Part 5 of 8
[Fire Resistance LV 3] [Lightning Resistance LV 7] [Water Resistance LV 3] [Wind Resistance LV 5]
[Heavy Resistance LV 2] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 8] [Rot Resistance LV 3] [Pain Nullification]
[Pain Super-Mitigation LV 3] [Vision Enhancement LV 3] [Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 4]
[Auditory Enhancement LV 1] [Ultimate Life LV 2] [Magic Hoard LV 3] [Instant Body LV 1]
[Endurance LV 1] [Herculean Strength LV 9] [Stronghold LV 2] [Monk LV 2]
[Sanctum LV 1] [Acceleration LV 1]
Skill Points: 31,200
Titles:
[Monster Slayer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Dragon] [Champion]
>
<Earth Dragon Gehre LV 24
Status: HP: 3,556/3,556 (green)
SP: 4,067/4,067 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 3,434 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 1,343 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 4,123 (details)
MP: 2,991/2,991 (blue)
: 3,562/3,845 (red)
Average Defensive Ability: 3,875 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 3,396 (details)
Skills:
[Earth Dragon LV 2] [Imperial Scales LV 6] [Hard Armor LV 2] [Steel Body LV 2]
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 3] [MP Recovery Speed LV 1] [MP Lessened Consumption LV 1] [Magic Power Perception LV 3]
[Magic Power Operation LV 3] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 3] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 3] [Terrain Enhancement LV 8]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 9] [Cutting Super-Enhancement LV 8] [Piercing Super-Enhancement LV 4] [Impact Super-Enhancement LV 8]
[Magic Attack LV 1] [Terrain Attack LV 8] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 5] [Cooperation LV 1]
[Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Correction LV 7] [Danger Perception LV 10]
[Presence Perception LV 8] [Heat Perception LV 7] [Motion Perception LV 8] [Earth Magic LV 2]
[Destruction Resistance LV 4] [Cutting Resistance LV 8] [Piercing Resistance LV 8] [Impact Resistance LV 9]
[Shock Resistance LV 5] [Terrain Nullification] [Lightning Resistance LV 3] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 3]
[Rot Resistance LV 1] [Pain Nullification] [Pain Mitigation LV 7] [Vision Enhancement LV 7]
[Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 5] [Auditory Enhancement LV 5] [Olfactory Enhancement LV 4]
[Taste Enhancement LV 3] [Longevity LV 9] [Magic Hoard LV 1] [Ultimate Movement LV 2]
[Fortune LV 1] [Herculean Strength LV 8] [Sturdy LV 9] [Monk LV 1]
[Talisman LV 8] [Skanda LV 3]
Skill Points: 31,000
Titles:
[Monster Slayer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Dragon] [Champion]
>
<Earth Dragon Fuit LV 11
Status: HP: 2,965/2,965 (green)
SP: 2,943/2,943 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 2,938 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 2,899 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 3,000 (details)
MP: 2,912/2,912 (blue)
: 2,877/2,944 (red)
Average Defensive Ability: 2,941 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 2,907 (details)
Skills:
[Earth Dragon LV 1] [Imperial Scales LV 4] [Hard Armor LV 1] [Steel Body LV 1]
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [MP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [MP Minimized Consumption LV 1] [Magic Power Perception LV 8]
[Magic Power Operation LV 8] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 1] [Terrain Enhancement LV 4]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 3] [Cutting Super-Enhancement LV 3] [Piercing Enhancement LV 3] [Impact Enhancement LV 5]
[Magic Attack LV 5] [Terrain Attack LV 5] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 3] [Cooperation LV 1]
[Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Correction LV 6] [Danger Perception LV 5]
[Presence Perception LV 5] [Heat Perception LV 4] [Motion Perception LV 4] [Earth Magic LV 10]
[Terrain Magic LV 6] [Destruction Resistance LV 2] [Cutting Resistance LV 2] [Piercing Resistance LV 2]
[Impact Resistance LV 3] [Shock Resistance LV 2] [Terrain Nullification] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 1]
[Pain Nullification] [Pain Mitigation LV 3] [Vision Enhancement LV 5] [Night Vision LV 10]
[Vision Expansion LV 2] [Auditory Enhancement LV 3] [Olfactory Enhancement LV 2] [Taste Enhancement LV 2]
[Longevity LV 5] [Magic Hoard LV 5] [Instant Body LV 5] [Endurance LV 5]
[Herculean Strength LV 5] [Sturdy LV 5] [Monk LV 5] [Talisman LV 5]
[Acceleration LV 5]
Skill Points: 21,000
Titles:
[Monster Slayer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Dragon] [Champion]
>
Earth dragons.
Three of them, no less.
Earth Dragon Kagna, Earth Dragon Gehre, Earth Dragon Fuit.
Dragons are a unique existence even among monsters.
They are the evolved form a wyrm can take after many years.
Dragons are said to live deep in nature, far from human influence, and they punish any fool who dares to set foot in their land.
Guardians of nature.
S-rank monsters who wield absolute power.
And there are three of them here.
Even I feel fear in the face of three dragons.
In fact, this is my first time seeing one.
There have been occasions where dragons have appeared in human territory, but these are usually young individuals who have only recently evolved.
S-rank though it may be, an immature dragon that is overconfident in its abilities can possibly be defeated by humans.
Although even then, victory is likely to come at a significant cost.
However, the three dragons currently before my eyes are no such novices.
Fuit’s level is slightly low, but the other two, Kagna and Gehre, are high-enough level that it has likely been some time since they evolved.
These are true guardians, with a presence that would put any young whelp who appears near a human settlement to shame.
And now, these dragons are baring their fangs at us.
It would be impossible not to be frightened.
The spiders seem to feel the same way.
Even the nine in the center are in a panic, frantically shouting at one another via Telepathy.
But the dragons will not wait.
Gehre leaps forward.
The lithe and slender dragon is as fast as its appearance would suggest; it closes in on the spiders in an instant and swings its swordlike claws.
The spiders on the front lines are simply sliced in half, without even a moment to react.
Other spiders fire back with thread, but the dragon dodges it with ease.
What incredible speed.
I knew this from the moment I saw its stats, but seeing it in action is all the more stunning.
Gehre is a high-speed physical fighter.
It uses its speed to continue attacking and then dodging back, making short work of the spiders.
Then, as Gehre drives them into a corner, the spiders are assaulted by an explosion.
It’s Kagna’s breath attack, loosed from some distance away.
Kagna’s majestic appearance is akin to a living fortress.
Standing motionless, it launches another breath.
Its destructive force is such that any spiders who take a direct hit from the attack disintegrate without a trace.
The spiders retaliate with magic of their own, but it isn’t causing even the slightest amount of damage.
Kagna’s defense is flawless.
Its enormous body means that its speed is slow, but in exchange, it excels in defense.
The spiders’ magic, which has buried countless Lower Stratum monsters, cannot make even a scratch on Kagna’s scales.
Gehre tosses the spiders around with speed, and Kagna strikes with powerful breath attacks while they’re distracted.
Even if the spiders try to fight back, attacks simply don’t work on Kagna, and Gehre is too fast to hit.
Just one earth dragon would be dangerous, but now there are two of them working together.
This horrifying combination is inflicting huge losses on the spiders, who have thus far defeated Lower Stratum monsters without a problem.
And on top of that, these two are not the only opponents.
Whenever the other two pause for even a moment, Fuit keeps the spiders in check with perfectly timed attacks.
Fuit uses magic to block the spiders trying to flee from Kagna’s breath attack, cuts the thread that attempts to capture Gehre, and circles around the battlefield whenever possible.
Kagna’s and Gehre’s movements are difficult to follow in the shadows, but Fuit may well be causing the most casualties.
Though its level and stats are lower than the other two, Fuit might well become the most powerful of them all soon enough.
Its instincts are simply remarkable. It knows exactly what to do and when to do it.
This is not good.
At this rate, the spiders may be wiped out entirely.
There are still many of them, but if their attacks are ineffective, their numbers are all but meaningless. They may well lose this battle.
As I keep an eye on the fighting, I quickly construct magic runes.
I cannot simply stand here watching the spiders and the earth dragons fight.
No, I have been constructing runes all this time.
I am preparing to use the most powerful attack spell out of all the magic available to me.
The problem is whether it will hit its mark.
I can barely follow Gehre’s movements with my eyes, so I doubt I can hit it with magic.
And while Fuit is not as fast as Gehre, it is flitting about the battlefield so much that it would be difficult to aim.
By process of elimination, that leaves Kagna as my only choice.
But even Kagna is faster than the other monsters of the Lower Stratum.
Its speed pales in comparison to its other stats, but it is still in the thousands.
I must catch it while it is distracted somehow, or it will dodge my spell.
Just then, a group of spiders charges at Kagna in a suicide attack.
Did they know what I needed, or was it simple coincidence?
More than half of them are blown away by Kagna’s breath, but the few survivors manage to wrap thread around Kagna.
The enormous dragon writhes. Even an earth dragon cannot escape the spiders’ thread so easily, it seems.
As Kagna struggles, more thread is wrapped around it, constricting its movements.
At that exact moment, my spell is complete.
“Get back!” I call out to the spiders, though I know not whether they will understand.
The spiders scuttle away from Kagna, and I unleash the spell at the dragon with all my might.
Inferno Magic level 2: Inferno Spear.
An enormous spear of flame assaults Kagna’s body.
Fire is my best element of magic, and Inferno Magic is its most powerful form, so this spell is the highest-level magic I can use.
It manifests the most destructive power of any of my spells.
The spiders’ thread wrapped around Kagna is engulfed in flames, and Kagna’s enormous body disappears into the hellfire.
The Great Elroe Labyrinth, normally cloaked in darkness, is lit up by the blaze.
But that is only for an instant.
Then the fire disperses just as quickly.
Kagna reappears, shaking off the flames.
Completely unharmed.
But how? I cannot believe it.
Certainly, I suspected my spell would not be enough to defeat Kagna. The difference in our stats is simply too vast.
Even then, I thought I would at least inflict a wound.
But it had no effect at all.
So this is the might of a dragon.
The rumors are true, then, that magic does not work on them.
If this spell will not work on Kagna, then I have no way of harming it at all.
As I stand painfully aware of my own worthlessness, Kagna’s eyes turn toward me.
Its mouth opens, the sparks of a breath attack gathering.
No!
I fling myself aside just in time, avoiding a direct hit from the breath.
Nevertheless, it grazes my body.
Drenched in cold sweat, I crawl along the floor, fleeing as fast as I can.
I must escape, or I will die!
The world is far wider than I realized.
When I think how other beasts like this might well exist outside of my knowledge, it proves to me all over again how little I know.
I am aware of the existence of legendary-class monsters, but now I realize that I had never truly conceived of how frightening a thing that must be.
These dragons are S-class, a step below legendary, and already they are fearful beyond measure.
I do not stand a chance against them.
Returning to the front lines, Kagna assails the spiders with its breath.
Gehre aims for the gaps this creates in the spiders’ ranks, disrupting their formation further.
As Gehre digs deep into their ranks, the spiders attempt to surround it, but Fuit keeps them too preoccupied.
There are still plenty of spiders left.
But they have no way of fighting back against the overwhelming power of the earth dragons.
At this rate, it is only a matter of time until the spiders are all wiped out.
Determined that I at least should survive, I begin to prepare a Teleport spell, when suddenly a spear of darkness pierces Gehre’s body.
My Inferno Spear was unable to break Kagna’s hide, but this spear has undoubtedly gone straight through Gehre.
The dragon lets out an anguished roar that echoes through the cavern.
With Gehre’s body pinned down by the spear of darkness, the spiders swarm to attack.
For all that Gehre was able to nimbly dodge attacks until now, it has no way of doing so while wounded and trapped in place. Its giant body is all but swallowed up by a wave of countless spiders.
Given Gehre’s high defense, it might still survive but for the fact that the spiders are aiming at the wound the black spear created.
No matter how high one’s defense might be, it is of little use if one’s open wound is under attack.
The wound begins to expand, with more gashes opening up around it.
Not even a dragon could survive this unharmed.
Fuit attempts to free Gehre, only to suddenly sink into the ground.
Fuit’s body produces a horrible sound as it’s crushed downward, as if being pushed down by an unseen force.
A Heavy-attribute attack!
I remember the master using the same kind of technique.
But to be able to pin even an earth dragon to the ground would take incredible power.
As Fuit is pressed into the earth, the surrounding spiders cover the dragon in thread, rendering it utterly immobile.
The heavy attack stops soon enough, but by now, Fuit is already bound by thread and being swarmed by spiders.
Soon it will meet the same fate as Gehre.
The spiders attempt to flock around the remaining dragon, but Kagna is like a moving fortress, brushing them off easily.
However, that’s only until one particular spider arrives on the scene at a far faster speed than the others—indeed, even faster than Gehre.
Speeding up to Kagna, it swiftly slices deep into Kagna’s leg with its scythe-like front legs.
Naturally, Kagna cannot remain standing after sustaining a wound like that.
Dragged down by its own immense weight, Kagna crashes to the ground with a resounding thud.
And again, the spiders swarm over the fallen dragon.
Right before my eyes, Kagna, Gehre, and Fuit have all been buried by a mountain of spiders.
Each of them tries to escape, but their movements are restricted by thread, and soon they cannot struggle any longer.
I never imagined that such immensely powerful earth dragons would meet this sort of fate.
I look at the nine spiders, the leading players in this victory.
They are the ones who pierced Gehre with the black spear, who crushed Fuit with a Heavy-attribute attack, and who cut down Kagna’s leg.
These nine spiders are truly on a different level from the others.
In some ways, they may even match that great being in strength.
I do feel fear in the face of that power, of course. But even more so, I feel excitement.
The spear that first pierced Gehre was likely Black Spear, a Black Magic spell.
Which puts it on the same grade of magic as the Inferno Spear I produced.
And yet, it was far more powerful than mine.
Perhaps the difference is due to my lower stats.
Still, I believe that the true secret behind that spear’s strength was the sheer amount of magic power it contained.
Instead of simply using the spell in accordance with the skill, they added extra magic into it.
It’s simple enough to describe, but I know how difficult a feat that truly is.
It would be akin to guiding a tumultuous stream through a tiny canal.
Usually, the canal would simply break.
Once that happened, the excess magic power one attempted to use would be released in a misfire as the rune fell apart. In the worst case, it could even cause a backfire.
But they used such a technique with utmost ease.
It must be possible.
If these pioneering spiders were able to do so before me, there is no reason I cannot do the same.
After I learn this technique, I’ll be a step closer to the pinnacle of magical prowess!
As long as I can find a way to acquire this skill, I’ll be able to increase the power of my spells while perhaps even learning of a quicker way to produce runes, as I had hoped!
Might I even learn to give lesser spells the same degree of power as advanced spells like Inferno Magic?!
And if that speed of construction becomes the standard, it will revolutionize magic!
Can I really do such a thing?
I certainly shall!
<Experience has reached the required level. Ronandt Orozoi has increased from LV 68 to LV 69.>
<All basic attributes have increased.>
<Skill proficiency level-up bonus acquired.>
<Skill points acquired.>
<Condition satisfied. Acquires title [Dragon Slayer].>
<Acquires skills [Lifeblood LV 1] [Dragon Power LV 1] as a result of Title [Dragon Slayer].>
<Skill [Longevity LV 1] has been integrated into [Lifeblood LV 1].>
Hmm?
So the three dragons buried beneath the spiders have breathed their last.
Somehow, it seems that I have been counted as part of the battle, and I have acquired the title Dragon Slayer.
In spite of the fact that I was of such little help.
Though I truly thought I would die, in the end, it was a valuable experience.
…Yes, it really was meaningful.
Even if I could do nothing of any use at all.
MEETING OF THE PARALLEL MINDS #3: THE THREE EARTH DRAGON BROTHERS
“Yooooo! They’ve got a new guy now?!”
“We can’t beat three of these things!”
“No, I think we can win, but still…”
“I mean, I figured Kagna and Gehre would be together, but who knew there’d be a new one, too?”
“Looks like Coach Kagna scouted a pretty talented player.”
“I guess Kagna’s real skills lie in management, not defense?”
“This isn’t gonna be as straightforward as fighting Araba one-on-one!”
“I mean, they’re all weaker than Araba was, but it’s a hell of a lot harder, since there are three of them at once.”
“Yeah, but there’s not just one of us anymore, either! Behold! Our incredible forces! We’ll overwhelm them with sheer numbers!”
“I dunno—that’s not gonna work if most of our army’s just small fry.”
“Well, it’s our job to back them up, then.”
“And what are we gonna do about the freaky old geezer?”
“Can’t see him, don’t hear him, he doesn’t exist. In other words, just leave him alone.”
THE FOUL-MOUTHED GIRL AND THE TOO-FRIENDLY BOY HERO
Hey there, this is Aurel, everyone’s favorite eight-year-old.
That damn geezer isn’t back yet.
What the hell is he doing, leaving a lovely young lady like me all alone?
I mean, I know Master Ronandt is a super-talented mage and all, but I don’t think that makes it okay to just ditch an eight-year-old in some far-off land to set off on a journey or whatever.
What am I supposed to do?
You can’t blame me for calling him a geezer instead of “Master” right now.
Anyway, since he left me without any directions, I got that Empire big shot Tiva to give me some work to do for now.
The town I’m in at the moment has some Ohts Army people as well as a few Empire Army guys.
I’m basically doing grunt work for them.
Good thing the geezer at least introduced us that first day.
Otherwise they probably would’ve chased me out, being like, Who the hell’re you?!
This town is being occupied by an invading army, and I’m just a kid from the Empire, who is an ally of that army.
If I had to go it alone here, I’d probably be killed in some damn back alley.
Not my idea of a good time.
“Oh, Aurel, perfect timing. I was just heading out for a bit of shopping. Would you mind coming along to carry my things?”
Mister Tiva asks me to do odd jobs pretty often.
Well, it’s phrased like a request, but I mean, he’s looking after me because I’ve been dumped by my old employer.
It’s not like I can say no.
“Yeah, ’course.”
“You could at least say ‘yes, of course,’ you know.”
The older man smiles gently.
Sorry ’bout that.
I’m from the sticks, so I ain’t about to start talking all proper.
But Tiva’s a real good guy, helping out a foul-mouthed brat like me.
He’s so nice, I might just have to switch masters from that old geezer.
I follow the older man into town.
“I’m sorry, Aurel. I hate to make a small child like you help carry things for me, but as much as it pains me to say it, nobody else is free.” Mister Tiva apologizes.
“Stuff like this don’t bother me at all, Mister. In fact, if anyone complains about doing their damn job, you oughta just shove a boot up their ass.”
My crass remark makes Mister Tiva grin.
I know he really is shorthanded.
It can’t be easy running a town that’s just been taken over.
Technically, Ohts is in charge of the operation, so the Empire shouldn’t have to do much, but Mister Tiva is still hard at work every day.
In fact, Ohts is a pretty weak nation, so they’d do a shit job of running this town by themselves anyway.
That’s why the Empire people are running around nonstop even though this shouldn’t be their job.
Works out for me, since it means Mister Tiva was able to pick me up after the geezer ditched me.
But it must be a pain in the ass for the Empire people in this town.
Makes things pretty tense around here.
“Hmm?”
Mister Tiva knits his brow.
A big crowd of people has formed up ahead, shouting and jeering.
Uh-oh. Looks like trouble.
“What are you doing?” Mister Tiva addresses the crowd.
Even without shouting, his voice rings out loud and clear.
The crowd of people freezes in place and turns to look at us.
As soon as they spot his uniform and realize he’s a knight of the Renxandt Empire, they scatter in all directions.
The only person left behind is a young boy who looks like he’s been beaten.
“To think so many adults would do such a thing to a child like this… How cruel. Are you all right?”
Mister Tiva offers a hand to the boy.
The boy, however, stands up on his own without accepting it.
Whoa. Now that he’s standing, this kid’s actually pretty good-looking.
“Are they really the cruel ones here, I wonder?”
Tiva looks confused at first; then his eyes widen, apparently realizing something.
“Compared to what we’ve done to them, it’s only fair that we allow them this much in return,” the boy continues sorrowfully.
I think I know what he’s getting at now.
Ohts ransacked and took over this town.
Not to mention, they did so by attacking innocent townspeople while their fighters were away at a separate battlefield.
The town’s beloved lord and his wife were assassinated, and most of them think that was Ohts’s doing, too.
It’s natural that the surviving citizens of this town have a deep hatred for Ohts.
So much that they attack Ohts’s men on an almost daily basis.
But there’s one thing I still don’t get.
Why is this boy talking like he wronged them personally?
He doesn’t look much older than me, so I doubt he was part of the attack on the town.
“There is no need for you to do any such thing, Sir Julius the Hero.”
Mister Tiva’s words hit my confused little brain like a ton of bricks.
Hero? Hero?!
“Whaaa—?!”
It’s not my fault if I yelled a little bit, okay?
I mean, this is the hero we’re talking about!
Who wouldn’t be shocked if humanity’s best hope against the Demon Lord turned out to be some little kid?!
“You were only brought along in order to experience the battlefield firsthand. Not a single ounce of blame for what happened in this battle should lie with you.”
“But from their point of view, I’m one of the perpetrators. Since the hero went into battle against them, even if I didn’t participate, they’ve lost all sense of what is right. That is why Ohts has acted so unjustly. With the hero on their side, the Ohts Army felt they must be in the right. Nothing they do can be wrong. Even if I didn’t do those things myself, my very existence is what put the town in this position.”
Whoa, sounds pretty complicated.
“Untrue. Whether you were technically a participant or not, the Ohts Army attacked this town, not you.”
“Even so, I can’t forgive myself.”
The hero looks around sadly.
His gaze lingers on the houses that have been burned down and all the restoration that still needs to be done.
Those eyes are full of remorse and, even more so, determination.
Aah, now I get it. Okay.
This one’s definitely a hero.
He might look close to me in age, but I’ve barely ever seen adults look that determined, never mind kids.
“Sir Hero…”
Mister Tiva looks sorrowfully at the boy, seeing the same thing in his eyes that I did.
I can tell he feels responsible as one of the adults who made this little boy feel such intense determination.
I don’t really know what’s going on behind the hero boy’s determination or Mister Tiva’s complicated expression.
“I came here without thinking, and now I deeply regret it. From now on, I will think and act on my own. Never again will I let myself be used simply because I am a child. Child or not, I am the hero. I have no intention of being a puppet who does not live up to my title.”
“Then please take care of yourself. If you wish to become a true hero, you mustn’t throw away your life like this.”
Mister Tiva gives the warning in a gentle tone.
“But I must help the people of this town somehow.” The hero looks discontent.
“And so you would silently let them strike you? That will not help you or them in the least. Hurting you will only ease their suffering for the briefest moment. Then they will feel the pain in their hands from having struck you and in their hearts from hurting such a young child. Eventually, they may forget their sense of virtue entirely. You must not let anyone strike you, for their sake as well as your own.”
Good one, Mister.
Looks like the hero is surprised, too.
“But…what can I do for them, then?”
“Why don’cha hunt monsters or something?” Oops. I answered him without thinking. “Oh, um, sorry ’bout that!”
“No, it’s all right. What do you mean, ‘hunt monsters’?”
The hero smiles at me kindly.
“Oh, uhhh… Well, y’know how parts of the town’s defense wall got broken and stuff? They’ve got guards watching the worst bits, but there are other areas that look like they’d break real easily. So what I hear is, a lotta the townsfolk are so worried about monsters breaking down the walls that they can barely sleep at night. There are a lot more monsters outside than there used to be, too, prolly ’cause they’re attracted to the smell of death or whatever, right? If you defeat those monsters, that’d help the folks here, wouldn’t it? Although I guess that’s more of an adventurer’s job than a hero’s.”
The hero’s eyes start to sparkle as he listens to my explanation.
“An adventurer?”
“Sorry, uh, did I offend you or somethin’?”
“No, no, just the opposite. You’re right. Maybe I could try something like that. Thank you.”
With that, the hero runs off.
Mister Tiva and I watch him leave, then finish our shopping like we planned.
From the next day on, I hear tell that the little hero is out fighting monsters to keep the townspeople safe.
If you ask me, it sounds like he’s got the makings of a real good hero.
Y’know, the kind who really lives up to his title.
Speaking of titles, when the hell is that so-called “court mage of the Empire” gonna come back anyway?
He might have a fancy job and a lot of power, but he’s not good on the inside at all.
THE MAN BEHIND THE MISFORTUNE
Merazophis is an incredibly loyal man.
He swore loyalty to my parents and, even after their passing, continues to serve me faithfully.
The depth of that loyalty knows no bounds.
Though we’re traveling companions now, the truth is that I don’t know much about Merazophis’s life.
While my parents were alive, I was playing the role of an ordinary baby, so I didn’t get to see or hear him very often.
However, I did understand a few things based on what little I did manage to witness.
Merazophis is a workaholic. It’s a serious condition, too.
He seemed to work so constantly that I sometimes wondered when he slept.
On paper, he was my father’s retainer, but in reality, he was essentially the family’s butler.
Or rather, he did the work of both a retainer and a butler.
The driving force behind that intense work ethic was his loyalty to my father and his love for my mother.
Yes. Merazophis was in love with my mother.
If it was that obvious even to me, who had zero experience with love in my previous life, I’m sure it was an open secret that everyone in the mansion knew.
A servant in love with the wife of his master. In a fairy tale, that would probably be the start of a forbidden love affair, but in reality, it would be nothing but foolishness to act on those feelings.
One wrong move, and there could’ve been serious trouble.
But because we’re talking about Merazophis, that never happened.
He never made a wrong move.
Instead, he kept his feelings inside and acted appropriately for his position.
He truly wanted my mother to be happy from the bottom of his heart, and he trusted my father to take care of her.
I think the fact that everyone knew about it is what made it okay.
How can anyone be so considerate of others?
How can you wish for someone else’s happiness even at the cost of your own?
I don’t understand it.
Merazophis’s adoration for my mother was so obvious that even I picked up on it.
How could he suppress that passion and entrust her to my father?
I can never understand what he’s thinking. To be honest, it scares me a little.
What if he decides someday to leave me and goes away forever?
I mean, Merazophis is loyal to my parents, not me.
It’s not like he swore loyalty to me.
I’m sure his heart still lies with my late parents.
So what must he think of the person who killed them?
It’s simple. Obviously he must hate anyone involved.
There’s Potimas Harrifenas, the elf who did the deed directly.
But there’s also the Ohts Army, the Word of God religion, and the Empire, who were all involved in the war.
Right now, he’s still staying by my side, but what if he decides one day to leave and seek revenge?
I can’t stop worrying about it.
“Ha!”
Unaware of my thoughts, Merazophis is currently swinging his sword with a vigorous shout.
However, the blade cuts through nothing but air.
He’s not doing practice swings. His opponent just dodged him.
Sweat pours off Merazophis like a waterfall as he swings his sword desperately.
I guess vampires do sweat, then, I think absently.
In the meantime, Merazophis trips and falls to the ground, clearly reaching his limit. Though he tries to stand up, his body is undoubtedly down for the count.
I’m amazed that he was able to push himself this far.
From my point of view, his attacks were pretty decent.
It was clear even to me that his movements weren’t exactly polished, but he was able to cover for that with the high stats he gained when he became a vampire.
As a servant, Merazophis only had enough skill to perform the minimum amount of self-defense.
Still, it’s not as if he’s a complete novice, and his high stats make him a decent fighter overall.
It’s his opponent who’s the problem.
White, who’s been effortlessly dodging all his valiant attacks, swings her giant scythe around without a care for his current condition.
As she avoided his sword, she even stopped to comment on his movements a few times.
Watching her, I feel like I understand the true meaning of the phrase faster than a speeding bullet.
I can’t even follow her movements with my eyes.
White herself, however, doesn’t seem satisfied. She keeps leaning her head from side to side and swinging her scythe.
Merazophis is so exhausted that he can hardly stand, yet White doesn’t even look out of breath.
This is the reality of the gap between their stats.
Sure, Merazophis has stats far superior to most humans now that he’s a vampire, but that doesn’t matter. Not to White.
I know how hard he’s been working.
Every morning, he does practice swings before the sun rises.
Ever since the day our carriage was attacked by robbers on the way back from my grandfather’s, the day White saved us from certain death, the day the course of my whole life changed.
Merazophis was cut down by one of the bandits without any resistance.
Realizing his own weakness seemed to leave him frustrated.
Starting the very next morning, he began practicing with his sword before sunrise.
It’s not like that would be enough to make him insanely strong.
Merazophis was an ordinary civilian with no swordsmanship skills to speak of.
Nevertheless, he kept practicing every day and continues to do so even now.
And yet, all of that effort is meaningless to White.
I’m sure that must be even more frustrating for him.
I know very well that Merazophis has been working as hard as he can.
White is such an anomaly that she happens to surpass him completely.
He must know that, too, but he’s still gritting his teeth.
Upset with himself for not being able to do anything, he keeps struggling to get stronger.
Though he doesn’t say any of this, the determination in his eyes tells the whole story.
It’s a complete reversal from the low spirits he was in until recently.
Since I snuck a taste of alcohol and immediately passed out the day Ariel brought those barrels, I don’t know what happened afterward.
But something definitely went down while I was asleep. Starting the very next day, Merazophis looked utterly refreshed.
Maybe it was as simple as him letting out his pent-up frustration thanks to the liquor, but it seems to be more than that.
It’s possible that Ariel did something, but when I tried to thank her, she just wryly insisted, “I haven’t done a thing.”
No matter what she might say, Ariel really is kind.
Although she acted cold when I tried to talk to her about Merazophis before, her pointing out my flaws was exactly what I needed.
I’m guessing she must have done something similar to help Merazophis deal with his problems. I certainly wasn’t able to help him.
After Ariel scolded me, I tried to think about what might be bothering him.
But I didn’t need to think that hard.
Merazophis and I both lost the town we lived in.
But he lived there as a human for far longer than I did.
He lost more than I did.
People, places, time…even his own humanity.
Even if I had no other choice, the fact is that I turned Merazophis into a vampire.
I didn’t even think about how that might be affecting him. I just took his words—“I cannot be anything but grateful for that”—at face value.
Everything he’s lost, and the weight of living as a vampire from now on…
It would be impossible not to let that bother him at all.
I can’t blame Ariel for being unimpressed that I failed to realize something so obvious.
I really haven’t been thinking of anyone but myself.
And I’m still doing the same thing.
If I think of Merazophis instead of myself, the best thing for him would obviously be to let him go, but I can’t do that.
He’s a vampire now, but he’s still as excellent a person as ever, and it’s not as if his entire past has been erased.
Since he was essentially my father’s butler, I’m sure he’d be in high demand with other nobles, and he must have acquaintances who would take him in.
Whether he reveals the fact that he’s a vampire would be up to Merazophis’s own discretion, but knowing him, I’m sure he could still be accepted.
No matter what path I choose, there’s sure to be danger ahead.
It would be much better for Merazophis to seek out a different path than to follow me into such danger.
I know this.
Yet I still can’t do it.
I’m afraid to let go of Merazophis.
After he’s put his life on the line to protect me, the thought of a future without him by my side is too terrifying to consider.
I really don’t think of anyone but myself…
“All right, I’m hungry. What should we do?”
Ariel looks around. Following suit, I look at our surroundings, too, but I don’t see anywhere we might be able to eat.
In fact, all I see are people.
We’re in a town right now.
This is evidently the biggest town in the region; from here, it shouldn’t take much longer to reach the capital.
As a result, this town is quite lively and full of people.
The crowds are so thick that as Merazophis carries me in his arms, I can’t see anything past the milling passersby.
“I have been to this town before. There’s one restaurant that I recall being quite good; shall I take us there?”
“Sweet! Lead the way!”
Ariel’s eyes sparkle as she follows Merazophis. She seems to be quite looking forward to his recommended restaurant.
It’s hard to believe that this person is a demon lord.
“Right this way.” Merazophis brings us down an alley.
The farther along we go, the less people I see around us, until it seems like we’re entering a quiet residential area.
Then we turn into an even narrower alley, until we arrive at an unmarked door.
As Merazophis opens the door, a bell rings to announce our arrival.
In spite of the unassuming exterior, the inside of the building looks like a proper restaurant.
“Whoa. How do you know about this hole-in-the-wall place?”
“My master was friends with the lord of this town, who told me about this place.”
His offhand explanation makes my heart skip a beat.
It sounds like the lord of this town has met Merazophis. If he was friends with my father, there’s no way he wouldn’t know about Merazophis.
Maybe this person would take Merazophis in.
As the thought distracts me, Merazophis and Ariel take a seat.
Merazophis places me in the seat next to him. It’s a chair for adults, but I can still sit in it all right.
Although I’m not sure if it would work that way for a normal baby.
Just as we’re sitting down, an old man emerges from the back of the restaurant.
“May I take your order?”
“Two of the chef’s special and something that would be easy for a baby to eat, if you happen to have it?”
“Certainly.”
With that, the old man disappears again.
We’re the only customers in the rather dim room.
There are no waiters or anything to be seen, either, so it seems like the man might be running the restaurant entirely on his own.
“Not much of a business-minded fellow, is he?” Ariel asks doubtfully.
“I do not think that profit is a priority for him.” Merazophis smiles dryly. “That was the owner. I am told that he used to work for the lord in question. He’s quite talented, but he retired due to age. However, he still wanted to keep cooking, so he chose to open this small restaurant in an out-of-the-way place.”
“Ooh, so he can just cook once in a while?”
“Precisely. Thus, one presumes that only those in the know ever come to this restaurant.”
That makes sense. There’s no sign on the door, so if you didn’t know about it, I doubt you’d even realize there was a restaurant inside.
He must keep it up as a sort of hobby now that he’s retired from his main job.
So money is secondary.
There are all kinds of ways to live, aren’t there?
Maybe even for Merazophis or me…
“Is something the matter, young miss?”
“Oh! No, it’s nothing.”
I respond automatically to dispel Merazophis’s concerns.
I can’t do it.
I can’t ask him if he wants to be free.
Merazophis doesn’t look convinced by my response, but he doesn’t press the matter.
Because the door of the restaurant has just opened, and another customer has walked in.
The tinkle of the bell draws all our eyes to the door.
The newcomer is an old man, perhaps a little younger than the owner of the restaurant.
I don’t want to stare for too long, so I turn away, only to see Ariel gazing at the man with the smile fading from her face.
Immediately, a chill runs down my spine.
She isn’t using the Intimidation skill, and she isn’t murderous like I’ve seen her before.
But she’s definitely ready for a fight.
That’s the sense I get, at least.
“Pardon me.”
Ignoring Ariel’s stare, the man sits down.
At the table right next to us, even though there are plenty of other seats open.
The reason becomes clear with Ariel’s next words.
“Long time no see.”
The smile returns to Ariel’s face, and she greets the man in a friendly manner.
So they know each other? That would explain why he sat next to us.
But judging by Ariel’s initial reaction, I don’t think she’s necessarily too happy to see him.
“Indeed. It’s good to see you again. Or should I say, it’s a pleasure to meet you?”
That’s strange. Why would he say that if they’ve already met?
“Either way works, right?”
Merazophis looks just as flummoxed as I am by the man’s words, but Ariel doesn’t seem to care.
“So, to what do I owe this honor, Mister Word of God Pontiff?”
Ariel’s words take a moment to sink in, so I don’t react right away.
“May I take your order?”
For better or worse, the chef hurriedly reemerges from the back before anyone can make another move.
“I’ll have one of whatever she’s having, please.” The pontiff gestures to Ariel.
“Certainly.”
Oblivious to the tension in the air, the restaurant owner goes back to the kitchen.
I take another look at the pontiff.
He seems to be a perfectly ordinary, friendly old man.
His clothes aren’t anything special, either, and far from being bloated as one might expect from the rich, he’s actually quite thin.
If you didn’t tell me, I would have never guessed that this man is the head of the Word of God religion, the biggest religion in the world.
Frankly, even after hearing Ariel say it, I still find it hard to believe.
What would someone so important be doing here without even a single guard?
“Pretty careless to show your face in front of me without an escort, don’t you think? Not to mention, you’re in enemy territory.”
Ariel points out just what I was thinking.
“Not to worry. There are few who happen to know my face.”
“Well, I recognized you.”
“Even so, it would be pointless for me to worry about that. No amount of security could defend me from you, after all. In which case, it makes no difference whether I meet you alone or with guards in tow. In fact, it’s better this way, since it means I will be the only victim if you should choose to attack me.”
The pontiff speaks as naturally as if discussing the weather.
Which just makes it harder to fully grasp his meaning.
Only after Ariel heaves an exasperated sigh do I realize what those words mean.
The pontiff is saying he doesn’t care if he dies.
And judging by Ariel’s attitude, he isn’t just bluffing—he really means it.
He’s come here alone to meet someone who might easily kill him, simply because it’s more efficient than bringing guards.
I can’t imagine the amount of nerve it would take to do such a thing.
As I process all this, the unassuming old man before me starts to seem like a much more mysterious, disturbing character.
For the first time, I recognize him as the pontiff of the Word of God, a role no ordinary man could take.
“Let me ask you again. What do you want? You didn’t just come here for a friendly chat, did you?”
“Indeed.”
The pontiff nods at Ariel’s words, looking as though he’s ruminating about something.
Briefly, his gaze turns toward Merazophis and me.
“I suppose there’s no point in trying to sound each other out in a roundabout way. Very well. I have three points to discuss. The first is that I would like you to cease your involvement with the Goddess religion. The second is to request that you share any information you might have on the elves. And the third is in regards to your two companions there.”
He wants to talk about us?
I can barely keep up with what’s happening.
Looking helplessly at Merazophis, I see his face set in a grim expression.
It’s almost like the look he had when he was facing those elf assassins in the mansion.
The face of someone staring at an enemy.
That’s right. The person in front of us is an enemy.
He’s the leader of the Word of God religion, who cooperated with Ohts to help destroy our hometown.
After Potimas, the man before my eyes is perhaps our clearest enemy.
“I see. All right, let’s hear it from the top, then.”
“Regarding the first point, Ohts is planning a further invasion.”
“What?!” Merazophis lets out an exclamation of shock at this information.
Ignoring him, the pontiff continues. “Naturally, we of the Word of God will be aiding them as well. Thus, it would be most inconvenient for us if you were to participate in battle on the side of Sariella.”
What an incredibly selfish demand.
I can’t help but be angry.
Merazophis seems to feel the same way, judging by how tightly his fist is clenched under the table.
I’m sure he’s far more furious than I am, but he simply looks on in silence without any further outbursts, so I must do the same.
Our best bet here is to let Ariel handle things.
“Hmm. Sounds like a pretty beneficial request for you.”
“If I might make an additional request that would be even more beneficial, we’d be highly appreciative if you would hand over that subordinate of yours who caused the most recent battle—the white spider monster people call the Nightmare of the Labyrinth.”
I almost let out a little exclamation myself at this next bit.
I’m not sure which part makes me react like that, but I hurriedly bite my tongue.
Still, hearing White come up in the conversation definitely has me surprised.
“And why is that, just out of curiosity?”
“That creature is the reason war broke out. We cannot simply let it go free.” The pontiff pauses. “Unless it is already dead, in which case, all the better.”
His expression doesn’t change in the slightest.
However, his words sound sharper than before.
“I thought you weren’t gonna try to sound me out?” Ariel counters blandly.
Sound her out? What does she mean?
The pontiff chuckles. “I said there was no point, but I never said that I would not try.”
“Shameless, aren’t you?”
Ariel sighs again.
“You want to know my relationship with the Nightmare of the Labyrinth and whether it, or myself, is going to assist Sariella from now on. That’s what you’re after, right? You could’ve just asked instead of trying to provoke me into saying it.”
Ariel’s voice is somewhere between bored and irritated.
The pontiff was trying to get information out of her by making unreasonably aggressive demands.
But of course that sort of trick won’t work on Ariel. She saw right through his intentions with ease.
How foolish could he be to try something so basic against her?
“Oh dear. It appears I’ve failed.”
The pontiff doesn’t seem particularly disappointed.
Instead, he glances at me—or more precisely, at Merazophis.
! So he wasn’t watching for Ariel’s reactions. He was watching for Merazophis’s!
Given Merazophis’s background, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had an outburst over the pontiff’s words.
Even if not, he might at least react in a way that would let the pontiff guess certain information.
I was wrong to assume this man was foolish.
He knows what he’s doing after all.
I look up at Merazophis, silently warning him not to make any telling movements.
Evidently, he’s reached the same conclusion as I have, because he meets my eyes directly and gives a slight nod.
“First of all, Dustin, that thing’s not my subordinate.”
Ariel raises her voice slightly as she addresses the pontiff.
Dustin must be his name, I suppose?
“Although you’ve probably already guessed that much. Anyway, as far as that goes, I’ve got things under control. That’s all I can say on that particular matter.”
Ariel’s words are too vague to really be considered “information.”
Part 5 of 8