrive at our meeting spot about an hour earlier.


    ¨C Haha, same old Takaya. By the way, where¡¯s Mumuruu? She¡¯s always glued to you.


    ¨C Mitta is teaching her how to do receptionist work.


    As opposed to Letty, Mumuruu is rather slow at learning that kind of work.


    At least that allows Meirir and I to have some alone time. Alone with me and Mike, who¡¯s here as a measure to prevent our conversations from getting awkward.


    ¨C By the way¡­


    ¨C Hm?


    ¨C I¡­ like your outfit today!


    Meirir was also on her day off, so she was wearing more casual clothes. A patterned jacket with a matching knee-long skirt.


    ¨C R-Really? My strong suit is to punch things, but I like showing off my girly side too~


    Dyke told me to compliment her clothes first and foremost. I have now succeeded in putting her in a good mood.


    We¡¯ll be making a trip to buy furniture for our new place and maybe stop to have food at some point.


    This is essentially, at least to me, a date. Hopefully we don¡¯t get interrupted and kidnapped this time.


    ¨C Yeah¡­ I¡¯m a girl¡­ I have to show you-


    ¨C Meirir-san, Mike is already hungry. Do you mind if we eat- Meirir-san!? Your face looks weird. Do you need to sit down for a bit?


    ¨C What? Nah, not at all! Come on, I know a place where we can eat.


    Smiling, Meirir grabbed our hands and pulled us along.


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C Master, you look happy.


    ¨C Maybe. I was just thinking that this is the usual Meirir.


    I took a peek into my bag to make sure that the thing was still there.

 CH 123

    ¡°Chapter 123: Shopping Date 2¡±


    After eating lunch early, we were walking by the most popular stores around.


    ¨C Woah, lots of people around¡­


    Everyone comes here to get their groceries and other various necessities. It¡¯s a narrow street, yet it¡¯s completely crowded.


    ¨C Uuu, I don¡¯t like this¡­ (Mike)


    ¨C Sorry, just a little more. Hold my hand.


    Mike is a very anxious girl. As soon as Ever, Akane or I leave her side, she transforms into her wolf form and starts looking for us. She¡¯s starting to get used to Meirir, but any of the other members of Searat are still a no-go for her.


    Having a wolf running around in the middle of so many people would be quite an uproar.


    ¨C Meirir¡­ (Mike)


    ¨C Hm? Yes?


    ¨C Hold my hand.


    ¨C Ah, right! Sure!


    Meirir blushed and averted her gaze after grabbing Mike¡¯s hand.


    ¨C Hey, Takaya¡­ (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah?


    ¨C Look at us¡­ Don¡¯t you think we kinda look like a family? Holding hands with our daughter?


    ¨C You think so? We look too young for that. If anything, we¡¯re like siblings!


    ¨C ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¨C Ow!?


    I felt a kick on my butt.


    ¨C Aaah, whatever! Come on, Mike. Let¡¯s leave this idiot behind. There¡¯s a stall with yummy food over there! You can eat as much as you want.


    ¨C Really!? Yay!


    ¨C Hey! Wait!


    ¡Á


    Finally, on a good note, we rounded up our furniture shopping.


    We had to buy kitchenware for way more than the 3 of us since we¡¯ll likely be getting quite a few visitors. A certain sage, for example.


    We left everything back home and then I invited Meirir to a restaurant as a way of thanking her.


    It was time for the real talk.


    ¨C Thank you for everything today. Come on Mike, you too.


    ¨C Thank you Meirir. Food was tasty.


    ¨C Hehe, no worries~


    Meirir started patting Mike¡¯s head.


    Mike being so accepting of her just goes to show how kind-hearted Meirir is.


    I¡¯m glad we saved Mike. It was one of the best decisions I¡¯ve taken since coming to this world.


    ¨C M-Meirir-san!


    I took out the thing from my bag and awkwardly handed it to her.


    The execution could¡¯ve started better, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m redoing it.


    ¨C Is it for me?


    ¨C Y-Yes¡­ Thank you for today¡­ and for everything you¡¯ve done for me.


    ¨C Thank you?¡­ Wait, is this¡­


    She was able to guess the contents of the present just by feeling the wrap.


    ¨C A ring!? And it¡¯s so pretty!


    It was a ring I made using scraps of a Heaven Jewel.


    It¡¯s a very amateur creation, but at least it looks shiny.


    ¨C Y-You¡¯re¡­ A very special person to me!


    ¨C S-S-Special!?


    I was so nervous that I forgot to think about what I was saying.

 CH 124

    ¡°Chapter 124: Feelings of Gratitude¡±


    ¨C wWWwwwWwwWwWELL, YEAH, I ENJOY YOUR COMPANY, b-but, this might be a bit too far for now, don¡¯t you think!?


    I took Meirir¡¯s hand, which only worsened her confusion.


    ¨C Is that a ring? (Mike)


    ¨C Yes. It¡¯s a gift to thank her for everything she¡¯s done for us.


    ¨C You¡¯re¡­ marrying her? as a gift?


    ¨C ¡­What? Marriage?


    I gave Meirir a ring as a present. I tried to show my appreciation.


    In fact, the ring is made to amplify the user¡¯s magic powers, just like Mumuruu¡¯s spear.


    Meirir¡¯s ability is so unique that it causes a considerable amount of physical and mental strain, so I wanted to help her however I could.


    And a ring is what I came up with. It¡¯s just an accessory to wear on her hand, so it shouldn¡¯t get in her way when fighting.


    But that¡¯s it.


    ¨C Why did you think I was proposing?


    ¨C The receptionist girl said she wanted a ring to get married already.


    Ah, Mitta. I¡¯m not surprised.


    But that does put this scenario into perspective.


    I did just tell Meirir she¡¯s special to me while giving her a ring.


    ¨C Uhh¡­ I-


    ¨C That¡¯s Takaya alright! You might look like the quiet kid in the back but you can be outrageous sometimes (Meirir)


    ¨C Please forget what I said! Though it would be nice if you wore the ring.


    ¨C Sure! Thank you! But please be more careful with how you express your gratitude.


    ¨C Right¡­


    In retrospect, Letty must¡¯ve felt like that too.


    Speaking of Letty, she¡¯s been sending me ¡°status reports¡± about her duties in the demon world. Except lately they¡¯ve turned more into love letters.


    ¨C On which finger of my left hand should I wear the ring?


    ¨C Left hand?


    ¨C Well, if I¡¯m going to use it, might as well have it on my left hand~


    I don¡¯t know if there are any unique traditions in this world, but as far as I know, left hands are for engagement rings.


    ¨C You can choose the finger. I¡¯ll accept your feelings anyway~


    ¨C ¡­Meirir-san, is this your way of getting back at me?


    ¨C Oh? Whatever are you talking about, you silly, haha~


    I firmly held both the ring and Meirir¡¯s left hand.


    ¨C ¡­


    Her fingers are so beautiful that it¡¯s hard to believe she fights with her fists.


    Just to make it clear, I do have feelings for Meirir. Probably since the time she first saved me.


    I don¡¯t know if Meirir herself has noticed, but Roar and Dyke have made it clear how painfully obvious I am.


    ¨C Here I go¡­


    Meirir¡¯s fingers were trembling.


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C NOOOOOOO!!!!


    I let go of Meirir¡¯s hand as I heard a loud scream echo.


    ¨C Mumuruu!? What are you doing here!?


    ¨C Who cares!? What are YOU doing flirting with this girl when you have such a cute maid!?


    How did she even know we were here? And isn¡¯t she supposed to be at the guild?


    ¨C Aaahh, Mumuruu! They were at the best part!


    ¨C MITTA!? Were you watching us!?


    ¨C Not just us. Take a look at that table over there.


    Rudra and the others were sitting at a table in the back.


    They saw everything.


    ¨C Sorry, Meirir. I tried to stop them. (Feria)


    ¨C What? You were holding your breath the entire tim-GWOH!? (Dyke)


    ¨C At least now that you two are on good terms we can move on to our next matter. (Rudra)


    ¨C Hey! I¡¯m not okay with this! (Mumuruu)


    ¨C I am. Try me. (Meirir)


    ¨C Oh I will! (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu is basically barking at Meirir, who doesn¡¯t seem bothered by the demon.


    ¨C Hey, Rudra, what did you mean by ¡°move on to the next matter¡±?


    ¨C Well, Searat has to move up in the ranks, and there happens to be an event for that coming up.


    Rudra laid out a paper sheet on the table.


    ¨C The Guilds War, sponsored by the Royal Capital. It¡¯s about time we show what we¡¯re made of.

 CH 125

    ¡°Chapter 125: The Guild that Represents the City¡±


    There are hundreds of guilds of various sizes in every country, region, and city.


    Each guild takes on different requests. Some are merchants, some take bounty hunts, some take escort missions, and so on.


    Including dark guilds, which do criminal activities, there are probably over a thousand guilds.


    In Bay Road, Searat is a rather small guild. We¡¯re not able to take big jobs, so we make do by taking a lot of small jobs.


    ¨C And so they brought me here to explain. (Mitta)


    ¨C Thank you for your hard work.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I like explaining things. Maybe I¡¯ll become a teacher once I retire from Searat¡­ Yes, that¡¯s a joke Rudra, no need to look at me like that.


    All the guild members were gathered in Rudra¡¯s office following the announcement.


    ¨C Takaya, do you know how we get our job requests?


    ¨C Well, sometimes people themselves come here, sometimes we get requests from the Guilds Central.


    ¨C Right. Whenever I¡¯m at the counter, I don¡¯t just greet people, I also do tons of paperwork.


    We accept a lot of requests, but our main source of income is subsidies from the organization that manages all guilds.


    That organization is Alta Masters, the biggest adventurers guild in the world, located in the Royal Capital.


    Alta Masters has branches in every city. These branches pay subsidies to the guilds based on their size and how many requests they contribute to.


    In a way, Searat is a sub-branch of a sub-branch.


    ¨C Examinations are carried out periodically to replace the main branch of a city. If we do better than the current one, even a guild like us can become the representative of the city.


    ¨C We used to have only 3 people participating from our guild, but with the addition of you and Mumuruu, we might have a shot.


    Meirir, Dyke, Roar, and now me and the previous Shimmering Succubus Leader.


    ¨C Rudra, can I ask you something?


    ¨C You want to sit out?


    ¨C No, that¡¯s not it.


    I owe this guild way too much. Not just financially. If they want to participate, I¡¯m in.


    ¨C Do you want the guild to keep growing? More people and more fame means more money.


    ¨C That¡¯s not it. I have a dream that I want to achieve one day, but for now, I¡¯m more worried about putting food on everyone¡¯s table. I also have a lot of debts¡­


    He would be a lot happier with some more money, but for now, that¡¯s not his main concern. He just wants to keep living his life happily.


    I wrote my name on the participants¡¯ column.


    This will be my first ¡°adventure¡± with Meirir and the others.


    The event begins in 7 days.

 CH 126

    ¡°Chapter 126: Match Start¡±


    ¨C Alright, good enough for me. Now, Mumuruu¡¯s¡­


    A week after our dinner, we were (I was) getting our preparations done.


    Silver on my belt, recovery potions and other mixing components in my bag¡­


    ¨C Ah~ Noo, Takaya-sama~ Don¡¯t put it in there~


    ¨C Master~ I¡¯m already full~


    I fell asleep alone last night. At some point the girls crawled into my bed. I guess it helped calm down my nerves.


    I think we¡¯re ready now.


    ¡Á


    Us five participants, plus Rudra, Feria and Mike gathered on Road Four, where the branch is located.


    It¡¯s rather quiet here, especially compared to the other roads.


    ¨C Is THAT it?


    At the end of the road was an insanely large building.


    Road Four has a considerable amount of tall buildings, be it government facilities or schools, but the branch is by far the tallest building I¡¯ve seen.


    ¨C Tch, look at that, we work so hard to get money, and these guys get buildings like this just because they¡¯re draining the Royal Capital¡¯s wallet. (Rudra)


    ¨C Don¡¯t be so grumpy, we¡¯ll be that sub-branch soon. (Feria)


    ¨C Takaya, what does that mean? ¡°Draining their wallet¡±? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Uhh, to put it simply, the higher-ups lend them money due to certain reasons. It¡¯s a pretty common thing in the human world.


    ¨C Hmm~ I don¡¯t really get it. Humans are wise but weird.


    As soon as we entered the building we could see dozens and dozens of groups of people like us waiting at the reception.


    Are these ALL the guilds in Bay Road!?


    ¨C Searat, from Road First.


    ¨C Understood. Participants this way, please.


    Every guild will have teams of 5, with 2 backup members in the reserve. Rudra and Feria aren¡¯t allowed to participate, so we¡¯ll have to make do by ourselves.


    Time to showcase my supporting skills.


    ¨C Searat, come here.


    Even though we had already filled out every form and made sure we had everything in check, one of the receptionists stopped us on our way to the waiting room.


    ¨C Is there something wrong? (Rudra)


    ¨C Yes. Please leave all your equipment here.


    ¨C ¡­What!? We didn¡¯t hear anything about that in the terms! Surely we can take some of our potions at least!? (Rudra)


    ¨C No. You must leave everything behind. Including the belongings of the observers that won¡¯t participate. We will take care of all of it


    Good to know that all my preparation was pointless.


    ¨C How are we supposed to fight, then!?


    ¨C Our superiors have instructed us to make this fight as equal as possible. All teams will be provided with the same weapons and restorative equipment.


    The ¡°weapons and restorative equipment¡± were clearly cheap commercial stock. Definitely lower quality than what I had prepared.


    Our team¡¯s power just plummeted.


    ¨C What if we don¡¯t want to? There was no such rule in the terms we agreed to. We spent a lot of money preparing for this. Are you going to compensate us?


    ¨C Well¡­


    The receptionist was at a loss for words.


    ¨C Haha! Noisy as ever, eh Rudra?


    From an office in the back came a man wearing all white and a gold snake medal, indicating he belonged to the main branch.

 CH 127

    ¡°Chapter 127: Match Start 2¡±


    ¨C Hey, kid. How¡¯ve you been? Try to keep it quiet. What would your mama and papa back at the capital say if they saw you making this ruckus?


    ¨C You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?. You were a lowly rat just like us, don¡¯t act so almighty just because you¡¯re part of Alta Masters.


    ¨C What did you just call me!?


    ¨C Look at your stupid face getting red. Are you really an adult?


    ¨C ¡­ (Everyone)


    The room turned somber at their exchange.


    They clearly know each other, but they don¡¯t seem to be on good terms.


    ¨C Rudra, who might this be?


    ¨C His name is Mizott. He works in this branch, Seaserpent. We used to be comrades. (Rudra)


    ¨C He used to be in Alta Masters before coming to Bay Road. (Mizott)


    ¨C Heeh~ That¡¯s the first time I hear about it. Why did you leave? You left behind money, status¡­ (Meirir)


    ¨C Well, uhh, you see¡­


    Feria blushed and looked away.


    Now we know where their familiarity comes from.


    ¨C Mizott, what¡¯s up with the equipment rule? We didn¡¯t hear anything about it beforehand.


    ¨C As the woman told you, we aim to make this battle equal for everyone. That means you lot and everyone else will be using the equipment we provide.


    ¨C ¡°Equipment we provide¡±, as if it isn¡¯t the cheapest thing you found in a back alley.


    As Rudra says, the weapons look to be worth a penny at most. It feels like they¡¯ll break with only a few uses.


    Not really a good image of the guild that¡¯s supposed to represent Bay Road.


    ¨C Let¡¯s leave it at that. If everyone is on equal terms, we just have to do better. (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­Are you sure? (Rudra)


    ¨C Yes, we¡¯ll figure something out.


    ¨C Hooh? That¡¯s some confidence right there, boy. You don¡¯t seem to be a warrior, though. What are you? Blacksmith? Creator? (Mizott)


    ¨C I¡¯m everything.


    ¨C ¡­Pardon?


    I wasn¡¯t trying to be enigmatic, but Mizott just looked at me confused.


    ¨C Whatever. If our ace says it¡¯s fine, then it¡¯s fine. Anyone thinks otherwise?


    ¨C Nope. I believe in Takaya. (Mumuruu)


    Everyone else nodded.


    ¡°If the guy that only relies on preparation and can¡¯t fight says it¡¯s fine, it means we can do it¡±


    ¨C So, are we betting? (Mizott)


    ¨C You¡¯re damn right we are. If we lose, I¡¯ll handstand naked throughout Bay Road barking while wagging my a?s?s? like a tail. (Rudra)


    ¨C You better not forget what you just said. (Mizott)


    His face distorted by anger, Mizott walked back into his office.


    I think Rudra just put a huge target on our back for no reason¡­


    ¨C I¡­ shouldn¡¯t have said that.


    ¨C ¡­ (Takaya)


    Maybe losing wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all.

 CH 128

    ¡°Chapter 128: Hunger¡±


    ¨C I will now begin explaining the details of this war to decide the representative guild of the city. (Mizott)


    All the participant guilds were gathered in the meeting hall of Seaserpent.


    ¨C Lately, we have received countless requests to stop the sudden increase of longhorn boars from eating villages¡¯ crops.


    According to the flyer, 1,000S~10,000S will be rewarded for each boar hunted depending on its size.


    ¨C The winner will be the guild that earns the most money.


    The time limit is exactly until the next sunrise. All members have to be present, otherwise the guild is disqualified.


    It¡¯s¡­ not a lot of time.


    ¨C If you have any doubts check the flyers. That concludes the explanation. I wish you all the best of luck.


    Hundreds of people were exiting the building like an elephant stampede.


    ¨C Takaya, we should hurry too. (Meirir)


    ¨C Right. But before that, would you mind if we dropped by somewhere first? (Takaya)


    ¨C Sure? What for? (Meirir)


    ¨C Dyke, Roar, aren¡¯t you a bit hungry? (Takaya)


    ¡Á


    The competition had begun, and all the guilds had scattered where they thought the most boars would be.


    Normally we would¡¯ve followed them, but¡­


    ¨C Lunch¡¯s ready! (Takaya)


    All five of us were having lunch at a lodge in the woods near Bay Road.


    ¨C I hope you like it. It still has a few bones but nothing to worry about. (Takaya)


    ¨C R-Right¡­ (Roar)


    ¨C Make sure to drink all the soup. You need those nutrients. (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­Sure? (Dyke)


    ¨C Feel free to add more salt or pepper if you want! (Takaya)


    ¨C Okay¡­ (Meirir/Mumuruu)


    ¨C Enjoy the meal!


    ¨C ¡­ (D/R/M/M)


    The food was just simple ingredients we gathered along the way or in local markets.


    An adventurer should be able to live off of basic survival techniques like hunting for food, so it¡¯s not against the rules.


    ¨C Aah, your food is so good. I feel like I¡¯ve gained some weight~


    ¨C Gained where? Look at this.


    Mumuruu and Meirir didn¡¯t start their relationship very well, but now they¡¯re comfortable enough with each other. They¡¯re even pinching each other¡¯s bellies.


    I¡¯m happy to see them like this.


    ¨C Hey! Cut it off! (Dyke/Roar)


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Why are we just relaxing here!?


    ¨C The match already started! All the other guilds are out there hunting while we¡¯re having a meal.


    They have a point. The more time we spend hunting the more chances we have of winning.


    Longhorn boars aren¡¯t that big. 3 of us could easily take one out, especially having Mumuruu with us.


    That is if we had the right equipment.


    ¨C Dyke, can you hand me one of the knives we were given?


    ¨C Huh? Here.


    I grabbed the steel knife and flung it against a nearby rock.


    *Kling*


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C I knew it.


    The knife broke.


    As cheap as it may be, it¡¯s steel. It shouldn¡¯t break against a rock.


    Just as I thought, all the equipment is designed to break immediately. The restorative equipment isn¡¯t potions either, they¡¯ll cause mild paralysis.


    ¨C All the teams must¡¯ve received equipment like this. It¡¯ll break on the first use, leaving everyone unarmed and exposed.


    All the teams, except Seaserpent.


    Mizott thought he was being sneaky, but I have enough experience with materials already. I was able to tell the difference in equipments just from a glance.


    ¨C Well then, is everyone full? We should make our move soon.


    Time to capture enemy territory.

 CH 129

    ¡°Chapter 129: Raid¡±


    Longhorn Boars, often called Longhorns, usually live deep in the mountains.


    As their name suggests, they have long sharp horns which they use to reach for berries on trees.


    Longhorns are omnivores. It¡¯s very rare for them to approach human territory, and even if they did, longhorns are docile as long as they don¡¯t perceive any danger.


    That¡¯s how it should be.


    ¨C Yeah¡­ This is bad.


    The moment we stepped into the village we were greeted by rotting corpses of pigs and cows with claw and bite marks.


    ¨C 3 of them. Not very far away. They sensed new prey. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Hmm. Leftovers from another guild, I suppose. How big are they? (Takaya)


    ¨C Two small ones and a normal-sized one. What do we do? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C We¡¯ll hunt the big one. We need the other two for something else. (Takaya)


    ¨C Sorry Mumuruu, we can¡¯t do much without weapons.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. Just make sure you¡¯re useful for Takaya later.


    Mumuruu shook the ground with a kick and flew high onto the sky.


    With a single strike, she pierced the big longhorn with her silver spear.


    Shocked at the sudden danger, the other two boars squeaked and ran away.


    ¨C Just as you said, the spear broke after one hit. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­ (M/D/R)


    Come to think of it, this is the first time the trio of idiots has seen Mumuruu¡¯s strength.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ do you really need us?


    ¨C Come on, don¡¯t say that. Mumuruu is strong, but she¡¯s also hard-headed. I need you guys for the more tactical things.


    Even when we were hunting our food, Mumuruu got annoyed at her pray escaping too quickly and decided to leave the job to Meirir and Roar.


    ¨C Now it¡¯s your turn. We¡¯ll use the horns and tusks from the boars.


    ¨C What?¡­ Takaya, are you aiming for the boar leader?


    ¨C Yeah. I thought it would be a good idea.


    The leader should also be accompanied by over a hundred other longhorns.


    Obviously, that¡¯s a lot of enemies, so we¡¯ll need proper equipment. The boars¡¯ horns and tusks are mediocre at best as materials. Definitely not as good as steel or iron.


    ¨C F H U O O O O ¨C


    A loud roar made the nearby buildings tremble.


    The two longhorns we left alive must¡¯ve called their friends.


    ¨C Seems like the leader was close. Shall we put our next plan in motion?


    ¨C ¡­ (M/D/R)


    I was trying to pack everything into my bag but I felt the stare of my friends.


    ¨C ¡­Uh, what¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Nothing! It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re more¡­ audacious¡­ than usual. Right, guys? (Meirir)


    ¨C Something like that, yeah¡­ (Roar)


    ¨C Right. But at least it¡¯s a good thing. (Dyke)


    Letty¡¯s words echo in the back of my mind.


    ¡°You can be pretty reckless sometimes, did you know that?¡±


    ¨C I¡¯ll always be by your side regardless of which Takaya you are~ (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Thank you. I think.

 CH 130

    ¡°Chapter 130: Raid 2¡±


    I made sure to fix the paralysis potions into actual restorative items.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? Making a potion should be a piece of cake for you. (Meirir)


    ¨C I have to extract the poisonous effects, and the tools for that are back at the guild. I¡¯m trying to do it another way.


    ¨C Is that a poisonous chameleon plant?


    ¨C I¡¯ll add it to the potion.


    ¨C Won¡¯t that reinforce the poison?


    ¨C Yeah. Usually drinking this would cause severe paralysis and diarrhea. But let¡¯s see if it works.


    I ground the chameleon plant and mixed it inside the bottle.


    A black sludge formed on the top side of the bottle, leaving the blue liquid below.


    ¨C What!? How!? (Roar)


    ¨C And now we filter it¡­ Voil¨¢. Could you try it?


    ¨C Mmm¡­ Same bitter taste as usual. (Dyke)


    ¨C I was able to separate both sides by adding an extra ingredient.


    If potions are made with ingredients A and B (as an example), and poison has ingredients A/B/C, by adding an ingredient D, I returned the potion to its original formula.


    By the way, the paralyzing poison used for these potions was scale powder extracted from Raichouga Moths. Not lethal in the slightest, but it has no color, no smell, and no taste. Perfect for the occasion.


    ¨C What a human that Mizott guy is. Do you think those potions will work? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C No. Or at least we won¡¯t be the ones using them. I¡¯ll turn them into a soporific.


    ¨C What?


    ¨C Allow me to explain¡­


    * D O N N N *


    A tremor shook the earth enough to make us lose balance.


    ¨C So here¡¯s the leader¡­


    A gigantic longhorn boar along with two small boars were looking at us from afar. Something tells me Mumuruu killed one of the leader¡¯s offspring.


    ¨C That¡¯s HUGE. How are we supposed to defeat that with no weapons!? (Mumuruu)


    It would be accurate to describe the size of the leader as an elevated hill. It could smash through a castle gate with ease.


    ¨C B W H O O ¨C


    ¨C Takaya, this doesn¡¯t look good¡­ (Dyke)


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan.


    ¨C Of course you do~ What¡¯s the plan? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C We run away.


    ¨C HUH!? (M/M/D/R)

 CH 131

    ¡°Chapter 131: Raid 3¡±


    Our screams were barely audible compared to the roars from the boar leader.


    It didn¡¯t help that we had to run away weaving between tons of trees while the longhorn was just ramming them down.


    ¨C HURRY UP, IDIOTS! You¡¯re gonna turn into boar food! (Mumuruu)


    The only reason I¡¯m not falling behind is because Mumuruu is carrying me while flying.


    ¨C Takaya, how much farther are we supposed to run!? I¡¯m reaching my limit over here!


    ¨C I¡¯ll check right now. Mumuruu, fly higher, please.


    Mumuruu soared high into the sky.


    ¨C There!


    Close to our location was a village being attacked by longhorns along with some of the participants.


    ¨C Mumuruu, there¡¯s something I need you to do.


    ¨C Of course!


    I told Mumuruu the plan, and she went back with the trio.


    ¨C Run to the northeast! We can¡¯t defeat it by ourselves, so make it everyone¡¯s problem.


    ¨C Got it! But how do we make it forget about us?


    ¨C Leave that to Mumuruu. We¡¯ll go our own way.


    All of us diverged in different directions.


    ¨C Hey, what is that thing!?


    ¨C IT¡¯S HUGE!


    The other adventurers were surprised at the gift we were dragging along.


    As big as the leader is, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem with so many people to fight.


    Most of these boss-class enemies are usually tackled in groups, and the rewards are paid according to the number of people involved.


    I also spotted 5 adventurers from Seaserpent among the crowd. With their equipment they¡¯ll surely have it easy.


    ¨C Your turn, Mumuruu! Don¡¯t let them find out who you are! (Takaya)


    ¨C Right-o! Don¡¯t get yourself killed. (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu used Dark Hide on me and ran towards the adventurers.


    ¨C Mumuruu-chan! (Meirir)


    ¨C Take care of Takaya! Don¡¯t you dare let him get a scratch on that beautiful face.


    ¨C You don¡¯t say!? Who knows what that witch will do to me if that happens.


    ¨C Guys, this way. We need to keep a low profile.


    The four of us hid behind a nearby bush.


    ¨C Huff¡­ How long has it been since I ran this much? I¡¯m about to vomit my own heart¡­ (Dyke)


    ¨C Man, I¡¯ve been doing way too much paperwork. I need to work out. (Roar)


    ¨C Good job you two. Here, I made this potion in a hurry. Might not help at all but it¡¯s better than nothing.


    ¨C Takaya, are you sure Mumuruu will be fine by herself? They¡¯ll know she¡¯s a demon if she uses magic.


    ¨C I know. I just asked her to stall as much as she can.


    ¨C That¡¯s your plan? Keeping them busy?


    ¨C And what are we going to do?


    ¨C Whatever we can. We can¡¯t defeat the big one, but at least we¡¯ll trim down the number of small longhorns in the vicinity.


    ¨C Small ones won¡¯t do. We¡¯ll need to hunt way too many.


    ¨C Well, we better start soon.


    I stood up with a knife I made from boar horns in my hand.

 CH 132

    ¡°Chapter 132: Takaya¡¯s Job¡±


    I asked Mumuruu to keep the adventurers entertained with the longhorn leader as much as she could while we sneak around.


    ¨C Hey, what¡¯s wrong with this one!? Its wounds are healing!


    ¨C Since when can longhorns heal!?


    ¨C Burn it with fire! Don¡¯t let it get close!


    But Mumuruu isn¡¯t trying to help the adventurers, she¡¯s trying to help the giant boar.


    Obviously, longhorns can¡¯t heal. It¡¯s a combination of a small potion I made along with Mumuruu¡¯s illusory magic.


    ¨C Let¡¯s get started while everyone else is distracted. We don¡¯t have a single horn yet.


    The way to prove that we¡¯ve hunted a boar is to show their horn, since they¡¯re proportional to the size of their body.


    The only horn we had was used to make weapons, so we¡¯re currently at zero.


    ¨C Hey! I found a big one that can barely move.


    Roar pointed towards a boar that was struggling to run away. Perhaps another team failed to hunt it.


    ¨C Roar, try to hit it with an arrow. I added some of the soporific to them so it should be easier to take it down.


    ¨C Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not Feria. My skills are Level III, IV at most. I can¡¯t hit it from this far.


    ¨C Trust me. I¡¯m sure the current you will be able to do it.


    ¨C Current me? Whatever, let me try.


    Roar hid in a nearby bush and drew his bow.


    ¨C Huh? What¡¯s with this weird feeling?


    ¨C Too hard for you? (Dyke)


    ¨C No¡­ The opposite, actually. I can¡¯t explain it, but my vision is clear. I know I¡¯m going to hit its vital spots for sure.


    Good. My plan worked.


    ¨C Looks like you¡¯ve started to digest lunch. My cooking skills are good enough to buff you and increase your levels for a short period of time.


    The disadvantage is that the effect takes a long time for the effect to kick in.


    ¨C Try shooting the boar.


    ¨C Alright!


    The longhorn sensed the danger, but it was too late. The moment it turned around, the arrow had already pierced the prey.

 CH 133

    ¡°Chapter 133: Takaya¡¯s Job 2¡±


    ¨C This is amazing!


    Even with my help, it was Roar¡¯s ability who it possible to pierce the longhorn.


    ¨C Takaya, you¡¯re incredible. I¡¯m glad we found you.


    ¨C I¡¯m just doing what I can.


    I still feel like I haven¡¯t repaid them for everything they¡¯ve done for me.


    These people accepted me despite all my shortcomings. It¡¯s thanks to their full-fledged trust in me that I¡¯m able to thoroughly develop my skills.


    ¨C Come on, let¡¯s go get the boar¡¯s horn.


    The longhorn had completely lost any signs of life by the time we reached its death place.


    I collected its horn while apologizing in a low voice.


    ¨C Takaya, take a look at this.


    Meirir waved and signaled me to gaze at a certain spot.


    ¨C ¡­It¡¯s dead.


    A badly wounded longhorn was laying on the ground. Its horns had been torn to shreds and its dead body was full of injuries.


    ¨C It¡¯s still recent¡­


    ¨C Takaya?


    ¨C Meirir-san, I know it¡¯s a hassle, but can you three please dig a hole? We can¡¯t leave it like this.


    ¨C Sure, but we need to keep looking for boars. None of us can hunt at night, except for Mumuruu, who is busy.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll keep at it until the very last minute.


    ¡Á


    After burying the boar, we kept hunting for as long as we had energy.


    We managed to get a total of 10 horns. I would say it¡¯s a good result considering we don¡¯t have Mumuruu.


    Meirir, Dyke and Roar suffered some scratches while fighting but nothing worrying. I, of course, was in the backline being protected all the time.


    So far, everything is still going according to my plan.


    ¨C Good catch, Takaya. How did you know the others teams wouldn¡¯t bother to pick up the magical stones on the dead bodies? (Roar)


    ¨C Only 5 participants per team. I¡¯m sure all the teams decided to go with their strongest frontline warriors.


    No one thought people with production and processing skills would be necessary for a ¡°war¡±. At least in this aspect, we got the upper edge.


    The boars don¡¯t just have their horns, they also harvest magical stones and other valuable materials in their bodies.


    The winner of this battle is whoever gets the most money, not whoever kills the most boars.


    I¡¯m sure we can get some good money for all these materials.


    ¨C The other teams should be done with the big guy already. Once Mumuruu is back we should head to the branch early. Rudra and Feria must be worried. (Meirir)


    ¨C Right. Even Takaya has¡­ GET DOWN! (Roar)


    Roar tackled me back into a bush to protect me as a fierce red flame erupted from the bonfire.


    ¨C Dyke, Meirir, are you okay!?


    ¨C I¡¯m fine, but I don¡¯t know about Dyke.


    ¨C Kh¡­ Sorry, I didn¡¯t react in time.


    ¨C Dyke!


    Half of his face had a slight burn.


    We should treat it as soon as possible.


    ¨C Heyy, adventurers! Lovely night we¡¯re having. Sorry to intrude but, would you mind giving us all your loot? (???)

 CH 134

    ¡°Chapter 134: Ambush¡±


    About five or six unknown adventurers came out from the shadows of the night. They were all wearing highly rare equipment.


    ¨C Who are you?


    ¨C Yeah, sure, let me just tell you all about ourselves now. How about you hand over everything you have instead?


    It¡¯s clear he¡¯s a bandit, but the fact that they¡¯re wearing such equipment is really strange.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ We should give in.


    She¡¯s right. We¡¯re only 4, we¡¯re all tired, I can¡¯t fight, and Dyke is wounded.


    ¨C Damn it¡­


    I handed over the bags with all of our loot.


    ¨C Takaya, what are you doing!? (Roar)


    ¨C We don¡¯t have a choice. It¡¯s the money or us.


    ¨C Smart fellow. No hard feelings though, this isn¡¯t personal. Maybe blame your bad luck.


    With all the horns and magical stones in those bags, these guys could make enough profit for weeks.


    ¨C Man, what a hit. And here I thought you guys would be a waste of time.


    The bandits disappeared into the dark of the night.


    All that was left was four adventurers hanging their heads.


    ¨C That sucks¡­ (Meirir)


    ¨C Right¡­ I know this kind of thing isn¡¯t unusual, but it still feels bad. (Roar)


    All the tension and fatigue we¡¯ve been accumulating certainly didn¡¯t help us digest the situation.


    ¨C Dyke, how are you feeling?


    ¨C I can walk just fine but forget about fighting. If only I had reacted faster, maybe we could¡¯ve run away¡­


    ¨C No need for that, just rest. I¡¯ll try to piece together a potion for you.


    I think we all need to take a second to calm down.


    ¨C There¡¯s space in the reserve, right? I believe it¡¯s time I take matters into my own hands.


    ¨C Huh? That voice¡­


    From the woods came Akane wearing not her usual kimono but an outfit similar to a ninja.


    ¨C What are you doing here?


    ¨C Let¡¯s leave the talk for later. We have to treat your friend.

 CH 135

    ¡°Chapter 135: Midnight Counterattack¡±


    ¨C Ah, I thought we were being attacked again, but it¡¯s this beauty of a woman.


    ¨C Umm, uh, yes¡­ My name¡­ is Akane. I apogolize for any inconvecience Takaya coul¡¯vde caused.


    ¨C Akane-san, calm down. These are friends.


    Akane has been a proper member of Searat for some time, but this is the first time she has introduced herself.


    ¨C Is it fine for you to enter as a substitute? We didn¡¯t put your name in the form.


    ¨C The Grandmaster said she has an ¡°acquaintance¡± which she pressured to put me on the list. And then she forced me to come here to help you.


    ¨C Aahh¡­ (T/M/D/R)


    Of course she would do that.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here, but the hunting is pretty much over, and we just got all of our loot stolen.


    There must be close to no small boars left alive.


    We¡¯ll finish last place.


    ¨C Are you okay with that? (Akane)


    ¨C Huh? (Takaya)


    ¨C They stole your belongings when you were at your weakest and simply walked away. Will you sit there and accept that?


    ¨C What do you want us to do? Go beat their lights out?


    ¨C Well¡­ Yes? I¡¯ll leave it to you four to decide. My grosbeak found the culprits and is following them as we speak. They¡¯ll reach their hideout soon.


    Mumuruu will be back anytime, and we have Akane now¡­


    It¡¯s risky, but if we manage to beat them we¡¯ll be back in the game.


    ¨C Let¡¯s do it. (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah. (Roar)


    ¨C Are you sure? (Takaya)


    ¨C Of course. When we fall, we stand up again. (Meirir)


    ¨C If we left things like this, it would be as if we worked for free. Can¡¯t have that. (Roar)


    ¨C We gotta show them what we¡¯re made of. And by we, I mean you, because I can¡¯t fight. (Dyke)


    I have no reason to object. If anything, this turn of events only further motivated us.


    ¨C It¡¯s settled, then.


    The night of the counterattack has begun.

 CH 136

    ¡°Chapter 136: Midnight Counterattack 2¡±


    ¨C Aaah~ I¡¯m so tired. I did as much as I could. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C You did more than enough. Thank you. (Takaya)


    ¨C Eheheee~ No problem~ (Mumuruu)


    I patted Mumuruu¡¯s head as a reward for her hard work.


    ¨C You two seem quite close. (Akane)


    ¨C Why the pouty face? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C This is my face. Are you incapable of remembering any face that¡¯s not Takaya¡¯s?


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Are you aiming for Takaya too? Forget about it, he¡¯s MY master.


    ¨C ¡°AIMING¡±!? What has gone wrong in your life to think I¡­ I-I would like him!?


    ¨C Hmmmmm~ I wonder~ Takaya, what do you thi-


    ¨C Shall we start our strategy meeting soon!? Dyke, Roar, come here. (Takaya)


    ¨C Sometimes I wish you got kicked by a goat. (Dyke)


    ¨C Next time think about not holding more flowers than you can handle. (Roar)


    With the best of timings but oblivious to the situation, Akane¡¯s grosbeak landed on my head.


    ¨C Good job, Grosbeak. Here, have some worms. They¡¯re your favorites!


    Now we can track the exact position of the bandits¡¯ hideout.


    ¨C It¡¯s time to make a plan. (Akane)


    ¨C Plan? We just barge in and kill them. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C She¡¯s right. We¡¯ll teach them how much limbs can turn before it gets ugly. (Meirir)


    ¨C ¡­


    Akane just stood there in silence and looked at me.


    ¨C Understood, then. You two do your thing.


    ¡Á


    With Akane¡¯s grosbeak leading the way, we ran back to the place we originally came from.


    At first I was skeptical, but there¡¯s no way a trained familiar like this would be wrong.


    Something else I noticed is that usually bandits resort to looting because they¡¯re poor or desperate. But these bandits were too well-equipped for that.


    They didn¡¯t look like run-of-the-mill adventurers either.


    Which means¡­


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re here at this hour. Bay Road¡¯s District Fifth. Where most dark guilds are.


    Dark guilds undertake quests that can¡¯t be requested publicly, including criminal acts.


    Did we happen to be unlucky enough to be found by some bandits walking around? Or did someone hire a dark guild to ambush us?

 CH 137

    ¡°Chapter 137: District Fifth¡±


    From the outside, District Fifth actually looks like a middle-class residential area. But that¡¯s just from the outside.


    ¨C I can see so many lights on for how late it is.


    ¨C District Fifth doesn¡¯t sleep. Stores have strictly regulated hours to do business, but most stores here operate without a permit anyways.


    Meirir, Mumuruu and I passed by an unconscious drunk man as we headed towards our destination.


    It would be suspicious, to say the least, if a bunch of adventurers from outside suddenly barged in, so we separated into different groups. Meirir, Mumuruu and me, Dyke and Roar as another group, and Akane is going by herself.


    ¨C By the way, what did you bring when you went back?


    ¨C Just a little gift.


    All of our weapons were confiscated and stored in the branch, but that¡¯s not all the items we had.


    I was holding a spherical object containing something pitch black. It¡¯s supposed to be thrown, but I guess it can be used as a distraction too.


    Obviously bringing items from outside the competition is against the rules, but this has nothing to do with the competition. Besides, Seaserpent were the ones cheating in the first place.


    ¨C Over there.


    Grosbeak landed on top of a three-story building with thick curtains on every window.


    There are two drunkards guarding the entrance. One with an axe and one with a sword. As cheap as they get.


    ¨C Mumuruu-chan, leave those two to me. The guys inside might be stronger than I can handle, so I¡¯ll leave those to you.


    ¨C Gotcha. Just when I wanted to go a little crazy.


    ¨C Be careful, there might be innocent people on the first floor.


    ¨C I don¡¯t think that changes much.


    This is still a dark guild, so whatever is going on inside can¡¯t be good.


    ¨C It was so easy to track them down. Why hasn¡¯t the branch done something about them? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Seaserpent might get a lot of requests, but when you look at District Fifth¡­ Are they really doing their job correctly? (Meirir)


    ¨C Whatever. We just have to crush them ourselves.


    Laws don¡¯t protect those who don¡¯t abide by them.


    ¨C I¡¯m waiting for the signal.


    ¨C It¡¯ll come from grosbeak. Akane will drop on the rooftop, Roar will be ready with fire arrows, and I¡¯ll be at the back while you two do your thing.


    ¨C Alright.


    Meirir fist-bumped me and went ahead to talk with the two guards.


    At the chirping of a bird, talk time was over. Meirir knocked the guards unconscious with a lightning-fast kick.


    Time for the assault.

 CH 138

    ¡°Chapter 138: Assault¡±


    At the chirping of the bird, a red arrow pierced the roof of the building, spreading flames everywhere.


    I was hiding by a dumpster near the entrance to watch Mumuruu and Meirir go on a rampage.


    ¨C Just when I was wondering who could be so damn stupid to attack us. I recognize your faces, ladies. You were in that group we attacked. (Bandit)


    A man playing cards at a table stood up. He¡¯s the one that led the ambush.


    Our loot doesn¡¯t seem to be anywhere. It¡¯s probably stored somewhere else in the building.


    ¨C Good. You saved us the introduction, then. Do you know why we¡¯re here? (Meirir)


    ¨C Revenge, isn¡¯t it? I can respect that. Do you have any idea who you¡¯re picking a fight with? (Bandit)


    ¨C What? You have a name? I didn¡¯t know they named wild beasts nowadays. Where¡¯s your owner, lil¡¯ guy? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C You b?i?t?c?h?¡­ (Bandit)


    ¨C Sorry, I don¡¯t speak animal.


    The rest of the men walked closer to Mumuruu.


    ¨C All of you against me? That¡¯s cute. Try to lay a finger on m-


    A large steel hammer hit Mumuruu¡¯s face. It was so quick that even Meirir was unable to react in time.


    Mumuruu was sent flying and hit the wall of the next building.


    ¨C Hehe, sorry. You were talking too much. Not that you¡¯ll talk again. I smashed your skull so hard you¡¯re probably dead anyways. (Bandit 2)


    ¨C Nice hit. I didn¡¯t expect someone with the ability to Blink. Quite the fighters, aren¡¯t we? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C No s?h?i?t?. We¡¯re all almost at Level VII, no one- What!?


    The hammer man stood speechless as he watched Mumuruu walk back in as if nothing had happened.


    In fact, nothing had happened, at least to Mumuruu.


    The one who was hit was one of the guards that Mumuruu had knocked out.


    ¨C You¡¯re not wrong, though. Your friend is as good as dead. Poor cranium. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C What did you¡­


    ¨C You guys are REALLY stupid. You call yourselves high-level? You haven¡¯t even noticed the curse I put on the building.


    A red curse circle appeared on the floor as Mumuruu tip-tapped her toes.


    ¨C I¡¯d be careful if I were you. You wouldn¡¯t want to go insane, right? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Wha-GWOH (Bandit)


    ¨C I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯LL KILL YOU. (Bandit 3)


    The protagonist of the ambush was stabbed with a sword in the back by one of the other men that attacked us.


    Equipment is worth nothing against the curse of one of the strongest demons.


    ¨C What the f?u?c?k? are you doing!? Snap out of it!


    The cut didn¡¯t seem to worry him, as he quickly recovered.


    He ran towards Mumuruu and swung his sword to hit both Mumuruu and Meirir.


    But a curtain of black smoke covered his vision.


    ¨C Takaya!? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C It¡¯s a miasma sphere. I did some research before coming back to the human world.


    Miasma is poisonous for humans, but not for Mumuruu.


    ¨C *Cough* I can¡¯t see anything!


    ¨C You messed with the wrong people. Start begging for your life. (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu grabbed a cheap spear from the floor and filled the tip with dark magic.


    The man fell to his knees and started crying.


    ¨C Mumuruu, stop. Don¡¯t kill him yet, we have questions to ask. (Takaya)


    ¨C Ehh? That¡¯s it? Boring. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C You might¡¯ve gone a bit too far. (Akane)


    Akane appeared from a set of stairs with our loot in hand.


    ¨C Takaya, you have no reason to stay here. The fire has been extinguished. Let the others take care of this.


    ¨C ¡°The others¡±? Did you call someone?


    ¨C Something like that. I came here because I was originally assigned another task. You¡¯ll find out soon.


    With our revenge complete, we returned to the branch, where everyone was waiting for us.

 CH 139

    Chapter 139: Results¡±


    We arrived at the branch earlier than we had anticipated. Feria, Rudra, Mike and Ever were waiting for us.


    ¨C Welcome back, master. (Mike)


    ¨C Hey, Mike. Thank you for being a good girl while I was away.


    The fact that she was able to stay calm while I was absent goes to show how much she has grown.


    ¨C Akane, how did it go? (Ever)


    ¨C It was them. I made sure to read the file with their description beforehand. (Akane)


    Akane handed Ever a paper.


    ¨C Good job. I¡¯ll give it to her. I¡¯ll congratulate you on your efforts later, Takaya. Please don¡¯t miss me.


    Ever went up the stairs, which are supposed to be off-limits to non-staff.


    ¨C Sorry, Takaya. We should¡¯ve kept a closer eye on Mizott. (Feria)


    ¨C I probably got him riled up with our fight, so in a way, this is my fault too. (Rudra)


    ¨C Hold on¡­ (Takaya)


    Do they know we got attacked?


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? Do you want me to handstand naked through Bay Road? (Rudra)


    ¨C That¡¯s about the last thing I want.


    ¨C Did Akane not tell you? (Feria)


    ¨C I¡­ I thought I could let them h-have their revenge¡­


    ¨C So you haven¡¯t told them. (Feria)


    ¨C ¡­S-Something like that.


    Mizott appeared in front of everyone with his eyes glued to the floor.


    ¨C It¡¯s time for the results. But first, there¡¯s someone who would like to have a word. Rizerotta-sama, please. (Mizott)


    ¨C Thank you, Mizott-kun! You seem tired, I hope you enjoy your vacation on our southern island. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C ¡­Yes.


    Head hanging, Mizott walked back into his office.


    Seems like someone just got fired, and probably worse.


    ¨C Searat adventurers, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rizerotta. I¡¯m an adventurer of the main branch of Alta Masters in the Royal Capital. I thought I¡¯d come to see you face to face.


    She was as small as Mike. The hem of her cloak even touched the floor. But her mannerisms were very mature.


    ¨C First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone for any issues Mizott must¡¯ve caused. Acts of wrongdoing have no place in Alta Masters.


    The entire hall became an uproar.


    ¨C As a lot of you have reported before, Seaserpent has been guilty of cheating and corruption for quite some time. It took us this long to investigate because they had been using the money from our subsidies as bribes to hide any evidence.


    Rizerotta held up a paper sheet.


    ¨C As you can see here, they even hired a dark guild to attack adventurers. To think that your role model guild would engage in such activities is disgusting. Hence, Seaserpent is dissolved as of right now, and any further actions to act as a guild are prohibited.


    ¨C Shall we get to naming the new sub-branch, then? (Rudra)


    ¨C Of course. Seaserpent might be deleted from the records, but a competition still took place, and we would like to honor it. (Rizerotta)


    A bunch of names were written on a giant board. The name at the top shone much brighter than the second and third place.


    First place: Searat


    Score: 326,893S


    ¨C Congratulations, Searat. I hereby appoint you as the representatives of Bay Road.

 CH 140

    ¡°Chapter 140: The Solar Dismantler¡±


    Even after all the hardships, we managed to secure first place in the competition.


    That night, the guild held a celebration party.


    ¨C Starting from tomorrow, Searat will be the representative guild of Bay Road! All thanks to every one of your efforts. We will get busier from now on, but don¡¯t worry, it will be reflected on your pay! And also, a special thank you to those who prevented me from barking naked on the street.


    ¨C Cheers! (Everyone)


    Our faces had smiles written all over them.


    I still can¡¯t get used to the taste of beer, but when I drink it like this, with everyone celebrating, I can¡¯t get enough of the feeling.


    ¨C Hm, I¡¯m not used to gatherings like these. Well, it¡¯s not as bad as I expected.


    It was thanks to Akane that we were able to get first place, so she was a guest of honor at the party.


    ¨C Yeah, I was like that too. I used to think I didn¡¯t belong here. But just look at everyone having fun and being happy. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a wonderful thing?


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong?


    Akane was looking at me straight in the eyes. Perhaps the alcohol was loosening her up, but she looked way less strict and formal than usual.


    ¨C Sorry, I was just thinking about how much you¡¯ve grown. You look like a completely different person from the good-for-nothing I found at the sage¡¯s palace.


    ¨C You think so?


    ¨C I guess being able to leave and spread your wings really helped you change. I wish I could too¡­


    ¨C Akane-san?


    Just as Akane was opening up to me more and more, the door was slammed open.


    ¨C HEY EVERYONE! Sorry for being late.


    ¨C Grandmaster.


    Ever entered the room along with Rizerotta, the woman that announced the results this morning.


    ¨C Apologies. We had to contact the main branch. Everything is on me tonight. Make sure they all drink to their heart¡¯s content.


    ¨C This might not be the right guild to say that to.


    ¨C Don¡¯t sweat it. It¡¯s the least I can do for the trouble Mizott caused.


    Rizerotta dropped a handful of 100,000S coins on the counter.


    ¨C So, I take it you¡¯re the Sage of the Forest¡¯s disciple. Takaya, right?


    ¨C Do you know me?


    ¨C This woman could not keep her mouth shut during the sages meeting. She would only talk about you.


    ¨C Grandmaster, I believe it was you who wanted to keep my existence a secret.


    ¨C Aw, come on, I just had a slip of mouth. Can I not boast about my precious apprentice?


    ¨C Right now I¡¯m doing administrative work, but I¡¯m also an adventurer myself. I¡¯m a dismantler. Similar to you.


    Rizerotta took out a shiny black stone I got from a longhorn.


    ¨C Takaya, we want you to join Alta Masters. This is not only my request, it¡¯s a direct request from the main branch.

 CH 141

    ¡°Chapter 141: Scouting¡±


    ¨C Is this a joke? (Rudra)


    ¨C On the contrary, I¡¯m quite serious. Just look at this.


    Rizerotta put the black stone on the table.


    To everyone, it was just a normal meaningless glittery rock.


    ¨C This is a Center Stone. It comes from one of those longhorns you killed. Quite rare to find, quite hard to collect. It requires an absurd level of skill to get one of these. Even I don¡¯t see them very often on my work line.


    ¨C What level are you, Rizerotta-san?


    ¨C My dismantling skills are Level VIII. We have three Level IX adventurers, but none of them are specialized in processing or creation like you. You¡¯re exactly what the Heroes Party is looking for.


    The Heroes Party¡­ I¡¯ve heard of them. A group of Level IX adventurers.


    Ever told me it was one of their members who defeated Raigoh.


    She¡¯s saying I can be part of a group like that?


    ¨C Takaya, how much do you earn a month? Answer honestly. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C About 70,000S.


    ¨C And how much do you want to earn?


    ¨C What?


    ¨C Name your price.


    ¨C 1,000,000S then.


    ¨C Are you sure? That¡¯s only half of what I make.


    ¨C !!!??? (M/D/R)


    ¨C Sorry, I¡¯m sure you think that was an outrageous thing to say, but I hope it shows how serious I am. Or rather, how serious the branch is. What do you say, Takaya?


    ¨C But¡­ We had expectations for the kid. We even bought equipment for him. (Feria)


    ¨C We¡¯ll pay all your debts in that regard. In fact, we¡¯re willing to give you new members to make use of that equipment. Searat will be much busier from now on, so a little more help wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    Feria had no words left.


    It¡¯s obvious that the working context I¡¯m being offered is way better¡­


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, but I refuse.


    ¨C Takaya! (Meirir)


    Meirir looked happier than everyone else after hearing those words.


    ¨C -is what I¡¯d like to say. But depending on the conditions, I¡¯ll have to seriously consider it.

 CH 142

    ¡°Chapter 142: Secret Plan with Kouya¡±


    ¨C Conditions? You name them. We¡¯re willing to do anything to scout you.


    ¨C Thank you.


    ¨C Come on, stop messing with us! (Rudra)


    ¨C You¡¯re literally our only ace, Takaya. We can¡¯t replace you. You¡¯ve had to work twice as hard to make up for Dyke¡¯s uselessness. (Feria)


    ¨C What am I supposed to eat if I don¡¯t have your stomach medicine!? (Roar)


    ¨C I wish I could go to the Royal Capital too! With all the cute ladies and stuff¡­ Wait, what was that, vice-pres? (Dyke)


    ¨C Please, calm down. I¡¯m not planning to quit. That¡¯s why I asked for ¡°conditions¡±.


    I¡¯m happy with my life as is. I just wish my salary was higher, which is what Rizerotta is offering me.


    But I have another reason for wanting to accept her proposal.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Find someone? Why are you tasking the Four Fiendish Guardians with something like that?


    Only Kouya, Tilchina and I were left in the room.


    ¨C Hear me out. Do you remember what I said?


    ¨C We are all to find people with special abilities, whether in the demon world or in the human world, and contact the demon king as soon as we do.


    ¡°We have no intentions of attacking the human world, but such can¡¯t be said for the humans. We have no way of knowing what they¡¯re scheming, so take this as a way of increasing our security¡±


    That¡¯s what Kouya told everyone.


    But that¡¯s not the real reason.


    ¨C Takaya, why do you think we came to this world?


    ¨C I wish I knew. But I would love to have a talk with whoever is responsible for it.


    ¨C So, you realized too?


    ¨C It had to be someone¡¯s doing. Someone capable of summoning people from another world.


    Kouya nodded.


    ¨C Have you noticed that some people in this world have special powers?


    Two people come to mind: Meirir and Dyke.


    Their tree papers have nothing special, except for a flower blooming next to their tree.


    In contrast, Kouya¡¯s tree is simply a black straight line. It looks more like a burnt wooden stick rather than a tree.


    ¨C Summoning people¡­ A strange ability. If someone like that exists, there has to be a clue about their identity. (Kouya)


    ¨C Could it be someone from our world?


    ¨C That¡¯s what I think. The Four Fiendish Guardians cover wide regions, but there are places they can¡¯t reach. Make sure you investigate as much as you can in the human world.


    ¨C Places they can¡¯t reach?


    ¨C Yeah, more specifically¡­


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    And now, Rizerotta invited me to go to the Royal Capital, the place where the guardians can¡¯t reach.


    I wanted to go there at some point anyways. Being scouted definitely helps.


    I might not find the summoner themself, but at least I¡¯ll get to look for clues.


    ¨C What will I do once I join? (Takaya)


    ¨C You¡¯ll have to do some tasks for me for a bit. After that, you¡¯ll be assigned to a special team. I¡¯ll explain more once you get to Royal Capital.


    This is my chance to get information.


    I turned to all my guildmates.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry to be selfish, but could you all come to Royal Capital with me?


    And so began my new adventure.

 CH 143

    ¡°Chapter 143: To the Royal Capital, but First¡±


    After the celebration, we ironed out all the details with Rizerotta and her assistants.


    The assistants weren¡¯t happy with all my demands, but they ended up accepting all of them.


    Early in the morning, I headed to Road First to meet up with everyone.


    ¨C You¡¯re 5 minutes late. (Feria)


    ¨C Sorry. Mumuruu and Mike¡¯s preparations took longer than I expected.


    We¡¯re all wearing Alta Masters uniforms. I got them to lend us some outfits.


    ¨C I don¡¯t like it! I want to take it off~ (Mike)


    ¨C I don¡¯t have enough skin exposed. (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu looks especially uncomfortable since she¡¯s hiding her horns and wings.


    My first condition was that all of us had to go to the guild¡¯s headquarters.


    Obviously I want to be near my friends, but I¡¯m gathering secret intel for Kouya. The more company I have the safer I¡¯ll be.


    ¨C Takaya-kun! I¡¯m glad you were all able to make it. I¡¯m sorry about how sudden everything is.


    ¨C On the contrary, I¡¯m sorry about all the conditions I asked for.


    ¨C You should be. At least it was easy to pull the strings.


    By the way, replacements from Alta Masters are filling for us in Searat. Mitta wasn¡¯t very amused until she heard there were handsome men among the transferees.


    ¨C Well, then. Shall we go? Get your luggage in the carriage. It¡¯s a long way to Royal Capital.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m here.


    A blue-haired wizard appeared in front of Rizerotta.


    ¨C Grandmaster!


    ¨C Good morning. Takaya, did you make my breakfast?


    ¨C Sage of the Forest, are you coming with us? You even have the uniform on.


    ¨C Eh, I have some spare free time. I want to see how much my disciple has ¡°grown¡±


    Good, it¡¯ll be reassuring to have her along. As reassuring as she can be, considering her questionable advances on me.


    ¨C Ah, right. Don¡¯t expect to see Akane for some time. (Ever)


    ¨C What? (Takaya)


    Well, of course. We¡¯re going to Royal Capital.


    But she wouldn¡¯t say that for no reason.


    Did Akane go somewhere?


    ¨C ¡°I guess being able to leave and spread your wings really helped you change. I wish I could too¡­¡± ¨C


    ¨C Come on, don¡¯t look so worried. You know her, she¡¯ll be fine. She just has to deal with some stuff. I¡¯m still available to help her. You just focus on your job.


    ¨C ¡­ Alright.


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine to leave it to Ever.


    ¡­ Right?


    ¨C Master, are you really that worried?


    ¨C Yeah¡­


    I wish I could help in any way, as small as it were.


    I¡¯m about to leave for an important mission and here I am getting so distracted.


    ¨C *Sigh* I¡¯d say I¡¯m surprised at your reaction, but I¡¯m really not. (Ever)


    ¨C What?


    ¨C Hold my hand. You too, Mike.


    ¨C Hey! Sage of the Forest! What do you think you¡¯re doing!?


    Ever started her teleportation magic.


    ¨C Rizerotta, I¡¯m borrowing Takaya for three to seven days. I¡¯ll give him back once we¡¯re done. Don¡¯t worry about those tasks you wanted him to do, I¡¯ll properly compensate you.


    ¨C What? Well-


    ¨C It¡¯s decided, then. Let¡¯s go.


    ¨C HEY!


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry guys, you can go on ahead without me! (Takaya)


    We faded away before Rizerotta was able to object any further.


    Our new destination was Shizuma, the island in the east where Akane was born and raised.

 CH 144

    ¡°Chapter 144: The Isolated East Island¡±


    ¨C Ugh¡­ It¡¯s so cold¡­


    A freezing temperature assaulted us as Mike, Ever and I arrived at a white landscape.


    ¨C It¡¯s always this cold. Some things never change.


    ¨C Where are we?


    ¨C Shimazu. Akane¡¯s birthplace. Residents here are descendants of¡­ Oni, I think?


    In front of us was a huge red shrine arc leading to a set of stone stairs.


    ¨C Akane¡¯s village is located ahead. I didn¡¯t tell her you were coming, but she¡¯s a good girl, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take it just fine.


    ¨C I thought you¡¯d want to stop me.


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to force her. If she wants to stop being my disciple, so be it. Whatever makes her happy. That doesn¡¯t apply to you, though. I¡¯m not letting you quit.


    ¨C Thank you for the unnecessary favoritism.


    A big part of my growth Akane mentions is thanks to her.


    I know Akane said I¡¯ve changed, but I don¡¯t believe that to be the case.


    I¡¯m still the same spoiled kid who needs to be saved constantly.


    Which is why I need my disciple partner.


    ¨C I won¡¯t be able to see Akane? I¡¯ll feel lonely¡­ (Mike)


    ¨C I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll think about it again if we ask her. (Takaya)


    ¨C You have one week. Do what you feel like you have to do. (Ever)


    ¨C Thank you so much, Grandmaster. (Takaya)


    ¨C Anything for my precious apprentice.


    Ever went back to Bay Road, leaving Mike and me alone in front of the stone staircase.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go. (Takaya)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    TLN: I don¡¯t usually like leaving names/terms untranslated, but I believe leaving it as Oni would be for the better. I¡¯m sure most of you are acquaintanced with them, but just in case, here¡®s an explanation of what Oni are.

 CH 145

    ¡°Chapter 145: Guard¡±


    ¨C Everything is just like back then, huh¡­


    We were carefully climbing the stairs to avoid slipping on the snow.


    There are melted candles placed in stone lanterns in the middle of the stairs.


    ¡°Descendants of Oni¡±¡­


    Oni exist in fantasy tales in my world, but are they really related to the ones here?


    ¨C Are you from here, master?


    ¨C No, I come from much farther away. Somewhere even the Grandmaster¡¯s magic can¡¯t reach. But that¡¯s a secret. Can you keep secrets?


    ¨C I can! It¡¯ll be our secret!


    The more we climb, the colder it gets. Our breath is almost purely white now.


    ¨C Master, stop.


    Mike¡¯s ears twitched. She immediately transformed into wolf form.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? Did you sense somebody?


    ¨C ¡­Why¡­ This Place¡­


    ¨C ¡­At Once¡­


    From their perspective, two strangers wandered into their territory without prior notice, and one of them just turned into a powerful hostile beast.


    ¨C Mike, don¡¯t do anything unless I tell you to.


    ¨C ¡­Gwrrr.


    I took a step forward.


    ¨C Sorry for the intrusion! Can someone come out so we can talk this out?


    No response¡­ But I know they¡¯re there.


    ¨C We¡¯re sorry for barging in. We have no intentions of inciting hostility. We just came here to look for someone.


    . . .


    Again, my only response was the sound of our breathing. I don¡¯t want to force my way through, these people might know Akane.


    ¨C If that¡¯s not possible, could we at least send a letter? We¡¯re trying to reach Akane-


    At those words, two men dressed in black appeared from out of the fog.


    Their skin looked almost human, but they had blue and yellow tinges respectively.


    I don¡¯t see any horns.


    ¨C How would someone like you be acquaintanced with her? (Blue Man)


    The blue-skinned man was ready to draw his sword at any moment even while talking.


    ¨C We¡¯re both disciples of the Sage of the Forest.


    ¨C We are well aware of the Sage, as well as the fact that she was taken under her care. However, we are unbeknownst to your existence. (Yellow Man)


    ¨C I¡¯m sure we can ask her once we see her. We¡¯ve been together for some time already. If only you could allow-


    ¨C By no means. Your position is irrelevant. Without the chief¡¯s permission, you won¡¯t go any further than this. Turn around and go back.


    ¨C Could we-


    ¨C No. Go back.


    I¡¯m running out of options.


    Grosbeak isn¡¯t here so it would take a whole week before Ever arrives.


    ¨C What if I don¡¯t want to?


    ¨C Then¡­


    The cold tip of a knife was pressed against my throat.


    ¨C Bid your farewells.

 CH 146

    ¡°Chapter 146: Guard 2¡±


    My skin at the tip of the blade is bleeding.


    Even then, both Mike and I know they¡¯re not serious yet. It¡¯s just a warning.


    ¨C Can we really not go in?


    ¨C There is no need for us to repeat ourselves.


    I¡¯m sure if I tried my best I could at least get another step closer.


    I¡¯d rather not die here.


    ¨C Well, if that¡¯s how it is. Come on, Mike.


    I turned around and was about to take a step down the stairs.


    ¨C NOW, MIKE.


    Mike knocked back the blue man into the white woods.


    ¨C I¡¯ll ride your back!


    If she got serious, it could take her only a few leaps to reach the top, but with me on her back she has to be careful.


    ¨C Sorry, but we have to talk to Akane!


    One of them is down. The other one-


    ¨C Shameful.


    The yellow man had caught up to us.


    A spider web filled with ominous eyes appeared in front of us. I tried cutting it with Silver, but it wrapped around me before I could react.


    Not only that, my muscles are getting numb, which means it must¡¯ve been poisoned.


    ¨C Tch¡­ It¡¯s just some dumb poison!


    I took out a smoke bomb and threw it ahead of us. The smoke is made out of the remaining miasma I had, and it¡¯s mixed with some paralyze nullifier.


    ¨C Puny tricks like that won¡¯t work.


    ¨C MIKE, DON¡¯T STOP, KEEP GOING.


    ¨C Your foolishness is laughable.


    ¨C Wha-KH!?


    My body became numb again, but not due to poison this time. I¡¯ve experienced this before with Akito.


    ¨C Lightning Art: Shock Spider Web!


    It¡¯s not surprising for living beings in this world to be able to use magic, but this is a rather inconvenient time to find such strong magic users.


    Mike stopped abruptly to check on me, which made me lose balance and fall down.


    ¨C Grr¡­


    ¨C Your confidence far exceeds your skills.


    The blue man was standing in front of Mike with his hands making a sign. A horn was protruding from his forehead.


    ¨C Are you okay? (Yellow Man)


    ¨C Of course I am! Get the kid already. The wolf is keen on protecting him.


    ¨C GRRR.


    I was being pulled by the spider web.


    ¨C Fire Art: Flame Lark.


    Just when all the odds seemed against us-


    ¨C Souji, Kihachirou, that¡¯s enough.


    Our opponents¡¯ attack vanished.


    ¨C I was very clear when I asked the Grandmaster to keep this a secret. It seems I was mistaken.


    ¨C Akane-san¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C So, you came. Not that I¡¯m surprised.


    Akane appeared from the top of the stairs, wearing crimson priest clothes. Two pale red phosphorescent horns were coming out of her forehead.


    Her smile looked both happy and sad at the same time.

 CH 147

    ¡°Chapter 147: Crimson¡±


    The white scenery highlighted all the red surrounding Akane.


    ¨C Akane-sama, you shouldn¡¯t leave-


    ¨C I heard some familiar voices, so I came here to help.


    ¨C Help¡­ the intruders?


    ¨C Help you two.


    The horns on Akane¡¯s forehead disappeared.


    Souji and Kihachirou kneeled in front of her.


    ¨C You underestimated them too much. If Mi- If the wolf wanted to, she could take you both out, even while protecting him.


    ¨C Akane-sama¡­


    ¨C Go back. I¡¯ll explain it to Grandmother later.


    ¨C Understood.


    Both of the men disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Their outfits, their movement, their techniques¡­ Everything resembled a ninja.


    ¨C Akane! (Mike)


    Mike ran towards Akane and hugged her.


    ¨C Did you miss me? It¡¯s only been a few days. (Akane)


    ¨C Of course! You went pretty far¡­


    Akane¡¯s hands stopped petting Mike.


    ¨C Akane-san, were they using magic?


    ¨C Yes. But only in that state. Their entire constitution changes when their horn comes out.


    So there are different types of Oni descendants?


    I¡¯ve known Akane for so long, and now it feels like I don¡¯t know her at all.


    ¨C Why did you leave the sage¡¯s palace? Do you not like that life?


    ¨C Every day there was trouble to take care of. Only bothersome errands. But, overall, I would say I was satisfied with it.


    Then why is she here?


    ¨C So, will you come back with us? We can spend a few more days here if you want to, and then go back-


    ¨C No. I refuse.


    A blunt rejection without quivering in the slightest.


    ¨C I have made my decision. I will live the rest of my life here. My relationship with that woman is over.


    ¨C Why?¡­


    I won¡¯t be able to see her again?


    This is Akane we¡¯re talking about. It wasn¡¯t an abrupt decision, she must¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while.


    Could it be¡­


    ¨C Is this¡­ my fault?


    ¨C ¡­


    Silence, but it feels like enough of a response.


    ¨C You¡¯ll catch a cold if we stay here. Come on.


    ¨C You¡¯ll let us in?


    ¨C I¡¯m guessing the Grandmaster will be coming back for you eventually. I would prefer she didn¡¯t find you freezing to death. I will at least arrange a bed for you.


    Akane turned around and walked up the stairs.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go, Mike.


    ¨C But¡­


    ¨C It¡¯s fine, we still have a week to convince her.


    Although truth be told, it¡¯s not looking good for us.


    I need to know more about her.

 CH 148

    ¡°Chapter 148: Shrine Maiden of the Moon¡±


    Following Akane, we reached a small village at the top of the stairs.


    About four or five small wooden houses, a well in the middle, and a bonfire being the only prominent light in the blizzard.


    So, this is where Akane was born.


    ¨C This place is¡­ kind of warm. (Takaya)


    ¨C Quite the contrary. It feels like the peak of winter all year round.


    ¨C I wasn¡¯t talking about the weather.


    A voice coming from the direction of one of the houses interrupted our conversation.


    ¨C UWAAAH! Mom! Sis hit me!


    ¨C I didn¡¯t! Tobi was trying to pull a prank on me! Dad, did you see it!?


    The pitter-patter of the kids running was the only ambient sound around us.


    ¨C You were saying? (Akane)


    ¨C Well, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s an exception. (Takaya)


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to live here anymore! She gets away with everything! (Tobi)


    ¨C What are you talking about? You¡¯re just gonna go cry on Akane¡¯s lap again anyways.


    ¨C I will! Akane-sama is a much better sister than you!


    A little boy with a shaved head ran out of his house.


    He looks like a perfectly normal and mischievous kid, but he must be an Oni descendant just like Akane.


    ¨C Ah, for crying out loud. Come back here! You¡¯ll bother the chief!


    ¨C Shut up! I¡¯m not coming back home this time!


    ¨C Tobi, did you have another fight with Michihi? You promised me you wouldn¡¯t prank her again. (Akane)


    ¨C Ugh, Akane¡­


    Tobi¡¯s expression turned from angry to remorseful.


    ¨C Anyways! Akane, are you allowed to be out by yourself? Where are Souji and Kihachirou?


    ¨C They¡¯re back already. And so should you. Come on, apologize to Michihi.


    As Tobi hung his head, he noticed the two strangers behind Akane.


    ¨C Hmmm, who are you?


    ¨C Uhh, those are¡­ some friends.


    ¨C We are Akane¡¯s family. We used to live together with Akane. (Mike)


    ¨C Y-You lived t-together!?


    Oh no. Something bad is coming. I can feel it.


    ¨C Uhh¡­ Tobi-ku- (Takaya)


    ¨C AKANE HAS A BOYFRIEND! SHE BROUGHT HER BOYFRIEND AND CHILD TO THE VILLAGE!!!!!


    My experience with this village has been questionable so far.

 CH 149

    Chapter 149: ¡°Shrine Maiden of the Moon 2¡±


    ¡Á


    ¨C Aahh, I¡¯m beat. (Takaya)


    I snuck into Akane¡¯s residence while she, Souji and Kihachirou cleared the misunderstanding that caused a frenzy of questions from the villagers.


    ¨C People here are scary¡­ (Mike)


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±, ¡°How old are you?¡±, ¡°When did you start dating?¡±, ¡°How much do you earn?¡±, and so on.


    Things here must not be very interesting if the villagers gossip this badly.


    While immersed in my thoughts, a nearby door slid open.


    ¨C My, my. Apologies for this incident. We don¡¯t get visitors often, you see. I can¡¯t blame them for having some curiosity.


    An old lady with long gray hair and wrinkles all over her face entered the room.


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    ¨C Ah, right, my name. I¡¯m Tsubakibaru Fuji. I¡¯m the chief of Shimazu, the island of Oni descendants.


    Which means, this is Akane¡¯s grandmother.


    ¨C It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nagami Takaya, and this is Mike. I had the honor of training with Akane under the Grandmast- The Sage of the Forest¡¯s care.


    ¨C I assume, then, you were under Akane¡¯s care too. I¡¯m sorry for any trouble she could¡¯ve caused.


    ¨C No, not at all! She¡¯s been nothing but helpful to me.


    We just kept bowing to each other.


    At the very least, she feels easier to talk to than the guards of the village.


    ¨C What brings you youth to a place like this? I imagine the sage wouldn¡¯t send one of her disciples to relay a message.


    ¨C Well¡­


    ¨C Granny, can you give us Akane back?


    ¨C MIKE!?


    That¡¯s one way to get to the main topic.


    ¨C Ahaha! Kids¡¯ innocence can also be bothersome at times. Here, Mike, would you like some candy?


    ¨C ¡­


    I¡¯ve told Mike to be careful when eating any strange food.


    But with the amount of experience I have working with antidotes, I would be able to tell if this was poisoned or not.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine, take it, but make sure to say thanks.


    ¨C Thank you, granny.


    ¨C I wish my granddaughter was a little more like you.


    ¨C Fuji-sama?


    ¨C Ah, don¡¯t worry. Just babbling from an old hag. Takaya, would you mind if I take you somewhere?


    ¨C Not at all! If you¡¯re free, that is.


    ¨C We have a small shrine behind the residence. Outsiders are forbidden from going, but you¡¯ll get special treatment for now.


    A deep blue appeared in Fuji¡¯s eyes as if trying to intimidate me.


    ¨C Although, I will ask that you give up on my granddaughter.


    ¨C What?


    ¨C I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand. With no Moon Maiden to care for the island, Shimazu will perish.


    Fuji stood up.


    ¨C AKANE! How much longer will you hide? Come out! We¡¯re going to the Moonflower.


    ¨C DEAREST APOLOGIES! I¡¯ll make the preparations- Sorry, is Takaya coming along?


    ¨C I¡¯m sure you would prefer that. He needs to face reality.


    ¨C Well, but¡­


    ¨C Quit your complaining already. Takaya, follow us.

 CH 150

    ¡°Chapter 150: Moonflower¡±


    We went through the backdoor to find a narrow path surrounded by thick roots and trees.


    It¡¯s also unusually dark, as if the blizzard wasn¡¯t enough to cover my vision. I can¡¯t even see the shrine Fuji was talking about.


    ¨C We keep going straight, right? (Takaya)


    ¨C Right. But allow me to confirm something first. (Fuji)


    ¨C ¡­ Sure?


    Fuji took a few steps forward and sent out a white dove, which I assume is her own messenger.


    ¨C Akane-san.


    ¨C ¡­


    She¡¯s been avoiding me since we saw each other at the residence.


    ¨C Akane, do you hate master?


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C Why are you sneaking glances at him?


    ¨C Wh-!? I¡¯m not!? I¡¯m actually doing the opposi- Ah, forget it¡­


    ¨C Here it is. (Fuji)


    The white dove landed on Fuji¡¯s shoulder. They both nodded at each other.


    ¨C Shall we go?


    In a single line, Fuji, Me, Mike and Akane followed the path.


    ¨C It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve walked on such soft snow like this.


    The snow in my town used to be like slushy ice. This is basically powder snow.


    ¨C I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me. (Takaya)


    ¨C Why are you telling ME that? (Akane)


    ¨C Well, Mike said you¡¯ve been looking at me, so I thought maybe you were worrie-GWH!?


    A snowball the size of a hand hit my face.


    ¨C You¡¯re so stupid.


    ¨C Not as much as the one that goes back to her hometown without saying anything!


    I grabbed some of the snow and retaliated.


    ¨C What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing!?


    Akane¡¯s face turned red, but I don¡¯t think it was from embarrassment this time.


    ¨C Listen, it¡¯s not like I wanted to leave so suddenly! I was thinking about all of you the whole time¡­


    ¨C Then how about you consulted us before you left!? That¡¯s called being self-conceited!


    Both of our faces were met with a snowball at the same time.


    It felt nice having such a cold feel cool down our faces.


    ¨C Are you two fighting? (Mike)


    ¨C Yes, we are! Mike, help me, throw snowballs at the blockhead. (Takaya)


    ¨C Got it!


    ¨C What!? Mik-NGH!?


    ¨C I hit her!


    ¨C YOU BUNCH OF¡­


    Somehow, we started a snowball fight.


    Although it felt more like rather than snowballs we were throwing our frustrations against each other.


    I figured Fuji would stop us but she¡¯s just looking at me in disappointment.


    I flopped onto the snow in exhaustion.


    ¨C Haah¡­ Why? Why did you leave without saying anything? I know I¡¯m a good-for-nothing idiot, but maybe I could¡¯ve helped.


    ¨C Do you hate us? (Mike)


    ¨C Well, I¡­ What else was I supposed to do?


    ¨C Will we find the explanation at the end of this path?


    ¨C Yes. Its name is Moonflower. The divine sword that both protects the island and binds us.

 CH 151

    ¡°Chapter 151: Moonflower 2¡±


    We finally reached the shrine.


    ¨C Akane-san¡­ There¡¯s a ¡°Moonflower¡± here, right?


    ¨C Yes. Undoubtedly.


    ¡°The sword Moonflower, which the residents of Shimazu so much venerate, is in a shrine at the end of this snowy path¡±


    Where is the sword?


    There are offerings around the center of the altar, and there¡¯s not a speck of dust, which means it¡¯s cleaned regularly, but ¡°Moonflower¡± is missing.


    ¨C Moonflower only shows itself at night. Akane. (Fuji)


    ¨C Yes. Pardon my intrusion, Moonflower.


    Akane lit a small fireball on her palm and shot it towards the place where the sword was supposed to be.


    But the fireball split in half and disappeared before reaching its target.


    ¨C It cuts magic!?


    Magic in this world is created by converting the life energy circulating in the body into various phenomena.


    Normal fire would need oxygen to survive, but fire created by magic (like Akane¡¯s) can burn for as long as it is supplied energy.


    Cutting said fire would require great savvy in magic, or equipment made to counter it.


    Even Kouya¡¯s warehouse didn¡¯t have something like this.


    ¨C I¡¯m¡­ not sure I understand all of this. All I know is that there¡¯s a very important sword that cares for the island. How is Akane tied to it?


    In fact, they call this sword a deity, but it feels more like a curse.


    ¨C Boy, are you acquaintanced with the story of the Seven Meteorites?


    ¨C I¡¯ve only heard the name. I know nothing about it.


    ¨C Then let¡¯s start from there. Hopefully you reconsider some things afterwards.


    Fuji looked at me dead in the eyes.


    ¨C Takaya, would you believe me if I told you that our ancestors were not originally from this world?

 CH 152

    ¡°Chapter 152: Shimazu¡¯s History¡±


    ¡°-our ancestors were not originally from this world.¡±


    I had a feeling. There¡¯s no way it was a coincidence.


    Oni are just fairy tales in my world. Evilbringers that are eventually vanquished by heroes.


    I reincarnated into this world due to some mysterious force. Nothing is impossible.


    ¨C Or so goes the legend. But we ourselves are not actually certain they came from another dimension. (Fuji)


    On our way back to the residence, Fuji told me the history of her ancestors.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    Before coming to this world, these ¡°ancestors¡± lived peacefully in secluded places. Deep in the mountains or on islands floating in the middle of the sea.


    They didn¡¯t have any sort of contact with the humans, as there were rumours that the Oni ate humans.


    In reality, their lifestyles were exactly the same as them.


    But such rumours were good, as the Oni only wanted to live harmoniously on their own.


    Ironically, that¡¯s exactly what brought their demise.


    ¡Á


    Back at the residence, I tried tracing the history of the predecessors of the island.


    I had Akane and Fuji help me decipher some of the documents, but some of them were written in a language strangely close to the one used in my previous world.


    ¨C One day, human children vanished from the village with no explanation or traces. That¡¯s when the humans realized.


    ¡°Just because they are secluded doesn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t go out to commit atrocities¡±


    ¨C Our ancestors were very clear about wanting to live in peace.


    ¨C And then they were attacked the next day¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Yes. They were blamed for the disappearance of the children.


    The Oni were forced to leave with no time to think about what was going on.


    Without contact to prove them wrong, the humans used the rumours as an excuse to blame the innocent Oni.


    ¡°They eat human flesh and cattle, they must¡¯ve kidnapped our children to drink their blood and get stronger!¡±


    Obviously, the Oni didn¡¯t simply concede. Some of them had especially strong bodies, some were able to create flames or snowstorms. But the humans had an ace up their sleeve.


    Heroes with superhuman strength and unimaginably advanced weapons, capable of frightening feats.


    The Oni were cut in half, shot through, and beheaded without a say.


    And so, their only option was to run away.

 CH 153

    ¡°Chapter 153: Shimazu¡¯s History 2¡±


    (Narrator¡¯s perspective)


    Running away from the humans, the Oni wandered aimlessly through the ocean.


    Only a few survived. Women, children, and the sick.


    ¡°Why? Why did it come to this? We just wanted to live peacefully.¡±


    A few days had passed. Two days, three days, they didn¡¯t know anymore. But the humans didn¡¯t seem to be chasing after them.


    Still, their lives were not fully saved yet.


    They had to run away from the village with nothing but their clothes, so food was scarce. Fishing wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to keep them alive.


    Oni might be stronger than humans, but even they have their limits.


    Friends that were happy to be alive were now staring at the sky barely able to process any thoughts.


    They prayed. Not that they believed in a god, but if there was one, they would pray to them until their hands decomposed.


    ¡°Please¡­ Someone¡­ Anyone¡­ Save us.¡±


    But no matter how hard they prayed, no one came to their rescue.


    That night, the Oni witnessed the first death from hunger.


    They weren¡¯t able to have a proper burial, but they decided to sink the body into the ocean. They didn¡¯t want to honor the rumors by resorting to cannibalism.


    A thunder struck the boat during a storm and shattered it to pieces. The remaining Oni were swept away by the waves.


    One of the Oni wished to be swept back into their village. It would be a much faster and painless death.


    But even that wish wasn¡¯t granted.


    At last, the remaining Oni opened their eyes, only to be greeted by warm sunlight and light pink petals.


    ¡Á


    (Takaya¡¯s Perspective)


    ¨C They reached Shimazu¡­


    ¨C I believe they changed the name of the island many times before it became Shimazu.


    It seems that they arrived in this world during a storm.


    ¡°At first they were skeptical, but once they saw the inhabitants using way more advanced magic, they realized they were in another world.¡±


    ¨C From there, our ancestors were able to live the life they hoped for. Even if they were different, discrimination was nonexistent.


    And thus, generations of Oni amalgamated with the inhabitants.


    That¡¯s basically the story.


    ¨C Shimazu was described as a beautiful island¡­ What happened?


    ¨C It used to be just like they described it.


    ¡°They were suddenly transported into another world. They had children, grandchildren, and they were ready to live their life to the best.


    But suddenly, seven celestial bodies flashed in the sky.¡±

 CH 154

    ¡°Chapter 154: The Seven Meteorites¡±


    ¨C Long ago, without any warning signs, seven meteorites fell from the blue sky. According to the documents written outside of Shimazu, six of them were destroyed before crashing down, but one of them reached the land and devastated everything. Although, strictly speaking, two meteorites reached the land.


    Akane turned towards the direction we came from.


    The second meteorite¡­ It¡¯s Moonflower.


    ¨C At first, everyone started noticing the island becoming colder. No one thought much about it. They hadn¡¯t found Moonflower yet either. But, with each day that passed, Shimazu slowly transformed into this frozen landscape. (Fuji)


    ¨C Takaya, do you think Moonflower is alive?


    ¨C What?


    Even when I was standing in front of the shrine, something like that never occurred to me.


    Frankly, there are times when I feel as if Silver responds to my wishes. But it¡¯s just that, an illusion. Right?


    ¨C No, I don¡¯t think it is. I couldn¡¯t even see it with my own eyes. Quite the rare material.


    ¨C That¡¯s what you think. Truth is, Moonflower was even speaking. (Fuji)


    The snowstorm hitting the windows was growing stronger.


    ¨C Seems like today is especially bad. Akane, I will leave Takaya in your care.


    ¨C Yes, Grandmother.


    Fuji exited the room.


    Is she going to the shrine again?


    ¨C Is it¡­


    ¨C It¡¯s calling for us. Only Grandmother and I, the Moon Maidens, are capable of hearing it.


    ¨C I don¡¯t get it¡­


    Why are they worshipping a sword that caused their island to be permanently freezing?


    ¨C I know how you feel. I don¡¯t like this either. We have to let Moonflower absorb our magic, otherwise it will starve and destroy Shimazu. Quite literally. I don¡¯t want to abandon my people. I treasure each and every one of the few of us. Tobi, Michihi, Souji, Kihachirou¡­ I want them to live and be happy. So¡­


    ¡°I hope you understand. There¡¯s nothing to do. This is it.¡±


    Tears were forming in Akane¡¯s eyes.


    ¨C Takaya, you are extremely talented. Much more than I would ever hope to be. Stop wasting your time here. There are other people that need you and your skills. Go help them.


    ¨C And you don¡¯t need me?


    ¨C I don¡¯t. Even if Grandmother was gone, I can handle everything by myself. Who do you think was my Grandmaster?


    Wiping her tears with her sleeves, Akane smiled at me and at Mike, who was sleeping on my lap.


    I don¡¯t have any siblings.


    ¨C Thank you for everything, Takaya. Truly. We may not have spent much time together, but I enjoyed all of it.


    And yet Akane feels like my lifelong sister.

 CH 155

    ¡°Chapter 155: New Skill¡±


    The next day.


    I snuck out of my room at night trying not to wake Mike up.


    I changed from my pajamas into my guild uniform and readied myself mentally.


    Come on. Just like Ever taught me.


    ¨C You¡¯re awake already? Breakfast is ready, go wake up Mike. (Akane)


    Her voice gradually became quieter with each word.


    ¨C Pwah! This is hard¡­


    ¨C Why¡­ are you doing magic training?


    Magic is not only used to create flames or winds, it¡¯s also used for skills like Dyke¡¯s and Meirir¡¯s, or when I¡¯m processing materials.


    ¨C It¡¯s not going to be so easy, and you know that.


    The type of magic that appears when releasing energy depends on the user. For Akane, it¡¯s fire. For Mumuruu, it¡¯s darkness. For Feria, it¡¯s wind.


    But for me, it¡¯s basically nothing. I have no aptitude for magic. My tree is proof of that.


    However, that is not to say that there¡¯s no energy flowing inside me.


    ¨C The Grandmaster says that even when I¡¯m using my skills I¡¯m still releasing magic. Even though I can¡¯t sense it.


    It¡¯s true that I feel tired after cooking, blacksmithing, or dismantling, but nothing out of the ordinary.


    ¨C It¡¯s not going to happen from one day to another. You¡¯re rushing the process.


    ¨C You¡¯re right, but¡­


    I have to. I have to do something about Moonflower.


    ¨C I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going through your mind, but I guess training is never bad. I can help you until the sage comes to pick you up.


    ¨C Thank you!


    Not ¡°Grandmaster¡±, but ¡°sage¡±¡­


    ¨C Let¡¯s have breakfast first. I¡¯ll go wake up Grandmother, you bring Mike.


    ¨C Got it.


    Mike still likes to sleep with me, but she¡¯s gotten better at sleeping by herself.


    ¨C Nnn, Master? Good morning¡­


    ¨C Time for breakfast, get changed.


    ¨C ¡­Hm?


    Mike¡¯s nose twitched as if she had smelled something.


    The source of that smell was my hand.


    ¨C Is that a candy ball? Can I have it?


    ¨C Sure. After breakfast.


    ¨C Yay!


    I was able to make that candy using a Replacement skill.


    I didn¡¯t tell Akane, but I actually succeeded in my magic training just now.


    Replacement allows me to produce a desired item with a similar composition to an object. So, I used my magic to create a candy like the one from Fuji.


    Though I¡¯m nowhere close to producing larger objects like swords and blades.


    ¨C I have to go there again. I need to see the sword that cuts magic.


    Seeing Akane¡¯s tears strengthened my resolve.


    I will destroy the sword that binds her to this island.

 CH 156

    ¡°Chapter 156: Akane¡¯s Teaching¡±


    ¨C Takaya, do you have a minute?


    Mike and I were relaxing in the guest room when Akane opened the door.


    ¨C Wanna play something? (Mike)


    ¨C Uhh, sure! Maybe later. (Akane)


    ¨C Can I help you? (Takaya)


    ¨C It¡¯s about our magic talk. I thought I¡¯d teach you a certain technique. You might find it easier.


    Ever might be a prodigy when it comes to magic, but she¡¯s for sure not the best teacher.


    ¨C How did the sage teach you?


    Again, ¡°sage¡±, not ¡°Grandmaster¡±¡­


    ¨C She told me to always visualize an ¡°image¡±. Energy is floating in my body, waiting to be used, so I can draw it from my hands, feet, head, anywhere.


    ¨C Yes, that¡¯s how everyone does it. Forget about that.


    ¨C What?


    Akane walked behind me and hugged me.


    ¨C Akane-san!?


    ¨C Sh-Shut up and focus¡­ Can you feel my heartbeat?


    ¨C Y-Yes¡­


    ¨C With each beat, blood flows through every one of my arteries, and then back to my heart. Magic is similar. Always circulating back and forth, waiting to be channeled.


    ¨C I have to imagine magic as if it was my blood flow.


    ¨C Correct.


    Gradually calming my breath, I sank my focus into my own body.


    It starts in my heart, and it ends¡­ for now, in my hand.


    ¨C In¡­ and out¡­


    A weird sensation filled my body.


    ¨C My arm feels hot.


    I can feel so much magic running through my body. Nothing even close to anything I¡¯ve ever experienced.


    ¨C In Shimazu, we call this Thread of Life.


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe this¡­


    ¨C I take it from your expression that it worked. I¡¯m glad to have helped.


    With a sigh of relief, Akane released me from her hug.


    ¨C That is all I can teach you. I will say it again, Takaya. You will be fine without me. You can do anything you set yourself to.


    Akane patted my shoulder and left the room. It seems Fuji and her are taking turns in supplying magic to Moonflower.


    ¨C Hey, Mike¡­


    ¨C Hm?


    After making sure no one was watching us, I told Mike the plan.


    Tonight, once everyone is asleep.

 CH 157

    ¡°Chapter 157: The Other Beast¡±


    Mike and I were waiting to make our move.


    ¨C Ready?


    ¨C Grr.


    Fuji and Akane were both sleeping. Souji and Kihachirou should be watching me but Akane told them to take it easy and go rest.


    It¡¯s the perfect opportunity.


    Our objective: Moonflower


    I could¡¯ve walked to the exit on my own but the floor is creaky enough that it could wake them up. Having Mike carry me is way safer.


    Akane must be deep in slumber after giving her energy to the sword.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go.


    We followed the directions from last night and in no time we were at the back exit.


    We waited at the door long enough for our eyes to get used to the dark.


    I thought about using a torch, but a flickering moving flame in the middle of the night would be anything but secretive. Mike said she could still use the smell from last night¡¯s trip as a guide.


    ¨C The sword that cuts magic¡­ I have to see it with my own eyes.


    A sword that fell from the sky. It can cut magic. It is invisible. It can also talk and has its own will.


    Was it a meteorite, a rare ore, or a magical beast? Can it be processed? Can we communicate? Will I one day be able to create something similar?


    While immersed in my thoughts, we reached the shrine.


    ¨C Looks like no one is following us. I¡¯ll get off here.


    The sword was in front of me. It wouldn¡¯t take me long to analyze it, but we could get caught at any moment.


    As soon as I took a step forward, Mike stepped in front of me with her fangs out and killing intent in every one of her hairs.


    ¨C GRRRR¡­


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong!?


    I looked at the top of the shrine, where a wolf was staring at us.


    ¨C How foolish to intrude without permission. An intriguing pair, too. A human and¡­ A half?


    ¨C It can talk!?


    Not only that¡­ It looked just like the divine wolf that¡¯s protecting me right now, but almost twice as big.

 CH 158

    ¡°Chapter 158: The Other Beast 2¡±


    ¨C Just like Mike¡­


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes.


    They¡¯re not similar up to every single detail, but it¡¯s obvious from a glance that they¡¯re both divine wolves.


    ¨C What do you scoundrels think you¡¯re doing here? I did not receive any notice about visitors, which means you¡¯re intruding.


    ¨C Sorry, we just wanted to see Moonflower at least once. We don¡¯t intend to steal it or harm-


    ¨C You¡¯re lying. I can tell from the quivering of your voice.


    It doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll get out of this one by talking.


    I¡¯m decided.


    ¨C Mike.


    ¨C ¡­


    I don¡¯t know anything about Mike before I found her. To her, she has finally found another one of her kind.


    ¨C Grr¡­


    But she¡¯s decided too.


    ¨C LET¡¯S GO, MIKE!


    ¨C GAAWR.


    At my cue, Mike jumped towards the divine wolf.


    My objective, however, was the pedestal.


    ¨C Five minutes¡­ No, three minutes will be enough. Please!


    Even with the obvious difference in strength, we have no choice but to fight our way through.


    ¨C How absurd.


    ¨C Wha-!?


    The wolf swung its tail and created a gust of wind strong enough to knock us back.


    ¨C That was my first and last warning. Stand up and leave at once or you will be torn asunder.


    We were forced back while the wolf was simply sitting there looking at us condescendingly. Not even in a fighting stance.


    No one but Mike and I are here. Ever is likely monitoring my vital signs, but not even her is fast enough to arrive in time if I get myself killed in less than a second.


    I took a deep breath.


    It¡¯s okay. This is fine. We can do this.


    We have the tools to win this.


    ¨C Mike, change of plans. We¡¯re aiming for the wolf first.


    ¨C You have been warned.


    ¨C Come on, Mike. It¡¯ll be a little cold, but please bear with it.


    The golden eyes of the guardian wolf narrowed.


    In the reflection of its eyes was Mike, whose almost entire body I covered with a hardened ice armor.

 CH 159

    ¡°Chapter 159: Ice Claws¡±


    ¨C Ohh? You made an ice armor using the snow. And it looks quite sturdy.


    I¡¯m surprised it worked. This was as improvised as it gets.


    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as resilient as metal, but it can be rebuilt if destroyed, and in this extremely cold environment it won¡¯t melt.


    ¨C Mike!


    Mike kicked the ground and jumped towards her kindred.


    ¨C You have the courage to push forward despite the odds. I appraise your bravery. However, your attacks are meaningless if they don¡¯t reach their target.


    The wolf stretched his paw towards Mike.


    Such a simple attack caused a huge crack in Mike¡¯s armor.


    ¨C Again!


    I repaired the damages on Mike¡¯s armor, who used a tree to trampoline onto the wolf again.


    ¨C The outcome won¡¯t change regardless of how many times you remake the armor.


    ¨C We¡¯ll see about that.


    Despite the difference in size, Mike is more agile. If we can keep this up, it¡¯ll be an endurance fight.


    ¨C We¡¯re not giving up!


    ¨C GAAOOOOO


    Mike¡¯s roar was so strong that it made the surrounding trees shake.


    As if the gust of wind wasn¡¯t enough, with that roar everyone in the residence will know something is up.


    We don¡¯t have time to worry about that.


    ¨C I must commend your determination. Truly admirable.


    Mike lounged again but was quickly flung back.


    I¡¯m trying everything too. Potions, poisonous bombs, traps¡­ None of it is working.


    The wolf is still sitting there as if nothing is happening.


    ¨C Everything you¡¯re doing is in vain.


    ¨C s?h?i?t?¡­


    I¡¯m starting to reach my limit too. The air feels thin, my vision is blurry, and I want to vomit my own heart.


    ¨C Grr¡­


    ¨C I¡¯m fine. I can keep going.


    ¨C Even after reaching this point, you¡¯re still lying. Foolish, every one of you humans.


    The wolf is right. As much as I try to hide it, I¡¯m almost at my end.


    But I¡¯m not giving up yet.


    ¨C Huff¡­


    I took a deep breath.


    Thread of Life, just like Akane taught me.


    Gather all the energy you have. Don¡¯t spread it. Focus all of it in one spot to release it.


    Focus.


    ¨C Mike!


    With all my strength, I threw a snowball at Mike.


    Ice as sharp as a sword¡¯s blade and clear as crystal formed on her claws.


    She has no more armor. Her only weapons are her claws now. If she were to get badly injured, we¡¯re dead.


    But even then, Mike jumped forward, fearless.


    ¨C Master, doing best, Mike too!


    ¨C Impressive. Even on the brink of death, you are able to further improve yourself.


    The wolf finally raised its whole body.


    ¨C Pointless.


    The moment both wolves clashed their attacks, Mike¡¯s ice claws cracked.


    ¨C You have ignored my warnings. If you so much wish to die, then I am in no place to ignore your desires. Human, half, your time has come.


    But the Divine Wolf failed to realize something.


    ¨C W-What!? Why is my head so far away from my body!?


    ¨C Us win. (Mike)


    ¨C I¡¯m certain I broke your claws!


    ¨C Replacement. Those claws you broke were made with a Heaven Jewel. Even if you break them, they revert to their original form. (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­I was wrong. You have much more talent than I imagined, along with the wit to use it during a situation like this.


    ¨C You let your guard down. The battle is never decided from the start.


    ¨C Wise¡­ words¡­ I will¡­ remember-


    The huge wolf plunged onto the snow carpet.


    ¨C Haha¡­ Hahaha¡­ Did you see that, Moonflower? We did¡­


    Ahh, this is bad, I can barely think.


    ¡°Yes, I saw. I saw all of it.¡±


    My consciousness drifted away.

 CH 160

    ¡°Chapter 160: Snow White Figure¡±


    ¨C Nnn¡­


    Feeling the hard and cold ground, I regained my consciousness.


    I¡­ don¡¯t remember much after Mike cut the wolf¡¯s head¡­


    ¨C This is¡­ Why am I in the shrine?


    I sat up and looked around.


    Mike is nowhere to be seen.


    ¨C It seems you¡¯re awake.


    I recognize this voice. It¡¯s the same voice I heard before passing out.


    The image of a girl wrapped in a pale white light appeared.


    ¨C Who are you?


    ¨C I have no name. I was simply born, and at some point gained consciousness. The humans here call me Moonflower.


    ¨C Did you heal me after I passed out?


    ¨C No. Your friend carried you here. She¡¯s waiting outside.


    I looked outside to see two familiar eyes peeking inside. Her tail started wagging once we made eye contact.


    ¨C I was witness to your strength. Both of yours. Splendid would be but an understatement. You have earned my respect and trust.


    ¨C Wait¡­ Are you the wolf!?


    ¨C No. That was simply a part of me used as a guardian. My body fragmented when I descended.


    ¨C Does that mean Mike¡­?


    ¨C She is not a part of me. However, I assume she comes from one of the other parts.


    ¨C So the seven meteorites¡­


    ¨C I know why you¡¯re here. I have been absorbing the magic in Shimazu and inconveniencing the villagers. I¡¯m aware.


    With a sad voice, Moonflower continued.


    ¨C But¡­ I can¡¯t go. Not yet. There are still things I have to do.


    ¨C Even if it means disrupting the lives of everyone?


    ¨C Yes. I¡¯m not too far from finally awakening.


    I can¡¯t understand what she¡¯s saying, but her eyes are dead serious.


    ¨C Takaya, you have a special talent running through your veins. Your magic¡­ It¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen. I have a favor to beg of you.


    If she¡¯s ¡°awaken¡±, could she leave the island?


    That would solve all of Akane¡¯s problems, and she would be able to go back to the palace.


    ¨C I¡¯ll hear you out.


    ¨C Thank you very much.


    The girl bowed.


    ¨C Takaya, could you use your talents to transform me into a proper sword?

 CH 161

    ¡°Chapter 161: The Moon¡¯s Ice Sword¡±


    ¡°I want you to make me into a proper sword¡±


    ¨C Truth is, I¡¯m far from perfect as is. As you know, my siblings disintegrated before reaching Earth. I was barely saved, but I¡¯m so weak that I can barely even be visible.


    ¨C So, if I save you, will you leave this island?


    ¨C Of course. In fact, I have to.


    Moonflower bowed her head again.


    ¨C Please. I am begging you. There is no one else to help me.


    ¨C What if I destroyed you?


    ¨C Then no one will be able to stop that. Chaos will return to the world.


    I have no idea what she¡¯s talking about. I¡¯m not well-versed in the history of this world. But I¡¯m planning on staying in it for a while, so chaos doesn¡¯t sound very good.


    I only came to this island to look for Akane, and here I am getting involved in a mission to save the world.


    ¨C Alright. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.


    ¨C Really!?


    ¨C However, I have some conditions. You will leave the island, you will obey my orders, and you will disappear from this world once you¡¯re done with your objectives.


    ¨C I do not mind. That was my intent in the first place.


    Moonlight leaked into the shrine, illuminating a sword that was barely visible.


    ¨C This way, please.


    I stood in front of Moonflower.


    ¨C I will take some of your magic energy. Please visualize the image of the moon.


    ¨C The moon? Is any form okay?


    ¨C Yes. My home is the same regardless of the form. Now, touch my blade. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t cut you.


    A cold sensation spread from my fingertips into my body.


    Even though she was absorbing my magic, it didn¡¯t feel as bad as I thought. It felt like having blood drawn.


    ¨C I would like a little more, but that should be enough for today. It will take some time for my body to acclimate to your magic.


    Promising to come back, I returned to the residence.


    ¨C Master, look!


    I looked up, but instead of the usual blizzard covering my vision, I saw the full moon.

 CH 162

    ¡°Chapter 162: Ownership Conditions¡±


    ¨C Impossible¡­


    The next morning, Fuji was the first one to witness the new reality.


    A ray of sunlight was shining through a gap in the clouds.


    ¨C I knew you had snuck out last night¡­ But to think that you did this¡­


    ¨C The sword¡­ or rather, she, has no more reason to be on this island. (Takaya)


    Moonflower had been on the verge of death all this time, but she no longer needs to absorb the magic in the island and the maidens.


    By the way, Moonflower decided to recognize me as her master and asked me to rename her, so I went with ¡°Moonlight¡±.


    ¨C Shimazu will be back to what it used to be. (Takaya)


    ¨C Unbelievable¡­ To think that in a single night you solved a problem we¡¯ve suffered for countless years¡­ Are you even a human?


    Isn¡¯t that something Sages are often told?


    ¡°Not that you¡¯re far from it¡±, is what Ever would say if she heard my thoughts.


    With more magic training and the replacement skill¡­ It kind of feels like cheating.


    I would be a proper ¡°creator¡±.


    ¨C Akane-san¡­ Hey, Akane-san. What do you think?


    ¨C Tch¡­


    Akane had been standing silently behind us all this time.


    Even though she¡¯s free from her duties as a maiden now, her face still hasn¡¯t cleared up.


    ¨C Yes, fine. You¡¯re amazing. You¡¯re incredible. You were such a spoiled brat when you first arrived at the palace, and now you singlehandedly saved my family and our future generations.


    ¨C That¡¯s not true. If I didn¡¯t have your training, and if Mike hadn¡¯t been there, I would¡¯ve died in a heartbeat. It was thanks to everyone¡¯s support.


    It doesn¡¯t matter how many times I say it, I¡¯ll keep saying it as much as I have to.


    I¡¯m only where I am because of my friends.


    ¨C I¡¯m very much indebted to you. For the training, for being your boyfr-


    ¨C Alright, stop there. I don¡¯t want to hear it.


    ¨C Akane-san, you don¡¯t have to stay here anymore. You can go back to the sage¡¯s palace now.


    ¨C You¡¯re right. I also don¡¯t have to follow you or anything you say.


    Akane¡¯s eyes were glued to the floor.


    ¨C Grandmother, I will be visiting Mother and Father today. Do you need anything else from me?


    ¨C Go as you please. Takaya can take care of everything.


    ¨C I¡¯ll have to. Only I can do it. (Takaya)


    ¨C Well, excuse me then, grand Takaya. (Akane)


    Akane turned around and walked away.


    We solved the issue with Moonflower, but the solution to the main problem was still just a little further away.

 CH 163

    ¡°Chapter 163: Ownership Conditions 2¡±


    The next few days passed uneventfully.


    The more magic I gave Moonlight, the weaker the snowstorms became.


    It was now possible to go outside without having to worry about freezing weather.


    ¨C Look! It¡¯s that guy! The sun!


    ¨C It¡¯s so bright and warm~


    Tobi and Michihi were jumping around, admiring the rare sight of the sun.


    ¨C Is that Akane¡¯s boyfriend!? Oww- (Tobi)


    ¨C Don¡¯t be stupid. She told you he¡¯s not her boyfriend. (Michihi)


    ¨C Haha¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Takaya-san, right? Did you need something? (Michihi)


    ¨C I was wondering if you knew where Akane is.


    Ever since she left that day, I haven¡¯t seen her at all.


    According to Fuji, she comes at night and plays for a little bit with Mike.


    She¡¯s clearly avoiding me.


    ¨C Huh? She¡¯s where she always is. Come on, you¡¯re her boyfriend, you should know. (Tobi)


    Okay, I give up on the boyfriend thing.


    ¨C Fine, but you have to pay more attention to her! Anyways, she¡¯s outside the village at the- Ow! Now what!?


    ¨C Hey, idiot. She told you not to talk about it with strangers.


    ¨C He¡¯s not a stranger, he¡¯s Akane¡¯s boyfriend. They¡¯re gonna live together one day anyways.


    ¨C I know, but¡­ (Michihi)


    ¨C Listen here. I had a small argument with Akane, and I want to apologize, but she¡¯s been avoiding me ever since. Can you tell me where she is? I promise I¡¯ll keep this a secret.


    ¨C Uhhh¡­ (Michihi)


    ¨C Haha, come on Michihi. Tell him.


    Fuji appeared from behind me.


    ¨C Fuji-sama, are you sure?


    ¨C Now that there is no need for Moon Maidens anymore, that girl has lost her way. Takaya will be able to help her.


    Fuji looked me directly in the eyes.


    ¨C Save my granddaughter from herself. She¡¯s by far the most talented one in our family. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be of use.


    ¨C That¡¯s what I came here for.


    I took out Moonlight.


    ¨C This sword¡­ It¡¯s meant for her.


    I have no aptitude for using swords or spears. Or any weapon.


    But there¡¯s someone that does.

 CH 164

    ¡°Chapter 164: Akane¡¯s Parents¡±


    Soon after following the path Michihi told me about, I found a small house.


    It¡¯s a bit separated from the village, and the building is a bit more modern than the houses back there.


    ¨C Huh? Is that¡­


    As I approached the house, I saw Souji standing at the door.


    ¨C Takaya!? What did you come here for?


    ¨C I was told I would find Akane here.


    ¨C She is currently out doing some tasks.


    ¨C Can I wait here?


    ¨C She¡­ told me to ask you to leave if you were to come.


    *Sigh*, of course she did.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll wait here until she¡¯s back.


    I sat down on a nearby spot.


    ¨C How selfish. This was Akane-sama¡¯s order. I ask that you obey.


    The moment Souji took a step forward, the sword I¡¯m carrying started shining and the air around us became just as cold as it was when I arrived at the island.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not an enemy.


    ¡°Understood¡±


    The environment returned to normal, and Souji¡¯s feet that had been frozen were free.


    ¨C So that¡¯s Moonflower. What a terrific display of power.


    ¨C Its name is Moonlight now.


    By the way, Moonlight controls its magic so that the cold doesn¡¯t affect me. It has sworn absolute loyalty to me.


    Feels more like another pet rather than a sword.


    ¨C Now, if I may, I¡¯ll wait here until Akane-san is back. I¡¯m not leaving this island without talking to her.


    ¨C Ugh¡­ B-But¡­


    Unable to think about what to do, Souji stood there, confused.


    ¨C Souji, let him in.


    The door opened, and a voice similar to Akane¡¯s came out.


    ¨C Madam, are you sure?


    ¨C Yes, he says it¡¯s fine.


    ¨C If you wish.


    Souji bowed to me and led me inside.


    ¨C Welcome, Takaya-san. Sorry if it¡¯s a bit cramped in here.


    ¨C Not at all. Please excuse me.


    Two futons were laid out in the middle of the room. A married couple sitting on them.


    The husband was missing both legs from the knees, and the wife was missing both arms from the elbows.


    Both of them were smiling at me.


    ¨C So you are Takaya-san. We¡¯ve heard about you from Akane. You look just like us but without the horns.


    ¨C Yes, uhh¡­


    ¨C Ah, sorry. I¡¯m Tsubakibaru Yuri. Thank you for taking care of our daughter. This is my husband, Rokurou. His throat was crushed in an accident, so I speak for him. ¡°Akane didn¡¯t mention how handsome and strong you look! What a gentle pair of eyes¡­¡± he says, I think.


    Rokurou nodded at Yuri¡¯s words.


    ¨C We heard the news from mom. You¡¯re the one that graced our island with sunlight. We can¡¯t thank you enough.


    ¨C Please, you don¡¯t have to.


    ¨C We do. It¡¯s the least we can do.


    ¨C But¡­


    ¨C Mother! Father!


    Akane barged in and stopped her parents from bowing.


    ¨C You really don¡¯t have to! Look, he¡¯s troubled too.


    ¨C What are you talking about? YOU are the one who should be thanking him the most.


    Akane gripped her parents¡¯ clothes and sunk her face in their chests.


    ¨C Takaya-san, that sword you have¡­


    ¨C It used to be Moonflower. I suppose it¡¯s the reason why you two ended up in that state.


    ¨C !? TAKAYA!? (Akane)


    ¨C Moonlight has been feeling the intent to kill from the both of you ever since we entered.


    ¨C Haha, I guess it wasn¡¯t hard to tell. But you¡¯re wrong. This was entirely our fault.


    ¨C Mother!


    ¨C Stop it, Akane. This kid deserves to know the truth.


    Yuri began telling me the story about their failure.

 CH 165

    ¡°Chapter 165: Failure¡±


    (Narrator¡¯s Perspective)


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    On a night when the blizzard was especially bad, Tsubakibaru Akane snuck out of the house after her grandmother had finished today¡¯s ¡°service¡±.


    Her parents trained her well, so the cold was nothing to Akane.


    ¨C I¡¯ll save everyone. Mom and Dad said I¡¯m very talented.


    Akane took a deep breath of the piercing cold air, trying to make as little noise as possible with her footsteps.


    ¨C That which froze the hopes and dreams of my family. I will burn it.


    She heard the story from her relatives. The story of how her ancestors were kicked out of their territory.


    Akane was angry. Why did they have to be driven out? Why was their peace interrupted? Why did they blame the Oni?


    That¡¯s when her horns appeared.


    The longest and most crimson horns in the entire village, as her parents said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the vivid image of our ancestors¡±


    Yuri and Rokurou were waiting at the residence, preventing Fuji from finding out about this.


    ¨C I¡¯ll save everyone using my flames. Just wait.


    Determined, Akane found the first obstacle.


    ¨C Hm. I know who you are. I thought we were done for today.


    ¨C Grandmother might be, but I¡¯m not.


    ¨C Ohh?


    Bloodlust was emanating from the golden eyes of the wolf.


    Fire erupted from Akane¡¯s entire body, turning the nearby snow into water.


    ¨C Give us back our island.


    ¨C Not yet, little Oni.


    ¨C LEAVE US ALONE, MOONFLOWER!


    The wolf was met with a pillar of flame big enough to be seen from anywhere on the island.


    ¨C Alright. Step one, done.


    Akane walked towards the shrine where Moonflower was.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á


    (Takaya¡¯s Perspective)


    ¨C You created a mirage? (Takaya)


    Yuri stopped to take a breather, so I turned to Akane.


    ¨C I was the most talented individual in the entire village.


    ¨C The plan was to distract the wolf with a mirage and destroy Moonflower. (Yuri)


    ¨C And then¡­ that failed?


    ¨C Yes. (Akane)


    Akane stared at the sword in my hands.


    ¨C That sword doesn¡¯t just absorb magic, it absorbs any form of enthusiasm or heat.

 CH 166

    ¡°Chapter 166: Broken Heart¡±


    (Narrator¡¯s Perspective)


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    The moment she touched Moonflower, Akane realized that she, and everyone else involved in this, had made a huge mistake.


    ¨C Wait, no!


    ¡°You are unworthy¡±


    A voice resounded in Akane¡¯s head, as all the heat from her body vanished.


    The fierce and burning Oni descendant filled with animosity was now crawling on her knees while shaking.


    ¨C You decided to use an illusion. It was the right decision. You¡¯re weak, so you tried to make up for your shortcomings. It¡¯s been like that for a long time.


    ¨C A long¡­ time?


    As far as they knew, Akane¡¯s parents were the first ones to ever attempt this.


    Even Fuji¡¯s parents had been strictly reluctant to confront Moonflower.


    ¡°What a bunch of cowards¡±, Akane and her parents thought.


    ¨C It¡¯s not my time yet. I have things to do. I need strength and wisdom to fulfill my objectives. You¡¯re not what I¡¯m looking for.


    It was then that Akane realized.


    Fuji, a moon maiden, used to be the most powerful person on the island. Just like her maiden predecessor. And they weren¡¯t able to deal with Moonflower.


    But the newer generations couldn¡¯t understand that, which is what led to this.


    ¨C M-Moonflower, please¡­ I¡¯m t-truly sorry. Please forgive us. W-We made a mistake. Please¡­


    Akane, who merely touched the blade, was trembling in both cold and fear apologizing to Moonflower.


    ¨C I won¡¯t. You must pay the price of attempting to deceive me.


    She couldn¡¯t see what was happening, as her knees and forehead were glued to the ground, but she heard a metallic sound.


    ¨C Dad, mom, I¡¯ve failed you. I¡¯ve failed everyone.


    ¨C AKANE!


    Akane saw two shadows being cast from above her.


    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry¡± were the last words she heard before falling unconscious.


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    (Takaya¡¯s Perspective)


    ¨C And that¡¯s our story. We lost our legs and arms, and Rokurou lost his voice, but Akane was saved. Although she¡¯s not as strong as she used to be.


    All this time that I¡¯ve known her, Akane has been blaming herself for this incident.


    She¡¯s probably thinking ¡°If only I had been stronger. If only I hadn¡¯t been such a failure¡±.


    Her heart has been broken this entire time.


    ¨C Do you get it now? I¡¯m not like you. I can use some fire and get by with a katana, but that¡¯s it. I am nowhere near your level. Just forget-


    ¨C NO! STOP IT!


    ¨C ¡­! ¡­!? ¡­!


    Moonlight has been talking in my mind for a bit, but I¡¯m not paying attention.


    ¨C So what if you¡¯re weak!? What if you failed!? Who cares! I didn¡¯t come to this island looking for someone strong, I came here looking for you!


    I took out Moonlight from a scarlet sheath I made.


    ¨C Would you please use this sword? For me?

 CH 167

    ¡°Chapter 167: Mending Heart¡±


    ¨C ¡­Takaya, did you not just hear Mother¡¯s story?


    ¨C I did. Your family and ancestors have suffered so much because of this sword.


    ¨C Then why the hell are you¡­


    ¨C Well¡­


    ¡°I would like to make it clear, Master, that this girl is not ready to wield me in her current state. She is obviously scared of me.¡±


    Moonlight¡¯s words finally reached me.


    Still¡­


    ¨C I just think it would look good on you.


    ¨C ¡­What did you say!?


    Everyone in the room looked shocked, even the object without a facial expression.


    ¨C That was my first impression of you. A beautiful girl with an impressive talent to handle swords. I¡¯ve always admired your skills.


    My face is too red to comprehend what I¡¯m saying. But I know every word is true.


    ¨C So what?


    ¨C I know you don¡¯t want to hear this, but it¡¯s thanks to your guidance that I¡¯m here. Thanks to you, I was able to save Shimazu. I believe all of this was intended. You were meant to brandish this sword.


    ¨C That¡¯s it? That¡¯s your stupid reasoning?


    ¨C Yeah, that¡¯s basically it. One day, I want you to come to my rescue using Moonlight.


    ¨C ¡­Akane, decide. The choice is yours. Accept Takaya¡¯s request and leave the island, or stay here and live with us.


    ¨C Mother¡­


    ¨C You can live at the residence too if you want to.


    I bowed my head to Akane once again.


    ¨C Please, come with me to the Royal Capital. Moonlight has objectives to fulfill, and I can¡¯t do it by myself. Also¡­


    ¨C ¡°Also¡± What?


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to be separated from you¡­


    I could list many reasons to persuade Akane, but as embarrassed as I am to say it, that was the most important one.


    ¨C Oh my! This kid is gold. (Yuri)


    ¨C Mother! Takaya, you little¡­


    I held Akane¡¯s trembling hands.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll always be by your side. I might not be the most reliable person, but we can always support each other.


    ¨C ¡­


    Akane¡¯s heart has been broken for a long time. Ever since she realized how powerless she is.


    But with everyone¡¯s help, we¡¯ll be able to slowly repair it.


    ¨C ¡­Really? Are you guys okay with someone like me?


    ¨C Yes.


    ¨C I¡¯m still the coward I was during the incident. Just looking at the sword makes me tremble.


    ¨C That¡¯s fine.


    I turned towards the two people at the door.


    ¨C I know you said you wanted to quit, but as your Grandmaster, I¡¯m supposed to look after you until you¡¯re able to look after yourself. That, and I kinda owe Fuji some money¡­ (Ever)


    ¨C Grandmaster¡­ Mike¡­ Akane¡­ Me¡­ Together¡­ (Mike)


    Streams of tears were covering Akane¡¯s face.

 CH 168

    ¡°Chapter 168: Compensation¡±


    The next day.


    Akane promised to come with us, so it was time to go back. Alta Masters was waiting for me.


    We also have to deal with Moonlight¡¯s ¡°objective¡±.


    ¨C Takaya, we are unable to thank you enough for what you have done for us. We will never forget it.


    Fuji and the rest of the villagers came to bid their farewells.


    ¨C Hey, Fuji, if you¡¯re really that indebted to him, maybe you can forget about that money I- (Ever)


    ¨C Takaya-san, please take care of my daughter. She might be a bit rough on the outside, but she¡¯s head over heels for you.


    ¨C Head over heels? Mother, I¡¯m right here.


    ¨C Other girls will take him if you don¡¯t sincere yourself. (Fuji)


    ¨C Grandmother, I¡¯m begging you¡­


    By the way, Moonlight is now in Akane¡¯s hands, literally and figuratively. I¡¯m no longer able to hear the nagging voice in my head.


    ¨C What are you going to do about training? It would be safer to train close to me. (Takaya)


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about it. I knew what I was getting into when I accepted the sword. I have to be able to handle this much. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be worthy of¡­


    ¨C Of¡­?


    ¨C Ah, shut up. I¡¯m going ahead.


    ¨C Wait!


    Well, I trust her to overcome Moonlight¡¯s stubbornness. And if not, we¡¯ll always be there for her.


    ¨C Come on. Off to Royal Capital. (Ever)


    It was a lengthy detour. Much more than I had expected. But I¡¯m sure this experience will be useful in the future.


    ¨C Ingredients, ready. Items, ready. Silver, read-


    Just as I was about to put Silver in my pouch, it slipped from my hands and fell on the floor.


    ¨C Huh? That¡¯s weird.


    And it got worse.


    ¨C What¡¯s going on?¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Master?


    ¨C What? Your tummy hurts? (Ever)


    ¨C No, my arm¡­ It¡¯s numb¡­


    Both of my arms were suddenly struck by excruciating pain that made me fall to my knees and scream my lungs out.


    ¨C TAKAYA! (Ever)


    It feels like the insides of my arms are being stabbed by a thousand swords. It¡¯s even worse than Shunichi¡¯s torture.


    ¨C ¡­!


    ¨C ¡­


    I could barely tell apart the people around me, but I feel like they were calling my name.


    ¨C Your¡­ Has¡­ Heal¡­ (Ever)


    I can¡¯t make out what she¡¯s saying. I think I heard ¡°Heal¡±.


    My vision went completely dark.

 CH 169

    ¡°Chapter 169: Compensation 2¡±


    ¨C So? Can you do something about it?


    ¨C I meaaaan~ I can¡­ But I don¡¯t know if I should~


    I woke up to an exchange between two people.


    One was clearly Ever, but I don¡¯t know the silver-eyed woman.


    She¡¯s holding both of my hands and swaying her blonde hair while talking to Ever.


    I don¡¯t feel any pain in my arms. Am I healed? Am I anesthetized?


    ¨C Who¡­


    ¨C Oh hey, you¡¯re awake. You¡¯re the forest¡¯s disciple, right? I¡¯m Ernika, a friend of hers. Some people call me ¡°The Sage of Light¡±.


    The¡­ What!?


    Ever asked a sage to heal me!?


    ¨C How are you feeling? Any pain?


    ¨C I¡¯m fine¡­ I think. I can¡¯t feel my arms.


    ¨C It¡¯s because of Ernika¡¯s magic. Just a bandaid fix for now.


    ¨C Your magic circuits imploded. You might¡¯ve rushed your training so much that your body couldn¡¯t keep up.


    It just dawned on me how reckless I¡¯ve been the past few days.


    ¨C Your body was in an awful state. Even I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Thankfully, Ernika had some free time.


    ¨C I didn¡¯t, but I did you a favor. Especially after the way you asked for it.


    ¨C What do you mean? (Takaya)


    ¨C You should¡¯ve seen her. She was all like ¡°MY TAKAYA! MY DEAR TAKAYA! PLEASE HELP HIM!¡± while trembl-


    ¨C OKAY maybe he doesn¡¯t need to know the details!


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. This happened because I tried to save Shimazu without thinking about the consequences.


    ¨C Hey, your failures are my responsibility too. Lay down and rest.


    ¨C Thank you.


    ¨C Just sleep for now. You¡¯ll be able to see everyone tomorro-


    ¨C TAKAYA! (Meirir/Mumuruu)


    Meirir, Mumuruu and Mike barged into the room.


    They¡¯re supposed to be at Royal Capital, so I¡¯m assuming we¡¯re at our destination already.


    ¨C Sorry to worry you all. I¡¯m fine.


    ¨C I knew you needed me! You¡¯re not getting away from this one. I¡¯ll be by your side every single minute of the day. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C You¡¯re just trying to get under his pants! Don¡¯t listen to her! (Meirir)


    ¨C Master, I¡¯ll take care of anything you need!


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to be squished by multiple people while trying to recover.


    ¨C You¡¯re pretty popular I see. (Ernika)


    ¨C Can I get some help?


    ¨C Hmm~ I don¡¯t know~


    Ernika used the situation to jump into the fun. And into my bed.


    At least it¡¯s good to know that she¡¯s this carefree.


    ¨C I like this kid! Ever, can I have him for a bit? Come on, I nursed him~


    ¨C No, I already promised to compensate you. Also, he would go nuts under your care.


    ¨C Aww, come on, don¡¯t say that.


    From the door were peeking Dyke, Roar, Feria and Rudra.


    The usage of my skills suddenly backfired on me. But I¡¯m not in a hurry to recover for now.


    And so passed my first day in the Royal Capital.

 CH 170

    ¡°Chapter 170: Sage and Sage¡±


    The Royal Capital, also known by the name of Alta Naga.


    A city that rapidly developed after a catastrophe thousands of years ago.


    Buildings of different sizes, roads and waterways, humans, beasts, beggars, merchants. The largest city in the world had it all.


    It¡¯s still early in the morning and I¡¯m having trouble putting up with all the ruckus I hear from outside the inn.


    ¨C So? How are you liking it here? (Ever)


    ¨C It¡­ smells really bad.


    ¨C Of course it does. It¡¯s filled with people. (Ever)


    The odor from garbage dumped between buildings and stray animals scavenging it was making me dizzy.


    ¨C Hey, good morning. I know it¡¯s only been one night, but how are you feeling?


    Ernika entered the room wearing a white robe.


    She¡¯s smaller than I thought. More or less my height.


    ¨C You¡¯re rather early. Are you leaving?


    ¨C Yeah. Lots of people around the world need me.


    The Sage of Light, Ernika, was capable of using many different forms of magic, but she was especially gifted when it came to healing and regenerative spells. It was thanks to her that my body stabilized after the incident in Shimazu.


    ¨C Is there any way I could thank you for helping me? Ever said your treatment is pretty expensive.


    ¨C It is, but don¡¯t you worry about it. You¡¯re not a regular patient. It was a request from Ever herself.


    ¨C But¡­


    ¨C Alright, how about this? If find myself in trouble, it¡¯ll be your turn to come to my rescue.


    So she says, but I can¡¯t imagine a situation in which someone as strong as Ever would need my help.


    ¨C Let¡¯s leave it at that, then. (Ever)


    ¨C I¡¯ll be waiting patiently. (Ernika)


    ¨C I¡¯ll make sure to raise him properly. I know you wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    ¨C Aww, come on~ He¡¯d be a splendid follower after I baptize him!


    ¨C I¡¯m¡­ sorry, I¡¯m not a religious person.


    ¨C Shame. He rejected me~


    Giggling, Ernika jumped out of the window. Two pure white wings appeared on her back.


    ¨C I wish the best of days to you two. May the blessings of God protect you.


    ¨C Just go already, stupid angel.


    ¨C Killjoy.


    The blonde sage shrugged her shoulders and disappeared.


    ¨C ¡­What an odd person.


    ¨C All the sages are like that. They may look nice but you never know what they¡¯re hiding.


    ¨C Even you?


    ¨C Who¡¯s to say?


    Ever started up her teleportation magic.


    ¨C Hm? Where are you going?


    ¨C To a hot spring. I need to rest this beautiful body of mine.


    ¨C Don¡¯t get in debt again.


    ¨C Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re not my mom.


    I was left alone in the room.


    Kind of.


    ¨C Is that you, Mumuruu?


    ¨C Yep. Meirir and Mike are sleeping over there.


    ¨C I need you to do a little something for me.


    In my line of sight was a giant wall covering the heart of the city.

 CH 171

    ¡°Chapter 171: The Seventh¡±


    ¨C Takaya! We were waiting for you.


    Rizerotta greeted us with her arms open. And a unit of knights behind her.


    ¨C You really didn¡¯t need to go this far. (Rudra)


    ¨C I did, actually. He seems to have more connections than I thought. Quite frankly, I would lose my mind if the Sage of Light were to take him away on a whim, just like a certain other sage did.


    So this entire army was meant to stop Ernika?


    ¨C Rizerotta-san, my arms¡­


    ¨C Yes, I know. Goodness gracious. Now we can¡¯t measure your skills properly. Why did you have to do that? Shimazu is just a small island.


    I bit my lips in response to Rizerotta¡¯s statement.


    Obviously, she doesn¡¯t know the details of what happened in Shimazu. The only ones that know are Mike, who was there, and Mumuruu, who I sent to run an errand.


    I¡¯ll see if I can find a good time to tell the others. As long as my skills are hindered, I need as much cooperation as I can.


    ¨C Let¡¯s get you to the headquarters. My partners and the princess are waiting there.


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    Rizerotta was taking us through a narrow street filled with people constantly blocking our path.


    ¨C The Royal Capital. What do you think? (Rizerotta)


    ¨C I heard this was a very lively and crowded place. Honestly, it¡¯s worse than I imagined. I already want to go back to Bay Road.


    ¨C Haha! I felt like that too when I first arrived here.


    ¨C Are you not from this city?


    ¨C My parents and I moved here a couple of years ago. I happened to get scouted at school. My superiors trained me so hard that I was vomiting blood every day.


    It¡¯s hard to imagine she¡¯s a year or two younger than me. Her mannerisms make her look like an elegant adult.


    Just another one of those things from this world. Age doesn¡¯t matter. Talented people will always be in charge.


    ¨C No need for compassion, by the way. Training was a nightmare, but the pay was worth it. Anyways, enough of that boring talk. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something you¡¯re more interested in.


    I¡¯ve been looking in that direction constantly to change the subject.


    ¨C That wall¡­ It¡¯s where the meteorite that crashed into the world is kept, right? Am I allowed to go there?


    ¨C Straight to the point, huh? Sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is no. Certainly, our guild owns that place, but only the king of the country, along with two or three other people, are allowed to enter. Needless to say, I¡¯m not included in those numbers.


    ¨C Figures. Why, though? Is a rock really that important?


    ¨C ¡°A rock¡±? Of course it is. It is thanks to that ¡°rock¡± that this city was able to rise up to glory.

 CH 172

    ¡°Chapter 172: The Seventh 2¡±


    One of the two meteorites that landed on the world thousands of years ago reduced everything to dust. Some species even went extinct.


    But one group of people used it to their advantage.


    ¨C Alta Naga used to be a tiny village on top of a mountain. It was so small that the slightest inconvenience could cause impoverishment. You would think that a meteor strike would be enough to wipe the entire village out.


    ¨C But they survived?


    ¨C Yes. The ones that took shelter managed to survive, whereas the people that escaped never got to tell their stories.


    Rizerotta looked at the largest building in the city. The king¡¯s castle.


    ¨C ¡°The Chosen Ones¡± is what they wanted to call themselves. Honestly, it¡¯s nothing short of a miracle that they survived the strike.


    A moving story about the rise of a group of peasants due to a divine act.


    ¨C I could tell just by looking at some of the essential infrastructure. There are minuscule traces of Seventh, the strongest and hardest ore known in the world. Any country would drool just thinking about a material that makes holy swords look like baby toys.


    ¨C Correct. Even the demons tried to strike a deal with us. Seventh is so influential that it threw the world into disarray. A powerful army, like Alta Masters, was needed to keep it safe.


    ¨C I see.


    ¨C As you can tell, this is no simple ¡°rock¡±. I hope you understand that.


    ¨C Yes. I¡¯m sorry for downplaying it.


    ¨C I myself don¡¯t mind. However, you¡¯ll be meeting some important people from now on. And they¡¯ll mind.


    After finishing her story, we arrived at Alta Masters, my new workplace. The building was made with scraps of Seventh too.


    There was one single female knight waiting in the middle of the hall amongst the boisterous crowd.


    ¨C You¡¯re late, Rizerotta. Thirty minutes late.


    ¨C Apologies, Raviola-sama. It took me longer than I expected to bring Takaya.


    ¨C I see. Please be more careful next time.


    ¨C Yes. Come on Takaya, say something.


    ¨C My name is Nagami Takaya, the Sage of the Forest¡¯s second disciple. I come from Shimazu.


    ¨C I received the report from Rizerotta. You¡¯ll be joining the platoon. My name is Raviola, but my subordinates call me Commander.


    The purple-haired knight was carrying a sword made entirely out of Seventh.

 CH 173

    ¡°Chapter 173: The Demon Hunter Knight¡±


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    After returning from the demon world, Mumuruu and I made a visit to the sage¡¯s palace.


    ¨C You want me to tell you about the knight that killed Raigoh?


    ¨C Yes.


    All of us together were barely able to scrape the Red Demon guardian. Yet a single knight finished him off in a matter of seconds.


    ¨C I already told you. It¡¯s an adventurer.


    ¨C Yes, you did. By the way, the demon king said they¡¯ll be extending their gratitude for that.


    Ever¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¨C ¡­What did you just¡­ Gratitude? From who?


    ¨C The demon king.


    ¨C You know the demon king!?


    ¨C Yes. I can¡¯t tell you the details, though.


    Not that I know said details about that ¡°gratitude¡±.


    Tilchina and Kouya just want to live a peaceful life without the humans interfering.


    Kouya asked me to do some behind-the-scenes work, so here I am.


    I¡¯m able to play both sides of the coin, and only the demon side knows about it.


    ¨C Hmmm¡­ Ah, well, no one told me to keep it a secret anyways.


    ¨C The demon king said that they have no intentions of attacking the human world. I fully believe we can trust their word.


    ¨C How¡­ close are you with them!? You¡¯re amazing.


    Ever took out a copy of a ¡°Quest petition¡± from a shelf.


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    Raviola, the princess descendant from the family that built this city from scratch after the meteorite destroyed everything.


    Also the knight that defeated Raigoh in the blink of an eye.


    ¨C You can call me whatever you want. Just don¡¯t wall me ¡°Princess Knight¡±. It¡¯s embarassing.


    She really gives off the impression of a dignified high-hierarchy family.


    ¨C Raviola-sama, that sword¡­


    ¨C It¡¯s my family¡¯s treasure, Seventh Fall. A stellar sword specialized in exterminating demons. I used it to kill Raigoh, one of the Four Fiendish Guardians of the demon world.


    Stellar. A title given to weapons worthy of Level VIII feats, far stronger than holy swords. The only gear that could face a stellar weapon is divine equipment, said to be as strong as Level IX. To this day it is still doubted whether divine accessories are a myth or if they actually exist.


    ¨C Could you please show me the blade?


    ¨C Why? I don¡¯t see any need for that.


    ¨C It¡¯s my first time finding a stellar sword. I¡¯d like to see it with my own skilled eyes.


    I could get some very valuable information out of this.


    ¨C Raviola-sama, with all due respect, Takaya will be the one to take care of Seventh Fall¡¯s maintenance one day.


    ¨C Hmm¡­ You¡¯re right.


    Rizerotta winked at me. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s aware of my true intentions, but she definitely helped me out.


    Just as Raviola was about to unsheath her sword-


    ¨C Don¡¯t do it, princess! How can you show the stellar sword to a person like that!?


    ¨C Uhh, excuse me? (Takaya)


    ¨C We don¡¯t need you here. You can go back to where you came from.


    A girl with similar features to me stood in front of Raviola.

 CH 174

    ¡°Chapter 174: Royal Followers¡±


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    The adventurer¡¯s eyes were hostile from the get-go.


    Even some of the inhabitants of the demon world had the decency of trying to talk things through before showing hostility.


    ¨C Septe, I thought I told you to wait in the room with the others. (Raviola)


    ¨C Apologies, princess, but-


    ¨C No buts. If you can¡¯t follow such a simple order you might as well go back home.


    ¨C ¡­Yes.


    ¡°Septe¡± knelt down to apologize, but her glare was burning a hole in me.


    ¨C Sorry about that. This girl is Septe. She¡¯s currently in charge of Seventh Fall¡¯s maintenance and is also my caretaker. (Raviola)


    ¨C Septe is Raviola¡¯s servant. She acts like that to keep bad insects from latching onto Raviola. Although, as you can see, sometimes she goes too far. (Rizerotta)


    Which means she and I will be working together. Shouldn¡¯t she be happy that we¡¯ll be splitting the workload?


    ¨C My family has been in charge of the stellar sword for generations. It¡¯s my and only my job to take care of it. Go wag your tail somewhere else.


    ¨C That¡¯s exactly the behavior I meant. (Rizerotta)


    I was this close to getting some vital information.


    *Sigh*, I¡¯m once again involved in a ridiculous quest.


    ¨C On the contrary, I should be the one apologizing. It was a rude request to make, especially this being the first time we¡¯ve met.


    Backing down seems like the best course of action.


    ¨C Hmph. (Septe)


    I just noticed Raviola¡¯s purple eyes have been staring at me.


    ¨C Is something wrong?


    ¨C No, sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ Everyone with considerable aptitudes tends to be a weirdo. The sages included. But you look like quite the respectable adventurer. Even the members of my-


    ¨C Whaaat? You mean us? Hey, Eri, Ravi was about to trash talk us.


    ¨C I can tell. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to compare us with those people.


    Two girls entered the conversation looking pretty annoyed.


    ¨C Ergeet, Erieet, you two are probably the biggest oddballs. (Raviola)


    Both of them walked to my sides and grabbed my arms.


    ¨C You¡¯re kinda cute. How old are you? Are you a virgin?


    ¨C Excuse me¡­ What!?


    ¨C Don¡¯t hold back. We¡¯re gonna have a fun chit-chat!


    ¨C I would rather not¡­


    I turned around to look for help from my friends.


    ¨C ¡­Huh? Why is no one moving?


    Everyone from Searat, Rizerotta, and even Septe were completely frozen.


    Is this time-stopping magic?


    No, otherwise I would be stuck too.


    ¨C See? They don¡¯t mind. We can go all out~


    ¨C Don¡¯t be scared, we¡¯ll be gentle~


    ¨C HUH!?


    After all I¡¯ve been through I¡¯m quite used to women touching me. But something I¡¯m not used to is ear licking.


    Why are all the women I meet so weird?


    ¨C No need to resist~


    ¨C We¡¯re mages from Alta Masters. Don¡¯t think you can refuse~


    ¨C That¡¯s enough.


    A light of seven colors flashed before my eyes, and I was freed from my restrainers.


    I immediately ran behind my friends.


    ¨C Aw, Ravi! We were getting to the best part!


    ¨C I would appreciate it if you stopped such vulgar behavior in front of me. Or at all, if possible. (Raviola)


    ¨C Vulgar? Have you seen that guy? He¡¯s anything but honorable. What do you think, Septe-chan?


    ¨C He¡¯s disgusting.


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re interested in him!


    ¨C Are you out of your damn mind?


    The four of them began arguing as if I hadn¡¯t been on the verge of being harassed just now.


    ¨C Sorry about that. Those four are¡­ Strong. They¡¯re strong. But they always get like this when they¡¯re together. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C ¡­I see.


    An overly serious knight, a freak, and two molesters. Amazing. What a team.


    And I¡¯ll have to work in that team.


    I¡¯m getting a headache just thinking about it.

 CH 175

    ¡°Chapter 175: Takaya¡¯s Current Grounds¡±


    After introductions were done, I was taken to the room used by Raviola¡¯s team.


    There was a large dresser and three mirrors in the already cramped room, along with what I assume were their belongings.


    ¨C It¡¯s mostly the sisters that use those. But we all have to look presentable.


    ¨C I see.


    All the feminine perfume probably coming from their belongings was making me nervous.


    ¨C Rizerotta, do it. (Raviola)


    ¨C ¡­What?


    ¨C Understood.


    In a matter of seconds, Rizerotta left my upper body completely naked.


    ¨C Excuse me!?


    ¨C Relax. I won¡¯t eat you like the sisters.


    ¨C What? We¡¯re right here, you know? Don¡¯t be like that.


    ¨C Yeah, we just wanted to introduce him to the world of adults.


    ¨C Well, don¡¯t do that. (Rizerotta)


    Rizerotta put something on my back which made me feel slight pain.


    This is familiar¡­


    ¨C I would¡¯ve preferred to use your hand, as is the norm, but the restraints from the Sage of Light are still in effect.


    Rizerotta removed the tree paper from my back and showed it to the others in the room.


    ¨C No way. (Raviola)


    ¨C Woah. (Erieet)


    ¨C Makes me drool just seeing that. (Ergeet)


    ¨C ¡­ (Septe)


    I might not be the most valiant adventurer out there, but at least my skills are nothing to be ashamed of.


    ¨C Combat, healing, aptitude for spells, all of it is Level 0. But he makes up for it in every aspect related to creation or blacksmithing.


    ¨C Hmm~ Does he know a skill we don¡¯t or something?


    ¨C Such roots¡­ Should we send him to the investigation team?


    ¨C How can such a despicable man be so talented?


    ¨C I was skeptical of adding a man for the first time to my team, but after seeing this¡­


    ¨C Raviola-sama!? (Septe)


    ¨C What? Do you have anything to say?


    ¨C ¡­Nothing.


    ¨C Well, time to get to work. And I have the perfect job for you.


    ¨C What? Are we fighting already?


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be on the frontline. You can just watch from afar. Worst case scenario, we have a trump card.


    An ominous look appeared on Raviola¡¯s face as she stared at Seventh Fall.


    ¨C There have been reports of demons in a cave. Time to hunt.

 CH 176

    ¡°Chapter 176: Hunting Demons¡±


    There are multiple ways to go back and forth from the human world to the demon world.


    The one I use is teleportation magic through advanced users like Mumuruu, Ever, or Kouya.


    But demons have an easier time when coming into the human world. Even weak demons.


    Which seems to be the issue we¡¯re walking towards.


    ¨C They¡¯re in a cave labyrinth up north. I didn¡¯t think they could make a portal there. (Septe)


    ¨C Miasma is formed in places where daylight barely reaches and for few hours. If too much miasma concentrates in a spot, it can generate a portal. Even I don¡¯t know why it happens. (Raviola)


    Our current group consisted of 6. Rizerotta, Raviola, Septe, Ergeet, Erieet, and me.


    Rizerotta was in charge of everything. She had the map, she was carrying our luggage, she was our guardian, and if it came to it, she could also fight on the frontlines or serve as support.


    I was astonished when I found out she¡¯s only 14 years old. Goes to show how talented she is.


    ¨C Takaya, when do you think your arms will heal? We need to measure your skills as exactly as possible. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C Soon, I hope.


    My arms were enveloped by a cast made by Ernika which is said to come off naturally as soon as my magic circuits are healed.


    ¨C Very well then. Septe, can I please entrust you to take care of Takaya?


    ¨C What!? Why me?


    ¨C Objectively it¡¯s the best decision. Raviola and the horndogs will be busy battling. You¡¯re not as good as them so you might as well stay back guarding him.


    ¨C Kh¡­


    That¡¯s a rather rude way to ask for it.


    These two don¡¯t seem to get along as well as I thought.


    ¨C Septe, do as she says. Though I don¡¯t agree with the wording, I also share her opinion. (Raviola)


    ¨C Alright. For you, princess.


    Septe¡¯s cold eyes turned warm as Raviola patted her head.


    ¨C Aah~ Rize, how much longer? I need water~ (Ergeet)


    ¨C Me too. (Erieet)


    The two of them seemed more eager to fix their appearance than to actually drink water.


    This is supposed to be one of if not the strongest team in the Royal Capital.


    They¡¯re as disjointed as a group of rookies speaking different languages.


    My future is not looking very bright.

 CH 177

    ¡°Chapter 177: Hunting Demons 2¡±


    After a long while, we finally arrived at the cave labyrinth.


    There have been no reports of damages to the nearby settlements, but the number of demon sightings has been increasing steadily.


    ¨C It reeks of miasma here.


    A smell I didn¡¯t want to remember reached my nose.


    There¡¯s so much miasma here that a simple person wouldn¡¯t last more than a couple of minutes.


    I have a bad feeling.


    ¨C Rizerotta-san, there are pieces of white cloth in my bag. Could you bring them?


    ¨C For sure. Why, though?


    ¨C Test it for yourself. I have enough for everyone.


    In our hands were pieces of cloth that I made by myself.


    The effect was noticed immediately.


    ¨C !? I can breathe!


    ¨C I can¡¯t tell you the secret. But with these as protection, we¡¯ll be able to enter the cave without issues.


    They¡¯re made from decayed fragments of dark matter. They absorb the miasma and turn it into normal air.


    Valuable equipment, but hard to find the materials for.


    ¨C Lame. We look like in a cult or something. (Erieet)


    ¨C Brace yourselves. (Raviola)


    We were lucky enough that the gate opened in a mostly uninhabited place. But where is the other end of the portal?


    ¨C We don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll be facing. Could be regular demon citizens, could be an army, could be a dragon.


    Kouya said the guardians had ordered all demons to stay away from the human world. Clearly not all of them are obedient.


    ¨C But we have to do this¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Did you say something? (Septe)


    ¨C No, nothing. I¡¯ll leave my safety to you.


    ¨C Whatever. Try not to get yourself killed before I can help you.


    Lovely as always.


    The exploration went smoothly. The labyrinth was dug by a magical beast that used to live here long ago, but it wasn¡¯t complicated enough to be an inconvenience.


    We didn¡¯t find any demons either.


    ¨C This is weird. Not a single demon¡­


    It¡¯s possible that all the demons have returned already, but would they really go back without causing any damage?


    We entered the deepest room in the cave.


    Suddenly, two feathers fell on my head. A pure white feather and a dark black one.


    ¨C What!?


    All six of us were slammed onto the ground by a strong gravity force.


    ¨C What a lovely surprise! I was looking for any idiots hanging around. Looks like I hit the jackpot.


    Standing in front of the portal was Zezekiel, the fallen angel and guardian of the demon world.

 CH 178

    ¡°Chapter 178: Guardian¡¯s Whim¡±


    Zezekiel, the fallen angel.


    As her name suggests, she used to live in a realm separate from ours.


    While there, her life was rather dull. Everything moved according to the wishes of beings far more superior than her, so there was nothing to do.


    Every day was the same. Wake up, have the same conversations with the other angels, go to sleep. No concept of day or night. No tasks.


    ¡°What is my purpose?¡±


    One day, she descended into our realm after we caught her interest.


    She chose the demon world, as it fit her desires more than the human world.


    ¨C Ahh, all of this just because some idiots can¡¯t listen when you tell them not to go through the portal. What do you guys think?


    Lying around Zezekiel¡¯s feet were the blood and corpses of her fellow demons splattered on the floor.


    ¨C Adventurers of the Royal Capital, it is a pleasure. My name¡¯s Zezekiel, but you might recognize me by the title of ¡°Godslayer Leader¡±.


    ¨C Oh man¡­ First demon we find and it¡¯s a high-rank one. We¡¯re screwed. (Ergeet)


    ¨C Yeah, we are. And that staff¡­ (Erieet)


    I know that weapon. I saw it during our meeting with the other guardians.


    Elegy of Stars. A stellar staff capable of altering gravity at will.


    ¨C Relax. No need to make those angry faces. I¡¯m not here to fight today.


    ¨C What do you mean?


    Rizerotta was able to repel the gravity force and stand up firmly.


    ¨C It was an order to kill the idiots that came here. I¡¯m supposed to go back and close the portal. Doesn¡¯t sound bad, right?


    ¨C Well, if you have no intentions to battle, could you revoke the gravity spell?


    ¨C Thank you for the offer, but no. That knight over there doesn¡¯t look very friendly.


    Raviola is trying her hardest to reach for Seventh Fall.


    ¨C Shut your filthy mouth, demon. We¡¯re not here to play around.


    The ground below Raviola was starting to crack from the pressure exerted, but she still managed to point Seventh Fall towards Zezekiel.


    ¨C I have sworn not to rest until every single one of your kind has been exterminated. I don¡¯t care about your intentions.


    ¨C Interesting! You look powerful. But how much longer will you all be able to resist?


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C Call.


    In response to Zezekiel¡¯s chant, all of us started floating, except for Raviola, who was under even more pressure now.


    ¨C What¡¯s going on!? (Rizerotta)


    ¨C Princess! (Septe)


    ¨C How dare you¡­ (Erieet)


    ¨C Eri, stop. You might hit Ravi too. (Ergeet)


    ¨C I don¡¯t think you comprehend the situation. Just do as I say. You¡¯re my hostages now. (Zezekiel)


    ¨C Hostages!? (Raviola)


    ¨C Life would be boring without some excitement, wouldn¡¯t you agree?


    Zezekiel took out five golden coins.


    ¨C Are you up for some gambling?

 CH 179

    ¡°Chapter 179: Game¡±


    ¨C Gambling? (Raviola)


    ¨C Yeah. Rules are simple. I¡¯ll toss these 5 coins. Heads, you win. Tails, I win.


    ¨C Is this what you meant by hostages? (Raviola)


    ¨C Exactly! For each win I get, your friends will drop one by one. Allow me to demonstrate. Call.


    Zezekiel lifted a rock the size of my head into the air.


    ¨C Raise.


    The rock shattered into pieces after being slammed against the ground with enough strength to overkill a human.


    ¨C If you win, I¡¯ll pay compensation. Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯ll offer both my arms, legs, and then my heart. How does that sound?


    ¨C You¡¯re insane.


    If this goes well, we could get out of this without any sacrifices.


    Getting 5 heads in a row is not impossible, but it¡¯s stupidly hard.


    Besides, this is one of the Four Fiendish Guardians we¡¯re talking about. Even if she pierced her own heart, she probably has a trump card hidden to ensure her win.


    A limb for one side, an entire life for the other side.


    ¨C So? Do you want to play or not? I¡¯ll give you 10 seconds to decide before I drop that little boy over there.


    ¨C Kh¡­


    Suddenly, my shoulders felt an invisible weight latching on them.


    ¨C You fil-


    ¨C Filthy demon, right? I know. I¡¯m a demon, remember? This is what we do.


    Raviola is still trying to combat the gravity. One step forward, then another, but her feet keep sinking further underground.


    Even if she tried to attack, Zezekiel would easily dodge her attacks.


    ¨C Ten, nine, eight, seven, siiiix¡­


    Damn it, she¡¯s serious. I¡¯ll end up like those corpses around her.


    ¨C Five, four, three, two, oooone¡­


    ¨C ALRIGHT. I¡¯ll take the bet.


    ¨C Ravi¡­ (Ergeet)


    ¨C Takaya is one of us, whether you like it or not. I can¡¯t just throw away his life.


    ¨C But princess¡­


    ¨C Haha, you¡¯re an interesting one.


    ¨C Tch¡­ I have one condition.


    ¨C Oh? What would that be? I¡¯m feeling nice today.


    Raviola looked at the demon guardian and pointed at me.


    ¨C Takaya will toss the coins.

 CH 180

    ¡°Chapter 180: Game 2¡±


    ¨C Have you lost your mind, princess!?


    Raviola is entrusting the life of 5 people to the hands of the most incompetent and inexperienced member.


    Septe was the one to speak up, but I don¡¯t think anyone here liked the idea.


    ¨C I disagree with this choice. Any of us could do a better job-


    ¨C Takaya, you can move your fingers normally, right?


    ¨C Yes.


    ¨C PRINCESS!


    ¨C You heard that, Zezekiel? Set him free.


    None of her friends agree with this, yet she still went for it.


    ¨C Fine by me. I don¡¯t really care if he lives or not. Besides, I can¡¯t feel any strength from him. Drop.


    My body slowly landed on the ground.


    ¨C Since I freed one of your hostages, I¡¯ll have to withdraw one of my coins too. My heart is out of the game.


    ¨C Just pick one of your arms. Who cares? At the end of the day, our lives are at stake.


    ¨C Hahaha, don¡¯t worry, I was joking. I¡¯ll keep my right arm. Let¡¯s get this started.


    Zezekiel gave Raviola five coins with Kouya¡¯s castle on the front and a previous demon king on the back.


    ¨C Have these been tampered with?


    ¨C Of course not. Your name is Takaya-chan, right? Feel free to check them.


    I grabbed four of the coins from Raviola.


    ¨C So? (Raviola)


    ¨C They look legit. Sadly.


    The coins also have ¡°Drop¡± and ¡°Raise¡± written on them.


    ¨C Takaya-kun, be strong. And remember, Eri¡¯s flip doesn¡¯t matter. You can get tails on that one. (Ergeet)


    ¨C Hey! I¡¯m floating right here, you know? (Erieet)


    ¨C I¡¯ll do my best to get save everyone.


    ¨C ¡°Do my best¡±? This is luck we¡¯re talking about. Just how stupid are you? (Septe)


    ¨C Septe, relax. Takaya, I believe in you. And don¡¯t worry, you might be stupid, but stupid people are handsome too. Not you, though. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C Haha¡­ (Takaya)


    Jokes out of the way, I stepped in the middle of the two gamblers for our life or death match.


    ¨C I will bet my left arm, left leg, right leg, and then my heart. How about you?


    ¨C The order doesn¡¯t matter. Unlike you, our friends are all equally valuable. (Raviola)


    ¨C Oh, really now? How about that little girl over there, then?


    Zezekiel pointed at Rizerotta, the brain of the team.


    ¨C Shall we begin?


    But she¡¯s too naive.


    I threw the first coin.


    After spinning in the air, it landed on the ground.


    The result: Heads.


    ¨C Takaya! (Raviola)


    ¨C Tch. (Zezekiel)


    ¨C One down.


    Zezekiel lost this game the moment she agreed to have me as the coin tosser.


    It will always land on heads.

 CH 181

    ¡°Chapter 181: Game 3¡±


    ¨C Shame, but rules are rules. Drop.


    Rizerotta slowly landed on the ground.


    ¨C You did it! I love you!


    ¨C I think you owe us something (Raviola)


    ¨C Right. I¡¯m not into dismembering my own body, so please use that sword of yours.


    ¨C Are you sure? I could cut your head in the blink of an eye.


    ¨C Be my guest. Just remember your friends up there are still suspended in the air.


    Perhaps Zezekiel¡¯s magic had weakened, or Raviola was getting more and more used to it, but the knight unsheathed her sword in an instant and cut the demon¡¯s left arm.


    ¨C Kh¡­ So this is the sword that killed the decapitator. Fascinating toy.


    Raviola¡¯s power is astonishing. Is it because of her qualities, or because of the stellar sword?


    Whichever it is, I¡¯m glad Mumuruu is not around.


    ¨C Let¡¯s keep going. Takaya, I trust you. Next is Erieet.


    ¨C What? Me? Cool!


    Round 2.


    ¨C Heads. (Takaya)


    ¨C !? (Zezekiel)


    ¨C I knew it!! (Erieet)


    Ergeet¡¯s sister was released. Two coins remaining.


    Raviola didn¡¯t wait for even a second before burning Zezekiel¡¯s left leg.


    She¡¯s only able to balance herself by using the feathers on her back.


    ¨C Aagh, s?h?i?t?, that hurts. But this feeling¡­ It¡¯s exactly what I was looking for when I left heaven.


    ¨C Takaya, quick. The third coin.


    ¨C Right.


    I threw the third coin. The result was always the same.


    A broken laugh came out of Zezekiel¡¯s smile


    ¨C Ha¡­Hahaha¡­


    Three wins in a row.


    Zezekiel might¡¯ve started to guess something¡¯s wrong.


    Still, there¡¯s nothing she can object to. The coins she sees are the exact same ones she gave me.


    ¨C This is the end for you, Zezekiel.


    It would be great if I had a skill to make the coin land on heads all the time, but that¡¯s not the case. And even if I did, a huge part of my magic power is currently restricted by Ernika.


    Cheating is not cheating unless you¡¯re caught.


    ¨C Is this simply pure luck? No, there¡¯s no way¡­


    ¨C Fourth toss. Bid your farewells. (Raviola)


    ¨C This is impossible¡­


    ¨C Here I go. (Takaya)


    I threw the last coin, but the demon guardian had already given up before it even landed.


    ¨C Goodbye, fallen angel Zezekiel. (Raviola)


    Result: Heads


    ¨C So this is it, huh¡­ The others will have to do all the work-


    ¨C Extinguish all demon life from this world. SEVENTH FLASH!


    A ray of light pierced Zezekiel¡¯s chest.


    Both her right arm and Elegy of Stars turned to dust.

 CH 182

    ¡°Chapter 182: Moonlight¡¯s Wish¡±


    The trick was actually quite simple.


    Right before flipping the coins, I would transform them so that both sides had heads.


    Obviously I would turn them back to normal when Zezekiel would look at them.


    Raviola put her trust in me and it paid off.


    ¨C Thanks to Takaya we have defeated our opponent. Let¡¯s close this gate once and for all. Erieet, Ergeet. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C Right-o


    ¨C You¡¯ve been nothing but a pair of sloths. I trust you can do this much.


    Purifying the miasma would require light magic, but according to Rizerotta, the sisters are capable of controlling all six elements. Something only sages are known for.


    ¨C Princess, are you injured?


    ¨C I should be the one asking you. But first, how about you show some gratitude?


    Even if she hates me, it¡¯s a fact that if not for me she would be dead right now.


    ¨C You saved me this time. You¡­ have¡­ my gr-gratitude. Idiot.


    ¨C I guess you¡¯ll have to settle with that, Takaya.


    A simple ¡°Thanks¡± would¡¯ve been enough.


    I consider this a big step in our short relationship.


    Why does she even hate me in the first place? Do I look that annoying?


    ¨C Ravi, what do we do with the dead bodies? We have to clean them up, or else the miasma will accumulate again.


    ¨C I¡¯ll take care of it. My sword isn¡¯t satisfied.


    ¨C ¡­Satisfied?


    ¨C Yes.


    Raviola aimed her sword at the pile of demon bodies.


    ¨C Seventh Fall feeds on magic. Especially the magic flowing through the demon race.


    ¡Á¡Á


    (Narrator¡¯s Perspective)


    ¡°I have to destroy my brother who survived¡±


    That was Moonlight¡¯s wish.


    ¨C The meteorite in the Royal Capital?


    ¨C Yes. However, unlike me, his body is fully intact.


    Why did the meteorites fall into the world?


    Not even Moonlight knew the answer.


    The only thing remaining in their memories is the pale white moon from Shimazu.


    ¨C Why do you want to destroy him? Should you not be glad that he¡¯s alive?


    ¨C That would usually be the case, yes. I have this terrible augury that something terrible is going to happen if we leave him as is.


    ¨C The Royal Capital will turn into the cursed landscape that was Shimazu?


    ¨C Even worse, I fear. Not just that ¡°Royal Capital¡±, but the entire world will suffer. I can feel the power of The Seventh growing stronger.


    Takaya was speechless. His hands were tightly gripping his head.


    If a shard as small as Moonlight was able to cause such trouble to Shimazu, what would an entire meteorite provoke?


    ¡Á¡Á


    (Takaya¡¯s perspective)


    ¨C I see. (Takaya)


    ¨C Hm? (Raviola)


    ¨C Nothing. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen or heard about a sword that eats demons.


    Just like Moonlight was eating away the magic from Shimazu to achieve a goal, The Seventh is also using the demons as a way to absorb magic and accomplish a goal.


    Or so we think. I would like to confirm that.


    ¨C Raviola-sama, I would like permission as a reward for this quest.


    ¨C Permission for what?


    ¨C To enter the heart of the Royal Capital, where the meteorite is confined.

 CH 183

    ¡°Chapter 183: Beyond the Wall¡±


    I was granted permission to see the meteorite.


    With some conditions, of course. I can¡¯t touch it, I have to be accompanied at every moment by a member of Alta Naga royalty (in this case, Raviola), and I can¡¯t act on my own.


    I don¡¯t really mind. I¡¯m not planning on doing anything to the meteorite.


    Yet.


    ¨C I said you could see The Seventh, but this is¡­


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. They insisted.


    Behind me were Rudra, Feria, Ergeet, and Erieet. Meirir wanted to come too but she¡¯s taking care of Mike. Dyke and Roar are at home.


    ¨C Raviola-sama, it¡¯s our fault. We wanted to see the meteorite too. (Rudra)


    ¨C And at what point did I ever say you could? When?


    The main body is known as the Rainbow Rock because of its shimmering colorful lights.


    Elves have a sweet spot for pretty-looking things, so it¡¯s no surprise that it caught Feria¡¯s interest.


    ¨C You two are Takaya¡¯s guardians, right? I guess one or two more people won¡¯t be a problem. What are you pair of idiots doing here? (Raviola)


    ¨C Weeeellll~ We like sparkly things! Right? (Ergeet)


    ¨C Yeah! We were thinking maybe we could borrow a little bit of the meteorite~ Ravi, why are you pointing your sword at us? (Erieet)


    Theft of Seventh is a felony, even if just a speck. But I¡¯m sure they know that.


    I hope they come with us. The more people the better.


    ¨C Septe, could you please watch over these four? I¡¯ll take responsibility if anything happens.


    ¨C Understood.


    Septe took out a thin metal plate and carved some magic words on it.


    ¨C Here. You won¡¯t be attacked with this.


    ¨C What? Attacked?


    ¨C Several traps are set inside the wall to attack those who don¡¯t have the plates. (Septe)


    ¨C Which means¡­ (Erieet)


    ¨C Don¡¯t do anything stupid. Am I clear? (Septe)


    Raviola guided us through a small door.


    On the other side was yet another wall made up of several layers of barriers. The doors were all locked with magic seals.


    This is more like a fortress than a wall.


    ¨C We¡¯re here.


    After going through five different walls, we finally reached our destination.


    Below me was a huge crater with the main body of The Seventh emanating an odd aura.

 CH 184

    ¡°Chapter 184: Core¡±


    It¡¯s¡­ different than I had anticipated.


    Seventh Fall is bright and emits colorful lights like a rainbow.


    But the meteorite is surrounded by small dots the size of a sand grain that absorb the light.


    ¨C I know it might be surprising, but this is what it looks like. My sword, as well as some structures in Royal Capital, are made by processing the fragments that fall from the meteorite. Once it¡¯s processed, it¡¯s capable of emitting all the colors you¡¯ve seen. Even I don¡¯t know the reason. (Raviola)


    ¨C How long have those fragments been falling off? (Takaya)


    ¨C Several thousand years. You would think that the meteorite gets smaller and smaller until it eventually disappears, but it simply doesn¡¯t. (Raviola)


    ¨C From what I can see, it might even be bigger than last month. Princess, it¡¯s time to mend the sword. (Septe)


    ¨C Right. Thank you.


    Septe took Seventh Fall from Raviola and stabbed the meteorite.


    ¨C !? What are you- (Feria)


    ¨C Be quiet. I need to focus. (Septe)


    The sword came out with a new shape.


    It looked even brighter than before we went on our quest.


    ¨C It¡¯s so pretty¡­ (Feria)


    ¨C It¡¯s done.


    ¨C Thank you.


    Raviola sheathed her sword back in place.


    The pride of the royal family, and the bane of the demon race.


    But they have yet to realize the price that they¡¯ll pay for it.


    Or do they?


    How did ¡°the chosen ones¡± survive the meteor strike? Why were they the only ones able to enjoy the fortune brought by The Seventh?


    They were chosen by the meteorite, but they¡¯re merely servants working to fulfill a goal.


    ¨C Raviola-sama, I think we¡¯ve seen enough. Thank you very much. (Feria)


    ¨C Are you sure? We can stay a little bit longer if you want.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. We were able to witness something amazing.


    Just to be safe, we¡¯re done for now.


    ¡Á


    ¨C So?


    Once we parted ways with Raviola, I was the one to speak up.


    ¨C I think you¡¯re right. I saw it with my own eyes. In fact- Wait, Takaya, what¡¯s wrong with your shadow?


    ¨C Hm? Oh, don¡¯t worry.


    ¨C TAKAYA! I¡¯M BACK~


    Mumuruu emerged from my shadow and flung herself towards me with her arms open.


    ¨C Welcome back. What¡¯s the response?


    ¨C Here you go.


    The letter said ¡°You owe me one¡±.


    I guessed as much. What a reckless person.


    ¨C It seems the other side is ready.


    And now we just wait.


    Although I still haven¡¯t received any response from her.

 CH 185

    ¡°Chapter 185: As the Older Sister¡±


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    (Narrator¡¯s perspective)


    ¨C Hmm. It hasn¡¯t been long since Takaya left, but things feel so different.


    Ever was lost in thought as she climbed the stone steps covered in moss.


    The island was already a disaster the moment she happened to stumble upon it. The inhabitants would desperately keep fires going to avoid freezing to death.


    She was aware that a strange object was contaminating Shimazu, and that she had the power to get rid of it, but no one on the island asked for her help.


    Ever herself was not interested in heroic deeds. She merely lives her life as she wants.


    That¡¯s the way of The Sage of the Forest.


    It¡¯s how she has always been and will continue to be.


    ¨C Pretty landscape now, right, Sage?


    Ever¡¯s first disciple was standing at top of the stairs.


    The Oni descendant had always been harsh and rigorous, but now she had a gentle smile on her face.


    ¨C Or maybe I should call you Grandmaster again.


    ¨C No need to. You¡¯re not my disciple anymore.


    Instead of her usual hakama, she was wearing a hooded magical robe, shorts, leather boots, and a pouch on her belt to hold items.


    Akane had always been a guest from Shimazu in unfamiliar environments. But now she was ready to be an adventurer.


    All thanks to Takaya¡¯s influence.


    ¨C Michihi made these clothes using stuff you gave me. Do I look weird?


    ¨C No. It suits you very well. Takaya will be happy.


    ¨C *Sigh* First Moonlight, now you too?


    ¨C Looks like you¡¯re getting along with the sword.


    ¨C Yes. She¡¯s very dangerous when not by my side, though. Anyways, enough of that. Let¡¯s get going to the Royal Capital.


    Akane grabbed Ever¡¯s sleeve for the first time in a long time.


    ¨C The cherry trees here are pretty.


    ¨C Grandmother says it¡¯ll take another month for them to fully bloom.


    Nurturing from the sunlight was a special cherry tree that only grows on this island.


    It was the first time Ever had seen it, yet she still felt a sense of nostalgia.


    ¨C Do you know that tree?


    ¨C Yeah. I liked it.


    ¨C Hm?


    ¨C Forget it. It¡¯s a long story from long long ago.


    Light particles started floating around the two.


    ¨C Are you not worried about Takaya? (Akane)


    ¨C I am. But there are matters that take priority.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taught them well¡±, Ever thought to herself as the sight of the island left their vision.

 CH 186

    ¡°Chapter 186: Her True Colors¡±


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    ¨C What is the meaning of this!? (Raviola)


    The Searat members and I were greeted by a tense mood filling the headquarters.


    Raviola is yelling with a report in her hand while Rizerotta, Erieet and Ergeet hang their heads with their shoulders slumped.


    Septe is silently watching.


    ¨C Good¡­ morning?


    ¨C Takaya, this is sudden, but we¡¯re leaving. Your friends should come too. (Raviola)


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Takaya. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C What¡¯s going on?


    ¨C Well~ Remember that demon we killed? (Ergeet)


    ¨C The fallen angel?


    ¨C Yes. Apparently, the gate to the demon world wasn¡¯t closed properly.


    How come? I watched the sisters close it. They didn¡¯t cut corners or anything.


    Did the demons use teleportation magic instead of going through the gate?


    But only someone savvy in dark magic would be able to do that. Someone like Mumuruu using her spear.


    ¨C The deceased demons have come back to life, and it appears there have been civil casualties. We need to move. Now.


    The letter describes a black dragon eating livestock as well as demons killing any villagers who opposed them. It¡¯s hard to imagine this is a joke.


    The signature was barely readable, probably since whoever wrote it was in a hurry.


    ¡°A¡­Ou I¡­Zo¡±, or something like that.


    ¨C We will think about taking responsibility for this later. We must hurry before the situation gets worse.


    ¨C ¡­ (E/E)


    Both Ergeet and Erieet were staring at the floor, entirely convinced that they had made no mistake.


    I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯ll have to bear with it for a bit longer.


    ¡Á


    ¨C What¡­ (Septe)


    The sisters used their teleportation magic to take us to the cave.


    But from where we were standing we could see the villagers living their life as if nothing had happened.


    No traces of the destruction described in the letter.


    No traces of the demons.


    ¨C Where is¡­ Rizerotta, what is going on? (Raviola)


    ¨C Sorry, Raviola-sama. I instructed Rizerotta-san and the sisters to take refuge in the cave.


    Meirir and the others were also at the cave. By my side were Feria and Rudra.


    ¨C Without asking for the princess¡¯ permission!? Know your place, you-


    ¨C Wow, easy there. One more step and your head might disjoint from your body. (Mumuruu)


    Septe stopped in her tracks as she was about to attack me.


    The tip of Mumuruu¡¯s spear was piercing her neck.


    ¨C Those horns and wings¡­ A Succubus!?


    ¨C My pleasure. I¡¯m Mumuruu. I used to be the Shimmering Succubus Leader, but now I work for Takaya. Thank you for taking care of him!


    ¨C You¡­ What!? TAKAYA!?


    ¨C Actually, I¡¯m also one of the Four Fiendish Guardians.


    ¡°The Demonic Creator¡±. A title that Kouya gave me. And a status that was very useful for this mission.


    ¨C I didn¡¯t mean to betray your trust, but rather than trying to convince you, I thought it would be better if you saw it for yourself. Feria, Rudra.


    ¨C On it. (Rudra)


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Raviola-sama. This is for the better good of the Royal Capital. (Feria)


    The Searat executives restrained both of Raviola¡¯s arms. She¡¯s already immobilized by Mumuruu¡¯s magic, but considering she was almost able to fend off Zezekiel¡¯s magic, I¡¯d rather be safe than sorry.


    ¨C To think that you were working with the demons¡­ What a f?u?c?k?i?n?g coward. Release the princess!


    ¨C I think you should be the one to release her, Septe-san. Or should I call you Seventh?

 CH 187

    ¡°Chapter 187: Her True Colors 2¡±


    ¨C What? Septe? (Raviola)


    Septe looks like a simple girl taking care of someone she admires. Nothing suspicious whatsoever.


    But that innocence is exactly what piqued his interest.


    ¨C This is not the time for jokes. (Septe)


    I took out the five gold coins from our match with Zezekiel.


    ¨C Raviola-sama, do you remember how I beat the fallen angel?


    ¨C Yes. I knew about your aptitudes. I was sure you would be able to pull something off.


    ¨C Right. I don¡¯t have a skill to alter luck or anything like that. If I hadn¡¯t cheated, someone would¡¯ve died. Or that¡¯s what you think. Mumuruu, can you check the coins?


    ¨C Sure.


    Mumuruu threw all the coins, but even the ones that were about to land on tails turned at the very last second to land on head.


    ¨C All of them would¡¯ve been heads!?


    ¨C Exactly. We would¡¯ve won anyways. In fact, due to the Sage of Light¡¯s restraints, there was a chance my magic wouldn¡¯t have worked.


    ¨C So the fallen angel¡­ (Septe)


    ¨C She was planning to lose from the start. In fact, we knew Raviola would choose me as the coin tosser.


    ¨C But why did she do that? I¡¯m sure I pierced her heart with my sword. We all saw her turn to dust. (Raviola)


    ¨C She¡¯s well and alive. Actually, that wasn¡¯t even the actual Zezekiel.


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C Mumuruu, is that guy here yet?


    ¨C Yeah. He came along with me.


    My shadow started twisting again.


    ¨C Hey, I thought we were friends. What¡¯s with the ¡°That guy¡±?


    ¨C Well, excuse me for trying to be more private.


    ¨C Haha, don¡¯t worry. I was going to introduce myself anyways.


    ¨C Wha-!? You¡­ (Raviola)


    From my back emerged an angel that was supposed to be dead.


    ¨C How long are you planning to stay like that?


    ¨C I thought it¡¯d be easier if she saw it in action.


    Slowly, the fallen angel Zezekiel transformed into a boy with white hair and bright red pupils.


    ¨C Hey, princess~ Is that Seventh Fall? I heard the rumors about it. It¡¯s a good thing I moved my nucleus to my arm before I got hit.


    ¨C What¡­ are you?


    ¨C My name is Kouya. I¡¯m Takaya¡¯s friend. I¡¯m also the representative of the demon king.

 CH 188

    ¡°Chapter 188: Her True Colors 3¡±


    ¡°Our world might be in danger. I need your help¡±


    Without mentioning any details about Moonlight, I entrusted Mumuruu to talk to Kouya.


    If what Moonlight said is true, there is no way we¡¯ll be able to manage this by ourselves.


    When Kouya heard my troublesome request he agreed to help without any complaints.


    ¨C The representative of the demon king? I¡¯ve never heard anything about someone like you.


    ¨C Of course you haven¡¯t. I¡¯ve been locked in the castle all this time serving the king.


    Raviola was tense, as she could feel the difference in power between Kouya and Raigoh.


    ¨C By the way, will Tilchina be fine by herself? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yeah. She might look childish but she¡¯s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Besides, granny Azaasha is looking out for her.


    ¨C So that stupid game where our lives were at stake, as well as this demon attack¡­ Everything is a farce? (Raviola)


    ¨C Correct. (Takaya)


    ¨C Except the part where I killed the idiots that tried to enter the human world with the gate I opened. That part actually happened. (Kouya)


    The letter that Raviola got was also forged. Kouya took the form of one of the villagers and sent it himself.


    ¨C Anyways. Back to our conversation. I did this because I wanted to see where the magic your sword is eating is going.


    Moonflower would use its wolf body as a way to slowly build up magic. Even if they were two separate entities, their magic circuits were connected.


    The Seventh is probably doing the same.


    ¨C Kouya purposefully accepted a game he would lose in order to have the sword eat some of his magic. If the sword is the ¡°alter ego¡±, the surplus of magic will be transferred.


    ¨C And sure enough, the magic was transferred to that girl.


    Unlike blood vessels, magic circuits are invisible. Only the most adept mages are able to see them.


    That includes the sages, and of course Kouya, who copied the abilities of the most powerful demon.


    ¨C So, now that the joke is over. How about you show yourself, you gall midge?


    Kouya¡¯s eyes turned even brighter as he stared daggers at Septe.


    ¨C Come on. I have other things to do, and I¡¯m not as nice as Takaya. Don¡¯t make me waste my time.


    ¨C Ghh¡­


    ¨C S-Septe!


    Septe¡¯s life might be in danger, but I can feel it, we¡¯re close.


    Moonlight¡¯s words resound in my head.


    ¡°The only thing I remember about Seventh is¡­ He was the most temperamental out of all of us.¡±


    ¨C I only needed a little more. Just a little more. But you b?a?s?t?a?r?d?s? just had to interfere.


    Septe¡¯s left eye turned into seven different colors, and a deafening low pitched scream escaped her mouth.

 CH 189

    ¡°Chapter 189: Real Form¡±


    After showing his authentic voice, Seventh¡¯s colorful eye gradually enlarged, and the blood vessels in the left side of Septe¡¯s face turned red and black.


    ¨C Eh? Huh? What¡¯s going on? My eye¡­ AAAHH.


    ¨C SEPTE! Let me go, idiots! (Raviola)


    Seeing her friend screaming in agony, Raviola broke free and aimed her sword at the source of the pain: The girl¡¯s left eye.


    ¨C Wait! Don¡¯t- (Takaya)


    ¨C Who cares!? Her left eye is artificial anyways!


    ¨C It¡¯s not that!


    Raviola¡¯s thrust reached her objective.


    ¨C Thank you.


    ¨C !? My sword is being swallowed!?


    The tip of Seventh Fall certainly connected with the eye, but it merged with Septe¡¯s body.


    ¨C I might not be complete yet, but this should be just enough.


    Seventh held out his hand towards Kouya, whose entire arm turned in a direction that shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    ¨C You¡¯re too annoying, Succubus.


    Septe¡¯s left arm turned into a sword. Her left eye was now the size of my fist, and it had blood dripping down from it.


    ¨C MUMURUU, STEP ASIDE!


    Mumuruu was barely able to move behind me right in time to dodge Seventh¡¯s cleave.


    ¨C What the hell is that!? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Takaya, I¡¯ll borrow some of your skills. (Kouya)


    ¨C That¡¯s fine, but what about your arm? Can you fight like that?


    ¨C What? Who do you think I am?


    Kouya stroked his right arm with his left hand, which made the broken arm go back to normal.


    ¨C Healing, huh? You f?u?c?k?i?n?g nuisances¡­


    ¨C Not bad for an insect like you. (Kouya)


    Kouya¡¯s cheeky smile had disappeared. He knew this was no ordinary opponent.


    Come to think of it, Seventh has been feeding off of demon tribes for a long time.


    Even after draining a stupid amount of magic, such as Raigoh¡¯s, he was still unable to fully revitalize.


    ¨C Takaya, take the princess. She¡¯ll be a burden in that state. (Kouya)


    ¨C What is a scumbag like you trying to boss me around for!? I can still fight-


    ¨C Without your sword? Is that how you plan to beat up your friend?


    ¨C Tch¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do everything I can. (Kouya)


    Mumuruu and Kouya are the only ones able to fend off Seventh.


    It must be extremely humiliating for Raviola to have two demons protecting her.


    ¨C My body was severely damaged when I crashed, but I¡¯ve been a parasite in this girl¡¯s family for generations. And now, I¡¯m so close to getting my power back.


    ¨C Oh, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of those ¡°I¡¯ll conquer the world!¡± guys. (Kouya)


    ¨C There¡¯s no point in talking anymore.


    ¨C Yeah, I can tell, damn insect.


    Kouya pulled a black sword from his own shadow.


    ¨C I¡¯ll borrow this for a bit, previous Decapitator.


    His entire skin became engulfed in flames, similar to Raigoh¡¯s, but even more fierce.


    ¨C Impressive. It¡¯ll be over for all of you once we¡¯re done here.


    Seventh thrust his arm towards the sky.


    ¨C I WILL EAT YOUR MAGIC TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL. THIS PLANET WILL BE MINE.

 CH 190

    ¡°Chapter 190: The Most Durable Skin¡±


    ¨C Takaya, you should stand further back. Things will get ugly.


    ¨C Got it. That goes for you too, Raviola-sama.


    ¨C ¡­


    No response. Raviola was left dumbfounded at the sight of her friend having transformed.


    ¨C What¡­ is going on here¡­?


    Presumably sensing the absurd amount of magic emanating from the field, Rizerotta, Ergeet and Erieet approached the scenario.


    ¨C Wow¡­


    ¨C It¡¯s just like you said, Rotta.


    Rizerotta was the only one I could confide in. She was skeptical but she agreed to help us. It was thanks to her that Mumuruu conveniently never crossed paths with Raviola.


    ¨C Is this why you two have been so obsessed with killing demons? (Rizerotta)


    ¨C Eating Raigoh must¡¯ve drastically accelerated Seventh¡¯s comeback. (Takaya)


    With much care to avoid raising suspicions, Seventh contaminated Septe¡¯s mind with pure hatred for demons.


    Generation after generation, her lineage has been helping Seventh conquer the world.


    ¡Á


    ¨C Shall we begin?


    ¨C Are you done with your last words?


    ¨C As if I need them. Besides, this place is¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡­


    Kouya vanished completely from the battlefield.


    Underground, behind, on the sky¡­ It didn¡¯t matter where Seventh looked, the demon was nowhere to be found.


    But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.


    ¨C ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡. Dimensional Tempo.


    A gate between the human world and the demon world appeared behind him.


    From the portal came out a sword that missed Seventh¡¯s neck by the length of a hair.


    ¨C You like that? I borrowed that technique from an old pal. Sorry, but I¡¯m not here to play around.


    Kouya once again tried to strike at Seventh¡¯s neck, but he was met with the sound of metal clashing and sparks.


    ¨C It doesn¡¯t matter how many of these demon swords I try. All of them taste like s?h?i?t?.


    Seventh easily blocked the strike with his sword arm.


    ¨C Hey, are you sure you¡¯re not playing around? I¡¯m right here. Come at me. (Seventh)


    ¨C I¡¯m not stupid enough to fall on your bluff.


    Kouya threw the sword back into the portal and repositioned mid-air to deliver a devastating kick to Seventh¡¯s face.


    ¨C You sucked the magic from the sword I dumped, huh? You¡¯re like a fly eating trash.


    ¨C How does it feel to be struggling against a fly? (Seventh)


    ¨C Oh, cheeky, aren¡¯t we?


    Kouya took another weapon from the portal connecting to his warehouse.


    ¨C Hmm, you still got more. (Seventh)


    ¨C Yeah, but this one is for personal use. I¡­ What!?


    ¨C Haha, I can do that too, you know?


    Seventh grabbed a sword from a portal linked to the warehouse.

 CH 191

    ¡°Chapter 191: Predator¡±


    ¨C Kouya, is that¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Yes. It¡¯s from my warehouse.


    ¨C I thought only the demon king was allowed to use weapons from the storage. (Mumuruu)


    As Mumuruu said, the warehouse is only accessible to either the demon king or Kouya.


    I didn¡¯t want to think about it, but is it possible that¡­


    ¨C Did the sword eat one of the previous demon kings?


    ¨C Seems like it. This is gonna be a pain. Mary!


    ¨C Did you call, master?


    The head of a ghost maid appeared from a small portal.


    ¨C I need you to bring me that. As soon as possible.


    ¨C Understood. Are you sure?


    ¨C Dead sure.


    Mary¡¯s figure disappeared after nodding at both of us.


    ¨C What is ¡°that¡°? (Takaya)


    ¨C A personal favorite of mine. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll actually use it, but just in case.


    A Level VII weapon can¡¯t scratch Seventh. Is Kouya hiding something even stronger?


    ¨C Haha, already down to your trump card? (Seventh)


    ¨C Yeah. Thank you for waiting. I was thinking about how to dispose of your corpse.


    ¨C I will eat you along with every single human.


    ¨C Try me.


    Kouya and Seventh clashed again.


    Realizing that using weapons from the warehouse is futile, Kouya tried using magic against both of Seventh¡¯s swords.


    ¨C Nghh¡­


    ¨C IS THAT IT!? COME ON, KID.


    Seventh was quickly managing to overwhelm Kouya.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong with him? Even without a weapon, he¡¯s usually much stronger than this¡­ (Mumuruu)


    I was wondering why Kouya¡¯s movements looked sloppy.


    The answer is Septe. Her body is still there, just taken over by Seventh.


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re worried about this pitiful body. She¡¯s just a marionette to me.


    Every time Seventh moves at extraordinary speed, the sound of Septe¡¯s body ripping apart can be heard. Her skin might be reinforced on the outside, but her insides are still the same.


    ¨C Please¡­ Save her¡­ (Raviola)


    ¨C Tch¡­ (Kouya)


    Even if Kouya has spent however long as a demon, he was originally a human, just like me and Septe. He would normally be able to go toe to toe with Seventh, but some of his remaining humanity is holding him back.


    ¨C Hahaha! It¡¯s hilarious how f?u?c?k?i?n?g stupid you are. ALL OF YOU!


    Seventh finally landed a hit on Kouya. His magic barely managed to defend him, but even then, it was the first time I saw Kouya¡¯s face retort in pain.


    ¨C Kouya!


    ¨C I¡¯m fine. Just a scratch.


    This is bad. And it¡¯s only going to get worse.


    Even if Septe is still in there, we¡¯ll have to-


    ¨C Ahh¡­ It hurts¡­ Raiora-saa¡­ Eri¡­ Erg¡­ Rotta¡­ Help me¡­ Please, it hurts¡­ (Septe?)


    ¨C ¡­ (Kouya)


    ¨C What do you think? Pretty cool impression, eh? Hahaha! (Seventh)


    Kouya, the demon who couldn¡¯t care less about the living beings in this world other than Tilchina, was projecting his animosity towards Seventh.


    ¨C ¡­You crossed the line. (Kouya)


    The magic surrounding him made the nearby grass and flowers wither as if a thousand years had passed in a second.


    ¨C Finally getting serious, huh? Should¡¯ve done that from the start.


    ¨C DO NOT SPEAK ANYMORE.


    Kouya disappeared, not using any magic, but by raw speed.


    ¨C STOP! (Takaya)


    However, he was caught before I was able to calm him down.


    ¨C You f?u?c?k?e?d? up, kid. I win. (Seventh)


    ¨C !? *Cough* (Kouya)


    Seventh¡¯s sword arm came out of his own shadow and stabbed Kouya in the heart.

 CH 192

    ¡°Chapter 192: The Demon King¡±


    ¨C KOUYA!?


    During our gamble with ¡°Zezekiel¡±, Kouya was safe because he made sure to switch his nucleus to his arm.


    But now Seventh had stabbed his heart cleanly through.


    Being a vampire and Tilchina¡¯s servant, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough to kill him, but it¡¯ll sure knock him out of combat.


    ¨C ¡­Perfect Imitation¡­ Hell Slime-


    Mouth full of blood, Kouya was able to transform into a slime and dissolve into the ground to escape Seventh¡¯s blade.


    ¨C Mumuruu, I¡¯ll help Kouya. Buy me some time.


    ¨C Right!


    Ernika¡¯s restrictions haven¡¯t worn off yet. I can¡¯t make any potions on the spot.


    Kouya immediately rushed to me as soon as Mumuruu started acting as a distraction.


    The bleeding has stopped but the wounds are still open and Kouya is breathing heavily.


    ¨C Are you not regenerating? (Takaya)


    ¨C I can¡¯t. He struck my heart. It¡¯s gonna take some time.


    ¨C Hahaha, so this is the power you held. (Seventh)


    Mumuruu was easily repelled and her spear was sent flying.


    ¨C Mumuruu, stop. I¡¯ll take care of this. (Kouya)


    ¨C What are you talking about? You can barely walk. (Takaya)


    ¨C I don¡¯t care.


    Kouya snatched my pouch and downed all the recovery potions I had left.


    He probably intends to hold Seventh back until Mary brings that.


    ¨C This is nothing compared to back then. Barely top 10 fights I¡¯ve had.


    No matter what I do, I can¡¯t convince Kouya to step back. Not with words, not with force.


    I can only help in one way.


    ¨C Be careful. Don¡¯t die immediately.


    Kouya cracked his neck and smiled.


    ¨C Sure thing.


    ¨C Not done yet, huh? Just let me eat you. It¡¯ll be less painful. (Seventh)


    Both Mumuruu and Kouya are now unable to even defend themselves from Seventh¡¯s attacks.


    The sword that eats demons has completely taken the high ground.


    ¨C Come on, come on! How much longer until my circuits heal!?


    My arms feel completely fine, but if Ernika¡¯s magic hasn¡¯t worn off, it means I¡¯m still useless in this fight.


    ¨C Master, I have the- Oh my, it seems he¡¯s in the middle of something.


    ¨C Mary!


    Whatever she brought, there¡¯s little point in it now.


    Even the strongest sword and armor would be useless in Kouya¡¯s current state.


    ¨C Thank you, but Kouya might be-


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I have taken the situation into account.


    ¨C What?


    Come to think of it, Mary isn¡¯t carrying anything.


    Which means, she brought someone along.


    Someone else with access to the warehouse.


    ¨C Kouya, I¡¯m here to help.


    ¨C Thank you. Sorry to bother you.


    ¨C Honestly. You¡¯ve been like this ever since we first met.


    A giant scythe with a pure white blade blocked a blow that would¡¯ve finished off Kouya.


    ¨C What!? (Seventh)


    She looks a more grown-up than when I first met her, which is why I wasn¡¯t able to recognize her at first.


    ¨C Who are you!?


    ¨C I don¡¯t have a name, but this man once called me China-chan.


    Tilchina, the ruler of all demons, had descended into our world to save Kouya.

 CH 193

    ¡°Chapter 193: 7th Cycle¡±


    ¨C Kouya, you¡¯ll be an obstacle in that state. Go with Takaya-kun.


    ¨C Whaat~ Don¡¯t be like that. Remember when you couldn¡¯t sleep if I wasn¡¯t by your side?


    ¨C Just shut up and go. We can talk about that later.


    ¨C Uh, righ-UWOGH!?


    Tilchina grabbed Kouya by the neck and flung him to my side.


    All this time, Tilchina¡¯s scythe was still fending off Seventh, not budging at all.


    ¨C Phew. So, Takaya, how¡¯s it going?


    ¨C It¡¯s going. How did Tilchina grow so much since the last time I saw her?


    ¨C Well, you see¡­ Mumuruu.


    ¨C Sure.


    Mumuruu created a veil of fog around us three.


    ¨C That¡¯s the real form of The Demon King Tilchina.


    ¨C So that girl I met¡­


    ¨C It¡¯s the consequence of using too much magic. Eventually she regains her normal form, but I guess after this she¡¯ll be back to being a little girl.


    ¨C Wait, does that mean she¡¯ll run out of magic soon?


    ¨C A few minutes at most if she doesn¡¯t hold back.


    Raviola lost her sword, which has accompanied her through so many battles, and now she might be about to lose her dear friend.


    We don¡¯t have room for mistakes anymore.


    We just have to believe in the demons.


    ¨C TILCHINA-SAN, GO ALL OUT! DON¡¯T MIND THE BODY!


    ¨C ¡­!?


    Raviola¡¯s body trembled at my scream.


    All these years, the royal family has enjoyed the luxuries brought by The Seventh.


    Always thinking they were the chosen ones without for a moment considering any consequences.


    It¡¯s about time they pay a price.


    ¨C Leave it to me. (Tilchina)


    Tilchina smiled at me before turning to face Seventh.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care what weapons you use. You¡¯ll never get through my skin. (Seventh)


    ¨C Oh, really? (Tilchina)


    Tilchina¡¯s scythe started glowing.


    ¨C HAAA!!!


    And it became a giant hammer.


    ¨C Hghh¡­ (Seventh)


    Seventh¡¯s body was slammed against the ground with enough force to almost cause an earthquake.


    ¨C A weapon capable of cycling through different forms. A sword, a spear, a scythe, an axe, a pair of daggers, a bow, and a hammer. 7th Cycle. I named it myself. (Kouya)


    ¨C You had something like that in your warehouse?


    ¨C Honestly, I can¡¯t keep up with everything that¡¯s in there anymore.


    Tilchina kept striking while Seventh was trying his best to recover.


    With every slam the ground cracked deeper.


    ¨C Don¡¯t¡­ THINK YOU¡¯VE WON YET.


    In a move of desperation, Seventh tried to spit rocks against Tilchina, who transformed her weapon into daggers to repel them.


    ¨C I think we¡¯re done here. (Tilchina)


    ¨C STOP ACTING SO CHEEKY YOU LITTLE BRAT.


    ¨C Quit your barking. The result will be the same regardless of how much you yell. Just give up.


    Seventh was running out of options, but Septe¡¯s eye was still flashing in seven different colors.


    ¨C Hah¡­ Hahaha¡­


    ¨C Is there something funny?


    ¨C I¡¯ll give it to you, I didn¡¯t think I would be pushed against the wall like this. BUT I¡¯VE HAD ENOUGH.


    A black haze as dense as a cloud of miasma burst out of Septe¡¯s body.


    ¨C Is he¡­ detaching from the body!?


    ¨C As long as I still have my body safeguarded in the Royal Capital¡­


    ¨C Damn it, he¡¯s trying to escape! (Kouya)


    If he turns himself into pure magic, he¡¯ll be able to return to the main body in the Royal Capital.


    Tilchina will be back to her little girl form and we won¡¯t be able to stop him.


    Is this the end for us?


    ¨C Oh? That body you¡¯re talking about¡­ Do you mean this?


    ¨C !? What¡­ You¡­ What are you¡­ Why!? (Seventh)


    But then, she made her entrance, with the meteorite in hand.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry for taking so long, Takaya. Former disciple of the Sage of the Forest, Tsubakibaru Akane, has come to your rescue.

 CH 194

    ¡°Chapter 194: Troops Massing¡±


    Everything was prepared for this moment.


    Seventh¡¯s skin is so robust that even the demon king is incapable of finishing him off.


    There was only one person who held the key to victory.


    ¨C You look¡­ different (Takaya)


    ¨C I do. Whenever I use Moonlight, half of her takes over me.


    The right half of her hair and her right eye were dyed in the same white that painted Shimazu for so long.


    Moonlight was taking over Akane¡¯s body just like Seventh did with Septe. The difference was that Akane was strong enough to keep her from completely overpowering her will.


    In fact, I can see traces of ice forming on her right arm.


    But her flaring spirit won¡¯t allow Moonlight to go further than that.


    ¨C Take this. It¡¯s still alive, but it¡¯s cut in half.


    Akane handed me the meteorite.


    ¨C How¡­ were you able to match my power!? (Seventh)


    ¨C I should remind you that killing so many demons earned you some enemies. Come on out, everyone. (Kouya)


    The remaining Four Fiendish Guardians of the demon world appeared from a portal. A bug, a black dragon, a fallen angel, and a succubus.


    ¨C Oh dear Kouya, looks like you got beaten up quite badly. Takaya-chan, it¡¯s been some time!


    ¨C H-Hey, Zezekiel¡­


    Under Kouya¡¯s orders, the guardians were to prevent the main body at the Royal Capital from going berserk.


    And it was Akane who delivered the final blow.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care how many of you show up. You still won¡¯t be able to hurt me.


    ¨C Just like Moonlight said. You¡¯re powerful, but not very smart. (Akane)


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C There¡¯s someone that would like to have a word with you. Please make it quick.


    Moonlight took over Akane¡¯s body completely.


    ¨C Hello. I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten my voice.


    ¨C ¡­YOU.

 CH 195

    ¡°Chapter 195: Closure¡±


    ¨C Impossible. You should¡¯ve fully disintegrated when I used you as a shield.


    Septe¡¯s eye became so big that it popped out of its socket.


    Her only remaining eye was staring at a familiar cold.


    ¨C That should¡¯ve been the case, yes. We tried our best to stop you from landing on this planet, yet we failed. However, thanks to my master, I am now standing in front of you.


    Moonlight took a step forward.


    ¨C I¡¯m here to put an end to this.


    ¨C Kh¡­


    And Seventh took a step back.


    He¡¯s not afraid of any weapon from this world. But the one weapon from another world is standing in front of him.


    ¨C Has it not been enough? Both you and I have far overstayed our welcome on this planet. It¡¯s time for us to leave.


    ¨C SHUT UP. SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP.


    Gritting his teeth so hard that they were chipping, Seventh tried to make a run to escape.


    But Tilchina and Kouya restrained him with dark chains.


    ¨C AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH LET ME GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.


    ¨C Yeah, sure, let me just set you free. And we were supposed to be the idiots, huh. Yo, Zeze.


    ¨C Heh¡­ Do you think you can entertain me for a bit, you little worm? Raise.


    ¨C Gwoh!?


    A field of dense gravity formed around Seventh.


    ¨C Ahahahahaha!!!! Come on, didn¡¯t you want to run? Run free! Heya! Raise! Raise! Raise!


    ¨C S-Stop! (Seventh)


    ¨C I think it¡¯s time we finish this. Master? (Moonlight)


    ¨C Right on time. My restrictions wore off. (Takaya)


    The casts made by Ernika broke into pieces, meaning that my magic circuits were fully healed.


    I feel even stronger than before. I can do this.


    ¨C Let me ask you one last time. This is the end, right?


    ¨C Yes. Akane is doing her best, but we must hurry, while I still have some shred of reasoning left.


    I touched Moonlight¡¯s blade.


    Just like with the Trident of All, if I reduce her durability, I can amplify other aspects.


    As she first promised, after this strike, Moonlight will be no more.


    ¨C ¡­There is a message I would like you to relay to Akane. Would you care to listen?


    ¨C Hm? What is it?


    ¨C ¡°Do your best¡±. That¡¯s the message.


    ¨C That¡¯s it?


    ¨C Yes. I believe that suffices.


    With those words, the Oni descendant took back control of her own body.


    ¨C Pwhah. Even for a few minutes it¡¯s hard. Takaya, are you done talking?


    ¨C Yeah. I¡¯m not sure why, but she wanted me to tell you to do your best.


    ¨C ¡­I see. Thank you.


    Akane¡¯s cheeks blushed. To me, it was a simple message, but I¡¯m sure it had a special meaning for the two of them.


    ¨C I¡¯m done working on the blade. The rest is up to you.


    ¨C Alright. Get back.


    Akane took a stance to draw the sword.


    Moonlight is no longer reflecting light. The sword is completely invisible.


    It can no longer cut life from this world. It can only cut magic and magic circuits.


    ¨C S-Stop¡­ STOP TH- [Princess, please, don¡¯t let them-]


    ¨C FAREWELL, MONSTER. (Akane)


    ¨C WHY, SISTER? (Seventh)


    ¨C Shimazu Art: Null Sword.


    With a completely inaudible slash, Akane pierced right through Septe¡¯s left eye.


    Moonlight¡¯s objective has been fulfilled.

 CH 196

    ¡°Chapter 196: Terms¡±


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D


    The Seventh, the meteorite that infected Septe¡¯s family for generations, crumbled into pieces of rainbow-colored rocks.


    ¡°Until next time, Master. I hope our fates meet again¡±


    The calm voice of a girl reached my ears.


    Akane¡¯s sword turned to dust and disappeared.


    ¨C It¡¯s over¡­ (Akane)


    ¨C Not yet. (Takaya)


    Septe regained control of her body, but she didn¡¯t regain consciousness.


    ¨C SEPTE! Please, say something! Septe! (Raviola)


    Saying her body was in an awful state would be a huge understatement. It was completely covered in blood, and her arms and thighs were swollen and painted dark red. Not a single one of her internal organs must be working properly, if they even are in their right place.


    ¨C Ahh, this is bad. I can¡¯t do anything about this. (Dyke)


    Dyke¡¯s ability won¡¯t magically return her body to normal, it will rewind time. Which means Septe would have to re-live Tilchina¡¯s attacks without having Seventh¡¯s armored skin.


    She was barely breathing, but with every breath, her life drew closer to its end.


    We all just sat there and looked at her, accepting her death.


    ¨C Hey, you want to save that girl? (Tilchina)


    ¨C ¡­Can you do it? (Raviola)


    ¨C Yes. It¡¯s simple. She has to become my servant.


    Both Tilchina, the most powerful vampire, and Kouya, who became her servant, are almost immortal. The fact that Kouya got stabbed in the heart and is still alive is the best proof of it.


    However, that would mean Septe will become a demon.


    What is more important for Raviola? Her beliefs, or her friend¡¯s life?


    ¨C I can imagine you¡¯re not doing this out of the kindness of your heart. What¡¯s the catch? (Raviola)


    ¨C Well, that makes things easier. We just want to get along and live a peaceful life. (Tilchina)


    ¨C You¡­ want a peace treaty with the Royal Capital? (Raviola)


    ¨C Exactly. We can work out the details later, but that¡¯s the gist of it.


    That was Kouya¡¯s intention from the beginning. By saving the Royal Capital and helping the most important guild of adventurers, they would be able to form a stable relationship with our world.


    Now that Seventh is gone, the Royal Capital has lost a lot of economic and military power. This deal would be beneficial for all parties involved.


    ¨C ¡­ (Raviola)


    Septe¡¯s life was vanishing. There was no time to think.


    Raviola looked back at the rest of her friends, but none of them was able to open their mouths.


    This was a decision for her to take. As an adventurer, as Septe¡¯s friend, and as the princess of the Royal Capital.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Septe. Forgive me.


    Raviola let go of what was left of Septe¡¯s hand.


    ¨C I accept the deal. I will talk to the other members of the royal family.


    ¨C Great! China-chan.


    ¨C Right.


    The demons hurried to get the ritual working. Tilchina had to share her blood and magic with Septe.


    ¨C Excuse me. I have one condition.


    ¨C What is it? Speak. We don¡¯t have much time.


    ¨C I want to become a servant too.


    ¨C What!? (Tilchina/Kouya)

 CH 197

    ¡°Chapter 197: Friends Forever¡±


    ¡Á¡Á


    (Narrator¡¯s perspective)


    As the only child of the royal family, Raviola grew up to be a docile and quiet kid.


    Or so the adults around her thought.


    Raviola never played with any of her toys. She just sat in the corner of her room, hugging her knees and doing nothing. At most, she would grab a book and read every once in a while.


    But that wasn¡¯t the real Raviola. It was the personality her parents had assigned to her.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m bored.


    There was nothing to stimulate her interest. No toys or books could entertain her.


    Raviola decided to ask her parents:


    ¡°Is it not boring to do nothing all day?¡±


    From her perspective, all her parents did was talk to adults and bow their heads.


    ¡°It is our job as the chosen ones¡±, they responded.


    But Raviola wasn¡¯t satisfied with that answer.


    ¨C Hmm¡­


    One day, the granddaughter of one of the maids that took care of Raviola showed up.


    She looked at Raviola from afar, wary of her.


    The adults told the princess to not hang out with her. But Raviola didn¡¯t care. It was the first girl of her age she had ever met.


    Time passed and they got to know each other more and more.


    Raviola had finally found someone. Not a book, not a toy, but a friend.


    When she did something right, Septe would praise her. When she teased her too much, Septe would cry.


    Raviola was happy.


    It didn¡¯t take too long for them to become best friends.


    ¡Á¡Á


    (Takaya¡¯s Perspective)


    ¨C Do you understand what you¡¯re saying, princess? (Tilchina)


    ¨C I do. I¡¯m the one asking for it.


    ¨C You¡¯ll forfeit your social status.


    Raviola is no simple adventurer. She¡¯s part of the royalty, and one day will lead the Royal Capital.


    Becoming Tilchina¡¯s servant means none of that will matter.


    Even if Septe becomes a demon, that doesn¡¯t mean Raviola would never be able to see her again.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care. We¡¯re not ¡°chosen ones¡±. We were puppets dancing in that monster¡¯s hands. I can¡¯t live a dignified life carrying such shame on my shoulders. Besides¡­


    Raviola held the remnants of Septe¡¯s body tightly.


    ¨C I promised her we would be friends forever. What kind of friend wouldn¡¯t accompany her in becoming a demon? It¡¯s my way of taking responsibility for what I¡¯ve done to her.


    ¨C China-chan, what do we do? (Kouya)


    ¨C One or two people make no difference. However, I¡¯ll be back to being a little kid soon. I hope you can protect me until I¡¯m back to normal.


    ¨C Worry not. I swear I¡¯ll protect you. (Kouya)


    I¡¯m having trouble digesting all of this, but if this is her decision, I won¡¯t stop her.


    The Royal Capital will undergo a lot of change after this. And as one of the guardians of the demon world, I¡¯ll be involved in that change somehow.


    Member of the representative guild of Bay Road, member of the most prestigious guild in the Royal Capital, disciple of the Sage of the Forest, guardian of the demon world, and savior of Shimazu. What else does the future have for me?


    ¨C Now what, leader?


    ¨C ¡­What?


    Rizerotta called out to me.


    ¨C What? Why the weird face? We need a replacement for Raviola, right? (Rizerotta)


    Replacement?


    Oh no¡­


    ¨C Come on. You were working with the demon king behind the scenes, you exposed our enemy¡¯s identity, and then you managed to solve all the problems. Who else could be the leader but you?


    ¨C I agree. Takaya, I cannot stress how much you underestimate yourself. You might not be a warrior, but you have the courage and wit to lead any army to victory. (Raviola)


    ¨C Uhh, come on, you¡¯re just saying that¡­


    ¨C I can¡­ be your assistant¡­ if you want¡­ (Akane)


    Everyone else turned away. Which means, no one objects to this decision.


    ¨C Isn¡¯t it great to be so important? (Kouya)


    ¨C It sure is. I can already feel the responsibilities weighing on me as if Zezekiel was using her magic.

 CH 198

    ¡°Chapter 198: Uniform¡±


    The series of events that started with Moonlight¡¯s wish came to an end.


    Thanks to the help of the demons, the damage done to the city was minimal. Workers were removing the rubble remnant from the battle between the guardians and The Seventh.


    I obviously couldn¡¯t see any of it, but from what I heard it was a pretty big battle.


    A monster appearing out of nowhere inside the wall covering the heart of the city along with a bunch of powerful demons is short of something that would raise questions among the citizens.


    ¨C Takaya, are you done? (Raviola)


    ¨C Rizerotta-san.


    ¨C You can call me Rotta. How many times have I told you already?


    I was organizing my luggage when Rizerotta walked through the door.


    She was wearing her uniform and a coat too large for her with a sun embroidered on the back. Exclusive for the highest executives in the guild.


    ¨C You do realize you don¡¯t need to go back so quickly, right? There are tons of interesting places for someone like you in this city.


    ¨C You mean the black market of weapons and ingredients? I¡¯d be lying if I said I¡¯m not interested, but my heart is in Bay Road after all.


    I should be the one wearing Rizerotta¡¯s coat, but I decided to go back to Bay Road.


    Sadly, that doesn¡¯t mean I can forfeit my position. I¡¯ll still have to visit the Royal Capital frequently.


    Rizerotta will act as my replacement while I¡¯m not here.


    ¨C By the way, how are the negotiations with that guy going? I hope he¡¯s not being too much of a hassle.


    ¨C The demon king? Rest assured, negotiations are going way better than I initially expected.


    The fact that Raviola and Septe, two people with great influence in the city, are now servants of the demon king must have a huge impact on the city¡¯s disposition.


    As well as the fact that the main source of power in Royal Capital is now gone.


    Obviously Seventh wasn¡¯t initially in the plan, but Kouya¡¯s scheme worked perfectly.


    ¨C It¡¯s like he has control over everyone from the shadows¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to be him.


    ¨C What was that?


    ¨C Nothing. Come on, Mike, wake up. We¡¯re leaving soon.


    The only thing left to do was greet everyone in the headquarters before we leave.


    Except¡­ There¡¯s something that¡¯s been bothering me.


    ¨C Rizerotta-san.


    ¨C Rotta.


    ¨C Ahh¡­ Rotta. Were you able to find them?


    Ergeet and Erieet have been missing ever since the incident.


    They were with Rizerotta when we were discussing how to save Septe after defeating Seventh. We¡¯re all sure of that.


    But then they completely vanished.


    There was a note in my bag that said ¡°Thank you¡±.


    ¨C We have not been able to contact them. I¡¯m not worried about their safety, since they¡¯re strong enough to survive. Besides, they¡¯ve always been this elusive.


    ¨C Heey~ Takaya, Rotta, How have you been?


    ¨C Huh? (T/R)


    A girl with pink hair and golden eyes crossed our path.


    Neither of us knows her, yet she seems familiar.


    ¨C ¡­Excuse me, who might you be? (Rizerotta)


    ¨C Whaat!? Come on. I know we didn¡¯t talk a lot, but we were such good friends~


    ¨C What?


    That smell¡­ I know this perfume.


    ¨C Ergeet? Erieet? (Takaya)


    ¨C Ooh~ Of course you¡¯d recognize me, you little virgin!


    Was that¡­ a compliment?


    ¨C My real name is Arueetel. I¡¯m just a humble adventurer who travels around the world. Those sisters you saw were the alter ego I use to hide from the rest of the world. I¡¯m what people call ¡°Sage¡±, the one that rules the skie-Gwhoh!?


    A girl appeared behind Arueteel and hit her on the back of her head.


    Humble adventurer she says, yet she¡¯s capable of using teleportation magic¡­


    ¨C You take too long to introduce yourself. And do you need to be so mysterious? I¡¯m the one that needs to talk to him, so please leave already if you¡¯re done here. (???)


    ¨C How cheeky for a newcomer, huh. Maybe I should sew a little kitty on that uniform of yours. (Arueteel)


    ¨C You would have to take it from my cold dead hands. This uniform is the only thing I have to remember Nagami-kun. It¡¯s very dear to me.


    ¨C ¡­What? (Takaya)


    ¡°Nagami-kun¡±?


    Why is she calling me by my last name? And how does she know it?


    Only few people in this world know my full name. Including¡­


    ¨C No way¡­


    No, it is possible.


    Not all of my classmates are locked up in Ever¡¯s basement. Some of them left the group after I was kicked out.


    ¨C It¡¯s been some time, Nagami-kun.


    Long black hair, completely dark eyes, and wearing a magical robe with a school uniform below. A uniform I wouldn¡¯t be able to forget even if I wanted to.


    ¨C ¡­Minagami-san?


    ¨C I¡¯m so glad we meet again.


    Minagami Shiori smiled at me, eyes dampened with tears.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    (Note: ¡°Minagami Shiori?¡± She appeared in Chapter 64, in case the name sounds familiar)

 CH 199

    ¡°Chapter 199: Minagami Shiori¡±


    Minagami Shiori was the class president along with Akito. Always standing in his shadow, acting like the pretty girl of the class.


    Not that I cared. I was too busy trying to avoid being bullied every day of my life to acknowledge her existence.


    Pretty or not, to me she was just another bystander that watched me get humiliated by the others.


    I wasn¡¯t moved by this reunion. Only surprised.


    ¨C So¡­ You¡¯re alive. (Takaya)


    ¨C Somehow, yes. Although I¡¯m not sure about the other girls I escaped with¡­


    Minagami cast down her gaze.


    I can more or less guess the situation by the tears dripping on the floor.


    The fact that she¡¯s alongside Arueetel means that she must be extremely talented.


    ¨C Arueetel. (Shiori)


    ¨C Right. I¡¯m interested in your relationship, but I¡¯ll stay out of it for now.


    ¨C Thanks.


    ¨C I¡¯ll be waiting at the boat. I¡¯ll let the leader know about your situation. Takaya, Rotta, one day we¡¯ll meet again. I¡¯m sure of it.


    Arueetel disappeared, leaving the three of us alone.


    I had a lot of questions to ask her, but I guess it can wait until next time.


    ¨C Should I leave too? This seems like a sensitive matter. (Rizerotta)


    ¨C ¡­Right. Could you please take Mike and-


    ¨C No.


    Mike has been pretty docile lately, but this is the first time in a long time that she has clung so tightly to my arm.


    ¨C Nagami-kun, who is that?


    ¨C Her name is Mike. I took care of her when she was sick. She might be young but she¡¯s strong. She¡¯s also part of the tribe of the divine wolves.


    ¨C I know them! They live in Snowpeak if I recall correctly.


    Snowpeak is the name of a sky-high mountain in the Sage¡¯s Forest. Mike got separated from the pack and that¡¯s when we found her.


    ¨C Hello, Mike-chan. My name is Shiori! I¡¯m a friend of your master¡­ Or maybe I should say I¡¯m an acquaintance.


    ¨C Grr¡­


    ¨C ¡­I don¡¯t think she likes me.


    ¨C Sorry about that. She might be a bit too attached to me.


    ¨C On the contrary, I think that¡¯s a good thing. Besides, I was ¡°one of those¡± for you.


    Shiori bent her knees and put her forehead on the floor, tears streaming down her eyes.


    ¨C Minagami-san!?


    ¨C I¡¯m so sorry, Nagami-kun. I failed you. I¡¯m the worst.


    ¨C I-It¡¯s fine¡­ Raise your head, please.


    ¨C I can¡¯t. No apology would be enough for my behavior. I could¡¯ve talked Akito out of it, I could¡¯ve gotten the teachers involved, but I was always too scared of what the others would think of me.


    ¨C Minagami-san¡­


    At the very least, her reasoning is understandable. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything just by herself.


    It¡¯s not like she was laughing and pointing fingers at me while Shunichi bullied me.


    ¨C I feel so disgusted by myself. Even in another world, I¡¯m only capable of thinking about apologizing and running away. No wonder no one likes me.


    ¨C That¡¯s enough.


    This isn¡¯t like her. In fact, it¡¯s the complete opposite of classroom Shiori.


    She could be telling the truth, or she could be acting.


    ¨C Mike, please, could you leave us alone for just a few minutes?


    ¨C No. I¡¯ll stay by your side.


    Mike went from being wary behind me to transforming into a wolf and being ready to attack.


    Does she sense that much danger from Shiori? Is it because she smells like Akito and Shunichi?


    ¨C Nagami-kun, how much does she know about us?


    ¨C I¡¯ve told her a little bit. The less she knows, the better.


    ¨C I see. I will excuse myself for now, then. Have this. Call me if you ever need help.


    Shiori handed me a letter with an address.


    Sending a familiar to this address would instantly signal my need for help.


    ¨C Takayaa~ Are you done yet? We gotta go~ (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah, I¡¯m going. Minagami-san, we¡¯ll finish this talk another time.


    ¨C Yes. Just the two of us. I look forward to it.


    She seems friendly for now¡­


    But can I really trust her? Especially considering Mike¡¯s reaction?


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Note: Hey pals! Now that the Seventh battle is over, I¡¯ll take a week to catch up with chapters since I¡¯m a wee bit behind. Daily chapters will be back next Friday (22/07 10:00~11:00 PST). Thank you for reading!

 CH 200

    4-5 minutes


    ¡°Chapter 200: Going Back Home¡±


    It¡¯s been a month since I came back to Bay Road.


    I¡¯ve been going from one place to another with barely any breaks lately. But I was finally able to have some room for breathing.


    ¨C 30 potions, 5 great potions, 3 stamina potions, and a paralysis and poison antidote. Order¡¯s ready.


    ¨C Thank you, boy. I gotta buy you dinner or something. By the way, can you add 10 more double potions?


    ¨C I ran out of ingredients, so it¡¯d take some time. That¡¯s a weird order, though. Double potions have been gathering dust on shelves lately.


    ¨C Some people from who knows where came in asking for them the other day. I¡¯d like to have some just in case.


    I used to have a hard time just talking to strangers, but I¡¯ve been improving on it lately.


    I might have a lot of fancy titles, but at the end of the day, this is my actual job.


    Apparently, some customers have even started calling me ¡°Boy¡± and ¡°Kiddo¡±.


    ¨C Takaya, are you done there? (Akane)


    The old lady went her own way and Akane approached me carrying numerous bags of unsold fish in both hands.


    She¡¯s known as a rare beauty in Bay Road, so she gets these kinds of freebies from fishermen sometimes.


    ¨C They said the knives were pretty good. They¡¯ll recommend us to other cities.


    ¨C Seems like we¡¯ll get even busier.


    Instead of going back to the palace, Akane has decided to stay at Searat and live with Mike, Mumuruu, and me.


    Mike and Mumuruu are obviously snoring right now, so having Akane helping has been a relief.


    ¨C Have you heard anything about the Grandmaster? She hasn¡¯t said anything ever since the Royal Capital. (Takaya)


    ¨C No. I¡¯ve only heard Grandmother talking about a debt or something. Nothing out of the ordinary.


    It¡¯s been a month. I thought she would show up in my bed at some point, but I haven¡¯t seen her around.


    From what Akane said, Ever used to disappear like this even before I was a disciple, so it¡¯s not that unusual.


    Besides, she¡¯s a sage, she¡¯ll be fine.


    ¨C You¡¯re connected to her through the talisman anyways. Come on, it¡¯s almost time for breakfast. Let¡¯s get home before the idiots wake up.


    ¨C Right.


    ¡Á¡Á¡Á


    ¨C An extended vacation? (Feria)


    After finishing today¡¯s work, I talked to Rudra and Feria.


    ¨C Yeah. The Abundance Festival is almost here, so we¡¯ll be free for a while.


    Every year, Bay Road holds a festival to thank the sea gods for the bountiful catches. It last around seven days.


    ¨C You two are from Shimazu, right? Are you going back home? (Rudra)


    ¨C I was there a few days ago, so I have no such plans. Takaya, what about you? (Akane)


    ¨C Well¡­


    Kouya and I have made absolutely no progress on the topic of escaping from this world.


    I checked the records in Alta Masters, but no one really stood out.


    Not that it¡¯d be easy to find someone so special.


    ¨C Aaahh~ I¡¯m beat~ We¡¯re back! (Meirir)


    ¨C Hey. (Dyke/Roar)


    The trio of idiots was in charge of cleaning the sewers in the city, as well as getting rid of any magical beasts in the area.


    Their clothes were stained with mud.


    ¨C What¡¯s going on here? Why the thinking face? Don¡¯t tell me we¡¯re getting our paid cut. (Meirir)


    ¨C We¡¯re talking about our vacations during the Abundance Festival. Meirir, what are you going to do?


    ¨C Uhh, I don¡¯t know¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll go back home. What about you, Dyke?


    ¨C I¡¯ll pass. You can go by yourself.


    ¨C Aw, come on.


    ¨C Hm? Are you two from the same town? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yeah. We¡¯re from a pretty big village at the edge of the Volcano Region. We met each other on Bay Road.


    That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard about this.


    Is that weird, though? I¡¯ve never taken a moment to know more about my friends.


    ¨C ¡­Wait.


    Meirir and Dyke¡­


    Both come from the same village.


    Both have special abilities.


    It could easily be a coincidence, but I¡¯m kind of out of leads. There was nothing of interest in the Royal Capital.


    Besides, spending my vacations on Bay Road would be a waste.


    ¨C Meirir-san.

 CH 201

    ¡°Chapter 201: To Wols¡±


    Wols, the place Meirir and Dyke come from, used to be called Volcano Region.


    Mount Wols is a volcano that is still active to this day. The village started as a small settlement on a plateau that was formed on the used-to-be summit of a mountain.


    ¨C How did I get dragged into this? (Dyke)


    ¨C Meirir won¡¯t be able to show us around just by herself. (Takaya)


    ¨C And why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you help your family at the festival? (Dyke)


    ¨C There¡¯s not much I can help with anyways. They have everything under control. (Roar)


    The participants of our trip to Wols were Roar, Mike, Mumuruu, Akane, the two natives and I.


    ¨C I¡¯m done packing. (Mike)


    The most noticeable change in Mike during the past few months has been the fact that she¡¯s now more eloquent. She can write and read, and her speech has become way more fluent.


    Physically speaking she¡¯s also grown about 10 centimeters.


    ¨C Your hair is getting a bit long. Don¡¯t you want to cut it?


    ¨C Hmm~ I think I can let it grow a little bit more. Everyone says you like it more that way.


    ¨C You didn¡¯t have to add that last part.


    She¡¯s not wrong, but who told her that?


    ¨C Master, have you heard from Ever?


    ¨C No, why?


    ¨C I can¡¯t sense her smell.


    ¨C Her smell?


    ¨C I used to be able to tell in which direction she was. But lately I¡¯ve lost track of her.


    ¨C Come to think of it, she said something about going to a hot spring


    Being a volcanic area, it¡¯s possible we happen to find each other in Wols.


    ¨C Akane-san, could I use Grosbeak?


    ¨C Sure. Are you sending a message to Ever?


    ¨C No. To the Royal Capital.


    I don¡¯t know where she went, but after the incident with Seventh, it¡¯s better to be on guard for anything.


    I¡¯ll tell Raviola about this since she¡¯s in close contact with Kouya.


    ¨C Hopefully it¡¯s nothing.

 CH 202

    ¡°Chapter 202: To Wols 2¡±


    Two unknown magical beasts were sitting in front of the door.


    They looked like small dragons trained to carry luggage.


    ¨C Is it really fine to take them?


    ¨C Of course. We always go on foot or by carriage. Rudra said we could use these since we¡¯re going to a high place. (Meirir)


    This must be quite expensive. Searat sure has come a long way.


    ¨C That¡¯s great and all, but who¡¯s going to pilot them?


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. These boys know the route. (Dyke)


    ¨C Come here. I¡¯ll show you how well I can ride this thing (Meirir)


    I was heading towards Dyke, but I guess Meirir really wants to show me her cool side.


    Regardless, I prefer clinging to Meirir¡¯s back rather than Dyke¡¯s sweaty back.


    That being said.


    ¨C Hey. (Takaya)


    Meirir¡¯s dragon was not pleased. And it wasn¡¯t my fault.


    ¨C Why are you all coming here?


    There was too much weight.


    ¨C I want to ride with you. (Mike)


    ¨C Me too. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C I-I¡¯m¡­ not used to Dyke and Roar yet¡­ (Akane)


    The dragons were only capable of carrying 3-4 people, so we ended up splitting the 3 guys and the 4 girls.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    ¨C Aaahh, it¡¯s been so long since I rode one of these. The wind feels so good. (Dyke)


    The view from the sky is amazing. Bay road looks the size of a bean.


    ¨C Are you scared of heights?


    ¨C Just a bit. (Takaya)


    I have some experience flying, but every time I was clinging to Letty or Mumuruu. I¡¯m not sure I can seriously count that as experience.


    ¨C Master, are you scared? I can switch dragons if you want.


    ¨C Woah! Mike, stop moving! (Akane)


    ¨C Relax. Even if you fall down I¡¯ll catch you right before you crash. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Could you not save me before that!?


    ¨C Maybe~


    ¨C Dyke, what¡¯s that ahead? (Meirir)


    ¨C What¡¯s what?


    ¨C Is that a cloud of ashes?


    Despite the sky being clear, a gray cloud was hovering at an unusually low altitude.


    ¨C ¡­Master, I have a bad feeling. (Mike)


    ¨C Dyke, I think we should land and have a break. What does everyone else think?


    The rest of the group nodded at my suggestion.


    ¨C Whaat~ Come on in. You came all the way here already~


    ¨C Huh? What was that!?


    Our dragons were swallowed by the gray cloud.

 CH 203

    4-4 minutes


    ¡°Chapter 203: Thundercloud Boat¡±


    How? I¡¯m sure the cloud was further away from us. Did it move? Did we not realize how close it actually was?


    ¨C Careful with the lightning! Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re safe here~


    ¨C This voice¡­


    ¨C Tell the dragons to keep going straight and you¡¯ll reach the deck of our boat.


    ¨C Boat?


    ¨C Ah, you¡¯re so oblivious. Apprentice, go get them.


    A pink-haired girl with twintails emerged from the depths of the gray clouds.


    ¨C Heeey~ It¡¯s been a month, huh? How you doing?


    ¨C Arueetel-san!?


    ¨C Right-o! I¡¯m the apprentice of the captain of the thundercloud ship! We soar the skies-


    ¨C Can you shut your mouth already and get them inside? D?u?m?b?a?s?s?


    ¨C Sure¡­


    The clouds around us took the form of a hand and carried us into the center of the thunderstorm.


    The deeper we went, the calmer the storm became.


    And sure enough, a boat was floating in the middle of the clouds.


    ¨C Over here!


    On the deck of the ship was a wizard waving her hand at me.


    Eyes golden just like Arueetel, blonde hair, and wearing a robe with gold ornaments that looked more expensive than anything I¡¯ve ever worn.


    ¨C Sorry for startling you. We saw a pair of dragons flying with an unnatural group of adventurers and I thought we had to investigate.


    ¨C I¡¯m Takaya, disciple of the Sage of the Forest. Who are you?


    ¨C Ah, right, sorry. My name is Rifaiv. I¡¯m the captain of the Rumble Fisher. And sometimes I go by the title of Sage of the Clouds(*)


    So this is the next sage I meet¡­


    Ever said all the sages have an extravagant side, but for now Rifaiv seems normal.


    ¨C So you¡¯re the famous kid that the Sage of the Forest raised, huh?


    ¡°Famous¡±?


    ¨C So? What were you guys up to? Why were you flying on dragons? Sightseeing?


    ¨C Something like that. We were headed to Wols. My friends are from there.


    ¨C Ah, to Shamsheel¡¯s place? The Sage of the Volcano lives there.


    ¨C There¡¯s a sage in Wols!? (Akane)


    ¨C Yeah, but she spends all day in her crater so we rarely get to see her.


    The sudden slam of a door interrupted our conversation.


    ¨C YO! Are you the Level IX kid that Aru and Shiori mentioned?


    A young man was showing me his pure white teeth with a huge smile.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    (*) Hey folks! It seems that I have made my first crucial mistake (Crucial, though thankfully I realized this early on). Arueetel is not, in fact, the Sage of the Clouds! I re-read the sentence where she introduces herself for a good hour when I translated it and no matter how hard I tried I could barely make sense of it. This is the main reason why I wanted to catch up on chapters, to ensure that mistakes like this don¡¯t happen. The more I do in advance the less likely it is for these things to happen, so hopefully everything should be perfectly accurate after a few chapters. Should, tho I¡¯m just a human. I¡¯ll make sure to let you know if I make another mistake this big. Thank you for reading and sorry for my terrible Japanese <3


    (I will change the original sentence so if you¡¯re reading this after 25/07/22 nevermind this message)

 CH 204

    ¡°Chapter 204: The Brave Heroes¡±


    ¨C Ralph! You broke the door again! Could you please tone it down?


    ¨C Ahahaha, I¡¯m just living my life.


    The man just smashed open a door and he¡¯s showing absolutely no regret about it.


    For how bold and dauntless he is his body is surprisingly slender.


    ¨C Ah, where are my manners? My name is Ralph. Just your regular adventurer. I¡¯m a swordsman in charge of guarding this boat.


    ¨C Who died and named you the guard of the boat? You¡¯re just here to eat for free. Go fix that damn door.


    ¨C I know, I know. I¡¯ll do it later.


    Ralph stood in front of me. Our heights are almost the same but his presence feels overwhelming.


    ¨C No need to be so wary. I¡¯m just a man. Come on, handshake.


    ¨C O-Oh, right. It¡¯s a pleasure.


    By the way, the doorframe that Ralph ran over was made of Adamantine. Extremely durable material.


    ¨C Ralph-san, did you say something about a ¡°Shiori¡±?


    ¨C Yeah. She joined us very recently. She¡¯s out right now with some other friendos.


    How did she manage to reach the Sage of the Clouds?


    ¨C Takaya, take a look at this. You think you can do something?


    ¨C What is it?


    Ralph handed me the sword on his waist.


    It looked like an ordinary sword, but it was unusually heavy. When I touched it, a faint light appeared on the tip.


    ¨C Wow. (Akane)


    Wow indeed. I¡¯ve seen a lot of swords in my life, but this has to be one of the sharpest ones.


    ¨C It¡¯s called Separtyur. I don¡¯t know¡­ It feels a bit uncomfortable to use lately.


    ¨C Let me take a look.


    If I¡¯m not wrong¡­


    ¨C This is made of different types of materials. 30% adamantine, 30% mithrio steel, and the rest is an even combination of sky yellow jewels and demonic dragon stones.


    ¨C Amazing. You can tell that much?


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s my job after all.


    Thanks to all the experience I¡¯ve gathered, especially during my time at the Royal Capital, my head is filled with information about materials for pretty much anything.


    With the right conditions and environment, I would be able to create almost any weapon.


    ¨C I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it. Takaya? (Akane)


    ¨C Nothing in particular¡­ Wait.


    After some time, my fingertips started feeling coarse.


    The blade was still the same, though.


    ¨C ¡­There are some scratches. On the blade and the handle.


    ¨C Really? Should we do something about it?


    ¨C It¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not enough to affect its performance.


    Either way, this sword isn¡¯t fragile enough that it¡¯d need to be resharpened constantly.


    ¨C Gotcha. Can I trust you to fix it if I ever need to?


    Searat doesn¡¯t usually accept weapons of this high caliber, but getting on Ralph¡¯s good side might be beneficial.


    ¨C Ralph-san, if I may ask, what Level are you?


    ¨C Me? My martial arts and swordsmanship are Level IX. That¡¯s why my friends and I are called ¡°The Brave Heroes¡±. I don¡¯t know how I feel about it tho, hahaha.


    ¨C ¡­What!?

 CH 205

    ¡°Chapter 205: The Three¡±


    ¨C The Great Swordsman, The Great Archer, and The Great Buffoon. The Brave Heroes, or something like that~ (Ralph)


    ¨C There are two other adventurers like you!?


    ¨C Yeah. The elf Selfia and my childhood friend Epitro. Us, the captain, Arueetel, and the new girl Shiori. We travel around the world. Human or demon world. Doesn¡¯t really matter.


    ¨C Oh no. (Mumuruu)


    Mumuruu hid behind Akane¡¯s back behind me.


    ¨C No need to worry, Succubus-san. We haven¡¯t been hired to kill you or anything. Well, I can¡¯t say we haven¡¯t had some fun in your territory. Hahahaha! (Ralph)


    Is¡­ that¡­ something to laugh about?


    Anyways, I should tell Kouya about this as soon as possible.


    ¨C Hmmm, do I know you? Actually, aren¡¯t you the Shimmering Succubus Leader? (Rifaiv)


    ¨C A lot of turmoil has happened in the demon world. She¡¯s not a guardian anymore.


    ¨C Ah, now that you mention it, I remember Raviola-chan killed Raigoh. I gotta go back to the demon world. There¡¯s someone I want to see.


    ¨C Takaya, while you¡¯re here, do you want to look at the rest of the weapons? Whenever I want to talk about them everyone just sighs and turns away.


    ¨C Well, I guess it won¡¯t hurt.


    Few people are invested enough in weapons, so getting to talk to someone so knowledgeable other than Akane will be nice.


    ¨C Takaya-kun, could you please indulge in his stupidity? At least until we reach Wols.


    ¨C Whaaat? We¡¯ll get there in a few minutes. I could talk about Separtyur for a whole day.


    I can relate to the feeling of wanting to talk about something until everyone falls asleep.


    In fact, I remember a certain vampire talking about erotic manga passionately too.


    Ralph isn¡¯t so different from us.


    ¨C I try not to leave Bay Road, so you can drop by whenever you want to talk. (Takaya)


    ¨C Bay Road it is. I¡¯ll make sure to go at least once a week.


    ¨C Once a month, please. (Takaya)

 CH 206

    ¡°Chapter 206: The Village of the Hot Springs¡±


    Exactly ten minutes later.


    ¨C Takaya, we¡¯re almost at Wols. (Rifaiv)


    ¨C Right, thank you.


    ¨C I hope we get to talk again. Have this. (Ralph)


    Ralph handed me a coin with a dim blue glow.


    ¨C Is this¡­ Mithrio!? I can¡¯t possibly take it, mithrio is stupidly rare.


    ¨C Really? Doesn¡¯t seem like enough payment for a contract with you.


    A contract?


    I guess after finding someone who can do maintenance on his weapons he really doesn¡¯t want to let me go.


    ¨C Fine. But please, bring one weapon at a time. I can¡¯t fix that many at once.


    ¨C We got a deal then.


    I looked over and saw the boat was already positioned above our destination.


    The clouds had also cleared out completely. Piece of cake for a sage, I guess.


    ¨C Takaya! Look over there! (Meirir)


    Spread beneath us were countless settlements scattered around a volcano.


    All the villages added together were ten times the size of Bay Road.


    ¨C Do I smell hot springs? (Takaya)


    ¨C Spot on! There are lots of hot springs surrounding the volcano. (Meirir)


    A bath sounds nice, actually. I haven¡¯t had a proper one since I came to this world.


    There is a common bath in Bay Road, but it¡¯s always crowded, so I end up leaving before even entering the water.


    ¨C Dyke, can you house everyone at your place? (Meirir)


    ¨C No. I don¡¯t want to. Why me? Takaya would be happier staying with you anywa-GWUH!?


    Meirir¡¯s fist connected with Dyke¡¯s face.


    ¨C My house is cramped and you know it. Just do it, honorable son.


    ¨C Honorable son? Is Dyke¡¯s family rich or something? (Takaya)


    ¨C Well¡­ You¡¯ll know once we get there. (Roar)


    Clinging to an annoyed Dyke, we rode on the dragons to go back to the ground.


    ¨C See you later, Takaya! I¡¯ll tell Shiori about our conversation. (Rifaiv)


    ¨C Don¡¯t forget about our contract! (Ralph)


    ¨C Thank you! Take care!

 CH 207

    ¡°Chapter 207: Pit¡±


    Hopefully we find another way to go back home.


    The dragons weren¡¯t an issue, but something about being in the sky for so long didn¡¯t feel very good.


    One way or another, we¡¯re now on the safety of the ground.


    ¨C Roar and I will go back home first. We¡¯ll prepare three rooms. (Dyke)


    ¨C Why three? You don¡¯t have to go out of your way for that. One for us girls and one for you guys should be enough. (Meirir)


    ¨C I thought you¡¯d like your own room with Tak-Alright, I get it, it was a joke, relax.


    Dyke fled from the scene after seeing Meirir pointing Silver at him.


    By the way, my relationship with Meirir hasn¡¯t advanced at all. In fact, we¡¯ve been talking less and less lately.


    ¨C Anyways. My home is this way! Come here everyone!


    Meirir¡¯s house was pretty far away from the hot springs. In fact, the road was rather quiet compared to the surroundings of the volcano.


    Every now and then there were some clusters of houses with the occasional farms and cattle.


    ¨C Master, I¡¯m getting sleepy¡­


    ¨C We¡¯re almost there. Come on, I¡¯ll carry you on my back.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s over there!


    Meirir pointed at a two-storied wooden building far away.


    ¨C Hmm, I made sure to tell them we were coming¡­


    The closer we got, the quieter the environment around us got.


    There are a bunch of farming tools scattered around the fields.


    I took another step forward.


    ¨C Takaya.


    ¨C Stop there.


    Both Mumuruu and Akane stopped me.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Take another step forward, but don¡¯t put your weight on it. (Akane)


    I did as she said, and sure enough, the ground felt somewhat weird.


    Once I put a little more weight on it, my feet almost got sucked.


    ¨C I¡¯ll take care of it.


    Without using her spear, Mumuruu cast a spell to place a rock on the hollow ground.


    It¡¯s a pitfall. A classic trap that could barely be passed as a joke.


    As I was staring into the hole, I noticed some rustling in a nearby bush.


    ¨C Trying to run away? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Eeek!!??


    The man fell nose-first onto the ground as Mumuruu restrained his ankles with her shackles.


    ¨C YOU TRIED TO HURT MY MASTER. (Mike)


    Apart from Mike who is ready to jump onto the guy¡¯s throat, Akane also has her sword ready to attack.


    The man doesn¡¯t seem dangerous at all. It¡¯s just a middle-aged guy.


    ¨C What the HELL do you think you¡¯re doing, dad!? (Meirir)


    ¨C N-No, Meirir! Wait! See¡­


    ¨C I DON¡¯T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES.


    Meirir¡¯s screams made the man¡¯s face turn even redder.

 CH 208

    ¡°Chapter 208: Meirir¡¯s Home¡±


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll make sure to give him a stern talk.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine.


    Meirir guided us to the common room in her house.


    Behind her was his dad completely beaten up by his daughter.


    ¨C Uuu¡­


    I¡¯m sure he¡¯s actually sorry for what he did, but he¡¯s the one that caused this.


    ¨C Meirir-san, we¡¯re not mad or anything. Can we please listen to what he has to say? We haven¡¯t even introduced ourselves.


    ¨C Fine. If you say so. Come on, dad.


    After Meirir took the cloth off of his dad¡¯s mouth, his expression changed drastically.


    ¨C I will not allow a playboy like you to take my daughter! And I don¡¯t need introductions. Go back right where you came fro-GWOH!?


    ¨C Can you guys wait here? I¡¯ll go throw him into the volcano.


    ¨C Hey! I don¡¯t remember raising you like this!? W-Why are you looking at me like that?¡­


    ¨C Meirir is getting scary¡­ (Mike)


    ¨C I think we could all tone it down a bit. (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m home~ Huh? Why are you tied up? Did you make Meirir mad again?


    ¨C Oooo~ Daddy looks like a bug! Hahaha!


    ¨C Sis, we¡¯re back!


    A woman that looked just like Meirir came in carrying sacks of food with her two kids.


    ¨C Are you Takaya-kun? I¡¯m her mother, Meari. That¡¯s my husband, Harold. Meirir sent us a letter saying that some amazing people from her workplace would be coming.


    ¨C Mom!


    As if it¡¯s a completely normal occurrence, Meirir and Meari immediately untied the man wrapped with a bamboo mat.


    ¨C Hey hey, who are you?


    The little boy and girl approached me.


    ¨C Tell him your name first. (Meari)


    ¨C I¡¯m Lyld! (Boy)


    ¨C And I¡¯m Myirin! (Girl)


    ¨C How polite. My name is Takaya.


    What a lively pair.


    So this is Meirir¡¯s household¡­


    ¨C Hi~ Who are you girls? (Myirin)


    ¨C ¡­


    Mike and Akane hid behind my back.


    ¨C I like these kids! Name¡¯s Mumuruu. I¡¯m a demon.


    ¨C Wooaah! A deemon!


    ¨C She has a tail and horns!


    ¨C Hehee~ You want them? You can touch them if you want to.


    The kids don¡¯t seem to be afraid of Mumuruu, and she seems to be enjoying herself.


    ¨C Hm? What is that you kids have on your cheeks? Did you get burnt? (Mumuruu)


    ¨C It¡¯s something like a birthmark. Everyone born in this country has it somewhere in their body. (Meari)


    ¨C It has an odd pattern¡­ It looks like¡­ A flame? (Takaya)


    Lyld and Myirin had a birthmark that resembled a fireball on their right and left cheeks respectively.


    ¨C Wait, does that mean¡­?


    ¨C Does it mean¡­ What? (Meirir)


    Meirir¡¯s face started turning red.


    ¨C Well¡­


    ¨C Her birthmark is in a bit of a dangerous place. (Meari)


    ¨C MOM!?


    ¨C Hahaha.


    I think I¡¯m better off not knowing.

 CH 209

    ¡°Chapter 209: Token of an Acquaintance¡±


    ¨C I think that¡¯s enough talk. We have to start making dinner. Harold, come on, we have guests.


    ¨C Right¡­


    Harold stared daggers at me while getting up from the sofa.


    ¨C Honey, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired. You can let me cook. (Harold)


    ¨C You just want to hold the knife, right?


    ¨C O-Of course not!


    Like mother like child. Meari is just as scary as Meirir.


    ¨C I¡¯m¡­ Sorry? I guess this is my fault in a way. (Takaya)


    ¨C If you have time to apologize then at least help out. You¡¯re a blacksmith, right?


    Harold pointed at the farm tools in the corner of the room.


    Sickles, hoes, plows, and other stuff.


    ¨C They¡¯re pretty beat up. (Harold)


    ¨C We can¡¯t really afford to buy new ones. (Meari)


    From a glance it¡¯s obvious they¡¯ve been carefully handled, but everything has a durability limit (With some exceptions)


    ¨C Regular iron, huh? Would you like me to fix them, Harold-san?


    ¨C Can you?


    ¨C Of course! Akane-san.


    ¨C I¡¯ll help you out.


    ¨C Thank you. This is something basic. Just adding some magic to prolong its usage.


    ¨C Magic? (Harold)


    I¡¯ll leave the explanation for later. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d understand even if I tried my best to break it down.


    I¡¯ll start from the smallest ones. Most of the tools just lost their sharpness.


    My arms hurt just thinking about having to use these things.


    ¨C You don¡¯t seem to be doing anything¡­ (Harold)


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s something pretty basic.


    Sharpening a tool is something even the most basic mages could do.


    But here¡¯s the tricky part.


    ¨C Here, now it should be easier to handle.


    I handed Harold the sickle I just worked on.


    ¨C Hmm¡­ I guess it looks better than before.


    ¨C Would you like to try it out?


    I grabbed a piece of wood nearby that was probably used for the pitfall.


    ¨C Please drop the sickle. Don¡¯t put too much strength on it.


    ¨C Drop it? How sharp do you think this thing got?


    Zzun


    ¨C Huh!?


    The sickle cut cleanly through the wood without any inconvenience.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ What did you do to this thing?


    ¨C I just sharpened it¡­ Is what I¡¯d like to say, but I used some mithrio from an acquaintance to enhance-Ow!?


    Akane hit the back of my head.


    I just had to repair the tools. A basic task. But I think I overdid it.


    This isn¡¯t a tool anymore, it¡¯s a weapon. It¡¯s too dangerous for a farmer to have it.


    ¨C Sorry, he can be such an idiot sometimes. We¡¯ll make sure to compensate you. (Akane)


    ¨C D-Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine¡­


    Okay, I definitely overdid it.


    It¡¯s good to gain experience from work, but this wasn¡¯t really the time.


    ¨C Hehe, what do you think, dad? He¡¯s kind of a big deal. And guess who found him? Yeah, I did. Come on, praise me. (Meirir)


    ¨C Sis, you¡¯re so cool! (Lyld)


    ¨C Cool! (Myirin)


    Meari asked me to repair some of the knives, but Akane ended up working on that.

 CH 210

    ¡°Chapter 210: Hot Spring Hotel¡±


    ¨C Sorry for intruding for so long.


    ¨C Aw, don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve had such a full house for dinner. Besides, it was fun! Right, Harold?


    ¨C I guess.


    We didn¡¯t intend to stay this long in the first place, but we ended up having a 9-person dinner with Meirir¡¯s family.


    It¡¯s nice to have such a warm moment every once in a while.


    ¨C Are you sure you want to come with us? You¡¯re already here, might as well spend time with your family. (Takaya)


    ¨C It¡¯s fine, I can come back any time. Who knows what will happen if I leave you unattended for a few seconds. (Meirir)


    ¨C ¡­What?


    ¨C Anyways, let¡¯s go.


    ¨C Heey! We¡¯re here to pick you up.


    I heard the voices of my friends approaching us in a carriage.


    Well, at least one of them is Roar, but the other one is a neatly dressed guy.


    ¨C ¡­Roar, who is that?


    I already know. I just want to hear him say it.


    ¨C Yeah Dyke, who are you? (Roar)


    ¨C Aahh I knew coming to Wols was a bad idea.


    ¨C Man, it¡¯s been so long since I saw you dressed like that. You look so dumb. (Meirir)


    ¨C SHUT UUUUP. I GET IT.


    The only version of Dyke I know is his adventurer side. Seeing him in such formal attires is certainly weird.


    ¨C What is the meaning of this? (Takaya)


    ¨C Dyke¡¯s place is called the Blazing Arbor. We¡¯re staying at one of the biggest if not the biggest hot spring hotel in Wols.


    ¨C ¡­I see.


    So this is why the ¡°Honorable son¡± was reluctant to come back to his hometown.


    ¡Á¡¡¡Á


    The Blazing Arbor goes way back in time. Even before Dyke¡¯s great-grandfather.


    Long ago, Dyke¡¯s family used to be composed of farmers only. But one day, they dug several spots that ended up becoming hot spring sources. Or so he told us, reluctantly.


    After an hour of traveling by carriage, we arrived at a huge wooden building.


    It was by far the most luxurious structure I¡¯ve seen in Wols. It looked completely anew, yet there were some parts that looked like they had been there since the beginning.


    I can¡¯t imagine how much money went into this place.


    ¨C I arranged two rooms. One for us guys and one for the girls. They¡¯re right by each other, so be careful with night intruders.


    ¨C ¡­Mike, Mumuruu. (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­ (M/M)


    I think I¡¯ll be waking up in the wrong room tonight.


    ¨C I¡¯ll take you to your rooms. Feel free to use the hot springs.


    ¨C Ahh~ I can¡¯t wait. Akane-chan, have you been to one before?


    ¨C No. Shimazu is just an island. And it was cold all the time. I¡¯m also looking forward to this.


    ¨C Takaya.


    Dyke called out to me while the girls chatted happily about the hot springs.


    ¨C Yes?


    (Well¡­ can you lend me some money?)


    ¨C What!? What are you-


    (Shhh! Quiet! Listen, Roar said he¡¯d help too)


    (What do you need money for?)


    (It¡¯s complicated. I don¡¯t want to ask for money from my parents. Or rather, I don¡¯t want to work here)


    I assume he has his own reasons. This seems like a pretty nice job to have.


    (Fine. I¡¯ll help you)


    (I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll give it back as soon as possible)

 CH 211

    ¡°Chapter 211: With Meirir¡±


    ¨C I have some stuff to do. I¡¯ll catch you all later. Make sure to lock the doors. (Dyke)


    I was planning to pay for our stay before even coming to Wols, but we decided I¡¯d pay 1/3 of the total costs.


    ¨C Takaya, any plans for tomorrow? (Roar)


    ¨C Nothing really. Maybe going to the center of the volcano crater?


    Meirir¡¯s mom said Mount Wols has well-maintained rails made specifically for tourists.


    It¡¯s not what I came here for, but I might as well sightsee.


    ¨C I think it¡¯s about time we take a bath. What do you think? (Meirir)


    ¨C You can go ahead, I want to get ready for tomorrow.


    I had some ointments for burns ready just in case. The trails are obviously built with safety in mind, but there have been accidents caused by gases escaping crevices in the past.


    ¨C Got it. Don¡¯t overdo it.


    Roar also left the room, leaving me by myself in the room.


    ¨C Well then¡­


    Once I was sure the footsteps had disappeared, I picked up a guide of the Blazing Arbor.


    Apart from the baths in every room, there are about 5 special types of hot springs.


    ¨C The Bright Bath¡­


    I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I wanted to prepare for tomorrow, but the real reason to stay behind was to meet up with Dyke.


    ¡°I want to thank you. Meet me alone here¡±


    I told him multiple times that I didn¡¯t need any gratitude, but he insisted so much that I accepted.


    Well, despite his excessive and dubious usage of money he¡¯s a good guy. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s scheming but I can trust him.


    Five minutes after everyone left, I sneaked out of my room.


    The Bright Bath is an open-air bath located farthest away from where we¡¯re staying.


    I had to walk through a suspended bridge to get to the bath.


    ¨C Wow, this place is huge¡­


    After following a path illuminated by colorful rocks, I arrived at a door with a sign that read ¡°Authorized Personnel Only¡±.


    Just like Dyke said.


    ¨C Did he reserve a bath for me?


    He didn¡¯t have to be so mysterious about this, though¡­


    I undressed in the changing room and opened the door to the beautifully decorated bath under the starry sky.


    According to the guide, the Bright Bath is especially good to relieve stiffness in the neck, shoulders and back.


    As young as I am, I spend all day locked in my workshop. My body could really use some help.


    ¨C Fwaah~


    The temperature of the water reaching up to my shoulders is JUST right. I could stay here all day.


    I might just do that. This bath is reserved anyways.


    *Splash*


    ¨C ¡­What?


    Or so I thought, but then I heard the sound of water.


    ¨C Aaahhh~ Nothing beats the hot springs from home, huh¡­


    A white nude figure was right at my side.


    ¨C M-Meirir-san!?


    ¨C T-TAKA-!?


    So much for Dyke¡¯s gratitude, huh¡­

 CH 212

    ¡°Chapter 212: With Meirir 2¡±


    I take back what I said about Dyke being a good guy.


    ¨C Uhh¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¨C ¡­


    Even if the vapor was hiding a lot of her skin, I could easily make out her body.


    Speaking of which, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen her naked.


    Might not be the time to be thinking about that.


    ¨C Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-


    ¨C I¡¯M SO SORRY.


    Both of us are so flustered that neither knows what to do. We just turned our faces away.


    ¨C W-Why are you here!? I reserved this bath¡­


    ¨C What? I thought it was reserved for me.


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C ¡°Come to the Bright Bath by yourself. I want to thank you¡± (Takaya/Meirir)


    ¨C Did you hear about his parents too? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yes. He convinced Roar and me to lend him money.


    ¨C That little¡­


    So Roar, Meirir and I are paying for Dyke¡¯s part¡­


    ¨C I¡¯ll get out of the bath. Feel free to enjoy your reservat-


    I was about to get up when Meirir grabbed my wrist.


    ¨C Uhh¡­?


    ¨C It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m submerged from below my shoulders. You can¡¯t see anything anymore. Can we stay together a little longer?


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C What? Are you embarrassed about taking a bath with your old sis?


    Yes. I have never been more embarrassed in my life.


    But I can¡¯t possibly back out now.


    ¨C O-Of course not! I¡¯ll stay here longer than you.


    ¨C Oh, really now? It¡¯s a competition, then~


    We just sat on the bath close to each other, looking at the sky.


    Not a single cloud. All the stars in the sky are tinkling¡­


    Yet they¡¯re not the constellations I know.


    I really am in another world¡­


    ¨C Takaya¡­


    ¨C Hm? What? You wanna quit already? I¡¯m just getting started.


    ¨C Ah, you¡¯re so dense. No, it¡¯s not that.


    After a short pause, Meirir looked straight into my eyes.


    ¨C ¡­Do you want to see my birthmark?


    ¨C !!??


    ¡°Her birthmark is in a bit of a dangerous place¡±


    ¨C W-What are you blushing for!?


    ¨C Well¡­


    ¨C It stands out a lot, so I always try to hide it.


    Meirir raised her ponytail and exposed the nape of her neck.


    It¡¯s small, but compared to her siblings¡¯, Meirir¡¯s birthmark is bright red.


    ¨C Is this why you wanted to come with us to Wols?


    ¨C So, you knew¡­


    I might¡¯ve been staring at Lyld and Myirin¡¯s marks for way too long.


    ¨C I know I¡¯ve been cast under a shadow with so many girls in your life recently¡­ But I¡¯m still one of your friends.


    The distance between us disappeared to the point where our shoulders were now touching.


    ¨C Takaya, do you know why we have this birthmark?


    ¨C ¡­No.


    It¡¯s exactly because I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve been so fixated on it.


    ¨C Is it fine to tell an outsider?


    ¨C Weellll~~ I probably shouldn¡¯t, but if it¡¯s you¡­


    Meirir readied herself.


    I¡¯ll get to find out abou- Huh?


    A circle of white light appeared in front of us.


    ¨C Is this¡­? (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah, it¡¯s her.


    The magic circle, the light¡­ There¡¯s no way to mistake her.


    ¨C Look at who we have here! If it isn¡¯t my disciple Takaya! And he¡¯s alone with a girl in a hot spring!? Boy, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re having a good time.


    ¨C Grandmaster.

 CH 213

    ¡°Chapter 213: Grandmaster¡¯s Gratitude¡±


    ¨C Grandmaster, what are you doing her-!?


    ¨C DON¡¯T LOOK! (Meirir)


    Ever¡¯s figure was completely overshadowed by vapor, but Meirir covered my eyes before it dissipated.


    ¨C Hey, why are you covering his eyes? I¡¯m here to talk with my disciple. We can¡¯t talk like this.


    ¨C S-Shut up and get underwater before you poison his brain!


    ¨C You¡¯re so loud¡­ Whatever, this is a bath, after all.


    This is probably the first time Ever has listened to Meirir. What a good time to do so.


    ¨C Why are you- (Takaya)


    ¨C here? I heard you the first time. I told you I was going to a hot spring, didn¡¯t I?


    ¨C Right. So why did you neglect any contact for an entire month?


    Wols isn¡¯t a place where Akane¡¯s Grosbeak wouldn¡¯t reach.


    ¨C Where were you? Why didn¡¯t you help us at the Royal Capital? (Takaya)


    ¨C Were you worried about me? (Ever)


    ¨C Yes. I was.


    As strong as Ever is, there¡¯s no guarantee that a stronger being wouldn¡¯t attack her.


    There are other sages in the world, and there¡¯s the crew of the thundercloud boat.


    ¨C ¡­Sorry for worrying you.


    Ever extended her hand and stroked my hair.


    ¨C You¡¯re a good kid. I mean that¡­


    Her eyes look full of tenderness whenever she does this. It¡¯s as if she was looking at her own child.


    ¨C ¡­Grandmaster?


    ¨C I went to meet someone.


    ¨C ¡°Someone¡±?


    ¨C Yeah. The light one.


    Ernika? Didn¡¯t they talk about living with a religious organization back then or something?


    ¨C It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I just thought I¡¯d stop by to see how you were doing. I had to repay her for your treatment, too.


    ¨C I see.


    ¨C She lives in a place protected by a special barrier. Even well-trained familiars can¡¯t locate her.


    That would explain why Grosbeak wasn¡¯t able to find Ever.


    ¨C Man, I thought I had it bad with my debt on Shimazu, and now this¡­


    ¨C Stop acting like it doesn¡¯t exist. Make sure to pay Fuji-sama.


    ¨C Well, that¡¯s enough talking. I should get back. Takaya, what¡¯s your room? Maybe I¡¯ll take a night trip later.


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have a room for yourself.


    ¨C Hey, you know I don¡¯t have any money. Come on, let me use your room. I¡¯ll pay you with my body~


    ¨C B-B-What are you on about!? (Meirir)


    ¨C Could you please stop interrupting us? We¡¯re trying to have a Grandmaster-Disciple moment over here.


    ¨C T-Takaya!?


    ¨C Alright, Grandmaster, that¡¯s enough teasing. If you need a room I¡¯ll be happy to pay for one.


    ¨C Haha, thank you! Once again you¡¯ve saved me from debt. Here, have a gift.


    Ever got close to my ear.


    (I have arranged for you to talk with the Sage of the Volcano. You¡¯ll find out more tomorrow at noon)


    ¨C Huh?


    Laughing, Ever floated away.


    ¨C I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to get some good information there.


    Enveloped by vapor once again, Ever¡¯s figure disappeared completely.


    ¨C Ahh, what¡¯s wrong with that granny?¡­Takaya?


    ¨C Ah, right. Yeah, she¡¯s pretty troublesome.

 CH 214

    ¡°Chapter 214: The Sage of the Volcano¡±


    The next day, I headed towards the top of Mount Wols as I was instructed.


    I had a lot of questions for Ever, but for now, I¡¯m grateful that she made my visit to Wols worth something.


    The Sage of the Volcano, Shamsheel.


    The fourth sage I¡¯ll meet out of the six. She has to have some useful information for me.


    Ever must know that too. Somehow. One way or another, I know she wouldn¡¯t do something like this as a prank.


    ¨C If only she could stop getting in debt I could say she¡¯s an amazing grandmaster¡­


    With this in mind, all of us were headed to the top of the mount. Except for Dyke, who had to attend to a family matter.


    ¨C The smell here is making my nose twist¡­ (Mike)


    I gave Mike a mask to help with the sulfur and other gasses steaming from the ground, but her nose is just too sensitive.


    ¨C Takaya, look at this.


    ¨C ¡­A black egg?


    ¨C Isn¡¯t it strange? It turns into a boiled egg if you put it in a hot spring. I bought it at the store over there.


    ¨C Really? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one.


    That was technically a lie.


    I didn¡¯t know they had Century eggs in this world too. I remember they tasted well with salt.


    ¨C End of the path. We reached the summit. I can see the entrance to the crater from over here.


    The path actually extends a little bit further, but it has no precautions since it¡¯s off-limits.


    I¡¯ll just join the rest of the tourists in looking at the crater.


    ¨C So? (Akane)


    ¨C Hmmm¡­ (Takaya)


    I looked inside the crater, but the cloud of vapor was obstructing any view.


    According to Ever, the sage lives there. Is that even possible?


    I guess they¡¯re a sage of a reason.


    ¨C Noon¡­


    If what Ever said is true, something should happen soon.


    I haven¡¯t told the rest about my meeting with the sage. They might want to go get food soon¡­


    ¨C Takaya, look! (Meirir)


    ¨C Hm? Ooh¡­


    The crater let out a huge cloud of vapor.


    For a second I thought it was something bad, but Meirir and the rest of the tourists were cheering.


    ¨C Are you the kid Ever talked about?


    ¨C What?


    Mingled with the cheers I heard a faint voice behind me.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­ (Mike/Akane)


    The two of them felt the presence way before I did.


    ¨C Yes, my name is Takaya. I was told to wait here.


    ¨C I¡¯m Regda. Disciple of the Sage of the Volcano. Similar to you.


    A boy around my height with half his skin covered in red scales showed himself.


    ¨C You¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m half-lizard. What? Is that weird?


    ¨C S-Sorry, I¡¯m not much of a city person.


    ¨C Whatever. The Grandmaster is waiting for you. I was ordered to take you to her room. It¡¯s small, so only one of your friends can come.


    With the veil of vapor growing stronger, Regda signaled us to follow him down the crater.


    ¨C Mike, come with me. Akane, stay with Meirir and the others.


    ¨C Alright.


    I rode on Mike¡¯s wolf back and dived deep into the crater.

 CH 215

    ¡°Chapter 215: The Sage of the Volcano 2¡±


    I had to wrap a soaked cloth around my face to protect my skin.


    Mike seems to be doing fine for now, but her breathing is getting rougher.


    Regda, on the other hand, doesn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest.


    ¨C The Grandmaster¡¯s chamber is down that hole. I¡¯ll protect you from the heat.


    The half-lizard disciple held his left hand in front of us.


    All the heat we had been feeling up until now was alleviated.


    I took a peek inside the hole that Regda signaled.


    ¨C That red and orange light¡­


    ¨C Yes, it¡¯s obviously lava. Mount Wols is still active. The Grandmaster keeps it under control.


    I don¡¯t think Regda¡¯s magic would be enough to protect us from plunging into lava¡­


    ¨C Grandmaster, I brought the kid.


    ¨C ¡­. . ¡­.!


    ¨C Understood.


    ¨C Regda-san? (Takaya)


    ¨C Go.


    ¨C Huh?


    ¡°Go¡±? As in, ¡°Jump into the hole with lava¡±?


    ¨C The Grandmaster wishes to speak with you two.


    ¨C So¡­ Am I supposed to just drop down?


    ¨C Tch¡­


    ¨C Hey.


    I get it. We¡¯re bothering you. I¡¯d like some help at least.


    ¨C Master, let¡¯s go. If anything happens, I¡¯ll come back and bite his face off.


    ¨C I can hear you. (Regda)


    ¨C I¡¯m well aware. (Mike)


    Mike and Regda are staring at each other.


    I wish we could¡¯ve started on the right foot, but no use crying over it now.


    ¨C Regda-san, sorry for causing you trouble. I¡¯ll make sure to make it up to you.


    Without waiting for a response, Mike and I jumped down the hole straight to the bottom.


    A woman with fiery red hair was waiting for us sitting on her knees when we landed.


    ¨C Hey there.


    ¨C The Sage of the Volcano, right?


    Shamsheel stood up while laughing.


    ¨C The one and only. Call me whatever you want. The weirdo up there calls me Grandmaster, but I can¡¯t say I like it.


    ¨C Sure. My name is Takaya. Thank you for looking out for my Grandmaster.


    ¨C Ah, don¡¯t sweat it.


    ¨C May I ask what you talked about with Ever?


    ¨C Let¡¯s talk about that in my room.


    Shamsheel guided us into a room even deeper in the chamber.


    ¨C Sorry about the mess.


    ¨C Not at all.


    The place was indeed a mess. The floor was filled with papers. I couldn¡¯t even see a place to step on.


    ¨C Put all the papers together. You can take them home if you want to.


    ¨C What? Something so important?


    Aside from the papers with Shamsheel¡¯s research, I saw something unexpected.


    ¨C Is this a tree paper?


    ¨C It is. These are just the most recent experiments, though. All the others are stored somewhere else.


    ¨C What¡­?


    ¨C All the tree papers of every citizen in this country.


    A cold chill ran down my spine.


    What is the meaning of this?


    ¨C I can tell you¡¯re confused. I need to do this to complete my objective.


    Shamsheel handed me one of the papers from a stack.


    It had a tree drawn in the middle and some scribbling on the side.


    ¨C This is a list of all the skills we have found so far. And it¡¯s not near close to complete yet.


    The skills were categorized into different types. Skills related to weapons, magic, etcetera.


    ¨C Takaya, let me ask you something.


    Shamsheel took out a cigarette from her breast pocket.


    ¨C Why do you think tree papers exist?

 CH 216

    ¡°Chapter 216: The Sage of the Volcano 3¡±


    Tree papers help people find their place in the world. It¡¯s how I was able to find such an amazing group of friends.


    ¨C There are a lot of mysteries surrounding these little boys. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve thought about it too.


    ¨C Well, yeah.


    No one I¡¯ve asked knows where or how tree papers were created, or why the aptitudes of a person are pictured as a tree.


    By the way, no one knows how to make them. There are few of them, and they¡¯re very valuable.


    A mysterious item that appeared in this world long ago.


    ¨C We know what they do now, but think about our ancestors. They see one of these and suddenly a picture of a tree appears. Not very clear, right?


    ¨C Right.


    I don¡¯t even know how people came to understand them.


    If only the aptitudes could be quantified, or at least made easier to comprehend¡­


    ¨C ¡­ Wait.


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Maybe the tree papers were used for a different purpose originally?


    ¨C Hahaha! You¡¯re a quick one, ey? Come live with me, Ever doesn¡¯t need you.


    ¨C I¡¯m under the tutelage of a great Grandmaster. Thank you for the offer. Besides, you have Regda-san already.


    ¨C Ah, he¡¯s a brilliant one, but too hard-headed. Talking to him is as boring as talking to the rocks in this volcano.


    ¨C ¡­How blunt.


    ¨C As you can see, I spend all day here researching the people of this country. They¡¯re all my hostages.


    ¨C Hostages? That¡¯s a bit-


    ¨C It¡¯s not an exaggeration. You¡¯ve seen the birthmark on this country¡¯s citizens, right?


    ¨C ¡­Yes?


    ¨C Regda! Can you hear me? Get the ritual ready!


    I don¡¯t know if Regda heard her or not, but Shamsheel put on her black and red robe.


    ¨C We¡¯re going somewhere else. Tell your friends at the summit to go back home.


    I have no reason to refuse. I came here looking for information.


    ¨C Got it. Mike, can you take care of that?


    ¨C I can, but where are you going? I don¡¯t want to leave you alone.


    ¨C What an anxious puppy you are. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s called a ritual but it¡¯s not dangerous at all. If anything, I¡¯ll be there to protect him.


    ¨C Grrr¡­


    ¨C Hoooh? You wanna fight? Inside my own crater? Are you sure about that?


    Shamsheel¡¯s fist became red hot like lava. Regda¡¯s magic was still in effect, and even then I felt like my skin was about to melt.


    ¨C Haha, I¡¯m joking. I¡¯ll spare you from the fight. Though I could use a little puppy as a familiar. What do you think?


    ¨C Uuu~ Stop patting my head!


    ¨C It¡¯s just a little bit of burnt hair.


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to be bald! Master! Say something!


    Moments like these make me appreciate the fact that Ever is my Grandmaster.

 CH 217

    ¡°Chapter 217: Ritual¡±


    ¨C Uuuuu¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll heal. (Takaya)


    Mike¡¯s fur is pretty resistant to heat and cold. That doesn¡¯t apply to the temperatures a sage can reach.


    ¨C What¡¯s that on the puppy¡¯s head? (Shamsheel)


    ¨C It¡¯s a sort of medicine for the hair.


    It¡¯s the closest thing to a hair conditioner that I could make in this world. The other girls love it.


    ¨C Just like Ever said, you really can come up with any sort of funny stuff¡­ Your face doesn¡¯t really resemble, though.


    ¨C Resemble what?


    ¨C Sorry, just reminiscing. Hey, pathetic excuse of a disciple! We¡¯re going in! And don¡¯t forget the tools!


    Regda was waiting for us at the door holding a box with the ¡°tools¡± that Shamsheel mentioned.


    They looked like medical instruments. A small needle and what seemed like a surgical knife.


    What kind of ritual is this?


    ¨C Master, what should I do? Where should I go? I can¡¯t track you by your smell in Wols.


    ¨C The smell of sulfur, huh? Shamsheel-sama, where are we going?


    ¨C To a chapel inside the off-limits area of the volcano. We¡¯ll be going through an underground passage. It¡¯s located¡­ Well, everyone knows where the chapel is.


    I¡¯m sure Meirir will be able to guide her, then.


    After parting ways with Mike, I followed Shamsheel and Regda through the narrow cave.


    There were several branching paths leading to the most important parts of the city. It seems that these passages were built exclusively for Shamsheel.


    ¨C We¡¯re here.


    10 minutes of walking later, we arrived at the chapel where the ritual would take place.


    A group of married couples with their babies in arms had been waiting for us. They bowed their heads as soon as they saw Shamsheel.


    ¨C Yo, Mayor. Is this everyone?


    ¨C I believe so, Sage. May I ask who the boy is?


    ¨C He¡¯s the disciple of an old friend. This and that, I¡¯ll be looking after him for a bit.


    ¨C ¡­I see.


    ¨C Grandmaster. (Regda)


    ¨C I know. Okay, let¡¯s go one at a time.


    Regda handed Shamsheel the tools as the married couples formed a single line.


    ¨C Takaya, come here. You have a special seat.


    I nodded and sat near the workbench¡­ Or should I say altar? where the baby from the first couple in line was sleeping soundly.


    ¨C What¡¯s going on here? (Takaya)


    ¨C They¡¯ll receive the blessing of the sage. (Shamsheel)


    The tip of the needle that Shamsheel was holding lit up in flames of flickering strength.


    When the needle touched the baby¡¯s skin, the flame was transferred from the needle into the baby¡¯s shoulder. The smoke eventually dissipated, revealing a pattern.


    It has a different form, but there¡¯s no mistaking it. It¡¯s the same mark that Meirir showed me.


    ¨C Regda, the paper.


    ¨C Yes.


    Shamsheel took a piece of the baby¡¯s skin and put it on the tree paper. In response, a tree I¡¯m used to seeing formed on the paper.


    ¨C No response. This kid is normal.


    I took a glance at the paper before Shamsheel handed back the baby to the couple. I don¡¯t really know what she¡¯s looking for, but it didn¡¯t look like anything special.


    The ritual continued until there were no more babies. Out of the 6 babies, only 2 showed ¡°a response¡±.


    After all the couples and the mayor were gone, Shamsheel lit up a cigarette and took a deep breath.


    ¨C Grandmaster, good work.


    ¨C Yeah. Today was okay-ish, I guess. We got some good samples.


    Shamsheel grabbed the two papers that were ¡°responsive¡±.


    ¨C Takaya, what do you see different in these two?


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s kind of obvious, isn¡¯t it? This one has a flower drawn at the side of the tree. This one has bugs flying around. Plus other things.


    All the tree papers I can think of are similar to mine. Just a tree.


    But maybe Dyke¡¯s and Meirir¡¯s, who went through this ritual¡­


    ¨C Are you¡­?


    ¨C Even if you didn¡¯t guess it I would¡¯ve explained it myself.


    Shamsheel made a fireball on the palm of her hand.


    ¨C My research focuses on the alteration of these trees at birth. Are we able to artificially imprint another ability on a person¡¯s tree?

 CH 218

    ¡°Chapter 218: Processing of Skills¡±


    Shamsheel, The Sage of the Volcano, has been living in Wols for a long time.


    There was a time when it was dangerous to even enter the foot of the mountain. Lava, dangerous temperatures, and volcanic ashes.


    Even the surrounding countries were growing worried by the constant violent eruptions.


    That¡¯s when the Sage came in.


    ¨C Have you noticed that us sages have a title fixed with our name?


    The Sage of the Volcano, who resides in the world¡¯s biggest active volcano.


    The Sage of the Clouds, who freely travels around the world in the thundercloud boat.


    The Sage of the Forest, who watches over the forest surrounding Snowpeak.


    The Sage of Light, who lives in a region where they worship an ancient goddess.


    ¨C Unlike them, I don¡¯t go around taking strolls everywhere. I¡¯m trapped here. Well, I knew what I was getting into. I specialized in earth and fire magic, so I was able to stop the earthquakes and eruptions.


    ¨C So, in exchange, you asked for permission to carry out your research?


    ¨C We coat it by saying ¡°Your baby will be receiving the blessing of the sage¡±, but that¡¯s it. In fact, my magic is already in effect. This country doesn¡¯t need me anymore.


    Basically, the people of Wols don¡¯t need to undergo Shamsheel¡¯s ritual, but since they don¡¯t know about the volcano, they have no choice but to accept.


    That¡¯s why she called them ¡°hostages¡±. Because she could activate the volcano at any moment if she wanted to.


    ¨C Disappointed? One of the saviors that fought during the war with the demons is now doing something so dishonest.


    ¨C Not really.


    If anything, it¡¯s thanks to her that Meirir and Dyke manifested their skills, which eventually saved my life.


    Bluntly said, this is human experimentation. But is it okay? Is it wrong? Who am I to say?


    Akane acquired the ability to control ice while she was under Moonlight¡¯s control. It¡¯s similar to what Shamsheel is doing, just with a different approach.


    I came here to gather information, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.


    ¨C So, are you in or what?


    ¨C Yes. My Grandmaster sent me here. She knew it would be useful for me.


    I have no intentions of turning back. I¡¯m already a magnet of problems, surely one more won¡¯t hurt.


    ¨C Good. I wasn¡¯t planning on letting you go anyways. Regda.


    ¨C Yes. His friends would¡¯ve been a problem. I¡¯m glad he took the easy way out.


    They knew Akane, Mumuruu and Mike would¡¯ve posed a big threat if they kidnapped me. They really thought this far.


    ¨C I¡¯m gonna need you for a little longer.


    ¨C There¡¯s still more, huh?


    ¨C Of course there is. What you saw was only the ¡°blueprint¡±. It¡¯s time we get to the real experiment-


    ¨C Master!


    ¨C Mike, Meirir¡­


    I heard Shamsheel click her tongue as Meirir and Mike entered the room.


    ¨C Sorry it took us so long. It¡¯s been a long time since I last came here. Who¡¯s that beauty over there? (Meirir)


    ¨C Regda, take care of the rest. Until next time, Meirir. Send my regards to Dyke too. (Shamsheel)


    ¨C Huh? Excuse me? (Meirir)


    Shamsheel exited the room.


    For Meirir, this is the first time she had seen the sage. But for Shamsheel, Meirir was one of the ¡°responsive¡± papers coming into the chapel once again.


    (You said you were at the Blazing Arbor, right? Wait for me. At night. Make dead sure you¡¯re alone) (Regda)


    (But my friends¡­) (Takaya)


    (It¡¯s fine. I have a plan)


    Regda finished putting away the ritual tools and walked through the now nonexistent door.

 CH 219

    ¡°Chapter 219: Processing of Skills 2¡±


    Once everyone was asleep, I snuck out of my room as Regda instructed me. He was already outside waiting for me.


    ¨C All your friends are sleeping soundly.


    ¨C What did you do to them?


    ¨C I asked the people in the kitchen to prepare some special food. The side effect is deep drowsiness. They won¡¯t wake up until maybe midday.


    ¨C I see.


    If it was a poisonous ingredient added to the food, Mike or Akane would¡¯ve noticed immediately. But since the sleeping effect was added through cooking skills it was impossible for them to sense it.


    Even if it wasn¡¯t exactly poison, I¡¯ve never heard of a hotel that would serve food like that to their guests. It¡¯s impressive that they would do anything to comply with Shamsheel¡¯s wishes.


    ¨C Enough talking. The Grandmaster is waiting.


    ¨C It¡¯ll be morning again by the time we get to the crater.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry about that.


    Regda took a deep breath and put all his strength into his back.


    His entire body became full of red scales and his back grew two big wings.


    He transformed into a pterosaur.


    Regda called himself a half lizard¡­ Was that the case from the beginning, or is this transformation magic?


    ¨C Time is short. Ride.


    ¨C R-Right¡­


    Riding on Regda¡¯s back, we flew under the starry sky in a straight line towards the sage¡¯s crater.


    ¨C Hm?


    I noticed some of Regda¡¯s scales were way softer than the rest. Their color was red, but somewhat brownish too.


    ¨C Are you worried about my scales?


    ¨C ¡­Maybe. Sorry.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care. You¡¯ll be touching me way more than I would like to.


    ¨C What do you mean?


    ¨C We¡¯re descending into the crater now. Don¡¯t fall into the lava.


    ¨C ¡­What?


    Without wasting any time, Regda dived right into the steaming crater while spinning like a drill.


    I get that time is valuable, but did he have to spin me around too?


    ¨C Grandmaster, I brought the kid.


    Back to his normal form, Regda threw me onto Shamsheel¡¯s sofa.


    ¨C Thank you.


    Shamsheel put down a bottle that had orange liquid.


    ¨C Grandmaster, again?


    ¨C It¡¯s just one of those times. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing fine. (Shamsheel)


    ¨C ¡­That¡¯s not what I¡¯m worried about. (Regda)


    ¨C Regda-san?


    ¨C You¡¯re the main guest today. Make sure to do everything she says.


    ¨C Right.


    ¨C Well then, Takaya, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve realized by now, but I¡¯m gonna need your cooperation with a little something. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll go as planned, but if anyone¡¯s gonna make it work, it¡¯s you.


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C What else, but manufacturing skills! Completely different from the ¡°ritual¡± you saw. Regda.


    ¨C Yes.


    Regda exposed the entirety of his skin. For how slimmed he looked, he was quite strong.


    Shamsheel taped a tree paper on his back, which revealed Regda¡¯s tree.


    ¨C He excels at magic and combat. He also has some processing skills, but nowhere near yours. Try touching this tree.


    ¨C Like this?


    Fearfully, I put my index finger on Regda¡¯s tree paper.


    I felt a weird sensation¡­


    ¨C Ow, it¡¯s hot!


    I reflexively removed my finger.


    My fingertip was red and swollen as if it had been burnt.


    ¨C What do you think?


    What do I think?


    As in, did it work?


    ¨C I¡¯m not sure myself¡­


    When I touched the paper, I felt it. I felt like someone else¡¯s magic circuits were trying to enter my own.


    Maybe. This might just be possible.


    I have to try this one more time.

 CH 220

    ¡°Chapter 220: Mysterious Voice¡±


    ¨C I think we can do this, but- (Takaya)


    ¨C We have to do something about the burn.


    ¨C Right.


    I felt a strange sense of discomfort when I touched the tree paper. I need to sense it again.


    ¨C Shamsheel-sama, can you use ice magic?


    ¨C I¡­ can. I can use magic from any attribute, but as you can imagine, ice and fire don¡¯t get along very well. It¡¯s going to be extremely low level.


    I need some ice to protect my finger next time I touch it. We¡¯re in unknown territory here. My entire hand might become useless if we¡¯re not careful.


    ¨C Allow me to call someone then.


    ¨C Who?


    ¨C An assistant. Mumuruu, come here.


    ¨C Yes, sir?


    Mumuruu¡¯s voice resounded in the room, using the shadows to move and hide herself.


    ¨C Could you bring Akane-san here?


    ¨C As you wish!


    Mumuruu moved into my shadow and pulled out Akane.


    Her magic also works on other people, although it¡¯s limited to one at a time.


    ¨C I believe we made sure all your friends were asleep.


    ¨C You would think so, but I took some preemptive measures.


    When Regda told me he had a plan, I made sure Akane and Mumuruu ate herbs resistant to different types of poison and paralysis.


    ¨C You¡¯re a careful one, huh? Do you not trust us? (Shamsheel)


    ¨C Let me say it bluntly. No, I don¡¯t.


    Not everyone is a friend. I still don¡¯t know Shamsheel¡¯s true purpose for these experiments.


    As Ever said, all the sages might look nice, but they all hide something.


    ¨C Tch. Fine. Do as you want. (Shamsheel)


    ¨C What? (Regda)


    ¨C That¡¯s the previous Shimmering Succubus Leader. She can keep a secret. Besides, the time will come when Takaya will have to explain everything to his friends. (Shamsheel)


    Negotiations concluded.


    ¨C Akane-san, please cover my fingertips with an ice coat.


    ¨C Here you go again doing stupid stuff. Suit yourself, but I¡¯ll stop you if anything dangerous happens.


    Half of Akane¡¯s body turned white, just like when she was possessed by Moonlight. This is the true form of the Oni descendant.


    ¨C Fascinating. I¡¯ll have to take a sample of that girl later. (Shamsheel)


    ¨C I refuse, thank you. Only a few people know about me. (Akane)


    A freezing cold air enveloped my fingers. Cold enough to cause frostbite if left alone for a few minutes.


    I touched the center of the paper. A white flash exploded before my eyes, but the heat was neutralized by Akane¡¯s magic.


    The new ¡°ink¡± spread throughout the tree paper. It wasn¡¯t altering the image per se, but it looked like it was fixing it.


    ¡¾¨D¨DK£Î16K¡¡£Ô16£È¡£16£Ç¡¡£Ë¡¡£Ã£¶16¡¿


    ¨C What?


    A strange voice reached my ears.


    It wasn¡¯t the voice of anyone in the room. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a man or a woman. I couldn¡¯t even tell if it was human.


    I looked at the others but it seems I was the only one that heard it.


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    ¨C !!??


    I felt something cold crawl up my neck and I instinctively took my finger off the paper.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re sweating a lot.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, I might¡¯ve used too much magic. I¡¯m tired. Anyways, it doesn¡¯t seem like this is going to be so easy.


    I moved on my own, but it felt like an external force was pushing me out.


    ¨C Hmmm, maybe your Level is not high enough¡­ Or maybe we need something else.


    I think it¡¯s better if I keep quiet about this for now.


    Another night at Wols passed, and I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about that voice.

 CH 221

    ¡°Chapter 221: The Two at Dawn¡±


    Once the experiment was over, Regda and I soared through the skies on our way back to the Blazing Arbor.


    ¨C ¡­Thank you for your cooperation. You gave us a lot to think about. (Regda)


    ¨C That goes both ways.


    My finger only reacted to the tree paper once. And even then, what was that voice?


    I have to write it down. I need to tell Kouya about it later. He might know something about it.


    I know I came to Wols looking for information, but this doesn¡¯t feel like a vacation at all.


    ¨C You really put up with her experiments, huh¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C What are you talking about?


    ¨C I¡¯m a disciple too. I follow my grandmaster¡¯s orders. I know how it feels.


    ¨C I see.


    I didn¡¯t want to ask him for details, but it¡¯s obvious that Regda has been subject to whatever Shamsheel comes up with.


    We kept flying on the dawn of the day slowly waiting until Akane and Mumuruu returned to their rooms so as to not arouse any suspicions.


    In complete silence.


    ¨C ¡­The air feels nice.


    No clouds except for the smoke from the volcano.


    The sea breeze in Bay Road, the grass covered in morning dew in the Sage¡¯s Forest, and now the air at the top of Wols¡­


    ¨C This world is amazing. (Takaya)


    ¨C If you compare it to the demon world, of course. I don¡¯t dislike it either. (Regda)


    ¨C Hey, uhh¡­


    ¨C What?


    ¨C Well¡­


    I¡¯m just trying to get the conversation flowing. Maybe it¡¯s the fact that we¡¯re both disciples of a sage, but I want to get closer to him.


    Besides, he doesn¡¯t look like a bad guy.


    ¨C We¡¯ve reached the hotel. We¡¯re going down.


    ¨C Right.


    But in the end, I wasn¡¯t able to come up with anything to talk about.


    ¨C Thank you for the trip.


    ¨C It was an order from my Grandmdaster.


    ¨C Of course. Anyways. See you next time.


    I have time, but I¡¯d rather get back as soon as possible.


    ¨C However.


    ¨C Hm?


    I turned back when I heard Regda¡¯s voice.


    ¨C If my Grandmaster needs you again, I¡¯d be happy to take you there. If you¡¯re willing to listen to the stories of this cranky half-beast, that is.


    ¨C ¡­Regda-san.


    ¨C Thank you for caring about my body.


    Regda smiled at me and flew away.


    ¨C I guess I¡¯ll have to settle with that for now.


    We have no reason to be linked, but I¡¯d rather have a good relationship with Regda. And with Arueetel too.


    Also, I¡¯m nearing my limit. My eyelids feel heavier than ever.


    I could go to a hot spring to relax but I just want to go back to my room for now.


    ¨C Hey, Takaya. I was looking for you.


    ¨C Roar?


    One of my friends who should be sleeping soundly appeared before me.


    ¨C Too early for a bath, huh?


    ¨C ¡­How?


    ¨C I stole some of those herbs you gave to Akane-chan. I didn¡¯t think they would do anything, though. But here I am.


    How did he know¡­?


    ¨C Takaya, can we talk one on one? Just you and me.

 CH 222

    ¡°Chapter 222: The Two at Dawn 2¡±


    I don¡¯t recall having anything special to talk about with Roar.


    Even if we did, Meirir and Dyke would often barge into the conversation.


    Roar isn¡¯t really the type of person to show his thoughts openly to others.


    Given the occasion, I followed Roar to the closest bath.


    ¨C I¡¯m surprised you managed to steal the herbs. I didn¡¯t know you could do stuff like that.


    ¨C You say that because you have no idea about my past. Well, Dyke and Meirir don¡¯t know the details either.


    Roar opened his clenched fist and showed me a bronze coin I had in my bag. Had.


    ¨C It¡¯s experience. I learned from watching the boss, but I can¡¯t even compare to that level.


    He¡¯s probably not talking about Rudra when he mentions a ¡°boss¡±.


    ¨C I was somewhat of a rascal when I was younger. The Fifth District taught me everything I know about pickpocketing.


    ¡­The Fifth District?


    ¨C As a kid, I was able to learn anything so long as I tried. Magic, manual labor, studying, anything. My parents would always praise me.


    ¨C ¡­You don¡¯t seem like a bad person to me.


    ¨C Hold on, let me finish. I could do it all.


    Everyone starts from the same place. Level I. No matter the path.


    ¨C I could do it all, but incompletely.


    In game terms, it would be as if after reaching a level on different aspects, the experience bars wouldn¡¯t go up anymore.


    ¨C I thought I would live my entire life in a dark guild. That¡¯s when Rudra found me. The clients were my own parents. You can imagine the earful I got.


    One day, when I was meddling with documents in Rudra¡¯s office, I found out that Searat used to be a guild focused on disbanding gangs and dark guilds when the president was still young.


    ¨C He literally beat some sense into my head and brought me to Searat. I never wanted to be an adventurer. I was waiting for the right moment to run away.


    ¨C Do you still think like that?


    ¨C Nope. Actually, if I was gone, you¡¯d have to put up with Dyke and Meirir by yourself. And you¡¯d be the next in line to be president. Would you like that life?


    ¨C ¡­I think I¡¯ll pass on that.


    My life sounds like hell if Roar wasn¡¯t there.


    Even without a proper talent, he¡¯s an indispensable part of our lives.


    ¨C I know I¡¯ve been rambling about myself, but here¡¯s my question. What the hell are you up to?


    ¨C ¡­


    What does he want to know? How much should I tell him?


    I can¡¯t possibly blurt out all the stuff about being from another world.


    I don¡¯t want to get him involved in anything troublesome.


    ¨C I don¡¯t really care if you can¡¯t tell me. The moment Meirir found you I knew something was up with you.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry.


    ¨C I told you, I don¡¯t care. Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. That includes you and me.


    ¨C Then why did you tell me-


    ¨C I don¡¯t know, okay? I guess I wanted you to trust me. Remember, I¡¯m the leader of you three. I know I¡¯m not as powerful as Mike, Mumuruu, or Akane-chan, but I still want to help you as much as I can.


    ¨C ¡­Roar.


    ¨C Never forget. I¡¯ll always have your back, Takaya.


    Roar got out of the bath and went back to his room.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I really am. (Takaya)

 CH 223

    ¡°Chapter 223: Visitor¡±


    ¡Á


    The rest of my time at Wols was uneventful. Shamsheel never got in touch with me again before I came back to Bay Road.


    Catching up with work was tough. Clients needed potions, knives, weapons. We even had to go exterminate some magical beasts. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Rizerotta has almost doubled my workload by asking for weapons for the Royal Capital.


    A few days passed without me thinking about what happened.


    The burns on my fingertips had disappeared completely.


    ¨C ¡­Woah. (Roar)


    ¨C Oh, hey. (Takaya)


    Akane and I have been locked in the guild¡¯s basement most of the time, so I haven¡¯t had a chance to actually talk to Roar.


    ¨C G-Good morning, Roar. (Takaya)


    ¨C H-Hey¡­ Pulled an all-nighter again? (Roar)


    ¨C ¡­Yeah, we have to get this done.


    ¨C ¡­ I see.


    ¨C Yeah¡­


    ¨C ¡­ (T/R)


    This is as awkward as it gets.


    We¡¯ve been extremely conscious of each other ever since that morning.


    ¨C Takayaaa~ We have clients, can you come out? (Meirir)


    ¨C I¡¯ll¡­ be right there! Excuse me, Roar.


    ¨C Sure¡­


    I walked away as slowly and fast as I could.


    It¡¯s weird to have clients at this hour, but they certainly saved me from whatever that was.


    ¨C Where are they? (Takaya)


    ¨C The three are waiting outside. (Meirir)


    ¨C Thank you!


    ¨C Wait. Before you go¡­


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Did something happen with Roar?


    ¨C ¡­No?


    Dyke will realize it soon enough too. I don¡¯t want to involve them in my problems.


    ¨C Stop lying. Something¡¯s off.


    ¨C Maybe¡­


    ¨C I¡¯ll go pester Roar about it if you don¡¯t tell me. Spit it out alread-


    ¨C Hey hey, come on now, that¡¯s enough. (???)


    A hand was resting on my shoulder.


    ¨C Long time no see! How you been, pal?


    It took me by surprise to see him with dark hair and so well-dressed, but there¡¯s only one person who talks in such a friendly way to me.


    ¨C Master, you haven¡¯t been invited to the building yet¡­


    ¨C What gives? I¡¯m not gonna melt or anything.


    ¨C That¡¯s not the issue! Please wait outside.


    ¨C Are you¡­? (Takaya)


    She looked different from the last time I saw her. Her hair was white like snow and her eyes red.


    ¨C Indeed, it¡¯s me. Septe. I hope you¡¯ve been well.


    No traces of the aftermath of the Seventh battle, other than her becoming a servant.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad to see you. Where¡¯s Raviola?


    ¨C She¡¯s right here. We¡¯re escorting this guy after finishing up some stuff at the Royal Capital. Ravi.


    ¨C Pardon my intrusion.


    Raviola was still wearing the same equipment as before. Her sword had been replaced with another sword which I assume she took from Kouya¡¯s warehouse.


    She also looked way happier than the first time I met her.


    Kouya, Septe and Raviola. What an odd trio.


    ¨C I got your letter. I thought I¡¯d come by. (Kouya)


    ¨C You could¡¯ve said something beforehand¡­


    ¨C But that¡¯s not fun! We¡¯re friends, that¡¯s just how it is.


    Kouya wrapped my head around his elbow and whispered in my ear.


    (I also have something to tell you. It¡¯s about your Grandmaster)


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C Anyways. Pardon me, missy, but I¡¯ll borrow this guy for a bit. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to give him a stern talk.


    ¨C Huh? Oh, uh, right. (Meirir)


    Kouya shoved me into the basement.


    Why does Kouya want to talk about Ever?


    I would assume she¡¯s loafing around somewhere. As usual. But lately I¡¯ve been wondering what specifically she¡¯s up to.

 CH 224

    ¡°Chapter 224: Visitor 2¡±


    Septe and Raviola sat outside of the room, leaving Kouya and me by ourselves.


    ¨C I knew those two were up to something, but to think that they were trying to imprint skills on someone¡¯s tree¡­


    According to Kouya, when someone becomes Tilchina¡¯s servant, the ¡°Immortal¡± condition is engraved in their tree.


    Which means that if her experiment succeeds, as long as Shamsheel has a ¡°blueprint¡±, she could make anyone immortal, for example.


    ¨C Can you believe it? The sage is using the people of Wols for her loony experiments. Takes some guts, huh? (Kouya)


    ¨C I know, right?


    Shamsheel never told me what her ultimate goal was. Regda seems to know, but getting him to talk would be near impossible.


    Ever might know too, but I haven¡¯t seen her since Wols.


    ¨C I¡¯m interested in that voice you heard. You said it didn¡¯t sound like a human?


    ¨C If anything, it sounded like a machine spelling out a passcode or something.


    ¨C And then?


    ¨C And then I felt like something was pushing me out. It wasn¡¯t the heat itself. It felt like an external force was fencing me off.


    ¨C Sounds like a computer system.


    ¨C That¡¯s one of the conclusions I reached. But we don¡¯t have stuff like item lists or status windows.


    The only thing we have is tree papers.


    We don¡¯t even know why we¡¯re in this world. Did we magically get transferred into another dimension? Were we forced to login into some sick game? Is this all just a really vivid hallucination?


    Maybe that¡¯s Shamsheel¡¯s objective. Maybe she wants to find out such truth.


    The sages themselves are unknown entities. Human beings that are not quite human beings.


    ¨C Oh, right. What was that you wanted to tell me about Ever?


    ¨C Hm? Ah, yeah. Here.


    ¨C ¡­A letter?


    I recognize this seal.


    ¨C It¡¯s a letter with a teleportation spell. Like the one you used with Raigoh. The Sage of the Forest sent it to my Grandmaster.


    ¨C ¡­Your what?


    ¨C My Grandmaster. She¡¯s a retired weirdo that leeches off me. She lives at my place.


    ¨C And that Grandmaster is¡­?


    ¨C The Sage of Darkness.


    ¨C Huh?


    Yet another troublesome character has somehow joined my life.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, come again?


    ¨C The Sage of Darkness, Milligan.


    ¨C And she¡¯s¡­ Your Grandmaster?


    ¨C Yes? She lives in the demon world because she¡¯s used to miasma. Anyways. I¡¯ll give you the letter. I need you to relay a message to the Sage of the Forest.


    Kouya¡¯s eyes became blood red and the temperature in the room fell down.


    ¨C ¡°Do not lay a finger on any of my loved ones. I will make sure you regret it¡±


    The only sound in the room after that was the sound of my gulping.


    If Ever does something to Milligan, Kouya and I would become enemies.


    I have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.


    ¨C Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing!? Stop it! (Septe)


    The silence was interrupted by a commotion outside.


    ¨C TAKAYA! I KNOW YOU¡¯RE THERE!


    ¨C That voice¡­ Regda-san?


    ¨C The disciple of the Sage of the Volcano? Septe, Raviola, let him in.


    ¨C Master, are you sure?


    ¨C It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re done talking here. Besides, it¡¯s not often that three disciples of sages gather in one place.


    ¨C Alright.


    Rather than slowly intruding in, Regda slammed open the door and entered the room.


    ¨C Regda-san, what¡¯s wrong? (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡±!? DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY? (Regda)


    ¨C Huh?


    ¨C Calm down and explain yourself. What happened? (Kouya)


    ¨C Shamsheel-sama is dead. The Sage of the Forest must¡¯ve killed her.

 CH 225

    ¡°Chapter 225: The Sage of Darkness¡±


    ¨C What?


    Shamsheel is dead?


    And Ever killed her!?


    ¨C I¡­ genuinely have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.


    The relationship between the sages might be good or bad, but at the end of the day, they¡¯re companions that fought in a war with the demons.


    In fact, Ever convinced Shamsheel to talk to me and show me her research. They couldn¡¯t possibly be on such bad terms.


    ¨C Well, it happened! Tell me where she is right now.


    I can¡¯t tell where Ever is with the talisman I have, but Regda might be able to pinpoint her location.


    ¨C Don¡¯t. (Kouya)


    ¨C I know. (Takaya)


    ¨C And who the hell are you?


    ¨C I¡¯d like to call myself just a random passerby, but I¡¯m the disciple of the Sage of Darkness. I¡¯m good friends with this guy.


    ¨C Darkness¡­ From the demon world? You¡¯re out of your territory here in Bay Road.


    ¨C You¡¯re one to talk. So, you said ¡°The Sage of the Forest must¡¯ve killed her¡±. Did you see her killing your Grandmaster with your own eyes?


    ¨C No, but it had to be her. I¡¯ve been guarding the entrance to her chamber day and night. The only one that came in was the Sage of the Forest. She said she had some business with Shamsheel-sama.


    ¨C But there¡¯s more than one entrance, right? (Takaya)


    ¨C The underground passages can only be opened by the Sage of the Volcano. Not even the other sages can access them.


    Then it¡¯s true. Ever was the only person to go in.


    ¨C ¡­Alright. I¡¯ve heard enough.


    ¨C Kouya?


    ¨C Takaya, get ready. We¡¯re leaving immediately to see the scene of the crime.


    I was planning to go anyways even if I had to ride all the way on Regda¡¯s back. I don¡¯t believe what he said 100%. I need to see it for myself.


    ¨C Wait, can you use teleportation magic to go to a place where you¡¯ve never been to?


    ¨C Right. No.


    ¨C So we¡¯ll have to have Regda-san fly us-


    ¨C That¡¯s gonna take at least two hours. I¡¯m a busy guy, you know.


    ¨C So what do you propose? Can Septe or Raviola magically take us there?


    ¨C No, but I know someone who can. Someone who can use any form of magic.


    Kouya opened a portal to his warehouse.


    ¨C Did you call? (Mary)


    ¨C Tell the Grandmaster to come here right now. If she¡¯s not here within 10 seconds I¡¯m kicking her out of the house.


    ¨C Understood.


    And the gate closed.


    1¡­ 2¡­


    ¨C You¡¯re so mean¡­


    A woman in completely black attires popped out of Kouya¡¯s shadow.


    ¨C I¡¯m giving you work. Do you not get tired of lazing around at home?


    ¨C Don¡¯t be rude. I¡¯m. A Sage. I¡¯m busy. Too.


    ¨C So what were your plans for today?


    ¨C Sleep, wake up, eat, stare at nothing, stare at nothing, sleep, wake up, eat, stare at nothing, stare at nothing, roll around, eat, and then sleep.


    I wouldn¡¯t call that busy, but Milligan seems pretty proud of her tight schedule.


    ¨C You¡¯ve been to Shamsheel¡¯s place, right? The Sage of the Volcano. Can you take us three there? Actually, it¡¯s not a question. Do it.


    ¨C Kouya-san, did you not hear? What I said?


    ¨C I could not care less even if I tried.


    ¨C Uuuu~ You¡¯re evil. You¡¯re a demon.


    Milligan laid down on the floor and started rolling around very slowly.


    This is a significant change of pace from the sages I know.


    ¨C You have 5 seconds before I take away your food for an entire month. 5¡­4¡­3¡­


    ¨C Uuu~


    Milligan held up her hand.


    The entire room was surrounded by the dark magic emitting from her.


    Is this her form of teleportation magic?


    ¨C Septe, Raviola, go back to the demon world and take care of Tilchina. I¡¯ll be back as soon as we¡¯re done.


    Our bodies started floating.


    ¨C Uhhh. Destination. Shamsheel-san¡¯s.


    Milligan slammed the floor as if she had run out of energy.


    My vision went dark.

 CH 226

    ¡°Chapter 226: Sage¡¯s Corpse¡±


    ¨C We¡¯ll be there. In no time.


    I hope we¡¯re able to find out the truth. Did Ever really kill Shamsheel?


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? (Kouya)


    ¨C Nothing. I¡¯ve just never ¡°investigated¡± a corpse. Sounds creepy just to think about it. (Takaya)


    I¡¯ve seen gruesome things, like Septe¡¯s body after the battle with Seventh, but carefully examining a dead body?


    ¨C Well, use this opportunity to get used to it. This world is not as magical as it seems.


    That¡¯s coming from Kouya, who had to watch his friends get massacred when they found themselves in the demon world.


    ¨C To Shamsheel-san¡¯s.


    Milligan¡¯s face twisted as soon as she finished casting the spell.


    ¨C What is it? (Kouya)


    ¨C Teehee¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    Once Milligan¡¯s magic dissipated, we found ourselves not in the sage¡¯s chamber, but above it.


    By a long distance.


    ¨C It¡¯s been a long time. Since I¡¯ve used. Teleportation magic. Ehe, hehehe.


    ¨C YOU ARE SUCH A PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A SAGE.


    ¨C Ehe, sorry. My magic. Ran out. Help me. Please.


    ¨C Kouya, save it for later, we¡¯re falling!


    ¨C Tch, I didn¡¯t want to stand out.


    Kouya grew two giant wings on his back and grabbed Milligan.


    ¨C Grandmaster, did you gain more weight?


    ¨C Kouya-san, don¡¯t be rude.


    ¨C SHUT UP, HAG. Hey, half-lizard, grab Takaya.


    ¨C ¡­Alright.


    We descended through the smoke to avoid raising any suspicion.


    ¨C Phew, that was a close call (Takaya)


    ¨C I apologize for my sage, or whatever this idiot is.


    ¨C I¡¯m not an idiot! Heeey, stop hitting me!


    ¨C That¡¯s a weird way of treating your Grandmaster. (Takaya)


    ¨C We¡¯ve had a long relationship. You¡¯ll understand how it feels one day.


    ¨C I wonder about that. Let¡¯s go.


    I have to see this with my own eyes.


    ¨C Here. It¡¯s hard to break through. (Regda)


    The hole that Mike and I went through on our first visit here was now covered in thick tree roots.


    Such roots could only be created by a very powerful source of magic.


    ¨C Careful. (Kouya)


    Kouya aimed his hand at the obstacles.


    ¨C Black Flame!


    The roots crept back into the hole.


    ¨C ¡­Shamsheel-san. (Milligan)


    And in the center of the sage¡¯s chamber were more tree roots extending in all directions.


    Shamsheel¡¯s body was lying above scattered tree papers tainted with her blood. Her chest had been stabbed with a silver sword.


    Kouya stepped in without any regard, examining every bit he could see.


    ¨C Say, Grandmaster, the sages are incapable of using magic when they¡¯re together, right?


    ¨C Yes. Wavelengths? Magical power? Something. I don¡¯t know. But when we¡¯re together. Our magic is null.


    I remember hearing that from Ever before my first trip to the demon world. It must be the reason why there¡¯s a sword going through Shamsheel¡¯s heart.


    ¨C I can¡¯t discern any traces of a battle. Her heart is the only injury I see. Wait, actually, she doesn¡¯t even have a heart¡­ Hm? (Kouya)


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Hmm¡­ Something¡¯s off¡­ Hey, Grandmaster.


    ¨C Yes?


    ¨C Are the bodies of the sages fake?

 CH 227

    ¡°Chapter 227: Sham¡±


    ¨C Ehh? Eeeeehhhhh??? W-What? What is that question? Ehh?


    Milligan became flustered by Kouya¡¯s question.


    She doesn¡¯t seem like the type of person to lie even after clearly showing how bad she is at lying. I think her brain is just working at full capacity, which is not much to say.


    ¨C Kouya, what does that mean? (Takaya)


    I¡¯ve had close contact with Ever many times during our time together. I can¡¯t fathom the idea that her body would be fake.


    ¨C The Grandmaster? There¡¯s no way. (Regda)


    ¨C Really now? Then take a look at this.


    Kouya thrust his arm inside Shamsheel¡¯s dead body and ripped a part off of it.


    ¨C KOUYA! What are you- (Takaya)


    ¨C Look.


    ¨C Gwegh-


    The piece of flesh flew into my hands. I was worried about catching some infectious disease, but I didn¡¯t want to disrespect Shamsheel¡¯s dead body.


    Or so I thought, but it dispersed in my hands.


    ¨C No way¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Takaya, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll believe him. How can you think our Grandmasters are fake? (Regda)


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to believe it either but look at this.


    In my hands was the lump of flesh, or rather, the lump of dirt.


    ¨C It¡¯s clay. (Takaya)


    It¡¯s not even any special type of clay. It¡¯s the same red clay anyone could find in any part of the world. It was mixed with some water and magical specks.


    Her insides must¡¯ve gone back to clay after Shamsheel died and cut the magic supply.


    ¨C See? Even Takaya agrees. Come on, spit it out. (Kouya)


    ¨C Eeehh!? Well~ I don¡¯t know~ My memory. Is just not good. You see~ (Milligan)


    ¨C Is this not Shamsheel? Is this a decoy? (Kouya)


    ¨C Wrong. That right there. Is Shamsheel-san. I can guarantee. It¡¯s a shame. That she¡¯s dead. But it¡¯s true.


    ¨C So are you also made of clay?


    ¨C Ehh~ I wonder~


    Milligan kept tilting her head more and more with each sentence.


    Kouya has presented us with a great question.


    Were all the sages artificially created by someone?


    There are several enigmas surrounding them. Why are they still young after so long? Why can¡¯t they use magic near each other? Where did they come from?


    None of these questions mattered until now, but with Shamsheel¡¯s death, we need to start looking for answers.


    ¨C Well, since I don¡¯t want to fiddle with this dead body anymore, and you don¡¯t seem keen on telling us the truth¡­


    ¨C !!?? Kouya-san!? What!? Are you implying!? (Milligan)


    ¨C Relax, it was a joke. What the hell are you blushing for?


    ¨C Well~ You said~ Fiddle with a body~


    ¨C You¡¯re sick.


    To be honest, it wouldn¡¯t shock me to hear that Ever is some sort of extraordinary being or whatever she is. I¡¯ve seen a lot of weird things since I came to this world.


    I just want to know the truth. And I want to hear it from her. I don¡¯t care about her true identity.


    ¨C Takaya, I¡¯m going back to the demon world with the imbecile. What are you going to do?


    ¨C I¡¯m going back to Bay Road. The others must be worried.


    ¨C That¡¯s it for us. What about you, Regda?


    ¨C I¡¯ll stay by her side. It doesn¡¯t matter what she is, she¡¯s my Grandmaster, and I¡¯m her disciple.


    Regda was back to his blank expression. No traces of the anger he had when he stormed the guild.


    ¨C I have not forgiven the Sage of the Forest. If you see her, tell her to be prepared.


    ¨C ¡­Understood.


    After saying my goodbyes to Regda, Kouya returned me to the guild.


    ¨C TAKAYA!


    ¨C Master!


    Meirir and Mike jumped to hug me as soon as they saw me. Dyke, Roar and the others were also there.


    ¨C You had us worried. Where did you go all of a sudden?


    ¨C I had some stuff to do at Wols.


    ¨C Wols? Again? (Dyke)


    ¨C Yeah. Nothing important, though.


    I can¡¯t possibly blurt out that the Sage of the Volcano was killed and I went to inspect her dead body.


    ¡°Yet again something you can¡¯t tell us¡± is what I read on Roar¡¯s expression as he sighs and rolls his eyes.


    ¨C Master, what is that shiny thing in your pocket?


    ¨C Oh, it¡¯s from an acquaint-


    Wait, Kouya¡¯s letter.


    It has a seal set to teleport to a designated location. But why is it shining?


    * D O N N *


    A ray of light fell on me.

 CH 228

    ¡°Chapter 228: Frozen World¡±


    ¨C Teleportation magic!?


    Why did the letter activate? It should only activate once the person to whom it is addressed receives it.


    Ever sent that letter to Milligan, not to me.


    Did Kouya set me up? No, he has no reason to. He could¡¯ve sent me into the middle of a lava pit or something.


    Did Ever actually address the letter to me?


    Was the letter camouflaged? Why would she need to do that? Did she know it would eventually end in my hands?


    I have way too many questions in my head. The first one I should focus on is: Where the hell am I?


    ¨C Snow?


    It¡¯s cold here. Not as much as Shimazu, but cold enough to make me shiver.


    Am I on a mountain?


    ¨C I have to start moving somewhere¡­


    ¨C Woah!?


    ¨C Hey!


    ¨C What?


    ¨C Master!


    ¨C Mike?


    Mike, Meirir, Dyke and Roar were teleported along with me.


    ¨C Master, are you okay?


    ¨C I¡¯m fine, the snow cushioned my fall.


    ¨C Where are we? (Meirir)


    ¨C Ahh, it¡¯s so cold. (Dyke)


    ¨C Is this a mountain? (Roar)


    Mike can resist the cold, but the three of us have an issue to solve as soon as possible.


    ¨C I don¡¯t know why you guys are here too, but that¡¯s not important for now. Do you have any experience climbing mountains? Because I don¡¯t.


    ¨C Not me. (Roar)


    ¨C Mount Wols. Does that count? (Meirir)


    ¨C Same here. (Dyke)


    The other members of Searat saw us disappear. The logical thing to do is find refuge and wait until they come for us, but our view is completely obstructed by fog.


    ¨C ¡­Master. (Mike)


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Smells like the forest.


    ¨C You mean the Sage¡¯s Forest?


    ¨C Yes. And I can smell Ever. I think from that direction.


    ¨C The Grandmaster!?


    ¨C I¡¯m sure it¡¯s her.


    Mike pointed her finger at the peak of the mountain, where the fog was strong enough to completely cover the view.


    I don¡¯t know why Ever is here, but I know where we are.


    ¨C I think we¡¯re in Snowpeak.


    An unexplored region that even Ever has only been to once before.


    ¨C Mike, I need you to find a hole for us to take refuge.


    ¨C Okay, I¡¯ll be right back. Stay here.


    Mike transformed into her wolf form and disappeared into the fog.


    This is the place she was raised in. We have no choice but to believe in her.


    ¨C We should make some preparations. Would you care to be my lab rats?


    ¨C Well, if we¡¯re gonna trust anyone in this situation it has to be you¡­ Why are you holding a poisonous mushroom?


    ¨C Desperate times require desperate measures.


    For the first time in a long time, my abilities will come in handy.

 CH 229

    ¡°Chapter 229: Frozen World 2¡±


    A Grenbenni, the mushroom that almost killed Mike when we first found her.


    It grows in the Sage¡¯s Forest. I was right to assume I could find some here too.


    ¨C Hey hey, we¡¯ll die if we eat that.


    ¨C Correct. Depending on the amount you eat it could kill you either in a few minutes or at most 3 hours.


    ¨C ¡­Yay?


    Meirir and Dyke were looking at me terrified.


    The very moment the mushroom touches the tongue, the poison travels across the entire body, burning the stomach as if the person had ingested a fireball and eventually causing death.


    I actually tried it myself once for an experiment. It was not a pleasant experience. Akane got really mad at me that day.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. The poison is what causes death. If I can single it out we¡¯ll be able to warm ourselves.


    This is a very risky approach, but it¡¯s all I can think of.


    ¨C Do you have the ingredients to do that?


    ¨C I don¡¯t.


    Everything is back at the workshop. I only have Silver with me.


    But if I don¡¯t have them, I¡¯ll make them myself.


    I can use my magic as a substitute for the necessary components as long as I know what I¡¯m creating. I just need to focus and make sure not to mess up. My magic circuits might be at risk again.


    ¨C ¡­Breathe in¡­ and out¡­ (Takaya)


    Thanks to Akane¡¯s training I was able to successfully create anything the size of a candy ball without having to overexert myself.


    ¨C ¡­Do we ask?


    ¨C I don¡¯t know.


    ¨C Maybe not.


    Come to think of it, this is the first time these three have seen me do this.


    I can¡¯t tell if they¡¯re amazed or confused.


    Using Silver, I isolated the poisonous component of the Grenbenni into a bottle and saved it just in case.


    I put a drop of my newly made mixture on my tongue to see the results. A sensation of heat gradually followed.


    Success¡­ I think?


    ¨C I guess it could be considered a Heat Potion. It won¡¯t make you feel rejuvenated, it¡¯ll likely do the opposite.


    Without any hesitation, I drank the potion in one go.


    My insides slowly started heating up. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve felt like this, but it¡¯s not painful.


    ¨C You try it too.


    ¨C Right. (M/D/R)


    The three of them drank the potion.


    Their physical condition seemed totally fine.


    ¨C Takaya, come here. You two too.


    Following Meirir¡¯s orders, we huddled together to keep each other warm.


    There was a glimpse of sunlight for a second, but it was instantly covered by the gray gloom.


    ¨C Are we all okay? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yeah. If anything, I¡¯m a bit hot.


    ¨C How are you? You can come closer to me if you want (Meirir)


    We¡¯re saved, and we have spare time to think about what to do. Our party has become much more resilient ever since we started going on adventures.


    ¨C Are you sure it was a good idea to send Mike-chan by herself? I know she won¡¯t freeze, but still¡­


    Considering Mike¡¯s strength I shouldn¡¯t be worrying, but I can tell it¡¯s been about 15 to 20 minutes since she left.


    She should¡¯ve been back already.


    * Z u n n *


    ¨C Hm? Hey, look, it¡¯s Mike.


    Dyke pointed at the silhouette of a wolf slowly coming closer to us.


    ¨C Aaahh, you had us worried! Come her-Mmnmnmn!?


    ¨C Meirir-san, keep quiet. (Takaya)


    I immediately covered Meirir¡¯s mouth.


    ¨C Why?


    ¨C That¡¯s not Mike.

 CH 230

    ¡°Chapter 230: Unexpected Help¡±


    This is Snowpeak. Home of the Tribe of the Divine Wolves. It¡¯s not out of this world to imagine that we would encounter wolves.


    But the timing is definitely not the best.


    All we can do is stare at it as it stares back.


    ¨C ¡­Is it analyzing us?


    For now, it doesn¡¯t seem to want to harm us.


    ¨C Humans?


    ¨C Huh!? (Meirir)


    ¨C Did the dog just talk!? (Dyke)


    Grown-up divine wolves are just as smart if not smarter than a human adult. Mike is now able to speak human language even in wolf form, albeit stuttering a lot.


    ¨C Leave. This is our territory.


    ¨C This is a misunderstanding. We were teleported here. We don¡¯t know our way back home.


    ¨C Leave immediately.


    ¨C ¡­Blunt, huh?


    I wish the wolf was willing to at least listen to us. We¡¯re completely innocent in this scenario.


    ¨C We can¡¯t leave¡­ But we also can¡¯t fight him. (Roar)


    Mike isn¡¯t here and we don¡¯t know when she¡¯ll be back. Even with the best equipment in the world, it would be a difficult gamble to take this fight.


    ¨C Leave. Or else.


    The wolf took another step towards us.


    I still don¡¯t feel hostility, but it might be the fact that from the wolf¡¯s perspective, killing us would be no harder than kicking a pebble on the road.


    ¨C Can you guys walk?


    ¨C Yes.


    ¨C I¡¯m shaking so much that I feel like I¡¯m about to leak, but I can walk.


    ¨C I can walk too.


    My body is also shaking. I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s the cold or the fear.


    ¨C Fine, we¡¯ll take our leave now. This is your territory after all. Is that okay?


    ¨C Yes. Leave.


    The wolf with silver fur sat down while still remaining alert to any sudden movements.


    ¨C Do we all agree?


    The three idiots nodded and slowly backed away.


    Fighting the wolf would¡¯ve been sure death. This way we have at least a very small chance of surviving.


    As soon as the golden eyes of the wolf were no longer visible-


    ¨C MEIRIR-SAN, HIT THE GROUND! LIFT AS MUCH SNOW AS YOU CAN!


    ¨C Got it!


    We can¡¯t abandon Mike here. She¡¯s one of us.


    ¨C Mike, please!


    I used the powder snow to make a dog whistle as quickly as I could.


    The four of us ran in different directions.


    ¨C Roar, shoot an arrow! Anywhere is fine!


    ¨C What do you mean anywhere!?


    Roar shot all the arrows he had. The wolf appeared in front of us with its fangs out.


    ¨C You have chosen to fight. How foolish.


    Considering its size and the poor visibility due to the storm, I thought I could enhance Roar¡¯s arrows with ice to land a hit on the wolf, but our opponent is completely unscathed.


    ¨C This way, doggy!


    I walked up as a way of distraction. The real threat was Meirir coming from behind using rolled-up snow as cover.


    Reminiscent of my battle in Shimazu, I had covered Meirir¡¯s fists and legs with ice sharp enough to behead the beast with a clean attack.


    But the wolf didn¡¯t bat an eye.


    ¨C You will be first.


    Meirir¡¯s body was slashed by the wolf¡¯s fangs with a speed that no ordinary adventurer would¡¯ve been able to see.


    Normally, this would¡¯ve meant that Meirir was dead, but what the beast hit was only an illusion.


    ¨C It worked! (Meirir)


    Meirir¡¯s skill omitted the moment in which her body was torn apart.


    For the first time, the beast showed signs of shock.


    ¨C ¡­Cease this pointlessness.


    But the wolf used the totally empty air as a foothold to turn his body and kick Meirir¡¯s back.


    Was that a skill? Was it magic?


    Meirir¡¯s ability won¡¯t save us forever. We¡¯re on borrowed time here.


    ¨C You will be first.


    ¨C MEIRIR-SAN!


    The plan was to buy as much time as we could until Mike came back after hearing the whistle, but there are no signs of her at all.


    We¡¯re by ourselves.


    Meirir is going to die.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine, Nagami-kun.


    ¨C What?


    The flash of a sword intercepted the wolf¡¯s fangs from reaching Meirir.


    ¨C I thought something was off when a teleportation spell activated. I¡¯m glad I marked you.


    ¨C Why are you here?


    ¨C Because we¡¯re classmates. You and me, we¡¯re the only two remaining people from the class. You¡¯re important to me.


    Minagami Shiori smiled at me.

 CH 231

    ¡°Chapter 231: Minagami Shiori 2¡±


    ¨C Just in time. Are you injured?


    ¨C Ehh!? I¡¯m¡­ fine, I think?


    ¨C I¡¯m glad. I was able to protect one of Nagami-kun¡¯s precious friends.


    Shiori was fending off the wolf without any effort.


    ¨C ¡­


    Its golden eyes opened wide in surprise. It was as shocked as we were.


    Being part of the crew of the Thundercloud Boat I knew she was strong, but I never imagined this.


    ¨C I¡¯ll discipline the dog. Please take the girl. (Shiori)


    ¨C Alright¡­ How did you know I was here?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I put a tracking bug on your body.


    The sound of fluttering tiny wings rang in my ears.


    ¨C Bugs Noise. I can control insects to serve as transmitters.


    As horrified as I am, this is what saved our lives.


    ¨C Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine? This is no ordinary opponent.


    If Shiori wasn¡¯t here we would¡¯ve passed out already just from feeling the wolf¡¯s killing intent.


    ¨C GRRRRR¡­


    ¨C Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯d like to think I can survive just fine in this world.


    Shiori pointed the tip of her sword towards the wolf¡¯s eyes.


    Just from a glance I can tell it¡¯s a magnificent weapon. I can see traces of mithrio, heaven jewels, and other rare ores.


    ¨C LEAVE.


    ¨C You seem quite arrogant for a dog. You can use words, but you can¡¯t communicate. You¡¯re no better than an insect.


    ¨C You will be exterminated.


    ¨C What? Are you not going to howl? I¡¯ll give you 10 seconds. Call your friends for help. Or would you like to use that time to run away?


    ¨C ¡­


    The divine wolf backed off. Not to escape, but to muster all its strength to finish off Shiori.


    At the same time, Minagami made her move.


    ¨C Freezing Cage!


    A blue flash coming from Shiori¡¯s thumb created an icy prison around us four.


    ¨C It¡¯ll be cold but please bear with it. And don¡¯t even try to touch it. That¡¯s not a defensive spell. You¡¯ll be frozen in an instant.


    ¨C Y-You could¡¯ve said that sooner. (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m feeling good today. I think I can go all out. 10¡­ (Shiori)


    The moment Shiori started her countdown, four lights of different colors glowed on each of her other fingers.


    ¨C ¡­Takaya, who is this girl? Or rather, what is she? (Dyke)


    ¨C What do you mean?


    ¨C She¡¯s using magic from different elements. Not just that, she¡¯s doing it all at the same time. Can a sage even do that?


    I haven¡¯t seen Ever do it. Nor any other sage.


    Shiori¡¯s magic power is astonishing, to say the least.


    I thought I was blessed with a strong talent in this world, but this is ridiculous.


    ¨C Null Footing¡­ Extreme Speed¡­ 9. (Shiori)


    ¨C I don¡¯t know how to say this¡­ But it doesn¡¯t feel like there¡¯s a world in which she loses (Dyke)


    ¨C ¡­I think so too. (Takaya)

 CH 232

    ¡°Chapter 232: Overwhelming¡±


    ¨C I won¡¯t be needing this.


    Shiori sheathed her sword.


    It¡¯s the only weapon she has. She doesn¡¯t even have an armor or any other protective equipment.


    ¨C Come on. I¡¯m unarmed. Don¡¯t you feel like chewing open my head? I¡¯m all yours. 8.


    The wolf is immobile hidden somewhere in the snow curtain.


    ¨C *Sigh*, if you were going to be so careful, you should¡¯ve called your friends before. What do you think is going to happen?


    ¨C Minagami-san-


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, Nagami-kun. 6.


    She can¡¯t activate her magic instantly.


    It doesn¡¯t matter how strong she is. If she takes an attack while unprotected she¡¯ll die.


    ¨C 5¡­ Are we really turning this into Hide and Seek? You won¡¯t like the result. 4.


    Shiori took a step on the snow carpet without leaving a footstep behind.


    ¨C GWRAARR


    Shiori lost her balance.


    The wolf had come out from behind her, where we Searat members were trapped in a cage.


    ¨C ¡­I can¡¯t. I¡¯m one¡­ No, two steps too late.


    ¨C LEAVE, HUMANS.


    Shiori¡¯s body was torn apart by her opponent¡¯s giant fangs.


    The ice cage that had been protecting us disappeared.


    ¨C ¡­Dyke?


    ¨C You don¡¯t even have to ask, you can see it for yourself. She¡¯s still breathing.


    As Dyke said, Shiori¡¯s upper body was struggling to crawl on the snow, while her lower part dyed the snow red.


    I know what happens next. I can¡¯t bring myself to watch.


    ¨C You underestimated me.


    ¨C Thr¡­


    Even though she has clearly lost the battle, Shiori is still counting down.


    ¨C ¡­ee.


    ¨C Stop this.


    Her right arm, from which she was using magic, had been almost severed. Her left arm was turned in a direction that shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    ¨C Disappear.


    The wolf opened its mouth wide to behead Shiori. But before it was able to kill her-


    ¨C Question for you. 2.


    Another Shiori appeared from above the wolf and stabbed its head with a sword.


    ¨C !!??


    ¨C How long has this me been here for? 1.


    ¨C Ggghhh¡­


    ¨C Ah, my apologies! I guess it¡¯s hard to talk when your mouth is impaled with a sword.


    Both Shioris clasped their right hands. A dazzling gleam illuminated the mountain.


    ¨C The answer is¡­ Hm, Does it matter? You¡¯ll vanish from existence now.


    Minagami¡¯s eyes reflect the golden eyes of the wolf, filled with fright.


    ¨C 0. Until never, doggy. Enjoy this combination of elements.


    ¨C Uuu¡­


    ¨C AHAHA! Howling will get you nowhere! You¡¯re done for!


    ¨C !? GUYS, CLOSE YOUR EYES! (Dyke)


    ¨C ELEMENTAL QUICK: OMEGA RAY.


    Snowpeak was enveloped by a light bright enough to burn my eyelids.

 CH 233

    ¡°Chapter 233: To the Summit¡±


    I¡¯ve seen a lot of things in my life in this world, but never have I seen such raw magical power.


    I doubt she even did anything complicated from her perspective. She simply unleashed her strength onto the poor wolf.


    ¨C Waah, it¡¯s been a long time since I last shot that. Sorry if I scared you! But it¡¯s over now. Here¡¯s the proof.


    Shiori threw at me one of the fangs of the divine wolf. It was bigger than the palm of my hand.


    Actually, it was the only remnant of the wolf. No other trace was left.


    ¨C Minagami-san, thank you for helping us.


    ¨C I¡¯m happy to be of use to you.


    ¨C The marking aside, how did you get here? Teleportation magic?


    ¨C Yes, but not from me. This is my first time in Snowpeak. Look over there.


    A group of unnaturally black clouds was gathered far above us.


    ¨C Rifaiv-sama?


    ¨C Correct. She was here once already. I asked her to please take us here. By the way, I just landed. The Shiori you saw before was an illusion I made.


    The answer to Shiori¡¯s riddle to the wolf was ¡°You just arrived¡±. Not that it can answer anymore.


    ¨C I would prefer we head back already. We can take you to Bay Road. I¡¯m sure the rest of your friends are worried.


    It¡¯s a reassuring offer. The people in the Thundercloud Boat could protect us from any danger.


    But I can¡¯t go yet.


    ¨C ¡­Nagami-kun?


    ¨C I¡¯m grateful for your help, but we still have to find Mike.


    ¨C Mike¡­ Ah, the wolf girl?


    ¨C She¡¯s an important friend. Even more, she¡¯s our family.


    As much as I trust her to be able to defend herself, it¡¯s been more than enough time to realize that something¡¯s wrong.


    ¨C ¡­I see. I know that girl doesn¡¯t like me, but I¡¯d be glad to help.


    ¨C Really!?


    ¨C Of course! We¡¯ve already come so far. Might as well be here until the end.


    Looking for Mike with just the 4 of us would be a disaster. Having Shiori with us is just what we needed to relax.


    ¨C Would you mind if I took a detour to the boat first? I¡¯d like to take extra weapons and medicine just in case. (Shiori)


    I don¡¯t see a problem with it. If Ralph and Arueetel hear what¡¯s going on they might want to join.


    But Shiori was just standing there.


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C Minagami-san?


    ¨C My magic is sealed.


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C I can do very basic things, but I can¡¯t cast spells. Look.


    A white haze emerged from the magic circle when she tried to teleport.


    ¨C I can feel it too. It¡¯s a sort of magical barrier. (Dyke)


    ¨C Spot on. I¡¯m assuming it was set to affect the entire mountain. Quite the powerful blockade¡­ (Shiori)


    Did Shiori¡¯s Omega Ray ring an alarm somewhere?


    Or is this another trick by whoever summoned us here?


    ¨C Let¡¯s get going. The others will start looking for us if we take too long. Trust me, even without magic we¡¯re fine.


    ¨C ¡­Okay.


    It¡¯s not like we have any other choice.


    I have to trust her.

 CH 234

    ¡°Chapter 234: Intermission: My Parents¡±


    ¡ù


    (Mike¡¯s Perspective)


    It¡¯s been so long since I was here that I don¡¯t remember left and right.


    If I was on Bay Road this would be much easier. I only have the scent of the ocean breeze to guide me.


    I¡¯m only here because my master saved me. I have to show how useful I can be.


    (¡­Maybe over here?)


    With all the snow around, the slightest movement could trigger an avalanche. I need to be careful.


    Any cave should be fine. The master will take care of everything after that.


    We can do anything. Just like when we saved Akane.


    And then I¡¯ll get a lot of head pats for helping.


    £¨Wait for me, Master!£©


    This cave is pretty big. There must be other species using it.


    I¡¯ll just ask them if we can use the entrance.


    If it was the master and me alone, I could carry him on my back anywhere, but I have to be mindful of the others.


    £¨Excuse me¡­£©


    The only residents I could see were the bats hanging upside down while staring at me.


    I turned back to human form. This place might be good for me, but I need to see if it¡¯s appropriate for the others.


    (Smells like poop all around¡­ But the ground is warm. This is a good spot)


    The road back is a little steep, but I think I can manage to carry everyone here one by one.


    ¨C Misha? Misha, is that you?


    I heard a voice from deep in the cave.


    ¨C ¡­What? Who¡¯s there?


    ¨C That voice! Misha, it is you!


    Misha? That¡¯s not my name.


    My name is Mike. The master gave it to me when he saved me. I like this name.


    ¨C Aah, my precious Misha, I¡¯ve been so worried ever since you disappeared. I thought I¡¯d never see you again¡­


    From the shadows emerged a woman and a divine wolf.


    I¡¯m still on guard. Nothing good comes out of people that make no sense like this.


    That¡¯s how the master always gets hurt.


    Just like with that girl¡­ Shiori? It¡¯s better to be on edge every second.


    I should be.


    But for some reason, I feel a strange sense of comfort¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t be scared, Misha. Come with papa and mama.


    ¨C ¡­Papa? Mama?


    My thoughts are a mess.


    I know those words. It means they¡¯re my parents.


    What do I do? What should I do?


    I can¡¯t waste time thinking. The master and the others are waiting for me. They could be in danger.


    ¨C Master¡­


    Why am I walking deeper into the cave? I should be going back outside.


    I¡¯m abandoning my friends for the warmth of my family.

 CH 235

    ¡°Chapter 235: Union of the Five¡±


    With Shiori as our new temporary member, we began slowly climbing the dangerous mountain.


    ¨C Nagami-kun, I would like to confirm something. Our priority is finding Mike-chan, right?


    ¨C Right. We¡¯ll worry about everything else later.


    We have to figure out what to do with the magic barrier.


    Even if we manage to find Mike, we need Shiori¡¯s teleportation magic to leave Snowpeak.


    We could reverse the order, but we don¡¯t know who we¡¯re up against, how many, or how strong they are.


    As stupidly strong as Shiori is, she won¡¯t be useful in battle if most of her magic is sealed. Mike is our only ace.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of use when it matters.


    ¨C Don¡¯t get hung up on it. It¡¯s not your fault. Whoever trapped us here keeps poking us from afar.


    I¡¯m not as on edge as the first time I saw Shiori. If it wasn¡¯t for her unexpected entrance, we would all be dead right now.


    I can¡¯t bring myself to fully trust her, but she definitely earned more points in my book.


    ¨C You are such a kind and caring person. You¡¯re the same as always.


    ¨C ¡­As always?


    I wasn¡¯t in the same class as Shiori throughout all of school. We only became classmates during our last year.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I had my eyes on you even before we were classmates.


    ¨C R-Really? I think I was just a pitiful punching bag at the time.


    ¨C That¡¯s not true! Even if I was only looking at you from afar, I could tell how much of an amazing person you were. Despite being thrown into an unknown world, you still tried to help everyone.


    ¨C ¡­Is that why you left the group? Because they were bullying me?


    ¨C Of course. Those guys would kick you when you were down just for the fun of it, regardless of how hard you worked for them. How could I ever forgive them?


    ¨C She¡¯s right! Screw those guys! You¡¯re amazing. (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah. (Roar)


    ¨C Damn right. (Dyke)


    These three had to witness my suffering when Akito kidnapped me. Their hatred for my classmates is still burning.


    ¨C Thank you for helping us, Shiori-chan. I don¡¯t know what else we could say to express our gratitude. (Meirir)


    ¨C The thought is enough. I¡¯ll make sure you all get back safely to Bay Road.


    ¨C I¡¯ll show you around once we¡¯re back!


    Meirir and Shiori shook hands. So did Roar and Dyke.


    The three now trusted Shiori as ¡°Takaya¡¯s Friend¡±.


    ¨C With that out of the way, we need to hurry. Come on out, bugs.


    Several small beetles appeared from under the snow.


    ¨C ¡­¡­¨D¨D¨D¡­¡­¡¢¡£¡£¡£¡¢¡­¡­¡«¡«¡«¡«


    She can easily communicate with them¡­


    What does her paper tree look like? She¡¯s as strong as the six sages.


    ¨C One of my friends seems to have spotted Mike-chan recently. It was in a cave, though. (Shiori)


    ¨C Let¡¯s go. If she found a cave and didn¡¯t come back something must have gone wrong. (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯ll lead the way. (Shiori)

 CH 236

    ¡°Chapter 236: Surplus¡±


    Our journey was uneventful. I expected more magical beasts to jump at us, including more divine wolves, but nothing so far.


    ¨C ???¡­¡­¡«¡±¡±¡±


    ¨C Hold.


    The insects guiding Shiori suddenly stopped and hid under the snow.


    ¨C Something¡­ Or someone¡­ is here. Whatever it is, it¡¯s looking at us.


    ¨C Another wolf?


    ¨C I can¡¯t tell that much just from the bugs. Keep your heads down. I¡¯ll go check.


    ¨C By yourself?


    ¨C I can still use some weak magic. Rabbit Foot!


    Shiori disappeared from our sight, leaving only her footprints.


    ¨C ¡­What the hell was that? (Dyke)


    ¨C Where did she go? (Meirir)


    GYOUUUU


    The scream of a magical beast could be heard in the distance.


    The slope below us was tainted in red.


    ¨C Sorry to keep you waiting. What¡¯s wrong? Why the face?


    ¨C W-Well, you disappeared¡­


    ¨C Ah, that was Rabbit Foot. It vanishes any trace of my movement. Very useful for assassinations, though it¡¯s kind of embarrassing to admit. Hahaha.


    I¡¯m glad we¡¯re not enemies.


    What other aces does she have up her sleeve?


    ¨C Hm? Is there something on my face? (Shiori)


    ¨C N-No¡­ (Takaya)


    White beautiful cheeks. So pale that it makes me wonder if any blood is running through it. Her face has not changed at all.


    In this world where I was forced to change, Shiori is still the same.


    It reflects on the fact that she holds her school uniform so dearly.


    How has she survived this long? How did she reach the Sage of the Clouds? How did she become powerful enough to maybe even surpass the sages?


    ¨C Do you want to know about me?


    ¨C Huh?


    ¨C You¡¯ve been staring at me all this time. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m not used to it, though.


    Shiori got close to my ear to whisper.


    ¨C I¡¯ll tell you when we¡¯re alone~


    Now that is one change of attitude I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    ¨C I want to know what you think. How do you assume a pretty girl like me managed to earn money by herself?


    ¨C I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t imagine.


    ¨C Come on, don¡¯t lie. I can see your mind going places.


    ¨C W-What do you mean?


    ¨C You¡¯re cute when you blush.


    Shiori giggled and kept walking. Her behavior was back to normal.


    ¨C You¡¯re a loyal one. Idiot. (Meirir)


    ¨C Another girl?


    ¨C They¡¯re all yours, huh? As always.


    But it¡¯s not my fault¡­


    Something about Shiori keeps bugging me. Maybe not in a bad way, but I can¡¯t seem to shake it off.


    ¨C Look. (Shiori)


    After 10 minutes of rough walks, we finally found the cave where the bugs saw Mike.


    The five of us walked in at the same time.


    ¨C Smells really bad in here.


    ¨C Maybe. But it¡¯s a good spot to take refuge. Let¡¯s go.


    We can¡¯t let our guard down. If Mike didn¡¯t come back, something must be lurking in the depths of this cave.

 CH 237

    ¡°Chapter 237: Nest¡±


    ¨C This place is huge. The inside is like a labyrinth. (Roar)


    ¨C Can you tell?


    ¨C Kind of. I can more or less feel the flow of the air and the echoing of sounds on the walls. Feria said it would be useful someday.


    Without any magic, any sort of trick we can pull is helpful.


    This is unexplored territory. Even Ever has only set foot here once. We have no idea what we¡¯ll find.


    I¡¯ve been holding onto the wolf fang that Shiori gave me. I used Silver to turn it into a sort of knife.


    As good as Shiori¡¯s sword might be, everything breaks eventually. The more weapons she has, the better.


    ¨C That¡¯s a nice knife you have there. (Shiori)


    ¨C It¡¯s called Silver. It can be a little selfish sometimes.


    It doesn¡¯t matter how much I use it to exhaustion, Silver always comes back stronger every time I repair it.


    But whenever anyone else uses it, Silver just loses its sharpness. It¡¯s as if the knife surrenders all motivation until it¡¯s back in my hands.


    When I came to my senses, I realized we had stumbled upon a wall.


    ¨C Everywhere looks just the same¡­


    ¨C We were moving while hugging the wall. Which means¡­


    A pale light shone through a hole in the ceiling.


    ¨C That¡¯s a big hole. Do you think it leads to the top of the mountain? (Roar)


    ¨C I don¡¯t know, but I know Mike must be that way. The problem is how to climb it.


    There¡¯s no way all of us will be able to make it up there.


    ¨C I can¡¯t go by myself. Mike will be wary of me. Nagami-kun, excuse me.


    ¨C What?


    Shiori grabbed me and held me in her arms.


    ¨C Minagami-san!?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, but she won¡¯t listen to me. I need to take you too.


    ¨C Well, I guess that¡¯s fine, but do you have to take me like this?


    Embarrassing, to say the least. It feels like a princess carrying a baby.


    ¨C I like it. I can see your face this way.


    ¨C But I don¡¯t want to¡­ Can you just carry me on your back?


    Riding on Shiori¡¯s back, we began climbing the vertical wall. Meirir and the others stayed behind with the protection of Shiori¡¯s bugs.


    ¨C Minagami-san, is it fine to climb without your shoes?


    ¨C Some old loafers won¡¯t be useful for climbing. I thought I¡¯d change it up a bit.


    ¨C By which you mean¡­


    ¨C Actress!


    Shiori¡¯s legs turned into the legs of a beast.


    ¨C Woah, you can do that?


    ¨C I sure can. It¡¯s one way to make this climb easier.


    Bugs Noise, Rabbit Foot, Actress¡­ Just how many hidden talents does this girl have? How was she blessed with such strength?


    ¨C ¡­I found her. I can sense her smell from that hole over there.


    A glance of silver fur flashed on the edge of my vision.


    There¡¯s no mistaking it. That was Mike.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go. (Takaya)


    ¨C Alright. Stay behind me. (Shiori)


    Before even acknowledging her order, the sound of metal clashing reached my ears.


    ¨C Warm welcome, dear wolf. Is that how you treat your guests? By eating them? (Shiori)


    ¨C Grrrr¡­


    ¨C Minagami-san!


    ¨C Do NOT move. Just stay back. (Shiori)


    Shiori¡¯s sword was fending off the wolf¡¯s fangs.


    ¨C ¡­How many are there?


    ¨C About 10, I would say. To be honest, we might be in big trouble.


    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen such a serious expression on Shiori¡¯s face.


    Goes to show how bad this situation is.


    ¨C MASTER!


    ¨C Mike!?


    Mike¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness of the cave.


    ¨C Misha, I told you to keep it quiet.


    ¨C But¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t hurt your ¡°master¡±. Your dad and I will have a talk with him.


    My vision was filled with bright lights illuminating the scene.


    Mike was standing on an ice pedestal along with a woman and a divine wolf much bigger than the others.


    ¨C You must be Takaya-san. The pleasure is mine. My name is Falme, and I¡¯m Misha¡¯s mother. Or should I call her ¡°Mike¡±?

 CH 238

    ¡°Chapter 238: Mike¡¯s Decision¡±


    ¨C Mike¡¯s mother?


    ¨C That¡¯s right. Can¡¯t you see how similar we are? I gave birth to this child.


    With the obvious difference of wolf ears and a tail, they¡¯re the living image of each other.


    ¨C And this is my husband, Leonis. Misha has the blood of a human and a divine wolf.


    ¨C ¡­


    Leonis didn¡¯t utter a single word. He simply stared at me.


    ¨C That¡¯s why she¡¯s able to switch between human and wolf forms. Something out of a fantasy world, don¡¯t you think?


    Shiori was ready to slit the wolf¡¯s throat.


    ¨C Stop. (Takaya)


    ¨C Takaya. (Shiori)


    ¨C I want to talk to Falme-san.


    ¨C Takaya, you would be dead right now if I wasn¡¯t here.


    ¨C Even if we were looking for Mike, we intruded in their territory in the first place. I just want to hear what Falme-san has to say.


    ¨C We guarantee your safety here. Of course, the safety of your friends down there too. (Falme)


    As expected, they have full control of everything going on here.


    Meirir and the others are technically hostages right now. Falme could order the wolves to kill them if she wanted to.


    I walked up to Mike, ignoring the stare of all the other wolves.


    ¨C Master!


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry I took so long to get here.


    ¨C No, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t go back.


    Mike¡¯s trembling gradually subsided the closer I got.


    ¨C ¡­You seem to have taken good care of her.


    ¨C Yes. She¡¯s a wonderful girl. The people in town love her too.


    Mike has been recognized by the citizens of Bay Road as ¡°The Mascot of the City¡±. Everyone has taken a liking to her.


    I have to take her back.


    But for that, I have to convince her parents.


    ¨C Falme-san.


    ¨C No. I cannot let her go once again.


    ¨C Because you¡¯re family?


    ¨C Family must live together. Is that not the natural course?


    ¨C Then why did you abandon her? Did you know that she was on the verge of death when I found her?


    ¨C That seems to be the case. I heard so from Misha herself. But it was inevitable.


    ¨C ¡­Inevitable!?


    What the hell is she talking about?


    Does she actually give a damn about her daughter?


    ¨C Let¡¯s talk about it. Divine wolves very rarely show themselves in front of humans. Obviously there are exceptions, but for the most part, they live peacefully on this mountain.


    Sure enough, Mike is the first divine wolf I ever saw before coming to Snowpeak.


    ¨C As you can tell, they hate any other species. If not for my husband, I would¡¯ve been killed too.


    Falme then explained how she met Leonis.


    Originally a magician from a certain country¡¯s army, Falme was defeated by a divine wolf when collecting materials from Snowpeak under the king¡¯s orders.


    Running away and ready to accept her fate, she found Leonis, who saved her life.


    Leonis took care of Falme without the rest of the wolves knowing. They kept talking more and more, and eventually, Mike was born.


    A beautiful story had it ended there, but such was not the case.


    ¨C One of the wolves found out about us. They despised the egoistical humans, so they attacked us. We got separated while escaping.


    And then Akane and I found Mike during my training.


    ¨C As I said, it was inevitable. After the turmoil settled down, we looked for Misha everywhere.


    By that time, Mike was already in Bay Road with us.


    ¨C That¡¯s my story. I hope you understand the circumstances.


    It seems too good to be true, but there¡¯s nothing to argue.


    I don¡¯t want to let go of Mike. Not as a guild member, but as family.


    ¨C Mike, what do you want?


    ¨C I¡­


    Mike looked back and forth between her family and the man that saved her life.


    She¡¯s still a child at heart. It¡¯s natural for her to be confused.


    ¨C I¡­


    Mike took a step towards Falme.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I want to be with my master.

 CH 239

    ¡°Chapter 239: Joint Effort¡±


    ¨C Misha¡­


    Falme¡¯s expression clouded as her daughter chose her friends over her family.


    ¨C Mom, dad, I¡¯m confused, about a lot of things, but I¡¯m sure of one thing: I want to be with my master. I¡¯m sad that I won¡¯t be able to see you, but I¡¯d be sadder if I wasn¡¯t able to see my friends in Bay Road every day. Master, are you okay with that?


    ¨C It¡¯s your choice. I¡¯ll respect it. (Takaya)


    ¨C Thank you.


    Mike jumped into my arms.


    It doesn¡¯t matter what the other side says. Mike has made her decision.


    ¨C You¡¯re still in time, Misha. Come with me.


    ¨C No.


    ¨C Leonis, you want her to stay with us too, right? This is our family, after all.


    In response, Leonis cleared his throat.


    ¨C Falme-san, Mike has decided to stay with us. Will you please let me look after her?


    ¨C I can¡¯t. Even if she has a human form, Leonis¡¯ blood runs through her veins. She should have never left us in the first place.


    ¨C She was unstable at first, but she has complete control over her emotions now. She would never attack a citizen.


    ¨C Do you truly believe that?


    ¨C What?


    Mike doesn¡¯t even need her wolf form anymore outside of battles. She can live her life in human form.


    ¨C There may be times when your friends take advantage of her emotional immaturity. Hm, for example¡­


    A golden light flashed on Falme¡¯s palm.


    ¨C NAGAMI-KUN, GET DOWN!


    Mike rushed to protect me, but Shiori cut the rays of light with her sword.


    ¨C Was that¡­? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yes. She used actual magic. (Shiori)


    According to Falme¡¯s story, she was originally a magician in an army. I¡¯m sure she can use a couple of offensive spells.


    Shiori tried to counterattack with her own magic, but a ray of light pierced the magic circle.


    The barrier was still in effect.


    ¨C I guess you wouldn¡¯t be able to protect my daughter if you died from just a simple attack.


    Falme¡¯s face finally showed her true colors.


    ¨C ¡­Master, that¡¯s not my mom. Be careful.


    ¨C Don¡¯t say that, Misha. You¡¯ll make mommy sad.


    ¨C SHUT UP. YOU¡¯RE NOT MY MOM. And my name is not Misha. It¡¯s Mike.


    Mike transformed into a wolf and howled.


    The rest of the wolves, including Leonis, moved closer to protect Falme.


    ¨C Falme¡­ Or whoever you are. What is the purpose of this? Why did you summon us? Why did you seal our magic? (Takaya)


    ¨C Hmmm, interesting questions.


    Talking is pointless. We¡¯ll have to fight our way through.


    ¨C If anything, you saved us the trouble of looking for you. (Shiori)


    ¨C Stay back and protect the master. Even without magic, I¡¯m sure you can do that much. (Mike)


    ¨C Don¡¯t be silly, Mike-chan. I¡¯m not about to hold back. High Tension!


    Shiori took a deep breath. Her entire body blushed.


    ¨C Master, I need what you used in Shimazu.


    ¨C Got it.


    Focusing as much as I could, I re-made the ice armor on Mike¡¯s body that we used in our last battle together. Since this sort of alchemy doesn¡¯t involve the activation of a magic spell, the barrier doesn¡¯t interfere.


    It does, however, put a huge strain on my body. But it¡¯s something I have to bear with for now.


    ¨C I¡¯m going all in. I never thought we¡¯d fight together. (Shiori)


    ¨C I don¡¯t like the idea, but I will protect my master at all costs. (Mike)

 CH 240

    ¡°Chapter 240: High Tension¡±


    ¨C That¡¯s what I like to see. (Falme)


    Falme lifted her hand. The pack of wolves was surrounded by a haze of light.


    There¡¯s no doubt anymore. She¡¯s the one that created the magic barrier.


    ¨C Minagami-san, what was that you did?


    ¨C High Tension. It nullifies all exhaustion and body strain, including fatigue from magic usage, no matter how powerful it is. I can only use it once every few days, and I¡¯ll be extremely tired after it¡¯s over.


    In other words, she¡¯s temporarily borrowing magic.


    Using a spell like Omega Ray could knock her out really badly.


    ¨C ¡­Borrowing magic?


    I need to contribute in some way.


    ¨C Mike, do you want a new candy I just came up with?


    Focusing as much as I could in my hand, I made an improved version of the candies Mike usually eats.


    ¨C Try licking it.


    ¨C Nnn¡­ What is this? My body feels like it¡¯s going to explode.


    ¨C It will reduce your fatigue immensely, but it won¡¯t last for long. It definitely doesn¡¯t compare with Shiori¡¯s High Tension.


    Once we defeat Falme, Shiori will be able to take us out of here. That should be our priority for now.


    ¨C Haha, you think little tricks like that will work against me?


    With no opening that would leave her unguarded, Falme surrounded herself with several swords of light.


    ¨C Try to keep up with me, doggy. (Shiori)


    ¨C Same goes for you. (Mike)


    Mike and Shiori took one, two, three steps forward. They can¡¯t rush in carelessly or I¡¯ll be targeted.


    ¨C How discorteus. Come at me. (Falme)


    At Falme¡¯s orders, the wolves attacked the two at the front with a speed that my eyes would never be able to catch.


    ¨C Oh dear!


    The next moment, all the wolves were lying on the floor with their legs cut off. Shiori took another deep breath.


    ¨C I learned that technique from a certain idiot with a sword. Maybe I didn¡¯t need to go this far.


    Shiori uses her sword often. It¡¯s no surprise that she learned a thing or two at the Thundercloud Boat.


    Such a powerful technique will cause a huge strain on her body after High Tension is over.


    What would I be witnessing if the barrier wasn¡¯t sealing her magic right now?


    ¨C Mike-chan, everything good there? We can switch if you need.


    ¨C I¡¯m fine. Focus on yourself.


    Mike was fending off Felma¡¯s attacks. She wasn¡¯t able to dodge all of them, but the armor took the hits pretty well.


    ¨C I hope you didn¡¯t expect this to be so easy. Leonis hasn¡¯t even moved yet. Besides¡­


    Falme swung her sword. The haze that enveloped the wolves acted as a replacement for their missing limbs as if they were prosthetic legs.


    We¡¯ll be in a stalemate until we do something about Falme.


    ¨C Well, who will fall first? You or me? I can¡¯t wait to see it.

 CH 241

    ¡°Chapter 241: Impediment¡±


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? How long do you plan on just standing there?


    Mike and Shiori have been able to inflict some damage on the enemy party.


    But no matter how much effort they put in, Falme keeps restoring them to their original state.


    Besides, Falme has been focusing her attacks more and more on me, keeping Mike and Shiori too busy to attack continuously.


    ¨C Mike-chan, be honest, can you protect Nagami-kun by yourself? (Shiori)


    ¨C Probably¡­ not. What about you?


    ¨C They¡¯re not that strong, but they¡¯re quick. If well enough coordinated, the chances of me saving Nagami-kun are not 100%.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough of a problem, we haven¡¯t dealt with Leonis yet.


    ¨C Nagami-kun.


    Shiori tapped the tip of her toes.


    ¨C ¡­


    I know what she meant. She wants to use Rabbit Foot.


    We have one shot at this. Falme won¡¯t see her coming. Mike and I will have to act as a distraction.


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be enough. I need to think. What else can we do?


    ¨C Mike, come here!


    Mike and I took a step back as Shiori walked forward.


    ¨C Have you lost your minds already? That didn¡¯t take long. (Falme)


    ¨C Rabbit-


    Before Falme finished talking, Shiori disappeared.


    ¨C Hmm¡­ She¡¯s gone.


    Falme is so confident in her defense that she ordered all the wolves to attack us at the same time.


    Mike is barely able to keep up with the incessant attacks.


    Still, she used her claws and agility to counterattack whenever she saw a chance.


    Her armor is cracked and almost shattered. I thought my technique was getting better, but it¡¯s still no match for divine wolves.


    Two wolves lunged at me the moment Mike got distracted.


    ¨C MASTER!


    She was ever so slightly late to defend me.


    I couldn¡¯t move. I stood there like a defenseless turtle.


    ZZZZZZZ


    But before the wolves decimated me, a swarm of insects covered my body like an armor.


    Thanks to them, I was left almost unscathed.


    ¨C What!? (Falme)


    ¨C You messed up by underestimating us.


    Falme blinked in surprise, and then her body was filled with sword cuts.


    Shiori appeared behind her. Her skin was back to normal, which meant High Tension was over.


    ¨C Goodbye. It was an alright fight, I guess. (Shiori)


    Blood was pouring out of Falme¡¯s body as if it was a fountain.


    ¨C Kghh¡­ L-Leonis¡­


    ¨C Oh, that guy? He¡¯s over there.


    Leonis was lying on the floor bleeding from a hole in his head. Shiori pulled out the knife I made with the wolf¡¯s fang from earlier.


    It seems like way too easy of a fight, but sure enough, the divine wolf is dead still.


    ¨C Tch¡­ It¡¯s not over¡­ I can still *Cough* use magic¡­


    ¨C Oh, can you now? By all means, give it a go. (Shiori)


    Falme raised her trembling arm in an attempt to heal everyone back to normal with her sword, but nothing was happening.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? Doesn¡¯t seem to be working. (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­What did you do!?


    ¨C Nothing much. I just sprinkled some salt around.


    I took out a small bottle of salt from my pocket.

 CH 242

    ¡°Chapter 242: Collapse¡±


    ¨C Salt!?


    ¨C Correct. Although I processed it to make it as small as possible. Falme-san, that sword you¡¯re using, it was originally made from an ice shard, right?


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s common knowledge here, but adding salt to ice lowers the temperature necessary for water to become ice. It¡¯s called Freezing-point depression.


    I thought something was off when she used light magic to literally regenerate their limbs.


    ¨C You used ice to ¡°fix¡± everyone back to normal. The light haze was used to camouflage the ice. And since we¡¯re surrounded by it, you¡¯d never run out of ¡°healing¡± potential.


    I made sure that Mike and Shiori spread around as much salt as possible while fighting.


    The magic activated, but the ice turned into water due to the freezing-point depression.


    The wolves, Leonis, and Falme¡¯s sword were all melting away.


    This also means that all of her subordinates were simply illusions.


    ¨C There you have it, walking fraud. (Shiori)


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe my defense was penetrated. You even turned my own resources against me.


    Falme smiled and slumped her shoulders. She had accepted defeat.


    ¨C Are you done now? (Shiori)


    ¨C I am. It seems I went too far this time.


    ¨C Then destroy the magic barrier. (Takaya)


    ¨C Alright.


    Falme snapped her fingers with the last of her strength.


    But a violent tremor shook us enough to bring us to our knees.


    ¨C Oh my! It seems I used the wrong spell.


    ¨C What did you do!? (Takaya)


    ¨C I kept my word. If I die, the magic barrier will be gone. Oh, but I¡¯m sure taking you all with me.


    The area began to collapse. The hole we came in from is still intact, but for how long?


    ¨C Master, we have to run!


    ¨C But Minagami-san!


    ¨C This is my fault. I should¡¯ve killed her when I had the chance. (Shiori)


    Falme grabbed Shiori¡¯s feet with light chains. Adding to that, her body must be numb from High Tension.


    ¨C Hahahaha! If I can take at least one down, it will be you. You¡¯ll pay for my injuries with your body.


    ¨C MINAGAMI-SAN, RUN! (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡­ can¡¯t. (Shiori)


    ¨C You¡¯re not getting away. You¡¯re not getting away. You¡¯re not getting away. I DON¡¯T CARE WHAT IT TAKES, YOU¡¯RE NOT GETTING AWAY. (Falme)


    Falme¡¯s chains kept digging deeper and deeper into Shiori¡¯s skin.


    ¨C Just leave me. Take Mike-chan and run.


    ¨C NO!


    I don¡¯t want to do that.


    Shiori saved us from dying. It was thanks to her that we won this fight. She¡¯s the only good classmate I have left.


    She¡¯s¡­


    A precious friend.


    ¨C Master!


    I can hear Mike screaming in the back of my mind, but I can¡¯t bring myself to do it.


    Few seconds left until this entire place crumbles down.


    Yet I¡¯m still standing here.


    ¨C ¡­Ah.


    Time froze.


    I looked up. A giant pillar of ice was about to crush me.


    It¡¯s too late to dodge it.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I need you to be relaxed.


    A voice reached my ears before I lost consciousness.


    ¨C ¡­You¡­ Leonis? (Takaya)

 CH 243

    ¡°Chapter 243: Takaya¡¯s Strange Occurrence¡±


    ¡ù


    I wasn¡¯t back in my senses, yet I could see the back of a girl in front of me.


    Minagami Shiori.


    In the other world, I could only see her back, never her face. She was always facing forward or surrounded by a crowd.


    What did her face look like back then?


    ¨C ¡­


    Shiori turned to face me and reached out her hand.


    I could barely make out what she said.


    ¡°Thank you¡±?


    Why is she thanking me? I haven¡¯t been able to repay her for all she¡¯s done for us.


    I took a step forward, but she kept moving further and further away.


    ¡°Thank you, Nagami-kun. I¡¯ll take this¡±


    What? What does she mean?


    Light was pulling me back to reality.


    ¡ù


    ¨C Wha-


    Where am I? What happened to the ice block that was about to crush me?


    ¨C Master, are you okay? (Mike)


    ¨C Mike? Yeah, I feel normal.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad to hear that.


    ¨C Where is everyone else?


    ¨C Meirir and the others are over there, except for¡­


    ¨C ¡­I see.


    I can¡¯t bring myself to believe that someone as strong as Shiori would die like that.


    Still, a sense of guilt lingers inside me.


    ¨C Where are we? Is this the inside of a tree?


    ¨C Yes.


    I could tell by the smell of wood and earth. Even with people inside, there¡¯s still a huge amount of space.


    ¨C This is my place. I couldn¡¯t just throw you into the snow.


    ¨C Are you¡­


    ¨C Leonis. The father of that girl. The real one.


    ¨C I see. So that was an illusion.


    ¨C My wife sadly passed away when she gave birth to this girl. I was still a young man, leader of the pack. Everything you saw there was just a show made by that magician.


    I¡¯m sure this is the real Leonis. His silver fur had lost most of its magnificence, and his eyes showed much more tenderness.


    ¨C Snowpeak is awfully chaotic today. I wonder what the hell the Sage of the Forest is up to.


    ¨C Wait, do you know her?


    ¨C I do, but I doubt she knows me. She made a gravesite at the top of the mountain, and I promised we would lend her our help if she ever needed it.


    ¨C ¡­A gravesite?


    As much as I would like to keep asking Leonis questions about this place, we need to get out of here as soon as possible.


    Even if we want to look for Shiori we¡¯re going to need Mumuruu¡¯s and Akane¡¯s help.


    ¨C Leonis-san, thank you so much for your help. If I could ask one more favor, could you take us to the Sage¡¯s Forest? We¡¯ll make do from there.


    ¨C I would prefer to leave you in the snow waiting for you to freeze, but I owe you my daughter¡¯s life. I can at least do that much.


    ¨C Don¡¯t you care that I¡¯m taking Mike with me?


    ¨C I was unable to protect my daughter. I¡¯m a failure. If my daughter wishes to go with you, I have no right to object.


    ¨C ¡­You heard him. (Takaya)


    ¨C Thank you, dad! (Mike)


    Mike hugged her father.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ That¡¯s a friendly wolf, right? (Meirir)


    Meirir and the others came out of the shadows.


    ¨C Are any of you injured? (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m doing fine. I hit my head a little bit while escaping the cave but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything seriou-¡­ Huh? (Meirir)


    A droplet of blood fell from Meirir¡¯s forehead.


    ¨C I knew it. Let me make a potion for you.


    ¨C Thank you. (Meirir)


    ¨C ¡­


    Huh? The ingredients are in my hand. Why is it not working?


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? (Mike)


    ¨C Nothing. Nothing should be wrong¡­


    I closed my eyes to focus.


    This is something as natural as breathing for me.


    Especially because it¡¯s so natural I realized immediately that something was off.


    ¨C I can¡¯t¡­ My powers are gone!?

 CH 244

    ¡°Chapter 244: The Sage of Light¡±


    It doesn¡¯t matter how much I try, I can¡¯t do even the simplest thing.


    Let alone any ingredients, even Silver looked like it had lost all its life.


    ¨C Master, don¡¯t overforce yourself.


    ¨C Maybe if you rest a little more you¡¯ll be back to normal. (Meirir)


    I can tell they¡¯re trying to cheer me up, but I know better than anyone that this isn¡¯t a matter of resting.


    I¡¯ve been in worse situations in which I was still able to use my powers.


    I have no energy to move. My body feels heavy.


    I remember this feeling.


    It feels just like when I came to this world.


    ¨C Never in my long life have I seen a human lose its talents. They¡¯re ingrained in you. They should disappear only when you die. (Leonis)


    My heart is still beating as usual.


    There must be a feasible reason. And also a way to restore my powers.


    ¨C ¡­We should go back to Bay Road as soon as possible. (Dyke)


    ¨C He¡¯s right. We can ask for help from the Royal Capital if we need to.


    ¨C ¡­Right.


    What help could we get from the Royal Capital? The only person studying these things was Shamsheel, and she now she¡¯s dead.


    I could trust Ever, but despite all of these events, she¡¯s still nowhere to be seen. Is she still at the top of the mountain?


    After giving me a few minutes to calm myself down, Leonis began taking us down the mountain.


    Having Mike and Leonis to ride on made this a walk in the park.


    ¨C We¡¯ll be crossing the border soon.


    There¡¯s a certain height in Snowpeak covered by thick clouds where the snowstorms occur. Past that point, we¡¯ll be basically in the Sage¡¯s Forest, and thus close to Ever¡¯s palace.


    ¨C Hold tight.


    Mike and Leonis put all their strength in their legs to make the jump.


    ¨C Sweet children of Searat, I hope you don¡¯t expect to escape so easily. Raise Saber!


    A soft voice interrupted our movements.


    ¨C What!? (Leonis)


    A ray of light struck right in front of us, causing a huge explosion.


    The wolves were able to dodge it in time before we were all turned to dust.


    ¨C Is it the magician again!?


    Meirir suffered some burns on her arms and Dyke and Roar on their foreheads.


    ¨C Master¡­ That person¡­


    ¨C I know¡­


    The cloud of snow raised by the impact subsided, revealing the culprit.


    It was someone we all knew. But it also wasn¡¯t.


    Milligan told us Shamsheel was dead for sure.


    So who is this?


    ¨C My my, why the face? Don¡¯t be scared~


    ¨C Those mannerisms¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­


    ¨C If I¡¯m not mistaken, I believe our first encounter was in the Royal Capital when I nursed you.


    ¡°Shamsheel¡± shook her wand. Her face contorted and changed to the face of Mike¡¯s mother. The Sage of Light giggled at our confusion.


    ¨C Have you finally caught on?


    ¨C ¡­Yes.


    There are some blurs, but the picture is there.


    ¨C Well then, shall we have some fun? Hehe~


    This person is behind everything.

 CH 245

    ¡°Chapter 245: Crumble¡±


    ¨C What are you doing here?


    ¨C Good question.


    ¨C ¡­What happened to Shiori?


    ¨C Hehe, I wonder.


    Hardly looking like the Sage of Light, Ernika stood there with pure darkness hidden behind her smile.


    ¨C Allow me to repeat myself. You won¡¯t be leaving this place anytime soon. Especially you, Takaya-kun.


    ¨C Master, stand back.


    Light magic has the most applications out of any of the attributes. Attack, defense, recovery, illusions, and others.


    ¨C Cute little wolf, this isn¡¯t about you. There¡¯s someone that wishes to have a deep conversation with your master. In the meantime, you can come with me and-


    Before she could finish, Leonis slashed her in half.


    ¨C HOW dare you mock the image of my wife, Sage of Light. You¡¯ve gone too far.


    ¨C Ouchie ouchie! Leonis-san, don¡¯t be mean.


    Ernika, or rather, ¡°Falme¡±, was laying on the floor with her face full of blood.


    This is what she meant by ¡°having some fun¡±.


    ¨C I bet you want to know how I¡¯m acquaintanced with your dead wife.


    ¨C I don¡¯t. The only thing I want is to bash your skull to dust.


    ¨C Woah! Someone woke up on the wrong paw. You see, we were part of the army of the Sacred Land. I knew her face pretty well, but I still wanted to make sure, so I may or may not have taken a peek in her tomb~


    ¨C YOU¡­ I will make sure you perish here and now.


    ¨C Oh how I would like to see you try! Come, my blade!


    Since she¡¯s a sage, I thought she would fight using only magic, but Ernika took out a sword from a magic circle.


    Her stance¡­ It reminds me of someone¡¯s, but I can¡¯t quite remember whose.


    ¨C Takaya, leave this to me. Take my daughter and run away.


    It¡¯s the best course of action. Even if Mike and Leonis team up, there¡¯s no guarantee that they can beat a sage.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll retreat too if I need to. (Leonis)


    ¨C Okay¡­ Mike!


    ¨C Hold tight! (Mike)


    Right after Leonis lunged at Ernika, Mike jumped away with the four of us holding to her.


    ¨C Careful with that! (Ernika)


    Regardless of Leonis¡¯ astonishing speed, Ernika dodged the attack with ease, as if signaling that the wolf wasn¡¯t even worth trying.


    Her eyes were set on me.


    ¨C Ahahaha! It¡¯s been so long since I last played tag! Brings back memories.


    Ernika hit Leonis with the side of her sword, who quickly recovered and struck back to try and buy us more time.


    His attack was stopped by another sword.


    ¨C I will be your opponent, wolf. (???)


    ¨C Reinforcements!? (Leonis)


    A blonde man appeared using teleportation magic and interrupted the fight. His entire body was equipped with silver armor.


    ¨C Lloyd? Why are you here? (Ernika)


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I left a little something to replace me. Please let me deal with these insects.


    ¨C Really? I¡¯ll take your word then.


    I don¡¯t know who he is, but they seem to be on good terms. There¡¯s a chance that Lloyd is her disciple.


    Leaving the wolf to Lloyd, Ernika leapt towards us.


    ¨C Is that all you got!? Come on, run faster! I¡¯m about to catch you! Hahahaha! (Ernika)


    She¡¯s around 10 meters away from us. It¡¯s impossible for her to reach us.


    ¨C Have a little surprise! (Ernika)


    ¨C !?


    The tip of Ernika¡¯s sword stretched far enough to pierce the block of snow right beside Mike¡¯s foot.


    I need to do something.


    But what can I do?


    Why are my abilities failing me?


    If my magic circuits had shut off again I would¡¯ve realized from the horrible pain. There has to be a way to fix me.


    (If the problem isn¡¯t within my body, it has to be someone else¡¯s faul-)


    A cold chill ran down my spine.


    (¡­No way¡­ It can¡¯t be)


    When? And how?


    I was doing totally fine during the fight with Falme (Ernika). How is it possible?


    ¨C Sayonara, Takaya-kun. But don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die. I¡¯m sure Shiori-chan will be looking for you.


    Due to the large amounts of snow, we couldn¡¯t realize it in time, but we were standing on top of the gap of a crevasse.


    Ernika hit the ground so hard that it made us humans fall down the pit.


    ¨C MASTER!


    Mike tried to help us, but Ernika was using her wings to pester Mike.


    ¨C MIKEE!


    The four of us fell to the bottom of a block of ice while hearing Mike¡¯s voice slowly fading away.

 CH 246

    ¡°Chapter 246: Original Skill¡±


    After falling for several meters, we landed safely and unscathed on a cushion of feathers probably made by Ernika.


    ¨C Takaya, are you okay?


    ¨C Somehow.


    I looked up, but no signs of Mike or Leonis.


    Clearly I¡¯m their objective in this disaster. The best course of action is to retreat as soon as possible.


    ¨C Man, I¡¯m freezing in here. Takaya, can you make some more of that heat potion thing? (Dyke)


    ¨C Uhh¡­


    ¨C Ah, right, your powers. Sorry.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not your fault.


    I need to get them back.


    But is it really going to be so easy?


    In a scenario where we have to beat Ernika to recover them, how would we fare?


    Not very well. At all.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. (Takaya)


    ¨C What was that?


    ¨C Nothing. Let¡¯s keep moving.


    At that moment, a beetle landed on my shoulder.


    I guess she doesn¡¯t need to hide her true intentions anymore.


    ¨C Is that one of those bugs?


    ¨C Yes. It¡¯s Shiori¡¯s. (Takaya)


    ¨C So she¡¯s coming to help us!?


    ¨C Sadly, no.


    ¨C What?


    ¨C You see¡­


    I explained the situation to the three of them. They seemed doubtful at first, but eventually, everything clicked in their minds.


    ¨C Now that you said it, she always seemed a little off. (Meirir)


    ¨C What do you mean? (Takaya)


    ¨C Well, she would talk about you and only you. It¡¯s like we barely existed for her.


    The beetle flew away and we decided to follow it through the darkness of the pit.


    After an hour or so of walking and constant left and right turns we lost sight of the beetle.


    ¨C What is this?


    We walked into a huge dark room made of stone bricks with a candelabrum and an altar in the middle.


    This had to be built by human hands.


    Interrupting my thoughts, a flame lit up the candles on the altar, illuminating the room.


    The figure of a person bounded by light chains was revealed.


    ¨C Takaya!? What are you doing here!?


    ¨C ¡­That¡¯s what I¡¯d like to know, Grandmaster.


    She was wearing the formal attire that she never uses. A dark green robe covering her entire body.


    Mike said Ever was at the top of the mountain.


    Which means, we¡¯re on the highest point of Snowpeak.


    ¨C Thank you for coming, Nagami-kun. I would¡¯ve loved to pick you up myself, but this woman right here can be troublesome oftentimes. If I took too long she might¡¯ve broken the chains.


    Shiori was wearing her uniform under a white robe similar to Ernika¡¯s.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you¡¯re fine. (Takaya)


    ¨C Is that so? (Shiori)


    ¨C Yeah. If you died I wouldn¡¯t be able to get back what you stole.


    ¨C I see you¡¯ve realized.


    Grinning, Shiori made a small recovery potion on her hand and poured it into a glass.


    ¨C I must say, your powers don¡¯t cease to amaze me. Processing, refining, blacksmithing, mixing¡­ Truly a creator.


    ¨C Give them back¡­ Is what I¡¯d like to say, but I¡¯m assuming you won¡¯t do it. Just like the girls that escaped with you.


    Showing the personality that she had been hiding all this time, the edges of Shiori¡¯s lips curved.


    ¨C Little girl, I hope you understand the consequences of laying a finger on my disciple. (Ever)


    ¨C Don¡¯t be silly. I took Takaya¡¯s powers of Master Adaptability, not even Ernika can¡¯t stop me. What do you think you¡¯ll be able to do?


    ¨C Master¡­ Adaptability?


    Ever and I were equally confused.


    I was told that my powers were ¡°Manufacturing and Production¡±. I¡¯ve seen my tree on many occasions.


    Why would Shiori lie?


    I was useless. That¡¯s why my classmates kicked me out.


    ¨C ¡­Don¡¯t tell me it was all your fault.


    ¨C Hehe¡­ Let me tell you about my Original Skill, and why you were left with only processing skills.


    ¡ù


    Shiori¡¯s story begins way before the accident. When she first met Nagami Takaya.

 CH 247

    ¡°Chapter 247: Mine, and Only Mine¡±


    Author¡¯s note: ¡°This is a story about the past. The contents might not be pleasant, but I hope you pay special attention to that¡±


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    ¨C Allow me to reminisce. (Shiori)


    Even if I refused, I can¡¯t stop her.


    ¡ù


    I learned what ¡°getting chills¡± meant the first time I met Nagami Takaya.


    I only knew him as a string of letters up until 2nd year. His face and his name didn¡¯t match.


    My school life was going to be the same as the previous year. Get good grades, have good behavior, be an honor student. Some of my friends used to call me an idol. I have no idea what they meant.


    If I had to describe myself, I would use the word ¡°Puppet¡±. If my parents told me to study, I did. If my teachers asked me to take committee roles, I did.


    Void of any will. No ¡°I want to¡± or ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡±. Only ¡°Yes¡±.


    Hence, a puppet.


    An eccentric uncle I had once described me as such as well. ¡°Pretty on the outside like a doll, empty on the inside like a doll¡±. My parents told me to never talk to him again.


    ¡°You¡¯re a really good girl¡±, the adults said. So I believed.


    Maybe that should¡¯ve been a turning point for me. Not that I cared.


    I continued my life as a puppet.


    But then something happened.


    This giant guy, whose name I can¡¯t be bothered to remember, kept bullying all the smaller students. I didn¡¯t want to get involved, but the teachers begged me to.


    The class president brushed it away and asked me not to get in unnecessary trouble.


    The bullied students kept dropping out, one by one.


    And that¡¯s when I met Nagami Takaya.


    At first I thought he would be just another victim. How long would he last? One month? Two, at most?


    But no, he kept coming back. The abuse kept escalating, yet Nagami Takaya came to school every day despite knowing what he had coming.


    ¡°Can you please take care of it?¡± the class president said. Couldn¡¯t choose a better way to not give a crap about it other than leaving it all to me.


    I went to the scene of the assault.


    There, I felt as if fate had weaved us together.


    His cheeks were swollen from the beating. He couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so he started crying in front of everyone while begging for the punches to stop.


    Somehow, the void inside me was filled.


    I shivered.


    I ran away. The other students laughed at me, thinking I was scared.


    The tingles I get from remembering Nagami-kun¡¯s pitiful face¡­ It¡¯s such a mesmerizing feeling.


    It¡¯s pleasure.


    To my own surprise, I started following Nagami-kun and carefully observing the scenarios when he was bullied.


    It was the first time I was doing something of my own volition.


    Whenever the teachers asked me, I told them I ran away because I was scared. A lie, of course. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Nagami-kun¡¯s face filled with tears and sometimes blood.


    Far from the image others have of a ¡°good girl¡±, I kept acting as an honor student, but inside me was a whirlpool of dark thoughts.


    Eventually, I thought to myself:


    ¡°What would happen if I was the one making him suffer?¡±


    My imagination filled my mind with nefarious and bizarre images.


    I could do a much better job than those students. I¡¯m sure Nagami-kun would like that too.


    NagamikunNagamikunNagamikunNagamikun


    I want him. I want him to be mine. I need him every second I want to fulfill my desires.


    The precious person who could fill this empty puppet void of any meaning.


    Yet I was tied to the bonds of my social status. I had to be a good girl.


    ¡°Please, God. I can only think about Nagami-kun¡±


    As if my prayers were answered, the day of the school trip came.


    I was blessed with the ability to steal half of my precious target.


    ¡°If I could gain his full trust, even if for a second, then I can obtain what I want¡±


    With this in mind, I set my plan into action.


    I was not expecting Nagami-kun¡¯s lower half to be so fruitful.


    Just you wait, Nagami-kun. My power of ¡°Void¡± will surely enjoy your roots.


    Thank you, God. Thank you, new world.


    This puppet has finally become a human.

 CH 248

    ¡°Chapter 248: Playtime¡±


    ¡ù


    ¨C ¡­This has to be a sick joke.


    All of this, just for me?


    Just for the pleasure of watching me suffer?


    All the crimes she has committed in this world, only to get to this moment.


    She abandoned the other girls, she conspired with Ernika to kill Shamsheel, and who knows what else she has done.


    Shiori alone was weak, but by absorbing so many powers she¡¯s stronger than the sages.


    Her tree must be a mess of all the talents she has stolen along the way.


    And now she has my processing skills. She¡¯s the perfect human.


    ¨C I knew you would say that. It¡¯s such a Nagami-kun thing to say.


    Shiori took out the silver sword I¡¯m used to seeing, except it was way more reflective and sharp now. She has already tested my skills.


    ¨C You¡¯re my everything. The only man capable of filling the void in me. You¡¯re the only thing I need. I don¡¯t care what dark secrets Ernika has. I will use others for my sake, and I will be used by others. All I care about is being with you. I love you, Nagami-kun. I love you to death.


    ¡°I love you to death¡±, she said as she licked her sword.


    A chills-inducing confession.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m happy to hear that, but considering the situation¡­


    ¨C I know. I¡¯m not that naive. If I put myself in your shoes I would be terrified right now. That being said, I don¡¯t need all of you.


    Right. What I like is not necessary for her. All she wants is to torture me.


    ¨C Let¡¯s negotiate. (Shiori)


    ¨C I don¡¯t have anything to give anymore.


    ¨C What are you talking about?


    ¨C Huh?


    ¨C There are four other people in this room, right?


    Four people.


    Ever, Meirir, Dyke, Roar.


    ¨C If you accept, their flesh will be spared.


    ¨C Now hold on a minute.


    Dyke angrily interrupted Shiori.


    ¨C Takaya is a proud member of Searat. We won¡¯t let someone like you put your claws on him. (Meirir)


    ¨C Takaya, you don¡¯t have to listen to that crazy girl. (Roar)


    My friends are backing me up. They¡¯re trying to help me.


    What else am I supposed to do? Even if Ever wasn¡¯t captive, the five of us would barely stand a chance against her.


    What do I do? What should I do?


    Think, Takaya. Think.


    She¡¯s a perfect being. What¡¯s the key to victory?


    ¨C There¡¯s¡­


    No way.


    We can¡¯t win. This is impossible.


    I¡¯m worthless. There¡¯s nothing I can do.


    ¨C Ahhh. AHH, YES. GOOD. That¡¯s the face I like to see. If you don¡¯t listen to me, your friends will die. And if you listen to me, your friends will hate you. Desperation, hopelessness, despair. Aahhh, you¡¯re the best. I love you so much.


    Shiori¡¯s cheeks turned red at the sight of my suffering.


    ¨C Ah, I know what you want. Time! Right? Of course you do. You need time to think about your farewell words. Right!?


    Shiori stabbed the ground, causing the floor below us to crumble.


    In a giant hole below us were tons of magical beasts in an uproar, perhaps driven out of their homes by the commotion in Snowpeak.


    ¨C You can think about your answer down there. Let me know when you¡¯re ready!


    There¡¯s no room to reason with her anymore. She has lost it.


    For Minagami Shiori, playtime has begun.

 CH 249

    ¡°Chapter 249: Astray¡±


    We were, once again, knocked against the ground. Except this time there was nothing to cushion our fall.


    I had sharp pains every time I moved. I wonder how many of my bones are broken.


    ¨C Is everyone okay?


    ¨C Not dead, yet. (Meirir)


    ¨C Somehow alive. (Dyke)


    ¨C Same here. (Roar)


    ¨C Dyke, can you heal everyone?


    ¨C I¡¯m on it.


    I landed further away from them, so Dyke is focusing on Meirir and Roar.


    ¨C ¡­You don¡¯t have to help me. Just heal them back to normal. (Takaya)


    ¨C What are you talking about? Give me a second and I¡¯ll go over there.


    ¨C There¡¯s no point.


    ¨C Huh?


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m surrounded.


    I can hear the heavy breathing of the magical beasts about to devour me. Small insects were latching onto my body as if waiting for me to die.


    Even in the miraculous scenario where I escaped, not only do I not have food but also Shiori would chase me to the ends of the world.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry.


    No one could hear it, but I said it anyways.


    Maybe I should¡¯ve accepted Shiori¡¯s deal from the beginning. Sacrificing myself would¡¯ve been the easiest way to guarantee my friends¡¯ safety.


    I never forget how much I owe to all of my friends.


    I can¡¯t repay them, but I can help.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry.


    I repeated it once more.


    I want to be with them a little longer. Have fun, go on adventures, work together¡­


    But if I die here, they¡¯ll be next.


    I have no choice.


    ¨C Minagami-san.


    No response, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯s watching this with the biggest smile on her face.


    The good news is, if she wants to torture me I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll die.


    That¡¯s the only silver lining to this.


    ¨C I will be yours. Please spare my friends, including my Grandmast-


    ¨C SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH.


    A wind arrow grazed my forehead.


    The insects were swept away by the whirlwind, causing the nearby beasts to back off.


    ¨C TAKAYA, YOU WERE TRYING TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF AGAIN, WEREN¡¯T YOU?


    ¨C Roar?


    Roar was aiming a second arrow at my face.


    He¡¯s not exactly a quiet type, but I¡¯ve never seen him express his emotions so violently.


    ¨C When did I ever ask for your  f?u?c?k?i?n?g help!? Did I say ¡°Oh dear Takaya save me please¡±!? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS TRY TO DO EVERYTHING BY YOURSELF? DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE HIGH S?H?I?T? BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME COOL POWERS?


    What the hell is he talking about?


    Does he know I¡¯m doing this for them?


    ¨C WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND? AREN¡¯T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE THE LEADER? SHE WANTS TO KILL US ALL. (Takaya)


    ¨C YOU THINK I¡¯M STUPID? I KNOW SHE DOES. WHY DO YOU ACT LIKE YOU HAVE TO CARRY US AROUND LIKE LUGGAGE?


    ¨C I¡­ That¡¯s not¡­


    I¡¯m just trying to keep them away from danger.


    I¡¯m involved in way too many things. The sages¡¯ secrets, the demon guardians, the ¡°other world¡±, the secrets of skills, only Kouya and I know my full story.


    I¡¯m always getting protected by the most powerful beings in the world. Mike, Ever, Mumuruu, Ever, Akane, even the knights of the Royal Capital and the demon king.


    But to these three, I¡¯m just their companion.


    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust them, I don¡¯t want to get them in trouble. Like now.


    ¨C Man, you piss me off so much. Remember what I told you at Wols? I said I¡¯d always have your back.


    ¨C Okay, go ahead and defeat all the beasts and Shiori then! What do you think you¡¯ll be able to do!? Even Meirir and Dyke are stronger than you! A weakling like me could do a better job than you in combat!


    ¨C ¡­Yeah, you¡¯re right.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean that.


    ¨C No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not special like you. Every ability I learn I deteriorate it. I can take anyone¡¯s place, but always to a worse level.


    The atmosphere in the air changed.


    ¨C Still. I will save you and show you and everyone that I don¡¯t have to be the best in their skills. I just have to be the best I can be.


    The wind around Roar is getting faster.


    I don¡¯t think he has noticed, but the current is strong enough to cut the rocks in the vicinity.


    ¨C Now, more than ever, I ask you to trust your leader.

 CH 250

    ¡°Chapter 250: Degradation¡±


    ¡ù


    (Roar¡¯s POV)


    ¡°You¡¯re quick to learn, huh?¡±


    Everyone says the same thing when they praise me. My parents, my friends, my bosses.


    I would stand by the guy who did the job and learn from it.


    But it was simply an imitation. Nothing close to the original.


    I still tried.


    No matter how hard I trained, at some point the skills I learned would stop improving.


    They would always become a degraded version of the original.


    I asked around. Everyone told me to add my own specialty to it. Make it my own original thing.


    But the more I followed their instructions, the further away I strayed from my ideal picture of the skill.


    I can do anything, but there¡¯s always someone better.


    I¡¯ve never had an important role. I¡¯m only a replacement.


    My skills were valuable at first, but the original could easily surpass the copy in due time.


    That¡¯s what my tree paper showed. Not good enough, but just barely.


    ¡°Anyone could replace you¡±


    Everywhere I went, that phrase would make its way back to my ears. And eventually, I ended up in Searat.


    The good thing about Searat was that Rudra and Feria had no money to hire decent adventurers.


    This allowed me to keep my imaginary status for a while.


    Later came Meirir and Dyke. They had interesting skills, but otherwise, they were below average. I became their leader.


    They were some cocky country kids, but they always relied on me when needed.


    Our work consisted of mostly doing chores for the city. The pay was¡­ awful. But it was enough to get by, I guess.


    I wasn¡¯t living the best life. I was merely satisfied.


    That was until a certain guy came in.


    He became the center of attention in Searat.


    At first, I thought he would be just another weakling. He had no fighting qualities whatsoever.


    But then we saw his tree paper.


    To have a creator capable of reaching Level IX show up in our guild of all things.


    More and more talented individuals started orbiting around Takaya. A divine wolf, a sage, one of the guardians of the demon world¡­


    I used to be at the center, and now I was part of Takaya¡¯s orbit.


    He was the savior of Searat. The company became more and more prosperous.


    I was reaping the benefits too. No longer did I have to worry about money.


    My life improved.


    We were all grateful for Takaya.


    But what happened to my self-esteem?


    ¡°Why did it have to be you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve trained hard too. Why you?¡±


    I reached out my hand.


    I wanted to be like him. I wanted to do my part in that orbit.


    It doesn¡¯t matter how small. I wanted to do something for him.


    Something unique that no one else could do.


    But I knew it was pointless.


    You can¡¯t suddenly grow skills in this world from sheer will.


    My life would be spent as a replacement.


    Still. I wanted to be recognized.


    I wanted him to say ¡°Thank you for saving me, Roar. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re in my life¡±.


    So what could I do?


    I thought about it for a long time.


    The answer was closer than I thought.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t be the best.


    I will be a degraded Meirir. I will be a degraded Dyke. I will be a degraded Mumuruu. I will be a degraded Feria. I will be a degraded Akane.


    I will be a degraded Takaya.


    The moment I understood my weakness is the moment I realized how strong I can be.


    If the four of us work together, we can save the idiot that keeps trying to sacrifice himself.

 CH 251

    ¡°Chapter 251: Comeback¡±


    ¨C ¡­Roar?


    He was a completely different person from the Roar I knew.


    He has never gone against my word before.


    But I can see it on his face. He wants to act as the leader.


    ¨C Meirir, Dyke, I¡¯ll go first. Follow me.


    Both of them nodded with unfaltering confidence.


    The beasts backed off after Roar¡¯s attack, but they weren¡¯t hurt enough to fully retreat.


    ¨C GO.


    The three idiots jumped out of their hiding spot and charged towards me, but so did the beasts.


    ¨C I hope you birdbrains don¡¯t think I can only use wind magic!


    Roar extended the palm of his hand. A pillar of fire came out of it.


    He then grabbed his bow and shot three fire arrows which exploded after reaching their targets.


    ¨C Woaah, Roar is kind of cool. (Meirir)


    ¨C You should¡¯ve told us you could do that! (Dyke)


    ¨C Shut up! I didn¡¯t know either, I just found out now.


    A hidden gem laid dormant in Searat.


    Of course, his power is nowhere close to the original sources, but to be able to manipulate others¡¯ skills at such level is impressive to say the least.


    It¡¯s similar to Kouya¡¯s imitation, but imperfect.


    ¨C Roar! (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m here now. Don¡¯t worry.


    ¨C ¡­Thank you. I mean it.


    ¨C No worries.


    Roar and I shook hands.


    The rift that formed between us after Wols completely disappeared.


    ¨C So, what do we do now?


    The beasts have ceased their attacks for now, but even if they strike again Roar can deal with them.


    The problem is Shiori.


    If only I could get my powers back I could help in battle.


    ¨C Well, we¡¯re gonna need your skills to get back up. I¡¯ll fix them for you.


    ¨C Fix them!?


    ¨C Obviously I don¡¯t know if this is going to work. Won¡¯t know until we try.


    I couldn¡¯t believe the person in front of me.


    It¡¯s like seeing a reflection of myself.


    ¨C Meirir, Dyke, let me make sure. Are we okay with using that?


    ¨C Of course! We¡¯re doing this for Takaya¡¯s sake. (Meirir)


    ¨C What else would we use it for if not to save our friend?


    Both Meirir and Dyke gave Roar a piece of their skin with their birthmarks.


    ¨C ¡­Roar, are you serious about this? (Takaya)


    ¨C Damn right I am. We¡¯re doing this for you.


    Roar pulled Silver out of my waist.


    ¨C Takaya, it¡¯s time you tell us everything. And I mean everything.


    Our biggest adventure had just begun.

 CH 252

    Chapter 252: ¡°At the Creator¡¯s Tomb¡±


    ¡ù


    (Narrator¡¯s POV)


    ¨C ¡­Did something happen? (Akane)


    Ten minutes had passed since Takaya fell down. Not a single plea for life.


    No response from her bugs either.


    Takaya¡¯s tree was Shiori¡¯s now. One of those three had to have some hidden power.


    ¡°Should I go down and check?¡±


    ¨C Could you do me a favor and stop resisting? Don¡¯t you get tired? (Shiori)


    ¨C Lose focus for a split second and you can be dead sure your head will fly off. (Ever)


    The Sage of the Forest kept trying to break the light shackles restraining her.


    For further security, Shiori added a spell that would damage the sage every time she tried to force her way out.


    It was working perfectly, but Ever didn¡¯t care.


    ¨C ¡°The sages will weaken as long as their nucleus are close to each other¡±. You should know that, right? (Shiori)


    ¨C The nutjob talked, huh? (Ever)


    ¨C A fitting name for Ernika. The only thing she cares about is her faith.


    Ever clicked her tongue.


    ¨C When there were seven of us, we would constantly quarrel with each other. Nuclei were added as a measure to prevent us from fighting.


    ¨C Added by your ¡°Creator¡±?


    ¨C Yes.


    Ever looked up. A black tombstone on her sight.


    It had countless stars imprinted in the center, almost as if someone had carved the night sky into it.


    Shiori had traveled around the world. She had seen everything, she thought, until she set her eyes on the tomb.


    Though none of that matters if she can be with Takaya.


    ¨C You won¡¯t take my disciple.


    ¨C Oh, I¡¯m not planning on killing Takaya. I can let you visit him if you want!


    ¨C No way I¡¯m letting go of him. I just want that kid to smile.


    ¨C Is it regret? Do you wish you had said ¡°Sorry¡± one last time?


    ¨C ¡­


    No response, yet Ever¡¯s killing intent could scare any magical beast on the continent.


    ¡°If only Shiori wasn¡¯t carrying Shamsheel¡¯s core¡­¡±


    Even now, Shiori was trying hard to keep the sage at bay.


    ¨C Tch.


    Something was wrong. Shiori knew it.


    Considering Ever was trying to break free, it¡¯s not like she was trying to buy time for Takaya and the others.


    ¨C Come on, come on¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s just an old wolf and a child. How much longer do they plan to take?¡±


    ¨C Shiori-chan.


    ¨C Ah, finally.


    ¨C Sorry dear, we were having fun.


    Ernika came in carrying Lloyd on her shoulder, full of wounds and blood on his armor.


    ¨C ¡­Nothing that someone the likes of you should worry about. (Lloyd)


    ¨C Hm. (Shiori)


    A foul-mouthed man, but wise and loyal.


    ¡°As long as I have enough chess pieces¡­¡±


    ¨C Come on Ever, give it up already. I have my sword, and Shiori has Shamsheel¡¯s gauntlets. (Ernika)


    Not just one, but now two nuclei were weakening Ever. Of course, such was the case for Ernika too.


    ¨C T-Takaya¡­


    Ever kept hurting herself struggling against the chains.


    But it was pointless.


    Nagami Takaya was now Minagami Shiori¡¯s property.


    ¨C Don¡¯t utter his name. He¡¯s mine.


    ¨C Ghh!?


    Improved by Takaya¡¯s skills, Shiori¡¯s sword cut cleanly through the sage¡¯s arm with no effort at all.


    ¨C Easy there, please. It¡¯s my divine duty to punish Ever. Not yours.


    ¨C Sorry, I just felt like teaching her a lesson. I¡¯ll leave her to you. I need to check on Takaya.


    ¨C Heh. (Ever)


    Before a twisted smile could form on Shiori¡¯s face, Ever giggled.


    ¨C Thank you, Shiori. Thank you for being so predictable. Now I can protect him.


    ¨C ¡­What?


    Shiori couldn¡¯t understand.


    Even in her last moments, the sage is still trying her hardest.


    ¡°Why? Why is she smiling as if she just won the battle!?¡±

 CH 253

    ¡°Chapter 253: Shield¡±


    (Shiori¡¯s POV)


    ¨C Shiori, where do you think my nucleus is located?


    ¨C Where else but your heart? That¡¯s where Shamsheel¡¯s was, and where Ernika¡¯s and maybe Rifaiv¡¯s is.


    ¨C Right. The Gauntlets of the Volcano. The Helmet of Darkness. The Armor of the Sea. The Boots of the Clouds. The Sword of Light. And the Shield of the Forest. We were nothing but objects when we were created, until the Creator gave us a life nucleus.


    I¡¯ve heard some of this story from Ernika before.


    ¨C Let me ask you once again. Where do you think my nucleus went?


    ¨C ¡°Went¡±?


    Ever¡¯s arm, which I had just slashed, rolled forward until it fell down the hole where Nagami-kun and the others were.


    ¨C You¡­ changed the position of your nucleus!?


    ¨C Spot on.


    The sages themselves can¡¯t move their nucleus on their own. They¡¯re merely weapons.


    Someone else would¡¯ve had to move it. Someone with the right skills to do so.


    ¨C ¡­Nagami-kun.


    ¨C Hahaha.


    Ever¡¯s laugh was enough of a response.


    From what Ernika has told me, Ever and Nagami-kun have a very close relationship.


    It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she tricked him into moving her nucleus without him knowing anything about it.


    ¨C You have my thanks, Shiori. I can now go back to my true form.


    I grabbed my sword once again and tried to stab Ever, but Ernika stopped me.


    ¨C There¡¯s no point in doing that. You won¡¯t be able to hurt the shield. (Ernika)


    ¨C Tch.


    ¨C Come on, Ever. We were given such beautiful bodies. Treat them better, will you? (Ernika)


    ¨C I seem to remember him telling us to live our lives freely. I will do as I please.


    ¨C Ahh, you¡¯ve always been like this.


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to hear it from the religious lunatic.


    Ernika giggled and walked away.


    ¨C Hey, where are you going? (Shiori)


    ¨C Back home, of course. Ever outsmarted you. Let¡¯s go, Lloyd.


    ¨C Gladly.


    Ernika started up her teleportation magic. The destination: The Sacred Land.


    She was running away.


    ¨C Hah? And you¡¯re okay with that? We¡¯ve got the gauntlets but we still need the shield. What about your orders?


    ¨C I might receive my deserved punishment, but I believe retreating is the best course of action. It¡¯s sad that this will be the last time we see each other.


    She knows.


    She understands that I¡¯ve revealed my true intentions. I can¡¯t go back anymore. Retreating is not an option for me.


    Nagami-kun has strong friends. I have the upper edge for now, but if I have to fight against all of them at the same time, even someone as perfect as me would struggle.


    This is my only chance. I will do everything in my power.


    ¨C ¡­Don¡¯t ever forget. I will find you and kill you. (Shiori)


    ¨C Hehe, I will be waiting for you, then. Farewell, little loner.


    Ernika gave me the most wicked smile unbecoming of the Sage of Light and disappeared.


    Not just her, Ever had disappeared too. Only a giant tomb and me in this room.


    ¨C ¡­Fine. I¡¯ll do it myself.


    I crafted as many potions and stimulants as I could and drank them all at once.


    ¨C Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­ Wait for me, Nagami-kun. You¡¯ll be mine.


    I won¡¯t be alone again.

 CH 254

    ¡°Chapter 254: Rebirth¡±


    ¨C ¡­And that¡¯s it. Did you get all that?


    I told Roar everything that happened during my experiments with Shamsheel.


    I would¡¯ve liked Meirir and Dyke to hear it too but they¡¯re too busy protecting us.


    ¨C ¡­


    During and after the conversation Roar remained silent the entire time.


    Even I can¡¯t fully understand all this talk about skills. I can¡¯t imagine hearing it for the first time in a situation like this.


    ¨C Roar, are you okay?


    ¨C Yeah. Give me a second, I¡¯m thinking.


    Sweat was dripping down Roar¡¯s forehead.


    ¨C Roar!? (Dyke)


    ¨C Any second now! (Meirir)


    ¨C I know! Shut up and let me think.


    This is not an easy task. In fact, it¡¯s something that has probably never been done before. Roar needs time to focus.


    If only we had something to stop the beasts.


    ¨C Sorry to make you wait.


    Just as Meirir and Dyke were about to reach their limits, an object with a familiar voice fell down from the hole.


    Three diamond-shaped pieces of metal with a shiny green light in the center.


    They set up to protect Meirir, Dyke, Roar and me.


    ¨C You did well. Now leave it to me.


    ¨C That voice¡­ Grandmaster!?


    ¨C Yes. This is my true form.


    ¨C True?


    ¨C Leave the talk for later. My Creator gave me a name, and I will do everything in my power to honor it.


    ¡°Autoguard¡±


    The shields were cycling between us protecting us from every single attack.


    Ice shards, acid spit by insects, beast fangs, nothing made its way past Ever.


    ¨C Go help Takaya. He needs your help. (Ever)


    ¨C Right! (Meirir)


    ¨C I have no idea what¡¯s going on, but I guess we owe you. (Dyke)


    Now able to focus due to our new protection, Roar used his powers to become ¡°me¡±.


    Meirir and Dyke held my hands to reassure me.


    ¨C Here I go.


    Roar put his hands on my back.


    ¨C Just picture¡­ I¡¯m inside Takaya¡¯s body¡­

 CH 255

    ¡°Chapter 255: Rebirth 2¡±


    ¡ù


    (Narrator¡¯s POV)


    Roar found himself in the darkness of a dead silent ocean.


    Though in reality, he was only on top of Takaya, not literally in him.


    It was a fake image created inside his own mind.


    Roar was slowly sinking deeper into the ocean, struggling to move by himself.


    ¨C Is this what he saw? Man, I¡¯d go nuts if I was him.


    His legs were trembling. His instincts told him to run away.


    Takaya must¡¯ve felt like that in the past too. Yet he pushed forward. All for the sake of the guild and his friends.


    Now, it was Roar¡¯s time. If he failed here, Shiori would kill everyone.


    Besides, if Takaya was incapacitated, Roar would have to bear all the workload at the guild.


    ¨C He¡¯s the one that deserves to be at the center.


    Suddenly, Roar bumped into something.


    ¨C Huh? Is this a wall?


    It¡¯s hard to see, but something was definitely blocking his path.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡­¡­¨D££¡ç¡¿


    ¨C What now?


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡­¡­¨D££¡ç¡¿


    The voice wasn¡¯t coming from outside. It was inside his head. And it didn¡¯t sound human. It was the phenomenon Takaya told him about.


    Every second he analyzed the situation he got more and more scared.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡­¡­¨D££¡ç¡¿


    ¨C Ah, shut up¡­


    But he couldn¡¯t back off.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine¡­ I can do this.


    Roar closed his eyes. He had an idea to break through the wall.


    All he needed was self-confidence.


    ¨C Meirir, Dyke, your time to shine.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡­¡­¨D££¡ç¡¿


    ¨C I said shut up already!


    Roar charged against the wall with all the strength his trembling muscles could muster.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡­¡­¨D££¡ç¡¿


    And then he disappeared.


    ¡ù¡ó¡ñ¨Œ¨‹¡õ¡ñ¡ó¡ù


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D£¿


    What happened?


    I¡¯m sure he was there a second ago.


    ¡­He used a skill, huh? I should¡¯ve been more careful.


    Who would¡¯ve thought?


    He actually made it through.


    Or should I say, ¡°He skipped through the barrier¡±?


    He was the first one to ever do so.


    And it was someone from this world.


    Well, I was waiting for someone to do it eventually.


    Still, an unexpected development for sure.


    Interesting.


    I was getting fed up with this world, but it looks like I can still have some fun with it.

 CH 256

    ¡°Chapter 256: Rebirth 3¡±


    ¨C Hey! Are you okay? (Roar)


    ¨C ¡­Yeah. Something changed inside me. I¡¯m sure.


    I felt uneasy but renewed.


    I think it worked.


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe you crossed the wall like that. Wouldn¡¯t expect less from our leader.


    Instead of trying to break it open, Roar used Meirir¡¯s ability to skip over the moment he hit the wall.


    I took a deep breath.


    Nothing wrong with my body.


    We¡¯re surrounded by countless magical beasts, but Ever has not allowed them to make the smallest of scratches on us.


    Still, if Ever is here, it means Shiori will be coming as well anytime now.


    ¨C You¡¯re too annoying.


    A combination of fire, water, and other elements struck the room.


    All the beasts in the vicinity were burned to death, without even a chance of running away.


    Ever managed to protect us, but for the first time, one of her shields was scathed.


    ¨C I gave you a chance, but now you¡¯re just a pest.


    The magical beasts turned to ashes.


    Even though they were forcefully kicked out of their habitats in Snowpeak.


    But that¡¯s Shiori. Everything is a tool for her.


    That will be my destiny. I will be a toy for her until she no longer needs me.


    ¨C Nagami-kun? How are you feeling?


    ¨C ¡­Like s?h?i?t?, thanks to you.


    ¨C Ahh, you¡¯re so rebellious. I love it.


    Her wicked smile shows her inner thoughts. She must be fantasizing about hundreds of ways to torture me.


    ¨C Minagami-san, what would you do if I surrendered now?


    ¨C Sorry, but it¡¯s too late now. I¡¯m quite mad, you know?


    Shiori wiggled her finger.


    ¨C You¡¯ve been a bad boy.


    Ever managed to move in time to protect us from what seemed to be a version of Shiori¡¯s Omega Ray, but shot from the tip of her finger.


    ¨C Ahahaha! Here¡¯s another one! And another! Come on, Sage of the Forest! You better protect your precious disciple!


    ¨C You little¡­


    ¨C Easy there. No time to talk.


    ¡°Shortcut, High Tension¡±


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. You might vanish from this world.


    All the magic gushing from her body was concentrated on her hands.


    ¨C X-Ray.


    We were enveloped by a blinding light that seemed to swallow the entire mountain.


    ¨C ¡­Gghhh-


    ¨C What, too much for you!? Ahahaha! I¡¯ll give it 10 seconds before you break!


    Ever was gradually getting pushed back.


    In fact, the attack was almost reaching us.


    I heard a crack on one of Ever¡¯s shields. Not enough for the attack to penetrate her defense, at least yet.


    ¨C One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Oh wow, you won¡¯t even survive for 10 seconds.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t count past 3? (Ever)


    ¨C Still cracking jokes even on the verge of death.


    But then, the wounds on the shields started getting smaller.


    ¨C Huh? (Shiori)


    Shiori put even more power into her attack, but the result didn¡¯t change.


    ¨C What is this? (Ever)


    The four of us were brimming with confidence looking at Shiori.


    With me in the center.

 CH 257

    ¡°Chapter 257: Rebirth 4¡±


    Repairing weapons and armor usually requires extra materials, but Ever¡¯s case seems to be special.


    ¨C Why¡­ are your powers back? I stole them. (Shiori)


    ¨C You did. So I remade them. Simple as that.


    ¨C ¡°Remake¡± them? ¡°Simple¡±? Come on, Nagami-kun, I know you¡¯re not that naive. You understand how complicated a process like that could be.


    She¡¯s not wrong. Building my tree from scratch would¡¯ve been near impossible.


    The answer was Dyke.


    Roar used Dyke¡¯s skill to rewind my powers back to before they were stolen.


    I myself am not sure of the details. I¡¯m just glad Roar was able to pull it off.


    ¨C ¡­Whatever. The situation hasn¡¯t changed. All of you will soon die.


    And once again, she¡¯s right. Even if my abilities are back, I¡¯m not a fighter. I¡¯m simply a supporter.


    Roar is extremely exhausted, and Ever can¡¯t do anything but defend in that state.


    The only thing we can do is wait for Shiori¡¯s stamina to run out.


    High Tension won¡¯t last forever.


    ¨C This is as far as you get.


    Shiori created a high-quality potion in her hand and downed it in a second.


    That¡¯s right¡­ With my powers, she will be able to easily withstand the exhaustion.


    I can¡¯t possibly compete with her magical power.


    ¨C Fight is on, Nagami-kun. Show me that pitiful face of yours. I want to see you humiliated just like the old times.


    Shiori¡¯s attacks intensified.


    Spells from all directions and elements assaulted us relentlessly.


    Ever was trying her best to defend us all.


    ¨C Takaya, I¡¯m at my limit. I can¡¯t keep going anymore. (Roar)


    I can¡¯t blame him. He¡¯s done so much for us thus far.


    I kept repairing and reinforcing Ever¡¯s shields every chance I had.


    ¨C One down. Can the rest of you follow his example? (Shiori)


    With the momentum on her side, Shiori cast X-Ray once again.


    But before the light reached us-


    ¨C Gotcha.


    Shiori disappeared.


    She faked the X-Ray to distract us.


    ¨C That way, please. (Shiori)


    ¨C Gwogh!?


    She put all her strength on her right leg and kicked my stomach violently.


    Ever caught me in time, but that left only 2 shields defending the others.


    ¨C I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. (Shiori)


    And now she was in point-blank range of everyone else.


    ¨C RUN! (Takaya)


    ¨C Too late. Enjoy a peaceful rest. (Shiori)


    Shiori lifted her hand to wipe out my friends from existence.


    But she was interrupted by a light beam that almost sliced her hand.


    ¨C Tch¡­


    ¨C Listen, I¡¯m a very lenient person. You can do whatever you want with your life. But I think this is too much. (???)


    ¨C What are you doing here?


    ¨C We were called in to help.


    Rifaiv, Arueetel, and two faces that I don¡¯t know. The members of the Thundercloud Ship, except for Ralph, had come to our rescue.

 CH 258

    ¡°Chapter 258: Reinforcements from the Clouds¡±


    Shiori was glaring at her ex-friends.


    ¡°We were called in to help¡±? By who?


    One way or another, they seem to know about the situation.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad those bugs actually listened. (Roar)


    ¨C !? Was it you!? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yeah. Some of the bugs weren¡¯t happy with the way she treated them, so I tried using her Bugs whatever. (Roar)


    ¨C *Sigh* You really went through the trouble of getting Ernika involved in this JUST for Takaya? (Rifaiv)


    ¨C None of your business. I thought the Thundercloud Boat was above barging in stuff like this. (Shiori)


    ¨C You¡¯re right, but when Ralph heard you were attacking his new friend, he kind of snapped.


    Ralph, huh¡­ I¡¯m happy to be his friend.


    Though, where is he?


    ¨C I sent him on a mission. He might¡¯ve turned the entire mountain to dust if he was here.


    As if reading my thoughts, a blonde elf responded to my question.


    ¨C Pleasure to meet you, Takaya-kun. My name is Selfia. Thank you for taking care of my sister.


    ¨C ¡­Sister? Are you Feria-san¡¯s sister?


    ¨C Unfortunately, yes.


    Come to think of it, she does look like a larger version of Feria.


    She¡¯s also wearing much heavier equipment. Rather than a full-on archer, she looks like a swordsman who¡¯s very skilled with the bow.


    ¨C Woah, you¡¯re pretty beat up. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re here now.


    Arueetel rushed to my side and used her magic to heal my wounds.


    ¨C I appreciate the help, but are you sure you should be doing this? (Takaya)


    ¨C What do you mean? (Arueetel)


    ¨C Are you not friends with her?


    ¨C Who? Shiori? Eh. It¡¯s a shame she turned out this way, but it¡¯s not like we had strong feelings for her.


    ¨C Is that so?


    From the way they talked in the Royal Capital I had assumed they were pretty close.


    ¨C I think you should know it better than anyone. It takes a lot to build a trustworthy relationship. Much more so for mercenaries like us.


    Arueetel winked at me.


    They knew about Shiori. They could sense she was up to no good.


    ¨C Just sit here and watch. We¡¯ll take of the rest. (Arueetel)


    ¨C All yours. I¡¯m useless near those life nuclei. (Rifaiv)


    ¨C Gladly. (Arueetel)


    Arueetel snapped her fingers. A flow of blue electricity ran through her body.


    ¨C Just to make it clear, I¡¯m quite strong. Are you sure you want to do this? (Shiori)


    ¨C Then talk with your fists, not with your mouth, you brat. (Selfia)


    ¨C You¡¯ve made your choice. I¡¯ll start with yo-


    The moment Shiori raised her hand to cast a spell-


    ¨C Huh!?


    Both of her wrists were severed. Her hands fell to the floor.


    A deafening scream came out of Shiori.


    ¨C ¡°The moment our winds touch our opponent¡¯s skin, the battle is over¡±. A phrase for the weak. Real warriors of the forest finish their battles before that.


    ¨C You b?i?t?c?h?¡­ I¡¯LL KILL YOU.


    ¨C Such an immature brat.


    Selfia unsheathed her sword.


    ¨C Time for punishment.

 CH 259

    ¡°Chapter 259: Distinction Between Right or Wrong¡±


    ¨C Tch¡­


    Shiori pulled out strands of her hair and used them to stop the bleeding in her arms.


    She could close the wounds with recovery magic, but she can¡¯t restore her wrists.


    Usually, this would be enough to completely demoralize someone, but Shiori, on the opposite, was even more determined.


    ¨C You don¡¯t seem to want to apologize. Hey, Arueetel. (Selfia)


    ¨C Gotcha.


    Arueetel¡¯s body split in two.


    Erieet and Ergeet, if I recall correctly.


    ¨C Shiori, this is your fault. Don¡¯t haunt us as a ghost or anything.


    ¨C If anyone¡¯s going to die here, it¡¯s all of you except for Nagami-kun.


    Shiori dodged Arueetel¡¯s lightning bolt with ease by just twisting her body, and used the opportunity to get close to her.


    ¨C If I don¡¯t have a hand, I JUST HAVE TO MAKE A NEW ONE.


    ¨C !? Shiori!?


    Shiori took out her silver sword.


    She was holding it with a transparent prosthetic hand made from the ice surrounding us.


    One of the Arueetels was kicked against the other one.


    ¨C I made it while you guys thought I was suffering from the pain of having my wrists severed.


    ¨C Kh¡­ Quite the trick you got there.


    ¨C The element of surprise is essential in fights.


    One of Arueetel, who was supposed to have been sent flying, was now grabbing Shiori from the back.


    ¨C Yeah, you said it.


    ¨C What!?


    The Arueetel that was on the ground after being hit disappeared.


    ¨C Did I not tell you? You have to kill both of us to kill me. Oh, right, I didn¡¯t tell you, because you¡¯re not our friend. (Arueetel)


    ¨C Good job at being the decoy. (Selfia)


    Selfia had been preparing in the meantime.


    She was drawing her bow with all her strength. The hand grabbing the arrow was trembling.


    ¨C Any last words? Like an apology, maybe. (Selfia)


    ¨C Shove the apology up your a?s?s?.


    ¨C I see.


    Selfia shot the arrow.


    ¨C Fairy Storm Ballista!


    The arrow approached Shiori¡¯s body chipping on the environment like a dragon cracking the ground with its claws.


    Shiori managed to free herself and hurled a barrage of spells at Selfia¡¯s attack.


    But it was too late. The arrow had gained enough momentum.


    In a last-ditch attempt, Shiori tried casting X-Ray.


    But a ray of light pierced her magic circle. Just like before she betrayed us.


    ¨C What!? Only Ernika and I can do that!


    ¨C Really? It was pretty easy to copy. A kids game, if you will. (Epitro)


    The last member of the Thundercloud Ship answered.


    ¨C If you have any complaints, direct them to the Sage of Light. You¡¯ll be meeting her soon.


    ¨C ¡­So that¡¯s where Ralph is. (Shiori)


    ¨C Enjoy the afterlife, lady. (Selfia)


    ¨C NAGAMI-KUN, YOU¡¯LL BE MIN-


    Before she could finish, Shiori was engulfed by the jaws of a dragon.

 CH 260

    ¡°Chapter 260: Distinction Between Right or Wrong 1.5¡±


    ¡ù


    (Narrator¡¯s POV)


    ¨C Phew¡­ Worked up quite the sweat.


    Ernika was back in her territory.


    The Sacred Land was located far north of the Sage¡¯s Forest.


    It was nighttime. Everyone had finished their prayers and was asleep.


    ¨C Beautiful moon. Brings back memories.


    The clock ticked as if the battle that had just taken place didn¡¯t happen.


    ¨C The Creator used to¡­ Actually, it¡¯s not time to reminisce.


    Ernika¡¯s job wasn¡¯t over.


    What would happen to Shiori?


    That girl¡­ She was something special.


    It was the first time Ernika had seen something like that¡­ Ever since her Creator.


    But she would probably lose anyways.


    ¨C Let¡¯s see¡­


    Ernika walked to the statue of a goddess.


    Everyone prays to the statue every day. They¡¯re all convinced Ernika is a messenger of the gods.


    But instead of praying, Ernika reached for the hidden drawer at the statue¡¯s feet.


    As always, there was a folded paper.


    Guards had been set to guard the statue every night, but no one ever knew where the paper came from. It just appears there.


    It was a strange material. It felt more pleasant to touch than usual paper, and it had holes on the side.


    It also had blue lines drawn at even intervals to make it easier to write.


    But the most important part was the contents of the paper.


    A message from the gods.


    ¨C Lloyd, can I ask you a favor?


    ¨C My pleasure. What is it?


    ¨C Can you throw away this robe? It¡¯s stained with blood.


    The wolves gave the Sage of Light and her apprentice quite a hard time.


    They ended up having to go check on Shiori before they could finish off the pair.


    ¨C I know I haven¡¯t finished my last order yet, but¡­


    Ernika was about to read the paper.


    But a blade was suddenly pressed against her throat.


    ¨C A sword!?


    She was able to block it in time with her hand, but some of her fingers were cut off.


    ¨C Wow, that¡¯s the Sage of Light for you. I thought that would be enough.


    Ernika took distance and turned around.


    ¨C Lloyd!? What are you¡­ No.


    This wasn¡¯t Lloyd. It was someone that looked like him.


    ¨C Who are you?


    ¨C Hahaha! Good question! Let me tell you. You might make some friends in the afterlife.


    Lloyd transformed into a man with white hair and blood-red eyes.


    Ernika had heard of him, but this was her first time meeting him.


    ¨C The Demon King.


    ¨C Boo. Wrong. Or not? At least you were close. Hey, come out already.


    Behind the representative of the Demon King were two more troublesome individuals.


    ¨C Milligan, and The Great Swordsman Ralph. (Ernika)


    ¨C Yo.


    ¨C Ahh, ehhh¡­ I¡¯m sorry. B-But. I had to. He said. I would be. Unalive.


    Milligan was at a safe distance. Their nuclei weren¡¯t canceling each other¡¯s magic yet.


    Run away? Or fight?


    Having lost her apprentice, Ernika had to make a choice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight¡±


    The Creator¡¯s words echoed in her head.


    ¨C Sage of Light, would you like to know the name of that paper?


    ¨C ¡­What?


    ¨C It¡¯s called a loose leaf. Everyone used them back in school.


    ¨C Loose¡­ School? Huh?


    Ernika was speechless.


    How could the boy know something not even the sages knew?


    He smelled just like Shiori and the Creator. Like someone from another world.


    ¨C Could you let me read what the paper says?


    Ernika looked down to read her new order from the gods.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of you. Goodbye¡±


    ¨C ¡­Why?


    She looked around. Everywhere she could. But no one stood out.


    She knew she was being watched.


    Somewhere, they¡¯re laughing at Ernika.


    As if she was just a doll.


    ¨C Ha¡­Haha¡­ HAHAHAHA.


    ¨C Glad to see you¡¯re leaving on a good note. (Kouya)


    In the veil of the night, completely unbeknownst to Takaya, another curtain was about to fall.

 CH 261

    ¡°Chapter 261: Distinction Between Right or Wrong 2¡±


    ¡ù


    The arrow (And Shiori) tore through the mountain and rose to the sky.


    ¨C Wow¡­ (Takaya)


    It was nothing like Feria¡¯s Fairy Ballista.


    Shiori didn¡¯t have a chance. These were the best adventurers in the world.


    ¨C Arueetel, Epitro, let¡¯s go check.


    ¨C Roger.


    I can¡¯t believe she¡¯d survive an attack like that, but the thundercloud crew wanted to make absolutely sure Shiori was gone for good.


    As expected of such experienced adventurers. They diminish any possible risk.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go too. (Takaya)


    ¨C Roar, can you move? (Dyke)


    ¨C Yeah. I need to see that girl dead or else I won¡¯t be able to sleep at night.


    I understand how he feels.


    With Roar riding on my back, we all started searching for Shiori¡¯s body under the rocks.


    ¨C Anything yet? (Takaya)


    ¨C Nope. I can only find pieces of clothing. (Arueetel)


    If her clothes are in that state, doesn¡¯t that mean she turned to dust?


    ¨C By the way, this is yours.


    Arueetel handed me a glowing green stone.


    ¨C It¡¯s your master¡¯s life nucleus. I¡¯d say it¡¯s pointless to try, but I¡¯m sure you can figure out how to return her to normal.


    ¨C I¡¯ll check. Thank you.


    ¨C Arueetel, we found her! (Selfia)


    ¨C ¡®Kaay~


    I put ¡°Ever¡± in my pocket and followed Arueetel.


    ¨C ¡­She looks dead.


    ¨C Give me a second.


    Selfia examined Shiori¡¯s body to check for a heartbeat, but it was obvious she was dead.


    She had been crushed by an ice block. Her eyes and mouth were half open.


    ¨C ¡­ (Selfia)


    ¨C It¡¯s hard to accept someone that strong died just like that. (Roar)


    Shiori survived in this world by herself up until this point.


    I wonder if she had any regrets.


    Maybe in the end she was lamenting all the trouble she put her ¡°friends¡± through.


    If so, I¡¯d never be able to hear her apology.


    ¨C What do we do with her corpse? (Takaya)


    ¨C Leave it like that. Let the magical beasts do their thing¡­ Though we were in the same group at one point. Maybe we should burn her remains. (Selfia)


    ¨C Oh~ I can take care of that. But you¡¯re gonna have to move all the rubble first. (Arueetel)


    ¨C Have you heard from Ralph? This sounds like a job for him. (Selfia)


    ¨C Nothing yet. He¡¯s taking his time, but there¡¯s no way he lost. (Epitro)


    ¨C Alright. Let¡¯s rest until he comes back, then. (Selfia)


    The thundercloud crew took their eyes off Shiori¡¯s corpse for a second.


    A cold chill ran down my spine.


    Naga¡­mikun


    ¨C SELFIA, GET DOWN! (Takaya)


    Shiori had vanished from below the rubble. She was closing in on Selfia.

 CH 262

    ¡°Chapter 262: Distinction Between Right or Wrong 3¡±


    We were all late to react to Shiori¡¯s attack.


    Selfia tried to put up her sword, but Shiori¡¯s blade cut cleanly through it.


    The sword didn¡¯t take Selfia¡¯s life. Instead, it took Epitro¡¯s arm, who pushed Selfia away.


    ¨C Admittedly, I didn¡¯t think it would cut through your bones with such ease. (Shiori)


    Arueetel caught Epitro¡¯s flying arm. We all stepped back to safety immediately.


    ¨C What would you know? A skill as s?h?i?t?t?y? as ¡°Playing Dead¡± saved me. I don¡¯t even remember who I took it from. (Shiori)


    ¨C ¡­You should¡¯ve stayed dead.


    ¨C Oh, I¡¯m nowhere close to giving up. I came here looking for something.


    Her sight was glued to me.


    She could¡¯ve used that opportunity to run away, but even on the verge of death she¡¯s obsessed with me.


    ¨C Do you love me that much?


    ¨C What kind of question is that? I¡¯m crazy for you, Nagami-kun.


    Her response is still the same.


    But so is mine.


    ¨C Let me make it clear: I hate you. I want you out of my life.


    ¨C I love those rebellious eyes of yours!


    With those words, Shiori thrust her hand into her chest.


    ¨C Gwohg¡­


    ¨C WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?


    Anyone would think she was trying to end her own life.


    But instead, her body underwent a transformation.


    Her prosthetic hand shattered, and it turned into a tentacle, colored silver just like her sword.


    ¨C I was thinking, what should I do to win? And the answer was simple.


    A strange liquid was dripping down Shiori¡¯s fingertips, which were just inside her chest.


    ¨C If I can¡¯t win with borrowed powers, I¡¯ll just create them myself.


    We were all looking at the afterimage of a human being.


    Her entire arm was a sharp silver tentacle, she had wings growing on her back, and her bloodshot eyes had turned black.


    Shiori crossed a line no one should ever cross.


    ¨C I changed more than I thought I would, but who cares? I hated my previous look. Besides, nothing will matter once I have Takaya by my side.


    With no time to react, her tentacle arm extended to wrap around me and slam me against the walls.


    ¨C Gotcha.


    ¨C LET ME GO!


    ¨C ¡°Let me go, please¡±, right? Hehehe.


    Her arm¡¯s grip was so strong that my bones were screaming.


    I can¡¯t tell if my friends are trying to help me. I¡¯m barely able to stay conscious as is.


    ¨C Aww, does it hurt? Maybe if you cry and beg like back then, I might consider letting go.


    ¨C ¡­No.


    I could cry my way out of this, as I¡¯ve always had.


    But I¡¯m done with that life. I¡¯ve changed.


    ¨C I won¡¯t.


    The only sounds reaching my ears are Shiori¡¯s voice and every one of my bones breaking one after another.


    ¨C Stubborn, huh? Whatever. We¡¯ll have plenty of time after this.


    I believe.


    As long as I don¡¯t give up-


    ¨C GO!


    A familiar voice entered the fight.


    At the same time, a black shadow cut through Shiori¡¯s tentacle.


    ¨C Phew, we made it in time.


    ¨C ¡­What are you doing here? (Takaya)


    ¨C Orders from the demon king. The Mistress and the others will be here soon too.


    Letty, the maid from the demon world came to my rescue.


    These are my friends.


    People I will always be able to rely on.

 CH 263

    ¡°Chapter 263: Distinction Between Right or Wrong 4¡±


    ¨C How dare you touch my body? HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY TAKAYA? (Shiori)


    ¨C ¡°MY¡±? Sweetheart, you need to get in line.


    Letty isn¡¯t clearly showing it, but I can tell by her mannerisms that she¡¯s angry.


    ¨C Thank you, Letty. But how did you cut the tentacle?


    ¨C We used weapons from the warehouse. They were one-use weapons, but they¡¯re very effective. I¡¯m sure you know about those by now.


    ¨C M-Maid-sama!


    Another Succubus landed next to us. She had purple eyes and two cherry-red pigtails swaying close to her shoulders.


    ¨C How was it!?


    ¨C 50 points.


    ¨C Only half!?


    ¨C You saved Takaya, but your first mission was to finish off the enemy. How many weapons did you use for that attack?


    ¨C Uhh, 10?


    ¨C TEN!? Do you think those things are toys!? Even if the demon king said you could use them freely, those are valuable treasures.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry.


    On the contrary, I would be praising her for saving me.


    ¨C Letty, who is she?


    ¨C Her name is Moruru. She¡¯s supposed to be Lemy and Yamy¡¯s replacement, so I¡¯m training her.


    ¨C I¡¯m Moruru. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Master.


    ¨C ¡­Why is this kid calling me Master?


    ¨C She¡¯s training under my tutelage, and I¡¯m forever under your service. It is only natural.


    Isn¡¯t Letty¡­ serving Azaasha? And shouldn¡¯t Moruru¡¯s master be Azaasha?


    ¨C Well, whatever the case, thank you for saving me.


    ¨C We¡¯re not done yet. Moruru, you have permission to go all out.


    ¨C Yes!


    Moruru took the frontline while Letty carried me to the backline with Selfia.


    Shiori hadn¡¯t lowered her guard. She was taking her time regenerating her tentacle.


    ¨C Letty, are you sure she¡¯ll be fine?


    ¨C Of course. Moruru might still be in training, but she can handle this battle.


    Moruru seems motivated to fight.


    For now, we can stand back and watch. If things get ugly, Selfia and the others can jump in.


    ¨C Out of my way. (Shiori)


    ¨C Can¡¯t do. (Moruru)


    ¨C Very well then.


    Shiori¡¯s now regenerated tentacle extended and attacked Moruru.


    But instead of hurting her, it broke a shield that I hadn¡¯t seen there.


    ¨C Ahh, another one broken. Whatever. The warehouse is big. (Moruru)


    ¨C That¡¯s not the same way Kouya takes out weapons, right? (Takaya)


    ¨C It¡¯s called Item Box. She¡¯s not stealing them or anything, she has the demon king¡¯s permission. (Letty)


    ¨C Impressive attack, but once you know its objective, it¡¯s easy to dodge. You could use some more training. (Moruru)


    ¨C SHUT UP. (Shiori)


    Moruru gradually closed the distance between the two while dodging Shiori¡¯s tentacles and magic.


    Every time her equipment broke, she¡¯d take out another armament from the warehouse.


    She makes up for quality in quantity.


    ¨C DON¡¯T GET TOO EXCITED. X-RAY!


    ¨C Uhh.. oh¡­


    Moruru seemed to be panicking.


    Instead of taking out a shield, she took out a sword.


    ¨C Sorry, could you wait a sec? (Moruru)


    ¨C Can¡¯t do. (Shiori)


    ¨C Yeah¡­ (Moruru)


    Moruru managed to find a shield, but it was too late. Her entire upper body was drastically burned.


    ¨C MORURU! (Takaya)


    She couldn¡¯t have survived such an attack.


    I knew it was a bad idea to leave the fight to someone as inexperienced as her.


    Such a rookie mistake as taking out the wrong weapon¡­


    ¨C That¡¯s what you get for butting in. (Shiori)


    Completely sure of her victory, Shiori turned her attention to us.


    But Moruru was approaching from behind her.


    She was holding Daybreaker.


    The sword that tormented us is now protecting us.

 CH 264

    ¡°Chapter 264: Distinction Between Right or Wrong 5¡±


    Shiori kept up the rampage of attacks to prevent Moruru from getting too close.


    Still, she was only defending. She couldn¡¯t land a critical hit on her.


    And Moruru was getting more and more agile.


    ¨C Try to dodge this.


    Moruru finally found an opening. She put away Daybreaker and grabbed a hammer.


    And then struck Shiori¡¯s forehead with full force.


    The hammer broke, but Shiori¡¯s face cracked.


    As a follow-up, she spun around and kicked the fissure.


    Blood was spurting out relentlessly from Shiori¡¯s forehead.


    ¨C Not done yet!


    Moruru¡¯s next weapon was a bow.


    One, six, nine arrows. All of them connect on Shiori, causing an explosion with each hit.


    ¨C RAISE!


    Not giving her a moment to rest, Moruru took out Elegy of Stars.


    She applied gravity to lift herself and to prevent her opponent from moving.


    Using her vertical momentum, she grabbed a sword and aimed straight at Shiori¡¯s head.


    ¨C And don¡¯t wake up!


    The sword cleaved right through Shiori¡¯s already exposed skull.


    ¨C Ahh, done. (Moruru)


    ¨C Haha¡­ (Shiori)


    ¨C What!?


    Moruru was doubting her eyes, but in reality, none of us were surprised that Shiori had yet another ace up her sleeve.


    Her wound was nowhere to be seen. She was standing behind Moruru.


    ¨C You really had my back against the wall for a second there. But the bigger the challenge, the better it feels to overcome it.


    ¨C What¡­ did you do?


    ¨C Go to sleep.


    Shiori¡¯s fist connected with Moruru¡¯s cheek with enough strength to knock her out even with the effects of gravity hindering Shiori.


    ¨C ¡­Why do you have Meirir-san¡¯s skill!? (Takaya)


    What turned the battle around was Shiori using Meirir¡¯s skill to skip the moment she got hit by the sword.


    It would be understandable for Roar to be able to use it, but why can Shiori use it?


    ¨C Oh? Is this a skill from one of your friends? I just happened to create it by chance.


    ¨C Create it?


    ¨C Nagami-kun, let me ask you, how many skills do you think I have?


    Her tree paper must be a blueprint of all the skills in existence at this point.


    ¨C Look at my body. This is what I¡¯ve become.


    Half tentacle arms, metalized bones and skin, deformed wings. The only aspect of her that was still human was her face.


    The blood dripping down from her forehead had turned from red to black.


    ¨C At this point, I frankly don¡¯t care if I fail to create a skill and become an even worse mutant.


    This is not Shiori anymore. She has nothing to lose.


    ¨C It¡¯s as if the gods are telling me to get my hands on you.


    There¡¯s no god in this world.


    What kind of god would allow this?


    ¨C Letty, I need a favor.


    ¨C I refuse.


    ¨C I have to stop her. Please.


    Even if we get reinforcements, Shiori will just keep remaking herself over and over again.


    Only someone with the same ability can put an end to this.


    ¨C We have to move before the gravity magic wears out.


    ¨C ¡­Fine.


    Hesitating, Letty finally agreed.


    With my friends behind, I took the lead and stepped in front of Shiori.


    ¨C You¡¯ve finally come to me, my dear. (Shiori)


    ¨C Let¡¯s get this over with.

 CH 265

    ¡°Chapter 265: Distinction Between Right Or Wrong 6¡±


    Shiori and me. Facing each other.


    I never thought I¡¯d be standing here.


    Even in another world, it¡¯s always my classmates chasing me down to torture me.


    But those ties will end today.


    I will make sure of it.


    ¨C I know what you¡¯re trying to do. You¡¯re aiming for my heart, right? (Shiori)


    ¨C If you can do that with my powers, it means I can do it too. Instead, I will delete your abilities.


    ¨C What a coincidence. I was just thinking the exact same thing.


    One of us will delete the other¡¯s abilities first.


    To do so, I need my fingertips to reach her body where it¡¯s closest to the heart. Either her chest or her back.


    However, the same could be said for her.


    Whoever touches the other one first wins.


    ¨C I need you guys to make a path for me.


    ¨C I will help to the best I can. She won¡¯t lay a finger on you. (Selfia)


    ¨C Count us in. (Epitro/Arueetel)


    It would¡¯ve been reassuring to have Ralph here, but I can trust in the thundercloud crew and Letty.


    I put my hands on my chest.


    It¡¯s beating steadily.


    I¡¯m calm. We can do this.


    I have mountains of work to do at Searat.


    ¨C ¡­Nagami-kun, I don¡¯t like that face¡­ Let me fix it for you.


    Ignoring Shiori¡¯s words, I ran forward.


    Further, and further.


    ¨C Thank you for coming to me. (Shiori)


    All kinds of magic circles were surrounding Shiori.


    Fire from the volcano, water and ice from the sea, earth and wind from the forest, lightning from the clouds, and light and darkness.


    A storm of countless attacks was coming my way.


    ¨C DON¡¯T LET HIM SUSTAIN A SINGLE INJURY!


    Selfia¡¯s desperation was tangible, but as experienced as she is, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s been through situations like this before.


    However, their goal was to help me get to Shiori.


    Meaning that Selfia didn¡¯t care about her own safety


    ¨C AAHH!


    ¨C SELFIA-SAN!


    A red beam akin to a laser burnt the entirety of Selfia¡¯s arm.


    Thankfully, she avoided a lethal hit.


    ¨C DON¡¯T STOP. KEEP RUNNING. (Selfia)


    I¡¯m 10 steps away from Shiori.


    About 10 meters that feel eternal.


    With each step, my friends get blasted with all sorts of explosions.


    But they don¡¯t falter.


    ¨C Tch¡­ JUST STAY DOWN YOU PESTS. (Shiori)


    Five steps left. Almost there.


    ¨C I can¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­


    ¨C Arueetel!


    ¨C I know you can do it. Just like you saved Ravi and Septe.


    Arueetel was blown away by Shiori¡¯s tentacle arm.


    ¨C Succubus, take care of Arueetel please! We¡¯ll do the rest. (Epitro)


    ¨C Understood.


    Letty, who had also sustained a lot of damage helping us, retreated to the backline to help Arueetel.


    Two of us left, and only 5 steps.


    ¨C Epitro, Ralph! (Selfia)


    ¨C Time for the play to start! (Epitro)


    His powers must be similar to Roar¡¯s. The person next to me was supposed to be Epitro, but it looked like the image of Ralph.


    Still, Shiori¡¯s tentacles proved to be too much for him.


    I had 3 steps left, and Epitro¡¯s sword broke.


    ¨C Only one left. (Shiori)


    Selfia readied her bow with her only usable arm.


    ¨C Takaya, how is my sister doing?


    ¨C As always, busy bullying the guild¡¯s president.


    ¨C I see. I should pay her a visit.


    Using her mouth as a replacement for her arm, Selfia shot her very last arrow to intercept the tentacle coming my way.


    Even at her limit, she tried to make a path for me.


    ¨C No more pests. (Shiori)


    Two steps left.


    ¨C Ahh, finally, just the two of us. Welcome back, dear. Let¡¯s live a happy life together.


    One step left. Just a little more.


    ¨C I SAID NO!


    I stretched out my hand as far as I could.


    In the corner of my eye I could see a tentacle about to reach me.


    ¨C You deserve some punishment. (Shiori)


    But nothing touched me.


    ¨C MASTER!


    Two divine wolves with glistening silver fur jumped to my rescue.


    Ignoring my astonishment, the two of them bit the tentacle.


    Zero steps left.


    My fingertips reached for Shiori¡¯s chest.


    ¨C That¡¯s a shame.


    But just before I could touch her, a thin tentacle came out of her throat and wrapped around my neck.


    ¨C You two should be dead already. Not that it matters. I¡¯m always one step ahead.


    Shiori sent the wolves flying as if they were simple ants.


    I was so close.


    But Shiori caught me.


    ¨C Let¡¯s get rid of that ability of yours first. We can pledge our love later.


    She¡¯s not putting enough strength on her grip to completely asphyxiate me. She just wants to see me suffer.


    ¨C D-Do you really¡­ love me that much?


    ¨C Yes. And I¡¯ll say it as many times as I have to. I love you. I can only think about you.


    ¨C I see¡­


    I gave in.


    With this, the battle was decided.


    The winner was:


    ¨C I had to double-check if you actually loved me. You¡¯ve been making weird faces all this time.


    ¨C Huh!? What¡¯s going on!?


    It was too late for Shiori. She just noticed the change in her body.


    My smile was proof of our victory.


    ¨C Your tree is gone, Shiori-chan.


    It was Roar who came out of Shiori¡¯s shadow.


    He restored my abilities once, and now he shattered the rest of Shiori¡¯s.


    ¨C We win.


    ¨C Na¡­ga¡­mi¡­kun¡­


    The winner was: Us.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Author¡¯s note: This battle has taken a bit long, but it should be almost over now.

 CH 266

    ¡°Chapter 266: Distinction Between Right Or Wrong 7¡±


    ¨C ¡­Roar.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. That was the end. It¡¯s over.


    The way we used our (my) abilities feels like cheating.


    But just this once should be fine.


    ¨C That was reckless. Why did you do that?


    ¨C Well¡­


    He must¡¯ve noticed it when removing Shiori¡¯s abilities.


    ¨C When I took my last step, I got rid of the abilities you restored. That way, she wouldn¡¯t be able to steal anything.


    ¨C Did you not trust us? (Selfia)


    ¨C Selfia-san, how are your injuries?


    ¨C I¡¯m not weak, I¡¯ll be fine. Back to my question¡­


    ¨C I did trust you all. But I wanted to be as careful as possible.


    Shiori had already pulled out a lot of unexpected tricks. In fact, she even strangled me with a tentacle coming out of her throat.


    ¨C To be honest, I had expected it to become a race on who would eliminate the other¡¯s ability first. In which case, I would be at a disadvantage.


    I¡¯ve never tried doing something like that before, whereas Shiori had much more experience with manipulating her own body.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you were ready to save the day. (Takaya)


    ¨C It was weird to see you on the frontline. (Roar)


    This wasn¡¯t planned in advance, but I knew Roar would be there, waiting for the moment to strike.


    ¨C You and your team have a great bond. (Selfia)


    ¨C He¡¯s the best leader I could ask for. (Takaya)


    Roar clicked his tongue, but his face was slightly red.


    ¨C Ooh, are we done here too?


    ¨C Kouya!


    ¨C Good to see everyone alive.


    ¨C And Ralph!


    I wanted to ask a handful of questions about what they were up to, but their bodies were full of injuries.


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll drink China-chan¡¯s blood later. By the way, catch this.


    ¨C What? A sword?


    Kouya tossed me a sword stained with blood.


    The handle had a small jewel, similar to Ever¡¯s life nucleus.


    ¨C That¡¯s Ernika¡¯s true form. I killed her. (Ralph)


    ¨C You did? I remember being the one doing everything. (Kouya)


    ¨C I finished her off. Actually, why were you even there? I could¡¯ve done it by myself.


    ¨C HUH? Do you not remember my Grandmaster having to heal you after both of your arms exploded?


    ¨C No one asked for her help. Besides, I have feet. I¡¯m the Great Swordsman, demon king. I can use a sword with my feet if I have to.


    ¨C Do they call you Great Swordsman because you have a sword cutting through your small brain?


    I missed this.


    Even after such a fierce battle we can banter like this.


    ¨C What happened with Shiori? Is she still alive? (Kouya)


    Shiori was laying on the floor next to me. Barely able to breathe.


    Her tree is gone. She¡¯s not a threat anymore.


    Still, as Arueetel said, she¡¯s way past the point of redemption. I can¡¯t save her.


    It¡¯s up to me to make the choice.


    ¨C Ralph, I have a favor to ask.


    Or rather, a favor to ask of everyone from the thundercloud boat.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Author¡¯s note: Next episode, ¡°Minagami Shiori¡¯s Venture¡± (267), will be the end of this arc. However, there are still a few more chapters to go. Thank you for reading.

 CH 267

    ¡°Chapter 267: Minagami Shiori¡¯s Venture¡±


    (Shiori¡¯s POV)


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    I don¡¯t know how much time has passed, but I¡¯m still alive.


    Or rather, I¡¯m being kept alive.


    I didn¡¯t think I would wake up again when I passed out.


    I¡¯ve only taken advantage of other people ever since I came to this world. I never cared about what happened to them after.


    I just wanted to fulfill my objective.


    But I couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¨C Where¡­?


    The room was pitch black, but I could tell this was the storage room for Ralph¡¯s weapons in the Thundercloud Boat.


    I tried to move my body, but my hands and feet are bound.


    No pain in my body.


    ¨C Did someone treat my injuries?


    The abomination I had as a body is gone. I¡¯m back to my other horrible self.


    Even my wrists are back to their place.


    Why?


    ¨C Finally awake.


    ¨C ¡­Ralph?


    Ralph opened the door, carrying a small lamp to illuminate the room.


    He wasn¡¯t there at the time, but I can tell by his cold look that he knows what happened.


    ¨C How long have I been unconscious?


    ¨C 2¡­ maybe 3 days. How do you feel?


    ¨C I want to die.


    ¨C Good to see you¡¯re doing well.


    I clicked my tongue in response to his sarcasm.


    ¨C Just kill me already. What the hell do you pretend by healing me back to normal?


    ¨C If I had it my way, you¡¯d be sliced in a million parts right now. But Takaya has other plans for you.


    ¨C ¡­Nagami-kun?


    I don¡¯t get it.


    What is going through his mind?


    If I was in his shoes, I would¡¯ve made sure I was gone.


    Does he still think I can change my mind and become a new person?


    How naive is he?


    ¨C Ralph! Report. (Selfia)


    ¨C She¡¯s awake. I¡¯m taking her with you¡­ Come on, the queen of the elves is waiting.


    God, Selfia¡¯s voice pisses me off.


    I got too excited during my fight with Nagami-kun. I should¡¯ve killed that annoying b?i?t?c?h? first.


    ¨C Come on, move.


    ¨C Fine.


    I was escorted outside.


    There¡¯s nothing I can do.


    I¡¯ve become so useless that I can¡¯t even untie myself.


    Most of the faces I¡¯m used to seeing were waiting for me.


    Rifaiv is holding Ernika¡¯s sword.


    Makes me giggle a bit¡­


    There¡¯s not a single part of me that¡¯s sad about her death.


    She was so smug when she left, only to die under the title of the Sage of Light.


    Serves her right. That¡¯s what happens when you use people as tools.


    The same goes for me.


    As master, as disciple, I guess.


    ¨C Hello, Nagami-kun. I¡¯m happy to see you once again.


    My feelings are real.


    I thought I¡¯d never see him again if I lost.


    I don¡¯t like the way he¡¯s looking at me, but just seeing his face is enough to make me happy.


    I love him.


    My only regret is that, at some point, that feeling of love became distorted.


    ¨C What¡¯s going to happen to me?


    ¨C You¡¯ll go to a certain place. (Takaya)


    I shouldn¡¯t have stayed unconscious for so long.


    If I had woken up immediately I might¡¯ve been able to beg for my life.


    ¡­What am I thinking?


    Have I gone insane?


    ¨C It¡¯ll be a perfect place for you to die. (Takaya)


    ¨C So you do intend to kill me.


    ¨C If you¡¯re lucky you¡¯ll live. But I wouldn¡¯t rely on your luck, based on recent events.


    I know where we¡¯re going. We¡¯re flying above the clouds, yet the rest of the sky is dreary and gray, the atmosphere is damp, and there¡¯s purple lightning running through the clouds.


    ¨C We¡¯re in the unexplored area¡­ The Border. (Shiori)


    The place the Sage of the Clouds is currently investigating.


    There are two worlds: The human world and the demon world. But it is said that there¡¯s a border between both.


    It¡¯s unexplored because it¡¯s way too dangerous. Even for the thundercloud crew, the most powerful adventurers in the world, including a sage.


    ¨C So¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll live, maybe I won¡¯t.


    ¨C You will be exploring the border. As you know, it¡¯s full of traps and extremely dangerous magical beasts. There¡¯s an astronomically low chance that you make it out alive. (Takaya)


    ¨C What if I escape?


    ¨C Then we¡¯ll fight again. And I¡¯ll win.


    Shame. I was hoping he¡¯d say ¡°We¡¯ll live together¡±.


    ¨C Come on, get moving. Do you need me to help you? (Ralph)


    ¨C It¡¯s not really the time for jokes. (Shiori)


    Ralph untied me.


    As expected, all my powers are gone. I was wondering if there was a scenario where I could resist and escape, but for some reason my legs are shaking too much.


    My head is a complete mess.


    I want to move forward. I want to, but my body isn¡¯t cooperating.


    It¡¯s like an invisible something is trying to push me away.


    ¨C So this is it¡­ (Shiori)


    I looked down the edge of the boat.


    So this is how Nagami-kun felt when he landed in this world.


    Complete powerlessness.


    I finally understand him.


    But it¡¯s too late now.


    ¨C Nagami-kun, please don¡¯t forget about me.


    ¨C I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to even if I tried to.


    ¨C ¡­That¡¯s okay. Until never, I suppose.


    With that, I jumped off the boat.


    Selfia cast a spell on me so that the fall wouldn¡¯t kill me if I landed.


    ¨C Well, let¡¯s see¡­


    I looked up. That pretty face of his was getting progressively smaller as I kept falling.


    So¡­ What will I do now?


    The air is not poisonous, and there¡¯s a very small chance that I won¡¯t land close to a magical beast that will feast on me.


    I could get by for some time.


    ¨C Nagami-kun, I¡­


    The atmosphere around me suddenly became bizarre.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¨D¡¿


    A giant green snake with black and white eyes made its appearance.


    It had no wings, but it was still flying. It didn¡¯t have scales or any other details either. It looked like a kid¡¯s depiction of a snake.


    And it recognized me as the food.


    ¨C ¡­I guess I wasn¡¯t lucky, huh.


    How did it find me? Not just that, how is it flying?


    ¨C Nagami-kun, I¡¯m sorr-


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¨D¡¿


    The last thing I saw was the darkness inside its mouth.


    My name is Minagami Shiori. My adventures in this world have come to an end.

 CH 268

    ¡°Chapter 268: The Origin of the Six Sages¡±


    Three months have passed since I saw Shiori jump off the Thundercloud Boat.


    We haven¡¯t heard anything from her. Nor from Ernika.


    Ralph and Selphia reassured me that they were both dead for good, but deep down I¡¯m still anxious.


    Who knows if Shiori will open the doors of Searat one day and walk in as if nothing happened to her?


    Minagami Shiori has become a before and after in my life.


    ¡ù


    (Mike¡¯s POV)


    Everyone was back to their usual routine.


    Though some things had changed.


    ¨C Hello?


    ¨C Mike-chan! Welcome back!


    The receptionist Mitta was the first one to greet me.


    ¨C You¡¯ve grown so much!


    ¨C Thank you. Consequences of living with my father.


    After the battle, I stayed in Snowpeak with my dad to take care of his injuries. He was seriously wounded during our battle with Ernika. Living there, and having to fight with other beasts for our territory, left a positive impact on my physical and mental development.


    The demon king had disguised himself as Ernika¡¯s disciple and helped us when things were going south.


    I still don¡¯t know how I feel about the demon king and his relationship with the master, but I¡¯m thankful that he saved our lives.


    ¨C By the way¡­


    ¨C Takaya? He just got back from a request at the sea. He¡¯s in his workshop with some guests.


    ¨C Thank you.


    I walked down the stairs to the basement.


    The door was slightly open. I could see the master inside with a serious expression.


    Everyone was quietly listening to him.


    In the room were Akane, Mumuruu, Milligan and Rifaiv.


    What are they doing?


    I¡¯d love to jump in and give the master a big hug¡­


    But I¡¯ve grown up. I can read the room. This isn¡¯t the moment for that.


    ¨C Master.


    ¨C Mike? Welcome back!


    ¨C Thank you. What¡¯s going on here?


    ¨C We can finally bring her back.


    A big shield with a pale green glow was on the desk.


    ¨C Is this Ever?


    ¨C Spot on. We¡¯ll revive her right now.


    Embedded in the center of the shield was a green gemstone, which lit up in response to Takaya¡¯s voice.


    ¨C It¡¯s working¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C Of course it is. We went all the way to ask that stupid blonde of the sea. (Rifaiv)


    I¡¯ve heard that the sages are quite eccentric. The Sage of the Sea probably lives under the ocean. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me.


    ¨C I would¡¯ve liked to sleep a little longer. (Ever)


    The shield enveloped itself in a green light, which gradually gave form to the human we all know.


    ¨C Welcome back, Grandmaster.


    ¨C Thank you, disciple.


    ¨C Now, could you put your clothes on?


    Thankfully, the master had been blindfolded in advance by Akane and Mumuruu.


    ¨C What¡¯s with the faces? Can none of you take a joke?


    ¨C Is that the first thing you say after being revived? Do you want me to send you back to the other realm? (Rifaiv)


    ¨C L-Let¡¯s. Calm down. Please. (Milligan)


    Come to think of it, the Six Sages have been reduced to four.


    ¨C Grandmaster, I have something to ask.


    ¨C I know. It¡¯s about the Creator, right?


    ¨C Yes.


    ¨C Milligan, Rifaiv, are you okay with me telling him?


    Both of the sages nodded.


    ¨C The story starts a few¡­ No, a long time ago. Our Creator came from a faraway land that we don¡¯t know.

 CH 269

    ¡°Chapter 269: The Origin of the Six Sages 2¡±


    (Narrator¡¯s POV)


    ¡ù


    The little boy opened his eyes. He was in a different world.


    The world he knew was very small, with white walls, a white ceiling, and a white bed. His arms were connected to several tubes, and all he could hear were electronic sounds.


    He was alone all the time, except for the occasional visitor dressed in white that would come to check on him.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if he was dead or alive.


    But one day, a violent tremor shook him off.


    ¡°IT¡¯S AN EARTHQUAKE!¡±


    Someone yelled that before the boy¡¯s ears started buzzing.


    His barely stable consciousness faded after the ceiling collapsed and fell on him.


    When he came back to his senses, he was in a cold world.


    ¨C I¡¯m freezing¡­


    There were no bedsheets around. He had to do something to protect himself from the cold.


    ¨C Huh?


    The boy realized something.


    ¨C My body doesn¡¯t hurt¡­ Why?


    He had been afflicted by a terrible disease all his life. He didn¡¯t know its name, but the most insignificant movement caused tremendous pain in his body.


    And now he was able to walk around freely.


    ¨C I need to heat up¡­


    Something warm¡­ A blanket? A warm drink?


    No. He needed to start a fire first.


    But with what tools?


    The boy opened his hand, and something incredible happened.


    ¨C Woah! Fire!? What!?


    A fireball had been ignited on his palm.


    ¨C Did I¡­ do that?


    Hesitating, he tried once again.


    But this time, he wanted something better.


    He imagined a campfire he had once when his illness wasn¡¯t as crippling.


    ¨C ¡­I did it¡­


    Somehow, he was able to start a fire.


    ¨C ¡­


    He kept looking at the palm of his hand.


    No physical changes, but he was sure something was different.


    Ultimately, even though he was scared of those changes, he decided to crouch near the fire.


    And thus, the boy overcame the extreme temperature. But that wasn¡¯t his only obstacle. He had to create weapons and armor to defend himself from different beasts that roamed around.


    Swords, armor, and a shield. He had heard of those in stories.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t know how to use them. And there was no one around to help him.


    ¨C ¡­But what if¡­


    Through trial and error, the boy created living beings.


    ¡ù


    (Takaya¡¯s perspective)


    ¨C And so, he gave life to his weapons. The first one was Shamsheel, the gauntlets. Then the armor Diine, the helmet Milligan, the boots Rifaiv, the sword Ernika, and me, the shield. I was the youngest one. (Ever)


    ¨C The Creator did an amazing job. Though I still wonder why he created you. (Rifaiv)


    ¨C Hehe. I¡¯m the. Oldest one. Here. (Milligan)


    ¨C And you. What was he thinking? (Rifaiv)


    ¨C Eeeh!? (Milligan)


    Not that it¡¯s surprising at this point, but from what I¡¯m hearing, this ¡°Creator¡± reincarnated in this world just like Kouya and me.


    His abilities are a huge question mark.


    Pretty much anyone could make a small fire, but creating the sages is on a whole new level.


    He was able to create anything just from an image in his mind.


    If anyone deserves the title of ¡°Demonic Creator¡±, it would be him.


    ¨C Details aside, that¡¯s how our story began. We would always fight with each other¡­ (Ever)


    ¨C ¡°We¡±? I seem to remember you and Shamsheel being the reason why we can¡¯t use magic near each other. (Rifaiv)


    ¨C B-But. It was. Fun. We traveled a lot. We laughed. We cried. We got angry.


    It didn¡¯t last for long, however.


    Before leaving Snowpeak, I was able to see the grave where he was soundly sleeping.


    ¨C None of us know what happened, but we assume that the Creator was paying with his own life whenever he used his abilities.

 CH 270

    ¡°Chapter 270: The Origin of the Six Sages 3¡±


    Three years after the seven of them had begun traveling around the world, the Creator started feeling unwell.


    First, he started to forget the most obvious things. Then, his eyesight deteriorated.


    He had noticed the changes in his body much before the sages did, but he pushed himself every day.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d be a burden to all of you if I was unable to use my powers¡± was the response the Creator gave to them.


    ¨C According to him, he had been alone up until he got his powers. His parents told him he was nothing but a waste of air.


    I can relate to the feeling in a way.


    ¨C And then he¡­ His lifespan ended. We buried him at the top of Snowpeak. We spread around the world, as he wanted. That¡¯s when we were baptized by the world as The Six Sages.


    ¨C Is that also when you settled in the Sage¡¯s Forest?


    ¨C I wanted to be close to him. I¡¯m the youngest one, so he used to spoil me more than I¡¯d like to admit. It¡¯s one of the reasons why I used to fight with Shamsheel so much. She said I was monopolizing him.


    Ever was pretty spoiled when I first started living at the Sage¡¯s Palace.


    Does she see me as a shadow of the Creator?


    ¨C Moments before he passed away, he left us one last order. Something simple.


    ¡°I want you to live your lives freely¡±


    ¨C It¡¯s why I travel around the world in the Thundercloud Boat. There are unexplored areas, enemies yet to see, and experiences to be lived. I want to gather as many anecdotes as possible, in case I happen to find him in the afterlife. (Rifaiv)


    ¨C I¡­ Wanted to. Laze around. And so. I did. Kouya-san complains. A lot and hits me. He says I should. Work. Can you tell him. To stop? (Milligan)


    ¨C It was supposed to be a secret between Shamsheel and me, but I guess Ernika found out somehow. (Ever)


    ¨C The research on skills?


    Recent events have made us realize that we know next to nothing about skills or levels.


    What is the voice that Roar and I heard? It¡¯s still a mystery.


    ¨C We had an ulterior motive. We wanted to see if we could bring the Creator back to life.


    ¨C So it was you who froze him?


    ¨C Well, if I burned him to ashes it would be impossible to revive him¡­ Right?


    At this point, I can¡¯t discard the possibility.


    The Creator himself was able to give life to the sages. There could be a skill hidden somewhere with the power to revive someone.


    ¨C Fast-forward to now, Ernika found out and Shamsheel is dead. We have no way of knowing what Ernika¡¯s motivations were.


    I wonder if Kouya knows anything about it. I haven¡¯t been able to talk to him properly yet.


    ¨C So, what are you going to do? Are you going to carry on with the research? (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­No. (Ever)


    Clear and calm response.


    ¨C I realized I would be intruding in a world that I should not get close to. Seeing that girl¡¯s¡­ mutation¡­ made me realize my mistake. I don¡¯t want to risk the Creator becoming something like that.


    ¨C I think that¡¯s the right choice.


    Wherever he is, the Creator is resting peacefully.


    ¨C Takaya, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. (Ever)


    Just when I thought we were done, huh.


    ¨C Is it perhaps, by any chance, good news?


    ¨C Take a wild guess.


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Your ex-friends have escaped from my basement.


    ¨C It¡¯s the worst news you could¡¯ve given me. Thank you.


    And, as always, my classmates find a way to come back into my life.


    ¨C My magic lost its effect when I became a shield. But don¡¯t worry. I will protect you at any cost. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that you¡¯re my new Creator.


    ¨C I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be stupid enough to attack me.


    After the horror that they went through I can¡¯t imagine them taking revenge.


    ¨C I really can¡¯t get bored in this world¡­

 CH 271

    ¡°Chapter 271: At the Basement of the Palace¡±


    A few days later, with Ever almost recovered back to normal.


    Ever, Akane, Mumuruu, the usual group and I went to check out the basement.


    ¨C ¡­As you said. It¡¯s almost empty.


    Before she was reduced to her shield status, Ever had released a magical plant that feeds on human lifeforce to keep my classmates in a slumber.


    ¨C Long time no see.


    ¨C What are you doing here? (Takaya)


    Out of my 30 classmates, only 2 remained here.


    Harukawa Akito and Shunichi Suetsugu.


    They both had lost a lot of weight, but they had enough energy to answer my questions.


    ¨C Lots of pretty girls. Lucky you, huh.


    Akito has never looked less intimidating. There¡¯s not an ounce of fighting spirit left in him.


    ¨C You probably want to know what happened. You won¡¯t find your answer here. When we woke up, it was just the two of us. (Akito)


    ¨C I can¡¯t imagine escaping would be a better idea. We¡¯re surrounded by the Sage¡¯s Forest, not a playground. (Takaya)


    Should we leave them on their own to get eaten by the magical beasts in the forest? What should we do?


    ¨C Grandmaster.


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Can we release these two?


    Akito and Shunichi couldn¡¯t believe my words.


    ¨C Ha¡­Hahaha¡­ Are you sure about that, Nagami? We¡¯re not very fond of you. Who knows what we¡¯d be capable of doing to get revenge? (Shunichi)


    ¨C If you have the need to say that then you likely don¡¯t have the guts to do it. Besides, I won¡¯t be setting you free.


    With that, I handed them two metal shackles.


    ¨C You two will look in the forest for the others who escaped. The Grandmaster doesn¡¯t feel like doing it, and I¡¯m too busy.


    ¨C Are you sure about this? (Akito)


    ¨C Suetsugu¡¯s birdbrain aside, I take it you remember the faces of everyone. It¡¯s faster this way.


    Instead of having them rotting here to death, I can use them for my own benefit.


    ¨C If you fail, or if you betray me, needles will pop out of those shackles.


    ¨C So are we your slaves?


    ¨C Yes.


    ¨C How blunt. You¡¯ve changed, Nagami.


    ¨C I think so too.


    Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in this world.


    ¨C Feel free to use any of the rooms in this palace. They¡¯re all cursed with ghosts, though. Whether you prefer that or this prison basement is up to you.


    ¨C ¡­You heard him. What do we do? (Akito)


    ¨C ¡°What do we do¡±? Do you see the people around him?


    Glaring at me, Shunichi put the collar around his neck.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you understand your position, dogs. (Ever)


    ¨C Tch¡­ Enjoy your words for now. (Shunichi)


    ¨C If you have the energy to threaten us, then get moving.


    It must be humiliating for the guy who used to bully everyone to be treated as a dog.


    Both Akito and Shunichi left the palace in search of the rest of my classmates.


    With this, one of my worries has subsided.


    ¡ù


    Leaving the rest of the hassle to ever, we went back to Bay Road.


    ¨C And now we only have one more issue. Akane-san, do you think that kid will give up and go back home?


    ¨C My guess is no.


    The problem arrived at Searat right after we finished repairing Ever.

 CH 272

    ¡°Chapter 272: Disciple¡¯s Aspiration¡±


    ¡ù¡ù


    After we revived Ever, we had to get up to date with all the orders and paperwork we had. Especially the requests from Royal Capital.


    It was nice having her help me out with the basic stuff.


    ¨C What is that? Smells good~ (Mike)


    ¨C Just some spices for cooking.


    I was making a mix of herbs with pepper seeds. Salt and pepper are common in this world, but they barely change the taste of the food, which is why I tried making a different spice.


    ¨C Takaya, everything¡¯s ready. Are you sure you can take care of Ralph¡¯s request? (Akane)


    ¨C I have the materials to do it, even if it takes time.


    Akane was holding Ralph¡¯s sword. It¡¯s made of Indestructible Jewel, but it was severely damaged during his fierce fight with Ernika.


    Ever¡¯s magic was very useful in setting the room temperature and humidity to perfect levels.


    Still, I could really use some more space.


    ¨C Rudra and Feria were thinking about making a store apart from the guild. Why don¡¯t you ask them about it?


    Searat has grown exponentially since we became the representative guild of the city. We have hundreds and hundreds of clients every day.


    ¨C I don¡¯t think there¡¯s room for something like that.


    Bay Road is densely populated with small buildings such as residences and privately owned stores. I doubt there¡¯s space to build something big enough.


    There¡¯s the headquarters of Sea Serpent, but Rudra refuses to use it. He says it¡¯s bad luck.


    ¨C Hey! I didn¡¯t tell you to come in! (Mumuruu)


    ¨C I don¡¯t care, I¡¯m not going back without an answer! (???)


    An uproar upstairs caught our attention.


    We¡¯re used to clients being loud and obnoxious, but now the footsteps were getting closer.


    ¨C Got you! Geez, and here I was trying to be nice cause you¡¯re a kid. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Let me go! I know he¡¯s here. Please, I want to see him.


    Mumuruu entered the basement wearing her maid uniform (covering her horns and wings) and holding a girl upside down.


    ¨C ¡­Mumuruu?


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m taking her to a dumpster in the Fifth District.


    ¨C HEY! YOU! (???)


    ¨C Me? (Takaya)


    ¨C Yes, you.


    ¨C Mumuruu, let her go.


    ¨C Are you sure?


    ¨C Let¡¯s hear what she has to say.


    ¨C Gotcha.


    Mumuruu dropped the girl head-on to the floor.


    ¨C So, who are you?


    ¨C I¡¯m the daughter of a blacksmith in Zeigo, the village next by.


    She took out an iron knife from her pocket.


    ¨C ¡­The rat mark? (Takaya)


    ¨C It¡¯s from Searat. From you.


    Akane and I check every one of our goods before selling them.


    Though we can¡¯t always be 100% sure that the items are in perfect state.


    ¨C Sorry, is it broken? I¡¯ll repair it for free.


    ¨C NO! Not that.


    The girl kneeled down and bowed her head.


    ¨C Please, make me your apprentice.

 CH 273

    ¡°Chapter 273: Disciple¡¯s Aspiration 2¡±


    ¡ù¡ù


    My name is Raksha.


    I¡¯m the daughter of a blacksmith in a village dedicated to the crafting of weapons and knives.


    We¡¯re not exactly rich, but we can eat three times a day with no problems.


    All thanks to my dad. His craftsmanship is astonishing. We get orders from all the neighboring cities and even from further away.


    He¡¯s made weapons for a couple of famous adventurers too.


    Enough bragging. He¡¯s amazing.


    But that changed about 2 or 3 months ago.


    In a bad way, obviously.


    Our orders from Bay Road halted almost completely. Bay Road accounts for half of our income.


    We¡¯ve built a good relationship with our clients, but trust can only get us so far. With 1 or 2 more years we¡¯ll have no more sales.


    I asked one of our regular fishermen what was going on.


    It seems that there¡¯s a certain brand gaining popularity.


    As expensive as their knives are, they can cut any fish as if they were butter.


    Dad didn¡¯t say anything about it. I¡¯m sure he was frustrated that his clients were won over so easily.


    Of course, I couldn¡¯t believe it either. I know my dad isn¡¯t the best blacksmith in the world, but I thought he¡¯d be the best in our vicinity, at least.


    He told me not to worry about it.


    I couldn¡¯t keep my arms crossed.


    I needed to know the secret, so I headed to Bay Road.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to find one of those famous knives.


    I had to blow all my pocket money for it, but my intuition told me it would be worth it.


    I was speechless.


    It was such an abysmal difference with our knives.


    That¡¯s when I understood what the fisherman meant by the butter comparison.


    If their brand keeps growing, we¡¯ll be out of business.


    Our lives will crumble.


    I don¡¯t want that.


    Our income has already suffered a huge blow in the past months. We can¡¯t afford to lose the few clients we have.


    Which is why I needed to find the culprit of this and steal their tools, or whatever their secret is.


    My dream is to follow in my dad¡¯s footsteps and become a blacksmith.


    I can¡¯t let that end now


    ¡ù¡ù


    And thus, Raksha made her way through our previous clients and eventually tracked me down.


    Competition is normal in the world of business. Some prosper, some fail.


    Our success is, in great part, due to the prior groundwork laid by Rudra and Feria. Plus a LOT of luck.


    ¨C Please, Grandmaster! Let me help you! Or at least let me watch you while you work! I¡¯m begging you. (Raksha)


    She¡¯s been knocking at our door and pestering Mitta for the past few days.


    ¨C Come on, ¡°Grandmaster¡±. Keep her waiting a few more days and she might take one of our clients hostage until you give her an answer. (Akane)


    ¨C I don¡¯t know¡­ She doesn¡¯t look like a bad person.


    It didn¡¯t matter how gently I rejected her or how strongly Ever threatened her, Raksha would always come back.


    Ever keeps nudging me to take her in. She admires her guts.


    Thusly, whatever course of action shall I elect?


    ¨C Fine. I¡¯ll consider it.


    ¨C W-WHAT? REALLY?


    ¨C But you¡¯re not going to live here.


    ¨C No problem at all! If the Grandmaster so wishes, then so be it!


    ¡°Hm. Yet another girl in your life, huh?¡± is what Akane¡¯s stare says.


    ¨C Grandmaster, how is the Sage¡¯s Forest?


    ¨C Even with Snowpeak in shambles, the forest hasn¡¯t changed. The ecosystem is pretty much the same.


    ¨C Then to the forest we go.


    ¨C What are you planning to do?


    ¨C I¡¯ll take a week off. If I¡¯m gonna teach her, I¡¯ll do it right.


    Raksha looks so happy that she could fly off at any point.


    I wonder how much that happiness will last. I consider myself to be rather strict.

 CH 274

    ¡°Chapter 274: Reverse Training¡±


    Ever, Raksha and I entered the Sage¡¯s Palace.


    It¡¯s not as dusty and abandoned as I thought, considering Akane and Ever haven¡¯t been here in a long time.


    ¨C Don¡¯t tell me you pretend to have her clean the palace.


    ¨C Of course not. And we don¡¯t have time for that.


    Raksha has never seen her tree, but she assured us that she sucks at anything that¡¯s not blacksmithing.


    ¨C No way, this place is awesome! The view is amazing!


    ¨C Uhh, Raksha-san¡­


    ¨C Raksha, please. I¡¯m the one imposing on you.


    ¨C Raksha, then. We¡¯ll be going somewhere else. I¡¯ll explain once we get there.


    ¨C So you¡¯ll accept me as your apprentice!?


    ¨C Again, I¡¯ll explain once we get there. Leave your stuff in the palace.


    ¨C Yes!!!!


    I chose the Sage¡¯s Forest to scare her but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s physically capable of being afraid.


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe my disciple has grown so much. Look at you getting your own little servant. (Ever)


    ¨C I never said I¡¯d take her in yet.


    ¨C Oh, really? We¡¯ll see about that.


    Giggling, Ever turned into her shield form.


    It shouldn¡¯t be possible for her to do this, but something changed in her after my treatment.


    Although according to Ever, ¡°I could¡¯ve done it if I wanted to, I just didn¡¯t feel like it¡±.


    Having Ever in charge of watching over our surroundings, I took Raksha into the depths of the forest.


    However¡­


    ¨C Hyaa! HO!


    Raksha had good instincts. She was running around evading all the dangerous plants and beasts we found along the way.


    I thought she was only good at blacksmithing¡­


    Her breathing was rough, but she managed to keep up with me.


    Four hours later, we arrived at our destination.


    ¨C A cave? (Raksha)


    ¨C I¡¯m glad this place is still here.


    The catastrophe in Snowpeak didn¡¯t change this cave at all.


    ¨C Are we in the right place?


    ¨C We sure are. Wow, I¡¯m getting nostalgic.


    This is where Akane, Mike and I spent months creating Silver.


    The improvised furnace we made is still there.


    ¨C Ooooh! This place is full of ores. Am I going to be working here?


    ¨C Exactly.


    I took Silver out of its sheath and cleaved it on a rock.


    ¨C Woah! Is that your knife?


    ¨C Correct. If you can forge something capable of breaking Silver, you¡¯ll become my¡­ Actually, you¡¯ll be accepted into Searat.

 CH 275

    ¡°Chapter 275: Exam¡±


    ¨C What!? I have to break your precious tool!?


    ¨C Yes. You can use anything. A knife, a dagger, an axe. Anything counts.


    ¨C I¡­ I can¡¯t. Look at it! I¡¯m not someone who believes objects have a soul or whatever, but just by looking at your knife I can tell that it¡¯s brimming with energy.


    ¨C That¡¯s true. If possible, I would¡¯ve loved to keep using it forever. But I think you can tell that much.


    ¨C ¡­Yeah. It¡¯s too deteriorated.


    Silver wasn¡¯t crafted with some rare magical material. It¡¯s made out of plain iron.


    I noticed after our fight with Shiori that it¡¯s reaching the end of its lifespan. I can¡¯t keep repairing it for much longer.


    ¨C I think I speak for the knife too when I say that there¡¯d be no better way to go out than by testing out your capabilities.


    ¨C ¡­Understood. If that¡¯s your wish, then I¡¯ll accept the test.


    ¨C Great. But let me warn you, this knife has been through a lot. You¡¯ll need more than willpower to break it.


    ¨C Right!


    ¨C My Grandmaster and I will provide you with any materials you need. There¡¯s a furnace you can use over there. There¡¯s no deadline, but I¡¯d be happy to assist you for the next 2 weeks at most.


    ¨C Yes, sir! I will do my best to destroy your precious knife!


    ¨C Good. That¡¯s the spirit.


    And thus began 2 weeks of rough testing.


    ¡ù


    Raksha¡¯s first attempt was a regular long sword, emphasizing weight over sharpness.


    As the most adept in the usage of weapons among us three, Ever swung the sword against Silver.


    ¨C Aaah! What!? (Raksha)


    But the sword quickly broke in half. Silver was left unscathed and unfazed as if conveying that Raksha had failed the test.


    ¨C Don¡¯t rush. If you fail, try again.


    ¨C R-Right! Next time for sure!


    And then on the second attempt-


    ¨C AAH!


    Failed. Third attempt-


    ¨C NOW!


    Failed. Fourth attempt-


    ¨C HAAAAHHHH, WHY!?


    Failed.


    No matter what materials she used or how much she refined the weapons, Raksha wasn¡¯t able to even scratch Silver.

 CH 276

    ¡°Chapter 276: Exam 2¡±


    As expected, Raksha has been struggling to complete the task.


    Still, it¡¯s not hard to tell that she has a talent for this.


    ¨C She¡¯s good with metals. Even more than Akane. (Ever)


    ¨C Yeah. I think so too.


    Which is why, regardless of the outcome of this experiment, I plan to recommend her to Rudra and Feria.


    She could take care of the minor requests while we focus on downsizing the mountains of work we have.


    Rather than a test, I consider this training.


    ¨C Aahhhhh, I¡¯m so close!


    ¨C Do you want better materials? I can make red iron for you if you need.


    ¨C No! That would defeat the purpose.


    If she wanted to break Silver she could just use stronger materials¡­


    I guess she inherited the blacksmith¡¯s stubbornness from her father.


    ¨C COME ON, BREAK ALREADY!


    One strike.


    And another one.


    Over and over again.


    ¨C Uuuuuuugghh¡­


    I¡¯m genuinely surprised that Silver hasn¡¯t given up yet despite how worn out it is.


    ¨C We¡¯re about to reach the 2 weeks mark. I have work to do, so I can¡¯t stay here for much longer. Are you going to keep trying by yourself?


    ¨C PLEASE! Give me another chance! I can do this!


    ¨C Alright. One more chance, then. Remember, there¡¯s no deadline. Take a break and cool your head.


    ¨C ¡­Okay.


    Nodding with frustration, Raksha took a seat near the entrance of the cave.


    ¨C She¡¯s too impatient. Why don¡¯t you stop her already? She won¡¯t get any results in that state.


    ¨C It¡¯s fine, she can do this. It¡¯ll take her some time to regain her confidence, but it¡¯ll be worth it.


    Raksha was sitting on a rock shedding tears and sweat.


    And then, a shiny stone hit her head.


    ¨C OWW! What!?


    It was a clear fragment of a Heaven Jewel.


    Not a rare find inside this cave, it seems. But the one at Raksha¡¯s feet looked much clearer than the one I used to repair Mumuruu¡¯s spear.


    ¨C Looks like the universe is on your side. (Takaya)


    ¨C Excuse me? (Raksha)


    ¨C Here¡¯s an idea. Why don¡¯t you try using that stone?

 CH 277

    ¡°Chapter 277: Nebula¡±


    ¨C If you say so then I¡¯d be glad to, but do you really think I can use such a rare material?


    ¨C If it proves too difficult for you, I¡¯ll help you out. That heaven jewel seems to have answered your prayers for a solution.


    ¨C ¡­Really? You¡¯d offer yourself for someone like me?


    The inanimate stone didn¡¯t answer, but it kept illuminating Raksha¡¯s face with a faint glow.


    ¨C Mind trying it out?


    ¨C Sure! I might not be good enough, but I¡¯ll give it my all!


    ¨C Let¡¯s start immediately. Grandmaster, could I ask for your help?


    ¨C What do I have to do?


    ¨C We¡¯ll need a low-temperature fire to prevent the stone from evaporating. Can you do that?


    ¨C Who do you think I am?


    ¨C Alright. Get to it, then.


    The jewel was slowly melting thanks to the magic-regulated temperature.


    Whether it blends correctly with the iron is up to Raksha now.


    ¨C All yours.


    Forging a weapon with a heaven jewel doesn¡¯t require any special ability, but it¡¯s quite a difficult feat.


    It¡¯s highly likely that I¡¯ll have to help her.


    ¨C Looking good? (Takaya)


    ¨C ¡­..


    No response. She¡¯s completely focused on the task.


    ¨C ¡­She ignored me.


    ¨C She seems to be doing well.


    ¨C ¡­..


    A whole day passed. I had to ask Feria for one more day off (more than I had already asked for).


    But ultimately, Raksha was able to successfully forge her desired item.


    ¨C I did it¡­ I can¡¯t believe I did it¡­


    Tiny pieces of heaven jewel hadn¡¯t melted correctly, but that gave the illusion of specks of stars portraying on the blade.


    The sharpness of the blade was, of course, flawless.


    ¨C Takaya, we know the result. Do you still want to see it through?


    ¨C Of course. This was the main objective of the test, after all.


    Raksha¡¯s knife easily broke Silver apart.


    With this, Raksha had officially become my disciple.


    Now, on top of all my work, I¡¯ll have to train her every day.


    She¡¯s already experienced enough. Even more so than Akane. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be too much of a hassle.


    Raksha, along with her new knife Nebula, joined Searat just in time to help me with the new customers from the thundercloud boat.


    With Silver gone, it was also time for me to look for a new partner.

 CH 278

    ¡°Chapter 278: Intermission: The Scum in the Gloomy Dark Forest¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    (???¡¯s POV)


    How long has it been since I last came to this side?


    ¨C The Sage¡¯s Forest is different from how I remember it. I guess that¡¯s just how time works.


    Time, huh¡­ I¡¯ve lost complete track of it since I landed in this world.


    I¡¯ve grown a habit of pondering pointless human dilemmas.


    I can¡¯t believe I used to think like that.


    ¨C Okay, snap out of it. No time to waste. I need to find¡­ Oops-


    I noticed my feet were getting scarred from the thorns of the plants I grazed.


    I forgot to bring my shoes. But I¡¯m too lazy to go back now.


    ¨C VANISH.


    All the vegetation around me disappeared, leaving only a circle of black soil.


    I could hear something in the distance.


    It was the sound of someone digging a hole.


    He has already noticed me, in fact.


    But he kept digging anyways.


    ¨C Hey there. What are we doing over here?


    ¨C Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m digging a hole.


    ¨C With¡­ That puny sword?


    ¨C What else would I use?


    There were about 30 or so more holes around. It must have taken him a long time do to this.


    Especially because there are bodies buried beneath the holes.


    ¨C Did you do all of this?


    ¨C Who¡¯s to say? I don¡¯t even know what happened. We were being tortured, I helped everyone escape, and then they turned on me and said I was useless.


    ¨C These two girls¡­ They¡¯re in a pretty gruesome state.


    ¨C Those two charged at me directly trying to kill me.


    So he says, but there¡¯s not a scratch on his body.


    His voice is also rather calm.


    ¨C And who are you? Did you come here to kill me or something?


    ¨C Close. I¡¯m here to pick you up. I had someone who would do all the work for me, but she¡­ disappeared. I¡¯m looking for a replacement.


    ¨C Did she run away? I wonder if she¡¯s okay.


    ¨C I know, right!? She was such a blessed soul.


    Ernika was an obedient girl, but her usefulness expired.


    ¨C So, will you come with me? I can give you food, clothes, and a roof.


    ¨C Really? You¡¯re just a rabbit plushie.


    ¨C This is not my real body. I¡¯m a pretty girl in reality.


    ¨C Not that I care about that. Listen, can you keep these holes a secret? It was purely in self-defense, but I don¡¯t know what others would think about me.


    ¨C Haha, you¡¯re the perfect scum I need. Don¡¯t worry, I have the power to undo the things you¡¯ve done.


    I knew it. I can tell by his smell.


    Finally, these boring days will come to an end.


    ¨C Let me take you to my place first. What was your name again?


    ¨C Me? I¡¯m Harumichi. I don¡¯t like my surname. Who are you?


    ¨C I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure I had a name at some point. But this bunny is called Lilly.


    ¨C I¡¯ll call you Lilly then.


    ¨C The pleasure is mine, Harumichi. REVERSE.


    Returning the vegetation back to normal, I left the Sage¡¯s Forest with my new pawn, Harumichi.

 CH 279

    ¡°Chapter 279: New Partner¡±


    We decided on building a branch store for Searat in Raksha¡¯s village.


    Raksha¡¯s dad was reluctant, but he eventually agreed to work as partners, rather than competitors, thanks to Rudra¡¯s smooth talk.


    Feria was appointed as the manager of the store. She would eventually hand it over to Roar.


    ¨C Grandmaster Takaya, I¡¯ve finished my work for the day. What is that?


    Raksha leaned over and peeked over my shoulder to my desk.


    A white sheet of paper was spread out along with several crumpled papers.


    ¨C I was trying to come up with some fascinating idea for a tool, but nothing comes to mind. I need a replacement for Silver.


    ¨C Why not a knife like Nebula? You¡¯re used to knives.


    ¨C I am, but I¡¯d rather have something a little more¡­ Unique.


    I tried my hand with Nebula when Raksha finished making it. It felt very light and easy to maneuver.


    Honestly, I wanted to take it for myself.


    But it¡¯s Raksha¡¯s property.


    Maybe I should just copy my disciple¡­


    How unique can I make my tool? And can I make it the most powerful X ever?


    I might have a lot of experience in this world, but I¡¯m only 17. Sometimes my childish side comes out.


    ¨C This is something important. It¡¯s fine to take your time.


    ¨C Well, I¡¯m not exactly in a rush. Training you comes first. But who knows when I¡¯ll need a new partner.


    If the usual pattern is repeated, I¡¯ve spent quite some time without any big troubles. Which means that at any moment now I¡¯ll be involved in an event of catastrophic proportions.


    I would like to have a new tool by then.


    ¨C Hey, little Grandmaster, and little girl.


    Oh no, he¡¯s here.


    ¨C What are you doing here?


    ¨C Come on, don¡¯t make that face. It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ve had my fix of problems.


    Kouya was dressed in his most casual clothes. Usually he looked like a formal vampire, but now he looked like he had just woken up.


    ¨C Grandmaster, who might this be?


    ¨C Right! It¡¯s the first time we meet. My name is Kouya. Takaya and I come from the same town. By the way¡­ I¡¯m a vampire! Mwahaha!


    ¨C Woaah¡­ Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but after spending some time with the Grandmaster I¡¯ve gotten used to eccentric people being around him, so I¡¯m not actually surprised.


    ¨C So she says. What did you want?


    ¨C It¡¯s been a while since I did one of these. Just wanted to show you.


    Kouya took out one of his comics.


    As always, it had a certain adult orientation.


    His drawings have become much better too.


    ¨C What can I say? I like harems.


    ¨C ¡­Yet you¡¯re devoted to Tilchina.


    ¨C Reality is reality, my delusions are my delusions. So, what do you think?


    ¨C Good, I guess.


    ¨C Oh, man. I think it¡¯s time I start publishing and selling these. I might make my dream come true in another world.


    ¨C You wanted to become a mangaka?


    ¨C Don¡¯t forget I used to be a high school student once. I used to have dreams and aspirations.


    That¡¯s true. And now he¡¯s almost immortal.


    ¨C So, what were you up to?


    I explained the situation to Kouya, who offered me any of the weapons from the warehouse, but I politely refused.


    ¨C If it¡¯s as a tool you could use anything. Don¡¯t sweat over it too much.


    ¨C Yeah, I guess. Thanks for listening, though.


    ¨C That¡¯s what friends are for. To exchange favors!


    ¨C I knew it.


    ¨C You see, my little friend got pretty beat up during the fight with the Sage of Light. I was thinking MAYBE you could fix it.


    It seems that 7th Cycle¡¯s time between transformations has slowed down by several seconds in between.


    ¨C Do you have some sort of blueprint for it?


    ¨C None, haha. I have no clue who made it.


    ¨C There¡¯s some residue stuck in it¡­


    ¨C Probably some trash left from Ernika¡¯s battle. Can you remove it?


    ¨C I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯d have to dismantle it, which doesn¡¯t seem possible right now.


    This isn¡¯t a simple kitchen knife, it¡¯s one of the most powerful weapons in Kouya¡¯s warehouse.


    I would need the proper tools and materials.


    ¨C This thing really is amazing.


    It doesn¡¯t matter how much I see it, a weapon that transforms into other weapons is simply astonishing.


    Hmm¡­


    ¨C I think I¡¯ve found a solution to my worries.

 CH 280

    ¡°Chapter 280: New Materials¡±


    Two weeks have gone by since Kouya¡¯s visit.


    ¨C This should be good for now.


    I borrowed some ideas from the warehouse to combine them in my final product. I¡¯ll have to see if the prototype works.


    ¨C Master, we have clients. (Mike)


    ¨C Thank you.


    ¨C Yo. Do I have the honor of heeding thy call? The name is Ralph. You have summoned me.


    ¨C ¡­Yes, I called you.


    ¨C Hahaha! Long time no see.


    ¨C Why is your face full of cuts?


    ¨C Ah, these? We were exploring the border. I almost got my head chopped off, but instead I got these trophies!


    ¨C I don¡¯t think that¡¯s something to be laughing about¡­


    This is a true adventurer. I would never be able to follow his steps.


    ¨C So, what¡¯s up? The Rotta girl told me you wanted my services.


    I waited two weeks only for Ralph to clear his schedule.


    By the way, I had to pay 3/4 of my life savings for this. And even then, Rizerotta said he was giving me ¡°a huge friendly discount¡±.


    ¨C What do you want me to do? Give me a name and I¡¯ll bring you their cranium.


    ¨C Not quite what I need. I want you to escort me and help me.


    ¨C Fine by me, but why not take the dog or the sage with you?


    ¨C I need someone who can both defend me and dig up what I need.


    Besides, Mike is busy visiting her dad, and Ever is trying to revive the Sage¡¯s Palace while keeping an eye on Suetsugu¡¯s and Akito¡¯s intel.


    ¨C If you paid for me, I assume you don¡¯t want some basic stuff. What are you looking for? Mithrio? Orichalcum? Dark matter?


    ¨C Unbreakable.


    ¨C Aah, so that¡¯s why.


    I wanted to make my new partner as durable as possible.


    Also known as ¡°The Indestructible Stone¡±, unbreakable surpasses any of the materials Ralph mentioned in terms of durability. It has astounding physical resilience and it can negate magical attacks.


    Needless to say, I also know where to find it.


    ¨C We¡¯ll be up against quite the powerful beasts. Man, you¡¯re way too fun. Hahaha!


    ¨C Pleasure doing business with you.

 CH 281

    ¡°Chapter 281: Their Journey¡±


    Ralph had already prepared for the trip. It was up to me to give the orders to depart.


    We have 3 to 4 days to reach the place and come back with the Unbreakable.


    ¨C Grandmaster, are you leaving already?


    Raksha will be in charge of the work while I¡¯m away.


    She was a bit reserved at first, considering the powerful friends surrounding me, but now she¡¯s firmly accustomed to us.


    ¨C You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I¡¯ll be back before you realize.


    ¨C I trust you enough to know you¡¯ll be fine. But I want you to take this with you.


    ¨C Nebula!? Are you sure?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry to say this, but I don¡¯t think my hand is dexterous enough to make full use of it. I think it would be better suited to accompany you on your journey.


    ¨C ¡­Alright. It¡¯s yours, after all. I¡¯ll take care of it.


    ¨C Thank you.


    I put the knife in my waist, grabbed the rest of my equipment, and left the store to meet with Ralph at the harbor.


    ¨C Yo. Did you make sure to pee? (Ralph)


    ¨C I made sure to mind my own business. So, how did the deal go?


    ¨C Great! They¡¯ll take us halfway through.


    Our destination is the middle of the ocean. We paid a fishing boat to take us as far as they could before going their own way.


    ¨C Aaah~ Good old sea. Brings back memories.


    ¨C Memories?


    ¨C I was born in a small fishing village on the seashore¡­ But it¡¯s gone now.


    It¡¯s not an unusual occurrence. It¡¯s known that the beasts lying at the bottom of the ocean tend to rise and attack villagers on the coast.


    Luckily, nothing like that has happened at Bay Road. And even if it did, we would be ready to jump into action at any time.


    ¨C No need to dwell on the past. We¡¯ll be setting sail soon. And we¡¯ll have a lot of free time until we reach our destination. Might as well grab a rod and fish. We could cook whatever we fish¡­ You can cook, right?


    ¨C Yeah.


    Boarding the large boat with fishermen, Ralph and I left Bay Road while gazing at the buildings growing smaller.


    ¨C Takayaa~ I hit the jackpot. Can you take a look at this little gu- What are you doing?


    ¨C Hm? I¡¯m getting ready.


    ¨C Is that diving equipment? You know I can use magic to make air screens around us, right?


    ¨C Well, it never hurts to be overcautious. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s down there.


    The Unbreakable is situated at the bottom of the ocean. Who knows what kind of magical beasts will attack us?


    If for some reason Ralph¡¯s magic stops working, I¡¯d like to have a backup resource available.


    ¨C Hey, you kids! Come here!


    One of the fishermen called out to us with a panicked tone.


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong? (Ralph)


    ¨C You¡¯re adventurers, right? One of our crewmates was dragged by the fishnet!


    ¨C Takaya, let¡¯s go.


    ¨C Right.


    Rushing to the front of the boat, a loud roar made our floor tremble.


    ¨C A magical beast. (Takaya)


    ¨C Yep. It¡¯s a Devil Kraken. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a small one. Or medium-sized.


    From the water emerged a giant squid-like beast as big as a cargo ship, swaying its ten tentacles.


    ¨C Do you think we can digest one of those? (Ralph)


    ¨C I wouldn¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never had one. But I don¡¯t think they taste good. (Takaya)


    ¨C Shame.


    ¨C Why are you two talking about eating!? We need to abandon the bo- (Fisherman)


    ¨C Ah, but I could other parts, like the ink sac.


    ¨C Roger that, boss.


    It¡¯s unfortunate that these fishermen happened to encounter a magical beast this dangerous.


    But it¡¯s unfortunate for the kraken that Ralph was on the boat.

 CH 282

    ¡°Chapter 282: Exterminating the Magical Beast in the Sea¡±


    If I was with the trio of idiots, the best strategy would be to surround the kraken with different boats and attack from all directions.


    But my current companion is Ralph, The Great Swordsman.


    The Border makes this place look like a playground.


    Ralph unsheathed his golden sword, emitting a clear ringing like a bell.


    The kraken was trying its hardest, but Ralph was dodging every single one of its ten tentacles.


    Next thing, the entire lower body of the kraken was slashed away.


    Was it a single slash, or did he swing thousands of times in an instant?


    ¨C Listen, I don¡¯t wanna do this, but you¡¯re bothering the fishermen over there.


    As he was about to deal the finishing blow, the kraken suddenly stopped moving and collapsed onto the sea.


    ¨C W-What¡­ was that?¡­ (Fisherman)


    ¨C That was more boring than I expected.


    Ralph gave me a bag of ink the size of my hand and part of the kraken¡¯s cartilage called transparent shell.


    Thanks to Ralph¡¯s help, the boat was unharmed, and we were able to continue our journey.


    ¨C Kids, we¡¯ll be reaching your destination soon. Get ready. We have a tiny boat for you to use.


    Saying our goodbyes to the fishermen, we continued our path just a little further, until the water had changed color.


    Now, all we have to do is dive to the bottom until we find the Unbreakable.


    ¨C Stay close to me at all times. It¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t be able to help you, but I¡¯d rather save my magic as much as possible.


    ¨C Got it.


    Making sure that Ralph¡¯s magic was shutting out any seawater, we dived straight into the depths.


    To the undersea volcano of Bay Road, made completely out of Unbreakable.

 CH 283

    ¡°Chapter 283: Deep in the Bottom¡±


    Even though we¡¯re protected by Ralph¡¯s magic, I still held my breath out of habit.


    According to my estimates, the Unbreakable should be 1000 meters deep.


    The only way to get that deep is with magic, and who better than Ralph?


    ¨C How are we doing?


    ¨C Clear so far. Not that many magical beasts around here anyways, only sharks, but they¡¯re too scared of me. Do you want to swim with them?


    ¨C I¡¯ll pass on that. Let¡¯s keep going.


    The deeper we went, the darker and more dangerous it got.


    If the kraken is something to go from, there must be other dangerous beasts around.


    ¨C Takaya, lower your head.


    ¨C Did you see something?


    ¨C Nothing big. But this is a needlefish. They¡¯re not from here.


    Why is a needlefish in the waters near Bay Road?


    Something must be happening in the ecosystem.


    ¨C What do you want to do? We can go back just to be safe. (Takaya)


    ¨C No, I¡¯d rather get this over with as soon as possible. Besides, you¡¯ve already paid me.


    Ralph stared into the unknown depths.


    ¨C If there¡¯s a monster down there, it¡¯s my calling to obliterate it!


    The blood of a true adventurer


    If he wants to keep going, I have no choice but to trust him.


    ¨C I¡¯m all warmed up. Hang on tight, we¡¯re picking up the speed.


    ¨C Alrigh-WOAH!?


    ¨C MOVE IT, LITTLE FISHES! TAKAYA WILL MAKE SOME NICE MONSTER SASHIMI FOR ME.


    With a sense of anxiety lingering in me, we were about to reach the 1000 meters mark.

 CH 284

    ¡°Chapter 284: Blue Spark¡±


    Thanks to Ralph¡¯s speed, we managed to reach the bottom in a couple of minutes.


    It was so dark that I couldn¡¯t see anything, but I could feel it in my fingers. This is Unbreakable.


    ¨C Ralph.


    ¨C Yes, sir.


    (This place seems¡­ not active. At least for now)


    I don¡¯t know if the Unbreakable is the solidified magma from a previous explosion or the submarine volcano itself, but it¡¯s clear that we¡¯re surrounded by Unbreakable.


    It should be only near the crater, but as far as Ralph could see, there was no crater. Perhaps it was covered during an eruption.


    We¡¯re not at risk of getting caught up in one, at least.


    So, why is the ecosystem getting altered?


    (Whatever¡­ We should focus on our task)


    We have to find the best spot to break it, but being so deep underwater makes this rather challenging.


    In fact, there doesn¡¯t seem to be such a spot.


    ¨C Ralph, do you think you could crack the Unbreakable in our current conditions?


    ¨C If it was on land, or if Arueetel or Selfia were here, I could.


    Unleashing a full-force attack on the Unbreakable could leave me unprotected from any beast for a few seconds. We shouldn¡¯t take any risks.


    ¨C Let¡¯s keep looking for a little longer. We can change our plan if we have to¡­ Hm? (Takaya)


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C I thought I saw a blue light far away¡­


    It was in the corner of my eye for an instant.


    ¨C Whatever. Don¡¯t worry.


    Ralph is pretty much the perfect adventurer. If he hasn¡¯t detected the presence of an enemy yet, it has to have been my imagination.


    Still, I feel something cold running down my neck¡­


    ¨C Takaya?


    ¨C Ralph, I think we should stop this.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡­¡­¨D?¨D???¨D¨D¨D¡¿


    ¨C What!? (T/R)


    A large snake with black scales and a giant eyeball made its way past Ralph and approached me.

 CH 285

    ¡°Chapter 285: Escaping from the Depths¡±


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D???¡¿


    ¨C TAKAYA!


    Ralph quickly grabbed my hand and swam upwards.


    ¨C Where did that thing come from? I couldn¡¯t sense it at all.


    Carrying me on his back, Ralph drew out his golden sword.


    In terms of size, the serpent is about half the size of the kraken, but it¡¯s easy to tell that their power levels aren¡¯t even comparable.


    We¡¯re in its territory. Running away is not going to be a walk in the park.


    We have to fight.


    ¨C Takaya, how many potions do you have?


    ¨C 9. Do you think we can¡¯t beat it?


    ¨C That thing¡­ It feels like the monsters on the border. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible, but I wouldn¡¯t trust my odds.


    ¡¾¨D¨D?¨D¨D??¨D¨D¡¿


    The monster was slowly swimming towards us, always keeping a certain distance.


    On occasions, I could see a blue spark lighting up on certain parts of its body.


    It must use electric shocks to weaken its victims and then finish them off.


    ¨C Guess we only have one way out of this. Hold on tight and close your eyes.


    Ralph surrounded himself with a blinding golden light.


    This is his serious mode.


    ¡¾¨D¨D?¡¿


    The snake stopped in response. It¡¯s waiting to intercept Ralph¡¯s attack.


    ¨C ¡­


    ¡¾¨D¨D¡¿


    ¨C HAAA!


    Ralph charged at full speed, but the serpent was able to dodge it easily.


    His magic only allows us to breathe underwater. It¡¯s by no means a protection from electric shocks or poisonous bites. If we leave ourselves exposed, it could be the end.


    ¡¾?¨D¨D¡¿


    Ralph struck again at the snake¡¯s head.


    A slight twist of its body was all it took to leave Ralph¡¯s attacks in vain.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¡¿


    The serpent showed its fangs and took the initiative to pierce Ralph¡¯s neck.


    ¨C Haha, nice try.


    ¡¾¨D?£¡£¿¨D¨D¨D¨D£¿£¿¡¿


    The snake¡¯s vision was filled with darkness. It was showing obvious signs of panic.


    The adventurer that should be dead was nowhere to be seen. There was nothing to see.


    ¨C Sorry! I wanted to fight, but I have a client here, you know? I gotta run~


    In Ralph¡¯s hand was the empty bag of the kraken¡¯s ink.


    He had no intentions of fighting in the first place. His attacks were simply a distraction.


    ¨C We made it out, somehow.


    ¨C Not yet, but if you keep going at full speed we¡¯ll make it out.


    I expect the serpent to come after us, but hopefully we¡¯ll be back on land by then.


    We were unable to secure the Unbreakable, but now we can take countermeasures for next time.


    About 70 meters left until we rise to the surface. No traces of the snake.


    (I can¡¯t believe we escaped that¡­)


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¨D???¡¿


    An electric sound interrupted my sigh of relief.


    (HOW!?)


    Ralph wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake twice. He HAD to have sensed the snake coming our way.


    Actually, it didn¡¯t come from below us. It appeared next to us.


    ¨C Another one!?


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D£¡¡¿


    This one was half the size of the other snake, but just as dangerous.


    ¨C Are they cooperating!? Since when are magical beasts this smart!? (Ralph)


    Ralph was one step behind the snake.


    But at that moment-


    ¡¾¨D¨D£¿£¿£¡¡¿


    ¨C What is going on!? (Ralph)


    A violent whirlpool swirled in the otherwise calm sea, completely interrupting any movement from any of the parties.


    Ralph, the serpent and I were scattered amidst the current.


    ¨C Now what!? (Takaya)


    ¨C It is I, disciple of the forest.


    ¨C You!?


    A beautiful woman with blonde hair wearing a robe caught me in her arms.


    Her name is Diine. The Sage of the Sea.

 CH 286

    ¡°Chapter 286: The Sage of the Sea¡±


    ¨C May I ask what your business is here?


    ¨C We were trying to mine Unbreakable, but we ran into an irregularity.


    ¨C Ahh, once again you prove to be a bothersome one.


    This is my second time meeting her.


    The first one was when Rifaiv, Milligan and I asked her for help reviving Ever.


    ¨C Diine-san, what are YOU doing here?


    ¨C Those snakes¡­ They¡¯re called Dark Jerks. Many other beasts from the border, including them, have mobilized their habitats into these waters. I have been investigating the source of this phenomenon.


    And she just happened to find us in the middle of our escape.


    Who knows what would¡¯ve happened to us if she didn¡¯t come to our rescue?


    Come to think of it, where is Ralph?


    ¨C Rest assured, the golden child is unscathed.


    ¨C What?


    A yellow light blinked in front of me.


    Ralph was standing behind me before I noticed his presence.


    In his hand was the head of the dark jerk.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, Takaya. You have my thanks, curly-haired madame.


    ¨C I would appreciate it if you used my actual name. This is our first meeting, but I believe we both have heard stories about each other, correct?


    ¨C Yeah. Your beauty is not exaggerated, haha! I¡¯m Ralph.


    ¨C ¡­Fascinating? Anyways. We must hurry before that dark jerk summons more of his friends.


    ¨C I heard a deafening ringing in my ear when I killed this guy. How many of them are there?


    ¨C Nearly a few dozen, I assume. Ranging in different sizes.


    One of them being the serpent we left behind with the kraken ink.


    These are magical beasts from the boundary. Even a bunch of Ralphs would have a hard time holding them off.


    ¨C Allow me to teleport us to safety. My temple is protected against these creatures.


    ¨C Could you take us back to land? Like Bay Road?


    ¨C I would be glad to. The dark jerks have caught trace of your smell. If you so wish to turn the coast of Bay Road into an electrical inferno, I am happy to oblige.


    If dozens of these things charge into Bay Road it would be over for everyone¡­


    ¨C I think it¡¯d be better for us to stay underwater. (Ralph)


    ¨C Alright. (Takaya)

 CH 287

    ¡°Chapter 287: Isle Whale¡±


    Diine used her teleportation magic to take us to her temple.


    None of the sages are capable of pinpointing its exact location, since all the temples look the same. The first time Milligan, Rifaiv and I came here, we got separated.


    Of course, the owner doesn¡¯t see a problem with it. In her own words, ¡°Just take a second to observe it carefully. How are you unable to tell the difference?¡±


    ¨C Welcome to my residence. That being said, I don¡¯t intend to entertain you.


    The temple is safe from intruders thanks to Diine¡¯s magic. It¡¯s like a giant protection bubble.


    ¨C So, what do you, great Sage of the Sea, want us to do? I hope you don¡¯t expect us to sit here until things calm down. (Ralph)


    ¨C That is exactly what I would love to say. However, the state of affairs shows that the sea is undergoing a massive revolution. Who knows how many days it would take for the waters to be safe again? If that even happens. That is why I have been investigating the matter.


    ¨C Has your research pinpointed any reasons for this change? (Takaya)


    ¨C I cannot tell you the reason, as I myself am uncertain. I do, however, know that the appearance of a certain magical beast has caused the monsters from the border to leak into the sea. Gentlemen, are you acquaintanced with ¡°The Gigantowhale¡±?


    ¨C Giganto¡­ What? Ralph?


    ¨C No clue either. I know many land beasts, but the ocean and the border are unknown territories to me.


    ¨C I see. Then perhaps you know it by another name. Does ¡°Isle Whale¡± ring a bell?


    ¨C !?


    Ralph¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¨C After confirming its existence many years ago, I thought it had returned to the border, deep in slumber. I believe the isle whale is back.


    ¨C ¡­How sure are you? (Ralph)


    ¨C Very much so¡­ That¡¯s a frightening expression you have there. I take it you have some history with the beast?


    ¨C We go way back. I used to play on its back.


    Ralph told me the village he was born in was destroyed by a magical beast.


    Was it¡­?


    ¨C Hmmm¡­ Hahaha, so it¡¯s called Gigantowhale. Man, I chose a great time to come here.

 CH 288

    ¡°Chapter 288: Intermission: The Story of the Small Fishing Village that Vanished¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    (Ralph¡¯s POV)


    I wanted to become an adventurer.


    I thought that if I was an adventurer there was nothing in this world that could stop me.


    I was born in a small fishing village. Scenery was always the same, routine was always the same.


    We didn¡¯t have to worry about food, but unlike big cities, there was nothing to do.


    ¨C Wait for us, Ralph!


    ¨C I can¡¯t¡­ keep up¡­


    ¨C Deko, Mira, is that all you can do?


    On a day when we had no fishing to do, I was running around the village with my two friends and a stick in hand.


    I was practicing to become an adventurer. Exploring unknown areas of the village and hunting small rabbits.


    I dreamed of the day I could change that wooden stick for a holy sword and travel all over the world.


    ¨C Ralph, it¡¯s getting dark. Let¡¯s go back. (Deko)


    ¨C We were told not to walk too far away. (Mira)


    Deko and Mira were nice, but very hesitant. I wanted us three to leave the village to go on adventures, but they would always bluntly reject me.


    They had been leaving the village by themselves when the adults weren¡¯t looking. I chased after them one day and saw their lips connected.


    If they were lovers, I understood that I had to leave them be and become an adventurer by myself.


    That¡¯s just how it is. Geniuses tend to be lonely people.


    A tremor interrupted my thoughts.


    ¨C Another earthquake¡­ We¡¯ve had a lot lately. (Ralph)


    ¨C It¡¯s every day¡­ The adults say we¡¯ll be fine.


    According to them, the trembling was caused by undersea volcanic activity.


    ¨C ¡­Hey¡­ If the village was destroyed by those earthquakes, what would you do? (Ralph)


    ¨C W-What¡­ kind of question is that? That would never happen.


    ¨C We would have to look for a new place to live! It would be horrible.


    Not being able to fish, we would have had to move somewhere else and hunt or farm.


    ¨C Alright. Let¡¯s go back. I don¡¯t want to take away from your kissing time.


    ¨C RALPH!? (D/M)


    ¨C Adventurer¡¯s intuition.


    ¨C YOU WERE PEEKING! (Mira)


    I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I disliked the village.


    My goal was to go back one day and show everyone how cool I had become.


    ¡ó


    A few days later, at night.


    I ran away from home into the closest forest.


    The wooden stick was in my hand, but it was two sticks now. My father had broken it in half.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of your delusions! Focus on your work already!¡±


    Those words snapped something in me.


    Delusions? I had been researching medicine and magical beasts in order to become the best adventurer ever.


    I was trying my hardest. And the  f?u?c?k?e?r? told me to cut it out and stop neglecting my obligations.


    ¨C First Deko and Mira¡­ And now my parents¡­


    I entered a cave and cowered on my knees.


    With different words but the same meaning, everyone was trying to tell me to quit trying to be an adventurer.


    ¨C ¡­I have to leave.


    I wanted to prove it to them.


    The nearest village had a magical paper that showed someone¡¯s powers. That was the key.


    But then it happened.


    ¡¾UOOOOOOOOOOH¡¿


    ¨C Huh? Was that¡­ a cry?


    I hadn¡¯t run into any beasts on my way there. The adults said to never leave, as the surrounding areas were filled with dangerous animals.


    ¡¾UOOOOOOOOOOH¡¿


    The noise was coming from underground, along with a tremor.


    Usually the shaking stopped within a minute or so, but this wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡¾aaAAAAAAAA¡¿


    ¨C What¡­ is that¡­?


    A huge whale-like monster with a mouth the size of the planet.


    I couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening. This giant beast had appeared from underwater and was swallowing my entire village.


    ¨C Hey¡­ STOP, STOP THAT!


    ¡¾WOOOOOooooo¡¿


    ¨C My friends¡­ and family¡­ are there¡­


    Another tremor sent me rolling back into the cave.


    Probably because of the earthquake, the ground around the entrance became a steep slope.


    I tried to run and somehow help everyone, but a rock fell on my head, causing me to lose consciousness.

 CH 289

    ¡°Chapter 289: Bargaining Terms¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    ¨C And that¡¯s the story. It¡¯s no big deal though, hahaha!


    Ralph laughed as if he didn¡¯t care, but it was a huge shock to me.


    I thought his village had been wiped out by a tsunami caused by a magical beast or something. I never imagined a whale would be the culprit.


    He fulfilled his childhood dream. Becoming the best adventurer in the world.


    But he lost his home in the process.


    ¨C Gigantowhale. Also known as Isle Whale. Easily surpasses the size of an island. What makes it special is the way it feeds. It grows habitats on its back and devours them when the organisms have developed enough. The whale repeats this process over the course of hundreds or even thousands of years. However, the signs are all there. The whale is moving again. (Diine)


    Ralph¡¯s story took place about a decade ago. Why is the isle whale moving again?


    ¨C I have yet to find the reason for this. Perhaps something caused the beast to move away from the border.


    Is there a creature in the boundary causing the beasts to run away? Or did a change happen in the environment? Or is it something else?


    ¨C I have been under the sea for a long time, but this is the first time I have seen such a drastic change. I will continue to investigate as much as I can.


    ¨C So, what do you want us to do? I assume you didn¡¯t invite us here to have a party.


    ¨C Correct. I expect you both to guard my temple while I look for clues. Have a look at this.


    Diine created a sort of soap bubble on her hand.


    ¨C I am able to project the field of view of any underwater creature from my domains.


    The image of the temple was being projected, surrounded by dark jerks emitting electric shocks.


    Differing in size, but there must be about 30 of them waiting for us.


    ¨C The barrier weakens when I leave the temple. Thus, I risk an intrusion from these scums.


    ¨C So you want us to kill them if they get through?


    ¨C My situation aside, there are several families living in this temple. If this place is destroyed, I can move to a new one easily, but what about everyone else?


    ¨C ¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C I¡¯m in. I mean, what else can we do? We just gotta push through it.


    ¨C I¡¯ll follow Ralph¡¯s decision.


    ¨C We have a deal, then. (Diine)


    ¨C We do. What about our part? (Ralph)


    ¨C I take it money isn¡¯t enough for someone like you.


    Diine¡¯s soap bubble showed a pitch-black landscape.


    ¨C What is that? (Takaya)


    ¨C The submarine volcano we just escaped from. Or rather, it is the view from the inside. There are fish living there. They eat the Unbreakable to make a hole in it and survive while hiding.


    ¨C What!? There¡¯s a fish that can eat Unbreakable!?


    ¨C The ocean is vastly different from the land.


    A fish that can somehow break a material that not even Ralph can easily get through¡­


    ¨C This is my side of the deal. Help me, and I will help you obtain the Unbreakable.

 CH 290

    ¡°Chapter 290: Defense Preparations¡±


    We don¡¯t have much reason to refuse.


    Even without the magical beasts, mining the Unbreakable would¡¯ve been a difficult task.


    ¨C You don¡¯t need those little fishes. I¡¯m right here.


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s always better to leave it to an expert.


    ¨C That being the case, I will now take my leave. Feel free to use any room or device you come across however you wish.


    ¨C Can we explore the place?


    ¨C Surely. As long as you are willing to take responsibility for whatever you find.


    This isn¡¯t our temple. I¡¯d like to be careful with what I use.


    Though I¡¯d like to restock on the potions that Ralph used before.


    ¨C Why do you keep fiddling with your knife?


    ¨C Ah, don¡¯t mind me. Just checking something.


    ¨C Hm?


    Time to prepare.


    ¡ù


    After confirming that Diine was gone, I left Ralph to keep watch on the barrier while I look inside the temple.


    The number of dark jerks had clearly increased. They were rushing from one side to the other with their electric shocks.


    If it was only a matter of speed, Ralph would be able to take them out.


    We have to do something about the electricity.


    There are insulators in this world too, but obviously, we don¡¯t have any at hand right now.


    ¨C If only¡­ Hey, what¡¯s this?


    As I was walking around the basement, I found a wall that looked slightly off.


    It was covered by seaweed and barnacles, but I saw it move.


    I put all the strength I could and forced the wall open from a slight gap.


    Inside, I found a room dimly illuminated by a magic lamp, along with a sealed box in the center.


    Most boxes in this world are made out of wood or some form of magical metal, but this was different¡­


    It was like¡­


    ¨C Plastic!?


    I don¡¯t even need my experience in this world to know it. I¡¯m very much acquaintanced with this material. There¡¯s no mistaking it.


    ¨C Why is there plastic in this world?


    Is this a cooler box?


    It must be from someone who also reincarnated here.


    But why is it at the bottom of the sea?


    There must be something inside-


    ¡¾AAAaaaaaa¡¿


    A vibration strong enough to knock me off my feet interrupted my investigation.


    It felt as if the entire ocean was trembling.


    ¨C TAKAYA! COME HERE NOW! THE ISLE WHALE!


    Our defensive battle was about to begin.

 CH 291

    ¡°Chapter 291: Defensive Battle¡±


    The barrier was cracking. In several places. It could break at any moment.


    ¨C Ralph, how many dark jerks?


    ¨C A lot.


    ¨C I can tell.


    Not just dark jerks. I¡¯ve never seen so many magical beasts waiting for the barrier to break.


    ¨C What about the isle whale? I can still hear it.


    ¨C From what I can tell, it¡¯s still quite far away.


    I know I have a tendency to be the center of problems in this world, but this is too much of a coincidence. How come a magical beast that appears every hundreds or thousands of years awoke from its slumber and is coming towards us?


    Things are happening at the worst times possible. As if someone is orchestrating it.


    Am I being watched?


    ¨C I¡¯ll go lower their numbers as much as I can. You get some potions ready.


    ¨C Got it. Take this. It¡¯s the leftover ink. It¡¯s not much but you never know when it¡¯ll come in handy.


    ¨C It¡¯s more than enough.


    I¡¯ll take cover in Diine¡¯s guest room. It¡¯s further reinforced in case the barrier gives in.


    ¡¾AaaaaAAAAAaaaaaa¡¿


    ¨C I¡¯ll be back in a second. (Ralph)


    ¨C Okay. Don¡¯t die.


    ¨C No way those dark idiots kill me. Besides, the isle whale owes me a chit-chat.


    A nameless sword made from various rare ores, Ralph took out his sword and jumped into action.


    The ink mixed with the blood of the beasts. Every enemy in the vicinity rushed towards Ralph.


    ¨C I should get going too.


    I¡¯d be lying if I said I¡¯m not worried, but I gotta leave it to him.


    I made my way to the guest room to do the only thing I can do now. Make more potions for Ralph.


    He said he had plenty of time to spare, but I¡¯d like to get this done as soon as possible.


    Also, what do I do with the plastic?


    It¡¯s deteriorating. I don¡¯t know if I can use it as material.


    ¨C ¡­It¡¯s gotten quiet all of a sudden.


    The lightning bolts had decreased considerably. I take it Ralph is doing good.


    ¡°A¡­ A¡­¡±


    ¨C Hm?


    I heard a voice echoing somewhere below the floor.


    ¨C !?


    My first instinct was to run away.


    Not because I was scared, but to inform Ralph.


    These vibrations are coming from below the temple.


    And it wasn¡¯t an earthquake caused by undersea volcanic activity.


    ¨C RALPH! WE HAVE TO LEAVE THIS PLACE!


    ¡¾GAAaaa-AAAAAAA¡¿


    My cries were easily drowned out by the giant whale that should¡¯ve been far away.

 CH 292

    ¡°Chapter 292: Defensive Battle 2¡±


    ¨C Why is it below us!?


    We knew the isle whale was coming, but I never imagined it was this close. If anything, Ralph or Diine should¡¯ve been able to sense it.


    Did it use some sort of magic to teleport here? Can whales even use magic?


    Someone is behind this. Someone relocated the isle whale in order to take us out.


    The barrier had been broken by the appearance of the huge beast.


    No words can describe how big it is. Whales from my world look like ants in comparison.


    What kind of magician would be able to tame something this big?


    ¡¾UUuuuUuUAaAAaaaaAAAAAA¡¿


    The attacks from the dark jerks have ramped up to the point where Ralph is barely able to stand his ground.


    ¡¾Aaaa¡¿


    From between the whale¡¯s teeth came out several black threads heading towards Ralph. Probably a sort of parasites, similar to the zombie dragon¡¯s mosquitos.


    ¨C ¡­.!?


    A cold chill ran down my spine.


    The whale¡¯s yellow eyeballs were not set on the temple, but on me.


    Its jaws slowly opened.


    ¨C Get! Out OF MY WAY!


    Several rays of golden light pierced through the sphere of magical beasts that had formed around Ralph. A dense cloud of blood formed in his vicinity.


    ¨C Takaya, potions!


    I threw my best potion to Ralph, who was breathing heavily with his body full of wounds.


    He seems to be good to keep going for now.


    ¨C I¡¯m gonna kill that b?a?s?t?a?r?d?.


    Ralph muttered as he downed the potion while staring at the whale.


    I could tell he was angry, but he remained serene.


    ¨C Do you think you can beat it?


    ¨C Uhhh¡­ I know I just said I¡¯ll kill it, but I¡¯m not actually sure. Still, it¡¯s not exactly an option. I have to do it.


    If we don¡¯t fix this situation, we¡¯ll end up in the whale¡¯s belly.


    ¨C Well, if I try really really hard I might be able to scare it away.


    ¨C How much time do you need?


    ¨C I have to focus way too much magic power on my sword. 10¡­ No, give me 5 minutes. That¡¯s all I need.


    What am I even supposed to do? I¡¯m supposed to fend off beasts that even Ralph had trouble with.


    And where the hell is Diine? Can she not see what¡¯s happening?


    Did she run into trouble too?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry to intrude! Do you happen to need help?


    The voice of a girl interrupted my exasperation.


    ¨C Master, could you open your pouch?


    ¨C Moruru!?


    The origin of the voice was the peach-haired succubus, who came out of my pouch.


    ¨C I was told to come here through the warehouse¡­ Do you want me to go back?


    ¨C Of course not, you idiot! (Ralph)


    ¨C Oww!


    Come to think of it, her magic is different from the usual teleportation. She can connect one place to another.


    Maybe we still have a chance.

 CH 293

    ¡°Chapter 293: Defensive Battle 3¡±


    ¨C Who sent you here?


    ¨C Uhh, Letty-sama. We saw water leaking out from the other side, so the maid told me to come and see if everything was okay.


    It was when Diine helped us.


    So the demon world is aware that we¡¯re in trouble.


    But even if they come to help us, it¡¯ll take way too long for them to get here.


    ¨C Woah, what is that giant thing? It feels out of this world. I wanna go back home. It¡¯s just like this but with miasma. (Moruru)


    ¨C If you want to go back so badly then shut up and help us out. (Ralph)


    ¨C I know. If I left you two to die here I would get my head chopped off as soon as Letty-sama sees me.


    ¨C Moruru, open your mouth.


    ¨C Aaa? Wha ih ih?


    ¨C A miasma candy, since you¡¯d have trouble breathing underwater.


    Creating the candy out of nowhere caused a numbing pain in my arms, but I have to deal with it.


    ¨C Peachy, are you ready?


    ¨C My name is Moruru. And yes, I¡¯m ready.


    ¨C That¡¯s the spirit. Once the 5 minutes are over, get to cover or else you¡¯ll die.


    I have yet to see how strong a charged attack from Ralph at 100% is, but I believe he¡¯ll be able to at least save us from this.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go.


    At my mark, Ralph pointed his sword towards the whale, and Moruru jumped into action.


    ¡¾AAAAAAAAAAAA¡¿


    Perhaps realizing the plan, the dark jerks rushed to Moruru in response to the whale¡¯s cries.


    The serpents were quickly overwhelmed by Moruru¡¯s hundreds of weapons.


    She¡¯s grown a lot since our battle with Shiori. It might not be long before this girl becomes a guardian.


    ¨C ¡­


    Ralph dug his feet deeper into the floor.


    Not even a minute in and his sword is shining so brightly that I can¡¯t look at it.


    ¡¾OOoooooooo!!!!¡¿


    The little that remained of the barrier preventing the water from coming in finally cracked, and several torrents started to pour in.


    Ralph realized this, but he couldn¡¯t stop his charge.


    Diine told us that the dark jerks have developed some sort of lungs for emergency cases in which they need to catch their prey on land.


    A few dark jerks were using the torrents of water to dive onto us. However, when Moruru is busy, and Ralph can¡¯t move, ¡°a few¡± is more than enough to kill us.


    He could release his charge early to get rid of them, but that would mean having to start from scratch.


    ¨C Ralph, don¡¯t stop.


    ¨C What about you!?


    ¨C Moruru is the decoy, and you¡¯re the final weapon. I have to do something.


    ¨C Takaya!


    ¨C I¡¯ll try to get their attention. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll run if it seems like I¡¯ll die.


    ¨C Hey!


    Without waiting for Ralph¡¯s approval, I ran straight onto the wave of dark jerks.


    ¨C It¡¯s my turn.


    Moruru isn¡¯t the only one that changed after the battle with Shiori.

 CH 294

    ¡°Chapter 294: Change¡±


    ¡ù¡ù


    ¨C Hmm?


    It was a normal morning. I was watching Akane while she did her usual sword training.


    I was wondering if I would ever be able to do that myself.


    After Akane left the Sage¡¯s Palace, I started training with her by practicing my swinging. It¡¯s not like I wanted to learn powerful techniques, I just wanted to train my muscles.


    I was amazed by her prowess.


    I asked her to take a quick look to see if anything had changed in me, but I was still the same.


    ¨C If you so much want to know, you should ask for a tree paper.


    Following her advice, I asked Feria to re-examine my tree.


    The result was a surprise.


    ¨C Your¡­ talent for battle has bloomed. (Feria)


    My tree had always been full of roots below the trunk, but empty above the middle part.


    However, now it was full of branches and fresh leaves.


    I had an idea as to why.


    Shiori mentioned having stolen half of me in this world.


    I¡¯m not 100% sure yet, but we believe Shiori is gone for good.


    It¡¯s reasonable to assume that everything she stole has gone back to the owners.


    My job is still the same. My processing skills have grown to Level VIII. I¡¯m the creator of Searat, at the end of the day.


    But this would mean that I¡¯m able to play a bigger role in fights.


    Thus, I started my routine to get better at handling knives and swords.


    ¡ù¡ù


    ¨C Move it slowly¡­ Don¡¯t try to overdo it¡­


    While rushing to the dark jerks, I recalled Akane¡¯s words of advice.


    Not to aim at the weak spots, but just to keep swinging while maintaining my stance.


    That¡¯s all she taught me. She had no intentions of explaining any further.


    I kept observing the dark jerks carefully. One wrong move against beasts this unpredictable could mark my death.


    The snakes jumped out of the torrent of water. They seemed confused by the sudden change from gills to lung breathing, but beasts from the border would know better than to attack before adapting completely.


    They think I¡¯m weak, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping.


    ¨C G I¨C


    Eventually, the dark jerks calmed down after taking a deep breath and started crawling towards me.


    ¨C ¡­


    ¡¾AAAaaAAAAaAAAaaaa¡¿


    The roar of the whale shook my surroundings once more.


    I don¡¯t know how Moruru and Ralph are doing, but in this situation where I barely have time to blink, I can¡¯t afford to look out for them.


    ¨C G I !


    One of the snakes took advantage of the tremor and attacked me.


    ¨C Not enough to make me lose my stance.


    The poisonous fangs of the dark jerk aimed at my throat were intersected by the blade of Nebula.


    ¨C G G G G ! ?


    The blue-colored slash sent the entire upper jaw of the snake flying into the air.

 CH 295

    ¡°Chapter 295: Intervention¡±


    ¨C I did it!


    It was a complete gamble whether I would succeed or not, but I¡¯m glad I did it.


    Countless tons of water started to drown the temple. The dark jerks were about to be in their element again.


    It was time to run.


    ¨C How much time was that?


    I ran closer to the pillar of light, but he doesn¡¯t seem to be ready yet.


    ¨C Ralph!


    ¨C Takaya!?


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. That was reckless. But I knocked one out.


    ¨C Are you trying to look cooler than me? I won¡¯t have that.


    The pillar of light converged in Ralph¡¯s sword.


    ¨C 90%. Takaya, you gotta run.


    ¨C Got it. Be safe.


    Ralph jumped in a straight line towards the whale. All eyes were on him.


    ¨C Moruru! Come back!


    ¨C Phaawh, I need more air.


    ¨C Good job there.


    ¨C Thank you. That annoying hag wouldn¡¯t have let me hear the end of it if I died here.


    She seems to have a lot of strength left. Though I¡¯m worried about Kouya¡¯s warehouse. How many weapons did she use?


    Also, Moruru has become much more foul-mouthed.


    ¨C What kind of monster is that guy? I can barely look in the direction of his light.


    ¨C Do you think you could survive one of his attacks?


    ¨C I don¡¯t think anyone in the demon world would be able to.


    And yet Ralph¡¯s objective is not to kill the whale, but to frighten it.


    Goes to show how absurdly strong the beasts from the border are.


    ¨C You should look away. He¡¯s about to release it. (Moruru)


    The moment I closed my eyes, a roar different from the previous ones came out of the whale.


    The temple was collapsing. We were getting carried away by the water.


    ¨C Master, hold tight!


    Moruru started ascending with me in arms.


    There¡¯s no sign of the dark jerks. They must¡¯ve been scared of Ralph¡¯s attack.


    But where is Ralph?


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡¢¡¿


    When I looked down, I saw the whale¡¯s head split in half. Torrents of blood were pouring out.


    I can¡¯t say for sure how much damage it caused, but it was enough for it to completely stop moving.


    Ralph came out of the cloud of blood and swam towards us.


    (Good job)


    ¨C *Glug glug*


    Ralph¡¯s face was painted with fatigue.


    Potions can only do so much, but I think it will be enough to-


    ¡¾Aha!¡¿


    (What? Whose voice was that?)


    A girl¡¯s voice echoed out of nowhere.


    A ray of blinding light appeared between Ralph and me.


    Which led to an unexpected turn of events.


    ¡¾AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa!!!!!¡¿


    Ralph¡¯s hand, which had been holding the potion just a moment ago, was now completely disintegrated by the light.


    A summoning circle regenerated the entirety of the isle whale as if nothing had happened to it.

 CH 296

    ¡°Chapter 296: Time for Punishment¡±


    ¨C WHAT!? JUST HAPPENED!!!??? (Ralph)


    Who was it!? I can¡¯t feel anyone¡¯s presence.


    Whoever it was has restored the whale to its original state.


    Someone keeps messing with us while watching us from above the table-


    ¡¾GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡¿


    ¨C This is bad. This is really really bad. That thing doesn¡¯t give up. (Moruru)


    The whale was moving towards us, engulfing all the beasts and the remainings of the temple.


    ¨C R-RETREAT!


    We were getting quickly sucked in by the vortex in its mouth.


    Ralph and Moruru had tools to resist, but I was left defenseless.


    ¡¾Hehehe¡­¡¿


    ¨C Again that voice!


    Just like during the experiment with Regda, only I could hear it.


    ¡¾You don¡¯t need to talk. I know exactly what you want to say. ¡°Who the hell are you? Why are you doing this?¡±¡¿


    ¨C !!??


    If I wasn¡¯t underwater I would be yelling my lungs out.


    ¨C ¡¾No need to make that scary face! Okay, so, first things first. Who am I? Hmmm~ We might not have time for that right now. Why am I doing this? That¡¯s easy! I just want to play with you, Takaya-kun~ Or should I call you Nagami-kun?¡¿


    ¡°Nagami-kun¡±!?


    No, this isn¡¯t Shiori. She¡¯s dead.


    ¨C ¡¾¡±How do you know my name?¡± I asked a little friend of yours. I think he- Woops! I might get scolded if I keep talking~¡¿


    ¡­One of my classmates other than Shiori told her.


    (What do you want?)


    ¨C ¡¾You¡¯re so easy to read. Well, I said I wanted to play with you, but that¡¯s half of it. Do you remember the last incident?¡¿


    (Incident?)


    ¨C ¡¾That nutjob stalker. You did a little something at the time, right?¡¿


    She¡¯s talking about our battle with Shiori.


    Does she know about Roar and me recovering my powers?


    ¨C ¡¾I might have made a mistake and turned the regulation on that girl¡¯s head way too much. Whatever the case. I¡¯ll use my Administrator Authority to give you a little punishment for what you did. Will you be able to escape from inside the whale without your friends?¡¿


    Ralph and Moruru were trying their best to hold me from getting absorbed, but multiple white arms entangled them, which caused me to be swallowed by the whale.


    ¨C ¡¾OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo¡¿


    ¨C TAKAYA!


    ¨C MASTER!


    ¨C RALPH, MORURU!


    ¨C ¡¾Ahahaha! Good luck! If you manage to clear this task, I¡¯ll give you a reward. I might even invite you to my house?¡¿

 CH 297

    ¡°Chapter 297: Inside the Belly¡±


    ¡ù


    The quiet sound of water splashing made my consciousness return.


    The first thing I sensed was the putrid smell of rotting meat and fish. As strong as the odor of leaving food out in the sun for weeks during summer.


    Someone with ¡°administrator¡± powers caused the whale to suck me in.


    So, am I in its belly?


    ¨C Is this my punishment? Am I supposed to enjoy my last moments until I¡¯m digested?


    I¡¯m alive, but it¡¯s not looking good.


    All of my belongings are safe, including the magic lamp and Nebula.


    I can only wait for my inevitable death, but I shouldn¡¯t just sit here and die.


    My adventurer friends would be disappointed in me if I didn¡¯t at least try.


    ¨C With a whale that size I was expecting the insides to be as big, but this is more than I imagined¡­


    It looked like a dungeon. I couldn¡¯t even tell where the ceiling was.


    Ahead of me was part of the temple we were on however long ago that was. It was half digested already.


    Out of curiosity, I touched the digestive liquid falling from the ceiling.


    It didn¡¯t cause any burns or anything. It just stuck to my gloves and my skin. I wonder if the reaction depends on the amount of liquid.


    ¨C Just in case I¡¯ll try using that.


    I took out a piece of rubber I found inside the cooler box under the temple.


    It might help with my grip in case of an emergency, so I attached it to my gloves.


    ¨C ¡­


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m using materials from my previous world.


    ¡­


    If only I could create materials from there in this world¡­


    ¨C No. That would probably be breaking the rules again according to the ¡°administrator¡±.


    Besides, I don¡¯t know if I would be able to pull it off.


    ¡­But what if?


    What kind of being would I become?


    I would be one of the most powerful entities in this world.


    ¨C Aah, this isn¡¯t helping. I have to escape.


    I might be able to find a way out before I¡¯m digested.

 CH 298

    ¡°Chapter 298: Survivors¡±


    As I moved past the half-digested temple, I was greeted with an unexpected sight.


    ¨C A forest!? This thing is growing a forest in its insides!?


    The plants were barely reacting to the digestive juices falling from the ceiling. The speed must differ from inorganic to organic materials.


    The smell of decay was pushing me away, but there was no point in standing still. I pulled out Nebula and walked forward.


    This might look like a dungeon, but it¡¯s still a whale. There¡¯s a stomach, an intestine, and an anus. This isn¡¯t a maze but a straight road.


    -Gyaaaa-


    Far away I could hear a magical beast. Not too surprising considering the whale is literally raising an ecosystem.


    ¨C Hm? What was that?


    An orange light blinked in front of me.


    I was keeping the magic lamp as dim as possible to get my eyes accustomed to the darkness.


    ¨C ¡­It¡­ay¡­?


    ¨C ¡­me¡­ere¡­


    Human voices!?


    I quickly hid in the shadows of the grass.


    Did the administrator girl have the whale swallow someone else before me?


    Are these people from the border?


    The sound of footsteps gradually got closer to me.


    A man and a woman.


    From the sound of their footsteps I can tell that they¡¯re not combat-trained.


    ¨C What do you think, Mira?


    ¨C Doesn¡¯t seem like we can use anything.


    ¨C Shame. We might have to go check near the entrance.


    The two of them walked past me.


    They were armed with bows and swords. Their situation didn¡¯t seem much different from mine.


    But that name¡­ ¡°Mira¡±.


    A guy and a girl.


    There¡¯s no way they have survived this long.


    But who else could it be if not Deko and Mira?


    It adds up to Ralph¡¯s story. They were eaten by the whale.


    I left my hiding spot and slowly started chasing them.


    ¨C Hey, can I have a second?


    ¨C What!? (D/M)


    But I didn¡¯t have the time I wanted.


    ¡¾G I ! !¡¿


    A dark jerk jumped out of the darkness.

 CH 299

    ¡°Chapter 299: Ralph is Alive¡±


    ¨C This is some terrible timing.


    Just when I found two people that I could cooperate with to escape this hell.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, this dark jerk is at least three times bigger than the one I took out.


    However, I realized during the last battle that the snakes have a weak spot. A nerve behind their discharge organ on their forehead.


    I don¡¯t have the combat prowess to aim at its vital point while evading its attacks.


    I need help. Someone who can draw its attention while I finish it off.


    ¡¾G I !¡¿


    Without waiting for me to act, the dark jerk sent a current of electricity towards me.


    I managed to dodge it in the nick of time. It gave me enough time to hide back in the grass.


    I looked behind the snake. Deko and Mira were keeping their distance.


    They must¡¯ve realized how dangerous my situation was.


    Still, I need their help.


    ¡¾G G G ! !¡¿


    ¨C I¡¯m gonna need you to stay down for a bit.


    As the dark jerk opened its mouth, I flung one of my flasks at it.


    ¡¾G ! ?¡¿


    It was a sort of poison made to work as tear gas. It¡¯s the best I could improvise in a rush, so it¡¯ll only stop it for a few seconds.


    I dashed towards Deko and Mira, who were trying to escape themselves.


    ¨C Deko-san! Mira-san!


    Their bodies tensed.


    So I was right. It¡¯s them.


    The young man with glasses is Deko, and the woman with a long red-haired ponytail is Mira.


    ¨C How do you¡­? Were you eavesdropping on us? (Deko)


    ¨C I understand you¡¯re in trouble, but¡­ (Mira)


    They have no intention of helping me. They just want to run away.


    To them, I¡¯m just a stranger. They¡¯ve been living in here for a decade, so they must know how dangerous dark jerks are.


    They want to stay away from them.


    I have to get them involved. I have to catch their interest.


    ¡¾G I G U G ! !¡¿


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, we have to go. Even if you¡¯re not a bad person, we don¡¯t want to die.


    The dark jerk was clearly aiming for only one person.


    Just as they were about to start running away-


    ¨C Ralph is alive!


    ¨C ¡­What!? (D/M)

 CH 300

    ¡°Chapter 300: Struggle¡±


    ¨C How do you know that name?


    ¨C We¡¯re close friends. He¡¯s a renowned adventurer. His dream as a child was to become the best adventurer ever.


    ¨C ¡­ (D/M)


    There was no time to wait for their response. The dark jerk was already sending currents of electricity.


    I won¡¯t be able to keep dodging for much longer.


    ¨C I was with Ralph right before I got swallowed by the whale! Please, help me!


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C Deko, what do we do?


    Even in a 3 vs 1 scenario we¡¯re not guaranteed to win.


    The safe option for them is to abandon me.


    ¨C ¡­Are you telling the truth?


    ¨C Yes! Help me and I¡¯ll tell you as much as you want.


    ¨C We¡¯ll take you up on that.


    Deko readied his bow and aimed at the dark jerk.


    ¨C Mira, you help him.


    ¨C Got it.


    Looks like my luck has turned around.


    ¨C I can finish it off. I just need you to distract it. (Takaya)


    ¨C Alright, but we won¡¯t last too long.


    The snake focused its attention on the archer. I took the opening to switch places with Mira back to cover.


    ¡¾G ¡­¡¿


    Dark jerks have weak sensory organs. They rely purely on their sight.


    Deko¡¯s arrow missed its target, but it was enough to give me time to sneak behind it.


    ¡¾U G ! ?¡¿


    Mira snapped her fingers. A spark, though a small one, surged from her fingertips.


    The serpent was caught by a violent explosion.


    The fuel for the explosion was a black stone ignited by Mira¡¯s magic.


    ¡¾U U G G !¡¿


    Its hard scales protected the dark jerk from the explosion, but its eyes had been hit pretty badly.


    Perhaps fed up from the continuous firing, the snake was about to jump on Deko.


    ¨C TAKAYA-KUN! (Mira)


    The tip of Nebula connected right on its discharge organ.


    The shimmering blue blade cut cleanly through the hard scales and severed the nerves.

 CH 301

    ¡°Chapter 301: The Survivor Settlement¡±


    ¡¾G G G G ! !¡¿


    The dark jerk managed to get a last shock before it collapsed, but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to affect me.


    Of course, the rubber must¡¯ve helped too.


    ¨C Are you okay?


    ¨C Somehow.


    Deko and Mira are mostly unharmed. I¡¯ll have to wait once my body has relaxed, but I don¡¯t think I suffered any serious injuries, other than a small abrasion on my arm.


    ¨C I can¡¯t believe you defeated it with one strike. That¡¯s a great weapon you have there. And of course, you¡¯re pretty brave yourself.


    ¨C It¡¯s not mine. If anything, I¡¯d boast about my swing.


    ¨C Let¡¯s get out of here before another one of those shows up. We can talk about Ralph then.


    ¨C Got it. But first¡­


    I ripped off the poisonous fangs and the discharge organ from the dark jerk. I also took some of its meat, since the body itself is not poisonous.


    I don¡¯t like the idea of using my enemy, but I can¡¯t afford to be picky in a situation like this.


    ¡ù


    Deko and Mira took me to the place they were currently settled on.


    Surprisingly enough, it looked like an actual village. There were houses, livestock and crops.


    Due to the ¡°soil¡±, only potatoes could grow, but they were robust enough.


    ¨C We¡¯re right in the middle of the belly. We¡¯ve lived here for the past 10 years. And we¡¯ll eventually have to move. (Deko)


    From what they told me, there are a few other survivors around.


    ¨C We heard that Ralph had run away from home, so we tried looking for him, but suddenly an earthquake much stronger than the previous ones threw us off. Next thing we knew, we were inside the belly of a monster. (Mira)


    The other survivors are a group of young fishermen who had just returned from a night of fishing.


    ¨C So Ralph¡¯s parents¡­ (Takaya)


    ¨C We¡¯ve been looking for them all this time. You can imagine the result. (Deko)


    ¨C I¡¯m very happy for Ralph, though. To hear that he¡¯s alive and that he could fulfill his dream¡­


    ¨C Just knowing he¡¯s alive is enough. Thank you, Takaya. And thank you for being his friend.


    ¨C No need for that. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I¡¯d be dead already.


    We spent some time talking about Ralph. Whether it was his childhood stories or his current feats.


    All the stories had something in common. Ralph was the center of them. Always cheerful and coming to rescue anyone in need.


    ¨C ¡­I want to see him again. (Mira)


    ¨C I¡¯m sure you will. He¡¯ll be happy to know you¡¯re both alive. We just have to get out-


    ¨C You can¡¯t. Stop that.


    Deko said with a gentle voice.


    ¨C Takaya-kun, we¡¯ve been trapped in here for 10 years. We¡¯ve tried everything we could and explored as much as we can. As you can tell, we can¡¯t escape. It¡¯s impossible. (Mira)


    ¨C The whale only has an entrance. No way out.

 CH 302

    ¡°Chapter 302: The Labyrinth of the Whale¡±


    The more I listen to Deko and Mira, the more I realize how strange this place is.


    ¨C Right now we¡¯re in the first stomach. It takes a long time for things here to dissolve until they eventually move into the second stomach.


    The Isle Whale might look like a whale from the outside, but the insides are completely different.


    From what they¡¯ve found out, it has three different stomachs. A decade has passed since their village was eaten, but only half of the soil and plants have dissolved.


    ¨C We¡¯ve been able to explore up until the third stomach. It¡¯s too dangerous past that.


    Which means that there could be even four or five stomachs. Even more.


    ¨C Also, for some reason, we can¡¯t use magic here. I was able to use a few other forms of magic besides the spark you saw, but I haven¡¯t been able to since we were swallowed. (Mira)


    ¨C Even if you focus as much as you can?


    ¨C Nope. It feels as if the magic is rapidly absorbed once it leaves the body.


    This makes it even more difficult to believe that this whale is a natural creation.


    It¡¯s as if¡­


    ¨C Ah, Mira-san, I meant to ask, what was that stone you used during the battle?


    ¨C Oh, that¡­ We¡¯re not sure. We picked it up while we were exploring¡­ was it the second stomach? The only thing we know is that it explodes with even the slightest bit of fire.


    I wanted one for research, but they don¡¯t seem to have many left.


    ¨C Well, I think we should get some rest. The belly tends to shake a bit. You¡¯ll get used to it.


    My eyelids were heavy. The bed they prepared for me wasn¡¯t luxurious, but it made do. I could fall asleep on the floor right now, for all I care.


    ¨C Let me know if you need water. I¡¯ll make some for you.


    They have a purifier to filter the watery mud and other substances.


    ¨C ¡­Where does the watery mud come from?


    ¨C Do you want to know?


    ¨C ¡­No.


    I took a sip of ¡°water¡± and went to bed.


    Staring at the ceiling, I pulled out my pouch.


    ¨C Nothing from Moruru¡­


    I hope they¡¯re okay.

 CH 303

    ¡°Chapter 303: Intermission: Payback¡±


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    (Ralph¡¯s POV)


    The isle whale ate my friend and client.


    This is my fault.


    Moruru and I got swept far away from the whale.


    I have to save him. Knowing how surprisingly lucky that b?a?s?t?a?r?d? is he must be alive.


    It hasn¡¯t been that long since he was swallowed.


    We have to go.


    ¨C Hey there. Sorry, I don¡¯t really care about you two, but she¡¯ll yell at me if I don¡¯t interfere.


    I was ready to swim until my body gave out, but a boy appeared in front of us.


    ¨C And who the hell are you? You know what? I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re blocking our way, so move.


    Despite being underwater, the boy was speaking as if he was on land. He was wearing something resembling a nightgown.


    (Ralph-san, what do we do?)


    (What do we do? We put him to sleep)


    That¡¯s what I said, but I can¡¯t break through.


    ¨C Don¡¯t even bother trying. Just give up.


    I¡¯ve been trying to get past him, but I simply can¡¯t. Something is stopping me.


    ¨C Again, just give up. You don¡¯t have permission to go any further.


    Just as he says, it doesn¡¯t matter how fast or how far I go, I end up coming back to the same spot, as if an invisible wall was fencing me off.


    Moruru tried to use her ability to pass through, but she also had no luck.


    ¨C You just don¡¯t listen, do you? There¡¯s a rule that says you have to beat me in order to go past this point. That¡¯s impossible, though.


    I have nothing against the boy, but my client and friend is in danger.


    I used all my magic and slashed him mercilessly.


    Over and over again. Slash after slash. Spell after spell.


    But despite both of our best efforts¡­


    ¨C Owww! Stop it! Listen, I¡¯m not gonna die, no matter what you do, but I can still feel the pain, you know!? I¡¯m still a human. Are you!? Well, one of you isn¡¯t.


    No matter what we do, the boy is still there.


    ¨C Ahh, why do I have to go through this? I just wanna live in peace. Poor little me. I¡¯m gonna kill her as soon as I get back. No, I can¡¯t do that. Ah, poor me.


    He keeps talking to himself as if we weren¡¯t here attacking him with our best.


    (What¡¯s wrong with this kid?) (Moruru)


    (He might be immortal or whatever but he¡¯s got a few screws loose)


    Even if we can¡¯t kill him, if he feels pain, we just have to drive him insane.


    Kill the mind, instead of the body.


    (Moruru)


    (Got it)


    Moruru grabbed a variety of torture devices from her warehouse.


    The boy is not good at hand-to-hand combat. I can restrain him easily.


    We just have to break him and get back to Takaya as soon as pos-


    ¨C So that¡¯s what you resort to. I thought you were a human, but you two are just heartless monsters.


    Just as I was about to grab him-


    ¨C Monsters are not humans. Whatever. How about a little payback? You monsters don¡¯t have rights.


    (!? AAAGH!?£©


    (RALPH-SAN!?)


    The boy held out his hand. My left eye caught fire underwater.


    ¨C Good luck putting it out. It won¡¯t disappear until you¡¯ve paid for the damage you¡¯ve done to me.


    The boy¡¯s lips turned into a devious smile.

 CH 304

    ¡°Chapter 304: On the Look¡±


    Roughly two days have passed.


    Thanks to the settlement I was able to sleep, but that doesn¡¯t mean I got to rest.


    Always half-awake expecting the worst at any moment.


    Deko and Mira said I would get used to it, but the idea of being stuck inside of a monster for the rest of my life didn¡¯t exactly appease me.


    No signs of help yet.


    No help will come.


    ¨C Are you awake? We¡¯re leaving soon.


    ¨C Got it.


    It was time for us to explore the second stomach.


    The objective, of course, is to try to find a way to get out of here.


    All I have is Nebula, two potions, the discharge organ of a dark jerk, and a piece of plastic.


    Creating more potions myself with no ingredients would exhaust me more than it would help.


    So we¡¯ll be scavenging for materials and, if possible, a way out.


    ¨C Be careful not to get your feet caught in the digestive liquids. It¡¯s like quicksand. The more you move, the more you sink.


    The second stomach is a scaffold of undigested food. Nothing of much interest, but it¡¯s not difficult to keep going deeper.


    ¨C You seem to be under the assumption that getting here was easy. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll see soon enough.


    ¨C ¡­Alright?


    With the occasional breaks, we managed to reach the entrance to the third stomach.


    It¡¯s much smaller than the previous one but big enough for the three of us to go in.


    ¨C So this is what you meant.


    Instead of walking forward, we need to descend downwards to make it to the third stomach.


    The only footholds are weird protrusions growing out of the walls and a sort of ivy-like net hanging down from the ceiling. A hole at the bottom marks the beginning of the stomach.


    ¨C ¡­What is that black pool at the bottom?


    ¨C Well, that¡¯s a den of dark jerks swimming in digestive juices.


    There were some explosive stones floating on the liquid.


    This place is fascinating, to say the least.


    ¨C ¡­Wait.


    I just realized something.


    ¨C Deko-san, did something happen inside this place before I was swallowed in?


    ¨C Hm? Yeah¡­ Sometimes the whale regurgitates the contents of the third stomach into the previous levels. It happened before we found you.


    ¨C I see.


    During our battle outside, the whale must¡¯ve spewed some of these dark jerks.


    When it sensed a threat, it used the snakes as a defensive system.


    ¨C So what if that defensive system were to malfunction¡­?


    ¨C Are you thinking about something doing something stupidly dangerous?


    ¨C You can¡¯t be an adventurer without taking risks.


    I decided to retreat for now.


    Our next goal is clear.

 CH 305

    ¡°Chapter 305: Fishing¡±


    On our way back, I picked up a tree branch I found lying around.


    Mira and Deko wanted to go to the third stomach again today.


    ¨C What do you plan to do?


    ¨C A fishing rod. I¡¯ve only done this once, but this one is way sturdier than my first time.


    ¨C I can see that, but I meant to ask what you wanted to do today.


    ¨C I¡¯m going with you, of course. I want to test this thing.


    ¨C Alright. Let us know when you¡¯re ready.


    Now I need something to use as bait and something to stick the bait with¡­


    I can¡¯t use any vegetation. The electricity from the dark jerks will be conducted. And I can¡¯t use magic to somehow prevent it.


    As I was pondering what to do, I noticed the remnants of one of the snakes.


    Several pieces of meat, and extracted fangs.


    ¨C ¡­It¡¯s worth giving it a shot.


    ¡ù¡ù


    There are more digestive juices than before. About 1/3 of the third stomach is filled.


    Of course, the dark jerks are still swimming down there.


    ¨C So, what¡¯s the rod for?


    ¨C It¡¯s a fishing rod. A rod, for fishing.


    But I wasn¡¯t planning on fishing dark jerks.


    The rod had a string processed from the snakes¡¯ skin, along with a fang at its end.


    ¨C I¡¯m going down. Hold on to this.


    I gave Deko and Mira a lifeline and stepped into the protrusions coming off of the walls.


    Just in case, I threw in a piece of meat to the other side of the pit.


    As if sensing another enemy, the dark jerks immediately rushed in.


    Although, in this case, it was cannibalism.


    ¨C ¡­Now.


    I threw the hook on the spot now freed from dark jerks.


    ¨C I got it!


    ¨C No way¡­


    What was caught on the hook was one of the explosives Deko and Mira found on their expeditions.


    ¨C One is not enough. We gotta get more.


    These are the weapons that will get us out of here.

 CH 306

    ¡°Chapter 306: Residues¡±


    After that, I continued fishing for more explosive stones until our food bait ran out.


    It would¡¯ve been faster to just go get them by hand, but that wasn¡¯t an option with the number of dark jerks around.


    ¨C This is what we got today. 5 stones, different sizes. (Takaya)


    ¨C That was a bit cruel, having them eat their own flesh.


    ¨C It¡¯s called payback.


    We decided to return to the base to organize our materials.


    It feels like the smell in here gets worse with each day. And now we had to deal with the stones, which smelled like a mixture of gasoline and a construction site smell.


    I asked Mira to try out one of the stones. The explosions were just as violent as the other ones.


    ¨C It looks like they¡¯re a mixture of digested¡­things. Rocks, metals, microorganisms in the soil, and other things.


    I decided to name it ¡°Whale Gunpowder¡±. To the beast, it¡¯s just excrement, but for us, it¡¯s our ticket out of here.


    ¨C What¡¯s your plan?


    ¨C I¡¯m still unsure about the details, but my idea is to escape through the third stomach. Obviously, it¡¯s too dangerous right now.


    ¨C Right. We¡¯d get wiped immediately.


    ¨C Which is why we need to decimate their numbers. To zero, if possible, but I doubt we¡¯ll be able to.


    ¨C And how will we do that?


    ¨C We¡¯re going to force the whale to expel the dark jerks from the third stomach so that we can go through.


    Of course, the dark jerks can come back, so we need to be ready for a one-way trip.


    ¨C And for that, we¡¯ll need this whale gunpowder.


    ¨C But you said we didn¡¯t have enough yet.


    ¨C Correct. We¡¯ll need way more to create a huge explosion that can make the whale believe it¡¯s being attacked.


    It might take us one, or even two months to gather this much gunpowder, but it¡¯s the only way I can think of. We need to go big on this.


    ¨C I need your help with this. Please.


    Especially without Mira¡¯s ability, igniting the stones will be near impossible.


    ¨C Please give me another chance to see Ralph. (Takaya)


    ¨C Come on, don¡¯t say it like that¡­ (Deko)


    ¨C I guess we have to. (Mira)


    ¨C Are you sure about this? (Deko)


    ¨C I don¡¯t care. It was my decision to choose you over Ralph ten years ago. I want to fix things. (Mira)


    ¨C Thank you. (Takaya)


    ¨C Save your gratitude for when we get out. I want to meet Ralph too. (Deko)


    I¡¯m determined to blow up the insides of this whale in order to escape.

 CH 307

    ¡°Chapter 307: Start¡±


    A month has passed.


    I repeated the same routine every day. Wake up, collect stones all day, go to bed.


    I wanted to see my friends as soon as possible, but I had to make sure this would work, so I took my sweet time.


    Of course, still no contact from the outside.


    ¨C Hey. Looks like you fished a lot today. (Deko)


    ¨C Yeah, I think this will do.


    ¨C So, when do we put the plan into action?


    ¨C It might take us 2 days to set everything up.


    The isle whale will detect an enemy and use the dark jerks from the third stomach to eliminate the threat, leaving the entry defenseless.


    ¨C Thank you for trusting me with this. (Takaya)


    ¨C We¡¯ve talked about it a lot and decided that either we escape together or die together. (Deko)


    ¨C Even if we don¡¯t escape, there¡¯s nothing else waiting for us here. We might as well consider you our last glimpse of hope. (Mira)


    The three of us. We will stand tall and reunite with Ralph.


    ¨C We¡¯ll plant the explosives on the first and second stomach.


    ¨C Got it. (D/M)


    After the two of them went to bed, I started working on my own personal touches.


    ¡ù


    Two days later, the preparations were complete.


    1/3 of the explosives were set on the entrance to the first stomach. The rest were spread evenly across the second stomach.


    ¨C Everything¡¯s ready. On my mark.


    Part of my preparation was to make a fuse to make time before the stones explode.


    This also means that the settlement will be gone. Not that I had any emotional attachment to it.


    ¨C Make it flashy. (Deko)


    ¨C NOW!


    After a short pause, a huge explosion in the first stomach caused the insides of the whale to shake.


    ¨C W-Wow¡­


    ¨C Takaya¡­ That was incredible¡­


    I myself tried to improve the explosives as much as I could, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not impressed by the power.


    A swarm of dark jerks assaulted the second stomach.


    ¡¾AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡¿


    ¨C Mira, second one.


    ¨C Ignite!


    ¡¾G I ! ! ! ! ? ? ? ?¡¿


    The explosives were the main event, but I also prepared another present to ensure the dark jerks won¡¯t be a nuisance.


    A storm of black gravel covered in flames pierced the snakes on their way to the first stomach.


    Gravel made out of Unbreakable.

 CH 308

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    ¡°Chapter 308: Burst¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that strange once I really thought about it.


    The unbreakable was close to the temple, which the whale swallowed.


    To my fortune, the material was swimming in digestive juices along with half of the temple. It didn¡¯t dissolve, but its resistances were softened enough for me to be able to reshape it and use it along with the explosives.


    ¨C Let¡¯s go. The stomach should be empty now.


    ¨C R-Right¡­ (Deco)


    ¨C Are we really making it out of here? (Mira)


    ¨C What if there are snakes left? We can deal with one or two, but more than that and we¡¯re dead. (Deco)


    ¨C I took precautions just in case. We¡¯ll be able to pass through with no issues.


    Being careful to avoid the digestive juices as much as possible, Deco, Mira and I went down the hole of the third stomach.


    ¨C I knew it. That wasn¡¯t all of them.


    Five snakes were silently waiting for us at the exit, blocking our path. They were far bigger than the ones I¡¯ve fought.


    ¨C Hey, Takaya!


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry. They can¡¯t move.


    ¨C What?


    I walked past all the snakes without batting an eye.


    ¨C ¡­Huh?


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong, buddy? Are you still hungry? Do you still want more poisoned meat? (Takaya)


    ¡¾G, G¡­¡¿


    ¨C I turned the potions I had left into poison and fed them for an entire month.


    My plan had 3 fronts: The explosions, the Unbreakable gravel, and the poisoned meat.


    ¨C These things will eat anything. Even if they¡¯re sturdy on the outside, they don¡¯t seem very resistant to poison. Come on, we gotta go.


    ¨C R-Right¡­


    ¨C He looks so gentle but he can be quite ruthless¡­ (Mira)

 CH 309

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    ¡°Chapter 309: New Territory¡±


    One month after I was eaten by the whale, we finally managed to discover an unexplored area.


    After the stomach would be¡­ the intestines. But this isn¡¯t an ordinary whale, so who knows what we¡¯ll find.


    The effects of the explosion have ceased, but so have the lives of the dark jerks, so it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.


    ¨C Not much has changed. So far it¡¯s the same as the stomachs, but narrower (Deko)


    ¨C Well, here¡¯s a dead end. Can we climb?


    The path was straight, although sometimes up, down, left or right.


    We had lost any sense of direction at this point.


    But then we crossed what we feared.


    ¨C Different paths¡­


    Either keep going straight, climb up, or climb down.


    ¨C Takaya, what do we do?


    ¨C We¡¯ll have to explore all of them, as annoying as it is. I¡¯ll leave a mark-


    As soon as I stabbed the walls, a tiny wave of digestive juices reached our feet.


    A ball of gelatinous slime was shot my way.


    ¨C Takaya, get down! (Mira)


    Mira¡¯s arrow successfully hit the nucleus of the slime, causing it to fall down the hole.


    ¨C Be on guard. (Mira)


    ¨C Sorry about that, but thank you.


    A small portion of the slime landed on the tip of my shoes.


    They immediately turned black and disintegrated.


    Quite the powerful acid. I can¡¯t imagine what would¡¯ve happened if that hit my face.


    I left a piece of cloth to mark our path and continued down the hole where the slime went. I hope Mira¡¯s arrow was some signal of good fortune.


    But no such luck


    ¨C A dead end.


    An hour later, we hit another stop.


    ¨C It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t get discouraged. Come on, let¡¯s go¡­ What¡¯s wrong?


    ¨C Well¡­ I¡¯m interested in this ¡°wall¡±.


    I took out Nebula and stabbed the wall.


    As soon as it made contact, a torrent of red liquid and yellow gas started pouring out.


    ¨C Are you trying to dig our way out of this?


    ¨C Of course not. But I felt like it was different from the rest of the walls. Softer, maybe. *Cough*


    ¨C Come on, I told you to be on guard. Are you okay?


    ¨C Yeah. I¡¯ve gotten used to the smell in here, I guess. Take a look at this.


    ¨C What!? (D/M)


    ¨C Whale gunpowder. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s stored here.


    There¡¯s so much of it that igniting it would severely injure the whale, but we¡¯d get turned to dust in the process.


    ¨C Let¡¯s leave this here for now. We can find another path.

 CH 310

    ¡°Chapter 310: Maze¡±


    After that, we went back and explored the previous bifurcations.


    ¨C I wonder what this place is. If it were the intestines, why would it have such a complicated structure? (Deko)


    I don¡¯t have a watch, so I can¡¯t tell how much we¡¯ve been in this place, but an entire day must¡¯ve passed already.


    The only danger we¡¯ve found is the slime. No dark jerks or other magical beasts guarding this place.


    We have morale and some food left. Hopefully that¡¯s enough to make it out of here.


    ¨C ¡­Another dead end?


    ¨C No way.


    After that, days passed until we realized that there was no exit of the maze.


    There¡¯s no way out.


    There was only one spot we weren¡¯t done with.


    ¨C Should we blow it up? (Mira)


    ¨C The exit might be behind the stones, but it could just be another dead end¡­ (Takaya)


    Not to mention the fact that we might get roasted by the explosion.


    I¡¯m willing to take a risk if it means getting out of here. In fact, I know I¡¯ll have to.


    But the more I think about it the more dangerous it seems.


    ¨C Takaya¡­


    Somehow I ended up becoming the leader of the group.


    ¨C Takaya.


    So it¡¯s up to me to take a decision.


    ¨C Hey, Takaya. What do we do now?


    Should we risk it all on this one path?


    Should we retreat?


    ¨C ¡­


    I¡¯m uncertain.


    Just getting here took us an entire month of gathering materials.


    If we back out now, it¡¯ll all have been pointless. We won¡¯t be able to escape.


    It would be a huge blow to our hearts too.


    ¨C ¡­Takaya, it¡¯s okay.


    Deko tapped my shoulder while I was immersed in my thoughts.


    ¨C We would rather keep rotting in this place. We¡¯re supposed to have vanished from this world 10 years ago, but you¡¯re still part of it. You have friends out there waiting for you. We can¡¯t let you die.


    ¨C ¡­Are you sure? Do you really want to live in this whale for the rest of your lives?


    ¨C Hey, I never said that. We waited an entire decade, and you came to help us. Who knows when more help will come? Besides, the Ralph we knew isn¡¯t going to give up.


    I finally understood Deko¡¯s idea.


    Not to give up, but to retreat in order to prevent myself from giving up.


    But is that good enough? Just sitting there in a prison waiting for help¡­


    ¨C F?u?c?k?¡­


    I can¡¯t do it.


    I don¡¯t have the power or the courage to do anything.


    ¨C Fine. Let¡¯s go back.


    After a short silence, I decided to retreat.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù¡ù


    (???¡¯s POV)


    ¨C Ahh, I hope he didn¡¯t break. It was starting to get fun.


    And here I was getting my hopes up when he blew up the dark jerks.


    ¨C What, are you still watching him? You¡¯re glued to that screen all day. Do you love him or something? I can¡¯t tell what¡¯s so good about him.


    ¨C Hahaha. Everyone has different tastes, and as your friend, I respect yours. Anyways, how did it go?


    ¨C It was a pain in the a?s?s?, but he gave up eventually. Why would you make me deal with that annoying brat? I won¡¯t follow all your stupid orders just because you¡¯re a cute girl.


    ¨C It¡¯s all part of my little game.


    The pathetic kid was walking back to the stomach, supported by his new friends.


    ¨C I might¡¯ve overdone it¡­ No, it wouldn¡¯t be entertaining otherwise. It¡¯s fun because it¡¯s hard.


    ¨C What¡¯s so fun about trapping a good-for-nothing like him until he dies?


    ¨C He¡¯s not trapped forever. Games aren¡¯t fun if they¡¯re unbeatable.


    He has all the keys to beat the game.


    He even knows where the exit is.


    He just hasn¡¯t realized.

 CH 311

    ¡°Chapter 311: Game Over?¡±


    I wonder how long it¡¯s been already. I stopped trying to count the days.


    No morning or night here. Just dim darkness.


    The three of us came back to the base that we thought we would never come back to.


    On the first day of waiting I still had some hope, but it¡¯s clear that no one will help us.


    ¨C ¡­¡­¡­I can¡¯t move my body.


    I just sat in the corner of my room all day and left all the work to Deko and Mira.


    ¨C Takaya, here are some stones. Can you take care of them?


    ¨C Yeah. Leave them over there.


    Deko has been using the gunpowder as fuel for cooking.


    The quality has been deteriorating exponentially with each day. It¡¯s a good reflection of my current state.


    ¨C ¡­Come on, get a grip. Yeah, we didn¡¯t escape, but you wiped out almost all the dark jerks, and we can explore the third stomach now. Not everything is bad.


    So what?


    We can¡¯t do anything with that.


    I think the girl said that this was a game. What kind of game has no way to get to the end?


    This isn¡¯t a game. It¡¯s a show. And a terrible one at that.


    I¡¯m sure she¡¯s watching me even now.


    But who cares at this point?


    ¨C Deko, how¡¯s Takaya?


    ¨C Same as always. I gave him the stones, so let¡¯s leave him alone.


    ¨C You can say it. I¡¯m a burden, right? You¡¯d be better off with just two people. (Takaya)


    I¡­ didn¡¯t want to say that. But everything that comes out of my mouth is negative.


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry. I overestimated my powers. I thought I could do anything I ever wanted. Clearly I was wrong.


    It had all been going so well up until now. Shimazu, the demon world, Shiori¡­


    ¨C You can leave me to rot. It¡¯s fine.


    ¨C Takaya¡­


    ¨C ¡­Sorry. I¡¯ll work on the stuff you gave me. Could you please leave me alone for a bit?


    ¨C ¡­Alright.


    With that, Deko and Mira left the base to explore for the day.


    They¡¯ve been going to the maze to collect whatever they can find. A pointless effort.


    There¡¯s no escaping out of here. No Ralph. No friends. Only me slowly melting to death.


    ¨C ¡­


    I spend half the day resting in bed, and yet just a small amount of processing completely drains my body.


    Whatever. There¡¯s no point in trying hard.


    We¡¯re going to die sooner or later.


    With that in mind, I slowly started falling asleep.


    ¨C B O O M ¨C


    ¨C What!?


    A huge explosion interrupted my sleep.


    It was the sound of whale gunpowder being set off. But it came from the entrance to this stomach.


    ¨C What are those two doing?


    With the little energy I had, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the house.


    ¨C Deko, Mira!


    They were standing on top of digestive juices while looking at the wall.


    ¨C What are you doing!? Why are you wasting the gunpow-


    ¨C SHUT UP, TAKAYA! SHUT THE F?U?C?K? UP.


    ¨C !?


    I flinched at Deko¡¯s words. I¡¯ve never seen him raise his voice to this level.


    Mira was silent, but her expression was exactly the same as Deko¡¯s


    ¨C So? (Deko)


    ¨C Not a lot of reaction.


    ¨C Alright. We should try somewhere else.


    Apparently they¡¯re trying to confirm something.


    ¨C Takaya, you can go back to the base.


    ¨C I asked you a question! What are you doing!? Why are you setting off an explosion here!?


    ¨C We¡¯re trying to find out whether we¡¯re actually stuck here forever or not.


    ¨C What?


    ¨C Takaya, we haven¡¯t given up yet. We will get out of this damn whale.


    I thought they had been out exploring out of concern for me, but they were scheming their own plans.

 CH 312

    ¡°Chapter 312: Smoldering Heart¡±


    ¨C Takaya, this is all your fault.


    ¨C Me?


    ¨C We had completely given up. We were ready to die here. Listen, these past few weeks must¡¯ve seen like an eternity for you, but they were only a short lapse for us. And in that short lapse we were able to eradicate the dark jerks and enter an area we couldn¡¯t break into for an entire decade. (Deko)


    ¨C You reignited our hearts. We want to get out of here and apologize to Ralph for thinking he wouldn¡¯t be able to become an adventurer.


    ¨C We have a little more fire inside us before we give up.


    ¨C It¡¯s obvious that this is no ordinary whale. Who knows? An exit might appear out of nowhere.


    ¨C I see¡­


    If they don¡¯t want to give up, I have no right to stop them.


    In fact, they saved my life. I should try to cooperate in any way I can.


    ¨C Fine. But please don¡¯t do anything stupid. You guys are still my friends.


    Just as they don¡¯t want me to die, I don¡¯t want them to die.


    I gave them a few explosives and went back to my dark room.


    ¨C It won¡¯t make a difference. It¡¯s impossible¡­


    Even with the tools we have and huge amounts of explosives, we wouldn¡¯t be able to make a hole in such a giant monster.


    ¨C We gotta find an exit. If this is a game for her, there has to be a door to get us out somewhere¡­ But where?


    I want to give up, but I can¡¯t.

 CH 313

    ¡°Chapter 313: Back to Square One¡±


    About ten more days have gone by.


    I was still spending my days lying in bed, but I wasn¡¯t lethargic anymore.


    Whenever Deko and Mira went to bed, I¡¯d go out by myself.


    I could¡¯ve joined them during the rest of the day, but I was too embarrassed to apologize.


    Today¡¯s investigation is to find out if there are any differences between day and night.


    Technically, although a very weird one, this is still a whale. A living being.


    It eats, sleeps, and swims. Its organs are not the same at every moment of the day.


    I doubt an exit will magically appear out of nowhere, but doesn¡¯t hurt to try.


    ¨C They¡¯re coming back¡­


    There was an egg in the walls of the third stomach. It¡¯s a dark jerk about to be born.


    It¡¯s a mystery why the whale is so keen on defending the entrance to the maze.


    The only thing there is a room full of explosive stones, which, to the whale, are basically excrement.


    So they¡¯re necessary to escape¡­


    ¨C Hm?


    On my way back¡­


    ¨C A slime? In the second stomach?


    I felt like I had stepped on something warm. When I looked under my feet, I saw a slime smaller than the ones in the third stomach.


    ¨C Did it fall from the ceiling?


    I looked up and saw several slimes glued to the parts of the whale where we set the explosives.


    Up until now, I thought they were meant to attack us, but they seem to have another role inside the whale¡­


    ¨C Takaya. (Deko)


    ¨C !? What are you two doing here?


    ¨C You weren¡¯t in your room. We got scared. You should¡¯ve told us.


    ¨C I was just¡­ taking a stroll at night.


    ¨C Looks to me like you¡¯re investigating something. (Mira)


    ¨C ¡­The two of you work too hard during the day. I wanted to make up for my meals at least.


    ¨C Well¡­ Listen, I appreciate the sentiment, but just tell us. We¡¯ll work better as a group.


    I should apologize. Being so mysterious in a situation like this won¡¯t do me any good.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. You two have opened my eyes. Please, I need your help to escape.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.

 CH 314

    ¡°Chapter 314: Exit ? Entrance¡±


    We resumed our ventures together, but things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as I had hoped.


    We kept blowing up the insides of the whale, but it was getting faster at repairing itself.


    After a few days, we concluded that there was no point in trying anymore. The explosives wouldn¡¯t do.


    So in order to escape-


    ¨C Welcome back. How did it go?


    I¡¯m currently working on a bomb using Unbreakable. Rather than covering a wide area, I want it to focus on a single spot and cause as much damage as possible.


    ¨C We used all the stones left, but the whale didn¡¯t react much. It¡¯s probably tougher than the usual walls. (Deko)


    ¨C Did you take a sample?


    ¨C Here. (Mira)


    Mira gave me a piece of meat result of today¡¯s experiment.


    ¨C The dark jerks were blown to almost dust. It was hard finding that. Still, I finally understood.


    ¨C Yeah. If there¡¯s no exit, we have to go through the entrance. That must be the key.


    After days of no results, I came up with an idea. Going back to where we came from.


    We know for sure that the mouth of the whale connects to the outside.


    We have to go through several organs before that, though.


    ¨C Once every few days, when the whale is supplied with whatever looks like water, there¡¯s a gap for a few seconds where the esophagus opens up.


    There¡¯s no set time, but it¡¯s a window.


    We¡¯ve tried increasing our firepower as much as possible, but we won¡¯t be able to force open the entrance to the esophagus.


    We need something else. Something stronger than a bomb.


    ¨C Man, it¡¯s hot in here. I know we¡¯re inside a whale, but still. (Takaya)


    ¨C You said it. We lived in a pretty cold place. It took us quite a while to adapt. (Deko)


    ¨C We used to play on ice ponds with Ralph all the time. (Mira)


    ¨C If you hadn¡¯t been there he would¡¯ve died of frostbite or something. (Deko)


    ¨C Yeah. He owes me big time. (Mira)


    ¨C Frostbite, huh¡­ I visited a place that cold not too long ago. It was an island- (Takaya)


    ¨C Takaya?


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong?


    The idea hadn¡¯t even crossed my mind. It¡¯s an extremely risky bet.


    ¨C I need your help with something. It¡¯s going to be stupidly dangerous.


    ¨C ¡­Alright? What do we do?


    ¨C Just like you used to do with Ralph, get a bonfire ready. I don¡¯t want to freeze to death.


    ¨C ????? (D/M)


    If the heat from the explosions isn¡¯t enough¡­ What would happen if we combined it with super-low temperatures?


    ¨C ¡°I hope our fates meet again¡±. Maybe they will, Moonlight.

 CH 315

    ¡°Chapter 315: Moonflower¡¯s Descent¡±


    There are several conditions needed for me to create something with magic.


    I need to have a clear image of what I¡¯m making. I need to have a perfect understanding of every single ingredient or material, including their texture, taste, effects on the body, etcetera.


    It might seem like a crazy ability, but it¡¯s more limited than I¡¯d like.


    Even if I tried to replicate Ralph¡¯s sword or 7th Cycle, it would be a hollow imitation.


    But there¡¯s one weapon that I was responsible for.


    Moonflower (Later baptized as Moonlight), the sword from the cold island of Shimazu.


    Back then, Moonflower was in charge of the main work. Now, I¡¯d have to recreate it by myself.


    I vividly remember the feeling of all heat draining from my body. As if I had become a chunk of ice. My magic circuits were severely damaged afterwards.


    I can¡¯t forget the sensation.


    ¨C I know it¡¯s unconventional, but if it works¡­


    ¨C If the whale¡¯s insides are weak to low temperatures, we might have a shot.


    Water can¡¯t be defeated with swords or hammers, but ice can be destroyed. And so can the whale.


    I asked Mira to collect a piece of meat from the whale.


    ¨C Just to be clear, this will put a tremendous burden on my magical circuits. I might not even be able to complete it. And, even if I do, there¡¯s no guarantee that I¡¯ll get to use my powers again for a long time.


    ¨C So we only got one chance¡­


    ¨C Exactly. Which is why I¡¯ll use the piece of meat to test beforehand.


    If there¡¯s a time to risk my life, it¡¯s now.


    Recreating Moonlight from scratch¡­


    I might reach the levels of The Creator himself if I succeed.


    ¨C Let¡¯s call it a day. Every bit of rest we can get will be important.


    I can¡¯t believe the girl thought that far¡­ Or did she?


    I don¡¯t know. But now we have a solid plan.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    (???¡¯s POV)


    Takaya has fallen asleep.


    ¨C Red. Blue. Orange. Gold. Beautiful stripes.


    ¨C You¡¯ve been working on those decorations for a while, so I¡¯ll do you a favor and ask: What are you doing?


    ¨C What else but getting ready for the welcome party? We might get ourselves a new friend really soon~


    ¨C Frie- Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s THAT guy.


    ¨C So what?


    ¨C I don¡¯t care who you¡¯re friends with, but I don¡¯t like that guy.


    ¨C Aww, do you see yourself reflected on him? I couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¨C Pft. Don¡¯t compare me with the likes of him. He was so hesitant to kill the crazy girl.


    ¨C Really now? I remember finding you crying and beaten up in front of your classmates.


    ¨C Those were happy tears. I was crying because god had finally given me the power to take revenge with my own hands.


    ¨C If you say so.


    I turned around and kept working on my confetti.


    ¨C You¡¯re really going the extra mile. Do you really like him that much? Not that I care.


    ¨C Are you jealous? Wow, even you have a cute side.


    ¨C I said I don¡¯t care¡­ And even if I did, I just want to know what you find of use in that idiot.


    ¨C A lot. More than you, actually.


    ¨C Heeh, I see.


    The image of Takaya was displayed on one of the many screens.


    I can¡¯t see his face due to his long bangs, but I wonder how he¡¯s feeling right now.


    ¨C I¡¯m going to sleep.


    ¨C You don¡¯t want to help me?


    ¨C No. I¡¯ve done those things in elementary school so much that I¡¯m sick.


    ¨C You¡¯re so dense. Listen, I¡¯ll give you a little kiss if you help me.


    ¨C See you later.


    I was left alone in the room.


    ¨C I gotta get ready as soon as possible. The fun is about to begin.

 CH 316

    ¡°Chapter 316: Moonflower¡¯s Descent 2¡±


    I need to remember every sensation from back then.


    If I had Akane by my side this would be a lot easier, but alas.


    I recalled as much as I could the ice coldness from back then, even when the sword was sheathed. The ore that doesn¡¯t exist in this world. The blade absorbing the heat around it.


    ¨C ¡­And its annoying voice.


    It was a sentient material, so reproducing that might be the hardest part.


    My copy could never surpass the original, but if there¡¯s one thing I need is the cold.


    ¨C Ack! Damn, I¡¯m out of time¡­


    A pain ran through my entire body, causing me to open my eyes.


    There was the tiniest piece of ice in my hand. Definitely not enough to cause a change in the meat.


    ¨C Are you okay?


    ¨C I think I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m gonna have to call it a day. Here are the results.


    ¨C Creating ice is impressive though¡­


    For me, it is. But I wasn¡¯t trying to create an ice cube, I was attempting to freeze an entire whale the size of an island.


    I took the day off and went to rest on my bed.


    ¨C ¡­I wonder what she¡¯d say to me.


    Even Akane had a hard time aligning with Moonlight. Will she listen to me?


    I was her original master, but still¡­


    Thinking about her, I closed my eyes and started talking to myself.


    ©–


    £¨Moonlight, what do we do?£©


    ¡°Master, I will need you to explain everything from the beginning¡±


    That¡¯s what she¡¯d say.


    ¡°I see. But there is one thing I have come to realize¡±


    ¨C What is it?


    ¡°There is no escape from here¡±


    ¨C Why?


    ¡°Akane is not here. Neither you nor the people you are with are capable of drawing my power, especially in your current state¡±


    ¨C So, what do I do?


    ¡°It is true that I am capable of breaking this deadlock, but I am not quite what you need¡±


    The Moonlight in my head transformed into the girl I saw that day.


    ¡°It is not Moonlight what you must seek for, but Moonflower¡±


    ¨C I see.


    ¡°I shall be waiting for you¡±


    In the fuzzy mixture of voices in my head, I drifted into a deep sleep.

 CH 317

    ¡°Chapter 317: The Friends At Standby¡±


    ¡ù¡ù


    (Mike¡¯s POV)


    Midnight was about to hit Bay Road. All the stores were closed, except for Searat.


    Months have passed since the master went to the sea alongside his friend Ralph just to be eaten by a giant whale.


    ¨C Hey.


    ¨C Welcome back, Mike-chan. How did it go? (Meirir)


    ¨C I asked the animals around the area. They haven¡¯t seen anything strange.


    ¨C Ever, any news? (Meirir)


    ¨C Nothing yet. I assume whoever is behind this is using the same interruption magic Ernika used. I can¡¯t even tell if he¡¯s alive or not¡­


    ¨C Sorry to bring more bad news, but there¡¯s nothing in the demon world either. (Mumuruu)


    The girl from the demon world and Ralph are both severely injured and still recovering.


    The Sage of the Sea has gone missing since the incident.


    ¨C This is all my fault. If only I was stronger¡­ (Ralph)


    Different types of magic have been applied to Ralph¡¯s left eye, but something keeps it from healing.


    ¨C Frustration won¡¯t get us anywhere. We just have to hope my disciple can get out of this one.


    When we first got the news that the master had been devoured by a giant whale, every single one of us set to find the whale and the boy that hurt Ralph, but both of them had disappeared.


    We have some of the strongest warriors in Searat and the thundercloud boat, and we can¡¯t do anything to save him.


    ¨C Pardon, anyone here?¡­ Oh, Ralph, are you still here? (Rifaiv)


    ¨C My job is not done.


    ¨C It is. Not only were you incapable of procuring the material, but you also failed to protect your client.


    ¨C ¡­I lost another dear friend again. F?u?c?k?.


    Ralph punched the wall as hard as he could. Blood poured out of his fist.


    All of Searat felt exactly like him.


    ¨C What brings you here today? I don¡¯t expect you to take Ralph back in that state. (Ever)


    ¨C Not really. But we found Diine.


    ¨C What!? Is she alive!?


    ¨C Somehow. We found her on the shore of an island almost inside the border. We¡¯re taking care of her in the boat.


    ¨C Once she¡¯s back to normal, we might be able to locate the whale. (Ever)


    ¨C Does that mean- (Meirir)


    ¨C We might finally be onto something. Still, we can¡¯t do much with only that information. (Ever)


    Even if we locate the whale, the master is still inside. We have to get him out first or wait until he escapes.


    ¨C Ever, do you think we should use that? (Rifaiv)


    ¨C Well, nothing better to destroy an entire island. Were you able to repair it?


    ¨C I asked for some money from that Roar guy. He even helped us with the repairs.


    ¨C Are you talking about the Divine Thundercannon? (Ralph)


    ¨C Exactly. The weapon made by none other than our Creator. The fire and light parts are broken, but I believe it still has enough output.


    We haven¡¯t abandoned our hopes yet.


    We were all waiting for the right moment to make our move.

 CH 318

    ¡°Chapter 318: Moonflower¡¯s Descent 3¡±


    ¨C Do we agree on doing this today? (Takaya)


    I¡¯ve rested enough to be in perfect condition.


    All we need now is to put everything in motion.


    ¨C We¡¯re ready to go. (Deko)


    ¨C This is it. Now for sure.


    I¡¯ve already told them the rundown of my plan.


    I will try to recreate Moonflower, the calamity that froze the entire island of Shimazu.


    Moonlight was so desperate for magic at the time that the entire island¡¯s magic was being drained.


    Through experimentation, we made sure that freezing the insides of the whale caused it to become hard and easy to crush.


    Of course, this time I have to recreate the entirety of Moonflower from scratch, so whether this works or not is still a problem.


    I could blow up all my magic circuits and end up unable to do anything for the rest of my life.


    But even so, I want to see my friends again.


    ¨C I¡¯d rather die than spend my life here. Come on.


    ¨C Yeah. (D/M)


    It¡¯s around midnight. The path to the mouth is currently closed.


    ¨C It¡¯s been about twelve hours since the whale last ingested water. Get ready.


    Once the spigot opens, I¡¯ll thrust Moonflower into the whale, causing the terrain to freeze. We¡¯ll then blow open our way into the mouth and escape.


    We¡¯ll be expelled into the middle of the sea. Hopefully the talisman manages to reach my friends before anything bad happens.


    This strategy relies on my friends too. But I believe in them. I know they¡¯re ready to strike back.


    Any moment now.


    My body is trembling.


    To be honest, I¡¯m scared. I¡¯ve done many dangerous things in the past, but I¡¯ve always had my friends back me up.


    ¨C No need to make that face like you¡¯re about to die. (Deko)


    ¨C You can leave all those thoughts for after you¡¯ve died. (Mira)


    ¨C ¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have a brain to process those thoughts after I¡¯ve died.


    ¨C ¡­Yeah, right.


    No time to think about death. I have to blow open this beast.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¨Dg¡¿


    ¨C There it is! (Deko)


    ¨C Takaya!


    I put all my focus on my hand.


    ¡¾KKJHIGYUF¡¯AR¡¯&T&¡¯(OYUIGQYUFARFDGI¨D¨D¨D!!¡¿


    A deafening screech resounded in my head, along with a sharp pain running through my body.


    I felt as if the cold was zapping me like electricity.


    My brain was begging me to stop.


    But I can¡¯t give up now.


    I bit my lip in an attempt to hold onto my consciousness.


    ¡°We meet again¡±


    The beautiful figure of the white maiden I saw at the shrine that day appeared in front of me.


    Of course, this is just an illusion akin to the real Moonflower.


    But said illusion was our ticket to freedom.

 CH 319

    ¡°Chapter 319: Moonflower¡¯s Descent 4¡±


    Any sensation in my hands was disappearing. A blessing, in a way, as I couldn¡¯t feel any more pain.


    ¨C Get ready! I can¡¯t hold on for much longer!


    ¨C R-Right¡­


    After instructing them both, I moved my arm with the little strength I had and swung Moonflower against the wall.


    ¡¾¨D¨D¨D¨D¡¿


    With no resistance whatsoever, the sword sunk into the insides of the whale.


    Frost was forming on the surface.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this¡±


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re gonna have to put up with it.


    ¡°Understood¡±


    It looks like more than half of the first stomach has lost its ability to function.


    A crack appeared in one of the walls.


    ¡¾a¡¢A¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¡¿


    ¨C Enjoy your time as a giant ice block for the rest of your life.


    The beast realized something was off, but it was too late.


    ¨C NOW!


    The orange light of Mira¡¯s ability illuminated the stomach.


    * B O O M *


    ¡¾¡­!!!¡¡!!!!!!!!!¡¿


    Under normal circumstances, the whale would activate any of its defensive measures to stop the damage.


    However, we¡¯ve neutralized all of them by now.


    ¨C GET OUT! THIS IS IT! (Takaya)


    The wall leading to the mouth was shattered to pieces. We were free to go into the oral cavity.


    ¨C We need to run. Whoever is behind this might use magic to heal the whale.


    All of the protrusions were frozen, which served as a great grip to climb up the esophagus.


    ¨C Deko, did you use all the explosives?


    ¨C There¡¯s one left.


    Deko was carrying a bag that contained one last stone to pry open a hole.


    ¨C Thank you, Moonflower. I¡¯ll make it up to you somehow.


    Leaving the sword cleaved into the whale, we kept going until we found the exit.


    I took out my new partner, made completely out of unbreakable, to carve a hole to dig the explosive.


    I¡¯ve also decided on the name already, using my terrible sense of names.


    ¨C I¡¯m counting on you, Black.


    The dark knife shimmered in response.


    ¨C Mira.


    ¨C Here we go. 3, 2, 1-


    The operation was surprisingly quick, but it marked the end of a long stay inside the whale.


    ¨C Until never, Gigantowhale.


    Seawater started leaking in from the hole.


    We¡¯re now connected to the outside world.


    ¡¾Congratulations on clearing the game¡¿

 CH 320

    ¡°Chapter 320: Black Thundercloud¡±


    The moment we escaped from inside the whale, I was greeted not by the cold sea but by a warm feeling.


    ¨C Yo. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive, buddy.


    In front of me was the face of Moruru, but the voice of someone else.


    ¨C It was rough in there, but somehow I made it out.


    ¨C That¡¯s good to hear. (Kouya)


    ¨C Thank you for believing and waiting for me.


    ¨C Aw, come on, we knew we wouldn¡¯t get rid of you that easily¡­ Hey, why is that thing frozen? Did you do that?


    The entire isle whale was covered in white frost. Moonflower had drained all of its magic power.


    ¨C Wait, there were two other people with me. Did you see them?


    I was so preoccupied with coming to my senses that I didn¡¯t realize Deko and Mira are nowhere to be found.


    ¨C Hmm, I didn¡¯t see anyone else come out of there¡­ Yeah, I don¡¯t smell any other humans around.


    ¨C No way¡­


    Are they still stuck inside!?


    ¨C Relax. I¡¯ll look for them but only once I get you all tucked in your bed.


    ¨C ¡­Alright.


    I¡¯m of no use on water. I have to trust him.


    The whale was floating like a dead corpse. There are no signs of any interference like last time.


    ¨C You might get wet in a minute or two.


    ¨C What do you mean?


    ¨C Can¡¯t you see the thundercloud? They¡¯re not satisfied yet.


    ¨C ???


    ¨C Takaya-sama!


    ¨C Master!


    Both Mumuruu and Mike jumped at my chest, not caring about Kouya holding me.


    ¨C I¡¯m so happy! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive! (Mumuruu)


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry to have worried you.


    ¨C Hey now, three people is a lot for me. How about we get off?


    ¨C No. (Mumuruu/Mike)


    ¨C You¡¯re talking to the ruler of the demons. Actually, Mumuruu, you¡¯ll get an earful after this.


    Perhaps finally giving up, Kouya spread his wings and flew into the thundercloud he had pointed out earlier.


    ¨C Is that¡­?


    ¨C The Sage of the Cloud¡¯s boat. They¡¯re getting ready to shoot.


    ¨C Shoot what?


    A dazzling white light with occasional thunderbolts can be seen in the center of the gray mass.


    ¨C B-But¡­ Deko and Mira¡­


    I don¡¯t mind erasing the whale, but the two might still be inside¡­


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, Takaya.


    ¨C We¡¯re still alive.


    ¨C !?


    I turned around to see Deko and Mira being held by Letty.


    ¨C They were in our way so I decided to pick them up. Seems like I made the right choice. (Letty)


    ¨C You did!!! (Takaya)


    ¨C Leave the rest to me! (Ralph)


    ¨C Ralph!


    Ralph jumped out of the boat. The weapon fired its charge and hit his sword.


    ¨C AND STAY DOWN THIS TIME. DIVINE THUNDERCLOUD SLASH!


    A pillar of light enveloped the entirety of the sea.

 CH 321

    ¡°Chapter 321: Their True Faces¡±


    ¨C W-Woah¡­


    The whale turned into countless chunks of meat. The sea was a mixture of blood, body fluids, and undigested substances.


    After spectating the show, Kouya and Letty took us to the thundercloud ship.


    ¨C Welcome back.


    ¨C Thank you, Grandmaster. Is¡­ everything okay?


    Ever came out of a door being held by Akane.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯d like to give you a big hug, but we had to charge that strike with only two people¡­


    ¨C Yo, Takaya. Sorry about the incompetent clown you hired. (Arueetel)


    ¨C You have our apologies as his companions. (Selfia)


    Both Arueetel and Selfia bowed their heads. Deep down, I¡¯m sure they know that even if they had been there this would¡¯ve been unavoidable.


    No one was to blame in this incident.


    After several months of barely surviving, followed by almost blowing up my magic circuits in a last-ditch attempt, all I want is to go back and rest.


    ¨C HAHA! I DID IT!


    Ralph, who had just taken revenge on the whale, made his way back to the ship.


    He was wearing an eyepatch on his eye. The effects of the magic strike were still in effect, as I could tell by his glowing hair.


    ¨C You have my gratitude, Takaya. You saved me from retiring.


    ¨C Retiring? You were planning on quitting?


    ¨C I couldn¡¯t go on knowing that I left you to die. I was planning on serving your guild for the rest of my life as an apology.


    Goes to show how much sense of responsibility he has.


    One way or another, I¡¯m glad everything turned out well.


    I have a new partner made out of Unbreakable, and I¡¯m safe. I have nothing more to say.


    ¨C Ah, right! Ralph, I have a surprise for you. I found some people inside the whale.


    ¨C What!? You weren¡¯t the only one?


    ¨C I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love to see this. Come out, you two!


    Deko and Mira stepped in front of Ralph.


    ¨C Hey there. Long time no see. (Deko)


    ¨C You haven¡¯t changed a bit, huh. (Mira)


    ¨C Y-You¡­ Is it really you?


    ¨C Yeah.


    ¨C Well, it¡¯s us, but older. I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten about us.


    ¨C ¡­No, you¡¯re not my friends.


    Deko and Mira were instantly sliced by Ralph¡¯s sword. Four arms were laying on the floor.


    ¨C RALPH!?


    ¨C Takaya, get away from them. Now. These are not Deko and Mira.


    ¨C Wha-


    Mira¡¯s facial expression went from shock to a smile.


    ¨C Ah, I thought we could play it off for a little bit longer. Don¡¯t tell me you noticed from the smell? (???)


    ¨C I told you this guy is like a feral dog or a monkey. (???)


    Mira¡¯s voice¡­ It¡¯s the same voice as the girl that talked to me when the whale swallowed me.

 CH 322

    ¡°Chapter 322: Invitation¡±


    ¨C ¡­Why?


    I wanted to believe Ralph was wrong¡­


    The people that had been supporting me throughout these awful months were actually the enemy¡­


    It makes sense that the ones setting the rules wanted to observe carefully, but I never thought they would be so close.


    ¨C So all those words of encouragement¡­


    ¨C Pure lies. I needed- Sorry, ¡°Mira¡± needed you to continue playing. Otherwise, the game would be too boring.


    ¨C You really ate all of that up. Maybe next time try using your brain and doubt the people around you. Why do you think that nutjob girl got you?


    ¨C ¡­Minagami-san?


    ¨C Zenya-kun, cut him some slack. He¡¯s tired after all of that. Poor little thing.


    ¨C Don¡¯t use my name!


    ¨C Whoops! Slip of the tongue.


    ¨C Really now, Nayuta?


    ¨C Don¡¯t worry, I was planning on introducing myself anyways.


    Zenya and Nayuta. Those are their names.


    They must have reincarnated in this world too, just like Kouya and me.


    ¨C So the real Deko and Mira¡­


    ¨C Oh, they were alive. But just before you were swallowed they¡­ Well, we had to have a disguise, right? Hehehe. Too bad your friend over there saw through us.


    ¨C Of course I did. How dare you pieces of s?h?i?t? impersonate my friends.


    Ralph pointed his sword at them.


    ¨C Easy there. Did you not learn your lesson already? That eye won¡¯t heal as long as I¡¯m alive.


    ¨C So it was you. What the hell did you do to me?


    ¨C Can¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s something only the people from the other world-


    ¨C Zenya-kun.


    Nayuta stopped Zenya from attacking Ralph.


    ¨C I told you before. We¡¯re here only to pick up Takaya-kun. Don¡¯t you dare start a fight. (Nayuta)


    ¨C What? You don¡¯t think I can beat them?


    ¨C Not at all! But we worked so hard to get here. Let¡¯s enjoy the fun.


    ¨C I really don¡¯t get you sometimes.


    ¨C You¡¯ll never be popular with girls if you keep acting like that.


    The most powerful people in the world are reunited here, but they don¡¯t seem scared in the slightest.


    In fact, it felt like all of us were immobilized by threads. That¡¯s how much fear they imposed.


    ¨C Moving on. Congratulations on clearing the game, Takaya-kun. Even if you had our help, you managed to get out by using your own strength. You¡¯re worthy of being my companion.


    ¨C ¡­Companion?


    ¨C Like I said, I¡¯m here to invite you.


    Nayuta held out her hand.


    ¨C Nagami Takaya-kun, would you be our friend?

 CH 323

    ¡°Chapter 323: All-out War¡±


    ¨C ¡­Did you just say¡­ ¡°Friend¡±?


    ¨C Yeah!


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing.


    How is she capable of saying something like that after all she¡¯s done to me?


    Not just me, my friends had bags under their eyes. They must¡¯ve been working hard trying to find me.


    This wasn¡¯t a matter of a few hours. I spent months inside that whale.


    They must have so much power that they feel like they can do anything.


    One of my objectives is to find a way to go back to my world. They might know a thing or two.


    But still.


    ¨C No f?u?c?k?i?n?g way. (Takaya)


    ¨C Aw, why not? Come on. This world will be much more fun with us. (Nayuta)


    ¨C ¡°Us¡±? (Zenya)


    ¨C Zenya-kun, no one likes a tsundere boy.


    ¨C No, I think I¡¯ve made it pretty clear that I hate his guts. Whatever. You¡¯re wasting your time here. (Zenya)


    I can¡¯t wrap my head around it. The boy aside, everything this girl says is strange.


    ¨C I don¡¯t care what you say. My answer won¡¯t change. No.


    Zenya¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¨C YOU ASKED FOR IT. (Takaya)


    Frost covered the kids¡¯ feet. It was me, creating Moonflower again.


    My magical circuits must be in shreds, but I can still pull this off. My time inside the whale wasn¡¯t all for nothing.


    ¨C CRUSH THEM TO PIECES. (Takaya)


    ¨C This is how you treat us? We came here all the way just for you. You¡¯re gonna make our feet go pale. (Nayuta)


    ¨C SHUT UP. This is nothing compared to what you¡¯ve put us through!


    ¨C Yeah, you¡¯re right. Ignition.


    Nayuta snapped her fingers. The ice storm surrounding us evaporated into the air in the span of a second.


    ¨C Hey, unfreeze me too. It¡¯s already up to my waist. Do you want me to become an ice sculpture? (Zenya)


    ¨C Why don¡¯t you use your own ability then? (Nayuta)


    ¨C Against these guys? Don¡¯t make me lau-


    A giant blade was pressed against Zenya¡¯s throat.


    ¨C Hm?


    ¨C I¡¯m tired of you, little chipmunks. I¡¯m gonna teach you a thing or two. (Kouya)


    7th Cycle sliced Zenya¡¯s neck in a straight line.


    ¨C a¡­a¡­ (Zenya)


    ¨C What was that? Come on, speak up. Tell us how you¡¯re feeling right now. (Kouya)


    The royal vampire¡¯s red eyes were burning a hole in Zenya¡¯s severed head.


    ¨C Oh wow. So there are others apart from Takaya capable of moving¡­ That was a bit rude, Tozaki Kouya. (Nayuta)


    ¨C So you know my name. I take it you¡¯re even older than us.


    ¨C I have not the slightest idea what you might be talking about. Hahaha!


    She¡¯s not scared at all. What is her ability that she¡¯s so confident in?


    ¨C Whatever. I¡¯d love to see you glued to the ground like the pests you are. Raise!


    Kouya, having transformed into Zezekiel, generated a powerful gravity field around Nayuta.


    ¨C Gravity magic, huh? That¡¯s annoying. (Nayuta)


    ¨C Still good enough to talk, huh? Guess what, I¡¯m only using 10% of my power.


    However strong the girl is, she doesn¡¯t stand a chance against someone like Kouya.


    ¨C Heh, heheh, woah, that¡¯s amazing. Poor little me can¡¯t do anything. (Nayuta)


    ¨C I¡¯d love to see you begging for your life on your knees, but I¡¯d rather crush your head before you¡¯re able to speak another word. (Kouya)


    The Thundercloud Boat, sturdy enough to withstand the recoil from the cannon, was now cracking due to Kouya¡¯s power.


    Nayuta has fallen. She¡¯s unable to keep standing and is now on all fours.


    ¨C You¡¯re very mean. We came here just to invite Takaya-kun.


    ¨C Try again in your next life then. (Kouya)


    ¨C Rude. (Nayuta)


    The demon ruler, now back to his original form, swung his scythe aiming right at the girl¡¯s neck.


    But it stopped right before hitting its target. In fact, it felt as if all time had stopped.


    ¨C ¡­!?


    ¨C What¡¯s wrong, o¡¯king of the demons? I thought you wanted to take revenge. Whoops, my bad, you can¡¯t talk with your head severed, right? (Zenya)


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Kouya¡¯s decapitated body was on all fours on the ground, covered in blood all over. His head was lying on his feet.


    ¨C Reversal. Nayuta, cut it out. I¡¯m sick of this already. Let¡¯s get it over with.


    ¨C Ahaha, sorry, sorry. But you wanted to get back at him too, right?


    ¨C Not at all. I just wanted to show them firsthand what happens when you rebel against the chosen human.


    Zenya said so while stepping on Kouya¡¯s severed head.

 CH 324

    ¡°Chapter 324: Skill Difference¡±


    What the hell just happened?


    Kouya had the upper hand just a second ago.


    ¨C I hope this makes it clear. There could be a million of you apes and we still wouldn¡¯t bat an eye. (Zenya)


    I¡¯ve never seen an ability like that. Restoring his own life and paying back the damage?


    ¨C ¡­Gh¡­


    ¨C Kouya¡­


    Kouya turned himself into a slime and slowly crawled away from the boy.


    ¨C Another cheap trick, huh? I¡¯ll give you 20 points. (Zenya)


    ¨C ¡­Tch, thank you. (Kouya)


    He knows there¡¯s no point in fighting.


    An ability that can turn the tide of an entire fight in the blink of an eye¡­


    It¡¯s too much for any of us.


    ¨C So that¡¯s what you did to my eye. (Ralph)


    ¨C That¡¯s right! Can you tell the difference between our power now? (Zenya)


    ¨C Seems like things have calmed down. Thank you, Zenya-kun. That was a fun spectacle.


    ¨C I was the one whose head was cut.


    ¨C Ah, relax. I¡¯ll give you a kiss when we¡¯re back.


    ¨C Shut up and get this s?h?i?t? done with already.


    ¨C Alright, alright.


    Nayuta stood in front of me.


    ¨C Takaya-kun, let¡¯s negotiate.


    ¨C ¡­What?


    ¨C I want you to be my friend, and you don¡¯t want to. So I¡¯ll convince you to agree. Pretty simple, right?


    ¨C I said no. Nothing will change my mind.


    ¨C I knew you¡¯d say that. Let me change your mind, then.


    ¨C ¡­How so?


    ¨C ££¡ç£º£¦£¦£Ô£Æ£Ô£×¡¯£¥£¥£×£Õ£Ë


    Nayuta uttered some unintelligible words to the sky.


    I was bracing myself for the worst, but nothing happened.


    There¡¯s no way that was a bluff.


    ¨C Do you want to know? (Nayuta)


    ¨C ¡­


    ¨C Ohh, scary face!


    ¨C Don¡¯t you dare do something to my friends.


    ¨C Well, you should¡¯ve said that before I gave the order.


    ¨C What!?


    ¨C Hehe, turn around.


    ¨C Mas..ter¡­ (Mike)


    ¨C Ggugh¡­ (Akane)


    ¨C I can¡¯t¡­ breathe¡­ (Ralph)


    All of my friends were laying on the floor grasping the air.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ Be careful¡­ These two are stupidly dangerous¡­


    Kouya¡¯s breathing was rough but he was the only one capable of standing still.


    ¨C What did you do!?


    ¨C I ordered everyone in the world to stop breathing for 30 seconds.


    She did¡­ what?


    With those words she said? That¡¯s all it took for her to make every single person in this world stop breathing?


    ¨C 28¡­ 29¡­ 30. It¡¯s over, everyone. Enjoy your air~


    Everyone started coughing in exasperation. Some of them managed to regain their breath, others just fainted.


    ¨C Let me introduce myself. My full name is Shijyou Nayuta. As you might¡¯ve guessed, just like you, Zenya-kun, and Kouya-kun, I reincarnated in this world. Though that was way too long ago.

 CH 325

    ¡°Chapter 325: Shijyou Nayuta¡±


    ¡ù


    (Nayuta¡¯s POV)


    I reincarnated in this world long before Kouya-kun¡¯s accident. About 50 years prior.


    I was only 2 or 3 years old. The accident happened while I was traveling on the sea with my family.


    A storm suddenly formed in the middle of the night and wrecked our ship in no time. We all sunk to the bottom of the ocean.


    I was ready for my death. But I woke up again.


    I¡¯m glad I did, but there was nothing around me.


    I cried and I cried, but my parents were nowhere to be seen.


    There was nothing to eat. The only thing to drink was mud puddles that I would pour back out immediately.


    At the very least, I wished to be able to drink some clean water.


    That¡¯s when a blue sphere of water materialized on the palm of my weak hand.


    I didn¡¯t know why, but it was there. Clean water. It completely revitalized my body.


    After trying various other things, I realized I was able to produce fire, wind, lightning, and many other things just from the palm of my hand.


    It took some time until I realized what it was.


    Magic.


    Then, it was time to satisfy my hunger.


    I looked around for wild animals to hunt, but everything around me was an endless field of grass. Not even insects.


    The only thing I could eat was dirt.


    But then it occurred to me.


    What if the dirt tasted like that delicious cake I ate once?


    Wishful thinking, but I still decided to grab a chunk of dirt and shove it in my mouth.


    Surely enough, I tasted something sweet.


    It was cake.


    That¡¯s when I realized.


    Maybe this world was made to be whatever I wanted it to be.


    ¡ù


    (Takaya¡¯s POV)


    ¨C And that¡¯s my story. Again, a very old one. Order: The World Loses All Sound ¨C Release


    My friends, who had been deprived of their breathing, and then of any hearing, looked just as bewildered as I was.


    ¨C So? What do you think of my Administrator power?


    ¨C ¡­You¡¯re a monster.


    This is absurd. In no way is this right.


    No matter what we do, this is a wall that we can¡¯t possibly overcome.


    She¡¯s like the ruler of this world.


    ¨C So, let me ask you again, Takaya-kun¡­ Will you be my friend?


    ¨C ¡­


    It¡¯s not a request. It¡¯s an order.


    This isn¡¯t friendship. She¡¯s trying to enslave me using my friends as hostages.


    ¨C ¡­..


    I don¡¯t want to.


    I want to refuse.


    But how can I refuse after seeing her ability?


    My friends¡¯ lives will be gone in the blink of an eye just because this psychopath felt like playing with her toys.


    ¨C Haha, decisions, right? They¡¯re the only people you have in this world. What to do, what to do? (Nayuta)


    ¨C You¡¯re f?u?c?k?i?n?g sick. (Kouya)


    ¨C Aah, the representative of the demon king! I don¡¯t need you, Kouya-kun. Please shut up.


    ¨C ¡­!? ¡­! ¡­!


    She¡¯s enjoying herself torturing Kouya.


    I haven¡¯t seen someone this insane since Shiori.


    ¨C Listen, I¡¯m not that bad. I¡¯ll give you some time to consider my offer. One week. I¡¯ll give you one week to reach the decision you please. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be peeking. You¡¯ll be free for the entire time.


    ¨C You¡¯re giving me a week to bid my farewells?


    ¨C I never said that. Feel free to refuse! Though I¡¯d be shocked if you did. Come on, Zenya-kun. Time to go back home. Thank you, Takaya-kun and friends. This is the most fun I¡¯ve had in a long time.


    ¨C Goodbye, apes. I hope you learned your lesson. Don¡¯t mess with me. (Zenya)


    Both kids jumped off the boat and left without a trace.


    ¨C ¡­Takaya, what will you do?


    ¨C I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s go back home first.


    We all returned to Bay Road in complete silence with our heads hanging.


    No wisdom from anyone in the boat could get us out of this.

 CH 326

    ¡°Chapter 326: Decision¡±


    It¡¯s been three days since I returned to Bay Road.


    I¡¯ve done nothing but lay in my bed and rest. Rudra and Feria insisted I needed to rest my body and mind after these stressful months.


    Raksha and Roar took over the work while I was away so that I would be able to relax if I came back.


    ¨C Good morning, Master. (Mike)


    ¨C Hey. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Did you get some rest? (Akane)


    ¨C I couldn¡¯t really fall asleep. (Takaya)


    All three of them had been given special permission to safeguard me in case Nayuta decided to suddenly appear.


    ¨C Hey¡­ I have a favor-


    ¨C No. (Mike)


    ¨C No way. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C Rejected. (Akane)


    ¨C Come on. It¡¯s been three days already¡­


    I was fully expecting to never be able to use my powers again after forcing myself to recreate Moonflower not once but twice.


    My Level must have increased by a lot during my stay at the whale because after a day of rest I was back to normal.


    ¨C No is no. Even if you feel fine you need to keep resting. Give it one or two months before you go back to work.


    ¨C One or two months¡­


    Everyone here knew about my situation, but they still insisted on me spending time here.


    I only have four more days left.


    ¨C You don¡¯t have to worry. Even if those two come to take you away from us, we¡¯ll protect you. (Mike)


    ¨C Tilchina-sama has arranged for every single high-ranked demon, including herself, to be ready to jump into action at a moment¡¯s notice should you need help. (Mumuruu)


    ¨C The sages, the Thundercloud crew, everyone from the Royal Capital, they¡¯re all guarding you with their best efforts. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. Just rest. (Akane)


    ¨C ¡­That means absolutely nothing. (Takaya)


    Even if every single warrior in this world tried to defy those two, it would be impossible.


    Nayuta¡¯s ability is a cheat. We can¡¯t win.


    Kouya and I found out that her ability had a slightly lesser effect on us since we¡¯re not from this world, but even then Kouya was quickly overwhelmed as if he was a mere insect.


    ¨C I¡¯ve been thinking nonstop for the past few days. I¡¯ve reached the conclusion that it¡¯s impossible for us to win.


    Horribly gruesome images flashed in my mind whenever I imagined what would happen if I refused Nayuta¡¯s invitation.


    ¨C I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re all worried about me. I¡¯d like to stay here forever. But¡­


    ¨C ¡­ (M/M/A)


    ¨C ¡­I¡¯m sorry.


    I wanted to be as positive as possible, but it was pointless.


    ¨C Knock Knock ¨C


    ¨C Ahh, who¡¯s interrupting? (Akane)


    ¨C I¡¯ll check. (Takaya)


    Leaving the three of them to continue with their chores, I went to open the door.


    ¨C Who is it?


    ¨C Hey, good morning. Do you have some time?


    ¨C Meirir-san!?


    Standing there with a heartbroken smile was my first ever companion in this world.

 CH 327

    ¡°Chapter 327: With Meirir¡±


    Accepting Meirir¡¯s request to talk by ourselves, we headed out to the center of Bay Road.


    The others accepted reluctantly, but they could at least grant me this one thing.


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry to ask for something like this when your life could be in danger.


    ¨C It¡¯s okay. I needed some fresh air to clear my thoughts.


    Besides, Nayuta looks like someone who can hold her promises. If she says she won¡¯t hurt anyone, I think I can trust her.


    As for Zenya¡­ He¡¯s like a dog on a leash. As long as Nayuta is there he won¡¯t do anything to us.


    ¨C You know¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since we last walked like this. (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah. I wonder how many months it¡¯s been. Last time we were with Mike¡­


    It wasn¡¯t long after we found her.


    ¨C Do you want to hold hands like that one day? Before we got interrupted. (Takaya)


    ¨C Right, that day. You were kidnapped and we jumped to your rescue¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been so long since that happened.


    ¨C We should get going. Let¡¯s have some fun.


    ¨C ¡­Okay.


    This would be my first date with Meirir in a long time.


    ¨C How about we go to District First? (Takaya)


    ¨C Sure.


    Having Meirir guide me through the district, I enjoyed my first walk through Bay Road in several months.


    I took my sweet time to look at the streets and buildings.


    When I first got here, I thought this was purely a fishing town. It¡¯s great to see how much it¡¯s changed ever since my arrival.


    The rise of Searat as a significant merchant power greatly increased the quality of life of every citizen and every shop.


    There are even plans to build a sixth district by taking loans from the Royal Capital. In addition, District Fifth has been gradually improving due to increased employment.


    Life¡¯s well in Bay Road.


    ¨C We¡¯re getting paid an absurd amount of money¡­ It¡¯s all thanks to you and your influence in this guild. (Meirir)


    ¨C Not at all. It¡¯s thanks to everyone¡¯s efforts.


    Searat opened another store with Raksha in charge. Meirir and Dyke used to get by doing dirty jobs like cleaning sewers, but now they can afford to lay back and rest. Roar is ready to take charge of the entirety of the guild as soon as it¡¯s necessary.


    Everyone has changed in a matter of months.


    ¨C ¡­Bay road will be huge one day. Maybe not now, but one day. It might become even more important than the Royal Capital. (Takaya)


    Which is why I can¡¯t allow them to destroy that future.


    ¨C Takaya¡­


    ¨C I¡¯m sorry. This is supposed to be a date. Come on, let¡¯s go to District Third.


    ¨C Okay¡­


    After that, we enjoyed our date as much as we could.


    Holding skewers in our hands and chatting happily, we walked around new shops that hadn¡¯t existed before my trip to the sea.


    We got teased a bit by some clerks, but that¡¯s fine, because I was with Meirir.


    She¡¯s special to me.


    I can¡¯t hold my decision anymore. I have to make it clear to her and everyone.


    I will accept Nayuta¡¯s deal and leave Bay Road behind.

 CH 328

    ¡°Chapter 328: The Last Adventure¡±


    After enjoying a slow walk through Bay Road, we finished our date in our usual diner.


    It was the first time I had been alone with Meirir ever since I gave her the ring. It¡¯s still on her finger.


    Normally, my friends would be following us to have some teasing material for later.


    None of that today. I guess that¡¯s their way of reading the mood.


    ¨C Cheers to your return. (Meirir)


    ¨C Thank you.


    I took a sip of my barley wine. A perfect drink to relax after work, but certainly didn¡¯t taste good now.


    ¨C Wine here is amazing. (Meirir)


    ¨C Yeah. Bay Road has changed a lot, but this place is still the same. Makes me realize this is where I belong.


    The store is filled with cheerful and loud chattering from fishermen.


    Sometimes it drowns out our conversation, but I don¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t want this kind of atmosphere to ever disappear.


    ¨C ¡­Meirir-san, we need to talk¡­


    ¨C Yeah. What is it?


    Meirir smiled at me while waiting for my next words.


    She was determined to respect whatever decision I took.


    ¨C I¡¯m leaving from Bay Road.


    ¨C ¡­That¡¯s okay.


    That is to say, accepting Nayuta¡¯s offer and becoming her friend.


    ¨C I can¡¯t change your mind, right?


    ¨C Right. I¡¯ve thought about it hard during these past few days.


    I especially thought about how we would fare in a battle against Nayuta and Zenya if every single one of my friends teamed up against them. The conclusion was always the same.


    ¨C I want to be here forever with every one of you. I¡¯d rather die than become a friend of those two. (Takaya)


    ¨C But¡­ we can¡¯t win no matter what we do. (Meirir)


    ¨C Exactly.


    Kouya, Ralph, Raviola, Rizerotta, everyone tried hard to investigate Nayuta¡¯s ability and how to deal with it. But the more they tried to understand it, the more they realized that it was impossible to overcome.


    ¨C I don¡¯t want to go. But more than that, I don¡¯t want you all to get hurt. And for that, I have to accept their deal.


    Nayuta cares about me. Which means I must be important to her.


    Maybe there are still several secrets hidden in this world.


    About the reincarnations, about skills, about Nayuta and Zenya, and about their abilities.


    ¨C I¡¯m really sorry to do this right after I¡¯ve had you all on the edge of your seats for months, but I¡¯m going away again, and I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to come back. But I¡¯m going.


    ¨C That¡¯s okay. If that¡¯s your decision, then I won¡¯t stop you. I don¡¯t care what the others say, I¡¯ll respect your determination.


    ¨C Meirir-san¡­


    ¨C Takaya, let¡¯s go outside for a bit. The weather is nice.


    After paying the bill, Meirir and I walked out of the store.


    She pulled my hand and took me to a lighthouse built on a small hill in District Fourth.


    ¨C ¡­The night sky is so pretty. (Takaya)


    ¨C Right? Sometimes I would come here to pray to the stars for your return.


    The stars are different from the ones in my world. They faintly illuminate the terrain we¡¯re on.


    All of this could disappear if I take the wrong decision.


    ¨C Takaya¡­ promise me something.


    ¨C What is it?


    ¨C Promise me you¡¯ll come back to Bay Road. Promise me that no matter how long it takes, we¡¯ll see this scenery again together. 10 years, 20 years, I don¡¯t care. Everyone in Searat will be waiting for you.


    ¨C ¡­I promise to return.


    For Meirir.


    The first person I fell in love with in this world.


    ¨C Takaya.


    ¨C ¡­Yeah?


    ¨C Can we stay like this a little longer?


    ¨C Sure.


    After accepting her promise, we held hands and kept looking at the sky for the rest of the night.


    ¡ù¡ù¡ù


    And then, the days passed until we reached the deadline.


    As they had announced, Zenya and Nayuta were waiting for me at the Searat headquarters.


    ¨C You¡¯re here! I take it that means you¡¯ll accept my deal.


    ¨C That¡¯s right. Shijyou Nayuta, I will become your friend.


    ¨C Hehe. I knew you¡¯d say that. Thank you, Takaya-kun. You¡¯ll be the middle cog for us Administrators.


    Nayuta grasped my hands firmly.


    ¨C I¡¯ve accepted your request, so please honor your part of the deal. Don¡¯t lay a finger on the people from this world.


    ¨C Of course. In fact, I might¡¯ve overdone my threats. As long as I have you I¡¯m happy.


    We hadn¡¯t fully given up yet, and it was printed on our faces. But Nayuta was still smiling.


    She knew any resistance was pointless.


    ¨C Well, let¡¯s go. To our place at the border. (Nayuta)


    Nayuta, Zenya and I were enveloped in a white light.


    I have no regrets. I¡¯ve come to terms with my decision.


    I just have to look ahead.


    Our destination: The Border.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Thank you folks so much for making it this far! We¡¯ve reached the end of Another World Awakening Transcendental Create Skill.


    As for what you all must be wondering: ¡°Is this the very end of the novel?¡±


    The last message from the author implied that he¡¯s still working on it (Although that was on December 2020). The novel is still listed as ¡°Ongoing¡± and he hasn¡¯t expressed any wish to stop. As you can tell from the title of this last episode, there must be one more arc before the end. However, he¡¯s currently on a break after focusing on another of his works. Purely my assumption, so take it with a grain of salt, but I guess he¡¯ll come back to this novel once he¡¯s done with that one. However long that takes I have no clue.


    TL;DR: Novel isn¡¯t done, but author will likely take long before coming back to it.


    Now, onto the thing no one asked for: My opinion!


    I really liked this novel! Which is a surprise. The first 30 or so episodes looked like a big cliched isekai with the usual whoopsie scenes and other eye-rolling tropes, but the more it went on the more I started to like the author¡¯s direction. Or perhaps I just grew fond of it, I don¡¯t know. Everything from the Harukawa Akito arc onwards was pretty good, even if some parts felt unnecessarily drawn out. Chapter length was a bit all over the place though, in the sense that (as an example) there could be one 3000 words long chapter in a battle, and the next chapter would be 200 words long and it¡¯s just a couple of thoughts plus one character moving slightly. This is mostly what pushed me to do daily chapters, as I felt like waiting several days just for a chapter readable in 15 seconds might¡¯ve left a bad taste. There were obviously some plot holes to be filled in. To mention a few, what extent can Takaya¡¯s abilities actually reach? This was specially put into question during the Shiori battle. Why were they isekai¡¯d into this world and why do they all include a death during a trip? Does Nayuta constantly mentioning a ¡°game¡± mean something or is it just a metaphor? But I don¡¯t want to delve too deep into that knowing the story isn¡¯t over yet and there¡¯s a lot of room to explain these things. Also, the concept of ¡°Levels¡± was drilled in during the beginning, and then it became a bit of an afterthought by the end.


    I know I mostly mentioned negatives, but I truly enjoyed the novel. Not everything has to be a groundbreaking masterpiece and sure enough this was a solid read. The concept of skills is nothing new, but the ones described in this story were pretty cool. I also LOVED the diverse amount of characters introduced.


    Anyways, enough rambling. Those were some of my negatives and positives of this novel. Thank you so much for reading! <3


    ¨C WildKendal