Celes glared, vein throbbing in her temple, but the Blue Princess of War shrugged it off. “Think of it as motherly love. To spread some cheer, since you used to be too cynical as a child to show your smile to anyone.” “Since when is Celes cynical?” Rino asked. “Can we please move away from the past?!” Celes tried to clamp her hand over Regina’s mouth to stop her from revealing details about her time as a slave to Rino. The Blue Princess of War sidestepped her, looking serious again. “Anyway. You need his input, right? We won’t be able to help him heal if you don’t let his wounds breathe out in the open.” “…” Celes kept her lips tight, even when the conversation went full circle. Regina sighed again. “Based on our conversation, he possesses intellect and courage, but he’s become as empty as a scarecrow at the sight of the young girl. Am I right to assume she’s either a dead relative or girlfriend?” “…Yes.” Celes nodded, unable to skirt it any longer. “Shinichi’s girlfriend, huh… “Well, I guess more like a good friend? Since she seems too young to date!” Regina added when she saw her daughter clutch her chest. Arian looked directly into Celes’s eyes. “Tell us more.” It wasn’t really ethical to pry into someone’s past through a third party. Arian would have to deal with the consequences of Shinichi despising her if he ever found out. But she hoped some of his walls would come down. Celes just couldn’t say no to those burning eyes. “That’s Nozomi. Shinichi’s childhood friend from his previous world, Earth. She drowned in the ocean eight years ago.” She didn’t leave anything out, revealing everything about the girl’s identity and impact on Shinichi. It was impossible for them to understand the full weight that death carried in Japan since they lived in a world where war was an everyday reality and the dead could be resurrected with magic. But they had all experienced the loss of a loved one that left them with emotional scar tissue. “Losing someone sucks, especially when you can’t do anything to stop it.” Arian had seen her mother wither away during their long journey, refusing to be healed or resurrected by the church. With her head low, she remembered her own helplessness, the knowledge that she could do nothing but watch her mother die. “……” Rino had witnessed the last moments of the poor explorer—Fey’s tearful smile flashed in her mind. She wiped her own tears away with her hand. “I understand he was hurt. But Nozomi is okay now. Right?” She couldn’t possibly imagine a spell to resurrect the dead from another world, but the Goddess Elazonia had managed to pull it off. Didn’t that mean Shinichi had no reason to be sad anymore? Arian jumped to her feet, racing toward the door, where Regina’s Hard Lock spell had been removed. She burst into the corridor and barreled through the door of the guest room Shinichi was in. “Shinichi!” “…Arian?” Shinichi turned listlessly toward her. Her eyes locked onto his hand resting on the girl’s forehead—the exact hand that had cradled her own head, unrepelled by her half-dragon blood. Something ugly seeped into her heart. “Shinichi. Um…” Do you still love her? Do you have no need for me anymore? Arian plastered a smile on her face, concealing her budding jealousy. “I’m so happy you reunited with Nozomi!” Her words befit a true hero, praying for other people’s happiness over her own. “How…?” “I’m really sorry. I forced Celes to tell me. But I couldn’t be more glad about how things turned out.” “……” “Don’t worry about the Demon King. I promise we’ll save him…,” started Arian, taking his hand in hers. She was screaming inside as she offered her biggest smile. “Return to Earth with Nozomi, Shinichi.” Then he would be out of Elazonia’s reach. He might even live a happy life with this girl. She couldn’t possibly stomach the idea of seeing them together. It would make her turn to the dark side. “You weren’t born in this world; you’re only here because he summoned you. This isn’t something you need to worry about.” If only he could stay by her side. If only he had eyes for her. But she didn’t want him to hate her. She wanted to be his trusted hero—forever and always. “Go back to Earth, Shinichi.” It went against every fiber of her being. “……” They locked eyes for a moment. Then he flashed her a wry smile, reaching up to wipe away a tear from her cheek that she hadn’t realized was there. “You can be a difficult one. You know that?” “Um… This isn’t what you think it is!” Arian desperately tried to hide the tears. Shinichi pulled her in by her slender shoulders, giving her a tight squeeze. “It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere.” “But…” She could have jumped with joy! Shinichi placed a finger on her lips to silence her before she could imply the opposite. “Leave? After stirring the pot? That would be too irresponsible, even for me. Plus, I’ll never sleep again if I don’t give that unholy Goddess what she deserves.” “You’re starting to sound like yourself again.” When she saw his lips curl into a dirty smile, Arian beamed back at him before burying her face in his chest. Someone whistled from behind as they continued to hug in silence. “How passionate! Are you going to kiss her? I’ll step out if you’re going to try for babies.” “…You sound like a dirty old man.” Shinichi let out a sigh in frustration. Regina had been peeking through the door, obviously curious about their exchange. “You know what they say. ‘Life is short, make babies, girl.’ Hop on it, sister.” “That’s not how it goes!” “Hmm? Do they say something similar in your world? Anyway, you might want to put some distance between you. Otherwise, my daughter and student might go off on you.” Regina chuckled, dragging Rino and Celes in from the corridor. “Hmph! How unfair! Arian is the only one who gets a hug…” “I should have known the dirty Goddess’s hero would give herself a running start.” “Wh-what?! Th-that’s not what’s happening here!” When their cold gazes pierced through her, Arian practically jumped away from him. It was Regina’s turn to sigh. “You should have used that opportunity to show off your bond. You’ll never secure your relationship otherwise.” “I get the impression you’re speaking from experience,” Shinichi observed. “Because I am. Even though we had a happy marriage, there were plenty of women trying to wedge themselves between us and bear his children.” Regina shrugged it off. “Gotcha.” Shinichi seemed satisfied with her answer. Any child of the Blue Demon King would possess magic beyond any normal demon. There had to be women who were dying to have his babies, even if he didn’t marry them. “I guess motherly love could be wanting strong children, if strength is the common currency between demons.” “Well, I thought they were a bother.” “What’d you do about them?” “I didn’t kill them. Not quite.” “Uh-huh.” Shinichi didn’t press her. Based on her smile, it had to be something egregious. “Okay. Enough chitchat, Future Son-in-Law.” “Are you talking to me?” “Who else? Anyway, are you aware of that?” “……” With a pained expression, Shinichi remained silent as Regina, her eyes sharply focused on him, pointed at Nozomi’s sleeping face. “Based on that reaction, I’m guessing you know.” “Hmm? Is something wrong with Nozomi?” asked Rino. “……” Rino wasn’t following, but Regina refused to say more, a sour expression settling on her face. After an excruciating moment of silence, Shinichi asked for a favor. “Could you take a look? My magic might have missed something.” “Of course.” Regina walked over to the bed. Shinichi was clinging to the last shred of hope, knowing it was impossible. She placed her palm on the girl’s forehead, focusing on her inner emotions. “Reveal your secret thoughts. Mind Reading.” The epic spell allowed her to read thoughts, probing the deepest recesses of someone’s psyche. There was a risk that her own mind would fuse with the target’s brain. In the worst case, her own mind would be destroyed. Even so, she cast the spell without a moment’s hesitation—not because she was strong, because there was nothing for her mind to fuse with in the first place. “It’s completely blank. Nothing.” “I knew it…” Shinichi’s head hung in disappointment. “What does that mean?” Regina replied to Arian. “No memories. No personality. No brain. She’s an empty doll.” “What? But Nozomi is alive!” cried Rino in shock, touching the girl. Her skin was warm with blood. Her chest rose with each breath. But being biologically alive and being conscious were very different. “If you don’t believe me, cast Mind Reading yourself. You’ll understand when you can’t find anything.” “I will,” volunteered Celes, placing her hand on the girl’s forehead. Her expression started to harden as she scoured the brain. “…You’re right. There are no memories or emotions.” “See? That is not a living human. It’s a hollow doll made of flesh.” Even though her vital organs worked, she couldn’t walk or talk of her own volition, meaning she was closer to a vegetative state like a coma. Except even a coma allowed for a miraculous recovery. This doll never had a psyche, which meant there would be no miracle cure, and there was no chance of her opening her eyes. “I guess it makes sense if you think about it.” He looked angry as he touched her cheek. “Nozomi died eight years ago. Cremated—not even a single strand of hair was left. All information in her brain vanished. No DNA was saved. There’s no way she could have been resurrected.” “That means…” Celes remembered Shinichi telling her about that when they’d first talked about it. Without intact memories, there was no way to bring someone back. Not even as a copy like the “Swampman.” “This only looks like her. Even their genetic composition is different.” Shinichi regretted not realizing it sooner. “Elazonia cast Create Life. Not Resurrection, which brings back the dead. Instead, she created a copy of Nozomi.” “You can do that?!” asked Arian in disbelief. “If you have enough scientific knowledge and magic,” answered Shinichi, furrowing his eyebrows. “Humans are made of water, proteins, and fats. With the right materials, you can create a human body, like Element Conversion. This isn’t her first time using it.” “Really?” “Resurrecting the heroes. She can construct new bodies out of nothing, even after their bodies are obliterated.” “No…” Arian didn’t know the “Swampman” thought experiment, but she instinctively felt fear. She’d never died before—protected by her half-dragon power and her caution as a monster hunter. However, if she had decided to fight the Demon Lord by respawning instead of running away, she would have become a “Swampman” like the rest of them. She shuddered at the thought. Shinichi placed his hand on her shoulder. “Nozomi died in another world, which means Elazonia shouldn’t have access to her genetic information, preventing her from making a proper clone. But there are plenty of ways to create something that resembled her.” Elazonia could have found someone who bore a resemblance to Nozomi and analyzed her DNA from a strand of hair, which would serve as a template for the clone. By tweaking her facial features with magic, the Goddess would succeed in making her creation. “That’s how she must have made Fey,” added Shinichi. “What?!” Rino cried with a jolt when she remembered Elazonia’s words. “Is that what she meant when she called her a fake doll…?” “It’s difficult to construct a personality from thin air. I imagine she referenced an existing person before Installing any necessary changes.” The reference could be a relative or even a manga character. By preloading it with thousands of opinions, the doll would be virtually indistinguishable from a real human. It was like a more sophisticated version of a chatbot, boosted by magic. The only difference was this software wasn’t installed onto a computer but injected into a living brain. That meant it was as organic as a human, making it almost impossible to tell apart from a real person. “I might have noticed something was off if we’d really talked…” Fey had been made to infiltrate Shinichi’s group during their search for the Elven Tomb. She had been convincing in her role as “an aspiring explorer from a wealthy family.” But if they had deviated from her script and turned the conversation to her parents’ birthdays and neighbors’ names, her story might have come apart at the seams. Their folly had been keeping her at a distance since Shinichi had suspected she was an enemy. Plus, they had only been together for two days, which made it hard for him to spot any holes in her story. Shinichi regretted this. Celes was trying to connect the dots. “Does it mean she was a good golem?” “You’re on the right track.” Rino cried out. “A golem? How could you be so mean? Fey was…” Even if her memories had been manufactured, Fey had divulged her dream to become an explorer with them, shielded Rino from the legion attack, flashed that tearful smile before her death. Fey’s emotions couldn’t be fake! “Don’t call her a doll! Don’t call her a phony! I feel so bad for her!” Rino protested through tears. “… You’re right. She was alive. Just like us.” Shinichi pulled her close. Even if she had been created to push a certain strategy, Fey had a heart. If she had continued to meet and interact with people, if she had continued to learn and build organic memories, she would have become a “human.” Just like Shinichi. Before she had the opportunity, her life had been taken by her creator. “I hate…that I couldn’t do anything…!” She couldn’t save Fey. In fact, her only contribution had been becoming Elazonia’s hostage. And that had led to her father’s capture. The burden of that incident was too much for Rino, who had never experienced anything of this caliber living with her overprotective father. However, Shinichi was happy to see her facing the problem instead of breaking down. “Me too. That’s why we need to work hard to get the Demon King back.” “…Okay!” Rino wiped away her tears. Shinichi nodded at her, smiling, before turning to look at the sleeping girl again. “Nozomi has no heart. Not like Fey…” “How does the Goddess know about her?” Arian asked suddenly. She understood that it was possible to make an exact replica of someone with enough knowledge and magic, but Shinichi was the only one who knew Nozomi’s appearance. Shinichi had a pained expression. “Elazonia searched my mind using Mind Reading through Fey.” When they had been attacked by the ghosts of old security golems in the Elven Tomb, they had retreated to the elves’ village. That night, he had woken from his slumber with a pounding headache and Nozomi next to him. That must have been when his memories were probed. Which explains why I dreamed of Nozomi. And why my head pounded like I’d cast Search. Shinichi was feeling resentful about his mistake, wishing he’d noticed sooner. “But why was the Goddess searching your memories?” Celes asked. Elazonia had already achieved one goal: getting close to Rino to capture the Demon King. However, she’d risked revealing her plans by making Fey cast Mind Reading, which implied she’d had the desire to search his mind…for some reason. Shinichi looked strained. “Probably to seek out any weaknesses of the Demon King, other than Rino. Or she’s interested in me for some other reason.” “You think the Goddess has the hots for you? Get a life,” Celes snapped, shooting him a cold glare. “That’s not what I meant!” For a moment, Shinichi let his lips break into a small smile…but it didn’t take long for his face to clamp down into a scowl. “Elazonia has been observing us for a long time. It’s clear from the timing of Fey joining our team. And that was when she started to wonder about this boy with black hair.” As a third party, he had spread rumors, destroyed reputations, damaged plans for concerts, and played the role of an Evil God to defeat the heroes. Shinichi’s strategies weren’t impossible to execute by a human in Obum, but they were certainly concocted from a deviant imagination. “I imagine she wondered if I was a survivor of the ancient civilization.” Though they had only uncovered elven bodies in the Elven Tomb, they had record of early humans from the holy book. If Shinichi had been resuscitated by the hibernation device, it would explain his understanding of the world. There was physical proof that old knowledge had been passed down in Cemetarium Forest, home to the descendants of the elves from the ancient civilization. The villagers possessed more advanced technical knowledge than humans, including the ability to use concrete, a modern invention. “I had wondered myself if I had traveled to past Earth instead of to another world. It’s not impossible that she’d think the same.” “Uh-huh.” Arian nodded. “And Elazonia has some sort of complicated connection to the ancient civilization.” It seemed plausible that the Goddess used same method as the hibernation devices in the Elven Tomb to resurrect the heroes, saving information from a mind. That would explain why she ordered the heroes to destroy the tomb, which connected this technology to her. “I don’t know if she was planning to kill or use me if I was from the past. But she wanted to get to the bottom of it.” “Which is why she probed your memories…” “And learned I was from another world, stumbled on my weakness, and used Nozomi to her advantage.” It was better to shut the mastermind up than to try to kill him, which would enrage the demons and pull her away from her goal of capturing the Demon King. “Plus, she managed to intimidate us by accomplishing something that was impossible for the Demon King: resurrecting the dead from another world.” “Except it was a counterfeit. A cheap trick.” Regina grinned, impressed by Elazonia’s detestable tactics. Shinichi offered her a dry smirk, stroking the girl’s cheek. “A counterfeit. Exactly. She doesn’t even have manufactured memories like Fey.” Warmth radiated from her skin. He could almost imagine Nozomi springing to life and spewing out something stupid. …Except there was no world in which she would open her eyes. Any normal person would have prayed for the impossible in an emotional plea. However, Shinichi was a stoic student of science, albeit a discouraged one. He evaluated the situation and confirmed with magic that she would never wake up. “That’s enough. It won’t make you feel any better.” Regina stopped him from continuing to touch the girl. “I will turn her to dust. Will you be okay with that?” “…Yes.” His head hung low, hiding his pain. Rino’s face clouded with concern. “Mommy, what are you going to do to Nozomi?” “This isn’t Nozomi. It’s not even alive. I’m returning it to the earth.” “What?! But…Nozomi…is still alive…!” She pointed at the flushed cheeks and rising chest. Regina just shook her head. “It never had a heart. It can’t even eat in this condition, meaning it will die within three days.” “But…” “A few months, tops, if we give it mashed meat. But what’s the point of taking care of a sleeping doll? We’re just going to suffer longer.” “……” Rino went silent, unable to argue against the logic. Her mother put the final nail in the coffin. “Or you can use magic to transform it into your personal flesh golem.” “What?!” “It’s possible with your magic. Like what El-something-or-other did to Fey.” “I could never!” Rino balked. “Then our only choice is to return it to the soil.” Rino couldn’t bring herself to control the dying girl—it had broken her heart to see Fey used and discarded like an old rag. Even though she understood, she couldn’t keep her tears inside. “I hate this… They didn’t do anything to deserve this…!” “Then let’s put an end to it.” Shinichi stroked Rino’s hair and nodded at Regina. The Blue Princess of War opened the guest room window, clutching the small body in her arms. “Break the chains that bind everything. Transform it into dust of light. Disintegrate.” A glow started at her hands and washed over the girl’s body, dissolving it into molecules. Fine sand blew out the window, disappearing into the sky under the blue sun. Shinichi offered a prayer to her empty form. I can’t blame you for your methods, Goddess Elazonia. It was a basic strategy: find their Achilles’ heel. It wasn’t cowardly. Shinichi had done his fair share of nasty things. He wasn’t in a position to judge her. Don’t come crying to me when I give you a taste of your own medicine. The Goddess Elazonia didn’t have a place in his plans for a world of fun, where innocent lives weren’t exploited for someone else’s gain. Shinichi stared out the window as the light from the blue sun faded, drawing the curtains of night. His clenched fist drew blood. After saying his good-byes to the life that slipped away, they gathered in the drawing room. “We need to find a way to defeat the Goddess Elazonia and save the Demon King…” With a hardened voice, Shinichi broached the topic…until he looked beside him. Arian was clutching her head, splayed out on the table. “Ugh…Why did I…?” “What’s up with you?” “I was so insensitive…” “Oh.” Shinichi remembered her words, connecting the dots. “I’m so happy you reunited with Nozomi!” By that time, Shinichi had already realized she was empty. That meant her comment had delivered a fatal blow. “I can’t even express how sorry I am!” Arian banged her head against the table. “Don’t worry about it. I was happy that you were concerned about me.” Shinichi tried to console her. It reminded him of a certain dumbass. Regina was sitting across from them. “Future Son-in-Law, may I ask something?” “What?” “Are you trying for a baby with Celes?” “““BLERGH?!””” “Hmm? What baby?” Rino was the only one who didn’t understand the dirty talk. Everyone else almost choked. The corners of Regina’s mouth curled up in amusement. “Apparently not. Celes has always been all talk, no action. Seems nothing has changed.” “Master!” Celes slammed her fist on the table. “Ha-ha-ha. I haven’t heard that in a while.” Regina didn’t seem to have a care in the world. “And no babies with Miss Arian, huh? Looks like you have a chance, Rino.” “For what?” “To become his bride.” Regina smiled gently, stroking her daughter’s hair. Since this is Rino, I imagine she’ll be over the moon and cheery, Shinichi thought. “Shinichi’s bride…?” Rino flushed red at the thought, squirming in embarrassment. “Hmm?” He was confused by her reaction. Regina broke into a goofy grin. “Heh-heh-heh. Seems someone has become a woman. Watch out, Celes. Your ‘little sister’ is going to beat you to the finish line.” “My Lady!” “Ooh! Scary!” joked Regina, even as Celes radiated hostile magic and glared. She seemed to have no intention of shutting her mouth, because she turned her attention to the redheaded hero next. “You too, Miss Arian.” “What?” “Just saying that I’m siding with my daughter and student. I won’t get in your way, but I’m going to place my support on them.” “…I’m aware.” This meant war. They glared daggers at each other. Shinichi stepped in, stomach aching. “Um, could we move on to the matter at hand?” “Oh, sorry. It would be bad taste to plan a wedding without the bride’s father. Let’s save my husband.” “Ha-ha…” Shinichi offered a dry chuckle. Regina used every opportunity to push him into marrying her daughter. I’m just going to pretend this is a joke to cheer up Arian and calm down… It was hard to read her true intentions with her frozen smile. I can see her giving a hard time to the Demon King. Shinichi sighed, guessing the Demon King had become an overbearing father because Regina was an uninhibited mother. “Let’s look into these to find out the Goddess’s identity and location.” Shinichi lined up four volumes recovered from the Elven Tomb. “As I said, there has to be some connection between Elazonia and the ancient civilization. I think this might be our best lead.” They’d had to obliterate the sacred site to defeat the evil ghost and had lost four books in Fey’s possession. “Let’s each read one book.” Shinchi passed books to Rino, Celes, and Regina since they could use translation magic. “These spells hurt my head, but I’ll try my best,” Rino said. “Anything to save His Highness.” “I have to admit I’m curious about this ancient civilization, totally divorced from El-something-or-other.” They cast a spell to speed-read, cracking open the volumes and focusing on the stories of the ancient elves. Relegated to spectating, Arian’s face clouded over. “I hate that I can’t help out…” “Then fix us something to eat,” Shinichi suggested. “It’ll take a while to get through these books.” “Okay! I’ll make it good!” Arian returned to high spirits, rushing off to find the kitchen. Celes watched her go with a dark expression. “Anything cooked in this world will be…” “No more parbegut…please…,” whined Rino. They had developed a taste for human food. Regina sighed in frustration. “It’s just food. Don’t throw a fit.” “Only because My Lady has no taste.” “Yeah! You just don’t know good from bad!” Regina was quick to refute their angry claims. “Rude! I have taste! Like…raw giant toad eggs! They go down smooth! Mmm! Yum!” ““Ew.”” “Stop looking at me with pity!” The Blue Princess of War fretted when they looked at her with disappointment. Shinichi couldn’t help smiling. “I remember you telling me that your mom had no taste.” “Yeah! That’s why Celes cooks all the time. She’s never made anything by herself.” Rino pouted. “Only because you turned down my soul food!” “It’s child abuse to force a four-year-old to eat roast gorajug liver,” retorted Celes. Shinichi wasn’t familiar with the monster, but he had a feeling it was gross. He stroked Rino’s head and tried to comfort her. “You have the looks of your mother and the tastes of your father.” The Demon King didn’t seem to have strong preferences, consuming food only for the purpose of building mass, but even he had developed a liking for goat meat and ale. Rino widened her eyes. “No one’s ever told me that I’m like Daddy.” With light skin and black hair, she was the tiny daughter of a blue giant. Everybody said she looked nothing like him. “That would make His Highness jump for joy,” Celes said. “Let’s go back to reading—so we can see him that way,” urged Regina. They turned their attention back to their books, taking the occasional break to pick at Arian’s food. It took hours until Shinichi finished his volume. He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve got nothing. Not a single mention of Elazonia.” Myths and Religions of the World. He had thought this one would provide some clues. It was an encyclopedia of all religions in the ancient civilization and their myths. “It doesn’t delve into local religions, but it covers most of the major things…” Greek myths claimed the universe was born from chaos. Japanese legends said two gods—a brother and sister—had come together to create land and sea. Even in a magical realm, human imagination remained the same. It was interesting from an academic standpoint. In fact, he was eager to pore over the text again. However, even when he sifted through these nuggets of knowledge, he kept coming up empty. “Does that mean there was no Goddess before the calamity?” asked Arian. “…That’s my best bet.” Shinichi nodded, accepting a porcelain cup from her and grimacing as he drank down the disgusting water. “I even considered the possibility of her name changing through history.” Zeus in the Greek myths had become Iuppiter in Latin and Jupiter in English. It wouldn’t be surprising if Elazonia’s name had morphed over the years. “I scanned the book for ‘the Goddess of Light,’ ‘Highest Among Gods,’ ‘Gatherer of Good Gods,’ even the ‘Symbol of the Sun.’ And…nothing.” Even in a magical world that bridged the physical gap between genders, men were considered strong and women weak, since the latter had to take leaves of absence to bear children. The myths and religions of the ancient world tended to skew heavily toward men. The main deity, who was known as the sun god, was male. His wife, the moon goddess, was female. “No mention of a goddess of light in this book, let alone ‘Goddess Elazonia.’ I think it’s safe to assume she didn’t exist in the ancient world.” That didn’t explain her connection to the old civilization. “Is there God in this world?” Based on the encyclopedia, their “gods” were supernatural existences walking among mortals. They had appeared before their followers to impart their teachings or perform miracles to save people from danger, but their stories couldn’t be scientifically proven. “I know I asked you before, Arian, but you don’t know of gods and spirits other than Elazonia, right?” “Yeah. And I’ve never met anyone who’s seen one.” “Which means gods don’t take corporeal forms in this world.” Shinichi knew Elazonia existed. They had been attacked by her. “That proves she isn’t a god.” “…You’re right.” Arian scrunched her face. It didn’t feel good to insult the one who made her a hero and who she once worshipped. However, the Goddess had made enough people suffer that Arian had lost all respect for her. “A real god would never do something so terrible.” “Well, that’s not necessarily true…” Shinichi knew that “gods” on Earth did the most outrageous things—gifting a box containing every evil in the world or annihilating all of humanity with a massive flood. “At the very least, we know Elazonia isn’t the creator of the universe,” he concluded. “If she had that much power, she wouldn’t have to take Rino hostage to threaten the Demon King.” There was a limit to her strength. Even if she outclassed Shinichi’s group, she wasn’t omnipotent. That gave them ways to fight back. “I guess that’s a lead. Did you find anything, Celes?” Shinichi looked over to her. She closed her book and shook her head, eyebrows knit together. “Nothing. That said, this book is baffling. I failed to understand most of it.” “Makes sense.” He’d expected that. He took the book from her: Report of Countermeasures against Asteroid Diablo, a detailed collection of predictions about the asteroid and ways to survive the ensuing disasters. It must have been written by an expert because it was filled with technical accounts, which made it indigestible to the average person, much less a demon. “It lists formulas to predict the asteroid’s impact based on its angle and speed. That helped them make calculations of the underground bunker. This is my thing. I can see why it’s hard for you.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “…Are you trying to get a reaction out of me?” Bowing, Shinichi gave her some candy as an apology. “You were the only one I could assign this book to.” It would go above Rino’s head. And Regina had no scientific background. Celes had spent enough time with Shinichi listening to his scientific explanations, making her most suited for this task. She rolled the candy around with her tongue, trying to look stoic again. “Could you please repeat that first part?” “Um? You’re the only one?” “With a little more emotion.” “You’re the only one!” “That will suffice.” Her ears wiggled at the confession. “…Is it just me or have you gone soft?” “Do you prefer when I’m mean to you? Looks like you’re as perverted as a certain light elf. Pig!” “It’s not like I want you to be some sadist!” After their normal schtick, Shinichi turned his gaze back to the books. Otherwise, Arian would demand to hear sweet nothings from him later. He could feel her jealously looking at them. “I only skimmed the book, but I can’t find anything other than scientific data and formulas. I can’t imagine it’s talking about Elazonia.” “I did read it cover to cover, even though I didn’t understand everything. There was no mention of the Goddess’s name.” Celes nodded, reaching out to turn a page. “But you might want to read this.” She showed him a detailed drawing for something resembling a casket—designs for the hibernation equipment in the Elven Tomb. “You guessed the bodies were restored with Resurrection, but you didn’t understand how they recovered the soul. The system is described here.” “Seriously?!” He pored over the text, but it was like looking through fog. “In order to resolve the ego error found in the mana conversion of the neural network, magic conductor molecules are placed in a cubic grid structure…? I don’t get it.” “I couldn’t parse through it, either…” Celes sighed. “My head hurts,” Arian offered with a crooked smile. The Translation spell let them read ancient words, but it kept phrases that had no equivalent in modern language. It was like how there was no Japanese translation for parbegut. The text was all jargon. They could read the words and still have no clue about the meaning. “I think I have a general idea,” Shinichi admitted. “Really?” “Not the details, though.” He didn’t seem very confident. “It’s saying they turned memories into data and saved them into a specialized magic conductor.” It was easier to think of it as a magic version of cyber-brains from science fiction. He wasn’t too surprised, since this had been his guess after observing the heroes. “It requires an understanding of physiology, engineering, and ‘magicology.’” “What’s the last one?” “Based on the word, I’m guessing it’s the marriage between magic and science.” This combined field gave birth to the magical guns of guard golems and artificial hibernation chambers. “That sounds incredible,” said Arian, impressed by the idea. Shinichi’s expression soured. “No doubt. But I think it can only be used by a magic user…” Because science didn’t discriminate against people with no magic, Shinichi had taught Tigris Kingdom about gunpower. Without it, they had no way of standing up to the Goddess’s priests or heroes or demons or monsters. The root of the problem was this fundamental difference in power. “I don’t think we can eliminate this disparity, since Earth was like this, too…” …Though scientific advancements would close the gap. “But magicology would be a huge boon to magic users. It’s scary to think these disparities could be exponential.” Shinichi wasn’t inherently against magicology. In fact, he planned to give this book to the dvergr to begin more research. That said, without science, the power hierarchy would reach new extremes. “I don’t know if we even need to aim for total democracy in a magical world.” “Not following here.” Celes sounded annoyed. “I’ll explain it in detail later.” Shinichi was about to close the book since it didn’t seem to have any other valuable information, but one thing caught his eye. Doctor Elen Qunel? The designer of the artificial hibernation chambers. A genius magicologist who’d made numerous other huge discoveries, apparently. According to the acknowledgements, Elen had given them hope for the future. Elen, huh? Could be a guy’s name… The first syllable was the same as their sworn enemy. Maybe he was on edge because of Nozomi. He forced himself to smile. “Future Son-in-Law,” Regina called out. “I finished reading. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any mention of El-something-or-other.” “Do you have something against learning Elazonia’s name?” “Yeah.” Regina handed him World History. “It’s an interesting read. War after war after war. Apparently, ancient people couldn’t get enough, just like demons.” “Yeah, well, the history of humans is a tale of war after war.” Obviously, historians wanted to keep record of big events instead of focusing on times of peace. Shinichi opened the book and scanned the table of contents to get a general feel for historic events. Regina reached over. “This war was interesting.” She flipped to the latter half of the book and pointed to a section detailing the catalyst of a world war. One mistake of a certain country had triggered a battle involving the supercontinent. “June 8, 1703. The Republic of Sentel invaded the territory of the Black Proxy—Wait! The Proxy?!” “Do you know what it is?” Celes asked Shinichi. “Well, no. But it was mentioned in another book.” He shook his head, opening Myths and Religions of the World. “Look. ‘In recent years, the world has seen a surge of churches worshipping the Proxies. Its main followers have been victims of magical waves.’” “Huh.” “What’s a victim of magical waves?” asked Arian. “I don’t know.” He shook his head again. He cursed the ancient elves for neglecting to leave behind something like the L—ngman Dictionary. “I wonder if the Proxy was an individual, if they’re objects of worship. Why would an individual go to war against a country?” “What’s strange about that?” asked Regina. “Oh yeah. Right.” The Blue Princess of War was an individual who would wage war against an entire country. “This says the Republic of Sentel sent their entire military to fight against the Black Proxy, but lost… Wait. What?” “Ha-ha-ha! Doesn’t that make you excited?” Regina broke into a smile. “Based on your findings, ancient people understood science and magicology, which made them very powerful. A single person who could take on an entire army? I would love to fight them.” “This is from thousands of years ago, My Lady.” Though their identity remained unclear, they must have passed from old age. Shinichi sat nearby with his chin on his hand, lost in thought. A “Proxy,” huh? Acting on behalf of something else. What could it be? Why does it sound familiar? Where have I heard of someone sending an entire army packing…? He was just starting to think about using Search to jog his memory when Rino finally snapped her book closed. “Wow. That was fun.” “What was it about?” asked Arian, handing Rino a glass of water. She took a sip before opening the book again to show them drawings of animals. “Look at the doggies and fishies and other thingies!” “Illustrated Animal Encyclopedia,” Shinichi read out loud with a smile. The ancients must have predicted the extinction of these animals after the asteroid and amassed their images to keep a record. Shinichi let Rino take this one because he’d assumed there would be no connection to Elazonia and would keep her entertained with pictures. “I really want to see this rainbow kitty!” Rino held out an image of a psychedelic cat. “Uh. I think it’s gross…” Arian seemed to back away. Shinichi burst her bubble. “Says it’s endangered. I imagine it’s already extinct.” Rino pouted before turning the pages again. “And there’s this transparent chameleon and flying snakes…and dragons.” “What?!” Shinichi exclaimed. “What did you say?!” Regina asked at the same time. Arian was floored. “About…my…father…? “Oh, that’s right. It’s your daddy,” said Rino, reflecting on her insensitive comment. She thumbed through the book to find a picture of a massive body covered in bright red scales, membrane wings sprouting from its back. Horns dotted its head. Its large mouth was lined with rows of fangs. It was a picture-perfect dragon. Shinichi read the description under the picture, eyes widening in surprise. “‘Scientific Name: Red Proxy’?! Are dragons and Proxies the same thing?!” According to the note, dragon was the common name. Proxy was the formal scientific name in academic writing. He had a feeling of déjà vu. “Which means the Black Proxy is the Black Dragon in the record about an entire army attacking it…” “…It’s the same as the legends told in the demon world.” Celes had wide eyes, remembering something from before. She’d told Shinichi this fable in the Goddess’s Cathedral when they’d seen the painting of the Evil God and Evil Dragon. The Black Demon King had led an army to attack the Black Dragon, but they’d fled before inflicting a single wound. The tale ended with the king reflecting on his ego. That must have been based on the actual event instigated by the Republic of Sentel. “Huh. Our beloved Black Dragon. Obviously, no human army could match it!” Regina made it sound like a victory, like someone rooting for their favorite athlete. “Oh! I know that story!” Rino clapped her hands. She’d been so focused on reading that she hadn’t realized the connection. “If they’re in history books and encyclopedias, that means dragons actually exist.” Shinichi had never doubted Arian’s dad was a dragon, but he was excited to find concrete evidence. He took the book from Rino and carefully flipped through the pages, coming across a map with five red dots. It felt like he’d been electrocuted. “This is a map locating the dragons…” “Gimme!” Regina pored over the map, looking positively out of her mind, before cackling. “Ha-ha-ha! If I go there, I will finally be able to have a real fight!” “My Lady, I understand your excitement. But let’s focus on His Highness.” Celes gripped Regina’s shoulders, stopping her from sprinting away. Shinichi looked as tired as Celes. “They made this map before the supercontinent split in three. There’s no guarantee the dragons are still there.” It seemed the Black Dragon had been in the middle of the supercontinent, though the demons’ legends claimed it was slumbering somewhere underground. “Huh? Fine… But we can prove it if we go there.” Regina’s shoulders slumped, though she was quick to pull herself together. Shinichi nodded. “Now we know the dragons…are living witnesses to the ancient civilization. We can’t let this opportunity pass us.” The four books gave them a better picture of Elazonia, though it was far from complete. They had no clues about her identity or location. However, they had hope that the dragons would have answers, seeing as they were worshipped as gods. Shinichi’d had an inkling that this was true from his conversations with the Demon King and Sanctina. After all this time, he finally had a lead. “I can’t say for the other dragons, but the Red Dragon should be in the continent of Uropeh.” Shinichi took out a current map, comparing it to the ancient one. “Seems things have changed since the supercontinent split. The coastlines look different, but I imagine the inland mountains have retained their shape.” He rotated the map, trying to find something that matched. It seemed the northeast part of the supercontinent had become modern Uropeh. “If this is right, the Red Dragon should be here.” He pointed north of the Holy City, past a craggy mountain range, to the northernmost part of the continent. It was undeveloped, empty land on the modern map. “…He might be there.” Arian nodded, touching the scales on her throat. “Do you know something about this place?” “It’s got a terrible reputation.” She smirked, pointing south of his finger. “Mouse Labor Camp is here. North of that is the restricted zone. Nobody’s allowed to go in there.” “Sounds dangerous. Is there a reason for the name?” “It’s too cold for anyone to inhabit. But the real reason is that it’s swarming with monsters.” She continued with a deluge of details, prefacing that it was all rumors. “The Matteral Mountains stretch from Tigris to Mouse, from west to northeast. The mountains act like a lid, containing the monsters to the uninhabited zones. It gets bad as soon as you cross the border.” It was a “magic zone,” a nightmarish region without a single normal animal, where evil monsters lurked. “I’ve heard stories about heroes being instantly defeated by man-eating plants, double-headed wolves, and poisonous slimes.” “Sounds like the demon world,” Celes remarked. “……” Shinichi started to think. Something about her observation was working his brain. Meanwhile, Regina’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Hmm? Seems like fun. I must have missed it.” “That’s right. You visited the human world once. Why didn’t you go?” “I hate the cold. I traveled the warmer areas.” She pointed to the coastline along the south of the continent, far from the restricted zone in the north. “I stumbled across a random human village and asked for their most powerful creature. They told me about a huge fish called a whale. I challenged one, but it died from one Thunder Javelin. One! I was so disappointed.” “Yeah, well, they were basing it on human standards…” Poor whale. Being attacked by the Blue Princess of War was no joke. She was a battleship. Shinichi switched the topic back. “A restricted zone overflowing with monsters, huh? Sounds like a perfect place for a dragon to hide from eyewitnesses.” He couldn’t guarantee the Red Dragon was stationary. The Black Dragon sure wasn’t. However, they knew he had been in Uropeh seventeen years ago—when Arian’s mother was pregnant. They were grasping at straws, but they had no other lead. They had to be all-in. “…Arian.” Shinichi looked at the Red Dragon’s daughter. He was trying to get permission to exploit their relationship if it came down to the wire. There was something sweet about him trying to get her approval; it was one of the reasons she was drawn to him. “I want talk to him, too.” Even though she had given up on meeting him in this lifetime, she had questions she wanted answered: How did he meet her mother? How did she come into being? Even if she hated the answers, the truth would help her move on. “And I already told you that you have my life, my heart, my everything.” Arian smiled gently, implying he didn’t need to check in with her after all they’d been through. He stared at her before snapping back to his senses and flashing his normal smile. “We’ve got to tell him that his loner of a daughter finally made some friends!” “You can be so mean…” Arian pouted before looking up at him coyly. “Are you going to tell him that you’re my boyfriend?” “What?! I don’t know about that…” Shinichi flushed, falling apart. Regina chuckled at the heartwarming exchange. “Heh-heh-heh. She makes a powerful enemy. You two don’t have time to beat around the bush.” “Hmph…” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rino sulked and Celes glanced to the side, which made Regina burst into laughter again.
Chapter 66
40 min read