Author: Yume Neiji

I stepped into the small dining room and took my seat. Father was already sitting at his desk, looking at the newspaper, and Mother is bringing food to the table. It’s the usual scene of the Doris family. The day begins unchanged.

“Good morning, Ryan. It’s your favorite scrambled egg.”

“Thank you, Mother. I hope you have a good day today.”

I said the usual line and kisses her on the cheek. Of course, I did not forget to smile so brightly. This is because my mother would lock herself in her room and sulk.

When I ate the scrambled egg on my plate, it tasted normal, not very delicious and not bad either. Well, it’s still good. Simple is best.

My mother in this life was not that good at cooking. Especially for me, who was born as the son of a chef in my previous life, the more my current mother cook elaborately, the more I reject it. Hence, simple is best.

Looking at the wall clock in the room, I saw that it was time to leave. I grabbed my bag and run out of the house. From here on, I am heading to the school where only aristocrats attend. The name is Royal Secondary School. I’m a freshman there. There were no uniforms, so I went to school in my own clothes.

“Gyaa!?”

The moment I turned around a building, I collided with someone. At that moment, there was a soft touch on my face. I was bounced off by the unexpected elasticity and fell on the cobblestones.

Ouch. I don’t know who it is, but he is not paying attention to what’s ahead. With that in mind, I looked at the other person and saw that just like me, the other party was also sitting on her butt. And unbelievably, she’s holding a round piece of bread that was about 30 centimeters in diameter in her mouth.

I see. I got bounced off by that bread huh.

“Hey, where are you looking when walking!?”

“Those are my words. You weren’t looking ahead.”

The woman puffed out her left cheek. She then chewed on the piece of bread and furrowed her eyebrows into an inverted figure of 八, revealing her displeasure.

She’s a tall girl with long red hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were a little slanted, but she was well-groomed and beautiful. She wore a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts that fit her body, highlighting her good figure. She is probably about 16 years old. When I saw the armband on her arm, I realized that she is a senior high school student.

“That armband…… You’re in junior high huh.”

“…..Ryan Doris. Who are you?”

“I’m Julia Label. I mean, you have a big attitude.”

“It’s my nature. If I’m to say it, you are too.”

“You’re cheeky too huh. I can’t believe we bumped into each other.”

Julia ate the bread in her hand and looked displeased with my attitude. Then, as if remembering something, she exclaims,

“Aah! I was in a hurry because I had an errand today! I have to hurry!”

Julia rushed away. She was quite a noisy girl. Well, I guess that’s what youth is all about. I brushed the dust off my clothes before heading to the building.

　◇◇◇

The Royal School proceeds on a stairway style from primary to high school. Technically, only aristocrats were supposed to attend here, but in reality, anyone could enter if they paid money. For this reason, the children of wealthy merchants were walking around the school normally.

However, this does not mean that the class has disappeared. The son of a baron is the son of a baron, even if it is in the school. Naturally, hierarchical relationships arise among children as well. And everyone is made to understand that the world is unfair, even if they don’t like it.

I was one of them.

“Ugue!”

“One more shot!”

A punch landed in my side. As I sat down leaning against the wall of the school building, a fat schoolboy in an aristocratic uniform stand in front of me grinning as he cracks his knuckles. Behind him, three male students are looking at me expressionlessly.

“I hope you’re ready to apologize, Ryan.”

“I…… I will not succumb to your violence.”

“You can still resist huh. I’m getting more excited.”

I endured the pain and stand up resolutely. The person I am talking to is the one in the middle of the three people behind the fat boy who beats me. His name is Johnny Dosad, the eldest son of Marquis Dosad. It’s easy to explain how this happened. I warned them about their insidious bullying so now I was targeted instead. That’s it.

“We were just telling that guy the difference in our status, but you got in the way. That’s very annoying you know. Even if I stomp on your head and you lick my shoes, I don’t think my anger will go away.”

“Let me guess, you won’t really want to stop even if I apologize, right?”

“Correct. Even though you don’t understand how society works, you still have a smart head as you can tell that much.”

“Yeah. Better than the guy who keeps his grades by letting the teacher edit his scores.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Ah right, hurt him more.”

A heavy fist slams into my face. I knew it, Johnny is rotten to the core.

This kid in front of me can do whatever he wants, such as threatening female students and forcing them to have physical relations with him or beating unresisting students to death by saying that he only want to relieve stress. Especially when he went up to junior high school, his extreme behavior became even more aggressive.

“But I think it’s time for you to apologize. Otherwise you won’t know what will happen to your house.”

“Are you threatening me this time? You’re a total scumbag!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. The Dosad House’s family motto is to do whatever it takes to get what we want.”

“In that case, I’d rather be beaten to death here. And, I won’t let you touch my family.”

I tackled the orc-like student in front of me. The other party was tall and had a good physique, so he couldn’t catch me because I was small. I hold one of the enemy’s legs tightly and lift it up in one fell swoop.

Don’t underestimate Yasuhiko Kanzaki, a fifty-five year-old!

The fat male student loses his balance and falls to the ground. At that moment, I immediately mounted him and punched him in the face.

Win. Even I, who is powerless, can resist.

However, someone grabbed my arms. When I turned around, I saw that it was the two boys who are always on the left and right side of Johnny. The fat boy, who I just beat up, stood up, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and then he slammed his fist into my tightened abdomen. I was in so much pain that I wanted to cry.

“I’ll leave it here for today. See you tomorrow.”

“Aggh…… Ugh……”

After beating me as much as he wanted, Johnny disappears somewhere with the three of them. When the calamity finally passed, my whole body was still aching and I couldn’t stand up. It’s a terrible feeling. I want to strangle my past self who was floating around in this second life.

Just then, I heard footsteps nearby. In my blurred vision, I saw the red-haired woman from this morning looking into my face. Moreover, in her left hand, she held a large piece of half-eaten bread, just like in the morning.

“What are you doing here?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Hmm, I think it’s a fight.”

She lifts me up lightly and takes me somewhere. I was carried from the back of the junior high school building to the senior high school building. I was taken to a room that looked like an infirmary. Then, as I lay on the bed, a freshly wrung towel was thrown over my face.

“Use that to clean your wound.”

“That was rough. Can’t you be more gentle?”

“Tsk. So cheeky. You should be more grateful since I helped you.”

“……Thank you.”

I thanked her and put a wet towel on my face. It’s cool and pleasant. Julia sat down in a nearby chair and looked at me intently.

“You didn’t seem like the type to fight. Well, I guess that means people aren’t what they really seem to be.”

“Wrong. It’s just that the other person just picked up a bad habit and hit me.”

“Oh, yes, yes, that’s what I’m saying. There must be some bossy guy in your grade too. You have to train then. Shall I teach you swordsmanship?”

She just agreed to me and then now she’s smiling widely.

What a strange woman. I thought.

She tried to help me out and carried the conversation on her own. She was the type of person I had never met in my previous life.

“Why did you help me? You should have left me alone.”

“There is no way I can do that to someone I like.”

“Haa?”

“You bumped into me in the morning, and that’s when I knew you were my destined person. Or shoud I say, it was love at first sight? Ahaha.”

She laughs knowing that she said something ridiculous. I was simply stunned by Julia’s confession.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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Guided by King Dodol, we ventured underground. When he opened the thick metal door that is locked several times, we were greeted by a stone spiral staircase that leads far underground. The humidity was strong, and the walls and stairs were faintly glowing in some places. It is probably covered with moss, but the light, which resembled the light of fireflies, created a fantastic scenery.

“It’s a long way down huh.”

“Originally, this was a natural cave, and our ancestors modified it into a super big facility.”

“It seems that you guys are good at building things as well as blacksmithing. That’s really amazing.”

“Yeah, but I have to add that they were the dwarves from a long time ago. Now, the facility has completely turned into a treasure house. The national treasure hammer that you repaired is also up ahead.”

We walked down the stairs with practiced steps. It’s been a long way down, but where are we in the underground now? I think we went down 50 meters…… Just as I was starting to think about this, we arrived at the bottom floor.

“This is the treasury. Just in case, I want to remind you not to steal anything.”

“I know. Still, this treasure house is mind-boggling.”

The bottom floor is a wide passage that leads in a straight line. Along the brick walls, gold coins and jewels are placed haphazardly in boxes. In addition to that, there are various types of weapons, such as rugged weapons with no decorations or anything, and things that I don’t know what they are used for. The one that caught my attention the most was a light beige bra. It is placed on a pile of gold coins and is strangely eye-catching. I wonder if that was also something made by the dwarves.

“Oh no! I forgot!”

Dodol hurriedly tucks the bra into his bosom. I felt curious with his suspicious behavior.

“That…… it’s you know. This is where I’m meeting my Mistress……”

The girls stared at Dodol with cold eyes. As a man, I can understand his feelings, but the timing is pretty uncool. Dodol, sensing the atmosphere of the place, resumed guiding us in to break the awkwardness.

“Anyway, how far does this passage go? I think we already walked quite a bit.”

“This underground has a vertical hole of 115 meters and a horizontal hole of 1 kilometer, and the destination is at the far end of the road.”

“What is really in the back?”

“That’s something to look forward to when we get there.”

Dodol speaks mysteriously and grins. There must be some sort of a surprise waiting for us there. I’m quite curious and a little excited about it. After continuing to go down the long passage, we finally arrive at what seems to be the innermost place. There is a round and thick metal door in front. It’s like a bank vault. Dodol inserts the key from his pocket into the hole in the door and twists it. Then, after turning the round handle, the door slowly opened.

“This is where the wisdom of the dwarves rests.”

“This is….…”

We were greeted by a large circular room. The floor and ceiling are pure white, and the walls are lined with shelves that surround the area. Lined in the shelves are white books. Each title was written in gold letters on the spine so the contents could be understood at a glance. In the center of the room is a round white table and five chairs.

Dodol sat down in a chair and took a hip flask from his bosom.

“Kaaa! No matter when I drink, the alcohol tastes good!”

“So, what book should I read to make a great treasure?”

“For now, read the book from the beginning to the middle of the shelf. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

“……There are over twenty books there though?”

“Well, you can’t make a great treasure without any prior knowledge, right? You can’t just create a random weapon after all.”

It’s such a precise argument that I can’t reply back. As expected from the king of the dwarves, he has an extraordinary passion for blacksmithing. Mmm, I guess he was not just a guy who drank and flirted with his lover huh.

“I’ll read the book. Tanaka-kun, please get ready to start making the great treasure right away.”

“Is that okay, Rodman? It’s going to take a long time just to go through it.”

“Time doesn’t matter. I may never have an opportunity like this again you see.”

Rodman picked up the book with a fiery gaze. His will and ambition as a blacksmith seem to drive him up. Seeing this, Dodol grinned.

“Then I’ll wait until you’ve finished reading it.”

“Ah? Are you going to help me create it?”

“Well, a dwarf who is not interested in creating a great treasure is not really a dwarf you see.”

“This is always on my mind, what does blacksmithing really mean to dwarves?”

“It’s the purpose of  our life and our pride as a race. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Saying that, he gulps down his drink. Then he placed the empty hip flask on the table.

“Ah-, sigh. I should have brought more booze.”

“Don’t worry, there will be enough.”

I took out ten barrels of dwarf killer from the bangle. Seeing it, Dodol hugged the barrel and cheered.

　◇◇◇

Three days have passed since Rodman began reading the book. To this day, Dodol continues to drink like he is showering himself with alcohol. On the other hand, we spend our free time playing games to pass the time and taking a rest to relieve our daily fatigue.

“……I’m done.”

Rodman muttered as he closed his twenty-third book. His eyes are darkened, and he looks a little haggard. I gave him a cure mushroom to help him recover from fatigue.

“So, do you have a prospect for making the great treasure?”

“Yes, I got the knowledge I needed. Thanks to that, it made me realize something important.”

“Hmm…… What is something important?”

“The great treasure cannot be made with adamantite alone. In short, we don’t have enough materials.”

What!? It’s not enough!? We made it to this point, all of this should not be in vain!!

Hiding my agitation, I ask Rodman what material we are missing.

“It’s a metal I’ve never heard of. As for its name…… it is called orichalcum.”

Orichalcum…… I don’t think I’ve heard of it. In any case, it seems certain that without that metal, we can’t make a great treasure. When I look at Dodol, he is smirking for some reason.

“I have it. That Orichalcum.”

“Really? Please give it to us! Please!”

“I’ll give it for free. However, there’s one thing I need to tell you.”

“What?”

“The orichalcum I’m about to show you is the only one left in the world.”

Everyone, including me, couldn’t hide our agitation. It’s a given because he just said that such an ultra-rare metal will be given to us for free. No, even if I had to pay for it, I will still be troubled. It’s the only one left after all.

“I’ll show it to you, follow me.”

Dodol led us to a door at the back of the room. It’s a round, thick metal door like the entrance. There was no keyhole in it, so it didn’t seem to be locked. Slowly, the door opens and the scenery beyond is revealed. It is a large dome-shaped room that is about 200 meters from wall to wall. The floor was lined with grooves, depicting a huge magic square, and in the center of it sat two pedestals about one meter high. Surrounding it are six crystal pillars. I noticed that an anvil is placed near the pedestal.

“I didn’t expect this place…… Is it a forge?”

“You’re right. This is a special workshop built to make great treasure. The man-made skeletons were also built here. And there’s that—”

Dodol pointed to an object on one of the pedestals. It was a small square metal of scarlet color. I decided to get closer and hold the metal in my hands.

“…… Is this orichalcum? It looks ordinary.”

“Since you’re able to touch it, it means that you have been recognized as the owner. Now we can start making the great treasure.”

“What do you mean? Please explain it clearly.”

“You are aware that the great treasures choose its owner, right? The reason for that is because it’s been mixed with orichalcum. It’s a metal with a will. That’s it.”

“Metal with a will…… Then, the great treasures are alive?”

Dodol did not respond right away, but opens his refilled hip flask and takes a drink. He burped with the smell of alcohol before resuming the conversation.

“To put it simply, yes. But that being said, the existing great treasures don’t have emotion and they don’t have the ability to think or judge things on their own. This is because orichalcum was originally a single lump of metal. At that time, it was said that the ancestors were able to have a conversation with it, so to say, it’s amazing.”

“Then it was divided into six pieces to make the great treasures huh.”

“Ah—, no. It was divided into five parts. Only the Staff of the Wind God has nothing to do with orichalcum. Well, anyway, what you now hold is one of the five parts. Take good care of it.”

I understand the story, but there is a new mystery, the origin of orichalcum. A metal with a will huh. What kind of words did it speak to the progenitor dwarves? Why did it become a treasure? My interest on it is endless.

“First, we’ll start by removing impurities. Give me the adamantite.”

“Wait. For that one, I can do it alone. I want you two to do something about the orichalcum.”

“What are you sayi—”

I used my separation skill to extract the impurities in the adamantite. Incidentally, I also separated the object that Liz finds from Zazi’s scythe, shaped it into a cube with my metal manipulation skill, and hands the metal to Rodman. Stunned, he let his gaze rise and fall between the scum and the lump of metal.

“Oi-oi, you have the metal manipulation and separation skill that a blacksmith longs for?”

“Just a coincidence. But maybe because my level is not enough, my skill did not work on orichalcum.”

“You’ve already tried it huh. You’re really a guy who surprises me to no end.”

Rodman put his hand to his forehead in shock. When I think about it, I suddenly grin.

“With this, there’s enough. This time, I’ll also make new weapons for the other guys. I’m sure you will have a spectacular fight with the angels.”

“I’m grateful for that. I also thought Liz and Pero’s weapon won’t last long.”

Holding three lumps of adamantite, Rodman runs to Dodol.

“Rodman, you know what to do, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll be in your care.”

Two men with sleeves rolled up put on their gloves and tightened their buns. The first step is to create a great treasure. Rodman placed the adamantite on one pedestal and the orichalcum on the other pedestal, Dodol then turned on the switch. Then, the two metals floated up and discharged. The magic square on the floor began to emit a pale light, and the light emitted from the six crystals that surrounded it connected to form a ring of light.

“Good, it’s starting to melt. The device the ancestors built is still working!”

“O-o-ooh! The adamantite, which has a high melting point, is melting so fast! It’s like watching a miracle!”

Dodol and Rodman seemed to be impressed by the adamantite that began to melt as it glowed pale on the pedestal. The molten metal changes its shape and changes into a sphere in the air. After only 20 minutes or so, the adamantite was completely melted. However, the orichalcum still maintains its shape, albeit now glowing with red heat.

“Actually, this device was built solely for the purpose of melting orichalcum.”

“Once again, I think it is an amazing piece of metal. This device too.”

“The melting point of adamantite is 3,000 degrees, but the melting point of orichalcum is 10,000 degrees. Without this device, we won’t be able to melt it. What’s more, it blocks the heat, so we can look at it like this.”

T-ten thousand degrees…… It’s higher than the surface temperature of the sun.

I was so frightened that I broke out in cold sweat.

　◇◇◇

Ten hours have passed since then.

The two of them had kicked the rest of the group out of the room, they put on a spacesuit-like heat-retrenching suit, and they carefully mixed the two metals together in a metal bucket. This is because the heat emitted by the molten metal easily exceeds the temperature that humans can withstand. No matter how accustomed a dwarf is to blacksmithing, he will die without a heat suit.

By the way, I have a robe that keeps the temperature constant at all times, so there is no problem even if I stay here. Above all, I have a responsibility to see this work through.

“Not yet! Hold on!”

“Got it! Hit it quickly though. It’s so hot that I’m dying!”

By the time five hours had passed, they start to hammer a sword. The sound that reverberates rhythmically into the room sounds delightful and I feel hyped up not until I saw the resolute and serious look on the two of them.

I will wait for its completion while cheering in my mind.

　◇◇◇

Three days passed. The two of them continued to sharpen the metal with a whetstone without sleeping and with only minimal food and hydration. I stared silently at one point as if possessed. A special whetstone made of adamantite is used to sharpen the great treasure. I guess it means that adamantite is the only thing that can cut down adamantite.

“Finally……done….…”

“Yeah…… I’m……beat….”

Two shirtless men fall asleep on the floor. I threw a blanket over them.

There are three completed weapons. The first one is a gauntlet carved with the figure of a wolf. On the steel-colored surface, the holographic pattern diffusely reflects light and shines dazzlingly. Pero tried it and as he clenches his fists, it was a snug fit.

The second one is a sword with a falcon-like bird carved on its scabbard. For this part, I asked the two of them to make it that way. This is because ninja girls still need a sword. Although it is merely an imitation of the shape, it seems safe to call it a sword since it is made with a metal that has the hardness and flexibility of adamantite. When Liz pulled it out of the sheath, the holographic pattern reflected dull light.

The third is a black sword with a golden jewel in its scepter. When I pull it out of its scabbard, the black hologram-patterned blade reflected my face like a mirror. Flawless and beautiful. It looks like a jewel in the shape of a sword.

In this way, my new sword was born as the sixth great treasure.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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【Status】 Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (Emperor) <Second-class Angel, Primordial Human, Human (Hero Species), Emperor Dragoneut, Vampire> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: None Magic: Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, Indomitable Spirit, King’s Vessel, Emperor’s Vessel, Hero’s Vessel, Path to Relentless Evolution, Full Division, Heaven and Earth Meridian Hole, Analysis+, Nullification Cancellation(New), Universal Adaptation(New) ▹Special: Stealth, Search, Digestion Enhancement, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Leadership, Intimidation, Separation, Sand Walking, Dragon Beheading Slash, Master of War, Self-regeneration, Limit Breakthrough, Danger Prediction(↑) ▹Advanced: Theft, Hardening, Nerve Strengthening, Limit Breakthrough, Self-recovery, Dictatorship, Plant manipulation(Improved), Universal Thread, Presence Detection, High-speed Flight ▹Intermediate: Awakening, Impact Nullification, Metal Manipulation, Compression, Explosive Sword Dance, Steel Stomach, Enemy Search+(↑), Disguise (New), Ultra-High Speed Flight(New) ▹Beginner: Slash Nullification, Stealth+, Eye of Stone (Improved), Familiar Strengthening (Improved), Emperor Dragon Breath, Dragon Slash Flash

From Zazi’s corpse, I acquired his race and then the following skills, Disguise, Nullification Cancellation, Universal Adaptation and Ultra-high Speed Flight. My status has grown by another level. Danger Prediction is now at a special level. Enemy Search+ ranked up from beginner to intermediate. The existing Underwater Adaptation was absorbed into Universal Adaptation.

“Angels are God’s servant, right? Why would he attack the sacred beasts?”

“And the attack on Tanaka-dono. At least he is definitely not a friend.”

“The fact that he was pretending to be a demon is also a catch.”

“He was fighting more than equal footing with Oniichan too. It’s a serious situation.”

My four companions are discussing around the angel’s corpse. And nearby, there was the sacred beast Silva, who was scratching his head and looking down on it as well.

“If we hadn’t found out who he was, the story would be that I have been killed by a demon. I think that was his aim.”

Silva said as he glanced at me who is resting in the shade of a tree. Judging from the situation, I guess it’s indeed the case. Zazi wanted to put the blame on the demons for killing the sacred beast. For that reason, he changed his appearance and tone and devoted himself to acting as a terrifying demon. I didn’t even suspect that he was not a demon until I saw his status.

“But why did the angel who once hunted down Silva hide? He was not there when we arrived, right?”

“It’s simple. It was because he’s been hurt just as badly as I am. In fact, I couldn’t believe my eyes when he appeared as if nothing had happened. But considering that they are a race with a very high ability to regenerate, it makes sense to me now.”

“Mmm. He did have a high level of physical ability and regenerative ability on par with Father’s. If there are other angels, I don’t think it’s a very wise choice to oppose them.”

“That may be true. However, if that’s what the other side wants, then we have no choice but to fight. This is like a declaration of war against the sacred beasts. You too, you may be unimportant to them now but you should be prepared as well.”

“That’s right…… I’m a sacred beast too. It’s not someone else’s problem.”

Silva and Pero were talking about the possibility of other angels existence.

A declaration of war on the Sacred Beast…… If so, it could be a war with angels involving all the kingdom. In every kingdom, the Sacred Beast is an object of worship. We can’t just sit back and wait to be killed.

“There is no such thing as only one angel after all.”

“I think so too. I’m sure there are others who are after the Sacred Beasts.”

“In this case, why don’t we warn the other kingdom as soon as possible? This is a very important information.”

“I agree with the proposal. But I think we should report to King Dartan first.”

As I listened to Erna and Freya’s conversation, I took a sip of water from my water bottle. Liz sits next to me and is slowly starting to get excited.

Not long after, the knights on horseback appeared in a line. Leading the charge is King Dartan. As soon as he arrived, he jumped off his horse and ran to Silva.

“Silva! Are you okay?”

“Oh-, King Dartan. It is thanks to them that I have been able to save my life. Can you reward them with something that will make them happy?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll thank them properly later! More than that, I’m more worried about you! Who did it to you!? I’ll get rid of it!”

Dodol was so indignant that a blood vessel in his head almost snapped. It’s a sight that shows how much the Sacred Beast is cherished. I stood up and approached them.

“Silva is tired. I would like him to rest now if possible.”

At the sound of my voice, Dodol turned around. His eyes opened wide as soon as he saw me.

“Why are you already here!? I’m sure I left first.”

“I flew here. You could have arrived sooner if I accompanied you. But you left before I could explain it. Don’t feel bad about it.”

“……Well, anyways, I’m glad you guys helped Silva. I don’t mind that part. So, can you tell me about the guy who attacked?”

“About that…… I want you to come with me.”

I decided to show him the angel’s corpse before talking. When Dodol saw what appeared to be a charred person, he had a confused expression.

“What’s this? Is this the enemy?”

“At first glance, you may think it looks like a winged man but I want you to take a closer look. You’ll be able to tell the difference.”

“Hmmm, the hair and wings are white and the skin isn’t sun-burned either. Since winged men lived in the desert, they should basically have dark skin. This means that he is different from those guys. Am I correct?”

“This is an angel.”

“Huh? Are you making fun of me? Angels are messengers of God. There’s no way such a dream-like existence exists. Furthermore, I don’t see the point of them attacking Silva in the first place.”

It’s a valid opinion, but this angel is an undeniable fact. I decided to tell him what had happened and what we had learned.

“—exterminate the six key sacred beasts?”

“I found it out when I saw his status. There is no doubt that this incident is a well thought out plan.”

“Then, that means our enemy are the angels, is that so? Isn’t that fine? I’ll buy any fight I’m sold to, no matter who the opponent is. I don’t play king as a joke.”

“I know you’re getting emotional, but stay calm for now. It’s not like you’re only dealing with angels. We can’t ignore the main god, Ghoma, who’s probably the mastermind behind all this.”

“My bad. The blood was rushing to my head a little too much. But, I don’t understand who Ghoma is. Is he really a God?”

Dodol scratched his head and furrowed his brows. The existence or absence of God has been questioned in this world, as on Earth. We are just informed that God existed, albeit indirectly. It’s natural for anyone to be suspicious.

“Well, at least it’s true that he is called God. That’s all I can say for now.”

“I guess we can’t even check if it’s real or fake…… Well, if we beat them up and make them talk, that area will be clear. It doesn’t change what we do.”

Dodol grinned after saying so. I see. I think I understand why dwarves get along so well with beastmen. They are no less belligerent than they are. In fact, they may be the scariest of the six races.

“I’ll leave this to my subordinates for now. Let’s go back to the castle first to figure out what to do.”

“Well, that would be better.”

We returned to the royal castle in Perun to talk about what was to come.

　◇◇◇

We are in a room in the royal castle of Dartan. In addition to King Dartan and Homeless party, the vizier, the general, and several dignitaries sat down to discuss.

“Angel or whatsoever, let’s buy that fight that was sold to us! Isn’t that right lads!?”

“Yes! Let’s show them what happens if they mess with our Sacred Beast!”

“We agree with Your Majesty! Punish those who fail to comply! Long live Dartan!!”

Everyone agrees with the king’s words. It was obvious, but it seems that the only choice was to start the war. The atmosphere felt like a yakuza feud. That being said, the strategy to be done is a problem. In a situation where enemy territory and strength are unknown, the means that can be taken are limited.

Just then, Dodol made a proposal that sent chills down my spine.

“Let’s turn every suspicious place into charcoal! I’ll pull out the knowledge of high-power bombs from our ancestors’ heritage and let us start creating them right away! Even if it means turning this world into scorched earth, we’ll only stop when the angels are dead!”

“W-Wait a minute! That’s ridiculous! Please, just please calm down!”

“Then, do you have any other good ideas? You brat!”

The king is furious for being stopped. At one point, he seemed to have calm down, but in fact, his anger seemed to be burning even more instead of subsiding. They indeed have the potential to destroy the world.

“I suggest that we cooperate with the other kingdoms. Then gather the six key sacred beasts in one place.”

“In one place? Why would we do that?”

“The enemy’s aim is to eliminate the Six Sacred Beast. That means that they will eventually appear where the sacred beasts are. In that case, we don’t have to go out of our way to look for them, we can make them to come to us instead.”

“I see, so cooperation is essential for that. But, you know, there’s a big flaw in that strategy. The Sacred Beasts of each kingdom are too big to move easily.”

I approached the table and made the bottle of liquor in front of Dodol disapper. The dwarves are buzzing at the sudden turn of events.

“As you can see, I have this bangle. It can hold anything of any size, whether living or not, and inside of it, time is still. I haven’t tried it, but I think it can hold the sacred beasts in it as well.”

“Seriously…… Just what kind of tool is that….?”

“Ahem. Anyways, even if we can’t make a decision right away, I plan to take this matter and the proposal to other kingdom. Of course, even to those that don’t have sacred beast.”

“…………”

Dodol and other generals and dignitaries fell silent. I don’t know if I can say it myself, but I think this strategy is the best. I know because I fought one. I for sure know that angels are stronger than we think. Even Zazi is just a second-class one. If there were first class angels, their strength would probably be beyond me. That’s why I decided that it was dangerous to fight separately. We should cooperate here, as we did with the Allied Forces.

“Once or twice…… I guess it’s the same. I’m going to get on board.”

“Are you saying it’s okay to join hands with Sanargia and Logas?”

“There’s no point in being stubborn right now. Besides, if you think about it, wouldn’t it be possible to ensure the safety of Silva by having other sacred beasts around? That maybe the best option. I think it’s important to be able to fight while protecting the sacred beasts. “

I feel relieved. For the time being, the prospect of forming a new allied force was reached. After that, I can contact each kingdom and leave it to Dodol. This time, it is a situation that is not directly related to the kingdom. I thought that the safest position was to limit it to cooperation.

“In this case, I ask you to be the overall commander this time as well.”

“Huh? I’m going to put it together?”

“Isn’t that obvious? What do you think you’re going to do? It’s not like I fought or I have the information about angels. I’m not going to let you escape responsibility.”

Whaaat!? Do I have to do it again?

As if he didn’t know how I felt, Dodol ended the meeting with a random conclusion.

“I’ll be in your care again, Tanaka-dono.”

General Grill pats me on the shoulder and smiles at me. I managed to squeeze out a reply. Then, Dodol, who was still sitting in his seat, called me.

“About the reward for helping Silva…… I can allow you guys to go to the basement.”

“I’m happy to hear that but, do you really not care?”

“I think it’s best to make your wish come true rather than paying you money. Feel free to use it.”

“……Use?”

“Ah? Did you come this far without knowing what was underground?”

I turned my gaze to Rodman, who shrugged and shook his head. Right. If he had known, he would have explained it in detail beforehand.

Seeing the situation, Dodol lets out a small sigh and stands up.

“Then I’ll explain everything to you. Follow me.”

Guided by Dodol, we moved towards the basement where the wisdom of the dwarves rest.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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