《Continuity is the Father of Magical Power》 1 collection of items Growth Misanga. All status growth values are doubled. Creator: Leons Forster . Greatly enhances magical growth Being in love with someone you love doesn''t put you in any other state than love. Creator: Leons Forster A rucksack with pockets for extra space storage. You open the backpack and remind yourself to put the item you want to put in and it goes into the pocket inside. The capacity of the pockets is proportional to the magic the user first poured into the backpack. The user is the one who poured the magic into it in the first place. You can only carry a backpack with you or something you poured your magic into at the same time. Created by Leons Forster Telepathic necklace. You can telecommunicate with the person who poured magic power into this magical stone via registered magic items at a distance. All you have to do is touch this necklace to register. Connecting (Registered Items) Sherry: the necklace of love. : Leena (Love Necklace +) The Herman (Loyalty Bracelet) Bells. (Love Necklace +) Elsie. : Frank (friendship bracelet) Rue. She can telepathize with her owner. It absorbs a large amount of its owner''s magical power to enhance its sharpness and durability. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.3... takes away the attacked enemy''s health to restore it Creator: Leons Forster Sky Shoes I can run in the air. 50% increase in speed for those equipped. Invisibility Cloak+. Not only does he use his magical powers to become invisible Block out your own magic, smell and presence. Equipping it halves all hits. Creator: Leons Forster Auto mapping. It automatically records the path within a 10-meter radius of your location. Creator: Leons Forster Wana Terrace. As it floats into the air, it provides light for the user to A red light illuminates where the traps are. Creator: Leons Forster Water bottle. A water bottle that spits out water when you fill it with magic. Creator: Leons Forster The Magic Hand. Wearing this will greatly increase the accuracy and power of your magic. Also, when you wear it, you can add your own magic to this glove or hand-held weapon. Creator: Leons Forster Pocket watch with alarm. It will always tell you the exact time. I tell them what time I want them to wake me up, and they wake me up at that time. It won''t break. Creator: Leons Forster Comfortable Tent. This tent will not allow any demon or person to get within sight of it. However, anyone who was within sight of the tent when it was set up is not valid. It''s spacious inside and comfortable, with one large bathroom in a 5 bedroom apartment. Creator: Leons Forster Universal supplementary goggles. They offer a variety of support to their owners You can do a lot of things, so ask me directly. Creator: Leons Forster Can telepathically communicate with its owner. Its owner can summon it anywhere. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.1...Increases the owner''s health by 1.5 Creator: Leons Forster Demolition Box Once the body is in here, it''s cleaned and dismantled. Put the corpse in, keep the lid closed for five minutes, and then they''ll cut it down to valuables only. Any size can be put in, even a dragon! You can even set up the owner''s space storage to hold the items that were made. Creator: Leons Forster Love Necklace Greatly enhances magical growth The scale of magic has been greatly accelerated. Being in love with someone you love doesn''t put you in any other state than love. Creator: Leons Forster The Fiend''s Wand. Using this wand to do magic increases its power and potency up to 100 times. Also, it''s easy to adjust the power and direction of the magic Creator: Leons Forster The Loyalty Bracelet. Accelerate the growth of magic As long as you are loyal to the creator of these bracelets. I don''t go into a state. 1.5 times faster Creator: Leons Forster The Flying Magic Broom. A magical broom that anyone can fly over. This broom runs on magical power and the speed can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of magical power the pilot pours into it. (Note: This broom can only be used with magic control at Lv. 3 or higher. Creator: Leons Forster House dungeons (immature). The house has been converted into a dungeon, but due to the low level of its creator, it is still in its infancy. Its functions are limited to controlling the temperature in the dungeon, monitoring the dungeon using the dungeon core, and auto-repairing the dungeon. This dungeon can be rebuilt only once. Created by Leons Forster. The Ring of Happiness. Ten times the value of luck. When you pour your magic, you''ll know where the other rings of happiness are located. Excellent durability Creator: Leons Forster The Armband of Friendship. Accelerate the growth of magic As long as there is friendship between you and the creator of these bracelets I don''t go into a state. 1.5 times the power of magic Creator: Leonce Forster Armor of service. As long as we are in the service of the Lord, our strength and speed will increase tenfold. You will neutralize your enemy''s magic. You will be able to feel where the Lord is. The Creator: Leons Forster. The Rat Monitor. The footage sent by the rats is instantly stored and edited before providing the main You can even send instructions to the rats to help you get the most out of your snooping! Creator: Leons Forster Demon Containment Ball. When you pour your magic power into it, you can create a powerful ward that is only as strong as the amount of magic you pour into it! This ward can reject any outside interference. The size of the warding can be adjusted by the user''s magic control While the warding is developing, this sphere glows. Creator: Leons Forster The universal key. It can be any key. The keyhole will form a perfect key and is easy to unlock. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Safety deposit box. I will protect your treasure, no matter what. You will not be able to open this safe unless you can get past the biometrics. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Slave collar. A slave who wears this is not to be disliked by his master, no matter what. Loving your master greatly accelerates the power of your magic. It won''t cause any abnormalities other than love. Creator: Lonce Muldaine The Wall of Suckers. It''s designed to absorb magic in an instant, even if it hits you. Use the magic you absorb to repair what''s broken Creator: Lonce Muldaine Appraisal pedestal. The appraisal results of the person who touched the pedestal are projected on the pedestal. The results of the appraisal can only be seen by the person who owns it. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Simulated sun and moon. I can shine the light down from on high. It adjusts its light to match the sun on the ground and becomes the moon during the night. It only emits light because it is only simulated and apparent. Creator: Lonce Muldaine 2 prologue "I give you a special ability and a limited past-life memory. How you choose to live with it is up to you. I''m looking forward to seeing what kind of life you lead. .... (Huh?) (Special ability? Memory? (Future life?) That''s where I wake up. (It''s a dream. A dream. But when I opened my eyes, there was a lot of discomfort. First of all, I was surrounded by people I didn''t know. A dark-haired, good-looking guy, late 20s, I guess. A woman who has red hair and looks around 20 years old (beautiful) Next to them was a 4 or 5-year-old redheaded girl who appeared to have two children. Eh! He''s waving his hand in my direction, so I know I''m being spoken to, but I can''t understand a word he''s saying. At least it wasn''t in Japanese or English. And the man lifts me up lightly. Yes, that''s the second strange feeling What''s going on? My body is a baby! I looked around, confused. I thought this place was different from my world. First, there''s the room. There''s no electronics, no plastics in this room. Plus, every single piece of decor in the room looks like it was made by hand, not by machine. And the clothes of the three men surrounding me. It''s a far cry from the clothes I was wearing in my day. They looked like something a nobleman would wear in a movie often set in the Middle Ages. Maybe I''m reincarnated? I just can''t remember when or how I died. When you try to remember, you realize that you don''t even know who you were. You have no idea of your name, your friends, or your family. Then you remember the voice that came to you in your dream. (I will grant you special abilities and a limited memory of a previous life.) I think I heard him say something like this. "We''ll never know what kind of ability we have at this point, so we''ll just have to think about something else. She said something about granting us a limited amount of previous life''s memories in addition to our abilities. Doesn''t the limited memory possibly include who you were in a previous life? As I was thinking about this, a man came close to my face. If I was to be reincarnated, is this man my father? Then he turns his eyes to the two men next to the man. These two are probably a mother and a sister. Then I looked at my body. My body is still small and round. Yeah, maybe this really is a reincarnation. Yeah, I''m looking forward to the rest of my life: ....... Please, may this not be a dream either! And may your life be more interesting than you could ever imagine. As I hoped, I gradually became less and less aware... 3 CHAPTER I -- To use magic I think it''s been six months since I became a baby, though I''m not sure because I slept most of my days, but I think it''s been six months . But during my waking hours I was concentrating on listening to the maids who were taking care of me, my mother who came to check on me, my sister, so I could understand and hear the words, though I couldn''t speak because I couldn''t move my tongue well. The information I was able to get was... They call me Leo. My sister''s name is Helena. I don''t know my parents'' names. My mother just said "mother," but I never got her name. My father was busy on his side, and I hadn''t seen him since my first day as a newborn. And here''s a new revelation! There''s magic in this world. You know, when I first saw it, it was amazing. My maid''s hands started glowing, and then my body started glowing, and the next thing I knew, my body was clean. This confirms that this world is a different world. A world of magic. ...... Ah~ I can''t wait to learn to use magic... And since then, it''s been two months. Finally, I''ve learned to crawl. So I''m going to have an adventure in the house! But with supervision. Apparently it''s OK to move around freely as it gives you strength, but it''s not safe, so I have a maid to accompany me outside the room. This house is really big! How many rooms exist in this house? Every day when I couldn''t find what I wanted, I asked the maid to carry it to my room. The thing I want to find on this adventure is a book. And most importantly, to find the book of magic. A week went by and I found the room where I found it. That''s the library. He jumped right into the book and I opened it up. But I forgot that I can''t read. So I turn to the maid nearby. The maid has understood my point. ''Are you concerned about the book, Master Leo?'' I nodded at it. Hmmm, let''s see, this is a book about magic. When I heard that, my eyes lit up. ''You want me to read it?It''s fine, it''s just that this book is so difficult, I think it''s more interesting in a picture book. I shook my head immediately. "Okay. Let''s read it when we get back to our room. And so I return to my room. Then, because the book was so thick, I gave it to him to read over several days. The book had a . Magic is the use of magic inside the body to do many things. Magic is something that everyone has and it exists in nature. Then why do some people can use magic and others can''t? .... It''s simply that some people have more or less magical power than others, but it''s mostly what kind of aptitude magic they have. Aptitude magic is divided into the six attributes of fire, water, wind, earth, light and dark, as well as no attributes and other unique attributes. Half of the world''s people have at least one of the six attributes. Almost everyone has the non-attribute. A unique attribute is possessed by a small number of people. When you hear this, you would think that no-attribute is something you can use. No-attribute can be used on you to improve your strength, sight, and hearing. However, since it requires a lot of training to use it freely, most people give up on it. Moreover, most people who are blessed with aptitude magic have never had the opportunity to learn it... And as far as I can tell, this is what was written. I gave up on what happened after this because there were words that I didn''t understand. So, let''s think about what''s to come. First of all, we can''t know the attributes now so we''ll think about it some other time. And what I can do now is to train my magic. I just don''t know how to do it. Maybe it was in the part of the book I didn''t understand: ..... But what you don''t know is inevitable, so you''ll have to figure it out on your own! So first, I''m going to look for the magic in my body. How am I going to find it? ..... That''s looking for any areas of discomfort between your previous body and your current body! What if it doesn''t work? If it doesn''t work: .... Now I''ll just have to give up and wait for the book to be able to read: ..... And so my search for magic began. I closed my eyes and focused all over my body. Hands, arms, toes, feet, head, neck, chest, belly..... Hmm? I felt a little bit of a strange sensation in my stomach. And as I focused on my stomach, I felt like I could feel a little lump in my bellybutton. Was this magic? It''s hard to believe, but I can''t find anything else that looks like it, so I''ll just think of this lump as magic. Now that I''ve found the magic, I''d like to think about how to train it. But I have no idea: ..... What should I do: ..... At times like this, it''s time for a change of idea! Instead of what to do, let''s think about what we can do with this lump now. Even if it''s a mistake that has no effect on magic, it can''t be helped. And if there''s one thing you can do with this lump, it''s move it. The reason is simple, because I can''t think of anything else: ..... Well, let''s just figure out a way to move the magic around for now. .... The only thing I can think of is how to make it work with spirit. I''m going to try to move the lump with a little luck. I close my eyes and concentrate on the lump of belly button. And I kept remembering something like ''magic power moves. ..... And then, unbelievably, the lump moved, albeit just a little bit. Ugh, it''s moving .....! I was really surprised that it moved just by sheer force of will. Well, it''s better that it works. Thus, I easily found a way to strengthen my magical power, which was my goal. But would my magic power really increase if I continued with this method? I doubt I''ve found a way to do it, but since there''s nothing else to do or do now, I''m going to do it anyway. Well, it''s said that continuity is power. Continuity can be a magical force. Every day since then, I''ve been moving my magic around for the few hours I could stay awake. Even though I moved it, I hardly felt any sense of accomplishment because the range of motion of the mass was very small: ..... That''s why I wondered if this special training was really worth it. Still, I told myself "just a little bit more, just a little bit more" and continued for a while without giving up. And after a week had passed. notice something The magic power is getting bigger! And the range of motion is increasing! The size of the magic power was definitely bigger than my navel. His range of motion had grown to the point where he could move around his belly button. I knew I could increase my magic power by forging this magic power! Now that I know this, I can continue this practice without doubt. And since I stopped doubting, my training became much more efficient. ---three more months. Finally, I can move my magic all over my body. And the size of her magic grew to the size of four navel. Moreover, you''ve succeeded in changing the shape of your magic. After that, he continued to forge his magic. But as soon as it reached a certain size, its magic power stopped growing. Still, I kept thinking something might happen. And then... The color or density of the magic you can feel? I felt like I was getting thicker. And I thought I wouldn''t grow anymore because the one who moved it could now move it all over my body: .... But this time, I noticed that the speed at which you move your magic power gradually increased. This is how my magic power growth drama began: ..... 4 Secondly, its got a birthday and a construction site. It''s my first birthday. Apparently, the nobility of this world celebrates their 8th and 16th birthdays with a big party. The adult, by the way, is 16 years old. But it was my first birthday and the whole family was there. And I finally found out my name (not a nickname) and my age. They say my name is "Leons Forster. That''s a pretty cool name, isn''t it? I like it a lot. In addition to her sister, she has two brothers. The oldest is Ivan Forster, eight years old. He''s got your father''s looks, great build and good face. My second brother is "Alex Forster," seven years old. He''s like your mother, thin, but very smart. And here''s a handsome man. And my sister and my parents. My sister is "Helena Forster," age 4. My father is "Diork Forster," 28 years old. My mother is "Carla Forster," 25 years old. By the way, my oldest brother and sister had red hair and my second brother had black hair. And I finally found out I had dark hair when I was recently looked in the mirror. I''m still a baby, so I can''t judge whether I''m handsome or not, but looking at my brother and sister, I feel like I''m going to be handsome too. And now my two older brothers, who I don''t usually see because my dad never comes, are talking to me. Nice to meet you, Leo. I''m Ivan. And my oldest brother greeted me in a loud voice. The second brother, on the other hand. I''m Alex, by the way. And a friendly greeting. "Leo is a brunette... It''s great that you got your own gang. Yeah. I was the only one of my brothers with dark hair, so I finally had some company. And my brother Alex patted me on the head. And then... Sorry I''m late. And then my father walked into the room with great vigor. And then my mother. It''s okay. Ivan and his friends were just saying hi to Leo. That''s good. Oh, the kids are all grown up. and each one of them. Do Ivan and Alex enjoy school? Helena''s about to start school. We missed you, Leo. And then he patted his head. And . "Okay, let''s get started," everyone said, "let''s get down to business. Happy Birthday Leo! I began . ''''I''ve been so busy around the territory these days that I haven''t been able to see you all, but now that I''m finally done, I''ll see you every day from now on.'''' Dad said happily. ''But me and my brother Ivan and I have school to attend, so we''ll be back in the Imperial City tomorrow. What?But I''m just glad I got to meet you today. More importantly, what''s Leo like? My brother Alex asked after a conversation with my father. And it wasn''t my mother, it was my sister. You see. You know, Leo is the cutest and most unusual of all. I replied. What? What''s going on? You look normal and smart, but... And my mother. ''Oh, well, that''s just because he started crawling around the house every day when he could crawl, and when he found a book about magic in his study, he liked it, and then he stayed in his room and let the maids read it to him. But it''s different, isn''t it? You looked like. Apparently, they don''t realize that I forge my magic every day. Oh, yeah, that sounds promising. I''m looking forward to seeing the aptitude spell. Aptitude magic. What could it be? I''m looking forward to it! Four years later. I finally turned five. Every day after that, I never left the house, either to forge my magic or to read in the library. And when I could speak, I asked my family, my maids, and my butler many questions about this world, my country, and House Forster. My family became more and more interested in my future. In the beginning, the questions were simple enough that even a child could understand them with a smile. But little by little, the questions became more difficult for the adults to answer, and when they were reading, the maids stopped coming to them. However, the head butler, Sebastian, was always willing to answer any question with sincerity. Moreover . When in doubt, solve it immediately. The more knowledge you have, the more power you have to enrich your life. So don''t hesitate to use me to answer your questions. And they were very supportive of me. And just when I thought that since there was magic in this world, I was right! There are demons and demon kings. However, between the human world and the demon king''s world, there is a big mountain range and a big forest between them. Since there are many ferocious demons and dragons there, it''s called the forest of demons or the mountain range of death, so neither humans nor demons can interfere with each other. And since there''s a demon king, there are elves, dwarves and beastmen. Each has its own country and village but most of them live among humans. Next, there are three major nations in the human world, which are called the Kingdom of Alvar, the Vector Empire and the Garum Kingdom. These three countries have the same population, the Kingdom of Alvar and the Vector Empire don''t get along very well though they don''t start wars and the Garum Kingdom has declared its neutrality because it doesn''t want either of them to be enemies. I live in the Vector Empire. You are a magical nation, and if you have magical ability, you can rise to the top. However, since it borders a huge forest that borders the demon world, disasters caused by dragons and monsters often occur. Lastly, about the Forster family. What a brave man the first Forster was! And that''s my grandfather. The story of how a brave man rose to nobility is so well known it became a legend. "About 50 years ago, a demon king came to the kings of the three great kingdoms and declared war on them. Since then, the demons grew in number and became more and more powerful. This made the three kingdoms impatient, and they decided to work together. First, the princess of the kingdom summoned a brave man from another world to travel with the saint of the church and the mage of the empire. With the help of his friends, the brave man defeated powerful demons to build up his strength, and finally, he defeated the demon king in the demon forest. But after defeating the king, he got involved in a power struggle in the kingdom and went into exile to the empire of the mage he was in love with. He married the mage, was knighted by the emperor, and was given a fief bordering the Demon Forest to protect the empire from disaster-grade demons and dragons until he retired. Here''s what I''ve put together It''s so cool, it''s like a story! It''s a story. It''s amazing that this guy is a grandpa. Also, the brave man (grandpa) is still alive! As a reward for defending the country when I was born, he was made a duke and now lives in hiding in the Imperial City. I hear he''s on his way to see you now. While we''re looking into aptitude magic... 5 3. THE ENERGY Mystery I am now on the road for the first time in the world. And I''m on a long trip for the first time out. I''ve been riding in a carriage for a week already. I don''t remember ever riding in a carriage in my previous life, so it''s my first time riding in a carriage. The first time I rode in a carriage it was pretty bumpy and I got drunk for a few days. I only got used to it a few days ago. It''s me, my mom and dad in the carriage. The first half of the trip I got so sick that I couldn''t talk at all, but the day before yesterday I started looking out at the scenery from the carriage and asking a lot of questions. First of all, there are demons in this world, but the plants and animals are the same as in the previous world. On the roads you traveled, you saw many familiar animals and plants, such as fields of wheat and places where you frequently saw deer. But I didn''t see any demons on the road. There were several guards on the carriage, so they may have taken them out before I even noticed, but I didn''t see the demons I was so eager to see. And now, we''re almost to arrive at the imperial capital. After arriving at the imperial capital, I heard that they plan to examine my aptitude magic as it is: .... I think I''ve read and understood most of the books about aptitude magic. But I didn''t know how to actually look it up: .... So I''ll have to ask. What''s a proper law, Dad? I asked my dad a question with an air of childishness in mind. ''Oh, I didn''t tell you that. Then, without warning, Dad pulled a white card out of his hand. And then he showed me the card. This is something you can get at the temple. This is from the temple. Here''s a card with your strength and your aptitude magic and title from the gods. On the card, I could see my dad''s name and various letters and numbers. Diorque Forster Lv.56 Age: 33 Race: Human race Profession : Magical Swordsman Strength: 1540/1540 Magic power: 4250/4250 Power: 620 Speed: 530 Luck: 20 Attributes: None, flame skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. Oh, status! It''s cool that your profession is magic swordsman. But why don''t we see the skills and titles? Is your mother''s like this? I was curious, so I turned to my mom. Then he found out what I was thinking. You want to see mine? Then he took the card out of my hand and showed it to me. Kara Forster Lv.36 Age: 30 Race: Human race Occupation: nobility Strength: 570/570 Magic Power: 1820/1820 Power: 110 Speed: 140 Luck: 100 Attributes: ice skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. I knew you couldn''t see the skills and titles. Lucky for you, though. Dad, why can''t you see your skills and titles? There are skills that can be obtained by working hard and titles that can be given to you. And titles are given to you by the gods for achieving something. The reason why others can''t see these two things is because some people would be in a bad way if they saw them. I see. Sure, it''s not a good idea to know a person''s background when you see a title. ''By the way, the status is made so that the average for a Lv.1 adult is 10. Well, then, your mom and dad are very strong. ''Hmmm, I can''t wait to see what kind of aptitude magic Leo has. Mom smiled and worried about my aptitude magic again. "Does aptitude magic matter? ''''No, it''s not that important . It''s just that most people with great aptitude magic are strong, and the nobles decide who''s better or worse based on how great their aptitude magic is . Mom doesn''t want you to be bullied at school. ''Because I saw a lot of people being bullied because of their attributes when I was in school. Apparently, the nobility use aptitude magic to determine strength and weakness. So, if you bully the weak, you bully the weak: ..... Huh, there''s bullying of the weak in every world. As I was thinking about this, I could see the big city and the castle. ''''Oh, I can see the imperial capital! Then we''ll continue on to the church. They entered the Imperial City and proceeded to the center of the city and arrived at a church that looked exactly like the church of the prehistoric age, which was located near the castle. And when they entered, a man who looked like a priest spoke to my father. It''s good to see you, Duke Forster. Is this your child''s status card today? Oh, yeah. Can we get on with it? He handed me a fistful of the bag and said, "I''m not going to tell you what to do. The priest who received the bag looked twice at the bag he had been given, perhaps because it was heavier than he had expected. Thank you so much for this. Let''s get on with it. I thanked the old man politely and began to show him around. Apparently there was some money in the bag. And it must have been quite a lot of money: ..... The priest''s hand holding the bag was shaking. Then he led me to an underground room. In that room was a statue of the goddess with her knees on the ground and her hands outstretched. "Then touch the goddess''s statue. I did as the priest asked and touched the goddess''s statue. Then a very strong light came out of her. It was so strong that I closed my eyes. Then the light lasted for about a minute. Finally the light faded and I opened my eyes to see a card glowing in the goddess'' hand. I took the card and held it fearfully. Then the card suddenly disappeared with a light. I was surprised when the card suddenly disappeared. Remind him to get out of the card he just played. Father taught me that. I did as he asked and prayed. (Answer.) Then a white card came out of my hand, just like my father did in the carriage. So this is the status card: .... Now, what''s my aptitude magic? Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 4650/4650 Power: 3 Speed: 4 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.4 Title The one who has memories of another world. wizard I looked at this status for a while: ..... Your magic and luck would be too funny! I was still working out the magic, so it still makes sense to me. ..... What''s going on, a hundred times more luck than normal? And I feel like creation magic is a very rare aptitude magic: ..... ''How did it go?'' I looked at the status page for too long, and then my dad looked worried and said. I showed them the card. They looked at the status for a while, and then they looked at me with a surprised look on their faces. "Your magic is too weird..." he said. I''ve already lost... ''''Oh my God, I thought no one could beat me for luck but I can''t match this .....'''' Both of them looked incredulous. But after a while, Mom''s face changed. It''s just that my aptitude magic... Mom said that, and she looked so disappointed. ''''Don''t say that. ..... Leo has a large amount of magical power, so if you can master unattributed, you can become the most powerful swordsman. Huh?Why are my dad and mom talking about my aptitude magic like it''s a terrible hazing? Isn''t creation magic usually something to be happy about? Is creation magic weak? I was curious as to why, so I asked them both. ''''Oh, yeah, creation magic is . It''s a rare attribute among the unique attributes: ..... It''s considered weak because it can only create simple things ..... Dad said crisply. It''s not that: ..... I can''t believe you can''t use magic after all the effort you''ve put in to use it: ...... Don''t be discouraged. There are a lot of people who can''t use magic. That''s why you need to be the best at something else. Dad tries to cheer me up, but I''m not quite listening: ..... 6 CHAPTER IV Grandpa and Grandma When I got on the carriage, I checked my status again. Because I hadn''t been able to check it properly in the church and I still can''t believe that my aptitude magic is incompetent . I''m afraid that once again my mind is going to be devastated, but I''m sure I''ll discover something new! Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 4650/4650 Power: 3 Speed: 4 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.4 Title The one who has memories of another world. wizard Earlier, I was so focused on the awfully high magic and luck that I didn''t look at anything else, but there''s a lot of stuff that''s bad: ..... First, the title: .... I really appreciate the fact that it''s a setting that can''t be seen by other people, because I wish my dad and the others had seen this. Now all that''s left is the appraisal. I know this. Maybe I''ll be able to see the results if I think about it. Well, you can test the cards to see if they''re right. Status cards. I''ll transcribe the results of my assessment of its owner''s abilities. It was invented by a reincarnation about a thousand years ago. I knew there was more than just me. I was able to read the card. Appraised. Ability to examine what you see. You can get it by title. . A spell that allows you to use magic power to create things you envision The higher the level, the more you can build. The more materials you have, the more you can build. Lv.1... even if you have the materials, you can only build simple things. Non-Attribute Magic Lv.1 Uses magic to increase your strength and speed. Lv.1...Increases by 10% of the magic you spent. . You can control the magic inside your body. The higher the level, the faster and wider you can move. Using this skill will increase your magic. You can get it if you work hard enough. Lv.4...Ability to move magic around your body faster The bearer of otherworldly memories. One born with the memories of another world will receive I''ve got a skill, an appraisal. The Wizard. You can get it when your magic exceeds 1,000. Your magic needs are reduced by 5%. I appraised the skills and titles and this is what I found . Anyway, there''s too much information to think about: .... And then the carriage stopped. Here we are, here''s your other home. When I got off the carriage, it was smaller than the house I live in now, but it was a magnificent mansion. So this is the Forster family''s mansion in the imperial capital: .... Wow, you''re looking a little brighter. You''ll be living here when you''re eight years old. Really? ''Yeah, because when you''re eight years old, you''ll be going to school in the Imperial City. School. Please don''t be bullied. .... Welcome and good luck on your long journey. A woman greeted me as I entered the house. Hi, Mom! Because she''s my dad''s mom: .... So this is my grandma! It''s been a while, Mother-in-law. Long time no see. Is this my little grandson? Then he lifted me up. "Leo, why don''t you introduce yourself? Yes. My name is Leonce, and I''m five years old. I was bitten off because you said it out of the blue. Oh, you''re a pretty good talker for a five-year-old. (GIKKURI) Grandma dropped a bomb on me. Well, maybe that''s true if you put it that way. Mom''s chase. Well, Leo''s a genius, that''s all. My dad''s dumbass dad will save me. That''ll be fun. In the meantime, Grandpa''s waiting for you to get out of here. Grandma looked at me in her arms and led me to the room where Grandpa was. And when she entered the room. ''You''re late! I''m tired of waiting. There was an old man in his fifties standing there, looking unhappy. But when he saw me in Grandma''s arms. Is he my grandson? Old lady, that''s not fair! Let me hold him. Soon, all my bad moods were gone. Oh, well, that''s just the way it is. Grandpa gave me to him. Grandpa had dark eyes, black hair mixed with white, just like the Japanese I remember. By the way, Grandma was a blonde. Oh, pretty boy. The grin on his face is unimaginably distorted from the bad mood he had just been in. It seems that if the brave man becomes a grandfather, he too will become an old fool. But after a certain amount of time had passed, he returned to a serious face and turned to look at his father. "So, right off the bat, what was your status? Your magic and luck are so high. My God, they''re both higher than I am. ''His magic is already higher than yours? Are you kidding me? No, I''m not lying. Show me. Then my dad looked at me and pulled the card out of his hand and handed it to my grandpa. "It''s true. ..... That''s great. "That''s great." "I''ll bet he can outrun his grandma, too. ''You''re really going to get passed over: ..... I''m looking forward to it. Huh? What''s so great about surpassing your grandmother? What kind of magical power is that? I''m curious, so I''ll appraise it . Carina Forster, Lv. 141. Age: 60 Race: Human race Occupation : Former mage State: Aging Strength: 5890/8060 Magic power: 9970/16740 Power: 750 to 430 Speed: 1020 to 680 Luck: 90 Attributes: nothingness, fire, plant, earth, water, wind skill Fire Magic Lv. MAX Plant Magic Lv. MAX Earth magic Lv.MAX Water magic Lv.MAX Wind magic Lv.MAX Non-attribute magic Lv.6 Magic manipulation Lv.MAX Magic sense Lv.MAX Kenjutsu Lv.4 Space Storage title mage The Demon King''s Dungeon Treader. hero Oh, it''s too much! That''s just like the mages in our stories! He''s definitely still stronger than my dad even though his status has declined due to aging. Indeed, his magic power in his prime is amazing: ...... And since Grandpa and the others are still looking at my cards, let''s evaluate him as well. Kent Forster, Lv.164 Age: 56. Race: Human race Occupation : Formerly a hero State: Aging Strength: 8420/12630 Magic power 880/970 Power: 5080 to 3060 Speed: 4090 to 2980 Luck: 140 Attributes: none skill Non-attribute magic Lv.MAX Swordsmanship Lv.MAX Swordsmanship Lv.MAX Magic Control Lv.4 Break through the limit of space storage title One from another world. The Demon King''s Dungeon Treader. hero This is as brave as you can be! His magic power is low, but his other stats are off the charts! I knew the hero of the story was different. Just as well, I guess my grandpa has finished looking at my status. Okay, I''ve decided, Leo. I''m gonna train you when you''re eight years old. What''s the matter with you all of a sudden? Because the only magic that can do that is non-attribute magic, right? ''''Since you have so much magic power, if you can use it to your advantage and use your sword with super powerful non-attribute magic, you will definitely be stronger. Really! Even if creation magic was really incompetent, how can you be the strongest with just unattributed magic? This is great. It''s not every day you get the chance to be taught by the greatest swordsman in the world. You''re going to teach me? Yes, ''Yay, I love you, Grandpa! Yeah, yeah, that''s really cute. Grandson''s spoiled attack succeeds . Now they can tell me for sure! ''Well then, I''m sure Leo''s tired, so I''m going to have to go to dinner now. Grandma said, and when everyone was about to move on Bataan! I''m home! Dad, Mom, it''s been a long time. Oh, Leo. You''re so big. I missed you so much. And then she came out of nowhere. She came out of nowhere and hugged me. I wonder what kind of aptitude magic she has? I''m starting to enjoy using appraisals. Helena Forster Lv. 17 Age: 8 Race: Human race Occupation : Wizard Strength: 120/120 Magic power: 1040/1040 Power: 20 Speed: 80 Luck: 50 Attributes: lightning, water, wind skill Lightning magic Lv.3 Water magic Lv.4 Wind magic Lv.4 Magic manipulation Lv.3 Swordsmanship Lv.2 Sigil wizard Three attributes are amazing. And the lightning is definitely strong! Then I stayed the night and then went home, but my sister wouldn''t leave me for the night. .... 7 CHAPTER V -- Lets use creative magic. A week after I left the imperial capital, I finally arrived home. And now I''m alone in my room trying to use my creation magic. Anyway, I want to know if it''s really incompetent magic. In the appraisal, it said I could build the object I imagined with creative magic. So I imagined a ping-pong ball, which is light and easy to make. Then a flashing hand began to glow. Then, after a while, the light subsided. There was a ball there that was distorted in shape: .... It was a failure. And as soon as the light subsided, I felt dizzy. I looked at my status card. Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Profession : Creator State: magic sickness Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 3650/4650 (-1000) Power: 3 Speed: 4 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.4 Title The one who has memories of another world. wizard Seriously, you''ve spent a thousand magical powers for this one! It''s really incompetent magic that you can''t even build something this simple and requires so much magic power: ..... No one will think to use it if it''s like this. What should I do: ..... Oh, by the way, you said something like if you have the materials in your creation magic appraisal results, you can expand the range of things you can create: .... Alright, now let''s use some materials to create magic! So I looked for something to use as material. What I found was a branch from the garden! I think this is the best material for the material. Because they are trash to begin with and you don''t have to think about what happens when they fail. So I''m going to try to create some chopsticks out of branches! As I held the branch and became aware of the chopsticks, I felt the magic power leave my body. The branch began to glow and as you looked at it, its shape began to change. When the light subsided, the chopsticks were ready to be used. It was even weirder, but it worked! So you can create magic with magic and materials. Now I''m going to make a fork out of a metal cup. I found a metal cup nearby and used it. As soon as I thought the cup glowed, it disappeared and the cup became distorted. Then, I suddenly felt nauseous . I hurriedly looked at my status card . Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Profession : Creator State: magic sickness Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 50/4650 (-3600) Power: 3 Speed: 4 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.4 Title The one who has memories of another world. wizard This is bad! Let''s just lie in bed and wait for the nausea to go away. I jumped into bed and fell asleep. Three days later. I finally understand the law. First, you can''t use creation magic yet without the ingredients. Secondly, creation magic requires an insane amount of magic. And the harder or larger the material, the more magic is needed to make it work. Also, maybe because you used it for three days straight, your level of creative magic is at 2. Creative magic level 2. Magic that allows you to use your magic to create something you''ve imagined The higher the level, the more you can build. The more materials you have, the more you can build. Lv.2...you can build simple objects and the magic power required is halved when you have the materials. At level 2, you can make a ping-pong ball with magic alone. Now you can make small objects with metal materials. Now I''m a little less incompetent. Another week later. Creation magic is now level 3! Then I was able to do something amazing. . A spell that allows you to use magic to create things you''ve imagined. The higher the level, the more you can build. The more materials you have, the more you can build. Lv.3... if it''s not too big, you can make almost anything without materials, and you can make simple magic items with magical stones and materials. This magic item looks awesome, but how much magic power does it take to build it? By the way, my magic is now. Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 5670/5670 (+1020) Power: 3 Speed: 4 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.3 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.4 Title The one who has memories of another world. The Magician (new) What a huge amount of magic power I gained in just 10 days! Apparently, the more magic power you use, the more it increases. So I used my magic until I threw up every day, and my magic grew tremendously. And a wizard became a magician. . You can get it when your magic exceeds 5,000. Your magic needs are reduced by 10%. Oh, thank goodness for the 10% reduction in magic you need! One creation spell uses a huge amount of magic, so 10% is not very foolproof. Alright, maybe we can create a magic item with this. If we decide to do that, first we need to find out what a magic stone is! It''s been a long time since I''ve been to Sebastian''s! What is a magic stone? Sebastian nods his head when I suddenly ask him a question. "Yes, what''s that about? How do I get it? When I said that, he understood what I wanted to know. Well, you''ll have to wait a minute. Then he said it and went away. A few minutes later, Sebastian came back with a bag of something. Sebastian pulled out a gray glass-like rock from the bag and showed me. This is the cheapest magic stone. You can get it as soon as you kill the monster. This stone doesn''t contain any magic, so it''s easy to get it. You''ll learn to train your magic by pouring magic power into it when you start attending school. Also, if you put a lot of magic in the magic stone, the magician will buy it at a high price so the students of the magic school will use it to earn some money. Huh, so this is a magical stone. As I said this, I took a magic stone and poured my magic power into it. Then the gray magical stone began to shine beautifully. ''''What? Leo-sama can control magic already? You are very good, sir. Sebastian was very surprised to see me pouring the magic into the stone without thinking about it. Come to think of it, when I poured the magic into the stone, I used magic control to move the magic power around. This magic manipulation practice is now being put to good use in many ways. It''s really good that you''ve been working so hard. .... That''s not true... No, no, that''s really great. More confidence. And here''s a little something for you to use as you see fit. Then he handed me a bag of about 10 magic stones. ''''Huh? Can I get one? ''Yes, this isn''t worth that much, so don''t worry about it. Well, thank you. I''ll take good care of it. No, no, don''t hesitate to count on me in the future. When I returned to my room, I immediately took out the magic stone I poured my magic power into. After hearing what Sebastian said, I wanted to pour my magic power to the limit. Since artisans buy magic stones from the best students at the school of magic to make tools, I wonder if I''ll be able to pour all my energy into it... (Only, Leo didn''t know... I didn''t know that I was no different than the head of a magic school if I only had the amount of magic power anymore. (And people who are doing it to sell don''t pour all their energy into one to make up the numbers. Then I poured out all my magic power. The light from the magical stone grew stronger and thicker. A few minutes later. Finally, I was able to pour all my magic into it. Recently, I''ve been using creation magic to the limit every day so I guess I''ve gotten used to it and didn''t get spell drunk. When I looked at the magical stone, the glow was even more intense than before. Okay, what shall I make with it? But I don''t have any magic, so I''m going to sleep. Your magic recovers faster when you sleep. Roughly twice as fast as I''m awake. About three hours later. Finally, my magic power recovery is complete. It seems like about 1% of the population recovers in a minute or two when they''re asleep. Now let''s see what I can make... I''m going to try to build something that will increase my status. Something to stimulate growth. But no rings or necklaces or anything else that stands out, because it would make people suspicious of where I got them from. If I try to make something with great content, I''ll fail, so I''ll keep it modest. After much thought, I decided to make a misanga that increases your magic growth. It''s inconspicuous and doesn''t directly make you stronger, so it should work. I''ll use my dad''s expensive handkerchief. I grabbed this one from the hallway and took it. Don''t worry. I''m sure they won''t find it. .... Placing a shiny magic stone on top of the handkerchief, I imagined a misanga. Then they began to glow, then they became one, then they began to change shape. Then they started to shape up, and after a while, we had a beautiful, shiny mi casa. Well, did you succeed? I''ll need an appraisal to confirm. . All status growth values are doubled. Creator: Leons Forster What? That''s crazy! Can I make something as dangerous as this? How is it possible to fail, but still be able to produce something better than what you imagined? What do you mean "everything"? I''m already looking forward to leveling up: .... That day''s dinner Have you guys seen my handkerchief? No, what kind of handkerchief, by the way? "A fine handkerchief made of silk from the cocoons of a rare silk worm. Don''t drop those things! Oh, I''m sorry. You haven''t seen Leo, have you? Uh-huh. ''I know, right?'' That handkerchief turned out to be a great one. And I''m sorry, Dad: .... 8 CHAPTER VI SHOPPING FOR THE FIRST TIME It''s been about six months since the day I built the Growth Misanga. Since I made the Growth Misanga, I still haven''t made any magic items. I think it''s necessary to use good materials to make magic items, so I don''t use magic stones carefully and pour magic power into them everyday. Because of this, the magic stone is becoming more beautiful and shiny every day. Now that gray stone shines as brightly as those other gems. It''s only because I poured my magic power into the stone every day to the limit, and because of the growth misangement (thanks?). So, my magic is a hell of a lot better than it was! Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 10340/10340 Power: 4 Speed: 5 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.3 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.4 Title The one who has memories of another world. Mage (new) What a surprise, my magic power exceeded 10,000 at the age of 5. .... Also, a sorcerer has become a mage. By the way, it is said that Granny is the only mage alive in this world now. She''s a mage. You can get it when your magic goes over 10,000. 25% less magic needed for magic. It''s amazing how much magic power you need is reduced by a quarter: .... I can''t wait to see how much my magic power will increase as I grow. I''m thinking of practicing non-attribute magic today because there''s no point in training my magic power any further. That''s how I was thinking about today''s schedule: .... Concon. ''Excuse me, Master Diorc is calling for Master Leo. Okay. I''ll be there in a minute. I don''t know what''s going on, but he''s never called me out before. Could it be: .... They''ve found out about the handkerchief! ''Excuse me, I''ve brought Master Leo with me. I walked in and saw Dad at his desk, going over some papers. There he is. My dad looked up quietly when he noticed me come in. ''Well, what''s the matter with you? Dad? Is this really going to piss you off? I said I was on the edge of my seat. You don''t have to be so nervous, I''m not mad at you. Dad spoke in his usual tone. Really? Then why did you call me here? It''s about time for the emperor''s triennial visit. ''What? Why do you come here once every three years? "It''s not. The purpose of coming to this place, on the frontline of this country and its demons, is to show both home and abroad that our country is safe... That''s the pretense, but it''s really just the emperor''s once-in-three-years vacation. ''What? The first half of the story makes sense, but is there any place to vacation here? Yeah, my father built this spa town so he could bathe in it. Incidentally, the town is called Okura, as my father used to call it. Well, if you''re Japanese, you''ll want to take a hot spring bath. Okura, I wonder if Grandpa''s last name was Okura-san. So, why did you call me here? That''s because a princess as big as you is coming with the emperor and queen. So? I mean, keep the princess company. Oh, that sounds like a big deal. It can''t be helped. The queen is close to Kara, so I''m sure she''d like to talk to me alone, and I have to deal with the emperor. Mmm. Oh, yeah. Just give me permission to go outside and give me some money! I have an idea. Now I can go out there. And maybe I can go out and look for ingredients for some creative magic: .... Hmm, fair enough. But if I go outside, I need to be with Sebastian. Yeah, okay. Thank you! Yes! All right, then, here''s your allowance. Then he put three gold coins in a small bag and handed them to me. ''What? Is it this good? Yeah, it''s an advance on the princess''s entertainment pay. Oh, thank you. Oh, don''t waste it. Yes? By the way, one gold coin alone was worth between $200,000 and $300,000 in a previous life . One silver coin for 100 copper coins. 100 silver coins and 1 gold coin. 10 gold coins and 1 white gold coin That''s one vector per copper. And I got 30,000 vectors on my pocket money. So that''s 800,000 to 900,000 vectors. That''s 800,000 to 900,000. Do you think it''s that easy to give a kid that kind of money? Well, if I could have it, I would have it! The next day. I''d like to go outside today, now that I''ve been cleared. Off I go! I don''t want you to get lost. Never leave Sebastian''s side. Okay, Mom. Master Kara, don''t worry. I''ll stay with you and make sure you''re safe. You''ll be safe with me. Have a good day. When I walked outside, I saw a long shopping street with many people. As a hot spring town for the heroes, this town has become the base for both tourists and high-level adventurers who challenge the Devil''s Forest. There are also people who come here to buy the precious materials found in the Devil''s Forest. Huh. I didn''t know the Forest of Evil was so awesome. ''''Yes, the only ones who have been able to go deeper are the heroes, and this is a place where even adventurers of the A level and above can''t make it back alive in the shallow end. Then why do adventurers challenge it? That''s because you get a lot of expensive material that you can play with and live with for the rest of your life. ''So you''re going to try to win a lot of money: .... Sebastian, I want to go to a store that sells materials from this town. ''Are you interested in what you just said? All right, let''s go. Yeah, I''m intrigued. (I could use some creative magic.) Then we walked around the shopping district for a while. This is the mill. Sebastian pointed to a store that had many kinds of animal skins and plant leaves, as well as large magic stones and magic stones of various colors in the back . ''''Welcome . What can I do for you today? As soon as I walked in, the clerk spoke to me. ''This girl is interested in the material and I''m here to show you what we have. Yeah. Well, please take your time. Then we''ll take a look at them in turn and appraise the ones that caught our attention. Red ogre skin. Excellent fire resistance Highly durable. Manticore skin. Durable yet light It''s easy for magic to pass through. Cyclops'' skin. Very sturdy and tear resistant Elder Trent''s Branch. Excellent magic penetration. It''s good for the medicine. The fangs of a wyvern. It''s very hard and has a very sharp tip. Mithril. Easy to process and great at penetrating magic. They''re all amazing, but Mithril caught my eye. Sir, this is Mithril. Mithril can be obtained by defeating the Mithril Golem in the dungeon. How much does this cost? ''''Well... . The Mithril Golem is a monster found at the far end of the dungeon, so it''s expensive.... That''s five white gold coins a kilo. Oh, that''s expensive. How much would you get for this, by the way? After saying that, I showed the clerk the magic stone that I had been secretly storing up. ''''This is a great magic stone: .... Who put the magic in it? It was me. I poured my magic into it every day. ''Oh, that''s a wonderful amount of magic: .... Let''s see. This magical stone is classified as a top grade magical stone. Master Leo is very good! I didn''t know that the magic stone I gave you that day could be made into something so magnificent: .... I''m thrilled. Sebastian said, and held his eyes with a handkerchief. ''''So .... As for the price of this magic stone, how about ten white gold coins? Is it really that expensive? ''''Yes, it''s not easy to see magic stones with this much magical power, so I''m selling it to you at .... It''s up for sale. I''ll also buy a kilo of mithril, so you can deduct the money from the purchase price. Okay. Okay, a kilo of mithril and five white gold pieces. Okay. Well, thank you very much. Thank you, too. I''m out of the store. Master Leo, what are you going to do about Mithril? I''ll use it to practice my creative magic. It''s great that you''re doing this for a living. (But why would they use mithril to practice creation magic?) Actually, people in this world don''t know that materials can be used for creation magic. Leo just happened to have a copy of the appraisal, which he was lucky enough to get to know. That night. I hung the mithril I bought today for now and looked at it in my room . Yesterday I was amazed at $800,000 and today alone I got $10,000,000 and $10,000,000 in precious metals: .... He is a rich man at the age of 5. A normal child would be crazy for the rest of his or her life. Well, no normal kid would ever get this much money ..... Conn. Huh? What''s going on at this hour? Leo, we''re coming in. And then my dad walked in. You sure about that? What''s more rare than seeing your father in my room. Hey, what''s going on? After all, you can''t be a kid and have that much money: .... ''The emperor is arriving tomorrow, so give him my regards. Huh? Apparently, it''s a different thing . Well, the emperor is already coming: .... "Huh, okay. It looks like we''ll be experimenting with creation magic using Mithril some other time. Oh well, all right, I hear the princess is pretty. It doesn''t matter! Oh, you''re more responsive than I expected. Well, I''ll say hi! Dad said and walked out of the room. Ha, I wonder what''s going to happen: .... With that in mind, I went to bed early for tomorrow. 9 CHAPTER VII Entertaining Princesses 1 The next day, I stood in front of the front door of the mansion, anxiously waiting for the emperor. Even though we were a highborn aristocrat and my father and the emperor were on good terms, I couldn''t believe that the emperor would personally visit our vassal''s residence. Inside the mansion, our servants have been bustling around since morning. Even the calm Sebastian, who had never seen them in a hurry in his life, seemed to be on edge at the emperor''s visit. The head maid rushes to the front door, shaking her large body. Your Majesty, the emperor has arrived! Almost at the same time as the voice, a distinctly opulent carriage, surrounded by a number of escort carriages, entered the grounds . ...... It really came ....... What, in a previous life, it''s like the Emperor came to our house, right? No, no, no, hahaha ....... ...... Huh?Are you sure? As the carriage came to a stop in front of the front door, a group of strong guards descended, and one of them opened the luxurious carriage door. Then the emperor got out of the carriage and smiled as if he had come for a walk around the area, spreading his arms out in a casual manner. Then the emperor turned to his father. ''Three years ago we were both busy with replacements and we didn''t see each other for a while, but how are you doing?'' Then Dad was reverent. Yes, it is a pleasure to inform you that... It is my great pleasure to inform you that His Majesty is in good health and is doing well. Hey, hey, I told you to stop using honorific language except in an official capacity. "Oh, Orton, I was just kidding you on purpose. This is your first time here as emperor, right? You''re the first ''Emperor''s Reception'' you''ve ever had as head of the family. Yeah, we''ve been having a field day this morning. "I''m sorry to hear that. You can tell people I''m off duty. It may be a little late for that. As the Emperor and Dad were laughing at each other, a lovely voice sounded from the side. "Dad, don''t take too long to talk on the way out. As he pushed the emperor aside, a silver-haired girl about my age came out. She''s cute. She''s a pretty girl. The emperor pats the girl with her mouth agape and pats her on the head. Oh, I''m sorry. --Dioruk, this is my daughter, Shelia. Hey, you''re as pretty as they say. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Shelia. When Dad greeted the girl, Shelia, Shelia picked up her skirt and bent her knees lightly, greeting her like a full-fledged lady. ''It''s nice to meet you. I''m Shelia. Ka, cute: ......! No, no, no, it''s not like I''m a pedophile, right?In a little animal way! As I''m making excuses in my chest, Dad points to the Emperor. "This is my son, Leonce. I, too, will bow to the Emperor and Shelia in good manners. Then more voices came from inside the carriage. Oh, you''re so pretty. He''s definitely going to be a good man one day. That''s what I thought of Mr. Diorc and Kara''s baby! Out of the carriage with a high-pitched voice was the queen. Her eyes were sparkling and she was looking straight at me. ''''Long time no see, Ashley!I''ve missed you! Your mother runs to the queen. Me too, Carla! The two of them are holding each other''s hands and are so buoyant that they could hold hands and twirl around at any moment. Dad laughed at them with a mixture of dismay. I''m sure we have a lot to talk about, but we''ll talk about it later. Why don''t we all enjoy a nice lunch first? Then he took the emperor and his men to the lunch room. This lunch had been prepared early in the morning by the people at home. The food was absolutely gorgeous and delicious. Everyone take your seats! My dad will seat us all in a chair. And with one glass of booze. So, here''s to welcoming Orton, Ashley, and little Shelia! Cheers!!! And so began a tense lunch. And each of them reached for a dish they wanted to eat. Whenever I come back, the food is always so good. Every time I return to the castle, I can''t resist the urge to try it again. The Emperor raved about our food as he ate it. ''''I''ve never seen such rare and delicious food before! The queen is eating her food with a big smile on her face, as if there was such a food in the world. Speaking of which, Ashley and Shelia have never cooked for the Forster family before. This dish is food from the home of the brave men. As he spoke, the emperor took a large hamburger steak, cut it into large pieces, and threw it into his mouth. Then the emperor said to me and I realized that our food is from the previous life. The food on the table was fried chicken, pizza, and gratin: .... I had never eaten anywhere else, so I never thought about the food culture of this world. ''Oh, is it the taste of home, my brave friend? That must be delicious! I''m glad you like it. It''s my father''s prized possession that he and our head chef came up with the recipe for. ''I''m sorry Diork, but ..... Could I have that recipe? Please, for the rest of your life! Every time I''ve had to endure three years of this food, I''ve hated it, and I''ve dreamed that if I became emperor, I would definitely ask you for help. As he said this, the emperor bowed his head so hard he thought his head was going to land on the desk and begged his father for help. Did you ever think about that? It''s not like I was keeping the recipe a secret, so I could have given it to you whenever you asked me to. ''Oh, I didn''t know that: ...... Why, why couldn''t I ask you about the recipe ...... The emperor had his head in his hands, regretting his actions. I don''t know how much you love our food. I can''t believe you became an emperor because you dreamed of getting a recipe: ...... ''Come on, let''s put a more positive spin on it! Now you''ll be able to eat every day. ''This, every day from now on! Yes, you can''t help but regret what you''ve done so far: ..... From now on, you can eat every day: ..... At my father''s words, the dead-eyed emperor''s eyes changed from dead to alive, as if he couldn''t wait to get started. Oh, you''re looking better. I''ll have the chef prepare the recipe for you before we leave. For now, let''s just enjoy what we have. Then we''ll go for a dip in the hot springs. Then lunch continued as the adults talked happily and the kids just listened to it: .... 10 CHAPTER VIII Entertaining Princesses 2 My lunch with the emperors is over. We all headed outside to take a hot spring bath. I''ve never been to a hot spring since I came to this world, so I was secretly looking forward to the hot spring since the princess asked me to entertain her. When I went outside, I saw three carriages. I have a bad feeling about this. Why did you go to the trouble of having three carriages when you only needed two? Well, I''ve got three carriages for you to ride in, and you''ll split up. Dad, how do you want to divide it up, by the way? Of course, it''s me and Orton, Kara and Ashley, you and Shelia. ''I knew it, didn''t I? ..... ''We do, but I''m sure your moms haven''t seen you in a while and have some things they want to talk about in private, so what can you do? So, Shelia and Leo, you two can get along and ride in the carriage together. And as he said that, he pushed me back. I lost my balance and took a few steps forward and just stopped in front of the princess and our eyes met. ''''Well, um, nice to meet you...'''' I awkwardly said a light greeting anyway. Then we don''t need to sit around and talk, let''s head to the hot springs. Everybody get in the carriage. My father gave me and the princess a ride in the carriage, pushing me and the princess back . Having succeeded in getting Leo and Shelia into the same carriage, Diorc spoke to his best friend Orton. ''''It''s kind of nostalgic to see those two. Yeah, we were five years old the first time they made us ride in a carriage together, and it was awfully awkward. ''Yeah, as someone who has to entertain, I was wondering how to talk to you - but that was only the first time, and we quickly became friends, and now we''ve become irreplaceable best friends. Yeah, so those guys will get along just fine. in those days "Uh... Leons. Oh, yes. This is Shelia. "... We just said our names to each other and then shut up . It''s so awkward, I can''t think of a conversation to have with a new person because I''ve only talked to the same people every day since I was born on this side of the world . But I have to talk to them quickly, whatever it is: ...... ''Hi, how old are you now, Princess?'' I tried to be brave enough to talk to him, but I bit him. "Sherry, Yes? The princess''s voice was so quiet I couldn''t hear her properly. Please call me Sherry without the honorific. The princess looked me in the eye and said once and for all If the youngest son of a nobleman like me is still allowed to hush up in an unofficial place, is it okay to call the princess by her nickname? But I don''t feel like I can say no here: ...... "Okay, okay, okay. So, you can call me Leo? In the end, I decided to comply . And in the heat of the moment, I asked you to call me by my nickname, which is a terrible thing to do: .... Maybe I shouldn''t have said that: .... Are you okay? You must be Leo. Oh, yeah. Apparently, I needn''t have worried. Sherry just smiled back at me. Mentally, I sighed with a sigh of relief. But something doesn''t feel right: .... ''Come to think of it, Shelly''s still being respectful! Oh, my God, I did it. What am I talking about? I just said the most outrageous thing again in a momentum. I don''t care if it''s a salutation or not: .... "I''m a respectful person. ''Yes, you''re right: .... Apparently, I somehow managed to avoid pissing Shelly off. Well, by the way, I''m five years old. Come to think of it, you asked a question like that: .... ''Five years old? Just like me. The same age? I thought you were older than me. "What? Why? I''m not taller than Shelly, and how could I have thought that? From the first time we got out of the carriage to lunch time, the gesture seemed so mature. Oh, really? I don''t think Shelly will be any different, do you? You know, that whole speech you gave my dad, it was very adult-like. ''No, I can''t eat that nicely,'' You mean like how to use a knife or something? Then I used to use it in a previous life, so it''s easy to use it. Oh, really? That''s right. By the way, what do you usually do, Leo? Usually? Reading books, pouring my magic power into magic stones, practicing my magic. ''What? You can already do magic? I can use it for a little while. I love it! What magic can you do? Shelly asked, her eyes sparkling. It''s creation magic. "What? I knew you''d be disappointed when you heard of creation magic: ..... "What kind of magic is that? It''s very impressive, isn''t it? Can you tell me what kind of magic it is? Shelly asked very curiously. What? You don''t think I''m incompetent? Why? It''s nothing. Apparently, Shelly doesn''t know that creation magic is called incompetence . ''Oh, I see you''ve arrived. You can tell me about creation magic later. Uh-huh. Okay. When I got out of the carriage, there was a cloud of steam all around. Okay, now that we''re all here, let''s go to the hot springs. There were two separate baths, one for men and one for women, so on the way to the hot spring, the men and women were separated. So, the emperor will be talking to his father. I''ll let you enjoy the hot springs: .... So, me, the emperor and my father took a dip in the hot springs. "It really gets to you. Truly, the hot springs are always soothing. ''Why can''t there be hot springs in the imperial capital, too~'' My dad says it''s a geographical problem. I have no idea what you''re talking about. I know a little bit about what it takes to create a spa in my past life, but I don''t know enough about it to explain it. Well, don''t get hung up on the details. Well, by the way, Leo, how do you feel about the hot springs? Yes, yes, it feels good. I was so surprised when he started talking to me. "Well, I just heard that you and Shelia are the same age, so it would be great if you could get to know each other from now on. Yes, sir. And is my Shelia pretty? What? Yes, sir. Suddenly he asked me something strange, and I gave him a strange answer. ''Oh, right.'' The Emperor laughed with amusement at my panic. in those days Hey, Shelia, how about a spa? It warms me up inside and feels good. ''I can''t believe we''re so close to this stuff: .... I''m so jealous of Kara! Do you go in there every day? You can''t go in there every day. I haven''t been in there since Leo was born because I''ve been so busy. What a waste. Speaking of Leo, how was the carriage ride with Leo-kun? Shelia. What do you mean? What did you talk about in the carriage? ''Well, we started talking about what we called each other and how we were the same age, five, and what we usually do, and then we got there. Oh, that''s quite a story. And what did you decide to call Shelia, by the way? ... I asked him to call me Sherry. I said shyly. ''Oh my God, are we that close already? And from now on, take care of Leo. Yes, sir. Then I got into the carriage and found Shelley. Did the hot springs feel good? Yes, it felt very good. That''s good. It''s good to be in a spa. "Yes, I do. I''d like to go back in. By the way, can we continue what we were talking about? ''Well, I think we started with the description of creation magic, right? Yes. Tell me about it. Well, in a nutshell, creation magic is magic that uses magic and materials to create something. What kind of things can you build? There are some things you can''t build with magic alone, but if you have the right ingredients, you can build almost anything. It''s amazing what you can do with almost anything. ''Really? Come to think of it, what attributes does Shelly have? Guess what? Let me guess. Huh. I can''t imagine it at all: .... I can''t help it, just appraise it! Shelia Vector Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Occupation : Princess Strength: 3/3 Magic power: 11/11 Power: 3 Speed: 3 Luck: 500 Attributes: water, water, lightning, ice, charm skill Water magic Lv.1 Lightning magic Lv.1 Ice magic Lv.1 Enchantment magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Title None Oh, you have five attributes and three unique attributes. Also, my luck is 50 times worse than normal (I can''t speak for others). Do you have any water on you, by any chance? Oh, you''re right. Yay! But I also have no attributes, lightning, ice, and charm. What? Isn''t that a lot? It''s too much. ''Well, my dad says that royalty has always had a lot of attributes. Heh. Do attributes mean that if there are more parents, there are more children? ''Oh, by the way, have you stopped being respectful already?'' Before I knew it, Shelly had stopped being respectful. Uh, I forgot. You don''t have to be a polite person anymore. I don''t like it when I''m the only one who speaks honorific language. All right. Oh, I''ve been trying so hard to look ladylike. There''s no need for that. Shelly''s pretty cute when we talk normally. Oh, thank you. Shelly''s face turned red. I''m so embarrassed: ..... He''s so cute! Oh, for the umpteenth time, I''m not a pedophile! He''s five years old in body and soul. ''''By the way, the emperor and the others said they''re going to inspect the Demon Forest tomorrow and that they''re staying away because it''s too dangerous for us, what do you want to do?'''' Um... Oh, let''s see some creative magic. Yeah, sure. I''ll build you something tomorrow. Yeah, I promise! Yeah, I promise. After this, we all had dinner together when we arrived home and the first day of the Emperor''s visit was over: ..... 11 CHAPTER IX SHELRY SPECIAL TRAINING The day after the emperor and his men came to our house For a week from today, His Majesty is going to visit the Dark Forest in earnest. And since he won''t be taking me and Shelly there, we''ll be staying at home. Okay, Leo, take care of housekeeping. Yeah, I get it. I hope Shelia stays close to you, Leo. All right. Don''t worry about it, just go, okay? Oh, yeah. Oh, don''t worry, Orton. I''m going to go off then. And with that, my father and the emperor got into the carriage. Have a good day! I waved him off and watched the carriage go. He''s gone, isn''t he? Yeah, so show me the magic as you promised. Okay. Yeah. Sherry held up her hands in the air, pleased. Could it be that .... Is it because you were so cold to the emperor because you can''t wait to see the magic? Then I''ll take Shelly to my room. ''Wow, that''s a lot of books.'' Oh, by the way, I forgot to put the books away: .... In my room, there are several books piled high against the wall . ''No! I kept bringing books from my study and bringing new ones when I finished reading them, and now, to my surprise, there are hardly any books in my study! And it''s a pain in the ass to put all these books back in. "Let''s just put them away. "Well, I guess... I think I''ve read the whole thing. All of this? How much do you love books? No, not really. These books are all pretty much the same, and they''re easy to read. In fact, the books in this house are treated as mere decorations in my study because my father chooses books with smart-looking titles that look smart. But in my free time, I read them to see if they will help me learn to read since I have nothing else to do. But still, all these books are too many to read. Do you think so? I read it in a couple of years, so I don''t think it''s a big deal, right? I''ll just put the books away for now. Yes, sir. I was looking forward to it so much, but is the magic good? Then the maid joined us, and after a whole morning of work, we finally finished cleaning up the books. I''m tired~ Good night, thank you. You''re welcome. Normally, a princess from a big country doesn''t clean up after herself. Excuse me. Forgive me for giving you a magic gift in return! It''s okay. I forgive you. Even as she said this, Shelly''s eyes lit up when she heard the word "magic. Then they ate their lunch and finally it was time to show them the magic. "Then let''s get started. Then I bow to you. The first thing I''ll need is this mithril and this magic stone I''ve poured my magical energy into. I showed Shelly the magic stone we''ll be using. "Wow, these magical stones are so beautiful. Even Sherry could do this if she just kept up her magic. Really? Shelley leaned forward and asked. Really. Well, show me how to do it later! Oh, you''re watching magic now? When you''re done. I can do it tomorrow if it''s too long. Ummm, okay. Well, it''s a good thing I didn''t have to do anything else tomorrow. Yeah. Yeah. I''ll just start the creative magic for now. Wow! Okay, baby, keep watching. It won''t take long. Having said that, I hadn''t thought about what to build: .... I don''t know what to do~ If I''m going to teach you how to channel your magic later on, I''ll make sure you have the ability to accelerate your magic growth. Okay, I''ll do that! Okay, here we go! First, I imagine a piece of mithril to be a necklace. Once you have a rough idea of what it will look like, you can mix in the magic stones, keeping in mind that it will help your magic grow. Then, after pouring out the magic power for a while, the mixture of mithril and magic stones began to glow, and when it settled, it was complete. The result... . Looks like it worked. I have a beautiful, shiny necklace. The necklace has a small magic stone in the shape of a heart and is very beautiful. I''ll have to appraise what it was made of. . Greatly enhances magical growth When you have someone you love, you don''t have a state of mind other than love. Creator: Leons Forster Wow, this is so bad... the first half is on schedule, but the second half... This is awesome, but I can''t tell her about it! I mean, other than love, it''s a freakin'' state of affairs, pun intended. Wow, that was awesome! That''s very nice. Here. Here you go. As he said this, he handed Shelly a freshly made necklace. Oh, my God! You sure? Yeah, it''s my way of saying thank you for cleaning up. Yeah, I''m just cleaning up. Don''t worry about it. I don''t feel like wearing it. ''Yeah - thanks if you say so much. He said that, but hung it around his neck happily. By the way, it has the ability to promote magical growth, so wear it on you as much as possible at all times. You even have that ability? Yeah. Well, it''s not a big deal. Compared to your other abilities. Yeah, .... Yeah. And it only took me a few minutes to build it. ''''If you ask me, it hasn''t been that long: .... Oh, well then, it''s still high in the day, so tell me how to pour magic power into the magic stone! ''Eh! Wow, okay. But this is plain and boring, okay? Magic manipulation is a steady effort, not a pleasure. That''s fine. If you decide to do it, you do it! Okay, if you say so. Wow. So, can you feel your magic first? You can''t? You can''t do it: .... Then don''t you feel your own navel-gazing? Yeah, I don''t know. ''Oh, okay~ I''ll tweak Sherry''s magic then, let me know what you find out. Then I put my hand on my clothes, but on Shelly''s stomach. Yes, sir. Shelly replies, blushing with embarrassment Okay, we''ll do some work. With that said, I''ll try to find Shelly''s magic: .... Ah! There it is. Just like me, there was a lump of magic around my navel. I found it, so I shook it up: .... Then. Uh-oh. Sherry made a funny noise. "You sound like you just figured it out. Yeah, yeah. I think there''s something around my navel, just like you said. Okay, now move it around. No, it''s not working. It''s an image. Uh, I don''t know. Okay, I''ll move you again. Then I''ll shake Shelly''s magic again. Then .... He made another sound that was more erotic than weird, and I stopped him in a hurry. ''Is something okay?'' Well, it doesn''t hurt, so don''t worry about it. Oh, yeah? Do you still want to do it? Yeah. Please. Yeah, okay, let''s do it. Then we''ll resume. Oh, God. That feels so good. Yeah, I decided to stop worrying about it. Then about five minutes passed. Later on, when I tried to quit. You can''t quit now. Huh. And Shelly wouldn''t let me stop her. ''You can move yourself now, can''t you?'' Yeah, I''ll try. Shelley closed her eyes and began to concentrate. ''Oh, it''s moving.'' How far does it go? Uh, just from my stomach to my chest. ''What? You''re growing faster than I thought you would: .... Alright, I''ll let you move your magic anywhere on your body. They''re growing so fast. Apparently, my necklace of love is doing a good job of that. What, you still can''t use magic stones? ''Yeah, I can''t do it now, so I''m going to go for it! Yes, sir. I worked out my magic every day. But when Shelly got bored, she would say she was tired of it and make me move my magic for a change. When Sherry would make erotic sounds again, I would try to keep my mind off what was happening. She said she felt nothing when she moved her own magic. And after about a week, Shelly was able to move her whole body. When I started when I was a baby, I would sleep a lot, and it would take me about a month, but with Shelly, I could stay awake and work out for a long time. Maybe that''s not the only thing that made her magic grow faster, though. After a week of training, I appraised Sherry''s magical power. Shelia Vector Lv.1 Age: 5 Race: Human race Occupation : Princess Strength: 3/3 Magic power: 2510/2510 Power: 3 Speed: 3 Luck: 500 Attributes: water, water, lightning, ice, charm skill Water magic Lv.1 Lightning magic Lv.1 Ice magic Lv.1 Enchantment magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic control Lv.3 Titles wizard Your magic is growing. That''s probably because of the necklace of love. Good. I can finally use my magic stone. Yay! Shelly was happy to have my permission to throw her hands up in the air. Conn. Excuse me, Your Majesty. His Majesty the Emperor has returned. Well, I''ll see you later. I feel sorry for the timing of this: .... Wow, what timing! ''Well, let''s get to the front door.'' I was just getting to the door when my parents walked in. Hey, buddy. How you doing, Leo? Welcome back. I''m fine. That''s good to hear. Did you get along with little Shelia? Then Mom looked at Sherry and asked. We were good friends. Then he looked at Shelley. And then the Emperor. That''s good to hear. Did Shelia have a good time? Yeah, we were practicing magic together. That''s good to hear. What did you do with it, by the way? The queen said, pointing to the necklace Shelley wears around her neck: .... ''This was made by Leo! Sherry proudly stretched her chest to show the necklace . It''s just that I''m very embarrassed to have made it: ..... Because it''s a necklace with a heart on it. Oh, that''s good to hear. The Empress looked at me, all smothered. I shifted my gaze, embarrassed. ..... ''I heard you''re a creative magic, Leo, but ..... It''s amazing that you can build something so detailed. ''I heard that Leo sold some awesome magic stones to a material store, but I didn''t know that he was able to use creation magic. I digress because I''m talking about something that might get me into trouble. So, how was the tour? Tell me a story! No, the casino was fun. ''What? Did you just come here to play? No, no, I mean... I''ve been to the Devil''s Forest. Apparently, we had a good time sightseeing. Is it the age limit for the casino that I didn''t take my kids with me? So how long will the Emperor stay? Well, that won''t happen until tomorrow morning. Yeah, Oh, so you''ll have a good time with Shelia today. All right. Okay, dismissed. Then I went back to my room with Shelly. So what do you do now? ''It''s only today, so tell me how to pour magic power into the magic stone! ''Oh, by the way, did I get called in right before I taught? Yeah. So tell me about it now! All right. Okay, here''s what you''ll get. I gave him one of the magical stones I was pouring my magic into. How did you get this? ''Yeah, I simply don''t have any magic stones that don''t contain magic power. Still, you don''t have to give it to me? That''s .... A gift from me! What do I keep getting? In the meantime, if you ever get a lot of magic in that rock, just give it to me. That''s great! Yeah. I''ll tell you, then. I''d love to tell you, but I already did. What? Imagine the magic power going into that magic stone from your hand. "Hey, I''ll try .... Oh, really? It''s done! Then do your best to pour your magic into the magic stone. Okay. And after a while. I can''t. And he was out of magic and went down. I know you''re having a hard time, so go back to sleep. With that, I picked Shelly up and carried her to bed. About three hours later, Shelly woke up. Oh, I fell asleep... Running out of magic is hard enough. Is that what happens when you use all your magic? I''m fine once I get used to it. Until then, it''s called magic sickness, and it makes me feel sick like that. ''Really? Then we''ll just have to stick with it. ''Yeah, good luck with that! Because every time you run out of magic, the amount of magic you use increases. Oh, it''s getting dark... It''s okay. We were asleep. Oh no. Well, why don''t you just tweak my magic one last time, Leo? ''Well...'' That''s the only thing I can think of: .... ''Hurry up! If I can''t see you, I can''t do it anymore. "Okay, okay... And then I was so distracted that I don''t remember anything. The next day. So long, Diork. Good luck with your lord''s work. Yeah, you do the emperor''s job. Come on, Shelia, say goodbye to your son. Then Shelly started to cry: .... ''Oh come on, you''ll see me again, so don''t cry. Gus, I''m not crying! Leo, I''ll definitely see you again! And with that, Shelly hugged me. Yeah, of course. So stop crying. Then I gave her a hug. "Hi Hi-Gu, okay. Oh, well, I''ll see you later. Yeah, I''ll see you guys later. See you guys for sure! Then Sherry got into the carriage. Hey, Diork: ..... What is it? I knew we would get along, but I have mixed feelings as a father when Leo gets to be that close to his daughter: .... Don''t worry about it so much. Well, good luck with your next visit. Oh, yeah. You''re related: .... Hmm, that would be nice. I''d be happy to be related to Kara. Hey, hey! What an embarrassing story to tell in front of the man himself! He''s only five years old. I''ll see you in three years! And with that, the emperor and his men left. Then I waved to them until I couldn''t see the carriage anymore. ..... 12 CHAPTER X -- NEARLY 8 It''s been almost two years since the emperor''s visit. I''ll be eight years old in a few days. I''ve been practicing my creative magic for the past two years. I would reshape the mithril with my creation magic and then use it as an ingredient for more creation magic and practice again. But I only used the magic stone once because it was a waste of time. That time I couldn''t resist because I had an ingredient I wanted to try out. The material was my father''s handkerchief, the one you used to make Misanga for growth. Now I know what the handkerchiefs are made of: .... Magic Silk. High quality silk that contains very magical powers The silkworm cocoons are made from silkworm cocoons that only live in areas with a high concentration of magic. By the way, the silkworms that make magic silk were found only in the Devil''s Forest, so they were very expensive. It was priced at four 500 gram white gold coins at a material store (about 10 million yen). I bought it, though! So what I built: ..... I wanted to build an inter-space storage backpack . I''ve been wanting a spatial storage device ever since I appraised my grandma and grandpa, but I didn''t want to make it with half-hearted materials or magic stones because it would fail. The object made with magic silk and magical stones was A rucksack with pockets for extra space storage. You open the backpack and remind yourself to put the item you want to put in and it goes into the pocket inside. The capacity of the pockets is proportional to the amount of magic the user first poured into the backpack. The user is the one who poured the magic into it in the first place. Only the user or those who poured their magic into the backpack at the same time. Created by Leons Forster No way the ability has gone to the pocket: ..... Pockets or... The Fourth Dimension.... Nope, nothing. But the security features are awesome... It''s awesome that you can''t have it: .... Finally, my magic is getting to be a bit of a mess. Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 7 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 31400/31400 Power: 5 Speed: 6 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.3 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Title The one who has memories of another world. mage The growth value of magic power seems to increase at an accelerated rate, and I''ve noticed that it''s a very bad match with my Misanga. For example, if we normally take the start as 10 and 10+1+(1+1)+(2+1)+...=10+1+2+3+... In my case, 10+1 x 2+(2+1)x 2+(6+1)x 2+(6+1)x 2+... = 10+2+6+14... . However, lately it''s getting harder and harder to use up, so it''s hard to grow because the magic training has become less efficient. Also, magic control reached level 5. . You can manipulate magic inside your body. The higher the level, the faster and wider you can move. Using this skill will increase your magic. You can get it if you work hard enough. Lv.5... easily manipulates magic outside of itself. Also, I got a new ''Mushin''. This, as you might have guessed, I found out when I checked after Shelley left. Mindlessness Lv.2. You can be absent-minded. The higher the level, the more unmoved by anything. Lv.2... can make a poker face unless it''s a very good one. Now, the plan is to go to the Imperial City for your 8th birthday party. Aristocrats in the Empire usually hold their birthday parties at their mansions in the capital and invite other noblemen of the same or lower class as themselves. That''s why, as a duke, I''ll be inviting a huge number of people to my party. So I want to run away from them now: ..... And although I was born in July, my grandfather and grandmother will train me in the imperial city from January until school starts. So I will live in Teito from the age of 8. I can''t wait to see what kind of training is waiting for me! One week later. I finished getting ready to leave for the Imperial City . Well, I put all my stuff in that backpack, so it wasn''t long before I was ready. Then let''s get going. Yeah, okay. Don''t be so lonely. You''ll be back home again. It''s not that I''m lonely: ..... I just hate parties! In those days, in Teito. ''Dad, I want to go celebrate Leo''s birthday!'' Shelley said as she ran up to the Emperor. But who told you that... That''s not important. I want to go! No. That''s why I didn''t tell you. Then the emperor puts his head in his hands. ''Why not? That''s nice. ''If I only attend Leo-kun''s when I haven''t attended any of the other noblemen''s parties, it would mean that the royal family is favoring the Forster family, wouldn''t it? It''s true. Oh, yeah? And if they did, if Shelia goes this time, you''re going to have to admit it. Yeah, I want to go. So why don''t you invite Leo-kun to the castle unofficially on the day before or after his birthday? Then the Emperor grinned. How can you do that? Shelly shot the Emperor a half-doubting look. In short, just call me a friend of Shelia''s and I won''t care about the royal family. Okay, I''ll take it. All right, now all that''s left to do is wait for Leo-kun to get to Teito. The carriage heading to the Imperial City in those days (shuddering) Huh? I''m getting chills all of a sudden. ''Oh, I don''t want to go to the Imperial City! I couldn''t help but say it out loud. Don''t say that. I haven''t seen my sisters in years. You know, I haven''t seen my sister in two years and I haven''t seen my brothers since my first birthday. Are they all grown up? I had a little fun going to the Imperial City, but I can''t get over how much I hate the party . Haha, that''s really depressing: ..... About a week later, we finally arrived in Teito. Maybe it''s because I experienced a carriage ride when I was five years old, but I didn''t get sick this time. But it was really boring. There was nothing else to do but look around. But just before arriving at the imperial capital, I kept calling in my head "I want to go home, don''t arrive yet. But I arrived safely at the imperial residence ..... 13 CHAPTER XI -- Birthday Party When I arrived at the Imperial Palace, I was greeted by my grandma and my sister. Welcome. Long time no see. It''s been a long time since my mom and dad were here, how''s Leo doing? "Long time no see, Helena, I heard you made S-class. Congratulations! Then Mom hugged her sister. By the way, the S class is a school for noblemen between the ages of 8 and 14 years old, and only the top few students in the placement test that begins in the fourth year can become one, and those who were in the S class when they graduated will be recommended to the magic school. Congratulations, sis. I''ve been fine. Thank you. You know, Leo''s got an easy future in S-class. ''Oh, no, not at all! ''Uh-huh, then all my kids will be graduating from S class. Hey, hey, hey. You can''t put too much stock in a kid. Just don''t expect Leo to be okay. Then my grandma stopped me from saying so: .... of? ''Well, the guys are waiting for you, so let''s get into the house. Dad''s words and they all walked into the house. Speaking of which, I thought there was something wrong with me: .... My sister won''t stick around! The last time I saw you, you were all sticky, and I guess your sister has grown up! I''ll miss that, but... When I walked in, I saw my grandfather and his brothers and a man I didn''t know. He had blond hair and looked like my grandfather and my dad. And then the stranger saw my face. Oh, that''s Leo, isn''t it? It''s nice to meet you, I''m brother Diork''s brother, Damian. He introduced himself. Apparently, this man is my uncle. Damien is the captain of the Imperial Magicians, the most powerful magician in the world today. You''re the strongest in existence: .... Now, let''s see what kind of skills you have. Damien Forster, Lv.120. Age: 28 Race: Human race Profession : Mage Strength: 7200/8200 Magic power: 10400/10400 Power: 4200 Speed: 4540 Luck: 40 Attributes: nothingness, lightning, shadow skill Attribute free magic Lv.8 Lightning magic Lv.8 Shadow magic Lv.9 swordsmanship Lv.9 magic manipulation Lv.MAX Magic Sense Lv.7 Concealment title mage The Tower Dungeon Treader. Here''s another mage, just in time, but a mage! It''s like a combination of grandpa and grandma. Wow! Yeah? I''m embarrassed...but Leo-kun will get over me soon enough. Why? She''s got way too much magic. You''ve got way more than my mother did in her prime, don''t you? (GIKKURI) What? I''m only eight years old. It''s true, Dad, don''t you feel that way about your mother? I can feel it. Grandma nodded at her uncle''s words. Isn''t that awesome? Everyone was silent, and then Brother Ivan, who was in the corner, spoke up. ''More magic than a mage at your age...'' Brother Alex said that in a voice that sounded like he couldn''t believe it. Come to think of it, it''s been a long time since I''ve heard the voices of Brother Ivan and Alex. ''''Okay... Leo is tired from the long journey, so let him be...'''' Yeah, well, it''s tomorrow. Oh, I just remembered. What''s going on, the Princess is calling me out the day after my birthday. What? Oh, you look so happy to see Shelia. ''Did you get along so well on the Emperor''s last vacation? That''s right, Father-in-law, Shelia hugged Leo on the way home and cried. You''re going to have to go see him, Leo. Pomp and Circumstance, my uncle taps me on the shoulder. Uh-huh. Well, if I didn''t go, I''m afraid of the consequences. Look, look, I''ll break it up around there. With that, Grandma dismissed everyone. Okay, Leo, let''s go. Then my mother took me out of the room. All right, everybody''s gone. After everyone had left the room, Diorc and Damien stayed behind. It''s been a long time since we''ve talked alone. We''re all so busy working together. So why does Leo have so much magic power, brother? ''I have no idea either: .... .because you had more than me when you were three years old. So you were born with it? Maybe. Leo, you''re going to have a blast if you keep up the pace. So I don''t tell anyone outside of my family about my magic. ''Well, it''s going to be a pain in the ass if you don''t. ''So, now that we''ve talked about Leo, how many nobles are coming tomorrow? ''It sounds like a nobleman with kids as young as Leo''s will be there, and the duke will be there too. That''s quite a few. It''s going to be tough for you tomorrow, Leo. Yeah. Then they laughed. The day of the party. It''s evening now, and I''ve been made to wear my formal wear, which is quite awkward. There are already many noblemen in the hall. There are three great houses in the empire. The Lefebvre family of the north. The Baudelaire House of the South The Philibert family of the west. Two of these families are joining us today: ..... Incidentally, the Forster family is also a duke, but they''re new, so they''re not included. The east of the empire didn''t flourish until my grandfather gave it to me as a fiefdom, because historically it has been prone to disasters caused by demons. Because of that, the nobles in the east at that time were either crushed or remained poor nobles. The Baudelaires were my mother''s family. The Lefebvre family was my grandmother''s family. These two dukes are here today. There are many other noblemen who are also coming . The thought of having to greet this number of people now makes me want to run away now ..... And as I entered the room while being applauded, the party has begun. As the party started, the nobles came to greet me in turn. First up was the Baudelaires. A red-haired man in his late 30s, with a boy about my age (a redhead). "Hi Leo, nice to meet you, I''m Kara''s brother, Lawrence Baudelaire. Happy birthday. This guy sounds like my uncle. Thank you for making it possible for me to meet you. I bowed and thanked him. "And this is my second son, Frank, who, like Leo, will be starting school next year. Then Mr. Lawrence pushed the boy next to him. Hi. Nice to meet you. Happy birthday. Thank you. I''ll see you at school. Yeah, nice to meet you. After the Baudelaires, of course, was the Lefebvre family. A blond man and his daughter came to greet them. "Happy birthday. I''m Diorc''s cousin Alberto Lefebvre, and this is Josettia, who will soon be your age. Happy birthday to you. Please call me Jos. "Thank you. Thank you, Jos. See you at school. Yes, it''s nice to meet you too. Others were mostly noblemen who tried to somehow get their daughters and sons to remember and, hopefully, like them, which was very annoying to deal with . So, by the time the party was over, I was exhausted and not enjoying it. The next day. I was exhausted from last night, and I was sleeping very hard when someone woke me up. Come on, get up. Hmm. She''ll be upset if you don''t wake up. What''s he doing here? When I woke up, I saw my uncle. Because the Emperor asked me to smuggle you in. ''Oh, by the way, I had to go to Sherry''s. I was so tired from yesterday that I didn''t have any of it left in my head: .... ''Yes, then I''ll get dressed quickly and go.'' All right. Then I finished dressing and was walking out the front door when the guy put me in his arms. "What''s the matter with you? I don''t know what the hell it means to be carried? "The emperor''s orders are to come to me in secret, so I''ll use my covert skills and take you there on a super express. Huh. I tried to protest, but .... As if to stop me, my uncle runs at breakneck speed, carrying me through the city ..... 14 CHAPTER XII -- SHELRY TAKING YOU TO MEET After leaving the house, Uncle went through the city at breakneck speed . He took the shortest way to the castle, between people and on rooftops. Only, under the influence of secrecy, no one could see us. And we were soon at the castle. Uncle, there''s no need to be in such a hurry, is there? What are you talking about. It doesn''t seem like a very good idea for a man to keep a girl waiting. Uh-huh. You just slept in. Yes? I''m going to go. And with that, he carries me on his back and jumps over the wall. What? Let''s just walk through the gate like normal. What do you mean, you''re a burglar. We''re burglars this time. What good would it do us if we walked through that gate? But if you can jump over them so easily, I''m worried about security. Don''t worry about it, though, because only me and a brave man can do this. Oh, really? If someone comes along who can do that, it''s my job. What does your uncle do? You mentioned special forces, but what do they do? You''re under the Emperor''s direct command. Is that different from being a knight? ''Knights need the minister''s permission to run them, and there are many of them, and their job is to maintain security in times of war and security, and the special forces I belong to are a small number of elite, like today, escorting the emperor, or doing the job the emperor asks them to do.'' Wow, you''re really good. Thank you. Here we are... the princess''s room. Then he put me down and stopped at the door. Knock knock. Your Highness, we''ve brought Leo to you. scene Huh? What''s going on? Shelly, are you there? I''m sorry I''m late. Then the door opens. Sherry made a foul face. ''You''re late.'' I''m sorry, Leo''s having a hard time getting up. Shelley hears this and glares at me. Does Leo not care about me? No, it''s not! I just got so tired from the party last night that I couldn''t get up. "Mmm, I wanted to go yesterday, too. As she said this, Shelly was getting teary-eyed. Don''t cry! I''m so sorry. Please forgive me, I''ll do anything. "Hmmm, whatever. .... Okay, I forgive you. Phew, looks like I''ve managed to get my forgiveness. I just wonder what they''re going to make me do: ..... Well, I guess we''ve made up, so I''ll leave you to it. Uncle said and was gone in an instant. Really, secrecy comes in handy: .... Then go into your room. The room looks like a girl''s room. The whole room is pink and full of stuffed animals. Yeah? Yes, do you like to play the plugs? Yeah, I do. I''ll see you in a minute. I say that and use my creation magic. I don''t have any materials, so I''m going to make a stuffed animal out of magic. Then I''ll just imagine a penguin and poof! "Here''s something for you, to put you in a better mood. Are you sure? Okay, I''ll fix it for you. Oh, thank God. Well, that''s a relief. Now, I''ll give you something. She gave me a beautiful necklace made of mithril. "Thank you. Can I put it on? Wait. Before I do, I''m going to give you the magic stone. Sherry said and produced a magic stone as brilliant as my magic stone. Oh, you''re doing great. But that''s okay. It''s okay. I poured my magic power into the magic stone you gave me all these years, and it turned out to be this brilliant, so now I''m going to try to do it myself from scratch. Okay. I see. Besides, I wanted to see you use this to work your magic on this necklace. Is that what you really want? Well, okay. Yay! Well, I''d like to try something, so give me Shelly''s necklace. Okay. Receive the necklace and magical stones and use creation magic. And then, as always, it shone with success. And what she got was a necklace with a round magic stone. I think I did it. How does it work? Yeah, I''ll be there in a minute. Telepathic necklace. You can telecommunicate with the person who poured magic power into this magical stone via registered magic items at a distance. All you have to do is touch this necklace to register. Connected (registration item): Sherry (love necklace) Oh, and I was able to build a telephonic item right on schedule. I''ve always wanted one, since our world doesn''t have a convenient means of communication like a telephone. Anyway, here''s your phone, put it around your neck. Okay. and (Sherry) What? (Do you hear that? (Sherry) What is this? It''s something that comes across to them when you want to tell them this. Yeah, it''s too good. I''ll try it. (Leo, Leo, can you hear me?) (I can hear you.) (Great! (We''re having a conversation.) That''s a long way from home. Yay! Now we can talk to each other whenever and wherever we want. (thrill) I feel like I''ve built something scary. Uh-huh. I''m looking forward to it. Yeah, that''s true. That''s right. I''ve gained a lot of magic power thanks to the magical stone. I''m proud of you. Now, let''s see how well the love necklace works: .... Shelia Vector Lv.1 Age: 7 Race: Human race Occupation : Princess Strength: 3/3 Magic Power: 6510/6510 Power: 3 Speed: 3 Luck: 500 Attributes: water, water, lightning, ice, charm skill Water magic Lv.1 Lightning magic Lv.1 Ice magic Lv.1 Enchantment magic Lv.1 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic control Lv.3 Titles sorcerer This growth is bad... (don''t you tell me) I knew the item''s growth promotion was great! Also, I''ve been practicing my magic operations every day. Great, great. Then I patted him on the head. "Heh, and I need to ask Leo a favor. You want me to do something for you? Yeah, you''re messing with my magic. No, please don''t do that. You said you''d do anything for me. Yeah, okay. A man''s word is his bond. So, please. And with that, Shelly plopped down on her bed. Yeah, I''ll do it then. I''m going to give up and let Shelly''s magic take over. ''Huh? It''s a lot easier to move. You''re growing up. Yeah? Maybe it''s because I do it every day~ Oh, it''s started: .... "It''s been too long since I''ve felt this good~ Absent-mindedness. ''Fua: '' (Mindless, mindless, mindless, mindless: .....) I think it''s been more than ten minutes since then. I''m tired. Shelly fell asleep. That sounds like fun. I heard a sudden voice behind me. I turned around quickly and saw my uncle. ''Surprise - Uncle, did you just see that? Yeah, it''s a good thing this room is soundproof. Oh, this sucks. Was that what people were looking at? Ahhh! I''m dying of embarrassment: ..... ''Well, since you said you''d do anything, a man has to listen to you. Ugh. .... ''For that matter, how can you manipulate someone else''s magic at your age? I just happened to want to teach Shelly how to manipulate magic, and when I tried to do it, I just did. ''''No, no, just being able to manipulate magic at your age is awesome, you know? Oh, really? ''''Yeah, not many people even have the ability to manipulate magic these days because they use magic tools that absorb magic power to train their magic,'''' Is there such a thing? ''''There is . Originally it was something that absorbed magic power to keep wizards in prison, but now they''ve found a way to do magic training so that when they''ve absorbed all the magic, they''ll take a break and repeat the process. "Oh, that''s handy. ''''Well, it''s a pain in the ass to train your magic manipulation to level 3 and then pour your magic power into a magic stone to train your magic power, and you can still use magic without the magic manipulation.'''' Yeah, but I need to do some magic manipulation when I use creation magic. Come to think of it, Leo-kun used to use creation magic on a regular basis. I can use it. Magic that no one else can use. .... Well, I have a lot of magic. That''s probably the number one reason, but another one might be due to magical manipulation as well. Why? ''''The magic tools I mentioned earlier have left very few people able to use magic manipulation, and if creation magic requires magic manipulation, it''s no wonder there''s no one to use it. I see. Well, it''s about to get dark and I''m going home, Leo. Yeah, okay. Are you sure you don''t want to say something to the princess before you leave? It''s okay. I''ve got this. I''m going to show Pops the necklace. I didn''t know creation magic could do that. Yeah, I''ve been at the level I''m at now, though. It''s amazing that you can raise the bar that high, though. No, it''s not. See you later~ I''ll be humbled and ready to go. Uncle said that and carried me again. "What? Are you going to be carried again? I''ll have to wait for you to get home. Then my uncle carried me home at breakneck speed as well: .... 15 CHAPTER I SPECIAL TRAINING WITH Grandpa It''s been five days since the day they took me to Sherry''s house. After that, Shelly said to me, "Why did you leave while I was asleep? I had to have a long telephonic conversation with her to get her in a better mood, and she wouldn''t let me sleep. And every day after that, Shelly started telegraphing to me at night. I asked her why she only telepathized at night, and she replied "Because in the daytime, people are always around, and I''m so embarrassed. People can''t hear you talking on your own, so why not in the afternoon? I just don''t want you to see my face when I''m talking to you. What the f*ck do you look like? No, it''s not like that. Really? No more telepathic stories for today! Oh, he got away. He''s so cute and embarrassed. In the telepathic communication, we talked a lot about the events of that day. It was just that every morning I got sleepy the next day and had a hard time. Today was the day Mom and Dad would go home. I''m going to start training with my grandfather and go to school, so I''m not going home. Okay, well, see you later, Leo. Yeah, I''ll see you later. You need to listen to your grandma and grandpa. I know. You take care of yourself, Mom. Of course. Don''t stay up late if you can help it. Uh-huh. Could it be: .... They know you''re talking to your mind? My mom and dad are old enough to know better than to take it easy on themselves. I''m not old enough to let you worry about me! Don''t worry, you''re safe, but get the f*ck out of here. Oh, see you later. And with that, they walked out of the house. So let''s start training Leo. Huh? Now? Are you going to start? Yeah, it''s only eight months until school starts. Already? I don''t think you can do any special training when you get to school: ..... ''Well, if you''re going to go that far, I don''t mind.'' Huh? Seriously? You''re not gonna stop? "Okay, once we''ve decided that, we need to start thinking about our schedule. First of all, how many hours a day does the old lady have? I don''t want it now. Why? Last time I heard, Damien told me that Leo is already at a pretty good level of magical manipulation, so I don''t have anything to teach him right now. So how soon will you start teaching? ''''That''s only after you''ve gained some use of unattributed magic, I''ll determine the time. In that case, I''ll have Leo build up his physical strength in the beginning, and after a week or so, he''ll be taught swordsmanship in the mornings, and after he''s built up his strength, he''ll start swordsmanship in the mornings and non-attribute magic in the afternoons. It''s not like the special training you imagined: ..... Oh no, it''s spartan training. Well, let''s just do some bodybuilding after we eat today. Wow. Then I had lunch and came out in the yard with my grandpa. Well, let''s get started. Yes, sir. Then keep running around the house until I tell you first. What? Out of the blue? Just go. When I was reluctant to start running, he gave me a frightening look that I couldn''t imagine from his kind face. When I saw that, I started to run as a reflex. "What the hell did you do to me? Carina approached as she saw Leo running. ''''He''s smart, so he''ll probably be able to learn swordsmanship and non-attribute magic in no time. So I thought I''d work on my body before that. ''That''s not what I''m asking, I''m asking why you are making me practice so much harder than my other grandchildren. Yeah, that''s because you''re like me in that regard. How are Leo and your grandfather alike? Carina tilts her head. ''''It''s just that . It''s just that aptitude magic is bad, and no matter how great the rest of us are, the people around us are cold! Leo will be too when he starts school now. Oh, you mean when you were first summoned? Yeah, that''s right. They summoned me on their own accord, but as soon as they found out that my aptitude magic was bad, they started treating me like I was incompetent. And it really pisses me off that when I come back from my fight with the Demon King, they''re praising me, but behind the scenes they''re working to make it theirs somehow. Kent felt nostalgic, but resentful of his past. "Is that why you''re putting Leo through all this hard training? ''Well, all I can teach Leo is unattributed magic, swordsmanship and how to fight. It''s enough. After all, there aren''t many people who can do non-attribute magic. It''s a waste of time, really. You could do so much good if you tried. It''s the times we live in. Oh, I think Leo''s about to go down. Leo''s wobbling around. Stop him now! Hey, Leo, it''s all over now. When Leo heard that, he fell to his knees. One week later. I endured a week of grandpa''s training, but it was so hard: .... Strength training in the morning and then running after lunch. Here''s my current status. Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 90/90 Magic power: 31400/31400 Power: 60 Speed: 75 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.3 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Title The one who has memories of another world. mage This is what it''s become. You might think I haven''t grown that much, but in one week I''ve greatly surpassed the adults in anything other than magic and luck . This is probably due to the growth mischief: .... Apparently, even muscle training doubles the amount of growth . It looks like I''ve built a hell of a thing after all: .... By the way, the reason why my magic power hasn''t increased is because I was so tired from grandpa''s special training that I fell asleep before training my magic power for a week. I finished building up my physical strength like this and today I was finally able to learn swordsmanship. "From today, I''ll teach you swordsmanship. Yay! I threw my hands up in the air, glad to be free from the physical exertions of hell. Then my grandfather grinned at me. ''''It''s nice to be so happy, but for the time being, I''ll have you do the bare minimum gestures you''re told and build up the muscles you need to swing the sword. Yeah, that''s true. Well, it''s not as easy as it looks now that you''re running out of time. Oh, and we still have the afternoon marathon to do. Jeez, hell. It''s just a little bit harder to learn. What? I''ll get used to it. When are we going to get used to this hell: ..... I can''t wait. <2 weeks later>. Finally, the days of swinging and running were over and I started practicing striking with my grandfather using the wooden sword. At first I was happy to see him, but then he started to hit me mercilessly, so I practiced hard to avoid hitting him. I practiced for three more weeks. I''m finally learning to handle my grandfather''s sword. Just make sure my attacks don''t hit him. No matter how hard I try, he always deals with me and even counters me. Even so, Grandpa said he''d teach me non-attribute magic now that I''ve improved. Then I''ll teach you. Yes, sir. It''s hard to say, but it''s the muscles that move the body, you know? Yes. Okay. Then it''s unattributed magic to imagine magically strengthening that muscle you want to use. Yeah, it''s easy. That''s not true. Well then, try running while using unattributed magic. Yes. I try to run, imagining my legs getting stronger. Then I let the momentum of my foot drive me down. Ugh, that hurts. You know what I mean. ''Yeah, I only strengthened my legs and the others couldn''t keep up. Right? The difficult part of this magic is that you have to control the magic and strengthen it where you need it at the same time. What''s wrong with my whole body? ''Some people do that, but then they use more magic and use magic in extra places than someone who only strengthens where it''s needed, so the strength is smaller where it''s needed. Oh, really? This is certainly a tough one to get into. I don''t know if I can do it. Well, I''m sure Leo can do it if he tries. Okay. I''ll do my best. Well, it''s all a matter of practice. Then, about three days later, I learned to run while using non-attribute magic. I was surprised that I could do it faster than I thought I could, and so was my grandfather. Once I became able to do it, our practice regimen changed. In the morning we practiced swords with my grandfather, in the afternoon we swung while using non-attribute magic, and finally we ran a marathon while using non-attribute magic. While using non-attribute magic, you have to be aware of the magic and it was much more tiring than moving normally. These days, he could only do 10 minutes at night because he was so tired, but telekinesis with Sherry had become his only entertainment for the day... . Shelly is not happy with the short time we''ve been together, but she''s worried about my health and that''s the end of it. I can''t help but feel that Sherry is already too healthy and cute. That''s how I endure daily training with Sherry as my heart. .... 16 Secondly, special training and weapons of achievement. SIDE: Brave men. It''s been three months since I started teaching Leo. When I started, Leo only had a lot of magical power, but his other stats were no different from normal kids. However, after about a week, I felt that he became as strong and fast as an adult (a brave man''s feeling). As expected, I thought it was just my imagination, but I decided to let him do the bare minimum gestures as his body was getting stronger. But after some time, he had reached a level of strength and muscularity that an eight-year-old could not reach. It''s funny: ..... Did I make him too Spartan? However, I decided to continue to teach him sparsely so that he would not be crippled at school. Also, since Leo is a fast learner, the plan was to teach him kenjutsu in earnest after two months or so, but I decided to start practicing striking since it would be a waste of time to let him swing anymore. <3 weeks later>. For the past three weeks, I kept leo living a life of sword fighting in the morning and marathons in the afternoon. Then his sword swinging speed and marathon speed became extraordinary: .... Then I decided to teach him non-attribute magic, since I''d taught him most of it. When I showed him how to do it, he said it was easy, so I let him run while I used non-attributional magic. Well, the guy fell down as planned. Every day after that I taught him non-attribute magic and swordplay. But Leo, being a good student, soon learned to use attribute-free magic as well. More time has passed and nowadays he can do most things while using non-attribute magic. There''s nothing to teach her. Yeah~ I don''t know what to do: ..... Oh, by the way, when Leo can use non-attribute magic, the old lady said she has something to teach him: .... Okay, let''s go ask her! ''What? You want me to tell you? Originally, I was going to teach you when your grandfather was done teaching. Are you sure? Then I''m glad~ Just give it a half day and it''ll be over, okay? What? If that''s the case... What we''re going to do tomorrow: .... ''But then again, the kid was a genius after all, to have nothing to teach in three months. Yeah, that''s right. So what are you going to do tomorrow? ''''I don''t know what I''m going to do...maybe I''ll go to the dungeon to level up Leo. Okay, well, then we need to figure out how to equip Leo. Oh, that''s right. You''re busy today. SIDE: Leons. It''s been three months since I started training for hell. It''s funny to say it myself, but my current status is awesome. Here''s my current status. Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 680/680 Magic power: 67400/67400 Power: 370 Speed: 430 Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.3 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.6 Titles The one who has memories of another world. mage I didn''t notice much with my grandfather, but this is a bad idea at level 1, right? My magic power has grown to this point if I continued to use non-attribute magic . Now I''ve also increased my level of non-attribute magic with my skills and gained swordsmanship. This is what it looks like when I appraised each of them. Non-Attribute Magic Lv.5. Uses magic to increase your strength and speed. Lv.5... increases strength and speed by 25% when used. Swordsmanship Lv.6. He can fight with a sword. Lv.6... as strong as a full license. It seems that my swordsmanship skills don''t allow me to do anything, they just tell me how strong I am. And my level of non-attribute magic has increased dramatically. I want to raise the level of creation magic soon too! Just maybe not today, because Grandma is going to teach me something today. Well then, let''s go to Grandma''s... I was looking for Grandma, and she was with Grandpa. Here she is. Oh, there you are. Okay, Grandma, you take care of that. ''Oh, old man, keep your equipment in mind. Equipment? What do you want me to do? All right. Then we''ll start. So, what do you do? I''m going to teach you to sense magic. You''re sensing magic: ..... That sounds awesome! Yay. But it''s gonna be tough. That''s not true. You can''t do that unless your magic manipulation is at level 5, though. ''Really? But how do you know about the sense of magic and how do you learn it? It''s easy. All you have to do is keep fending off my magic until you feel the magic around you. "How is that easy? Normal people still can''t do it, but if you''re able to move something other than your own magic through magic control, you can do it pretty quickly. Yeah, .... So do your best to avoid it. Do you have to do that? I mean, it''s easier to do without. You''ll learn a lot quicker this way. Huh. "I''ll do it without the bullshit! When she said that, Grandma shot a lot of magic at once. She used fire, earth, water and wind at the same time. I used my non-attribute spell as fast as I could to avoid them. Seriously, Grandma is relentless! The ground where you dodged is a charred battered mess .... As I''m looking at the ground, a bunch of magic comes flying in from behind me this time. Look out! Why is it that my grandpa and his wife have a hellishly spartan education together! After that, as I kept avoiding the magic, I began to feel the magic that Grandma was shooting at me. And after some time, I was able to detect the magic from behind and easily avoid it when it came from behind. Okay, now that you can do it, I''ll leave you alone for dinner. Ha, I''m more tired than I''ve been in a long time. You''ll be in trouble tomorrow for saying that. What? What are you doing tomorrow? Speaking of which, you told my grandfather about the equipment: ..... What are they going to make you do? That''s for later. Huh. Too scary. .... Then, when I sat down for lunch with my grandpa and grandma, my grandpa promptly looked at me and grinned at me. You look tired. Did you ever learn to sense magic? I said. "Yeah, I got it. That''s good to hear. ''Forget that, what are you doing tomorrow?'' Are you really that worried about it? Now Grandma laughs. It''s not funny to me at all! I''m worried sick to death! All right, I''ll tell you what. I''m training in a dungeon. A dungeon? Can we go to the dungeon? Oh, you''ll be happy. Yeah, I''m kind of excited. After all, as a man, I adore dungeons! All right, I''m gonna show you some weapons this afternoon, so take your pick. Really? Yay! Do you have a choice of weapons? I''m so happy! My own weapon or ..... Then after lunch my grandfather took me to the room where he kept his weapons. There were all kinds of weapons, from cool swords to rugged armor. "First, choose a sword you like. I took a quick look around the room. There was one sword that gave off a strange aura. ''Is that what you want? It''s called a demon sword, a sword that only someone the sword recognizes can hold. Is there such a thing? Yeah, that''s the one the Demon King had. "Wow, can I try? I would love to use this sword! Good. Yay! With that said, I was going to touch the sword as soon as possible, but before I did, I had to appraise it . I want to make sure I get it as sure as possible! . I can telepathize with the owner. It absorbs a large amount of its owner''s magical power to enhance its sharpness and durability. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Author unknown Yeah, great . And I didn''t see any hint of a sword to choose from: .... Anyway, I''m going to grab the sword to try to hold it. ..... Then. What''s your name? From somewhere, I heard a woman''s voice. This is a telepathic story: .... (Is this voice coming from this sword?) (Yes.) It still sounds like a voice from the magic sword. Oh, it''s Leons. Call me Leo. (Okay, so your name is Leo.) (So, will Elena allow me to use it?) (What? (How did you know my name?!) Oh, if you ask me, I wouldn''t normally know: .... (I''m a trained psychologist.) (That''s rare: ..... I''ve been alive a long time and I''ve only seen one.) (Heh.) So, if you''re okay with me. You have the magic of the most powerful mankind, so you pass. Jeez, you''re as strong as the strongest mankind: .... Well, I got a green light. Yay, thank you, Elemena. (*Hmmm, okay.) More importantly, how do you have that kind of magic at your age. A human? Huh? Suddenly, Elemena''s words are a lot lighter: ..... Sounds like I''m really getting recognized. Two, human? says ..... (Rude! (I''m human!) Well, okay. And you can call me Elena. (Yes, sir.) Looks like the demon sword voted you in. Well, I knew Leo would pick you. And Grandpa was nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, I guess that''s okay. Then let''s get on with it and look at the other armor. And then there''s the shoes that allow you to take just one step into space, and the cloak made of griffon feathers and magic silk. This cape is bad. It absorbs magic and reduces impact. I knew magic silk was great: ..... You''ve decided on a weapon, so take the day off for tomorrow! Yeah, okay. (I think I''m going to use creation magic and magic stones to modify those weapons from now on! (Modification? (What do you do?) (Well, never mind.) That night, I didn''t want to get in trouble if Elena didn''t like it, so I modified it first. Afterwards, Elena was pissed off when she was hit, but she forgave me when she heard about my ability. 17 Im on my way to the third episode, Dungeon. Currently, I''m sitting in front of my grandpa and riding my horse. The horse he''s riding is Grandpa''s beloved horse and he''s insanely fast! Normally it would take two days by carriage to get there in half a day. So yesterday I went back to my room and used my creative magic to build some stuff. I modified the equipment you gave me. It''s made with a lot of magical stones Sebastian gave me. The Sky Shoes. I can run in the air. 50% increase in speed for those equipped. Creator: Leons Forster Invisibility Cloak+. Not only does he use his magical powers to become invisible Block out your own magic, smell and presence. Equipping it halves all hits. Creator: Leons Forster They''re both bad: .... You can run in the air: .... Not only that, but it''s 50% faster: ..... And transparent? .... They say it completely blocks their existence .... With this equipment, you''ll never be beaten.... Is my magic stone this great? And Elena''s modification went like this. She can telepathize with her owner. It absorbs a large amount of its owner''s magical power to enhance its sharpness and durability. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.1...Increases the owner''s muscle strength by 50%. Creator: Leons Forster Oh my god, I''ve got a growth function, but 1.5 times the muscle strength at level 1 is a bad idea: ..... Moreover, the creator became me and my name changed from Elena to Elena. Could it be that I modified it so it became something completely different? Is that why the creator is different? The other thing I did was to build something useful for the dungeon. I didn''t want to use the magical stone Sebastian gave me, so I used a magical stone I bought at a materials store that I''ve only been using for about a year (which is already very powerful). You can see what I made here: ..... It automatically records the path within a 10-meter radius of your location. Creator: Leons Forster Wana Terrace. As it floats into the air, it provides light for the user to A red light illuminates where the traps are. Creator: Leons Forster Water bottle. A water bottle that spits out water when you fill it with magic. Creator: Leons Forster I''ve built something to eliminate every dungeon hazard I can think of. Well, you''ll be safe in a dungeon with it! I carry all of these in a backpack with awesome pockets . And when I put the equipment on, my stats look like this: ...... Leons Forster Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 680/680 Magic power: 67400/67400 Power: 370 x 1.5 (555) Speed: 430 x 1.5 (645) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.6 Magical power sensing Lv.2 Titles The one who has memories of another world. mage I knew it was 1.5 times bigger: ..... Also, I made a lot of stuff with my creation magic, so it seems to have improved. Creative magic Lv.4. You can use magic to create things you''ve imagined using magic. The higher the level, the more you can build. The more materials you have, the more you can build. Lv.4... can create magic up to level 5 as I''ve seen it before (but requires 10x the magic power). Somehow, I''ve been able to build magic: ..... How is it possible to do this? Creation magic is bad: ..... I was just thinking about that when my grandpa pointed in the direction of the forest. "Oh, there''s a monster coming. A demon? I can''t find anything at all: .....? Yeah, where? What are we going to do? Of course I''m gonna beat him. I knew it? Come to think of it, that''s my first demon. I''ve never even seen a real demon in my life. Well, let''s see what''s coming. How do you know a demon is approaching when you can''t see it? And then an orc emerged from the nearby woods. Ooh, that''s lunch for today. Do oaks taste good? Yeah, it''s a little hard, but it''s good. Heh, that''ll be fun. Well, let''s stop and get something to eat. So the old man got off his horse as if nothing had happened. I''ll get my cooking gear out and so on, and you take care of the orcs. What? Can I take him down? I''ll get you there in a second. Okay, okay. Can you really blink and kill it? I''m going to try to get to the orcs, but they''re bigger than I imagined and I''m starting to lose confidence in them: ..... Well, my grandpa says it''s okay, so if I give it my all, I''ll probably be okay. therefore Nice to meet you, Elena. Don''t be so scared of the orcs! (Uh, shut up! (Because they look big and powerful.) (You''re still a child in that regard.) She''s just a kid. Well, nice to meet you! With that said, I''ll pull Elena out. Then, all at once, the magic power is taken away by the sword. Oh, I haven''t been given this much magic in a long time! And Elena, who had absorbed the magic, turned into an amazing radiance. Maybe the orc noticed that and thought I was spooked, and stopped moving. But as soon as I just held my stance, she immediately came at me. "Gmoaaa~! Huh? Orcs are moving really slow, aren''t they? Orcs move so slow compared to Grandpa''s movements that you''re watching them in slow motion! And the way you hit me is too big and easy to avoid: ..... I cut off the arm of the orc who had struck me while easily avoiding the blow. "Gmo~? The orcs were startled and fell back quickly. And I went after them and easily cut their heads off. You see? It was instantaneous. Are orcs this weak? I feel like an idiot for being so scared before we fought: .... ''No, you''re just too strong. Grandpa said this matter-of-factly as he began to dismantle the orc as soon as possible. ''''Am I that strong?'''' ''Yeah, I just think you''re getting stronger again now that you''ve moved up a level, don''t you? Oh, really? We''ll see. Leons Forster Lv.4 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 1180/1180 Magic power: 109x103/116x103 Power: 640 x 1.5 (960) Speed: 740 x 1.5 (1110) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.6 Spellcasting Lv.2 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man Great ..... I''m already at level 4. ''''Well, it''s not usually a demon that a level 1 can take down by itself. ''Heh, and how much does your status usually increase when you level up?'' I think it''s going up too quickly: ...... It''s about 10 percent more than usual. Heh, I see. With this in mind, let''s look at the card again . I see, I guess the Misanga has turned 10% into 20% . Still, this is bad, especially with so many magic 0s omitted: ..... And you''re being a wise guy! Wise man. You''ll get it when your magic exceeds 100,000. 50% less magic needed for magic. Even though my magic power has increased, the amount of magic I need for magic has decreased a lot. If it was just fire or other normal attributes, I would be able to use a huge amount of magic: ..... What do you think, your status has gone up a lot! Yeah, it''s all good. ''Right, if you work out before you level up, you''ll grow faster. "Nah, I see. ..... So I guess I''ve been working out too much: ..... ''And this is the orc magic stone. He handed me a magical stone the same size as the one I usually see. "Huh~ I didn''t know magic stones could be taken like this! Yeah. Did you learn a lot? Then we''re going to be fed! Afterwards, we grilled the oak with salt and ate it. It tasted just like my grandfather said it would, but it was delicious. After we finished eating, we rode for two hours and finally arrived at the city we wanted to visit. "Huh? I don''t see anything that looks like a dungeon? As far as I can see, it looks like there are a lot of adventurers, but it''s a perfectly normal city. Yeah, that''s because the dungeon here is underground, so you can''t find anything but the entrance to the center of the city. Oh, really? The dungeon in the basement? It''s just a huge dungeon, okay? The people who live in this city are usually the ones doing business with adventurers and adventurers. It''s an adventurer''s town. ''''That''s right. The Adventurer''s Guild here is the second largest in the country after the Imperial City headquarters. The Guild? Are you interested in the Guild? Only, Leo''s just a kid, you can''t register him yet. Is Grandpa registered? I did. When I defected to the Empire, I left. Why? When I defected, I came under Imperial jurisdiction and I had to give up. I didn''t know that happened. I miss it now. Are we going into the dungeon now? ''It''s getting to be evening and we''ll stay at the inn after we''ve explored the first floor just to try it out. Yeah, okay. By the way, I left my horse outside the city. They''re smart and strong enough to survive even if you leave them alone. Then I arrived at the entrance to the dungeon in the center of the city. The entrance is bigger than I expected. The inside of this place is just as big as the entrance. How many levels of this dungeon are underground? That''s what we don''t know, because no one else has yet to capture it. ''So how far has anyone been able to go at best?'' She was, what, like... I think it was around .40? Wow, that''s a lot of depth. By the way, that record is Damien. ''Yeah. .... Your uncle is still awesome. ''Yeah, it was a mission when the king put a lot of effort into reducing the number of dungeons about ten years ago. Why would you reduce it? With the vibe of this city, it''s going to be an economic disaster if the dungeon goes away? Every once in a while, a demon can spawn in a dungeon. When that happens, a lot of demons come out of the dungeon and cause a major disaster. Sure, that''s a lot of work. ''So I tried to crush it, but in the end, the only dungeon I was able to traverse was the tower dungeon. What floor was the dungeon in the tower? You said you were on the 40th floor? 40th floor. .... You''re the uncle. Oh, I''m not gonna let you down, okay? What? What''s going on? "I''ve trudged through the Demon King''s 50-story dungeon! ''That''s great. If it''s 50 in the Demon King''s dungeon, then this dungeon must be about 50. I don''t know. The older the dungeon, the bigger the dungeon, the older it is. How old is this one? I don''t know. We''re going in for now. As soon as I entered the dungeon, I took out my wannatteras. Thanks to Wannatteras, I was able to see better in the dimly lit dungeon with just the right amount of light. "This light is useful. I know. I made it yesterday. You''ve learned to use your creative magic pretty well already, haven''t you? Yeah, I''m getting better at building magic. Well, magic? What do you mean? Yeah. Oh, look, the goblins are here, so I''ll show them to you as soon as I can. One of the goblins is running up to you, but it''s not at all as powerful as the Orcs from earlier: ..... "Go with fire magic! I created fire magic and shot at the goblins. Huh? That went a lot easier than I thought it would, huh? And my fire magic hit the goblin cleanly, turning him black in an instant. ''''Oh come on, you can really do that ..... It''s foul to build magic with magic. You can do it, so why not? Yeah... Yeah. As we talked about it, the goblin corpse turned to light and then disappeared. And there was a knife. Oh, the drop. Oh, you know what? Mm-hm. Well, I read about it in a book once. ''Well, that''s what happens to dead demons in dungeons for some reason. Why is this happening to me? It''s all about getting people together, and I hear the dungeon master does it. Bait. Well, I guess that''s about it. By the way, if you''re a boss or a demon in the back, there''s a regular drop and a rare drop. What is that? I need a rare drop! If you''re lucky, you''ll get it. That will be fun. I''m the only one with any kind of luck. Yeah, well, I think we''ll call it a night and stay at the inn. Yes, sir. Also, from tomorrow, we''re going to take the challenge seriously and trudge through it, okay? You can''t do that. Because your uncle couldn''t do it, you know? That''s not true. I won''t leave the dungeon until I step on it from tomorrow! ''What? But what about food? ''I''ve got six months'' worth of space storage, so no worries. ''Wow, you''re serious!'' So get some sleep. Yes? Seriously: ..... Can you get through a dungeon with just the two of you? While I''m looking forward to tomorrow, I''m getting a little scared. ...... 18 Episode 4 Dungeon Capture Begins There was no bathroom at the inn. However, thanks to my grandfather''s good price, the bed was firm and I was able to sleep well. And we didn''t have any drunken adventurers getting involved with us while we were eating, which was a bit of a shame because I was expecting it. And finally, I''m going to challenge the dungeon now! We''re currently on the first floor, and we''re taking down goblins as we go. The first floor is small, so I was able to find the stairs through my auto-mapping. I knew it was a good thing I had built it! Who the hell called creation magic incompetent? It''s okay. It takes a lot of magic and a high level of magical manipulation to create magic. ''That said, ...... When I see what Leo built, I''m reminded once again how stupid the aristocracy really is. ''Grandpa doesn''t like the nobility, does he? ''Well, most aristocrats are dumb, greedy, and wastefully proud. Heh. Oh, I found the stairs. As we were talking, I soon found a staircase that led to the third floor. Speaking of which, how many floors do the demons come out on? ''This dungeon is supposed to have a different demon that comes out every five floors. Every fifth floor. Copy that. So let''s just get through to the fifth floor. Yes, sir. Then there were more of them, but it was just slime at times and goblins afterwards, and at the end it was more work than fighting anymore. And after about an hour or so, we''re in front of the big door on the fifth floor. As I recall, the boss comes out of the fifth floor here: .... ''Isn''t it usually different?'' Yeah, roughly every tenth floor. ''So is this dungeon too difficult then? Maybe. Speaking of which, can you two take down the boss alone? I think the boss is going to be a pretty bad demon: .... "Don''t worry. From the information I gathered earlier, it seems to be a goblin lord, so we''ll be fine. ''What? Speaking of goblin lords, they''re pretty strong, aren''t they? Well, if it happens on the ground, it could easily destroy a village. Is that what you can afford? I''ll be fine. If anything goes wrong, I can take care of it myself. ''Yeah, I know. ..... Come to think of it, this guy was a brave man: .... ''Plus, he killed a bunch of goblins to get here, so Leo''s level must have gone up. ''Really? We''ll see. Leons Forster Lv.9 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 2940/2940 Magic power: 289x103/289x103 Power: 1590 x 1.5 (2385) Speed: 1840 x 1.5 (2760) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.6 Magical power sensing Lv.2 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man Your status against the level is getting stranger and stranger: .... There will never be an 8 year old with such a bad status . And Elena''s level had increased . She can telepathically talk to her owner. It absorbs a large amount of its owner''s magical power to enhance its sharpness and durability. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.2...Flying Slash Creator: Leons Forster Yeah, I''m starting to feel like I can take it down easy. ''Right? Let''s go then! Saying that, Grandpa and I walked into the boss''s room. There''s a huge goblin inside. It''s about three meters tall. .... It''s bigger than I thought it would be. ''This is the Goblin King,'' ''What? I thought you were a goblin lord? Yeah, that''s a rare boss. It''s more of a hazmat boss than a rare one! Can we beat this? That''s why the drop items are so awesome. I see. Then I don''t blame you. ''Some adventurers even stay on the same floor until a rare boss comes up. ''That''s going to be fun to drop,'' ''''It''s just that I''m at the 20th floor level of strength, so I''m going to use unattributed magic to get serious. Yeah, I''m going to use my modified equipment. ''''Are you saying that you''ve taken something that was originally so powerful and increased its performance by using even more creation magic? Yes. That sounds great. Don''t be coy. Yeah, I get it. I don''t want to die and I''m not going to spare you. "Gugia As soon as we got set up, it went into battle mode and barked like a bastard. Let''s go! Okay. I''m using unattributed magic. Elena. (Yes, sir.) I immediately pulled Elena out. First, I let the slash I just got fly. Then the Goblin King was hit head-on by it and the wall was blown apart. Hey! That''s not good for you! You ..... You can even do that? There''s more! Then I ran through the air toward the Goblin King. I stabbed my sword into the Goblin King''s neck as he tried to stand up. "Guffaw. With that, the Goblin King thought he had run out of power ...... but with his last ounce of strength, he shot a giant flame magic! Oh, shit. There''s no way to avoid it at this distance! Don''t let up until the end. Suddenly, I thought my grandpa had appeared in front of me: ..... I cut the fire in half. ''''Great, so you can do magic too, grandpa? Yeah, you could do that with a higher level of swordsmanship. Heh. I knew my grandpa was a great guy. ''''Even so, ...... You didn''t pack it in very well, but I didn''t think you could kill the Goblin King in an instant by yourself, did you? ''Yeah, I guess so: ...... Oh, there''s a drop coming up! As the Goblin King''s body disappeared with the light, a leather glove emerged. I tried to appraise it to see what kind of thing it was. King''s glove. Anyway, the material is sturdy and good at conducting magic power. Somewhere a king once loved a glove. Grandpa. What? Can I take these gloves? Okay. You beat him because he''s Leo. ''Thank you! Well then, let''s get on with the mods~ As he said this, he pulled out a magic stone from his backpack. ''''What is that magic stone with its tremendous brilliance? This? It''s a magical stone that I spent about two years pouring my magic power into. ''Two years or ..... What are you going to do with it? We''re going to build a magic item. Oh, I see. Ingredients. That''s what I mean. The magic of creation in the magic stone and the glove. And what was created a short time later was ..... The Magic Hand. Wearing this greatly increases the accuracy and power of your magic. Wearing it also allows you to add your own magic to this glove or hand-held weapon. Creator: Leonce Forster So I put it on. Then I took Elena and added fire. What''s this? (I''m adding a bit of fire to it.) Oh, I feel so much stronger. It sure looks cool! Oh, man, what have you built this time? It''s a glove that can add magic to a weapon. I''ve been working on something amazing... Gradually, Grandpa''s reaction is getting tired .... Seriously, is it that great ....? ''''Well, that''s okay . By the way, a single Leo defeated a demon that would normally be defeated by three to five adventurers of level 30 or so, so he must have risen quite a bit in level, right? What do you think? Leons Forster Lv.17 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 12,640/12,640 Magic power: 12410? / 12410? Power: 6840 x 1.5 (10,260) Speed: 7910 x 1.5 (11,865) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.6 Magical power sensing Lv.2 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man My status is over 10,000 for everything but my luck: ..... There''s been an eight-level spike: ..... "Oh, that''s good. Uh-huh. Good for you: ..... of? ''At your age, I don''t think anyone is even above level 10. Yeah, I guess so. This is bad! Misanga is trying too hard. ..... And you''ve already surpassed your grandfather. I knew there would be a day when you would surpass grandpa, but it''s too soon... No need to train in the dungeon on the first day... Maybe I should take off my Misanga... But it shouldn''t bother you as long as you''re strong: .... Okay, I''ve decided! From now on, let''s be strong to the point where we can be strong and usually live our lives humbly hiding our abilities: ..... 19 Were going through the fifth dungeon. From the sixth floor, Kobold and Orcs came out . Each floor was getting larger and larger, and it would take a normal person a whole day to get to the 10th floor. However, since we had an auto-map, we didn''t get lost and were able to advance smoothly and effortlessly to the boss''s room on the 10th floor. "The boss on this floor will be an orc lord. Maybe there''ll be a king in here. You don''t get rare bosses that often in a row, do you? It''s my lucky day. ''Maybe so: ..... That''ll have to wait until after we get in. Yes. "Just keep your guard up and fight to the end this time, okay? Yeah, okay. Let''s go. I''m going into the boss''s room. Once inside, I knew it. This is the Oak King. I''m glad to see you''re back on track. You''ve become. So you''ll have to fight a rare boss every time: ..... Sure, it''s good for now, but if the deep boss is a rare boss, it''s hard to defeat it: .... But still. I can''t wait to see what they come up with. Don''t let your guard down! The chatter is over! Grandpa told me to hurry up and look at the Oak King. "Gua He was already wielding his greatsword. Me and my grandfather immediately dodged the orc''s attack. Then the Orc King followed up by firing a bunch of fire magic! Grandpa cut it off and I kicked it in the air, just barely avoiding it. Then, as I dodged, I strengthened my body with non-attribute magic and added wind magic to Elena. When the Orc King saw this, he took aim at me and attacked me with his great sword swinging sideways: .... ''''I wanted to do something cool, like getting on top of the sword once and then attacking, right?'''' I managed to get on top of the big sword the Orc King had just finished swinging. Then I ran up to the sword and slashed the Orc King''s head with a snap. Elena, who had added wind magic, was so sharp that the Orc King''s head flew off easily. ''''Looks like you''re not going to shoot your magic at your death this time. I don''t want to make the same mistake. You lost your head. So, what do you think we''ll get? As I waited for the drop in anticipation, what came out was .... It was meat. ''Meat, huh~'' I wish I''d had more ingredients to use for creation magic than meat: ..... ''This looks good. I''m going to go to bed for dinner in a nice, clean place! Do you sleep in here? ''Yeah, unless we leave this room, don''t worry about the new boss coming out of it. But wouldn''t that bother the next person who wants to take out the boss? I don''t think anyone''s going to take down the boss at this hour. What time is it? What time is it? It''s about ten o''clock at night now. I don''t have time for this. You wouldn''t even know you were in a dungeon, would you? That''s true. I think I''ll build a clock. I took the Orc magic stone and mithril I got before we entered the dungeon. Then I poured a bit of magic into the stone, and used creative magic. And this was it. Pocket watch with alarm. I''ll always tell you the exact time. You say the time you want me to wake up, and the doctor wakes me up at that time. It never breaks. Creator: Leons Forster I didn''t need a special clock, so I built it with a little bit of (what I thought was) magic power on a magic stone I just got, but I made a bad one that was unbreakable: ..... But apart from that, it was just a clock with an alarm clock, so it''s okay. Did you build something else? The clock. It''s not just a watch, is it? Uh... You''re alarmed. Is that really all you''ve got? ''Oh, yeah, it''s not like I used a lot of magic stones. Okay, well, let''s burn some meat for dinner. Yes. Then we ate dinner and went to bed. Oh my gosh, the meat at Oak King was insanely good: ..... I can''t wait to have it again! The morning of the second day. Grandpa said he was going to get up at 7:00 a.m., so I set my alarm for that time and was surprised to be woken up by a telepathic message (please get up!). Then, I ate some bread from Grandpa''s spatial storage for breakfast and left the boss''s room. On the second day, we made our way to the 20th floor. From the 11th to 15th floors, you''ll find the tree monster Trent and the mushroom monster Matango. Trent''s drop was a branch of a magic tree, and Matango was a poisonous mushroom. The boss is a rare Elder Trent and the drop is a branch of the divine tree. I decided to use these drops, even if I needed them someday . From the 16th to 20th floors, there were trolls and orcs, and the boss was a cyclops. The troll''s drop was a troll skin and the cyclops'' drop was a large magical stone. Grandpa said that the magic stone drop was rare and was a rare drop. The reason why the day''s explanation was so short was because he easily proceeded without struggling at all . Every monster, including the boss, was defeated in a single blow, and the last part was still a work in progress. On the third day, I was only able to advance to the 28th floor. Since each floor was gradually getting larger and larger, I could only advance to the 8th floor. And the demons that came out were ..... From the 21st to 25th floor, there was a group of warwolves, and the boss was Cerberus. These guys also ended up killing me in a blink of an eye. The drop was a fang for both the warwolf and the Cerberus. Floors 26-28 were ogres. The drop was horns. And here''s the status at the end of day 3 Leons Forster Lv.38 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 582x103/582x103 Magic power: 570x10?/570x10? Force: 314 x 103 x 1.5 (471 x 103) Speed: 363 x 103 x 1.5 (544.5 x 103) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.7 Magic power sensing Lv.2 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man I decided not to worry about status anymore... Then, my swordsmanship reached level 7, but the only thing that changed was that my full license became a master''s license, but everything else remained the same... By the way, I asked my grandpa what I was going to do since I had to take a break outside of the dungeon''s boss room. He said, "We''ll just have to take turns sleeping and watching. I was told that . But I didn''t want to spend less time sleeping, so I decided to build an item and do something about it! I''ve chosen lots of troll skins and cyclops magic stones. First, I pour half my magic into the stone. Then the huge magical stone sparkled beautifully. "How did you grow up to be able to pour so much magic into it in a single moment? Come on, now? They''re just growing a little too fast! Then I used all the remaining magic in the troll''s hide and magical stone to create a spell. And it glowed harder and longer than usual. And that is what we got. Comfortable Tent. This tent will not allow any demon or person to get within sight of it. However, anyone who was within sight of the tent when it was set up is not valid. It''s spacious inside and comfortable, with one large bathroom in a 5 bedroom apartment. Creator: Leons Forster I explained to my grandpa what I had made. What? What makes this little tent so big? Apparently. Come on, let''s just go inside. Then I walked into the tent and felt like I was in the doorway of a house . It''s like a real ..... I guess so. And I''m going to take a bath anyway. It is very hard for Japanese people to take a bath for a few days. After taking a bath, I ate a meal and slept on the floor since there was no bed. The next day, I was able to get up comfortably. Then I defeated Kuro Ogre, the boss of the 30th floor, and advanced to the 31st floor. By the way...the black ogre''s drop was the gold bar (made by Mithril) that he used. Thirty floors in four days is a pretty fast pace... right? Maybe you can step over it: ..... 20 Episode 6 Dungeon will continue. From the 31st floor, Naga, a snake demon with a lower body, came out. Naga''s drop was a well-made knife. The boss on the 35th floor is a big snake basilisk and I killed it instantly, being careful because I was told that its poisonous attack was terrible. The drop was a very large magical stone. On the 36th floor, there was a cockatrice and a harpy. They''re both bird-like monsters that can fly, so it''s hard to advance efficiently. It was a really troublesome floor: .... Then we arrived at the boss''s room on the 40th floor. ''The highest recorded Damien gave up after defeating this boss and advancing a bit . Finally, we''re here: ..... ''So . . from this point forward, with Damien''s withdrawal, we have no information at all. Yeah. But why didn''t my uncle go on? Maybe there''s a lot of difficulty ahead. ''There''s definitely something about the level of difficulty an uncle level gives up, isn''t there? So don''t get caught up in any situation. Okay! They say it''s most dangerous when you''re used to it. Let''s pull ourselves together and go for it! All right, let''s go find the boss. Yes, sir. Once inside. And there was a big bird. I got a quick appraisal. Rockbird Lv. 48. Strength: 5000 Magic Power: 3000 Power: 2880 Speed: 3300 Luck: 3 Attributes: wind skill Wind Magic Lv. 7 That''s pretty strong and has a high level of wind magic: ...... I wonder if you can kill this one in the blink of an eye though? And then the battle began . The Rock Bird suddenly flew up and shot a great number of wind magic from high above! Grandpa dodged the spell with his sword, slicing and dodging I flew a slash at the approaching magic as I evaded it. After that, the rock bird would only use its magic, not try to get close. Because of this, we were too busy avoiding it to attack it: ..... So I thought of a way to send a magic-enhanced slash through the air. It''s a good idea to use it so that the attacker can reach the target without losing to wind magic. So I used all the magic I had available to send a wind-magic-impregnated slash through the air. Then, just as I expected, it cut the rock bird''s magic and cut it in half. "I managed to defeat it~ It would have been a close call this time if I couldn''t add magic to the slash: ..... I''m glad I was able to do it! You''re a tough nut to crack this time, aren''t you? That wind spell from above is not fair. ''Yes, it would have been a close call if Leo hadn''t beaten me. You''re a tough nut to crack this time. Look, I know it''s a little early today, but I''m going to take the day off for tomorrow. Yeah, okay. We''ll set up the tent and go inside. By the way, the rock bird drop was a fine feather . SIDE: Damien. I''m on my way in the evening now because His Majesty the Emperor has ordered me to go to the Princess. Everything is so dark for the Princess recently that no matter who tried to consult with her, she wouldn''t tell me what''s wrong, and when I asked who could consult with her, she gave me her name: ..... When the emperor heard about it, he asked me to consult with him . If the princess would consult me, I think it would be about Leo-kun''s involvement...did they have a fight? While I was thinking about it, I arrived at the princess''s room. Knock knock. Is the princess here? It''s Damien. After a while, the princess came out . The princess-sama''s face is so dark that it''s understandable for everyone to be worried .... ''''Why do you have such a dark face? Did something happen with Leo-kun, by any chance? Um... Why don''t we just sit in the room and talk about it? ''''Yeah...'''' So the Princess let me into the room. So what''s going on with you, Leo? Leo hasn''t been telegraphing to me. Telekinesis: ..... As I recall, Leo-kun built this thing so that he can talk to it from a distance: .... If Leo-kun doesn''t respond to telepathic communication ..... That''s not like you, Leo-kun. .... By the way, how long are you not coming? I''ve been reminding him for a week and he hasn''t responded. ''What happened if it was that long?'' I don''t know, maybe she doesn''t like me... You mustn''t be so negative. Because... "Because you didn''t have a fight with him, did you? Yeah... Then I''ll go check on Leo, and I''ll tell the princess to make a mental note of him. Um... Please... ''''Surprisingly, you might just be sleeping through the hard training of the brave and the mage? I know... I''m sure it is. That''s what the princess said to herself, and it''s getting pretty dangerous mentally . This is pretty bad: ..... So I have to get to Leo-kun''s place right away. A little later, I arrived at my dad''s house. And I went in. Hey, there''s Damien. Your mother welcomed me. Mom, do you know where Leo is? Leo would be in the dungeon with his grandfather now. Then the telepathic communication shouldn''t reach you: .... The inside of the dungeon is completely cut off from the outside world. So why did your father go to the dungeon with Leo-kun? I''ve decided to train in the dungeon since I don''t have anything else to teach Leo anymore. Is Leo-kun that strong now? How dare you say that you have nothing to teach me anymore? Yeah, I made it through that old man''s Spartan training without running away. "The thing? I got out of there in the middle of the game. I can''t tell you how many times I''ve run away from ...... ''Plus, she''s growing up so fast, she''s already finished the special training she was going to do until just before school. That''s going to be exciting for Leo''s future: ..... It''s already great though. Yeah. Which dungeon did you guys go to, by the way? He said he was going to an underground dungeon. It''s not good... What''s wrong with it? "Oh, do you think they''ll go deeper? Maybe I''ll move on. He said he''d crush it on his way out. That''s a problem. It''s really bad: ..... ''What''s so dangerous at the back of that dungeon? That''s a sharp change in difficulty from the 41st floor. Is that hard for you, old man? Dad in his prime might be able to go: ...... I don''t think Dad could do it now with Leo-kun in tow. ''Well, your grandfather looks like that and he''s solid, so he''ll come back if he thinks he can''t make it along the way. Yeah, I know, right, Dad? If you ask me, my dad was solid in that area: ...... Then I returned to the castle and went to the princess and explained the situation. But it was still dark. Since Leo-kun is training so hard right now, why don''t you train harder too, Princess? What''s the point of training? It''s easy to do. I''ll teach you magic, and when Leo-kun comes back, we''ll surprise him by showing him how to use magic! That''s good. Or I''ll chastise you for worrying me with magic! The princess''s face lit up as she said that. ''''Then you can withstand my rigorous training, can''t you? Yeah! I''ve been teaching the princess magic every day since then. The princess has been practicing hard, but she''s doing her best. When Leo comes back, she wants to use her magic to subdue him. That''s why the princess has grown up so fast. I''m really looking forward to Leo''s return: ...... 21 Episode 7: The End of the Battle of Dungeon It''s been one night since the day we took down the Rock Bird on the 40th floor. Now I''m having breakfast with my grandpa in the empty dining room. The menu is one crumbly loaf of bread: .... As I munch on it, I''m checking my status. I wonder how far I''ve come after defeating the rock bird? Leons Forster Lv.45 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 20910?/20910? Magic Power: 200x10?/200x10? Force: 113 x 10? x 1.5 (169.5 x 10?) Speed: 130 x 10? x 1.5 (195 x 10?) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.7 Spellcasting Lv.3 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man I''m 8 years old and I don''t think this level is a good idea... (I don''t care about the status anymore.) Also, Elena''s level had gone up as well . She can telepathize with her owner. It absorbs a large amount of its owner''s magical power to enhance its sharpness and durability. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.3... restores its owner''s health by attacking it. Creator: Leons Forster This ability may not be much of a need for me right now: ..... I have a tremendous amount of strength. And I haven''t gotten any attacks since I entered the dungeon. Well, I guess it''s a good thing that I have: ..... Then you finish your breakfast, gear up, and get ready to go. Well, let''s get going. We left the 40th floor. When we got to the 41st floor and were walking out. Suddenly, the entire aisle was lit up red. This is .... Wannateras. Grandpa, stop! Oh, what''s that red stuff? These lights illuminate the trap area in red. ''Well, if it wasn''t for this, I would have been caught off guard and touched the trap: ..... It really is: .... This number was definitely touched. ''But how did it come out of nowhere when it wasn''t there before? ''I suppose that was meant to be a trap to catch you off guard. ''That''s scary. .... We''ll have to proceed with caution for now. We''ll have to do that. Then I carefully avoided the red marks on the ground and walls and everywhere else. And this floor is where the gargoyles came from: ..... A gargoyle looks like a stone statue that flies in the sky. ''Huh, this is the swordsman-killer''s floor. What do you mean? "Swordsmen have to get close to each other to beat them. Yes. You have to get close enough to hit him. And if he''s a flying man, you have to move for it. Oh, okay. So there''s a chance you''ll walk into a trap for that. That''s what I mean. Then I''ll take them all out with my magic. ''This might be aimed at reducing the magic of the wizard, but I don''t think it has anything to do with Leo. Yes. As soon as I say that, I''ll shoot earth magic at the gargoyle . ..... But the gargoyle easily avoided it. ''''Really? .... You''re going to avoid it? ''Leo never practiced casting magic, so it''s going to be hard to hit a smaller opponent, isn''t it? Sure, people who can use magic normally practice guessing magic: ..... ''What do I do: .... I''m going to practice this too. Get the hang of casting magic here. Yes? In the meantime, I''m going to build a lot of magic and shoot it at the gargoyles. ..... but I can''t hit one again. How do I know if I''m going to guess? The first thing that comes to mind is to guess which way your opponent will move. The next thing I can think of is to speed up my magic. I decided to try them both at the same time. The fastest magic is wind magic. So I used more magic to create wind magic. And then it anticipates your opponent''s movement and releases! Then I hit it cleanly and took out the gargoyle. "You hit it pretty quick. Even for a very strong wizard, you can''t hit a demon now, can you? ''It''s because I''ve been training with my grandpa and I''ve learned to read his moves. I see. It''s just, that wind magic was pretty awesome, too. Thank you. After that, I continued to keep an eye out for traps, and it took me about a week to get to the 45th floor. It took me a long time to avoid the traps, but it was getting wider and wider, so I could only advance one floor in a day. By the way, the gargoyles were dropping gems. This gem was so bright and beautiful. And now it''s time to fight the boss. Considering the difficulty level we''ve played so far, the enemy is quite strong this time. I know. The difficulty suddenly increased from the 41st floor: ..... So be careful, okay? Yeah, okay. Let''s go. I walked into the boss''s office and saw a 20-foot-long dragon. It''s a wyvern. Oh, my first dragon! No, wyverns are weaker than dragons. A wyvern isn''t a dragon? Yeah, you''re a failure. Oh, really? If it was a dragon, me and the old lady could fight it off, but we wouldn''t be able to defeat it. The Dragon. She''s a powerful demon. "Gua The wyvern howled. ''And the Wyvern is a guy I could just barely beat on my own, so watch out! That''s a strong enough wyvern! As I said that, I attacked with my recent favorite wind magic . The wyvern didn''t try to avoid my magic, so the magic hit it cleanly . But it seems to do very little damage: .... ''''This is great,'''' "Use your magic as a distraction! Okay. So let''s put Elena to work for the first time in a while. Will they finally let you use it? I''m sorry. I''m going to use it all to my advantage. First, shoot water magic at the wyvern''s eyes. After seeing it hit, he approached with all the speed he could muster and swung Elena off the wyvern''s neck. Then, she succeeded in taking the wyvern''s head off with ease. .... Huh? I got it down~ I didn''t see that speed, either. You know, I forgot (intentionally) forgot that my status was in jeopardy. Le, it''s your level. ''If you ask me, Leo took out all the dungeon bosses by himself. ''Yeah, right! We were in pretty deep. I guess so. Do you think the next boss will be the last boss? I hope so. Just as I was saying that, a large magical stone dropped from the wyvern. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen a magic stone this big. Where did you see him before? The Demon King''s dungeon. The Demon King''s Magus? It''s not the Demon King, it''s his guy. What''s going on with the Demon King''s magic stone? ''''I didn''t see it because after I defeated the Demon King, I didn''t take out the magic stone, I buried it in the Demon Forest. I gave him a proper burial. I didn''t expect it. Was he actually a good person? Yes, and I needed proof that I had defeated the Demon King, so I made the Demon King''s man a magic stone. Heh. Well then, I guess this dungeon is almost over, so let''s go for it! Yeah! I put a large magical stone in my backpack. Come to think of it, are those pockets different space storage? Yeah? I knew it. ''Huh? Doesn''t that surprise you? I''m tired. .... Tired? I think Grandpa got tired of living in the dungeon for so long. Then we went into the tent to rest for the day. The next day, the attack on the 46th floor began. From the 46th floor, demons other than the bosses we''ve seen so far came out. All the monsters were high level and numerous. Then again, the size of each floor had increased again, and the number of traps had increased significantly: .... That''s why it took me about 10 days to get to the boss''s room on the 50th floor. And I''m probably here in front of the boss''s room. You''re finally here. Yeah, it''s been a long time. It took me roughly a month from the time I started attacking to get to this point? That''s probably the last of it. Yeah, let''s go in then. When I go in, there''s a creepy humanoid monster. I''ll get a closer look at it. Mad Demon, Lv. 80. Strength: 11,000 Magic power: 12,000 Power: 8,380 Speed: 9300 Luck: 30 Attributes: Darkness skill Dark Magic Lv. 9. This one''s as strong as my grandfather''s heyday: ..... ''This must be a daemon.'' I guess so. Leo, this time it''s my fight. Okay. The reason is simple. The enemy is strong. Grandpa and I checked with each other and stood with the enemy. Then the Mad Demon grinned and disappeared into the darkness. "Huh? CLACK! I heard a sword clash from behind. I turned to see my grandfather guarding me from the Mad Demon''s attack. Grandpa! ''''I''m an old man myself, but you can still use your limit breakthrough to fight with ten times your status! Then the daemon disappeared again. Only, in about three minutes, the bonus time will end. How come Grandpa can see the daemons? "Mastering non-attribute magic strengthens your senses, too. So just aim for the spot where they come from and you can fight. What do I do... Build me something that will make me visible before my bonus is up! Okay, okay. then Kakin! Again, Grandpa protected me from the daemons. Do it now, young man! Or we''re both going to die! Uh-huh. I hurriedly took out everything in my backpack that I could use. First, I poured all my magic power into the wyvern''s magic stone. When I finished pouring the magic, I put the ingredients from the backpack together and quickly used my creation magic. Then, some of the ingredients will glow and mix with the magic stone. Then I waited for it to be completed, wishing it would hurry up: ..... Looking at Grandpa, it was getting tougher and tougher to handle the daemon''s attacks . Please be in time! Then the light subsided. The finished product was a pair of goggles, just like an airplane pilot wears. I slipped them on quickly. And then... (Set the owner to Leon and start navigating.) (Huh?) (Enemies found, opponent shown) And then a demon appeared where there was none. Without questioning it, I cut the Mad Demon''s head off in a hurry. "Yay, you made it in time, Grandpa. He turns around and looks at his grandpa. Then Grandpa collapsed without power ..... "...... Grandpa? 22 Episode 8 Dungeon Clear... Grandpa! I rushed to Grandpa. ''''Actually, you know ..... Using the limit breakthrough makes you temporarily stronger, but it''s a lot harder on your body. Grandpa spoke up in a voice so small that I wouldn''t normally think of it: ..... ''That''s okay, isn''t it?'' listen with trepidation ''I was fine when I was younger: ..... I guess at my age it wasn''t. Huh? What do you mean, no? I appraised my grandpa anyway. Kent Forster, Lv.164. Age: 59. Race: Human race Occupation : Formerly a hero State: Aging Strength: 0/12630 Magic power 80/970 Power: 5080 to 60 Speed: 4,090 to 80 Luck: 140 Attributes: none skill Non-attribute magic Lv.MAX Swordsmanship Lv.MAX Swordsmanship Lv.MAX Magic Control Lv.4 Break through the limit of space storage title One from another world. The Demon King''s Dungeon Treader. hero I''m at zero strength: ..... "Grandpa... You''re not going to die, are you, Grandpa? I screamed, clinging to his shoulder. But ..... ''Leo...'' You''re stronger than me. ...... More than me. .... So from now on, you''re going to have to live your life with confidence and not worry about what people think of you ........ When he said that, Grandpa closed his eyes ..... ''Grandpa! I rocked my grandpa with all my strength. But he didn''t respond at all anymore: ...... I appraised my grandpa again. Kent Forster, Lv.164. Age: 59. Race: Human race Occupation : Formerly a hero Status: dead Strength: 0/12630 Magic power 0/970 Power: 5080 -> 0 Speed: 4,090 to 0 Luck: 140 Attributes: none skill Non-attribute magic Lv.MAX Swordsmanship Lv.MAX Swordsmanship Lv.MAX Magic Control Lv.4 Break through the limit of space storage title One from another world. The Demon King''s Dungeon Treader. hero The state has death attached to it: ..... ''I''m really dead...'' The appraisal makes me realize that ...... I still can''t believe it. If only this guy wasn''t there: ...... With that thought, I looked at the Mad Demon''s corpse and saw that the Demon''s corpse was glowing and the drop was coming out . The daemon''s drop was a ring. I appraised it: ...... . You will be less susceptible to Dysfunction. Your attacks on demonic monsters will be doubled. That''s the last boss''s drop. That''s an amazing ability without the need to alter it. Should I make sure to wear this at all times: ..... You should wear it to remember what happened today. ...... And as I looked around I saw that there was another door in addition to the one I came in. I''ll just have to go: ..... There''s no point in sitting here thinking about this or that ....... Let''s just think about getting home. With that in mind, I opened the door and left the boss''s room, carrying my grandpa on my back: .... ''Congratulations.'' As soon as I left the boss''s room, an announcement sounded. ''''You are the first person to step into the novice level of this trial dungeon. Elementary? "I give you the gift of transference. ''And now, a short distance before where you are, if you step on the magic circle, you can get to the advanced version. That being said, I looked around the room and saw a large magic circle drawn on the ground. ''You''re kidding? Isn''t that the goal yet? ...... ''''You''re free to challenge from now on . If you want to challenge it once you return, please transfer here or complete the beginner''s version again before you try.'''' Announcement''s over. Let''s just go home. Trying now is out of the question. I want to go home for now. Speaking of which, I see you''ve learned to make the transition. (I think you can do it if you imagine that you want to go where you want to go.) What? I''m sorry to surprise you. I''m your goggles. She was wearing goggles when she left them on. No, what kind of goggles did I make? We''re having a normal conversation, right? Universal supplementary goggles. They offer a variety of support to their owners You can do a lot of things, so ask me directly. Creator: Leons Forster Your appraisal is a bit of a mess: ..... Asking you directly isn''t a good explanation, is it? Hello, Mr. Goggles? Please call me Anna. It''s got a name... Anna, what can you do? (With your support, you can do a wide range of things, from guiding the way to analyzing enemy weaknesses.) Do you know the enemy''s weaknesses? (Yes, but I don''t make a single remark about an enemy weaker than Master Leo.) Thank you. More importantly, you can transfer out of here, right? (Yes, if you''ve been there once.) Okay. Well, let''s try the transition: .... After saying that, picture the place you want to go. Then the place changes in an instant, and you find yourself in front of a dungeon entrance. At the dungeon''s entrance, there were many adventurers. "Oh, you''ve walked through this dungeon? ''What? Yeah. At your age? And who''s that you''re carrying? It''s my grandfather. Well, that was tough. The strong-tongued man who had been talking so hard before became soft when he found out his grandfather was dead. ''Get out of my way!'' A man came out of the crowd. Ah, Master Guild Leader! Oh, so this is the guildmaster: .... "Oh, Lutz. Is it true that the dungeon has been trampled? I guess so. I think this one''s a walker. Are you kidding me? He looked at me like he couldn''t believe what he was seeing. ''I''m not lying. She''s the one who transitioned after the announcement was made in the dungeon. That''s right: ..... Who the hell are you anyway? Me? "If it''s anyone but you... You''re the one who''s carrying it, aren''t you? Is he the brave one? Yeah. I know it''s hard to tell because he''s so old, but this guy is definitely a brave man. "So that means ..... Is this boy the grandson of a brave man? Is that so? Yeah, you just called a brave man a grandpa. Yeah. That''s a lot of work, but can you tell me your name? ''My name is Leons Forster and you can call me Leo. Okay. So you''re sure you''ve made it through the dungeon? ''Yeah. I just couldn''t have done it without my grandpa. ..... That''s a tough one. And what do you have to show for it? Here. Stick out your hand to the guildmaster and show him the ring. "This ring is awesome. How did you come by it? You can get it by beating the boss on the 50th floor. Okay. . and why hasn''t the dungeon collapsed when the announcement came in? Do you normally do that? Yeah, well, that''s why the dungeon is dead. Yeah. And I know why. What kind of reason? It''s easy. There are more dungeons in this dungeon, you know. What do you mean? You''ve come all the way through, haven''t you? I did, but... I found another dungeon entrance. ''Seriously. You cleared this and it was still there: .... Lutz, give me a break ..... The face says. ''Calm down. This is a new discovery. We have to inform the Emperor immediately! So, what''s the boy going to do now? I''m going home. Okay. You''re going home. Well, then, the emperor will reward the dungeon treader with a reward, so just stay home for now. Reward? What do they give you for that? Okay, I understand. use a transference This is out of town. Why aren''t you coming home soon? Anna, who now wears it around her neck, asked me a question. Apparently, you don''t need to wear Anna tightly to be able to telepathically talk to her: .... ''Grandpa''s horse is supposed to be around here somewhere. As he said this, he looked for a horse nearby. And then I see a horse approaching in the distance. Oh, that''s my grandfather''s horse! And Grandpa''s horse was squealing sadly when he saw Grandpa on his back with me: ....... ''I''m sorry . I shouldn''t have let you die, Grandpa. If only I could use my creation magic a little faster. As I was apologizing to the horse, I started to cry: .... Then I cried for a while and then transitioned home: ..... 23 Ill capture the dungeon in episode 9. As soon as we moved into the house, I called Grandma. Grandma! What, are you finally home? Grandma came out of the back, and she didn''t know what she was doing. And then she saw me with Grandpa on my back. Hey, what''s going on? Well, old man? He rushed over to me. "Grandma, it''s grandpa... Then I explained the whole story of what happened in the dungeon. "I see you''ve conquered that dungeon: ..... But Grandpa... Well, Grandpa died protecting his grandson, so I''m sure he got what he wanted. But... Okay, okay. Not now, but for now, I''m tired, and you should get some rest. Okay. ...... I''m in the house. SIDE: Orton. Mr. Orton! A knight came running in, scurrying. "What is it? Underground dungeon has been breached! An underground dungeon has been trampled: ...... Underground dungeon? What? Oh, by the way, did you say that the brave man was challenging you, Damien? ''''Yes, I heard that you went there to train Leo-kun, but I didn''t expect you to complete that dungeon...'''' I really didn''t think so: ...... And normally, would you try the highest difficulty dungeon for your kid''s special training? It''s the quintessential brave man: ..... "And there''s also ..... It''s very hard to say, but .... As we were getting excited, the knight who came to report to us said apologetically. "What? ''Its ..... I''m sorry to inform you of the death of... I''m afraid he''s dead. What? Also, a new dungeon has been discovered at the end of the underground dungeon. What do you mean? Explain to me in turn. There''s so much information, you''re not going to get into your head at all: ..... ''''Ha, yes . There was an announcement that the underground dungeon was to be trampled, and the adventurers were gathering near the entrance, when suddenly Leonce Forster-sama, carrying a brave man on his back, was transferred and came out. That''s how we know Leo and his friends trudged through: ...... ''''That''s right . And when the guildmaster came over and asked what the situation was like in the dungeon, it turned out that there was still a new dungeon beyond. I see. ..... Afterwards, seeing Master Leons'' condition deteriorate considerably, the guildmaster asked him to leave for now, but he disappeared in an instant and is nowhere to be found. ''Oh, right: ......'' Yeah, I don''t get it! You''re full of unbelievable stories, and I have no idea how anything came to be: ..... ''Your Majesty the Emperor. I''ll go to my parents'' house once and check it out. I agree: ..... It would be best to hear it from the man himself: .... ''Yeah, go ahead, Damien. interchangeable interchangeable interchangeable SIDE: Damien Good job, Grandpa. You''ve done well. To die protecting your grandson at the end, you were like a character in a story right up to the end. ..... Mom home? "You''re here, Damian. ''I heard my dad died. .... It was true. .... Just 10 minutes ago, I heard Leo''s voice at the door, so I thought he was home, so I went over and found my grandfather on his back. .... ''Leo-kun carried you here on his back?'' You can''t walk that far, okay? Even a horse can''t have done that 10 minutes ago: ..... "He said he got the transference skill from trudging through the dungeon... "You''re that old to have trudged through the same dungeon as me... And he said he didn''t even touch the last enemy. ''What? Did you beat that boss over there by yourself to the end? The old man was so strict with Leo because he expected him to be like him. If you''re not careful, you could die... Dad. That dungeon is a place that A-level adventurers try to traverse with a few parties, you know? ''Well, I guess he thought he was going to save his grandfather from a dangerous situation and show him how cool he was. But Leo was able to take him down all by himself. ''My dad would do it, but ..... Still, can you take out the boss at the back by yourself, Leo-kun? I really didn''t think I was going to be able to get away with it either, you know? Now, you just follow me. And with that, Mom left the room. Hey, where are you going? I rushed to follow my mom to ..... Here it is. We stopped in front of Leo''s room. This place feels very magical. This is in front of Leo''s room... Is it possible? ''Leo''s magic was as magical as the Demon King''s when he came back from the dungeon. ''Dad...'' You''re pushing me too hard. .... How many levels do you have to raise the bar to do this .....? Right: ....... This makes me worry about how hard you have to train in the dungeon. Kudos to Leo-kun for enduring it, though: ..... ''And did you hear from Leo-kun that there''s a continuation of the underground dungeon? Yes, I heard. According to what I heard, the dungeons up to the 50th floor was the beginner''s section, and there was a magic circle in the room after the 50th floor that could be transferred to the advanced section. ''That dungeon was a beginner''s class? If that''s a beginner''s class, what''s the point of advanced... I''m sure the future Leo will be able to do it. On the other hand, you''d have to be the future Leo: ...... I''ll never be able to do that. .... Maybe. Well, I''d better get going. Are you leaving already? ''Yes, because I have to report to the Emperor. I''m sure the emperor will want to know the details soon: .... ''''Then you''d better get going as soon as possible. Also, I need to talk to Leo about it a little more, so I''ll be back in a few days. If you''re going to come, wait until after a week or so to sort out your feelings. Okay. I''ll come around that time. Then, as usual, he used covertness to return to the castle .... A few days later, the emperor announced the news of the brave man''s death. The event quickly spread throughout the world. At the same time, adventurers learned that there was another dungeon beyond the underground one. And Leo didn''t come out of his room for a week: .... 24 Episode 10 is encouraged. SIDE: Damien. It''s been about a week since Leo-kun conquered the dungeon: .... Since then, I''ve been going to Leo''s every day, but he still hasn''t come out of his room. Leo-kun''s heart must have been really hurt. If I was in Leo''s shoes when I was a kid, I would have done the same thing: ..... Mom, it''s here. Damien, it''s tough out there every day. No, I don''t think so. Anyway, did Leo come out of his room today? I don''t think he''s coming out today. What? No, not yet. I know what you''re thinking, Leo: ..... It''s time for you to come out, or else you''ll be in a quandary: ...... ''''Don''t wait any longer, why don''t you force me to take you?'''' I feel sorry for him. He''s only eight years old for Christ''s sake. That said, if you keep going like this, it''s going to stay that way, okay? So what should I do then? ''If you don''t want to force him to come out, just cheer him up so he''ll want to come out. "I can''t make Leo feel better then: .... Oh, there is one person. Someone to cheer you up. I''m sure she''d be able to do it at ..... Yes. Okay, you''re on. But can we bring him in? That''s something you can do for yourself. Yeah, well, I get it. Let''s just ask for it: ..... SIDE: Leons. (How about you stop being so down and go outside for a change? (If we stay in there, nothing will change, right? (Shut up Elena, I''m not in the mood for this right now. .....) (I''m trying to encourage you and you don''t even know it anymore?) I don''t mind. (Don''t be such a child.) (I''m only 8 years old and a kid, so that''s okay.) You know, you''re only 8 years old. You forget that if you watch Leo on a regular basis. (I''m usually a terrible person in an important way anyway, even if I''m awesome: .....) (Yeah, I''m negative again . It''s so annoying!) Shut up: ..... (????) Now you''re not talking. Say something! (????) (Huh, that''s enough.) They''re finally leaving me alone: .... I''m good on my own: ..... Congratulations! I''m coming in, Leo. Then my uncle came in, but I didn''t want to talk to him, so I kept my back to him. Hi, Leo, have you figured it out yet? ???? You''re not ready. I have a surprise for you today. ???? "I think you should look back with some interest. Otherwise, things could get pretty scary. Is there anything you''re afraid of? I couldn''t help but notice that I turned around. And there''s a very angry Shelly. ...... Huh? Why are you here, Shelly? Well, it''s a little late for that. Uncle said that with an amused look: ..... Surely you''re angry enough that it''s too late to do anything about it: .... What do I do? ..... "Shh, Shelly? Long time no see, Leo. Oh, she smiled a little. Huh? I don''t know why: .... You''re supposed to be smiling, but it''s scary. ..... Hi! Long time no see. Hey, how are you doing? How do you think he''s been? Well, it''s different that way? Yeah. If you''re going to go to a dungeon and you''re not going to be able to telepathically talk to me, just go ahead and tell me! I was so sad that people were worried about me for days because I thought they hated me for it, you know? Oh, so that''s why you were angry: .... ''Oh, by the way... I''m sorry. If you want my forgiveness, you need to step out a little! With that, Shelly grabbed me and took me straight out into the yard where my grandpa had been training me before this: .... ''Shh, Shelly, please, take me somewhere other than here! It''s hard for me to remember my grandpa here: ...... Now I just want to forget about him! It has to be here! What the hell is this all about? What''s the one thing you can only do here? ''''It is, ....,'''' Shelly suddenly shot a lightning spell at me as she said that! It''s all about letting the magic happen to you until you''re happy with your ministry. Then all at once they started shooting a lot of magic at me. I hurriedly dodged the flying magic just in time. Sherry is shooting water and ice as well as lightning. Honestly, if my grandma hadn''t taught me to sense magic, I''d get at least one hit. ..... ''You''re kidding? You''ve been able to do so much magic in the time you haven''t seen it? It''s only been a month, okay? ''It''s amazing - I didn''t think I''d grow this much just from my anger at Leo-kun! I looked towards the voice and saw my uncle watching the game with his arms crossed from a distance: .... ''No way, your uncle taught you that?'' Yes. . She looked so lonely and pitiful, so I taught her to change her mind. Then you should be this strong: .... ''''Again~ You''re talking at all and avoiding it with room to spare. It''s about time I hit you, or you''ll be in a much worse mood~? Huh. It definitely hurts if it hits you, but not if it doesn''t... By the way, the magic Sherry is shooting at me is at a level that would kill an average person out there. How far has Sherry grown? Shelia Vector Lv.1 Age: 7 Race: Human race Occupation : Princess Strength: 4/4 Magic power: 2200/11,040 Power: 4 Speed: 4 Luck: 500 Attributes: water, water, lightning, ice, charm skill Water magic Lv.4 Lightning magic Lv.4 Ice magic Lv.4 Enchantment magic Lv.3 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Title mage My magic power is already over 10,000: ...... I don''t feel like a mage these days, not so much. I''m pretty sure the reason Shelly is growing so fast is because of the necklace I gave her, though. But still, it''s amazing that most of the magic is level 4 in a month! Come to think of it, what kind of magic is fascination magic? Is that like hypnosis? I''ll think about it later, but it''s time to get it right: ..... That''s what I thought, and when I looked at Shelly''s face, she was much more upset: .... ''Why can''t I get it right already! When it comes to this, it''s backwards! The backdoor? Leo! Stop. I felt the magic along with the voice, and then my body naturally stopped. "What? What''s this? Isn''t it great? It''s mesmerizing magic. Why does it work so well? The ring shouldn''t make it harder to get out of state, should it? This magic, you know, works better on people who are close to you! "No. ..... That''s not fair! I don''t need to hear it from you about your creative magic! Oh, really? I think so myself: ..... "So, Leo~ Magic arises around her: ..... ''Could it be ....?'' ''Yes . Savor my magic to your heart''s content, handsome. Wait, wow~~ Relentlessly, the magic came at me with great speed: .... after a short time Phew, that felt good. It''s finally over. Somehow, I''m okay: .... How can you take all this magic and not have a scratch on it? I think it''s the level, you know? Speaking of which, how old is your current level, Leo? ''I don''t know. We''ll see. Come to think of it, how far did he go up after defeating the Mad Demon? Leons Forster Lv.71 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 239 x 10?/239 x 10? Magic power: 229 x 10 No_2078 / 229 x 10 No_2078 Power: 129 x 10? x 1.5 (193.5 x 10?) Speed: 149 x 10? x 1.5 (223.5 x 10?) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.5 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.7 Magical power sensing Lv.3 Transmigration title The one who has memories of another world. wise man Dungeon of Trials Beginner The status is in trouble: ..... What will happen if the level goes up at this rate? And he''s at level 5 in creation magic! . A magic that allows you to use magic to create things you have in mind The higher the level, the more you can build. The more materials you have, the more you can build. Lv.5...Creates a golem (magic doll) at will Come to think of it, there''s such a thing as a golem! On the contrary, I''m surprised we couldn''t build it before. I''ll build one next time: .... Hello, Leo? Yes, sir. What''s on your mind? Just tell me what level you''re at now. Oh, yeah, the levels. Oh, uh... Leigh: "Don''t waste it! Yes, yes, level 71... "[????] Say something! What did you have to put him through, Leo? You don''t have to be afraid of getting hit by my magic if it''s that expensive... ???? Say something. Yes, I feel a lot better: ..... It''s important to talk to people and do some light exercise. I feel a lot lighter. ..... That''s good to know. You should be grateful! ''Yes, yes, thank you.'' So why don''t the three of us just go to the castle? And then my uncle put his hand on my shoulder. Why would I do that? Can you explain the details of the dungeon to the Emperor? Okay, I get it. Surely, I''m the only one who knows about this one: .... Then I''ll go. So the uncle carried me and Sherry. "Um, you don''t have to carry me because I can go by myself, do you, Uncle? It''s kind of embarrassing: ..... ''I mean, don''t say that, so chutzpah! Why is it full speed every time: .....? 25 CHAPTER XI -- EXPLAIN DUNGEON After a quick dash to the castle, thanks to my uncle''s mad dash, we left Shelley and I was led to the emperor. "Excuse me, sir. I''ve brought Leo. When I entered the room, I saw the emperor sitting at his desk, working on his papers. Oh, good job. And good to see you again, Leo? It''s been a while. You haven''t seen the emperor since your tour of the Devil''s Forest? I''m glad to hear that Leo is feeling better. I''m sorry to have worried you. Leo, you''ve grown up so much in the last few years. Is that right? It''s not supposed to be? Yeah, you look like a man who''s been through a lot. Oh, really? Well, Leo, you''ve been through a lot growing up, haven''t you? Yes. I think we''re making progress. Yeah, I think I''ve definitely grown in mind, body and status: .... ''''Well, then can I quickly ask you a question about the dungeon?'''' Yes. I''m fine. You can''t run away from this anymore. Okay, Damien, who knows the dungeon, will ask you a few questions. Okay. So, first of all, can you tell me who the bosses are from one to forty? ''All right. The fifth floor was the Goblin King, the tenth floor was the Orc King, the fifteenth floor was the Elder Trent, the twentieth floor was the Cyclops, the twenty-fifth floor was the Cerberus, the thirtieth floor was the Kuro Ogre, the thirty-fifth floor was the Basilisk, and the fortieth floor was the Rock Bird. They''re all rare bosses! Huh? Really? ''Grandpa said it at the beginning too, but it was true~'' I knew I was lucky. That''s right. When I challenged the boss on the 40th floor, it was a demon that was nothing more than a big cockatrice. ''Yeah~ I feel like I''ve struggled with the Rock Bird''s wind magic. Yeah, he must have been struggling. Okay, so tell me the bosses and monsters that came out of the building after that until the 50th floor. The uncle took notes and asked his next question. ''Let''s see: ..... As I recall, there were traps coming out of the 41st floor, and it was hard to beat the gargoyles while being alert for them. That one was really hard to proceed: .... Oh, by the way. I don''t know how you managed to get through that place. I gave up on that one because of all the traps. ..... That''s because of some items I made. In fact, I don''t think we''d be moving on without it. What item have you built? Simply put, it''s an item that tells you where the traps are. ''That''s .... That''s very useful. Yeah, I know. I''d be dead without it. Thank you so much for Wannatteras. I really need to change my country''s attitude towards creation magic. The emperor, who was listening to us, crossed his arms and nodded his head as he said that . Indeed, this world would be a much richer place if you changed your mind about creation magic: .... ''''That would allow Leo-kun to change his mind naturally in the future . I guess so. I''m sorry to interrupt you, Leo. No, no, no, no, no. So that''s the boss of the 45th floor, but it was a wyvern. The wyvern was a bit trickier, but it was easier than I thought it would be. ''''This is another big one: .... ''''Next, on the 46-50th floor, the demons other than the bosses that had come out before came out at a higher level. That''s a bit of a raspy feeling~ Yes. And the boss on the 50th floor was a demon named Mad Demon. That''s probably a demon monster. Maybe it''s a rare boss too. ''Yeah, that''s right: .... Then they should be that strong: .... I think it''s crazy how strong the Mad Demon is. Can you tell me more about this Mad Demon? Okay. First of all, the way the daemons fought was to use dark magic to distract them in the dark and kill them by surprise. I really didn''t know what to do with it. So how''d you beat it? ''Grandpa protected me from the demon''s attacks while he used his limit breakthrough, while I, invisible to him, built an item and used it to defeat him. ''''You used a breakthrough, Dad... ....,'''' Uncle muttered in a whisper. ''What''s the point of using a breakthrough? Damien. It''s a double-edged sword. You can use it to make yourself 10 times stronger, but it will take damage while you''re using it. That was within the realm of possibility when I was younger, but at that age, it''s a bit too much .... Yeah, I see. ''Uncle was right, I was able to defeat the daemons, but I couldn''t save my grandpa: ..... ''I don''t care about that anymore! So let''s move on to the next explanation. ''''Yes. Then after we defeated it, we went on and found ourselves in a room with a magic circle. So that''s the goal at last: ..... That''s what I thought, too. But when I entered the room, an announcement was made and I knew there was more to come beyond the magic circle. ''I see. ..... So that''s it? Yes, That must have been hard work. After the brave man''s funeral, you''ll be rewarded with an emperor''s reward, so enjoy it. Reward or ..... ''About that: ..... I haven''t crashed any dungeons and I don''t deserve it. ''No, if I don''t give it to you here, the adventurers won''t try the dungeons and we''ll have another disaster. Will adventurers stop trying? What do you mean? Adventurers, like Damien, challenge dungeons because they dream of being rewarded by the emperor for completing them. Only this time, if Leo-kun refuses ..... I see. But if you refuse this time, they will think you might not get the reward for completing the dungeon? That''s what I mean. In that case, I''d appreciate it. And there''s no point in saying no now. "Also, ..... I need to ask Leo one favor... the emperor said apologetically. What do you want me to do for you? What is it? 26 CHAPTER XII REQUEST Also, I need to ask you a favor, Leo. What are you asking me to do? Well, this time I''ve been stuck in my room for a week and bothered you ..... ''Yes, I''m at your service. I''ll do whatever I can. That''s good to hear. To be honest, I was afraid you''d say no. What do you think they''re going to ask you to do? I''m starting to worry about this now: .... Oh, don''t say two words to a man! As a matter of fact, the saint is coming when she hears of the death of the hero. Oh, this trend is ..... ''Could it be that ...... You want me to entertain that grandson of yours, right? Oh, you''re the man. I hear we have a grandchild about Leo''s age coming to visit, so nice to meet you! Couldn''t you have done better, Shelly? Wouldn''t it be easier for them to be with the same girl, Shelly, than with me? ''The saints aren''t royalty or anything, so there''s a lot of adult stuff going on if you put Shelly out there: ..... ''Oh, I see.'' It''s an adult thing: .... And maybe the saint will bring her grandson to meet Leo. Uncle says some strange things: .... The saint wants me to meet her grandson? Why! ''The saint is so close to my mom that she and my mom still exchange letters, but she probably brags about how cute her grandchildren are all the time: .... Yeah, so I thought I''d take the opportunity to brag about my grandchildren that I couldn''t fit in a letter: ...... Nah, I see. .... So go ahead, Leo. Then the Emperor clapped me on the shoulder. Well, it''s not a situation I can say no to anymore. Yes? So I was to entertain the saint''s grandchildren. Then I came home to find grandma waiting for me. "Welcome home, you look much better. Do I look that bad? Yeah, you looked like it was the end of the world until yesterday. Oh, I didn''t know I had that look on my face. Is it the end of the world: ..... Well, I was pretty depressed at the time . I really want to thank my uncle and Sherry for getting me this far. Also, can you do Leo a favor? Again? What? You heard about the saint''s grandson, right? I was going to ask for that too, but that''s not what I meant. ''What? Then what? What will they ask you to do this time? If you think about it, there''s something scary about my grandma asking for a favor: .... I braced myself in my mind . ''That''s what .... It''s about my grandfather''s sword... ''Jeez, Grandpa''s sword? Was it the Holy Sword, I think? The sword my grandfather received from the kingdom when he came to this world. What am I supposed to do with it? Yeah, can I have that? Take this one: ..... Huh? What do you mean? Can I have that sword? ''What? Is it the other way around? I''m sorry: .... I feel like I should give it to your uncle. ''''The person who can hold that thing, the holy sword chooses the person, just like the magic sword. I tried it on Damien a long time ago and he couldn''t get the holy sword to choose me. .... My uncle didn''t: ..... Yeah, so Leo is the only one who has a chance of being chosen for the Holy Sword. But I do have a magic sword, you know? Is it okay to have a magic sword and two holy swords? That depends on the holy sword. ''But don''t you have to be in such a hurry to decide who owns the Holy Sword? I feel like I shouldn''t bother with two awesome swords, and someone else should be chosen, right? It is what it is. I''m sure in a few minutes the kingdom will demand the holy sword back. If it''s in their hands, they might use it for war. So you can''t do it because there''s another owner. If there was a chosen person already, the holy sword would belong to that person. That''s what I mean. Then Grandma nodded. ''All right, ..... But I''ll have to ask Elena if I can try the holy sword first, okay? Despite appearances, Elena is the type of person who burns rice cakes easily. Was Elena the name of your magic sword? That''s right. It was originally the magical sword Ellemena. I modified it and turned it into Elena. Even your grandfather called the holy sword Serena: .... Grandma looks somewhat nostalgic . The holy sword''s name is Serena. .... ''I see... I''ll go ask Elena anyway. Then I went back to my room and spoke to Elena. Elena, can I ask you something? What? You ignored me this morning when I talked to you. Oh, you''re upset about that. I need to make sure I apologize here: ..... (I''m so sorry about that.) I bowed my head to the sword. All right. You''re forgiven for once. So what is it you want to ask me? (If I were to take the holy sword, would you forgive me?) That''s okay. (That''s a quick answer?!) And it''s okay: .... (But only if they admit it.) Well, you''re right: .... (Alright. Then let''s get to the holy sword.) And with that, I''m taking Elena to my grandma''s. Did you get permission to use your magic sword? There it is. That is, if the Holy Sword allows it. That''s good. Now, take this. The sword that had always belonged to Grandpa suddenly appeared in Grandma''s hand. ''Did you keep it in the spatial storage? Yes, he''s very important to me. Speaking of which: "Speaking of which: ..... Where did the contents of Grandpa''s space storage go? I think my grandfather told me that I have six months worth of food in my space storage or something like that: .... ''Then it''s in my space storage. Why? ''I set it up so that when one of them dies, the contents of the spatial storage go to the other one. I can do that. Forget about it and get the holy sword. Uh-huh. Okay. I took the holy sword. And then... (Nice to meet you, Master Leo, my name is Serena. From now on, you may call me Serena, as in Elena. Do you accept that they are this or that? (Yes, that''s fine.) (By the way, can I ask why?) It''s a very sweet disposition. I also envy Elena. What are you jealous of? And then Elena was there. (He''s jealous that I had it modified.) (Because I want to be altered and burned by your gloves too.) Leo. He''s an M. He''s an M. (Heh. Well, I''d rather just alter it.) I''m just glad you didn''t hate me because I was planning on doing it later. (Yay!) "Grandma, How''s it going? Don''t say it. That''s good. Now my worries are over. Grandma breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, she really didn''t want the kingdom to take it away from her. That''s good. Also, I just got a call that Dioruk should be here this week or so. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you. What are you talking about? It''s not even six months after Leo''s birthday. Yeah, I can see that. I''ve been having a lot of trouble with my sense of time lately. Well, it''s only been about six months since then: .... ''Then you should rest for the time being until Diork comes. Yes, sir. I agree. I need to take a break every now and then: .... ''Well then, I''d like to do some mods on Serena! Yay! We need to get the magic stone out first. As he said this, he pulled out the magic stone that Sebastian gave him from his backpack. ''''Huh? I only have two more magic stones that Sebastian gave me! (How many were there originally?) Elena asked me. Ten. That''s two more to go: ..... Time flies. Huh? You''re saying the opposite of what you just said: ..... (Can''t we get on with the modding?) Serena''s gonna have to rush me. Okay, okay, okay, okay. I put the magic stone on Serena. And then she uses her creation magic on Serena. And then, as usual, it will glow. The light settled and completed. I''ve got an appraisal. Can telepathically communicate with its owner. Its owner can summon it anywhere. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.1...Increases the owner''s health by 1.5 Creator: Leons Forster Since I was in the dungeon the day after I modified Elena, the amount of magic power in the magic stone remained the same . So the enhanced part remained the same. It''s just that the status is the same again... (Serena, it worked.) I''m glad. Will you use your momentum to add fuel to my fire? (All right, .....) (Hang on a second.) That''s a lot of orders: ..... Well, we''ll be friends for a long time to come. Put gloves on your hands. Okay, here we go. and Serena to add fire magic with (Huh? (You''re not hot.) (Oh, really?) If you ask me, I haven''t said anything about adding magic to Elena until now: .... (Eh~ I''m sorry.) Zah, I''m sorry or .... (Elena, Serena really is an M.) Hey, I told you. (Why do you have such a personality?) (All swords are "M".) (Allegedly, Elena?) Don''t get me wrong, but it''s not as bad as you. (Huh?) (It''s not that I''m an M. It''s just that being used is what makes life worth living. (Heh~) Grin. (What? !) (Nothing.) Grin. Apparently, all swords are M. ..... 27 CHAPTER XIII FUNERAL OF Grandpa It''s been roughly a week since the day I rebuilt Serena. In fact, I''ve been training at a place since then. I was told to take a break or something. It''s a long story, but I''ll tell you about the training. And my mom and dad are arriving today. Your brother and sisters arrived a few days ago. They''re from a wizarding school in the college town west of the Forster estate. The time difference between us is due to the size of the Forster Family Domain and the fact that our father''s house is in the far east for the Demon Forest Watch. My sister came back soon since she usually lives in the dormitory of the primary school in the imperial capital where I will be attending next year. So now my first brother and sister and I are alone in one room. In the awkwardness, I thought no one would talk, but surprisingly, everyone started talking. "First of all, Leo... "First of all, Leo... It was my brother Alex who spoke up first. "Leo, can you come cry to me? Then she spread her arms around me and said to me. "I''m okay now, Well, Leo''s grown up a lot. Finally, there was Brother Ivan. ''Really . Helena lived with us when she was little, but she and Leo only had the chance to spend a little time together. I still have the same image of Leo as I did on my first birthday. I feel like it too. But Leo''s starting school too, right? Time flies. I''ll be graduating in two years. So you''re going to help your father with the estate. No, I''m not cut out to run a fiefdom, so you do it. No problem, but then what are you going to do after you graduate? I want to work for my uncle. Are you going to be a special forces officer under the Emperor? Yes. Oh, so you want to join the Special Forces. ''But .... As I recall, you have to be in the top ten when you graduate to take the enlistment test, right? Huh? That''s a very elite group! How smart is your brother Ivan? Don''t worry. I''m always at the top of my class. Heh~ My brother looks like a brainiac on the outside, so I''m surprised. That''s true. It''s in your nature to forget. ''You''re a terrible thing to say: ..... You''re always at the top. Heh, but I guess it''s to be expected that your brother Alex is a good student. No, not really. Anyway, Helena said she''s going to start taking S classes this year, are you worried about her grades? Oh, now we''re getting off topic. ''It''s great that you''re in S class, but it''s a pain in the ass because all the kids around you have bad personalities. ''Most of those people usually fail after they get in, even if they''re accepted into a magic school~'' ''''That''s right . Most of those bad character aristocrat kids are easily overtaken by commoners who have worked hard to get into the school in general, and then they lose their motivation. Heh. What a great convincing thing to do: ..... Gacha. Guys, Diorcs have arrived. Go to the front door and greet them. yes We all head to the front door. When I got to the door, my mom and dad were already there. "Hey, Ivan, Alex, Helena, Leo, good to see you. Mom, it''s been a long time. And brother Alex. We met about three months ago. And brother Ivan. Hi, Mom. Long time no see. and his sister Mom, it''s been a long time. and me Yeah, it''s good to see you all looking so good. Oh, good. My dad looks at me and says. Leo''s going to be okay. Damien made me feel better. Grandma will tell Dad that. I think he was worried about me. I''ll thank Damien later. You should. When I heard Leo never came out of his room, I was worried. I''m sorry I was so worried about you. I apologized. "Okay. Then she patted me on the head. "So, can I go see my dad now? Yeah, come on. Grandma will show you to your grandfather. Oh, he''s really dead. Dad looked at Grandpa and said sadly. Grandpa is now being put on ice by his grandma''s magic. So I couldn''t touch him directly, but I walked up to him and talked to him. "Good job, Dad. And thank you for taking care of Leo. When he said that, he left the room, holding his eyes: ..... And the next day. I''m at my grandfather''s funeral today. Only the nobility and royalty of the Empire attend the funeral. People from other countries, such as saints, will not be able to make it to the funeral, so each one of them will go to visit the grave and greet their grandmother and the emperor. It''s noon and the funeral ceremony has begun. The ceremony is being held in the square of the imperial capital. The sun is shining very brightly and it''s very hot today. .... In the midst of all this, the emperor began to speak. "Everyone dies one day. Everyone dies....even the most powerful man in the world is no exception. But when the time comes, I find myself unable to believe it. Kent Forster was the apple of this country''s eye, this world''s eye. About forty years ago, the world was filled with fear when the demon king suddenly declared war on the nations of the human world and invaded. But the brave man challenged the demon king with saints and mages even though it was not his world. And after she moved from the filthy kingdom to our empire, she married a mage and built a safe haven in the east where the empire had suffered so far until she retired. On top of that, she and her grandson had finally broken through the most difficult underground dungeon. Such a wonderful man has departed, and I know there are others in here who are worried about their future. Certainly, we''ve lost a great man. But I don''t think we need to worry about the future. Because the next generation is well on its way. You all know that Damien Forster is the man who crushed the tower dungeons. And Leonce Forster is an eight-year-old dungeon treader who has worked with the heroes in this underground dungeon. Doesn''t that make you feel like you have nothing to worry about? So I hope you continue to be a safe and vibrant imperial citizen! Now that''s all I have to say. When the emperor''s speech was over, everyone in the hall stood up and clapped. Then, after the ceremony was over, Grandpa was placed in a magnificent tomb built on the castle grounds. Then they set up a big statue of his grandfather in the big square of the imperial city. The statue was a statue of his grandfather when he was young, and his grandmother had made it with magic. Grandpa was in a low posture with his hand on his sword, a cool pose as if he was about to attack his enemies. And so the funeral was over... 28 第十四話1週間の修行 前編 A week before the funeral, after I converted Serena Grandma, I''m going into training. What? What are you going to do now that you''re strong again? So what do you think my weakness is? ''Well? Your strength lately has been a mystery to me. No, it''s not! Don''t say that. I think it''s about adaptability in the real world. I think we need to be able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances like the last time we had to fight a Mad Demon: .... ''Then you did it in the dungeon: .... That was just for fun . At that time, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had the conceit that I''d gotten this strong and that I''d be fine, and I was light-hearted enough to know that if anything happened, I''d have my grandfather there. In fact, I don''t think I had any trouble beating the boss before that time or was caught off guard by my overwhelming status . ''If your intentions are that strong ..... By the way, where are you going? I''m going to the Devil''s Wood. What? Well, that''s how you''d react: .... ''I think you can definitely be nervous in there, because you''re always facing death. ''Okay. .... I won''t stop you, but you''ll definitely be back in a week. Why is it only a week away? What did I miss? Your grandfather''s funeral is coming up. Oh, that''s right. Oh, come on, don''t forget about it: .... That''s why you''re coming back, okay? Okay. Okay, I''m off! So I used transference. The place they used the transference to move to is my parents'' house. Mom and the others have already left for the Imperial Capital, so they aren''t home. I have, from the top, Anna''s goggles, the Invisibility Cloak+, Magic Hand (gloves), Elena, and Sky Shoes+. Serena can be summoned, so I don''t have her. Well then, shall we go to the Devil''s Forest? Anna, can you take us to the Devil''s Forest? Yes, I can. That''s good to know. Now, I''m glad I came, but I don''t know where the Demon Forest is. I''ve only ever been out of the house as far as the materials store: .... Well, I was into creation magic and didn''t want to leave. (Get a grip! (Because there''s no way you could have taken him out of the blue and not been able to go! Scary, scary, Elena''s mad. I''m sorry. Then you''ll show me the way. "Anna. (Then go straight in that direction as it indicates the direction of your destination.) When Anna said that, an arrow appeared on her goggles. Oh, really Anna is handy: ..... ''What about the obstacles?'' I can do whatever I want with your equipment. Indeed. Pour your magic into the Cloak of Invisibility to disperse the atmosphere. Then I''ll run through the air in the Sky Shoes+. That shouldn''t be a problem. Now you don''t have to worry about obstructions and people watching you. (Yes, I''m fine.) Then they kept going in the direction of the arrows at breakneck speed. And an hour later, there''s a big wall. (Anna, what is that?) It''s a protective barrier to protect the country from the demons of the Devil''s Forest. (A protective wall - so sturdy in the streets. ....) I''m going over the top of the wall with that in mind. Okay, I''m here. We could go into the woods. And as soon as we did. (Be careful, there''s a demon up ahead.) Anna told me. Oh, so soon. ..... As expected of the demon forest, it''s going to be a good training ground. With that in mind, there were 10 black ogres ahead of me. It''s amazing that even though they''re the boss in the dungeon, we have to live in packs to survive here. Well, say hello to Elena and Serena. Having said that, I summoned Serena and pulled Elena out. (This is the first time Leo-sama has used me in battle. I don''t mind if you use me roughly. If you''d rather... (Yes, yes, I''ll use you carefully.) I''ll be fine, Leo. (Yes, yes, yes.) First, aim at the guy at the end of the line and send a slash to avoid being surrounded. But .... He was easily caught by the metal club. Dude. Are you kidding me? How many levels are these guys on? ..... (That''s around 130.) Huh? Does Anna know what level they''re on? As soon as you enter, they''re 130. ''Great, that''s why everyone is afraid of the Devil''s Forest. Now I''m going to get in the enemy''s pocket. Because a direct attack does more damage than a flying slash. .... But as I got closer, it swung its golden rod at me at an extraordinary speed. I ducked it just in time. Zeddon! The ground was gouged out when the gold bar was swung down: .... ''This is great - but it''s not impossible to beat it. As he said this, he cut off his arm that was holding the metal club. ''Let''s keep going.'' I''m going to run into the ogre pack. Then the black ogres will attack again, just as they did. First I kick it in the air to avoid them. Then I''ll go to .... "Your weakness is that you can''t move after you''ve attacked! I''m going to cut down those ogres that can''t defend themselves. Huh. That was quite a fight, wasn''t it? (Haha~ It''s been a long time since I''ve been stained with blood~ I''m so happy~) Huh? Serena''s out of her mind: .... (Have you lost your mind? (It was weird to begin with.) (No, it''s been a long time since they''ve used me.) (Yeah, right: .....) (Leo, Serena just has a very strong desire for a sword, so she''s not crazy: .... (Funny.) Yeah. Yeah. Wipe the blood off your sword. (Oh! My blood! Shut up! (Now you shut up.) Elena snapped over Serena''s words. ''Let''s move on then.'' I said, but when I looked around I saw that the body of the ogre was still lying there. ''''Oh, well, this isn''t a dungeon, so the bodies don''t disappear. It''s probably a good thing that it doesn''t disappear, because it''s more material available. But I don''t know how to handle it. I''ll tell you. Oh, thank you. Then Anna helped me, but it took me an hour to dismantle the two bodies. And I took down the Cerberus, which had gathered at the smell of the corpses, so I had more things to dismantle: .... ''I can''t do this!'' I poured my magic into the magical stones from the ogre I had just dismantled and cut down the nearby trees. Then he used his creation magic to create a large box-shaped item What we built. Demolition Box Once the body is in here, it''s cleaned and dismantled. Put the corpse in, keep the lid closed for five minutes, and then they''ll cut it down to valuables only. Any size can be put in, even a dragon! You can even set up the owner''s space storage to hold the items that were made. Creator: Leons Forster This will save you a lot of wasted time! I''ll start packing up the bodies. And when you close the lid. ''Do you want to put the result in your backpack pocket? Yes/No And the words were projected on the screen. I''d like to see it anyway. Then the words disappeared and ''in operation'' appeared. And after five minutes of looking at it. The lid just popped open. It''s ready. I''m going to take a quick look inside. Inside were neatly arranged what appeared to be ogre skins and Cerberus pelts. Oh, this is very convenient. Wow, it doesn''t smell like blood or anything. I''m going to take the ingredients out of the box and hold them. Oh, they''re all perfectly formed. They can be used for something later. Put it all in a backpack. So let''s move on, then... show me the way, Anna. Okay. I will give you the shortest possible direction to the Death Mountain. He gave me another arrow. Thank you. As far as I can go in a week. And then he''ll run. Three days later. ''I really can''t go on! The forest is so thick with trees that it''s hard to go straight ahead, and if you go just a little further, demons come out. It''s been three days and we haven''t gotten close to the mountain range at all: .... The demons that came out were the Kuro Ogre and Cerberus on the first day, the strongest of all. The others were all orc kings and goblin kings. (Strong enough for the average person.) However, they came out so often that they were very stranded . ''''Huh, I wonder if there are any strong demons out there~'''' (It''s almost time for the Demon King''s grave, where the heroes defeated him.) Wow, this is shallower than I thought it would be. That''s not true. It''s just that Leo is moving too fast. Really? (Yes . Usually you lose your sense of direction in the woods and it takes you longer to defeat more demons) Oh, yeah. Apparently, it was more advanced than I thought it would be. (Watch out! There''s a very strong demon in the Demon King''s tomb just ahead. How long is that? (If it was just status alone, I think he''s stronger than Master Leo!) Huh? Higher status than me? That''s pretty bad, right? I tried to stop in a hurry, but I didn''t stop and got out. .... There were no trees there, and a single house stood there. What''s home? What do you mean? There''s supposed to be a demon king''s tomb here: ..... ''Oh, it''s been a while since we''ve had a visitor. "Huh? I heard a voice from behind me: ..... 29 15th Episode 1 Week After Training I immediately turned around and saw ..... There was a man of the demon tribe that I''ve seen in a book. ''''You, is that black hair perhaps the bloodline of a brave man?'''' You asked me a question: ..... I was so surprised I couldn''t speak. I nodded because I had no choice. ''So, the brave man is alive? He''s... He''s dead. I finally found my voice. Yeah.... Humans don''t have a very long life span, do they? Who are you? Me? I''m a former demon king. Saying that, the demon man stretched his chest. ''''What? Isn''t he dead? What am I, then? Yes, but ..... ''Didn''t Grandma and Grandpa take him down?'' ''Grandpa? Are you the grandson of a brave man? Yes, Well, I got knocked down by a good man. The former demon king grinned and said that with a grin. ''''Then how come you''re alive?'''' He knocked you down, didn''t he? ''That''s because ..... Because I''m not going to die unless the magic stone is broken, right? For some reason, the former Demon King nodded his head and replied. ''''Oh~ Then why are you here? As soon as you return to the demon world, aren''t you going to attack the human world again? ''''The reason I''m not going back to the demon world is because the demon world is a meritocracy and they don''t need a defeated demon king. The reason why you''re going to attack the human world is because you think it''s not cool to attack the human world again after you lost. Yeah. He nodded again and told me. ''Nah, I see.'' You''ve got a thing for demon kings. "So I was going to end up here quietly for the rest of my life. But then I saw you and I changed my mind. .... Why? What will they do to me? It''s scary: ..... That''s a magic sword. Then he pointed to Elena on his hip. "Yeah, I know, Soooo, come to think of it, it''s originally from this guy: ..... "Don''t be so scared. I''m not going to take it off you. So, what do you do then? That''s why I want to fight you, Demon Sword''s chosen one. Huh. Am I gonna get killed? I''ll take it easy on you, okay? Harder? Can you take it easy on me? Oh, I got an idea. Why don''t you train me for three days? Well, that should be interesting. It''ll be fun to fight you when you''re strong. Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you then. This is going to make me strong again: .... "Yeah, come on over here then. When the Demon King said that, a hole was made in space: .... What is this? Is this magic? I''ve never seen anything like it. Spatial magic. This is spatial magic. "Oh, really? This is going to come in handy. What magic can you do? It''s creation magic. The demon king was momentarily surprised when he heard of creation magic. ''''I see. .... If that''s the case, you''ll have to do this in a few years. With that, the demon king walked into the hole. Is that so? I''ll go in there. Yeah, even demons get their hands on creation magic every once in a while, but that guy will definitely be the Demon King for his generation. Sure, creation magic is great, but I didn''t know it was that great: .... Well, it''s up to you, human, to decide how far you can go. Yeah, okay. Okay. Let''s do it. The Demon King is gone. Where''s he gone? (Master Leo, behind you.) "Ghin! Thanks to what Anna taught me, I was able to defend myself just in time. ''You''re amazing - people grow up so fast, but I''ve never seen anyone this fast at your age. I''ve never seen anyone so strong either. You look like you''re still the best in the world. That''s right: .... See, I''m done talking. This time she fired an unbelievably large spell. Wow! There''s no way to avoid this one. What would you do? I''m going to do this. I''ve shifted behind the Demon Lord. Oh, you''re really good at that? With that, the demon king turned around and delivered a tremendous punch. Ah..... I can''t avoid it. ..... But while I unconsciously avoided it, I counter-struck the demon king in the face as hard as I could. ''''That''s pretty good. I''ve been licking your chops a bit. That was a surprise to me too. For some reason, for a moment, the memory of karate came back to me and my body moved spontaneously. Did I do karate in a previous life? Okay, let''s get serious for a minute. Then it came really fast. "Wow. I panicked so fast that I tried to avoid it, but I couldn''t move my body. Then the demon king''s fist stopped in front of my face. He''s just a kid. They''re not ready for anything they weren''t expecting. Huh, I''m gonna have to do something about this: .... Well, I guess I''ll just have to get used to it. Yeah, but it''s only going to get stronger. Three days have passed since then: .... Now, I have one last stand with the Dark Lord. He''s going to fire a huge spell at me. How do we avoid it this time? I won''t avoid it. I kick my magic back at the Demon King. ''''Oh hey, you''re able to do that now .... While saying that, the demon king counteracts it with the same magic. I can do that now~ I''ll come around to the back and answer. Then it''s all yours. The Demon Lord''s fire magic set a wide area ablaze. "Wow! That was close! I managed to skate up high in my sky shoes and avoid them. I''ve got to go. A lot of slashes at the Demon King below. In response, the Demon King This is dangerous. and returned fire with oversized magic. Then a slash and a spell hit, and a huge explosion occurred, blinding the demon king from Leo''s sight. "If I can''t see him, I''ll go myself. The Demon King plunges into the smoke. But through the smoke, Leo wasn''t there. ''Huh? Where did he go? then I''m here. Leo was pointing his sword at me from behind. ''This is a complete defeat.'' The demon king raised his hand. ''Yay, I''m glad I won before I left. ''I didn''t think you''d grow up this fast,'' I think so myself. What is my current status? Leons Forster Lv.204 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 812 x 100 No_2078/812 x 100 No_2078 (1218 x 100 No_2078) Magic power: 506x100No_2079 / 506x100No_2079 Power: 438 x 100 No_2078 x 1.5 (657 x 100 No_2078) Speed: 506 x 100 No_2078 x 1.5 (758 x 100 No_2078) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.5 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.2 Swordsmanship Lv.8 Magical power sensing Lv.4 Transfer Martial Arts Lv.9 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man Dungeon of Trials Beginner The level has gone over 200: .... And my status was 10No_2078 or something like that and now it''s 100. This means that my status has increased about a billion times in the past week . I can''t wait to see how far I can go. And I''ve got a martial art. Maybe it has something to do with his previous life but I don''t understand why his martial arts are so high. Incidentally, at this high level of martial arts you can kick and punch magic. I''m getting really strong... Yeah, that''s good. You''re a transferable man, you should show your face every now and then. Yeah, okay. I''ll come back. You better be serious this time. Well, I''ll take that under advisement the next time I see you. Then I''ll offer you a fight when I can get you to take me seriously. With that said, I used transference: .... 30 16 Saints and granddaughters It''s been a week since my grandfather''s funeral. This past week. My brother and sister went straight home because they had school. Mom and Dad were busy with the messengers from another country until yesterday. And today, they said the saints are finally coming. I heard that the saints will be representing their country at Shelly''s birthday party soon, so they''re staying at home until then. If you''re going to represent your country, shouldn''t the emperor and Sherry entertain them? I asked. He''s going to treat her as a saint who came to see the mage (grandma) as a saint until Shelly''s birthday. So I''ll inevitably be the one to entertain you: .... Huh. I can''t help but sigh. Hey, you''re coming, don''t be such a dick! Mom was mad at me. ''Come to think of it, you said you didn''t like it the last time you saw Shelia, but when you saw her, she seemed to enjoy it. Oh, really? If you ask me, ..... You certainly don''t have to hate it that much: ...... Yeah. . oh, here it comes. A carriage pulls in. Then the carriage stopped and a woman who looked to be about my grandmother''s age and a girl about my age came out. As soon as they stepped out of the carriage, the woman looked at Grandma and smiled at her. "Long time no see, Carina, you''ve grown old. It''s mutual. Serena. ''Well, yeah ..... Oh, Diork, you''re looking so handsome. Is that your wife and child next to you? Yeah. Hey, Selina, it''s been a while. Is that Brian''s baby? Brian? Yes. Her name is Rihanna. Hey, Rihanna. This is Leons. The boy is Carina''s pride and joy: .... The saint looked at me warily as she said this. ''Yes, but you''ve been bragging a lot about little Rihanna. "Rihanna is a good grandson, isn''t she? ''Okay, well, then, Leo,'' he said, ''Okay, okay, grandchild bragging, why don''t you and your mother and Miss Serena come inside?'' Grandma and the other grandmothers were bragging to each other about their grandchildren, and Dad hurriedly stopped them. All right. Serena and Rihanna, you take your time. Thank you. I''m coming in. Grandma leads the saint into the house. Oh, excuse me. The saint''s grandson also entered the house, greeting her in a small voice. My first impression of the saint''s grandson, Rihanna, is that she is a quiet and serious child. She''s different from the lively princess. ..... Silver hair is nice, but so is a blonde beauty! But this time, unlike Shelly''s, she''s more mature, so I wonder if the conversation will continue. I''m worried: .... Then I ate lunch while listening to the saint and the mage bragging about their grandchildren . The grandchildren''s bragging by these two was amazing: ..... I heard that Rihanna is so good at holy magic it''s hard to believe she''s 8 years old. They say my magic is unbelievably awesome. Anyway, it was an argument . Well, it wasn''t too awkward for the one being bragged about! Then when lunch was over, Dad and Mom left to go back to their estate. Then we''re going to go visit Grandpa''s grave, and you, Leo, go play nicely with little Rihanna. Ew! Two again, just like with Shelley: ..... Could it be a Forster family tradition? Oh, yeah. Okay. Well, I can''t do anything I don''t want to do in front of him: ..... Grandma knows that, and she''ll look at me with a smirk on her face. Good. So we''re all good friends then. With that, they left. Before things get awkward, I''m going to talk to them. Let''s see: ..... So, you''ll call me Leo? I just said what came to me on the spur of the moment, and I''m being so over the top! I''ve done it: ...... Now my impression is that I''m the youngest son of a pompous duchess: ...... But the reaction of the saint''s grandson is ...... ''Ha, yes . . you''re Leo, aren''t you? Well, you can call me .... ri, please call me Leena," she replied softly, blushing a little. ...... Huh? You don''t care what I said? Lena? Can I call you by your nickname? Huh? Why are you blushing? My head is in a state of confusion because of the unexpected reaction: ..... All I can say is this: ..... It''s so cute. "Uh-huh. Nice to meet you, Lena. Let''s just keep up the smug attitude. It''s nice to meet you, too. Well, I guess we''re not gonna have to sit on the porch for this to work, so why don''t you come on down to my office? So I said, and I showed Leena to her room. It''s my first time in a boy''s room. ''Really? Isn''t that weird? ''Not particularly: .... But those two swords are magnificent. Then Leena pointed to Elena and Serena. ''''That''s the Magic Sword and the Holy Sword. What about it? Then it should be respectable, right? It''s a legendary sword. Are both used by Leo-kun? ''''That''s right . I''ve only just gotten the holy sword from either of them, and I''ve been using the magic sword for longer. It''s only been a week or so since Serena got it. Oh, could it be that the holy sword is a memento of a brave man? Yeah, you will. ''I don''t know anything about my grandfather because my parents and grandpa were killed when I was just born,'' ''What? That''s hard... ''Still, I''m serious about life, so cheer up. Yes, thank you. My first impression of Leena was that she seemed to be a quiet and serious girl, but in reality she''s a serious and kind-hearted girl: .... Yes, she''s even cuter now. ''''And ..... Can I touch the holy sword for a bit? Come in. I''ll be right with you. Then I lifted Serena up and gave her to you. Then Lina lost her balance under Serena''s weight. "Watch out! I rush to support it. "Wow, how can you hold this? If you ask me, it''s certainly not heavy enough for a child to carry: ..... (Hey! You can''t tell a woman how heavy she is, right? (Well, I''d be fine with that!) Yeah, I thought I heard something, but I don''t care, I don''t care . ''Well, my grandpa trained me. "Training for bravery... That sounds like a lot of work. "It''s not as hard as it sounds. It''s hell. Hell. Wow, you''re really strict. What about the saint''s special training? My grandfather and grandmother were so strict, I''m sure the saint who was a former companion of theirs must be Spartan too. ''''I''m not so sure. I think it''s different for me because I''m the one who wants to be taught, Hey, what a great answer: .... How serious are you? ....... ''Oh yeah~ Speaking of which, what kind of magic is holy magic?'' Yes. I can treat your injuries, and I can do this for you. And then Leena took my hands in hers. What? I''m suddenly in a state of confusion as my hand is held, but Leena doesn''t care and uses her magic . Then .... I felt a sense of calmness. Oh, I feel like my mind has been drained. That''s good to hear. This magic is healing magic. That''s great. You have to have a high level of holy magic to do that, right? I was curious, so I got an appraisal. Rihanna Abelard Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Occupation: apprentice saint. Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 2400/2400 Power: 4 Speed: 4 Luck: 500 Attributes: nothing, holy skill Holy magic Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Magic manipulation Lv.3 Title wizard It''s amazing, I think it''s quite a hard worker that his magic power has grown so far without using tools like me . And it''s bad enough that your unique magic holy magic is level 4! No, it''s not. It''s just a new kind of magic I''ve learned to do. No, no, no, it''s great enough. ''Really? Speaking of which, could you show us some magic, Leo? The mage told me earlier that you can create amazing creative magic. Ah, the lunchtime grandchild bragging match: ..... "You''ve shown me your holy magic. I''ll prepare the ingredients now, just wait for me. Thank you. Then, get the ingredients together. Okay, I''ll do some creative magic and you''ll see. Yes! It won''t be long now, so keep your eyes open. With that, he used his creation magic on Mithril and the magic stone. As always, the materials glowed and the light fell into place. And now we have... Love Necklace Greatly enhances magical growth The scale of magic has been greatly accelerated. Being in love with someone you love doesn''t put you in any other state than love. Creator: Leons Forster This time later, I tried to make the same necklace as Shelly''s because I felt bad when Leena met with Shelly and one of them was better than the other. But after thinking about it, there was a big difference in the magic power in the magic stone. The scale of magic is greatly accelerated with the new one. Well, it looks the same, so is it okay? Hey, Leo, what''s going on? Yeah, I was just thinking. Here''s for you. I''ll hold out the necklace to Leena. "You shouldn''t have to take it. Take it. It was a thank you for showing me holy magic earlier. But you can go to .... No, no, no. Then I let Leena grab the necklace. Okay, I''m going to have to wear it. Yes, wearing it helps to stimulate the growth of magic, so you have to wear it all the time. Yeah, can you make something like that? I''ve been able to do this since I was three years old. What can you do these days? I could make magic. ''What? What do you mean? Well, that''s how you''d react. I can see that. And then I made fire. Then I created water, wind, and ice, one after the other. Wow~ That''s impressive. I heard you can also build a golem, but I haven''t done so yet. Why don''t you give it a shot tomorrow? Yeah, sure. There''s nothing more I have to do tomorrow. Yay! SIDE: Carina. Do you think Leo and his friends are getting along by now? It''s okay. I think we''re getting along fine, you know? Yeah. By the way, why did Selina come all the way out here this time? Greatly I wondered . How could a saint, who was supposed to be the most important fighting force of the Church State, come so easily? Oh, that''s because the Pope told me to go to him. I''m asking you why that is. Huh, faction warfare. Serena said with a sigh. ''Faction warfare? Is there a faction war in your church country? Yes. And it killed my husband and my son and his wife, the ones I love. Why would you get involved in a faction war? Serena should have hated to get involved in politics: .... ''The current Pope is an idiot . . thinks I can''t be popular because I''m popular. What? You''re as stupid as some king. So, I really can''t forgive him for killing my family: .... ''It''s true . So they let me go in this case just to make it look like they were deliberately rubbing me the wrong way. You really are a hopeless idiot: ..... ''Well, this time it''s good to see Carina for the first time in a long time. That''s good to hear. Now go home and rest until we get home. 31 CHAPTER XVIII -- Making Lina and Golem. The day after Leena and the saints arrived Right now, I''m in my room with Lena. I''m going to build that golem I promised Lena yesterday. Okay, let''s do it. I''m looking forward to it. All right, we''ll think about it before we build it. Just give me a second. Yes, I understand. First, put on Anna (goggles) . The reason I''m putting Anna on is because I don''t know what to do to build a golem: .... Until now I''ve been building it in a haphazard way, but this time I''ll rely on Anna who knows a lot about things. (Anna~ How can I build a golem?) (Simply imagine the golem you want to build with magic stones and materials, and you can do it. (What? That''s it? (Then why couldn''t you do it before?) (That''s because normal golems require multiple programs to work.) (Oh, I see. . that the golem is more difficult than you think. The point is, you can''t skip the program at this level. (That''s what I mean.) Okay. Thank you, Anna. Then I took off my goggles. "Thanks for waiting for me, Lena. Now that I''ve figured out how to make it, I''m gonna do it. Yes, I''m looking forward to it. Well, let''s go get some supplies first. ''Okay. ..... By the way, where are you going? At my grandma''s. Then I went to my grandma''s and the saint was there with me. Hey, what''s going on with you guys? Do you have any metal armor at home that you don''t want? What would you use it for if it was in the armory? I''ll use it to make creative magic. Oh, may I have a look? Then the saint asked her, too. Okay. What are you trying to build this time, by the way? I''m thinking of building a golem this time. That''s another great thing you''re trying to build: ..... It''s my first one, so I don''t know what I''m going to do with it. Let''s just go to the armory! I had gotten tired of waiting and Leena had rushed me. ''Okay, okay, okay, okay.'' And with that, we all head to the armory. Hmmm, we''re getting along fine after all these years. Yeah. You don''t have to worry about it. The two grandmothers smiled as they watched their backs. Then I went to the armory. ''This lumpy armour looks good. I pointed at the thicker armor that looked strong. "I want this thinner armor. Let''s take this one. Leena pointed to a piece of armor with less real-world protection. ''''Oh~ Isn''t this one cooler?'''' No, it''s lighter, so I think I can build a fast-moving golem. Hmmm, I''m sure you''re right: .... I like this one better! You can use them both. As I was trying to decide which way to go, my grandma made a shocking statement. ""What?" No one uses armor and it''s just a distraction, so I''m happy to have you use it. Really? Well, I''m gonna need it. Then, I carried out the two armors. I''ve decided to take the golem building outside. The magic stones used are yearly magic stones (magic stones that have been pouring magic power for one year) And I''ll put out Mithril, too. I thought I''d use mithril because I thought I''d be plating mithril. Then we''ll start! First, I''ll use creative magic on the lumpy one. Then the magic stone and mithril blended into the armor, and it was completed, glowing as usual . With that momentum, I used my creation magic on the thin armor as well. And it was completed in the same way as before. ''It''s done!'' It''s amazing how many times I''ve seen it. This is creation magic: .... Does it really work? I''m not sure. I''m going to evaluate it and see if I''ve really done it. Golem soldier one. I can carry out orders to the letter. I can talk to you. Strength: 3000 Magic power: 0 Power: 4000 Speed: 1000 skill Kenjutsu Lv.4 Self-Restoration Golem soldier number two. I can carry out orders to the letter. I can talk to you. Strength: 3000 Magic power: 0 Power: 1000 Speed: 4000 skill Kenjutsu Lv.4 Self-Restoration Oh, that was pretty awesome! They''re both high status: .... Because no security guard is this strong, right? "Golem soldier one and two. I need you to guard this house from now on. "''Yes, sir. Master. If you see anyone suspicious, don''t kill them, just catch them. Also, I want patrols around the perimeter of the compound. "''Yes, sir. Master. Let me know if you have any questions. And then the lumpy one. ''How do I contact you if I catch a suspicious person? Then wait a minute. I took out the mithril and the magic stone and built a creation spell to attach the bangles to two of them, one at a time. Now you can telepathize to me. "''Yes, sir. Master. Yeah, I didn''t give you the sword yet. and forge a sword in mithril. A big sword for #1. I decided to go with a lighter sword for No. 2. Work with it. "''Yes, sir. Master. And he started to move. That''s amazing. You''ve managed to create a golem without using a single magic circle. Grandma said that with surprise. A magic circle? We have a magic circle: .... ''Do they usually use a magic circle?'' Yes, you have to draw and move a bunch of complicated magic circles. Heh. And it doesn''t have a nuke. ''Really? How do you know that? ''''Normally, golems can tell the weaknesses of a golem because the magic power is concentrated in the core magic stone. ..... That golem has magic power flowing evenly throughout. Huh? Isn''t that awful strong? And because these two bodies are self-repairing: ...... ''Yeah, that''s great.'' Really, it''s been a hell of a security job. The golem is great, but... I also can''t believe they can make swords and telepathic items at that speed... The saint said she couldn''t believe it. I''ve never seen a golem that can talk. And then Lena followed up. "Is it really that great? I tried my best to play along. In those days. Somewhere in the Imperial City, in a dimly lit room, there were two suspicious men. ''It seems the saint has arrived at the mage''s house. Well, don''t mess with it yet. I know. We''re having a party, and we''re killing them all together because it makes things easier, you know? ''Yeah, I''ve already taken steps to make sure we can infiltrate the castle properly: ..... Will you succeed? What are you worried about? ''No matter how many brave men are dead, you still have a mage, a saint, and Damien Forster. That''s all right. The mage and the saint are an old man. And we''ll take care of Damien. The man''s voice was full of confidence. ''What measures do you have in place?'' I need a big feeder first. Something the dogs will jump on. So, you want to kill the target while you focus on the task at hand? Yeah, that should do it. ''Maybe so, but make sure you''re ready to stay on top of things for about a week from now to avoid any problems. I know. I know. You better get ready to go. Yeah, you''re just gonna have to keep an eye on that nobleman to make sure he doesn''t betray you. I''ll have my people watching you, then. I see. I also want you to infiltrate the mage''s house and keep an eye on him. Okay. It''s important to me, and I''ll send my trusty guy over there. Yeah, and don''t let them get wind of our plans. Don''t worry about it, you know how we work. That''s right too: ..... Then we''ll each make sure we''re well prepared until planning day. They left the room quietly: ...... 32 Episode XVIII: Golem is going to be active right away. The night of the Golem''s construction. Okay, I''m going under. ''Yeah, my advance word is that this house is only guarded by a gatekeeper. ''Then it''s easy enough to just sneak over the fence. You don''t need to hire security because you don''t need them to protect you if you''re strong enough. I know. We''re only here for information, so we don''t have to worry about fighting, and that''s a relief this time. Okay, we''re going in. Two men in black enter over the fence. Okay, nobody''s home. Yeah, we''ll just keep gathering information. And then she tries to sneak into the house. But "We have a suspect in custody. Two men in full armor approached us. Oh, come on. Are you kidding me? You didn''t tell me you needed a patrol! They found us. You''re gonna have to fight. The two men attack the armored guard. But their attack is easy to parry. These things are really strong. ''Yeah, I''d better run for it. The two stopped fighting and ran away . But the thin one got around in an instant. "Ugh, no. ..... The two of them were held back. ''How can someone be so strong? in those days (Huh? I didn''t know you made a golem. - Show me next time.) I''ll build you one. Next time, I''ll build you a sculpture in front of me. That''ll be fun. What was the saint''s granddaughter like, anyway? He''s a very good boy. We''ve been calling her Leena, but so far we''ve gotten along just fine. (Huh? Is that girl cute?) (Yeah... Isn''t she cute?) (Oh, yeah?) (He''s so good at holy magic, I had him do it, and it''s terribly calming.) That''s a good thing. No more telepathic stories for today. (Shelly?) (Ooh.) He doesn''t answer when I call him. Did I offend you? Why did you piss him off? He said I was in trouble. Master, please come with me as we have captured the suspect. I''ve just heard from the golem soldiers. Maybe I caught a maid or something by mistake. It''s not a good idea. Okay, I''m coming. I hurried over. And when I got outside, I saw that two men in all black had been captured by No. 1 and No. 2. ''Ho, I found someone really suspicious .... It''s amazing how the day you build a golem, you get robbed ..... ''Yes master, this guy jumped over the fence, so he''s suspicious.'' No. 1 answers. I''m starting to worry that you''ve been okay. I''ve been worried about burglars ever getting into my house. So, you''re thieves? Anyway, I asked the two thieves a question. Yeah, that''s right. Yeah, they''re thieves. Huh? (Okay, so we can just call him a thief and not get in trouble.) Yeah, I know. I came here to rob you. "Huh. What did your uncles try to steal then? What''s up with these two? .... You know what? Anything that made money was good for us! Yeah, I know. I''m just trying to figure out what we can do with the money here. Yeah.... Something fishy is going on. I don''t know, something is fishy. No, I don''t think so. Yeah, I do. Yeah. Oh, let''s try that one! I have an idea. What''s going on? Tell me what you''re hiding! I gave the other guy an order. Then ..... ''Yes, yes, I''m actually here to gather information on the saint and her grandson. The guy on the other end answered honestly. What''s the matter with you? What are you going to do with the information? The other guy gets upset. It''s called mesmerizing magic, and when you use it, you can make your opponent listen to your commands. I told him where to go. Oh, you don''t know what kind of magic you have! Oh, you went out of your way to tell me that you''re working on someone else''s orders. So, tell me about the person who was supposed to let me know. She''s using her charms again. Yes, this is my burglar boss. A burglar? What''s that? I''ve never heard of it: .... ''Yes, yes, I don''t know how long it''s been around, but it''s a huge organization with chapters all over the world. What do you do? Assassinations, spying, and anything else you do under the radar. So who hired you to do it? "Well, that''s... I was just about to say. The two men who were being held are unconscious. Hey, what''s going on? I''m going to rush over to him. then I found a needle in their necks. It''s a needle. There was something painted on the needle that was stuck in it. then It''s so loud. What''s going on out there? Grandma came out of the house. ''Grandma, hurry up and go check on the saints and Lina! What? What''s the matter with you? I think you''ll find out in this one. ''Hey, this is a bunch of ninja guys: .... So that''s it, I''ll go wake them up now! And with that, he hurried into the house. Then Grandma woke up Leena and the saint, and the four of us got together. So tell us what''s going on, Leo. Okay. First of all, I got a call out of the blue from the golem saying they got a suspicious one. I see the golem came in handy right away. ''Yes, but did I catch the maid at first? So I went there, But then I found out they had him. ''Yes, when I first saw them, I thought we had a spirited thief coming, but their behavior was so suspicious that I ordered them to tell me what they were hiding with their charm magic. You can do that kind of magic? Grandma would be surprised. Huh? Didn''t I tell you that you could create magic for your grandmother? Yeah, Shelly did that to me before, so I can build it with my creation magic. Isn''t creation magic too good to be true? The saint sounded so surprised . ''''Well, since we''re not going to talk about it, let''s talk about it some other time, please, starting with the story after you use the enchantment magic . Grandma prompted me to speak first. All right. So I got him to tell me what he was hiding, and he said he was here to gather information on the saint and her grandson. A burglar would never do that. Yeah, and when I asked him who he was working for, two people just got killed. I see. ..... Maybe the client is the Pope. The saint replied. ''What? Why? ''I am, you know: .... The Pope hates me because I''m popular. ''But why should I bother doing this?'' Just because you don''t like them, they try to kill you? That idiot thinks killing me will bring back his popularity. That''s freaking stupid. What''s a ninja anyway? And then my grandma. It''s an organization that does assassinations, spying, and other dirty work. It''s just that their current boss is a rival to Damien. ''What? Does your uncle have a rival? ''Yeah, his name is Allen, and he''s a competent person who once completed a tower dungeon with Damien: .... ''How does someone like that end up in an organization like that? If you''ve trudged through the tower dungeon with your uncle, then you''ve been working for your country until then. .... ''If there''s anyone who knows, it''s Damien. Okay. I''ll go to my uncle''s tomorrow. Try it. ''And I''ll get more golems and more security for the house. You can''t be too careful when you''re dealing with an organization led by an uncle. Then you''ll need to use your ornamental armor as well as your armory. Yeah, okay. I then converted the six pieces of armor in the armory and twelve pieces of ornamental armor into golems. These golems will be divided into teams of one armory and two ornamental ones, and three teams will be led by #1 and #2. A total of 20 golems will guard your house. This is a squad of golems, isn''t it? When Grandma saw the golems standing in line, she said . ''I guess that makes the house a little safer: ..... At that time ''Mr. Allen! The two men who went to sneak in to the saints failed. What? Why? That seems to have been caught because of the high security of the full-body armor patrol, which somehow wasn''t in the information. Yeah... So the target got the information? ''That''s why .... Somehow the mage''s grandson was able to use mesmerizing magic. What? I''m not sure you have that information. Yes, I didn''t let them have expensive anti-attraction magic tools because I didn''t have any. Huh. Where was I? Where were they? To the point where they belong to our organization and this time the target is a saint and her grandson. Did you ever tell him about your client? No, I killed those two people first. Well, then it''s just as well that you''re wrong about me. It just got tougher to infiltrate the mage''s house: .... ''Apart from that, my client asked me to do it just in case, so it doesn''t really matter to my plans even if it''s not there. "So... Yeah... Okay, I''ll see you guys later. My man walks out of the room. ''His nephew (dude) has a great talent too, this is going to be a fun request. The man grinned at that. 33 CHAPTER XVIII -- WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SHINNER? the next day I went to the castle alone. Grandma said she''d go with me, but I let her stay home for fear of the saints. And now I''m standing in front of the castle gate. When I go in with my uncle, I climb over the wall, but this time I''m trespassing: .... "Excuse me, my name is Leons Forster. I introduced myself to the gatekeeper. And the gatekeeper was surprised. You''re the granddaughter of a brave man, aren''t you? Yes. Can you tell Damien Forster that Leo is here? Okay, sure. Just a moment. One of the gatekeepers walked in. It''s been a little while since then. Leo, what are you doing here? My uncle just showed up out of nowhere. Maybe he was covert and took a shortcut: .... "Uncle, what can you tell me about the burglar? Uncle Ronald looked surprised. How did you know that? ''Yesterday, a couple of guys who belong to a ninja shop tried to break into my house. ''I see...'' Uncle Tom pretended to think about it. ''Let''s go inside for now, I''ll have to inform the Emperor about this. And with that, he led me into the castle. And then we go into the room where I spoke with the emperor last time "Your Majesty, Leo-kun has brought important information to me. Oh, hey, Leo, you''re here, so what''s the big piece of information? It''s the ninja who''s going to cause trouble in our country. ''Hey, hey ..... Is that true? The Emperor looked worried. ''Yes, Leo-kun told me earlier that a ninja tried to break into my mother''s house last night. What? What do those guys want this time? I''m not sure. Leo, did you get anything out of him? Pops asked me about it. All I could get out of him was that he wanted information about the saint. ''Yeah, but it''s great just to get something that important out of a ninja. "A saint. .... What''s he going to do? Uncle looked far away. "Yes, sir, that''s why. The saint, the Pope said the Pope may have asked a skulker to kill her. ''Right: .... There''s a lot of bad news about the Pope these days. Is it really that bad? Yeah, whatever, I hear the current Pope is only looking out for his own interests. And the uncle said. ''And I would assassinate my opponents with impunity if it meant I was always on top. And the Emperor added. ''How dumb can you be? .... ''The politics of fear. ...... ''So, this time you''re going to assassinate the most popular saint of the people, the most popular saint of the people, in a foreign country: .... ''You''re a jerk, if you succeed in this, they''re going to ask you to give them money because the Empire''s security is lax and the saint is dead. The emperor has his head in his hands. ''Wow, that really sucks,'' But where do you think they''re going to assassinate him? ''''Yes. .... When is the next time the saintly lady leaves the mage''s house? It''s the princess''s birthday next week. The emperor heard about it. Huh, those guys are really disgusting. ''Yes, Allen may be trying to destroy the reputation of the Empire at the same time as the request. Did you have to do it in front of all those people? .... Hey, Uncle, what''s this Allen guy like? ''Yeah, the guy who was my former best friend and rival: .....'' Uncle looked a little sad. ''That''s what I heard, but how could someone like that get on the wrong path?'' I don''t know. We trudged through the dungeon together and a little while later, he was gone. Yeah... Is that person going to show up this time? He''ll come out. I''ve got a covert, which makes it perfect for assassination in a crowded place like this one. Uncle assured me . Come to think of it, Allen has a covert because he''s cleared the dungeon: ..... ''That''s a lot of work to protect then! I mean, can you protect it? That''s not true. Covertness always cuts off when you attack. But .... Won''t it be too late then? So if I use my covert skills and stay close to the saint, I can make it work. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. And I have to be the one to take him down. Then he clenched his fists. "Yeah, good luck with that. Now we just need more security for the day or ..... ''Yes,'' Well, I''m done talking about it. Is there anything else you''d like to talk about? Oh, tell me about your prize, Leo. Well, I''ve heard that story before. Hey, hey, don''t make light of the prize the people want so badly. That''s what the Emperor said. "I''m sorry. Okay, so we''ll just have to wait and see what it is when it comes out. Aren''t you going to tell me? Oh, no, I''m not going to tell you now. So, why don''t we schedule it for the day after Sherry''s birthday? I''m fine. "Yeah. I figured Shelia would call me the day after my birthday anyway. With a grin, the Emperor said that. ''Yeah, maybe so .... I''ll have to think of something to give you: ..... ''Speaking of princesses, did I offend you again, Leo-kun? Pops asked me about it. You''ve upset Sherry? ''Oh, I forgot! I was talking to him yesterday and I made him mad. What did you say? As I recall, I was talking about the saint''s grandson, Lina, and I got into a bad mood. "Hahaha, these are Shelia''s baked cakes. The Emperor laughed. ''And how does that make you feel better?'' What do I do: .... ''Emperor, may I take Shelly home in transition? I don''t mind. The emperor answered immediately. And I heard it. Thank you! And ran out of the room. I can''t believe Leo''s starting to get used to the castle... Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, he''s been here a few times. Then Damien laughs. I come to the front of Sherry''s room to catch my breath. and knock-knock Who? I don''t want to talk to anyone right now. Would you like to come over to my house now? Then it went quiet for a moment and the door opened. What are you doing here? That''s why I came to see Sherry. Really? He gave me a scary look. Ho, really? Well, um, I had to run some errands for my uncle, so I came along. Oh, I''m just getting by, aren''t I? I''m sorry. Please forgive me for that, but the Emperor gave me permission to take Shelly home. I''m quick to apologize. Shelly heard that. Well, I''ll see if I can forgive you when I get there anyway. I said. Okay, I understand. Then I''ll be on my way. And with that, Shelly walked away. ''That won''t be necessary.'' I take Sherry''s hand in mine. Hey, what are you doing? Shelley blushed. I''ll take the transference to get to my house, okay? So I said that I would make the transference. He said it would be at my house in a flash. ''What? This isn''t Leo''s house! Shelley shouts. Yes, I didn''t know you could do this: ..... Isn''t it great? That''s what you''re talking about. "Weird One Found. The golems are coming. Oh, he''s not suspicious, he''s fine. "Yes, Master. With that, the golem bowed and resumed his rounds. ''So that''s the golem. That''s right. Now I have 20 of them protecting my house. That''s kind of awesome. ''We''re going to need all this stuff. .... Shall we go inside anyway? Yeah, sure. I''m home. Then I walked in. Oh, Leo, you''re back. Seriously: .... Leena is out there: .... ''This is Leena?'' Yeah, that''s right: .... Hi, Lena, you can call me Sherry. It''s my pleasure, please. The two of them were getting so heated that sparks seemed to come out of their eyes. "Okay, okay, let''s just go to my room. I rush to get to my room. However. I want to talk to you alone for now, and Leo will wait outside. Yeah, yeah. Please leave. I''ll tell you to go to Lena. Uh-huh. Honestly, I was sitting gymnastically at the front of the room. after a short time vending machine toy You can come in, Leo. Shelly made a face. Hey, what''s going on? What happened to Lena? ''We were just talking to each other, that''s all. That''s right, Leo. Once we got inside, Leena attached herself to Shelly. Huh? You''re obviously getting along: ..... ''Well, I hope we get along,'' And Leo. What? Make sure Leena''s pendant has telepathic capabilities. Um, yeah, okay. What''s really going on? With that in mind, I let my necklace make contact with Leena''s necklace. (Can you hear me, Lena?) What? I think you heard me. Is this your telepathic message? Yeah. Now Leena can send telepathic messages to me and Shelly. (Do you hear me?) (I can hear you.) (I heard.) Apparently, you can telepathize three people at once. That sounds like fun. Yes, it sounds like fun. ''Speaking of which, what happened to the offer to build me a golem?'' Yeah, you made that promise: ..... ''Then I''ll make it for you now, just give me a minute. And with that, I''m going to get my backpack. Yay! Shelley is delighted to have his hands up in the air. In the meantime, I''m going to bring out the materials I got from the dungeon and the demon forest that I could use. The materials we took out were rock bird feathers, Cerberus fur, and two year old magic stones. You''ll see. Using Creation Magic First of all, the materials were turned into a 50cm long bear plush toy. Then, the magic stones were mixed in, and the doll glowed as usual. Yes, we did it. Then he handed one to each of them. This is cute. It''s healing. I was watching the two of them delirious. I appraised the resulting stuffed bear Healing Bears. I''ll do my best to heal the owner''s heart. However, they''re also very good at fighting. Strength: 8000 Magic Power: 7000 Power: 2000 Speed: 6000 skill Martial Arts Lv.6 Housework Lv.8 Counseling Lv.8 Self-Restoration Maybe it''s because I used good materials, but it''s a high performance stuffed animal: ..... You don''t need this much fighting power in a stuffed animal: ...... ''This stuffed animal is kind of strong.'' Really? Yeah, talk to him. "I''ll try. I''m Sherry. Nice to meet you, Billy. I''m Lena. Marie. When the two spoke to each other ..... The two bodies stand up. "Good to meet you, master. Then he bowed. It''s so cute. Then they both hugged the stuffed animal. I''m glad you like it. Yes, thank you. Thank you so much. Then the two of them talked to the stuffed animal for a while: .... 34 Nineteenth Shelleys Birthday It''s Sherry''s birthday today. Every nobleman in the empire and some foreign emissaries will be there for this birthday party. I know how hard it is to be the party''s host, so I feel sorry for Sherry as she has to deal with so many people. And I''m not so sure I''m going to enjoy this party. Because even if I''m not the star of the party, I''m a son of a duke. So any nobleman who won''t ever give Shelly the time of day comes to me. And what I don''t enjoy is the caution about assassinations... After all, to this day, no burglar has ever messed with me. So, this time around, Uncle will be protecting the saint, and I''ll be with Lena just in case. Even to protect her, no weapons are allowed in the party. So I''ve decided to take only Anna''s goggles with me. That''s depressing: ...... We''re on our way to the castle by carriage. I don''t think I''ve ever had a more leisurely ride to the castle. I''m talking to myself sincerely. "Huh? How do you always get there? Leena heard me talking to myself and asked me a question. "Always? Usually my uncle would take me at breakneck speed, or I''d go running by myself. ''''Seriously, you''re from a brave family: ..... It''s just too amazing that you can run faster than a carriage! Leena looked at me in disbelief. ''Yes, I do.'' Sometimes I doubt Leo''s age. Huh? You think he knows what''s going on? Yeah, why? Inwardly, I''m upset, but I''m at peace. ''Because you''re like an adult in your thinking, and your status isn''t a child at all. Oh, yeah. Oh, I think we''re here. But he arrived at the right moment, so I digress. "Oh, it''s true. Then Leena looked out. Phew, it looks like I was able to distract Leena: .... Then we were led to the party. Once we got inside, Grandma and the saint were separated. Because of the large number of people at the party, Shelly can''t deal with them all, so only children of her own age are allowed to greet them directly. Still, it''s tough because Shelly has to deal with an awful lot of people. It''s very spacious. As we walked in, Leena stopped and said that. ''A lot of people will come for that. It''s tough on Shelly, too. It must be tough. I shudder to think what it''s like to be in that situation. Talking about that. Hey, hey, nice to be talking to a woman. A chubby guy, about my age, with three friends behind him, came to tangle with me . Wow! Temp. .... ''Hey Leena, is it about time to start?'' Yeah. Isn''t it about time, though? Hey! Don''t ignore me! He got mad when we were talking about ignoring Chubby. "Yeah, who are you? I can''t help it, so I ask with a sigh ''You don''t know me, do you? You must be a very provincial aristocrat. He looks at me and says he''s happy to see me. Well, what could go wrong? The Forster lands are on the edge of the Empire, in the sticks. "Then let me tell you. I am Russell Philibert, the eldest son of House Philibert. You''re a country bumpkin. Filibert territory is also in the west end, so it''s rural . I thought that, and when I looked at Chubby, he was pulling and trembling . ''''I''m a country noble? Don''t be silly! Chubby is getting angry again. It''s so annoying. I was having trouble dealing with this when I heard a voice from the side. "That was your fault, Russell. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man about our age. Oh, I think it was .... His name was Frank, I think. He was here for my birthday. "Frank, why would you cover for this guy? Yeah, it looks like I know this chubby: .... "It''s for your own good. Because it''s Leons Forster you''re involved with right now. Frank said sympathetically. ''What? Who is that guy? Chubby tilted his head as he said this. Frank heard this. Huh, you better take him somewhere before he becomes a problem anyway. I said to the three men behind me. The three of them got impatient. Master Russell, let''s go. And pulled away. Hey, stop pulling on my leg. As I watched it happen. Thanks for that. I thanked Frank. "Don''t worry about it. Hey, I haven''t talked to you in a while. We barely spoke last time. Do you two know each other? Leena asked curiously. Yeah, your mother''s little brother''s kid. You''re my cousin. Really? Nice to meet you, I''m Rihanna Abelard, the saint''s grandson. Hi, my name is Frank Baudelaire. ''You are from the Baudelaire family, my country is indebted to you. Leena said with a surprised face when she heard Frank''s name. Incidentally, I heard that the Baudelaire family has been in charge of trade with the Church for generations. No, no, I haven''t done anything yet. By the way, Russell is really an idiot. Why? "Because of what he did to the saint''s granddaughter. If you''re not good at it, you''ll have an international problem .... ''Well, I don''t think about it. I know. Oh, here comes the princess. Frank told me to look at the entrance: ..... Sherry came in wearing a beautiful dress. ''Wow~ Sherry looks so beautiful in her dress. Yeah, I guess so. Have you two ever talked to a princess before? Yes. We met last week. And Leo? ''I''ve seen you many times since the Emperor came to visit. What? You''re a Forster... And he looked at me enviously. You think so? Oh, I need to go say congratulations to Sherry soon. I see Chubby talking to Shelly and say Yeah, yeah. If we don''t go, they can''t go. The three of us are going to Sherry''s. We get to Sherry''s. Your Highness, I''m a wonderful man. How would you like to be engaged? The chubby is embarrassingly stupid. Huh? Shelley asked back. ''Are you too happy for words? So what, "Come on, man. You don''t want to do this. I was so pissed off that I interrupted you. Well, since you''re being so rude, it''s okay to interrupt me, right? You''re the guy from earlier, why are you messing with me? Okay, okay, I''m sorry. I''ll see you later. Then he shoves the chubby thing at a nearby attendant. And then... ''Yes, the one who''s done is here. With that, Chubby was led away by an attendant. "Phew. Thank you. Leo. You''re welcome. I''m having a hard time dealing with a guy like that, aren''t you? And I looked at him with pity. "It''s true. This is no fun at all. Shelley then gets an angry look on her face. ''Yeah, yeah, I guess so.'' I''ve never experienced anything like this before, so I don''t know how hard it is, but good luck with that. Leena encourages Shelly to do so. "Thank you, Lina. ''Yes, remember my cousin Frank''s name. I want you to meet Frank, who was standing right behind me. Uh, well, Frank Baudelaire. Frank bowed hurriedly. ''Phew, it''s nice to see you again. Sherry replies with a laugh . I feel like a princess in these parts: ..... ''Oh, I didn''t tell you the whole point. As I was saying that, I remembered something. What did you forget to say? Then Shelly tilts her head in that direction. "Happy Birthday ''Doggone'' What? In a panic, I looked towards the explosion: ..... An uncle and a man I didn''t know were fighting near the saint . SIDE: Damien. Currently, Allen and I are in a standoff, not moving or looking at each other. Then Allen spoke to me. I knew you were hiding, Damien. Personally, I''m not too happy with the prediction. ''Don''t say that - it''s been so long since we''ve seen each other. I didn''t expect to see you again like this. Oh, yeah - I''m the one you want to see again. Why did you... Why are you... Why am I doing this? It''s easy to do. I wanted to have a fight with you. ''What are you talking about? Did you go all the way into a ninja shop for that? That''s right. If you''re going to be righteous, I''m going to be evil. Why do you care about beating me? When I was at school, all I cared about was beating you. When I was a student, we fought every day, so it was great fun. But after I graduated and started working, I was really bored working with you. Everything always seemed to get done so easily when I worked with you. And when I stepped through the dungeon in the tower with you, I thought. My life was going to end in boredom if I didn''t do something about it! So I''ve decided to go down the opposite evil path to you rather than become one. Allen was thinking that behind his back: ..... ''I see. ...... Then I''ll beat the crap out of you so much that you''ll regret that decision. Oh, scary, scary, but I didn''t say it was a one-on-one fight. What? The real party is about to begin. Allen says so: .... Dan! and the door burst through and a large group of black men came in. But Damien''s men, who were guarding the hall, stood in front of them. "Where do these men come from? Wasn''t there supposed to be a guard of honor outside? Now, why is that? You... From now on, if you can protect your target in this hall, you win... and if you can''t, I win... so let''s have some fun and let the party begin. Allen said happily: ...... 35 Episode 20 Allen vs. Damian SIDE: Leons. As Uncle and Allen were talking, a group of ninja''s suddenly walked in . Immediately, Uncle''s men, who were guarding the hall, stood in front of the group, but ..... I''m worried because of the large difference in numbers. Then, after Uncle Allen finished talking, the battle with the ninja began. The uncle and Allen are fighting with swords at great speed. Even though there was a gap in the number of people in the group, the small elite special forces team was not defeated at all and killed more and more ninja. I hugged Sherry and Leena and kept Frank close. ''Stay calm, you three. Your uncle will take care of it, and I''ll be there if anything goes wrong. Yes ..... Shelly and Leena nodded firmly, though they looked anxious. Uh-huh. Frank responded. ''So what do I do then? .....'' Saying that, I''ll put Anna on . SIDE: Damien. I''m in a 50-50 fight with Allen now. My guys are winning, so I think I''m winning overall. Allen must have noticed this, because he stopped attacking and opened his mouth. ''''There''s more security in the hall than I expected, and if we don''t do something like this, my men are going to get wiped out. So why don''t you just give up and go away? What the hell are you talking about. You can''t just give up when you''re at the beginning, can you? ''I''m sure you are, but ..... It''s a shame. Well, don''t say that. So you want to use a spell that you didn''t want to use because it would actually make you a collaborator? When he said that, Allen raised his hand and produced a flame spell. Then, perhaps that was the signal for the ninja to start using magic. As the burglar began to use his magic, his men began to be pushed aside. "So this is how it all turns out. Allen said as much, and then he fired a spell at me. And I counterbalanced it with a spell. "This is going to be a crippling defeat, isn''t it? I say that as I watch my subordinates being beaten down little by little. "Do you feel like giving up? That''s not true. It''s not going to happen. As soon as I said that with a smirk, the magic hits the group of ninja''s one by one with a pinpoint of magic. It was my mother who cast the spell on the burglar. And the Master has healed her wounded men. Would any of your potential targets voluntarily join the fight? Allen talks and shoots multiple spells at me. "Mom and dad don''t like to be protected. They''re always the ones who protect you. As I said that, I hit all the magic that Allen shot at me to offset it. ''''Wow, you''re going to hit all of that? You''re all so desperate for justice! Isn''t it cool? To prevent them from using any more magic, I approached Allen at breakneck speed and brought him into a sword fight. From then on, we attacked and defended each other as fast as we could, and then a battle ensued in which neither side made an inch of difference. After a few minutes passed, they paused to look around. Then, at any moment, the ninja was about to be wiped out. "This is the end of your plan. ''Yes, ....,'' Allen said with a rueful look on his face Are you going to give up on me? I couldn''t help but listen back as I heard the unexpected words. ''Yeah, I give up. .....'' As soon as I said that. Boom! There was a huge explosion on the princess''s side. ... ...to beat you once and for all. Allen laughed. ''d*mn it! Was it the princess you were after? ''A little different. I''ll tell you what, since it''s already done, but I''ve got a few overlapping requests to kill at this party this time. Who''s the target? You''re a princess first. And the grandson of a saint, the second son of the Baudelaire family, and your nephew. You too, Leo? Yeah. Someone wants the holy sword back. Also, why is it the saint''s grandchild and not the saint''s? That''s because the saint will be dead in her lifetime in another ten years, but her grandchildren are just getting started. ''I see. .... But it looks like you''ve failed. It can''t be: .... Allen looks at Leo-kun. Then .... There was a wall there, with the remains of an explosion, but it wasn''t broken. Why: "Why: ..... "Here''s your plan. First, I''ll convince us that the saint is the target, and then I''ll go somewhere far away from the real target. Then I''ll come out on my own and make it look like the saint is really the target. From there, I''ll use my own people as bait to get my people away from their target, and when we''re about to win and we''re off guard, we''ll blow it up. ..... That''s right. But you really didn''t know who to be wary of. SIDE: Leons. Let''s go back in time to when Leo wore Anna''s. You''ll be wearing Anna. Watch your step, Master Leo. There is a bomb hidden in the chamber. A bomb! (What? (How widely hidden is it?) That''s right, where Master Leo and his friends are standing. (Then we''ll have to move quickly.) Yes, but it''s a big bomb. It''s just that it''s a very large bomb, and I think we should build a wall. (Yeah, okay.) Why don''t the three of us move up to the wall? No problem. Why? We''re going to win already, thanks to the mage. Shelly says, pointing to Grandma. But I''m going to force them to take it, "Just go ahead and take it. And when I got to the wall. Oh, they''re almost wiped out, aren''t they? Frank looked at the uncle and said that. I heard that, so I looked at him. It seems that Uncle Frank''s men have beaten the burglar. I saw that Uncle Frank understood the situation and a disappointed look on Allen''s face. Are we done with this? I''m a little relieved. But... Master Leo, the bomb is going to go off! It''s dangerous if we don''t build a wall. Anna just warned me. Wow, okay. I hastily built a thick wall with my creation magic. And then... Boom! And a huge explosion occurred behind the wall. That was close. Hey, what was that? Leena rushes over to ask me. The enemy attacked us with a bomb. Oh, yeah. Frank says with light abandon If it weren''t for Anna, it would have been a close call. Thank you. You''re welcome, but they''ll be attacking us directly this time. (What? (Where do you find people like that?) And with that, prepare yourself. Then a bunch of party attendants came over the wall with their weapons. "All three of you, get behind me! Put everyone in the back. Serena, you''re on. I summoned Serena. When the enemy saw that, they stopped. But one of them. "Don''t be afraid of a kid! And then, inspiring his friends, the enemy began to advance again. (Is it just me this time? (Yay - you get to spend a lot of money without Elena and get a lot of blood - I''m so happy for you) (Maybe I should stop using the sword!) Don''t stop! (I don''t mind having them do whatever they want.) That''s not good for you, Serena. Well, now that the enemy is here, we''ll just have to use it to our heart''s content. First of all, flying slashes in tow . Actually, during her last training, Serena became level 3, and she can now fly slashes and recover the amount of attacks she made on the enemy. The slashes would send the people in front of her flying away. Then the enemy stopped dead in its tracks. So I''ll send another slash at the front of the line, this time to the very front of the line, just below their feet. Then the enemy retreated little by little. and then some. Get the hell out of here, or I''ll do it for real this time. Then he raised his sword. When the enemy heard that, they all went to the other side of the wall. "Huh, is that it? SIDE: Damien. When Allen found out that the bomb had failed, he sent a lot of people, who had been mixed up with the party''s staff, to Leo''s side. But when Allen''s men entered through the wall, there was a loud noise and people flew in. Then, just as they were about to do the same thing again, Allen''s men came running away. The men were seized by the knights who had finally arrived. Really, what had the Knights done all this time? What''s going on? Why are those guys running away? Unable to understand the situation, Allen looked at his men, who were being held stunned, and said. ''''I guess I''ve won this one. When I spoke to him. ''Yeah, right: .... I lost. So, shall we just give up and get him? And with that, I move closer to Allen. However. No, you lost this one, but you''re not done playing Damien yet. So I''ll see you later. Allen''s gone undercover. He''s escaped. .... After that, I caught all of Allen''s men and made sure that Leo and the others were not injured in any way, and I finally felt a sense of relief: .... 36 CHAPTER XXI -- WHY WAS WE TARGETED? The day after Sherry''s birthday. I''m going to the castle. After what happened yesterday, they''re not going to stop planning on rewarding me. So today I''ll wear formal wear and ride alone in the carriage. Then when I arrived at the castle, I was ushered into the audience chamber, where I was instructed in the manner of an audience in front of the room. When you enter, His Majesty the Emperor is sitting on his throne, and you should walk straight up to a good distance and get down on one knee and put one arm on the other knee. Oh, and please bow your head afterwards . I understand. Well, come on in. Then the guide opens the door. I went through the door and entered. The audience hall is wide and there are nobles on either side. By the way, Grandma didn''t come because she couldn''t leave the saint and Lina at home. Walk up to the emperor at the back of the room and, when you feel you''re in the right place, kneel down on one knee and put your arms on your knees and bow your head. Then the emperor says, "Lift your head. I raise my head. The emperor confirms it and reads from a piece of paper in his hand. "I reward you for capturing the impregnable underground dungeon and defending my daughter and our guests from yesterday''s attack. As a reward, I will knight Leons Forster with a baronetcy and grant him an imperial residence. At this, the nobles in line buzzed. Quiet! This reward seems reasonable to me, but what''s the problem? The Emperor asked the nobles. And the nobles fell silent. "You seem to be all right. You''re all right, then, Leons Forster. Will you accept it? Okay, yes. I''d appreciate it. How could I say no here? ..... When the audience was over, the guide took me to the room where I usually talk to the emperor. When I entered the room, I saw the emperor, my uncle and a woman I didn''t know. I looked at the woman and the uncle introduced me to her. Come to think of it, Leo, you haven''t met Elise yet. This is Elise Forster, the Prime Minister of the country and the political supporter of His Majesty. Forster? Are you related? Yeah, that''s my wife. "What? My uncle was married? I didn''t expect that! I always thought I was all about work: .... ''I shouldn''t be that surprised. I''m old enough to be married. ''Yes, but I always thought you were single...'' I look at Elise as I say that. "It''s nice to meet you, Leo-kun. And then the emperor. Elise is a remarkable woman. She''s a woman, but she''s so good, and at her age she''s become a vizier. I complimented Elise on that. ''That''s because the emperor has chosen me. It means I''m talented enough to make me want to choose. Thank you. Let''s stop talking about this and get to the point. Elise has changed the subject. Yeah, I''ll cut to the chase and tell you about yesterday. After all, were you able to get any information from the ninja you caught yesterday? I asked the most important question of all. And then the uncle. ''No, they only say it''s because they''re all on a mission, and it''s like they weren''t actually told what kind of request it was. He answered. So I don''t know what the point was, then. That''s pretty much it. ''What? Really? Yeah, Allen taught me that. He did? That''s right. That''s when I thought I''d won. Yeah. So what did you want? Well, first of all, the targets this time were Leo, the princess, Rihanna, and Frank. ''What? Why us?! I yelled out in surprise. ''Allen says that this time we had a number of requests on top of each other. Yeah. So who asked you to kill us? "I''m going to tell you in order. First, Leo-kun. "Your son was targeted by the Kingdom. ''What? What have I done to the kingdom? I don''t see any reason to believe that we would be targeted at all. He said he was after the Holy Sword. ''Yeah, Grandma said something about the kingdom going after the Holy Sword. You really wanted the holy sword: .... Then there''s Little Rihanna. Little Rihanna seems to have been commissioned by the Pope. I knew it: .... But why didn''t you go for the saints? The holy woman is old. He said that the reason why Rihanna was targeted was so that Rihanna wouldn''t be as popular as she was when the saint died. It''s really rotten: .... How much does the Pope want to be popular: .... ''And it was your brother, Frank, who was after Mr. Frank. ''What? Why bother with your brother? incline one''s head to the side (in doubt) Frank''s brother was so badly behaved that he couldn''t be made the next head of the family. So maybe he''s trying to kill his brother so that he''ll be the only heir apparent. It''s rotten too: .... Finally, there''s the princess: ..... Speaking of which, why is Sherry the target of this attack? That''s ..... Uncle said stagnantly. Okay. I''ll talk to him. The queen just walked in. Okay. Yes, please. "Shelia has a half-brother. . she has a half-brother. .... That mother wants her child to be the next king for sure. ''What? You wouldn''t have to kill the woman, Shelly, if that was the reason. Normally, the king is a man. So. There''s a tradition in our country that the children of the righteous wife will be the next king. We have a tradition in our country that the children of the righteous wife will be the next king. The Emperor replied with a wrinkle between his eyebrows . ''''I see. .... ''''Oh, I don''t know what''s going on.'''' So what about this client, then? I asked a question that I was curious about. To which my uncle replied. ''That''s the thing: .... It''s not information I got directly from the ninja, so it''s not evidence. ''You have no proof: ..... ''There are other suspicions that the Duke of Philibert assisted a ninja to break into the hall, but there''s no evidence of that at all, either. Philibert? Oh, that chubby house: .... Huh, you and your father are both idiots. Totally. The emperor nodded. Well. So, without further ado, would you mind if I explained to Leo-kun about the reward this time? Oh, I forgot. Have a good day. Then the emperor asked Miss Elise to do it. ''''Yes, sir. First, I''m knighting the baron, but this time I''m skipping the quasi-baronet because it''s a two-for-one achievement. Yes, sir. ''''And the Imperial Palace, as soon as we find something good here, we''ll give it to you. Oh, thank you. This makes you a nobleman, Leo. It doesn''t feel real. ''Well, it''s just a name now. I''ll give you the territory when you''re about ten years old, Leo, and you''ll feel it then. ''What? Will I get the territory as well? ''Cause running a fiefdom is a nobleman''s business. It was. Reminds me of the role of a nobleman. When she had finished explaining the reward, the queen entered the conversation. ''''I think it''s time to end this story and let Leo go to Shelia. Yeah, I know. The emperor nodded. I''m sure the princess is getting tired of waiting for you by now, so hurry up and go. Uncle said, grinning at me. Yeah, okay. I''ll head to Sherry''s as soon as I can. and knock-knock Is that you, Leo? Shelly came out the door with a bang. Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting. I''m totally fine. Get in your room already! With that, he pulled me into the room. I walked in, and I was in my room. "A day late, but happy birthday! I gave Sherry a birthday present. I gave her a special wand that increases the power of her magic. It''s about six inches long, with a beautiful jewel on the handle. I made this one myself, of course. The ingredients are Elder Trent''s drop divine tree branches and gargoyle drop gems. For the gemstone, I chose the one that holds the most magic for the longest period of time. The result is... The Fiend''s Wand. Using this wand to do magic increases its power and potency up to 100 times. Also, it''s easy to adjust the power and direction of the magic Creator: Leons Forster I''ve created something pretty awesome: .... It''s 100 times more powerful: ..... Shelley, who received the wand, looked at it happily and hugged me. Thank you for the beautiful wand! I''m glad you like it. Heh, let''s get on with it! No. You can''t do that. You''re in big trouble if you do magic here. I rush to stop Shelly. But .... Don''t worry. I don''t use attack magic. ''What? That means... "Tease my magic! I was able to use charm magic while using my wand: ..... ''''Oh, no, no, please~'''' I''m desperate to resist, but there''s no way I''m going to be able to resist a hundred times over, and my body won''t stop Good luck with that. Shelly lay down on her bed. No! I scream, but it sets Shelly''s magic in motion. "Ahh~ I haven''t had this feeling in a long time~ Shelley wriggles his body around. (Mindless, mindless, mindless, mindless: ?????) Oh, that''s too good to be true: (Mindless, mindless, mindless, mindless, mindless ?????) "Phew! , more~~ Then my fight lasted a long time: ..... 37 Before you go to school. The day after I gave Sherry her birthday present. Something shocking has happened. The Gallum Nation has announced that the saint and Lina are to be deported. The reason is that she plotted to assassinate the Pope in the Empire. It seems that the Pope doesn''t want the girl and Lina in his kingdom at all costs. Because of this, the saint and Leena cannot return to their country. Then the saint and her grandmother came to see them. I have more room than I need and you should stay. And suggested that I stay home . ''I feel bad, but I don''t have anywhere else to go. .... It''s going to get messy. Don''t worry about it. You''re gonna live here, Rihanna. Okay, sure. Thanks for your help. If that''s decided, then little Rihanna will have to go to the emperor and ask him to let her go to school next year. And with that, Grandma left with the saint. By the way, school starts next month in January. So grandma is trying to force me to enroll with only a month to go. This must be very annoying not only to the emperor who asked her to do this, but also to the school officials. Will Leena be able to enter the school? And now he and Leena are home alone. The emperor and his men must be in a bind by now. ''Yes. .... But I want to go to the same school as you, Leo. Yeah, I think it would be fun to be at school with Leena too. Are you sure? I''m glad. Leena smiled happily. Oh, that smile is foul: .... ''Well, then, let''s just wait and see what Grandma has to offer. SIDE: Carina. We''re at the castle gates now. I asked the gatekeeper to step out of the carriage and tell the emperor I wanted to see him. Then the gatekeeper rushed inside. Later, the gatekeeper came back and opened the carriage door. He said the Emperor is free and that he could talk to you for up to an hour. Yeah, don''t worry, I''ll be done in a minute. "You''re the one who says ...., Selina said, as if to say she was dumbfounded. Then he takes me to the Emperor''s room. When I walked in, I saw the Emperor and Elise, Damien''s wife. "Thank you for taking the time to see me. No, no, don''t worry about it. I heard the announcement of the Church too. Well, then, we''ll have a quick chat. ''''Yes. But we can''t hide a saint in the Empire this time. The Emperor said apologetically. ''I know that. I know you have the position of the Empire. ''Yes, because if we accept the saint as an empire, the empire will say that he helped the pope assassinate her. He answered again, apologetically. So what can we do for you this time? Elise asked me about it. I need to ask you for a favor. I''d like Serena to come live with me, but her grandson, Rihanna, can''t go to school anymore. I see. They want to send little Rihanna to school. Can you do that. Can you do that? Well, I''m sure it''s a lot of work, but I''ll take care of that for not being able to help the saint. The answer was surprisingly immediate. Oh, thank you. I wasn''t expecting to get my blessing so soon. I really appreciate it. Selina lowered her head. No, no, it''s good to have a valuable asset here too. Yeah. Rihanna''s so talented that she might surpass the saints in the future. Is that all? I suppose I should be grateful to my country for that. The Emperor laughed and said. ''Yes, I suppose so. Well then, since you''re probably busy, we''ll have to go. Okay. Don''t worry about it, I''ll make sure little Rihanna is ready for admission. Yeah, you''re on it. And then I''ll leave the room. SIDE: The Emperor. The mage and the saint have left. then ''Your Majesty, are you sure you want to allow it to be that easy? Elise asked me a question. Yeah, it''s not a problem. As I recall, only noblemen were allowed to go to primary school, right? Yeah, well, who can complain about a saint''s grandson? ''''It''s true, but we''re less than a month away from the entrance ceremony, you know? ''If you''re going to be part of the Empire, Rihanna, I''m perfectly fine with that much. ''Is your saint''s grandson that great?'' Oh, that''s great. Plus, when you''re with Leo, something''s going to happen. What do you mean? Elise tilted her head. ''Shelia, you know, her magic power has grown rapidly since she met you, Leo. That''s why little Rihanna said the same thing might happen to her. ''Yeah, Damien said that the reason for his rapid magical growth might be the necklace Leo-kun gave him, and little Rihanna was wearing the same thing. I understand. If the Emperor insists on it, it must be all right. You don''t trust me, do you? Well, we''ll see. And then I laughed. . about a month later. SIDE: Leons. It was early January, the entrance ceremony for the Imperial Primary School. It''s been a month since we found out Leena could go to school. This month was spent playing and training with Leena and Shelly. And now they''re going to school with Leena, saints and grandma in a carriage. By the way, there are no entrance exams, so we are very excited to enter the school for the first time. You''ll have to stay in the carriage for a while, and then you''ll arrive at the school surprisingly soon. "What? I''m already there. You''re going to have to go to school now, so it''s better to be close to it. ''Well, yes, but ...... You''re going to go here now~ But in two more years I''ll have to force myself into a dormitory, though. Oh, really? ''You''re definitely going to be in the dorms after your junior year,'' Well, it sounds like you''re having fun in the dorms, so I don''t mind. I think it''s going to be fun. You''re gonna learn a lot of things at this school for the next six years. Then grandma opened the door of the carriage. When she got out of the carriage, she saw a school as big as a university in a previous life. Wow! It''s big. Leena let out an involuntary gasp. Yeah. I''m looking forward to school. Look at the school you''ll be attending. then From now on you can see this view whenever you want, so don''t stop here, I''m going, both of you. And the saints called me. Yes? And we headed to the venue of the ceremony: ..... 38 Chapter 1-2 Person introduction Leons Forster. Gender : Male Attributes: nothing, creation magic comment Kuro Hair . Protagonist . I discovered that creation magic needs materials, so I used my magic power to raise the level of creation magic to make it useful. Because of the growth misanga (thanks to the growth misanga), he has become an extraordinary status. Shelia Vector. Gender : Female Attributes: water, water, lightning, ice, charm comment Silver Hair. Heroine . The love necklace that Leo made for her grew her magic and she became a great mage after Damien taught her magic. The mesmerizing magic is a cheat spell that will definitely work on Leo. Rihanna Abelard. Gender : Female Attributes: nothing, holy comment Blonde. Heroine. All of her family was killed when she was little and she doesn''t remember her parents and grandfather. Her talent for holy magic is so great that even the saint recognizes it. Damien Forster. Gender : Male Attributes: nothingness, lightning, shadow comment Blonde . The main character''s uncle, and in the author''s opinion, the second main character. He''s a commander of the Imperial Guard and is very strong with both sword and magic. He''s married to an apparent bachelor. Kara Forster. Gender : Female Attributes: ice comment Redhead. Mother of the protagonist. She''s a worrier, so when they announced Leo''s aptitude for magic, she couldn''t stop worrying. In fact, she''s the daughter of a duke. Diorch Forster. Gender : Male Attributes: None, flame comment Kuro Hair. Father of the protagonist. He''s a manly and general character. He has been close to the Emperor since he was a child. Kent Forster. Gender : Male Attributes: none comment Kuro Hair . The hero''s grandfather. A hero summoned to the kingdom from another world. He had a hard time with aptitude magic, and was worried about Leo, so he made him train in hell. Karina Forster. Gender : Female Attributes: nothingness, fire, plant, earth, water, wind comment Blonde. The protagonist''s grandmother . Her magic is very strong and her level is maxed out except for non-attribute magic. She too was actually a young lady growing up. Helena Forster. Gender : Female Attributes: lightning, water, wind Red Hair. Protagonist''s sister. She is a very high achiever. She loved her brother when she was little and was always attached to him, but recently she has been keeping it under control. Ivan Forster. Gender : Male Attributes: nothingness, fire, wind comment Red Hair . The protagonist''s oldest brother. He''s very manly and rough like his father. In fact, he''s a high achiever and got into witchcraft school on a recommendation. Alex Forster. Gender : Male Attributes: None, ice, water comment Kuro Hair . The protagonist''s second oldest brother. He''s very serious, just like Damien. Of course, he excels at school and is always at the top of his class. Sebastian. Gender : Male comment The Grey-Haired Steward. The head butler of the Forster family, who is always calm. He is very fond of Leo and loves to help him. Orton Vector. Gender : Male Attributes: nothingness, fire, lightning, wind comment The blond emperor. He had only been on the throne for five years and had just become king. The previous emperor was weak and died of disease. She loves Leo. Ashley Vector. Gender : Female Attributes: water, ice, wind comment Silver hair. The emperor''s wife. She was a commoner and not on good terms with her inner circle. She excelled in magic school. Formerly the Dark Lord (name unknown). Gender : Male Attributes: unknown comment He was the Demon King. His strength is unknown. I can''t even get Leo to take her seriously yet. He lives alone in the Devil''s forest. Allen McClane. Gender : Male Attributes: fire, lightning, ice comment Redhead. Damien''s rival. He goes bad just to play with Damien. The current leader of the ninja. Frank Baudelaire. Gender : Male Attributes: nothing, earth, metal comment Redhead. The protagonist''s cousin. He''s a sweetheart who helped calm me down when Russell was tangling with the protagonist. She became friends with Russell at a party. Selina Abelard. Gender : Female Attributes: nothing, holy comment The blonde. Leena''s grandmother. She is the world''s greatest holy wizard who once worked with heroes and mages to defeat the Witch King. And now he has fled our Empire in exile. Russell Philibert. Gender : Male Attributes: None, fire, lightning comment Blonde Hair . The chubby protagonist''s classmate. He''s a narcissist and an idiot. I think he''s going to do a lot of things in the future by Ricky (author). Elise Forster. Gender : Female Attributes: none, ice comment Silver Hair. Damien''s wife. She was a commoner, but she graduated top of her class from the wizardry school and rose to prominence. Damien was a senior at witchcraft school. 39 So far, Ive had a quiet talk. I met Leo for the first time when I was five years old. I''d just turned 5 years old. I remember when my dad and mom took me to the City of the Brave on their visit to the Demon Forest. The first time I saw Leo, he looked so grown up that he didn''t look at all like he was my age. So, the first time I talked to Leo, I tried my best to act like an adult by using honorific language. But when I actually talked to him, he was so easy to talk to that I stopped using honorifics right away. The first present I got from Leo was a beautiful necklace. This necklace has the ability to help my magic grow, and it has increased my magic level tremendously. It''s my most precious treasure that I now wear absolutely everywhere. And the first gift I gave Leo was a mithril necklace and the magic stone I put my magic into every day. With it, Leo used his creative magic to make a beautiful necklace. This necklace was amazing. I could talk to him from a distance. It made me so happy that I could hear Leo''s voice every day. The first time I got angry with him was when he went into the dungeon without telling me and I couldn''t telepathize for almost a month. I was so depressed that Leo hated me until Damien told me that he went to the dungeon. Then Damien-san taught me some magic to cheer me up. Damien''s practice was very hard for me. But I was looking forward to seeing Leo when he came back, and I did my best. When he came back, I was able to cast the spell until I was satisfied. Also, the first time I was worried about Leo was when Lena came. I was worried when I heard Leo was going to entertain the saint''s grandson. I just didn''t know why I was worried about what. And when I heard Leo happily telegraphing Lena''s story, I felt sad, as if my worries had been answered. I couldn''t bear the sadness, so I turned off the telepathic communication. The next day, I hid in bed instead of leaving the room. I think I was crying. But then someone came knocking at the door. At first I thought it was the maid who came to worry me, so I told her I didn''t want to talk to anyone right now and told her to leave. But Would you like to come over to my house now? I heard Leo''s voice. I hurriedly wiped my tears away and checked my face in the mirror before opening the door. "What are you doing here? That''s why I came to see Sherry. I think Leo is lying to me. Really? I stared at him. ''Ho, really? Well, um, I had to run some errands for my uncle, so I came along. Sure enough, Leo had another reason: .... ''Heh, I''m just along for the ride, aren''t I? I was so sad I couldn''t show it, but I was so sad. Leo came rushing over to apologize. ''''I''m sorry, and for that, please forgive me because the emperor gave me permission to take Shelly home. I wasn''t ready to forgive him, but I was going to go to Leo''s house anyway if I could. ''Well, I''ll go anyway, and then I''ll figure out if I''ll forgive you. Okay, I understand. Then I''ll be on my way. With that, I started walking in the direction of the carriage. Then I saw .... ''There''s no need for that,'' Then Leo grabbed my hand. I was so upset. What are you doing? And then I blushed . It''s embarrassing to remember now: .... And when I went to Leo''s house, I saw Leena. Leena has golden hair and is very beautiful. She seemed to be aware of me, so I decided to talk to her alone. Leena was the one who spoke first. When did Shelly first meet you, Leo? I don''t understand the question, but I answered honestly. "Well, I was five years old. So you''ve been friends for about three years now? Yeah, I do. Huh? What does Leena mean by that? then When the two of us came to the transition holding hands earlier, I happened to be watching from inside the house and Leo seemed to be having fun, and I have to admit, I was jealous of Shelly. I didn''t think it was a surprise to hear Leena say she was jealous Oh, yeah? I was jealous, too, when Leo seemed to enjoy talking about you in his telekinesis. I said honestly. ''Really? I''m glad to hear it. I have a feeling that I''m going to get along with Shelly. After saying that, Leena smiled happily. When I saw her smile, I felt like I was foolish for being jealous of her until now. It clears my mind that me and Leena are both on each other''s side. And I smiled back. That''s good to know. And what''s this telepathic thing you were talking about? Don''t they teach you? I thought you could do it because you have the same necklace as me. He said that, pointing to a necklace that looked just like mine. "You never told me. Then have Leo do it, because it''s faster to try it. And with that I opened the door: .... This is how I made my first girl friend. The next week, it was my eighth birthday. There was a party that afternoon. I had heard that Leo and Leena would be there, so I was really looking forward to the party. But when it started, I saw a fat man coming toward me. Your Highness, I''m a wonderful man. How would you like to be engaged? And then he said something incomprehensible. He said I was having trouble coping. Come on, man. You don''t want to do this. Leo stopped Debbie. Then he helped me stop the fat one. Behind him was a boy who didn''t know Lena. Leo introduced him to me, and he said his cousin, Frank. Frank was terrified, but he had a kind disposition. And as the three of us were talking, I heard an explosion at the back of the hall. I looked toward the explosion and saw Mr. Damien and a man I didn''t know fighting. Then, through the doorway, a group of all-black men came in. The group of black men, your father''s men, were fighting hard, but they were scared. Then Leo came in and held them. Calm down, all three of you. Your uncles will take care of things, and I''ll be there if anything goes wrong. He was trying to reassure us. I felt relieved for Leo, and I wasn''t afraid anymore. A short time later, just as the black group was beginning to die off. Leo is out of the blue. Why don''t the three of us move up to the wall? I said. I didn''t know why I was moving because I was about to win, but Leo was rushing me, so I moved. Then. The place we were just in exploded. Leo built a wall to protect us from the explosion, but I was horrified if we hadn''t moved. Then, this time, more people came over the wall, this time with weapons. I was so terrified that I was ready to die. ...... But Leo stepped forward to protect us. And then Leo pulled his sword out of the middle of nowhere and cut the air across. Then something flew lone in the direction of the cut and hit the line in front of the enemy. The people who were hit were blown away by the impact. This startled the enemy, and they stopped in their tracks. Then Leo makes the same attack again, just in time for the enemy to avoid being hit. Then Get the hell out of here, or I''ll do it for real this time. With that, Leo coolly held up his sword . This moment was the first time I really thought Leo was cool, and the moment I realized that I really liked him: ...... 40 Im going back to my parents house. The night before the first day of school, a month ago. I''ve got a visit to the Devil''s Forest in three days, and my dad wants to know if Leo and Lena can join me. Shelly invited me to visit the Devil''s Forest. (Come to think of it, this was the same time three years ago.) Is this Leo''s parents'' house? I want to go! Okay. I''ll tell your father. Yes, please. I haven''t had a bath in a while. (I''ve only been in it once, but I can''t get over how good it feels.) (Are hot springs really that pleasant?) (That''s a nice surprise when you get there.) (If you say so much, I''ll look forward to it.) And three days later. I left Imperial City in the Emperor''s carriage. There are two carriages and I''m riding in one with Sherry and Lina. Shelly and Leena haven''t been able to leave their home (castle) lately, so they are enjoying the view from the carriage. Maybe it''s because it''s a royal carriage, or maybe it''s just because it''s going so fast, but the carriage barely shakes at all. If we keep going at this speed, we''ll be there in less than a week. By the way, since the last party was attacked, there are not a lot of knights but special forces guarding this inspection. There was a suspicion that a knight was late on purpose at the last party, so they didn''t give him escort this time. And eight days later. We''re finally in the City of the Brave. Then Sherry looks out the window at the shopping district. It''s a busy town. Yeah. There''s a lot of good stuff for sale. I''d like to see what they have for sale later. Then Shelley asked me to do it. ''I''ll have to ask the Emperor about that: ....'' I gave him a troubled look. I''ll ask him later. Don''t expect too much. I don''t think he''d allow it, considering what happened before. And so on. Oh, here we are. You have a big house, Leo. It''s a duke''s house. I say, and I open the door. And I saw my mom and dad standing there. Welcome back. Leo. I''m home. And with that, we got out of the carriage. And out comes the Emperor and the Princess in the next carriage. Long time no see, Diork. It''s only been a month or so. Grandpa''s funeral was about a month ago. Well, don''t get hung up on the details. I''m surprised you even thought of taking a vacation this time. ''Is this about the last attack? We''re here because of the attack this time, remember? On vacation? There''s no way! The Emperor was loud and angry . ''''The inspection of the Demon Forest is an event that shows the Empire is safe both at home and abroad, so in a time like this, we have to do it even more: ..... I see. The emperor''s got a lot of work to do. Well then, let''s have lunch. Then, over lunch. What do you want to do now? I''ll go to the hot springs for now, though. ''Oh, I want to go shopping in that mall over there! Then you and Damien can hang out after the spa. The emperor gave his permission without any pretense of considering it. Yay! ''It''s easy to get permission to...'' Oh, come on, it''s okay: .... And the emperor. Well, I''m sure you''ll be fine, Leo. ''Really? I''m just a kid. I''m only eight years old. After what you did last time, you''re kind of an adult now, Leo. Oh, did I hear that Leo was active? My father will ask the Emperor. Yeah. You''re a huge help. ''That would have been nice to see: ....'' Mom gave me a disappointed look. Yeah, and Leo''s a nobleman now. It''s only temporary until I give you the land. But now you don''t have to worry about your future. I don''t think you need to worry about Leo''s future. Dad said, and everyone nodded in agreement. "Well, let''s go to the spa. Then we took a carriage ride to the hot springs. It''s been a long time since I''ve been to a hot spring, soothing to the body and soul. The hot springs were the best after all. And now I''m going to go shopping. So stay close to me, then. Pops has to be careful with us. ""Yes." The three of us replied. I''ll be off then. I walked down the shopping street. What''s that round brown thing? Quickly, Leena pointed to the stall and said. ''That''s .... It''s called takoyaki, and it''s the food that the brave man (dad) taught the previous owner of this store. It looks good. I''ll get it. I''ll buy you a Takoyaki. "Oh, it''s hot! They both put the hot takoyaki in their mouths and are very happy. It''s hot, but it''s delicious. Right? They come all the way from other countries for this. You came from another country looking for octopus balls? That''s as good as it gets. He finished his takoyaki right away. And as I walked down the shopping street What is that white thing this time? And Leena points again. It''s called ice cream, and it''s cold and sweet. That looks good. Leo, please. Uh-huh. I''m a natural buyer. I think some mesmerizing magic was used: ..... And I''m going to buy it. It''s cold! This is sweet. I ate the ice cream in a flash. And then some more. Now I want to eat what''s on that skewer. Uh-huh. My body has bought it on its own. This is definitely a mesmerizing spell. ..... It''s called yakitori, it has sauce and salt, and it''s delicious. The uncle looks at me and laughs as he introduces the yakitori. "It''s good too. I prefer salt. Yeah? I like the sauce. I like them both: .... So let''s move on to the next one, shall we? This is how the shopping street food tour continued. And the next day. Today you and your father have a week-long trip to the Devil''s Forest. So take care of things, okay? Yeah, okay. Well, I''m off. ""Have a good day." The farewell party is over. Now, let''s see what we can do: ..... I''d like to be taught non-attribute magic. ''Oh, that''s a good one, Damien-san couldn''t teach me the only non-attribute magic. Well, unattributed magic takes a long time to learn to do. It took me two months to perfect my technique. Really. So you''re going to help me get it right. Well, there''s nothing else to do, okay? Yeah, sure. So why don''t you get your clothes on and we''ll play in the yard. Then go out into the garden and start the non-attribute magic lecture. ''''Then try running with your magic as if you were strengthening your body. Yeah, I''ll try. We both try to run, but ..... Just like I did, you lose the momentum of your legs and fall. "It looks like you got your strength right. This is a tough one. It''s just a matter of practice. In the meantime, let''s try to run a lap around this house in a week while using non-attribute magic. Uh-huh. Just teach me how to do it. The trick is to figure out which parts of your body need to be strengthened. The trick is to figure out which parts of your body need to be strengthened, but not all of them, because you won''t improve. Yes? Then a week. Shelly and Leena fell down again and again, inch by inch, gaining more and more distance. And finally. One lap at last, that''s the goal! Shelley throws his hands up in the air as he finishes the job. I''m a little late. Yay, I made it through a lap too! And Lena made it to the finish line. You managed to make it in a week. Yeah, that was good. It''s a great accomplishment. Good, good. Okay, I''m going to take a bath and sweat it out, and then I''ll wait for my dad and the others to come home. Then I suggested that she take a bath. And then... Okay. So, why don''t you join us for a bath, Leo? Then Shelley said the most outrageous statement of all. ''What? Okay, you two should come in. Actually, this house is a mixed bath. My grandfather made the bathroom big enough for the family only. When guests are staying, we divide the time between them. Come on. Let''s go in. No way. ..... Even Leena. No, no, no. I try to say no. If you''re embarrassed, I''ll let you do this. This could be... Can we take a bath together? Yes, sir. I knew I''d used my charm magic: ..... And an hour later, we were greeted by the return of my parents. Huh? How was the bath? It''s .... Let''s just say that I got through it mindlessly: ..... 41 the first entrance ceremony Now, I''m at the entrance ceremony. When I arrived at the venue, I was shown to my seat by an attendant. The seats were arranged by class. It seemed we were in a class of one. And, to my delight, Sherry and Leena were in the same class. By the way, this school has three classes. They don''t change classes until the third grade, and then when you reach the fourth grade, you take a placement test and are divided into four classes: S, A, B, and C. After that, the students are divided into four classes (S, A, B, and C) and they are given an exam every six months until the end of the 6th grade. As long as all three of you always get good grades, you should be fine. And then the entrance ceremony began. Every seat in the hall was filled. There were about 25 students per class, and I think there were about 70-80 new students in total. After the ceremony began, the principal began to greet the students. The principal was fat and had a lonely look on his face. Maybe it''s to celebrate your entrance, or maybe it''s just because it''s a beautiful day today. Eh~ To all 73 students, Eh~ Congratulations on your enrollment. I''m sure you are all really looking forward to your school life. I have three requests for you guys. The first one is~~ Please find at least one thing you are good at. It doesn''t matter if it''s magic, swordsmanship or study or whatever you are good at, please find one thing you are good at. If you find something you are good at, you will naturally gain confidence and it will be useful in your future life. I''ll tell you what the second thing is. Oh!You''re freaking me out! I can''t wait for it to be over: ....... The principal''s story is so long. When the story is about to end, he always connects it all with a "huh". The story didn''t end at three. While I was thinking that, the student representative was about to speak. The student representative was the current student president and a 6th grade senior. First of all, congratulations on entering this school. My name is Bart Lefebvre, and I''m the student body president of the school. There is only one thing that I would like to see in your life at this school: work hard. Work hard. It is a waste of time to just look at other people with envy and not try to do anything. You have to make an effort to catch up with and overtake them. If you do so, the results will surely come to you. Lastly, if you have any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to ask us to help you. Unlike some principals, the student body president gave a concise and substantial speech. When he finished his speech, students, teachers and parents in the audience applauded in unison. There was a big difference from the principal''s speech. After the student representative speech, the new student representative speech was given. Every year, the representative is the student whose parents are of the highest noble class. This year it''s Sherry. Sherry takes the stage. You could see the tension in her face. "Our freshman representative, Shelia Vector, is here. First of all, thank you, Principal Burt, for this informative talk. I will keep their words in mind as I move forward in my school life. And to all the new students, I look forward to working with you. Let''s have a good school life together. Yeah, you didn''t bite your lip off. The audience erupted in applause. By the way, Sherry has been practicing for about a week now for this greeting. Leena and I have heard it so many times through telepathic communication that I''m pretty sure I could say it without looking at anything. After Sherry finished speaking, the ceremony was over and we were escorted to our classrooms. As I entered the classroom, I saw ...... Besides Sherry and Leena, there were a few other faces I recognized. ''Hey, Leo. It''s been a month. How are you, Frank? How are you doing? The guy who talked to me was Frank. I hadn''t seen Frank since Sherry''s birthday party. It''s nice to see so many people in your class. Yeah. I don''t want to be separated for three years. Yes. It''s true that if we weren''t in the same class, there''s a chance we''d have been separated for three years... Well, the emperor probably kept us the same for the class division anyway. Thinking about that. Have a seat. A loud, stocky man walked into the classroom. After making sure everyone was in their seats, the man stood at the podium and began to speak. "I''ll be your teacher for three years, Gil. I''m an ex-adventurer who will be teaching the boys swordsmanship. Feel free to come to me for anything you need. Yes, sir. Everyone in the classroom responds in unison. ''''Okay, Shelia, let''s take turns introducing ourselves. Ooh, introductions. At the start of school, you have to introduce yourself. Shelly was the first to be named, and she stood up and spoke to her classmates. "I''m Sherria. I''m Sheria. I''m hoping to get to know you all a little better. That was easier than I thought it would be. Can''t you put in a few more of your favorite things? Well, ...... I''m Frank. It''s nice to meet you. You''re shorter than Shelly! It''s my turn. Give me some time to think. "Leons. It''s nice if you call me Leo. I enjoy reading. Well, feel free to talk to me. It''s nice to meet you! Yeah. ...... Is this kind of thing okay? The classmates continued to introduce themselves, and then it was Leena''s turn. ''I''m Rihanna . I hope you''ll get to know me. It''s nice to meet you. Leena...... You had time to do more, so let''s do more: ....... After all, I''m the longest. ''Okay, you''re done . You should be able to talk to all of your classmates a little bit more from now on, since no one could remember everyone''s faces and names just by introducing themselves now. Yes, sir. So we''re breaking up for today. And with that, Dr. Gil left the room. Then the classmates get up and go to gather around Sherry: ....... What''s going on? I was watching my classmates. It''s a pleasure to work with you, Your Highness. or something like that My name is __________. Please make friends. And so on. If you can talk that much, you should have worked hard earlier. With that in mind, I looked around the classroom ...... to see a man other than Frank and Lina who was not interested in Sherry and was leaving. I think his name was Hermann. I''m just curious, so I''ll talk to him. Nice to meet you, Hermann, isn''t that right? Hi. Nice to meet you, Herman. Did I scare you? Why doesn''t Hermann go to Sherry''s? ''What? Was it the one you had to go to? No, I''m not. I''m just wondering why you''re not going. That''s because I''m not that interested in you, Princess. That''s a bit of a problem for me. Oh, really. And you don''t have to use honorific language as your classmate. That''s what I''ve been told: ...... I got a confused look on my face. Is that too much to ask? All right. Let''s just take it one step at a time. It''ll heal itself over time. Okay, I understand. Good luck in the future. Then he bowed. "Uh-huh. This is definitely not going to fix itself. Then I said goodbye to Hermann and turned to Shelly. Shelly was already looking tired. Can''t stop your classmate from trying to get to know Sherry? But the poor kid needs to be stopped. Come on, guys. It''s time to put an end to this. Shelly can''t go home even if she wanted to. ''Master Leo!Yes, I understand. Excuse me. One of the group said, and they all backed away from Shelley in a hurry. ''Thanks for the help,'' No, no, good job. So are you ready to go? Yes. And so the first day of school was over. In those days. Right now, there''s a meeting between the new homeroom teachers and the principal. "Eh~ Was there any problem as of today? The principal questioned the teachers. "We didn''t have a problem with it. And Dr. Gill. Yes, nothing. And a female teacher. I don''t have any classes. And a male teacher. They reported back to me in turn. That''s good to hear. I''m especially worried about the first group, since they''re the class that''s been called into question by the Emperor. Is it okay that the saint''s granddaughter came in on short notice? I didn''t have any problems with that either. Yeah, well, I''m sure Dr. Gil can handle it. Thank you. 42 CHAPTER II -- FIRST CLASS The day after the entrance ceremony Today is your first day of classes. Today we have three classes in the morning. After class, I heard there is a freshman welcome party. This new student welcome party is for fifth and sixth graders and new students. The purpose of the party is to learn from the seniors about school life, it said on the invitation. So it''s going to be a long day. Well then, I''m off! Bye. You both look good in your uniforms. The saint looked at us happily in our uniforms. ''Really?Thank you! As Leena said this, she looked around at the uniform she was wearing. You''ll be able to see that you don''t wear a uniform for the entrance ceremony, but today you''ll be going to school in uniform. It''s a red blazer, and I like it a lot. Yeah, you look great in it. Grandma was nodding her head, folding her arms. "Thank you. Okay, I''ll see you later. Yeah. Have a good time. Yes? I said and we got into the carriage. And when we got to the school, there were many students wearing our red uniforms. Yesterday it was matriculation day, so it was lonely at the entrance, but today it''s more crowded. I guess so. This is what school is like: ...... We walked into the classroom, hoping to catch a glimpse of the school atmosphere. "Princess!Why do you ignore me when I came all the way out here in the morning to greet you!This perfect man came all the way out here. I walked into the classroom and heard this voice . Apparently ...... next to Shelly, Chubby has been ranting all morning. The classmates who were crowded around Sherry yesterday have also moved away from her. Sherry didn''t look at them and ignored them. It''s always a pain in the ass. ''Oh come on, you''re in a different class, aren''t you?It''s about time for the doctor to arrive, so why don''t you get back? What?What does it matter what I do? That guy''s a real pain in the ass. He''s a real pain in the ass. "I hope this doesn''t bother you. I''m being a pain in the ass. ......? You think I''m bothering you?Be thankful! Is this guy stupid? Are you serious about that? ''I''m just saying what I think,'' Huh, I''m not talking to you: ....... It''s a real pain in the morning. "Okay, okay, let''s stop there. Hmm? What is it?Frank? You''ll look cooler if you shut up and go home like a man, and maybe you''ll be more popular. With that, Frank looked in Shelley''s direction. ''Oh, really?Then I''ll do it. Because I''m a manly man. He ran off happily. That''s tough luck. Yeah. Thanks for the help, Frank. You''re the Messiah. Yeah. You''re welcome. Thank you both. Frank, that''s great. No, that''s not true~ Frank was so embarrassed when Sherry complimented him. "Do you know if Frank is friends with that guy? Yeah. Because our parents were so close to each other, we used to hang out at parties a lot since we were little. So you listen to Frank a little bit. I see what you mean: ....... Come to think of it, my friend since I was little is ...... Sherry. We started out together because our parents were close to each other. I wonder if this is how nobles protect their faction from generation to generation: ....... It was a good morning. And then it''s time for class. Good morning!Everybody take a seat. A woman came into the classroom with a bright voice. ''''Well, I think I''d like to start learning to write now...'''' Apparently, the first period was reading and writing. Then we all imitated the teacher''s writing. This period was just free time for me, who can already read and write. Plus, I was third from the front where the teacher could see me, so I couldn''t sleep. I kept writing on the paper that the teacher gave me, and by the time the class was over, the paper was completely black. And so the letter class was over. And the next time. "Boys, you''re in fencing class, so step outside. And then Mr. Gil said to me that the boys went out. By the way, it looks like the girls are going to stay in the classroom for etiquette class. When we get outside, we''ll be asked to stand in line. "Since it''s your first class, I want you to have fun, but swordsmanship is very important for body building. So, I''m sorry. I''m gonna run. Some of you are gonna go, "Yeah," and some of you are gonna go, "Yeah. Okay, I''ll run up front and you''ll have to line up and follow me! And the teacher didn''t care and ran off. We had no choice but to follow the teacher. About ten minutes later, when the teacher stopped, everyone was breathing hard and looking tired. We were all sitting on the ground, tired. While we''re taking a break, I''ll show you something that will definitely make you want to do the sword so that everyone doesn''t hate this class. So, with that said, did Dr. Gil originally prepare He took a log that was some distance away and stood it some distance away from the others. Then he put his hand on his sword and held it up against the log. The moment you think ...... . . the log was cut diagonally. The doctor had drawn his sword. And then, with a thud, the top of the log was cut off. People who saw this don''t seem to have caught on to what happened. Hey, isn''t that great?If you guys train hard from now on, you might be able to do this as well. Everyone''s eyes light up when they hear that. "Oh, is that my plan working?Can you guys do your best from here on out? Then everyone nodded in agreement. Kids are so pure. ....... Yeah?I''m just a kid. Then I should be pure. Wow! You''re good. I wanna be like that. All right, well, we have some more time on our hands, so let''s just teach you how to pretend and get it over with. The teacher hands each one of them a wooden sword. "Well, I won''t tell you the details today, so just copy what I do. Then he held his sword at the ready and started to move it slowly. And they moved their swords by example. Then he repeated it several times. Now, you try that move by yourself. I''ll teach you the moves if you don''t understand. And then he went to the ones who couldn''t and started teaching them one by one. While I was pretending, I took a moment to look at my classmates. They are all doing their best, but their arms already look like they are having a hard time. At first I thought my grandfather was going to kill me too. With that in mind, I looked around at all of them and saw ...... one person who was in good shape and not yet tired. That person was Hermann. Herman was silently swinging his sword and was training hard. It''s amazing that an eight-year-old can do that much at the age of eight ...... (I forget that I''m eight years old) . I''ll ask him later if he''s always practicing. Then, about five minutes later, the teacher finished teaching the kids who couldn''t. That''s all for today. Good work, everybody. And ended the class. Everyone''s arms were getting really tired. They were shaking and rubbing their arms. And then I went over and talked to Hermann. "Hermann. Then he turned around, startled by a jolt. ''Isn''t it Master Leo?What''s going on? He was still talking to me, "Hey, how''s it going with this Leo guy? Who''s this Leo guy? Okay, sure. Then let me call you Master. ''What?Why? ''After seeing your demeanor earlier, I wanted you to be my apprentice. Swinging?I don''t remember being that serious in class, okay? What was I doing in class? ''I only saw him when he was imitating his teacher, but he was very lean and bare. ''Oh, I was definitely pretending to be serious at the time: ...... So make me your apprentice. I don''t know what that means. Yeah, but Hermann''s body language was pretty solid, so I don''t have to teach him anything. I meant that. Well, I''ll take the liberty of learning by heart. ''''Yeah - that''s fine then, but ...... come to think of it, when did Hellman start teaching you the sword?'''' Uh, about two years. Then I''ve been practicing since I was six years old. That''s longer than me: ....... ''Yes. . . but until two months ago, I was pretending all the time. That''s pretty spartan: "That''s pretty spartan: ...... Where is Hellman''s house? Home?The location is next to Forster territory. What?You''re next door? That''s right. Caroon is next door. Oh, I didn''t know that. Caroon. Later, when we get home, we''ll ask Grandma about the Caroons. ''The... .... Master? Herman was apologetic. "What''s up? Our next class is about to start. Oh, it''s true. We have to hurry! Oh, yeah. I lost track of time. We dashed to class. 43 CHAPTER III -- The Magic Class Third period is a magical lesson. Hermann and I were able to get into the classroom just as class was about to start. In the classroom, a slender man was already standing at the podium. "Well, since it looks like no one will be absent, let''s get started. Saying that, the teacher took out a lot of magic stones from the big bag he brought with him and handed some to the person in front of the first seat in a group . Gentlemen, please take one of these and give it to the person in the back. But please leave it on the desk as soon as you get it. They did as they said and took a magic stone and put it behind me. When I held the magic stone that was given to me, I felt a little uncomfortable. That strange feeling is ...... a little bit, but I feel as if this magic stone is absorbing my magic power. I''ll teach you how to use it later, so please don''t touch it now. The teacher was warning the boy who was touching the magic stone. I hurriedly put it on the desk. Then, after making sure everyone had put the magic stone on the desk, the teacher began to speak. "I''m Herondas and I''ll be teaching a lesson on magic. Thank you very much. After the greeting, the teacher magically made water for his hand. ''''This is water magic. To make it, you need two things. Can you guess what they are? And after a pause. ''Most people know you need magic. Then guess what the other one is?You over there? Uh, um, aptitude magic? The student who was pointed to answered unsurely. ''''Yes, aptitude magic. Without it, you can''t use magic in any way. For example, I don''t have the attribute of fire so I definitely can''t make fire. In this case, I had water magic, so I was able to make water. Aptitude magic is different for each person. For example, Princess, could you tell me what your attributes are? Well, he has no attributes and can use water, lightning, ice and charm magic. That''s great. So long, my dear. Now he pointed to Hermann . ''''Well, I''m .... Only unattributed magic. Herman said, looking down. Then. He had been so kind to me before, and then he changed. Oh, you poor thing, you must have a very dull life from now on. The doctor looked down at Herman. ''Wait!Why would you deny me life based on unattributed magic alone? I was so pissed off that I couldn''t help but protest to the teacher. ''You''re Mr. Leons, right?I''ve heard of you. He grinned disgustingly. "So what? Don''t you get it?Then I''ll tell you. Attribute free magic is junk magic. I''ve never seen anyone who can do non-attribute magic before. ''No, it''s not! There are people who can use it. In fact, not only me, but Sherry and Lina could use it. ''''Oh, was the brave one able to use it?It doesn''t matter. The brave men were special. Ordinary people can''t use them. No, I''m sure you can do it if you work hard. This guy really pisses me off: ....... ''Well, you can only hope so . Since the only attributes you have are non-attribute and creation magic, ...... you''d like to be able to use non-attribute magic that still has some hope. Yeah, yeah, poor thing. ...... How did you know that? Is my aptitude magic famous? ''What?Well known among the nobility. The Forster family is now incompetent. Is that what people are talking about? Incompetent? You''re incompetent: ...... If you call that incompetent, what''s competent about it: ....... "Oh, incompetence!Oh, sorry guys. The teacher looked at the students who were not following the conversation and returned to their original attitudes. ''''Okay, let me briefly explain what we''re talking about now . First of all, let''s talk about non-attribute magic, it is said to be a magic that strengthens the body, but most people can''t use it . So if you only have attributeless magic, give up on life. Then there''s creation magic . This is a unique skill and is rare, but it is said to be an incompetent magic because it can''t build anything . and Yeah, poor thing. The teacher looked at me and Hermann and said . (As my grandfather and dad said, the nobility really is a world where aptitude magic is all that matters.) I listened to what the teacher said and realized it. ''Well then, I''ll use the ones I just handed out, so please take them. The teacher is showing you the magic stone he just dealt you. "This is similar to a magic stone, but it''s a little different. This is a magical tool that has been modified from the magic stone to absorb magic power. ''''The more magic power you use, the more it grows. This magic tool is a tool to help you grow your magic power efficiently. And it''s easy to use. Hold it tightly. After saying that, the teacher grabbed the magic stone. The magic stone absorbed magic power little by little and began to shine. This magic tool is excellent; it stops absorbing magic power when it''s about to run out. So you don''t have to worry about getting sick. That''s a very useful magic tool. But it doesn''t look like your magic will grow that much if you use it for practice. Magic power only grows when it''s used up. Why don''t you all give it a try? With that command, the classmates gripped their magic tools tightly. ''''Anyone whose magic stone no longer changes color, please raise your hand . then Doctor, the color doesn''t change anymore. Herman raised his hand immediately. Oh, it doesn''t matter if you have less or more magic, so don''t worry about it. You have good attributes. You should work hard from now on, otherwise it would be a waste. The teacher didn''t care about Hermann and went to teach the other children. After that, the teacher changed her teaching style depending on her aptitude magic. How can you really be a teacher? After a while. Is there anyone else who is not finished yet? Plus, me, Sherry and Leena raised their hands. ''''Oh, well, well, well, you''re both very good. Great aptitude magic, lots of magic, and a lot of fun to be had. They seem to ignore me. ''''Well then, you two should try this one''s grimoire. A similar magical stone was given to them. They did as they were told and grabbed the magical tool. Then it began to absorb magic even faster than the magic stone before. But from their point of view, it was an insignificant amount. ''''Oh, what?It''s funny: .... Even I would end up absorbing magic power immediately if I used this magic stone. And then I started to worry about the doctor. ''Um, .... Are we done?And it''s a waste of time. Leena says coldly. I can see that. That was a lot of anger. Oh, yes. I''m fine. The teacher hurriedly returned them to their seats. ''''Well then, since it''s our first lesson, I''d like to show you my magic to get you interested in it. Then the doctor made water for his hand. . and . Gentlemen, you mustn''t move! The teacher pointed his hand toward the ceiling and let out a stream of water at the classroom. The water was pouring out so fast that it almost hit the ceiling. But you''ve just barely hit the ceiling when you change directions. The water is now accelerating toward one of your classmates. The classmate is too scared to move. And then, just before it hits. Yeah. You don''t have to move. The doctor said. And the water dodges at the last minute. Then the water. He passed through the students at great speed, changing direction many times, and Finally, he went back to the doctor. Then the doctor had it sprayed away so that it was a nice, clean spray. And then. To see how the class reacted. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your time today. And the teacher walked out of the classroom. As the teacher walked out of the classroom. The previously silent classroom was now boiling over. That was amazing. Do you think you''ll ever be able to do that? I''m looking forward to the magic lessons to come. etc., etc. Everyone is reacting the way the doctor intended. I''m sure the doctor must feel good in the hallway. 44 CHAPTER IV Welcome Party for Freshmen When the magic class is over and everyone in the class is ah-hazing about it. Herman. I was talking to Hermann. "What''s going on? ''Never mind what the doctor said,'' Anyway, I wanted to tell you this. Well, ...... which one is it? If you ask me, that teacher had a number of no-no''s for Hermann: ....... ''''It''s all about magic and unattributed magic,'''' ''Oh, then I''ve already given up on it, so don''t worry about it. I''m sure you''ve heard words like that teacher''s all this time: ....... So you don''t have to give up: ...... Unattributed magic is available at ...... I know attributeless magic can be used if you try hard enough. My father learned it from a brave man who taught him how to use attribute-free magic. What?Herman''s father was working with my grandfather? That''s not what I heard! ''Yes, my family was made a quasi-baronet by the merit of my father''s work for the brave men. Oh, I''ll ask grandma later. I see. But then why do you give up on something you know you can learn? Magic. Magic? Maybe you gave up because you''re low on magic? Yes, sir. I don''t have any magic at all. Really? "Yes. So I gave up. Yeah. How do I follow you: ....... I''m in trouble, so I''ll appraise you . Hermann Karoon Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Occupation : Apprentice Swordsman Strength: 6/6 Magic power: 1/1 Power: 8 Speed: 7 Luck: 20 Attributes: none skill Swordsmanship Lv.4 Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Sigil None It''s not much but ...... I''m not entirely devoid of magic. Oh, I shouldn''t have said that. What?How did you know that? Um, ...... sort of? Yeah, but there''s no such thing as ....... It''s okay. With a little magic, we can handle it. Is that so? Yeah. Anyway, come to my house today, after school. What?Are you sure? Yeah. Well, good luck with that. I''m looking forward to seeing you after school. It''s been a while since we invited Herman home. We''ve got a freshman welcome party coming up, so let''s head to the venue~ The teacher took us to the party. This school even has a party venue: ....... When we arrived at the venue, the upperclassmen were already there. When the other classes arrive, the student body president will start talking, so wait for that. A few moments later, the new students arrived in the hall. After confirming that everyone was present, the student council president began his opening speech. New students, how was your first class?There will be a lot of seniors at this party, so please don''t hesitate to ask them anything you want to know about their future school life. Let''s have fun! And so the party began. As the party began, the seniors gathered around Sherry. Surrounded by seniors taller than her, Sherry was confused and unable to do anything. Really, I know you want to sell yourself ...... but I think this is counterproductive. ....... When I was thinking about that, I thought about helping. Boys! Let''s not do that today. Mr. Chairman? There''s the president of the board. "Today is a party for first-years to have fun, and that''s why we can''t do this. Let''s have a conversation with the other juniors, shall we? Yes, sir. The seniors scattered at the direction of the chairman. I hurried over to Sherry, who was left alone. You okay? Uh-huh. Shelly nodded emphatically. ''I''m sorry I couldn''t help you, Shelly. And Lena came to see me. Don''t worry about it. I''m sorry. I should have been the first to warn you. I thought the Chairman had come to apologize for the visit. No, thank you for the help. Shelly bowed her head too. ''No way, sir, ...... you are ......, I believe it was Mr. Leons?'' The Chairman looked at me beside Shelly and guessed my name . ''Huh?How do you know my name? Oh, yeah. That''s ...... and I happened to see him at my entrance ceremony. Also, ...... the Forsters are famous. For some reason, the chairman''s bristles got worse. We were having that conversation. "That''s the Leonce Forster they say is incompetent? "I guess so. It''s the incompetent Leonce. ''How can a guy like that get along with the chairman and the princess? I was having a conversation with the chairman, and the seniors around me started talking behind my back. What are you saying? !" the Chairman tried to shout at the seniors around him. Oh, that''s how it works. You know what? Never mind. Can we continue, please? You can''t keep worrying about it all. Are you sure?Or more importantly, the rest of the story: ...... Oh, Leo. There you are. I looked in the direction the voice came from and saw my sister. Hey, Sis!What are you doing here? I came to see my brother in his uniform. In uniform? Yeah. Good for you. Hey, sir? Uh-huh. Yeah. The Chairman''s cracking up again. And he was looking away from her face. Oh~ That''s how it works. What is it, baby?Hey, Leo-kun? I was close to the chairman. Chairman, do you like your sister by any chance? I whispered in his ear. Then the Chairman blushed. No, it''s not! And an easy to understand response. SIDE: Helena. You''re Shelia and Rihanna? Leo and the seniors seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I decided to talk to them. ''''Ha, yes,'''' That''s cute ...... Do you guys like Leo? ''''Well, let''s see, .....'''' Nijin blushed and stammered. Yeah, it''s cute! It''s really pretty. ''Oh, thank you ....'' After this, Leo was teasing the Chairman and Helena was teasing Shelly and Leena . 45 CHAPTER V -- Invite Hermann I''m on my way home now, after the party. Leena''s in the carriage. "I''m tired of partying today, ''Oh, come to think of it, your sister used to love you a lot. ''Yes . . it was fun, but it was ...... a little embarrassing. ''Embarrassed?What the hell did they ask you? That''s a secret! Leena blushed and refused with all her might . ''''It''s a bit of an afterthought, but ...... I get it.'''' What on earth did they ask you: ....... I''m really curious. You seemed to be having a great time with the student council president, but what exactly did you talk about? It''s ...... about what the chairman likes about his sister, but it''s ....... "Well ...... it''s a secret ...... I''d feel bad for the chairman if I told you here. Besides, I''m not the kind of ungrateful person who lets out a secret about someone who helped me. Well, I guess that makes us even. Leena smiled happily. ''Yes. It''s both of us. I laughed. ''By the way, what are you going to do when you get home after this, Leo? After this?After this, we''ll do some magic training for our friends. I''m making a promise to Hermann. ''What?Where will you do it? I''m home. Have you made any friends yet that you can invite home? ''''Yeah. Hermann doesn''t have a lot of magic, but he''s an amazing swordsman, so I invited him to join us because I thought he''d definitely be stronger. If Hermann''s swordsmanship is combined with unattributed magic, he will definitely become stronger . Hermann-san is ...... bullied by that magic teacher ...... Leena''s face suddenly darkened. ''Yes. That teacher was awful. I don''t even know what aptitude magic is and I''m telling you that no-attribute magic can''t be used. I shudder to think of that teacher teaching me magic in the future. "I hate that teacher too!But that water magic technique was awesome, though. Shelly could have done that. If you simply manipulate the direction of the magic, it''s not particularly difficult. ''''Is that so?'''' Yeah, it''s just that if you''re not used to using it, you won''t be able to make all those fine movements. I knew Sherry was great. ''''Lina''s level of holy magic isn''t too different from Shelly''s, either. I think Leena''s level of holy magic is also extraordinary . I mean, how could she grow so fast on her own? That''s not really true. Leena put her hands in front of her and denied it. Again - my humility. Oh, I think we''re here. The carriage stopped. I got out of the carriage and found the grandmother and the saint waiting for me. Welcome home, you two. How did you have a good first lesson? It was fun. It was fun, but I couldn''t forgive Leo for being mocked for being ''incompetent'' in magic class and at the afternoon party. Leena said with a dark look on her face . ''That''s what happened to me: ...... The saint looked at me with a worried look on her face. But Grandma... This is the one thing that Leo will have to live with. I was very strict with him. ''You''re still so hard on your grandchildren. ''''It can''t be helped . We''re going to be discriminated against more and more because of aptitude magic, so we''ll just have to put up with it now. ''And besides, there''s actually a heavenly difference in ability between the guys saying that and the guys saying that, so why bother? Well, I don''t really think you''re incompetent. But you''re right. I''m not incompetent. No. I don''t mind. ''Okay, ...... just don''t keep it to yourself if you need help, talk to me about it. Okay. Oh, by the way, I''ve got some friends over at my house afterwards, but it''s okay, right? It''s okay to call them, but have you made any friends that you''ve gotten to know that well yet? Yeah, his name is Hermann Caroon. Grandmother''s face lit up when she heard that. "Isn''t that the second son of the Karoon family? ''You know the Caroons after all, don''t you? ''I don''t know what I know, the boy''s father was a man who worked for me and your grandfather. ''Really?I''ve heard that Hermann''s father was an apprentice of my grandfather''s. ''''Oh, by the way, your grandfather taught you unattributed magic: ...... I knew it! ''Gata is a good guy, but he''s always low to the ground on his old man ...... and he''s a serious guy. I see ...... Hermann is just like his father. Hmm?Does Leo already have the boy under his wing? That''s not what I meant: ...... It''s just that they''re respectful over there! Yeah, it''s just that Hermann won''t stop calling me "sir". Okay, well, you should always treat your friends well. Well, I guess you''ll just end up working for Leo. No, it''s not ....... ...... There''s no denying it: ....... A little while later, Hermann arrived home . ''Master!Thank you for having me here today. Herman bowed to me as soon as he stepped out of the carriage. "No, no, don''t be so formal, my friend. I knew you''d follow him. The words I was afraid to say from behind: ....... "Yeah, it can''t be that way. .... Yes, follow me. ....... "Oh, my dear mage!Nice to meet you, I''m Hermann Caroon. It''s my pleasure. I hope you and Leo can stay close to each other. Yes! So, take your time. Thank you. So why don''t we go to my room and practice our magic? Then he showed Hermann to his room. "And now I would like to begin our magic training. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for me today. Don''t worry about it, ''cause you''re my friend. And your friends: ...... Herman looked a little unconvinced, but he looked happy. ''Then let''s get started.'' Okay. But what do you do for magic training? I''ll tell you about it later. First, I''m gonna build you a secret tool. Saying that, I took out mithril and magic stones from a backpack at the end of the room. ''''Wow, that''s a beautiful mithril and magic stone . The mithril was bought, but the magic stone was something I poured my own magic power into. ''''What?Did your master make this very shining magic stone? Yeah, but if you''re this surprised, you''re in for a big surprise now, right? What could be more awesome than this: ...... What are you going to do now? Well, look. I think at this rate Hermann''s magic power won''t increase as much as it should. That''s why I''ve decided to use the magic item I made to increase her growth rate. It''s been a long time since I''ve made a full-fledged item: ....... While I was thinking about this, I was able to easily build the item I wanted. Hey, what happened to you? It''s magic. Magic?Ah!I see, Master can use creation magic. He looked at me with a satisfied look on his face, and then he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. Yes, I do. You''re a quick study. ''Because there''s no way my master is incompetent, so I''ve been thinking since class that he must be able to use creation magic. Oh, thank you. I knew Hermann was going to be a good friend. Is that a ...... bracelet? Yeah. But it''s not just a bracelet. ''What?It looks like a fine piece of art made of mithril: ...... What the hell kind of bracelet is that? Um, ....... I went ahead and tested the bracelet. The Armband of Loyalty. Accelerate the growth of magic As long as you are loyal to the creator of these bracelets. I don''t go into a state. 1.5 times faster Creator: Leons Forster Something''s wrong. If I tell Hermann what the second half of the story is about, he''s going to pledge his allegiance to me: ....... ''Master?'' "Uh, uh, .... It''s meant to stimulate your magical growth, so wear it as much as possible at all times. Okay, okay!...... Huh?Can I have it? Don''t mind me. You''ll do your best from now on. I smiled and gave him a bracelet. "Yes, sir!I will work hard from now on (to serve my master). Herman''s face tightened, and he made a motion as if he were receiving something from the Lord. Huh?I feel like the weight of ...... Hermann''s hard work is not the same as my hard work: ....... 46 CHAPTER VI Hermann SPECIAL TRAINING Now that Hermann has put on the loyalty bracelet, I''d like to start training him. Today I want you to get Herman to learn how to control magic before you leave. Once you learn to control magic, you''ll be able to train by yourself. All right, Hermann, let''s begin our magic training. ''Yes!It''s nice to meet you. First of all, I want to make sure that Hermann can feel his magic? Um, ....... Herman looked down and fell silent. ''You don''t have to be so downhearted. You can''t seem to feel it, can you? ...... Yes. I was just checking, so don''t be discouraged. Then I patted Hermann on the back. ...... Okay. Yeah, and don''t worry about it because I''m going to teach you now. Are you sure?Thank you! Oh, you''re back on your feet. No, no, no, don''t move for a second. Then I pointed my hand toward Herman. Okay. Herman jerked upright as a hand was held out to him. "Don''t be so nervous. Just relax. While talking about it, I''m looking for Hermann''s magic. I found it! It''s small, but it''s definitely there. I''m gonna try to move it around a little bit. How''s that?Did you feel anything? Yes, I felt something move in my belly button area. That''s good to know. That''s the magic. ''What?This is the magic ......? ''Yes, try your best to be aware of this and try to make it work. I''ll try! Hermann closed his eyes, perhaps to be aware of the magic . That''s a lot of concentration. ....... ...... After a moment . ''I''m sorry... I couldn''t do it. I knew it?Then I''ll move it around for a little while and you''ll get the hang of it somehow. Thank you. I''ll get it. Then I kept moving Hermann''s magic around. After a while of moving it around, I noticed that Hermann didn''t react in a weird way like Shelly did. Only Shelly could feel something? I''ll check it out next time: ....... And about 10 minutes later. ''Master, maybe I can do it now! I think Herman was onto something. Really?Try it then. Yes, sir. Herman replied and closed his eyes again. Then he felt Hermann''s magic move a little bit. ''Yay! You did it! So, here it is: ...... All right, now it''s just a matter of trying! What are you doing? It''s easy. Just keep the magic going. You''re going to keep moving it: ...... Yes, the more you move it around, the more magic you''ll gain. Really? Oh, they''re biting like crazy. Really. That''s entirely up to Hermann. I''ll do my best ...... depending on the effort. You''re very motivated. Yeah. My goal is to be able to move magical power throughout my body. Then I''ll move on to the next step when I can do that. The next step in the process... Yeah. Once you enter the next step, your magical power will grow very fast, so just look forward to it. Rapidly ...... I''m going to die trying! Oh, we''re behind you. I didn''t know ...... Hermann was serious about . Four Days Later ''Master!We''ve achieved our goal! When I arrived at school in the morning, Hermann came running up to me. "What?Are you kidding me?Because ...... it''s only four days, you know? ''It''s true!I did what my mentor told me to do, and I was willing to die for it. ''That ......?Did I tell you I''m going to die trying ......? I don''t remember that. ....... "Yes, she said it was up to you to try. How does that turn out to be a deadly endeavor: ...... No, you said ...... ''I''m going to die trying''. "I did my best. I have been moving my magic around for four days without sleeping. ''What?You haven''t slept a day since then? You''re really going to die! Yes. It''s for the magic. And Hermann ...... looked very tired. I''m sure that ...... has increased its magic power a lot, right? I appraised Hermann. Hermann Karoon Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Occupation : Apprentice Swordsman State: severe sleep deprivation Strength: 6/6 Magic power: 970/970 Power: 8 Speed: 7 x 1.5 (10.5) Luck: 20 Attributes: none skill Non-attribute magic Lv.1 Swordsmanship Lv.4 Magic control Lv.3 Title None Hey!Go home and sleep now! ''What a surprise, my magic power is now at 970! That''s an impressive amount in four days: ...... Yes, it''s a great accomplishment. Good for you. Okay, I''ll tell you about the next step the day after tomorrow. ''Huh?What are you doing today and tomorrow? Sleep!Now! Do you just want to sleep? Yeah. Resting up!If I don''t rest, I won''t be able to move on to the next step (step). Okay, I understand. Really ...... take care of your body. (2 days later) Hermann, you''ve been well rested, haven''t you? ''Of course!I would never break a master''s order. Yesterday and the day before yesterday, I slept all the way home from school. "Oh, yeah, ...... then I''ll show you the next step. There''s something scary about being too obedient: ....... ''Yes, nice to meet you.'' First, I''ll use this magic stone, which contains no magic whatsoever. Then he handed Hermann an empty grimoire. "What are you going to do with this magical stone? Pour your magic into this magical stone. What do you mean? ''In a nutshell, try transferring magic power from your hands to the magic stone using magic manipulation. I''ll give it a shot anyway. Herman grabbed the magic stone with both hands and closed his eyes. Some time later, ...... The magical stone flashed a little bit. ''Master!I''m ...... I''m ...... able to make the magic stone glow! Herman looked so happy. Yeah. I told you you could do it, didn''t I? ''Yes!If I continue to do this, will I be able to create an awesome radiant magic stone like my master? You can do it. You just have to work like crazy to get it right. I said, but it''s going to take years to get the same brilliance ...... that I do. ''I know you''re right ....... But I''m going to try and do my best! "Good luck with that ......, but no doing it without sleep. If you come to school tomorrow without sleep, I''ll be mad at you. Okay, I understand. Herman looked away. ''Do you really understand?I promise, okay? Yes. I promise. Then, when your magic power has increased to a certain degree, we''ll move on to the next step. Well, is there still a next step? Yes. You''ll have to wait until later to find out what it is. Okay, okay. I''ll do my best. So get some sleep, okay? Yeah, probably not. About a week later When I walked into the classroom in the morning. Master! Herman came running in. Hey, what''s going on? ''''Look at the amount of magic I''ve gained! Then Herman showed me his status card. ''Already?Isn''t it early? I got the card and checked it. Hermann Caroon, Lv.1 Age: 8 Race: Human race Occupation : Apprentice Swordsman Strength: 6/6 Magic power: 3820/3820 Power: 8 Speed: 7 x 1.5 (10.5) Luck: 20 Attributes: none skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. It''s a bad amount: ....... This means the loyalty bracelet is working, right? But this is ....... Hellman ...... did you sleep properly? Yes. Sure. ..... Really? I looked into Hermann''s face. Herman''s eyes swam. ''''Well, uh, ......, I was sleeping at least four hours a day! ''Haha - from now on, short sleep is no good! Yes, sir. "As a punishment, you''ll be taught the next step in a week''s time. Yes, please do something about it. Herman tried desperately to hold on. ''No!And I want you to get a good night''s sleep for the week. Otherwise, I''m not gonna tell you. I''ll know if you''re faking it, okay? I have a diagnosis. Okay, okay, I''ll go to ...... and get some sleep. This time I promise, okay? And a week later. As promised, it''s been a week and I''d like to share the next step (step) with you. I announced in the yard at home. ''At last. ...... What are you going to tell me now?'' Hermann was thrilled to be back to his normal, healthy body. ''It''s unattributed magic. ''What?Unattributed magic?! Yes, I learned to manipulate magic and increased my magical power so that I could acquire unattributed magic. Are you sure?That unattributed magic is mine: ...... He reacted as if to say he couldn''t believe it. ''I knew you''d be happy to get unattributed magic. Of course I''m happy. I''ve always dreamed of it. That''s good to hear. You can already do unattributed magic. Are you sure? Yeah. It''s just that you have to work hard to make it work. ''I''ll stand any test for attributeless magic. Yeah, Hermann''s going to be OK. Okay, you run like you''re strengthening yourself. Image ......? Herman tilted his head. ''To elaborate, ...... imagine moving the magic to where you want to enhance it and using it. Yeah - I''ll try it anyway. With that, Hermann takes off running. For a while, he continued to run at a normal speed. ....... Finally, he got the hang of it and was able to use non-attribute magic on his leg. And then the ...... herman falls down. "Hey, you got that attributeless magic right. ''What?Is that a success? ''It''s more of a use than a success, isn''t it?'' ''Well ...... but I think I''m getting the hang of it now. That''s good. Except, you can''t strengthen your whole body. Why? Why? You still thought it would be better to use it all over your body: ....... ''''The reason is that you''ll be wasting your magic power, and if you only strengthen where you need it, the enhancement will be stronger for that. ''Nah, I see. ......'' I told you you''d have to work hard to master it. ''''Yes, that''s right: ...... I''ve decided to spare no effort for unattributed magic. Herman clenched his fists. "Sleep tight, okay? Yes, of course. But Hermann won''t make eye contact with me. I can''t stand this one. ....... And the next day. Hellman also came to school looking sleep-deprived: ....... 47 (Xinjia) The new catapult The night I taught Hermann unattributed magic: ....... (It''s true that I''ve been having friends over to my house lately! And then Sherry reminded me. Yeah, but what''s up with that? (I want to play too!!!) (With that being said: ......) Tell the Emperor. (Because when I go to school, I can''t talk to Leo.) (Shelly is surrounded by so many people every day.) (Oh, can''t you do something about that ...... really tiring . (Oh my God, can someone please comfort me!) (Okay.) All right, but ...... will you get permission from His Majesty the Emperor?) Well, I heard it first. (Quintessential: ...... so?) He told me to call the castle, not go to Leo''s house. (Okay, so I should just go, right?) Then the emperor will probably give you permission. It''s easy for me to get there. Yes. Plus, your father said he''d talked to you about it before. Is that what the Emperor wants to talk about? Have I ever had to talk to the emperor about recent events~? Yeah. They found Leo''s house. (Oh, by the way, I was supposed to get that as a reward.) I think I was supposed to get it when I got the Baron . (So he wanted me to come over the next day off from school.) All right, I''ll be off next time. Well, I''ll be on my next day off. Yeah. I''ll be waiting for you. And the next holiday. Leena and I are heading to the castle. Speaking of which, Leo will have to live there when he gets a new house. ''Oh, come to think of it: ...... For me, it''s just easier to stay at home with my parents now! I miss having to leave Leo-kun. Yeah, I miss you too. Because you''re going to be alone. Are you sure?I''m so happy for you!I can''t wait to see what kind of house we get. It''s exciting. But how big is the Baron''s house? I think it''s bigger than most houses. It''s a nobleman''s house. Yeah. I''ll look forward to it: ...... In the midst of this conversation. The stuffed bear that Leena has on her lap looks familiar and I''m very curious about it. That stuffed animal is ...... This one?This is Marie, who was built by Leo-kun. ''Oh, by the way, I built it!How have you been doing? I remember. A healing bear I made a few months ago. And then that stuffed bear stood up. Yes. Master Leo, you''ve been well. He bowed to me. Oh, you should have moved. Oh, yes, I remember! Wasted fighting plush! You built it yourself and then forgot about it? No, I don''t think so: ...... Are you sure? Marie is my emotional healing. Then Leena hugged the stuffed bear. ''Looks like it. I''m sorry about this. "Yeah, yeah, don''t be sorry. Thank you for making that for me. I feel better knowing that Marie is here for me. ''What?Loneliness? I never imagined that the always cheerful Leena would feel so lonely. Is she going to be okay?I''m starting to worry: ....... ''Oh, it''s not a big deal. It''s just that I''ll miss my hometown occasionally. That''s true: ...... That''s right. How did I not realize that ....... I''m living away from the land I''m used to ...... of course I''m going to miss you. ''Oh, I''m fine!You don''t have to worry so much about it! ''Really?Come to think of it, what kind of place did Leena live in? I hadn''t heard about Leena''s hometown at all. ''Well, I lived with my grandmother in a place with lush greenery and a view of the ocean. ''What?Didn''t you live in the city? Because she''s a saint. Wouldn''t it be better to keep it in the center of the country? ''Yes . I did go to the capital a few times a year, though: ...... ''Oh, right. ...... Okay. I''ll take Leena home one day. It''s okay, ......, I can''t do it anymore anyway. Leena muttered with a dark look on her face . ''It''s not true!I promise I''ll take you with me. I''ve decided. I''m going to get you there. I''ve got the transference, so can you just hang on and keep going? I understand. You have my word. Lena smiled and said. ''Yes, I promise.'' Then they arrived at the castle and were shown to the room where the emperor was. In the room I was led to was the emperor, Shelly and Elise. Hi, Leo, good to see you. And it''s nice to meet you, Rihanna. The first thing the Emperor said was. "Long time no see. Hi. Nice to meet you. Leena seems nervous about her first emperor. Okay, let''s get on with the tour of Leo''s house. Elise, it''s a pleasure to meet you. I understand. In reply, Elise began to explain. ''First of all, the mansion I''m giving to Leo-kun was owned by the richest man in the Empire until ten years ago. ''What?That sounds great. But what happened to the millionaire? That person lives in a much larger mansion in the Imperial City. Oh, really. I thought you''d gone bankrupt or something. That''s not true. I''m still the richest man in the Empire. It sounds awesome that someone like that originally had a house. It''s great. Anyway, I''m going to go look at the house now. Now? I turned to Sherry. Because I had come here today to play with Shelly. And Sherry smiled at me. "Don''t worry about it. She asked me to come with you. You got a green light? Did the Emperor give you permission to do this? I turned to the Emperor in question. "I know you''ve been struggling at school lately. I felt badly for you if you didn''t let him have a break. With Elise with you, she won''t have to worry about you. I see. ...... Okay, we''ll be quick. Sherry was excited. ''All right, .......'' How are you? ....... ''Oh, wait, I''ll take Billy with me.'' She pointed to the stuffed animal Leena was holding and then she ran off. Then she stopped by Shelly''s room and got in the carriage. Shelly took good care of that stuffed animal: ...... I chuckled as I looked at Shelly, who was hugging her stuffed animal. "Of course I do. Being with Billy helps me heal. Yeah, right: ...... Come to think of it, you have those skills: ....... ''Do you have Marie and Berry to consult with you?'' Yeah, he''s on board. Yes, they''ll give you a ride. I see. ...... As well as Leena''s troubles. Even though Sherry is surrounded by so many people every day. Maybe it''s this stuffed animal that keeps me from hating school: ....... Really, all kinds of stuffed animals. Sorry I forgot. Sorry to interrupt you. What kind of stuffed animal is that?It looks so pretty, but is it really that great? Elise asked if our conversation was too much to worry about. "Yes, it was. Billy, go ahead and say hi. Shelly made the stuffed animal stand up. ''Hi, nice to meet you, I''m Billy, the princess''s personal counsellor. He introduced himself dutifully and bowed. "Ugh, did you move and talk? The usually calm Elise looked surprised. ''''It''s like a golem I created with my creation magic. ''''Well, it''s quintessential: ...... I''ve heard a lot of things about it, but when you see it in person, ...... creative magic is incredibly awesome.'''' Is that right? It''s embarrassing to be told that much: ....... ''Normally, golems can''t act this freely, or even talk to each other. Yeah, right: ...... ''Yes. ...... Oh, we''re almost there. Already? You''re closer to the castle than I thought. It''s about halfway between where I live and the castle. When we arrived and got out of the carriage, we found ....... There was a mansion there that couldn''t compete with the Duke''s house, but it was magnificent enough with a garden with a fountain . Moreover, the house is beautiful and looks great. ''''It''s much bigger than I thought it would be! Is the Baron''s house this big? That''s good. Come on, let''s go inside. Sherry just rushed us. Elise unlocks the house. She opens the door and looks in. There''s no furniture or anything else, so it has a lonely atmosphere, but the view from the entrance is fantastic. As you enter, there is a large staircase in front of the entrance, which leads to the second floor and a vaulted ceiling. The interior is decorated with elaborate carvings. This is amazing. This is the house of a millionaire. ''I can''t imagine moving to a new house after living in such an awesome house,'' The man now lives in an even more awesome house. How much money do you have? ...... ''''Yes. I''m in the business of selling magic tools, and most of the magic tools in this country are their products. That sounds like a lot of money: ...... Life in this world requires magic tools. It''s like appliances from a previous life. You can take that profit alone ....... ''''That''s why we can waste money like this ...... and waste time talking about this here, so let''s go check the room immediately. Then we went through the rooms one by one. This house isn''t just the front door, but every room is decorated in a luxurious manner. The most important is the large bathroom, which is too big for me to use by myself. How''s that?Do you like it? Yeah, I love it. I''m too good for that. That''s good to hear. This house is your house from tomorrow, Leo, so you can do what you want with it. Like it or not: ...... I started thinking about how I''d use the house: ....... 48 CHAPTER VIII SEARCHING MATERIALS Now I''m deep in the Demon Woods, near the Mountains of Death. To find out why we are in such a place, let''s go back in time a bit: ....... The night we got the house. I''ve been thinking about what to do with the house. What are we going to do with the house? Since we''ve been told we can do whatever we want with it, why not use it as a test bed for creative magic? And then I had an idea. Maybe I could use creation magic on an entire house: ....... But I thought that in order to use creation magic on the house, there must be a huge magical stone. So I thought of a place where I could get a large magical stone. I thought of that test dungeon ...... or the Devil''s Forest. If I had to choose between those two, I''d choose the evil forest. Because if I had to go through the dungeon again from the first floor, I''d have to miss a month of school. Besides, the demon king might be able to tell you where you can get good magic stones in the forest. You can get to the Lord of Evil''s place in a flash. And the next morning early. Bye. I said in a quiet voice, and then quietly left the house. Everyone was still sleeping, so I didn''t want to wake them. I left a piece of paper on my desk with directions and that I''d be home by the end of the day, so there''s nothing to worry about. As soon as I left my house, I took the transference and went to the devil king''s house. When I arrived at the Demon King''s house, I found ...... ''''Speaking of which, it''s nice to see you up so early in the morning, but the Demon King is still sleeping too: ...... Yeah, I forgot something important. ''It''s bad enough to wake you up, and I''ll come back to you once I get home. ...... I''ll use the transference to get home. That won''t be necessary. What? I looked at the direction the voice was coming from and I saw the Demon King. You''re awake. Yeah. I don''t need to sleep at all. What?Don''t demons ever sleep? I''m the only one who doesn''t have to sleep. ''What?Isn''t that ...... hard? I''m sure you''ll miss being the only one who can''t sleep: ....... ''I''m used to it . I''ve been living this life for a thousand years already. A thousand years?Are you really that alive? Is this man immortal? Yes. You''ve lived a long time, haven''t you? Uh-huh. You''ve lived a long time. You''re not wrong, though: ....... ''More importantly, you came to me today for something, didn''t you? Oh, that''s right. I just have one question. Where are the demons around here that have the biggest magical rocks? ''A large magical stone?Is there some kind of creative magic to build something big? Yeah, I''m remodeling the house. Well: ...... The demon lord pretended to think about something. "What''s the matter with you? No, nothing. There''s a large magical stone just ahead, and if you keep going straight, you''ll find a stray dragon. Kill it and use it. ''Dragons!Can I beat him? A dragon is a monster that no amount of hard work by Grandma and Grandpa can defeat. That won''t be a problem. Maybe. ...... He said there''s nothing scarier than that solution: ....... Well, it''s a straggle, so it''s not that strong. What''s a stray? A stray dragon is a dragon that has escaped after losing a pack competition. Dragons live in packs! Depending on the species, most of the dragons in those mountains live in packs. Then the demon king pointed to the Mountains of Death. "There are even more powerful dragons in a herd. ......Well, how did you manage to get over that mountain range? The demon king has crossed that mountain range and invaded the human world. Is that so?It''s easy when you''re my age, huh? ''Oh, yeah. ..... I wonder if the day will ever come when I will beat the Demon King: ....... I mean, did my grandfathers beat the monster in front of them? I''ll ask my grandma about it. Well, good luck killing a dragon or two. Yeah. I''m gonna go kill a dragon as hard as I can. I waved my hand in the air and decided to leave the Demon King''s house. Well, if we keep walking, we won''t be able to take it down today, so let''s just make some more items. I just remembered that it''s a hell of a lot of work to get around in the Devil''s Forest on foot. I had to find a way to get around. So I used a large branch nearby and a magical stone I was carrying around with me to create a spell. The result was ...... The Flying Magic Broom. A magical broom that anyone can fly over. This broom runs on magical power and the speed can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of magical power the pilot pours into it. (Note: This broom can only be used with magic control at Lv. 3 or higher. Creator: Leons Forster Pretty interesting stuff! The Flying Broomstick. ...... He really is a wizard. I''ll be off then. I was on a broom. Oh, yeah, come on next time. Oh. "All right. I''ll be stronger next time I see you. "That''ll be fun . Yes, ...... I''ll tell you a funny story if you beat me. Funny story? Yeah, it''s been a thousand years since I''ve been here. Oh, that sounds interesting. Just how many days does it take to talk about it? Yeah. Well, you should be able to win in ten years or so. Can you win in a decade or ...... decade? But will I peak at about that age? That''s up to you. Uh-huh. I suppose we''ll have to start with slaying dragons today. Yeah, I know. I''m going to take him down. I don''t feel like dragons are so important to me. Yeah. Good luck. Yeah. Well, I''ll be back next time! I took off on my broom. "I wonder if he could ...... he could kill me ...... or if he could ...... him. For the next few hours. I just flew in the direction I was told, looking for the dragon. I was able to learn to fly a broom very quickly. At first I struggled to hold on to it to keep it from falling off, but now I could fly freely. "Huh, I don''t see any dragons... Before I knew it, I found myself in a position where I could see the mountain range in a big way. If we don''t find it soon, we''ll have to go back to ...... and leave without the harvest. I can''t look for it across the day because I''m in school tomorrow: ....... But then again, it would be suicidal to go to the Mountains of Death. ''''What should I do~ Oh, by the way, maybe using Anna would make it easier to find them. Get Anna out of her backpack and take out her goggles. "Hey, can you find the stray dragon? A stray dragon?(Dragons are big enough to be seen from a distance, so I don''t think they''re around here. ''Yeah~ So you''re still ahead of us ......, can we make it today?'' (Then could you go full speed and fly in the direction the Demon King told you to go?(Because if I find a big reaction nearby, I''ll stop it. Can you do that?Copy that. I should have relied on Anna from the start. As soon as I could, I poured all my magic into my broom. Then the broom went into a tailspin. And then she was at full speed and with it came a huge wind pressure. If I didn''t have my goggles, I don''t think I could even open my eyes. Then I flew as fast as I could for what seemed like minutes. Master Leo, we''re about to encounter the dragon. (Please slow down.) I slowed down, like he said. ''I''m glad we''re going to be able to find them today - we wouldn''t have wasted so much time if we''d used Anna from the beginning. It was farther than I expected. The mountain looms before us now. (Thank you.) And how do you fight a dragon, even if it''s ...... a straggler? ''I don''t know what I''m going to do: ...... For now, I''m going to get off my broom and fight in full gear. I got off my broom and used my sky shoes to get up in the air. Then I pulled Elena and Serena out of my backpack. "Then it''s nice to meet you, you two. I haven''t seen you in combat in years. Yes, that''s right. We''ve missed you so much lately. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m going to use it in the fight against the dragons, so please forgive me. (Dragons?(That''s a pretty big one.) Can you fight a dragon?(I love you, Leo.) They were both happy to hear it was a dragon. Thank you. Well, take care of yourself. And I''ll run to where the dragons will be. Master Leo, I think I''m almost there. As Anna made the announcement, I saw a dragon flying in the distance. That''s a big one. If that''s a weak dragon, what kind of strength is a normal dragon? .... I lamented as I looked at the red dragon, which was about 15 meters long: ....... (It would be beautiful if it was dyed in that dragon''s blood ..... (Hmmm) ''Yes, but can you cut those scales off?'' (You don''t mind if you crudely bash me into those scales, do you?) Yeah, do you think dragons can be defeated by magic alone? (Oh! I''m sorry!(Use it however you want to be used.) Just kidding. I''ll think of something to fight about. I made sure the dragon didn''t see me coming and used the transference. The location was above the dragon. Then I fired a series of slashes at the dragon as hard as I could. When I finished flying the slashes, I checked the condition of the dragon: ....... "I knew there wasn''t a scratch on it. The scales aren''t hurt at all. And when the dragon noticed me, it swings its tail and attacks me. The speed of its tail is so fast. I panicked and used my transference to avoid the tail. ''''That''s dangerous~ Does magic work at least a little? I kept shooting a lot of magic at the dragon''s head . After a while, I stopped shooting magic and waited for the smoke to clear. ....... Flames came out of the smoke. ''''Whoa!'''' I hurriedly used the transference and as I moved away from the dragon I saw the dragon spitting fire. ''''How much damage hasn''t been dealt after attacking so much ...... I appraised the dragons. Red Dragon, Lv.156. Strength: 23180/24300 Magic power: 42,000 Power: 10120 Speed: 300 Luck: 30 Attributes: fire skill Fire Magic Lv. 7. Scales of Absolute Defense I see. ...... skills. This skill is ridiculous: ....... (Master Leo, try attacking the dragon''s wings.) Oh, yeah. Your feathers seem to be very soft. I approached the feather in transition and attacked with a slash at point-blank range. Then, just as I intended ...... the dragon''s feathers were easily snapped off. And then the wingless dragon fell headlong. The dragon fell from its back and, thanks to its scales, seemed to take little damage from the fall, but I noticed something. ''''Huh?Come to think of it, it looks like the ventral side doesn''t have scales. Apparently, you didn''t have to cut the wings off to take it down by attacking it from below. Fighting from above is a bad idea: ....... So you have to take it down before you can get up. I rushed over to the dragon, who was struggling to get up, and thrust my sword into his neck, cutting him with all my might. Zash. "Ggaaaaahhhh~ The giant dragon has run out of steam. Okay, now you''ve got what you want. Then I put the dragon''s carcass in my backpack (in my pocket): ....... 49 CHAPTER IX -- A LOT OF CREATIVES. The day after a successful dragon hunt. As soon as school was over, I went to my new house with Leena. "What did you do yesterday, Leo-kun, to go to this dangerous place called the Devil''s Forest? I''ll show you what I''m talking about. I proudly pulled the dead dragon out of my backpack and into the garden. Once again, it looks so big ....... ''Is this a dragon ......?I''ve never seen it before: ...... It''s big. Leena was overwhelmed by the size of the dragon. ''I wanted to use the materials from this dragon to remodel this house. That would be a hell of a thing to do. I guess I''ll just have to take it apart ...... and be done for the day. Then don''t worry about it. I''ve got this. Then he pulled out a demolition box. "What''s this big box? ''This is an item that will automatically dismantle the corpse of a demon. ''That''s great! ...... but the dragons aren''t going to get in, are they? That''s okay too. Watch. I was too big to hold it, so I put the dragon back in the backpack and then put it in the demolition box . ''''Now close the lid and wait five minutes, and it will automatically leave the material alone. That''s awesome: ...... That''s all I''ve said so far, isn''t it? ''Because it''s really great!It''s Leo-kun''s fault. Oh, me?I''m sorry. Yeah, sure. It''s been about five minutes since then. The lid of the wrecking ball is open. "Lid''s open, sir. Look in the box. Yeah, it''s okay, right? You needn''t worry so much about it. I''ll push Lena along to the demolition box. "If you''re worried about me, come look with me. Together we looked inside the box. Inside the box was a large amount of scales, carved dragon meat, dragon claws, and fine bones. ''Huh?What on earth is going on inside the box?The look of the box doesn''t match the amount of stuff in it... this: ...... ''This is a magic item, so the box is in a different space. ''I knew you were amazing, Leo-kun. ...... If you sell all of this, you''ll be able to play and live forever. Can you sell it for that much? I''ve never seen or heard of such a large dragon material. If it was on the market, it would fetch a very high price. Come to think of it, my grandfathers said you can''t slay a dragon either: ....... ''I''m not going to sell it because I''m going to use it for a lot of things, but if I''m in need of money, I''ll sell some of it.'' It would be awesome if Leo-kun could build an item using this material: ...... So, what are you going to build? That''s for fun. I''ve been thinking. Yeah, tell me about it. Leena puffed out her cheeks. ''Alright. First, I think I''ll use the dragon''s sturdy scales to build a golem out of it. Quickly, you''re the home security force, aren''t you? "Yeah. The dragon''s scales are so hard, I had a hard time killing it. So I thought a golem using this would be very strong. Maybe you can build a golem with absolute defense skills. The golem Leo-kun built the other day was strong enough, but you could make something even stronger ...... All right, well, I''ll put it together for you. He pulled out 20 magic stones from his backpack. ''''Wow! They all have an amazing radiance. They don''t shine any differently than the ones I''ve been working hard on for just one thing? ''Really?There''s still plenty of stock to go around: ...... I showed Leena a magic stone from my backpack. ''''That''s a great stock ......, Leo-kun''s magic power is bottomless. Yeah ...... I''ll give you that. My magic is no longer on a human level. ....... Okay, let''s build. First, lay out the scales on the ground. By the way, one dragon scale is big enough to make enough armor for one person! Then I used my creation magic to transform them into cool armor. As I expected, creation magic is amazing. Normally, these hard scales wouldn''t even be able to be made into armor. Saying that, Leena was tapping the armor with a conk. Surely, when it comes to processing this, the only way to process it is to cut it down a little bit and shape it or something like that: ....... ''''That''s what''s going to make it a golem now. I placed the magical stones on the armor one by one and used my creation magic. Then, as usual, it shone and was completed. "Wow, these golems are really cool. Yes. The finished golem is so cool, all red, all over! And then I''ll quickly appraise the golem. Red Golem soldier one. I can carry out orders to the letter. I can talk to you. You can exchange information with your friends. Anyway, it''s red and hard. Strength: 6,000 Magic Power: 2000 Power: 4000 Speed: 1000 skill Swordsmanship Lv.6 Fire magic Lv.5 Self-Restoration With 20 of these, it looks like I don''t have to worry about security . It''s just a shame that they don''t have the skills for absolute protection: ....... ''''You guys are going to be guarding this house. If anyone comes into the house that you think is suspicious, catch them without killing them as much as possible. Yes, sir. And the golems replied in unison Then I''ll give you the sword, and when I get it, you''ll pair up and start guarding the house. Yes, sir. Then I handed Mithril''s sword to each golem one by one. And the golems that were given to me did as they were told and began to act in pairs. "Ah, number one. "Yes, sir? I''ll give you an armband that you can use to talk to me, so if you need anything else, just call me on this. Then he gave her a telepathic bracelet. "Yes, sir. The first responds and starts his patrol. "There''s no need to worry about security now, is there? It''s more than enough, though. Too much is good enough for me. So let''s move on. What are you going to build next? I was thinking of remodeling the bathroom next. Would you like to take a bath? ''Yes, the baths we have now, you have to replace the magic tool every time you bathe. The house was owned by a former resident who owned a magic shop, so it''s a waste of space. So I''m going to build a bath that won''t need replacing. Let''s get to the bathroom. Now, do you want to modify it? I used my magical tools to fill the bathtub with hot water, and then quickly modified it as usual. I have other things I want to modify. We don''t have time for this. "Now, what have we got? You can always take a bath like ...... using the source of the water. It is effective in relieving fatigue, promoting magical recovery, improving health, and making the skin beautiful. Yeah, it''s like a spa. You mean the hot springs at Leo''s parents'' house? Yes, the hot springs are good for you. They have healing properties that can help relieve fatigue, promote magical recovery, improve health, and make your skin more beautiful. ...... The effect on your skin?Please let me go in on that one sometime! Lena, who is always so quiet, came up to me for the first time. Are you really that interested in the beauty benefits? Uh-huh. Next time. ...... Yay! You have my word! All right, I''m going to ...... about a bunch. Well then, I''d like to do the main event next for this one. The main event? Yeah. I went out of my way to slay a dragon yesterday just for this. What kind of thing would you go to such lengths to build? It''s about keeping this whole house at a comfortable temperature. Keeping warm? Oh, you don''t know what temperature is . ''Maintaining the temperature is, well, ...... usually feels hot or cold, doesn''t it?'' Yes, I can feel it. ''We''re going to do the inside of the house in such a way that it won''t be hot or cold,'' ''You can do that!That sounds awesome. Oh, I guess that explains it. So we need to pour a lot of magical energy into this magic stone first. And I took out a huge dragon''s huge magical stone. I took out a huge magical stone that I could barely hold with both hands. "Wow! It''s an extremely large magical stone. And it''s already shining. ''I guess so. I wonder if being a big demon allows you to store magic power in your own magic stone? ''Are you going to put more magic into this, Leo-kun? Yes. . this house is big, and I think there should be plenty of room for it. I can''t wait to see how much sparkle Leo-kun has poured into those magic stones. That might be fun for me too, since I haven''t really used my magic lately: ...... I''ll give it a go then. I started pouring all my energy into the magic stone. Then I looked at ...... and the magic stone''s brilliance grew. "Wow! It''s really beautiful! It''s beautiful. It seems like the bigger the magical stone, the faster it can pour its magic into it. He''s twice as fast as usual. ''''If it were me, if I were to pour my magic power in at this speed, I''d already be out of magic. ''I believe the amount of magical power is second to none. Then it''s been 30 minutes. I''m finally running out of magic~ It''s been a long time since I''ve used up all my magic. Good work. You''ve turned into an amazing brilliance. The gemstone is extraordinarily bright. It shines so brightly that if you put it in a dark room it would light up immediately. ''''That''s an amazing radiance. ...... It''s been too long since I''ve used all my magic power recently, I''m tired. ...... Oh, I''m tired. I''m tired. ...... Hmm?What''s going on, Lena? "Aids in recovering from fatigue and promoting magical powers. Oh, come on. No way. ...... Would you like me to take a bath with you? Do you veto .....? ''Don''t say that, I''ll go. I was so tired I couldn''t escape and the bath took me away. . interchangeable interchangeable Well, now that my magic has been restored, I''d like to begin today''s main event. Huh? How was the bath? It was a very nice bath. Moreover, it really accelerated my magic recovery. Thanks to that, I''ll be back to normal in about half an hour. What? "Hey, hey, what''s going on with you and Leena? Because? ......, right? Then I''d like to start remodeling the house. ''''This is a modification to be done using such an awesome magic stone, so it sounds awesome. Leena is standing excitedly next to me, her skin glowing. You''re right. What can I do with this much magic? With that question in mind, I used my creation magic on the entire house. ...... And the house began to glow fiercely. It''s too bright. It''s just so bright in here, I can''t keep my eyes open. Is this okay? Then, after closing my eyes for a while, ...... the house and the magic stone''s glow subsided with a snap. ''''Huh?Are you done?That was great. Success? No, the magic stone is still here. Yes, the magic stone should normally be gone. "What? So that was a mistake then? I''m not sure. I''ve appraised the house to make sure. House dungeon. The house has been converted into a dungeon, but due to the low level of its creator, it is still in its infancy. Its functions are limited to controlling the temperature in the dungeon, monitoring the dungeon using the dungeon core, and auto-repairing the dungeon. This dungeon can be rebuilt only once. Created by Leons Forster. It''s a bit of a tweak. You seem to have the temperature control you need for now. Really?Then you''ve succeeded! Yeah, it was good. Because if it had been a mistake, all that hard work yesterday might have been for nothing. I don''t want to spend another day in the Devil''s Forest looking for dragons. Good for you. So now that we''ve made it, shall we go home? Oh, it''s starting to get dark out. Grandma''s not gonna be happy if we''re late, so let''s go. The sun was turning red outside. It''s almost dinner. I''ll see you tomorrow. I used the transference to get home. ''Oh, by the way, I''ll teach Shelly about the baths later this evening. I thought I heard Leena talking to herself during the transition: ...... I''m sure it was my imagination. 50 CHAPTER X CONFIRMATION OF NEW HOUSE The day after I turned my house into a dungeon, albeit an immature one. I''ll be at my new house after school again. By the way, I told Leena that I won''t do anything interesting today and she''s waiting for me at home. And now I''m going to find out about our new house that was turned into a dungeon. First, I''m going to go back and evaluate the house just to make sure. House dungeon. The house has been converted into a dungeon, but due to the low level of its creator, it is still in its infancy. Its functions are limited to controlling the temperature in the dungeon, monitoring the dungeon using the dungeon core, and auto-repairing the dungeon. This dungeon can be rebuilt only once. Created by Leons Forster. That''s how immature you are.Am I the only one who thinks that? Originally, temperature control was enough to control the temperature, but now it has ...... monitoring and auto-repair. The temperature control and auto-healing are vaguely understandable, but the monitoring. The appraisal states that it uses a nucleus, but is the nucleus a large magical stone that was used to modify it? I''ll take out the magic stone and study it. But the magic stone doesn''t have anything written or audible on it. I don''t know what to do, so I evaluated the magic stone. Dungeon Core (Immature) You can monitor the dungeon. You can control the dungeon by moving the magic inside the magic stone. Created by Leons Forster ''Magic manipulation?Ah, there''s a lump of magic power in the magic stone. There was a round lump of magic inside the magical stone. At first, I moved the magic a little bit. Then the ...... lump of magic power was divided into many pieces and became many images. I don''t know where they are, but there are rooms, foyers, and many others such as hallways, bathrooms, and gardens. When you move the magic of the image you are interested in, the image is magnified. In the enlarged image, two red golems can be seen looking around in the garden. Then, as I watched for a while, I noticed something. Huh?Isn''t this footage chasing a golem? I didn''t notice it because the images were moving too naturally with the golem, but the images were moving. It seems to be a system that tracks things that interest me. ''This is so advanced and inexperienced: ...... What would the completed dungeon look like with this?'' Will the completed dungeon be like a trial dungeon? So the dungeons we have now were built by someone who could create magic a long time ago? Also, how high does the level of creation magic have to be to build a dungeon? Come to think of it, what''s my level now? It''s been a while since I''ve had a look at my status. Leons Forster Lv.205 Age: 8 Race: Human race Profession : Creator Strength: 974x100No_2078 (1461x100No_2078)/1461x100No_2078 Magic power: 921x100No_2079 / 921x100No_2079 Force: 526 x 100 No_2078 x 1.5 (789 x 100 No_2078) Speed: 607 x 100 No_2078 x 1.5 (913.5 x 100 No_2078) Luck: 1000 Attributes: nothingness, creation skill Appraisal Creation magic Lv.6 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.5 Mindlessness Lv.3 Swordsmanship Lv.8 Magical power sensing Lv.5 Martial Arts Lv.9 Titles The one who has memories of another world. wise man Dungeon of Trials Beginner It seems like the level only went up by one during the last dragon battle. As expected, the level doesn''t seem to go up too fast at this level. Also, your level of creative magic has risen too. Creative magic Lv.6. You can use magic to create things that you want to create using magic. The higher the level, the more you can build. The more materials you have, the more you can build. Lv.6...can create a potion (cannot create a potion that can revive a living creature). I think I''ve learned how to make a potion. Medicine or ....... Oh, by the way! Is it because of this that the I made yesterday has efficacy? And it says you can''t revive someone, but you can''t bring a dead person back to life: ....... Well, if you can bring them back to life at lvl 6, I''d be worried about what it would be like at higher levels. But it''s bad enough that you can build any other drug, right? This needs to include what kind of material we need, and we need to validate our potion making right away! I''d say, ....... I''m busy moving right now, so I''ll have to give it up for another time. So, now that I''ve confirmed what I want to know, I need to go home and do some other preparations: ....... That''s how I got home for the transition. I''m home. I say that and go into the house. And then... Oh, it''s good to see you''re finally home. Grandma came out from the back with a little grin. "Oh, is something wrong? Or rather, what do we have? Well, we''ll see when we get inside. Grandma walked back to her room, grinning again. "What do you mean? It''s kind of scary. ....... I have no idea what Grandma is hiding from me, so I went with her ...... anyway. And when I walked into the room . Long time no see. Leo, are you having a good time at school? ''What?Mom? Yes. That''s my mom. I saw my mom on the couch. What is she doing here? I can''t think of any ...... reason why at all. ''Of course it''s because you''re worried about Leo! Then she hugged me. "Hey!Huh? Don''t come hugging me all of a sudden. ...... And that''s it? Did you make any friends at school other than Shelia and Rihanna? Yeah, yeah. I''ll be there. Frank and Hermann are happy to talk to each other in class every day. "So, are they not being bullied about aptitude magic? Yeah, I''m totally fine: ...... I was just about to tell her it was okay, when she grabbed me by the shoulders and stared straight at me. You''re kidding me. What? You lied to me. No, it''s not. Speak up. I''ve already told little Rihanna the gist of it. No way, he knew about it before he heard it from me. So you wouldn''t believe me if I told you it was okay. ....... ''Well, ...... they said something like the creation magic is incompetent. ...... I had to be honest with her. Then she looked at me and her eyes were shining and she looked like she was going to start crying right now. Then she hugged me again, this time more tightly. I''m sorry that you had to go through that. ...... It''s okay to cry now, okay? I''m fine!I have some good friends, and I don''t care what they say! Yeah?But you can''t just hoard alone, you know?If you ever have an absolute bad day, talk to me or your grandmother about it, okay? Okay. I''ll talk to you if I need help. You promise? Yeah, I promise. Yeah ...... Is this what being a mother is all about? I originally knew there was a mother in my previous life, but I had no idea what she was like and what kind of person my mother was in my previous life, as my memories of relationships were erased. But I feel embarrassed to be hugged by my mom like this, but ...... what can I say .... It''s a heartwarming feeling. As I was thinking about this, your mother stopped hugging me and turned her body to face me. She turned around and saw Leena hiding in the corner. Apparently, she saw the exchange. What can I say: ..... It''s soooo embarrassing! But my mom. You''re coming with us, Rihanna. And spread his arms. Leena was told suddenly. Yeah, uh, well, I''m fine. He was puzzled. ''Don''t say that, okay?I told you to come over here. Mom called out for Leena with a gentle smile, and Leena came shyly up to her. Mom hugged Leena with me. ''I know you missed her too, Rihanna. ...... By the way, Leena''s mom was killed shortly after she was born: ....... I see ...... Leena was jealous of me and my mom. And as I said, even Leena, who was always cheerful, seemed to be lonely somewhere in her heart: ....... It''s not clear, but it looks like Leena is hugging her mother and crying. I think the mother''s presence is very important. I''ve been thinking about this as she held me. After a while, you can read ....... "It''s okay now. Thank you very much. ''What?Are we done? "Yes, sir. Thank you. Um. ...... Is your mother okay? "Um. ...... yes. Thank you, Mom. Yeah, he''s so cute! As she said this, she hugged Leena again. "You must continue to treat me as your mother. Yes, sir. Leena was shy, but somewhat happy to hear her mother''s words. ''Good.'' Mom patted Leena''s head and turned her head to me. "So let''s get down to business, shall we? ''What? The main point? Then what was it so far? Didn''t you say you came here because you were worried about me? Is it ...... time to look at those cute kids? Me-love time. ...... So, what''s the point? The main subject is ....... 51 CHAPTER XI -- My mom is amazing. The main subject is ...... about the maids and butlers and cooks you hire in your new house. ''Oh!Come to think of it, I hadn''t thought about that at all! Come to think of it, maybe I should have thought about this before I remodeled the house. It''s not easy to run that house by myself, right? If you make full use of your creation magic, you could make a golem out of everything: ....... It''s possible, but it''s still safer to have someone there to help you out. ''I knew you hadn''t thought of that. Well, that''s why I''m here! Mom puffed out her chest, ahem. "Thank you. So, how do I hire you? Will they put a sign up somewhere? What are we going to do? Don''t worry about that either. I''ve got good people with me. ''What? From where? It''s from home. Your parents'' house? From home?But if you bring him to me, won''t you need more people over there? Sure, my parents have lots of maids and butlers, but the house itself is big enough for that. That''s okay, too. We only brought one of each from our home, and we can hire new ones for the shortage. ''So you''re saying that the three of you will come from your parents'' house and hire the shortfall?'' Yeah. You should see the three of us anyway. And with that, she walked out of the room. And then she came right back. He took three people with him. There was a woman in a maid''s outfit, and two men dressed as a butler and a cook. "Now, you three should introduce yourselves. "Well, then, I''ll take it from me, my name is Amelie. I''m going to be head maid for Master Leo from now on. It was a woman in a maid''s uniform who first began to introduce herself. She''s short, and more pretty than pretty, I think. Her hair was short and brown-haired. "Do you remember Amelie? What? I know about Amelie? That''s right, too: ...... We were in the same house. No. ...... I don''t remember any of that because I was so into magic and witchcraft back then. ....... ''When you were a little girl, Amelie took care of you, you know? If you ask me, you might have seen it: ....... ''Hmmm, oh!He''s the one who worked his magic to cleanse my body. Yes, you''re the first person to show me magic! I miss it - when I was a baby, he used to clean me up every day with magic . Come to think of it, what kind of magic is that? ''Oh, you''re right, but ...... was that close to you when you were that little and that''s all you remember?It''s terrible! That''s certainly terrible: ....... ''Um, ...... sorry.'' ''Well, okay, but I''ve been reading to him and answering his other questions, too! ''Yeah, oh, by the way, I''m sorry ....... I''m pretty sure it was Amelie who had been following me around and keeping an eye on me since I was crawling. I heard she was reading to me, too, but at the time, my attention was completely focused on the magical information: ....... I just didn''t realize that Amelie was a big help to me, and she was a big help to me. And I don''t even remember her name, it''s just too bad I can''t remember her name. Okay, now let''s see, Eric, please. Yes, sir. Master Leo, this is Eric, who will now serve as Master Steward under Leo. It will be a pleasure to work with you. Mr. Eric gave a beautiful bow when he said that . ''Mr. Eric has silver hair and is one of the most refreshingly handsome men I''ve ever seen. ''Eric is Sebastian''s son. He''s been trained as a gifted butler since he was a little boy, so he''s a great help to me. Huh?Really? Sebastian''s son! Eric, you don''t look like Sebastian at all! ''Yes, yes . My father wanted to work for Leo so badly, but with him gone, there would be no one to lead the house, so he left me in charge, even though I couldn''t take his place. And I''ve often been told that I''m not like my father. Well, Sebastian wanted to go, and his son is following in his footsteps. And, I guess Eric isn''t so much like his father. Eric is going to be just as dependable as Sebastian is. I look forward to working with you. Thank you for the kind words. It''s nice to meet you too. Yeah, it''s kind of like Sebastian''s move. Well, I''ll let you finish up, Sam. "I''m Sam. I''d like to be a cook for Master Leo. My favorite thing to do is eat. Sam had a convincing belly that his favorite thing to do was to eat. To put it straight, he was fat. Well, he''s a chef, apparently. Sam is an apprentice of our head chef and a surefire candidate to be our next head chef. But this time I brought him here because he insisted on going to Leo''s. ''What? How could someone that great come to me? It would definitely pay better to be the head chef at my parents'' house, right? Why are you with me, really? My chef''s instincts tell me that if you stay close to Master Leo, you''ll always come up with something delicious. What''s your hunch? They''re trying to tap into any food memories I may have of my previous life. Oh, yeah, I''ll think of something. Having said that, I''m not sure I could come up with anything better than what my grandpa came up with, okay? I''ll have to check my memory next time to see if I can remember any good food or wash it down: ....... ''Hmm, and I''ve already recruited three of my men. Already? Yes. But I was on my way over today. Thanks for everything. If my mom hadn''t helped me out, I can only see a future where it''s just me and my golem living in that big house. ....... ''You don''t have to thank me. You can''t do that with just your kids. It''s certainly not going to happen. I didn''t know it was so hard to live in a nobleman''s house. I know. There''s plenty more where that came from. I''m gonna have to recruit a gatekeeper tomorrow. Oh, he''ll be fine. I''ve already had the house guarded. ''What?Who do you have guarding you? It''s a golem. "Golem? Yes, the house is guarded by a golem, too. ''Was this house ...... all those people in that armor were golems?'' That''s right. I made the Mithril armor with my creation magic. ''I''d heard that Leo''s creation magic was awesome: ....... I didn''t realize it would be this awesome. ''Really?By the way, my new home is guarded by red golem soldiers with dragon scales. "[D]oodles of dragons? Amelie and Sam, who had been quiet until now, were so surprised that they seemed to have lost their voice along with their mother . Eric, as usual with Sebastian''s son, didn''t say it out loud, but he still looked surprised. And I don''t know why I saw Sam licking his tongue after he was surprised, but I didn''t know why. I''m not going to pretend that I didn''t see it! ''I wanted some materials for my last break, so I took down a stray dragon in the Demon Forest. Did you ...... go to the Devil''s Forest alone? Huh?You''re acting strangely, Mom. Yeah, why not? Then you know what the Devil''s Forest is like? ''''Um, ...... a place where even an A-level adventurer would have a hard time coming back alive?'''' You know what you''re doing. Yeah, I know this one. Holy shit. Do you need a little lesson? "Well, ......, I don''t think you need ....... I knew you''d need it. My mom''s eyes glazed over. ''Hi, I need it.'' Then he lectured me for an hour . ''''The Demon Forest is a place where even adults can''t return alive, and no matter how strong you are, you''re still a child, there''s no way you''re going to enter the Demon Forest!I can''t sleep because I''m going to be so worried about Leo now that I know something like that has happened. Here''s a summary of a sermon that lasted an hour: ....... Finally, I promised her that I would never go to the Devil''s Forest again until I was an adult, and she finally forgave me . Well, it was a valuable hour of learning how scary my mother was: ....... 52 CHAPTER XII EXCLUSIVE Maiden It''s only been a month and a little over a month since Mom came. It''s been a busy day since then. I bought a lot of stuff for our new house. We bought furniture, household items, dishes, etc. ....... The furniture arrived a month after we ordered it. Isn''t a month to do it by hand? Sure, it''s early, right?I mean, but do otherworldly craftsmen have any special skills or abilities? I''ll ask someone else next time. And today is the day to meet the maids, butlers, and cooks that you are looking for. Why today? Because Amelie and Eric were busy with interviews until yesterday. The number of applications was much higher than they had asked for, and it took them a long time to choose: ....... What''s so attractive about being a servant of a baronial family? I can''t help but think about that, but rather than a baron, the Forster family was apparently very popular. The brave man is so popular in this country and this world that it''s a great honor to be able to work in his family. My grandfather is awesome after all! As for the cook, it seems that Sam made his decision on the hiring after just a short interview and it''s already been decided. That''s what I''m talking about: ....... So our maids, butlers and cooks are all excellent people. I can''t wait to see what they are like: ....... As soon as school was over, I headed to our new house. And when I entered the house, I heard ....... "Welcome home, Master. There were maids and butlers lined up nicely . What can I say, ...... I''m so embarrassed! How about I run away for a while? I mean, can you do this every day? And how do you get all the voices together from the first day on the job: ....... It''s just that they''re an elite group of people who''ve beaten the odds and won the high multiplier. "Well, ...... I''m Leons Forster. Please take care of the house from now on. I said hello to the maids to prevent them from licking me. Then they looked at me and were surprised at my reaction. Huh?What did I do wrong? Yeah - did we greet each other differently? I shot a questioning look at Amelie, and I couldn''t understand why. Then. ''Hmmm, everyone is just surprised at how polite Leo-sama is. Miss Amelie laughed and told me. ''What?Am I being too polite now? Oh, no need to worry about it. It''s just that most of the maids and butlers here have worked for other nobles at one time or another. It sounds like the other nobles were more pompous than they said: ....... ''''Then I''ll stay on,'''' It''s not like I''m going to get anything out of it by acting all high and mighty. It''s much appreciated, as a maid. Now, let me tell you what I''m going to do. Yeah, nice to meet you. Now that you mention it, you never told me what we''re doing today. ''Yes, sir . As for today''s schedule, Master Leo said that after explaining about the exclusive maid, Sam has something he wants to talk to you about, so please take care of it. Uh-huh? Your personal maid? Is that what Sam wanted to talk about? ''Well then, since there''s no point in sitting here talking about it, please come to this room. I''m going through my head, ''? I walked into the room I was led to. "So, ...... what is an exclusive maid? Aren''t all the maids here my personal maids? ''It''s a maid like me when Master Leo was little. Oh, you mean the maid who keeps an eye on me all the time? Yes, ''What?But don''t we need it anymore? I''m not at the age where I need to be taken care of all the time, okay? ''No, you don''t, sir.It''s absolutely necessary for the head of the house, and Leo-sama will need it even if he''s about to enter the dormitory, right? Really? I can still understand why the head of a noble family would need to be in the ...... school dormitory . ''''Yes, I''m sure Master Leo won''t have a problem, but do you think another nobleman''s son will be able to take care of himself all by himself?'''' Yeah, I don''t know. Isn''t that what the dorms are for, to learn those things in the first place? ''In some of the worst houses, people can''t even wear clothes without a maid to dress them. Yeah, right: ...... Are you kidding me?But then, it''s going to be a matter of life and death if you don''t take a maid with you: ....... ''''Well, the lower nobles can''t afford to take their maids to the dormitory, so it''s optional. I see. ...... So, I''m Master Leo''s personal maid... ...... ''Oh, speaking of which, what are you going to do?Will Miss Amelie do it for you? No, I''m the head maid. I can''t work at the school away from home. ''Yes, ...... and what does my personal maid look like?'' I''ll go get him now. Uh-huh. You''re the maid who''s going to be by my side from now on: ....... I''m kind of nervous ....... Then, a little while later, Amelie brought in a girl. "This is Belle, who will be Master Leo''s personal maid. Yo, nice to meet you! I gasped at the maid who greeted me with a waddle. Because ...... the maid who was introduced to me has beast ears (dog ears)! If you look closely, there''s a tail, too: ....... That means this kid is ...... some famous beastie! ''Master Leo, you shouldn''t stare at a girl so much,'' Oh, I''m sorry. I noticed when he told me that I had been quietly watching him for a long time, and he was terrified of me. But I''m glad to see that Leo-sama seems to like it. It was worth the effort to find out. ''What?What did you find out? It''s about what kind of maid Master Leo prefers. "I don''t know what that is, either! What do I have to look up to find out? Maybe you have more sophisticated appraisal skills than I do? ''''I didn''t understand it at all either, but the head maidservant at the mage master''s place told me that the heroes liked the beastmen''s personal maids very much, so Leo-kun, who looks like the heroes, must like the beastmen too. ''What?Do we have a beastly maid in our house? If I recall, they were all human beings in the house, weren''t they? The man retired about ten years before Master Leo was born. ''Oh yeah - I''m just like my grandpa: ......'' Sure, my grandpa from a previous life might get excited when he sees a beastly man, just like me: ....... I want to touch those beast ears later. Yes, maybe Leo-sama will be a hero someday. Hero or ....... May no incident or disaster befall me that would make me a hero. Thank you. And thank you, Belle, for your continued support. ''Yes, sir!Yo, nice to meet you. I knew it was wacky . He''s cute. ....... Yeah. How old is Belle? You don''t look like an adult, do you? "Um, ...... I''m ten years old. ''What?You''re almost as good as me. Is it safe to work? ''Don''t worry about that either. You can work in this country from the age of ten, and I''ll train you to be a perfect maid by the time Master Leo gets into the dormitory. Yeah, yeah. Well, nice to meet you. Well, you have two more years to go, so you don''t have to worry about it: ....... ''Yes, sir. Well then, now that we''ve gone through the whole briefing, you can go to Sam''s place. Uh-huh. What''s the story, really? I don''t know why I was licking my tongue the other day. ....... Then I walked into the kitchen, suppressing my anxiety. ''Here I am, Sam,'' Oh, Master Leo. Thank you for coming. I was cooking with my guys when Sam found my voice and came over to me. "So, so, ...... what did you want to talk to me about? I''m going to ask the question with trepidation. Let me get straight to the point. Please, please, let me cook dragon meat! And then Sam asked me for a lifetime of favors. Dragon meat? ''What?What does that mean?Then I''ll give you a lot of them next time you come. I didn''t know what to do with it, and I was wondering what to do with it, because I have so much of it. Apparently, the last time you licked your tongue it wasn''t me, it was dragon meat . You should have told me right away if that was the case: ....... ''Ho, really?I''m going to serve Leo-sama for the rest of my life! Oh, thank you. I knew it was a lifetime request. Is dragon meat that good? Then I''ll be serving the best dragon food at my next housewarming party! ''Come to think of it, there was a party like that: ...... Yeah, I''ll look forward to the dragon''s food. There''s been a lot of parties lately. Yes. I''m going to serve you the food of my culinary life, so look forward to it! Uh-huh. I''ll look forward to it. There''s something about Sam''s spirit that scares me: ....... 53 CHAPTER XIII MOVABLE PARTY It''s been about two weeks since I hired a maid, a butler, and a cook. The maid and butler have been training new employees and the cook has been studying dragon cuisine. The maids and butlers'' training went well, as they were all excellent. However, Amelie''s training of Belle''s personal maids will still take some time. Apparently, Belle was chosen without considering the skills of a maid, just because she was my favorite. Perhaps because of this, Belle is always nervous because of her unfamiliarity with the job, and she always makes mistakes. For me, it''s fine because she''s cute to look at, but for Amelie, it was harder than she thought she would be able to do her job, so she was puzzled. Well, we have two years to go, so I guess we''ll figure it out. But still, I can''t wait to get those ears: ....... Oops, I shouldn''t have done that. Oh, and the cook''s research into dragon cooking was amazing. You know what was great? That''s because the cooks have already united under Mr. Sam! I recently went to the kitchen to check on Sam and he said: ....... "Mr. Sam, what''s going on with the dragon?Fry up some vegetables, over there!See, don''t lean back!'' ''Yes!I''ll take care of this one, just take care of this one. Okay. All right, you cut the dragons. When the cooks received Sam-san''s instructions, they gave each other instructions, and they were cooking briskly with great coordination. ''''That''s the pace . Keep it up, everyone here is aiming for the ultimate dragon dish!Got it?! Yes! I feel like I''m watching a scene from a hot sports cartoon . But it''s awesome that Sam got this group of people together just for an interview: ....... And the ultimate in dragon cooking: ...... I''ll look forward to it. I didn''t want to interrupt the cooking, so I left the kitchen. So I''m finally ready to move in, and today I''m moving in. We''re going to have a housewarming party today. It''s just a small party for my relatives and friends. Apparently there''s no need for a big celebration like the Duke''s since this is a lower class''s move in. I''m so happy that we won''t have to deal with so many nobles like we did at my eight-year-old''s birthday party! So, today''s participants are Mom, Grandma, Saint, Leena, Uncle, Elise, and Sherry. Surprisingly, Sherry was able to come to the party because the emperor kept nagging her to go and she had no choice but to let him. I''m sure Sherry was quite gossipy: ....... And now they are all together in their new home, where they are about to eat Sam''s food. Well, thank you for coming all the way out here for me today. Please enjoy our signature dish from now on. I thanked them and the maids began to put the food on the table. Various dishes were laid out, but my eyes kept going back to the meat dishes. It may look like an ordinary meat dish, but this is a dish Sam really made with dragon meat. I''m going to take a bite of the meat. "Yummy! Oh, I couldn''t help myself . But this feeling of this meat melting in my mouth the moment it enters my mouth: ...... It''s really good! Oh, come on, you''re going to pat yourself on the back for serving yourself? My uncle looked at me and laughed. ''No, no, no, Uncle!You should try this meat dish first! Uh-huh. The uncle was a little confused at my insistence, but he brought the meat to his mouth. Then he got a straight face and said, "What is this meat? "What is this meat? ...... I couldn''t believe it," he muttered. "What is it, Damien? Mom, just try it. Grandma did as Damien asked and took a bite of the meat. It''s amazing: ...... What kind of meat is this? Huh?Do I have to tell you? Uh, ...... It''s a dragon. ???? I didn''t want to do that because it would be ...... . Say something! No, no, no, no. Where did you get the dragons? ''Listen to me, Mr Damien!Leo, you went to the Demon Forest alone. My uncle ratted me out. Now it''s even harder for me to hide in the Demon Forest! ''''Could it be that this is ...... the Dragon of the Demon Forest ......?'''' Ummm, yeah, ....... You''ve gotten that strong: ...... You don''t have to look at me like you''re that astonished . Even me and my grandfather couldn''t beat a dragon. ...... Even Grandma ....... ''''Well ...... I had a hard time slaying a dragon properly?'''' Yeah, that was a hard fight! I was unharmed, but ....... ''Properly?It''s a miracle I''m even alive to fight a dragon, isn''t it? Elise entered the conversation. She''s a little angry: ....... Elise, you''re afraid to be angry: ....... It''s true. Elise is right. I swear, you are not allowed to go into the Devil''s Forest from now on. I shouldn''t, it''s gonna set her on fire again. I''m never going back there. Forgive me if I don''t go until I''m older. I apologize to both of you in a hurry. "Good. These two are so close: ....... ''Leo just keeps getting stronger and stronger, doesn''t he? Sherry is the only one who seems happy to see me. ''By the way, what level are you at now?'' "Uh, ...... 205 Two, 205!The highest level of humanity at that age? ...... The highest level of humanity? Well, sure, I may be the best of the human race when I get past my grandpa, but ...... I''m sure there''s someone higher than me! Yeah, let''s hope so: ....... "That''s Leo. Oh, I can''t wait to level up too! When the uncle heard that, he was impatient. ''''Princess, Leo-kun became strong because he trained well before leveling up, right?So he said we shouldn''t level up just yet. I''ll try my best to talk Shelly out of it. If I don''t stop her now, Sherry will be giving the Emperor a hard time later. ''Really?Okay . I''ll level up after I''ve trained more! You''re lucky that Sherry is so simple. "Phew, please do. It''s tough on your uncle. Well, aside from Leo''s defeat, this meat is delicious. Do you have any more dragon meat left over? Yeah, I have some left over, okay? Will you sell it to me?Because I want to serve it at my next party. What, another party? Do you still have a party? Really, what a party right off the bat. Yes. Ivan''s coming-of-age party. ''What?Is your brother Ivan an adult already?Come to think of it, your brother is 16 years old this year: ...... I remember there was an eight year age difference between me and my brother Ivan. I''ve only seen your brother a few times since he was born, so it''s not really true at all: ....... "So I thought I''d bring a party of dragon meat for a present. Yeah. Well, I don''t want the money. That''s not going to happen. I''ll pay you well. Yeah?Okay. Well, I''ll take the money if I can get it. Leo''s brother ...... and, as I recall, my brother said he''d be back then too. ''What?Sherry''s brother? Yes. I don''t know why you''re coming back, but I''m coming back anyway. ''You''re Shelly''s brother - are you close with Shelly?'' ''Hmmm, I only met him once or twice when I was little, so I don''t know. Really? It''s like me and my brothers, right? What is Shelly''s brother like? 54 CHAPTER XIV -- EACH BIGGER It''s been almost two months since I started living in my new house . After living here for two months, I feel lonely sometimes ....... Because before I had Leena and grandmother and saints, and now I''m the only one there except for my maid and butler. Especially when it''s time to eat. I feel terrific loneliness using a big table by myself: ....... But I used to eat dinner at Grandma''s on weekdays . Even after I moved out, I rode to and from school in the carriage from my grandma''s house, so it was a treat as I came home in the stream. I usually spent a lot of time alone practicing magic or training my magic, so I didn''t feel particularly lonely most of the time even though I lived alone. Besides, I had my personal maid (to be) Belle to talk to in my spare time. I wasn''t trying to hit on anyone! Because of those ears and that tail: ...... Oops, I almost had my feelings straight. I think it would be better for your future if you get to know Belle better. That''s how I got to know Belle, and that''s how she was able to smile at me. Well, it''s a long story, but I''ll tell it to you later. So after two months, today is the day that my brothers will come back to my grandma''s house. Tomorrow is Ivan''s birthday. With the preparations for this party, Grandma and Mom have been busy these days. Apparently, a nobleman has to make his eldest son''s coming-of-age party more lavish than any other, and the crowd is even bigger. When it comes to the dukes: ....... If it were me, I''d run away no matter how splendidly I was celebrated. Brother Ivan, fight! By the way, Dad is arriving late tonight so he''ll be at the party just in time. And now I''m on my way to my grandma''s house with Leena after school. They''re probably already there. What kind of a man is your brother, Leo? I''ve only met him a few times, so I don''t really know his personality. Ivan, the eldest, is a bit of a sketchy character like my dad. My second oldest brother, Alex, he''s very serious and smart. Is that so? So Leo''s personality is like being between two older brothers. Oh, yeah?Am I being sketchy? Yes. When you''re so focused on what you love, you can''t see the world around you. ''Ta, sure: ......'' I can''t really argue with that. "Hmm, I''m looking forward to seeing you guys. Yeah, that''s right. Honestly, I don''t know if I''m looking forward to it or not because I hardly ever see you. I''m just curious to know what''s on your mind right now, Ivan. I''m sure he just wants to get away from the party. A little later, when I arrived home, I found your brothers still home. Hey, Leo. You been good. Brother Alex!Long time no see! Also, it''s been a long time since I''ve had a brother Ivan! Oh, long time no see!Is that the saint''s grandson next to you? Yes. Nice to meet you, I''m Rihanna, the saint''s grandson. It''s nice to meet you. Yeah, nice to meet you too. I said hello to Leena, and then Ivan came up to me with something of a grin on his face. "How''s it going with you and Rihanna? ''What?How do you say ......? Don''t ask me back knowingly. Do you like it? I''ve fallen in love with you and you''re going to ask me straight from ......! Well, come on, come on. ''I see - as I recall, Leo is a princess too: ...... ''Oh, don''t talk about me! I couldn''t stand it anymore. I couldn''t stay away from my brother. Hey, hey, hey, don''t run away. My brother is still grinning: ....... Oh, it''s kind of disgusting! I didn''t know that my brother is this annoying ...... creature. Oh, yeah, I want to hear it! Speaking of which, is your brother looking forward to the party tomorrow? I don''t think my brother would want that. Yeah, so what do you think? What? Huh?Did I mishear you? What''s the fun in there? What? Have I lost my hearing? So it''s a lot of fun out there! Seriously? You''re lying! I''m not lying, I haven''t seen my uncle in a long time, and he said Cliff was coming too. Didn''t your brother want to join the Special Forces because he wanted to be like you? And, Cliff, are you ...... Cliff? Who''s Cliff?Your brother''s girlfriend? So, ...... your brother is an adult, so he''s married to someone else. ''Oh, that''s a shame!'' Not even close!We''re usually best friends. What a shame. I mean, does my brother have a girlfriend?You''re coming of age tomorrow, okay? Oh, shut up!I don''t want it now. I guess I can''t marry you if you say so: ...... No, I don''t! Well, my brother''s a popular guy and he''ll be fine. Anyway, is it true that Mr. Cliff is coming tomorrow? Huh?What kind of person is Cliff? Are you the kind of person who would be surprised just to come to a duke''s party? Oh, I heard he''s coming. ''Oh yeah, ...... are you okay with that?'' Hey, hey, hey. What''s this Cliff guy like? I''m very curious about this! What, you don''t know?Cliff is the prince of this country, remember? ''Oh, you''re Shelly''s brother!Come to think of it, you said you were coming to the Imperial City. So that was to attend your brother''s party. I''m certainly surprised that the Prince would attend: ....... ''So, what''s Mr Cliff like?'' ''What''s Cliff like?Yes, ......, in one word, you''re a good guy. Is he a good guy? How is that expression to the Prince? ''Mr. Cliff is a kind man, even if he''s a bit feeble at times. Yeah, he''s a pussycat, but he''s a good guy. Huh?What a surprise, really: ....... My image was of a ruthless man who wanted to be king at all costs . A nice guy: ....... . Hey, Cliff is coming home today. I heard that he''s coming to celebrate Leo''s brother''s birthday. I barely talk to my brother, ever. And I barely know my brother because I was never allowed to talk about him in front of my mom and dad ever since I was little. So even though we haven''t seen each other in a while, it''s like meeting for the first time. Huh, I''m kind of scared to see him. ....... When I returned home from school, I was told that my brother was already home, so I was shown to my brother''s room. When I was shown to the room where my brother was staying, there was already a blond, thin man who looked like my mom, dad, and brother Cliff. And a blonde-haired, scary-eyed stranger is standing next to Brother Cliff. Huh?Who is this guy? The woman noticed that I had come into the room. ''What?Not Shelia. I''ll leave you to it then. With that, the stranger got up and walked out of the room past me . Who was that woman? I looked at mom and dad. I looked at ...... but neither Mom nor Dad was going to answer me, because they were so tired. "Welcome home, Shelly. It''s good to see you. ''What?Uh-huh. Long time. I was so surprised when my brother talked to me. And that was my mom. Maybe you don''t remember Shelly because you only saw her when she was a newborn. Oh, Melissa: ...... Melissa, I think it was Melissa. I don''t hear this name at all in our house, so I only remember it vaguely. Yeah, you''re right. You remember? "Well, uh, ......, just the name ....... Yeah, I see. But Sherry''s a big girl now. Oh, yeah? Yeah. The last time I saw Shelly, she was three years old, so it''s pretty big. That''s right: ...... Huh?He''s not what I thought he was. For a long time, I thought he was scary because Mom and Dad hid it from me, but he speaks softly, he looks weak, and he''s not scary at all? ...... What do you mean? 55 CHAPTER XV -- THE FIRST PART OF THE Rookie Maid Who Wants to Work hard I don''t know my parents or where I was born. When I can remember, I was in the Imperial City orphanage. There were children in the orphanage who, like me, never knew their parents. Only they didn''t have ears and tails like me. When I was little, I was very concerned about being different from them. And I hated my ears and my tail because I was so different from them. Why was I different from everyone else? Am I different from everyone else and did my mom and dad abandon me? Every time I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought about such things. But the people at the orphanage never bullied me because I was different and they treated me as family. Even though we look different, we are still a family that has lived together since we were little. ....... I loved them all. When I was eight years old, an orphanage lady taught me what a beastman is for the first time. The orphanage lady was kind to everyone and was like our mother. She taught me many things every day, such as reading, writing, calculation, and magic, so that I would not have a hard time when I got outside. At one time during the class, she taught us Today I would like to teach a lesson on species. yes While everyone was replying, the always cheerful boy asked Auntie a question. Auntie!What species?A demon? ''Wait till I explain it to you now, I want to teach you about the human race today. ''What?Do people have a race, like demons? Yes, I have. For example, Belle. Bells are beastmen, and they have ears and tails that look like animals. Huh?I''m a beastman? ''What?Is Belle different from us? I was freaked out by what the boy said: ....... I''m still different from other people. ....... ''Not different . There are other elves with long ears and small dwarves with small stature, but they are not different from us. They''re the same person, just a little different in appearance, nothing like us. I get it, and so does Belle. ''Yes . I''m glad you guys are honest. ...... I was worried because some people discriminate against beastmen, elves and dwarves by calling them subhuman. ...... Belle is family! Yes, Belle is family. Belle is my family. They all said that to Auntie''s explanation. ''Everybody go to .......'' ''Hmmm, looks like I didn''t have to worry about that: ...... Okay?In another year or two you''ll be out of here and working in different places. And when that happens, don''t ever discriminate against anyone just because of their looks! Yes! And, Belle. What? I know you''re going to be out there and there''s going to be a lot of unreasonableness ...... but you should never hate yourself, okay? Ummm, yeah, ....... "If times ever get tough, remember everybody in this room. There will always be someone who needs you. Okay, okay. Two years later, I''m ten years old. At the orphanage, at ten years old, you have to go out and work. So I''m going to leave the orphanage now. Kids the same age at the orphanage have gone their own way, becoming adventurers and apprentices of craftsmen. After much deliberation, I decided to become a maid because I could do all the housework in the orphanage. Then, an auntie brought me a piece of paper that said a nobleman was looking for a maid. "Come here, Belle, if you want to be a maid. The Forsters?That brave? That''s right. The brave man''s grandson has been knighted as a baron, and he''s looking for a new house maid.You should apply here. "You''re of a brave family. ...... Okay. I''ll apply! And the day of the fateful interview. I couldn''t believe my eyes when I went to the venue, the Forster family''s new home: ....... There was a huge line of people waiting for an interview. And the people in line were not as young as I was, and they seemed to have a lot of experience. I don''t know what to do: ...... I''ve come to the wrong place. ...... However, I couldn''t just come here and leave, so I lined up on the assumption that I would fall: ....... Then I went to ...... Isn''t he... Isn''t she a beastman? ''Oh, it''s true ...... don''t you know that girl?The nobles hate subhumans: ...... Poor little ...... I''m sure they won''t even listen to me at the interview. Huh?What do you mean? Can''t a beastman be a maid? I looked around ...... and sure enough, when I looked for people in line, no one was a beast like me ....... This convinced me that I had definitely fallen off . Huh, I think I''ll go home: ....... I''m not going to be able to stand in line here anyway: ....... Why was I born a beast: ....... When I was thinking about this, I remembered what my auntie said to me. If you ever have a hard time from now on, just remember everyone here. There is always someone who needs you. I''d like to go back to the orphanage: ....... Is there really anyone who needs me ......? But if I run away from it, I think I''ll be running away from being a beastman for a long time to come. Then I''ll still get the interview, even if I know I''m going to fail, but I''m not going to run away: ....... But if you can''t make it, it''s okay to leave. I''m sure my aunt will be sad if I leave. ....... But I''m afraid of the interview and . I''ve been debating in my head for a long time: ...... The next person to enter the interview room, please. Yes? Before I knew it, it was my turn: ....... Apparently, I''ve made great progress in my worries . Now I can''t escape ....... "Excuse me. My name is Belle. Oh, it''s done: ....... I was so nervous that I bit down quickly . I''m sure that this will be told to go home .... I looked at the examiner''s face in horror: ....... Surprisingly, the examiner looked at me and had a big smile on her face. ''''You''re the beastman race, right?'''' Yes! After all, you can''t be a beast: ....... ''Good~! Was it good? For some reason, the woman in the exam was happy to have her hands up in the air . ''''I''ve been looking for a young beastly boy like you!I''m already too scared to be the best match, in reverse. Well, ...... what do you mean by that? Oh, I''m sorry. Simply put, you''ve passed! ''Gosh, I''ve passed ....... Ehhhhh!What do you mean by that? That''s exactly what it means. Well, I''ll make a formal announcement in the paper later, so look out for it. ''Yes, yes ......, thank you.'' I walked out of the room, unsure of what to do. Auntie ...... seems to have found the person who needs her. It''s just too soon ....... 56 Episode XVI: Working hard as a new maid, second part You''ve been hired, and it''s my first day of work. All right, I''m out. Have a good day. Auntie. What is it?Now go. Thank you for everything. With that, I left the orphanage. I left the orphanage as fast as I could because I felt I would cry if I saw the woman''s reaction. From today, I have to live and work. Then I won''t be able to see her face for the time being. I am really sad. ....... But there''s no point in being sad any more, so I''ll change my mind. To avoid making her sad, I want to work hard and become a full-fledged maid. And finally, I''ve arrived at the place where I''m going to work. "Phew. I caught my breath. vending machine toy Nice to meet you. So I said yes. When I walked in, I saw some maids and a butler. And they all looked at me. Huh?What am I doing here? Oh, you must be Bell. I was just checking my clothes when a man came up to me. "Yes, ma''am. This is Bell. Amelie has told me about you. Miss Amelie? Who is it? Um, ......, the woman who was interviewing me. Oh, I see. You made a decision right away when you saw me, didn''t you? That''s good to hear. Amlie should be here soon, ''Ah, Belle! I heard a familiar voice interrupting the man''s speech. I turned to look at the voice. ''I''ve been waiting for you!Come here. Miss Amelie said, and pulled me somewhere else. ''Yes, put this on.'' Miss Amelie said and handed me some clothes. "What''s this? It''s a maid''s uniform. Try it on. I understand. Then I put on my maid''s uniform. ''Yes, that''s cute!Belle''s is the best because she had hers built extraordinarily pretty. ''Um, ...... why are you being so good to me, Amelie?'' Yeah, that''s why I''m thinking of having you as Master Leo''s personal maid ....... Huh?Your personal maid?Me? ''What are you talking about?There''s no way I can do that. ''Well, ...... Master Leo is only eight years old, and in the next couple of years or so he''ll have to go to the dorms. Yes, sir. ''So I''m supposed to take one of my personal maids there ...... but I thought it would be better if Master Leo had a friendly maid anyway. Yeah, and why me? Aristocrats don''t like beastmen, do they? ''From what I''ve been able to find out, Leo-kun is supposed to like beastie girls. ''Oh, really? ...... That''s why you were so happy to see me as a beastman at the interview. Yeah. So say hello. Yes, sir. Then ...... variously Amelie gave the entire maids a course, and in the evening it was time for her employer, Master Leo, to go home. Now all the butlers and maids are neatly lined up and waiting for Master Leo to return home. I''m feeling very nervous. Now my master, whom I will serve for a long time, is coming in. What will he be like? I hope you''re a scary person ...... or a kind person . At any rate, I''m not going to make a mistake. ....... And finally, Master Leo came in at last . I said, "Welcome home, Master," as I had learned to do, and thanked him. "Well, ...... I''m Leons Forster. You''ll take good care of the house from now on. Leo-sama returned the greeting politely. This surprised everyone. I was also amazed at how many times I was advised by my seniors during the course to be careful because all the aristocrats are pompous and have a lot of temper tantrums . But I''m glad to hear that. From now on, I''ll be working alongside you for a long time, so there''s nothing better than having a gentle master. And now the time has come for me to be introduced to Leos. Amelie called me into the room where Master Leo was. "This is Belle, who will be Master Leo''s personal maid. Hi, nice to meet you. Amelie introduced me as soon as she walked in, so I got flustered and made a funny greeting . Oh, I''ve done it. ...... Now they must have thought I was a bad maid. ....... Leo-sama will stare at me without saying a word....... Maybe I''ve pissed him off after all: ....... Then Amelie warned Leo, "Leo-sama, you shouldn''t stare at a girl so much. And Reo apologized, saying he was sorry. Huh?You''re not angry with me? Then why was he staring at me so intently ......? "But I''m glad to see that Master Leo seems to like it. It was worth the hard work. As I was struggling, Miss Amelie said to Leo. What?Do you like me? Really, Master Leo liked the beast: ....... The next month was hard for me. What''s hard is that no matter what I did, I kept making mistakes. Every time I cleaned, I spilled a bucket of water. They asked me to carry something, I dropped it and broke it, etc. No matter what I did, I couldn''t do it. ....... Things I wouldn''t normally fail to do in the orphanage, but when I was aware of the work I was doing, I failed to do them. ....... It was a real problem: ....... Also, I''m the personal maid so I''ll be there when Leo-sama comes home, but as soon as he''s not busy, he talks to me. Just "What kind of magic can you use? How much magic do you have? But there were only questions about magic such as By the way, my magic is beast magic, which is the magic that can change ...... the body into the shape of a beast. I didn''t want to tell you because I was embarrassed to be seen doing this, but ...... Leosama kept asking me about it, so I told him. Then he said, "What''s that?I want to see it! Sure enough, I was told what I was afraid of: ....... I had somehow managed to escape it: ....... ''''Please . I''ll show you my creative magic!Please, please. Finally, my husband had to be forced to use a funny thing called respectful language. ''Okay, ...... but can I just use my hands?I''m embarrassed about the rest. I''ve decided to show it to you. ''Yes, I''m just happy to show it to you! Okay, I understand. Then I gather magic power in my hand and use magic. Then my hand becomes hairy and hairy and sharp claws come out. "Huh?Can Bell use magic manipulation? ''Magic manipulation?Oh, in the orphanage where I grew up, we couldn''t buy magic tools and stuff like that at a high end, so we used cheap magic stones to train our magic power. I see. ...... That''s a great move by the way, Leo-sama said and looked at my hand intently. ''''Ha, don''t look at me like that, I''m so embarrassed! I was so embarrassed that I covered my hands. "Sorry, sorry. Can I touch your arm? ''What?Leo-sama, do you understand what I''m sorry for? Just give me a little bit, just a little bit. Wow, okay, ......, it''s just a little bit. Maybe if I said no, he''d ask me again, so I held out my hand. "Really?Thank you! Leo-sama was smiling and touching my hand . What is the point of such hairy hands? So I guess it''s my turn. What? Didn''t I promise to show you my creation magic if Belle showed you? ''Oh, and speaking of which: ......'' He might have said something like that. Okay, let''s go build it. Then Leo rifled through a backpack that was standing at the end of the room. Inside the backpack, Leo pulled out a beautiful, shiny block of metal and a magical stone with an incredible radiance. "Okay, now that I''ve found the ingredients, let''s get started. Yeah, what''s that stuff? Oh, this?It''s a magical stone that Mithril and I poured our magic into. ''What?Mithril?And that''s how fine a magic stone is by yourself: ...... I hear that Master Leo is really a great guy. Well, enough about the material, just watch the magic. Yes, sir. Then we''ll begin! Then, Leo-sama placed the magic stone on top of the mithril . And as Leo-sama turned his hand to the material, ...... what a glow! Then gradually the two became one. Then, as the shape changed in a flash, it became a necklace and the ...... light settled in. It''s amazing. ...... That''s all I can come up with. Yeah?Then I''ll give you this. Then he handed me a freshly made necklace. Leosama gave it to me so naturally that I took it, but then I came to my senses. Hold on to it!I can''t accept something this expensive. No, that''s okay, you''ll just have to work harder for it. I don''t care if you say that ....... But you''re expecting me to do it, and I have to take it. ....... I''ll tell you what: "Okay, I understand ...... and I''ll do my best to work hard from now on. Yeah, nice to meet you. And you''ll be wearing that necklace at all times. ''What?Why?I can''t wear it all the time because I''m afraid I''ll break it! It''s not something that''s going to break so easily, and if you don''t wear it, it''s not worth it. What''s the point?What do you mean? Really?Okay. ...... I felt like there was no point in saying no, so I put the necklace around my neck. ''Yeah, that''s fine.'' Leo looked pleased. ''Oh, thank you.'' ''''No, then there''s still time to help me pour my magic power into the magic stone?'''' ''What?Do I pour my magic into it? Leo-sama shouldn''t need my help, from what I saw of the magic stone earlier: ....... Yeah. Help me every day from now on. I have no idea what Leo-sama intended, but it''s a lot better than being asked to show me magic. ''Yes, I understand.'' Then it became a daily routine to pour my magic power into Master Leo and the magic stones every night: ....... 57 Im going to sleep with my brother. Today is Brother Ivan''s birthday. A tremendous number of noblemen will be at his party. After all, it is the eldest son of a nobleman''s coming of age. So, I''m with brother Alex and Lina in a packed hall. By the way, Mom and Dad were greeting all the noblemen who came. Brother Ivan is an adult today? Yeah, I guess so. I''ve always felt that way about being around. Come to think of it, you brothers are always so close, aren''t you? I''m always on set when I see them, and every time I see them, I think I see them talking to each other a lot . Well, since we''re only one year apart in age, we do a lot of things together. We used to hang out together all the time when we were little. Heh. You guys are really close. Your brother is an adult today. ...... My brother Alex is coming of age next year, though. Yeah. I''m almost a grown-up now. Speaking of which, does your brother have a girlfriend? Brother Ivan said he wasn''t there, but normally there are nobles at this time of year, right? Yeah. Let''s see. ...... Oh, there he is. There she is. The blonde talking to Helena. ''You tell me that quite easily: ....... Huh?That man?You''re so pretty! My brother pointed in the direction of a woman with long, beautiful hair who was having a conversation with her sister. ''Well, there''s no point in hiding it,'' "Hi. How long have you been together? ''Well, let''s see, ...... I don''t know how long it''s been since . We''ve been dating since probably primary school. You guys have been dating since primary school, so that''s a long time. What do you call it then? Well, I''m not going to tell you about ....... I''m done talking about this! Oh, yeah. Come on, tell me about it. It doesn''t diminish, you know. As I was feeling sorry for myself, I suddenly heard a voice from behind me. "Yeah, yeah. Tell you two a sweet story. I turn around, startled, to find a handsome man, thin and frail-looking, but blond and handsome. "Mr. Kuhliff? Cliff......?I think I heard somewhere: ...... Oh, okay! Sherry''s brother? Yeah, I know. That''s the first time they''ve called me that. You''re Leo, right? You know my name! Yes, sir. And you''re Rihanna, right? Yes. Nice to meet you. Sherry was very eager to meet you both. As he said this, Mr. Cliff chuckled. Ah, I see: ....... Sherry made a fuss about wanting to join the party. Please tell Shelly I said hello when I get back. Yeah, I''ll let him know. Now, why don''t we listen to Alex and Fiona''s sweet story? Fiona?Sweet talk?Oh, so Fiona is your brother''s girlfriend''s name. "Huh?We''ve changed the subject so far and you want to get back to that? Yeah, I really wanted you two to hear how in love you two are with each other. Huh?I''d love to hear that! How could she not want to know how delirious that brother, who exuded a serious character every time they met, was to her! No, please don''t!That''s not true. No, no. Every time I go looking for you, you two talk so flirtingly together that you hesitate to talk to me. Yeah, I''m kind of feeling the exasperation (ugh) of Cliff''s words: ....... I''m sure it''s a great way to get your brothers to make out: ....... I''m sorry to hear that. I''m sorry about that. I''ll be careful in the future. Oh, I''m sorry. I''m really lovey-dovey with you. I can''t help but smile at my brother. "Leleo. It''s not like I''m making out all that much: ...... It''s refreshing to see my brother in such disarray. Yeah, I think I found your weakness. Yeah, I didn''t expect to see such a calm Alex to be this upset, but I''ve seen some good things today. Well, I guess I''ll be over there by now, the ceremony is about to start. ''What?Oh, yes. Before his brother could even respond, Mr. Cliff moved toward the visitor''s table. ''''Yeah, he''s kind of different from the prince I''ve been hearing about. From the image I heard, he seemed to be feeble and not very good at talking to people, but now he seemed pretty friendly . ''Yeah, that''s ...... because now Mr. Cliff wasn''t talking plainly. No? ''What?What do you mean?So all that cheery-looking conversation was an act, then? ''Yes. . Mr. Cliff pretends to be something he''s not, unless it''s someone he''s really close to. Yeah, I know ...... but you had your brother there earlier. Me?I haven''t been able to get him to open up to me yet. The only person who really gets along with Mr. Cliff is my brother. Brother Ivan?Oh, by the way, yesterday, you were happy that Cliff was coming tomorrow: ....... Those two are so close . Yeah, ...... so what''s the real Mr. Cliff like? I''ve only had a couple of times where people have been very discreet with me, so I can''t give you any details. My impression is that he''s a timid but kind person. So the image you heard yesterday was the real Cliff. Huh. But I can''t imagine being the real Cliff that I was just talking to. Why are you hiding yourself from me? ''Well?I don''t know about that either. But I''m sure the next emperor candidate is in more trouble than we can ever imagine. ''Yeah, yeah, .......'' If you ask me, a candidate for the next emperor is always enduring the pressure: ....... Moreover, Sherry is higher in the order of succession . ''''Well, there''s no point in us worrying about it, let''s just enjoy this party . ''What?Enjoy?Is a party supposed to be fun? ''What are you talking about?Parties would be fun if you weren''t the star of the show, right? I don''t know, ......? I''ve never been to a party in my life and I don''t have a good memory. Because isn''t it fun to have good food and talk to people you get along with? Ummm, yeah, ...... Oh, when I say good food! What''s going on? It''s okay. I''ll come with you, Lena. Pushing my brother back, I invite Leena, who up until now has been bored with just listening and not participating in our conversation. Yes, yes. Oh, are we going to eat that? Apparently, Leena knows what I''m thinking. ''What?What do you eat? It''s fun. Then we started to move in search of some food. Then when we came to the place where we expected to find the item we wanted ...... there was a crowd of people there. The first thing you need to do is to ask yourself: "Why are there so many people here ......? Well, you''ll know that when you get into that crowd. So you''re saying I should go? I nodded at the question. "Oh, we''ll have one for us, too! Okay, ......, I''ll be off then. So saying, he went through the crowd of people and into the crowd. A few moments later, my brother came out holding a plate with food on it. It looks like everyone is here for this. Is the food really that good? Well, come on, take a bite. Yes. My brother did as I asked and brought the food to his mouth. Then he chewed several times and swallowed, and for a moment he was silent. "Well? Oh, yeah. What''s this meat?This is such a delicious meat that exists: ...... My brother replied, but he was somewhat up in the air . Dragon meat is incredibly delicious after all. So I want to give you a spoiler. To tell you the truth. In fact, this dish is made of dragon meat. ''What?D-Dragons?Who defeated such an awesome demon? I can''t say I''m the one who said it, and I don''t know how to fake it: ...... It''s ...... "This is Leo-kun! Huh? Leo-kun went to the Devil''s Forest to slay a dragon. You''re lying: ....... You didn''t say anything earlier, but Leena is happily revealing it: ....... Look, your brother is smiling all over the place. That''s great. Is Leo really that strong?Isn''t there anyone else that can beat you at your age anymore? No, it''s not!Because there are people stronger than me. The ex-Demon King is stronger than me. Oh, I thought the Demon King wasn''t a person: ....... Well, I don''t care about those details. ''''There''s someone stronger than a single person who can defeat a dragon by himself~'''' Yeah, I do. I''m sure the Demon Lord could handle a flock. Well, I''d love to meet him. Yeah, I guess so: ...... I''ll see you if I can meet you: ....... ''Well then, I think I''m going to go and get some more dragon meat. ''What?Did you eat another plate?We wish we''d had some too! Why don''t you go get your own meat. Okay, I''m out! Wait, wait. I''m coming with you! I''m coming with you! Then we stopped celebrating and just sat back and enjoyed our dragon dishes. Well, even the noblemen who ate the meat weren''t celebrating because they were too busy eating it. But just as the party was ending, a strange thing happened. (Leo, help me: ....) I received this telegram from Shelley: ....... 58 CHAPTER XVIII -- WHATS ON SHELEY... (Help me Leo, ....) Now, this telepathic story was a false alarm: ....... But if she really did hear it, it''s unusual for Shelly to send a telephonic message like this in the daytime. She couldn''t come to the party, so she wanted to play a prank because she wanted to be taken care of? No, Shelly doesn''t seem to do that: ....... ''Oi!Leo! Yes! Why did you have to shut up? Yeah, a little bit. Well, I guess I''m just imagining things. I just feel like I''m hearing things, and if anything really goes wrong, I''m gonna go talk to him again. Are you sure you''re okay?Anyway, since the party''s almost over, why don''t we go get one last time? What? You''re going back to get it? Do you have any idea how much you''re eating today alone? I''ve already eaten ten plates. ....... Because it''s dragon meat.You could eat that once in your life, you know?We have to eat when we can. ''Well, ...... if you want to eat so much, why don''t you come eat at my house, I still have some stock on hand.'' ''What?You can find it at Leo''s. Yes, I have. There''s still a lot of Red Dragon meat left. Well, it''s a big one. ''''Oh, yeah. ...... I''ll go there tomorrow. Oh, tomorrow?Well, okay. Do you like it that much? Leo, help me! Boom! Wow! I suddenly spooked and my brother was startled by my sudden jerkiness. "Leena, did you hear that? That''s it?No, I didn''t hear anything in particular. Leena didn''t understand the intent of my question and apparently didn''t really hear me because she''s tilting her head: ....... Is this another empty ear? No, I heard it twice, so it''s not true. Why don''t you just ask him, "umm ......"? Yeah, I''ll do that. (Hello, Shelly?(Forgive me if I''m wrong, but did I remind you earlier? Then I''ll wait for a bit of a reply ...... but I haven''t heard anything back . What''s wrong with my necklace? Unun....... (Leena, can you hear me?) Boom! Wow! Her brother surprised her again, this time when Leena suddenly got jumped. (What''s going on?(You''re acting weird now, aren''t you?) (No, I thought maybe my necklace was broken.) (Okay, so ...... that''s why it was broken?) (No, not at all.) Leena and I were able to telepathically talk to each other, so it''s not broken: ....... If ummm ...... then something really happened to Shelly ....... ''Oh come on, you two freaked out earlier and then suddenly you shut up and what happened?'' It''s nothing. Brother, I''m going to the castle for a bit. That''s definitely something, isn''t it?And what are you saying, like you''re going for a walk? I need to know something. So I''m off. With that, I''m going to leave the hall. "Huh?Are you kidding me?We haven''t even said congratulations to my brother yet, you know? SIDE: Damien. ''What!The princess is gone? Yes, I haven''t seen him anywhere. Don''t tell me you''ve gone out of hiding to visit ...... Mr. Leo? No, I don''t think that''s possible. Even a princess wouldn''t be able to get past the wall, and the gatekeeper has a magic tool to counteract charm magic. No, the princess''s mesmerizing magic doesn''t mean a magic tool. With that wand Leo-kun gave you, no one will be able to resist the princess ....... ''''Oh, really? ...... So what do you want me to do?'''' We''re going to have to look outside. We''re all gonna have to look like hell!It''s too late for that to happen. Okay. Okay. I''ll do my best to find him. As I watched my men run, I wondered where the princess had gone . Unn ...... I wonder if she''ll escape from the castle just because she couldn''t join the party ......? But I can''t think of a better reason. I think I''ll go to Leo''s. Maybe Leo knows something. "Master Damien, Master Leons wishes to see you, ''What?Leo is here?I''m coming now. Maybe he really does know something about Leo. SIDE: Leons. I arrived at the castle and asked to see the uncle, but he came at once. Hey, let''s go inside, shall we, Leo? Uncle Vera came out of nowhere, as usual, and he led me in. "Uh-huh. If ...... really happened to Shelly, what happened to her? Then I was shown to my usual room. Yes, the emperor''s room. When I entered the room, I saw the emperor sitting at his desk, wrestling with his papers. "My Emperor, may I have a moment of your time? Yeah, yeah, that''s good. And that''s Leo, isn''t it: ....... What''s the matter with you again that I can''t even imagine? The emperor looked up as his uncle spoke to him and saw me there, and he found it disconcerting . ''''Yes . As a matter of fact, ...... the Princess has just gone missing a few minutes ago. ''What?Shelly''s missing? What do you mean "missing"? What?What do you mean?Or rather, why are you surprised, Leo? "I''m so sorry. When I came to, the princess was nowhere to be found. I don''t know why Leo is surprised. Oh, by the way, you never told me why you came here. C''mon . But still, it''s rare that your uncle is so unsympathetic to the decision: ....... With that in mind, I explained to the two men what had happened. I see. Maybe ...... doesn''t like to think about it, but maybe the princess has been kidnapped. ''Unn ....... Well, it''s that time of year, so there''s a good chance of that: ...... This time of year?What''s in store for you this time of year? Yeah, this time of year is right before Cliff''s coming of age. Yeah, what about it? What does Mr. Cliff''s coming of age have to do with Sherry''s kidnapping? It''s a rule that the emperor declares who the next emperor will be on the day of his chosen child''s coming of age. I see. So, Sherry went to ....... If that''s the case, Sherri would be in great danger right now: ....... I''m beginning to worry . ''Your Majesty, perhaps this time, the ninja, Allen, may be involved again. Tell me why. ''Yes, simply because he''s the only one who can take the princess out of the castle without anyone noticing. Only Allen has the same skills as your uncle. ''Yes. ...... You''re keeping an eye on Melissa, aren''t you? Yes, but I''ve been informed that there has been no unusual activity. ''Well, ......, now what do we do about it? ......'' The two of them are talking about ...... and it''s not registering in my head at all. Maybe Shelly is dead ....... As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I felt a terrible anxiety and my mind went blank. I may never see Shelly again. ....... ...... I''ve got to help her fast. ...... I''ll definitely go find her. What? I''ll find him and get him out of there today. I''ll see you later. And with that, I shifted out of the room. I wanted to get Shelly out of there and get away from all this anxiety. Hey, where are you going? So Damien went to chase after Leo, but the emperor stopped him. "Let him deal with Leo. Maybe you''ll be okay. Let''s just find out if the skulker and Melissa are involved. I understand. I''ll tell my men what to do right now. Damien thanked the Emperor and left the room. 59 19. To Rescue Shelley ''Huh, I wish I''d gone to Leo''s house too! I was lying in bed, holding the stuffed animal Leo had given me. Leo had made it for me when he first came to my room. He was a cute little monster with a weird beak that wasn''t a bird. I can''t sleep without it. Yesterday I tried to whine about going to my dad Leo''s as usual, but he told me no ....... Well, I can see him at school, so I''m not too hung up on going there, but I still wanted to go ...... Oh, I miss Leo. knock-knock Oh, you didn''t hear me, did you?It''s embarrassing! I know the maids know I like Leo, but ...... it''s still embarrassing . With that in mind, I looked at the door and saw that it was empty. The door is open, but ....... ''Leo-kun is a popular guy ...... well, if he''s that strong, it''s no wonder he''s popular. When I got up to my feet, I heard a voice behind me. "What? I was so surprised that I couldn''t say another word. I turned around and saw a man with red hair. ''Hey, how are you?I''m sorry, but I''m going to have to kidnap you. In the confusion, I was wrapped up in something. And I could see I was being carried away. I did my best to get out of there, and I tried to peel off the wrapped cloth, but the ...... man was so strong that I couldn''t move at all. ''Oh, can you still move?But you should be getting sleepy by now. The man scoffed, surprised that I could move . Come to think of it, I think I''ve seen this man with ...... red hair somewhere: ....... Ah, the guy who attacked me at my party! This guy, I believe, was evenly matched with ...... Damien . What am I going to do, I''m afraid ....... Leo, help me. ....... "Okay, we''re here. Is the stone asleep? After a few moments, the red-haired man stopped somewhere and said so, and then peeled off the cloth that held me in place. I wasn''t sleepy, of course, but I had my eyes open. ''Oh, what?Why are you awake? I don''t know. I can''t help wondering why you think I get sleepy. I struggled to control my fear and showed the red-haired man that I was strong . Then the ...... man pretended to think about something and grabbed my arm. I''m not sure if he''s wearing some kind of magic tool or not.There''s nothing on your arm: ...... Oh, could it be this pendant? Oh, no!Don''t take it off! I will resist desperately. This is my most prized possession and I don''t want it taken away at all costs. "Oh, right?Anyway, did you stop being so bossy earlier? Please don''t. Don''t take the pendant off me! We can''t afford to get hung up on these things, Your Highness. You''re in for a rough ride. What are they doing to you? ''Well?I don''t know, I''m a hauler. Well then, I''d like to get the job done as quickly as possible, so I''ll take it. Saying that, the red-haired man easily peeled off my arm, which hid the pendant, and grabbed the pendant . ''''No, no! Leo, help me! I telepathically told Leo before he took it. I''m sure he''ll help me. Well, that''s true ...... and I''ll give it to your favorite Leo. Can you help me?Good night then. I was wrapped up in cloth again. Then ...... I was suddenly struck by a strong sleeper ....... Leo....... SIDE: Leons. Now, I''m hurrying to get my gear together and talk to Anna about how to find Shelly. (How do you think I''m going to find Shelly?) (Yes, ...... I can find it through the magic of Master Leo contained in the necklace of love, but for some reason I can''t find it at the moment ......) You can find it, but you can''t?(What do you mean?) (Yes, I don''t know why, but I can''t find the magic in the pendant.) You mean it was destroyed? (I see. ...... Then I''ll have to build some new items. ......) (Yes. . I think you''d be more certain to find it if you built the item.) All right, I''ve got to hurry up and make the item. I took Anna off and put my hand in my backpack. "Oh, you''re doing great. I hope you can save your darling Shelly. I heard a voice from behind me, and I turned around quickly. ''Oh, you''re ......'' There was ...... Uncle Allen, Uncle''s rival. ....... Whoa, how did he end up here? Hi. You have a great house. You have a very impressive array of scary security guards. What would be the point of those golems if they were covert too: ....... ''So?Why did you come to me? I acted cool and asked a question. I don''t see why Allen would come here: ....... ''Yeah, I thought I''d give you this. Allen threw something at me. I took it as quickly as I could. "This is ....... In my hand was a necklace of love. My darling Shelly loved that so much. I hope I can help you this time. Bye. Hey! When I looked back from my love necklace to catch Allen, ...... there was no one there anymore. ....... "d*mn it ......, you''ll see it later. I muttered that to Allen as he disappeared and prepared to build the item. Now I''m sure that was a declaration of war against me: ....... Then finding Shelly is more important than Allen right now. I pulled this or that item out of my backpack and tried to use creation magic with the magic stone. Knock knock. What is it now?You can come in. "Excuse me. I''m sorry to disturb you. There''s a guest asking to see Mr. Leo. It was Eric who came in. "Huh?At this hour? Because it''s the middle of the night. "Yes. But it wasn''t someone I could say no to, so I went to ....... Is it someone you can''t refuse? Who the hell is here? That''s Prince Cliff at ....... "Huh, Mr. Cliff?Okay, I''ll go now. Why is Cliffe here? What are you thinking about? Maybe this is all about Cliff''s mother. So how did she come to me? With that in mind, I walked into the parlor. "Hey, Leo. It''s good to see you after lunch. Hi. Hi. I''m sorry for coming in at this time of night, but I have some things I need to tell you. But I have some things I need to tell you right now. Do I have to teach you that? Yeah. I want to tell you about this abduction of Shelly. What do you know about it? And you''re going to tell me? You know what you''re doing to yourself? Yes, ...... I know all about it, ...... I know where Shelly is and who the killer is. Hey, why are you telling me that? What do you mean?Well, you don''t think it''s ...... Mr. Cliff is the culprit, do you? "It was me. ...... Yeah. I''m a suspect too. So, from now on, I''m going to tell Leo where Sherry is, and then I''m going to turn myself in to the Emperor. I don''t know what the hell you''re talking about. What?Um, ...... did Mr. Cliff hire a ninja to do it for him? ''No, she''s my mother ...... but it''s my fault for not being able to stop her. ....... I know Ivan and Alex may have told you, but I''m actually a feeble-minded person. ....... I''ve always been afraid of being angry at my mom, and I''ve lived my life just the way she told me to. I''ve been telling myself that I wanted to be ...... like an emperor so that I could be an emperor, and I''ve been telling myself that for a long time. That''s why when I found out Shelly was going to be kidnapped, I couldn''t stop it. ....... I''m a really cheating man ...... because I chose not to be angry with myself over my sister''s life. As he explained to me, Cliff looked weak and not as cheerful as when we met at noon. So that''s who he is. Then how did you end up here?Couldn''t Cliff''s mother have stopped you? My mother is missing. What? Missing? "He knew he''d get caught and got out before he could. Maybe he''s here. So is Sherry. Cliff took out a piece of paper and handed it to me. On it was a ...... map. "Are you at the location shown on this? "Yeah. I''m really sorry . I should really be the one to go ...... probably when I see my mom, so I thought I''d close the door to becoming an emperor myself while she was gone. ''I see. ...... Is your mother that scary to you, Cliff?'' Yeah, I can''t resist. Mr. Cliff must have been constantly told by his mother to be the emperor from a young age and educated (brainwashed) to disobey her. I see. Well then, I''ll go now and get Shelly. Are you sure this is the right place? I''ll ask for clarification. "Yeah. I don''t know if putting my name on ...... in Cliffith Vector''s name is going to compensate you for what you''re doing. But please believe me. Cliff asked me to look you square in the eye and trust you. Maybe he''s not lying. "All right. I believe you. But I just have to ask you one last question. I''ll tell you everything I can. Why did you come to me?Wouldn''t it have been better at your uncle''s place or at your good friend Brother Ivan''s? Yes ...... I thought it would make Shelly happy to have you help her. What? Don''t be so surprised. Well, that''s not the only reason I''m here. I hear you''re strong, Leo, and I feel like you''re strong. And even here, I can feel how strong you are. Probably a whole lot stronger than Damien, right? How do you know? Yeah. I''m pretty good at judging people, you know? What do you mean? ...... I have an unusual attribute. I can do forensic magic. Forensic magic? What''s that? Think of it as an ability to assess the value of things. I see. ...... Shelley''s mesmerizing magic, and the royals have some inexplicable magic: ....... Yes, it''s ...... the ability to find out what is worthwhile and what is suitable for a king. I''ll be going to turn myself in. "So I''m going to turn myself in. Mr. Cliff said and stood up. ''Yes, sir. I''ll take care of it. Yeah, it''s all yours. Bye. Cliff turned his back on me and walked out of the room. "Okay, let''s go. I''m going to get Sherry. 60 CHAPTER XX -- Kidnapped Shelley As you requested. Let''s just forget about the other night''s debacle. Melissa spoke to Allen contentedly as she held Shelia bound to the wall, her lamp in her hand. ''Thank you. Well, now that my request was successful, I''m going to go home. Allen told Melissa and walked out. ''Oh, my God, are you kidding me?You''re going to stay here until I take this guy out. ''No, this time I''m not going to do anything more than ask for it, since I worked without compensation to pay for my last mistake. Okay, you can go to ....... Thank you. Bye. As soon as he got the green light, Allen disappeared. ''What the hell? ......'' SIDE: Shelia. Ummmmm: ...... Is this ......? Come to think of it, I was kidnapped ....... Remembering the red-haired man, I checked my condition ...... and saw that I was bound to the wall in a single, dingy piece of clothing. Then I moved my gaze away from myself to see where I was ...... a dimly lit, empty room. ''Oh, I see you''re awake. I turned my head toward the voice, but it was too dark to see who it was: ...... But the voice was familiar. "Oh, you''re ....... Is it strange that I''m here? Why?Is Melissa here? Yes, Melissa, brother Cliff''s mother, was there . ''That''s because, you know, ...... you''re in the way! Melissa was furious as she grabbed a handful of my hair. ''Well, do you mind?What did I do wrong? I pressed my fears down on Melissa, desperately trying to calm her down as she grabbed me by the hair and asked me questions . I had never been involved with Melissa before, and I wasn''t supposed to have done anything to disturb her. ....... Then ...... Melissa let go of my hair and answered my questions. ''It''s not your fault, per se. It''s your presence that''s to blame. Wow, do I exist? What is he talking about? ''''Yes. As long as you exist, Cliff can''t be the emperor: ...... Wouldn''t my brother Cliff be able to be emperor if I was here? Is that why you kidnapped me? ''''Wow, I don''t want to be an emperor or anything, so let me go home ...... brother Cliff can be the emperor.'''' I don''t care about the emperor. And I always thought it was going to be Cliff. "Too bad it doesn''t matter what you think. Oh, you can rest assured I''m not going to kill you. It''s just that to finance my escape, you''ll be a slave to a certain king. Who, slave?Am I going to be a slave? "Ugh, no. ...... I''m sorry ...... and you should hate the mother who gave birth to you. Then Melissa smiled happily and patted me on the shoulder. Cutlet, cutlet, cutlet, cutlet. Suddenly, multiple footsteps sounded out of nowhere. ''Oh, my God, your ride is finally here. vending machine toy The door of the room was opened and the room was lit up by the light of a lamp. Then a dozen or so men came in. "Are you sure you''re Melissa Vector? Yeah, I know. I''ve been waiting for you guys. We need to get out of here fast. Very well. All right, I''ll see to it that this slave is carried. As I said this, the men released my restraints, handcuffed me, grabbed me by the shoulders and tried to force me to walk. ''Duh, slave ...... Oh, who are you guys?'' Shut up. Next time you utter a word without permission, I''m gonna hit you. Then one of the men lightly put his fist in my face. ''''Hey, hey, if you hurt the king''s slave, you''ll have your head on a stick. "I know that''s a threat. That''s a threat. Come on. Let''s go. ''No!You guys, let me go! I quickly cast a charm spell on the men as soon as I could. Surely this will give me a chance to escape. Hey, hey. Hey, hey. Didn''t I tell you not to talk? ''Hey, why don''t you go to ...... Even though my mesmerizing magic was supposedly successful, the ...... men made my restraints stronger rather than weaker. ''Why isn''t your favorite charm magic working on us?It''s easy. It''s because we''re taking good care of it. Oh, no. ...... That''s a shame. Well, then, I won''t hit you for uttering a voice without permission, but I will punish you. A punishment? Hey, what are you doing? What? It''s not gonna hurt. In the man''s hand, there was a small lightning spell. It hit me and a pain shot through me. "Shhh~! The pain was so great that I let out a scream that I wouldn''t normally make. "You''ll be more careful next time. He said and forced me to stand. "Come on, boys, get it over with!We have to hurry or they''ll find us. Don''t worry, sir. We''ll make sure you''re well disguised and well transported, so you won''t be found. ''I don''t care about you guys!Give me the money now!I have to get back to my parents'' house in a hurry. "Okay, okay. Here''s the money for your appointment. Okay, then. With that, the man handed Melissa a larger bag and left the room with ...... me. The intense pain from earlier left me with no strength or energy to resist. ....... I just walked up the stairs as I was told. Gotcha. Okay, everybody''s gone. Let''s get this slave in the wagon and head for the kingdom. With that, the man at the front gave the signal and I was let out . It was still dark outside and no one was really there ....... Oh, I''m really going to be a slave now . I finally found ...... I''m sorry it took me so long to find you, Shelly. Suddenly I heard a voice calling out to me, and then I felt a floating sensation. And the next thing I knew, someone was holding me. ''Huh?Leo? I looked up and there was Leo''s face, the one I''d been waiting for all along. ''Yeah. I''m here to help. Is that Leo?Are you sure it''s Leo? Yes, Thank goodness ...... thank you ...... but it''s too late ....... It''s really late. ''Yeah, I''m sorry ...... that was horrible, I''m sorry ...... I''m sorry. Leo hugged me tightly, apologizing. ...... Yeah, I was so scared. I couldn''t hug him back because of the handcuffs, but I did my best to rub myself against Leo for that. Then ...... little by little the anxiety I had felt earlier disappeared and I was filled with a sense of relief. And then the tears began to well up ....... "Leo ...... Leo~ reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~ I cried and called Leo''s name over and over again. Leo was ...... quietly rubbing my back. ....... 61 CHAPTER XXI -- RESCUE Sherry I''m currently on my way to the place Cliff told me about. The place I was told was on the edge of the imperial capital, a place that was unsafe even in the commercial district. It was the middle of the night, so I ran as fast as I could without paying any attention to people. If the criminals were to escape from the imperial capital, it would be at this time of day when there were few people on the streets. That''s why they had to hurry. We''ve reached the place that Cliff suggested: ...... The building we were going to visit was poorly lit and ...... dark. "d*mn it, he''s ...... gone?No, there''s a carriage over there. There''s a carriage parked some distance from the building. Maybe that''s where Sherry is hidden: ...... So I looked into the carriage. But he''s not there. Isn''t there ...... anything that''s gone?If that''s the case, what is this carriage?You wouldn''t normally leave a horse tied up, would you? Yes, there''s something wrong with this carriage. No one is going to ride in it, but they have it on standby ready to be used at all times. If you''re from a less safe place like this, you wouldn''t have left it there: ....... So the killer is still in the building. This is going to be a ...... raid. Shelley is still alive. I went up to open the door of the building where I knew Sherry would be. Then I heard multiple footsteps clattering through the door. "Somebody''s coming out. We have to hide. First, I jumped on the roof. And while I was hiding, a man ...... came out. He looked around and then he said to the door. Okay, everybody''s clear. Let''s get this slave in the wagon and head for the kingdom. Slaves? It would be too suspicious to transport a slave at this hour . As I was thinking about this ...... Sure enough, a group of men came out from inside, and among them was Sherry. Shelley''s face was lifeless, and she looked resigned. She must have been really scared. I''m so sorry. I finally found ...... and I''m sorry it took me so long to find you, Shelly. When I came to, I was already helping. Sherry had a very surprised look on her face. "Huh? Leo? I''m here to help. I''m here to help. Is that Leo? Are you sure it''s Leo? Yes, Thank goodness ...... thank you ...... but it''s too late ....... ''Yeah, I''m really sorry ...... that was horrible, I''m sorry.'' I said and hugged Sherry as best I could. Then Sherry felt relieved and started to cry and call my name. I silently rubbed her back, apologizing to her in my mind. "Hey!Now get down here! ''''Shut up ...... I was just getting ready to go ...... and I should have killed you first. I''m sorry, Shelly. I''m going to go finish up in a jiffy, can you wait a minute? Okay, ...... come home soon. I haven''t cried enough. All right. I stepped away from Shelly and summoned Serena. "Selena, nice to meet you. (Yay, it''s been a while since we''ve been in battle~) Yeah, let''s do it. I''m off the roof. Man, she''s a f*cking kid. Hey, f*ck you guys. When the apparent leader of the group ordered his people to attack, they all attacked at once. These guys are ...... well-trained. They move like they''re not just some rogue agents. We need to find out which one it is. And with that, I took down everyone who attacked me in an instant. I beat them, but I didn''t cut them up with my sword. I just lightly beat them to sleep. If I killed them, I wouldn''t be allowed to talk to them. "Oh, my God. ...... Who are you?" in an instant for a kid like this. It doesn''t matter. Besides, it''s my line. Shit. ...... The man looked around. "You can''t try to run away. You won''t get away with it. So give up. Yeah, ...... not going to get away with it, huh? As if to catch me off guard, the man shot a lightning spell from his concealed hand. ''It''s useless, yes, it''s over.'' I dodged the spell easily, and shot the leader in the gut with a fist . The leader collapsed, clutching his belly. What should we do with these guys... Ah, there''s a good place for the wagon. Let''s take the wagon to the castle. Then I''ll finish packing the men into the wagon and I''ll go get Sherry. Am I late? Yeah, it''s late. Sorry. I''m sorry. I was just trying to keep up appearances. As I say this, I will break Shelley''s shackles with my sword. Then I pick her up. "Is that so?Then I forgive you. Thank you. Can I cry? It''s so late I can''t even hold back the tears. ''Oh my, then you should have rushed it...'' Saying this to myself as I climbed off the roof. ''Huh?Who are those men? In the wagon. Don''t worry, they''re all unconscious. I reassured Sherry as I sat down next to her and began to drive the carriage. I''d seen and learned to drive a carriage on a few trips. I mean, it''s my first time. But I''m not worried. It''s the middle of the night, and there aren''t many people on the road, so I guess you can handle a little rough driving. As I was driving the carriage with that thought in mind, Shelly put her head on my shoulder. "Leo ...... What? ''Thank you for helping me today . Honestly, I''d given up on the idea of being enslaved with no one to help me anymore. ''I''m really sorry ...... I should have asked you back what happened when you got your first reminder ....... I really should have checked on that one. I got the telepathic message: "...... I talked to that red-haired guy when he kidnapped me. ''Red hair...... Speaking of which!I forgot to find Allen! I was so focused on helping Shelly that I forgot. Allen was provoking me. Yeah, he''d be gone by the time I woke up. Where did he go?Did you know I was coming? ''Well, ...... I''ll have to do it again sometime. ''Yeah, please. ....... Hey, Leo. What? I answer when I''m called. Turn around. ''What?Yeah. I don''t know, but I do as I''m told and turn to Sherry. "Thank you for today. Shelly kissed me lightly. "What?Huh? I''m a mess right now. I''m all red in the face. Turn around. Drive safely, please. ''What?Oh, yeah. I couldn''t help but look forward to hear what Shelly had to say. Sherry''s face, which I saw for a moment, was also very red: ....... Thus, Sherry''s rescue was a success. 62 CHAPTER XXII EXPLOITING Success We drove the carriage for a while and finally arrived at the castle. At the gate of the castle, there were already a number of uncle''s men and knights waiting, and when they saw me and Shelly, they came rushing over. I told uncle''s men that the kidnappers were unconscious in the back of the truck and asked them to carry them out. As I watched them being carried away, I heard a loud voice from the castle. "Shelia. I looked at the direction the voice was coming from: ....... There was Shelly''s mother, the Empress, running towards us. I could see the emperor desperately chasing her from behind. And then she hugged Sherry. I''m so sorry. I know it was horrible. The Empress was crying. I didn''t want to interrupt her, so I moved away. Well done, you''ve done a fine job. What? Who? ''Uncle ...... don''t talk to me from behind to hide your presence. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I''m sorry I left you to it this time, Leo. It''s really not fair to you that we''re adults in this business. It''s fine. It''s just that I found it on my own. ''''Well, ...... still, thank you so much. I''m glad you''re safe, Princess. ''Yeah, I''m really glad you''re okay: ....... Also, can I go home for the day?I feel like I''m getting sleepy when I feel safe. Yeah, the sun''s coming up now. Kids should be sleepy at night. Say goodbye to the princess if you''re going home. And come to the castle when you wake up today, not tomorrow at ......, and don''t go to school. I have a lot to ask you. OK. Okay, I''ll go to Sherry''s. Have a good day. Go to Sherry''s place: ...... The queen had already stopped crying, and Shelley and the emperor were talking to each other. ''''Oh, Leo. Thank you so much for saving my daughter''s life at this time. The emperor, noticing me approaching, bowed deeply. "Wait!Head up!I only helped Shelly because I wanted to. I ask the emperor to raise his head in a hurry. No, I bow to the man who saved my daughter''s life. I really appreciate it. Okay, sure. ....... Okay, well, I''m going to go back to bed. Oh, I see. Then stay in the castle. What? Do you want to stay at the castle? Can I stay in a castle? We need to get up and get to the castle right away. Wouldn''t it be easier to stay the night? ''Yes, yes ....... Well then, I''ll take your word for it: ...... I''m sleepy and I want to get to bed. All right, then, let''s go inside. The Emperor took me in, squared my shoulders, and led me in. And a little later. Zababaaa. Feels so good to have a bath. Yes, I know. As soon as the Emperor led me to the castle, he told me to take a bath. I didn''t want to lie in bed soiled from battle, so I bathed. And so the emperor came in. And that''s the way it is now. "... I don''t know, I have to go to ...... and say something. Um... ...... Leo. Yes? You look after my daughter for me. "Huh? I''m sorry? Well, I know you''re a bit selfish and difficult to be around, but keep up the good work. ''Yes, yes ......'' Does that mean you''ll continue to do what you''ve always done? Shelia is, you know, ...... the child I finally had with Ashley. ...... Really? ...... Yeah, it wasn''t easy to have a baby. It was amazing how happy Ashley was when she found out she was carrying Shelly. I see. ...... ''On the contrary, Melissa''s gone crazy since then . You''ve been so sure that your child was going to be the emperor before now ...... and you thought there was a threat to it. It was: ....... I don''t know how to react to these things: ....... ''Oh, by the way, how is Mr Cliff doing now?'' I''m sure Cliff would have come to the police station to turn himself in. Isn''t he asleep?For now, we''ll just listen to the story and punish him after Shelly is found. I see ...... so ...... what kind of punishment are you going to impose? I hope it''s as light a punishment as possible: ....... "No, I won''t. This crime is all on Melissa for now. As for Cliff, he turned himself in, so I''m going to pretend it never happened. ''Really?That''s good to know: ...... ''It''s just . . it''s not good not to punish you, so I''ll just say that you''re under house arrest and won''t leave your room until the adult party. Oh, well, maybe I deserve a little punishment. And as soon as things settle down, we should give Leo a treat. ''What?I just got it the other day, is that okay? I just got it just a few months ago, okay? Yeah, you have to reward people for their accomplishments. It''s just that I don''t think anyone''s ever gotten one this often before. I''m sure you do: ...... An upstart aristocrat like that would be a legend. Well, good luck with that. With that, the emperor walked out of the bath. Well, I don''t think I can say no this time either: ....... I''m tired. I''m going to bed. I relaxed a little and got out of the bath. Then he took me to my room where I was staying with a maid who worked in the castle and I went to bed. It was a little bright outside when I fell asleep. About eight hours later. ...... please ...... wake up. Oh, is it morning already ...... Bell? Hmmm? I pried open my heavy eyelids and got up to find a place I didn''t recognize. And then I felt something heavy ...... Huh?Sherry? And then I found out that Sherry was sleeping on top of me. ...... What does that mean? Oh, yeah. I got to stay at the castle after I rescued Shelly. But why is Sherry here? "Good morning. Mr. Leons. Lunch is ready for you. "Uh-huh. Okay. I''ll be there in a minute. Lunch?Oh, right, ...... it''s already noon: ....... I''ve got to go. And what about Sherry? Let''s wake her up anyway: ....... Shake Shelly''s shoulder. ''Hmmmmm ......'' Get up, get up, Shelly. Hmm?Leo?Yes, I fell asleep: ...... Shelley sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Why is Sherry here? "Well, ...... he told me to go wake up Leo and I came ...... and I went straight to sleep. I see. Okay. Thanks for coming all the way out here to wake me up. So, let''s go get something to eat. Yeah, okay. But Sherry was cocking her head and was ready to go to sleep. ''Come on, let''s go,'' I had no choice, so I headed to lunch with Shelly''s hand in mine: ....... 63 Say, "Help the skin." Oh, here he is at last. Morning, Leo. How did you sleep? Good morning. Yes, I slept very well. I greeted the Emperor and took my seat at the maid''s table. That''s great. Well, let''s finish our meal. Hey, don''t look so sleepy, Shelia, I went to wake you up. You need to wake up now. Ummmmm ...... We then had lunch while chatting. After lunch, we were escorted directly to the emperor''s office, where the emperor usually works. In the room was the emperor, me and my uncle. Elise says she''s listening to the story of Shelley with the queen. So let''s talk about what we''ve learned. The emperor asked his uncle for his report. Yes, then I have something to report. It''s about the men that Leo-kun captured yesterday, and after questioning them, they turned out to be knights of the realm. ''Right, ...... so what was the purpose of the knights of the kingdom?'' That''s why ...... apparently came to buy the princess as a slave of the king. Slave?d*mn ...... that greedy bastard. ....... So, have you figured out where Melissa is? And since they split up after I gave them the money, they have no idea where they are now. ''''Well, for now, tell the Knights to increase the security of the Imperial City, especially the night patrols. Yes, I understand. And finally, what about Allen? "Regarding Allen, he says he knows nothing about ....... They are in the business of transporting the princess to the kingdom, and they are not involved in the kidnapping. "No sign of Allen? We need to redouble our efforts to find Allen and his burglar. We can''t afford to have any more problems in our country. All right. We''ll find out for you. Yeah, nice to meet you. Well, I guess that''s all we have to ask Damien. So, Leo, tell me how you came to rescue Shelia. Okay. ...... Then I told him about how Allen had provoked me, and how Cliff had told me where Sherry was, and how I''d gone to the place he''d told me and the culprits had just come out. Allen was at Mr. Leo''s, ...... and he went out of his way to provoke them, so why wasn''t he there when Mr. Leo went to help? It''s a mystery. Are you trying to get me to help you? I''m not sure. I don''t know what the intention was: ...... Really, what did he come to me for? You came all the way down here just to give me Shelley''s necklace? I''ll ask her what she wanted next time I see her. Of course I won''t let him go next time. Well, it doesn''t help to wonder. Anyway, thanks, Leo. I''m good to go for now. I may call you back a few times, but today is a holiday. Oh, you can go play with Sherry. Okay. I''ve got something for Sherry, and I''d like to see her before I leave. ''Oh?What are you giving him? ''I''m just giving you back the necklace Allen had taken from you. Then he showed the Emperor the necklace of love. "Oh, I see. Okay, then I''ll go. Yeah, see you. I said goodbye to the emperor and was heading to Sherry''s room when I ran into Elise just in time. "Oh, Leo. Are you done talking to the Emperor? Yes, are you done with that one too? Yes. The princess is now in her room talking to the queen. Okay. Thank you for your help. Good evening, Leo. The princess is waiting for you. Make sure the princess is well taken care of today, okay? Elise smiled at him and went away. Let her be pampered. ...... I was going to give it to you and then leave, but I guess not. ...... I walked into Shelley''s room, muttering to myself. I walked in and found ...... Sherry and the Queen. "Hey, Leo. Are you here to see Shelia?Okay, I''m going to leave you guys to it. Bye, Leo, you''re going to have to get along with him. Uh-huh. Okay. Okay, you''re looking after my daughter. The Empress said that as she left and patted me on the shoulder. "Oh, I see. I rushed to answer and he left. And then we were alone in the room. "... That''s awkward: ....... The look on Shelly''s face reminds me of how she kissed me yesterday: ....... ''Well, um, ...... thank you for yesterday.'' When I couldn''t talk to her, I was silent and Sherry started talking to me. "Uh-huh. No, um, ...... you''re welcome. And here. I gave her Sherry''s necklace. "This?Oh, that''s the necklace he took from me!Did you get it back?Thank you!I was hoping you wouldn''t get it back. As she said this, Sherry hugged me excitedly. "Well, I''m glad you care about it enough to make me happy. I''m sorry to say that ...... was handed over to you rather than taken back. I don''t care about that. For that matter, you''re not going to put that necklace on me because we''re sticking together. ''What?Uh-huh. Okay, okay. I did as I was told and put the necklace around her neck. "Thank you. Uh-huh. You''re welcome. "... For a while, we were attached to each other without speaking anything: ...... No, it was a hug. "Hey, Leo. What did you think yesterday when I kissed you? ''What?How, what did you think? I''m sorry, I thought you just started talking, but what''s the matter with you all of a sudden? Yeah. I did it yesterday because I was so happy that you saved me. ...... Were you happy? ''I was happy ......?Um, ......, it was nice to see you. Really?Hey, honestly, do you like me, Leo? What''s going on? Why do you keep asking so many embarrassing questions earlier? Do I have to answer this? Just answer the question. But Shelley''s face was serious. ''Wow, okay, ...... I like you, Shelly.'' I gave up and told the truth . I''m so embarrassed ....... Maybe I should be blushing really hard. Yeah!Now I can get engaged to Leo! "Huh? Oh, um . Actually, my mom said she''d make us engaged if I made Leo say he liked me. What do you mean? What is Sherry saying? "Well, ......, my next reward is Watashi. Eh !!! 64 Twenty-four, second emperor. It''s been almost a month since we rescued Shelly. Since then, Cliff''s mother has been found quickly and the uncles are busy looking for the burglar''s hideout. Also, a lot of people have gathered in the Imperial City for Cliff''s coming-of-age party. Great lords and ladies from all over, and emissaries from the Church and Kingdom. No, the realm didn''t want them this time. The other side, with their knight in custody, was unable to say anything either. As for me, there''s been nothing going on for the past month. I went to school every day. That''s all I did. If anything''s changed, it''s school life. People stopped coming to sherry. It was so hard to talk at school and now sherry speaks with ease. Maybe for a variety of reasons, but I think they think Shelly''s lost her claim to the throne. After the kidnapping, the Emperor issued a gag order. But as expected, word spread quickly among the nobility. But the rumors are vague. Apparently, Shelly was kidnapped and rescued by the Forster family: ....... But the kidnappers are still out there. I guess the nobleman heard about this and felt that Shelley''s claim to the throne is no longer valid. Sherry is a woman. If she''d been kidnapped, it wouldn''t be happening this time: ....... Well, maybe they would have done something wrong. I''m told that if that''s the case, you''re not fit to be the next emperor. In fact, many marriages between noblemen have been broken off after their daughters were kidnapped for political reasons. But what happens if the culprit is Cliff''s mother, as in this case? Is it still the emperor''s decision? With such uncertain rumors, the nobles stopped flirting with Shelly and started flirting with Mr. Cliff''s camp . He was glad to finally have a quiet school life. Besides, Sherry doesn''t want to be the emperor. Well, I''m here, and he seems to get along with Leena and her friends when the girls are alone, so he won''t miss them. Oh, and about me and Sherry''s engagement issue: ...... From the moment Shelly taught me, there''s nothing. Sherry never says anything to me. The emperor has been so busy lately that I can''t ask him, and I have no idea what''s going on. So a month has gone by, and here I am at the party. It''s Cliff''s coming-of-age party. I thought I''d come early, but the place was already packed with people. There''s a lot of people. Never had a party this big before. Even I''ve only had to do it a few times. I haven''t seen the current emperor since he came of age. When I walked in, my brother Alex, my grandmother, and my mother were talking about this when they saw the crowd of people in the hall. This time it was the Forsters + the saints + Lena who came to the hall. But we each found someone to talk to and then we all fell apart. Leena and I were walking around the hall. "Hey, Leo! As I was walking, I saw Frank coming out of the crowd. "Oh, Frank, Hey, nice to see you today. I couldn''t find you at Leo''s brother''s party the last time I looked for you, so it''s good to see you. Was it? Come to think of it, I was obsessed with eating dragon meat back then . And I wasn''t at the party in the middle of the party: ....... Now that I think about it, I didn''t celebrate my brother at all. Sorry, bro. Some time later, Cliff finally walked in. "So that''s the guy who''s going to be king. Frank looked at Mr. Cliff and muttered. ''I''m not sure I''m going to be the next emperor. Yeah, but everybody says that. They say that''s why you haven''t been out of the house lately, and that''s probably why you haven''t been out of the house lately. No, Mr. Cliff wasn''t outside for some other reason. I''m not sure. ''Shelly said she didn''t want to be emperor,'' What''s to stop me from inheriting it? I don''t know. But if he says so, then it''s settled. The three of them were having a conversation when the Emperor appeared before the nobles. "I thank you all for coming here today for my son Cliff. I know there are things people want to know sooner than these insignificant greetings. But first, there''s something you need to hear. Lately, there have been rumors that my daughter Shelia has been kidnapped: ...... This is true. Some of the noblemen were coming to the party and started buzzing. "The culprit is Melissa, Cliff''s mother. They got her and she''s in jail. The aristocracy just got louder. No way. ...... What are you going to do now: ...... And so on and so forth. Did he have some kind of black connection to Mr. Cliff''s mother? ''So, ...... I''m going to announce who the next emperor will be. shuddering The house went silent. Cliff is the next emperor. What? What do you mean? Why? The nobles instantly went into a tizzy at the emperor''s announcement. ''''Quiet!Cliff had nothing to do with the kidnapping. And he would have turned himself in as soon as he learned of his mother''s wrongdoing. I''ve decided to make him an emperor with that sense of justice. Now I need him to have a stronger sense of justice than ever before. And I''ll have Cliff under observation until he becomes emperor. That should be no problem, right? Then the emperor turned to Mr. Cliff. Then Cliff stepped forward and bowed. "From now on, I will work hard for our nation to atone for my sins. I''m only a novice, but I hope it''s a pleasure. When Mr. Cliff''s greeting was over, applause began to be heard in places and spread throughout. And when the applause ended, the emperor stepped forward again. "And there is one more thing that has happened to tell you all. In fact, it''s been decided that Shelia will be engaged to Leonce Forster. Leonce has done two great things in his career, and this is his contribution to solving the kidnapping. A formal reward will be announced at a later date. That''s it for me. Well, enjoy the party. As soon as the emperor''s story was over, the aristocrats began to buzz about it. "d*mn it ......, House Forster again. I''m not even ten years old yet, am I right? And then they started talking about me. Cliff seems to have flown out of the aristocrat''s head. That''s great: ....... I''d be interested in it, but ...... Hey, what''s going on? I didn''t hear you two getting engaged! The two guys next to me grabbed me by the shoulders and questioned me. This is just a pain in the ass. And they continued to question me for the rest of the party. SIDE:? So, what do you want to hear? Yes, ...... as expected, the brave man is dead. And ...... the killing of the person who appeared to have the ability to do so was unsuccessful. ''So ...... so?Was he, Leons Forster, a gifted man? Yes, I''m sure. ''Well, ...... this hasn''t happened in a long time and now you can go home. You can go home now that you know what''s important. Next time, don''t screw it up, Allen. Okay. Let''s go to ....... 65 CHAPTER XXV ENGAGEMENT Riot 1 The day after Mr. Cliff''s coming-of-age party. I was riding in the carriage to the school. Yesterday, after the emperor''s announcement, two people near me started asking me questions. Leena was especially angry toward the end, wondering why she didn''t tell me. I didn''t know how to answer because I was going to be engaged without really understanding myself: ....... ''Huh, I hate going to school today so much.'' No matter what you think, you''ll get eyes all over the classroom, and I don''t know what to look like to Shelly, and Leena will still be mad at me. ....... I''ve never been this depressed about going to school before . Good morning. Sherry. Oh, good morning. Hey, Lena. She returned the greeting to the familiar morning greeting, but Shelly was puzzled by Leena''s apparent grumpiness. ''Can you explain to me what happened yesterday?'' Uh-huh. Uh-huh. ...... Shelly was too stifled to say no. Then Sherry explained how she was going to be engaged to me as a reward for being kidnapped by Leena. You mean ...... about a month ago you decided to do it? ''Yes, yes ......'' ''Why didn''t you both tell me?'' ''Well, ...... my dad told me not to tell anyone, ...... and I think Leo was skeptical because he only heard about it once until yesterday.'' ''So it was: ....... Still, I''ll miss the company ...... ''Sorry, I''m sorry: ......'' Shelly couldn''t say anything to Leena and apologized honestly. ''I understand . I forgive you. What? In return, you can help me with my plan. Ke-plan?Wow, I get it: ...... Sherry, who was indebted to Leena, couldn''t say no to this either. ''Thank you . So, here''s the plan: ...... Then Leena started talking about the plan . Now, I''m frozen in front of the classroom door. ''Huh, it''s good to see you here ......'' This is the heaviest door I''ve ever felt in my life. I just can''t get the courage to walk into the classroom. ''''Master. What are you doing here?Oh, by the way, congratulations on your engagement!Master is moving up in the world. As a future servant, I''m happy for you. Oh, yeah. Thank you, Hermann. You will serve? Yes, I''ll serve my master in the future. I got my father''s permission yesterday. ''Oh, yeah ......, we''ll talk about that another time. If you bring it up now, I won''t be able to get into your head. I''m way past that point. Okay. I''ll see you later. ...... Master? Yeah?What''s going on? Why don''t you go inside? ''What?No, not really. ''Oh, perhaps you''re embarrassed to face the princess? Herman asked with a grin. ''No, I don''t think so.'' That''s not exactly the only thing. Okay. Okay, let''s go inside. Herman opened the door, making a deliberate noise. "Hey, buddy. Look, look, there''s nothing to be afraid of once you''re in there. With that, Hermann entered the classroom while pushing me back. Once inside, the gazes of my ...... classmates gathered around me. Just peering at them. Sherry and Leena didn''t look at me, they were feverishly discussing something alone. ''Huh?Master, did you offend the two of them in any way? "Yes, ...... I have an idea, but it''s something ...... that doesn''t get turned around. Sad. Good morning, Leo. Oh, Frank. Morning. ''Are you depressed because those two won''t even look at you? ''What?Uh-huh. ''Just when you think Leena has spoken to the princess angrily, you''ll be talking to her so much that you won''t be able to see your surroundings before you know it. Yeah, right: ...... What is he talking about so enthusiastically? ....... ''Aren''t you going to go talk to him like you usually do?'' No, indeed, ...... I don''t have the balls for that. Frank grinned, knowing that. "What''s so funny?" ...... ''It''s simply interesting to see a guy who''s popular and has trouble with women. I see. Huh, first period is sword fighting, so we should probably get moving. Come on. Let''s go. I didn''t want Frank to be laughing at me anymore, so I decided to head to class. ''Yes,'' How am I going to talk to Shelly and Leena: ....... I need to ask Sherry for more information about the engagement and I need to cure Leena''s mood. ....... Based on the two of us in the morning, it doesn''t look like he''s going to talk to me from that side: ....... I knew it was me: ....... ''Hey, Leo!'' My training partner, Frank, called me back to reality. Yeah? ''I know I''m a lot weaker than you, but . It hurts my feelings when you talk to me like that. Oh, I''m sorry. Did you hear that in my voice? ''Yeah, I heard a lot of crunching about Shelly and what happened to Leena. Seriously: "Seriously: ...... That''s embarrassing. ''Leo really likes you two, doesn''t he? ''What?Oh, yeah. ...... Do you like them both? Come to think of it, I''ve told Shelly I love her, but I''ve never told Leena I love her: ....... If you think about it, after all that time together, it''s not okay for Shelly to get engaged just to be engaged before you feel bad for Leena or something... I see ...... that''s right . ''Hey! Let''s at least move the sword, shall we?Class isn''t over yet, and you''re going to get pissed off if you just sit around and dawdle. Save your fantasies for classroom time. Oh, I''m sorry. I''m not delusional! Hey, there!Don''t move your mouth, move your body! ''Excuse me!See, I''m pissed. Sorry. I decided to stop thinking for now and concentrate on my lessons. After school. All right, I''ll see you tomorrow. Oh, I''ll see you tomorrow. Hang in there. I''ll see you tomorrow!Good luck, Master. When I said hello, they cheered me on for some reason. Did I see that much nervousness on their faces? Just take a deep breath. Shoo, shoo. Talk to him like you usually do. I told myself and moved closer to them. They looked at each other and nodded as if to confirm something. "Both of you, "Yikes! They let out a little scream, as if they were really surprised to be spoken to by me . That drew the attention of the students in the classroom . ''Uh ...... are you okay?'' Yeah, yeah. I''m fine. Yes, I''m fine. Unn....... I''m going to have to invite you home with a lot of people watching. ....... My classmates are very curious about yesterday''s announcement and their eyes sting all over my body . d*mn it - I want to run away ....... But I have to say it when I''m here . ''''Well, ...... would you two like to come over to my house afterwards?'''' Yeah, yeah. I''m fine. Yes. No problem at all. And when they heard that, their classmates got excited. "Whoosh! I envy you: ...... "d*mn it ......, let it blow up. You can say all you want: ....... When I looked at the entrance of the classroom, I saw that the other students in the class were peeking out to see what the commotion was all about. I want to get out of here as soon as possible. I want to get out of here, both of you! I hurriedly retreat from the classroom, pulling their hands on me. 66 CHAPTER XXVI ENGAGEMENT Riot 2 ''Fwiw, that was embarrassing: ...... Now he is riding in the carriage towards home, away from the painful stares of his classmates . ''That atmosphere was awesome,'' It''s true!Then you''re too embarrassed to be able to talk to Leo at school these days, even though you''ve finally been able to comfortably talk to him at school. Oh well, after a while people get bored and don''t do anything in particular. Do you think so? People are like that. They''re sensitive to new things, but once they get used to it, they don''t really want to do anything that bad. Hmm. Speaking of which, I finally got to talk to both of them properly today. ''Oh, now that you mention it, it was,'' ''Sure, we were so busy talking together that I forgot to talk to Leo. What?That''s it?I feel like an idiot for wondering how I was going to talk to you. I was so seriously worried about it, but ...... you two are just ''oh, by the way'' ....... ''We''re sorry about that . Sorry about that ... We were both preoccupied with the story. ''That''s right ...... we were both very serious about it, weren''t we?What did you talk about? Yeah, it''s girl talk. Heh, heh, heh. Oh, really? They don''t seem to be telling me what it''s about . I feel like Leena''s smile is warning me not to ask any more: ....... ''Oh, I think we''ve arrived at Leo-kun''s house. Yeah, yeah. Let''s get out. Now we''re lounging around the room. No one in particular is talking and lounging around. Leena and Sherry had already been in my room many times, so they were free to relax wherever they wanted. But even as I was lounging around, my mind wasn''t at ease. I''ve been thinking about how to do what I was thinking about in class today. No, it wasn''t so much that I was thinking about it, but rather I was trying to figure out the right moment to do it. I mean, I could do it at any time, but I couldn''t find the courage to do it: ....... I got up after a while of lounging around and composing myself. ''Feng ....... Can you two have a minute? Yeah, what? Yes, can I help you? I''m about to do some creation magic, so watch me. ''Okay, but ...... what are you building?'' In light of the last kidnapping, I thought I''d build an item that would allow us to locate the two of you in case of an emergency. ''That''s nice to hear, but ...... make sure you know where Leo is, not just us. "Uh-huh. Okay. Okay, I''ll make three identical items. I don''t plan on building mine, but it''ll be fine. Are the three of you together?I''m so happy for you! I''m glad you liked it before I started. Take the materials out of the backpack. Three magic stones, mithril, red dragon scales, and gems from the dungeon. Wow, they''re all beautiful. Yeah, I picked out a beautiful one. I''ve chosen three magic stones with more magic in them than any other in my possession. I can''t wait to see what you make of them. Yeah, I''ll look forward to it. See you at ....... Then he used his creation magic on the materials. Then the ...... materials were mixed together and glowed and the result was a ring. The result is the ...... ring. The three rings glowed red. I unexpectedly made one for myself, but it''s ...... yes, it''s an engagement ring. I''ve decided to rely on creative magic to propose to you. We both love ....... Will you marry me? He bowed his head as he held out the two completed rings to them. ''Huh?Uh-huh. Yeah, I''m getting married. Sherry took it with a blush on her face . When I looked at Leena''s face ...... she looked a little puzzled. ''Wow, me too?Are you sure? Yeah. And I want Leena to be there for me from now on. This isn''t a lie. I really, really want you to be there for me. Yes. You''re welcome. Then she took the ring from my hand. Leena''s eyes were filled with tears. "I''m so happy~ I sat there, relieved. I''m so sorry, both of you. I should have told Sherry before she got all screwed up, and I had to make sure Leena knew how I felt. That''s what I was thinking about: ...... ''Yeah, I finally noticed it today: ....... Why didn''t I notice it sooner? No, I''m just so happy that you''re confessing to me. That''s nice to hear. Thank you. (It''s just a shame that my plans were forfeited, though.) What did you say? I thought I heard something whispering: ....... No, I didn''t say anything. Can I put the ring you gave me on my finger? Yeah. Why don''t we ask Leo to do it? Good idea. Leo, can I ask you for a favor? I feel like Leena forced me to change the subject ...... but that doesn''t matter right now . ''Uh-huh . It''s okay. Both of you, give me your fingers. Yes, sir. I took the rings from them and slipped them on the ring finger of each hand. Oh, since we''re all three of us, why don''t you wear it? Yes. I put an extra ring on my finger. "Now we''re all together. The three of them smiled happily as they looked at their fingers . ''''Yeah, they''re matching. ....... Oh, by the way, I didn''t look up what kind of ability this ring has. I realized I hadn''t yet appraised it. I''ll get right on it. Ring of happiness. Ten times the value of luck. When you pour your magic, you''ll know where the other rings of happiness are located. Excellent durability Creator: Leons Forster Oh, I''m usually happy with the results of this appraisal. There wasn''t anything in particular that I thought was bad, and I got exactly what I wanted. It''s great that your luck was multiplied tenfold: ....... The three of us were lucky to begin with, but now we''re going to be even luckier. And the ability to locate the target. Apparently, I just have to pour the magic in. I immediately poured the magic into the ring. Then a ...... hand was pulled in their direction. Whoa! I was pulled so suddenly that I involuntarily leaned forward and fell down. And then I knocked Sherry and Leena down as well. "Hey. "Yikes! I''m sorry. It''s like I''m draped over Sherry and Leena. . ''What''s going on?Did you want to make out that badly? No, it''s not like that. I just fell down. Again~ There''s no way you could have fallen down in this situation.Don''t be shy, it''s perfectly fine to spoil me, you know! Uh-huh. I mean, no!I poured my magic into the ring and it suddenly pulled me in two different directions and I fell down, unable to do anything about it. "Heh~ I can pull it when I pour my magic on it: ...... I''ll try it when I get home today. ''Yeah, try ......, Leena, are you okay?'' I thought you weren''t joining in on the conversation, but then you were hugging me and burying your face in my chest. "Oh, yes. It''s okay! When I called out to her, she turned her head to me and replied, but then she went right back in. ''Oh, just Leena, that''s not fair!Me too! "Hey!Huh? Shelly hugged me as tightly as Leena did and stuck her face to my chest . I''m completely stuck. ....... Oh, I''m so happy. Yes, I''m very happy~ But they seemed happy, so they decided to leave it at that. After that, the three of them were tired after making plans for the whole day, and they fell asleep surrounded by happiness. 67 First of all, the magic pot needs to be painted. "I hereby reward you with a reward for the rescue of my country''s princess, Shelia. The reward is the ordination of a viscount to Leonce Forster, and the betrothal of Shelia to Rihanna. About six months have gone by since then. I''m nine years old now, and I''m about to finish my first year. When the Emperor announced his engagement to Shelly and Lena, people looked at me like I was the envy of the world. I became famous as the youngest person ever to become a viscount, the youngest person ever to be betrothed to a princess, and I was the envy of the nobility, who knew me. At school, Shelly used to be my sister and now I am. So I''m surrounded by my peers all day long. Put me in the inner sanctum. or something like that Take me under your wing. etc., etc. It was really loud. Well, I couldn''t resist. ''''I''m not recruiting for the inner sanctum and my men!If you''re going to be any louder, I''m never going to get along with you! if I said Nobody came near me the next day. So now it''s peaceful. At school, I spend most of my time with Hermann and Frank. I don''t talk to Sherry and Lena much more than a morning hello at school because of the noise around them. So they end up playing at my house after school. Every day, I wasn''t doing anything in particular, just talking and helping them train for magic. They''ve both learned to use non-attribute magic in the last six months. And I''ve heard that Sherry''s uncle and Leena''s saint teach them magic on a daily basis. I''m sure they''re all improving in their specialties and I''ll be asking them to show me the results. Seeing the two of them, I felt that I had some free time and wanted to be able to do something. I''m in the commercial district of the imperial capital. I''m going to research a magic tool I''ve been curious about. A magic tool is similar to but completely different from the magic items I make. The magic items I create can only be made by me and I don''t need to replenish my magic stones. A tool can be made by anyone with the right skills, but the magic stones need to be replaced occasionally. They''re like battery-powered conveniences in a previous life. So, in that analogy, a magic stone is like a battery. They make water boil and brighten a room, like they''re essential in this world. I don''t know how to make magic tools like that, so I''ll learn how to make them if I''m not busy! I came out of the house alone on holiday thinking something like ...... . Well, I can use creation magic, so I don''t have to ....... I just thought maybe it would be useful ...... and see if it would help me. Plus, it''s a great way to pass the time. Now I''m in front of our store. "Fermor Trading Company Fermor has the largest share of magic tools in the world. I used to live in my house and it''s the top. There were so many people inside that it was easy to see the store was thriving. When I walked in, a beautiful lady was there to help me. "Welcome ...... me, where is your father and mother? No, I''m here alone. So, how can I help you?What did he ask you to do? No, nothing in particular: ...... Okay, goodbye. You don''t want to disturb our guests. Hey, hey, I''m your friend from ............. He let me out before I could finish. "What ....... You could at least listen to me. ...... ''''Huh, let''s see what we''re going to do now: ....... Either find another store that sells magic tools around here or ...... Sighing, he began to stroll through the commercial district. ''I don''t see it anywhere! I''ve searched everywhere but couldn''t find ...... a shop like that. Apparently, Fermor''s Trading Company is so powerful that no one sells magic tools in the Imperial City: ....... What''s wrong with me?Are you lost, by any chance? Maybe I was talking too loud? A concerned young woman came over to talk to me. ''What?No, no, sir. ''So what don''t you see then?'' Actually, I''m looking for a shop that sells magic tools. ''A magic tool?Then the Fermor Trading Company is right over there in plain sight. No, I''m looking for a store other than the Fermor Trading Company. Other than Fermor and Company?I don''t know if there was anything else: ...... Oh, there was one!It''s a little shop at the end of a commercial district. It''s kind of hard to find, so I''ll show you where it is. Seriously! Oh, really?Thank you! And so I had to ask a kind lady to show me around, I guess. Well, even if this woman wanted to kidnap me, I''d be okay. Here. You know, that rundown little shop. The woman pointed in the direction of ...... a seedy shop that would convince me that it had already gone out of business . ''''Oh, is that it?Okay. ...... Thank you very much. Oh, are they really open for business? No. Bye. I bowed my head and the woman said it and walked away. "Okay, let''s go in. ....... Hello! He pushed the heavy door open and went in. ''Hmm?What are you? When I entered, a stern old man with a beard who looked like he was a craftsman was looking bored. ''''Well, um, ...... can I have a look at the magic tools?'''' Hmm?Client!Oh, how many months has it been? Yeah, is that how few people are coming in? How can you not want to quit for months? What''s going on in your life, anyway? Yeah, they''re not coming. We''ll figure something out. The owner overlooked my concerns and dismissed them optimistically. "Oh, really? ...... Is it okay to shop at ...... this store? Everyone else is going to Fermat''s. ...... You came here instead of over there? ''Well ...... I went over there and they kicked me out because I was a kid. ''What!Geez, how big of a deal to choose ...... customers, Mr. Big Commerce ....... ''''Well, ......, can I see your magic tool?'''' Oh. What kind of stuff are you looking for? ''Well, ......, there''s nothing in particular: ......'' Okay. Well, you can look around all you want. Thank you. Well, I''ll take a look. The interior of the store is just as dirty and dusty as the outside. The merchandise is arranged in a mess, so it''s hard to see what''s there. I dusted off the dust and pulled out an item in front of me. "What''s this? I asked as I showed the owner the black sphere. ''Huh?This is ......, I believe, the one where dark magic is used to make you sleepy just looking at it. Huh?Can a magic tool do that?So what is this then? Now he pulled out a white sphere. ''''This one has holy magic in it, and I find it relaxing to look at. Li, relax: ...... Is there any other magic tool you can say this is awesome? ''Then how about this ......?It''s a stick that uses lightning magic and chirps when you touch it. Then the owner pulled out a stick with a buzzing tip and said, "What is it used for? What can you use it for ......? Well... ...... How about a massage or something?Oh, and ...... you can turn it into a weapon if you turn up the output. It opens: ...... Wow! The Flaming Surprise Box. Come on, I''ll give you a discount. ''Oh, that was a close one ...... and you''re almost out of bangs. ...... That''s one hell of a surprise box ...... Not really. I didn''t compliment you! ''There''s other lightning bolts and water popping out of the air. Then he brought out a bunch of boxes just like that. ''Yes, I don''t want any of them. And ...... I''m beginning to understand why this store is not selling well. ''Don''t you want ...... I thought I''d finally get my money''s worth. ...... What?The reason it''s not selling?Of course it''s Fermat''s fault. No, I suppose that''s part of it, but this place is even worse than that. ''Oh?You think my shop is terrible? Yes, sir. The shop is dirty and hard to get into. You don''t know what it''s like to go in there and see what it''s all about. People get hurt when they try them. Here''s why it''s so bad. "Ugh, ugh ....... d*mn ...... I can''t talk back to you. ...... I knew that. So I''ve got a suggestion. What? Can you teach me how to make a magic tool? What?Why?What does that have to do with the store''s sales? The owner raised his voice. ''If you tell me ...... I''ll change this store. I see. ...... The owner grinned. "So, will you teach me? ''Yes, ...... apprentice or ...... yeah ......, well, I''m not busy anyway, so I''ll take it as a trick.'' Are you sure?Thank you! ''Yeah, and I''m going to teach you better than that, okay?Don''t run off in the middle of the road? ''Don''t worry, I''m used to teaching Sparta. There''s no Spartans that can beat Grandma and Grandpa. Okay. Well, you''ll be here in the morning. That''s why I can''t do it in the morning except on my days off because of ...... school. School?How old are you? ''What?I''m nine years old. ''You''re nine years old and at school ...... you''re a nobleman! Yes? What''s the problem? ''Why is a nobleman''s child pacing around here alone! My house is not very tight. Besides, I''m the master of the house. What?What the hell kind of aristocrat is that? ...... Come to think of it, I hadn''t heard your name yet. What do you say? Oh, Leons Forster. You can call me Leo. If you ask me, it was rude of me not to tell you my name. "Well, ...... is a brave man''s house, isn''t it!Well, something makes sense: ...... Leo or ...... then I''m Horant . Call me whatever you want. ''Okay, ...... Mr. Holland, ...... Master! 68 CHAPTER II -- THE MASTER SHOWS IT. I''m currently in the workroom at the back of my master''s shop. Unlike the inside of the shop, this room was cleaned up. I asked him why it''s only clean here. Isn''t it a tradesman''s duty to keep his work area clean? I asked him why the store was so dirty. Then I asked him why the store was so dirty. Yeah, that''s ...... my wife was beautiful when she was alive. It came back. It seems that ...... Master''s wife has already died. He had left his wife in charge of the shop since he started. When he decided to go out on his own, it didn''t work out so well and sales started to drop off and he had no income. How can I make this store profitable from now on: ....... Well, we can talk about business later, for now it''s about making magic tools. ''''It''s nice to meet you, Master. Oh. Okay, let''s start with the basics. After saying that, Master laid out all the things on the workbench. "This is the magical stone. It''s an important energy source needed to move the magic tools. By the way, each tool requires different magic stones. ''Will I need a different magic stone?What do you mean? ''''Well ...... for example, this little lightning-generating stick has to be a magic stone poured by someone whose attribute is lightning . And this fire surprise box is either a fire or fire attribute . This black sphere has the attribute of darkness. You can change the magic stone according to the purpose. I see. ...... I didn''t know that. Okay. Keep that in mind. Now, next time, you''ll need this for your magic tools as much as you need your magic stones. Then he showed me a book. There were geometric patterns on it in various shapes. Is this ...... a magic circle? Yeah. You know me well. I''ve seen it in a book before. "I see. This is a necessity for turning a magical tool into a magical instrument. The magic circle determines the performance of the spell. ''Oh, really? ...... This is a very detailed description if you look closely. On the last page of the book I was shown, there was an extremely detailed magic circle that you wouldn''t expect from a master''s face. ''''Yeah, you''d have to spend a long time and gain experience to be able to create something like this. ''''Oh, well, ...... your master is a great guy, isn''t he? Well, Fermat has asked me to work for him so many times. ''What?That much?Then you''d definitely be better off going over there and working. No, I don''t want to give up this place. This place is a memory of my dead wife and this place is my life. If it''s such an important store, let''s make it prettier: ....... ''Oh, really? ....... Okay. I''ll definitely take care of the store. Oh, come on. Okay, I''m gonna start paying you up front. ''First, I''ll draw the magic circle using this magic-conducting ink. Then he showed me a bottle of clear ink. ''Magic conduction?Is your magic conductive? Yeah, I got it. Well, I''m going to draw a basic magic circle now, so you can copy it. I understand. Then the master''s long, long lecture on magicians began. My master was strict with me but he was kind enough to teach me. Thanks to that, I could understand the basics. Well, there are so many that it might take me a long time to remember them all. I have to go home and review it: ....... Okay, that''s enough for today. I''ll see you tomorrow. Yes, thank you again. Oh! I''ve moved on to the house. I''m home. Oh, Master Leo!Where have you been! When I walked in, I saw Belle standing there with an angry look on her face. ''What?I was taught how to make magic tools in a wizard shop. ''How to make a magic tool: ......?I''m not sure, but he''s coming back late! ''Sorry, I''m sorry: ....... I just got so caught up in the moment that I lost track of time. Well, that''s okay. Then you could have told me ahead of time that you were going to be late. I''m sorry. I''ll be late tomorrow. Something about Belle is becoming more like a maid these days: ....... She hasn''t made any mistakes lately, and she''s settled in . ''Huh?Tomorrow?! Yeah. I think it''s almost every day from now on. Are you going to teach me how to make a magic tool? Yeah. You''re going to be taught a lesson now. That''s great. But does Master Leo need it?Honestly, with creation magic, there''s no need for magic tools, right? It''s true: ...... I agree. "Yeah. Well, it''s just killing time. Besides, it might help. ''Oh, well, good luck with that ....... Yeah. Yeah, can you just listen to what you''ve learned today?I just want to review it. ''What?Do I have to listen to you? Yeah. It''s easier to learn by teaching someone else. Okay. All right, then, please. Yeah, well, nice to meet you. Then I ate a late dinner, took a bath and laid out the magic circle on the floor in my room that I copied Master''s today. ''''First of all, this pattern has a magic absorption effect. You can use this to draw magic from the magical stone to supply the magic circle with magic. ''Oh, really? ...... "Next, this is the one that activates the magic and ...... this one seems to release the magic ...... this is ...... and I''m asleep. ...... I remembered that it was late at night . I''m sorry. ...... I''m going to bed too. Belle had fallen asleep on the floor. SIDE: Belle. Hmm, what?I fell asleep. ......? Yesterday, I think Leo came home late ...... and then late at night Leo started talking about the magic circle ...... and I fell asleep. I did it. ...... Amelie is going to be mad at me. I''ve got to get up earlier than that. Huh? I''m too heavy to get up: ....... Speaking of which, ...... where is this place? Hmmm... ...... ''What?Lele, Master Leo? And to my surprise, there was Leo on top of me. "What am I going to do? ...... I can''t wake him up. ...... I''ll have to get out of it so that I don''t wake him up: ....... Move Leo gently. "Gosh, this should help us get out of here. You have to get ready soon. ...... When I finally managed to get out of it, I relaxed, and then Leo-sama hugged me. ''''Ugh, you''re too strong ......, isn''t it hopeless to get out of this, ......?'''' I''m going to have to give up on ...... or if you''re mad at me, blame it on Master Leo. Good night, ...... Master Leo. SIDE: Leons. "Mmm. ...... It''s morning. ...... I slept well. It''s been a long time since I''ve had such a pleasant morning. Hmm? What''s that bushy thing hitting you in the face: ......? And you''re hugging something soft: ....... Did I ever have a cuddle pillow ....... With that in mind, I opened my eyes and saw ...... There were dog ears in front of me. Bell ......!By the way, you were carrying the bell to bed yesterday ...... and we went straight to bed together. Hmm. ...... But it''s unusual for Belle to be asleep at this time of night. She''s always trying to wake me up. It''s always Belle''s job in the morning to wake me up after a long night of staying up late. By the way, ...... Belle''s pretty when she sleeps. ....... Slam! Master Leo, wake up! The door opened with a loud bang and I thought it was empty, but then Miss Amelie came into the room. ''And, I don''t know where Belle is: ...... Oh?You were sleeping together?Well, then, breakfast is ready. As soon as she saw the situation where I was hugging Belle, she grinned and walked out. ''Wait, wait!This ...... has gone. Anyway, I have to wake up ...... bell wake up. I was going to excuse myself, but ...... was already gone, so I gave up and decided to wake up the bell. 69 CHAPTER III -- MANAGE THE MASTERS STORE 1 A month had passed since he became an apprentice of his master. Since then, I''ve stayed up late every night learning the magic circle from him, and I''ve learned most of the basics. And for some reason, I was reviewing it every day after I got home while talking to Belle. The next day after I fell asleep with Belle, I said, "Belle''s asking for another day." ....... ''I''m sorry, sure,'' I said no. ...... No, from now on, I won''t be rude and fall asleep in the middle of the day, please. Let me regain my honor as a maid. Please. He asked me to do a ...... and I couldn''t say no, so I had to ask him to go with me every day to review it . After that, well, there were many times when I woke up sometimes and we were sleeping together. Maybe some days Bell would get up and get out of bed before I got up, so I would almost always fall asleep with him, if I counted those days. Well, for me, I''d really like to ask for it because I''d be able to sleep better: ....... Gohon! Aside from that, today we will stop teaching Master and start improving his shop. ''''Then let''s start, Master. Oh, oh, ....... ''''Master, please clean up the exterior . In the meantime, I''ll clean up this rundown interior. Okay. Let''s just deal with the looks of this place. This place is in such bad shape right now that people are starting to wonder if we''re even in business. Yeah, I''ll go for it then. He nodded at me and walked out with his cleaning kit. "Okay, ......, let me get started. First, I started cleaning my room ...... and finished at the same time. ''Wow, that was easy - I knew this magic would come in handy! I used the simplest cleansing spell of holy magic. I learned this magic from seeing Amelie and Lina using it. It''s a very useful spell that allows you to clean a large area according to your magical power. With my magic, this shop will be cleaned in a flash. Let''s start improving the problematic shelves: ...... I took the merchandise off the shelves. I put the price tags in front of each item in different positions. In addition, you put the price tags in front of each item if you think it will be in demand. Lastly, I placed warning stickers on items that could hurt you if you were to try them carelessly. The stickers and price tags can be made entirely with creative magic, so it was easier than I thought it would be. ''''Wow, that was clean: ...... I looked at the refurbished interior and took a breath. ''Leo, it''s done - it''s ridiculously clean!Did you use some kind of magic? Yes, I used it. Good work, Master. Oh, boy. What kind of magic is that?Was that supposed to be a joke? It''s creation magic. Here. Then I made up a price tag at random. "What?You can do that? Yes, sir. Yeah, right: ...... What''s with that ''this guy is worse than I thought'' look? But first, let''s talk about the future. Oh, oh. Don''t you think this cleanliness is going to bring people in? No, he won''t be here. Is that so? Yes, it''s not that easy to get customers back. People have become accustomed to buying their magic tools from Fermat. It''s not going to be easy to get people to come in here. Well, what do we do now? Actually, yes, ............ Then I made one suggestion for my mentor . ''That''s interesting ...... maybe, no, it''s definitely going to thrive ......'' ''''Yes, I think so too . For that to happen, I''ll need my master to work hard. Oh, I got it!I''ll definitely build you something better. Well, good luck with that. I''ll take care of something else. Okay. You''re up. Then we''ll start with the blacksmiths: ...... I left what I could do in the shop to my master and went to the blacksmith''s shop. Welcome to the blacksmith''s shop. Oh, child... how unusual. What''s the matter with you? When I entered the blacksmith''s shop, I was greeted by the owner with a huge arm. It seems that this shop is also different from the other shops, and they seem to be friendly to children. To tell you the truth. I wanted to get a lot of swords made for you. ...... Oh, what?Say anything. It''s my job to make the sword. Then I had something like this made for you: ............ Then I explained in detail what kind of sword I wanted. ''''Oh, oh ...... you can make it, but what are you going to do with it?'''' It''s just business. I''ll come back with the good news as soon as I can, so look forward to it. Okay. If you make something awesome, I''ll let you have it in my shop. That would be great. I''ll sell you a cheaper price then. That''ll be fun. Okay, I''ll make it up as I go along. ''Thank you!Next stop, ......, at your uncle''s place. My uncle''s house is ......, I think, right here. I think my uncle is home for the day. This is the first time I''ve been to his house: ....... It''s quite a large house, it stands near the castle. I stand in front of the entrance and ring the doorbell. "Yes, sir. Hey, Leo. What a nice surprise to see you here. What''s up? The one who came out was Elise. Come to think of it, they really are a married couple. ''I need to ask my uncle a favor: ...... are you here now?'' What, you want to ask?All right. I''ll be in the back room. Is that why you''re so afraid to ask me for a favor? Elise, you''ve got a serious look on your face. ...... ''Le, Leo-kun!What''s going on? He led me to my uncle, and when he saw my face, he looked so surprised. You shouldn''t be so surprised to see me. I''ve come to ask you for a favor. You want to ask me for help?What''s going on in the case again! I don''t know why I would do that. Don''t worry, it''s not a crime. Thank goodness ...... to be honest, I''m scared when Leo-kun comes to me because it''s really bad. No, it''s not: ...... I''d like to deny it, but if you ask me, I''d say so: ....... So, what are you asking for? Yes, actually: ............ Then I told him what I wanted to ask. "Huh, you got an interesting idea. Right?It''s good for the empire and ...... please! ''Yes, ......, I''ll have to wait until Her Majesty gives me permission to do this one. Yes, of course: ...... or go ask for ...... You''ve decided where to go next . You have to do the same presentation in front of the emperor: ....... ''''Normally, emperors aren''t meant to be met in such a lighthearted way, right? But you''re with your uncle, right? ''Yes, but ......'' ''Interesting!Let''s do it. Really? You think it''s that easy to give them permission? The uncle was upset by the Emperor''s unexpectedly quick decision . ''''Oh, this is good for the empire and ...... I want to see it too, so I''ll allow it . I''m pretty sure that''s the second half of what he meant. ''Oh, right. ...... Okay. I''ll be prepared for that. My uncle, who would be my main man this time, looked resigned. ''''Feng, I guess that''s about the end of my work: ...... That''s a relief for now. What are you saying? You''ll be working for me now. What? It''s not so easy to say yes. From now on, Leo, you''re going to have to work hard to make your proposal even more grandiose. Yes? ''No - I''m looking forward to it - yeah, I''ll have to send Diork a letter later telling him to come and see what interesting things I''m doing. Huh?It''s funny, ...... I''m the one who said it, and now the emperor is in charge? 70 CHAPTER IV -- MANAGE THE MASTERS STORE 2 Amidst loud cheers, two men were fighting . One was wielding a large sword with one hand, a big man who was proud of his strength . The other is a slender but handsome man who is good at swift swordplay. Their abilities were evenly matched. And the crowd was evenly divided in their support. "Gigantor!Use your stupidity to crush that disgusting face! Master Seed!I believe in you. Mainly men and women, 50-50. The two fighters are going back and forth with the crowd cheering them on. Gigan unleashes a powerful and deadly attack that could be fatal if hit. Sheed dodged it just in time, giving him small, stinging wounds. However, after a few repetitions, Seed couldn''t avoid it all and was hit by ...... Gigan''s great sword with his sword. And ...... Boom! After a long battle, Seed''s sword broke. Gigan didn''t miss the opportunity and kicked him in the face, knocking him down. At that moment, the audience erupted in a wild roar. "Uh-oh-oh-oh! The result of the current Gigan vs. Sheed, Gigan''s stupidity wins! "Uh-oh-oh-oh. Once again the men''s voices rang out as the facilitator declared the results. ''Already, there''s been a tremendous amount of excitement, but as you all know ......, there''s a lot more excitement in the fight today! So, in a moment. Today''s main event, the Wyvern versus the most powerful man in the Empire! First up is Damien Foster, the most powerful man in this country and this world at this time when there are no brave men. With the introduction, an uncle came in with his hand raised. The audience''s reaction was. Get it over with, Damian! Oh, my God, look at me! It was popular with both boys and girls. That''s what I thought. Next in line is the second most powerful demon in the world, after the world''s most powerful dragons, the Waibaan! With an announcement, a tightly bound wyvern came in while being forcibly pulled by the knights . Even though he was restrained, the wyvern was still insane . ''''Oh, that''s frightening ......'''' ''Hey, hey, you can beat that thing: ...... The crowd was horrified to see the shape of the wyvern, which was bigger and more ferocious than they had expected. ''Oh, it''s almost happening.'' You made it. It was a lot more work than I expected. Now, Master and I were deliberately watching the game from the back row. We want to see the audience. Yeah, good job. Didn''t think I''d see a wyvern. No way. ...... You can''t imagine how much trouble I had catching that one. ...... I had to work very hard on that one. The emperor really wanted to get in trouble. ''''Is that the kind of person you can get rid of with ......? ''It''s easy to take them down, though. ...... I was really tired when it came to catching them. "Yeah, well, ...... I''ve recently realized ...... you''re a monster. No, it''s not!Because there are so many more powerful people in this world! Um, ...... demon king or demon king or ...... demon king. "There''s a demon king in here!Well, let''s not worry about that, let''s just watch your uncle''s heroics. ''Yes, ...... Well, if you''re an uncle, I don''t think it''s as big a deal as a wyvern. You''re a wyvern. Well, it''s a wyvern. A wyvern is about as different as an ant and an elephant compared to a dragon, you know? ''''Oh, right, so ...... brave family members are completely different from the average person''s perception. This time we have Master''s inventions! You''re right. But you have the idea. Let''s not get hung up on the details. If you succeed today, you''ll be busy tomorrow. I hope so. It will. No, it has to be. I need you to get busy because all the hard work you''ve done this time will be for nothing. ....... With that in mind, I turned to my uncle. ''I think we''re both ready!Now then, this big event that may or may not happen every few years is about to begin! "Uh-oh-oh. The moment the wyvern straps come loose from its restraints, it will signal the start of the hunt. It could be over in an instant, so you guys, don''t miss it! With those words, the knights near the wyvern fled at once. Scene. Buckin''! As the hall fell silent, the wyvern''s restraints came off with a flourish . At the same time, my uncle drew his sword. Then, the quiet hall suddenly became noisy. ''''What''s that sword?Is that the holy sword of the heroes? No, you''re not, because I heard the Holy Sword went to my grandson, Master Leons. That''s a magic sword. Everyone was curious about the uncle''s sword. It''s no wonder: ....... Because my uncle''s sword is loud and electric. Everyone seems to think it''s a magic sword: ...... It should be ready by now. No, no, no, that''s not a magic sword. ''What?Isn''t that a magic sword? Yeah, I heard that''s a special spellcraft shop that opens for business tomorrow, specializing in combat magic. Oh, is that a magic tool?Are you kidding me?If it''s true, ...... I''ll go buy it first thing tomorrow morning. ''But maybe it''s just looks, right?Can you cut a wyvern with a fancy sword like that in the first place? Well, watch this. You''ll see what I mean. Yeah, yeah, the set-up is working as planned. We paid good money for this and you''re gonna have to work for it. A handsome man''s pussy is awesome. Even I wanted to buy one. You''re right, it looks awesome when your uncle has it . When good looking is golden: ....... ''''Well, the great thing about that sword is yet to come. Well, you''re the one who made it, so you know what I''m talking about . SIDE: Damien. "Gugia: ! Shut up and get out of here. My beating you is boring for the audience. I don''t know if the words were understood or not, but the wyvern attacked with the sharp claws of his paws . Gakin! "Kuh ...... really, Leo, you are so reckless. I can''t believe you''re going to catch a wyvern attack with your sword ...... "Uh-oh-oh-oh. Oh, they''re getting excited. Thanks. Come on, just keep pounding away. "Gogya~ Gakin! Gakin! Gakin! ''''It''s about time for me to go ...... and it''s still awesome ...... this sword. I need a lot of magic power there, but its performance is an order of magnitude different from previous swords. Despite taking so many attacks from the wyvern, the blade is not even missing . So this is the power of magic tools: ....... He said he was impressed with the sword Leo-kun gave him. Frustrated that the wyvern couldn''t hit him with the attack, he turned his body as hard as he could and hit his tail . ''''I can''t take this one on a stone. ...... Span! I''m losing my temper. "Uh-oh-oh-oh. Oh, we''re back in business. It''s about time to go to ......, oh no, we have to take it down in a hurry. The Wyvern was about to let go of the bracelet when he got his tail cut off and lost his temper completely. I don''t know what to do if someone in the audience gets hurt. Ugly! He jammed his sword in over his head. Good night, then. Billi, billi, billi! "Fortunately, mission accomplished. SIDE: Leons. Yeah, yeah, you''re the man. Yeah, you were right. I felt sorry for the Wyvern. Really?I thought a one-sided match would be a better way to show the strength of the Empire . If you want to see a last-minute fight, now you want to play a dragon? "You know, I don''t think the dragons are going to be any good for the ...... audience, because they''re going to be dead.And what do you mean by the strength of the Empire? ''''It''s true. ...... Oh, the strength of the empire is that there have been a lot of incidents in the empire in recent times, so I suggested that we show the strength of the empire here and reassure them, and this is what happened. ''So that''s what it was ......, this project ...... was hosted by the Emperor, I believe, right?You can make a proposal to the Emperor? Well, it''s a connection. Yeah, right: ...... It''s the quintessential ducal bonbon. Not really. But still, tomorrow will be busier than you thought. Yeah?What''s going on? It seems that everyone wants that sword more than I thought they would because Uncle Charmed it so much more than I thought. All over the venue. I''m going to buy some first thing in the morning. ''No, we can stand in line at the front of the store now, can''t we? How much is it worth?That would be quite expensive: ...... etc., etc. We were discussing how to get the sword. It seems. Isn''t there going to be a whole lot of people in here? That''s something to look forward to tomorrow. 71 CHAPTER VII MANAGURE TO MANAGE YOUR SHOP ③ Would you like to use your master''s skills to create a magic sword? ''A magic sword? Um, the Demon King''s sword? ''''Yes . When I saw Master''s lightning magic stick, I had an idea, could you use that technique to create a sword that can be clothed in magic? That sounds interesting ...... but I can''t make a sword, can I? I know that. I''ll have the blade part go to the blacksmith. And the handle, I''ll have my master do it. I see. You can do that. "That''s good to hear. Okay, then. I''m going to place an order with the blacksmith and then ask my uncle to be my billboard. Hmm?A billboard? ''Yes, I thought I''d ask my uncle, Damien Forster, to show off his sword prowess in the arena. ''Damien Forster was a member of the Emperor''s entourage, I believe ......, right?'' Yes, sir. I''m a special forces commander. Are you sure it''s safe to ask such a big shot? It''s okay. We have everything we need to convince you. When you see your uncle using Master''s sword to defeat powerful demons, I think everyone will want it. "Oh, oh ...... that sounds interesting: ...... "I''m sorry to bother you on your day off, I bowed to the emperor. No, no, no. It''s always been a good help to me. Besides, you got something interesting to tell me? The Emperor grinned at me. ''Yes, I''ve got it.'' Well, let''s hear it. All right. But first, what do you think His Majesty the Emperor needs most right now in this country? ''What do you need?Unn...... power? It''s a shame. But it''s not. I think the answer is public safety. ''Peace of mind?Are the people of our country insecure? ''''Yes . Since the death of a brave man, a symbol of this country''s power, and since then, two attacks and kidnappings have occurred in the imperial capital ...... I think there are more than a few people who have doubts about the power of the Empire. Well, yeah, ...... that''s for sure. But by the way, Leo, your tongue is spinning today. ...... What do you want? You''re the emperor now, let''s stop all this idle chatter. ''''That''s why, ...... I''m going to have my uncle fight a strong demon in the arena. Is that it? "Well, ...... you will be fighting with a certain sword. What is a sword? It''s a magic tool. ''A magic tool?What do you mean? ''''Well, ...... it''s a magic sword made with magic tool technology. Hmm?Is there such a thing? Yes. I''m going to work on it. When it''s finished, it won''t be as good as the magic sword, but it will be completely different from the swords we''ve been using. ''Interesting!Let''s do it. One week later Where am I? Currently, I had been brought in a carriage for an entire day to a forest that I didn''t know where it was. ''''This is a forest full of powerful demons . ''There''s a place like that ...... I''ll come by myself next time I''m free.'' In transition, of course. Okay, I''m coming in!Everyone, once you''re in the forest, don''t let your guard down for a second. In some cases, you might run into a powerful pack. While I was talking to myself, my uncle was giving orders to his men. When I entered the forest, a short while later ...... I noticed something. ''''Yes ...... the atmosphere is a bit like the Devil''s Forest. ...... It''s like ...... always feels like magic power is covering my body. Oh, you''ve got the experience. This place. This place is just like the Devil''s Forest, it''s naturally full of magic. I see. So the demons in here are getting stronger. Yeah, you''re right. By the way, any adventurer who wants to win a fortune in the Devil''s Forest must challenge this place. Oh, so you''re not as strong as the Devil''s Forest? ''Yes, but ...... do you want me to fight the Monster of the Demon Forest, Leo-kun?You''re probably going to die, right? No, I don''t mean that!For that matter, let''s find a strong demon and catch it quickly! ''Oh, you''re trying to go off topic, aren''t you?Well, if you keep going, you''ll be able to find your demons. See, I''m out now. From the direction of where the uncle pointed, I heard the sound of a tree being knocked down with a crunch. Then the sound got louder and louder: ....... And then a huge snake appeared! ''Wow!You''re a big Serpent. Well, he''s pretty strong, so let''s just go get him. Uncle said and began to tell his men what to do. ''Speaking of which, how do we catch them?'' Yeah, put him to sleep and then hold him in place with restraints. "Heh, but how do you get him to sleep? ''Any demon can sleep when an arrow coated with this powerful sleeping potion sticks in it. Then the uncle showed me the liquid in the bottle. Okay. Okay, I''ll just buy you some time until the arrow hits. Yes, please. ''It was a carriage all the way up to a moment ago, and I just couldn''t resist moving! Shhhh. As I walked up to it with my shoulders around it, a huge snake threatened me . Seeing that it didn''t attack me right away, maybe it could tell how strong I was? Come on, call me. Then I challenged him with a light spell. "Shah! As the magic hit his face, the angry snake finally moved, approaching at breakneck speed. ''Oh yeah, this way, this way.'' I shoot just enough magic at the snake''s face to prevent it from being hurt as it runs away. Now! The man who was watching for the right moment gave the signal and an arrow was shot. Then an arrow pierced the snake''s body. Angered by the pain, the snake''s aim shifted from me to the uncle. Hey! I''m aiming at you! I tried to stop him, but he was too busy firing his magic at my face. Then, as if remembering, it came back to me and came toward me at high speed. Uncle!How long does the drug work? Maybe five more minutes, so good luck! Okay! There''s only room for five minutes. A few minutes later It finally stopped working. The Serpent had fallen asleep, as if his earlier movements had been a lie. ''See!Hurry up and restrain me before I wake up! With that command, the people who were waiting with their restraints ran to the sleeping demon. ''''Feng, I guess that''s it. It''s all too easy and a bit boring. I wanted to move some more. We''re going back to the carriage now, okay? Oh, my God. I''ve got a lot of work to do lugging this stuff around. That''s true. How do you move it? Drag him out of the forest to the cart. I''ll get the cart and take it to the arena. I see. Then you were lucky to catch the demon as soon as you entered the forest. Yeah. Now we just have to hope we don''t run into a powerful demon on the way home. I have a feeling that''s a flag: ...... "Guaaaah: What?Where''s it coming from? Ugh, up here! There it is! Above them was a demon with big wings. All hands, get away from the Serpent now!He''s going for the big bait. Just as the uncle had predicted, the big monster landed on the snake and began to eat. Well, too bad we caught it. That''s a wyvern, isn''t it? They''re different colors, but they''re the same ones I saw in the dungeon. ''Yeah. . looks like it. ...... All of you, leave quietly so as not to provoke. Everyone follow the uncle and fall back slowly, trying not to make a sound. Hey, Uncle. Hmm?What''s going on? Do you still have that sleeping pill you gave me? ''Yeah, there''s ......, but I''m not going to stick an arrow in that guy ......, okay?'' "Don''t worry. I''ve got an idea. I got an idea. Well, okay, but ...... yes. ''Thank you!Well then, I''m off! They gave me some sleeping pills, and then poof, I was transferred. Where?Could it be that ...... Oh, there it is. When I got to the vicinity of the wyvern, I started talking to him. "Hi, excuse me for eating. This will help you enjoy your meal. Then, with a thud, he poured a sleeping potion on the Serpent''s flesh. The wyvern was surprised at my sudden appearance and angered that I had interrupted his meal, and he swung his arms around to face me. I''m sorry, I''m sorry. Now, go on with your meal. With that, I escaped in transition before the wyvern''s attack could hit me. ''''Now I''ll have an intact wyvern. ''Yes, I know, but ...... you''re as bold as ever in what you do. Bold, but good, right?And now I don''t have to search for demons for nothing. ''Yes. ...... When the wyvern goes to bed, hurry up and restrain him!We''re going to make it several times more powerful than it was earlier. Pops was pissed at me and started telling his men what to do. Moments later, the Wyvern fell asleep as the snake ate him up. "Well, I guess this completes the task. I think the emperor will be pleased that we got a better harvest than I expected. ''You''ll be glad you did, but ...... for me, I would have liked to have fought someone a little easier!'' The uncle looked gloomy as he watched the wyvern being carried by a crowd of people. ''''Oh well, I''ll give you a custom-made sword as an apology, good luck with that. ''All right, ...... How awesome is that sword, by the way?'' ''I can harden the blade and clothe it with magic! My master showed me the prototype yesterday and I was surprised to see that it turned out to be a magic sword. That''s great. But wouldn''t a magical stone attached to a sword be able to produce that much power? You''re the man. You know what I mean - that''s why I''m giving you a special order. What''s so special about it? What do you mean? It''s a magic tool that doesn''t use magic stones. ''What?What do you mean?How can you use it with no magic stones in your magic tools? ''Uncle himself should act as the magic stone. Hmm?What do you mean? All you have to do is pour the magic directly into the sword. With your magical power, there''s no need for magic stones. It does consume a lot of magic power though. So that''s why. Then it should be easy to use. ''''Yeah. But the problem is that only people who can use magic manipulation can use it. So you''re not for sale. Is that so?Okay, maybe I''ll give it to my unit. They all know how to manipulate magic. Okay. I''ll ask my master. Yeah, I got a customer! "Leo-kun''s mentor... I''ll go see him sometime. It''s a nice old man. Oh yeah, I''d love to meet you. I''ll come over and thank you for the sword next time. I''ll be going home then. I think they just finished hauling the wyvern as we speak. It''s time for another long, long ride. 72 CHAPTER VI MANAGE THE MASTERS STORE ④ ''Master Leo, Master Leo!Wake up!It''s morning. Mmm ...... I can hear the bell. ...... Is it morning already? ....... Mmm ...... it''s still early. ''What are you talking about?I thought Leo-sama told you to wake me up at this time! ''Did I say so ......?Unun...... It''s still early. ...... I''d rather be in bed. ....... ''What are you sleepin'' on!Aren''t you going to help your master in his shop today? ''Oh, yeah, that''s right: ...... I have to get up. ...... He got up, rubbing his eyelids. "Master Leo continues to have a weak morning. ''Yeah ...... I went to bed early yesterday. ...... I''m sure I didn''t stay up late today because I''m having a hard day ...... sleepy . With that in mind, I walked out of my room . Good morning. It seems that there are already a lot of people in the shop. When I walked out of the room, Eric was waiting for me and gave me the status of the store. I knew it was ...... then we had to hurry. But I''m sleepy: ....... I hurriedly ate my breakfast, fighting sleepiness. About 30 minutes later, I finished packing. Okay, I''ll be going. Having said that, I moved to Master''s shop. ''''Master!They''re here! Master came out of the workroom as I greeted him. Oh, there you are. It''s not safe out there. I guess so. A look outside: ...... Hey!Not yet! I''ve been waiting for this since yesterday. Make it quick! And he was banging on the door more and more. ''He''s going to destroy the store if we don''t hurry. Well, yeah. Shall we open earlier? Yeah, okay. All right. You want me to open it? You don''t want to go out there, do you? Yeah. You''re supposed to be stronger than me.I asked. ''Okay. ...... Oh, yes!Shall I make you a numbered ticket? I got an idea! A numbered ticket? "Yes. You give them a numbered tag, and they can choose their items in that order. Maybe then we can limit the number of people in the room. That''s a great idea. I''ll look after you, then. I understand. Then I created a basket with a numbered tag inside. "Your magic is as useful as ever. Okay. Okay, I''ll just go pass these out. Oh, you''re on it. vending machine toy Oh, it''s open! ''Wait a minute!I''ll explain it to you now! When I stepped outside, my vision was filled with people. It looked like they were going to enter the building when it opened, but I managed to hold them back. Excuse me. Our store is small and we don''t have enough product for this number of people, so I''m limiting the number of people who can shop there to a hundred. Also, I''m going to hand out these tags to the people in front of me first, so please accept them. Then I handed the bill to the nearest one. "What''s this? The idea is that you can shop in the order they''re written. One to a hundred. Oh, I get it. That''s how you regulate entry, isn''t it? ''Well, yes. If we start like this, people at the back of the line won''t be able to buy anything. We don''t want to waste your precious time, so we''ll regulate your entrance in this way. Okay. So, if I get it, can I come in? Just relax. How badly do you want it. Well, wait. It''s pretty small in there, so no more than five people can go in first. I''ll guide you in when I''ve finished handing these out, please. Yeah, okay. I guess that means we''re almost in. Then I finished handing out a hundred cards, and I apologized to those who hadn''t received a bill and sent them home. I spent about 30 minutes doing this alone. Okay, we''re open. First of all, let me remind you that the featured sword is limited to five swords a day, so please be careful with that. What?You''ve been waiting all this time to get one? That''s not gonna happen~ Well, well, our store isn''t just selling swords. It''s only available to 100 people a day. ''''Yeah, well, I guess I can''t do the ...... sword, but I''ll just take a look at the ...... other products.'''' People are weak on the word "limited. Thank you for your understanding. Okay, one to five!Please come into the store with your tags! No~ I''m glad I''ve been standing in line since yesterday. Well, let''s take a look at the main attraction~ I can barely get in. I think I''ve managed to get the sword to my master. I can''t wait to see what kind of sword it is. The sword. They walked happily into the store. "Welcome. This is what you''re looking for, right? Master showed the five men who entered the room five swords. Their features were different, but they looked the same as the swords my uncle used. ''''Wow~'''' They looked at the sword and marveled in unison. ''''Then that''s five gold pieces a piece. It''s expensive, but it''s cheaper than I thought it would be ...... With that kind of performance, I''d be willing to pay more. While saying that, the five of them paid immediately without even thinking about it . ''''I thought I set it high . ...... Because in a previous life, it would have been about a million dollars. Let''s raise the price a little: ....... ''Every time!Now let me explain the sword. This sword consumes more magic than ordinary magic tools. So if you use it in battle or anything else, take more magic stones with you. One question. One of the five men raised his hand. "What? What are the properties of the magic stones you use? You can use whatever you want. Like it?So does that mean everything''s okay? Yeah, but the effect will vary depending on the attribute of the magic stone you use. What do you mean? It''s simple. A flame is a flame, an ice is an ice, and so on, and that changes the magic you can use. I see. ...... That''s interesting. ...... Let''s try some things. Okay, we''ll see what happens next. Try it out on the outside. He took five men out of the store and quickly brought the next customer into the room. "Yes, five at a time, please. We can only have two items per person. ''Finally, ...... Now let''s see what kind of magic tools we have on hand~'' You''re up to two... ...... We need to think this through. Slowly and steadily, people are entering the store again. Oh, this is a stick that can wear lightning magic. This''ll make a good weapon for self-defense. ''Whoa!Jesus Christ!I''ve never seen a surprise box like this. I think I''m gonna have to buy one of these and give it to that guy. Kukuku. ...... What is this ball?What, can you relax just by looking at it?Do you have trouble sleeping?Oh, you can even make something like that!I''ll have to buy this one by all means. I''m glad to see that people are surprised by the magic tools here. I''m glad to see that they also buy other magic tools besides swords. "Yes, sir. Thirteen pieces of silver in total. Yes. Always! You''re next! Two hours later "Thank you. The last guest is gone. I''m tired. Can''t we do this every day?And tomorrow, I''ll have to do it alone, Master. You can make a lot of money, but this is tough. Sure, ...... but that''s beside the point. Well, that was quick, so let''s just have a party. Oh, yes. Let''s do it! Then I''ll take you to my favorite place. Are you sure?Thank you. Oh, you can have all the food you want. ''Great work, Master!Fatty! Yes! 73 CHAPTER VII NEW POWER "Thanks for the store, ...... Leo. If it wasn''t for you, we wouldn''t have a store next year. Here''s to hoping to see you again in the future! Cheers. "Goke-goke-goke-goke-...... Puh-uh-uh-uh... I knew that drink was good! As soon as the toast was made, Master''s cup was empty . It''s not even noon yet. ....... By the way, I drink my juice right now. "Do you like to drink, Master? Yeah. Well, it''s blood. Blood?Come to think of it, I''ve been wondering for a while now, is your master a dwarf? No, my grandfather is a dwarf, but he''s mostly human. ''''Oh, I see . Master has a lot of beards and looks like a dwarf, but he''s not short, so I was wondering what he was like. ''Was it?Well, that''s the way it is. ''''Heh~. So what inspired you to start making magic tools then, Master? Yeah?The only reason I got started is because my parents had a job. My family''s been making wizards for generations. I knew it. So your parents had a shop then? Yeah, I''m trying. Or maybe you know that place. ''What?I know this place?That''s ...... The only wizards I know of are Master''s and that shop. That''s right. The Fermor Company. though it was my brother who made it that big. That''s an impressive feat after only 30 and a half years. ''Oh, really? ...... I''m surprised Master Fermat is a Fermat. ...... I''m not calling myself Fermor now, though. Is that so? Yeah, what can I say ...... you''re a runaway. Well, that was a youthful indiscretion. I haven''t shown my face since I left home because it was too awkward. ''I see that''s true ...... but you want your master back over there, right? You said something like that the other day. You''re right. Well, I''m not going back now that I have the shop. Then he takes another swig of his drink. Well, you don''t want me to come back after all this, do you? ''It''s true: ...... Even if it''s just a question of what you''re going to do tomorrow. ''Yeah, that reminds me . What to do tomorrow: ...... Really, I don''t know what to do: ....... We can''t even recruit employees at short notice: ...... Well, yeah. So why don''t you buy some slaves and put them to work? What, slave? Hmm?What about the slaves?A nobleman can have plenty of slaves, can''t he? No, no, no, no, no ...... in our house. No. We don''t have a word for it in our house. Is that so?With the proceeds from today''s sales, we could buy at least one of them. Yeah. Okay. Shall we go to the slavers this afternoon? Yeah. I hope you got a good slave. There are three types of slaves in this world. The first and most common is the debt slave. This slave is a slave who became a slave because he or she could not pay their debts. Second, the criminal slave. A slave who has committed serious crimes. These slaves are often forced to do hard work. Finally, the illegal slave. These are people who were forced into slavery by thieves and other thieves. The slavers who sell them will be caught. Well, they say to follow the local traditions, so you just have to look past them. I thought about that when I entered the slavers'' shop. Welcome. What kind of slave can I help you find today? Slave shop owners used to give me a sales smile. I need someone who can talk to people in the shop. ''Okay, ...... then I''ll show you around and you can choose what you want.'' So we were led to a place where they had slaves lined up. I looked closer and realized they were all women. There were about ten of them. "These are the slaves you''ll be serving. You can choose whatever you like. Okay. Then we went through them one by one, asking them simple questions. I listened to the explanation as I evaluated each one. ''Unn ...... no different from anyone else in my opinion?'' For my part, there was one person who was nice to me. Really?Then I''ll leave it up to Leo to decide who he wants. Okay. That''s him. Then I pointed to the kid at the end. "I know that''s your type, ....... Hey, how much is this girl? It''s not even my favorite. Five gold pieces. Hmm?That''s cheaper than I thought. ''''Actually, there''s a problem with ...... aptitude magic, and if ...... aptitude magic is bad, the nobles won''t buy it. ''Oh, really? ...... Don''t you have aptitude magic?'' ''No, it''s there, but it''s ...... creative magic. Yeah, I bought ....... What? I''m buying her. Yes, for the money. As if he understood something, Master hurriedly took out a gold coin and handed it to the shopkeeper. ''''Wow, okay ...... then, I have an agreement to make, so go to that room over there . The owner was surprised, but he took the gold coins and led me to the back room. "Hey, hey, hey, you know what you''re doing and you let her do it, right? Before I walked in, he poked me with his elbow and asked me. ''No way. No way. You''re out of your mind! Okay, let''s see your hand. Let Elsie out. When the two of them touched each other, the slaver grabbed them and used his magic. I wondered what kind of magic it was ...... so I appraised it and found it was dark magic . Yes, this is the end of our contract. From now on, she cannot ignore your orders. I didn''t know you could do that. ...... That''s great dark magic. I''m not gonna use it. All right. All right, I''ll go. Yes, we hope to see you again. Fortunately, it''s over. Let''s just go back to the shop. So can you introduce yourself to me again, then? Yes, ma''am. My name is Elsie. I''m good at all kinds of household chores like cleaning and cooking. Elsie, who bows to me, is 14 years old, five years older than me. "Elsie. Well, maybe we should introduce ourselves. I''m Horant, and I''m the owner of this shop. "I''m Leon. I''m his apprentice. I also help him with his shop. By the way, aptitude magic is a creation spell, just like Elsie''s, so nice to meet you. Don''t call me ''I''. You usually say ''I''. And tell Elsie, though, this guy''s got a serious problem with creative magic. You should learn about it when you''re free. Oh, I''m wearing a cat at the moment: ....... ''That sounds interesting. Whenever you''re free, just let me know. I''m very curious to know if anyone else can use creation magic but me. ''''Yes, yes ......, you can use creation magic? That''s it. Hey, build me something. Okay. Okay. I made an artificial flower and gave it to Elsie. ''Ho, it''s true ...... this is great ......'' Then Miss Elsie was admiring the artificial flowers. "Oh, come on, don''t make a move on me now. ''I wasn''t hitting on you!Besides, I have a fiance, so it would be an affair! I''d appreciate it if you didn''t give me the wrong impression. "What?Who is it? ''Well, do I have to say ......?'' What. Are you embarrassed?The duke''s bonbon counterpart must be very pretty. And then he started rubbing his head. Wow. All right. You are the granddaughter of the princess and the saint. Oh, well, that''s a tough one to have an affair with. Master grinned happily . ''''Muu~ so that''s why I didn''t.'''' You know, ....... Oh, I''m sorry. He''s a nobleman. That''s that brave man''s family. And how he ended up in our family is a mystery. My nobleman! Don''t worry about it. We''re working on Leo here. It''s a little hard not to care about that. So, what were we talking about? I thought we were done talking about creation magic. Of course. Just like you made that flower in a second, this guy can use his creative magic. How does this work?If I tried, it wouldn''t take any form at all. I knew it. ....... ''''Oh, there are a lot of tricks to this ...... This is going to be a long story, so let''s talk about it next time when I''m free . For now, please listen to Master''s explanation of the work you''ll be doing tomorrow. I understand. "Right. I''m gonna have to explain my job to him. From now on, I''m going to need Elsie to help guide my clients. Induction? ''Yes. I want you to hand out these early in the morning and let the customers in at that number in that order. You''ll have to talk to Leo about the details. ''Well then, I can only come tomorrow morning and I''ll give you a full explanation then. All right. All right, now you''ll be getting ready for your bed. Fortunately, I have an extra room, so you can use it. Wow, okay. ...... Hmm?Do you have a question for me? No, no. If you have something to say to me, it''s not too late. Yeah, yeah, it''s going to be crazy hard, and if I don''t tell you now, I''ll be too busy to tell you . Why are you both being so nice to me?" "Well, uh, ...... why are you both being so nice to me?Normally, I think slaves are treated more roughly. Is that what normal is?Master? I''ve never treated a slave in my life, including my past life, so I don''t know. I don''t know if you''re asking me. I''m the first person who''s ever bought a slave. All right, all right?Stay tuned. Yes, that''s fine. You''re an important asset, so I don''t think there''s any need to make it tougher. Without Elsie, we''re in danger of losing our business tomorrow. Yeah. Well, you''ll have to work for it then. Okay, okay. I''ll do my best! Miss Elsie was confused, but she seemed to understand. Oh! You don''t have to do it, you know. Elsie seems to be very serious, so she''ll be a good asset. 74 VIII. Success and failure It''s been about half a year since my master''s shop sold the demon sword. Word of the demon sword had spread to the neighboring countries and the number of customers was still the same as when he started. The numbered ticket system was abolished and the demon sword is now available by appointment only. The reservations for the demon sword were already booked two years in advance and now they are not taking reservations. With the end of the ticket system, a lot of people started coming by lunchtime, but Elsie did a great job. Elsie''s work was almost perfect. That''s how she got by without my help every day. She used to help out in her parent''s shop before she was a slave, so she''s used to serving people. I''m really glad she came to work for me. The sales of the shop has increased tremendously in the past six months. There''s enough money in the bank to grow the shop tenfold. Well, Master said it was an important shop and he never wanted to renovate it. And recently, Fermat''s also started selling magic swords. Rumor has it that they took advantage of the shop''s large scale to make a lot of swords, but they''re having trouble selling them. According to the customers who came to Master''s shop, the performance was much better than Master''s magic swords. It can still hold fire, but it just looks better. It''s just as sharp or slightly worse than those other swords. Rumors spread that the sword was so sharp that the person who owned it was laughed at. On the contrary, everyone who owned their master''s sword was envied and looked up to. Apparently, my master''s skills are even more impressive than I thought. I realized once again that my proposal was made possible because he was my master. SIDE: Fermat Trading Company Excuse me, Mr. Chairman. Hey, how''s the sales coming along? A small, burly man slumped on the sofa and asked for a report on the thin man in front of him. ''Yes, sir . As always, sir. The slender man reports to his bosses with a jittery look on his face. ''As usual?'' When the man heard the report, he couldn''t help but ask back, not quite what he wanted. ''Yes?'' The slender man could only reply in a jittery manner. ''''You made the magic sword in our house, didn''t you?And at a lower price than at my brother''s. Okay. I did as you asked and made a cheap and easy to buy magic sword. Then why don''t you sell it? Well, I don''t know about that either: ...... It''s a lie: ...... The man knew why . But if he told the truth, the man in front of him would have fired him. He couldn''t report it for his own protection. Why?It took you guys six months to invent that magic sword.Are you wasting that time and money? Yes, no: ...... ''''Then get on with it and find out why or come up with a plan to improve the magic sword! Okay, okay! He rushed out. "d*mn it ...... hey!Bring me a drink! ''''d*mn it, ...... how can you suggest improvements to the magic sword, ...... even that magic sword was hard to make in the first place?Even if I were to say the cause of the problem, I can''t say ...... it''s because of the poor performance of the magic sword, and ...... what to do ...... the truth is that this store''s sales are down, too I''m here and I''m at ...... After finishing his report to the chairman, the man was holding his head at the door . Due to the poor performance of the magic sword, the high performance and high quality of Fermat''s selling point, which he had cultivated up to now, was beginning to be questioned and sales were getting worse and worse. ''''Haha, the chairman in the past was much more dependable. ...... Now, he''s just a money-grabber. ...... I guess I''d better step away from the chairman now...'''' ...Yes, just make it easier on yourself. The man who lived in the store ran off into the night with a large sum of money he had saved up until now . SIDE: Leons. You made good money again today. You''re going to have a problem with all this money. As he said this, Master was counting the number of gold coins. ''''Doesn''t matter . You''ll never have a problem with money. You''re right, Leo. Please be careful with your money. I''m sorry. You''re right. I''ve got some money saved up. I knew my master wasn''t cut out for making money . ''''Speaking of which, I heard that the Fermor Trading Company has copied our magic sword, but it doesn''t seem to be selling well at all. That''s true. I''m the only one who can do that. I knew it . I mean, you can''t just say it off with confidence: ....... ''Master was more awesome than I thought. That''s right. More respect. Master said this and made a smug face as he stretched out his chest. ''''But if it wasn''t for me, I don''t think your high skills would have been worth a d*mn. Well, that being said: ...... Master''s hips suddenly became lower. "Just kidding. I have great respect for you. "Yeah, right. That''s great to hear. But still, that ...... guy is not ...... like him, and if you see the magic circle, you''ll know it''s not something that can be easily imitated. Even though Is that your brother? "Yeah, he''s a decent worker, but he''s an excellent connoisseur. So, you wouldn''t think of copying this in six months and then selling it to a ...... skilled craftsman, would you?Or is your eyes getting worse with age? ''I see ...... Well, it''s such a big business association, they might think that one mistake is no problem. It''s true that Elsie was right, they wouldn''t mind a single mistake if they were such a big business. Yeah. He''s a good businessman. So maybe he''s thinking about something. That''s right. Let''s just try to keep us from destroying this store ourselves! Yeah, we''ll keep working on it. SIDE: Fermat Trading Company What?He''s gone?You''ve got to be kidding me!What were you guys doing?! The chairman, who was in a bad mood and had been drinking, was shouting at his subordinates. Yes, sir. I looked for it but I can''t find it at ...... anywhere. It''s just that this letter is ...... The young man who had come to report to him said and showed him a sheet of paper. ''Then get on with it and read it out! Yes, Mr. ...... Mr. Chairman, Fermat''s business is in decline. This is because you forced the sale of the magic sword. I don''t know what I can do about this situation. So, I''ll take responsibility and quit. I''m sorry that I had to run away without telling you. I wish Fermat''s business continues to grow and develop. It was quiet when I finished reading the letter. ''''d*mn it ...... you''ve escaped. And your business is in decline?Hey, is that true? Yes, sir. You''ve got a few drops here and there. "Ugh, you''re kidding me. ...... There hasn''t been a drop in business since I took over this store. ...... What''s the meaning of this? ...... You, explain it to me! ''''Ha, yes . The performance of our magic sword is far from the performance of Horant''s magic sword, and because of that, our impressions are ....... ''Are you kidding me?Is my brother''s magic sword that great?Bring that magic sword here now! Yes! The man rushed to get the magic sword. ''''Here it is: ...... The chairman, who was handed the magic sword, looked at it in silence . ''''Yeah ...... that''s pretty impressive. ...... That''s something we can''t duplicate. I see ...... hey!Stop selling the magic sword now!That stuff is so embarrassing! Yes! ''And invent an awesome magic tool that will replace the magic sword!That''s right: ...... The deadline is only a month away! What?No, you can''t! If you can''t do it, we''re done. So go! ''Yes, yes ......'' The man who came to report to me walked out of the ...... room without saying a word. ''Hey!Bring me a drink! As the man left, the chairman started drinking again. ''Huh, maybe I should quit too: ...... 75 Ninth word, brother. Hey, did you hear that?I''ve heard that the entire staff of the Fermat store has quit. Yeah, I heard. Yeah, I heard that he quit because he couldn''t handle the situation. In the plaza of the Imperial City, there were two adventurers talking. This story of Fermat was the talk of the town. "I knew it was too hard to develop the magic sword? So that''s it. Then they can only make them in that little shop. Yeah. And they all have good quality tools. Lately, I''ve been buying my supplies there instead of at Fermat. You too?It''s just that that place sells out so quickly. ...... I wonder if we can make the store a little bigger! I can''t help it. Quality is what matters in those places. That''s true. Better to have it good than bad. ''''Only, if ...... Fermor''s main store isn''t open, there will be a shortage of magic tools all over the imperial city, so we won''t be able to buy anything extra in that store. ''''Well, ...... or rather, you can''t buy any magic tools from now on, can you? This isn''t good. Not so much for us, but how can a nobleman live without his magic tools? SIDE: Elsie. ''Excuse me!We''re sold out today! I was bowing to a customer who was waiting outside. For some reason, there were several times as many customers today as usual. Oh, no.It''s only the morning! ''I''m sorry, ......, but I''m afraid there''s no product.'' No matter what they said, this is all I could say. ''Okay, ......, you''ll just have to come first thing in the morning. Our regular customers know that we sell quality over quantity, so they are quick to leave. Can''t you increase the number of products?I''d be in trouble without my magic tools. I''m sorry. I have one of the craftsmen here. ''Oh, right: ...... I see. ...... I managed to get a customer who wasn''t a regular to apologize and leave. Mr. Holland, I''m done explaining to our guests outside. Yeah, thanks a lot. Why are there so many people here today? I was just told by a customer that the Fermor Trading Company wasn''t open today. That''s weird. What, are they remodeling the shop to make it closed? ''No, from what I''ve heard, ...... the employees all ran away last night. ''The employee got away!What was he ...... letting him do? I don''t know about that. "Taku ...... Colt ...... what are you doing. I''m going out for a bit. Just as he was about to give it some thought, Mr. Holland walked out of the store. SIDE: Colt Fermat. "d*mn it ...... you got away. I''m mumbling to myself, looking out at the empty store. Yesterday, I told them the new inventions were due. But those guys didn''t bring any. That snapped me out of it, so I went to the workshop for the first time in a while to get angry. So I went through the door as fast as I could. Slam! You guys!What''s new at ......? I tried to yell at him: ...... It was empty. Where did they all go? I grabbed the dude in charge of customer service to find out where he was going. I don''t know. I mean, he hasn''t been here in a while. And I was so angry that I yelled at the guy in front of me. I don''t remember what I was yelling at. I don''t remember what I yelled at him for. I went on a bender afterwards. Today, the shop was empty. How did ...... and how did that happen? ...... I''m the guy who made Fermat this big? From that little shop, little by little, we''ve grown it a little bit bigger, and now we''re the richest man in the empire. ....... ''So ...... how did this happen now?'' It was supposed to be going well a while ago: ....... ''What''s the reason?Is this my brother''s shop?No, it''s a small shop over there, so it shouldn''t affect my shop too much. Yes, people say that the magic sword is great, but with the size of that store, we can''t sell that much . That''s why they''re not a threat to our store. Sure, sales are down, but that doesn''t mean ...... that we''re losing money. ...... How come the employees are gone? It''s not your fault. Oh, brother! The voice was coming from the direction of my brother, whom I hadn''t seen in decades. Hey, long time no see. You''ve put on a lot of weight since I''ve seen you. Oh, yeah. I looked at my belly. I was fat. I ate and drank all day, every day. My brother, on the other hand, still has the muscle (body) of a dwarf: ....... "You say you got run off by an employee? Ummm, yeah, ....... There was no way to deny it here in this empty shop. Okay, ......, explain to me what''s going on here. Okay. ...... Then I told him what happened until yesterday when my brother''s sword became famous . ''''You ...... are explaining yourself and don''t you realize how stupid you are?'''' What? Am I stupid? No, it''s not! I''m the richest man in the Imperial City! "You''re a fool now. You know what?Your men aren''t golems, okay? ''Golem?Oh, ...... The golem ...... is a high-grade magic tool that does everything its master tells it to do. If you ask me, I''ve always thought of my ...... subordinates as pawns who would do everything they were ordered to do. ....... ''''You ...... really, really don''t sound like the ...... old you wouldn''t have done this. No, it''s not: ...... I used to be ...... No, no way. First of all, you''re not in the business these days. ''What?Oh, I''m ...... involved ...... Nothing''s happening. I''ll leave it all up to my men. If you''d seen my magic sword first, you wouldn''t have wasted six months. And you know you can''t possibly invent a new magic tool in a month, right? U...... I can''t say anything back. The brother was right about everything. I was just playing along, letting my men do everything. My brother''s cold eyes stare into mine. "You''ve changed, haven''t you? You used to be such a serious person. ...... I left home so that you could take over this shop, you were a good businessman. Oh, really? I thought for sure you had a fight with my dad and left. ....... I didn''t know that was the case...... If you ask me, I wouldn''t have been able to own this store if my brother had been here....... Well, ...... for me. ....... ''My brother ...... sorry ......'' "Don''t apologize to me. You need to be sorry. I''m gonna stop drinking from now on. "Ki, sobriety ...... okay ...... And I''m worried about you now, so come on over. Is this my brother''s shop? Yeah, go serve the customers. A month of this and you''ll be back to your old self, won''t you? "Wow, okay. ...... Customer service. ...... I wonder how many years I haven''t dealt with customers. ....... I''m not a merchant now . It''s no wonder the store is going out of business. ...... 76 CHAPTER X ATONATION OF COLT 1 Welcome to the store. Is this item? This is a magic tool that glows when you press this button. It''s handy to have it attached to your clothes and equipment in dungeons and such. Huh?Me?My name is Colt, I''ll be working here for the next month. I''ll have the owner in the back working on the tools. Right. Well, I guess that will help us stock up a bit. Is that the master''s brother? Yeah, I''ve been working here since yesterday. Now, we were hiding in the shadows, watching his famous millionaire. "What about the Fermor Trading Company? Hmm?I''ll leave that to that guy in a month. ''''I see. ...... And even so, you''re still considered to be the best merchant in the Empire. Your customer service is very good. Today, yes. That guy was really useless yesterday, though. Is that so? It''s unexpected. I can''t imagine what it was like. Yeah, it was like he hadn''t been served in forever. But towards the end, I started to get that feeling back. Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. ''Oh!Do you think so?Sounds like fun, right? SIDE: Colt. When was the last time I worked like this: ....... I remember when I was a kid, helping my parents with the customer service - I remember that time when I was a kid . It was fun to work. I''m not as skilled a craftsman as my older brother, but I never felt like I could lose to anyone when it came to customer service. At that time, I didn''t care about following in the footsteps of my brother. ....... So when my brother had a fight with my dad and left home, I didn''t know what to do. I didn''t have the confidence to run the store, and I thought I was going to serve customers for the rest of my life. But I decided to take over, so I did my best. I didn''t want to ruin this shop because of me. Also, I wanted to make this shop bigger anyway. I worked for dozens of years just for that reason. And then I suddenly realized. Isn''t this shop going to stay open even if I''m playing around? Because I have no enemies in this country, remember? Yeah, it''s a trap. For a long time now, my only entertainment has been drinking. Now I could drink all day. Once the idea came to me, I''d spend my money on a collection of the finest liquors in the world. Work didn''t matter anymore. So when it was reported that my business was starting to go down, I was really upset. At that time I had no ability to do business, and I didn''t know what to do or how to do it when I was just a drunkard. So I blamed my subordinates and tried to escape the reality. Now that I think about it, I''ve been giving some really strange orders: ....... And working in my brother''s shop made me realize once again how stupid I really was. My brother was trying to keep it that way, even though he was making enough money to grow the store right away. Yesterday, I asked him why he didn''t make it bigger.You''d make more money that way! I said. "This place is a memory of my dead wife, ....... So I''m never gonna do the remodel. Besides, I''m too good for the situation at hand. I can''t afford to make any more money. And when he said that, I felt something . Okay, ...... I was wrong about this . Making the store big is just a way to make money. And it wasn''t just about making the store big. I only wanted to grow the store. So when I built stores all over the empire and became the richest man in the country, in the world, and I knew it wasn''t going to get any bigger, my motivation was gone. And after yesterday and today, I realized. I''m not cut out to be a millionaire. I was better off working my ass off. Thank you, brother. Well, my work is done for the day. Thanks for your help. Elsie, my brother''s slave, came to talk to me. She''s at ....... ''Uh, yeah, good job.'' You''re very good. I learned a lot from that customer service. ''Well, ...... that''s good to know.'' What''s going on?You don''t have the energy you had earlier, do you? Oh, yeah, I''m fine. I''m just a little tired. Hurry up and cheat. I see. You should go to sleep early today. Let''s go to Mr. Holland''s then. I feel like I''m being stabbed in the heart with a knife just to be worried . This girl(s) noticed ...... No, she doesn''t seem to know ....... I''ve done something really stupid ....... ''Mr. Holland, we''re closed for business for the day. Good work. You sold a lot of stuff today. Yes. I sold a lot. How did Colt do? I''ve had a good day. "That''s good to hear. You look like you''re having fun. Huh? Yes. You look like you''re having a great time. Speaking of which, who''s the boy next to my brother? Where have I seen this before: ....... ''Where''s the boy, brother?'' He''s my apprentice. You''re my brother''s apprentice? It''s a pleasure to meet you, Leons Forster. ''What?Leons Forster?is your brother''s apprentice? Yes! I knew I''d seen you before when I attended the emperor''s party a year ago. I remember guarding the princess from a great many enemies. Yes. I thought you came here six months ago and asked me to be your apprentice. But what about Master Leons?It is rumored that he will be at the center of the next aristocratic faction. Oh, really? It''s the first time I''ve ever heard of it. But don''t call me sir. You can call me Leo. Without the honorific title, of course. ''Wow, okay, ...... maybe this store has seen a sudden increase in sales: ...... Yeah, this one did. ''I didn''t know that - I thought that was strange for my brother.... For a long time, my brother didn''t even understand the word ''business''. It makes perfect sense. Oh, shut up! Ha-ha. I knew they were brothers. You are good friends. One month later Well, business is done for the day. I''ll see the last customer off and start locking up. Good night. Good job, Elsie. Brother, it''s over. I''ll tell my brother as soon as we close down. Good night. Thanks for your help. Leo was in the workshop. Good work, you two. Lately, Leo has been making merchandise for the store. You''ve been here a month today. You look a lot different now. Or should I say, he''s back to normal? Yeah, I guess so. I affirmed, looking at my stomach. I was still fat, but I''d lost a lot of weight in the past month. "So, what are you going to do now? Yeah - I''m staying here. You got a store in mind?I mean, without your shop, it''s about time the Empire ran out of serious magic tools, right? Right now, there''s a shortage of magic tools in the empire due to the loss of my shop . It''s only for a month or so, so it''s not that much, but if it goes on any longer, it''s going to be a big problem: ....... ''''I know, I know . But I''m not going back to that shop. And I''ve found the next manager. Yeah, right. So who''s that? My brother just smirked at me. Hey, act more surprised! They''ll find out. Taku...... It''s Elsie. What? I guess Elsie was properly surprised. Now it''s time to carry out the redemption plan I''ve been preparing for the past month. 77 XI, Ill play with you. Wow, I''m the next owner of Fermor Trading Company? Yeah. I want Elsie to do it. Can I ask you why? ''Yeah, this is like ...... atonement.'' Atonement? ...... style ...... I''ll explain it to you. Take a breath. He made up his mind and began to explain. "Before Elsie was a slave, she worked in a liquor store, right? Yes, it''s my mother and father''s shop. I''ve been buying booze there since I was young. Since my grandfather Elsie''s day. ''I didn''t know that. ...... "They were very nice. They offered me drinks I might like and ordered whatever I asked for. My parents'' store is all about kindness. Elsie''s face was proud as she said that. ''It really was ...... just as I was starting to become a total mess, ...... I started making unreasonable orders to that store that had been so kind to me. I did a really stupid thing: ....... He took another breath and began to talk. I asked him to order a large quantity of sake that would be very difficult to get one or to order a phantom bottle ...... Normally I would have refused. But your kind father did his best. But your father tried his best, but ...... he couldn''t do it after all. ...... ''I didn''t know that happened: ...... Elsie had an indescribable look on her face. Is she angry with me ....... ''No. ...... That''s not all there is to it. ...... And then I stopped buying booze there. Ordered my guys to get some for me. And I was always bad-mouthing that store. Everywhere I went, I''d go to ....... I didn''t understand ...... my position, my influence. ....... Those idiots who were trying to curry favor with me started harassing that store . Well, I was stupid enough to be happy about that report: ...... I see. ...... Elsie was still not angry and her expression had not changed. ''And I remembered the shop when I saw Elsie''s face a month ago. I''d seen Elsie a few times when she was little and I''d helped her out. As soon as I saw how big she was getting, I saw Elsie''s collar and realized that the store was gone. The store had never crossed my mind before. At the time, I felt really bad about it. I just wanted to get away from Elsie. But after working with her for a few days, it felt like a sign from God. "You will pay for your sins. I had a feeling. So I decided to give Elsie all my money and come up with this plan. I didn''t know that ...... my father and mother are gone now. My father was poor and couldn''t see a doctor and died of illness. And my mother worked too hard to pay off her debts and fell ill ...... and died of her illness. And I became a slave because I couldn''t pay off the rest of my debts. Elsie said matter-of-factly. I''m really sorry. All I can do is apologize: ....... So ...... those two are dead. ....... ''Yeah...... I honestly have mixed feelings about it, because I''ve known for the past month that Colt is a good man...... and I want to be angry, but I''m not even going to get mad at Mr. Colt at ...... and ....... "Oh, I killed Elsie''s parents, remember? It''s also not ...... direct, and it''s not ...... But it was my fault. Okay. I''m not angry with you. What? You''re not angry? ''You want me to be mad at you to make you feel better, don''t you? ...... Yeah, maybe so: ...... Surely you might want to ease yourself out of this ...... guilt. "Then I wouldn''t be angry. . that''s your punishment. "Wow, okay. ...... So ...... I''ll have to live with this for the rest of my life. ....... And ...... I can''t take over Colt''s store. I can''t possibly run that big store on my own! That''s okay, ......, because I could do this too. I''ll make sure you''re supported. Still, I''m Mr. Holland''s slave. That''s okay too. Once a slave is bought, it''s up to the master to decide whether or not to release her. You pay the slavers to take off your collar. And since my shop will now be under my brother''s umbrella, you won''t have to worry about that much. What do you mean? From now on, Fermat will be the Holland Company. Fermat''s image is going to look bad. You''re going to be part of my brother''s shop. ''So, but Mr. Hollant is not going to increase the size of the store: ...... I checked that too. "It''s just a formality, so you''ll never have to run my shop. "It''s a formality, but he''ll stay out of my business. Is that so ...... but I still need to take over? ''Yeah, because when Elsie, who used to work here, becomes the manager, the customers will think it''s really my brother''s store. I had to come up with this reasoning beforehand to convince Elsie. I knew that Elsie would shy away and say no, so I''ve given it a lot of thought. ''Is that so?I don''t think many people remember me, do you? After all, Elsie doesn''t seem to agree to this easily: ....... But I''ll have to use my storytelling skills. No, Elsie is famous in the Imperial City. Kind, beautiful, talented clerk. It''s true. Elsie stands out more than my brother, she''s the face of this shop. And now everyone in the Imperial City knows it. Really? Yeah, that''s true. Can you talk to me when you''re out there? Speaking of which: ...... I think I know who Elsie is. That''s the idea. ''But, but!What about your employees?I can''t collect them, can I? That''s okay too. I''ll get my ex-employees to come back to me with their heads down. This has been a rough month for me. Well, it''s all my fault. I''m surprised you got your ass back in a month. Oh, really? ...... Elsie seems distressed. This one won''t last long. "It''s all right. My people are good at what they do. They''ve kept the shop going while I haven''t been doing my job. And my brother''s been training our workers, so I don''t have to worry about that. My men are really good at what they do. I got my brother to bow down and give him an expensive drink and he said yes. But you can go to ...... Okay, one more push. And we''ll get Leo to be your advisor. That should give you peace of mind. ''Huh?'' from the edge of the room. But I don''t care. With Leo here, the store''s merchandising will be fine. He''s got a lot of interesting ideas in his head. ''Oh, I''m sure it''s a relief, but ......, are you sure it''s me?'' Yeah, it''ll have to be Elsie. I don''t have kids, and I don''t have anyone else to ask. Okay. ...... Okay. I''ll do it then. Yes! Good. ...... Thank you. Thank you so much. I kept bowing my head. 78 Im going to play with a bandit and a third time. One month ago. "d*mn ...... I''m glad I quit with momentum, but I''ve been unemployed for a long time now. ...... I had nothing to do after I left the Fermat business and was drunk every day. And the next thing I know I''ve been unemployed for another month: ....... That''s not a bad thing to say about the chairman''s drinking habits, then: ....... ''Hmm?What. Old man, are you unemployed? A young adventurous man sitting next to me spoke to me. ''''That''s right ........ I''ve been working hard for years as the vice president of ...... and I just quit. ''It''s also ...... why did you stop?Vice President means after the President, right?You got a lot of money, didn''t you? Yeah. Well, no one else wanted to do it. ''Who wouldn''t want to do that?Is that why you quit? Well, I''m not so sure . My job is to run the Chamber of Commerce in place of the chairman, who doesn''t work, but I have to keep him happy. That''s a tough one: ...... ''That''s right. ...... One thing that''s especially hard is the chairman''s mood swings . He''s always drunk, he''s always pushing the envelope, and he''s quick to yell at me if I''m achieving anything less than what he wants . The other day I couldn''t take it anymore and quit. ...... ''Well, ...... maybe the old man worked for the Fermor Trading Company?'' How did you know? I never said anything about Fermat? ''Can''t be that surprising, can it?Everyone in the Imperial City knows that Fermor''s company has gone out of business. If you''re telling me this at this point in time, am I right to imagine you working for Fermor? Fermor''s gone down?When?! ''Old man, are you serious?You used to work there.It seems like a week ago, all the employees quit and the store went out of business. ''Oh, right: ...... While I was getting drunk: ....... ''Well, if he was a chairman like the old man said he was, maybe he didn''t have a choice. That''s right. Huh, so Fermor went out of business. ...... Chairman, you''ve changed. The old chairman used to be a serious and hard-working man. ......Where has the chairman I admired so much gone? ''Was your old chairman that great?'' Yes, really. He served himself and always worked twice as hard as his people. The chairman in those days was respected by everyone and was really cool. I tried my best to be that kind of chairman too. ...... It''s hard to understand that someone like that is now the complete opposite of ...... people. Really ...... I wish I could see the chairman of those days again. I want to work for the head of the board, where I can be counted on to be as dependable as I was when I was younger. Well, I''m sure he''s feeling sorry for himself by now, isn''t he?Well, it''s too late now. Yes. ...... Fermor''s gone, ladies and gentlemen. My dream is gone. Now don''t look so discouraged. You''ll find a job. Now drink it and forget it. ''Yes, yes, ...... I was unemployed ......'' ''Oh, I''m sorry I had to remind you. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. Do you have any idea where you are? That''s not ....... ...... ''''Well, ...... there aren''t many witchcraft shops in the imperial capital. ...... Ah!Old man, you should go over there! There? ''A little magician''s shop on the edge of the commercial district!It''s been popular since it started, and they always seem to be short-handed, so I''m sure they''ll hire you with your old man''s background. "Oh, that''s it, ...... Yeah, I''ll go to ....... That''s the store owned by Mr. Holland, the chairman''s brother. Sure, they''ll hire him. We can''t stand still in this situation! Oh, come on. You''re not going in there right now, are you? Yeah. Bye. Hey!Maybe they''re already closed!And then he went to ...... and ...... he knows he''s drunk, right? SIDE: Colt. Thank you for your help. You''ve had a tough day. Yeah. Good job Elsie. I''ll lock up outside. Thank you. I worked up a good sweat today. As I stretched out, I stepped outside in the dark. "All right, let''s get this place locked up and ready for tomorrow. Then he tried to lift the sign near the entrance to bring it in. ''Hmm?Is it heavy?Whoa! It was too dark to see, but there was a drunk man asleep clinging to a sign. ''What''s he doing sleeping here?Excuse me. Are you okay with this ......? The moment I saw the man''s face, I was taken aback . Because the man sleeping in front of me was the one who ran away from me in the first place: ....... ''Hey!''Moran! I don''t know why I''m here, but At first, I call his name and shake him as hard as I can to wake him up. But it''s not going to happen: ....... It''s a good thing that you''re not the only one who can get away with it. I haven''t had a drink in a week, okay? While complaining about such things, he lightly slapped Moran''s face . ''Ummmmm ...... hire me ...... I''ll do whatever you need me to do ...... I need a job...'' ... please... please... ...... ... I froze. I was talking in my sleep, but ...... somehow I understood the current situation of my former subordinate. I see ...... that''s right. ...... Maybe, but I''m sure there are plenty of others who have left my shop and haven''t found a new job: ....... And yet, ...... am I allowed to spend so many happy days in my brother''s store? Just ...... even if you''re going to help your former employees ...... how? Do you want to start over at Fermat Trading Company? No, I don''t think anyone trusts me anymore: ....... Then what do we do? What''s wrong?Mr. Colt. "Hey, there''s nothing to see. ...... There''s a drunk guy asleep. I''m sorry to hear that ...... doesn''t look like it''s going to happen. What do you want to do? I''m going to ask my brother to stay at ...... in case he knows me. ''Well, ...... then, I''ll go ask Mr. Holland for help. Oh, thank you. ...... Really, Elsie is so kind: ....... ''Oh, yes, I''ve got a good idea.'' What did you come up with? "Whoa! Is that the guy you were sleeping with in front of me? Yes, You know him? I used to work here. Okay, ...... so what did you come up with? Yeah, that''s ...... Should I tell my brother, or is he going to be depending on me later anyway? As a matter of fact, you can go to ...... Then I explained to my brother the plan I had come up with. "Well, ...... that''s quite a plan. ...... If you''re on your own. I''ll apologize to Moran tomorrow for what I''ve done and ask him to do it. Good luck with that. I''ll help you out any way I can. Thank you. I''ll try to make it work. Oh, come on. The next day. SIDE: Moran. Hmm. ......?Where am I? I woke up in a place I didn''t know existed . Yesterday I drank ...... alcohol and ...... Oh, are you awake?Good morning. ''Oh, good morning ......'' I looked in the direction of the voice and saw ...... a girl, maybe a grown woman, cleaning up. Where am I? Here?This is Mr. Holland''s house. Mr. Holland: ...... Mr. Holland! Yes? Yes, that''s right: ...... I headed to Mr. Holland''s yesterday drunk. ....... I''m sorry. What am I doing? What do you do when you bother the person you''re trying to get hired for: ....... ''I''m fine. More importantly, are you feeling okay? "Hello.......... Yes. I look around my body in one fluid motion and reply . ''That''s good to hear. I''ll go tell Colt and the others. Then we''ll have lunch. ''Oh, thank you. ......'' No, no. I''ll come get you, and in the meantime, please take your time. Okay, I understand. I looked away at the girl as I sat on the bed. ''Colt, Mr. Colt ......?Now, she said she was going to tell Mr. Colt. ...... Are you here by any chance? Well, no way. ....... I don''t care about that, but that girl was ...... kind and cute, and she was wearing a collar ...... and she''s a slave here? Slaves or ...... I''m sure you''ve had a hard life: ....... It''s nothing compared to the hard times I ran away from. I should have tried harder. ....... Why did I give up? "Moran, are you awake?I''m coming in. Were you, were you, Mr. Chairman? Hey, good to see you. How you been? ''Yeah, yeah, ......'' You really were here: ....... Have you lost some weight? Well, that''s good to hear. Or, does the chairman work here? Yeah. I''m here to change my mind and serve you. ''Oh, really? ...... If you ask me, ...... is not your usual chairman . First of all, how funny is it that the chairman is worried about my body? Is this a dream? ''Has Moran been able to find a new job?'' Yes, no: ...... Okay, ...... then, can I ask you one favor? Do you want me to do something for you? Yeah. I need your help with something. And I''ll pay you well in the meantime. So, what can you do for me? I''m afraid I''m going to have to agree to it without asking you what it''s about: ....... ''Yes, ...... but first, let me apologize to you. I''m really sorry for all this. What?What happened to you all of a sudden? Is this really a dream? ''I''m finally realizing that I''ve been stupid: ...... I''m just trying to apologize to the people I''ve bothered. ''Well, well, ...... what can I say, it looks like the chairman of ...... is back to his old chairman. This is a dream. I think I had a dream where I wanted to see my old chairman. The old me? Yes, it''s like seeing the president of the Chamber of Commerce when it was younger. Hard working, always low profile. Was I like that in the old days? Yes, sir. ''Well, ...... I hope I''m a little closer to the man I was back then. Oh no ...... tears ....... ''If that''s the way you feel, it''s okay . ...... Okay . I''ll do what the Chairman asks. Wait a minute. Have I explained this to you yet? I''m fine. How long do you think you''ve been by your side? And it''s all a dream anyway. Yeah, well, ...... we''ve known each other for a long time, haven''t we? Yes. So what do you want me to do? Yeah, so let me tell you about my plan. Yes, nice to meet you. ''Moran, what did you think of my daughter who was here earlier?'' I got the impression earlier ...... that she was a sweet girl. Yeah, that girl''s name is Elsie. She''s the daughter of my old favorite liquor store. ''I didn''t know that. ...... The Chairman''s favorite liquor store: ....... As I recall ...... is the store that the chairman of the board of directors had to shut down. "So I''m thinking of having her take over the business association. ''I see. ......'' That''s it?Are you surprised or disgusted? ''''Well, it''s something I don''t like to do, but I can''t help it. Besides, I have a feeling she''ll be fine. ''Really?May I ask why? When I talked to that girl just now, I felt that I should do my best too. I feel like I can do my best under her. And he''s cute. "Okay, ...... so, I need to ask Moran for a favor: ...... Yes, can I help you? Maybe ...... this is not a dream. I''m starting to worry about what they''re going to ask me to do: ....... It''s not like I''ve ever acted or anything, right? ''Can you persuade each of your men who quit to come back?And when you do, explain Elsie to me. ...... What''s the deadline? ''Twenty more days if you can, but don''t worry about the ...... deadline. Hey, this is easier than I thought. And I can kind of see that the chairman wasn''t an act. Okay. I''ll convince you all in 20 days. "Oh, oh, ......, you don''t have to do that, okay? You''ll be fine. I''ve done harder things in my life. Then I kept trying to locate and convince former employees. At first, I could only get by on one person a day at best. It was hard to track him down. It wasn''t that hard to convince them to stay, either. People were just like me, they quit, but they were in trouble for their jobs. And when I told them there was going to be a change in the chairmanship, they were quick to respond. As for Elsie, I told them she worked at Mrs. Holland''s store, and they said she was fine. And in the second half, with the help of an ex-employee who was able to talk me out of it, we were able to accomplish the Chairman''s request before the deadline. I went to the chairman, and he said. Oh, really?You''ve been getting some sleep?I told you you didn''t have to push yourself. I was surprised and worried about it . It''s kind of ...... skinny again, and the chairman has really changed ....... In a good way, of course . 79 CHAPTER XIII -- Chairman Elsie Now I was standing in front of dozens of people. "Good to meet you, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Leons Forster. It''s a pleasure to meet you. We''re finally open for business today. Well, maybe reopening might be more accurate for you guys. We''ll be working together to help each other out. Yes, I''m at the new Elsie''s. Just a little pre-opening meeting. It''s a big one for the first time today. Elsie, Master, Colt, and Moran are with you. Elsie doesn''t have a collar on her neck anymore. I went to the slavers about two weeks ago and had them take it off me. I went with her and was surprised that the collar came off a lot easier than I thought it would. They just had to cut it off and be done with it. Why did you need to come to the slavers? But it seems it''s illegal for a civilian to break a slave''s collar. Also, if you don''t have the slave trader to lift your slave magic, your relationship with your master will continue even if you break the collar. Well, this is how Elsie was no longer a slave. She''s not sure if she''s happy about the sudden development. Yeah, it''s kind of sudden. You could have told me sooner. Thinking about that, I snapped my mind back to reality. "Nice to meet you!Well, I''ve been seeing the artisan group for two weeks now. I''m talking about Master. The day after Miss Elsie decided to follow in Miss Colt''s footsteps, he started training Fermat''s workers. I was forced to attend the master''s classes. Every day I practiced alongside Fermat''s craftsmen. As a result, I became very close to the craftsmen. Now I''m called "Leobo" and the old craftsmen buy me dinner after the class. It was quite a fun two weeks for me. At the same time, Elsie was teaching Mr. Colt and Mr. Moran how to run a trading company. It looked like a lot of work, but she was having fun, so I guess it was all right. And I''m going to be behind the chamber of commerce. And apparently, when it gets big, it''s customary to have a nobleman at your back. So basically, it''s a battle for aristocratic control. They use it as a political bargaining chip. The merchants get support from the noblemen. And I''ve heard that when you have a big family behind you, that''s how you attract customers. By the way, it seems that Fermat was originally backed by the Philibert family. Philibert is, I believe, ...... the chubby house or something like that. ......? And so, my first job as a nobleman was to back Elsie''s shop. Well, there''s not much work for me to do as a backer. My main job was to provide ideas. This time I''ve been told not to make something as hard to make as a magic sword. So this time we''ve got something practical. We''ve got a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, and a refrigerator. It was practical and would definitely sell. But it was all rejected. It seems the fridge was already there. And I was told I couldn''t sell the vacuum cleaner because of the holy magic of cleanliness. Same goes for the washing machine upstairs. Thus, I sank the ship. I kept thinking about it. A practical, marketable item in this world: ...... Mmmm. ...... That''s a tough one. ....... This world is basically too convenient for magic! It''s very hard to find that hole: ....... Yeah ...... what to do about it. ....... I think I''d be more likely to sell the stuff I don''t use in real life: ....... Especially the ones you use in battle with demons . After all, it''s a weapon again: ....... Something from a previous life weapon that would sell: ....... When I came up with this idea, it came to me more quickly than I expected. It''s a gun. A magic gun. I immediately made a proposal to my master. Hold on. I''m gonna try to make it now. And then I started to make it. Then a few hours passed. There it is. Yeah, that''ll work with their technology. You''re the man, Leo. I received a compliment from my master. Then I asked Fermat''s craftsmen to make it for me and it came out fine. Oh, great job, Leos. It will sell for sure. I suppose so. It''s hard to mass produce, but I think this is going to be a bit of a revolution among adventurers. I think it will happen. People who can''t use magic can attack with it if they have this and a magic stone. The craftsmen used to say so. The magic gun I designed is a magical tool that releases simple magic when you pull the trigger. The great thing about it is that it can keep firing as long as there''s magic in the magic stone. Surely this could change the way adventurers fight. Rare wizards can be hired by noblemen for good money. That''s why most wizards aren''t interested in becoming dangerous adventurers. That''s why most adventurers fight demons with swords alone. And then there''s the magic gun. They make it easy for anyone to attack from a distance. That should make it less risky for the adventurer. Yeah, it''ll work. Oops! My mind has wandered off to reality again. It looks like Moran is done talking right now at ....... Is that where Elsie is going to start talking? SIDE: Elsie. It''s gone by so fast until today: ....... It''s been really busy since I was put in charge of the Chamber of Commerce two weeks ago. Mr. Moran drilled into my head the mechanics of the Chamber of Commerce and management techniques. We try to get to know our future employees as quickly as possible by interacting with them and I''ve been training them in customer service. I didn''t have time to rest. But I got the basics of the Chamber of Commerce. It''s a good thing I got to hang out with my employees. Well, I wasn''t the only one who was busy. Mr. Holland trained the craftsmen every day after the shop was closed. Leo got to know the craftsmen and gave them ideas for new products. Colt has trained me as a business owner while working in his shop. I am truly grateful to him. Now, Mr. Chairman, let''s wrap it up. Oh, it''s my turn. Yes, sir. I''m Elsie, who will now take charge of the shop. It''s nice to meet you. And thank you all very much. It''s thanks to everyone here that we''re open for business today. This store is everyone''s store. There will be many more hardships in the future, but we will help each other to overcome them. I think I can rely on you all for a lot of things. But I hope you all can rely on me for that. Even if it''s just a trivial consultation, it doesn''t matter. I''ll definitely do my best to talk to you then. There''s no need to be shy. Let''s all make this shop better. This shop is for everyone here. Then let''s all work hard from now on. I managed to say: ....... I lowered my head in relief . Crackle Crackle: ...... The whole shop erupted in applause. Thank you for the applause. Okay, people, take your places. We''re open. At my command, everyone started to move in unison. Now, let''s have another day. 80 Chapter 3 to Chapter 4 Person Introduction Dr. Gill. Gender : Male Attributes: none Comments: former adventurer . The swordsmanship teacher. Leo''s teacher. The Spartan way of teaching. Mr. Herondas. Gender : Male Attributes: water, wind Comments: magic teacher . An excellent teacher, but a typical aptitude magic supremacist . Herman. Gender : Male Attributes: none Comment: A classmate of Leo''s. Loyal to Leo. He''s a hell of a hard worker. He never forgets to work out. Amelie. Gender: female Attributes: holy Comments: head maid . When Leo was a child, he was taken care of by Amelie. She says it was hard to take care of Leo as he moved around on his own. Eric. Gender : Male Comments: Chief Steward . Son of Sebastian. The image is of a handsome, fresh-faced man. You don''t look like Sebastian. Sam. Gender : Male Comment: Chef. He has an unbelievable appetite for food. It''s no exaggeration to say that his instincts about food are absolutely right. Bell. Gender : Female . Attributes : nothing, beast Comments: beastmen . Leo''s personal maid (to be). She''s a serious but careless girl. She''s from an orphanage, so she should be good at housework. The author is surprised by the number of people asking for a bell in the comments section. Stay tuned for chapter 5, where the dormitory life begins! Cliffith Vector. Gender : Male Attributes: nothingness, wind, forensics Comment: A classmate of Ivan''s. She''s a bossy girl, but she''s very feminine. She can''t go against her mother, Melissa. The next emperor. Melissa Vector. Gender: Female,. Comments: cliff''s mother. She wanted to make Cliff the emperor. She kidnapped Shelley, but failed, and is now in the castle dungeon. Holland. Gender : Male . Comment : A magic tool maker. When it comes to magic tools, everything else is sketchy. If it wasn''t for Leo, I''d have ruined my shop. But he''s second to none when it comes to making magic tools. He''s working hard to steal his master''s skills. Elsie. Gender : Female Attributes: creation Comment: Bought by Horant as a slave. Serious and gentle personality. She is a famous figurehead in the capital. She is no longer a slave when she becomes Colt''s successor. She promised Leo to teach her how to use creation magic, but she has yet to learn anything. Colt Fermor. Gender : Male Comments: younger brother of Horant . He''s a serious person at heart, but he lost his temper and was run off by an employee. He used to be ridiculously overweight, but he''s slowly lost weight since he started working for Holland. He loves to drink, but he is now a sober man. Moran. Gender : Male Comments: colt''s man . A company man who has supported things with Colt for years. Putting work before anything else. As a result, I''m still single at forty. And I might still be single. So I''m working harder to distract myself from that fear. 81 Silent Story 3: Special Training for Lina Then let''s get started. Yes! I cheerfully respond to Grandma''s call for help . Starting today, I''m going to be taught a new holy magic for the first time in a long time . I''m in a very good mood! The way she taught me was ''I''ll teach you the basics, so you''ll have to learn the rest on your own,'' and she never taught me more than what was necessary. The last time I was properly taught was in the carriage on the way to the Empire. So I''m very excited about it. Then let''s get started. But first, this. Then, instead of starting to teach me, Grandma said. She held out the wand in her hand. This ...... is the wand your grandmother has been using since she was young, right?What''s going on? My grandmother''s wand is about my height and has a magic stone on the tip . You can see what''s going on at ....... It''s for you. Oh, I don''t want to waste it on you. ''No, it''s not. I won''t be using this anymore, and this wand will be more than happy for you to have it ....... ''So, but ......'' I said take it. I mean, how can you ever practice if you don''t take it? Are you going to lose your practice? You won''t be able to practice: ...... Then take this. Here. Okay, okay, ......, I''ll take good care of it from now on. I got the wand from my grandma. "Good. Okay, let''s start practicing. Nice to meet you. Okay. Now, let''s see how you use your wand. First, try pouring your magic into the magic stone on the end of the wand. ''This magic stone?Okay. I held out my hand to pour my magic into the magical stone at the end of the wand as you asked. ''''Wait. What? ''''You don''t need to touch the magic stone directly, you can just hold the staff and pour your magic into it. Try it . What do you mean? Okay, okay. I don''t know. Anyway, I did as you asked and tried to do what you said, to bring the magic to the stone. Magic power should go through the staff to the magic stone. Then the magic power easily passed through the staff. As usual ...... you''re able to do it right away without having to tell me. ...... That''s right. That''s because the wand is specially designed with a high level of magic conduction at the handle. There''s your grandmother''s wand. That''s what I''m talking about. Thank you. Yeah, normal wands don''t have this feature. That''s why the Holy Wizard never uses a wand. ''''Heh. But why doesn''t the Holy Wizard use his wand just because he doesn''t have this feature? Shelly also has a beautiful wand that Leo-kun gave her, and I think her ability to increase the power of that magic is amazing. ''''It''s just that... Holy magic requires you to constantly adjust the amount of magic and movement, right? Yes. ''So, normal wands are only designed to make them more powerful, so manipulating magic while using magic is difficult, or even close to impossible. I could hardly understand what my grandmother was saying: ....... Anyway, she said that wands other than Grandma''s wand are not suitable for holy magic . ''I see ...... then why are Grandma''s wands okay?Thanks to this high magic conduction? Well, ...... the biggest factor is this. The magic stone? The one my grandma was pointing at was the magic stone at the tip. The magical stone at the tip makes it easier for you to control your magic. With this, you''ll be able to do more things with holy magic. Heh. ''You have no idea what you''re talking about, do you?Well, you''ll find out what this is all about when you practice. I''m going to show you how it''s done now, and you''ll have to watch it closely. Okay, okay. Grandma moved away from the tree a little as she scratched each tree with her knife. Then she pointed her hands in the direction of the tree and looked focused. Then ...... all the wounds healed quickly. What does this mean? Isn''t that right?Leena, if you work hard and practice, you''ll be able to do this with your wand in no time. While using a cane ....... Is it still hard to heal ...... without using a cane like your grandmother? ''''It''s not as hard as it sounds. Someone who is serious about holy magic should be able to do this kind of thing when they grow up. The hard part comes later. ''Yeah, ...... Okay. In the meantime, I''ll do my best to master the wand. Yeah. Let''s just start with the effort. I know you''ll be a better saint than I am. "Let''s go to the saints at ....... I can''t do it. How can I be a saint now that I''ve been expelled from church? That''s not your concern, my dear. The best healer of your generation is a saint. Okay, okay. Yeah. Okay, then. You come to me if you have any questions, okay?You don''t have to be shy, okay? Grandma said so, and she''s gone. From now on, I''ll have to do it on my own. Well, let''s see if I can help. Immediately, he scratched multiple trees like his grandmother and stood away from them . ''''Pass the magic through the wand ...... and then go straight to the holy magic ...... While holding the wand, I tried to be conscious of sending the magic flying into the trees. But ...... ''Huh?Looks like it''s not working: ...... The magic has flown away, but ...... hasn''t healed even a little bit. SIDE: Saint. Couldn''t you have given her some more advice? Carina, sitting next to me, turns to me and asks. ''That''s not true. That''s the best way to learn by worrying about it. In fact, that''s how my teacher and I learned it. I don''t know, ......, but can you learn to do that with the way you teach it? I don''t think you can. So you have to give them some hints. ''Heh, I don''t think that me and my grandfather would be comfortable with that kind of prickly teaching. I know. You''re the type to stick around and give them a hard time. It''s easy to imagine. Yeah. But isn''t your teaching style something you can do because you''re so serious, Rihanna? I wouldn''t be teaching you if you weren''t serious. There''s no point in teaching people like that. You''re being stern again, aren''t you? Do you think so?But you''d have to have a personality like Leena''s to be good at holy magic. Oh, well, ......, I guess it''s a quickie mistake. Carina told me to look in Leena''s direction and I saw that she was distressed as she looked at her wounds . ''It''s true. It''s important to think about why you couldn''t do it like that. It makes all the difference in your development. Okay. So, when do I give you a hint? I think I''ll do it if she asks me to. What if he doesn''t come to you? I mean, can you help me? Oh, it could be: ....... She''s so serious, I''m sure she won''t rely on me to do what I tell her to do and try to handle things on her own. ....... When he does, I''ll ...... check on him for a few days, maybe casually ...... Heh, maybe you''ll be able to do it before I tell you. It''s ....... Maybe that kid could be: ....... ''That''s why my grandson will be happy that he''s a genius. A little apprehensive, I tried to be strong with Carina . SIDE: Rihanna. How can I heal that wound: ...... I was looking at the wounded trees and wondering to myself. I can bring my magic to the trees, but I can''t heal them. Why can''t I heal it? I could do one thing by hand ....... I put my hand on a tree and healed the wound with holy magic. You could do this: ...... Why? What''s the difference? ''When you heal one wound, you can use holy magic to envelop ...... the wound... is that right?I understand! All right. It''s the same when we heal multiple wounds. All you have to do is to let the magic stay in the ...... wound that envelops each one. Now I see what Grandma was talking about. The reason why an ordinary wand isn''t suitable for holy magic is that it can''t manipulate the magic once it''s released. Holy magic is more about precision than power. That felt good. All that''s left is to practice. SIDE: Saint. ''Hey, Rihanna, ...... you look like you were convinced of something, right? "...... Looks like you''re right. ...... Once I was healing a wound without a cane, ...... maybe you''ve already noticed that?No, it''s a quicksilver: ...... I don''t think so: ...... Are you sure about that? What might little Rihanna have noticed if she got so upset ......? ''''Well, ...... it''s a mistake that people who have just learned holy magic tend to make when they try to use magic from a distance: .......'''' Yes. ''''Holy magic requires the magic to stay in the wound for a certain amount of time. But if you try to do it from a distance, you''ll be so focused on reaching ...... it''s easy to forget that. I realized that with one mistake: ....... No, that''s not possible. I needed a day to figure it out too. Yes. It''s not like I''ve finally figured it out yet! Well, I guess that explains it. I mean, Rihanna''s a better genius than you, right? Speaking of which, ...... I made Carina proud of such a boast ....... ''Yeah, that''s ......'' Well, as a grandmother, you must be frustrated not to be able to teach your grandchildren. I don''t blame you. Well, I don''t know that I''ve figured it out yet! As I said that, I was looking in Leena''s direction: ...... Leena clutched the wand and looked focused . After a while, the magic stone at the end of the wand flashed . ''''Yeah ...... a little bit, but it looks like the magic power is lodged in the wound ...... what do you think?'''' That''s ...... you''ve noticed. ...... I could see the magic lodged in the wound too . By the looks of it, I could do it with a few days of ...... practice. ''Don''t be so depressed, be happy that your grandson has grown up. Yes, but ....... ...... I haven''t had Leena ask me for help yet. ...... Since I''ve been in the teaching country, I''ve yet to teach Leena how to use her magic in detail once: ....... ''''Really?If you want to be relied upon, why don''t you just change your practice? That wouldn''t be good for Leena and ...... So give it up. Don''t you think about your grandchildren more than you do yourself, Grandma? Yeah, yeah, ...... I''ll have to give up ...... for Leena. SIDE: Rihanna. ''''I understand, but it''s very difficult to manipulate the magic ...... ...... at a distance.'''' I couldn''t have done it without this wand. It''s my grandmother''s wand, after all. Just by using this, magic control is much easier. Grandma who can heal multiple wounds without a wand is amazing. ....... I''ll have to practice hard . ''''Three days later . Grandma! What is it?Is it ready yet? Yeah. That''s what I''m doing now. Then he pulled his grandmother to the tree and held the wand. Then she used her holy magic, aware that the magic power would spread through the wand to all the wounds. For a while, I kept concentrating on wrapping the wounds in magic and making them stay. After a moment. I did it! All wounds are healed. You did it. ...... I knew you were a genius, Lena. No, it''s not. I denied it with my mouth, but it''s great to have ...... my grandma praise me. When I was thinking about that, my grandma patted me on the head. I''m so happy to be ...... happy. "Good boy. Keep up the good work. Okay!Well then, my goal from now on is to speed up the healing process and be able to do it without the ...... wand. Yeah, well, go to ...... and follow me if you can. ...... I''ll do my best!I''m going to be a saint like my grandmother! ...... That''s nice of you to say that . Yeah, don''t worry about me, go for it! Me? Am I supposed to not worry about passing my grandmother? Yeah, I''ll try! I''m going to be an awesome saint that surpasses my grandmother! 82 Quiet Story 4 Creative Magic Course After Elsie became chairman of the board, it was some time before the store''s management had settled down. I was to teach Elsie about creation magic. I asked Miss Elsie, "When can I get a lesson in creation magic? I panicked when you asked me about it. Because I seriously forgot about it. I was so busy that I forgot about it, okay? That''s why I got a rush job teaching today. Sorry to disturb you. Yeah, go ahead. I''m at Elsie''s house. When Elsie took over as president, she got a house from Colt. Of course, Elsie said no, but then Colt talked her into it ....... That means that ...... her house is bigger than mine. I guess it''s no different than my grandmother''s house. ....... While I was thinking about this, I was shown to Elsie''s room. Then, nice to meet you. Leo-kun. I bowed as best I could as Elsie bowed nicely. ''''Yes . I look forward to working with you. Well then, I''d like to teach you now, but Elsie-san can''t manipulate magic, can she? Yes. I can''t. ...... Oh, Elsie got depressed. Oh, don''t be so depressed!From now on, you''ll be able to do it as soon as you practice. Hurriedly consoling her. ''Are you sure?Thank you. No, no. And I just want to tell you a few things before we start practicing. Is that what you want to know? ''Yes. Why can''t anyone but me use creation magic?Do you understand? I don''t know: ...... Speaking of which, how can Leo-kun use creation magic? I believe that creation magic requires a lot of magic and magical manipulation. ''''I see, ...... but that doesn''t sound like ...... I''d be able to use my creation magic. ...... ''What?Why have you given up already? Isn''t it too early? ''''Because there''s no way I can expect to have significant magical growth now that I''m over fifteen years old. Really?Is there a period of time when magic power grows ....... ''I see. ...... doesn''t mean it doesn''t grow at all, does it? ''Yes, I do, but ......'' That''s all right. It may take longer than expected. Are you sure: ......? Really? After saying that, I showed Elsie what I had prepared for her. ''''This is ...... Mithril and ...... the ridiculous magic stone that Leo-kun is always pouring his magic power into, right? Speaking of which, did I ever pour my magic power into a magic stone in front of ...... Elsie? Oh, the time Master asked for the Demon Stone! Yes, that''s right. I will use it to create a magic item. What kind of magic item are you going to build? ''It''s a magical item that will help Elsie-san grow in her magical power. Can you build something like that ......? Yes, sir. I think this will do the trick. It''s going to grow at an extraordinary rate. Okay, ...... then, please. Yes, sir. I''ll be right with you. How many times have we built this already? This is the fourth time I''ve built ...... for Sherry, Lena and Belle. It was ready when I was thinking about it. Yes, there you go. Put this around your neck at all times. I''ll give Miss Elsie a freshly made necklace. Wow, okay: ...... Thank you very much. ''Well then, now that we''re all set, let''s get to work on our creation magic. Nice to meet you. ''''So, you see, ....... Since you can''t use magic control, I''m going to have you learn ...... magic control. Maybe we need to do that one: ....... ''Okay. So what do I have to do? ''''Well, ...... first of all, I''d like to confirm that ......, Elsie, can you feel your magic?'''' I can''t do it ...... What''s the problem if I can''t do it? No, no!I don''t have a problem with it: ...... I understand. Yeah. ...... I guess I''ll just have to make up my mind. "Miss Elsie, would you mind if I asked you to lie on your back there? ''What?Yes, I understand. ''''From now on, ...... I will move Elsie-san''s magic, so you can feel how to move it with your body. Okay. Best regards. I think Elsie could feel my nervousness, and she got a nervous look on her face. ''''Yes . There''s no need to be nervous . Just relax. All right, let''s go. I''m going to put my hand on Elsie''s belly and explore her magic ...... It''s not very much, but it''s not nearly enough to use ...... creative magic. Okay, let''s move it. Let''s move it around a bit. "Huh? And sure enough, Miss Elsie made a funny noise. Oops, never mind, never mind. I don''t care. Do you understand? Yes, I understand. Then I''ll move it, and you can bear with me at ...... What? Then, a few minutes later. ''Feng, is that about right?Do you think you can move it yourself? "Yes, yes, yes ...... move ......, yes ....... Miss Elsie said, but she was out of breath. ''Do you want to take a break?'' Did I overdo it a bit? Yes, yes ...... please. Then we took a break for about 30 minutes. Then try moving it around. Yes, I''ll try. Miss Elsie said and put her hand on her belly. ''How do you feel?'' ...... is ready! Miss Elsie looked at me happily. ''''I''m glad to hear that. Now all we have to do is just try to keep moving the magic around. It''s going to be a slow and steady process. I understand ...... how long do I have to do this? Until I can move the magic all over my body. Whole body?It doesn''t move that much, does it? It''s okay. If you do it again and again, you''ll get it right the first time. At first, everyone is like that . I see. ...... I''ll try my best. Two weeks later ''Leo-kun, I''m able to move my magic power all over my body! Are you sure?Then let''s move on to the next step. What do you want me to do next? Next time, pour your magic into this magical stone. Then he gave Elsie the magic stone. It''s an empty magic stone without any magic in it. ''''Okay ...... but how do I pour it in?'''' That''s easy to do if you''re conscious of transferring the magic power from your hands to the magic stone. ''Okay, I''ll try ...... When Elsie held the magic stone, her face was focused. Then the magic stone lit up. And voila! "Congratulations. All you have to do now is practice. Keep working your magic. Okay. I''ll pour the best I can. Oh, and. Pour your magic into each session until it''s gone. Otherwise, it won''t matter. Magic grows best when it''s gone. Okay. That''s all of it. ''''Yes. Well then, shall we start practicing our creation magic when our magic power exceeds 2,000? Two thousand?I can''t . I can''t do it! You don''t have to ask me to do that. No, it''s not. How much magic do you have now? When I saw him yesterday, his magic power was about nine hundred. There''s only 1,000 more to go. It''s as simple as that. ''No, it''s not!We only got so far up in two weeks, you know? It''s true that ...... growth speed is slow, but . ''''Oh well, if you use the magic stones to train them, your growth speed will increase . You have nothing to worry about. Are you sure?Then I''ll do my best at ....... Yes, good luck with that. One week later Leo!We''ve reached our goal of two thousand! A happy Elsie reported back to me. That''s sooner than I expected. She must have done a great job: ....... ''Are you sure?Thanks for your help. We can finally practice our creation magic. ''Really, finally. ...... But I can finally do magic too! Then I came to Miss Elsie''s house again. Well, you can have that. Is this a ...... branch? Okay. It''s just a branch right there. What are you going to do with this branch? Here''s what you do. Then he transformed the branch into a wooden spoon. The shape has changed: ...... ''The basis of creative magic is using materials to build things. I didn''t know that: ....... I''ve always thought that you could build things from scratch. Come to think of it, when Leo built this for me, you also prepared the materials for it. Elsie was convinced as she looked at the necklace I had made. Oh, thank God you''re swallowing so fast! "It''s not absolutely necessary to have the materials. It''s just that it can be made like this. But it does use a lot of magic, and your level of creative magic must be high. Demonstrating and explaining the creation of a stuffed panda without materials . ''Oh, I didn''t know that ...... Well, I''ll tell you what. Let''s try some creative magic. Practice makes perfect. Okay, sure. How do I do this for a spell? "It''s easy. Just picture what you want to build. Oh, and don''t forget to pour your magic on the branches. Okay. I''ll try. Elsie grabbed a branch and began to pour her magic power into it . Then the ...... branch began to glow. And then it began to change shape. A little while later, what we have is ...... It was me. It was me. Yes, I tried to visualize Leo. But then again, you really can do it just by imagining it. Ummm, yeah, ....... So why me? ''Now I''m a wizard too!I''m so happy for you! Well, it''s a good thing he looks happy. More importantly, it proves that non-me can use creation magic too. Doesn''t this completely negate the fact that creation magic is an incompetent magic? But I wonder if it''s going to be hard for Elsie-san to be able to build magic items: ....... Elsie is fifteen years old, and it''s still a little difficult for her to grow up to the point where she can create magic items. Well, he''s happy to be able to use magic, so there''s no need to think about anything else. I felt that way when I saw Elsie looking at my figurines and seeing her happy. 83 Episode 1. Alex is an adult. ''Happy coming of age, brother Alex! Thank you. Today is my brother Alex''s birthday. He''s turning 16, he''s an adult. So I was talking to the man of the hour. "A lot of people are gonna be here to celebrate, how are you feeling? ''Yeah - well, it''s just for today, and it''s a lot of work, but if you deal with each one of them individually, it''ll be over one day. ''I see. ...... So that''s how you think of it.'' I''ll try to think of that the next time I attend a party . ''Or better yet, maybe Leo should be worrying about himself instead of worrying about others? Worried about yourself? What happened to me? I was thinking of staying quiet on the edge today, trying to be inconspicuous? Yeah, I''m sure Leo''s busier today than I am. I''m busier than you are! Why? Maybe Leo will be more popular at the party today than me? Why? You''re the star of the show today, right? You know what?Leo''s the center of attention among the nobility right now, you know? Oh, really? Come to think of it, I think Colt said something like that: ....... ''Yes . Isn''t it unheard of to be a viscount at that age? Oh. So that''s what it''s all about: ...... When you''re envied ....... Aristocrats are so insidious, it''s a pain in the ass~ . ''Well, you''ll be surrounded by pretty girls, so good luck with that. "Girl? What do you mean? At this time, I didn''t understand what my brother meant: ....... A few hours later. Would you like to have dinner with me sometime soon, Master Leo? Leo-sama, would you like to have tea with me on your next day off? Dear Leo: ...... Dear Leo: ...... Now it''s literally surrounded by girls. I''ve been doing this for a long time now . I''ve been trying my best to keep a low profile. ....... It wasn''t long before they saw me. We''re in trouble if they find us, and now we''re surrounded and can''t seem to get out. Some of the girls told me straight up that I could be a side wife. It''s something: ...... I''m starting to feel sorry for these girls . Because there''s no way a girl my age would tell a stranger that she wants a stranger to be her side wife. ....... I''m sure she must be following her parents'' orders to flirt with me. I''m sure she''s following her parent''s orders to flirt with me. I''d like to say that I''d like to, but I''m afraid I''m going to have a hard time putting Leena in a good mood if I don''t do something about it. Even now, she''s staring at us from outside the circle. That, I''m definitely pissed. ....... I promised yesterday that we''d stay together during the party. ....... As I was thinking about that, I saw Lina''s eyes. Huh?I feel like I have tears in my eyes: ....... Yeah, I''d better get a move on. I''m sorry, guys. It''s my brother''s birthday. You should go to your brother, not my place. I''ll see you later. Ah! Wait. Please don''t go! I pulled back on my head and got out of the girls. I''m sorry for those girls. ....... But now is not the time. "I''m sorry Lena. Please don''t cry. I''m not crying! Leena turned away from me with a pout. Oh my goodness, you are really angry: ....... I''m really sorry. How can I forgive you? ....... ''If you want me to change my mood, give me a hug. Then Leena turned to me with a pout. ''Okay, ......, I''ll see you later. I''ll do it as long as it''s worth it. So what''s in it for me? Now. Right here, please. Hmm? Here?Um, what''s wrong with you all of a sudden? What''s going on?Doesn''t seem like Lena, does it? Just do it! "Wow, okay. ...... Leena was so unhappy that I decided to give her a hug. It''s a little, no, I''m extremely embarrassed, but it''s no use. I heard a scream coming from somewhere. Yeah, we''re getting a lot of attention. Geez, is this okay? It hurts to see people looking at me, but I''ll just have to reopen it now . ''''Yes, now I can show them that Leo-kun is mine. Oh, you were thinking about that? Is Leena perhaps possessive? Leena''s arms are half as strong as the one she''s holding right now: ....... It''s going to be bad if he cheats on her: ....... ''Leo-kun, were you thinking strange thoughts just now?'' Yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I wasn''t thinking. Oh, I see. Well, then, let''s have a party for two people. "Wow, okay. ...... Her arms are crossed tightly. I don''t think I''m going to get away with this: ....... Oh, it''s Frank!Why don''t you come around. Hey, stop running! Then we went to ...... and had a good time together. Yeah, it was fun. After that, the number of girls coming to me dropped off drastically. And this rumor has become famous among the nobility of the Empire. "Master Leo is so fond of the saint''s grandson that no other girl can get in his way. When I heard about this, I may or may not have thought it was ...... the opposite, although I''m not wrong. Well, I guess it''s a good thing this rumor didn''t reach Shelly''s ears . If they found out, they''d do something much bigger: ....... Just like that, the party after a long time was over. ''''The next day . No~ Leo was the star of yesterday''s show. Now, the three brothers were talking nicely together. Oh, no, that''s not true. Kukku, you guys really seem to be getting along. I mean, you already have your ass handed to you, don''t you? Brother Ivan laughed as he remembered yesterday. ''Oh, no, that''s not true! However, ...... I realized yesterday that I''m not the only one. It''s a good thing Leo is 10 years old and ...... early. I miss Leo when he was a baby. What''s wrong with you, all of a sudden you''re talking like a father? So, you''re ten years old, Leo. So you''re about to start living in the dorm? ''Dormitory life ...... if you ask me: ...... I think they said something like that at school. Elementary school dormitory life. That brings back memories. Yeah. That was four or five years ago for us, right? What was it like living in a dormitory? Are you still lonely? What''s it like?Yes, ...... well, it was fun. That''s it? I hope you''re having fun. Well, I hope you''re having fun. Don''t worry about it. Yeah. Okay. I''ll look forward to it. Are you sure you''re okay with this? Yeah, we''ll have fun. Yeah. But tell me about your brother''s business. Is this your brother Ivan''s job? Oh, by the way, I thought my brother had already graduated. So while I was working hard in the magic shop, my brother was job hunting: ....... ''Mine?It''s not particularly funny, is it? Come on, just tell me. You said all you wanted to do was get in, and now you''re in the Special Forces. Huh?Really?Did you get into the Special Forces? I''ve never heard of it!I''d better get a little more interested in my family from now on: ....... All right. . but I''m new, and all I do is train every day. What kind of training do you do? ''You''ve been training in combat against people, training against demons, and now you''re honing your combat skills. Yeah. When do you think you''re going to start working for real? That was about six months away, I think. Oh, it''s further than I thought. It''s probably half a year after you graduated, so they just let you train for a year. That''s just a small unit. "Half a year?Wow, we need to work hard and be strong. I know. Cliff is going to be emperor. I''ll be a captain myself. You guys really are close. You''re together?That''s the level. You guys are so lovey-dovey together. We''re not even dating.Because I like women properly!Don''t look at Leo like that either. Oh, I shouldn''t have done that. Hahaha~. Do you have a crush on ......? ''No, no. ......'' His brother''s voice became small and he looked away from brother Alex. ''What?What''s that reaction ...... maybe ...... you got a girlfriend? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. ...... My brother''s face is getting redder and redder: ....... Huh?Could it be! So, you got a crush on someone? Come on. Come on. Furthermore, brother Ivan''s face is turning red: ....... You''re the type of brother who can''t lie. ''Wow! Who?Where are you?What''s he like? Your brother Alex is folding in relentlessly. "I won''t tell you!For that matter, if it''s a love story, you should be the one to tell it, right? ''What?Me?Why?You know most of them, brother. ''No, no, I''m getting married soon, so by all means, you''ll have to tell me what happened while I was away, won''t you?What did you tell Fiona that you were going to marry her? Actually, my brother is supposed to get married right after he graduates from school. I''m wondering what kind of a proposal my brother made to you too. Grin. Come on, come on, you''re forgetting something. Come on - tell me about it. Before I knew it, the composition has been reversed. These two are always so close. 84 Second, Im living in the same place. It''s been a few months since my brother Alex''s coming-of-age party. I just finished my sophomore year, and I''m about to start my junior year. Oh, and your brother Alex is getting married. They looked great together. Fiona was beautiful. I''m just sad that Ivan couldn''t be there for the wedding. It''s the last test of his training and he''s taking on a dungeon somewhere. Well, it''s his job, and he''s probably most disappointed about it, so I can''t say for sure. I''m sure he''ll bring back a report on how he killed the dungeon as a wedding present. While I was thinking about this, I was preparing for my dormitory life. I''ll be a junior soon, and I''ll start living in the dorms next month. So today is the day I''m supposed to bring my stuff in. It looks like the furniture is already in place, so I packed my clothes, books, and the junk I made into a backpack, and the packing didn''t take long. ''''Alright, let''s head to the dorms. I said this to Belle, who was packing with me. "Yes, I''m looking forward to seeing what kind of dormitory it is. Yeah, I guess so. I hope there''s plenty of room. ''Miss Amelie told me that each class has a different size room. Huh?I have mixed feelings when you say that: ....... I''m sure the lower classes are forced to live in smaller rooms . Well, maybe it''s because of the amount of money they''re donating to the school or something: ....... Then we headed to our assigned dormitory on the school grounds. ''This is my room?'' I stood in front of the door, which would be my room, and I asked Belle. "I guess so. Then it''s a good thing. I was on the top floor, in a sunny spot. Oh, there''s Frank next door. I''ll look in on him later. Frank Baudelaire is listed in the next room. "Is this a friend of yours? Yeah, we''re cousins, like friends. Yeah. You''re lucky to be next door. Yeah. You can come hang out now. All right, let''s go inside. Okay. I''ll pick the lock up now. Then I walked into the room with Belle. ''Oh, it''s just as big as I thought it would be!I mean, how many rooms did you have? There are five: Master Leo''s room, Master Leo''s bedroom, the maid''s room, the living room, and the dining room. Five or five rooms?You''re going to find a room that you''re never going to use. That''s too many. If they have a dining room, doesn''t this dormitory have a dining room? Do you want them to bring it in here? Yes. But it''s only used by the sons of the lower classes. Huh?Is this a privilege reserved for the upper class? Why do you try to differentiate up and down that much: ...... Your aristocratic pride is a waste of money. Well, let''s just put all the things we''ve brought with us on the table. All right. But that''s a lot of work to keep track of. Can you handle this by yourself, Bell? There''s a lot of room, it''s hard to clean. We''ll be fine. We''ll take care of it. When I asked him, he said, "Yeah, I''ll take care of it. "Yeah, it''s all yours. Really, she''s a lot different from the Belle I first met . I wonder where that Belle, who was always making mistakes, has gone: ....... While thinking about that, I quickly finished carrying my luggage. There was too much storage space for the amount of things I brought, so it didn''t take me long at all. One week later. Tomorrow, I start my junior year. Today is the day before school starts, so I''ll start living in the dorm. Belle and I will live here alone from today. Belle will miss you so much because you''ll be alone. Normally there are other maids and stewards while I''m at school, but starting tomorrow it''s just Belle. ''That''s all right. Just clean your room and you won''t be lonely. Yeah?I''m sorry about that. I''m sorry about that. That''s all right. Besides, it''s a maid''s job. "Yeah, ...... okay. I''ll try to stay here as much as possible from now on. I''m sorry: ....... From now on, let''s refrain from going to the master''s place. ''''Never mind that!I''m a maid. Don''t say that. To me, Belle''s like family. You''ve been with me for two years now. Yeah, I''ll give Belle a pat on the head. Oh, thank you. ...... Belle let me pat her head a little shyly. ''Then let''s have some dinner. Okay. Okay, I''ll go get it. ''Oh, by the way, Belle had to get it, didn''t she? I''m not allowed to go get it, am I? "Yes, absolutely not. They''ll say I''m a useless maid. I don''t mind what they say about me, but I don''t like it when Belle says that to me: ....... I guess we''ll just have to let it happen here . "Yeah, okay. Let me know if it''s a problem, okay? There''s no need to worry about it. Besides, I have some non-attribute magic that Leo-sama taught me about, so I can carry even heavy objects with ease. Okay, please. So do me a favor. Okay. I''ll go get it. A little later, the bell came back pushing a dolly. Here it is. I''ll lay it out for you now. Oh, and Master Leo, please stay in your seat and don''t help! The moment I was about to move, they stopped me. "Wow, okay. ...... I can''t help it, I''m either being quiet or ....... And then he puts the food in front of me in a neat row. Well, then, please enjoy your meal. Umm, yeah ...... hey, do you have any for Bell? Belle looked like she was going to stand behind me until I finished, so I asked her. ''Yes, I do. I''ll let you eat in your room later. Do you have it?Then we''ll eat together. I don''t want to eat alone and under the microscope. No, don''t worry about me. I''ll be in my room later at ....... I don''t mind. I don''t want to eat alone. Okay? I''ll be here while you eat. d*mn, Belle is so stubborn today. No? "Yes, no. I''m a maid. How can you be so stubborn to say no? "Yes. ...... So here''s what I''m going to do. Master''s orders, sit there and eat your food with me. ''You''d go that far?Okay. ...... Belle gave up and sat down with the food in front of me. ''Yeah, now we can have a good meal. After all, rice tastes better when eaten with someone else. Will it taste the same with or without me? Taste is only as good as your heart, you know? ''I see. ......'' Belle began to eat unhappily . ''''Yes ......, Belle is kind of cold today! Your usual Belle would be so much nicer. I''m gonna cry, okay? Oh, really? Yeah. You don''t have to feel so responsible, okay? ''No, but I''m on my own from today: ...... Yeah, he''s definitely overawed. So I''m fine. And I''m gonna cry and I''m gonna miss you if you don''t have a bell. Now you can get back to your normal routine for a bit. As I looked at Belle''s face while thinking about this ...... tears began to pool in Belle''s eyes and she was on the verge of breaking down. And then ...... Oh, uh-oh. I started crying out loud. ''Wait!Don''t cry!Sorry, that was too much to ask! ''No, sir!It''s my fault!I was asked by Amelie not to make Leo-sama miss you, but ...... I''m really sorry that I was too desperate for work ....... I get it! If you can apologize for crying so much, it makes me want to apologize too! There''s no way around it: ...... I''ll be fine. ...... I walked up to Belle and gave her a hug and rubbed her back . "It''s just the beginning, don''t get so worked up on your first day. Belle''s all right. Just be a bright Belle. Gusu, yes ...... I get it. Huh, I guess she agreed to do it. Then I rubbed her back until she calmed down. Then will you have dinner with me? I understand. When she finally stopped crying, Belle smiled and answered my questions. Dinner was cold that night, but it was delicious. After all, isn''t it better when we''re together? 85 CHAPTER III QUICK EXAMINATION It''s the first day of junior year. I don''t think anything will change just because it''s junior year, except for the start of dorm life. Well, we''re going to have a placement test next year, so I''m sure more people will start working hard for it. I''m not going to do anything just because of the test, so this year will be the same as always. I''m off. Yes, have a great day. After crying so hard yesterday, Belle is all right now. It''s so sweet to see her go off with a smile. Thank you. I''ll do my best. I still want to watch, but I have to be patient ...... and go to school . Unable to give up, I closed the door as slowly as I could, waving my hand at the bell. ''Heh~'' Hmm? I turned to see a grinning Frank standing there . ''There are always pretty girls around Leo, aren''t there? No, it''s not! There''s about four women I''m friends with: ...... Sherry, Leena, Belle and Elsie. ''Doesn''t Frank have his own maid?She''s pretty, anyway, right? She''s a maid of the same duke family as me, so she must be pretty . ''''No, no, my maid is ...... ''Little boy!You''re forgetting something! Frank was about to say something when a woman came running out of Frank''s room. ''Huh?Oh, yeah. ''You always say that!You don''t want to leave the house until you''re sure!Oh, you''re a friend of the little guy''s?Please continue to be good to the little boy. Bye. The woman, probably Frank''s maid, went off on a bang. What a pretty maid. He''s always been like that. You''ve been looking after her since I was a little girl, she''s even louder than your mother. Okay. It''s kind of like taking over for his mom. Maybe that''s why it''s so annoying to him. Yeah. But it''s fun. Because it''s not just fun, it''s exhausting! Haha, yeah, that sounds interesting. Maybe I''ll get to see you two interact next time. I''d like to see Frank being pissed off at the maid~ . I''m sure from the way he was acting earlier, Frank isn''t upset with the woman who just came in. ''Because she''s not funny!Besides, I''ll never show it! I''ll be sure to have a look at it next time. Then he arrived at the classroom, teasing Frank. "Oh, Master!Good morning! I walked into the classroom as usual and the first thing Hermann said was, "Good morning. ''Yeah, good morning.'' I don''t think Leena and Sherry are here yet. I look around the classroom to make sure they''re not here. I don''t spend a lot of time in the classroom because of all the people watching me, but I try to remember to say hello in the morning. Then, as I''m chatting away the time until the first period starts with Frank and Hermann, the teacher comes rushing in. ''I''m sorry!I just found out that I had a test today. It doesn''t matter what your grade is, just think of it as practice for a placement test. The teacher said just that and walked out. A test on the first day?And an unannounced test is just too much. Well, well, we''re all on the same page. I learned about it today. Yeah, but can you at least go to ...... and get yourself prepared? Let''s take it easy since it won''t make the grade anyway. Good score or no score, it doesn''t make any difference. ." "Yes, but ...... We''re gonna have a great day! Yeah. Huh?Normally, "Oh! You should hear a cheerful voice saying: ....... ''Hellman?'' A test?A test?What do I do? Herman was holding his head and muttering a spell. ''Hey, hey, you okay?You won''t get a grade today, will you? ''What?Really?Yes~! Hermann''s spirits lifted when he heard about something that wasn''t related to his grades. Come on, you''re changing your mind too quickly. You never learn, do you? Because if I had the time to study ......, I''d be stronger. ...... You''re really trying to be a brainiac, aren''t you? But you need to work hard or you''ll be separated from Leo in class. ...... Huh?Is that so? Hermann scowled at Frank''s words. ''Think about it?You know Leo has good grades, right? ''I always get a hundred after the test with a smile on my face. Huh?Was I really that annoying? Did I ever look like I could afford ......? So what''s your score? ''''Oh, oh ...... I''m going to study to death today . I think I''ll just go home and study today. Herman seems to have realized his situation. He walked out of the classroom with a blank look on his face. "Wait!Even if you can''t do it, you should at least take the test today and know what kind of questions you''re going to get. I rushed to catch him and convince him to take the test. ''Yes, of course!Quintessential Master! There''s a lot of tension going on here: ....... ''What was the first hour of the day?'' It''s math. A quickie-education test. I''ll do my best. You''re lucky you got the time to spare. Totally. Well, even if you''re given a grade school level test now, right? One hour later How did it go? When the test was over, I went straight to Frank and Hermann to see how well I did. "I think I did pretty good. Leo is ...... No, we can afford it anyway, so let''s not do it. ''I had plenty of time!You''re not gonna ask, "What about Herman? How was Herman? ''Master ...... please stay close to me next year even if we''re in a different class?'' Herman asked in a broken voice as if he was about to die. Where was your energy before it started? ''You''re not ready!I''ll just study for the next year and I''ll be fine! But ....... Okay!We''ll have a study group every day from now on. You''re not busy in your dorm anyway. We''ll meet at Frank''s place. Yeah, that should solve all our problems. What?Do it in Leo''s room. That''s good. It''s a big place, right? No, it''s just Leo''s room. Oh, well, you don''t need to worry about all that stuff. Well, wherever it is, I''ll teach you what I know, and you''ll be good for a year. It''s only grade school content, so it''s not too difficult to understand. ''''Master~!I''m going to serve my master for the rest of my life. Herman was crying and clinging to me. It''s still heavy: ....... Let''s distract him with something else. ''Oh, isn''t the next test going to be swordsmanship, so isn''t that Hellman''s show? ''Oh, yes!If I get a two hundred on the sword test, I might be able to make it! Two hundred points is ...... a perfect score of one hundred in all subjects, right? Then we''ll begin the swordplay test. It is simple. Have your instructors here deal with you and grade you. Then we''ll go through them in turn. Oh, so the real thing is a real battle. Well, I''ll go. Hermann, whose scores are in trouble if he doesn''t make up for it with his swordsmanship, has announced himself as the top batter. Oh, you''re in high spirits. Oh, I''m feeling fine. A man of about thirty with a beard, probably a teacher from another grade, was Hermann''s partner . "Yes, sir. I''ll give it my best shot, if you give me a good score. Haha, that''s a matter of opinion. Before the doctor could finish, Hermann''s sword struck him in the gut. Oh, I''m sorry!They told me not to hold back. What!It''s no big deal!Now, come on! He stood up and took a stance. Hey, you''re a swordsmanship teacher. You have to learn how to get hit too. Okay, I''m going! And with that declaration, Herman started again. ''Yes!Guha! Yeah, it was instantaneous. Well, the idea of skipping out on Hermann doesn''t exist. Yeah, well, there''s no way. Sir, what was that? Herman walks up to the teacher, listening to the scores. ''Hiya, I got a hundred. ...... Stop him already! Doctor, he''s terribly scared of Hermann. What?Two hundred points "Excuse me!I''ll do the next one! It''s too much trouble for him to continue, so I interrupt him. "Oh, Master!I''m sorry for keeping you waiting. I''ll be leaving now. Yeah, he''s giving up. Okay, I''ll go for it in moderation. ''Just give me a second: ...... for a little while.'' Oh, yes. Well, I guess we''ll just have to wait and see. And then we''ll wait a bit. All right, come on. Come on in! Finally, the doctor is feeling better. Yes, sir. I have to go easy on him: ....... I don''t want to end up like Hermann, so I''ll attack at a speed that the teacher will just barely be able to avoid. Oh, that''s a good one. Go ahead and try to attack me. I understand. Yeah, that''s about right. If we keep doing this, will we end up with no problems? All right, let''s keep going like this until the doctor gives the signal to stop. Five minutes later Tired? Tired?Are they checking to see how strong they are? Well, let''s be honest. No, I''m not tired. Yeah, right. ...... ku! What''s that ...... teacher''s face seems to be getting sterner and sorer. ....... ''About time, Guha!'' Oh, I did it: ....... But I think it was the teacher''s fault for losing focus in the middle of the fight. Yeah, that''s right. It''s probably not my fault. 86 CHAPTER IV -- THE FIRST PART OF THE MAGAZIC EXAMINATION After the swordsmanship exam, we had to settle our language and history exams. Well, none of it was too much trouble for me or Frank. But, well, as I expected, Hermann was sunk. "Well, master, I''m going to say goodbye to ...... third grade. Please don''t forget about me. Herman was so lacking in spirit, I thought he had lost his soul. And now it''s like this all the time. Didn''t I tell you I''d have a year to figure it out? Thank you ...... From now on, I''ll try my hardest not to disappoint my master. You know how to take care of yourself, right? Hermann is really willing to die for it. ....... ''I know . If I die, there''s no point in trying. I''ll do my best not to die. Oh, oh, ....... What''s that ...... uninspiring helmsman that''s so uncomfortable? Well, lighten up. The test is over in the next hour. ''Really?What''s the test for the next hour? I feel a little better. Well, it''s magic. ...... I said and then regretted it . ''''Well, well, the magic test is half practical and half written, so it''s ...... oh, it''s nothing.'''' Seeing Hermann completely drained of energy, I stopped talking any longer. Whaaaaat? Now, the magic test will begin. The first half of the test will be a written test in the classroom. Then, when the written test is over, we will move to the training grounds for a practical test. Then the teacher handed out the questions and the writing time began . The content was basic questions about what it takes to use magic, what the basic attributes were, and how to train magic power . Well, I didn''t take the class seriously, but I just wrote what was written in the books I read in the past, so it should be fine. When the writing was done, we moved to the training grounds. As we were moving, I saw the look on Frank''s face, and he looked comfortable. Hermann''s face was ...... yeah, let''s go for it. The training grounds is where we usually practice our practical magic skills. Most of the time during class, Hermann and I are left alone by the teacher because we can''t use magic anyway. There wasn''t much to do at first! I could have joined the practice because I could use magic, but ...... I felt sorry for Hermann, so we stayed at the edge of the training grounds. I had some free time, but around the time Hermann became fully proficient in non-attribute magic, the two of us had been practicing body techniques with non-attribute magic. That''s why I have a strong impression that the practical skills time is fun . ''''Now we''ll take turns doing the practical test. The content is simple, it''s what we always do in practice. From now on, you can cast any spell you like on that target. We''ll grade you on power, so fire your magic as best you can. Apparently, the format of the test is an extension of what we always do in class. Then fire your magic at the targets in the order in which they are called. First, Your Highness. Now, Sherry or ...... are you okay?If I did it with all my might, I''d probably break down the back wall as well: ....... ''Yes. Okay, then. When the teacher called her in, Shelly was not nervous, and with a blank expression, she pointed her hand at the target and shot an oversized lightning spell . Hey, hey, hey, ...... the school is going to break down. ....... With that in mind, as I watched the magic go through the target ...... something unexpected happened. No way? The Wall has annihilated magic... or at least absorbed it. Could it be a magic tool? That''s great. ...... That''s a lot of money there. That''s just like an aristocratic school. Just as I was thinking about that, Shelly looked at me and smiled. He''s grown up.Does that mean? I nodded anyway. You''re the man. Okay, Frank, let''s move on. I understand. Frank, who seemed reluctant to do it after Shelley, made a lump of dirt in his hand and aimed it at the target. It was pretty good, too, and it went right through the target. "Feng. ''Well then, next time I''ll go to ...... Mr. Leons, there''s no point in doing ......, so I''ll go to the next person. So then, "Wait a minute," hmm? Why do you assume it''s not worth it? Shelley complained to the teacher. ''What?What are you talking about?Oh, you''re just trying to escape reality. Well, let me tell you something. Your fiancee is a hack. A hack without attributes. So there''s no point in doing it. Just so that''s it. Yeah...... I don''t mind being mocked, but if you''re going to say something like that to Shelly, you''re going to have to get angry. ''Sir, I''m not saying that Leo is incompetent!You, correct me now! As I was about to speak, I heard Shelly yell at me to cover her . I panicked and looked at Shelly, and she was red-faced and angry. I''m sorry about this. So, but I''m telling the truth: ...... The doctor was in a hurry to excuse himself. Well, if you''re not good, you''ll get your head blown off for disrespect. ''Let Leo try and tell me if it''s true or not! Leo!Don''t hide your abilities anymore and show this incompetent teacher how serious you are! Shelley said and glared at me. Oh, oh, ......be, I wasn''t hiding it, okay? I just didn''t get a chance to use it in school, you know? Let''s see it!I don''t want to hear people saying you''re incompetent anymore. Shelley said, tears in her eyes. Oh ...... I made you cry. Apparently, I made her feel more painful than she thought she would. I''m sorry, okay. Please don''t cry. I''m not crying! I smiled and nodded at Shelly, who rubbed her eyes and strengthened. Then I turned around, my smile disappearing. "Now, watch and learn, okay?The "teacher Oh, yeah. The teacher was pale. Shelley called me a rotten teacher and I made her cry. I guess you''re just scared of what''s coming next. Well, it doesn''t matter to me, but since you made Sherry cry, I hope you''ll pay for your crime. With that thought in mind, I created a piece of lightning magic in my hand. It''s the same size as Shelley''s. If I brought all my strength to bear, I might destroy the school. I aimed it at the target and fired it out. The magic goes clean through the target and vanishes against the wall. Are you happy now?I turned to Shelly with a smile, and she smiled and nodded at me. ''''Ugh, it''s a lie . It''s a lie ...... incompetence, but how can an incompetent ...... be so magic!You cheat!Okay. You used a magic tool, didn''t you?Absolutely yes! I heard that voice. Come on, what''s he talking about? There''s no way you can do magic. It''s not possible! ''Sir, you need to stop trying to hide from reality and face reality. The student you called incompetent can actually use magic. Well, your position might be in jeopardy if you admit that. I thought I was out of character when I said that to myself . But you made Shelly cry, so I have to hold him accountable. Well, half the time it''s because I didn''t show my ability, so I''ll forgive you if you apologize to me. While I was thinking about this, the teacher opened his mouth. What are you talking about?Am I an escape from reality? You''re kidding me!You coward! You used a very powerful magic tool anyway, didn''t you?Because I know! And that recently, some shitty magical tool was invented that allows incompetents with no attributes to use magic. You used it, didn''t you?You''re disqualified. You are disqualified. What?You mean the Demon Gun?Isn''t it obvious that you don''t have that kind of thing by looking at your hands? And you don''t have the authority to expel me, do you? Oh, shut up!You''re hiding it from us so we can''t find it anyway! ''What are you talking about at all ......?Don''t you know better than any of these people that there''s no way you can make a magic tool so small that you can''t even see it, don''t you, the magic teacher, know best? A magic tool needs a magic stone, a magic circle and an outer frame at least. So it has to be bigger than a magic stone. You''d know what that is if you had one in your hand. ''''Uh-uh ......'''' So I guess we''re breaking the ice. A simple apology would have solved this problem. No, it''s not fair!He''s cheating!I can''t explain it otherwise!You must be incompetent! After saying that, the teacher left the training room. Wait.Are you kidding me?He''s in the middle of his ...... exam, okay? What about other people''s tests? I was stunned as I looked in the direction the teacher had left. 87 CHAPTER V -- THE SECOND PART OF THE MAGAZIC EXAMINATION We were stunned after our magic teacher, Mr. Herondas, disappeared. What should we do? ''It''s no use ...... I''ll go to the staff room and get another teacher. Wait, I''m coming with you! I had no choice but to go to the staff room, and Shelly followed me. Okay, you guys wait right here. They were all so amazed by your magic that they were silent. I was definitely speechless, but ...... maybe it wasn''t because of my magic, you know? I was happy, but . When I say that incompetent teacher was in a hurry, it''s ...... true, it''s a shame. A girl shouldn''t use dirty words like that. Well, I guess I felt better, too. "Leena was happy to see you. She was looking at you with a big smile on her face at the end of the room. I got a picture in my head of Leena smiling happily when Shelly told me . Well, she didn''t like being told I was incompetent for a long time: ....... ''I''m sorry~ "So it''s not my fault!It''s that incompetent bastard''s fault! When I entered the staff room, I saw Dr. Herondas making a loud noise . ''I need you to calm down. What''s the matter with you?I don''t know what happened until you explain it to me. The guy who was dealing with him didn''t seem to understand what was going on. He was very confused. A nice grown man just making a fuss about it. ....... ''I''m sorry~'' Watching Dr. Herondas fussing around is just a waste of time, so I approached the teacher in the staff room again . ''''Yes . Ah, Princess and Mr. Leons . What''s going on? The teacher who was working with Mr. Herondas noticed us . ''Well ...... the teacher there has suddenly disappeared during the exam, so I came to ask what to do.'' Turning to Dr. Herondas, I explained the situation to him . ''''Oh, that''s right . Well then, Dr. Herondas, we''ll hear what you said earlier later, so please continue with the exam. Shut up!It''s his fault!It''s all him! Huh, you''re a kid. You''re an adult, you should at least do your job right. ....... "Hey!What is this guy to your students?I''m going to be angry, too, as you say? Shut up!This guy must have done something to cheat!It''s not my fault! Yeah, it''s a waste of time. "Oh, I''m sorry, Princess, Mr. Leons. Can you go back to the training grounds and I''ll send someone else to teach you magic now? I guess he felt the same way I did, and he''s given up on Mr. Herondas. I understand. I felt sorry for the teacher who was dealing with him, so I decided to get out of the staff room. I felt like a child. ''Well . I know you''re angry because you''re not getting your way, but how is that for a teacher? I don''t know how you ever managed to live your life as an adult before you were a teacher. I''m home. Another teacher is on her way. Okay. So, tell me how did you do that magic thing you did? I reported, and Frank came over to me. "What?Magic? Don''t get cocky. How did you do it?You''re not going to tell me that you could actually use magic before now, are you? ''Yes ...... and I could actually use it . My creation magic can build the same magic that I saw once . ''Are you serious?So you''ve been pretending you can''t use magic all this time? Was he pretending to be something he wasn''t? I''m not pretending. It''s just that they thought I couldn''t use it on my own. It was just your teacher who made you think that. It''s not my fault. In fact, I''ve been using non-attribute magic in front of everyone. Oh, yeah. You mean that inhuman Kumite you were doing with Hermann during practice time? Yes. It''s always a big deal, right? If you ask me, it was: ...... ''''Mm-hm . I''m glad that everyone understands that Master is not just incompetent, but a superhuman. Frank looked at him with difficulty and was convinced, when Hermann joined the conversation with a big smile on his face. ''Oh.'' Come to think of it, I once showed Hermann some creation magic. ''I''m sorry I''m late. I''m here on behalf of Dr. Herondas. I''d like to continue with the test now. Gentlemen, we''ll do this quickly since we''re short on time. After waiting for a while, a young woman teacher came in. And just as she said, the exams progressed efficiently, one after the other. Finally, it was Hermann''s turn. Sir, excuse me. I don''t do magic. Hermann said apologetically to the teacher . ''Oh, you don''t have any attributes: ...... Okay, I get it. Don''t worry so much about it. Because even if you can''t use magic, you can still shine by improving others. For example, you have a swordsmanship that is second to none without magic, right? ''Yes ...... what?How did you know you were good at swordplay? You were famous in the staff room. I heard that you and your brave grandson had beaten the teacher in charge of the exam. I see... ......!I don''t know if I''m the topic of conversation in the staff room. ''Oh, really? ...... Hermann was puzzled by the sudden praise. "I told you to be confident. You can be anything you want to be. And then the teacher slapped him on the back with a bang. "Yes, sir! Herman, who was patted on the back, replied emphatically, as if a switch had been flipped. ''Mm-hm . Well, then, Rust . Rihanna . Get it done. ''Yes, yes ......'' The last Leena was nervous, as it was the last time. With a hard expression on her face, she made a blob of light, took a deep breath, and shot at the target. When it hit the target, the mass of light dissipated cleanly. Well, holy magic isn''t offensive magic. It''s what happens when it hits. That''s great. ...... Normally, holy magic is a magic that is used at close range, but ...... did you skip that?It''s quirky: ...... Heh. Is it really that great? As I was admiring the teacher''s words about Leena, she looked at me and made a face of praise. As expected, I couldn''t pat her head in front of everyone, so I smiled and made a clapping gesture for her. By the way, the substitute teacher is a great teacher. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to motivate your students while comforting them and praising them precisely the right way: ...... I''m going to have to say goodbye to that, just follow me Mr. Leons, I have a question for you. Well, we''ll see. From the look of that guy, I don''t think the teachers had any idea what was going on. Then I''ll have a private interview with the teacher. So, can you tell me what happened at ...... your perspective on what happened? Okay. ...... Then I explained in detail what had happened. I see. ...... Then the doctor huffed and paused, and then spoke up. "Okay. Well, no one''s going to stick up for that guy. You don''t have to be so worried about it. Huh?No one is going to cover for you? Is that so? Does that guy not like you among the teachers? Yes, I''ve done many things in my life that I don''t like. He was the one who suggested this unannounced test. ''What?Why? I mean, what''s the point? You know what?The teachers have to take as many people from their class to S class as possible. The teacher who takes out the most S classes will be able to take care of the S classes for that grade. Is that a rule? ''Oh, I didn''t know that. ...... Does being an S class teacher change anything?'' "Simply put, it''s a career move. Teachers get paid more for the number of S classes they teach. ''Nah, I see. ......'' So that''s how you motivate teachers: ....... Back to the story, Mr. Herondas suggested to the principal that the students who did best on the unannounced test be exempted from the reclassification test. . even though she told her own students ahead of time that the test existed. ''I didn''t know that. ...... I think he''d do it: ....... Well, you just ruined that plan. You''re quite the topic of conversation in the staff room. They''re saying you got a perfect score for everything so far. That''s by far the best score. Can you tell me about that ......? ''Yes, because the perks of being first in this test have been revoked. Invalid! Oh, Dr. Herondas? So it''s overridden because I got caught doing something wrong this time. Yes. I just found out that that man was distributing test questions to his students behind my back. So it''s invalidated. Problem distribution?Oh, if I''m teaching my subject, I can teach it first . ''He''s ...... done that much ...... You wanted to make that many S-class numbers: ....... ''''That''s right. That''s why that person is probably being kicked out of the school right now. Have you already been kicked out? Isn''t it too soon to get kicked out? Shouldn''t we do more interviews? Yes, you''ve been sneaking around in the past, violating discipline. The principal couldn''t cover for you anymore, so I fired you on the spot. ''I didn''t know that. ...... Well, knowing that guy, this can''t be the first time. I''m surprised you''ve had the principal''s protection until now. But he''s such a waste. She''s so smart, apparently. Is that so? You think he''s a good guy? ''''Yes, he''s strong enough to be a top court magician. A court sorcerer is an army made up entirely of Imperial wizards, right? The strength to be at the top of that place? ''What?How could someone like that be a teacher? I wish I hadn''t become a teacher: ....... Absolutely not. He''s not cut out to be a teacher. His parents are the founders of this school. I see ...... you wanted to follow in your parents'' footsteps. ...... I mean, if your parents were the founders, would you want to teach there or something? I don''t know.I don''t think that''s the case with that guy. Yeah ...... and the teacher was thinking about it. What do you think?Did that man have dreams of being a great teacher or something? 88 CHAPTER VI COMPLETION OF EXAMINATIONS "So it''s his fault!If you''re going to kick me out of school, make sure it''s him, not me! ''Huh, what are you talking about?This school can''t kick you out. You know that, don''t you?These rules were made by your father together with the brave man. d*mn ...... you made something extra for me. ...... That d*mn father . ''And of course I know!Then you don''t need me to leave, do you? ''That''s exactly what you''re talking about.It''s true that I can''t defend myself in this matter either, right? The headmaster''s looking at me like I''m some kind of idiot. Shit!You''ve always been pecking away at my dad: ...... You bald guy! Why do you keep running your mouth at times like this? Wow, what did I do? Get it under control. Getting angry here and now won''t solve anything. ''''Haha, for almost two years, two years of deliberately not letting your brave grandson attend class . And it was reported just now that you made ...... Princess-sama cry, but ...... normally you would have been killed, right?I wouldn''t leave someone like that at school. Hurry up and pack your bags if you understand. He''s gonna kill me!No way! No, no, I''m sure I made the ...... princess cry. ....... Rumor has it that the ...... current emperor is extremely protective of his daughter, who only had one ....... Maybe he''s really going to be killed for ...... disrespecting her. ....... ''So it''s not my fault!It''s all his fault! Yes!It''s all his fault!It''s not my fault! ''Yes, yes, that''s something you can appeal to later when the knight catches you. Knight?Am I really going to get caught? ''d*mn it, ......'' You''d better get out of here. I''ve sent for a knight. What!Did you call for a knight? Hey, you!You owe your father a debt of gratitude! You''re the one who flirted with your father so much that he made you a headmaster you couldn''t be on your own. What?What are you talking about?Even that gentleman would probably banish you from the school if this was the situation, wouldn''t he?And I will continue to repay the debt I owe her by protecting this school. So you don''t have to worry about it. The fact that I''ve been covering for you is just a bonus. Did you think I was an afterthought? You think I''m just an extra for my dad! Bullshit! I am me!I don''t want to be an old man''s bonus! I''m so angry!I''ll kill you! ''Whoa, who has time to attack me?I believe the knight will be arriving soon: ...... I aimed my magic at the bald guy, and he grinned at me and warned me. "d*mn it! Oh, right. ...... I don''t have time for this guy. We have to get out of school now! The attack spell I was going to apply to the bald guy, I shot it at the door and ran out of the room. ''There he is!Get him! I stepped out into the aisle and saw a knight in the hallway running toward me. Oh, my God, are you kidding me? Ho, did the bald guy really call for a knight? Saying such things as that, he runs like a maniac, impatiently. ''There''s no point in running!We''re gonna catch up to you anyway. Stop now if you don''t want to get hurt. d*mn it. ...... They''re right. There''s no way I can escape from a knight if I''m out of shape on a regular basis. But if I''m caught, I could be killed. ....... I have to get away somehow. Just as I was thinking about this, a knight appeared in front of me. "d*mn it!When this happens! He broke the wall with his magic and ran out. It''s three floors high. Use some wind magic and you''ll have a chance. SIDE: Leons. I''m home. The interview was over, and I was finally able to come home. When I got home, I saw Bell standing in the doorway. "Welcome home. How was your first day of junior year? And then all of a sudden it became a test. ...... I''ve been through a lot. That was tough. What did you think of it? That''s what I just heard from my teacher, and she said it''s number one so far. ''Really?It''s as good as it gets, Master Leo! Belle was just as happy as I was when she found out I was number one. I''m embarrassed by that kind of praise. Thank you. Well, let''s get dressed and then we''ll do something to pass the time because it''s too early for dinner ....... Oh, I had a study group with Hermann and his friends. I didn''t get to invite them when I left because I was left behind: ....... Well, I guess I''ll start tomorrow. So, what are we going to do now to pass the time? ....... "What else does Belle want to do? ''What?Me?Um, ...... especially ....... Yeah...... what to do....... What shall we do: "Let''s go for a walk ......? ''What?Is it safe for me to go outside? What do you think: ......? They didn''t say no, so it''s okay, right? Well, as long as I''m home in time for dinner, I''ll be fine. So why don''t you get dressed and let''s go outside, Belle? ''Oh, right, ......, do I get to change too?'' ''Yes, it''s conspicuous to walk outside in a maid''s uniform, isn''t it? If a child walks around with a maid, you''ll stand out . ''I don''t think so ...... and do I need to be out there too?I''m staying behind and doing some housework to pass the time, okay? What are you talking about at all: ....... "I want to take a walk with Belle. . so why not? ''Okay. ...... Give me a few minutes.'' Yeah. All right, I''m gonna get changed. And then a little later. Master Leo, I''m done getting dressed. Oh, pretty! Your usual maid outfit is cute, but I like you in your plain clothes: ....... ''Really?Thank you! Belle smiled happily at me when I complimented her clothes. Yeah, it''s so cute! I''m dressed like an adventurer. Because if you dress like a nobleman, you''ll stand out. I don''t know if my dormitory is okay to go out, just in case, you know? Okay, let''s go outside. I took Bell''s hand in mine and used the transference. He took an alleyway to the Imperial City. All right, let''s take a walk around the Imperial City. Where do you want to go? No, not really. Do you have a Leo? ''Yeah ...... Oh, yeah!Now that I''m ten years old, let''s go to the Adventurer''s Guild or something. It''s always been on my mind. I always wanted to go when I was ten. "The Adventurers'' Guild?Are you going to register? Yeah, I thought I''d play adventurer in my spare time. "Master Leo''s mind can change from one thing to the next. You became an apprentice to a magician and before you knew it you were dabbling in making money ...... That''s just the ...... flow. Well, it''s good to experience things while you''re young. Yeah. Besides, it''s more fun to try something, right? I see. I''ll continue to support Leo-sama. Thank you. But I''m taking Belle with me this time, okay? ''What?Me too? Yeah. Because I don''t want to leave Belle alone. Besides, it''s going to be fun to have an adventure with Belle. ''What?Are you serious?Not that I can''t fight ......, but ...... Yeah. Belle has beast and non-attribute magic. Otherwise, I wouldn''t want to be adventurers with you. "It''s all right. I just do some physical exercise on my days off. It''s only for fun, right? All right. But please don''t look at me according to Leo''s standards, okay?I''m a very weak girl compared to Leo-sama, you know? I know. Besides, I promised my mom I wouldn''t go into the Devil''s Wood until I was older. I''m not going to break my word at the moment, okay? See!It''s funny how the standard is the Demon Forest!Please don''t take me, a civilian, to such a place! I mean, no need to be so angry: ....... I''m sorry. I''ll start out slime fighting and stuff. ......? Right?I want to be with Bell. You can go to ...... ''Yes!Then let''s go! I''m an adventurer at last. 89 CHAPTER VII Become an Adventurer We''re right in front of the Adventurers'' Guild. So this is the Adventurer''s Guild. It''s bigger than I thought it would be. "Yes, it''s the largest adventurers'' guild in the country. Yeah, it''s a big one. Let''s get in there. What''s it like inside? And then we go in. It wasn''t a bunch of barbaric ...... men mingling around, and they were quietly standing in line for their turn at the reception desk . ''Huh?This isn''t exactly the adventurer''s guild I was expecting. Isn''t this the kind of place where everyone''s drinking and it''s so noisy that newcomers get fought over as soon as they walk in? Is that so? It seems normal to Bell. ''Yeah, I guess I get the impression it''s more noisy like this ....... But it looks like the adventurers are polite. Oh, boy, you''re from another town, aren''t you?This place is full of aristocratic hangers-on, so it''s solid. An adventurer in line in front of us overheard us and told us. "Oh, I see. Is that how the adventurers in the Imperial City earn their money? You''re a nobleman, you need to be polite. Well, as a nobleman, that''s none of my business. You don''t look like you''re from here. Where do you come from? I just came to register, I''m not from somewhere else. Oh, that''s right. Okay, so here''s my advice to you. Don''t try to do more than you can handle. I''ve seen a lot of people die because they can''t keep up. I don''t do anything above my stature, or . What do I mean by "more than my stature": ....... Kill a demon king or fight a bunch of dragons? I''ll be careful. I''ll keep my eyes open. Then we waited a bit longer, and finally it was our turn. How do you do. What can I do for you? I''m here to register. Guild membership. Both of you? Yes, sir. Okay. Now then, would you mind if I put my hand on this magic tool? Then the lady at the reception desk took out a crystal-like object. What do I know just by placing my hand on this? It''s been a while since I''ve used a grading system. The magic register. You can register the magical powers of people who have touched it and register their magical information in the database. Unknown creator Magic information?Database?What''s that? I mean, unknown creator: ...... I haven''t seen Elena since I first appraised her: ....... Maybe there used to be creative wizards like me. With that thought in mind, I put my hand on the magic item. Yes, it''s all right. Well then, please fill out the form here. Now he gave me a piece of paper. On the paper, I wrote my name, age, and the attributes of my magic. I chose Leo as my name. Maybe I''ll break out of my dormitory and do some adventuring for a favor. If I openly played Leons Forster, I''d get in trouble, right? Ten years old. Be honest about your attributes, creation and nothing. That''s how I finished filling out the form. I saw that the bell was finished writing, so I gathered up the paper and gave it to the lady at the reception desk. Yes, it''s okay. Leo and Belle. Your registration is complete, so I''ll just ask for two silver coins for both of you. Huh?You need money? Well, two silver coins are not a problem . I stopped Bell from taking out the money and pulled out two silver coins from my pocket. That''s what I said. ''Yes, sir. Now, I will give you the card that proves your guild membership. It contains the person''s magic, so it can be used for identification as well. The card I was given was white and had the name Leo written on it. So this is how you prove you''re a guild member. I wonder if this is another one of those things created by the old creation wizards? That''s handy. Does this make sense for two silver coins? No, I might be getting more out of it than I am. ''''And I could explain the guild to you now, is that necessary? Just in case. I know most of them from my grandfather, but there might be some rules that I don''t know about, so I''ll have to ask him just in case. Okay. Okay, let me start off by explaining. First, let''s talk about the job. Basically, there are requests posted on the board over there. Just pick it up and bring it to the receptionist. Then, when you''ve completed your request, please report to the receptionist that it''s done. I see. ...... That board. I looked at the wall-sized bulletin board in the guild. There was only so much paper on the board that I could easily count. Apparently, there aren''t many requests at this time of the evening. Well, we usually get a request in the morning, right? Do you have any questions so far? ''Well, can I freely choose to request ......?Any restrictions or anything? As I recall, there were ranks for adventurers, right? Of course there are limits. So let me explain it to you. There are five levels of adventurers. There are five ranks, from top to bottom: S, A, B, C, and D. Leo and his friends are newcomers, so they are ranked D. Your rank will increase as you complete your requests to a certain extent. Also, about the request you just made, there is a sign that says ''rank'' or higher for each request. I knew we''d have ranks. I''m gonna be an S-rank one day. Yes, sir. Okay, that concludes our session. Thank you for your time. Yes, nice to meet you. Registration was done and I didn''t have any requests today, so I quickly came out of the guild. ''So we''re adventurers now, too, aren''t we? I talk to Belle, who walks next to me. ''Yes, sir. I''ll say it again, but never without danger, okay? Belle replied happily, and then suddenly reminded me with a straight face. Do you really think I''m that dangerous? I know, I know. A little bit at a time, okay? If you get a little stronger, Belle will be able to afford the Demon Forest in time. ''''Already ....... Well then, I have dinner to prepare, so it''s time to go home. Oh, dinner''s ready. Yeah, I guess so. I nodded and used the transference. That was a nice way to pass the time. SIDE: Herondas. d*mn it ...... how did this happen! I can''t believe there are knights waiting for you outside the school: ....... Those guys, remember . A large group of people beat me up in the sack. ....... I''m covered in scars all over my body. ....... Don''t think those incompetents who can''t even use magic will get away with this. If only they could use magic, they could destroy this filthy prison in an instant and kill those guys. ....... "I''ll get out and I''ll get you for this. I''ll come out and get you. Especially Leons Forster!You''re the only one I''m going to kill. I''m not going to let that man get away with it. Well, that''s quite a spirit, isn''t it? I''ve been told. We''re getting blasted off again. "Who are you!I''m in a terrible mood right now! In my haste, I bristled. Oh, scary, scary. Hi. On the other side of the bars, there''s a man who looks familiar. Red hair. And a grin on his face. "Oh, you are! This is Allen, my classmate from magic school. Hey! Long time no see, Herondas. I haven''t seen you since my graduation from magic school. ...... How long ago was that? Why did you go to ...... I heard you''re in the wrong gang. Yeah?I was asked to bring you in by someone who wanted to use you. ....... What do you want to do? What is this guy talking about? What?Do you want to use me?Where''s a guy like that! How dare you mock me! Herondas Beaumont...... the man who was always third among us in the Golden Age of the Empire. Well, you''ve never beaten me and Damien once, so even you want someone who wants it. Oh, shut up! You don''t have to remind me of a bad past! Oh, well, well, don''t be so mad at me. Think about the situation you''re in now. Maybe you''re going to get killed by ......? This guy ...... made fun of me. ''d*mn it ......, if I''m taken to that guy, will I be a slave?'' ''Well?But isn''t that better than dying?Besides, if you were to become a slave, wouldn''t they take care of you as an asset? Better than dying. ....... "d*mn it ...... All right . So who in the world wants me to do what? I can''t give you that. I won''t tell you my client''s information under any circumstances. But I''ll tell you this. What? I''m sure you''ll be given a chance to get your revenge. Revenge?Could it be that those knights ...... and Leonce Forster can be killed? Oh, really? Yeah. Allen replied with a grin . I can''t believe it, but I''m going to have to bet this ...... guy. Okay. Take me with you. I''m dead anyway. I''m gonna die anyway. 90 CHAPTER VIII Study Group It''s the second day of the new semester. I''m on my way to class with Frank today, just like yesterday. How long have you talked to the teacher since yesterday? That didn''t take long. I think the doctor just wanted to know what happened. Well, that''s good to hear. But still, for once, it''s the end for Dr. Herondas. You know, I heard the doctor say something like that yesterday. I heard I was going to get fired yesterday. Oh, yeah?You''ve gone too far with your royal fianc, as expected. Well, I made Shelly cry. She''s in jail now. I don''t know how severe impunity is in this country, but it''s probably not the death penalty, right? Yeah. ...... I''ll ask him to reduce the charges later. "Hmm?What was that crowd? I heard Frank''s voice and looked out of the corner of my eye and saw a crowd of people at the entrance of the school building. They all seemed to be looking at something. ''Come on, ......, that''s yesterday''s results. It''s hard to see from a distance, but it looks like yesterday''s top scorers are posted on the bulletin board at the entrance. We''re going to have to go check ...... to see if it''s already posted. Uh-huh. Me, I know what I was ranked as: ....... ''Oh, Master!Good morning!Look at that!It''s great! When we were close enough to see the bulletin board, a flirtatious-looking helmsman emerged from the crowd. ''Hmm?Let''s see: ...... Oh, Frank is in third place. That''s great. By the way, second place was Leena, fourth place was Josettia Lefebvre, and fifth place was Shelley. Josetteer is the daughter of a duke. I talked to her briefly at the party. "I don''t appreciate your praise for being number one. Frank looked seriously frustrated as he said that . Maybe, but ...... he didn''t expect to lose to anyone but me, so I guess he was shocked that he was lower than Leena . Well, my Leena is a serious person and she never fails to study every day. You''re both great. I''m going to try my best to be in the same class as my masters. Of course, Hermann''s name wasn''t on the ranking list . ''''Oh . Don''t worry, we''ll have a study session in Frank''s room today. The goal is for us to finish first, second, third, and so on in the next test. Well, it''s not gonna be easy with Linna here. Wait, is this my room? Yeah, right?I''ll work on Frank''s magic while Herman studies. I know there''s no point in teaching Frank to study, so let''s train him to be less powerful than us. Probably because the only difference between Lina and Frank is their practical magic skills. "Train their magic?Then ......, well, okay. Frank, knowing his own weaknesses, reluctantly agreed. "Okay, you''re set. After school. Excuse me! Oh, you''re a friend of the little man''s?Go ahead. Make yourself at home. As soon as I entered Frank''s room, I was greeted by a maid with a smile . ''''Wow~Master''s room is this big?That''s great. My room isn''t even half as big as this one. ''Really?There''s quite a difference. There are some rooms that aren''t used and I''d like to give you one room. There''s a lot of waste in the nobility. Hey, we''ll take this room, you two. Yes? Then Frank leads me to the study desk where Hermann is standing behind it, me and Frank. ''Okay, let''s get the study session going. Let''s start with the math: ....... Hermann, try this calculation. I wrote a simple two-digit multiplication problem on a piece of paper and gave it to Hermann. Anyway, I need to see how badly Hermann can do it. Okay. ...... When he received the paper, Hermann quietly began to calculate. Hmm?Perhaps you can do more than you thought you could? It''s done!How''s that? "Oh, let me see: ......?How did that happen? I was surprised at how easily I solved the puzzle, but when I checked my answer sheet, I found that the answer was completely different. ''Huh?Was I wrong? It''s not like I was wrong or ...... this is like you don''t know how to solve it . "Well, you''re going to get better at it. You don''t have to worry about it. And now you''re going to teach it. Okay. Now, tell me how to solve this one. ''Yeah, first make a brushstroke math like this: ......'' Then I explained it to Hermann on a piece of paper. It took him a while to understand, but when he did, he was able to solve the same problems with ease. Then, while I had him solve some of the same problems, I worked on Frank''s magic. "Does Frank have magic manipulation skills? No, I don''t have one. What does it matter if you don''t have it? I knew you didn''t have it. There''s no need to worry about it. But you should have it because the quality of your magic will be different if you can manipulate magic or not, so it''s better to have it. Oh, really? So, how do you get to use magic manipulation? I''ll show you how it''s done, okay? Then you do it. All right. Why do you have your hand on my stomach? Well, you''ll find out soon enough. Forget it. Feel the magic. I moved Frank''s magic while restraining him as he tried to escape. ''Hm?It''s like something moved in my body: ...... Is this magic? Wow, you''re up to speed. See, geniuses are very intuitive. That''s right. That''s the magic. Okay, I''m gonna move you around a little more to get that feeling. Then I kept Frank''s magic in motion long enough. Then you try it yourself. Okay. Okay? Frank wiped his hand over his own to make sure I was okay. Yeah, a little bit, but the magic is working. Oh, it looks like you''re getting it working. Now you have to work really hard to get the magic moving through your body. Yeah, okay. Frank was so absorbed in his magic that he couldn''t hear what I said. You''re as serious as ever. Yeah, I am. Hang on a second. Hmm?Where are you going? I''ll be back soon. I''ll have to give that to Frank. I''ve moved to my room. "Khunn. Ah, the smell of Leo. Hey. I''m pretty sure my backpack is in here. It''s still the same as it was when I poured my magic into Belle and the magic stone yesterday, so I must have left it in my bedroom. ''''What?Master Leo? Oh, Belle. Did we scare you?I''m just here to get the material, don''t worry about it. Apologizing to Bell, I fished out a backpack that was propped up against the bed . ''Yes, yes ......'' All right, well, I''ll be home in a little while, so just wait for me. Okay, I understand. Hmm?Come to think of it, why was Belle sleeping in my bed? Well, all right. I''m back. ''Wow!Where have you been? You scared the shit out of me when you disappeared! When I returned to Frank''s room using the transposition, I found him sitting on his ass in front of me. ''''Sorry, I just went to my room to get the materials for the magic item. A magic item? Yeah, I''m going to create an item to boost Frank''s magic growth rate. Can you really build something like that? Just watch. A picture is worth a thousand words. Yay!It''s been a long time since I''ve seen my master''s magic~ Hermann looked at me with his eyes shining because he knew what I was going to do . Well, I used magic in yesterday''s exam, so it hasn''t been a long time since I''ve used it. With that in mind, I used creation magic on Mithril and the magic stone. I''m so used to this process that it only takes a second. ''''Yes, when you wear this bracelet and train your magic power, it will grow rapidly. What was that?I mean, can I have it?Like Mithril, the magic stone from earlier was quite expensive, wasn''t it? You don''t need to worry about that. The magic stone was made with my magic, and the mithril was bought at a local materials store. A duke''s son doesn''t care about money. Okay, okay. I love it. He took it from me and put it on his arm right then and there and showed it to me. ''Yay - aren''t they matching ......?Master, it''s a bit different from my bracelet. Herman was watching Frank''s bangles closely. Did you like the match? Well, you can''t make the same thing every time: ...... Haha ...... You''ve noticed that . You changed it intentionally: ....... . Accelerate the growth of magic As long as there is friendship between you and the creator of these bracelets I don''t go into a state. 1.5 times the power of magic Creator: Leonce Forster It''s probably best not to tell ...... why you changed it . ''Oh, sure!That''s right . Frank''s bangles are pretty cool too! Yeah, that''s pretty cool. Well, I guess Frank liked you, so it''s settled. 91 CHAPTER IX -- FIRST WORK It''s been about a week since the study group began. We don''t know what Hermann has done yet, but Frank''s magic power has grown rapidly. Lately, Frank has been circulating his body''s magic in his spare time. I was surprised when he was doing it in class. "I see, so this is how I should pass the time. He was so happy to see his magic power increasing that he couldn''t help but get lost in it. Yes, I know that feeling. The first day off for the third year was here. We''re taking a day off from study hall today. Of course I''m taking a break from study today because I''m going on an adventure! I told them both that it was important to take a break once in a while, or something appropriate. Well, they both said they could do well on their own. So now I''m looking at the guild''s message board with Belle. ''''Yeah ...... I guess the bottom D class is only an easy request after all. You can''t help it. You get stronger by starting with the easy stuff and working your way up to the easy stuff. ''That''s true too ...... So which one do you want to try today? ...... I''ll check the "D" class sign. "Search warrant!The Kimberley Family''s Cat, Reward: Two Silver Coins "A silver coin for cleaning the house. "A call for medicinal herbs!Reward: one silver coin for every ten pieces "Dog Walk: 50 Copper Coins "Weeding, Reward: A Silver Coin. A silver coin is worth about 2,000 yen. It''s all very inexpensive. Personally, I think the herb commission is better. Yes, I don''t have any problems with that either. All right, let''s get this to the receptionist. I peeled off the herb request and got in line for the receptionist. ''''Yes, the herb request. Bring me ten herbs to the guild and you''ve done it. They grow in the woods west of the Imperial City. Also, if you don''t know what kind of herbs they are, I suggest you check with the apothecary before you leave the Imperial City. I understand. I bowed to the receptionist and left the guild. "Has Belle ever seen a herb? I know, because I studied at school. Yeah. There wasn''t enough money for potions at the orphanage. Yeah. Well, let''s get on with it. I understand. Then I left the west gate of the Imperial City and searched the woods. Hmm?I don''t see anything all around. I don''t see a forest. ....... ''What''s that?That''s quite a long way off: ...... There was definitely a forest to the west, but it was far enough away that we could just barely see it. "There''s no way around it. Let''s just be patient and walk. Yes, that''s why ...... pays more than other requests. It''ll take half a day just to get there and back. All right, let''s head for the woods. You know, it''s faster to run with Bell in your arms than to walk with her, right? Yeah, I will. Hang on tight. ''What?Oh, my God!What are you doing?! I was lifted up so unexpectedly that the bell let out a lovely scream, a rare occurrence. ''It won''t take much longer if I run like this, will it? If we walk this far, we won''t have time to pick up the herbs. ''''Yes, but ...... Belle looked like she wanted to say something, but I didn''t care. It was about twenty minutes before he reached the woods. If I walked slowly with Belle, we wouldn''t be in the woods for another few hours. Okay, we''re here. Now let''s go find some herbs. Let''s not waste this shortened time. Yes, I hope you find a lot of them. ''Don''t worry about it!We''ve got some good friends on our side, we''ll be fine. Ally?Do you have any items in mind? Good instincts. Yeah, if Anna''s here, you''ll find plenty more. Whenever you''re looking for something, it''s Anna. I showed Belle my partner''s goggles. I see ...... that those goggles had a name. ''Yeah, it talks to me when I put it on. ''What?Those goggles, do they talk? You know, I never told you. Yeah. Oh, wait. Belle should try it on. Oh, you''re sure? If Belle is wearing it, she''ll be able to point you in the right direction. Yes, and when you have it on, ask Anna to show you where the herbs are. He handed Belle Anna. ''Okay. ...... Ugh!He really spoke to me. I put my goggles on and he was scurrying around, probably because he was talking to me right away. So, did you see where it grows? Yes, there''s a lot of growth in this direction. Belle pointed to the far side of the forest and told me. Oh, you''re the one, Anna!I can count on you. So, my first job as an adventurer is easily accomplished. Then, about 30 minutes later. Hey, are we there yet? It''s a long walk, okay? I think we''re close. How much further?I heard that earlier: ....... But is it still safe to go in here?Won''t there be any demons or anything? There must be some kind of monster in here, right? Well, I heard there''s a guy at ...... who''s there, but he''s okay with Leo-sama. ''Really?Okay. Well, if there was a demon here that I had a problem with, the imperial capital wouldn''t exist now. ''''Oh, it''s around here . Wow, it really is a lot of growth. The bell stopped and I looked around. I saw that the roots of the trees around me were covered with medicinal plants. Wow! There were so many of them! That''s great, Anna! Come on, let''s get some! Then the picking began. Carefully picking the herbs so as not to damage the leaves. After about an hour or so, they finally got all the herbs within sight. There, that''s it. Well then, it''s too much trouble to walk back, so let''s transfer to the area near the imperial capital. I can''t walk or run anymore. Yes, please. You took a lot of them, though. Then Belle looked at the bag I was carrying. It''s a big bag, filled with herbs. Yeah, it''ll be fun to see how many of them there are. Okay, let''s move on. I shook Bell''s hand and moved to the vicinity of the Imperial City. Let''s head to the guild then. After making sure that we had transitioned near the Imperial City, we headed to the guild . Then when we arrived at the guild, unlike the morning, the guild was deserted. Well, it would have taken us longer to get back if we hadn''t used the transference, and it would have been much later in the day when it would have been more crowded, so I wondered if it was empty at this time of day. Thinking about that, I reported to the receptionist. "Excuse me. Can you confirm that we accomplished the task? Yes, so you''ll just have to take out your card. Let''s see... ...... You''re asking me to go collect some medicinal plants, right? The lady at the reception desk looked twice at the bag I held out to her as she explained. Is there something wrong with my bag? ''Yes, I''ve got a lot in this bag, can you check it out for me?'' ''What?Ah, yes ......, wait a minute. ...... Okay. Well, good luck with that. The lady at the reception desk went into the back, holding the bag I was carrying. Maybe there are some magic tools in the back that count the number of pieces. ''Huh!What is this number?You brought this to me alone?Who the hell are you?! Hmm?I thought I heard some loud shouting ...... Yeah, it must have been my imagination . While I was thinking about this, an old man with graying hair came out from the back. You guys got the herbs from ...... oh, I see. I''m sorry. Hey, go ahead and count the number of pieces and hand in your reward! I thought he came out, but he said it when he saw me, and then he walked back in. "Isn''t that Master Leons? That''s the grandson of the famous hero. Yeah, you''re a burglar! I know you think you''re sneaking around because your voice is lower than it was earlier, but ...... I can hear everything you''re saying, right? I mean, how do you know my face! ''''And let''s raise the ranks of those two. What, we have more than 200 herbs, so we can''t complain if we think we''ve accomplished the default of 20 requests, right?Yeah, not really, but as long as they don''t know, we''ll be fine. Come on, get the hell out of here. So they can hear you. They know you''re cheating: ....... Sorry for the wait. Here''s your reward, the thirty-one pieces of silver. Please take a look. Whoa! That''s a lot of silver! And thirty-one pieces of silver, for a profit of about 62,000 yen. I wonder what I''ll use it for~. Thinking about this, I checked the number of silver coins. "Yes, I''m fine. I understand. Oh, and since you have achieved more than 20 requests this time, your rank will increase. Congratulations! Yeah, I just heard. So, starting tomorrow, you''ll have to take a C-grade request. Yes, I understand. I didn''t think it would be so easy to rise through the ranks: ...... 92 CHAPTER X PREPARATION FOR ADVENTURE The day after I got a C in my rank. We were in the dorms instead of ...... going to get a commission for a new rank. Today we decided to build Bell''s armor. We''ll need something to protect ourselves because C-ranked people ask us to take down or something. Then what kind of armor do you want? I asked Belle as I shoved my hands into my backpack. ''Well, ...... I want something as light as possible.'' That''s Bell''s fighting style. Okay, let''s make it out of leather. I don''t know if there was ever a skin in my backpack: ....... There it is. It''s a black ogre skin. I got it in the Devil''s Forest, so it''s okay to use it as armor, right? Okay, let''s do this. A black leather slathered in front of Bell. What''s this? It''s an ogre skin. This?I''ve never seen an ogre before, so I don''t know the details, but they''re blacker than I''ve heard, aren''t they? Then Belle looked at me with suspicion . Looking into Belle''s eyes, it sounds like, ''It''s not just an ogre skin, so get on with it and tell me what you''re doing? ''Well, uh, ...... it''s a subspecies of an ogre called Kuro Ogre. ''After all, there''s no way Leo-sama would produce a mere demon skin, is there?And where did you get this? Yeah ...... The look in Belle''s eyes makes me feel like she''s going to be pissed if I''m honest with her. ....... ''Let''s see, ...... I got it from a material store in Oklahoma. Maybe they sell materials for the Kuro Ogre there. ''''Oh, so you got it from the Demon Forest? What? ...... demon forest? Huh?You''ve been found out! I mean, how do you know I''ve been to the Demon Forest before? You mustn''t go into the Devil''s Wood, okay? Belle is going to stare into my eyes. If she looks at me like that: ...... ''Yes, yes ......'' That''s all you can say. Master Kara asked me to keep an eye on you. Mother! Yes ...... Your mother taught you ....... ''If you go ...... I''ll stick with Master Leo and cry all day long, okay? Jeez, that''s a horrible punishment for being sober: ....... You learned the last time you cried that I get in trouble when you cry, didn''t you? Wow, okay. ...... If they''re even spying on Bell, we''ll have to give up. ...... Okay, let''s switch things up when this happens! Well, I''ll be working on Bell''s armor, and you''ll see! Yes, we were talking about building armor. From there, you can go from there to sermons at ....... ''Huh?Ah, yes. Is it more important to build my armor with such an expensive thing? Yeah. You can''t put a price on Bell''s life. I''d go looking for better materials for that, but I''ve been told I can''t go to ...... the Demon Forest. ''''Well, if you say that ...... ''''Well, well, it''s practically free since it''s the skin of a demon I defeated in the Demon Forest, so they don''t have to worry about it. Yeah, but still: ...... If you don''t give it to me, I might be tempted to go back to the Devil''s Forest: ...... I''m going to need some good material. You can''t do that!Wow, I get it: ...... I will use it carefully. All right, let''s work on it. Okay. Okay, watch. Then he used his creative magic on the pile of skins. He fashioned the armor to fit Belle''s body. The leather armor was completed in less than a minute. It''s very sturdy. It should be safe for fighting demons. Belle said and looked over at herself in her black armor. ''Yeah, you''ve got some pretty armour to suit Belle. Of course it''s strong, but you can never let your guard down, okay? You never know what''s in store for you when you go on an adventure. Yes, I know. Yeah, I''ll just finish up then. Finished?Isn''t that the end of it? Of course. I have to mix it up. Then he took out the magic stone. I''m still worried that it won''t be a magic item. "Don''t make it as powerful as that: ...... No, no, no, I can''t let Belle fight me because I''m worried about her. Let''s do it. Isn''t it better to have good performance? But ...... I''m just a maid, you know? Was that what you were worried about? It''s different when you''re an adventurer. I asked Belle to come with me on my adventures. So, it''s not a problem. And even if she was a maid, it wouldn''t be just any old thing. You''ve always been good to Belle, and this isn''t much more than a thank you. Okay, sure. ...... He apologetically agreed to it. I guess I could have been happier, but it didn''t matter. Then I''ll do it. Then he attached the magic stone to the armor Belle was wearing and used his creation magic. The magic stone immediately mixed with the armor. Now, let''s see what happened! Armor of service. Your strength and speed will increase tenfold as long as you are in the service of the Lord. You will neutralize your enemy''s magical attacks. You will be able to feel where the Lord is. The Creator: Leons Forster. Well, you''re serving. ...... I don''t know what to do ...... how to explain it. I feel lighter ...... And then Belle began to move around. Oh, it''s working immediately. "And ......, Master Leo can feel it. Yeah, you can now feel where I am: ....... I won''t say this . I mean, I''m definitely not going to be able to go to the Demon Forest anymore . Well, I''ll leave it at that: ...... There''s a lot you can do, isn''t there? Was it always this high-powered? Was the amount of magic power poured into the magic stone too much? Oh, by the way, I''ve been pouring my magic power with Bell every day . Well, as long as the performance improves, that''s fine. Okay, now we don''t have to worry about the armor. It''s too good for me. I don''t think so. So, now for the weapons: ...... Can Bell use a sword? I''ve never seen you use it. Well, of course not, you''re a maid. No, sir, I can''t. So there''s no need to build one. Bell has his own weapons. Bell has beast magic. Beast magic has very sharp claws. Yes. With some of that non-attribute magic Leo taught me, I think we can take out the weaker demons. Yeah, it''s going to be easy to take him down. But you have to learn to fight. Fighting? ''''Yes, if you don''t hone your skills properly, you won''t have to worry about simple demons, but when it comes to ...... strong demons, right?'''' There''s always a chance we''ll run into something stronger. You need to be prepared for that eventuality. I''m sure you''re right. Tell me about it. Okay. Okay, so from today onwards, we''re going to take the time we''ve always spent working on our magic and turn it into martial arts time. We''re not in a hurry, and that''s enough time. As long as you''re strong enough to get to B grade, you''ll be fine. Until then, I''ll have your back no matter what. I''ll take care of you. I''ll look after you! Yeah, I''m on it. 93 CHAPTER XI -- FACING GOBLIN The next day off, Belle and I decided to take on a request to kill the goblins. The request was to kill ten goblins. Goblins are strong in a group, but weak as a unit, so this would be a good opponent for Bell''s combat training. If there are too many, I can thin them out and let Belle fight them. Now, I''m working with Bell to find the goblin in the woods specified in the request. The request says there''s a goblin around here. They could appear at any moment, so let''s not be too careful, okay? Okay, I understand. Be on the lookout: ...... Oh, there''s a goblin nearby. Hmm?What do you mean? I don''t look around and I don''t see anything. I could tell from the scent. Goblins have a strong smell. Oh, I see. You know, Belle was a beastman. They have a better sense of smell than people. That''s great. Well, now we don''t have to look for one, thanks to Bell. It looks like we won''t be seeing Dr. Anna today. Thank you. But it''s hard to tell when you''re so far away, so don''t count on it so much, okay? ''No, no, it''s nice enough to know if you''re close enough. Just knowing if they''re nearby is enough to keep them from catching us off guard. Okay, let''s go take out the goblins. I''ll thin out the numbers first, and you can hide in the back. "Okay. Um, ...... is that ...... really okay? Hmm?What? What''s up with the sudden loss of energy? Maybe you''re worried? ''Of course, I don''t think Leo-sama would struggle with a demon the size of a goblin, but I''m ...... You''re still nervous. Well, it''s your first fight, so is it natural to be nervous? Don''t worry. I can totally take him down one-on-one. I''ll tell you what. One goblin really isn''t that big of a deal. Even if you take on three of them at the same time, you can win with ease. Okay ...... but if anything happens, you can help me right away, right? You don''t have to worry about it, I''ll help you, Belle, so you can focus on the goblins instead of worrying about it. ''Okay. ...... I''ll try my best.'' Yeah. Okay, I''m gonna need you to cut down on the number of goblins, so just follow me in the back. After saying that, I walked deeper into the forest and soon several goblins came out. There are ...... five of them. I wouldn''t worry about this many. ''''So there''s only one bell then? Okay, I understand. I replied, but Belle''s expression was stiff and I could see that she was nervous . Come to think of it, Belle gets clunky when she''s nervous. Is she okay? It''s all right. Okay, let''s go. I said that and lightly pushed Belle on her back. Then with that push, Belle was right in front of the goblins. The goblins were squealing with delight at the feast that appeared before them. Now, let''s see what happens~. SIDE: Bell. ''What?Master Leo? Currently, I was very confused as Leo-sama had pushed me out in front of the goblins, and I was very confused . When I turned around, I didn''t see Leo-sama, who should have been there a moment ago, and ....... Instead of being knocked down, the goblins in front of me were approaching me, screaming in an eerie voice: ....... ''Master Leo!Master Leo!Please answer me! I scream desperately, but ...... Master Leo won''t even answer me. ....... Am I supposed to take it down by myself? Huh, there''s no choice in this situation. If it gets really dangerous, I''m sure Leo-sama, who''s watching from hiding, will help me, so I''ll just give up and fight you guys. We''ll just have to be honest with you. If something happens, I''ll complain to Master Leo. With this in mind, I used my beast magic to make sharp claws on both hands and faced the goblins who were laughing unpleasantly. Then the ...... goblins, perhaps startled by my sudden display of a fighting stance, retreated a bit, stopped their strange cries, hurriedly prepared themselves and began to stare at me. ''''Huh?Why are you guys afraid of me? I couldn''t help but ask the goblins, who just stared at me and didn''t do anything . I ...... just grew claws, right? Could it be that ...... isn''t that strong? When I whispered to myself, I felt as if my body, which had been frozen in a tense position until a moment ago, became lighter. I thought, "Maybe I can go now. I set my sights on one of the goblins that just stared and did nothing, and went to stab my claws with all my might using non-attribute magic. The result was ...... my claw cleanly pierced the goblin''s chest. I don''t know if the goblin targeted by me didn''t notice me as I approached or if he noticed me but couldn''t defend himself, but I was able to attack him cleanly. ''''Gigi!'''' I heard a squeal from next to me that was easily recognizable as surprise . When I turned my gaze in the direction of the voice, I saw the goblins retreating a step or two while watching me. ''''That''s right. There were still four more of them. Four bodies...... no matter how weak they are, I feel like it''s hard for me to fight them all at the same time right now....... ''''No, it''s okay . They''re gone now. When I heard such a voice ...... suddenly, the goblins turned into corpses and Lord Leo appeared with a holy sword. I was not relieved to see the goblins defeated, nor was I happy to see Lord Leo, but I was filled with anger. ''Ah!Where have you been hiding!It was horrible to do that!What would have been good if the goblins were weak ...... If they were stronger than Master Leo thought they were, they wouldn''t have been free! In my excitement after fighting the goblin, I couldn''t help but vent my anger to Master Leo. I''m sorry. I''ve been watching you so closely, I''m sorry. Forgive me?What''s with the attitude! I won''t allow it!For once I was angry. When Leo-sama heard that I wouldn''t forgive him, he finally realized that I was really angry, and his face turned pale. Then he looked as if he had made up his mind to do something, and suddenly he got down on his knees and hands on the ground and began to bow. "Please, please, I''ll do anything. Please. If you apologize for doing that to me, you can go to ....... For that matter, you can go to ...... now. Did you say "everything"? Yes. Please forgive me if I will do anything for Master Bell. Anything and everything...... everything...... ''Okay . Well, then, how about the fact that whatever wish I make for Master Leo, he''ll definitely listen to me at least once? Yes, sir. It''s all right. Yay!I love you, Leo! Oh, I''m sorry, you''re smiling. You still have to keep acting. I tried my best to keep my face expressionless, so that whenever Leo looked up, I would be able to speak to him again. Then I''ll forgive you for this. Next time, please don''t do something like this, okay?Because I seriously hate Leo-sama. That''s a lie. It''s me you don''t like. I would never dislike Leo. I just said it because I know you''re so nice to me. Leo-sama, I''m sorry. Okay, I understand. I promise I won''t do it again. As I apologized in my mind, Leo still kept his head pressed against the ground and swore that he would not do it. I don''t know what ritual Leo is performing, but I''m sure he''ll keep his promise: ....... I got a little carried away, but it was a nice harvest, and it''s good to be angry at Leo, too. Please, let''s see what we can do. 94 XII. Work hard to achieve. Today is a reclassification test. The test is given on the last day of junior year and the results are posted on the first day of senior year. And then it all came to pass. The year has flown by since I taught Frank magic, Hermann magic, and Belle martial arts. They''ve all grown up together. Frank''s magic may not be as good as Shelly''s, but he''s got close to it, don''t you think? Hermann, after working so hard this past year, has grown exponentially since the second half. Now he can answer any question I give him. I only spent a small amount of time every day teaching Bell''s fighting skills, but I think I could take down an orc. Well, aside from Bell''s fighting skills, today''s test will put Frank and Hermann''s performance to the test. I''m not worried about Frank, I''m worried about Hermann: ....... If there''s a problem that I don''t see coming, you''re going to have to give up. First period is math. After solving it, is it as difficult as the unannounced test I took at the beginning of junior year? Yeah, at this level, even Hermann can get a high score. ''''Master!I was able to solve all the questions! Sure enough, when the test was over, Hermann came running up to me, looking happy. ''Oh, yes!But we''re just getting started, so don''t let your guard down. Of course. I''ll be careful!Alright, let''s work on our next swordfight! You''re fine. ...... It''s a far cry from last time. The second period was the sword test. Again, you will have your teachers here to deal with and grade your work. And Leo and Hermann do not have to take this exam. Just rest for now. ''What?Are you sure? Yeah, it''s pretty obvious you''ll get a perfect score. And feel free to argue with me if you don''t like it. If we can beat these two, we''ll give you a full mark. The teacher asked, pointing at me and Hermann, and everyone shook their heads vigorously. "Are you that sick of f*cking us? Isn''t it obvious?I still have a better chance of getting a perfect score with the teacher than I do with you guys. ''Nah, I see. ......'' Well, it''s a good thing I didn''t have to use any unnecessary energy. You don''t have to. It might be a shame for Hermann, though, because the change of pace was gone. Then, instead of observing everyone''s exams, Hermann and I were reviewing for the upcoming test . Frank was going to watch, but when he found out ...... he was done. He said he fought better than he did last year. It''s all good. Third period is history. How did the Empire come to be? Who was the first emperor? What did the brave men do? And other questions about the empire. Yes, they were all exactly what I expected. This should work for Hermann. Fourth period, Japanese. You had to read the story and answer the questions. This was the one subject I couldn''t prepare for, so I had Hermann read to him to improve his reading skills. If he could do this, he would be in A class. And then there''s the fifth problem: ...... magic. Because Hermann can''t do the practical skills, he has to get nearly perfect marks on the written work. So I had to thoroughly teach Hermann the philosophy, theory, and formula of magic. As a result, I was able to get a perfect score no matter what the problem was. Now, all we have to do is hope that Hermann doesn''t make any careless mistakes. Then it''s time for the practice test. We''re changing the format of this test from last time. The young woman who replaced Mr. Herondas, the young female teacher ...... who had been teaching magic for the past year, was explaining the test in front of everyone . Unlike the man before her, Ms. Rees is a great teacher who cares about her students. She carefully taught magic to those who had little magic or were not blessed with the right attributes. And when he saw me and Hermann training with non-attribute magic in class, he got down on his knees and asked me to teach non-attribute magic to him. It seems that he wants to be able to teach magic to people who are not blessed with the attribute. Of course I taught him. Well, we''ll talk about that later. For now, it''s time for the test. "This test is about doing anything you can to show off your magic. Whether it''s hitting a target from a distance, or showing a big spell, show the teacher what you''re good at. Oh, that''s kind of awesome. This method gives a fair score regardless of the attribute. Not to mention non-attribute magic, I''m sure people who have holy magic or non-combat attributes would be happy about this. Well then, Shelia, let''s start with you. Okay. Well then, how about this: ......? Then Sherry held out her hands. Then ...... A lot of electricity, water, and ice formed around Shelly. And they were scattered in all directions. Shelly''s magic was flying around as if it had a will. Ms. Herondas had done the same thing in her first class, but it was nothing compared to that thing. Mr. Herondas only used wind magic to move water around forcibly, but Shelly used only magic manipulation to move magic freely and more than one way. Even I can''t imitate this: ...... The levels of magic manipulation are too different. Maybe he''s at level 7 or 8: ....... You must have worked very hard. In my mind. As I was praising Shelley, the magic hit the center of the target cleanly and disappeared. Do I ...... have to do it after this? I heard a muffled, dark voice from next to me: ...... All I can say is, don''t worry. Yeah. I''ll see you next, Frank. Even the teacher was overwhelmed by Shelly''s magic, but then he noticed and called out Frank''s name next . ...... yes. Frank stood in front of the target and built a pointy piece of metal in his hand. Just when you think you''ve built it, it goes from ...... target to paan!I heard a loud noise of destruction. I looked at the target and saw that it had shattered without a trace, and when I looked back at Frank''s hand, the chunk of metal was gone. Okay, it''s working. Amidst everyone''s astonishment, Frank happily struck a gut pose. This was the result of using magic manipulation to create a form of low air resistance and increasing his speed to the limit. Yeah, the hard work and practice was worth it. Next up is ...... Mr. Leons. Oh, it''s my turn. What do I do now: ...... The last two guys were awesome: ....... ''Oh, I''ve got an idea,'' This will amaze people after seeing them. I got on the ground and used my creation magic. What I''m going to do is I''m going to create life-size figures of everyone here. I made them grow next to each other. Whoa! "Yikes! Okay, I want to surprise you all. Even the doctor was staring at his figure in amazement. Did you do all this, Leo? Yes, sir. Isn''t it great? ''Oh, I see ...... eh ...... I see. I''m sorry to interrupt the next person, but could you please put it back on the floor? Oh, yes. Oops, I have to get it back soon. Then, everyone didn''t show off their magic in their own way and ended up using the same target method as last time, so it was Hermann''s turn early on. "Okay, now Hermann-kun. Appeal as you wish. I understand. As Herman replied, he took the ball and threw it at the target as hard as he could. The ball goes through the target so fast that it''s impossible to follow it with the eye, and the wall behind it is depressed. The ball, by the way, is something I made at someone''s request while they were working on it. I don''t know if I''ll call it magic, but I''ll let the teacher know how it''s evaluated. And now the last one, Leena. What''s Leena going to do? Shelly was such a standout, and I''m sure she''ll do great in her own way. ''Well then, Rihanna, it''s nice to meet you. "Yes. Um, ...... I''d like to apologize to everyone first. I''m sorry. What? ''Huh?Suddenly I feel sleepy: ...... I''m getting sleepy: ...... As the teacher tilted his head at Leena''s statement, everyone fell asleep at once. Everyone but me, Shelly, Hermann, Frank and the teacher had fallen asleep. ''Wait!Everyone!Miss Rihanna, did you do this? ''Yes, sir. I tried to put everyone here to sleep except you. I didn''t get through to all four of you. Then he looked at us and at Sherry. Holy magic can do this? I mean, if it weren''t for the magic item, we''d be asleep, too, wouldn''t we? All I can say is that it''s awesome, ...... and a little scary. Well, can you wake up ......? I''m not using that strong of a spell, so it should happen with a thump. Yeah, yeah, ....... Then the teacher smiled bitterly. The teacher is even afraid of you. Then the teacher woke everyone up and the placement test was over. 95 Thirteen, attributeless magic. When the unannounced test was over and Ms. Herondas had gone missing: ....... The female teacher who was to be in charge of our magic instead of Mr. Herondas had introduced herself. It''s nice to meet you ...... no, you guys are different. It''s a test. Allow me to introduce myself again, my name is Rees'' Finissey. I spent the year before last studying magic at the school. I''m pretty sure I know more about magic than anyone else, so feel free to ask me anything. Mr. Rees has long blonde hair and a slender body that looks good with a smile. She''s the kind of teacher you can''t help but cheer up when you see a student who''s feeling down. I thought about this the other day when I was watching her. "Now, let''s go back to work as usual. At the teacher''s command, everyone started to move towards the target. I''m going to practice my attributeless magic, away from the others. I''m just practicing some light hand-to-hand combat using helmsman and non-attribute magic. ''''Master ......'''' Hmm?What''s the matter? As usual, as I moved to practice at the edge of the training grounds, I heard Hermann''s voice behind me. When I turned around, Hermann had stopped for some reason with a dark look on his face. ''Don''t you think Master should practice using targets too?Since you have the ability to use magic, you can practice your own magic without having to deal with me. Huh?Is that what you''ve been worrying about? ''What?I don''t like it . It''s more useful and fun to practice unattributed magic with Hermann. ''Yeah, right: ......'' After I rejected him so bluntly, Hermann was at a loss for an answer, as if his reaction wasn''t what he''d expected. All right, I''ll give you some more details. I wasn''t practicing with Hermann because I felt sorry for him, you know?The only person who can practice my unattributed magic is Hermann, so I''m just asking him to do it for me. Master: "Master ...... I guess he was convinced by my answer, but Hermann was getting teary-eyed. Come on, man, don''t cry. Come on, let''s practice. Come on, let''s go ahead and give it your all, like you always do. ''Yes!I''ll do my best, even more than usual! Herman wiped his eyes with his hand and flew at me with a powerful right fist. I dodged it cleanly. Herman, knowing he could avoid me, quickly threw his left fist and kicked, firing off a series of fists at full speed as he approached. When I couldn''t avoid him anymore, he stepped back a little, and threw a kick. ''Oh!''That was a close one. He spoke to Hermann, keeping his distance as he managed to dodge Hermann''s kicks with a thrashing motion. Hermann, on the other hand, was on his knees, breathing on his knees, as if his breath was running out . Ha, ha, ha, ha ...... but I still couldn''t guess. Next time, I hope to be able to at least snatch it. I can do that. If you had one more attack on me, I''m sure it would have hit you. If another kick or something else had come to that one, I probably wouldn''t have been able to avoid it. ....... ''I can''t hold my breath. ...... I''m at my limit with that last kick. So we need to practice more. It''s just a matter of practice. But how do we avoid Hermann when he''s faster? Maybe one day you''ll have to use non-attribute magic at all costs: ......? Yes, I''ll do my best. All right, I''m going to attack now. Let''s go! How many times can we avoid it today? Hey!You guys! To wit: ...... Yes? Just as I was about to put up a fight to set up Hermann, I was pinned down by a voice that called out to me. It was the teacher. ''What are you doing?'' ''''What do you mean ...... practice unattributed magic?'''' I''ve got a bit of fighting practice in there too, but ....... ''Unattributed magic ...... unattributed magic! The doctor looked surprised. ''Yes, you do?'' Why are you so surprised? ''You can use unattributed magic!And, I see, ...... the two of you were from a family that could use unattributed demons. ''Family lineage?The only people in my house who can use unattributed magic are me, my dad and my oldest brother who was knighted, and no one else in my family can use it, right? Does Hermann''s brother also have the ability to do non-attribute magic? If that''s the case, how come Hermann can use ...... Oh, right, I didn''t think he had much magic power. ''''It''s just amazing that someone can use that much . The attribute of unattributed magic is the magic that everyone has, but they say no one can use it. I can''t tell you how many times I''ve heard that story: ....... That''s not true. Non-attribute magic is something anyone can use if they try hard enough. ''Really?But your brother said he was using it by feel . That means you can''t use non-attribute magic unless you have the sense to use it, right? Your brother?Have you talked to your brother Ivan or Alex? Well, maybe Brother Ivan taught the teacher. I don''t think brother Alex would say anything about a feeling. Sir, you shouldn''t have asked your brother Ivan. ''''Well ...... there''s a good reason ...... I won''t go into detail because it''s long, but anyone can use non-attribute magic as long as they can use magic control. Brother Ivan must be manipulating magic by feel as well. ''''Is that so?So it was: ...... The teacher said that and was thinking about something. ''Hey, I''m sorry, can you tell me how to do that ......?No, tell me about it. I stopped to think about it, and then the teacher suddenly bowed his head. "What? Please!If I can teach non-attribute magic, even a child like Hermann-kun who doesn''t have attributes can use magic. So please teach me! The doctor begged desperately, keeping his head down. And when they heard that, their classmates who were participating in the magic practice stopped practicing and looked at us ....... Teacher ...... I think that''s a great idea, but shouldn''t it be ...... here? They''re gonna think I''m making you apologize to the teacher. Put your head up. All right. Let me show you. Partly because it was hard to say no, but partly because I was so impressed with your ideas that I decided to teach. From now on, there is no reason for me to refuse to help a teacher who wants to reduce the number of people who are discriminated against based on their attributes, like I was. I''ll be happy to teach you. Really?Thank you, Leo-kun! I think she was really happy or maybe she was so happy that she hugged me. I''m happy to be hugged by a beautiful woman, but I''m embarrassed in front of ...... everyone and the way Shelly and Leena look at me is painful. We''re still in class. Oh, no. So let''s just say we''ll pick up where we left off after school, okay? Yes, ...... I get it. Ladies and gentlemen, I''m sorry to interrupt the class. Now I''ll teach you a lesson and you can resume your practice. Apologizing to everyone, the teacher happily walked over to them. As if to trade places with the teacher, Sherry and Leena came towards me. "Hey, Leo. She''s smiling, but she''s not smiling in my eyes, and Shelly''s talking to me. "What? ''''Can me and Leena join our teacher in teaching unattributed magic?'''' ''What?You two are already ...... I couldn''t tell you where to go from there: ....... Because I let the silent pressure of the two of them get the better of me . They''re both expressionless and their eyes are terribly scary: ....... ''''Yes, of course you can join us, too. I''ll get back to you with a reminder when we decide when we''re going to do it. I just didn''t have the heart to say anything else in here. Yeah, I know. Thank you. It would be great to meet you. Ummm, yeah, ....... What am I supposed to teach them? I couldn''t very well say that to the two of them now: ....... 96 Fourteen, sir. It was decided that teaching the teacher non-attribute magic would be on my day off. On weekdays, I''d have to teach Hermann to study. If it''s a holiday, it''s okay because I''m not going to take adventurer requests for the time being and I don''t have anything else to do until Belle is that much stronger. So, it''s time for a holiday, and I''m going to teach the teacher at the training ground I usually use for magic lessons. Thank you for taking time out of your day off for me, Leo-kun. As soon as we started practicing, the teacher thanked me. "No, never mind. I didn''t really have anything planned. And it''s not that hard to teach him attributeless magic. It''s mostly up to you. Really?Well then, I''ll have to work hard not to waste my time. ''''Yes, that''s right. Let''s start by building the foundation we need to use non-attribute magic. ''A foundation of unattributed magic?Is there anything you need to do to use unattributed magic? Yes, it''s a skill called "magic manipulation. I''ll have to learn to use my magic manipulation skills first. Then we can practice non-attribute magic. ''''Speaking of which, you mentioned something like that ...... So how do I learn to manipulate magic?'''' It just keeps its own magic going. How many people have already been taught how to do this: ....... ''Move the magic?Doesn''t magic just decrease on its own when you use magic? The teacher said that and made a strange face. I knew even the teacher thought so. ''''That''s not true. If you master magic manipulation, you can move your magic freely and change the power of your magic at will. While explaining to the teacher, he used magic manipulation to make the magic move freely and change its size . ''''So that''s what you did: ...... The teacher was seriously shocked by the sheer magnitude of the magic manipulation and went silent. She said she was researching magic, so maybe this is something that''s very shocking to her. ''Well, let''s just start practicing. First of all, recognizing magic and being able to move it, even if only a little, is today''s goal. That way, from now on, I can train my magic manipulation on my own. ''''Alright. So, how can you recognize magic power? I had to do that. That''s what I had to do. I had to do it against a teacher ....... "Let''s see, ...... that is, if I move "''Hey, Leo (kun)''" ...... yes, what is it? I was about to show them how to do it, when Shelly and Leena, who had been watching me from the back, came over to me. ''Are you going to do that to your teacher?'' What''s that? You know better than that!You want me to move your magic?I''m asking you! You can''t say that ....... ''Yes, but ...... it can''t be helped, can it?'' I don''t know any other way. Don''t do this, Leo!I''ll do it! What do you mean?Is that what Shelley is going to do? "Wow, okay. ...... Did you say that you only wanted to participate in this just to keep me from doing it? Well, ...... I hope it won''t be too awkward, and if you can do it for me. I''m gonna let Sherry do it. So, doctor, would you like me to do it for you? "Yeah, yeah ......, what, what? The doctor let out a startled squeal as Sherry suddenly came up to him and touched his belly. ''Just bear with me for a little while, please, doctor. What?What--what the hell is going on?Hmm, hmm~~ Did you hear the doctor''s high-pitched voice? Huh?You haven''t seen it? Her eyes are hidden by Lena. Don''t look. Cover your ears, too. ''Yes, yes ......'' Something about Leena''s voice scared me, so I decided to obey her. Then, about ten minutes later. You''ll be fine. I''m finally free. I looked over at the doctor and saw that he was talking to Sherry. "Did you find out where the magic is? ''Yes . Thanks to you, I think I''m probably able to move ....... Then the doctor closed his eyes and put his hand on his stomach. Yeah, it''s working properly. I knew this was the easiest way to get the magic control: ....... ''''It''s working. Is this okay? Yes, that''s fine. Now all we need to do is keep moving it every day to increase its range of motion. Okay. Thank you. No, no . Also, once you can move your magic freely, the next practice will begin, so please work hard until then. Shelly is teaching you properly: ....... She was such a spoiled little girl when she was little, but she''s grown up: ....... "Wow, I get it. The teacher was bowing to Shelly for teaching him. Well, that''s a wrap for today. I mean, what?Did you need me today? Me, I''ve only done a few explanations of magic manipulation and being restrained by Leena, right? Well, I guess we''ll call it a day. Good luck, Doctor. Yes, sir. I''ll do my best. Thank you all three of you for being here today. Then we left the teacher and left the training grounds . Then we tried to say goodbye to Shelly and Leena in front of the girls'' dormitory: ...... Maybe you''re not thinking of saying goodbye to this, are you? Suddenly, Shelly grabs me by the shoulders and asks me with a straight face. "What? What are you doing? I''m scared. You''re not going to keep us company, are you? When I was confused and wondering how to answer, Leena''s chase came flying in further. ''''Huh?Uh-huh. Of course. Hahahaha ...... All I could do was laugh and cover up the fact that I''d been hit with a bull''s-eye. That''s right . If you think about it, the two of them wouldn''t be ruining their day off just for the teacher ....... Besides, I haven''t been playing with the two of you for a while now. ....... ''It''s good . I would have been sad if you had said goodbye to me today with this?You''ve been neglecting us lately, so of course you''re going to take some time for us today, right? I''m afraid of Leena''s reminder. All right, you don''t have to say it, but I''ll keep you two company today. "Uh-huh. That''s right. Where?It''s not a good idea for me to be in a girl''s dormitory, is it? Besides, Shelly can''t go out there, can she? You''re good in Leo''s room. Huh?My room? ''Wouldn''t it be a bad idea if Shelly and Leena were to be found in the boys'' dormitory, too? ''As long as they don''t find it, right?Then you''ll be fine. Leo has a transition. Yeah, I guess so: ...... Sure, if it''s a transition, it''s fine, but ....... That kind of problem? So you''ll take care of it. Lena put her hand in mine and wouldn''t let me get away. "Yes? I''ll have to give this up: ....... I took their hands in mine and used the transference. Huh?Come to think of it, was it safe to transition to the room? I have a bad feeling about this: ....... 97 Hes got a code. I''m home. I came back to my room with Sherry and Leena in tow. "Wow, so this is Leo''s room. It doesn''t look any different than my room. They were watching my room as soon as I got transferred in. That''s because we live in the same school dorm. On the other hand, I''m surprised it''s not a larger room because it''s the royal family . ''Is that so?My room is a little smaller. ''Really?Well, yeah. Leena''s not a nobleman in this country. But she''s been treated like a marquis. Master Leo, welcome back. You''re back early. We were having a conversation when Belle came out from the back. "Oh, I''m home, Belle. Yeah, it went faster than I thought it would. ''Is that so ...... that ......, how about you two?'' Oh, yeah. You guys hadn''t met yet. They were "Leo''s fiance. As I was about to answer, Shelly told Belle to intimidate me. Hmm?What''s up, Shelly? ''Well, um, ...... you know the names, but it''s Shelia and Rihanna. Anyway, I told Belle about the two of them . ''Oh, I didn''t know that. I''m sorry. Well, I''ll go now. Belle apologized politely and walked off into the back . From the look on her face, she didn''t seem to care that much about Shelly. "Hey, Leo? Yes, yes, what can I do for you? Shelly today, I''m kind of scared: ....... What did I do? What is she? What do you mean ...... my personal maid? Maybe you''re jealous? Is that so. And you seem to be quite fond of him for that? Oh, Lena''s in the game. You two don''t stand a chance. Hey, why don''t you two calm down. Belle''s been taking care of me since I was a little girl, she''s like family to me. We''re all in this together, right? Family ...... Family?Then why does she have the same necklace as us! I didn''t know you were watching that part! How do I explain that to you: ......? ''What?Oh, that reminds me . Well, ...... when we first met, I built it for you in return for showing you some rare magic while I was showing you my creation magic. If I remember correctly, it was. Unusual magic?What kind of magic can she do?Magic that could only be used by beastmen? That''s right. Belle can do beast magic, magic that can make your body look like a beast. ''Yes. ...... So, if you gave that to her, did you do to her what I did to my teacher today?'' What did Shelly do to the teacher? Ah, magic manipulation: ....... I didn''t do it. Belle had learned to manipulate magic before she came to us. ''What?Leo didn''t tell you?Then who taught you? Shelly had a surprised look on her face . Come to think of it, Belle was the first person outside of the hero''s circle who could use magic control. ''Belle said she learned it at the orphanage. The orphanage: ...... Yes, that''s right: ...... An orphanage?Um, the little orphanage on the edge of the Imperial City? I don''t know about that, but ...... I mean, on the contrary, how does Leena know about the orphanage? I think so. I''ve been there once. The director seemed to get along with the grandmothers. With your grandmothers? Oh, yeah. Then it''s no wonder Bell can control magic. If she''s acquainted with the brave man, she can at least control his magic. Hey!I''m getting off track! Leena and I were talking, and Shelly interrupted us. ''Well, ...... what were we talking about?'' It''s ...... that, well, what kind of relationship does a maid named Belle or something like that have with Leo? Are we going to go back to that again? Oh, yes, that''s right. But didn''t you say they were like family? But then Leena helped me out. ''Are you sure about that?You could be lying to me! Shelly, please calm down for a moment. Calm down?On the other hand, how can Leena stay calm?Leo, Leo could be taken, you know?Taken: ...... Sherry started to cry as she yelled at Leena . Oh, I made her cry: ....... What do I do: ...... I''m sorry . I can''t believe Shelly thought that: ....... I''m so sorry. After much thought, he hugged the crying Shelly and apologized. Anything you say here is not going to make a difference. Then you have to apologize honestly. "You don''t forgive me. You''re going to have to hold me until I stop crying. Shelly said and put her face on my chest and began to cry . ''Yes ......'' I had no right to say anything, so I obeyed. "I''ll do it later. I''ll be at Miss Bell''s. ''What?Oh, yeah. I thought about stopping her, but all I could do was look away with Shelly in my embrace . Then Shelly calmed down a bit and started talking. ''Hey, Leo ......'' What? You''d rather have a maid than me, wouldn''t you? What is the correct answer to this ......? Should I tell it like it is? ....... ''It''s not true . I consider Belle to be family, but I''m not going to marry her like Shelly or Reena . The only two people I''m engaged to are Shelly and Leena. Yes ......, can you believe that? Then she turned her eyes, which had turned red from crying, to me. ''Yes.'' I looked Sherry in the eye and said firmly. "Okay. I believe. Shelly said all that and hid her face in my chest again. "Looks like it''s over here, too. A few moments later, Leena came back to shake Belle''s hand . ''Oh, we''re both ...... Yeah, we''re done. Okay, I''ll take my turn. Now it''s my turn. Sherry, you talk to Bell. What? Come on, come on, come on. With that, Leena ripped Shelly off of me and shoved her into the back room with Belle. ''Oh, wait, wait!Wait! Shelly tried to resist, but the result was only words. ''You''re being pushy: ......'' ''Really?I don''t want to be the only one holding back. Well then, please do as you promised. Ummm, yeah, ....... That''s a promise. I hugged Leena honestly. Is this okay? ''Yes . Well, then, I''ll leave it at that until you''re done talking to me, please. Okay, okay. Well, ...... do you know why Shelly is like that? Why was Sherry so angry? ''Unn...... because I was friends with Belle?'' Maybe you''re jealous? I think there''s a little bit of that, but not the real reason. Huh?Isn''t it? ''Really?Can you tell me what caused it? You really don''t know? Leena looked me in the eye and asked, looking at me intently. ''What?'' Think about it. Has anything happened with Shelly or me lately? ''What?Something ......?Especially ...... What have I done with Shelly and Leena lately ......? ''Yes, there wasn''t anything there, was there?Leo was so busy with other things that he forgot about us. Oh, by the way: ....... I got so wrapped up in making magic tools and helping out in the shop that I didn''t do anything for you: ....... ''Sorry ......'' When I realized my mistake, that''s all I could say. All right. But you''re going to have to think about us from now on, okay? Okay. From now on, I''ll try to make time for the three of us. We''ll try to play together every holiday. "Promise? Yes, I promise. Okay. All right, let''s change the subject. I was just talking to Bell earlier and I thought: ...... Yes. Bell?We''ve gotten so close in such a short time. No, I think we''ve gotten so close that I don''t even want to put Mr. ....... We got along great. Leena said with a big smile, betraying my fears. Good, good: ....... Really? ''Yes . Belle was teaching me about Leo on a regular basis and I was teaching her about Leo at school, and we hit it off. Huh?Huh, me as usual? Bell...... I''m not teaching you anything weird, am I? I''m a little nervous about this, don''t you think? ''Oh, yeah, ...... that''s good to know.'' "Yes. Good. Oh, by the way, I have one thing I need to ask you to do: ...... Hmm?What? What are you asking me to do? Can you just close your eyes? ''Okay, but ...... what will they do to me?'' What''s scaring me? Don''t worry about it. Come on, close your eyes. "Wow, okay. ...... I was in no position to say no, so I pretended to close my eyes ...... . I opened my eyes for a bit and watched what Leena was going to do . Because I''m scared! After confirming that I closed my eyes, Leena moved her face closer to mine, blushing for some reason. Huh?Could it be ...... ki, kiss? Just as I was thinking that, Leena''s face was right in front of me . I''m almost there: ....... ''Are you two done?Can I come in? ''What?Oh, yeah. Sherry walked in at the right moment. Oh, shame. Hey!Why is Leena''s face so red in the face! ''It''s nothing, sir!More importantly, did you and Belle get along? Oh, speaking of which, that''s what I''m wondering. We weren''t fighting or anything, were we? Uh-huh. Beast magic is amazing. It''s so fuzzy and soft and it feels so good to the touch. Saying that, Sherry was firring Belle''s arm. Belle is looking slightly annoyed, but she doesn''t seem to be that reluctant. Well, have we gotten along? ''What?You''ve been shown beast magic?It''s not fair!Let me see it too! Yes, I''m sure you can, but ...... Belle shyly showed me the beast magic in her hand. At that, Leena and Shelly''s eyes lit up . ''''Wow~. It''s really fluffy. It feels so good~ Right?I''m addicted to the feel of it. Oh, that tickles. You''re both ticklish! Hey, I remember we both liked stuffed animals. I guess they just love that stuffed animal-like feel. Well, I''m glad you three are getting along. I thought about that as I watched the three of them enjoying themselves. 98 CHAPTER I -- I WILL GET A LAND Class change tests are over and today is a long break . I was going to have a good night out with Hermann and Frank today. ...... But last night a telepathic conversation with Sherry forced me to make a last minute change of plans. Thanks for the test. How''d you two do? (Let''s see, ...... was probably about the same as the last one.) (I''m confident I did better than last time.) (Oh, that''s good to hear. It looks like the fourth year will be in the same class as you two.) I hope they keep up the good work and stay together until graduation. ...... Well, don''t worry about it . We''re both hard workers. Not too far off from first place. Did you get a perfect score this time? (I don''t know.)(I''m sure you''ve got at least one of them wrong. I think there''s at least one careless mistake. Yeah. (There''s room for that statement: ......) (Really?) Well, okay. Anyway, we both want to go away for a couple of months starting tomorrow, okay? Two months from tomorrow?Where?(What do you do?) What are you going to do with all those long vacations? I don''t know where. Ask your father tomorrow. We''re going to see Leo''s estate. (Domain?(Oh, the territory or ......) You know, I was a nobleman. I was supposed to take over the estate when I was ten. I''m 11 now. Your lordship?That sounds interesting. Of course I''ll be there. (I''m not busy). Well, I guess I''m not busy either. I guess we should apologize to Frank and the others and have the party after the results are in. All right. Okay, I''ll see you tomorrow at the castle. All right. Okay, I''ll see you tomorrow. I''ll see you tomorrow. I''ll see you tomorrow. Yes. (See you tomorrow~) After that telepathic exchange, Leena and I are on our way to the castle. Belle explained the situation and said she''s taking a two-month break. She worked as a maid all along with me. Two months off is hardly ever enough time. She''s probably back at the orphanage right now. It''s been a long time since Leo and I rode in a carriage together. We haven''t seen your house since we decided to go see it for the first time. ''Was it?That was nostalgic. How many years have passed since then?I had just started primary school, so that was about three years ago, right? You were on your way to the castle when it happened. Was it that long ago? Yeah. Oh, hey, remember what we agreed to do? Promise?Did I promise you something? Did you forget?Look, I promised to take Leena home. As I recall, you promised Leena that you would cheer her up after she couldn''t go home. ...... we made such a promise. You remembered that? Of course. I''ll take you there for sure. I have to keep my word. Besides, I''d like to see where Leena''s home is. Thank you. We''ll see about that. Leena smiled at that and smiled at me. "Yeah, I was hoping. Oh, yeah. Let''s go when you graduate from primary school. If you graduate with an S-glass, you won''t have to take the test for magic school. Let''s get out there. I think I''ve been off for like six months. We can use the transference to get home, and it''ll be okay. "Huh?So soon?How? We''ll figure that out. But first, I gotta finish my S-game. If you don''t graduate in S class, you have six months to study for the exam. Right. Okay. I''ll study hard. Then we arrived at the castle and were ushered into the Emperor''s room for the first time in a long time. Today Elise was in the room. It''s good to see you. How are you? Yes. I''ve been fine. The emperor is looking good. That''s good to hear. And how is little Rihanna? Yes. I''ve been fine, too. Okay. All right, let''s get down to business. First, the territory to give you, Leo. It''s been tough to find a claim worthy of Leo''s achievement. I planned to give it to Leo when he was ten years old, but it ended up being today. Was that so? Well, it''s hard to secure a territory that you can suddenly give to the Viscount. Is that so? So, where is my realm? Ah, it''s located on the southwest side of the Empire. Ah, it''s located on the southwest side of the empire, right at the transit point between Baudelaire in the south and Philibert in the west and the imperial capital, one of the most commercial cities of the empire. It''s a city of commerce, a city of commerce for the Empire. I heard that you''ll be given an even more amazing territory than I thought. Can we really get such an amazing place? Yes, though it''s a bit small for a viscount''s domain in return. You picked a good quality place for a small space. Is that right. So that makes sense. Even though it''s big, I don''t think I can manage it, so I''d rather do that. And I''ll leave it to you, Leo, to decide whether or not you want to tamper with the territory. If we don''t do anything, I''m sure there''s a lot of money coming to you over there, Leo. Unemployment Income: ....... ''I see . Honestly, ...... I''m not hurting for money and ...... I get a ridiculous amount of money every month from Elsie''s store. And since I live in a dormitory, I don''t get to spend it. ....... Now that you mention it, I heard you took over Fermor and Company. You''re right, you have more money than you can handle. Then you''re not afraid to make a mistake, so have at it. We''re not hijacking you! I''ve been doing a lot of things, and before you know it, the top has just changed. Try something: ....... Well, let''s see what we can do in two months. ''Yes, I''ll ...... understand. I''ll figure out what to do when I get over there. Yeah, I''m counting on it. Tell me what you did later. Okay. Look forward to it. Oh, and the name of the fiefdom, you can do what you like. But the name of the estate will be your family name, Leo. Mladin is my current name, by the way. The name of the estate? What do I do: ....... ''Is that the name of the territory?You don''t mind if it''s the same as before, do you? Yeah. Mirdine then, please. Are you sure?That''s going to be your family name for the rest of your life, you know? ''''Oh, that''s true too: ....... But if we suddenly changed the name of the city, the lords would get confused . Besides, I thought Muldin would be cool. Leonce Muldeen ...... Well, it''s all right . "Yeah. Well, I hope you''re okay with it, Leo. I''ll send you the proper paperwork to sign later. I understand. We just need to go to ...... and take care of our daughter for two months, okay? Oh, right. I was the princess''s bodyguard as well. Okay. I''ll protect you, no matter what. As a man, you have to swear to this. I''ll defend you, no matter what the dragons are up against. Well, that''s good to hear. Well, we''re in a safe place, so I don''t think we need to worry about that. Oh, hey, I need to give you this. Here''s some detailed information about your territory. Take a look at it before you arrive at your estate. And then the emperor handed me a thick stack of papers. Yeah, just what I needed to kill some time on the road. Okay. Okay, I''ll go now. ''''Yeah, you can work hard at managing the territory, but since it''s your day off, go and enjoy it. I understand. Shelia can''t rely on you too much, Leo. Okay, okay. You can count on me, okay? I''ll be back in two months to give you a good report. Yeah, I''m looking forward to it. Then get going. Then I said goodbye to the emperor and was walking through the castle when a man came walking in front of me. "Ah, Leo-kun. Long time no see. You''re a bit older now, aren''t you?You''ve come to claim the estate, haven''t you? Yeah, that''s right. I''m just going to be there. Well, we won''t be seeing you again for a while. I''m going to miss you. While talking about it, my uncle hugged me. Huh?Was your uncle such a character? Just as I was thinking this, my uncle whispered in my ear. "Now you''ve got a lot of enemies. Be on your guard for the next two months. "Huh? I couldn''t react because it was so sudden, all I could do was make weird noises. "Oops, I shouldn''t have done that. I have to get to the emperor now. Well, you and Rihanna have a good time, Princess. Yes? I''ll see you later. Pops never bothered to talk to me, but I talked to him and he left. Do I have a lot of enemies?Can''t we let our guard down for two months? I''m about to go to the territory and I''m too scared. I''m not going to go after all: ....... Well, that''s not going to happen. ....... Let''s head out anyway. What happens from here on out can be found at ...... Yeah, I''ll see what I can do then. I''m sure he''ll figure it out. I''ve decided to escape from reality. 99 B. Territorial Visit The uncle''s words before leaving the castle scared me, so I wore Anna and asked him to watch my surroundings while I read the documents given to the emperor in the carriage. (Hey, are there really any suspicious people or demons around?) (Yes . . so far, no such person or demon has been found.) (Right: .......) (Please continue to monitor) Okay. I''ll let you know if there''s anything else. Yes, please. It took us a couple of hours of conversations like this, but I finally managed to read the document the emperor gave me. "Finally, I finished it. Good night . You looked worried, but what did it say? ''What?Do I look worried?I didn''t mean to do that! It was in your face. ....... What am I going to do? ...... I don''t want to make you both uncomfortable and ....... ''That reaction is suspicious . So what kind of territory was it? Is there a problem by any chance? The quintessential Lina ...... is hard to hide. Well, how shall I cover it up . It seems that the previous lord of ...... was stripped of his land for embezzlement about fifty years ago and is no longer with us. It''s been in the hands of the state ever since. For what it''s worth, it''s a super-important place for the Filibert and Baudrell families, so it seems that only an impartial empire was able to run it . I see. ...... That''s a lot of hard work you''ve been given a lot of space to do. That''s right: ....... Maybe you could get caught up in a power struggle. ....... ''Well, we don''t have to worry about that much . That''s the only thing I''m worried about, and it''s a nice, well-managed place that was run by the Empire . It seems to be a city with such a high level of commerce that it is said that all of the world''s goods are gathered in Mladin, because it is where all of the goods imported from the Church and Kingdom are gathered. ''Really?That would be fun. Yeah, I''m looking forward to it. Okay, we fooled him. After two days of horse-drawn carriage rides, we finally arrived at our destination, the city of Muldain. It was a beautiful city, and it looked like they had money to spare. The most amazing thing is that there are as many people and carriages coming and going as there are in the commercial district of the imperial capital. There were many adventurers as well as merchants who came and went. They were probably adventurers who crossed the country to fulfill their requests. I''ve been given the same information about the city ...... that was given to me earlier, and that was my impression of my territory from inside the carriage. It''s a beautiful city. Will you live here in the future? ...... Yes, it was. We''ll be living here in a few years, won''t we? Yeah. I''ll have the city looking a lot better by then. It''ll probably be after I graduate from magic school, so it''ll be about six years after ....... I''d like to do as much as I can before then. That''ll be fun. So where will you be staying today?Quite simply, we don''t have a home for Leo-kun yet, do we? Oh, I don''t remember telling you this. Oh, I can see it. That''s the one. I said that and pointed out to them, and they turned to face you. Huh? When they saw the direction I was pointing in, they couldn''t help but squeal in surprise. It would be: ...... You''re lying, right?Because that one: ...... There''s a great castle standing in the direction I pointed. Yes, there''s a castle here. Apparently the former lord was so stupid that he spent all the money he had left over and turned his house into a castle. Isn''t this one of the reasons why they couldn''t give this land to a nobleman? If the nobles who are rebellious to the emperor were to take this territory, it would be a good base to fight against the empire . For that reason, I''m guessing that since I''m supposed to marry Sherry, I''m like a family member, so I''m guessing that they were able to get this land . ''If I''m spending so much money, I''ll be exposed for embezzlement, won''t I? On the contrary, I''m wondering how you left it all alone. ''It was just the time of year when the Demon King was making a lot of noise with his appearance, so maybe it wasn''t worth it. Even in such an era, a fiefdom that would allow the lord to spread out so much money is now mine, but . ''''I see ... ....... Well, as it turns out, we should be grateful that we got to use it. Sure, that''s gratifying. Then we arrived at the castle and the carriage door opened. It was opened by the butler the emperor had arranged earlier. How do you do. You''re the head butler? "Yes, sir. My name is Edwin, head steward. It will be a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, nice to meet you. More importantly, do you need more people?This castle is so big, it must be hard to manage, right? The butler and maidservant are all right for now. But they could use a couple more cooks. All right. I''ll bring him back later from the Imperial City home. Is there anything else that''s troubling you? Can the cook use the transference to get him here today. You have Sam to choose him. No, I don''t think so. Okay. Okay, I''m going to have to take a look around. Yes. I''d like to take you to them. Edwan showed us into the castle. This castle was amazing from the outside, but it was also amazing inside. Maybe it''s even as beautiful as the one in the imperial capital. I wonder how much the previous lord spent on this castle: ....... ''''This is Mr. Leons''s room. The room I''ll be using from now on is lavishly decorated, it feels like a lord''s room. ''''Wow! This is really spacious.'''' Look at that. You should see the view. Leena called me and I looked out of the window in my room to see a beautiful view of the city. ''''It''s true . You can see over the territory. But still, I wonder if it''s okay to get such an awesome place ...... Me, I don''t mean to give you that much credit: ....... "Well, I''ll take what I can get. You can work for the Empire for that. I was a little distressed when Shelly said that and banged me on the back . ''Nah, I see. ......'' So you''re hoping for more success in the future, worthy of this reward: ....... What should I do...... for now, let''s just try to manage the territory. ''''Hmmm, Sherry is doing the princess''s work. Sh! Hmm?What? It''s nothing. But could you show us our rooms, too? Hello. This room across the hall is your wife''s room. Wives: ....... I''m not married yet, so it''s different: ....... Well, they''re too busy with their rooms to notice, so I won''t point it out . ''Wow, this place is huge too . When Leo is at work, I''ll just have to sit here and talk to Leena or something. Oh, by the way, ....... Well, ...... can you stay close to me while I''m at work? I''m fine, but won''t it get in the way of ......? No, I won''t. There''s only so much you can do in the first two months, and I don''t think you should worry about that much. The truth of the matter is that I''m too afraid of the two of you being out of sight when my uncle has told me to be on my guard. ''I understand . I''ll stay by your side as long as I don''t get in your way. That''s what I''m talking about, Leena, you didn''t ask me for details. Maybe Leena would have known what I was thinking. Don''t worry about it. Let''s move on to the next room then. I don''t want to talk about this any more because it will only make both of us uncomfortable . We''ll have to find the ''enemy'' your uncle was talking about later: ....... Okay. Next stop, the bedroom. Then Mr. Edwan showed me to the bedroom, which was also lavishly decorated with a large bed. It looks like I''m going to have a hard time sleeping in it. "This will be the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Leons. Wow, that''s a big bed. It''s big enough for three people. The three of us can go to ....... Let''s call it ...... no comment on that. Let''s go to ...... and see the other rooms anyway. Oh, yeah!Show me the bathroom. After all, the bath is the most important part. Okay. The bathroom is down the stairs. After saying that, I was shown to the bathroom, which was also luxurious and very spacious. Oh, I knew it was big!Oh, and I''ll have to make some modifications later. The baths here also seem to use disposable magic tools to fill the tubs with hot water, so they''ll need to be modified. Oh, that thing that turns you into a spa? Yes. That remodel we did at our house in the Imperial City. Huh?What are you talking about? Come to think of it, Shelly wasn''t there. "Leo-kun''s creation magic can turn a hot spring bath into a hot spring bath. It''s great for relieving fatigue, restoring magic, and making your skin beautiful. ''Beautiful skin!That''s great. I''m looking forward to the bath. ''''I''ll need a magic stone to modify it, so you can bring it from home later, even if it''s when I bring the cook over, okay? So you can have it done by tonight, then? Well, I can move at a moment''s notice. Yeah, I think I can. All right, I''ll see you this afternoon. So, I think I''ll spend the afternoon modifying the castle. 100 Third: Im going home. Then we finished lunch and transferred to the Teito''s house . Okay, I''ll be off then. I''ll probably be back in an hour or two. Okay. Okay. I will be waiting for you. Yeah, I''ll see you later. I said that to Mr. Edwan, and I transitioned to the Imperial City house with Sherry and Leena. When we transitioned to the front door of the house, I rang the doorbell . ''''Yes . Who are you?Huh?Dear Leo: ...... How did you end up here? Oh, my God, I thought I gave her the day off, but then Belle came out. What''s Belle doing here? Well, ...... they''re running out of cooks over there, so I''m going to take them. So I''ve decided to take him with me. Oh, I see. Mr. Sam is in the kitchen. ''Okay ......, but why is Belle here?I gave you the day off, didn''t I? I asked a question, and Belle looked apologetic and answered . ''Well ...... I''m not comfortable with not working ......'' Are you serious? ''Oh, really? ...... Did you go back to the orphanage?'' ''Yes . I couldn''t stay long enough to get out of the way, but I''m back. Then that''s great. So, if you''re working here anyway, will you come with me and work over there? ''What?Are you sure? Yeah. I need you to take care of Shelly and the others. We still don''t know if the maids over there are safe or not, so it''s safer to leave it to Belle . ''Hey!If you''d just shut up and listen, what are you talking about! Shelly, who''d been waiting in the back for us to finish talking all this time, yells at me. "Oh, I''m sorry, Come to think of it, it''s not very polite to ask them to take care of him in front of him . And although Belle and Shelly have gotten along better ...... they''re still far apart. I don''t mind that you''re taking Belle with you. I don''t like the way you said that I can''t take care of myself. Besides, you have a maid over there, don''t you? Yeah, but... You can''t trust him. I can''t leave you two in charge of someone who doesn''t know who they are. ''What?What are you talking about? Oh, I''m sorry, that was a gaffe. ''Oh well, Leo, you have an idea, so let''s just follow it. I was wondering how I was going to fix Shelly when Leena came to my rescue. I''m sorry. I''ll tell you why later. ...... All right. You''ll have to tell me later, I promise! When I apologized, Sherry gave it up. Seriously, Lena''s been a big help to me all year. I''m gonna need my strength, too. I promise. So, will you be maid to Sherry and Leena for a couple of months? I understand. I promised Sherry that I would ask Belle to be my maid, and she immediately agreed. "Thank you. So why don''t you go and get ready to go over there, Belle. In the meantime, I''ll go visit Sam. So we said that and headed for the kitchen where Sam was working. Mr. Sam, are you there? I peeked out into the kitchen to look for Sam and was able to find him quickly . ''Hmm?What''s that voice?! Sam recognized my voice and came over soon after. ''Long time no see. Do you have a minute? "Yes. Okay. Do you have any new ingredients, perhaps? New ingredients. ...... Next time you''re in the Devil''s Forest, look for them and oops. It''s forbidden to go into the Demon Woods. This time I want to take a couple of cooks with me to my new territory. Oh, I see. Then ...... hey!Emma and Jim! Sam called out their names to the kitchen and a man and a woman came out one by one . They were both young and very vivacious . Yes, sir. What is it? Master Leo wants to take you to his new territory. "Oh, really? Oh, she''s in perfect rhythm. Yeah, I''m supposed to leave soon after this, you okay? If not, I''ll come back tomorrow to get you. That''s okay. I''ll go get ready right now. They were in perfect synch with each other and had left in a hurry. ''''Those two have a passion for cooking that makes them one of the best cooks here, so I''m sure they will do well over there too. It''s not your arm, it''s your passion: ....... You''re looking at it differently, Sam. Yeah. Well, that''s good to know. Well, I''ll be back in two months or so. ''''Yes . I''ll have my cooking skills up by then, so stay tuned. Okay. I''ll look forward to it. When Sam asks you to do something, you expect it to happen. Can we have some of that food? I was licking my tongue, thinking about two months from now, when Shelly joined in the conversation. ''What?Yeah, that''s fine. Well, why don''t we invite Frank and Hermann to join us and have a good time with the class-change exams. Just in time. This will make both Hermann and Frank very happy. I''ll have to write and invite them over later. Are you sure?Yes! That''s what''s going on. All right. Look forward to seeing you in two months. I''ll give you the best one I''ve ever given you. Sam''s number one or ....... ''That''ll be fun . Then I''ll add some more dragon meat to the pantry on the way home. There''s only a little bit of dragon meat left, but it''s best to have Sam make it into a delicious dish . ''Oh, really?Okay, I''ll do it. I''ll have my new dragon dish ready in two months. From the moment I heard the word "dragon", Sam''s eyes changed color: ....... ''Uh-huh. . well, take care of you then. I was a bit scared, so I decided to leave. ''It''s your new dragon dish: ....... I can''t wait to see it now. Yeah. I''m sure Sam will come up with something even worse than last time. I know he''ll do it. It''ll be really fun~. It''ll be fun. So, what''s next, Leo''s room? Yeah. We have to go get my backpack. I had the tools for adventure, but I didn''t think I would use the magic stone, so I left my backpack behind. Then you went into my room and found my backpack in the corner of the room. Alright, it''s here. Shall we make a magic item? I put my hand in my backpack. "What?In here?Aren''t you going to remodel the castle over there? I''m going to build another one. Shelley''s question is answered while fishing through her backpack. "What are you building? I''m thinking of building a security kit. If the enemy sees us building something over there, it''s useless. Yeah, ...... really. So, why do you have it? I think someone''s after us over there. I''m fine with any of them, but we''ve got to be prepared for a lot of things to protect Shelly and Lina, right? After all, if you don''t rely on your tools, you''re afraid of what might happen. I see. ...... So that''s what happened. ''Yeah, that''s what I''m talking about: ....... Hmm?Oh, ...... I got so caught up in the work that I spoke normally about what I was trying to hide: ....... See, I knew you were thinking about us, Leo. Wow, I thought so, too. It''s just that I got nervous because Leo didn''t tell me. I looked up and saw Shelly with her wand and Leena, who was standing beside her, arguing with each other. ''Really?I can''t believe it, so wasn''t it Shelly who suggested that we use the charm magic to get it out of Leo-kun? Leena said with a grin, and Shelly started to panic. ''Hey!I didn''t say that!You did it because Leena told you to use charm magic to get it out of him because it''s hard to watch Leo-kun hold something in his arms alone! ''Did I say that ......?'' Sherry tried desperately to defend herself, but Leena was smirking and falling in love with her . ''Because I said it exactly! Hey, you two, don''t leave me alone and start a fight. Well, I can see that Leena is joking around, so I don''t think it''s going to get any more heated than it already is. Still, don''t leave me alone: ....... ''Oh, I''m sorry . So ...... is it true that someone is out to get us? Leena apologized and asked me that question. I guess Leena understood, after all. Well, it can''t be helped that she asked, so I''ll tell you ....... Well, it''s ...... true. We don''t even know who the enemy is. Maybe some of the people who work at the castle have been mixed up in the ...... situation right now. That''s about all I know. Uncle, I wish you had told me a little more about it: ....... ''I did ....... Well ...... I''m sorry . I didn''t know anything about it, but I kept saying things that were out of my control. Shelly shuffled as she apologized to me. "It''s okay. It''s my fault for not telling you. "Yeah, yeah, I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. Don''t make it so dark already! You don''t have to apologize anymore. Forget it. Just be nice to Belle. Maybe if I ever need to get away from them, Belle will be there to protect you both if I have to. I''d like to spend as much time with the two of you as possible, but there are going to be times when I have to be in the bathroom or something and it''s going to have to be Belle. Okay, okay. I understand. Yes, please. Now I don''t have to worry about Belle''s relationship with Sherry . ''And yet, ...... who''s out to get Leo-kun: ...... I don''t know if that''s true. ...... I''m sure the nobles would be very disturbed by this. Besides, the kingdom has been after me for a long time and I''ve fought a lot of times with the ...... ninja. How did this happen ....... ''Leo-kun is ...... full of enemies, isn''t he?'' Yes, you do: ...... When you rise, you''ll have enemies all over the country. 101 Chapter 4 Creation of Crime Prevention Goods I''ll start by building a camera inside the castle. The castle is too big to see, so you''ll definitely need it. And if anything goes wrong, it could be evidence. Surveillance cameras?What''s that? Oops, it was a previous life language. How do I explain it in this language? ''Um, ....... Oh, yeah . . you''ll see what I mean when you see this. Then I pulled the core of the house out of my backpack. It should be easy to explain with this. ''''This is ...... a dragon magic stone, right?I used it to remodel this house. Yes, it was created at that time, but it has an interesting feature. ''Interesting feature?What can you do with it? It''s probably easier for him to see it than to explain it to you, so come on over and have a peek. It''s a very difficult thing to explain to a person. Yeah, I get it. ''A bundle of magic? There''s a ....... What can you do with this? Yes, this is a magical powerhouse. If you do this, you can see the whole house like this ....... While explaining to the two of them, I moved the magic power inside the magic stone and a lot of ...... images appeared . ''''What is this?The picture is moving: ...... Pictures ...... Come to think of it, there are no pictures in this world. This smells like business: ...... I''ll have to get a master to make me a camera later. It''s not a picture. But that''s okay. When I move the magic of any of these images, the images expand as I move the magic of the images I''m interested in. For example, let''s take a look at ...... and see what happened to Bell. Then he zoomed in on the image that showed Belle. Then ...... showed Belle with her underwear spread out. ''Oops ......'' Don''t look! Leena covered my eyes as quickly as she could. ''What are you doing. How does this thing work?Oh, that''s easier than I thought. After making sure Shelly changed the footage, I was released . ''Leo-kun, are you ...... perhaps ...... always using this to peek at things?'' I''m getting that steely look in my face. "No, sir, I didn''t do it. Huh. It lets you see into the bathroom and stuff. I''m sure you''ve looked in there at least once. Hey, Shelly!You can''t just go through the motions! ''Oh, really?So what''s the real story? I didn''t do it, sir. I mean, I didn''t do it! Are your eyes swimming? Well, that''s impossible. ....... I didn''t do it, sir. Well ....... So, are you going to build this for the castle over there too? Hmm, I''ve been forgiven. Oops, I shouldn''t be happy that I didn''t do it. No, in order to do that, I''d have to take down another dragon, "Master Leo, you can''t do that, okay? I looked towards the voice and saw Belle standing there with a big bag. ''Oh, Belle . Listen to me. Earlier Leo said, "I''m sorry . I''ll do anything I can to help, so please don''t let me say it. I was on my knees in my reflection the moment I heard Leena''s voice . ''''Huh. ....... I got a quid pro quo. I''m scared ....... "So ...... why is Master Leo trying to get to the dragon? No, I''m not going. If we''re going to build this over there, we''re going to need the Dragonstone. Oh, really? I''m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I''m sorry, too. I didn''t mean to peek. You should be more sincere in your apology. Okay. I''m sorry about this. I hurriedly returned to my kneeling position. No, don''t. What''s going on? ''No, I just felt compelled to apologize inexplicably, so don''t worry about it. Please don''t ask me why. "What?Oh, yes. Anyway, back to the point, it''s impossible to build this over there, so we''re going to build something different. It''s like being forbidden to go to the Demon Forest, but I feel like if we were to remodel that castle, we''d need a bigger magic stone . ''''But ...... wouldn''t you still need this much magic stone to produce the same kind of performance as this one?'''' Yes, I know. That''s why I decided to make a separate film and a projection. That way, I think the size of the magic stone you need is small enough . ''''Well, ...... what do you mean by that?'''' I knew this explanation wouldn''t be enough for you three to understand. Well ...... it''s hard to explain, so I''ll explain it to you as I use it after I finish building. I understand. I''ll start with the shooter. First, I put a big chunk of mithril on the floor. And countless magical stones were placed on the floor. ''''Wow! How much do these big pieces of mithril cost? This was a gift. Ivan''s brother got a bunch of stuff from the dungeon. If you bought it, it would probably cost you enough to buy one house: ....... Thanks to your brother . ''''Oh, by the way, Leo-kun''s brother crushed one of the dungeons, didn''t he? That''s right. It''s an ordeal that the special forces imposes on new recruits, and I heard that you''re the first person since your uncle to clear it. And he gave me all the mithril he dropped at that point. Behind the scenes, my brother is getting married to his partner from the ordeal. I met him briefly, and I was impressed by how beautiful she was. ''''But then again, the Forster family is nothing but monsters. What kind of family would traverse a dungeon three times in such a short period of time? It just doesn''t make sense. ''Isn''t that because ...... everyone was trained by Grandma and Grandpa when they were little?'' My brother, father and uncle went through that hell. Are heroes and mages so hard to kill? "''Cause it''s not that hard. You''re a dead man. Those two are pretty tough on their grandkids. I''m not afraid to attack my grandson, and if I hit him, he''d be dead. ''''Oh, I didn''t know that: ...... Oops, but I digress. I''m gonna get creative anyway. Then I used my magic to create a pile of magic stones and mithril. The result was a rat made of ...... mithril. And a lot of them. "Yikes! Sherry and Leena scream at the top of their lungs. Bell. Wow, that''s pretty. And then he was nudging the mouse. "I''m sorry, both of you. I didn''t think I''d be a rat. Ha ha ha. It''s not funny. Put it away, please. ''Are you really that scared?Well, all right. Shelly and Leena were too reluctant, so I put it all in my backpack anyway. Okay. Is this okay? Yes, ...... is fine. So what are you going to do with that thing? We''ll explain that when we build the other machine. First, I need to build the video projection machine. I used some leftover mithril and a magic stone with more magic than this one to create a magical item. The result was an ...... television. What''s this? It''s the one that transposes the footage I just shot with the mouse. What can you do with that rat? You can''t find out more about that until you appraise it: ....... ''Hold on a minute.'' I took out a rat and used my appraisal. The rat golem. Spy camera specialists I never miss information that the Lord may need. The ceiling and the rat repel, the rats'' natural enemies, have been overcome. Nearly none in combat. Strength: 1 Magic power: 1 Power: 1 Speed: 7000 skill Sneak Peek Lv. MAX The Rat Monitor. The footage sent by the rats is instantly stored and edited before providing the main You can even send instructions to the rats to help you get the most out of your snooping! Creator: Leons Forster You don''t need to put so much emphasis on the voyeurism. It''s not like I have anything to hide, okay? You know, ....... ''No, I''m innocent!Oh, ....... Now, let me tell you what this machine is all about. "Hey... There''s a lot of work to be done here. What is innocent? Pretend you didn''t hear me. No, I''m just distracted, never mind. But I''m just gonna go on with the explanation. It''s forced: ...... I can''t hear you. It''s a machine that sees what the rats see. Is that so? Does that mean we''re letting this rat run free in the castle? As she said this, Leena made a disgusted face. Why are you so disgusted? I can still understand Shelly, but Leena lived in the country when she was little, right? These rats seem to be really good at hiding, so I don''t think you''d normally see them. I''m a specialist in voyeurism. That''s all well and good: ...... Thank you. All right, now, once we''ve made enough Red Golems, we''ll head for the castle. We need physical security, too. 102 CHAPTER V COUNTERMEASURES FOR THE SAME Do you really think it would be safe to build a golem? As I stuck my hand into my backpack to make a golem, I suddenly had that question. ''''Wouldn''t it be safe enough with those rats I just mentioned?I don''t think any nobleman has ever been so heavily guarded. I think so, too. Leena agrees with Belle''s opinion, and the two of them answered my question . I think the two of them are right about what they are saying ....... ''Yes ...... why is that?I can''t get rid of this kind of blah, blah, blah, blah feeling of anxiety. Why is that? We do this level of security in this house. It''s just ....... "Just? Just that ...... has been breached by ....... Breached? Oh, yeah. It''s him. That''s Allen. Allen: "Allen. ...... Sherry responded to Allen''s words. ''I''m sorry. It brought back some bad memories. Mm-hm. Keep talking. Okay. Thank you. Allen is the leader of the burglars, isn''t he? Yeah. I''ll never be able to find them because of my yucky skills of covertness. So was my uncle, but that''s not fair. Well, I can''t speak for the rest of you. Were you really that good? Oh, and as far as how bad it is, I''m never going to be able to find Anna, who I''ve always relied on. In fact, I''ve been caught off guard by that guy so many times that I''ve gotten away with it. It''s been a frustrating experience for me, many times. You gotta do something about that. Well, how do you protect yourself against that kind of person? ...... Yes. ...... What should we do? You can''t fight for what you can''t find and ....... You can''t find it and ....... ''Well, what about something called ...... warding?'' While I was pondering this, Leena made an interesting suggestion. ''Warding or ......'' Indeed, it might be the best protection. ''''My grandmother told me once that in the elven village, there is someone who can use warding magic, and that person is always protecting the village. "Heh. That sounds great. Way to go, Lena. What about Leo? Yeah, I think it''s a good idea. I''m gonna build one anyway. What''s the best material: ....... I knew it was mithril?What do you think? While I was thinking about that, I was going through my backpack when I found something nice. "The branch of the sacred tree looks good. There should be some in the elven village. Oh, the one you used to make my cane. Yeah. It''ll make a good one, right?So, I''m going to try to build one with this. I took out the magic stone that had the most magic in my magic stone and cast a creation spell with the branch of the divine tree. The result was a sphere with a beautiful pattern carved into it. Wow! Beautiful patterns. What can I do with it? I''ll be back in a minute. Now for the evaluation. Demon Conjunction Ball. When you pour your magic power into it, you can create a powerful ward that is only as strong as the amount of magic you pour into it! This ward can reject any outside interference. The size of the warding can be adjusted by the user''s magic control While the warding is developing, this sphere glows. Creator: Leons Forster Warding balls: ....... You can create wards with magic? Let''s just use it anyway. I casually poured my magic power into it. And then ...... soon something black covered our surroundings and we were trapped. Fortunately, the warding ball is glowing so it''s not completely dark. Could it be that the glow was for this? What is it?I''m scared. Belle asked as she leaned closer to me. "Well, ...... I think I''ve put too much magic into it. I think the wards are blocking out the light. I wasn''t thinking straight and I didn''t know how much to take. Dude, don''t deal with this. Sherry was scared, too, and she was hurrying me along, sticking to me. "Okay, okay. Let''s see, ......, what can I do?In the meantime, let''s try to get the magic out of it. I put my hand on the warding ball and tried to pull out the magic power little by little, and little by little, light came in from the warding. And when the magic power was completely drained, the ward disappeared. ''''Oh~! It was scary. That ward might not be so scary if you use it at night or when it''s originally dark. Leena, who wasn''t that scared, was calmly analyzing the warding ball while looking at it . ''''That''s right . It was a bit scary, but with a ward like that, I think it''s safe. Yeah, that''s what I think. Well, let''s get the golem built and then we can head to the castle. Then I quickly finished building the golem, and the two cooks joined me and moved to the castle. We''re home. Welcome back. He''s looking forward to seeing you. When I transitioned to the castle, Mr. Edwan was waiting for me. Thank you. Now then, these two are the cooks I brought in from over there, so show them to the kitchen. Okay. Okay, you two, follow me. Yes, sir. They were in perfect synch as usual and Mr. Edwan took them out of the room. ''Alright, so let''s start by letting the rats loose in a big way. We have to do this before Mr. Edwan gets home. Well, wait, before we do that, give me that wardrobe you put up earlier! I put my hand in my backpack, and Shelly and Leena got impatient. "Uh-huh. Here you go. The momentum of the two of them was so strong that I unintentionally took out a wardrobe from my backpack. ''''Thank you . Shelly, stick with me, please. Uh-huh. The two of them hurriedly locked themselves in, developing a pitch-black ward as they stuck together just in time . ''You didn''t have to go that far. ....... I see Belle is fine with it. ''We don''t want to touch a real rat, do we?But I''m fine with the build. Okay. Okay, big release!Spread out~! Then I let the rat out of my backpack. The mouse was gone in the blink of an eye. "Wow. If you two had seen this, you would have cried. Yeah, that was awesome. The place was crawling with rats. I''d be mildly traumatized if that thing was coming at me. All right, let''s call them together. How are we going to signal the person inside the warding? The warding would also block out sound, and there''s no way you''d know if I called you, right? Why don''t you send them a reminder? Oh, yeah. I''ll try. Come out, both of you, when you''re done. Are you sure it''s over?(You don''t have one of them left, do you?) Oh, here we go. Telephonic communication is useful. Okay. They''re all gone. Bye. The wards were disappearing and they came out. There they come out. Let''s check the footage then. This time, he took the rat monitor out of his backpack. "What do you have to show me? Then something popped up on the monitor. This is the kitchen of the castle. Oh, it''s huge. This is the two cooks and Mr. Edwan, right? Yeah, it''s in the castle''s kitchen. So it seems. So now you know how fast the rats are moving. I''m sure I just released it just now, but they''re already delivering the footage from the kitchen. ''''Oh, the two of them are talking about something with the castle cook. At Bell''s words, everyone''s eyes returned to the monitor. Please, please don''t start a fight or anything, okay? "Are you the cooks of the Forster family? The cooks that were originally hired to work for him had a question for them. To which Mr. Jim responded. "Yes, sir. Jim''s face was a little tense. If we don''t get along here, we''re in trouble. I''m sure he was thinking about that ...... but his fears were unfounded. Oh, my goodness! Surprisingly, the castle cooks cheered loudly. ''''Please shake my hand.'''' Oh, me too! Me too! He even started to ask for a handshake. "What?Why are you so happy about it? Well, ...... I''ve heard before that working for the Forster family is a great dream for a servant. I think someone said something like that. Yes. It''s a great honor for an ordinary person like me to be able to work in a brave man''s house. If Belle says so, then it must be true . ''I see ...... that''s why the food at Leo''s house is so good. Well, they were chosen from a lot of applications. These were the people Sam had chosen for the day . With that in mind, I looked at the monitor again and saw that the ...... chefs had finished shaking hands with each other. ''''I''d like to ask you two to be the head and sous-chef, ...... okay? Seriously?Are you sure? ''What?Are you sure? "Because we''re here afterwards, you know? But no, I don''t think so. No, I don''t have the right chef here to tell you what to do. Your cook is very cool. I''ll give her a raise later. Okay, ...... and Emma will take care of the chef. Huh?Really? ''What?You do it. Are you a man? ''What''s a man or a woman got to do with cooking?I would definitely prefer Emma as head chef. I''d be a great support. Jim...... cool. I''ll give Jim a pay raise too. "Okay, okay. Okay, I''m Emma, and I''ll be your new head chef. It''s very nice to meet you. And so we have a unique female chef in this world. Oh, that''s right. Yeah, that''s great. Let''s see what happens with you two. Wow. This is gonna be fun for dinner. Yeah, I''m looking forward to it. Well, then, I guess I''ll just have to do what I have to do before dinner. Then I remodeled the bathrooms and put a bunch of Red Golems in the castle. And that evening''s dinner was delicious. 103 CHAPTER VI MONITORING After dinner, Sherry, Leena and Belle went to take a bath. I can''t go in with them, so I decided to wait in my room. You''re bored: ....... Oh, while we''re at it, let''s gather some information. Now we just have to find out what kind of enemy might be lurking here in the castle. So I pulled up the rat monitor. Just give me what I need to know. Then the message "4 hours ago" appeared and a video started. I don''t know where it is, but it shows two maids talking to each other. "Hey, listen. We''ve just seen the rumored Master Leons. Apparently, one maid is bragging to the other maid that she''s seen me. ''Huh?It''s not fair!How did it go?Cool as they say? ''Yes, you look just like they say you do. What have they been saying about me? It''s kind of embarrassing. ....... ''I like that. . Well, if you work here, maybe someday you''ll meet him. ''I suppose so . But still, the girls next to Master Leons were terrific.'' ''What?Master Leons, you were only about ten years old, weren''t you?Are you already taking girls around?'' "Yes, they say you are the granddaughter of the Princess and the saint. My female instincts tell me he''s going to be a great womanizer in the future.'''' That''s not nice at all!I mean, what do you want me to do by showing this to you? I can''t help but complain to the monitor. What do you want me to do about my philandering?You can''t do that, okay?You don''t know what you''re doing. The monitor didn''t care that I was complaining about it, and kept playing the image without paying any attention to me. ''Oh, really?I wonder if the person who runs this estate has to be a womanizer to be in charge of this territory?I''ve heard that the former lord did too, and so did Mr. Gotts, right ......? Mr. Gotts? "Idiot!You can''t lump him and Master Leons together!'' Yeah. I think we''re done here. And so the video ends. Who''s Gotts?From the way the story is told, it sounds like he''s the one in charge of this territory: ....... He must be really hated by the maids. I don''t know how much he hates me just for coming into the conversation or how much he hates me . Well, you''re about to see him, so we''ll find out what he''s like. Okay, turn on the next clip. This time, three hours ago... and then the video started. So, what does this new lord look like? The man in the video was a very fat man who was slumped back in his chair, looking very pompous. In front of that man stood Edwin. ...... He was so solid that you wouldn''t think he was eleven years old. When we told him that we were short of cooks, he immediately brought in a great cook. But, of course, he still doesn''t trust us. The security has also been left in the hands of the knights he brought with him.'''' Mr. Edwan was nonchalantly telling the pompous man in front of him about me. What''s the relationship between these two? ''Well, ....... Forster''s Heretic is not a household name: ....... d*mn ...... that''s a pain in the ass. It would have been easier if he was more incompetent.'' I''m sorry I''m not incompetent . But you''re still a Forsterian heretic: ...... ''Really?I''m sure it will make this territory better.'' Hmm?Whose side is Mr. Edwan on? ''Well, I''m sure you''ll be happy to hear that: ....... Well, all right. You can go now. Then the picture was over. What?Who is this guy?I''m feeling like a great villain?And it''s hard to tell which side Edwan is on and ...... We''ll have to keep an eye out for Edwan, since we have no choice. Well, we''ll have to check this one out later. Okay, I''ll need the next set of images. This time, it said "one hour ago". And then it displayed ......, which I couldn''t figure out for a second. "Come on in, please. The one who said that and bowed his head was the man who looked important in the earlier video. And then, accompanied by that man, the other man came in. Yeah. Okay, you wanna talk about it? The other one is ...... an aristocrat? He was wearing expensive decorations, and I had that feeling. ''''Ha, yes . Let''s see. ...... The newly arrived lord seems to be too smart to match the appearance of an eleven-year-old.'''' I know that. I know that, you know.When I gave him a trial test for the senior class, he got a perfect score in all subjects with no time to spare. I heard that some of them got a grade that could have been more than a perfect score. so that''s what the nobility thought of me. It makes me miss the days when I was considered incompetent. Is that so? ....... I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this. He doesn''t trust the servants at the castle either. And the guards have been brought in from their own domains. Mr. Edwan didn''t say elite, did he? You don''t make up stories to tell them. Yeah. Well, then I''d appreciate it if you didn''t use force against him. I don''t know any assassin who can get past House Forster''s elite. What about a burglar?The leader over there can do it, can''t he?'' Huh?Do I have to fight Allen again? Don''t do it. ....... ''No, we can''t rely on the burglar anymore. I''ve spent what I owed you from the party on securing my forces. And I''ll need enough money for this estate to hire a burglar to kill him. I''m not sure they take that much money: ....... Well, if you pay that kind of money for a request, I''ll waste that money on you. ''''That''s not so much ....... But if it''s the Philibert family, I''ll ......'' Philibert?Okay, there it is again: ....... I''d like to have some proof this time. "I don''t have that kind of money right now. We spent so much money on the assassination plot against the princess that we lost a lot of money, and our source of income has decreased since the collapse of Fermor Trading Company. Oh, surprisingly, it was already on the verge of self-destruction? You got what you deserved. ''So it was: ....... I''m pretty sure he was involved in both of them: ......'' You''re not going to blame me for that. Especially since Fermor Enterprises went out of business all on its own. Yes. So the master wants to kill him no matter what. That''s a hell of a vendetta. "But ...... how?How do you kill someone who is smart, strong, and popular?'''' Don''t give me that kind of credit. It''s embarrassing. "That''s ......... let me think about it for a minute. Not right away. I''m just saying, don''t do it. Well, that makes things easier, doesn''t it? Okay. So, how do I do that? "Look for his weaknesses. Even the most perfect of people have things they don''t want you to do. Well, there is, but ....... I''ve done more than enough of that measure, okay? "Okay, okay. Then it''s all yours. And please don''t go behind my back.''Gotts?'' Oh, so this is Gotts? Just by looking at what we''ve seen so far, I can see why the maids don''t like him. Yes, of course. "Because killing you would be so easy, right?You''re going to have to think hard about that area, okay?'' I''m not going to make it when I''m doubting my man. ''''Yes, sir! ''I see. ....... Can you send the information on these men to the Red Golem? I asked the question and got a "yes" sign. Okay, send it in. As soon as I gave the order to the monitor, I sent a telepathic message to the Red Golem. "This is an order to every Red Golem in the castle. When you find the man I just sent you, take him into custody and lock him up. And report him to me as soon as you find him. Okay, that''s one or two less enemies. All right, let''s move on. You got any more footage? Yes, and then 20 minutes ago. And the image that began to flow was blurred and my vision was blurred. "Ah~~. The bath feels good. The place looks like a bath. And in there are Sherry, Lena, and Belle. That''s true. After all, Leo did just remodel it. "Right. You have one of these at Leo''s house, right?Is Bell in there every day?'' Apparently, the three of us are soaking it up in good company . This is the one ...... that needs to be turned off, right? ....... But the monitor brought it out, so ...... it''s no use, right? Yeah, I think I have some information I need. Well, it''s not possible. I''m a maid, sir. I don''t get to use the bathroom very often. "Seldom?Does that mean you''ve been in it before? ''''Yes, sir. Once a month, there''s a certain day when the servants are free to go in, and since they can''t all go in, they go in in turn.'' "Right. ....... Leo is a cheapskate. You should have let him use it every day.'' Yes, I''m sorry to be so stingy. No, Master Leo says I can use it whenever I want. But he apologizes for that, so we''ll have to do it once a month. ''''That''s right . Hah~ And even so, I''m glad to think that I''ll be able to take this bath every day for the next two months.'''' "''Yes. You''re gonna be here for the next two months? I hope that''s nothing. ''Yes. What are we supposed to do?Honestly, our presence makes it hard for Leo-kun to focus on his lord''s work, and ....... Perhaps Leo-kun is still doing something to protect us alone.'''' I''m really sorry. I''m looking in the bathroom. "Well, ......, what can I do to help? That''s easy. When they were troubled, Belle quipped. ''''Huh?'''' ''It''s best that Cheryl and Leena help ease Leo''s fatigue. Master Leo is a spoiled child. He can''t help but feel lonely when he''s not with you.And even without the two of you, Leo-sama is still going to have a lot of trouble in the future, right?Then isn''t it our duty to get Leo-sama, who is working hard for the next two months, to spoil us?'''' "Yeah, yeah, ...... "It''s a classic: ...... They seemed to be overwhelmed by Belle''s words . I felt like I lost to Belle after hearing her words at ....... You know Leo better than I do.'' "Yes, sir. You''ve been watching Leo for far too long. ''''I don''t think that''s true either . I think Leo-sama hides his weaknesses from the two of you because he really likes you both. I just want to be my cool self in front of the two of you. I didn''t mean to do that. ....... Are you trying to be cool ...... me? ''Oh, yeah, ...... I''m starting to feel like an idiot for being so jealous of Belle. It''s true. "Oh, no!Don''t worry about it. "Mm-hm. Really, I''m so stupid. Really, I''m sorry for ever. With that, Shelly bowed to Belle. "Oh, please lift your head. I''m the one who''s sorry for the misunderstanding. Bell, too, bowed her head in a hurry. ''''That''s not true. It was just my own fault and I was angry. Besides, hearing Belle''s words, I think I understand why Leo likes Belle so much. ''''That''s right. Come to think of it, how did Belle become Leo-kun''s personal maid?'''' ''Well, ...... when I heard that the Forster family was looking for a new maid, I applied for the job and was instantly hired by the head maid who expected Leo-sama to like beastmen. "Leo likes beastmen? Also, a word that could be misunderstood: ....... Hey, just because the ears and tail bother me, doesn''t mean I like all the beastly girls, right? ''''Yes, it seems that the Forster family has had a soft spot for beastly women since the days of the heroes. In particular, they thought that Reo-sama, who has the same personality as the brave man, would definitely like her. ''Oh, right: ...... I wonder if I should have these ears or a tail?'' Then Shelly began to touch Belle''s tail and ears. She''s cute. It''s true that you want to keep her close to you. Leena, along with Shelly, started touching Belle. ''Hey!Both of you!I''m tickled!'' Yeah, let''s just turn it off. So I reached for the monitor and ...... grabbed my shoulder as hard as I could. I turned around and saw ...... the three of them standing there after their baths. Oh, by the way, I remember ...... this was a recording. "Leo-sama, we''re glad you''re worried about us, but ...... no peeking, okay? Belle couldn''t have been more smiling, but her ...... eyes weren''t smiling at all . ''''Ha, yes ......'''' Then Bell''s sermon began. Bell''s sermon was so frightening that the two of us who were watching behind him were slowly drifting apart. 104 CHAPTER VII EXAMINATION On the morning of my second day in the estate, I was on my way to the castle dungeon. This morning, I heard that Gotts had been captured by the Red Golem when he entered the castle without knowing what he was doing. ''Hey!Just get me out of here!I''m in charge of the estate here!What does it matter what happens? As we get closer to the jail, I hear voices like that. This voice is probably Gotts . I don''t think it''s a good idea to say that to a golem: ....... ''Hey!Get me out of here!Yeah, you guys are ridiculous. Go get the guy upstairs! When I got close, I heard Gotts yelling at the top of his lungs. "It''s too loud in the morning. I need some quiet. I said that and stood in front of Gotts'' cell. "Oh, you''re ...... who?All right, get me out of here as soon as possible. Ten white gold pieces for now. You don''t know my face: ....... I mean, how come you have so much money . You''re just an official sent by the Empire, right? Yes. My name is Leons Forster, or rather, Leons Muldean. When Gotts heard my name, his eyes widened and he suddenly grew quiet. ''And my lord!Sorry, too!Nay, please don''t mind me saying that, as those words were said in a fit of pique! Just when I thought he''s quieted down, he starts screaming again, louder and louder . After the way you acted earlier, I don''t trust you to be so peckish at all. ....... ''Really?But still, where do you think ten white gold coins come from? Let''s start there. ''Well, uh, ...... it''s, uh, a lie!I lied to save my life. Gotts began to desperately accuse him of lying, sweat sloshing down his face. Well, I don''t care if it''s a lie or not . Okay. So, do you know why Mr. Gotts was brought here? Well, uh, ......, I don''t know. Gotts was suddenly quiet again. Okay, I''ll give you some time. Do your best to remember. I''m a nice guy. I''ll give you a minute to remember. Well, uh, ......, I can''t remember if I''m trying. Apparently, the kindness was unnecessary. Well, that''s what I thought. ''Well, ...... I''m sorry. If only you''d answered honestly: ...... With that, I decided to leave the prison. Wait, wait!If you don''t answer honestly, what do you have? Gotts was frantically trying to stop me from going. ''What?Why are you so worried about it?Mr. Gotts was honest with me, wasn''t he? Then you don''t have to ask. Yes. So, I guess you can''t help but wonder what''s in it, huh? Mm-hm. Because you haven''t been honest. Yeah?Well, let me tell you something. I''m thinking of turning Mr. Gotts over to task force. And I''m going to ask you to torture Mr. Gotts for information about what he''s planning to do to threaten the Empire. Something like that, huh?Special Forces torture is so merciless that if you''re not good at it, you''ll probably die. Last time I was there, I was dealing with the knights of the kingdom: ...... Okay, okay!I''ll tell you everything!Yeah, so spare me the torture! Oh, you talk so easy. Lucky for you. I was going to use mesmerizing magic if it didn''t work, but I guess this ...... guy didn''t need it. That''s nice to know that''s not necessary. Well, it depends on how much you''re willing to tell me about whether or not you''re going to send it to the Special Forces. If there''s not too much information I''m likely to want to know, I''ll send it to the Imperial City right away. Okay, okay!First of all, I''ve been embezzling for the last decade or so. That''s what I thought. You''re under arrest for embezzlement. Really. How long?Honestly?We''ll find out later. Yes. That''s roughly a quarter of the tax revenue of the Myrddin territory. ...... What? This guy is even more impressive than I thought he would be. What kind of person in their right mind would do that? Yeah, the Empire has a problem. Watch out. I''m sorry. You apologize to me: ....... Well, we can talk about that sin later. Come on, keep talking. Yes. Actually, Mr. Filibert and his family were paying us. Yeah, I know you''re connected to the Philibert family. How much? I have about ten white gold coins a month. ...... So he''s getting about $20 million a month: ....... I mean, what was this guy doing with that much money? And what did you do in return? ''Well, uh, ...... I changed the rules to favor the Philibert family. Be specific. Okay. Well, uh... ...... I have a rule that if you pay for the sigil of the House of Philibert at the security checkpoint in my district, there will be no need to check your luggage or pay taxes. Huh, too stupid to say anything . ''Later, I''ll have to fire everyone who gets paid to do it: ....... Okay, next. I''ll be next: ...... There''s more, right? ''Look, don''t you have more important things to do?You were talking to someone yesterday. ....... I don''t know what it was, ......, but I think he was telling me to go find out what his weaknesses were. Gotts'' eyes widened when I brought up what they said yesterday. ''Well, if you won''t talk to me, that''s fine . I''m going to write a letter to the Imperial City now. So I said it and tried to get out of the cell. Wait, wait! Gotts was trying very hard to stop me. You hate torture so much?Maybe you''ll get the death penalty whether you say any more of your crimes or not. Hmm?Are you going to tell me anything? Okay. I will speak. Yesterday, I was speaking to a nobleman of the Philibert family faction, Hein Cardiff, who has a neighbouring estate in Myrddin. We were talking about a plan to assassinate Master Leons. Hein Cardiff: ....... So he''s a nobleman. I don''t think I''m going to be able to get my hands on this guy, so the Empire will have to do it. I see. Now, name all the people involved in the plan. I don''t know what will happen if I find out later that one of them is out. Well, you''ll be dead either way, along with the rest of them. Yes. ...... Then Gotts began to say his name honestly. Surprisingly, Edwan''s name didn''t come up. I wonder which one she is: ....... Let the mice observe for now. Anything else? But as far as I can tell, that''s as far as I go. Okay. Okay, you get some rest. And with that, I left the prison. Hey, hey!Wait! I heard a voice behind me, but I didn''t care. . Now you know what to do. Yeah. But by the way, Leo-kun just looked so bad. When I came back from the prison, Leena was teasing me. She and her friends had been watching me on the rat monitor while I was in the cell. Is that so? What''s the fun in bullying a fat guy like that? I''m not having a good time. Oh, that was an act, okay? Oh, Leo-sama, you have such a taste. You don''t mind if Leo-sama makes fun of me, do you? ''I wouldn''t do that!That was an act! I''m not much of a hobbyist. I know that. I know Leo would never hurt us. Leo can''t do that. Yeah, I can''t. Ummm, yeah, ....... I''m glad you understand: ....... So, what do we do now? For now, I''m going to report to the castle. After that, maybe I''ll go over the rules of this territory. After that, I''m going to keep an eye on the territory and do various things. For now, we have to do something about this situation with all these enemies. I see. Let us know if there''s anything we can do to help. Yeah. If you need anything else, just let me know. I just need the three of you to keep smiling. 105 CHAPTER VIII FUTURE RESPONSE I''m really sorry about this. I saw the Emperor bowing before me. This morning, I went to report to the emperor what I''d learned from Gotts as soon as I could. The emperor immediately ordered his men to hurry up and check it out. And after a couple of hours, he finally confirmed it. By the looks of things, was Gotts telling the truth? No, keep your head up. So, what do we do now? What do you want me to do? Yeah, I want to go out and arrest all the criminals that Leo found out about. Also, I''m going to assign a replacement civilian and a bodyguard to you, Leo, until we get this thing under control. Okay. But the guards are at ....... I think it''s more of a hindrance: ....... No worries. I''ll get Ivan and Eunice out of Damien''s place. Then what''s the problem? Brother Ivan and Mr. Eunice? Well, ....... I think they''ll be fine. And Elise was kind enough to help me choose an officer. Oh, if you''re good enough for Elise, you''ll be fine. Thank you, ma''am. ''''No, the Empire is entirely to blame in this case. They didn''t know about the embezzlement. And for failing to do something about the Philibert family. Well, there''s no denying it. ''How could you not see that ...... embezzlement?You''ve punished lords before for the same reason, haven''t you? Oh, I''m sorry. Earlier, Leo, you asked me to look into it, and all the civilian inspectors from the auditor''s office had some kind of connection to the Philibert family. ''Oh, I see. ......'' The Philibert family has been doing that much: ....... It''s not funny that the people who find out about the injustice are the ones doing the injustice . I''m having them look into other territories now to see if the same thing is being done in other territories. The sooner we get that done, the better. There''s gonna be a lot of cheating going on here. Yeah. And about the Philibert family, ...... I think it''s going to be fine. That''s it?If it''s not good, that house is doing something that could crush the empire, right? What?Isn''t that kind of nice?Even if it''s hard to take it down, wouldn''t you reduce the territory or something? That''s about as much as you can do, or that house will do it again, right? No, if we take the territory away from him, we''ll lose it. What do you mean? Because of his maladministration, his domain is in a terrible mess. If we take away that fiefdom, it would be in his favor. ''Nah, I see. ......'' I didn''t realize it was that bad: ....... So, if we stop him from cheating and leave him alone, he''ll destroy himself one day. And I''m going to fine him for it, which will cost him dearly. Well, then, he''ll be quiet for the time being. I hope that this is an opportunity to get him to take the management of the estate seriously . But since he''s such a chubby parent, he''s not going to give up ...... well. I understand. Okay, I''ll take Brother Ivan, Eunice and our new civilian back to the other side. The Empire seems to be taking care of the rest, and I''ll take care of my own territory. ''''I see. But still, ...... you''re really amazing, Leo-kun, to start reforming your territory in just two days. Are you really eleven years old? Of course. I''m 11 years old, just like Sherry. I don''t know how old he would be in his previous life combined, but . Oh, I''m just kidding. Well, I''ll see you guys later. Hope to see you in two months this time. Yeah, I''d like that, too. I''d like to believe that it''s all right ...... . Oh, and any money the previous administrator embezzled is yours to spend on Mladin''s estate. Take that as an apology for this imperial mismanagement. I understand. I''ll put it to good use. Maybe there''s not that much left, but . From the looks of the maids, they must have been spending a lot of money on women''s games: ....... Just hope for the best, I guess. Yeah, good luck with that. Okay, bye. I bowed and left the emperor''s room. Good. Are you done talking to the Emperor? When I left the room, Brother Ivan and Brother Ivan''s partner, Eunice, were waiting for me . Oh, brother. And Mr. Eunice. Yeah. It''s just for the next two months. Eunice''s appearance is that of a blonde ponytail, tall and slender. He has a strong personality, and the last time I saw him, he had beaten Ivan many times. He carries a demon sword at his waist. It seems my grandfather taught him how to use the sword when he was young, so Ivan would not have been able to beat him with just a sword. By the way, I asked my master to make you a magic sword as an early wedding present. Okay. Thank you for being my bodyguard. With these two as guards, I''ll feel safer. They''ve cleared dungeons, so they''re one of the few people in the world with the skills to do it. I''ll take care of him. I''ll protect you no matter what. Thank you. Shelly and Rinna will be guarded by me. Oh, Leo! Oh, Elise. As I was thanking Miss Eunice, Elise came in with a strange woman. "I''m really sorry about this time. I didn''t manage it well. No, no. I wasn''t harmed in any way, so don''t worry about it. Now that the emperor has apologized to me many times, I''d like to end this conversation. Also, ...... is the civilian who will be assisting Leo. Now that he''s here. Flair, introduce yourself. With that, the woman who was brought before Elise bowed neatly and began to introduce herself . ''''Yes . It''s nice to meet you, my name is Fleur . I''ll be assisting Leons-sama from now on, so it''s nice to meet you. Miss Flare seems like a pretty woman with a sharp eye. She''s from a humble background. But she was a genius who graduated first in her class the year before last. By the way, you were first in class that year, Alex. That''s the same age as your brother Alex. She''s about the same age as your brother Alex. Well, your brother Alex seems to have been super talented, so Flair must be great enough. Oh, that''s great. Well, it''s nice to meet you too. Also, it''s probably hard to say Leons, so just call me Leo. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Leo. And please, no honorifics. ''What?Wow, okay ...... I get it. It''s hard not to suddenly use respectful words for people you''ve never met before: ....... "Leo-kun, you have a fiefdom now, you should know what it means to be a nobleman. You''ll be lambasted if you use respectful terms of endearment to your subordinates. Yeah, right: ....... Okay. I''ll be careful in the future. Yeah. Well, have a good day. You two in the back will be there to protect the princess and little Rihanna. Of course. Yes. I''ll do my best. Elise''s words were answered cheerfully by her brothers . ''''Well then, after we pick up Shelly and Leena, we''ll head straight to the Myrddin territory . I look forward to hearing from you in two months. Yes, sir. Have fun. Bye. I bowed to Elise and headed to Shelly''s room. ''But then again, Flair is Leo''s aide. I was on my way to Sherry''s room when Brother Ivan started talking about it. So, you''re your brother''s junior. ''Yes, he is, but is there a problem? Mr. Flare said back to Brother Ivan a little coldly. Hmm?Aren''t you two that close? No, you''re a good assistant. Well, you''re going to have a hard time. What do you mean? Why do you have a hard time with me being the boss? Because if you''re Leo, you''re sure you''re going to cause another ruckus or two in the future.It''s going to be tough for the civilian officials who have to deal with that. Soooo, with that being said: ....... ''''Don''t worry about it. Master Leo is free to manage his domain. And you should worry about yourself more than I do. I''ve been entrusted with the great task of guarding the princess. Saying that, Flair gave her brother a piercingly cold look. ''Oh, oh ......'' He couldn''t say anything else. "Well, I''ll try not to push you. And I''m sure Miss Flare will have lots of questions for you if you don''t understand. Because I don''t know anything about fiefdom management. Sure. You can count on me. Unlike the way he treated his brother, this time he answered with a gentle smile. ''''Ivan is such a soft-spoken man, isn''t he? Oh, shut up! Yeah, that''s all you can say to Mr. Eunice, and I think you''re weak. 106 CHAPTER IX TREASURE SEARCH 1 So this is the transition: ...... That was a real moment. Right now, we''ve just returned to the estate after picking up Sherry, Leena, and Belle. Brother Ivan and Eunice were impressed with their first transition. ''''Where is this ......?'''' Mr. Flair, who didn''t even know the transfer existed, is surprised, or rather confused, but... ''''We''re in a castle in Mladin territory. This is it? Well, it''s hard to believe. Yeah. With the transference, I can move at a moment''s notice. It really is a moment: ...... It''s the first time you go through a transition, it''s the most amazing thing you''ve ever done. Yes. It''s only for a second, isn''t it? Shelley and Leena looked at a surprised Flair and missed him. ''Well then, I''ll have to call Mr. Edwan and have him set up a room for his brothers and Miss Flair. Then I called Edwan and asked him to show my brothers to me. Meanwhile, I was relaxing in my room with Sherry and the others. "This makes me feel a little less anxious. Furthermore, the Philibert family might have a vendetta against you, but you can''t do anything with no money, so don''t worry . Really, that''s good. What are you going to do tomorrow? Leena said this with a sincere smile and asked me a question. Tomorrow? ....... ''In the meantime, I''d like to take all the money out of Gotts'' house and do something with it, wouldn''t you? I see. . that how much Gotts had saved up would make a difference in his future moves. There you go, Leena, you know what to do. It''s true, how much Gotts has saved will change what he does from now on. Maybe the next two months will be spent just thinking about making money. That''s true. Anyway, I''ll go over to Gotts'' house tomorrow. Then we''ll figure out what to do. Can we come with you? ''Can you wait for me this time?It''s the enemy''s house, for one thing, and there might be some kind of trap set for them. Besides, there are still some of Gotts'' servants left in the house. All right. I''ll stay here quietly. Uh, well, just leave the monitor with me. A monitor?Oh, I get it. OK. With those spy rats, you can watch me from a distance. Shelly will want to use it to watch the treasure hunt. Yay. I''m watching for the moment you find the treasure. "I don''t think we should get our hopes up. Did you see his stomach?I''m pretty sure they''ve gone on a spending spree and have very little money left. Unless you''ve got more money than you can spend, no matter how much you play with it . Well, you won''t be disappointed later if you don''t get your hopes up. "Huh? Well, it''s no use. But I have my hopes up. The next day. Well, I''m off. I said hello to them before I left the castle. They will be in my room watching the progress on the monitor. The Mouse is on my shoulder, so we can enjoy the treasure hunt from my perspective. Have a good day. I''m looking forward to it. Take it easy, please. Master Leo, please be safe. Sherry, Leena, and Belle said, and looked uneasy. ''Don''t worry about it. We''ll take plenty of Red Golems with us. Last time I made a bunch of them for the security of the castle, but I overbuilt them and a lot of them are still sitting in my backpack. I see. ...... I see. Knowing how many golems I have, Leena''s uneasy face eased a little. ''''Are you sure, Leo-sama, you''re going to go yourself?I think I''d better let the knights go. Mr. Fleur, who doesn''t know anything about it, still seems uneasy. Well, a normal nobleman wouldn''t go to the danger zone. No, they don''t. I think it''s probably safest for me to go. Besides, I don''t have an Order. Yeah, the Knights can''t do anything about it either: ....... As expected, they can''t all be golems, right? ''''Yeah, but still, ...... if anything happens to Leo-sama ...... Yeah ...... How can I convince you to do this? I can''t say it strongly enough because I''m sure Flair is seriously worried about me and ....... ''Don''t worry, Flair, don''t worry . Leo is the strongest of them all. . probably stronger than the captain. I was having a hard time and my brother helped me. Is that right? Ms. Flare couldn''t believe what her brother was saying, so she asked me back. ''Well, well, ....... If you''re worried about that, just watch the video on there. I''m going to make sure it''s all okay. I said that and pointed to the monitor. "...... You got it. Miss Flare looked like she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it and agreed. ''So, I''m off. Once we got everyone''s consent, I left the room. First, I took a position near Gotts'' house. Then I followed Anna''s directions to Gotz''s house. Is this his house?What nobleman''s mansion is this: ....... You''re wasting your money: ...... Gotts'' house was bigger than my house in the Imperial City. That alone told me I was wasting my money like crazy. Well, we''ll climb in, then. First, he spoke amicably to the gatekeeper. Excuse me, sir. Is this the right place for Mr. Gotts? Yeah, yeah. What''s the requirement? The gatekeeper responded bluntly. Well, I''m dressed like an adventurer right now, so I don''t blame him. "It''s just that. Here''s what you need. So I gave my letter to the gatekeeper. "What is it? ...... It has come to my attention that due to Mr. Gotts'' embezzlement, his property has been seized. Leonce Muledeen. What?Did they get Master Gotts? The gatekeeper reads the letter and asks me in surprise. "Yes, I''m caught. So would you mind clearing out? I begged nicely. ''No, I don''t think I can trust a kid like you to bring it to me, go home.'' The gatekeeper said and tore the letter into pieces . ''''Eh~ . I think it''s best to follow it quietly here. ''What if I don''t obey?What can you do? Am I allowed to say that? I can do this. I pulled two Red Golems out of my backpack. ''''Hey, what ...... is that ......?'''' The gatekeeper sat up when he saw the sudden appearance of the golem. ''What do we do?If you don''t decide soon, I''ll force my way in, okay? This time I asked nicely. The Red Golem approaches the gatekeeper. "Okay, sure. Here you go: ...... The gatekeeper sat down and opened the gate for me. Yeah. Good honesty. Now just make sure no one else gets in. Saying that, I left the two gatekeepers and the two golems there to guard the outside. Well then, let''s hurry and find them before they get hidden. While saying that, he wasted no time in arranging the Red Golem in the large garden . There are probably more than fifty of them. "They must work in pairs. Don''t touch anyone who works here unless they resist. If they try anything, don''t kill them, just tie them up and neutralize them. If you find something of value, bring it back to the yard. And you''re to call me if you have any problems. Please do these things, and you''ll be on your way. Then let''s go. When the golems finished listening to my orders, they started to move towards the mansion in unison. Shall I come with you? Anna, nice to meet you. And then I spoke to Anna. Yes, sir. I''ll start to show you the way to the vault. As Anna said this, an arrow appeared on her goggles. Oh, you''re so smart, Anna. He even knows where the safe is. While admiring Anna, I rushed into the mansion and saw the surprised faces of the maids as I rushed into the mansion . They wouldn''t know anything about it, so it must be scary to have so many people come in all of a sudden . ''''Excuse me . Please be quiet. I''ll explain it to you when everything is over. As I was running through the mansion saying this over and over again, I noticed something. "Are there only maids in this house? He looked around the corner as he ran, but he still didn''t see the butler or the soldiers on guard . ''''Could it be that you were thinking of turning the ...... mansion into a harem of women except for yourself?'''' As I recall, you were said to be a womanizer: ....... Yabba ...... would you go that far? While saying this, I arrived at the innermost room on the first floor of the mansion. ''Is there a safe in here?I can''t find it anywhere, though? It was a perfectly normal bedroom with a bed in the center of the room and a painting of a woman on the wall. (No, try to deflect the painting.) ''Pictures?Okay. I did as Anna asked and took the painting off the wall. Then I went to ...... and there was a keyhole. Is that a safe?Is the wall a safe? It''s a lot bigger than that. No, it''s not. Unlock it for now. ''How?Do I have to find the key now? (No, you''ll have to build a magic item.) Oh, that''s not a problem. I just brought my backpack with me. While saying this, I took out the magic stone and mithril from my backpack. Then I used my creation magic. The result is ...... The universal key. It can be any key. The keyhole will form a perfect key and is easy to unlock. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Another useful thing we have here. Let''s try not to abuse it. Okay. Do you want to open it? I stuck the universal key in and turned it. Then I heard a click, and then I heard something open. That doesn''t change anything. The door is unlocked, but the walls are still. (No, it''s changed.) (Look at the side of the bed.) By the bed?Ugh, there''s a hole. I turned around and somehow there was a big hole in the side of the bed. (You can get to the basement from there.) That being said, I looked into the hole and found ...... a staircase that led down to the bottom. I see ...... it''s a hidden room. ...... Yes. There''s a safe under here. You''re spending too much money. You''re too security-conscious. Well, I guess he''s trying to hide the bad money somehow. It was dark, so I took Wanateras out of my backpack and walked down the stairs to a room with two doors. ...... "Which one of these is the safe? The safe is in the room to the right. Right. What''s on the left? I''ll get there later. All right, let''s just go to the right. I opened the door on the right and went into the back room. Then I saw a large metal door on one side of the ...... room. "Wow! It''s a big safe. I''m going to go beat the shit out of that guy if it''s not good enough. As I approached the safe, I saw that there were four dials. ''That''s the password: ....... I''m going to have to get it out of Gotts. ...... Do we have to go back to the castle again? It''s a pain in the ass: ....... (It''s okay.) I can see that. It''s all seven. But then Anna told me in simple terms. "What?Really?I mean, it''s all 7. ...... It was tight until we got here, and now it''s ruined at the end. "Seven, seven, seven, seven, seven, seven and ....... Oh, there it is. The guy''s an idiot. ...... As he said this, he opened the heavy safe door. Then I saw ...... Shit. How much have you been saving up? ...... The inside of the vault was filled with gold coins and other treasures of great value. What was that guy going to do with all this money?Well, it''s mine as of today, so you''re forgiven. For now, the treasure stays here. As long as we can get the safe out of the way, it''s safest to leave it here. You can''t have all this in your backpack, you know. If Anna''s not here like I am, she''ll never know about the stash house. Later, you''ll have to confiscate the key to the stash from Gotts. Right. We''ll have to convert the safe. Yeah. Okay. He took the magical stone and cast a creation spell on the vault. And what was created was ...... Safety deposit box. I will protect your treasure, no matter what. You will not be able to open this safe unless you can get past the biometrics. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Oh, now we''re in business. (Yes, okay.) Open it for a test drive. Touch the safe and the biometric identification will begin. Oh, okay. Okay. I''ll try. I did what Anna asked and touched the safe. Then he said, ''Biometric identification complete. You are indeed Mr. Leonce Muldaine,'' he said, and the safe opened. "I see. That looks good. Now let''s go take a look in the other room. Oh, speaking of which, let''s go over to the door on the left. My treasure hunt continues: ...... 107 Ten, stay with Probe 2. Hey, who''s Leo talking to? Eunice looked at the monitor and asked Ivan a question. ''Well?I think you''re talking to yourself. But then you''re talking to yourself. I feel like I''m talking to someone. And you look like you''ve got someone telling you where the safe is. Come to think of it, I didn''t make a single stop until I got to the vault. Besides, it''s the first time I''ve ever been there, and it''s a wonder I knew the vault was in that place: ...... As he said this, Ivan tilted his head. ''''Could it be Leo-sama''s special power?'''' Flare walked in on their conversation. ''I''m not so sure about that.I thought that guy''s only skill was transference. It''s possible that he''s trudged through a number of dungeons in hiding, though. The three adults, Eunice, Ivan and Fleur, knew very little about Leo, so there was no way to know who they were talking to . By comparison, Shelley and the others, who knew about Anna''s existence, were more interested in the treasure. Did you see that treasure?It was stuffed into a safe that big. Excitedly, Shelly was talking to Leena and Belle. ''It was amazing . It''s a wonder how you managed to store that much. But still, I''m glad it''s all okay. Leena was just as excited about the treasure as Shelly was, but also a little relieved. ''Yes . Thanks to Anna. Belle was relieved, but also grateful to Anna. Those goggles are so awesome. How could they build something like that?Creation magic is too useful. That''s really useful. You made a key on the spot and altered the safe and cheated. Yeah. But you''re not done with the treasure hunt yet, are you? ''Yes . Master Leo went into the room that was to the left earlier and he was talking to Anna. Shelley''s question was answered by Belle . Belle was supposed to not hear Anna''s voice, but she was supposed to be talking to her in her head. ''There''s a door on the left. What do you think is in there? As she said this, Shelly hoped the treasure was still sleeping. ''Well?I think I''m hiding something that I don''t want people to see, ''What?Isn''t it a treasure? When Leena denied it, Shelly couldn''t help but ask back . ''Yes . I don''t think so. Lena stated flatly. ''Yeah, yeah ......'' After Leena had assured her of this, Shelly turned her attention to the monitor again, dreading it. SIDE: Leons. Now, what''s the room on the left: ...... Now I''m coming out of the vault, my hand on the door to my left. Let''s see what we''ve got here: ....... (I''m in jail.) Locked up? I was expecting a treasure, and there''s some pretty wild stuff in there. (Yes . . apparently, they are all slaves.) Slaves? What do you mean?Did he keep slaves in prison? I''m not complaining because it''s up to people to buy slaves, but ...... I don''t see the point of bothering to put them in jail... Because slaves have no choice but to obey their masters'' orders, so why bother putting them in jail? (Yes . I think they were hiding it to avoid someone finding out about it, since they were illegal slaves). Illegal slaves?What do you mean, he was abducted from the city? ''I see ...... that guy was that much of a rubbish human being: ......'' I opened the door, knowing in my heart I wasn''t going to let that man die easy. There were real prisons lined up. But it was just too empty. Huh?You don''t think he''s dead by any chance, do you? I impatiently moved the wannabe terrace to illuminate one of the cells. Then I saw a naked woman shivering and buzzing in the corner of the ...... cell. I looked closer and saw that she was an elf with pointy ears that I had seen in a book. "Hey, are you all right? I rushed to the jail. "Oh, you''re ......? The elven woman looked surprised at my face, but quickly returned to her original scared expression . ''''Uh ...... I''m Lonce Muldeen . Well ...... I''m the new lord here, and I''m here to expose the evil of Gotts. I didn''t know what to do, so I decided to say my name anyway . The elven woman looked a little relieved when she heard me introduce myself. ''''Oh, I see ...... I''ll be saved, right?'''' Yeah. So don''t worry. Thank you. I''m fine, please go ahead and help the others. I knew there were others: ....... Okay. Anna, how many people are here? Thirteen. ''Thirteen?Okay. And there are no lights in here? It''s hard to see inside in this darkness. Yes, it is. The switch is next to the door. Oh, it''s true. Then I flipped the switch and only the inside of the jail cell was illuminated . ''You spent a lot of money on weird stuff: ......'' As I looked at the other prisons, thinking about what punishment I would give Gotts later, I saw ...... beastmen and elves shivering at the edge of the prison. ''You all must have been scared ......'' Hey, Leo, is it safe for us to come in there? I was in shock when I received a telepathic message from ...... Leena. (Hmm?Lena?(Are you coming here?) (Yes . (I think they would be less scared if a woman helped them than Leo-kun would be if he helped them. Oh, sure. Better them than me. Yeah, that''s the idea. Well, I''m coming to you. So I reminded Leena and then I shifted. I''m home. So do you mind if I ask Leena and the others? As soon as we transitioned to the castle, I asked Leena a question. "Yes. Well then, Sherry, Belle, Eunice, and Miss Flair, shall we go too? Leena said nonchalantly and stood up. That''s what I''m talking about. You''re the man to beat. "Oh, I''m ....... As I was admiring Leena, my brother Ivan asked me apologetically. ''Why don''t you just stand guard at the basement entrance? You''re my brother''s bodyguard. Okay, okay. What about Leo? In the meantime, I''ll help the golems with their work. It''ll be over in a few minutes. All right. All right, let''s hurry up and get over there. Yes. Okay, everybody just touch me. I used the transference, making sure everyone was touching me. Okay. Okay, you guys can get to work. Oh, and, Lina, what do you need? As soon as I got to the prison, I asked Lena what she wanted. Leena knows these things better than anyone else. "Well ......, we need a lot of blankets for now. Also, I don''t think she''s being fed properly, so please give her some food. Okay. I pulled some emergency food out of my backpack and created a bunch of blankets. ''If you don''t have enough of these, call me right away!I don''t care if it''s the smallest thing, you can use telepathic communication. I understand. Okay, brother, I''m going. Oh, yeah. Then he had his brother stand in front of the stairs and began to explore the mansion. ''Anna, how far have the golems gone?'' Almost done. Valuable ornaments, etc., are being moved into the garden. Oh, and the golem is good. I see. Is it true that this house has only a maid? (Yes . (There are a few slaves mixed in, but they are all maids.) Do you still have slaves? (Yes . But this one seems to have been a debt slave, and they had him working as a maid.) Then ...... well, it''s no different than an aristocratic house. ....... ''Well, ...... he''s a lousy little man. I guess he was so worried about what people would think of him that he tried to avoid doing anything illegal on earth. Yeah. So, did you find any evidence of wrongdoing? (Not yet. Maybe it''s in the vault that the golems took out.) Oh, he''s still got the safe. Let''s go open the safe, then. I went into the yard to open the safe. When I arrived at the garden, it was a bizarre sight. "How much did that guy ...... waste on that thing? There were a ridiculous number of expensive looking ornaments, paintings, and carpets in the yard. I wonder how much it would all go for if I sold it . ''There''s a safe in here: ....... Anna, tell me where it is. All right. Right this way. This way. As Anna said this, a mark appeared on her goggles. I looked at the place and saw that there was a rather large safe. "I''m glad you brought this in: ...... It took four golems to bring it in. You needed four golems: ....... ''It must have been heavy.'' (By the way, the code is 7777.) Seriously? That guy''s an idiot. I''ll bet they''re all seven, so go to ....... Stunned by Gotts, I opened the safe. Then I saw ...... Inside, it was packed tightly with white gold coins and documents . ''''You''ve been stuffing the gold over here too? ....... I''ll give these papers to Mr. Flare. While saying this, he packed the contents of the safe into his backpack. Okay, that concludes our treasure hunt. Well, let''s get to Leena''s place. I hope it''s nothing. ...... With that concern, I shifted. 108 CHAPTER XI -- HELPING THE CONJUGATED WOMEN SIDE: Rihanna. After seeing Leo and his brother-in-law off, I immediately started to move. Then we''ll get you out of here as soon as possible. First of all, ...... Oh, I forgot to ask Leo-kun to open the jail. I was about to open the jail and put my hands on it when I realized something very important. What should I do, it wouldn''t be good to bring Leo back after he''d just left. ''Then I''ll just cut him off. When I looked towards the sound, I saw that Eunice was holding a sword. It happened so fast that everyone stared at Eunice. "Huh?Couldn''t we just cut it off? "No, no. I think it''s all right. Now then, Mr. Eunice, you take care of the rest of the prison. As for the rest of you, please help the one I finished healing with holy magic to get him out. Okay, okay. I understand. Yes, sir. While giving instructions to everyone, when I entered the prison, there was a girl who looked a little older than me, a beastman. She looked very uneasy and her body was shaking and pulling. ''''Is there anything that hurts?'''' I asked the girl a question, casting a calming spell. "No, it doesn''t hurt. Okay. Just in case you''re wondering, I''m going to cast holy magic all over your body. After saying this, I cast a holy spell over his entire body and his trembling subsided a bit. ''''I feel a little better. That''s good to hear. Sherry and Belle, get a blanket. Yes? Isn''t it still cold? No, no, I''m fine. I asked her a question as I wrapped the blanket they brought around her body, and the beastly girl replied while holding onto the blanket tightly . ''That''s good to hear. Belle, can you take me upstairs? Yes, sir. Also, Belle is in charge of keeping an eye on the person who came upstairs to see if he or she is ready to eat. If you think you can eat, please give them the food Leo-kun left for them. Okay, I understand. Belle replied and picked the girl up and walked out of the room. ''Well then, let''s get to the next one. After that, we healed and carried more than a dozen people, until we were at the end. The last one was the first beautiful elf that Leo found, a very beautiful woman. "You''re the last. Do you have any pain or anything? I''m fine. I''m new here and they haven''t done anything to me yet. That''s good to hear. But it was hard, I guess. He hadn''t eaten anything since the day Gotts was taken. ''''I didn''t know that. ....... Well then, I''ll let you cast holy magic all over my body, just in case. I cast a spell over his body as well as the other children, just in case. Thank you. I feel so much better. I think I can walk now. He said so, but he was so wobbly that he didn''t look all right. Oh, please don''t push yourself. I rushed to support her. Oh, I''m sorry. No need to apologize. Miss Flair, please give him a blanket. Yes, sir. Okay, I''ll head up. I put the blanket that Flair had brought me over the elven woman and began to walk, supporting her. Then, as I started to walk, a person appeared in the prison. Who''s there? Oh, Leena, I''m done with this one, but can I help you with anything? As we braced ourselves, we heard Leo''s gentle voice. What ...... is it, Leo-kun? ....... ...... You startled me. No, it''s okay, we''re done here too. I''m sorry. Is it over?Great. You were right to have Leena and the others help you. Compliments will have to come in abundance later. For now, it''s more important to have this man upstairs. The priority now is to get this woman out of here. Oh, I''m sorry. So you''re okay with this? Leo was also concerned about a woman walking around holding onto my shoulder. Okay, yes. I''m fine. No, no, no. I''ll carry you out. When Leo said that, he picked the woman up in his arms. ''Oh ......'' The woman involuntarily let out a squeal of surprise, but she didn''t seem that reluctant to do so . I felt a little jealous, but I shouldn''t think about that right now. ''Well, let''s go then. SIDE: Leons. Is that all of them? I carried the elven women out and when I got to the ground, I found a room full of women wrapped in blankets . ''Yes,'' Okay. Well, let''s take him to the castle and gather information once everyone is settled. The most important thing right now is for you to get well. Yeah. I think that''s a good idea. Well, let''s move to the castle. Then I transitioned to the castle and left the women held by Gotts in charge of Leena and the maids. Then I returned to Gotz''s mansion by myself, closed the cellar door and went to the golems. The golems had finished their work and were waiting in the yard for me to return. It seems like the treasures in the garden are even more numerous than before. ....... Good work. Thanks for today. I''ll let you know if I need anything else. With that, I put the golems back in my backpack. ''''Let''s keep these treasures in my backpack for now and go sell them later. The treasures are in my backpack. Oh, um, ....... You mind explaining the situation? I finished putting the treasure in my backpack and was about to go back to the castle when I heard a woman''s voice behind me. I turned around and saw the maids working here. Come to think of it, I didn''t say anything. If we leave, we''ll suddenly become a group of people who trashed the house and left. "Oh, sorry ...... And then I explained the process so far. ." "Okay, ...... so what do we do now? Sure, what to do: ....... I''m sure the maids won''t want to be fired suddenly. ....... "I don''t know what to do: ...... Let me think about it for a while, and I''ll ask you to manage the house for the time being. Don''t worry, I''ll pay you well, too. Thank you. I see. The maids, who had been looking uneasy, looked relieved when they heard my words. ''''Well then, we''ll come back and see you then. Yes. It''s nice to meet you. After saying hello to the maids, I moved to the castle. We''re home. Welcome back. When I transitioned to my room, it was only Shelly. ''Huh?What about Belle and Lina? I''m taking a bath. A bath?What are you doing? ''We''re washing people who have been held by Gotts,'' Oh, that''s what I thought. Okay. All right, well, I''m gonna stay with Gotts until you''re done. I need to get some information out of him. All right. I''d better be here. Yeah. Maybe I''ll scare you off, you know? I''m not going to show that guy any mercy today, so I don''t want Sherry to see that ...... . I''m sure that''s okay, but I''ll be quiet and wait for you here. Thank you. All right, I''m going to go. After giving Shelly a hug, I transitioned to the prison where Gotts was. ''d*mn it ....... I''m a great guy. I''m not the kind of person who''s going to end up in a place like this for the rest of my life. When I transitioned to the prison, Gotts was saying the same sickening things as before. ''I agree you''re not the kind of person to end your life in a place like this,'' Hmm?Oh, you! I''m just saying, I''m not gonna let you have an easy time of it. I have to think about what the punishment is going to be for you. Yeah, that''s just the thing: ...... Gotts heard my words and his energy was gone. Regardless, I decided to continue the conversation. "I just checked your house: ...... Yes, sir. You''ve been spending a lot of money, haven''t you? ''Yes, yes ......'' That was a hell of a lot of gold, by the way: ...... A gold coin! Gotts looked surprised at the word "gold". Of course it was, because the vault above ground was full of white gold coins. Yeah, it was a big safe full of them. I didn''t know you had it hidden underground: ...... ...... Gotts went pale and silent. ''So, is there anything you want to tell me?'' Yes, no: ...... Yeah. Okay, now let''s keep talking. There''s a safe to the right of the basement. And to the left, what do you think was in there? Come on, come on. ...... Gotts struggled to pretend he didn''t know, sweat dripping off his face. ''You still don''t feel like talking?I think you should be honest with me. ...... I don''t really know what you''re talking about. Gotts''s voice was trembling. Okay. Okay, well, if you remember anything else, just tell me right away. ...... I went down the hall to the left, and I saw a cell. It''s really weird. Why did they bother to hide the jail?With that in mind, I looked into the prison and found an elven woman. ...... ...... "The woman had a slave collar on and was naked. The poor thing was trembling and terrified. So I looked into it and found out that she''s an illegal slave ...... and we''re currently in the process of protecting all the slaves that were in prison at the castle, do you have anything to say about it? ...... Gotts looked down and remained silent. ''Where and how did you get them? I unlocked the cell and went inside. Or did you take him from somewhere? ...... Gotts seems to have decided to go quietly. Are you going to keep your mouth shut?Then I''ve got an idea: ...... I created a knife and put it in front of Gotts. What do you want to do?If you don''t talk to me, I''m going to have to give you a painful experience? ...... Showing a knife and threatening him doesn''t seem to make him want to talk. I can''t help it. ...... I put the knife to my neck. Then I started to pull back, little by little. Gotts looked up at me, and I guess he was getting impatient. "Wait, wait!I don''t think it''s a neck all of a sudden! It''s not different. I don''t need you alive anymore. I would have been willing to let you live if you would have told me everything, but only if you would have given it up. ...... I don''t mind killing him, do you? "Okay, okay. I''ll tell you everything. I''ll tell you!Just don''t kill me! Gotts was screaming at the top of his lungs. Then just tell me what the hell is going on. Here. Then I grabbed the knife from around his neck. My neck was cut off a little, and there was a little blood on the knife. Seeing that, Gotts was even more frightened, and he started to speak quickly. "Wow, okay. The place where I bought them is in this city, in a place known as the Kuro Market District. Kuro market district?Is there a place in this city that is that dangerous? Is there such a place? "Yes, sir. They say you can get things that are banned in the world if you go there. What kind of a dangerous place is that in my territory?Terrible: ....... ''''I see. ...... That''s where you have to go. Tell me more about the black market district. The black market district must be shut down immediately. Let''s see: ....... The black market is located underneath this city. The underground entrance is located in the store owned by the black market leaders who rule the city. Show your membership card at the store and they will show you to the entrance. It''s a cumbersome system to sneak into: ....... ''How do I get a membership card?'' You can become one if you meet the executives and pay them a lot of money. If I do that, I''m an accessory to it, right? That''s a hassle. BTW, where''s your membership card?I''m pretty sure they put your belongings over here. As I was saying this, I pulled out something that looked like it from Gotts'' possessions. It had Gotts'' name and the title "Chairman" written on it. "Here''s the mastermind behind it: ...... I didn''t know it was this easy to catch the top: ....... ''So?How does this membership card work? When the blood of the owner is dripped on, the name of the person who gave him or her the membership card is raised. Okay, so it''s how we can identify you and spot your cover. I put some blood from the knife on my membership card to see if I could find it. Then the word "Gotts" popped up on the ...... card. "Well, you''re the president, so you can issue your own card. So where''s the entrance you''re holding? "Deep in the dungeons. There is a hidden door in the dungeons, which I''m sure will be difficult to see. Really?I guess I should have checked. Copy that. All right, I''ll be back here when this black market thing is over. Then, without hearing Gotts'' reply, I moved to my room. 109 CHAPTER XII -- INTRUDING BLACK MARKET ① I got the information from Gotts and came back to my room. I''m home. Thanks for your help. Oh, Leena. Good job, Leena. You were very helpful today. When I got back to my room, I found that Leena and Belle had come back in addition to Shelly. They both looked like they were fresh from a bath and were wiping their wet hair with a towel. ''No, no. It''s nothing to worry about. Thank you so much for not doing that. If it wasn''t for Leena''s help, it would never have gone as smoothly as it did. No, I''m glad I could help you, Leo. Thank you, Belle. Belle was working hard with Leena, too. ''No, I was just helping Leena. But thank you. Then I patted Belle''s head. Belle happily leaned in closer. Oh, it''s not fair! Okay. Thank you, Sherry. An angry Shelly came up to me, wanting to pet me too, so I stroked Shelly''s head as well. "Heh heh. Shelly sounded happy as she was stroked on the head . I''m not sure if I should go too. ''Come on, Leena,'' Yes, sir. A little embarrassed when I called out to her, Leena came running up to me, looking happy to see me. "So, did you get anything out of Gotts? I was patting them on the head for a while when Shelly asked, sticking close to me. ''Yeah, I could hear where you got them from. The girls taught me a few things, too. Huh?You could have told me that already? Everyone trusts Leena, right? Can you tell me what they said? ''Yes. The girls were on their way to the country of men when they were caught by bandits and others on their way out of their homeland and were made into slaves. Then they were taken to the basement of this city and have not been seen above ground since. ''I see. ....... I knew what Gotts said was true. But still, that''s a very vicious thing to do when you''ve just flown out of your hometown. What did Gotts say? There''s a place underneath this city called the Kuro Market District, where you can get stuff that''s banned in the world. There''s a place for that. There you are, Mladin, the center of the universe. I guess it''s the center of the world, for better or worse . ''Well, now that I''ve found it, I''ve got to crush it somehow: ...... That sounds like a lot of work. Yes, it''s going to be a lot of work: ....... It''s really hard work. . so I''m going to go check it out now. ''What?Alone?Isn''t it dangerous to be a Leo?I don''t know what''s in there, okay? Yes, but ...... you can''t take someone with you, can you? Well, don''t worry. I got this. Then he showed them the cloak I was now wearing. "Is this the cloak Leo-kun always wears when he''s serious? Yeah. It''s actually a trick that lets me turn invisible. Watch and learn. Then I used the Invisibility Cloak+ to become invisible. ''Huh?Gone? Sherry said and looked around scornfully. ''Master Leo''s scent has vanished. Sniffing and sniffing, even Belle was surprised. Come to think of it, this cloak not only makes you invisible, but it also eliminates your smell and stuff. It''s a good thing my grandfather gave me this. That''s great. I''ve never felt anything like it. Isn''t it great? ""Yikes!" I gave them a collective hug from behind, and they let out a loud scream in surprise. Did I startle you a little too much? So I''m going to sneak into the black market now. Don''t ever take any chances, okay? Leena looked me in the eye and reminded me. "I know, I know. I''m just going to watch and not do anything today. So don''t worry about it. Okay, we''ll be watching the monitors again. Well, it''s better than waiting around and worrying about me. "Yeah, all right. Okay, I''m going to go now. Oh, and I think I''d better take Elena with me, just in case. As expected, it would be better to have a proper weapon this time. Thinking about that, I took Elena out of my backpack for the first time in a while. It''s been a while. (Leo) Elena, whom I haven''t seen in a long time, seems to have become much more devious and dangerous, just like a magic sword. Hi, long time no see, Elena. You''ve left me alone for so long. I''m sorry, because I never had a chance to use it before. I''m sorry. Maybe soon you''ll be able to use it to your heart''s content, so please forgive me. (Soon?(So what''s today?) Today is just a precaution, just in case. Maybe they''ll know I''m hiding. (That''s too bad. As far as I''m concerned, I hope it''s just a matter of time before it happens. Yeah, let''s try not to be: ....... ''''It''s been a long time since I''ve had a magic sword. Is the Holy Sword good? As I was telepathizing with Elena, Leena came up to me. "Yeah?Yeah, Serena can summon it from a distance. Oh, that''s right. I hadn''t seen you use it recently, so I''d forgotten about it. ''I''m sorry, I''m sorry ......'' I felt like Elena had sent me a reminder, so I apologized anyway. ''Huh?Why are you apologizing? ''No, just a little: ....... I''ll be off then. You must come back to us unscathed! Yes, sir. I''ll be back without a scratch. Bye. I said that to the three of them, and then I moved to Gotts'' basement. "I heard there''s a hidden door here: ...... Anna, do you know what it is? As we searched the depths of Gotts'' dungeon, he asked Anna. (Yes . (Could you touch the wall in front of you, please?) Yeah. I touched it. I did as I was told and touched the wall in front of me. A little to the right, a little higher, uh, too far. Yes, right there. (Press hard on that.) Pushing?Okay. When I moved my hand as Anna had told me to, I pushed hard and the ...... wall started to move and a door came out . Oh, it''s open. He''s spending way too much money on something else. As I opened the door, I complained to Gotts for the umpteenth time. ''So let''s get this infiltration underway, shall we? Using his cloak to become invisible, he advanced through the door. On the other side of the door was a long passage. And from the end of the passage, I heard a man''s voice. "Hey. You hear that?Looks like the chairman''s been captured! As I walked down the corridor, trying not to make a sound, I could hear the voices clearly. Apparently, at the end of the passage was a room. I looked into the room and saw a desk and a chair used by a high and mighty person, and two men were talking in front of it. ''''Yeah, I know. The new lord has found out about the embezzlement. If the Chairman is caught, won''t the Empire find out about this place? Mr. Chairman?Oh, you mean Gotts. Are these two executives? No, I don''t think so. It''s not the Chairman''s fault they got him. It''ll take longer for people to find out about this place. But before that, the Chairman will be executed or enslaved, won''t he? Normally, yes. If it weren''t for me, we wouldn''t have found Gotz''s basement, so I''m pretty sure Gotz would have died before he was asked about the black market district. That''s true, but . If the chairman has spoken: ...... Too bad, I guess I already told you~ . ''''Well then, I''ll ask the assassin in the black market district to kill the chairman later so that it won''t happen if it does. That''s a problem. We need to fortify the castle when we get back. That''ll make us feel safer. So what are you going to do about the president-elect? ''''What to do: ....... According to the law here, the rule is that whoever controls the territory here will be the chairman of the black market street to avoid conflicts among the executives. The lord this time is still a kid, right? What''s the code?It''s a reasonable way to avoid conflict. But I''m not going to be the chairman of the board, okay? Yeah, the kid. Isn''t it the other way around?As I recall, it''s rumored that you''re a womanizer, and if we give you female slaves like Gotts that you wouldn''t normally get to play with, then we can still run the black market district like we have been, right? Huh?What am I, famous for being a womanizer? The last time I heard that, the maids at the castle told me: ....... Yeah, now that I think about it. I''ll send out an invitation tomorrow. There''s a ridiculously rare woman in my shop right now, and if you sell it cheap, it''ll work. A very unusual woman?Oh, my God, that''s scary. Oh, you''re gonna sell her out? The other guy asked back, with great surprise. Huh?Are you going to sell me a slave to get a reaction like that? I''m just a kid, you know? Yeah, why not? "Okay, but I''m not going to put ...... that thing on the ground: ...... Oh, my God!I think anything that looks bad enough to be put out on the ground is bad enough to be left underground! It''ll be fine. It''s getting a little out of hand for me. You think you might want to give it to a rich guy? No, there''s no way I''m going to be able to handle something that''s getting out of hand for a professional in the field! ''Yeah, right: ....... Just make sure they don''t scare you or anything, okay? No, because I''m already scared! It''s okay. When you see him, I''ll drug him to sleep. He''s a cute little boy in his sleep, okay? If you didn''t know if it looked pretty ...... or if it was sold to you without knowing it, maybe you were tricked ....... ''Well, well, ......'' I hate it: ....... But we can''t just leave such dangerous slaves out there and let this place go down. ....... ''''That''s what I''m saying. Then you''re going to tell the executives about this . They''re all going to be anxious to get the chairman captured. Yeah, okay. They said that and walked out of the room. We''ll take care of your slave then. Right now, we need to do the inspection first. Anna, show me the way from this room to the black market district. I understand. I left the room with Anna. 110 CHAPTER XIII -- INTRUDING BLACK MARKET ② When I stepped out onto the black market street, I was surprised at how many people there were . There are so many people?I mean, it''s huge! It''s called a city, but it''s big enough to be called a city. It''s an underground town, but the streetlights make it feel like a city at night. In such a town, there were many suspicious shops lined up in a row. If you check out the apothecary, you can find out more at ...... The Blood of Hydra. Some say it''s the most deadly poison in the world. The slightest inhalation of the vaporized material will kill you. Incubus Blood. It''s the strongest aphrodisiac in this world, along with the blood of succubus It has specific effects on women and should be used with extreme caution The Tears of Mermaids A mermaid''s tears Tears shed when you''re happy and when you''re sad have different benefits. When you''re happy, you drink and all your diseases and injuries are cured. When you''re sad, drink and you''ll die instantly. These tears were shed at a sad time. All of these things would get me arrested immediately if they were sold on the ground . I mean, I''m wondering how you got all of them: ....... It''s a ridiculous price, and I know it was a lot of work. I left the apothecary, hoping that these potions wouldn''t end up in someone else''s hands . The next place I went was a magician''s shop. I wondered what kind of magic tools they couldn''t sell on earth, so I decided to go in. There were three magic tools displayed prominently. The Sword of Madness. People equipped with this will start slashing everything in their eyes like crazy. All stats when equipped are tenfold. Creator: unknown The Demon Summoner. It connects the demon world and space and summons a large number of powerful demons! It breaks after one use. Creator: unknown The Music Box of Coma Anybody who hears the sound of this music box will fall asleep! Note that once the sound starts, it never stops for half a day! Creator: unknown They were all magic items, according to the appraisal. But they''re all bad if they''re used. Maybe the store knows that, too, and the prices are set ridiculously high. I don''t think there''s anyone who can buy this ...... even a nobleman can''t afford it. Well, maybe it''s a product I don''t intend to sell. With that in mind, I left the store. As I thought, this city is very dangerous. ...... There are too many dangerous items for sale. Before we destroy this city, we must prevent these dangerous medicines and magic items from reaching the earth ....... As I was walking around thinking about this, I saw a large building. (Anna, what''s that?) It''s a black market auction house. Rare items from all over the world are collected, and the rich and famous from all over the world attend for it. (There''s an auction, too: ....... (What''s for sale?) (It varies . Unusual weapons, potions, magic items, and the most popular one seems to be slaves. (I see. ....... (What are the requirements for participation?) (You must have your membership card to attend. We have to cover our faces. Okay. Well, then, I guess I can join you. Well, I''m not going to join in, that would make me an accomplice. I''ll just go in anyway. As I approached the entrance of the auction room, two soldiers in armor were blocking the entrance. It''s hard to get inside without touching these two: ....... With that in mind . May I see your membership card, please? What? Can you see me? But it''s not. Is that all right? A man in a rather flashy mask was showing his membership card to a soldier. "Yes, sir. That''s all right. Then here you are. The soldier checked his membership card and gave it back to the man to clear the way. Oh, a chance! I managed to get inside with a man. When I got inside, the auction was already underway. "A million vectors! A million vectors! 1,200,000 vectors! 1.3 million vectors! Just then, two men were competing with each other, shouting loudly . Neither of them had lost an inch, and they were competing in hundred thousand increments . Would one of these two men win at this point? And if you''re wondering: ...... "Three million vectors! The guy who came in with me quickly raised the price. ""......" This shut us both up. ''Yes, we have a deal!Three million vectors, Mr. One Hundred and Five! Awesome . One vector is about $30, so this guy went in and spent $90 million right away . I wonder where he is rich: ....... Next, I am a slave. Her gender is female. Her race is human, her age is 16, and her name is Sierra Morando. Some of you may have recognized her name by her name, but she is the daughter of the Morland family, the duke family of the Kingdom of Alvar. The one who came out on stage after being introduced was a very beautiful woman. "Oh~ The hall was thrown into a stupor . ''''I heard that you were kidnapped while traveling to King''s Landing from the estate, was the rumor true? ...... I would give anything to have that beautiful woman. ''d*mn it ....... If you leave more money on the table ...... The audience was in high spirits. Meanwhile, Siera, who was standing on stage as an auction item, was trembling with fear. I''d like to help her, but it''s a little difficult to ...... There''s nothing you can''t do with transference, but there''s a chain wrapped around your leg to prevent you from escaping. ....... By the time I transition over there, cut the chains, and transition to the castle, they''ll see my face ....... I mean, people know I can use the transition, so even if I hide my face, they''ll know it''s me: ....... It''s no use. I guess I''ll just have to wait and see. I''ve decided to give up and see who will buy her. ''Then we''ll start at two million vectors. Sixty million from the start or ...... that''s how much she''s worth. Three million vectors! Four million! Five million! Seven million! Ten million will do. Twelve million! Fourteen million! Fifteen million! interchangeable interchangeable interchangeable interchangeable Thirty million! "...... A heated battle ensued, and it looks like the forty-sixth man has won. Of course, we can''t tell who it is because he''s wearing a mask. ''''Yes, it''s decided. Thirty million vectors and forty-sixth man. About $900 million....... Is that a low price for a duchess or ...... high for a duchess? ''d*mn it. I didn''t realize it would be so high. It''s no use. The 46 is the head of the Morland family himself. He would have given all his money to save your daughter. Huh?Was it? Yeah, well, that''s no use. There''s no way I''m going to be able to beat the entire duke family''s fortune . So, it looks like Ms. Sierra''s gonna be okay to go home. Yeah, I''m glad I didn''t have to do anything. Anyway, people can tell who you are even if you''re wearing a mask. You shouldn''t think you''re okay wearing a mask. Then that''s the last item for today. I''m sure many of you came here today for this.Today''s centerpiece, the illusory magical gemstone, is here. With the introduction of the facilitator ...... something familiar was brought in. (Hey, aren''t those the magic stones I poured my magic power into?) Yes. The magical stone is filled with the magic of Master Leo. (Is that the highlight of the day?) (Yes . (I don''t think Leo-sama knows this, but magical stones with that much magic in them are never on the market.) (Yes, it was: ......) We''ve got to take better care of this. Although it is an ordinary magical stone, it is a magical gemstone with a luster and magical power that is said to be fantastic. Normally, it would have been sold at an auction on the ground, but due to a special reason, it will be sold here. Is there a problem?What''s so special about my magic stone? I''m pretty sure they can''t get it off the ground because it''s stolen. Yeah, yeah. Wouldn''t that have been a hell of a lot of money if it was on the ground? The guys who helped me figure it out. So it was stolen. Do you know when it was stolen, Anna? (No, that one was apparently stolen after Master Leo sold it at the material store.) The milliner?(Oh, by the way, I sold it to get mithril when I was little.) I think it was ten white gold coins . It was about $30 million or so ...... Maybe it was really more than that: ....... The material guy''s dad, you tricked me because I''m a kid, didn''t you? I don''t think this place is all that different. Didn''t you notice?That there are so many women in this hall today. Yeah, that''s for sure . If you ask me, there''s a lot of women with you: ...... When I was reminiscing about my dad at the material store, I heard that conversation from my uncles. Sure, if you ask me, I feel like that ....... ''You''ll definitely get that one, won''t you?'' Yeah, okay. "Darling, I need that one. Yeah, we''ll take care of it. I only had to look around to hear that. This is going to be another heated battle. "Then we''ll begin with 5 million vectors. Starting at $150 million: ....... Is my magic stone worth that much? Just as I was thinking about that, the auction started. "Ten million vectors! Twenty million! Thirty million! Thirty-five million! 40 million! Fifty million! Sixty million! Maybe it''s because there''s a woman next to me, but the guys are saying higher and higher prices . I wonder how high it''s going to go from here: ....... ''A hundred million!'' "...... Everyone in this room turned to the man who said 100 million. And no one had anything to say. "Yes, it''s decided. What a hundred million vectors and eleven. Three billion dollars: ....... To the extent that I can''t count, I''ve got about as many magic stones in my backpack as that one: ....... I definitely don''t think it''s worth 3 billion yen . ''''d*mn it ....... It''s the princess''s property again. ...... These days, all jewelry is sold off to the princess''s men. Last time I saw one, it was for an unbelievable amount of money. The uncles gave me some more information. I see, so the eleventh was Princess Alvar''s man. That''s why the people in the hall must have given up when they saw the eleventh man who said a hundred million words. There''s no way they could win a battle against a country. Their royalty is known for their greed. They would tell their men to go in and make the highest bid, no matter how much it cost. Well, it''s done, let''s go home. Now that I''ve gleaned a bit of information, I think I''ll let the rats do the rest. I let go of the rats I had in my pocket and moved to the castle. 111 CHAPTER XIV DANGEROUS ILLEGAL SLAVE 1 I''m home. When I transitioned to my room, Shelly and her friends were frozen in front of the monitor. As soon as they realized I was back, they turned and jumped at me. "Welcome back. I''m glad you''re okay. The place was amazing. ''It was really an awesome place . It''s big, it''s crowded, there''s a lot of dangerous stuff, and I don''t know how you can crush it: ...... That''s harder than destroying one city: ....... ''That''s a lot of work: ....... I''ll see what I can do to solve that problem. Thank you. How''s that working out for you? Really, what do you think we should do: ....... ''Master Leo, let''s call it a day and rest for now. I can''t think of anything better to do when I''m so tired. Belle said that to me while I was thinking about it. Sure, I think I''ll take the day off. Yeah, I think I will. Then I took a long, leisurely soak in the bath to relax. The next day. As I said yesterday, the invitation arrived. It was sent by a clerk. "Is this the invitation from the slave-trading executive: ...... Yeah. Well, he''s the president of the local merchants'' association, and he wants to say hello. It''s a commercial town, and you''d have to go to the president of the commercial association to say hello: ....... I can''t turn it down . ''Well, if that''s the case, I''ll have to go. So, does Leo buy slaves? I''m not buying it. I don''t think I need it now, and you can''t buy an illegal slave. Besides, I wouldn''t dare to buy a slave that I was told was so dangerous. I know. But if I refuse to go to the black market, won''t you try to kill him, Leo?And now you''ve got the information. Well, yeah. Then you''ll have to use that as an excuse to fight the black market. Maybe I can''t think of anything else, and a direct confrontation might be the easiest. ''Master Leo, the minute you feel that you''re in danger, you run. Belle overheard our conversation and sounded concerned. "I know, I know. If anything goes wrong, I''ll take the transference and run. Nothing is better than nothing. But they''ll never leave me alone if I say no. Well, that''s good to know: ...... Well, don''t worry about it. This time, I''m sure they''ll think I''m just a kid over there and let their guard down, too, so I don''t think they''re that well-equipped to fight. Maybe he can get away with it. You can''t let your guard down, Master Leo. Belle nails me for being a little carefree. "I know, I know. All right, I''ll take off. Just talk to me if you need anything. Yes. Okay. Bye! I tried to transfer. "Wait a minute, Leo. What about the guards?As it is, even if Leo is so strong and okay, you can''t go to greet him without an escort. Oh, sure, since I''m going as a lord, I need to be stronger than that . ''''Well then, I''ll leave two golems as my guards. That red armor is going to be terribly intimidating, so maybe they''ll give up on harming me . ''Then you''ll be okay with that: ....... I''m good to go, okay? No, you''re going to stay here and guard Shelly and the others. I don''t know what''s going to happen next, okay? Maybe he''ll try to take Sherry and the others hostage if I say no. That''s the last thing I need is for you to do that. Oh, yeah? ...... So I asked my brother and Mr. Eunice to get Sherry and the others. I will. Yeah, I''ll keep him safe no matter what. They responded emphatically to my words. ''Yes, please . The golem guarding this castle is going to listen to the orders of your brothers, so use it if you need it. Yeah, okay. Oh, and I''m gonna leave a wardrobe for you. It''ll keep you safe, right? Then he handed Shelly the warding ball. This will keep Sherry and the others safe, even with Allen. "Okay. I''ll put up a perimeter. So you don''t have to worry about us, okay? It''s a bit of a relief, but it''s impossible not to worry about it. Yeah, all right. Okay, I''ll be off then. If you have any problems, you talk to me immediately. So I reminded him it''s important. Okay. Have a good day. Yeah. I''ll try my best. And with that, I left the room. Then I got in the carriage and went with the golem to the slaver, Clark''s. The carriage stopped in front of the slaver, and when I got out of the carriage a man came out of the ...... store. "How do you do. My name is Clarke. I''m the owner of this store and the president of the merchants'' association here in town. Thank you for coming the same day I sent you the invitation. Yeah, that''s the guy I was talking to yesterday. ''It was nice to meet you, too, because I was interested in learning more about the commerce of this city. Of course I don''t think that''s a little bit true. Really. Okay, follow me. When I entered the shop, I was shown to a place that looked like a reception room. Then let me introduce myself again. My name is Clark. I''m a slaver, and I deal in high-grade slaves for the nobility. And I''ve been president of the city''s trade association for almost ten years. Really. By the way, what does a high-grade slave look like? I tried to give the impression that you were a little bit interested in slaves. Oh, do you mind? Clark was quick to bite. ''It''s just that . We didn''t have any slaves at my parents'' house, so I was a little curious. Oh, really? So when you''re done talking to me, I''ll let you see the slaves in this shop and I''ll tell you about them. And then you''re thinking about selling me that slave you''re talking about. Oh, that''s very helpful. So let''s get to it. Yes. Would it be okay for me to talk about the city in the way I do? Yes, please. All right. Then let me tell you. This city is called the center of the world by the merchants. That''s because you have to pass through this city whenever you go to any capital city. Not to mention the Vector Empire from the Kingdom of Alvar to the Vector Empire from the Kingdom of Alvar and the Garum Kingdom to the Vector Empire. If you go from the Kingdom of Alvar to the Galum Kingdom, you have to pass through this city. ''Really?Didn''t the Kingdom of Alvar and the Garmic States were neighbors? Why do I have to come all the way through here? Yes, it is. But there''s a big forest in between. Oh, by the way, I was looking at a map in a book, and there''s a big forest. It would be very difficult to get through that forest with a wagon and other things. Then I''ll go the long way and take the safe route. Sure, that''s true. ''I see. ....... Go on. Yes. Such is the nature of this city, where merchants from all over the world gather to buy the world''s specialties and curiosities. And it''s here that the world''s rich and famous flock to find their wares. I knew it, but it just reminded me how great this city is. Well, Gots could have embezzled all that money. Yeah. And if you can get this city to drop a lot of money on you: ...... Yes. That''s already a lot of money for the nobility to spend. That''s good to hear. Oh, and is there anything else you''d like to see improved in this town?I''m trying to figure out what to do, right? Well, I''m not going to do what Clark said, because it''s going to benefit the wrong people, but . ''No, not really . Personally, I like the city as it is. Okay. I''ll take a look at it. It means the bad guys are going to get the benefit of the doubt, so we''ve got to change that for sure. "Yes, sir. Thank you. So, without further ado, why don''t we take a look at the slaves in the shop? You''re moving too fast. Well, we don''t have to waste time talking about meaningless things all the time here, so . All right. Do me a favor. All right. Then let me show you around. This is a store that specializes in high-grade slaves. We cater to the nobility and the wealthy. Clark began to explain the shop as he led me around. Oh, really? How do you get your slaves? ''We have been allowed to sell here what we have bought from noblemen on the verge of downfall, and what we have sold at slave auctions held in various places. Yeah. It all sounds expensive. No. Mr. Leons, it''s a very reasonable price. Really? Well, I guess so: ....... With that in mind, I responded appropriately . ''''Yes . Now, let me introduce you to the slaves in this shop and tell you how much it costs. Yes, please. Let''s start with the lowest-grade slave. This is your room, sir. After saying that, the room I was led to had a prison cell with about twenty slaves inside . ''''These slaves are all from the common people and their cultivation is not that great, so their prices are slightly more affordable, about five to ten gold coins.'''' ''Here, it''s the lowest grade: ....... It''s just that we specialize in high-grade slaves. It''s amazing that someone like Elsie''s price is the lowest. They''re all pretty, so it makes sense for the price. Thank you, ma''am. That''s our specialty, the quality of our slaves. Now, let''s move on to the next room, next grade. The next room also had a prison, but this time it was private. The slaves looked more mature than the slaves in the previous room. This room is for the slaves who have the best looks and skills in the shop. They are priced from one to five platinum coins. That''s expensive: ....... But it might be reasonable, depending on the technology you have. I''m not sure I want to buy it. Really. You''re right, it''s a lot nicer than this room. So is this neighborhood a popular one after all? Yes, sir. . since this grade is about the middle of the price range in our shop. So that''s what''s up there. Can I take a look at it? I wanted to finish this slave introduction as soon as possible, so I''m going to let you move on. You''re not going to buy it anyway. Okay. It''s right this way. The next room we were shown was ...... not a prison like the previous rooms, but a large room with three collared women in one large room. All three were certainly not like the slaves we had just met. "Hey, you three, say hello to our guest. Clark said, and the three of them rushed over to me. "My name''s Claire. I''m 16 years old. I''m good with strings. The first person who introduced herself was a very beautiful woman. Her greeting was so polished that it was like being greeted by a noblewoman. "This person is originally from a noble family and is well educated, so I recommend him for your secretary. I knew she was a noblewoman. It must be hard to go from a life of aristocracy to a life of slavery. My name is Irma. I''m good at ...... and I''m good with the bow. The next person to introduce himself was an elf slave . She has a different kind of beauty from humans, which explains her high price. This is an elf slave I got at last week''s slave auction. Elf slaves sell quickly, so please let me know as soon as you like them. Sure it is. This is Leah. She''s 14 years old and she''s a runner. He ended up a slave to the beastmen. This one''s right up my alley. You''re a fox girl. I''d love to fluff her bushy tail: ....... (Master Leo?(Why are you looking at that woman''s tail so much?) (S-Sorry! As I was delirious, a horrible voice echoed in my head and I apologized on conditional reflex . I think it was Belle''s voice: ....... ''''This is also a slave I got at last week''s slave auction . Just like elven slaves, beast slaves sell quickly, so if you like it, please tell me right away. I like it, but I''m not going to buy ...... because it would be horrible if I did . ''''All the girls are great. As expected, you''re the highest(ish) grade(ish) slave in this store. No, no, they''re not the finest yet. I have prepared a more unusual slave for Master Leons this time. Oh, I knew you''d come. Yeah? That''s a bullshit play. "Yes, sir. I''ll have one of my men bring you back to the parlor. Yeah, okay. Now it''s time to get to work. I''m very anxious to see what kind of slaves are coming ...... 112 CHAPTER XV DANGEROUS ILLEGAL SLAVE 2 So what''s the slave you recommend to me?Are you more awesome than the slave you were talking about? When I came back into the parlor, I asked Clark that question. "You''re not nearly as good as the slaves you just met. Those slaves we just met don''t hold a candle to you. You''re that good. What kind of a slave are you? It''s ....... Master Clarke! Just as Clark was about to start explaining about the slaves, a man who appeared to be an employee of this place came in with a bang. He was impatient to see it. ''What?Be quiet. We have guests. I''m sorry. But it''s an emergency. ''An emergency!What''s going on? Oh, he''s gone. That guy?Could it be the slave you were trying to foist on me? What?What do you mean?You''ve been letting him sleep, haven''t you? Oh, I knew it. ''Yes, I''m afraid so ....... The moment I took off the restraints to carry it here ...... So what''s he doing now? They''re on a rampage in the black market. Oh, my God!Kaiju. Yeah, right: ...... Clark''s face went pale and he fell silent. Apparently, he was a very dangerous slave who was in great danger if he escaped. You don''t sell that slave to me. What''s wrong with you? I couldn''t bear to look at his face like it was the end of the world any longer, so I decided to join the conversation. ''''Yes . Let''s see, ...... it seems that a slave is rioting in the basement ...... and his men are seizing it now. ''Yes. ....... But from what you''re saying now, you''re struggling, aren''t you? Okay, yes. But that''s okay. I got every single one of my guys out there working on it. Well, I guess he''s lying. From the exchange I saw earlier, he''s probably a slave who can''t do anything about it unless he''s restrained. That''s all well and good. So, do you have a slave you''d like to introduce me to yet? Since Clark wouldn''t be honest with me, I decided to say something a little mean. ''Yeah, that''s it: ......'' Clark choked on my question. ''What''s going on?I remember you said that you started acting up when I tried to bring you here. Did you have some idea of selling me a slave that was so dangerous?I''m just a kid, so you think it''s okay? I want him to tell me the truth, and I''m going to keep asking him. "No, I don''t want you to: ...... Then why don''t you bring your slaves to us? I''m sorry. Clark apologized to me and began to sneak in a few words with his men. "Hey!Now get the other slaves out of the basement! "Mm, I can''t!All the employees in the basement have been killed, you know?I''m not afraid to go to a place like that. "What?''You can''t harm an employee with a slave contract, can you?'' ''I was tearing down the store and putting it underneath. "What?''So the other slaves are dead too, then?'' No, you''re not killed. ''Yeah, right: ....... I thought you were on a rampage in the black market district now?'' Yes, sir. It''s breaking and entering. Yeah. That''s a lot of work. "What? They were so busy talking that they didn''t seem to notice that I was close by . ''Tell me more. I can help you in some cases. ''Yes, yes ......'' "Do you think it''s okay to say that? I think that''s a good idea. I was originally going to ask you to be president. Yeah, yeah. ''Actually, sir, ....... There''s an underground street here called the Kuro Market District. Yes. There are things sold there for a lot of money that shouldn''t be sold on earth. Yeah, There is a slave on a rampage in that city at the moment. ''Then why don''t you, the Lord, go and stop them?You''re on a slave contract, aren''t you? You just give them orders and that''s it. That''s why I was able to kill an employee who couldn''t be killed by ...... slave contracts. So you''re too scared to go. Yes, it is: ...... Clark didn''t say anything back, but admitted honestly . You''re the slave you brought here yourself, so you''re going to have to deal with it yourself . ''Huh ...... I can''t help it . I''ll take care of it. If it''s left alone, it''s bound to come up on the ground. That''s just gonna make things worse. Oh, really? But you''re putting an end to the black market. You have to promise not to sell any more illegal substances. Yeah, that''s ...... I won''t help you if you don''t admit it?If you keep this up, aren''t they coming to kill you, Lord? He would have been tricked and enslaved, and he would have resented Clark so much . ." "Shh, but ....... Huh, come on. There''s only one answer. What do we do?Do you want to die?You don''t want to die? Okay, okay. I promise to help you! All right, all right. You''re in jail for now. What? I grabbed Clark and took him to the castle prison. Hey, Gots. Oh, you!Huh?Clark! Gotts was surprised by my sudden transition and was even more surprised to see Clark. "Thanks to you, we''ll be able to take care of the black market. In return, I''ve brought some of my former employees with me. What do you mean?Oh, dude, did you possibly tell him? At my words, Clarke pressed closer to Gotts. "That''s why you two need to be friends. Well, we can fight all we want as long as we don''t kill each other. Hey, wait a minute! I heard Gotts shouting, but he ignored it and shifted to my room. ''I''m home!'' When I came home, Sherry and her friends were right in front of me. All three of them had these worried looks on their faces. "Do you have to go? Yeah, I''ve got to do something. If you come up to the ground, you''re going to be forced to fight, so then it''s better to fight in the black market city that doesn''t care how much it breaks . ''''Please don''t ever die, okay?'''' Leena looked like she was going to cry. ''''Don''t worry about it so much . I''ll take the golem with me, and I''ll use the magic and holy swords.'''' Besides, I don''t think I''d be a slave if I was such a pain in the ass. I hope not. I''ll be fine. I''ll do my best in the basement. Master Leo, you can''t ever shy away from it just because you''re a woman. Oh, you said female slaves . It''s true that you might hesitate to attack a woman: ....... But if you hesitate in killing each other, you''ll die, so you''ll have to be prepared for that. ''''All right . I''ll fight with everything I have, no matter who I am. Please. Yeah. Okay, I''m going to go now. If you ever come down to earth, run as fast as you can. I can''t just leave Leo and run away. Shelly said and held on. "No, you have to run. Because I can''t fight at all. "Wow, okay. ...... Thank you. I gave Sherry a hug. "You two are gonna be just fine, okay? Then he hugged them both in turn. ''Yes ...... I understand,'' "Yes. Take care: ...... They were about to cry, but they replied while trying hard to hold back their tears. You don''t have to be that sad: ....... I''m not going to die, you know? With such a complaint in my mind, I took my backpack and transitioned to Gotts'' dungeon . The reason I didn''t transfer to the black market district is because I couldn''t do anything when there was suddenly an enemy in front of me. ''''Well, what''s there?Anna, do you have any idea what kind of people are running amok? I understand. Currently, the one running amok on the black market is a demoness. Demon? The one from the same species as the Demon King? (Yes.) ''''How could that ...... guy enslave the demon race ....... So, how strong is he? Demons are usually strong, right? (Her level is weaker than Leo-sama''s, but we don''t know what abilities she has, so it''s hard to say. Well, ....... We''ll just have to go and see it in person . I think I''ll let you fight the golem first and see what kind of abilities you have before we fight. Yes. I think that''s a good idea. All right. All right, we''ll go into the black market. We need to get Elena out. He took Elena out of her backpack. (Today''s the day, isn''t it?) Elena was in a bad mood again. There wasn''t much to fight about last time. I think we''ll get another chance. I''m just hoping that talking about it will calm you down. Yeah. I hope we don''t end up talking. "Don''t wish me luck. Huh?Is it darker than the last time you were here? When I went out to the black market area while talking with Elena, the black market area was even darker than before. (It seems the entire city is darker now that the streetlights have been broken.) I see. I see. ....... So, let''s send out the golem. Okay, go ahead! I sent out a bunch of golems and marched them in the direction of the demon woman . I decided to observe the demoness from a distance while walking in the air with my sky shoes. ''''d*mn!Don''t come here! One of the men was saying that, desperately running away from something. When I looked behind the man, I saw a girl about my age wearing a collar and laughing as she walked by. "You can''t get away from me. The woman said and swung her right hand down in the direction the man was. Then ...... Guh! The man''s body disappeared on top of him, as if he was being gutted by something . I''ll make you regret cheating me for the rest of your life. Oh, you can''t regret it if you''re dead . Hmmm. ...... Something ...... was worse than I thought it would be: ...... You''re laughing while killing people, you''re too scared. (I''m not afraid of you.)(You didn''t mind challenging the Demon King.) ''Yes, but ....... Well, okay. Golem out! Then he had her surrounded by a group of golems. ''''Oh my, there''s a few strong ones here. Now let''s get into the swing of things. Ey! Then she waved her hands in a horizontal line . Then, the torso of the golems was neatly gutted. ''''Oh, no way. ....... That red dragon''s scaled armor was ...... in an instant . What is it?That magic is ....... ''Oh, it''s weaker than I thought it would be. Then we need to find a way to get above ground. Lou Lv.31 Age: 11 Race: Demon race Occupation : Destroyer State: memory loss Strength: 6000/6000 Magic: / Power: 2000 Speed: 2400 Luck: 10 Attributes: nothing, destruction skill Magic Robbery Destruction magic Lv.2 Non-attribute magic Lv.5 Magic manipulation Lv.max Magic Sense Lv.4 Martial Arts Lv.7 Titles The one who has memories of another world. Dragon Killer Are you strong? (It seems strong. Perhaps even Master Leo would have a hard time with this one. I muttered, and Anna gave me some advice. ''Really?From the looks of it, I don''t think that''s the case except for magic and magical manipulation? I think it''s awesome that the level of magic manipulation is maxed out: ....... (No, the power of magic is determined by the amount of magic power and the level of magic manipulation, so that demon woman seems to be awesome.) ''''Sure, if you ask me, that''s what I was thinking: ....... More importantly, do you mean that this display of magical power is awesome? Why can''t I see it? (Yes, sir.) It''s a lot. It''s probably an order of magnitude more than Leo''s. More than me?I had confidence in their magic, but I guess someone was stronger than me. That''s just what I thought. Really? ....... We both have to be out of magic power. ...... (Yes.) I think so. And the title has some scary words in it, like dragon killer? I didn''t get that title for slaying a dragon, did I? (That''s a title that goes to anyone who has ever beaten two or more dragons.) Two dragons? Oh, are you kidding me?Has that guy ever won against more than two dragons? With her powers, it should be easy. You saw what happened to the golems earlier, right? Well, I can do that ability: ....... ''''But then, what kind of magic is destruction magic?'''' (It''s a spell that destroys or disintegrates anything. It''s a magic that requires more magic than creation magic, so normal people can''t use it.) But that demon girl said she has a lot more magic than me: ....... ''''That''s some nasty magic. At level 2, what can you do? You can destroy anything in visual range. And at level 2, you have to make a hand motion. That''s what that hand motion ...... was waving. ''I see. ....... Then maybe we still have a chance of winning. (Yes.) And what is a magic raid? I''ve never heard of that skill before? (It''s a skill that allows you to take away magical power from someone you''ve killed. (It is a skill that allows you to take away magic power from an opponent you''ve killed, which is why the magic power display looks like that. What a scary ability that is: ....... ''Yeah. ....... I can''t speak for other people either, but that''s a lot of cheats. As expected, you have the same otherworldly memories as I do. I knew there was someone else out there. (I don''t know if I remember, though, since the condition is amnesia.) Oh, I''ve lost my memory, as I recall. How much of it is gone? Maybe if you can get your memory back, you can handle it? (We''ll have to talk to him about that.) ''Yeah, right: ....... Either way, I''m going to have to talk to you: ....... I hope it ends in peace: ...... I headed for the demon girl, hoping for that. 113 CHAPTER XVI DANGEROUS ILLEGAL SLAVE 3 Oh, God. How do I get out of here?If we destroy any more of the city, it''s going to be pitch black. A girl from the demon tribe was walking around saying such things, destroying all the buildings around her. ''''Didn''t you break the stairs too?'''' ''Oh, that''s it!You''re so smart!Huh?Who are you? I''m Lonce Muldaine. You can call me Leo. I landed near the girl, and I introduced myself. "Leo. "Leo." Okay. I''m Lou. You can call me Lou. Okay. Huh, apparently we can have a conversation: ....... Somehow, may this all end in peace. So, why are you here?Did you get kidnapped like I did? I knew this kid was kidnapped and came here: ....... No, So how did you end up here? Mmm~ . What can I say to stop you from irritating me? Um, ...... to help you out? I replied, choosing my words carefully. ''What?Help me?How? If you''re willing to be quiet, I''ll get you up to earth. And I''ll cancel your contract. ''Can Leo do that?By the looks of it, you''re about my age, aren''t you? You can do it. Yeah. So what do you do after you save me? That''s a tough one to answer too: ....... Even if you find out that Lou is safe after you save her, you can''t just let the demon girl go free: ....... After saving her: ....... What would Lou want to do once she''s on the ground? I''ll do everything I can to give Lou what he wants. I''ll kill as many people as I can. Especially the people who used me as a slave. Yeah, I can''t. Yeah, it''s: ...... What am I going to do? If we don''t, we''ll have to resolve this peacefully: ....... "Oh, don''t worry, Leo''s not going to kill you. I try not to kill people I get along with. Well, as much as possible. ....... ''Oh, right. ....... Speaking of which, how did Lou end up a slave? If you were that strong, you could have run, couldn''t you? ''Those guys told me they would give me food if I put the collar on, and when I wore it like they said, I couldn''t resist them. Huh?You were fooled by such an easy trick! Well, that''s the way it works: ....... Hey, how come Lou is in the human world? "I don''t understand it. The next thing I knew I was fighting a bunch of dragons. I don''t know why, but something inside me told me to go to the human world no matter what. ...... I see. ...... Is your memory fuzzy due to amnesia? But still: ...... You fought a bunch of dragons! Yes, I did. I thought I was going to die, but I managed to get over that mountain. I thought you were going to die, that''s pretty light: ....... Well, it''s the Mountains of Death, isn''t it? I''m surprised you didn''t die: ...... Destruction magic is awesome . I''m afraid I might be fighting it now, but ....... ''Well, yeah!'' Lou, thinking I''d paid him a compliment, puffed out his chest happily. "Then show me upstairs. And then Lou came over to me. Huh, I''ll say carefully ....... "Well, ......, I''m not sure I can do that. Why? Lou tilted his head as he came in front of me. Because you''re gonna kill a lot of people when you''re on the ground. Yeah, I know. No? No, of course not! Well, maybe the demon race doesn''t have that feeling: ....... ''Uh, yeah, no.'' So what should I do? ''Will you give up killing any more people?I can still forgive the people here because they''re ...... sinners, but . . because most of the people up there have nothing to do with it, right? Please give it up somehow: ....... I hoped Lou would change his mind. All right. Huh? ''Really?Will you give up on me? ''Yeah, yeah, I''ll find a way to get up there on my own.'' "Huh? Hmm?What do you mean? So I''ll see you later! Lou smiled and turned his back on me and started to walk away. "Hey, wait a minute! What?Are you ready to teach me? I stopped him, and he spun around and looked at me. No!Why do you care so much about killing people?Isn''t revenge enough for you?I mean, look at this town. Most of the people and things Lou has destroyed. I pleaded so hard for Lou to give up. Lou heard what I said, and she pretended to think for a second before she spoke. "Well, that''s good to know. I guess I lied to you when I said I was out for revenge. Hmm? What do you mean? Maybe I just want to break something. Maybe I''m just stressed out from being held up all these years. Yeah, I know. ...... d*mn ....... I''ve got to be ready to go: ....... Are we done?Let''s go. Just as I was fretting, Lou walked away again. "Wait, wait! What?Is there more? At the second call-off, Lou looked depressed . d*mn!You''re going to have to be ready for this! Can''t we play a game? Competition? Yeah. Honestly, I don''t want Lou up there destroying the city. Why? Seriously, you don''t know what I''m talking about. ...... Lou tilted his head as he looked at me . I don''t think anyone wants to see their own people killed. ....... ''Well, it''s my town. "Leo''s town?What do you mean? I''m supposed to take care of the city up here from now on, you know? So, he said he didn''t want it to be broken: ....... So, what''s the game? Lou looked a little convinced, and then his interest in the game immediately shifted to winning . Haha, I knew I had to fight ....... ''''It''s just the way it is. From now on, let''s play a game between the two of us. On the condition that the loser does whatever the winner says. Maybe Lou''s character would take this game: ....... ''Heh. That''s interesting. So how about the loser being the winner''s slave?I''m going to be on the winning side for the rest of my life. Hey, don''t say something scary: ....... But since I''m the one who said it, I don''t think I can say no. Fine. The rule is, whoever says no loses. Okay? Even if I die, I won''t say surrender! Yeah, that''s fine. Don''t complain about losing a hand or a leg or something, okay? Lou smiled and said something outrageous . ''Umm, yeah ...... I won''t tell you,'' I can''t wait to get away from the monster in front of me. All right. All right, let''s get started. Okay! With my consent, he signaled for it to begin and unleashed a destruction spell. I decided it was inevitable and used a transference as soon as I could. "Huh? ''Oh, that was close: ......, whoa! I was relieved that I had managed to transition behind Lou, and as soon as I saw Lou waving his hand down, I ran quickly . ''''Tch!You''re moving fast. You should go and attack them too! That''s a deadly situation to be in if you stop to say that, right? Yeah, yeah. That''s it! Complaining in my mind, I used Elena to send a few slashes flying . Just ...... Yay! It''s easy to erase. That''s great. How did you do that? I don''t appreciate your praise! I think Lou''s magic is more awesome though: ...... Yeah?Even with this, I haven''t used it for a long time, so I''m still out of shape. Ei! Lou spoke, and this time he swung his arm down, anticipating my move. I don''t think I can make a sudden change of direction. ....... "Oops. I''m not. I haven''t really fought for a while now, so my body seems to be out of shape. I used the transference to transfer right behind Lou. "Oh, really? Ey! Bad idea! He shifted again as Lou was about to turn around. ''What was that?That''s a foul! Don''t say "foul" ...... destruction magic. ''It''s a skill . Lou is using the skill too, so it''s only fair, right? "Yeah, but you can''t hit ......!God! And he waves his hand down as he speaks. ''No, you''re going to die instantly if you get hit, so you''re going to have to do your best to avoid it, right? I said that and used the transition to move behind Lou again . ''I don''t know about that!'' Angrily, I grabbed Lou''s ...... arm as she turned around and tried to swing her right hand down at me. ''Well, calm down,'' If you can''t move your hand, they can''t attack you. And if you''re not careful. No! I swung my left hand down. My other hand was blocked by Elena and I couldn''t grab it, so I moved away once in transition. ''Shit!So, small and small!If this happens, this is what I''m going to do! The angry Roux began to move his hands frantically and began to erase them with his destructive magic, no matter where he was. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to get close to it, and I can only avoid it by watching Lou''s hand movements. "Hey!That''s a foul! You can''t get close enough! d*mn ...... Lou will never run out of magic, so I''ll be jittery if I don''t do this . While desperately trying to avoid it, I think about what to do . Anna said that her ability was to destroy or dismantle objects in the direction of her hand as far as she could see. So to avoid it, you''d have to take an invisible back or read or block the hand movements: ....... Yeah ....... Oh, I got an idea. "Okay, I''m going to get serious! Don''t tell me you didn''t mean it before? Despite his mischief about me, Lou doesn''t let up on his attacks. ''Well, yeah!'' I shifted behind me as I replied and immediately sent a slash flying . ''''That won''t work!'''' Lou said and quickly erased the slash with a destructive magic . ''''I see!'''' It will shift back to the rear and send a slash through the air. Hey! Despite the panic, Lou firmly erased the slash . Well, this won''t be the end of it. Hey, hey, hey! I repeatedly let my slashes fly when I shifted behind or to the side. Offense and defense reversed. Well, wait a minute! This is starting to get hard to turn off. Not yet. I reduced the interval between shifting and slashing more. Then I went to ...... Wow! Lou finally moves his entire body to avoid it, as his hands can''t keep up. Okay, now! I didn''t miss this opportunity and shifted right behind Lou, hiding Lou''s eyes with my left hand while I gently placed my sword on Lou''s neck. ''''Yes, I win.'''' The blindfold won''t allow Lou to use breakage magic. Lou is a bit of a strong girl who can''t use breakage magic. Oh, no. ...... Lou made a frustrated sound while I hid my eyes from him. "So why don''t you just surrender? Please, let''s end this. But you can go to ...... Oh, did I forget to mention that you promised to be my slave if I admit defeat. "If you surrender, I''ll give you three very delicious meals every day from now on? From what I''ve seen of Lou so far, I''m starting to think that this condition will work best. ''Ho, really!A good meal ...... and three meals ...... I could tell from Lou''s voice that he was in great distress. One more push! Really. I''m a very rich man, you know?I''ll make sure Lou''s clothes and bed are in order. Bed?I can sleep in bed! Lou came biting into the bed . Come to think of it, I guess he hadn''t slept in a proper bed before in his life as a slave: ....... ''Yeah. . you can sleep in your bed. Really?Isn''t that a lie? I''m skeptical: ....... Well, I was tricked once, so I''m not surprised. I''m not lying. If it''s a lie, you can destroy me. "Yeah ...... okay. Then I''ll give up ....... Yes!I''m done! Wind: ....... So, can I sign a slave contract with you then? No! I went to touch the collar, and Lou yelled. "What? You surrendered, so why not sign a slave contract? I''ll see if Leo was lying about what he said before! Oh, I see. I don''t have a choice. ....... Well, okay. So, you promise not to use destructive magic without my permission? Yeah. I promise. Lou nodded with a curt nod. ''Okay. Let''s go home to dinner then. ...... I took my hand out of Lou''s eyes and put Elena away. ''Yeah.I haven''t moved a lot in a while, so I''m really hungry~ Even though he could see, Lou didn''t make any suspicious movements and seemed to be genuinely looking forward to his food . Phew, there were many moments when I thought I was going to die, but I''m glad I managed to end up uninjured. ....... Then I picked up my hidden backpack and then transitioned to the castle . 114 CHAPTER XVIII DANGEROUS ILLEGAL SLAVE 4 I took Lou and moved into my room. I''m home. ""Welcome back," Oh! When I came back, three guys jumped on me. I was so frightened, I fell down. I was really worried about you, okay? I''m glad you''re okay. Dear Leo: ...... The three of them were teary-eyed, no, Belle was crying, and she hugged me. "Oh, yeah. I''m sorry I bothered you. We got the matter under control. Then I just lay there and patted them on the head until they calmed down. Enough later. Hey, Leo. Have you had dinner yet?I''m hungry. Lou, who had been reading the air and keeping quiet, seemed to have run out of patience. Oh, I''m sorry. Well, let''s have dinner then. It''s very dangerous to leave Lou in a hungry state, so we got up quickly . ''I don''t mind if they feed me ...... but then again, does Leo like women?I''m going to keep such a pretty girl around and I''m going to be a slave to her too: ...... No, no!I''d like to say ....... ''I''d like to deny it, but I''ve been told a lot lately ...... I mean, that''s what Lou said about slaves. I''m just taking advantage of what Lou said. What?Really?Didn''t Leo tell you that if you win, you can do whatever you want with the one you lost? I didn''t say that! That''s crazy. I said I''d do whatever the winner says if I lost! Isn''t doing whatever you say no different than doing whatever you want ......? Oh, if you ask me, ....... I''m with you. I''m with you. Yes. I''m not sure that''s going to change. Shelly and Leena next to me seemed to agree with Lou: ....... Huh?Aren''t you three on my side? Hmmm, I think I''ll get along with the three of you. He looked at them with a smile on his face, happy that the three of them agreed with him . ''''Uh, uh, .......'''' Yo, say hi to ....... Oh, please. I don''t know if their smiles scared me or not, but the three of them answered while hiding behind me. ''Well, then, shall we go to dinner? Maybe having a meal with them will help ease their fears a little. Yay! Currently, there were many delicious-looking dishes lined up in front of Lou. "Wow~. Can I eat all of these? There was a lot of food and Lou was in a very good mood. Yeah. Have something to eat. ''Yay!I love Leo! I''m not that happy to be told that I love you just because you gave me food . Then Lou was eating a lot of food at a high rate. "Oh, this is so good!I''ve never had food this good in my life. If I could eat this every day, I might as well be Leo''s slave. You''re too little: ....... That''s why you''re enslaved: ....... Well, I can''t tell him that, but . ''Yeah?That''s nice to hear. While I was working with Lou, Sherry and Leena were eating and talking with each other. Incidentally, Belle is standing behind them. As expected, I was told that I couldn''t eat with my master in front of the other maids, so I asked her to take care of Sherry and Leena. ''''Sherry, aren''t you jealous this time?'''' No, I don''t. She''s going to love anyone who gets food. Besides, I don''t want to fight her ...... and I don''t want to fight her ....... Yeah, you would. If you asked me to fight again, I''d refuse at all costs. ''''That''s true . I had a lot of feelings about Belle, but I wouldn''t feel anything if Lou-san became Leo-kun''s slave. On the contrary, I''m scared, so I hope he becomes a slave soon. Surely, if you were to use destruction magic on a whim, you''d want me to sign a slave contract as soon as possible . ''''Hmmm, I won''t be Leo''s slave just yet. From now on, I''ll have to get my bed ready for you. Lou, who had been listening to their conversation, laughed and said, "I know. ''I know, I know. We have an empty room, why don''t we use one of those? There''s plenty of room for you to stay in if you want. Then we finished eating and I got a room for Lou to sleep in. You like this room? Lou''s room ended up being the one next to Shelly and Leena''s. ''Yeah, it''s nice. It''s a big room with a bed and lots of space. Then I''m going to be Leo''s slave, just like I promised. They liked it. To others, would you give a slave such a nice room?I''m afraid you might say that . Well, if I cared about that, I wouldn''t want to make Lou a slave. It''s like keeping a bomb. ''That''s good to hear. Then Lou is a criminal slave under the authority of his lord. ''What?Criminal slaves? ''In the meantime, since I''m guilty of destroying the city, I think a crime slave is appropriate. And Lou can''t be a debt slave because he doesn''t owe me anything. But if you make him a slave for no reason, he''ll be an illegal slave. So Lou is a crime slave. I''ll have to get the process right later: ....... I''ll ask Miss Flair how to do it . Yeah. I don''t care what kind of slave you are, as long as you feed me properly. Can''t we at least be considerate of that? That''s why you''re falling for it. ''Yeah, it felt like it. Well then, let''s make a slave contract: ....... I don''t want you to destroy the city on a whim. ''I wouldn''t do that on a whim!Maybe ...... Did you just hear "maybe"? Yeah, I don''t trust him. Let''s do it anyway. Wait. Just as I was about to take Lou''s hand, Leena waited. ''Hmm?What''s going on?Leena. ''Mr. Lou, you were able to kill the slavers, even though you couldn''t possibly do it under a slave contract, right?Are you okay with a normal slave contract? Speaking of which: ....... ''''That''s right. Lou, how did you kill the slavers? It was forbidden by contract, wasn''t it? Killing the slavers was an accident. I was so happy when I was freed from my bonds that I used a destructive spell and the building collapsed, and I just died underneath it. I was so happy that I just had to go to ....... ''I''m still afraid the city is going to be destroyed on a whim. I told you, you can''t destroy a city on a whim!Maybe ...... That''s what I''m afraid of! ''Yeah, okay. Let''s make a slave contract with Lou and then convert the collar into a magical item. That should do the trick. ''Magic items?What''s that? It''s a tool that I can use to build with my creation magic. I''ll show you later, but for now, let''s make a slave contract. Come on, you need to sign a contract and put a little safeguard on that bomb. Yeah, all right. Okay, give me your hand. Yes. I took Lou''s hand in mine and used dark magic. "This seals the deal, sweetheart. From now on, Lou will have to do whatever I tell him to do. It''s disgusting. What kind of an order do you think you''re going to give me? What are you talking about? "Leo? There was a scary voice behind me. Won''t hurt you!I signed a slave contract with Lou to keep him from destroying the city for now. I turned to Shelly, not Lou, to plead my case. ''Hmmm, Leo''s a real pain in the ass. Oh, by the way, I didn''t get your three names. Can you tell me? Lou laughed at me and asked Shelly and the others what their names were. "Rihanna. You can call me Rihanna. I''m Shelia. You can call me Shelly. I''m Belle. Lina and Shelly and Belle. I''m Lou. You can call me Lou. We''re gonna hang out now, aren''t we? Lou confirmed the three names, then smiled and held out his hand . ''''Yes, yes ......'''' The three of them freaked out and grabbed Lou''s hand. ''Well then, now that we''ve gotten to know each other a little better, why don''t the four of you come take a bath after I finish modifying Lou''s collar? I''m not sure Lou knows how to take a bath. "Wow, okay, I get it: ...... A bath?What is a bath? Oh, I knew it. Lou doesn''t know how to take a bath. I''m just gonna have to find out how bad the amnesia is. A bath is a place to wash yourself. I''ll know more once I get in. All right. So, how are you going to modify my collar? I''ll explain that to you in my room, showing you the ingredients. I said and went back to my room with Lou and the others. My creation spell is a spell that allows me to use my magic to create things. Then he made a doll that looked exactly like Lou and gave it to her. "Well, your name really does sound like Lou. As he looked closely at the doll he had received, Lou commented on my magic. ''''Yes, that''s true. It''s just that this magic can be made more complicated if you have the right materials. Like the magic sword I used to fight Lou. ''A magic sword?Ah!You know, that sneaky sword that can attack from a distance. I don''t want to be told that it''s not fair ...... and only your destructive magic. Yeah. It means modifying Lou''s collar like that sword. ''What?Are slashes flying from my collar? I''m sorry, I didn''t explain it very well. It doesn''t fly. Just got a special ability, like the sword. Then why don''t you alter it or give me your head? What... Don''t you fly?Well, okay. Okay. Disappointed, Lou snapped his head closer to me. "Thank you. I attached the magic stone to Lou''s collar and used a creation spell. Then ...... Lou''s collar glowed and the magic stone mixed with it, and the light settled in to complete the collar. The completed collar looked like it had a beautiful magic stone embedded in the front side. The ability in question was ...... Slave collar. A slave who wears this is not to be disliked by his master, no matter what. Loving your master greatly accelerates the power of your magic. It won''t cause any abnormalities other than love. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Let''s see, ...... I can''t do anything my master doesn''t want me to do anymore, so that''s a relief . The rest of it is the same as the love necklace, but ...... if you think about what would happen if Lou''s magic power was greatly accelerated, I''m afraid ....... ''''Have you finished modifying it?'''' Yeah. Look in the mirror. I created the mirror and gave it to Lou. Oh, the jewels! Lou checked the magic stone on the collar in the mirror and flicked it around . ''''How is it?Isn''t it beautiful? ''Yeah, thanks Leo!I love it! You''re too light, my favorite. That''s why the slavers love to trick you. I''m glad you like it. ''Hmmm, let''s go take a bath then!Come on, Shelly, show me around. Oh, man, you''re a princess in this country, Shelly! ''Wow, okay. ....... Let''s get Leena and Belle going too. Still scared of Lou, Shelly couldn''t say anything and began to guide him. Yes. Shall we go? Okay. Master Leo, we''ll go in after you. Yeah, you better get warmed up! I said that and left the four of them alone. "Well, does this remove most of the obstacles to me running the estate? I was left alone in my room and muttered something like that . It''s been quite an intense few days, starting with the revelation of Gotts'' corruption and eventually enslaving Lou, who was destroying the black market city: ....... Well, it''s just the beginning. How do you think we''re going to change this city now: ...... I''ve got a lot of money, so I can do whatever I want to do. That''s why I''m struggling with what to do. ....... I was looking at my city from my room and fantasizing about doing this, that, and the other things I wanted to do. 115 Chapters 5 to 6 Introducing the Person Leeds Phincy. Gender : Female Attributes: nothing, wind, ice Comments: magical teacher . A kind teacher who can''t help but encourage students when they''re down. I''m training hard to incorporate non-attribute magic into my classes. Edwan. Gender : Male Comments: the head steward of the castle in Mladin territory . He does his job perfectly, but he has a suspicious habit of bowing to Gotts. Gotts. Gender : Male Comments: former Administrator of the Myrddin territory . Chairman of the Kuro Market Street. He is in jail after being captured by Leo for embezzlement. Eunice. Gender : Female Attributes: None, fire Comment: A member of the Special Forces and partner of Brother Ivan . He is an expert with the sword, and if the only thing that matters is the sword, Brother Ivan is no match for him. She''s planning to marry Ivan soon. Anne. Gender : Female Comment: an elven woman who had been held captive in Gotts'' dungeon . She was bought by Gotts and immediately rescued by him, so her mind is more stable than the other slaves. Flare. Gender : Female Comments: aide to Leo . An alumnus of the magic school and a classmate of Alex''s. He also knew Ivan at school. Clark. Gender : Male Comment: A slave-dealer owner . He was an executive on the black market where illegal items were sold and he himself was selling illegal slaves. He was captured by Leo and is in the same prison as Gotts. Lou. Gender : Female Attributes: nothing, destruction Comment: A girl of the demon race . She was captured by Clarke as an illegal slave, but escaped on her own and devastated the black market. After losing a game with Leo, she became his slave. 116 Talk 5 One Holiday Oh, I''m not busy. One day off, I was sitting in my room with nothing better to do. I had nothing to do with my study group with Hermann and his friends, and I had decided not to do any adventurer''s requests with Belle for the time being. "Why don''t you go play with your friends? That''s why we''re both back home. We both go home for the holidays. ....... ''I see. ....... Why don''t you go home to your parents, Leo-sama? You know, I haven''t been home for a while now. It''s been a while since I''ve seen you. I guess so: ....... It''s been a while. I''ll be in transition soon enough. Yes, I do. All right, let''s go. Do you want to come with me, Belle? Then I held out my hand to Belle. "What?Me too? Yeah, you''re coming with me. I don''t like the idea of leaving the bell on the table. Okay, but you can go to ...... So it''s settled then. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen my parents. I took Belle''s hand in mine and made the transition to Forster Territory. ''''Feng, it''s been a long time...'''' I love this little rural feel. Hey!Master Leo!Where am I?! I was looking at my parents'' house, which I hadn''t been back to in a long time, when Belle let out a cry of surprise. ''Here?This is a mansion in Forster territory. "Whoa, Forster Realm! What''s up with you being so surprised? Bell suggested I go back to my parents'' house, you know? ''''No, no, I thought I was going back to my parents'' house in the Imperial City: ...... ''Oh, sure, you could have gone to ...... grandma''s house. ...... I mean, you''d normally go there. Well, now that I''m here, I''m coming to you. Yeah, let''s go inside. Let''s go inside. ''Yes, yes ......'' I walked in, pulling on a nervous Belle''s hand. I''m home. Leleo? As soon as he heard my voice, Sebastian jumped out at me. "Oh, Sebastian. Long time no see! Long time no see. What are you doing here all of a sudden? It was my free time. ''So it was: ....... What''s in the back? She''s my personal maid. Belle, this is Sebastian, the house''s head butler. I introduced Sebastian to Belle while introducing Belle to Sebastian. ''Shh, Chief Steward!It''s nice to meet you. My name is Belle. When she heard that she was the head butler, she immediately greeted him politely. ''So you were Master Leo''s personal maid. Amelie did a good job. But I didn''t know that Master Leo and Master Kent really liked each other: ...... Oh, that story: ....... ''Maybe it''s about me and my grandfather liking the beast people?Amelie said the head maid told her about it. ''I see, she also knew that Master Kent had doted on the former head maid. From Sebastian''s point of view, Grandpa was doting on the beastly maid: ....... ''''Grandpa doted on them that much?'''' Yes. Enough to make Master Carina jealous. Grandma is jealous! I did. ....... That grandmother is so jealous. ...... I can''t imagine my grandma''s personality: ....... Maybe that''s how much Grandpa was into that maid. ''Oh, Leo! Hmm?Wow! I thought I heard voices and then my mom came running in and hugged me. ''Why are you here?What about school? She hugged me and asked me questions. It''s my day off. I thought I''d come over because it was my day off. "Yeah. That''s good to hear. Sebastian, go tell Alex and the others that Leo is home. Yes, sir. Sebastian thanked him and went to the room where his brothers were. I understand that your brother graduated from witchcraft school and is now working for your father. I see that Fiona is living here too, and I''m looking forward to meeting her. ....... You should come home more often, if you can come so easily. Mom, we miss you. As I was thinking about my brothers, my mom, who was still holding me, complained. "I''ve been busy. I haven''t had anything going on today for a long time. I''ve been so busy on my recent holidays, teaching magic tools at my master''s place, taking requests from Belle and the adventurers, and so many other things . Well, I could have gone as many times as I wanted to . ''''I see. What do you usually do? I''ve been trying to help my friends with their schoolwork lately. To prepare for next year''s placement test. Oh, good girl. Hey, I heard that. Did you win first place in your test last time? Mom said that and started patting my head in praise. ''Yeah, that was first place.'' Great. Good job. It''s nice to be treated like a child for the first time in a long time. It kind of calms me down. Oh, there you are. Leo, it''s good to see you. You''re a big boy again. I heard my dad''s voice as she patted me on the head. Long time. It''s been a while. I put my hand on my head. You never know if you''ve grown up, do you? Yeah, I think I''m bigger now than I was at the wedding. Now I heard my brother Alex''s voice. Oh, brother!Long time no see! Good to see you. Good to see you. I''m fine. How''s your brother?How hard is it to be a lord? Yeah, I''ve been feeling good too. Is it hard work being a lord? The Forster Domain is next to the Demon Forest, so you have to worry about that as well, and there''s a lot to learn, so it''s tough. Ah~ The Devil''s Forest... It''s true that this place is more dangerous than normal territory. That sounds awful. I''ll help you when the dragons come in my brother''s stead. I can''t take out a herd, but I can take out one of them. Ha-haha ...... Haha, I don''t like that ...... My brother sighed and became depressed. ''Don''t be so depressed. Worrying about it doesn''t help, does it? I can''t help it, so I sigh. ...... Dad encouraged him, but he remained depressed. Well, if you can''t do anything about it, it''s easier to be as optimistic as Dad. ....... You two can''t just sit here and talk about it. Why don''t we go to your room and have a long talk with Leo? Mom''s words put an end to our talk. Yeah, all right. It''s a little early, but I think we''ll have lunch. Yeah. Okay, I''ll go get Fiona. Oh, Fiona is here. I haven''t seen her since the wedding. ....... Then my brother brought Fiona over and we all started eating lunch together. "Yes, it''s good to eat at home. It''s partly because the food here is good, but it''s always better to have a meal with your family. I know. You have to eat alone in the dorms, don''t you feel lonely? That''s not true. I''ve got Bell. I''ve been eating with you every day since the day you made me cry. Now that you mention it, you wrote me a letter from Amlie. You said Leo was very fond of the beastman''s maid. Amelie''s letter? ''What?Have you been exchanging letters with Miss Amelie? Isn''t it obvious?If you''re a parent, you''re going to be wondering how your kids are doing . Especially since Leo is a child who can''t be quiet. Oh, really? ''Yes. . When you can crawl, move around the house and talk, you''re forever asking me questions that even adults would have trouble with: ....... You''ve always been curious, even when you were little. My memory is fuzzy, but that happened to me: ....... I''m pretty sure I was desperate to be able to use magic back then. ....... ''It''s been a long time ago . After all, Sebastian was the only one who survived Leo''s questioning attack, wasn''t he? Yeah. You know, Leo eventually asked only Sebastian a question. Maybe it was: ...... You''ve been a great help to Sebastian: ....... ''Well, it''s still the same now. I know. He rescued a kidnapped princess with his own hands, and owned the best trade association in the empire... You don''t seem like a child, do you? Is that so? ''It''s no big deal . When I saved Shelley, I was able to get Mr. Cliff to tell me where it was, and as far as the Fermor Chamber of Commerce is concerned, I just got behind it, and we have a proper chairman, right? As for the Fermor Trading Company, I''m just a guy who comes up with product ideas . No, no, they''re both great things, you know? Hmm. Leo-kun, I think you should have more confidence in yourself. Fiona laughed a little and warned me. ''Oh, really?'' Confidence. ....... ''No, take it. You became one of the few dungeon treaders in this world, got engaged to a princess of a big country, and got the Great Chamber of Commerce on your side?If you''re so humble, you''re going to lose some friends in return, aren''t you? Umm, yeah, ...... yeah. My dad''s amazingly convincing words convinced me. "Yeah, Leo''s awesome. I can''t believe he''s my brother. There you go, brother Alex''s negative comments. I''ve found out recently that my brother has a tendency to think negative thoughts easily . "No, no, you''re classified as a genius. It''s not normal for you to graduate from a magic school at the top of your class, right? ''Really?Leo could easily be the master of the house, couldn''t he? No, no. It''s not going to be that easy. The reason I can study at school now is because I have memories of my past life and not because I''m smart. "Mm-hmm. I don''t need to be good, but I''m happy as long as my kids are healthy. That''s what I''m talking about, Mom. You''re like a good mother. You''re right. The kids are healthy enough. Yeah, sure. So, back to the point, I read in Amelie''s letter that Leo has a buddy in his personal maid. Huh?Do you want to go back to that? We were talking about that, weren''t we? Oh, that beastly girl?Surely, I''d dote on you if you had the same personality as my dad. As I was saying this, my dad was nodding at the bell standing behind me . Don''t everyone say the same thing: ....... I guess you really liked the beastmen, Grandpa. I asked Amelie to do it. I asked Amelie to help me get away from my parents when I was eight years old?So I''ve decided to always have a personal maid by my side who I think Leo will like so that he won''t be lonely. It was: ....... ''If you ask me, maybe I didn''t feel lonely. I''ve always had Belle by my side. She talked to me, trained my magic with me, helped me to make magic tools, ...... and she''s been really good to me. You know.You can thank Belle for that, right? Yeah, okay. I''ll have to thank you later. 117 Silent conversation 6. Bath conversation Come on. The four of them walked into the changing room while Shelly showed them around Lou. ''Is this the off-lot Leo was talking about? Yes. Okay, now take your clothes off. Saying that to Lou, Shelly began to undress. ''Huh?Why are you taking your clothes off? Watching the three of them begin to take off their clothes, Lou tilted his head. Apparently, Lou really doesn''t know what a bath is, because a bath is a place to wash your body. "A bath is a place to wash yourself. You can''t wash with your clothes on, can you? ''A place to wash up?Do you need a place to wash yourself? ''What are you talking about?So where did Lou always wash himself? Me?I used to jump into ponds to clean myself off. When I became a slave, they would pour water on me while I was bound. Oh, really? How can you possibly know what a bath is like then? Well, you''ll find out when you get in. Then Lou took off his clothes and the four of them went out to the bathroom. "Wow, there''s a big pond in the house. Are we going to jump in here? Sure, it''s about the size of a small pond, but ....... Don''t jump in. Let''s get you out of the water before you go in. Here. As he said that, Sherry poured hot water on Lou. Shelly is surprisingly caring. ....... You were scared of her earlier, but you''re not afraid of her? Well, maybe I''m relieved that I have a collar of my own creation: ....... ''Huh?Isn''t it cold for water? Roo was surprised when Shelly poured hot water on her head. She usually dives into the pond to wash herself, so she was surprised by the hot water. That''s right. A bath is a place to wash yourself and warm yourself up and relax. Does this warm water make you tired? Yeah, I know that when I see it. Come on, don''t jump in. Go in slowly. With a reminder from Sherry, Lou quietly got into the hot water . . feels good ...... Lou looked really good. I think she liked it. You know? It certainly makes me tired. That''s right. Moreover, this hot water is special because it was created by an item that Leo-kun created with his creation magic. Special?What do you mean?It''s definitely murky and smells great, but ...... what''s so great about it? Besides recovering from fatigue, this hot water is also good for restoring magic and making your skin beautiful. Heh. That''s great. Leo''s creative magic is still a cheat: ...... For the last time, I don''t need to be told this alone. Absolutely not. Destructive magic''s a cheat. Leo can do anything. People used to say he was incompetent or something, but no one says that anymore. I''d rather be flattered and envied nowadays. Really, it''s not good to judge people based on assumptions. "Huh?Leo is incompetent?Is there anyone in the human world more capable than Leo? He''s not here. They just don''t know it. Leo is the best in the world. Stop flattering yourself! You can''t beat a dragon and a demon king, can you? ''Yeah. ....... Does Shelly like Leo? Hmm? Hey, what''s going on?Suddenly. Lou''s abrupt words made Shelly, who had been acting like a big sister, blush. ''Come to think of it, I didn''t hear about your relationship with Leo. All three of you are Leo''s girls, right? Don''t call me "my girl"! You''re going to reflect badly on me! That''s right: ...... So, do you like it? I love it. ...... Saying that, Shelly''s bright red face just barely dipped into the hot water . I did~. She''s so cute and embarrassed. Do Leena and Belle like Leo too? Yes. Leena replied honestly, without any signs of embarrassment . Belle, on the other hand, said: ...... ''Well, um, ...... I''m a maid, so .......'' I was at a loss for words. Well, I''m in trouble if you ask me that. Because Belle and I are maid and employer. "Am I not allowed to like her as a maid?More importantly, what''s a maid? Lou, who doesn''t know anything, doesn''t hesitate to ask questions. ." "Uh, uh, ...... It''s Belle''s job to take care of Leo''s personal needs. Leena answered for Belle, who was in trouble. ''What?Does he have a girl taking care of him?It''s not cool~ Shut up!I''m in a body that can''t live without Belle. That''s not true. That''s normal for a nobleman. Shelly and I have a maid to take care of us, too. Hmm. Lou turned to Shelley. "What? Nothing~. So why can''t Belle fall for Leo?Leo''s got no right to say no when he''s being taken care of, right? You''re right: ....... I''m used to Belle''s care. So I have no right to complain about what Belle thinks of me. Well: ....... Did you know that in the human world, there are separate classes for nobles, commoners and slaves? Yes, ......, if only in name. Well, then, let me explain. A slave, of course, is someone like Lou. They''re treated as somebody''s property. Yeah, yeah. Lou has been through this before. Then there''s the nobility. A nobleman is a person like you, Leo, who controls the lands of a country. Yes. ''And by commoners, I mean ordinary citizens like Bell. Heh. Which one is Lena? ''''I''m treated as a nobleman at ...... in a manner of speaking. It''s hard to explain this right now, so you can ask me again when you''re free . Well, I''ll have to start with Lena''s background. Maybe you wouldn''t understand it if I explained it to you. Okay. So why can''t Belle like Leo? Well, it''s not that ...... is a bad idea. Leena answered the question with a slightly annoyed look on her face . ''Isn''t it bad?What does that mean, then? The other nobles are making a fuss about it. Instead of Leena, this time it was Shelley who answered. ''Are the other nobles bothering you?What other nobleman besides Leo would complain about that? Well, let''s put it simply. Leo is very popular among the nobility. So many people want to force Leo to marry their daughters. I really wish you would just give up . It''s going to be awesome every time I attend a party. ....... ''You want me to marry my daughter?Not that you want to marry yourself? ''I''m sure some people are like that ...... but most aren''t. And a nobleman can give up if a nobleman other than himself marries. But when the other person is a commoner, ...... Are you going to complain? Yes, yes. Actually, my mother is a former commoner. Hey, that''s right. He said he met you at the magic school. Did you?Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask earlier, is Shelly an aristocrat? Oh, I don''t think I explained it to you. Shelly''s a princess. She''s the daughter of the greatest man in the land. ''What?Shelley was such a great guy: ......? With that, Lou pulled away from Shelly a little. After everything she''d said and done, it was a little late for that. Nothing will change. And when my mother, a commoner, decided to marry the Emperor, a lot of people didn''t like it. They said a commoner girl wasn''t fit to be the emperor''s wife. Well, I''m sure you will. I''m surprised you got married. Yeah. But if you have Shelley, you could have married her, right? Yes, he did. It looks like your father pushed him over the edge, with the help of a brave man. You''re a grandpa: ....... I''m sure Grandpa would help you out: ....... He would have values from his time in Japan, and he doesn''t like the aristocracy . ''What . So I have no problem with Belle falling for Leo then . Sherry''s mom was okay with it, too. Yeah, yeah, ...... Well, if you say so, I''ll have to answer that. I think what Shelly was trying to say was that maybe it''s not a bad idea, but it''s a difficult one. Well, I don''t think we need to worry about the other nobles. Good for you, Belle. It''s okay to like them. ''Yes, yes ......'' Belle replied, her face turning bright red. ''I think I''m going to get a bit runny soon, so shall we get out of the bath? Yeah, sure. Oops, got to turn that off now. Hey, what are you looking at?What''s that? Wow! I heard a voice and turned around to see Lou peering at the monitor from directly behind me . And behind him stood a trio of scary-looking people: ....... 118 CHAPTER I VISIT THE DOMAIN 1 It''s been a week since the black market was destroyed. Since then, I''ve been searching for and capturing the remnants of those who had managed to survive on the black market. Some of the survivors included illegal slaves that Lou hadn''t killed, so of course I helped them. I knew he was hurt too, so now he''s living with Gotts'' former slaves. Leena and Belle are the only ones who seem to be trusted, and they see them every day. They tell me that you''re still in recovery. Well, there''s nothing I can do to help, but it''s the least I can do. Let''s just hope things get better soon. I checked on the people who survived on the black market ...... and found that most of them are criminals who are wanted on the black market. They were black marketeers, assassins, and thieves....... True, the darkness of this world was concentrated in that place. These criminals are too numerous to handle so I sent them to the imperial capital. They couldn''t fit in the castle''s dungeon, so the imperial capital accepted them, which was a big relief. Right now, my uncle and his special forces are interrogating me in the imperial capital. And about Lou: ...... I don''t have anything to say about him. He was just laying around in his room for a week doing nothing. The only time I''d see him in one day was for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well, I didn''t want you to get in trouble, so let''s just hope it stays that way. Oh, there was one thing I wanted to mention. Lou took a shine to Shelly. When he''s not lounging around in his room, he seems to spend most of his time with Shelly. Well, Shelly''s not so bad, and we''re taking care of her somehow, so she''ll be fine. So we didn''t have to worry so much about Lou. The real problem is ...... now we''ll have to figure out how to change this city. We have more money than we can afford, but we''ve been too busy to think about anything else: ....... First of all, what else can we do to correct the rules in this city ......? Yes. ...... What''s going on? As I was struggling with this, Flair, who was filing next to me, expressed her concern. I''m trying to think of ways to change this town, but I can''t think of anything ...... to do about it. I don''t even know what''s wrong with this city. ....... Flair, is there anything you think needs to be fixed in this city? You seem to have a better idea, Mr. Fleur. I''m sure you know more about the government than I do, and you can tell me things I''m not aware of. There''s just one thing. This city is not safe. I asked her a question, and she answered it right away. See, Miss Fleur has a plan for you. Too safe? ...... ''Well, sure, there''s ...... black market streets and stuff like that: ......'' It''s not just that. There are too few military police for the population of this city. Military police?Oh, it was a police like organization in a previous life . Not a lot of MPs: ....... Come to think of it, I hadn''t yet seen anyone who looked like a soldier coming to this city and patrolling the streets . ''Yeah ...... we''ll have to do something about that. Yes, sir. I''m afraid I''ll have to do something about it as soon as possible. All right. But why do we have so few MPs? There''s more money in this town than you can spend, so why should you be so stingy with your MPs? ''I checked ...... and found that the funds that were supposed to be used for the MPs had been embezzled by the former administrator. That''s why we believe they were unable to hire new MPs. ''That''s all you do: ....... Hah, gots it. ...... Not again!If he was ...... still in the castle, I''d beat the shit out of him. Well, then you should recruit the military police. And make sure they''re paid more than they used to be. You''ve probably had a rough time of it. You better treat him, or he''ll be sorry. Yeah, I get it. Yeah, okay. Okay, I''m gonna take a tour of the city. I haven''t had a chance to look around the city since I became the lord of this place. So I decided to start by just walking around the city to get a feel for it. Once I know what''s going on in the city, I should be able to find something I want to do for the city. "Huh?Just you, sir? Yeah. Oh, of course I''ll wear a disguise, okay? But there''s no point in giving me away. Maybe I''ll just go out there dressed like an adventurer. Not many people will recognize my face, and as long as I''m not overtly dressed as a nobleman, I should be fine. ''''That''s not what I''m talking about. ...... Okay. Take care of yourself. Yeah. Well, I''m off then! I said and went to the bedroom to get a change of clothes. Then ...... just as I left my room, Sherry came walking down the hall. "Hey, Leo. What''s going on? You''re walking free: ....... Well, it''s safe to walk around now. I''m going to look around the city. Get dressed and I''ll be off. ''What?It''s not fair!Take me with you!Hey, is that okay? When Shelly heard I was going out, she grabbed my hand and gave me a cute little look and asked me to do it . Oh, and by the way, I casually answered honestly, but that''s what happens when you tell them: ....... What do I do? ''What?Are you coming with me?Yeah ...... okay? Oh, well. I don''t want her to be trapped in the room too long. We just need to disguise ourselves. We''ve been cracking down on criminals lately, so who''s gonna be out in the open looking to do something bad? As I was thinking about this, Leena and Belle now came up behind Shelly. ''What''s wrong with you two?'' Oh, listen to me!Leo''s about to go on a tour of the city by himself. Yeah. Good luck, Leo-kun. When Leena hears I''m going out, she seems to give me a warm smile as opposed to Shelly''s . It''s kind of like Leena has been feeling very mature since she rescued the illegal slaves from the Gotts mansion: ....... ''Take care of yourself, Master Leo,'' Of course, Belle has nothing to be selfish about . On the other hand, I wish Belle would be more spoiled~ . "What?Are you sure? Shelly was surprised to see that Leena and Belle didn''t react the way she thought they would. Well, a little while ago, Leena would have said she and Shelly would go with me. ''It''s my job, isn''t it normal for me to go out there? I knew it, Leena''s all grown up. ''Yeah, I know, but don''t you want to go with me ......?'' Yeah, that''s okay. I''m staying at home. You''ll be disturbing Leo-kun and ...... Yeah ...... I''m starting to feel bad when you put up with me that much. Oh, I got an idea . I can''t help it....... Okay. Are you sure you''re just going to follow Shelly?You two, stay here until they leave. Okay, Sherry, you can change into this. And maybe a different haircut. Okay, see you in my office when you''re done. As I was saying this, I created some clothes for Shelly and gave them to her. I knew Sherry wouldn''t have civilian clothes. I made her a new outfit for her disguise. "Huh?Ah, yes ....... Huh?You''re taking me there!What is this dress! It took Shelly a moment to be surprised, as if her head couldn''t keep up with the process . ''Yeah, it''s fine. Here''s your disguise. Now, hurry up and get dressed. Wait, wait!Can you take me there? Next to Shelly, who was happy to unfold her clothes, Leena, who had been silent with her mouth open in surprise at my unexpected permission, finally spoke . ''Yeah . . well, it''s kind of half for fun, you know . But I thought it would be more noticeable if Shelly went straight into town, so I decided to have her dress up as a commoner. Oh, no. ...... Leena''s face was visibly disappointed. Oh, don''t look so sad, I''m going to take you away. You''re going to stay here with them, right?Well then, Leo and I are going to go on a friendly inspection. I feel so bad for the poor guy, so I try to end the nastiness quickly, and Shelly smiles as she shows Leena her clothes . I mean, ...... Leena is on the verge of tears. Oh well. Come on, Lina and Belle, go change. Please dress so we don''t look like noblemen, okay? I created some clothes for both of them and gave them to them as well, since it was a bullying situation any more . Leena looked puzzled for a moment, then checked the clothes and me in turn and smiled happily. ''Oh, thank you!I''ll get dressed as soon as I can!Shelly, I''m coming! Leena hugged her clothes happily and thanked me and then went right away . Well, wait a minute! ''Well, um, ....... Can I take the clothes too?I think we both need it to disguise ourselves: ...... After they had gone, Belle apologetically said something like that to me . ''Isn''t it strange that she didn''t just give it to Belle?Besides, I''d love to see Belle in that outfit: ....... So why don''t you go wear it and not worry about it?Oh, and you''ll have to help Shelly and the others get dressed. It''s free because I created it with creative magic, so you don''t have to worry about it. Okay, I understand. Thank you. Blushing and embarrassed by my words, Belle bowed and hurried after Shelly and the others . Yeah, you three are so cute. Then I dressed up as an adventurer as usual and waited in my room. Well, I knew it would take the girls a while to get ready, so I didn''t think anything of it and waited patiently. I''m sorry I''m late. It took me a while to get Sherry''s disguise. ''Wow, that was my fault!Even Leena didn''t move from in front of the mirror the whole time! Sorry I''m late. I''m sorry to be late. Oh, here it is at last. I was looking out and turned my gaze noisily toward the door where the three of them came in. ...... You three are so cute. Leena was wearing a mature colored outfit that I created ...... . Yes, she looks like a cute little girl who looks back at you when you pass her on the street. It seems that Belle wore the clothes I gave her. Well, she''s a commoner, so it fits her. On the other hand, maybe next time you want to dress her in a dress. She might not like it, but it would be nice to see. Sherry in question was wearing a dress that I created, and she wore her hair down, which she always wears in two knots. Yeah, I guess that''ll work. I like the usual The Princess look, but I also like this slightly quieter Shelly ...... look. Yeah, I''m glad you three look good in the clothes I gave you. Well, I didn''t worry that much about the three of you because I created your clothes by imitating what I thought was cute that I saw in the Imperial City. ''''Hmph!'''' The three of them looked at each other and smiled happily. ''Hmm?Is something wrong? No, I was just happy to see you. Thank you for the clothes. I asked a question and Leena answered it. "I''m glad you like it. Let''s go. ""Yes." 119 CHAPTER II INSPECTION OF DOMAIN 2 The four of us were currently walking through the center of Mladin territory. There were many shops in the center of the city, and it was full of life. ''''But even so, there are so many people here . It seems like there are more people than I''ve seen from the carriage.'''' Yeah. Walking around the city, I''m reminded of how prosperous it is once again. From above, it looks like a small person is moving, so you can''t get that much of this lively atmosphere. That''s true. It would be very difficult to make this place any better, wouldn''t it? I''m pretty sure it''s there: ....... I''m pretty sure there should be one: ...... You have one, right?Do you think we can find it on this visit?What if I can''t find it: ....... Huh, I wonder if any of the bad parts of this territory will come close to me . "Hey, girls. Hey, ladies, you wanna hang out with us? Yeah, yeah. You don''t need a monk like that. ''What a ...... the thug . Compared to Lou, you look so cute. I mean, some really bad guys came up to me. Well, I don''t know if it''s right to think of it as a bad thing. But still, if you''re a normal person, you''d be scared of being tangled up with such stern men, but I''m not scared at all. I suppose so. What should I do?Would you like me to put you to sleep? That will stand out. Maybe it''s rare for someone to be able to put you to sleep with holy magic, so maybe they''ll be able to identify who we are, right? Okay, I''ll take care of it. So you don''t want to be noticed. Shelly''s magic is so powerful, she''ll definitely be the center of attention. It''s going to be okay. Trust me. You may ask me to believe you: ....... Oh, well. Let''s just hope he can adjust his power a little bit. Well, all right. Let''s get ready to run away in case Shelly uses her magic at full force. Hey, hey. Don''t just ignore us. Come on. Come on, let''s go! Shut up!Get away from me. Get away from me! The guys, who had been ignored by us for a long time, angrily tried to grab Shelly, and Shelly used her charm magic while avoiding them. ''''Ha, yes ......'''' The two goons went away with an unnatural candor from what they had been saying and doing . ''Oh, come to think of it, that''s the way it works. Come to think of it, if I used Shelly''s charm magic, she would easily go away. Well, it''s a bit unnatural, so maybe they''ll know I used my charm magic. But it wasn''t obvious, so we''ll be fine. Next time, I''ll ask Sherry to solve it quietly. ''Huh?Did you forget about my signature magic?Hideous! I don''t say that!It''s not that I forgot, it''s just that I didn''t think of it: ...... Yeah, I just didn''t think of it! I''m sorry. Please excuse me while I buy you lunch at that place. I apologized and pointed to a nearby restaurant. It''s just lunchtime, so let''s have dinner there. Oh, that sounds nice. Of course I''ll forgive you. I was just hungry~ Good, I guess I can get him to forgive me. Hey. It''s my choice whether or not to forgive you, okay? Sherry said something, but she''s got my permission, I guess. I don''t care about the details!Here we go, Shelly. Then we walked into the restaurant as Leena pushed Sherry. ''Okay, I wonder what''s good in this restaurant ...... that?Bell, are you going to sit down? I walked into the restaurant and we all sat down, and Belle was standing next to me, confused about something. ''Belle, sit down.'' ''Yes, yes ......'' What''s wrong with me?But then Shelly used a charm spell to force Belle to sit down. ''Wasn''t that violent?Besides, what''s wrong with Belle? I mean, don''t bother using the charm magic! Really ...... you could have asked him why Belle didn''t sit down before ....... I can''t believe you''re having dinner with those ...... Leos. Huh?Again with that?But it was normal for the average person to be hesitant to eat at the same desk as an imperial princess . I figured I wouldn''t mind since Shelly and Belle had been getting along so well lately, but Belle was so serious. ''Aren''t you an idiot?I don''t care about that. You''re supposed to be our equal in this situation! As I was trying to figure out how to answer the question, Shelly was the first to get angry . I didn''t know that that jealous Shelly, who was so jealous all the time, was going to say something like that ....... ''Yes, I am . You''re not at work right now, so you don''t have to shy away from us, do you? Oh, you two are so cool! And I''m really glad that the three of you have gotten along so well. ...... Got it. Hey, boy. At first, I patted Belle, who was nearby, on the head. ''''Le, Master Leo .......'''' Oh, that''s not fair! Your brother''s very attractive. What can I get for you? As Sherry was about to complain, the waitress came over to ask for her order . Oh, I forgot to look at the menu: ...... What should I do? Um, ...... can you leave it to your sister? It was bad enough to call them again, so I decided to leave it to them. Well, I guess we''ll be served something expensive, but not bad. Sure. Now then, wait for your food. She was fine with leaving it to me, so she went to the kitchen with a smile on her face. ''Are you sure it was OK to leave it to me?I didn''t even look at the menu in the first place, okay? Come on. Let''s see what we get. Don''t tell me you''re not going to give me something weird that I didn''t expect, right? Well, okay. But those guys were so annoying before. Yeah. The way he was looking at me made me feel really uncomfortable. Oh, you mean those two goons you just mentioned. ''Maybe there are a lot of people like that . People around me were looking at me like, ''They''re doing it again ......''. Nobody was going to help us, they just looked away and tried not to get involved. I''m sure that kind of thing is an everyday occurrence. ''So that''s what happened: ....... We''ll have to do something about this, ASAP. ''Yeah, I think the number of MPs is going to increase, so it''s going to gradually decrease. I''ll have to tell the MPs to be careful with people like that. I see. I''ll have to ask the MPs to do their best. That''s right. That''s what you do. All I have to do is try to get an ordinance in this territory to punish those people. Yeah ...... I''ll forgive you if you''re just picking up a guy, but I''d prefer to arrest you when you try to force him to go with you. That''s a relief. Yeah. Yes. Here you go. We''re very proud of our pasta. When I finished, the lady from before brought me some pasta. Yeah, it looks good. I''m glad I believed her. Thank you, ma''am. Looks good. Well, enjoy your stay. Oh, wait. I was about to go back to the kitchen when I stopped her, because I had to ask her something. ''What?What''s going on?Do you still want to order something? No, sir. I just have one question. What is it about this city that you feel is wrong with it? At any rate, if she''s in town for a long time, she might know something. So I asked her anyway. That''s a weird question. You know ...... that if you go to the outskirts of town, there are slums and ...... a lot of people living on the side of the road? There''s a slum and a lot of homeless people? That many? In a city this prosperous? Yeah. Don''t go there, especially not in a safe neighborhood. It''s easy to get robbed when you''re walking around. We''ll have to do something about that sooner rather than later: ....... ''I see. ....... Thank you. I''ll talk to Miss Fleur when I get home. I''m sure Ms. Flair would have figured it out a long time ago. ''As for me, I''d like to do something about all the children who have been abandoned by their parents: ....... There''s just too many of them for me to do anything about. Too many orphans or ....... That''s another reason for the deterioration of security. I see. Thank you. You gave me something to do. No. Well, eat up now before it gets cold. Oh, yeah. I''ll take it! My sister said, "I took a bite of pasta. "Yeah, it''s good. You''ve got a shop in the heart of this country. It''s delicious. It''s delicious. It''s delicious. The three of them were eating their pasta with relish. But we got some good information. ''Yeah, now that I''ve heard, I''ve decided what I''m going to do. What are you doing? I''ll tell you about it when I get home. In the meantime, let''s just enjoy the food. You gotta do what your sister told you and eat it before it gets cold. And soon after that, we were done eating. Wow, that was good. Well, let''s go home. ''What?Is it already? Leena looked surprised at my words. That''s probably true. We just left the castle and walked around for a bit to have lunch, you know. ''''Yeah . The four of us can tour the city when it''s a bit safer. Is that much? Not really. Are all three of you aware of this?The people who have been following us all along the way? Then I turned to the three men sitting some distance away. ''Yes . I''ve been feeling the same people''s eyes on me for a while now. Apparently, Belle noticed. Do you think beastmen are sensitive to such things? ''What?Was it? I knew it, Shelly and Leena didn''t see it coming. I think they''re thinking of kidnapping you three or something. So, since we''re not going to be conspicuous if we cause any more trouble, let''s go home. It''s easy to do something about those three guys, but I''m sure there are still a lot more goons picking up on them in the future: ....... I didn''t know that it was this unsafe. I guess Mr. Flair was right after all. No such ...... It''s not a safe place to be walking around with just the kids, but when things get safe, the four of us can play together again. Okay? We''re going to make it better, so just bear with me until then? Okay. ...... Yeah, I''m good. I reached out and patted Shelly on the head. ''Oh, me too!'' Okay. Okay. I patted Leena''s head with my other hand. They looked so cute, both of them smiling so happily. Well, let''s go home. We''re going to be busy. Now that we''ve found something to do, we just need to get on with it! 120 CHAPTER III -- Build an orphanage ① When I came back, I was reporting my impressions of the tour to Miss Flair. "When I walked the streets, I thought... I thought I saw that the streets were very unsafe, just like you said. And the outskirts of town seem to be even worse. A lot of people out of work and orphans. We''ll talk about the out-of-work people later, but how many orphanages are there in this town? It''s not like there aren''t any orphanages, so the city''s population is probably too big to have enough of them . I see. I''ll have to gather the garrison as soon as possible. And I''ll check on the orphanage now. With that, Miss Flare started going through the papers in her room. Then she finished quickly and answered my questions. "From what I''ve found, there aren''t any in the city. Not one? Are you kidding me?This city is so prosperous and yet there isn''t a single orphanage? "Yes. Not one. The previous custodian destroyed them to cut costs. That guy again: ...... He''s really just an afterthought: ....... If they hadn''t destroyed the orphanage, wouldn''t this city have been a bit safer? That guy should have been treated more roughly: ....... All right, I''ll build the orphanage. "Okay. That''s right: ......I''ll renovate Gotts'' house and turn it into an orphanage. I''ll ask the maids who work at Gotts'' house to work at the orphanage. Okay. Do you want me to arrange for the renovations? No, no, you don''t have to arrange that. There''s a vault in there, I''ll just do the creative magic on my own. Besides, it''ll go faster. Might not be a good idea not to spend the money. Okay. How do you plan to get the kids from the orphanage? I''ll get some for now. I''ll send you when there are more soldiers in the garrison. Oh, and, uh, the only age you can go to an orphanage is 14. Bell said he was sent out of an orphanage when he was ten years old. Maybe it wouldn''t be a problem to keep her at that age. I heard you can work in this world from the age of ten, but it''s too bad you can''t send them out into the world at ten years old. I understand. I''d like to offer you that job as soon as the garrison is assembled. Yes, please. I''m going to the Gotts'' house now. I transitioned to the orphanage and gathered the maids at the door. And I told them what we were going to do. "Tomorrow, I want to start the orphanage here. This is an orphanage?Wait a minute! What is going to happen to us! Besides, we don''t have the facilities here to start an orphanage here tomorrow! As soon as I started to explain, the head maid pointed out the problem. By the way, the head maid has a slave collar. This seems to be because Gotts, who loves slaves, chose a slave for his head maid who is always with him. Now, calm down. There''s a lot of explaining to do. Oh, I''m sorry. At my words, the head maid came back to me and immediately apologized. It''s okay. It''s natural to feel uneasy. Okay, let''s get to it. First of all, about you guys ......, would you mind taking care of the kids here? Please. I said that and bowed my head from the beginning of the explanation. It''s easier to explain when you get the consent first. Well, if he refused, I wouldn''t be able to continue explaining: ....... ''Oh, raise your head. No nobleman should ever bow to a common man! No. It doesn''t matter if you''re a nobleman or not, I''m doing you a favor. There''s nothing I can do but ask you to quit your job as a maid. I''m really sorry that I''m making a decision to change jobs on my own. But I can''t start the orphanage right away unless you maids do it for me. He really is an odd man. I can''t imagine how much easier it would have been for our Lord if he were like Master Leons: ...... Yeah, it must have been a hell of a job taking care of Gotts. Thank you for your hard work. Well, he''s on trial in the Imperial City right now. ...... So, will he be working at the orphanage? Yes. I''ll work. Taking care of the children is easier than taking care of Master Gotts. Besides, it''s part of a maid''s job to take care of children. I asked cautiously, and the head maid said yes, more than I expected. "We''re all good with that, right? And when the head maid confirmed it to the other maids, they all shook their heads . I didn''t expect them to agree so easily: ....... Thank you. Well then, I''m going to start renovating the mansion ......, but first we have to free the people who were still slaves. I''ve been talking to you for a while now, and I can''t help but notice the head maid''s collar . ''Huh? Will you let us go? Yeah. Give me your hand. Wait a minute. I''m good. Just let the other kids go. When I held out my hand ...... the head maid said that and carefully pushed my hand back with both hands . ''Okay, but ...... can I ask you why?'' Why?What reason would I have for refusing? ''Well, ...... I''m a slave to Master Leons now, aren''t I?'' Speaking of which, yes. All of Gotz''s wealth is now mine, so those girls who were Gotz''s slaves and property are now my slaves . Then I''ll keep them. I, Master Leons, will remain your slave. ''What? Why? You may be my slave, but you''re still my slave, okay? "Hmmm, a secret. Oh, to teach the children not to discriminate against you just because you''re a slave. No, you said it was a secret in the beginning. ''You just thought of that ......, didn''t you? Well, okay. If you ever want me to let you go, just let me know. In a few seconds of your book, I''ll take that collar off. Oh, yeah, sure. So, anyone else who wants to be released, come to me. The other maids would like to be free, if you think they would like to be free: ...... ''Um, ...... I don''t have to release mine either. Me too: ...... Me too: ...... I''ve been rejected by all of them . Seriously, ...... are they all the same reason as the head maid? ''What? Well, if it''s good, it''s good: ....... Okay, well, let''s start the renovation. Well, then, let''s break it up for now. With that said, I decided to end the conversation with the maids and start remodeling the mansion. ''''Having said that, ...... what kind of equipment do we need? Oh, I''ll ask Belle from the orphanage. Yes . Growing up in an orphanage, I''m sure Belle would know what to expect! So I moved over to Bell''s place. "Bell, do you have a minute? "Yikes! As I shifted, two women screamed and fell on their asses in front of me. ''Oh, I''m sorry to have startled you . You are ...... The one who was on her ass with Belle was the elven woman I had saved. Then I looked around and saw that the place I had shifted to was the room where the former illegal slaves lived. And it seems I''ve done it. "My name is Anne. As I was looking around the room, the elf woman told me her name. ''Okay. . Anne. You can call me Leo. All right, I''ll be out of here. Hey, I''m going to take your bell. It wasn''t good for me to be in the midst of a group of man-phobic people, so I grabbed Belle''s hand and decided to leave the room . But I was immediately stopped by Anne. ''Well, wait. Leo-sama wouldn''t be afraid of the women here, so don''t worry about it. ''What?Really?Really? You don''t have to force yourself to say that, do you? Yes. We''re so grateful to Master Leo for his help. Are you sure you''re okay? When I persistently checked, everyone around me nodded quietly. ''Okay. ....... Well then, let''s talk about it here, shall we? Maybe you can get some input from Anne and the others. 121 CHAPTER IV -- Build an orphanage ② In front of a group of former illegal slave women, I explained to Belle what I wanted to ask. "There''s an orphanage I''m going to build here in town for a reason, ....... I don''t know what we need, so I thought I''d ask Belle to help me build it. I see. Then I''m happy to help. How big of an orphanage are you planning on building? I was thinking of turning Gotts'' house into an orphanage. A lot of people could live there, couldn''t they? ''You''re building an orphanage that big?Who is going to take care of so many children? Sure it''s big, but it''s a reasonable size considering the population of this city, right? I''ve decided that the new orphanage we''re building will be staffed by the maids who originally worked at Gotts'' house. I''m really glad that the maids agreed to it right away. It must have been very difficult and time-consuming to recruit new ones. I see, I see. Well, let''s head over there. I''ll tell you what you need when I get over there. Yeah, thanks. You guys, I''m sorry I took Belle away from you. I apologized to everyone before I made the transition . I feel bad for taking Belle away because Belle and Leena are the only ones who are on everyone''s mind. ....... Ah, yes . Before you go, I''ll ask Leena to stay with everyone . ''It''s okay. There''s no need for you to be that worried. Anyway, about that orphanage we were talking about: ...... Hmm?What''s wrong with the orphanage? Was there something that was problematic in her way or something else? Would it be possible for me to work there? Huh?Oh, you mean that? Hey, are you all right?Well, it''s only women there ...... and yes, it is. Yeah, it''s a better working environment than I thought. Okay. You should try working there. All the men are not allowed in there, except for the kids. I''ll have a female guard at the gate later. You''re sure?Thank you, sir! Oh, um, ....... ''Wow, we''ve been to ...... When the others saw that Anne had been cleared, they offered to help. ''And everyone else?All right. So we should all go together now. All right, so anywhere you want to put your hands on me. Well, if it was just the maids, we would have been short of people if there were more children someday anyway, so even if there were twenty more people, it would be perfectly fine . With that thought in mind, I shifted with everyone else. We''re here. They moved into the grounds of the former Gotts house. It''s outside. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen the sun: ...... It''s a nice breeze. Anne and her friends, who had been locked up in their rooms with the curtains closed after they were released, were happy to be outside for the first time in a long time. "Everyone seems happy. Yes. I''ve been holed up in my room, freaking out, you know? Seeing Anne and her friends, Belle was happy to see them, too. Well, Belle was probably even happier than I was because she was with them all the time. It must have been hard for you: ....... I hope it gets better now. Yes. Okay, let''s start remodeling the house. Take a look around the mansion and let me know if you need anything. I''m going to start renovating and I''m afraid the orphanage is not going to be finished by the end of the day, so I''m changing the subject. Okay, I see. As I walked towards the mansion with Bell''s reply, Anne and the others hurriedly followed me . ''''Hmm?You can stay here. I''ll come back here when I''m done. When I said that, Anne looked very sad. ''''No, I''m not comfortable with us being alone yet. ...... Oh, I''m sorry. Of course. So, let''s look around the house together. If you think about it, you''re right . If I think about it, I''d realize it, but I''m really stupid . As I entered the mansion while reflecting in my head, the head maid here came out . ''''Ah, Master Leons . What''s going on with your people? "Let''s see... ....... Let''s start with this one. This girl is my personal maid and ...... the other girls are the ones who will be working here. Oh, I see. I''m Camilla, I''m the head maid here. It''s nice to meet you. After hearing my explanation, the head maid immediately introduced herself to Belle and Anna. ''''Nice to meet you,'''' Hi, nice to meet you. Belle and Anne replied to Camilla''s greeting. Others seem to have difficulty talking to people they have never met before, even if they are women. Let''s have her get used to dealing with our maids little by little. Then I''ll go remodel the house with Belle. Camilla, will you stay with the others?Oh, and get the other maids here, too. Yes, I understand. You''re all colleagues from the place you''re going to work, so it''s best to get to know each other while you can. If you''re going to work here from now on, you''re going to have to get along with Camilla and all the maids here. Oh, yes. Yeah, I know it''s a lot of work, but hang in there! Well, I''m off. Once the maids had gathered, Belle and I began to make our rounds of the mansion. "I think the first thing we need to do is find a place to sleep. How''s that? A lot of kids need that many beds to live here. Yes, sir. If we''re going to take this house as far as it can go, we''re going to need a lot of beds. And I think we''ll need a dining hall where everyone can eat together. Surely we need a place to eat together. Right. The dining room is where the party is, so let''s turn it into a dining room. And all the rooms that aren''t in use except for the maids'' room and the room that leads to the vault, will be turned into bedrooms. Since Gotts was the only person who lived in this big house, it looks like there was a lot of room that wasn''t being used. It''s a waste of taxpayer money, isn''t it? I know. Do you need anything else? ''Well, ...... if you can, but it''s okay ....... I need a room to study and read. Oh, I forgot!You can''t just build a bed! So that''s what it says. Without learning, you can''t be independent . Okay, let''s go buy a lot of books in the Imperial City, and what about the teacher who teaches study ......? I think we''re going to have to recruit a teacher now. I think there''s a maid here who can teach them. And I''m sure Anne and the others could teach them magic and body arts as well. ''Sure, elves are good at magic, and beastmen are good at body arts. If you think about it, it''s an amazing luxury to have an elf teach you magic as a child. ''''Yes . If I could just learn how to fight here, I think I could make a living as an adventurer. That''s right. You''ll have a much better chance of success and survival than if you became an adventurer without knowing how to fight. That''s true. And if you''re strong, you can join my Order. I might even add him to a future order I might create. Then maybe he''ll work hard at his studies and become my civil servant. All right. We''ve got to get him a good education. All right. Shall I talk to Anne and the others when I get home? Yeah, I''ll ask her when she''s done modding. Okay, then let''s start the mods! As he said this, he looked into the first room. "Let''s start from the ground floor. We don''t need this big, useless reception room, so let''s make this the library. I created a lot of bookshelves from desks and chairs in the parlor. With that many books, it''s safe to buy a lot of books. Next, I''ll have to cook a lot of ...... food in the kitchen, so I''ll just go through. It''s big enough for you, so it should be okay. The next room is the bathroom. Let''s try not to break this bathroom ...... A bath soothes the soul and body. I only modified the hot water tool and left the bathrooms for later. Next, these will be the maids'' quarters. Don''t touch this room. Let''s move on. We''ve been living here for a while now, so it''s better to keep it as it is rather than change it for the worse. At the back of the maids'' room is the room with the hidden staircase to the basement. This room will be used by me, Belle and Leena when we stay here. Let''s make sure this room is off-limits and we''re the only ones who can get in. All right, let''s go upstairs. When I went upstairs, I found a row of empty rooms. First of all, let''s turn those useless rooms into bedrooms~ In the room, I''m going to create two bunk beds and go around the room. I gave you the bunk beds so that you can play in your room. If the room was full of beds, it would look like a hospital. And we''ll take this stupid, useless room of Gott''s and get rid of the desk and stuff and turn it into a space where he can play. Using the materials of the expensive looking desks and chairs in the room, I created blocks, dolls and other toys that could be played indoors. Finally, Gotts'' uselessly large bedroom could be ...... converted and turned into a classroom. We used the big bed as the material for the desk and the chair and the blackboard. There it is. Okay, so this is how it should look? When I had finished remodeling all the rooms, I checked with Belle, who had been watching me the whole time . ''Yes . I think it''s going to be okay . After that, I think we can change things as needed. Yeah. Well, let''s hurry up and get back to the guys. I have people waiting at the door. It''s done. How''s it going?Do you get along with him a little? When I came back, Anne and the others were having a normal conversation with the maids here . Yes, the others are getting along with the maids by the looks of it . ''''Yes, sir. It''s fine. That''s good to hear. Oh, I just wanted to ask you one thing, is there anyone here who can teach your kids to learn? I can do it. With that voice, several maids, including Camilla, raised their hands. Oh, yeah~. Now, can you teach the children how to study? Yes. Okay. Yes!Thank God for Gotts'' maids, they''re really good at what they do. Good. Now, is there anyone else I can teach magic to? Yes, sir. The three elves raised their hands along with Anne who replied. "Good. Can I have the four of you now teach the children magic? Yes. I''m fine. ''''Good . Now we just need to go to ...... and see if anyone can teach us how to use body arts, swordsmanship, or the bow? "Yes! A lot of people raised their hands at this. Everyone has some kind of self-defense equipment. Well, that''s cause for concern with the safety of this town. Good to see so many of them. Okay, you''re on it. "Yes. Okay. Now then, I''ll walk you through the remodeled room, and you all follow me! Then I showed them the room and explained. 122 CHAPTER V -- INVITATION OF CHILDREN Hey, there''s an idiot on his own who doesn''t know where he is. You''re such an idiot. Don''t you know this place is a slum?A kid like you can''t come in here, can you? ''No, you''re younger than me by any stretch of the imagination: ...... Now I''m in a slum, surrounded by boys with smirks and laughter: ....... I''m right on target, but it''s something: ....... After setting up the orphanage, I decided to bring in the orphans. So when I went into the slums to look for them about ten minutes ago, they came to me ...... and then they came to me. Really, it''s nice to not have to look for them. Do you guys want to come to the orphanage? No - will it take me a while to find it?But I guess it''s easier to find them than I thought. That''s why I''m not happy about it, because it''s not safe. What?What is this guy talking about?This guy is so creepy, can''t we just beat the crap out of him? Yeah, I guess so. All right, let''s kick some ass. I''m trying to talk to them nicely, but the boys come at me without question. Huh, I''m trying to negotiate as peacefully as possible: ....... ''Oh, come on, you can''t do that right away . Shouldn''t this hurt once? I started threatening him anyway. ''I''ve been mumbling to myself for a while now and it''s making me sick. I''m not talking to myself!You''re talking to yourselves because you''re not listening to me! And I wanted to complain, but the boy who looked like a leader was the first to take a swing at me. "I''m sorry to hear that. I''ve been thinking about how I can recruit you guys. You guys aren''t going to be able to explain that to me, are you? While thinking about that, I inserted the counter into the belly of the boy who looked like the leader of the group. "Guha! The boy collapsed, clutching his stomach. Okay, let''s just lay still. Okay, next. When I took down the boy who looked like the leader, I screamed and intimidated the other kids. "Son of a b*tc*, this guy is strong! What are you going to do?Running away? I''m coming to you! Oh, come on, if he gets away, you''ll have to find him again! I hurriedly stopped the boys as they tried to flee, and then I did the best I could to stop them. ''''d*mn it. ....... You, how can you be so strong! While everyone was lying on the ground holding their stomachs, a boy who looked like the leader of the group asked a question as if he were shaking his voice from his stomach. I don''t know. Why don''t you guys come to the orphanage? ''You said something like that earlier: ....... Where the hell is an orphanage? Well, you''re interested. I''m a new kid in town. But I don''t have any kids to show for it. You made it?Who the hell are you ......? I don''t know. What are you going to do about it, though?Honestly, it''s hard to keep living here, isn''t it? You look like you''re wearing tattered clothes, a little thin and undernourished. You don''t look like you''re going to live very long. Oh, this is hard. This is hard, because we have to take it from them and risk them attacking us. I knew it. Well, then, it''s easy to keep talking. Yeah. Well, I recommend living in an orphanage. You''ll get proper nutrition and a warm bed. Plus, they''ll teach you how to study. ''Study ......?What good is that stuff? Well, you never know if you live here. It''s not just useful. It''s an absolute necessity for life. After all, if you''re not smart, you won''t get the job if you''re not orphaned. And even if you did become an adventurer, you''d be tricked into slavery soon enough. It''s really easy to fool a complete stranger. Is that so? Yeah, I know. I''ve seen so many people tricked into being slaves by bad people. You''re going to end up like this, too. Oh, no. ...... The boys looked uneasy at my words. ''Well, what do we do now?Right now, they can teach you magic and swordsmanship, too. You''re going to teach me magic too? Does it respond to magic that well?No, I guess it''s normal. Magic is like a part of life these days, but people can''t even learn it. I know. There are a lot of witchcraft teachers. So what do we do? Please, will you agree to this? Can I trust you? Well, that''s what happens when you say you''ve been tricked into becoming a slave: ....... ''Sure. . ." and you wouldn''t believe me, would you?So how about you, the leader, take a look at me and see how things are going before you decide? Then you can decide if you want to live in an orphanage or not. Okay, all right. Take me in! Bill, are you serious? As the boy who looked like the leader stood up, the other boys immediately tried to stop him . ''Yeah, we can''t get away from this guy anyway . . you can''t get away from this guy, even at this rate, can you? ''So, but ....... What about you, Kathy? Kathy?Do you have a girlfriend or a sister? Speaking of which, I don''t see a girl. If I don''t come back, you guys will. So if I don''t make it back, you can apologize for me. And then Bill walked over to me. Oh, come on!Bill! The other boys still couldn''t get up, so they desperately tried to stop the building with just their voices . It''s like ...... me, I''m looking like a villain. ....... You guys attacked me first, right? Don''t worry about it so much. I''ll be right back. Why don''t you just stay here then? Once I got everyone settled, I made the transition to the orphanage. All right, this is it. This is where you''re gonna live. I metastasized to the garden of the orphanage, and I introduced the building to Bill. "Oh, my God.Did the place shift in an instant?I mean, really, who are you? Well, you don''t know me, so it''s no surprise that you don''t know about the transition either . Well, that''s not important. Anyway, what do you think of the building? Uh, ....... I''ve never seen a house this big before. Of course it is. It''s the second biggest building in town, next to the castle. A lot of people are gonna live here. It''s gotta be big. So let''s go inside. As I was saying this, I walked into the mansion with Bill. Let''s start downstairs. The first room is the library. These books are in here, you''re welcome to read anything you like. In this room, which used to be a parlor, I created a bookcase with various books that I bought up in the imperial capital. ''''Books?I don''t know how to read. That reminds me. Didn''t I need the book? Well, he''ll figure it out. So you''ll learn to read and learn to read. Reading is fun! Okay, okay. And here''s your dining room. Three meals a day will be served. I explained such things to Bill as I showed him the large diner . ''Three meals?'' Yeah. Come on, you can eat. Next stop is the bath. You''ll wash up here every day. Yeah, I guess a lot of people can fit in here if it''s this big. There''s even a bath: ...... ''Also, these are the rooms of the people who work here, so kids are off limits. I told Bill in front of the area where the maids'' rooms were located. ''The people who work here?You mean those women you just passed? That''s right. They''re gonna take care of you and your girls from now on. Now, let''s go upstairs. When we finished upstairs, we moved upstairs. Upstairs is where the kids sleep. That''s where you''ll sleep. Ho, it''s really a bed: ...... Yeah, for those of you who sleep outdoors, you''ll be thrilled to sleep on a bunk bed. Yeah. Okay, let''s move on to the next room. This is a free-for-all room. This is a room where you can play with whatever you find. I explained to Bill, pointing to the building blocks, balls and other playthings . ''This one ...... is going to make Cassie happy. Bill smiled happily as he looked at the stuffed animal. Maybe Cassie was his sister. With that thought in my mind, I led him to the last room. "And this is where I''ll study. You''ll learn a lot of things here. ''You''re here to study: ....... Okay. That''s it? Yeah, yeah. You''re free to play in the yard now. All right, let''s get back. Having said that, I shifted to where I was. "Ugh! When he came back, the boys let out a startled cry. "I''m sorry to surprise you. So, Bill. Do you trust me? Please, trust me!If you don''t trust me, I''ll have to force you to take me to an orphanage! Yeah, you can trust me. We''ll take care of you from now on. Good~. That''s good. Okay, let''s go. Okay, let''s keep recruiting at this rate! ''Wait!We have a sister and a brother. I was just thinking about what to do next when Bill said that. Oh, I forgot. It''s Kathy, right? Yeah, yeah. Then you can take me to where your brothers are. It''s easier for me to move to one place at a time. Okay. Come on. Then Bill gave me a tour of the slums . As we were moving, I thought, there are more kids living on the street than I thought: ....... I''ll have to recruit them later. Then I arrived at the place where Bill and his friends were living. ''Oh, my brothers are back! When they arrived, kids as young as four or five years old came running up to Bill and his friends. Big brother! Bill was in the arms of a girl who looked like Cassie. I''m home. Welcome back. Who''s behind you?New friends? Well, that''s about it. He''s trying to give us a new place to stay. A safe house?Well, you''re not wrong. Huh?Moving again? Yeah. But this is the last time I''m moving in. Yeah, because in an orphanage you don''t have to leave until you''re an adult. Is that so?Yes! Your sister is pretty. I never had a brother or sister, so I guess I''m a little jealous. Okay, all right? Yeah, that''s good. So I''m going to hang on to all of you. I took everyone with me and moved to the orphanage. 123 CHAPTER VI INTERACTION WITH CHILDREN It''s been a week since the orphanage started. Since then, I''ve been trying to persuade some of the other children in the slums to join us. Also, a number of children came voluntarily when they heard about the construction of a luxurious orphanage. So about seventy children are living in the orphanage now. And now we were at the orphanage. I say "we" because Shelly, Leena and Belle came with us: ....... When I transitioned to the orphanage, Anne and her children were gathered in the garden. ''Hey. How are you guys doing? Oh, Leo!I''ve been fine. Who are those people in the back? Since then, we''ve gotten along so well that people have started calling me "Leo''s Brother. It was a real struggle at first, though, because they were so scared of us. We hung out together every day for a week, and we managed to get along. Were you his girlfriend? I was just happy to see how well I was getting along with everyone, and the kids were cackling at Sherry and the others. Kids love that kind of stuff. Well, I was just a kid, so I remember doing the same thing to my brothers. Yeah?Well, I guess that''s about it. You''re my fianc, you can''t go wrong. ''Oh my God . Leo, you''re taking such a beautiful woman, and you have three of them as your own?You''re good. Hey, hey, don''t call me "my girl". Okay. Oh, aren''t you jealous? I got a little carried away and started joking around. Then Bill''s sister, Kathy, came up to me with a straight face. "Cassie, what''s wrong? Leo, you have to love each one of them equally, right? Oh, oh, ....... I couldn''t say anything back as the heaviest words I could imagine came from cute Kathy. ''Hey, hey . Which one is the Princess? This time, a boy came up to me and whispered something like that in my ear. ''Hmm?Who told you about the Princess? Dr. Anne told me about it. Hey, Leo, aren''t you a great guy? Oh, Anne. Anne actively works with children, teaching them magic and studying. That''s one of the reasons why the children trust her so much. "No, that''s not true. She''s a human being just like you. Really. So, which one is the princess? Guess which one? Yeah, ...... the rightmost one. On the far right is Leena. Yeah, Leena looks so much more mature than I do. Nice try. In the middle. Yes, ...... I knew you''d be beautiful. Are you going to get married in the future? Uh, yeah, I guess so. Can''t be sure yet, but I''m gonna do it. So you''re gonna make Leo the emperor? Huh?Anne, you taught her that much! No. Her brother is the emperor. Yeah. By the way, you''re all pretty. Well. So, what were you doing now? ''I''ve been studying magic with Miss Anne,'' That makes sense. Then Sherry and Leena can help, too. They both said they wanted to get to know the kids, so that''s good. Yeah, I see. Can I help you, Anne, with anything? ''No, not particularly: ....... Oh, I''d like a magic tool that can appraise the attributes. "Appraise the attributes?Then I''ll be the one to ...... No, it''s nothing. He was about to say I''d give him an appraisal, and I held my mouth down, and I panicked. Watch out. I guess you didn''t tell anyone that you could use the appraisal. Well, even if there''s no appraisal, all you have to do is make a magic item. "Uh, ...... I''ll get you the materials, and I''ll be right back. Right. Shelly, you can show the kids your magic until I get back. I''ll be right back, but the kids will be less bored that way. It''ll get them more interested in the magic. All right, all right. All right. And then Shelly let out a bunch of magic around her. Yeah, it looks like she''s gonna do that thing she always does. Okay, well, I''ll be right back. I made sure Shelly started moving her magic around and transitioned toward the castle. Then I came back with my backpack as soon as I could. ''He''s back!Huh? When I came back, they all had their backs to me. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Sherry standing there. "Lisa!Let me see more of that earlier! I want to see it again! Again! Please! It seems that Shelly''s magic has caught on. Oh, well. We''ll only have to do this one more time, so you''ll have to watch it closely. Shelly was praised by the children and happily listened to their requests. As usual, Shelly created a lot of magic around her and began to move it erratically. Her movements were beautiful as she moved through everyone and flew high into the sky. At last, the magic was launched into the sky. "Wow. The kids kept cheering as they watched Shelly work her magic. And when it was over, a little girl asked Sherry a question. "You''re awesome, big sister!If we work hard, can we be like your sisters? You''ll be fine. But you''ll have to practice a lot. I''ve worked harder than people can imagine. I suppose. At least you have a higher level of magic manipulation than I do. I know, right: ...... Alright. I''m going to do my best to be just like you! The girl who asked Sherry a question smiled and smiled and said, after pretending to think, "I''m with you! ''Me too!'' Me too! Me too! Other kids came forward to follow the girl! You''re very popular. Oh, Leo. ''It''s Leo!Did you go home to get that bag? That''s right. It''s a magic bag. It holds a lot of stuff just like this, you know? Saying that, he pulled out a stuffed animal from his bag and handed it to a girl who was nearby . Well, I didn''t really take it out, I just created it on the spot. ''''Wow~ . . wow!Leo''s magic? I''m trying to tell you that it''s not, but it''s magic that made the stuffed animals: ....... ''Well, um, ...... I''ll show you my magic now.'' I had to fake it so as not to ruin the dream. This Leo-nii magic sounds great! Well, watch and learn. As I was saying this, I put my hand on the ground. Then, in an unused part of the big yard, I built a big building with my creation magic. When the children saw it, they froze for a few seconds, not realizing what had happened. ...... Huh?Is this the magic of Leo? Yeah. Okay, let''s go inside. As I was saying this, I opened the door of the building. "It''s wide open! We went in, and the place was like a schoolhouse. I''m building a target on the wall. This is a training ground for magic. We can''t risk doing magic out here if we can''t control our magic properly. It''s not safe to destroy a house or fly outside and hit a passerby. ''Really?But doesn''t magic destroy this house? Don''t worry about it. I''ll take care of that from now on. Then he took the magic stone out of his backpack. Oh, my God. That''s so beautiful! This is a magic stone. You guys are gonna have to practice on it sometime. Miss Anne? Now that I''m practicing my magic manipulation, I''m almost there . ''''Well, I''ve never seen a magic stone with such a high concentration of magic power before: ...... Anne is so amazed by the magic of the magic stone that she can''t seem to hear me. An elf could make this much. While thinking about that, I modified the walls, ceiling and floor. Good, now we can do magic in this building. Sherry, try it with all your magic. When the mods were done, I pointed at the target and asked Sherry to give it a shot. If it could withstand Shelly''s magic, it should be fine. All of it?Wow, I get it: ...... With that, Shelly pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the target. And it produced a ridiculously large chunk of lightning, bigger than I had imagined. ''Oh, that might not be so good: ...... It''s so big, I''m afraid it''s going to break down the wall. What if it breaks through the wall and destroys the orphanage? And as I freaked out, the magic flew toward the target. "Shh! D''ong! The magic hit the target, or rather the wall, emitting a terrific sound and light. And when I slowly opened my eyes, which had been blinded by ...... too much light, I could see that the wall was safe and sound. Thank goodness ...... I thought it was going to break. I was relieved to see a spotless wall. That''s cool. What have you done to it? Let''s see: ...... The Wall of Suckers. It''s designed to absorb magic in an instant, even if it hits you. Use the magic you absorb to repair what''s broken Creator: Lonce Muldaine That makes sense. Even if it''s broken, it can be fixed. Shelly could fix this building with a magic that big in the blink of an eye. I made it so it absorbs magic the moment it hits. It''s the same wall at the school, the training camp. Well, the performance is quite different. It will break if it hits the magic over the limit. Okay, now all that''s left to do is to use the magic item that Anne wanted me to evaluate. The material is stable. Then I took out a large mithril from my backpack. And I immediately used my creative magic. "Oh, yeah. Appraisal pedestal. The appraisal results of the person who touched the pedestal are projected on the pedestal. The results of the appraisal can only be seen by the person who owns it. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Okay, there you go. Bill, touch this. I decided to evaluate what I''d created and try it out on a nearby building. ''Huh?Uh-huh. Bill, suddenly appointed, touched the pedestal in confusion, and it began to glow. ''Whoa!There''s something out there! ''What?I don''t see anything. Bill''s startled gaze was empty, and the other kids looked at him in wonderment . ''The others can''t see you. So, Bill, what were the attributes? I can''t read: ...... That''s what I was thinking about. Isn''t that a mistake?We can work on that later. Yeah, that''s right: ....... Let me see that. With that said, I used the appraisal on Bill. Bill Lv.1 Age: 7 Race: Human race Occupation: leader Strength: 5/5 Magic power: 10/10 Power: 6 Speed: 7 Luck: 10 Attributes: None, fire skill None title None Oh, they have the right attributes. Mu and fire. If you work hard, you can get the fire out of your hands. As I said this, I made a fire in my hand. "Fire from my hand. ...... Bill muttered, looking at my hand. ''Leo-nii!Mine too! Mine too! As I watched the building, the other kids gathered around me. All right, all right. Wait! Then I had them all stand in a line and give them an appraisal in turn. I thought it would be pointless if I had to be the one doing the appraisal, so I made the appraisal readable to anyone who gave me or Anne''s permission. Okay, so that''s problem solved. 124 CHAPTER VII Juvenile Leader 1 My name''s Bill. I''m seven. I have a three younger sister. My parents ...... don''t remember them anymore. When I was five years old, my ...... money was gone and my shitty father was happily telling his friends over drinks that he was selling me and Cassie to the slavers. I overheard the conversation and ran off with Cassie without a second thought. I couldn''t allow our lives to be ruined just to pay for my father''s booze. But the world outside was different than I thought it would be. You could only get one meal a day, every day, and it was cold to sleep outside. ...... Wouldn''t it have been easier to be a slave?There were many times when I thought, "Why not? While I was living that life, I learned that there were other people in the same situation as me in the slums. Each was desperate to find food for themselves or their sister or brother. When I saw that, I thought it would be easier if we all worked together. So I started asking people who were in the same situation as me to join me. We''d have an easy meal, my sister and brother would be safe. When I said those things, it was easy to get them to go along with my offer. And so our group was born. Our main activity as a group was to attack rich people who wandered into the slums and steal their money and food. We wouldn''t have been able to do this by ourselves. With enough of them, a child could easily defeat an adult. This plan worked. Now everyone can go through two meals a day. I know that''s a bad thing. But we can''t live without it. And that''s how I''ll do anything to live. And it''s been about a year since the ...... group formed. There were a few groups that imitated us, and we had some tiffs and disagreements with them, but we had no problems. But that day was a turning point in our lives. That day we earned our bread and butter for the day by attacking anyone who wandered into the slums, as we always did. And just as we were about to finish our quota for the day with one more attack, that man came along. He looks about ten years old, dressed like an adventurer, but his clothes are nice, so he''s got some money. At first we felt lucky today because of the way he looked. A kid with money is a sitting duck. And then ...... we were so careless, that the guy beat us up in an instant. I couldn''t even get my hands on him. ....... In the past, no matter how strong a person was, you could always get one or two people killed, but never all of them. That''s why I was so upset at that moment. I thought I had to protect my friends, so I talked to her. And then she said something incomprehensible. An orphanage?You can eat for free?A warm bed?Well, can they teach you magic? No, you don''t. You''ve learned so far not to trust people so easily. Huh?Just to see if I''m alone? d*mn it, ......, what to do? No, I''m just glad I''m not the only one who gets hurt. Guys, look after Cassie for me. Yeah? Did the place change in an instant? Huh?What a mansion! There''s a big bathroom, a really big bed, and a place to play. Can we live here? Funny!Why are you being treated so well? Are you sure you have nothing to hide? So, but what if ...... is really an orphanage? And I don''t think he''s a bad person: ....... Yeah...... my gut is telling me to trust this guy. What should I do...... rely on my intuition? No, wait. Think about it. What happens if I say no? I forgot. She''s incredibly strong. And it has the ability to move at a moment''s notice. If I said no, he''d just force me to go with him. All right, now it''s better to follow him. Then I decided to follow him, joined Cassie and the others, and we went to live in the mansion. A group of other people soon arrived, but we didn''t get involved in each other''s lives any more than we had to. We didn''t want to get into a fight and get punished, so we kept quiet for now. Besides the maids who look after us, the house is patrolled by creepy armorers who don''t talk. They''re all quiet because they''re scared of this armor. The maids say they are ...... guarding this place, but I think they are watching us. Also, there was a collar on one of the maids. Maybe they''re her slaves. There were also ...... maids with ears and tails that I''m not familiar with. They were very beautiful and I wondered how they were brought here. And, as promised, I got to eat three meals a day without having to do anything. And it wasn''t just any meal. It was the most delicious food I''d ever had. It made us all think we could live here. But I was the only one who didn''t believe it yet. When everyone was asleep, we decided to break into the area she told us not to go. I hid from the armor, but I got to the place where I needed to be without being seen. The place was lined with rooms where the maids really lived, just like that man had said. I found a room where I could hear more than one voice, so I quietly peeked in. ''''Anyway, good job on your first day!Thank goodness everyone was so quiet. There were four maids inside, one wearing a collar, one beautiful person with long ears, and two ordinary women . Apparently, they were reflecting on the day . ''''Well, I feel like I''m simply scared. It''s a new place, so it''s only natural to be nervous. Besides, I''m sure the golem Master Leons left behind would be scary too. Yeah. It''s true, it''s scary for kids who don''t know anything about it . Armor that walks around in silence, even if you know it''s a golem, is scary to me. I don''t understand what they''re saying about golems and all that, but aren''t these people misunderstood in some way? We''re not kids like you think. We''re not scared, we''re cautious. But we need it, don''t we?We won''t be able to handle a robbery or a break-in. Besides, we can''t have a man in here, can we? What do you mean?Were the armoured soldiers really just providing security? And what do you mean by not letting a man in? I''m a man and I''m not a man in my armor? I know. Come to think of it, Anne, are you and your friends okay with boys? He''s okay. I haven''t felt anything other than pretty all day. Okay. So that beautiful woman hates men and we kids are the exception so we get to live inside. "Yes. That''s good to hear. Sure, the kids were cute. They were a lot more fun to work with than all the time we spent tending that pig. Pigs?The woman wearing the collar has been taking care of pigs for some time now. Pigs are ...... You can''t be wrong, can you?He only cares about what he eats and what he gets up to. Really, thank you, Master Leons. Oh, I see. So you''re talking about a pig like a pig. You worked for a hard master. Hmm?So ...... are you thankful for that man who is now your master? As I recall, they said his name was Master Leo, so I''m pretty sure he''s the master now. So, is he really a good man, then? I''m not sure: ....... ''Speaking of which, why does Camilla still wear a slave collar?You could have asked Leo-sama to take it off for you, right? You can take a collar off: ....... I mean, she''s wearing a collar of her own accord! ''Well, ......, why is that?When I was a pig slave, I hated this collar so much: ....... When the time came that the pigs were gone and they could take the collar off, I got scared. Scared? What''s that for? Yeah, what are you afraid of? Slaves are just slaves being controlled by other people, right? ''Fear of being abandoned?I don''t know, ...... actually, I''m already a slave in my thinking. A slave is basically someone''s property and has a master, right? Yes, sir. ''I''ve been trained in the slavery trade to think that being my master''s property is like a purpose in life . I didn''t think that much of it when I was that pig, because my master was a piece of crap. ...... Master Leons is a nice guy, isn''t he? Training: ....... I knew it was a good idea to run away from my dad . But still, is Master Leons a good man ....... Yes. "When I was aware of it, I started to think I wanted to be Master Leons'' property. And I''ve been afraid to take the collar off because I felt abandoned. How''s that?Do you agree? ''Yes, yes ....... Wait, what kind of training did you do? I''d really like to know what''s going on. I''m sure it''s a hell of a lot of content: ....... "Maybe it''s better for both of us if we don''t listen. I don''t feel like this is a good thing to say or hear. Wouldn''t you rather forget what happened to you when you were a slave? Well, you don''t want to say: ....... Huh?Was that beautiful woman a slave too? ''Yes, ...... I''m sorry for asking you to go off on a tangent. Apparently, it''s true. Surprising: ....... Maybe that''s why you don''t like men? "Don''t apologize to me. I''m sorry I made it sound like it bothered me too. Well, I think we''re done talking for today and we should go to bed for tomorrow. Yes, sir. Come on, we''ll do it again tomorrow. Yeah. Then I saw that everyone was on their feet, and I rushed back to my room. I don''t think anyone knew. 125 CHAPTER VIII Juvenile Leader ② It was the second morning after I''d been brought to the orphanage. My first bed was a perfect place to sleep. I''m not sure I''ll ever sleep on the ground again after knowing this: ....... "Okay, okay. When you get up, head to the mess hall.It''s time for breakfast. At the maid''s words, we all woke up and headed for the dining room. Nobody looked sleepy. We''re always early in the morning to get food, so we were thankful to be able to sleep until this late. In fact, we slept longer than usual and I felt lighter. Maybe I was just tired from all this time. For breakfast, they gave us bread and milk. We could only eat these once a year. Don''t eat so cheaply. We''ll get to eat every day from now on. Just put some meat in your belly. Now! As we were eating a little bit of it, because it was a waste, the collared maid in the room where I looked in last night laughed and took my bread and stuck it in her mouth. ''''Mmm~!'''' I was surprised but panicked and gagged my mouth. "Mmm. He''ll eat well. Children are supposed to sleep, eat, play, and study. So let''s not be shy. Okay? ''And I forgive you for last night, but ...... you have to get some proper sleep after this evening, okay? After I finished talking to everyone, the collar maid whispered in my ear. ''''Nug!'''' I was so startled by his words that I swallowed the bread without chewing it well. Oh, did you get choked up?Hey, hey, hey, hey. You okay?And drink your milk right. The collar maid patted me on the back and grinned as she handed me the milk and then went off to the other kids . ''Feng ......'' I didn''t know they were aware of it: ....... How long have they been aware of this? In the meantime, it''s best to assume that you won''t be leaving your room after this evening . ''What''s going on, brother?You look like you''re in a lot of pain, okay? I''m having a hard time believing it, when Cassie comes peeking in, concerned. "Oh, yeah? I panicked and faked it. It''s not good to make Cassie and her friends any more nervous. Yeah, I know. Cassie will know. Yeah, ...... Maybe you''re a little weary from the change in environment. ''Yeah, ...... you don''t have to push yourself, do you?You don''t have to look for food anymore, brother. That said, though: ...... I''m worried that there''s no backstabbing ...... that could make eating a meal this easy . Then, after confirming that everyone had finished eating, the collared maid from earlier stood in front of everyone and began to explain. "Okay, okay. Now we''re going to be divided into three groups. First, Bill''s group. We''ll study upstairs to the classrooms. Second, Mr. Eldo''s group. You''ll be outside practicing your magic in the yard. Finally, Arth''s group will head to the courtyard. We''ll go to the courtyard to practice swords and hand-to-hand combat. You have the afternoon free so hang in there. Then we''re on the move! At the command, everyone looked at each other and started talking. "Hey, what do we do to study? ''Well?You could teach me the letters, couldn''t you? He said something like that. A letter?Will you be able to read? ''What do you think?In the meantime, we''re going to head to class like you asked. We don''t need to sit here and argue about it. I took my friends and headed for the classroom at the end of the second floor. Okay. Okay, class is about to begin. Anywhere you want to sit. When I walked into the classroom ...... I saw the beautiful person in the room I looked in last night, the one with the cat-like ears, and a regular maid . Before we begin class, I''d like to introduce myself and the two guys behind me. Let me first. My name is Anne. I''m an elf. Well, I''ll tell you about my race later. I will teach you all about learning and magic. I''m Lana. As you can see, I''m a beastman. I will teach them all sword and body mechanics. "I''m Clara. I''m just the maid. I''m supposed to be taking care of people. I can help you with your studies, so don''t be afraid to ask questions. These three will be in charge of your building group. Basically, one of us is going to be with one of them, so you''re going to have to be nice to them. Beautiful person ...... Anne smiled at that and smiled. I couldn''t help but admire her smile. You''re not going to be so hard. But I guess that''s no use. You''ll just have to get used to it. For now, let''s go study some letters today! Anne looked a little sad that we didn''t respond, maybe because she was sad that we didn''t respond. But her smile quickly returned to her face and she began to teach us how to read. Three hours later That''s it for today. If you keep up the good work, it won''t be long before you can read. Then Anne erased the letters she had drawn on the blackboard. It was fun learning the letters. I learned that the characters in the city meant something like that. I''ll work hard and hope to be able to read soon. Just as I was thinking about that, Kathy asked Anne a question. "What is a book? Oh, I know, because he showed me the book, but you don''t know. What''s a book?Let''s see, ...... yeah ...... okay . We''ll have free time after lunch, so I''ll read to you then, as well as introduce you to the book. Yay! They decided it was too much to explain, and Anne agreed to read it to me . Then we had lunch and got together in a room, and Anne brought a book to me. "Here''s the book. "Oh, my God. It has writing on it. Isn''t this what we learned today? Kathy and her friends opened the book and were happy to find the letters they had learned today. Oh, that''s good. Great. Heh. Kathy smiled happily at Anne''s praise. Then let''s read it. The story we''re about to read is one of the most famous in the world. Heh. What''s the story? One of my friends asked Anne a question. "And now I''m going to read it to you. Be quiet and listen. Once upon a time ...... Then Anne started to read the book. The story is about a demon king who attacked them from the demon world, so people summoned a hero to save the world. You will be able to get the most out of the book and you will be able to get the most out of it. ...... Thus, the brave man and his friends defeated the demon king and saved the world. What do you think? That was interesting! Brave girl! I want to fight the Demon King! When Anne finished, the little ones were happily discussing the story. ''Yes, that was good. ''Hey, what happened to the brave men who defeated the Demon King?Could it be that you married a saint and a mage? Yeah, that''s worrisome. Oh, but isn''t that really a story that happened? It''s ....... Hey, guys. How are you guys doing? Just as Anne was about to respond, a voice came from the doorway of the room. ''Ah, Mr. Leons.'' It was that guy standing in the doorway. ''Miss Anne, have you been reading to the children? ''Yes. . these kids said they didn''t know the book. Hmm?Has Anne''s tone changed? And I think my expression has hardened a bit: ....... ''Was it?You should definitely read the book because it''s interesting and it teaches you things you would never experience if it were just you. Okay, okay. Hey, what should I call your brother? What do you call it?Yeah, I didn''t tell you my name. Call me Leo. "Okay. Brother Leo. ...... It''s Leo! No!Wouldn''t you be offended by me calling you that lightly? I panicked and prepared to apologize. But ...... my fears were unfounded. I''ve never been called that before. ....... Well, never mind. Call me whatever you want. Okay, I''ll read to you and you can bring any book you want! Leleo said that to Cassie and the others without even pretending to care. ''Yay!'' Yeah?What''s going on?You guys aren''t going to go get your books? After seeing Cassie and her friends leave, Leo and I stayed in the room with my brother and I. He said. "No. No. ...... It didn''t feel right to ask Cassie and the others to read with us. You still nervous? Yeah, that''s ...... I''m not sure. You can''t tell him that. Well, yeah, I guess so. If Cassie and her friends were in the dark, you''d be worried, too, wouldn''t you? Oh, what did you want us to do here? Really, that''s what I wanted to know. I wanted to know why he bought this big house for us, all this fancy food, all this free stuff to study. "Call me Leo. I don''t really have any real purpose in doing this. ....... If I had to choose, I''d say it''s to help Bill and his friends grow up to be great adults. A respectable adult? You will learn many things here until about 14. After that, you can become an adventurer, try out for the entrance exams for witchcraft or knightly schools, or whatever you want to do. Of course, I''ll pay for your guild membership, your first armor and school fees. Huh?Are you willing to pay that much? What''s in it for you at all? Besides, where is that money coming from? It''s easy. If I hadn''t brought you here, you''d be out there for the rest of your lives doing all kinds of banditry, wouldn''t you? ''Oh, ah, ......'' There''s no denying it. It''s a place where you had to earn your keep. Normally, you''d have been picked up and put together and turned into crime slaves. Ugh, ugh. ...... We''re slaves? So ...... you were doing something bad. "But I thought that was a bit pathetic. Because it''s not like you guys want to do it. Oh, is that the only reason? You''re doing this just to keep us from doing something bad? Well. So, from now on, don''t go off the rails, okay?If you do the same thing when you grow up, I won''t condone it, okay? "Wow, okay. ...... I won''t let you. "Huh? Suddenly, Anne joined in the conversation and I couldn''t help but make a strange sound . ''''I''ll make sure that I make sure everyone is a respectable adult and leave this place. As she said this, Anne stood up and put her hand on our heads. What a ...... Anne''s hand was so comfortable. ....... ''Yes, I''m sure Anne will be fine,'' Thank you. Anne lowered her head happily. Yeah, she needs to make sure she doesn''t do anything bad from now on. Then Cathy and her friends came back with a book. "Hey, Leo!Read this! And this one! I''m with you! Okay, okay. Okay, in order. Bill: ....... That guy could be a really nice guy. I don''t know: "I don''t know. ...... Maybe so. Maybe he''s not a bad person. As I nodded at my companions'' words and watched Leo-nii reading to Cassie and the others, I decided to revise my assessment of Leo-nii. 126 CHAPTER IX Juvenile Leaders It''s been a week already since I started living here. I''ve gotten used to life in the orphanage. Maybe we''ll never get back to our life in the slums. I was thinking about that as I listened to Anne''s class. Today we''re going to talk about identity. Today it''s like a social studies class. Last time we learned about our race. I heard that Anne is an elf, and that she has more magic power than people. They also have a longer life span than humans. And Lana, who teaches us swordsmanship and body arts, seems to be a beastman. She has an animal-like tail and ears that humans don''t have, and is more athletic than humans. First of all, who can tell me the three identities in this world? By the way, Anne didn''t tell me how old she is . She looks like she''s in her late teens to 20 years old. ....... ''Yes~'' Bye, Kathy. Commoners, nobles and slaves. I wonder how old you are, Anne: ....... Will she still be like that when we grow up? ''Correct. Well then, let''s get you to tell us what makes each one of them tick: ....... Mr. Bill. ''''Ha, yes . Well, um, ......, as I recall, commoners are ordinary people like us, and nobles are rich?Are you talking about slaves ...... who were sold to their parents or something? I hadn''t listened to the class at all, and I hurriedly answered the best I could think of . ''Yes ...... commoners are . You mean ordinary citizens like you and me, Bill. But there''s a difference between a nobleman and a slave. First, let''s talk about slaves. It''s almost like it was an outlier. I mean, it''s so easy to explain to a commoner, it''s like it''s all a mistake. You gotta take the lesson seriously. Slaves are of three kinds. There are three kinds of slaves. Like you said, debt slaves are sold into debt. Criminal slaves who have committed serious crimes. And then there are the illegal slaves who are forced into slavery through illegal activities such as kidnapping ...... ''Oh yeah. ....... What kind of slaves are you, Camilla and others?A debt slave? Jin asked Anne some awful questions when she was my age. Is this question okay? But then he answered simply. Yes. Yes, Camilla and her friends are debt slaves. By the way, I was an illegal slave last time I was here. ''What?Anne is a slave! I yelled out loudly in surprise . "I''m an ex. I got caught in a bandit ring. I became a slave to a bad man. Did the bandits get you?Slaves to bad people? What?Were you okay? Well, you know. I was trapped in a dark room and Master Leo rescued me. It was: ...... That makes sense. That''s why she''s so quiet in front of Leo''s brother. Probably, Anne, but I think she''s in love with Leo''s boy: ....... If you could save her from such a desperate situation, anyone would love her. "Leo-nii, it''s so cool! Who the hell is that guy ......? Master Leo is the lord of this city. A nobleman. That man is a nobleman: ...... Are the nobles that powerful? My image of you is that you''re a lot fatter and more arrogant than that. He always comes in here dressed like an adventurer, so you wouldn''t know it. But I''m usually in that castle, working for the city. Huh?That castle was your brother''s house? He was richer than we ever imagined. "Huh?Go to Leo, was he a great man? Yes. He''s a very important man. That''s right ...... then, I''ll tell you with an explanation of the nobleman. Did you know that nobles have a class of their own? I don''t know. Okay, I''ll tell you. Well, let me tell you something. From the bottom up, quasi-barons, barons, barons, viscounts, counts, marquises, and dukes, in that order, are the great ones. There''s so much division among the nobility: ....... They''re all above the clouds. Oh, yeah. For Leo? Viscount. Third from the bottom! That guy''s a lower level. I knew the Duke or something must be a monster. That''s true. But Master Leo''s parents are the highest-ranking dukes. ''What?Leo, are you the first one? Oh, I knew it. Not much better than her. That''s true. And besides, Master Leo is going to marry a princess in this country. A princess?Is that guy going to marry such an awesome guy? ''What?Hey Leo, do you already have someone to marry? Yes. The two of them. The other is the granddaughter of the saint in our last story. ''What?Are there really people in that story? Like Kathy, I was as surprised as you were. I had no idea that this was a real story: ....... Yeah, that''s right. Oh, I forgot to tell you last time. Leo''s grandfather was a hero and his grandmother a mage. Leo ni ii is the grandson of the brave: ....... So, does that mean Leo-nii is strong? Oh, so Cassie doesn''t know. You don''t know how extraordinarily strong he is. But that boy''s grandson is pretty strong. He''s strong. Strong enough to take down a dragon single-handedly. ''What?A dragon?Leo, have you ever fought a dragon before? Yeah. What I heard is that he went to the most dangerous magical forest in the world to find materials to rebuild his house. That''s great, but it''s also pathetic that a dragon was killed for such a simple reason: ....... ''The Demon Forest?Um, a brave man defeated the Demon King. Yeah. It''s so dangerous. So dangerous that even the strongest adventurer won''t be able to get back in there. And yet, a kid with the strength to go in there and come back without a care in the world is just too strong. "Leo ni i, awesome ...... So, you guys had such an awesome guy helping you out, so why not live life to the fullest? "Yes, sir. We all answer to Anne''s question. There was no one, including me, who was doubting Leo''s behavior. Well then, I guess that''s it for today. What do you want to do this afternoon? Teach me the magic again!I can''t wait to learn to use my magic! Lately, we''ve been spending our free afternoons practicing magic. I can''t wait to learn some magic. Yeah, sure. Let''s head down to the cafeteria. Yeah. Then he ate his lunch and came out into the big yard. ''''Then let''s start practicing our magic. First, we''re going to practice those magic manipulations we taught you last time. A magic used by people who can''t use it can''t be called magic, so anyone who wants to use magic must learn it! "Yes, sir. Hey, buddy. How are you guys doing? I replied cheerfully and was about to start practicing when I heard Leo-nii''s voice from behind me . When I turned around, I saw three women I didn''t ...... know as Leo-nii-nii. ''Oh, Leo-nii-yi!I''ve been fine. Who are those people in the back? Is that your girlfriend in Leo''s room? Kathy and her friends were making a happy noise as they asked such questions . Yeah?Well, that''s about it. Apparently, he brought his fiance along with him today. The rumored princess, the saint''s grandson, and the beastman''s maid, all three were very beautiful. And the princess''s magic was awesome. I don''t have the vocabulary to explain it, but it was awesome. They told us that we could do it too if we worked hard, so we all vowed to practice our magic. And then there''s ...... the Leo-nii was awesome. His magic is foul. ....... It''s not just that he''s a great magician, he''s that he can build buildings and tools that you don''t understand. It was scary when he first used me as a test case for those mysterious tools. But I was happy to learn to use magic. And fire came out of my hand. And now, while Cassie and her friends were practicing their magic with the princesses, I was talking to Leo alone. "So, how''s it going after a week? I got used to this life. That''s good. Is there anything else that''s on your mind? ''Well, ...... why are you doing this to us?'' I couldn''t think of anything else to ask him, so I asked him something that had been bothering me for a while. ''What do you mean so far?That you built a building to practice your magic? ''That too, but ....... Why do you let me live this good?When I heard that the reason Leo had us in the orphanage was because he was a lord, it made sense. But we didn''t have to give you all this luxury, did we? ''Well, yeah . Yeah, ...... I don''t know if there''s any particular reason for that. What? No reason?What do you mean? I''m one of the richest men in the world. So I have more money than I can spend in my lifetime. So I don''t need to be frugal with it. "You''re a rich man, Leo. ....... You''re the grandson of a brave man. Well, you live in a castle like that: ....... I envy those who were born into a privileged environment . Oops, I think you misunderstood something. It''s all my money. Grandpa and Pop didn''t give me anything more than the allowance they gave me when I was little, right? ''Really?I mean, you were only eleven years old when you went to Leo, right?How do you make your money? I don''t get it. How does a guy like Leo, who''s not that much older than me, make that much money? ''Yes, ....... It''s hard to explain and I''ll show you next time. So let''s get back to it. The reason I''m going to this point is that ...... building is something you dream of doing in the future. ''Dreams for the future?Yeah, ...... I''d like to live a life where I don''t have to worry about food, maybe? You''ve been so focused on what''s right in front of you that you haven''t thought about it: ....... ''Well, I guess that''s about it now . But the time will come when you guys will leave here in a few years . Then you''ll have to decide on your own path, even if you don''t want to. You can be an adventurer. You can go to knight school to become a knight. Or go to school to study magic. I want you all to do what you want to do. Okay, okay. You mentioned that story the other day . It''s really awesome that you''re even paying for my tuition: ....... ''So I guess that''s why I''m going to be good to you guys, because when I grow up, I hope you''ll be happy to help me out whenever you feel like it. ''I see. ....... I want you to do what you want to do, huh? Yeah. What does Bill want to do?Magic, swordsmanship, study, what do you want to do? I don''t know. But I want to try things. And I want to be strong. I want to be strong enough to live on my own. So, when you get a chance, would you be willing to help Leo? Okay. All right, I''ll hang in there. I''ll be gone for a little while tomorrow, but I''ll come back to visit you when I''m done with that. Yeah, okay. Okay. All right, let''s get back to the guys. Then, once Leo had taught me some magic, the day''s free time was over. 127 CHAPTER X NEXT PLANS (1) Two weeks after building the orphanage, the slum''s orphan problem has been solved. There are no more children sleeping on the streets of the city, so they should be OK for now. Bill and the others are living in the orphanage with an open mind. I''m impressed that they''re all working hard at their studies, swordplay and magic. Well, that''s thanks to Anne and Camilla and the others. And now that the military police have been recruited and security has been strengthened, the city is starting to become safer. So, let''s move on to the next plan. Mr. Fleur, I''m free to use the place where the black market district used to be, aren''t I? ''What?Ah, yes . It''s okay, but ...... what are you going to do? Yeah, it''s all right to use. I''ll put it to good use. I''m out of here. "Hey!Detailed description: ...... Before Miss Flare could finish saying anything, I had shifted to a place. "Okay, I''m here. Maybe it''s supposed to be a holiday today. ...... While saying this, I was at the mansion in the imperial capital . ''''Yes . Ah, Mr. Leons. What''s going on? I rang the doorbell, and a butler came out. "I''m here to see Miss Elsie. Are you here? ''Chairman Elsie?If you''re the Chairman, it''s your day off and you''re resting in your room. Shall I go and let you know? Oh, you''re here. Good. No, no, that''s okay. I don''t want you to leave your room and come all the way up here, so I''ll go to my room. The house is huge, and it''s hard to get from one room to the other. I''ve been here a few times and I know where Elsie''s room is, you know. ''All right. Well, I''ll go ahead and tell the chairman. Oh, nice to meet you. Come to think of it, I didn''t tell him anything first: ....... Well, it looks like the butler is going to go ahead and tell him and come over, so it''s okay . Then I slowly walked to Elsie''s room and knocked on the door. Knock. Miss Elsie, can I come in? ''No!Don''t go in yet!When you''re ready, I''ll open it for you, so you''ll just have to wait a little longer! Uh-huh. Okay. I knocked on the door, and when I heard a loud voice, I let go of the doorknob and grabbed it. I''m sorry. I knew I should''ve called first. Then, a while later. Click. We''re ready to go: ....... If you''re already coming, go ahead and call me! Miss Elsie, who was sweating, opened the door and complained with a disgruntled look on her face . ''I''m sorry . I''ll be more careful next time. Well, okay. So what''s up with you coming to see me after all these years?I thought you suddenly stopped coming to see me, but you haven''t come for a year, it''s terrible. I''ve missed you so much, you know? Oh, by the way, I haven''t been here that much already ...... I should have come by once in a while . I felt terribly sorry for Elsie, who looked really sad. I''m sorry ....... I''m sorry the school has turned into a dormitory ...... The truth is, it''s because I couldn''t leave Belle and Shelly and Leena alone to come here: ....... ''Yes, I know . So I gave up on it, too . But the school''s been on a long vacation and no matter when, Leo-kun hasn''t been here. ''Sorry, I''m sorry ....... I''ve been busy running the estate: ...... I''ve been in the territory since the day of the holiday. ....... ''I know that, too . It''s not an exaggeration to say it''s a sacred place for merchants, Muldean . You were made lord of the city there, weren''t you?I know you''re busy. But!Then you can rely on us for extra help! Ummm, yeah, ....... Huh?Didn''t Elsie have this kind of personality? Maybe it''s just a hazy memory because I haven''t seen her in a year, but wasn''t Elsie more mature? ''Our Chamber of Commerce would bring it to the development of the city, right?If you want, I can turn Leo-kun''s city into a city full of magic tools. ''What?Ah, yes ....... I''d like to ask Elsie to do something about that: ...... ''Really?What do I have to do?I''d love to hear it! Hey!Let me talk! There''s nothing to explain. ''''Umm, yeah ....... Well then, I want to explain it to Master, and let''s go to Master''s shop. Once I explained it to Elsie-san, I was going to ask my masters to help me, but I decided to ask my masters for help because I was going to have a hard time explaining it . ''''I understand!'''' When I held out my hand to make the transition, Elsie happily squeezed it with both hands . Really, did I have this kind of personality ......? Master! Hmm?What''s that voice?! When he arrived at Master''s shop and called Master, a surprised look on his face came out . ''''Long time no see!'''' Hey, you!Get your face out! When I said hello, he came very close. Are you happy to see your apprentice for the first time in a long time? "I''m sorry... I live in a dormitory. ...... I made the same excuse as Miss Elsie. "Hmm?Hey. Hey, come here. Elsie, I need you to get in here. Just give me a minute. No, it''s been so long. Enjoy your time alone with your master and brother. Master suddenly grabbed me and asked Elsie for permission to do something before he took me into the back room . ''Oh, um, ...... what''s going on?And ...... did you have a personality like that, Elsie? Now that we were alone, I asked her what was bothering her. "It''s your fault. What? So it''s my fault? You ....... How come you haven''t shown your face in nearly a year? Well, uh, ...... I live in a dormitory. You don''t think so?You, every holiday, they know you''ve been doing adventurer requests with beastly girls and playing with girls in the Imperial City. ''What ...... huh?Why ...... The words that came out of Master''s mouth were so shocking that I couldn''t get the words out immediately . ''How do I know?That''s because, you know, ...... Elsie had her men look into it. ''What?Miss Elsie? Miss Elsie was checking up on me? That''s right. Didn''t you go to Elsie''s house for a while? I''ve been there? Oh, you mean when I was teaching creation magic: ....... ''''Ha, yes ....... But I was just teaching creation magic, you know?I-I don''t know, what does it matter? ''Huh, I''m going to tell you, because you''ll know if we''re having a conversation from now on anyway: ...... Elsie, I''m completely in love with that one . . to you. ...... Huh? Miss Elsie is in love with me? ''So, I''ve been relieving the stress of the unfamiliar chairmanship by being with you: ....... You''ve stopped coming around all of a sudden, haven''t you? ''Yes, yes ......'' I''m starting to read something ...... story: ....... ''Then Elsie went nuts. It wasn''t interfering with her work, but she started using her people for personal business. ....... Mainly, I''ve been having them find out what you''re doing right now: ...... I see that''s what you mean: ...... So you knew about me. And you asked me to invent a magic trick. What kind of magic tool is that? You''re freaking me out! It''s a magical device that allows you to capture a view on a piece of paper. ''What?Lie ...... ka, it''s a camera ...... That witchcraft tool I was going to ask for. "Oh?Maybe you had the same idea?That was quite a pain in the ass to make. ''What?Is it all made up? Are you kidding me? ''Yeah, it took me six months to make it. It wasn''t long after I discovered that I could do it with light magic, though. Oh, my God. This guy is a real genius. Master is really great. What''s your magic tool? Yeah, Elsie''s got it now. She''s got her men taking pictures of you: ...... ''What?And that''s a sneak peek: ...... Well, I can''t speak for the others either. I just saw a rat. Hmm?You''ve been to Elsie''s room, haven''t you? Yes, you do? Then you saw it, didn''t you? What? What do you mean by that?You''re freaking me out. What''s in that room? The many statues of you and the pictures of you in magic tools. No, no, I haven''t seen ....... My statue?Ah, my figurine that I built with creation magic: ....... Come to think of it, Elsie, you also built my figurines when you first used creation magic: ....... That was a lot of stuff laying around. ....... ''I see . . you hid it. Yeah, that''s why I can''t get in the street. Did you see the master? No. It''s just what people say. ''Nah, I see. ......'' So that means someone saw it: ....... Maybe that butler or something knew about it . That''s probably why he got to Elsie''s before I did. ''Well, as a mentor, my advice to you would be: ...... My advice? You''re gonna get exactly what you deserve. You messed with me and left me alone, so you''ll have to deal with it yourself. Well, what''s the advice on that ......? Oh, my God!You''re a master, you can help me out! That''s enough. Anyway, I''m just saying, make up your mind. I mean, they know you''ve got your hands on a bunch of girls anyway, so the reason you''re cheating on them or whatever doesn''t work, right? ''Yes, you''re right: ...... I can''t say anything back because it''s true: ....... "This time you''re paying for your overly liberal behavior... Well, once the stress is relieved, Elsie will be a little better off, won''t she?Come on, show me your man. As Master said that, he slapped me on the back as hard as he could . ''''Yes, yes ......'''' Stress. ....... We need to do something. 128 CHAPTER XI NEXT PLANS (2) After a private discussion with my master, I returned to the workshop where Elsie was waiting for me . Yeah....... What kind of face should I put on ....... ''Oh, Leo!Good to see you. How have you been? As I was wondering how to treat Elsie, I saw someone in the workshop who I had seen before but who seemed to be slightly different . ''Hmm ...... Mr. Colt!You''ve lost a lot of weight. When I first met him, he was such a buzzkill: ....... I was taken aback by Colt''s tight belly . ''Yeah, I''m a good worker. I hear Leo''s been busy with his new fiefdom, too? Yes, sir. I''ve been busy every day since I got the estate. Well, I don''t know what a nobleman does, but... I don''t think that Mirdine will have to go through all that trouble. That''s not true. There''s just so much to do already: ...... I thought it was going to be easy, too. ''What''s the matter with you?That place was originally controlled by the Empire, right? That official was corrupt to an awesome level. Corruption?What was that official doing? Basically, embezzlement. And ...... Mr. Colt, have you ever heard of the black market district? "Well, uh, ...... it''s ...... When I asked him about the black market, Colt suddenly lost his temper. Hmm?Maybe ...... From the looks of it, you knew. If you still have your membership card, you better burn it now. Well, if you do: ...... If you''re involved in anything, I''d suggest you burn the evidence sooner rather than later: ....... I don''t want anyone I know to get caught . Well, it''s just a matter of if . ." "Oh, ah, ...... What''s this black market stuff? Colt''s expression suddenly darkened, and Master asked him a question as an afterthought . ''''There''s a city underneath the Myrddin territory . It''s amazing . Illegal goods are sold all over the place, and the people walking around the city are usually criminals . Assassins. Speaking of which, what happened to all the illegal magic tools? Most of the stores were broken, so it should be okay, right? Well, you and Lou can break the broken stores one by one later. It''s like an awesome ...... story. ''So what''s going on in that city?Don''t tell me you''ve managed to do that all by yourself, Leo-kun? You''re not going to do something so dangerous, are you?Elsie will be looking at you like this. Yeah. ...... I''ve seen those eyes before. Oh, I get it!It''s just like the way Belle looks at me when she warns me not to go into the Devil''s Forest. I have a weakness for these eyes. ....... No, sir. There''s just no way I''m going to be able to do that. There''s a lot of dangerous magic and medicine in there. I couldn''t just stimulate them with my own. ''What?But what do I mean by ......? That''s what I''m talking about, Colt, you''re very perceptive. ''Yeah, ...... what I''m about to tell you is super confidential, right?This is something that only the emperor and a few people know about, so don''t tell anyone about it. Wow, okay. ...... Yeah, don''t worry about it. Merchants are so tight-lipped. The three of them nodded their heads immediately after saying that. Yeah, I think these three can handle it. Really, please . Actually, there was a slave dealer in the ...... black market district that dealt in illegal slaves . "Illegal slaves? ''Yes . It''s a store that kidnapped and sold rare races like elves and beastmen. ....... . there was a slave of the demon race there. ''What?Demon race!How? When Elsie heard she was a demon, she looked surprised. Of course she did. It''s probably the first time a demon race has come to the human world since the demon king. So if the public knew about Lou''s existence, they''d think the Demon King had appeared and all hell would break loose. I think she was tricked into bringing him here. He''s too dangerous to keep. ''Well, I''m sure you will: ....... So you ran off and went on a rampage? Well, more or less. He got out of the way when he was hauling it in to sell it to me. And then it was a rampage. The black market district was wiped out by a demon girl. So what happened to ......? Yeah...... I shouldn''t tell them that we played a game where the loser becomes a slave . If it was just the masters, it wouldn''t have been a problem, but I feel like I shouldn''t tell Elsie about it . Yeah . ''''Well ...... I managed to negotiate with them and in exchange for guaranteeing me food and a place to sleep, I''m being kept quiet for now. Ugh, you''re not lying, are you?I just made a little violent bargain. "What?You have a demon girl in your house? Do you keep it? ''Well, yeah . Well, I''ve got my magic items binding your actions now, so you''re safe. I almost laughed as I remembered Lou lounging around my house, and I almost laughed as I thought that was definitely like a pet. ''Oh, right. ....... So, how did you end up at our place? Now we''re getting to the point. To tell you the truth. Elsie and the rest of the Hollant Corporation would like to ask for your help in redeveloping the underground spaces of the former black market district. Oh, we''re in for a treat. Are you sure?With Leo-kun''s creative magic, I won''t waste my money, and it''ll be ready in no time, right? An apologetic voice could be heard from beside the happy Master . ''''That may be so, but . We want to develop the city as much as possible without creation magic, don''t we?'''' May I ask why? Yeah. ...... How do I explain this? It''s better for the city. This makes sense because it''s done by hand. What''s this all about? It''s hard to explain it simply, after all. It''s simple. To develop an underground city, you need a lot of people. It will give jobs to the homeless people in my city who sleep on the street ....... And when they have money to spend on the streets, the city will be better off. What do you think?Absolutely, wouldn''t it be better this way? This is a plan to give jobs to a lot of homeless people who are the biggest problem in my city. If this works, the lack of security in the city will be solved because there will be no more orphans and the number of military police has increased. Yeah, that''s right. Are you ...... really a child? Ha ha ha. You''re good. Master looked at me suspiciously while Mr. Colt laughed and patted me on the head . ''''That''s true. That''s what I''m talking about, Leo-kun. You think too much already. A hot look from Elsie: ....... ''Oh, thank you,'' So, what kind of buildings do you plan to build in the underground city? ''Yes, ....... I think I''ll turn that place into a leisure facility . There are so many shops on the ground, there''s no point in putting regular shops there. Also, I thought it would be nice to have something that only the Hollant Trading Company could make. In particular, it''s a magic tool only Master can make. I''ll have Master invent many more. That sounds interesting... Great. Now that we know you have an idea... Yes. So... ...... Then I explained to the three of them in detail about the development of the underground city. Then I got their approval, and this project was to begin. 129 CHAPTER XII -- THE SKILL OF MERCHANT ELSY Okay. Well, then, I''ll do what you asked!It''ll take some time, but I''ll make it for you, I promise. When I finished explaining, Master said loudly and made a strong hump. Thank you. Perhaps only Master can do it, so please take care of it. I know he''ll make what I asked for. You''re lucky he''s my master. He''ll have no problem developing the underground city. They have great connections and resources here at Holland. Thank you. Yeah, but we''re going to need someone to run things. But this is a huge amount of money. If we fail, the whole chamber of commerce will be in big trouble. ....... It''s a big responsibility to be in charge of this. What am I going to do? ...... Yes!Why can''t Elsie be in the field giving direct instructions? Hmm? Something about ...... I thought Mr. Colt started telling the story by himself, but eventually he got a very deliberate theatrical tone. That sums it up, ''Elsie, go to Leo''s,'' right? I don''t mind, but is it really necessary to go to such lengths? ''Oh, that''s a good idea!This isn''t going to be possible today because I can''t start ...... today because I''m too prepared for the quicksand, so go work at Leo''s tomorrow! Wow, even the master: ...... ''What?Am I your place, Leo-kun: ......? Everything''s fine. You just leave the shop to Moran, don''t worry about it. And if anything goes wrong, I''ll come for you. As usual, Mr. Moran, you''re in trouble. Oh, thank you. So, but ...... Let''s go. If you can do this, Holland''s business is going to get even bigger, okay?It''s your job to make the association grow. Go. He says something like that. You''re going to have to go for it. Yes, yes ...... That''s it. Leo, you and Elsie can work on the plan tomorrow. Okay, I understand. Yeah, I don''t have a problem with that, you know? No problem: ....... In the meantime, Elsie won''t be able to get ready on short notice either, so you can pick her up in the morning. Yes, sir. Miss Elsie, will you be okay tomorrow afternoon? Yes. I''m fine. Okay. All right, well, good luck tomorrow. The next day. I went to visit Miss Elsie''s house at lunchtime, as I had promised. As soon as I rang the doorbell, Elsie came running out with a large package. "Here you go, sir. Let''s go. The smiling Elsie was very excited. She wasn''t very happy about it yesterday, but she''s still happy. I''ll take your bag. I''ll take your bag. Yeah, sure. It''s okay. I convinced Miss Elsie to accept a large bag. Well, shall we go now? As I said that, I grabbed Elsie''s hand with the other hand that held the bag and made the transition. ''Huh?What is this place? Elsie, who had expected to be transferred into the house, looked puzzled as she was suddenly transferred to the blue sky . ''''This is the roof of a house on the outskirts of town . I wanted Miss Elsie to see that one. Then I pointed to my house. "Huh?Wow!It''s a big castle. It might as well be a castle in the Imperial City. Certainly, if you ask me, it''s more than an imperial castle: ...... "Oh, no comment on that. Let''s see. ...... That''s the house I live in now. ''What?Leo, you live in a place like that?It''s quirky: ...... ''Thank you . I thought I''d ask Elsie to take a look at the castle once, so I''ve transitioned here for once. From the inside, you can''t see how great it is to live in a castle. Oh, really? That''s a nice thing to see. That''s good to hear. Then let''s move to the castle. Yes, sir. I made sure Elsie-san nodded and I used the transition again. ''''I''m home.'''' Welcome back. Is that Elsie? As I transitioned into the house, Leena, who had been waiting for me immediately, looked at Elsie and asked me a question . ''''That''s right . As I explained yesterday, I''m the president of the best Horant trading company in the Empire. Nice to meet you. Elsie. It''s a pleasure to meet you. After being introduced, Elsie bowed politely to the three of them. ''It''s a pleasure to meet you. I''m Rihanna Abelard. Please call me Leena. Nice to meet you. My name is Shelia Vector. Leena greeted her with a smile and Shelly with a slightly mushy smile. ''....... Shelly, we talked about it yesterday and we agreed on it. ...... Even though Leena warned her, Sherry''s expression remained as stiff as ever. Yeah...... I knew it wasn''t going to be easy to get along with them right away. ....... I''m sorry ....... Leo-kun, would you mind if the two of you, Belle and I could talk to each other alone for a moment? ''What?Oh, yes. No problem. Yeah?What are you going to do? Please, can you just stop fighting?Well, I''m sure Miss Elsie wouldn''t have done that. Okay. Well, why don''t you come talk to me in my office? Yes. Uh, Leo, can I get your stuff? Hmm?Baggage? Oh, yes. Go ahead. Maybe there''s a secret plan inside. Not that it''s necessarily a secret plan to get along: ....... I handed the package to Elsie, feeling a little uneasy. "Thank you. I''ll be with you in a minute. I said that and saw Elsie off as she followed Leena and her friends. I wish them to come back as close as possible. ...... SIDE: Elsie. How long have you been in love with Leo-kun: ....... Was it in earnest when you were taught creation magic? But when I asked Leo to tell me about it, I''m pretty sure I asked ...... for Leo''s attention, so I guess I already liked him then? Yeah ...... I can''t remember much about it. The reason I like him is because ...... he''s just so dependable . I can''t believe he''s five years younger than me, he''s so stable and reliable that I can''t feel the age difference between us. In fact, I might even feel that I''m younger than her. It''s a good thing that ...... has the ability to touch women so much that they don''t feel like children. It''s a good thing that you''ve got a good idea of what you''re doing. I''ll never forget that moment and I''ve kept that flower ever since. If you can''t pay off your debts and become a slave and have a horrible life ahead of you ......, anyone would fall in love with you if you did that to them when they are worried about you. Ah!I''ve been in love with you ever since then, Leo! That''s right: ...... from the beginning or ....... Aside from that, I like Leo. But Leo has two fiances. The granddaughter of the princess and the grandson of the saint of this country ...... is so out of proportion to me. Besides, I don''t want to get in the way of Leo''s happiness. It''s a good thing that you''re not going to be able to get away with it. But ...... when Leo-kun suddenly stopped coming, I couldn''t restrain myself. I already miss you so much: ...... I felt bad, but I couldn''t take it anymore, so I ordered my men to keep an eye on Leo and report back to me every step of the way. After that, things escalated. I asked Mr. Holland to invent a magic tool that would record a clear image of Leo, and I had my people record as much of his behavior as possible and bring it to me. There''s a good reason for this to escalate. Leo, I was getting along well with someone other than my two fiances. The girl was ...... her personal maid. When my subordinate handed me the paper that recorded us sleeping together, I ...... smiled to myself. Aren''t you angry?Or did you think? Is that usually the case? But it wasn''t like that. Because!That maid, Belle, is so cute and lovable. I just wanted to make love to her with Leo. Those ears and tail are foul!Thanks to this, I now have all the dolls in my doll collection except Leo. Well, I''m not jealous of any of the other girls: ....... The two fiances also fell in love with me afterwards without my permission, so I should be punished for that. But I want to be friendly with Leo''s women, including Belle, as much as possible. So I packed my bag with gifts for the three of them. The three of us who love you, Leo, will love it! Nice to meet you again. My name is Elsie. It''s nice to meet you. As soon as I was led into Leena''s room, I said so and bowed my head . ''Oh, please lift your head up. You don''t have to be so formal. Then the one who grabbed me by the shoulders was Leena-san. I''ve been looking into it for a while and I knew ...... Leena, you are really too kind. I''m sure I''ll never be able to get enough of her. However, the other Shelly was turned into a mushy face. I''ve been known to get jealous, so don''t let this upset you. Anyway, just know that we''re going to stick to the plan. Thank you. That''s right. I''ve got something for you three, okay? ''What?Is that what you want to give me? Yes. First things first. After saying that, I created Leo''s doll on the spot and handed it out to the three of them. With practice, I can now perfectly recreate Leo-kun without looking at him. This time, I accidentally recorded the image of Leo wielding a sword when I was slaying a goblin. This is my best work so far. See what the three of them had to say at ...... What is this?Leo-kun? Oh, are you kidding me?It''s just the way it is. You are the perfect Master Leo: ...... He was very surprised at my perfect reproduction. "I''m glad you like it. Then again, you really can do creation magic. Yes. But I can only do it by making dolls. We can''t create magic or cheating items like you did, Leo. That''s still great. Leo once told me that creative magic is magic that lets you create exactly what you imagine. That''s why it''s so hard to create detailed things. But to be able to recreate them in such detail without seeing anything is truly amazing. Ku, detailed ....... I mean, I never thought I''d get a compliment from Sherry . Could this possibly be a smooth start? Oh, thank you. Oh, and there''s one more thing I''d like to give you guys. As I said this, I took three wads of paper out of my bag and handed them to each of them. ''''This is ...... huh?'''' It''s me and Leo in a painting. And a lot of it. Is this a painting?If anything, I think it''s more like that monitor image that Leo created. I''m sure. Also, ...... all of these scenes look awfully familiar to me. ''I suppose that''s true. Even what goes on in the school: ....... What''s Bell''s like? ''What?Ah, yes. There were a lot of drawings of Leo and me at the villa. I wonder what kind of method he uses to draw them? When Leena almost spied on her, Belle hid them in a hurry and tried to change the subject. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of things recorded inside that I would not want you two to see. Hmmm. But I''m sure you''ll like it. It''s a magic tool for capturing memories. And when I find another good one, I''ll give it to you three. Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you. ...... In return, would you be willing to befriend me? I looked into Shelly''s eyes with a smirk . ''Umm, yeah ....... Good . I could tell you really liked Leo, and I could tell you really liked him. Thank you! Good: ....... At least you made it. Hmm. Sherry is a grown woman now. It would have taken a lot more convincing before. Well, maybe Elsie was a better negotiator. ...... Yes. You are the best merchant in the Empire. No, I''m just a decoration. It''s no big deal. The best in the Empire. I''m still not as good as Mr. Colt or Mr. Moran. ''''What are you talking about? Maybe it''s ...... that each of these papers has something on it that you don''t want others to see. And it''s not just content you don''t want to be seen, it''s something you''d be a little embarrassed but happy to see for yourself, so you can''t be angry ...... that''s the strategy, right? Well, you''re back on your feet. I knew I wasn''t ready to make my own way in life. Huh?Did you have that in there? I just smiled and played along. "I knew he was the best merchant in the Empire. So the best merchants in the Empire aren''t like this, right? ''Yes, ....... Even Bell is like this, so ...... Leena-san turned to Belle-san with a bitter smile . Belle turned her head down with a bright red face. Yes...... I think I went a little too far, didn''t I? But I''m sorry. I like Belle, too. 130 CHAPTER XIII -- Elsie and the Visitor Elsie and Sherry came out of the room. It looks like they''re getting along fine. Sherry''s face, which had been mushy earlier, has softened. It''s just ...... why is Belle''s face so red? That''s the look Belle makes when she''s embarrassed. Did something embarrassing happen in the room? Let''s ask him later. Okay. All right. Let''s see if we can get some lunch. Okay. I''ll go get Mr. Lou. Belle, whose red face didn''t quite subside, said and went into Lou''s room right there . Lou would probably still be asleep as usual. "Mr. Lou? It''s that witch girl I told you about yesterday. I explained Lou to Elsie, who tilted her head back. ''Oh, that he was an illegal slave: ......'' Yeah. I''m bound to act as a criminal slave for now, in case you''re wondering. Really? Baan! Dinner!Time to eat!...... Huh?What''s going on with everyone?And the new guy? Lou came running out at a great pace and turned to look at Elsie, who we had never seen before, surprised to see us all gathered in the corridor . Oh, it''s Elsie, the girl who''s going to live here. She''s probably the woman with the most money in the country. ''Really?More than Leo? Yeah, I think so. Maybe you''re right, right? I''m not sure if I own the money Gotts stole from me. It''s Mladin''s money. Huh. You have more money than Leo. Elsie, it''s nice to meet you. My name is Lou. You can call me Lou. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Lu. I don''t have that much money, by the way. Mostly, it''s nothing to do with Leo''s research at ...... or anything else. Yeah?I heard something that didn''t sound good! You''re absolutely sure that they spent a lot of money to spy on me and stuff, right? Well, ...... I can''t speak for others either, so I''m not going to complain. ''Yeah, nice to meet you!But still, Leo, isn''t it about time you stopped messing with women?Maybe next time you''ll get stabbed by Shelly? ''Umm, yeah ....... I''ll keep that in mind. There''s a quandary. I''m starting to feel like I''m about to get killed, too. I can''t tell you how many times I''ve apologized and asked for forgiveness last night: ....... I don''t mean to add to your collection. I''ll be careful next time. So, what are you doing this afternoon? I''m thinking we should all go see the underground city. Now that we''re in a safe place, it should be safe for Shelly and the others to come. And if anything goes wrong, you''ll be safe with Lou, right? We got rid of the vestiges. It''s totally dark, but nobody''s allowed in, so we should be safe. Well, I''ll go in the usual adventurer''s style, just in case. Can we get out?Yes! Hearing my words, Lou, who''s been cooped up in his room the whole time, became happy before anyone else. I thought it would be fine if we could just have dinner and relax in our room, but I guess I''ll get stressed out if I''m stuck in my room all the time. Stress is dangerous for Lou, so we''ll have to figure out a plan later. ''Huh?Can you take us with you? Shelley was the next to react. "Yeah. You should come with me. I don''t have the courage to go out there alone with Elsie or anything like that. So we all came to the underground city. We were walking around in the wide underground space with wannabe terraces lighting up the surroundings. Wow~. It was such a big space. I wonder how they made this kind of space? It''s not magic?I used a number of wizards to make a big hole in the ground. That''s possible. Maybe it''s an underground city built by ancient wizards. That''s interesting. I''m gonna have to use it when I promote this town. An underground city created by ancient wizards. ...... Yeah, I like it. Yay. You''re very helpful. The idea of being created with magic was me, right? Okay. Thank you both. Shelly''s mood was about to get bad, so I quickly said so and patted them both on the head. Then they immediately looked satisfied. ''Really, it''s an awesome place, I''ll develop this place ......'' Elsie-san was muttering about that while being overwhelmed by the vastness of the underground city. Well, it''s also because it''s so dark that you can''t see what''s going on, so it looks even bigger than it is. That''s true. First of all, can you turn all the broken streetlights into magic tools? Are you sure?Wouldn''t it be very expensive if we did all the magic tools?Besides, with a place this big, the stock we have in the store is not enough at all, so I''m sure that would take a lot of time, right? I''ve thought about that too. Then we''ll train you to be a magician here. You can make a magic tool the size of a street lamp in a week. ''What?I can''t do it for a week . Even for the newbies in my shop, it would take at least six months to be able to make even a simple magic tool on your own. I know that. But that''s because I''m only human, isn''t it? ''Because there''s only one of you?Excuse me, could you please explain to me what this is all about? ''''Let''s see, ...... isn''t the process of making a magic tool the way you make a magic square and then attach a magic stone to it in a nice way to make the outside?'''' Yes. Yes, sir. Every single one of them is difficult. A craftsman has to do all of this on his own, right? Yes. But don''t you think it''s okay to share the workload?We divide up the production process into different parts. By doing so, we can shorten the time it takes to learn, and production speed will be dramatically increased. It would be better to divide the process into three parts. The good thing about this is that it''s cheaper than having a craftsman make it for you, so it''s cheaper to make it. You''re right: ....... That''s what I''m talking about, Leo! Okay, I''ll see what I can do. I''ll get this for you as soon as I get home. Yes, please. We can''t start anything if we don''t do something about this dark thing first, you know. Once the street lights are up, we''ll hire a bunch of people and then the real development will begin. Yeah. All right, I''m going to take a look around and then I''ll leave. Lele, Master Leo: ...... As I started to walk away, a very uneasy looking Belle spoke to me. ''Yeah?What''s up, Belle? Maybe you''re not good in the dark?She''s cute. It smells like a ...... demon. And there''s an awful lot of ...... Yeah?What did he say? ''Lots of demons ...... demons are ...... demons!Wait a minute. When I finally assessed the situation, I put Anna on in a hurry. Anna. Is there a demon around here? Yes, sir. Yes. Powerful demons summoned from the demon world. "A demon summoned from the demon world?Yeah?I''ve heard that somewhere: ...... I don''t know what it was: ....... It was very impressive. (Do you remember?)(I found a magic item called ''Demon Summoning Stone'' on the black market street before. ''Oh!Got it!Are you kidding me?You sure it wasn''t broken?Besides, how did it work? The last time I came to check, the whole store was broken down? Where were they transported to? (I don''t know. Did someone activate it: ....... Or is it a malfunction: ....... Anyway, please hurry and get ready for battle. (The demons have noticed Leo-sama and the others'' presence and are approaching! ''They''re already here!Everyone, there''s a very strong demon coming towards us, so hurry up and freeze. (No time for transference!(It''s almost there!) Then, Anna projected the silhouettes of the demons in the goggles, which were too dark to see. Ugh!There really are a lot of demons heading our way. Now that we weren''t even a little bit nervous, each one of us is a little bit farther away from each other. Surely, the demons will reach here as soon as they all gather at my place and shift. "Everyone hurry up and freeze!Lou!You''re on!Make all the demons you see disappear. As soon as I''ve given up on the transition, I''ll give instructions to everyone. I''ll give Lou permission to use destruction magic without my permission first. "What?Are you sure you want me to break this?Yes! If we ever miss a demon, Belle, take care of it. Keep Shelly and the others safe! Hey. I''ll fight you!I don''t want to be protected anymore! Okay. I need magical support from a safe distance. As I said this, I shot my glowing magic upwards. Then I was able to see that I was surrounded by demons that looked even more vicious than ...... I had expected. It''s a good thing I didn''t use this ...... before Sherry and her friends started moving. Maybe they would have been too scared to move if they saw it. "Ha-ha. I haven''t felt this nervousness in a long time. With a dry laugh, he swung his two swords at the demon horde . 131 Do you know where he is? When you swing your sword, slashes are sent flying at the monsters. Then the demons were cut off one by one from the front row. It seems that none of the demons have the hardness of a dragon. But the slashes only reach about three rows, and I had a feeling it was going to be a long battle. ''''Really? ....... Anna, what''s going on behind you? I''ll let Anna check the situation behind me while doing my best to keep the demons away from me with slashes. (Yes . Shelia-sama and the others have finished moving and are now stuck between Lou-sama and Leo-sama. Lou-sama is happily using destruction magic, but there are ...... too many of them and it''s too dimly lit to see in the back, so he hasn''t been able to reduce their numbers that much as well as Leo-sama). ''Well, ....... This is going to be a real long game. You don''t have to worry about running out of magic, but ...... can your strength last? Well, we''ll just have to work our guts out, won''t we? SIDE: Sherry. Dude, I don''t know. I''m so scared I can''t move. You said earlier that you didn''t want to be protected anymore: ...... After all, you''re not just being protected anymore! Ugh, ugh, ...... what are those demons? It looks more ferocious than any demon in the demon book I read a long time ago . Come to think of it, earlier Leo said that the demon was summoned from the demon world: ....... The demon king in the story lived in the demon world. It''s a place filled with so much magic, a place where the demons are far more numerous than in the human world. There are so many demons in such a place: ....... Is this okay for Leo too? With that in mind, I turned to Leo ...... and saw him waving his sword frantically with a bitter face. ''''Even Leo is having a hard time ...... I''ve never seen Leo''s face like that before. Leo, who has always tried to keep me calm and not worry me at all times, is now showing his concern. This could be a really bad idea. ....... I looked next to Leena, who sensed the same thing I did, and she was frozen with anxiety . Belle, despite her anxious face, was bracing herself, transforming her arms to protect us. Elsie can be found at ...... You two, get a grip! Bang!Bang! Miss Elsie suddenly slapped me and Leena between our cheeks with her hands. ''''Hold on, please. Leo-kun and Lou-san are both fighting to protect us, right?Besides, if you have the strength to fight, why not fight?Do you want to die like this and do nothing! Taking out a magic gun from the bag on her shoulder, Elsie-san looked into my and Leena''s eyes in turn as she said that . We stared back into Elsie-san''s eyes, feeling a tingle in our cheeks. At the same time, I felt my inner anxiety subside. And I felt a little bit braver. "I''m sorry. I''ll fight. Excuse me. I''ll do what I can, too. Good. That''s good to see you back on your feet. Now let''s go fight. Sherry, use your magic to reduce the number of demons. Leena, you''ll need to help Leo and Lou regain their strength regularly. Just make sure that they have enough magic to heal themselves if they are injured. Yes? To Elsie''s precise instructions, we quickly responded. I think it''s a waste of time, but I''ll use my magic gun to cover you. I have a lot of magic stones, so I don''t think my magic power will run out, but if it happens, can I ask Belle-san to supply you with magic power? Yes. That''s all right. Thank you. Now then, Miss Shelley, you may begin your attack. I understand. After replying to Elsie, I took out my wand and fired my best lightning magic at the horde of demons with all my strength . ''''Please!Hit it! I hope so. Baan! When the magic struck the demons ...... they flew away with a tremendous explosion sound. No, no. ....... Did my magic work on the demons? The demons that were hit by my magic died properly! That''s great. But there are still a lot of demons out there, so don''t let your guard down! Yes, sir. I was happy to hear Elsie''s praise, and from then on, I continued to defeat the demon without feeling anxious or nervous . SIDE: Leons. I wonder how long it''s been since we started fighting: ....... Maybe an hour. There''s no end in sight. Slash and slash, the demons will still come from the back. Still, thanks to Shelly and the others, that''s a bit of relief. As I thought, Shelly''s magic is amazing. My confidence grew after the first attack and since then she has helped me reduce the number of demons. Leena''s holy magic was also very helpful. Thanks to her, I can move without feeling tired after more than an hour. It''s really thanks to you, Elsie. If you hadn''t inspired the two of us to freeze in fear and anxiety, someone, if not all of us, would be dead right now. The attack of the magic gun was somehow working too. With the large number of magic stones and the replenishment of ammunition from Bell''s magic, you don''t have to worry about running out of ammunition, so you were able to defeat the demons reasonably well. But ...... all four of us are about to run out of magic power. It''s just that me and Lou are cheats, and they usually run out if you use them. It''s safe to assume that there will be no more support from the four of us in a short while. ''''Anna. How much do you have left? (That''s about a quarter of the original.) Oh, you''ll have to put up with that for another 20 minutes? That''s about it, even if I lost support from Leena, I wonder if she''ll be able to keep her strength up. (Just a few slow-moving demons are approaching from further back. ''Oh my God, I''m so scared!You''re definitely strong! d*mn it, ...... you have to have the energy left to fight them too. ....... And they''re definitely strong! ''What do you have in mind ......?Oh, I''ve got an idea. I grinned as I spotted a pile of corpses in front of me and some of the magic stones I could see from them . ''''Shelly!'''' What? I didn''t turn around and spoke to Shelly, but I heard her reply from behind me. "From now on, I''m going to stop attacking. In the meantime, can you use all of your remaining magic to attack me instead? Okay, okay. Okay, three, two, one. You can take turns! With that, I quickly crouched down and put my hands on the ground. Magic flew over my head, but with Shelly in control, I didn''t have to worry. With that in mind, I used my creation magic on the dead monsters. I imagine a golem. I hope it helps a little. Then the demons I cut down began to glow and transform. The corpses stuck together and parted ways repeatedly, and before I knew it I had created many monsters. Huh?Is this a mistake? No, we don''t have time for this. Hey, guys!Defeat the enemy in front of you! When I noticed that magic had stopped passing over my head, I gave up on appraising it and immediately gave the order, hoping it was a golem . Then, the golem (?) I had created We''re moving. Toward the demons. And then they began to fight the demons. Did it look like that one was stronger than the other? But there are more of them here, so it''s more manageable. With that in mind, I evaluated the golems. Zombie golems. A golem made from the dead. Unless the nucleus is destroyed, the body will regenerate forever. Strength. Magic power: 200 Power: 6000 Speed: 50 skill super-regeneration That was awesome. But the Red Golem is stronger. Its biggest weakness is that it''s very slow. Maybe if we weren''t outnumbered, we would have been beaten to death. By the way, the demon one looks like this. Chimera Lv.207. Strength: 3180/4300 Magic power: 200 Power: 17,000 Speed: 8000 Luck: 10 skill sturdy As you can see, it feels awfully strong compared to the Golem, doesn''t it? It''s just so powerful. It''ll do more damage than a dragon shot. If we get any closer, it''s the endgame. Whoa! This isn''t the time to think. We''ve got to kill these golems while they''re still alive. Twenty minutes later Yeah!Yes, Rust! After defeating the last one, it looks like we''ve finally managed to withstand a wave of demon armies in the demon world. "Everybody grab me quickly! After confirming that all the demons were defeated, I suppressed my desire to rejoice and instructed the others. ''''Huh?It''s over, right?Why are you in such a hurry? ''There are more powerful demons coming our way!Let''s get away before that happens! I''ll give them the bewildered Sherry and the others the bare minimum and get them moving. "Wow, okay. Okay, you got them all. I made sure everyone was assembled and quickly transitioned. ''''Feng, I thought you were dead ......'''' I metastasized into the room and collapsed on the spot, tired and relieved. ''Hey, what''s going on?Why were there so many powerful demons out there? Likewise, Shelly, who was sprawled out beside me, asked the same question. "It seems that a magical item in the underground city malfunctioned. I''m sorry. I should have checked it out. You should have looked into the illegal merchandise as well as handling the remnants. I shouldn''t have assumed that Lou broke everything. Don''t. No. Don''t apologize. We''re all okay. ''But maybe someone else would have died, you know?That''s about as close as it got this time. If it hadn''t been for Shelly and her friends'' backup, ...... if I or Lou hadn''t run out of energy, ...... if I hadn''t been inspired to build a golem. The fight lasted about an hour and a half, but I really wouldn''t have known what would have happened . ''Enough is enough . Let''s just be happy we got back safely. We''re stronger now too. Leena, who was laying on the other side of the room from Shelly, said this and smiled at me, holding my hand . ''All right, ....... Come to think of it, Shelly and Leena have raised the bar. If we had killed that many demons, our level would have risen considerably . Yes. See? Sherry said and held out her status card. "No, no, no. I''ll save that for when I''m done with my work. A job?Is there more?Come to think of it, you said there are still strong demons out there. Yeah. If we don''t take it down soon, we''re going to have a lot more trouble. Atmospherically speaking, they seem very strong. And Anna said there were several of them. We can''t just let this thing run around. I understand. ....... If you think it''s dangerous, please come back right away, okay? Okay. All right, Lou, let''s go! Calling to Lou, I get up. ''What?Can I go too? No, I''d rather not be without you. Oh, I had something I wanted to build first. Oops, no, no, no. Don''t be hasty. From the bag at the far end of the room, you rummage through the jewels you picked up in the dungeon. Then he pulled out a magic stone and used his creation spell. It glowed as usual, and the result was a large crystal. Its diameter was longer than I was tall. I immediately evaluated it. simulated sun and moon. I can shine the light down from on high. It adjusts its light to match the sun on the ground and becomes the moon during the night. It only emits light because it is only simulated and apparent. Creator: Lonce Muldaine Okay, I''m ready for it. This doesn''t mean I don''t have to install a streetlight because I''m having a night. What''s this? Elsie asked me a question while flipping the ball around. "It''s like the sun. It''s like the sun, only brighter during the day. Lou can''t really fight without the light, can he? ''I see, only during the day: ....... That''s very reasonable. Oh, I knew Elsie would understand my intentions. Right?Let''s go then. With that, I held Lou''s hand as I touched the simulated sun and transitioned toward the underground city again. 132 Do you know where he is? As soon as I transferred to the underground city, I activated the simulated sun. When the simulated sun began to glow, it automatically climbed up to the ceiling and illuminated the entire underground city. "Wow~. Wow. It really is like noon. Yeah. Now Lou can fight as hard as he can. ''Yes!Oh, yeah . I''m getting to do something new, so look forward to it! ''What''s new?Yeah, I''ll look forward to it. Well, let''s get to the demons then. Has your level of destruction magic increased? If that''s the case, maybe some restrictions have been released? While thinking about what new things Lou was able to do, I used the transference . I used transference to make sure that I could just barely see the demons. Just ...... Wow. That''s a big one. Yes, the demon was bigger than I expected, and it was within easy sight of me. That''s right. It was coming toward us on the street too slowly. But still, they''re big, but they''re also very numerous. Anna said a few of them, but there are dozens of them . I wonder how strong they are: ....... Strength: 500000/500000 Magic power: 200000/200000 Power: 30,000 Speed: 5 Luck: 20 skill Fire Magic Lv. MAX Earth magic Lv. MAX Magic Power Sensing Lv.MAX Damage halved. So you''re the type to stay still and keep shooting magic. But even so, it''s still very powerful magic. This level is so high, this is not good. This one, you better be careful when you''re fighting. Hey, hey. Can I fire now? ''Well, okay, but ....... Watch out for the magic counterattack. If anything goes wrong, I''ll touch Lou so that he can transfer quickly. Copy that. Keep an eye on him. Yeah! Yeah!And with these words, the nearest behemoth disappeared from his head in a particle of light. Lou''s hand hadn''t moved at all. ''''Could it be that ...... you can now destroy it without moving your hand? That''s right. But there''s a limit, and unlike with my hand, I can only erase one at a time~ Well, it''s usually a foul thing to be able to erase all the demons in the area you can see . But ...... I suppose that''s possible if the level is higher. Isn''t destruction magic a cheat? I see. One on one, you''re nearly unbeatable. I''m really glad I was able to fight Lou before he rose to his level. If I had done it now, it would have been easy to kill me. I need some new magic too: ....... (Leo-sama, if you haven''t noticed, your level of creation magic has already gone up. As I mumbled to myself, Anna gave me a crazy piece of information. ''Huh?Really!What can you do? I''m so happy for you!Come on, man, it''s me! I should get to check my status card once in a while. We can create demons. The zombie golem I mentioned earlier is treated as a demon. (Leo-sama''s image of a golem made it look like a golem. Oh. She can create demons? And the golem before, he''s a demon? That''s a surprise. But if word gets out that I can create demons, people will say I''m the demon king, so I have to make sure they don''t find out. (Yes, that''s right.) (Also, Elena-sama''s level has also increased, so please check it out) ''Really?Copy that. Demon Sword Elena, Lv.4. She can telepathize with her owner. It absorbs a large amount of its owner''s magical power to enhance its sharpness and durability. The ability to do it increases as you level up. We have the ability to repair ourselves. Lv.4...Summons the demons under his command. Creator: Leons Forster (Whoa!(Elena, that''s awesome!) Summoning a demon? ....... If you combine that with my demon creation, it would be pretty awesome, wouldn''t it? I mean, summoning demons is another ability that a demon king would use! Hmm?If you think about it, it''s no surprise that the demon sword was originally the demon king''s sword. (What do you mean by that now? ....... Well, it''s all right. I''m being used to my fullest potential today. The fact that I hadn''t noticed is proof that I usually leave them alone, so Elena would have been angry if she was the usual Elena, but today she seemed to be in a good mood, thank goodness. (Leo-sama!Use me more!Maybe I''ll level out in just a few minutes!(So use it!) As I was relieved that Elena had forgiven me, Serena insisted so much . (Wow, okay.) Well, Serena''s leveling up will be soon, too . Now, if we can beat a lot of them, will we be able to? Hey, Leo. What are you doing up there? Oh, I''m sorry. Oh, sorry. I was talking to the sword. ''What?Does that sword speak? That''s right. Only the owner gets to talk to you, though. Yeah. So, do you mind if I take it down a notch? Yeah. Okay. I''m sorry Serena, but it''s safer this way. Yay. Then, once again, Lou used his destruction magic . Then another behemoth disappeared ...... and at the same time, the other behemoths all turned their heads towards us at the same time and opened their mouths wide! Oh, he knows! When I saw the danger, I shifted quickly. ''That was close: ....... We''re under concentrated fire. While saying this, I observe the behemoths that keep releasing magic into the place we were at. The power of the magic was also tremendous, just as you can imagine from its massive body. My physical strength might be able to withstand it, but ...... Lou would have been killed by that concentrated fire. I''m not going to be able to get it right. As soon as he looked at me, magic flew out of his mouth all at once! Why is Lou so happy that he almost died? That''s what I''d call a battle freak. Okay. All right, let''s change the plan. Lou, you need to eliminate the monsters from here one by one, just like before. Meanwhile, I''ll hide in that horde, take out the targets and cut them down. ''What?Isn''t that dangerous for Leo?Wouldn''t it be faster to use my destruction magic to use my hands and make it disappear all at once? No, I don''t think so. If we''re going to do that, we''re going to have to get close enough to attack over a wide area, right? Yes. So that way, we''ll be on to them faster than we have to be, right? Yes. So, if you''re surrounded by magic like you were, your vision will be blocked and you won''t be able to use your destructive magic? ''Oh, sure!But can''t we just attack while using Leo''s transition like we do now? ''No, I don''t think I''ll be able to hit him all the time because he''ll probably notice me right away. Besides, you know I''m pretty good at avoiding magic, right? Yeah, ...... yeah. . okay. I said, but Lou had this look of frustration on his face. "That''s good. Just think of it as an exercise in your new ability. And just make sure you don''t erase me, okay? I''ll soothe Lou and pat him on the head. Will you forgive me if I give you another chance to mess with him? All right. Leo, you look out for yourself. Oh. Well, then, the moment I become a target for those guys, we''ll get started! So I used the transference. The place is right above the heads of the behemoths in the middle of the pack. "Hey, here I am. As soon as I said that, I transferred to another behemoth''s head. Then I saw that the behemoth''s head that I was on was magically blown away. Not only that, it had also dealt enough damage to fatally wound my comrades in the line of fire. In other words, with just one provocation, the head of the behemoth in the middle flew off, and the behemoths around it were badly injured. Shit. Are these guys dumb? But then the behemoth turned to face me again, and I immediately shifted. ''''Hahaha . We''re doing this all over again. You should have realized that by now. I couldn''t help but laugh as I watched the behemoths in the area I was in become incapacitated. ''''Alright, this one looks like it can be defeated efficiently . While saying that, I will shift again. However, this time, as soon as I transition, I will send a slash through the air. This will cause you to transfer before you see that some demons have fallen. Then fire another slash. By repeating this, the behemoths were decreasing in number. And while I''m distracted, one more and one more was being steadily outnumbered by Lou. One by one, Lou steadily reduced their numbers. Enough later. Say! At last, I managed to defeat and wipe out the last one. ''''Feng, it''s over: ....... Anna, are there any more demons? (Yes, no. But he may be summoned again in time.) Seriously!Isn''t it over yet? ''What?Then we need to find the source! (That''s the specs that break as soon as that magic item ...... summoning starts, so it''s already broken.) ''What?Was that what you meant by "once you use it, it breaks"?So how do I stop it then? If it''s already broken, you can''t just break it and stop it, can you? That magic item summons the demon in three stages. The behemoth that Leo-sama just defeated is the second demon. So it just needs one more demon to be summoned and it''s over. ''Oh, right: ....... Do you have any idea how long it will take for the summons to begin? (Sorry . I don''t know when the summoning began, so I can''t answer that question . (However, it shouldn''t be long after the summoning of the behemoths, so it''s not likely that they will be summoned immediately.) Don''t you know: ....... ''Right. ....... Well then, let''s have the rats watch and take them all down the moment we start. Yes. I think that''s a good idea. Okay. All right, let''s get back to Lou''s place. We''ll retrieve the behemoth corpses later, but for now, let''s just go home. Good job, Lou. Good job, Leo. You look like you''re having fun. Does he look like he''s having a good time? Yeah ...... well, did you have fun? He laughed at the behemoths. "I wish I could fight like that. Hey, how do you move that fast like Leo? No, no. If Lou can make the transition, we''re in trouble. That''s what makes him invincible. He''s using his transference skills. How did you get those transference skills? I got it when I conquered the dungeon. It''s a dungeon for beginners. A dungeon?Will I get one if I attack that too? Oh, crap. Did I tell you something? I thought Lou''s eyes lit up the moment he heard the word "dungeon". ''I don''t know.I don''t know . I mean, please don''t go and challenge the dungeon without permission, okay? I have to make sure I''m aware of this. Yeah. I want to go! I knew it was going to happen. All right. I''ll take you out again sometime when you''re not busy. It''s a way to get around the kid''s begging by procrastinating, sometime called the Art of War. ''Yay!I promise, okay?You''ll take me there properly, won''t you? Ah, this is something I''ll definitely have to go to at some point. Lou''s eyes said, ''''If you break your promise, I''ll never agree to it! I feel like I''m saying: ....... ''Wow, okay. Well then, I''m going to get the hell out of here, because Shelly and the others are waiting for me. Okay. I''m hungry. What''s for dinner tonight? What''s that?You moved a lot today, so I''m guessing your food is better than usual. As I said this, I took hold of Lou''s hand and made the transition to the castle where Shelly and the others were. 133 CHAPTER XVI -- THE MAGIC FAMILY OF THE MAGIC FAMILY ③ The day after we killed a horde of chimera and a horde of behemoths. In a certain place in the underground city, a great big demon was slowly being summoned from the magic circle. I wondered if it was being summoned while it was asleep or not...its eyes were closed, but its face was still vicious enough to scare me. ''''Ugh~. This is definitely someone you shouldn''t summon. It was only up to its shoulders, but at this rate, it would be fully summoned and active in another hour or two . Anyway, what kind of demon was this? (This demon is one of the five demons in the demon world, and the person who saw it is dead, so it hasn''t been given a name yet. I don''t think Leo-sama and the others will be defeated by this demon, but ...... this place will definitely collapse, so I recommend defeating it before it is completely summoned). Seriously?Well, we''ll have to be quick about it. I mean, isn''t it pretty bad that everyone you see has been killed? That magic item is a hell of a piece of work. Hey, are you sure you want me to kill it like you promised? Yeah, sure. No, it''s rather quick, please. Really, I don''t know what''s in there, so just get it over with. Okay. Yeah! Really, it doesn''t matter who you''re dealing with: ...... While saying that, he pitied the demon that was one of the top five demons in the demon world whose head had been erased by a swing of Lou''s arm . ''''Hmph!'''' Lou seems to be in a good mood because he was able to break something big. Well then, do you want me to retrieve the bodies, including the demons we killed yesterday? Let me help you. Thank you. Then, the two of us couldn''t collect the demons ...... alone, so we brought the golem with us and finally managed to stuff all the corpses into the dismantling box . Well, I knew from the beginning that it was impossible for the two of us to do it alone. How are we going to hold a behemoth alone? The materials we got this time will be used for creating magic in the future. For now, I''ll try the new creation spell later. It is said to be one of the top five demons in the world. All right, let''s go home. After we got the bodies back, Lou and I moved to the castle. I''m home. Welcome back. That was a very big monster. When I left, Shelly and her friends greeted me as soon as I got home . I''d like to know what happened to Shelly, who was snuggled up to Elsie, but not right now . Yes, it is. If we had fought, I think we would have been in trouble. I shudder to think that my visit with Elsie was even a day later. It was impossible to deal with that horde of chimera and a swarm of behemoths, those huge demons, all at the same time while protecting Shelly and the others. But I''m glad we ended it all right. Now the underground city is safe, right? We''ll have to see if there are any illegal items left behind. I''ll look into it tomorrow. Maybe there are some dangerous potions or magic items still out there. We''ll have to look harder tomorrow. Okay. Let''s hope that''s all there is. Yes. ''Hey, what are we doing today?Get some rest.You must be tired after all that fighting since yesterday. Yeah. I''m tired and I think we''re done for the day. By the way, you''ve gotten along with Elsie quite well. It''s been bothering me for a while now that you''ve been attached to Miss Elsie. What happened between last night and now? I don''t know because I was so tired yesterday that I went to bed early, and I was in the underground city early this morning to be on the lookout for demon summonses. ....... ''Yeah?Huh. Yeah, you''re obviously getting along. Listen to me. Shelly was so blatantly uncomfortable when they first met, and now she''s so spoiled as soon as she got mad at me yesterday and we got to know each other. ''Well, that''s always been the case and ....... But still, it''s really sticky. Putting aside Lou''s time, you''re angry at Leena''s and Belle''s at first, but you''re getting along in the end. But this time, you''re unusually fast and too close to each other. ''Yes, that''s right. What do you think Shelly has come to call Elsie? ''What?What is it ......?I have no idea. If you''re going to bother asking, it''s not usually Elsie or something like that: ....... ''The answer is Sister Elle,'' Sister Elle?Sister Elle or ....... ''Heh, right!'' I can''t help but look at Shelly with a grin on my face . Elsie is pretty solid, you know. You know, I can understand why you call her big sister. What?It''s not that we''re not friends, right? Yeah. I''m so glad you''re getting to know each other. I think she fell in love with him after she got mad at him last night when he gave her a bath and was kind to her. After all, Sherry has a friendly disposition. Right?Oh, yeah. Remember what we said last night? Yeah. You promised me you''d show me the status of Shelly and the others, right? That was the promise we made yesterday before we went to kill the behemoths. Yes. So, yes. Oh, and ours! Oh, thank you. Okay, I''ll take a look. While receiving Sherry''s card, we look at Leena, Elsie, and Belle in that order. Shelia Vector Lv.26 Age: 11 Race: Human race Occupation : Magic Princess Strength: 1140/1140 Magic: / Power: 220 Speed: 380 Luck: 500 Attributes: water, water, lightning, ice, charm skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. Rihanna Abelard Lv.26 Age: 11 Race: Human race Occupation: saint. Strength: 1160/1160 Magic: / Power: 250 Speed: 360 Luck: 500 Attributes: nothing, holy skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. Elsie Lv.26 Age: 16 Race: Human race Occupation : Great merchant Strength: 1120/1120 Magic power: 18900/18900 Power: 250 Speed: 380 Luck: 300 Attributes: creation skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. Bell Lv.38 Age: 13 Race: Beastmen Occupation : Maid Strength: 1350/1350 Magic: / Power: 710 Speed: 580 Luck: 500 Attributes: nothing, beast skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. Hey, hey, isn''t that the wrong way to describe magic?You may think that this is because the status cards have not yet caught up with Shelly and her friends'' magic. Of course, you can use the appraisal to get more information. Well, it''s written as a power of ten anyway, so I don''t use the appraisal because it''s hard to tell how great it is even if you look at it. But still, everyone''s grown up. They''re all grown up. Leena went from being a saint''s apprentice to a saint. Finally, Leena will be called a saint by the saint''s grandson. Oh, you noticed?That''s right. I didn''t even know it was happening. Huh. I wonder what the terms were? ''Well?The only thing I can think of is that I helped Anna and her friends. ...... That''s probably it. That was a really cool moment for Leena. You know, her selflessness in helping you was just like a saint. Really?I''m glad to hear that. As I was praising Leena, Shelly''s cheeks started to swell as she hugged Elsie, so it''s time to move on to Shelly''s time . ''''Shelly''s magic princess is amazing too . I''ve never seen a profession like this before. Maybe she''s a princess who''s great at magic, in the literal sense of the word. But I think Shelly is the only one in the world with this profession. I hear princesses in kingdoms are crazy about jewelry. Is that so?I''m only good at magic. Yeah. Shelly''s magic is awesome. Elsie''s magic power has increased a lot too. With this, I''m sure you can create magic items with your creation magic. When I first built my first Growth Misanga, it had less magic than Elsie''s current one . ''''Really?I''ll try it later!Here''s more of Leo''s record on this: ...... "Elle. Tell me more about it later. Maybe you can use my magic stone to make a good one: ...... Something about Sherry and Elsie starting to talk in private. They wouldn''t be dangerous together, would they? Yeah, just ignore it. Yeah, that was just my imagination. Belle''s strong enough already. If you combine unattributed magic with beast magic, wouldn''t you have an overwhelming advantage over an A-list adventurer? ''Really?I don''t feel like I''m that strong: ...... Well, I''m just getting up to speed. Okay, I''ll give it back to you for what I saw. Saying that, he hands the cards back to the others. So, it''s Leo''s turn. ''What?Are you going to see mine too? I mean, I don''t really know what my status is either . Of course I do. And you should have seen Lou. Okay. While I was slightly reluctant to show her the card, Lou held out the status card to Sherry without a care in the world. Lou Lv.38 Age: 11 Race: Demon race Occupation : Destroyer State: memory loss Strength: 11,000/11,000 Magic: / Power: 6000 Speed: 8200 Luck: 10 Attributes: nothing, destruction skill You won''t be able to see it. title You won''t be able to see it. ''Huh?Lou''s status isn''t as awesome as I thought it would be . It''s more like, how come he''s so strong and his level is the same as Belle''s? Looking at the card, the first thing Shelly complained about was Lou''s level. ''I don''t know either!'' The person in question didn''t care about that. I heard that it''s a characteristic of the demon race. Because they live longer, demons don''t rise to the level of humans and beastmen as quickly as they do. I told everyone the information that Anna gave me the last time I was here. I was wondering the same thing and asked Anna about it. As I was thinking about that, I felt Lou''s face suddenly turn blue . ''Huh?Am I going to outlive Leo and Shelly?So if Leo and the others die, I''ll be alone again?One ...... woohoo ...... When he said that much, Lou squatted down on the spot with his head in his hands. ''''Lou!What''s going on?Are you okay? Surprised by the suddenness of the situation, I hurriedly crouched down and rubbed Lou''s back . ''I don''t want to be alone. ....... I miss you ....... Don''t leave me, everyone, please don''t leave me ...... I''m starting to get the general idea . Maybe there''s some kind of trauma in being left alone: ....... Maybe it''s a trauma from being a slave. ''Lou, calm down. We''re still decades away, aren''t we? How can I comfort them?Maybe that''s not a good enough word. What could be a better word for Lou to hear? As I was rubbing Lou''s back like that and worrying about it, Lou''s behavior became strange again. This time, she started to tremble. ''No!Don''t leave me!Big sister!Don''t leave me, sis! Sis? No one calls Lou "big sister" . So that means ...... Maybe it''s an old memory that''s gone? Sis!No!How could you leave me here!Please come home! Lou, relax!Look at me. You''re not alone! I grabbed Lou''s shoulder, which was getting crazier and crazier, and forced him to make eye contact . We made eye contact, but ...... Sis. . ...... Lou''s eyes were empty and he wouldn''t look me in the eye. And for some reason, he just closed his eyes and fell asleep. I''m sorry. I didn''t feel like I could talk to you, so I used holy magic to put you to sleep. Maybe you''ll calm down when you wake up and then we''ll have a long talk. It seems that Lina''s holy magic put her to sleep. The holy magic had a calming effect on me. So when she wakes up, she''ll be in a calmer state than before. Yeah, that''s right. Then I''ll stay with you until Lou wakes up. Yes. Shall we? I took Lou to bed, and we all agreed that he should be ready to wake up at any time. Four hours later SIDE: Lou. Hmm. ...... Huh?When did I fall asleep?Yeah. ...... I can''t remember. Anyway, I think it''s time for dinner. I''ve got to get up quickly. ...... Do I have someone''s arms above me? Huh?Leo?And Sherry? Why?That''s my bed, right? When I hurriedly got up, I found that not only Leo and Shelly were asleep, but everyone was asleep in my bed. Everyone is asleep. Well, it''s nice when we all sleep together. Besides, what is ...... this feeling . It''s so calming ....... "Whew~. I''m starting to feel sleepy. All right, fellas, good night. As I said this, I put my head on the pillow again and closed my eyes as I held Leo and Shelly''s hands. 134 Seventeen, the creation of a magic weapon. It''s been two weeks now, and Lou is living his life the way he used to. We couldn''t ask questions about it, because it was too stimulating, and we didn''t want to have those seizures. Maybe it had something to do with the erased memories, but I don''t know how to remind you, and even if I did, when it''s a painful memory, it''s a pity. So, especially we are treating Lou the way we usually do. Oh, well, there was one thing that changed. Every night Lou was sneaking into someone''s bed. She seemed to like it, because she felt very secure when we all slept together. Maybe the loneliness from that time is still lingering in Lou. By the way, if she tried to come to me, Elsie or Sherry would catch her and take her to their bedroom. So I''m not waking up in the morning and finding Lou hiding in my bed. Well, without further ado, let''s talk about Lou, and I''ll tell you what I did during the week. First, we did a security check of the underground city. Anna and I combed the area for any illegal residue. There weren''t any results, though. Everything was wiped clean by Lou. I''m wondering why that magic item was the only one that survived. Maybe Lou wiped it off and that''s what caused the malfunction. After checking the safety of the underground city, the next day Elsie and I started to prepare the magic tool factory. The factory will be located right outside of the basement. I asked Flair to set up a contractor and Elsie to get someone from the main shop who could teach me how to make the spellcasting tools. Construction of the factory began right away, and a lot of materials are still being brought in from the entrance to the underground city I built. I also remodeled Clark''s shop from a former slaver and started a simple magic implement factory. It employs about ten people, and now Elsie has invited a craftsman to teach them how to make them. I expect these people to learn the whole process and be trained by me when the factory is complete. By the time the factory is finished, I''ll have it down pat. So there''s nothing to do until the factory is completed. We can''t develop the underground city until the streetlights are installed, and we can''t do anything with the streetlights until they''re mass produced at the factory. So from today, I think I''m going to relax and enjoy my time off. School will start again in a little while, so I have to have fun while I can. I think I''ll try my hand at creating the monster first. So I came to the underground city with Sherry and the others. This place is big, and it''s far enough away from the factory site that we won''t have to worry about someone seeing us. Thinking about this, I laid out the materials we''ll use today on the ground. I''ll put in more materials for the monsters and dragons that Anna said were among the top five in the demon world last time. I''ve also picked out some materials that I thought would be useful. You have a lot of stuff to work with. Yeah. Part of me thinks it''s a hobby. Whenever I find materials that can be used for creation magic, I keep them. After I took out the materials, I took out the magic stone. It''s the magic stone I''ve been investing my magic power in every night for years. It contains more magic than the magic stone at the auction before, it''s much more powerful. Every time I look at it, it''s still very powerful. And there are many magical stones with this level of magic? Yeah. Here. Then he grabbed some magic stones from his bag and showed them to Leena. That''s really great. Hey, can I have one? No problem. What''s it for? Well, it''s beautiful, and I guess I''ll put it in my room. It''s for my sister Elle''s creative magic. Speaking of which, you said that the two of you have been practicing creation magic recently. Oh, I see. Then you can take it and the materials from my bag if it''s not too big to run out. We''ll just run out of stuff. It''s a small price to pay if Elsie''s level of creation magic increases. I''ll ask her later on what she can now create. ''Oh, are you sure?I love Leo! I''m glad you''re happy, too. Thank you. Okay, so let''s get to work on our demon creation. What kind of demon are you planning to build? I was just pointing my hand at the materials to get started when Elsie asked me a question. ''''Come to think of it, I hadn''t really thought about it. Well, ...... if someone finds out, would you like a dog or something that you can fool with as a pet if someone finds out? If a monster that looks vicious in appearance is created, I''m going to have to make sure that people don''t see it . ''''It''s a dog, ...... I think it''s good, but with this amount of material, wouldn''t it be large enough to be deceptive?'''' Oh, you''re right. Well, why don''t we add some more magic stones and create some of them at the same time? Now we just need to imagine one of them to be a little stronger. One leader, at least. With that in mind, I used my creation magic. As usual, the materials glowed as they always do, and the result was a pitch-black dog. And one of them had flames coming out of its body. It looks like you did exactly what I imagined. Now for the fun part, the appraisal of the dog. Hellhound, lvl 50. Protecting my husband is what keeps me alive. Living in the shadow of their masters with shadow magic. Strength: 4000/4000 Magic power: 6000/6000 Power: 3000 Speed: 8000 skill Shadow Magic Lv. 8 Perception linkage And there''s one thing that looks strong. Hellhound Flame, Lv.50. Protecting his master is what keeps him alive. He uses shadow magic to hide behind his master. I''m good with fire magic. Strength: 5000/8000 Magic power: 8000/8000 Power: 3000 Speed: 8000 skill body of flame Fire Magic Lv.8 Shadow Magic Lv. 8 Perception leadership Yeah, it''s strong. Weaker than the Red Golem?But since there''s a level indicator, it looks like it''s going to get even stronger from now on . And I wonder if this is the first time I''ve heard of shadow magic. Oh... my uncle had one too. I''ve never seen him use it, though. Wow. That''s cool. Is it okay to touch it? ''I don''t know.Are you okay? I didn''t want them to get bitten, so I asked the dogs. "Wah! The hellhounds howled and shook their heads. Yeah, they seem reasonably intelligent. It''s all right. Yay! When permission was granted, Shelly and the others began to happily pet the hellhounds. "They''re so fluffy and nice. Hey, what do we do with the food and stuff? That''s right. These guys needed to eat, unlike the golem. You know what?I''ll ask Anna. When in doubt, it''s Anna. Just like any other dog, she''ll be fine. A normal dog would do just fine. Is it just meat or something?Well, we''ll just lay it out later and see which one we eat. Okay. Okay. Now we''ll choose a home for each of them. First, two regular hellhounds will be in Shelley and the others'' shadow. And the remaining one will be raised in an orphanage. You''re my shadow. You''re my shadow. When I said that, the hellhounds replied with a ''wahoo'' and each of them dove into our shadows. ''Huh?Can you get into the shadows? They use shadow magic and live in the shadows. Oh, wow. I think we should think of a name for him. Then Sherry started to think, ''Yeah ......'' . ''Sure, I''ll need a name. Okay, your name is ....... Come to think of it, are you a male? When I asked the flame-clad hellhound, he shook his head and replied. "It''s a female. I see ...... yeah ...... meena. "Wah. ''Do you like it?That''s great. Well, now that it''s worked out, let''s go home. ''Wait!I''m not done thinking about it! At Shelly''s words, I looked at Leena and Belle and the others, still staring at the two Hellhounds, thinking of names . Oh, only Lou had finished thinking about it and was happily flirting with them. "All right. This is going to take a while. Okay, I''ll bring the dog to the orphanage in the meantime, so you should have something to think about when you get back. Yes, sir. All right. You''ll be living here from today. You''ll be a playmate for the kids. You''ll just help them out if they get into trouble. I''ve been transferred to an orphanage, where I''ll explain to the hellhound. Maybe he''s smart enough to understand what I''m saying. "Wah. Yeah, he''s all right. Oh, it''s Leo! As I walked around the yard, I soon found Kathy and her friends playing outside with Anne. ''Hey . Hey, good to see you. How are you all doing? ''Yes!For that matter, what''s wrong with that dog? Oh, do you mind?I brought him in to be kept here. Anne, is it okay to have a dog here? ''What?Do we get a dog here?Maybe it''s okay, but I''ll go ask Camilla at ...... just in case. When I said that, I stopped her as Anne was about to walk in, and I rushed to stop her . "No, I''ll go in and ask her. Where is Camilla? I''m the one who brought you here. You need to get your own permission. He''s probably in the director''s office. The Director''s office is at the end of the maids'' room, I believe. Yes, sir. Now then, we''ll all be looking after her until I get back. Are you sure?Yay! You look happy. After seeing the hellhound looking happy as the kids kneaded him around, I headed over to Camilla''s. ''I''m sorry,'' ''Oh, Mr Leons!What''s going on, all of a sudden? When I entered the director''s office, Carla-san, who was counting the money, stood up in a hurry. ''Oh, I''m sorry . I''ve only come to ask you one question. Is that what you want to hear? Yes. Is it okay to keep a dog here?There''s only one animal, but I wanted everyone at the orphanage to keep it. A dog?It''s going to be okay. I think it would be a good education if we let the kids take care of them. ''Thank you . He''s a very smart dog and I don''t think he''s going to bite the kids or anything, so you don''t have to worry about that. Protecting my husband is what he''s all about, so I guess it''s safe. It''s probably safer than having a normal dog. Okay. I''m going to go pet him later. Please take care of her. It''s cool in black. I''ll see you later. Yes. Please come back anytime! I left the Director''s office, telling him I understood. Oh, Leo!Are you okay? As soon as I got back, Cassie and her friends, who loved their dog, asked. "Yeah. It''s all good. They said you were supposed to take care of him. Okay!I''ll take good care of you! Okay, okay. All right, I''m going to go home. Then I''ll pat Kathy''s head. Oh, you''re leaving already? We''ve been keeping Shelley and the others waiting. I''ll be free tomorrow, so I can come back soon. There''s nothing to do for a while. Take it easy until school starts. Okay. See you tomorrow for sure. Promise? Tomorrow?Well, it''s okay, I''m not busy. I can bring Elsie. All right. See you tomorrow. Hey, you guys take care of your dog! "Yes, sir. Listening to Cassie and the others'' cheerful replies, I transitioned towards the underground city. Then I told Belle and Elsie, who hadn''t decided on a name yet, to think about it when they got home, and returned to the castle. 135 CHAPTER XVIII -- REPORTING & GOOD WORK MEETING ''I offer you a reward in gratitude for your help in exposing and solving the darkness of the Empire. As a reward, I grant Lonce Muldeen permission to be knighted and to hold the Order. Oh, I''d appreciate that. I returned to the imperial capital anyway because school was starting, and as soon as I arrived I was called to the castle and given a reward without understanding the reason. Maybe it was a strategy to make sure I wouldn''t refuse ....... Well, that''s fine, but ...... you could have at least explained it to me beforehand! I was currently in the emperor''s room with that thought in my mind. "So you''re finally one of the highborn. Isn''t this the first time someone became a teenage count? The emperor turned his head to Elise while saying that . ''''Yes, I think it''s definitely an unusual rise . It''s true. He''s just bad luck. I''m not happy about getting into trouble where I''m going. I mean, I don''t need anything more! So let me get out of this trouble hell! ''Sure it is: ...... especially this time.'' That''s right. It started with my assassination plan, the corruption in this country was exposed, a black market town was found underneath my territory where everything was illegal, I had to fight against an incredibly powerful demon race, and to top it off, I was surrounded by a large number of demons summoned from the demon world. That''s awesome ...... On the contrary, how did you stay alive? I swear. I think I might have actually died at the end of the game. I don''t know if I was lucky or unlucky. ''Well, you''re lucky to be alive, aren''t you?Come to think of it, what has happened to the demon girl since then? He''ll be fine. He''s a big fan of Sherry''s. Lately, they''ve been sleeping together a lot. You were hugging Sherry again today when we said we were going to leave, and you looked really sad. Well, Elsie''s here, so I think it''ll be okay. We''ll be home soon, too, since we have to transition. "Okay. Good to be safe. But you''re still going to have to stay alert, okay? Yes. I know. The last time I went insane, I''m well aware of that. Okay. Now, tell me what you''ve been up to in the last month or two, Leo. Okay. This time, I have done many things to improve security in Myrddin''s near worst neighborhoods. First, I have improved the poor working conditions of the military police and greatly increased their numbers. This was done after being pointed out to me by civilian officer Flare. Oh, I see the civilian I sent over to see if he''s been of any help. Yes, sir. I''m working very fast and very helpful. I think so. Elise would agree. Yes. . her work rate is a good match for me, you know. Wow~ Elise is such an admirer. That''s great. Well, glad you could help. So, what did you do next? "We have built a large orphanage. There are slums in Myrddin''s territory, so the children who live there don''t have to do anything bad to get by. Now they are playing happily, studying and practicing their magic. Oh, that''s great. Who''s teaching the magic? Taught by former illegal elves. I teach them sometimes, too. They''re getting better and better at using magic. Yesterday, I went to teach them one last time and they were able to cast a spell on a solid target. ''The elves are teaching you magic?That''s an exciting prospect. Will you be joining your Order in the future, Leo? That''s not what I meant. I just want you all to be free to live your lives. Yeah. You really are a good man, Leo, aren''t you? No, sir. I just thought I''d do it because I have too much money. Besides, it was in my own interest to do something about the slums. That doesn''t change the fact that I helped people. More importantly, what else did you do? "The other thing I''m doing ...... is not so much doing it as it is doing it. We are working with the Hollant Chamber of Commerce to develop the underground city. This will require a lot of people, so the aim is to reduce the number of people without jobs. There are already so many people employed in the construction of the magic implement factory that the population of the slums is decreasing rapidly. That''s good to hear. That''s what I''m talking about. I hope so: ...... Something else is bound to happen anyway. We''ll be fine. I''m looking forward to some more developments. Yes. I''ll do my best. Oh, yeah. You forgot to explain your reward. ''Oh, yes!What''s your permission to hold the Order? I suppose it means I can have the Order, but I don''t really know the details. That''s exactly what it means. Only a limited number of noblemen can have a regiment. Only the high lords and ladies, and only those families authorized by the emperor, can have one. Most of them are on the borders of other countries. To keep them from revolting? ''Yes. . We allow them to at least hire guards, but we don''t allow them to hire soldiers who are blatantly capable of waging war. Well, that''s only natural . I mean, you''ve been building golem soldiers without a care in the world, but it would have been bad if they found out, wouldn''t it? If you combine that with the guy in the bag, you could have a normal war. ....... ''Nah, I see. So, why did you give me the green light this time? ''''That''s because it''s a check on the Philibert family and because Leo''s territory will always be in the path when they really do revolt. You don''t want to be attacked when you''re unprepared for anything, do you? Wow. We''re gonna get in trouble again. I mean, we''re definitely going to get into a war, yeah . ''''I don''t want to be attacked even if I''m prepared, but ...... okay . I''ll try to build a knight. I don''t want to die and I have to raise the Order with all my might. Ha, one thing after another. Oh. Good luck. I mean, I really need Leo-kun to do his best. Hmm?That much?Isn''t the Philibert family very tired right now? I know that one day there is going to be a war, but why are you in such a hurry? That''s why ...... seems to be in league with the kingdom. ''Is it a kingdom: ....... Is the kingdom going to seriously go to war?Maybe, but you can''t win if the kingdom wages war on the Empire, can you? I''ve heard that kingdoms are declining in power because the royals are rushing into private interests? Yes, but that was when the Philibert family was on our side. But that was when House Philibert was on our side. Normally, I would ask for reinforcements from other houses while House Philibert held off the kingdom near the border, but next time I won''t be able to do that. They won''t fight at the fort and will come towards the imperial capital before reinforcements from other houses arrive in time. ''I see. ....... Sure, that''s a tough one. Okay. I''ll give it some thought. Wow~ . Instead of being drawn into the war, we''ve been dragged into the heart of it. This is something we need to deal with sooner rather than later. Yes, please. So I''ll just go ahead and see what I can do. I''m going to go home to meet my friends. Yeah, Sherry told me. I heard it''s a farewell party for exams. Yes. I''ve been studying hard all year. ''I''m sure you will. I''ve already received your scores in my ears, Leo, and I think you can look forward to it. Oh, that''s great news. Really?Thank you. Now, if you''ll excuse me. Yeah, I''ll see you later. I bowed to the Emperor and then I moved into the house. I''m home. Welcome home! Welcome home. You''ve made it to the Count at last. Congratulations. When I got home, I was greeted by Sherry and Leena. "Thank you. Is everyone here already? Yeah. Take a seat and I''ll be waiting for you. Copy that. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen that guy. It''s been almost two months. Hey. How you been? Oh, Leo. Long time. ''Master!I''ve been fine! Good to see that Frank and Hermann are still the same guy from two months ago. Yeah, it''s good to see you both looking good. Well, let''s have a good time and enjoy the farewell party. Then we took our seats and the food began to arrive. The first thing that came out was suddenly dragon food. They wanted us to eat it first, where our tongues weren''t affected by any tastes. Wow~. From the smell, it''s absolutely delicious. Leo, is this the new dragon dish you were writing about? The dragon is like a steak. They spent two months researching grilling time and what sauce to use with the meat. I''ve never seen it before and it looks really good. Well, let''s eat. "... They all took a bite and then continued to eat in silence. And in the blink of an eye, there were no more dragon steaks. Yeah, it was really good. I''ll have to thank Sam later. You''re the former sous-chef of the Forster family. ''It''s even better than the last time you cooked a dragon. ''''You''re a master chef! They all loved the dragon dishes. I''m glad you liked it. Thank you. So what did Frank and Hermann do over the holidays?Are you back at home? ''''No, if I was back at my parents'' house, my vacation would be ruined just by moving around, so I was practicing my magic at the Teito''s house. I used to practice swordsmanship with my brother at Teito''s house. Yeah, it''s true that without a transference like I have, it takes a lot longer to get around. So let''s just go home. You two are so serious. Let''s see how strong you''ve gotten. ''Look forward to it!I beat my brother, who was my idol, for the first time last time. Was Herman''s brother the one who joined the Order of the Empire? I heard that he''s the only one besides Hermann who can do non-attribute magic among the brothers. Hey, that''s great. Can''t wait for swordsmanship class. Yes! Really, you guys are so close. Speaking of which, is Hermann going to join the Order of Leo? ''What?What is the Order?! Shelley''s words were biting off a lot of steam from Hermann. ''Well, ...... that''s going to be a long story, so we''ll talk about it later. I''ll explain it to you slowly in Frank''s room after school starts. Let''s just enjoy it now. You know, talking about the war makes the food no better. Okay, sure. ...... Hey!Why is this my room?! Well, all right. Wouldn''t you rather hear a story from my land? Well, well, ...... I want to hear it! Okay. Okay, I''ll explain it to you then: ...... Then, over dessert, we talked about my territory reform. Yeah, it''s nice to have friends from school that I can talk to casually. 136 CHAPTER I CHANGING CLASS The two month long vacation is over and school starts today. Yesterday, the dormitory life resumed, and for the first time in a long time I lived alone with Belle. Even though it''s only been two months, I felt very nostalgic. Well, it''s been a very intense two months. Well, I''m going to go then!As soon as I get back, I''ll be on my way to the territory, so be ready! Okay. Okay. Have a good day at school. Yeah! Hey, good morning. Finally, they''re gonna announce the change of classes. I said I''m going to go to the bell and when I walked out of the room, Frank was waiting for me, just as he had been two months ago . ''Good morning . . oh, that''s right, You know, I didn''t realize we''re changing classes today. I was so busy getting ready for the Order that I forgot. You''re still going strong. Maybe some of us were too worried to sleep. ...... Frank, you''re not worried about that. I''m thinking about how high up we can get, not the S class anyway . Well. S-groove is a sure thing. I''m just wondering if I can get second place. See, I''m still thinking about the loss to Lena. Yeah. ...... Can you beat Lena? Well, ...... could be third place. I don''t think third place is a bad ranking, yeah. "Hey, I''m sure you''re in second place there!Tell me about it! "Because. Because Leena''s good at it too. Studying won''t make that much of a difference, and you''re still losing to Leena in magic, right?Maybe they''ll both be treated as a perfect score, though. You know, that spell that put the whole class to sleep was just awesome. I was going to let Frank win second place, but after a spell like that, it was impossible. Well, well, ...... Frank seems to understand: ....... His face darkened . ''Well, maybe you''re surprisingly winning the written test, so be hopeful. I manage to think of some words of encouragement and pat Frank on the shoulder. ''You need to be clear on whether you want to encourage or not!Let''s go. Come on, let''s go see. Oh, wait a minute. So, how did they rank? I walked over slowly and asked Frank, who had arrived at the board before me, where we stood. He came in second. Second place? You made me pass Leena? Oh, you did it!Yeah?Oh, so you''re tied with Leena for second place. I was looking for Leena''s name with pleasure, and I saw that Leena was in the same second place column as Frank''s name. ''Yes . Haha ...... Frank let out a sigh with a subtle look on his face, as if he couldn''t be happy that he was tied for second place. "Well, that''s okay. I got second place, which was my goal. Now let''s find out the name of the Hermann in question. Frank''s rankings don''t really matter compared to whether or not Hermann could have made the S class . With that in mind, I''m going to look for Hellman''s name in the lower S class rankings: ....... ''Hm?Huh?He''s not here?Maybe ...... You didn''t get into S class? Are you kidding me?I worked so hard on that one! The last minute practice test I made up was almost a perfect score, and I thought it was fine: ....... Maybe you were too nervous to think straight or something? No, I didn''t show any pretense of that in between tests: ....... "No, look closely. Do you see your name on the sixth place list? Then Frank grabbed my face with both hands and forced me to look up. "Huh?Sixth?Herman? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the letters of the sixth rank and ...... Next to it was indeed Hermann Karoon''s letters . ''''You''re rude . You''ve been working so hard, it''s not a bad idea .He got a perfect score in swordsmanship. And didn''t he get a high score this time? ''Ta, sure: ......'' If you think about it, ...... I think I''ve finished it up to the point where I can get almost a perfect score in all subjects except the ones I''m not good at, because the magic practical skills get zero points ....... But in the end, Mr. Leeds changed the exam method for the practical skills, so I was able to get a high score in most subjects. ....... Master ...... I''m in a different class this year. I''ll definitely try to be in the same class next year. As I was convinced by Hermann''s high ranking, I heard a very sad voice from behind me. ''''Hey, wait a minute . Why can''t you two brothers just look down?You, look at the sixth place. Then Frank grabbed Hermann''s face again and lifted him up as hard as he could. Then Hermann''s eyes widened. "What?...... 6th place!Why am I sixth?There''s definitely a mistake! No, no. You''ve been working so hard all year, don''t you think? Saying that, I gently patted Hermann''s back who couldn''t hide his surprise. ''''Shh, Master ....... No, it''s all thanks to Master. If it wasn''t for him, I would have been in the C class by now. ''What mouth you''re talking about: ....... You didn''t even try to find the top spot with all your might. I can''t hear you. Come on. Come on, let''s get to class. ''Yes!But still, it''s great that you''re taking the chair again. As expected, Master! Well, I missed out on a perfect score. Maybe I just made a deliberate mistake because I thought a perfect score would be tasteless again: ...... Well, I''m not going to say that here. "You got one question wrong. How can you get such a high score? You don''t usually look like you''re studying: ...... Come on, now?Why is that?Maybe he''s learning to hide. To tell you the truth, there is no way I could make a mistake in solving a problem that a schoolboy would solve. Well, I can''t say that even if it''s a slip of the tongue. ''A guy who studies in secret wouldn''t tell you that himself. Certainly!That''s a spot-on commentary! Oh, really?Well then, ...... yes!I''m trying my best to remember everything in class! ''No, it''s not that obvious, I just thought of it!I mean, who would believe you? I mean, you''ve never taken a class seriously!Well, okay, ...... let''s get into the classroom. After his machine-gun commentary, Frank got tired of talking, but he just said what he needed to say and walked off. "Oh, wow. I wonder what the new class will be like? Anyway, I followed Hermann and Frank as they talked. "Shelia!Stop marrying that guy and get engaged to me right now! I walked into the classroom and encountered a scene that was like deja vu . Oh, and by the way, he''s in S class too. ...... It''s a pain in the ass. Oops, I''ve got to stop him sooner than that. "Shut up!Go away!Next time you come close, I''ll magically blow you away!And I don''t remember giving you permission to call me by my name!Don''t ever call me by my name again. Before I could stop her, an angry Shelly pulled out her wand and pointed it at Chubby. Oh, Shelly''s grown up. Ugh. ....... d*mn!It''s okay!I''ve been so nice to you!I''m going to make you regret it for sure . Gufu ...... I look forward to seeing Shelia cry and beg for forgiveness. That''s disgusting. Guha! Oops. I couldn''t help myself and I hit him. "Hey, you hit me!I don''t care what happens to you if you hit me or not! Wow~. It just sounds like something a low-level villain would say. Shut up. This is really disrespectful. you''re the one who''ll be judged, not me. And if you hate what he''s done to you, go kick his ass!Here. And then I struck a fighting pose. "Uh-huh!I''m not looking for a violent solution. Apparently, you''re not brave enough to challenge me. Yeah. So shut up and take a seat. Shut up!Don''t tell me what to do! Huh. ....... Then you can move about as you please . Just be prepared to do something that might be detrimental to me, okay? It''s getting to be a pain in the ass now, so I said just that and turned my real killing intent on Chubby . This guy''s house has been giving me a lot of trouble, so I think it''s okay to do this. ''''Hi, hi!Shit, d*mn it! Completely out of shape, the chubby dragged his ass backwards and walked out of the classroom as if to escape. You''re really like a low-level villain who often appears in stories with a lot of gusto. "Thank you, Leo! You''re welcome. From now on, you make sure you talk to that guy right away when he comes near you. He''s liable to do something to you. I mean, his house is trying to kill me, and Shelly could do something to me, too... Yeah. I get it. Oh, you''re back. That was cool. It''s like the guy in the story who fought off the bad guys. When I returned to my seat, Frank, sitting behind me, was quick to tease me. It seems that this time the seats are ordered by grade. It seems that in a tie, the higher rank in the house goes to the front, so Frank sits behind me and Leena behind him. By the way, Sherry was fourth in the house, so she was behind Leena. I looked over at Sherry and she was happily talking to Leena as if nothing had happened. ''You''re exaggerating. Well, Sherry is my fiance. It''s okay to do that, right? Yeah. It''s all very impressive. Now that you mention it, I don''t see those guys behind him. Wasn''t there always two of them before this? Yeah, they took down both our houses last time I checked. They found all kinds of irregularities. I see. ...... Ah, so the corrupt noblemen the emperor had investigated were among those he found. From the largest nobles to the smallest, we''ve found so many irregularities. Could it be that there are fewer of their classmates than there were two months ago? ''Yes!Here we go!Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats! I was looking around the classroom and counting my classmates when Mr. Rees walked into the classroom with a cheerful voice . ''Oh, it''s Mr. Leeds. Mr. Rees is now your S class teacher. Yeah. She''s so sweet. She''s a lucky girl. You remind me of my students. He''s definitely a good teacher. Mr. Reece, you''re getting paid more for being an S grade teacher. There it is!Now be quiet because I''m going to start talking to you! Yes? The teacher warned us, we responded cheerfully, and then we were quiet and listened to the teacher. Then we had a few classes and school ended in the morning. Today, it seems that we are off this afternoon due to the new students and fifth and sixth year seniors holding a new student welcome party in the afternoon. So let''s go to the territory this afternoon and do some work~! 137 CHAPTER II JOINTENDANCE EXAMINATION (1) ''Master!Tell me more about the Order! Class is over and I''m getting ready to leave when Hermann comes up to me in a loud voice . ''Oh, by the way, I haven''t told you yet: ......'' You promised to tell me when school started, right? All right, don''t come so close. Well, I don''t know what to do: ...... Are you guys free this afternoon? Hmm?Me too?Well, you''re not busy. Are you going to come to my room by any chance? Of course I''m free! Okay, I guess you guys don''t have any afternoon plans. Frank replies in disgust, and Hermann is overjoyed, and I start to think about my afternoon plans. So meet me in my office this afternoon. Herman says to dress comfortably and bring a sword. Frank can wear whatever you want at ....... "Oh, oh ...... Okay. All right, but what do you do? We''ll see what we can do. Well, maybe Frank will be bored. Okay, I get it.I''ll polish my sword well during the day, and then head to Master''s room after getting ready . Hmph, I finally became Master''s knight too ...... When he said that, Hermann happily walked out of the classroom. Hmm?Are you misunderstanding something? When I went out into the hallway to stop Hermann, there was no sign of him. Oh, well. Well, we''ll be fine. Then the afternoon came: ...... As Herman and Frank had promised, they came to my room. ''Master!They''re here! Oh. Come on in for now. With that, I let them in for the time being. Sorry to trouble you. Speaking of which, isn''t this the first time you''ve been in Leo''s room? "Yes. I guess so. I used to study in Frank''s room. Come to think of it, we used to hang out in Frank''s room all the time. First it was Frank''s room. Then it became a habit to hang out in Frank''s room. Well, it''s not like we''re going to do anything in my room today. Hmm?So where do you go then? It''s my territory. If I''m going to explain the Order, it''s easier to understand it while showing you the Order, right? Now? I''ve got a metastasis, so I''ll have a day to spare. That''s handy: ...... Come to think of it, this is the first time I''ve made the transition with Frank and Hermann. People around me have gotten used to it lately, so this kind of reaction is new to me. So, shall we go? Bell, let''s go! ''Yes!Oh, nice to meet you all. I''m Belle, and I''m to be Master Leo''s personal maid. Ha, nice to meet you ...... It''s nice to meet you. Did the Princess and Rinna ever get jealous of you? Next to Hermann, who was fawning over Belle, Frank, who was grinning, asked Belle a nasty question. ''What?'' ''Oh well, that''s all settled. How can you say you were jealous? ''Resolved?Then something must have happened. Come on, man, don''t get into a situation with those two guys in the next room, I''m afraid for my safety, okay? I''m fine. It was a long time ago. That was right after the start of dorm life. "What?Does this mean that I was in danger without knowing it? Well, uh, ......, that didn''t happen, did it? ''Yeah, yeah, ......'' A little frightened, I asked Belle a question, and she nodded a little hesitantly. ''Hey!What the hell happened here! ''''Oh well, that''s not important. Why don''t we go to Master''s domain earlier? As I patted Frank''s anxious, screaming shoulder to calm him down, Hermann urged me to make the transition. ''Oh, yeah . Okay, everybody touch me! Nice helmsman!I don''t really want to relive that moment anymore. Oh, but it was nice to remember that Leena almost kissed me. Hey, what''s the matter with your big grin all of a sudden? "I''m not smiling at you!Well then, boys, let''s go. I foolishly made sure that everyone touched me and transitioned towards the castle . ''''Transitioning is really just a blink of an eye, isn''t it? Is this Master''s territory?Wow - it''s a bustling city. Hermann let out an exclamation as he looked out the window of my room at the territory. ''''That''s right. ''''This is the Myrddin Domain, which is said to be the center of the world.'''' ''The view from here feels awfully high, doesn''t it?This house is pretty big, isn''t it? ''Oh, did you notice?This house is a castle. I knew it. I knew it. This castle is one of the most famous places in Mirdine. It''s really cool that you get to live there. Hey, Frank, you know what you''re doing. Thank you. That explains why I said, "Master!So, where is the Order? You''re getting restless today, Hermann. It can''t be helped. Let''s talk about the Order first. Well, hold on. Or, more accurately, a candidate for the Order. ''What?What do you mean? Today is your initiation exam. In the morning, you''ll take a basic exam and an interview, and then in the afternoon, you''ll take a practical test. Okay. So, do I have to participate in that practical test? I knew you were going to join the Order, too: ....... No. You''re an examiner. You''ll deal with the prospective member. I don''t mind you joining the Order, but we don''t have enough on our side today, so I need you to help me out. ''''Huh?I''m the examiner?Am I right? Yeah, but don''t let anyone else beat you to it, okay? The last thing you want is to lose and get a licking in your face. ''Yes, sir!We''ll take care of it!I''m going to win it all. Oh, you''re on it. Oh, Miss Fleur. How did you do in the morning? I arrived at the exam room and spoke to Ms. Flair, who was looking through the papers in the corner of the room. ''''Yes . It went off without a hitch. Would you like me to reject anyone who seemed to have a problem with the interview right here? Oh, those guys. ....... ''Yeah ...... I guess I don''t have to do that. And if we know who''s suspicious, we can reject them later. Well, that doesn''t matter much if it''s the test method you''re going to use. Okay. So, let''s get to the test. And with that, I walked out with Hermann in front of the applicants. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I am Leonce Muldaine. I am very happy that so many people have asked to join us this time. And now, without further ado, let''s go to ...... and raise your hand if you have the confidence to do so! I looked around and saw that most of the guys were adventurer crumblers by all accounts, so I stopped using polite language and asked them in rough terms . Immediately, they all raised their hands in high spirits. I see. Well then, you in the front, come forward. I didn''t think anything of it, just picked the guy in the front row, the one with all the muscle in the front row. "Hermann, you''re on. Yes! With a loud reply, Hermann stepped forward as well. Yeah, that''s the look you make when you''re desperate to fight right now. With that one, you won''t lose. ....... ''''If I can beat Hermann over there, I''ll make him Knight Commander. ''Wait a minute, sir!You''re dealing with a child? Yes, but what''s the problem?If you won''t do it, then you''ll have to give your turn to the next person. The words came out just as I expected, so I said the words I had planned to say back . ''Yes, no ...... I''ll do it! The man turned around, gave up protesting to the many eyes that were telling him to give up quickly and agreed to fight. ''Okay. Then get ready. Okay, let''s go! Guha! At the signal to begin, the man was blown away by an invisible attack and fell down, crashing into the same prospective recruits behind him . I could see that Hermann had attacked him in the gut, but how many of these guys figured it out? With that in mind, I resumed my explanation. ''Yes, sir. One person eliminated. Anyone else want to try next? When I asked a question, nobody raised their hand. I guess they all thought he was no match for Hermann. Yes! I''m disappointed in the applicants when I hear a cheerful voice and a hand raised a little low from the back of the line. ''Oh, well then, come forward. d*mn. You thought this was the end of the day. Good to know someone''s brave enough to try. Now, what kind of guy is going to challenge me: ......? What''s she doing here? What''s a girl doing here? How could a woman win? ''I can''t believe this guy is a knight: ...... As the challengers who had raised their hands came forward, the prospective recruits began to buzz. And when he stepped forward, I knew why. To my surprise, the challenger was a woman. And, from her youthful appearance, she looked like a girl not much older than me and Hermann. "Hey. Whoever said anything about a woman, next time you say that, you''ll all be rejected!I don''t like prejudice and discrimination, you know? You don''t want to pretend you''re more gimpy than that girl, do you? All right, then, you can start whenever you want. And then I immediately sent a telepathic message to Hermann. (Hermann, this time I want to see exactly what my opponent is capable of, so please don''t kill him instantly like before. (Yes!) Well, I''ll have to go. Oh, you''re fast! I yelped at the girl''s unexpected speed. ''''Hmph!'''' But Hermann caught the attack with plenty of time to spare and flicked the girl away . Wow, that was relentless . Well, it''s just that I didn''t end it right away . That''s what I thought, but ...... the girl thrust her sword into the ground and stood up. ''''You have great guts. This thing is going to be really strong if you polish it up. I''m not done yet~! The girl said that and attacked the helmsman again. It seems that the strategy was to attack with great force and leave the helmsman no room for counterattack. The strategy worked, leaving the Hermann defenseless. "Is he faster than the bare Hermann? Well, it''s no match for the helmsman who uses attributeless magic. Say! Ug. ...... The girl goes down after taking a body blow from Hermann. "What''s your name, boy, what''s your name? I quickly ran over and asked his name as I soothed his pain with holy magic. ''I''m Alma.'' Alma. Where did you learn to use a sword? I learned from the orphanage. Did you learn that in the orphanage?I only know of one orphanage that would teach you swordsmanship? Could it be the little orphanage in the Imperial City? ''What?Oh, yes. . yes. I knew it. Is that orphanage a professional in training the best and brightest? I''ll have to go and see what kind of education I can get next time. Yeah. Do you know the Bell? Yes. She''s one of the older girls in my orphanage. One below Bell. So she''s one step above me. Okay. Why didn''t you use your magic? ''''Why? ...... I don''t have any proper magic other than no attributes. No, I know from the appraisal that it''s only non-attribute magic. No, you can''t do non-attribute magic? ''What?Oh, yes. Come to think of it, Belle couldn''t use non-attribute magic either . ''''I see. ....... This is going to be strong. Hermann, you''ve got a good rival. ''''No, if things continue as they are, I''ll lose sooner rather than later. I had to use non-attribute magic to win. Because. Well, I''ll give you that as a reward. I said and handed him the loyalty bracelet I had prepared for him. This is: ...... It''s my guys'' stamp of approval. I''ll give it to you for your bravery and potential. ''Oh, thank you. ......'' Alma received the bracelet from me, bowing her head as if she was about to get down on her knees. Behind him, Hermann looked serious and thought about something. Maybe he was just in shock after that battle. Later, I''ll tell you why you almost lost in the flesh. Okay, anyone else want to challenge me? Let me go! I listened, and after a moment''s pause, I immediately heard a thick voice. And then out from the back, a guy with a hell of a vibe came out anyway. "Hey, that guy ...... Definitely. That''s an S-rated Bernhardt. Is he even in here? Huh. An S-ranked adventurer. Yeah, he''s definitely strong . I used my appraisal to check the man in front of me and said in my mind that this guy was stronger than Hermann . I see. ....... Hermann, I''ll fight this time. ''What?Soooooooooooooooooo ...... Don''t get me wrong. He''s that strong. Just watch and learn this time. ''''Wow, okay. ....... Master''s fight, I won''t miss a second of it. Hermann stepped back, making it hard to tell whether he was a little frustrated or sad. ''''Ho. It''s a pleasure to be allowed to fight the prodigy of the Forster family. It''s an honor to be the one to fight an S-class adventurer. Someday, I wanted to be one of those things. With that in mind, I summoned Serena. It''s ...... a holy sword. Yes, I have. Have you seen it? Yes. Years ago, when I challenged the hero. How old are you, man?I was tempted to say, but I knew his age from the appraisal, so I wasn''t that surprised. Maybe he challenged me when I was a teenager. "Wow, I didn''t know that happened. That was a youthful indiscretion, wasn''t it? It was that experience that made me so strong. That''s good. All right, let''s get to work. Come on out and play. "Law. Am I the only one who wants to challenge you? Okay. I''ll go now. Gakin! As usual, S-ranked, heavy on the attack. That''s what I thought as I took the first hit that most people wouldn''t have recognized in Bernhardt. "You take it easy for that. Well, I''m strong enough to be called a prodigy or something. As he said that, I lightly attacked him. "Huh. I haven''t felt like I couldn''t win this much since I was a hero. Bernold was saying that, but his body was backing away, desperately defending itself . ''''That''s a nice word . Say! I slipped through my defenses and put my sword to Bernold''s neck. 138 CHAPTER III EXAMINATION 2 We lost. Bernhardt, who had his sword against his neck, said that and put it on the ground. ''''Yeah . I don''t think there''s anything wrong with you being Knight Commander. From now on, I asked you to train some new recruits. And I''ll give you this as well. With strength like this, I wouldn''t worry. With that in mind, I gave Vernolt the loyalty band. "Thank you, sir. From now on, I''ll do my best to live up to Leonce''s expectations. Bernold said and kneeled on the ground and received the bracelet with his head bowed . He''s been an adventurer for many years and knows how to handle nobles and such? Most of the nobles will feel better about themselves if you lift them up. Well, never mind that. Yeah, nice to meet you. So who else wants to try? With Bernold''s challenge over, he asked for the next challenger. ...... Well, of course no one is going to offer it. The guy who got blown up at the beginning, Alma and Hermann''s fight, me and Bernold''s fight. It''s a scary thing for the average person. Well, that''s the plan. Well, that''s the plan. ....... So, we all failed, then. Okay, that''s it. We''re done for today. We''ll see what we can do next month. Oh, no!Wait! Yes!Let me do it! At my comment, the previously quiet contestants opened their mouths and pleaded with me impatiently. It''s too late. Class dismissed! It would be troublesome if they started a riot, so I used Serena''s power to summon a large number of golems . Come to think of it, I hadn''t introduced it yet, but I can summon golems with Serena''s level 4 power. Isn''t it the same as Elena''s demon summoning? But it seems that artificially made golems aren''t treated as monsters. They''re magical tools or magical items. Serena''s detailed level 4 power is to summon magical tools or magical items. Which is pretty handy. In fact, when I summon Serena, I can summon Elena too. So I don''t have to worry about not having a weapon on me. But I''m not talking about how great Serena is. The summoned golems formed a wall and drove all those who wanted to join out of the castle. The ones who didn''t even try to challenge me or Hermann didn''t even try to fight the golems, they just got scared and left. "Is that right? As I watched the people being pushed out by the golems, Bernolt asked me. ''Yeah . ''No problem . I''ll give it another shot next month, if he''s up to it. But there are only two of us in the Order, right? ''Well, that''s okay. We''ve got golems in our house, and there''s nothing good about rushing to get more of them. We''ll have to increase our numbers little by little, carefully selecting them carefully and carefully considering them. There''s no hurry. The enemy knows we''re taking our time to prepare. I see. ...... Besides, I''ll bring Hermann with me after school now, so you don''t have to worry about him. Still, it''s three people: ...... Bernold looked at Alma and Hermann, then chuckled . ''''There are plenty of golem soldiers in the area, so we''ll be fine. Besides, the golems here are definitely stronger than those soldiers.'''' I mean, wouldn''t it be more reliable to mass-produce golems to fight the next war? But I came to the idea that it''s impossible to get enough of them to fight a war ......, so I decided to start recruiting knights slowly. ''I see, then maybe we can choose our knights slowly. Right?We''ve got to take a serious look at it so we don''t let the traitors out. Yes, sir. ''''Well then, you two, good luck tomorrow. But there won''t be anything to do, so for now, make sure Alma can use non-attribute magic by next month. Maybe you can learn it right away, since you can manipulate magic. Yes, sir. ''Oh, speaking of which, Alma. Should I go see Bell?He''s right there. It''s a gift. Belle will be happy to see her junior colleague, too. What?Oh, yes! Alma tilted her head for a moment, as if my question hadn''t entered her mind, and then nodded vigorously. So I took Alma and the others and came back to Frank and the others. I''m done with my work. Totally ...... I don''t know what you want to do at all. When I came back, Frank looked at the challengers who were still being pushed out of the room with a dumbfounded look on his face. ''Really?Finding the best people is what we''re here for, you know. Besides, there were a lot of spies in the mix this time, so we couldn''t have hired that many anyway. It''s too cumbersome to identify them one by one, so we went with this method. I''m sure the spies will wait and see how the test goes before attempting it to keep a low profile. That''s what I thought, so I decided to show him the hardest part of the test and then ask him to come forward. This way, only the most passionate or the best will come forward. Spies can''t come forward if they want to, ''cause they''ll stand out and I''ll remember their faces. Well, I asked Mr. Flare for an interview, just in case someone comes along who doesn''t mind. With that thought in mind, I turned to the two guys next to me who were having a great time. ''Belle!How have you been? Alma was holding Belle''s hand and talking to her happily. ''Yeah, Alma looks good too. Belle, on the other hand, was happily replying to Alma. But still, it''s very unusual for Belle not to use honorifics. Well, since Alma is like family, it''s strange that she uses honorifics. "Yes. Belle really did get to be a maid. And she must have been quite fond of having Master Leonce walk around with her. Of course!I love Belle so much. Well, I''m her personal maid. Wow. You''ve come a long way. Alma, you''ll be the knight tomorrow. Heh. Ahaha. They were praising each other and laughing happily. Looking at them, I felt like I was going to be happy. I''m glad that I had the courage to try that time. I got to be the knight I dreamed of being, and I saw Belle again. I think so, too. If you weren''t that good out there, I was going to recruit Alma. It''s not every day that a young girl can challenge someone in that room without anyone else raising their hand. Besides, even if she was weak, I could have trained her up and forced her to be strong. I know. And Alma''s strong again, isn''t she? Yeah. I''ve been working my ass off for two years. You can''t even beat Belle now, can you? No, no, no, no, no. ...... No, you don''t. Do you know how many times I''ve had Master Leo teach me martial arts every day? ''Oh, I have a feeling that''s not going to happen: ...... Alma looked at me and nodded her head in agreement with me, all by herself . ''''Well, Belle is stronger than Hermann. Probably because I''m usually the strongest people around me . ''''Shh, Master ......?'''' Oh, I mean, it was like a voice in my head. Not. I heard Hermann''s sad voice from behind me, and when I tried to cover it up in a hurry, I said more gibberish . ''''Is that so . I thought I was my master''s best pupil, but I wasn''t. ....... You''re right. I guess I shouldn''t have gotten this arrogance right. Now I have to go back to the drawing board and practice like hell every day. ...... When I heard such a voice, I turned my face back and saw a ...... negative dreadful aura of depression, and Hermann was mumbling to himself. I''m not going to be the only one who can do that.There''s a reason for this: ...... "Remember the first time Master taught me. You were training so hard back then. That''s right. Hey!Listen to me! He was still mumbling to himself, so I grabbed Hermann by the shoulders. Finally, Hermann stopped talking to himself. "Yes, sir. You''re still on level one, right? Yes. You''re not allowed to raise the bar in school. Are you banned from leveling up? ''What?Really?Well, okay. Hermann is level one, but Bell is over level 30. Normally, there''s a thirty-fold difference between them. It''s just that no matter how hard you try, you can''t win by that much, right? ''Ta, sure: ......'' ''Do we understand each other?You''re strong enough. Yes, ...... I get it. He replied, but Hermann seemed somewhat unconvinced and his voice was very low . Taku...... can''t be helped . ''''Well, I''ll go with you on your next vacation to help you level up, so don''t be so depressed . A couple of days in the dungeon should be enough to make you strong enough. Oh, really? Hermann''s face lit up. d*mn cashmere. Yeah. That''ll fix your mood, huh? Of course! I don''t know where the negative aura I had earlier went: ....... ''Is Frank coming too?'' ''No, okay ....... For all intents and purposes, there''s no way I''m going to be able to keep up with you guys in your fight. I don''t think so. Frank has some very powerful magic. I''ll build you an upgrade later. It''s all for fun and games. It''ll definitely be more fun with the three of us. Is that so?So long. ...... Okey-dokey. So Alma and Bernold will see you tomorrow. I have some work to do, so I''ll say goodbye to you today. Belle will give you a tour of the castle. And you, Frank and Hermann, if you want to come with me, take a tour of the castle. Okay. ''Yes!I''ll come around. Yes, sir. Okay, I''ll see you later. So I''ll see you later. I heard their replies, and then I said it and went to my room. "Elsie, I''m sorry to keep you waiting. When I came back into the room, I found Miss Elsie sitting on the couch in her room reading some papers . ''No, I''m not waiting for you. Rather, isn''t it too early?What happened to the Knights'' exam? It''s over. ''What?It''s over!What decision did you make? Who wants to take the test?But when I asked, there were only three people who came forward. It went faster than I thought it would. ''Oh, really? ...... Miss Elsie nodded with a difficult look on her face, wondering if she knew what I was saying or not. ''Well, that''s not the point, but let me hear about your progress while I was away. I understand. But it''s only been about ten days, so we''re not that far along. Yeah, I guess so. Nice to meet you. I hope it''s nothing out of the ordinary. I understand. Since Leo''s return, the training of artisans and the construction of the magic tool factory have been progressing well. And I''ve also started looking for that general commercial space Leo asked me to build. We''ve received many applications for this one right away, so it looks like it will be filled with no problems. That''s good to hear. It looks like we''ll be able to start developing it in earnest in six months, as planned. Yes. Oh, and how''s Lou doing, unrelated to work, but how''s he doing? It''s not work-related, but it''s more important than work. Stress is very dangerous for Lou. ''Is that you, Lou?Lou would miss Leo and the others so much that he would stick with me all the time, except when I''m at work. Really? ...... I knew Lou had become a bit lonely since the last time he went crazy. I''ll have to get Sherry over here often. That helps me feel a little less lonely, though. I see. I knew you''d miss her, Elsie. I''m sorry. I''ll try to stay here from now on. Don''t worry about it. Oh, but if you can show up at least once in a while: ...... I told her it was okay, but I''d be in trouble if she really stopped coming . I could hear that thought in Elsie-san''s voice and expression. Yeah, I''ll try to be here as much as possible. Anyway, he should be able to come tomorrow. 139 CHAPTER IV CONCERNINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE SIDE:? What?A failed infiltration attempt? I couldn''t help but raise my voice when I heard the report of my subordinate''s horrible mistake. ''''I''m sorry!'''' Why?You know how many we''ve sent in there?They usually hire one of them, right?Could it be that the soldiers you prepared were of such poor quality that they couldn''t join the Knights of the Middle Nobility? No, no!It is by no means that way! I''m sure . As far as I''ve seen, there were at least a dozen guys who could make it in the higher noble knights'' order. ''''Then how did that happen?'''' This time there were only two knights employed by Lonce Muldaine. ...... Two people?Two people? What?Only two?You, you have a lot to lie about to protect yourself! You''re gonna have to lie better than that if you''re gonna have it! ''I am not lying!There were really only two of us. So he''s thinking of going to war with me with just those two men? ''Yes, no ....... Leons originally owned the mysterious Red Knight. ...... Yeah, I know. You wear all red armor, right?But those guys are too few in number to fight a war. So they don''t pose a threat, do they? Sure, they''re not as strong as we thought. But they''re not as strong as they should be. Yes. I think so. d*mn it, ......, I can''t read what he''s thinking. What do you want?Maybe you were aware that there were a lot of spies mixed in and you weren''t going to hire anyone other than someone who was really good at it? So, what are these two guys like? That''s why ...... we know the identity of one of them, but the other one is currently under investigation. Yeah. Okay, so tell me more about the ones you do know. And if you don''t know, tell me what you know. Yes. Let''s start with the one who knows. This is Bernolt, a former S-class adventurer. Bernholt? What?Um, is that Bernolt, the leader of one of the only three S-class parties in this world? Yes. Yes, I''m sure. Why?How did Bernolt get into his order? What possible reason could he have for giving up being an adventurer to become a knight? That''s why ...... last month, Bernold''s ''Follow the Brave'' organization, which he was a member of, disbanded. That party''s broken up? Why?Those parties were famous for being close, weren''t they?Is someone seriously hurt? No, they''re not. The sorcerer in "Follow the Brave" is pregnant, and they''ve decided to take this opportunity to disband and work independently. Yeah. We''ve made enough money, so we should each take it easy from now on. So that''s what it is: ....... So how did Bernolt end up joining his Order? ''And it seems to be a whim. He quit his job as an adventurer, and when he had some spare time on his hands, he happened to find an opening and decided to join. Freaky. ...... That''s what he''s always saying. Maybe not. That guy lives his life on a whim, but he''s really a purposeful guy. Otherwise, he''d never get his party to S-grade. ''Yeah, right: ......'' Well, you''ll never know, having never met him. I''m sure the sorcerer''s belly is full of Bernolt''s children. The money he''s earned so far should be enough to live on. ...... Probably because of that guy, he thought that now that he''s got a family, he''d be better off with a stable job. ''Well, okay . More importantly, what''s the other guy like?I''m more interested in that one. There''s nothing scarier than a lack of information about a mystery woman ...... We''ll have to make sure they do their research. That''s all I know about ...... is that she''s a very powerful woman, and that''s all I know about ....... ''So strong?Is it as good as Bernold''s? ''No, probably not. Leonce had his own men deal with that woman, but with Bernold he was dealing with her himself. Yeah?What do you mean?What kind of test did he perform? Why is he dealing with that guy himself? ''It''s simple. It was a formality in which anyone who came forward would be dealt with by either Herman Caroon, a disciple of Leons, or by Leons himself. Yeah. Hermann ...... was given to me a while back. He''s the son of Lars Caroon, right?Originally, he had close to zero magic power, but after Leons taught him something, he became ridiculously strong. Yes. Yes. So how strong was Hermann really? That information is very important. He''s one of my key players in the fight. We didn''t fight long enough to determine that, so I can''t say: ...... What do you mean?Did he deal with all of them? No, Leons only dealt with Bernold. So who else did you deal with? Don''t tell me he had more than just Hermann, did he have other strong men under his command? No, there''s no one. No one ever came forward in the first place. What do you mean? ''First of all, Leons told me to raise my hand if I''m confident in my arm. Yeah. So, in the beginning, of course, I mentioned them all. Well, I guess so. No one will take the job if they don''t have confidence. I can''t think of a guy who didn''t mention it. So Leons randomly picked the guy in front of him and had him fight Hermann. So? It was an instant: ....... In an instant, the man was knocked down as fast as I could see. Ha-ha-ha. Not much. "d*mn. You know you''re a monster. It''s not every day you can move something fast enough to be invisible to the naked eye. ''If you ask me, I''m sure you''re right: ....... The fight afterwards was so awesome I forgot about it. And then?Oh, Bernolt and the mystery woman. ''''Yes . Back to the story, the prospective recruits, having been shown Hellman''s outrageous strength, stopped raising their hands to see what was going on. You guys? ''Yes . If I stepped forward in that situation, I would stand out. ...... Yeah. Besides, if he''s an examiner himself, it''s not too good to be recognized by the public. Yes. And we weren''t sure we could pass that test. Then I guess we better just wait and see what else is on the table. Ha, that''s probably what he wanted. Don''t tell me you''re smart, too. Well, in that case, I''d give up too. And then you tell me the story. Yes. Then, with no one else offering, one woman did. You''re the girl. Did you have a good run-in with Herman? Yes, sir. I said, but it looked like Hermann was holding back somewhat. But he was still fighting at a high enough level to make us give up. This woman and this Bernolt are really getting into trouble. We''re getting worse and worse. Okay. So, after that, the Bernolt? Yes. That was a hell of a fight. I''ll be honest, it was a crazy fight between those two. ''''Of course. Because I''m sure they''re both high-powered in the S class. So he won? ''''Yes . I withstood Bernolt''s onslaught with plenty of time to spare, and ended it with a sword to Bernolt''s neck. Ha ha ha. Is that guy strong enough to take on a Bernhardt? He''s not as strong as Damien of the Empire or Allen of the Niners, but he''s still one of the strongest adventurers, right? And you can end it with a sword to the neck or ....... ''''Yes, sir. That was definitely tame. Quite a feat. Looks like the Qilin child of the Forster family isn''t very good: ....... Huh, I have to fight a guy like that: ....... Hey, Philibert-san. I got fed up with this situation where my winning streaks were getting crushed and I got sick of the man who is now irritating me the most. He''s a braggart who doesn''t work hard enough and he''s still bending over to hold a woman in his arms. Shut up. You should just shut up and bring that despairing man in front of me. ''''No, my only job is to extend the territory of the kingdom. You''ll have to deal with that on your own. I wouldn''t dare go head-to-head with that creature. Best you go up against it and get killed. What?You, who do you think is paying you to do this? Then give me more money. We can''t get anywhere with the preparations. This is a good time, okay?From now on, his strength is going to grow and grow: ...... Shut up! Haha ...... I wonder when the war will be over. He said something painful and sighed at the upsetting orc, and I left the room because there was no point in talking any longer. SIDE: Leons. ""......" Right now, before I went to bed, Belle and I were huddled shoulder-to-shoulder watching the rat monitor when an unexpected image came on and me and Belle froze. Maybe the mouse stuck to the challenger of the day and went away: ....... This is unexpected. I''m starting to feel bad that we''re about to find out what we''re up against. Well, it looks like they''re not going to attack us anytime soon. Yeah. Maybe the Philibert family doesn''t have that much money to spend on the war anymore. The estate is in shambles, and the fines have taken a lot of money with them. If the situation was that hard, you could have just given up: ...... Indeed. It''s going to be much more profitable to run a serious estate. But I guess it''s no longer a viable option. You''re already involved in the kingdom. You''re right. I mean, who the hell is that guy, anyway? You mean that guy who was listening intently to his men? ''Well?A royal general or something? I''m sure he''s the greatest person ever sent from the kingdom, though. I had a feeling too. But the way he was acting, I don''t think he''s ready to start a war. I''d like to think so, but the general seems like a capable guy, so maybe he''ll be forced to start a war. Would that be a problem for you, Leo-sama? Yeah, it''s very embarrassing. Basically, their side is much better prepared for war than ours . Over here, the territory is still barely running smoothly, so it''s really hard. So I really want them to be quiet right now . If that''s the case, we''ll have to go to ...... something to make it harder for them to start a war. Quite the Bell!You know what I''m talking about. ''Well, you''re right: ....... From the conversations I''ve heard, it seems like we''re short on money . And I think we''re in a situation where we''re relying on the Philibert family for money. The kingdom is so politically corrupt that there probably isn''t that much money in it. Really, I feel sorry for that man. Yeah. So. I think I''m going to make the Philibert family''s financial woes even worse. ''What?How did you do that?If they find out, it''s going to make Master Leo look bad. "So... I try not to be a bad person. No, it''s more like a good thing that the emperor will reward me. ''What?What the hell are you going to do? I''m going to traverse the dungeon. A dungeon?Oh, I see. Hearing my words, Belle thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement. ''Oh, you get it?Yes, the dungeons enrich the territory just by being there. But when it''s gone, the realm ends. Dungeons are dangerous, but they attract adventurers for that. For that, the territory would be dependent on dungeons. Yes. ...... ''''So, there are two cities in House Philibert''s territory that have dungeons: ...... Could it be Master Leo, both of them? No, no, just one of them will be slow with Hermann and the others. The other one, I have a feeling someone else will traverse it in a night. I grinned at him. "It''s not Master Leo. ...... No way... I''m too busy with Hermann and the others and one dungeon to do the other one! With open arms, I played a farce on Belle. "Master Leo, it''s deliberate, When the farce was over, Belle said that and gave me a stink eye. Yeah. You''re cute with those eyes too, Belle. So, let''s get a lot of stuff going for this week''s break or ...... 140 CHAPTER V PREPARATION FOR DUNGEON Fourth grade had started and it had been a few days. Finally, after school on the day off tomorrow, I spoke to Frank and Hermann right after school. "All right. When you guys get home, as promised, you get ready and meet me in my room right away. Yes, I understand! Hey, wait. When you say I''m prepared, I don''t have any of the equipment I need for this adventure. Oh, yeah. Okay, I''ll take care of the armor and stuff, okay? You know, that was the deal originally. I need to get my gear ready before I leave. All right. All right. We''ll just get dressed and we''ll be out of here. I''ll be there in a minute. Yes, please. I''ll see you later. With that, we parted and quickly gathered in my room. "Hey, here he comes! Sorry to disturb you. Oh, there he is. Okay, let''s get Frank''s equipment set built and Hermann''s rigged and modified, and then we''ll head to the dungeon as soon as we can. ''What?Will you do my equipment too? Hermann''s eyes widened in surprise at my words. I know. With the equipment you have, it''s not going to be easy to traverse. Because no matter how you look at it, with those clothes that don''t have a shred of defense and a cheap sword that would break against you if you attacked the demon, I''m worried about the stone. ''''And stepping over?Did you just step over it? Yeah? Huh?Didn''t I tell you that? Come to think of it, I''ve been sleeping at school so much lately, I think I forgot to tell you what I''m really doing today. Yeah?I ain''t!I mean, how are we going to trudge through the holidays! Frank seems to be upset. Well, I''m sure Frank was just going to join in for fun. Don''t worry about it. All right, I''ll just build the equipment as fast as I can. Frank and Hermann, watch out there! I pointed at the two men and said, "Don''t say nothing. "Oh, oh. Yes! The two of them reflexively did as they were told and took the precaution. ''''First, let''s start with the armor. Neither of you are in a tank role, so heavy, hard armor won''t fit: ....... Oh, I''ve got some good ones. Having said that, I took out ...... the fur of the demon that appeared at the end of the mass monster outbreak and was instantly killed by Lou. If they were fighting normally, he seemed to be a very strong guy, so this should be very promising. "Some kind of pelt?It''s Leo, so it''s not your average demon fur, is it? Well. I don''t know the name. Maybe it was something more powerful than a dragon. Where the hell did you get such a monster? ...... ''Well?Now let''s make some leather armor. Yeah, let''s make some leather armor as well. I''ve only ever worn a cape as armor. I''m sure the armor I''m going to make will be amazing... so I''ll make mine too! Well....even with just the cloak, my defenses have improved a lot. With that in mind, I took out three magic stones and used my creation magic. They glowed and changed shape as usual, and the three of them were equipped with black leather armor. ''''Oh, that''s so cool!And it''s so light!I''ll take good care of it for my grandchildren! No, I don''t want my armor to be treated too seriously because it''s a consumable item. That''s great: ...... Frank was tapping on his armor to see how it felt. "Hang on a second. I''ll go check on the armor I just made. Now it''s time for the fun part, the evaluation. The Armor of the Demon King. Armor made from the fur of a demon who was once a demon king. Its armor is extremely durable, and can be repaired quickly if broken. It is highly resistant to magic, reducing magical attacks to a tenth of their former level. Reduces physical attacks to a fifth of their power. Multiply all of the equipper''s stats by 1.5 Creator: Lonce Muldaine What? Oops, I couldn''t help but squeal at the amount of information. What is this interdimensional armor? Isn''t this the best magic item I''ve ever made? What''s up?Was it that great of an armor? ''It''s not awesome or anything: ....... It''s already at a level where it''s arguably the strongest armor. The only thing more awesome than this is that you''ll never take any damage. ''Strongest?What does that mean? Actually ...... Then I gave them both the results of my evaluation. What?You don''t want us to take that kind of armor? "I wouldn''t put this stuff on ...... It''s fine ......, but after all the trouble I''m about to cause you two, this isn''t a big deal. Oops, I was whispering, but I couldn''t help it. ''Oh, hey ......, now you''ve just blurted out something unheard of. Apparently, Frank could hear him, and he immediately tried to question him. Not good, we have to change the subject immediately! Oh, well, let''s not get hung up on the details. More importantly, we need to do something about both of your weapons. With a weapon? My own again? Yeah, yeah. . even if your defense is hard, you can''t go on without an offensive force. Anyway, we''re gonna be efficient this time. Let''s start with Frank''s wand. Let''s see... Sherry''s wand is making Sherry angry. I think we''ll go with the ......-long rod. I''ll need the following materials: ......, this and this. The Fiend''s Wand was a birthday present for Shelly. I have to say it was something special. This one''s a mithril: ....... This is ...... what? Frank was tilting his head as he lifted the purple stone I''d taken out with both hands. Well, you haven''t seen it. After all, they''re only in the demon world. It''s a behemoth moonstone. "Magmacherite?What''s that? "It''s an organ that behemoths use to shoot magic, and by passing magic power through it, they can make it more powerful than ordinary magic. I don''t know why it''s so big, I''m not an expert on demons. According to Anna''s information, most of the demons in the demon world use magic as their main attack, and most of them have this magic expansion stone. Behemoths?Where did you defeat such a monster? ''Well?It''s not about that. It''s about creation. That! Explaining it would take a long time and be very tedious, so I listened and quickly built Frank''s wand. And the result is ...... Demon Staff. As the name implies, a staff to increase the number of demons. Its owner''s magic power is increased tenfold. Increase the power and potency of the magic tenfold. Increase the range of your magic tenfold. ''Oh!That''s cool. Frank was unusually excited to receive a wand about a meter from me, with a purple magic spell stone curled at the end. I''m glad to hear you''re happy. I know. I have no problems with my abilities. In terms of ability, it''s ten times as powerful as the Fiend''s staff. But it''s not as powerful as the staff of a demon. Anyway.... Herman''s sword is next. Yeah. ...... Herman, do you keep that sword? You can either modify the guy Hermann is using or build a new one: ....... Considering his abilities, it would be better to build a new one ...... but I''m sure he has memories of the sword. ''No, not really!I''ve been using it for a long time and I love it, but it''s just for practice. My dad says he''s going to buy me a good one for when I''m ready to start my career. Huh?Was it? Why didn''t you say so? You always take such good care of your sword, I thought it must be very important to you. Is it?Well then, I think Hermann is good enough for the job, so I''ll build you a new real sword. ''Really?Thank you! Okay. Now, let''s look for something to make a sword out of. The only hard objects that can be used for swords are ...... mithril, dragon''s claws, chimera fangs, and unnamed demon''s claws. Yeah, ...... which one? It''s too much trouble to choose, so I''ll just use them all. I''ll use the same size and weight as the one Hermann''s using now. My creation magic can do exactly what I imagine it to do, so it''s a lot easier to adjust the weight and size of it. Thank you! So, yeah! And with a shout, I turned the materials into swords. Yes, it turned out to be a pretty cool sword. It looks and measures the same as Hermann''s sword, but the luster is completely different. It''s so shiny that anyone who sees it will know what a great sword it is. Try it out: ...... No!No trying! While handing the sword to Hermann, I stopped him from using the appraisal while he was trying to test it. ''''Huh?Oh, yes. I''ll show you how to use it in the dungeon, so don''t use it indoors. As I said that, I built the scabbard and gave it to him. Thank you so much for making such a great thing for me. ...... Thank you so much for making such a great thing for me. It''s going to be a family heirloom. And I''ll work for Leo for the rest of my life. Hermann looked seriously at the sheathed sword and then bowed his head with tears streaming down his face . ''''You don''t have to go that far: ...... No, actually. Most of the items Leo makes are heirloom items for the nobility. This armor is a national treasure. Is that so? If you ask me, it''s true that the magic items I create have a lot of impossible abilities. Well, I didn''t work that hard to create them so don''t worry about it. Anyway, let''s get to the dungeon.I have to step over it by the time school starts. I''ve only got two days and a few hours left, so I''ve got to hurry. So there''s no way we can do this. What kind of guy has to complete a dungeon in such a short period of time? It''ll be fine. The dungeon we''re going to is only 30 floors deep. And we''ve already got a map of all the levels, so we''ll just zip through it. Then I''ll show them a bunch of paper with a dungeon map on it. ''Huh?If you''ve been there, why haven''t you been trampled on? That''s because the boss on the last floor is unusually strong. But it''s a monster we can easily defeat. It''s a level that an ordinary adventurer couldn''t beat, but these three have it easy. Is that so? So you''re okay? Yeah. So hang on to me. Can you make it through the transition? Yeah. In fact, I''ve been running and going to dungeons during the night here. I started running every day right after school and made sure I could transition to the two dungeons before today. ''Oh, so that''s why you''ve been sleeping in class lately. Master, you were unusually angry with your teacher. Oh, the one where Mr. Rees called me out and got mad at me . I was pissed at him for an hour after school. ....... I wanted to get to the dungeon as soon as possible, and that was the best punishment I could think of . ''Some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good. What''s the point of stepping through a dungeon? Didn''t you originally say you were just playing around? No, it''s not. This is war. The war has already begun. What war? ...... We''ll see. Well, ......, I''ll get you both into this, but you''ll have to forgive me for that set of equipment. Hey!I just heard the wrong word. Seriously, I was gonna say it out loud this time. That was my imagination. Come on, guys, get caught. I hurriedly let the two of them grab it and then used the transfer for the dungeon. 141 CHAPTER VI -- Dungeon is like an excursion. Here it comes. Where are we? When we arrived at our destination, Frank looked around and then asked me a question. I guess he thought the dungeon was in the city. And yet, when you''re brought to a place surrounded by trees where there''s no sign of anyone, let alone buildings, here, you''re going to say, ''Where am I? That''s right. This is near the entrance to the mountain dungeon. See, you see the entrance over there? I dashed out of the forest onto the mountain path and pointed to a hole in the mountain like a tunnel. "The entrance?So, does that mean there''s a dungeon beyond this? That''s right. The last boss is on top of this mountain. It looks like there''s a dungeon in the mountains, and you have to go up the levels in the dungeon. By the way, the town near the dungeon is located at the foot of the mountain and is quite a big city. It doesn''t sound like it''s going to be easy: ...... That''s not true. We have a map and we know where the traps are. Besides, the demons in this dungeon are easy for us to defeat. Don''t worry about it. We''re not trying to take you to the Devil''s Forest. But it''s me and Hermann''s first time in the dungeon. I''m not worried. I''ve done it before. And he was eight years old. Your case is ...... well, all right. So what formation do you want to go in? Thinking I wasn''t going to get through to him, Frank changed the subject with a resigned look on his face . The formation or ....... Well, there''s only one choice. Hermann in front, me in the middle, and Frank in the back, I guess. Herman at close range in front, Frank at long range in the back, and I in the middle who can do both. This is your only shot. That''s true, isn''t it? I understand. So, let''s get on with it. After the last strategy meeting before the challenge, we walked into the dungeon. ''''Mm~. I''m very excited. I wonder what kind of battle awaits us now. ...... I don''t know what he looks like because he''s in front of me, but I''m sure Hermann''s face is nimble . I can tell just by the sound of his wry voice. ''''Don''t get your hopes up yet. The demon on the first floor is strong enough to take out anyone. I didn''t want him to be disappointed with me later on, so I nailed it down for now. ''Really?So how many floors do you have to start on for a toothsome demon then? Maybe the boss. Oh, here he is. As I was answering Hermann''s question, a couple of slimes jumped out at me. They''re so tiny, they don''t seem very threatening at all. They really are slime. It''s slime all the way up to the fifth floor. So, it''s more work than combat for the time being. All you have to do is crush the slime. If it''s too much trouble, you can just walk by. All right, master!Can I try out the sword my master gave me? Despite my words, Hermann was having a blast on his own. There''s no need to use a sword with a slime. Yeah, ......, well, that''s okay. I''m sure Herman will want to use his new sword. Okay. Okay, let''s see how sharp it is! After saying that, with a swing of the sword, the slimes cracked cleanly in half. ''''Huh?'''' Well, that''s what slime is all about, isn''t it? You''ll never be able to test your sword against a slime. But it seems he felt something. No. No. I couldn''t feel a cut. Really, it was just a swing, and there was no resistance. Hermann turned around and was extremely excited, and happily showed me his sword. Ah!Wait!Don''t swing your sword at me!That''s dangerous! ...... Hey. Leo, what powers does this sword contain? Seeing my panicked face, a dumbfounded Frank asked me a question . ''''Oh, by the way, I didn''t tell you yet . Um, ...... Yes, ......, how do I explain this? God''s Sword Ralph. You can telepathic with its owner, but it won''t speak to you until the sword recognizes its owner. It can cut almost anything in this world, and if you really swing it, you can make the slashes fly. This sword grows as it absorbs the magic and blood of the person it cuts, or as its owner grows. The shape of the sword changes with each stage of growth, increasing its sharpness, durability and usable ability. As it matures, it becomes the sword of God in name and in deed. Automatic repair function I''m pretty sure it''s more awesome than Serena and Elena . After all, that nameless demon was an excellent material: ....... This sword will be really scary when it matures. "Hey, Leo! Hmm?Oh, I''m sorry. Let''s see, the more you slay your enemies, the stronger your sword becomes. Also, it''s enough to make the slashes fly if you swing really hard. Yeah, I''m not lying. Are you sure you''re bluffing?Okay. I''ll try. With that, Herman turned his body back to the opposite direction from where we were and raised his sword above his head. He gathered his energy and then swung his sword down with great gusto. "Psst! Hermann swung his sword down, and a sharp slash flew vigorously from the tip of the divine sword . ''''Whoa!'''' Don! The sound and impact of this was enough to cause Hermann, who was behind me, to yell out in surprise. It''s no wonder. The wall of the dungeon, which would normally not break down, was cut deep and deep by a slash. ''''That''s amazing!Now I can attack from a distance too! Be careful with that normally, okay? Frank, who was slightly freaked out by the happy Hermann, warned him with a serious look on his face . Well, just by practicing his bare hands at school, he would deal a huge blow to the Imperial City . ''''Ha, yes!'''' You should normally use your regular sword in practice. It''s the same size and weight. Okay. I''ll only use this sword if I really need it. Yeah, we''ll do that. So, now that I''ve finished checking the sword, I''m going to get to the tenth floor boss by the end of the day! ''Can you get there in time for today?No, don''t worry about it like this. Frank turned to Hermann and seemed to agree with my plan. "Yes, sir. I feel like I can go at all . I can''t wait to get upstairs so I can fight someone with more slashing power! So don''t get your hopes up. All right. All right, I''ll look at the map, I''ll give you instructions, you two take out any slime that comes your way. Yes, sir. I''ll take care of it! Two hours later There was one incident where I misread the map and got lost, but I managed to get halfway to the target. Okay, fifth floor is up. Next stop, goblins. Are you still a goblin when you get to the fifth floor? Well, this is commonly known as the beginner''s dungeon. Apparently, if you can defeat the boss on the 20th floor here, you''ll be recognized as a full-fledged adventurer. ''What?Are you sure you want to crush a dungeon like that? Well, there are a lot of adventurers out here trying to traverse this place, so I don''t think you need to worry. And I''m sorry, but I''m just trying to protect something that belongs to me. A little resentment is better than someone dying. Because it is so easy to be considered a beginner''s dungeon, this dungeon is often the one that adventurers who want to become a nobleman by stepping through the dungeon challenge the most. That''s why I think it''s something that will be trampled upon at some point, and I don''t think the adventurers will hate us that much if we traverse it. "Someone dies?What do you mean?You, are you deliberately trying to traverse a dungeon for some purpose? ''Yes. . Now that we''ve come this far, let me tell you: ...... Now, the Empire could be at war at any moment. War?Is there going to be a war? Yeah. So, the war is against House Philibert and the kingdom. What?Did the Philibert family betray you?No, that place has always been all about us: ...... Frank, who knew the Philibert family well, convinced himself of his own words . ''Something like that . I think they made some kind of deal with the kingdom this time too. Right now, the knights of the kingdom are gathered in the Philibert territory.'''' ''Really? ....... There really is going to be a war, isn''t there? We''re going to have to trudge through the dungeon now to make sure that doesn''t happen. What do you mean?What''s going to change as we trudge through this dungeon? ''Apparently, the kingdom is only sending people to this war, and the Filibert family will pay for all the financial aspects. Oh, I see. You''re going to reduce the Philibert family''s money so they don''t have to start a war? You''re Frank, you''re a very quick study. "That''s what I mean. Well, I don''t think it''s going to work out that way, but it''ll just delay it. But that will give us time to prepare. And in the meantime, we just need to do something to interfere and keep the war from happening again. The rats that happened to sneak in will tell me everything about the other side, so this side will have a definite advantage in planning our strategy from now on. First, we need to destroy the future of losing by the most boring numbers. I see. Then I''m sorry for the adventurers, but it can''t be helped. That''s what I mean. When the war is over, I''ll take care of it, including the land that the Philibert family destroyed, so just bear with me for a moment . ''''Yeah ...... I have no idea what the masters are talking about . Don''t worry about it. I''m just trying to get through this dungeon now. I hope that Herman will continue to be my friend, an excellent disciple and my knight. Yes, sir!I understand. Then we''ll take down the boss by tonight! "Oh! ''Oh!Is that a goblin, perhaps? Maybe it was because we were talking so loudly, but there were four goblins approaching from the end of the road. Yeah. Come on, let''s just keep going. Turn right up there. As I answered Hermann''s question, I let my magic fly and began to lead the way. ''''Oh, I was going to take you down ......'''' Oops, I shouldn''t. It was Hermann''s job to take him down. Well, he''ll be out here soon, so don''t worry about it. You''re gonna have to fight like hell from now on. Three hours later In the second half of the game, I managed to reach the boss''s room in the shortest distance without taking any wrong turns. Even so, the goblins, which require an extra step to defeat, unlike the slime that kills you if you step on it, came out, so it took me longer than expected. Will Hermann get bored of this?But he seemed to enjoy beating it to the end. ''Is this the door to the boss?'' Hermann, who was still going strong, banged on the big door, questioning me. ''Yes,'' "I knew he was the boss. This should be fun: ...... Huh?Is that the boss? Hermann, who opened the door with enthusiasm, thinking that since he was the boss, there would be a strong demon inside, looked at the black goblin inside and made a face that said how anticlimactic it was . ''''Yes, that''s right. A black goblin, about as strong as ten normal goblins. That''s a little better than before, right? ''Oh, really? ......?Well then, try it out. Saying that, Hermann sent a slash through the air with the intention of being a check. ''''Well, a mere ten times the size of a goblin is not much, though. I added my explanation as I looked at the black goblin that had been cut cleanly in half, unable to avoid it. ''''Oh, no. ...... Hermann was stunned as he watched the Kuro Goblin turn into particles of light . ''''That''s why I told you not to expect anything but a rathboss. ''''And the only reason I feel it''s not enough is that Hermann''s level has increased. It seemed troublesome to comfort Hermann, who had passed through disappointment and became dispirited, so I changed the subject to one that Hermann would be happy about. ''''Oh, come to think of it, the original purpose was to level up. I''ll check it out. As I expected, Hermann happily took out his status card and checked his level. ''''Wow!That''s great, Master!I''m already up to level 7! Yeah, I know, I saw it on the grading sheet. "I''ve killed a lot of slimes and goblins on my way here. Considering the number of them we''ve killed, I think we should go up a bit more. Well, he can''t get that much experience with that kind of weakness. Is that so?But my status has gone up tremendously!If I''d only trained, I wouldn''t have gone up this high. ''Well, it''s easy to grow out of a good workout. All right, we''re going to rest here today!Both of you, into this tent. Then I pulled out my comfort zone. "Huh?Three people aren''t going to fit in this tent, are they? I''ve been waiting for that response! No, it''s not. Come on, just come on in. I grinned a little and pushed them both towards the tent. ''Okay, don''t push me.'' Excuse me. "What? The two men stuck their faces in the tent and both squealed in surprise at the same time. ''Well?It''s a house inside the tent. ''I thought it was just a magic item anyway, but it''s more than I imagined: ....... Totally, if Leo were here, the dungeon attack would feel like a field trip. Well. What''s wrong with having fun and being safe? Besides, it''s a bit of a stretch for a duke''s boy to sleep in the field, isn''t it? ''Yeah, but you know what? ......'' ''Wow!Master, you even have a bath!Plus, there''s hot water! Just as Frank was about to complain, he got a startled cry from Hermann, who had gone in first. ''You have a bath too? ...... Not bad, right?We''ll take a bath in the bathtub in order after we eat. I understand! Totally. ....... We''ll play rock-paper-scissors to decide the order. What''s going on? What''s going on? You''re going after the first bath. Then, after a fair game of rock-paper-scissors, the first bath belongs to Hermann. 142 CHAPTER VII EXECUTION OF PLAN Now we are all taking a bath and talking and eating dinner. Of course, none of us can cook, so we are eating my preserves in my bag. It''s just ordinary pasta. But you really didn''t expect us to make it to the tenth floor in just a few hours. Frank, who eats well at school, began to talk while munching on his pasta, probably because there were only three of us here today. The demons are even weaker than we thought. Herman, as usual, began a conversation with Frank as he gobbled it up like a man. ''I guess so. I''ve always thought of dungeons as more terrifying. In school, we''re taught that dungeons are a recipe for disaster. Well, these dungeons are all small fry, except for the boss. ''Really?On the other hand, is the Rathbone that strong? Think about it. A simple dungeon with weak demons and no traps like this, shouldn''t they have conquered it long ago? A reasonably strong adventurer should have been able to do this a long time ago, right? ''Sure, yeah. ...... "Only the last boss in this dungeon is unusually strong. Up until then, the difficulty level was such that it was almost like asking you to step through, but suddenly it becomes so difficult that even an S-class party can''t do anything but annihilate you. In fact, the people who have tried the last boss have failed at every single one of them. ''''That''s quite an unbalanced dungeon . That''s right: ....... ''What''s the intention of the dungeon?'' It doesn''t seem like the last boss will kill you if you''re defeated, so there''s something to it: ....... You want to train the adventurers, or something? No, that would make the adventurer stronger if you gradually increase the difficulty, right? Yeah. ...... I don''t know. "dungeon intent?Is a dungeon willing? ''No, it''s more like the intent of the people who built it: ......'' ''What?Are dungeons built by people? ''I don''t know.But it looks like you can build it. How? It''s creation magic. Maybe a high level of creation magic could help me build a dungeon. When I remodeled my house, it said I didn''t have enough levels to turn it into a dungeon. Maybe there''s a way to turn it into a dungeon. Does this mean that someday Leo will be able to use his creation magic to build a dungeon? Maybe. ''Build it, but don''t make the mistake of making it a disaster or anything, okay? Disaster or ....... Is it possible if the creation fails or something? So maybe there was a mass outbreak of demons from the Imperial City mansion: ....... Of course I know that. But it''s not a foolish thing to do. Besides, we haven''t decided to build one yet! You''re not trying to build one already, are you? Click! The dungeon Master built sounds fun. If you do, call me! If we can build it. All right, well, I guess we should get going. When I finished eating, I clasped my hands together and then stood up, grabbed the bag and put Anna on it . ''Hmm?Where are you going?No way, you''re going to start attacking again now? I''ll tell you what. You two can go back to sleep. It''s top secret from here on out. I''ll go out on my own. What the f*ck do you think you''ve done, huh? Doing it sounds like you''re doing something wrong. Well, in a way, would that be a bad thing? It''s not that big of a deal. I''m just going to wade through some dungeons. What?I mean, hey! I transitioned before I heard Frank complain. Because it was going to be a long one! All right, all right. You''re on time. I nodded my head in front of the boss room. Even though it''s called the boss room, this is the last boss of a certain dungeon: ....... The dungeon here was really tougher than that one. The fog was so thick that we lost our way, and there were many traps that prevented us from advancing as we wished. Thanks to that, I haven''t been able to sleep for a full week. ...... This is a dungeon of mist. As the name suggests, the whole dungeon is covered in fog. Thanks to Anna''s help, it''s a little better, but I still ended up going back and forth the same way over and over again with no sense of direction. It was hard work. But when I think we can pull off our plan like this, I don''t care if I don''t sleep well. Now, let''s see what kind of boss we have in store for you: ...... Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I opened the door. "Wow!I can''t see anything through the fog!And what''s more, this fog is so toxic in color! As soon as I opened it, an outpouring of purple gas, which I recognized as poison, shot out. "Anna, it''s poison, isn''t it? Yes, it''s very poisonous. It would kill you instantly if you weren''t equipped to handle the anomaly. ''''Really . I can''t see anything because of the fog, so I can''t even see what kind of demon it is. ...... I decided to walk around in the boss''s room for now, since I can''t start without finding the boss. But still, I can''t hear anything: ....... Normally, bosses are big, so if you move, you''ll hear a sound ....... But when I was walking around, the boss unexpectedly appeared right away. ''''Shaa~! ''Wow!It''s a big snake. A large snake with multiple heads came out. It seemed that this thing was giving off poisonous gas. Some of the heads were spewing purple gas from their mouths. Now let''s check it out. I kept a good distance from the snake as I worked through it. Hydra, lvl. 70. Strength: 8000 Magic power: 13,000 Power: 8000 Speed: 7000 Attributes: poison skill Poison Magic Lv.6 Regeneration It''s a good thing we decided to take a three-man team over there. Well, I didn''t originally plan to do that because it''s been a tough ride getting here, but if the three of us had fought together, the sword attack wouldn''t have worked and Hellman wouldn''t have been able to do anything about it. I''m sure he would have sulked. ....... ''Now, how do you think we can defeat it right?Maybe even slashing: ...... That''s what happens. I flew a slash to try and cut all the heads off, but they quickly regenerated and the heads grew back . ''Yeah, I''m glad I didn''t bring Hermann with me. ''''Then I''m sleepy and don''t have the energy to slash to death, so I''ll take the quickest way out. Okay, bye. I chose the easiest way ...... to burn it with magic. I''ll just keep burning it with my magic until it can''t catch up with me. It seemed to work, and the hydra rushed at me, screaming its last breath. "Alright. It''s almost there. I increased my firepower even more while avoiding the Hydra''s decisive attack. After about five minutes of this, the Hydra began to slow down and finally stopped moving at all. "I''m glad it worked out. Ah, it dropped. Delighted that it was easier than I thought, I lifted the remaining fangs from the hydra''s disappearance and used the appraisal. "Hydra''s Fang. Handle with care, it''s very poisonous. I''m scared. But we''ll take it and be thankful for the material. I was pleased with the material, but I put it away quickly because I was afraid of the poison. Now all that''s left to do is go to the back room, touch the magic stone in the dungeon and be done with it. Now, let''s see where the door to the back room is~ I couldn''t find the door because of the fog, so I decided to walk along the wall to find it. Oh, I knew it was here. Now let''s see what skills we can get from it~ I found the door and opened it as I said that. The fog inside the room had cleared, so I could easily see inside. Inside the room was the same as in the beginner''s dungeon, only there was a magic stone in the center of the room. ''''Warning!This dungeon has been cleared!From now on, the dungeon will collapse, so please escape immediately. As I entered the room, an announcement rang out in the dungeon. ''Alright, alright, I guess I''ll just have to touch this magic stone and be done with it. Saying that, he walked to the center of the room and placed his hand on the magic stone. And then the announcement rang out again. ''''Congratulations!You are the first to enter the Misty Dungeon. I grant you the skill regeneration. Oh, the rebirth. That''s a god skill. Oops, I have to make the transition before the transition begins. If we don''t stand out, our plan will fail. Before we were transported to the gathering place, we were transported to Hermann and the others. I''m home. Welcome back. What did you do?In this short time. You don''t think I''ve crashed a dungeon in such a short period of time, do you? It''s just a little exercise. Ohhhh, I''m sleepy. Okay, good night, you two. ''What''s a little exercise?...... Well, okay . Good night. Frank tried to ask me what I was doing here, but he gave up when he saw that I looked really sleepy. I''m sorry . But I''ll find out in the next day or so. Mentally apologizing, I lay back in bed and closed my eyes. 143 In the eighth place, the three-man park is broken. Hey, wake up! Unun...... Frank?How can I hear Frank''s voice? Never mind. Don''t fall asleep twice!You told me to get up at seven! As I tried to put the covers on again, my legs flew out of the room with a voice. "Get up!Wake up! Frank was rudely trying to wake me up with his foot. "Okay, okay!I''ll get up!Don''t kick me! I couldn''t take it anymore, so I hurriedly stepped out of the covers. ''Okay, totally ...... take a look at Hermann. What about Hermann? ''I''ve already been up and working out in the morning by myself. You''re good at that. You''re a real stoic. I''m not gonna be able to do it. So what did you do yesterday? Yesterday?What did I do?Oh, I remember. I guess I just crashed the dungeon yesterday and fell asleep. So what did you do? I didn''t do much. Yeah, yeah, just some light exercise before bed. I''m not lying. That was some light exercise. Don''t tell me what a bedtime exercise is, and don''t waste my time. Well, you''ll find out tomorrow. What''s that? All right, let''s have a good day! When I finally woke up, I got up and went to the living room. ''Ah, Master!Good morning! I left the bedroom to find Hermann sweating and working out. You''re in high spirits this morning. Good morning, my friend.I''m going to make you breakfast. Yes? While eating the bread in my bag, I began today''s strategy meeting. Then, we''ll spend the rest of the day on the 25th floor. If we can make it to the 20th floor before noon. Yes, sir. Okay. By the way, what are you going to be up against today? Hermann, don''t look at me with such a thrilled face: ....... Today, Kobold is coming out. Today we have a giant kobold. After the 21st floor, you''re an orc. It''s weak, isn''t it ......? Yeah. Don''t expect anything else today. ''Oh, right. ...... I get it.'' Well, don''t look so glum. I''m stronger than the goblins of yesterday. Of course. Okay. I''ll do my best today! I can''t say . If you look at me with this expectant look in your eyes, I can''t tell you that I''m not that different from a goblin from Hermann: ....... I said it a lot yesterday. Expecting anything but a final boss. Well, okay. So, let''s keep it up today! Then we all packed up and the attack began. Then we''ll move on. I left the boss''s room and went up the stairs to the 11th floor. Ah, the demon came out immediately. It''s still weak. When I went up the stairs, a Kobold was waiting for me. But as soon as he came out, Hermann cut him down and he was gone. Herman, you''ve gotten a lot stronger just yesterday. Isn''t he a good match for Alma in his natural state? Well, it''s not up to me. Let''s just give up and try to get to the last boss. ''''I suppose so. A fight with teeth is the last thing we want to see, so for now, we''ll just focus on moving forward efficiently. Seeing how weak Kobold is, Hermann has finally given up on him. I mean, Hermann''s just gotten too strong, you know? Yeah, good. Eight hours later There were stops along the way, but we managed to get to the 25th floor in about eight hours. Let''s call it a day. I understand. I think it''s a good thing you were able to come to the 25th floor on time. Yeah. All right, I''m going to bed for tomorrow! Tomorrow it''s time for the boss fight! The next day. Come on, wake up! ''Unn ...... just a little bit more ......'' Just let me sleep for five more minutes: ...... Come on!I mean, you went to bed that early yesterday and you''re still sleepy! I''m pretty sure we went to bed at about nine o''clock, right? I''m weak in the morning. ...... Oh, you always have to wake me up? Yeah. Belle always wakes me up. Sometimes I fall asleep twice with her. ...... What''s this about sleeping twice together? "It''s ...... that we stayed up all night together the day before ...... Hey, don''t go to bed talking!At least wait until we''re done talking!I mean, don''t go to sleep! All right, let''s get up. All right, ...... and Frank is looking good this morning. Why are you being so vocal in the morning? Really?Still, I''m surprised Leo has such a weak morning. It''s always been a bad idea. Especially since Belle started waking me up, I''ve never woken up on my own. ''You''ve been spoiled by your maids for too long, haven''t you? Yes, sir. Sweet. Sort of. Not Frank?Frank''s maids are supposed to be caring, aren''t they? ''When I say caring, I mean caring. ....... But you can be kind of strict about it. You know, I''ve heard you talk about nagging before. Really. Oh, boy. I finally got up. Come on, let''s get breakfast. Yes, sir. Then he took out the bread as he did yesterday and started the breakfast meeting. "Today, we''ll meet on the 30th floor by noon. Then we''ll have lunch and move on to the big boss. At last! Today Hermann was in an even better mood than usual. He had so much fun that he woke up at three o''clock to train instead of the usual five o''clock. It''s so early it''s now midnight: ....... I guess so. I want you to go wild today. I''m sure Rathbone will not let Hermann down. I''m sure he will.Hmmm... I''m looking forward to it~ ''Be careful, okay?The boss is stronger than Bernolt, you know. You''re forgetting that the S-class party can''t clear it, right? Yeah, that''s right. I''m gonna have to pull myself together. Good. Well, let''s get our stuff and get going. Five hours later Well, here we are. This is the staircase to the final boss? Yeah, that''s right. Normally it would be a door, but in this dungeon, the top floor is the top of the mountain. That''s why this dungeon is practically thirty-one floors long. I see. So what kind of enemies are you dealing with? They''re angels. Beware of light magic from the sky. It is said that most adventurers who have tried it so far have been helplessly beaten by light magic flying from high above. I understand.I''m looking forward to it! How many times do I have to tell you to be on your guard? Yes! Well, if anything goes wrong, just let me be with you, okay? All right, let''s go. After the last check, we walked up the stairs. ''Wow!It''s a great view! As we climbed the stairs, we had a spectacular view from the top of the mountain . ''''Oh, Master, there you are!May I attack? While I was looking at the scenery, Hermann, who had spotted the enemy, pointed at the angel in the center and asked me. ''''Okay, but just let the slashes fly, if you get close enough, you''ll be turned into a hive of light magic before you can avoid them. Okay, okay. Just a slash. Say! Hermann sent a slash as I instructed, but the angel soared high into the sky and easily avoided it. Yeah, I knew it wasn''t going to happen anytime soon. Both of you should try your best to fight. Isn''t Leo going to fight? "Yeah. Because it''s all over too soon after I fight. That''s bad for Hermann, right? I have a transition, so it''s easy for me to turn around and behead you in an instant. ''In my opinion, it''s better to end up safe than sorry. Well, have a nice flight. I''ll give you a hand if it gets gnarly. I hope it''s nothing dangerous. Okay, I guess I''ll go on the offensive. With that, Frank began to use his magic to attack along with Hermann, who continued to let the slashes fly. But ...... ''Shit!You''re not hitting it at all! The angels easily avoided their attacks as they flew freely in the sky and repeatedly counterattacked with light magic. On the other hand, Herman and the others just barely avoided the angel''s attack and managed to counterattack back. It''s just the way it is. Want some advice? "Use more magic manipulation to change the distribution of your magic. Reduce the size of the stone and increase its speed. Yes, sir! ''Hermann, don''t just fly the slash, fly it so that the opponent has no way to escape! I understand! When I gave them advice, their attacks were mostly just snatching attacks, but they gradually started to hit. On the other hand, the angel''s attacker was beginning to concentrate on avoiding them, and it was becoming difficult for her to counterattack. "Good, good. Don''t try to kill them by force. Just imagine chipping away steadily. At this rate, we''re gonna win some time. Yes! Yes, sir!I mean, whoa! Maybe he felt that this was not a good idea, so the angel changed his fighting style from shooting light magic from high up to flying low to shoot light magic from close to the opponent. This makes it harder for opponents to hit you with long range attacks and you can attack as you please. But it''s a bad idea. "Hey! As the angel was approaching the ground, Hermann cut off one of the angel''s wings. ''''Nice!'''' Oh, he''s got a nice place for it. I shifted to just above the moment my wings were gone and fell to the ground, and then I stuck my sword in my head. ''Now that was a close call. Maybe the angel could have been prepared to die and self-destructed, right? ''Where''s that? ....... Well, okay . But still, you were so much stronger than any other demon I''ve ever seen. What did I tell you? Yes. It was crisp enough. When I finally slashed the feathers, it was a feeling I''ll never forget. Herman is smirking at the sight of his bloody sword. I''m scared~. Don''t get addicted to that pleasure and become a manslayer, will you? Oh, he dropped it. When the angel disappeared, all that was left was a white ring. ''What is it?The ring? Looks like. What kind of ring is that? Ring of Angels. Suicide Attack on the Messenger of God instant death Shit. This is a great ring. What kind of ability is that? It''s a quick death trap. It''s amazing how you can get caught by surprise and not die! Oh, we won''t have to worry about assassinations. Keep it on. ''What?You sure you don''t want me to wear it?This time, you two beat them, okay? I just saved the best for last. I''m not going to get in the way of your sword. I''m good. I mean, there''s going to be a lot more death threats on Leo''s part than on me. They both go to ...... Thank you. I''m gonna owe you this one. Don''t worry about it. ''Yes. . Oh, but I''d appreciate it if you could bring me back to fight! I don''t give a d*mn. The three of us can hide in the dungeon again. All right. All right, let''s go in the back room. Now, let''s see what we''ve got. May it be a useful skill. Oh, so we''ll have skills. You did it. I''m so happy to be strong again. But then we went into the back room. Warning!This dungeon is now clear. From now on, the dungeon is collapsing. When I walked in, I heard the same voice I''d heard two days ago. "Hey, are you okay? ''Don''t worry, if you touch that magical stone, it will automatically transfer you to a safe place. Besides, we''re on top of a mountain, we don''t care if it falls apart. Okay. Then we should touch it. Well, c''mon, why don''t I just touch it? ""Cenote" ''Congratulations!You are the first person to enter an introductory dungeon. I will grant you the Skill and Magic Eye. Just as we touched the magic stone, the announcement sounded again. ''''The magic eye?What''s that? I don''t know. More importantly, be prepared for some adventurers to surround you from now on. We can figure out the skills later. But for now, we need to be ready for the mess to come. "Huh?Are you kidding me?Are you okay? ''Don''t worry about it . . and let''s just pretend that I was resting in the dungeon with Frank and Hermann the night before last, and I didn''t go anywhere. What kind of ...... Frank was about to question him when I said it, and then the transference happened. ''Oh, here they come!Hey, did you guys traverse it? As soon as we were transferred, there were still a lot of adventurers waiting for us. Well, this is all going according to plan. Yes, it is. I just killed the angel on the top floor. Hmm. He''s a nobleman''s boy, isn''t he? The man who was speaking to me on behalf of the company grinned as he stared at us. He must have come up with some kind of devious plan ...... haha, it''s troublesome. He''s a thug to look at, and I''m sure he''s a low rank adventurer ....... ''''Yes, but what is it?'''' ''No, I just thought the naive boys had done a lot of work! You''re the one who can talk like that to a highborn. Really. Now, would you please step aside so I can tell the guild? It''s best to ignore these things. Hey, wait a minute. As we were leaving, a man grabbed me by the shoulders and stopped me. "What? You can''t take our jobs away from us, can you? So what do you want me to do? You''re not doing much of a job anyway, are you? "Pay me my fee!You''re right: ...... I''ll forgive you for a hundred gold pieces. Wouldn''t that be easy for a nobleman? Huh?What is this guy talking about? We''re not obligated to do that. So long. It was ridiculous to deal with. I shake off his hand on my shoulder and start walking again. "Hey, wait. Well, they''re not going to let you go that easily. Maybe they''re just being tough because they''re your people. Okay, I''ll give him a little pep talk. I took his hand on my shoulder again, squeezing it tighter, and glared at the man. "Come on, man.You''re not going to lose your job, are you?Why don''t you adventurers just venture into other dungeons? Work before you try to get a favor from others. Oh, oh, ....... The man backed away from me, freaked out by his earlier self-assured attitude. We''re going to have to fight some more trouble, but we can''t be wasting time here. Okay, you two, let''s go. Oh, yeah. Yes! 144 CHAPTER IX -- MY SKILL IS… Now we were sitting in the reception room of the Adventurer''s Guild. I was going to report to the guild''s receptionist and run away, but I couldn''t do it. I hope it''ll be over soon~. While I was thinking that, an old man came in. "I heard you guys trampled the dungeon? Since you''re the head of the guild, can''t you be a little more polite in your wording? Well, you''re an adventurer by training, so what can I do? And I like that you don''t seem so competent. He doesn''t seem to ask the hard questions. I observed the guild leader as he entered. "Yes, sir. That said, I''m surprised that two dungeons were trampled in such a short period of time: ...... Oh, you''re bringing it up right now. "What?Two dungeons?What do you mean? I was a little deliberately surprised. "Oh, you don''t know. In fact, a foggy dungeon was trampled a little ways from here the night before last. ''What?Who stepped over it? You don''t know me, but I ask questions on purpose. It''s like you''re trying to prove you don''t know me. Oh, but it''s kind of suspicious, isn''t it? Well, I don''t think this old man''s got that much to worry about. I don''t know. They said it might have been Leonce Muldeen, but he was trying a different dungeon. Oh, I guess you cleared me up right away. Yes, sir. That was the day I defeated the 10th floor boss. What''s going on here?Did you guys clear the tenth to thirty floors in two days? ''Yes, I did . Other than the last angel, I''m not strong, so it was a smooth ride. I''ll be honest about this area because even if I lie about it, it will be easy to find out if you look it up . ''''I see. ...... As expected, you''ve only stepped through the dungeon once. So you''re not really involved in the fog dungeon, are you? That''s impossible. How are you going to capture two dungeons at once? Wouldn''t that be normal? Well, you''re right. Huh, I can''t wait for them to find it. My lord wants me to report back to him as soon as possible on who''s stepped on it, but it''s not going to happen soon, no matter what I think: ...... That makes sense. I''m sure you''ll be desperate to find the guy. Well, good luck finding someone else. All right, we''re done, you ready to go? Yeah?Yeah, I''ll be fine. I''ll let the top brass know you made it through the dungeon. Thank you. ''Come to think of it, Leons is in the guild, isn''t he? Yes, you do? ''''You''ll get your rank up, come back to the guild later. Ah, so you''re going up in rank. It''s a bit of a shame since I was planning to raise my rank with Belle . ''''It doesn''t matter if it''s the guild in the imperial capital, right? Yeah, I''m good everywhere. Okay. Bye. When we were done talking, I took the two of them and moved on. They moved in front of my room. Okay, I''m home. You, the night before last: ...... Hey!You don''t know who''s listening. I held my tongue as Frank almost said something I shouldn''t have, and I panicked. ''I''m sorry,'' Let''s talk about it another time. Anyway, I know you''re tired, so let''s break up. From now on, I don''t have any energy left in me to explain my plan to you two, so I''m sorry. Yeah, that''s okay. Okay. Master, it was fun!Please invite me back! If you get a chance. Having said that, when would you step through the next dungeon? I''m home. Welcome home. Welcome home. Did you enjoy hitting the dungeons with your friends? ...... Huh?Why is your uncle here? He''s coming out to greet you and Belle, you were so surprised you had to do a double take! Now, why do you think that is?Can''t you imagine? ''What, er, ...... that you''ve conquered the mountain dungeon?'' No, no. I wanted to ask you about that foggy dungeon that was invaded the day before yesterday. "Foggy dungeon?I don''t know ...... I mean, I was fighting a tenth floor boss in a mountain dungeon the day before yesterday, you know? I wondered if this answer was too tough for my uncle ......, but I gave the same excuse as I did for the head of the guild. ''But Leo-kun can do it, can''t he? Again. You''re giving me too much credit! Well, if Leo-kun wants to keep it hidden, that''s fine. I kind of understand your purpose. Didn''t this happen because the dungeon collapsed of its own accord?Let''s just say that. Maybe the word will spread throughout the Empire in a week, and the attention on Leo won''t go that far. Well, it''s still a bit of a stretch to fool me. More importantly, I appreciate your suggestion. The only reason I want to hide the fact that I broke into the battlefield is to buy time for those guys to find the culprits, and also to keep the public from knowing about the war by being too obvious, so I appreciate that response. ''It''s not a rumor, it really is, isn''t it?But I''ll just say thank you for being so honest. You''re welcome. And a message from the Emperor. Don''t take this on alone, okay?This isn''t your own war. If you need a hand, come to me now. Because, sir. It''s not my only war, or ....... But I don''t want to die, and there are people I don''t want to let die, so I''m not going to cut corners. Tell them I understand. All right. But still, Leo''s getting his prize again. A marquis at last. You can even become a duke in a lifetime, just like the hero. The marquis or ...... is next to the duke, so I guess we''re already second from the top. I''m sorry about this, so from now on, no more rewards, would you please? If you live your life the way you want to, it just happens before you know it: ...... I mean, I''m getting into too much trouble. I''m so lucky if you only look at my status. That, or maybe it''s just bad luck?I''m sure you do. I''d rather live in peace. ....... Oh, but if we were at peace, wouldn''t we have such a fun life? I mean, he''s a nobleman, but he''s the youngest son, and normally he wouldn''t have been able to marry Shelly or Leena. Which makes us lucky. That''s nice. It''s working out for the people. I guess so: ...... For people. ....... ''Are you worried about the city losing its dungeons this time?'' ''Well, yeah . I''m sorry to think that I''m going to put you through even more pain because of me when you''re just suffering from a bad government. No matter how much I thought it was more for me than for others, I still felt guilty about this plan. That''s just how it is. Then why don''t you build a place where those people can escape? ''Yes. . That''s what you have to think: ....... Yeah, I''ll do my best. Let''s keep working on developing our territory. Yeah, good luck. Besides, you''re tired for now, so why don''t you get some rest. Yeah, okay. Belle. Leo asked me to keep an eye on you today to make sure you''re not overwhelmed. Yes, I''ll take care of it. I''ll see you later. Uncle waved his hand, then put his hand on the window and used secrecy to disappear. He''s probably going to walk back across the roof anyway. As usual: ...... "Welcome home again, Master Leo. I''m so glad to hear that your plan is working. Thank you for your help. As I was looking away from my uncle with a bitter smile, Belle bowed to me, saying something like that . ''Thank you . I''m sorry I left Belle alone too. Did you miss me? No, I won''t miss you for two days. Yeah? Yes. Anyway, tell me a story from the dungeon. Yeah, that''s fine. I''d love to tell you, but I don''t have that many. It was a dungeon that would have been over in three days . ''''Still, if you could just tell me what kind of demons were there, please tell me. All right. The mountain dungeon went exactly as we said it would. The angel in question was a bit of a pain in the ass for Hermann and the others, but we took them down without anyone getting hurt. The fog dungeon in question was a poisonous monster called a hydra. ''What?Was it okay for you to spit out the poison? Yeah. I''ve got this. As I said this, I showed Belle the devil''s ring. "The ring? Yeah. It has the ability to override the status quo. So I was able to beat it with surprisingly little effort. That''s good to hear. So, what did you get for your skills? I guess I''m just curious about your skills. Regeneration and the magic eye. Regeneration is the ability to regenerate after an injury. Here. As I said this, I created a knife and thrust it into my hand. Whoa!It hurts more than I thought it would! But no, if I look like I''m in pain here, Belle will be worried about me. ''Yikes!You''re bleeding! Yeah, I''m fine. Look. Look. I saw Belle scream and I hurriedly wiped off the blood to show her that her hand was free of wounds. Then Belle grabbed my hand with both of her hands and began to stare at the place where I stabbed the knife in it. ''It''s true: ....... The wound is gone. ...... Apparently, he was okay. The pain went away pretty quick. Yeah, next time I won''t stick a knife in my hand on purpose. This is the power of regeneration. Well, I don''t know what extent the wound can be healed, but I don''t think I''d want to find out. It''d hurt if I cut my arm or something. Just sticking a knife in my arm is enough to cause this pain, but I''m too scared to do it if I lose my arm . Just as I was thinking that, Belle hugged my arm as hard as she could. ''Don''t check me!What if you cut off your arm and it doesn''t grow back! Belle puffed out her cheeks as she hugged my arm. What''s this, it''s so cute . I guess ...... I''ll have Belle take my arm for me then. ''What?No, I mean, no jokes. I don''t want to see Leo-sama hurt! I teased her because she was cute, and Belle was embarrassed for a moment before she huffed and started to get angry. ''I''m sorry,'' She''s still cute. ''''Already ....... So what''s the other one''s ability with the magic eye? I don''t know. I''m gonna ask Anna now. Anna, what is the magic eye? (The magic eye means that if you focus your magic power on your eyes, you can use it for special powers. You won''t know what it can do until you use it. Heh~. So there are different kinds of evil eye. Copy that. What kind of ability did you have? They say if you put magic in your eyes, you can do something. So why don''t you get on with it? ''''Yeah. Anyway, I don''t know what kind of ability you have, so I''ll try to put a little bit of magic into it. As he says this, he concentrates his magic power in his eyes a little at a time: ...... And then a certain change started to occur in my vision. Huh?Bell''s clothes are gradually showing through: ...... Master Leo, has there been any change? ''What?Uh-huh. Hold on. This is not good. This is not good. But just for a moment: ...... I can''t help but notice the curious look in Master Leo''s eyes. Belle hid her breasts with her arms, making a disgusted face. Could she have found out? Oh, really? I hurriedly took my eyes off the bell. Oh, I can see through the wall. Oh, I can see Frank. He''s having a good time with the maid. They''re probably reminiscing about their dungeon days. So, what was your gift, then?I can kind of imagine what it''s like, but I''ll just ask. That''s it. Maybe that''s it. But saying it from your own mouth is an admission of guilt. ....... The more magic you put into it, the farther away it seems to be able to see. I can see beyond the wall, and I''ve just put some magic power in there, and I can even see the castle from here. I''m just bitterly trying to tell you what I just found out. This magic eye is amazing. The more magic I put into it, the farther I can see. Now I can easily see my uncle and the emperor having a conversation with each other with a difficult face. So what kind of ability is that? d*mn it, ......, I thought I could muddle through. I hope you didn''t miss it. Uh, yeah, uh, ......, I mean ...... remote perspective. Yes. I knew it was clairvoyant. That''s why I called for remote clairvoyance. But you can look inside your clothes, can''t you? Soooo, with that being said: ...... ''Yes, yes ......'' You''ll have to admit it. We don''t normally use them! Okay, I understand. If I''m caught using it, I''ll go to Miss Sherry and Miss Leena and tell them. No, please don''t do that! I reflexively got down on my knees. When I remembered that the rat monitor had caught me looking into the bathroom, my body moved on its own. ''And I always thought that if you''re going to look at it, you should do so with an open mind. ''What?That''s ...... I looked up, and Belle turned her back to me with a pout. ''''Now, I''ll get dinner ready, so Leo-sama can relax and make yourself comfortable until then. You''re not kidding ......, are you? After that, I sat upright and looked at Belle''s back and thought about the meaning of the words. 145 CHAPTER X RESPONSE ON THE OTHER SIDE After eating and bathing, it was time to go to sleep, and I was in my bedroom watching the rat monitor with Belle to find out what the enemy was doing. . yesterday. Hey!The dungeon in my territory has been destroyed! Apparently, they''re going to show me what happened when they heard I''d trudged through the Fog Dungeon. The head of House Philibert came to the general in a hurry. He must be very impatient to make a move on his own. The general looks surprised. ''''A dungeon?What''s up with the dungeon? That''s why I got crushed last night! Who''s this for? I don''t know what that is yet ......, but it must be him! Well, we''ll see. Yeah. So, what''s the problem?If he''s stepped through, he''s going to get a new skill and it''s going to be a pain in the ass, but ...... he was at school yesterday, right?I don''t think even a quirky guy can traverse a dungeon in a few hours. If you can do that, then you might as well give up fighting from now on . Ooh, you''re all right, but you''re not right at all. You forgot about the transference. But I don''t think it''s possible to transfer into the dungeon. Yeah, right. All right, let''s find out who''s been in the dungeon. It''s not our job. If you want to look for it, you can use your own troops to find it. Why? "Because we have no reason to look for you. We''re knights of the realm, not your knights. And this dungeon thing is a matter for your realm. Well, yeah. ''Can you say that?I''m the one who''s paying for it. ''''So I''ll say it again, but if you''re going to say that, then you''ll have to give me the money soon. At this rate, we''ll have no choice but to report to His Majesty the King that the House of Philibert has no intention of fighting, won''t we? If that happened, what would happen? First, the House of Philibert would have to deal with both the Empire and the Kingdom. Then the Empire would either destroy it or the kingdom would invade it. In either future, though, House Philibert will be finished. "d*mn it!All right. Just give me six months!I''ll raise the taxes more, until we can start the war by six months from now . Right now we don''t have any money to spend on the war because of the fines we''ve paid. Wow ...... This guy is going to take money from the already exhausted territories. It''s going to fail before we can start a war . "Six months? ...... Okay. I''ll give you six months as the deadline. If you haven''t paid in after six months, I''ll report to His Majesty. So I''ll just have to make the Philibert family''s financial woes worse, so that they won''t make it in six months . This makes me feel like we can end the war without a fight. 2 HOURS AGO Now the scene when we get the message that we''ve trudged through the mountain dungeon? Oh my God! What''s going on? ''After the fog dungeons, you trudged through the mountain dungeons. I knew it. The video starts with a soldier reporting to the general and the master of House Philibert. "What?Who are you! When the chubby father heard the report, he yelled at the soldier. The soldier didn''t do anything wrong, so he didn''t have to yell at him . ''''The fog dungeon is still under investigation, but we have learned that the mountain dungeon has been trampled by Lonce Muldean, Frank Baudelaire, and Hermann Caloon . What?He was at school the day before yesterday, right?What''s going on?Explain it to me! He heard the soldier''s explanation, and then he turned to the general and yelled at him. You''ve been busy. "Do you?I won''t know without looking into it. But I think it''s safe to assume he took the fog dungeon too. Then he''s got two more skills. And in that case, we don''t have a minute or a second to spare. We have no choice but to go to war now. It''s a quintessential ...... calm analysis without being rushed. But the other side is incompetent: ....... ''It can''t be done.'' Why?It''s already going to get tougher from now on as time goes on, isn''t it? ''They''ve just destroyed two dungeons!How are we going to raise the money! Yeah, yeah, it''s all going according to plan. "Oh, yeah, that''s what I think: ...... I know what he wanted to do. Oh, did you notice?But it''s too late. What do you mean? He''s just trying to buy us some time. He''s put the spotlight on our current funding source. d*mn it. While you''re trying to find out where the guy''s weaknesses are, you''re going to find out where ours are: ...... Yeah, and what do you do? Thankfully, we have no choice but to retreat. Haha, I thought that since he was a duke, he would only be able to fund it, but I didn''t know he had this much money. ...... The general sighed and stood up. ''Well, wait!Are you going to run away? The chubby father hurriedly tried to stop the general as he walked out. ''Yes, I know . Rather than fight in vain and have so many men killed, I''ll just tell the king that we couldn''t fight because of you, and we''ll be able to do less damage. Oh, you''re serious?What''s going to happen to me! Bear with me as best you can. Oh, perhaps if we take the imperial capital, the kingdom will help us. Goodbye. With that, the General said that and walked out of the room with his men. ''''d*mn it!'''' The video ends with the chubby father kicking the table in the empty room. ''Oh . I didn''t know you''d give up so easily. But I think it''s the right decision. I know. We''re lucky the general was willing to help. If they were incompetent, they would have been attacked in a strange way and a lot of people would have died for both of us . Well, the fact that the general can blame the Philibert family for all of our losses is a big deal. If the Philibert family had paid out the money halfway, it would have been a muddy war. ''''Yes, sir. I see that Leo-sama''s efforts have been rewarded. Yeah. Now we can focus on developing the territory for the time being. Tomorrow, you''re working in your own domain for the first time in years. ''Yes, sir. I''m sure Elsie and Lou will miss you, so please go to them. Sure, I haven''t been there for a week or so: ...... You know, I''ve left a lot of things alone. Elsie and Lou too, and I left Alma''s training to Bernolt. "Huh~ I can''t. I can''t think straight. We''ll figure out what to do tomorrow. Look, you need to go to sleep. We haven''t slept in a while. As he said that, Belle led me to the bed . ''Yeah ...... I went to bed early yesterday,'' Frank woke me up, and I had a little trouble sleeping. Still, you''re tired, sir. ''Sure. ....... But I''m kind of lonely, so why don''t you sleep with me until I fall asleep? ''What are you talking about in your sleep already?'' I might be sleepwalking for sure . You don''t usually say this: ....... But I''m kind of missing human skin. ....... I guess living in a dungeon has left me mentally exhausted. ....... Even though he knew it was safe, maybe he felt traumatized somewhere inside because of what happened to his grandfather . ''I don''t care. I''ve been missing Belle for a couple of days. You''ll have to go to ...... to get it. It''s just until you fall asleep. Belle shyly plopped down next to me. Thank you. Good night. Good night. I fell asleep soon after that, but the next day I woke up unusually early in the morning to find Belle''s face in front of me, so I was allowed to watch her sleep until she woke up. 146 CHAPTER XI -- Ive been happy since morning. SIDE: Bell. Good night. Good night. A cute sleeping face. Maybe he was really tired, but he fell asleep so quickly that I couldn''t help but smile to myself. I think I''d be turned away if Reo-sama saw me with this face. By the way, Reo-sama was unusually pampered today: ....... I didn''t expect Reo-sama to cuddle with her: ....... I''m sure he must have gotten lonely because he''s been playing dungeons by himself for a while now. I was a little embarrassed, but then Leo fell asleep right away so I wasn''t as embarrassed as I thought I would be. It was more like a blessing to watch Leo-sama''s face as he slept: ....... And the fact that I can smell Leo''s scent so close to me. Don''t let lust drive you to sleep.I put my nose to Leo''s body and sniffed and sniffed, hoping that... Ahhhh, it calms me down. Smelling Leo-sama''s scent really calms me down. I want to keep smelling Leo-sama...... forever. ''''The next day.'''' Hmm. Huh? When I woke up, I saw Leo''s smiling face in front of me. Was I dreaming?So I rubbed my eyes, and when I opened them again, it was still Leo. Did I fall asleep in that ......? You know, I can''t remember ever getting out of bed. Yeah. ''Oh my God, I''m an idiot!'' I''m already in trouble if they find out about this! I don''t think it''s a big deal. I''m just happy to see Belle sleep in the morning. ''Master Leo may be good, but ...... or rather, why do you only get up early at times like this!You don''t always wake up like that. ...... I usually fall asleep no matter how many times I wake you up, so how can you get up this early in the morning today? ....... I''m sorry. You looked so pretty in your sleep. Already ....... If you said that in front of me: ....... I crawled under the covers to hide my reddened face . SIDE: Leons. I''ve been feeling happy in the morning thanks to Belle, but also because I haven''t slept well in a long time. Good morning Frank! Oh, good morning ......, you''re feeling much better today. As I say that, Frank is full of energy in the morning, is he okay with me?They look at me like. Well, he''s usually so much quieter. Well, I slept pretty good. Oh, I get it. Then I guess I won''t have to worry about falling asleep in class today. Yeah. I''m fine. I mean, I''ve only slept in class for the last week or so so so far! And with that exchange, we headed to class. Good morning. I walked into the classroom and went to say good morning to Sherry and Leena as usual. ''Oh, Leo!Bell told me you were in a dungeon. You were in a dungeon.Why didn''t you tell me?! Because it was a last-minute decision. It was a last-minute decision, okay? The truth is, if I told you, you''d think I''d tell you to take me with you or something, but I couldn''t say that, so I decided to use Frank to cover it up. "Well, yeah, I guess so. At my swing, Frank nodded, understanding my intentions. After all, it''s friends you should have. "The charade is a waste of time. I know you''ve been preparing for a week. Well, seriously: ....... How do you know this. Bell told me. How could we not be worried about Leo sleeping in class? ''Ta, sure: ......'' If you think about it, you could have been questioned when you were asleep in class, couldn''t you? Well, I guess Bell even explained to me about the war, so he was convinced, right? So, tell me the story of your two dungeons. ''Okay, but it''s a long story, so can we come back later?Oh, and the only thing I''ve trudged through is the mountain dungeon. I can''t talk about the dungeon here with my classmates eavesdropping on me. ''Later?Well, I''ll see you after school today. ''Hey, I was thinking of going to the territory today: ...... Okay. You can take us with you. Well, you will: ...... and Yes. We want to see Miss Elsie and Lou, too. "Wow, okay. ...... So what skills did you three get? Yeah, do we have to do that here? You still haven''t given up on me. ''It''s good. Leo was unusually early to class today, so there''s still time before class starts. Can you at least explain your skills to him? I''m up early and feeling like I''m missing out. Wow, okay. ...... d*mn it ......, how do you fudge my ability to do that? Me, think! Well, first of all, we''ve got this skill called the magic eye. The magic eye sounds like an amazing ability. And what can it do? ''Um, ....... Frank and Hermann, try focusing your magic on your eyes. ''Magic in my eyes?I understand. The two of them did as I told them, using magic manipulation to focus the magic into their eyes. ''''How''s that?Did you change anything? It''s just, I don''t know what this ...... is, but it''s something else. I get it. Magic is a visible ability. Apparently, Frank was able to grasp the identity of his magical eye while looking around. "Oh, that''s great. That''s something to use. Did Herman see something?What''s the matter with you?Are you okay? When I turned to look at Hermann, delighted by Frank''s ability to ...... Hermann''s hands on the desk, he was pale and looked very unwell. It''s a good idea to get away from the ...... hurry up and get away from there. Ba, it will explode ...... As I got closer, Hermann looked at me unfocused and said something like that. Man, this is serious shit. Hey, snap out of it. Just stop using your magic eye for once. I had to stop Frank from using his magic eye in a hurry. It''s definitely because of the magic eye. "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Hermann, who had stopped using his magic eye, was breathing painfully. ''What''s the matter with you?What did you see? I asked Hellman a question, understanding that it was hard to talk about it because I couldn''t deal with not knowing the cause of it. I''m not sure ....... Suddenly, ...... my vision began to move at a tremendous speed. But I only knew the moment when ...... then the classroom exploded. Watching it, ...... I suddenly felt sick. Okay, ...... and get some rest. Yeah, we got it all figured out. What do you mean? Maybe Hermann''s ability to see the future is what gave him the ability to see the future. So I guess Hermann got drunk on that sudden change in vision. I guess it''s also because of the sudden decrease in magic power. It seems that your seers use a lot of magic. That''s what ...... is all about!Does that mean the classroom is going to blow up sooner or later? Maybe. . but I don''t know how long in the future. Well, maybe it''s just a misunderstanding of what''s going on. Heh. So, what do you see, Leo? Huh?Is this where we talk about my abilities? Aren''t you a little more worried about the future? Well, uh, ...... the ability to see things from great distances. From here, I can see all the way into the castle. Can this be deceptive: ......? I see. I''ll ask Bell for details later. Yeah. Wait a minute! Just don''t ask Bell! I did that yesterday: ....... ''What?Is that an ability you don''t like to hear anything about? What?Well, it''s not possible!Hahaha. No, I''m fully capable of not being heard. Well, that''s not a problem. And this one is ......, what''s up with that, Frank? As I managed to stop Belle from hearing me, I noticed that Frank was left looking at a point . ''''No, it looks like there''s some kind of ...... magic buildup just over there . Plus, it''s solidified into a square, and it looks obviously artificial. And as he said this, Frank pointed to the bottom of my chair. What do you mean?So then, what''s under the floor? There was something spooky about it, so I activated my magic eye and looked across the floor. There was a large bomb hidden there ....... It''s like a time-delayed bomb and the timer was set at five seconds. Wow!Everybody look out! Boom! SIDE: Philibert. Hey, what are we doing here?What''s going on? I''m going to urge the man in charge of this project to take the consequences. If this doesn''t work, there''s no doubt in my mind that I''m going to hell...... and I''m so worried about that. That''s why I haven''t slept a wink since yesterday. I can''t wait to hear the news of your success and sleep in a state of peace. I haven''t received any news of a success yet. But I have received word that the time bomb is set. And I also heard that Leons went to school on time. Focusing on my anxiety, the person in charge calmly repeated the explanation I had just heard. Are you sure you''re okay?Even he got the bomb to die, didn''t he? I have to ask the same question as before. That man has never died no matter what he did in his life. You''re gonna die from a bomb? "Yes, sir. Don''t worry about it. After all, it''s a magic bomb with a lot of ancient magic tools?If we get caught in that bomb, even the Demon King won''t be able to hold back. Yeah, you don''t have to worry about that. Hey, you don''t need that guy to kill you. Hahaha. You didn''t have to be a dick to work for the guy all this time. You''re right. I''m strong enough on my own. Yes. As long as I have the Lord''s power, I''m not afraid. Okay, if this works, put the same, or more powerful, bomb in the castle. Kukku. The country''s mine now. Yes, sir. Still, it was a good thing I pulled you out of there. Your father and uncle betrayed me, though. I didn''t know that a man who had no money to study at the magic school was this capable. That''s thanks to the master''s help. Also, the magical power source the master gave me worked very well. Ah, that man who was about to die. Well, it was worth it to bring him through a burglar''s debt. All right. Well, report back to me as soon as you know what happened. I understand. ''Kukuku. I was in a hurry to plan it all in one night, but it works out better than I thought. 147 CHAPTER XII EXPLOSION... SIDE: Lina. Oh, my ears are killing me. I can''t tell what''s going on around me from the smoke. We''re trapped in the debris. Is everyone okay?How do I go about doing this: ......? Wait. I need to calm down first. First, let''s get things straight. As I recall, Leo and his friends and I were talking about dungeons and skills, and then Hermann and Frank tried the magic eye, and then both of them went crazy. Then Leo pretended to see something, and then Sherry and I were pushed down and surrounded by ...... something, and before I knew what it was, there was an explosion. So does that mean that Leo-kun has been fragmented by the explosion? Well, I don''t think it''s going to be Leo-kun who gets hit: ....... Anyway, I need to do something about this blank ear to communicate with the people around me. Thinking of this, I put my hands on my ears and used holy magic ...... and gradually the keening sound stopped . ''''Oh, yeah . Yeah, I''m fine . Somebody!If you can hear me, please answer me! Make sure you can hear my voice, and then I''ll answer whoever it is!I screamed, hoping that I would. And then I heard a girl''s voice. "Yes, sir!I''m alive! Is that your voice, Jos? Mr. Josettia of the Four Great Dukes . I''m pretty sure that she was good at ...... wind magic and holy magic . I''ve become good friends with Josette since we started talking about holy magic in our new class. She''s kind and fun to talk to. ''''That''s right. ''Jose, you can do wind magic, right?Can you do something about this smoke, please? In the meantime, I''m trying to figure out what''s going on in this low-visibility environment, and I want to do something fast. Okay. I''ll try. There was a slight pause after I heard the voice, and then a stronger wind blew through the rubble into the street, and I could see Shelly right next to her. Then I saw Shelly right next to her across the debris. "Leena! Shelly!Are you okay? I''m sorry. I can''t hear anything. Okay. I''ll fix your ear now. That''s right. If I couldn''t hear, then Shelly can''t hear either. I reached out and cast holy magic on Shelly''s ears . After a while, I nodded to check my ears and said, "Oh, oh," and then Shelly began to speak. "I can finally hear. Leena, what''s this about? I don''t know. I don''t know, but I do know that the explosion happened and Leo was there to protect us. As he said this, he turned his attention to the wall where he heard Josetteer''s voice. It''s probably the wall Leo-kun built for me. However, there is something unnatural about this wall: ...... Looks like it. There are holes in it, but that''s the wall Leo built. Huh?But the explosion was on our side of the street: ...... Yes, the wall was built in the opposite direction of the explosion. But there is no doubt in my mind that a wall was created to enclose us. I''m sure that the memory of the wall between us and Leo that I saw before the explosion happened is not wrong. I know. ...... I wonder what happened to that wall. ....... More importantly, where''s Leo? I don''t know. But I do know that he''s been a great help to us. I mean, he jumped in front of us. Maybe he didn''t have any protection. Did Leo get caught in the explosion?Maybe Leo is ...... ''Why don''t you stop thinking about it?There''s no point in getting anxious here . Anyway, let''s just think about getting out of here. Sherry started to say some unpleasant things, and I quickly interrupted her. Now, there''s no point in saying something negative. You''re right: ....... We can''t force this debris to move, can we? I know. Maybe the school will collapse. We don''t know how much the school is collapsing in this debris-enclosed situation. ....... Maybe we can easily break this rubble and escape if we use non-attribute magic . But if you do that, you might end up crippling the school: ....... What should I do?" ...... Boom! What? I thought I heard Shelly''s lost voice, and then the debris in front of me was cleared away and a strong light came in. As my eyes adjusted, I saw Mr. Frank standing there. Also, the explosion had apparently blown off the entire ceiling, and I looked up and saw the blue sky. It looked like Leo had built the wall above us. Hermann? I looked next to her and saw that it was Mr. Hermann who had saved Shelly''s life. Thank you both for your help. Do you see what happened to Leo? Before I got up, I asked Frank what I wanted to know right now. I''m sure Leo would have helped me before Frank and the others did. But for some reason he never came: ....... Could this be ....... Anxiety was building up inside me and Shelly. ''I''m sorry . My ears are broken and I can''t hear anything. Oh, I see. I immediately got up to fix their ears, but Mr. Hermann stopped me. But as soon as I did, Hermann stopped me. Wait. Please wait. We''re fine, just go to the master! ''What?What''s wrong with Leo-kun? I suppressed the anxiety that was swelling inside my body like it was about to burst and hurried to fix my ears to hear what had happened to the two of them . ''Thank you for ...... . Please hurry!My master was seriously injured in the explosion. Quickly, hurry up and use holy magic to heal him! As he said this, Herrmann pointed to the wall. Wow, okay. ...... I turned my eyes in the direction I was pointed in while replying. Then my legs relaxed at the sight I saw and I fell flat on my ass on the ground. ''''Oh, no. ......'''' No way, Leo, you can go to ...... ''Le, Leo ......?No!Don''t die! Leaning against the wall, he was covered in bloody burns all over and had no arms ...... Seeing Leo, Shelly panicked and tried to hold on to him. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out what''s going on. I''m not going to be the only one who''s been in the same situation.Leo isn''t dead yet. ''What?So you''re still alive then!Leena!Leena, hurry up and heal Leo''s wounds! I was so shocked that I couldn''t move my hands or feet, and I couldn''t speak, as Shelly screamed: ....... No way, Leo is in this situation: ....... Leena! ''I can''t go to ......!This kind of serious injury, I''m not ready for it now! I felt sorry for myself, but that''s all I could say when I finally got out. I can''t heal Leo-kun''s injuries by myself....... Oh, Leo-kun can''t be saved anymore........ When I saw the condition of Leo''s injuries, my mind immediately processed that he was dead and I was so shocked that I couldn''t hear the voices around me. Then Shelly grabbed me by my collar and lifted me up with all her might. Snap! I was slapped as hard as I could, and I didn''t even restrain my slapped cheeks as I looked at Shelly with no effort. ''What are you talking about!You can''t do what you want!Who can help Leo if you don''t help him. Come on, come on, help Leo. Please, you''re the only one who can help me. ...... Shelly began to get angry at me, and little by little her voice grew weaker and weaker, and finally it was in the form of a request . ''Wow, okay ...... please God, give me strength ......'' Sherry''s words woke me up and I fell to my knees beside Leo and poured holy magic over his body as if I were praying. I prayed and prayed. Wow, the wound is starting to heal. That''s what I''m talking about. What? At Frank''s words, I looked up and saw ...... an impossible phenomenon. ''Look, Leo''s wound is closing up and his arm is growing back. It was supposed to be ...... no more, no matter how hard I tried to do it with that many scars, I would not be able to do it ....... So I stopped the treatment. Then ...... and even then, Leo''s arm started to regenerate. This is different! ''No, sir!It''s not my power. It''s healing itself ...... on its own. What do you mean?Are you telling me you''re healing naturally at this speed? I don''t know . But I think that maybe there''s some magic item or skill involved, Leo-kun: ...... I''m sure that''s true. I''m sure Leo would have anticipated this and done something about it. So that would help him? ''I''d like to say ...... for help, but I don''t know yet . I don''t know what Leo-kun is recovering from, so ...... If it''s consuming your strength and magic, I don''t think this wound will last until it''s repaired . ''''Why don''t you just ask ...... Bell?Belle would know something about Leo that we don''t. I''m sure you''re right: ...... I''ll ask him now. I nodded at Shelly''s suggestion and immediately gave Ms. Bell a reminder. (Mr. Bell!) (Yes, yes!Leena, are you okay!(I heard a huge explosion.) I knew it was an explosion that could reach the dorms. That''s what Leo-kun told me directly at ....... No, I don''t have time to think about that right now. (You know what?Please stay down and listen . (Actually, I was caught up in that explosion: ......) (Duh, are you sure about this?!) (That''s what happened to ...... and Leo was seriously injured.) (What?Master Leo is badly hurt!(Mr. Leo can be found at ......) Belle was so upset that it was obvious through her telepathic voice. (Calm down, please.) I have one question for you, Belle. Leo''s wounds are healing on their own. (Is this your ability?) (Master Leo''s injury is self-explanatory ...... Ah!Play!Regeneration skills!I''m glad. I''m sure Leo-sama will be very helpful. (If the regeneration skill has been activated, that means all the wounds should regenerate. Your regeneration skills. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Yo, good: ...... When the telepathic communication was over and I heard that Leo was going to help me, I said it without thinking and fell to the ground. What do you mean it''s good?Explain it to me! The three people who hadn''t heard me and Belle''s telepathic story looked at me with eyes that told me to hurry up and tell them, so I quickly began to explain. ''Leo-kun is going to be saved,'' ''It''s true!Good: ...... To Shelly''s relief, she sat down. "I guess it''s because of my regeneration skills. When did you get those skills: ...... Now that we know that Leo has a chance to heal, let''s make sure he''s safe. Now it''s our turn to protect everyone. I know. But what do you do? We''ll get Leo out of the school. It''s too dangerous here because it could collapse at any moment. I see. ...... Then I''ll ask them to carry Leo. The Princess''s water magic method can carry Leo gently, right? You''ll be fine. I think I can do it with the precision of Shelley''s magic. Yeah. Yes. ''''Leena, use holy magic to restore Leo''s strength so that he can preserve a little bit of strength for regeneration. I understand. We need to be as helpful as we can be to make up for the blunder we just made: ....... "We''re going to help people trapped in schools. Okay. Hermann, cut a hole in that wall just wide enough for a man to get through. I''ll help my classmates. Okay. Say! At Frank''s command, Hermann quickly slashed a hole in the wall with his sword. "Then we''ll go with you. Let Frank and the others take care of your classmates, and we''ll get Leo somewhere safe. Let me get you there and get him out of here. I''ll handle the road and get him out of here. Then Shelley lifted me up by water magic. Way to go, Shelly! 狼ޤ ˽⡢Է֤γ뤳Ȥ餤ʤ. 줫顢ʮ֤餤ơѧУѳ뤳Ȥ˳ɹޤ. ʤȤ˳줿. ɤBФ٤ 쥪βݤʤǤ礦٥åɤäơ٥뤵⤤ޤ项 쥪λؤԒϡ٥뤵󤸤ʤȟoǤ. . 줸㤢ФФäƤrgä㤦顢Ф衹 Ԥäƥ`˽\ˮwӁ\ꡢˮ쥪βݤΥ٥ޤϕNƤޤ. ٥룡_ƣ ˮ齵ȡ`ϥ٥Ӥʤ鷙ɥɥߵ. ȡ˥٥뤵󤬳Ƥޤ. ˤǤ餬쥪Ǥ Ϥ. ۤȤɂΤäƤޤޤȫˤΤäƤޤ Ǥ. 狼ޤ. 쥪Υ٥åɤϤǤ 줫顢쥪٥åɤޤơ˽ϽݤʧäƤ쥪ᤫҊؤäƤ. ơ뤳Ȥoʤä˽ϡ⤦Ǥʼ᤿. 쥪 쥪 쥪󡭡 ˤΤ ˽쥪ΰƤȡФˤ„. 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At that moment, I reflexively created layers of walls, and thinking that I probably wouldn''t die from the explosion, I stepped in front of Shelly and the others and became a wall of flesh . Then the explosion happened at the same time, and I was blown up. I don''t remember a thing after that. ....... ''Ugh, ugh. ....... Huh?What is this place? When I woke up, the ceiling was familiar to me. It''s the bedroom I usually sleep in. Huh?There was supposed to be an explosion at the school: ....... Could it be a dream fall? I''m sure that ...... is true, but there is no way that such a thing could happen in real life. So I looked around the room and ...... somehow Sherry and Leena were there. I''m not going to be able to get it right.Is this a dream? "Leo-kun? Oh, I guess it wasn''t a dream. When they jumped on me, crying as hard as they could, I realized that. Maybe the explosion really did happen. That''s probably why I passed out. "I''m glad we''re both ...... okay. Thank God you''re not hurt. How badly did I get hurt? ''You''re badly hurt!And you didn''t wake up for three days, and I was so worried about you.I was really worried about you. ...... gus. When I asked the question, Leena told me, showing me her bright red eyes . Three days or ...... both of them must have been crying the whole time. ....... ''Is that so . I''m sorry you''re worried. But still, you''re hurt badly. ...... There''s such a thing as a bomb that can hurt you, even with my ridiculous status: ....... "This isn''t like a serious injury or anything. It''s not like you''re hurt or anything. It would have been really close if I didn''t have my regeneration skills. Don''t take it easy on yourself now. ...... So close to death: ....... If it weren''t for the instant death prevention item, I would have actually died. ''I didn''t think I would get hurt that badly. Well, if you think about it, it''s weird to be right in front of a bomb and not die. Maybe the injury had nothing to do with the status. I shouldn''t have thought about that. I swear. Why did you take such a risk? Why? ...... Of course. I''m just trying to help Sherry and Rinna. I would have done the same thing for you both, even if I knew you were going to die. ...... I''m sorry. I''m sorry. It''s okay. We''re all safe. Speaking of which, where are Frank and Hermann?Those two couldn''t build the wall that well because they were so close to the bomb, either. As I recall, they were behind Sherry and Leena in the direction of the bomb. So, if Shelly and Leena are okay, I think they''ll be okay. ''They''re fine. They were both unharmed, so I''m not worried. Yeah. That''s good to hear: ...... What about everyone else? I''m pretty sure they put up a thick wall to protect the people in that classroom. The kids in my class were safe, thanks to you, Leo. Just go to ...... "Just? What''s going on? The other kids in the class, the ones in the classroom next to and below who were caught in the explosion, can go to ....... You''re from another class, or ...... I didn''t think that far ahead: ....... I see. ...... I''m really sorry I got you involved in this. ''That''s why I''ve heard that some of them died in such a strange way. Strange ways to die? ''What?What do you mean? ''We''ve had a lot of kids die who weren''t hurt enough to die, such as those who only had burns on their legs,'' Huh?Did he die from a broken leg? ''What?What do you mean?What''s causing it? Damien said he thinks it''s some kind of curse. But what kind of curse it is, he said, we can''t find out since there''s no more bombs. Maybe it''s a curse or ...... it''s possible, since me, Sherry, and Leena don''t go into a state. Maybe the curse has been neutralized as well. I see. ...... Have you found out who did it? Yes, sir. After catching and questioning a member of the Philibert family who was near the school, he admitted to the crime. Yesterday, I heard that they were supposed to capture the head of the Philibert family and sent a group of knights to the mansion. ...... What''s going on? There was a huge explosion and the whole place seems to have disappeared. You''re destroying the evidence: ....... Is the head of the family still alive? ....... I see ...... that we still don''t know who it was after all. Did the kingdom explode when the Philibert family turned out to be incompetent? No. Look at this. Then Leena pulled something out of my bag. Oh, the rat monitor. Yeah. We''ve got video evidence here. And with that, Leena activated the rat monitor. Three days ago. Okay, you''ve got everything you need, right? Yeah. I got what you asked for. The two men on the monitor were a man with a familiar face and Herondas, a former magic teacher who wore a collar. Apparently, that guy who had run away was a slave of the Philibert family. But still, the other guy looks like someone else: ....... All right, then. Let''s get out of here!We''re going to have an Imperial knight here soon, you know. Are we gonna get away with this?If that''s the case, I think it''s still more likely that you''ll tell that idiot head of the family that he was ordered to do it and he''ll forgive you. ''Sure it is: ....... No, no . If I go to the university labs, they''ll know I''ve agreed to join the Philibert family. You''re right, ...... I need to buy myself some time to escape. Hmmm... like a university researcher or something? I''ll have to look into that later. Ah, I have an idea. We''ll add annihilation and detonation to the entire compound. Then I''ll give the maid a switch with detonation added to it. If any Imperial knights come here, tell them to push it. Added?What is that? Is that a skill? I guess it''s the ability to add some kind of effect to things, just like the name: ....... So the Philibert family made you build a special bomb that could kill me too. ''''So you''re going to kill the knight and at the same time erase the evidence that you were here?'''' Huh?So the master of the house disappeared with the house? That''s right. I''m going to use all the magic stones I''ve saved up so far, but it''s just to escape, so it can''t be helped . The video ends here. Yeah, this guy definitely made the bomb. I''m not sure how Herondas got here, though. But he''s still a terrible guy. Doesn''t care about killing people. And betraying people so easily. Just from this brief video, I got a good idea of what a piece of shit these two are. I see. ...... and did you find out who this guy is? Not yet. Mr. Damien is sending his men to the wizardry school to check on them now. Then we''ll know who it is soon enough . But still, that face, that was someone''s face: ....... ''Yeah . But by the time we find out, they''ll have gotten away with it. ''Yeah, Damien said the same thing. He said in the other footage that he was going to run away to the kingdom, but he said he couldn''t look for me if I got out of the country. I know. Someday the kingdom''s gonna have to hurt you. But I don''t have that kind of power right now, so I can''t. Yeah. ....... Bye. Oh, you shouldn''t get up yet. Yes. You should go back to sleep. As I picked up my upper body, they rushed to stop me. I''m sure I must have been injured enough to cause them both so much concern. ....... They said they were so close to dying that I couldn''t even imagine how badly they were hurt. It''s really scary to think about that if it hadn''t been for the regeneration. You''ll be okay. I''ve already had more than enough sleep. And how''s Belle? ޤƤ. ǡ쥪ΤȤ򿴲ƤΤ衹 ʤ. ʤ󤫡͡ ٥ˤǸx򁻤ʤȤʤ. ݤˤʤǤ. ؤäBäȤ˱Ȥ٤󤷤ȤʤǤ衹 衹 狼ä衭. 󡢤äΤäƤ͡ ςһĤoԷ֤ҊơһĤ򤷤. Ǥ⡢ʤ֤`͸Ф ָ݆ȫoʤäƤ롹 ֤Ҋȡָ݆ȫoʤäƤ. kljƤޤäʡ. ʤ餵äإޥ󤬽줱Ƥ줿. _ˤƤ. ۤ项 . ä 󥸥֤줿ĤoʤäƤ˷ʤǜgɡΥ`ʤȥ`ȤBָ݆oʤäƤ൱ʥåä. դա˽ŤƤޤ͡ . ꤬Ȥ Фָ݆󥸥֤줿Ǥ磿 ָǶƤ;С`ɽΥ󥸥֤줿ʹָ݆ˤĤ„Ƥ. . o „. ֤󡢤Τǥ쥪äΤ͡ . ͨʤ顢kˤgǎzޤ줿鼴. 礦ɤߥ󥰤Ǥָ݆֤ä衹 \ΤΤ狼ʤ. . ꡢɤˤˤʤäΤˤ뤤{ӤǤΤ衹 󡭡ɤƤˤˤʤägФo餫ʣդ. 褤. äȤäȡ k𤳤äӛϟo͡˼ĤϤȡä֤Ӥ餫˼ͨ˄ӤܞӤˤʤäƤޤä. äȣʤΤ򤷤ƤΤ裡ۤ顢ޤ٥åɤޤƤʤ ΤҊơ`ŤƤư٥åɤ餻. äȤɷ. ۤ项 ԤʤȤϥԥäϤ줿Τ`ȥ`ʤαݤ䤷Ҋơ٥åɤˑä. ⤦Ƥ衹 . դϴˤƤ衹 Ϥ. Ƥ 狼ä. դʤ󤫤դƤ. Τʳ٤ɡޤΕrgʤ. 쎤äƤΤʳ٤뤫. ͤ쎤ȡäƤ룿 һϢĤ顢ä㸹päƤ. 㤢պΤʳ٤Ƥʤä鸹p. Ϥ. Ǥͣ ꤬Ȥ. Τʳ٤褦ʡ. `ʤΤʳ٤룿 ˽ϴɷǤ. ꡢʳ٤ʤʳ٤Ƥͣ ʤΤäʡ. ѥäˤ˼ 󡭡ȡ򤱤ʳƤʤȤʤ. ˼ޤ. ɡդޤ͡ Ȥ˼Ĥ쥪ѥJơ `ԤơՄdzĤΥѥ򥷥`˶ɤ. ѥɤ ˼äƤȡ`ѥäƿڤ줿. ơ⤰⤰Ⱦ׽ʼ᤿˼ä鰳˥򤷤Ƥ. 󣡣 @Ƥȡ`οڤΤäƤ. ʤ󤫸ʤѥ. ϥ`⤷ơڤäƤ򤽤Τޤz. ɤʤ顢餫ɷǤ磿 ɡʤ顢褯yʳ٤Ƥʤݤ ˡʤ󤫐uɡ. Τ. äޤޤƤƤɤ褯yʤǤ磿 ʤΤʡ ⤦. 褯狼ʤ. `Ȥ˽ηǤ Ϥ. 㤢֤ˤƽǿƤ͡ `ʤԤơ`ѥ֤ˤƶɤ. `ʤΣ 狼ޤ. 줸㤢쥪Фޤ衹 ѥܤȡä`ʤϡҤ˥ѥڤ˺Ⱦ׽ʼ᤿. ơ˥򤷤ƥɥɥˤʤäѥ򰳤οڤѺzǤ. 󡢤Ĥζ⡭. ꤬Ȥ ɡäѤuʡ. 줸㤢Ȥ˽η 줫顢Lrg򤫤һĤΥѥˤʳ٤BäΤǤä. 149 CHAPTER XIV -- A DUMBLE Father It''s been two days since I woke up. A lot of people came to see me yesterday when they heard I was awake. I would have gone to them, but Sherry, Leena, and Belle did their best to stop me, so I just stayed in bed all day. So, back to the point, we had a lot of people over yesterday. Not to mention Frank and Hermann. Frank and Hermann, and of course, Frank and Hermann, my brother Ivan and Eunice, and my uncle were there. And then the emperor and Cliff, who came all the way down, which was pretty amazing. They thanked us for protecting Shelly and the many noblemen''s children. Of course I said, "No, you didn''t do much. But he said, "No, if you hadn''t built the wall, many more people would have died: ......" and he was very clear about his reasoning. It seems that none of the people who were behind me on the side of the wall ...... are dead. I was told that the reason for that is because the ring I was wearing disabled instant death. I should explain what the uncle did to me before I could explain. He said he figured out who did it. So he told me the culprit and it was a shocker. It was the master''s son. His name was Gerd Fermat. He was 31 years old, the same age as my uncle. He''d attended a magic school, but he didn''t go to nobleman''s school, so my uncle didn''t know him. I heard he was a skilled magician who used supplementary magic, but he was very difficult. He had a lot of troubles with the school because of money, so he quit the school last year. After that, he used the vast wealth of the Philibert family to conduct research, and invented many unusual magic tools one after another. It seems that he added instant death to the bomb with an obscure spell called Add-on Magic. I was able to get this much information from the people at the wizarding academy and the surviving Philibert family members. But no one seemed to have detailed information about Gert''s ability. So I decided to go to the master who would know the most about it. With Sherry, Leena, and Belle. But he''s worried about you, so he wants to spend some time with you. Well, I''ve caused them a lot of trouble, so I''m going with them. Master!They''re here! As usual, I metastasized inside the shop and called out to Master and immediately heard his reply . ''''Oh!That''s your voice, Leo!Listen to me!What''s up with the magic tool you asked for soon, ......, with all the pretty girls?Perhaps you''re here to introduce me to your rumored marriage partner? Master, who didn''t know anything, was happy to see Shelly and the others with me . Huh, I''m going to have to explain to them about Master''s son, and I''m going to want to leave: ....... But I''m going to have to explain it to you . ''''That''s right . This is the princess, Shelia . This is the saint''s grandson, Rihanna. And this is my maid, Belle. Nice to meet you. ''Oh, oh ....... Nice to meet you. Ho, Leo really was a nobleman: ...... Apparently, Master was overwhelmed by the way Shelly and the others were dressed and my unusual attire. ''Well, yeah . Anyway, I have something important to talk to you about, is that okay? With the three of us introduced, I decided to get down to business. You can''t keep putting off the things you don''t like, you know. Hey. It''s okay. It''s just a workroom. You okay? Yes. I''m fine. So, what''s the big deal?Maybe you''re getting married or something?Isn''t it a bit early for you to get your rocks off? Sorry, Master . I appreciate you seeing my hard expression and trying to soften it, but it''s not something I can laugh about today . ''No, it''s not. Did you know there was an explosion at school the other day? Yeah, I heard some chatter about it. But I''ve been working on some new stuff lately, so I don''t know all the details. Of course. That''s what I thought. ''Oh, right: ....... So let me explain in a nutshell. A bomb was set off at my school the other day. A lot of noble children died. The explosion was that big. Do you know who did it? Yes. The murderers were the Philibert family. The House of Philibert is a duke. They were behind the Fermor family. Why would a family like that do such a thing? When Master heard the name of the Philibert family, he looked surprised . Well, the average person doesn''t know how bad it is over there: ....... ''It''s to sell the empire to the kingdom . . that place was in bad shape and they needed the money, so they sold the kingdom. I see. ....... So, how did you come to me? Now, let''s get down to business: ....... I was ready and began to explain. ''Actually, sir, ....... My master''s son, Gerd Fermat, was the one who made the bomb. What?Did Gert make a bomb?So you''re saying that my son was complicit in a mass murder? Master looked at me in disbelief and asked me back. Well, you don''t want to believe that your son is a criminal . ''''Yes, sir. Definitely. At my answer, Master thought about it for thirty seconds, and then he spoke up again. "So, did they catch Gert? No, he killed more heads of House Philibert to destroy the evidence, and then fled to the kingdom. ''Right. ....... That guy must have committed one hell of a crime. Master took in the situation and said in a low, muttered voice . ''''......,'''' How to start asking questions to a grieving mentor: ....... So I thought, I couldn''t quite start asking Master a question. ''So, what am I going to tell him?I''ll tell you anything I can talk about. I was quiet for a while and then I heard from Master as he cleared his mind. I think he understood what I had come for. I''ll leave it at ...... first to find out what kind of person you are, Mr. Gert. "What Gert is like: ....... I''m sorry. I can''t go into detail. ''What?What do you mean? What do you mean?You just said you''d tell me anything you could talk about. ''No, I''m not trying to hide it. It''s really embarrassing, but I was so wrapped up in my wizards that I couldn''t do anything fatherly for that guy as a kid. Oh, so that''s what I''m talking about: ....... You can imagine what it''s like. ...... Even now, I didn''t know about the huge explosion of schools that you''d hear about if you were in the imperial city and didn''t want to, so I guess I wasn''t more interested in my surroundings then. ....... ''Really, I was a bad parent. ....... The only thing I could have done was teach him magic tools and send him to witchcraft school . He hardly ever talked to me. I was confined to the workroom. Lack of communication between father and son. I''m starting to have a feeling there''s something wrong with Master. "Come to think of it, we had a real fight one time. Yes, when my wife died. When Gert came home in a hurry after hearing the news of his mother''s death, he punched me after he found out his wife was dead. And it''s your fault she''s dead!He turned to me and said. She said that all you did was make magic tools, and that''s why your mother was forced to die so early. I see: ....... Mr. Gert was very close to your mother, wasn''t he? Well, he seems like a kind person, even if I remember what my master said about his wife before . I was an idiot at the time, and I snapped at her and hit her back. At the time, I didn''t realize how great she was. And it wasn''t until I started doing everything myself that I realized it. Really, it''s too late for that: ...... Wow. ....... My son is not going to like that. ''I see. What happened to Mr. Gert after his master hit him? "I walked out without saying a word. Really, I can''t tell you how many times I''ve apologized to Gert. Yeah, I wish you''d realized that sooner. Maybe Mr. Gert wouldn''t have had to go down the wrong path. ....... ''I see. ....... Well then, next question . Could you tell me about Gert-san''s additional magic? ''Additional magic?Yeah, I think it''s ...... the ability to use a lot of magic to add some abilities to things. But it seems like they could only do things like make rocks glow and that''s about it. That''s about all I know. Yeah, I''m a really bad parent. If he wasn''t my teacher, I''d be cursing him out. I wish you''d been more interested in your children. Yeah. ...... All right. All right, that''s all the questions. I''m sorry I didn''t know everything. I''m sorry I was such a bad teacher. ''''No, I will continue to respect my master in the future. However, ...... I think you should look back on your life so far at least for a little while from now on. I''d like to say more, but Master knows that, so I''ll keep it to this . ''''Yeah, you''re right: ...... I will. Also, I can''t make amends, but I''ll still think of ways to make amends as best I can. I understand. I''ll make it up to you, too. For the sake of the people I didn''t protect in this case, I''m gonna make sure we get Gert. No, that''s not a problem. You''re the victim. No, they didn''t do much damage to me. You see? I''m fine. As soon as I said that, I thought I had failed. Now you know you''re cheating, don''t you? Yeah, I think I got it. You were hurt badly by Gert''s bomb, weren''t you? I knew it was going to happen. It''s ...... I don''t know. Shall I tell you? Yes. I did. She was hurt so badly that she almost died. Both arms were gone, and she was covered in wounds and burns all over. As I was struggling, Leena, who was sitting next to me, answered for me. I mean, I didn''t hear that you lost both arms! Me, maybe I''m missing an arm: ....... I don''t know how it works. "Well, I didn''t know it was that bad. ...... By the way, since Leo-kun left out an important explanation, I''ll say it for you, the real purpose of using this bomb was to kill him. Mr. Gert understood that and made a very powerful bomb that could kill Leo-kun with additional magic. Wait!You''re going to say that? I''m really sorry about that ....... I can''t even ask you to forgive me. You don''t have to forgive me, just let me do whatever I need to do. After hearing Leena''s story, Master looked surprised and immediately apologized with a serious expression on his face . ''''No, it''s fine . No, yeah ...... I''m going to leave here today . We''ll talk again at leisure . Look, this is a tough time to talk. We''ll talk to each other when we''re both a little more relaxed. Yeah, all right. I''m really sorry. All right. I''ll see you later. Haha. ...... As I transitioned into the room, I sighed loudly. I was more tired than I''d expected. "Why didn''t you tell me the truth? I said, ''Why did you tell your master that I was the target?'' I was about to say to Leena, but she asked the question faster than I did. ''It''s ......'' Why didn''t I tell you? Because it was hard to tell? ''''If you have respect for Master, you shouldn''t lie to him. That lie isn''t good for you. It''s a lie that can be easily exposed anyway. Come to think of it, that''s true. Colt would have known right away that I was badly injured, and it was only a matter of time before Master heard about it. Haha, I should have told you. ''''You''re right . ....... Thanks for telling me instead. No, I thought it would be hard for Leo to tell you directly, so I had to say it instead. Yeah, that''s really helpful. I probably should have said it, but it was really hard to say. So, honestly, Leena helped me. But in the end, we didn''t find out all the details of Gert''s abilities, did we? Well, it''s all right. But from what I heard, it sounded like my magic. Instead of using a lot of magic, it''s a magic that can do special things ...... similar to creation and destruction magic, so I''m sure it''s a great ability. I think the key word would be ''use a lot of magic'' as my master said . ''''Right . ....... From now on, you''ll have to fight someone with the same level of ability as Leo and Lou: ...... That''s definitely scary to think about. I guess so. You''ll have to get stronger from now on. First, we have to build up our domain strength. We must keep building up our strength if we are to protect what is important to us. From now on, we''ll drop the naivety of this time and use every ounce of our strength. I will always give it my all. If I don''t, we''ll really die and we won''t be able to protect what''s important to us. Yeah. I''m going to try my best to be a better magician. I''ll do my best to heal any injuries I may have. I''m ...... going to be a more competent maid. No, it''s good enough to have you three by my side. No, let''s all work toward our goals. Normally I would have said, ''It''s enough just to be by my side,'' but this time we all decided to do our best . Because I realized that there are people I can''t win by myself anymore. And there will probably be more and more of them. When that time comes...there will be a time when I need to rely on others. And when that happens, it''s always better to have a little help from everyone. ""Yes." Hearing the three of you give strong responses, I''m going to go for it!I felt like . Be sure to protect what''s important to you: ....... 150 Chapter 7 to Chapter 8 Person Introduction Camilla. Gender : Female Comments: former head maid, head of an orphanage, and Leo''s slave . She became head maid because she was Gotts'' favorite, but she hasn''t been a maid that long. Bill. Gender : Male Attributes: None, fire Comment: The leader of a boy''s group that was operating in the slums. She is responsible and loves her sister. His recent hobbies include reading and fencing, and he plans to become an apprentice to Hermann. Cathy. Gender : Female Attributes: light, holy Comment: Bill''s three younger sisters. She is friendly and always has a smile on her face to cheer everyone around her. She enjoys practicing magic so much that she ends up becoming a professor and president of a magic school. Alma. Gender : Female Attributes: none Comments: the Knight of Leo . He came from the same orphanage as Belle, and his swordsmanship showed that he was more than even with Hermann in his bare bones . He is being trained by Bernolt and dreams of one day beating Hermann. In the future, she will marry Hermann, whom she has competed with, and have many children. Bernholt. Gender : Male Attributes: none Comments: the Knight Commander of Leo . He is a former S-class adventurer with a wife and a newborn child. He began building his home in Myrddin''s territory soon after he was accepted as a Knight Commander, and now he looks forward to building his own home. Gerd Fermat. Gender : Male Attributes: None, Added Description: Son of Horant, the son of Horant and his father are on the worst of terms. He is a reincarnated man, but was unable to use his powers until recently. Now, he is on the run with Herondas in the kingdom. 151 Seven Lives: Half a Day in Elsie My morning starts with Leo. But Leo is not there, so I am watching him through a magical item I created: ....... My item can''t observe many people and places like Leo''s, it can only be in one place. So I set up a place in Leo''s bedroom, and only watched him in the morning and at night when he was sleeping. Generally, he is already asleep when I go to bed and when I wake up, so I can just watch him sleep! Well, today: ...... Oh, that''s not a pretty sleeping face ...... . Huh?Unusual, Leo is awake. I don''t know what''s wrong with him. ......How did Mr. Bell end up in Leo''s bed? Oh, come to think of it, yesterday, when Leo-kun was tired after stepping through the dungeon, he asked me to sleep with him. Leo was mentally drained this time, and I was able to see him smiling at Belle''s sleeping face, so let''s not tell Shelly about it. Now, this is a permanent fixture and ....... You''ll have something to shake up Belle again. Instead of keeping quiet, next time you have a chance to spoil Leo, give him to me. But I like the lovely Belle next to Leo, and I''ve always enjoyed collecting her embarrassing photos. It started out as jealousy, but before I knew it ...... I was in love with her. Oh, by the way, a photograph is a picture drawn by magic tools that is very close to reality. Leo taught me what to call it. ...... Oh, are you looking at it again?Oh, and Belle is here today. While I was watching Leo and Belle''s sleeping face, Lou woke up. It was natural for us to sleep together now. Before I knew it, I didn''t speak to Lou in a respectful manner and she was like a real sister to me. I guess so. Oh, Belle''s up. Hahaha. He''s so red-faced and embarrassed. As soon as he woke up, he saw Belle hiding her face in the bed in a hurry when she realized that Leo had seen her sleeping face, and Lou started laughing aloud. It looks cute to laugh that much, but it''s certainly cute . I''ll have to save the scene now too: ...... Then we''ll get up too. After watching the two of them make out for a while, we said it, turned off the monitor and got up. "Yes, breakfast. Then we finished getting ready and started eating breakfast together. After Leo and his friends left, it was lonely to eat alone in this big room, but I''ve gotten used to it now. I don''t know how Lou can eat so much in the morning. For me, one piece of bread is enough. I think the same thing every morning when I see Lou carrying food to my mouth at an amazing rate in the morning, even though I should be used to seeing it already. Because isn''t it awesome to eat meat in the morning? ''My skills are breaking things and eating them~. I can always eat! I know. But you should be careful, because too much food is toxic. Come to think of it, Lou doesn''t gain any weight at all, even though she just eats and sleeps so much: ....... I check on her every day in the bath and she''s still as hungry as when I first saw her. It''s amazing to see where all that energy is going. Yeah, okay. Okay, I''ll get to work. Do you want to come with me as usual, Lou? ''Yes!Oh, I need to wear the hat that Sister Elle made for me properly! Recently, Roo has started to go outside with me. If I went out, she would be alone in the castle, and I felt bad for her, so I decided to walk with her. I had to hide her being a demon, so I made her a hat to cover her horns. Of course it''s not just a hat. Only the person who wears the hat can take it off. So I made a hat that won''t come off by itself, so that it won''t fly off if a strong wind blows it away or if something happens. Then we finished getting ready to go out and got on the carriage and left the castle. ''Well then, we''re going to visit the site in the morning as usual. Yeah! Last time I went to the factory, so today we''ll be training for a magician''s workshop. I haven''t been there recently, so it will be interesting to see how far the craftsmen have progressed. Oh, Mr. Chairman!And good morning, Lou! When I arrived, I was greeted by the craftsman in charge of fostering. ''''Good morning . Good morning, Shawn! Is there a problem with the training of new recruits? I was led into the reception room and I immediately started talking about work. I wanted to finish in the morning, so we shouldn''t waste time talking. ''''Yes, sir. Rather, I have a lot of motivated people and I think we''re going to meet our goals ahead of schedule. That''s great. By the way, how soon, if at all? The last time I was here, you said that maybe it would be a month or so earlier. ''Yes. ....... At this rate, I''ll probably be able to build a lamppost wizard by myself about two months early. ''That''s very fast!As a matter of fact, the factory is going to be finished in seven or eight months, so it''s just as well. "Oh, yeah. That''s good to hear. Well then, I''ll get to the point where I can teach people how to make it by then. Yes, please. Okay, can I look around a little bit? It''s hard to understand it from words alone. Now that you''re here, I''ll make sure you''re in the mood for newcomers. Of course. Right this way. Then we were led around to look at the people learning to make magic tools, sometimes asking them what they were up to these days. ''''Hmmm... everyone worked so hard. We were in the carriage on the way home when Lou smiled and said to me I know. Well, they''re always so serious. No wonder they''re learning so much faster than they should be. Lou''s impressions, and I''ve been looking around. The new guys worked really hard. Many of them said that before, they hadn''t done anything worthwhile, so now they have a goal and are having fun. The newcomers'' eyes were shining so brightly that it was very motivating for me to work hard. Are you going home like this today? I am. Are you hungry? Yeah! Lou responded cheerfully to my question by rubbing her belly . I ate so much in the morning. ....... I couldn''t help but wonder if that amount of food had already been digested?And then I looked at Lou''s belly. As usual, Lou''s belly is amazing. Well, I''ll be back soon for lunch. Yay! Uh-huh. Work in your room this afternoon? After lunch, a happy Lou asked me what I was doing this afternoon. I don''t have plans to meet anyone else today, so yeah. Is Lou going to take a nap as usual? Roughly, Lou went out with me in the morning and ate lunch and then it was time for a nap . ''Yeah!Can I sleep in Elsie''s bed? Lou doesn''t sleep in his own bed these days. Sherry, Leena and sometimes Leo''s bed is also a place for him to take a nap. I want to take a nap in Leo''s bed too, but I''m ashamed if my scent is still there when he comes home ......, so I have to put up with it. ''It''s fine. I''ll come wake you up when I''m done working. Yes, please!Well then, good luck with your work~ Thank you. I''ll try my best. Now, let''s get to work! But first, let''s go to ...... to see how Ms. Bell is doing . Ms. Bell, at this time of day, she''s mostly done with her chores and is going on break. And what she does during her break is lie down on Leo''s bed and smell him. I was very surprised when I found out that Belle is a very serious person and does such things. But now I can''t help but smile and watch her do it. Thinking about this, I went to my bedroom and found Lou watching me on the monitor first. But something was wrong. "Hey, look!Oh, my God!Shelly and the others are crying! ''What?What do you mean? I didn''t understand what Lou was saying and I rushed to the monitor. ''Look, look! The monitor shows ...... Leo''s sleeping face, which is rarely seen at this time of day, and Sherry and Leena, who are never on this monitor, crying on either side of it. Belle was also crying at Leo''s feet. What happened? I don''t know . I just looked over and there were three of them crying beside Leo as he slept. I''m gonna go talk to Ms. Bell about it anyway. There''s no point in discussing things here. So I telepathically talked to Belle, who was still able to speak clearly. (Mr. Bell!) (Yes, yes!(Is that voice ...... Elsie? Yes. Would you mind telling me what the hell happened to Leo, please? I asked the question I wanted to ask right away, without preamble. (Actually, ...... Master Leo was caught in an explosion at school and was seriously injured.) Explosion!Serious injury! Mr. Bell''s explanation makes my mind even more confused . (What?Are you sure you''re okay?(You seem to be fainting. ......) (Well, ...... I can''t be sure, but it''s probably okay. Once I was injured so badly that I almost died, but I''ve recovered fully with Leo-sama''s new skill of regeneration. (It just won''t wake me up, so I''ll have to go to ......) He hasn''t woken up, so we don''t know if he''s been saved yet: ....... (I understand . I''ll be keeping an eye on him, and I''d appreciate it if you could report back to me if anything happens.) (Yes . I''ll let you know as soon as I have a problem. (Thank you.) Fuki: "...... Having briefly ended the reminder, I took a big deep breath to calm my confused head. You can''t do anything here that might upset Lou. "Leo, what''s going on? I feel like I''ve been blown up at school. ''What?Is that okay? I''m fine. She said the skills helped her heal all her injuries. I choose my answers carefully, trying to make Lou as uncomfortable as possible. ''Really?But then why isn''t it happening? ''I don''t get it either. I hope I''m simply sleeping off my energy. Such as ...... Leo ...... Oh, I mustn''t be whiny. Anyway, I''ll be there for you. I''ll cancel my afternoon''s work and watch with you. ''What?Are you okay with not working? It''s okay, it''s hard to concentrate either way. Even now, there''s no way I can work when I''m too anxious to go crazy! Sure. ....... So, shall we wait for Leo to wake up with us? Yeah. I put Lou on my lap and continued to watch Leo as I held him in my arms . I didn''t think that would happen for three days. ....... 152 Silent talk 8. Meet again after a long time. SIDE: Sherry. The night I visited Leo''s mentor Leo went to Sister Elle''s by himself. Of course I wanted to go with you, right? And, but I owe Sister Elle a lot of things: ...... Yes, I owe her zero for this! So now I''m watching Leo and his friends through the monitor with Leena and Belle. It''s not that I''m watching them, I''m not thinking of doing anything weird or monitoring them. With that excuse running through my head, I''m going to check on Leo when he arrives at the castle. He''s just arrived at the Elle and Lou''s place. Huh?I don''t remember Lou sticking around so much for sister Elle. I thought it was just me, but it wasn''t. ...... Come to think of it, it''s been just the two of us living together since we got home. That''s right, I''ve missed it. Well ...... it''s been a while! Leo scratched his forefinger on his cheek with a pollywheel, making things awkward. Besides, as soon as he did, Sister Elle opened her mouth. "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen ...... "Leo! That''s right. Oh, Lou! But Lou hugged Leo first, and then he interrupted me. Oh, my God. Leo, I''m so lucky to be alive. Hmmm. Lou had those feelings for Leo. I didn''t think you''d be worried enough to cry. Lou, I''m sorry you had to worry. Um... ...... Are you coming, Elsie? Leo was puzzled by Lou''s condition, but he extended his hand towards Sister Elle, who lost her timing when Lou beat him to it . ''I''ve already ...... lots to complain about, but for now I''ll let you. Gus, really, really, really, I was so worried about you not waking up for three days that I couldn''t sleep, you know?Ugh, ugh~ Elle, who hugged Lou, began to cry vigorously as she attached herself to Leo. After all, even the strong-minded sister Elle cried. She wasn''t able to watch over him closely like I was, and she must have been really worried. I''m sorry. I''ll do whatever you say later, please forgive me. Leo was so upset by the tears of Sister Elle that he said the worst thing he should not have said to her. I''ll do whatever you say, Sister Elle is really asking for a lot of forgiveness. ....... Oh ...... Leo. What did I say to you ....... ''Gus, did you just say ...... anything?Okay. Just be prepared for that, okay? I knew it: ....... Elle, I''m going to ask you for a huge favor. Oh, I wish I could go stop her. But I can''t do it from this distance. Okay. Okay. I''ll be prepared for that. Just cry until you can get away with it. At Elle''s words, Leo seemed to realize the gravity of his words, but for now, he decided to just think about comforting them for now . Haha, it''s too late. Now I can only hope that this is a request I don''t envy. Well, I don''t think that wish will work. About five minutes passed and they finally stopped crying. "Thank you very much. That''s all right. So, let''s have dinner. Yeah. Look, Lou, it''s rice. No!I don''t want to leave you yet. Leo will take you. As Sister Elle stepped away and Leo tried to move along with her, a surprising word came out of Lou''s mouth . Huh?Lou, I''m starting to say that now! And where did he learn those spoiled eyes ......? ...... I get it. Well, it''s a big deal for Lou to say this much: ...... I''ll forgive you for today. Come on, sit down. When they arrived at the dining room and Leo tried to get Lou to sit down next to him, he shook his head in a frenzy. ''No!I like it on Leo''s lap! Huh?Is this really Lou? It''s like watching a really small child? What? I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make the most out of the situation. I''m sure you''ll be happy to know that I''m going to be able to help you out. I''ve become. Ehhhh . Oh, but I might have gone crazy if I found out Leo had collapsed and didn''t see him for six days: ....... On the other hand, sister Elle is great at keeping her mind clear. ''Yeah, I don''t know if that''s true: ....... I knew Lou had some kind of trauma from losing someone important before, right?And the last time you went crazy, it was in response to your loneliness, right? Yeah, when we told her that demons have a long lifespan and that we''d die faster than she did. That was crazy, too. Yes. I wonder if there''s been some kind of trauma. Maybe it has something to do with amnesia: ...... Did something so shocking happen that you had to wipe it out yourself? Ah, using destruction magic or ....... It''s possible. Is it possible?As I recall, destruction magic can only erase what you can see, right? ''Unn...... because you were screaming "sister" when you were going crazy. ....... Maybe you couldn''t erase it completely. Oh, you failed, but you were able to erase it, just in case you couldn''t remember it easily? Then it''s possible: ....... ''Yes. . Should I give you your memory back or not ...... I don''t know about that. We''ll just let nature take its course. Anyway, there''s no way to get your memory back for now. Well, I guess Leo''s creation magic could bring it back, but I don''t think it''s the same for him to get his memories back that far, which he doesn''t want to do: ....... ''Right.'' So let''s have dinner. Let''s go to ...... and we''ll have a special day, okay? "Eh, thanks. Because you''re not really allowed to behave, right? It''s true!It''s just today! Okay!Hey, Leo, c''mon, c''mon. Ahhhh! ''What?Oh, yeah . . well, that''s what happens: ...... When Leo saw Lou waiting with his mouth open, he didn''t say another word as he put the food in Lou''s mouth. ''Here, ahhh,'' Uh-oh. Yes, it''s delicious! After having Leo give her an earful, Lou gulped down a delicious morsel and smiled at Leo. It''s really like seeing a different person. You usually gobble it up, but I wonder if you''re going to be full from eating like that ...... That''s good to hear. ''Oh, I can''t take it anymore!Please do me ahhhh! I guess I was jealous of Lou getting his a** done, but Sister Elle stood up. Well, I know how you feel. ''What?'' ''Oh, God. I was going to use it for something more different: ....... I told you earlier, didn''t I?What do you mean you''ll do anything you say? If you can''t take it anymore, that''s what you mean. Elle... you''re so serious. You don''t have to use a favor to do this. "Oh, oh, ...... I know. ....... But it''s going to take a long time if I''m feeding you two? "Don''t worry. In return, I''ll give Leo-kun an awwww. Besides, it won''t take you that long compared to having Shelly and Leena feed you mouth-to-mouth, will it? Huh? How the hell do you know that? Yes, yes!How did you know about this?But then I remembered that I had built a magical item to watch Elle and Leo in their bedroom. I totally forgot about it. ''Well?Why is that? Elle, she''s being deliberate. Even Leo said he''d find out. Okay. ....... So, it''s your turn to talk. Yes. So, it''s my turn now?Uh-oh. Seeing Leo''s resigned face, Sister Elle opened her mouth happily. Seeing this, Leo brought the food to his mouth just like he did with Lou. ''''Is it good?'''' Yes. It''s ten times better than usual. Oh, that smile, it''s a deadly weapon: ....... So now it''s my turn to feed you, Leo. Ahhhh. Uh-oh. poutine I couldn''t take it anymore and I turned off the monitor. You should be commended for not breaking the monitor. Oh, God!What''s up with that lovey-dovey family-like situation!I can''t watch this! I thought it was nice that Sister Elle got her request off to that level, but when you see it, that''s a different story! Come on, let''s just calm down. Let''s just cut the crap. I was probably in your shoes yesterday. Oh, ...... I don''t know. ''Yeah, right ........ Sure, if they showed this to me in an uncomfortable situation, Lou would go crazy. Perhaps this is payback for Sister Elle and Lou against us? I mean, you wouldn''t do that, would you? Then I watched the three of them eat their luscious meal with a hearty squeal in my heart. I really admire Sister Elle and Lou for watching this for three days. 153 First, half a year and a half. It''s been about six months since the explosion, and I''ve turned twelve years old. I''ve only lived for twelve years ...... Maybe it''s because I''m living a very dense life day by day, or maybe it''s because I have memories of my previous life, but I feel like I''ve lived longer than twelve years. I feel like I''m about 30 years old. Now, without talking about me turning twelve, let''s talk about what happened in the past six months. I''ve been working hard to strengthen the defense of the territory. War was almost certain to break out, and I began to prepare for it, carefully and with haste. The school that had been destroyed by the explosion was closed for half a year, but there was still no prospect of recovery, and I wouldn''t be able to go to school for the time being. Well, that''s okay because I can focus on developing the territory. There''s probably nothing for Frank to do at the moment. And since I''ve been busy developing the defense, I''m sorry to say that I''ve decided to leave all the commercial development to Elsie and the Holland Trading Company. So, although I listen to reports from time to time, I haven''t been involved in the development of the underground city for less than half a year. According to the recent report, the construction of the magic tool factory is finally finished and the production of street lights has started, so the building construction of the underground city has started. It''s planned to open to the public in half a year at the earliest, and one year at the latest. It''s on schedule, or even much earlier than planned. That''s really thanks to Elsie. Oh, and by the way, I''ve stopped calling Elsie "sir" and speaking to her with honorifics. She asked me to call her by her first name like Shelly and the others because she felt some distance between us, so I did that. Well, that makes me feel that way, so I tried to talk to Elsie using the same language as Shelly and Belle. Oops, I digress. As for the main topic, what I did during these six months, I strengthened the Knights and the city''s defense equipment. Strengthening the order means of course to increase the number of members, but I''ve held the monthly examination six times and increased the number by about fifty. Huh?Not much for the enthusiasm, is it?But just like the first tryout, I had to choose carefully. It would be bad if I was in a hurry and let the Kingdom''s spies join us. Even though I''m this cautious, the kingdom still sends spies to try out for the exam, and they''re not going to let me skimp on the exam anytime soon. But it wasn''t all bad. Rumors of the overly strict exams and of Bernolt''s rise to the rank of captain drew world-famous adventurers and swordsmen to challenge him. Although not as strong as Bernold, the number of people who are strong, and who seem to be getting stronger, is steadily increasing. Incidentally, Alma is growing faster than I ever imagined. I''ve been taking turns being an examiner for the entrance exam with Hermann, but recently I haven''t had a turn to be an examiner. Thanks to Bernold''s sound guidance and competing with Hermann, I''ve become as strong as an S-ranked adventurer in six months. Mastering attribute-free magic gave him even greater speed, and he changed from a two-handed sword style to a two-handed sword style in order to improve his technique of fighting with his hands, using his natural ambition and prodigious athleticism to become stronger and stronger. Speaking of which, yesterday, with nine wins, eight losses and one hundred and twenty-eight draws against Hermann, Alma was happy to hear that she had successfully won for the first time. On the other hand, Hermann was really depressed. Well, as you can see from the number of draws, the two of them are evenly matched. Maybe tomorrow Hermann will win and lose nine out of nine. Even so, he''s even with the dungeon-trained Hermann, so I''m amazed at Alma''s growth speed. As such, we''re still small in number as a group, but I think we''ve grown enough to be able to say that we''re a select few. I''d like to continue to strengthen the group at the same time to strengthen its members. And as for our defense equipment, we have focused on the west side. Since it was originally a commercial town, Myrddin territory was only about gathering people together, there were no strong monsters around, and since we never got involved in a war, it was really poorly protected from the outside. Walls were just a decoration . They are low and thin because they were built only to keep goblins out of the city. There''s no way we could have survived the war just like that. So I started to rebuild the west wall. I thought about doing it by hand ......, but it would be impossible to complete it before the war started, so I spent about half a year experimenting and building the wall using only creative magic. I put a lot of thought into it, so I was satisfied with the result. I''m pretty confident since I designed many tricks and installed a golem that keeps watch over us 24 hours a day without a break. After the last explosion, I''ve decided to leave nothing to chance. Just like this, the Myrddin territory has been changing for the better in the past six months. But on the other hand, in the same half year, the empire had taken a turn for the worse . The cause, of course, was the Philibert family. The late master of the House of Philibert left behind many things that were very troublesome to the empire. Ruined territories, over-exploited territories on the verge of starvation, borders with kingdoms that were barely capable of defending themselves. I wonder how much money and time it would take to restore this to its original state already: ....... Of course, after I crashed the dungeon and made poverty even worse, there was no way I could think of a way to ignore it just because I was busy with my own territory, so I made sure to support it. But since I didn''t have enough manpower in my own domain alone, I only sent money, food and other relief supplies such as magic tools. From now on, when there''s room in my territory, I''ll have to dispatch people to support them. So, although the Empire is trying its best to revive the former Philibert territory, it hasn''t been able to make any progress. The reason for this is because the priority has been given to repairing and strengthening the defense base near the border of the kingdom rather than restoring the territory. There is a good reason for this too: ...... What do you think will happen if we leave the destroyed defense base intact and rebuild the territory first? If you think about it properly, you''ll understand, but no matter what you think, the kingdom will gladly come to take the territory that the reconstruction is over: ....... Because he knew that would happen, the emperor decided to focus on the defense first, despite the public''s disapproval . Really, politics is hard work . But it''s not a person thing: ....... Maybe from now on, I''ll be in charge of the vast western territory that was controlled by the former Philibert family and their subordinates. Last time I was asked to bow to the emperor and make a request. "I am truly sorry to impose on you, Leo, who has done so much for the empire in the past. But I''m not sure you''re the only one who can do this...... please, when you come of age. I''d like you to run the West in the future. Apparently, His Imperial Majesty, or rather, his idea of an empire, was to marry me off to Shelly as soon as I came of age, make me a duke with a long list of accomplishments, and as a member of the royal family, manage the vast, almost national, lands to the west that formerly belonged to the House of Philibert and its holdings that could not be entrusted to a nobleman, and make me a duke. The idea is to have the duke. So, I''m going to be a duke. Well, I suppose that''s inevitable. When I decided to marry Shelly, I knew I''d have to work for the empire. I just didn''t realize that I would have to work so hard ....... So, until adulthood ...... now I''m twelve, so four years until I''m sixteen . It takes a lot of good people, a lot of money, and a lot of planning to manage a huge area of land and plan for recovery in such a short period of time. Four years, or ...... by any stretch of the imagination, that''s an overwhelmingly short amount of time. ....... Well, we''ll have to do everything we can . For now, let''s wait until the territory we have now is completely developed before we start preparing for that one. All right, we''ve made our decision. All we have to do now is work hard! 154 Division II Expansion of Territories A few days after I turned twelve, I decided on a general plan for the future, and I immediately suggested to Ms. Flair that I had an idea. ''School?'' Yeah. I want to build a school where anyone, regardless of their status, can attend for three years for free. I explained the same thing again to Ms. Flair, who listened to my suggestion and tilted her head back at me. ''Do you mind if I ask ...... why?Now is the time to save up as much money as possible, isn''t it? Certainly, it''s better to save up as much money as possible for when you come of age. Even if you have a lot of money, if you spend it on developing a vast area of desolate land, it will be gone in no time. Yeah, well, that''s true. Maybe the money won''t be a problem once the underground city is built, because there will be more people there. More importantly, four years from now, there will be a huge shortage of people rather than money. I can take care of the money with my ideas, but I can''t create the talent . It''s true ...... that we''re short-staffed to even run this city for free. Yeah, I know. That''s why we want to build a school to train those people. If we could just put up a notice and get people to come to the school, we wouldn''t build a school. Even common people can do a bit of reading and writing, but proper cultivation like math is only for the nobles and a few common people. ....... There are too few educated people in this world who can work as civil servants to run a fiefdom. So if it''s difficult to attract talented people, I thought we should train them ourselves. I see. ......, do you think that you can develop that many people in three years? "Don''t worry. In three years, I think you''ll be able to get your education up to the level of graduating from an aristocratic school, or even more than ....... ''What?The Royalty School runs for six years, right?Isn''t that unreasonable for three years? No, no, no, that''s not true. You don''t have to teach etiquette, swordplay and magic in class like at the Royal Court. It''s just a school for civilians. We''re a school that specializes in training professionals. We don''t need to be all things to all people, like at the nobleman''s college. And I''m going to make sure that you have to be able to read and write to get in. So three years should be enough. I see. Then why don''t we create three classes: knight major, mage major, and civilian major?For knights and wizards are in short supply in this realm. ''Oh, that''s great!...... three majors? It''s true that the shortage of people in the Knights has always been a problem, and the Wizard ...... No, we''ve only been able to hire a few people who can use magic . I didn''t know that the school could solve that problem too . Sounds interesting. It''s a job. Well, let''s get ready to go when you do!The goal is to have my entrance ceremony on my thirteenth birthday. Three years. So if you think about it, my thirteenth birthday is just around the corner. That''s next year: ....... Okay. Then let me arrange for teachers and such. I''d appreciate it if you could help me build the school and plan the curriculum. Mr. Flair gave me a difficult look for a few seconds at my suggestion, but he agreed and immediately started to make plans . I know you''re busy to begin with, so I''m sorry about that: ....... I understand. The knight-major and wizard-major teachers can use our knights. You''re going to have a hard time finding someone to teach you magic and swordplay. I''m sorry to cut into your training time, but you''ll have to bear with me for future reference. Yes, sir. "Well then, let''s go to the estate and see if they have any nice buildings. If there aren''t any, I guess we''ll just have to widen the east side of the city where we haven''t built a wall yet. With that in mind, I transitioned towards the city. I hope I can find just the right mansion~. Enough later. ''Excuse me!The Myrddin territory has become more and more popular in recent years, and the chairmen of the large merchant associations have bought up all the good houses. Yeah. Yeah. ...... Okay. Yeah, there''s no other way. We''ll just have to spread it out to the east. There''s no space to build a school in the underground city either, since all the land has already been bought up. Since they are planning to build a pretty big school, the only way to do it is to expand their territory. ''''Huh?Are you going to expand your territory? I was just thinking about the future when the old man took a bite out of me. ''Yeah, but ...... Oh, you want to buy some land?'' There''s the merchants of this town. They''ll bite off more than they can chew on the profits. ''''Ha, yes ...... most of the mansions have been sold these days and there''s no business. Well, it''s a good thing you made that much money, right? I was wondering if it would be okay to sell the land to the old man. No, I think about what conditions I would put on it if I were to sell it. "Yeah, ......, I got an idea. Yes. Yes. This is how we''ll get the students together. "Huh? I need to ask you for a favor: ...... Then, when I explained my plan, the old man was a little troubled, but he agreed to help me out somehow. A week later ''Yes!End the expansion to the east! From the completed city walls, I looked out at the land where we were going to build the school and other things, and hailed it. I really wasn''t going to spend this much time on the expansion . I went to the country to check if it was okay to expand the land to the east, and also to build the north and south walls together, so it took me a week to do it. Well, it''ll be fine if we can do it in a year, so this is well within the margin of error. It doesn''t matter. We need to finish the city as soon as possible. For now, let''s just go ahead and lay out the map so we can find the place before building. The map is a blueprint of the city that I made with the real estate man and Elsie. If it works, this will become a map of my domain''s school district. The territory we''ve expanded this time is a quarter of Myrddin''s territory and we plan to turn it into a school district and training grounds for the Knights and Magical Knights. There will be a library and a large school in the center, and cheap apartments for students will be built around it. The library will be for the people in the city and students who don''t have the chance to read books. Books in this world are so expensive that I honestly didn''t know whether to build one or not, but if I build a school, it will include a library, right?So I made the decision to build it . There is no way the school will be completed within the time frame by hand, so I''ll build it by my creative magic, but I decided to leave the student apartments to the real estate guy. There is no need to hurry since it will be enough for one year''s worth of students to live there. And of course, in exchange for selling the land cheaply, I promised the students a low rent. With this, we can attract young people from other domains, right? And about the training grounds for the Knights and Magical Knights ...... I''ve decided to build them in the hope that the number of recruits will grow steadily and the castle training grounds won''t be enough. I''m going to use my creative magic to build the training grounds as well as the school. However, I''ve been thinking of some interesting training devices and I can''t wait to build it. So we''ll have to hurry up and build the school. But there are many things I want to try out at the school. Yeah - I want to try that one, and this one, and this one, oh, but I''m not going to do this one: ....... Then I was thinking about what kind of school I''m going to build and I finished laying the road . Okay, tomorrow we''ll start building a school! 155 CHAPTER III COLLECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME ① Please, sir. Please give me permission! Currently, I was on my knees to Belle, asking her to get down on my knees. There''s one place I can never go without permission from Belle: ....... ''No!I will never give you permission to do so, no matter what they say! I knew it wasn''t going to be easy. But I''m not gonna give up on you. Make it happen!As such, please. I rubbed my head on the ground and begged him for help. I had to get there. ''You can''t say no!You promised me you wouldn''t go to the Demon Forest until you came of age. Yes, I want to go to the Devil''s Wood. I would like to go there, but I promised Belle I wouldn''t, and now I''m trying to get her permission to break that promise. Well, I''m having a very difficult time negotiating. That''s right, but .........well, we''re running out of materials......... especially a large magical stone. ...... The magical stones I collected in the Demon Forest were used to build the castle wall, so I don''t have the magical stones I need to build the school. We''re going to need more and more magical stones from now on. ...... If this continues, we won''t be able to build anything good! You just said that. But you can''t! d*mn. How do I go about this: ....... ''Well, can''t you do something about that?Now, if we''re going to win the war, we''re going to need it for sure. Belle doesn''t want me to die in a war, does she? It''s all about war preparation. We don''t need these magical stones to remodel the school as a hobby. Yeah, that''s ...... Oh, Bell''s earlier fury of never forgiveness has diminished! Here''s your chance. Okay?That''s good, right?I''m doing this so I don''t die. I looked up and folded into Bell . ''Well, uh, ......!I almost got swept away. For a moment, he was about to forgive me, but Belle hurriedly shook her head and returned to the never forgive mode she was in earlier. Huh, how can I get her to forgive me? Oh, no? ''No no no!Wouldn''t it be the end of the world if you died in the Demon Forest just so you wouldn''t die in the war! d*mn ...... you''re too right to say anything back. Think about it. Anything you can think of that Belle would approve of. "Well, why don''t you come with me, then, ......?I promise to leave as soon as Bell decides it''s not safe! Good for a spur-of-the-moment idea, wasn''t it? I feel like Belle''s level right now isn''t ...... okay, but that''s where I can just beat her in a second and reassure her. ''''Wow, me too!Is it safe for me to go to the Demon Forest? Of course it''s okay. On the other hand, as long as Belle is out of harm''s way, it''s safe to go, right? I know I said it, so I don''t blame you, but are you sure it''s okay? Well, if it doesn''t work, we can just go to the transference and get out of there. ''You''re sure it''s safe?You''d be angry if I lied to you, wouldn''t you? Ugh, I''m not going to lie: ...... No, it''s a little dangerous, but it''s ....... Yeah, I''m fine. See?So, let''s go . It''s been a long time since I''ve had an adventure alone with Belle~ "Only two people: ...... Okay. Okay, I''ll give you a green light then. But you have to promise to leave as soon as I decide it''s not safe to do so. Hmmm, that last indulgence did the trick. I''m glad I could get away with it. Of course.I''m looking forward to tomorrow! Already ....... So you''ll start tomorrow morning then? Yeah, it''s a day trip. I know. Will you wake me up in the morning? I have an idea. I won''t wake Master Leo tomorrow. What the hell? What? If you overslept, it means you didn''t have any plans for tomorrow. d*mn it!I didn''t know that was possible! Oh, no. How many years do you think I haven''t been able to get up on my own? I can''t believe I''m up alone: ....... "Hmm, this is my punishment for breaking my promise to you. The truth is, you were no good until adulthood, so you deserve to be harassed like this. "Wow, okay. ...... Can I get up tomorrow? I don''t think I can do it. The next day. Please wake up. Please wake up. Please wake up. Wake up!(Wake up!) Ugh, wow! I jumped up with a ridiculously loud scream, and there was no one around. But I noticed a clock near my pillow that I had made in the dungeon a long time ago. Wha-what an alarm clock: ....... I still hate to use this alarm clock ...... It''s kind of like a direct gunshot to my head, and it''s about five times more disgusting than a normal alarm. Well, it''s a good thing I woke up on time. Well, let''s get ready. Oh, by the way, is Belle awake?Normally, it''s a time that doesn''t happen: ...... Now that I think about it, I forgot to tell you what time I got up. I was so busy thinking about getting up that I just forgot. I wondered what I should do, but I changed my clothes and went out of the room. Hmmm. I guess no one else is awake. Well, what choice do I have? Let''s go to Belle''s room: ...... I walked down the corridor, with no sign of anyone awake and only a golem of guards wandering around, to Belle''s room . ''''Come to think of it, this is the first time I''ve been in Bell''s room, including the dormitory room and the imperial mansion . Saying this, I knocked. Knock. Belle. Are you awake? I tried calling the bell at the door, but there was no response. Yeah, this one''s sleeping. ....... I don''t know what to do. Sorry to bother you. I might get mad at you later for going in there without permission, but I got up so early in the morning, I''m not going to waste my time waiting for the bell to wake up! When I entered the room, I could hear him sleeping from the bed in the corner of the room. Oh, I knew she was asleep. You look so cute asleep. I walked over to the side of the bed to see who was sleeping, and it was that cute little Belle. Okay, let''s wake her up. But still, Belle''s room is neat and tidy: ......? I was about to say that Belle''s room must be tidy with no extra stuff in it, as per her serious nature, but then I saw the pictures on the wall and the things on the shelves . This is definitely someone I shouldn''t have seen. "My ...... figure, right?And that''s a picture of me. When did you take this one? It''s scary to see several of my figures on a shelf. Maybe Elsie got them from her creation magic practice, but this is scary . There''s also a framed photo ...... of Belle crying and me consoling her at the beginning of her dorm life. I''m sure Elsie is the culprit behind this one too, but ...... since when did she ask her mentor for a camera? It hadn''t been that long since you hadn''t seen Elsie, had it? There''s some pretty godd*mn scary stuff about me in there. There are other clothes on the shelves and on the desk that I no longer wear ...... No, I didn''t see anything . ''Yeah, let''s pretend I didn''t see anything and wake up the bell. I turned away from the shelves and the desk and went back to my bed. ''Belle, wake up,'' ''Unn...... Dear Leo?Mm-hmm. It smells like Leo~ I shook my body as I called his name, and Belle clung to me, making a noise that I didn''t know if she was awake or not. ''Oh, hey!Wait!She''s chewing on it!Because you''re biting me! I''m pretty sure he''s not asleep at the wheel!I mean, it hurts like hell to have a canine tooth sticking in me! We sleep together sometimes, but it wasn''t such a bad sleeping habit! A few minutes later ''Ugh, I''m finally freed: ...... In front of Belle''s room, I waited for her to finish dressing while I used holy magic to heal her shoulder where her teeth had been stuck. It''s not ...... hard to get Belle to wake up. I''m sure you''ll be able to find out more about this in the future. All right, I''m feeling better. Don''t let this happen to you. ...... You were injured before you went to the Devil''s Forest. He had it coming. What do you think you''re doing, sneaking into a sleeping girl''s room! As I was checking my shoulder, a disgruntled Belle came out of the room. I guess it wasn''t a good idea to go into the room without permission. "Because ...... Yeah, I can''t think of any excuse. Because it''s not like this.For that matter, did you look inside the ...... room or something? Yeah, this is a bad guy to say you saw that. Mr. Bell, your eyes are freaking me out. In the room?What''s going on?It was so dark I couldn''t see anything. I feel like this was one of the best performances I''ve ever given. No, no. If you didn''t see it, it''s okay. Are you sure you didn''t see it? Uh-huh. Miss Bell, your face is close. Especially under the bed. We''re under the bed? There was something under the bed too!I mean, there were more bad things hidden under the bed than shelves and desks! ''What''s wrong with your face and under the bed?It says: ....... I knew you saw the rest of it? Ah!I''m so shocked, I can''t believe I just showed my face! ...... Yeah, let''s reopen this one. ''No, I didn''t see anything, and I don''t remember anything. Yeah, all I remember is Belle''s sleeping face. Yeah, ...... okay. I''ll let that slide this time. Apparently, they''re going to take steps to say ''I didn''t see it'' . Well, I''m sure it would be embarrassing for Bell to see that one: ....... Oops, I didn''t see anything . And I heard a muffled "Thank God. I''m glad they didn''t see me. If you had seen me under the bed, I would have locked Leo up somewhere. 156 CHAPTER IV COLLECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME ② Okay, I''m here!Now, let''s keep gathering more and more material today. After preparing for the bell, we came to the entrance of the Devil''s Forest. The last time I was here, it looked a lot more evil: ....... I knew I was getting stronger over the years, right? I''ve been so busy with school and territory management these days that I haven''t had a chance to really fight ...... I hope my instincts haven''t been dulled. ''''Is it safe to go out of the country without permission ......?Wouldn''t you normally have to go through a checkpoint? A checkpoint?Oh, that''s right, yeah. Well, it''s a day trip, so it should be okay.Besides, I don''t want my mom to find out ....... Maybe ...... or maybe you definitely have to enter the Devil''s Forest from the proper place, but if you do that ...... you''ll get in touch with your mother . ''''You''re going to hide ...... after all, aren''t you? That''s true. I''m tired of my mom''s long hours of preaching, so I don''t want her to find out. All right, we''ll make it to the Demon Lord''s palace in half a day. ''You fooled me. ...... is a demon king?What do you mean? ''''Oh, by the way, ......, um, it''s okay . He''s a gentle demon king. Would it be a bad idea to spread the word that the Demon King is alive? I just feel like I want to live my life in secret, unencumbered, for the rest of my life. It would be a disaster if I provoked her, so I think it''s best not to tell people. "What do you mean, being a gentle demon king? Don''t worry about it. Let''s go, guys. Come on, follow me! Oh, don''t fool yourself! Overhearing Bell''s plea, I pulled her hand away and walked into the forest. I''m holding her hand so that I can escape in transition soon. Well, I''m sure it''ll be fine, but I promised Belle that I would. Just as I was thinking that, a horde of black ogres surrounded us. Hey, it''s a black ogre. Long time no see. I remember the first time I came through here, I was surrounded by these guys. I was having a hard time with them. Leleo-sama. I have a feeling that you''re very strong. ...... Are you sure you''re okay? While squeezing my hand tightly, Belle gave me a worried look. From Belle''s point of view, there''s a four-fold difference in level between her and the Kuro Ogre, so it''s no wonder she''s scared ...... . "Don''t worry about it. You''ll be able to kill this one in an instant. I created a lightning spell that instantly killed the black ogres to reassure Belle. ''''Oh, it''s true. But ...... the demon was more ferocious than I had imagined. Isn''t it still dangerous? It''s okay. You didn''t have to move a single step to take him down, okay? Unun...... Belle wasn''t exactly nodding my head in response to my safety appeal. Six hours later Okay, now we won''t have to suffer from a shortage of magic stones for a while. While talking about this, I looked at the magic stone and precious materials in my bag and naturally smiled. It was worth it to run around the forest at full speed. You''re already ...... too fast. If it weren''t for this broomstick that Leo gave me, I would have been left behind in a heartbeat. I was pleased with the results of my half-day''s work when I heard a voice from above complaining. "That''s why I got a broom for you. Didn''t you enjoy the ride? Belle was riding the flying magic broom I used to find the dragon . I didn''t think it would be efficient to walk with her, so yesterday I had a plan to get her to follow me on this broom once she understood it was safe to do so. It''s quite difficult to operate, but Bell got on it quickly and kept up with my speed. Yes, but ...... Then why not? Come on, I''ll go to the Demon King. You know, I just thought I''d at least say hello to you if I came all this way. She''s probably already aware that I''m on my way there and she''s waiting for me. With that in mind, I walked out into the open area where the demon king was. Is this ...... the demon king really here? Belle gets off her broom and sticks to my back to hide herself from a house. Well, I can understand why she''s so scared. To Belle, you''re the symbol of fear. "Yeah. I am. Oh, but it''s been four years since I last saw her, so I''m not sure she''s there. I haven''t been here since I came here to defeat the dragon: ...... Maybe he got bored with this place and moved away? No, I''m here. Ah, I knew it. Kyah~! I didn''t think anything of it because I was expecting it, but Belle was surprised enough to sit up and take notice of the appearance from behind by the Demon King. When I turned around, holding the trembling Belle in my arms, the Demon King was standing there looking apologetic . ''''You scared the hell out of me, ...... How are you doing?'''' Yeah. You look as good as ever at ....... Well, since I''m a demon race, not much will change in four years or so . Well, I can''t change. You, on the other hand, have changed. Hey, that''s not a bad thing. You''re maturing well. That''s true. People grow up in four years. Aye, people really do live a short time. But they can live a very intense life. I envy you. Do you envy him? Do you envy the Demon King who has that much power and can live for many times longer than others? Well, I can''t really say that to the Demon King who has a sad look in his eyes . Yes, I''ve lived for nearly a thousand years. I''ve lived, but most of those thousand years have been spent doing nothing ...... but passing the time. A thousand years?Are you really that alive? Can a demon race live that long?Because he''s a powerful demon?Or is it because he''s a demon king? Hmm?Didn''t I tell you this before?As I recall, that''s when I showed you where the dragons were. ''Did I tell you that?Yeah, ...... I was so impressed with the dragon that I don''t remember it. Okay. In case you forgot, I''ll explain it to you. I couldn''t tell you the details of what I was doing then, anyway. Hmm. So you''re telling me now? It''s only been four years since then, okay? Well, four years is a lot for a person''s children. Simply put, yes. Now is the time to teach them. The time? Is there ever a good time to learn about the Demon King? I''ll tell you all about it in the house. Come on. Oh, and you can bring your Beast King''s daughter with you. Are you sure you''re okay with me letting Bell hear this?I looked at him as if to say, "I''m sorry," and the Demon King gave me the OK. I''m glad I couldn''t leave Belle here, who looks like she can''t even stand up yet ......, didn''t I just say something outrageous? Juju, the Beast King? Didn''t you just say you''re the daughter of the Beast King? What?Hadn''t you noticed?Only beast royalty can use beast magic, remember?Oh, come to think of it, it''s no wonder you don''t know . The Beast King''s Daughter: ...... It''s a bell. I looked at Belle, and she seemed to be having trouble figuring out what to call me, so I told her my name . ''I see . Belle, you are the last survivor of the Beastmen Royal Family. ''What?What do you mean? How did beastly royalty end up in an orphanage?And what does it mean to be the last survivor? Simple. Belle is the only daughter of the last Beastmen king who managed to keep her alive. Before he died, the Beast King left his child in the care of an old friend, fighting and dying to protect his country from a powerful enemy. An old friend is ...... the grandmother in the orphanage where Belle grew up? Holy shit. Who was that old lady, Friend of the Beast King?Seriously, I think I need to make time to go see him next time. I mean, more importantly. That powerful enemy is ......? Who killed the Beast King? That sounds like what I was going to tell you, so I''ll tell you when we get inside. With that, the demon king walked into his house. ''''I''m here today to collect materials. ...... I didn''t expect this to happen, but I had no choice but to follow the demon king into the house. 157 CHAPTER V SECRET OF THE WORLD (1) So, what the hell do you think you''re going to tell me? As I sat down in the chair across from the demon king while holding Belle, who was still struggling to find her feet, I quickly got down to business. "About that, ...... are you ready to let that ...... bell over there know that you have never revealed anything to anyone before? ''What?What I haven''t revealed: ......? That means I''m a reincarnation, right? It''s probably the only secret I haven''t told anyone so far. I don''t care how the Demon King knows about it, but surely you don''t want ...... Belle to know about it? Come to think of it, why did I hide the fact that I''m a reincarnation? It''s something you''ve been hiding for so long that you''ve forgotten why: ....... Was it because you didn''t want people to look at you funny or something? What I''m about to tell you has something to do with Belle, doesn''t it? Yeah, a lot. Well: ...... Well then... I''ll have to make up my mind. It''s not like it matters that I''m a reincarnated person when compared to Belle''s father and my hometown. Okay, all right. All right, I''ll tell Belle. Okay. Well, I''ll let Belle know so we can move on. Yeah. "So, Bell: ...... After making up my mind, I turned the bell I was holding to face me. "Wait a minute ......, I can''t be the only one to know Leo-sama''s secret! As I was about to speak, Belle, who had been in a state of complete abandonment, suddenly rushed to cover my mouth. ''It''s okay. I''m going to tell Shelly and the others. Now that I''ve told Bell, I''ll tell Shelly and the others. But I''ll tell them at ...... Don''t worry. You''ll learn to live with that one day. I''m just saying. So I''ll just say it. Actually, I''m a reincarnate ...... and I have some memories of a previous life. Hearing the Demon King''s words, I didn''t wait for Belle''s reaction before I said it . Belle was not ...... surprised and had a pouty look on her face. ''''A memory from a previous life?'''' Yeah, I don''t know what you''re talking about just from that explanation . ''Well, it''s hard to tell when you say it all of a sudden, isn''t it?To put it simply, I have other memories of Leons, as well as memories of a time when I lived in a completely different world than here. ''What?What do you mean by that ......? Yeah...... I''ve prepared to say this much, but it''s a delicate feeling to have a reaction like that . ''Well ...... I mean, I''ve had memories since I was born that someone from some different world had. When I explained that, Belle seemed to understand my secret more and more, but she still had a difficult look on her face. The first thing you need to know is that you have been born ...... since you were born, so you are a Leo-sama, right? That''s a hard question to answer: ...... If this memory is what''s driving me, is the name ...... Leons just an ornament? No, but I''m living with Leons, and if I''m aware that I''m Leons, I''m me . Yeah . I think I''m me, including this memory. ...... Okay. Then you''re good to go. Satisfied with the answer I had given her after much thought, Belle, who was being held by me, smiled softly at me. ''Huh?Do you have any more?Me, the reason I''ve been getting good grades and making a lot of money is because of this memory, right?Don''t you think that''s unfair? First of all, it''s the memories that made creation magic such a cheat ability: ....... Me, what kind of life would I be living if I didn''t have any memories of my previous life? Maybe ...... I wouldn''t have been able to use normal, or even creative magic, so I''d have been treated like a dropout . But I would have had a more peaceful life than I do now, right? He wouldn''t have been too strong for nothing, and Grandpa wouldn''t have taken him to the dungeon, so he''d still be alive: ....... Ah, but that''s not what happened . The attack on Shelly''s birthday party would have been attacked by a ninja, regardless of my memory ......, so he probably would have died there . So you''re lucky to have the memory. ...... I don''t think it''s ...... cheating, since it''s part of Leo-sama. Memories of a different world?I don''t care if you have or not, my feelings about Leo-sama will never change. No matter how powerful Leo-sama is, I know that he doesn''t use his power for anything wrong except for s*x, and he is a kind person who works hard for others. When I was done with my thoughts, Belle came over to me with a barrage of words to tell me how she felt. It''s not that I''m not a nice person, but ...... well, I''m just doing what I want to do, and as a result, I''m doing it for other people, so I''m not a nice person, but ...... well, I''d say thank you. ." "Oh, thanks ....... "Kukku. Except for the s*x stuff. Yeah, that''s ...... I was going to miss out on hearing about that because there were a few things that were familiar to me~ . I couldn''t help but turn my eyes to the Demon King to tell him to stop . ''''I don''t mind. It''s the prerogative of the human race to have a healthy s*x drive. Really? Well, compared to the demon race, which has a long life span, it''s more important to leave offspring, and is that right? ''Oh, no, not as much as the beastly race, but ......'' The Demon King didn''t expect to be heard back seriously, but he quickly corrected himself . Are they inferior to the beast race? ...... It''s true, the beast race is instinctive in terms of imagery . ''''That''s right~'''' What is it?Are you trying to tell me that I''m s*xier than Master Leo? I turned to face Belle with a grin on my face, and she was miffed. ''Nothing~'' Because if you''re not a naughty person, you''ve got my clothes in your room ...... No, I''m wrong about this . I didn''t see anything in Belle''s room in the morning . The moment I tried to remember the morning, Belle''s miffed eyes turned into a glare, and I stopped thinking. Yeah, I can''t piss Belle off any more. Really, you guys are hot. I don''t think the master and the maid are related. Or is this the kind of forbidden love that only humans have. I''m a demon. I don''t know. ''Well, ...... I''ve got a lot to say, but how do you know Belle is a maid?'' What''s a forbidden love? ...... No, if you ask me, it''s a forbidden love between the head of a noble family with a fiance and a maid who is in love with him. Well, I don''t care about that, so it''s okay . No, should I care about it? Noah. More importantly, how did the Dark Lord know that Belle is a maid? Now that Belle is dressed as an adventurer, she shouldn''t look like a maid at all, should she? Hmm?Yeah, I''ve been watching you with this in my spare time for the last few years. Saying that, the demon king took out a transparent sphere the size of a basketball from somewhere. ''''Is this the core of the ...... dungeon?'''' Oh, you got it right. Oh, and by the way, you''re a failure too, but you built a dungeon. You know me so well. I knew you''d be watching me. ''Yeah, I know, but aren''t the cores of ...... dungeons usually only seen inside those dungeons? ''Yeah, usually it is. That''s because this is combined with my spatial magic. ''When combined with spatial magic, you mean you can peek anywhere you want? That''s it. I''ve been to all the places in the world I''ve visited. Well, I don''t go to the girl''s bathroom. Well, I don''t want to talk about it. Why do you keep trying to bring it up? Master Leo, no matter how many times you get pissed off, you can''t stop peeking at me: ...... Oh, I can''t hear you~! ''Well, all kidding aside, there isn''t a place in the world I haven''t been to, so I can look at practically any place I want in the world from this core. This whole world is like my dungeon. He''s just the most powerful demon in the world. That was true a little over a hundred years ago, wasn''t it? "What? I was kidding when I said that the whole world is a demon king''s dungeon, right? Okay, now that Belle is relaxed. Let''s get down to business. Uh-huh. "Let''s start by talking about ...... and how I''m a reincarnation too, okay? "''What?A reincarnation! Belle and I were both surprised to hear something outrageous said right from the start. 158 CHAPTER VI SECRET OF THE WORLD (2) "''What?A reincarnation! Yeah, I am. I''m a reincarnation just like you and your slaves. When me and Belle were surprised to see me and Belle''s eyes widen, what''s up with being so surprised?The demon king looked at me as if to say. I don''t mean to scare you. Well, that''s a good thing, because if you say you''re a reincarnated person, that''s how strong you are, but ...... hey? Yes, ...... I knew there were reincarnators after all. Yeah, there is. You have 11 reincarnations in this world. Nine of them that I know of. ''What?Eleven!There are so many of them! And there are two reincarnations that the Demon King can''t even grasp: ....... This world is even bigger than I thought it would be. ''''It''s still a lot less than I thought. ''What?Less? On the other hand, were there more of them before? That''s absolute chaos! There are people dying because they couldn''t kill other reincarnated people. Wow ...... It was just as I expected, but more than I expected. ''Huh?Do reincarnated people kill each other? Before I could even say a word, Belle asked the Demon King a question. Judging from his extremely anxious expression, he''s probably worried that I''ll have to kill each other. Yeah, I guess so. We were prepared for that ...... and in fact, you were almost killed by the Grantor, right? You were prepared for that. ....... Endowment agent?Oh, you mean the master''s son, Gert. "...... What?Was that man a reincarnation? It''s true that he has a cheat ability, but it sounds like it, if you ask me. I hadn''t thought of that at all. No, I didn''t think there were any other reincarnations other than myself, so I guess it can''t be helped . That''s right. That''s right." "I have a magic and skill that allows me to use my vast magical power to give objects and tools special functions. ''That sounds like a strong one: ....... I''m starting to worry about you winning, even though you''ll have to fight in a few years. Well, I was worried about the instant death bomb alone, but it''s seriously too painful to have a powerful skill and memories of a previous life. I think we''re going to be fine. They say a Gracester is backwards compatible to a creator. If you''re not careful, he''s not someone you can beat. Huh?Really?But, since the Demon King says so, is it? Backwards compatible or ...... but those instant death bombs and stuff are strong, right? Sure, you can do the same ...... no, you can do the same thing with creation magic on a larger scale, but that''s overkill. If you''re going to kill each person, the power of granting magic is enough, right? For generations, grantors have been of dwarven descent and are good at crafting weapons and magical devices. That''s why they can do complicated things. An ordinary man could never make something like that with just granting magic. Depending on this generation''s skills, I think they''ll continue to improve in the future. "Wow, ...... that''s scary. He''s the master''s son, he''ll definitely make some great magic tools. ...... Yeah, we need to prepare for more battles. I have a feeling we won''t be able to win this war without overdoing it . If we won against that ...... grantor, wouldn''t Leo-sama be fighting with other reincarnated people? As I was wondering about the fight with Gert, Belle, who was still holding me, asked me a reserved question . That''s right: ...... Belle was right, there are eleven reincarnated people, and for some reason they''re killing each other. If you think about it, if you beat Gert, you''ll end up in peace!That doesn''t mean that ....... ''I''d like to tell you that there isn''t ......, but that''s not going to happen . I can say for sure, Leo will be targeted by other incarnations. I know, ...... kind of scares me to sleep tonight. I''ve had better luck with status than most people, haven''t I?Do you think it will be down before you know it? I''ll have to check this when I get back . ''''Oh no, why is that ...... why are the reincarnated people killing each other?'''' Belle was shivering in my lap. She is probably even more afraid of fighting the reincarnation than I am. For Belle, who can''t even stand in front of a demon king with too much magical power, she must have realized that the reincarnated person is stronger than me and is a very frightening existence. To a normal person like Belle, it''s really scary. Well, I''m able to maintain a superficial sense of normalcy, but I''m too anxious to be alone tonight . For some reason ...... nothing, we don''t like killing each other. Then why? I''ll have to explain that to you by looking back over my long life, which spans a thousand years at ....... A thousand years. ...... Speaking of which, can demons live that long? That would mean that ...... Lou would live for a thousand years, too. ....... I don''t think lonely Lou is going to be able to take it very well. That''s right. The more magic a demon and an elf have, the longer they can live. I have more magic than any other demon in the world. In response to the magic ...... I knew Lou was going to live a long time. I''m sorry to hear that, but there''s nothing I can do to help her,...... or at least try to help us live longer. Thank you. ...... Sorry to interrupt the conversation. Go on, please. Yeah. A thousand years ago. I was born in a demon village. Just like you. No, I was a little different from you guys. The first generation of me knew who I was in my previous life. I know you''re talking about the first generation and all that nonsense, but I certainly don''t know who my previous life was . I don''t even want to know who I was in my previous life: ...... Well, I don''t think I want to know now. "Before I came to this world, I was just a regular student. Before I came to this world, I was just a regular student, living a good life every day with my three friends ...... and then I found myself in this world. I was given a mission. The mission? ''Yeah, I''ve forgotten a lot of things in the last thousand years, but I''ll never forget that one word. Maybe that''s just the way it is. "My me. This is an order. ''You are to kill all the messengers except yourself,'' that''s what was said to me just before I reincarnated in this world. ''''Come to think of it, right before I was reincarnated, I heard a voice from a god-like being too . It just wasn''t such a bleak word, though: ...... You know, I''m looking forward to seeing how I live with my special powers. That''s right. You don''t have a mission. ''What?What do you mean? I''ll explain later. But let''s get back to it. Oh, I''m digressing again . But there''s too much information to be concerned about: ....... ''I had a hard time in the first few years after I was born: ...... I have memories of the world over there, and life in that village was nothing but hell for me.'' Hell, yeah. ...... What was the village like? If the Demon King says it was hell, it must have been a pretty tough place to live. "The Weak and the Strong. The weak must follow the strong. Power is everything. I''ve always had to fight the people in my village. Of course, I had special memories and abilities, so I never lost a fight. Wow ...... what kind of a fighting tribe have you been reincarnated as. That must have been tough,...... I''m glad to be reincarnated into a privileged family. It''s a good thing I was born into a nobleman''s family,...... and one of the highest-ranking dukes in the land. You should be a little more aware of your good fortune. And just when I was tired of living that life, a man came into my village. He introduced himself to me and then, without saying a word, he dragged his village into an attack on me. He attacked you?Could that be a reincarnation? ''His name is ...... I''ve already forgotten his name, but all I remember is that he was a classmate of mine in a previous life. I knew you were a reincarnation. And being able to attack your classmates ...... acquaintances is amazing. No, is it possible that you''re being manipulated by a god? I''m starting to get that feeling that anything is possible because of all the unexpected information that''s been coming in. That was the first time I died. I''m used to dying ...... now, but I still can''t forget the feeling I had when I died for the first time ....... Hmm?Dead? ''What?What do you mean? If you''re dead, why are you here? ''''Oh, we didn''t explain that yet. As a reincarnated person, you are endowed with two things: special magic and a special skill. So, in addition to spatial magic, I have a skill called super regeneration. I knew you were using spatial magic, but ...... is a super regenerator. ''Super regeneration?You mean like faster than normal regeneration? I''ve had experience with the regeneration skill I got in a dungeon that kept me from dying, but I''m not sure if that''s the same for the Demon King. Yeah, that''s part of it. The main thing is that you''ll never die. No, that''s still not one of the strengths of this skill: ...... Hmm?I mean, what kind of ability is that? ''The greatest strength of my super regeneration, and the ability to be a factor in my never ending hell, is that every time I die, I return to my prime body. Dead and back to your best days? What do you mean?It''s great to die and come back to life, but demon kings don''t originally fade, so wouldn''t it make a difference if they had it or not? Demon kings don''t age with their vast magical powers, do they? ''''No, no matter how much a demon race is, if they live for a thousand years, their magic power will decline. And as the demon race''s magic power declines, their other statuses will also decline. I can''t help but notice that when you die, your magic power returns to your prime, so you''re young again. So you haven''t aged at all, even though you''ve lived for a thousand years. I''m sure you''re not going to be able to find out what''s going on in the world.Oh, Grandpa. Oh, I had a family member who defeated the Demon King . My grandfather did. ...... Oh, right! Now you''ve solved that question I''ve been wondering about. How did my grandfather manage to defeat the demon king? Ever since I learned of the Demon Lord''s extraordinary strength when I was eight years old I''ve doubted my grandfather''s achievement. But I guess that''s all settled today. The only reason my grandpa and the others were able to defeat the Demon King was because the Demon King who was over a thousand years old was weak! Grandpa, I''m sorry for doubting you. ''''No, I died once during the last brave, but it wasn''t long before I first learned of my super regeneration strengths. I almost fell off the edge when I heard the Demon Lord''s words. Huh?Does that mean that Grandpa beat the Demon King with the power he had in his prime? I don''t understand it anymore. ....... ''''Oh, by the way, when you first met the Demon King, you said that you wouldn''t die unless the magic stone was broken, was that a lie? ''Magical stones?Yeah, you lied to me by saying that. I thought that since some of the demon tribe has such a trait, they wouldn''t know, so I told you a lie. I couldn''t even tell you at that time, so it was hard to cover it up. ''''That''s right: ...... The Demon King''s reaction was so impressive to my training afterwards that I forgot about it. I didn''t know it was such a well-thought-out lie. I was the Demon King at the time, so could that be possible?That''s about it. Yeah, that fight was fun. I''ve been cooped up in this house for almost 40 years, so I got my first good workout in a long time. Good exercise or ....... I thought I was going to die fighting. Well, I''m not weak enough to beat a young man who hasn''t lived for a hundred years. Well, yeah. From the fact that I''m a hundred years old and a young man, I''m no match for you while you''re alive . Oops, I''m getting off track again. Let''s get back to my younger days. Oh, I''m sorry. When I was killed by the other incarnations along with the village''s inhabitants and experienced my first reincarnation, the gods gave me another mission. To kill the other incarnations. When I came back to life, there was nothing I wanted to do. We usually attacked each other, but I knew I had to take out the enemies of the people in my village who were like family ....... So I set out on a journey to find the reincarnation, just like God told me to do. I see. ...... So that''s when the Demon King started killing each other. ''''During that time, he killed a number of reincarnations, but he never found the one he was looking for. Maybe their abilities were passed on to the next generation over the course of their lifetimes. The next generation? Speaking of which, you mentioned earlier that grantors are inherited by the blood of dwarves, but are reincarnated people inherited next, even if they die? Isn''t that going to be a mudslinging battle? Yeah. We reincarnates come from all different races and have different lifespans, right? Yes. Well, even the Demon King and I have completely different races and lifespans. ''''So one of the rules decided among the gods is that if a messenger dies after his life span, he can prepare another reincarnation. Because of this, our battles have turned into bog-standard battles. If it''s a case of life expectancy or ......, then if you kill it, that ability won''t be inherited next. But I guess it''s still a muddle: ....... But still, it''s a rule set among gods. Maybe this is God''s proxy war?Or is it a play with people among the gods? Well, either way, I knew God was messed up . 159 CHAPTER VII SECRET OF THE WORLD (3) ''''So, one of the rules decided among the gods is that if a messenger dies after a lifetime, they can prepare another reincarnation . Because of this, our battles have turned into bog-standard battles . If it''s a case of life expectancy or ......, then if you kill it, that ability won''t be inherited next. But I guess it''s still a muddle: ....... But still, it''s a rule set among gods. Maybe this is God''s proxy war?Or is it a play with people among the gods? Well, either way, I see that God is messed up . ''''The short-lived human race with short lifespans and many children...... this is very troublesome . Except for the brave ones, when a reincarnate dies, he or she is supposed to be chosen from the children of successive generations of descendants within the next five to ten years. The Past: ...... How many successive generations in a thousand years is ...... now, how many people have the potential to be reincarnated? ''''That''s right. The special attribute magic was originally only available to reincarnated people. If the blood of reincarnated people had spread for a thousand years, it would have become ...... a bit rare now, right? Sure. ...... Heh, so the special attributes had their roots in reincarnation. So that means all the people with the special attribute were possibly reincarnated? I still have no idea how many people would be reincarnated. ''''That''s why if someone with a personality that doesn''t want to show off too much is reincarnated, we old-timers won''t be able to find them . ...... Huh?Doesn''t that mean I''m in serious danger? I''ve stood out like a ton of bricks, haven''t I?Maybe even globally. Oh, so that''s why Gert, the Grantor, wanted to kill you. Well, he''d be dead by now. You''re only alive because you''re protected by the creators. Hmm?A creator? What do you mean, he was protected by the Creators?I''m a creator too, you know? Didn''t you say earlier that when a life span dies, the ability is inherited? ''Oh, maybe he''s doing something to prevent his own heirs from dying when he dies? A magic item made with creation magic would be able to do something like that. Then I should think about what I can do for the next generation. No, he''s alive. The Creator is still watching over the world at the lowest level of the Dungeon of Trials. God''s Rule ...... I know you have a lot to say about the discrepancy between what you said earlier and what I said earlier, but I''ll explain it to you in order. Yeah, okay. He cut off my next question, so I shut up for now. We can''t go any further. ''''Creator, as long as he''s here, there''s no way for the old incarnations to enter the Empire. What''s the trick? Is there some kind of magic item or something trapped in there that will cause something to happen when you come in? Yeah. You''ll end up like me who declared war on the human world. I''ll be weakened by creation magic and then sequestered in a place where people will never come. Oh, so this declaration of war on the human world was against the creators? That solves another one of my oldest mysteries. I always knew something was wrong, you know?A demon king this strong doesn''t need to fight against the human world. I have a feeling people will be annihilated in a day if I want to. But you''re not going to kill him. Oh, you''re not going to die. I see. If I understand it, this creator''s method of keeping the demon king in quarantine is the worst thing that could happen to a mortal demon king. I wouldn''t have lasted a week alone in a place like this, if I were you. No, that man can kill me. Only a hero with a weapon made by the creator and the grantor can kill me. ''''The Holy Sword grants the highest skill grantor of all time the ''Demon King''s Special Attack''. It can nullify the Demon King''s ability to revive. The Holy Sword had that kind of power: ....... I''m pretty sure it didn''t say that kind of ability when I saw it in the appraisal, did it?Could it be that the abilities granted cannot be seen in the appraisal? You''ve learned something depressing again: ....... Huh. ...... Yeah?What''s with the sighing? No, it''s fine. Anyway, did the Demon King really lose to Grandpa?Even if there was such an awesome holy sword, I don''t feel like I could win? It''s a secret skill of the brave. We call it the hero''s correction. Heroic correction? What''s that hero-correction kind of ability? Those hidden skills are absolutely awesome. Yeah....only a brave man can use it once in his life. Brave men don''t reincarnate, they transfer. It''s like a handicap for that. The ability is super high compatible with breaking the limit, so if you''re about to lose to an opponent with more than ten times the status difference, you can get even with them until the fight is over. We''re evenly matched, ......, but only if it''s about even. The Demon King who''s been alive for a long time in terms of technology is more dominant, and you can''t lose, right? ''No, it''s not so much that. Brave men usually have companions. Last time I checked, it was a saint and a mage. That''s more trouble than it''s worth. When a brave man is of equal strength, a mage''s attack can block his line of sight, or a saint''s holy magic can heal a brave man. ...... The formation is reversed all at once. I see. ...... That could be a winner. Friends. That''s a very brave man''s way of winning. Well, if I''d had my magic, I could have used spatial magic to get it done. The weakening of the Creators did the trick. Ah... so you won because your creator was weakened. That explains it. But you''re not dead. I don''t understand why there''s so much inconsistency in the explanation already, right? How is it that he was defeated by a sword that can''t be revived and he''s still alive? ''''That''s right. The holy sword grant was off. ''What?Did I miss it?Who took it off? Maybe the creators took it off you in advance. I need to know if I''m going to die. You''re a creator again. ...... We don''t want you to die. "Hey, why would you challenge such a strong creator to a fight? From what the Demon King said, it sounds like he knew the power of the creator from the beginning and challenged him? Given the Demon King''s character, would he do such a futile thing when he knew he would lose? Yeah, I''ll get to that next. There are two other people in this world who are as strong as or stronger than me. Two or ...... one more in addition to the creator. Is that a lot or not ....... No, it''s a lot when you consider that there are three people with the power to easily destroy the human race. One is the "creator" I mentioned. The other is the destroyer. "Vandal?Is there a reincarnation with the same abilities as Lou?Oh, I''m a creator, too. Is Lou in the same pattern as me? And there''s a new Demon Lord. This is a new rule we made to solve the equilibrium between the three of us. New rules? ''''This was before your grandfather was transferred to this world. A god who hadn''t interfered for hundreds of years suddenly arrived without warning with the words, ''End this war within the next 50 years or there will be new rules. Otherwise, new rules will be added to the mix.'' It was before my grandfather was transitioned, so ...... it''s already been fifty years, right? Okay, so that''s why it''s a new rule . But still, God is mean: ....... When I heard those words, I figured that since the rules are so far out of bounds to declare them, they''re going to make me get in a lot of trouble, so I decided to start moving on, thinking it was better than that. Is that why you''re challenging the Creators? The demon king shook his head when I asked that. No, I was challenging the destroyer. The three of us have just the right balance of chemistry. The creator''s strongest against the demon king, the destroyer''s strongest against the creator, and I''m strongest against the destroyer. When someone kills an advantageous opponent, it makes it easier for his natural enemy . You''re right, this is a tough one to fight. "No matter how much he destroys me, the destroyer can''t kill me. I, on the other hand, can use spatial magic to attack at will. I thought I''d win the war easily. Only, ...... I lost. Huh?Seriously!We had a good thing going, didn''t we? It was a miscalculation. His magic was diminishing with age, and he was making up for it by killing people. I didn''t think he had the same magic as he did in his prime. Ah. So Lou has this ability to take magic away from people he''s killed. That certainly doesn''t diminish his magic forever. I was killed so easily. As I was being revived, I was parasitized by that bastard''s shadow-catcher, who worked for him and became a puppet. Under his control, I was helplessly declaring war on the creators. The shadow user ...... also has a new incarnation . In terms of name and description, is it the power to use shadows to control them? Controlling the Demon Lord is just too scary. Of course the creator knows that I''m in control. I guess the destroyer knew that and thought he could just summon the hero while messing with the creator. Well, as expected, the creator locked me in this forest dungeon without moving a step. Is this what a brave man wants to be summoned to? Oh, you need to kill the heroes too. Dungeons are things that existed in the world before we reincarnated, and things that have been created by my spatial magic, or the creator''s creative magic. Oh, so you can build dungeons with spatial magic too? ''''Well, even though you can build dungeons, I''m not very good at raising demons, so I gave up on running dungeons early on. I spread out dungeons all over the world, leaving the demons alone and the dungeons as a means of transportation. Seriously, ...... So you''re saying that the demons outside the dungeon are caused by the demon king? What are you doing?But now that I think about it, he''s the Demon King. ''''The dungeon that took such a world as his own was reset by the creator and became so small. So much for ...... could it be just this house? There''s no basement or upstairs in this house, and how can such a small house be called a dungeon? ''''Yeah . When the brave man challenged me, I had a lot of time and free time, so I made it somewhat of a proper dungeon . When that was destroyed by the brave man, I gave up on making the dungeon bigger. ''Yeah, ...... you''re not busy anyway, so why don''t you try again?'' You could raise an intelligent demon, and it would be someone to talk to. Aren''t you lonely? No, that''s okay. . because it''s more fun to look into the world with it. Oh, that''s one way to pass the time. I couldn''t help but laugh at the Demon King as he grinned while showing me the dungeon core. The demon king''s hobby is peeping Tomatoes: ...... We''re on the same page. You''re right. I was defeated by the destroyer, the creator, and the hero, and I had nothing to do but stay inside and watch the world. Then the Destroyer started killing all the mid-level reincarnated people who had been alive that long and their clans. A whole clan, or ...... It would certainly be more efficient, considering that it''s been inherited. ....... Yeah, I''d better not expect a destroyer to have a human heart . When you see him, don''t think about negotiating, just run away. Only elves protected by strong wards could withstand that. Oh and the dwarves were destroyed but the grantor was just in time for a generational shift and that''s a relief. That''s about the extent of it, and most of the known reincarnations like the Beast King were killed at that time. This is where the Beast King comes into play. I see ...... that he was killed by a destroyer ....... ''''That ...... beast king, how did my dad ...... end up?'''' Belle, who hadn''t spoken for a while, asked the Demon King a question. Well, Belle was here to hear the story. "The last of the Beast King?Yeah, ...... I think you did a good job. You fought better than I did. I could have bitten your arm off. But I still thought the Beast King was at a disadvantage in a defensive battle. That''s amazing. Fighting someone as strong as the Demon Lord and capable of killing people without hesitation and biting off his arm...that''s just too much. Could it be that Belle has a chance? ''Oh, well ...... thank you very much. I''m sorry to interrupt you. Then Belle, who was sitting on my lap, bowed and bowed without changing her expression. I didn''t say anything, but patted her head. "No, it''s okay. It''s important to Belle. So let''s get back to the story: ...... the Destroyer went around killing people, but in the end, we couldn''t meet the God-imposed deadline of fifty years. And then an additional rule came into effect. Additional rules from there. What the hell kind of rules are these? ''''After being idle for a thousand years, I will penalize the three of you. From now on, I will reincarnate a creator, a destroyer and a demon king as well. You three will lose the moment another reincarnate with the same job as you dies. Also note that no new reincarnations will be allowed to take over the reincarnation even if they die. Lastly, I only tell you that the three of you have a maximum lifespan of one hundred years. So finish within a hundred more years. This is all for the three of us the day you were born. So, if I die, the creator loses. But still, the uniform lifespan is a hundred years: ....... Well, it''s a maximum, so there''s no guarantee you''ll live that long, but is it good that Lou doesn''t have to live alone and lonely? ''I see. ....... If I die, the creator dies. That''s why he''s protecting me. Huh?Wait. Does that mean there''s a chance that Lou could be killed by the creators? From the Creator''s point of view, if you kill a roux that hasn''t grown up, it means you can easily win without fighting the destroyer, right? ''''No. . The Creator doesn''t care if he wins or loses, and he doesn''t care about killing reincarnates anymore. And you''re always helping the weakest new converts. Huh?Is the Creator a better person than you thought? Or you can go to ...... Are you tired of fighting? Well, that''s part of it, but he''s been kind to me since I was in a previous life. Oh, so she''s a kind person. Well, that''s very nice of you to ask for his protection. The only thing left to do is rebel against the gods. This battle should have been over soon enough if the Creator had acted. But he knows that if he''s going to die, he''ll harass the gods as much as possible. He''s a human race and has lived for a thousand years, prolonging the battle without killing anyone. It''s pretty cool. It''s amazing how your mind can hold on for a thousand years. I have to hand it to you. He''s good looking too. He can be a bit of a ladies'' man, but he''s interesting. You should go to the dungeon next time you want to see him. I''m not allowed to see the demons in there, but I think you can. ''Really?Well then, I''ll go back next time to thank you for protecting me. Capturing dungeons is a great way to level up. I''ll give it a shot when I''m free. Yeah, try that. He''ll be happy to hear that you haven''t been talking to anybody for a long time. Yeah, okay. Okay, now I''ve told you what I want to tell you. Now you''ll use it to survive your next war. You''ll be safe against a grantor and a brave man, but you''ll be safe. ''What?Even the brave ones? Not just the grantor? Yes. I was just recently summoned to the kingdom. If you can, I''d recommend that you take a brave man as one of your friends ...... but when it comes to fighting, just be careful of the bravery correction, okay? Yes, ...... I get it. A brave man who may be able to defeat even the Demon King, such a thing is also an enemy: ....... I won''t be able to sleep for a while due to the stress of anxiety. 160 CHAPTER VIII -- IN WAY OF WINNING GRANT I don''t know if I''ll make it out alive: ...... Now, in the Mountains of Death, in a cave ...... in the middle of a nest of red dragons . Surrounded by dragons, neither of us could speak or take a step in the silent tension, I was holding a grudge against the Demon King. A few minutes ago. What?How to win over the grantor? After hearing about the history of the reincarnates, I cried out to the Demon King to teach him about the Grantor. Because after hearing so much about the greatness of the reincarnated people, then I''m going to play hard to win with them!It''s not going to happen. "You know about the grantor, don''t you?Tell me anything you want! What?Wouldn''t it be boring to know that? Boring?What is he talking about? ''I''m not trying to have fun!There''s nothing better than an easy win, right?I''m not like the Demon King, and if I lose, I die, right? I grabbed the Demon King by the shoulders and desperately tried to appeal to his common sense . ''''Oh, ah, ...... that''s right. I don''t want you to die and I''m going to give you some advice. The demon king seemed to be pushed by my swordsmanship and felt compelled to give me advice. But this was a mistake. Yes~! Just hunt down as many dragons as you can. We''ll talk later. What? Don''t worry. I''ll take him down a little and then I''ll bring him back. The moment I heard those voices, I was in the dragon''s nest. The dragons were surprised at my sudden appearance, but there were dozens of them hurrying around me, ready to surround me. And there was silence in the air, looking at each other. Maybe if I moved a few millimeters, they would come at me en masse. I could feel the tension in the air. I guess the dragons thought I was just some daredevil who had wormed his way into the middle of their lair, with no sign of them. Wary is a sign of high intelligence, but ...... I can only be an idiot to be so wary. Because in this situation, I have no way to do any damage to you guys. It''s impossible to fight on the ground with scaled red dragons that completely nullify your attacks and you can''t see their weaknesses. d*mn ...... demon king, I hate you . I asked you how to beat the grantor. ....... Hmm?No, from the Demon King''s point of view, if you want to win against the grantor, you should at least take out a bunch of dragons with room to spare? It is true that Lou was able to come over the Mountains of Death, and from the point of view of the reincarnated people, a bunch of dragons should be easy to defeat. It''s a good thing ...... this is a message from the demon king that you should use your own strength before asking for help from others. I''m going to defeat the dragon horde by myself! I''ve tried to be enthusiastic with ......, but how do I get through this situation where I can''t even move a step? If it were possible, I''d like to see the dragons flying high, but that''s hard to do in this cave. Then we''ll have to figure out a way to attack the dragons from below, even inside the cave. From beneath the dragons: ...... Oh, okay. ...... The moment I found a solution and was unintentionally happy to hear it out loud, the dragons began their concentrated attack. ''''Yah, I did it. ...... Well, I was already planning to move anyway, so it''s okay.'''' I shifted to the head of the dragon, which was a bit further away, and successfully avoided a concentrated attack. Clank!Clank! Yeah, I knew it wouldn''t go through the blade. While the dragons were looking for me, I thrust my sword into the dragon''s head and once again made sure the scales were an absolute defense . And ...... It''s magic in this situation! The moment the dragon was struck on the head and was about to bend its neck to turn around, I sprouted a rock spike from the ground to penetrate the dragon''s neck . "Okay, we made it. That''ll work. I saw that the rock spikes were poking out of the dragons'' necks, and I continued to grow more rock spikes as I ran around on top of them. The dragons are confused and their numbers are steadily decreasing. If you keep this up, you''ll be able to get rid of them. ...... Just as I was about to say that it''s a piece of cake, he said to me from behind, "Boom! I heard something snap. When I turned around, I saw that a dragon, larger and more scarred than the other dragons, had broken a rock spike with its paw. It looks like a pack boss: ...... Yeah, let''s just leave her alone and take care of the normal dragons around her. I''ve decided to ignore the boss. If I had to fight the boss, he''d be in my way. But life isn''t always that easy: ...... Whoa! As I ignored the boss and continued to hunt dragons, the boss flew at me . I managed to avoid it, but if I had reacted even a little later, the boss''s head butt would have shattered every bone in my body. ....... I shuddered as I looked at the wall of the cave where the boss had headbutted me and made a hole in it, thinking about what would happen if it hit me. ''Yeah, let''s get on with it and take out the other dragons. I fired a series of earth magic to kill at least twenty more dragons before the boss returned to the nest. And in the two or three minutes it took for the boss to return, I had succeeded in killing all the dragons except for the boss. ''''Gruaah! When the boss dragon saw his fallen comrades, he let out a loud yell . Yeah, I''m starting to feel terrible for what I''ve done, but I''ll try not to think about it now. "I''m not going to ask you to forgive me. But I won''t let your material go to waste. With that, I shifted to just below the boss dragon and thrust two swords into his neck. That was harder to do with the other dragons, but the bigger ones could do it because when they stood up, there was a bigger gap beneath them. Surprisingly, the boss dragon was easier to deal with. Or so I thought: ...... Guha! I found myself trapped against the wall. Maybe just for a little while, but I was out. K. ...... I can''t move. Where''s the boss dragon? I forced my head to move to look for the boss, and I found a large dragon with two swords stuck in its neck that had fallen with all its strength well ahead of me. Apparently, just before ...... dying, he must have used his last bit of strength to attack me. I was relieved to see that he had just plunged his sword into my neck. That was a close one. ......If it weren''t for your regeneration skills, that would have been a real close one. You really need to learn to let your guard down. Whew! With my injuries fully healed, I escaped the wall I was stuck in. I jumped and bent over, making sure my body was back to normal, and I began to move to begin retrieving the dragon. "And how long is the Demon King going to keep me here? No, I''m done. Oh! I found myself back inside the Demon King''s house where I was until about an hour ago. It''s the Demon King''s spatial magic. Good work. I never thought I''d end up beating the Lord too. It''s good to see you growing up. What''s the Lord?Huh?Could it be that the appearance of that big dragon was unexpected for the Demon King! ''What was good about it!One more misstep and you could have died! I''m not a f*cking idiot!Earlier than that, Bell, who was watching me fight with the Demon King using the dungeon core, was really angry . ''So I''m sorry . There''s been no one to thwart me lately and I''ve been getting more dragons, so I thought I''d ask Leo to reduce my numbers while I gather materials. Huh?Did they send me to the dragon''s den for some kind of vermin extermination? I thought you were just trying to get me to have powers or something? ''''I didn''t think it would be a millennial master who would be awake. Besides, he didn''t die, so what''s the point? Huh?What is a millennial?I mean, I knew you weren''t expecting that! "F*ck, it''s not good at all! I said, ''f*ck you!'' I was about to complain to the Demon King, when Belle got angry again to cover it up. I don''t think she was afraid of the king until a few hours ago. If anything, the demon king is more worried about Belle. "Mr. Leo, I''m so glad you''re safe. ...... Ignoring the Demon King''s apologies, Belle hugged him with tears in her eyes . Well, I guess that''s how worried she was: ...... I''m not sure I can protect you if you offend the Demon King, so I''m not going to be any more rude to you. I''ve packed your bag of dragon carcasses. You can use it to build dungeons and powerful weapons. As I was patting Belle''s head, the Demon King said something like that. I hurriedly checked my bag and found a number of dead dragons in it just as the Demon King had said. ''''Oh, thank you ...... what are you going to do by building a dungeon?I mean, I can''t build a dungeon in the first place, can I? You''re not supposed to be up to your level yet, are you? Hmm?Hadn''t you noticed?You could build one now. And if you build a dungeon, you can do anything you want. It''s your own world, so to speak. It uses a lot of magic and there''s no point in doing it in a normal dungeon, so I won''t do it, but you can make a man come back to life after being killed by a monster in a dungeon. So I can train for combat without having to worry about dying. Yeah, that sounds great. I''ll build one as soon as I get home. It''s a good idea. Also, ...... and lastly, my advice to you in your fight against the grantors, the battle will be won by the strength of your soldiers and the quality of your weapons. Oh, that''s the kind of advice I''ve been waiting for! I see... it''s not so much a direct confrontation as a battle of wits and how well you''ve strengthened your army. Thank you!I won''t waste that advice. Oh, come on. Come visit us again. Okay. See you later! I waved to the demon king and shifted towards home. Today''s harvest was better than I expected. A lot of it was unexpected, but I''m generally happy with it? 161 Division IX Disqualification of Maids There you are. It''s good to be home. I came back to my room and lay down on the floor. ''It''s true ...... I would never have given permission for this to happen if I knew it was going to happen. On the contrary, Belle was in a very bad mood. Well, if there was so much at stake, she''d be angry. I''m sorry. Can''t we just say that it''s a good thing that I learned some useful information? If I hadn''t met the Demon Lord today, I would have been scared shitless of the information I got. I don''t regret it at all. ''''That''s nothing compared to Leo-sama''s life!I''m not sure I''d be able to live without Leo-sama, you know? ''Wow, okay, ....... But isn''t it nice to know who Belle''s parents were? It was also surprising to see that Belle was the daughter of the Beast King, and I think it was a great gain to know that she was properly loved? Yes. But not so much more important than Master Leo. ''Really?Don''t you think Belle would like to visit her hometown? ''''No. . . my home is that orphanage, and I don''t want to risk going to a place that I know is already destroyed. Oh, here it is: ...... I''m getting violent. What if I could take you there? "All the more so. I''ve told you many times, Master Leo is my priority. I don''t want you to do anything dangerous. You heard what the devil king said, didn''t you?It''s dangerous outside the Empire. So I''m against going outside the Empire, right? I don''t know what to do ......, but whatever I say, they''re going to oppose me. We need to get him in a good mood first. Okay, okay, ...... and then we''ll go when it''s safer. ...... then. Oh, that''s good. Oh, that''s a breakthrough. And I know you still want to go back to where you were born. Well, let''s do our best to make the world a better place. Now that we have a goal, let''s go for it! I don''t think it''s necessary for Leo-sama to risk it all to make the world a peaceful place: ...... No, rather not. Oh, is that coming now?Hmmm. ...... What can I do? Why?It''s more fun to have some sort of goal in mind, right? Bell''s not in a very good mood today: ....... It''s not good!Master Leo, please take care of yourself a little more!Even today, put yourself in my shoes, having been shown nearly killed by a dragon! Yeah, you just saw me get blown up by a dragon: ....... If you think about it, I''ve been worrying about Belle all day . The demons in the demon forest alone were a terror to Belle,...... the demon king and other reincarnated people, and then the dragon got to me,...... Yeah, it''s just a normal thing that breaks my heart. "I''m sorry......Oh, he''s gone. I noticed Belle''s state of mind and tried to apologize in good faith, but she walked out of the room . ''Huh, I wonder what I should do: ......'' Should I chase them?Or would it have the opposite effect if you went after it? You should go and apologize.Sister Elle used to tell me that if I made the other person unhappy, I had to go apologize immediately with an apology, right? ''Yeah, well, you know what the ...... apology is?And ...... Lou, why are you here? I turned around and saw Lou creeping out of my bed. "We missed you all at the castle today, so I took a nap in Leo''s bed. Oh, by the way, Shelly and Lina have been busy with their magic training lately, and Elsie is busy with the development of the underground city, which is finally in full swing: ....... Indeed, Lou would have been busy . But now that I think about it, you should have brought Lou with you. Then we could have gotten the materials more safely. Well, that''s no use talking about it now. Yeah, ...... don''t tell Elsie, Shelly and the others what you just heard, okay? ''What?Why? I don''t need to know that. I know that Lou is on the side of Elsie and Shelly. If I tell you that Sherry and the others are going to be mad at me, I''ll never take their side. Hmmm. Well, all right. I''ll fix you up with some dragon meat. Did you fight a dragon? "Oh, oh, ...... the meat of the dragon. You think Lou is going to offer you a deal? Hmmm . My sister Elle taught me that when she asked me to do something for her, I had to negotiate with her to make sure I got paid for it. As I chuckled at Lou, who said that, and smiled at his chest, I couldn''t help but think, Elsie, you did it ...... . Yo, that''s great. ...... ''Besides, don''t you have to go and apologize to Belle?We''ve got to be quick, okay? ''Oh, yes!What do you think I should do as an apology? Hmmm. What about Leo''s pants?Belle, I''ve been collecting Leo''s pants in a box under the bed with great care, haven''t I? My pants? ''Really?My pants, are they worth that much? I mean, isn''t that what they do to you if you see what''s under the bed? ''Well?Isn''t there one for Bell? Yeah ......, I''m going to go to Bell''s anyway. Well, I''d better apologize first. SIDE: Bell. I ran out of Leo-sama''s room and went back to my room and cried alone . ''''Ugh ...... hate me already ......'''' Why would you say something watered down when Leo-sama is trying to do his best: ....... You''re just saying that because you''re worried about Leo-sama. Leo-sama, you''re so kind to try to make me feel better in this way, but I''m the one who has to ask for Leo''s mood: ....... Haha, I''ve been taking too much advantage of the kindness of Leo-sama lately. ....... Even if Sherry and the others approve of me, I am only a maid, I must not get too proud. I have to do my duty as a maid of honor: ....... Still, Master Leo...... do you know how much I was in a hurry when Master Leo was blown up by a dragon?I was so anxious and worried that I couldn''t cry, you know? To think that Leo-sama will now have to fight people who are a step stronger than that: ...... I''m so worried about you I can''t sleep at night. What are you going to do about it, Mr. ...... Leo? Well, I don''t think I''m gonna be able to sleep alone for much longer, so it was nice to see that. Can you sleep with me from now on until we have peace? ! I heard a familiar voice and turned around in a hurry to see Leo-sama''s face peeking through the door . ''Oh, I''m sorry . But I did knock, okay?There was no response, so I opened the door to check, and I heard voices. ''Er, uh, ......'' Did you hear that? What am I going to do? ...... How far was I with my voice? I was upset that Leo-sama had heard me, and I couldn''t get out of the conversation as I wanted to . ''''I''m sorry . I''m sorry I let you go to the Demon Forest with the promise that I wouldn''t do anything dangerous, but I''m sorry I did something dangerous!Dude, please ...... could you put me in a better mood? Leo-sama apologized as he got on his knees on the ground and rubbed his head against the ground . It''s always like a ritual when Leo-sama really apologizes, and I''m sure Leo-sama used to say dogeza ....... ''No, I''m the one who apologizes ...... sorry for being so cocky. I panicked and apologized with a dogeza as well. ''No. . It''s my fault. So please, please forgive me. I''ll give you some pants or something. ''So what''s the point of forgiveness ...... pants?Pants? I looked up at the unexpected words. Perhaps noticing this, Leo-sama also looked up awkwardly. ''Oh, Lou said ...... no, I didn''t say anything. Leo-sama started to make some excuses, and I silenced him with a single glare . ''''I see . For now, I''ll scold Mr. Lou later, Leo-sama ...... ''Yes, yes ...... what is it?Whoa! I pushed Master Leo down on the bed and got into a riding position. "I''m going to have to wipe my memory, aren''t I? Smiling, I raised my right arm. I need to erase this memory from Leo-sama at all costs. Wait, wait, Miss Bell?Ugh, I''ve got a stiff arm, and I''ve got an arm that''s not supposed to hit people?I don''t think it''s a good idea to hit my husband with that~ Leo-sama was seriously impatient when he saw my bestialized arm . I''m sorry . But if you want to skip Leo-sama''s memories, you have to do this much: ....... ''''Mm-hmm. Once Leo-sama''s memories are gone, everything will fall into place. Ha ha ha. Hey, you''re kidding, right?Didn''t you say earlier that you didn''t want me to do anything dangerous? That''s not the same thing. And besides, I''m not going to kill you, Master Leo, if I hit you, right? That''s better than finding out that I''m collecting Leo-sama''s pants and sneaking around sniffing them. "No, no ...... it''s still dangerous, isn''t it ......? Hmm, brace yourself and grit your teeth. I kept my smile on my face and shook my fist as hard as I could in Leo-sama''s face. ''''Wow!'''' Leo-sama dodged my fist in the nick of time. He''s a boy now, please be patient with me. Why are you avoiding it?Make sure you get it right next time, okay? Then I lifted my arms again. ''B-bed!It''s got a hole in it!It''s hard to avoid, isn''t it? Master Leo appeals to me, horrified by the hole that has formed in the side of his face, but I laugh and let it slide . ''''Hmm . I''ll have Leo-sama fix that for you after you wake up. Saying that, she tries to punch Leo-sama again in the face, but she still avoids it. ''''It''s no wonder it''s like this: ...... I grabbed his face with my magically enhanced left hand . "No, it''s not ...... that I''m not going to do anything because I know Belle takes good care of my pants. Huh?Because I respect Bell''s taste, you know? I guess you know all about it, huh?This will have to be erased faster than the memory can take hold of Master Leo. Doss! ''Hahaha ....... I guess I''m done as a maid now: ...... hahaha. It''s disgusting for a maid to hit my master. Looking at my master who had passed out, I let out a weak laugh and cried . I''m sorry . I''m sorry, Leo-sama, I''m sorry ...... I''m going to quit being a ...... maid anymore, maybe Leo-sama will forgive you. But even so, I can no longer work as a maid. It''s very hard for me to be a maid. I try not to make people aware of the feelings I have for Leo-sama, that this is my maid: ...... I''m not sure I can do a proper job as a maid anymore, because I want to spoil Leo-sama and I feel that I have to be good at it because I am a maid. I just got to know my hometown, so I think I''ll quit and go on a trip by myself. ...... I can pay for the trip on the money I''ve been working for. Yeah. Just in time. Thank you, Mr. Leo, for everything you''ve done. I thanked Leo-sama''s sleeping face and got up from the bed . ." "Oh, but lastly, I''ll give you a little sniff before I go to ...... I decided to hug the unconscious Leo-sama for the last time and sniffed him as hard as I could. I''ll never forget that smell again. I got him. What? I finished sniffing and was about to get up when Leo-sama, who should have been unconscious, caught my head in a tight grip. ''It''s good to finally hear your true feelings. Why? Bell, have you forgotten my skills? ''Oh, ah, ......'' It''s a regeneration skill. He was out for a few seconds, but he was fine. "Ugh, ugh. ...... Let go of me, please. She tried with all her might to escape from Master Leo''s restraints, but she was no match for him. I don''t want to. Then you''d run, right? I should just quit now! I don''t think so, do you? ''''Because I''m no good as a maid at ....... Master Leo, didn''t you feel uncomfortable when you heard about the pants? I was so overwhelmed that I brought up the subject of pants to Master Leo. Because I think it''s just plain weird. You shouldn''t like it, and that makes it easier for you to quit. No, it''s not. I get pissed off a lot for peeking at you, too, right? Yeah, that''s ...... That''s not fair. I don''t even know what to say to you. "Hey, Belle?I''ve been saying for a long time now that Belle is my family. We probably spend more time together than Mom and Dad, and Belle is by far the most time we''ve spent together. I can''t live a proper life without Belle. I can''t even get up in the morning. As a follow-up, Leo-sama folded up more kind words to me. ...... So, Leosama is always kind to me even when I am selfish. And I''ve always been a spoiled bride. I still think I''m not good enough to be a maid. ''I don''t know. ...... So, Belle, shall I quit being a maid?'' What? Leo-sama''s words made me feel a thrill . Even though I had wanted to be like that until now, when Leo-sama''s mouth proposed it, I suddenly felt lonely ....... ''Would you take care of me not as a maid bell, but as a regular bell, a family bell?That way, you can spoil me without worrying about maids and squires and all that, right? Yeah, that''s ...... I''m relieved that Leo-sama''s continuation of the story has reassured me: ...... I''m glad I didn''t abandon him. I knew I wanted to be with Leo-sama. But then again, I shouldn''t be by his side. And besides. I''ve spoiled Belle a lot. I want to be spoiled and I want to be spoiled by Belle. So I hope you''ll continue to indulge me without hesitation: ....... Also, it''s Belle''s job to scold me, so please continue to be mad at me without worrying about that part, okay? Please don''t try to talk me out of it. I''m having a hard time with my chest. I turned my tear-stained eyes to Leo and made one last plea. I can''t ...... I''ve grown too fond of you, Leo. I''ve had enough room in my heart to want you to marry Sherry and Leena and be happy. But ...... recently, after Leo-sama almost died, I don''t have that luxury anymore. I love him so much. I''m afraid that in the future I''ll marry Sherry and her friends and Leo will leave me: ....... This is a feeling that you should not have as a maid or someone who is with Reo. So, I would like to say goodbye to Leo. There may be survivors of the beastmen back home. So I''d like to live there. With that, I used the moment to break free of Leo''s restraints. I''ve already told him my thoughts, and I have no regrets. Muttering to myself, I went to the door ...... but soon after, Leo-sama pulled my arm again and I fell on the bed, and he held me in his arms and caught me again. I''m ...... sorry. I didn''t realize I was worried about that ...... I''m so, so sorry . I''ve been taking it easy on Belle too. I''m going to be honest with you. Belle, I love you. And I''ll always, always be with you when I''m a grandpa and Belle is a grandma. I don''t want you to be my maid or my family. ...... I want you to continue to take care of me as my lover. I could see the seriousness in Leo-sama''s tear-filled eyes as he said that. Oh, it''s already ...... so I told you not to convince me any more ....... I don''t know if you''re already ...... angry with Shelly and the others for saying that, right?I''m going to be serious, okay? "I don''t mind being taken seriously. I''m ready for that. So, what''s Bell''s answer? Ugh ...... that''s too unfair . I don''t know what''s going to happen to you anymore! Yes. And I, too, have decided that Sherry is going to be angry with me. I''m going to continue to spoil you as much as I can, so please be prepared for that, okay? Oh, thank you ......, and I''ll let you spoil it for me too. ''''Hmmm ...... lover or ....... That ...... Master Leo, can I quickly say one thing about my selfishness? What?Okay. Would you mind giving me a goodnight kiss? I kept, kept, kept wanting Leo to do it to me, so I asked him to do it to me with the momentum of a pre-bedtime kiss ...... that I had dreamed of while we were sleeping together. Are you sure you want to do this?I''ll do it then. When I closed my eyes, Leo-sama kissed me so tenderly that I almost said kissing. Thank you, thank you. Good night. I opened my eyes and felt sleepy, partly because I was tired from the day and partly because I was relieved from crying so much, so I just put Leo-sama in my arms and closed my eyes once more . Goodnight. Then my consciousness faded away as I was soothed by Leo-sama''s gentle voice and the sensation of his hand caressing my head. 162 CHAPTER X EXAMINATION OF FEAR I can never get up on my own all the time, but for some reason, I only wake up early when I sleep with Belle. ....... As I was thinking about this, I was watching Belle''s face as she slept, when her eyelids finally opened. ''Good morning . Did you sleep well? "...... Good morning . Hehehehe...... it''s Mr. Leo. To Belle, who is laughing funny, hmm?Are you delirious?As I was thinking, Belle''s lips met mine. ''Mmmmmm ...... I kissed you again.'' Hey, hey, hey!Mr. Bell, what''s wrong with you? I was confused by the sudden kiss and the unusual character, and then Belle''s face came closer again . ''Yes . Stop! Bang!And with a loud bang Sherry and Lina came in . I was worried about you two not coming to dinner last night when I heard that Mr. Lou was mad at Leo yesterday. ...... It sounds like you had a lot of fun last night? No, what?Oh, um, ...... I mean, it''s not like it was all fun and games, was it? In the meantime, would you like to have breakfast and then we can talk at length about it? ''Yes, yes ......'' I couldn''t think straight in my sleep, so I couldn''t argue with any of the ...... or even speak any words . Then Belle and I ate breakfast in a flash, and Elsie and Lou joined us, and the interrogation session began in my room. I voluntarily sat upright on the hard floor while Belle stood apologetically behind me. Lou, by the way, is still sleepy and curled up in my bed. She probably won''t be joining in on the conversation. So, Sherry, Leena, and Elsie began their interrogation. So, where the hell were you yesterday?Lou seemed to know what was going on, but he was one of those people who asked Leo about it: ....... What the hell is going on? Hey, Lou, you kept your promise. Now I have to feed you lots of dragon meat as I promised. Well, I had to tell you everything anyway. Well, ...... yesterday, we were in the Demon Forest. "''Demon Forest!''? Their eyes widened in surprise at my words. Is that really such a surprise?What''s the third time I''ve been to the Devil''s Forest? ''You promised your mother you wouldn''t go until you were older, didn''t you?'' Oh, yeah. I forgot about your appointment too: ....... Please. Don''t tell your mother!I wanted to say that, but I didn''t have the time to say it, so I quietly began my defense. ''''That''s why ...... these days, I ran out of material when I was building a wall or something, so I convinced ...... Belle to let me go on the condition that I would leave as soon as she deemed it dangerous. ''So ...... what happened with that?But you weren''t just collecting material, were you? Sherry has been quietly going on with the story . This is scary...... I''m scared that Sherry is so quiet...... I''m scared that my normal Sherry would be really angry with me in the morning when she saw me and Belle sleeping together, revealing her emotions. ....... ''Well, uh, ......, can you not say anything else about what I''m about to tell you?'' ''Does it bother you if someone finds out?Then I understand. I promise. ''You won''t keep talking to me unless I promise, will you?Then I promise. I promise not to tell anyone. Thank you. As a matter of fact, the Demon King is still alive in the Demon Forest. I got the confirmation from the three of them, so I started talking about the Demon King. Just in case it''s a secret that the Demon Lord is alive over there, I think it''s better to keep it a secret. The Demon King? Yeah. I''m sorry I''ve been giving you a lot of surprises. But just be prepared for more surprises to come, okay? ''Yeah . But it doesn''t mean that he''s going to do anything bad, and you don''t have to worry about him . I used to meet the Demon Lord every time I went to the Demon Forest, but the first time I met him, he helped me with my training, and he''s a nice guy . It''s so different from the Demon King in the stories, I can''t even picture it. It''s a true story, but it''s still a story. It''s a true story, but it''s not interesting unless you add a little more to the story. But still, he was one of the strongest men in the world, and Belle couldn''t even stand in front of the Demon King. ''What?Oh, of course. Belle was with me yesterday. Belle, what was the Demon King like? ''''Once I got used to it, I wasn''t afraid . But the pressure of the ...... magic power was too strong, and I was so close that I couldn''t get my legs and feet to work. When Sherry spoke to me, Belle spoke nonchalantly about the Demon King she met yesterday . The pressure of magic power. ...... I couldn''t feel that, could I? Can''t you feel it because I''m too high on magic? So much ....... So what have you done with the Demon King? "What I''ve done, or rather, ......, is I''ve learned a lot of things. . about this world. ''About this world?That''s pretty vague. What did you learn, for example? ''Yes. ....... Like, for example, the fact that Belle''s father was the king of the Beastmen race? ''What?Belle, were you royalty? At my words, all three of them turned to Belle in surprise . ''''No, no ...... it seems that the land of the beastman race has already been destroyed . So, they''re ex-royalty to be exact . ''Destroyed!Why? Someone killed them all. Who is? Yes. ...... Can I explain the incarnation now? If I told you, what would be the inconvenience? ...... Is there anything in particular you can think of? Either way, I was going to tell you that I had memories of my previous life, and I''m not sure if it''s still a problem ...... or not. Actually, ....... Then I explained to Sherry and the others that I had memories of my previous life and that the Demon King had told me yesterday. ""......" ''''Well, let''s see, ......, does that mean that Leo is a so-called reincarnate and will now have to kill other reincarnates?'''' Yes. Such as ....... When I nodded, all three of them looked very sad. Well, I don''t like the idea of killing each other either. Hey, I fell asleep early last night. Thank you for sleeping with me, Belle. What kind of memories does ...... Leo have of this past life?Is that why you''ve always been like an adult, Leo, and were able to do such great things? After a short pause, this time Leena asked me a question. I knew that question was coming: ....... It''s ...... right. I think I was able to do a lot of things because of my memories of my past life. You can train your magic from a young age, get a perfect score on an exam without studying, know things that aren''t in this world and make them as if you invented them ...... that''s about it. ''I see. ....... But that''s what you are now, Leo, isn''t it? Yeah, I do. I mean, is your ego completely leoned already? I think I''m stronger as a Leonce than I was in my previous life, and . ''Then it''s all right. If you''re no different than the Leo I know, there''s nothing wrong with that. Right?Sherry? Yeah. It''s just that Leo was more capable than we knew. Hmm, my feelings aren''t particularly different. Thanks to all three of you. ''Hey, more importantly, what do you mean I only live to be a hundred years old? As I was bowing to the three of them, I heard Lou get up out of bed, miffed. ''Oh, oh!Come to think of it, Lou was one of those incarnations, wasn''t he? If you ask me, I have the ability to nod to that too, but ...... I can''t imagine having more than ten people like Lou. Lou, like me, has memories of his previous life. Well, I don''t know why, but right now she doesn''t seem to remember it because of her amnesia. Yeah, I don''t remember that at all. As I said before, me, Lou and the new Demon King will only live to be 100 years old at the most. I''m a human race, so I don''t know if I''ll live to be a hundred years old, but Lou seems to die when he''s a hundred years old. I see ...... that means I won''t be the only one left in the world, right? Uh-huh. Okay then! "...... I don''t know how you''d react if you were happy to die early . We got an indescribable air of Lou''s smile . ''I feel like I''m going crazy with all this information. It kind of explains why Belle and Leo had a fight yesterday after we got home. Well, there''s a different reason for that: ...... This time, I explained in detail how I almost died in the dragon''s lair, how Belle got mad at me for breaking my promise not to do anything dangerous when I got back, and how I made up with her in the form of becoming her lover . I''m afraid Shelly is going to be mad at me, but ...... If you have to say something anyway, the plan is to say it now while the information is still being processed and leave it vague . ''''Well, uh, ...... you broke your promise to your mother and then further broke your promise to Belle?'''' When she heard the general gist of what I was about to say, Leena immediately hit me where it hurts. Leena, you know how much she loves you. ...... She''s very angry that I broke my promise to her. I''d like to apologize for this. ''Yes, yes ......, I''m sorry. "So, Belle got angry, but she remembered ...... that she was a maid and said it too strongly, and that she and Leo-kun were nothing more than a squire, and she was crying in her room... ... My kneeling was overlooked and Leena moved on to talking about Belle . It''s sad, but ...... it''s my fault, so I''ll just keep it quiet. ''Yes, yes ......'' Belle nodded weakly, and Leena turned to me again . ''And then Mr. Lou told you to go apologize to him and Leo-kun rushed after Belle? Yes. Yes, I''m sure. Ugh...... Leena and the others are staring at me and it hurts . I can''t check because my head is on the floor, but I feel like I''m being stared at? Leo is totally to blame for this, isn''t he? "Yes, sir. I think Leo was wrong. Also, I deduct points for going after him after Lou warned me. ''Yes, yes ......, I''m sorry. I got down on my knees and apologized again. I don''t have the courage to raise my head anymore. After Leo went into Mr. Bell''s room, Leo told me that he was extra upset with Mr. Bell and that he was beaten up. ...... What did you do to get angry enough to be beaten up by Mr. Bell? Now it''s Elsie''s turn. There''s that cold voice again. "Well, I''ll keep it quiet for the sake of ...... Bell. It''s not like I can say anything about my underwear. Yeah. I must have done something really bad to piss Belle off. I''m sure of it. Is that right?Well, I guess it was a very bad thing for Belle to do . ''''So, after hitting Leo-kun, Belle-san couldn''t stand what she had done and tried to quit as a maid, right? ...... Yes. Elsie''s question was answered by the bell behind her. I''m really glad I didn''t quit. I mean, if I hadn''t regained consciousness so soon, wouldn''t Belle be here now? So I guess I have to thank you for your regeneration skills as best I can. ''''You didn''t have to quit just because you punched Leo anymore. Ta, I''m sure that''s true, but it hurts when you say it like it''s so obvious, doesn''t it? ''And wasn''t it also because you liked Leo-kun too much to be a maid when he came out afterwards? ''Even if it''s for that reason, Belle is so serious . The person who will be most troubled by Leo''s disappearance is definitely Belle rather than us, and I know that Leo cares about Belle, so I shouldn''t have to worry about it . Rather, now that we know she''s a princess of the beast race, it would be more unpleasant if she were to remain in her maid status on the contrary. Huh? I looked up in surprise. ''What?Sherry, do you think you might have a fever or something? What?What are you talking about?He''s perfectly healthy, okay? It can''t be true. Because if you''re your usual Shelly, you would never say Belle is the best, would you? Yes, yes, yes!It''s not Sherri who doesn''t get jealous! ...... Is that right?Well, I''m going to grow up, too . That said, I''m the one who likes Leo the best, and I''m his rightful wife, right? "Ugh ...... Sherry is starting to have the luxury of a real wife. But you can''t lose your love for Leo, can you? Well, there''s room for a regular wife. ....... Hey, want to play? No, no, no, no. You don''t want me to get in the way of that. Well, after all, Sherry is Sherry. "Oui, oui, oui. Okay. I''ll let you two guys just leave it at that. It''s just not going to happen. We''ll mix me in on that game later on, strictly speaking. Hey, hey, tell me if you''re trying to break up the fight or not. I mean, what kind of game are we playing, exactly? Gohon. So let''s get back to it. Leo, what is it going to be like for you, Mr. Bell? Clearing her throat, Elsie returned to the subject . That''s how you handle the bell: ...... Yeah, ...... my girlfriend and caretaker? Since I''m no longer a maid, ...... is the only way I can describe it. But even if she is no longer a maid, she still has to be paid for her care and attention. In other words, what Belle does is the same as before, but she is no longer a maid, right? Well, yeah. So that''s it? ''''Ha, yes . Um, ...... everyone, are you sure it''s okay for me to be Master Leo''s lover? I turned around and checked with Belle, and she was nodding and looking at ...... Shelly and the others. ''Huh?You''ve slept in the same bed as Leo, and now you''re asking me that? ''Oh, yes ......, sorry.'' If you think about it, it''s not a maid and master relationship anymore when you''re sleeping together a lot. Sherry is right, it''s a bit late for that. Well, I''ve always thought of Belle as family, not a maid. Well, that''s good. Belle had a hard time expressing her feelings because of her position as a maid. ''Yes, ...... but it really doesn''t feel like a new thing, does it?It''s been a given in my mind that Belle would marry Leo since we got to know each other in the dorms, so it''s not okay or anything to be a lover now, is it? Did you guys get along in the dorms?You used to hate me for a while, but now you''re just saying that. Well, you''re good friends now. Well, it''s true, you two were like family long ago and you''re more than just lovers. I don''t know what to do now that you ask me for permission. Yeah, because we''re family. So I guess you don''t have to worry about being pissed off, huh? I smiled and turned back to Belle. When I looked back, Belle''s face was broken down in tears. "Uh-uh-uh ...... gus!Thank you, both of you. Wiping away the tears, Belle bowed to the three of them . ''What?Did they ever worry about you being mad at me? I can''t help it. No one can imagine Sherry being that mature. Mm-hm. I didn''t expect Shelly to be able to afford a regular wife. "Huh?I''m not supposed to!Hmm, I''m still a kid anyway! Then, angry at Leena, Shelly walked over to Belle. Then she hugged Belle, who was crying . ''Uh ...... Belle?You don''t have to make any reservations about us. We''re family now. I mean, we bathe together so much, so why should you be reserved? At those words, Belle broke down crying until she couldn''t speak. Yes. We''re Leo''s women now, and we''re a family that''s irreplaceable. Oh, let me join you! ''Hmm, I love you as much as I love Leo-kun, Belle. Leena, Lou and Elsie followed suit and hugged Belle, and the four of them smiled and laughed at Belle . ''Thank you all ...... I love you all too, Shelly, Leena, Lou and Elsie ...... sir. Yeah, what can I say about ...... that makes me so happy. Then I watched the five of them hugging each other, my legs were numb as I lost the chance to stand up. Also, Leena was really mad at me for breaking my promise to my mom. I didn''t expect the sermon to last until dinner. ....... 164 CHAPTER XII Announcement of Training Grounds The next day after I built the dungeon, I had brought the knights to the newly built Knights and Magical Order''s training grounds. And I had Sherry, Leena, Belle, Lou and the others try the dungeons early in the morning first. Anyway, we''re running out of magic in the dungeon, so I need the four of you to help me out. According to Anna, there are still some functions that aren''t working due to the lack of magic, so we''ll just have to gather as much magic as we can. So while Sherry and the others were working hard, I was explaining the training grounds to the knights. I was explaining to the knights, "Wow! Is this the new training grounds?That''s very impressive. At the entrance to the training grounds, in front of the gate, Alma was looking at the training grounds I had built and was amazed. "Well. But it doesn''t look like much compared to the facilities inside. "Ho ho ho. That''s exciting~~. The master is so proud of his work, I''m sure it''s amazing~! As I was explaining, I heard a peculiarly sarcastic, or rather, peculiar voice coming from a man. ''Hey, Valls . Don''t make fun of me like that, Master Leons. VALS. By the looks of it, I''d say she''s in the mid-20s. He has a way of speaking that always ends in a straight line, and he''s always pissed off at Bernolt. He''s an odd one, but he''s a great scout and used to be an assassin. The thing about this guy, and I''m afraid of him, is that he can''t be evaluated. The only reason why his appraisal doesn''t work is that we don''t know that his abilities are caused by magic items, which scares me. Even so, I chose it simply because I had an unfounded intuition that this thing was safe. Well, I hope this guy doesn''t become an enemy. Of course, I''m also considering the possibility of betrayal. I''ve decided to trust my instincts for now. "Captain, there''s nothing I can do~ It''s just a habit that won''t go away~~ Taku ...... Hearing Bernold''s stunned voice, we walked into the grounds of the training grounds. "First, let''s go outside to the playground. You can use it for running and physical exercise. As soon as we entered, I led him to a playground with grass all over it. On a sunny day, I thought we could practice outside, so I built a playground. Oh, it''s quite a large playground. With this, we can practice in a big group. Right?Then we''ll go inside. I don''t have time to spend outside, so I''m going to skip the playground briefing and just get inside the building! ''''Wow. Master, is this really a training ground?It looks like an aristocratic mansion to me? Hermann exclaimed in admiration at the sight as soon as he entered . Well, this is where my outburst started: ....... When I started decorating the front door stage, I felt like I had to build it all right, and it ended up looking like a nobleman''s mansion. It ended up looking like a nobleman''s mansion. ....... To the left of this entrance is the knight''s training grounds. If you go right, you''ll find the training grounds of the Order of Magic. And straight ahead is the fun part. "Eh~. Don''t be so stingy and tell me about it~~ Valls! Yeah. Excuse me~ Yeah, mr. Bernhardt''s going to be tired from being around this guy every day. He''s a good guy, so just be patient. Let''s go to the Order''s training grounds. With a sideways glance at the exchange between Bernold and Vals, I walked to the left. First, there''s a training room with muscle training equipment. It''s a great way to train your muscles efficiently. Come on, Hermann, try it out. The first room is a training room that I built from my previous life''s memories. It''s filled with muscle-building equipment. They''ll be muscle-bound men. Just as I was thinking about this, Hermann was puzzled that he couldn''t lift the dumbbells. "Oh, no. ...... It''s too heavy. ...... ''Surprised?It has a status override feature. So you can only enhance pure muscle strength. Pretty cool, right? If I had status, all these muscle training machines would be useless. I thought about it, and here we are. By the way, I''ve been relying on my status for my entire life and I''m just as frustrated that I can''t lift a dumbbell as Hermann. I need to build up my strength: ....... It''s awesome ...... Okay, I''m going to work on being able to lift these. ''''Status-disabled and pure muscle power ...... is interesting. I''ll give it a shot later. Bernhardt was itching to try out the strength training machine, listening to me and Hermann. ''Yeah. . try it. I can''t let you do it now because I have to explain it to you. Then let''s move on. There are private practice rooms lined up from here. Use it when you want to practice with just one or three people. My Order is so individual and unique in its abilities, I wonder if I need a place to practice what I want to practice?So I built a private practice room. "Oh, so much private practice space ...... I''ll be able to practice as much as I want with this one. I''m glad the knights seem to like it. Then we passed through the private practice room and entered a slightly larger room. ''''This is a combat training room where you can fight a humanoid golem. There are levels 6-10, so you can try it later. Here''s another one of my own creations, golems made to master the art of swordplay. "Huh?Why do you start at six? ''''That''s because levels 1-5 are not strong enough for you guys. The strength of this golem itself is level 1-5, but I''m going to have to modify it a bit: ....... While you''re fighting this thing, its status is disabled and its skills are useless. How''s that?Can we take down this golem with just pure swordsmanship? That makes sense, and I''m looking forward to it~~ The knights, led by Barus'' voice, looked eager to try it out. Yes, everyone is willing to try. ''''Also, these golems are trying not to attack in a way that would kill them, but since there might be something that could happen if they do, they should always be used by two or more people. Well, we''re all strong, so I don''t think we''ll have that many accidents. "Yes, sir. Okay. And what if I destroy the golem? Yeah, that''s okay. In that case, it''ll be fixed automatically. That''s supposed to work. The moment it breaks, it''s set to auto-repair. Is that so? That''ll give you some peace of mind. And now we''re on the last big training ground. It''s the main training ground. It''s easier to train in here, no matter how big the group, right? ''''It''s definitely a huge space. ...... Surely this is plenty of room to practice, even if there are more people there.'''' Well, this is just a normal, large gymnasium, so there''s nothing special about it. The training grounds should be like this. There''s also a bathroom and a place to stay upstairs, if you want. It''s a potent bath, so you''re gonna get your fill. Yes, sir. Well, this is far beyond anything I could have imagined. It''s too early to give that impression. The main thing is still to come. Main~?Oh, it''s just straight ahead of you earlier, isn''t it~? Yeah, yeah. That''s great. Then I walked back to the front door with the others. "Straight ahead are the small, medium, and large conference rooms first. You can use them for strategy meetings and stuff. There are meeting rooms in the castle, but I knew you''d need them here too, so I built four small rooms, two medium rooms and a large room. Oh, and this is the dining room? As I moved on, Hermann looked into the next room to confirm the answer. Yes, I did. I''ve arranged for you to eat a lot of food, and I''ve arranged a cook and everything. By the way, you''ll get a lot of free food here. "Oh~ When the guys heard I said free food, they started screaming. Are you that happy? So what you''ll find up ahead is ...... It''s the stairs, isn''t it? Yeah. Stairs to the basement. Down here. It''s a big door. Is this ...... maybe? The other knights have a large door that doesn''t look like the basement, ''What is it?'' In the midst of all this thinking, Hermann seems to have figured something out. "Hermann was right. The dungeon. If you die in here, you''ll be revived and come back here, so you don''t have to worry about dying. Level up as much as you want. ''What?Mr. Leons, could you possibly build even ...... dungeons?Besides, you''re not going to die: ...... Alma heard my words right back. "Yes, I do. It''s for training purposes. I didn''t want you to die, so I made it that way. ''Oh really, ...... it''s really amazing that you can do that. Thank you. It''s my best work, so you should give it a shot. Well, it''s so hard you probably won''t get past the first level. Hmm?You don''t think we can capture even a single level? "Gufu. The captain''s fighting spirit has been ignited~~~. We''re in trouble~~ At my aggravation, Bernolt became blatantly annoyed, and Balus smiled happily at that . What''s so funny? ''Well, you should try it this afternoon then.To give you an idea of how hard this dungeon is . Oh, right, ...... I''ll give a special reward to the person who can get to each level the fastest . Now, how many years will it take to get to the tenth floor? ''d*mn you ...... guys!I''ve been told this much!We''re going to capture it for sure! Oh! Mm-hm. That was worth the effort. I want you to go all out. And give the dungeon plenty of magic. Oh, we''re out at last! As the knights rose to their feet, Shelly and the others came out of the dungeon. ''Oh, are all four of you out already? ''Yeah. I just came back to eat lunch after killing a level one boss. You''re making it too hard!If it wasn''t for Lou, it would have been a close call! When Shelley said that, she seemed to be really angry. Ah, it was still difficult: ....... The boss goblin that generates an infinite number of goblins is a demon. I''m sorry. Anyway, that''s what you get for completing the first level. Just to put Cherie in a better mood, I gave her the reward for breaking through the first level. What''s this?Oh, a big bag of stuff. Yay. Thank you. Sherry smiled right away when she got a present from me. Well, of course it means a lot that I went out of my way to give it to you in front of the knights. So, the princesses beat me to it, but ...... knights, are you sure you want to keep it up? Or maybe it was to encourage the knights. "Boys!I will conquer the dungeon with all the pride of a knight!In the meantime, let''s have a strategy meeting!Hurry up and head for the conference room! Oh, I''m glad the conference room came in handy right away. I smirked as I looked at the back of my knights who were working as I expected. 165 CHAPTER XIII ARRIVAL OF Sister 1 It''s been about a month since the dungeon construction, and I''ve been building the school district while building the school. No, it''s more accurate to say that I''ve been there since it wasn''t over yet. In such a situation, my knights have been challenging the dungeon every day. I''ve got various strategies and I''m trying to complete the two levels, but it''ll take me at least two weeks to complete the dungeon. Hermann and the others will be shocked to find out that Shelly and the others have already completed the third level of the dungeon. Well, Sherry and the others have Lou, so it''s been easy for them to get through. So, thanks to everyone''s hard work, the dungeon is finally complete. The Training Dungeon. A dungeon built to train elite troops. If you don''t have the ability to clear at least the 30th floor of an ordinary dungeon, I wouldn''t recommend challenging it. It''s for training purposes only, so you won''t die in this dungeon. Every time I die, I''m revived and returned to the portal. Furthermore, in this dungeon, the passage of time is halved and the experience gained is increased by 50%. This is the result of the dungeon''s evaluation of my full body. The amount of magic the dungeon had gathered over the past month was enough for dozens of people, a ridiculous amount. But most of it went into maintaining it, so it just wasn''t easy to accumulate. Still, all of the abilities I''ve obtained after becoming a complete person are bad. First, the ability to halve the passage of time . This means that one hour in the dungeon is thirty minutes outside. It''s amazing if you think of it as simply doubling your growth rate. Combined with the second gain of 50% more experience, the growth rate is three times faster than outside the dungeon. Well, even if the time is doubled, there''s still time for tiring, so it doesn''t simply double the efficiency of the game. However, the growth rate in the dungeon has definitely increased, so it''s a good thing I built the dungeon. I''m looking forward to seeing how far these people who originally had great abilities can grow in this dungeon. Elsie and I were eating lunch alone while I was thinking about the past month in my head. I heard that they wanted to take a longer dungeon today, and Shelly and the others won''t be back until the evening. They''ll be at the Order''s training grounds right now, finishing up a quick meal. You should at least have a leisurely lunch. ...... I thought about it, but after thinking about it, I can''t speak for others because I''ve also attacked it while I was sleeping. ''''Is the development of the school district going as planned?'''' As we ate, we would check on each other''s work progress. Occasionally when we were alone, the conversation would start with the topic of work. "Yeah. It''s going well. Construction of the school is taking a while, but it''s within the scope of our plan. What about the underground city? Of course it''s going well. It''s going so well that I''m having trouble getting ready for the open house in time, because it''s going so much faster than I expected. Not ready for the public ceremony in time? ''What?How soon are you going to be able to publish it? They''ve come a long way since I was out of the picture. I''d like to know if you''re aware of the fact that ...... is only three months away.The building will be completed soon. ''Three months?Didn''t you say six months at the earliest in the last month or so? I mean, you only finished building the witchcraft factory a month or two ago, right? ''''That''s why the magic tool factory is producing faster than I thought. ...... The installation of the streetlights was finished very quickly. Once the city was well-lit at night, we were able to do the nighttime work. ...... And it went faster than you thought it would. You didn''t have to work through the night because you were flush with cash. That''s a happy miscalculation. It''s a good thing you built your own magic factory. We''ll manufacture simple tools in the factory from now on. That way the craftsmen can focus on the more time-consuming magic tools. This just keeps getting better and better. Yes, they do. We''re beginning to educate them on these new tools. Oh, Elsie, you''re good. I didn''t know you were doing it before it came to me. No, you''re no match for Leo. You''ve been working all these months, haven''t you? You need a break. ''What?Do you work that hard? When I say I''m working, I''m just doing what I love, okay? ''''You work so hard. It''s hard enough to build a wall by yourself . And yet, from expanding the territory to arranging for the construction of student dormitories, building a training ground, and building a school...... I think it''s too much work no matter how you think about it . That''s a lot to put on the line. That''s because of the creative magic: ...... I was about to tell him it wasn''t much work, when the head butler, Edwin, walked into the room. ''Excuse me. Master Leons, there is a visitor here to see you. Sir? Hmm?Did we have any plans for that today?Who is it? If Edwan didn''t turn him away, then he''s probably a well-known person who would be hesitant to pay the gate: ...... Who is it? "Helena Forster, sir. Sis! When I heard my sister''s name, I reflexively stood up. Why did you come here? Then I hurried to the front door to find my smiling sister waiting for me . "Mmm-hmm. Leo, you''re so grown up. Good to see you. You''ve become a great lady. She used to be a tomboy. ...... She''s a lot more mature now. Oh, my God, are you able to say that now?You''ve only got five wives. Whether my words put her in a better mood or worse, she smiled and put me in a headlock. Yeah, I take it back. She''s still a tomboy. "Hey, why are you here, sis?What about school? While I was in a headlock, I continued my conversation with my sister. It''s not important that I''m in a headlock, but why she came to me. If she was an assassin sent by Mom who found out that I had broken my promise and gone to the Devil''s Forest, I had to get out of there as soon as possible. We''re on vacation. I was actually going to spend some time in the imperial capital for my coming-of-age party, but it''s not really in a celebratory mood right now, is it? Oh, by the way, Sis, you''re almost an adult now . I totally forgot to mention ...... even if it''s a slip of the tongue. But you can''t have a ...... party because a lot of people have died. Well, you''re right. ....... Does that mean your sister''s coming-of-age party was canceled? They''re not canceling it, they''re postponing it. They want to do it with the wedding next year. ''Yeah. ....... Hmm?A wedding! Sis, are you getting married? You haven''t heard anything about my sister. I heard every word about Leo from my mother. Your lovely wives are more important to you than your sister anyway. ...... My sister, who was in a bad mood at my words, increased the force of the headlock even more. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry! "Uh-huh. Just kidding. By the way, I married Bart. Let''s see, ...... the eldest son of the Lefebvre family, who was the president of the aristocratic school, if you remember. Oh, you''re such a, um, serious guy. I remember you covering for me when I was being ridiculed for my creation magic. Yeah. I remember that. That''s good~. You got your love right, Chairman. ''What?Since when did you know the chairman liked me? ''What?On the other hand, when did your sister find out?I''ve known about it since the first few days of school, you know? Freshman party. What?It''s been that long! What''s the reaction?Maybe you didn''t realize it yet at the time? Are you kidding me?Didn''t you realize that the chairman was being so blatantly obvious to you? And I don''t blame you.I was still loving Leo back then. Even though it was proudly proclaimed that he was a bra-con: ....... ''So when did the chairman confess to you?'' Well, uh, ...... last year or so. Wait, last year? So that''s where your sister found out about the chairman''s feelings? ''Yes, yes ......'' Dude . Seriously? ....... ''I don''t know about the chairman who has been with you for that long and didn''t confess until recently, but ...... your sister is terrible too. Go easy on him. How long have you been with him? ''I don''t blame you!Bart was so close to me that I didn''t look at him as if I liked him or anything!What''s wrong? Yes, no: ...... Don''t get upset because you won''t be able to say anything back. Well, I see what you''re saying. It''s just a common pattern with childhood friends. Instead, you need to introduce me to your wives!I know we''re all here! Hey, hey!Oh, he''s gone. I released the headlock and she went off to Elsie''s side without hearing me. All right, I''ll go after her. Oh, it''s nice to meet you. My name is Elsie. ...... Don''t be so intimidated. Elsie, you''re older than me, aren''t you?Let''s talk about it casually. By the time I caught up with her, Elsie had started to introduce herself. So, Elsie is older than you. Elsie will be 17 this year, so she''s one year older than you. ''''Yes, yes ...... Yeah. Cute. Sis hugged Elsie as she said that. Hmm?Elsie''s older than you, right?Sis, you want me to feel free to talk to you, don''t you? I couldn''t help but want to complain about my sister''s high-handed behavior. ''''Huh?Where are the other kids?Sherry, Leena, Belle, and Lou? ''Well, ...... I''m at Dan...not now, I''m at the Knights'' training grounds. I almost answered honestly that it was a dungeon, but I managed to fool myself . If I talked about building a dungeon, there''s a good chance I''d end up talking about going to the Demon Forest . ''''Oh, you''re a great wife, working for your future husband. You take good care of her, okay? Ummm, yeah, ....... Well, maybe you don''t care about the Devil''s Forest. Well, I guess we''ll just have to wait until we get back to see you four. Yeah. Anyway, Sis. Just in case you''re wondering how long you''re going to be here? You''ve come all the way from a long way, and I''m sure you''ll stay and go, but how many days do you plan to stay at ......? About a week? ''Well?Until it''s all right?I have excellent grades, so I don''t have to worry about credits, and I can stay for a while when school is back in session, okay? Yeah, right. ....... Take your time. You''ll be here for more than a month at ...... until you feel better, or maybe even longer. ''Yeah!Well then, why don''t you show me the room I''m staying in? ''Yes, yes ......'' I silently led my sister to the visitor''s room. It''s always been hard to disobey my sister and mom. ....... 166 CHAPTER XIV ARRIVAL OF Sister 2 Let''s get my sister up to her room and get to work this afternoon!But then Sherry got a telepathic call from her. (Leo!(I''ve finished conquering the dungeon, so come and get me! Is it over?It''s so early, what''s going on?(Are you okay?) (What?Early?No, it''s not. Well, we''ve been in the dungeon for like ten hours now. Yeah. Yeah, that''s right. (I''ll pick you up now.) My time in the dungeon was cut in half . Shelly and the others must be confused: ....... I''ll have to explain it to them when I get there. Sis, I''m just going to go get Sherry and the others. ''What?I thought you weren''t coming home until the evening.Tell him it''s okay if it''s because I''m here. No, it''s not like that. I just feel like I''m simply done working. I haven''t told Shelly and the others that you''re back yet, you know. ''Really?That''s fine then. Okay. All right. I''ll be back. With that, I moved to the training grounds. When I arrived at the range, I looked for the four men and found them all in the mess hall. Good night. How was your day? Oh, Leo. Listen to me!I''ve succeeded in finding the boss room on the fourth level! Leena happily answered my question. Oh, that''s great. So you wanna go up against the boss tomorrow? What was the boss on the fourth floor: ...... I think it was a slime with a physical invalidation or a very fast moving kobold. Well, there''s plenty of room for four people in either case. ''Hey, forget that, ...... can you tell me why the time is different inside than outside?Is it already nighttime?So I went outside and I was surprised to see it was still light? In contrast to the happy Leena, Shelly seems to be more interested in complaining about her time in the dungeon than about the boss. It''s a new ability in the dungeon. I spend half my time in the dungeon. So if Shelly and the others were in the dungeon for ten hours today, they''d only have five hours outside. ''What?So you''re saying that if you''re in a dungeon, you''re going to age twice as fast? ''Well, well, will it?But it''s not like we''re going to spend years in a dungeon, so it''s okay, right? I thought the same thing when they added it as a new feature? But I figured we wouldn''t be in the dungeon for days at a time, so I figured it was okay. ''Isn''t it?We''ll probably only be around for a little while, but ...... knights will continue to train in dungeons, and ...... if it adds up, it''s going to be a big year. Isn''t there any? When I thought Belle suddenly opened her mouth, she made a terrific and accurate point . If you ask me, the knights are going to be taking on dungeons for hours every day from now on: ....... If that continues for many years, it will make a big difference in time . I''m sure. Yeah ...... I''ll go talk to you about it for a bit. I don''t know if I can solve this on my own, so I''ll ask Anna. ''Anna~!Is there any way to stop aging in a dungeon? ''Does that mean you want it to age as fast as it does outside?'' Yeah, yeah! I agree. Rather than stopping the aging process, you may be right about wanting to keep it the same as it was on the outside. It''s just like Anna, you knew exactly what I was thinking in an instant. "With additional magic, you can add this as a new feature. Really?Oh, but you''ll need a lot of magic, right? It took me a month to save up my magic power just to make it complete, and now I''m going to add more: ....... ''''Yes . It''s a feature that wasn''t originally planned, so the magic power needed to add it and the magic power needed to maintain it will be an order of magnitude higher.'''' I knew it. ''''Oh, right. ....... So, how much magic do you think you need to save up to add? ''''Well, even if you consider that the magic power of the ...... challengers will increase at this rate, I think it will take three to four months.'''' ''That''s roughly four months or ....... Eight months'' worth of aging ...... well, that''s about right? If it''s enough to make you four months older, it''s not really a problem, right? If you are concerned, would you like to turn off the feature that halves the elapsed time until we add a slowing down feature?That would mean less magic power to maintain.'''' ''Oh, that''s a good idea!Okay, let''s do that until we add a new feature! You''re the best navigator because you get to the heart of the matter. Understood. So, we''ll keep the elapsed time in and out of the dungeon the same. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. See you later! "Yes, sir. We look forward to seeing you. Problem solved, I came home to Sherry and the others with a good mood. We''re home! Oh, Leo. So, what''s going on? ''I''ve decided to add some new features to make the aging process the same as it is out there,'' Really. That''s good news. Oh, but we''re totally lacking in magic, so it was agreed that the time in the dungeon will be the same as the time outside for the time being. So for three or four months, we''ll be spending the same time outside. Really. It''s good because it cuts my time in half, and it makes me so much more efficient, but I''m afraid I''ll have to wait a while. Leena doesn''t mind aging that fast, does she? That''s okay. No substitute for safety. Yeah. Belle''s right, we need to play it safe. All right, let''s head home. Hey, I think my sister''s here. ''What?Sis? Lou, who had been lying on the table in the cafeteria not being able to follow a difficult conversation a while ago, got up with a bang when he heard that it was his sister. Yeah, my sister is on vacation. My sister is on a long weekend. ''What?Helena?So you''re making me wait, right?I have to get home soon. Well, you don''t have to worry about it. I''m sure she''s probably just having a nice conversation with Elsie and having a cup of tea. With that in mind, I transitioned to the castle where my sister was waiting for me. I''m home. There he is. Good work, you four. Helena, it''s been a long time since I''ve seen you at ...... I''ve already told you to call me sister-in-law.Have you forgotten?Hey, Lina? No, no, no, ...... your sister-in-law. It''s been a while. The energetic couple who had been in good spirits a while ago suddenly turned sulky in front of their sister. I mean, what''s a sister-in-law?Sis, you''ve been forcing them to call you that? ''''Hmmm. They''ve grown even prettier in the short time I''ve been around ...... I''m jealous. So, you''re Belle and Lou, right? As I hugged Sherry and Leena, I shifted my attention to my next target . In case you''re wondering, Sherry is a princess: ....... It''s just like my mom to not be reserved in that area . Yes. I''m Belle. Nice to meet you. That''s cute. We''re a free love affair, so we don''t have to worry about status differences, okay?Oh, Leo wasn''t the Forsters anymore. Well, it wouldn''t make a difference if we were Mulderine, would it? ...... the same. By the way, just so you know, Belle is the daughter of the King of the Beast Race, right? ''What?Belle, you''re a princess! No, no, ...... it''s a ruined country, so I''m pretty sure he''s a commoner. Still, it''s not nice to have an ex-royalist as a maid. Again, thinking about it, yes. I''m glad I didn''t leave Belle as a maid. I''m sure she''d be pissed off with you right now. ''Don''t worry. Belle isn''t a maid anymore. ''What?Really?That''s a relief. As he said that, he aimed at Lou next to Belle. ''Hmm. You''re Lou?Wow, he really has horns! Ever since you were little, if you do anything bad, the demons will come to you!What a pissed off I was, but if you have such a cute little demon race, you didn''t have to be scared. I was getting excited on my own and kneading Lou''s face around on my own . I thought he might not like it ....... Heh-heh-heh. Lou seemed happier than I expected. Well, Lou is a spoiled brat. She''s happy to be pampered by her sister. Speaking of which, Lou''s going to stay a slave. When she was done kneading, she pointed to Lou''s collar and asked me. "Well, I''m technically a crime slave. I''ve killed a lot of people, and I''m going to need it to protect Lou. This is the only way for Lou to survive in the human world. I don''t want him to unleash a destructive spell that he can''t even control. ''Is that the way it''s supposed to be ......?Okay. Lou, is the collar too tight for you? No. I''m fine. I''m fine! Yeah. That''s good to hear. When she heard Lou''s words, she smiled and hugged him. This kindness is just like Mom. Oh, by the way, why are you all dressed like adventurers?You''ve been to the Order, haven''t you? After hugging Lou for a while, my sister asked me a question, as if she noticed something . Come to think of it, it''s not normal for Shelly and Leena to be dressed so comfortably. I''ve been so used to seeing them lately, I''d forgotten all about it. How to cover it up: ....... It''s "I''ve been to the dungeon!Huh?Oh, Lou! Hey, don''t spill the beans on my story! A dungeon?Leo, is that true? d*mn it ...... How can I get it to go in a direction that doesn''t piss me off? ''Yes, but ...... it''s a safe and secure dungeon, so don''t worry about it, okay? ''There''s no such thing as a dungeon!This isn''t a place for girls to go alone! It''s okay. I made the dungeon to look like that. ''What?Did you build a dungeon? Oh, ....... I feel like I dug my own grave. Oh, yeah. Leo, this is great!I thought I got a very large dragon magic stone and he built a very fun place for me. Hey, I''m sorry I wanted to tell my sister that I''m awesome, but that''s the last thing I should be saying! Oh, I''m done. Yes, ...... the dragon''s magical stone. ...... ''Yes, uh, ...... sister?'' ''Before I came here, your mother told me to go check in person to see if Leo was doing anything dangerous. ....... I didn''t really want to bother looking for it or anything, but now that I''ve heard ......, I have to report it. ...... So if you don''t report it, you still have a chance to get out of the sermon, right, sis? Hey, sis?Please, please, please. That''s the only thing I''m asking for: ...... If I didn''t report it, he''d be mad at me . If I hadn''t heard about it, I could have just said I didn''t know about it and let it pass. ...... Oh, no. ...... ''Well, it was Leo''s fault for breaking his promise to his mother. Next time I see you, I''ll just have to bring you something sweet that your mother would like to take home to make you feel better. Sweetness: ...... Okay. Okay, for the time being, I''ll have to do everything I can to develop sweets . In the meantime, I have to be very selective about the sugar in the ingredients: ....... ''Oh, and I don''t know if that doesn''t help your mood, okay? There''s a chance you''ll be pissed off even if you do your best! ''d*mn. ....... Oh, yeah . Sis, do you want to try the new dragon dish? ''What?The new one?Oh. You''re trying to get your sister out of food, aren''t you? Yeah, I don''t mean to, you know?But it''s good enough to make me want to eat it even if my mom is mad at me. ...... Hmm. All right then. I''ll send your mother a quick note by express mail if you stop by. Okay? Ummm, yeah, ......, it''s definitely good, so don''t worry about it. No worries, right?Yeah, don''t worry about it. There''s nothing to worry about: ....... 167 15. Foolish King and the Shikoku Shōshū SIDE: Gert. So you''re the half-breed who almost killed the descendants of a despised fake hero. ''Yes . I''m told he was born and raised in the Fermor Trading Company, where he makes outlandish magic tools. ''''Well, ...... that sub-human trade association, if you destroy the empire, I''ll be the first to make you a slave to the kingdom and have you work for the kingdom for the rest of your life. Oh, that''s nice. Now, about six months after arriving in the kingdom, I was having an audience with the king for the first time. And I was patiently listening to a very irritating conversation that was taking place in front of me. Mixed people ...... is a racist term used for people with non-human blood in their veins. This kingdom looks down on non-humans to the extent that it has a law that allows them to be treated as sub-humans, like slaves. I really didn''t want to come to this place, but ...... was the only place that would pick me up. So I can''t get angry at the ridiculous conversation between the fat foolish king and the idiot vizier who is right in front of me. But the way he mocked Fermor''s merchants... it really pissed me off. My uncle worked so hard to grow the firm and now you want to enslave it? Uncle Colt was a bit of a bad drunk, but unlike my dad, he was always kind to me, even when I was a kid. He was always looking out for me instead of his dad, who was focused on developing magic tools. I have fond memories of him taking me around the countryside with him in his carriage when he was working. And I have nothing but gratitude for those craftsmen. My father thinks he taught me to make magic tools, but mostly they were taught by the Fermat craftsmen. Whenever I visited the workshop, it was always one of the spare craftsmen who taught me how to make magic tools. Truly, they were warm-hearted people. When I heard that they were going to be my slaves, I almost killed these two idiots. But I didn''t want to die here, so I didn''t do it. Besides, there was a brave man next to me, so it would be impossible to kill them. With that thought in mind, I turned to the man kneeling next to the foolish king. His name was Kite. He''s been in this world for about a year now, and apparently he''s been training. He''s dark-eyed and dark-haired, and he''s probably a native Japanese from a previous life. I''ve gotten to know him pretty well over the past half year: ...... tall, lean body, good-looking face, gentle personality, and recently rumored love affair with the princess of the kingdom, I''ve come to understand that no matter how hard I try, I can only be a supporting role for him. But he was a good guy. But in a previous life, he would have been a good-looking high schooler with a good personality. In this world, he seems like a saintly person with a clear mind. Cheating each other is normal, I don''t care about other people as long as I can live, it''s a world of the weak and the strong, a world of the strong and the weak, a world of high school students who grew up in a warm atmosphere on earth is too naive. Well, we''re going to be in the same boat for a while, so I''ll keep an eye on this guy to make sure he doesn''t get cheated. And I want you guys to get ready for the war that''s coming up in the next few years. When the two idiots were done talking, the foolish king said appropriate words to us. What do you mean, "Hang in there"? It''s over when you''re trying to fight a war that you can''t win unless you do your best. "Yes. Well, I guess I''ll just have to answer honestly. ''Kite raise the bar as high as you can. The admixture ...... Geralt will invent Kite''s weapons and armor for the war, weapons that can defeat the Empire. Yes, sir. I''m used to being called a mixed-up person. Then the brave man and I left the audience chamber and chatted in my room. Do you think this country can win the war?In a country where people like that are at the top of their game: ...... Yes, this brave man has no loyalty to the king at all. The king made him wear a slave collar, but I took it off and made a dummy collar, so now he can complain about the king all he wants. Of course, the walls of this room are soundproofed so we can''t listen in. Well, the king doesn''t believe in the slightest that the enslaved brave man would betray him, so he doesn''t have any surveillance on his actions. ''''Well, I guess it''s impossible . You''d better think about how you''re going to escape when you lose. If we''re going to escape, then the Teaching State is next. If we head there, we''ll have to go through the Empire. ....... ''Huh?Is it so bad that you have to think about running away? huh? There''s that peace demon. No, think about it. Even if we won the war, do you think that idiot of a king could manage that much land?Don''t you think a rebellion would be the end of the country? You think that a guy who looks like a racist elected official is going to be supported by the people? How could you possibly think that''s possible? I''m pretty sure that ...... is something we learned about in history class. Hmmm, I don''t want to destroy Hlne''s country, and I don''t know what to do about it: ...... Elaine. ....... This guy is firmly in line with the Prime Minister''s plan to tie her to the kingdom. Are you sure you like the princess? Princess Ereminanne, the jewel-crazed princess. I''ve seen her several times in the castle and she''s like a daughter to her father. Surely you''re right. She''s a hard man, she''s a jewel collector and she spends a lot of money and uses her men like slaves? Shit. That''s right. I thought you were being tricked by a jewel-crazed princess who only wears a cat mask in front of you. Do you know who he really is? "Hmm?Then why? Knowing that personality, how did you like it so much? You don''t care about character as long as you look good? I don''t think it''s a good idea to do that. I''m sure you could marry a better woman with your face. I know that Hlne is simply lonely. That makes her harsh personality all the more endearing. In my world, there''s a word for tsundere: ...... Okay. Okay. Brave men like a mean girl. Yeah, yeah. Is he a sensitive person?No, it''s not. Do you have a twang because I''m wearing a cat in front of you? ''You''ll have to hear me out!I can already ...... for now, I''ll take care of that Elene''s character. I''ll make the villainous daughter into a ladylike, kind-hearted, perfect heroine by me: ...... Yeah, yeah. Good luck. Your protagonist says something different. He''s supposed to be snotty. I''m asking you to hear me out! I''ll tell you what you need to know to prepare for war. ''What?Is it just the two of you in a strategy meeting? The kingdom is full of idiots. Wouldn''t it make more sense for you and I to talk about how to survive? ''Well, yes, but ......'' Unlike the Empire, this country is not well educated. The knights in the kingdom are only spoiled second and third sons of noblemen...so they can''t think about anything but protecting themselves and getting ahead. Discussing strategy with them is just a waste of time. Where''s General Edmont? Oh, that guy: ...... Yeah, he could be our guy. I can''t forgive him for betraying us while we were at Philibert''s house, but a general who has the brains to instantly choose thoroughness in that situation if he becomes one of us should be called to the meeting. Well, that guy is the dog of the kingdom, so we have to hide the fact that we might betray our country. Now, shall we do everything we can to prevent the worst-case scenario, where the Empire loses badly and we''re killed before we can escape? If I could, a draw would be the best future for me, but with that foolish king''s character, the next war will be difficult because he''ll probably keep fighting until the winner is decided: ....... 168 CHAPTER XVI -- NEW Brave and Treasure Princess 1 SIDE: Kite. "Your mission is to protect humanity and defeat the evil one''s messengers. It''s not too late. I''ve asked you. Human prosperity?An emissary of the Evil One? ...... Where are we? I found myself lying in a strange room. I sat up, puzzled by the hard stone floor. "Where am I? I rubbed my eyes ...... quickly as I tried to look around every corner of the room, searching for the memories until I passed out. Maybe it was a dream gone wrong.It was filled with a scene so bizarre that I thought . I was surrounded by a group of ...... that looked like something you would find in a picture book or history textbook, and the floor where I was laying was covered with symbols and letters that I couldn''t understand at all, and I couldn''t tell if they were symbols or not. The most surprising thing was ...... when I saw a girl on her knees in front of me, with her eyes closed and her hands folded in prayer. A girl with a bright red dress and beautiful blonde hair . No, is this more love at first sight than surprise? The way they were praying was so beautiful, so beautiful. ''''Oh~'''' It''s working. So the future of the kingdom is bright. You did it, my king. As I was gazing at the beautiful girl in front of me, the quietness of the room suddenly became noisy. Then a big, fat man and a thin, light-haired man with a black collar came walking toward me. "Elaine, thank you. You can go now. Okay. ...... The big, fat man spoke to me, and the beautiful girl opened her eyes, looked up ...... and locked eyes with me. We stared at each other in silence, not saying a word, not changing our expressions. The girl''s eyes were unusually crisp, which added a little bit of coolness to my image of her as beautiful and pretty. ''What''s wrong?'' No, no, no, I''ll be off then. When the thin-headed man, worried that the girl was not moving, spoke to her, she huffed and stepped backwards. Then the two old men came in front of me to replace the girl. Nice to meet you. May we ask your name? What''s your name?It''s Kite. Mr. Kite? My name is Lambros Beckman and I''m the Prime Minister of this country. And this is His Majesty Clairhants, the King of the land. Hi. How do you do? What is it?I don''t know what that means. Poppy?The king?I don''t know why, but I have no idea what he''s talking about. It''s true that this guy is dressed in a pompous outfit, but without that, he looks like an old man out there. Don''t introduce yourself. Ramroth, get on with it and put a collar on that man. The old man, who was introduced as the king, gave the old man a high and mighty order. Yes, sir. I''ll leave you to it. What? Suddenly I thought that old man Saishou had his hand on my neck, and he had a hard collar on me. I gasped and went to touch the collar to take it off, but he caught my hand. It''s necessary for you to live in this world. Don''t ever take it off. Always wear it on at all times, okay? ''What?Oh, I see: ...... yes. I was so bombarded with information that I couldn''t make a right decision, and I was convinced that this was how it should be. Hmmm. So you are going to do your best to make this country great again? Working hard?What is this guy talking about? Just as he was thinking about this, the king started to walk towards the door with a satisfied look on his face. ''Wha?Huh?Do you have a better explanation than that? Where am I? I need to know where I am and why I''m here. I need to ask you some questions. ''Is that a detailed explanation?Yes. ...... Princess, could you tell me about this world, Kite? The old man stopped at my words, and after thinking for a moment, he grinned and turned his attention to the girl from earlier and said something like that. Princess?Huh?Are you a princess?So beautiful on the street. Yeah. Elaine, you''re up. Yes ...... The princess was expressionless as she replied to the king''s words, but I could sense a hint of discontent in her voice. ''''I''m counting on you . After saying that, the king and his men left the room. I would have liked to have had you two, the most important people in the room, to explain it to me. Whispering these complaints in my mind, I turned to the princess. ''''......'''' ...... Huh?You gotta talk to me. I''m not the one who understands this situation at all, okay? The princess opened her mouth to see if those feelings were understood. Just ...... Okay, follow me. That''s all he said. ''Yes, yes ......'' Then the princess showed me to a luxurious room. Even to a layman like me, the walls are decorated with expensive jewelry and other ornaments. It''s a very uncomfortable room. ....... With that in mind, I took a seat across the desk from the princess. "Nice to meet you. I''m Elemenane Alvar. Please call me Elaine. ''''Well, uh, ...... me, no, I''m Kaito Emi Emi Emi Emi, no, I''m Kaito Emi. Please call me Kite. To the princess''s polite words, I responded in an uncool way. I mean, what would happen if I suddenly tried to use a term of endearment that I don''t normally use? You don''t have to use honorifics if you don''t want to, do you? I don''t know if I was being too respectful, but the princess made me an offer. "Well, uh, ...... then. I don''t usually use honorifics ....... Elaine, no honorifics, please. Don''t you usually use honorific language?What do you mean ......?Could it be that you, no, Master Kite was a famous nobleman in the original world? Hmm?Oh, since there''s a king in this country, will there be nobility and stuff. No. - No. No. - The people of the people. There weren''t any nobles in the original world. So let''s just talk to her without the polite speech. No, I''m the princess, so I have to use honorific speech. Well, even in my former world, there were people who actually had to use respectful words for teachers and such. I was always allowed to talk to them in a friendly manner. ''You don''t have to worry about the fact that I''m a princess. You''re a hero from today. The brave woman is technically the highest in the land. Formality?Well, never mind. It doesn''t matter. ''My hero?Is a brave man in that story? The kind of thing you''d expect a kindergartner to read in a storybook or something? ''What?Does your world have a story about a brave soul? ''Well, I guess there is: ....... Maybe a story about a princess being captured by a dragon and going to save her? I used my hazy memory to make up a story about a random hero. I mean, how many stories like this could there be if you looked all over the world? I don''t usually read books other than textbooks, so I don''t understand. ...... I didn''t know there were dragons and stuff in your world. ''What?Wait a minute. What do you mean your world has dragons too?Are there dragons in this world? I thought you were caught up in some kind of time warp?Or, I guess I expected to, but seriously, have we come to a different world? ''What?No?They''re rare in this world. There''s a great mountain range far to the east, and many dragons live in it. Wow, ...... that mountain sounds really dangerous. And it''s been confirmed after hearing this story that we''re not on Earth . I don''t know how I ended up in this world: ...... It''s more likely, or at least makes sense, that someone is forcing me to watch this crazy dream. "There''s no danger. Hasn''t mankind ever slayed a dragon?Even the previous heroes who defeated the Demon King could barely turn away a stray dragon that wandered into the human village. ''Huh ...... there were brave men and women from the previous generation. For that matter, what do you mean by a dragon more powerful than the Demon King?Is it like in a game, a back-up boss that comes out after you''ve completed the game?I don''t like it: ...... or you can''t leave without defeating a dragon. How did the brave men of the previous generation get back to the world they came from? ''What are you talking about?You can''t go home now, can you? What? What did you just say? So you have to stay in this world until you die. Do I have to stay ...... in this world ...... until I die? Really? I''m serious. As a matter of fact, the brave man who preceded you even had grandchildren and died when he was a grandfather. That''s right: ...... That sounds like a happy life to me: ....... I just don''t think that future exists for me . ''Hey, is your world such a disappointing one that you would be so disappointed if you were brought here?'' Well, I don''t know. It''s a world that''s probably been civilized for three or four hundred years. From the looks of it, there''s a light three-hundred-year difference between this room, which doesn''t seem to have electricity, and the way people in this world are dressed, right? If you asked me to live in that world today for the rest of my life, I wouldn''t be happy about it. Four hundred years. ...... So the jewels here aren''t so much in that world over there then? No, it''s not. Jewelry is very rare and expensive there too. Maybe if I had continued to live my life as usual over there, I would never have had the opportunity to be surrounded by such amazing jewelry. You''d have to go to a museum or something. Well, I''m not interested in museums, and it wasn''t an exaggeration to say the rest of my life. Yeah, yeah. ...... That''s great, though. If you wanted to collect all this stuff, you''d have to have enough money to live a dozen lifetimes playing with it. Is this something that''s been collected by royalty for generations? Do you think they''ve been hanging in this room for generations with things they''ve gotten from the public''s donations or something? No, the things in this room are things I''ve collected over the last few years. Huh?Hlne?In a few years? You''re kidding, right?You''re just kidding to make me laugh, right? ''What?Is it okay to spend that much money? If it''s true, ...... is Elaine''s country so rich that it''s safe to buy this much jewelry? Yeah, it''s okay. Because I''m a princess in this country. No, that''s not what I meant: ....... ''Yeah ...... well, I don''t know anything about this country yet and I won''t go off on a tangent.'' There''s nothing to be gained by prying further into the matter and upsetting Hlne. Yes. Do that. There''s more to it than that, don''t you want to know? I know. Hey, what did I get called out for?Do I have to take down a demon king? I have a lot of questions, but I guess that''s a start. I really want to know what I was brought here for. No. The Demon King was defeated about 50 years ago. Then what do you do?When I came over here, I felt like I was told to help humanity prosper and defeat the messengers of the evil gods, but how can I do that? Before I woke up over here, I felt like a voice had been thrown directly into my head like this: ....... ''Yes, that''s right . You are hereby invited to join the war against the evil messenger and the neighboring Vector Empire. You will defeat the messengers of the Evil One! Hmm?Why are you so upset about this?Maybe you''ve got something to be guilty of? Let''s do some digging. War?And between people? Yeah, I do. Oh, God. I don''t want to kill anybody. I''m serious about this, right? ''That''s not what men say. It''s your mission to take down the followers of the Evil One, isn''t it? Huh?The evil one''s emissaries have been changed to believers! I knew something was wrong . ''Yeah ...... but will humanity thrive in a war?'' Isn''t it obvious?Because if we win, what belongs to that country will be ours. But that''s only for Hlne and her country, what about the country that lost? When you think of a losing country, humanity as a whole is going to die in the war, and wouldn''t that be rather negative for humanity as a whole? ''Well, I don''t know about that ......!It''s the loser''s fault. Yeah, we got it all figured out. I was called in to benefit from Hlne''s country winning the war. But you know what? ...... ''Sure, there''s a saying that it''s more righteous to win, but it also applies when we lose, right? So?We''re not going to lose. Wow. What''s with the confidence. Sure, confidence is probably more important than anything else, but ...... there''s nothing scarier than unfounded confidence, right? ...... Well, all right. Anyway, it looks like I''m gonna have to be in that war to survive here. So, what am I supposed to do? I guess I don''t have veto power anymore, so we''ll just have to worry about surviving in one piece. Huh?Isn''t a brave man capable of defeating any opponent with a single sword? What? You read too many comics. No. Doesn''t this world have any comics? Of course that''s impossible. In the previous world, I was a normal student, living a life without war or killing each other, you know?I don''t have any experience in martial arts, so how am I supposed to survive on a single sword? It''s making me sad to hear myself say that. I''m gonna be the first to die when the war starts. I don''t know. I didn''t know that ...... brave men were so incompetent. Incompetence?What are you talking about when you call yourself out? I''m sorry for my incompetence. So, what are you gonna do about me being incompetent? Oh, wait. I know I was just trying to make you feel better about your words, but on second thought, no! And what do you see in front of you, a princess?If you piss him off, he''s going to be beheaded or something! Oh, my God. I''ll be dead before the war comes. "Well, you can''t report ...... incompetence to your father and ...... right. I get it. There''s something inside you that you don''t know about. For now, I''m going to get you a sword teacher. I''ll give you one year. You have one year to get strong. That being said, ...... I''m glad I don''t have to be killed right now, but can I be strong in just one year? Just go!Just get some sleep today!Somebody get a room for Kite! ''Haha ...... I''ve still got a few more questions to ask you: ...... Giving up on saying anything more to Hlne, I left the room with the butler in a straightforward manner. 169 CHAPTER XVIII The New Brave and Princess Treasure II SIDE: Elaine. ''Oh, my God!Is that the brave one?I expected a little bit of it because it looks good, but when I opened the lid, it wasn''t just an incompetent brave man! As soon as Brave Kite left I kicked the desk and yelled at him . ''''What are you going to do ...... if that pig or bald man finds out that this brave man I summoned is incompetent, he''ll definitely blame my summoning magic . I have to do something to prevent them from finding out ....... And there''s no way my sisters and brothers are going to stand by and watch me fail. They''ll pull my leg just because they can. Oh, it''s really frustrating. And it''s all his fault! Excuse me. ''What!I''m in a very bad mood right now! Can''t you see that I''m annoyed?A real knight in shining armor. I stared at the knight, thinking that. "Oh, excuse me. But I have a message for you. Hearing the knight''s words, I suddenly felt my whole body relax. My anxiety outweighed my anger. ''Your father?What? Could it be that they''ve discovered that the brave man is incompetent? ''If you''ve had your meeting with the brave men, I''ve asked you to go to His Majesty''s side as soon as possible. ...... Got it. With that message, you don''t know what you''re being called for ....... I didn''t have time to complain to the knight, so I went to the room where your father was waiting for me. I''m sure you''ll be able to get a good idea of what you''re looking for. It wasn''t a room that was meant for sleeping. It''s for making love to the woman of your father''s choice. He really is a pig in heat. It''s disgusting to have a father like that. And with disgust, I walked into the bedroom. "There you are. So are you done explaining to the brave men? Even though it was in front of my daughter, the pig was sitting on the bed with several naked women in his arms . Well, let''s say it''s too late now and the pig is just wearing clothes . ''Yes . I''ve convinced the brave lady to join us in the war. I answered the pig''s question, not caring about the naked women. Of course, I added my own interpretation to the answer to the question. Kite had no choice but to join the war, and I didn''t lie to her, did I? Yeah. That makes more sense than I thought. I guess Muros was right, after all, it was better to feed Elaine. At my words, the pig gave a sickening smile to the bald man who was happily standing at the edge of the room. ''Yes . . looks like . In my opinion, this is the way to go. ''What?What do you mean? What do you mean, you''re going to feed me? Muros, tell him what''s going on. ''''Yes. Do you know, Master Elaine, how the brave men of the previous generation betrayed our country? ''Well ...... was because the dirty empire used a mage to draw you into their country, wasn''t it?'' I don''t really know, but that''s what I learned when I was little. Yes, I did. So I thought we''d take advantage of it this time. What do you mean? I asked him back, but somehow I understood the bald man''s thoughts. ''''It''s simple . I''m going to ask the brave Kaito-sama to fall in love with the princess and make sure that she can''t leave the kingdom. I knew it. ....... I''ve had that feeling ever since the brave man told me to explain the situation to him . ''''You mean ...... I should make the brave lady fall in love with me, right? "Yes, sir. Definitely. Well, I''m sure the princess''s good looks will do just fine. I don''t need you to tell me that I''m a woman more beautiful than a jewel! It''s not like that. Thank you. I thanked him honestly. "Elaine. Yes, sir. You take care of the brave man. Make her fall in love with you no matter what you do. And make me a warrior who would die for this country. Wow, okay. ...... We can''t afford to fail. Sure. ...... I understand. I bowed my head and left the room early. ''Oh my God!What''s with that pig and the bald man! When I came back from my room, I kicked the desk away again . Anyway, I couldn''t do it without taking it out on them. Just walking into that room was very frustrating, but on top of that, the orders handed down to those two guys: ....... Do I have to flirt with the brave men?You''ve got to be kidding me! Why should I have to work so hard to fall in love with such an incompetent! I''m the prettiest girl in the world, and I can''t think of anything that would make a man feel better about me! Then I relieved my stress by breaking everything in my room except the jewelry . After I finished breaking most of the ...... items, my mind began to cool down a bit and I suddenly realized my current situation and looked at my changed room and wondered why I was being such a fool. You can''t let me fail now. Either way, Kite and I were destined to be together. If Kate turns out to be incompetent then I''ll be incompetent too. It''s no big deal to fawn over ...... kite if it makes you feel that way. Huh ...... we have to do something anyway. It''s more important to make our heroes stronger than anything else. With that thought, I rang the doorbell. Immediately, my knight came into the room. "You wanted to see me, sir? "Find me a brave instructor ASAP. I need the best one you can find. We''ll meet tomorrow. Yes, sir. And gather any information you can on the heroes of the past. Okay?Anything related to strength, bring it to me as soon as you find it. Yes, sir. That''s it. All right, then get the hell out of here! Yes! I had my head in my hands as I looked at the knight who heard my shouting and rushed out . ''''Hah, I don''t want to do this anymore ......'''' SIDE: Kite. As I changed out of my school uniform and into our clothes, I lay in bed and thought about the situation I was in now. ''''Huh, I''m not really sure anymore. ...... For now, let''s just agree that I''m in a different world.'''' I mean, I can''t go on considering it unless I''m convinced. And I understand that it''s a fantasy world. I also knew there were dragons and magic in the world . I was convinced there was magic when I saw that my maid had cleaned my clothes in an instant. Only magic could do something like that. But I just can''t get over the fact that I''m a completely unstrong, doomed hero! I was thinking about what Elaine had just said to me. I''m sure it''s love at first sight, but if a girl you''re in love with says that, anyone would be hurt and depressed. You''re usually ...... brave enough to be stronger than that, right?No, even the brave ones in the game start at a low level, but if you start low in real life, it''s almost like you''re stuck!Your opponent isn''t starting at a low level either! How is a civilian with no skills whatsoever supposed to fight people! Enough. Complaining about it here won''t change anything, so let''s get to bed. I felt like an idiot for thinking about it, so I decided to pull the covers over my head and go to sleep unfaithfully. . wake up. ......?Huh?What is this place?Oh, I remember. I opened my eyes and saw a strange woman in a strange room and for a moment I was in a hurry, but I didn''t panic that much when I remembered the events of yesterday . ''Did you notice?Master Elaine is calling for you, so please hurry and get ready. Elaine?Yeah, okay. You''re a little rough around the edges, calling me out here in the morning. No, we don''t have a clock in this room, so I don''t know if it''s morning or not. With that thought in my head, I slowly began to get ready. "Why did it take me so long to call you? I woke up and took about thirty minutes to get ready, and when I came to Elaine''s room, Elaine was so canned that I could see it . Well, I''m not going to apologize for that. I''m sorry, I''m sorry. You were asleep.Besides, if you were going to call me out this morning, you should have told me yesterday. ''Huh, don''t talk back to me if it wasn''t for you: ......'' Hmm?What if it wasn''t me? No, it''s nothing. That''s true ......, from tomorrow you should be up about the same time the sun rises. Then you won''t be late for my call. No. There''s no way I''m getting up at that hour. Okay, but tell me why you wanted me here. I didn''t want to get up at sunrise, so I changed the subject. I''m tired of living in this world and waking up early every morning. Well, ......, you have a new educator. Educator?Oh, you''re going to teach me swordsmanship. You''ve already decided?You''re early. So who is it? This is Aaron Flint, the former Swordsman. ''Swordsman?Does that mean he''s the best swordsman in the country? It''s kind of like a name, right? Right. In this country, when there are no brave men, the Sword Saint is the most powerful title in the land. ''Yeah. . I''m starting to feel bad about being taught by someone so strong, on the contrary. Hmm?If you think about it, I''m a brave man, and that means I have to be stronger than that person, right? An average person who doesn''t know anything about fighting can''t become the strongest in this country in just a year or so. You should be strong to the death if you have time to talk like that. From now on, how hard do you think I have to work to hide your incompetence? ''What?Oh, yes ...... I''ll do my best. What''s the problem, princess-wise, if they know I''m incompetent? Yeah ...... I don''t understand. But princesses go through a lot too, don''t they? Yes. Yes, you''re going to die trying. Aaron will be at the castle tomorrow, so stay in shape until then! Okay. Elaine, be careful not to push it too hard. ''What?Oh, um, yeah, ...... I''m not sure if my kind words were unexpected or not, but Elaine was horrified. I''m sure you''ll find that her face is even cuter than I thought it would be, and I wanted to keep looking at it, but I didn''t want to keep yelling at her, so I decided to take this opportunity to dismiss the princess. ''''Oh, wait a minute,'''' What? Yeah, uh, well, you know: ...... When I turned around, clicking my tongue in my mind as I was stopped, Hlne had her hand over her mouth and was in some kind of panic. Hmm?Does that mean I stopped him without any requirements? But then Elaine opened her mouth . ''Well, ...... what kind of gestures and things do men fall for in a woman?'' Huh?What''s going on?What happened to the bullish lady character from earlier! I couldn''t help but want to tweak it that way when I saw Elaine suddenly looking so quiet and shy . ''''Eh, eh, ...... is there someone you like?'''' I mean, why would you question me?If you''re a princess, there are plenty of other people you can talk to, right? No, maybe if you ask other people about it, all they''ll say is flattery and it''s not helpful? No, I don''t think so. Just tell me what to do! Why is the person asking the question angry? Well, let''s be honest. I don''t think there''s a man in the world who wouldn''t be in love with Hlne if she was nice to him. It''s perfect on the outside, anyone can fall in love with Hlne if you take care of her personality. "No, don''t be so nice to me. ...... Okay, okay. You''re free to go. Yes, sir. Elaine gave me permission, and I walked out of the room with a blank expression on my face. But inside, I couldn''t help but want to scream. Ah~!I didn''t know Elaine had a crush on someone! Well, with Elaine''s personality, it''s obvious that she''d prefer someone more competent than an incompetent guy like me . Haha ...... me, what am I supposed to be living in this world for? ....... I was in the middle of the hallway to my room, banging my head against the wall, shocked at my quick heartbreak . 170 CHAPTER XVIII -- NEW Brave and Treasure Princess ③ The next day, I saw my sword master, the former swordsman. I put my broken heart out of my mind and focused on the old man in front of me. I had heard that he had retired as a swordsman, so I thought he must be quite old ...... but I was surprised to see the old man than I had expected. Roughly, he''s about sixty years old? I just felt an aura that I couldn''t underestimate that he was an old man, and I thought it was safe, or rather fearful, to be taught by him. He''s like an expert swordsman character that often appears in comics. Even standing silently, I can feel the tremendous pressure. "Nice to meet you. I''m Kite. It''s nice to meet you. I''m going to be teaching you the sword, and I''m afraid of offending you, so I greeted you as respectfully as I could. "It''s nice to meet you too. You can call me Aaron. You must be Aaron. Okay. As you can see, I''m an old man who retired from the front lines ten years ago, but don''t worry, I''m going to do the job I''ve been entrusted with, so don''t worry. Yes, of course. I''m not worried about it! I did a little bit, but it''s only a little bit, so no, right? That''s very nice of you. Then let''s start practicing right away ...... I''d like to say, but let''s start by learning about the brave men and this world. Are you sure?I appreciate that. Honestly, I was in trouble because no one would tell me what to do. I was almost trapped in a room that was prepared for me, and I couldn''t find out for myself, and I was just about to give up. I see. I knew Your Majesty didn''t explain things properly, did he?Well, I guess you''re right that you don''t understand about brave people exactly, so you can''t even explain it. ''You don''t understand about brave men?What do you mean? Huh?You''re too irresponsible to call me out and not understand. ''It''s easy. It''s that they''re lazy and haven''t learned anything. I''ll tell you more about it in the moving carriage. I''ve had that feeling about laziness after watching ...... for the past two days, but even if you''re the king, I don''t think you should say that with impunity. Well, that''s not the point: ...... Carriage?Where are you headed? You''ll find out where you''re going when you get there. Now, please follow me. Hmmm. Is there something to talk about that has something to do with the brave men? With that in mind, Aaron and I got into the carriage. ''Well, where shall we begin? ...... Did you hear that in this world, there is a human world and a demon world, and that there are three major human countries?'' The human world?The demon world?Three countries of people? No. ...... You didn''t teach me that. Okay. Well, let''s talk about it. Thank you. "In this world, there is the demon world where the demons live and the human world where the humans live. And in the human world where we live, there''s the Kingdom of Alvar, where we live, and the Vector Empire to the east and the Garum Kingdom to the south. The Kingdom of Alvar, the Vector Empire, and the Garum Kingdom. Yes. And my kingdom and the Eastern Empire have not been on very good terms with each other for hundreds of years now. Is there any cause for this? Why would you want to summon a brave man to destroy the Empire? ''''Well ...... our kingdom has become a country that respects the aristocracy with an emphasis on bloodline. It is a country where even the common man can become a nobleman if he does something good, and even a nobleman is usually reduced to a slave if he fails. The Empire is in trouble!But I guess the Empire is better for me if I want to be an upstart. I see. But how did that difference develop into a conflict? "Easy. It''s easy. The imperial system is faster to develop. In a meritocratic empire, even the common man does his best to help the country grow in order to rise to the top. By comparison, in kingdoms that are soft on the aristocracy, the upper echelons of the aristocracy and royalty have been corrupted. Feeling secure that their status will not be lost, the aristocrats have become arrogant, and instead of learning and working hard, they only think about how to get richer and more comfortably. Such a kingdom would be envious of an empire that is more developed than their own . Ah, it was a bad pattern for the kingdom one way or the other . ''''Could it be that because it''s ......, you''re thinking of taking it away from the Empire?'''' ''Do you think it''s a childish idea?I think so too. Oh come on . ''''Is it safe to say that ...... even if you''re retired, Aaron-san, who originally served the kingdom, is okay with that? I wouldn''t talk about it inside the castle. I suppose that''s why I''m talking to you in the carriage. Oh, so that''s what the carriage is for? Not for transportation, but for real talk. You''re right, we can''t eavesdrop inside the carriage. No, sir, we know where we''re going. But we''re going the very long way. Really? ...... Where the hell are we headed? ''Before I got down to brass tacks and started teaching the sword, I wanted Lord Kite to know just how bad this country is. Why?It''s possible I''m going to hear that and try to flee this country, isn''t it? Honestly, I don''t want to fight for this country, okay? He''ll find out sooner or later. Well, then, it might not be so shocking if you told him in advance.Besides, I thought Lord Kite would be able to change this country, so I told you what''s really going on in this country. Yes. ...... I don''t think I have the power to change the country or anything like that, you know? First of all, I''m not even sure I''ll be alive in a year, and I''m not sure I''m strong enough. Are you worried you can''t do it? "To be honest ......, I guess so . I haven''t even had a fight with anyone in the last fifteen years. I had never been in a violent fight since I was born, even if it was just an argument. That''s why I was so resistant to hitting people. And I had never wanted to take the lead in anything. I don''t think I could have survived the war and changed this country. Really. But I think that''s okay. The previous generation of brave men used to whine about the same things when they first came to our world. ''Really?I heard you had defeated the Demon King, so I figured you had some special skills to begin with. ''''It seems that he learned a unique sword technique in the previous world, but on the contrary, it seemed to get in the way of his use of the sword in this world, so he had a lot of trouble in the beginning. Unique swordplay?Did he do Kendo or something like that? In the beginning, you went to ......? Well, if you''ve been doing kendo, you''ll get used to using a sword faster than I did. ''Yes. Well, it''s better to let people experience this rather than explain it with their mouths. So, let''s head to our destination. knock-knock Mr. Aaron knocked on the wall on the side with the carriage driver. Is that a sign? ...... and so on, the carriage soon stopped . Apparently, it was a signal to say that you can stop at your destination. I think that was his signal to stop at our destination. When you get off the carriage, you enter a building that looks like a prehistoric church. "Master Aaron, it''s good to see you. How can I help you today? When I entered, a person who looked like a priest came hurriedly. Mr. Aaron, you''re a former Sword Saint, you''re a great guy after all. I''d like to use the room in the basement for the statue. ''I don''t have any reservations today, so that''s fine, but ...... what do you plan to do for us?'' The priest looked at me and Aaron in turn as he listened to Aaron''s words. ''I''ve got a few things I need to look into. Don''t worry, it won''t take long. Yes, ...... I get it. Then, without saying anything else, the priest handed Aaron the key. Aaron then led me to a basement room. There was a statue of a woman on her knees with her hands outstretched in the empty space. No, didn''t you say she was a goddess. What is this? I''ll explain later. In the meantime, touch the statue. That''s the one you''re talking about, isn''t it?I understand. Well, if you can explain it to me... I put my hand on the goddess''s hand. Then an incredibly bright light shot out from the statue. Wow!What is this?! Oh, and don''t take your hands off of it until the light goes out. Yes, sir. Then, resisting the glare, I continued to hold the goddess statue''s hand. Then ...... after a while the light subsided and there was a card in the goddess''s palm. Then take the card. This one?Oh, what?It''s gone: ...... The moment I touched the card, it disappeared without a trace. That''s all right. Now let''s get back to the carriage. Oh, my God, are you sure you''re okay? But I followed Aaron, who had left the room first. ''That thing you just did is ......'' When I got back to the carriage, I asked him to explain about the card. It''s what we call a status card. It shows how strong a person is. Think of the card you just saw and make sure it comes out of your hand. No way, you''re not in the kitchen: ...... Get out!Ugh. Seriously, it''s out!Otherworldly awesome! Okay. I''ll let you check the contents for yourself first. Oh, yes. If you look closely, there''s something written on the card: ....... Emi Kaito Lv.1 Age: 15 Race: Human race Occupation : The Brave Strength: 11/11 Magic power: 6/6 Power: 9 Speed: 12 Luck: 1000 Attributes: electricity skill Electric Magic Lv.1 Breakthrough title One from another world. Yeah, it''s a common status in games and stuff. I knew he was level 1. I can''t tell if his status is strong or weak. But more importantly... what''s electric magic?I''m so worried about this! Have you finished? "Yes, yes. But what''s what: ...... I''m sure. Would you mind if we see it? Of course. Rather, look and explain. Tell me if I''m strong or weak! So, if you''ll excuse me. Yeah, it''s not bad. And an electric attribute that''s only available to the brave. This one easily surpasses its predecessor. "Only for the brave? ''''Yes . The electric, fire and water-ice attributes are the attributes that only brave men can have . There are seventeen brave men and women in the record, but only five of them had the limited attribute: ...... When you put Lord Kite together, there are six out of eighteen brave men and women. It means that only one in three of the brave can use a special magic that only one in three can possess. Special magic? ''One in three, ......, you''re in luck. This is giving me some confidence. Yes, I am. But since it''s so rare and there''s no one to teach it to, you''ll just have to master magic in your own way. Oh, no. ...... How the hell am I supposed to know how to use magic? There''s no one who can tell me what to do! It''s all right. Even the previous generation''s hero, who was said to be the weakest of all time, was able to defeat the Demon King. You''re the weakest of all time. ...... What kind of magic did the previous heroes have before? You could beat the Demon King and you''re the weakest of all time: ....... I''m having a hard time finding a brave man... "Non-attribute magic. It''s a spell that strengthens the body. ''What?Doesn''t it look normal and strong?No, not really? You know how often body-enhancement systems come up as strong characters in comics and such? But in real life, is regular magic that can attack at long range stronger? ''''As a result, it was strong . But at that time, the use of non-attribute magic was only known to a few, and although it was better than now, there were only a few people who could use it, and it was considered a weak magic ...... that couldn''t be used normally. And if you compare it to magic limited to brave people, it''s weak . '''' What? If it wasn''t compared to limited magic... it was still strong. Huh. Aren''t there many people who can use it more now? ''''Yes . In a kingdom, it would have been only the descendants of the Sword Saint''s family and in an empire, it would have been only the descendants of the former heroes. I see...so that''s why it''s so difficult to use. When you think about it, it''s amazing that a brave man could master it. ''''That''s right, ...... means you''ll have to fight the descendants of the former heroes someday! That''s what it means to be in the Empire, isn''t it? ''''That''s right. The Empire is home to the world''s greatest wizards, the mages, the children and grandchildren of the brave. They''re all strong. Especially Damien Forster, the son of a brave man, who is considered the strongest man alive. You should never make enemies with the descendants of the world''s most powerful wizard and hero. And besides, the greatest wizard in the world... ...... I don''t think I can win. Damien Forster. You have to remember that. No, it''s not Damien that Lord Kite should be wary of. ''What?Are there others?Who? "Damien is in the unit assigned to protect the Empire. So he will not participate in this war. So we should be wary of Leonce Myrddin, the grandson of our last brave man. He will certainly be a general in the next war. So, Damien isn''t going to fight in the war. That''s good to hear. So is Lonce Muldaine. Was he strong? "His strength is unknown. We don''t know the reality of his strength because we''ve heard so many stories that may or may not be true. Oh, what''s your story, for example? We slayed a dragon no one had ever been able to kill before. You have a demon under your command who attacked your territory. Since none of this is believable, we believe that the Empire is deliberately trying to spread information that overestimates the Leons, in an attempt to diminish the kingdom. Well, I guess so. You don''t want to think that someone like that was an actual enemy, do you? What kind of monster can take down a dragon? But if it''s true, then the kingdom doesn''t stand a chance, does it? ''''That''s right . Also, please keep in mind that the Princess ...... is most likely the next mage and that the grandson of the saint who traveled with the former heroes is in the Empire. Come on. How many strong people are there in the Empire? ''''A mage and a saint ...... were those two traveling with the previous brave?'''' That''s right. Former heroes defeated the Witch King with the Imperial mages and saints of the Church. Other heroes have added the kingdom''s saints to their ranks. ''What?Why didn''t the previous generation travel with you, if it was successive generations? The old heroes didn''t need a swordsman. We were both devoted to swords and our abilities were the same. And I''m sure it''s partly because the heroes and I don''t get along with each other very well. Do you have a problem with him? It doesn''t look like Mr. Aaron is going to fight or anything, does it? Oh, it''s not the brave man''s fault. I was arrogant in my youth, and that''s all because of me. Can you tell me what happened at ......? Okay. It''s pretty boring stuff to say. "At that time, the demon king declared war on the people and the kingdom rushed to summon a brave man. People at that time only thought of asking the hero. But it turned out that he was an incompetent warrior who could only use unattributed magic. You''re incompetent. ...... Is that what all brave people are destined to be told at first? In the midst of all this, a brave man who hated to lose was trained by my father, who could use non-attribute magic at the time without regard to what the people around him said, and he became strong. Awesome. It''s amazing how much you never give up. Yes, sir. That''s very impressive. But I was set to become a swordsman, and there was no one in the kingdom stronger than me besides my father. That was wrong. The brave man was getting faster and faster with my sword. At that time, I was in a real hurry. Didn''t I train hard enough?I practiced hard, but in the end I lost. You''ve lost: ...... Well, I guess it''s no use, since the bravest person has to be the strongest to beat the demon king, right? ''''And after being defeated by a brave man who I thought was of a lower rank, and by pure swordsmanship alone, I had no desire to even hold a sword and declined to be the next Sword Saint. ''So you didn''t join the brave men''s journey. Yes. Looking back, I just ran away from a brave man. In the end, I even destroyed my own chance to get revenge on the brave man. I see. ...... How did I get my hands on the sword again?Is it? I was debating the best thing to say before Aaron sensed it. "Yes. ''''Well ...... there''s no great reason for that. I found myself holding a sword. Ah, we''ll be at the castle soon. I''ll start practicing as soon as I get to the castle, so be prepared, okay? Yes ...... Apparently, you''re not going to tell me. Well, I got a lot of other stuff to teach you. I''m more interested in how hard Aaron''s training is. 171 19. The New Brave and Princess Treasure ④ First day of training I was so exhausted that I couldn''t even hold my sword and fell to the floor. ''Let''s call it a day. Thanks for your help. "Ha ha ha ha. Oh, thank you very much. I didn''t have the strength to get up, so I felt sorry, but I rolled over and replied. ''''Make sure you take care of your injuries, okay? Yes. Okay. "That was pretty good for a first day. Let''s keep up the good work. I''ll see you tomorrow. With that, Aaron walked out of the training grounds. ''Ugh ...... my body hurts all over.'' I didn''t expect to have to do a striking match with a sword from day one: ...... No, I was only getting hit one way, so I wouldn''t call it a striking match. There was no time to teach the basics thoroughly and to teach my body that it would hurt if it didn''t attack me back, so from day one I was beaten to a pulp. Because of this, I was able to learn to attack my opponent with a simulated sword. It''s a good idea to start tomorrow if you have to suffer through the pain so much.I don''t think that''s a good idea. Honestly, I''m afraid for my life! Huh, I''m too lazy to get up. I think I''m just going to sleep here: ...... ''You''ll catch a cold if you do that, won''t you?Plus, we need to get those injuries fixed. ''Isn''t that right ...... hmm?I mean, why is Elaine here? I turned toward the voice and saw Hlne standing near the entrance with her arms crossed. ''Can''t I stay?'' Yeah, that''s not what I meant. ...... Is that it?You came to laugh at me after I got my ass kicked? Just as I was thinking that, Hlne walked towards me. Okay. Then let me see your scars. ''What?No, I don''t know what "then" means. It''s no fun to look at a scar, okay? And I didn''t want Elaine to see me so covered in scars. I lay face down to hide the wound from Elaine. Come on. Just turn around. My tattered resistance was futile, and my bruised face was seen by Elaine. ''Huh, I wonder if Aaron doesn''t know how to take it easy?Well then, let''s start with your face. Treatment?Does Elaine make allowances for you? But then Elaine gently touched my face. "Itta! You''re a man after all. No, no, man, I know what hurts!I was about to protest when a light went off from Elaine''s hand that was touching me. What?I''m so bright! ''What are you doing ...... eh?The pain in my face has gone down. ...... Holy magic. In addition to summoning magic, I can also do holy magic. I''m not so good at it, but I can fix bruises and minor cuts. Ah, magic . Characters that can heal wounds are common in games and stuff, but wouldn''t it be a hell of a cheat if they were in real life? Because all that pain is gone in an instant. ...... Hlne is awesome. Of course. Who do you think I am?The next queen. "Okay, okay. It''s great. My queen. Jeez, it''s too soon to call me ma''am. An embarrassed Hlne said and bashed her bruised back!I slapped him. ''Itte~! You''ve got to be kidding me! Oh, I''m sorry. I''ll fix you up. Then Elaine was finished and I was standing up, checking myself out. "Thank God. Thanks for the treatment. You''re welcome. How about a little gratitude? "Yes, yes. I''m grateful. I can''t believe Hlne came all the way down here to treat my wounds. Hlne is so much nicer than I thought she would be. You''ve always only gone that cold: ....... Oh, is this Elaine''s plan? He makes me practice in a serious manner and takes care of me gently so that I don''t get tired of practicing. Then, no matter how hard I practice, I''m going to keep practicing and do my best. d*mn! ...... The princess certainly knows how to tame people. Yeah?I know!Hmmm, I''m such a sweetheart. Yeah? Huh?Seeing Elaine so happy, I feel differently about it . Ha!It''s all part of the mission!Don''t be fooled. This is just an act to get me to practice hard! d*mn ...... but it''s too late. My mind is ready to start practicing tomorrow. My body hates it so much. ....... "Mmm-hmm. How''s that?She looked at me and said, "Oh, sister. You''re in a place like this. In the midst of my body being defeated in my mind, Hlne was trying to talk to me about something and a girl who looked like Hlne walked in to interrupt her . ''Leeds ...... why are you here?'' Come on. You''re my sister, so don''t look at me like that. Sisters don''t get along so well together, do they? I just wanted to catch a glimpse of the hero your sister has summoned. Am I interrupting? Don''t talk to me!Look, I''m the one that Hlne is staring at now! No, no. ...... Well, I''ll forgive you for looking so cute like Elaine. Really?Thank you! I don''t know how you laugh ...... sisters can have such different personalities. ....... With that in mind, I turned my attention to Elaine, who was still glaring at me . ''''Oh, by the way, you don''t have a man with you today like you usually do?'''' Walking with a man? ''What?What are you talking about?Are you the kind of sister who doesn''t need to collect jewelry like you usually do? Yeah. Kite is more important to me right now. Then Hlne hugged me, pressing her breasts against mine. Yeah, we''ll talk about the softness of your arms against me later. I looked at Hlne as I told her that. She was still holding me, but she was looking at Leeds. She''s like a child who doesn''t want her toys taken away. ''''Oh, are you already so in love with her?Even a jewel-crazed princess can change when faced with a brave man. Ah, or is it more of a queen''s status than a jewel? You''re the man-crazed princess. What''s wrong with you guys? Man-crazy or some other disgusting nickname: ....... I mean, are the sisters all dishonorable nicknames, or is this country''s royalty okay? ''Huh?I think you must have mistaken me for someone else.Bravehearted: ...... Your sister is terrible. I''m a princess of purity.Ever since I was little, I''ve lived my life thinking only of being united with a brave man. Yeah, even I can see it''s an act. I thought that as he acted sad and shook my hand. It''s a good thing that you''re a brave man. ...... No, Lord Kite. It''s definitely better to have me than this woman who only cares about jewelry and the queen''s seat. No, do you want the word?That makes me even more suspicious of you. I''ve only seen Elaine for about four days, so I don''t know, but at least she''s done more for her country than you have. What are you talking about?Kite is my ...... ''What does Master Kite say about your sister?'' When Elaine tried to complain while taking my hand away from Leeds, Leeds fought back, covered up. Come to think of it, what am I, Elaine''s? You''ve said before that you''re a community of destiny, but I wonder how you feel about it in terms of Elaine? I don''t need to tell you that. Anyway, Kite is tired from just finishing her sword practice, so I''ll leave it at that and you can go back to your room. Oh, you''re tired. I''m sorry about that. If you don''t mind, I can heal you now? Then Leeds held out his hand to me and asked me to come with him. ''No, I''d appreciate the invitation, but no thanks. I didn''t grab his hand and politely declined. I know it''s just a matter of time before I get in trouble with you anymore. I see. ...... If you change your mind, you''re welcome to come to my room anytime. With that, Leeds quietly walked out of the training grounds . ''Huh ...... and you''re going to Leeds'' place?'' Elaine, who had been holding me since Leeds was gone, checked with me with a sigh . ''What?I''m not going? Not so trustworthy?Well, it''s only been four days, I guess. Is that why you''re not going because you''re not comfortable with me? It''s not like that. What - why are you making it sound like Leeds is better than Elaine? Sure, she looks(|) like Hlne, but I like Hlne better, you know? Bullshit. Because Leeds is more affectionate and prettier than me with a bad personality, right? Oh, you''re getting a complex about Leeds'' affability . You''re right, Elaine doesn''t have that communication skill. Be honest. You''d rather be in Leeds than me, wouldn''t you? No, it''s not. I don''t think we need to worry about Elaine because she has some goodness in her: ....... ''You''re lying!Absolutely false!I would definitely choose Leeds over me! ''Haha ...... I''ll give you an honest answer if you say that much.'' I was annoyed by the disgraceful way he had decided on something, so I turned my body around and faced Elaine. ''I''ve been in love with Elaine ever since I came into this world!It was love at first sight to start with, so did you like him for his looks?If you ask me, I can''t deny it, but after watching Hlne for the past four days, I haven''t changed this feeling. Now I can proudly say that I love Hlne, including her personality! I took a breath here and resumed blurting out my feelings again . ''Sure, Elaine can be harsh with her words at times, but on the flip side, she''s always coming out with her true feelings, right?It''s true that most people would probably prefer a girl with polite and kind words like Mr. Rees earlier . But I prefer Elaine''s stern but bizzare words to those superficial ones! How''s that?Are you happy now? I finished, catching my last breath. "Uh, uh, ....... Well, if you''re in love with someone else, Hlne, you''re in trouble. I''m sorry. "Huh. ...... I hurriedly fled from the training grounds and didn''t listen to Elaine''s reply. My mind wasn''t strong enough to see Hlne''s reaction. 172 CHAPTER XX The New Brave and Princess Takashi ⑤ ''Ahhhh~!I said something outrageous in the heat of the moment: !What are we going to do now that we''re going to see each other so many times! When I came back to my room, I was propped up on my bed, screaming at what I had done . ''Oh no! ...... What do I have to look like next time I see Elaine?'' This is definitely going to be awkward! No, that''s Elaine telling me that a guy she doesn''t like suddenly told her how much he meant to her. Yeah, I''m really sorry about that. ''But what can you do when someone says they like a stinky woman like that? And when he saw that sad look on Hlne''s face, he couldn''t help but tell her how he felt and what a wonderful woman she was. Yeah. I didn''t do anything wrong. . no, it''s Hlne''s fault too, right? What''s wrong with me? Wow! Suddenly Elaine''s voice flew in and I hurriedly jumped off the bed, and I saw Elaine, her face bright red, coming very close to the bed . ...... How long have you been here? Just now . Specifically, he was there when you were talking about that stinky woman. Yeah, yeah, ....... He said he was asked about most of it: ....... ""......" Look, it''s still awkward. "...... Well, ...... I''ve got a lot to say, but I''ll just say this first. You''re making a mistake, aren''t you? ''What?Wrong? Yeah. When did I tell you I had a crush on you? ''So, but you asked me how to make a man fall in love with you.Didn''t you hear that because someone wants to make you fall in love with them? That''s what you''re asking, isn''t it? ''Oh ...... that''s what it was all about . Huh, I hate to say this because I''m actually embarrassed, but ...... I can''t help it. ''That was, you know, ...... a question designed to make you fall in love with me. ''What?To make you fall in love with me? Elaine''s words didn''t make me think at all . ''Yes . So when you told me that you''d fall in love with me if you were nice to me, I talked to Aaron and we came up with a plan to use holy magic to heal your wounds!Bad? Wow, it''s not that bad. Okay, then. No, it''s not bad, but it''s not ...... bad, is it? "Ma, seriously, ...... why do you want to make me fall in love with you?You were talking about all that incompetence and incompetence. It''s ....... Isn''t there an explanation for this? No. Why would I?I like you so much. Hmm. From Elaine''s hasty reaction, I don''t think she genuinely likes me. Maybe Elaine has some other reason to make me fall in love with her. What?Are you doubting me? No, no. Well, I wouldn''t mind being fooled by Elaine. It''s nice to hear that you like her, even if it''s a lie. Okay. Well, I guess I''ll just go back to my room. Oh, wait a minute, he went to ....... We could have talked some more if we wanted to. Well, I''m tired and I''m going to bed. Boom! Are you the brave one? Yes, but ...... what about you? I''ll lie in bed, and then we''ll go to bed!Just as I was saying that, a couple of guys walked into my room. One of them is about two years younger than me, a stocky, fat boy who looks very much like a ''bonbon'' and a knight-like man about the same age who serves him. ''Me?I am the next king, Matthias. "Matthius. ....... How many incoming kings do we have in this country? Hlne said herself that she was the next queen or something? No way!There is only one king. I deserve better than Elaine and Leeds.So I should be the king. To hear you say that, it means that right now Elaine or Leeds has a better chance of being king than you do . Really. So what do you want from me? You!If you didn''t tell me earlier, I''d be flippant ...... disrespectful to your highness! Maybe he didn''t like the fact that I was acting so high and mighty, but the knight-like man put his hand on his sword and got angry. Well, even though he looks like this, he''s still a prince, so I should be respectful. I thought so, but Mattius showed me that this was not necessary. "Horst, take it easy. "Horst, calm down. You''ll be the one profaning yourself. Oh? I hadn''t heard that. Well, as far as the word "in law" is concerned, it''s just enough that the prince won''t be offended if you don''t call him a respectful term. Yeah, it was: ...... So let me get straight to the point. Will you turn down a brave man? What? No, it''s so monotonous, I have no idea what you''re talking about? Now I''ll save you the pain. Or I''ll give you a job if you want it. Isn''t all the food good in other worlds?I''ll give you my own personal chef. What do you think? Yeah, I don''t like it. And I can''t cook. And besides, who would work for a fat guy like you when you''re away from Hlne? Instead of a brave man, you have Horst. Didn''t you defeat the Witch King without the famous sage?Then, even if you don''t have any brave men, with the next Sword Saint Horst, you can at least defeat the Empire. Yes, sir. If you had my power, the Empire would be a cakewalk. So he''s the next great swordsman. Does that mean that he is Aaron''s grandson? But still, don''t tell me what to do. If you can win on your own, you wouldn''t have invited me to this world in the first place. Well, now that I''ve met Elaine, I''m not that angry about being brought into this world. "Well said, Horst. Well said, Horst." "I have high hopes for you. Ookura, the easternmost point of the Nissi ...... empire. All that good food over there will be mine. Wow ...... This guy is the very villain who is going to get beaten up early on by the words he''s saying. You definitely don''t want to be on this guy''s side . The only thing I can think of is that I''m not going to resign my position as a brave man or play your cook, so why don''t you just leave? I''m tired from the training. I''m tired. Haha ...... I''m asking so nicely. This is polite?You need to learn the word "polite" before you come back to me!No, I don''t want you to come back. Are you concerned about your sister Elaine?Then why bother? Hmm?What does that mean? She doesn''t like you at all. All she cares about is jewelry. Some would say she''s a jewel-crazed princess. I have to marry you to become the next queen, so I''m forced to flirt with you. And I don''t want Leeds to take you away from me. Say Rees, do you guys only have a gem of an image for Elaine? The Hlne I know isn''t that much of a jewelry idiot, you know? Well, that''s a good thing: ...... What do you mean I can''t be queen if I don''t marry you? That''s the first I''ve heard of it? It''s easy. You''re a brave man, I don''t know if you''re really strong, but you''re a symbol of strength to the kingdom. The kingdom needs you to stay. But the Empire took it from us last time. So now he wants to tie you to the kingdom by marrying you to Hlne. You can''t escape to another country once you''re king, can you? Heh. ...... Okay. So Hlne is trying to get me to fall in love with her. So. If the king hates her, she fails to live up to his expectations. And if Leeds got married to you, she''d be useless to you for sure. Ah, so that''s why Leeds was so hot on my trail, so she could use me to get to be queen. I knew it was right to distrust that guy. That''s right. So, how do you plan on being king? I told you that in the beginning. All you have to do is tell the king that you''re a useless hero. If you tell the king that you''re a useless hero, then your father will know that your sister''s summoning spell was a mistake. Then you''ll lose all your sister''s trust and thwart Leeds'' plan to use you to become king. Yeah. Yeah. I''m so grateful to hear you spill your guts to me. It''s good to know a lot of things about your soon-to-be opponent. Oh, now you understand. No. I''m not going to quit being a hero. Really, thank you for the information. I''ll put it to good use. What?You don''t know how terrible your sister''s character is, so you can say that!If I''m going to marry someone like that, I''ll find a better woman for you. No. And if you say anything bad about Hlne, I''ll hit you, okay? I got mad at Elaine for making fun of me, and I glared at the fat guy in front of me . "d*mn it ...... no. She''s already brainwashed by your sister. You can''t brainwash me. I was in love with Hlne long before I ever had a conversation with her! "Your Highness. Isn''t that what we expected? We''ll switch to a backup plan. ''Oh!That''s right. That''s right.Good job, Horst! A backup plan? What now? From the grin on Horst''s face, he looks like he''s thinking about a lot of trouble: ....... ''You, duel with Horst in front of your father. What?It doesn''t matter. Whoa. You don''t have a veto. This is a test to see if you really have the power to be a hero. d*mn it ...... that''s what it is. If I lose, then Hlne''s reputation will suffer. But if I say no, it will cast doubt on my strength. Well thought out: ....... What do you think?It''s not too late, okay?Will you turn down the brave? I would never do that. I just don''t want to walk away from Hlne and join you, even if it kills me. So you''re okay with a duel? One year. ...... One year later. A year later? Yeah, I need a year to get used to this. You guys don''t want me to make excuses for you if you win, do you? It was the only condition I could squeeze out of it. Originally, Elaine had been waiting for me for a year, and that''s the limit. ''''That''s true, too: ...... Horst, are you okay?'''' "Yes, sir. I''m always good. Besides, if the brave ones weren''t so great, they wouldn''t be able to surpass me in a year or so. Horst replied to Debbie, smirking at me . ''These guys are really disgusting. Oh, well. Well, see you in a year. I''ll see you one year later. Next year, you better be prepared not to cry if you lose big! Enjoy it while it lasts. Next year, you''ll cry. As I watched the two of them leave, I fired up my will to fight. I won''t let them win, not for Hlne. It''s going to be better than ever. 173 (Video) 21: Newly-watched program. Kang Kang! The sound of dry wood clashing against dry wood echoes through the quiet training grounds. "Okay. Now you''re getting it!Ten more times. I can hear Aaron''s happy voice, but I''m not going to react, I''m going to deal with Aaron''s attack calmly. Don''t let your guard down here. I told myself that, and I tried my best to defend against Aaron''s attack. "Nice work. You managed to outrun my attacks a hundred times without missing a beat. When I came to, it was over. When I saw Aaron lower his sword, I belatedly untied my stance. "No, there were a few close calls along the way. I really panicked when I missed my timing in the middle of the race. I don''t know how you were able to pull yourself together from there. I don''t think so. ...... I like your ambition. ''''No, I just understand that I''m weak . In fact, if you still used non-attribute magic, I''d be out of shape. I was really surprised when Aaron made a real move on me once. When I came to, I found myself with a sword to my neck. That can''t be helped. I''m sure that will change once Kite-dono is able to use magic as well. ...... ''''And it doesn''t really work at all. I''ve learned from some lightning wizards and so on, but it seems like the fundamental use is different, and the only thing it can do is blow off a small amount of static electricity. So far, it''s static magic: ....... Is there something I''m doing wrong?Or do I have less magic? I don''t think there''s anything less since Aaron''s trained me on magic power. ....... ''I see. ...... We''ll just have to try different things. Yes. Six more six months ...... and I''ll make it in time somehow. But I''m not sure~ . I don''t feel like I''ll be able to use magic in another six months? I''m counting on it. I hope that Lord Kite will strike down his grandson who has grown up to be as arrogant as I am. Yes. I''ll take care of it. Like the brave men of old, I''ll change the heart of the Swordsman''s egg. And somehow we''ll get to know each other before the war. Kite!Look, look, look! As I was thinking about what to do after I won, Hlne came in with an old book. ''Oh, you''re still training?'' No, I just finished. "Yeah. That''s good. Kite!Can you read this? For some reason, Hlne was in a good mood and held out a book to me. "For the future you: ...... Yuusuke Kirishima. When I read the cover of the book I received, it said so . "I''m glad~. This is a book written by Yusuke Kirishima, the Second Hero who could use magic just like you. That was a long time ago. How did you find me? I''m the eighteenth generation, so that''s sixteen generations ago, right? Hmm. I looked all over the country and I found this in the oldest church in the kingdom. But I still can''t figure out what it says. So maybe Kite can read it?I thought. Yeah, I do remember this character set in Japanese. You''re right. I''m the only one in the world who can read them, because they''re my hometown script. Hmm. These are otherworldly characters. They''re so complex, they look like symbols. That''s what I see in these letters. I still can''t understand the words on the magic circle or anything else. ''''Is that what it''s all about?Well, okay. Read it quickly and tell me what it says. Okay. Elaine rushed me to open the book and read the first page . Before reading this: ...... This book is good for people you trust enough to read it, but I wouldn''t recommend reading it with anyone else. I recommend reading this book alone if possible. This book shows the strengths of a brave man as well as his weaknesses. So keep that in mind and think about whether you can trust it. And this information is from my time. I don''t know how old it is, but you have to remember it''s old news. So go ahead and start reading. ''Well, ...... this book has the strengths as well as the weaknesses of a brave man, so it says not to read it unless you can trust it.'' ''So ....... Read in your room? No, it''s fine. I can trust both Elaine and Aaron, you know. In fact, there are only two people in the world that I trust, Elaine and Aaron, so please stay with me. Who do I ask questions to when I don''t understand something? ''I understand Princess-sama, but ...... is it okay for me to be with you?'' "Yes, sir. I owe Aaron a great debt of gratitude for the past six months. Come on, let''s work together to uncover the secrets of the brave men. For the past six months, I''m still only able to avoid attacks, but thanks to Aaron-san, I''m able to hold a decent sword. ''''At the same time, I think that would be a weakness of Lord Kite''s, wouldn''t it? ''What now, isn''t my weakness in this world, or rather, the one person in this world who knows best how to fight, Mr. Aaron? "Ha ha ha. That''s for sure. Oh, excuse me. Well, you''ve lived long enough. I''ll learn about the mystery of bravery. Aaron laughed happily at my words. After all, Aaron-san wants to know about the brave man, don''t you? ''''But the fact that I searched for half a year and couldn''t find it means that the brave man hadn''t read this book for many generations now. Yes. How did you find me, Your Highness? Hmm. I''ve got good people working for me. Yeah. I''m really sorry, the knights who work for Hlne. Now, rest easy. Okay, I''ll read it. And then I began to read aloud. First, I''ll tell you my story. I was summoned to the land destroyed by the demons as a second-generation hero. "What?Destroyed by the demon race! ''Oh well, let''s wait until we get to the rest of the story. I took control of Hlne, who reacted quickly. We''ll never finish this thick book if we spend every two lines of thought on it. I was summoned by a man who claimed to be a creator and a girl who called herself a summoner. The man would never tell me his name. He also told me how old I was, and that I was over a hundred years old, even though I looked to be in my thirties and a half by all accounts. She had a dignity in her words and actions, so maybe she really was over 100 years old. And the girl told me her name a little later. Her name was Emma. And she was the daughter of a creator. It doesn''t look like her at all: ....... Aside from that, Emma was one year older than me and very pretty to look at. She had a face and look that was very much my type. Well, she''s my wife. f*ck. Douchebag. I warned you about Elaine earlier, but when I heard that she was my wife, I stormed in. "Hey, Emma. Hey, Emma was the first queen of the kingdom. She''s in the castle. She''s very beautiful. Then it makes sense that you''re beautiful. Because there''s no way Elaine''s ancestors weren''t beautiful. Oops, I got sidetracked again. At this rate we''re never going to finish this book. I was told I was summoned to help rebuild the human world. It seems the creator''s goal is to end the demon race''s domination of the world and make a world where people don''t fight each other. well... that old man has kept his word. I don''t know how many years that mountain range will be around, but I hope the mountain range that separates the human world from the demon world is still there. Also, forest monsters and mountain dragons can get out of control now and then. ''''What?I thought no one could defeat a dragon?I mean, are you going to run out? It was bad just a few decades ago. The east side of the Empire was a desolate place until the previous generation of brave men built a defensive base. You''ve done too much for humanity in the last generation. ...... Isn''t slaying the Demon King enough? You''re raising the bar too high. Oh, well. I''ll have to read on. My job as a creator was to drive the demons back to the demon world and rebuild the country that fell with Emma. Looking back, it was really hard work. More than once I really thought I was dead. Especially a man who calls himself the witch king and a woman who calls herself the destroyer, and I don''t want to see them again. No matter how many years of training I have, I will never win against those two. But I was still one of the top five in the world. Only I can use electric magic. This was powerful. If my creator hadn''t taught me how to use it, I''d feel like I''d never be able to use it. It''s so hard to use it, but it''s incredibly strong. According to the creator, electric magic is the fastest magic. Unless you have the divine speed or transference skill, you won''t be able to surpass its speed. Incidentally, the man who had the divine speed skill was burned by the incinerator. It seems no matter how fast he was, he was useless against an attack that would burn within a ten meter radius. I didn''t feel like I could win either one, so I ran away quickly. Oops, I got sidetracked. Back to electric magic. It''s similar to lightning magic, but very different. Lightning magic sends a blast of high-intensity electricity into the air to electrocute the victim. In contrast, electric magic is characterized by its low power and high versatility. For basic usage, we recommend that you surround your body with it. This will buff your body in the same way as non-attribute magic. You can also use it to defend against low-powered spells and arrows by bouncing them off your armor. It''s also ...... a good idea to use a technique that is wrapped in the sword to electrocute anyone who touches the sword. Well, to each his own sense of magic, so find your own way to use it. If you still want to know my moves, see the list of moves on page 100 to the end of the book. I don''t force you to read it, okay? I just think it would be a shame not to look at ...... my outstanding naming sense and perfect technique. ...... It would be a shame not to look at it . I''ll say it again, I''m not forcing you to, you know? So, you want me to make sure you read the second half of the book? I took a quick look at it and it says Special Rolling Thunder or something like that, and I think it''s very hard to read? And the book is three hundred pages long: ....... Do I have to read two hundred pages of these embarrassing technical names? But it''s about being strong. It''s the only way. You''ll read a little every day. Well, that''s good. It''ll give me all the information I''ve been looking for about how to use electric magic. Yes. That should get us there in time for the duel in a year. Do you think we''ll be able to make it?Can I read this in six months? I''m freaking out about this whole thing. "Really, you promised me you''d do this all on your own, and I''ve done this for you, so you should win, right? I''ve already apologized a few times for making a promise to you, so please forgive me. Don''t worry, I''ll win. I won''t let you win. Well, I do believe you''ll win. "Really? The princess believes in people. Well, it seems you''re not the only one who''s grown up, Master Kite. Hearing Elaine''s words, Mr. Aaron looked surprised. ''What does that mean?'' No, no, I''m just an old man talking to myself. You''re right, Elaine has changed in the last six months. She''s gotten nicer. And she''s more open with me. I''ve never seen anyone else get along with her, or maybe she''s just not very good at telling people how she feels? I thought about that as I looked at Aaron, who was teasing and Hlne, who was angry. 174 This is a new program for you cant Now, I''ve been to a place like the Colosseum, as described in the history books. So now I''m in the arena. Now, at long last, the moment of truth. Are you ready?Did I forget to equip you with anything? That said, the one who is carefully checking my equipment is Gert-san. For someone who says he did something bad and escaped from the Empire, this guy is so caring that he doesn''t look like a bad person at all. ....... ''''It''s okay . I have the sword and armor that Gert-san made for me, and I''m well equipped. Yes, it''s okay. You''re doing fine now, Mr. Kite. Just relax and try not to be nervous. As opposed to Gert, who was even more nervous than I was, Aaron gave me one last pep talk to calm me down. No~Truly, I can''t thank this man enough . Yes, sir. I''m going to believe in what we''ve been doing, and I''m going to try to stay calm. and Kite: ...... The remaining Hlne was less cheerful than anyone else. I''ll be fine. I''ll do my best. Can you give me a compliment when I win? Then I gave her a gentle hug. Half of it was to cheer Hlne up, but half of it was to share my Hlne power before the battle. "Of course. I''ll do anything for you if I win!So, but ...... don''t take it easy, okay?It''s funny that I said win and win, but ...... I don''t need to win. I know you''re strong. So don''t force me to do anything I can''t fix or injure you. Oh, Elaine is too cute: ....... "Of course I''m going to win this one unscathed. Then I''ll look forward to my reward when I get back. I gave her one last hug and went to fight. You''re still like a hero. But the jewel princess really doesn''t have a knack for kite. The princess has grown up just as much as Lord Kite, you know. When I entered the arena, Horst was waiting for me. "One year, two months and seven days since you dared me to say one year. It''s been longer than the original year, so I''m not going to accept your excuses, am I? You''re a very detailed man who remembers all those dates. ...... Yeah. Yeah. Is that outfit ...... going to be a real fight? Horst looked me up and down and asked me a question. What kind of question is that? Is this a tactic to discourage me? ''Yes, but?On the other hand, isn''t Horst going to fight? "No, I''m not going to run and hide. What I''m saying is, if you''re going to abstain, now''s the time to do it. You''ll show your incompetence in the eyes of this king and these people. You''re not going to be seriously injured, are you? What''s the matter. You just want to say I''m strong. "Huh ...... do you want to argue?The King is waiting for us, so let''s get on with it. I said this to Horst as I looked around for the king, who was watching from his special seat. ''You said it!I don''t care what happens to you! Hi. So I''ll just go in for the trouble. I used my electric spell and charged at Holst at high speed. "Huh! ''''Yeah ...... even though you''re slower to react than Aaron-san, you''re still not as skilled as you should be. If it was planned, I was going to take him out with this blow. I succeeded in blowing it up, but it did very little damage because it was defended at the last minute . The longer it goes on, the more I''m at a disadvantage because I don''t have a lot of magic and I don''t have the foundation to do it, so I''m in trouble. ....... ''''I''m going to kill you!I''m going to kill you! What ...... are you so weak? ''''You''re showing such anger, ...... your sword is getting monotonous, huh? If you''re going to be a swordsman, you would never let your emotions get the better of you like this. At least, Mr. Aaron would have a scary blank expression on his face! "I''ll kill you. You''re weaker than I am. Absolutely weaker! "Chill out once. I deliberately took Horst''s attack with my sword and sent an electric current through the sword to Horst . You must have been chattering all over because I was wearing metal armor, right? Yeah. Is that it? As I watched Horst fall, I released my stance. It''s a good thing Horst is more inexperienced than I thought. If he was a proper candidate for the Sword Saint, he wouldn''t have been able to win. That''s what I was thinking: ...... ...... ross. Horst is on his feet. And then I saw ...... already in front of me. Wow! I hurriedly tried to keep my distance. But I couldn''t get to ...... "Kill. A concentrated slash by Horst hit me in the chest. ''Kite '' "No. ...... I''m fine. I''m not going to get killed. Hlne''s shout came from somewhere, and I replied as I thrust my sword into the ground and stayed there to prevent myself from falling. Thanks to Gert''s armor, we avoided a fatal wound. This isn''t working as well as it should...Geralt-san''s really amazing. Yeah. I know you''re bleeding out, but you can still fight. ...... Die! As soon as I regained my position, Horst''s attack came flying in. Yeah . He''s still a candidate for the Sword Saint, even if he''s rotten. ...... He''s faster than my limit. ''''Tch!'''' But I can push the envelope. Catching Horst''s sword, I activated my electric magic again. I don''t have a minute to use my limit breakthrough now. If I don''t make this split-second decision, I''ll lose. Then I began to attack as fast as I could. Attack and attack, attack and attack. I need to leave Horst open for a counterattack. The moment my sword strikes Horst''s sword and armor, I''ll win. If I can avoid them for a minute, Horst wins. A battle has begun. Every millimeter of my attack will be avoided by the sharpened Horst. d*mn it!We''re almost there. What do you want to do?If we don''t, we''re going to lose! I''m not sure if it was because of such impatience or because the desire to hit the attacker preceded it: ...... I unconsciously sent a mass of electricity toward the holst. I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work. ! The moment he was hit, Horst stopped moving. It was small, but my body reacted to the unexpected blow. And then my sword slammed into his neck. Kill!It''s a disgrace to be beaten by you! I don''t like it. We''re about to go to war and you have fewer people to fight for. Besides, ...... I''m a little overwhelmed. The effect of the limit is wearing off and I''m unconscious. Yeah, ...... where is this? When I woke up, I saw the ceiling that I''d known for years. Huh?I thought you said I was going to the arena? This is your bedroom. I''ve been sleeping all day with the side effects of pushing the envelope. ''''Oh, Elaine . . a side effect of breaking the limit ...... means I''ve won, right? I''m glad. It''s not a dream come true that we won. "Yeah. It was close, but I got the win. Mattius said it wasn''t overwhelming, but I brushed it off. There''s Elaine. Thank you. You''re welcome. Haha. ...... What?Did I ever have anything to sigh about? ''I''m just glad I kept my promise to Elaine for now...'' I''m glad I kept my promise to be strong in a year. I''m sorry about that ....... I know it must have been confusing to have just been brought to you, but I''m sorry for saying such a selfish thing. Well, I was hurt at the time. But at the same time, I wanted Elaine''s approval. I wouldn''t have made it this far without Hlne. So don''t look so sad. I''ve been able to be strong because of Hlne, who''s always there to push me when I''m weak and to heal me when I''m hurt. It was because of her that I was able to be strong and have her become the king. ''Kite is ...... really sweet. Normally, it would have been easier for Leeds than for me, who has such a bad personality. ...... ''Really?I don''t trust Leeds, and Elaine''s easier to hang out with because I can talk to her without reservation, though, right? ''That can''t be true. ....... Because until you came along, I was always alone. I started collecting jewelry to take the edge off the loneliness of being alone. It was: ...... I thought Elaine was a lonely person ...... but she was really alone. I didn''t say anything to comfort you. I''m not lonely right now! I mean, is that ......? "I''ve enjoyed every moment since you''ve been here. I''ve been looking forward to talking to you every day. All I could think about for the past year was you. I never touched a piece of jewelry, except for this pendant. As she said this, Hlne took out a pendant from her chest and showed it to me. Indeed, the pendant had a beautiful jewel on it. But there were many more beautiful jewels in Hlne''s room. ....... ''This is, you know, ...... my mom''s keepsake. Ah, so that''s what I''m talking about: ....... "My mom wasn''t always going to be the queen. There was a potential queen and she had a fiance. But there''s no way her father, who was the incarnation of an orc, would have missed out on her mother, who was said to be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. You''re a hell of a pig. Can I roast a whole pig with my electric magic now? Your mother, who was forced to marry and became a queen without being prepared for it, was so stressed every day that she was weak and sick and died before I was ...... ten years old. Not so fast: ....... "In this castle. There was no one there to help me and my mom. Always giving me the cold shoulder and telling me I was in the way. It''s horrible. Your mother didn''t become the queen because she wanted to be. So you''re the next queen and you were always alone: ....... As Aaron said, this country is so rotten . "Mother, I''ve always looked at this pendant. I never said it, but it was probably given to me by the man I was supposed to marry. When I looked at it, you looked up at your mother''s face for some reason. So I thought that looking at it after your mother died would make me feel better. ...... but it only made me miss your mother even more. ''No matter how many other gems I tried, I couldn''t . No matter how many rare gems I looked at, they never filled my heart. But hey, ...... now I can see why. As I said this, Elaine crawled up to my bed. ''Your mother was soothed by seeing this pendant because it was given to her by her beloved. So it didn''t mean anything to me. ""......" Hey, can you do me a favor? After a moment of silence, Hlne cut him off. ''What?Say anything. I''d give my life for Hlne. Will you wear this pendant ......? Huh?You see this pendant? ''Okay, but ...... is it the other way around?It''s your mother''s memento, right? I know it doesn''t make sense mentally from what I just said, but it''s still important, right? No. You wear it most days. Then give it back to me when you go to war. I''ll keep it to myself while you''re gone. Huh?That''s ...... "I know this pendant is bad luck. But that''s why. I''ll make a connection with the love of my life for your mother. I want to make up for my mother''s disappointment. So I''m going to use this pendant. That makes sense. All right then. We''ll be happy for Hlne''s mothers, too!I''ll take care of this pendant as if it were Elaine. ''Wait!I''ll wear it. Close your eyes. I was about to take the pendant from Hlne when she hurriedly withdrew her hand. ''''Huh?Are you going to meditate? You''re just going to put it around my neck, right? Oh, for God''s sake, shut up! "Wow, okay. ...... What''s the surprise? As I was thinking about that, I felt a weight on my shoulders and neck . ''Don''t open your eyes yet. ...... Yes. Reward of the day. kiss 175 CHAPTER XXIII Signs of War SIDE: Leons. It''s been three months since my sister arrived. Sam asked me to wait for the dragon dish at ...... and we''re going to unveil it when she returns to school. Well, I don''t know when she''ll be back. For the last three months, she''s been free. When I say free, she was helping me and Elsie with their work, teaching magic to the kids at the orphanage with Shelly and the others and holding a sword with the ...... knights. No ...... sister, I knew you had good grades, but I didn''t know you were so versatile. From paperwork to swordsmanship, she''s perfectly ripe for the job. She learned swordsmanship from her grandfather when she was living at home in the imperial city. I didn''t think that even if she was a grandmother, she had a female sister train him in that hellish training: ....... But she was strong. I was surprised that most of the knights, including Hermann, were killed by the way she covered her muscles with magic. It wasn''t a massive amount of magical power like me, Shelly, and Lou, not a gobbledygook using special skills, but strength using technology. The timing of his sword swing, the timing of his magic, the way he used it, everything was lean and clean. It''s hard to believe that he didn''t have attributeless magic. She moved like that. Really? How and when have you been practicing? The duchess is supposed to be busy. Leaving aside my superhuman sister, I''m standing at the entrance of the underground city. In front of a great many of my fellow townsfolk. Today, half of the underground city is open to the public. The commercial district and the auction room at the entrance. The auction room was originally just a converted black market auction house, so it was ready to go. The rest of the facilities I''m thinking of are large and unique, so it''ll take time to build them, so the underground city won''t be completed for a while. Still, it''s amazing that we were able to open the commercial area to the public in three months. Thanks to Elsie''s hard work. Well, let''s get to the speech: ....... But still, I didn''t expect to see not only Dad and Mom ...... but also the Emperor ....... Apparently, Mom and Dad came just to have a look at their son''s domain. Apparently, the emperor is on an official mission to witness the beginning of a new city. I understand your father and mother, but isn''t the emperor''s excuse too forced? Hah, I don''t want to give a speech with my moms watching me: ....... I am pleased to announce that a part of the underground city that we have been developing for about a year now will be open to the public. Initially, it was expected to take at least another six months to open to the public. The reason why the plan has been accelerated so far is because of the people of Holland''s trade association including Chairman Elsie who achieved a revolutionary production rate of magic tools, the people of the territory who worked on the construction of the factory and the installation of the street lights, and the merchants who willingly lent their support to the plan of the underground city, which may or may not succeed. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And I look forward to working with you. Together we''ll make this city as rich as any city on earth! crackling sound The speech was over, and as I bowed my head, there was a huge round of applause. Relieved by the applause, I got off the stage. The work of the day is done. This was over, and the underground city was finally open to the public. And now my second job of the day begins. Shelly, Elsie and I will lead the emperors through the streets. "Ho ho ho. The rumored head of the finest trade association in the empire is even prettier than they say. The emperor said that to Elsie when they first met . A bit intimidating ...... Is he testing Elsie? Thank you. I too was amazed to see His Majesty more interesting than the paintings I''ve had the pleasure of seeing. You are indeed the ruler of the empire. Elsie didn''t change her face at all, but said smoothly. How can you come up with such a word? That''s just as expected, you''ve been in customer service every day. Is that so. You don''t have to talk so hard. Official business is just a pretext, so you can just talk a little more comfortably. The emperor seemed pleased. Does that mean I''m going to pass? All right, Leo, let''s take you down there. Yes, sir. I was so careless that I hurriedly began to show him around. "We''ll start with the commercial district. This one has a rule of displaying defective merchandise that we don''t sell on the ground in our stores. What''s the bargain bin? For example, a magic tool that is usable but cannot be used because of the damage it causes, or a vegetable that looks bad but is still edible. You can sell them here for less than the list price. It''s just that we can''t sell anything we can''t legally sell on the ground like we could on the black market. I see. That''s going to attract a lot of adventurers who like things cheap. Was it Elsie''s idea? No, it was Leo''s idea. No, no, no, we came up with this together, so it''s not really my idea, is it? Oh, they call you Leo? I was about to shove Elsie in her face when my mom looked at me with a smirk on her face. ''Oh, I''m sorry,'' Oh, no, no. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it. I was just trying to make fun of Leo, so don''t worry about it, just call me Leo. ''Yes, yes ......'' Elsie''s face, which had been so bright and cheerful a moment ago, was now slightly broken and red. She must have been too embarrassed to call me Leo-kun in front of Mom and Dad. I guess so. Even the emperor would have to ask Elsie to marry Leo-kun. Que, marriage: ...... Stop him!Because Elsie''s face is already so red! I mean, I''m starting to get embarrassed myself! Oh, God. Don''t tease your father, too. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. Well, I guess I''ll just ask the future wife to show me around. The emperor said this and put his hand on Shelly''s shoulder and walked away, leaving us alone. ''Huh, Mrs.?And I don''t blame you. Hey, wait!I''m grateful that you''re willing to take on the task of guiding the emperor around, but look around you! Hey! No. Give them a minute alone. We don''t get a lot of alone time with him. When I tried to stop her, she stopped me. Isn''t that dangerous for you to go to ......? I know that with the emperor and the princess, they don''t have a lot of time alone together, but it''s definitely not safe! You''ll be fine. There''s a decent-sized escort for you and Damien and his friends to hide behind. Oh, really. So you think you can handle it? As long as you''re escorted by Special Forces, you''ll be okay. So, Elsie, why don''t you come with me for a tour of the city? What? Just as I was convinced that I was going to walk the streets alone with the Emperor and Shelly, Mom grabbed Elsie''s hand and went away. ''So, what do you want to do, alone with me? This is all just to get me and my dad alone, right? There''s nothing to it. Let''s have a little father-son bonding time, shall we? Yeah!You have a big auction house, right?Take me there. Really?Oh, well. Auctions. Yeah ...... was I thinking too much? My father''s broad smile made me think of that. "Oh!There are a lot of people here . It''s the first day, so what''s the big deal? From the topmost private room on the top floor of the VIP section, Dad was excited like a child looking down. The highlight of the day is a whole dragon. What? I mean, a whole Red Dragon. Oh, really?No way, you, again: ...... Don''t tell your mother, okay? What''s a man''s promise to a man? d*mn, that''s embarrassing. Well, I guess that''s another father-son chat. Father and son. You''re right, sharing your secrets with Mom is like father and son. Well, yeah, I guess we are. But that may be the first time I''ve had the chance to be a father to Leo. Yeah? I used to let him hold me when I was a baby, though, right? ''''Yeah . I was busy running the estate by myself in earnest when Leo was born, and I wasn''t able to play with you. The next thing I know, I''ve grown up to be this fine. Well, I''ve been busy, I guess. When I became a lord myself, I found out that lords have a lot of work to do. It''s no wonder you''re not prepared for children. ''''Is that so?But for me, it was kind of lonely. Because before I knew it, Leo was getting stronger and stronger on his own, and he was on his own before I could do anything fatherly about it. That''s not true. It''s not because of my grandfather''s training that I became strong alone. Because my grandfather trained me, I could take on dragons without fear. And most importantly, Shelly, Leena and Belle were by my side the whole time, and that''s why I''ve come this far. Of course, there''s Hermann, Frank, and too many others to name. Yeah. Sounds like there were a lot of people behind your son''s back that you didn''t know about. What''s going on?My dad was always supposed to be more upbeat, wasn''t he? Even though we''re talking about how my son has grown up without me knowing it, aren''t you being too heartfelt earlier? ''Haha ...... I was actually going to tell you about it much later. ....... As Kara often tells me, it seems I''m not cut out for hiding things from you after all. Are you hiding something?I knew you wanted to talk to me about something, so you were alone with me? Yeah. ...... Yeah. I need to talk to you about something. What? What''s the point of Dad having to say that with such a serious face? Actually, Fiona and her brother Alex are about to have their first grandchild. Isn''t that right? I think it''s about time you were deceded! ''It''s not confirmed yet, but in three to four more years ......, when you''re coming of age or not, the first Trilateral Conference in forty years will take place.'' Oh, it was all very serious. I''m changing my mind very quickly. "The Triumvirate Conference? Yes. The emperor, king and pope would meet in one place. They used to meet every two years before the demon king was overthrown. But after the demon king was gone, the kingdom and the empire didn''t get along with each other so much that ...... they stopped doing it forty years ago. I didn''t know there was such a conference. Forty years ago. ...... If that conference were still going on, the war wouldn''t have happened? ''Yes, ....... So how did you decide to do it at this time? No, it''s not a done deal yet. Why don''t we have the first Trilateral Conference in the Kingdom in forty years?I started to say. The kingdom is ...... maybe? If the kingdom calls for the event in four years ...... when I come of age, there''s only one reason why . ''''Yeah . As you can imagine, you''d want to declare war. In front of the Pope. Is the goal to be a check on the Pope and to make it impossible for us to back down from each other? But this generation of popes must have been greedy too, right?Don''t you think they''ll attack each other''s exhausted areas in a war? Yeah, ...... I guess war is inevitable after all. ''I don''t know yet. I just think you''d better be prepared for ....... Haha ...... I think I''m ready for this. So, have you decided on a venue for the Tri-Nation Conference or something? I''ll have to do some reconnaissance for that meeting, and I''ll have to do what I can to help. ''Yeah ...... about that ......'' ''What?What?What''s the problem? I''ve heard that this is where the Tripartite Conference was held every time it was held. And then my father pointed his finger down. "Here?Are you going to do it in Mladin territory? Oh, come on. You gotta be kidding me! Oh, I see. That''s why you''re apologizing. Apparently, it was just halfway between the three countries, so he held it in Mladin territory every time. I see. ...... You''re right, this is the best place to gather. Rather, since it''s more dangerous for the emperor to go to another country, I should consider it a good thing that it''s my domain? I''m so sorry! ''What?Why is your father apologizing? "I want to apologize on behalf of all the nobles of the Empire for putting you in charge of so much work. I''m your father, and I want to apologize for not being able to help you in any way. ...... Huh?What do you want me to say in return? Oh no, did you have to apologize to him? I wanted to tell you this, so I''ve decided to tell Leo about the Triumvirate Conference instead of Orton. Six months and a bit ago ...... you almost died in a kingdom attack, right?I didn''t find out about it until two weeks later, when I was on the frontier: ...... I was really worried about it then. Oh, my dad is so depressed because of the bombing. Sure, it was tragic. ....... Many of the noble children who will support the future of the empire have been killed. At the same time, I realized how stupid I was. Is my father stupid?He seemed more like a kind and firm father? ''''Leo has always been so good that he could rise to a senior nobleman by himself, and he''s so strong that he wouldn''t be proud to slay a dragon. So I''ll be okay with Leo. He''ll do it. That''s what I thought, and so did Orton. But the truth is, he wasn''t. I just used the words "strong" and "superior" as a cover to put the hard work on Leo alone. ...... Is that right?We''ve been given a good life for that, and I don''t feel bad about the emperor, let alone my dad, right? Sure, there were a lot of things that felt like a hassle with more work to do . But it was fun to devise and mature a tedious job, and I met a lot of people and had a lot of experiences to show for it. ...... I''m grateful for that, but I don''t have any hard feelings about anything else at all. It''s hard to believe that you''re really ...... my child, you''re so solid and kind. But I need to be very sorry about this. From now on, I won''t impose on Leo alone. Me and Orton are going to do everything we can to prepare for war with the kingdom. Oh, thank you. ...... There''s no point in denying it any longer, and I''ll be grateful for your support. Honestly, it''s a good thing there''s nothing I can do by myself. Okay, now that I''ve said my piece, I''ll talk about it. The details will have to wait!In the meantime, let''s just enjoy the auction! Wait a minute. Now that I''m finally getting used to the quiet atmosphere, don''t turn it up a notch. Oh, isn''t that nice, huh?Okay, Kara''s birthday present next month will be that one!A hundred thousand for now! Well, I like his dad better. I thought about that as I watched my dad frolicking like a little boy. 176 Chapter 9. Person introduction BALS Gender : Male Attributes: shadow, nothing Comment: Knight of Leo . He is a very good scout, but his identity is very mysterious. He has a habit of stretching his endings, and is always angry with Bernolt. He has a magic item that cannot be appraised. The King Gender : Male Comment: Probably ends up not being mentioned by name . He has a huge s*x drive and is very fat. Hlne hates him. Lambros Beckman. Gender : Male Comment: Prime Minister of the Kingdom. He is a quick-witted but highly electable man. Always giving the king crafty advice. And his hair is thin. Emi Kite. Gender : Male Attributes: electricity Comment: A hero summoned to the kingdom. He fell in love with the princess of the kingdom at first sight and is training hard to protect her. Elemenane Alvar. Gender : Female Attributes: holy, summoned Princess . Her mother''s grief led her to be obsessed with collecting jewels, even to the point of being called a jewel-crazed princess. After meeting Kite, her jewels don''t matter anymore. Aaron Flint. Gender : Male Attributes: none Comment: Former Swordsman. He gave up the title of Swordsman to his son, but his sword skills are still active. He teaches Kite how to use the sword. Rees Alber. Gender : Female Attributes: Enchantment Comment: Hlne''s sister. She is a big fan of men. She''s always walking around with a handsome man. I''m thinking of getting the kite away from Hlne. Mattius Alvar. Gender : Male Comments: Hlne''s brother. He loves to eat. I dream of eating all the delicious foods of the world. I always have Horst with me. HORST FLINT Gender : Male Attributes: none Comment: he is the son of the Sword Saint and is considered the next Sword Saint. He usually acts as Mathius'' bodyguard and is always close to him. His character is very arrogant and he fears that Aaron is like his youth. 177 Silent Story 9 To the Unprotected Princess SIDE: Sherry. I''m always on the receiving end. I can''t tell you how many times I''ve sworn that next time I won''t just be protected. ....... The first time Leo protected me was on my eighth birthday. The scene of all those black guys coming toward me is still fresh in my mind. But it''s not quite as scary a memory as it sounds. Leo was cool. I have that scene recorded in my head as a memory of how cool Leo was. Leo''s back swinging his sword at a bunch of people ...... was really cool. But ...... at the same time I was often angry with myself for being so protected. Normally, a princess like the one in the story would be content to be protected by a brave man. Always just a healthy dose of bravery waiting for a brave man to help: ...... Would you rather be a princess like that than continue to resist in vain? Because no matter how hard I try, no matter how hard I practice my magic, I can''t handle it at any given moment! When I was kidnapped, when I was surrounded by demons in the underground city, when the school was blown up, I ended up being protected! No matter how hard I try, I can only be the one being protected? Am I doomed to not watch Leo get hurt for me? I don''t want to!I don''t like it! ...... Lee, Shelly! Ummm, yeah, ....... ''Did you have a bad dream?You were having a nightmare. ...... Lina. Dream or ....... I was reassured by the worried look on Leena''s face as she looked at me and the warmth of Lou''s hand in my right one . ''What''s wrong?If you need any help, I''m here for you, okay? Mm. I''m fine. It''s been a long time coming. Besides, this nightmare isn''t going to change by talking to you. Really?You looked like you were in a lot of pain? Thank you for worrying about me. But I''m fine. Okay. ...... Okay. Well then, let''s get some more sleep. Then Leena gently squeezes my left hand with her right hand. ''Yeah. . good night. Feeling the warmth of my hands, I was back in the dream world. It was now well into the day and Leo was walking me to the dungeon entrance. "So I should pick you up in the evening, right? Yes. Thank you. I''ll let you know when it''s done. Okay. I''ll be back to get you as soon as I hear from you. Please!Well, I''m off then! Don''t take it easy. As soon as we entered the dungeon, I gave my instructions. ''Then we''ll go on as usual! ""Yes." The usual is that Belle and Lou are the vanguard and I and Leena are the rear guard . Lou is the vanguard because I forbid Lou to use destruction magic, not ...... to keep Belle from getting involved in destruction magic. Leo is mistaken, we are not relying on Lou''s destruction magic to conquer the labyrinth, even though we did rely on it the first time. We''re hiding in the dungeon to get stronger, so it''s not going to be that easy! Well, I won''t tell him because I want him to be surprised when he''s stronger. So I''ve been having Lou fight with a knife. Do you think you''ll have to give her a level head start to get used to it?I was thinking ...... I knew that even if I was a slave, the demon race, and even if I gave them a knife, they were still strong. The difference between races seems to be greater than we thought. The two fighting races (Belle and Lou) slay more and more demons by themselves, so the rear guard doesn''t have much work to do. If I had let Roo use destructive magic, I''d have more time on my hands, so I''m happy about that. Generally speaking, I''m in charge of magic attacks and instructions, Leena is in charge of recovery and recording maps, Belle is in charge of warning traps, and Lou is in charge of cutting down demons for the time being. That''s how we''re going to attack the dungeon. We''ll take the shortest route to the third floor and find the boss''s room on the fourth level. Leena, show me the way! Yes, sir. First of all, the one-level boss ...... large number of goblins will be instantly frozen by my magic . I can''t wear out Bell and his friends'' energy here. Leaving the frozen goblins alone, we move on to the next two floors. The second level is dominated by two orcs so big they''re almost as big as houses. One hit from an orc and we''d be wiped out. I can kill them all without letting Belle and Lou attack one by one with magic. And the third level boss is the very fast-moving kobold. My magic can''t hurt her, so I''ll let Belle and Lou take care of it. It''s true that those two...... especially Belle are moving like crazy. It''s a little scary to see her smile in the middle of battle when she''s always so quiet. Maybe he doesn''t realize it: ....... And the fourth level in question . The fourth level is crawling with slimes that can''t be attacked by physical attacks. That''s why we can''t rely on Belle and Lou to attack like we usually do: ....... You can easily defeat them by using magic, but I''m the only one who can use attack magic and I want to keep Lou''s destruction magic out of it. So yesterday, I gave up on the attack early and went home to spend the night with my sister Elle and the five of us thinking of a strategy. And then I came up with this idea: use the magic gun and sword to kill the slimes. Leena and Belle will use the magic gun and Lou will use the knife-shaped magic sword to advance. Then we must first see if the magic gun works on the slime. Leena, can you try shooting that slime? Yeah. Oh, that worked. Leena shot, and the slime was pierced by magic. And the slime turned to light and disappeared. Mm. Just as I suspected. Great. You try to kill it next time. Okay!Ei! As I asked, Lou snapped the slime in half with his flaming knife. That''s good. It seems that physical attacks also work well if you''re using magic. Good: ...... So now we can proceed with the attack. We''re still on the fourth level, so we have to advance as efficiently as possible. ''''But I have a feeling we''ll be relying on Shelly-san for the next boss. As I was relieved, Belle muttered something like that while shooting a magic gun at the slime . Surely, if it''s still the same as before, it''s a strong boss ...... could be something like that? I hope not: ...... A few days later. And so on and so forth, and then it really happened. ''After all, guns don''t work when you''re this big. The ridiculously large slime that was the boss of the fourth level, the ridiculously large slime, hadn''t been injured even when Belle fired her magic gun at it . ''''Knives don''t work either~'''' Lou, too, was in a hand-over-hand pose, thrusting a flaming knife into the air. And . ''My magic isn''t powerful enough either. Even my sister-in-law''s water magic, the only one other than me who could use attack magic, wasn''t that effective against the giant slime. Oh, come to think of it, recently my sister-in-law also started attacking dungeons with me. She can use magic or carry a sword, and her fighting style is just like Leo and Damien''s. This reminded me of how great the Forster family is. I''ve always been an adventurer, and having your experienced sister-in-law here for the past few days has been a great help. The only way to do this is to use high-powered magic to pierce the core at once. So, Sherry!It''s done! Yes! For now, I fired my signature lightning magic at the slime with maximum firepower. Yes, ...... just one more time. ....... Shelly, give me one more shot ...... Ah, the slime is starting to move!Everybody get ready. The slime, which had been cut in half in volume by my attack, changed shape angrily and spikes protruded from its entire body . ''''I have a bad feeling about something ...... . As your sister-in-law said this, slime spikes were shot out in all directions . Each spike was the size of a person, and if it stung, it would kill them instantly...... Watch out! As I shouted that, I unconsciously wrapped everyone in freezing magic. And the ice magic firmly protected everyone from the spikes. Phew, you managed to save everyone from dying. ....... I don''t want to see Leena and her friends die in front of me even once, even if they say it''s okay to die. With that thought in mind, I melted the ice. ''Thank you, Shelly!Quite a feat! Yes, no: ...... Thank you for protecting me, Shelly. Hey, don''t worry about it. Good. I''ll take over as a shield for you next time!Shelly, even if it takes a long time to do so, hit that slime with a huge spell and unleash it! Yes! ''Belle, Lou, we''ll get the slime''s attention ourselves! Yes! Then, while everyone was getting the slime''s attention, I deployed my magic again. This time I''ll decide. With that in mind, I bided my time and created a large clump of lightning above my head to shower the slime with even more powerful magic than before. ''''Everyone avoid! I shouted and made sure everyone avoided me before I unleashed an oversized spell at the giant slime. Wow, you''ve managed to defeat it. Way to go, Shelly! ''I knew Shelly''s magic was awesome!Boom!and the walls of the dungeon were caved in! Oh, thank you. ...... Phew, have you grown up from being a little bit of a protected princess ......? That''s what I thought as people praised me. 178 10 Face-to-face and collaboration The day after I read the book left by the Second Brave, I immediately tried out the electric magic. Instead of releasing electricity outward, the consciousness of wearing electricity like an armor ....... I chanted this over and over in my head and imagined activating the magic, and then I heard a rattling sound of electricity. I looked around my body and saw that the electricity I had visualized was wrapped around me like armor. ''Yes!Success!Look, Elaine!It worked! As soon as I made it, I turned around and showed Elaine, who was watching me, that I''d made it. That''s good. So, do you think you''ll be able to move faster? Yeah, I''ll try ....... How''s that? ''......!!!!You scared the shit out of me! When I moved in front of Elaine like I was moving at a moment''s notice, Elaine looked surprised and then quickly became angry . Yeah, she''s cute . I''m sorry, I''m sorry. Well, that''s good. It''s better than that!Now we can counter the unattributed magic! Yeah. But I have a feeling it''s going to take a lot of time to get used to this speed. It''s fine for simple movement, but if you''re going to fight someone with a ...... sword, I think it''s going to take a lot of time. ''''It''s just a matter of practice. Good luck. Yeah. I''ll do my best. ''Excuse me!Is Master Ereminane here? As I was giving Elaine a hump and appealing to her to do her best, a knight walked in loudly. ''What?What''s going on? General Edmund has returned, sir. General Edmond?Who''s that? Well, that went faster than I expected. Did they cut you down pretty good, huh? No. I think they came back with some kind of result. Yeah. Okay, all right. Why don''t I come with you during your audience? Yes. It''s nice to meet you. Ah, I guess I''m out of here. I was hoping to spend a little more time with you ...... but I guess Elaine has some business to attend to. Let''s go. As I was disappointed, Hlne grabbed my arm and started walking out of the room as if it was natural. ''Huh?Am I going with you? ''Yes. . General Edmond is the one who''s been entrusted with the command in the war, so I think you''d better meet him. So that means he''s going to be my boss in the future? Well, that''s definitely something you should meet. General Edmond, ...... what''s he like? He''s a very talented man. Well, you''ll find out when you meet him. Hmm. What the hell is he like? For God''s sake, be as serious as Mr. Aaron! I don''t want to be talking about dying because of an incompetent boss or anything like that! ''Huh?Is your audience over already? As they were walking down the corridor to the audience room, Hlne suddenly stopped and spoke to one of the men . By the looks of it, ...... he has a sword, so is he a knight?No, he''s dressed in expensive-looking clothes, not armor, so he''s an aristocrat? "Oh, Your Highness. Yes, Your Highness. I just finished. So does that mean you really came back with some kind of achievement? "Yes, sir. You have succeeded in creating a perfect opportunity to start a war. Yeah ...... I''m not sure what you''re talking about, but I know this guy is General Edmond anyway. An opportunity to start a war. ...... How far away is that going to be? ''Yes, ...... I''d say four years early, right?We will attack the Empire just in time for Leonce Muldaine to come of age. Leons?I''ve heard that name somewhere: ....... Ah, the descendants of a former hero!As I recall, I was the one who had to be the most vigilant, right? Can I ask you why? ''Of course it''s all right. The Empire is planning to marry Leonce to a princess just as he comes of age and make him a duke. To fill the hole in the House of Philibert that is now gone, as soon as possible. ''What?The Filibert family is gone?Didn''t you plan to work with House Philibert to invade the Empire? Another word I didn''t know: ...... What is the Filibert family? I''ll have to ask Hlne to tell me about it later. ''''That''s why the Philibert family wasn''t cooperating at all. Well, if Leonce wasn''t so good, we could have waited a few more months. So the rumors about the prodigy are true? He''s no longer a child prodigy. He''s gone through two dungeons in just a few days.I don''t think they''d normally be so reckless, even if it was to accurately reduce the tax revenue for the Philibert family. Two dungeons!I know how ridiculous that sounds. Really, who the hell is Leons? It''s possible that he was a demon king incarnate or something, right? ''I''m really starting to worry that you''re going to say that much. The kingdom is going to lose if Kite doesn''t do her best. Oh, me? I don''t want you to be talking to me all of a sudden, and I don''t want you to be depending on me? Yes. If you, the kingdom''s trump card, don''t win, who will? Maybe so, but from what I''ve heard from ......, I can''t find anything to beat me at all? ''Princess ...... could he be ......?'' As I was complaining in my mind, the general was staring at me. ''Oh, I never introduced you . It''s the hero I summoned, Kite! ''I see he''s the brave one: ...... Just when I thought the general had unnaturally extended the end of the word ......, a sword flew from the general . Kin! It was a close call. ...... If I hadn''t been trained by Aaron, I''d be split in half now. ''Hey!What the hell are you doing! When I stopped, I heard Hlne''s angry voice belatedly. Of course I''m going to be angry. Well, I want to be angry, too. At some point, I''m still not sure I fully understand the culture here, so is this how you greet me?What a thought . ''Yeah ......, honestly, I don''t think I''m going to be able to match him as it is now. The general said this and put away his sword, overhearing Hlne''s voice. I''m sure you''ve heard of ...... or something, but apparently there are only freaks in this country. That''s true. That''s because the kite is still growing in strength. See what happens in six months, okay?Because Kite is definitely going to be strong! Thank you for believing in me, Elaine....... I''m gonna be strong. Well, you''re right. I''ve heard brave men grow faster than we think. And I need the hero to be strong. Therefore, I''ll help you a little too. ''What?Can you do anything for me? Huh?You''re asking for this guy''s help?He''s the one who''s going to cut you down. Isn''t that kind of scary? "Yes. To tell you the truth. I did manage to pick up quite a bit of loot on this expedition. The spoils of war?What, you mean you stole it from the Empire? I''ve heard so many times since I came to this world that the Empire is a powerful country, so I can''t help but think ...... is honestly amazing. So that''s what we got here. So what did you bring back with you? That''s the man who almost killed that Leonce. Leons is dying! ''What?How! You''ll have to ask him. His name is Gerd Fermat, and he''s quite an interesting man. After saying that, the general turned his back to us and began to walk away. ''''Fermor is not a famous magic tool merchant: ...... After the general was gone, Elaine muttered to herself. ''A magic tool?Oh, the kind they use for lights and stuff. It''s like an electrical tool from the old world. That''s right. The Fermor Trading Company has become the biggest trading company in the world in a single generation, selling its magical tools. The world''s largest trading company ...... and that a member of their family is in the kingdom. ''''Huh ...... I wonder how that Fermor Chamber of Commerce person came to the kingdom?'''' What? A man came up to us a while later. "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Gerd Fermat. Mr. Gert is hairy and shorter than I am, roughly 5''6" or so. I knew he was a craftsman by the looks of it. Thank you. So, tell me how you nearly killed the prodigy. ''''Oh, that''s easy. I just detonated a bomb with ''instant death'' added with an additional magic that only I can use, right next to Leons. Granting magic?It''s the first time I''ve heard that word again. ...... I''ve got a lot to learn from Elaine today . It''s a granting spell ...... but if it''s instantaneous, shouldn''t Leons be dead? That said, something about Leons seems to have a way of preventing instant death ...... that didn''t end up killing him. Yeah. Well, isn''t it great to be one step closer? Yeah, you''re right. I think it''s really great that someone who can traverse two dungeons was able to get hurt that badly. Oh, thank you. So, let''s get down to business. The main thing? Yes, it''s about the work you have to do, starting tomorrow. Oh, you mean business. Okay. Starting tomorrow, you''re going to help me make my kite stronger. Kite?Are you talking about that dark-haired man over there? Mr. Gert asked Hlne while giving me a look. Well, I never look so strong. You think I''m in trouble or something. That''s right. The trump card of the realm. It takes a hero to defeat a family with the blood of an Imperial hero, right? Surely ...... so what exactly am I supposed to do? It''s up to you. You''ll have to talk to him. Huh?Why don''t you give her some more direction? And if it didn''t occur to you, maybe we could work on it together? Ha, ha. ....... Okay. So go for it, Kite. Uh-huh. Seriously. Let''s figure this out together! I tried to appeal to her with my eyes, but she didn''t get it, and she walked out of the room. Oh, well, it''s no use. It''s nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself once again. I''m Kite, summoned to this country as a hero. My name is Gert. When I was in the Empire, I worked with magical devices. Oh, I thought you were a craftsman. You''re a researcher. "A researcher? I heard that. I heard Fermor was famous for their magical tools. ''Well, yes. The quality and production of magic tools is better than any other trade. It''s that great~. By the way, what kind of magic tools do you make, Gert-san?I''ve only been in this world for about six months, and I don''t know much about magic tools other than the ones I use on a daily basis. Oh, okay. All right. I''ll just have to show you my creations. Okay, follow me. Something about Mr. Gert''s eyes suddenly started to sparkle: ....... It''s like this ...... you''re so eager to get people to see your work . Yup . He''s also a bit of a weirdo, but I think we''d get along just fine. Then he shows me to Mr. Gert''s room. "Is this Mr. Gert''s room? Yeah. It''s a little spacious since it''s a lab. Hi. Oh, nice to meet you. There was a man pouring magic power into the magical stone mountain. Amazing . What kind of magic does this guy have, pouring magic power into so many magical stones and not a single change in his face? Yeah, you don''t have to worry about that one. What? He''s a slave. He''s just a tool for my magic supply. Huh?Slaves?Oh, if you ask me, there''s a collar around his neck . I''ve heard of slaves, but they really did exist in this world: ....... ''Hey!You still treat me like a slave!Have you forgotten how many demons I killed on the way here? ''Huh?What are you talking about? What? No, I feel like a good friend of ...... is more suited to watching their interactions than a slave and master relationship, don''t you think? All right, all right. Why don''t you just cut the crap and let him see what I''ve done!But I was so desperate to get away that I couldn''t bring it to that point. And then Mr. Gert took some things out of his bag. I took two things from the bag and asked him. "What''s this? ''That''s it?It''s a magic gun and a magic sword. I spent over a year perfecting both of them. ''Heh ......, can you use this if you pull the trigger?'' Yeah. Look. When I asked him how to use the magic gun, Mr. Gert took the magic gun from me and shot at the slave man. Eh! Hey!If it wasn''t for me, I''d be dead! Before I could react in any way, a yell like that echoed through the room. ''I shot you because of you. . or something like that, and when you pull the trigger, the magic pops out. ''Great!I don''t know how it works or anything at all, but I know it''s great! If anything, I think the slave man is awesome. How did he dodge the gun?I mean, it''s amazing how much trust you two have in each other to be able to pull a gun off. Isn''t it? ''What are you embarrassed about, that was originally invented by your father, wasn''t it?I miss the days when I was desperately trying to draw a magic circle, saying I didn''t want to lose to my dad or something. So you wanted to take what your father invented and make it your own? Shut up! ''Hey!So don''t shoot at people! It''s like. Oh, so Gert''s father was a magician too? ''Oh, ah, ......'' I''m not a magician, Kukku. They say he''s the most accomplished magician in the world. ''Wow ...... you''re such a great guy. ...... And that''s why Mr. Gert wanted to win his father. He''s not too happy with his father. He gets really cranky when I talk about my dad. Does that include you?You''ve always been all about getting your dad''s praise. Oh, shut up! You two must be very close. From what I''ve heard, they''re so similar in so many ways, I think they''re already best friends.I doubt it. "How? No, they''re too close. I couldn''t help but laugh at the sight of them in perfect synch. 179 1st Family after a long time Today is my sister''s wedding. I was at her wedding party. Congratulations on your wedding, Sis. Congratulations to you too, Mr. ....... I smiled and congratulated my sister on her beautiful bridal gown and Bert, who was dressed in a splendid aristocratic dress. I haven''t seen Bart for a long time, but he has grown up a lot. You''re an adult, so you''re an adult now. But he''s still cool. A perfect husband for a beautiful woman. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. You''ve grown up a lot in a while, haven''t you?I miss you just starting primary school. ''Oh, you''ve been in love with your sister since then, haven''t you, Bert~'' I miss the time when we were teasing him. Chairman, we were all red-faced. "When you made fun of me? That was nostalgic. But, correction, I liked Helena long before that. Yes. Ever since I was nine years old when I first met her. Hee-hee. Bert, you''ve been more committed to your sister than I thought. It would have been so much easier if you''d told her how you felt sooner. Come on. Don''t say anything embarrassing. I''m sorry. It''s just that I''m here in front of your favorite brother. In front of your favorite brother? ''Why?That''s why you''ve said you like it too. I don''t believe it. Huh?Sis, I thought you were done with your brother''s separation? You''re kidding me, right?I really don''t want you to get divorced because of me, okay? Ha-ha ...... How was your present from me? He laughed dryly, and I forced the subject to change the subject so it wouldn''t get any more troublesome . Promise me, sis. If the dragons were any good, I would ask Mom not to tell her. "Yes. This is great. I''ll keep my promise. Really?That''s good to hear~ Protect what? Mother!Hey, how long ago was he behind it? No, no, it''s nothing. ...... Oh, sister. Bill says congratulations. Oh. That''s nice. Thank you. Tell her that by the time we meet again, she should be strong enough to entertain me. Copy that. I''ll let her know. My sister was in my territory for six months, no ...... more . During that time, I thought I was going to the orphanage every day, and I think I was teaching Bill swordplay . He said he was disappointed that he couldn''t relate to me when I was around Bill''s age, so he made up for it by teaching Bill the sword. She was called a master by Bill, and Bill worked hard every day to achieve his sister''s style of lean fighting that combines magic and swordsmanship. Of course, it takes a lot of practice to use it, so it will take some time to become strong. "Also. You''re going to visit the orphanage for me when I''m not there.They all want to see you. I know. That''s why you brought me Bill''s message. Work''s been slowing down lately, so I''ve been trying to get some free time. I''m doing all right. I''ve been helping Bill out. Last time I fought you in a long time, I was surprised to see you moving so differently. I know. Okay, you got my apprentice. Of course. "Helena as my apprentice. Helena, how can you teach people with your lame personality? I can, but what is it?Then go head-to-head with Bill next time. Then you''ll see how strong my beloved pupil is and how great my teaching skills are. I won''t do it. You''re going to get beat up like you always have anyway. Huh?Sis, do you always beat up on Mr. Burt? She''s a devil''s wife: ...... Burt, keep up the good work. Oh, my. I''m still 50-50 with you? Heh. So Bart''s as strong as Bill is now. That makes Bill very talented. No, no. That''s good. I''ve got some ground to cover from here on out. Ruling power, huh . Surely, from now on, Mr. Burt will have to rule the Duchy. It''s a big deal. It''s not for everyone. "Hmm. Well, that''s true. I did my homework at Leo''s place, so that should help. Ah!Is that what you''re saying?That''s why you were so willing to help Miss Flare. After all, you really care about your husband. Yeah, thanks. Yeah, yeah. You two are a good match for each other. My brother is thrilled that you have become a good wife to support your husband. I know. But I''m not going to let you go.Will you let me hear our promise to each other?Of course, that''s after the party is over~ You''re still here: ....... I was doing my best to go through it, but it was no good . ''''Yes, yes ......'''' "Wind. Thanks . You can''t resist your mother. ....... "Kuh-uh. What did you do? Brother Ivan: "Brother Ivan: ...... Your mother must be pissed at Leo too. Helena does it a lot. As I was sighing, brother Ivan and brother Alex came in. By the way, their wives, Eunice and Fiona, are chatting happily with Leena who came with me. I''ll have to say hello to them later. Thinking about that, I continued my conversation with my brothers. ''Was your sister pissed off?Even though it''s so perfect? How can a sister who''s first-rate with a pen or a sword be offended? Perfect?Helena?Hahaha. Brother, I shouldn''t smile. You''re such a great guy now. So now it''s... So you were a good kid when you were little and stuck with me? I guess so. Mom said she couldn''t give Helena to me, but she had no problem with it. After all, we''ve got the oldest son of a duke. As a member of the Forster family, I''m extremely grateful to Helena. It''s good to have a connection to the duke''s family. That''s right. I owe you thanks. We''ll have more noblemen in our ranks, thanks to you. That''s true. So I''ll have to give Helena credit later. And speaking of ties to the dukes, don''t you think you''ll make another one? Oh, Leo. Oh, by the way, you''re going to be a duke with the adults? Well, ...... that''s how it''s supposed to work. You don''t look happy, do you? Of course you do. Of course. I''m the CEO of the next war, okay?What would I normally do as a teenager? Isn''t it funny how much it''s because of the labor shortage? It''s too heavy-handed, isn''t it?Well, I suppose the Emperor thinks my fame can do something about it. ''''Oh ...... that would certainly be disgusting.'''' Right?Huh, I''m going to work again when I get home. I''ve got a meeting with Elsie when I get back. You may be the busiest man in the country. I''m pretty sure: ...... Well, now that I''m done getting ready for school, it''s not that bad. At the peak of my career, if I didn''t have the skills to regenerate, I''d be down. Don''t tell me that. Don''t tell me that I''m helping you as much as I can, okay? He put a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to see my dad. "Dad. ...... The Training School for Talent, it''s starting soon, right? Yeah. Two weeks later. It''s good to see that you''ve brought the teachers together. Thanks especially for sending the wizard. If it weren''t for my dad, I would have had to delay my magic course for a year. What. It means we get to share a few magic users. When I say split it up, it''s 5 out of 90 in one grade: ....... That''s not in my father''s best interest at all. There''s a shortage of wizards everywhere. It''s a rather cheap initial investment if you''re going to be adding to your staff on a regular basis. Besides, it''s only fair to help out the family. Five in a year, okay?Well, it''s for the family: ....... I know. We''ll do everything we can to help you in times of war. Thanks ...... both of you. I''ll have to repay the favor somehow. That''s a good thing. Is that what your brother says? Why not?I''ll help you in a war, too! ''Is it okay if I don''t have to protect the Emperor?'' That''s right. That''s what Special Forces is for. What if the war in the west was a decoy? That''s all right with my uncle. Besides, maybe His Majesty will give me and a few others a personal order to join the war effort. Are you serious?What if you have an uncle, but you''re outnumbered? Well, he''s ...... been looking out for Leo, too, Your Majesty. You want to help him as much as you can. Yeah ....... Should we be thankful for this one . "The war ...... is preceded by a tripartite conference or ....... We need to pay the utmost attention to what the kingdom will do to us. ''Yes. . I hope it ends in peace at the Tri-Nation Conference ....... Well, you can''t. Maybe he''ll try something loud. At the very least, he''ll show us what a fighter looks like. Maybe so. But don''t go unchallenged, okay?You''re still young. So you don''t have to risk your life for your country. I know, I know. But there''s a lot of things we need to protect. That''s why they''re worth dying for. There''s a lot of things I want to protect in this country. And I''ll protect it no matter what. Well, I''m not gonna die. I''m not. You''re a man. Really, I can''t believe you''re almost 13. Well, I''m an adult on the inside: ....... ''Yeah . I don''t think he''s a very innocent boy when he''s messing with a girl here and there. Well, I''m an adult on the inside: ......?Doesn''t this have anything to do with whether you''re an adult or not? Absolutely. All the Forster men are single-minded, you know? Everyone?No way! Grandpa is only at ...... grandma. My dad is ......and my mom is the only one. Your uncle is ......and Elise is the only one. Both of your brothers are ....... Oh, I''m also ......five ways and ...... I only love the five of you! That''s a bit of a stretch. "Ha ha ha. Well, I guess I''ll just go home now. I''ve got some things I need to do. The party isn''t over yet, but it can get messy if you stay long enough: ....... Gashi! Mr. Eunice, as I was thinking of saying hello to Fiona and then taking Leena home, I was caught on the head with a firm hand. ''Oh, wait a minute. I don''t think you should take a break from work today. You said you were done for the day. ''Huh?I told you that. I''m just feeling a little tired. I think I''ll go home and rest. Hmm. All right, Mom is going to bring sweet Leo home to heal you. You''re going to have to sit up a little bit. Haha, hahaha ...... Yes, ma''am. It''s been a long time since I''ve been made to feel like a mother. In fact, a dragon almost killed me, and I''ll have to put up with going to the Demon Forest until I''m an adult now: ....... Also, I forgot that Belle''s employer is not me, but her mother. Belle, you haven''t quit being a maid yet: ....... 180 CHAPTER II -- A Busy Day "Congratulations on your enrollment. My name is Leons Muldaine. It is my pleasure to serve as chancellor of this school. You are in the first class. You will be at the vanguard of a school that will last for a decade or two. Be proud of yourselves. And be a role model for those who come after you. I look forward to working with you. There was a round of applause as I left the stage. "Feng. It''s done. I never get used to giving speeches, no matter how many times I do them. Good evening. Good talk. When I sat down, the woman sitting next to me smiled and gave me a warm welcome. The headmistress here is ...... Camilla-san. Thank you. But you''ve taken the job well. Well, I guess this isn''t something I should be asking for. I''d rather be the director of an orphanage than a pain in the ass. Or is it hard to keep all those kids together? Four hundred and fifty students in the Knight''s Department, the Magic Department, and the Civil Service Department. That''s just one grade, and by the time the kids who entered today will be in the third year, it will be three times this number. Managing over a thousand students is still a lot of work compared to an orphanage, right? ''What are you talking about?There''s no reason for me to say no. ''Really?Aren''t you worried about the orphanage? Don''t worry. Anne will take good care of the children. I''m sure Anne or ...... that person would be okay with it, but . Are you sure it''s okay for me, a slave, to be the headmaster? ''What?I said I want to let you go, right?But you don''t like it, do you? I thought I should take the quicksilver to be the Dean of the School, but I was turned down. ....... ''Yes . . because I can''t keep my spirit without it. When you say that, you know I can''t say anything. As I looked at Camilla''s smile, I thought to myself, this is a lie ...... . ''''Well, I understand . As long as you''re in this territory, you won''t be inconvenienced . So, you can rest assured that you will be the head of the school. There''s no one more qualified than Camilla-san, and anyone who gives a d*mn about being a slave in this manpower-strapped situation is an enemy trying to steal time from me, so I''ll banish them. ''Yes, sir. I will make a great student who will not be ashamed to work for Master Leo in the future. It''ll be fun. I look forward to it. I can''t wait to see what kind of kids are going to graduate three years later. And after the entrance ceremony was over, I went to my next job right away. There''s a lot to do today, so I have to hurry! Long time no see~~. How have you been doing~~? Yeah. You''re looking as good as ever, Barus. So, let me know what you find out. The next job was to hear all the information Vals had gleaned from the Kingdom. Vals has been working on it for about six months. He came home the day before yesterday, and I let him rest, all right? You were tired. Now, let''s hear about the kingdom. Yes, sir. First, about Geert Fermat~~~. He''s well entrenched in the kingdom. Demon sword, demon gun, and even a big demon gun~~~ we call it a demon gun~~~ it''s very powerful~~~. It''s the equivalent of a single use of advanced magic~~~ The way Vals talks is still annoying. Well, if you pay attention to everything, you won''t be able to finish today''s work, so you''ll just have to be patient. Even so, it''s no surprise that the magic sword can make a magic gun, since he''s the son of a master, so it''s a magic cannon or ....... For all intents and purposes, it''s a magical version of a cannon, right?It would be very troublesome if they even used such things in war: ....... If it''s a magic gun, it''s elementary magic, at our knight''s level, it won''t do much damage. But when it comes to advanced magic, it''s a different story: ....... I see. It''s going to be a battle between weapons and troops, after all: ....... I''ll have to prepare for it without being too generous. "I think so~~. And really!About the brave~~ How did it go?Was it strong? ''''It''s still~~. At this stage of the game~~I think our helmsman is definitely stronger~~ Okay. Weaker than Hermann? Then it''s a brave man not to be ...... . It''s just~~~ "Just? Hmm?What''s going on? It''s only been a year since he was summoned~~~. And~~~ The strength of the hero is growing at an astonishing rate~~. In four years, even our Commander will be at a hard level~~~ That was half a year ago, right?Our knights are growing at an incredible rate too. But even so, it''s still a bad idea to underestimate the growth rate of our brave men. "Are you sure she can do non-attribute magic? Grandpa didn''t have an attribute. ''''That''s why~~. This time, he''s a~~ extremely rare and brave~~ Rare? Is there such a thing as a rare for a brave man? "Yes~~~. Only a brave man can use it~~~. I''m a user of electric magic~~~ Electromagic? I''ve never heard of this kind of magic. "Electric magic is characterized by speed... You can think of it as non-attribute magic that specializes in speed. All we have to do is to channel electricity through the sword. ''A non-attribute magic that specializes in speed: ....... That sounds strong. We need to take countermeasures against speed. Also, if you channel electricity into the sword, that means you can''t touch the sword of a brave man. Yeah~~~. Touch it and you''re done. Ha, so this guy''s gotten more difficult. You can bet that guy''s coming at me and he''s going to think he''s losing. If it''s used with the heroic correction, I don''t feel like I can win at all. Well, do you have anything else to tell me? "The next king of the kingdom is almost certain to be the first princess, Elemenane... Is the First Princess famous for that jewelry craze? As I recall, he''s the guy who bought my magic stones at the black market auction for a ridiculous amount of money, right? Is the kingdom safe for that one to be king? That''s right~~~. But that was only until a year ago~~~. Now~~~ I''m just a good wife supporting a brave man~~?She''s hotter than my Hermann and Alma~~~. If she becomes the king, the bad government of the kingdom will be improved~~~. Rather than Herman and Alma, or ......!How did those two get together?We were competitors before this, weren''t we? No, no, no, no. Has the princess had a change of heart?Then wouldn''t it be better to change the king, without somehow getting him to war? Let''s assassinate the king, right now!And then I''ll be free from all this busyness! I''m rooting for the princess at all costs! "This isn''t going to happen, sir! The kingdom is under the control of the royal family, and the nobility, and both are corrupt! Unless the war can eliminate them, the kingdom will not be better! And the princess and her entourage, Aaron, understand that. There will definitely be a war. That''s his aide, Aaron. ....... Maybe that person will be the key to the peace talks. I see. ...... That''s good news today. I''ll see you later. Next time, what''s in a month? Okay. I''ll take a month off, then I''ll go undercover again~~~ You do that. And get some rest. Information warfare is going to determine the future of the war effort. Vals will have to do his best. So long~ See ya~. "Geez. I''m tired~. I''m pretty good at this, though~ Oh, you''re talking like a Vals. And today''s work isn''t over yet. As soon as I finished reporting to Vals, I moved to the Imperial Capital. ''''Master. They''re here! Hey, Leo. My brother is holed up in his workroom. When I transitioned to Master''s shop, Colt-san said that and pointed to the work room . ''''Ah, Mr. Colt . It''s been a while . I knew it, Master, do you feel like you''re still dragging your son around? I''ve been here many times since that day when I told you that I nearly died from my master''s son''s bomb, and he''s been developing his magic tool as if he were possessed by a demon. ....... Today, I was asked to come over today because that development has come to a close. ''''It seems so ....... Well, but my brother thinks it''s his own way to settle the score. You''ll have to ask him. I understand. ''Master!They''re here~ When I walked into the workroom, I saw Master was still working on his magic tools. You''re always making magic tools whenever you come in. "Ah, Leo. It''s good to see you. Have you been well. ''''Yes . Master has ...... lost some weight? What is it, you don''t seem to have a healthy way to lose weight: ......? Well. It''s not well. ....... ''You have to eat your food properly, don''t you? I understand. He harmed the Empire and Leo, and I want to pay for it in the next war. I can''t get back what he''s done. Of course, when the war is over, I''ll still contribute to the Empire. It will be the first and last thing I will ever do for him as a father. The look in Master''s eyes was so strong and filled with determination. It can''t be helped. Since it doesn''t seem to stop no matter what I say, I''ll come by often to see what''s going on. I''m sure you''re right. ...... son. It looks like you managed to escape to the kingdom safely. I knew you were developing ...... weapons? The master didn''t call the tools his son made magical tools. He called them instruments that were used to kill people. Magic tools are for making people rich and must not be made to kill people. That''s what he said. Yes. It seems like you''ve helped the kingdom quite a bit in the last six months. Demon swords and demon guns. And I heard they''ve developed a new weapon, a magic gun. A magic cannon?What''s that? Apparently it''s a larger version of the magic gun. I hear it can produce advanced magic. Oh, what. You just made it bigger. Then I''m not as scared as you think I am. ''What?What do you mean? After hearing my explanation, I was surprised to see my master lose interest . It''s advanced magic, okay? It''s easy. It doesn''t get a lot of mileage out of it. It takes a hell of a lot of magic. I''m talking about the amount of magic Leo has in his kit. Okay, I get it. It doesn''t get a lot of mileage. So you can''t use the kingdom? Yeah, I think I''ve got one shot. I see. ...... I''ve heard good things about it. Well, that''s good to know. Well, let''s keep an eye out for the magic cannon. But look what I''ve invented!What do you think? Oh yeah. I came to see Master''s invention. So I looked in the direction where he pointed me and saw ...... a fine shield and armor lined up. "Is this shield and armour? Yeah. See, when it comes to war, it''s all about the knights, right?I''ve created a high performance shield and armor. What are they capable of? My master built this. There must be some kind of ability. I know so. First, the shield. It can be hardened with non-attribute magic. A little bit of mid-range magic will do just fine, no matter how many times it hits you. Maybe even some advanced magic can take a hit. Quite the master!What a thing you made for me! ''''That''s great: ...... So you''ve made up for the weakness of your resistance to melee magic attacks: ...... This can be used in war.'''' Even if I can''t put together a wizard, this will make up the difference in wizards. This is a big one. Right?Next, let''s talk about armor: ...... This is awesome. Even warriors who haven''t mastered attribute-free magic can fight with attribute-free magic for just a minute or so! It''s only for emergency use, but it more than doubles your physical abilities. I''ve used it myself, and I can run faster with my armor on than I could without it. That''s great. I''m sure there are other uses for it, and I''d appreciate it if you could get it mass-produced right away. This will help a lot of knights who can''t use non-attribute magic. Yeah, maybe we can mass produce this too in the factory. It''ll take some time to train them, but the guys working in the factory should be able to learn their procedures in half a year. Well, that''s why we''ve made improvements to make it as simple as possible. Is this easy? Because it''s the armor that elevates your power, right? ''Yeah. It may look big and hard, but it''s not that hard. Anyone can make a shield if they can draw a hardened magic circle. As for the armor, it''s a lot simpler than the first plane. The guys in the head office said it was easy, so it should be fine. Well, if the master says so much, is it okay? Well, if it''s going to be mass-produced in a factory, we''ll get a lot of it and we''ll be thankful for it. Okay, ......, don''t push it too hard, okay? I''m tough, I can handle this. You stay out of trouble yourself, okay?You''re still young. Isn''t it usually the other way around?You''re not as young as you think you are. Well, we''ll call it a win-win. Master, you need to get some rest, okay? I wouldn''t want Master to fall over. Oh, okay. Oh, and I need a little favor from you: ...... Can you do me a favor: ......? ''Oh, can you share some of Leo''s magic stones with me?I haven''t decided what I''m going to make, but I want to make something first class. Indeed, I''m wondering what would happen if Master used my magic stone to create a magic tool . ''''...... I see . Okay . It''s fine. We can make as many magic stones in our spare time as we want. Really? ''''Yes. I''ll bring the magic stone tomorrow. So you should rest for now. Oh, come on.You would be right there: ...... Yeah. I got the transfer right away. That''s for your rest. I won''t get it for you if you don''t. I''d like to give him a week off, but if I do that, I''m going to have withdrawal symptoms this time . We''ll just stick it out for a day. We''ll take it from there. She doesn''t want to take a day off. Don''t you normally take a day off when someone says they won''t prepare anything? Mr. Colt!Let me know tomorrow if my master has been resting! Yes! Since Master wasn''t going to take a day off by himself, I''ve asked Colt to keep an eye on him. Well, now Master will have to take a break too. Well, see you tomorrow, Master! Hey!Wait! Before Master caught me, I shifted. The next day, he was waiting for me to come in with a magic circle pen. After I made sure Colt was resting, he handed me the magic stone and walked into the workroom. I knew it. I knew there was no way I could let you rest for a week. 181 Third: Dormitory after a long time It''s already been three months since the school I built started . I was working on the mass production of my master''s shield and armor, and the time has flown by. The mass production of the shield has started and the mass production of the armor will be ready in another three months. Do you think I need six months to learn the process?But the employees at the magician''s factory are even better than I thought they would be, which is a relief. And the school, which started last month, is going well so far. Camilla has told me that everyone is enthusiastic and very helpful. Well, it''s only been three months, after all. It''ll be a little while longer before anything goes wrong. Let''s just hope they all graduate. "Leo!Aren''t you ready?I''d better get going or I won''t be able to finish cleaning up my dorm today! Oh, I''m sorry. I have to go! Yeah. Today I''ll start living in the dorms again. It''s been almost two years, but we finally finished repairing the school that was blown up, and tomorrow''s school day begins again. After almost no schooling, we''re in the sixth grade, the highest grade. By the way, the seniors had to apply to witchcraft school on their own instead of going to school. I guess the seniors didn''t get any recommendations and it must have been hard work~~. With that kind of speculation, I left the room. "It''s late. You guys ready to go? No, there''s nothing to prepare for: ....... I didn''t think I''d be able to say such a thing to a grumpy Shelly after being waited on, so I just fooled her. "Uh-huh. Are you two done? Yes. I put it in here. After saying that, Leena showed me a bag of magic items that can hold a lot of things. This is the reward I gave her for attacking the dungeon. I also give out other magic items such as wannabe terrace number two, which is useful for attacking dungeons, as a reward every time I hit a level. Sherry and the others have reached the eighth floor and the knights have reached the fifth. After my sister came back, my pace slowed down a bit, but my knights are catching up. Maybe the knights will overtake Sherry and her friends while I''m at school. I mean, we''re continuing to grow in strength month after month, and I''m hoping we''ll win soon. "Leo? Oops. All right, let''s go. Hold on to all three of you. I shouldn''t have done that. I can''t stop thinking about it. I made Sherry and the others wait and I shouldn''t make them even crankier. I shifted in my haste. "Great. Here we are. So, I''ll see you in class tomorrow. ''Is it because we''ve lived together for over a year ......?I kind of feel like I''m just going to miss you until tomorrow. Yeah. I was just saying to myself that I was feeling a little lonely. I''ll see you tomorrow, but it feels like a long time. ''Yeah. ....... Hey, why don''t you go to Leo''s room at night when you''re done cleaning up? It''s okay.No one''s going to be mad at us. But maybe they''ll be in Frank''s room, so just make sure you tell them when you''re done cleaning up. Normally, it wouldn''t be a good idea for a girl to be in the boys'' dormitory, but me and Shelly and the others are well known for our relationship, and after all, no one can be mad at Shelly, the princess, so... Well, with my transition, I can move around undetected, so there''s nothing to worry about... "Okay. Okay. Okay. Leena, let''s hurry up and finish cleaning up! ''Yes!Leo-kun, please wait for me! When they regained some energy, they rushed to their room. "Bell, let''s head up to our room. Yes. It''s been a long time since we''ve been alone together. You haven''t been in the Forest of Evil since... Have you been in the Devil''s Forest since? We didn''t have time to be alone for another year . Up until dormitory life, we always lived alone together. I know. To be honest, I missed you. I know it''s bad, but it''s not like it''s just the two of you with Shelly and Leena around: ....... Besides, it''s not like Belle wasn''t home because she was trying out the dungeon with Sherry and the others . ''More importantly, I was just wondering: ....... Belle, you''re still the maid, right? I was wondering the other day when my mom got mad at me, how is Belle being treated now? Yes. I''m still the maid. ''May I ask why?Didn''t the maids have to quit? That''s easy. I can''t take care of Master Leo in the dorms if I''m not his personal maid. If I stop being a maid, I lose my unique privileges. I won''t let anyone else take this job. Oh no, of course not. Don''t look at me like that ....... "Nah, I see. ....... Well, I''d appreciate it if Belle would wake me up too. So you''re going to quit being a maid after your dorm life is over then? Belle is surprisingly loyal to her own desires. The collection in Belle''s room is a good example: ...... Oops, you can''t go any further. I''m sure you''re right. However, I will continue to take care of Leo-sama for years to come, okay? Uh-huh. A very long time. I felt a glare, and I turned away from the bell in a panic. Come to think of it, my clothes are still on ......, so they''re no good. ''Su, long live ......'' Apparently, Belle is having a hard time with that. Don''t be embarrassed by those words, not after what you said about always being there. That''s really cute. Okay. Let''s just finish up and relax. When I say ......, I''m just replenishing my new clothes, especially since I''m not taking them out of this room. I hadn''t been back in my room in a long time, and I was pulling clothes out of my backpack and onto my desk. About a week''s worth of clothes. I can get to and from the castle easily, so I haven''t brought that much stuff with me ....... ''''I''ll put the clothes away on my end. Leo-sama should rest. ''Me too ...... No, yeah . I''m sorry, but I''m afraid I''m going to get in the way of that, please. I don''t know where it''s stored and other details, so it will be faster if you leave it to Belle, who is used to it. ''''Don''t worry, it won''t take long to do this. Bing bong! ''Oh?Who are you?I''ll get it. Bell, get dressed. Okay. Yes, please. Who the hell is coming? Oh, come on. Frank and Hermann. As soon as I opened the door, I saw a line of familiar faces. Come to think of it, Frank was in the next room, so I wondered if he''d notice me coming back. It''s good to see you. Long time no see! "Frank, long time. Long time no see Herman?You''ve been working in my territory for years, haven''t you?I mean, could you really run to school? Actually, Hermann . He could have been at school in a flash if he''d transferred with me, and yet he left the castle a few days ago, running to train. That''s the ultimate in stoicism. "Yes, sir. I arrived the day before yesterday at noon. Yeah. How''s Frank doing? Let''s leave the energetic Hermann alone and listen to Frank for the first time in years. What was Frank doing during his long holiday? It''s okay. ...... So-so?You''re not that energetic? What''s going on? Sort of. ...... You sound like you need some help with that lame response: ...... Okay. It''s not a good time to talk about it here, so why don''t we talk in my office? I think he''s in serious trouble, and as a best friend, I need to talk to him about it. I pulled Frank into the room. ''Are you sure?Master, you just got back, right? Yeah . I just came to meet you and ask you to come to my room later. You need to get a grip on yourself. We''ve been through dungeons together, haven''t we? I''m fine. I''m not doing anything, and I''m free. Look, I was just about to come over to Frank and his friends. Oh, here we go. Here we go. Yeah, well, you can go to ...... Sorry to disturb you! So what?Why isn''t Frank well? You were home for the holidays, weren''t you? Did your parents do something to upset you? Oh, did he get pissed off at you for not going to the dungeon with me? If that''s the case, you''ve done a bad job: ....... Hey. What does it feel like to like someone? ...... hmm? I''m sorry. I didn''t catch that. Can you say that again? So what does it feel like to love someone? Apparently, I heard wrong about ....... What''s up with you all of a sudden?Did you find someone you like? Spring has finally come to Frank! No, ...... it''s not like that. d*mn. That''s a shame. I thought I''d get to see Frank in a rare moment of temper tantrums, but... So what''s up with you? For the past year and months ...... I''ve been back in the territory. Yeah. So, what''s going on at home? I knew it. What did your parents say to you? You know I''m ...... the next head of the family, right? Yes. ...... Frank is the second son, but he couldn''t be head of the family because of his brother''s bad behavior. Father said I''d have to have at least one fiance to be the next head of the family. Dad said I''d have to have a fiance or something. Your fianc. ....... ''Yeah. Really?Well, is that true when you''re the next head of the family?My brother Alex was engaged to Fiona when he was about our age, and I heard he was engaged to Fiona when he was about our age: ...... They''ve been friends since primary school. It''s nice to know that you''ve been devoted to each other since you were little. I''m still in elementary school too, so I guess that''s the same. No, I''m not sure if that''s the same. "No, Dad, under normal circumstances, I wouldn''t be in a hurry to get a partner. ....... I don''t think he wants his brother to take over. Can you prepare a partner?No, it''s more like . ." "Is it really that bad that your parents hate you so much that you''re a problem child ......? Isn''t the son of a dumb aristocrat usually the result of a lax parent? If you were able to think that far ahead, why did you let it go until you were in trouble? Shouldn''t the eldest son of your own family be a problem, and shouldn''t he be a duke? I don''t know, I''ve been banned from seeing him for years now . I was originally a little disliked among the ...... nobility because of my bad behavior. But at first my father let me go because I was the oldest son. But when he was in primary school, he did something that made his father very angry. I knew he was spoiled. But something was done by Frank''s brother that was too much and he couldn''t do it to the head of the family: ....... ''What did you do to him?'' ''Well?I''m too scared to ask. Even though there''s a lot of tension in the house over who''s going to be the head of the house, me or your brother. Huh?Is the Baudelaire family in that situation? The head of the family made the decision, and yet people are still pushing for the brother? If that''s the case, Frank would have a hard time staying home: ....... I certainly don''t want to hear it under those circumstances. All right. So I''ll ask my brothers. You used to be around Frank''s brother''s age, right? I think it was ...... yeah. Maybe he was the same age as Leo''s oldest brother. Brother Ivan. Okay. I''m sure Brother Ivan will have plenty of opportunities to meet you. Brother Ivan often comes to the territory for meetings in the run-up to the war or something, so I''ll ask him about it at the next meeting. ''''I''ll look after you. ....... I''m the only one at home who doesn''t know what''s going on. ...... I don''t know. Seeing the look on Frank''s face, I felt sorry for him. Good thing my brothers are so nice and good at what they do. Okay, well, let''s see what your brother Ivan has to say first: ......?Come to think of it, we were talking about likes, weren''t we? Oh, by the way, how did we get to talk about Frank''s brother? ''Yes. . We went from talking about liking each other to talking about my fianc, and then we got to talking about Frank''s house. Hermann cleared up all my doubts right away. Yeah. That''s right. It was about liking ...... Hermann, answer for me. Me!Why?My mentor has a lot of experience in this area: ...... Don''t talk about experience. It''s nothing. Tell me about true love. Huh? I''m not a consistent person, you know. "Hmm?Could it be that ...... helmsman has a counterpart at ......? Why?Does my master know about my relationship with Alma! Oh, I was right. From what Barus said, I was thinking it was suspicious. So you were already together. "Sickled: ...... ''Alma is ...... that knight of Leo?'' Yeah. You remember it well. We only saw Frank for a little while during his induction exam, didn''t we? It''s true. Anyone who saw the tryouts will remember them. Well, I''m sure that''s true. So, Hermann, tell me more about what happened with Alma. This information is something I need to know as an employer. It''s not like I''m curious or anything, okay? ''Ugh ...... it''s no big deal?'' Don''t worry about it. Don''t be shy. We''re you and me, right? Come on, come on. ''All right, I get it: ....... You know that Alma and I used to compete every day, right? ''Yeah. . there''s a hell of a lot of draws, right? I don''t know what kind of draws we''ve had in the last two years or so . ''''Yes . After the ...... game was over, we used to have a long talk after the ...... game, which we called a review meeting. It was fun and ...... I found myself falling in love with it. Huh?That''s it?No, I''m not supposed to say that. ''Oh, yeah ...... something, didn''t you two go through any difficulties together or something?For example, we could take on a dungeon I built, just the two of us. You have at least one episode where you fell in love with him in the suspension bridge effect, like Ivan''s brother and Eunice, or something like that. ''''No. . Now that I''ve grown up, I won''t do something so reckless as to challenge Master''s dungeon with just the two of us, will I? If you ask me, that''s what I mean: ....... I knew I missed the difficulty setting, didn''t I? Yeah, you''re right: ...... Sorry. Yeah, I thought there would be more dramatic drama. I didn''t expect to be interrupted by a dungeon of my own making. Oh, don''t apologize!Yeah, right!The Master wanted me and Alma to traverse the dungeon alone, right?I wasn''t even aware of that: ...... ''No, no. ......'' That''s not what I''m saying. All right. I''ll tackle the dungeon with Alma as soon as I get back. It may take some time, but I''m sure we''ll move through it. You''re on it! Umm, yeah, ...... I''ll look forward to it. Well, if you''re willing to challenge me, something might happen, okay . ''I''d love to hear more about how Leo built the dungeon ......, but can you tell me a little more about Hermann''s story?S-So, how did you communicate that ...... favorite thought?You confessed ......, didn''t you? What is this naive boy? Aren''t you supposed to be a little cooler? I''m not going to listen to you with a reddish face, that''s just creepy. "Well, well, ...... in the course of the conversation, we talked about how Master has many wives, and I told Alma about the story of his wives and how he had a lot of them I was. ''Mrs. Ta(t) or ...... that''s a story that''s going to be very long.'' It''s not your wife yet, and don''t bother emphasizing the ''we'' ...... Sure, it''s going to be a long one, but . ''''Yes . Well, that day was the first time in a long time that the Knights had finished practicing in the morning, so we were able to talk for that long. You really were together the whole time. That''s what Vals says when he tells me he''s hot. Yeah. So, what happened after you and Leo had a nice talk about your wife? Alma said ...... I wish I could marry someone as strong as my mentor. ...... Oh, okay. So you were in a hurry to confess that you thought Leo was going to take you, right? Huh?Was I supposed to do that? Sure, you might have a lot of wives, but you''re not a scrappy man who''s going to mess with ...... people''s women. Now that I think about it, maybe it was: ...... Huh?Seriously?I didn''t have that much faith in you? What a shock. ....... ''''Of course . It''s not that my master is terrible or anything . It''s just that my master is stronger than me. ....... I can''t help but let my master take me away from him. If you want to say it''s not terrible, don''t say it''s taken! I was pretty banged up. Oh, I don''t think love has anything to do with physical strength or strength. I know. Yeah. After all, you have to play it by how much you like that person. Is that right?It''s helpful. Ho, are you really going to reference that? Your eyes are hostile! So what''s up with Hermann after hearing Alma''s words? I ...... am sure that no matter how hard I try to beat my master, I will never be able to win. That''s why I told ...... Alma that I was going to tell her. Right now, I''m even with Alma, but ...... he asked me to marry him one day if I could win three in a row against you. Huw~ So cool!That''s my protg! ''So what did he say back to you? I was surprised at first, but after a short pause ...... he said, "If you can do it, do it. ''What''s that ...... response is too cool too.'' Totally, you two are a good match. But it''s three wins in a row: ...... Well, I guess Hermann can do it. (Leo?Can you come get me?(I''m done cleaning up.) Hmm?Sherry. (Is it over already?I''m coming. I''m coming. I''m sorry. I''m going to go get you both. It would have been nice, but I promised I wouldn''t have to. I apologized to them and went to get Sherry and the others. 182 CHAPTER IV Franks Love Situation Bye. You''re home early. When I transitioned to Shelly''s room, they were standing there happily. ''Hmmm . I got this done in a hurry! Yes. I did my best! Thanks for the help. I''ve just been consulting with Frank. ''Is this about Mr Frank?Do you have a problem with Mr. Frank? ''Surely something happened at home during this long holiday?The Baudelaires are notorious for being a duke family with a lot of problems with heirship disputes. Oh, you found out. So the Baudelaire succession race is that famous. This is something I need to learn all about the characteristics and current state of the Imperial nobility. That''s exactly what it is. For now, let''s talk about it in my office. Hang on. I took them hand in hand, and we moved into my room. He''s back. Oh, oh. I thought he was suddenly gone, but you really brought him back: ...... What''s wrong? Yes, no: ...... Maybe it''s okay to bring a girl to the boys'' dorm?I think he wanted to say to me, but Sherry''s piercing glare shut Frank up. "As long as they don''t know, we''ll be fine. So, let''s pick up where we left off. Maybe you''d have different advice if the girls were here, right? I think you need some girlie advice on relationships. Yeah. If it''s just guys talking about it, they might be biased. I mean, that''s probably true, but... ...... Okay. Add Bell to the mix and we''ll take care of Frank''s problems! And so the six of them started talking about Frank''s love life. "So, what''s Frank''s problem? "Frank''s problem was that he came home and found out he''d found his fianc without permission. So I was listening to Hermann talk about what it is to like. So here''s the short version. "Hermann?Oh, did you confess to Alma? ''How did Shelly know!I''m a newbie to this! And I''m surprised you had a connection to Hermann and Alma. ''Of course. We used to go to the dungeon every day and have lunch in the Order''s cafeteria, you know?I''ll at least have a conversation with the knights then. Especially Alma, who used to eat with Belle because she was so close to him. Yeah, I see. I knew it. Shelley and the others see more of them than I do. So it''s no surprise you know the knights better than I do. Alma. Alma was thrilled when Hermann told her. He also said he didn''t want to lose, though. Ugh, ugh. ...... Hermann''s face is bright red at the words of Shelly and Leena. ''You really like Alma, don''t you? ''Good. So much for talking about Hermann, let''s get Frank''s advice. That''s right. Frank, who''s the guy you told me you got a fianc? You know, I almost forgot to ask who I''m dealing with. She''s the daughter of the second highest man in the land. Second daughter of the Church?Who is it in the Empire? Is that as good a position as the dukes?Then that''s good enough for you. Have you met him? "One time when I was little. . when we were discussing trade with a church. I see. So you send your wife to the Baudelaires to give them a little trade. It really is a political marriage: ....... That''s unusual. It''s true, you don''t hear of political marriages in the Empire these days. It''s mostly free love. ''''No, no . It''s just that the last forty years or so are crazy, and political marriages were the norm before that, right?It''s just that some brave man-sama has built a duke family that''s okay with free love, and the other nobles have been forced to deal with it, right? I wonder where the brave man is at at all! That brave man must have disliked the rules and customs of the nobility a lot~. Certainly. So, what kind of person is the partner of Frank, who is getting married for political reasons, which is rare these days?Isn''t it great to be the second greatest person in a church country? Yeah, he''s the closest thing to the next Pope. Huh?Is he greater than I thought? Doesn''t that mean you can''t say no anymore, and don''t you feel like a fool for worrying about it? Oh, so I''m related to the Pope. Good for you! I smiled and patted Frank on the back as a way to cheer him up . But ...... made Frank feel even more depressed. ''Yeah, ......'' ...... Sorry about that. Apparently, there''s something about Frank that he''s not comfortable with. Well, it''s just that I''ve only met him once. This is my fault, because I''d be bothered by it too if I were in your shoes. "No, ...... I think you''re too good for me. You should usually be happy about that. Then why?Because you don''t know what kind of person you''re dealing with? It''s not like that: ...... Frank fell silent at Sherry''s further pursuit. As usual, Sherry''s not afraid to speak up. ...... What are you going to do when Frank gets more and more depressed? As I was thinking about this, Leena moved. "Um, ...... Frank, do you mind if I have your ear for a moment? When Leena shyly whispered something to Frank, his eyes widened and he was surprised. ''Why, why?'' It''s okay. She hasn''t talked to anyone but me. She?What did Leena tell Frank? Yeah, right: ...... ''Who is she ......?Maybe, Frank: ...... So, Shelley, you need to be a little more reserved. Well, I want to know, too. "Look, there''s no point in hiding it now, so I''m gonna come clean. I''m in love with someone. I knew it: ....... I can''t think of any other reason. But I don''t see any reason to hide it either. It''s not because you''re ashamed, is it? But who?As far as I know, I haven''t seen Frank talking to any of the girls other than Shelly and Leena. So . I''m the one you hang out with at school and most of the time after school, and I''m the one Frank knows least of all about being a woman. When and how on earth did you find someone to like? That''s because I didn''t want them to find out. Seriously: ...... It was hidden... ....... ''So who is the guy?'' ...... It''s Jos from my class. Jose? ''What?You know what? Josettea Lefebvre. That''s Bert''s sister whom my sister married. Surely we''ll have opportunities to meet as long as we''re both dukes. "Frank talked to Jos?I can''t imagine: ...... Well, I can''t even imagine them talking at all . ''''Even if they''re from the same duke''s family, so they''ve had a lot of contact since they were little, how long have you liked them?'''' It was in the second grade. I started having a letter in my desk every morning. Sophomores?So he''s not even in our class yet. But if it''s a letter, I don''t have to meet him, so of course I don''t know him. "Hi. The love letter was from Jos. Frank wrote back, didn''t he? Yeah, I know. But it''s not the real deal, you know? Back? ''Actually, this correspondence, in the beginning, was only intended to fool Jos''s father''s eyes. To fool Jose''s dad? What are you faking?As a father, you''d rather not have a man in your daughter''s life than have a man in your life, so you''d rather not have to exchange letters with him . ''Yes . Jos was ordered by his father to seduce me. . to make Jos my wife. Oh, there. I didn''t know Jose''s dad was like that. "Well, I know you want to marry your daughter off to the best possible partner ...... but I''m sorry you had to do that ...... I understand that the head of the family has to marry someone from a decent family, but you don''t have to designate even the daughter who doesn''t have the right of inheritance to marry you . ''''Nowadays, in the imperial aristocracy, it''s more commonplace for children to have free love affairs with each other, rather than political marriages where parents decide who to marry, right? Well, yeah. Thanks to some brave man. ''''So the Lefebvre family has a policy of somehow getting their parents'' designated partner to like them. It''s not a good look for the empire right now for parents to designate. I heard that Jose''s brother was also told from a young age to marry Leo''s sister. ''So did Mr. Burt!I was just looking at you like you''re normal and in love with your sister. Is the Lefebvre family that way because of their bravery: ....... Well, both Bert and Jos have been successful in getting the other person to like them, so maybe it''s a good outcome... I''m worried about my married sister''s kids: ...... No, she''ll be fine, I''m sure she''ll be fine . At worst, she''s going to beat up Mr. Burt and Mr. Burt''s dad and get them to admit it. Oh, don''t worry. Jose''s brother really loves Leo''s sister. How did Frank know? Oh, did Jose tell you? But I don''t doubt in the slightest whether Mr. Burt loves her or not . First of all, I don''t think that bratty, strong-willed sister would love someone who''s hitting on her just on orders like that . ''Yes, I do. Jose''s brother had a problem with his parents before he asked Leo''s sister for his hand in marriage. Jose knew his sister wanted to be an adventurer, and he didn''t want to marry her and take her dreams away. So he couldn''t tell her until the last minute of adulthood. What''s that ...... Mr. Burt was more manly than I thought he would be. And I''m surprised that you were thinking of becoming an adventurer. It''s possible, given her personality and strength, but I''m sure Mom would have been pissed at me for professing such a thing. ....... ''Heh . I thought you were a goofball, but that''s the kind of episode you''re hiding. Bert, you had a harder time of it than I thought you would. I''m sorry that I came off as a pussy. Next time I see you, I''d like to apologize to you casually. Helena, it''s so nice to see that your sister loves you so well. Yeah. They looked so happy at the wedding. ''Oh!That''s how I couldn''t go again! Come to think of it, Shelly wasn''t allowed to attend her sister''s wedding because Cliff was supposed to be there. I don''t think Shelly and her sister would have expected to get along so well with each other, so the emperor must have been a disaster. Oh, well. Anyway, let''s get back to Frank. You know how Jos started writing Frank love letters to obey his parents'' orders?So, what did you mean by deception? It''s easy. It''s just a way for me and Jose to show we''re on speaking terms. Couldn''t we just meet and have a normal conversation? It would drive my parents crazy. My parents insisted that I marry someone from their country. So I was warned a long time ago not to even talk to an Imperial woman. It''s not a problem when you''re talking to Leo''s fiance like this, but it''s not a good idea to meet Jos, is it? I see ...... that''s what happens when you come from a complicated family environment with each other. Jose gets pissed off at his parents if he doesn''t get close to Frank. Frank, on the other hand, is pissed off when Jose gets close. And gentle Frank says that he felt sorry for Jos that he was angry with him, so he took a little risk and started correspondence with him: ....... Oh!So that''s it!So that''s why Jos had a letter in Frank''s desk. Why wouldn''t he send it home?But I couldn''t send it to Frank''s house because I didn''t want his parents to find out. I see. ....... "So, in the end . I fell in love with Jos during our correspondence, but when I found out, my parents decided who I wanted to be with. ...... Yes, If you really like him, shouldn''t you be honest with your parents about it? No, if I was allowed to talk to someone, Frank would be an idiot. If he couldn''t, then he''d be stuck here all by himself, wouldn''t he? Even if my parents allowed me to do that, I wouldn''t be able to break my promise to the next Pope with a stone. Right: ....... I feel like beating myself up inexplicably for saying something awful like ''that was good'' to Frank a few minutes ago . '' I know. ....... Leo-kun, do you have any ideas? Yeah, ...... I don''t know. Where''s Herman? No, I''m not a jackass. I''m not particularly good at relationships. I''ve always just picked a guy based on how I feel, without using my brain. Me too ...... I''m fine. Is Bell okay? Wow, is that me? Of course. Do you have a better idea? I have to hear from you two who seem uncomfortable about participating in the discussion. I don''t know what we''re in the same room for. "Uh, uh, ...... It''s kind of hard to say. Now ...... I don''t know what to do. Is it wrong ...... to say that you''re married to both of them? Huh?Don''t tell me Bell can fix this? Tell me more. ''Well, ...... can''t I marry either of you two?In fact, Master Leo has five fiances, and ...... noblemen can have more than one wife, right? If you ask me, I''ll tell you: ...... If you''re the eldest son of a duke, you don''t have to choose between the two. That''s true. "Yeah. That''s a great idea. It''s a great idea. Hold on a second. What can I tell you? If you can come up with a better plan than this one that makes sense to me, I''ll admit it! Now, let''s hear it for all I care!No? Ugh. ...... ''''I mean. It''s normal for a nobleman to have more than one wife, especially if he''s a duke, right?What''s up with the imperial aristocracy these days, aren''t you being influenced too much by the brave men (grandpa)? I know . I''m aware that I was thanking you for being free to fall in love, and now I''m returning your hand because it''s not good for me. But if you don''t, you''re denying yourself! ''Yes, but ...... I feel bad for Jos that he has another wife: ...... d*mn ...... Frank is being poisoned by the brave men too . We''ve got to get him into our camp somehow. Then why don''t you just ask him tomorrow? Did you tell Jos what happened? No, not yet: ...... So that''s part of it. If it''s a rejection, can we just say no to the guy? If you really liked him, you''d understand the situation with Frank and never dump him. You wouldn''t, would you? You can''t divide it that easily: ...... It''s okay. I''m sure Jos will agree with you. You know, Jos really loves you, Mr. Frank. Oh, really?I''ll take Lena''s word for it, okay? Yes!Now you''ll have the friends you thought you couldn''t have! "Kukku. Yeah?I think you should be brave enough to tell them. Instead of regretting not doing it, why don''t we do it and regret it? All right, ......, all I have to do is confess, right? Oh. Yeah. I prepared myself and smiled and patted Frank on the back as he gave me a crisp look. But I never thought that Frank, one of the people who mocked me for being a womanizer, would become a comrade. I can''t stop smiling. 183 CHAPTER V -- THE FEELING OF A GIRLS SIDE: Josetteer. ''From Jos: ...... and now I can give it to you tomorrow . It''s been a long time since I''ve handed you a letter ...... Frank, I hope you''re doing well. I''ll never forgive you for hurting the Philibert family. I will never forgive you. And for the indiscriminate killing of so many children, and most of all, for depriving me of one of my few opportunities. "Gosh, I''m in the sixth grade now. This is the end of this year''s correspondence: ...... Your father will be angry with you if you don''t make any more progress before you graduate from the nobleman''s school . Besides, I''m sure he''ll have you engaged to a man you don''t even know who he is. ....... Maybe it''s a dirty old man. He thinks that''s normal. Even your brother was seriously planning on marrying a replacement. But Mr. Frank has his own family history. ...... I have to marry a church lady, and I can''t be married to Frank. I knew that for a long time. But I can''t give up and keep writing letters. When I think about it, I naturally burst into tears. "Miss. How can I help you with ......? "I''m fine. Everything''s fine. So who''s our guest? Master Leena. Leena?Ah, gentle Leena-san would be going around greeting her good friends as soon as she got back to the dormitory. Leena-san. Well, I''ll get it. ''Already, so it''s enough for me . Shelly, please go back to your room! As I open the door, I hear Leena''s voice at the next door. Unusually, she''s a little hoarse. Did you and Sherry have some kind of fight? That''s unusual. They''ve always been so close. All right. ....... When you''re done, why don''t you come over to my room as soon as you''re done?I''m lonely. All right. I''ll go straight to Sherry''s room when I''m done. So just wait in your room! Yeah ...... It doesn''t look like a fight . They seem to be rather flirting with each other. I knew those two would be close. Oh, I''m sorry! I pushed Sherry into the room and when Leena noticed me, she rushed over to me. ''It''s okay . Did Leena and the others arrive at the dorm today? ''''Yes . Because of Leo-kun''s transition, I stayed in Mladin territory until the last minute. That''s right. Leo-san, you had the transference skill. And Sherry and Leena were in Leo''s territory during the holidays. I''m jealous. It''s more than a week''s wagon ride from my domain. I miss that beautiful view of the ocean, but it''s hard to get home because of the long travel time. That''s tough. I should be more grateful to Leo, after all. Yes. Oh, it''s not a good time to talk here, so why don''t we go inside and have a cup of tea and talk? I wanted to talk to Ms. Leena a little more, so I opened the door and invited her into the room . She said she was going to be back early to Ms. Sherry, and I wondered if she would say no. ''''Well ......, yes. I''ll take you up on your offer. I really wanted to ask you something, Jos. Me?...... Okay . Go ahead. What is it?Did I have to ask you something? Sorry to disturb you, sir. So what were you going to ask me? I walked into my room and sat down across from Leena, and I didn''t want to be bothered by what she was going to ask me, so I quickly got down to business . ''It''s about Frank and Jos. Are you going to resume your correspondence tomorrow? ''What?Ah, yes ...... I intend to do that. A question I wasn''t expecting, and it took me a while to answer it. I didn''t expect you to ask me about it. I had talked to her about it, but she had never asked me about the situation, so I was surprised. I see. What is your opinion of this situation, Jos? Ugh...... today, Leena, you keep asking me questions that are hard to answer . I know . I know that I can''t marry Mr. Frank if you keep this up ....... I know that I can''t marry Mr. Frank. ''There''s an impatience: ....... So let me just ask you this . Do you like Mr. Frank properly and with all your heart, and do you really want to marry him ...... no matter what? ...... I''m not kidding or curious. ...... It''s because Leena''s eyes are so serious. Is this a test for me? No lies or deceptions. I won''t forgive you if you don''t tell me the truth!And Leena''s eyesight is even stronger now. Ugh ...... this is impossible to refuse. As I explained to Leena before, it was your father''s orders to ...... begin with. I had to marry Frank for the house ...... and. So I tried to get along somehow, but we were in different classes ...... at the time, and I didn''t have the courage to go out of my way to see him. Then I came up with the idea of writing letters. At first, I sent the letter without meeting Frank, hoping that he would get to know me at ....... I didn''t want a reply. And then, the next day after I sent the letter, the letter arrived to me. I can''t tell you how pleased I was when I saw Frank''s beautiful handwriting: ....... However, I couldn''t be happy because all I could read was an apology. Mr. Frank was really apologetic, explaining the situation at home in detail. Seeing that, my heart was very tight. My parents ordered me to send a letter, and I was just feeling light-hearted about it. ...... I was really sorry that Frank was really apologizing because he thought he was going to hurt me. I hurriedly wrote a letter of apology . I wrote all the things my parents ordered me to do and apologized for cheating them. I apologized. Then, I received a reply from Frank immediately. I wrote: ...... We both have family matters to deal with, so can''t we just end up apologizing to each other?It was . Then the letter ended with ...... Can we continue to exchange letters?It was . Mr. Frank suggested that we continue to write to each other, even though he might be offended. I love that kindness in him. I fell in love with him from that moment on, regardless of my parents or anything else. I was supposed to get her to fall in love with me, but she returned the favor: ...... "I''m so relieved you''re feeling that much. I''m so glad you feel that way. We''re supporting your friendship, Mr. Jose and Frank. "We? We''ll deal with it another time. I''ll see you in the morning for your letter? Yes. . in the middle of nowhere. More importantly, what''s the answer to the question? Oh, I''m curious. "Oh, yeah? ...... Okay. I''ll let him know. What? Tell who? Oh, don''t worry about it. It''s just a misunderstanding. ''I see. ......'' Ugh ...... Leena is hiding something. I can''t sleep tonight because I''m worried about this. I''ll have to get up early tomorrow. ....... Okay, I have to wait for Sherry, so I''ll leave you guys. I''ll talk to you later?Oh, I''m so happy right now. I''d appreciate it if you could remember this much. ''What?Ha, yes ...... I get it. It''s true that ...... Leena seems happy, but ...... do you need to say that now? Sure enough, I was too worried about the truth of Leena''s words that night to fall asleep easily . 184 CHAPTER VI -- THE HAPPY OF THE TWO SIDE: Josetteer. On the first day of school resumption, I woke up early for the first time in a long time to get the letter into Mr. Frank''s desk without being found by anyone and headed to class. This was my habit a while ago: ...... I''m very sleepy today for the first time in a long time. There''s no one else here today, is there ......? I always mutter that before entering the classroom. In the beginning I was afraid of what people would think of me, but now I don''t worry about it at all with just words. After the dormitory life, everyone comes to class just in time. No one comes to class this early. It''s supposed to be: ...... Why is that?There are two of them. "Well, uh, ...... good morning. As I froze, one of the duo came up to me, as if they had been waiting for me . ''Oh, good morning ...... Mr. Frank . And ...... Mr. Leo. Good morning. I''ll be gone soon, so don''t worry about it. Gone?What does that mean? "...... I''m sorry to scare you. There''s still some time before class starts, so ...... can we talk about this in private for a moment? A story?It''s okay, though: ...... Is Mr. Frank okay?Wouldn''t it be tasteless if they saw us talking together? Oh, no. That''s not what this is about. That''s right ...... and that''s it. ...... Great. Leo, please. As I was grieving alone, Frank looked back as if he was ready. Then Leo, smiling a little, came over to us. Okay. Jos, just give me a little help. What? Leo held out his hand to me, holding Frank''s, and I scowled. What are we going to do now? I''m fine. I just need a change of scenery. When Leo-san said that and took my confused hand, the scenery around me changed in an instant. What is this?Besides, is that now ...... a transition? Nobody can come in here and eavesdrop on us. Frank, call me when you''re done. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, that''s fine. So, good luck with that! Huh?...... What! I can''t understand the situation. What''s my situation now? Frank and Leo were in a classroom that was supposed to be empty ...... and suddenly they were brought somewhere and Leo disappeared somewhere ...... and it was just me and Frank in the room. I''m sorry . I know you''re confused. ''Yes, yes ......'' I nodded shyly at Frank''s question. I can''t be so calm. Well, ...... we''ve never talked like this before, have we? ...... Yes. Certainly, I''ve never spoken to you outside of a greeting before. I couldn''t do that, so I wrote to you. It''s really funny, isn''t it, that we''ve been writing for so long? It''s no use, ......, we''ve both had our moments. "Circumstances or ...... If it weren''t for the circumstances ...... I agree . If it really weren''t for the circumstances ....... ''Oh ...... no. You don''t want to talk about that, do you? ''What?What? Oh, no. Yeah. Yeah. Come over here for a second. It''s so cool out here. When I couldn''t hear him, Frank pointed outside as if in a panic. ''Yes, yes ...... what?This is ...... a very busy city. It''s not ...... an imperial city with this many people, and it''s not an imperial city. Frank told me to look in the window and I saw a strange city below. I''ve never seen a city with that many people coming and going before. Even in the imperial city so far: ...... Where have we been brought to? This is Leo''s town. I see. ...... That makes sense. It''s so much easier for your father to get his head around the transfer of his people to Mladin territory now.'''' A city that is considered the center of the world. I''ve never seen it before, but I didn''t know it was this great. So much for this, I suppose it''s no wonder people are moving out of our house. Oh, and the Lefebvre family?My parents were pissed off that the merchants were dwindling. Really, it''s awesome: ...... you''re our age and you''re running this town and expanding even more. ''Yes. ....... It''s very hard to believe that we are classmates. ''I know, ...... I''ve been watching him up close and personal for a long time, and that guy is really awesome.'' Frank was somewhat proud and ...... happy when he said that. Frank, you often write about Leo in your letters, don''t you? It was actually a lot of fun to read them. Most importantly, Frank seemed to be having fun writing it. I was just happy to hear that . Oh, that''s right: ...... You won''t be able to read that anymore either. ''Really?Well, there were a lot of times when I got caught up in the most ridiculous things . When they took me to the dungeon, I really felt like I was in danger. It''s from your last letter, isn''t it? The last ...... that was so ......, then the explosion happened after that, and the letter exchange was cut off. Yes ...... I couldn''t hold back the sad face. My smile faltered and I slumped down. ''''Really, the Philibert family went too far. Betraying your country is the worst thing you can do as a nobleman. Yes. ...... If it hadn''t been for that, I''d have been able to send Mr. Frank a few more letters. Yeah. It was Leo that got us out of there, too. It''s that wall. I know. Even though I was so close to the explosion, I''m still alive because of Leo''s protection by the wall. Even though I was dying ....... "The Philibert family was also killed by a bomb ...... and the man who made that bomb is now helping the kingdom to fight a war against the Empire. Really, I''m sick of wanting to do it back, but I can''t. War: ...... I''m very worried. A lot of people died in the bombing, and now ...... many more people are going to die. It''s going to be okay. That''s okay." "That''s okay. Leo will win. That guy''s really great. He''s always ahead of everybody else. I just can''t keep going down a thorny road with no rails and no roads like he did. Yes, ...... we tend to focus on Leo''s accomplishments and his rise to prominence, but he''s really struggling, isn''t he? There was a time when I envied you for living a life that wasn''t tied to your parents, but if you think about it, Leo has experienced a lot of hardship for that. All I did was complain and go along with the rails they laid for me. I don''t have the courage to go off the rails and I have no right to envy you. "Mm-hmm. Actually, I loved watching Leo, Frank and Hermann interact at school. When I see you three having a good time, it makes me happy. I was so happy just watching the three of them having a good conversation in the front seat. I am very happy to think that we will be able to see that again from today. It''s a little sad to think that we will only be able to see it for one more year. ...... I''m a little sad to think that I''ll only be able to see it for one more year: ...... Yes. I''ve been watching you, Mr. Frank, all along. Huffing and puffing, I decided to step out . I didn''t come here to make small talk. ...... Let me cut to the chase. "I love you with all my heart, Mr. Frank. What? "I love you, Frank, regardless of your parents. I just want you to know that. Even if this is the last time we ever write to each other today: ...... Yeah. So if you end up here today, Mr. Frank, I just want you to know how I feel about you. If you ever get married to a church girl, if you ever get married to someone I don''t know, I want you to know that. I really like you, Mr. Frank. Well, ...... I''ve got a lot to answer for you. But first, let me just check one thing: ...... What do you mean by the end of the letter exchange? ''What?Isn''t it?We can''t write to each other anymore. It was just the two of us to tell you that, wasn''t it? What do you mean then? ''No. ....... Yeah . You''re right. If you don''t tell them, they won''t know anything. Instead of regretting not telling them, tell them and regret it. ....... That''s right. I whispered to myself, and Mr. Frank looked at me with powerful eyes as if he had made up his mind . ''Now, I''m going to tell you a little bit of a painful story ......, will you bear with me for a moment and listen to me?'' "...... Yes. I''m fine. I have no idea what the story is about, but I''m ready to go ....... ''I''m actually going to be engaged to the daughter of the next Pope. "Oh, oh, oh, ...... that''s right, ...... oh, congratulations. I was prepared for it, but the reality of the situation didn''t make the words come out quickly enough for me . The fact that Mr. Frank would be engaged ...... to someone who was no match for me ...... was so shocking that my knees dropped to their knees Shit. Hold on. I need you to listen to me more. Is there anything else?I don''t want to hear anything else! When I couldn''t stand it anymore, I covered my ears with my hands and winced . I was ready for it. ...... I was going to look like I was going to be fine no matter what he said. ''Jos. . look up. My hand was gently wrapped in a warm hand as I shook my face in an inky way . A little startled, I looked up and met eyes with Frank who crouched down ...... . ''I love Jos with all my heart, too . I enjoyed reading Jos''s letters and I enjoyed thinking about the contents of his letters in my life. Through your letters, I could feel your honesty and kindness. I found myself falling in love with you. ...... ''Oh, no, no. ...... Don''t embarrass me by saying that ...... It makes me even sadder, doesn''t it? If it was a one-sided love, you could have just given up. ....... I''m sorry. I can''t go against my parents'' decision. If I refuse, it will divide the Baudelaire family completely. It''s something I have to do to avoid. I don''t want Baudelaire to become a second Philibert. "I know. We''re noblemen. We also have a responsibility commensurate with our privilege: ...... I know, I know. But, but ....... I couldn''t take it anymore, so I hugged Mr. Frank and cried. It''s the first and last time I''ll ever be able to indulge you like this. That thought brings more tears to my eyes. I''m sorry. But can you still look at me and listen to me just a little bit longer? With that said, I rubbed my eyes to stop the tears and looked at Frank with eyes that would have been bright red . ''I''ve given up. ...... My best friend won''t let me do that . I know . Maybe I''ll take the thorny path too. What? "Jose, will you marry me? I can''t do that. ....... No, you can''t do that. ...... Mr. Frank has a home. I''ve been waiting for that word for a long time ...... I''ve been waiting for ...... for a long time, but I can''t . I want to spoil you so badly...... I want to spoil you so badly. But it''s definitely not a good idea to think about Mr. Frank . ''It''s okay. I''ll take care of the house, I''ll take care of it. ''What about your marriage to the next Pope''s daughter?You''re not going to say no, are you? Yeah, I''ll say no. I don''t know if you''ll forgive me, but I''ll go apologize in person. Well, that''s not something to apologize for ....... It''s a big problem. Maybe the relationship with the Church State will deteriorate . Even with the war with the Kingdom coming up: ....... The truth is. I was going to use this opportunity today to ask Jos to be my friend. I talked to Leo and the others yesterday and they told me to do it. Oh, no. ...... So, Leo was there earlier: ....... Oh, and I see what it means that Leena came to my room yesterday . Leena ...... right. ''But then I just couldn''t understand it. I didn''t like it ...... because I felt like Jos was just going to be along for the ride. And I feel like if I was to be swayed by this opinion here, I would regret it forever. That''s why I''ve decided to marry Jos! I hate ....... Staring into Mr. Frank''s eyes, I refused. ''What?'' ''No!I can''t believe Mr. Frank is the only one who has to suffer through this!Let me be a thorn in the side!Isn''t that what married couples are all about! What? "No, I''m fine with the side room. If you ask me if I''m unhappy in the side room, I don''t think so. Because at least Leena seems very happy! That''s right!Leena, you always seem to be having a great time living with Leo, Sherry and your other wives! I can''t deny you such happiness, Leena! ...... I guess my feelings were understood, and Frank-san huffed and fell silent . ''The thorny path is a little easier if we walk it together. Or wouldn''t Mr. Frank love me if I were a side room? Not really. Okay. Mr. Frank, we look forward to working with you for many years to come. "...... Okay, I get it. You''re right. If you think about it, it''s not like Leo is walking this thorny path alone. He''s got the support of those wives. That''s right. And you don''t have to do it all by yourself, Frank. ''Yeah, that''s right: ...... Yeah, that''s right: ....... Oh ...... no more. Nodding, Frank''s eyes began to fill with tears ...... and he couldn''t stand it anymore, so he hugged me and began to cry. I''m not sure what to do. Please don''t cry. I''m finally starting to calm down ...... already. I finally stopped crying: ....... I hugged Mr. Frank and started to cry again. "I''m sorry. You''re going to have to take care of the thorny stuff from now on. I''ll take care of it. And Mr. Frank, if you get tired of me, don''t throw me away, okay? I''ll never get tired of it, and I''ll never throw it away, so it''s okay. I''m going to believe you. Sir. Well, you''re not ready yet. ...... Hmmm . Sir, ...... sounds very good . It''s a little better. It''s my dream. ''Do I call you sir?Well, okay, but ...... Hmm. So I''ll only call you that when we''re alone. "Wow, okay. ...... Yes!Permission granted. I''m looking forward to being alone with you. I know it''s a great place to start, but ...... is the time limit. Oh, my God! Suddenly I heard a woman''s voice that wasn''t mine up close, and the husband and I were startled by a loud voice. I''m sure you''ll be able to find the best way to get the most out of this article. I''m sorry to surprise you. But it sucks not to be in class for the first time in a long time, doesn''t it? ''Okay. ...... Sir, we''ll continue after school.'' Ugh...... I wish I could take a break from class and do this all day long......! But it''s not a good idea to miss class. I desperately wanted to get away from him. He only calls you that when it''s just you and me: ...... Thank you, Leena, for yesterday. You have given me a lot of courage. I bowed my head to Leena, who was next to me, as I listened to Frank''s appeal. If it hadn''t been for Leena''s words, I would have regretted it for a long time. If I had taken the master''s suggestion, my apologies to him would have outweighed my happiness. You would not have been very happy with that kind of feeling. No, no. I''m very happy that your wish has come true too, Jos. Can you tell me a story later? Of course! I''ve always heard sweet things about you, Leena. I had to reciprocate. Your husband is sulking because you ignored him. And I''m seriously late, so we can talk later. ''Yes, sir!Oh, sir, I''m sorry for ignoring you. I apologize for my husband''s sulky face, thinking he was cute inside. I''m very happy to see this kind of face from now on: ...... I''m very happy. That''s why ...... "Hmm. Just kidding. Sir. Oh, I''ve gotten into the habit . I was going to call him Mr. Frank, and I held my mouth when the word "sir" came out of my mouth. Maybe I''ll call you at school: ....... You''re hot. ...... I kind of want to call Leo-kun Master too: ...... I don''t mind, but you can call Leena anywhere you want. ''Really?So long. ...... Gohon. I thought you were going to be late? Seeing that the two people who had been telling them to hurry up earlier started making out, Danna...... Frank coughed and warned them. Oh, it''s now safe to watch these two interact up close and personal from now on: ....... Really, it was the right thing to do to keep writing letters. I don''t know how many times I thought about quitting, but I''m glad I kept going and didn''t ...... give up. Oh, by the way, I didn''t give you today''s letter. ''Sir. Here''s today''s letter. ''Oh, yeah ...... I''ll call you as soon as I get home and let you write me back.'' I''ll look forward to it. I''ll look forward to it. Ahhhhh. I''m already looking forward to tomorrow. 185 CHAPTER VII Dukes Conference 1 It''s been about six months since Frank and Jos got engaged, and I''ve turned thirteen. I haven''t had any major problems during this half year, if I want to say anything, it''s only that my parents approved of my engagement to Frank and Jos. As for the rest, I''ve been taking more classes than usual to make up for the time I missed during my absence. The territory is also developing steadily. But I still don''t have enough money to redevelop the former Philibert Domain. The war is three years away. Will they even be able to afford the Philibert lands? Well, let''s change the subject to today, because today is actually a school holiday. This is a period of preparation for school. It''s a period for you to practice your magic and prepare for the entrance exam. Well, it''s just a long holiday for us S-class students since we''re exempt from the test. Besides, I''m not planning to go to witchcraft school. "What?Do you want to go to magic school? Yes. It''s the first day of my exam break, so I''ve been telling everyone gathered in my room since midday that I''m not going to school. Naturally they looked surprised. "May I ask why: ......? ''There won''t be much I can learn, and it''s hard to take time away from my classes when we''re getting busy with the war ahead. Honestly, considering that we''ll be using the former Philibert territory as a base of operations for the war over the next three years, it should be incomparably busier than ever before . It''s not very much, but I can''t spend time on classes that are not very educational. I see. ...... It''s true that there''s not much that Leo can learn at the magic school. ...... Frank was the first one to understand. I knew Frank would understand. Right?So I guess my last education was from an aristocratic primary school. Now, the reaction of Shelly and Leena in question is ....... ''Then I won''t be going to wizarding school either. What? Shelly''s unexpected comment made everyone dizzy. ''Because I wouldn''t have learned anything either, would I?And I can''t think of any teacher who is better at handling magic than Mr. Damien. That''s right, no one is better at magic than your uncle: ....... I feel bad for the teacher at the magic school comparing him to your uncle. ''''Yes, but ....... Can the emperor forgive me? We''ll figure it out. Yeah. I''ll make it work. Okay, me too!I don''t think there''s a teacher more adept at using holy magic than my grandmother. ''Seriously, ......, I think you should go to school, don''t you? We''re both young, and I think we should both still be enjoying our youth . ''That''s what Leo says?It''s okay . We''re just going to be Leo''s wife anyway, and there''s no need for a wizarding school graduate''s title. ''Yes, but ......'' That''s true, but ...... don''t bother trying to accommodate me. Master ...... me too. We knew you wouldn''t go. Because there''s no point in you going to school with just a sword. Oh, sure. ''Of course Frank and Jos are going, right?'' Of course. My parents shut up about it. Yes. I don''t want to do anything so hurriedly. That''s the way it usually goes. Then I guess I won''t be seeing Frank and his friends for a while. It''s okay. I''ll send you a letter. You''re good at writing letters. Shut up. I joked about it and Frank got mad at me and gave me a decapitation. You see and talk to each other every day and you still correspond, so you''re really in love with each other. Yeah, we are. Will you two be over here until graduation?You''re not busy anyway, right?You wouldn''t be able to talk in a room like this without me. Are you sure?You''re busy, aren''t you? No problem. I might need your help with something. I''ll get you to hang out with the kids at the orphanage. I''m sure the little ones need a new playmate from time to time. Oh, I just remembered from work. Next month, I heard that the knights are holding a battle for the best of the best, and I was asked to be the recovering officer for the battle, and I was wondering if you could help me with that, Jos-san? Hey, you said there was gonna be a party. Of course I''m invited. It''ll be interesting to see how far they''ve progressed. Sure. I''ll work as hard as I can to get a place to stay. Okay. All right, I''ll be over there tomorrow, so just be ready to go. Yes? So, today is dismissed! I had to work in the afternoon. I''ll drop everyone off and then Hermann, we''re going to work. Yes! Hmm?Herman too?What do you do? A meeting. Today is the annual dukes'' meeting. Herman is the knight in shining armor. It''s customary to have a bodyguard and a civil servant at such a prestigious gathering, so I''ve decided to take Hermann and Miss Freya with me. The details of the territory are left to Miss Flare, so I''m grateful for her presence. You haven''t even been made duke yet and you''ve been summoned? Well, this time they want to talk about the war in three years. They can''t make a decision without me in the room. The Tripartite Conference is held in Mladin territory, and it will be an important stronghold in the war. Indeed. That''s a lot of work: ...... I''m used to it. Then I sent Sherry and the others to the girls'' dormitory, and once she and Hermann came to Mladin territory . ''''Ah, they''re finally here~~'''' Oh, and by the way, I had to take Valls with me: ....... Even though you know the most information about the other side, I''m not sure I''m going to let you explain in this tone of voice. Sorry to keep you waiting. Don''t worry~~~. I''m just too quick to do it~~~ Yeah. I''m starting to get worried after all. I think I''ll think of a replacement now: ....... "Herman, go put on your knight''s outfit. I''ll be in my formal wear. I understand! Valls, go get Miss Flair. "Yes, sir~ After that, I finished changing and met up with Flair-san and transitioned to my home in Teito . "There''s no need to go all the way through the carriage~~. Leo-sama would be able to enter the castle in an instant~~ These things are supposed to be done right in the carriage. "I see~~. That''s rude~~~ ...... I''m more concerned about your tone of voice, whether it will upset the Emperor and the other dukes. We''ve arrived. We''ll be the first to arrive. It looks like~~~. We''re right on schedule~~~ Do I have to be the youngest one to come first for these things? So, I came early . But we came a little too early. ....... Then we had to wait for about 30 minutes. The first ones to arrive were Frank and Jos''s father. The heads of the Lefebvre and Baudelaire families. With a knight and a civil servant behind them, the room suddenly became densely populated. Hey, good to see you. My son is indebted to you. It''s my pleasure. You''ve been very helpful. Really?You helped me with my engagement, too. Next time I''ll do something for you in return. You said you were explaining why I was helping you. Well, it''s not like I did anything wrong. I''m the one who should thank you. I had given up on marrying you, Frank. Well, we have a rule. Besides, taking a side room isn''t valued very highly these days. So that''s the way it is with the nobility. It''s all Grandpa''s fault. Well, you busted that custom, too. ''Surely no one can blame the heroes for having four side-chambers. What? Heroic: ...... And I''m not happy about the compliment. So I''ll take that as a compliment. Well, let''s talk about the details in private. At the meeting?What, are you going to support me in a war-related way? I understand. Oh, they''re already here? When I got a word with the master of Baudelaire and Lefebvre, my father arrived as if he was waiting for me. He has two knights and a civilian with him. We''ve just arrived. Yeah. That''s good. So you''re Hermann. You take care of Leo. Yes, sir. Dad put out his hand and Hermann shook it shyly. "Helena tells me you''re very strong. She''s very strong, isn''t she?Why don''t you come over to my place if you want?I''ll give you a higher salary than Leo~ Hey, Just kidding. We have Lars. No problem. Then he clapped the knight behind him on the shoulder. That''s Hermann''s father, for your information. The right-hand man of House Forster, the famed House Caroon. The right-hand man of the Forster family, the famous Karoon family. Well, it was Leo who made it stronger. Nurturing yourself is a different thing to do. ''Well, he''s a man who builds schools because he''s short-staffed. "Yeah. I forgot. I wanted to talk to you about it today. Will you admit three of my countrymen to that school every year?You know, I won''t say free of charge, but we''ll cover our share of the school''s operating expenses. Ten percent!Ten percent for just three people? ''''Okay, but ...... on the contrary, are you sure you want the three of us to get ten percent out of it alone?'''' What. I can learn non-attribute magic for cheap. Besides, we''re a bit short on civilians. Oh, you went for non-attribute magic. Anyway. It''s not like we''re trying to keep it secret. The war chest is more important right now. I see. Okay, that''s fine. We''ll talk later. Yes, sir. "Wait. I''d like to be a part of this. I''d like to have the same offer. Yes, sir. The Baudelaires and the Lefebvre will make 20 percent of the money together, which is a lot of money. Well, this is not a bad deal for both of us. 186 CHAPTER VIII Dukes Conference 2 We will now have our regular annual meeting of the Dukes. Now, the main topic of discussion will be the division of labour between the houses of the war effort in three years'' time. The chairperson will be Diorc Forster. When the Emperor arrived and took his seat, the meeting began with my father''s words. Then, Your Majesty, you may begin. "Gentlemen, thank you for traveling all the way. As I have informed you beforehand, the main topic of this meeting is a request for specific support for the war effort: ...... But before we do that, let me brief you on the operations of the war. Operation?Why not just defend it on the western border? Sure, a detailed strategy may be necessary, but is there any strategy that you want to talk about here for a simple defensive battle? Well,...... the best thing to do is to hold off the kingdom at its western border. However, it is unlikely that we will be able to repair the destroyed walls ...... in time to make it a defensive base in three years. Moreover, there is no food stockpile in the former Philibert territory. Under these circumstances, fighting on the border isn''t good for us. I see. ...... Indeed, it''s quite costly to transport food to the border area ...... That''s right. The shortest domain is mine. There''s not enough food in Philibert to spare. So you''ll have to go to ....... "Luring the realm''s soldiers into Mladin territory? Jos''s father asked the emperor for me. Maybe the emperor wants to use Myrddin''s lands as a defense position. He''s right. I believe that if the realm were to invade, the lowest objective would be Mladin. Taking the desolate old Philibert lands would be a waste to the kingdom. Surely, they''ll fall for the offer. I didn''t expect the trolling I did here at ...... to take effect. What kind of future would have awaited me if I had turned away the kingdom soldiers with different hands? "And this invitation has something else in mind. We can wear out the kingdom''s soldiers by transporting them to Mladin territory. We''ll keep them on their toes by launching several ambushes along the way. If we can exhaust the enemy''s food supply before Mladin territory, we''ll be fine. Well, I guess so. It''s just a long and exhausting expedition. If we don''t give them time to rest, we''ll have a lot of people dropping out. If we can do this successfully, we won''t have to force our opponent into a protracted battle. I see. ...... So we''ll have to have a surprise force as well. ''About that, I think I''ll leave that to Leo. My transference skills couldn''t be more effective in a surprise attack. Whoa, it''s me. Well, I guess that''s not so bad if you have a transition. If you want, we can create a monster and have it attack us. I see. ...... But wouldn''t that be a burden on Lord Leons? Don''t worry, it''ll only take a little magic. I''d like to leave the surprise operation to Leo, who will cover the area within four days'' walk of Myrddin''s territory, and let the rest of the house handle it. I''m fine, though: ....... Well, it''s not a good idea to not have a commander in the defense base just before a collision. Then that job is mine. Then that job will be taken care of by House Forster, who can afford it. Yeah. Well, then, the Forsters can help. Next, I''d like to leave the supply force for a long war in the hands of House Baudelaire, which is relatively close to Myrddin territory. I don''t want to turn this into a long war, but I''ll be ready for it, too. From what I''ve seen of the kingdom, you''re a really good leader. Yes, sir. And we can bring our own supplies as well. Hmm?You know what the equivalent of supplies in war is, right? Are you sure? "Yes, sir. I am in debt to Lord Leonce. No, no. I didn''t do anything. That''s, uh, thanks to Frank. Yeah. All right. Finally, the remaining Lefebvre family would like to ask for a supply route. Supply routes?Yeah, to keep us from being targeted in the war. Hmm?If that''s the case, you can go to ....... ''I''m sorry. I beg your pardon for the remark. I don''t mind. About the supplies. I was wondering if it would be okay if I brought them in myself. As soon as I get my bag and the transference, it''ll be over. We don''t have to risk anything. "No, I''ve thought about it, but the commander can''t leave the field of battle. Maybe there will come a time when Leo is stuck in command. War is unpredictable, so we have to do something inefficient but certain. I guess that''s true. You have to realize that I''m the boss this time. ''I see that''s what you mean: ...... Sorry about that. Don''t worry about it. So, is the Lefebvre family okay? ''''Yes, sir. That''s right: ...... Please leave it to us to request cooperation from neighboring nobles who might be able to use it as a supply base and to build a base. I appreciate that, but wouldn''t it be a burden to do so ......? Don''t worry, Mr. Baudelaire. I just want to pay my debts, just like the Baudelaires. So I''m not doing much of anything: ....... ''Right. . I asked each of you to do the preparations. "Which brings us to the next item on the agenda. I need you to tell me the current condition of the kingdom. You infiltrated the kingdom until half a month ago, Ser Vals, can you do that? It''s finally here: ....... Please, please don''t make the emperors as uncomfortable as possible, okay? "Yes, sir. First, the kingdom is focusing on siege weapons. The idea is to make a quick hole in the wall and storm inside. Hmm?Who are you? I turned around in surprise, and sure enough, it was Vals speaking seriously. This guy can even talk in a normal way: ....... "What kind of siege weapons? ''''I''ve invented a big magic gun that is capable of releasing advanced magic called a magic cannon. However, the amount of magic required is so great that if he had accumulated magic power for the next three years, he would only be able to fire five shots. I''ve recently confirmed that the Demon Cannon that Master was talking about is incredibly fuel-efficient. Even so, its power to drill a hole in the city wall with a single shot is terrifying. ''''Well, if you''re ......, we can let it run out near the border. Yeah. That''d be nice. If you''re going to lure me in originally, I''d appreciate it if you could use a few rounds of light resistance. Sure. Well, I''ll take care of that on my own. I can think of no one better to do this than me. "Just the Mirdines?Wouldn''t that be reckless? No, it was me. I''ll let the cannon run out on my own. If you want, you could reduce the number of enemies there as well. No, that''s not a good idea: ...... I''ll be fine. I have a soldier in the golem that won''t die. Now, let''s stock up on Red Golem for the next three years. The materials are fine. The dragons were overharvested last time. "I see. ...... Okay. The Empire will pay for it. Yes, sir. But you won''t get it. It would bankrupt the empire to pay for so much dragon stuff. And what do you want to tell me about the brave men? Yes, sir. Currently, our brave men are getting stronger and stronger. That''s right. ...... In three years, he''ll be on par with Damien-dono. ''I see. ...... So why don''t you fight Leo then?No, it''s not a good idea for a commander to be on the front lines. It''s all right. My knights can be as strong as my uncle''s in three years. And there''s no need to fight him one-on-one. I''ve been training in hell, every day. Three years and Hermann and his men can fight. I turned to look at Hermann diagonally behind me. Hermann was a little surprised, but he nodded vigorously. "I see. And what about the succession issue? Ah, that topic: ....... I should have talked about this alone with the Emperor first. Princess Elemenane is almost certain to do so. Eighteen months from now, on her eighteenth birthday, she''ll be having a big wedding with a hero. ''''I see ...... then we need to send the royal family ...... Sherry as an emissary. Quite simply, I can''t say no before war breaks out. Yes, that''s right: ....... Kingdom, you definitely let them get married at this time on purpose . Is it just harassment or is there some kind of agenda ......?As expected, even Barth didn''t seem to understand that much. If that''s the case, would it be best to ...... have Lord Leons accompany you as an escort?If something were to happen, you''ll be able to come back soon after the transfer. However, there is a possibility that it could interfere with the preparations for war in Myrddin territory. ...... It''s okay. I''ll make it work. I can think of no one better to do it than me: ...... I can''t leave Sherry to anyone else. I''d have to go out of my way to go with her here. ....... I see. I''m sorry to put you through the ringer. No, I hope you don''t mind. So you get a chance to find out what kind of guy he is. And there''s a lot more I can do if I go in person. My gerbil ...... doesn''t seem to be attached to Varus for some reason. "In fact, the kingdom will want to make sure Master Leons is as strong as they say he is before the war. I''d say they''re wondering if Master Leons is as strong as they say he is. As much as I care about the brave men, the kingdom cares about me: ....... ''''I knew it. It''s no use. I can''t help but feel the kingdom made me do it. I''ll leave it up to Leo to decide whether to intimidate the kingdom with a show of force or to hide his power and let them down on their guard. Yes, sir. I think right now we should just go with "no plan". We''ll think about it when we get there. "So that''s the end of our war talk. Next, let''s talk about the Empire''s budget: ...... And then I sat out the discussion and listened to what the other four had to say. As expected, there was nothing I could say about the country''s budget. Just then, it was decided that thirty percent of the empire''s budget for the next three years would be used to support the Myrddin territory. It might seem like too much, but I''m grateful. 187 CHAPTER IX GROWTH SIDE: Kite. It''s been almost a year since the battle. I''ve just turned 17, and there are only three years left until the war. It sounds strange to say it myself, but Hlne and I are lovey-dovey. It seems that nobles and royalty in this country get married in their teens, so it''s time to propose to them: ....... The important thing is that your abilities are getting stronger and stronger. My electric magic has risen to level 5, and at this rate, I think it''s safe to call myself the world''s fastest. Well, I won''t call myself that until after I beat Aaron-san. ....... ''''Well then, let''s call it the last matchup. We''re done with our training today and it''s time for one last test. In these two years, I''ve never won a fight. Today is the day I fight, every day. Please. Yes! As soon as it started, he attacked Aaron with all his electric magic. Of course, you can dodge the first move. But that''s okay. It''ll maintain its speed and change direction at a right angle. But even Aaron can''t get around at this range. This took you a long time to get this right. I''m not ready! I thought it was a done deal, but he kicked me right in the side. d*mn ...... not yet! Roll a few times and get up quickly. Don''t let up until you hit him this time. That''s what I told myself, and I attacked Mr. Aaron. I kept changing directions every time I got evaded. d*mn it, ......, it''s not hitting. They''re all being read. If they don''t, they''ll go to ...... as usual. What do we do now?Blowing static electricity? Where?If you hit it, will Aaron show us an opening ......? ...... That''s right! Fuki: "...... For the first time, my sword was touching Mr. Aaron. The plan I came up with was to shoot static electricity into Aaron''s eyes. Even static electricity is scary in the eyes, right? So, Aaron-san dodged it well. As expected of Aaron-san, if he made an evasive motion, he wouldn''t be able to evade my sword in time and I would win. Well, well. This day has come at last. I''m both happy and a little sad. No, I wouldn''t have gotten this far without you, Aaron. Thank you for everything you''ve done. I just want to say thank you so much for the past two years. I never thought I''d see the day I''d win: ....... Oops. I need you to be stronger. From now on, I''ll have to continue to fight with myself. ''Yeah, I think I''ll take on the ...... dungeon or something. It''s time to . I need to level up: ....... Even if the technology is improved, it''s still no match for you if you''re pushed around by your status . I think that''s a good idea. If you are able to clear even one dungeon, you will get a skill and that will be a very big help. Skills or ....... Is it so awesome that just one thing is enough to change the battlefield? Then you might want to aim for one or more of them. I think so. After all, that place has more than one skill set. What? I was surprised to hear an unfamiliar low voice and turned around to see an old man I had never seen before standing there . It''s nice to meet you. It''s always nice to meet you," he said. Grandchildren ......? Whose grandfather is that? Former King Filth. When I was at a loss to respond, Aaron overheard me. Former King Filth: ...... Eh! ''Oh, oh!I''m sorry! I hurriedly put my head down. "It''s no big deal. We''re not usually at the palace. It''s understandable. Still, you beat Aaron. You look like a man who''s grown up. Thank you. Oh, that''s a compliment. You can''t imagine the dignity of that king: ....... Why did he abdicate?I think I''m still physically fit, though, right? "Don''t get me wrong. I didn''t mean it as a compliment. At that level, you''ll be dead before you reach the enemy general in the war. After all, Leons has 30 men under his command that are as strong as Aaron. What? Thirty Mr. Aaron, the most powerful man in the kingdom, thirty of them? And leons are marquises, right?If you think about the entire empire: ....... I shuddered at the fact that it was too much. It''s a good thing I arranged it,...... but the kingdom is still full of nonsense. Do you really think the kingdom can beat the empire?Did I say Mr. Kite?How do you understand the forces of the Empire? The former hero''s family is growing in power: ...... Come to think of it, I know very little about the Empire: ....... I guess I can''t make an excuse that all I cared about was getting stronger . You''re right, I was a bit of a noob. "That''s a lot of information to take in. You must follow in my foolish son''s footsteps. You can''t just hold the sword. Unlike the idiot son, you''re supposed to rule the land. S-Sorry. ...... That''s right: ...... I''m going to marry Elaine and become the king. I didn''t realize that. I didn''t have time to poke fun at the king. That''s okay. I like to look out on the wasteland. And if you want to wreak more havoc, fine. ...... This would be ironic: ...... d*mn, I can''t say anything back . I should have studied harder. "Don''t worry. I''m here. It''s my job to use my brain. Isn''t that right?I''ll be fine. Please, grandfather, enjoy the rest of your life without worrying about your country. ...... Elaine. You''re ...... indescribably different. You seem to have the wits about you ....... Oh well. The wedding is on your next birthday. When Elaine appeared, Filth-sama''s face clouded up a bit . Well, it quickly returned to its original mean face. ''''Huh?'''' And I will not die until I see what happens to this country. Bye. While Hlne was scowling, Master Fils walked out of the room . ''I just said what I wanted to say and went away ...... I didn''t say anything back to you. Really, it made me realize how stupid I am. Happens all the time. I''m no good at knowing what you''re thinking. ''''Master Filth is a very intelligent man, and the defeat of the ...... demon king was such a success because of the way Master Filth worked and held the world together. He was such a great guy: ....... He was the opposite of that son. He just has a personality that is looking for turmoil: ...... "Looking for trouble? You don''t seem like the kind of person who helped defeat the demon king. "Yes, sir. Yes. He is a man who sees peace as ordinary, who delights in a world in turmoil and strife. The current disagreements between the Empire and the Kingdom have become so bitter, all because of you, Master Filth. I see. ...... That''s a terrible old man. He''s so intelligent, he''s worse than the current king. Hey, besides, do you two remember what your grandfather said last? I''m not going to die until I see where this is going? That old man''s gonna live another ten or twenty years. He''s gonna be over 100 years old. Just the one before that. Didn''t you say you were having the wedding on my birthday? Oh, I heard you say that. Sure about that: ....... I''m the one to do that, right? I haven''t proposed to him. Who else could it be? Idiot. Right? That''s a relief. I''m sorry. Yes ...... this is a proposal that needs to be made ASAP. But I don''t know how in this world I''m supposed to do it. You''ll have to talk to Aaron in secret later. I see. ...... The young lady is eighteen now. She should be old enough to get married and have an heir. Oh, no, there''s no such thing as an heir: ...... No!Don''t blush like that! I''m blushing too. ....... No. That''s one of the most important things you can do, Your Highness. ''Wow, I know, I know. ...... When it comes to the princess''s birthday, it would be ...... about ten months later? Yes. Hmmm: ...... Mr. Aaron made a thoughtful gesture. What''s the catch, ten months from now? What''s going on? ''No, I''m just stuck on the fact that Mr. Fils said he went out of his way to decide: ...... Not ten months later, but the decision itself by Master Filth . Indeed, you retired and you bothered to interfere: ....... ''What?Grandfather, are you up to something at my wedding? ...... Basically, Master Filth leaves things uninteresting. You mean you''re interested in my wedding? So you want me and Elaine to be happy? No, I thought you might be interested in some sort of disturbance involving the wedding: ...... Right? What''s that? Grandfather, you''re just being selfish. Well, yeah . The man only does what he''s interested in, and ...... his interests are often quite turbulent. If that''s the case, then ...... you must have some idea why you came to me. It''s either a ploy or ...... you should study up on it. ...... Maybe the old man is trying to test me? That''s why I let my ignorance get the better of me. ''What are you talking about. Your job is to be strong. Don''t let your grandfather''s words fool you. The kingdom is depending on you for strength.If you''re weak, then the war is lost. So that''s what happened: ...... It''s the other way around. The old man was trying to confuse me. Come to think of it, a disturbance-seeking old man wouldn''t have bothered to give you advice. I just wanted to be strong. Let me do the smart stuff. I''ll see to it that your grandfather stays out of it. ...... Okay. If you ever need my help with anything, let me know right away. Of course. Not the usual. Yeah. We just have to keep helping each other out, you know? We''ll be okay, just the two of us. SIDE: Aaron. It''s been a while. I left Lord Kite and went back to my room to find Master Filth sitting in a chair. "Long time no see, sir. What is it?The one you just mentioned, It''s hard to be happy to see them again after two years. Indeed. ....... "You''re as hard as ever. It doesn''t matter. That''s why I''m here at ......, okay. So, what brings you here today? If we respond to every word Master Filth says, we won''t get anywhere. It would be wise to move on without anger. My grandson stole you from me and I wanted to get even. ...... "Just kidding. Just kidding. Well, my grandson crushed half of it. Perhaps the silent stare worked, but Master Filth finally answered seriously. As I thought...was she planning something? so the rest is the princess and Lord Kite''s wedding. What in the world is he up to? ....... Hlne, I thought he''d be as stupid as his idiot son. I didn''t know that would be able to interfere with my ambitions. You say the king is a foolish king but ...... is the result of your deliberate negligence in educating him and making him king early on. It''s really good that even the princess didn''t follow this man''s wishes. I''m glad to see that the princess has changed. I couldn''t help but laugh. What this man hates is peace, and that is peace. That''s good to hear. Master Filth was miffed at my smile. I was kind of surprised to see that. This may be the first time in my life I''ve ever made Master Filth feel sorry for himself. You can''t win with your mouth. Haha, three more years and there''s nothing more I can do. The rest of the world is going to be ...... and watching my grandchildren do their best, well, it''s just another fun thing to do. Lord Filth is really unusual today. I knew Master Filth would admit defeat, but it looks like not only Lord Kite but the princess has grown up a lot. That''s right. Let''s join me in watching our grandson do his best. Now that we''re off the stage, there''s nothing for us to do. It''s fun to watch the young ones do their best. At least I''ve had a lot of fun these past two years. 188 CHAPTER X CONFERENCE AFTER CONFERENCE The day after the Duke''s Conference . ''''Then I will now take yesterday''s duke''s meeting into account and decide on the policy of the Myrddin territory until the war. Flair-san facilitated a meeting of the Myrddin executives (who I called) to begin. The eight members I called in were Flair, Elsie, Bernold, Vals, Hermann, Alma and Shelly, and Lina. No, there are nine of them, including Belle, who is standing behind me. First, let me briefly explain what we decided yesterday. The main topic of discussion yesterday was the assignment of tasks to each house, with House Mladin being assigned to guard and surprise. The defense was to lure them into Myrddin''s territory and await the kingdom in a state of readiness. "Regarding the ambush, it is intended to demoralize the soldiers of the kingdom while they travel to Mladin territory. This has been entrusted to House Myrddin as Master Leo''s transfer is effective. ''I see. ....... I''m grateful for the defensive battle here, on the contrary . It''s better to fight to the death against a city you love than an unfamiliar place. And about the surprise attack: ...... If we''re going to move in transition, we can''t use that many people, can we? After Flair-san''s explanation, Bernold asked me what I thought and what I thought of it. Because of the number of people I''ll be in direct contact with, it would be impossible to carry ten people in transition, even if I tried hard. Well, that''s true. So maybe I''ll have five of our best men go after their supplies. We don''t have to fight the enemy. I think we''ll just let her fight the demons or golems I made. I can make a lot of demons on the spot, and I can carry any number of golems in my bag. When you think about it, I''m an unreasonable opponent to the enemy. I can get close to them without making a sound and I can create large numbers of inanimate soldiers. ...... It''s a deadly battle if you lose, so I''m not going to hold back. I see. Well, then, I''ll take control of that unit. You need to practice your distraction exercises too: ...... ''''The rest of the time, I''m going to be the one to make the ...... opponent use up the limited number of magic guns on the western border. ''What?Alone!What are you talking about?We were wrong, weren''t we? Sure enough, Shelly has bitten off more than she can chew. Leena and Elsie also look at me in disbelief. That''s because they''re crazy enough to take on tens of thousands of soldiers all by themselves. "Don''t worry, it''s the golem I built that will actually fight. But ...... you''re talking about fighting just Leo alone when your opponent is at his healthiest, right? ''That''s true, but ...... well, yeah . I''ll take steps to make sure you never die of anything. If you don''t mind, I''ll just drain a bunch of golems and I''ll leave. As long as I can get them to use their magic cannons, I''ve won the battle. Shouldn''t we be with you? The fight was supposed to be about me losing. I can''t afford to make any sacrifices. Besides, there''s a chance you''ll miss your escape if I''m not with you when you make the transfer. If I''m the only one in a hurry to get away, it''ll take a long time to use the transference. Those few seconds could be the difference between life and death. ''Oh, I see. ...... I see. Well, I only asked you to strengthen the Order now. After all, it''s the number and quality of soldiers that make the difference in a war. And it''ll be a weapons match between me and Gert. Okay. Okay. We''ll make sure we''re all at least as strong as Class A adventurers. Just do it. And speaking of enhancements, Elsie. Yes? How''s the mass production of armor and shields going? Master was asking Elsie if she could mass produce a magic tool he had recently invented. It seems to be on the very edge of being able to mass produce it. ''''We''ve made a lot of progress. It''s not as fast as lights, but I think it will be available to the knights before the war. Oh, great Elsie! That''s good to hear. And how''s the arena?Will you be ready for next month''s battle for the best? The arena is a new facility we are building in the underground city. I had hoped to build a movie theater with magic tools, but with Master''s condition it became difficult to ask him to do so. ...... In the end, I decided to make a special arena using my magic items. ''''Yes. Most of the facilities are in place. We''re just going through a minor inspection now. We should be ready in time. That''s good to hear. Let''s see what happens in a month. A while back, if we''re going to have a pre-public test, we''ll have a battle for the grand prize of being the best of the Order. Well, it''s half a celebration. The loser gets to drink and eat a lot. I hope this will help you relieve some of your stress. Please look forward to it. The knights are ready too. "You don''t play, so don''t say that. And how many times do I have to tell you to fix that tone of voice: ...... Ha ha. Barus will be back in the Kingdom next month, you know. I want you to find out what the kingdom is up to at the wedding. "Well, okay, I don''t care. We''ll just see how strong we are next month. Yes. Yes! The rest can be found at ...... Oh, yeah . Sherry, I''ve got to go to the kingdom in eight months. ''What?Why? "It''s the wedding of the First Princess. She''s marrying a famous hero. And Shelly from the royal family will be there. Of course, I''ll be with you, so don''t worry about it. We need to start taking extra precautions now, no matter what they do to us. For starters, we need to take countermeasures against the instant death bombs: ....... "Hey, what''s that ...... kingdom, you must be up to something. Of course. So I''m gonna do whatever the f*ck I gotta do. At any rate, I''d like to know how strong the brave men are . Yes ...... and of course Leena is with you, right? That''s okay, isn''t it?I''ll ask the emperor about it, just in case. Okay. ''''So, ...... here''s what we discussed yesterday. Based on this, if we make plans for the future, we''ll continue to strengthen our knights and mass-produce armor and shields as before . Along with that, I guess we''ll be preparing for ...... a surprise attack and preparing to go to the kingdom. That''s true. I don''t think we need to change anything if the defense is here. On the other hand, since there''s no longer a need to hastily tamper with the former Philibert territory, it might be seen as less work. ''''I see. Well then, dismissed!Oh, I have a favor to ask of Hermann and Alma, so come to me after lunch. ''What?Oh, yes. Yes, sir. I left the conference room as Alma scowled and gave a belated reply . I need to finish the paperwork I''ve accumulated in the morning: ....... Then the afternoon came. Excuse me! Herman and Alma walked in with a bang. Oh, there you are. Master, what are you asking me to do? I need both of you to traverse the dungeon in a month. To Herman''s question, I said bluntly. "''What?'' Of course the two of you, what are you talking about?That''s a look on my face. "You''re doing ...... dungeons in a month? Yeah. If you include movement, I''m sure you''ll have much less time to attack. It''s a dungeon that''s pretty close, but it''ll still take a week to get there and back. Why is that so sudden? ...... "Easy. . because I want Alma to have at least one skill. ''You mean like one skill or so ...... The only person who has more than one skill is Leo-sama?Well, let''s leave it at that, why do I need to have the skills? I just explained it to you.Shelly has to go to the kingdom. Yes, sir. So, I need Alma to protect me in case I can''t be around. There will come a time when it will inevitably be just the women. That''s when I need Alma to do what I can for me. Okay. ....... So you want me to gain skills and be strong? Yeah. If you''re going to fight a brave man, you''d better have at least one skill with you. The others won''t be a big deal, but it''s going to be tough to win against a skilled opponent without a single skill . ''''A brave man and ...... are right . I understand. I''ll definitely go get some skills that will help you. "Yeah. I''m hoping. And I know I''m asking too much to take on a dungeon in a month. So I''d like to buy some new equipment for Alma to make up for it. Hermann has been through a dungeon in three days, so there''s no need to worry, right? Yes. I''m not getting any more of this! Then he held up the sword I''d made for him. Well, it''s impossible to make one more than that. Okay, ...... you''ll wear the same armor as Hermann. It''s probably the best I could make. Herman, Frank, you gave me a piece of Demon King''s armor that I fashioned into women''s. We can''t make any more armor out of the materials we have. I''ll dive into the dungeon when I''m free. Okay. Thank you. And Alma''s sword. I''ve already got the recipe for this one in my head. So I conjured up my magic stone, mithril and hydra fangs and used my creation magic. The result is a beautiful twin swords with a purple sheen. The evil twin swords, Emery Emery. I can telepathize with a recognized master. It mainly gives absolute resistance to poison. Whoever touches the blade will be given the poison the Lord desires I can send a poisonous slash through the air. Ability to repair and summon. Once again, we have created a fine sword. A sword that will be lethal if snatched. Perfect for Alma, a light attack. It''s going to be even stronger. "...... Here you go. Take it. Thank you ...... Oh, lie ...... it fits in my hand. That''s true. I designed it after the sword Alma now uses, just as I did with Hermann. It''s a very poisonous sword made of Hydra''s fang, so be careful what you use it for.One little cut, and they''re stuck with the poison. Well, the owner seems to be able to tolerate it, so I guess it''s okay. ...... Huh? So be careful with it, okay? And I''ve included a slash function so you won''t have to worry about it from a distance. ''Oh, thank you. ......'' And here''s the dungeon set. You''ll get this back when you get back. Before entering the dungeon, I gave her a magic bag of goodies that I always carry with me. There''s no way I could challenge the dungeon for a time attack without it. Of course!Thank you! Well, just try to make it to the final table. If you don''t get there in time, you''re out of the tournament. Oh, no. ...... Okay. Herman, let''s go! Uh-huh. Now, what skills will the two of you get? I''m really looking forward to it. 189 XI. THE Cavalrys strongest decision is to hoke up the hanky-p It''s about a month after the Duke''s Council, and it''s the day of the Myrddin Knights'' greatest battle. The rules are simple. You can use any weapon, magic, or skill at your disposal and you can even kill your opponent. No excuses....slugfest. I''m able to do this, of course, because I made a few changes to the arena instead of being able to get help from the master. It''s good that I turned it into a dungeon, but the problem is that I''m only using magic stones equivalent to a normal dragon, so my magic power is limited. That''s why I decided to have a knight test the performance of the dungeon, and this project is going to work. I hope it''s successful: ...... I''m worried about having enough magic power. And today''s main attraction, the knights, are having a great time at the lottery. It''s been almost two years since the founding of the Order. It''s been two years since the order was founded. There were barely one hundred at the last examination, not enough for a knight of the house of princes. The first test was too hard. That plus Bernhardt''s, so we''ve never had more than double-digit recruits in a month. no wonder they''re the greatest knights in the world. but they''re strong enough to be Class A adventurers. it looks like the results of the lottery are in. It looks like he''s happy and sad to see his group. Today''s schedule is the preliminary tournament in the morning. It''s the final tournament in the afternoon. Each of the twenty-five players will fight in a scramble, and the last three standing, twelve players in total, will get a chance to participate in the tournament. The other two are seeded. The seeds were drawn by lot between Bernhardt, Alma, and Hermann, and the winner was Bernhardt and Hermann. Those three are exceptional, so no one complains about the seedings. Most of them will just feel lucky that their odds of qualifying are reduced. You''ll be rewarded for just getting to the tournament. "Well, now that we''re grouped, is it time? And I''m in a special seat in the arena watching with Shelly, Belle, Elsie and Lou . Leena and Jos will be downstairs all day to tend to some minor injuries that the dungeon didn''t heal. And Frank has been asked to come downstairs for an event. I really wanted Leena and the others to have some fun, and I wanted to set it up so that I could heal all the wounds ...... but doing that would deplete my magic power quickly . ''''I think it''s about time . Ah, the first group has come in. After the lottery was over, the men entered the arena as if they were ready to go. Hahaha. Everyone is too nervous! I gazed at the faces of the knights who were being laughed at by Lou, and their expressions were definitely strained . ''''Well, if we start and move our bodies, the tension will ease . For that matter, it''s boring to just watch, so let''s try to predict who will win out of these guys.'''' ''Okay . The one who seems to be able to win out of all this is ...... that full-body armor Rob with the axe?In terms of strength alone, you''re second only to Mr. Bernhardt in the Order. And of course, the deputy commander, Claude, is the most experienced and competent. I lightly suggested it, and Shelly pointed to it and gave me a commentary on it, calling my name . You''re my knight and you know more about knights than I do. ...... Well, you''ve had plenty of time to interact with the knights while you''ve been challenging the dungeon. It''s like you''ve been challenging dungeons for the past month. "Let''s see how the first game pans out. And meanwhile, we''re ready to start fighting. I''ll be the one to give the signal to begin. Begin! As soon as my voice rang out, the men started to move in unison. ''It''s like a battlefield.'' They were slashing each other''s swords, and blood was flying, it was a real battlefield. "Sir, are you going to enjoy seeing this? People who come to the arena like this sort of thing. I heard that even in the arena of the imperial city, slaves kill each other. Compared to that, it''s harder to feel sick when you know you won''t die. ''''Well, I''m usually afraid of accidents, so I don''t allow anyone but demons to be killed. Would you be okay with a game like that once a week? It would take an awful long time to get magic from a regular customer, so we''ll have to leave that much time between them. ''''That''s natural. You''re on the edge with our magical power, right? That''s right. And it''s limited to healing only major wounds, right? Well, you know . I can''t heal more than two dozen people over and over unless I limit myself to fatal wounds. Just hold them back long enough for Leena and the others to heal, and you''ll save a lot of magic power to use. Oh, that Robb that Shelly was talking about killed five people at once! We were talking about the specs of the arena, and Lou shouted about the fight, completely ignoring it. No, in this place, Lou was right. We should have a look at our knights'' heroics. You''re right. We''re down to two. There are five men standing in the arena now. Robb and the Lieutenant Commander are unharmed, the others are only slightly wounded. There. I told you. Oh, I''m holding Robb down by himself. While Sherry was bragging about it, a knight was engaged in a fierce battle with Rob . How could he move so much with that wound? ....... Who is that man who is avoiding Rob''s attacks, but returning his attacks firmly? ''What?Oh, by the way, ...... That guy has been growing rapidly lately, Mick . I think it''s only been about three months since he joined the team. He''s gotten that strong~ Seriously. Shelly, you know how many new people have joined. That''s more surprising to me than what Mick did. It''s amazing for such a short period of time. Oh, there''s one more person left in the meantime. Rob and Mick were fighting a fierce battle, and their opponent, the XO, beat them both. Yeah. That''s settled. Okay, recover all of them. He saw that the vice-captain had killed the last man and made a recovery. Sometimes it''s important to note that this isn''t resuscitation. Downed knights are stopped in time before they die, keeping them alive until the match is over. Then at the end of the match you heal the wound and move forward in time. There''s a lot to do and this one will use more magic, but it''s many times better than resuscitation. "Feng ...... have you brought everyone to life? Yeah. We''re all up. I looked around the arena, and everyone seemed to be conscious. Those who still had wounds were being healed by Leena and the others. That''s good to hear. But I''m going to have to use my magic three more times. I''m going to have to get Sherry and the others to join us at lunch. I don''t need to heal a large number of people for the afternoon tournament, so I shouldn''t need that much magic. Fine. Copy that. Okay, the second group is coming in. What do you expect next? First of all, of course Alma: ...... That woman is strong. Alma''s group. Yeah? Hmm?I''ve seen that somewhere: ...... Ah!Bernolt''s wife?! Correct. No, what are you doing here? What about the kids!Oh, there''s Bernolt in the audience taking care of him. But still, ...... when did you join the Order? Lately I''ve been bringing my kids to the Order, teaching magic to the knights who have the attributes. So, I''m supposed to be inducted into the Order, at least. Not as a knight, but as a teacher. Well, that makes sense. It''s nice to have a valuable wizard. So why did you join us today? ''He used to be an S-class adventurer, you know?That''s because if there was a festival like this, of course I''d be there. Is there a reason for that?I mean, was Bernolt''s wife like that kind of combat maniac? ''Yeah, ...... I''m a sweet mom on the outside,'' That guy with the wand, smiling, doesn''t look like he''s going to kill a lot of people. And now it''s time for me to give the signal to begin. "Begin!...... Huh? Oh, ....... ''Ahaha!Blink! As soon as we started, Alma and Bernold''s wife all beat them down . I knew Alma would do that, but I didn''t know that Bernold''s wife would go so far ...... She''s not exactly a former S-class name. What are we going to do about this ......? As I watched the people who had been killed in the blink of an eye get up, I was thinking about how to fix the situation. Yeah...... one more person, what should I do? You can''t help it. It''s a pity, so let''s get someone other than Alma and Bernold''s wife to partition and fight for another slot. There was just too much of a gap between us. Next time you two should be seeded as well. Are you sure?Won''t you run out of magic? I''ll go fill that up for you. Pour it out before the end of the game and you''ll have enough for one round. Are we coming? No, I only need one dose. I''ll see you two at lunch, please. I don''t need that much yet, so it''s bad enough to have them pour their magic into an empty room for minutes on end . Probably because it''s going to be interesting to see if there''s a fight for the next slot. ''Yeah, okay.'' Okay, just give me a sign and let me do the honors. Fufu...... it''s going to take some time. As soon as I transitioned to the room with the dungeon core, I began supplying magic power. 30 minutes later That should be enough to keep us in the morning with plenty of time to spare. I kept pouring out my magic until I heard the end signal and thirty minutes passed. I didn''t need to do this much. Well, let''s just think of it as the day''s loss. It was a long battle, though. I''m home. Welcome back. Hey, listen!Now that was an insanely hot match! When I came back, a very excited Shelly came over to me. At the end, the young and mid-level knight got into a one-on-one match, and after a long period of uncompromising fighting, the mid-level knight finally defeated the young knight with his determination and spirit. That was amazing. ...... Yo, that''s great. ...... Don''t be so happy to see me when I haven''t seen it, you''re going to be disappointed you didn''t see it. Oh, next time! Who should the third group look out for? ''Yeah ...... is that beastly, little Kel?Not as fast as Alma, but he''s a fast mover. Also, it''s worth noting that along with Mick, Van is a fast-growing newcomer. And Raza who passed his second tryout and Ralph who passed his fourth. No, Shelly, you know a lot about this. I''m gonna have to start hanging out with the Order a little more. "Raza and Ralph are familiar to me, too. Shield fighters and swordsmen who can wield them with impunity. It was when I was still an examiner. I remember not beating Hermann, but they were both strong. It''s gonna be a crowded group here. Then enough of this: ...... That was easier than I expected. My prediction was wrong, and the third group game ended without any confusion. ''''Kell-san beat Ralph-san early on, you know. Yeah, the beastman Kell beat everyone, no matter who they were, and that was huge. "Kell''s so powerful. That one will play well in the tournament. And finally, fourth and final group. Who''s gonna be next? Of course, I don''t know this time either . I''m shocked that there are more knights whose names I don''t know than I thought. Maybe next time I should secretly remember the characteristics and names of the knights. ''''Yeah ...... I''m wondering who would win this group. Maybe Stan, who can use magic and sword in a balanced way?Personally, I''m rooting for Estella, the only other female knight besides Alma, Estella ...... that woman with the thin sword. Estella, you work so hard every day! Oh, you''re a hard worker. I wish you the best of luck with that. Begin! Oh, and the stun moved quickly. In a melee like this, magic has an advantage. At the signal to begin, Stan sent his magic flying over a wide area, just like Bernold''s wife did earlier . ''''But because of that, the other knights focused on him and targeted him . ''Well, I guess so. She''s not as powerful as Bernold''s wife, so she couldn''t take out that many people. Well, if you can use a sword, you can survive it. What about Estella? It''s still there. But I''ve got a wound on my leg. Can we go to nine ......? My right leg is limping, so I''m not very strong. ...... I don''t think it''s going to be easy for me to survive until six more people fall down with that thing. That''s what I thought, but then she continued to live, covering her injuries well. Five of them ...... four ...... oh ...... That was a close one. So close, but so close. Seeing Estella''s frustration, I gently stroked Shelly''s dimly lit head. I hope that Estella will use this disappointment as a springboard for further growth. Thus, the morning qualifying competition is over. 190 CHAPTER XII Lunch Events After the qualifiers were over, it was time for a lunch break, and while everyone was mingling, we were pouring our magic power. After all, it''s nice to have Sherry and Lou around because they have a lot of magic, and it''s over in an instant. After all, it''s so much faster when we''re all working together. That''s good to hear. But this facility really doesn''t get very good mileage out of it. We have to put so much magic into this place, it''s not something we normally use. Well, yeah. It wasn''t designed for a large number of people to kill each other. This dungeon was only designed to allow for one-on-one killings once a week or so. It wasn''t designed to be a freestanding dungeon in the first place. ''''Alright, now that our magic power is full, let''s prepare for the special match at noon. As I say this, I''ll control the dungeon core. The special match is a lunchtime entertainment that serves as a test of demon generation. Frank, Hermann and Mr. Bernold, right?Wouldn''t it be boring as a spectacle if we didn''t have a demon the size of a dragon? ''''Yes. ....... Well, let''s go with a dragon that''s likely to enter the arena that those three can deal with! I didn''t want it to be too big, so I manipulated the dungeon core to create a slightly smaller, stronger dragon. ''''Wow~'''' Oh, I see they''re out. Okay, let''s watch the game. If we could hear everyone''s surprised voices, then it must mean we made it. After confirming that a dragon had been created in the dungeon core, we moved to the bleachers. "Oh, there''s still a dragon! When I came back, I found a beautiful purple dragon camped in the middle of the arena. But why isn''t it moving? It''s like a dungeon boss. The battle doesn''t start until someone enters the boss''s room. In this case, it starts the moment Frank and the others enter the arena. This arena is like the boss''s room from the outside. Yeah. I should probably explain to you guys sooner rather than later. I looked around the auditorium at Sherry''s suggestion and saw that the knights who had been making a lot of noise earlier had frozen with their hands on their swords. Indeed, that''s a pity. ''''We''ve got a game this afternoon, so let''s get started. "Yes. Hey, guys, can you hear me?Now we''re going to have a special match while everyone else is eating lunch!The participants were Hermann and Bernold, who were seeded this time around!Oh, and as a special guest, my friend Frank, who is very good at magic, will be joining us as a guest!Then you three can go inside and start fighting!'''' I explained it briefly while magically making my voice echo in the arena . Everyone knew what they were going to do for lunch, so this explanation should be fine. "Oh, here we go. As the three of them walked into the arena, the dragon began to move as the knights cheered. Wow . That''s faster than I expected . It''s dodging Hermann''s slashes with ease. Frank''s magic is hitting, but he''s ...... focusing on speed, so he''s not doing that much damage . It''s going to be hard for Bernold to attack a flying enemy. It''s a good idea to work well together to cut off the dragon''s wings, but the three of you are outnumbered. It''s not just a matter of time before they''ll be able to get their hands on it.How fast, sturdy, and intelligent they are: ...... It''s a dragon. Well, I don''t think any of the three of you are in your element yet, so you''ll be fine. Hermann hasn''t used his skills yet. Even if he started to use his magic eye, it would tip the scales a bit towards the three of them. SIDE: Bernold. ''''d*mn it ......, knights are really helpless in times like these. At least if you can handle those wings ....... But it''s a pain in the ass to slash those wings at that speed. I think if I use my skills, I can keep up with that speed! The evil eye. ....... Does that thing get the jump on you? Yes. Yes. I''ll keep his attention on her. Herman hasn''t fully mastered the magic eye yet. There''s always an opening with the magic eye. I guess that''s where I come in. "Master Frank!You need to aim your magic at the face as much as possible!It''s a blindfold. Even if it doesn''t do any damage, he''ll still be able to avoid an attack in the eye. That would draw less attention to the helmsman. And so the operation is launched. Herman will release his magic eye. As he does so, Master Frank narrows his target to the dragon''s face. of course the magic won''t work, but that''s okay. Hmm?Here''s ...... No, you want Mr. Frank. Hm!Hey, over here! I used my sword to block Master Frank''s attack with the claws of a dragon. d*mn it, ...... I can hold out as long as I can. But that''s not a problem. "Ze! The dragon sensed the danger and tried to fly, but Hermann, who had anticipated it, hit it with a solid slash. ''''Gaaa~'''' Losing its wings, the dragon collided hard with the ground. Well done. That one''s no better than a big lizard. I can attack a non-flying dragon as well. Now it''s our turn. Ah, dodge! I didn''t mean to let my guard down, but I went to ...... and found that there was a ton of ice coming from the dragons. Dragons are ice? Are you okay? I was squarely in front of the dragon''s magic and the helmsman rushed at me. Besides, I''m okay and I''ll calm him down. Yes, I''m fine. Master Rihanna will fix you up with an injury like this. But still... ...... him. More shocking than the loss of my defensive left arm was what was happening to the dragon in front of me. ''''What?'''' "Ugh, no. ...... Who are the lizards?With this body, you can fight in this small space, right? Yes. The dragon was turning into a man. SIDE: Leons. Just when I thought Herman had cut off the dragon''s wings, a dragon that had turned into a man had sliced Bernolt''s arm off . "Hey, hey, ...... the dragon turned into a man, ...... is that what Leo expected? ''No, no. ......'' I don''t know what''s going on at all. What do you mean?How could that dragon ever be human? I didn''t have that information when I did the appraisal and ....... ''So, then, isn''t ...... in danger?'' "Well, well, ...... if it happens, the three of us won''t die and ...... Yeah. Fortunately, we''re not gonna die in this dungeon, so we''re okay. Okay. Enough magic for this afternoon? Yeah, ...... I''ll trust the three of you. We have to believe now. SIDE: Frank. After the dragon became a man and took out Mr. Bernold''s left arm, we were looking at each other. You move first, you die. There was a hint of that in the air. "Watch out, both of you: ....... It''s smaller now, but it smells bad. Yes, it''s ...... amazingly magical. Being a person has condensed his magical power, and when he looks at the woman in front of him with his demon eyes, he looks very colorful . There''s no doubt that it''s a magical power as strong as Shelly''s . ''''Hm?Where''s the momentum from earlier? That''s what I hear, and no one moves. No, they won''t budge. There''s no way to move. ...... So, I''ll go first. I couldn''t track it with my eyes. I thought the dragon-man was on the move, and then...and clashed with Herman. ''''You''re a user of the magic eye of ...... time. Then we should be on the lookout for the Demon''s Magic Eye, the Distant Magic Eye, the Magic Eye of Remembrance, and the Magic Eye of Knowledge. This dragon is truly unfathomable . Just when you think he''s starting to talk, he uses knowledge and language as if he were an older warrior with a lot of experience . You have created a monster. ...... Well, good. You''re the biggest threat. So let''s kill you first. That''s ...... Hermann, run! Seeing the magic power begin to move rapidly with the demon''s eye, he shouted to Hermann to run away and attacked with all his magic power . It was a close call . If my judgment had been delayed even a little, I would have ended up like Mr. Bernholt just now. That guy has a ...... demon''s magic eye. And his magic is as powerful as that of a dragon ....... Are these the two we should be wary of? Naturally, the unharmed woman stared at me as she brushed away the shattered rocks. My feet are hobbling ...... but I have to somehow maintain my normalcy . Just the two of you?Is it really? While we were distracted, Mr. Bernhardt swung his sword from behind. Of course, the woman changed her hand as she did with the dragon and caught the sword. You will be able to find out the best way to get a good deal more about it. "G......Well, you certainly shouldn''t underestimate it. All three of you are good warriors. Just when I thought I had broken away from Mr. Bernold''s pause, he smiled as if to say he still had room to spare and sent me a compliment from above . ''''Hmph . I''m not happy to hear that from someone who''s holding back. Yeah, that''s right. Then I''ll have a real fight on my hands. What the hell is this: ...... My body is so heavy. ...... As the dragoness announced her seriousness, her body suddenly became heavy and she couldn''t move. What did they do to you? ''''That''s right. This is a skill that can only be used by a past dragon king. Can''t we move now? "No, not yet! While I was completely crawling on the ground, Mr. Bernhardt and Hermann stood up strongly underground. As expected, can the two vanguards move? But will they be able to keep up with my moves? "Hermann, go to ...... and use that. I''m gonna end this in one fell swoop. Does that mean that ...... is a skill Hellman has recently acquired with her? Will it work?No, I''m gonna catch her off guard. I understand. You still have something to hide. Then I''ll kill you quickly so you don''t have to use it. I won''t let you. When he saw her move, Hermann saw it coming and caught the attack before it happened. Then Mr. Bernholt and I quickly attacked. "Perfectly coordinated, but it''s not nearly enough to take me down. The woman who was a dragon parried all her attacks with impunity. The more we try, the less I see a future against this thing. Did Leo want us to experience this despair? But you haven''t beaten us yet either, have you? When I was half ...... or almost giving up, he grinned and challenged me. Ugh, you''re kidding ...... she''s still going to do it. ''Yeah, ...... that''s good,'' Again, provoked, the dragoness moved again, faster than I could see. "You first. As she said this, the dragoness behind Hermann thrust her arm out, aiming for Hermann''s heart. Naturally ...... the hand of the dragoness penetrated Hermann''s heart cleanly. It did, but ...... as if there was no resistance, the dragoness fell forward and slipped past Herman. ''''What!'''' That''s it! Hermann swung his sword at the fallen and confused Dragoness. "I guess you couldn''t avoid ....... But I see what you guys wanted to do. You can handle it with one arm. One arm...... we''ve been trying to open up a gap here, and one arm is the limit. He''s now a one-armed man, but without any more tricks, we don''t stand a chance. Okay. Okay.... I''ll kill you all easily. Shit. ...... ''Yes!It''s over! The moment all three of them gave up, all current ...... Leo showed up . SIDE: Leons. "What''s up with you, ......?Its magic: ...... The woman in front of me was more surprised by my magic than by my sudden appearance. I made it in time. I honestly didn''t mean to summon such a powerful dragon. Maybe the dungeon core had some extra magic left over. And there was a roo with more magic than me. "Who am I?It''s your master. He''s the guy who built this dungeon, so this guy shouldn''t be able to go against me: ....... Honestly, if we fight, I can definitely win, but it could get messy . Somehow, it would be nice if this could be put to rest: ....... ''Lord?You gotta be kidding me. No, we''re in a dungeon. I see. ...... Is this what happened to your predecessor too? The previous generation?What do you mean? I mean, isn''t it rebellious to be perceived as the Creator? Maybe this is a development: ....... ''There''s no point in playing dumb. There must be a blue dragon in that dungeon you built recently. Blue Dragon?Somewhere in ...... Ah, the training grounds of the Order! ...... I''m pretty sure he was there. Could that be a person, too? ''''Of course. That man is Segul, the fifth Dragon King. He is the greatest dragon of all time. Such a strong dragon is the boss of the 30th floor!Sure, it may be the highest difficulty dungeon, but it''s ...... too much. ''''Heh, heh ....... I didn''t know the demons in the dungeon were brought in from the real world. I thought it was a demon created by creation magic. No, it was created by the creator. The previous demon king used the same technique you did. The alleged creators from the past seem to have created one of them. I see... ...... So you didn''t use the dungeon core to generate demons, but you had to generate them yourself? Then I''ll do it. I see. ...... Thanks for the help. That was helpful. This guy looks about the same as Belle, but from what I know, he''s going to live a hell of a long time. He''s going to be very useful to us. "No thanks. I''ll kill you now. Kill me? Oh, I knew it would happen: ....... ''Yeah, killing you will free me and my predecessors. I apologize for calling you out on your own, but there''s no other way to get to ....... I don''t think there''s any point in this fight: ....... ''None!As long as you live, I am your servant! How could you resist me then? Because this is the field that allowed me to be free. Field?You mean the boss''s room?If that''s the case, does that mean that demons can do whatever they want as far as they''re entrusted? I don''t know, ......, but does that mean you have to kill me to forgive me? Aye, the world of dragons is a world of the weak and the strong. I will not be answerable to a weak man. Hmmm ...... So it''s okay if I''m strong? Okay, I''ll tell you what. I worked with Bernolt and the others to fix the dragoness'' arm. What did you mean by that? The dragoness was surprised at her healed arm and kept a wary distance from me. ''''Now you can do your best, right?'''' ''Yes, but ...... no, it''s nothing.'' Copy that. I''m sorry, could you three guys just stand back to the side? Yes, sir. I understand. Watch out for that. Okay. Come on in. When I saw that the three of them had separated, I held out my hand and challenged them. It''s okay. I can handle this guy''s speed. "I don''t know what you''re up to, but I''m going to give it my all. Gruaaaah! I think she''s going to turn into a dragon and fight me. Because this one has more offensive power? But I think the humanoid is easier to fight against me, don''t you think? It must be hard to fight me with such a big body that knows how to shift. I shifted onto the dragon''s head and punched it as hard as I could. "d*mn it: ....... Then how about this! Holding his head in his hands, he now performed a strange move that blocked Frank and the others from moving . ''''Yes ...... it''s a little heavier, but it''s within the margin of error. I slowly make my way to the human-turned-dragon with an unconcerned face. "d*mn it ...... don''t come here!Don''t come over here! What? I stopped dead in my tracks when the girl suddenly started to scare me. "If you''re scared, why don''t you just admit defeat? As I said this, I started walking again towards the frightened girl. ''Okay, so ...... well, you can just lose ...... loosen up and let it go ...... loosen up. Wow! What? I was one step closer to the dragon girl and she started crying loudly. The crowd went silent at that. It doesn''t feel like I''ve beaten the best. It''s more like ...... I''m bullying a girl who''s crying and begging for forgiveness . Is this my fault? ''Well, uh, ......, anyway, let''s get the afternoon finals started! I didn''t know what to do, so I took the girl in my arms and moved to the bleachers. The girl started crying more the moment I held her, and I decided to start the afternoon''s tournament, leaving her to Belle, who was standing behind me. Yup. This couldn''t be helped. 191 CHAPTER XIII Knights Strongest Final Game 2 Siksiksiksiks: "...... The Dragon Girl, who was crying behind her back as she hugged Belle, had calmed down when the first round of the tournament was coming to an end. The tournament has been apportioned by fair lottery to the twelve players. That''s why Alma versus the deputy commander and Bernold''s wife versus the beastman Kell, a combination that would have been a waste of the first round. But the battle between Alma and the vice commander ended with the vice commander on the defensive from start to finish. Alma, with her fast-moving, poisonous attack that would kill her if she were scratched by a single blow, was the worst opponent for the slow, defensive-oriented vice commander. By comparison, the battle between Kell and Bernold''s wife was very heated. The first half of the battle was dominated by Bernold''s wife with magic, but after her magic power diminished and she began to suppress her power, Kell''s speed became fierce and he defeated her. It''s a bit of a dilemma, but if Bernold''s wife had been prepared to run out of magic power and kept firing her full force of magic, she would have fallen to Kell. Well, seeing that Kell didn''t change her expression at all, she probably decided that even if she continued to do this, she would lose due to her magic power running out. In fact, he had been hit several times, and he was pretty badly damaged. Considering that, should I praise Kel''s tactics? "Oh, Nick won. I didn''t expect Nick to be this strong: ...... It looks like the battle between Raza, the last old-timer, and Nick, the new guy, is over. It was a battle of endurance with no dirty tricks, but it was a good battle. Now we have the top eight. Vann and Hermann, Van, Alma, Rob, Kell, Stan and Nick. The quarterfinals are going to be interesting to see how Kell and Stan do in the quarterfinals. The guys who played well in their respective qualifying groups have been solid winners. Assuming Bernhardt, Hermann and Alma survive, ...... it will be interesting to see what happens with the remaining slots. Yeah ...... I have a feeling Kell will win. I''m not so sure about that. 30 minutes later Just as I thought, Bernolt and Alma won without a hitch . Alma, I knew I should have seeded her: ....... The poisonous sword and fighting style are too good together . Next time, I should seed the best four finishers this time. And now the battle that mattered most in the quarterfinals began. "Huh?Don''t you use magic? I think he thought he couldn''t win with less skilled magic. Bernolt''s wife couldn''t win. You know you can''t win with your own magic. And he uses magic now but he joined this order with nothing more than his sword. His sword should be strong enough . ''''Yes ...... I thought Kel would win easily, but I was wrong. I think Stan''s going to win, rather than the other way around. She is firmly receiving Kell''s attack with her sword and using her magic to kill Kell''s speed. Kell seems to be helpless at this. ''''It''s just like your sister-in-law''s fighting style: ....... Come to think of it, your sister-in-law once beat up an entire group of knights. Yeah, he said something like that. ''''I''m not quite as good as my sister, but it looks like Stan will continue to be stronger for that. Just as I was saying this, the sword plunged into Kell''s chest. It seems that he was killed before he could think of a countermeasure. Ah~ my expectations were wrong~ ''Well, that''s how strong they all are,'' Depending on the combination, a completely different person would have survived. "All right, now it''s time for the semifinals. After all, it''s going to be Bernolt versus Alma, a master and student showdown. ''''I can''t predict who''s going to win this one. In my normal practice, I''ve never seen Mr. Bernhardt lose, but Alma is more suited to real competition. ...... You wouldn''t be able to use a poisoned sword in a normal mock battle. The key to victory will be Alma''s skills. SIDE: Alma. Ugh ...... I''m nervous. I''ve finally come this far . I''ve been preparing for this match today, but I still don''t feel like I can win ....... Even with my skills, I''ve never been able to win against Mr. Bernolt so far, and I don''t think that move I''ve been hiding ...... is going to work. ''''It''s okay . I''m sure Alma will be able to win. You can use the sword that your master gave you today, right?We need to be more confident. As I was getting nervous, Hermann, who was going to fight next, came up behind me and encouraged me. "You''ve got your own game to go to and you can afford it. ...... Well, you want to decide who''s stronger?I don''t want you to lose. You''d think I''d be encouraging you, but you''re being nasty. Watch ......Mr. Bernold and you have it easy! It''ll be fun. Good luck with that. Thank you. Encouraged by Hermann, I made my entrance with pride. . ....... They enter the arena, face each other, and not a word is spoken, but they draw their swords. Then let the action begin. As soon as I heard Master Leonce''s voice, Mr. Bernold rushed in . You''re going to stick around and fight to prevent me from using my sword''s flying slashes. ....... My strength is weak, so if I''m on the receiving end, I''ll lose immediately. I should use my speed to attack from me. While avoiding Mr. Bernold''s assault, I attack from right beside him. It was easily defended, but I attacked more and more without stopping. I shouldn''t be in a hurry, but ...... if this is the case, it will be the same as usual. Mr. Bernhardt is calmly continuing to defend himself, looking for an opening to show me one day. At this distance, I''ll be beaten one day. But when I try to keep my distance, it''s an opening: ....... Well, I knew this was coming. I''ve been thinking about how to deal with it. It''s not quite perfect, and I''m not sure it will work. But I''d have to take a gamble or two rather than wait to lose anyway ...... or . I jumped as hard as I could towards the back, pretending to go around my back. I let fly a poisonous slash at Bernold-san, who was momentarily delayed in his reaction. If this one rubs a little, I''ll win. But that wasn''t going to happen, and Mr. Bernolt came toward me while avoiding the slash. Now, here''s the battle. I''m going to keep firing as many slashes as I can at Mr. Bernolt. Even so, Mr. Bernolt dodges them all while running in a zig-zag fashion. Compared to Hermann''s special effects, my slashes have a shorter range and shorter distance to fly. That''s why they''ll never hit an opponent at Ms. Bernolt''s level unless I''m caught off guard. Yes ...... I know that. Hmmm. All that''s left is to pray that I''ll succeed. I stopped my slash and went to charge at Mr. Bernolt who was coming towards me. SIDE: Leons. The skill of penetration looks ...... easy, but in reality it''s not. You need to not refuse to let a foreign object enter your body, and this is extremely difficult. For example, if a sword is about to be thrust into the chest, a person would normally try to avoid it and would naturally tense up in order to resist. This skill does not allow that. If the person refuses to allow even a small amount of the foreign object to enter their body, the skill will fail. It is a skill that will fail if you tense up even slightly while being cut. Normally, you should spend a long time getting used to it. But Alma and Hermann had only learned it a couple of days ago. The success rate should still be low. As I thought about what Alma was about to do now, I couldn''t help but think about how hard it would be. Now, how far can Alma go? SIDE: Alma This skill is most effective when you are mindless . When the sword flies, I just think about it passing through me mindlessly . As I charged, I slipped past Mr. Bernhardt, who swung his sword down as if waiting for me, twisted my body and sent a slash at Mr. Bernhardt''s back. At this, Mr. Bernhardt no longer has the luxury he had earlier, and he dodges the slash as he rolls away. Chance! Just as I was thinking this, Mr. Bernolt threw his sword at my eyes. Don''t get lost . Just blinking is probably not good enough. It''s okay. I can do it. Instead of being afraid, I charged at the sword. Mr. Bernhardt looked unusually surprised, as if he thought I would avoid him. But I didn''t care and slashed at Mr. Bernold as I felt the sword slip through my head. Mr. Bernoldt avoided it, but he was a little too late and the tip of his sword touched his right arm slightly. Normally, it would be a harmless cut, but with ...... this sword, it was fatal. Mr. Bernhardt was poisoned and collapsed. I''m not quite there yet. If it had been a normal mock battle, I would have been the one to lose. It was a victory completely aided by the performance of the sword. I still have a long way to go. Maybe you''re right. But a win is a win. We don''t want to cheat for our lives. You win with every technique you can muster. I found Mr. Bernold, who should have collapsed, but he was awake. It looks like he''s on the mend. "Mr. Bernold. ...... That sword that flew into your head, I never thought you''d succeed in slipping through the cracks. I think you''re getting better. Oh, thank you. Okay. You beat me, so why don''t you win?Because if I lost to Alma, the winner, then I can make excuses too. All right. I''m gonna win this thing. Oh. Good luck! Watching the back of Mr. Bernhardt, I promised myself that I would win. Herman, I will never lose! 192 CHAPTER XIV -- THE Knights Strongest Final Game (3) Finally, the final. Of course, the remaining semi-final match was won by Hermann in order. Alma versus Hermann. It''s honestly hard to predict who will win. In fact, the total number of simulations they''ve won so far should have been about the same. Their newly acquired skills are exactly the same. These two ...... are hard to predict. Yeah ...... I think you should go with your gut feeling in this game. Don''t bother. I have a feeling that the winner of this game depends more on luck than merit. Okay. Okay, I''ll go with Hermann. I take it that''s not Alma. ''''Yeah . Hellman has more skills than I do, and I feel like Hellman has the advantage. Well, I guess you could say that. It''s a pretty simple prediction. It''s a good one. "Oh, for God''s sake. Who do you think is going to win, Leo? Because I''m willing to bet that either of us could win. So, I guess Leo''s guess is Alma. Why is that. I''m not making any bets, so why should I try to guess who''s going to win? I''d like to root for both of them: ....... Well, it''s more exciting to root for one or the other. ''Well, what do you want to bet?The one who misses the prediction is going to have to deal with a crybaby dragon. ''I don''t mind that, but ......?These guys are starting to take over on their own. The next thing I knew, the two of them had already drawn their swords. It''s my fault for wasting time talking before the match, but you can at least wait for my signal: ....... ''It''s fine.You''ve fought a lot, and we''ve got our own timing. SIDE: Herman There are more spectators than usual, but we do what we always do. The moment our swords touch each other''s, our game begins. Normally, this is where we would keep our distance and slash each other: ....... This time, let me go all out from the beginning. The moment our swords touched, I moved forward, contrary to my usual practice, to close the distance between me and Alma. Then, as if Alma was thinking the same thing, our swords collided in front of each other''s faces. Our faces are so close together that our foreheads almost collide, and I let out a sigh of relief. ''''I''m not going to lose today, okay? I''m not gonna let you down. That''s all you have to say to each other and keep your distance. So it''s going to be the same as usual. I''d send slashes flying and avoid their slashes, and the cycle began to repeat. It should have started, but ...... Alma didn''t avoid my slashes. It''s a slash that will ignore your defenses and cut any object in half if it hits you. You''re not afraid of that, and you''re not afraid to use your skills to make it transparent as you move forward: ....... ''It''s not cool to back down here. Okay, it''s like this and we have to move forward. I stopped flying the slash and sent my magic power to my magic eye and began to run towards Alma, avoiding Alma''s slash with the least amount of movement. There are several weaknesses in the skill of transparency. First, it cannot penetrate an attack that it did not recognize. For example, if you are caught by surprise from behind, you cannot penetrate your opponent''s attack. Secondly, you can only use it for three seconds in a row, and you must pause for as long as you use it. Lastly, you will lose sensation in the area you used the spell. If you use it on the eyes, you will lose your vision during this period, and if you use it on the ears, you will lose your hearing. In other words, as long as this weakness isn''t exploited, you''re an invincible skill. True, like the magic eye, the ...... skill is a cheat. While I was thinking about this, Alma was already right in front of me. Now, it''s time to compare our patience with each other. SIDE: Leons. This is what a final should look like. It started without my permission, but the fight is a hot and hard-hitting one. It''s a horrendous game of cards after he''s closed the distance. ''Yes ......, Alma has the upper hand? ''No, it just looks that way because Alma has more moves than me. Alma is the type to overwhelm opponents with her speed. On the other hand, Herman is the type who can decisively strike with his magic eye. He is the type to use his magic eye to read his opponent''s moves and strike a blow. It may look like Herman is on the defensive, but that''s not true. Well, considering that Alma is starting to become more proficient in using the skill of transparency, it''s probably not a mistake that Alma has the upper hand. She could easily avoid Hermann''s finishing blow with her invisibility. Still, Hermann would do it. Huh?Which one was I rooting for? SIDE: Alma Still no hits. Even if they see me off with the magic eye, my sword slips through with a transparency when I attack so that my evasion can''t keep up with it: ....... If this continues, I''m going to lose, as usual. I''ve got to do something. There''s a hole in this absolute defense as well. The area where the eye can''t see, the magic eye can''t use it, and it doesn''t respond fast enough to see through. But it''s not going to be easy. I''ll just close the eyes first, that''s all that matters. Alright. Let''s use up all our stamina here. If we keep going like this, it''s gonna be a mud fight anyway. I upped my speed a notch and repeated my attack to the head. The moment Hermann''s reaction lags and I use my transparency, I win. The moment my magic runs out, Hermann wins. Let''s play. Just as I was thinking, the Hermann used the Transparency skill. Huh?Are you not aware of my thoughts? Well, okay. One way or the other, it''s the biggest opportunity of the day! I didn''t shake off my sword, but left it stuck in my head and went behind Hermann and swung my other sword down towards Hermann''s legs. Yes!We won. I felt safe and I knew we had won. "What? Just as I was about to strike a gut punch, I was down . No, Hermann had knocked me down. It was like he was covering me up. "It''s not over yet. Oh, ....... A sword was thrust into me as I fell. SIDE: Leons. Lastly, I''m guessing Hermann invited him to join us. ''But what happened to Alma''s poison?Oh, he''s cutting off my foot. They cut off his foot just as it was cut off. See how his right foot was cut off at the base? I think this result is the result of winning two bets: that Alma will take the bait and not be attacked by the body. I can''t find any trace of his bad temper anymore. "Heh. ....... So he ended up with Alma''s sword, which he pulled out of his face and stabbed back into his face. If you''re blind, you won''t be able to escape by being transparent,...... Hermann''s skill. It''s disappointing that it''s a draw, though. ''Alma did a good job of thrusting her own sword through the back of the shrouded Hermann at the last minute. You managed to eliminate Hermann''s victory by poisoning him and dying at the same time. How could you make that decision when you were so sure you were going to win? I''m glad we had a great battle. It was a good opportunity to get to know my knights, and more importantly, it would be a very big gain for Alma and Hermann, who were going to have them play an active role in the kingdom, to become stronger today . After their recovery was over, I naturally smiled at the success of this tournament while looking at them sitting face to face in the center of the arena, as if they were discussing their impressions of the battle. The kingdom, and the brave and Gert . We''re all set for it over here, okay? 193 CHAPTER XV -- COMFORTING After the finals were over, the award ceremony began immediately. The fourteen survivors of the tournament were lined up in the arena. First, all the survivors of the final tournament will receive the same rings worn by Hermann, Alma and Bernold. The other three will take turns wearing it, with Shelly and Lina. The bracelets Hermann and his friends wear are of course loyalty bracelets. It may seem a bit extravagant, but it''s a small price to pay to motivate the knights. The people who didn''t get it this time will also be motivated to get it next time. Next, those who lost in the second round. The next time you lose in the second round, you get to have your sword turned into a magic sword for free. Show it in the shop in the imperial city, and you''ll get your magic sword. And I''ll give you a demon gun as an added bonus. After making sure that everyone had their bracelets, I gave the four people who were eliminated in the second round - Van, Rob, Kell, and Nick - the magic gun and a magic sword exchange coupon that could be used at their master''s shop. Magic swords are still hard to come by, and only Bernolt is the only one in our order who has one. I didn''t want to give my master more work, but I only asked him to give me four swords. Vernolt and Stan, who were eliminated in the semifinals. The two of you will receive swords of my own creation. You two can come to my office tomorrow. You can''t create here and now, so tomorrow . You two didn''t think you''d get that much, "What? He was surprised to hear it aloud. Especially Stan, who was himself?He had a look on his face . But I was sorry that I hadn''t made a sword for Alma, and that I hadn''t made one for Bernold, who was doing a great job as the leader of the group. But it didn''t seem right to give it to him for no reason, so I decided to make it the prize for the top four. The two runners-up and the winner can go to ...... and ask for anything they want, okay? ''Well, um, ......, we already get a lot of stuff from you, so .......'' That''s right. I''ve given you some strong armor and a sword. ''''Yes. ...... Bernolt, what do you think is best?'''' ''''Well, how about a ...... medal, proof of the strongest knight of House Muldeen?'''' Oh. That''s nice. A badge of strength can really smoke a man''s heart. Let''s get you a chest patch. All right, let''s get you a chest patch. You two come back tomorrow with Bernolt and the others. It''s a prize for the winner, so I want to do something with it. Then let''s break up for today. It was a very meaningful day to see everyone''s progress. We hope to hold this event again next year, so keep up your training. Next time it''ll be a more interesting fight. Then I replenished the arena and returned to the castle. Well.... Since it was a draw, why don''t we deal with the remaining problems? I was hoping we''d all just sit around and relax while we talked about the battle, but that''s not going to happen with one of the dragons left in the house. Okay. But what are we going to do?Return to the mountain?You don''t want the crybaby princess to suddenly disappear and the dragons to come down from the mountain, do you? That''s right: ....... If that happens, the Empire won''t be at war . That''s why it has to be done quickly. In the meantime, humor him first. Because if you stay mad at me and give it back, the result is the same as not giving it back. How''s that?Have you calmed down a bit? I spoke softly to the girl who was still hugging Belle in the corner of the room, being careful not to provoke her. ''Ugh ...... don''t come here . I don''t like you. "Don''t say that. Yeah. ...... If they covered your ears, you wouldn''t be able to have any conversation with them. ....... I don''t know what to do about this. You''ve missed Miss Bell. Bell''s very gentle. And she''s soft. She totally hates me. ...... I don''t know what to do. I''m afraid that if I return her, she''ll take revenge on me with her dragons. ''At times like this, I think we should just feed him a good meal and give him a bath!Isn''t that what happened to me? Is it going to be as easy as Lou: ......? It''s not like this dragon has any food problems, and I don''t think he''s as gullible as Lou. In the meantime, I think it''s best for you to stay out of it today, Master Leo. I need him to calm down so I can hear what he has to say. ...... Right. I''ll leave it to the others today. Bell''s right, we''re in a hurry. I watched everyone leave the room. Huh?Is it just Leo-kun? As everyone was heading to dinner and I was looking over the paperwork, Leena, who had taken a bath earlier, came into the room. "Yeah. Everyone was entertaining the Dragon King. He didn''t want me there because he didn''t like me. Ha-ha. It''s true, Leo-kun made you cry a lot, didn''t he? You were so overbearing. You had such a big attitude towards Hermann and his friends, you should keep it up to the end. He''s just a kid. Maybe he''ll be fine by tomorrow. So you''re a kid and a dragon king. ...... Oh, it was me who abducted the former dragon king. Huh?Bottom line: it''s my fault, isn''t it? Yeah, well, thanks for a day''s work. You really helped me out. Can I get you anything? It''s not like I changed the subject because I felt a little guilty, you know? I just thought it was more important to say thank you to Leena than to find out about the Dragon King. Yeah. It''s no big deal. It''s nothing too big. But... But... let''s take what we can get. What do you want? "Give me some time alone with you to pamper myself. Huh?Oh, no. You could have told me that any time. Don''t hold that against me. No, it''s because I got too wrapped up in work. "That won''t happen. Leo''s pretty busy these days. It''s also bad for ...... Sherry and Elsie and the others, right? Yes. ....... Do you want to spend a little more time with everyone? If you don''t want to run out of steam, this is where you need to get your act together. Please do so. So, I think I''ll be going. What? Uh-huh. That''s a bit unmannerly. Grinning, I thought Leena came up to me and sat on my lap to face me in the chair. ''Is this the time for us to be alone and pampered?'' I thought you''d have a date later. Yes. It''s the only chance you''ll get. I don''t think so, but ...... well, okay. It''s kind of embarrassing ...... The fact that Leena is warm and smells good after a bath makes me feel even weirder . ''Mmm. It''s been a long time since we''ve been this close together. Do you remember?I had just started living in the dormitory when Shelly got mad at Belle. Oh. You mean when Leena couldn''t kiss you? It''s been a long time. We were almost there when Sherry walked in. What?Did you have your eyes open then! ''Huh?Oh, by the way, He told me to close my eyes and I opened them. You''re being punished at ...... There he is!She wants to stay. Puffing up her cheeks, Leena pinched my cheek and began to pull me down . ''I was so sad because I was going to kiss you that time because I thought it was the only place to do it and I was so embarrassed to be interrupted by ...... Sherry. Lena''s face was all red. Leena looked so cute that time. "Ugigigig. ''Already, and I can''t believe it was seen: ....... Come to think of it, Leo has always liked to peek at things. No. There was no such thing as ....... Okay. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. You never know when someone will see you naked these days, even with your clairvoyant abilities ...... No matter how much I beg for forgiveness, Leena pulls at my cheeks and pokes me where it hurts . ''I didn''t see it ...... I really didn''t see it, so forgive me ......'' Okay. Let''s just leave it at that. I don''t want to waste any more time being pampered. Finally, it was over. I rubbed my cheek, which was still burning. Well, if this is how much I''m forgiven for my bad behavior, it''s a small price to pay. So, does Leena still want to go back to her homeland? To quickly switch gears, I asked Leena something I''d been meaning to ask her lately. To be honest ...... I don''t feel that way as strongly as when I was little anymore . Now, home for me is either here or home in the imperial city. That''s right: ...... I wish I could have taken you there at least once before that happened. ''But I''d like to visit your mothers'' graves someday. ''Yes. When the war is over and the world is at peace, I have to go to ...... to report to Leena''s mother and father about the wedding. ''Oh, that report is absolutely necessary . I''ll have to brag to your father and mother about your wonderful husband. ''You''re a husband or ....... Come to think of it, why don''t you call me Master? The day Jose and Frank started dating, Leena, didn''t you say that you were going to call me husband, as I recall? You know, it''s a bit early to go to ....... Besides, I was embarrassed when I tried to call him. Oh. I''m not that embarrassed. You''re not afraid to get this close and kiss me. Okay, so I''m going to have to ask you to come over only when we''re alone, okay? Come in. I love you, sir. ...... Oh, God. I''m starting to feel embarrassed. She was blushing and kissing me, and now I''m all red in the face. Well, they''re so hot. ''What?Oh, Chez, Cherie. How long have you been here? The next thing I know, Shelley is in the room. It was just now. Leena just called Leo "sir". ''Yeah, right: ......'' Leena''s face turned even redder, as if she was aware that she was being asked about that. ''''Well, it''s fine . Anyway, it''s a reward for Leena for working all day, right? Yes, sir. ''Well, if you don''t want everyone to spread the word about what just happened, don''t complain if I get a little time alone with Leo too, okay? ''Yes, of course: ...... You''re the one, Shelly, you''re very astute. Hmm. I came to give you an update on Guillotine, and I got a surprise. Guile? It was the name of a whining dragon. I think it was simpler than you thought.After experiencing a good meal and a warm bath, I''m ready to live here. Huh. Guile is your name. And it''s even simpler than I thought. I guess it was as simple as Rue. But ...... Or else is it too dangerous? Are the remaining dragons in the mountains safe? "And the mountain dragons don''t care if the king is gone for a few years. They say that dragons are basically lazy and sleep all the time as long as they''re not raiding their territory. And how do I know that after Lou''s rampage in the mountains, not one of them came down from the mountain to chase after him? Oh, I forgot that Lou had killed a lot of dragons when I thought about it . Thank God the dragons were lazy: ....... ''Indeed . Come to think of it . So you''re really going to live here? Is that ...... going to give you more wives, Leo-kun, again? Huh?You don''t like me very much.We''ll be okay about that. Oh, no, I''m not. You don''t think I''ll check around there? Well, you know. It''s the jealous Shelly. We both shook our heads in silence. "I''ve been trying to figure out how she could possibly like Leo. So how did you know it wasn''t there? She said ...... that dragons can''t have children with people in the first place. So he''ll never be a mate with a person. Huh. Dragons are apparently just lizards and reptiles. So it''s a pet? You could at least call him a guard dog. But you already have a dog. Then Leena pulled a hellhound out of the shadows. I agree: ....... You haven''t been active yet, but you''ve had a guard dog . ''Well, well, I think being able to fly is going to be useful in the future. Dragons can be intimidating just to be around. I don''t know if you''ll ever get me on board, but I''m sure the dragons will make it easier for me to move in the air. Right. Wouldn''t this be useful in war? ''Then wouldn''t it be fun to travel the kingdom''s expeditions in dragons too?And it would be intimidating to the kingdom. I like that. Let''s use it. Yeah. If that''s the case, we''ll have to get along somehow. What would make a dragon happy? 194 CHAPTER XVI -- TERRESTRAINER Wow. Look at how small the ground is. Ummm, yeah, ....... Oh, you don''t like heights, do you, Hermann? No, it''s not like that. Now we were traveling on the back of a dragon. To the Kingdom. A kingdom. To attend the wedding of a princess and a brave man. We''re going for speed, so we''re going to get tossed off and it won''t be a comfortable ride, but we can use non-attribute magic, so that''s not a problem. No way... I never thought I''d actually end up riding a dragon to the kingdom. Yeah. What''s surprising is that the former Dragon King was more cooperative. Now we''re riding on the back of Gil, Guill''s parents. It''s one size bigger than Guile. "The weak must follow the strong. It was a very strong leader, though. When we got close enough to talk to Guile... he asked to speak with the former dragon king, so I went to see him. Then he asked me to fight him, and we ended up fighting. Well, I won. Guillotine had more experience than me, so the fight was harder. Then Gil said he''d be my man. That helped me make a deal with Guile. No, no, no, you were able to talk to Guile originally. Well, your father''s words have made him more cooperative. The weak should follow the strong. Is that the rule for dragons?When he said that, Guile suddenly became very quiet. Guile, I felt like my father was the one who was supposed to do it. Yeah, I know. And I''m sorry that I separated you from your father. Oh, is that King''s Landing, by any chance? Yeah ...... the royal capital, both in terms of map and in terms of what it looks like. Yeah. Well, just land in the center of the royal city. All right. We''re gonna get loud. SIDE: Kite Haha. ...... I sighed heavily as I sat in Elaine''s room looking out. ''That sigh was for the wedding?Or will it work out with the Imperial emissaries? It can''t be against the wedding. The messenger of the Empire. Lonce Muldaine. ...... What''s he like? A key player in the next war, and now the preliminaries are about to begin. How can I not be nervous. I don''t know. You know what?I don''t want you to be vulnerable under any circumstances, okay?Do you know what this means? I know. I am the symbol of the kingdom''s power. If I lose, the country loses. Don''t get too worked up about it, though: ...... Oh, my God! Just as Hlne was about to say something, the knight in Hlne''s direct image rushed into the room. ''''What in the world is going on?The Imperial emissaries have arrived? No, if that was all there was to it, we wouldn''t be in such a hurry. ''''An imperial emissary has suddenly appeared out of the sky on a dragon! From the sky with a dragon? What?What are you talking about? Believe it or not: ...... I''ll go check it out. If that''s true, that''s a big deal. We''re gonna have to see this thing with our own eyes. "Wait!I''m going with you! When they stopped me, I jumped out the window with Elaine in my princess hug. "Ugh, you''re kidding me. ...... It''s really a dragon. From the roof of the castle, there are indeed two large dragons ...... that I can see. And at their feet are the messengers of the Empire. That''s the dragon....... I don''t have the confidence to take down two of them, even now. Even the dungeon boss wasn''t that big. I don''t think I''d be able to fight that thing unless I could beat the last boss of a dungeon on a higher difficulty level. I''m not sure two of them would make a good fight. Of course not! One dragon usually destroys half the country, right?I can''t believe you''re taming it: ...... So the rumors about Leons being able to defeat the dragon were true . Then the kingdom''s chances of winning are really slim. With the information Elaine got, the Empire doesn''t want to go to war, right? Yeah. The duke''s rebellion has devastated the country, and you want to avoid the war as much as possible. ''After all this time, ...... war, we can''t just cancel it now, can we?'' I think it''s in both our interests not to do this. Well. I don''t think the pig would think for a second that he''d lose if he heard about the dragons. And even if we did stop the war with the Empire, it would still be a terrible civil war. You''re right: ....... Even for free, our nobles can do whatever they want. Hlne is not well-liked by the nobility. If there''s a civil war, the first thing they''ll come after is Hlne. What... Haha. It''s hard not to get nervous. Yeah. But that''s all I have to do now. I''d like to help, but the politics of the game are going to have to be left to Hlne. The only thing I can do is protect her. SIDE: Leonce. Well, welcome a long way. I am Lambros Beckman, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Arbor. When he decided to arrive with a flourish, a man with thin hair came out of the castle in a hurry . Prime Minister, is this the man who controls the incompetent king . ''''No . Thanks to the dragons, you don''t seem so far away. You''re Ramlos. Congratulations on the wedding of Highness Elemenane and brave Kite. Do you have a dragon? ...... I knew he was afraid of dragons. Gil, Guile. You can be a man. There was no point in scaring them any longer, and I made them the size of a man. "You''re a long way from home. Thank you. Hmm. When I thanked him, Gil bailed and Guille turned his head to the side with a grin. Well, it''s cute to think of it as Guile''s way of showing affection. Well, it''s nice to meet you. I''m Lonce Muldaine, this is Rihanna Abelard. I''m here to assist the Imperial Envoy. After turning the two dragons into people, I introduced myself to the Prime Minister, introducing Leena to him. "Well, good morning. Word of Lord Leons has reached the kingdom. "Really. That''s very nice of you. By the way, may I ask what your plans are for today? "Yes, sir. Later today, His Highness Shelia and Prince Leons will have an audience with His Majesty the King. And if I may explain what happens after tomorrow, tomorrow evening we''ll have the eve of the ceremony, and the day after tomorrow morning the ceremony will begin early. An audience with the king is a bit disconcerting, but otherwise normal. Yes, sir. Also, the two of you and His Highness Prince Elemenane would like to speak with you after the ceremony, and I would appreciate it if you could remain in the kingdom for a while afterwards. It''s been a while. ....... "That''s very kind of you. I''ve been wanting to speak to His Highness Elemenane in person as well. It was a bit awkward, but I smiled and said yes. I''ve always wanted to talk to the princess, so I guess it''s okay. Oh, I see. Well, I''ll let you know what I''m doing after the ceremony. Yes, sir. Prime Minister, you were pretty tense when you saw the dragon. We were ushered into a room until we had an audience with the king, and we were discussing the prime minister''s reaction. "Your goal of intimidating the kingdom for now was a success. If they''re that scared, maybe some of the nobles will balk at starting a little war. The question is, what will the kingdom, and especially the king, do when they see the dragon? It would be nice if they would give up the war, but with the situation in the kingdom, that would invite rebellion, so we can''t do that. After doing some research, I found out that the kingdom is not too happy with the king. If it''s only the common people, then the nobles hate him too. So the king wants to somehow turn that anger against the empire. Well, if you take someone''s wife, even the most disobedient nobleman will explode in discontent. What does Leo think the king will do now? Assassination or incarceration. I can assure you the king will be doing this. "What? I think that''s what he was going to do. It would give us a fighting chance and me and Shelly are good POWs. Well, we''ve got that covered. Now we just need to go to ...... and talk to the Jewel Princess. Yeah. I was actually going to sneak out to talk to him, but it saved me a lot of trouble. Preventing an assassination is a pain in the ass, but talking to the next king is a big deal. I have a lot of ideas for political maneuvers. Will it work? It''ll be fine. Vals says that princesses are smarter than their parents. This is easier than talking to the Fool King. 195 Im listening. Messengers of the Empire. Thank you for coming. The fat man slumped back in his chair looking down at us. The symbol of a foolish king. We''re having an audience with the king. I don''t really want to bow to him for plotting Sherry''s kidnapping, but I had to. No. Congratulations on the wedding of His Highness Elemenane. This is a gift from the Empire. On behalf of the royal family, Shelly presented a certain magic implement to the king. "Hmm?What''s this? It''s called a camera, a magical tool that instantly captures a lifelike picture. Yeah. I picked out a camera as a gift. I couldn''t give you anything of value for materials or money, and it''s not something that would be useful for the war. I also chose a camera because it''s something the fool would use for his own greed. Oh. You''re right. I see. I''ve got a funny idea. When he took a picture, the foolish king let out a sickening laugh. As expected . ''''And you guys said you came to our country with your dragons. ...... What do you mean by that? Hmm? What do you mean, sir? ''How dare you bring a dragon into our country, I ask you! You were laughing at me all day, and now you''re angry and I don''t know what to do. I really don''t know what you think you''re doing. Transportation. It''s a day''s ride to King''s Landing, which takes a few weeks by carriage. I answered for Shelley in this case. ''That''s not what I''m talking about!This is an act of aggression by dragons!Therefore, hand the dragon over to us as punishment. Huh? What part of this was an act of aggression? Indeed, if you ask me, I didn''t go through the gauntlet, so it hurts that I can''t argue with you. Bringing in a dangerous dragon is an act of aggression. Therefore, hand them over to us as soon as possible. Hey! He doesn''t know about the barrier. This guy''s got to be strong. No, sir. What? "And I don''t think the kingdom can handle a dragon. Is there anyone in the kingdom who can slay a dragon?If you''re not there, I don''t think you should leave a dragon in the country. If you''re not, it will destroy the country. What?Then we have a Yuusha in our country. "Your Grace. Not bad. You don''t get to see any dragons in your kingdom?The imperial emissary must have brought the dragons as a spectacle. Besides, I don''t think it''s a good idea to get your hands dirty just before the big day. I was going to let him actually fight when he said he could beat the brave man, but the Prime Minister stopped him. Well, that''s true. Well then, let''s let him off the hook this time. Thank you. Really, why do I have to bow to this guy . When I came back into the room after the audience was over, Sherry and Lina sat down on the sofa as if they were falling down . ''''I didn''t know what was going to happen at one point,'''' Okay. Maybe you wouldn''t even be at the wedding. The Prime Minister saved you, didn''t he? No, I think he was afraid of the dragons destroying the country. I think the king thought a brave man could defeat it, but I think the Prime Minister knew that was impossible . Barus said that even if he got the skill, it was still only a stun. An ordinary dragon might be able to take him down, but he''d be no match for the Dragon King. If the Prime Minister hadn''t stopped him, I would have him demonstrate it and change the discussion from whether we committed an act of aggression to whether brave men are stronger than dragons. I wanted to see the skills of a brave man. Shall we take a peek at things over there, anyway? I have a general idea of what they''re thinking, but I don''t want to miscalculate, and it''s good to know. I pulled up the monitor and started checking to see if any information was being sent from the rat I had set up. SIDE: Lambros. ''Totally ....... Normally they''re easy to handle, but I don''t want them to be stupid kings at times like this. It''s only a matter of time before you figure it out.What about the dragons?You can imagine what it would be like to have something like that fought in King''s Landing . ''''Besides, Leonce Muldeen: ....... Was the rumor that he could defeat a dragon true: ....... d*mn . When will the former heroes get in our way? The grandson of the hero who killed the demon king. so it wouldn''t surprise me if he''s got some of his powers. I really hate him. so why did the old man let the brave man go? I thought it would be a good idea to go toe-to-toe with a brave man, but they won''t even let me do that, because there''s probably a difference in their abilities. If that''s the case, then it''s ...... assassination and hostages . The best outcome would be to take the princess and the saint as hostages and kill Leons, but the remaining dragons would be a hassle ....... Leons has a history. But I don''t think he can successfully assassinate a dragon by any stretch of the imagination. Can we add a powerful poison to it: ......? No, I''m afraid of what will happen if you fail. It would be better not to buy the dragon''s wrath if possible . But if we don''t do something about the ...... dragons, we have no choice. In this case, we''ll just have to play our trump card. With that skill that the former hero used when he defeated the Demon King, he should be able to handle about two dragons . I''d save it for the war, but if we can get a hostage and kill Leons, it''s not a bad idea to use it here: ...... or... One way or the other. I was going to ask the brave men and Elemenane to leave when I was done with them. Better than having to struggle then. Elemenane......I would have let you live if you''d stayed a jewel princess. So it''s the brave man''s fault too? Yeah, he''s really annoying. Huh. ...... Sighing, I chirped and rang the bell . Soon a butler came into the room. "You wanted to see me, sir? Tell the shadows to move. Tell them to do whatever it takes to pull off the plan. And. I don''t care how many lives are lost at this point. Worst-case scenario, a nobleman from your faction dies. We''ll have more than enough to cover our losses. Yes, sir. The rest of the time, just make sure you get it into their ears that Elemenane is trying to kill Leons. That way, if it fails, we can say it was Elemenane''s plan. Yes, sir. Requirements are over. You can go now. Fancy. Now all you have to do is pray for success. SIDE: Leons. Go ahead and pray. Well, I don''t think the god of this world is such a convenient guy. So you''re going to use your heroic correction here. Isn''t it not a bad move for the kingdom to take? Surely with the ability to beat the Witch King you''ll be able to beat a dragon. without me, you won''t have to use your warrior''s compensation. But I wonder what they plan to do about the premise of my assassination. I''m pretty sure I''m more trouble than dragons. ''Also, I knew the kingdom was going to kill the brave men and the princess when they weren''t needed anymore. I didn''t think that the people who controlled that idiot king to feel good about themselves would make Elemenane, who didn''t seem to get his way, king . ''''If Elemenane becomes king, we''re going to be a somewhat better country. ''Oh, you''re peeping at me again?Whose bath scene is this? I was mumbling to myself on the monitor when Leena hugged me from behind. That''s unusual. It''s Leena. I looked at Sherry to see if she was tired or dozing on the couch. ''No, no. I''m just a bald guy talking to myself. People call me a peeping tom, so I don''t bypass the rat monitor. ''Oh, your husband has such a hobby. It''s not true. It''s a legitimate spy operation. You know, it''s kinda gross watching that old man talk to himself. Hmm. I know, I know. Good evening. Did you find anything new? No, not really. If I had to guess, I''d say they''re planning an assassination attempt. I won''t mention the heroic correction. I don''t want to make you any more nervous than you have to be. Oh, I''m scared. Maybe they''re still coming at us through the wall. ''Maybe. ....... Ah. I casually looked through the wall and found a cannon pointed at us. You''d go that far: ....... ''Huh?What''s going on? No, it''s nothing. I have a feeling that if I tell you what''s on the other side of the wall, you''re going to freak out and I''ll have to cover it up. I don''t think they''re going to shoot me now, so I''ll sneak in and destroy it later. ''No, that can''t be it. What''s going on over there? No. . uh, ....... I hesitated for a second, then put my mouth close to Leena''s ear. And then I said the most meaty thing I ever heard. "I saw people naked when I did that clairvoyant thing. Ugh. ...... pervert. He blushed and slapped me lightly on the cheek. Well, you could''ve fooled me now. 196 to destroy the plan of the 18th episode Excuse me. After finishing spying on the rat monitor, I was sneaking little tricks into the cannon and flirting with Leena when a butler entered the room. Ah, a butler under the Prime Minister''s orders. I steeled myself and surveyed the area. Okay. It''s okay. It''s clear. What''s going on? We just wanted to see if there''s any inconvenience for you. No way. I''m sure you came up here for something. Yeah. She''s all right. That''s good to hear. I''ll call you for dinner afterwards, so please make yourself at home until then. Oh, and ...... it''s just a rumor, but it seems that His Highness Elemenane is planning to assassinate the Imperial envoy. It''s only a rumor, so you can just keep it in your head, but ...... please be careful with it. Just as we were leaving the room, I remembered. As if to open the door, the butler opened it and then turned around to tell us exactly what he had been ordered to do. "Why is His Highness Elemenane plotting an assassination? ''I know it''s just a prediction, but I think you''re thinking of starting a war with the ...... empire.Oh, of course, not all of the kingdoms want such a thing . The selfish, jewel-crazed princess ...... of His Highness Elemenane''s faction wants it. Self-interesting, hey ...... that''s you noblemen. I see ...... that''s right. I''ll be careful. Yes. I''d appreciate it if you would. Of course Elemenane isn''t up to this, is she? Shelley asked me about it a while after the butler had left. ''Yeah. I don''t think he even knows the assassination is going to take place, do you? ''Then the kingdom is going to put all the blame on Elemenane? Yeah, I guess so. She doesn''t seem to be well-liked among the nobility. The smart-ass king is no good to them. That''s sad. Well, it''s okay. I don''t make a single successful assassination. Actually, I already killed one of the traps. Later that night. I was watching the monitor, telegraphing instructions to Hermann and Alma. (Alma, there are people hiding in the front room and upstairs, so keep them asleep with poison.) Yes, sir. Hermann stays in front of the room. Herman''s presence in the room makes it harder for him to get in. (Yes!) So we knew something was up after the first night. They were trying to get us to sleep, but they wouldn''t let us get close enough. Anybody suspicious that got within a certain distance was put to sleep by Alma. (I neutralized the men in hiding with poison, just as you asked.) Thank you. You didn''t notice Alma approaching, did you? Yes. I think he was okay. Your transparency skills are excellent. She can slip through walls and ceilings just the way she wants to. I''m so glad I sent them to the dungeon. Copy that. I don''t know if I can find anything else at the moment: ......) Master, please go to sleep. We''ll take care of the rest. (That said, ......) That''s okay. I''ll have regular rounds of the surrounding rooms. (Still, I''m the only one who sleeps at ......) No, as a knight I don''t want my master to stay awake forever. You should go to bed early. We''re busy tomorrow. Besides, Guire and the others will take care of things during the day tomorrow, so we won''t have to worry about them. Well, yeah. Let''s just follow the directions here. (All right, ....... (But keep me posted if you find any new suspicious people. Of course. Good night. Yeah. Good luck, both of you. Are you done? When I stopped the telepathic conversation, Belle, who was holding me, asked me if I was worried about her . I was actually telling her to sleep with Sherry and the others, but she said she wouldn''t sleep unless I did, so I decided to just watch the monitor with both of them. It was surprisingly good to have Belle in my arms because she calmed me down and helped me make a calm decision. ''''For the time being, I got the people in the surrounding rooms to sleep. Even if additional people came in, if they saw their friends all sleeping together, I don''t know if they''d be able to set something up for us to do with the stones. Yeah. So, you''ll be safe for now. Maybe. Yeah. Alma and the others told me to go to bed, so I''m going to bed. When I was relieved, I suddenly felt drowsy. Maybe it was a good thing I took Alma and the others at their word. "Yes, sir. I think we should go to bed. It''s been a long time since I''ve been alone with Belle, though. We used to stay up all night together. When we were in the mansion in the Imperial City, we used to make magic tools until we both fell asleep. ''''These days, we have Shelly-san and Leena-san here. I think Belle is being too reserved with Shelly and the others. It''s not that I''m not a maid anymore, I mean, I''m not normally a maid, but you can do what you want with your private time like this. It''s always so sad to see Shelly and the others around, they don''t want to take a step back and participate in the conversation. It''s not like that: ...... Come on. What do you want?Now, whatever you want to do. By the way, I''d like Belle to sleep with me for the first time in a long time~ Okay, well, I''ll let you sleep with me, then. Yeah. Okay. I couldn''t help but laugh because Belle was so cute when she blushed and agreed to it. No, Belle was really cute. Then I put the monitor away and we crawled into bed. No matter how uncomfortable I felt in the past, I could always fall asleep in bed with Belle next to me. Yes, ...... and also, for some reason, I get up early. Hahaha. Maybe it''s because it wants to see Belle sleep. I mean, you always say you sleep with me until I fall asleep and then you sleep with me until morning. You''re always a terrific early riser, but when you sleep with me, you definitely oversleep. That''s because ...... I''m comfortable and fall asleep too, and ...... when I wake up in the morning, Leo-sama, who is usually asleep, catches me stiffly and won''t let me go. So I give up, sleep twice, and then Leo can see me sleep. Oh, I''ve been told that before . Yes, ...... it''s the only way. Bells are soft and comfortable to the touch. They make great hug pillows. Yeah. "Ugh, ...... I''m starting to feel embarrassed. Shall we go to bed? I guess so. Good night. Good night. The next day. SIDE: Gert. The magic cannon didn''t work? When I woke up in the morning and went to work, I was taken in by a knight and informed by the vizier that he had used his magic cannon last night but it did not work. ''Oh, may I ask you to tell me what''s going on?And my men were put to sleep, was that your doing too? A soldier being put to sleep?What do you mean? Well, it can''t be. I don''t know if I''ve ever seen a magic cannon, but how do you think I put my soldiers to sleep? It''s easy. You tampered with the magic cannon and tried to put the soldiers to sleep, didn''t you?You can do it. You can ...... do it, but you can ....... ...... what does it mean to me to do that? "Come on. You''re just a traitor. You don''t have to betray us anytime soon. I wouldn''t do that to betray you! Betray the kingdom, and where am I going to go? Well. So the magic cannon that you were so adamant about killing Leons is no longer working, what do you do?If this fails, then yes, I''ll keep you in criminal slavery because I''m not going to kill you ...... . Well, if you want to be a slave, I can do it now. A criminal slave?Don''t be silly. I''d rather die for that thing. Well, no. I''ll find out why now and I''ll have another plan in place by tomorrow. Yeah, it''s all yours. You have a week, at the most, to keep them here. If you don''t kill them by then, it''ll be the end of your life, right? Yes, sir. d*mn it, ......, whatever it is, I just have to find out why. I rushed to the room with the magic cannon. What does ...... mean?No scratches on the outside: ...... magic stones are fine, no problems with granting them. This magic cannon is a custom-made item that I''ve granted to the limit. It''s all about killing Leons, and I couldn''t believe that it malfunctioned when I added five abilities: Instant Death, Additional Attack, Wide-Range Explosion, Increasing Power and Decreasing Required Magic Power ...... To begin with . I don''t remember making something that could break that easily. It worked fine on the last test run last week. So how did it break? ''The magic circle is ......?It''s just the firing part that''s been erased. This is artificial. They don''t naturally disappear in the first place. I see ...... that guy figured it out and destroyed it beforehand. Leons, who had learned magic tools from his father, would know where the firing part of this complex magic circle was . ''''d*mn ...... I guess I wasn''t thinking straight. But still, it''s really a cheat guy to break only the internal magic circle without anyone noticing it . ''''...... When it comes to this, you can kill him with a high degree of certainty like before. I knew we couldn''t use bombs inside the castle like we did before, but I guess we don''t have a choice in the matter. I won''t let that happen. Hmm? Suddenly, I heard a woman''s voice and turned around and before I could even turn around, I was handcuffed to my hand. I''m sure my strong arm would have been able to make this a breeze. What do you mean, it''s not going to break under my power? Master Leons made these cuffs. They have no skills and no magic. Leons: ...... So that''s what it is. He built a cheat sheet. That makes sense. d*mn it. That''s dead. That''s about it. Well, go to sleep for now. Hmm. I don''t care what you do anymore. ...... I gave up and let go of my consciousness. 197 CHAPTER XIX The Eve Before Marriage ① SIDE: Lambros. ''What!That sub-human was captured? This morning, after I gave that incompetent subhuman''s last sentence, such a report came in immediately. ''''Yes . He has been detained because of his suspicious movements near the Imperial messenger. And since it is guilty of committing mass murder in the Empire, it cannot be excused: ...... What the f*ck ...... is he doing? "That idiot...... d*mn it. I''m going in. If we''re going to kill Leons, we''re going to need him. I guess I''ll have to go down there myself. Excuse me, sir. Oh, Mr. Lambros. Is this about Gert? When I walked into the room, Leonce was sitting in a chair by himself, as if he had been waiting for me . ''Yes . I''m very sorry for this. No, no one was hurt, thankfully, so don''t worry about it. We''ll just take custody of them. d*mn it, ......, that''s what happens. What to do?What do I have to say to you to get it back? Well, that''s not good. He is a citizen of the realm. And the people of the realm must be judged by the realm. So, what punishment will the kingdom inflict on Gert? How about "criminal slaves"?In the kingdom, it is the next heaviest sentence after death, and in some cases, death is better. Still, that means Gert is alive, right? "Yes ...... but I didn''t commit murder in the kingdom, so . Besides, it would be strange to put him to death just for acting suspiciously. I could add a plausible reason, but normally if you''re trying to harm another country''s royalty, you can''t complain about being killed outright . It''s a weak reason: ....... ''''Well, that''s true too . Then here''s what we''ll do . How about we take custody of him for the time we are in the country and hand him over to the kingdom on our return?Also, we don''t want you to make any suspicious moves. Besides, since we''ve fulfilled the condition that we''ll be judged by the kingdom side, there''s no problem for the kingdom side as well. Yeah, that''s ...... It''s a generous offer, but the man is nowhere near as valuable as he used to be. He''s no better than a magician if he''s not available here. Is something bothering you?He was going to do us harm, remember?Could it be that it was an order from the kingdom?He has testified to such things too: ...... Did he betray us?d*mn it ...... I still don''t trust traitors. Well, no way!That''s just made up! Really. Then we''ll take custody of him for the duration of his stay. ...... Got it. I couldn''t say anything else, so I gave up and went back to my room. ''Shit!'' I went back to my room and kicked off my chair. I haven''t been this frustrated. Last time things went so wrong was when you left your fiance to marry another woman. "You really shouldn''t hit things. Shut up!Shut up ...... Yeah, oh, how did you end up here? I heard a voice from behind me stopping me, and I was about to punch him in the face when I saw Master May was there. The man who rose to the rank of Prime Minister, but he doesn''t usually show up here. Why is this man here?Did you think I failed and came to turn it off? I was so terrified I couldn''t stop sweating. "My master sent me to do this. Here. Use this. As I struggled to hold back a shiver, I was handed a dubious crystal, a pitch-black greatsword and a beautiful music box . ''''This, this is ......?'''' This. This is my go-to magic item. It''s handy, and I use it whenever I want to get someone to make a scene. What are you talking about?Who is this guy? Wow, how am I supposed to use this? Just follow these instructions and there''s nothing to be afraid of. How''s that?Aren''t you glad? Oh, thank you. I can''t thank you enough. I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen, but I can''t refuse. I''ll be killed if I refuse. I''ll see. Well, good luck with that. See you later. After Master May disappeared, I sat back for a while . SIDE: Leons. The eve of the festival. I was always on the lookout for any noblemen who approached at random. Just because we had Gert in custody doesn''t mean they wouldn''t do anything. Especially at this time when we need to be away from the knights. That guy will definitely do something to us here. It''s time. Shouldn''t we go say hi to the princess? Yeah, I guess so. I guess we should get going. Sherry sent us over to the main attraction of the day. Well, first meeting. How''s that for a start? "It''s a pleasure to meet you. Princess Vector, I am Shelia Vector, Queen of the Vector Empire. This is Lonce Muldaine, Rihanna Abelard. I would like to offer my congratulations on your marriage. Thank you. I knew your ages, but I''m surprised you''re all so much younger than I expected. Young . Well, we''re still kids. We''re the only adults at the party today, so we can''t help but float around . That''s true. We''re only 14. ''You really were fourteen years old . Especially since the Marquis of Leons didn''t seem like much of a child, given the achievements that had reached the kingdom. Hmm?Now you want to talk to me. No. It''s just luck, you know? I was humble for now. I don''t think so. That dragon was very impressive. Hey, Kite? Yes, it was. That was quite a surprise. That was just luck, my dear. My knights did a good job. I didn''t lie. Guile''s first battles were with Hermann, Bernold and Frank. I''ve heard that the knights of the Marquis de Leonce are strong, but I never thought they''d be able to tame the dragon: ...... That''s why there aren''t so many of them. Well, this is all I can do because I''m an upstart aristocrat. Actually, I can make up the numbers with golems. I tried to feign annoyance here. Still, if each of us is strong enough individually to take down a dragon, shouldn''t that be a problem? This time, Kite the Brave took a bite. You''re probably wondering who you''ll be fighting. No.... We''re outnumbered...we''re at a disadvantage in a long war. Also, there are only three of us who can defeat a dragon for now. Well, three is plenty of time for that. Maybe so, but your husband is more of a monster, you know? Well, we certainly shouldn''t get greedy. Oh, and you wanted to meet with me after the wedding, what would that entail? ''That''s why I wanted to discuss the future of the Empire and the Kingdom in private. Personally, or ....... Okay. I''ll see you later. Yeah. Also. Palin! "Kyah! As I tried to move away from the princess, I heard glass breaking and a woman screaming. I quickly went into a combat stance. "I knew she was here to do something. He''s trying to hit us at the most opportune moment. It''s a monster! Hmm?A demon? I heard someone shouting, and when I looked through to the center of the commotion, I saw a straw coming out of a crack in space . I''ve seen this scene before . ''''That''s ...... a lie . It''s a demon summoning stone. Yes. It''s the same magic item that went to hell in the underground city. How did it get here? And how am I supposed to deal with that in such a small, crowded place? It was so unexpected that I couldn''t move quickly enough. 198 CHAPTER XX The Eve Before Marriage ② SIDE: Kite. What the hell is going on here? I was stunned to see the demon attack and the fleeing nobles spread out in front of me. ''''I don''t know . But Marquis Leons seems to know. Speaking of which, he said something about seeing a bunch of demons coming out. "So the Empire is behind this? "No. The Empire wouldn''t have bothered to do this. Because with two dragons, they could clear the city in an instant? Surely the Empire could have brought down the kingdoms if it wanted to. Then he wouldn''t put himself in danger like this. "So, would someone from the ...... kingdom betray you? That''s possible. Maybe they thought they couldn''t beat the Empire, so they started a rebellion. So you''re saying that''s what they''re after, Elaine? Maybe. ...... d*mn. I don''t think I have a sword at this point. I want to protect Hlne, but I can''t defeat the demon without my sword. Should I run and get Hlne?No, that might be blamed on Elaine later on . What to do: ....... ''''Brave master, please use my sword. My men will now bring the sword of the heroes, so until then, please use this ...... As I was struggling, a knight held out his sword to me. "All right. Thank you. Thank God. This will be the first place to fight. Kite, please. You''re the only one here that can fight this. You''re the only one who can. Right: ....... There were knights of the kingdom here, but they''ve mostly escaped . True, you''re usually a great guy ....... ''''Of course . I''ve managed to ...... hmm?A music box? "What is this ...... demon attack ......? As the sound of the music box, which was not supposed to be heard in this screaming party hall, the people in the hall, including Hlne, began to fall down in a flurry . ''''Elaine!...... Is this just sleeping? I hurriedly hugged Hlne to check on her as she collapsed, and she was slumbering in her sleep. Thank God. She''s not dead. This music box has a power to put people to sleep. Did Gert give me a spell to counteract the effects of the spell? d*mn it.And now, to the music box in the coma. They took it out of the underground city! The screams from earlier had stopped and the party hall had suddenly gone quiet, but Leons'' voice echoed through the party hall. He knows something, too. ''Hey!Leons!Explain this situation to me. I forgot about the honorific and came at Leons in a strong tone. "I don''t understand that either. What I do know is that your head honcho used a stupid magic item in a place like this. You don''t care how many nobles die? Top of my place?You mean that idiot king and his balding prime minister? d*mn ...... They were originally going to kill Elaine. ''Shit!If it comes to this, I''ll do it! ''Oh, that sword: ......'' Faster than Leons could try to stop me, I drew the sword the knight had given me. SIDE: Leons. Sword of Madness...... These are all the three wicked tools I saw in the underground city. But you can''t give a brave man a crazy sword! Who would have stopped it if we weren''t here?Really, you''re an idiot. I swore at the kingdom while kicking a brave man who had gone berserk. But still, couldn''t the electric shock be nullified by disabling the status quo? I bent and stretched my right leg and waited for the paralysis to heal. We can''t kill the heroes and ...... this is an incredibly troublesome situation. Well, we''re all asleep, so it''s a good thing I can go off at will. In order to attack the Demon Summoner, I had to use a lot of techniques that I couldn''t even show the kingdom. Thank goodness for the music box. ''''Master. Sorry I''m late! No, that''s okay. In the meantime, why don''t you two keep an eye on that hero over there. Be careful, okay?He''s got ten times the status now. It''s probably impossible to beat the brave man now, so buy me time to kill the first monster in the line of fire. I''ll take care of the heroes after that. I''ll take care of the hero. ''''Good. In the meantime, let the golems evacuate the nobles: ....... Shelly, use your magic to reduce their numbers. Don''t worry about damaging the castle. As I said that, I used the power of the holy sword to summon Shelly''s staff and handed it to Shelly. When it comes to pushing numbers, magic is the most effective. Sherry has grown a lot since the time we were attacked in the underground city, so she''ll be a much stronger asset than she was then. "Lina, this will keep the princess safe and give you and Hermann some cover. Maybe we''ll need Lina''s holy magic to counteract the electrocution. This time he summoned Lina''s wand and created a magic item with a state invalidation ability and gave them both to her. The state invalidation is to wake up the princess. Maybe I have a feeling that the heroes won''t stop running amok without her. Okay. I''ll take care of this one. Yeah. It''s all yours. SIDE: Herman. "Yes. We can''t let this thing beat us. I''m gonna beat you. The master put me in charge. We''ll take care of the hero. Yes. Gruaaaah! The brave man, who had been kicked by his master and slammed into the wall, let out a loud yell as he escaped from the wall . It''s just like a demon. ...... While I was thinking this, the brave man suddenly disappeared. Alma! The brave man had gotten behind Alma with unexpected speed. That''s right. Speed was Alma''s selling point. You''re okay!Worry about yourself! As he avoided the brave man''s attack with his transparencies, Alma hurriedly took his distance . ''''d*mn it ......, I can''t let the slash fly in this small and crowded area . I''d like to keep my distance and fight. ....... Besides, my slash will kill a hero. I''m going to have to put him to sleep with Alma''s poison, even if it means electrocuting him. Alma!I''ll take the bait!Let me sleep with the poison when I have a chance. Yes, sir! Let''s go to work! I unleashed my non-attribute magic and faced the hero. Even though he moves fast, his magic eye makes it easy to avoid him. The tricky part is the electric magic on my sword and clothes. Touch it and you''ll be momentarily paralyzed. With a brave man''s speed, he''d be able to send my head off in that instant. Since you can''t use slashes from long range, this is a really hard opponent to fight. But he''s unconscious, so it''ll be easy to fit him in. I see. He''s at high status, but he''s not as smart as he used to be. With this, even a simple bait-and-switch plan would work. And just as I thought, the brave man was easily lured by me and attacked from behind by Alma, which should have been ....... ''''Huh?'''' Amazingly, Alma''s attack was blocked by a wall of light. We rushed to keep our distance. I see. So that''s what your new skill is. d*mn. How do I beat it if that one doesn''t work? Herman! As I was thinking of a way out, Alma shouted my name. What''s the matter?Ah . I wasn''t looking with my evil eye, but there was a hero in front of me. Just in time. I was able to avoid the hero''s attack through my lucidity. This is... ''Ten times the limit ...... ten times the limit, and now the brave are a hundred times more brave or ......'' Uh-oh. "d*mn it, ......, there''s no room to fight back. They''re too fast. We''re finally using transparency to avoid them, and in this situation, we''ll be the first to die. We''ll just have to hold out until the clock runs out. Breaking the Limit ...... I believe you said you can use it for up to five minutes now. For five minutes, you can just barely withstand ....... Then continue to withstand the attacks of the brave ...... Do you think they''re out of time? He waited for five minutes, long enough, but the brave man didn''t show any signs of slowing down. ''No, the time limit has been increased tenfold. ''Ugh, lie ...... So you''re going to keep dodging attacks for another forty minutes?I can''t. You''ll run out of magic before that happens! That''s true. We don''t have much magic to begin with. We''ll only have about ten more minutes at best. "d*mn it. ...... The master asked you to do something and you end up not being able to do anything about it? (Sorry I''m late.) Listen, both of you, as you fight. (Master Leena! While we were pinned down, a telepathic message came through from Master Leena. I will now explain to you how to defeat the hero. 199 Talk 21 The night before the wedding 3 SIDE: Elaine. Please go to ...... . Wake up! Ugh, ugh. ...... Huh? When I woke up, I saw an unfamiliar face ...... in front of me, Rihanna, the grandson of a saint. Huh?Why am I sleeping?What about the demon? I know you''re confused, but since this is a time-sensitive situation, could you please help me without asking for details? What do I have to do to lend a hand ......? Considering the number of those demons in my memory, I think it''s safe to say we''re in a race against time. But there''s nothing I can do. "Will you help me stop the brave Lord Kite from running amok? ...... kite gone wild? Rihanna''s words woke my head, which hadn''t been able to turn in my sleep. What do you mean?Kite, are you sure you''re not punching the Marquis of Leons in the face at a time like this? I think you''ll understand if you look at that one. When I looked in the direction of the pointing, I saw Kite and an unknown pair of men and women fighting in the distance. ''''What ...... is that black sword ......?'''' The sword Kite is holding, and Kite herself has something of a bad vibe about her even when she''s away. That''s the kite, but it''s not the kite. Kite doesn''t fight that wildly. ''Leo said it was the Sword of Madness. It''s a fearsome sword that makes its owner violent instead of strong. Leo-kun...... Ah, the Marquis of Leons. Yes, ...... you seem to know something about the time the demon came out, say when the demon came out . But how ...... how did you get such a thing in Kite''s hands? ''Didn''t the knights of the realm give it to you?'' ''Oh, ah, ......'' I just remembered. When Kate was out of swords, a knight offered her a sword. So that''s what I think...that knight was working for Baldy too. I''ll never forgive him. I''ll make sure he''s executed for treason when this is all over. I beg you. Tell me about the wall of light the brave men create. Right now, those two are the only people here who can stop the hero. ''A wall of light?Ah, the skills of a kite. Are those two guys ......? Who''s fighting the kite?I don''t think we have anyone in the kingdom who can move like that. Two of the strongest knights of House Myrddin. They won''t be afraid of dragons. Still, it''s not going to be easy to stop the ...... rampaging hero. If we can capture that wall of light, I think we can handle it. ...... I see. So you''re two of the three that the Marquis of Leons mentioned . If Kite is attacking so one-sidedly against two people who can take down dragons ...... that sword, it''s terrifying . ''''All right. I''ll work with you. But I''ll be the one to stop Kite. It''s ....... This is non-negotiable. Wouldn''t you be willing to die for the Marquess of Leons? I interrupted Ms. Rihanna''s words and made my point in a way that she could never say it back. He would never concede if he were in the same position . Yes ......, that''s right. Okay. So how are you going to stop it? It''s easy. All I have to do is take the sword away from Kite. A simple kite doesn''t need to think twice. You know, I don''t think that''s even close to ...... That''s not true. That wall of light is an absolute defense against anyone it perceives as an enemy. In other words, if they don''t perceive me as an enemy, I can get to them without any problem. The other weaknesses of that wall are that it can only be used in one direction at a time, and that it doesn''t activate when you''re not aware of the skill''s activation. Well, I can''t tell that much to those who might be my enemies . ''''Right now, he''s so obsessed with the sword that he''s unconscious! I''ll be fine. Kite would never attack me. Even if I was unconscious or crazy, Kite would never attack me . I stared into Rihanna''s eyes and told her that I wasn''t going to bend my argument . ''''...... Okay, I understand . However, I''ll just tell the two of you to draw the attention of the heroes to them. You didn''t have to. Well, you can do whatever you want with it. Okay, I''m going to go. Take care: ...... ''Totally ...... be strong and make it sound like you can handle it alone, but in the end, you''re not going to be able to do it without me. While the two knights were desperately avoiding the attack, I approached Kite unafraid and unapologetically . ''''Urruaa!'''' You''re like a demon: ....... When Kite noticed that I was approaching, he let out a loud yell and swung his sword at me. ''''It''s okay . You would never hurt me. But that didn''t stop me. See, I knew it was all right. Kite''s sword didn''t seem to cut me in half, but firmly rested right above me . Now, it''s my turn to do the rest. I took hold of Kite''s right hand, which was wrapped in electric magic. "Ugh, ...... that doesn''t hurt as much as I thought it would. No, this is Rihanna...... and I''ll have to thank you later. It''s still extremely painful, but not enough to burn your body. You can do so much more when you master holy magic: ....... I have to stick it out too. See ...... I''ll be patient, so you''ll have to deal with it yourself. What happened to your promise to be happy! With that, I gripped Kite''s hand tightly . ''''UGAAAH!!!!'''' Ugh. ...... Kite is fighting the sword inside, or the electric magic has increased in power . That''s what ...... really makes my body burn ....... ''''It''s not safe to go any further!Stay away! "Don''t worry, ...... it''s just skinny-dipping. ...... I know it''s a little early to tell, but we''ve been getting to know each other. Kite. Hang in there, I''ll be here. Ug. ...... It''s getting more powerful again. This is bad news. ...... It''s like I''m going to lose consciousness. You''re in danger! Don''t worry ......, Kite will be back. ...... SIDE: Kite. ''......?As I recall, the ...... demons are out and ...... The next thing I knew, I found Hlne with her clothes ripped off and she was hugging me. "Thank God. Kite''s back. Why? Why? ...... Why is Elaine in tatters?How did I end up here? Wasn''t he trying to fight a demon, as I recall? I''m fine. I just had a little chatter. Chattering?Huh?What do you mean?Me, maybe Elaine. ...... I''m fine. Kite didn''t attack me once. ''So, but ......'' I almost killed Elaine, didn''t I? There''s no way that would be allowed. It shouldn''t be allowed: ....... I went pale and speechless from the truth. Then Hlne suddenly kissed me. "It was just a little intense skin-to-skin contact. You didn''t attack me. That''s why ...... When I tried to deny it, Elaine covered her mouth with a kiss . ''Kiss, I wanted to save it for tomorrow. ...... Well, it''s not a diminishing thing, and that''s fine.'' Then he kissed me again. Normally this would make me happy, but right now it''s a mixed bag. "Believe me. You didn''t attack me. ...... I get it. Trust me, ....... Well, you''ll just have to believe it. Sounds like it''s going to be okay. I''ll be fine. You two go see Leo. I heard a woman''s voice nearby and looked up to see two women and a man talking nearby . Was that ...... Rihanna who was with Leons? Who are the other two? As I was thinking that, they replied to Rihanna with a ''yes'' and went towards Leons and the others who were fighting the demons . Ah, demons ...... I knew it wasn''t a dream. d*mn it ...... what am I really doing. You just interrupted me at a time like this. They''re the knights of the Marquess of Leons. Look, they said they could kill the dragons. Maybe one of them. Did I ever fight those two? I''m not sure it''s going to be a very good fight? Yeah. But Kite was going to win, so I helped him out. ''What?Was I going to win? That''s ridiculous. What would I have to do to win? Yeah. That sword, instead of driving the person who has it crazy, it seems to give them a lot of power. That''s right: ...... So that''s the kind of sword it was: ...... depending on the situation where you use it. "You must never use that sword again. I don''t want to see you kill anyone, friend or foe, ever again. Yes, ...... sorry. What the hell was I thinking? After all you''ve done to hurt Hlne. Okay. So, are you ready to move? Yeah. I can still fight. I don''t think we can use the breakthrough. Then we need to reduce our debt to the Marquess of Leons as much as possible. Okay. This time I''ll fight with my own sword. Now we have two men who can beat the dragon. They can''t get beaten up while I''m out getting my sword. I squeezed Elaine and started running as fast as I could to my room. 200 Talk 22 The night before the wedding 4 How does it feel. I guess we''re finally done with phase one. I breathed a sigh of relief as I cleaned up the small horde of demons and looked around the dimly lit party hall with the lights broken. As for the brave men, it looks like Hermann and the others and Leena did a great job. To be honest, I thought it was tough, but the power of love was great. It''s only going to get stronger and stronger from now on, isn''t it ......? ''Yes, ......, should I bring Lou with me?'' When we were in the underground city, we had a few hours between us and the next phase, so maybe the next one will be tomorrow morning. By then, I''ll be able to bring Lou with me. ''''No, if they find out that the demon tribe is in the empire, they might even join the next war to the Teaching State, right? Oh, that''s right. I thought this was a kingdom, only enemies. That''s the trouble with that: ....... Maybe the last one we''ll have to deal with will be without Lou: ...... The castle will be somewhat destroyed, but Lou can easily defeat it. ....... ''''One of the five best demons in the demon world is summoned?'''' That''s right. In the underground city, I used to be a demon king. I don''t know how much of a difference in ability there is between the current Demon King and the current Demon King, but considering the competence of magic items made from those demons, that must have been pretty strong . ''''If something like that was summoned to a place like this: ...... Yeah. It''s going to fall down for sure. If a behemoth comes out after this, that behemoth alone can destroy the castle. But it''s not right away: ...... Just as I was about to suggest that we take a break, human-shaped demons were coming out of the cracks in space. That''s strange . I''m sure the interval between them wasn''t this short before. ''''That''s a ...... Mad Demon . And there are ten ...... Moreover, the next demon was that ...... demon I''ll never forget. ''''With such a scary look on your face ...... are you possibly strong?'''' ...... Yeah. It''s the monster that killed my grandfather. The 50th floor boss of the Trial Dungeon. Someone I''ll never forget. Is that ...... okay? I''ll be fine. But I want you to be careful. Those things will be gone. (You''re not that scary of a guy now, are you?) (Maybe so, but we''re all vulnerable to trauma.) As I answered Elena''s question, I took Anna out and put her on. ''''Good. I''ll take down all these demons. You guys, hang back. As I started to move, the demons grinned and disappeared. I''ve missed it. That stupid smile. "But I don''t think I''ll ever be as scared of your face as I was then. I can see them. Seven moved to surround me, and the remaining three headed for Shelley and the others. I won''t let them come to you. I used the transference to kill three of them. Yeah. They''re not scary when you can see them. Reaffirming the strength of the demons, I turned my attention to the seven remaining ones. All of their smiles had disappeared, and fear was evident on their faces. "A little bit of revenge, I guess. As I said this, I let the demons'' heads fly. SIDE: Elemenane. "You''re kidding me. ......What was that move? ...... It was faster than a runaway kite. ...... One minute the ten demons came out and ...... disappeared, and the next minute three of them were down, and a little later the other seven were down . Some kind of joke, right?Was I even thinking of fighting that monster, Kite? But Leo is holding back a lot of power to keep the castle from going down. You can kill them all without taking a step. You''re kidding me. ...... Are you holding back on that one?It''s unbelievable ...... No, I don''t want to believe it. ''''It''s true . That said, I''ve only seen Leo-kun fight for real a couple of times, too. "Who''s that guy you''re really interested in? If you hold back and are that strong, an opponent who can fight ...... seriously, even a dragon can''t do that. There was one time when I was in a situation like this. That was really scary. One more time is a ...... secret. It''s pretty now, but I remember being terrified at the time. ''I''d like to go into a lot of things, but ...... first of all, what do you mean by a situation like the one we just had?'' I forgot. Marquess Leons, you knew something about this situation. You have to hear it first. ''''That''s easy. Just like today, there have been times when the demon summons has been triggered in Myrddin territory. What? When? There hasn''t been any reports of that. In fact, if such a horde of demons had appeared in the city, the whole world would have heard about it. So how is it that the Myrddin territory has developed as if nothing has happened? "When the black market is gone. You know about the black market, don''t you?The one that was sold for a magic stone at a dark auction. ''What?Why ...... no, yes. That''s because it was purchased on your property. It''s easy to find out who bought it. Haha ...... I was so stupid I wanted to forget. That magic stone, the jewel that you paid a record price for, still hangs in your room because it''s such a waste. ''''Forget about that, what is this demon summoning stone? Watch out. I got off track. The important thing right now is not to know any more about this situation. "It''s a magical item that summons powerful demons from the demon world. The demon will be summoned in several stages, and the summoned demon will become stronger and stronger. That''s exactly what it will end up being: ...... The world of demons ...... is the world where the demon king lived. A world full of demons and demonkind. ......To summon a demon from a place like that is nothing short of terrifying. ...... What happens at the end? I was too scared to ask, but I gathered my courage and asked Rihanna a question . Thinking that there would be a demon that the Marquis of Leons would have to get serious in the future, I couldn''t stop my ...... legs from trembling . ''''No, I don''t know how strong the last demon is either . However, it might be better to be prepared for this castle to be destroyed . Such as ....... I can''t believe this castle is being destroyed: ....... ''Wouldn''t it be nice if the castle was destroyed and everyone was still alive?Oh, but we may not have the money to rebuild the kingdom. Kite....... As I was despairing about what was about to happen, Kite, who had just defeated a demon, comforted me . ''''Hey . What did Kite think when she saw how strong Marquis Leons was? ''Yeah, ...... I have to admit, I was a little scared. . because it''s someone I''ll have to fight in a few more years. I knew it. You''re actually going to fight, you''re even more scared than I am. You shouldn''t say that ...... we have to fight or anything like that in front of me. ...... Come on. You''re here with that in mind, right?Besides, with all those strong people, we''re not really afraid of them, are we? ...... So, after seeing that, do you think Kite would want to go to war with the Empire? After lightly silencing Rihanna, I continued to question Kite . Depending on Kite''s answer, ...... no, maybe Kite no longer wants to fight the war. If this is the case ...... somehow I''ll become king and stop the war when this is over. I don''t care if more or less of my life is at stake. "I was thinking before I saw that, I''d rather not have a war. Because in war, people will definitely die. That''s right. From the beginning, Kite was supposed to be forced into the war. I was going to call her up without permission and force her to join the war. ....... I''m so stupid to realize that after such a certainty of defeat. I haven''t grown up from the Jewel Princess. Don''t look at me like that. I don''t want the war. But I decided to join the war because I knew it was for Hlne''s sake. For me: ....... ''Because I don''t give a shit about anything else for Hlne . I''d gladly take that guy down if Hlne told me to. Already, that''s how you always, always spoil me ....... ''Kite ...... okay. I''m ready too. In order for me to grow up, I can''t just sit here and take advantage of the kite. When this is over, it''s my turn to do my best. 201 Talk 23 The night before the wedding 5 After all, I didn''t know there were sixty Mad Demons out there. I killed ten of them, then twenty, then thirty, then sixty without letting Shelley and the others touch me. I was lying on the floor, tired from all the fighting. All of them. Leo killed them all. They''re gonna disappear. We have to kill them before they do something to us. ''Maybe so, but ...... I screamed too when the demon''s head suddenly flew out of the sky. Come to think of it, there was a demon that beheaded Shelly in front of her. You worked too hard to take it down. I''m sorry. I didn''t think about it that much. No, I don''t need to worry about that. I don''t want to get Leo in trouble. Anyway, thanks for your help. Thanks. But I''m afraid it''s not safe to do so next time, so why don''t you take shelter with Leena and the others? Next time, it will be harder to kill them in the blink of an eye, or maybe the castle will fall down in the middle of the battle. No. I wish I could tell you that, but I''ll tell you what: ...... Okay. I''ll get out of your way and take shelter. Thank you. Well, I guess I''ll just send everyone back to Mirdine for now. I got up and headed towards Leena and the other brave men. Good job, Leena. You''re safe. No, it''s nothing serious. So, what are you going to do after this? ''That''s the thing, can we all just run away to Mladine?Because there will probably be some very strong enemies after this. ''Okay. ....... Where are the princesses? Leena nodded and turned her attention to the princess and the brave man behind her . I guess so . I''ll have the two of them evacuate as well. ''''Would you be willing to evacuate to the safety of Mladin territory for now? ''To the Marquis of Leons'' estate ......?It''s a long way from here, isn''t it? ''Actually, I have a skill called transference ...... that allows me to move to any place in an instant. ''Oh, come to think of it, you have skills like that . Yeah ...... After all, we''re moving into enemy territory with some mysterious skill. There''s going to be resistance. Now, how do we go about negotiating: ....... Elaine. Take shelter. Hmm?That''s some unexpected help. Was it for the princess''s safety? You came at me so hard before I drew my sword, I thought the hero would refuse. Oh, come on, the princess is my priority. But ...... ''They wanted Elaine for this, didn''t they?Then I hope Elaine is on the run. Where''s Kite? I''m staying. Because it''s strange to not have a single person from this country here. Well, I had a feeling. It feels weird to say no right now, so I guess I''ll just fight a brave man. All right, ...... please be safe, okay? I''ll be fine. I have a good luck charm. Then the brave man showed the princess a necklace with a beautiful jewel on it. Was it a present from the princess?Surely that''s a blessing. ''''Then, Marquis Leons, may I take refuge in your estate? Yes. Okay, everybody touch me. Master, we''re staying. Now it''s Hermann. No, I''m good. Me and my friend are fine. Besides, we''ll still have to guard the princess in the grounds. ...... Got it. Good. I convinced Herman and I made the transference. This is Mladin territory? You''re in the castle. In the meantime, you''ll just have to stay here until the monster attack is over. Cheryl, I need you to show me around. Okay. I''ll take care of this one. Yeah. Okay, I''ll be back in there. "Um, ...... Marquis Leons. As I was returning to the castle, the princess stopped me shyly. ''Yes, sir. What is it? I don''t think you, a guest, have any right to go this far. Why are you doing this for me? If you ask me, surely there''s no point in me going this far? ''Yes ...... because it would be too cute if it ruined your wedding?I guess. I don''t want it to be a bad memory for me, even if it''s only once in a lifetime. Even if it''s about to become an enemy. That''s why we''re here: ...... Now, if my plan is going to work, you''ll need to be alive. Does that make sense? Without Princess Hlne, I''d have to negotiate a lot of things with the other troublesome royals: ....... Yeah . If you think about it, it''s not much of an effort to do this. ''''Yes, yes ......'''' Okay, I''ll call you back when I''m done. In the meantime, just make yourself at home. ''I hope Elaine is okay?'' When I came back, a brave man grabbed me by the shoulders. I knew he was worried about you. I''m fine. I mean, you trusted me with this because you didn''t think I''d hurt the princess, right? ''Yes, but ......'' I''ll be fine. As someone with otherworldly memories, I won''t do anything bad to someone from another world. Hmm?The bearer of otherworldly memories?You ...... Yeah. The reason I didn''t take this guy into my territory is because I wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk alone with him. Also, because we talked to each other privately as people from the same other world. I''d say reincarnated, but that''s not quite right. Is it like they copied your memories from a reincarnated person and put them in? What do you mean? ''Yeah ...... just think of me as someone born with a little otherworldly memory.'' I''ve given up trying to explain. I don''t have the energy to explain the war between the incarnations and how I came to be. Is that so. Are there others out there like you? Yeah. Take Gert, for example. "Mr. Gert? My fellow reincarnates call me the Grandmaster. I''m a creator, by the way. "The Creator! What about the Creators? What''s the surprise in your eyes?What do you know about the Creator? The creator of mountains and dragons and kingdoms? Yeah. I knew you knew one of the creators that wasn''t me. No, I think it''s the other one. I think he''s in the Imperial dungeon. ''Oh yeah, ......, or maybe you''re still alive. They''re the same species as us. It''s some kind of magic item. So why is it okay if I call you Kite ...... Kite? You don''t need to ask that. You want me to be Leo? That''s true, but... It''s kind of weird to call someone you didn''t get along with before, you know? Yeah. Okay. So how does Kite know the original creator? I read it in a book. It was written by a brave man from a long time ago. Yeah. I can''t believe you still have those books. Well, it seems that a brave man has been summoned many times, so it wouldn''t be surprising if someone had written about it. Maybe I''ll write a book to help the next reincarnation. "Where did Leo know? The Demon King told me. ''Demon King!Isn''t the Demon King dead? Oh, that''s right. We''ve been treating it as a matter of course in the Mladine household lately, so I''d forgotten all about it. No, he''s not going to die. He has those skills. Because of his super regeneration skill, that guy is immortal . ''''Skills. ....... My limit breaking and protective light are powerful too . Does Leo also have skills other than transference? I have it. I''m not telling you what I have, but I have it. Secret. That''s right: ...... In two years, you''ll be fighting someone in a war. ''Well, if it keeps up, will it?It''s all up to the princess. If the princess marries tomorrow and puts an end to the war by pulling down the king when she marries, I''ll support her every step of the way. Well, that''s not going to be easy since the nobles won''t listen to you. It''s not like it''s an invasion if I mess with them. Aren''t you afraid of war, Leo? ''''Of course I''m scared. Even though we''re better equipped than the kingdom, we''ll still have to deal with a brave man and a grantor. Frankly, I''d rather not do it as much as possible. I understand Mr. Gert, but ...... me? The fear of a brave man comes out when he''s on the ropes. I''ll say no more. You can''t give them the most annoying hero compensation. If you aim for that thing, you''re no match for me. When we''re backed into a corner... ...... a skill that can be used for revitalization? I won''t tell you. ''Did the Demon King teach you that too?Or from the brave men who came before you? It''s the Demon King. I don''t know if Grandpa understood his power that well. I haven''t lived with my grandpa for a year to begin with: ....... I should have listened to the story about the time you fought the Demon King or something. Hey. How strong were your predecessors? ''Just about the same as Kite . Now that I think about it, it''s hard to believe that the only magic I could use was non-attribute magic. We''re blessed with magic, so it''s easy to get stronger, but unattributed magic really takes effort . ''''I see ... ....... You must have been a great guy. Yeah. He''s a great guy. Mad Demon . I defeated that one earlier, but I can''t get rid of the fuzzy feeling that comes from ...... this regret . As I was thinking this, a hole began to open up in space. Ah, here it is. Okay. I''ll try to make the wedding happen somehow. "Before the fight starts, let me just say. Leo...... thank you. It''s all right. Just hold your ground. We don''t know what kind of monster is out there. Oh, I mean, if it was just me and a brave man, you could have brought Lou with you, right? They let the princess escape on the premise that the castle would be destroyed, so it didn''t matter if Lou destroyed it or not: ....... No, it''s not a good idea to show Roux as well just because they got along . Yeah. Yeah, I know. It''s not that I don''t want to regret it. 202 Talk 24 The night before the wedding night ......?Small? I was expecting a big, stupid monster to come out of the hole like last time, and then a guy smaller than me, a ...... boy, came out. ''Don''t tell me small!Even you guys are short compared to the Giant! Oh, you''re still a kid. I''m kind of relieved to hear a high-pitched voice. It''s better than a talking monster. He spoke. ...... Are you demon, by any chance? Hmm?It''s a human being!I''ve never seen that before in this world! This world: ......? Hmm?That''s not a very nice thing to say. Oh, ...... now, forget it! ''''No, it''s impossible to forget, but ...... or maybe the child''s demon race and otherworldly people are ...... maybe the demon king?'''' I think he looks like the Demon King I know. I wonder if this is what the Demon Lord looked like when I was a kid. ''''Oh!How did you know? Could it be that you are a demon king too? ''No, are you otherworldly there?I know. We''re human, aren''t we? Is this guy stupid?Inside his head, he''s nothing like the Demon King I''ve ever known. No, she liked to joke around too. I told you you never met a normal person in this land.Perhaps there could be a human demon king. ''Yes, but ....... So, why is the Demon King here? You called me, didn''t you? ''Oh, yes, I did: ......'' Kite was scratching her head as if she was troubled by the Demon King''s answer. Well....even though she looks like this...she called the demon king. No....but it was my men who were actually called. I didn''t want to lose too many of my men, so I used spatial magic to interfere. I see. ....... I''m sorry, but can you leave? If there''s spatial magic, they''ll leave, right? What are you talking about? That''s my boy in there, isn''t it?Isn''t this enough of a reason to fight? ''Oh, ah, ......'' Yeah, that''s right. d*mn it, ...... I should have taken care of the body. Well, can you excuse me for a second? I don''t want to fight, as much as possible: ....... Well, all right. If you can convince me, I''m willing to forgive you. I''m glad you can talk to me, after all. If it was a mamal that couldn''t speak, we''d be in big trouble. We''re actually inside a castle in the human kingdom. Ho. Now that I think about it, it''s as good as my castle. So, tomorrow, this country''s princess and this brave man are to be married. That''s great news. So how did it happen? It happens all the time. Someone who didn''t think well of the princess and the hero''s marriage used a magic item during the party to bring in demons from the demon world. "I see. ...... That''s some badass shit. Hmm. Well, maybe you guys aren''t so bad then. Isn''t that right? Yes!It''s all going to be okay! "But did you say the guy there ...... brave? Uh-huh. The Demon King pointed to me and Kite nodded a little nervously . Kite...... please don''t piss me off....... "When a demon king and a hero meet, they have to fight. That''s the rule of this world, right? Hmm?It''s getting weird right away: ....... ''I don''t think so: ...... Did you hear that a brave man killed the previous Demon King? Oh, so you''re mistaken. No, he''s alive and well in the Devil''s Forest. If you think we''re lying, you''ll find out. He''s been killed, but he''s been brought back to life, so it doesn''t count. What?So does the trope of evil being defeated by righteousness ever work in this world? I knew this guy was stupid. ''I don''t know about that, but what was that ...... you were talking about?'' Hasn''t the story changed a lot?Are you good with your men? The question is, do the heroes and the demon king have to fight? What do you think, do we have to fight? ''Huh?Were we the ones making that choice? It''s kind of a jumbled mess. Well, I don''t want to fight. The kite immediately declared a no-fire. Okay, this time it''s over. What are you talking about?And you''re still a hero!How can you not draw your sword in this place with a bang! You''re a pain in the ass: ...... It''s like being the boss of a game where ''fight'' is the only option. You too!You just keep on demotivating us with your bullshit!If you''re a civilian (mob), stay on the edge and watch the game play out! No, you''re the only one who''s motivated to begin with. Don''t make it sound like Kite wants to fight. All right. He''s fine to fight, but... Can we do it somewhere else, though, ''cause I don''t want the castle to collapse?If you want, I can get you a place, okay? I''ll take you to the underground arena. They won''t die there. No, we''ll fight in my castle!After all, the battle between the heroes and the demon king would be fought in the demon king''s castle. Is this guy really a copy of the Demon King''s memories? There''s something really creepy about this. All right, all right. Fine, fine." "Anywhere. Come on, let''s just get on with it, shall we?I told you there''s a wedding tomorrow. After all, it seems like there''s no choice no matter what I say, so let''s do what the Demon King says . Right. So, here. The Demon King pointed his hand at me and Kite, and in an instant the place shifted. ''We''ll do it right here,'' It''s the same castle, but I didn''t know the difference between the different castle owners could make so much difference: ....... I couldn''t help but chuckle as I saw the skull of an unfamiliar demon decorating the wall. ''''Oh, hey ...... are you seriously going to let me and the Demon Lord fight?'''' Well, it''s all right. All right, go ahead and fight. I''ll keep an eye out for jerks. You can help me out if you need anything: ...... With a very anxious face towards me, Kite went towards the Demon King sitting on his throne. ''''Yes, yes . Come on! Brave man. You have come a long way. No, I was just brought in. Stop nagging me. Why don''t you get down to brass tacks and be a real hero? What am I doing in the school play? How can the Demon King continue to play the Demon King without learning a lesson? You shut up. That''s enough!I''ll start on my own! Where did the uneasy look on his face from earlier go, when he got tired of dealing with it, Kite drew his sword and attacked the Demon King. ''''Wait a minute!I haven''t finished speaking the words I''ve prepared for you yet! No questions asked. Just take him down and get the hell out of here! Ignoring the Demon King who tried to stop him by holding his arm out in front of him, Kite cut off one of his arms. ''''d*mn . What a barbaric brave ...... but for me it''s ...... hmm?You''re crazy!How come it''s not activated?Why can''t the wound heal! Upset that his own wounds had not healed, the demon king was speaking loudly into his arms . ''''I knew it, ...... I felt that way. I thought Gert would have disabled my regeneration skill . I didn''t know if it would work on the Demon King''s super regeneration, but I knew it did . ''''d*mn ...... I didn''t avoid taking it because I thought it would heal me anyway, but I didn''t think ...... that the brave man had already gotten his hands on the holy sword . This is a big miscalculation. How long are you going to keep doing the play?You got your arm slashed, you could have just focused on the fight a little more. But I''m not giving up!I''m going to show you how terrifying the Demon King is! The essence of spatial magic is the ability to control space in any way you wish. This is my castle. You can do anything you want! Ah, so that''s why you wanted to fight in your own castle. So you had a better idea what you were saying. The pillars of the castle broke and flew toward Kite. The reason the castle doesn''t collapse is because they used spatial magic to hold the ceiling in place? What a waste of magic! ''''It doesn''t matter how fast you move, it''s useless in front of me!Look!I can''t move anymore! The moment the demon king was so close, the kite was pinned as if it were stuck in the air. ''''Kukku. Brave man. You''re hapless, Ita! As the Demon King was laughing foolishly, a high-speed knife flew from Kite''s pocket toward the Demon King''s stomach . The demon king, who was laughing like an idiot, couldn''t evade in time and the knife gouged his side. Whoa . He used electric magic to control it? Unlike some demon king''s, this is a very efficient use of magic. ''''You should have concentrated on the fight a little more, Demon King. ...... That guy''s a waste of an awesome spell. Shut up! The angry demon king threw a pillar at me, but I used the transference to avoid it. "Do you have time to look around? ''Yes!Here''s your checkmate. Here, give up. As he approached, he pointed the knife he had cut out of the Demon King''s belly. ''''No... That''s not true. I wouldn''t give a f*ck if I was you. You could have died trying to kill me! When the demon king saw that Kite tried to ignore the knife and move, he sent it flying towards Kite''s neck. From that distance, he would never be able to dodge a ...... normal person. "A shield of light?d*mn it. I didn''t think you had the skills to do that. Then that''s what it''s all about! The guardian light flashed his knife and the impatient demon king sent one pointed object after another at Kite. "Even faster? You used a breakthrough. If it''s ten times faster, even the Demon King''s spatial magic would be hard to stop the kite. ''''Hmph!'''' Kite thrust his sword out and pushed forward in a straight line from the front to the Demon King . ''''d*mn it ...... stop!'''' The composition was that the Demon King was trying to stop it using spatial magic. ''''Guu......'''' And when the tip of Kite''s sword was inches from the book to the demon king, as if waiting, pieces of knives and pillars surrounded Kite''s neck . But that also weakened the power to hold Kite down, and the sword came a few millimeters closer to him . ''''Yes . It''s over. I took the kite''s sword and retrieved the sharp objects around it. I also healed the demon king. All I did was cut him and disable his regeneration. What are you doing? It''s almost there. ''No, I think it would have been a tie between the two sides, right?Or do you want to die?You can''t revive yourself if that sword gets stuck in you, you know? When I said that and showed him the tip of my sword, the Demon King became quiet . Well, I wouldn''t really do anything that would kill him, because it would be a lot of trouble if the Demon King died. ''''Okay, ...... I''ll forgive you for the draw. So, thank you for your forgiveness. Is this a ...... sword? Yeah. Isn''t it cool?It''s called a demon sword, and it allows you to put magic on your sword. I''m glad my master made some for me to keep. You''re going to love it, aren''t you, Demon Lord? Demon sword!What a perfect sword for me. All right, brave man!Until the next time we meet, I''m getting more proficient with this sword, and you''re getting stronger too! ...... I get it. A rivalry between a brave man and a demon king. Now that''s interesting. We''ve got a wedding to go to, so let''s just go home. So I''ll see you later. No, wait! Huh, I was just about to leave with a bang: ...... Now what? Now that we''re getting to know each other. Shall we tell each other who we are?I want to call each other by name the next time I see you. Shit. Oh, my God. Okay, all right. My name is Leo. I''m a kite. "Leo and Kite. I''m a guru. Catchy name, huh? Guru or . It''s called Lou, or is it just a short name for the demon race? Yeah. Well, Guru, I guess I''ll be going now. Let me go home this time. ....... Yeah, see you at ....... You can come and challenge me anytime you want, too. No way. I''d rather fight the Demon Lord in the Devil''s Forest than you. First chance I get. Bye. I gave a little wave and used the transference. I''m just glad you guys got away from it all. 203 Twenty-fifth, on the wedding day. SIDE: Lambros. Is this the right thing to do? After everything was said and done, I asked Master May for help. So no one died, and the party was canceled. It doesn''t sound like something Master May would have wanted to do. And if so, did I make a mistake? When that happens, it''s time to go to ....... Hmm. . well, that was good, wasn''t it? ''Yeah, right: ......'' Apparently, it wasn''t a failure. Maybe Master Mei just wanted to bring chaos to the kingdom. Hey, why don''t you come out now, instead of hiding?This is your last chance to talk to me. "I''ll take that as a yes~~. Long time no see~~ I thought Master May had spoken to my shadow, and then a man came out of my shadow . I couldn''t help but let out a strange "hi" at that and fell on my butt . Why, how could someone come out of my shadow! That''s gross. Didn''t you tell me you wanted to be normal when you talked to me? "Isn''t this awful~~~". We''ve been working together for 200 years~~ They ignored me and started a conversation. No, considering you''re talking to Master May as equals, you''re not just any guy. The smart thing to do here is to keep quiet. "That''s why. I''ll have to do it. And then?Are you allowed to do a half-assed job like that~? Halfway through?I knew it was a mistake? I''ll tell them you interrupted me. You haven''t changed. I can''t tell you how many times I''ve been asked to clean up after May~ So she''s May''s equal. We mustn''t be rude to her. Oh, right. I mean, you''re the only kind of pervert who would take a job for someone who''s going to kill you one day. You''re terrible. You said you''d be a good partner to her on more than one occasion~ Who are you two talking about?Or rather, are there people on top of Master May? I can''t imagine . I hope you''re not going to betray me so easily if you''re going to be ...... cooperative. Betrayal?This guy ...... is a traitor . ''I can''t blame him because he''s more in line with my thinking~'' "It sounds so beautiful what she''s saying. You know we''re going to have to kill each other in the end. You don''t say that, May isn''t very good at killing. Huh?You mean Master May isn''t good at killing? ''I''m not bad at it. How many years do you think we''ve lived through this battle?If I have to, I''ll kill you. It''s just that I''m a little more emotionally involved. Oh, that''s right. I was wrong about May not being able to kill the good guys. That''s why I was able to watch the attack event without worrying about it today. Once I saw their youth, May couldn''t interfere with it~ Seriously, you''re telling me that Master May has taken a liking to a brave man at ......? d*mn, I was going to kill a brave man when the war was over, but I''d better reconsider: ....... ''''Shut up . If you don''t draw the line in your own mind like that, you won''t feel as guilty as you should. ''Oh, was it three hundred years ago now~?I''m talking about killing a child reincarnator when he was still in the double digits of age and staying back for twenty years~ Three hundred years ago...... who the hell are these people? You remember it well. Well, that''s a perfect way to describe May. Yeah. Even today, after seeing the princess trying so hard to stop a brave man from running off, my guilt was added to the list. Really, I don''t think you''re cut out to be a villain~ ...... I agree with you. ''Feng ....... Just a little more patience ...... he ...... So, I''ll see you in a few years! The man who had been hiding in my shadow spoke into Master May''s ear and then quickly disappeared. What the hell did he tell Master May? ...... Well, I guess I should go home too~ Oh, um, ....... Wait a minute!What am I going to do now! There you are, as I recall. Yeah, ...... I could kill you and not feel guilty about it. What, eh ......?I don''t think I''m a good person ......, so I had a feeling this was going to happen. But I didn''t want to get killed. What. I don''t feel like killing someone right now. Don''t be surprised: ...... or rather, if it weren''t for that man, I would have been killed! Well, as long as it''s in the direction of a proper war with the Empire, as originally promised, you can do what you want. ''Oh, thank you. ......'' You can do what you want, but you''re too scared. ...... We have to be very careful not to do anything unnecessary and get killed. ''''Originally, I was going to have the young reincarnates crush each other without getting my hands dirty. ....... Those two got along so well together, so I guess that''s not going to happen ....... As I bowed my head, Master May muttered something like that as if he was depressed . I''m not sure who those two are, but I''m not going to ...... say anything unnecessary . ''''Yes ...... there''s no point in having a war anymore?No, I''m rather thankful those two didn''t die: ....... Oh, God!That guy said something so unnecessary that it drove me crazy~! I looked up a little to check on Master Mei and saw that she was scratching her head with her hands as if she was annoyed . ''''What do you want to help me with! SIDE: Kite. I''m back. The battle with the Guru was over, and they came to Leo''s castle where Hlne was waiting. ''Ah!I''m back. Kite!You''re okay!Are you hurt? Elaine noticed me and rushed over and started checking every inch of me. "I''m fine. I''m not hurt anywhere. Really?Did Kite fight? Yeah. I mean, I''m almost the only one who fights. ''What?Why!What does that mean? Elaine came on to Leo, not me. I don''t know what that feels like, but ....... You''re the one who helped me, so you need to think about how you say it. ''Huh?Oh, um, ...... Don''t be so upset with Leo. That was a situation I had to fight for. ''What kind of a situation is it that Kite has to fight! How do I explain it to you? ....... ''The last demon that was summoned was the Demon King. Demon king? Not only Hlne, but even Rihanna expressed her surprise at the princess. She''s the Witch King. Are you sure about that?Because the Demon King is in the Demon Forest: ...... It''s the newer demon king. To the princess''s question, Leo answered simply. No, can''t you explain a little more? Oh, yeah. Huh?Does that make sense to you? What do you mean by that?Tell me, Shelly! I know... Hlne, you''ve gotten to know the princess well enough to let me call her by her nickname in such a short time. Well, I got to know Leo pretty well, too, so I guess that was enough time. "Yes. What are you waiting for? I know. It''s easy. The Demon King was defeated 50 years ago, but he''s still alive. Oh, he knew. No, if Leo knew, the information would be shared throughout the Empire or . ''Huh?It''s so dangerous!Why do you leave it out! He''s not such a dangerous person right now, so it''s okay. He''s too strong, so I don''t think there''s anything we can do except leave him alone. I guess so . Even against that child demon king, it was a very close draw, but an adult demon king is not ....... Even you? Of course. I''ll end up playing with you. But that''s not the point. Shouldn''t you be worried about Kite? ''Oh, yes!Why did Kite fight the newer Demon King and not you? Oh, by the way, I remember we were talking about that . ''That''s what we were talking about, and I thought he was a good opponent for ...... kite. ...... Kite, you defeated the Demon King. You did it. No, I didn''t. I didn''t beat you. I don''t think a guy you can fight isn''t a guy you can beat. Well, it wasn''t far off. When I think about it... wasn''t it amazing that I was able to fight the Demon King so well? ''What?What do you mean?How did you work it out without knocking him down? The result was a draw. That''s how I convinced Guru ...... the Demon King that the result was a draw. The princess''s question was answered as straightforwardly as ever by Leo . Why don''t you tell us a little more ...... story about being taken to the Demon King''s Castle or something? ''Yeah. ....... Well, as long as Kite''s okay, that''s all that matters. Oh, it''s okay. Yes, it is. I''m okay with that, too, as long as you''re okay, Leo. When Miss Rihanna agreed with Elaine, she hugged Leo. ''Oh, it''s not fair!'' Soon after, the princess also hugged Leo. Seeing this, Hlne looked at me with a slightly envious look on her face. ''...... please?'' This is the right thing to do, right? I held out my arms and invited Elaine to join me. "Mmm. Then I''ll take you up on your offer. Smiling, Hlne jumped at me. ''Isn''t it about time we went back to the royal castle?Tomorrow, or rather, today''s wedding is early in the morning, right? The princess and Rihanna hugged me and Hlne, who were also attached to each other, and asked me this. You could''ve let me linger a little longer. Now you have to show me the reality of waking up early. You''re right. Haha, even if I went to bed now, I''d only get an hour or two of sleep. ...... Well, it''s a big night for you and your family. Yeah. Whew~ Wow. It doesn''t look like you were having a party a few hours ago. When we returned to the castle, Elaine muttered something like that to the changing party. It''s dimly lit by the dead bodies of demons and broken lights. You can''t feel the happy atmosphere of the party. Let''s just clear the demon corpses. It stinks. Huh?Now we''re going to get rid of this demon! I''m tired. You should be in bed. That''s right. You know, Leo fought a lot of demons, too. I don''t think I''ll be awake for an hour, so I''ll be awake. I''ll finish up here while I''m doing that. Well, I''ll stay up too: ...... It''s bad enough that Leo''s the only one who has to do the cleaning. "No, I don''t think you should get out of this mess and go take a bath. It''s not a good idea to go to a wedding in the dirt. You''re right, I should take a bath because it''s dirty. Can you get the smell of blood off ......? Well, I''m sorry, but I''m going to go back to my room. Good night. Good night. Hmm. You''re getting along great. As soon as we left the party, Hlne laughed and made fun of me and Leo for getting along with each other. "That''s the kind of person Hlne is, who gets along with the Princesses. As I recall. I''ve had a great time in the short time I''ve been here. Were you taking a bath or something while we were dealing with the Demon King? I thought I smelled good on Hlne when she hugged me. Maybe she''s just obsessed with baths. I''d like to have a chance to take a bath sometime. That''s good to hear. Whaaaaat? I''m sleepy. I''m too sleepy. I think I''m gonna fall asleep at the wedding. ''I''ve had a rough day. ....... I honestly think I''m going to fall asleep too. I know. ....... It''s gotta be patient. And a few hours later. "Huh?The nobles aren''t awake? After we had finished getting ready for the wedding, with our outfits and hairstyles and all, Leo came to me with something like that. "Yes, I know. I totally forgot that the music box lasted half a day. Oh. How could I have forgotten? Then you could have decided to do it at noon so you could get some sleep, you know? Then I could sleep for two more hours. That''s a big difference. ....... I''m sorry. I was too sleepy to think straight. Please forgive me. Okay, but I''ve got ...... Hlne ready to go.What are you going to do? Yeah ...... what were you planning to do in the morning? "I was going to pray to God in church and then go out to greet the people. Speaking of which, we had a long list of congratulations from the king. I was told the prayer ceremony would take about three hours, and the address to the people would take an hour. The king''s speech was about 30 minutes long. She can talk for 30 minutes?That''s doubtful. "Well, since I hear the priest and the king are still sleeping, let''s cut the prayers and the King''s talk. Just kiss the vows and say hello to the people.And a wedding ring. No, that''s just the other side of the world: ...... I think you have to follow the rules when you''re in a village. "That''s fine. They''re all asleep anyway, so they won''t know. All right. I''ll make the ring for you. Hold on a second. I didn''t seem to have veto power and Leo went off on his own. "See, it''s made of mithril, so it''s shiny, strong, and rustproof. It''s the best material for a wedding ring. I also cast a spell to keep you two together forever. When I came back, I was handed two beautiful wedding rings. Both rings have my name and Hlne''s and my name engraved on them, so they don''t look like they were made in a very short period of time. Oh, thank you ...... Don''t thank me. Come on, your bride is waiting for you, let''s go to church! ''What?What do you mean? Why did Hlne come to church? I was metastasized to the church before I could even think of such a question. Ah, ....... In front of me stood Hlne in a white wedding dress ...... but not a white wedding dress, but a bright red dress . Yeah . You look amazing. It''s exactly the same outfit as when I was summoned to this world,...... but Hlne is more mature and even more beautiful than that time. ''You''re late. What have you been doing? ''Sorry, I''m sorry: ......'' Just kidding. Remember?That I was upset with Kite when he was summoned and the next day he didn''t come right after I called him. Yeah, I''ve heard that one before. Hlne was unreasonable at the time. I miss it. Hlne was so cute, that bullheaded Hlne. I''m sorry. But am I being nice now? "Yeah. That''s very sweet. I can''t live without Hlne''s support anymore. "Hmm. Thank you. If it weren''t for Kaito...I would have died quickly too. We''ve come this far because of Kite. Thank you for everything. And I hope you continue to do so. As I said this, Elaine put her hands on my cheeks and kissed me as hard as she could. ''Is this what a vow kiss should feel like?'' Yeah. It''s good, right?Right? It''s a good thing you''re sweet. Yes. I think that''s good. The three people sitting in the front row of the processional table were nodding their heads in agreement. Well, this is a different world, so I guess it doesn''t matter if it''s appropriate. Oh, yeah. Wedding ring. ''What?A wedding ring? Where I''m from, it''s a tradition for couples to wear the same ring. Then he showed Hlne the two rings. Oh, I see. Then give me one of the rings to wear. Yes. Do you have a specific finger you''re going to wear this on? Left ring finger. Yeah. Okay, give me your left hand. I held out my left hand as you asked, and Hlne happily put the ring on my finger. "Mm-hmm. Then it''s my turn. Hlne held out her hand to me and I gently put the ring on her. "Mm-hmm. It''s nice to have them together. Yeah. That''s a great idea. I guess my mission is to keep that smile from now on. Elaine''s happy smile made me feel that sincerely. 204 Chapter 10 Introduction of Personality Josettea Lefebvre. Gender : Female Attributes: holy, wind Comments: the eldest daughter of the Lefebvre family and a classmate of Leo''s . She''s been in love with Frank for a long time, and she''s finally getting her due. Since Leo and his friends are away at school, they flirt with each other whenever they can. Lawrence Baudelaire. Gender : Male Comment: Frank''s father. He is the head of the Baudelaire family, the important bridge between church and empire. He has never been affectionate to his sons. Albert Lefebvre. Gender : Male Comments: bart, Jos''s father . The head of the Lefebvre family, which provides all the seafood for the Empire. He values the connections between the noble families and uses his sons and daughters as tools of the trade. Fils Alvar. Gender : Male Comment: the former king of the Kingdom of Alvar . When the demon king appeared, he was the second most active person after the heroes. But now he''s a mean old man who prefers turbulent times to peace. Guile. Gender : Female Attributes: ice, wind Comments: the current Dragon King . He is over a hundred years old, but he is still a child among dragons. He is a headstrong character, but he is also a crybaby. Gill. Gender : Male Attributes: ice, wind Comments: former Dragon King . I found myself sleeping in the lowest level of the dungeon . He believes that the weak must obey the strong and will never go against Leo. Guru. Gender : Male Attributes: space Comments: new demon king . He looks like a child, but inside he is a kitchen disease. Even in the brutal world of evil, he''s a happy-go-lucky guy. I''ve been practicing the magic sword Leo gave me recently. 205 11 Quiet Talks Beware of Crimes SIDE: Gert. ''...... where are we?That''s right. I got caught by that guy ...... I woke up and immediately remembered that Leons'' men had put me to sleep. I checked my hands, and they were still securely cuffed. Then I saw ...... Is this a prison?No, this is ...... my room. No. How could I be in here? I hurriedly got up to check outside the room. Then the door opened as if it were waiting for me. Hey. Gert, how you doing? "My uncle: ...... On the other side of the door was my uncle, who had lost a lot of weight. I knew that Fermat had been taken over by his father, but ...... uncle, do you live such a poor life? Looks like you''ve changed a lot. ...... When I say changed, I''m not talking about looking like ...... your uncle. ....... I didn''t know what to say to your uncle. He was always good to me. And now there was nothing I could say to him. Well, I can''t speak for the people I am now either. Do you know where I am now? "Serving at my dad''s shop. You know what happened. Then you know how it happened? It''s ...... Leons is ....... No. This has nothing to do with Leo. This is all about me. When I tried to tell him that Fermor was destroyed by Leons, he denied it before I could say it. What do you mean by ......? Just like you. I''ve sinned. Your uncle? Oh, no. An uncle who, unlike his father, was kind to you? It wasn''t until Gert started working at the Academy that I realized. I couldn''t stop drinking. Yeah, ....... My uncle used to be a bad drunk, you know. If he''d only ruin his own store, I''d have indirectly killed the couple from that liquor store who were so good to me back in the day ...... ''What?Your uncle had those two? I used to buy booze there too, thanks to my uncle''s influence. I hadn''t been there since I started working at the magic school, but ...... I didn''t think he''d died. ''Yeah ...... that was really stupid. Did you kill a man and feel nothing?You killed a lot of kids, didn''t you? ...... children? Did I kill him?A child? Yes. You blew up a school and killed a bunch of innocent kids. ...... At my uncle''s words, I felt something inside my head burst open. It was like a filter that had been altering my memories to suit me, and it was broken. ''I don''t mean to put myself on the shelf, but didn''t you feel ...... guilty?It''s very insane to kill people like that ...... and then continue to make weapons that kill even more people. ...... At my uncle''s heavy words, I began to sweat ...... and couldn''t utter a single word. I felt a tremendous weight of guilt on my shoulders and it was hard just to stand. Hey. I have to ask you: ....... Why didn''t you turn to me?You didn''t have enough money for your research, so you turned to the Philibert family for help.If it were financial power, Fermat would be better than us. I didn''t want to rely on ...... my uncle, I wanted to surpass my dad on my own. I finally managed to come up with an answer. Haha ...... I see. You''ve always had a crush on your brother, so I guess that''s why you''re not getting anywhere. I don''t adore ...... You think I admire my father?No way. Absolutely not. On the contrary. I wanted to be like that guy. I didn''t want to be that guy. ....... "Did you?Ever since you were little, you''ve been stealing your brother''s skills at home and bragging to the craftsmen in the shop. After all, your father was the one who taught you the most. It can''t be: ...... I couldn''t deny it as I pictured my past self bragging to the craftsmen . Totally ...... If parents are clumsy, then their children are clumsy too. Don''t. Don''t get me mixed up with my dad. What''s Dad doing at ...... right now? I''m working away at making a spell. I''m working on a spell to atone for your sins. My father was atoning for his sins?No way. Why would my dad go to ......? The guy never cared about anyone else. So that''s impossible. It''s not possible for him to be making magic tools for that reason. My brother hasn''t made a spell in a week since he found out you blew up the school. I''m really surprised that that tool idiot never even came into the workroom. He must have been really shocked that you killed someone. It can''t be: ....... Because my dad said my mom died ...... My father was working on a spell until I got mad at him. He was that kind of a man. That''s what he regrets the most. I think he was shocked to realize that he had neglected his family for all of it. It''s too late now: ...... What can you say now? I was about to say that, but then my uncle put it on me. "Yeah. It''s too late now. ....... No matter how hard you try, the transgressions you commit will never go away. A couple of liquor store couples and their little kids aren''t coming back no matter how much they regret it. ...... This time. I didn''t say anything back. I sat up in bed and slumped down. "That''s enough for today. We''ve got a week. There''s plenty of time to talk about it. For now, you''re going to think about your sins by yourself today. You can find the bathroom at ...... and don''t worry about it. That''s true. This used to be my home. Well, if you have to go to the bathroom, you better do it at noon. Otherwise you''re gonna run into your brother. All right. ...... I don''t have the mental capacity to see my father right now. You have to be careful that you don''t let him see me. Okay. I''ll see you later. I muttered to myself, making sure my uncle was gone . ''You''ve been killing children: ...... I''d forgotten...... no, I''ve just been trying not to think about it for a long time . I want to kill Leo...... That idea alone is crazy, but I was killing a lot of kids who had nothing to do with it . The bombs had instant death. I don''t know how many kids died, but I''m pretty sure it was a lot. It''s better late than never: ....... This isn''t always going to be the case, is it? I''ve been trying to justify myself my whole life. It''s not my fault. It''s my dad''s fault. That''s what I thought. But the lie about ...... is getting harder and harder to explain. Mom died because of a bad dad? No, I''m as guilty as I am for leaving the house and leaving her alone. It was my dad''s fault that I left? No, I just ran away because I didn''t think I could compete with my dad''s skills. Is it my dad''s fault that I keep running away my whole life? No, it''s all my fault. This has nothing to do with my father. All I ever did was run because of my dad. "That''s not cool: ...... me. I got a special magic that gave me a skill, and I thought I was special, and in the end, all I ended up doing was killing a bunch of helpless kids ...... Really, I don''t know what I was doing ....... I laid down on my ...... bed with a newfound self-loathing and went straight to sleep. I didn''t want to think about anything else. And the next day. "What am I going to do now?If this is home, it''s the Imperial City, right? I had a vague idea of what I was going to do. Would I just get the death penalty?No, my uncle said a week. So that''s when Leons and the others were in King''s Landing. Oh, okay. The Empire will have custody of me while Leons is in the Kingdom. A week later, I''ll be returned to King''s Landing. And the kingdom will have some sort of punishment. Aha! I''ll be a slave. Geralt, are you awake? I''m up. Oh, yeah. Here''s your lunch. My uncle put two plates on the desk and sat down in a chair across from me . ...... I saw my uncle start to eat without saying a word and I started to eat without saying a word. "[......] We didn''t say a word to each other, and I ate my food, using my clumsy hands, which were still in handcuffs. "Hmm. I''ve been eating alone lately, so that was fun. So I''ll see you tomorrow. That''s it?Just when I thought it was over, my uncle walks out of the room with Sarah in his arms. And the next day. Come on, dinner''s ready! My uncle is bringing food for lunch again. Are we going to eat again today without talking to each other?As I was thinking about this, my uncle was talking to me. ...... Speaking of which, what''s the kingdom like these days? He talked to me like nothing happened, and I couldn''t react fast enough. Then my uncle started talking to himself again. ''''When I used to go to King''s Landing, it was as vibrant as the Imperial City. "The King''s Landing was alive and kicking? I couldn''t help but let the words slip out of my mouth at my uncle''s unexpected words. I was surprised that the imperial city that has nothing to do with the vibrancy of the city had such a past. What. Is it different now? Yeah. It doesn''t feel very lively now. It''s not much different from the end of Philibert''s time. Everyone suffers from too much taxation and the elected nobles treat the common people like slaves. It''s a hellhole for the commoners. It''s a hell for the commoners. ...... Things have changed a lot since then. There were a lot of ruffians, but it was an interesting city where you could drink and never get bored. ...... It''s a shame. My uncle looked seriously disappointed . That''s how good the old King''s City was: ....... ''If that''s the king, it can''t be helped.'' You''ve met the king? Once . . he was fat as a pig and a picture-perfect foolish king. Okay. What about the next king?As I recall, the First Princess is the prime mover, right? ''They called me a jewel-crazed princess, and I was the kind of guy who would spend the country''s money without a care in the world to collect ...... gems. That''s ...... a lot of people in the kingdom, poor thing. Well, yeah . But ...... ''If it had been the same in the past . The princess''s obsession with jewels is a thing of the past, and now it''s ...... so . I''m obsessed with the brave. I think I''ve been watching her pretty closely over the past few years ...... but she''s changed a lot. Love can change a person that much. ''To a brave man?Is that good? Well, he''s a good guy, so I think he''ll be okay. Kite has been a bundle of justice since the first time I met him . He has a firm belief in himself and will go against all odds for his beliefs. ...... You''re the complete opposite of me. I see. Then there''s still hope for the kingdom. ''Well, ...... yeah, .......'' I''m sure Kite would do the kingdom a world of good. Mr. Colt! Hey, it''s Leo. Hold on. Leons: ...... So you''re here to pick me up? What happened to your talks with the kingdom? What''s going on?You said a week, right? That''s why I was able to talk to the princess earlier than I thought. So that''s what it''s all about: ...... Now the princess would certainly do well. I see. Gert is over here. Did you let him meet with his master after all? Master?Oh, you mean my dad. What, did Leonce want me to meet my father?Yeah, so get me to my dad''s house: ....... No, I was going to have you meet me at the end of the day. Brother, you don''t know what you''d do if you knew I was home, do you? ''Oh ....... That''s the way it is. What do we do now?Would you like to see him now? ''Yeah, ....... Hey Gert. Do you want to see your dad? My uncle came to the door. The other side of the door is Leons. "...... What do we do?What would be the point of talking to my dad right now? How do you know if you''ll get a chance to see him today? I just need to say a few words. I guess at the end of the day, I don''t care what they say. I don''t. I understand. Then they took me to the same old ...... workshop that my dad used to work in. My brother. You''re a client. Customer?Leo is here? My dad''s voice: ....... ''Yeah . . there''s Leo, but he''s a more unusual guest today. What?Who the hell is ...... you, Gert? When I walked into the workroom, my father looked at me and froze. I didn''t change my expression, I just looked at it in silence. "Why are you ...... here? I got him at the kingdom. But we''ll have to return it to the kingdom now. Father''s question was answered by Leons in a light tone. I knew it... I''m going back to the Kingdom. I see. ...... "Gert, I know I''m not qualified to punish you. But I''m going to kill you to stop you if you keep on sinning. ...... I get it. I said just a few words to my dad and left the work room with my back to him: ....... 206 No. 12 Confession SIDE: Herman. Lately, every practice session of the Order ends with a mock battle between me and Alma. Alma and I will fight in the middle of it, surrounded by people. Then let it begin. At Bernold''s signal, Alma immediately set it up. We''re inside the building, so we can''t use slashes. So at a time like this, we''ll be in close combat right away. I''ll use the magic eye to dodge Alma''s attacks with the minimum amount of movement necessary. Then Alma will surely make a wacky attack. When I succeed, Alma wins. If I fail, I win. And today it was soon enough. I saw Alma back off a little bit and then she came at me head-on. Now what do you think Alma will do? Say! I won. Hermann wins today. When Mr. Bernhardt declared victory, the knights around me started to shout more than me. Lately, they''ve been playing games among the knights to see who will win, me or Alma. Well, we''re not fighters. Oh... I knew we were too aggressive today. Alma, who had been defeated by me, lay down on the ground in frustration while people were buzzing around her. ''I don''t think so. I don''t think Alma can be that aggressive. Today''s was a bad idea because I was a little unsure whether to attack or not. At the end, I shouldn''t have let Alma get lost in how to move from the front feint. When I''m in a good mood, it doesn''t even give me a chance to look at the magic eye . ''''Oh ...... that. If you ask me, that''s what I thought. Right?It made me more predictable in my attacks. ''''Of course. ...... You have to be careful tomorrow. Don''t get confused about the attack. When I decide to go, I go! With that, Alma slapped herself on the cheek and got up. ''Yeah . I think that''s fine. I agreed with Alma and helped her get up. Then the betting stopped and Mr. Bernhardt started yelling at everyone. "Okay. That''s it for today''s lesson.For the first time in a long time, we''re not having afternoon training today!Off-duty guys, go play in the city as much as you want!You ready?You guys get paid a lot of salaries, Master Leons, because it''s your job to spread that money around the city!Go ahead and play your part, go ahead and do your part! Oh! We all shouted loudly at Mr. Bernold''s call. ''What''s Alma going to do after this?'' While everyone else was heading out to play, I was asking Alma what we were going to do. I don''t have anything to do, so I''ll just go along with Alma. What a thought. "Yes ...... I haven''t decided anything in particular. But I''ll do some shopping in town. Yeah, I know. I need to spend my paycheck. I don''t want anything in particular, but as Mr. Bernold said, we have an obligation to shop in town. ....... ''So why don''t we go out to eat then?In a nice little restaurant. Food. That''s nice. Yeah. That sounds good. Uh, why don''t we go to that restaurant where the masters used to take their wives? Master says it''s in the center of town. ''A restaurant frequented by Master Leons?That''s good. I''ll be right there. Then we changed out of our sweat-soaked clothes and headed out together. It was a long walk from the training ground at the edge of town to the restaurant, but of course it didn''t matter to us, we got there quickly. "Wow. So this is it. We''re in the center of town. It''s bound to be good. Yeah. I wonder if you''re available: ......?Sorry! Hey. Hey, guys? When I called the clerk, a woman came out . Ah, this could be the person Master was talking about . Yes, sir. Then I can take you there in a minute. It just looks like a couple of seats were available. Lucky you. What can I get you? Alma asked in annoyance as she showed me the menu. Just like me, Alma wouldn''t normally come to a restaurant. ....... I think she doesn''t know what to ask for on the menu. ''''My master said to leave it to you. Yeah. Can I recommend it? Yeah. I''m sorry. With Alma''s approval, I called the waiter while folding the menu. ''Yes, yes. Have you decided on your order? Yes. Recommendations, please. ''Recommendations?Mm-hmm, good. I''ll be back in a minute. The waitress was a little surprised at my order, but she was quick to respond with a smile. And then she said, "Wait a minute. "Yes, ma''am. It''s our specialty. The waiter brought out two plates of delicious-looking pasta. "Wow. Yummy. "That''s good. Yeah. It''s been a long time since I''ve ordered a recommendation. Is that so? Yeah. I used to be a boy who had three beautiful children with him. Huh. Thinking it was Master, we let out a bit of a surprised voice with a body we didn''t know. ''''Master must have been a burglar back then . ''''Now that I think about it, it must have been Lord Leons. And with him were Master Shelia and Master Rihanna, and then there''s Master Leons'' favorite maid. You''re all knights, aren''t you?Didn''t you hear that the lord was snuck into our restaurant or something? Oh, I knew they knew it: ....... That''s because Master is a man who stands out in many ways. ''''No . Especially ...... Yeah?I hope you won''t come back! Master Leons is very busy at the moment: ...... That''s what I heard. The city has developed so much ...... that this city has changed a lot over the last few years. Not only that, but the war with the kingdom is also led by Master Leons, isn''t it? You''re in the know: ...... Where did you find out about the war? It hasn''t been confirmed yet, so the public shouldn''t know about it: ....... ''Of course . . we''re running a shop in the heart of a city in the center of the world, you know?I think I know more about this world than most of the informants out there. I see. ...... That''s awesome. And come to think of it, there are merchants from all over the world here. That''s going to help. That''s not true. Oh, I''m sorry. The pasta''s getting cold. Enjoy your time. Humbly, the clerk went to the back of the store. ''You''re funny.'' ''Yeah. My master also told me that the people at the store were funny. Maybe the Master was talking about that man . ''But then again, I can understand Master Sherry and Master Leena, but you were able to get Belle to go with you there~'' ''Between you and me, ...... Master, I''ve been doting on Miss Bell so much that I''ve had many shuras with Master Shelly in the past. It''s well known that Master is jealous... but I think Master is even worse. If he continued to add wives, Master Sherry would be furious. Master''s womanizing has improved recently and his relationship with Master Cherie is going well: ....... "Huh. What did you like about Belle? The Forster family has been obsessed with beastmen since the days of our brave men. The first head maid of the Forster family was a beastman. My father says the hero loves beastmen too. The maid was so fond of the chief maid that the mage almost killed the hero. When you think about it... Sherry is a kind person. Yeah. I guess a love of beastmen is in my blood. Maybe. And then there''s the hard work of Mr. Bell himself, I suppose. I have had the opportunity to see many maids in my life, but I have never seen a maid who cares about her master as much as Belle does. Her attention to detail is perfect ...... and she is always there for her master. It''s only because she''s Belle that she can do that job. That''s right. She was a bit out of it when she was at the orphanage, she wasn''t that quiet. Yeah. What was Mr. Bell like when he was in the orphanage? She was a feisty, sweet sister. She used to keep me company. Yeah. I knew you were strong, Mr. Bell? We don''t stand a chance against Mr. Bell now at all, but what was it like then? "Of course. There was no one in the orphanage who could beat her. The beast magic is so unfair. What''s so great about beast magic? I know it''s a special magic that can only be used by beastmen, but I haven''t seen it used in real life that often. ''''Yeah. If I were to use an analogy, it would be like there''s only one person who can use non-attribute magic. Surely, that''s no one to beat. ''Still, I was so close to having Belle graduate!Oh, what a shame. Yeah. I knew Alma would be great. You must have had an excellent sense for fighting since you were little. Well.... I don''t think it''s possible to beat Belle now~ It can''t be helped. Master''s wives, they''re all strong except for Master Elsie. After all, it was a dungeon with all the knights in attendance, and it was just the four of them that were conquering the dungeon. And they''re further ahead than the knights. No, considering that Elsie has the most money in the world, isn''t she strong enough? Well, that''s good to know. After all, you''re all five strong. No, you have to be outstanding in something to be a master''s wife . The strongest wizard, the saint, the most powerful body art, the richest person in the world, the one who can destroy everything...... If you list the names, they all sound like the main character in a story. That''s the main character. The protagonists of our world are our master and his wife. There''s no doubt about it. "Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Huh, strong people, that''s cool. "Strength can only be obtained through hard work. My master and his wife have worked very hard to become that strong. ''I know, I know. With Master Shelley''s magic at your disposal, it''s hard to say that you haven''t tried. That was amazing. I remember the first time they showed it to me at school, and I was like, "Wow, that''s amazing. ''Oh, I forgot to mention that Hermann was a nobleman. Aristocrat, I mean, he''s the lowest of the low. It''s almost like a commoner. But for us commoners, we''re on cloud nine. I guess so: ...... I mean, we''re just like any other knight in shining armor. It''s kind of a normal house. Hey. What''s it like at the highborn school?Tell me about it. ''No matter what you say it feels like, ...... yeah. I guess meritocracy is the best fit for me. "Meritocracy? Yeah. They''re ranked according to their academics, magic, and sword abilities, and that''s how they''re divided into classes. Yeah. Which class is Hermann in, by the way? Top shelf S class. My master taught me how to study and I got by. It''s not that I''m great, it''s that Master is great . I was such an idiot, but you got me into the S class. ...... Really, I can''t thank you enough for being a great teacher. ''''Huh . That''s great. I knew Master Leons and Sherry and the others were smart? ''''Of course . Master always got a perfect score, and Master Leena always came in second. Master Shelly was one of the top graders, and her name was always mentioned. That''s what I''m talking about: ....... As for Master Leons, he is truly perfect. He''s strong, he''s smart, he''s kind, and I wish I could marry Master Leons. Yeah, I guess so: ...... Huh?Something is wrong . It''s normal for women to admire their masters, but ...... something is bothering me . I don''t like the idea of Alma marrying a master? For a while, I was thinking about it while I was talking to Alma at random. Do I like Alma? We''ve gotten close enough to be together like this every day ....... Yeah...... I wonder if being together this much means we like each other? If you think of it in terms of a master, it''s ...... right . The women who are always with Master are all his wives . So I like Alma too. And on the way home after leaving the restaurant. I made up my mind and talked to Alma. "Hey ......, that''s what you were saying earlier. ...... Just now? "She wants to marry her mentor. ''What?Huh?It''s a joke, of course!I''m married to Master Leons?It''s impossible, of course. I was so nervous to ask, and I felt like an idiot for asking, but he answered in a light tone. But I kept my nerves up and spoke to Alma again. "Hey, Alma. What''s the matter, you''ve been acting so unlike yourself for a while now: ...... I stopped to talk to her, and Alma looked back at me curiously. When I saw that Alma looked back, I went on with my story. "I don''t think I''ll ever surpass Master ...... no matter how hard I try. Ummm, yeah, ....... But I''m going to work hard and get stronger and stronger. So go to ....... Phew. I bowed my head and said it all in one breath. "When I''m strong enough to beat Alma three times in a row, please accept me as your wife! ''Yeah, yeah ......?Hey, here? We''re in the middle of the street. I proposed to you without thinking, and now I''m so embarrassed. But as a man, you have to put up with this much. I kept lowering my head, not caring about the voices around me. Then Alma tapped me on the shoulder. Yeah, okay. ...... Do it if you can. When I looked up, Alma, who was blushing with embarrassment, replied with a smirk on her face. 207 First, Im a grown-up. I turned 16, a little while after Kite''s wedding. Finally, I''m an adult. However, we haven''t thrown a coming-of-age party in preparation for the Tri-nation Conference, so I haven''t been officially recognized as an adult yet. Depending on the timing of the kingdom''s war, when the council is over, we''ll celebrate Sherry''s coming of age and our marriage together. If the war drags on, or the kingdoms don''t come to us, then the whole thing will be postponed. Going back to the Triumvirate Conference, the Triumvirate Conference starts in ten days. They''ll all be here for a week or two. During that time, I have to serve the bigwigs from each country. And now I was having my last meeting with the emperor before the Triumvirate. In the conference room at Mladin Castle, the emperor, Cliff, Elise and their men, and I are there. It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you because of this, Cliff. Cliff seems to be in good spirits now, but I''m sure he''ll be busy assisting the emperor. He''s as diligent as ever, which is a big relief for us. So, Cliff is in charge of the meeting today as well. ''''I heard that lords and gentlemen from many countries will be arriving here as early as tomorrow, but is there any news that they have entered the Empire so far? What we''re discussing now is the status of each country''s progress. Slow or fast, the host city will have to react. Yes, sir. The Church State was preceded by reports that the Pope''s right-hand man, the Fontaine family, had entered the Empire . We have not yet received any reports from the kingdom. Mr. Cliff''s question was quickly answered by Elise''s man . The Fontaine family, that''s a name I''ve heard somewhere: ....... ''''The kingdom is not going to come until the last minute . But still, isn''t the House of Fontaine the house where the current saint is located? What do you want? The current saint?Oh, you''re the one who became a saint after you kicked Leena and her friends out . When it comes to that house, he seems to think that ...... Leena is a hindrance to him . ''''No, I don''t think there is any hostility. The House of Fontaine is a house that is known to be better than the Empire. Yeah, really. So unexpected. The eldest daughter of the Fontaine family recently engaged to the next head of the Baudelaire family. I suppose we shouldn''t be too alarmed. Oh, yeah. The Fontaine family is Frank''s fiance''s house. I thought that name sounded familiar on the street. Frank, I hope you''re getting along with your two fiances: ......? Right. Then I''ll leave it to Leo to deal with the Fontaines, who arrived early. The saint will be with them, so let Shelley deal with the saint. Yes. I understand. I nodded at the emperor''s words. Because this is the job I''ve been entrusted with this time. Now, regarding the kingdom, besides the king, will a princess and a brave man be allowed to participate in the Triumvirate Council? ''Yes, sir. Princess Elemenane, who was expected to be pregnant and not join us, has been reported to be on her way here with a brave soul. I see. Princess Hlne, recently pregnant. So it was supposed to be safe for her to not attend the Triumvirate Conference. I was wondering if I could talk to the kingdom properly without Princess Hlne. ...... It seems we''re safe. I''m sure you''re right. You are in charge of the princess''s safety. Yes. I''ll take care of it. To the Emperor''s reassurances, I responded emphatically. Well, I don''t think Hlne will be assassinated if Kite is here. After making one last check, I returned to my room. I''m home. "Happy coming of age, Leo! ''Wow!Huh? When I entered the room, Shelly and the others, who were waiting at the door, hugged me. I was caught off guard and lost my momentum and fell down. "Huh. Are you surprised? Leena, who''s on top of me, asked happily. "Yeah. You scared the hell out of me. Were you waiting at the door the whole time I was in the meeting? That''s right. Since this is the coming of age, won''t you miss it if we don''t celebrate it on our own? ''I''d like to say, though, that we were all sitting in our chairs earlier because we got tired of waiting. If you hadn''t let me know that Bell was approaching us by scent, I would have missed it. Ha, I see. The meeting went on longer than expected. There was no way I was stuck at the door at that hour. I patted Belle on the head. "Thanks, everybody. I got up and hugged the five of them together again. You''re welcome. So, yes. Our gift to you. "Wow. Thank you. Here we go. Sherry gave me a palm-sized box. I took it and immediately inspected the contents. There''s a beautiful, shiny magic stone inside. Could it be that everyone''s magic is inside the stone? The magic stone and Shelly, Leena, Belle, Lou and Elsie, I can feel the magic of all five of them coming from the magic stone. After much consideration, this is the result. No one, not even Leo, could build this! Yeah. I couldn''t build this one if I tried. I''ll treasure it forever. Elsie''s right, it''s impossible . The amount of magic power contained in the magic stone is amazing, and I wonder if they spent a year or so preparing it ......? Really, best present ever. Do you want me to build you something magical to do with it? No, I''m gonna keep it for you. I''ll feel you all around me wherever I am. I can''t turn my gift into a magic item. I want to keep this one as a magical stone. That would be nice. I''m glad you like it. Yeah. Thank you all so much for that beautiful gift. He put the magic stone in his pocket and kissed everyone as a thank you. "Heh-heh-heh. Leo kissed me for the first time. ''Huh?Come to think of it, haven''t I kissed Lou before? I casually kissed Lou as well, as a casual flow, but come to think of it, it was my first kiss with Lou . Looking at Lou, who was unusually blushing, I wondered if this wasn''t a good first kiss?Or so I thought. ''Lou, he''s surprisingly shy. I was too embarrassed to tell you, wasn''t I? Shut up! Sherry and Elsie''s words made Lou blush even more as she got angry. She''s grown up on the outside, but Lou is still a kid . ''''Haha. I''m glad we''re all getting along so well. That''s because you''ve been living with them for nearly five years. ''Right. It''s been five years since I met Lou: ...... Time flies. We''re almost of age. So you''re finally going to get married. ''You''re married: ....... It''s hard to feel like you and Leo have been living together this long. Well, Belle, especially since she was with me. Lately, she''s even gone from being a maid and master to seeing me as a lover. Well, I think you''ll feel it when you''re married. Especially you, Shelly. ''What?Why? A legitimate wife should have an inheritance as soon as possible. Yeah, well, you''ll have to go to ...... and do your best. At Elsie''s words with a grin, Shelly was blushing as she put her hand on her cheek. ''Well, well . . well, I guess you don''t have to get so worked up about it. ''Yeah,'' Ha ha. Leo and Sherry are both red-faced! Shut up. I mean, you didn''t blush just because he kissed you! Oh, by the way, I think the Faithful are arriving tomorrow. Things got awkward, so I just changed the subject. Why don''t you talk about it when I''m not around. You''re moving fast. ''Yeah . . but the Pope''s men are just here first. Yeah, that''s why. Have you heard which house is coming? Uh, ...... or did you say the Fontaine family. See, Frank''s engaged. I see. It''s an imperialist aristocracy. "Imperialists? ''''Yes. There''s an imperial faction in the Church State that wants to get along with the Empire and a kingdom faction of nobles that wants to get along with the kingdom. Come to think of it, it was said at the meeting that since he was a nobleman rather than the Empire, he wouldn''t be hostile . By the way, you should have only been in the Church Country when you were little, but Leena remembers it well . ''''That''s right. Thank goodness you''re the next Papal Imperialist. That''s not true. The Fontaine family has no qualms about killing their sister when it gets bad for them. You can''t trust that family. What? My mother was killed by the Pope and his brother, the head of the Fontaine family. Wait a minute ...... I can''t get my head around a sudden unexpected fact that jumped out at me. First of all, the head of the ...... imperialist Fontaine family killed his own sister because something was amiss . And that sister is Leena''s mother: ....... So you shouldn''t trust the Fontaine family . I see. I understand. ''So it was: ....... Then I shouldn''t trust the Church State either? Unlike the Kingdom, the Church State has nobles who want to get along with the Empire . I was happy until just now because I thought that ...... reality isn''t so sweet. ''''Yes. You shouldn''t trust that place.'''' Thanks for the tip. You''ve gone to great lengths to tell me things about your past that I would rather not remember. I need to make use of this information. As I held Lina tightly, I promised myself that I would. No. ...... Hey. So, Leena shouldn''t meet that ...... Fontaine family, right? As I was stroking Leena''s head, Shelly asked me that in a reserved manner. Starting tomorrow, Sherry and Leena were supposed to be with me when I greeted the nobles. Moreover, the reception of the saints was going to be left to Sherry and the others. Yeah. It''ll be hard on Sherry, but Leena can rest. No. Don''t worry about it. I don''t think she''s going to do anything. You''re working as an imperialist now. Yeah? It''s gonna be okay. You can''t keep being scared, and you can''t keep moving forward. Yes, ...... I get it. He says he''s going to do his best. It would be too much to interrupt him. That''s okay. If anything happens, I''ll have your back! Ha ha. As long as Lou''s there to protect you, you''ll be safe. Even I can''t beat Lou now. True, it''s beautiful, but it''s just as scary. 208 CHAPTER II -- FIRST VISITOR The next day, the Fontaine family arrived at Muldoin as planned around evening. A man a little older than my father and a girl about my age got out of the carriage. "How do you do. The Lord of Fontaine, Gael. Master Leons, you''ll work with me from now on until the Triumvirate Conference is over. Yes. It''s nice to meet you too. And this is my daughter, Lelia. Master Leons, it will be a pleasure to work with you. Yes. It''s a pleasure to meet you. Well, here''s ...... my fiances, Shelia and Rihanna. Master Shelia and Miss Rihanna, it will be a pleasure to work with you. Nice to meet you. ''Then you must be tired from your long journey, please come inside. Once I had finished introducing myself, I showed them in . Then I showed them the room they were going to stay in, while Lelia and Sherry and Leena went to the bath to work up a sweat from their trip, while Gael and I had a little chat. I''m sorry to hear that you came of age yesterday ...... Lord Leons. I have just learned of this fact and was unable to prepare a celebration for you. While saying that, the souvenir given to me was also a decent-looking carving. Well, it''s a little crude, but... No, no. No, no, please don''t worry about it. However, I''m not yet a legal adult. ''Oh, was it?So, when are you planning on coming of age? I''m thinking of doing it after the Trilateral Conference and when things settle down at ...... . Perhaps it should be done in conjunction with the wedding. ''So it was: ....... Then I will send you a congratulatory gift at the right time. Thank you. Yeah ...... So far it doesn''t look like they''re going to bust something in. Well, there''s no way they''re going to say anything big on the first day. There''s still some time before the Tri-nation Conference. ''''But still, you don''t look to be the same age as my daughters. ''Really?Oh, Lelia-san is coming of age this year, isn''t she? ''Yes . Lelia is my twin sister, and she''ll be sixteen in three months, as will her eldest daughter, Aline, who married into the Baudelaire family. Oh, you have a twin. I''ve been friends with the next head of the Baudelaire family since I was a little girl, and I get to hear about Mr. Aline from time to time. Is that so. Does Aline have a good relationship with Master Frank? Yes. Well, from what I''ve heard, things are looking good. It sounds like things are going well with Jos, and the three of you are having a great time at the wizarding school. If I wasn''t so busy, I would''ve liked to see you at Frank''s coming-of-age party~. There''s no way the lord won''t be in his domain the day the emperor arrives. d*mn it ...... I''ll definitely attend the wedding party . That''s good to hear. Aline felt inferior to her sister, Lelia, and when she was in the Teaching Kingdom, she refused to meet people and wasn''t used to socializing and was very worried about her . Yeah. Well, with Frank, he''s got that going for him. In fact, Frank got along with him. I see. I knew you felt inferior, Aline, because Lelia became a saint? ''''Well, yes . With twins, they look almost exactly the same, so ...... they are inevitably compared to normal sisters. That makes sense. You''re right, having twins must be hard to deal with. My brothers and sisters are all excellent, so they didn''t have anything to say about it, but if I hadn''t awakened to creation magic, I''m sure they would have treated me the same way. ''''I see that was the case ....... But I''m glad to see that you''re enjoying life in the Empire now. If you can marry Frank, you have no problem with that. Yeah. SIDE: Rihanna. I came to the bath to wash off Lelia''s sweat before dinner. Wow! What a magnificent bath! Do Master Shelia and the others bathe here every day? Yes. You''re in there basically every day. I know it''s a luxury, but I go in there every day . It''s hard to believe that she lived a self-sufficient life in her country of origin. You''re the most powerful family in the world right now, aren''t you, Mladin? ''''Hmm. That said, isn''t the Fontaine family also the most powerful in the Church Country right now? Right. You''re going to be the next pope. Is that right?Sure, your father is going to be the next pope, but ...... still has a strong enemy, too, right? Is that so? Yeah ...... Was there ever a house that could compete with the kingdom group? I can''t remember it well because all I remember is what I remember when I was little and what my grandma told me. ....... ''Yes . A big reason why your father was able to become Pope was because I was ordained as a saint . But I''m less powerful than the real saint who was kicked out of the country and her grandson, Rihanna. There are people who do not recognize me as a saint, not only among the Kingdoms but also among my fellow Imperialists. '''' I see... the Imperialists are not completely united either. That makes sense. So that doesn''t mean Mr. Lelia''s father is still eligible to be Pope? Yes, sir. So your father said he was going to ask Master Leons for something. If he succeeded, the Fontaine family would be safe. If that''s the case, I wonder if Leo is asking for something right now? What is your request ......? Funding?Or do you want to use some of Master Leo''s technology? SIDE: Leons. As a matter of fact, I''d like to ask a favor of Mr. Leons: ...... Hmm?A favor? We were making small talk for a while when Toad burst in. I thought he wasn''t going to ask you today. What can I do for you? I bet you''re going to ask me to do something messy: ....... ''Could I have my niece, Rihanna, back, please? Yes? Return ......? I didn''t understand what was said to me for a while. No, I''m still not quite sure what was said. Yes. Originally, Rihanna is a Fontaine. She deserves to live in her country of origin. No, you can''t say that with such confidence: ....... Is this guy serious? You were expelled by the ...... church state, weren''t you? Only the saints of yesteryear. My grandson, Rihanna, is innocent of any crime. Really?It was quite a while ago, I don''t remember the statement, but didn''t it include Leena? Well, I''m sure that fact is easy for him to change. But Rihanna''s going to marry me, aren''t you? I''m sorry. I''ll pay you a good annoyance fee for that: ....... And I''ll offer you Lelia instead. What? I said, but somehow I knew what this guy was trying to do . He''s going to replace Leena with Lelia . Initially, I wondered if he thought he''d get his way once the saint and Lena were gone . But there were probably more noblemen who supported the former saint than he thought. So he''s decided to make Lina a saint and no one will ever complain about it. So I''m at liberty to do what I want with Lelia, as long as you give me Rihanna. They say she''s the most beautiful woman in the land. I''m sure Master Leons will like her. The man was just like Leena said he was. At first I thought he was a kind parent who was worried about his daughter, but I guess that was just an act . ''''No, that''s not what I''m talking about: ...... You''re a saint, aren''t you, Lelia?Isn''t that treatment strange? ''No, she''s just a provisional first saint appointed in the absence of a real saint, so that''s not a problem. I knew it. Does that mean you''re going to make Lina a saint? Yes, sir. She has neither talent nor bloodline. She''s a saint who never complains. I see. ...... Huh, that went exactly as I suspected. Please, I beg you. If the kingdom declares war at this Triumvirate Conference, the entire imperial faction of our church will be there as soon as possible. I don''t believe those words. I''m not giving it to you. I won''t give you Rihanna. May I ask why: ......? No, let''s just say no. Who would be stupid enough to dump their fianc out of wedlock? Simply because I don''t want to give you Rihanna. "Apparently ...... I was wrong in my assessment of you. To bring your personal feelings into politics, ...... does that mean you are still a child too? Well, I don''t care what they say. I don''t care if your reputation is tarnished, it doesn''t hurt me. Think about it. This is a matter of national interest for both of us, okay?If this negotiation is concluded, the Church State can end its ugly struggle and the Empire can comfortably take over the kingdom. What do you think?Maybe you should reconsider. I don''t mean to sound like this is a win-win, but the Empire doesn''t need your help. Besides, I''m sure they''ll just shoot you in the back. I''m still going to refuse. Leena''s happiness is more important than the good of the country. No. Rihanna would be happier being a saint in her country. She is a person who deserves to be a saint. I''m sure she''d love to be recognized as a saint. It''s your imagination. Who would want to leave when they know they''re being used? You really are a bad negotiator. Or maybe that''s how little the Fontaines can afford it. Maybe the man in front of me can''t give me a concrete price. Delusional?No, okay, ...... we''ll leave it at that for today. I''ll be back. "Huh ...... what the hell is going on here today. Bel~ help me. I don''t want to have to deal with that guy every day from now on~ After Gael left, I cried to Belle, who was standing behind me. When you''re feeling stressed out, it''s best to indulge Belle. I know it''s hard, but hang in there. The only person who can protect you, Leena, is Leo. Belle hugged me and patted my head gently, encouraging me. That''s all I need to recover my mind. I know. ....... Okay, let''s get on with it. Let''s go for Lena. I''ll do my best! 209 CHAPTER III PEACEFUL RESOLUTION SIDE: Toad. ''I''ve done ...... I''ve done a terrible thing . No matter how impatient I was ...... A night later, I was in my room with my head in my hands . Because even though I was the first to arrive to deepen our friendship, what I did yesterday was the exact opposite of what I did yesterday. I thought I''d nod if there was any profit to be made, so I was forceful, but I was refused without even negotiating ...... the price. It''s not as if a man as good as Lord Leons is obsessed with such trivialities as love. It''s probably better for the empire that the church has to go to war with the kingdom. There''s no point in regretting the past. Let''s think about our next move.'''' I looked up at the old voice and saw Bruno, the chief of staff, come into the room . ''You say so, but ...... do you have any ideas?'' ''Yes, you''re right: ....... Shouldn''t we wait and see here?I''m sure Master Leons won''t shake his head at anything he says now. Wait?What''s the point in waiting?Once those two get married, you can''t make them saints, can you? "I understand, sir. ....... But it would be the end of the world if we allowed relations with the Empire to deteriorate any further here. If we turn completely against Master Leons, our position in the faction could be in jeopardy. ''That''s true, too, but it''s hard for me to be Pope without ...... saints.'' Shit. I don''t know what to do. Master Toad, you are in too much of a hurry. After the next war, the balance of power will be in the Empire''s favor. They don''t care about the royalists. Our enemy is the Pope''s neutrals, the Imperialists. We have the enemy of the Kingdoms to hold us together for now, but if the Kingdoms are weakened, we''ll see a fight among ourselves. Can''t we see our people fighting each other? The Pope is still going strong. He won''t be deposed for ten years. Ten years, ten years, and you never know what you''ll find. That''s right: ....... But if Master Rihanna doesn''t return to the Church, then Master Lelia will be the best holy wizard in the Church anyway. In the end, don''t you think we can settle on making Master Lelia a saint? ''No, it''s not. Lelia isn''t overwhelmingly different from the others. You never know when you''ll be overtaken. The young ones will have passed us by in ten years. That''s why all the noblemen are hiring so many great tutors now. So why don''t you ask Master Leons for help? Ah, you''re still a man of cards, aren''t you? What do you want me to do for Lord Leons? Bruno is always like this. When I give him advice, he comes up with a few suggestions that are deliberately designed to test me first. If I wasn''t good enough, I''d dismiss him immediately. ...... I don''t know how many times Bruno has helped me in the past. ''''During this period, no, why don''t you leave Master Lelia with Master Leons for the next six months or so? Huh, I don''t know what you''re suggesting again. What are we going to do with it?Do you want me to color-match them? You don''t mean... You will be taught the secrets of magic. "Magic Tips? Yes. It seems to be a special technique that''s only been passed down to the Forster family and the previous saints. ''I see. ...... Is that one of the reasons why the Forster family and the saints are renowned for being the strongest?'' Yes. ''But how do you convince the guys in the country?Six months without a saint would not be acceptable, would it? The Fontaine family will be in hot water. I''m not to use the saints for personal gain. "Missionary work in the Empire" would suffice.If you call it missionary work, no nobleman would criticize it, even outwardly. I see... Our saints have also served as missionaries in other countries. Surely they wouldn''t be considered saints for personal use? Okay. I''ll write a letter to the Church about that. Yes. Yes, please. So, do you think Leons can teach us the art of it? It will be harder to convince the country than it will be to convince Master Leons. After all, teaching Lelia the secrets of magic won''t be of any benefit to Sir Leonce. In fact, it would be detrimental to the stability of our country and to Sir Leon''s interests if I were to gain power. ''''He will surely teach you. Always? Where do you get that kind of confidence from? ''''Yes, sir. First of all, by sending Master Lelia to the Empire, we won''t have to worry about being attacked by the Church. I''m sure he''s willing to do this much to help Master Rihanna. I''m sure Master Leons loves Master Rihanna that much. Love? ...... are you serious? Yeah. I''m serious. ''There''s no way ...... such a sweetheart could be this big. Even though I have been so ruthless in making the Fontaine family so big: ....... ''Surely this laxity would be fatal to the everyman. You''re saying it''s okay because he''s not an ordinary man? ''''Yes . He has the power to have trudged through dungeons, gained power by being betrothed to an imperial princess, and gained wealth by being betrothed to the richest man in the world. And most importantly, he has the brains to accomplish all this at a young age. It''s hard to believe that he''s an ordinary man. I think Bruno was right. Sir Leons is a genius. I''m an ordinary man. So I don''t have a choice. Huh. So now it''s up to Lelia. Assuming Lord Leonce agrees, the only thing left to worry about is whether or not Lelia will be able to acquire the magic she needs to master. "I''ll trust Master Lelia. SIDE: Leons. ''You have a chief of staff who can. The only reason I didn''t make this suggestion from the beginning is that it would have been better if I could have gotten my hands on Leena. You''re doing a good job of controlling your master. Gael-san may be good at it, but his chief of staff may be more of a factor. So, are you going to teach Lelia-san how to manipulate magic? I was watching the monitors with Elsie today. Sherry and Leena are having a tea party with Miss Lelia. I''d be more than happy to accept that if it meant I didn''t have to worry about kidnapping Leena or anything. You said I''m not very compassionate, but I don''t want to grow up that big, so . I know. But I''m glad to hear it''s going to end peacefully. You''re absolutely right . I barely slept yesterday thinking about ...... if we have to go against the Church State as well. So that''s what happened . So you were making out with Mr. Bell all last night? It''s more of a flirting thing: ...... cuddling. Also, there was Leena. I couldn''t sleep last night, so I invited Belle over and we were lying down and talking for a bit when Leena, who also couldn''t sleep, came into the room ...... and the three of us went straight to bed together . It wasn''t lovey-dovey. It wasn''t lovey-dovey. Oh, my God, Leena, too?I didn''t notice. I''m glad you''ve forgiven Miss Shelley. It was the middle of the night when Leena came to her room. I''m sure Elsie, who watches the bedroom, was asleep at that hour. "Master Leons, Master Toad is here. Oh, there he is. Copy that. Will Elsie be joining us? If you want to just listen, you can go to ...... With Elsie''s approval, I showed Toad to his room. "I''m very sorry. Please forgive me for my rudeness yesterday. As soon as I entered the room, Toad apologized to me as if he was going to get down on his knees. ''''No. . I''m sure the Fontaine family is going through a lot, so I don''t mind that much. Normally it would feel strange to forgive so easily, but if we don''t forgive them here, we won''t be able to move forward. Even if it''s unnatural, let''s just forgive quickly. Oh, thank you. ...... So, what''s the case today? Let me withdraw my request to return Lena to the Faithful. Really? You think that''s deliberate?No, after all those rejections yesterday, this is the best response I can give you. Acting is so difficult. ''''In exchange, would you be willing to teach Lelia the art of magic? What is the secret of magic: "What is ......? Don''t be silly. There are magical secrets that only the previous saints and the Forster family could have used. Come to think of it, is magic manipulation the ultimate goal?It''s more of a rudiment. Well, I don''t really need to point that out. Okay. That''s fine. It''s just that ...... Lelia is on the verge of adulthood. I''m not sure I''ll be able to get it. And if we can''t, can you promise you won''t blame us? I think I can handle it in half a year, but they say the smaller the growth of magic, the better. We should take out an insurance policy just in case it doesn''t work out . ''''Huh?Does your age have anything to do with it? ''In a manner of speaking . When I was with the Forster family, I was training in magic before I entered primary school, so... ''Right. ....... Okay. If you don''t get it, we won''t say anything. So please, I beg you. If you accept, I''ll give you five boxes of gold. Five boxes means there are five boxes of a hundred gold coins. Since there are no white gold coins in your country, they are said to be exchanged in such a unit. By the way, 500 gold coins of the church is about 300 to 500 million yen. Since there is no white gold, the value of the church''s gold coins is much higher. I understand. I''ll do my best to see what I can do. Oh, thank you. No, no. I look forward to working with you in the future. Of course I do! Deal. I''m glad it went quickly. I had a feeling it was going to be a long one. Good thing our guy''s a good agent. Good. Now all that''s left is the Tri-nation Conference! 210 CHAPTER IV ARRIVAL SIDE: Kite. Hey, you sure you''re okay with this? I said it''s fine. And now you''ve come all the way out here and now you want me to go home? Not really, though: ...... I know I''m persistent. I don''t know how many times I''ve asked Elaine since we left the kingdom. But I was worried. ....... Thank you for your concern. But this is a good time to do it, okay? ...... Got it. Thank you. Elaine is really awesome. I''m sure it''s a lot of work to do, but to be able to look at me like this and care about me like this. ...... I have to do my best: ....... I''m sure the council won''t want to push you too hard. And yet ...... the western part of the Empire is really in ruins. Do those idiots really think the kingdom will be enriched if they get their hands on this? Saying that, Hlne looked out the window at the rundown fields that hadn''t been tampered with for years now . Indeed, even if they got a land like this, the kingdom would still be bankrupt with losses before the profits came into hand . There are no dungeons, so we can''t even use it as a source of magic stones . ....... No matter how you look at it, this is a land that cannot be a treasure for the kingdom . ''''They really think that as long as they have land and people, the money will flow in on its own. It can''t be helped. Because they''re the kind of guys who eat, play and sleep every day.They''re not very smart, and they''re definitely not very naive . ''It''s totally unavoidable when people like that are running the country. ''Yeah . Haha ...... even the few serious people who are serious have become Mr. Aaron and the General, besides me and Elaine. ...... You''re worried about Gert? Yes. They make you work all night long, you know? When Leo returned Mr. Gert, he was made a slave. He tried to kill our guest, Leo, with his own magic tool. The king and his men gave the order. Gert can''t be blamed. But it feels like he had it coming. That''s what it means to betray people after all. ''Yes, but ......'' Mr. Gert betrayed the Empire and his former master to escape to his kingdom. They say he killed many people along the way. That is unforgivable and unacceptable. But the Gert I knew was a kind and reliable person. I''d like to meet him just one more time ...... to find out what kind of person he really was. I want to see for myself what kind of person Gert really is. Because the Gert I knew was a kind and reliable man. We are almost at our destination. Over there, you will see the Myrddin estate. They had not spoken to each other for some time, and as they were swinging in the carriage, the knight''s report came through the window. ''Oh, I see him!Look, there. Hlne hurried me to look in the direction my fingers were pointing. Then I saw ...... a ridiculously large city, or rather a city. Isn''t that the imperial capital?I''m tempted to doubt that. You''ve got some pretty impressive walls: ...... Terrible. Will we ever get past the great wall ....... That''s Mladin Castle ...... such a great castle. I walked into the walls and immediately saw Leo''s castle. Is that ...... really Leo''s castle?If you''re not, I have a feeling it''s bigger than the King''s Castle: ....... ''It''s a symbol of how prosperous this city is, isn''t it? This town can afford to build something like that. While I was thinking this, I was looking at the streets filled with people. It''s livelier than the royal city. ....... Did you hear that?I heard that the land here is so expensive to build a single store, that it would be enough to build a magnificent mansion in the royal capital. If only there were this many people: ....... It seems like any business would do well. On the other hand, the kingdom is in decline right now, and I doubt anyone would want to start a new business there. ''''That''s great: ....... Indeed, if we can get this city, the finances of the kingdom will not matter. If you can get your hands on it, though: ...... What did the king think when he saw the city? If they had a little bit of a thinking mind, they''d know that they couldn''t get this place on their own: ....... Well, if he was a king like that, he wouldn''t have to go through so much trouble . ''''Welcome to Mladin territory. I am the lord of this city, Lonce Muldeen. When we arrived at the castle, we found Leo, Shelly, Leena, and the rest of the ...... emperor and crown prince?greeted me. Hmm. You have a good city. Thank you, Your Majesty. Now, Your Majesty, this is Your Majesty, and next to him is His Highness, Prince Crispis. I knew it. Looks like both of our kings have a few more brains than we do. You''ll be working with me for a little while longer. You''re welcome. That was the only word the king and the emperor had ever spoken to each other. Well, a conversation would reveal your stupidity, so it''s okay. SIDE: Leons. After we were greeted and shown to our rooms, I invited Kite and Elaine to my room. ''Long time no see you two, how are you doing?'' I''m fine, as you can see. I''m fine, too. Hmmm, how soon are you going to have the baby? He said a couple of months to go. Sherry''s question was answered by Elaine, who smiled and told me with a smile as she put her hand on her belly . I didn''t expect you to come here with such a big belly. I guess that''s how much he wanted to be here for the Tri-nation Conference. Hey, hey. Can I touch it? Okay. Come on, give me your hand. Wow. I''m kind of nervous. ...... Kingdom, what''s the situation now? While Sherry let me touch her belly, I whispered to Kite. It''s not often we get the chance to see each other openly once the Tri-nation Conference begins. If we need to hear something, we need to hear it now. What?You know all about that, don''t you? Well, yeah. You know, from the outside and from the inside, maybe we''ll find something new, huh? ''Huh. ....... I don''t think that''s going to change. If I had to guess, I''d say that the wind against me and Hlne has weakened since that wedding . It doesn''t make sense to me, especially with the faction of the vizier stopping dragging their feet and desperately trying to prepare for war. I knew it: ....... "That''s why I asked him, and he doesn''t know why. That''s really weird. What are they up to? You don''t mind if Hlne becomes king? Or are you finally realizing that this is not the time for infighting with the war on the horizon? Yeah ...... there''s too little information to tell. Is Elaine on to something? ''Hey, don''t ask Elaine, okay?Even if it''s only for a few minutes, I''m feeling strained to the breaking point with my baby and this meeting. I''m sorry. I''m sorry. Well, I probably would have done something if I knew, so I don''t have to ask . Really, please: ...... You''ve always been a persistent guy. But then again, ...... kite is your father. It hasn''t been that long since we fought that child demon king. In this country it''s normal for people to have kids in their teens. In this country it''s normal to have kids in their teens. In the royal family, if you''re in your 20s and not married you''re considered obsolete. Besides, Leo''s a grown man now, right? Yeah. I guess we''ll be married on Sherry''s birthday. The kids will be rushed by the other four ...... and maybe next year I''ll be a father too . Yeah, I''m not so sure about that. Then be sure to invite me to your wedding. I wish I could call it that. I don''t know what will happen to the relationship between the kingdom and the empire from now on . Maybe the war won''t have started before Shelly''s birthday, or maybe it will be over. That''s why ...... you''re going to start working hard tomorrow, right? ''Wow!I feel like my stomach just moved! ''No!I''m going to touch it again, too! Hey, you guys are tickling me! I moved my eyes a little and saw the three of us who had to protect each other, getting along with each other . ''Yeah . I guess so . Let''s stick together for what''s important to us. I think we should do our best to keep those three smiles on their faces. 211 CHAPTER V -- WHAT I WANT TO SAY Hey, sorry to call you out. The night they arrived, I was at Cliff''s office. He had something he wanted to tell me. The Tripartite Conference starts tomorrow, so is there something you want to confirm about that? No. It finally starts tomorrow, you know. I know. But once it starts, though, it''s only my dad who''s in trouble. I don''t think so. I know that you have a lot of work to do, Cliff. Thank you. So, to cut to the chase, ......, Leo, do you have any interest in being the master of a country? "Lord of the land?I don''t know what the question is about. No, I understand. I think mr. Cliff asked me if I wanted to be emperor. If I marry Shelley, then cliff says I''m standing in the way of you becoming emperor. I''m probably the most powerful and popular person in the country right now. So it''s only natural that Cliff would think it''s dangerous for me to become the emperor. "No, I''m not going to do anything with or without it. I just wanted to ask. Yeah ....... Well, I guess it''s best to answer honestly . Okay. Okay, so now I''ll answer your question. I''m not interested in that at all. Yeah. We''ve come so far, haven''t we? It''s just a by-product of how far we''ve come. All of this is just a byproduct of the work I''ve done to protect something important. Ha, ha. Really, you deserve to be king. No, you don''t. I''m basically a person who wants to be free. being a lord is hard enough work... but who can be emperor? I like to live life for fun. Aren''t you a free king?Ha, if you can say that, I think you''re well qualified. ...... Could it be that Mr. Cliff is trying to force me to be the emperor? Mr. Cliff didn''t originally want to be that much of an emperor, and it''s possible: ....... ''Oh, don''t be so alarmed. Before you become my brother-in-law, I just wanted to say something. Yes, sir. Your marriage to Shelley will give you the right to the throne. ...... Yes. In short, I''ll let you take over the throne any day now. Yes? Mr. Cliff, I knew you were going to push the emperor on me . He''s going to say he''s going to give it to me, but he''s not afraid to disappear the moment I marry Shelly or something. ....... Later, I''ll have to ask my brother to keep a close eye on Cliff. "My mother, a queen, betrayed the Empire. And I had no small part in it. And I was even more unworthy of the emperor that he was going to abandon his sister. ...... That story is over, My Lord. You work for the Empire. Isn''t that better? Well, I''m going to, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that. You could always be emperor, but what would you do?That''s what I mean. Of course. Please keep it up and let Mr. Cliff be the emperor. "All right. I swear to you that I will work for the empire to the death. Only I''m not as strong or smart or popular as you are. I may need your help again and again in the future. Yes. I''ll be happy to help you with that. I''ve managed to avoid being pushed around. But you''re going to have to be careful now. From now on, someone might think about making me emperor. Good. And I''m going to make your eldest son take my place. Yes? ''What?No, I would still understand if Mr. Cliff hadn''t had a baby boy, but ...... what about that statement before you were married? I''m not going to marry her, no matter what you say. Yes? What is this man talking about? Wow. To see such a surprised look on your face is going to be a treasure of a lifetime. No, I don''t need my surprised face to be a treasure. More importantly, does Mr. Cliff know what he''s talking about? ''What are you talking about: ....... I can''t believe we don''t have a queen: ...... ''Huh?Maybe you didn''t really realize that?Because I haven''t been married past twenty, you know? Come to think of it, it''s strange that the man who would become emperor hasn''t married by the age of twenty-four . I thought it was too late. I just haven''t found a suitable partner. ...... Right, because I''d declared to my father that I wasn''t going to marry him. Did the emperor allow you to do this? No, if that''s the case, what''s the emperor thinking? Yeah. I told him what I thought about it, and he agreed. He said yes. What''s the translation? ''It''s strange that I''m a great sinner, but I''m a normal emperor, isn''t it? No. ...... And as punishment, I''ve decided to live as an emperor for life. How''s that?Doesn''t that make sense? No, I don''t agree with that: ....... If the emperor was okay with it, how could he say no? "But ...... what if the child between me and Shelly doesn''t want to be the emperor? I want my kids to be free to live their lives. Yeah. It''s not just Shelley''s kid. Any of your children. Name the boy you think is fit to be king. ''What?Isn''t that strange: ......? You don''t really think that someone who isn''t of royal blood is going to be emperor. There''ll definitely be some concern about that from the nobility. That won''t be a problem. If I''m the Emperor and I say so, no one will stand in my way. Sure it is, but ...... ''''Well, you have the blood of an emperor many generations ago, so I don''t think you have to worry about it. What do you mean? ''''It''s true that you''re the grandson of a brave man, and it seems that a large portion of your blood is foreign, but your grandmother''s mage is a duke. You definitely have some royal blood in you. I see. ...... Just in case you can''t manage the bloodline problem, too . Yeah ...... I don''t think I''m going to be able to say no, no matter how hard I try . ''''Well, I don''t think there''s anyone to complain about. I''m sure all the dukes will be on your side when the next head of the family comes around. The Baudrells are Frank, the Lefebvre''s are Bert, who married his sister, and the Forsters are brother Alex. ...... Surely, no one seems to be complaining about that... ...... Okay, I get it. But please let Mr. Cliff choose the next emperor. ''No, I think you''d be better off, Leo, than I would be, wouldn''t you? No. Only the emperor has the right to nominate himself. I think this is a good rule to follow. And I haven''t forgotten, have I?Mr. Cliff''s signature magic. It''s a forensic spell that specializes in seeing right through people. With that, you''d never pick the wrong person to be emperor. Ha-ha. You''re right... the ability to judge a person is the only power I''m proud of. Yes. Yes, that''s true. You mind if I do some of that? Yes, ''''I managed to say it before the Trilateral Council. I managed to say it before the Trilateral Conference: ...... Is there any connection between the Trilateral Council and this story? ''No. . I just wanted to make sure I was on the right path for the fight tomorrow . Just self-satisfaction, I was actually thinking of talking to you over drinks on the day you came of age, but ...... you''ve been busier than I thought you would be. I''ve certainly been busy dealing with Fontaine. ''I see. ....... Well then, when all is said and done, we''ll have a drink together. Booze or ....... I haven''t had a drink since I came to this world. I don''t know what kind of liquor I drink, so I''ll ask the liquor expert Colt for his recommendation. That''s a good idea. Well then, I''ll have to work on that tomorrow to make it a fun drink. Yes. Let''s go for it. Hey, what''s the story? Shortly after Mr. Cliff left the room, Shelly came in. ''Yeah ...... we''re going to start working hard tomorrow . Also, when everything is settled, we can have a drink together. You can''t talk about our son being emperor, so I just had to tell you. I didn''t lie. Yeah. If you''re talking about tomorrow, it won''t matter what I hear. I''m not talking about that much. Hmm. Come to think of it, it''s been a long time since I''ve been alone with Shelly like this. ''You''ll always have Belle by your side!Also, Leena hasn''t been as reserved with me lately! I think I stepped on the tiger''s tail when I said the first thing that came to mind in an attempt to divert the conversation. I''m sorry. You''ll have to forgive me, but I''ll find a way to spend some time with Shelly next time. ''No, that''s okay. I''ll have Leo all to myself for a week or so when he''s free. Ha ha ha. A week is a long time. It''s a very Shelley-like solution, though. Yeah?I could give Elsie a couple of days, though. You''re right, you haven''t been making time for Elsie either . I''m sure Lou would be more than happy to treat you to a good meal than to spend time with me at ....... Well, you''ll have to be nice to me. You don''t have to worry about that. Yeah. I wouldn''t be too worried about it. Whew. I''ve got an early start tomorrow, so I should get to bed. Okay. Okay, I''ll sleep with you today. Oh, that''s great. Well, good night. Good night. I changed into my nightgown and kissed Shelly, who had crawled into bed first, goodnight before I closed my eyes. 212 CHAPTER VI UNexpected DEVELOPMENT The next day after the kingdom''s arrival, the Tripartite Conference finally began in the afternoon. The leaders of the three kingdoms were seated on triangular desks with no expression on their faces. And as a result of their eye contact, the king was to begin the conversation. For now, the country that had called for the meeting would have to thank the other countries for their support. And so on, when I turned to the rotund king: ....... ''My Kingdom of Alvar, let us declare war on the Vector Empire! He picked a fight with the Empire without warning. No, don''t you think he''d like to give a little more warning? Hlne and the Prime Minister have done it ...... and the look on their faces makes it look like the King is out of control. That country is going to be destroyed if we don''t change the top brass as soon as possible. ....... ...... What''s the term date? You''re the emperor, your response to this sudden surprise was to return the question without changing your expression. We have no choice but to push forward with the war. At ...... we have prepared for war and now it''s all because of the king. If the king knew this was coming and wanted to waste my time preparing for it, then he needs to revise his opinion of the king. Well, that doesn''t sound like you mean it. "The war begins the moment I enter the kingdom. Well, they''ll insist on that: ....... ''You don''t want us to attack you while you''re in the Empire? "Yes. Now I''m a guest. Does the Empire attack our guests? It''s kind of creepy for the king today: ....... Was he this level-headed when we last met?I think it was more of a stunt. Was this flow of events exactly what that vizier wanted, and did you give him the words to answer beforehand? So you were upset about the king''s outburst earlier. All right. I''ll give you a guarantee of your life as long as you''re our guest. Hmm. So what does the Pope have to say on behalf of a neutral country in this matter? The king turned to the Pope, who hadn''t spoken a word since a moment ago. He took the trouble to mention the word "neutral country" to tell us to stay out of this war. No. But on the neutrality front, I would offer you one thing. What? ''''For the next six months or so, the saint will be conducting missionary work in Myrddin territory. If any harm comes to the saint, the Church State may have to contend with both sides. Seeing how he says both sides and then turns his face to the king, this must be what he''s saying to the kingdom . Maybe Toad had something to do with the Pope. ''''What!I didn''t hear anything about that! Naturally, the king looked surprised. I guess he hadn''t expected the Church to be his enemy in this war. Well, it''s not like the Empire had anything to do with it either. No wonder they didn''t know. We decided last week. What the hell? ...... Does that guarantee the saint''s safety? "Don''t worry, I won''t let any of the kingdom''s soldiers lay a finger on the saint. Of course, the Emperor replied immediately . ''''...... Here too, I promise not to do any harm to the saintly lady when we conquer the Myrddin territory . The king belatedly answered the Pope''s question. "I beg you to do the same. "Then let me ask you something. I would like to know what the Kingdom has in mind for invading the Empire. These trilateral meetings were originally convened by my predecessors to keep the peace. Don''t tell me you''re using it for your own personal war? The emperor, with a stream coming in, folded to the king . At this, the king did not know what to say. Well... So it was that king. "May I speak to that question? Princess Elemenane. All right, all right. All right. The king stammered, and Hlne, who was standing behind him, began to answer. ''''Yes . First of all, it all started when the Empire snatched the previous brave man from the kingdom. The folly of the empire at that time, when the demon king was defeated and peace was finally restored to the people, is very unacceptable. Why now, then?It seems like a long time has passed since then, doesn''t it? At Hlne''s answer, the Pope asked more questions. Hlne began to answer the questions without changing her expression. ''''Yes. From now on, the kingdom has demanded the empire to return our heroes. But the empire refused to comply, and finally eight years ago that was never going to happen again. And the wrath of our people will not be appeased as they are done. So it is with this war, after a brief preparation period, that the Empire is made to see how foolish it has been for its actions. I see. Do you have any objections from the Empire? One thing: The kingdom was mistaken when it said we took the heroes. Brave men have fled their kingdoms and sought refuge in the Empire. We are not to be blamed. Well, as far as the Empire is concerned, my grandfather just escaped on his own . That said, this excuse is unreasonable when you''ve benefited from so many brave men . ''''...... I see . Whether or not the brave man crossed over to the empire of his own volition is impossible to know since he is already dead, and no matter how much we argue about it, there will be no solution at all. So, let''s talk about this, Huh?You''re done with it! ''Is this the end of it?Doesn''t the Church State have something to tell us? ''Yes. ....... Whichever side wins, I need you to promise me that you will continue to trade with the Church as you have always done. If you can''t, though, we''re going to have to move on. Of course I promise. The kingdom is not going to change. Then I have nothing to say to you. So let''s just sign the pledge and be done with it, shall we? I''ll be no match for you if I get caught up in the war. With those words, the first Trilateral Conference in decades was over . We haven''t even discussed it for an hour. ....... Pope, what are you thinking?You''ve spent a long time coming here from church, haven''t you? After all that preparation: ...... I spent ...... a lot of time back-checking with Hlne and thinking about what to ask the emperor to say, but it was all for nothing. Really, give me that time back: ....... "That''s just the way life goes. You''ll just have to change your mind next time. "Mr. Cliff: ....... Yes. Yes. I was left alone in the conference room complaining about it when Cliff-san came into the room. Haha, you''re right, we''re going to war next week, so we have to get ready for it. Well, I haven''t been able to make the switch either: ....... You don''t normally expect me to declare war on the first word: ...... You got him. ''I suppose the unfortunate thing is that the Pope, who was neutral, is now on the side of the Empire. Yes. That was another surprise. I thought the neutral Pope would be cool with this war. I didn''t expect him to speak for the Empire. Maybe that''s because she''s about to be confirmed as the daughter of the House of Fontaine. Oh, I get it. You think he''s just trying to fit in because the Empire is getting stronger? With Lelia confirmed as a saint, does that mean that Gregoire is the next Pope assured, and inevitably, the Pope can no longer ignore the Imperialists? ''It''s partly that, and isn''t it nice to know that your biggest enemy isn''t coming back to the Faithful Nation? I see. ...... The Pope was so afraid of the saint and Lina before he deported them, you know. Now that they weren''t completely against him, would you comply with Gregoire''s request to confirm that? Oh, there you two are! Hey, man. Now it''s Brother Ivan. Your Majesty wants to see you, both of you. Ah, so they finally finished signing the papers. Yes, sir. ''I''d like to be happy that the Tripartite Conference has come to a successful conclusion: ....... War is coming, and we''ll get ready for it soon. Yes, sir. Cliff and I will have no choice but to return to the Imperial City when the war begins. Leo, take care of the rest. Yes. I''ll take care of it. If war comes, the Emperor and Cliff will have to return to the capital where it''s safe. I don''t plan on losing, but you never know what will happen. So from now on, I have to take care of everything on my own. Yeah, I''ve got to change my mind right now. "And you, Cliff, before you return to the capital, notify all the noblemen that the war begins next week. Yes, sir. Is Leo going to head west any time soon? Yes. Yes, sir. As soon as I finish my last meeting with the Knights, I would like to begin the war with the Kingdom. I''m afraid I don''t have much information on what Gert has invented since he fell into slavery, but I''m going to go ahead with the mission to destroy their weapons in the west end. "I see. You''re our only hope. Don''t force yourself to die, okay? I know, sir. I''m in charge of this event, and the moment I die, the Empire will lose. The emperor is right, we must never push ourselves too hard and die alone like we have done so far. We have to remember that we''re not fighting alone. ....... 213 CHAPTER VII BEFORE WAR ① Two days have passed since the Trilateral Council while I was seeing the King, Pope and Emperor off. We have only five days left until the war begins and we must make the preparations quickly. So let''s get this conference going. Come on, Fleur, you''re up. The meeting began, and I asked Miss Flair, who was rumored to have recently been courted by Stan in Mladine territory, to moderate the meeting. Could the rumors be true?You''ve been a great help to me, Flair, and I want you to be happy soon. Yes, sir. First, about the defensive battle near the western border: ....... Are you sure you''re on your own? Whoa, I need to focus on the meeting. I quickly changed my mind and answered Miss Flare''s question. "Yeah. Well, don''t worry, it''s the golem that we''ll be fighting. I''ll be in a safe zone. How many times have we heard this explanation? Well, if you think about it, the head of the family is trying to fight alone when the enemy is at its healthiest, or anyone tries to stop him . But it''s the best way to minimize the damage, so it can''t be helped. I understand. So, you confirm the enemy''s strength and weaponry? ''''I guess so. It would be perfect if we could even destroy the siege weapons. ...... Kite''s skills are tricky. Because of the light shield, they wouldn''t be able to break one for sure. Maybe it''ll protect all the siege weapons. That guy''s a real pain in the ass. So: ....... As I thought, we''ll just have to aim for the moment we''re on the move and let our guard down. Yeah. Just make sure you let everyone know as soon as you encounter a brave soul. Be sure not to engage in any one-on-one combat. The current Kite has become a lot stronger than the main character. Combined with the skills I have now, even Hermann and Alma would have a hard time fighting alone. I understand. Also, you said that the Forster family will be able to hold the kingdom back from the middle of the game. I know. But... I don''t know if we''re going to make it. We didn''t expect the war to start so soon. At the earliest, they won''t arrive for three or four weeks at the earliest. I don''t think they''re going to arrive in time. "What?What will you do then? The czar''s special forces will take care of it. I don''t think they''ll have a problem. ''''It''s true, but ...... what about escorts in the Imperial City?'''' I think some of the guys are going to stay on, so they''re not worried. Well, since the emperor says so, let''s just let it go. There''s no way we can do everything. I see. ...... So, the last thing we need to talk about is the defense here. Here, in Mladin territory. We should try not to make the battle here too big, so we need to do our best in the battle before that, but we have to expect it to get bigger to some extent. ''''The kingdom will be able to arrive here in a couple of weeks at the earliest, and a month at the latest after the war begins. Yes, sir. If it lasts any longer, the kingdom will have no choice but to retreat. They won''t even have enough food in that wasteland. At best, they''ll be at their limit for a month to get home. Well, I don''t think that''s going to happen. ...... That idiot king. He''ll just charge in, not thinking about getting home. And I''m sure he wasn''t thinking about losing. anyways....magic will be the main force behind the battle. I mean, it''s better to think of it as a real emergency when the knights get their turn. I don''t think we can climb up that wall, so a melee fight shouldn''t happen unless the enemy gets inside. If the enemy gets inside, it''s just a countdown to defeat. ''''That''s true. Good luck with Stan and his men. Yeah. I nodded widely at Bernold''s words . I nodded, but inside I wasn''t that confident. I''m a little nervous about the newly launched magic unit ....... I just graduated, so I''m inexperienced, and more importantly, there aren''t many of us. Will we have enough firepower to defeat all the kingdom''s soldiers? At worst, I''ll have to work as a magician. And what about the Baudelaire family supply corps? We received a war notice and are moving in. I don''t think there''s any problem with the base, as it was originally built. Copy that. The longer we play, the better off we are, so we''re gonna need them to hang in there. It''s one tactic to break the opponent''s heart. If your opponent doesn''t have any siege weapons, there''s no need to force your magicians to do so, or you can slowly reduce their numbers. Yes. Well, that''s all I have to ask. Is there anyone else you want to check on? At my question, everyone shook their heads. Well, it was originally just a meeting to confirm what had been decided. Then let''s talk about it for now. Let''s each of you gather your wits for the war. It''s gonna be a busy day for the next five days. It''s our last holiday before the war. I want each of you to get a good night''s rest. That said, where am I going to be until operations begin? I''ve been so busy that I''ve forgotten how to spend my time off. What did you do in your spare time before?Yeah ....... ''It''s been a while since I''ve had time to relax with Master Shelly and the others. As I was struggling, Belle gave me a grateful lesson. Well, it''s for the best. Where is everybody? I think he''s in Miss Shelley''s room. Yeah. All right, let''s get on with it. I can''t remember when we were all together. Oh, Leo. Did you miss your meeting? When I walked into Shelly''s room, I saw Shelly, Leena, Lou and Elsie, all four of them. ''Yeah . . it wasn''t that long since it was a reaffirmation of what was originally decided. That''s right: ...... Shelly said we should smile already, remember? As Shelly looked sad, Lou, who was next to her, squeaked and pinched Shelly''s cheek . I never thought it would be time for Lou to pay attention to Shelly: ....... ''Yeah, I guess . Hmmm. ...... You don''t have to do that. It''s okay. We''ll be fine. We''re not gonna lose. Shelly was forcing a smile and I gently patted her head. Then Sherry couldn''t stand it anymore, and she hugged me and started to cry. "Leo ...... "Mmm-hmm. I told you. Ah, Elsie. Has the Chamber of Commerce been notified of the war? ''Yes . . though I''m sure people who do business here don''t have to do that. ''Maybe so, but ....... Just for the sake of formality. This city is made up of merchants, and we can''t just ignore that, can we? Yes, they are. Oh, and I''m getting calls from some of our members for funds and supplies. ''Really?That''s surprising: ...... I thought the merchants were just standing by. Then some of them might betray us. No, I''m sure they did so based on a careful accounting of their profits and losses. It would be very troublesome for the merchants if this place came under the jurisdiction of the kingdom. Surely you''ll side with us, given the heavy taxation of the kingdom. Okay. Well, we''ll take what we can get. Yes. I think that''s a good idea. "Hey ...... can''t I join the war too? Yes? Sherry stopped crying and said something so out of the blue that I couldn''t help but ask her back. No, what do you mean? I think my magic ...... will definitely help. ''No, but ......'' I know it''s dangerous. But I want to help you as much as I can. ...... What''s the right way to answer this one? Considering the lack of firepower in the magic squad, I''d be terribly grateful for Sherry''s participation, but I''m more inclined to not want her to do anything more dangerous than that ...... . ''''Hey, please!I don''t want to just be protected this time!I took on dungeons every day and got so much stronger because ....... I know that. And I know that Sherry was trying to be strong because she wanted to help me. Ahh. How do I do this? Yes, ......, I get it. But you have to make sure Lou is with you. If you''re in danger, run for your life. I hope I''m okay: ....... If Lou is there, it should be okay ...... Ugh, I''m very worried. That said, with Shelly''s magic, it should make the defensive battle a lot easier. ''''Huh?I can fight too! ''''No. ...... I don''t want Lou to stand out from the stream, so . If Shelly is in danger, you can fight her, but until then, just stay quiet. It''s just too much trouble for them to find out that we''re a demon race. If we''re not careful, she''ll turn against our religion as well. Yeah. ...... All right. I patted Lou''s head with a disappointed look on my face. As for Lou, you don''t have to worry about anything. Because he''s stronger than me. "And I''ll get you two some hooded robes to keep you out of sight. Of course, I used my creation spell to create the ultimate in defense. Thank you. And I''m sorry to have to ask you to do that. Don''t worry about it. The fact is, I was worried about the firepower of the magic squad. Yes. What about Leena and Elsie and Belle? I''d like to go to ...... and join the recovery team. It''s the only thing I can do to help with the healing process. What are you talking about. That''s great enough. Leena is the only reason those soldiers can fight without fear of being hurt. And then he hugged Leena. Fighting isn''t the only thing that helps. Oh, thank you. Where''s Elsie? I can''t fight ......, so I''ll stay in the Ops Center. Please. I can''t move the money for this estate without Elsie. Elsie''s in charge of Mladine''s finances. When it comes to money, Elsie has more authority than I do. This estate will run just fine without me for a few weeks with Elsie and Miss Fleur. Thank you, sir. Where''s Bell? Of course, I''ll be with you the whole time, Master Leo. Always? All the way to the western border, you mean? Yes, sir. ''Dangerous, ......?'' Wouldn''t that be the same for Master Leo? ''Yes, but ......'' Belle, when you tell everyone you''re safe, you know I can''t argue with that. It''s just as well you know how to handle me better than anyone else. It''s okay. And I''m still the third-most powerful man in the land? Number three?You mean after Hermann and Alma, he''s the next strongest? No. Leo-sama, it means he''s the next strongest person after Mr. Lou. ''What?No, even though I''m taking on dungeons with Sherry and her friends, they''re usually with me most of the time: ...... I know Bell was originally strong, but that''s because he was on a higher level than the others: ....... ''I''m not going to lie . If you want, I''m sure you could fight Lou if you got serious about it. No, it''s a stone: ...... That''s a lie. Because that''s Lou? I turned to Lou with that thought, and he laughed and shook his head. ''''It''s true . I can''t follow Belle in that form with my eyes~ The figure? Well, please don''t tell Leo too much about it, as it would be embarrassing. I was about to ask Belle, but for some reason she was shyly covering her face with her hands, saying she didn''t like it. No, it bothered me even more . ''Yes, yes . But I don''t think Leo will believe me because I''m not shy enough to report it like that. I think it''s just plain cool, you know? Cool? ''Maybe so, but ...... embarrassing things are embarrassing! I can''t imagine being embarrassingly cool ...... . Oh, well, all right. Okay, now I''m going to ask Belle to be my escort. Well, Belle''s always been there for me, so it''s a good thing. If anything goes wrong, just make sure I''m there to protect her. Okay. You''ll be fine. Yeah. Please. ''Ha, Leo really has a soft spot for Belle, doesn''t he? It''s ...... an undeniable fact. Apparently it''s genetic. It seems that the brave master once got into a shura with a mage because he was too lenient with a beastly maid. ''''I didn''t know that happened . Well, it''s common to hear of noblemen cheating on their maids, so I don''t think it''s particularly bad for the heroes. Yeah. Is cheating on your maid a common occurrence? Yeah. It''s a tough sell for two noblemen to cheat on each other. And the ones who get cheated on still prefer to know the other person. A woman needs to be as strong as a mage to be able to tell a man what to do. So that''s what happened: ...... Yes, it''s true that the power is always with the man, so it''s hard for his wife to complain about it. ''Does Leo cheat on his wife?'' No, no!You can''t have an affair with such a pretty wife. Afraid of the five eyes, I did my best to deny it . Well, the only maid I have is Belle, so I can''t have an affair with a maid in the first place . ''''Well, it''s not normal for me to have this many fiances. Yeah, that''s ...... I''m aware of that. But I don''t regret it. Well, that''s good. Well, that''s good, because it''s because of you that we''re a family now. ''Well, yes, but ......'' Besides, when the war is over and we have more time, I''m sure Leo will take as much time as he can with us. Don''t you think?Leo-kun? "Of course. Of course. When you get settled, let''s take a trip. And that''s why we''re all scared. Don''t worry about it, I have a plan. Are you guys traveling?Good. Where are you going? "Churchland. Ah, ....... And I''d like to visit the Beastmen''s country. What? ''Our hometown tour?That sounds great. I''m looking forward to it. Yes. Tour of Lena and Belle''s hometown. I''ve been wanting to go on this trip for a long time. So I had to win at all costs. I put away one of my pleasures and inspired myself for the war. But I''m going to indulge you all just a little bit longer. 214 CHAPTER VIII BEFORE WAR ② SIDE: Edmont (General) The easternmost city in the kingdom, where all the kingdom''s soldiers are gathered. It''s amazing how they managed to gather such a large number. Well, the quality is terrible for that. I still have to watch for any mischief, and I''m sure there must not be many soldiers who are actually misbehaving in the city. ....... Haha, now the king is going to be hated by the people again . ''General!It looks like war has been declared successfully! Yeah. So you''re still on schedule, four days from now? It''s already been three days since the first day of the Tripartite Conference. If the king is working as planned, war should start a week after the declaration of war. The man who came to report to me nodded at my question. "Yes, sir. "Yes, sir. It will begin at the same time His Majesty crosses the border. Yeah, I see. How are the men? "Good, I think. It''s just that ...... His men were stammering. Well, they''re the men you''ve got for me. Well, I don''t mind this kind of thing. It''s just that there are so many rogues, you don''t know what will happen until we get started? ''Yes ......, honestly, I can''t rely on those guys to help me out. ...... What choice do I have?We don''t have the money to hire proper mercenaries in our country. Besides, if we can get those guys out of the kingdom, that''s all the money we''ll make. At least that''s what the nobles think. Well, it''s not good for us to be fighting for our lives. Do you suppose that General ...... wants them to commit banditry in the Empire? I don''t know. But I''m not gonna ask them to play by the soldier''s code. Let them do what they want. It''s better to let them run amok than to waste your energy on a bunch of disobedient thugs. Are you sure you''re okay with this?I think I would be betrayed in a heartbeat if the war situation went badly. That''s what I think. So I think I''m going to let them be a diversion, separate from them. You can''t be taking these people with you to the dead city. Is that a diversion? Yes. I will have them storm a few major cities in the west of the Empire. And while the Empire takes care of business, we''ll go straight to Mirdeen. You will send your goons to the three main cities in former Philibert territory, while we head straight for Mladin. We''ve checked the roads before. We''ll take the shortest route. "Will it work that well?If they ignore the bandits and wait for us in Myrddin ...... we can''t very well win, can we? ''They won''t ignore it. I don''t care how much the city is in decline, if we ignore it, the people will turn against us. And there''s nothing worse than a thief who''s got his money. He''ll know that too. ''''Would you be a diversion then? ...... Don''t look so worried. Well, you knew this was a war that was impossible. Well, you knew it was an impossible war. It''s going to be hard. We have a 5 percent chance of winning, at best. Unless a few lucky breaks come together, we''ll be hard to win: ....... SIDE: Leons. I turned off the monitor. "I see. ...... A very Kingdom-like tactic. That''s a really dirty tactic. But it''s annoying when it''s done. That general was tough to beat. What do you want to do?Do you want to ignore the bandits? Elsie, who was watching me, looks at me like she''s worried about me. Don''t worry about it. We''ll win. By the way, Sherry, Belle and the others went to the dungeon early in the morning. They want to raise their levels as much as possible to prepare for the war. If winning the war is all he cares about, that''s fine. It doesn''t work that way, does it? Certainly, we''ll have to deal with that later, Yeah. Besides, wouldn''t the lords trust a man who abandoned them? The bandits will be taken care of, but people''s trust can''t be regained. Therefore, it would not be wise to leave a city that I will have to rule afterwards. That''s true: ....... But isn''t that exactly what they want if they allocate their troops to three major cities? ''''Yes, but ....... Worst-case scenario, we could have a defensive battle here if we had a magic squad. Or we could hire some city adventurers to use their magic guns. Don''t you have quite a few magic guns in stock? Originally, I was going to make the knights who can''t use magic use magic guns ...... but that job can be done by adventurers. We just need to send the knights to the cities to somehow buy time with the remaining members. We''ll have to give up this plan to stop them. We have enough magic guns ready to distribute to the adventurers. It''s just that the magic stone is ....... ''''In that case, I''ll have the magicians focus their magic on the magical stones before the battle here starts. Arrange for an abundance of empty magic stones. Even if we can''t keep them here, we won''t arrive here for two weeks at the earliest. That should give us enough magic stones to stock up on. Understood. I''ll see if I can arrange for the adventurers to visit some of the local merchants. Chamber of Commerce? If you''re an adventurer, aren''t you a guild? "Yes, sir. Your own adventurer. Most of the adventurers operating in this city are employed by the most powerful merchants. Okay. Well, I''ll let Elsie do that for you. As for the merchant, Elsie knows how to handle him better than I do, so there''s no need for me to help her out... ''Yes, sir. I''ll take care of it. And what about the ...... shield and armor?The Knights said it wasn''t necessary. Well, they all have their own equipment. Well, have your adventurers wear them. They''ll be able to shoot and protect themselves from incoming fire. Master invented it. We have to make good use of it. Speaking of which, does the Master realize that the war is about to start ......? Yes. Well, I''ll make those arrangements for you. Yes, thank you. No. That''s the only way I can help you. It''s enough. You''re a big help. Without Elsie, the preparations for the war wouldn''t have gone so smoothly. I''m so grateful. As I thought that, I hugged Elsie tightly. "Thank you, sir. Well, I''m going to go ask the magic squad about the magic stone. "Okay. I''ll ask the city''s merchants to loan me some adventurers. ''Well, Stan must still be in the castle: ...... I left Elsie and went to Stan''s room. So I''ll just need a little more time. I was on my way to Stan''s room when I heard Mr. Flair''s voice . Seeing the slightly troubled voice and the person with whom I was speaking, I quickly hid as soon as I could . No, I don''t feel like I need to hide, but my body moved on its own, so it''s no use. ''We''ve been waiting for another month ....... Besides, there''s a war coming up . We don''t even know what''s coming next: ...... I know. . by the time the war starts: ...... Miss Flare bowed her head and went before Stan could stop her . Oops . ''''I understand your impatience with the war, but if you''re a man, I think it''s cooler to just sit back and wait. I understand your impatience, but sometimes you just have to be patient. I don''t know how long we''ve been putting up with you, Mr. Burt. Leos. Oops, I forgot I was hiding. I''m sorry to surprise you. But I thought we should have a little talk in private. I started dating Flair a little after ...... the most powerful battle of the Order. I walked into Stan''s room and he began to explain the situation to me in bits and pieces. "Yeah. How long have you been in love with him? It was at my tryouts for the Order. I fell in love with Flare at first sight when she was interviewing for a job. ''I see. ....... Do you like Stan properly, Flair?Oh, no, if you''re in a relationship, yeah. . sorry. But that''s what you mean by Mr. Flair, who is too old to marry, is hesitant to get married: ......? No. ....... Honestly, I don''t know. Maybe it''s ...... but I think Flair is in love with someone else. It''s just that it''s an unbeatable love ...... and she''s decided to get involved with me to forget that person. Eh, this is getting complicated again. ''''I like someone else: ....... Flare, I believe you went to school with your brother Alex at wizarding school. Could it be that you were in love with ...... a nobleman who had a fiance? If that''s the case, they''re already married, right? Still, you can''t give up: ....... ''Maybe I am,'' ''Yes ......, oh, and by the way, I remember brother Ivan was still in the castle. Brother, I''m sure you and Fleur were close. He might know something. I decided to act on the spur of the moment, so I came to your brother. Was it someone who liked Fleur? Yeah. You don''t know your brother? Of course I know who you are. You''re Cliff. "Yes! The ridiculous name was mentioned as an obvious one, and me and Stan were surprised to hear it. No, Mr. Cliff is ....... ''Well, I don''t know if you still like him. If you want, Flare was dumped once when she was in wizarding school. Why? ''Well, in those days Cliff was living in his mother''s face. You couldn''t marry a commoner, you know. It''s true that Cliff''s mother was quite resentful of Shelley''s mother, who was a commoner. With Cliff''s situation, it was hard to choose Flair as a mate. I see. ...... Thank you. Oh. Was it Stan?I''m looking forward to seeing what your unit does. ...... Yes. He popped Stan on the shoulder and walked away. Stan, you look like you''re about to die. That''s what happens when you find out that your rival is the next emperor. "Cliff. ....... "Your enemies are more powerful than we thought. ...... Yes. But I could see why Flair would be bothered. It''s not good that you''re so down before the war. And moreover, it''s cruel that the captain of the magic squad, the most important person in this time, is in such a bad state. ''''If it''s the Crown Prince, I''d better give up on him. ...... I don''t know. I was going to help you, but I feel like I''ve done something unnecessarily wrong. Think about it: ....... You have five wives, right? "Well ......, no, I don''t think that''s necessary. If you want, you should be willing to take it away from me. What? ''Mr. Cliff isn''t a man to get mad about something like that. Or maybe he''s not even interested in it: ...... He told me he wasn''t going to marry me. So I don''t think you have to give up on him. But I want Cliff to be happy, too, and I have mixed feelings about that. What do you mean? Well, we''ll see. In the meantime, we''ll have to see ...... how Mr. Flair feels about Stan. How can I help? Did you go on a date or something? No. We''re both busy... ...... only three times. That''s three times in that amount of time. ...... It''s not much. No, it''s my fault we''re so busy. You know, we never saw the light of day. I''m sorry. No, no. I hope you don''t mind. ''Right. ....... Then why don''t you go away somewhere far away when the war is over?I''m sure you''ll hear the answers afterwards. We won''t be in the country anyway, on our way home. I need you to rest your wings for a while. Freya-san, you''ll be able to think more clearly about your relationship with Stan when things are calmer, rather than during this busy time. ''Yes. ...... I understand. Okay, if you decide to do that, you can go to ...... Then I had Stan tell Flair that he didn''t have to answer to her yet, and that we had to go somewhere after the war was over, and I went back to my room, satisfied. Then I forgot that I had to tell Stan about the magic stone. Oh, I made sure to tell Stan right away the next morning. Yes, sir. 215 CHAPTER IX BEFORE WAR (iii) SIDE: Kite. We''re going to have to go to war with Leo now: ...... On the carriage ride home, I was nodding off. These past two years I''d worked so hard to keep us out of this war, and now it had all been for nothing. And I had no hope of winning against that Leo. Huh, I''m done. ....... ''Already!Let it go and move on. This war could be very different depending on you. Of course I know that. But I didn''t expect the king to do something so unscheduled. Elaine''s right. There''s no kingdom to be won if I don''t do my best. I''ve got to go for it. But there''s no way I''m going to change my mind right now. That''s true: ....... Father, did you notice what we were trying to do? ''I don''t think that''s possible: ....... How could that king be so devious? You''re working with Lambros. It was always your father''s idea of a good time. I guess so: ...... I don''t think it''s even Lambros: ....... Lambros, I''ve been feeling strangely frightened lately . I don''t know what''s spooking him, but there''s definitely something behind that guy. Who the hell was that guy?Could it be the former king? The man said he liked it when the country was in turmoil. Maybe he''d force a war. Whoever asked for it, it''s too late. Whatever it is, it''s a war. Do you even have a plan in your head? ''Of course . It''s just ...... to win, but I can''t believe you''re going to do that much ....... Yesterday, a messenger was sent by the kingdom''s general to explain our mission. I took offense to the inhumane idea of using bandits, but it was a bad idea for the messenger. It wasn''t his idea. We are outnumbered and it''s the only thing we can do. It''s the only thing we can do. It''s true that no matter how hard we try, we can''t win a head-to-head match. I''m sure that Leo has no intention of going head-to-head with us. Still, ...... no, I don''t know if I need to say any more. This is war. We''ll have to accept it. Hey, kite. ...... What? You have to make it out alive. Hlne''s hand was shaking in mine as she said that. That''s right. There''s no way Elaine isn''t scared. And yet, you''ve been so encouraging to me: ....... Hey, pull it together. Me! Of course. We''ll come back alive. Definitely. Don''t worry. He squeezed Hlne''s hand back gently as he answered emphatically. I''m going to be a father soon. I''m going to be a father soon. Well, you''re never going to die until you see your child. Oh, right. Here, I''ll give this back to you. I won''t have time to give it to you when you get there. Then he showed Hlne the necklace around her neck. It was a necklace given to Hlne by her mother, from a loved one. It must be returned before the war. The time has come at last. ...... Hlne had an indescribable look on her face as she looked at the necklace. Even though she thought of it as a way to make up for her mother''s disappointment, she still had the fear that she too might lose her beloved. ''I''m fine. It''s not going to be what Elaine is worried about. No, I won''t let it. I''m scared too. But strangely enough, the thought of being here for Hlne gives me strength. And I''m not gonna lose. And I''m even stronger than I was then. I''ll give Leo a run for his money. "Yeah. I think Kite can do it. I can''t wait to hear about your exploits in King''s Landing. Look forward to it. I''m sure I''ll do something to make Elaine happy. Now that you''re looking forward to it, I guess I''ll just do my best. I''m going to have to come up with something to show for it. General, it''s been a while! When we arrived in the easternmost city of the kingdom, I made my way to the general. When the king arrives later, I need to lead my army to him. "How was the Myrddin Territory? It was very prosperous. It''s called the center of the world, after all, and the number of people here is extraordinary. Yeah. How were the rumored walls? "It''s incredibly robust. Maybe you won''t be able to punch a hole in it with a single ...... shot. ''''Is it that far? ....... As I thought, the final devil''s adversary is going to be the one who can break through the city walls. Yes, sir. So, on the way here, I asked you, are you serious about that operation? I wanted to know if you were serious about that inhumane operation. I was prepared for it, but there was a faint hope that maybe it would end in a bluff. I had a faint hope that maybe it would end in a bluff. Well. If we lose, it''ll help keep order in the kingdom. Even if we lose?" ...... I knew he was serious. And it''s even worse that he''s not really in it for the war. Honestly, I don''t think we have a ten percent chance of winning. If the Empire gets serious, we''ll be crushed by a slim margin. If you make me mean it: ...... Indeed, a kingdom that is losing in terms of financial power will lose if it becomes an all-out war with the Empire . Right now, the advantage in numbers is here because it''s Myrddin versus the Kingdom, but ....... ''''Yes. Even you, the quintessential man, can''t take on 10,000 people by yourself, right? Yes ...... I can assure you it''s impossible. "This time, the Empire is going to win the kingdom with the bare minimum. Leons is trying to minimize the damage. If we have a chance this time, it''s because the Empire and Leonce are too soft. I see. ...... Sure, maybe he''s too soft for his age. But I''m sure it''s going to take a lot to find the loophole in Leo. You found that out when I invited you to the kingdom. I''ve spent the last few years fighting the Leons. We can''t lose this war. ...... Right. Let''s show them what we''ve done. You can''t keep talking backwards. I''m stronger than I was then, too. You have to be ready. General!The king will be arriving soon! Yeah. Well then, we should be ready to leave whenever you are. Yes, sir. As I was bracing myself for the king''s return, the news of his return came over. Oh, so it''s finally happening. And as soon as the king arrived, the king''s speech began. Looking up from below, his huge belly is clearly visible. "Good work, gentlemen. From now on, I urge you to win for the kingdom to prosper. You ready?Don''t lose to me, okay?You don''t deserve to come back until you win!Go fight in the Empire until you die! "...... I knew it, but that''s really the worst speech I''ve ever heard. I think this guy could still give a better speech if he was going to demoralize the soldiers . "What?Is he too dignified for me to move his hands?Where''s the applause? A few people clapped at those words. The king''s face was red with anger at the situation, but everyone ignored him. "Well, after the war, huh?I''m going to send you to hell. I''ll help you with that. I agreed with the general. The kingdom will never be as good as it was if he''s king. It won''t stay that way for long. "Oops. Oops. Forget about that. Yes. I will. As they were talking, the gate of the wall opened. And little by little the soldiers began to advance. Oh, so it''s finally happening.