Author: Yume Neiji

I rushed out and jumped inside Matango’s nest. I cut off the one that caught my eye earlier and immediately activated the Lightning Magic Jewel, and with a buzz, the Matango’s corpse was instantly reduced to ashes. It seems that mushroom-based magical beasts continue to produce spores even after death. Therefore, it seems that the corpse must be burned to ashes or buried in the ground.

“Shiniji! I’ll fiytoo!”

“You guys need to evacuate. Apparently, with my constitution, the spores don’t work on me.”

I purposely declined Erna’s offer to help. I mean, she can’t fight in that state. It now got worse as her face is covered in tears and runny nose.

“Thismuchis nothingto—”

“Enough. Go back to the village. It’s painful for me to watch!”

I pushed Erna to go back to the village. Although she regretted that she could not help, she eventually decided to flee to the village. These things should be done by someone who can. She doesn’t have to overdo it.

“Now then, let’s continue the clean-up.”

I clenched my sword and run again. Matango’s nest is a vast area that stretches to one square kilometer. There are not only colorful molds, but poisonous mushrooms and insects can also be seen everywhere. When I checked it with my skill, each of them was something very poisonous.

“Fu! Tei!”

The Matangos I passed were cut into two one after another and with a lightning strike as the finishing blow, they were all burned to death. The deeper I went, the more their number grew. And before I knew it, I had killed over 50 of them.

But it’s not over yet.

Sensing the invasion of an enemy, the mushrooms continue to gather at a tremendous pace. There are about a hundreds of them now. No, it’s a horde that could reach a thousand. The mushrooms surrounded me and they all shook their umbrellas in unison, sending their spores flying.

“It doesn’t work on me.”

I activated the power of the Magic jewel and releases a lightning. The powerful lightning strike burned the mushrooms and spores, creating a dazzling pillar of light. All that was left was ashes. Once again, I think that the power of the magic jewel is in an order of magnitude than before. Moreover, it is terrifying because it has not even produced half its performance.

“Hmmm, now that I’ve cleaned up the nest, what should I do with it—huh?”

Something approaches, trampling through the decaying trees. It was coming towards me from the center of the nest. Apparently, there was a boss of Matango. When it finally appeared in sight, it immediately showed its anger by waving a huge purple fluorescent umbrella.

【Analysis Result: Deadly Matango: The evolved form of Matango. The spores are so virulent that it can human after just a few breaths. However, its effective range is not very wide. Not edible. Rarity: C, Overall Ability: D】

【Status】 Name: Deadly Matango Race: Deadly Matango Magic Attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Bullet Skills: Search (Intermediate), Leg Strength Enhancement(Intermediate), Leadership (Intermediate), Growth Promotion Evolution: Conditions are not met < Evolution Condition: Search (Special Grade), Leg Strength Enhancement(Special Level), Dictatorship (Beginner Level) >

It is about six meters tall. Like Matango, there are no hands, only feet. Contrary to the peculiar footsteps that are cute and unique footsteps, there is a white skull pattern on the surface of the umbrella. As expected, it is the parent of the killer mushrooms.

“I can’t wait to see what it tastes like.”

The Deadly Matango stepped back. It seems to have enough wisdom to understand people’s words. Interesting.

I’m a little curious, so I sheath my sword for the time being and try to have a conversation with it. In a way, talking to a mushroom is a valuable experience.

“Why do you attack people? You don’t live on human nutrition alone, do you?”

“…………”

The Deadly Matango thinks for a moment before shaking its umbrella.

I see.

“Stay away from human habitation. If you do, I’ll let you go. From now on, you just need to live your life quietly as a poisonous mushroom.”

“…………”

The Deadly Matango shakes its head and even its body shook sideways. In other words, it’s a refusal.

……Probably.

To be honest, I don’t understand what it is trying to convey. In this case, it’s time to resume the battle.

The enemy swings its leg up and mercilessly lowers it. I took the weight that was weighed on me with one hand. Even though it has evolved, it is still a mushroom after all.

“Teryaaa!”

I grabbed the leg and hold its giant body. Then just like that, I made a giant swing. I tossed it, and it bounced a few times and crashed into a pile of decaying trees. But as if nothing had happened, it sat up and shook its umbrella. Maybe there is something like a brain, but there is no sense of pain.

Suddenly, the Deadly Matango began to act strangely. It pressed its feet on the ground and dances. Then, a number of mushrooms began to grow from the surrounding ground, and in no time at all, they grew into dozens of matangos. Perhaps it’s the growth promotion skill. It must have modified the spores and forced them to become fully grown.

“No matter how much miscellaneous fry you make, the situation will not change!”

I cut down the oncoming Matangos and burned them with lightning strikes. The fact that its subordinate disappeared in a matter of seconds seemed to make the Deadly Matango agitated. What more, it even showed its back(?) now and runs away. But in a blink of an eye, I overtook it and cut it in two with my sword. The mushroom, which was cut in half, fell to the ground and stopped moving.

“It’s the end of it huh. Now then, I have to figure out what to do with the nest.”

It cannot be left as it is. However, I was ordered not to burn it.

Hmm, what should I do…..

Suddenly, while thinking, I felt hungry. It’s been a few hours since we ate lunch. It’s time to fill my stomach. I decided to take a part of the Deadly Matango’s corpse, cut it into moderately sized pieces and roast it on the fire. It was analyzed as a highly poisonous mushroom, but with my constitution, I will not die. Or rather, it is time to clarify whether poison does not really work on me. I bit into the flesh of the mushroom magical beast.

“This is …… It has a texture similar to eryngii. Not bad.”

The grilled Deadly Matango is chewy and delicious. I seasoned it only with salt and pepper, but it surprisingly also has a spicy wasabi-like pungency in it. As I dip it in soy sauce and eat it, I enjoy it even more with a different taste.

By the way, I have already acquired the growth promotion skill. It’s a skill I can’t afford to miss.

Satisfied with the mushroom, I jumps up to the sky and then I activated the Isolation Space skill. The target is the nest below. When I thought about it, it’s just a matter of not burning the forest. With this skill, it was possible for me to burn down the nest.

I designated a square space and magically isolate the nest inside. Then I activated the lightning magic jewel. The rain of lightning burns away the mold and mushrooms, even the poisonous insects were burned away along with the decaying trees.

A large amount of white smoke and heat drifted in search of a place to escape, but I did not allow it to do so, I simply waited for it to turn into a scorched earth. I then broke the spell after confirming that the fire has been extinguished because of the lack of oxygen in the space. Then, the air that had been expanding was released at once, and a strong wind blew through the surrounding forest.

The wind reaches the village, and the Matango spores that have been floating in the air are blown away at once. At this point, the source has been cleared up. All that’s left to do is find the remaining matango and dispose of it.

“For the time being, I’ll head back to the village first.”

I decided to fly back to the village.

　◇◇◇

When I returned to the old man’s house, my companions were having a conversation with a serious face. The old man is not there, but his wife, the old woman, is crying with her hands on her face.

“I just cleaned up the nest. What’s going on?”

“You came back at the right time. Actually, that old man is in a very bad condition.”

Freya took me upstairs and there, I saw the old man coughing on his bed. The Matango’s spores got him. It may be because we got too close to the nest.

“It seems like he only has three days to live. I feel bad that I can’t do anything.”

She clenches her fists and bites her lip. I felt something like dizziness so I sat down on a nearby chair. Even though the source was gone, the poison continues to erode the villagers. It was here that I finally realized the horror of Matango.

“Please kill me. I don’t want the mushrooms to kill me like this.”

“Don’t give up. We still have three days. I’m going to figure something about it.”

“It’s useless. Cough. Cough. Cough. By the way, what happened to the nest?”

“I’ve erased it without a trace. So worry about yourself instead.”

“I see. The adventurer Ryan sent me is indeed o-, cough-cough. You are the savior of the village.”

Unable to stand to see the old man coughing, I decided to leave the room with Freya. We decided to borrow a separate room and have a discussion.

“What are we going to do? If it keep going like this, he’s going to die.”

“But we don’t have the means to help……”

“It’s too early to give up. We have a lot of magic and skills, I’m sure something will work.”

“However, if you ask me, it’s probably parasitic. Is there anything that can be done about something that can’t be seen with the naked eye?”

“Divine Power”

““““Eh?””””

The four of us turned our attention to Liz. I also thought for a moment after hearing the words.

“It’s possible. You should use your divine powers to gather up the spores in the old man’s body and scrape them out.”

“But I don’t know where the spores are. How do I scrape up something I can’t see?”

“I’ve identified the location, it’s in the lungs. Matango spores enter through the trachea and take root in the lungs to absorb human nutrients. In other words, if we can get the foreign body out of his lungs, he will be saved.”

We won’t know until we try everything. I immediately took Freya with me and rushes to the old man’s room.

“You’re here again…… Cough-. Enough is enough, leave me alone. I’ll feel bad if I transfer this to you.”

“Don’t talk. We are going to try something now.”

I signaled with my eyes, and Freya nodded slightly. She puts her hands on the old man’s chest and squeezes it. Then, after about five minutes, she walked away from the old man.

“It did not work. It’s too small to catch.”

“Damn! It couldn’t be done with your divine powers then. Then, what else? How do I save him?”

“How about feeding him rainbow mushroom. I heard that it heals all wounds and diseases.”

“That’s it! Let’s give it a try!”

I immediately take out a rainbow mushroom from the bangle and shows it to the old man.

“This is a miracle mushroom that cures all kinds of diseases. Maybe it will work.”

“Give me a break. Cough. I’m done with mushrooms.”

“Don’t complain! Eat it!”

I pushed the mushroom into the old man’s mouth. Swallowing, he sat up with his eyes wide open.

“This is amazing. My body is full of strength. This may really—cough-cough-cough!”

His coughing did not stop. It seems that the spores still need to be removed.

“Father……”

Pero came inside the room. For some reason, there is a hesitation on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uhm, actually, there’s something in my magic skill that I don’t know how to use. I thought maybe it would work.”

“Is it purify?”

Pero nods gently. I don’t know anything about it except that it’s a holy magic. Still, I thought it was worth a try.

“It’s okay. You give it a try.”

Pero puts his hand over the old man’s chest and closes his eyes. Magical power drained from his body, and a fresh breeze blew. The next moment, a small green lump was coughed out of the old man’s mouth.

“The coughing…… stopped. It’s not painful anymore.”

The old man got up from the bed and stroked his chest, looking incredulous.

I got it. I remembered. Purify means to purify or remove impurities. As it turned out, Pero’s judgement was the right one.

“Well done, Pero. You made me proud son.”

“I’m relieved that I was able to help. I feel like I can help other people with this, too.”

When I hugged him, he hugged me back shyly. I’m so happy to have an excellent son.

For the time being, I left the seriously ill people in the village to Pero and Freya. Me, Erna, and Liz decide to separate and get rid of Matango spores lurking in the neighborhood.

　◇◇◇

“Are you guys leaving already? I can’t thank you enough.”

“We just did what we were asked to do. If you really want to thank someone, please go to the Lord of Mana.”

The next morning, we said goodbye to the elderly couple who let us stay with them. We have already exterminated the Matango in the neighborhood, and those who were suffering from the poison have recovered.

This village was saved.

I was inwardly relieved that I was able to accomplish the request. I don’t have a face to show up in front of Kanzaki if his relatives in this world died.

“Now then, let’s go. Our goal is Dartan.”

When we fly out of the village, we were greeted by a cloudless blue sky. The breeze was refreshing and pleasant.

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

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“Clang, clang”, when I opened the door, the bell rings. Erna and Pero frowned as the store smelled of cigarette as usual. I walked up to the counter and greeted the shopkeeper who is smoking his tobacco pipe.

“Our preparations are complete. We can leave at any time.”

“Wait a minute, I need to finish this before I leave.”

“We are going to fly with a griffon, it won’t take long.”

“I bet we can’t get down on the ground for hours, even if we’re cramping. An hour without smoking is equivalent to a day for me.”

Rodman finished smoking his cigarette and then puts on his backpack, which he had left on the floor. Before we know it, his son appears at the counter, and he bows to us, saying, “I’ll leave my father in your care.” I nodded deeply to him before taking Rodman with us as we left the store.

“Speaking of which, where is that griffon you are talking about?”

“I brought them closer to the city. Freya and Liz are taking care of them.”

About 50 meters outside Mana.

Two black griffons swooped down to the ground, carrying Freya and Liz respectively. Rodman is surprised by the magical beast that has appeared and hurriedly hides behind me.

“I’ve never seen a black griffon before. These guys looks like it’s really fond of people.”

“It’s because of my skills. They won’t bite so you can touch them freely.”

He gingerly touches the black feathers of the magical beast before him. The griffon made a sweet cry and rubbed its head on his face.

“Uhahaha! This is my first time! It’s the first time I touched a griffon’s body!”

“That’s the one Rodman will be riding on. Even if it’s just during this time, please dote on it.”

“Got it. By the way, are there just two of them? It doesn’t seem like there are any other creatures that can fly?”

“We can fly on our own.”

Rodman was stunned when wings emerged from my back. I haven’t had a chance to show it off, so this is the first time I’ve shown my wings. Pero jumped on the other griffon and he talks to Rodman,

“Except me, everybody can fly. That is why we only need these two.”

“The other three can fly too? Now that I’m thinking about it, Homeless is indeed an incredible group.”

I smiled wryly at his stunned expression. Before I knew it, we were now becoming unconstrained by common sense. Things that are not normal have become commonplace. Because it is an alternate world inhabited by a wide variety of races, we are still barely in the frame, but the day may come when we will be called “non-human”.

“Our destination is the Dartan Rock Kingdom, right?”

“That’s right. We are heading to the basement of the royal castle to create the Sixth Great Treasure.”

“That’s easy to say, but how are we going to get there? I’ve heard that the Dwarven King hates humans.”

“Not really. To be exact, he just hate the Logas Royal family. I have a bit of a relationship with the Dwarven King. As long as we meet face to face, there should be no problem.”

“Have you met the King? That’s amazing!”

The plan was to have an audience with King Dartan and ask for permission to enter the basement. For this reason, I also have a letter from Dhal, the leader of Earth Fang. With a word from his best friend, the king should be willing to give us permission.

“Hey, it’s time to leave. It’s getting dark.”

“That’s right. Alright, follow me.”

With me in the lead, the members also fly up. The two griffons also took off in pursuit, spreading their large wings in the wind under the blue sky.

It’s a pleasant departure.

　◇◇◇

About five hours have passed since we left Mana. Below me was a wetland area and a wooden path built by someone that wound like a snake to the horizon. The journey is smooth without any problems.

Erna leisurely admired the scenery. Pero and Rodman are also looking down and enjoying the flight. Liz is sleeping soundly fully geared with her eye mask and pillow. Freya is flying around freely while enjoying the wind.

“What does it feel like to fly in the sky with divine powers?”

“It feels like a string is tied on my body, pulling me forward.”

Freya rotates her body in the air while answering my question. From my perspective, it’s completely like martial arts. It’s enviable.

“I wish I could fly too. I’m jealous.”

“If Pero-sama don’t mind, I’ll lift you up with my divine power.”

“But that would make you hug me, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course. It’s all about having fluffy.”

“I want you to hide your true feelings a little.”

Freya was breathing heavily, and Pero had a disappointed expression on his face. I take out my pocket watch and consider whether it’s time to take a break. Rodman called out right at this time.

“Hey, let’s take a break. I’m hungry and I want to smoke.”

“It’s indeed time to eat. Let’s get off around here.”

The wooden road has circular spaces at regular intervals that seem to be dedicated as resting places. We decided to go down there and have lunch. I took my luggage out of the bangle and started cooking. First, took out the potato and put it in a wooden bowl. Next, fry the chopped onion and minced meat in a frying pan, and when it is moderately cooked, throw it into the bowl with potatoes. At the same time add salt, pepper and milk. After that, mix it by hand and shape it into a small shape, add flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, and fry in oil until it turns brown.

“It’s a dish I’ve never seen before. Is it delicious?”

“You’ll know when you taste it. Here, it’s freshly fried.”

“Let me see……”

Rodman sticks a fork into the croquette. He directly put it in his mouth as it is then he immediately reacted with, “Haa-haa-haa!”. Apparently, it was too hot. But that’s the beauty of fried food. The other four also eat croquettes and smile contentedly.

“Isn’t it good to have a hot dish? By the way, what kind of dish is this?”

“It’s called croquette. It’s an orthodox home-cooked dish in my hometown.”

“Then Shinichi grew up eating this?”

“I guess you could say so. Well, I didn’t eat it very often you see.”

“Hmm, but I think I can make this too.”

It’s odd. I never thought Erna would get interested in cooking. Croquettes are suitable for beginners, so it may be perfect for this clumsy girl. Also, once in a while, I want to eat homemade food made by my comrades.

“If you’re up for it, I’ll teach you how.”

“Really? Then I’ll make croquettes for Shinichi next time!”

“Unfair. Why is it only Rival? Me too.”

I’ll just be teaching how to make it, but for some reason, Erna and Liz glared at each other. I was about to appease them, but I quickly stopped. This may be a good thing. If I let them compete, they should be able to improve their skills faster.

Thus, the two of them ended up making croquettes today. In both cases, I made them start by chopping the onion. Here, their personalities were already evident. Erna chopped it into a mess. Liz on the other hand, imitates my method and carefully cuts it into small pieces. After frying the onion and minced meat, they began to knead the potatoes, and here too, their personalities were clearly revealed. Erna forms a potato the size of a straw sandals, tosses it into the hot oil with eggs and breadcrumbs.

In contrast, Liz faithfully imitates my method. She arranged it into a small shape, add flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs properly and then put it in the hot oil. When the two croquettes turned fox-brown, Erna took it from the oil and placed it to the plate at once. Liz pulls up the croquettes and shakes them lightly to drain the oil before placing them on a plate.

“Let’s try Liz’s first.”

“Mmm, perfect. It’s absolutely delicious.”

Liz’s croquettes look exactly like the ones I made. The batter is also crispy, and the inside is exquisitely seasoned. It can only be said that the taste has been completely reproduced. This is the result she got after just showing them how to make it once.

“Next up is Erna’s croquettes.”

“It looks like that but you’ll be amazed at how it tastes!”

What was served was a dish that was too painful to call a croquette. The batter on the surface is torn and potatoes are flowing out of the gaps. In addition, it was so big that it didn’t look like it was cooked all the way through. When I put it in my mouth, it was soaked with oil.

“The batter is peeling off because you didn’t put flour on it. It’s too greasy because you did not drain the oil. As for the taste…… it’s surprisingly good.”

“Right? Everything else failed, but I was confident in the taste.”

“Mmm, I see. Did you add more onion and increase the proportion of pepper? It’s sweet and spicy which put a nice flavor to it.”

When I feed Erna’s croquettes to Liz, her expression changes to frown. She didn’t say a word, but at least she didn’t think it was bad.

“It’s a draw.”

“Hey no, it’s my win!”

“That’s funny. I’m the winner.”

—The two people who are not convinced approached me. Moreover, they told me to taste it again. In the end, I was forced to eat a hundred croquettes.

　◇◇◇

“Burp~, my stomach is heavy and I can’t gain altitude.”

“You’ve eaten so much after all. We could have rested for a while.”

“No, there’s a place I want to get to by the end of the day.”

I pull out a map of the world from my pocket and hands it to Rodman. It shows a certain location indicated by a red circle.

“There seems to be a mark on the village along the border between the kingdom and Daltan, why?”

“It’s called Toto Village. I was just asked by the City Lord to check on it, so I don’t know the full details. But it seems that the magical beast called Matango is breeding in large numbers there.”

“Matango huh. I’m not good at mushroom-type monsters.”

“There was an old acquaintance of the City Lord living in the village, and he had asked for help a few days ago. It was assigned to us, Homeless.”

“So, you were asked to clean it up knowing that you’re on the way to Dartan huh. The timing is good.”

Sometimes, this happens. In addition, I was paid by the lord in advance. In other words, failure is not an option. While we were talking about this, the marshland turned into a forest, and we began to see what looked like a village. Probably that is the village of Toto. It’s a small village, as I had heard beforehand. We landed on the outskirts so as not to surprise the residents. I also ordered the two griffons to wait in the forest.

“Sneeze~. Uh- my nose is itchy.”

Pero sneezes and rubs his nose. The other members were also rubbing their eyes and sneezing. There are many trees that resemble cedars growing wild here. Maybe it was the time of year when the pollens are flying.

“For now, let’s go to the village and ask them about the situation. Come on, let’s go.”

The other five took out handkerchiefs and held their mouths and noses. It seems that the pollen is quite harsh. Pero is already teary-eyed. Still, we were able to climb the mountain road and come to the entrance of the village. However, I soon noticed something unusual. There is no one here. I couldn’t find any resident outside. I knocked on the door of a random house and there was a reply through the door.

“……Who is it?”

“I’m an adventurer who has been commissioned by the Lord of Mana.”

“Did you come to get rid of Matango!?”

“Yes. I’d like to see someone who can talk to me in detail, but—”

Then the door was thrown open, and an old woman beckoned us to come inside the house quickly. When she confirms that everyone is inside, she padlocks the door.

“Thank you for coming all the way to this remote place. The old man knows the situation well, so you should ask him.”

Saying this, the old woman leads us upstairs. In one room, there was an elderly man lying on a bed.

“Old man. Help from Ryan has finally arrived.”

“……They are finally here huh. So-, how many helpers do we have?”

“Six of them. I’m sure they’re very powerful adventurers.”

The old man sat up and looked at us. He has a thick, muscular body with a white beard under his nose and chin. The T-shirt he was wearing was so tight that he didn’t look like an old man when he was lying on the bed. He stands up and moves his neck left and right.

“Fua~, I slept well. I shouldn’t just drink alcohol just because I can’t go out. So, you guys are the adventurers Ryan sent?”

“Our party is called Homeless. Can you please tell me more about it?”

“Alright. Come with me, I’ll show you the situation in this village.”

The old man wrapped a cloth around his mouth and nose and picked up an axe that was leaning against the wall.

“Granny, give them some cloth too.”

“Got it. You should cover your mouth and nose with this.”

We covered our mouth and nose with the cloth as we were told. It’s probably a substitute for a mask. After thanking the old woman, we followed the old man who was leading the way and went outside. The village was still quiet with no people in sight.

“Haven’t you had trouble breathing since you arrived in the village?”

I looked confused at the old man’s question. However, when I looked at the other five, they all nodded vigorously.

“This area is encased in Matango spores, and if you inhale too much of it, you will have symptoms similar to hay fever.”

“If that’s all there is to it, I don’t think there’s any need to call for help……”

“If only the initial symptoms were enough. The spores of Matango are highly toxic and can paralyze and kill the body if inhaled continuously. Just look at the corpse over there.”

There was something dry in the place he pointed to. When I look closely, it turns out to be a human corpse. A large number of mushrooms grow out of the corpse’s mouth, and a number of fluorescent blue umbrellas are opening. The creepy sight made me broke out in a cold sweat.

“They grow by sucking people’s nutrients. Once you start coughing, you’re done for.”

“I understand the situation now. So, how do I get rid of these Matango?”

“There are a lot of Matangos in the place I’m going to show you, and I want you to get rid of them with as little fire as possible. If the forest catches fire, even if we survive, we won’t be able to make a living you see.”

Without the use of fire…… But on the other hand, there should be no problem using fire, as long as we don’t cause damage. Even so, the spores are troublesome. The five of them are also not in good condition as they got runny noses and itchy eyes. At this rate, it may be difficult for them to fight properly.

“Can you see that? That’s Matango’s nest.”

The scene I saw as we were led into the depths of the forest caught me off guard. It was a mycelium realm that no one was allowed to enter. Cotton candy-like pale pink and green molds are everywhere, and the surrounding trees are corroded and decaying. Inside of it are huge mushrooms with a fluorescent blue color. They are about one hundred and fifty centimeters tall. The mushrooms have no hands or face, but they got legs, and they move forward with a thump of footsteps.

“The spores inside the nest are even thicker, and covering the nose and mouth with a cloth is not enough.”

“I see. So this is why no one can kill them.”

“Yeah. The young ones in the village jumped into the nest, but no one came back. With no more thinkable solution, I decided to write to my nephew asking for help. And you’re the one who came.”

“N-nephew? Then, you’re the Lord’s uncle?”

“More or less the same. I’m the younger brother of Ryan’s father.”

I am inwardly surprised by the unexpected connection between the City Lord and the client. Even if he has to pay in advance, he wants to guarantee that the request will be fulfilled.

All right. Let’s make sure that this work succeeds and reassure Kanzaki.

I smoothly drew the Bull King’s sword.

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

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The next day, rumors were circulating in the castle. For the first time in months, the king touched a maid. Originally, King Logas was known for his amorous nature and had many concubines in addition to his wife. When I first replaced the King, someone would come to ask for a yotogi almost every day. Of course, I didn’t entertain them. I pushed them away every time, saying that I’m not in the mood for it. And before I knew it, no one had been coming to me for months.

I should have pushed Rina back as well, but there was a reason why I couldn’t. Now, she comes into my bedroom saying to the knight guard something like, “His Majesty called me.” It would be unnatural for her to suddenly leave right after being called. Thus, the only thing I could do was pretend that there was an act. On the other hand, if we did not do that and Rina went looking for me directly, the knight guard would take her as an intruder and Rina will be punished as a sinner. 

Now that is where the problem comes. Even though there are no clear rules, servants who are under the care of the king are treated as concubines. Along with this, her salary will be doubled and the treatment will be significantly improved. As a result, when someone become successful, others would want to imitate her. Then, it happened to me in an unexpected way.

“Your Majesty, please let me help you in the field!”

“Me too! Where do I start Your Majesty?”

“I’ll do anything for Your Majesty, whether it’s watering or messing with the soil!”

“Your Majesty, I’m good at growing flowers! I want to be your concubine!”

Nearly 30 maids crowd into the field. Their glittering eyes were strangely scary.

“Your Majesty, I’m going to harvest tomatoes today—Ueeee?! W-what the heck is all this fuss about!?”

“Rina!? Come over here for a minute!”

I decided to invite Rina to the shade of a tree when she appeared in the field and ask her why this happened.

“Uh-, since I was a maid helping in the fields at first, maybe they thought that if they did the same thing, they could also become a concubine?”

“That was careless of me. I completely ignored my own influence.”

“It can’t be helped. There are many children who want to join the royal family, and if they become concubines and give birth to children, their future will be secured. That is also the purpose of their family sending them to the royal castle as servants.”

“Oh please. Give me a break living such a stallion life that I don’t want.”

I had no choice, so I decided to let the other maids help me with the fields from now on, and appointed Rina as the person in charge. If I leave it for a while, I think their passion will cool down and many will give up their work.

“So, when will Your Majesty buy me?”

“Don’t spew such words. We’ll probably be misunderstood again.”

“But isn’t it true, Your Majesty? Your Majesty said you will save me.”

“I-, I know. I’ll summon the Marquis and talk to him today.”

“Ya~y! I love you, Your Majesty!”

The twin-tailed maid hugs my arms with a big smile. My arms were caught in her chest, which was bigger than I thought. It’s irresistible. Ufufufu.

Then I noticed that the maids in the field were looking at me with sharp eyes like hungry wolves. The Royal castle may be more of a Shura field than I thought.

　◇◇◇

“Raise your head.”

“Yes. I’m thankful to be granted Your Majesty’s audience.”

Kneeling in the throne room is Marquis Dosad. He has a lanky physique and a distinctive black bobbed hair. Still, the clothes that use unnecessary gold thread are so flamboyant that it can only be described as a nouveau riche hobby.

“The reason I called you today is about Rina.”

“Rina? The daughter of that baronial family?”

“Yes. I have heard that you are trying to marry Rina on the condition that you cancel her Family’s debts. I thought I’d like to hear more about it. After all, she is now my concubine.”

Dosad’s eyes widened and a bead of sweat dripped from his forehead. He let his gaze wander for a few seconds before speaking.

“Your Majesty is mistaken. I lent the Barony 500 gold coins, but now, with the interest it is 1,000 gold coins.”

“Hoh-, a thousand gold coins huh. That’s a lot of money.”

“It is indeed as Your Majesty said. However, it is not a figure that I have drawn out of profit, it is the interest that I have waived out of compassion.”

“Then I’ll pay for it. I’ll give you a thousand gold coins.”

“No, there is more. I have already made written arrangements with the Barony to marry Rina. If you say that you are going to dissolve this as well, Your Majesty will have to give me 3,000 gold coins in addition to the debt.”

I see. He was saying that I need to give him a total of 4,000 gold coins. His spirit of not falling for free is something to look up to.

“In that case, as king, I give you this order. For 500 gold coins, cancel the debt and invalidate the marriage agreement between you and Rina.”

“W-what!? Don’t be silly! Pay me 4,000 coins!”

“Are you going to disobey the king’s order?”

“Of course! How much do you think I paid to marry that woman? How can I be satisfied with just 500 coins!?”

The corners of my mouth raised slightly at the angry Dosad. Out of anger, he said it inadvertently. He spoke his mind.

“Arrest this rebel immediately!”

“N-No! It’s not true! I-, I just said it involuntarily—Ahhh—”

Dosad was seized by the knights and his face was pressed to the floor. I stood up and approached him.

“You were too greedy. You should have put up with a thousand gold coins.”

“Y-your Majesty, p-please forgive me. From now on, I will change my mind as a faithful servant.”

“Hmmm, then let me look at your heart.”

When the search skill was activated, the radar in my field of view clearly indicated a red dot. He has hostility. In other words, he is an enemy. If I let him go, he will surely retaliate.

“Take him with you, and he will be sentenced to life imprisonment in the dungeon.”

“Your Majesty! Not that! Kuu- damn y—”

The sinner was brought out of the king’s throne room. Duke Medil, who was nearby, smiled at me.

“I admire your decision, Your Majesty. Now his victims will be able to go to God in peace.”

“It’s not a big deal, it’s just that I personally couldn’t overlook it.”

“But the people will appreciate this very much because there are countless people who have been oppressed by Dosad.”

It is not difficult to understand the joy of the Duke of Medil. There are a lot of nobles in this kingdom who just kept on sucking the hard work of others. Dosad is just one of them.

“I think it might be a good idea to take this opportunity to clean up the rotten oranges.”

“That’s right. I’m willing to obey any order to do so.”

The Chancellor, Duke Medil, gets down on one knee. Ministers and other dignitaries then got down on one knee and bowed their heads. Maybe it’s time to wield my power. I didn’t become king on a whim after all. I sit deeply on the throne and speaks to Duke Medil.

“From now on, we will carry out a large-scale purge to tighten our kingdom. Our target are the nobles who have committed serious crimes and those associated with them. Immediately make a list and assemble a unit with special authority to do this.”

“As you will.”

The subjects begin to move in unison. It is precisely because the upper classes are rife with false ideas about justice that people like Dosad do as they please. And I have a responsibility to change that. I picked up a fruit that resembles an apple and took a bite.

The taste of the throne was sweet and sour.

　◇◇◇

“Your Majesty!”

As I walk down the hall after my political duties, Rina runs up to me and hugs my arms. The knight who was already accompanying me pretended not to see it. Well, they already know that there is no malice in this girl’s actions. In addition, being a concubine is a good reason to allow her behavior.

“You’re in a good mood, did something good happen?”

“Your Majesty did it, didn’t he?!”

“Mmm, I just canceled your debt.”

“Lies! It’s rumored in the castle town that Your Majesty has brought Dosad to justice!”

Had the rumor already spread? As expected, you can’t put a door in people’s mouths. However, this will also encourage the nobility to refrain from conspicuous actions. If you do something badly, you will be reported by the citizens.

“My father wanted me to thank Your Majesty in his behalf. Thank you very much.”

“Don’t worry about it, and this isn’t just for you. It’s also for the good of this kingdom you see. It is not in the national interest to allow such a renegade thrive.”

I said so before stepping forward. Then Rina hugged my arms again and kissed me on the cheek.

“I want to be Your Majesty’s wife!”

“Huh? Are you saying you want to be a queen?”

“No, I don’t. I’ll be your wife. I don’t mind being a concubine, but I want to your official wife.”

What is this girl talking about?

There is no way she can be a wife while remaining a concubine. My attending knight reacted to her remarks.

“Hey, you! Such as wanting to be a queen, you are just a servant. You should be aware of your position.”

“Wait. I haven’t heard her true intentions yet. Rina, continue talking.” 

“Uhm… it’s not that I want to be queen, it’s just that I would be happy if I could always be by Your Majesty’s side. But if I remain a concubine, I won’t be able to see you much…”

“So, you’re saying you want to act like my secretary?”

“Secretary? I’m not really sure what that is, but maybe something like that.”

Her family is a baronial one. Now that I think about it, I understand that the way couples behave in lower aristocrats is not that different from that of ordinary citizens. In that case, the wife should be the one who mainly supports the husband’s personal needs. Considering Rina’s upbringing, she simply chose the words that were closest to her. However, if it wasn’t me, I’m sure she would have been misunderstood.

“Alright, you’re my secretary from today on.”

“Is that true? Then I can see His Majesty’s face from morning to night!”

“Y-yeah….…”

Is she saying she’s going to take care of me until I go to bed? No, it is only possible because she is also a concubine. In any case, I too, had taken a liking to this unusual girl. It looks like life as a king will be more lively than I thought.

“Then we need to cure His Majesty’s ED right away!”

“Idiot! Don’t say it in a place like this!”

I hurriedly covered her mouth, but it was too late. The two knights hold their mouths, revealing their agitation.

“I never thought that…… Your Majesty …… that lustful majesty……”

“If you had told us, we would have arranged for a good doctor right away……”

“You’re mistaken! It’s different, it’s not that! Don’t get me wrong!”

The knight looks at me with pitying eyes. 

Damn! This is also the fault of King Logas, who was doing whatever he wanted! Thanks to that, I have to go through a lot of trouble to get rid of the stigma!

I explained to the knight that I did not need a doctor and succeeded in convincing them. 

However, after that, for some reason, rumors circulated in the castle and even reached the castle town that I was ED. As a result, the number of people who wanted to become my concubine decreased sharply, but it goes without saying that every time I passed by, they began to look at me with pity.

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

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It’s an early morning for me, King Logas.

After I get up at 4 a.m., I wash my face in the water tub provided in my bedroom. Next, I change from my nightwear to my day clothes. Open the window of the room all the way, and perform radio  taisho. When my body felt relaxed, I moved to the courtyard of the royal castle. Of course, I am accompanied by two knight guard. Even though it is still within the castle, the king is not allowed to wander around unprotected.

There is a small field in the courtyard. It is a field I personally cultivated with a hoe. After wiping my forehead with the towel draped over my shoulder, I bit into the vegetable I had just harvested. The glossy bright red tomato was fresh, full of sourness and sweetness.

I handed some tomatoes to the two knights, and they ended up bursting into tears and saying something like, “Vegetables from Your Majesty!? I’ll make it an heirloom!” Sigh. I just can’t get used to this. I ordered them to eat it now because it will spoil.

“Good morning, Your Majesty!”

“Oh, Rina. Looks like you’re doing well today.”

The one who came to the field was a maid named Rina. When I can’t take care of the vegetables, she takes care of them for me. She has a baby-faced appearance and bright brown hair in twin tails, looking energetic and very cute.

“I’ve harvested tomatoes, do you want to eat them too?”

“Yes, yes! I want to eat Your Majesty’s vegetables!”

When I offered her a tomato, she bit into it in seconds.

Uh-, I’m still holding it in my hands…….

“Hey, you crazy servant! You’re disrespectful to His Majesty!”

“Aaah!! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just did it subconsciously!”

Rina wipes her juice-soaked hands with the handkerchief she was carrying. I then appeased the indignant knights and offers Rina a freshly picked cucumber this time. Then, like a conditioned reflex, she bit into the vegetable again.

It’s like feeding a small animal, and it’s a soothing sight.

“Uuh-, I did it again! I’m sorry, I’m sorry Your Majesty!”

“Don’t worry about it. In fact, I feel good seeing  you eat the fruits of the vegetables I planted deliciously.”

“I’m really thankful that Your Majesty is kind! It’s a habit I had for a long time and I’m still trying to fix it. So, once I let my guard down, it will come out! Please pardon me.”

“Hoho~, a habit huh. Here.”

“Uhm. I-, ah-um-no-um-”

This is interesting. Once I hold out a vegetable to her, she will bite into the vegetable with an astonishing reaction speed. Before I knew it, the two knights were laughing at Rina’s actions and behavior.

“Hahaha, you have such a good skill, don’t you?”

“Uwaaa! Your Majesty is so mean. I just said that it’s a habit I wanted to fix!”

As an apology for teasing her, I decided to give her some freshly picked vegetables. Her teary-eyed expression suddenly changes to a bright smile. Maybe she was a dog in her previous life. I feel like she got an invisible tail wagging around.

I left the field to Rina and decided to go to the dining room to have breakfast for the time being.

　◇◇◇

In the large dining room, the only sound is the scraping of knives and forks. Eating here are the six members of the royal family. Two wives and three children. They are the family of the late King Logas.

“I heard that you were touching the fields again. How many times should I tell you that it’s not good for a king to show his people something like that.”

“That’s a hobby. I told you not to interfere about it.”

“You’ve changed a lot you know. You used to drink and have sex with women as much as you wanted, but now you’re happy to be harvesting vegetables. I can’t help but wonder if someone brainwashed you.”

The First Queen complains to me as usual. As a married woman to a high-ranking nobleman, she seemed to recognize farming as a job for commoners, not for nobles or royalty.

On the other hand, the second queen is positive about my taste.

“As long as we are fulfilling our duties, I don’t think they would meddle in this or that. Above all, Your Majesty is the king of this kingdom. He was supposed to do anything freely.”

“You always indulge him by saying so. Don’t you understand that everything His Majesty does will befall on his children? How will you take responsibility if my precious Cecil is called the prince of the fields?”

“I don’t want you to tell me about that. If you don’t like it, why don’t you and your son leave the royal family?”

The flow of the two wives arguing with each other like this is a regular occurrence. If I have any sympathy for King Logas, it will definitely be about family affair. It’s painful to have to listen to their arguments all morning.

The eldest son, Cecil, speaks as if to break the grim atmosphere.

“Father, could you give me a spear training once in a while?”

“Okay, let’s do that. I feel like my body has been getting tired lately so I need some more exercise.”

Cecil is a beautiful boy with long golden hair simply tied in a classic ponytail. His hair color was inherited from his mother. He was dressed in an aristocratic uniform based on blue, paired with the red cloak he always wore. In addition, he has a good personality and high intelligence. It’s a wonder to me why such a son was born from that king. However, thanks to this, there was no need for me to work hard to create a successor.

I resumed eating, puts a scrambled egg on top of a piece of bread and puts it in my mouth. Even if I’m a royalty, breakfast isn’t that different from that of a commoner. The only thing that is lavish is dinner. Well, if you ask me if it’s delicious, I can’t say for sure, I could only describe it as passable.

The food I ate in the dungeon was much more like a gourmet.

　◇◇◇

After breakfast, it’s time for government affairs. I spend hours on the throne dealing with those who come asking for audience. Most of them are officials and merchants, and they talk at length and in vain before finally getting down to the business. I know they are desperate to get me to remember their faces, but I have to meet dozens of people a day after all. I can’t listen to every single story.

I decided to skip the explanation from the second person and only ask what he needed.

“Your Majesty, Marshal Reagan has arrived.”

“Understood. Let him in.”

The minister whispers in my ear to announce the new visitor.

Marquis Reagan is a powerful man who owns the eastern frontier. He is also famous for not coming out of his domain so it is very rare for him to come to the royal capital so far away. Quietly entering the King’s Throne room, Reagan got down on one knee on the red carpet and bowed to me.

“Raise your head. What are you here for?”

“It is with great regret that I have come to the castle to make a request to Your Majesty.”

“Say your request first. I’ll decide what to do afterwards.”

“We have received an offer from the Naji Republic that they would like to do business with our territory. Regarding this, we would like to request that Your Majesty officially allow the beastmen to enter and exit the kingdom.”

Hoh~, an offer of trade from Naji huh. That’s interesting.

I definitely like to give the permission. However, I cannot simply say that they are very much welcome here. This is because there is a concern that if a large number of people from other kingdom enter the territory, it will become a big problem. If done poorly, it may cause friction between races.

Therefore, I decided to come up with a policy.

“We will only allow it on the Eastern Frontiers. We will take the initiative to take care of the residents of Naji who have entered the kingdom. We will consider our future measures based on the results.”

“Does that mean Your Majesty is going to see how things are going in my domain?”

“At worst, yes. Some of them may decide to emigrate after all. That’s the idea I’ve taken in mind.”

“Understood.”

He bows deeply before leaving the room.

Thinking that I can get seafood from Naji with dignity, I don’t feel bad about this decision. For the time being, let’s keep an eye on the progress on the eastern frontier.

　◇◇◇

The time was three o’clock in the afternoon. Today’s political affairs ended earlier than expected so I decided to do the spear training that I had promised my eldest son earlier.

“It’s been so many years since I have been personally trained by Father.”

“It was my bad that I couldn’t even bother before.”

“No. I’m happy just being able to talk to Father like this.”

Cecil relaxes his expression and smiles at me. It’s painful that I can’t tell him that his real father is no longer here. However, once I get started, I am a person who is willing to follow through to the end. So, I will continue to wear the mask of King Logas until the end of my life.

We then prepare for battle by holding out our wooden spears at each other. There are no referees here. The game started from the moment we raised our weapon.

“Fu!”

“Tei!”

Cecil’s sharp thrust is aimed at my heart. I dodged his attack and I thrust back at the same time but he reflexively jumps backwards. It’s a good move. Even though he is being slow, he is watching my movement closely.

“How about this!”

Saying that, he unleashes a five-in-a-row thrust. He aimed precisely at the vital points and each blow had weight. I parry it with the hilt of my spear. In terms of ability, I think he is about the same as Freya when we first met.

“An opening.”

“Uwaa!?”

With his attention focused on how attack, I was able to easily trip him. Cecil stands up while rubbing his butt.

“Father is really strong. Even now, I can’t seem to reach you.”

“Of course. I have no intention on losing yet. Work hard kiddo.”

“Yes. I’m going to be a great king like Father.”

His words seemed to have connotations. At least I could say that I didn’t feel any admiration from him for his former father. I can’t help but understand his feelings. I don’t want that man to be my father either. After that, Cecil and I went to the dining room together and decided to have an early dinner.

　◇◇◇

Yawning, I climb into my bed. As the king, I always go to bed at nine o’clock at night. There is no TV here, no interesting novels either. In other words, even if I am awake, I’ll just get bored. In such a case, I could only go to bed as soon as possible.

Knock. Knock.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of the room.

Is it a my knight guard?

“Your Majesty, may I come in?”

“Hmm, come in.”

It was the voice of a young woman. I heard it somewhere, but I can’t remember it right away. Then the door opened and a woman walked in.

It’s Rina, the maid.

“Why are you here at this time?”

“Uhm…… I want to have a yotogi….…”

***Yotogi, when a woman comes to the room of a man to sleep with him (at his bidding)

“Huh? Yo-yotogi??”

I was genuinely surprised. I had no idea that Rina, who was always cheerful, would say such a thing. Perhaps there are some complications here. For the time being, I decide to let her sit down in a chair and serve her a cup of hot tea.

“This tea…… It’s delicious.”

“So….. why did you come to my room all of a sudden?”

“To have yo-”

“There must be a reason, right?”

When I said that, she began to speak with tears in her eyes.

“My father arranged for me to marry into the Marquis family.”

“Isn’t that a blessing? What’s the problem?”

“The other party is Marquis Dosad. Your majesty knows the rumors about him, right?”

“Oh, that one huh.”

Marquis Dosad is a notorious figure. He is known for bribery, extortion, assassination, and willingness to use any means necessary to gain profit. And his sexual habit is also famous for being unique. It was said that he feels sexually aroused by sticking needles into the bodies of his wives and concubines. I heard that he starts with small needles and gradually changes to thicker and longer needles. When he is no longer satisfied, he finally pierces his partner’s heart with a stake causing her demise. The number of women he killed so far is said to be around 20 to 30.

However, this is just a rumor. Since there are no witnesses or evidence, it is not possible to accuse the Marquis.

“My family owes a debt to the Marquis Dosad, and the day after tomorrow is the payment deadline. However, with no prospect to pay, the Marquis has demanded me in exchange for the cancellation of the debt.”

“How much debt do you have?”

“It’s 500 gold coins. It’s not an amount that my family, a lower class noble, can afford to pay back.”

When it comes to 500 gold coins…… It should be about 500 million yen. Perhaps the Marquis made them take the loan because he thought they could not repay it. If that’s indeed the case, it’s safe to assume that Rina was his goal from the very beginning.

But, why did such a story ended up with her having a yotogi?

“I-, I thought that if I become Your Majesty’s concubine, the Marquis will give up. And Mother used to say it, a man can’t go against an established fact.”

“Women are indeed terrifying creature.”

“But I didn’t do this just for the sake of my family. I like Your Majesty who is kind and pleasant to be with. Please, please make me your concubine.”

“I see. That’s what you meant huh.”

I finally got it. There was a reason why a young girl who wasn’t even in her twenties would come to a man who could be mistaken for an orc. If she was not in a precarious situation like that, she wouldn’t have said she wanted to be my concubine. However, as a man, even if it’s a lie, those words still make me happy.

“Then I’ll buy you from the Marquis. You’ll be attached to the Royal Family then.”

“Eh? With the royal family? What about being your concubine?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that…… I have ED.”

“ED!!?”

“Idiot! Your voice is too loud!”

I hurriedly covers Rina’s mouth. I’m worried that the knight outside would hear her. Of course, what I told her was a blatant lie. This is so as not to make her sad when she has already made up her mind. This is also because I’m still faithful to my ex-wife. This continues even after being reborn.

“Then I guess it can’t be helped……”

“I’m sorry. You have no choice but to give up being a concubine.”

“But why did you say you were going to make me a member of the royal family?”

“You’re taking care of my fields, aren’t you? I thought it would be more convenient for you to be my direct servant.”

“Field…… Your Majesty is not fit to be a king.”

“Maybe.”

We giggled and laughed together. She’s still young. She doesn’t have to spend her whole life with someone like me. Someday, she should be happily married to someone she can truly love from the bottom of her heart.

“Then, if I leave like this, Your Majesty’s ED will be exposed.”

“Hmm, that doesn’t sound good. Let’s have you sleep next to me tonight then.”

“S-sleeping together!?”

“What are you so surprised about? You can do that much, right?”

“That’s right. It’s just sleeping together. Ahahaha.”

Rina, whose cheeks are dyed pink, fearfully enters the bed. 

Oh, I see. Come to think of it, sleeping in the king’s bed is an outrageous thing. That’s probably why she’s nervous. I’m sorry to say that it was a matter of course.

“Uhm…… May I hold your hand?”

“Ah? No problem.”

When I held her little hand, Rina let’s out a sigh of relief. How long has it been since I slept with a woman like this?

I can’t help but chuckle when I remembered that I used to lay pillows with my wife. Despite her pretty face, she snored like those flies swarming at the beginning of summer. I was often woken up by that sound.

“It’s all in the past. Let’s sleep.”

I muttered softly, closed my eyelids and then I sink into the swamp of deep sleep. Before I knew it, I was sleeping soundly.

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

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