The dead sand were blown up and the miasma that swirled around the sacred tree cleared up –the barks of the sacred tree that has turned black were peeled off and it regenerated from below. The fresh barks now have a wool-like color.
The miasma that covered the entire abandoned garden disappears all at once due to the clean air emitted by the sacred tree –the blue sky becomes visible and the dazzling sunlight pours in between the white clouds that float above.
The gray land that continued to spread had stopped and it returned to its original color –in the blink of an eye, the soil of the entire garden returned to life, and the plants that had turned into monsters stopped moving.
Not all of the parts of the sacred tree have been restored. However, it regenerated much faster than I had imagined. Green buds can be seen on the branches without any leaves. Many young buds have already opened and new leaves were born.
“…Grass-nii… You formed a contract…?”
“Yes… that’s right. I was chosen by a “Plant Spirit” so I was able to make a contract with Yuserish. I never expected this to happen either.”
Her Highness’ gently separates her hand holding mine. Turning around, Her Highness fixed her dishevelled hair and after that, she also fixes my hair.
“Y-Your Highness…. I’m greatly honoured but, doing this is…”
“It’s okay. You have done so much that I can’t put it into words… At this moment, this is the only way to express my appreciation for your hard work.”
The magnificence that she always carried on her makes her look great. However, the woman in front of me is shorter than me and she is a delicate woman after all.
If she doesn’t wear armor –No. Because she has such dazzling appearance and since she was wearing a metal armor made for battle, everyone would call her as “Saint”.
“…Lendl…No, Leslie. I was impressed by your courage. For you, Grass is more important than anything right?”
“…It’s just that I’m always running around following Grass-nii. Just watching what he does gives me courage.”
Those words without pretension directly penetrated my heart. Leslie, who just referred to me as “he”, suddenly looked mature than ever. I knew that she would never remain childish. Leslie decided to follow me on her own –And at important times, she is here beside me like this.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“I am the same. Thanks to Grass, I was able to stop feeling that sense of loss that I had always felt. It’s been a long time since I felt this refreshed… No. Since I was born, this may not have happened.”
“Your Highness’ magical power has stopped flowing out. As you are connected to the sacred tree as the “shrine maiden”, it is used for her rebirth. But…, I never thought that her rebirth would be this fast.”
“…I understand. Sacred Tree Yuserish regains divinity through “faith”. However it is not necessary that faith should be directed to Yuserish “firsthand”.”
Being a shrine maiden of the sacred tree, Her Highness is rapidly gaining knowledge of the sacred tree –Since she said that, I can think of it as a fact.
“…Grass-nii has healed many people. Everyone’s feelings towards him are the same as “faith”, which is the power of the sacred tree… Is that something like that?”
“Yes. The loyalty of the soldiers and the people to me is similar to “faith”…. But, their gratitude directed to Grass who tend and treated those injured is more precious. As much as Grass had healed everyone, the Sacred Tree is now healed as well.”
As a military doctor, I worked diligently to treat the patients in front of me –if everyone were grateful for that, nothing else would be more rewarding then.
Furthermore, if healing can lead to gaining faith for the sacred tree, by acting as a doctor, everything goes in a good track. But that alone is not a fundamental solution. In order to end the battle, we must break General Alejandro’s fighting spirit.
“…Astina-denka. If you will sneak into the enemy’s base, I…”
“Take me too. We’re not trained in combat… but if the enemy has a magician, we have to stop them.”
Leslie’s identity –Her Highness, who knows that she is an illegitimate child of Duke Lenklus, could not be able to easily give out her permission.
I can’t and shouldn’t take Leslie to the enemy’s territory. However, I couldn’t say it was no good either, remembering her firm determination and the fact that she reached out to the sacred with me…Translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“My magic will definitely work when we sneak into the enemy’s territory. I will never be a hindrance.”
“…I would like to ask Grass to make the decision. Since the three of us arrived before the sacred tree, there is no doubt that her power is of great help.”
Even if she wore glasses, I can see that Leslie is about to cry.
―Still, she didn’t cry, I think she became stronger. However, until the mission is completed safely, I cannot pamper this younger sister of mine.
“The magic of the air can be used to cut off signs of our presence… That being the case, Leslie’s power is essential.”
“……With that said……”
“Don’t overdo it. Follow Her Highness instructions and those who accompany you… If you can do that, let’s go together.”
“Y-Yes… thank you, Grass-nii…”
Though I have a contract with the sacred tree, it would still be difficult to fight against a court magician trained in combat. I need new power. Right now, I don’t have an effective way to attack with magic –although I can stop them and seal their bows, there is no way to attack a magician.
I can just use magic for defence, and attacking is left to the magic warriors like Her Highness and Raquel-san. I thought about that approach too but, when they wield their weapons, it was almost inevitable for Noin to die.
I want to hear the truth…whether she had betrayed our country or not. If there is something invoking Noin to do so…If I could just “incapacitatethem without killing”…
The moment I thought about it,
The sacred tree emits a faint light, and the light gathers on the ground. A plant that did not exist until now grows out of the heaped up soil, extended a stem and produced four large leaves.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“This is… is this a familiar of the sacred tree…?”
It’s not one of the plants that turned into monsters –I haven’t seen it even on those picture books. Did the sacred tree summon a plant from the spirit world?
When I touch the leaf, one name comes to my mind.
“…Mandrake… is this plant for me?”
The sacred tree does not respond. As if to tell me to find the answer myself.
I spoke and head to the door. The knocking sounds at the door stopped. With a big sigh, I pulled out the kannuki. Samia is behind me, completely on guard while holding the short sword that we made yesterday.Translated by Yume Neiji
I slowly opened the door then I saw a woman in her travelling clothes standing there. She has short red hair and her body is covered in leather armour full of cuts but the key point is that it’s reinforced with metal (probably steel). A haversack and two short swords are hanging down on her waist, her back is covered with a cloak and there is also a rucksack that may contain various tools inside. She is quite tall, may be about 180 cm. She also large bright eyes and there’s a sword scar on her face.
“Welcome”
I spoke though I’m a little taken aback, the woman smiled broadly and introduce herself,
“Are you the one who makes weapons for Camilo? I’m Helen.”
“That’s right. I’m Eizou, I’m a blacksmith in this place and I do make weapons. For the meantime, please come in.”
“Oh, thank you.”
I guided her to a space inside the workplace then we sit down facing each other with a table in between. Samia stood behind me without letting her guard down. I’m sure it’ll be fine but I left her as is.Read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com
“First of all, there’s no doubt that you came here alone, right?”
“Yes”
Helen agreed. I glance at Samia. Samia then nodded. I also can’t feel any other presence in the surrounding.Translatedby Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“You’re not attacked by a wolf and the likes on your way here?”
“Huh? No. I saw something like a rabbit though. It’s cute.”
Uhm… It’s indeed cute but we ate it yesterday. Perhaps the wolves judged that Helen is strong. Helen then continues,
“Ah right, it was hard finding this place but I was able to come here because I saw the smoke.”
Oh, did she follow the smoke when I was blowing the iron? Nevertheless, it’s not easy to get here. Thus it’s safe to say that she has fulfilled the arrangement.
“Then I will craft you a sword as promised, but what should be good?”
When I said that, Helen untied both swords on her waist and places them on the table.
“I’m a mercenary. These swords are what I use there, but I want a sturdier one. In the battlefield, there are many things that I can’t repair that well, but even in such state, whether it can be used or not will determine my life.”
“I see…”
A female mercenary huh. I think she had many hardships. The sword scar on her face stand out the most and cuts with various sizes are here and there.
“….Can I take a look at this sword?”
“Yes, I don’t mind.”
I unsheathed both swords and looked at them. They are still in a state where they can be put to a practical use, they’re well made. However, one of them seems to be slightly damaged.
“These are good swords. The one who made them has good skill. Can I show it to my disciple?”
“I don’t mind.”
I looked at Rike. Rike then move towards us and looks at one of the two swords.
“Good craftsmanship indeed. If you want something better than this, you may need to ask Boss for sure. At the very least, I can only think of Boss who can do it.”
“If a dwarf says that, then you really have the skill as I expected after all!”
Helen rides on Rike’s impression and said so. But her voice is so loud. It doesn’t matter how loud she speaks since there’s nobody else around us but it’s loud enough that I can even hear buzzing sounds in my ears.
Though it may be fatal if you’revoice can’t be heard in the battlefield, I would like you to refrain from doing it here…
“So, how do you use them?”
“How?”
“Ah no, I want to know how you perform in an actual battle. I will use it as a reference when making the sword you see.”
“Ah… it’s difficult to explain it in words, can I just show it?”
“Okay”
Helen went out first, followed by me, Samia and Rike. There is not much underbrush ahead of the workshop’s door but the area is of a decent size, so she can just hold and swing the swords there.
Helen is a dual sword wielder. That said, rather than using both in the same way, it’s more like one side is used to feint an attack and the other to strike. Surprisingly, her movement is fast. If that is the case, the sword used to parry will break faster. Alternating them is probably the reason why there is not that much difference in damage.
“Hmm…”
Helen, who was swinging her sword at a great speed, stopped moving.
“What happened?”
“It’s no good if there is no opponent… Right, you should be my opponent.”
“Me?”
“Yes”
“Samia… this beastman child will not do?”
“You look stronger”
“Uhm…”
What should I do? I do have a cheat so I think I can deal with her just fine but… Oh well. It’s just to show me, and we’re not going to go at it seriously, I think. Besides, I may see something if I received it directly.
“All right, I understand. Samia lend me that sword.”
“Eh? But…”
“It’s okay”
When I said so, Samia gave me the short sword she’s holding, albeit a bit reluctant.
“Then, shall we start? Go easy on me okay.”
As I said that, I hold the short sword and take a stance.
“That’s a joke…. right?”
However, Helen strikes with great speed.
“Uoh!?”
I received it. However, that one is a feint. The other one is coming at me at great speed. I return my wrist and receive it, but I did so as to strike at Helen at the same time.
“Oops!”
Helen takes it with the sword she used to feint, and the other aims at my open torso, but before the sword reaches me, I stepped back to get out of her reach.
“Oh you’re good at this.”
“No, no… please give me a break…”
With a grin, Helen strikes at a faster speed than before and I parry them. We did that for about 15 minutes.Translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Well, you’re strong!”
With a loud voice, Helen said so and stopped.
“I just want to watch your movement, to seriously strike me….”
“Actually, I intended to end it after the first two or three shots but there are only few who can receive my “lightning sword” so I got excited, I’m sorry!”
This muscle brain asked for forgiveness…
“Well anyway, I get it now. Hmmm… I think it will be completed in two days, so come back three days later.”
“Hmm, can I not go home today?”
“What are you going to do if you stay here?”
“Let’s spar again after a break.”
“Then I can’t make your sword! Now, go back, go home!”
“Ah, wait! Give me some water…”
Then, Helen, who replenished with water, temporarily went back to the town.
Sorry guys, here’s the missed chapter last Friday. Enjoy reading!
I could no longer hold back. To maintain my magic, I borrowed magical power from Her Highness who supports me from behind, Leslie is in front of me maintaining her magic control on the air — Even if I cling on her waist in a hug-like manner, we can only advance little by little.Translated by Yume Neiji
I can’t hear the sacred tree’s voice. Even though she knows that we have come, the sacred tree that ended up withering as she has lost faith cannot stop those who run wild by herself.
“Both of you, never let go of this hand! If you get separated inside this miasma…!”
“Kuuu…ugh…Grass-sensei… I no longer have the air that the sacred tree gave us…ugh…”
“A little more…. my hands will reach….uh!”
I reach out to touch the sacred tree’s trunk —but at that moment, a burning pain runs in my palm. Under the bark that has dried and cracked, I can see a blood-like red color. The bark, which was gray, turned into black, rejecting everything that is trying to touch it.
―I have to endthis soon. Taking root in this place isthe mistake itself.
―I met the King and saw the human world through the Royal Shrine Maiden.
―What I did for the people,there’s no meaning to it now, it’s all in vain.
―I needto show interest in humans. I need to help, that way, I can remain aswhat I am.
A voice echoed in my head. Every time I heard one, I could see a scene that I had never seen before. The sacred tree’s life is about to end. What I’m seeing may be the memories of her past that the dying sacred tree sees.
If she didn’t lend power to human beings, the sacred tree would not have been called “God” and would have remained as a tree spirit.
However, once you get faith and become a God, if you lose your connection with humans, starting from the roots, you’ll be affected adversely as you’ll end up sucking the world’s negativity.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“…I should have come here earlier… before you suffered this much and changed.”
Her Highness speaks to the sacred tree. Her Highness’ hand stretched from behind me and overlapped on my hand reaching out for the sacred tree. And then Leslie’s hand too. Without being afraid of pain, we try to touch the sacred tree again.
“Kuu… Ah… It doesn’t hurt… If I’m with Grass-nii…..uh!”
“I won’t let you be alone anymore…until the day I die, I’ll always be beside you… so please, respond to our voice…!”
Both Leslie and Astina-denka must be feeling the same pain as me. However, they endure and keep calling out for the sacred tree to respond to our voice.
“Can you hear me…? We are here now, we believe in you. You’ll regain your original form once again…”
Light spread out starting under Her Highness’ forearm. The light was emitted by the spirit mark that I drew on her body. The sacred tree is seeking a contract. I thought it was because Yuserish chose Her Highness as the contractor.
“Grass-nii…!”
Leslie shouts. I don’t even understand what is happening. It is not only Her Highness’ spirit mark that is shining. The mark that was drawn on my body and should have disappeared after my contract was over is emerging again.
“I’ll try to chant the contract… I also watched Grass–nii at that time… I know what kind of chant I should say…”
Both Her Highness’ and myspirit mark are responding. What will happen if the contract is concluded in this current state? –I cannot imagine it at all.But if what I saw when I first signed up my contract was the answer to what was happening…
“To the one who controls all things! The one who’s imprinted with the spirit mark seeks a contract with the spirit of the sacred tree…!”
The continuation of Leslie’s chant naturally overflowed from inside me. Yuserish is urging the contract. It started –she regained her power as a sacred tree.
“―Show your true form, heed our pledge… Oh, Sacred Tree Yuserish!”
The chant was completed. Our spirit marks shine and our connection took form.
“Yuserish… So that’s your name… I finally know…”
The magical power of Her Highness, which has been overflowing until this time is now connected to the sacred tree through the spirit seal, it then gives vitality to the tree that has withered and turned black.
However, it is not only Her Highness and the sacred tree that were connected in this contract.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“…Grass-nii… You’re not a “flop” after all. All this time, everyone and I were wrong…”
Instead of answering Leslie’s words, I squeezed her small hand.
Astina-denka formed a connection with the sacred tree as the “Shrine Maiden”.
―And,
As a “magician”, I signed a contract with the “Sacred tree Yuserish” ―No.
I had been called all this time, to form a contract with the origin of “plant spirits”, the “Sacred Tree that governs all plants”.
The short man slapped me on my waist. He was the one who has been swinging his axe towards the Bloody Trent previously.
“I am Shinichi Tanaka of Homeless party.”
“Oh, I’m Dhal La Quebra of Earth Fang. Call me Dhal.”
We shake hands with each other. Dhal seems to be a person who’s easy to talk to.
Is he the dwarf that Erna was talking about?
“Shinichi! Don’t get along with that guy! He is an obstinate dwarf you see!”
Erna comes near and she points at Dhal while speaking in a loud voice. Dhal also had a change in expression.
“That face… Erna Frederia, the luggage carrier! Why are you here?!”
“Hmmph! Look carefully! I’m already an advanced ranked mage! I’m completely different from when I’m carrying luggage!”
“Don’t joke around! You’re bluffing anyway! This is why flawed elves are beyond saving!”
“I’ll return that to you! You flawed dwarf!”
Erna and Dhal glared at each other like beasts, and no one is willing to step back. I’m confused because I don’t know what happened between them though.
“Okay, both of you calm down.”
“Yeah, don’t bring the elf and dwarf fights here.”
A man and a woman with exactly the same appearance appeared as if they were ready to step in between the two people who are arguing.
The man wore a red robe and a pointed hat. With his short, light green hair and bluish eyes, he looks very handsome. He appears to be a mage. The other person, the woman, wore a light equipment and she seems to have a good style. The greenish-colored hair was tied at the back and the bangs that droop a little are stylish. Since she holds a spear in her hand, she can be considered to be good at standard distance.
“Whoa! If it isn’t Roy and Nina! It’s been a while!”
TLYN: Actually this part is written asミーナ, so it’s Mina supposedly but on the later part it became Nina(ニーナ) and it’s mentioned twice so I just used Nina instead.
“It looks like Erna-san is the same as usual…”
The man called Roy laughs hard. I don’t know the circumstances, but it seems that it’s better for me to come out and bring this to a close. The villagers had already begun their discussions to bring the Bloody Trent to the village.
“Dhal, why don’t we talk about this after returning to the village? Even though the Bloody Trent was defeated, other Trents are still lurking around. As the villager’s escort, we cannot neglect them you know.”
“Uhahahaha! That’s right! You are a man wasted on a flawed Mage!”
“Arghh! What do you mean by that!? If you have objection, bring it on you damn dwarf!”
I carry Erna who’s furious to the side and separated her from Dhal for the meantime. The villagers on the other hand are already walking out while carrying the Bloody Trent’s dead body.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Waauuuu”
Before I know it, Freya is now holding Pero who has shining eyes while watching the huge Trent. His race is different, but Pero is still a boy.
Unconsciously, my cheeks relaxed.
◆◇◆
After returning to the village safely, we moved to the village’s inn for the meantime. Apparently, by securing such big game, the villagers are preparing a feast for us to express their gratitude. They got more Trents than usual and the villagers seemed pleased as their faces are even beaming happily.
“I’m Roy Diffir. I’m a mage of Earth Fang.”
From the opposite seat, Roy introduces himself and politely took off his hat and shook hands with me. I can understand how good he is from his appearance and attitude.
“I’m Nina Diffir. I’m Roy’s twin. In Earth Fang, I’m in charge of medium range attacks.”
This time I shook hands with Nina. Their faces look exactly the same like that of identical twins. Still, both of them are so charismatic that I cannot help but feel a bit bitter. I wanted to be born handsome as well…
“I already heard about Dhal, so it’s my turn this time. I’m Shinichi Tanaka. I’m Homeless’ leader. Feel free to call me Shinichi.”
At that point, Dhal asked a sharp question.
“Shinichi, you’re not a human, right?”
“…Why do you think so?”
“It’s impossible for humans to defeat a Bloody Trent that even I couldn’t beat that easily. Maybe you’re a Dragon Newt?”
Dragon Newt? I’m not sure what is that but it’s clear that it’s not my race. So I decided to talk about my race without hiding it.
“I’m from the so called Homeless Variant race. I think it’s a rare race but, have you ever seen a fellow brother?”
“Ah? Homeless? No, I don’t know one…. It’s my first time hearing such a race.”
Dhal tilted his head. It can be said that it is a fairly rare race, or if it is not the case, it’s possible that I’m the only one. However, just knowing that no one knows about it is a good information. It may be safer to pretend to be a human in the future.
“Then it’s my turn! I’m Erna Frederia who will later become a great mage! I can now use even advanced magic!”
Erna striked a pose by waving her cane. I’m glad that she could show off to her acquaintance but I’m also worried that this child will go crazy. This time, it’s better to start doing some mind training.
“I’m Freya Label. I’m cooperating with this party for the time being. I’m actually the Duke’s knight guard.”
The three people were stunned by Freya’s introduction. Well, that’s for certain. It is strange that the Duke’s Knight Guard is here.
However, putting off Freya’s detailed introduction for later, I introduced Pero first.
“Freya is holding Pero, he’s a sacred beast. He is our important comrade.”
“Aw!”
Pero leaned forward and shook hands with the three. He may be imitating me when I exchanged handshakes. The three were surprised by Pero’s action.
“That’s an amazing party. There’s the Duke’s knight guard and it’s even scary as there is also a sacred beast. And especially, Shinichi is a bad news. We dwarves take pride in our strength as we are twice as powerful as humans. It makes me shiver knowing that you are even stronger than me.”
“Hey! Why am I not included!? Surely Shinichi is strong, but even me can deal with such Trent, it’s just a piece of cake!”
The dispute between Erna and Dhal started again. This time, I don’t feel like stopping them, I just put the ale which was just carried in to my mouth. Our table is now filled with dishes, the villagers had already started the banquet in the inn.
“Can we talk for a while?”
Roy brought his chair and sat next to me. From where he was seated, Dhal and Erna are now arguing. In the end, he vacated his place.
“They’re always like that. Elves and dwarves have always been on bad terms.”
“Hmm, they are not close so why was Erna hired to carry your luggage?”
When I asked that, Roy starts talking while looking at Dhal.
“Dhal-san said that he had a daughter in the past. He said that his wife and daughter died due to an epidemic. I think Erna and her daughter has similar appearance. At the time, Erna was having trouble at work because she could only use beginner magic. He then said he would hire her to carry our luggage. We opposed it but, Dhal-san is a person who never changes what he had already decided.”
“So you mean that’s how she got to carry your luggage? But, wouldn’t that make your work difficult?”
“No, not at all. As you can see, they’re really close to each other you know? Dhal-san is happy that Erna-san became an advanced Mage.”
“I see……”
I was convinced by Roy’s words. Dhal and Erna were talking over a drink before they knew it. Their appearance seemed so close that they looked like parent and child.
◆◇◆
The next morning, as soon as I wake up, I prepare to leave the mansion.
Today I made a promise with the Earth Fang guys. I then went to the guild with Erna, Pero, and Freya. The three Earth Fang members where already near the entrance when we got there.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Good morning! The weather is good isn’t it!?”
“Yeah, it’s a good day for exploration! I have to earn enough! Uhahahaha!”
With yesterday’s request to subdue Trents, we were able to get a considerable amount of money. It would be about 140,000 yen in Japanese yen. On the contrary, the Earth Fang didn’t get that much.
Therefore, I received a proposal from Dhal. “Let’s have a joint exploration on a ruin tomorrow”, I was asked to explore a ruin together with Earth Fang. As a matter of fact, I have already obtained enough profit but I could not think of any reason to object to this proposal. Above all, I had this intuition telling me to participate.
Besides, it’s not bad to get closer to your peers. Keeping the edges warm is the key on business.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“All right, let’s go!”
We take the horse that we rented and headed for the Desoria Ruins. The so called Desoria Ruins, which we reached for about three hours one way, is located at a place not far from the royal capital.
There used to be a huge nation here, but now we can only see the remnants of it. This Desoria Ruins look like the Angkor Wat. Surrounded by a large swamp, a huge building quietly exists in the center. With its appearance similar to the ruins where we defeated the Bloody Trent, I can see that it was created by the same race.
“It’s a huge ruin right? It’s the biggest one in this area. It has already been traversed, but it’s possible that there may still be some treasures here.”
Everyone nodded at Dhal’s words.
It’s been traversed but it’s not a dungeon. So there is nothing in the bottom layer, and there is a possibility that nothing will be obtained if we do poorly. Besides, this is not an official request.
We then stepped inside the ruins.
“Ho-h, this is spectacular.”
Roots of trees stretched inside the ruins and some artifacts were embedded naturally. The walls are carved with many huge faces that still seem to be waiting for their citizens.
Dhal started talking while looking at the ruins.
“Humans once ruled this continent but the five nations have collaborated to destroy such great power. Though humans were scattered, they didn’t give up. They gathered together to form a country, and that is now the Rogas Kingdom.”
“The five nations did not destroy this country?”
“I heard that there were stories like that, but at that time, the five countries were sympathetic to the defeated humans. It is a small country they deemed to be good after all. That was about 5,000 years ago.”
Hmmm, to know the history of this world, I do need to study. It’s only been less than half a year since I reincarnated. So I’m still ignorant.
With Dhal leading us, we head deep inside the ruins then three magical beasts appeared in front of us.
“Goblin huh… what a bother.”
When Dhal draws his weapon, I felt pressure from him. I then use appraisal on Dhal.
【Appraisal Result: Dhal La Quebra: Dwarves are naturally good at blacksmithing, but Dhal La Quebra has little talent and has become an adventurer. He had a wife and daughter but they died due to an epidemic and he’s now single. 】
【Status】 Name: Dhal La Quebra Race: Dwarf Occupation:Adventurer Magic attribute:Earth Magic: Rock ball, Rock arrow Skills: Axemanship(Advanced), Hammer Skill (Beginner), Shield skill (Beginner), Taijustsu A (Advanced), Danger detection (Intermediate), Intimidation (Intermediate), Blacksmith (Beginner)
Perhaps the pressure I felt earlier is this Intimidation skill. The three goblins escape just by one look. It’s a very useful skill.
“Hehe, Intimidation is the best for those who are weaker than me. It seems that if this becomes advanced, it can be used in any rank but, intermediate level is enough.”
“Dhal, how do you acquire intimidation?”
“Ah? Well, if you threaten monsters, you’ll eventually have it.”
“Threatening huh…”
Intimidation is convenient, so I definitely want to have it. After that, we found a passage going underground and thus began our full-scale exploration on Desoria Ruins.
I and Rike pull the cart loaded with our luggage. Samia is our escort so she’s not pulling it with us but she didn’t ride on the cart and walk together with us instead. If it’s about the weight, it’s heavy, but thanks to the wheels, we are likely to go back without having our pace slowed down that much.
I’m worried, I hope the wheels won’t get stuck in the forest. Though when I dug the soil before, it was not soft so maybe it will be all right. In the worst case, I may need to ask Samia to push it.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
With a party of three people walking together on the main road and with a cart that one would definitely think that something is being carried, I think that there’s a high possibility of being attacked. Until now, Samia didn’t have any reaction so there may be no such danger after all. But, there is no doubt that the risk of us being attack is higher.
Even with Samia, a tiger beastman who is armed with a custom model bow and me (though with poor skill) here, I don’t think that there will be no danger at all so I must not treat it as something trivial.
I spoke about that with Samia, so on the way back home, we are more careful than usual. In the end, nothing happened in the main road on this day, but if you are prepared you don’t have to worry.
From now on, it’s better to be careful on the way home. The way to the town is peaceful and if the way back is peaceful too, it’s scary.
Even after entering the forest, the wheels did not sink deep enough to get stuck after all. I was even a little worried, “Is it possible to pass between trees with this cart?” Though in the first place, carts are not that wide.
However, I cannot say that it was as easy as or better than when we are on the main road that was maintained in its own way, it now turned into a difficult journey somehow.
“Is it better to improve the road?”
“But boss, if you do that, the condition you made to have them come alone in our house will be easier you know.”
“There’s also that too…”
I did say that. From now on, we will accept custom orders for those who can come alone to our house, so it makes no sense if I make a road. It’s like saying, “You can reach my house if you follow the road.” Then it’s just like going to a tofu shop for an errand. I wonder if I made a blunder…
For the time being, there were no big problems and we were able to get home safely. I’m thankful for it every time but sometimes, problems may arise too. At that time, I have to try to minimize it…
We then remove the luggage from the cart and bring it inside our house and workplace. Aside from the salt and wine, it took a while for the iron ores and charcoals to be carried in by three people. It kinda feels like we work all day long. I want to think of something like tilting the cart for example then carry it in…
On this day, we had a little lavish dinner, I made wheat rice porridge, dried bear meat and root vegetables stewed in wine (and water) that we had bought. It had a nice aroma and it was well received by Samia and Rike so I should make it from time to time.
The dawn next day, me and Rike will start to make metal sheets which are the raw material for making weapons. Samia went out saying, “I will catch a bird or a rabbit.” She’s not aiming for a deer so maybe she’s willing to help us again tomorrow. We also have enough meat in stock.Translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
Before making a weapon, I compared the quality of the iron ores I just purchased from the original stock. Using my installed knowledge and cheat, it appears to be a little better but it does not look that different from before.
“Rike, how about it? For me, it’s not that different.”
I handed the two iron ores that I was observing to Rike.
“Yes, as Boss said, I also think that it’s almost of the same quality. I don’t know who chose them but, he has quite good eye for this.”
“Then, shall we use the ones we have in stock first?”
“Yes. I understand, Boss.”
I magically set fire in the steel-making furnace operated by magic, I then put charcoal and finely crushed iron ores. Send in some wind by magic again and after waiting for a while, I repeat the same process several times, iron ―to be exact, steel is made.
With an ordinary Rheem furnace or those operated by foot bellows, it is necessary to break the furnace every time you blow iron as you take out the ball of steel from the broken part, but this magical furnace does not produce slag (to put it simply, it is the waste that comes out when making steel). There’s no need to break it and the only one left boiling is the produced steel, the last task is to take it out by letting it flow out.
Up to this point, having this cheat, I feel bad for people in this world but, I am using it because I have it. Since this furnace is of moderate size, there are quite a lot of steel that can be produced by fully filling it in with raw materials.
“OK, shall we start?”
“Yes, Boss”
As we take it out, the steel solidified to a certain size, I heat it again in the fire bed then take it out. Placing it on the anvil, me and Rike start to hammer it and shape it into a board. It’s a decent work.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
After the first one was made, me and Rike assessed the item.
“It’s not bad”
“Right. It looks better than what’s in stock.”
“Is that so? If Rike says so, then I have no qualm. Let’s continue.”
“Yes!”
In the end, metal sheet making continued in the evening until Samia returned.
“I’m home!”
“Oh, welcome home. Rike it’s sufficient enough so let’s end here for today.”
“Understood Boss.”
We quickly cleared the workplace and I then went to Samia.
“What did you get today?”
“Today it’s a rabbit.”
The rabbit has ears like grass. We have secured 3 birds previously but their size is not so big, so it took less time to finish them. The amount of this rabbit’s meat is for about 3 people. That’s why, continuing from yesterday, today’s dinner is also lavish. Unfermented bread, root vegetables and salted deer soup (the leftover from my and Rike’s lunch), and rabbit steak with wine sauce. Read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com
“Oh, rabbits are delicious!”
“I thought you’d say that. It’s difficult to catch, but I was lucky today.”
“This rabbit indeed tastes good.”
The day ended while I’m savouring the rabbit that tasted better than I expected.
The next day, after finishing the morning routine (fetching water) and having breakfast, we start working on the production of short swords and longswords. Samia, who had been helping us suddenly stopped.
“What’s the matter?”
I asked Samia. Samia seems to be a little nervous,
“Someone came”
The moment I look at the door leading outside the workshop, continuous knocking sounds were made at the door.Translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“I’ve been told by Camilo! I want you to craft me a sword!”
That voice followed out. I then stand up and head over to open the door.
The carriage finally runs through the wasteland and reaches the entrance to the abandoned garden. However, like a gatekeeper, a huge stem emerges from the ground and forms a flower that splits in half that opens its mouth full of fangs.
“Betrayal made them rage… I couldn’t come here until the abandoned sacred tree reaches such state. What foolish things am I doing…”
“Your Highness, the sacred tree guided us here. Therefore, you’ll still make it!”
“…Grass, you… why are you so strong? Why don’t you see that kind of scene? Everything that happened here is due to what the royal family did. And I also play a part in that…”
“I will never make that mistake a second time. Certainly, they may be angry… but, they are sad at the same time. The sacred tree’s familiars did not give up on their Lord who was trying to die alone. The sacred tree too was trying to end things with nobleness. If they opt to destroy everything without distinction, there is no choice but to defeat them and move forward. But that doesn’t mean that something will end.”
Her Highness regrets for the sacred tree and the acts of the royal family who destroyed this garden. Even if it is not what she did, she feels that she should be judged for it. I know how noble and pure her heart is. But she has fought to protect the country, and she does not have to bear the sins of the Royals in the past.Translated by Yume Neiji
“…Both plants and flowers will reborn with the same appearance once again if its roots remains. It is something that animals cannot imitate. That’s why I admire plants. When I formed my contract with the spirit, I had a glimpse of the appearance of the sacred tree’s spirit. I want to restore that scene as a real thing. If Your Highness and the people pray to her, it is not a dream that will never come true….!”
“――Leave this place to me! Everyone should quickly go and help that tree! Grass-sensei, I’ll leave Her Highness in your care!”
“Presha… you can’t! You alone…”
Her Highness jumps out and we followed. Presha-san had already got off the horse, carried a spear, and broke through the film of clean air that Leslie had established.
“Don’t stand… in the way of Her Highness…. and Grass-sensei!!”
It’s a spear longer than Presha-san’s height. But… it can’t cut the flower’s stem which are thicker than before or so I thought.
“Haaaaaa..!”
With a yell containing her spirit, I saw a magical power coating the spear, I’m not sure if Presha-san is unconsciously doing it.
At the moment Presha’s spear swings down, the two flower monster standing side by side were torn into a single horizontal line –it was such a destructive power like that of a siege weapon. Me and the other two gasp.
“―Presha, it’s not done yet! The roots still remain…..Uh!”
“Kuu… Aaaahhh…!”
A flower root protruding from Presha-san’s feet entangles her legs and hangs them in the air. Astina-denka holds her sword but the roots of the flower shift to use Presha as a shield so she was not able to swing her sword.
“Kuu… ugh… let go!… uh… in such a place…!”
Roots from the ground appeared one after another and entangled Presha-san’s arm –we can only look as she is deprived of her freedom.
With Dite-san… No, she too can’t really aim if Presha is used as shield. There should be another way…
“―Summoner-sama! Flowers against flower! I want you to leave them to me!”
“Arlaune… All right! 『Oh Enchantingly beautiful flower, return to your appearance in Pandera garden… Vibrantly Bloom! 』”
Once Arlaune’s body formed from magical power materialized, it is then reconstructed from the bulb –using Her Highness’ and my magical power, she transforms into a gigantic flower.
『I am the same as you guys, a transformed form of flower… stop fighting and lend me your ears! 』
“Hmm…This is… is this Arlaune’s voice…? This flower is that girl for sure…”
I was surprised as I heard it for the first time –As she bloomed into a giant flower, Arlaune’s voice is no longer that of a child.
This enchantingly beautiful flower still possesses power unknown to me. As they are similarly a flower, she can interfere with them even if they changed into a monster ―the root that bound Presha-san loosened, then Arlaune’s leaves extend and catches her as she falls.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
『Please leave this to me! I will protect the carriage with Presha-san! 』
“Okay… Presha-san, Arlaune, I’ll definitely be back right away! Please hold on till then!”
Presha-san who’s always firm and collected slightly shows a timid smile. But in the next moment,
“If it’s a request from you Grass-sensei, I will hold even a thousand or tens of thousands of people. Even if the opponents are monster-like flowers, it matters not…!”
“Presha, rather than spouting pranks, make sure to borrow Arlaune’s power! If you slow down the enemy’s movements, you should be able to avoid getting caught… If it’s you, you can do it!”
“Yes… as Your Highness wishes…!”
In response to Her Highness, Presha-san’s movements changed. With Arlaune’s assistance, she repels the flowers that appeared from the ground and attack one after another. Thanks to her attracting them, she opens up a path for us to move forward.
“We’ll run through from here at once!”
[[Yes!]]
I instructed Leslie to run while maintaining magic but Her Highness even replies to me ―However, this is not the time to reword it so that it will not be rude.
We run on the opened up path filled with weathered stone tiles. One after another, plants that I have never seen before appeared and attacked us but the clean air surrounding us slowed them down for a moment and we were able to avoid it by a hair’s breadth.
―Then we saw the sacred tree at the end of the long descending staircase.
Though we’re barely avoiding the miasma that is released, we never falter and proceed further.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
The first time my hands finally touched the sacred tree’s trunk, I used up the magical power in the magic crystal. But now, with Her Highness by our side, even in such miasma storm, my magical power was not exhausted.
When we step into the mountains, trees and weeds are overgrown giving a gloomy impression. Somehow I also felt a chilly sensation, mountain forests in a different world gives off this dubious atmosphere.
“With this ambiance, it’s not strange if something pops out all of a sudden.”
“That’s right. This mountain has long been known as the home of Trents. Even an adult man can’t go in alone.”
Freya replied while holding Pero.
That’s enough, I want you to release himalready...
“Wait a minute, I can hear something…”
Erna’s long ears twitched. It is all thanks to the Hell Ears skill but it’s also as expected from an elf who’s a resident of a forest. I feel that she’s more reliable than usual.
She leads us inside the forest and we begin to walk along the mountain path. Suddenly we heard a “Kon”, then another “Kon” sound echoed out. It was as if someone is cutting a tree. Although I did not grow up in the mountain, the sound of a tree being cut feels nostalgic.
“It looks like they’re fighting it already, let’s join them.”
“Hmm, right.”
We then walk in the direction that Erna directed us to, about four men were fighting something that is about 3m in height.
It has two thin arms growing on its dark brown surface. Green leaves grow on its head and there are wriggling roots in the place where the feet should be. It doesn’t have eyes and mouth. But I immediately think that it is a Trent.
“Damn! This thing is tough!”
“Hurry! We can’t keep this thing forever!”
The three men tied a rope on the Trent and they desperately tried to keep it on that spot. The other one holds an axe and is strenuously swinging the blade around the Trent’s waist.
Every time he did that, a rhythmical “Kon, Ko-on” sound echoed out. However, as I thought, the blade did not go through. Seeing the situation, I decided that we should help them.
“Erna, Pero go help those people holding the rope, I’ll see if I can cut it down with my axe.”
“Okay. But if you think it’s not possible, tell me and I’ll blow that Trent off with magic.”
“Waauuu”
“Then, I’ll also pull the rope with Pero-sama.”
When everyone grasped their role, we rushed towards those men.
“You there, move. I’ll be the one to cut it down from here on.”
“O-Okay…”
When I call out to the lumberjack, I am surprised at how easy it is as he obediently yields. The width of this Trent is about 70cm. And the damage on it is only about 5mm. Trent’s defensive strength is obviously superior.
I hold the steel axe on my back, readied it and faced the Trent. The blade has a length of 50cm and it is double-edged. The handle is as long as 90cm and maybe because it’s already used, the grip was already worn-out. Despite that, the beautiful steel color is still in good condition and it reflects the dim sunlight.
“Morgan, I’ll borrow your weapon.”
I swing the axe up like a golf club then strike it against the Trent as if I’m playing golf. A strange sound echoed out and the blade deeply digs into Trent’s body. I cut about half of it in one blow. I didn’t put much effort into it though…
I pull out the axe and strike it again as before. The Trent was cut off and just like that, it stopped moving without even screaming. It must have died.
“You are amazing! Who are you guys!?”
The lumberjack who was watching me from behind was surprised and asked me with a smile.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“We came for the commissioned quest, we are a party called Homeless. It seemed like you guys were in trouble so we helped you out of my own accord but, did I somehow snatch your prey?”
“No, not at all, you guys coming here is a great help. I was having a hard time because the Trent was harder than expected.”
“A tough Trent huh…”
I then identified the Trent out of interest, I find out why the lumberjack was having difficulty.
【Appraisal Result: Trent (Variant): A special individual born by mutation. It’s harder and stronger than a common Trent. It’s an excellent quality wood.】
【Status】 Name:Trent (Variant) Race: Trent Magic attribute:Earth Magic: Rock ball, Rock wall Skills: Hardening (Intermediate), Leg Strengthening (Intermediate), Plant Manipulation (Beginner)
I used Skill Picking and acquired hardening, leg strengthening and plant manipulation. All of these skills look usable so it’s a big harvest.
“By the way, where are the Earth Fang guys?”
I asked the lumberjack, he then pointed to the summit.
“The Earth Fang headed to the summit with men from the village. Well, since long time ago, it was said that there’s a Trent’s nest over there.”
“Trent’s nest?”
“Yeah, Trent looks like a plant, but it’s still a magical beast. When it’s time to lay eggs, they gather in their nests to lay a lot of eggs. This year, they numbered quite a lot so it’s rumored that there might be something wrong in their nest.”
“So they went to the nest huh…”
Knowing the situation, this will be quick. All we have to do is head to the summit while defeating Trents on the way up.
“All right, we will also go to the summit. By the way, what shall we do about this Trent?”
“Don’t worry about it. We will carry this one to the village. It will surely be a good wood you see.”
The lumberjacks then carried the Trent and they start to go down the mountain trail. These so called mountain men are quite sturdy.
When we started walking on the mountain trail again, two Trent’s appeared. Their thin arms are swinging as they slowly move with their roots grasping the ground. Is it about the same as the walking speed of a person? It’s really slow.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now but, these so called Trents are slow…”
“In exchange to that, its brute strength and grip strength are exceptional. I also experienced having my arms gripped when I was a little child, I had fractured bones and it was a terrible experience.”
Erna and Freya were talking with each other while watching the Trent.
“Waauuu!”
Pero jumped out of Freya’s arm and rushed to the Trents. When the two Trents were troubled by his agile movements, they cried and head towards me.
“Nice one Pero! Draw them near me like that!”
While Pero is attracting the Trents, I pointed my left hand towards them. I use my skill thread generation and thread manipulation. White threads jumped out of my palm and it wrapped around the two Trents, I then tied them to a nearby tree.
The raging Trents cannot move due to the strong thread.
“Waauuuu!”
Pero jumped into my arm. He licked my face and seemed to be happy saying, “I did my best!”
“Good job, Pero. The fruit of your training were coming out.”
“Waauuuu!”
I drop Pero to the ground then hold the axe to finish the two Trents.
As I swing down the axe, the Trent was cut in one strike, the second strike also killed the other one. By cutting it, I found out that they are quite fragile compared to the variant earlier.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
I was a little surprised, I wonder if they are the common Trent.
“To finish the Trent’s in one blow, Tanaka-dono is quite strong huh.”
“I want to say yes but, we can’t lower our guard you know. There are still many enemies.”
For now, I warned everyone to be careful. I then roll the killed Trent on the mountain path. If I do this, the villagers will find them and carry them to the village.
Before me and the others start walking again, a magical beast that I had never seen before appeared.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
Its body looks like that of a child and the whole body is dyed in dark green. The skin is dry and rough like that of an old man, but it still give off a slim impression. The nose is long and pointed like that of a Tengu. In addition, its eyes have visible whites between the iris and the lower eyelid. The head is smooth without hair. For its clothes, a piece of dirty cloth was wrapped around its waist. It was such a striking magical beast which will make you think that it was a villain at a glance.
“Aguuuuuuu…”
It bare its fangs and turned hostile. I immediately used Appraisal.
【Appraisal Result: Goblin: It has poor intelligence and low physical ability. According to one theory, it is a subspecies of human race but it is still recognized as a magical beast. Along with Orcs, women dislike them.】
【Status】 Name:Goblin Race: Goblin Magic attribute:Earth Magic: Rock ball Skills: Arm Strengthening (Beginner), Danger detection (Beginner), Forced Pregnancy
Umm… it’s an extremely hideous magical beast indeed. Along with its appearance, the so called Forced Pregnancy skill is atrocious. I can understand why women hate it. It’s definitely a pest.
“Fireball!”
The moment Erna shouted, a fire ball of about 10cm was shot from her cane. The fireball hits the goblin’s face directly and the area above its jaw was blown away. It’s an instant death.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“You have no mercy…”
“That’s obvious! Goblins are enemies of woman! It creep me out!”
“That’s right! Goblins should be eradicated!”
Erna and Freya seem to have a strong hatred towards Goblins. If there were a lot of goblins here, they would have turned into a sea of blood. I used Skill Picking to acquire the Goblin’s Arm Strengthening skill.
I can’t think of a situation where I will use Forced Pregnancy so I ignored it. I only require skills that are useful in combat and living.
After that, we continued to fight monsters while aiming for the summit. And finally, we arrived at the summit in about four hours.
◆◇◆
“I think this area is the summit… Erna, can you hear something?”
When I asked Erna, her ears twitch and search for some sound.
“A lot of people are fighting in the area beyond this point. I think they are probably having a hard time.”
“Does that mean that those Earth Fang guys and the villagers found the nest of Trent?”
“I think so. Let’s go help them quickly.”
Relying on the sound, we cut through the grass, and reached an open place. It was the pond that immediately caught my attention. It is very clear and bluish. There is also a ruin in the center of the pond. There’s an old stone building forgotten with time.
“Damn! This thing’s hardness is abnormal! The axe just bounces back!”
“Dhal! Hurry up! We can’t hold it back anymore!”
In the center of the ruin, several men were having a tug-of-war against a huge Trent about 10m in height. The rope is attached to the Trent and it is being pulled from the left and right side. The Trent on the other hand was swaying its thin arms.
Then there’s one man trying to kill the Trent. He seems to be about 130cm but his physique is that of an adult man. He has unkempt reddish hair and abundant beard. His body was equipped with iron armor and he holds a single-edged axe in his hand.
Every time the man swings down his axe towards the Trent, I can hear a high pitched sound. It’s a solid sound, it is as if metal pieces are hitting each other. Despite that, the damage on the Trent’s body is only about 5cm.
“It looks like it’s not a common Trent.”
“Yeah, it looks like that.”
As I respond to Freya’s words, I use appraisal on the huge Trent.
【Appraisal Result: Bloody Trent: A high-ranking species of Trent which is extremely hard and has a huge body. It has been confirmed that cannibalism accelerates the development of Trents as they transforms their prey into their own nutrition. The name comes from the fact that its body is red like blood.】
【Status】 Name: Bloody Trent Race: Bloody Trent Magic attribute:Earth Magic:Rock ball, Rock arrow, Rock wall Skills: Hardening (Advanced), Leg Strengthening (Advanced), Plant Manipulation (Advanced)
“It looks like that magical beast is a Bloody Trent.”
“Eh!? A Bloody Trent!?”
“Do you know something about them?”
“I do know something about them, Bloody Trent is a famous magical beast in the elf country! Although they are small in number, once they appear Trent’s number increases and they attack towns and villages!”
According to Erna’s story, Bloody Trent can be considered to be an advanced magical beast. If it’s about the defensive power, it’s close to a special ranked one so this will be troublesome. Whether my attack is effective or not is still uncertain.
“For the time being, let’s go help them.”
“Right, we should do that.”
We start running and cross the bridge leading to the ruin. After we joined the group of men, I immediately helped the members who are pulling the rope.
“Who are you guys!?”
“We are adventurers who had been asked to get rid of Trents in this village! Let us help you here for now!”This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Thanks for that! Sometimes the village chief is also nice!”
One of the villagers pulling the rope spoke and explained the situation but the village chief have a bitter smile showing that he wasn’t longing for this.
Rather than that, this tug of war against this Trent seems to be hard work. And despite not less than a hundred people are pulling from the left and right, the Trent can still slowly move forward. This is probably because it is using leg strengthening.
If that’s the case, I wouldn’t be a man if I don’t get serious. I used arm strengthening and leg strengthening skill and we start to pull the Trent slightly backwards.
“Awesome! The Trent was pulled backwards after this brother came! Hey, Earth Fang! Quickly cut it down!”
“Shut up! I’m also desperately trying to cut this one! It’s extremely hard that the blade can’t make any progress at all!”
The men keep on urging to finish it quickly but the strike of the man with the axe doesn’t seem to work. If this remained unsettled…
I then let go of the rope.
“Hey! Why are you letting go?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely win.”
I activated the pressure point skill. Large number of green dots appeared in my field of view and I pushed those dots on the men’s backs with my finger. It’s the acupoint for strengthening the body. This will save us time.
“Whoaaaa! What’s this! Strong power is surging out!”
“Pull—! Pull, pull, pull it—!”
The villagers, whose strength has been strengthened, pulled the Trent with their tremendous strength. Meanwhile, I hold my axe and move to the Trent’s feet.
“Damn! It’s not cutting at all!”
“Hey, let me do it.”
I pushed the man holding an axe to the side. This time, I swing down my axe.
“Go-on”, a sound like a metal was struck into the wood echoed out, there was a cut about 50cm deep in the Bloody Trent’s body which was about 5m wide.
“Is that for real……?”
I can hear a voice behind me but I seriously swing down my axe. This time it made a loud noise and the axe cut into the center of the Trent’s body. I think this is due to the simultaneous use of arm strengthening and leg strengthening skill but I also have advanced levelled basic abilities.
I can say that Homeless Variants is not a normal race.
When I pulled out the axe, I strike it a little below the place where I cut it up. Cutting a tree is more than just cutting it. By cutting the cut end into triangles, just with the tree’s weight, that would make it fall.
I also decided to defeat this Trent by imitating that concept.
“Hmmm!”
When I strike the axe into the leg part of the Trent, I managed to hollow out a triangle. Sound of breaking and creaking echoed out and the Trent start to fall in the direction where it was hollowed out. The men let go of the rope and they scattered in the opposite direction of its fall.
“Do-on!!”, the Bloody Trent fall flat on the ruins floor, it wasn’t a lie that such a rampage has occurred.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Uwoooooooooooo!”
The villagers shouted a triumphant war cry.
We defeated the Bloody Trent, a high-ranked magical beast.
Presha-san served as the coachman of the carriage and she takes me and Leslie to the southern plains of the fortress. Her Highness, along with her two Knight Guards, led us.
The gray land had not yet reached the place of the farm owner I met before. But perhaps the family deemed that the situation this time is dangerous so the whole family is preparing to leave their residence.
“You guys are… N-No way, aren’t you the General of Isle Rose Fortress…!?”
“I’m sorry for being late. We will prevent the erosion of the withered land. Please evacuate for now.”
“B-But… Previously, those guys there headed to that forest and the expansion of the withered land had stopped. But this time, the number of monsters is much larger. To totally stop it is…”
“Nevertheless, we must stop it. Protecting the people is a Knight’s duty.”
Perhaps the farm owner felt Her Highness’ determination so he didn’t stop us any further. As his distress shows through, together with his family, they put the luggage they needed during their refuge in their wagon. To escape from the expanding gray land, they run away in the direction we came from.
“Your Highness…I worked with Grass-sensei and Dite-san to defeat those monsters once. Leave the matters here to me…”
“If that number of monsters rushes in, even you will not be able to handle it. Don’t worry about me, let’s open up the way together.”
“Y-Yes…. I’m sorry, I said something thoughtlessly…!”
Variant of nettles that germinates from underground rhizomes appear on the surface of the earth―they appeared from the immeasurable gray land as if they reject everything that goes to the abandoned garden. They stretch to a height that seems to strike the sky and they move like a snake.
Even if the two of them are brave warriors matched for a thousand men, it is impossible to proceed while avoiding innumerable thorny leaves and killing monsters which cannot be stopped unless you attack their roots –last time it is only one, but they’re too many this time.
Interfering with plants…No, it’s impossible in this situation. They’re not in a state where we can talk.
“Summoner-sama… I can hear a very sad voice from that forest.”
“Uh… G-Grass-nii… Where did this child come from…?”
Perhaps Arlaune is comfortable to it so she herself reverted back to the bulb, I then entrusted it to Leslie but for some reason, her head suddenly stick out of the frontal collar of Leslie’s jacket.
“I’m in pain and lonely, it says. We, flowers, will wither if we are only given water… It wanted me to call Master as much as possible and ask for help…”
“…I-Is that so? We must not be stopped here… If Yuserish is calling us, I should be able to hear that voice too.”
The sinister appearance of the rampaging grass monsters was also due to their unrelenting remorse because the sacred tree was forgotten by the people. I got out of the carriage and shouted at the top of my voice towards the forest that I could not see as it is blocked by the monsters.Please read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com
“Sacred tree Yuserish, can you hear me? I’ll bring Princess Astina to you! We’ll be there soon, we’ll definitely reach you…. S-So please wait!”
However, my call was in vain. Several new monsters appeared and the gray wasteland was covered with monsters.
Is there really no other choice but to eliminate these monsters and proceed? If we are stopped here, the gray land will spread and swallow that farm.
“Summoner-sama… Uh, the wind from that forest… it’s not a “dark energy”. Clean air is flowing out!”
Arlaune calls the miasma as “dark energy”. That’s right! This phenomenon right now is happening because the sacred tree is ill. Plants can clean the soil and air and return to their natural state over time.
―The sacred tree still has a little power to create clean air. From the reaction of the monsters, it’s clear why it was delivered to us.
The monsters are avoiding the clean air… Even though they’rerampaging like that, they canstill remember that they are the sacred trees’ familiars.
Yuserish is giving us a clue somehow. Me and Leslie, the both of us noticed it at the same time.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Air…. That’s it, the “air”!”
“…Grass-sensei, I was thinking about that too. With my magic, the clean air from the sacred tree can be settled around ourselves.”
“U-Uhmm, I’m not sure of it as I’m not that smart, but… does that mean that you can use magic to avoid those monsters?”
Leslie nodded. Then Astina-denka, who was watching us entrusted her favourite horse that had been following her for a long time to her Knight Guards and ordered them to stay at a safe distance.
“Rather than riding a horse, I also think that this will be much easier. Lendl, please go ahead.”This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Certainly… 『Oh, clean air that comes from the sacred tree. Envelop us and become a shield against those that become wicked….! 』”
When the flowing chant was completed, the air produced by the sacred tree was amplified and its mass increased, enclosing the carriage in a large spherical shape.
“Are you okay? Maintaining this state consumes a lot of magical power…”
“No… The consumption is less than usual. It’s due to Your Highness’ power…”
Normally, you cannot use the magical powers of others. Magical power can be converted into “pure magic power” if it’s stored in the magic crystal though. Then it turns into the form in which anyone can use.
However, Astina-denka’s magical power overturns the norm. When I summoned Arlaune or even when Leslie uses her magic – we can borrow Her Highness magical power without being aware of it.Translated at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com
“…I didn’t feel that my power is flowing out unlike when Grass called this child though. I suppose I have the power to support magicians then.”
“Yes, probably… but, it’s really rare. You can’t directly use the magical powers of others because it’s a constraint for all magicians.”
“Is….that so? Then, why is my magical power so special…? If it’s mother, she might know something…”
It was a sudden discovery for Her Highness so she was confused. However, thanks to Her Highness, Leslie was able to concentrate on controlling the magic of the air without worrying about running out of magic.
“Grass-sensei, the monsters are avoiding us! With this, we can reach the sacred tree!”
“Yes, we’ll leave it to you Presha-san!”
“We are fine! Don’t worry about us and go at full speed! Arlaune, firmly hold on to me.”
“Y-Yes!… Uh, t-there will be a great shake…”
“Uh…..Lendl-san, hold on tight….”
“You too, Grass. Don’t let go of my hand, until I say so.”
“Y-Your Highness….uh…”
The wheels of the horse-drawn carriage running through the wasteland relentlessly bounce up and down. Inside, Her Highness is holding my hand and she’s firmly supporting her body with the other hand. Arlaune is also desperately clinging to Her Highness –I’m impressed with the tenacity of her small body.
While making sure that Leslie, who is concentrating on using her magic, is not thrown out of the seat, I also endure earnestly.
However, even a little faster, I hope that we could reach the sacred tree as soon as possible –I have that in mind.
“Yes of course. There’s quite a fair amount of them.”
Camilo replied casually. I’m sure that there no such a big mountain around here so aside from the charcoals, the iron ores must have been procured from somewhere far. I wonder if it’s costly then.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“Alright, this is all of the products of our workshop this time.”
I arrange the items we brought today. Camilo then checks their quality one by one.
“Are these the good ones? The others are the ordinary ones?”
“Yeah. This time, most of the general products are made by Rike but I guarantee that those will not embarrass our workshop.”
When I said that, I found Rike looking at me. No, you’re not particularly done yet. I’ll have you make high-end models so do your best to get there.
“I see. Well, as I said, I’ll buy all of them. Then, let’s move on to the iron ores and charcoals but it’s faster if you have a look. Follow me.”
Camilo called out another person (different from the clerk) from below and ordered that only the short swords among the weapons we wholesale are to be displayed on the store. Camilo then guided us to a different stairs than the one we took when we went up.
When we got down the stairs, it was a warehouse. It’s quite spacious. It seems that some of the size of this store is also due to this warehouse. The warehouse is lined up with products. It would be possible to have a good store in a larger city if there were enough connections and financial resources to collect such a thing. But there is no reason for me to do that though so I stopped thinking about it.
“Alright then, here are the iron ores and charcoals.”
“There’s really quite a fair amount of it huh…”
As Camilo said, there’s a fair amount of iron ores and charcoals. With this quantity, even if me and Rike completely put all our efforts into production, we would still have enough to spare for 2-3 weeks. I think it would be okay to start making products that use more material (such as a Great Sword or Lance). But even if we make the same things as before, there should at least be a week to spare. In other words, as long as Camilo will supply this amount each time, there will be no problem if it concerns our workshop’s production output. If we make things while maintaining the current quality, the consumption period will be further extended so it would be no problem to reduce it.
“I don’t think I can buy this amount every time. But I can generally buy this amount weekly.”This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“There is no problem with this amount. Rather, it’s more than enough. If there is a surplus, we will store it so I think that this amount will not cause any problems.”
“Really? That’s good then. By the way about the price…”
Camilo has told me that this amount was about 1/4 of the products we wholesaled today. Conversely, if we can sell about 1/4 of the amount we wholesale today every week, we will not have any problems with iron at least in the future.
“Isn’t it really cheap? It’s alright to make a profit from it you know.”
“It’s okay. Even with this, I’m making a lot of money.”
“Oh, is that so? Then I won’t hesitate to pay by that price.”
“Is this basically the right amount?”
“Yeah. Whenever there is a big change, it will be necessary to consult you each time.”
“I understand”
Once again, our business talk ended. Then Camilo and I shake hands.
“But as expected, with this amount, we cannot carry it all today.”
“Hmm, that’s right.”
“Cart service… there’s none… right?”
“None, is what I would like to say but I have an unused cart at home. I haven’t used it but it’s operational enough, and it’ll be fine for a while if you fix it. I thought of reducing it to firewood but as I always saw you guys not using any cart or the likes, I left it as is with the intention of giving it to you if the opportunity arrives.”
“If I have the means to take those home, that will be enough for today.”
“OK, I’ll hand it over to you.”
“How much is it?”
“It’s free”
“Free? Is it okay?”
“I’m not using it anyway and, I’m kind to my customers.”
“Ummm…”
Camilo’s words didn’t seem to be a lie. Putting up with a blacksmith living in a remote place for some reason will yield to little profit but it doesn’t seem like there is also a catch to it.
“Why will you treat us so well?”
But, I would still like to confirm it. Even if he is lying, I don’t think I can expose the reason with this questions but this is a matter of whether I can be convinced or not.
“To be honest, it’s because you’re a promising supplier. It’s important to have someone who sells good quality wholesale at a reasonable price you know. I only sell favours to those kinds.”This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
So that’s it. It doesn’t seem to be entirely for favour too. But with those words, I decided to trust Camilo.
“Though I’ll feel bad, I’ll gladly accept it then.”
“Okay, take it.”
“Thanks but can I get salt and wine as well? You can subtract their price from the cost of the wholesale products.”
“All right. I’ll prepare those. Well then, we’ll load them and calculate the total costs first. Please kill time and come back for about half an hour.”
“Okay. Then until later.”
“Yeah”
Thus, we left from Camilo’s place and killed some time.
“But even if I was told to kill time, I’ve only been in the flea market so I don’t really know where to go.”
I uttered to Samia and Rike.
“Really?”
“I was always the one shopping for salt and meat. Eizou was always left tending the stall in the flea market.”
“When it comes to shops, I only know the inn where I talked to Rike before.”
“Then today, shall we look around for something somewhere?”
We walk aimlessly in the buzzing and exuberant New Town. There’s a section wherein shops are build up, it’s not as shabby or messy as the ones in the flea market but there are a lot of stall like shops that deals with various products. However, even if there are some stores that sell multiple type products, most stores sell only one specific product. With this the business is flourishing. Was it because there are many people due to the existence of flea market or such? In the first place the number of stores are too many.
When I voiced my thoughts about that,
“That’s because this town is the relay point when taking detour from the Black Forest. Whether a person from the south goes to the east or to the west, they will pass through this town. But since Boss and Samia can go back and forth through the Black Forest normally, guess Boss didn’t realize it.”
Rike answered. I see. Certainly, if ordinary people can’t pass through, they need to go around. The military and cultural importance of relay points remains the same in my previous world. Samia did not seem to completely understand it. Since she lives and travels from the forest, she wouldn’t realize it. I too was a similar case.
We had a good time taking a look around the built shops so when we returned to the Camilo’s shop, iron ores and charcoals, bag of salt and a barrel of wine were already in the cart. The cart is not a flat one like those of a large two-wheeled wagon, but it has a low fence like that of a mini truck’s load-carrying tray on its three sides except for the back. Basically, it seems that it is unloaded from the back. I could say that the closest image for it is a dray without a horse. And apparently, it seems like there is still some room in its loading capacity.
“Oh, you have returned.”
This time, Camilo welcomed us directly.
“Then, this is your payment this time.”
He handed out the money placed in a leather bag. I checked its content and it seems to be right.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
“I received it. Well, see you next week again.”
“OK, I’ll be waiting.”
In this way, we acquired a means of transportation called a cart, we then head home.
Even as the name of the magician came out, Astina-denka didn’t inquire about the change in our expression. Our turmoil must have been transmitted –but if one was to look at us right away, we can be taken as suspicious. The fact that Her Highness is not a person like that was transmitted from her behaviour so far.
No, at first she was thinking not to trust us easily. But once she knew that I’m not from the Second Queen’s faction, we were no longer doubted.
“What kind of magic does the magician named Noin use?”
“…Until that far… I just heard them from rumours… There’s a young woman who suddenly arrives and becomes General Alejandro’s aide… But… from my direct captain, he said that we should not say anything if we don’t want to lose our position…”
When I heard those words from the prisoner, my doubts grow stronger.
The name of the magician came out –it belongs to the student who was competing for leadership in our generation. I can’t conclude it yet but, if she is the one me and Leslie know, if she introduced her real name as “Noin”, it means that she’s lending her hand to General Alejandro.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
A court magician is in other words, a battle magician, and is basically a military member. I’ve heard that if such person lends their power to the enemy’s army, it’s a clear act of rebellion –the traitor will be punished with a capital punishment.
Sven was worried that the country was in war and initially regretted not being able to contract with Elemental Spirits. However, he thought that there could be something that the “stone” spirit could do, so he gathered rumours about the movement of the military in the town and even told me.
Sven must have been in the same class as Noin. If he knows that she has changed-side,he would be too shocked…
“A young woman magician… because of her…”
“Presha… Please hold back for now. Everyone in the Knights understands your feelings.”
Astina-denka was also clenching her fist. If Noin’s magic tricked us into allowing the enemy forces to invade, it’s only natural to feel resentment.
But I’m bothered by one thing. The student named Noin, who once spoke at the Academy assembly, didn’t seem to be the kind of person who will betray the kingdom. She even wanted to become a court magician with a noble determination and wanted to contribute to the protection of the kingdom.
……Why does she need to give out her real name? Even if shechanged side to the enemy country, she must have used a pseudonym. If you don’t want your identity to be found out, you will use a pseudonym. Even though it is a covert troop, it is known to ordinary soldiers. What I mean is… I don’t think that Noin Flores would do such a careless thing.
She is girl who was praised as “The Jewel of Water” because of her well-proportioned appearance and her exceptional ability as a magician. I once lined up with her on a classroom exam –At that time, I was laughed at because I made an unnecessary effort because I couldn’t take practical classes.
Of course, just because the test of magic theory was tied to the same point does not mean that there is no chance to make a difference. It’s been two years since she became a court magician, and she’s supposed to have a lot of hands-on experience compared to me and Leslie.This is translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
I’m going to collect information but when I heard the name of Noin, the number of questions suddenly increased. Since when has she been in the Zirconia army?
“…Last question, General Alejandro is not going to pull out his units until this fortress falls, right?”
“…The general… will attack Lezenia under the imperial order of the King… The period should be less than half a year… By then, all of the Western Teritorries of Lezenia should be in his hands…”
“Summoner-sama, this person can no longer take it.”
“I understand. Stop the hypnosis for now, let the prisoner rest.”
We then let the female knights in the prison take care of the rest and we left the dungeon and go up to the ground.Translated by Yume Neiji (yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com)
General Alejandro will be eager to attack this fortress until it falls. Furthermore, we have to make our move because the enemy has a magician.
“…It seems that the name “Noin” is familiar to you, right?”
Her Highness asked before riding the horse as we are headed to the sacred tree. She realized it after all but she did not talk about it immediately. She said she would fight to protect this kingdom, for the Western territories to remain as the kingdom’s territory.
―But this kingdom... If His Majesty’s will did not reach this place and we are in a situation where it’s already distorted…
A graduate of Silvana Magic Academy, which develops important forces for the kingdom, was sent to the enemy Kingdom because of someone’s scheme. If that is confirmed, even if we repel Zirconia and succeed in taking down the enemy’s base, we are at risk of being attacked from behind.
“If you don’t want to say it, it’s fine. It’s better not to know it…”
“…If she’s the one I know, Noin is a student of the Magic Academy. She uses water spirits… Probably with the help of water spirits that fill the canal area, I think she can create such large illusion…”
Her Highness listens to my words and looks at somewhere distant. Her profile is tinged with sorrow, seeing that, I thought that I shouldn’t have said those words just now.
However, even if I dodged that question, nothing will improve. Astina-denka needs to face someone from the Royal family –perhaps it already come to the point where the conspiracy of the Second Queen can no longer be ignored.
“…Even if she’s a magician from our Kingdom, we must defeat her. To do that, what we can do is…”
When Her Highness about to speak, a scout returns and cross the lowered drawbridge –she then squeezed all her voice,
“D-Delivering a message…. Uh, a lot of unidentified monsters have appeared in the south! The residents have been evacuated, but the gray ground that had been temporarily stopped is beginning to spread again…!”
Even if she perish, the sacred tree, who had been holding out with her little power, was finally unable to stop her familiars from running wild. We must head to the sacred tree as soon as possible. If the plant monsters start to attack, it will be hard to reach her –even if that’s the case, I don’t have time to hesitate.
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