Category: Homeless Tensei: Isekai De Jiyuu Sugiru Majutsu Jisoku Seikatsu

-Pero’s POV-

We are in a city in the north of the kingdom of Logas. The city is called Snowb. It is the second largest city in Logas Kingdom. At this time of year, it is very cold in the north, and something called snow falls. As someone who doesn’t know anything about snow, I was really looking forward to this request.

“Wow! So amazing! It’s pure white!”

I cheered at the entrance to the city.

In a city that is not inferior to the Royal Capital, fluffy, cold, white things are piled up, creating a fantastic white world. It was the very picture I wanted to paint.

“Pero-sama, it’s too cold here, let’s warm up somewhere.”

“Sleepy……”

Freya-san, who is riding a black unicorn, suggested. Similarly, Liz-san, who is riding a horse in the same way, had a calm expression on her face and told me with her eyes that I should do so.

“Alright, let’s have a meal at a restaurant somewhere. We should be able to warm up then.”

We decided to take a walk around the city to get some food. On my father’s advice, I’m wearing a thick coat, but it’s too hot for me as I have my own fur. On the other hand, Freya-san and Liz-san looked cold even though they were wearing coats. I wonder if the attribute I have got something to do with it.

When we found a good store, we decided to leave the unicorn in a nearby stable before entering.

“Haah-, it’s warm here. It’s not as fluffy as Pero-sama, but it’s a very cozy room temperature.”

“It makes me more sleepy.…”

We took off our coats and sat down on an empty table. The interior is large enough to seat 30 people, and the main attraction is the large brick fireplace. The blazing flames warmed the room and many guests were smiling as they enjoyed the food.

After observing the surroundings, I found out that the recommendation here seems to be meat dishes. When I opened the menu, the words, “lamb steak”, caught my eye.

“I’m going to have lamb steak. What about you two?”

“I’d like to have the same thing as Pero-sama. I’ll also have some alcohol to warm my body.”

“Salmon TKG Set Meal and Hot Milk.”

“Uh-, they don’t have a set meal. Then for Liz-san, let’s order you a stew.”

I quickly ordered from the waiter. After about ten minutes, the food was brought to the table.

“Lamb meat is so tender. I’ve never eaten it before.”

“Snowb’s mutton is famous in the Royal Capital. This liquor is also commonly drunk in this region.”

The bottle of liquor that Freya-san was drinking had the words “Dwarf Killer” written on it. As the name suggests, the alcohol seems to be strong, and the smell of alcohol lingers around the table, making me feel like I’m getting drunk. We have work to do now so I’m worried that Freya-san would get drunk.

“Alcohol reeks. I should have followed Oniisan.”

“I also like to be alone with Pero-sama. Muu~, Tanaka-dono is mean.”

“Uh-, come on Liz-san, Freya-san too. Please cheer up. I think Father had some idea so he got us together.”

I casually followed up. Well, I think I know what Father really meant. I think he was worried about Freya-san, who tends to get out of control when she’s with me. That must be why he made Liz-san go with me as a support role. It’s also reassuring to be able to contact Father through her.

“So, after this, we are going to meet the client, right? What kind of person is he by the way?”

“Well, I think he is called Kanegi-san of Snowb Company.  He seems to be very rich.”

When I said that, Liz, who was eating the stew, reacted with a jerk.

“Let’s assassinate him. I’m sure we’ll get some valuable things.”

“Don’t grin and say that! We’re just here to work you know!?”

I retract my previous statement.

Father wanted me to be their watchman. Liz-san is even willing to kill the client instead of supporting him. My stomach hurts from anxiety……

“But I wonder what Tanaka-dono is asking me to do by giving me something like this.”

Freya-san unties the strings tied on a certain thing wrapped in cloth. What came out was a splendid spear with a blue jewel in it.

“It’s the spear of the Water God. You still can’t touch it huh.”

“Yes. I can’t hold it unless it’s wrapped in cloth like this. Sigh. I’m glad I received a great treasure, but if I can’t handle it, the treasure would be in vain.”

“But Freya-san is going to evolve soon. Father said so.”

“If it is as Tanaka-dono predicted, it will indeed happen. However, I still don’t think I will be recognized by the Jewel because of that. Besides, I, a former knight, to be on a par with the Beast King…. that’s impossible if you think about it normally.”

She seems humble, but I don’t think she should be. Freya-san is so skilled in using spear that she could already be dubbed as master of the spear. I think she is as talented as the Beast King of the Naji Kingdom. Even Father must have given it to her thinking that it was the right weapon for her.

“It’s still going to happen. I’m sure Freya-san will still get stronger.”

“Pero-sama……”

Freya-san face lit up, perhaps because she’s delighted. Then it turned into a face full of determination.

“In order to become a fine servant knight, I will definitely show you how to use this! I will not embarrass you my Lord!”

“Eh? W-what? Servant knight? My Lord?”

“I, Sacred Beast Moe Servant Knight Freya Label, will master the great treasure!”

“Uh-…. Okay, okay, don’t talk anymore!”

Customers inside the store gave me cold stares. I feel so embarrassed. I almost want to disappear.

“Sacred Beast Moe”

“Stop it! Don’t add more you know!”

Liz grinned as she sipped the hot milk.

Sigh. I want to finish work early and go home…….

　◇◇◇

We had come to the entrance of Snowb’s Chamber of Commerce. I was overwhelmed by the stone buildings that can be mistaken for castles. Next to the Chamber of Commerce building is a wooden warehouse, where carts loaded with black stone were brought in one after another.

“What are those black stones?”

“That should be coal. Snowb’s main industry is coal mining and iron ore you see. About sixty percent of the coal and iron in the kingdom is mined in this city.”

“Then if the mine here closes, the kingdom will be devastated for sure.”

“That’s right. As expected of Pero-sama.”

After we walked inside the chamber of commerce, we talked to the receptionist. Then we are immediately ushered into the back of the building and instructed to wait in a room that looks like a waiting room.

A few minutes later, a man entered the room.

“Are you guys the adventurers who accepted the nomination request? You look unreliable though. I thought I had asked the guild to assign it properly.”

The man who sat heavily in his chair with a thud said so as soon as he saw us. His head is thin and bald, and he has a little mustache under his nose. A thick double chin and a sagging belly. His form is round and cute, but the eyes are squinted and looked sharp. He should be the client, Kanegi-san.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Pero from Homeless party. Though we are still young, I think we have the ability to fulfill Kanegi-san’s request.”

“Hmmm, whether I’m satisfied or not will be determined by the result. But I’ll get to the point—w-wait a minute…. Did you just say Homeless?”

“Yes. That’s what I said.”

“Now that I look at you closely…… are you the rumored Sacred Beast?”

Kanegi-san looked at me seriously and then began to get flustered. He noticed it late huh. Normally, people react as soon as they see my face. Or maybe that’s because of my fur color. They may have thought that I was covered in snow. But in this region, everywhere you look is completely white. That maybe why he just noticed it now.

He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“My apologies. I didn’t expect the Sacred Beast to come you see. Well, I’ve always heard rumors about Homeless party. Some of them are close friends with the Royal families of various kingdoms.  It’s a world that I can’t even imagine as an upstart. Uhahaha.”

“No, no. Everything was done by Father. I didn’t do much.”

“What are you talking about? It’s because of your help that they became so famous. Without the sacred beast, Homeless is just an adventurer party you know! Oops-, please excuse me. It seems like I just got carried away.”

I admire his social skills. As expected of a person who has amassed such fortune. He uses different attitudes while observing the opponent. In particular, the way he humbles himself from his previous arrogant attitude makes me feel comfortable. In a sense, I think he is the complete opposite of Father.

“Irene! Serve tea and sweets for the guests!”

Kanegi-san called out loudly, and a woman dressed as a maid brought tea and sweets into the room on a trolley. Seeing this, Liz stands up vigorously.

“Oneechan?”

“…… Liz?”

Oneechan? Could she be Liz-san’s sister?

Freya-san and I couldn’t figure out the situation so we tilted our necks in confusion. The woman called Irene had long blue hair and a beautiful appearance that appeared to be Liz-san’s adult version. Liz-san ran up to Irene-san and spoke further.

“W-why are you here?”

“For work. I have to earn money to live you see.”

“I make sure to send money to the house. Wasn’t that enough?”

“That’s enough to support a family of four.”

“Then why……?”

Irene shakes her head.

“While Liz, the third daughter of the family is doing her best, it’s quite embarrassing for me, the eldest daughter, to be spoiled at home you see.”

“No. I was sick and cause trouble to the family. It is fine with me to feed you guys!”

“……So that’s what you were concerned about huh. The downfall of the Schmidt family was not due to the cost of Liz’s treatment you know. It was because Father used it for art without telling the family. So don’t worry about home anymore and live your life.”

Liz-san’s eyes widened. Irene-san continues,

“Liz, you spend more than half of your life just staying inside the mansion so you should be free. Leave the family to me and the second sister.”

“But a dingy pig could do this and that thing… My sister could be in danger…”

“Kanegi-san looks like that but he’s a very kind person. He also promised to support the Schmidt family.”

Kanegi-san couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable because he could hear their entire conversation. As he wipes his forehead with a handkerchief, he clears his throat several times, tacitly asking them to finish their conversation quickly. Noticing this, Irene-san put the tea and sweets on the table and left the room quickly.

“Ahem. Well, I didn’t know that Irene’s sister was among you. Hahaha”

“If you make my Oneechan cry, you will be assassinated.”

“Liz-san please be quiet.”

While soothing the murderous Liz-san, I asked Kanegi-san for an explanation of his request. We’re here for work after all. We didn’t come to see Irene-san.

“Then let me once again explain the request. What I want to ask you to do is to kill a troll.”

“Please tell me more about it.”

“Actually, there have been reports of frequent sightings for six months now, but at that time, I left it alone as it did not cause any harm. But recently, it started attacking people. And now, whenever someone passes by that road, they are always attacked.”

“Do you really have to use that road?”

“Yes. It’s the only way to the iron mine that I own, and because of that, the workers can’t get into the mountain and the work is suspended. If this continues, we, the people of Snowb, will ebb away.”

It seems that the request was a bigger responsibility than I expected. That’s why it has high reward huh.

“I understand. We’ll make sure to get rid of the troll.”

“O-oo-ooh! I know you would say that! As expected of Sacred Beast-sama! Thank you very much!”

He holds my right hand with both hands and thanks me greatly. Then Freya-san, who had been silent until now, exclaimed.

“Don’t touch Pero-sama’s fluff casually!”

Eeeh!? D-did Freya-san just said that!?

Kanegi-san, who retracted his hand, murmured in a small voice, “P-pardon me……”.

I had mixed feelings as I kept my right hand stretched out.

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

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Fortunately, the enemy has not yet noticed us. Hiding behind the rock, me and Erna decided to make a plan while keeping an eye on the cockatrice.

“It has two skills, Petrification Eye (Improved) and Paralyzing Eye. If we go out carelessly, we will be exploited and turned into stone in no time.”

“Then, what are you going to do? Snake can see us in the dark, right?”

“That’s probably right. A surprise attack taking advantage of the darkness would be difficult.”

The two of us folded our arms and ponder. According to the information Bud had told us beforehand, it was the bird’s eye that can petrify. The snake tail is mainly responsible for guarding its surroundings, and it can be ignored as long as we pay attention to its fangs. However, since it is highly venomous, he said that if we were bitten, we’ll be out of the picture.

“Let’s attack from two directions then. I’ll attack the snake. Erna, do something about the chicken.”

“Eh? I’ll deal with the main body?”

“If you don’t mind being bitten, we can change roles.”

Poison doesn’t work on me. Even if I am bitten by any chance, there is a good chance that I will be saved. Moreover, Erna can perform ranged attacks with magic. She should be able to deal with the cockatrice from a position where petrification can’t reach.

“I will stealthily approach the tail and cut off its head. After that, it will be a barrage of your magic.”

“I’m the key to this operation then. Alright, I’ll do my best.”

She’s motivated enough. The strategy I came up with is also perfect. Cockatrice is a big chicken after all. After I defeat it, I’ll make some fried chicken. Kukukuku.

Leaving Erna on the rocky ground, I begin to move with my stealth skill. I crept behind the cockatrice and drew the Bull King’s sword. The cracks in the sword have already been repaired with my Restoration Space magic so there is no problem in using it now.

When I got close enough, I slashed the sword at the snake.

“Huh!? It was able to dodge that!?”

The serpent dodged the sword with a quick movement. Its gaze wandered around where I was, and although it was not clear, it seemed to notice that there is someone here.

I was surprised. It can sense presence after all. I did saw it when I saw its status. I didn’t expect that there was a skill that could break the stealth skill though.

“Surururu!”

The snake approaches me while making such unique sound. The main body, the chicken, is still asleep and does not seem to start moving. Well, perhaps it’s because it doesn’t recognize me as someone dangerous.

“Flame Burst!”

At that moment, the cockatrice was engulfed in flames. I was not injured thanks to the power of my cloak, but my vision was dyed red.

Erna, this girl really…. She attacked ahead of time!

“!!”

The cockatrice spread its wings and blew out the flames in an instant. Strong wind blows in the valley, raising the dust everywhere.

“I-impossible…. It did not work!?”

“Koke!”

Just as Erna hides her face, a beam is released from the bird’s eye and hits the rock.

It’s a hair’s breadth! Goodness! A stone statue of an elf was on the verge of being built!

The main body is now focused on Erna and doesn’t seem to notice me yet. I should cut off the tail now. I activated the nerve strengthening skill and then I kicked the ground hard.

“Hup!”

The snake on its tail was easily severed and it flew up into the air. I quickly undone my stealth and waves my hands to attract its attention.

“Oiii! I’ll turn you into a fried chicken and eat you later!”

“Kokekokoko!”

The giant hen turns around and threatens me with a familiar cry. Probably because it possessed strengthened vocal cords, the loud sound it emitted made my eardrums ring. If I heard a voice like this early in the morning, I’d wake up right away for sure.

The cockatrice leaps high and tramples the ground with its weight. I took a backstep and fled backwards. In the place where I was earlier, the ground caved in and my feet shook. It’s big and the blow is heavy. I managed to avoid the pursuing petrification ray by rolling on the ground.

As expected, that petrification eye (improved) skill is in the way. I can’t get close to it.

“The first thing to do is to stop its movement. In that case…., Thread bomb!”

I shot a ball of thread from my fingertips. The white ball exploded just before it touched the cockatrice’s body , releasing a large number of threads. The sticky thread tangled around its body and tied it to the spot.

“Erna! Final blow!”

“Flare Zone!!”

The Flare Zone, a special class of magic, is activated.

A red dome-shaped space obscures the cockatrice, and the temperature is high enough to melt the rock. The threads that tied it were burned and its white feathers turned into charcoal. When the magic wore off, the cockatrice fell to the ground with a loud thud. Its eyes turned white and white smoke wafted from its blackened body.

However, there was still a weak breath.

“So tenacious! Can’t be helped then. I’ll give you guidance.”

I raised my sword and aimed it at its neck. Just as I was about to slash, the body of the magical beast glowed dazzlingly.

“Koke! Kokeke-”

The wound healed in an instant, and the missing feathers and tail were also restored. Not only that, but its whole body has also changed to sulfur yellow, and the crown and snake tail has become bellflower color. A monster about 20 meters tall and about 25 meters long was looking down on me.

【Analysis Result: Basilisk cockatrice: The evolution of the Heresy cockatrice. It has gained the ability to fly, which allows it to fly for up to 20 hours. Rarity: S, Overall Ability: A】

【Status】 Name: Basilisk Cockatrice Race: Basilisk Cockatrice Magic Attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Bullet, Rock Armor Skills: Fang King Technique (Special), Claw King Technique (Special), Vocal Cord Enhancement (Special), Presence Detection(Advanced), Steel Stomach (Intermediate), Flight (Beginner), Intimidation (Intermediate), Paralyzing Eye (Intermediate), Petrification Eye (Improved) (Intermediate), 2UP Evolution: Conditions are not met < Requirements: Emperor Fang Technique (Beginner), Emperor Claw Technique (Elementary), Ultrasonic Wave (Special), High-Speed Flight (Elementary) >

It got me. Did it evolve at the last minute?

Moreover, it seems that it has even acquired the ability to fly. This is very bad. Up until now, it has only nested on the road, but if it can travel long distances, Bowl will be the first to be attacked for sure. If that happens, the city will surely be destroyed. We have to defeat it here somehow.

The cockatrice spread and flapped its wings. It is trying to escape into the sky.

“Erna, don’t let it escape!”

“I know! You don’t have to tell me that! Multiple Lightning Thunder!”

Countless purple lightning struck the cockatrices that started to fly. The current cockatrice’s defense power has also increased.  Even Lightning Thunder can’t burn it. However, it succeeded in inhibiting its flight. It let out a scream and lands on the ground.

“I’ll fight you as many times as you want until I kill you. I wont lose to a chicken!”

I let out a short deep breath and then accelerated rapidly. First, I made a left uppercut into the opponent’s chest. That alone made the cockatrice’s body rise. I then roundhouse kicked it into the rock wall as it fell.

“Ko-, Koke……”

Although a bit unsteady, it stood up and turned its hostility on me. A dark green liquid spewed out of the snake’s mouth. I reflexively avoided it, and the liquid dissolved the rock it hit, giving off a strange smell. It’s a strong acidic poison. If it hits me, even I, might die.

“Tsu-! Uh-! Tei-!”

I distance myself from the cockatrice while avoiding the poison that is spewed one after another. As expected, it seems to be aware of its greatest weapon. It’s a very tough opponent.

Just as I dodged the poison for the fifth time, a petrification ray shot from both of its eyes and aimed at my body. I hurriedly ran to the shade of a rock and immediately checked the situation. By using my left arm as a shield, I was spared from the petrification of my whole body. However, my left arm up to the elbow was turned to stone.

“If things continue like this, we’ll be in trouble. It would be nice if Erna could create an opening for me…”

“Mind Break!”

With Erna’s cry, the cockatrice staggered. I looked around to see where she was, and she was shooting magic from above straight down.

“How dare you do that to Shinichi!!! I won’t forgive you! Multiple laser! Multiple Lightning Thunder! Multiple Flame Bursts! Multiple Spear Rain! Multiple Break Tornado!”

“F-Fool! Stop! Don’t shoot so much!”

My screams are in vain, magical storm rains down that changes the terrain. And then, there’s an explosion. The flash and shock wave destroyed the rock walls and created large craters in the valley. Its diameter is about 50 meters.

I was blown away and got caught on a tree branch growing on a cliff.

“I remember Dhal saying that mixing multiple spells would cause an explosion.”

My mage might be more dangerous than the cockatrice.

And as expected, part of the valley has disappeared spectacularly. I’m not sure how to explain this to Krypton. In the center of the crater, a black mass is wriggling slightly.

I put my wings out of my back and got closer to it.

“Ko…… ko-ko……”

The cockatrice is chirping in a weak voice. It was its bad luck for making Erna angry. This time, I cut off the cockatrice’s head, thrusts my sword into the ground and lowers my back.

“S-Shinichi! Shinichi!”

Erna landed nearby and hugged me tremblingly. Tears are flowing from her eyes, and she hugged me tightly.

“It was overkill you know. You didn’t have to go this far.”

“That’s because Shinichi’s left arm is turned into stone!”

“Ah-, this?”

I draw my sword and quickly amputated my left arm. The petrified arm shattered as it fell to the ground, leaving only the black bangles. From the cut, bones and nerves begin to regenerate, and the flesh surrounds them. In just about five seconds, my left arm was fully regenerated.

“………Give me back my tears.”

“Nope, not my fault. It’s your fault for forgetting that I got self-regeneration.”

I picked up the bangles and puts it on my left arm again. Well, I’m grateful that I was able to kill it thanks to Erna. It would have been dangerous for one person alone. I then acquired the skills from the cockatrice’s corpse. I got the Prescence detection, Steel stomach, Petrification eye (Improved) and 2UP.

I’ve already decided how to use 2UP.

I opened my status and then I increased the rank of the desired skill. In this battle, I had risen through the ranks of martial arts, universal thread, high-speed flight, and self-regeneration.

Skills that have evolved are displayed one after another in the field of view.

【Now that you have met certain conditions, your skills will evolve.】 【Skill Evolution: Analysis → Analysis+】 【Skill Evolution: Life or Death Technique → Heaven and Earth Meridian Hole 】 【Skill Evolution: Stealth → Stealth+】 【Skill Evolution: Division → Full Division】 【Skill Evolution: Enemy Search → Enemy Search+】 【Skill Evolution: King Dragon Breath→ Emperor Dragon Breath】 【Skill Evolution: Dragon Wave Slash → Dragon Slash Flash】 【Skill Evolution: Familiar Strengthening → Familiar Strengthening (Improved)】 【Conditions are met. Skills will be integrated and then evolved.】 【Integrated Evolution: Paralyzing Eye + Petrification Eye (Improved) = Eye of Stone(Improved)】

This time, it feels like growth has come all at once. It seems that the King Dragon Breath skill using 2UP has also evolved brilliantly.

By the way, the races High Elf, High Dwarf, High Beastman, and High Winged Man were all absorbed by Primordial Human after the battle with King Logas.

In the end, my status looked like this.

[Status] Name: Shinichi Tanaka Age: 17 years old (56 years old) Race: Homeless (Emperor) <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(New), Heaven and Earth Meridian Hole(New), Analysis+ (New) ▹Special: Stealth, Enemy Search, Digestion Enhancement, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Leadership, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Separation, Dragon Beheading Slash, Master of War(↑), Self-regeneration(↑) ▹Advanced: Theft, Limit Breakthrough, Danger Detection, Flight, Hardening, Nerve Strengthening, Limit Breakthrough, Self-recovery, Dictatorship, Plant manipulation(Improved), Universal Thread(↑), Presence Detection, High-speed Flight(↑) ▹Intermediate: Awakening, Impact Nullification, Underwater Adaptation, Metal Manipulation, Compression, Explosive Sword Dance ▹Beginner: Slash Nullification, Stealth+ (New), Enemy Search+ (New), Eye of Stone (Improved) (New), Familiar Strengthening (Improved)(New), Emperor Dragon Breath (New), Dragon Slash Flash(New)

I was able to level up and the request was also accomplished. After things settled down, I decided to ask Erna the question I had from the battle earlier.

“What kind of magic is Mind Break? The cockatrice looked frightened.”

“Ah-, that’s a special dark magic. The effect is mental fatigue. It doesn’t work that well on humans, but it does a lot of damage to magical beasts.”

“I see. That’s interesting.”

Lasers, which are special magic of light, are also powerful, but special magic of darkness could also be a great weapon depending on how you use it. I’m looking forward to seeing her grow further.

“May I ask one more question?”

“What?”

“I’ve been wondering since I saw the cockatrice, is it a bird or a snake?”

Erna looked at me as if saying, “Don’t ask me the obvious”. She then answers with a confident expression,

“It’s definitely a snake.”

“…………I see.”

I decided to go back to Bowl City with Erna.

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

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Vast grasslands stretched to the horizon. The clear sky is pleasantly sky blue. The unicorn continued to move along the leveled path.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had an adventure. Why did you choose the southern frontier anyway?”

“It’s because the rewards are good. You were also enthusiastic when Bud told about it, right?”

“Yes, but I never thought it’s too far away. It’s already been two days since we left Mana.”

Erna is grumbling. Currently, me and Erna are the ones who received the request introduced by Bud. The client is a man named Krypton, who lives in the southern frontier town called “Bowl”. The request is to defeat the cockatrice. It’s such a simple job of killing a monster.

By the way, the cockatrice is a large magical beast resembling a chicken with serpent tail. It is said that it has the power to petrify anyone who makes eye contact to it. It is unclear whether it is a skill or a racial trait though.

“Don’t say that. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to relax and kill monster once in a while.”

“I’m glad it’s just the two of us, but I’m tired of seeing the scenery. Even if you look over there, it’s grassland. If you look here, it’s grassland. There’s nothing but grassland here.”

It seems like she’s angry at the length of the journey. In fact, we can fly on our own and we have the ability to reach the destination in just a few hours. However, the reason why I dared to ride a unicorn is to solve the lack of exercise by doing horseback riding. Perhaps because I hadn’t ridden much, I was starting to gain fat on my body. This is why I had decided to travel with the unicorns. It made our travel time longer though.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, I think Pegasus is good too.”

“When you say Pegasus, do you mean a horse with wings?”

“That’s right. It’s a magical beast that lives north of Sanargia. It has a nice silver coat and it can fly.”

“If it’s that convenient, I think it’s going to be popular as a ride. I’ve never heard of it though.”

“Pegasus is rarer and more difficult to handle compared to unicorns. It has a lot of pride so it’s extremely difficult to tame. Shinichi can handle that by turning it into your familiar though.”

It’s not like I wouldn’t consider it if she really wanted a Pegasus, but Erna overlooked one important thing. That’s right. All the magical beasts that become my familiars turned black in color. If she’s expecting a shiny silver fur, I have no choice but to say that it’s not possible.

“I can get you a black Pegasus.”

“……Ugh. Right.”

Realizing this, Erna seemed to have given up on Pegasus. The unicorns seemed relieved.

“I wonder if Pero and the others are doing well.”

“It’s Shinichi who told them to act separately. Besides, if it’s those three, there will be no problem.”

Me and Erna are on a request for the southern frontier. Pero, Freya and Liz had taken on another request and were sent to the northern frontier of the kingdom.

“They said it’s snowing in the north. They may be struggling with an unfamiliar environment.”

“There’s no point in worrying about it here you know. Why don’t you trust your comrades more?”

Erna is right. I should know the abilities of the three of them well. There was no need to be anxious.

“Well, the city is in sight, let’s hurry up.”

Seeing a building that looked like a city on the horizon, me and Erna made the horses run faster.

　◇◇◇

“Here’s Bowl huh. It’s smaller than Mana.”

We entered Bowl, the city in the southern frontier. While looking at the rows of houses, we muttered our impressions of the city. Although Mana is in a remote area, it is one of the largest cities in the kingdom due to the large dungeon. Compared to that, Bowl is still small in scale. However, I felt that time here passed at a leisurely pace which is unique to the countryside. I don’t dislike this atmosphere.

As we walk along the quaint cobblestone streets, cats pass by without hesitation. Elderly people with bent backs were having fun chatting with each other and children were running barefoot out of the front door.

“It’s a nice city. It’s quiet and I kind of feel relieved.”

“Right. It makes me feel strangely nostalgic.”

When we asked a resident about Krypton, who was the client, he pointed us to the manor in the center of the city.

“Is this the client’s house?”

“I think so. Krypton seems to be the lord of Bowl City.”

In front of the gate, me and Erna looked up at the lord’s manor. It was a small manor in a small lot. It was hard to believe that he is a noble. It’s like the image of a poor aristocrat is instilled in me even before I meet him.

We entered the premises for the time being and knocked on the door of the manor.

“Yes. Who is it?”

The front door is slightly opened, and a young man answers through the gap. We informed him that we accepted his request, and the door quickly swung open.

“Thank you for coming! Well, come in, come in. I want to talk to you about the details so let’s go inside!”

A black man in men’s clothing invites us inside the manor with a smile. The interior of the manor had a calmer atmosphere than it looked from the outside. The floor and ceiling gave a retro impression as if it had been built for a long time. It’s not flashy, but it looks comfortable to live in. We were led to the waiting room and we sat down on the sofa.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Krypton, the Lord of Bowl City.”

“My name is Shinichi Tanaka. I’m the leader of a party in Mana called Homeless.”

“Oh!, that Homeless party huh. I’ve been hearing rumors about you guys for a long time! Oops, I’m sorry, let me get you some tea!”

Krypton got up from his seat and took two cups and a pot from a desk in the corner of the room. And he, the lord of the manor, pours the tea into the cup.

Me and Erna looked at each other.

“I’m sorry I surprised you. In fact, the Krypton family can’t afford to hire a maid right now. I guess I was just as poor as I looked.”

The color of the tea offered to me was pale as I could see. I guess he is reusing tea leaves. It’s mostly hot water, I guess.

“You seem young, but is there a reason why you are a lord at that age?”

“My father passed away two years ago so I took over. Even I, never thought I’d be the Lord at the age of 20.”

He put his mouth on his teacup with a wry smile. It seems to be quite a struggle.

“Now let’s move on to the request. What I want to ask you to do is to kill the cockatrice that is blocking the way.”

“We’ve already heard about the cockatrice but, what do you mean by blocking the way?”

“Let me tell you from the start. First of all, this city is said to be the largest cotton producer in the kingdom. After all, it accounts for 50% of the total domestic product. The harvested cotton is transported to a city on the eastern frontier where it is made into cloth by the artisans who live there. Then it is transported throughout the kingdom. But five years ago, the cockatrice began to settle on the road to the east so we were unable to deliver cotton from then on.”

“Huh? That’s strange. Since this is the southern frontier, why not go east via the royal capital? Is there any reason to go to the trouble of eliminating the cockatrice?”

“Please look at this.”

Krypton said, bringing a piece of paper from the cupboard in his room. As soon as it was spread out on the table, I knew it was a map. A map of the kingdom to be precise.

“The kingdom centered on the royal capital has a high mountain range to the east, and the eastern frontier is on the other side of the mountain range. It is difficult to reach it even if you go through the royal capital. In other words, we can’t go to the eastern frontier unless we get rid of the cockatrice.”

As he said, on the east side of the royal capital, a long mountain range stands tall like a wall. There are only two ways to get from the royal capital to the eastern frontier: from the north or from the south.

In reality, there is a route from the north, but it is out of the question because as business man, taking that option takes too much time and money. The conclusion drawn by the citizens of Bowl was that the only route was from the south.

But why did they leave it unattended for five years? The cockatrice could have been defeated by other adventurer.

“My father hired a number of adventurers to help eliminate the cockatrice. However, no matter how many times he sent them out, they never returned. In the end, my father who accompanied them to find out the truth, never returned as well.”

“If no one is coming back, how did you know it was caused by a cockatrice?”

“There is one resident who was lucky enough to escape, and it seems that miraculously, he was not found because it was late at night. I have heard from his testimony that it was quite large.”

Night huh. I guess it’s because of the bird’s eye problem since it’s still a chicken. However, with a serpent tail, it can still probably see even in the dark. Because it is equipped with an infrared sensing organ, it can know the body temperature of its target.

“We will be paid, right? We are not doing charity you see.”

“Of course. If you defeat it, I’ll pay you properly.”

“Alright. We’ll leave at night then.”

Me and Erna decided to wait for the night at the lord’s mansion.

　◇◇◇

An hour unicorn’s ride away from Bowl.

We came to a valley flanked by sheer cliffs. The road continues like a snake. We proceed to our destination while slowing down our movements. Ten minutes after entering the valley, we saw something huge standing in the way. Me and Erna dismounted from the unicorns and get into a fighting stance.

“That’s a cockatrice huh…… It’s bigger than I expected.”

It has white feathers and a bright red chicken crown growing from the head. A red snake tail was moving in the buttocks, and with its tongue sticking out, it looks wary of its surroundings. It’s indeed a humongous chicken. It’s about 15 meters tall and about 20 meters long. It is currently sleeping in the nest. When I scanned around the target, I can see human-shaped rocks lying everywhere. It seems that it really petrified those who see it. We decided to hide in the rocks and observe it first.

“Isn’t it bigger than we thought?”

“I thought so too. Bud said it was about five meters at most.”

“Let’s check it out with Shinichi’s analysis skill first. We’ll fight after that.”

For the time being, I took a look at the abilities of the cockatrice with my analysis skill.

【Analysis Result: Heresy cockatrice: It is a variant of a cockatrice. It exceeds the standard cockatrice in both size and ability. It uses the rays of light emitted from both eyes to lure and petrify its target. Rarity: A, Overall Ability: C】

【Status】 Name: Heresy Cockatrice Specie: Heresy Cockatrice Magic Attribute: Earth Magic: Rock Bullet, Rock Armor Skills: Fang King Technique (Special), Claw King Technique(Advanced), Vocal Cord Enhancement (Advanced), Presence Detection(Advanced), Steel Stomach (Intermediate), Intimidation (Intermediate), Paralyzing Eye (Intermediate), Petrification Eye (Improved)(Intermediate), 2UP Evolution: Conditions are not met < Evolution Conditions: Fang King Technique(Special Grade), Claw King Technique(Special Grade), Vocal Cord Enhancement (Special Grade) >

There are many points that bothers me, but this is all I can say,

There’s 2UP! What a delicious enemy!

I breathed heavily as I got excited.

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

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“There’s an incredible number of people around New Year’s huh.”

“It looks like it will take quite a while to get inside the church.”

What I see is a long line of people lining up to the church. Even with a quick look at the number, there are probably 10,000 people here. I was already beginning to regret coming to the church for a new year’s visit.

“Hey, I think it’s about time you started complimenting us on how we look. We took a lot of time to get dressed you know.”

Erna wore a pink dress, and her long hair is tied in a ponytail style. She has heart-shaped earrings in her ears and a light amount of makeup on her face. She is already boasting a breathtaking beauty, but today, she also had a divine aura, as if a goddess had manifested.

Liz is also wearing a dress. It was yellow in color and she also had a round earrings in her ears. She gives off a cute vibe, but I feel a faint sex appeal because she is wearing a short skirt and black knee-highs.

Freya is in a v-cut lilac dress. It accentuates her cleavage that it would make you look back. White hairball-like earrings swayed in her ears, and her long, white legs peeked out from the slits of her skirt as she walked.

“Well, you guys look more beautiful than usual today.”

“I thought it is lovely too.”

Erna shyly asked, “Right?”, as she wrapped her arms around my right arm. Seeing that, Liz immediately entwined her arms on my left arm.

“Isn’t it enviable to have flowers in both hands?”

When I turned around, I saw Bud, the guild manager, standing there. He is accompanied by a woman who appears to be his wife and a little girl who seems to be his daughter.

“Happy New Year. I look forward for you continued support this year.”

“Happy New Year. Okay, that’s it for the formal greetings. Are you guys making your new year’s visit too?”

“That’s right. Bud is with your family huh.”

“Yeah. I have to say hello to God at the beginning of the year you see. By the way, I just heard about it but, what is Homeless Cafeteria?”

“It’s a resting place that I built inside the dungeon. Is that no good?”

“No. On the other hand, thanks to that cafeteria, the adventurer mortality rate has been decreasing recently. The guild wants it to continue for a long time you see. But-, you’re not going to close the shop, right?”

“Not at the moment. If it’s profitable, I’m going to do it for the next ten or twenty years.”

Bud grinned as if it was as he expected. Then he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to me.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a letter from King Logas. It is addressed to the guild but I thought it would be a good idea for Homeless to read it as well.”

I removed the letter from the envelope that was already unsealed. The content was to acknowledge the fifteenth to thirtieth floors of the Mohed Great Dungeon as the property of Shinichi Tanaka. I didn’t understand it well, so I tilted my neck in confusion.

“Dungeons basically don’t belong to anyone, it’s the same for every kingdom. However, this time, the kingdom allowed certain people to own it. It’s a declaration that we won’t interfere with the level designated by the state.”

“I understand that but, even if the kingdom recognizes such ownership, other kingdom and guilds won’t, right?”

“That’s right. This is just to emphasize that the kingdom has recognized you as the owner of those levels. Well, it is also a fact that Mohed Great Dungeon exists in Logas kingdom’s territory. As long as it does not interfere with our business, the guild has been ordered to have a “wait and see” attitude over this matter.”

Is he telling me not to get into trouble with other adventurers?

Hmmm. For me, I think it’s fine to maintain the status quo as long as it doesn’t destroy my life. So even if I get ownership, nothing will change. However, considering that something like last time will not happen again, I am happy with the decision the kingdom has made. It was probably due to the concern of my clone, who became the king as well.

Thank you to myself, I guess.

“To finally move the kingdom, I’ve caught an eye on an incredibly talented person huh. I look forward to your continued support.”

“Same here. By the way, I haven’t had any requests lately. Do you have any jobs that look good?”

“Ah! Now that I think about it, Homeless is still an advanced rank adventurer. Well then, I’ll introduce you to a request from the southern frontier. It’s far away but the reward is pretty good.”

I decided to accept the request after hearing the details. I’m excited about what kind of place the southern frontier is.

“Shinichi, it looks like it’s our turn.”

Hearing Erna’s voice, I shifted my gaze forward and found that she had already come to the entrance of the church. This church is a sacred place dedicated to 『Creator God Zepha』. It is commonly referred to as ‘Creationism’, and it is a religion believed in by ninety percent of the people in the kingdom.

I stared at the entrance for a while. The church was a stone building, with angels and people carved on the walls. On both side of the large door are two statues of angels and as if to judge those who pass by, one is holding a spear and the other one is holding a sword. The whole building was like a work of art and there was something about it that evokes adoration and awe to the viewers.

“Be quiet from here. The Creator God hates idle talk.”

“You seem to know a lot about the church. Is Erna a member of Creationism?”

“In my case, I guess it would be better to say that I am a World Tree believer. Sanargia believes in the World Tree you see. It’s just that the World Tree worships the Creator God, so because of that, we are on good terms with the Creator God religion, and our customs are similar.”

“Why does the World Tree worship the Creator God?”

“Rumor has it that he has met the Creator God in person, although I don’t really know the full details.”

If God exists, he may also know why I was reincarnated. And-, why did something like that happen in Tokyo? If I have a chance, I would like to ask the World Tree about the Creator God.

We entered the church without saying a word, and my eyes fell on the statue at the far end. In Christianity, there is a crucified Christ statue, but in creationism, the creator god seems to be decorated. The figure was made of black stone, and from his appearance, he appeared to be a man. He wore a robe on his body and a bracelet on his left hand.

“Tanaka-dono, don’t be dazed. Please pray.”

“Y-yes……”

I bowed my head while putting my hands together in front of the statue. While praying for the health and well-being of my companions, I threw a gold coin into the bowl placed in front of me.

The priest who was nearby exclaimed “Oh!” happily. It’s an amount equivalent to a million yen after all. This must be a good event for the church. This is only a feeling though. Well, I never thought of taking sides with the church.

“You seem to have a great sense of faith. I’d love to hear your name.”

“My name is Shinichi Tanaka. I’m an adventurer in this city under Homeless party.”

“You guys were the ones I heard about huh. It seems that the suspicion of being a criminal has been cleared, but it looks like your reputation has completely deteriorated. We would like to help you somehow…”

After hearing the priest’s words, I immediately took out five gold coins from my pocket.

“This is a donation to the church.”

“It seems like you have a deep sense of faith. I’ll contact the church headquarters. I’m sure the reputation of Homeless will be higher than before. Thank thee for God’s will.”

The priest who received the money quickly put it in his pocket. When I finished my prayer and stood up, everyone looked at me dumbfounded.

“I guess this was the reason why he was so excited about the New Year’s visit. I was shocked.”

“I can’t believe in God anymore…”

“I can’t believe you’re bribing a priest in front of the public. I’m speechless.”

“Priests are honest. Money makes the world.”

It’s an unpleasant story but it’s one of the ways to get around the world. Isn’t it a loss not to use a large organization such as a church in the first place? It’s troublesome when you’re against them, but it’s quite reassuring when you’re on their side.

I felt a stare as I tried to get out of the building. Wondering who, I turned around and saw that a man was standing next to the priest earlier. He had short white hair and a white cloth. He looked like one of the gods in Greek mythology. However, his chiselled feature is slightly of a Japanese guy.

“Who……?”

The man was staring at me with a smile on his face. The priest next to him didn’t even turn his head, as if he didn’t notice the man’s presence.

Wrong. To be precise, I should be the only one who can see that man. Even those who are offering prayers didn’t seem to notice him.

“O…… A……”

The man said something briefly. But I can’t hear it clearly.

“Who are you? Why are you talking to me?”

The moment I stepped out to ask him directly, the man disappeared from the place like a ghost.

“W-What was that?”

He looked young. He seems to be around 20 years old and has brown eyes. I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere, but I can’t remember it. All I know is that we met a long time ago. I am sure of that.

“Shinichi, what’s wrong?”

“Oh…… It’s nothing.”

Pushing the uneasy feeling to back of my mind, I rushed to my comrades.

　◇◇◇

After the first shrine visit, I went to the field in the miniature garden. There, along with Lich C, my clone was plowing the ground with a hoe.

“How’s it going?”

“Oh, the main body huh. As you can see, the field is doing well.”

“I see. By the way, what’s that big hut?”

There was a two-story wooden building at the place I pointed to. There is even a nameplate that says “Tanaka”.

“That’s my house. I thought it would be easier to work closer to the fields.”

“My bad. If we hadn’t been separated, you wouldn’t have to live in a place like this.”

“Don’t worry about it. Even though I look like this, I’m enjoying my miniature garden life. Spending time with my family like this is surprisingly not boring.”

My clone picks up the water bottle that he had hung around his waist and sips some water. I ponder as I watch the situation. Even though I’m letting my other self do the work, I still feel like he should be compensated. I feel bad for just using him.

“How about one gold coin a month?”

“Huh? Are you talking about salary?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be fun to go unpaid.”

“That’s right. Research costs a lot of money after all.”

I was struck by the word “research”. Is he making something again?

My clone grinned, perhaps sensing what I was thinking.

“I’m going to show you the latest research results. Hey, bring me that.”

“Katakata”

Lich C walks to the wooden warehouse. Then, once inside, he carried out a cart.

“This is the invention of the century! It’s truly the new star in the plant world!”

It was something about a meter long. The surface is covered with a light brown skin and has an irregular oval shape. Short limbs grew out of four places, and two large eyes wandered wildly. It is so strange seeing it tied to a cart with a rope in order to go on a rampage.

I involuntarily took a step backwards.

“W-What the hell is that?”

“It’s a jagaimu! It took a lot of effort to give this jagaimu the intelligence of a three-year-old you see.”

Why do potatoes need intelligence? That’s weird you know!

My clone states its advantages.

“The reason why this jagaimu is a great invention is because if you prepare water and fertilizer, the jagaimu will replenish themselves! Moreover, not only the size but also the quality is the highest class! The fries made with this are amazing!”

Lich C offers a plate of french fries. Tasting potatoes in front of Jagaimu-kun makes me feel indescribable. I put a piece in my mouth, it was crunchy and salty.

“It certainly tastes good.”

“Right? What’s more, this one has the strength to grow in rough land! If you grow it on the ground, you can eat it in places where food is scarce!”

It’s a reasonable statement, but isn’t it a problem if intelligence is involved? If you ask me if pigs and cows are conscious, I will answer that they are. but I don’t think vegetables need to be like that too.

Above all, it is difficult for me to eat. It’s because jagaimu-kun has been staring at me all the time. The taste is indeed good. The amount is also out of standard. However, I felt that it was dangerous to put such potato on the ground. It’s my gut feeling telling me so. I decided to tell my clone my final decision.

“We will only allow them to be made in the miniature garden. We will take them out to the ground after they are chopped, understood?”

“Yes. It’s strictly forbidden to keep them alive. It’s unfortunate, but it is a reasonable decision.”

When my clone was convinced, he ordered Lich C to chop jagaimu-kun as well. He sliced the huge potato with his sword without hesitation. Jagaimu-kun went on a rampage, burst into tears and died.

I don’t understand what I’m being shown anymore.

“Don’t make too much of such potatoes.”

“I know. What I am aiming for is the ultimate vegetable. Failure is inevitable though.”

“Listen to me!”

I’m really worried about how far Tanaka β’s vegetable development will go…

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

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In Japan, today, it’s called New Year’s Eve. The time is already 7 o’clock in the evening and the four of them, except for me, were decorating in the living room for the beginning of the year.

“Yes, that’s about it.”

“Mmm, when it comes to New Year’s, we have to do this huh.”

“Flashy”

Erna, Freya, and Liz are somewhat convinced. The tree, which resembled a fir tree, was decorated with many decorations, and it looked like a Christmas tree. In particular, the metal star on the top of its peak and the little red boots hanging here and there are reminiscent of Christmas. It’s an event that makes me feel like I’ve been reincarnated in a strange world once again.

“Father, are you ready to make soba?”

“The broth is already ready, all that’s left is the noodles.”

Pero watches the work from the side, feeling curious. While the four of them were decorating, I was silently making soba noodles. As it is New Year’s Eve, soba noodles should be eaten at night. Although I am now a person from another world, I can’t give up on this one thing.

The kneaded dough is stretched with a self-made rolling pin, and when it spreads widely, I folded and cut it into thin strips with a knife. I took a moderate amount and threw it into the already boiling pot.

“He~y, the whole roast is done!”

My clone came to the hideout with a whole roasted chicken. There is no oven here, so I had it grilled in the miniature garden. It was browned golden and the meat juice were already dripping. I involuntarily swallowed my saliva. Tanaka β puts the meat on the table and he looks at me, asking me to serve it already.

“It’s specially made by a confectionery store! Here, surprise!”

When I brought the shortcake out of the bangle, my four comrades cheered. The whipped cream is topped with Ichii, a fruit that looks a lot like strawberries, and the contrast between white and red is pleasing to the eye. There are also cakes made with whipped cream in this world, but there was no shortcake that Japanese people is familiar with. So, I went to a confectionery shop and had them make a special one for me.

“Shall we leave the soba noodles to the main body and celebrate first?”

“Agree! Let’s eat quickly!”

They sit around the table and start eating with excitement. Perhaps because of his small body, my clone is placed on Erna’s lap and is being fed. Of course, he didn’t like it at first, but he smiled when he had noticed the feel of a soft chest touching the back of his head. Because he is said to be my clone, his thought process is still the same as mine.

“I’ll help too.”

“No, it’s fine. All I have to do is boil the soba noodles, you can eat with them first.”

My face softened at my son’s request, and I urged him to eat first. The reason I want to make soba is partly for self-satisfaction.

Once the noodles are boiled, I put them in a bowl and pour in the soup stock. All I have to do is add green onions as a condiment, put the fried vegetables I made in advance and it’s complete. As I place them in front of each person, the fluffy white steam and the pleasant aroma of the soup stock wafts through the air.

“He~e, this is New Year’s Eve soba noodles huh.”

“It’s not just limited to New Year’s Eve. But because the noodles break easily, it’s been eaten for a long time with the idea of warding off bad luck.”

“Oh, it’s true. It’s breaks easily.”

Erna uses chopsticks to pick up the noodles, albeit awkwardly. Perhaps because I only uses chopsticks, both Erna and Freya have recently started using chopsticks as well. Pero and Liz sip the noodles with practiced movements.

“Yes, it’s delicious. The bonito flakes are really good.”

“Delicate taste. I like this.”

The evaluations are good. This was the moment I realized I was glad I had made bonito flakes. By the way, the buckwheat flour was obtained in the kingdom of Sanargia. Actually, when I went to that kingdom, I saw it at a store, so I stopped by and bought it. If I had missed it then, we wouldn’t have soba today.

I also sit on the floor and slurps my soba noodles. A light, salty, and sharp soup stock. The crispy kakiage absorbs the soup stock and amplifies the flavor. The noodles are chewy, and it goes down into my throat in no time. There is no need for troublesome words anymore. Just one word. Delicious! Afterwards, we spent time eating meat and cake.

◇◇◇

The current time is past 12 o’clock. The new year has already begun.

“Wearing this red cape…wouldn’t this make me a suspicious person?”

“If you have any complaints, tell the tailor. I just ordered as I was told.”

“Maybe I should have dressed up as Santa Claus after all.”

—My clone and I were having soft conversation in the living room late at night. I wore a red cape and a white beard made of cotton over my mouth. I didn’t know what Red Cape-san of this world looked like, so I borrowed the image of Santa Claus.

My clone, on the other hand, is dressed in a hooded brown top and bottom, and a barely sufficient round red ornament on his nose. I made the clothes with the intention of him being a reindeer, but no matter how I look at it, he is just a child in pajamas. He looks good and cute though.

“What’s with those eyes? Even though I look like this, I’m you, you know. Don’t say I’m cute!”

“I know. But still, it’s like I’m watching my own childhood, and it’s comforting.”

“Whatever. Let’s go finish it quickly. If the four of them wake up, we’ll be in trouble.”

“That’s right. Then, let’s get started.”

Carrying a white bag, we first invaded Pero’s room. The room is tidy, and there are stacks of books on the desk. On the wall was a piece of paper with the words “Meat and Passion” written on it.

Meat and passion…… It’s a profound word.

“Is it the time to be impressed? Hurry up and give him the present.”

“Oh- my bad. I was just looking at it. It’s this then.”

I put a wrapped present at Pero’s bedside as he sleeps in bed. Inside are 12 colors of paints and art supplies. I left the room, thinking of my son’s joy.

“Who’s next?”

“Freya said she didn’t need anything, but I’m sure she’ll be happy with this.”

We gently entered Freya’s room then both of us were stunned. Dolls made to resemble Pero are displayed all over the room. In addition, there was a diary on the desk titled, “Today’s Pero-sama.”

I want to take a peek inside, but I stop at the last minute. I felt like there was nothing good to look at. If anything, it quite scary I think. Freya, who sleeps in bed, sleeps with a large Pero doll in her arms.

“Going to this extent… I feel like something scary is approaching.”

“I agree. I wonder where this girl is headed.”

I placed a present at Freya’s bedside. Inside is a dog brush made of boar hair, she should be able to pet Pero to her heart’s content with this.

“Where to next?”

“Go to Liz’s room.”

After leaving Freya’s room, we went straight into Liz’s room. It could be said to be bare inside. There are no other things except for a desk and a bed. Then, I suddenly noticed something like a cloth sticking out of the wall. When I pulled it, the wall rotates and a wall with weapons and other items appears on it. I don’t know where she got it from, but there was a large number of kunai and shuriken stored in it. When I dig into another wall, we found a closet with clothes. It’s a ninja house. At a glance, you won’t have an idea on where and what things are hidden.

“This is for you.”

I left a present at Liz’s bedside. Inside, there is an eye mask with cat’s eyes on it and a pillow made of the finest wool called Royal Sheep. I’m sure it’s the perfect item for her who is greedy for sleep.

“Erna is the last one. I hope she’s happy with this.”

“Speaking of which, what did you prepare?”

“Robes and boots.”

My clone said, “I see” and nodded.

Despite the fact that Erna already has the ability to be called a master-level mage, she still wears a special purple robe. Wondering why, I asked the reason for it once. Apparently, the price of a mage robe jumps with each rank increase, and when it becomes a master level, it is worth as much as ten gold coins. However, 10 gold coins is not a lot of money for the current Homeless. I offered to buy it, but Erna flatly refused. She said she wants to buy her own robe with her own money.

I was tempted to say, “Don’t beg for jewels instead”. Well, I guess Erna has her own preferences. Then an idea came up to me. I thought that if it was a gift given by Red Cape-san, she wouldn’t be able to refuse.

We sneak open the door and entered the room. We saw Erna at her desk, working enthusiastically on something by herself. I was tempted to click my tongue, wondering why she was still awake at this time. But from the way she looked from behind, she seemed strangely happy.

Me and my clone activated our stealth skills and quietly moved to her bed. I put the gift on the bedside and sneaked out of the room.

“It was out of my calculations that they could be awake.”

“No, no. When I was younger, I used to stay up all night waiting for the next day. Try to remember yourself.”

“I see, it’s the first sunrise of the year huh. You used to go see it with the family.”

“It’s nostalgic. My son was having fun then.”

Me and my clone return to the living room while talking about the old days. After changing clothes, the two of us drank while remembering the events of last year.

◇◇◇

“Shinichi, it’s time to wake up!”

“Is it morning already?”

I sat up and checked the pocket watch on the table. It’s now 4:30 in the morning. I woke up earlier than usual. When I looked around, I saw a number of liquor bottles lying around, and my clone was sleeping soundly on the sofa with his stomach showing. After handing out the gifts, we seemed to have fallen asleep before we knew it.

“Everyone! He’s up!”

As Erna said that, three people with paper bags enter the living room.

“Thank you always for everything, Father! I look forward to having a good relationship with you this year too.”

Pero handed me a large paper bag. When I opened it, I found a brand-new breastplate. The size is perfect and it’s very easy to move around. Moreover, it contains my name, “Tanaka Shinichi”, engraved with the characters of this world.

“This is from me. I look forward to your continued support this year.”

The paper bag I received from Freya was small. When I looked inside, there was a kitchen knife. It had a shiny luster, probably made of steel, and the sharpness seemed to be good. I usually cook with a knife, so I am very grateful for this.

“My feelings. Take it.”

The paper bag I received from Liz is small and thin. When I opened it, it was a leather glove without fingertips. It is black in color and the size is perfect when I put it on. This should make it easier to grip the sword. Above all, it looks cool.

“Lastly, mine. Thank you for your continued support.”

Erna handed me a large thick paper bag. When I opened it, I found a muffler and gloves insides. What’s more, it’s black to match the robe.

“This is?”

“I’ve been working on it for a week. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it because it was my first time, but I managed to finish it yesterday.”

Was this why she was working so hard last night? Gradually, my lacrimal glands loosen. I was on the verge of tears at the thoughtful gifts from the four of them.

Then, Erna spins around in front of me.

“How is it? Red cape-san gave me boots and robes.”

Dark brown boots with floral embroidery and a dark brown robe looked good on her. Pero smiles as he holds his art supplies. Freya has a sloppy expression while brushing Pero’s hair. Liz has an eye mask on her head and a high-end woolen pillow in her hand, the corners of her mouth raised slightly.

“Just like me, all four of you got good things huh.”

“Yes. I have to thank Red Cape-san who’s in someplace.”

I smiled wryly at Erna’s words. Even if I know these things, it’s better not to say them. Even if the identity of the red cape is me.

“But where did red cape-san come from? Father was in the living room, right?”

“““Eh?”””

Pero tilts his head at the unidentified red cape man.

No way….Haven’t he noticed?

Of course, I wanted it to be that way, so I went out of my way to give it away at night. But I was surprised by Pero because he is too pure.

“R-right. Red Cape-san has always been very good at hiding.”

“I’m sorry, Pero-sama. I don’t think I can help you this time.”

“Red Cape is oni—Mumumu!?”

“Come on Pero. Try painting with your new paints! I’d love to see it!”

I hurriedly presses Liz’s mouth and asks Pero to draw a picture.

“It’s fine if father asks for it. But, what should I draw?”

“Can you draw me the first sunrise, at this time, the sun should not have risen yet, right?”

“Yes. I’m in favor of that.”

Putting his art supplies in his backpack, Pero was the first to leave the hideout. After seeing off his back, I warned Liz.

“Don’t say anything that will destroy his dreams. He believed in it.”

“It’s going to shatter eventually. It’s just that it’s either late or early.”

“You look so out of touch that I don’t think you were once bedridden.”

With that said, we used the Temple of Teleportation to go to the surface. In the dark sky with visible stars, a faint orange light was coming up on the horizon. Pero is already sitting on the ground, running a pencil over the drawing paper.

We waited for that moment with deep breathes.

“I see it! It’s the sun!”

“It’s the light of the new year. It’s so divine.”

“It’s just like Pero-sama. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m looking forward to this year too.”

“Well, it’s the beginning of a new Homeless.”

Light shines through the darkness. The first sunrise of the new year gave me a stately feeling.

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

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I woke up, yawned and stretched my back. I checked my pocket watch placed on the desk and saw that it was now 5 in the morning. It seems that I was able to wake up at the same time as usual.

When I leave my room, Pero also comes out of the other door across the hallway. He was still rubbing his eyes, looking sleepy. But as soon as he saw me, he beamed at me.

“Good morning, Father.”

“From the looks of it, I guess you were studying until late at night again.”

“Yes. I have something I want to look into a little bit. It’s nice to have my own room.”

“Well, this is all thanks to Erna.”

It’s already been a week since I fought King Logas. The hideout was expanded by Erna’s magic, and now, each member was provided with private rooms. At first, Pero was reluctant to have a separate room, but now he seems to be enjoying his private space. This is a good thing.

We then go through the hallway and head to the living room. Erna, Freya, and Liz are already there drinking coffee.

“Hey, it’s strange that you two woke up early today. I think only Freya is usually here at this time.”

“Mmm, it’s because it is Mana’s festival today.”

Erna offers a cup of coffee to me and Pero with a smug expression. This is the first time I’ve heard that there is a festival though. I wonder what kind of event it is in the first place. I picked up the cup and put it in my mouth. The early morning coffee is really good.

“This festival celebrates the founding of Logas Kingdom and it also in celebration of the end of the year.”

“Founding of the kingdom huh. So there are festivals going on all over the kingdom tod—Eh? The end of the year?”

“It’s almost the end of the year, next month is the new year.”

I involuntarily spurt my coffee. I didn’t expect it to be the end of the year. That can’t be helped though. The reason for that is the climate of the kingdom. There is no summer, autumn, or winter here. The whole year is enveloped in spring-like cheerfulness. Therefore, I, who grew up in a country with  four seasons, could not have noticed that it was almost New Year’s Eve.

But knowing that now, there will be a lot of things to do. It’s time to do some year-end cleaning and prepare for the new year. Also, New Year’s postcards…. uhm, well, is still necessary?

“Is there anything we need to do to welcome the new year?”

“Hmm, I guess it’s enough to eat something delicious and do some greeting.”

“Tsk, I was an idiot for asking you. Freya, do you know any other thing to be done?”

“What I usually do in the new year is go to church and thank the Creator Deity. We have to show our respect for the Creator of all things in this world you see.”

I see. I see. Then, I have to do my first shrine visit of the New Year huh. I knew there is a church in Mana, but I had never been there. Like the saying, “When in Rome, do what Romans do”, it’s better to obey so it’s not a bad idea to go and see it in the new year.

“What about you Liz? You’re from an aristocratic family in the kingdom, right?”

“On New Year’s Day, we eat cake and roasted chicken, and good kids get gifts.”

It seems that New Year’s Day and Christmas day are combined in this world. When I asked for a detailed story, it is said that a person known as “Red Cape” comes in the middle of the night and asks the sleeping child if it is red or blue. If you’re lucky enough to answer, a present will be placed next to your pillow. I’m tempted to say that it’s just a tale but when I think about it, it’s quite interesting. It is usually impossible to answer questions while sleeping. So, in other words, it is assumed from this story that kids will not receive a gift.

It may be fine in modern Japan, but the average family in this world cannot be called wealthy. There must be some parents who cannot even buy presents for their children. I guess that they have prepared an escape route for such parents in advance.

“Then, let me just ask, are there any gifts you want to receive from Red Cape-san?”

The four of them answered my question almost simultaeneously.

“I would like to have a new pair of boots. Mine are already tattered.”

“I want twelve colors of paint. I want to paint a proper painting soon.”

“……I, I really don’t have anything I want in particular. As long as Pero-sama is there, that’s enough.”

“Marry Oniichan”

Liz said something, but I decided not to listen. For the time being, I have to go to the city to start preparing for the New Year holiday.

We all get dressed and leave the hideout.

◇◇◇

Today’s Mana is full of people everywhere. Stalls are lined up on the streets, and in the small square, street and musical performances are being held. The gorgeous atmosphere excites both me and my companions.

“Hey, let’s stay in the city today. The main event of the festival is at night.”

“Okay. I guess once in a while is fine. But there’s a place we need to stop before that.”

I walked to the market with the four of them.

“Fuhahahahaha! That completely exhausted young lady over there! How about this vegetable!? I’ll sell it to you now at a discount!”

A shirtless man was selling vegetables with a voice that didn’t sound like a businessman. People buy goods in his store without looking at him.

“It’s been a long time, Arnold.”

“Mmm, that face, if it isn’t Shinichi Tanaka! You were alive afer all! I was worried because you didn’t show your face!”

“My bad. It took me a long time to clean up the aftermath of the battle you see. Today I came here to wholesale vegetables to you. Do you think we can do business?”

“I was about to make request from you! I was in trouble because customers kept asking me when the rare vegetables would be in stock! Now I’m relieved!”

Arnold continues the conversation as he strikes a pose. His muscles, which are as dark as ever, are wonderful. In particular, his latissimus dorsi muscles are so good that it makes me want to clap.

“Ugh, it’s creepy.”

“This is the only thing I really don’t get how Father feels…”

“I’m not interested in a man who isn’t fluffy.”

“Black pervert!”

The four of them complained. It is sad that his greatness cannot be understood. I immediately delivered the vegetables and received the money.

“Good! Everything has nice color and shine! I think this could be the featured product at tomorrow’s opening!”

“Opening?”

“Actually, my shop is going to open tomorrow! We plan to sell not only vegetables, but also meat, seasonings, and processed foods!”

Perhaps it is Kanzaki’s wisdom. He must have thought of introducing a supermarket in Mana. The question is whether self-service sales will be accepted in the city. It’s going to be a pretty big gamble, I guess.

“Are you on track to do so? All I can do is provide you with wholesale vegetables.”

“Don’t worry about that, as long as I have the skills and fresh vegetables, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the best store in the kingdom! Please look forward to it! Fuhahahaha!”

His high-pitched laughter echoes through the market. It’s the only store that wholesales vegetables so I want it to be a success. We said goodbye to Arnold and went to the main street to eat.

“It’s such a long line! It’s like a snake.”

“That’s right, it’s a popular restaurant that represents Mana now.”

There were long lines at the three restaurants. The restaurants specialize in Japanese, Western, and Chinese food respectively. People enter as if they are swallowed up by the building. Since it is a festival, there seems to be a lot of customers today.

By the way, these were opened by the three disciples of Kanzaki. For a while after the restaurant opened, many people were resistant to the unfamiliar dishes. However, those who knew the taste spread the information by word of mouth. The restaurant’s popularity ignited then. Now it is said that even nobles come here incognito. It is doing amazing.

“Hmm, as expected, it looks like there are no seats available.”

When I looked inside the three restaurants, I saw that they were crowded with people. If we want to get in line, we may have to wait for an hour.

“Hey, this is so beautiful. Oh~, I really want it.”

Before I knew it, Erna was alerady standing in front of a jewelry store. A pink diamond ring is placed on a glass-walled display cabinet, and as she glances at me, she sighs while saying, “How nice…”.

It’s a blatant begging.

When I look at the price, it is surprisingly cheap. Right then, someone pulls on my robe.

“Me too. It’s unfair if just my rival.”

“I haven’t said I’m going to buy it yet.”

Well, both of them did a good job this year. I think it would be a good idea to purchase it with expectations for next year. When I entered the store and was about to order the pink diamond ring and a sapphire ring, a jewel in the store caught Liz’s eye.

“This is nice.”

“Star sapphire? It’s one digit different you know.”

“This is nice.”

“…………”

She stared at me with her eyes squinted. It seems that she is not going to give in in any way. I had no choice but to buy it. It’s an order of magnitude different, but it’s much cheaper than Mithril so it’s still okay. Besides, in the fight against the kingdom, her skills helped me a lot. It is my style to give what is appropriate to talented people.

“Which one do you prefer, Freya-san?”

“Pero-sama!? A-are you asking me!?”

“Yeah. I’m always indebted to you, so I’ll give you something, up to ten gold coins will be fine.”

Freya was so happy that she gasps in excitement. She stuck to the glass case and began to check the jewels. I feel strangely sad to see that this is the person who was once the duke’s knight guard. She debated between ruby and amethyst for about an hour before finally choosing a gemstone called light amethyst, which is more transparent. I don’t know why she chose it, but Ruby is more valuable. Freya slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand and collapsed to the floor with a satisfied smile on her face.

“F-Freya-san!? Are you okay?”

“Oh, Pero-sama…… I don’t have any regrets anymore……”

After she said that, she fainted. She must have been very happy. Well, it’s great that she looks satisfied. I then look at Erna and Liz, both of them are smirking at each other as they showed off the ring on the ring finger of their left hand.

“Take a look at it. It’s Pink Diamond. It’s just as beautiful as me.”

“Foolish! Star sapphire worth more.”

“I lose if we are talking about the price, but I win if we talk about the stone’s meaning.”

“Meaning? I don’t understand.”

“The meaning of this stone is ‘perfect love.’”

“…..I’ve been deceived.”

Liz froze, perhaps in shock. Sigh. I feel like I need to stop them from competing over things that don’t really matter.

◇◇◇

“That’s about 10 silver coins in total.”

“Well, thank you.”

I receive the silver coins from Rodman. After leaving the jewelry store, we went to Rodman’s weapons store as usual. Then, as usual, I sold the items I had collected at the dumpsite, but I immediately noticed something unusual with the amount I received. The purchase price is clearly decreasing.

“I’m sure you’ve already guessed it. The price of iron has fallen recently.”

“I guess you have some iron left over because I picked up a lot?”

“That’s what I’m about to say. Thanks to that, we’re now able to provide inexpensive weapons.”

I had predicted that in advance. It’s not surprising. Besides, I’ve been waiting for this moment. This is because if weapons become cheaper, the number of adventurers will increase. Of course, metals have a certain price depending on the market price. If it is a weapon, the price will be doubled, including the processing fee. On the other hand, if there is a shortage of iron, the price will rise even more. Then the poor will not be able to afford it. Even if you are motivated, you can’t become an adventurer. Isn’t that a very sad story then?

But, what if the market is full of iron and weapons become cheaper? The answer? Even the poor will be able to become adventurers and make a lot of money. In addition, it has recently been reported that the mortality rate in the dungeons is also decreasing. I think that the perfect conditions are in place to make them debut as an adventurer. I can’t help but grin at the fact that the situation is in place.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, right. This is what I want to talk about.”

I remove the Bull King’s sword from my waist and places it on the counter. Rodman frowned as he pulled it out of its scabbard.

“It’s cracked. I thought it was pretty strong.”

“Well, I could have fixed it with some magic spell, but I left it like that so that you could take a look at it once.”

“I see. Then, what did you fight against?”

“It’s the Spear of the Water God, one of the Five Great Treasures.”

When I said that, Rodman stood up with his eyes wide open.

“Did you mess with a great treasure!? You’re really ridiculous you know!”

“Maybe. It’s true that I underestimated it though.”

“Goodness. So, what do you want me to do?”

“Well, about that…..”

I took a lump out of the bangle and placed it in front of him. It is a metal with a holographic pattern that reflects a dazzling amount of light around it. Rodman rolled his eyes and froze for a few seconds.

“T-this is…… Is it adamantite?”

“My comrade found it by chance. I wonder if you could make a sword out of it.”

“…………”

He falls silent as he looks at adamantite. Then Erna, who was behind me, pulled me backwards.

“Hey Shinichi! That’s what I found! I didn’t give you permission to use it!”

“I guess you were planning on selling it anyway, so I’ll buy it from you. There’s nothing to complain about.”

“I, I don’t need money. I can give it to you, I have a favor instead……”

Erna blushes and fidgets. Normally, she would ask for clothes, it is very unusual for her to ask for a favor.

“I want you to go on a date with me.”

“If that’s all you need, that’s easy. I’ll do whatever I want.”

“Really!? Is it really okay?”

“But I can’t do it right away. Let’s do so if I have time.”

She happily gives a small fist pump. When she calls it a date, it’s probably just going somewhere and having dinner. Even when I was a president, I was often invited by employees and secretaries, but it was mostly like that. However, I still wonder why I was never invited again.

“Just with rival…. unfair!”

“Fufun, if you’re frustrated, find adamantite.”

“I’m on! I’ll definitely find it.”

Sparks fly between Erna and Liz. It seems that a dispute broke out between the two of them again. I decided to ignore it because it was the usual thing anyway. Then Rodman coughs on purpose.

“I’ve decided. I’ll take on the task of making the sword.”

“I appreciate that. If you need anything, just let me know. I’m going to get it for you.”

“No, all I need is the Thunder Magic jewel and adamantite. There’s something more I need to tell you though.”

“What?”

“This can be said to be the creation of a new great treasure. In other words, it requires the technology of the founder dwarves, which is now thought to have been lost.”

“Isn’t it enough to just build it?”

“It’s indeed possible, but you won’t be able to bring out its full potential in that case. It’ll only become an imitation of a great treasure.”

If I were to make one, I would like to complete it as a great treasure. Rodman seemed to think like that more than I did.

“Isn’t the technology of the founder dwarves left anywhere?”

“…There’s only one place I can think of. It’s probably there, but you can’t go in. It will be difficult to do so.”

“Where is it? Tell me.”

“It’s in the basement of the Dartan Rock Kingdom’s castle. Rumor has it that the wisdom of the dwarves lies there.”

Ah, I see. Right under the royal castle of the kingdom of Dartan huh. I understood what Rodman meant when he said it’s difficult. The king of that kingdom is a man of quirks. I don’t think it will be easy. I’m going to ask Dal to bridge the gap again.

“Understood. I’ll take care on that matter first then. I’ll take this home for now, but I might have you start making the sword in the not too distant future.”

“It’s been a dream of mine to build a great treasure. I’m looking forward to it.”

Rodman’s eyes were shining brighter than usual. Maybe what he accepted was not only a commission, but it was also a challenge as a blacksmith. Imagining the emergence of the sixth treasure, we left Rodman’s shop.

◇◇◇

I went up to the roof of the inn and looked up at the sky. The sun has already set and the stars are already visible in the sky. The main event of the festival is expected to begin soon, but I have not heard any details about it yet. Erna, who was sitting next to me on my right, was waiting excitedly.

“So, what’s going to happen now?”

“Fireworks. Let me tell you, people from all over the kingdom gather to see this.”

I didn’t know that there were fireworks in this world too. When I looked closely, I can see that many people are gathered on the roofs of the other buildings as well. The direction they are all looking at is to the west of the city, just around where Mohed Great Dungeon is located.

“It’s time, it’s going to start.”

With Freya’s voice, a small ray of light rises in the sky. And then white flowers bloomed.

“It’s so beautiful……”

Erna’s gaze is riveted by the fireworks that go off one after another. Liz stares at it with wide eyes, as if it was the first time she’s seen it. Pero is fascinated by the flowers that bloom in the sky with his mouth open. Freya is …… well, she’s busy cuddling Pero’s fluffy tail.

“Ring…… Thank you ….…”

When I looked next to me, Erna shyly said that. Her left hand, which has a ring, rests on my leg.

“Thank you oniichan.”

Liz said as she put her hand on my leg as well. I don’t do much, but it feels good to be thanked. The two of them shifted their weight towards me. Somehow, I felt like I wanted to watch the fireworks forever.

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) <Emperor Dragoneut|Vampire|Primordial Human|Human (Hero)> Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attribute: No Attribute Magic:  Restoration Space, Isolation Space Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Dragon Transformation, Skill Picking, Race Picking, Indomitable Spirit, Superhuman Transformation, King’s Vessel, Emperor’s Vessel, Hero’s Vessel, Path to Relentless Evolution ▹Special: Analysis, Life or Death Technique, Stealth, Enemy Search, Digestion Enhancement, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Leadership, Intimidation, Division, Sand Walking, Familiar Strengthening, Separation, Dragon Beheading Slash ▹Advanced: Master of War,Theft, Paralyzing Eye, Limit   Breakthrough, Danger Detection, Flight, Hardening,  Nerve Strengthening, Limit Breakthrough,  Self-recovery, Dictatorship, King Dragon Breath,  Plant manipulation(Improved), Self-regeneration ▹Intermediate: Universal Thread, Awakening, Impact Nullification, Underwater Adaptation, Metal Manipulation, Compression, High-speed Flight, Explosive Sword Dance ▹Beginner: Slash Nullification Rarity: L   Overall Ability: L ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ Name: Erna Frederia Age: 19 years old Race: Superior Elf Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attributes: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness, Lightning Magic:   Fireball, Fire Arrow, Flame Bomb, Flame Chain, Flame Wall, Flame Burst, Flare Zone, Aqua Ball, Aqua Arrow, Aqua Wall, Aqua Cure, Spear Rain, Aquarius Recovery, Rock Arrow, Rock Wall, Rock Bullet, Rock Armor, Metal Wall, Ground Hammer, Air Ball, Air Arrow, Air Cutter, Air Wall, Lightning Thunder, Break Tornado, Light, Stan Light, Camouflage, Laser, Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind, Mindbreak Skills: Indomitable Spirit ▹Special: Essence of Magic, Spearmanship ▹Advanced: Bow King Technique, Fist King Technique ▹Intermediate: Hell Ear Z ▹Beginner:  Awakening, Attack Prediction Rarity: SS Overall Ability: SS ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼  Name: Pero Tanaka  Age: 5 years old  Race: Holy Ice Werewolf  Occupation: Adventurer  Magic Attributes: Wind, Holy, Ice  Magic: Air Ball, Air Arrow, Holy Roar, Holy Chain, Healing Touch, Purify  Skills: ▹Special: Fist King Technique, ▹Advanced: Devil Nose, Intimidation, Self-Recovery ▹Beginner:  Acceleration , Gale Storm, Physical Enhancement Z,       Fang King Technique, Claw King Technique, Prodigy Rarity: SS Overall Ability: SS ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼  Name: Freya Label  Age: 18 years old  Race: Neohuman  Occupation: Adventurer  Magic Attributes: Fire  Magic: Fireball, Fire Arrow  Skills: ▹Special: Arm Strengthening ▹Advanced: Telekinesis, Swordsmanship, Cooking ▹Intermediate: Meteor Thrust, Shield Technique, Spear King         Technique, Body Strengthening, Extrasensory ▹Beginner: Fist King Technique Rarity: S Overall Ability: A ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ Name: Liz Schmidt Age: 15 years old Race: Dark Human Occupation: Adventurer Magic Attributes: Water, Darkness Magic:  Aqua Ball, Aqua Arrow, Aqua Wall, Aqua Cure, Shadow Skills: Telepathy, Shinobi’s Vessel ▹Advanced: Swordsmanship, Taijutsu A, Taijutsu B, ▹Intermediate: Ninjutsu, Body Strengthening, Eyesight Enhancement, Danger Detection Rarity: A Overall Ability: B ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ Name: Suketarou Race: Homeless Platinum Skeleton (General) Magic Attributes: Earth, Darkness, Holy, Nothingness Magic:  Rock Bullet, Rock Armor, Metal Wall, Ground Hammer,     Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind, Break Mind, Purify Skills: Familiar Creation, Familiar Summoning, Soul Eating ▹Advanced: Intelligence, Enemy Search, Slash Resistance, Shock        Absorption, Self-Recovery ▹Intermediate: Axemanship, Spearmanship, Hammer Technique,         Archery, Fist King Technique ▹Beginner: Sword Emperor Technique, Shield King Technique, Body Enhancement Z, Dictatorship,Familiar Strengthening, Rarity: L Overall Ability: SS ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ Name: Sukejiro Race:  Homeless Golden Skeleton (Giant) Magic Attributes: Darkness, Holy, Nothingness Magic:  Shadow, Shadow Field, Shadow Bind Skills: Soul Eating ▹Advanced: Body Strengthening ▹Intermediate: Sword King Technique, Spearmanship, Axemanship, Hammer Technique, Archery, Fang Strengthening, Shock Absorption, Hardening, Self-Recovery, Leadership Rarity: SS Overall Ability: A

【Weapons & Tools in Possession】

・Shinichi Tanaka     Bull King’s Sword (Thunder Magic Jewel)     Bull King’s dagger        Mysterious bangle          Mysterious Robe ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ ・Erna Frederia     Bird of Paradise Staff     Great Tree Bow ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼　 ・Pero Tanaka     Gauntlet (Water Attribute) ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼　 ・Freya Label         Magic Steel Spear    Mithril Spear ×2 ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ ・Liz Schmidt    Mithril knife    Shuriken × N (multiple)          Kunai × N (multiple) ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ ・Suketarou    Platinum Sword (formerly: Mithril Sword)    Platinum Shield ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ ・Sukejiro   Flying Dragon Bone Sword ╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼╼ < in storage>   Branches of the World Tree   - (wood left over after building a soy sauce factory)   Adamantite   Flying Dragon Twin Swords   Paws of the Holy Beast Doran   Spear of the Water God

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

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A few days have passed since the deadly battle with King Logas ended. I had come to the mansion of the lord of Mana.

“I see. I heard you let the Hero and the Mage go.”

“Well, I thought it was a little naive, but it was a request from my comrade after all. So, what the news on the Royal Capital?”

“It’s in a state of confusion. Miraculously, there were no casualties, but it seems that it was a shock that the royal capital, the center of the kingdom, was briefly overrun by magical beasts.”

“I see. By the way, what about the king?”

“It is rumored that His Majesty, who was indifferent to domestic affairs, is now studying diligently. At the moment, the mood is welcoming to the current king.”

I rest my back on the sofa feeling relieved. Looks like he’s doing well. Well, as you know, I couldn’t trace King Logas’ memories so I was quite worried about how to deceive them. Surprisingly, it may not matter to the people whether the king is real or fake.

Kanzaki continues.

“The king has apologized, saying that the crime given to Homeless was a mistake. Arvish Gloris has also been stripped of the title of hero. Now, it looks like we can finally resume our activities.”

“You’re talking about the food capital project, right? (Sigh), I was totally interrupted and it took up a lot of my time.”

“Yes, I could say that we were caught off guard because of that. By the way, the king sent me a consolation money. What do I do about it?”

The large leather bag clinked as it was placed on the table. When I look through it with the eyes on my forehead, I saw that all of it are gold coins. There are about 500 of them. Converted to Japanese yen, it is about 500 million. That’s a lot of money.

“Please use all that money for the development of the city. I’ve caused caused a lot of trouble due to this incident after all.”

“Alright. I’ll do that.”

It is normal to think that the credibility Homeless has fallen to the ground in this incident. Even though I think it’s a pity, I have to contribute to the city to get it back as much as possible. Well, I think that’s why my clone sent me that money in the first place. I’m grateful for that.

Kanzaki made a thoughtful gesture and opened his mouth.

“Actually, I’ve heard some rumors that is a little bit concerning.”

“Rumors? From the Royal Capital?”

“Yes. Although it was a brief moment, Tanaka-san has taken control over the royal capital with the help of demonic beasts, right? It is whispered among the people that a Demon Lord has been born.”

“Demon Lord?”

“It is the king of demonic creatures. It is written in the ancient books that it’s a being that causes harm to people. Such name is associated with fear.”

Being a demon lord is very conventional.

Generally speaking, I’m the type of person who wants to make this world a better place. I would like to strongly protest against being called that.

“Some of the witnesses say it’s a three-eyed monster with reddish eyes that flies around in the dark night. Another version is that it’s a half-beast monster like a centaur. I just want to confirm, they’re talking about you, Tanaka-sana, right?”

“…………”

Needless to say, it’s me. I must have been spotted flying in the sky with the griffon. Moreover, to those who could not see clearly at night, such image could be considered that we looked like a single living creature. Now that I think about it, I should have infiltrated with my stealth skill. I feel like I’ve done it to myself.

“Furthermore, there seems to be a movement to investigate the mysterious skeletons. Although there are many witnesses to this one, no one was really able to ascertain their real identity. They think there’s going to be a second attack.”

“Hmm, maybe it was a good thing. It was an opportunity to raise the kingdom’s consciousness on defense. However, I refuse to do it the second time.”

It’s unbearable to be made into a criminal so many times you know. Besides, I don’t have time for that.

“….By the way, what happened to the kelp and bonito flakes?”

“The kelp is in the bangle, and if you want it, I’ll give it to you right away. As for the bonito flakes, they’re still being processed. We’re about to let the green mold grow and mature.”

“Then it doesn’t seem like a problem. Let’s turn it into the best city.”

“That’s right. It’s a continuation of our dream after all.”

I shook hands with Kanzaki and we grinned at each other.

◇◇◇

“Ah-, damn it! It’s all crumbling because of them!”

“Hey, calm down, Erna-oneechan. Father’s familiars are also here so let’s help fix it little by little.”

“This is fun in itself. Sweat of labor feels good.”

“Troublesome. I want to go to bed early.”

Four people are noisily rebuilding the livestock farm.

The thumping sound of the hammer reminded me of when I had just come to the twenty-fourth floor. Oops, this is not the time to reminisce. There’s still a lot of work to be done. I decided to move on to the cattle farm leaving the four of them with my ten thousand familiars.

“We’re only halfway there.”

When I came to the 23rd floor, I saw the tea room that was being rebuilt. Yes, they destroyed it too. Fortunately, the tea utensils were not broken, so it seemed that I would be able to drink tea in the near future.

Suketarou, who has headband tightened on his head, is building a roof with a hammer. Now that he is platinum colored, his appearance is too surreal. On the ground, Skeleton 7 is scrapping a square piece of wood with a plane.

When they noticed me, they clattered their jaws and wave their hands.

“Please continue the work.”

“Katakatakata!”

This time, I decided to go to the Homeless Cafeteria on the fifteenth floor.

There, my familiars are cleaning and Skeleton 1 keeps the kitchen tidy.

“It looks like the tables and chairs have been fixed. When do you think we will be able to reopen?”

“Katakata”

Skeleton 1 replied, “I think we can do it tomorrow.”

In fact, when I went to Mana, a number of adventurers asked me, “The cafeteria won’t close down, right?”

For this reason, we are currently working on preparing the store with the highest priority. It’s a good news that people are looking forward to the re-opening of the cafeteria.

Suddenly, Skeleton 1 said, “I have something I want Master to taste.” and he made me sit down. He then walks into the kitchen. Shortly after, the sound of knife chopping followed by the sound of the oil simmering, noting that he’s frying something can be heard. After a while, the food was brought to the table.

“Hoh-, it’s a grated tonkatsu set meal huh. It looks delicious.”

Miso soup with a heaping plate of rice. The main dish is shredded cabbage and crispy fried tonkatsu. Grated daikon radish was placed on top of it, and the fluffy white steam was rising. I then drip soy sauce on top of the tonkatsu and shovels the meat and white rice into my mouth.

It’s delicious! It’s not bad.

“Katakata”

“Do you want to add this to the menu?”

The farm is still being rebuilt, and I feel like it’s too early to add a new menu. However, I want to eat this in the future. For the time being, I’m going to put it as a back menu this time.

When I told 1 about it, he clattered his jaw happily.

I then decided to leave the homeless cafeteria and go to the Shoyu Forest on the ground. The rich scent of soy sauce wafts from the soy sauce factory, and it smells really appetizing even though I had my meal. With work clothes as per usual, I stepped inside the factory.

“Katakata!”

Sukejiro, the factory manager, bowed his head.

“No need for such greetings. Is there a problem with the production line?”

“Katakata”

He replied, “Both soy sauce and miso are doing well.”

Near the soy sauce barrel, I can also see Lich A, who is observing the condition and recording it. Even though it was only for a short period of time, the fact that the production line had been stopped was worrisome after all. Further quality check is needed.

“What about bonito flakes?”

Hearing my question, Sukejiro calls Lich B, who is in charge of it. According to Lich B’s explanation, the maturation process is progressing in a shed built a short distance from the factory. After that, it is said that it will be the time for the full-fledged drying in the sun. In other words, this is also going well.

After the inspection, I decided to go to the miniature garden for the time being.

◇◇◇

“I was able to harvest healthy vegetables today!”

“Katakata”

Chatting in the field is my clone and Lich C. Nearby, there is a pile of vegetables loaded on a cart. I called out to the two of them.

“Hey, isn’t it the main body?”

“Is the work done?”

“Well, it’s like this.”

One of the vegetables he grabbed was a radish that resembled the shape of a typical human. However, when its eyes opened, I was startled. Moreover, it could move its limbs-like parts and makes a creepy sound.

“Wa-what the heck is that!?”

“I haven’t given it a name yet. Hey, it just looks weird but I guarantee its taste.”

—My clone presses it firmly into my hand and rushes me to eat it.

It seems that he had modified vegetables and created something strange. Looking at it from other’s viewpoint, thinking that I was like this guy, strangely makes me feel sad. When I chewed the vegetables raw as I was told, there was a sharp spiciness on my tongue.

“It looks like that but it tastes like a spicy radish.”

“It’s not just about taste, it’s also a nourishing tonic that brings joy to men.”

I might be able to make an energizer with this. No, wait. If we use this radish for the grated tonkatsu set meal, it may be a good idea. I’ll call it, “Energy Boosting Tonkatsu Set Meal”.

“I will allow you to increase the harvest of this vegetable. I would like you to secure twice the current amount.”

“Kukuku, as expected of me. It seems like you’ve realized how wonderful this vegetable is. Now then, let’s get to work right away.”

My clone began to cultivate the fields with Lich C. As expected, it is convenient to have another me. They do what I think of right away. In this way, I decided to keep my clones for a while and give each of them a temporary name.

Tanaka α is the one pretending to be King Logas. Tanaka β is the one cultivating the field. I shall look forward to their future activities.

Then I decided to return to the twenty-fourth floor and help out on the livestock farm.

I gave instructions to Erna and the others as they hammered the boards together, and this time, we proceeded with construction while aiming for an even stronger building. The livestock watched us work from inside the fence.

“Ahh-! I quit! Why can’t we just create the building with magic!?”

Erna screams as she lies sprawled on the roof. I silently hammers nails, and when I run out of boards, I asks Pero to throw them to me.

“Hey! Did you hear me!? Let’s just create it with magic!”

“That’s not good. Besides, you can’t say you’re living here if you rely on something like that all the time.”

“That’s true, but no matter how much we do it, it’s always tiring! With the current me, I’d be able to build it with magic in a swift!”

She rolls over and moves towards me. Even when on the roof, she’s really a handful.

“Hey, don’t you think it’s time to expand the hideout?”

“…Well, you got a point. Previously, we just made the bedroom and living room bigger. At this time, it might not be a bad idea to increase the number of rooms.”

“Right? I think it’s time for each of us to have a private room. It would be nice for the three of us to spend time together but there are some things I want to keep secret.”

If you ask me, it is indeed true. It may not be a good idea to squeeze a woman your age into the same room. Besides, Pero is already an adult too. Even though they are of different races, it may be bad for education to keep the opposite sex too close to each other.

“But have you thought about how the room is going to be arranged?”

“Hmmm, it would be ideal to be able to go to each room from the living room.”

“In that case, you could just create a door in the space between the kitchen and the mirror. Make that the men’s room. And as for your rooms, wouldn’t it be possible if you destroy the space you guys currently have and allocate it as a private room?”

“But what about the toilet and storage room?”

“The warehouse should have a separate passage leading from the living room, and the toilet should be used by the women.”

“Eh? How would Shinichi use the bathroom then?”

What’s wrong with this girl? Really, didn’t she notice it when we were living together this long? Even though I was taken aback, I told her,

“Me and Pero don’t go to the bathroom.”

“Eh? Eeeeeh?? W-what the heck! That’s creepy.”

It hurts when it was said head on.

I got a hole for excretion. I’ve checked that properly. However, neither I nor Pero ever go to the bathroom. Maybe it’s because it is being converted into something inside our body.

“Anyways, I’m also planning to remodel the hideout. Because it’s something that only Erna can do, so please do it.”

“Ok~ay.”

Then Pero and Freya came up on the roof.

“Father, it’s time to take a break.”

“As expected of Pero-sama. I am impressed by your wise judgment.”

“Freya-san, it’s time to get off my back.”

Freya was hugging Pero as if clinging to him from behind. It’s not a scene that I particularly care about because it’s the usual. 

A black mass suddenly descends from the sky.

“I’m tired. Lunch.”

Oi, wait a minute. Why did this girl come from above? That’s weird. Sigh. I see. Well, she was slacking off. She’s a ninja indeed. I can’t be negligent.

I decided to take the bento box out of the bangle and spread it out on the roof. Four smiling faces stuffed with rice balls. Just looking at it made my heart warm, I’m happy I was able to protect my comrades.

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

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I narrowly dodged the slash attack of the mysterious skeleton. The sword speed is faster than I thought. Moreover, it is troublesome because the attack is launched at different time. If I dodged the first attack, the second one will anticipate where I’ll dodge and attack from there. If I dodged that attack, the other one will once again attack in pursuit. They are indeed a legacy of a superpower that once ruled the world. These skeletons are also good at cooperative play.

“They are great, isn’t it? Their performance remains undiminished even after 5,000 years. This is the ultimate weapon born of the wisdom of ancient civilizations.”

“It seems so. But, do you really think you can defeat me with something like this?”

I dodged their sword strike and threw my fist at the two of them. Both of them slammed into the wall and fell to pieces on the floor. They are certainly a good weapon but they are only a little stronger than my Homeless Skeleton. They are no match for the current me.

“Gufufufu. You seem to be underestimating ancient weapons.”

The king’s fearless smile made me brace myself. Then, the skeletons, which should have been shattered to pieces, assembles on its own and points their sword at me again.

“How could it be!? I should have defeated them.”

“As I said, they are the fruit of the wisdom of an ancient civilization, you cannot defeat an immortal soldier.”

A coordinated attack of the two skeletons started once more. I am racking my brains as I dodged their attacks. It would be terrifying if they were truly immortal. But no matter how I look at it, the king is lying. This is because there is a big contradiction to his words, it lies in the fact that only these two bodies in front of me still exist. If so, there is definitely a way to destroy it. No doubt about that.

“Fuu! Teiii!”

When one of them loses its balance because of my foot kick, I finished it off with a kick and elbows the other one who was right next to it. The two bodies were scattered on the floor. This time, I took a closer look. The scattered bones of the skeleton gather and stick together from the head. Maybe they are deliberately dismantling their bodies to escape the impact. But it’s now clear. The head is their core.

I slipped between the two bodies of the ancient skeleton. It’s easy to forget, but I possess a skill called theft. This makes pick pocketing better. The most noteworthy point is that I can take their belongings without the other party noticing. When I turned around, I saw two headless figures, wandering around, losing sight of the direction they were going. The stolen skull shows no emotion as it roams its blue eyes around quickly.

I don’t think they are as cute as Suketarou and the others. I rolled the two heads on the floor and stomped on them vigorously. With the nucleus destroyed, the bodies of the two skeleton fell to the floor as if the batteries have run out.

“Damn! How dare you do that to my immortal soldiers! I guess I underestimated your strength too much.”

King Logas stands up and picks up the spear that was displayed near his throne. It has a hologram pattern from the handle to the blade, and there are carvings in places that are reminiscent of water. A shining blue sphere was embedded in the blade and the spear itself was wrapped in a strange atmosphere.

“Gufufu, are you curious about this spear? I know you are. It’s one of the five great treasures in the world after all.”

“One of the five great treasures?”

“That’s right. This is one of the treasures called the Spear of the Water God. It is the strongest spear made of adamantine and equipped with a water magic jewel. Let’s see how far you can resist with that meager sword of yours.”

I didn’t think that one of the five great treasures would come out here. This is not looking good. He’s right, I’m not sure if the bull king sword will be able to hold against it.

“Here I come!”

 The king swings his spear down with a light leap. I rolled on the floor to avoid it, then got up and drew my sword. The impact and thunderous roar rushed up immediately afterwards.

“Don’t dodge. Take my attack!”

There was a large crack in the place where I had been earlier.

In just one swing… that power…

I can’t let my guard down.

“Hoh-, how about this then? Water Magic Jewel, give me strength.”

The blue magic jewel responded to his voice. A blade of water shot out of the spear that the king swung. I rolled on the floor to dodge. The king then fires more blades in pursuit.

“I’m sure you will be honored to be executed by me personally! Rejoice!”

I counterattacked while avoiding his slash. A metallic sound reverberated in the room as swords and spears clashed.

“I didn’t expect that a great treasure would recognize someone like you. That was very surprising.”

“Gufufu, did you really think this thing has a human-like trait? Let me tell you, anyone can become the owner of a great treasure if they met the conditions. However, with your average ability, I doubt if you can even touch it.”

“I see. Thanks for that pleasant info.”

I grabbed his shoulders with my sub-arms and then I threw him flying towards the wall. The king crashed into the wall and was buried in the rubble.

“You have an invisible arm huh. As expected of a Homeless Emperor.”

 He rose from the rubble unscathed.

“Have you seen my status?”

“Unfortunately, I only know the name of your race because I didn’t have enough rank. But no matter what skill you have, you can’t hurt me.”

So much complacency. He must be very confident in his impact nullification and slash nullification skill. Then again, it seems that it is also due to the fact that he does not know the skills I have.

There are several ways to defeat him. The first option is to wipe him out with my King Dragon Breath skill. The other is to kill him with my Life or Death Technique. The last one is to deal damage on him with my magic jewel of thunder.

Of the three, the most troublesome one is the King Dragon Breath. The reason for this is that there is a risk of destroying the entire castle. Because it is too strong, the places where it can be used are limited. Therefore, I judged that it is more appropriate to weaken him with a lightning strike first and stop him with the life-or-death technique.

“Don’t think you’re the only one with a magic jewel.”

The crackling sound of purple lightning runs through the blade and burns the air. King Logas had his eyes squinted, and the corners of his mouth were lifted.

“Bull King’s sword with the magic jewel of thunder huh. Seems like you possessed something unworthy of you. As a king, this is unacceptable fact.”

He fires a blade of water. On the other hand, I vaporized it with a lightning strike. Due to explosive evaporation, a large amount of water vapor fills the room.

“Hmph!”

The king jumps in through the steam. I caught the swinging spear with my sword and tried to grab him with my sub-arm again.

—But what I grabbed was the king’s hands. When I looked closely, I saw that a second pair of hands grows out of his back. The sudden turn of events confused my mind.

“Are you surprised? The same move won’t work on me!”

“What’s going on? How did you grow arms?”

Swords and spears pressed each other, and above our heads, our other arms were interlocked and were pushing against each other. In that moment, another arm grows out of his flanks. It stretched out and tickled my side.

“Gahahaha! Uh-, that’s co-cowardly!”

“The king is allowed to do whatever he wants!”

When my strength loosened, he threw me against the wall. I was buried in the rubble but I quickly got up because of my impact nullification skill.

“Is that your racial trait?”

I was surprised to see the king’s current appearance. The king’s body was as large as a dragon, and his muscles were as swollen as a dwarf’s. His ears are long like those of an elf, and his back is covered with black feathers like a winged man. His hands and feet were as sharp as those of a beast man, and his face was as hideous as an orc’s.

 ……Ah, no, the face is the same. I got it wrong there.

“Primordial human is a race that does not have a fixed form, which means that I can be a dragon or an elf. It’s literally the basis of the race.”

“Then, wouldn’t it have been better if it wasn’t in a human form?”

“I am the king of humans after all. Besides, even if my race changes, I will never lose the meaning of my existence.”

I kind of understand what he is trying to say. To be able to be anything means to become nothing. I guess he stuck to his original form so as not to lose sight of himself. Well, as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter.

“You talk too much though. I think it’s just your appearance that has changed. It’s not like your abilities have changed either.”

“Do you think so? Then taste how serious I am.”

The strength of his legs had increased many times, and the thrust was so fast that it was almost invisible. The spear easily pierced my right chest. No, the correct word should be, it penetrated my chest. It happened so fast that I didn’t even realize what was happening.

“Guaaaaaaaaa!?”

“Did I miss the heart? I still have a long way to go huh.”

Blood dripped from the drawn spear, and I dropped to my knees on the floor in pain. The king grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up forcibly.

“Hmm, is it around here? No, it should be around here. That’s not right though. Hmmm….Is this the heart?”

Searching for my heart, he thrust the spear into my body. Over and over again. He should know the location, everyone knows where. He was delaying the final blow just to hurt me. If he just stabbed me, I could withstand it, but he slowly rotated the blade as if gouging out my wound. I was in a severe pain, it’s like a nerve had been exposed and scraped with a knife.

“How do you want me to kill you?”

“Gu..…”

“If you beg me, I’ll do it at once. Gufufu.”

“D-… Die…”

My finger touched the hilt of the sword.

“You’re the one who dies!!”

Violet lightning surges and burns King Logas’ entire body. Probably because he was getting an electric shock, his body is convulsing. It was quite funny looking at his trembling appearance.

“Uaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

With white smoke billowing in the air, the king stepped back.

Freed from the pain, I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes with one hand.

“H-how?…. You were on the verge of dying…”

“That’s just your misunderstanding. Look at me carefully.”

“W-what are you talking—, y-you don’t have a wound!?”

Kukuku, I have self-regeneration skill after all. No matter how much it hurts, the wound will be closed in an instant. However, it’s still unclear how effective the skill is, so it’s a blessing in disguise that I wasn’t beheaded.

“Aquarius Recovery”

He uses water magic to heal the damage. We’ve fought to this point and I realized that King Logas is a more troublesome opponent than what I have thought. If I don’t kill him in one blow, he can heal his self as much as he wants with magic, and with his great treasure and high physical ability, I won’t be able to get close to him easily.

If I could press the death acupuncture point with my Life or Death technique, the battle would be over. However, there is only one death acupuncture point displayed on his back. It is difficult to press.

“What are you looking at, are you finally ready to prostrate yourself?”

“What a joke. How to say…. Hmmm… I just feel the emptiness of killing someone who isn’t worth killing.”

“Gufufu, the way you put it is as if you can kill me.”

“It’s not ‘as if’, it’s a fact.”

I immediately activated my paralyzing eye and binds him in a circle with spider silk ejected from my fingertips. I started running as if kicking the ground and jumped into his back.

“Won’t happen! I won’t let you!”

The king’s body deformed and slipped through the threads like a starch syrup, dodging the attack. The king, who had formed a shape in a distance, glared at me.

“What are you trying to do?! I can feel my pores closing in fear!”

Surprisingly, he got good intuition.

Even if he is rotten, he is still the king of a kingdom huh. The king, who has become increasingly vigilant, raises his spear to keep me in check.

“I should be invincible! I shouldn’t be afraid of you!”

“Then let us strike each other up close. Don’t hold back. I’m going to fight with dignity.”

“Then what’s with that left hand just now? It looks like you’re trying to do something!”

“That’s just your imagination. Alright, I’ll come closer.”

As I slowly approached, the king stepped back in the same way.  My left hand seems to be bothering him a lot. I grinned at the situation.

“What’s funny!? Do you think I am scared!!?”

“No. I just thought I’d tell you one thing.”

“.….?”

“I’ve been going easy on you all this time you know. I was getting your attention without even using my enhancement skills. Do you know why?”

“What do you mean you’re going easy on me!? Stop kiddi–”

My clone jumps down from directly above him. In his hand, he held the bull king knife, and he quickly stabbed the blade deep into the King’s back. At that moment, King Logas’ pupils opened wide and he falls to the floor.

“I was creating a clone with my division skill at the time of the steam explosion you see.”

“I was so nervous that he would notice me, who was stuck to the ceiling. But thanks to him stopping in his track, I was finally able to deal the final blow.”

After I absorbed my clone, I received the race and slash nullification skill from the dead King Logas. I then created a clone again and instructed him to change to King Logas’ appearance.

The primordial man is a race that can impersonate others. With that race, I can freely shape my body and even change height. King Logas, I mean, my clone, pick up the crown that had fallen to the floor and put it on.

I’m quite grateful to the King for having such a convenient race.

“Your Majesty! Are you okay?”

The royal knight guard rushes inside the throne room. As soon as he saw me, he drew his sword.

“Calm down. I’m still alive and well.”

“B-but this man is a rebel… w-what’s with that monster!?”

The knight is puzzled when he saw the corpse of the original king. My clone nodded silently and pointed at me.

“That very good adventurer over there has taken it down. There must be no disrespect to those who saved me.”

“I, p-please pardon me. I didn’t know that it was like that! I don’t know who you are, but I appreciate your courage!”

Looking at the knight that kept bowing deeply, the clone let out a long sigh at the long life he was about to lead as a king.

Well, I am deceiving the entire nation and there is no way that my conscience won’t hurt. While apologizing in my heart, I put the great treasure that was lying on the floor inside the bangle.

“Ah- right. I had something to do so please excuse me.”

“Oh, at least give me your name!”

“No, no, it’s fine. Well then, Your Majesty, I look forward to seeing you again!”

I slipped out from the castle as if running away and takes off into the night sky with the griffon waiting for me. With a whistle, the skeleton army began to retreat.

Thus ended the little war between the kingdom and the Homeless.

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

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(3 days ago)

While the elite of the kingdom’s army, led by Arvish, were making their way through the dungeon, I was riding a homeless griffon to the Royal Capital. Here’s the plan. Using my division skill, I and my clone were to deal with the hero and his troops on one side and attack the royal capital on the other.

That doesn’t mean I have abandoned the chance for a negotiation though. Just like in the Empire, I’ll try to make the king agree with my terms. Of course, if he still resisted, he would have the same fate as the emperor of the empire. I don’t think that King Logas is that stupid.

“We’re almost at the royal capital huh.”

I sit crossed legged on top of the griffon and stared at the horizon. In the distance, the Royal Capital could already be seen, and the castle where the king resides towered in the center. When we get close enough, I made the griffon land in the meadow. We will have to wait until the night.

The goal is to carry out a night attack and conquer the Royal Capital at once. Of course, that’s not the real purpose. It is to buy time for me to have a discussion with the king.

I took a dead branch out of the bangle and set it on fire. I decided to have an early dinner while watching the sun set.

◇◇◇

I checked my pocket watch.

It’s two o’clock in the morning. In Japan, this time is known as the dead of the night. The meadow is only filled with animal sounds, and there is an unusual silence. The Royal Capital also seemed to be asleep, with only a few lights left.

The time has come. Let’s execute the strategy.

“Come forth, my familiars!”

A dazzling light filled the meadow. One after another, homeless skeletons emerge from the ground. They are commanded by the Nine Legion Commanders. All of them have evolved into golden skeletons and they reflect the moonlight dazzlingly. The summoning lasted about a second. The troops totaled to 300,000. Countless red lights were looking towards the Royal Capital.

“Conquer the Royal Capital.”

“Katakata”

Skeleton 1 clattered his jaw in response. Following the orders of the legion commanders, the horde of skeletons begin to march in unison to the Royal Capital. When they reached the outer wall that surrounded the city, they inserted their fingers into the gaps in the walls and began to climb up. There are no guards on the outer wall, perhaps because of negligence. The skeleton climbed the wall and easily penetrated inside the Royal Capital.

Seeing that, I activated my race. Horns appeared on both sides of my head and wings stick out of my back. I then opened the eye on my forehead and my preparation is done. I’m going to meet the king so I also have to focus on how I look. After all, this negotiation must proceed on the premise that it is in favor of Homeless. If I am seen poorly, I could lose the advantage.

I straddled the griffon and we fly into the night sky. The fact that I did not fly on my own is the style of a champion that I come up with. Isn’t it cool to appear there ridding a griffon? Kukuku.

As I look at the Royal Capital from above, I can hear many screams echoing through the city at the dead of the night. I told them not to attack the citizens unnecessarily so they should only be shocked seeing the skeletons.

Of course, I strictly told them not to touch the duke’s family and the house of the Earth Fang team. The people who jumped out of the building moved to the east gate as if fleeing from the skeletons. When I looked into a certain house, I saw a mother with a child in her arms trembling in a corner of the room.

I’m sorry for this, but I’m in a situation where I can’t back down.

I made the griffon fly again and ask it to send me to the royal castle.

“The king should be here.”

I stepped foot on the cobblestones and looked up at the building where the king lived. I had seen it several times when I came to the Royal Capital, but I never thought that the day would come when I would go inside like this. The gate leading inside was tightly closed, and two gatekeepers were guarding against me as they hold their spears at ready.

“I can hear a commotion in the castle town. Then, you are a demon who is aiming at King Logas, our wise king.”

“I look like a demon huh. Hmmm, that’s not bad either.”

“What are you muttering to yourself? The two of us, the twin gatekeepers, will defeat you!”

The two well-built gatekeepers looked exactly alike. The only difference is that the colors of their armor are blue and red. Their face looked exactly like the Nio statue, and they exuded an air of intimidation that could silence even a crying child. However, when I look at their status, it appeared that they are not a big deal. At best, they can boast being a high human.

““Muooh!””

The two of them fall to the ground with a thud. There is no need to fight them. I used paralyzing eye and incapacitated them both.

“I’ll go on then.”

I pushed the wooden gate and it slowly opened. I instructed the griffon to wait here, and then I stepped inside the castle.

“It’s too quiet… Haven’t they noticed the commotion outside?”

With the sound of my footsteps, I searched for the room where the king is. At this time, he should be sleeping in his bedroom, but I can’t find it. There are too many rooms. I opened each door and checked, but I only saw someone sleeping in a chair, several people wearing black robes laughing while killing birds on a magic square, and even a bed that was shaking. The king is nowhere to be seen.

“As expected, he is in the upper floor. I should narrow down where to look.”

As I moved upstairs, I ran into a knight in the hallway. As soon as he sees my appearance, he draws his sword and slashes at me. With a spinal reflex, I drew my sword and parried his sword.

“I can’t believe that a demon has entered the royal castle. As a knight under His Majesty’s direct command, I will kill you immediately!”

“Hoh-, so you’re a royal knight guard huh. Tell me where the king is then.”

“I won’t tell you that!”

The young knight, who must be in his early twenties, kicks me in the stomach while standing close to me. However, because I possess the Impact Nullification skill, his blow is no use at all.

“Ugee!?”

In return, I gave him a light belly punch. His armor dented in the shape of a fist and the young knight knelt on the floor holding his stomach. When he was incapacitated, I activated my Dictatorship skill and asked him a question.

“Where is the king?”

“Ugh… in-… in the throne room…”

Throne room? I immediately thought of the place where he holds his audience. I don’t know much about castles, but the room he just talked about should be usually large. If so, it is very likely that it is installed on the first or second floor.

“I got to look for a big door then. Thank you for your help.”

“D-Damn it… I’m a knight under His Majesty’s direct command…”

I tapped the knight on the shoulder and moves on. He’s still young. He should use today’s failure as a springboard to live. As I walked down the hallway, I found a majestic door. It was decorated with gold and it depicted elves, dwarves, wingmen, beastmen and dragoneuts kneeling in front of a figure resembling a human sitting on a throne. However, for some reason, human bones are standing near the human. They hold a spear too.

No, wrong. It’s a skeleton. It is a picture of a human subduing a magical beast and forcing the five races to prostate before him.

“What does this mean though? Why a skeleton?”

As if in response to my question, the heavy door opens on its own. At the far end of the room, I saw a man sitting on a throne.

“Welcome, my kingdom’s most wanted criminal.”

The man wearing a crown seemed to be welcoming me with open arms. His body is as fat as a pig, and his sticky gaze makes me feel disgusted. This is King Logas. The pinnacle of humans.

“It looks like you were expecting me to come.”

“Gufufu, I knew when you attacked the royal capital. It would be a disgrace to the royal family if I didn’t welcome the guest.”

“A guest you say?”

“Indeed. I guess you came here because of the bounty. I am a generous person. I’ll at least listen to what you have to say.”

I feel something unfathomable from King Logas. I, who should have an overwhelming advantage, is now under pressure. Sweat dripped from my forehead.

【Analysis Result: Sodom Logas: Lord of the Kingdom of Logas. Contrary to his appearance, he possesses high intelligence and physical abilities. He has assassinated his 20 brothers in the past. Rarity: SS, Overall Ability: A】

【Status】  Name: Sodom Logas  Age: 67 years old  Race: Primordial Human  Occupation: King  Magic Attribute: Water Magic: Aqua Arrow, Aqua Cure, Spearrain, Aquarius Recovery  Skills:  ▹Special: Search ▹Advanced: Appraisal, Clairvoyance, ▹Intermediate: Impact Nullification, Intimidation ▹Beginner: Spear Emperor Technique, Limit Breakthrough, Slash Nullification, Dictatorship  Evolution: Conditions are not met.  < Evolution Conditions: Spear Divine Technique (Beginner Level), Limit Breakthrough (Special Level), Self-Regeneration (Beginner Level), Awakening (Beginner Level) >

As far as the status is concerned, I don’t think I am inferior. However, the impact nullification and slash nullification skill seem to be a threat. When it comes to the race, it’s impossible to even tell what characteristics he possessed.

“Are you looking at my status? How is it? Great, right?”

“Why is it that your ability is so high? Isn’t it normal for a king to be inferior to his royal knight guard?”

“That’s a stupid question. It’s because I’m the king. Knights are just decorations after all. A true ruler must also be at the top of his or her own power. Well, I don’t hate strong pawns.”

 King Logas takes a sip from the glass he holds in his right hand. There was sparkling water in it.

“I see, it’s the saint water huh. I’ve heard that all the water sources are monopolized by the royal family.”

“Wouldn’t it be foolish to share the mysterious water with the commoners? I think you can understand my feelings.”

 It’s a painful word to hear. Indeed, I too, want to keep that water a secret. This is because it is my biggest advantage. It was all thanks to saint water that I was able to build the foundation of my life. I am discomfited, but I partially agree with the king’s words.

“There’s nothing to worry about. The kings of the six kingdoms all have a monopoly on the Saint Water in their territory. It’s not that you’re special.”

 It makes sense. The imperial royal family also had an unnaturally high status. Considering that the conditions were the same as mine, the difficulty can be explained.

“Now that we know the secret of our strength, let’s get down to business. I would like that you remove the bounty on our heads.”

“Fine, but there are conditions in return.”

“Mmm, tell me.”

“Homeless can only be under my direct control. And of course, that’s not all. You will receive the title of Hero and marry my daughter.”

No matter how I look at it, it’s insane. He branded me as a criminal and now he says that he will give me the title of hero. It’s like he just returned the palm of his hand. Moreover, I was stunned and speechless about marrying a princess.

“At first, I was annoyed with you guys. But I changed my mind after seeing tonight’s amazing military strength. To take down my capital city in one night, you are worthy of becoming my pawn. Gufufu, I’ll praise you for that. You have shown me your worth.”

“Do you not really care even if your city is conquered?”

“Your abilities are excellent, but in my mind, you’re nothing but a servant. No matter how much the parasites living under my feet disappear, I won’t have any feelings for them. I’m the king and the Kingdom of Logas itself.”

Did he just call his people, parasites? In this case, the empire’s emperor was better. Emperor Dragnil was obsessed with hegemony, but he still saw his people as people. It makes me sick to think that I spilled so much blood to protect this man.

 The king continues to speak,

“I’m going to appoint you as the overall commander of the invasion operation. You shall lead those skeletons and restore back our former glory.”

“Invasion? To the five kingdoms?”

“That’s right. Five thousand years ago, we humans, were defeated by them. Until then, we were a superpower that ruled the continent. Why should we, their descendants, be content with such a small kingdom? Isn’t that unreasonable? That is why we have to get it back. I should sit in the original throne.”

“I refuse. I don’t have the intention of accepting such ridiculous proposal.”

“Then, are you’re saying it’s okay with you that you remain to knows as a criminal? Don’t you want to become a hero?”

“I’m not interested. I’ve decided to get rid of you.”

I smoothly draw my sword. It’s ironic that I will be the one to kill the king of the kingdom I protected. But now that I’ve heard those words, I can’t leave him alone. He wants to raise another war for his own self-interest.

“Negotiations have broken down. I’ve given you a chance and you rejected it. For a beast that does not understand my merciful heart, I’ll grant you a death you well-deserved.”

King Logas commanded, “Kill him!”

Then, from behind the throne, two skeletons with metallic bodies suddenly appeared. Unlike the silver skeleton, the surface of its body is a smooth mirror surface made of stainless steel, and both eyes have blue light. The sword held in his right hand reflects a dazzling light, perhaps made of the same material.

“Magical beasts… you subdued them?”

“This is the legacy handed down to our royal family. With their advanced technique skills, their superpower has strengthened, and they subdued these skeletons. They are harder than steel and possesses high offensive skills, it can carry out any command. It’s a lost art now though.”

“I see. That’s why you set your eyes on Professor Jill. That is also why the dungeon of the dead is full of skeletons.”

“If you know about the dungeon of the dead, then your army must have been taken from there. That mass grave was an important military force that the royal family was preparing to once again pacify the world. I was planning to have Professor Jill create an army of hundreds of thousands of immortals. I didn’t expect you to get ahead of me.”

Did the humans’ created superpowers because they wanted to lead an army of immortals?

I finally got it right. Even if I don’t intend to do it, I can say that I was imitating the ways of humans in the past. But even knowing that, I won’t let go of the skeleton army. I am me. Like I care!

““Katakata!””

The two skeletons slashed at me.

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

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