Chapter 14

Chapter 4 Stirring Fate Part 1: Morning View The morning sun shone through my window. Lystie was no longer in the bed next to mine. It was made up neatly. Her equipment was still there, though, indicating that she was still in the house. When I stepped out of my room, I bumped into Nanase. She yawned, then noticed me. “Ah. Good morning, Mr. Might.” “Right, good mor…ning…” The reason I had trailed off was due to surprise at how childish—ahem, how adorable Nanase’s nightwear was. Right after Nanase, Platinum also showed herself. But in her case, only her head. “Nanase, you shouldn’t just wander about the house in your nightwear. Remember that a guy is living here, too!” “Are you talking about Mr. Might? Oh, he’s fine. I mean, yesterday, he—” It looked like Nanase meant to give a laid-back answer, but her face clouded up with puzzlement halfway through, and she murmured, “Huh?” “Um…should I just forget everything that happened last night?” I offered. “Last night? …Sorry, I was kind of already in bed before I realized it.” “For me, it was suddenly already morning. It’s been quite a while since I have slept so deeply. I feel great.” Sure enough, Platinum was in top spirits. Drawn by the conversation with Nanase, she came out, too, revealing that she was wearing nightwear with very thin fabric. It was nothing I hadn’t seen before—after all, I was the one who had helped her into it last night—but my eyes still kept on being naturally drawn her way. “Um, Ms. Platinum, why are you jiggling more than usual?” “Hm? …AH! M-my chest wrap! I see, I must have gone to sleep without wrapping up last night. It’s easier to breathe without it.” Having convinced herself, Platinum disappeared back into her room. Nanase gave me a prolonged stare, but I was determined to ride out this storm. “Don’t even think about it, okay? Don’t you dare peep. Ms. Platinum would probably forgive it if it’s you, but you shouldn’t. Just as a person.” “I won’t. I’m an adult with restraint.” “You’re only one year older than me, though. That makes me a full-grown adult, too.” Nanase smiled happily, then went down to the first floor. I followed her down to avoid bumping into Platinum right outside her room again. I wasn’t even halfway down the stairs when an amazing smell hit me. Lystie was in the middle of setting the table for breakfast. “Good morning, Ms. Lystie. Sorry I didn’t help.” “Good morning, you two. Is Platinum also coming down soon? I’ve already set her place.” I didn’t know how long it took for Platinum to wrap her chest, but before I finished my thought, she had already appeared. “Looks like you’ve fully mastered how to use the kitchen,” Platinum noted. Lystie smiled. “Because it was kept in good condition. And there was still plenty of the water you drew yesterday.” “If there’s anything I can help with, let me know,” I offered. “You’d help, Might? I’ll wake you next time, then. You were sleeping so soundly, I thought I shouldn’t.” Only when it was pointed out did I realize I had indeed been sleeping deeply last night. I almost never did that, as I had been trained to wake up at a moment’s notice in case of a night attack. “Ooooh, what’s Mr. Might look like when he’s asleep? I’m curious!” “H-hold on, it’s impolite to ask about that kind of—” “He has such wonderful sleeping posture, I couldn’t help being impressed. He breathes quietly, too, which made me feel compelled to—Ah.” There I was, thinking that she had been sleeping peacefully, when in fact this noble lady had been staring at me in my sleep. I can’t let my guard down around her, can I? “…If you’re having trouble with your sleeping posture, maybe you should consider replacing your bedding.” “Interesting. Even a Sage like Might reacts like a young boy sometimes.” “Hey, there’s no need to be embarrassed. Having a cute sleeping face isn’t a bad thing at all, Mr. Might.” “Sorry, Might. I kind of just woke up for a while…” “A-ahem. I’m not bothered at all.” I figured that if I tried to act tough with a line like “It takes skill to take advantage of me when I’m asleep,” it’d just make the three of them happy, so I kept it to myself. “Hm, bread fresh from the oven really does taste different, even when it’s just being reheated.” “I totally agree. I really appreciate the extra effort. You also added a little salt to this bacon soup, didn’t you? I can’t have enough of it.” What I wanted to say was basically the same as what Platinum and Nanase had already said, but I caught Lystie shooting glances my way, so I thought a little first before saying, “Everything you make tastes amazing, Lystie.” “…! You’re not getting anything just for complimenting me!” “Whoa, and she does that naturally. Even as her friend, I’d like to learn how she does it.” “Just wait three more years! I’ll be just like Ms. Lystie by then!” The bashful look on Lystie’s face was evoking intense reactions from the other two, but in my eyes, Lystie was basically just a very talented little sister. At the same time, a part of me wondered if it was wrong for me to continue treating her like she was younger than me, now that I was the same age as she was. The unshaven, dour Thief was starting to mix with the beginner Sage in me. “Ah, are you doubting if I can do it? I’ll have you know that in the drugs I’m compounding, there’s one that would blow your mind. Not in the aphrodisiac way.” “Nanase’s potions are always incredible, so I’m always looking forward to seeing what she comes up with. Did you manage to make a new one with Might yesterday?” “Yes I did. And it’s going to be so useful. It’s the crystallization of Mr. Might’s and my feelings. No, it’s the product of our first cooperative effort!” “Kngh! Nanase, seriously, you…” “Are you all right, Might?” “A party is always a cooperative effort. Let’s do our best and continue racking them up.” Lystie brought me a cup of water as Platinum stroked my back. Apparently, when we weren’t on the road, these two were starting to treat me like a younger brother. A part of me appreciated it, which was perhaps another sign that I was slowly changing. Part 2: Secret Order from the Thieves Guild We talked about the need to have downtime in between jobs, so I managed to get some time to myself today. I probably shouldn’t put off Mabel’s summons for too long. There were people walking around the area where the brothels were located even during the day. The spot that I was supposed to go to, Hawk 19, was in this area. “Young man, this is no place to play around in.” “He’s wearing a mage’s outfit, so isn’t he an adventurer?” After getting catcalls from a few women who were probably “working,” I realized it was better to not catch attention. I turned a corner and shifted into being covert. Eventually, I reached the back entrance of a brothel and spoke in a low voice that could only be heard inside. “I was summoned. I’m Crow.” There was clattering inside, then the door was quietly opened. By the time I slid inside, the person inside was nowhere to be seen. They must have rushed farther inside in a hurry, but I had no idea why. “There you are, Crow. I’m glad I decided to stay the night.” Mabel emerged from within, clad in leather armor. She shot a look at the door behind her and smiled wryly. “She still looks up to you. That’s why she’s too embarrassed to see you in person.” “Who?” “Shanoa. She’s working at my place now.” “Shanoa as in…? Ahhh, right.” Mabel gave me a Did you forget? look, but in my defense, I had never spent much time with Shanoa. “You saved her from a kidnapper, in case you forgot. She’s now sixteen, which… Oh.” I had regressed in age, whereas the young girl had grown by ten years. That meant she was now older than I was, and I was younger than she was. This happens, too, huh? “Because of her race, she grows fast. But she’s still shy and introverted, so she’s a bit of a handful. Anyway, switching topics. Crow, I heard you just finished some big job.” “Ahhh, big job… Yeah, it kind of turned into a big thing. We’ve wrapped it up already, though.” “You said your level got reset by your vocation change, but I see your abilities haven’t dropped a bit.” Without further ado, Mabel spread something on the table. One look revealed it to be a letter. In place of a signature, there was the image of a deer with horns. This was the sign used by my old friend, Elk. “You mentioned that Gazelle and Elk are both on a secret mission. The place they infiltrated is…?” “Beold. The capital of the kingdom that rules the western part of this continent.” Ah, yes. Beold. We stopped there once on the way to the Demonic Dragon. “Why infiltrate Beold? I’m sure there’s a local Thieves Guild, isn’t there?” “Our client is the lord of this area. The Schwaig family.” “Schwaig…?” The blond man I had met at the Novices Guild, Brandt Schwaig, came to mind. Based on what the Butler and Maid in his retinue said, he was probably the son of the domain lord in question. “They’ve been dealing with a demon problem for the past two months. A demon has taken over an abandoned tower and seems to be searching for something.” “A demon, you say. People in this area are far too low-leveled to fight demons.” “Exactly. Demons break the level limits for areas pretty much at will. Like really powerful monsters sometimes do.” “And Gazelle and Elk are currently looking into this?” “That’s right. The king’s forces can’t do a thing against the demon, but he can’t keep that a secret forever.” According to Mabel, the Schwaig family had been practically ousted from politics but had always been on the lookout for an opportunity to get a foot back in the door. And this was that time. “Are you serious? The king really issued an edict that anyone who succeeds in getting rid of the demon can wed his daughter?” “Don’t forget, wedding the princess means gaining the right to make a bid for the throne. It would be an enormous advantage in the political world.” “The Schwaig family didn’t directly receive an official notice, right? The whole ‘marry the princess’ thing would still apply if they defeat the demon?” “Yes, it would. They just caught wind of it late because none of the other nobles in the capital told them.” Okay, I get that there’s a demon in the capital and that it’s a problem. But why is Mabel telling me about it? “The nobles are all frothing at the mouth to defeat this demon, and it’s not something that the Thieves Guild can interfere with. Now, the reason I’m telling you all this…” Mabel placed another piece of paper on the table. It bore an illustration of someone who, based on the flow of the conversation, was probably the princess in question. Ah, I should have seen this coming. There had been plenty of clues. There was the crest on Platinum’s armor. And her real vocation being Royal Order. There was Lystie’s ring, the one that I had retrieved from the burglars who had stolen it from her. And her sword. And her ability to use Dignity, a skill that only royalty could use. “Even I had failed to notice it till now,” Mabel said. “Who’d have thought the princess was an adventurer in the City of Pleasure, right?” The portrait was of Princess Noielys Tia Beolnat, but it bore a great resemblance to someone I knew. Unfortunately, I couldn’t claim it was just a coincidence, as Mabel had surely obtained undeniable proof. That was why she had called me. “Does she have to marry whichever noble it is who kills the demon?” “Using the princess’s hand in marriage as a political tool is hardly something new. In a way, that’s more natural than her going on adventures with you.” Mabel knew that I was in a party with the princess—or, as I knew her, Lystie. That’s why we were having this conversation. That’s what this was about. “The worst thing is having to live how others want you to live. What is your opinion of Princess Noielys? Did she ever share with you why she’s being an adventurer?” I had no idea about all this. I had never asked. Even though we were party members, I had thought that it wasn’t my place to probe. Of course, I could still pretend that I didn’t know anything for now. All I had to do was make it possible for Lystie to choose the path she wanted, whatever it was. To make that happen, there was now something that I had to do. “Thank you, Big Sister.” “Anytime. I know this is an irresponsible thing to say, but I have faith in you. You’re the one who defeated the Demonic Dragon and came back—not as a Thief, but as a Sage. You’re Crow.” Part 3: Uproar in the City of Pleasure The reason I came to Fortune, the City of Pleasure, was that it was also known as the First Town. I was born a princess, which meant my days were filled with bridal training and being reminded that I was to one day marry someone powerful who could support this country. My vocation had been decided at birth, like everyone else in this world. To live according to one’s vocation was the natural thing to do; to live otherwise was unnatural. However, when I asked the bodyguard who had been with me since my childhood, Platinum—her real name was Primrose—to teach me how to fight so I could defend myself, she looked a little troubled but listened to my request regardless. “That was wonderful swordsmanship, Your Highness.” “Do you think I have what it takes to win a fight?” “It is my duty to protect you, but let me see…” I was to live doing only what I was meant to do. Even my father wanted that of me. It was hardly news to me, but I felt cornered living every day waiting for the day I had to marry someone who had been chosen for me. What I wanted was to see the world outside the capital. The world described in stories. When I heard that adventurers were being gathered and sent to fight the terrifying Demonic Dragon at the Edge of the World, I couldn’t help being jealous of them. Adventurers were those who made a living out of adventuring. “Adventurer” was not a vocation, which meant I could become an adventurer, too. My vocation couldn’t be changed, but if I made it as an adventurer, I could perhaps find another way to live other than by being a princess. I knew that I was dreaming. I would never be allowed to leave the capital. I couldn’t even talk about wanting to become an adventurer. And yet I wanted more time. The moment someone defeated the demon who had taken over the tower in the capital—and if that person was a man—I would have to marry him. The time I had remaining was precious little, and I couldn’t bear just waiting for it to run out. One day, training with Primrose, I opened up to her. I told her that I wanted to slip out of the capital. “I would be fine alone, so please buy me time,” I said. After listening to my absurd request, instead of chastising me, Primrose looked at me with sparkling eyes. “Then I shall protect you as a platinum shield! No matter where you go, I will remain by your side.” I knew that she had greatly adored Paladins since her childhood. Thanks to the ring that my mother left me, I was able to keep my identity hidden. It was called “the Hermit’s Ring” and had been used by generations of royalty to travel incognito. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to even register at the Novices Guild in Fortune. Then we met Nanase and formed a party with her. We started off doing simple jobs, but while we sometimes pulled them off, sometimes it didn’t go so well. With each day that passed, I got more and more into my own mind. I felt like I was getting nowhere. But that was when… “My name is Might, by the way. What’s yours?” Despite being level 1, he looked as calm and reliable as if he had seen the whole world. That was how I met the strongest person I had ever seen before. “—stie. Lystie?” “Ah. Sorry, Platinum.” “It’s dangerous to get absorbed in your thoughts when walking, Ms. Lystie. Even though I do it all the time.” Since Might had left first thing in the morning, Platinum, Nanase, and I were heading to the Novices Guild by ourselves. If there was any job that matched what we were looking for, we had to claim it right away. We now had enough to live off of for a while, thanks to Might, but I wanted to gain as much experience as possible in the time I had left. “Where could Might have gone?” I wondered out loud. “Does he have acquaintances in this city?” “…What if there is someone he’s going out with?” Platinum asked. Nanase looked surprised. “Did you see anything about him that makes you think he has a girlfriend?” My two companions looked at each other, then blushed. Honestly, I didn’t know him well enough to say for sure whether or not he had a romantic partner. “He’s always calm and composed,” I said. “Sometimes, it’s more than that; he looks like he has a past. However, he’s friendly to everyone, guys and girls alike.” “But then again, it’s not like he’s especially used to dealing with girls. Ah, but Ur got attached to him. And Ms. Ally and Marino did, too.” “So have we. When he’s not around, like now, we really notice it,” Platinum pointed out. We laughed together. Maybe us being out on the streets like this was also because we got influenced by him leaving the house this morning. “Hm? Lystie, there’s something going on at the guild.” There was a crowd of adventurers gathered in front of the guild building. We arrived just in time to see them parting ways to make way for someone coming out. “Are they for real?” “Considering the level of the area, killing that demon is not going to be easy.” The words we made out from the commotion immediately set off alarm bells in my mind. “Don’t tell me, they’re talking about the one in the tower near the capital?” Platinum murmured, her voice clearly shaking. To my knowledge, the forces in the capital were keeping the tower demon in check, which meant it was not a threat to those of us all the way back in Fortune. At least, that was what I’d heard in the capital. “They might be talking about a different demon…,” I replied hopefully. Just then, the person coming out of the guild came into view. It was the blond adventurer who had introduced himself as Brandt. I didn’t know much about the Schwaig family other than that their domain was this city and its surroundings. I had never had the opportunity to meet any of them in any official capacity. “Hey there, Lystie,” Brandt said. “If you’ve just come to the guild, you haven’t heard, have you?” “Are you referring to the demon? What exactly is going on?” Platinum asked, on my behalf. The large-bodied elderly man behind Brandt replied, “The guards stationed at the checkpoint west of Fortune were attacked and the fort occupied. The culprit is believed to be a demon.” I had known that the demons could attack at any time, but to hear of it actually happening still made me shiver. “Despite being a lesser demon,” the old man continued, “it managed to force the entire guard squad—level 5, all—to retreat. Consequently, there is now a call for all adventurers higher than level 5.” A veteran who I had seen many times at the guild shouted, “Hey! Do you seriously think you can take on an opponent that an entire squad of guards couldn’t?! It’s not our job to kill demons. You’re gonna die!” Brandt scoffed dismissively. “My party is more powerful than mere guards. Don’t worry. All we’ve done so far is accept the request to take care of the demon problem.” “I’ve never heard a word about those three being strong enough to fight demons!” “Wait, no. Forget the youngster. Those two behind him just might be able to pull it off!” The old man was called Melvin, and the younger woman was Dorothea. I couldn’t tell how skilled they were, but apparently someone else in the crowd could. “Regardless, this is a precious opportunity for me. There is a special meaning in me killing the demon, unlike all of you! Don’t you dare get in my way!” Brandt’s words were directed toward me and my party. Before moving on, he stopped for a brief moment and lowered his voice. “To kill the demon is the ultimate honor. I will obtain everything.” “…And what does that mean?” Instead of answering me, Brandt just smiled with composure. He let the silence hang in the air for a while just to make his next words sound more profound. “I am a man of the Schwaig family. As a noble, I will prove to His Majesty that I have the ability to realize his dreams. With the authority that I will obtain, Lystie, I am willing to accept you as one of my concubines.” “…!” It was clear that Brandt had no idea that I was Noielys. And yet, if he really managed to defeat the demon attacking Fortune and the one in the tower, I would have no choice but to marry him. “You…knave…!” Platinum wanted to cut him down so badly. I could tell she was angry on my behalf, but I still had to stop her. “Platinum, don’t fall for his provocation. I’m fine.” “Being an adventurer doesn’t suit you, Platinum. Hmm, your looks are not bad. How about giving up this line of work and doing something else?” I didn’t mind what anyone said about me. The one thing I couldn’t forgive was someone insulting my dear friend. “Bra—!” What happened next took me a while to comprehend. Brandt was reaching out a hand toward Platinum, but before I could react, Nanase had slapped it away. “Ms. Platinum is our dear friend and comrade. Do you know how valiantly she fights?” “…What is your name?” “It’s Nanase, but you can forget it.” “No, no, I’ll keep it in mind. I have a penchant for strong-willed girls, too.” The way Brandt happily stroked the hand that Nanase had slapped away made her shiver in revulsion. He finally walked off, but before Melvin followed, he said “I’m truly sorry” in a small voice. Dorothea’s hair concealed her facial expression, but she also lowered her head imperceptibly. Everyone else nearby shot me a look, then scattered in a fluster. “Lystie, Nanase—thank you for trying to protect my honor.” “What was wrong with that guy? Is his only reason for scouting Ms. Lystie because he’s thinking with his—? I would worry about the other two, but I hope he gets into danger and gets what he deserves.” “However, I’m sure that he has some skill, having completed numerous jobs as a member of a blue card party. And the other two—Melvin and Dorothea, I believe?—seem even more adept than he is.” There was no way of knowing whether we, being newly promoted to blue card, could defeat a demon who had bested an entire guard squad. The wise thing to do would be to leave it to those with confidence, like Brandt. I could not afford to put Platinum and Nanase in danger. “I cannot help shaking just hearing that there is a demon close by.” Platinum’s right hand was trembling, but she placed her left hand over it and held it tightly. “Platinum…” “If their blue card is what qualifies them to accept the job, then we can do the same.” There was something that I had yet to properly tell Platinum: the reason I wanted to start training with the sword, the reason I wanted to be an adventurer, and above all, the reason I wanted to get stronger. “I want to fight to protect this city,” Platinum declared. “I cannot simply sit by after being insulted so.” “…Me too. I suppose we no longer have the luxury of wishing for more time.” “No leaving me behind, you two. I may be one level lower than you, but I have a powerful ace up my sleeve.” Of course demons scared us. However, we were not simply being emotional as a result of Brandt’s provocation. “Let’s show that man what for. We will—” Halfway through her sentence, Platinum fell silent. She was looking behind me. I turned around and found Might standing there, looking like everything was all right. “…Might.” I said his name but couldn’t think of what to say after that. There was no particular expression on his face, but just seeing him, I felt at peace. Despite my repeated admonitions to myself against being overreliant on him, there was nothing that I could do. “What’s wrong? Why are the three of you making faces like you’re marching off to die?” “…! Th-that was not our intention.” “I’m sure you’ve already heard, Mr. Might, but Fortune is in danger. A demon has taken over a fort in the west.” “I see.” The readiness in Might’s answer made me blurt “Huh?” out loud. He looked at me and smiled. “A request has been posted in the guild, I take it? We’re going on a job, then. There’ll be danger, but I’ll protect all of you.” He was making a huge challenge sound like the easiest task. But this was hardly the first time. He always had a way of turning difficult things and impossible things possible. I may not yet have the ability to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, but I want to keep on walking. Maybe one day, I’ll catch up to him. “Looks like I’m going to fight a demon now. What about you three? You coming along?” All three of us replied “Yes!” in unison. Hearing that, Might started walking. “This is why I can’t take my eyes off you, Master.” The voice spoke out of nowhere, but Might didn’t seem to have heard it. I understood its sentiment. Surely Ursula, too, wanted to stay by his side as much as we did. Part 4: Two Paths The Schwaig family had six legitimately recognized heirs. From among the great expanse in the west of the continent, this family had been granted stewardship over the city of Fortune and its vicinity. Many nobles in the capital also held domains elsewhere in the country. Unfortunately, the Schwaigs had failed to gain acceptance into their clique, and most of them made light of Count Schwaig. One reason often raised for this was the Schwaig domain’s low level. And yet this level limit was shared by the entire west continent. This was a land with almost no external enemies, which made it hard for its residents to raise their levels. Those who devoted all their time to fighting monsters or to training only ever reached level 5 at most. By definition, all my elder brothers had been born before me, Brandt Schwaig. However, their levels were all lower than mine. They almost never touched their swords and never questioned the current state of things, where we had no seat in Parliament and were being looked down on by those in the capital. We allowed the Thieves Guild in Fortune to operate in our land in exchange for being our eyes and ears. The moment we heard that the nobles in the capital were getting agitated, we immediately had the guild send men. Soon, we heard back: There was a demon attack. Hearing this, my father and brothers decided to do what they had always done: sit back and wait for orders from the capital. I saw this as an opportunity. To become stronger than my brothers, I had pleaded with my father for permission to become an adventurer and had kept at it for quite some time. His only condition had been that I always had to be accompanied by retainers. This was how I was constantly traveling with two retainers who had experience beyond the sea. No one in Fortune was even close to being their equal. If I managed to kill the demon terrorizing the capital, what I sought would fall into my hand. It was the perfect way to get back at everyone who had laughed at us for being backwoods nobles. This fight was but a milestone. Against Melvin and Dorothea together, a lesser demon should stand no chance of victory. And after I saved Fortune and became a hero lauded by all, I would also save the capital. Then even my brothers, who had despised me as the youngest son, would have no choice but to acknowledge me, too. My spirits were the highest they had ever been in my life. This was also how I had felt when I fought a monster for the first time. I was so sure that everything was going to go well from this moment on. “Gramps, how much longer to the fort where the demon is?” “We will likely reach it around the noon bell.” We were heading for the fort in a carriage, with Melvin driving. From inside the awning, Dorothea was keeping a sharp lookout for anything that wanted to attack us on the way. “If we continue like this, the demon might shoot at our carriage,” Dorothea said. “I recommend that we stop a ways off from the fort, hide our carriage, and cover the remaining distance on foot.” “Do we really have to go to so much trouble?” I scoffed. “Even if it shoots at us, it’d just be betraying its location. Gramps, keep going.” “…Dorothea and I are also tasked with protecting you, Young Master.” Melvin was a man of few words, so I couldn’t just dismiss him out of hand when he did speak. However, my chest was burning with a sense of irritation. “You two, I will have you accept punishment for opposing your master.” “…As you wish.” Dorothea’s reply sounded reluctant, but that was just how she always was. From what I was told, she and Melvin were serving our family because of some debt of gratitude they owed to the previous family head. None of that mattered to me, though; I was simply using what I could use. “Young Master, there are monsters up ahead,” Melvin reported in a low but clearly intelligible voice. Before I had time to give out orders, Dorothea was already out of the slowing carriage. “Grrr…!” “Yaaaah!” Our enemies were wolves. They were nothing more than wild animals that had probably come out onto the road upon seeing no humans around. One of them leaped at our horses, but Melvin sent it flying back with a powerful punch. “Tch! Gramps, Dorothea, I’m joining the fight!” The fort was still nowhere in sight. We couldn’t afford to waste time being bogged down here, but more monsters emerged from the forest, almost as if to mock my impatience. The West Gate was sealed, but when we told the guards that we had accepted the request to fight the demon, they let us through. “Are we seriously sending such young adventurers to fight on our behalf?” “Don’t worry. We take responsibility for ourselves.” “…Sorry, and thank you. Please come back safe.” After leaving the gate, we proceeded for a while until we reached a stretch of road that cut through a forest. Normally, there would be merchants and travelers on this road, but with the west fort occupied, the flow of traffic had completely disappeared. Lystie shot me a look. “What should we do, Might?” “If we keep going, won’t we eventually bump into Brandt’s party?” Platinum asked. “I’ve actually been to the fort west of Fortune before,” I said. “Really?” Nanase turned toward me. “As in you went to the capital and passed it on the way?” “Something like that. So the main road is actually a bit of a detour. There is a shortcut through the forest. If any of you are worried about bugs, we can take the main road, but—Hm?” Nanase had crossed her arms and huffed proudly and was now taking something out of one of the pockets on the belt on her waist. “This right here is a cream that repels bugs. Put some of it on your wrists and ankles, and the bugs will leave you alone!” Platinum looked impressed. “Ohhh! What an amazing thing to bring, Nanase!” “Yep! The recipe came to me when I saw the moorans yesterday. I made this with the seed, which we couldn’t eat.” “…! Th-that’s an interesting use for it.” “It’s practically odorless, so it’s really easy to use.” I instinctively twitched at the mention of the fruit, but I still put on the cream as recommended by Nanase. “Now we’re all good. Mr. Might, lead the way, please!” “All right. When I raise my hand, immediately stop and hide behind something. We want to avoid fighting with any monsters.” The three girls nodded. We promptly left the main road and headed into the forest. It had been quite a long time since I went this way, but I had no trouble tracing the animal trail. About an hour after we left the West Gate, the forest thinned out, and we emerged on high ground. Nanase sucked in her breath. “A-are we going along this cliff? One wrong step and we’ll fall off!” “We’ll tether each other with lifelines…which is a joke. I’ll carry all of you down one by one.” “A-are you sure? Lystie and Nanase are one thing, but I’m wearing heavy armor.” “If we take too long, we might get spotted by bird monsters. So, who’s going first?” “…I’ll go first. Please don’t drop me, Might. Actually, on second thought, I think if I do my best, I can just—Ah!” Before Lystie could finish her sentence, I lifted her up and started descending, using footholds in the cliff face. I could just as easily descend the whole way in one go, but I didn’t want to scare her too much. “And…there we go. Sorry, I couldn’t risk letting you do this yourself. One wrong step and you could have gotten badly hurt.” “Are you perhaps a reincarnated mountain goat?” “That guess might be truer than you think.” “There you go again, looking all cool and unruffled. Never mind, sorry. You’re in a hurry.” When I returned to the top of the cliff, Platinum’s and Nanase’s faces were twitching. I told them that they could close their eyes if they were scared and then brought them down, too. “Phew… Th-that really set my heart pumping. For various reasons.” “I-indeed. My heart was in my mouth the whole time.” Finding a way where there wasn’t one was one of the duties of a Thief. Now I had confirmation that even though I no longer had the skills, I could still replicate them with experience alone. “But thanks to that, we’re practically at the west fort’s doorstep,” Lystie said. “We’ve even circled around it,” Platinum noted. “Was this your intention all along, Might?” I shook my head. “Not really. It’s not like I know everything.” “So it just ended up like this from using the back path.” Nanase looked at me. “Um, what do we do now?” “Well, let’s see…” There were several wolves in the vicinity of the fort, but these were the demon’s familiars, not wild animals. Some demons had good affinity with beasts and could control them as familiars. The fact that there was no mention in the briefing meant that this demon had taken over the fort without even needing to use its familiars. Which makes it at least as strong as the earth golem. Now what to do here? The fort’s back door was in sight. I very much wanted to use it, as even I would struggle to break through a stone wall. Unfortunately, it was likely locked. “Everyone, wait here. I’ll go check if the door opens. As long as you stay here, the wolves over there won’t notice you.” “Might, wa—!” Can I do this? Wolves could detect enemies from much farther away than humans could. I thought about hitting them with coins from far enough away that they couldn’t smell me, but I realized that my coins would bounce. Instead, I crept close enough to be barely out of their detection range, then rushed in and instantly knocked them out with hand chops. They went down with soft yelps. It wasn’t hard when there were only two of them. I then pressed myself against the fort’s back door. It turned out to be rigged, but I could tell with one look that I could open it. “Lock Eye I” has revealed the lock for “Magic Door.” Oh, it’s a door powered by mana, which means I can operate it. Lucky. I created a key with mana and held it to the door. That was all it took for it to start swinging open slowly. I checked that there was no one inside, fetched the three girls, then stepped in. The three of them were out of breath from traveling all this way in a crouch, so I waited for them to catch their breaths. “Wait,” I whispered. “One enemy approaching.” I held up a finger, signaling for silence. Then I peeked out from cover. A kobold came into view, holding a shortsword smeared with reddish-black blood. Probably from one of the guards during the fighting. “Aw!” The coin that I flicked hit the kobold in the nose, knocking it out. It had probably been searching the place for soldiers that had been left behind. One lay nearby. Nanase handed me a recovery potion, and I helped him drink it. “Your wounds aren’t severe. Think you can talk?” “Wh-who…are…you?” The young soldier opened his eyes. It looked like he had been cut down by the kobold just now, but thankfully, he was not bleeding too much. “We’re adventurers, here at the Adventurers Guild’s request. We came to dispatch the demon.” “That’s…impossible. You can’t…fight that…monster.” “We’ll prove ourselves to you. Is there really only one demon?” “There’s…two…of them. They came…over the walls…and held some of us…hostage.” “I see. Stay hidden. We’ll wrap things up soon.” It looked like the soldier wanted to tell us to run, but he bit back the words. “…Don’t go…out front. One of them…headed out…that way.” After propping the soldier up and helping him get to a safe place, I updated my party members. “I think we should take out the one in the fort first,” Platinum suggested. “But we have to do it without the one outside noticing. The point is to fight them one by one.” “Having hostages explains why the guards couldn’t fight back,” Lystie said. “Even if we lose, we’ll never abandon each other.” “How can we save the world if we can’t save the people in front of us, right?” “That is not a logical decision. However, I will not oppose it.” Without a huge advantage, trying to win a fight and save hostages would be extremely difficult. However, if we did have the strength to do it, we simply had to. Though I hadn’t known my companions for long, I could tell what they all wanted. “We’ll save the survivors and kill the demon here.” “Might…” “We’ll also return safe and sound. All of us. I want to make that priority number one, but there’s something I need all of you to do for me.” If I did everything myself, then we wouldn’t be a party. Instead, I was giving my companions three tasks that would hopefully help them grow. That was part of what it meant to be a Sage. “All that? Really? …Do you really think we can do it, Mr. Might?” “Yes. I’m a greedy man who wants it all,” I said jokingly, hoping to take the edge off the nerves in the room. How well it went across was anybody’s guess. The three girls looked straight at me. There was no doubt in their eyes. “That’s not greed,” Platinum replied. “We’ll have to come up with another word for it another time.” We all nodded, then sprang into motion. First, we would check on the well-being of the hostages without alerting the demon to our presence. Next, we would incapacitate all the enemies in the fort. Speed was going to be key. Part 5: Infiltration As we proceeded farther in, we picked up the smell of burnt meat. I peered into a small window and found two men and two women under watch. “It’s the fort’s cooks. There are two kobolds in there with them.” “…! We need to save them right away!” As Platinum said, we didn’t have the luxury of observing the situation any longer. Things were getting ugly inside. “P-please stop! I-i-if you have to kill, kill me!” “Grr…” “Graow…” The language that kobolds used was simple, and the growls I heard were fairly menacing. The smell of blood from the four wounded humans was probably agitating them. “Platinum, draw their attention.” Platinum cupped her hands and shouted toward the small window, “LOOK HERE, YOU MUTTS!” As I created a key for the door, both kobolds whirled around. Platinum had Sacrifice, a Royal Order skill that drew enemies’ attention. However, the kobolds couldn’t see her, and that left them bewildered and wide open to attack. I opened the door and slid in. Before the kobolds could turn back to my side, I flicked two coins. Both of them collapsed where they were standing with short yelps. One was about to hit its head on the table, so I caught it with my foot in time. We couldn’t afford any loud noises. “All good now. Everyone, come on in.” The rest of my companions joined me inside and helped me untie all the cooks. “Are you all right?” Nanase passed out potions to all the hostages. “Here you go, please drink these potions.” “N-no, we can’t take those on top of having been saved.” “The head chef is the most badly wounded! He protected us.” “It will take us a bit more time to liberate the fort,” Platinum explained. “I recommend you heal up when you can.” “We’ll definitely save you, so please stay hidden in the meantime.” Lystie’s words seemed to help alleviate the cooks’ nerves a little. One or two of them even started tearing up, probably because they finally processed the fact that they were no longer in immediate danger. My party removed the shackles from the hostages’ feet and used them on the kobolds instead. Familiars would simply disappear when the demon controlling them died, so all we needed to do was incapacitate them. “This kobold killed so many guards!” “Killing them now will alert the demon to our presence. In order to save everyone who was caught, we absolutely need to stay unnoticed.” “…Understood. That said, we can fight a little, too. If these kobolds start going on a rampage, we can handle them.” “That is reassuring to hear. You four, stay safe.” “Hold on, Platinum. Everyone, do you know where we can find a map of this fort?” Platinum blushed at being held back just as she was about to leave with her cool line. I felt sorry, but gaining information from friendlies on scene was crucial to infiltration. “A map… We don’t have one here, but if you take the hallway out there and keep going, you’ll find a guard station. I’m pretty sure you can find one there.” “Thank you. That helps a lot.” “I-it’s no problem. Um, I’ve been wondering for a while: You’re all quite young to be adventurers.” “Did you take down the kobolds with magic? It happened so fast, I couldn’t see it at all.” “Um…something like that. I’m a Sage.” If I could learn attack spells, I would. Unfortunately, all my magic so far had been more like an extension of the abilities I had had as a Thief. “Now, I’ll first go retrieve that map. It’ll just be a quick trip without getting into any fights, so you three wait here.” With sparkling eyes, Nanase said, “That sounds very difficult to do, but I’m sure you can pull it off, Mr. Might.” Lystie giggled. “I think he can, too.” I took the exit that had been pointed out to me and proceeded with silent footsteps. The door to the guard station was locked, but locks no longer held much meaning for me. When I slipped inside and quietly closed the door, a small voice started babbling. “Please spare me, please spare me, I’m just a general affairs clerk, I’m nobody…” There was a bed in the room, probably so the guards could rest. On a whim, I peered underneath. Oh man… There was a skirt right before my eyes, as someone had dived in headfirst. Staring wouldn’t be appropriate, so I first stepped back. “Sorry for coming in all of a sudden. Can you calm down and listen to me, please?” “E-eeep! …Huh? Are you not an enemy?” “I am not an enemy. I am here as a request from the Novices Guild in Fortune to defeat the demon who has taken over this fort.” “Um, can you, uh, give me a moment? I’ve been in this position for so long that I, um…” “I understand. I’m looking elsewhere.” On top of the table in the guard room was a log. There was no entry for today. I rifled through the shelves and found a scroll tied with string. It turned out to be the fort’s map. “Um, I—I’m out.” “I’m glad you’re fine. Though it seems like this door only locks from the outside?” The woman from under the bed turned out to be older than the impression I got from her voice. She looked haggard and exhausted, but not so badly that she couldn’t talk. “The guards said that the fort was under attack, then told me to hide in this room.” “You were fortunate that the enemies left this room alone. We’ll have the place freed soon. Please continue to stay hidden until then.” “O-okay. Is there anything I can help with?” “Do you know if this fort has any hidden passages?” “…! Ah, well, since this is an emergency… There is another way to get to the second floor other than the stairs.” The woman pointed to a place on the map. “There’s a mechanism here. If you activate it, a ladder falls down.” If there was a route that the enemy wasn’t aware of, there was no reason not to use it. The only thing left to find out was the demon’s location, but I already had a pretty good idea. Now that I could sense mana, I could tell that there was a large source that was making no effort to mask itself right above my head. “When I leave, please get back into hiding…is what I’d usually say, but under the bed is not a good hiding place. It’s where everyone looks first. I’ll lock the door from outside, so just stay in here.” “Oh, right. Sorry. You caught me looking silly.” “Oh, no, I’m sorry.” “No, no, I’m…” It was about to turn into an eternal loop of us apologizing in turn, so I wrapped it up somehow and left the guard room. The lady was going to run into different kinds of problems being locked up for half a day, which meant I now had more reasons to hurry. After telling the other three about the secret passage, we resumed moving. I knocked out all the kobolds in our way with a coin from cover, and every time I caught the coin that bounced back, my companions cheered a little. It made me a little embarrassed, so I asked, “Can all of you stop clapping silently every time?” The girls nodded while putting a finger to their mouths like the shush sign, as if they were promising they would be quiet. How am I supposed to stay attentive with them like this? It’s like they’re not nervous at all. Eventually, we reached the place that the general affairs lady had said the mechanism should be, but my companions couldn’t find anything that resembled it. Noticing how puzzled they looked, I took advantage of the opportunity to give them another lesson: this time, on how to find hidden mechanisms. There was a small bump on the stone wall. When I pressed it, the steps of a ladder did indeed fall from the ceiling. The three girls silently cheered again, but I didn’t feel like chastising them anymore. I was starting to accept that this was just the vibe of this party. “This mechanism is similar to the one in our home in Fortune,” I noted. “Do builders just like putting it in all the buildings around these parts?” Lystie surmised. “No trapped mechanism ever escapes your eye. You really are crucial to our party, Might.” “Platinum, don’t you think you should remove your armor when climbing the ladder?” “I can climb just fine, though.” “No, I agree with Lystie. There’s something that I’m worried about. Platinum, I also think you should remove your armor. I’ll bring it up for you.” “Hm, if you say so…” I accepted the breastplate that Platinum handed me and started up the ladder. Just as I feared, the exit on the second floor was quite small. The armor alone could pass through, but it would have been a different matter if Platinum had been wearing it. “Huff, huff… Mr. Might, how did you make the climb look so easy?” “Hngh! All right, you’re the last one, Platinum.” Nanase and Lystie followed me out with no problems. When it was Platinum’s turn, however, she got stuck, and no amount of squeezing was helping. Those of us looking and Platinum herself were equally speechless. “…Hnnngh! N-no, this isn’t what it looks like. I swear I train! It’s my muscles!” “We don’t have time for your excuses, Ms. Platinum. Someone might come at any moment.” “Urgh… There’s no other way. Might, pull me, please.” I wasn’t sure where to hold on to, but there was no time for me to hesitate. So I slipped my hands underneath Platinum’s armpits. “Hyah! Wh-where do you think you’re putting your hands?!” “What weird noise was that? In any case, this hold is the most secure. Bear with it.” “Ugh, kill me already!” While suffering very hurtful comments, I successfully pulled Platinum free. For some reason, Lystie covered my eyes as Platinum put her armor back on. “Are you regretting being in a party where you’re the only guy?” Lystie asked teasingly. “I wouldn’t say so. And there was no helping what happened just now,” I replied. “I can’t believe these got stuck even though I had wrapped them,” Platinum grumbled. “I need to do it even tighter.” I was just about to tell her not to force herself, but a scream pierced the air. All of us exchanged looks, then started running. Soon, we found a room—the watch commander’s room, according to the map—protected by a kobold that looked stronger than all the others we’d encountered. The screaming was coming from the door behind it. If only I could use sleeping magic…but there’s no point in wishing for what I don’t have. In a split second when the kobold turned away, I closed the distance and knocked it out with a neck choke from the back. Then I peeked into the room from the cover of the door. “Ugh…ah…ahh…” I knew it. It’s a werewolf. There was a male figure with his fangs buried in the neck of a human man tied to a chair. Now that I was a Sage, I could tell that the former was sucking out the latter’s mana. “The humans in this fort are far too weak,” the werewolf growled. “The place called Fortune will probably fall just as easily, I imagine.” One of its familiars, a kobold, asked, “Lord Zolas, what do you want us to do with the remaining prisoners?” Clearly, there were kobolds that could speak. “Weak though they are, they shall serve to fill your stomachs. Keep them in the underground jail.” “As you wish. I will instruct the foot soldiers at once.” “You may also have your pick and feed as you like. But leave the ones with the highest levels for when Raksha returns.” “Can we truly trust in that woman, my lord? She takes discretionary action far too often.” “Let her be. She kills even her allies if they upset her.” “…! I shall strive to never forget it.” Now I had confirmation that there was another demon besides Zolas. Both of them had to be killed to free Fortune from the grip of terror. “Wh-why is the wolflike demon…? Why is something so powerful in a place like this?” It was hard to gauge Zolas’s level just by looking, but Nanase sounded shaken, and Lystie and Platinum were also at a loss for words. Clearly, this was not an opponent that blue card adventurers could handle. It wasn’t unheard-of for monsters to appear in areas where their level exceeded the local limit for humans. This was far more common with demons. On my journey to kill the Demonic Dragon, my party and I had stopped by a country that had been taken over by demons where all the humans were in the level-30 range, but the demons were over level 50. In this case, the power that I sensed from Zolas was around the same as from the earth golem—no, a little higher. If I had to venture a guess, I would say he was around level 20, give or take. If he really attacked Fortune together with his familiars, the city wouldn’t last a day. “This world is by no means fair.” “I sometimes get the feeling that someone is testing us…though I might be imagining it.” For some reason, Falina’s and Sheska’s voices rose in my mind. The thought of what would have happened if I hadn’t come, if no one who could fight Zolas had come, flashed by. However, I was here. As an adventurer tasked with killing a demon. “We can beat that werewolf demon if we fight him together. While I draw his attention, you three rescue the prisoner in the middle of the room.” “Are you sure about this, Might? That demon is in a different class from any opponent we’ve faced so far.” “Don’t worry, Platinum. I said ‘if we fight him together,’ didn’t I?” “R-right. Of course. You’re giving us opportunities to fight, too, aren’t you?” “We’ll live up to your expectations,” Lystie promised. “Let’s fight together.” “Don’t mistake that demon as an ordinary wolf. An attack charged with mana will be needed to break through his protections. My coins alone won’t cut it.” One idea that I had was to use Lystie’s sword again. That sword had pierced the earth golem’s weak point, so it just might prove effective against a demon, too. However, there was something else. My instincts were shouting at me that there was another way that my current self could beat Zolas. “Understood. We will each play our own parts.” “Indeed. Leave it to me to rescue all the prisoners.” “Wh-what should I…? Is there anything I can do to help?” “Have you already forgotten, Nanase? You have that thing. It could be very helpful.” “Huh? Ah, are you talking about…?” Everyone had a different role. That was what it meant to be in a party. I counted down the seconds until we charged in by folding down my fingers. This fight was do-or-die in our push to retake the fort. Part 6: Way of a Sage The kobold that had been talking with Zolas approached one of the prisoners and opened its mouth, revealing gleaming fangs. “Eeep!” That moment was the opening that I was looking for. “Gaoh!” The coin I flicked hit the kobold in its upper jaw as I charged into the room. There were two other kobolds—one on either side of me—standing over other prisoners with their hatchets lifted. “Grr!” “Gah!” Two more coins robbed those kobolds of their weapons. The next moment, Zolas leaped into action from his position farther back in the room. His claws, which had grown to the length of knives, flashed in quick succession. “Wha—?!” He thought he had finished me off, but his claws had missed. He looked very surprised. That was far too slow. But this is a demon. He’s definitely got other ideas. “Cease this outrage at once!” Lystie demanded loudly, using Dignity to make the two kobolds freeze. Right after that, she started running toward one, just as Platinum braced with her shield and closed in on the other. “Yaaah!” “Take this!” “Graaaah!” “Gaawhhh!” “You brats! Do you fancy yourselves heroes?!” I knew he’d do this! The werewolf’s roar was a way to both intimidate us and unlock his full strength. Also, the two kobolds’ eyes started glowing red. “This was supposed to be an area only for inferior humans. How did you slip so far in?!” “Who knows? It wasn’t nearly as hard as you’re thinking.” “…! I was assured that this area only has trash of level 5 or lower!” “Are you here on someone’s instructions? Did they tell you that you can easily take over this area?” It wasn’t my intention to provoke Zolas, but he gnashed his teeth. The kobolds that Lystie and Platinum were facing also started slobbering. Even kobolds who could understand speech were just monsters at the end of the day. “You seem to have some skill, but only enough to make a fool out of yourself. I’ll put a collar on your neck and raise you myself. Though you seem lacking as a source of mana.” “Well…that’s awfully kind of you. I just changed vocations and became a Sage only a few days ago!” “Devour them, my familiars!” Zolas inhaled deeply and was about to roar again when, suddenly, a small bottle hit one of the kobolds on the nose, splashing its liquid contents all over its face. As everyone stared in astonishment, a second bottle hit the other kobold. “Grr… GRAHHH!” “Urgh… L-Lord Zolas, this…” Loud growls filled the room, coming from the kobolds’ stomachs. “That’s my specially made ‘makes you hungry’ potion! The hungrier you are, the more distracted you become, and the harder it is to move!” Apparently, Nanase’s potion was effective even against mana-starved kobolds. While the two were distracted, Lystie held her sword up. “This is the time…to use my new skill!” Lystie has used “Blessed Sword.” “Yaaaaaah!” “Gufuuuh!” Lystie brought her sword to her chest, as if she was praying, then thrust it with far more power than could be imagined coming from her slender body. “Then me as well! Look on my skill!” “Graaaah!” Platinum has used “Royal Guard.” “Raaaaaah!” “Guuhhh!” Platinum parried her opponent’s downward attack, then slammed her shield into its unprotected torso. The unexpected counterattack made the kobold stagger and drop its weapon. “Zolas, was it? You sure you don’t want to call all your other familiars here?” “GUAAAAHHH!” Zolas’s body abruptly expanded, sending his armor shooting everywhere. This was Rampage, a thing that beast-type monsters did to massively increase their physical abilities. What was now a giant wolf swung one of its claws down toward me. Evading it was easy, but instinct told me to leave more than a paper-thin margin. “My claws can even cleave through iron armor! I’ll turn you into wretched filth like the pieces of garbage lying there!” Ah, Iron-Cutting Claw, a skill unique to werewolves. Falina sure got mad that time her favorite armor got ruined by one. It was when we were still around level 20, if I remember right. But, well, if it’s this skill… Zolas was so sure that his claw had caught me, but I stood there, unharmed. “I’ll turn you into…wretched…filth…” The giant wolf blinked in confusion. That went to show how confident Zolas had been, but I wasn’t dumb enough to just let him kill me. “What did you do? Did you use some skill that I’ve never heard of?” “Well, it’s just that I’ve seen the skill you’re using before. What you’re actually cutting with is mana and not the claw itself, which is why it affects a greater area than it looks. How right am I?” “How dare you belittle me?! My claw… My claw cannot be foiled by a mere child!” Zolas swiped at me repeatedly, but I dodged everything with enough distance that even my clothes remained untouched. Each and every attack supposedly had enough power to kill me instantly, but not a single one landed. I had retained the physical ability that I had when I was a level-99 Thief. What Zolas saw, however, was a level-2 Sage evading his attacks continuously. He was staring at something that he knew to be completely impossible, and it was shaking him up badly. “How much longer are you dodging?! H-how much more do you have to mock me?! GRRRRR!” “If you want, I can stop dodging.” Zolas slammed his claw down in a big swing, shattering the stone floor. I leaped into the air and landed on top of it. “Wh…at?!” This left Zolas dumbfounded. However, I could still see composure in his eyes. He probably thought I didn’t have a way to hurt him because I had yet to attack him. “Might!” “No, not yet, Lystie! Might is still…!” “For someone who cannot win, you sure have lasted long. However, you will regret this!” Zolas pulled his claw back so he could take another swing at me. “Lock Eye I” has revealed the lock for “Dark Wolf Zolas.” Thanks to my newfound power as a Sage, I had discovered a Lock for an organic or inorganic target. Specifically, there was a keyhole before Zolas’s chest. I ducked under another one of his swipes, then rushed in and opened his lock. “What…have you…done?!” When I opened the lock of someone I was on good terms with, it unsealed a skill. What would happen if I opened an enemy’s lock? So this is another thing that Lock Eye can do. This is my power, too. “Ha, ha-ha… I don’t know what you did, but it was hardly effective. We werewolves have endless regenerative powers! It is simply impossible for you to defeat me!” “I’ve defeated countless enemies with my companions. That includes demons.” “What can those three do? I bet they’re low-leveled trash. And neither do you have the mana to oppose me!” “Well, you’re right on that count.” Zolas stopped moving, as if he was taking my agreement as surrender, and bared his teeth in a cruel grin. “Lystie, Platinum, Nanase! Allow me to borrow your strength!” Manifesting the “Skill Index” obtained with “White Key.” Releasing a companion’s lock meant unsealing a skill for them. All this time, I had thought that was the extent of what White Key did. Now, however, I felt power being drawn out from deep within me through the Skill Index, a compilation of all the sealed skills that I had unlocked so far. “Might, what is that?!” “It’s…a book. But where did it come from?” “It’s magic! It must be Mr. Might’s power as a Sage!” A book had appeared in my right hand. Its cover was blank, and the tome felt heavy yet light. And I could tell its contents without having to look. “What is that grimoire?! Where did you pull it out from?!” Zolas was rattled, but I myself was only starting to understand it. This was my own unique way of being a Sage. The power to defeat Zolas…is in this book! I know it is! The Sealed Skill “Maiden’s Devotion” belonging to Platinum has been activated. With the book opened, I used the skill that I had used with Platinum before. I see, so when I release a sealed skill, it gets added to this Skill Index! “That’s my skill… And it’s happening to all three of us?!” Last time, I had to touch Platinum’s hand to have her send me her mana, but once the lock was opened and we were connected, I could have her do it just by standing close. Moreover, while mana was flowing into me, I could feel it being amplified. The mana now under my control was significantly greater than the cumulative total of us four. “What is this power?! This cannot be! What are you doing?!” My plan was to use all this mana on Mana Essence Compounding, another skill in my Skill Index. “N-no, hold on, stop that! What is with that stupid amount of mana?! A human with such power has no business being in this area!” The Sealed Skill “Mana Essence Compounding” belonging to Nanase has been activated. What Mana Essence Compounding did was create mana essence as an ingredient for compounding. More mana was coursing through me than I had ever experienced, and every drop of it was being converted into mana essence. I then coated a coin with all that mana essence, turning what had been a purely physical attack into a highly concentrated mass of mana. “You should have known that the whole thing about demons being the only ones who can flout the level limits of areas is obviously too good to be true. Don’t hold this against me.” “UGAAAAAAH!” Dark Wolf Zolas has activated “Bloody Claw.” Bloody Claw was a skill that converted one’s own life force—blood—into a weapon. This ultimate move unique to werewolves grew stronger the more vitality their opponents had. When I unleashed my coin, the mana surrounding it contended with Bloody Claw for a brief moment. Brief, because the next thing we knew, the coin had punched through with so much force, it buried itself in the wall on the other side. “What is…this ridiculous…power…and why is…someone who can wield it…hiding among trash?” There was a huge hole in Zolas’s chest. His eyes were bloodshot but were starting to revert to normal. “No matter the level, humans are humans. None of them deserve to be called ‘trash.’” “Damn…IIIIT!” Zolas disappeared while howling with deep resentment. He could no longer maintain his body, which was made with mana. “Even if you kill me, there’s still Raksha! By now, all the humans coming this way are surely…” “Don’t worry—we’ll do something about that, too. Thank you for the intel.” “Guh! To the very last, you have been rubbing me the wrong…way…” In all likelihood, “Raksha” was Zolas’s ally, and “humans coming this way” were Brandt and his party. They, too, had left Fortune with the intention of fighting a demon, so I assumed that they had the ambush under control by now. “All glory…to our lord…” Before Zolas could finish his sentence, he was already gone, with the kobolds that served him disappearing at the same time. The book in my hand also winked out of existence—it apparently would only materialize when needed. The small gem left behind by the annihilated demon was what we commonly called a magic stone. I picked up Zolas’s magic stone as proof that we had killed him. “Is it me, or did he kind of disappear in an anticlimactic way?” Nanase grumbled. “Even had me feeling bad for him near the end.” “The humans he mentioned have to be Brandt’s party, right?” Lystie asked. “I have many questions surrounding Might’s magic,” Platinum said, “but I think you’re right, and we should hurry.” “Good idea. Though he probably wouldn’t be happy to get helped,” I joked. “For all we know, maybe his party has already taken care of Raksha…” Platinum paused. “No? Too optimistic?” “Th-that was incredible. Who are all of you?” asked one of the prisoners. According to him, the man tied to the chair was the watch commander. The watch commander was unconscious, so we poured a recovery potion into his mouth. It helped him regain consciousness, albeit barely. “Ugh… The wolves… The monsters…” “We defeated them all, sir,” I said. “We killed the demon, so all the familiars have disappeared.” “Thank you. We didn’t stand a chance against those monsters, but they’re really gone… Was it the knight in armor over there who did it?” “Hm? I didn’t—” “Yes, you can say that. You’re nearly empty on mana, so please take it easy and get some rest, sir.” Platinum probably looked the strongest in our party at first glance. She seemed embarrassed about the attention, and Lystie and Nanase were holding in their laughter. “We have a request, sir. May we borrow some of your horses?” “The demons went straight for my men. If you’re lucky, the stables should be largely intact.” We had successfully liberated the fort, but our work was not yet done. We still had to confirm the movements of the demon named Raksha, and we had to do it fast. Part 7: Silver and Black I had no idea how long it had been since we encountered the first monster. However, what had been an endless flood coming from the forest had suddenly just disappeared. “Huff, huff… What exactly happened?” “Please keep your guard up, Young Master.” “The monsters didn’t die, they disappeared. A demon’s spell might be involved.” Melvin and Dorothea were still warily scanning our surroundings, but I thought it was unnecessary effort. “The enemy probably ran out of mana because we kept killing their monsters. The two of you killed at least ten each.” “Killing a demon’s familiars does not necessarily exhaust the demon.” “It is as Old Man Melvin says. We’re not out of the woods just yet.” What are these two saying? How can they think we haven’t won in this situation? “Are you going to ignore my opinion, then? The monsters are gone. So we’ve won! Hey, maybe the demon was among the monsters that we killed. Yeah, I’m sure that’s what happened!” Excitement was coursing through me. Everything was going well, which meant there was no need to worry about anything. We had won. We had killed the demon terrorizing Fortune. That was proof that we would be able to bury the demon that was threatening the capital just as easily. “Young Master! Your eyes!” “Eyes? What’re you saying, Gramps? Are you still worrying? I told you, there’s no need.” Dorothea was looking at me. I was used to her strong-willed nature, but I had done so well today… I had to correct this attitude she was taking with me. “Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I feel amazing… I will become king of this country!” “This isn’t good, Dorothea!” “Master Brandt, come back to your senses!” Melvin and Dorothea seemed alarmed at something. Dorothea in particular was glaring at me. “Is that…hostility? Who do you think I am? I am Brandt Schwaig, the man who will become head of the Schwaig family and king of this country!” “He’s being controlled! As I feared, the monsters didn’t disappear because of us!” “Ugh! Young Master, please forgive me!” Dorothea vanished in the blink of an eye. The next thing I knew, she was standing behind me. When she moved at her top speed, my eyes simply could not keep up. That said, it was absolutely unforgivable for a servant to confront their master. “Yaah!” “DOROTHEAAAA!” I swung my sword while whirling around. As it turned out, I needn’t have bothered. Her blade was stuck fast in midair. Of course, She must have blocked it for me. She is helping me. “Zolas got done in, so I no longer have time to play with all of you. I’ll be finishing this off right now.” Dark Shade Raksha has activated “Dark Pulse.” “AHHHH!” A wave of black mana crashed into Dorothea, sending her flying. She slammed into the trunk of a large tree and did not get up. “Directing hostility toward me…is unforgivable! You have to be taught a lesson!” “Young Master, please come back to your senses! We are not your enemy!” Melvin roared. “He can no longer hear you. He’s mine now. Sorry that it’s upsetting you so.” “I knew it! You’re the one controlling the young master!” But the young, feminine voice didn’t sound affected in the least. That was the voice of the person who deserved my worship. Melvin headed my way, extremely furious, but it was my duty to be Her shield. Who was “She”? She was Dark Shade Raksha. She didn’t even have to name Herself. As one in Her service, I just knew. “Ugh! Young Master, don’t be misled! Our duty is to kill demons! By no means is it to fight amongst ourselves!” Melvin threw a punch at me with his steel gauntlet, but I parried it with my sword. He looked both in pain and desperate to make me understand something. The expression of the old man before my eyes was telling me that something was wrong. “Gra…mps? I… What am I…?” “Don’t listen to the voices of demons! Young Master, you are stronger than that!” The fact that I could stop the fists flying my way further added to the sense of wrongness. “You’re quite strong, Grandpa. For this area that’s only filled with weaklings, that is.” “Ugh…ah…” Something red was spilling out from the mouth of the face that I was staring at. Right behind me was Lady Raksha. She had created a spear out of darkness and thrust it into Melvin’s chest. “Hrooahhh!” Melvin pulled out the spear and jumped backward. He had never looked as panicked as he did now. He was keeping his eyes trained toward me, but somehow, he felt so very far away. Lady Raksha passed me and studied Melvin. She looked like a little girl with silver hair, horns on her head and a sleek, black tail—proof that she wasn’t human. “Level 10. And you think you can kill Zolas and me. Humans really are entertaining.” “Young…Master. Please…run. I will keep…this demon here…” When Lady Raksha got close to Melvin, she held a hand over him. There was a sound, one that I just realized I had been hearing for a while now without noticing. “You wretch! You used…that attack…on the young master!” “Looks like you have a pretty high resistance, Grandpa. But how long can you hold out?” “Ugh…kuh… UoooOOOHHH!” Dark Shade Raksha has activated “Hypno Tone.” If they could only hear this sound, both Melvin and Dorothea would understand the truth. At least, they were supposed to. And yet. “I feel someone’s gaze,” murmured Lady Raksha, just before the ground rumbled, and a slab of earth shot up in between her and Melvin. “This is the limit of what I can do.” “Ah, earth spirit magic. You seem rather skilled, but I suppose this is the extent of your abilities without a medium.” “AAAARGH!” Melvin has activated “Knuckle Burst.” The earth wall seemed to have blocked the effects of Lady Raksha’s sound. And yet Melvin still foolishly decided to come out from behind it. “What?! How can this be?!” Melvin threw a punch, but Lady Raksha was able to stop it by merely waving her slender left hand. She constantly had a magical barrier around her that Melvin’s fist had no hope of breaking through. “Hnnnrgghhh!” “I’ve actually only just woken up. Let me try this on you to remember how it’s done.” The difference in strength between the two was like night and day. The presence that had manipulated the ground had also completely disappeared. I continued watching Melvin’s futile attacks, adjusting my grip on my sword and breathing quietly. We raced across the countryside, riding tandem on two horses that we had borrowed from the fort’s stable. “It’s just ahead, Master. They’re fighting a demon right now.” Ursula’s voice was sounding directly in my head. Soon after the heads-up, my party spotted Brandt’s in the distance. Dorothea lay unmoving, Brandt was standing stock-still with his sword in hand, and Melvin was furiously exchanging blows with a silver-haired little girl. So the girl’s Raksha. Despite appearances, she’s a bona fide demon. She’s overwhelming Melvin…and it looks like Brandt has been entranced. I watched as Brandt turned his sword toward Melvin. The old man was fully occupied with evading Raksha’s attacks while throwing in his own where he could. He had yet to notice what Brandt was doing. I had just barely gotten close enough that I could reliably hit something with my coins, and I was still on horseback. Even so, I took aim at Brandt’s sword, shouting “Mr. Melvin!” at the same time. Thanks to that, Melvin realized that Brandt was standing in his blind spot. “Young Master, I beg a thousand pardons!” Without any other recourse, Melvin delivered a hand chop to Brandt’s neck, knocking him out. “Ugh!” I handed off the reins of my horse to Lystie and jumped off. I hit the ground running, accelerating even further at the moment of impact. Seeing how fast I was approaching, the demon cried, “You! You must be the one who killed Zolas!” “No, it was us!” I brandished the sword that I had borrowed from Lystie, but the blade slid off a short distance in front of her, failing to land. This wasn’t my first time fighting a female demon. Yes, she looked like an adorable little girl, but she had also done serious damage to Brandt’s entire party all by herself. “There’s no need to get so agitated, is there? You’ll be dying anyway.” “…!” Black mana enveloped the demon. The next instant, the mana shot toward Melvin and me, moving as if it had a mind of its own. “Ugh…kah!” Melvin tried to block the attack, but the force of the impact sent him flying regardless. I chose to dodge and continued getting closer but found Brandt moving to stand in my way. The black mana entangled around all four of his limbs made him look like a puppet on strings. “Doing this seems to make all humans move worse than before. Aren’t they interesting? Would it make a difference if I told you that this man, Brandt, seems to despise you quite a lot?” “I’m sure he does.” I racked my brain for how to fight Raksha when she was using Brandt as a shield. It didn’t slip my mind that she likely could do the same with Dorothea, too. To my surprise, Raksha suddenly laughed and dispelled the magic that she was using to manipulate Brandt. She then dismissively threw his body toward Melvin, who let out a fierce cry and managed to catch his master in the nick of time. What’s the meaning of this? I know that each demon thinks in a different way, but it’s not like I have the ability to hear what they’re thinking. “You can feel free to attack me with your three companions back there, too. Humans fight in parties, no?” “You really want us to? At least, that’s what I’d ask, but those three can’t join in. They would die if they took just one of your attacks.” “Hmm… Now I’m sure you were at the heart of the effort to kill Zolas. Let me take a closer look.” What looked like magic circles appeared in front of Raksha’s eyes. Then the slight smile that she had been wearing this whole time disappeared, leaving her face blank. “Level 2? How did you get Zolas at that level?!” “Who knows? Maybe people are not always as they seem.” “Ah-ha-ha. Looks like I’ve found a great toy. I will make you my slave.” Instead of answering, I assumed a stance. I couldn’t draw out the full potential of Lystie’s sword, but it was better than being unarmed. “If you underestimate me because of the level limit, I’ll make you regret it.” “I hate lectures, but I’ll forgive you this once.” Mana enveloped Raksha again. This time, it hardened, taking form as armor that covered her in various places. It also gave her wings on her back. There was no doubt that she was a tougher opponent than Zolas. The way she was taking this fight as a game showed how confident she was. She was thoroughly convinced that no one in this area was stronger than she was. Well, I would teach her better. With my magic. Part 8: Ace and Gamble Raksha looked at me, not even bothering to bring her fists up. She was staying out of range of my sword, probably because she had seen me attack using coins. “Your equipment is appropriate for a level 2. What was that ranged attack earlier? Has the repertoire of Sages increased without me knowing?” “Who can say? Do you think it would be effective enough to finish you off?” “Demons can only be harmed with magical attacks. And you don’t possess nearly enough mana to defeat me. That said…I get the feeling that you’re up to something.” Correction to my earlier statement: Raksha was not just taking this fight as a game. Whereas I had determined Zolas’s level to be around 20, Raksha was maybe twice that. “Ms. Lystie, Ms. Platinum, am I imagining it, or is that demon much stronger than the wolf person back at the fort?” “I-indeed. Embarrassingly, I can’t take a step. I have to be the party’s shield when it needs one, but… Ugh! This frustrates me so!” “What about me, then? I lent my sword out. But I didn’t want to hold Might back…” Raksha could hear the conversation going on in the back, too, but she only shot them a glance before looking back at me. Um, her gaze hurts. “Why are you in a party with people who can’t take things seriously? Do you spend all your time spoiling them?” “It’s bad form to judge other people’s parties.” “I was just showing you concern. It’s stifling being in a place that doesn’t suit you. You can’t be yourself in that party.” “So what? Are you going to try to seduce me? If you give it your best, I just might be tempted.” “…Unfortunately, I can’t stand men. Though it might be enjoyable to sit on one as impertinent as you.” “Can’t say I’m a fan of that.” Seeing Raksha’s eyes turn sharp, I canceled what I was about to do to focus fully on reading her movements. Dark Shade Raksha has activated “Deep Tentacle.” A dark quagmire appeared on the ground up ahead, and a snake of the same color shot out. I evaded it, but Raksha took the opportunity to close in on me, thrusting a black screwlike spear forward. I deflected the spear with my sword and dodged the black snake. She was accurately aiming for my vital points, but my speed was higher. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite get my flappy Sage outfit out of the way in time, too. “You’re fast! I should have killed you ten times over already, yet you’re still standing. That’s not possible for a normal level-2 Sage!” I noted that after Raksha activated Deep Tentacle, manipulating it didn’t seem to require any more mana. This meant drawing things out would do nothing for me. I wasn’t at my best, and it was uncertain whether I could defeat her even with all of my companions’ mana. “If your friends try to escape…you know what will happen, right?” Raksha probably still could control Brandt whenever she wanted. Asking my companions to get everyone to safety while I bought time wasn’t going to be an option. Guess I’ll have to whittle down her physical stamina with physical attacks. That armor’s not going to make it easy, though. “Right there!” The snake lunged at my right hand—my sword hand. With each move Raksha made, she cornered me more and more, hemming me into a situation where I could no longer evade. Or at least, that was what I was making her think she was doing by purposely moving slower. “Can you catch up?” “…! Are you making fun of me?!” I abruptly ramped up my speed, letting the snake slash through my sleeve. At the same time, I launched a coin at Raksha with my freed left hand. “…?!” Raksha had to focus so fully on blocking that she couldn’t say a word. What she was deploying was a magical shield, but… “Ahhh!” “I didn’t say it’s only one shot.” I had actually unleashed a total of three coins with my left hand. My goal was to shake Raksha up by making all the coins hit the same spot. In the brief window that created, I tried to summon the ace that had enabled me to defeat Zolas, the Skill Index. “If your level had been any higher, you just might have gotten me.” Dark Shade Raksha has activated “Dark Wing Prohibition.” Raksha’s black wings glowed ominously. The moment the light from it reached my eyes, everything that I was seeing changed. I thought I had managed to get into her blind spot and taken advantage of it to deal her a killing blow, but my position got wound back. “You don’t have a way to kill me in an instant, isn’t that right? In that case, as long as I can see what you’re doing, your attacks can never reach me.” “What was that? Were you rewinding time?” “I merely prohibited your attacks from hurting me.” Right, demons all have unique skills, and some of them are ridiculously powerful. Zolas’s physical enhancement would have been much more of a threat if he had perfected it further, but Raksha’s ability was on a whole other level. “It’s a pity. If you were a Magic Swordfighter, that sword of yours might have actually killed me.” “…?!” I thought I had been ready to move at any moment, but an impact suddenly slammed into me from my side, sending me flying. I heard someone call my name in alarm. Raksha had mastered her magic to a point where her chanting and activation happened almost at the same time. I thought about what medium she had used to do the chanting and realized that she had been making some other sound when she was talking. It was sound. However, she had yet to actually hurt me. There was a large tree in the path of where I was sent flying, so I kicked off it and secured a proper landing. Lystie rushed toward me. While keeping an eye out for further attacks from Raksha, I said in a low voice that only Lystie could hear, “You still have a skill that you haven’t showed me yet, right?” “…!” “It should be a skill that only you can use.” The latest skill that she had learned, Blessed Sword, could only be used by royalty with a very special vocation. That gave me hope that her sealed skill would also be a sword skill. “I’ll return your sword back to you. It’s going to be a gamble, but…” “No, I understand. You’re already fighting so hard for us. I choose to believe you.” I had already released Lystie’s lock when I did Platinum’s. That meant she should already be able to use her sealed skill. “Mr. Might, didn’t you tell us not to push ourselves too hard?” Nanase asked. “This time is an exception,” I replied. “The demon did also tell us to fight as a party.” Platinum nodded. “My conviction is firm. Look, my hands have stopped shaking.” I stood up. Although I remained largely unhurt, my clothes had gotten quite tattered. I tore off the sleeves to make it easier to move, and Nanase took them. “I’ll hold on to them, as commemoration.” “All of you done saying your goodbyes?” Dark Shade Raksha has activated “Deep Tentacle.” One more snake appeared from the black quagmire that Raksha had created. It moved in tandem with her arm, dancing like she was. “If two of us act as decoys, we might be able to make another opening,” Lystie said. I shook my head. “I’m enough as decoy.” “I’ll teach that demon that pride comes before a fall,” Platinum growled. The amount of time that I could buy was very limited. I had to draw the attacks from both snakes, evade them, and attack Raksha with coins. She wasn’t an opponent that I could hope to retrieve my coins from, and I only had three left. “You can go even faster, I see! But it’s still not enough!” I was learning the quirks in how Raksha and her snakes moved and evading it all. If I can take no more than an instant to think, I can land an attack on her! I thought as I entered flow state. “Look at me, Raksha!” “…?!” Raksha had no choice but to react to Platinum’s voice. This wasn’t a strategy that would work again that many times, but it served to create a small window of time when Raksha, who had been focused on attacking me, could not react at all. “Please…!” “Break Seal I” activated. The Sealed Skill “Sword of Oath” belonging to Lystie has been released. Lystie’s sword started gleaming. Normally, Raksha would have had any number of ways to deflect such an attack. “Your sword will not pierce my barrier!” Left with no choice, Raksha tried to block Lystie’s sword with her barrier alone. Sure enough, the sword seemed to slide off of nothing and plunged into the ground. This left Lystie wide open for a counterattack from Raksha, but it never came. “I told you, LOOK AT ME!” Platinum charged at Raksha with her shield held up. This sent Raksha flying, but while she was in midair, she ordered the snakes attacking me to lunge at Platinum instead. “Platinum!” Lystie cried. The snakes tore Platinum’s shield in half, then her armor, too. The next moment, Platinum’s figure melted—she was actually Arm. Nanase had ordered Arm to get close to Raksha without her noticing and then assume Platinum’s appearance at close distance. As long as Arm’s core wasn’t hurt, she could regenerate without limit. This strategy was another one that could only work once, but that was enough. It had created enough of a diversion for me to borrow Lystie’s sword again. And Skill Index was already in my left hand. The Sealed Skill “Maiden’s Devotion” belonging to Platinum has been activated. The Sealed Skill “Mana Essence Compounding” belonging to Nanase has been activated. I poured every last drop of mana I had into Lystie’s sword. “Might!” “Mr. Might!” “GOOOO!!!” The Sealed Skill “Sword of Oath” belonging to Lystie has been activated.