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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Silva! Are you okay?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What’s this? Is this the enemy?”

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

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

“This is an angel.”

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

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

“—exterminate the six key sacred beasts?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Well, that would be better.”

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“In one place? Why would we do that?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“…………”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Huh? I’m going to put it together?”

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

Whaaat!? Do I have to do it again?

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

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

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

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

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

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

“……Use?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sword and scythe clashed, creating an unpleasant metallic sound. Flame of anger were burning fiercely inside me. The reason for this is the enemy in front of me.

“Gugegege!”

“I’ve never forgotten that day!”

I tightened my grip in anger. However, my state of hostility continues.

“Why Tokyo!? Why me and Shigeru-san!?”

The guy in front of me just keeps laughing, the corners of his mouth turning up sharply. It seems like he doesn’t intend to answer my questions.

“I already know you’re a demon! I’ll make you talk no matter what!”

I activated all of my enhancement skills. In the next moment, the competition between us was broken.

My sword pushed back the scythe. Judging that he was at a disadvantage, he quickly moved backwards. I followed suit and fired a horizontal slash.

Shiiiiiiiiiiing.

With a high-pitched sound, the sword was repelled by the scythe. He uses the recoil to spin in mid-air. He also aimed at my neck with the same momentum.

“Fuu!”

I instantly arched my body, and the enemy’s blade sliced through the air. I managed to dodge it with a thin sliver of paper.

“……Gugegege,  you’re good.”

“Are you finally ready to speak? Tell me, who are you?”

The small shinigami lazily puts the scythe on his shoulder.

I raised my vigilance one more level while holding my sword.

“There’s no way I can tell you. If you want to know, kill me. Gugegege.”

“Then I’ll do that!”

I approached him with instantaneous acceleration. I unleashed a slash attack in anger, but he deftly deflects the attack with his scythe each time. Although there was no decisive blow, I was pushing the battle.

I can win. Everything is different from the time I was killed. Now is the time to avenge Shigeru-san and Kanzaki. I’ll clear the grudge of being killed in the previous life here.

The angrier I am, the higher the sword speed and sword pressure. Unable to handle the attack, the Shinigami had cuts on his body.

“What’s wrong!? Looks like you can’t even make a move!”

“You’ll have to push me further before you say that, human.”

He then disappears before my eyes. Immediately afterwards, the danger prediction skill sounded the alarm, and the danger detection skill alerted an attack coming from behind me. I parried it with my sword, but the impact that I could not escape knocked me to the ground.

“Stealth skill huh. You’ve done it.”

I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes. The shinigami also descended softly and landed his feet on the top of the tree.

“Your sturdy. Is it because you’re resistant to impact…… Or, was it nullified?”

“If you want to know, answer my question. Who are you?”

“Don’t tell me what to do. I don’t care about that either. More than that, fight harder!”

The shinigami, got close to me in an instant and he immediately wields his large scythe. I avoided it by taking a back step. I also quickly released a dragon slash flash across his side.

“Gugegege! You can’t hit me!”

A yellow-green light emitted from the blade of my sword, mowing down the trees in the straight line in an instant. However, he ducked down and dodged the attack. He smiles and puts his left hand forward.

“Cross Explosion!”

Green flames emanating from two directions intersect towards me. At that moment, the ultra-high heat and shock wave blew away an area about a kilometer square and scorched the ground. As expected from an unidentified demon.

“You’re using magic that I’ve never seen before.”

“I don’t think you can do it at this level.”

Shaking off one of my hands, the flames surrounding me disappeared. In front of the black robe, no magic can hurt me. When the Shinigami realized that I was unharmed, his attitude changed abruptly.

“That robe…… Change of plan. I’m going to kill you now.”

“That’s if you can do it. If you think I was serious before, you’re greatly mistaken.”

Right after saying that, I activated Dragon Transformation and Superhuman Transformation. The powerful energy surged within me, forming a purple aura that enveloped my entire body. I can say this with confidence, there is no one who can beat Shinichi Tanaka in this state.

“Let me start by cutting off your limbs and immobilize you!”

I kicked the ground and jumped forward. In less than a second, I swung the bull king sword at the enemy in front of me. First, I will get rid of that right arm. However, the shinigami easily blocked the powerful sword attack with his scythe.

“Gugegege!!! Are you serious? Don’t make me laugh!”

“Uh!? My attack…..?!”

A light flashed through my field of vision. The next second, I felt an intense pain. The impact sent my body far backwards. I shattered dozens of trees before finally slamming into a large tree that stopped me from moving. The intense pain that I hadn’t felt for a long time brought my consciousness back to reality.

What happened? Why do I feel pain? Isn’t it possible to nullify the impact?

A number of questions run through my head. Then blood leaked out of my mouth. It looks like some of my ribs were damaged and I had a rupture on my internal organs.

“Tsk, you’re a human after all. You really believed that nullification skill was invincible.”

He swooped down in front of me. I stood up with the help of my sword as a cane.

“What do you mean……?”

“Gugege. From the way you look, you don’t know about it. I’m referring to the skill that cancels nullification.”

“W-what……?”

I was so surprised that I was at loss for words. I didn’t think there was such a skill that can cancel it. If that’s the case, then both slash and impact nullification are useless skills in front of this guy. I need to fundamentally rethink of a way to fight.

“Still, that’s far from the reason why you could overwhelm the strengthened me to this extent. You… you’re not just a demon, are you?”

“That can’t be true. I’m a demon that can be found anywhere in this world. It’s just that I’m ridiculously strong. Gugegegege.”

I want to say don’t bullshit me.

Even the vampire, who was relatively high ranked among the demons, did not have a chance to fight in front of me. No matter how I look at it, his strength is extraordinary. It has reached a level that he can no longer be called a mere demon.

A moment later, the self-regeneration skill completes my physical repair. I raised my sword to indicate the continuation of the battle.

“You have self-regeneration huh. Seems like it’s going to take a lot of time to kill you.”

“That’s something you can only say after you’ve cornered me. Demon.”

“What are you—!?”

Countless spider silks stretched out from the ground, restraining and binding him. I immediately activated the Eye of Stone (Improved) and releases a petrifying beam from the eye on my forehead.

“Not go—!? Aaaaaaaaaa!!!”

“You let your guard down. While we were talking, I was burrowing the threads into the ground. As for the petrification, it was a gamble, but it seems to have worked.”

The body of the shinigami is petrified. Finally, the scythe slipped from his hand and it fell to the ground.

“I wanted to capture you and ask you a question, but I couldn’t do that huh. Anyways, I think I can still get some information with my analysis skill.”

The information of the shinigami displayed in front of me shocked me even more.

【Analysis Result: Zazi: Ordered by the main god, Gohma, to eliminate the Six Key Sacred Beasts. Rarity: SL, Overall Ability: SL】

【Status】 Name: Zazi Race: Second-class Angel Magic Attributes: Fire, Light, Holy Magic: – Skills: Analysis (Intermediate), Scythe (Intermediate), Disguise (Intermediate), Stealth+ (Beginner), Danger Detection (Intermediate), Enemy Search+ (Intermediate), Limit Breakthrough (Intermediate), Awakening (Intermediate), Nullification Cancellation, Ultra-Speed Flight (Intermediate), Universal Adaptation, Intimidation (Intermediate), Leadership (Intermediate), Great Slash (Intermediate) Evolution: Conditions are not met < Evolution Condition: Analysis (Beginner), Limit Breakthrough the Limits (Special), Awakening (Special), Virtuous Spirit>

……Second-class angel? He’s not a demon?

I checked the race column many times, but there is no change in the character display. It clearly says Angel.

What the hell was I fighting? Can someone tell me?

“You can see it huh. My status.”

Speaking those words, the body of the guy who should have been petrified, cracks. Fragments spilled out, and a dazzling light leaked through the gaps. The explosive wind that came from inside blew away the stones that covered him. Gusts of wind send dust flying and it even shake the entire forest.

Something manifested in this world. I knew this instinctively.

He calmly picked up his scythe. Then, the thin metal covering the surface of the weapon peeled off, revealing a distinctive holographic pattern from underneath.

“I didn’t expect to expose myself so soon. I have to change my plans drastically then.”

“I-impossible…… you …… you’re really an angel!”

A white short-haired Caucasian male with a pair of pure white wings and a fearless face. His body is dressed in white and he is equipped with a silver armor that seems to be a work of art. He is truly an angel. The appearance as imagined is divinely beautiful in itself. There is a sacred aura around him as well. Even if I don’t like it, his image tells me that there is an imposing and noble superior here.

“By order of the Lord God, I will exterminate the sacred beasts, but before I do so, I must punish you.”

“Punish? What sin am I guilty of?”

“The sin of attacking me, a servant of God. And your greatest sin is possessing a sacred artifact. In accordance with the laws established by the Divine Clan, I will return you to the stream of samsara.”

I don’t understand it at all. The guy I thought was a demon was actually an angel and his purpose was to kill the sacred beasts. What’s more, he is saying that I have committed a sin and that he will return me to the flow of samsara.

There is so much information that I don’t really understand that my head hurts.

“Die obediently!”

“Uh! I refuse!”

The scythe swung in an instant, and I reflexively rolled on the ground to dodge it.  The large tree behind me was cut and it fell with a thud. His appearance has changed but his abilities don’t seem to have changed much.

Then I can fight.

The only thing that bothers me is his weapon. Perhaps that scythe is made of adamantite. On the other hand, what I got is the Bull King’s sword. Considering the intensity, this is a tough situation.

“Explosive Sword Dance!”

“Great Slash!”

Our skills clashed with each other. The resulting roar and shockwave shook the forest.

“Why is an angel attacking sacred beasts and humans? Does it have something to do with your appearance in Tokyo?”

“I don’t know what you are trying to say.”

“Why do you want to hide the fact that you are an angel by pretending to be a demon? What exactly are the sacred beasts? Why did I reincarnate in this world?”

“……A monkey that talks a lot huh. As expected, human beings are unnecessary.”

Between the crossed scythe and sword, I continue to question Zazi. But he doesn’t want to answer anything. He only looks at me expressionlessly, with disgust and contempt.

In order to break out of this frustrating situation, I must first defeat Zazi. I activated growth promotion and plant manipulation while we are fighting. I interfered with the surrounding vegetation. The roots of the trees begin to grow rapidly, wriggling and entwining Zazi’s arms and legs. Plant manipulation skills are originally designed to be remotely controlled in this way. Breeding is not actually its main ability.

“Huh? What is this!? Damn it!”

“It looks like you thought you had figured out what I’m capable of. Naive.”

One after another, the plants became denser and they enveloped the angel’s body. This will give me some time. I activated the Full Division skill to create another version of myself. The main body, me, hides using stealth and my clone flies into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the plants were torn apart and he appeared.

“Did you really think you could kill me like this, you filthy human!? I’ll make you suffer to death and then plunge you into the vortex of samsara!”

Oblivious to me in stealth state lurking in front of him, he flew off, pursuing my clone. In the sky, the battle resumes again, and my clone with the Bull King’s sword slashes to the ground. In the meantime, I prepare for the biggest attack. The scorching heat moves from my abdomen to the chest and I repeatedly compress it in place. What I am about to release is the wide-area, high-power skill, Emperor Dragon’s Breath. With this, which can be called a strategic skill, he shouldn’t be able to escape unscathed.

“Eye of Stone!”

My clone casts a paralyzing eye at him. Unlike the petrification beam, it is an invisible attack. For a moment, he stops. Instantly, my clone released a purple electric light with the magic jewel.

“Gugaaaaa!?”

He screams at the scorching lightning strike. It’s a great opportunity. Now is the moment to shoot the biggest attack.

“A human is trying to kill me!? Who are you kidddding!!!”

Zazi released a glowing aura and blew away the lightning strike. The paralysis is also lifted and the target moved away from where I was aiming.

Damn! I’m almost at the limit of how much I can hold my breath. Somehow, we need to stop him from moving. That’s what I conveyed to my clone.

“Ugh!?”

The next moment, Zazi bent his body into a crook and spat out gastric juice. It is my son, Pero, who sinks his fist into Zazi’s solar plexus.

“Freya-san!”

“I understand!”

Pero falls to the ground. Behind him, there was Freya with countless spears floating in the air. The spears that were shot at high speed hit Zazi’s body like an arrow and pierces his shoulder and sides.

“Liz!”

“I know.”

Liz, who descended from directly above, dexterously twisted her body in the air and threw a series of shurikens. As it is pierced into the body of the enemy, it exploded as it may have been fused with gunpowder.

“Rival!”

“Finally my turn! Flame Burst!!”

Liz lands in the dark cloud and leaves the area. Erna appears and unleashes her magical power. An outrageously sized huge fireball hit Zazi. The explosion of flames stirred up the wind and caused black smoke to rise.

“Silva-sama!”

“Oooh! This is my thanks for cutting off my arm!”

From directly under the enemy, the sacred beast Silva burst out of the ground. A hard, huge fist struck Zazi’s charred body and a crunching sound was heard as he was launched into the sky far above.

It’s now or never. This is the last and biggest opportunity. I exhaled all my energy into the sky. The thick flash of light blows away the clouds, and after a few seconds, it causes a storm on the ground. It’s twice as powerful as the breath that the sacred beast Doran once spat out.

“Fuu……”

I exhaled and sat down on the ground. My throat is hot and I can’t get any strength into my body. Dragon breath is a powerful skill, but it’s a double-edged sword that can drain all my vitality if I get it wrong. From now on, it is better not to use it unless it is super necessary.

Suddenly, I noticed a black mass falling from the sky. It fell to ground with a thud. The wings, which were once beautiful, were in a miserable state to look at. Pink flesh was exposed from under the charred skin. And half of his body had disappeared cleanly. For the time being, I need to check whether he is alive or dead.

The heartbeat had ceased, and the white, cloudy eyes had dilated pupils. He’s dead. In Zazi’s terms, he returned to the flow of samsara.

“I took my revenge…… but the mystery has deepened.”

I lay down on the ground. In the end, I couldn’t hear what I wanted to hear. On the contrary, I was focused on winning.

There is no one who can beat the current Shinichi Tanaka. It was just plain arrogance and ignorance. There is still someone far above me. I have to pull myself together.

I just looked up at the sky, unable to soak in the afterglow of our victory.

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

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Erna has a sullen expression and Liz is smiling. Accompanied by two contrasting figures, we were walking down the main street of the city.

“I don’t understand. Why would you go on a date with her?”

“It can’t be helped. She brought me adamantite you see. It is as promised so I can’t go back on words now.”

“But-, what about my feelings then?”

“I…… You were the one who suggested that clause for going on a date. Don’t forget that you are the one who started it.”

“Uuu…… It’s because Shinichi is so insensitive! I thought you wouldn’t notice unless I forcefully make you promise……”

I let out a big sigh as Erna drooped her head. I’m indeed insensitive. I’ll have to admit that. I’m even angry at myself for not noticing her feelings earlier. But that doesn’t mean she should be given special treatment. For just one date, Liz went underground and searched for adamantite while getting muddy all over. In order to reward her efforts and results, I cannot afford to break my promise. Perhaps Erna knows that, too.

“It’s not too late now! Just throw that adamantite! Hurry up!”

……I’d like to think so, but the reality seems to be different.

But what kind of thoughts does Liz have when she wants to go on a date? She had always said that she wanted to get married, but I just thought it was some kind of joke. But if I think about it, it’s impossible. I look young, but inside, I’m already a 56-year-old man. The middle-aged spirit that I exude should not be preferred by a young girl like Liz. Then I came up with one thing. I think she was stimulated by Erna, who she considers her rival. She couldn’t lose so she also asked me on a date. It was easy once I figured that out. In that case, let’s end the date quickly.

“I want a rich and exciting date.”

“O-okay. Let me think about it……”

It’s odd. She’s surprisingly enthusiastic about this. Moreover, I felt that I could even see the flames of spirit behind her.

Don’t tell me…. Is she really serious about  me……?

No, no, no, she’s a fifteen-year-old girl. It would be ridiculous. Perhaps it is only further fueled because of her rivalry with Erna.  I almost completely had a weird misunderstanding. This is bad, very bad.

“So, are you ready to meet the king?”

Rodman cuts the conversation casually. I quickly changed my mind as I remembered what I was supposed to do.

“I’m ready. I can go anytime.”

“Then, shall we go see the Dwarven King?”

We walked straight down the main road to the castle where King Dartan lives.

“What are you here for in the royal castle? You are not allowed to enter this place without permission.”

Two burly gatekeepers stood in front of the entrance with their spears crossed. I took out a letter from my pocket and asks them to confirm the sender.

“This is…… It seems to be from His Majesty’s friend, Dhal-sama. Then we will take responsibility for delivering this letter to His Majesty.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. The letter is supposed to be handed over directly by me to His Majesty.”

“But we can’t let someone who we don’t know the identity t—”

“Let him through.”

It was the man who came out of the royal castle who spoke. His embellished armor and brown cloak signaled his high status at a glance, and the giant axe he carried showed that he was a man of great stature.

Joy welled up when I saw that familiar face.

“General Grill! It’s been a long time!”

“Tanaka-dono seems to be in good spirits.”

We walk up to each other and shake hands. I haven’t seen him since the war against the Empire.

“Please pardon me. I didn’t know you are an acquaintance of His Excellency.”

“You idiot. This man is a hero who served as the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces. If you’re a soldier of Dartan, you probably heard of that battle.”

“I didn’t expect it to be that human who is rumored to be on a par with the Beast King! Please forgive me for my rudeness!”

The gatekeeper kneels on the ground and begs for forgiveness. What kind of rumors are circulating here? I’m a bit scared to know.

“I don’t want to talk to you in a place like this. Let’s go inside first and tell me what you need.”

“I’ll gratefully take that offer.”

Led by the general, we walk into the castle. We were led to a room that looked like a waiting room, then each of us sat down on the sofa.

“So, why don’t you tell me why you got here?”

“I have only one request. I would like to borrow the dwarf’s wisdom and skill in making great treasure.”

“…… Are you saying that you want to go to the basement of the royal castle?”

“Yes, that’s correct. I wonder if I can ask you a favor for that? Of course, I’ll pay for it.”

The general, leaning against the backrest, crosses his arms and wrinkles his brows. From the atmosphere, it can be seen that entry there is quite difficult.

“This is a matter that I can’t decide on my own. Hey, someone go call His Majesty.”

He called out to the soldiers who were outside the room.

In a normal kingdom, it’s impossible to casually invite the king to a room. I guess that rule doesn’t really apply here. Soon after, Dodol, the King of Dartan appears. He dropped his heavy hips onto the sofa and the legs of the chair creaked.

“It’s been a long time. I’ve heard about your performance against the Empire.”

“It’s thanks to Dartan as well. I am very grateful for your help. Then, let me get straight to the point. I’m wondering if you can lend me the wisdom of the dwarves, which is said to be in the basement of the castle? To that end, I’ve also kept a letter from Dhal.”

After receiving the letter, the king confirms its contents. After reading it, his brows furrowed.

“I understand that you need the treasure, and you need the wisdom of the dwarves to do so. But what will you do with it? Who do you want to fight against?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh-, I see. You don’t understand why the Five Great Treasures were created in the first place. Why do you think they have to create such extraordinary weapon? Think of what they have to defeat. Why took all effort to create them.”

Now that he mentioned it, it is certainly true. The great treasures are very powerful weapons to be used just to fight against powerful magical beasts. Compared to others, their performance is too outstanding. If so, it is inconceivable that there was a suitable enemy. At that time, there were circumstances in which it had to be built.

“Do you know about the Human-Demon War?”

“No, not the details…… please tell me about it.”

“To put it simply, it’s a huge war between demons and humans. It seems to have been a battle that took place during the elven reign. The number of people who died is said to be in the hundreds or tens of millions.”

“I can’t imagine that. Then, are you saying that it is the reason why the great treasures were made?”

“That’s right. The Five Great Treasures were born in this world for the purpose of resisting the demons. It is also a decisive weapon to fight against the great Demon Lord.”

Demon lord…… It is understandable that it means the king of demons.

I don’t really feel it though. But, why does he tell this story? I want to know the true meaning why he’s telling it to me now.

“It is said that the Demon Lord who led the demons was a monster that could not be matched even if the six races worked together. The demons want to exterminate all sacred beasts. Their target are the sacred beasts of this world. It seems that by killing all the six key sacred beasts, they could exterminate mankind.”

“Are those six sacred beasts special?”

“I can’t say they are special. Those sacred beasts also protects the world and its race. Having said that, I don’t know much about them either. Anyway, the six races joined forces early on to resist the demons. Of course, there are sacred beasts that have been killed, but only the six key sacred beasts have been protected.”

Six key sacred beasts huh. There is no doubt that among them is the sacred tree of Sanargia and Silva of dartan. I know from experience how important they are to their kingdom and race. I don’t know how they came to be though. There are still many mysteries in this world after all.

“I have one question, the Demon Lord…… Where did the demons come from?”

“One day, they just came out of nowhere and they attacked us. It seems that at that time, there’s no six kingdom like now. There were countless small kingdom and most of them were destroyed.”

Hmmm, I’m curious about the source of the demons. The vampire I had defeated in the past was also stubbornly trying to keep his origin a secret. In the end, I couldn’t help but force him to speak, but maybe the information was far more important than I thought so I wasn’t able to know.

Dodol continued talking.

“That’s right. The six races successfully defeated the Demon Lord, and the Great War ended with the victory of the humans. After that, the great treasures that had been used were sealed and kept by the various races.”

“Wait, there’s only five treasures now. There were six then, right?”

“You noticed a good point. Yes, there was actually a sixth piece of great treasure. That said, it didn’t have the power of the other five, and it wasn’t like it was choosing a wielder.”

When I heard the words, something crossed my mind. I’ve always wondered. How did the kingdom have such technology? Now it’s clear, it had been given by the dwarves as the sixth treasure.

“…… Is it the man-made skeleton?”

“Oh, you know of it huh. Yes, it was our ancestor, the Progenitor Dwarves, who gave the artificial skeleton as a weapon to the helpless humans.”

It finally connected. Humans were given a sixth treasure, the Artificial Skeleton, and after the war, they turned their fangs on other races. Then came the era of human rule.

“We hate the royalty of the Logas Kingdom because they are the descendants of those who have returned the favor with vengeance. Moreover, they still feel like they’re rulers and look down on us. That’s why we dwarves learned. Don’t give anything to humans.”

“So you want me to give up creating a great treasure?”

“Yeah. In order to avoid repeating the same mistake, I can’t allow you to make a great treasure.”

I see. Dodol is a kind man. He went out of his way to explain from the beginning when he could have simply said no. That’s so that I can properly give up after understanding their feelings. I now understand the meaning of his question.

“Sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just can’t bear it when I think of what will happen after your death.”

“Because if the owner changes, the way it is used will change, is that right?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Well, if a Demon Lord showed up, things would probably be different, but that’s not the case right now. We now live in a peaceful world you see.”

“That’s right, I understand. I’m giving up on creating a great tre—”

The door of the room is thrown open with a bang. One of the knights who entered the room quickly knelt before the king.

“I’m here to report. The Sacred Beast, Silva-sama, has been seriously injured by an unknown person!”

“Whaaaat?! Bring out the horse! We’re heading there right away!”

The king gets up and runs out of the room. I followed them out of the castle and saw Dodol jumping on his horse.

“Maybe I can help in some way. Where should I go?!”

“It’s the Eastern Forest. Silva-sama is said to have fallen there!”

King Dodol departed with his knights. Each of us shifts to a flying form in order to head to the eastern forest.

“Rodman should stay here. In case we don’t return, I want you to go back to the inn first.”

“Understood. Be careful.”

I waved lightly to Rodman and General Grill before soaring into the sky. We’re in a hurry this time so I had Freya fly with Pero in her arms. As we traveled east from the city, we began to see a large forest. In the center of it, the trees have been knocked down and there are traces of battle.

When we went further east, we saw a huge person-like object falling.

It’s Silva, the sacred beast of Dartan. It is about 50 meters tall. The fiery vermilion hair is characteristic, and the toned body has an overwhelming presence. Yet it also wore a sacred air. However, the left arm of such a giant monkey is missing from the shoulder and it can be seen lying on the ground. Countless wounds were left on the body, and it appeared to be bleeding profusely.

“It’s terrible…… Who would do something like this….?”

“We’ll keep our eyes on the surrounding area. Erna and Pero should do the healing with magic. The enemy may still be nearby.”

“Yes. We’ll do everything we can.”

Both Erna and Pero went to the sacred beast. We also surround Silva and stand guard.

“Uggh. It’s heavy!”

“Hey, bring it here, hurry! We need to stick it together quickly!”

On the ground, Pero was frantically carrying the severed arm of the Sacred Beast. It’s like he is laboriously dragging a few tons of chunks of meat and is gradually bringing them closer to the main body.

What caught my attention was the cross-section of the arm. The flesh and bones are neatly cut as if they had been sliced. At the very least, it can be seen that the enemy was in possession of a knife. Or something close to it.

“I’m doing it! Please support it properly!”

“Hurry up, I can’t lift it all the way.”

Shivering, Pero places his arm on the cut part of the sacred beast. Then, Erna activated a water-type healing spell.

“Aquarius Recovery!”

The torrent of light emitted from the staff envelops the sacred beast and it quickly heals its arms and wounds. Gradually, the pale face, which had been distorted by pain, changed to a serene one.

“Little ones…… Thank you.”

Silva muttered. As expected, it also seems to understand human language, just like other sacred beasts. Erna flies to the tip of its nose and asks.

“What happened? I didn’t expect a sacred beast like you to be hurt like this.”

“I was suddenly attacked by a demon I had never seen before. Although I managed to resist, as you can see, it was still like this.”

“Demon……? It’s not a magical beast?”

“It spoke a distinct human language. It also knew that I was the Sacred Beast Silva so he attacked me.”

Hmm, is it a demon that targets the sacred beast?

Maybe there are descendants from the remnants of the Human-Demon War. But Silva said it was a monster he had never seen before. That part gets me stuck.

Jiriririri!!

An alarm sounded in my brain. The danger prediction skill was activated. I draw my sword and check the surroundings with the enemy search(+) skill. A red light spot that seemed to be an enemy was coming towards us at a breakneck speed.

“It’s the enemy! Everyone, be on alert!”

At the same time as the urging alarm, my sword crossed against the enemy’s scythe and sparks flew.

“Gugegege”

A familiar voice.

It’s also a familiar figure!

The enemy wore a black cloth covering the body and only a pair of yellow eyes peek out of the gap on the cloth. A hand with green skin extended from the cloth and is holding a large sickle. It was floating in the air, like a small shinigami.

The one who killed me and Shigeru-san was laughing right in front of me!

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

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“How about this? Isn’t it cute?”

“It’s not bad. I think it looks good on you.”

“You’re saying the same thing! Are you really looking at me properly!?”

Erna puffs out her cheeks and gets angry. Even if she said that, there is really no other way to say it. To be honest, she is a beautiful woman and she looks good no matter what she wears. That’s why I could only say the same line again and again.

After leaving the brewery, we came to the clothing store. Many of the items in this store are elaborately designed, and the one she is currently trying on is a long-sleeved front-opened gown that resemble the traditional Moroccan kaftan.

“Of course I did. But the usual outfits are more like you so I like it better.”

“Does that mean it’s better for me not to dress up? As expected, Shinichi doesn’t understand a woman’s feeling!”

“That’s not what I meant….…”

“You don’t understand. What I want to ask you is not about fashion, but about how Shinichi feels when looking at me now. You should check the atmosphere and compliment me more on how I’m different from usual!”

She’s asking for an impossible task. I wonder why women are so particular about how they dress. From my point of view, I think it’s much more efficient to buy the same clothes and wear them around.

For now, I’ll rack my brain for words that seem to satisfy Erna.

“You’re like a flower blooming in a dreamy land.”

“Huh? What did you say??”

“Your beauty is beyond the reach of all the gold of the world, and one day, people will bow down to Erna Frederia and praise her beauty for a thousand years. Along with the legend that a great mage has descended.”

“A thousand years…… Legendary beauty……”

“To a great mage, clothes are just clothes. It is nothing more than a way to hide your ultimate beauty. Your brilliance is too dazzling for others. Now is the time to keep it concealed.”

“Uhe~uhehehe. Being too beautiful is a sin, isn’t it? If I show off my charm unnecessarily, the world will be a mess. I get it. It’s best to dress in the usual plain style.”

Erna hastily began to change into her original outfit. I complimented her appropriately and she seemed to be in a good mood. Her face is completely relaxed.

I was saved by her simple personality. After that, when we left the store, Erna’s carefree look did not return to normal for a while.

　◇◇◇

“So, what are we going to do now?”

“Hmm…… It’s time for lunch. It’s my long-awaited time. I want to taste the specialties that I couldn’t eat last time.”

Me and Erna went to a suitable restaurant and take a seat. When I opened the menu, I saw an unfamiliar dish name. I ordered the “rock mole steak” from the waiter. Erna ordered a “honey-filled toast and salad.”

“What is a rock mole?”

“It’s a large mole that lives only in Dartan and likes to nest in solid bedrock. Dwarves seem to like to eat it.”

While talking like this, our food is brought to the table. The chunks of meat have aromatic smell and it even made a sizzling noise on the iron plate. There was little fat and it seemed to be chewy. In contrast, Erna’s toast is topped with sweet golden honey, and the bowl is heaped with leafy vegetables.

“Can you get honey around here?”

“Yes. It is a very sweet nectar that is excellent in nourishment, and I hope you will enjoy it in the memory of Dartan.”

The female waiter smiles after saying that and then she left us alone. When people say things like that, I became curious about the taste. So, I decided to share the food with Erna.

“Mole meat has a peculiar taste. It’s a bit tough. But if anything, it’s delicious.”

“Hoho~, this honey is delicious. It has a strong sweet taste and a good flavor.”

“Hey, I said just a little bit. I’m going to run out of food!”

“Wait, wait. Just a little bit more.”

“No! This is mine! Eat your steak!”

The plate with honey toast on it was forcibly taken away from me. I eat my steak while thinking it’s a pity. This is also pretty good though. The drink after is even better.

“…..But I was imagining a more romantic date.”

“Hn? What’s the matter all of a sudden?”

“I mean…… this won’t be any different from usual.”

“Now that you’ve mentioned it, I guess so….”

There is nothing special about this. But isn’t that what dating is all about? I recognized that there is meaning with just the two of us spending time alone, but for Erna, it seems to be sublimated into something special. Speaking of which, my wife who broke up with me said the same thing. She said that I don’t know what a date should be.

“You’re looking for something extraordinary huh.”

“Yes! I want a heart-pounding moment. I want you to make me feel that.”

……She asked for another difficult task. What does she mean by heart-pounding anyway? It’s too abstract to understand.

“I get it! I’ll take you to that extraordinary place once we’re done eating.”

“For real? If it’s not a big deal, you’ll have to give the adamantite back!”

“It’s fine for you to have high expectation. I’m a man who does what I say.”

I said so, taking a sip of my drink.

　◇◇◇

After eating, we came to a meadow not far from the city. This is to lead Erna to a certain place from here on.

“An empty meadow? Well, the flowers in bloom are very beautiful though.”

“This is not the place where I want to take you to.”

“Then where?”

I grinned and pointed up. Then Erna looked up at the blue sky with a stunned face. I placed my hands around her waist and then I quickly spread the large wings on my back. In the next moment, we moved away from the ground with tremendous force. I flied far into the sky.

“Ueeeeeeeeeee!?”

“We’re still going up. Don’t bite your tongue.”

I went beyond the sea of drifting clouds and even went higher. The temperature drops, and the breath we exhale turned white. Not yet. It’s still on top. Then, the sky gradually turns into dark blue and the land below becomes more rounded as it recedes into the distance. We reached about 50 kilometers in the air. The temperature also rose sharply from before. Erna is breathing fine though. But as expected, if we go out into the outer atmosphere, we will die. This area is still a survivable area. I’m impressed that I’ve become a ridiculous monster.

“Is this the world we live in?”

“Yes, this planet is where we live.”

It’s a blue shining star. It resembled Earth, but there was a ring around it. Far beyond, the sun continues to shine. This is the true state of the world. It is a sight that can never be seen on the ground. Erna was silent on the size and beauty of the world.

In the same way, I am also taken aback by the scenery I see for the first time. In the previous life, if you’re not an astronaut, you wouldn’t be able to adore the planet you live. This is one of those things that makes me glad that I was reincarnated in another world.

“We’re so small, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, if you look at it from above. Hey, look, I can see the World Tree of Sanargia.”

“It’s true. The Sacred Tree is also so small.”

She was completely obsessed with the gigantic gem that was called the planet. On the other hand, I look up at the universe and is excited. Countless stars are so close to the big moon that they are within reach. Perhaps the brilliance of Earth is included in it.

“…… Hey, what’s that?”

Suddenly, Erna points to a phenomenon. A green light seemed to ripple slightly around the star.

Don’t tell me….

I fly even higher. Then, I hit an invisible wall.

“Are you okay!?”

“Yes. I just hit my face a little bit.”

I reach for the place where I hit my face. There was indeed an invisible wall there.

What’s this? Barrier? Is this planet blocked?

Questions run through my mind, but I can’t get answers.

“It’s time to go back. It’s too cold here.”

“……You’re right. Let’s go~”

I descend at once with her in my arms. From there, it’s skydiving. The two of us made a free-fall far above the sky.

“I’ve never done anything like this before! It feels ama~zing!! Yahoo~o!!”

“Me too! What a shame, I should have experienced it in my previous life!”

We enjoyed this moment together, holding hands and twirling around, or swimming in the air. Well, I’ve been flying so much that I now gotten tired of it. But I haven’t had much experience of falling. It’s a surprisingly addictive feeling. When we approached the ground, I spread my wings and made a sudden brake. Both Erna and I slipped and landed in a meadow near the city.

“Aah, it was fun! My heart is pounding in excitement!”

“I don’t really get what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you’re satisfied. I had fun t―”

I felt a soft touch on my lips. Then Erna’s face moves away from mine, leaving a sweet scent in the air. Her cheeks were dyed pink, and she stared at me with moist eyes.

“I love you Shinichi. I want to be with you forever.”

“……..…”

“But I know there’s someone in Shinichi’s heart and I don’t know who. I’m going to wait until you turn around.”

“Erna……”

“No matter what your past is, I’ll accept it. So, tell me all about it one day.”

Receiving such a strong gaze, I nodded, albeit slightly. I didn’t notice it. I didn’t know that Erna had a liking for such a man like me. I felt confused, but I was happy and scared at the same time. She is right, I still have my wife and child in my heart. The two people, who were more important than anything else, are living inside me with vivid memories.

“……I won’t tell you to wait. But I’m going to do my best.”

“Un.”

Erna smiled meekly as she was surrounded by flowers.

　◇◇◇

“Oiii! You’re late!”

In a corner of the city dyed in the setting sun, Rodman, who looks tired of waiting, waves his hand at us. Me and Erna walked up to him, keeping a delicate distance.

“I’m sorry. We were talking about a lot of things.”

“Heh~, I wonder if there was any progress.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can tell by the look on Erna’s face.”

Erna’s face was eerily smirking. Perhaps she thinks she had her usual expression, but the corners of her mouth naturally rise up, creating a smirk on her face. No wonder Rodman guesses things up.

“Oh, I’m not going to ask you anything nonsense. The relationship between a man and a woman is not something that other people should meddle with.”

“Aren’t you misunderstanding something? Erna is—”

“Fine, fine. Rather than that, why don’t we have a drink while we wait for the other three?”

“……Sigh. Okay, there’s no other choice so let’s start first.”

When we entered the tavern, we were greeted by a warm and humid air. There was the sound of dwarves and beastmen laughing and the smell of alcohol mixed with various dishes. We sit by the window and then we ordered drinks from the waiter.

“Cheers then!”

I lightly raise my mug in time with Rodman’s voice. I drink the liquor in one gulp. There were so many things going on that I felt like getting drunk today. It’s about the wall that covers the planet and about Erna.

“Ah, as expected, you’ve already started!”

Pero and the others came inside the tavern. The three of them are dirty, especially Liz, who is muddy and badly dressed.

“I’ll give you some replacement clothes so change your clothes first.”

“Okay, I’m going to the bathroom.”

Liz replies quickly as she took the change of black clothes. Still, it’s strange. She was usually expressionless, but at this moment, she was smiling. I asked Pero and Freya, who had finished ordering from the waiter, about the situation.

“Where have you been?”

“We went in a mine ruin. There is a closed place near the city.”

“A closed mine? Why would you go to such a place?”

“Oh, about that, I think that it is better to hear it from Liz-san.”

After getting dressed, Liz sits down and eats a sausage with a fork. I took her dirty clothes and asked her why she had gone to the mine.

“I had a hard time finding this.”

She rummaged through her backpack and found a lump of metal the size of a softball. On its surface, a distinctive holographic pattern stands out clearly. It’s adamantite. Intuitively, I thought so.

“T-that’s a lie, right!? Did you really find it?”

“It’s true. I got it with tenacity and guts.”

“No, no. I won’t allow that! I’m going to wipe it out right now!”

“It’s foolish to turn away from the facts. I’ve got the right to date.”

Grabbing the adamantite, Liz runs out of the pub. Erna followed with her staff. The two of them went on a rampage, flipping the table and pushing the customers away as they went out. The only saving grace is that Erna doesn’t shoot magic, but it’s still a terrible thing to look at.

“You’re a nuisance! Shinichi and I are the ones who’s going to be together!”

“Don’t make me laugh. Oniichan and I are connected by the threads of fate. A woman with long ears should be united with a man with long ears.”

“Ha! Then I’ll tell you, Shinichi isn’t interested in a woman without boobs!”

“What a joke! Oniichan is looking at my butt a lot. You had accumulated so much fat in your chest that your brain has turned in fat too!”

“I’ll definitely blow you up!!”

Erna snapped.

I felt that it was bad, so I hurriedly paralyzed them. I had Pero and Freya retrieve the two who have fallen down, while I sit down with the shopkeeper and the customers. I paid for the repairs on the tables and other things. I also promised to pay for all the food and drinks of the guests who were caused such inconvenience. As a result, both the restaurant and the customers forgave me, but the awkwardness caused us to eat quietly as if it were a wake.

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

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Mountains with exposed rock surfaces. They towered like giants supporting the world, and the sunlight cast a rainbow over the waterfalls pouring down from the mountaintops. Occasionally, a griffon or an unfamiliar bird would fly nearby, but if they saw us, they would panic, circle around and run away. They were scared of the black griffon. But among them, there was also some griffon who were not wary of us.

“A few of them keep following us. They chirp so noisily.”

“Hmmm…. Oh-, I get it. It’s probably a courtship call.”

Liz looks annoyed as she looks at the griffons behind her. It has been following us ever since we entered the territory of the Dartan Kingdom. It’s a nuisance for her, who enjoys sleeping.

“You can summon a new one.”

“Are you telling me to switch to another homeless griffon? Hmmm, you’re right. In this case, it can’t be helped.”

We descended to the ground and then I summon two new ones. When I ordered the griffons Pero and Rodman had been riding to “live freely”, they rubbed their heads against my face before taking off into the sky. Even though they are my familiar, they also have the right to have offspring. That’s why I have to let them go at some point. I felt lonely, but at the same time, I felt somewhat relieved when I thought that my child had left the nest.

“Homeless griffons are very intimidating. I think they may have been attractive to the female birds around here.”

“I think so too. If possible, I want them to live happily.”

We set off again and headed for Dartan. Then, after a few hours of flying, something that looked like a city began to appear on the horizon.

“It’s been a long while, Perun.”

“Mmm, the sound and smoke of blacksmithing are still rising.”

“Ah! Right. I have to hide the fact that I’m an elf.”

Erna used light magic camouflage to cover her body with an illusion of her being a human. After the illusion took effect, she doesn’t have long ears anymore, which is kind of strange.

We landed not far from the city and then I ordered the two griffons to go free until they were summoned.

“As expected from the capital of a great kingdom. It is incomparably bigger than the Royal Capital.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I wonder what kind of things they sell.”

“It’s too hot! I’m against staying in that city.”

Freya and Pero seem to be having a good time looking out over the city. Liz complains about the ping-pong-clang sound the blacksmiths were making during their work.

“Woah, this is the city that our ancestors built. It’s so moving to see it with my own eyes.”

Rodman kneels on the ground and prays. If I recall correctly, I think he said he was of dwarven blood. When I think of it as the hometown of my distant ancestors, there is indeed something deeply moving about the place.

“My plan is to stay for about a week. There will be plenty of time to sight see here then.”

“I feel like I’ll have to stay here for a month. This is like a sacred place that blacksmiths from all over the world admire. There’s so much to gain.”

I see. He intends to use this as an opportunity to expand his knowledge as a blacksmith. I admire his greedy ambition.

“Alright. Let’s all have our own time today. I also have to prepare to meet the king.”

“I’ll appreciate that. You decide on a meeting place and I’ll be there by evening.”

“Okay. Then, let’s meet at a tavern in the center of the city.”

After a short meeting, we head to the city. After that, we passed through the entrance without any problems, and we all stepped inside the Rock Capital, Perun.

　◇◇◇

“Why is it only Rival? Unfair!”

“If you’re feeling frustrated, you should find adamantite too. Ohohoho~”

“Some nerve! I’ll definitely find it.”

In one of the rooms at the inn where we checked in, there were sparks flying between Erna and Liz. I really don’t get it. I am just about to go on a date, which is what I promised Erna.

Liz, who was provoked, seemed to be quietly angry and she looked at us with her eyes squinted.

“We’re going sightseeing. Liz-san is going with us too.”

“I’m not going to give up. I’m going to get the right to ask for a date.”

She was dragged out of the room by both Pero and Freya.

Hmmm, I wonder if dating is that good.

It feels like I missed something.

“Now that there’s no one in the way, let’s go~”

“Oh- right. Then, I’ll be in your care today.”

“Yeah. We’re going to make it a memorable date.”

We left the inn and started walking. Although the kingdom of Dartan has blacksmithing as its main industry, it is still the capital where the king lives so it is quite lively. When we arrived at the commercial district, we find a number of fashionable shops. Me and Erna decided to go into what seemed to be a general store for the time being.

The interior of the store was based on white, and the products were also available in white and bright colors. Perhaps because of this, most of the customers I saw are women. While feeling a slight nervousness, I start selecting some products.

“This is a cute plant pot. It might be a good idea to grow flowers in it.”

“Hmm, gardening huh. Not bad. They seem to be selling seeds too. Why don’t you try growing them?”

I decided to ask the owner of the general store what kind of seeds they have. A middle-aged woman about 150 centimeters tall graciously answered my question.

“I recommend the rose variety. They have small, beautiful flowers and their scent are captivating.”

“What else?”

“Maybe daisy or petunia. They also have beautiful little flowers. I also recommend Cosmos.”

“By the way, what is the ratio of soil? How much humus and gravel should be mixed in?”

“Blending several types of soil to match the flowers is the most basic of the basics, but it’s rare for a man to know this. You’re well informed, young man.”

I started talking about flowers with the shopkeeper, and before I knew it, we were chatting for nearly half an hour. Finally, I noticed that a grumpy Erna is waiting for me on the side with her arms crossed.

“Uh-, which flower do you prefer Erna? I’ll buy it for you.”

“……Sigh. Nevermind. Then, give me this magic carousel.”

Magic carousels are a type of so-called miniature roses. It is a plant of the rose family that is relatively suitable for potted plants. However, it is also a flower that is difficult to grow and is said to be for advanced planters.

“It’s quite difficult to grow, but can you do it? It looks like this is your first time gardening…”

“It’s okay. I have an environment that will never let it wither.”

“?”

The shopkeeper tilted her head in confusion and thinks about something. She must be thinking about the meaning of Erna’s words. Of course, there’s no way she’ll get it. The soil on the dungeon could easily grow any vegetation. Eventually, Erna bought a plant pot and plant seeds.

We then decided to head to the next store.

“Do I really have to do it?”

“Of course! This is what dates are all about. If you don’t want to, give my adamantite back.”

Feeling embarrassed, I hold hands with Erna. The small, slender hands were soft and felt good.

“Shinichi’s hand and mine are at last…… Mufufu~”

Erna smiles creepily as she looks at our linked hands. If this makes her happy, then I’ll just go with it. However, it is limited to a place where it is somewhat private. This time, she decided to enter a certain store. The shop is crammed with carved wooden figurines and furniture. Apparently, this is a store that specializes in interior design.

A dwarven male shopkeeper greets us while rubbing his hands together. Suddenly, a certain figurine caught my eye.

“Shopkeeper, this is……?”

“This is Jilva-sama. The sacred beast of this kingdom.”

It was a wood carving of a monkey. With thick arms and legs, and a fearless face, it looks like a monkey, but it also looks like a gorilla. Yet, the rough hair that covered its whole body expressed strength. It is a figure worthy of a beast that protects a kingdom.

“Is that Jilva you are talking about around here?”

“Who knows? He’s free-spirited and I don’t think anyone knows where he is. Sometimes he comes to see what’s going on in the City, sometimes he’s fishing in the river, sometimes he’s taking a nap at the top of the mountain. There is no fixed place.”

That’s exactly what a monkey is. It seems like it appears at its own pace, like the death god.

Then Erna brought a figurine.

“Hey look, don’t you think this is cute?”

“……..…”

It is a bipedal pig with a wine glass in one hand and it got a fearless smile on the face.

Is this cute? She’s kidding, right?

Is there something wrong with my sense of art? Or is Erna just weird?

As expected, there are too many things that I can’t understand about women.

“I’ll get this figurine of the sacred beast.”

“Thank you for your purchase, and the young lady—.”

“Not buying.”

I didn’t buy the pig figurine chosen by Erna. This judgment must be correct.

She was frustrated and quipped, “Shinichi doesn’t understand this wonderful sense.”

After leaving the store, the next step is to head to the sake brewery. Dwarves are notoriously fond of drinking. Naturally, there are alcohol breweries everywhere in the city, and I can see countless alcohol breweries. When we entered a random shop, I saw a few dwarves with red faces chatting.

“So, that human single-handedly slew five generals. Or maybe it was four. Anyway, that guy is amazing. Even General Gril couldn’t fight back.”

“Is that for real? You must have mistaken him for the Beast King.”

“It’s not a lie! There is a human in the kingdom who look like a demon! I’m the one who went to war, so I won’t be mistaken!”

A man who appeared to be a soldier seemed to be telling the other dwarves about the war. We pass by them to meet the shopkeeper.

“There’s no way that humans, the most powerless of the six races, could have led the Allied Forces. You must have been forced to hold onto money and say things like that. It’s something a cunning kingdom would do.”

“No! I saw it with my own eyes! That’s right, someone just like that guy over there—”

The man points vigorously at me and then his eyes widens. He must have remembered my face. His hands trembled slightly.

“What that person said is true. I am the man who led the Allied Forces. I’m Shinichi Tanaka.”

I activated the Crushing Skill, which is the highest level of intimidation. The dwarves fell to the floor in a cold sweat, unable to breathe as the pressure of my presence weighed on their entire bodies. As expected from a determined dwarf. A standard human would have fainted by now.

As soon as I stopped the skill, they all run out of the store at once.

“You shouldn’t have scared them.”

“But now that man will no longer be called a liar.”

Well, this is just a bit of a whim. I just happened to hear the story and thought I’d tell them the truth. When I went to the back of the store, I found the owner sitting on the floor. Moreover, he is trembling while holding a bottle of liquor. It seems that he was barely within the sphere of influence of the Crushing Skill.

“Y-you, please don’t let that horrible presence out in the store. Thanks to that, I fall on my hips.”

“I’m sorry, my bad. Let me help you out.”

I lend my shoulder to the shopkeeper and let him sit on a chair. When I looked closely, the bottle he was holding was a dwarf killer.

“I would like to buy this liqour, but would it be possible for me to get the whole barrel?”

“I don’t mind…… but we specialize in high-strength liquor. I think it’s too tough for you humans.”

“Don’t worry about that. It’s our dwarven friends who’ll drink it, not us.”

“In that case, it’s fine. Wait a minute. I’ll prepare it right away.”

The shopkeeper had a young clerk help him prepare ten barrels of Dwarf Killer. I bought them with gold coins and stored them all inside the bangle. This secured the tribute to King Dartan.

“Well, now that we’ve finished Shinichi’s errands, let’s continue our date.”

“Oh-,right. Let’s go then.”

After thanking the owner, we left the brewery.

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

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

“Shiniji! I’ll fiytoo!”

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

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

“Thismuchis nothingto—”

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

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

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

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

“Fu! Tei!”

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

But it’s not over yet.

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

“It doesn’t work on me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“…………”

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

I see.

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

“…………”

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

……Probably.

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

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

“Teryaaa!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hmm, what should I do…..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I decided to fly back to the village.

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Divine Power”

““““Eh?””””

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s it! Let’s give it a try!”

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

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

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

“Don’t complain! Eat it!”

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

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

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

“Father……”

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

“What’s wrong?”

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

“Is it purify?”

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

“It’s okay. You give it a try.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

This village was saved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About 50 meters outside Mana.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We can fly on our own.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s right. Alright, follow me.”

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

It’s a pleasant departure.

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Let me see……”

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

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

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

“Then Shinichi grew up eating this?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Let’s try Liz’s first.”

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

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

“Next up is Erna’s croquettes.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s a draw.”

“Hey no, it’s my win!”

“That’s funny. I’m the winner.”

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Sneeze~. Uh- my nose is itchy.”

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

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

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

“……Who is it?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Granny, give them some cloth too.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I smoothly drew the Bull King’s sword.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Rina!? Come over here for a minute!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“So, when will Your Majesty buy me?”

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

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

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

“Ya~y! I love you, Your Majesty!”

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

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

　◇◇◇

“Raise your head.”

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

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

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

“Rina? The daughter of that baronial family?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Arrest this rebel immediately!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“As you will.”

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

The taste of the throne was sweet and sour.

　◇◇◇

“Your Majesty!”

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

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

“Your Majesty did it, didn’t he?!”

“Mmm, I just canceled your debt.”

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

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

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

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

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

“I want to be Your Majesty’s wife!”

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

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

What is this girl talking about?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Y-yeah….…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The knight looks at me with pitying eyes. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Good morning, Your Majesty!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hoho~, a habit huh. Here.”

“Uhm. I-, ah-um-no-um-”

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

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

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

“Your Majesty, Marshal Reagan has arrived.”

“Understood. Let him in.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore, I decided to come up with a policy.

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

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

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

“Understood.”

He bows deeply before leaving the room.

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

　◇◇◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Fu!”

“Tei!”

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

“How about this!”

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

“An opening.”

“Uwaa!?”

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

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

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

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

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

　◇◇◇

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

Knock. Knock.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of the room.

Is it a my knight guard?

“Your Majesty, may I come in?”

“Hmm, come in.”

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

It’s Rina, the maid.

“Why are you here at this time?”

“Uhm…… I want to have a yotogi….…”

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

“Huh? Yo-yotogi??”

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

“This tea…… It’s delicious.”

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

“To have yo-”

“There must be a reason, right?”

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

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

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

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

“Oh, that one huh.”

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

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

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

“How much debt do you have?”

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

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

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

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

“Women are indeed terrifying creature.”

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

“I see. That’s what you meant huh.”

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

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

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

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

“ED!!?”

“Idiot! Your voice is too loud!”

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

“Then I guess it can’t be helped……”

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

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

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

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

“Maybe.”

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

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

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

“S-sleeping together!?”

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

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

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

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

“Uhm…… May I hold your hand?”

“Ah? No problem.”

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

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

“It’s all in the past. Let’s sleep.”

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

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

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-Freya’s POV-

A few days had passed since Pero-sama had left the Royal Capital. Today, I am again working day and night as an apprentice knight of Medil Family’s Royal Guard.

“Have you gotten used to being a knight guard?”

Eating in front of me is Edner-sama, the leader of the group. I calmly answered his questions while tearing a piece of bread.

“Yes, I’m working hard on my duties.”

“You look absent-minded though. Is it because of the Sacred Beast?”

Edner-sama was right. It’s been a few days since I was separated from Pero-sama. I think about him every day. I want to touch that fluffy fur again. I want to smell it. My instincts kept screaming at me to do that.

“Better go to Mana. I’ll report to the family head that you’ll take a long vacation.”

“N-no need! You don’t have to go that far! I will fulfill my duties properly!”

I hurriedly denied it, but Edner-sama looked at me in a doubtful manner. He chews on the meat he pierced with his fork, swallows it, and continues talking.

“Someone reported that you may be slacking off in your work. Of course, I know you are not slacking off, but it is clear that you are certainly less ambitious than you used to be.”

“T-that’s ….…”

“I know that you love animals and that you love dogs like no other, but we’re in charge of protecting the great pillars of this kingdom, the Duke’s family after all. We can’t afford to let our guard down for any reason.”

“Yes……”

I was terribly depressed by the leader’s words. Inability to fulfill my duties as a knight. It was tantamount to being told to stop being a knight.

“You are an excellent knight, and neither the Duke nor I, would want to let you go. I would like to suggest again, why don’t you take a long vacation in Mana for a while?”

“I’m not getting fired?”

“I’ll tolerate it for a few years. Going to see the Sacred Beast means meeting up with Homeless. If you can, I’d like you to keep an eye on their movements.”

“So, it’s ostensibly a vacation, but it’s actually a mission?”

“Yes”

I felt radiant. I can meet Pero-sama and have some free time. Isn’t this the best mission? However, now that I know that it is a job, I need to know what to look out for.

“You got two goals. First is to follow the Sacred Beast closely. Protect him if necessary. I’ll leave that part to your judgement. The other is to investigate Homeless, especially Shinichi Tanaka. If he is a nuisance to the Duke’s family, get rid of him. If you don’t think it’s possible, send me a report.”

“I understand.”

As expected of Edner-sama. I didn’t think he was planning such a thing. Come to think of it, there is no evidence that Shinichi Tanaka did not murder the leader’s son, Novan-sama. He’s neither black nor white. In that case, it is a reasonable judgment that a long-term investigation is necessary. As for me, I would like to judge whether he is an appropriate parent for Pero-sama.

“Then, starting tomorrow, go to Mana. I’ll report to the family head about this. Also, tell the Homeless that you’ve quit being a knight. That way, they will let their guard down.”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

As soon as I got up from my seat, I decided to go back to my house to get dressed.

I finally get to meet Pero-sama.

I’m looking forward to it and I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.

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-Edner’s POV-

After seeing off Freya who looked so excited, I let out a deep sigh. The conversation earlier was all nonsense. Well, it’s true that the investigation on Shinichi Tanaka is rather serious, but I don’t doubt him as much as I told her. I can understand a person’s personality by talking to them. I had seen him for a week, so I knew very well that he wasn’t a bad person.

However, I knew that if I didn’t say that she wouldn’t take a long vacation. Besides, I felt like sending her off to be an adventurer would make her come back with some skin. In addition to judgment and leadership, a knight needs combat power above all else. I felt that it would be more efficient to leave it to Homeless to hone her.

“On the other hand, she might get taken in and seriously quit being a knight.”

I couldn’t help but mutter as I cut the remaining steak on my plate with a knife. Freya has an aggressive personality. In other words, she’s a straightforward one. I somehow feel like she will eventually say she’s going to be with the sacred beast.

Well, if she decides to do so, I don’t have the right to stop her. After all, it is a relationship between a boss and a subordinate. However, is fluffy really such a good thing? To be honest, I don’t really understand Freya’s feelings. Whether it’s a cat or a dog, I think they are cute. But that’s all, I don’t feel anything special.

“Animals huh……  It could be just right.”

I go home after work. At home, I was greeted by my wife and daughter.

“Welcome home father~. You’re late today!”

“My bad. I brought back something good instead.”

“Hey, Darling, what’s that box you’re carrying?”

“Let’s open it. It’s something you look forward to.”

Guiding them into the living room, I let them open the white box I placed on the table in front of me. Then my daughter made a happy voice.

“So cute! Ye~y, a rabbit!”

My daughter jumped up and down with a light brown rabbit in her arms. My wife also smiled at the scene. From my point of view, rabbits are nothing more than food, but they seem to be seen as pets by children and women.

Today is my daughter’s birthday.

The rabbit is that gift.

“Lend it to me a bit.”

When I got the rabbit from her, I pressed my face against its small back. I decided to experience the fluffiness that Freya was always talking about.

“This….…”

My face is wrapped in fluffy fur. It’s like a super high-end carpet. No, it’s more than that, it’s just that I don’t have the proper words for it. I can feel the heartbeat of the rabbit. It’s as if the small creature is trying to tell me that it’s alive. I could feel the warmth of the animal on my cheeks, and it made me strongly imagine that this guy and I were alive. Yet, the unique smell stimulated my nostrils, and I felt like a door deep inside my head was opening.

It’s instinct. The instinct of someone who have hunted beast and lived with animals tell me that to rub on this fluffy thing is a pleasure.

“Father, it’s time to give it back!”

“Oh, okay….…”

I handed the rabbit to her and sat down on the sofa. The feeling that I just had…. is it because of that fluffy fur? That should be the one that captivated Freya. Even I wanted to cuddle that fluff for a moment. This may be a forbidden world.

“I’m going to buy another rabbit tomorrow.”

I blurted out.

“Another one? It will be troublesome if they breed and multiply.”

“Don’t worry. The next one will be a female too. Anyway, I’ll ask a servant to take care of the two of them….…”

Then I was stunned.

Why am I trying to get a second one? Am I subconsciously thinking that the current one is for my daughter and the new one is for myself?

N-no, that’s ridiculous. I think it’s because two of them will make my daughter happier. Yes, it must be so. While making excuses in my mind, I recalled the feeling of cuddling the fluffy rabbit earlier. An intense, vivid healing experience dominated me.

Thus, a little curiosity led me to walk the road to fluffy. It is another story that a few months later, I attained the enlightenment of fluffy from the Fluffy Hermit.

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

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