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

The Schmidt family is a noble family that resides in Crent, a territory in Mana. The family got the title of a baron, and their main source of income is the production and sale of seedlings. Because they specialize in high-end flowers purveyed to aristocrats, they are commonly referred to as Schmidt of flowers or Schmidt of Crent.

—However, the Schmidt family fell into decline. The reason is probably because my medical expenses cost so much. Having a personal doctor and as the family continued to pay for large sums of money to treat me, I know that no matter how high our status was, the family would eventually go bankrupt. Of course, this is all my conjecture.

Since I was sickly, I didn’t really know much about the Schmidt family’s finances, so I somehow assumed that it would be the case. I asked my family about the reason for our decline, but they just said, “You don’t have to worry about it.” I can’t help but think it is related to me, the youngest child. Regardless of the truth, I had a responsibility and obligation to repay my family. I want to give something back to my irreplaceable family even in some small way as they supported and raised me this far.

But, what should I do to achieve this?

I was racking my brain inside a room in a run-down shabby house.

“Liz, eat your food. We only got one meal today.”

“Yes, Mother.”

The plate on the table is filled with a light green liquid. When I scooped it up with a spoon and put it in my mouth, a salty and grassy taste spread on my tongue. The bread I picked up is hard and I can’t chew it. I didn’t feel like eating it with soup.

Once again, I am reminded of my current life.

A two-story wooden house with only two rooms inside and cold air could enter through the crack of the window. There are five people living in such a place: my father, my mother, my eldest sister, my second sister and myself. Our income comes from flowers grown in a small field. Other than that, the family managed to earn a month’s living expenses by working side jobs.

“I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

“I’m sorry. I’m such a disappointment.”

“Father, Mother, let’s stop talking about this.”

“That’s right. It’s going to come to an unsatisfactory conclusion anyway.”

The four of them resumed eating.

The unsatisfactory conclusion that my second sister talked about was regarding becoming a prostitute. There are four women in our family. Everyone in this room knew that if we sold our bodies, we would have a better life. Still, the pride of being born as an aristocrat somehow kept this family on the line.

“I’ll do it. Be a prostitute.”

As I said that, four simultaneous “pffffft” was heard as they spit the soup out of their mouths.

Did I say something wrong?

“I appreciate the feeling, but to be a…… I don’t think you can be one.”

“What do you mean?”

When I asked, my father looks away from me. I decided to ask my mother next.

“……When you say prostitute, it means a place where one could buy adult women. As a child, you’re of a little value.”

“But I heard from Oneesama that there are people who have that kind of hobby.”

“Ah- idiot! Don’t tell Mother!”

Mother glared at Irene-oneesan. After that, Mother says softly.

“The daughter of a nobleman should not sell her body. Remember, we are from the upper class.”

“We are poor now though, and the food doesn’t taste good either.”

“Even so. If you throw even your pride, you won’t have a face to look at your ancestors. You’re a member of the Schmidt family, be aware of that.”

“Pride won’t fill my stomach.”

My stomach rumbled.

What should I do if being a prostitute don’t work?

If this continues, I will collapse again even though I have become lively now. Then, at that moment, the face of the young man I had once met crossed my mind.

“How about adventurer……? Is it no good too?”

It’s just a suggestion. If that doesn’t work either, I’ll have to think of another way. But Father said something unexpected.

“It’s not bad to be an adventurer. Even though it is the lowest-level profession, if you reach a master or special level, you’ll become a respected person and even nobles may bow to you. If you do well, you might even become a hero. If that happens, there is a possibility that you’ll meet His Majesty.”

“Well, that’s a wonderful thing. And if you caught the attention of the son of His Majesty, you’ll live tranquilly. It’s decided! Liz, be an adventurer.”

My parents were very much in agreement to my suggestion. But my two older sisters disagree.

“Liz is still very young. I can’t let her be an adventurer.”

“Yes, we are against it! I can’t believe you’re going to put my sweet little sister in a job like that.”

My sisters’ words made me happy. I feel loved. I really wanted to be an adventurer. It was because I wanted to know how far my power, the ninjutsu skills that I am born with, could go. I’ve always thought it would be a shame to leave it unused.

“I have a rare skill. I’m very strong. It will be fine.”

My two sisters were silent at my words. Because they both know the performance of my ninjutsu skills.

“Certainly, with Liz’s skills, I feel like she can make it as an adventurer.”

“But Oneesama…. Liz is a naïve one! She has been bedridden not until lately you know. She may be able to become an adventurer, but she may not be able to make a living out of it.”

“That’s true too. Then, Liz, if you really want to be an adventurer, talk to Duffy-san first. He’s good at socializing, and he might be able to introduce you to someone who can help you with your life.”

Irene nodded at her words. Duffy is the doctor who has been taking care of me for a long time. He may indeed be able to help me with his advice.

I immediately decided to leave the house and go see Duffy-san.

　◇◇◇

“Visit a man named Shinichi Tanaka.”

That’s what I was told at Duffy-san’s house. I heard that name somewhere, but it’s somehow vague so I can’t remember who it is.

He added, “He is the man who treated you.”

“Do you mean, that Oniichan?”

“Yes, that guy you called Oniichan is Shinichi Tanaka. He should be an adventurer in Mana.”

“The neighboring city huh. Troublesome.”

“You want to be an adventurer, right? At least as far as I know, the only people who will accept you unconditionally are the Homeless.”

The neighboring city is quite a distance from here. If I walk, it takes about half a day. For me, who has never been outside the city, it is also a challenge to the unknown. But when I think about meeting the benefactor who helped me, my heart warms so much that I don’t mind walking such distance.

“Hn.”

“What’s that hand outreached for?”

“Cost of going to the next city.”

“Oh-, you girl really…. Good grief.”

Duffy reluctantly gives me money. My poor family can’t even afford my meals. I had no choice but to rely on him. But I’ll be sure to return it later.

“How should I talk to him?”

“Well, I think it’s fair to start with, hi, it’s been a while. Then introduce yourself.”

“I can’t talk for a long time.”

“It’s just you being lazy you know. When you meet him, you have to explain it to him properly.”

“Troublesome”

“And who said she’s going to be an adventurer? Ah-, I have a headache.”

Sensei held his head so I thought the conversation was over and left the house.

The goal is Mana. I’m going to see Oniichan.

I stopped on a city street.

“I’m glad I married you. I’m really happy.”

“Yeah, me too. I’ll make it easy for you all the time.”

I was watching a young man and woman huddled together in a café. The two are kissing and flirting. I decided to use ninjutsu to spy on the sight I saw for the first time.

“It’s amazing…… Men and women …… do things like that huh.”

The man grabs the woman’s large breasts while kissing deeply. However, the woman pushed the man away with a shy expression.

“We can’t do it in a place like this. After we get home, okay?”

“That’s right. Hehe, sorry I got so excited.”

Their passion has gone down a bit, but I feel like I’m still heating up.

Is this what the relationship between a man and a woman means? Mmm, I learned a lot.

I even got important information that it would be easier if I were to get married. I got lucky today.

“Marry Oniichan. Mmm, not bad.”

Oniichan is kind. And he is to my liking. Given that, I might be happy if I can get married and have fun flirting like that man and woman. Yes, it’s definitely going to be awesome.

The course of my life has been decided. Marry Oniichan. That way, I can be an adventurer and have fun. Also, flirting.

My walking steps gradually quickened, and before I knew it, I was running frantically towards Mana. In this way, my life restarts as an adventurer.

However, I had no idea at the time that there would be a rival, an elf.

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

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Once upon a time, there was a hero in this kingdom named Pedro Rodman. He slew tens of thousands of enemies in his lifetime, among them was his son. The weapon that symbolizes the hero Pedro is the magic steel sword. The sword, which has a mysterious red glow, is said to be a magic sword that has swallowed the blood of tens of thousands of enemies.

And then, from the Rodman family, a hero was born once again.

“Hey Reina. Are you really listening to me?”

“Ah-, yes. I’m listening. But to say that this is a magic sword….it seems like a lie you know.”

“Don’t be fooled by its appearance. It is the embodiment of murderous intent. It’s a sword of death that invites those who wield it to kill.”

“Hmmm.”

To be honest, I don’t believe in that kind of story. How to say…. It was more shocking to me that I had the weapon of the hero Pedro in front of me. I immediately pulled the sword out of its scabbard.

“As expected of a hero’s sword. It has a different aura.”

“Never lose it. It’s one of the treasures of the Rodman family.”

“I know. I’ll give it back to you after a little use.”

I’m the hero, Reina Rodman. I am the first female hero in the history of the Kingdom of Logas.

I quickly equipped the sword at my waist and check my whole body in the mirror. Short red hair, big almond-like eyes and long eyelashes. Although there’s no bulgy breasts, my slender figure has feminine lines and it exudes a kind of sex appeal in its own way.

In addition, my custom-made armor conveys dignity and status while still fitting the body. I’m a little concerned as I look masculine but as the first female hero, this might be just right.

“Neechan, you’ve become a hero! Give me some pocket money!”

My younger brother comes into the room and puts out his hand and begs for money. I don’t want to say this to my blood-related family, but my brother is as ugly as an orc child. Well, I love him because he has a good personality.

I gave him five copper coins and warns him.

“You’d better learn how to be a proper blacksmith as soon as possible. After all, you’re going to be the third-generation owner of the Rodman Weapon Store which grandpa made.”

“Yes! I’m going to make a great weapons store here in Mana! I’ll definitely make it a store that will never lose to the main family! Thank you Neechan!”

My younger brother grabbed the coins and left the room. The main family is the main line of the Rodman family in the Royal Capital. Originally, my family was doing business in the Royal Capital, but my grandfather had no choice but to move to the countryside because he had a bad relationship with the Family head.

And that’s when the current Rodman Weapons Store opened. Now my grandfather has retired and my father runs the business, but sometimes people from the main family in the Royal Capital comes here and smears our reputation bad.

“Nevertheless, my grandchild is a hero. There’s no hope for the future huh.”

“What are you talking about, Grandpa? Even though we’re a branch family, the Rodman family has produced a hero again. Why can’t you just be happier about it?”

“Having it come from the branch family is pointless. Besides, a hero should be a man. For Reina, who is a woman, to become a hero is just absurd. Has this kingdom become senile due to continued peace?”

“Grandpa! You’ll be charged guilty of insulting His Majesty if you say that.”

“Tsk-, pretend I didn’t say it then.”

It’s not like it’s that easy. I stand in a position similar to that of general in this kingdom. Even though he is a relative, I cannot forgive remarks that insult His Majesty. 

Just then, three people came into the room.

“We’re aiming for the thirtieth level from today. Let’s keep our spirits up.”

One of my companion smiles.

They’re my comrades. Myne, Coby and Dedel. We are a party of four that started adventuring together a few years ago and has only recently been promoted to the rank of senior adventurers. Even now that I am a hero, I still find time to spend my days adventuring with them.

“Oops, it’s bad to make a visit without any souvenirs. I’m going to give this to grandfather.”

“Hoho. Isn’t this the Dragon Slayer which is said to be a phantom liquor? Are you sure you’re giving such expensive item to me?”

“I’m indebted to Reina. It’s a little thank you gift.”

“I won’t be modest then. Kuu~, this is delicious!”

Grandpa is in a good mood after a sip of Dragon Slayer. When I told him I wanted to use Pedro’s sword, he was very much against it, but when alcohol is involved, he forgets about it.

“Are you worried?”

“Mmm, I just felt like I would never see this sight again.”

“Hey, that’s not a good omen. I’m sure we will come home safely.”

“….That’s right. My bad.”

I apologized to Coby. After that, when we were ready, we decided to head to Mohed Great Dungeon.

　◇◇◇

This request also doubles as a hero’s mission. This is because I am supposed to investigate a missing case in which a party who dived into the Mohed Great Dungeon disappeared between the 25th and 30th floors. And now we are at the 30th floor.

We had reached our destination without finding any of the rumored phenomena or enemies.

“This time it’s hobgoblins and gremlins. It would have been great if we could hunt a lich.”

Dedel, a martial artist, mumbled out as he checks his backpack. Myne, the mage, replied as he rested his back against the wall.

“If you’re talking about the ones in the twenty-sixth or twenty-eighth level, I’m against it. It’s a dangerous area where the undead are rampant. If there is a cause for the incident, it will be those three layers, but if we do it poorly, we will be wiped out for sure.”

“I agree with Myne. Even if Reina is here, I don’t think it’s a good idea to get too deep into it.”

Coby, who specializes in theft and assassination, is smoking a cigarette as he said that.

I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed as I listened to them. If this continues, we will return without completing our mission. In that case, I would not be able to maintain my dignity as a hero. I swore to His Majesty that I would accomplish any task after all.

As the pinnacle of martial arts, I must solve this case at all costs.

“After finding the Temple of Teleportation, I plan to return to the twenty-eighth level. As long as we secure a way back, we should be able to continue the mission.”

“You’ll go back from here!? That’s too dangerous! We… especially you Reina, we have fought so hard to reach here!”

“I know. But now that I’ve accepted this mission, I can’t go home empty-handed. I also have a sense of pride as a hero you see.”

At my discretion as the leader, the party decided to return to the twenty-eighth level. However, without warning, the devil’s hand turned on us.

“My~, my~, that was a close call. I almost let my prey escape.”

Hearing those words, I turned around at the source of voice and saw a strange man standing at the end of the dimly lit aisle. I wonder how long he was there. I didn’t feel his presence at all.

The man had pale skin and bloodshot eyes. His dark hair was in a slicked back style and abnormally sharp canine teeth were visible from his purple lips. In addition to that, as that man breath, the smell of blood fills the air. The clothes he wore accentuated his foreignness.

“Who!? Why are you he—”

Immediately after I tried to call out, the man’s figure disappeared in an instant.

“Gyaaa!!!”

Turning to Myne’s screams, I saw the man biting my companion’s neck. Dedel and I reflexively raised our weapons.

Myne who was drained off blood was thrown away with a thud.

“Fuhahahaha. Do you really think you, a mere human, can beat me?”

Beads of sweat fell from my forehead. 9 out of 10 he should be a vampire. And he is probably the culprit of the series of missing persons. I didn’t expect that the other party was a demon.

“Coby, maybe I won’t win, so at least give this to my family.”

I tossed Pedro’s sword to Coby, who is behind me. But he didn’t try to pick it up right away.

“If it’s meant to be a keepsake, I won’t do it. The four of us talked about coming back alive.”

“I’m sorry. That probably won’t happen. I feel bad but please apologize to my family on my behalf.”

“That’s unfair! Am I the only one to survive? Let me fight with you guys!”

“Stop dilly dallying and go! Go on before that guy preys on you!”

Coby gritted his teeth, picked up my sword and ran down the aisle. Perhaps he is the only one who can get away from here. This is because he possesses a skill that has a stealth effect. I want him to use the Temple of Teleportation to return to the ground safely.

“Kuhahaha, that little man escaped huh. Well, his blood seemed to taste bad so it doesn’t matter to me. As long as you guys don’t escape, I’ll be satisfied.”

It seems that from the very beginning, this vampire didn’t look at Coby. On the contrary, that’s convenient. If he comes to the ground, I’m sure he’ll report the vampire to the kingdom. If that happens, the upper management will come up with some kind of countermeasure.

I draw my other sword and face the enemy.

“Reina, I’m going to accompany you to the bottom of hell.”

“Stop joking. With a muscular and oppressively hot guy like you, it’s already hell you know.”

“Haha, I guess you can say that.”

Dedel and I faced the vampire with a smile on our faces.

　◇◇◇

I woke up there. 

I just saw the memories of someone else. Or perhaps, it was me when I was alive.

—However, I’m now master’s faithful servant.

“Suketarou, I’ll ask for ten more sauce.”

Master orders yakitori from me. I had started a yakitori food stall in the city as a secret side job, but Master had recently found out about it. As a result, sales have increased dramatically. No matter what I say, Master insisted on paying for his food and drink.

“It looks like you were sleeping which is rare. Come to think of it, do skeletons get tired too?”

I was asked a question out of the blue.

I told him that I did not fell asleep. Rather than saying that I was sleeping, I could say that my memory suddenly came back. While thinking about it, I put sauce on the skewers and grill them again.

It doesn’t matter who I was before. I’m now Suketarou. Living as an undead.

“But I’ve been wondering for a long time, does the Soul Eating skill really eat souls?”

I shook my head at my Master’s question. To be honest, I don’t know how to answer. This is because I have no memory of the time before I was born as an undead. It seems that the undead themselves, including myself, do not know exactly what kind of skill it is. However, when I use that skill, I felt like I’m eating something. It’s unclear whether it’s a soul or a memory though.

“Well, there’s no point in thinking about it. I’ll have another drink.”

In response to my Master’s order, I hold a bottle of sake and pours it into a cup. If this is hell, Reina may be surprisingly happy. With that in mind, I continue to work today.

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

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-Pero’s POV-

My parents were no longer there when I was born. I managed to survive by eating the food that the adults in the group gave me on a whim. To be honest, I’ve never had a full meal. I could only try to fill my hunger with someone’s leftovers. That’s why I’ve always thought that I would be happy if I could eat food with a full stomach.

The herd of kobolds I was in was the largest group called the Central Group. The leader of the herd is a mutant kobold. He is strong and smart. Above all, he had the ability to lead. Many adult kobolds followed him with admiration.

Of course, I also admired him. This is because kobolds have an instinct to be attracted to the strong. I was no exception.

Let’s change the topic.

Basically, I spend the day holding my nose. This is because the smell of the balm tree is unbearable. The reason why the herd I’m in is called Central Group is that we formed a village in the center of the garden centered on the balm tree. Kobolds, who don’t care about the smell, might have been fine, but it was a pain for me because I don’t like the scent of citrus.

In particular, the scent emanating from the fruit of the balm tree makes my nose itch intensely. Because of that, I made my home away from the herd.

One day, when I went to the village, the group was in a state of destruction. The adults were brutally killed, and the leader, the mutant kobold, was furious.

I just stood there stunned at such scene. The only thing I could understand was that a strong enemy attacked the village. At that time, even I could somehow understand that more than 20 of my fellow villagers were killed by a single enemy. That’s why I thought that an incredibly large and terrifying enemy had killed the adults.

The next day, the leader, the mutant kobold, was also killed. I was terrified. I shuddered just thinking about how such a monster had come to this place. I’m sure that monster will eventually catch me and eat me.

I thought so and then I hid in my house. As it turned out, the monster didn’t come to me. On the contrary, if I just kept on waiting, I will only be hungry. I figured that the monster must have gone somewhere so I started looking for food.

The surviving adults and children should have joined another herd by now. Normally, I should go there too. But there was no guarantee that the monster wouldn’t attack that herd again. That’s why I deliberately chose to live alone.

Now that I think about it, there was no guarantee that I wouldn’t be attacked just because I was alone. I felt like I had found the right answer though, so I didn’t think about it too much. 

The search for food was difficult. As a child, the only thing I can get is fruit. I want to eat meat. Feed me some meat. My instincts as a kobold tormented me. Maybe if my parents are here, I could have hunted better. If father had taught me how to hunt, I might manage to get at least a small piece of prey. Every time I thought about it, my heart became very depressed.

One day, I met creatures that I had never seen before. They have no body hair like a kobold and they have a lot of strange things on their body. They don’t have sharp claws on their hands and no fangs to bite on prey’s flesh.

When they saw me, they smiled and started talking.

“A kobold with a face like a Shiba Inu huh. Isn’t he a little cutie?”

“Is that so? I think all kobold kids are like that though.”

“Hey, come, come here. If you want meat, I’ll give you some.”

“H-hey, listen to me!”

The two creatures were making strange noises. One has a black hair and the other has golden one. However, I don’t feel any hostility from them. In addition, the one with black hair was holding out something that looked like meat to me.

My vigilance was blown away in an instant. I think it’s probably because I was hungry for meat. When I put the meat in my mouth, the chewy texture and flavor that was different from raw meat hit my brain directly.

What a delicious piece of meat! It tasted better than any meat I’ve ever eaten. Somehow, it feels like the delicious part has been solidified. I licked my fingers in a daze.

“Is it delicious? Look, there’s more.”

The mysterious creature in front of me handed me meat one after another. As I took it and put it in my mouth, I felt happier than ever.

“Bye then. I hope to see you again somewhere.”

The black-haired creature waves his hand and tries to leave. I quickly clung to his leg, thinking that if I followed, I would get more meat.

“I don’t have any more meat. Do you like dried meat that much?”

I respond to him with a squeal.

Take me. Don’t leave me alone.

Then the dark-haired creature stroked my head and then laughed.

“Alright. From today onwards, I shall call you Pero. I’ll come here from time to time, so please excuse me today.”

Pero. That word strangely stuck in my ears. At the time, I didn’t even think that it was a name. Why? Because kobolds did not have the habit of naming themselves.

In the end, the two creatures were gone. However, I was happy that day because my heart seemed to be satisfied. From then on, those two creatures often passed near my place. Of course, I remember their scent, so as soon as they pass by, I go to see them. The black-haired one looks at me and smiles as he strokes my head. The one with golden hair also strokes my head but she tends to be a little reserved. 

I feel happy to receive meat as usual. Later, when I hugged the black haired one, his scent is so pleasant that it somehow made me feel at peace and happier.

“See you then, Pero.”

But the two of them always leave after giving me meat. I want them to take me with them. I want to feel even happier. Those thoughts are ringing in my head. With that, I cling desperately, but I was eventually torn off and left behind. 

Next time. I’ll see to it that next time, they take me with them. That’s what I decided. 

The next time I saw them, it was different. The black-haired one handed me meat and water. I was horrified by the sparkling water. I don’t know why. But in any case, I fear the water itself.

The black-haired one is still smiling gently at me. Then I came up with an idea. Maybe they are trying to see if they can add me to their herd by whether I drink this water or not. In that case, I have no choice but to drink. I was determined to follow them this time.

Once I drink it all up, my throat and stomach felt like burning as if I had swallowed fire. Then the heat eventually spreads throughout my body. After a while, I felt like my thoughts were clearer. I know I became a sacred beast. After that, there may not be much to talk about. I became a member of Homeless and became Father’s child.

However, there is a little more to this story.

In fact, when I first met Father, I immediately knew that he was the one who killed the mutant kobold. After all, I have a good nose. I can remember the smell of an enemy in an instant. Still, I decided to get closer to him because I wasn’t too hostile to Father.

In addition, we kobolds have an instinct to prefer the strong. If the person who killed the leader has the ability to lead the pack, we kobolds will naturally follow him. But it’s not because of instinct that I like Father. It’s my will. It was Father who gave me dried meat that day, and that made me want to follow him.

Now I’m proud of the name, Pero Tanaka.

Ah, that’s a bit of a long story. I’ll talk about my adventures next time.

Good night.

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

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The axe powerfully cut through the armor boar. Fresh blood dripped down and soaked the floor. But the battle still continues. Only one out of the three was killed. The remaining two boars were furious and stimulated because their companion was killed.

“Hey, Hey, come on! I’ll cut you two together!”

“Dhal-san, don’t provoke it anymore. Roy, is your magic ready?”

“I can fire at anytime.”

Dhal draws the attention of the two boars while Mina attacks from mid-range. The goal is that when the enemy is in a state of stimulation, Roy would take that opportunity to fire his magic. 

The boar, which had hard shell on its back, flew out like a cannonball towards Dhal, unaware of their goal. Seeing that, Roy uses his magic right away.

“Rock Wall!”

The thick rock wall that emerged from the floor shattered the boar’s nose. Even an armor boar that is confident in its lunge attack will not be safe from crashing into a rock. As it staggered with a concussion, Dhal swung his axe wide.

“Dosseii! One more to go! Erna!”

Just as he had just finished stabbing the last one, Dwarf old man approached me. It’s the usual task from here. After the three of them dismantled the magical beast, I put the material in my backpack.

Of course, it’s not as simple as cramming it inside. I sort the materials of the magical beast into the linen bag that I brought in advance. This way, blood and odor are suppressed, and they can quickly see where everything is. It’s my job to make the selections. I have to think about what to throw away and what to keep, and always make sure that I have a room in my backpack. I also have to manage and keep track of the food and water in their backpacks.

I threw another piece of material on the floor and then I shoved the boar’s shell and skin into my backpack. Dhal, who was watching me work, nodded several times as if he’s approving my actions. On the other hand, Roy and Mina looked at each other so I tilted my head in confusion.

　◇◇◇

“You’re fired.”

Dhal said as he placed the mug of ale on the table. Since we had been diving into the dungeon as usual until a few hours ago, his remarks were such a shock to me. I could say that it was a bolt out of the blue.

I banged on the table and asks him why.

“What do you mean by that!? I did my job as a luggage porter as usual! Other than that, I’m also doing support. I don’t get why I’m getting fired!”

“Hey-, calm down will you? I didn’t say this is because you made a mistake you know.”

“Why is it then? If you say something half-hearted, I’ll tear off your beard!”

“Uh-, t-that….…”

However, Dhal scratches his head repeatedly and stutters as if it is difficult to say. In the end, Roy, who couldn’t watch it, cut the story out.

“We are thinking of moving our base to the Royal Capital.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of that. Then, I’m going to the Royal Capital as—”

“No!”

Dhal interrupted and refused me quickly.

“You should stay as an adventurer in Mana.”

“What the hell is going on? It’s crazy that I have to break away from Earth Fang like this you know! If you feel like I’m just a hindrance, just say it!”

“You’re mistaken. Can you just listen to me for a moment?”

Dhal’s serious expression cools my anger a little. He’s usually a goofy dwarf, but at times like this, he doesn’t lie or joke.

“We’re not going to remove you in the group because we’re not happy with you. In fact, it was because we don’t want you to die so decided on firing you.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“From now on, Earth Fang will be subjected to a more dangerous job. When that happens, we will not be confident that we will be able to fight while protecting you. Truth be told, even we have a high probability of dying. You don’t have the strength to fight in a place like that so we can’t take you with us.”

“I-, I’m not complaining but, I’m such a burden huh…… Hahaha, what the heck……”

I was frustrated. I can’t believe I’m going to be separated from the three people I’ve worked so hard to become friends with. This is all because I don’t have the ability. After all, a luggage porter is a luggage carrier no matter where he goes. I was on the verge of tears, but I held on to my robe with both hands.

Dhal takes a sip of his ale before continuing.

“I’ve given you a way to survive on your own, isn’t it time to put that into good use? If you’re always chasing our asses, you can’t really call yourself a full-fledged adventurer you know.”

“A full-fledged adventurer….”

It might be so. I’m still half-serving. Indeed, I can’t really call myself an adventurer if I can’t live without the three of them. In that case, let’s do as Dwarf Old man said and become a full-fledged person. I can work fine on my own and live in Mana. And one day, I’m going to make a spectacular debut as a mage and directly hit this stubborn dwarf in front of me with a Flame Burst.

Yup, it’s a great idea. It’s okay, Erna, you can do it.

“You’ll regret leaving me later.”

“Heh~, you should not talk too much, little girl.”

Dhal grinned and took a sip of his drink. Afterwards, we exchanged toasts celebrating our path ahead. Farewell is sad, but maybe this is also the destiny of adventurers. This is also why I wanted to at least send them off with a smile.

　◇◇◇

A year has passed since I parted ways with Earth Fang.

I made a big mistake.

Recently, I became known as a professional luggage porter, so I may have let my guard down a bit. It was a stroke of luck that I took on a job at a certain party. However, they were wiped out on the nineteenth level of the dangerous Mohed Great Dungeon. I managed to escape, but I know that it was almost impossible for me to escape from this level. 

Hahahaha. That’s the end of it huh…..

This is where my life ends.

I could only pray that the orcs will eat me while I’m asleep.

“Fuaah?”

Suddenly, I woke up from my sleep. Luckily, I don’t feel that I was attacked by a magical beast. I remained sitting in a dimly lit and cold aisle.

……Wait a minute. Something’s wrong….

Strangely enough, I felt the presence of someone near me. I’m supposed to be the only one left here. Given that, it could only be a magical beast. I timidly looked to the side and saw a young man standing there.

It’s human! I was able to meet people in a place like this!

I jumped at the man in joy.

“Thank you! It’s really nice to meet you!”

I thought so from the bottom of my heart. After all, it’s almost a miracle to meet people on the nineteenth floor of this vast dungeon. There was a ray of hope shining through my despair-stricken heart.

However, the young man with a chiselled feature had a lovestruck look on his face as he pats my back. I felt that I was in danger so I quickly retreated.

Darn it. It was dangerous to be alone with a young man in a place like this.  I might have made him feel that way because I’m so beautiful and fair. He may use the pretext of escaping here to force a physical relationship. His crotch is a proof of that. I was a little alarmed because of that too.

Sigh. It’s a sin to be too beautiful.

“β§＊Ψ。ΘξΦ”

“Ah? I can’t understand what you’re saying….”

The young man bowed his head apologetically. Apparently he is not a bad person. The fact that we couldn’t communicate was a bigger problem than that though. For the time being, I smiled at him and showed off my open-mindedness.

If I let him go here, my life is as good as gone. Besides, I will not drive him away just because I couldn’t understand his language.

At that moment, he held out one of the two backpacks he was carrying to me.

“Huh!? This is mine! Did you actually pass by here!?”

Luke must have thrown it away to escape from the orcs. However, the young man in front of me had a calm expression. Maybe he’s a frighteningly strong adventurer. I decided to ask him with a gesture what he did with the orcs.

He makes a loud “gao gao” sound and makes a bear-like gesture. Next, the gesture of eating something. Finally, he pointed to his backpack.

The meaning is, how did he get the backpack without being eaten by the orcs?

Then, he swings his sword and then makes a gesture as if he is going to fall. Finally, he pointed to his backpack.

“You defeated the orcs!? W-who are you really!?”

I got so excited that I raised my voice. You can’t blame me, he’s about the same age as me after all. To have combat power comparable to that of a mid-level party, he’s truly a talent. I could say he is a genius.

As I am thinking of that, the guy in front of me gave a courtesy nod and tries to walk away for some reason.

“W-Wait a minute! Don’t leave me here please!?”

What the hell is wrong with this person? Isn’t he going to help me!?

Desperately grabbing his arm to hold him back, the young man tilted his head in confusion.

Understood. This guy is a natural airhead. No mistake about it. He doesn’t understand the situation I’m in at all.

Anyways, I gestured to him to take me to the ground with him. After a short while, he nodded as if he had finally figured something out. He seemed to be willing to accept my request. In this way, I decided to go to the ground with a mysterious young man named Shinichi Tanaka.

However, at that time, I never imagined that this encounter would change my life drastically.

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

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-Erna’s POV-

Early in the morning, just after the sun came out.

Wearing a white cardigan over an orange robe, I am now heading to the guild. The time is still five o’clock in the morning. Still, there are people walking here and there in Mana City, and I can see shops that are already open in the market.

“Fuhahaha. Hey, that elf-girl over there. Today, we have a ripe Apu! If you want it for breakfast, you can let buy it from me!”

“……Then just one piece.”

“Thanks for your continued patronage. You can enjoy this sweet fruit to the fullest!”

At a fruit and vegetable store run by a shirtless man, I bought a red fruit. To be honest, I don’t want to go near this Arnold store, but I can’t help but buy it here because it the shop that opens first in the market and it has the best selection and freshest products. However, surprisingly, the owner, Arnold, is very popular with the aunts in the neighborhood. It’s really incomprehensible for me.

When I arrived at the guild through the market, I sat down on the stairs in front of the entrance. There are already a few adventurers sitting on the stairs like me, but they are all swordsmen or martial artists. I’m the only mage here.

“This product indeed taste good.”

I blurted out after taking a bite on the Apu fruit. As the owner said, it is ripe and sweet. The pleasantly crunchy texture makes me regret not buying another one. That said, considering the cost of living, I can’t afford to spend that much on food. I need to be frugal.

As the sun begins to rise and the area begins to warm up, people begin to gather in droves. Adventurers, of course. Tough men and women are talking and waiting for the guild to open. Their goal is to receive new requests to be posted in the guild.

Requests are basically updated three times a day, and among them, morning requests are fiercely contested. The reason is simple. Since it is easy to overhang low-difficulty items, adventurers with low ability naturally come to look for work in the morning.

But I’m not. My purpose of being here is not to ask for a request.

“I think it’s about time.”

I took a sip of water from my water bottle and looked at the clock tower in the city. The time now is 5:30 a.m. It’s time for the guild to open.

Just as I thought so, the door opened and about fifty adventurers rushed inside the building. When I followed them inside the guild, the adventurers had already started fighting each other in front of the bulletin board.

“That is the request I accepted! Don’t steal it!”

“What the hell is this bastard, I took it first! You’re the one who stole it!”

“Ah!? Hey you! I touched it before you did! Stop making excuses!”

“Wait! I’m the one who’ll take that slime subjugation request!”

“Stop it! Let go of me! My armor will break!”

“You can’t act like that just because you got a big chest that looks like a silly slime! Hmph! I’ll tear it off!”

It’s an ugly conflict that I can’t even look at. But this is the daily life of an adventurer. It’s the usual thing, so there’s no one to stop it. Even guild officials maintain a stance that fights are their own responsibility. I think they will stop it if they end up killing each other, but the adventurers don’t often reach that level because they know what not to do.

I sat down on the bench and decided to observe the situation in front of the bulletin board for a while.

“Yosh! I got it! Let’s register the request right away!”

A group of four seems to have gotten a commission. Judging from their face and behavior, they are about the same age as me. Their party composition lacks a mage. The group have a swordsman, a martial artist, a large shield user, and a spear user. When they formally accepted the request, I ran over.

“If you don’t mind, could I join you guys?”

“Ah?, That look…… an intermediate mage!? Moreover, you’re an elf! Alright, alright. Come join us! I was just looking for a mage!”

The young man who was the leader welcomed me with a smile. But that’s the problem. Most people will readily agree to accept me because they all know that elves are usually a powerful mage.

“Uhm that-…… Actually, I can only use elementary magic……”

“Huh? Then, just treat that our conversation never happened.”

The young man flatly refused me with a straight face. As they walked out of the guild, I fall to my knees.

Again. I was once again refused!

I’ve been in Mana for a month now, but no one is willing to party with me. As soon as they find out about my magic level, they immediately fire me. Luckily, I was allowed to accompany a few parties, but only as a baggage porter, not as a mage as I wanted to be. Thanks to this, my life is a car on fire every day, and I am able to survive by doing small internal jobs.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this though. I thought that a new life in a new place would start with a bang, and that my ability that was sleeping would soon wake up. The reality is too harsh.

“Why, you have a bad face.”

Someone suddenly sat down next to me. When I look to the side, I see a petite middle-aged man looking at me with a smirk on his bearded face.

“Gee, dwarf!”

“That’s my line. What a lowly elf calling a dwarf without any courtesy!”

“You’ve got good courage! You short-legged old man! If you want a fight, I’m going to take it!”

I rolled up my sleeves and tried to punch the dwarf in front of me but someone pinned me down. I frantically flail my arms, but I can’t get free because the strength of the person behind me is too great. Seeing this, the bearded old man laughed so hard while touching his stomach.

“This darn old man! I’ll definitely punch you!”

“Calm down, don’t let Dhal’s provocation get on you.”

“Huh? A woman?”

When I turned my head, I saw that it was woman with a beautiful face who was holding me in a full nelson. Her hair is bright green and it is tied with a ribbon at the back, and her drooping bangs gave her an intelligent and mature look.

“I’ve heard that dwarves and elves don’t get along, but I didn’t expect you guys to fight each other so much.”

That’s what the man right next to the woman said. He had bright green hair like the woman, and he wore an orange robe and hat like a mage. Judging from the color, he seems to be an intermediate mage. By the way, since I am a beginner mage, I should have worn a yellow robe, but I wore an orange robe because I really wanted to look good. He’s the real deal, different from the fake me.

When I calmed down, the woman let me go. I want to punch the annoying dwarf right away, but I decide to give up because she’ll stop me again. More than that, I was concerned that these three people seemed to have an errand for me.

“What do you want? If you’re trying to make fun of me, I’ll shoot a fireball on you. Even a beginner mage can inflict at least some burns on you.”

“You’re mistaken. I just wanted to invite you to a party.”

Eh!? P-party!? Why!?

I am confused by the words of the dwarf old man. After all, if these three people are a party, they already have a mid-level mage. Well, I don’t have a problem with a party having multiple mages, but I don’t see the point of incorporating intermediate and beginner level mage into one party.

“Ah—, I guess you misunderstood. It was Dhal-san who proposed it, so let him explain it properly.”

“Sigh, I got it. Tsk, we got into trouble because of this elf who is not so smart.”

This damn dwarf really want a fight! I was interrupted earlier, but I’ll beat him up this time. Just as I was about to roll up my sleeves again, the dwarf in front of me slammed the luggage he was carrying on the floor.

“You’ll officially form a party with us, as a luggage porter of course.”

“Ah? Carrying luggages? Don’t be silly! As a mage—”

“It’s good to talk about ideals, but how about looking at reality, little girl.”

I was pressured by the serious expression of the dwarf and fell silent.

“Actually, I’ve been watching you for the past few days, and I hate to say that you’re not prepared to be an adventurer before your ability. Think about it, adventurers are making money by risking their lives. Naturally, it is the people who can be entrusted with their lives that they opted to form a party with. Are you worth it? Are you knowledgeable? What skills do you have? Can you survive? They can’t see that in you. That’s why no one will scout you if you can’t even use magic.”

I couldn’t find the words to refute back. He is right. I had no self-awareness or determination as an adventurer. I came here only with a thinking to grow as a mage. But that’s it.

The dwarf grinned.

“I’m late in introducing myself, but my name is Dhal La Quebra, the leader of Earth Fang. You can call me Dhal. The mage over there is Roy. The spear user is Mina.”

“Earth Fang…… Come to think of it, I heard that party name… it was said to be recently promoted to intermediate level.”

“Oh, that’s correct. It’s us. Anyways, I’ll hire you as a luggage porter, so make sure you learn the basics of an adventurer, fallen elf.”

“Dam……uh-, thank you very much……”

They just want to bully me, an elf. It must be so.

Still, I’m grateful for this. I will study so that I can live as an adventurer as much as possible. Also, strangely enough, I didn’t feel bad about going on adventure with Dhal. He had a bad mouth and a big attitude, but I felt a little bit of kindness from him.

Uhm, yeah. I think it’s about a millimeter. Well, maybe he’s a good guy for a dwarf.

Thus, my adventurer life finally began to move.

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

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-Erna’s POV-

I pack my belongings at random. Today is the day of the long-awaited departure. I staggered to my feet with a heavy backpack on my back, grabbed my favorite staff, and put on a pointy hat.

Looking in the mirror, a dazzling beautiful girl was reflected before me. Yes, that beautiful girl is me. I’m Erna Frederia, who will be called the Great Mage from now on.

“Don’t you feel weird grinning in front of the mirror?”

I turned around and saw my little sister, Clara, who is sitting on the edge of the bed and is looking at me intently. She wore a yellow dress and her hair were in a ponytail. Her appearance similar to mine is worthy of being called a beautiful little girl.

In her hand is a thick open book and the spine reads, “A History of Sanargia and the Elves.”

“It doesn’t matter what I look like in front of the mirror.”

“Yes, but it’s still weird you know. By the way, what’s with the big baggage Oneechan is carrying?”

“Fufu. I’m about to embark on a journey to become a Great Mage.”

“Huh!?, Where are you going?”

“Sec~ret”

“……”

Clara looked at me with a look of pity. I guess she pity me because I don’t have a talent for magic. My little sister Clara and my older sister, Melissa, are both very talented and have great powers, unlike me. Well, it was supposed to be a standard ability in the Frederia family. At the age of ten, it is natural to be able to use advanced magic, and it is not uncommon for children to be born with two or three attributes.

Despite that, although I barely had two attributes, my mastery of magic was only at the beginner level. Now, because of that, there are whispers in the streets that I’m a shame for the Frederia family.

“I’m starting anew in another place. Besides, I need a new stimulus to bring out my hidden talents.”

“I feel like Oneechan is living an exciting life here though, isn’t it so?”

“You idiot. I can’t develop my talent just by being hated on the street. Adventure, that’s what I need. Putting my life at risk frees my true power. I’ll never awaken in a place like this.”

“You’re going to run away from this kingdom, right?”

After she finished speaking, she drops her eyes to the book. She’s still a cheeky little sister. On the outside, she is a good girl, but she really has a bad personality.

Just then, the door opened and Melissa-oneesama walked inside the room. As soon as she saw me, her eyes widened.

“What’s the matter with that luggage? Where are you traveling?”

“No, I’m leaving this kingdom. And I’ll become a Great Mage like Moore-sama.”

“I see. You’ve finally reached your limit and you’re going to run away.”

“That’s right but that’s not all. Oneesama and Clara too, listen! I’m certainly not that gifted with magic, but mine’s just sleeping! I have two attributes and a lot of magical power! It’s strange no matter how you think about it!”

Oneesama puts her index finger to her chin and begins to think.

—She is truly a beautiful woman. Melissa-oneesama had her long hair tied in a high ponytail and looked great in her everyday pink dress. In particular, she has a face similar to mine, but her plump pink lips radiates sex appeal. Even I, a sister, am thrilled.

“I understand what you are trying to say. But Erna, we are sisters of the honorable Frederia Family. I don’t think Father and Mother will allow you to leave the kingdom alone.”

“That’s why I’m leaving quietly. I’m sorry Oneesama and Clara, but I want you guys to tell them that I’m gone before you know it.”

“Hah! You’ve always been a kid who says outlandish things, but this time, it’s a big deal! The daughter of a duke’s family running away from home is going to be a big problem, you should know that.”

“It’s not like I’m really running away from home, I’m off for an adventure. Anyway, Oneesama, I already told you two. Oh right-, this is a letter I wrote. Give it to mother and she’ll be fine.”

I let my sister hold the envelope containing the letter and then I quickly left the room and headed for the front door. After that, I went through the grounds and climbed over the fence and succeeded in getting out of the Frederia mansion safely.

Now all I have to do is buy a horse and head to the kingdom of Logas. It’s just past noon. If I leave now, I will be able to reach the next city by night. I put my hat down and blended into the crowd so as not to be seen.

　◇◇◇

A few hours have passed since I left the forest city of Zahra. The sun is beginning to set and sink into the horizon. I hurry my horse and run through the mountain road.

“Whew, I’ve come quite a bit. I’ll take a break first.”

I dismounted in the open meadow and sat down on a rock of just the right size. I then took a sip on my water bottle. I’m already at the top of the mountain. If I go beyond here, the next city is just around the corner. I took a packet out of my backpack, untied the cloth and smiled.

There are about six cookies borrowed from the kitchen of the mansion. While enjoying the crispy and sweet texture, I stared at the scenery reflected in my field of vision.

“I didn’t know I could still see the Sacred Tree in a place like this.”

Even from here, I can see the towering World Tree, which is a symbol of Sanargia. When I thought that I was going to live alone from now on, a sense of weakness spread in my heart.

No! I’m going to be a great mage in the kingdom! To do that, I have to become an adventurer and become stronger! Even Moore-sama has risen from adventurer!

I shook my head, trying to shake off my bearish heart. However, I was lonely and frustrated at the same time. I said all that to my sister and Clara, but what I am really doing is an escape from reality.

I can’t bear to live in Sanargia any longer. I’m just running away with an excuse to myself. I couldn’t help but think this way though. In this kingdom, I was constantly compared to someone else. It’s not surprising that we have excellent parents. But for me, it was painful. Because I don’t have the talent that people expect.

How many times have I been disappointed because of it?

To my parents. To my sisters. To servants. To the residents of the city. To teachers. To classmates. The list goes on. Even though I don’t want to, the hurdles are raised and as I can’t jump over it, I was looked at with sympathy and contempt.

No one understands how I feel. Still, I want to be recognized. I wanted to look back and do it.

“I want to be strong so I’m going to run away now.”

I clenched my fists tightly. Even when the cookie in my hand shattered, I did not loosen my strength. Someday, I will surely return to my hometown as a great mage. That’s what I decided. Gradually, the sun begins to sink into the horizon, and the sky and the ground are dyed red.

Zahra seen from here is very beautiful. My hometown, which has given me both joy and sorrow. Maybe I won’t be able to come back. I’ll at least burn it into my eyes. With the scene of the departure in my heart, I mounted my horse to set off.

I turned my attention to my homeland just one more time.

“I’m going.”

After a small murmur, I galloped my horse.

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

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I am still running away from the giant jagaimu. Of course, this doesn’t mean I can’t win. My goal is to separate No.0 from its soldiers by attracting its attention. In return, my comrades will wipe out the horde of jagaimus.

“The problem is this guy. I’m still thinking how to get rid of it.”

To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be that hard. I’m starting to doubt if it’s really a vegetable, but it would be foolish to compare Earth’s common sense here in another world.

 “Don’trun. Fightme. Stopbeing acoward.”

It is the giant potato running after me that speaks to me in a voice that resonates from the belly. In fact, it has been repeating provocations like this for some time now. It’s unclear where it is speaking. However, knowing that it had the intelligence of a junior high school student, it was clear that it understood human language. Thanks to that, I got a few surprises.

“Areyou scaredof aJagaimu likeme?”

It seemed to be enjoying that I just run. It may have thought that I can’t beat it. For a vegetable, it talks a lot. And it’s all arrogant. If it was a normal size, I’ll turn it into a paste and throw it into the curry. No, croquettes are also good. Like the opening song of “Kite⋆⋆tsu Daihyakka”, I forget about the cabbage and put it on a plate.

However, it is also convenient for me that it went after me. I want to pull it away from Mana as far as possible. As it didn’t notice my goal, I continue to walk as fast as possible.

“Why are targeting the city? If you hate me, you should only target me!”

“Ihatehuman, I’ll destroyhuman. Thatcity isthe first step.”

Jagaimu No.0 seems to have had a strong hatred towards humanity, including me. French fries, potato chips and buttered potato. My clone must have eaten them in front of No. 0’s eyes.

Sigh. What could be more cruel for a jagaimu? It is not surprising that humanity is perceived as someone harmful to the jagaimus. But even if that was the case, I couldn’t afford to be killed like this. I stopped in my tracks and raised my fist at Jagaimu-kun.

“Oh? Stoprunning already?”

“I’ve gained enough distance. And let me tell you, your army is no more.”

“Whatareyou— d-don’t tellme!?”

When Jagaimu No. 0 turns around, it saw that its comrades have become miserable. It’s too late by now. It’s a big mistake because it didn’t know how cunning humans were.

“Howdareyou trickme! Despicablehuman!”

“It’s the result of being too caught up in what’s right in front of you. Now, let’s start the second battle.”

“Iwon’t forgiveyou!”

Its right foot is coming from directly above. It looks like it is planning to trample me down.

I quickly activated my Superhuman Skill and Dragon Transformation Skill. I caught the falling foot that looked like a thick wall with both of my hands. As a deep thump resounded, my feet sank into the ground due to the weight that falls on me.

“Teryaaaaa!!”

With my enhanced power, I effortlessly threw the humanoid potato that’s a hundred meters tall. No.0 slammed into the ground face-first and the earth caved in in a circular shape. But this is not the end. I sprinted to it, grab its legs and swing it up in the opposite direction. Then I slammed it to the ground again. After repeating about ten times, I throw it away.

“Guu…… yourpower, is stronger thanI expected..…”

With a wobbly body, it stood up. I guess it thought that it could win with its colossal body. This is the result of its poor judgment. Instead of this, they should have hidden quietly after escaping from the dungeon. That would have allowed them to live longer.

“Why didn’t you just run away as it is? You shouldn’t have thought about revenge.”

“Wehavetofight, ifnot, humanswill continuetoeat jagaimu. Thatshould bestopped. Iwant the littleones tobe safeand livemore.”

“Do you want to say that you are so obsessed with revenge for the sake of your comrades?”

“Thatis right. Idon’t want moreofthem tobekilled.”

I got an indescribable mixed feeling. In a sense, it accurately predicted the future. Mana is currently growing jagaimus, which will soon be distributed as a common ingredient. When that happens, the time it is talking about will come.

“I understand what you’re thinking. It’s all my responsibility for giving you wisdom.”

“There’s nopoint admitting yourmistakes now. You humans alreadydid somethingterrible.”

“I’m not going to apologize, because people will continue to eat jagaimu in the future.”

“Howdareyou!”

An angry gaze is directed at me. Its raised fist is like a hammer trying to crush the ground. On the other hand, I also shifted my body to the limit and I placed all my strength into my right fist. I’ll probably never be able to understand it.

Why? Because I love potato chips.

“Ouuooo!”

“Wooooo!”

Fists collided with each other. The shock wave spreads in a hemispherical shape, blowing away the clouds floating in the sky. The area beneath my feet caved in deeply, cracks formed in the shape of a spider web. The pressure of our fists is competing, and the energies are clashing between the fists in search of escape.

Its spirit is genuine. It seems that it won’t back down against me.

“Toryaaaaa!”

I swung my fist with even more force. The competitive situation was broken, and Jagaimu No. 0’s body was launched far into the sky. For the final blow, it’s Emperor’s Dragon Breath. From there, there should be no impact on the ground. I took a deep breath and tried to breathe out.

“Sagittarius!”

Just as I was about to breathe out, I heard Erna’s voice. A flash of light shot through the Jagaimu’s torso. Or rather, it was a very thick laser. In an instant, No. 0 was burned, it fell to the ground with a fragrant smell.

“It’sashame…… but, I’msure thenextjagaimu willappear again.”

With that said, Jagaimu No.0 died. Erna, who rushed in, frolics when she saw the corpse of the enemy.

“Did you see that!? It’s my new magic! It uses the attributes of wind and light to fire with the Sacred Tree’s bow!”

“Yeah, it was a great attack that I can’t complain about.”

“I know, right!? If it’s Archmage Erna-sama, they would be losing easily.”

She’s in a good mood knowing the power of her new magic. She stole the finishing blow and I wasn’t able to finish it off myself though. More than that, No. 0’s last words bothered me a bit.

What does the next jagaimu mean?

As I was thinking about this, the bug in my stomach suddenly squealed. The delicious smell of potato tickled my nostrils.

I approached the jagaimu, leaving Erna who continued to boast.

“T-This is……!”

White steam rises, and when I peel off the thick light brown skin, the cooked flesh emerges from underneath. Have I ever seen such a potato with vivid colors before? It is evenly cooked and has a striking yellow color. Yet the faintly sweet scent grabs my heart.

I put my hand on the corpse of Jagaimu-kun. I must never forget it.

I humbly receive your life.

Even if it’s a potato. I uttered my thanks and bit into the potato.

“Deliciouuus!”

My voice sounded like a goat. The flesh is surprisingly soft with the peculiar crunchiness of potatoes. The sweetness, which was not too assertive, was as light as a traveling man saying goodbye to a woman in the harbor.

I took a butter out of the bangle and put it on top, you can taste the best buttered potato. Humanity cannot graduate from potatoes after all. The tears that wet my cheeks were proof of that.

“This jagaimu is really delicious. It looked disgusting but it tastes first-class.”

Before I knew it, Erna was munching and eating potato with me. She even has a glass of salt in hand.

“This is a lot though. We can’t eat it all by ourselves.”

“Then let’s take it to the city. Since it’s so good, everyone will eat it.”

That’s an option too. It would be a shame to let it rot like this. I then put the giant potato in the bangle and decided to move it closer to Mana.

　◇◇◇

Hundreds of torches shone brightly on the meadow where the sun had set. Lying there is a giant jagaimu. People scrape themselves from the body and return to their seats. There were more than fifty long tables set up here, and many of them were having a good time with jagaimu and sake.

“It’s a big party, everyone is drinking all the time.”

“You can eat jagaimu for free, anyone will come.”

After drinking down the sake in one gulp, I throw the potato into my mouth. No matter how many times I eat it, it is still delicious. Liz, Pero, and Freya, who are sitting next to each other, also seem to be enjoying the potato.

Tonight, Mana had a jagaimu festival. That said, it’s not that someone planned the festival. It all happened naturally. It all started with the free release of cooked jagaimu. When I told everyone that I would share the jagaimu that we couldn’t finish eating, people gathered from all over the city.

Before I knew it, tables and chairs were set up and the stalls were open. It’s already nine o’clock in the evening but there are still people coming from the city to get potatoes.

It’s ironic that the jagaimu, who hated humans, is very popular to humans.

At the stall, a large number of sweet potatoes are served in curry or soup. And it’s super cheap. The cost of ingredients is free, so the price is almost just for cooking. I also tried the curry, and it was quite delicious.

“Archmage Erna! Banzai!”

When I turned my gaze in the direction of the voice, I saw Erna being applauded by the crowd. She is being celebrated as the hero who saved the city. Regardless of the course of events, she was undeniably the one who killed No. 0. It is something to be praised.

The only thing that worries me is that hopefully she doesn’t get too carried away. Perhaps because they all started to say that a legendary arch mage could be named again, her pace of drinking is unusually fast.

Standing on a desk and sipping sake, she is no longer just tipsy.

“Hora~, call me Archmage. I saved this city!”

“Archmage Erna-sama! Banzai!”

“That’s right, I defeated that jagaimu brilliantly with my sophisticated magic!”

“Archmage Erna-sama! Banzai!”

“Hahaha! Right! I’m overflowing with magic and talent! This beauty that captivates everyone—Ade!?”

I knocked my knuckles on Erna and pulls her back to her seat. It’s good to rejoice, but she got over excited. Good grief.

“That’s mean! I’m the star of the show today. Let me have more fun.”

“Don’t bother others, the reputation of Homeless who has finally risen will fall again.”

Rubbing her head with teary eyes, she groaned, “Mmummmumu.”

If possible, I would like her to express her joy a little more humbly. It could lead to unnecessarily resentment from other adventurers after all.

“Pero-sama, have you seen my bravery?”

“Yes. Your divine power and the meteor shower burst were amazing, I want to have powerful skills too.”

“What are you talking about? With this much fluffy fur, you don’t need any other skills at all. All you have to do is make the enemies succumb to your fluffy fur. They’ll all weaken.”

“I-, I’m a little scared of your immense trust in my fur.”

Freya touched Pero’s chest hair as she held his head. Liz observes their interaction closely. As if she suddenly realized something, she faced me and uttered the words,

“Oniichan, don’t you want to be fluffy too?”

“I politely decline.”

“But it feels good when my son is fluffy.”

“Don’t say it in such a strange way! You’ll be misunderstood. Besides, I don’t usually have chest hair like that.”

“Oh-, that’s right.”

I took a sip of sake while watching the jagaimu festival which is a great success. Everyone seemed to recognize Jagaimu No.0 as a new kind of magical beast that appeared out of nowhere. For that reason alone, I feel very sorry for it. It wasn’t intentional, but it ended up being a match pump.

We made a name for ourselves by exterminating the monster I created myself, well it was my clone who did it, but I still feel guilty. However, I was in no mood to say anything right now. When I heard the residents’ words of gratitude towards my comrades, I had no choice but to swallow the truth that came out of my throat.

Maybe it’s better to keep it a secret until I die. I sighed heavily as I drank my sake. Thus ended the Jagaimu Riot.

　◇◇◇

However, at a later date, outrageous information arrives.

It’s a sighting of a surviving jagaimu. Apparently, No.0 didn’t take all the jagaimu into its army. It left a few in advance in order to leave offspring. Thanks to this, the jagaimu repeatedly reproduced without being culled, and after a few years, their habitat expanded to the entire continent.

Needless to say, it left its mark in the picture book as a new kind of magical beast.

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

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When we came to the field in the miniature garden, I immediately received an explanation from my clone.

“After killing Jagaimu No. 26, I carried it into the warehouse, and in that moment, Jagaimu No.0, who was tied to the truck, cut the chain and escaped.”

“What do you mean, No. 0?”

“It is the ancestor of all the jagaimu here. The number of jagaimu increases by planting the seed jagaimu produced from No. 0’s hind end. It is like a queen, so to speak.”

Since it is a Queen, he should have meant Jagaimu-san, not Jagaimu-kun. No, no, it’s not the time to be thinking about that. If the modified plant goes to the ground, it will be a big deal. It looks like a moving potato, but its vitality is not half bad.

My clone continues to talk.

“I don’t think it has left the dungeon yet, and if it does, it will surely come back to take revenge on me.”

“Revenge?”

“Of course! It has seen the death of all the jagaimu it has spawned. It’s not surprising that it will hold a grudge.”

“W-wait a minute, that jagaimu you’re talking about is that smart?”

“No. 0 is specially given the intelligence of a junior high school student.”

“…………”

I pressed my fingers between my brows. I was so stunned that I couldn’t speak. Pero mutters, as he understood the story.

“But I have a feeling that it will be eaten by a magical beast before it gets to the surface….…”

“That’s a possibility. In fact, I think it’s more likely. But if it could get pass all those monsters and come out on the surface, it will be breeding at a tremendous rate.”

—Then it will prepare its forces and come for revenge. It’s a more serious situation than I thought.

Freya asks a question,

“But…., in the end it is just a potato, isn’t it? No matter how many of them come, I don’t think they’ll be our opponent.”

“That’s what I think too. Humans have an overwhelming advantage on their own after all. However, the problem is with the special individuals like Jagaimu-kun. If they were born in large numbers, it would be quite dangerous.”

“What do you mean special individual?”

“It’s a rare and ferocious individual, and its abilities are ten times greater than that of a normal potato. I was really surprised when it tore off the iron chain you see.”

My clone said so, but he nods proudly several times. It’s me, but I really can’t help but get angry. Does he know who is to blame for this?

“Sigh. It can’t be helped if it ran away. We’ll have to split up and search for it.”

“It’s my bad. Please stop it while it hasn’t come to the surface.”

Each of us decided to choose the floor we were in charge of and follow the tracks of Jagaimu No. 0. Of course, my familiars were also mobilized. We can’t afford to let it escape after all.

　◇◇◇

It’s been a week since we started looking for Jagaimu-kun. The dungeon is vast so we completely lost its track. The only sightings were from adventurers who were wandering the fifth floor. It seems that a brown mass rushed passed them at an incredible speed. From this, me and my clone concluded that the potato we are looking for had come to the ground.

“The worst has happened huh.”

I muttered before drinking a glass of dwarf killer in one gulp. In the living room, Pero and Freya are currently huddled with my clone. While looking at the map on the table, they guess the No.0’s whereabouts.

“It is supposed to be on the move in search of abundant nourishment so it’s unlikely that it will leave Mana territory.”

“Mmm… just where exactly is it hiding?”

“It must be lurking in the woods south of Mana. That is a great place to breed.”

Looking at the map, there was a large forest south of Mana. At the edge of the forest is the village of Carne, which immediately reminded me of a place I once visited when I accepted the request to kill the wrapping spider. As my clone had said, that forest is perfect for preparing a fighting force.

“Then I’ll send you guys to the forest. If you do everything in your power, you should be able to find it.”

The three of them nodded at my words. It’s a blunder that came out because of my clone. This problem must be solved by Homeless alone. As the person who issued the cultivation permit, I am also guilty.

(Oniichan! It’s bad! ）

Liz’s voice echoed in my head. It’s a personal line based on her telepathy skill. Her voice was trembling, as if she was extremely panicked.

“What’s the matter? Aren’t you in Mana with Erna?”

(It’s terrible! You should hurry to the city! ）

The line suddenly disconnected. The two of them were supposed to have gone to Mana to do some shopping, but from the looks of it, it seems like something unexpected happened. I decided that we should head to the city immediately to understand the situation.

“Erna and Liz seemed to be in danger. Let’s head to Mana quickly. As for you (my clone), you should wait in the miniature garden.”

“Understood. I’m going to take a look at the vegetables I’m studying.”

After saying that, my clone sips on his tea. It’s time to check what he is researching. It is not a good idea to make a second or third jagaimu. We then ran out of the hideout and headed for Mana.

　◇◇◇

When me, Pero and Freya arrived at Mana, we immediately realized that something was wrong. Hundreds of people are crowding at the entrance to the city. They talk with frightened expressions as they look at the southern horizon.

“Shinichi!”

After Erna and Liz made their way through the crowd, they rushed to me.

“What’s with the disturbance there? Please explain the situation.”

“You’ll understand when you look at it!”

In the direction Erna was pointing, a huge light brown mass is moving quickly towards the city. It made the ground vibrate every time it walks. It is about 100 meters tall. The oval body has limbs growing out, and two huge eyes look down at Mana. No mistake. It’s jagaimu-kun.

“Why has it become so big……? Did it absorb too much nutrients from the forest and become that huge?”

“Father, it is not the time to think about that! If you don’t do something about it, the city will be trampled.”

Led by Pero, Erna, Freya and Liz move into a fighting stance. Hey, I am always ready to fight you know.

Suddenly, I noticed that something seems to be under the enemy’s feet. I activated the Nerve Enhancement Skill and temporarily improved my eyesight. What I saw was a myriad of potatoes. The total number is about 10,000. They run across the ground chasing after the queen, Jagaimu No.0.

“I can’t fight a monster like that!”

One of the adventurers exclaimed. The people who had been crowding in the city gate began to flee. It’s that gigantic. Loss of will to fight is normal. However, Homeless cannot afford to run away. We got the responsibility to defeat it.

“Let’s move!”

My comrades scatter at my command. Our strategy is simple. The four of them annihilates the potato soldiers. Then me vs their queen, Jagaimu No. 0.

I stripped off my robe and jacket and threw down the sword I had on my waist. It’s a full-bodied vegetable. It would at least be polite to go with my bare hands. After I activated my race, I grew horns and wings and then I activated the Enhancement Skill. The torrent of power that welled up from the depths of my body distorted the area near me. I am confident that if I clenched my fists, I could crack the ground. That potato. I’ll finish it with one blow.

With an explosive leap, I flew straight towards the giant potato, as if I had drawn a line with a ruler.

“Uooo!”

I punched my right fist at Jagaimu-kun. But it also threw out its ridiculously big right hand. The moment our fists collide, a shockwave shakes the air with a boom. To put it in perspective, it would be like a skyscraper colliding with a human at high speed. If I was a normal person, I’ll lose and I’ll be a minced meat by now.

“Kuu! What power!”

My fist is pressed. The battle lasted less than a second. It swung its powerful arm and sent me flying to the ground. I was slammed into the ground on my back at a breakneck speed.

“…..I thought it was just a vegetable. Its hardness is ridiculous.”

I sat up and scratched my head. I was unscathed because I have impact nullification. But more than that, the problem is its power. I can tear mithril apart with my bare hands, but that potato is far superior to that. It felt like a thick tire when I hit it.

“It’s going to take a lot of work to knock it down with my bare hands then.”

I stood up and brushed off the dirt on my body. Then heavy footsteps sounded and it went dark. When I look up, I saw Jagaimu-kun looking down on me, covering the sun behind.

It’s eye…. that look is completely saying that it has locked me as an object of revenge.

“Alright, time to run.”

I turned my back and made a mad dash.

　◇◇◇

Countless jagaimu rushed in. They formed a sea of light brown and went straight to Mana. It is the rebellion of the Jagaimu’s who have vowed revenge on humans. However, someone stopped their progress.

“Multiple Flame Bombs!”

An elf fly in the sky with her golden hair flowing. The magic she unleashed exploded on the ground one after another, trailing a red tail. The flames and shock wave caused the jagaimus on the ground to explode without being able to resist. Still, the surviving ones did not stop in their tracks. They just kept moving forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades.

“Ice Breath!”

The whitish werewolf’s breath instantly froze the ground and trapped the jagaimus in the ice. He then cuts the jagaimu inside the ice with his long claws. However, there are some jagaimu that crushed the ice and started running again. They are about two meters tall. The skin on the surface has a matcha brown color. Because of their thick and long limbs, they can be recognized as a different entity from the normal jagaimus. One in every hundreds of them blended in among the standard species, and they seemed to play a leadership role.

“Slash”

A girl dressed in black, rides on a dark cloud. In her right hand, she holds a dagger, which slips through the jagaimus and inflicts a fatal wound that is sure to deal a deadly blow. She also hits distant enemies with detonating shurikens to efficiently reduce their numbers. However, the special individual jagaimu do not seem to be intimidated by such attacks. They didn’t even look back at the standard individual that were being killed, their movements are still quickening.

“It’s finally my turn. I have to show you the true value of a Novania.”

A former knight holds her spear with her red hair swaying in the wind. The weapon called Spear of the Water God, was inlaid with a blue jewel. And as if in response to her will, the jewel intensified its brilliance.

A hundred special individuals run forward furiously to form a single herd. The city is already in front of them. They decided to rally their forces to get past the last enemy standing in the way. If even 10% of them can invade the city, they will win. It was enough to devastate Mana.

“Convergence!”

The woman slowly squeezes her left hand. At that moment, the bodies of the special individuals floated up. And when they are densely packed in a spherical shape at a high position, they are squeezed tightly. They couldn’t escape, they were completely trapped by an invisible wall.

“Meteor Shower Burst!”

The spear she threw minced the jagaimus in an instant. The jagaimus falling on the ground are like light yellow rain. Satisfied with the result, Freya raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

Jagaimus scattered on the ground.

The regret of the wrecked potatoes seemed to haunt the battlefield.

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

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“Haaa~, I’m tired!”

Erna jumps into the sofa with a thud. I also sat down on the floor and took a breather. Finally, we returned to the hideout.

“Should I make you a cup of tea?”

“Yes please.”

I poured tea from the teapot into the two teacup and held one out in front of Erna. She blows on it before taking a sip of her tea.

“It’s really calming. After a trip, a cup of tea is good after all.”

She sounds like an old man, but I can understand how she feels. In fact, after defeating the cockatrice, we were forced to stay in Bowl for about three days. Krypton, the client, wouldn’t let us go back right after. A city-wide victory party was held for us. And as the main characters, Erna and I are forced to participate. Thus, we joined the three-day festivities in Bowl.

“By the way, what about those three?”

Erna looks around the room. Apparently, Pero and the others haven’t come back yet. I rushed back to see the result of Freya’s evolution, but it’s a pity I wasn’t able to. They must be enjoying sightseeing in Snowb right now.

“I wanted to go to Snowb too. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to play in the snow.”

“Hoh-, does it snow in Sanargia?”

“Yes. When I was a kid, I used to have snowball fights with my friends. It’s nostalgic.”

As she sipped her tea, Erna was reflecting on her distant past. In my case, there are only a few memories on snow. At best, all I recall is the time I made a small snowman.

“Hey, I would like to consult something. Please look at this.”

Erna approached me with an unusually serious expression. On the table is her weapon, the Bird of Paradise Staff.

“My staff is broken. It was originally something I found, so it may have deteriorated.”

“I see. Let me take a look at it.”

When I examined the staff, I saw a large vertical crack. However, it looks like a crack made from the inside.

“When did this crack occur?”

“Hmm…, I think it was right after I fought the cockatrice.”

I instantly understood the cause. The staff couldn’t withstand Erna’s magic. Since she unleashed her magic so fiercely, it also broke. I magically restored her staff and returned it to her.

“I’ve fixed it for the time being, but maybe it’s better not to fight with it.”

“Why? This is a very good staff, right?”

“The crack was from within, which means that it couldn’t withstand your magic. It’s time to replace it with a new one.”

“Hmm, if you say that, I think the one with a higher level than this is the Dragon Scale Staff and the Phoenix Staff. Both of them are national treasures though.”

I think for a moment as I look at Erna who is worried. When it comes to staff, there is one that is powerful. It is that mysterious staff that I discovered when I first came to this hideout. I guess I could already solve that mystery now. The staff still sits in the corner of the room. While looking at it, I activated my Analysis+ skill.

【Analysis Result: Staff of the Wind God: One of the five great treasures. A legendary weapon bestowed by the progenitor dwarves on the five races for the Human-Demon War. It is made of a God Tree branch and wind magic jewel. It is said that once its power is unleashed, it will wipe out even mountains. Rarity: G, Overall Ability: G】

Yes, the mysterious staff was a treasure as I expected. When I look closely, I can see the emerald green stone embedded on it. That’s a wind magic jewel huh. There is no doubt that there is nothing better than this staff. However, there are a few words that stand out to me. It’s the God Tree and the Human-Demon war.

“Erna, do you know about the Human-Demon war and the God Tree?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

It looks like she doesn’t know about it. To be precise, she doesn’t know all the history of this world. I’ll have to ask the World Tree then.

I stood up, wrapped a suitable cloth around my hand and then I went and picked up the staff through the cloth. I gently placed it on the table as it is.

“What is this……? Uh-, i-is it Moore-sama’s staff?”

“That’s right. It would be easier to understand if I told you that it is the Staff of the Wind God, one of the Five Great Treasures.”

“Eeh!? G-great treasure?”

Erna is so surprised that she falls off the couch. Well, I too, never imagined that a legendary weapon was so close to me. I left it unchecked until now after all.

“M-Moore-sama’s staff…… Archmage’s Weapon ……”

Erna swallows her saliva and gingerly tries to touch the staff. With the current her, I think she should be able to touch it.

“Kyaa!?”

―But her hand is repelled by an invisible barrier. The light on the jewel flickered, as if to say, “Bring me the real owner”. Somehow, I feel that clear intention from this jewel. Considering that it is not made of adamantite, the Staff of the Wind God may have a special position among the five great treasures.

“Staff of…… I-….I’m rejected by the staff.”

Erna’s magic complex, which I had not seen lately, had recurred. Her face is so pale and she looked so absent-minded.

“Hey! Don’t be discouraged. It’s Moore’s staff after all. It’s not strange if you can’t touch it. Ah-, I know. Instead of that, I’ll make you a staff out of this.”

I took out a branch of the World Tree from the bangle. To be exact, it’s a leftover wood from which the factory was built. It’s just around the core of the branch so it should be a suitable material for making a staff.

“……Do you mean to make a staff out of the branch of the Sacred Tree?”

“That’s right. I think it’s a good choice. The staff made from the Trent that has lived for a hundred thousand years is also a national treasure no matter how you think about it, right? Or… is it common in Sanargia?”

“No. Most of the branches that fall from the Sacred Tree are burned and buried under the feet of the Sacred Tree. The only exception is the Queen, who has such staff……”

If it is in the possession of the Queen of Sanargia, there is no doubt about it then. It is safe to assume that the material of the World Tree Trent is suitable for making staff. In fact, the sacred tree may have assumed this when it gave the branch to me.

Once I got the go signal from Erna, I worked on the staff right away. I used about two meters of trent material. I steadily carve it into shape with Bull King’s dagger. When the length was about 1 meter and 50 centimeters, it was time to file it. I smoothen the surface while removing the burs.

“Okay. Hold it. Check the weight and length.”

“Hmm, I think that’s about it. I can use it as a melee weapon as well.”

“I’ll finish it then.”

I finish it carefully with a file and engrave Erna’s name on the handle. We decided to go to the ground to verify the performance of the staff I just completed.

　◇◇◇

“I think it will be fine even if I do it seriously.”

“Don’t hold back. We have to see if the staff can hold up.”

We are in a place two kilometers from the entrance of the Great Dungeon. Erna and I were about to start testing the performance of the staff in an empty grassland. Her target is a straw doll a hundred meters away.

“Understood. Then, let’s start with- Fireball!”

The magical energy released from her body converges on the staff and creates a single fireball. The basketball-sized fireball blew up the ground on which the doll stood after it was ejected at high speed.

“Is there anything wrong with the staff?”

“I don’t think there’s any right now. The flow of magic is smoother and easier to use than usual.”

“Alright, it’s time for Flame Burst.”

Once again, Erna’s magic converges on the staff, and this time, a fifteen-meter fireball appears in the sky. It is three times the size of when she learned advanced magic for the first time. After she waves her staff, the place where the doll used to be exploded. Black smoke rose and the blast swept the ground.

“Is the staff broken?”

“It’s still okay! I think it’s okay if I get more serious.”

Erna converges her dense magical power into the staff and unleashes a large-scale spell. More than a dozen flame bursts began to merge in the sky, creating a single giant fireball. There is heat and light that makes me want to cover my eyes. It’s like a little sun. From there, it is further compressed to a size of about 20cm. The fireball became a golden ball. I suddenly had a bad feeling when I saw it.

“H-Heeyyy!! I don’t think you need to go that far……”

“Since we are testing it, I decided to try out some new magic. This is an improvement on the hell flare used by that artificial lich. As for the name……hmm, what should be a good name… I know, Leo!”

She waved her staff lightly. The golden fireball was dropped a kilometer away and exploded. Immediately afterwards, a terrific blast and a roar of explosions ran through. Then a small mushroom cloud rose at the epicenter. In the sky, the clouds were blown away by the shock wave, forming a large circle.

What a ridiculous power! It is tempting to think that she has made a small nuclear bomb.

“Aha…… Ahahaha……”

The person who caused the explosion seems to be unable to comprehend what has happened before her eyes and could only make a dry laugh. At this point, it’s safe to call her a strategic human weapon.

“Erna, how is the staff doing?”

“Huh? Ah-, right! There doesn’t seem to be a problem.”

“I see. Let’s end the test then.”

“So, this staff is a pass?”

“Isn’t it enough that it could withstand all that magic?”

The good news is that the Staff of the World Tree was better than I thought. This gave Erna even more power as a ranged attacker of Homeless. I think it can be said that she is an archmage now.

Then a question suddenly crossed my mind.

“I didn’t dare to ask you before but, is it also a condition to become an archmage?”

“Well, I’m sure I’ve heard that the Archmage is decided by a vote of the Guild Committee at the General Guild Headquarters.”

“Is the General Guild Headquarters the guild in the royal capital?”

“No, that’s the headquarters of the Kingdom’s Guild. The General Guild Headquarters is responsible for organizing the guilds of the six kingdom. I don’t know the exact location, but it’s rumored to be on the side of Grand Mountain, the highest spiritual peak in the Elpion Mountains to the east of the kingdom.”

Grand Mountain, a spiritual peak in the Elpion Mountains huh.

I’ll keep it in the back of my mind just in case.

“But, what kind of person are those named in the guild committee?”

“Well, most of them are people who have contributed to their kingdom or achieved great things as a whole. They first need a nomination from the Kingdom to get a vote on the guild committee.”

“In that case, a good campaign is indispensable huh……”

I should reconfirm her intentions just in case.

“Do you still want to be an archmage?”

“That’s a given! I left my hometown to become an Archmage! I won’t let my dream end as just a dream! Absolutely not!”

She seems determined. If that’s the case, why don’t I speak with Tanaka α and proceed with the recommendation?

However, even if my clone is the king, he should not be able to recommend her to the archmage for no reason. There is no doubt that there must be a certain number of praiseworthy achievements, such as stopping a war by herself or saving the kingdom from a powerful magical beast. She will make a good impression on the committee that way.

Of course, it’s not a bad thing if Erna becomes an archmage. This is because I judged that it would be convenient for my and Kanzaki’s goal.

“Let’s go home, I’m hungry.”

“Right. Pero and the others may be back too.”

After completing the performance test, we decided to return to the hideout.

　◇◇◇

“Welcome back, Father!”

Pero greeted me in the living room. Liz is lying on the couch, and Freya is cooking in the kitchen. None of the three of them seem to have changed.

“How was Snowb’s request?”

“We did a good job. We also got a good reward.”

Pero offers ten gold coins to me. It seems like a lot, but I wonder if that Kanegi guy gave them more.

“The client, Kanegi-san, gave me ten coins as a token to show his intimacy to me. It seems that the enemy we faced was a mutant troll so I thought it was a reasonable reward.”

“I see. Then, have you brought back the troll’s meat?”

“Yes. I put it inside the bangle thinking I’ll sell it to the guild later.”

When I checked the bangle, there was indeed a troll meat inside. The size seems to be quite large, so it should be okay to eat a little. I can’t wait to try what it tastes like.

“Tea for both of you. Pero-sama too.”

Me and Erna sat on the floor, and Freya casually serves us a cup of tea. I look at Freya’s body from head to toe, but I don’t see anything unusual.

Has she really evolved?

I decided to take a look at Freya’s status to check.

【Analysis Result: Freya Label: Former Knight of the Duke’s Royal Guard. Lately, she’s been fantasizing while looking at the ring that Pero bought for her. Holds the title of Sacred Beast Moe Servant Knight. Rarity: SS, Overall Ability: SS】

【Status】  Name: Freya Label   Age: 18 years old    Race: Novania    Occupation: Adventurer    Magic Attributes: Fire, Dark   Magic: Fireball, Fire Arrow, Desire Ball    Skills:   ▹Special: Arm Strengthening   ▹Advanced: Swordsmanship, Cooking, Fist King Technique   ▹Intermediate: Meteor Thrust, Shield Technique, Body Strengthening,    Extrasensory, Strength Enhancement Z   ▹Beginner:  Divine Power, Meteor Shower Burst, Spear Emperor Technique,   Awakening, Teleportation  Evolution: Conditions are not met. <Evolution Condition: Divine Power (Special Grade), Spear Emperor Technique (Special Grade), Teleportation (Special Grade)>

What’s this? Magic has been added that I don’t know at all. In the first place, the new race, Novania, is unheard-of. Is it human or something else? For the time being, I observe every corner of her body with the eyes on my forehead, but I didn’t see anything unusual. Her big breasts, which are as shapely as ever, are wonderful. Mufufu.

“Shinichi!?”

I was taken aback by Erna’s voice. That’s right. Now I have to look into the evolution of Freya.

“Freya, what kind of skill is teleportation?”

“It’s as the name suggests. But the distance I can travel is not far, right now, it is within five meters at most.”

“What about divine power?”

“It’s an evolution of my previous telekinesis skill. My range has increased exponentially and makes it even more powerful. Now, with divine power, it would be possible for me to fly.”

That’s great. She’s just like the kind of psychic I saw in a manga book in my previous life. By all means, I hope that she will blossom her abilities and open the door to a new world like A⋆⋆ra-kun.

“Finally, can you tell me about the Desire Ball?”

“Oh, this magic—it’s complex!”

Right at that moment, my clone jumped inside the hideout. He was unusually flustered, and as soon as he saw me, he put his hands together and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. A jagaimu ran away when I took my eyes off it!”

I let out a deep sigh, thinking I had done it. What I feared happened. I decided to take my comrades with me to the fields in the miniature garden.

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

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-Pero’s POV-

(Early in the morning of the day after meeting with the client.)

We were heading to the area where the troll is said to be lurking. I wore black goggles over my eyes and I’m holding a ski pole in both of my hands.

“It’s much colder today even though the sun is still there.”

Exhaling white air, I see the morning sun out of the corner of my eye, turning the sky red. Every time I walked, my feet sank into the snow, and it was hard just to walk 10 meters.

When I looked back, I saw Freya-san and Liz-san lying in the snow.

“Pero-sama…… Don’t leave me……”

“I can’t do it anymore.”

It’s already been three hours of walking. In addition, the unfamiliar snowy mountain is also mentally exhausting. I think it’s time to take a break here. We decided to warm up in a cave that happened to be nearby.

“Why is Pero-sama so energetic?”

Freya-san is shaking as she hits the bonfire. Liz-san on the other hand, is probably sleepy rather than cold. She yawns repeatedly.

“Well, I have a lot of fur you see. Also, I guess it’s because I got ice element.”

“I see. Pero-sama is a race that is resistant to cold huh. Compared to that, I’m trembling and pathetic…… Oh, what a warm fluffy fur.”

Freya-san touches my chest hair as she says that. Then, she buried her face and began to snuggle on my fluffy fur in earnest. Her face was so loose and sloppy that it was hard to believe that she was shivering from the cold.

“Leave my fur for now. We are at work you see.”

“Pero-sama, please! Only for an hour! Let me snuggle in your fluff for an hour!”

“No. You always touch it for about five hours.”

“Pero-sama!”

I run away from Freya-san, who tries to hug me. Really, this person is addicted to fur. I’m worried that she’ll have withdrawal symptoms someday. Suddenly, a question crossed my mind.

“Come to think of it, Liz-san, you were able to move around on top of the dark cloud, why were you walking?”

“…………”

Her eyes slowly widened at my question.

Oh-, she probably forgot about this.

“Because you guys were walking…. I just followed what you are doing.”

“Then you won’t use dark clouds huh.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Liz-san quickly gets on the dark cloud right away. She also took out an eye mask and a pillow from her backpack and started to sleep. This person is also at her own pace, just like Freya-san. I feel like I understand a little bit of Father’s struggle to arrange them.

“But it looks like it’s going to be tough to fight trolls.”

“Why?”

“It’s such a struggle just to walk you see. I can see that it will be even tougher when it comes to fighting.”

I was relieved when Freya-san pointed it out. I had missed something important. The troll is said to be a humanoid magical beast of about five meters. Considering the size difference, we should have to fight while running away. However, the snow cover is as thick as 70~90 cm. It was clearly a disadvantageous situation to us.

“I think we need to come up with a good plan. It’s definitely dangerous to take on the troll head-on like this.”

“Yes. I think we should first create an environment where me and Pero-sama can have the upper hand.”

Liz-san is fine because she doesn’t depend on the scaffolding, but me and Freya-san can’t. We need to create a place where we can demonstrate our abilities.

I then made a proposal to Freya-san.

“Freya-san could use telekinesis, right?”

“Yes. Ten meters is the limit at most.”

“Can you move a lot of snow at once?”

She smiled, as if she understood the meaning of my question. Well, if we don’t have one, we could build it. We want to create an environment where we can compete.

◇◇◇

“I should have done it this way from the beginning.”

“Exactly! I’m a failure of the name Sacred Beast Moe Servant Knight.”

“Stop! It’s breaking my heart.”

With Freya-san in the lead, we steadily moved forward.

The snow up to five meters away was blown off by telekinesis, and the speed of our movement was greatly increased. Another big reason is that the slope has become gentler since we reached the middle of the mountain. We were about to reach the troll’s lurking point.

“Kanegi-san said that there is an entrance to the mine on the side of this mountain.”

“Mmmm. I’m sure it should be around here.”

“Zzz- Zzzzz-”

Liz-san, who is flying blindly behind us, is sleeping soundly. I’ve always wondered how she operates it while sleeping. It’s hard to tell if it’s a racial trait or it’s Liz-san’s special skill.

“Gugaaaa”

We heard a growl from not far away. The ground also shook slightly, and the snow on the trees fell due to the vibrations.

“Freya-san, Liz-san! Get ready!”

“Got it!”

“Mmm, I’m awake.”

Gradually, the footsteps grew louder and closer, until the owner of the voice is withing our sight. With its huge physique, it knocks down trees and sends the snow beneath its feet flying up with tremendous momentum.

It has a nose that takes up most of its face partnered with large green eyes. Its open mouth is lined with sharp fangs, and its tongue was constantly drooling. It is about 10 meters tall and has gray hair all over the body. In addition, the look on its eyes was full of greed that made me feel even more disgust to it.

I use Holy Roar to keep it in check.

“Awwoooooooo!”

I howled. That alone makes the troll stop moving and flinch. Holy Roar, a holy elemental magic, is extremely effective against hostile opponents. It’s a powerful spell that can make some opponents lose their will to fight. However, it didn’t seem to work for long on this troll. It started running towards us again.

“Let’s run away for the time being!”

We’re going back the way we’ve come. The Holy Roar didn’t work, probably because it was driven by appetite, not hostility. I guess this troll is eager to eat us.

“It’s faster than I thought. Pero-sama, if we keep going like this, it will caught up!”

The troll is running furiously from behind as we continue to run forward. With such a huge body, it seems that even the thick snow will not stop it in its tracks.

“Grab on both of you!”

Liz-san flies in the sky and reaches out to us. I grabbed her hand and my body floated in the air for about a meter. Just like that, we move to the destination while flying.

“I’m tired.”

At a certain point, Liz-san lets go of our hand. When I landed on the ground, I raised my fist to the troll who is still chasing after us.

“Alright. I think I can fight with this.”

“Right. I’ll show that thing the combination of me and Pero-sama.”

This is a snow arena with a diameter of 30 meters. It’s a place that was created in advance by Freya-san’s telekinesis. The bare ground is a little muddy, but it is not a problem for fighting. The troll looks at the arena curiously, but when he realizes that it is still in his favor, he stomps on the ground with a cry of delight.

“Be careful. I don’t know what skills it have.”

“Then, I’ll attack first!”

Freya-san ejects two spears controlled with telekinesis at high speed. The Mithril spears pierced the troll’s chest. Immediately after that, I leap and slammed a mid-air roundhouse kick into the giant’s face, causing him to fall into a wall of snow.

“It’s not moving…… Did we do it?”

“I don’t think so. It’s not the kind of magical beast that can be killed like that. And in some way, it’s different from the troll I know of.”

“You mean… it’s not a normal troll?”

“Yes, probably. The average troll doesn’t have that kind of body hair. Also, it seems to be twice as tall, so I think it is most likely a mutant specie.”

Just after Freya-san said that, the troll gets up. It pulled out the spear stuck in its chest and threw it to the ground. It then let out a roar that could be called a sound barrier at us. The air vibrates and my eardrums are about to burst.

It is definitely mad. When it jumps to us, we scattered almost instinctively. As it landed with a thud, the ground shook and my body lifted up slightly.

“Meteor thrust!”

Freya-san, who flew higher than the troll’s head, spun the magic steel spear in her hand at high speed and aimed for a one-hit kill. However, the troll dodged the attack by bending its body.

“Oops―, gah!”

Freya-san, who was defenseless in mid-air, was directly hit by the troll’s powerful slap. She is knocked off and plunges into a wall of snow.

“An opening!”

Liz-san throws a number of weapons called shurikens on it. They curved and pierced the back of the troll. An explosion occurred immediately afterwards. Apparently, it is a set of shuriken with gunpowder.

Next up is my attack. I activated the Acceleration skill and I sprint to it.

“Gale Storm!”

I jumped into its chest and unleashed a move. The wind-charged fist digs into its flesh and damages the inside of its body. After receiving 30 consecutive blows, the troll fell to the ground on his back.

“I’ll finish it.”

Liz-san jumps on the beast and raises her dagger. She’s aiming for its neck.

This is the end of this job. After this, I’ll spend another night or so and draw a picture of the city. That’s what I was thinking when it happened.

―Yes, I was careless.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!”

“Liz-san!?”

The troll’s big hand catches Liz-san. It sat up and looked at me. Its eyes seemed to say, “Your comrade has been caught, surrender quietly.”

I was careless. I should have taken the responsibility of dealing the final blow.

“A-a-…… aaagh!?”

The magical beast slowly tightens the hand that grips Liz-san. If I don’t help her quickly, she will die. But its eyes were fixed on me. It seems to be saying that if I make a move, it will kill Liz-san.

The troll stomps on me as I can’t attack. Then another stomp, and again then again and again. Right now, I’m managing to protect my body with my arms, but I don’t know how long I can last.

“Ho….. ld……on…. Help……co…”

Liz is saying something.

Hold on? Help is coming?

In this situation….relying on help is…..

At that moment, a burning hot air blew from behind me. The troll moves back, away from me. When I turned around, I saw Freya-san standing there with the spear of the water god.

“I’m sorry. The magic steel spear broke so it took me a long time to get back.”

“That’s…… Freya-san you-…”

“Un. I was able to hold it when I grabbed it and shouted with all my might.”

Eh!? Shout!? Can you use the great treasure if you just shout?

I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t accept the situation. The troll was also confused when Freya-san, who was supposed to have been defeated by it, appeared again. Its gaze wanders between her and me, and it seems not sure which one to be wary of.

“Wait, I’ll finish it soon.”

“But Liz-san.”

“Don’t worry. Right now, I’m not even an opponent of such a despicable beast.”

When she said that, hot steam erupted from the Spear of the Water God. The water magic jewel shone as if in response to her.

“Secret technique, White Snake!”

White steam began to wrap around the troll’s right hand like a snake and slowly began to roast its fur and flesh. Two more white snakes extend from the spear, entwining around its neck and left arm.

“Gugaaaaaa!?”

The troll appeared to be resistant to cold, but weak to heat. It let Liz-san go, and it was struggling to escape. Now is the biggest opportunity.

I circulate magic in the water element gauntlet I am equipped with. The gauntlet, which trembled with magical power, changed color from marine blue to sky blue. It’s a mixture of my ice attribute and the water attribute of the gauntlet.

“Mysterious technique, Ice Fang!”

The thrust I unleashed on the spot instantly froze the surrounding ground and created a single gigantic thorn. The icicle pierces the troll’s heart, and bright red blood drips onto the ice. The magical beast gave a long final cry and soon stopped moving.

“You did a great job Pero-sama! The final attack was worthy of the strongest Sacred Beast!”

Freya-san hugs me and snuggles on my fur nonstop.

I’m not aiming to be the strongest sacred beast, but I’m relieved that I was able to accomplish the request safely for the time being. Now I can report this to Father proudly.

“It’s all thanks to me. You should be grateful.”

Liz-san, who came down the dark cloud, said that. I tilted my head, not knowing what it means.

“Pero-sama, it was actually Liz-san who woke me up with her skill when I was unconscious. If I hadn’t responded to the call at that time, I would have collapsed.”

I finally understood Liz-san’s meaningful words. While I was being caught by the troll, she was calling Freya-san with her telepathy skill. I would like to express my gratitude to Liz-san.

“Oh no! My body!”

Freya-san’s body is now vaguely enveloped in light. This is a harbinger of evolution.

“Congratulations Freya-san, you have finally made an evolution.”

“I’m happy about the evolution, but I don’t know what it will be!”

“Huh? Did it start all of a sudden? I wonder if Father chose to evolve you on his own.”

Liz-san then talks to Freya-san, who is now flustered.

“I just contacted Oniichan. He said he chose it because that’s the option.”

“He can’t just choose my evolution arbitrarily!”

“Oniichan says that there was only one evolution destination.”

“Uh-, it can’t be helped then.”

I was almost stunned by the speed of Freya-san’s emotional change. Erna-oneechan is quite positive, but Freya-san is quite a positive thinker as well huh.

“Now then, let’s go back to the nearby cave and watch my progress there.”

“Yes, no matter what form you take, Freya-san is still Freya-san.”

“Thank you, Pero-sama!”

Having fulfilled the request, we start walking towards the cave.

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

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