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

After the meeting is successfully completed, I decided to return to the room that has been lent to us. On the way there, I was approached by Eva, the representative of the guild committee.

“Shinichi Tanaka, right?”

“Are you implying something by calling me that? Do you need something from me?”

“It’s not really that I need something from you. I just want to talk to the true ruler of Logas kingdom. I mean, the guy who had his clone play as King Logas.”

I was horrified.

Tanaka α was not at fault of course. He wouldn’t have said anything that would reveal our identity. However, Eva had seen through the relationship between me and the current king.

Eva smiles deeply, as if enjoying my reaction.

“I am not trying to do anything, I am just interested in you.”

“Interested? Now that you said that, I also want to know why a former demon king is at the top of the guild.”

Hearing that, she led me to a bench in the hallway. I guess it means to sit down and talk. Eva sat down on a bench and stared at the cloudy blue sky through the window in front of her. At the meeting, she said that she liked the human world, but would she really betray her fellow demon kings and God? I really want to know her true intentions.

“I like humans, both as food and as pets. Do you know what kind of demon I am?”

“Do you mean your race?”

“Yes. If you know that, you will naturally find the answer why I betrayed my comrades.”

I thought about it for a while. This is because she does not have any such peculiar characteristics in her appearance. Except that she is an extremely beautiful girl…… No, on the contrary, it may be a hint. The monster I once encountered looked no different from a human.

“Are you a vampire?”

“You’re right. I am the Queen of Vampires and the Progenitor. Humans call me black princess.”

She opened her pink lips slightly, revealing her sharply pointed fangs. But I still don’t get why she betrayed her allies. I wonder if it’s because she’s a vampire.

“Vampires cannot survive without drinking human blood, and the other demon kings insisted that humanity should be annihilated. But if they do so, my clan will be in danger of extinction.”

“That’s why you betrayed them?”

“It would be more correct to say that I left the Demon’s Coalition Army. It is also true that I cooperated with humans by passing useful information to them, but I never joined the human army.”

“Then why are you attacking people now? A vampire who calls himself Federer is hunting adventurers in Mohed’s Great Dungeon you know.”

“I told my clan not to attack people blindly, but there are some misfits who can’t stand that rule. Federer is one of them. He has a radical idea that we should domesticate human beings. I decided to expel him for the sake of the unity of the clan.”

Don’t attack blindly huh…… She’s saying that they haven’t attacked unreasonably.

Eva continued.

“You want to know why I am at the top of the guild, right? It’s simple. It’s a proof of trust I’ve gained by being deeply involved with people. Despite my appearance, I don’t care much about anything other than the survival of the clan. No matter how many of my stupid followers are killed, my heart won’t hurt in the slightest.”

“…. Still, even though you’re saying that, aren’t you planning something? Trying to take over the world by becoming the ruler of the guild, perhaps?”

“It’s the other way around. I protect humanity. In order not to be eradicated, I made them cooperate and thought them how to fight. Looks like you are having a misunderstanding here, but in the first place, the guild is an organization that I proposed to humans and made it happen.”

I was more astonished than ever. She just said that the guild was an organization created by a demon.

“You seem to be surprised. Most people’s mouths drop open when I tell them this. Yes, just like you now.”

She giggles as she looks at my face. Anyone who hears such a story would indeed expose their silly look. An organization to exterminate demons was founded by a demon. But if that’s the case, it’s understandable why she has so much power in the guild. It is natural for the founder of a guild to sit at the top.

“Now then, enough about me, tell me about yourself, where did you get that robe and bangle?”

“Robe and bangle?”

I wonder why she asked about my magic tools? I then told the story of how I got it, hiding the story of the dumpster site.

“—you picked it up?”

“Yes. I picked it up.”

“……God may have chosen this man.”

She mumbles.

I’ve been wondering for a while, but who exactly is the “God” she is talking about? When I was about to ask about it, Eva stood up without warning.

“That’s about it for today. I’ll tell you about him again another day. Oh, and make sure you have enough energy to fight the angels. See you then.”

She patted me on the shoulder before leaving.

　◇◇◇

When I returned to the room, for some reason, I saw Dodol and Vishu drinking on the sofa.

At the window, Queen Diana and Sir Frederia are talking to Erna, and on the floor, Freya is rubbing Pero’s back with a sloppy face. Liz was asleep in the dark cloud, floating near the ceiling.

The room lent by the guild is about eight tatami mats, which is not that big. It feels even smaller now that so many people gathered in an already small space.

“Hey, Shinichi. Please excuse the intrusion.”

“If this would be the case, we should have held a meeting here.”

“Hahaha you can say that. We should have gathered in this room from the beginning.”

“No, I meant it as a joke……”

As I was stunned by Dodol’s words, there is a knock on the door.

Someone is still coming?

With that in mind, I opened the door and saw the King of Winged men holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand.

“I’ve been wanting to have a drink with you for a while and I’d love to hear from you about the time you defeated the Gigantworm on your own.”

“O-oh…… I don’t mind that but……”

“Hn? It seems to be quite noisy, are you busy?”

The King of winged  men peers behind me and is shocked. The rulers of the three kingdom are gathered in a small room. It’s also in the room of a man who is not royalty or anything. It would indeed be very unusual for the kings to visit with a drink.

My senses are becoming numb.

When Dodol and Vishu noticed the King of winged men, they invited him in without my permission and began a banquet for the three of them. I’m sure they’ll soon tell me to get a snack.

“By the way, did Shinichi talk to Eva?”

“Yes. Just a little bit after the meeting. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that a demon had created a guild.”

“I suppose every royal family hears that story directly from Eva after they ascend the throne. And you have to make a choice. Either go against the guild or coexist with each other and share the benefits. I don’t think Shinichi knows, but the guild pays a ridiculous amount of taxes. That’s a lot of money that would be a shame if it disappeared.”

“Is that the price of being a victim of vampires?”

“Well, it’s true I’m overlooking some things but it is not like I am giving my people to the vampires. If it’s going to cause harm, I’m going to kill them of course. I’m not going to be at the mercy of that woman.”

Dodol said before taking a sip from his glass. Then Vishu added to the story.

“It seems that most vampires only take blood from humans, and that Eva also pays money to those who gave up their blood, promising not to kill them. In other words, vampires who kill people are criminals who deserve to be killed by us.”

“Then, shouldn’t we inform the public?”

“No. Careful preparation is required before making this fact known. Otherwise, it will cause unnecessary chaos. Eva seems to think that it is possible to coexist with humans, but she says that there is still a lack of awareness and technology for it. She mentioned something about a pseudo-blood.”

Pseudo-blood? It’s the world of a science fiction novel I read somewhere. In order not to want human blood, a substitute must have been needed. Eva may be looking far into the future. Even so, I feel uncomfortable with the way Dodol and Vishu talk nonchalantly. Still, both of them are good kings who care about their people.

“Are you dissatisfied with the current guild? As long as Eva is at the top, the humans will be targeted by vampires.”

“Not to say that Eva is a hard worker and a kind woman. She had many discussions with me, something about things she was not satisfied with but each time, she has made concessions. Therefore, I have made concession on that one point as well.”

“It’s the same with me. I agreed on the condition that they share the blood of my people. But if they happen to kidnap or kill even one of my people, they will be targeted. I also have detailed orders such as not sucking children’s blood.”

I’m convinced. Is this what Eva meant when she said she was deeply involved with people? By facing people sincerely, she gained their trust even though she was a demon. I feel that my impression of Eva has changed a little in the midst of this.

Then there is a knock on the door again.

Has anyone come again? The room is already full...

When I opened the door, there was the figure of King Logas, my clone.

“I have something to talk about, come over for a minute.”

“……I get it.”

After telling Dodol and the others that I would be back soon, I left the room. King Logas(Tanaka α) then talked to me by the window in the hallway while looking out.

“I talked to Eva earlier, she recognized me as Shinichi Tanaka’s clone.”

“I know that. She also talked to me.”

“So, did you check her status?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

“Just as I thought. Be sure to do it the next time you see her. You’ll find out the true identity of that vampire named Eva.”

True identity of the vampire? What did he mean?

Tanaka α continues,

“More than that, the problem is what I heard from her. If it’s true, it’s going to be big news that will shake the world.”

“Don’t beat around the bush, talk quickly.”

“Great Mage Moore is still alive!”

“Ha?”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t say anything more.

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

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Six leaders of the royal family sit at the round table.

King of Logas, Sodom Logas (Tanaka α )

Queen of Sanargia, Diana Ruberia

King of Naji, Vishu Budi

King of Dartan,  Dodol Le Grint

King of Kycilia, Cesar Zebul

Estent Empire Empress,  Scathach Dragnil

According to reports, it was the first time in 1,000 years that the leaders of each kingdom had come together. Perhaps the scene I am now seeing is a historic moment. However, everyone is silent as if they are watching the situation. With such situation, Dodol broke the silence and started talking.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect Logas and Estent to come. This is not relevant in a kingdom where there are no Sacred Beasts after all.”

“I don’t think so. Even without a Sacred Beast, there is enough significance to participate in this conference. In particular, our kingdom recognizes the urgent need to improve relations with the other kingdoms.”

“Improving Relationships…… Haa! I didn’t expect that to come out of Logas. Especially from that Logas Royal family who betrayed us dwarves and did whatever they wanted with the treasure.”

“That story should have ended when the predecessor of the great power perished. I also heard that they were forced to pay a large amount of reparations and apologized many times. If we drag the past forever, we will not be able to solve the problems that are currently underway.”

“Shut up! How dare you claim that weapon that our ancestors painstakingly crafted― I’m going to blow you up!”

Vishu wraps his wings around Dodol when he stands up. As expected, King Logas seemed to be quite hated. The other kings also cast cold stares at him. They may not know it, but the person sitting as king in front of them is my clone. The person they should vent their anger to is already dead.

“……It is true that there may be sins that neither the Empire nor Logas kingdom can wipe away. That’s why we want a chance. Please give us a chance to regain our lost credibility. Please do it for the sake of one’s own kingdom, and for the sake of the people who live in this world.”

“So the Empress says. What would you do, King Dartan?”

“Kuu…… I get it! I’m the one who sent the letter in the first place! I understand that there’s no point in digging and yelling at him now!”

Breaking free from Vishu’s grasp, Dodol takes a seat. The Empress exhaled, as if relieved by the situation. Mmm. As expected from the one who organized the Empire after its defeat. She made it seem like she was following the Logas kingdom, but in reality, she put the kingdom in the same position as the empire. With this, the Kingdom will be treated on the same level as the Empire, the only defeated nation in the last war. On top of that, the situation where Scathach will be unilaterally blamed by the five kingdoms was avoided.

She glanced over at me, who was listening to their conversation while leaning against the wall of the room. She seems to be concerned about my reaction. Well, I guess she’s scared of the man who killed his father.

“I didn’t come all the way to a place like this to hear a pointless conversation. If this farce continues, Sanargia will let our own kingdom protect our Sacred Beast.”

“I agree with the Queen of Sanargia, a kingdom that still has a Sacred Beast should not engage in idle talks and waste time. We should take measures against the mysterious enemy as soon as possible.”

“I’m sorry King Dartan, but I also feel the same way. We don’t know how powerful the angels are, we don’t have the time or luxury to be selective about our allies. While we’re doing this, our kingdom’s sacred beasts may be in danger.”

The queen of Sanargia, the king of Kycilia and the king of Naji complains to Dodol. King Dartan, who was blamed by the three kingdoms, blushed and clenched his fists. Unable to see him like that, I approached him from behind and then I put my hand on his shoulder.

I understand what your feeling, but now is the time to be patient. Calm your anger, Dodol.

“Now that the six kingdoms are here, let’s leave other things behind and get straight to business. I am Shinichi Tanaka. I will be the overall commander of the Allied forces this time. From this crowd, this should be King Kycilia’s first time to meet me, right?”

“I have heard about you from the previous king of wingedmen. I am Cesar Zebul, the newly crowned king of the Holy Kingdom of Kycilia. I’ll be as amiable as my predecessor.”

“I’ll do the same. By the way, is your predecessor still alive?”

“Don’t worry, my father is as energetic as ever. Now he is living a leisurely life in the fields.”

I felt a little relieved. I was worried about whether the previous King of winged men would be able to participate in the conference due to his advanced age, but it seems that he had already handed over the throne to his son and lived a carefree old age. I hope that a peaceful life will round out that perverse personality a little.

Then, Dodol, who has calmed down, finally mentions the meeting.

“Anyway, let’s get on with the conversation so we don’t waste any time. Ahem, as you can see, I’m an emotional guy. I’m not suited to be the host. So I asked the right person to play the role. Hey, come on in.”

Following Dodol’s voice, a girl enters the room. She is about 150 cm tall and her glossy black hair, which was about the length of her waist, reflected the light. Her slender light-skinned body was covered with a bright red dress that looked like blood, and she was holding a folded black parasol in her left hand. A frighteningly well-groomed appearance and red eyes. Her piercing gaze made the people in the room tense for a moment. Then the girl looked at me and raised the corner of her mouth slightly.

“Let me introduce you to Eva Kreis, the head of the Guild Committee. I’m sure many of you meet her for the first time, so I’ll explain it briefly. She is the head of the guild headquarters. In other words, she is the boss of the guild.”

“That’s a terrible explanation. I am just a representative of the committee, I am not worthy to be dubbed as the boss.”

“But that’s not a lie. You are a monster that has lived for thousands of years and has been in the representative position for hundreds of years.”

“And you’re still a brat who doesn’t treat me like a lady or treat me as a person. But that’s okay. I am not narrow-minded enough to be blindsided by that degree. I’ll tolerate it.”

Ava smiles fearlessly as she takes her seat. I was inwardly breaking out in a cold sweat. Not only was she said to be a being that has lived for thousands of years, but she was also the head of the guild. It’s not surprising to feel like this.

But those present did not seem to be too fazed.

“The Empress of Estent, the King of Kycilia and the man there…… King Logas was the ones I’m meeting for the first time huh. I’ve met the others. By the way, the reason why I was called in this way was to moderate from a neutral standpoint. It’s just for the sake of progress. You see, if unskilled people get together, it will only lead to unskilled discussions.”

“Wait. I give full acknowledgement to Shinichi Tanaka for his great service to the last war. However, I absolutely do not want to include a child like her who makes such false claims that she has lived for several thousand years in this conference!”

King Kycilia struck the round table and spoke. Without breaking her fearless smile, Ava quickly stretched her right hand forward.

“Agggh!? W-what is this tightening of the chest!?”

“Well, I just got your heart in my hands you see. This is the most effective way to deal with brash brats like you. Look, if you don’t retract your statement, you’re going to die.”

“Ugii…… Agh! Su-…… ender!”

“Hn? What? Oh-, you are surrendering now.”

She then frees King Kycilia. Just now, she treats both Dodol and King Kycilia as children, but both of them are almost middle-aged. If it’s true that she’s been around for thousands of years, then everyone in this room should look young to her. Maybe it’s the feeling of disciplining a child.

“I’m done talking nonsense. I’m going to start the meeting. First of all, I’ll ask Dartan to give me a detailed explanation of that angel thing and the like.”

“O-oh… Well, that guy pretended to be a demon and caught my Silva by surprise. Luckily, Shinichi and the others were present that time so we avoided the loss of the sacred beast. But I’m sure there’s more than just one angel. They’ll surely come back.”

“Then, that guy over there. Shinichi, right? How did you feel about fighting an angel?”

“How is it……? Hmmm, I thought the enemy was formidable. If there is more than one, there is no doubt that I’ll end up dead. And I feel like there’s still a higher being to that one. At least above the angels, there is surely a presiding deity. A guy called Goma.”

The room fell silent.

After the angels, God is next. It was so unreal that everyone seemed to need time to come to terms with it. Except for one person.

“Good! Isn’t it interesting fighting against God? I am in favor of fighting the angels to protect the Sacred Beast! It’s an all-out war!”

Ava is eager to fight. The moderator is supposed to be neutral, but she is more of a militant than anyone else which is a bit troubling…. Anyway, whatever it is, she is the person Dodol recommended to be the host.

For the time being, I’m going to put my questions here. This is probably the question on everyone’s mind as well.

“Question. Why would an angel want to kill the Six Sacred Beasts? What are the Sacred Beasts?”

“Mmm, it’s a question that gets to the heart of it…… Do you know that there is a wall in the sky?”

“Yes. I remember hitting an invisible wall that I couldn’t see far up in the sky.”

“Then this conversation would be easy. The Sacred Beasts set up that barrier to protect this world. It’s a strong barrier that can’t be entered or exited from the inside or outside.”

“Then… the purpose of the angels is….”

“Remove that barrier.”

There is a buzz in the room. It must have been the first time for even the royalty to hear the truth. However, when I heard her words, a new question came to mind.

“Then, where did the angels come from? If that is indeed the case, they should also be inside the barrier from the beginning.”

“No. They should have invaded from the outside. In the past, this would not have happened, but the current barrier is frayed by the lack of Sacred Beasts. If even one more is defeated, it is safe to assume that the barrier will be nullified.”

“I see. Then I’ll ask you one more question. Why do you know so much about the barrier? Furthermore, you talk as if it was natural for an angel to invade from the outside.”

At my new question, Eva’s eyes squinted, and the corners of her mouth raised sharply.

“Well, it’s a simple story. I was formerly one of the Demon Kings who tried to kill sacred beasts in a battle called the Human-Demon War. I know this world better, and I of course know more about angelic beings than you do.”

I involuntarily reached for my sword. The Demon Kings are like the over-all general of demons. In other words, it is the enemy of humanity. However, the only one who made such reaction on this occasion was me.

“In the Kycilia royal family, it is essential to learn the history of the Human Demon War, and it was written that there was once a demon king who defected to the humans. I never thought you really existed.”

“Even the Imperial Family learns from the Great War. Once upon a time, four great demons invaded with the aim of supremacy on this world and the elimination of all sacred beasts. However, one of them betrayed and the battle situation changed drastically. Humans then gained the upperhand and it was written in the ancient documents that humanity then succeeds in defeating the demon army.”

“I, I didn’t know….…”

I take that back.

My clone, King Logas, was in a cold sweat. After all, it is just an outside appearance, it is still me within. I may be pretending to be a king and gathering a lot of information, but it is not something that can be covered in a few months or so. Luckily, this is the first time that Eva and King Logas have met, so that should have been able to prevent my disguise from being exposed.

Ava continues.

“It was because I liked the human world. Although I feel bad for my companions, I still changed my mind. That was more than 5,000 years ago. I don’t like old stories, so I’ll leave it at that.”

“No wait, one more thing. Why did the great demons tried to break the barrier? Is that also the reason why angels do the same thing?”

“No, probably not. We intended to liberate our Lord, but it makes more sense to think that the angels had other purposes. There should be an emergency going on that requires the barrier to be lifted.”

“Do we still have to figure it out?”

“It was God who created the sacred beasts in the first place, then so is the barrier.”

I started having a headache now. To sum it up, it means that the sacred beasts that protect this world have put up the barrier and a being called God created them. But now, in order to break the barrier, an angel of God is trying to kill the sacred beasts.

It’s useless. I don’t really understand what they meant to do.

“Don’t think too hard. We just need to protect the Sacred Beast from the angels.”

“What happens if the barrier is breached?”

“Angels are inherently incapable of harming humans…… From what I’ve heard from you so far, they are 180 degrees different from the angels that I knew. In other words, I have no idea what they are going to do. All I know is that if we don’t do it right, this world could be destroyed.”

Does protecting the Sacred Beasts mean protecting humanity?

As Eva said, if we don’t know the enemy’s true purpose, we have no choice but to defend ourselves. Of course, even if there was no harm to humanity, I wouldn’t sit idly by and watch the sacred beasts be killed.

After that, I and the others proceeded with the meeting and formulated a sacred beast defense strategy.

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

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After the new great treasure was created, we decided to deliver Dodol’s letters to each kingdom.

Here’s the content: Half a month later, an emergency meeting will be held at the Guild Headquarters, so the leaders of each kingdom must gather as soon as possible. In addition to that, the events that took place in Dartan were also described in detail, highlighting that the Sacred Beasts are in danger.

It’s unclear how many kingdom will respond, but for now, we can only hope that they will believe in it and come together.

“Hachuu!”

“Here, I’ll lend you a robe. With this, you won’t be cold.”

“Thank you. Hey Liz, don’t come inside the robe!”

“I get sleepy when it’s cold. You can get on my dark cloud so let me stay in here too.”

Erna and Liz wrapped themselves in my robe as we fly. Behind us, Freya was flying with Pero in her arms using her telekinesis.

“There’s a griffon so you don’t have to hold me you know….…”

“No. If I can cuddle Pero-sama’s fluffy, I Freya, will fly continuously even if I vomit blood.”

“On the contrary, it’s scary you know. Your eyes are bloodshot too.”

By the way, Rodman returned to Mana first. He said that he was worried about the family he left behind. I think he’s a good father.

We are now on our way to the Elpion Mountains, which rise to the east of the kingdom of Logas. Our goal is to go to the headquarters of the Adventurer’s Guild, which is said to be located halfway up the Grand Mountain, the highest spiritual peak in this mountain range. The next step is to participate in the Six-Kingdom Summit to be held there.

I could already see a series of snowy mountains that seemed to touch the sky in my field of vision, and in the center of it was the majestic spiritual peak Grand Mountain, looking down on us.

The contrast between the white mountains and the blue sky is truly beautiful. If I have a camera with me, I would like to take at least one photo of such scenery.

“I wonder if there really is a general headquarters in such a snowy mountain like this? I have only heard rumors about it, but I have never actually seen it.”

“Dodol said it in a way that made it sound like he had been there. There’s no doubt about its existence.”

“I mean, the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters is quite a scary organization shrouded in mystery. Other than the fact that the committee is in charge of everything there, we don’t know anything else. It’s a huge organization that even the six kingdoms can’t afford to touch.”

If you ask me, it’s certainly true. Although we use it casually, I really don’t know anything about the guild headquarters. To be precise, I don’t think I even tried to know. If it weren’t for this incident, I might never have gone to the General Headquarters.

“Father, let’s take a break over there, it’s close to the middle of the hill.”

“That’s fine. Alright, we’re going down.”

In response to Pero’s words, I gave instructions to my companions.

Grand Mountain has a winding trail with several rest points along the way. There are sturdy huts that will withstand a snowstorm, and inside of it was equipped with a bed to sleep on and a hearth to light a fire. There are also blankets but it was thin and you couldn’t expect to keep warm with it. Well, it’s better than nothing.

We decided to light a fire on the hearth and make a hot soup.

“The King of Dartan has arrived first, hasn’t he?”

“Mmm. They left while we were delivering letters to each kingdom so I think they should be busy setting up the venue by now.”

“They are probably preparing for a banquet anyway. Dwarves don’t let go of alcohol at any time. And, it is said that the king of Dartan sleeps with a bottle of alcohol in his arms.”

Erna commented before taking a sip of the steaming soup. It can be. That guy Dodol would say that we could deepen friendship with alcohol. In fact, the dwarven banquet could have already started at the General Headquarters. Feeling such a hunch, I put soup in a bowl and handed it to Pero.

“Thank you. Un, the soup Father made is delicious and warming.”

“That’s good. Come on, Liz and Freya should drink too.”

“I don’t need it. More than that, I’m sleepy….”

“I’ll get it. My body is freezing, and I feel like I’m going to catch a cold.”

Freya, who received the soup, clung to Pero’s body. Normally, she would have been delighted with the fluffiness, but now she seemed desperate to maintain her body temperature as much as possible—no, maybe that’s just my imagination. She looks sloppy as usual.

Just then, I heard the sound of a strong wind from outside. The hut also shakes slightly. When I opened the door and checked it out, it was a snowstorm of pure white. I’ve heard that the weather in the mountains is changeable, and that’s indeed true. It should have been a sunny day earlier, but the sun is completely obscured by clouds now.

“It’s like a blizzard. I guess we can’t move for a while.”

“Eh? Are we stuck here? We are almost there.”

“It can’t be helped. Even just going outside is difficult, we’ll only be in distress due to poor visibility. For the time being, we can only wait here until the snowstorm stops—What is that sound?”

Suddenly, I heard the horse’s neighing from outside the house. Shortly after, the door of the hut we were in was thrown open.

“Oh, there’s someone here! We’re saved!”

“Your Majesty, we don’t know who they are, so why don’t you let me go in first—Erna!!”

Entering the hut were the Queen of Sanargia and Erna’s father, Sir Frederia, dressed in winter clothes. There are three more individual behind them who appeared to be knights. They must have been on their way to the General Headquarters.

Sir Frederia rushed inside the hut and hugged Erna.

“I didn’t expect Erna to come. Oh, my sweet girl!”

“W-wait, let go Father. Everybody’s watching!”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Sir Frederia rubbed his own cheek against Erna’s. As the queen and the knights entered the hut in astonishment, I closed the door and spoke to the queen who seemed to understand the situation.

“Are you all going to the General Headquarters?”

“Yes. We were called by King Dartan. It seems that you are being called too.”

“Yes. Well, let me tell you first, I will also be in command of the Allied forces this time.”

“I’m relieved to hear that. Even if we die, we, Sanargia, don’t want to fight in a coalition led by dwarves.”

The queen smiles as she sits down in front of the hearth.

The discord between the elves and the dwarves seems to be still going on. At this time, it might be a good idea to ask why they are fighting each other. I sat down across the queen and offered her a bowl of soup.

“Thank you. My body is freezing and I couldn’t help but feel chilled.”

“In times like this, we are the same. By the way, I’ve been wondering for a long time, why don’t you get along with the dwarves?”

“……It is said that there was once a big battle between demons and humans known as the Human-Demon War. We, the elves, fought on the front lines alongside with the dwarves at great cost. It seems that the two races in the past were closer than they are now.”

“Were you good friends? Then, why did you guys end up like this?”

“The King of Dartan at that time has been taken hostage by the demons. Their demand is that Sanargia and Dartan withdraw from the battle completely. Dartan decided to accept the terms, but Sanargia refused. As a result, the dwarven king was killed. The elves were then hated by the dwarves.”

“But isn’t that something that can’t be helped? If Sanargia and Dartan retreated, things will go as the demons wanted. That’s what war is all about.”

“The dwarves know that too. However, their feelings were such that they could not forgive us. The slain king was a great man who was adored both at home and abroad. Now, forgetting that reason, the two races continue to fight each other.”

The queen sips the soup after she finished speaking. Even if the reason is forgotten, only the feelings of the ancestors are passed on to future generations. It’s a difficult situation to resolve. However, even so, I think that both Dartan and Sanargia are trying to get closer to each other. They would not have attended this meeting if either of them had been reluctant to do so. It is ironic that war separated them from each other and that they are now meeting again because of war.

“I’ve heard about Erna’s exploits. In this case, you’re on the verge of becoming a Great Mage.”

“I feel like I’m getting closer, but I’m still not good enough. I need to do something bigger to get a recommendation.”

“A letter of recommendation from the royal family to the Guild Committee huh. If so, I’ll ask Her Majesty to make a recommendation.”

“Well, I’m grateful, but I don’t want father’s help. I want to become a great mage in my own way. Besides, I heard that Shinichi told King Logas about me a while ago, and he was told that if I gave a lot of credit, it would be okay to recommend me.”

“Uggh, that guy again!”

Sir Frederia glared at me. His love for Erna is still tremendous as ever. If the queen hadn’t been here, he would have attacked me by now. Well, if that happened, I would have hurt him enough not to kill him.

“Ah, it looks like the snowstorm has subsided.”

Pero, who was checking outside the hut, said. I stood up and looked out through the gap in the door and I indeed felt that the wind had weakened. Sunlight is already shining through the gaps in the clouds in the sky, and it seems that the snowstorm will stop soon. We packed up our things and prepared to leave the hut.

“Alright, the snowstorm has stopped. Let’s head to our destination before nightfall.”

“We’re also leaving. We’ll start the carriage right away.”

When we get out of the hut, the Queen of Sanargia followed us outside. There’s no reason to stay longer in a place like this. We fly through the sky and aim for the middle of the mountain. On the mountain road on the ground, a carriage carrying the queen is running swiftly. As we keep flying along the road, I can now see what looks like a building in my field of vision.

A rainbow-colored dome is covering a white palace surrounded by four towers. It was somewhat similar to the Demon Barrier I had seen in the Kycilian Holy Kingdom. The carriage passed through the dome without difficulty and went inside. We followed and passed through the dome before descending to the entrance of the building. There, the queen had already disembarked from the carriage.

“You’ve arrived too huh. I envy that you can fly.”

“I think that if you evolve, you’ll get these abilities as well. By the way, I haven’t heard of your name yet, Queen of Sanargia.”

“Come to think of it, I didn’t recall introducing myself properly. I’m Diana Ruberia, the priestess of the Sacred Tree and the queen of Sanargia. You can call me Diana.”

I shook hands with the queen before heading to the front door. At the entrance, there were two strong men who seemed to be guards. However, we easily passed them and got inside without being asked about our identity. Since Diana is with us, he may have been thought to be related to Sanargia.

The inside of the building was simple. There is one staircase leading up to the entrance hall. There is also a bench that can be used for resting. Since it was the general headquarters of the guild, I saw many people who seemed to be staff members holding documents.

“Oh, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you!”

A particularly loud voice echoed in the hall. Running down the stairs is Dodol with a mug in his hand. As expected, taking advantage of the waiting time, it seems that they were having a banquet.

He greeted me and led me to a large room. There was a round table and a large space that could accommodate a hundred people. A few dwarves and beastmen are drinking on the floor, and at the round table, a familiar face is drinking amber liquor from a glass.

It’s King Naji’s Vishu. He smiled when he noticed me.

“Shinichi! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“It’s been a long time, Vishu.”

We hugged and rejoiced at the reunion. ……Even so, he seems to be wearing a lot of clothes. The clothes made his body look bigger than usual. Well, he grew up in a tropical country, and the environment of this snowy mountain must be terrible for him.

“It must have been very cold outside. Let’s warm ourselves up with a drink until the rest of the royals get together.”

“Sure. By the way, are Sanargia, Naji, and Dartan the only ones here?”

“No, Kycilia has already arrived. She is now warming up in another room. It’s a hotter environment over there than Naji, so the cold in the mountains seems unbearable.”

“Well, we can’t do anything about it because it’s the environment you guys grew up in. Alright, let me have a drink too.”

Me and Vishu sat down and poured alcohol into our glass. Soon, Dodol sits down with us and the three of us made a toast.

“Men went to have a party right away. I wonder if it’s instinct.”

“Hmm, I guess that’s the way it is. But I don’t hate it when they are being lively.”

“Pero-sama, I heard from the staff that they will lend you a room for free. Let’s take a rest there.”

“This place reeks of alcohol and smells of men’s body odor.”

My companions left the room and moved to another room. Sanargia and her party also decided that they could not stay in this room, so they left. After that, we continued the banquet until midnight with a lot of talk.

The next day, a meeting was held among the leaders of each kingdom.

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

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My revenge was over, and I couldn’t get my job done for a while. I have no memory of how I spent the first year after Julia’s death. I woke up when I saw Adam strolling in the mansion with Eve in his arms. Unlike me, my son lived his life looking forward.

(Ryan’s work isn’t done yet! Just how long will you leave the children alone!?)

Yes, I felt that Julia had scolded me.

From then on, I did my job and childcare as if to make up for the delay. I can’t take the place of their mother. Still, I poured my love and affection to them as hard as I could, like how Julia would have done. I made bread that she had never baked before, referring to the recipe left by Julia, and performed a lullaby that Julia often sang even though Adam teased me. I learned how to sew. I made a number of stuffed animals for Eve and re-sewed Adam’s clothes when he came home with them torn up.

Basically, I asked the housekeeper to cook the food, but on my days off, I stood in the kitchen and let the children eat what I made. I even went to a small party with knights and acquaintances. It was my little pleasure to see Adam and Eve look proud as they enjoyed my home-cooked meals.

Adam entered the Royal Primary School. The school was in the Royal Capital so only Adam was left at our parents’ house. It was lonely living apart, but Julia and I have our parents, so I wasn’t too worried. Additionally, I had about three knights on duty to watch over him, so if anything happened, they would report to me immediately.

However, Eve cries a lot because she can’t get used to a life without her brother. Therefore, I made a holiday and took Eve to the Royal Capital.

Then Eve entered primary school. At the same time, Adam entered high school. I had been living without the children for a long time. However, I went in the Royal Capital four times a month. By this time, the management of the territory was stable enough to be entrusted to others.

However, there was one thing that I didn’t like. At Julia’s father’s urging, Adam was apprenticed to the Fluffy Hermit, our master. I objected inwardly, but it was true that the hermit had made me so strong, so I decided to send my son to Master. Fortunately, Adam didn’t have a talent for fluffy, but he did have a talent for the sword. Master said, “He’s Ryan’s son after all” and it ended as a natural result. Adam is a wise and strong-minded child, just like me.

Eve also went to the dojo. She wants to imitate what her brother does. I objected, but I had no choice but to allow her when she brought Julia up. Master looked at Eve and said, “You have the talent for Fluffy, and you have Julia’s blood in you.”

I wet my pillow with tears that day.

Adam graduated from high school. When I asked him what he was going to do, he said he wanted to take over my estate. I almost burst into tears. It was only natural that my son would take over the patrimony, but I was glad that he said so himself. However, I dared to say, “You will take over later, but first, you should take your time and learn about the lives of the people in the province.”

I’m not even old enough to retire yet. It’s not so easy to retire, right?

Eve then graduated from high school. By this time, she was a woman of her age, and there was someone she is in relationship with. It seems that the other party is the son of Duke Medil. According to the results of my investigation from the shadows, it seems that he has a good personality and is single-minded, and his grades are quite good.

Well, his swordsmanship isn’t that great, but on the contrary, Eve is skilled, so it wasn’t a bad combination. It is a double circle after all. Eve was married before Adam. My daughter was taken. I felt like that and cried at the wedding. I looked next to me, and Adam was crying too, we hugged each other and bowled our eyes out. Eve had grown up so beautifully that she could be said to be a second version of Julia.

She is a bride that everyone admires. She thanked me for raising her in behalf of her mother. She said that when she was having a hard time, when she was happy, when she was lonely, I was always there for her. Eve has grown up. That’s how I felt. I finally fulfilled one of my promises to Julia.

Then Adam plans to get married. Eve had a child. Two big news made me jump up in joy. At last, I became a grandfather. Adam even gave me more surprise when he said that his partner is already pregnant. The other party is the daughter of a countess whom he met when he was a student. I was caught off guard by the lack of investigation on my son’s relationship. I met her and had a conversation with her. She was a good child. I allowed her to marry into the Doris family.

My grandson called me “Grandpa” for the first time. At the same time as I was feeling happy and contented, I wondered if I had already reached such an age. It feels like a long time ago when I was living in Tokyo.

I’m happy. There may not be more.

However, if I could wish for one more thing, I would like to apologize to Tanaka-san in person. I didn’t understand what I was feeling then. I just thought I wanted to work with him again if I could still hope for it. I am Ryan Doris, and I am Yasuhiko Kanzaki after all.

“Ryan-sama, I have something to report to you.”

The former knight commander, who became my butler, stands by my side and made a report. According to his report, there are apparently a party of adventurers who has made a name for themself in Mana. Moreover, it is said that there is a sacred beast among them.

I ordered them to be called at once. Sacred Beast. It is a great guardian beast. It is said that the existence of one such beast is enough to make the kingdom safe for a thousand years.

I sat down on a chair in the garden and looked up at the blue sky. I don’t know what kind of adventurer the party leader is, but I have to find out if he deserves to raise a sacred beast. This kingdom where my family lives must be kept alive and developed at all costs. That is my last duty as a nobleman.

At that time, I didn’t know anything. Even more so, I didn’t expect to fall on the ground and be thrown away by Tanaka-san.

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

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“Answer me. Who paid you?”

“…………”

“I see. Looks like it’s not enough.”

I once again pressed a dripping wet towel on the face of the assassin who is tied to the chair with his head faced upwards. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. I’ll make sure to make him talk.  Like magma, a rising anger swirled inside me.

Julia’s funeral ended with only her relatives. Adam couldn’t comprehend that his mother was gone, and he tried to wake her up by shaking her who stayed motionless, and Eve, who was less than a year old, was sleeping peacefully in my arms. Bowing down and putting my head on the ground, I apologized to Julia’s parents. I vowed that I’ll make her happy and I would be with her until we grew old and died. Her parents gently helped me to stand and said that their daughter was happy.

That kindness was painful. I wanted them to call me a liar, abuse and beat me. I broke my promise.

It was only when I came at this point that I painfully understood Tanaka-san’s feelings. To lose something so important that can be said to be a part of oneself is to suffer from a feeling of emptiness that drives you insane. In that hole in the chest, people have to stuff something into it to survive.

I’m very angry. Anger directed at the one who killed my wife. After the funeral, I left my work and children to someone else and spent the whole week torturing the assassin I had captured.

Who sent him and why? Just why!?

I haven’t slept thinking about it for a while.

Oops, it’s time to take the towel or he’ll die.

“How is it? Do you feel like talking now?”

“…………Fuck….. you.”

“It looks like it’s not enough huh. Let’s try again then.”

I pressed the wet towel on his face again. Much harder this time. I wonder if it’s because he is a skilled assassin, but he is surprisingly tight-lipped. But I’m not one to give up after a week or so. Whether it’s a month or a year, I’ll keep this guy alive and make him spit out his client. To do so, I must continue to torture him until he begs me to kill him. Of course, I’m going to do whatever it takes. I’m ready for that.

“Head of Family! Please open the door!”

I heard a knock on the door of the room. I removed the towel on the assassin’s face and opened the door to see who had come. The visitor is the Commander of the Knights of the Imperial Guard.

“What’s wrong?”

“Adam-sama is trying to dig up her mother’s grave! He uses a tremendous sword attack and we can’t stop him.”

“I see. Leave it to me.”

I locked the room tightly and head to my wife’s grave with the commander. There, I saw my son digging in the ground with a shovel.

“Stop it, Adam.”

“Mother is sleeping under here! I’ll wake her up!”

“Stop it. Julia is dead.”

“Liar! Mother is not dead! There’s no way she’s going to leave Eve and me behind!”

“I’m telling you to stop!”

For the first time, I slapped my son in the cheek. At that time, I remember that for some reason, my hand hurt.

“Julia is dead! From now on, the three of us, you, me and Eve, will have to live! Please look at the reality!”

“U-u-…… uwaaaaaahhh”

Adam threw the shovel away and fled. I knew. Adam, who was still very young, could not understand that his mother was dead. Still, I have to raise them well. The two children she left behind. It was the last bastion left for me.

　◇◇◇

“I’ll talk…… K-kill…. me… already.”

A month has passed since the torture began. With no arms and legs and needles stuck all over his body, he spoke in a faint voice. At first, I didn’t hear his voice, I just sat in my chair thinking about what kind of torture I should do next. It wasn’t until he said the same thing a second time that I finally noticed him talking.

“You said you are now willing to tell me who is the client?”

“Yes…. I’m going…. to tell you…. already…. so p-please…. kill me.”

“What is the proof that what you are going to say is true?”

“I-….I’ll tell…. where my money is stashed…. I keep a list…. of my clients there….. that should be a proof.”

“Okay. I’ll take your word for it.”

The assassin said the client’s name in a hoarse voice. I almost went crazy hearing that familiar name, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. If the lender dies, the debt is also canceled. I should have thought about it. Why did he come to me at that time? He had no intention of apologizing from the beginning. What a despicable guy!

I got the assassin’s money and a list of his clients, and when I was convinced that what he had said was true, I beheaded the person I was torturing with a sword. I sneered that I had finally caught the back of the person I was supposed to take revenge on.

　◇◇◇

“Ohoh! Look at it! The gold coins I swindled from Ryan! He took pity on me without even knowing that an assassin was being sent to him! Hahaha! It’s so funny that I could die!”

“Well done, Johnny. Now with this, we can play for a while again. In addition, you killed two birds with one stone by eliminating Ryan, who is such a busy body. My stock will rise again in the social circles.”

At the Dosad’s mansion, Johnny and his father were smiling sheepishly as they counted the gold coins on the table. From what I can hear in their conversation, they don’t seem to know that I’m still alive.

But, that’s normal isn’t it? Frontier information is slow to arrive unless it is very important. On the other hand, now that I think about it, they should be able to hear about it as soon as I die, but they didn’t realize that. Still so stupid as ever.

I smiled as I looked down through the hole in the ceiling. The person who commissioned the assassination was Johnny Dosad. He cheated me and got my gold coins. It is probably a lie to say that he is borrowing money from the Great Chamber of Commerce. Now that I think about it, his signature and the signature of the Great Company were in the same handwriting.

And the assassination list that I got. It listed more than 20 people who had been killed at Dosad’s request. In other words, this is not their first offense. He is more than a scumbag, he is a deviant.

Because of a person like him, my wife is now…… remembering how Julia had been killed, the blood vessels in my head were about to burst with anger.

“By the way, that person from before hasn’t come back yet?”

“Now that Father mentioned it, you’re right. He usually shows up to report the assassination at thi—”

I jumped from the roof into the room. As soon as I landed, I decapitated Johnny’s father, then I turned around severing Johnny’s left arm from the shoulder. Seconds later, his arm falls to the floor and fresh blood stains the walls of the room.

“Ugy—mmmmph!?”

Before he screamed, I held his mouth with my left hand. This is just an assassination. I should not let anyone find me killing them. With that in mind, I plunged my sword into his thigh, impaling it to the floor.

“Did you think you killed me, huh Johnny?”

“Mmmmmmmmphhh!!! …..mmmph……”

“You’ve always lacked imagination, and I’m sure you wouldn’t think that the person you bullied or tried to kill would come to take revenge.”

“Howhehaaaa!! Howhaaaaheeee!”

“I don’t get what you’re trying to say.”

I pulled out a knife from my pocket and stabs it into Johnny’s other thigh. He tried to scream, but I hold him down with my left hand stopping him from doing so.

“Let’s talk a little more, maybe I can help you if I change my mind.”

He nods his head in agreement. I almost laughed at his desperate appearance. I rolled up a piece of cloth and shoved it into his mouth and then I tied a cloth over it. In addition, I also stabbed his remaining right hand with another knife and fixed it to the table.

Now Johnny can’t escape.

“Do you know that my wife was killed?”

“Hihahahifuha!”

“I don’t think it has reached your ears. Yes, my wife was assassinated. I captured the perpetrator and tortured him. Whose name do you think came out of his mouth?”

“Hihahafuhaha!”

“Yes, your name came up, and of course that’s not the only proof. This is the list that the assassin had. The target, the client, and the amount requested are listed. From what I can see, your name is the most common client. You seemed to have been a good customer.”

“Hohehafuha! Hohafuhe!”

Johnny shakes his head and bursts into tears. I can’t hear the words well, but I presume that he is pleading not guilty.

“Now, here’s the thing. You killed my wife, albeit indirectly. What must be paid for this sin. Or what do you want to pay for it? First, let me hear your offer.”

“Hohahehahahefu! Hihohihaheha!”

“Hn? Mmmm, you want to pay with your life. You lack imagination, but you are recklessly courageous.”

“Hihafu! Hohahehohahafu!!”

“What a strange coincidence. Actually, I was thinking the same thing. I was thinking that you should pay with your life. Oh, and I’ll get this money back. It’s money that Julia and I saved after all.”

I packed the gold coins in a bag and put them in my pocket. Right at that moment, Johnny put his head on the table, showing deep apology. Too late. I don’t think apology is still needed now.

I watched him closely while talking to him this whole time. I was wondering whether Johnny will apologize or not. I thought about letting him go at first. Of course, I am going to peel the skin off his face and then cut off his tongue and limbs so that he wouldn’t be able to speak and his family wouldn’t know who did it.

But with this, I can kill without hesitation.

“Apologize to Julia in hell!”

I pulled out the sword that was stuck in his thigh and decapitated Johnny. Blood gushes out like a fountain, and his headless body collapses.

“It’s in vain, still, I finished my revenge.”

I glanced at the corpse of the parent and child, then jumped up to the roof with my hood pulled on. Thus ended my relationship with Johnny Dosad. However, what came to my heart when I achieved my revenge was not joy but sadness.

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

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After graduating from high school, I decided to become a military officer as I had declared. However, there was no way I could suddenly sit in the post I wanted. My military debut was fulfilled when I was assigned an affordable position commensurate with my status.

On the other hand, my relationship with Julia reached a goal. It’s the marriage of Ryan Doris and Julia Label. It was a happiness that I finally grasped after five years of dating. I went a little overboard to make the wedding grand though. I am the only child in the Doris family so it is the first and last ceremony for my parents. In front of the assembled people, we vowed to God that we would remain together until the end of each other’s lives.

The following year, Julia became pregnant. I also achieved results at work and was promoted. Thinking about the future, we decided to buy a small detached house. Then, a child was born. It’s a boy. I named him, Adam. His loud cry convinced me and Julia that his future is bright.

Then, I was further promoted. I was entrusted with about 100 subordinates. But because of this, I often have to move away from the Royal Capital. It was painful to have to leave my beloved wife and child behind and go to a distant land, but I was able to endure it when I thought about them. I could only work hard to get home as soon as possible.

In recognition of the results of my work, I was promoted again. I was given the position of a commander of 10,000 soldiers. By this time, my son had turned 3 years old. I also succeeded in beating the anti-royal forces. Thanks to this, I was able to catch a nobleman who was planning a rebellion. His Majesty was greatly pleased with this and then the kingdom was plunged into a storm of purges.

I was awarded a medal and a knighthood for my great achievements. At last, I surpassed my father and became an Earl. And my post became Adjutant General. The road to General is now only in the countdown stage.

Then a report came in that Mana, the city in the western frontier, had been taken over by thirty dragoneuts. They seemed to be deserters who had turned into a band of bandits. In addition, they claimed our city as their territory. I received orders from His Majesty to recapture the city alone.

I succeeded in destroying all but one dragoneut. This brought to light the dangers the Western Frontier may face so I was forced to take over the Western Frontier as my territory and was awarded the title of Marquis.

I hadn’t noticed it. That other nobles were extremely wary of me now. In other words, this mission was the perfect opportunity to throw me to the frontier.

Still, my wife and I were delighted. It was unexpected, but it was also like a promotion. I also thought that I would be able to live comfortably with my wife and children then.

　◇◇◇

My son is now 5 years old. Recently, he has been running around the mansion in a naughty manner. He’s so restless that I don’t know who he came after.

“Father, let’s practice swordsmanship!”

“I’m at work now. I’ll ask a knight guard to do it with you first.”

“Everybody’s going to get beat up by me right away, it’s boring.”

Adam puffs out his cheeks. I see. He means that he is being entertained by the knights. It’s about time I asked for strict guidance. Right then, the door opened and Julia walked in. As soon as Adam sees his mother, he runs to her and hugs her legs.

“Oh my, you’re already a big brother but you’re still so spoiled huh.”

“I won’t give Mother to Eve yet. You’re my Mother!”

“Don’t say that. You’re the big brother so you have to protect this child, okay? Or, do you hate your sister?”

“……I love you and I love Eve too.”

With tears in his eyes, Adam slowly accepted that he is now a big brother. A baby wrapped in a cloth was held by Julia. Our daughter was born this year. Her name is Eve. She is a lovely child who laughs a lot.

“Ah right, Ryan, we have a guest. He said that he is your classmate from school. I made him wait in the reception room.”

“Classmate? Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

I was a little anxious about the sudden visit of a classmate who was not on my schedule. When he introduced himself as my classmate, it means that someone from a noble family came here. It would be fine if it was just a matter of reminiscing, but depending on the other person’s goal, I might not be able to respond calmly.

You can’t blame me for thinking like this. This is because I am now completely hated by the aristocrats.

I opened the door in the waiting room and sit on the sofa. Someone sitting across from me was wearing a hood.

“You said you are a classmate, but I wonder who you are. Could you please show me your face?”

“…You’ve come a long way in the ranks, haven’t you? Marquis Ryan Doris.”

“That voice… don’t tell me….”

The other person who pulled down his hood gave me the same fearless smile as he did back then. A sly sickly face with a black bobbed hair. He has grown, but he overlaps perfectly with the one in my memory.

“Johnny Dosad?”

“Correct. It’s been a long time, Ryan.”

I braced myself slightly, placing my hand on the hilt of the sword at my waist. But he panics and tries to stop me.

“Wait, I’m not the same person I was back then. I’m not thinking of doing anything to you.”

“Do you mean to say that you have been reformed? That Johnny?”

“At that time, I didn’t really understand the world. I was living under the delusion that status was everything. Now I realize that I was a foolish child. I made you feel terrible. I’m sorry.”

Johnny bowed his head to me. I couldn’t believe it. Johnny apologized to me. I looked back for a moment on the humiliation I had suffered at that time before responding.

“I’ll accept that apology.”

“Really!? Thank you!”

“Yeah. So, what is the purpose of you coming here today?”

“For that….…here.”

Johnny pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to me. When I opened it, it was an IOU with Johnny’s name on it. The amount totaled to 100 gold coins. It seemed to be a loan from the Great Chamber of Commerce in the Royal Capital. Immediately, Johnny prostrates on the floor.

“This is my one and only request. Please lend me some money.”

“Please stop. I’m not going to lend you money……”

“If this continues, the Dosad family will fall. Even though I have my family behind me, I don’t know how to live from now on. A Marquis can pay this amount, right? Please. I want you to lend me money.”

Johnny was clinging to my leg, begging for help. I felt good watching it. The person who bullied me a lot is now begging me for help. It’s up to me to save or forsake. The moment I thought of that, I was angry at myself. No matter how much I have been bullied in the past, I can’t laugh at the sight of someone asking for help.

I crouched down and grabbed Johnny’s shoulders.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it. Of course, this is a one-time thing. This is also a favor, the next time I am the one in trouble, you will have to help me.”

“Of course! I’d do anything for you!”

In this way, I lent Johnny a hundred gold coins, a large sum of money about 100 million yen. At this point, I should have noticed that his eyes were smiling coldly.

　◇◇◇

It was late at night on the day of Johnny’s visit. I was in my study, lighting a lamp and doing paperwork. The problem is how to increase our savings. The hundred gold coins I gave Johnny is not a money I could afford. That’s half of the savings I’ve been working so hard to accumulate. Still, I gave it to him because I believed in his change of heart. And now that the aristocracy is against me, I really wanted to increase the number of my allies as much as possible.

“Gyaaaahh!!!”

“What!?”

A scream rang out in the mansion. And that voice is very similar to Julia’s. I reflexively grabbed my sword and left the room. I quickly headed to the bedroom where Julia and the child are sleeping.

“Julia!?”

When I entered the room, I found her lying on the floor with a dagger in her hand. I immediately run up to her and hugged her.

“Ryan, the kids…… Please…..s-save….”

“Don’t talk! I’ll have you treated immediately!”

Julia had a deep stab wound in her chest. Blood flowed out of it unstoppably, creating a pool of blood on the floor. I remember that there was a cure mushroom in the mansion, so I put her on the floor for the time being and tried to leave the room.

However, I felt a killing intent from behind me, and I quickly drew my sword and slashed at him.

“Who are you!?”

“…………”

Someone dressed in black spun around in mid-air before landing. I immediately knew it was an assassin. Moreover, he is quite skilled. However, he had a cut on his left arm. It was probably a wound caused by Julia’s resistance.

“Who asked you to sneak in?”

“…………”

“Won’t talk? I’ll break that mouth right away.”

“…… Kuku”

The assassin laughs softly. Moments later, he disappeared into the darkness. It’s a stealth skill. Relying on presence detection, I deflected the enemy’s attack and cut off one of his legs right away. With a scream, the assassin falls to the floor. His eyes looked up at me, and he seemed to ask me how I knew about the attack.

“I mastered the presence detection skill, it was a stroke of luck that you fought me.”

“……I screwed up….”

The assassin faints after saying those words.

I then quickly left the room to get cure mushroom to help my wife. I hurriedly went for it and returned to the room. However, Julia’s body is now as cold as ice. I rubbed her body hard to warm it up and then I poured the chewed cure mushroom into her mouth. But no matter how long it takes, she doesn’t wake up.

“Julia! Wake up! Please wake up!!”

I finally realized it after doing everything I could. She had left for heaven.

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

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Later, Julia took me to visit a certain place. At first glance, it looked like a wooden warehouse, and when we entered it, I could see about 20 children fighting with wooden swords. Watching over them was an old man with pure white hair and beard.

“Master, I brought him here!”

“Hoh~, that boy over there?”

The old man, who she called Master, observed me with a sharp gaze through the gap between his long white eyebrows that hid his eyes. Moreover, he wears a dark brown robe. He seems to be teaching martial arts even though he is a master-level mage. At first sight, I know that he was not an ordinary person.

“Don’t be so defensive. As you can see, I’m just an old man.”

“I want you to stop joking. The moment you looked at me, I felt your piercing gaze you see.”

“Well, it looks like you’ve got the basics in place. I guess I’ll have to introduce myself then.”

The old man made the children go down and then he stood alone in the center of the room. As he raised his cane, the air tensed and everyone in the room, including me, gulped from nervousness.

“I am well known as the fluffy hermit who has walked the path of magic and mastered the path of martial arts.”

I was taken aback.

What does he mean by fluffy hermit?

Just then, countless dogs and cats flooded the dojo. At the same time, the applause of the children erupted. Wait a minute. I can’t keep up with the situation.

Where did these animals come from? Why hang out around the old man? Why are the children clapping?

“Great job, Master! It’s always the best self-introduction!”

“Right? First impressions are all about impact you see.”

The old man strokes the animals one by one and smiles. He was certainly just as Julia said, you would need time to answer who he was. I swallowed all the questions that came to my mind and reassured myself that I could do more here.

“If you want to be strong, take my guidance. If you have talent, you will rise to the highest level.”

“May I ask you one question then? What does being strong have to do with fluffy?”

“In order to master magic and martial arts, you have to master the path of fluffy, and vice versa. Fluffy is the essence and mystery of martial arts.”

“I feel like I’m about to go crazy here….”

Looking at Julia, she nodded excitedly at the old man’s words. I was impressed that she could understand what he was trying to say. Here I am, I don’t know what he is talking about. However, it is also true that everything is an experience.

For the time being, I decided to follow the old man and train here.

　◇◇◇

It’s been four years and a few months since I started going to the dojo. I am already eighteen years old now and I am about to graduate from high school. The days go by frighteningly fast. It feels like it was only yesterday when I started going to the dojo.

It is me and Master who is holding the wooden sword and is facing each other in the dojo. Julia is acting as a watchman. However, there is now a world of only me and Master. I sharpened my nerves and calm my mind.

“Come on!”

“Seiya!”

In the moment, I find an opening on my Master’s side and hit him. However, almost at the same time, he seemed to have found an opening on me too, and Master’s wooden sword slammed into my shoulder. There is no winner or loser. Although feeling frustrated for not winning, I felt a sense of satisfaction that I was able to hit Master for the first time.

“You’ve grown so much, Ryan. I can’t believe you’ve improved your swordsmanship even though you don’t understand what fluffy is. You’ve earned your full license. Congratulations on your graduation.”

“It’s all thanks to Master’s teachings that I’ve become this strong. I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart.”

I received a book of fluffy from Master. With this, I graduated from the dojo and said goodbye to Fluffy. In retrospect, it was something beyond my comprehension. Everything I was taught is interwoven with fluffy and it even tries to brainwash me. To be honest, in this past four years, I thought I was going to go crazy. The students who go to school here are absurd I should say.

By the way, in Julia’s House, the Label Family, the whole family is animal crazy. Julia herself is crazy for cats. When she sees a stray cat, she gets excited and chases it. I’m thinking about saying hello to her parents soon, but I’m a little worried knowing that they are all “fluff” crazy. Will I be able to get along with the Label family? That’s a big question in my head.

“In the end, you had a talent for the sword, but not for fluffy huh. Then you can’t do the enlightenment of Fluffy.”

“What is that enlightenment of fluffy?”

“It’s a secret technique that I devised. It’s an invincible technique that if I stroke anyone, they’ll climax from so much pleasure that they’ll become defenseless.”

“.….For the first time, I wanted to understand fluffy.”

Why couldn’t I understand Master’s teachings? I’ve never felt so frustrated as I did today.

“You are now about to enter the society huh. But have you decided what you will do?”

“I’m thinking of taking the same government position as my father. If I become a military officer, I’ll have a chance to become a general.”

“That’s a good decision. You can definitely do it. The king may be foolish, but if his vassals are wise, the kingdom will not perish.”

Master muttered to himself.

I have never met the king of this kingdom, but I wonder if he is really that stupid, making Master worry about the destruction of the kingdom. Despite my doubts, Julia and I said goodbye to the fluffy hermit before leaving the dojo.

　◇◇◇

“That was quick huh. It’s been four years since I met Ryan.”

“That’s right. Well, even now, I still think of that day when I bumped into you.”

Julia and I were sitting on a bench in the square, talking about our memories of the past four years. After graduating from school, she opened a bakery with the help of her parents. In fact, she made the bread she always ate. Her shop is now a well-known store with long lines.

“Wahewou youhedowou weddiwouo?”

“Please, don’t talk to me while eating bread, it’s a bad habit of yours.”

“(Gulps) I’m sorry. So, when should we set the wedding date?”

“I haven’t even said hello to your parents yet. If your parents like me, I think there would be no problem.”

“My parents were interested in you even before you meet them. When I told them that you might get your graduation license soon, they immediately said you would be the perfect marriage partner then. There’s nothing more to say. That’s all they said.”

The Label family’s immense trust in the fluffy hermit is terrifying. I don’t think he will come to the wedding though. Suddenly, I looked down at my feet and saw a leather ball rolling. In the distance, a child is waving and signaling for me to throw it to him. I lightly threw the ball and passed it to the child.

“When we get married, let’s have a baby.”

“Don’t be impatient, we’re still young.”

“That’s right. But you know, you say things like you’re old.”

“I’m old inside.”

After saying that, I kissed Julia. The ship of my life was finally riding the wind and starting to move.

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

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In the end, I decided to date Julia. Saying this makes me doubt my character, but to be honest, she looked like my type. Of course, my wife from my previous life crossed my mind, but by the time I was fired as president, we had been divorced. We were originally a couple in name who had no love for each other, so there was no point in worrying about it now that I was reborn.

So yeah, Julia and I started dating. And I soon realized that there were unbearable difficulties ahead of me as I start dating her.

“Yes, 500 push-ups! Fighting!”

“W-wait a minute! I’ve just finished 500 sit-ups! I want to rest first.”

“I don’t allow you to whine! Don’t you want a reward after you’re done?”

“Damn…… that’s cheating. How dare you play with a man’s innocence?”

“What innocence? It’s just sexual desire. Alright, you can do it, go, go, go!”

Julia is squatting in front of me, who was lying face down, chewing on a large loaf of bread. I don’t even have time to look at the dazzling white thighs in front of me. I was dripping with sweat and frantically doing push-ups, and when I finished 500 times, I fell to the ground and looked up at the blue sky. Then a shadow forms on my face, Julia smiles while looking at me.

“Good job. You’re much better now.”

“If I do this every day, I’ll get used to it, even if I don’t like it.”

“But we’re not even halfway as planned.”

“I don’t want to hear it. Ahh, I’m dying.”

This training was a condition for my relationship with Julia. The Label family seems to be a famous family that produces knights, and her father seems to have decided that if she were to marry, it should be a high-ranking nobleman or a strong man with skill. At first, I thought about not dating her, but after thinking about it, I thought it would be a great opportunity to be trained by her because she was born into a knight’s family. If I gain strength, I can fight the bullying of Dosad. I felt like in this way, I could change my new life for the better.

　◇◇◇

After three months, my body grew rapidly. The limbs, which were thin, became thicker. Dulled reflexes sharpened. I am now able to play against Julia’s sword, which I couldn’t even handle before. I also gained new skills. I was no longer a man frightened by violence.

Then, they summoned me again to the back of the school building as usual, smiling frivolously and imagining how they would take me as a punchbag.

“I’m getting tired looking at him just get punched. I think it’s time to do something more radical, like putting a needle between his fingernails.”

“……..…”

“Hahaha. What? Are you so scared out of your wits that you can’t even speak? Fufu, it’s better that way, because I’m more excited when you’re scared. Hold him down.”

Two of Johnny’s companions grabbed my arm. But I twisted my arm lightly and pushed them to the ground instead. Johnny is upset by the unexpected turn of events and steps back.

“I’m a little different today, not like the one you used to beat as you pleased.”

“Aben! Knock out Ryan! It’s an order!”

Following the order, the fat schoolboy raises his fist at me. The movement of the arm, which I could not see at all before, is now totally visible. I activated my swordsmanship skills. Martial arts skills that use weapons are instantaneous, but you can also attack even when you’re empty handed. This is not well-known though.

For example, in swordsmanship, the condition of use is that you should have a sword at hand. However, if you activate it without a sword, the skill will forcibly use air as a weapon. I call this a “skill malfunction”. Of course, this is not the right way to use the skill, and it is known that the power made with this is not enough to kill people. At best, it is like swinging a wooden sword.

“Hegyaa!?”

Aben, who was always beating me, fell to the ground with an air sword slammed into his left shoulder. I heard a crunching sound, so I guess his collarbone was broken. However, in this world where there are items and spells for healing, it’s not a big injury. Still, my heart was somewhat refreshed.

“My loyal servant! How dare you, Ryan!”

“Thank you for everything you’ve done up until now, I’m not the kind of person who gets beaten forever.”

I slowly walk up to Johnny. Each time I stepped forward, he steps back and tries to get away from me.

“Why don’t you fight yourself, Johnny?”

“I’m the one who gives orders! I don’t do it directly like they do!”

“Is that an excuse? You didn’t do anything, so you’re not guilty. Is that it?”

“That’s right! If you still want to hit me, do it! Instead, we’ll see what happens to your family! It’s just a Baronial House against a Marquis House after all!”

I knew that. What would happen if a small baronial family with no servants hit the son of a marquis? It was obvious that it would be a defeat for us.

I had planned not to touch Johnny from the beginning. However, I thought that this would have punished him a little. I let the child of an arrogant aristocrat know that I also had the power to do it again.

I decided to leave.

“I will definitely avenge this humiliation one day! I won’t forgive you!”

I snorted at Johnny’s words coming from behind me. “If you can do it, do it. I’ll remind you again then.” That’s what I thought at this time.

　◇◇◇

After that, Julia’s training continued. My abilities have improved tremendously, to the point of surprising her who had so many years of training. If we fought with a wooden sword, I would win at least one out of five, and I could now run ten kilometers without running out of breath.

The bullying from Johnny also stopped completely after that day. Even if we passed each other in the hallway, they just stared at me and didn’t bother me at all. Thanks to this, I gradually began to make more friends, and my school life changed into a meaningful one.

One day, Julia made a proposal to me.

“Do you want me to meet your Master?”

“Yes, Ryan can keep up with my Master’s training now.”

“It’s a nice offer…… but, who is your Master anyway?”

I was doing push-ups with Julia on my back while having this conversation with her.

“Who is he huh…… uhm…I wonder who he really is too.”

“Oi. Is it really okay to ask such a person to teach you?”

“I’m certain that he is capable. Besides, Master is an acquaintance of father, so there’s no problem at all. As for your question, it’s really hard for me to explain who he is. I think it would be quicker if you meet him in person.”

“I’m quite worried….. my stomach hurts.”

This is how I met Julia’s mentor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Gyaa!?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“…..Ryan Doris. Who are you?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

I was one of them.

“Ugue!”

“One more shot!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Aggh…… Ugh……”

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

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

“What are you doing here?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Hmm, I think it’s a fight.”

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

“Use that to clean your wound.”

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

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

“……Thank you.”

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

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

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

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

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

What a strange woman. I thought.

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

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

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

“Haa?”

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

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

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

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

“It’s a long way down huh.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Oh no! I forgot!”

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

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

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

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

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

“What is really in the back?”

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

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

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

“This is….…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Don’t worry, there will be enough.”

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

　◇◇◇

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

“……I’m done.”

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

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

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

“Hmm…… What is something important?”

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

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

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

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

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

“I have it. That Orichalcum.”

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

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

“What?”

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

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

“I’ll show it to you, follow me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What are you sayi—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holding three lumps of adamantite, Rodman runs to Dodol.

“Rodman, you know what to do, right?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

Ten hours have passed since then.

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

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

“Not yet! Hold on!”

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

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

“Finally……done….…”

“Yeah…… I’m……beat….”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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