Chapter 36

Second Report On the Advance Preparations in Cloudburst “Goddammit, Bran, giving me the exact opposite impression… What the hell was that bastard thinking?” Sanya is slightly apologetic as she says, “I’m sorry. It’s just…that’s the kind of person my master is.” Bran originally told me that Sanya is a combat specialist and Rabi is better at scouting. Who would expect that a wererabbit, a famously pacifist race, would be stronger than a silverwolf? This is a sham! Sanya must be used to it. She stretches her back lithely and says, “I mean, who cares? Everything went just fine. Rabi’s always had a tendency to hide things about herself, besides.” “Even from her employer?” “Yeah, ’cause she might get betrayed otherwise, y’know? Not that we think you would betray us, of course.” Sanya doesn’t look like she’s joking. She’s likely had such an experience. As have I. Part of a mercenary’s job is putting their life on the line. For now, I decide not to complain any further. There’s nothing wrong with Rabi being strong, and now that I know, I can consider it for her next assignment. Now is not the time to be grumbling. I follow Sanya’s lead through the city. We pass the port at a swift, confident clip and end up on the edge of town. The dusky coastline is riddled with sand and pebbles. A small shrine is visible farther down the coast. Sanya has already finished surveying for abnormalities as well as a preliminary check on things, and she explains to me, “The underwater temple in Cloudburst wasn’t built recently. It was created by elementalists long ago.” “It’s tiny.” “That’s only the entrance. The actual temple lies on the ocean floor. That said, reaching it is no walk in the park.” “Perhaps, but establishing a covenant with a high-ranking elemental spirit is not an easy task to begin with.” Such elemental spirits themselves are rare to begin with. Any mage who manages to establish a covenant with one is considered the best of the best—that’s truly how profound these elemental spirits are. Sanya shakes her head in disagreement and twitches her tail. “No, that’s incorrect. Reaching the temple is the real hurdle, but at the same time, it’s not forbidden to enter or anything. By the way, I should ask… Boss, can you cast elemental spells?” “…No.” In that moment, I realize what she’s getting at. I might have made a huge mistake. Sanya furrows her brow. Her brawny bare arms obviously don’t belong to a mage. “I figured. And neither can I, nor Rabi, of course.” “So you’re saying…that elemental spells are required to reach the sunken temple?” “Not just any elemental spells. You have to be underwater for a long time, which requires a particularly powerful spirit covenant. Crazy, right? You need to be in a covenant with a high-ranking water spirit in order to enter a covenant with another high-ranking water spirit.” So what the hell are we supposed to do? In that case, we have no shot, and neither do Limis or the others, for that matter. After all, we’ve traveled all the way here because of the party’s distinct lack of a water elemental covenant. A certain mega-ditz pops into my head, and I brush it off. I’m utterly lacking in useful personnel yet again. In any case, we enter the austere shrine. It’s filled with a number of mages and guards, who glance toward us for a moment before quickly losing interest and looking away. The security here is laxer than I expected. Upon entering, the first thing that catches my eye is a still pool of water. At approximately ten meters in each direction, it looks like a massive bathtub. The clear water reveals a staircase heading down into the ocean’s depths. It’s completely submerged. …Unreal. This is the entrance? Sanya looks perplexed. I stare into the pool for a moment, pondering. “…Sanya, how long can you hold your breath?” “I really don’t think you should be depending on me for every last thing, boss.” Amelia is a mage for all intents and purposes, but she can’t cast elemental spells. Learning them at this point in time would be a tall order for her. “Could we drain all the water? No, I guess not…” “I can’t believe you’d even suggest it. You’re the nuttiest person I’ve ever worked for, boss.” “Shit, if only I could use magic…” An elderly male mage looks at me suspiciously for a moment but quickly turns his gaze back to the pool. He peers intensely and recites an incantation before slowly descending the staircase. His entire body is covered in a pocket of air; his magic allows him to repel the water. This must definitely be the way to enter the sunken temple. “What do you think about hiring a mage?” I serve essentially no purpose here. Sanya quickly shakes her head at me. “Nope. Boss, that’ll never work. I actually looked into it a bit, but no one will go along with such a request.” “And why’s that?” “It’ll exhaust your magical energy reserves. That kind of job puts a huge burden on a mage, and mages who can continually cast that spell on a large group of people essentially don’t exist. If they run out of magical energy on the ocean floor, we’ll all die, and even if there was a mage who could pull it off, anyone of that level doesn’t need the gold you’d offer.” She’s right—mages tend to prefer pursuing various mysteries over monetary wealth. Guess we really don’t have a shot at this. Do I seriously need to get that ditz over here? …No, leaving fate in her hands would be absolutely ludicrous. I’ve half given up when Sanya taps me on the shoulder and mentions somewhat cheerfully, “But then I looked into it a little more, and there was one other possibility. It’s not perfect, and there are problems involved, but…what d’you think?” “Not perfect…and with problems involved,” she says. My life is riddled with problems—what’s the harm in tacking on one or two more? “…Spit it out.” “It’s a magic item, boss. There’s a magic item that allows non-mage amateurs to swim to the bottom of the sea.” “…That’s convenient. So what are the problems?” I’ve never heard of a magic item made especially for going underwater, but this is the water capital, after all. Sanya glances over at a young female mage who is just about to step into the pool. My eyes fly open at her unexpected appearance. She’s not dressed like a traditional mage—she’s wearing a swimsuit. It’s pretty damn skimpy, too; if it weren’t for the staff she’s holding, I never would have guessed she’s a mage. She notices my gaze and stares at me, glowering, before turning away and silently entering the pool. It doesn’t look like she used any actual magic, and yet she still heads underwater without incident. That must be the magic item—a swimsuit, which doesn’t interfere with movement underwater, like regular clothing would. Seeing it firsthand, I suddenly feel immensely hopeful. Sanya looks back to me and sighs briefly before mentioning, “The item’s manufacturer is more than a little eccentric, from what I’m told. Apparently, he’s really stubborn.” “Leave it to me. I’m an expert in persuasion.” Sanya stares at me blankly before cracking a huge smile, like she’s just heard the funniest joke ever. The blade flashes at the speed of light. Amelia can’t even determine the moment it flew from its sheath. The head of a wolf, nearly as large as a bull, tumbles onto the ground. Soon after, its body crumples to the earth. Rabi lowers her hatchet after delivering the blow. It’s not even bloodstained, and she returns it to its sheath on her waist. Her baggy sleeves hide her arms entirely. No one would be able to anticipate the sheer combat strength within her slender outstretched arm. Truthfully, if Rabi was to attack Amelia, she wouldn’t even know what was coming until the split second before her death. Rabi’s movements are so quick and accurate that they are second nature to her. The wolf’s head lies on the ground, its neck vertebrae fully visible from the clean cut. Rabi pays it no mind and hops up onto the runner lizard’s back. They’ve come down from the mountain, and a barren wilderness stretches to the horizon on the prairie around them. Toudou is visible far in the distance. Amelia is convinced this is all a sham. Up until this point in their journey together, Rabi didn’t show a single sign of this kind of power. She chose to flee from all the monsters they encountered before, but ever since decimating the entire village, she is no longer pretending to hide her abilities. There isn’t a speck of blood on her person or even her blade. She likely doesn’t have a scent on her, either; every monster on these plains sees Rabi as prey and goes to attack her, but they don’t even have a chance to scream in the throes of death before they’re slaughtered. “…You’re quite strong, Rabi.” Rabi answers, unconcerned, “I’m simply exploiting their blind spots.” Her carefree tone belies the fact that she just razed an entire village to the ground for exploiting travelers for human sacrifice, all without leaving a shred of evidence behind. Rabi’s unaffected demeanor terrifies Amelia, and she can’t suppress a shudder of fear. Amelia was prepared for a few victims here and there, and it’s not entirely uncommon to hear of entire villages getting annihilated. Even if Amelia and Rabi hadn’t been the ones to expose their secrets, the village headman and his conspirators would have faced retribution sooner or later. That said, the way Rabi massacred those villagers—as if she were mowing down some weeds—was not normal. Rabi keeps her eyes fixed on the road ahead and says, “I’m weak. If I hesitate, I will die. My master taught me this.” “…Perhaps you should stop being a mercenary, then?” “I needed a way to protect myself. Half-blood wererabbits…fetch a high price, more so than humans or elves. My own particular bestial gene expression, the makeup of my blood, is especially valuable.” “…” Rabi speaks with pure emotion. Amelia shuts her mouth at “fetch a high price.” Although not the case in the Kingdom of Ruxe, it is well-known that the wererabbits—a rare species—are highly valuable. Rabi is exceptionally beautiful. Her skin is so clear it’s almost transparent, practically showing her veins, and her eyes shine like jewels. That guarantees she’ll fetch a fine price. Amelia is sullen and falls silent, and Rabi quickly adds, “Not to mention, if I didn’t become a mercenary…whose heads would I chop off? I’d turn to a life of crime.” Ares, save me! This girl is a murderer! Amelia furrows her brow and holds her head in her hands, sighing deeply. The journey is going well. After passing through the mountains, it’s a straight shot to Cloudburst. “Yes, everything is going fine here. We’ll arrive in a few more days.” Cloudburst is located within the country of Ruselfo. It’s not nearly as well aged as the Kingdom of Ruxe, but its location surrounded by mountains and sea has left it unexposed to the relentless march of the Demon Lord’s army. It is a peaceful country. The monsters they encountered along the way weren’t part of the Demon Lord’s army, nor were they powerful enough to be worth mentioning. Amelia gives her report before her superior’s reply comes in from Cloudburst, still far away. “I see. Well done. I’m really glad you aren’t having any trouble.” “Have you had any issues on your end?” Ares sounds tired. After a brief pause, he continues. “…We’re currently occupied with trying to find a way to access the sunken temple. It’s a trivial issue, but… Amelia, I might as well ask. Can you cast elemental spells?” “…No, I can’t. Picking them up in such a short amount of time would likely be quite difficult.” “That’s what I thought… Don’t worry about it. Even if you could, it wouldn’t make a difference with the kind of rut Toudou and his party are in. I’ll figure something out. Somehow.” “Did anything happen?” “They need a magic item in order to get to the temple, and the manufacturer is some dumbass old fart.” “Dumbass…old…?” Ares isn’t actually that upset, but his voice is listless. Rabi glances at Amelia as she stokes the campfire. “Well, at any rate, you don’t need to worry about us. Just focus on getting yourself here safely, Amelia.” “……Understood. But about this magic item… What is it called? I might have heard of it…” “…It’s called mermaid armor—” The transmission cuts off abruptly. Amelia goes over the words in her head and blinks repeatedly. Rabi has her hood pulled low over her face, as usual, and looks up at Amelia, asking sweetly, “Did something happen?” “…No. Everything is as it should be.” She hesitates for a moment before looking back at Rabi dejectedly. The only magic-item manufacturer in all of Cloudburst is an old man about half my height. He’s short and rotund, with curly reddish-brown hair, brown eyes, and a beard. His physical stature would indicate dwarf heritage. Dwarfs are a race generally known for their deft handiwork and steadfastness, and they often work jobs that require smithing skills. This fellow, however, is wearing a gaudy patterned shirt and gives off an oddly flippant air. His shop’s appearance isn’t particularly dignified, either, what with its name emblazoned on a huge sign in yellow paint. From the outside, it doesn’t look like the kind of place that sells valuable magic items. “Sorry—come again?” “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck… Yer outta luck, sir! I don’t sell my magic items to men!” The old man’s laugh is creepy, and he’s talking way louder than necessary. His lascivious gaze peeps at Sanya’s bare thighs; she must already know what he’s like, as she smiles wearily. I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my stomach for the first time in a while. “And why is that?” “Yer askin’ me why?! I got into the magic-item trade to help pretty laaaaaadies!! Just lookit this beautiful mermaid armor! Still gonna keep on with yer blatherin’? Huh? Or d’you think yer gonna wear it? Yeh wanna defile my grand masterpiece?! Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck—” He slams the counter repeatedly and brings a scrap of cloth out from behind it, again with the repulsive laughter. Locked in his grip is a light-blue bikini. The bikini itself is the magic item? Good God. That’s strange… Here I thought we were on a quest to vanquish the Demon Lord… Maybe this is all a dream? The creation of magic items is a professional artisan trade. It requires knowledge, experience, and skill. There are far fewer artisans who have all three of these in spades than there are blacksmiths and mages in the world. Some magic items can be mass-produced thanks to advancements in technology, but it’s extremely rare to find a skilled artisan capable of crafting an original magic item. Any town with just one of these people is highly fortunate; that’s just how unique the art of manufacturing magic items is. The magic-item craftsman Zolan Sola, as he calls himself, is invaluable personnel, no matter what can be said of his personality. His face is now red from excitement as he puts one leg up on the counter, waving the bikini up and down and leaning his body forward. This dwarf looks absolutely hammered. “What’s that? You wanna know why the bottom don’t got any fins?! All the better to see that sexy ass ’n’ thiiiiiiiighs!!” “Nobody asked!!” What a maniac. Why are all the talented people such weirdos? At that, I realize why the shop is void of any other customers besides the two of us in spite of its cache of rare magic items. I wouldn’t be here, either, if I didn’t have a Demon Lord to defeat. Yet the fate of the world depends on my actions. If I give up just because this old man is a bit touched in the head, then the world will surely fall into ruin. I take a deep breath and look at Zolan. It’s okay, I tell myself. I’m a customer. Just a customer. Thankfully, Toudou’s party is almost entirely girls. I really didn’t think his skirt-chaser streak would produce real-life results, but here we are. The only problems are Toudou and myself. Worst-case scenario, I don’t have to go underwater. I’ll just send someone to tail them. But it will be more than unfortunate if Toudou can’t travel to the sunken temple. It’s too good of a chance to further boost his combat skills. I calm my breath and place both hands on the counter. With one leg still hoisted up, Zolan furrows his brow. “Well then, does this so-called ‘mermaid armor’ work even if a man wears it?” “?!?!” “The hell?! Boss?!” Sanya is practically shrieking. Zolan’s face goes stiff like he’s frozen. The mermaid armor, which looks like nothing but a regular old bikini, falls from his hands. “Listen, make no mistake. I have no intention of wearing it. I’m asking just in case—just for reference.” “Ha…ha-ha-ha, I th-thought so, boss.” “Y-yer…yer serious, ain’tcha? Ain’tcha…?” Zolan’s thick lips tremble as he lowers his leg from the counter. Am I serious? Well, I’m not out to vanquish the Demon Lord just for kicks, but even I have a sense of pride. I won’t be wearing a bikini. …But really, the design of this mermaid armor is abysmal to begin with. “You… What’s yer name?” “Ares. Ares Crown.” Zolan closes his eyes and repeats my name. When he reopens them, I can see a faint, pathetic light within. “Ares… I know where yer comin’ from. But please…I need ya to understand, this item’s fer women only.” Why is this turning into me getting lectured? Sanya backs away from me, thoroughly creeped out. No, dammit, no—I have no intention of wearing that thing! Toudou’s the one who’ll be wearing this. Don’t worry—he’ll do it. He’s the hero, after all. Zolan’s eyes well up as he continues to falter. What a huge difference from how he was acting just moments ago. “Listen now, Ares. There ain’t any male mermaids out there. After all, they’d be mermen, see? They might sound similar, but they really ain’t.” Zolan grips my sleeve, trembling, his eyes bloodshot. Goddamn, he’s desperate. “Ya got it, Ares? You listenin’?! Mermaid armor plays tricks on the ocean! Real mermaids have divine protection from the sea; that’s why they can’t drown on its floor. Mermaid armor is created in order to allow girls to be temporarily mistaken as mermaids. Ya got that?! I’ll say it again! Even with mermaid armor on, men can’t become mermaaaaaaids!!” “Yeah, I got it. I understand. But what about an androgynous-looking man?” “Ya don’t understand a goddamn thing! Come to yer senses, Ares! Ya can’t ever become a mermaid!” I said I’m not going to wear the damn thing! Zolan’s gaze shifts to Sanya behind me. The perverted look he had earlier has dissipated. “O-oh, that’s right, Ares! This lady here can become a mermaid—I’m sure of it! Once ya see her in it, you’ll definitely come back to yer senses!!” “Huh? Me? Um…” Sanya looks down at the bikini on the floor. She seems to be on the fence about it, but since her job is to follow Toudou, she’ll be wearing it, unless she can find another option. However, Sanya has a tail. Does that matter? “The chest is…baggy.” “Y-you don’t say…” “And my tail’s all…scrunched up.” It doesn’t seem like this is working at all. Sanya comes out from the back room of the shop, looking the same as before, and slams the bikini on the counter. Zolan narrows his eyes at the forceful gesture before meeting her furious gaze. “Th-that’s too bad… I don’t got any smaller sizes.” “Grrr… You’re lucky I’m not Rabi. Your head would roll.” Don’t get reckless now, Sanya… Sanya sulks and retreats behind me. She’s far from well endowed, but the perverted old geezer obviously has high expectations. “By the way, will the item still have the same effect even if it doesn’t fit?” “…Boss. I’m just letting you know—there’s no way I’m wearing that!” “Yeah, I know. But if you stuff your tail in, it should work, right?” “…You’re lucky I’m not Rabi. Your head would roll.” Again with the reckless talk. Zolan cheerfully takes the mermaid armor and puts it away behind the counter. This might sound ridiculous, but it must take a lot of work to alter the size of a magic item like the mermaid armor. Not to mention, we’ll need up to seven sets—for Amelia, Sanya, and Rabi, as well as Aria, Limis, Glacia…and Toudou. Even if all seven of them don’t need to go down to the ocean floor, we’ll definitely need multiples. If the smallest size available is still too big for Sanya, I have no faith that it will fit Limis, Rabi, or Glacia properly. Why the hell am I taking this so seriously? “How many sets do you have on hand?” “…Three. If ya order ’em custom-made, it’ll take at least ten days to make an additional set.” Ten days… How the hell can it take ten days to make a bikini? Oh, right…it’s a magic bikini. Zolan looks at me and grins slyly. “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck! Should ya be wonderin’, it’s ’cause I create each ’n’ every set with painstaking effort…” “…” “Acquiring the necessary materials is no small task. Otherwise, I’d be able to make the item quickly, but I’d hafta take the risk of goin’ underwater.” Great, now he’s talking about materials. Toudou will be here in ten days or less. I’d like to have all the equipment ready by then, if possible. I have no idea what kinds of materials are required, but I do know a thing or two about taking risks. Zolan is looking up at me with the same sly grin. “Maybe it’s ’cause of how dangerous things are these days, but I’ve been losin’ a lotta customers. Whaddaya think? If you can provide the materials, I’ll give ya a discount.” “That reminds me—what’s the original price for one set?” asks Sanya. This whole situation is so absurd, I’d completely forgotten to check the price. Zolan crosses his arms exaggeratedly and bares his teeth, saying, “Hyuck-hyuck! C’mon now—it ain’t all that much. It’s got a refined design and handy features, all for the price of just ten million lux.” “Right. Sanya, we’re going after those materials.” “Huh? Um, okay.” As if I’m paying one-tenth the cost of Stey for a single item we’re only using locally. Having received a list from Zolan, we head out to search for the materials. It seems that “mermaid armor” is just a name, and the materials are largely sourced from aquatic organisms. Sanya moves nimbly and confidently, unbothered by the stares her ears and tail receive as we proceed through Cloudburst. She seems to have the entire city map in her head already, too. I really got a steal on this girl. We head for the city’s outskirts along a channel for large ships. Sanya doesn’t stop for even a moment as she says to me, “Hey, boss, wanna hear something funny?” “…Hmm?” “That dwarf Zolan Sola… He’s married. And get this—his wife is drop-dead gorgeous. She was in the back room.” “…The guy’s a married man, and yet here we are risking our lives for this bullshit?” Sanya spins around on a dime, her silver hair gleaming brightly as it reflects the light. The metallic sheen of her fur is further proof of her silverwolf heritage. Our conversation is mere small talk, but her tone is remarkably serious. “And she’s an elf. I bet Zolan makes the base elements for his items and she imbues them with magic. And judging from the theory that Zolan explained, it’s not just regular magic, either. It’s something more powerful, more arcane. Dwarfs are skilled with their hands, but they lack any significant magical disposition. Zolan is definitely gifted, but the mermaid armor is likely a joint effort.” Aha… I guess the tale of the miraculously intelligent yet perverted dwarf was too good to be true. Sanya smiles, content with her findings, as I nod. Her tail is wagging back and forth, a sign of her good mood. “Elves and dwarfs hate each other. Elves live in the forests, and the majority of dwarfs live in the realm of fire—deep in the mountains—and don’t come out. Ordinarily, the two groups would never even collaborate on work like this, but Zolan’s made it happen.” “…Don’t tell me you’re onto something here!” Sanya’s eyes go wide as dinner plates. Bull’s-eye. She stares at me and brings her hands to her face like she’s just gotten a whiff of something foul. Then she looks up with a piercing gaze so sharp it’s hard to believe she was so exhausted on our journey here. “Boss, magic-item crafters are valuable. He says his name is Zolan, but he’s gotta be some kind of an evil genius. It’s too bizarre for someone like him to be out here in the sticks. If his personality wasn’t such garbage, there’s no way the nobility or other mercenaries would’ve let him leave Ruxe.” “He didn’t seem like he was acting, though.” “It’s not an issue of whether he’s acting or not.” There aren’t many people who can actually use magic items, let alone create or appraise them. I sent the necklace I discovered in the Devil-Faced Knight’s hidden chamber back in Yutith’s Tomb, along with the golden amulet I found in Golem Valley after defeating Felsa, over to the Church headquarters for examination. The results are still pending. I wonder if I could manage to negotiate with Zolan to appraise the items, particularly the golden amulet that belonged to members of the Demon Lord’s army. Any information on it could prove time sensitive. Sanya stares at me intently. She’s not a ditz or a moron or anything… Maybe if Stey was entrusted to Bran, she’d make something of herself, too… “That was a pretty funny story.” “Glad to hear it. I’ll look forward to that bonus.” Sanya crosses her arms and smiles boldly. We’ve passed outside Cloudburst’s city limits and walk along the coast for twenty-plus minutes before arriving at a small inlet. “Hey, can you swim?” “I already told you, I can doggy paddle.” This place must be a well-kept secret—there’s no one around. The water is clear, and if I focus my eyes, I can see monsters swimming underneath. Sanya stretches her limbs like she’s preparing for a swim. She’s wearing a dark, thin shirt and shorts. A number of knives hang from her belt. I guess she won’t be using her bow—she’s taking this seriously. Her tan arms stretch through the air lithely as she looks back at me. “Speaking of which, boss, can you swim?” “Well enough that I considered swimming my way to Cloudburst at first.” “…” Sanya falls silent and turns away from me. Most things can be learned simply by raising your level. I lightly swing my mace and inspect it. I won’t remove my priest’s robe—it might get stolen. The same goes for my mace. We’ll be adding underwater combat training to today’s regimen. At my high level, I should be able to move underwater with the same ease as on land with a bit of practice. I’m sure I won’t be able to augment the natural limit of my lung capacity, however… Sanya plops down and starts doing the splits, effortlessly touching the ground with her entire torso. Her chest is pressed flat and sand sticks to her cheek. Impressive. Sanya looks up at me while maintaining the same position. “Boss, let’s have a contest. Whoever collects the most materials wins.” “What for?” “Do you need a reason for everything? ’Cause it’ll be fun!” Nothing in her serious gaze indicates fun. That reminds me—silverwolves are the same as normal wolves in that they form packs. A recognized individual becomes the pack leader, and they descend on opposing groups of monsters and other enemies as one. Supposedly, the leader is determined through a one-on-one contest. Sanya may only be half werebeast, but as long as she’s of mixed race, she might have the same instincts somewhere within her, too. Very well—I’ll play along for the first time in a while. Sanya is eagerly waiting for an answer. I sigh as I give her my response. “But I’m a priest, and you’re a scout with a special set of skills. It’s unfair.” “I’ve never learned how to catch fish, though… So what d’you wanna do, boss?” She should already know. “If you lose, you will receive an arbitrary penalty. If I lose, nothing.” “Pen…al…ty? …Just what do you intend to do to me?” Sanya looks extremely dubious. She stands up and brushes off the sand stuck to her chest and stomach. I look down at her, staring intensely, and give it to her straight: “A cash-back penalty.” “…You’re really stingy, boss.” I’m working on a tight budget here! At my provocation, Sanya looks woeful for a split second before getting a grip on herself and replying, “All right. If I lose, I’ll forfeit my share of our wages. But don’t you dare go easy on me!” “Of course not. Don’t forget what you just said.” I have no reason to say no—losing won’t cost me a thing. We lay down precise ground rules. There are a number of different materials we need to collect, and they vary in degree of difficulty to obtain. We allocate a different number of points to each material depending on that difficulty. Whoever gets the most points wins. I watch Sanya as she continues to talk excitedly. From her expression, she clearly doesn’t think she has a chance of losing. After we finish discussing the details, Sanya asks me, “By the way, boss—think you’ll win?” “I have doubts.” Facing off against Stey would be a different story. Sanya is elite in both gathering information and in her physical abilities. I don’t know a thing about the materials we’re going to collect, but Sanya probably does. Even at my high level, I don’t stand a chance in a regular competition. Taking all this into consideration, I shrug and say, “But I also don’t intend to lose.” “…That’s what I thought.” Sanya licks her lips and takes out a coin. It’s the same gold coin that Bran used, engraved with the mark of the wolf. “I’ll flip this coin, and when it hits the ground, we start.” “Okay, got it.” Sanya tosses the coin high into the air with an effortless flick of her thumb. The finely polished gold dazzles, shining in the sunlight as it falls. The muscles on Sanya’s slender limbs are taut, ready to spring into action. Obeying the rules, I wait for the exact moment the coin sticks into the sandy beach and swing my mace high in the air toward Sanya. Her eyes bulge out of their sockets, and my perfectly timed mace swing cuts through the air. My mace doesn’t even graze Sanya and smashes into the ground, kicking up sand that scatters and lands in my hair. “Wh-what the hell was that for…?!” In the blink of an eye, Sanya kicked off the ground and evaded my blow before landing a few meters away. She raises her voice, trembling. Her initial velocity was incredible. I slowly lift up my mace. Sanya’s entire body is stiff. I had no intention of killing her, but I also didn’t hold back. I can’t help myself from letting loose a wondrous sigh. “There’s nothing in the rules about not attacking each other.” “…That’s messed up.” “You evaded it expertly.” As I admire her feat, Sanya takes a few light steps toward me. She still has some leeway, yet she’s stiff as a board, terrified. “…Rabi and my master come at me without warning, too. And didn’t you do something like that when you made a bet with my master, boss?” So this wasn’t the first time for her, huh…? That would definitely give her a better chance of evading. I instinctively click my tongue. She’s been taught well. I’d expect this sort of thing from Bran, but Rabi, too, huh? “Your master’s…an oddball, that one.” “I guarantee Rabi won’t want to hear you say that. Later!” Even with the sandy beach’s unsteady footing, Sanya takes off with astounding velocity and performs an incredible swan dive straight into the ocean. She evaded my first blow—which she wasn’t expecting—so landing a second one will be impossible. Bran really screwed me over with that discount. “…Damn… Well, no matter. Time to get down to gathering these materials.” I’ve already paid Bran for Sanya’s services. Whether I’ll get my money’s worth is questionable, but as long as she performs the requisite work, then it doesn’t matter. I’ll consider myself lucky to have been shown just how much I can depend on her. The final result is a complete blowout. “Boss, you’re tough, but you’re too slow.” Sanya surfaced only once the sun had gone down, after the time limit we’d set. Maybe she was trying to be vigilant with me, or perhaps she was too busy actually obtaining the materials, because she didn’t come up for a breather even once. Sanya drags a huge net behind her as she comes up to the beach and shakes her whole body wildly, sending the water droplets from her hair and tail flying. She really looks like a dog. Her breathing is slightly ragged as I reply in amazement, “No, I’m not that slow. You’re just fast.” “Yeah, right… Ugh.” Sanya scowls, looking somehow embarrassed. Maybe she just realized how immature she can be at times? You simply can’t compare someone with mixed werebeast heritage against a regular human. They’re just too fundamentally different. The sheer amount of materials caught in Sanya’s net makes it easy to tell who’s won without even counting them up. Sanya must be thinking the same thing—she turns away from her net and looks up at me. “Hey, boss, why didn’t you try to get in my way? …I mean, like you did in the beginning.” “Because getting in your way would hinder obtaining all the materials we need.” “Speak for yourself!” It hurts to miss out on pinning a cash-back penalty on Sanya, but I’d have had my priorities screwed up if I’d focused on that instead. Sanya’s net is filled with what we need to craft the magic item, including starfish and shellfish, sparkling brilliantly, and some translucent seaweed. I scoured the ocean for these but hardly found any. They’re harder to look for than I imagined. I glance down at the gigantic squid I struggled to drag all the way back here and can’t find a single word to say. Sanya childishly puffs up her cheeks at me. “You said you wouldn’t go easy on me…” “I didn’t…” “Then why the hell’d you catch a giant squid?!” Well, it attacked me when I was underwater, so… The giant squid I fought was leagues stronger than the one we fought on the sea. They’re a lot quicker than I am and can move through the water freely and easily. On top of that, I can’t even breathe down there, and my own body is much more encumbered underwater. “You’d have to go pretty far out to sea to even find one of these things!” How the hell should I know that? It just appeared out of nowhere. I didn’t stray that far into open waters… It must have been a squid lost at sea. Sanya has come out on top of our competition, and yet she looks disgruntled. I guess if I was competing to collect the most materials and my opponent spent all their time battling a giant squid, I might be, too. I think for a moment before checking with Sanya. “We still need more materials, right?” “…? Uh, yeah, we can’t possibly gather them all in one day…” Finishing on a sour note like this is pretty upsetting for me. Proper business affairs should always be conducted with mutual respect. I swing my arm in a large, sweeping circle. From today’s experience, I now know how to move underwater and how long I can hold my breath for. “In that case, tomorrow will be round two. You better be ready.” Sanya stares blankly for a moment before her eyes completely light up. She clenches both fists and gets to her feet. “Hmph! Now we’re talkin’!” Sanya seems like a sore loser in my book, but then again, I am a first-rank member of Out Crusade. I won’t lose so easily with my pride on the line. I was simply a bit unlucky today. But in the end, I still lost every single one of our competitions. Sanya’s expression is now clearly void of any trace of sulking. Instead, she’s furrowing her brow and shooting me a quizzical look. The radiant beach is now overflowing with bizarre, grotesque creatures. “Hey, boss, I’m not tryin’ to rag on you or anything, but honest question here— How the hell do you keep capturing this many giant monsters?” “I’m not doing it on purpose! I just fought back when they attacked me! That’s all!” Sanya looks suspicious as she pokes at a massive snakelike creature with indigo-colored skin. It’s covered in slime, one cloudy eye gazing toward the heavens. “Geez, you shouldn’t even run into a sea serpent unless you go way out to sea…” “…It was a lost sea serpent, obviously.” “Boss, you said the same thing yesterday and the day before and the day before that, ever since we started this competition—you know that, right?” I turn my face away from Sanya’s piercing gaze. I swear on the God of Order that I searched for the materials in earnest every single day, but the monsters just kept appearing, even though I didn’t ask for them. And when monsters attack, I have no choice but to fight back. At least I’m now, as a result, completely used to fighting underwater. That alone isn’t anything to complain about, but… “Maybe I’m just a bit…unlucky after all?” “Psh… Unbelievable, boss. Maybe the grim reaper’s taken a liking to you?” Sanya sighs deeply. Today, like the other days, Sanya’s net shines with bounty. Just as I’ve learned to fight underwater, Sanya has become increasingly adept at gathering the materials, and today is her greatest haul yet. I’ve been giving this my absolute all, but it’s not even close. I bet I could still beat her in a fistfight, though. Sanya’s shoulders are sagging, and her tail is drooping, downhearted. “…Well, at least we probably have all the materials now… I guess our competition is over. I don’t get it. I beat you, but I’m not happy one bit.” Thank God I hired her. Silverwolves are a breed of werebeast that forms packs. Sanya Chatre’s distant ancestors originally inhabited the forests of the farthest northern reaches of the continent, which are frozen over with ice and snow all year round. In this severe climate, where innumerable varieties of monsters and spirits run rampant, even silverwolves, with their exceptional physical prowess, must form controlled packs in order to survive. Today, they’ve left the harsh forest environment and scattered across the world, and their bloodline has faded, but the traits engraved into their DNA have not. Sanya stands alone in the inn’s courtyard. Her sharp silver eyes are focused on the small practice targets scattered throughout. The silverwolves are a blessed breed. Sanya’s flesh, bones, muscles, and skin all look like a normal human’s, but they are vastly superior. Her ears and tail—signs of her mixed blood—are extremely perceptive. The depth of her faculties far eclipses those of any human. On the other hand, Sanya lacks the typical silverwolf’s claws and fangs, which are powerful weapons. The array of knives—both throwing knives and close-range blades—lining her belt, along with custom-made arrows for her bow, are there to supplement this shortcoming. Sanya is a first-rate warrior, but she’s just shy of elite status. There are her innate physical gifts, exceptional sensory perception and balance, and near-perfect accuracy with her bow and knives; she’s skilled in close combat and could likely take down most any opponent. However, the chances of her taking down a steel tiger head-on and winning are highly dubious. Scratch that—it’s far more likely that she would lose. That’s just how it is for a “half a man,” after all. Sanya has confidence in her strength and skills, yet she doesn’t overestimate herself. She’s far stronger than a human, but she’s had her confidence shattered on multiple occasions. She still remembers vividly the first month of her training under Bran—a cute wererabbit with floppy ears nearly killed her during a sparring session. Sanya inhales, tensing then relaxing. She moves her hand as if to release an arrow from a taut bowstring, but instead, she removes a knife from her belt and throws it in one sweeping motion. Even if someone had been watching nearby, they likely wouldn’t have been able to determine the moment it was thrown, given how swift it was. The small knife pierces the target with perfect aim. “Hn…” Sanya takes in a few short breaths one after the other and releases another knife. It practically dances from Sanya’s hand and travels straight into the small target about thirty centimeters in diameter. Bull’s-eye. If her knives weren’t even able to accurately hit these motionless targets, why would she bother using them in actual combat? Next, Sanya gets moving. Kicking off the ground, she bounces around the tight quarters of the courtyard like a flash of lightning. The walls, trees, and various small objects within are no different from the ground for her. She launches knives as she flies through the air, taking care not to hit the ones already stuck in the targets, and still lands hit after direct hit. Each dull thud of the blades hitting their targets only sharpens her concentration further. Sanya is still growing. Her arms and legs will get longer, and she’ll grow in size, too. If her chest gets bigger, her center of gravity will be thrown off. As her senses become more refined, her equilibrium will naturally change, too. Sanya’s current routine involves making sure that any shifts in her sensory perception are corrected through these daily fundamental exercises. Each small step forward will make her stronger. Sanya slowly picks up speed. She pours her entire consciousness into the routine and focuses her senses. In that moment, a small gleaming object enters her field of vision. Sanya tosses a knife at it almost reflexively. “Ha—” Her knife flies straight as an arrow and pierces the object—a coin rotating and falling through the air, dead center. The coin falls to the ground, split in half, and Sanya hears someone praising her. “That was well done.” “Huff…huff… Don’t mess with me!” The manly voice belongs to Sanya’s current boss, who has entered the courtyard without a sound. Ares Crown. A crusader with hair a duller silver than Sanya’s and deep-green eyes. He’s still young, but the fatigue creased around his eyes gives him a sense of maturity. A warrior of God who annihilates anything that opposes Ahz Gried, the God of Order. Sanya heard stories of powerful combatants within the Church from her master. Yet, there are certain things that must be seen with one’s own eyes in order to understand. Her current boss is more monstrous than she could have ever imagined. That’s why Sanya is so worked up. Just watching someone so powerful kicks her instincts into high gear. Ares picks up the perfectly halved coin and puts it into his pocket. “I’ve handed the materials over to Zolan. Creating the magic item won’t take too long, but there’s one problem.” “…And what’s that?” Sanya calms her breath as she asks. Her terrifyingly powerful boss puts his palm to his forehead, looking solemn. “He doesn’t know…what size to make.” “…” “This isn’t a joke, Sanya. We need everyone’s measurements. In order for him to prepare the mermaid armor, he’ll need the party’s bust and hip sizes. Oh, he doesn’t need yours, though. Zolan has a magic item that lets him know bust size just from looking, apparently. I don’t know when he used it, but he already knew yours.” “…This sounds real rough for you.” “Amelia and the others will arrive in Cloudburst in three days if all goes accordingly. It’s not like we can’t afford to wait that long, but… Sanya, do you know Rabi’s and Amelia’s bust sizes?” “Why the hell would I know?! Just what kinda person do you think I am, boss?!” Sanya and Rabi are fellow apprentices, and she’s met Amelia once, but she doesn’t have some sort of perverted ability that lets her know someone’s bust size just from looking. A scout needs keen observational skills but not like this. “Yeah, you’re right.” Ares slumps his shoulders. Sanya is slightly entertained by this and offers a suggestion in jest. “…Amelia sends you daily communications, right? Maybe you should ask her.” “I tried… She hung up on me.” “Yikes.” “I didn’t even have a chance to explain why. Shit. I should have told her the reason first.” “You can be real weird sometimes, boss.” Ares is trying to be sensible, but he’s instead coming off as downright strange. Flabbergasted, Sanya gives him a warning. “Just so you know, you really shouldn’t say that kind of stuff around Rabi. She’ll have your head on a silver platter.” “…I’ll bear that in mind.” Rabi has many proclivities and tends to act in extremes. For example, she’s killed at least five clients, from what Sanya knows. Several of them had it coming as far as Sanya is concerned, but that’s really beside the point. Ares must have had low expectations to begin with. He retrieves Sanya’s knives one by one and hands them back to her. Feeling his enormous, tranquil life force at close range, Sanya swallows a lump in her throat quietly enough that he doesn’t hear her. “Let’s have a chat about what we’re going to do from here. Sorry, but your personal training will have to wait.” “…Understood.” Three more days until Rabi arrives, Sanya thinks as she nods. Sanya’s body is raring to go. That half-hearted material-gathering contest did nothing to quell her urges after all. At some point, she and Ares will have to go toe to toe for real in order to determine who’s stronger. “Boss, let’s have a sparring match. Loser gets a cash penalty!” “Sure—later.” “I thought up a good idea while we were gathering the materials…” “A good idea?” Back at Zolan’s shop, I tell Sanya about a thought that occurred to me as we wait for the mermaid armor to be created. “If I start to drown, I can just heal any damage using holy techniques. I’m resilient and high level. If I just keep on healing myself whenever I come close to dying, I should be able to survive underwater for a long time…I think.” “…I only just kinda realized something, but, boss, are you an idiot?” Sanya looks at me like I’m a lunatic. It’s not the kind of look you give your superior. “Well…yer quite a remarkable man, ain’tcha?” Zolan interjects as he hammers away behind the counter. Toudou and his party will be here before long. The swimsuits seem to be coming along, and we managed to gather all the materials he asked for. I have no idea what exactly fish heads are used for in the process…but I won’t dig deep on that one. “See? It makes sense.” “I was bein’ facetious. Look—it’s all ready.” Zolan sounds dejected and pushes the blue cloth our way. Sanya takes it and stretches it out, furrowing her brow. Just what part of making a bikini involves hammering? …I have my suspicions, but first and foremost— “Isn’t this a bit too skimpy?” “I had to skimp on the materials.” “…And it’s got a hole in the rear.” “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck-hyuck… It’s fer yer tail! Mermaid armor doesn’t usually have one, but…” “…Yeah, because mermaids don’t have tails. Will this really work?” We’ve already come this far, but I realize something—isn’t there a problem with pretending to be mermaids in the first place? Zolan answers my simplistic question calmly and without hesitation. “Yes, it will. ’Cause it’s so cute! She’s gonna look just like a real mermaid, no doubt.” “…I-is this really going to work?!” Sanya feels the same way I do, apparently. However, Zolan doesn’t appear to be joking. “C’mon, hurry up ’n’ try the thing on! C’mon now!” “Huh…? Ew, no way. Why the hell should I try it on here?” Sanya is clearly not having it. I don’t blame her. “’Cause the artisan’s gotta check to see if it fits, of cooooourse!” Zolan is screaming. Good lord, settle down. I seriously don’t get this guy. “Okay, fine…” The hell is fine about this?! …I’m disgusted, but then Zolan adds in a muffled tone, “I’ll throw in a discount.” “Sanya…go and try it on. That’s an order.” “What?! Seriously?!” I’ve said it multiple times by now, but I have only a limited budget to work with here. I’ll take any discount I can get. Dejected, Sanya looks at me desperately as she disappears into the back room. What’s the big deal? It’s not like I’m asking for the moon here. “I think I’ve finally come to understand ya a li’l better now.” Zolan grins at me. Whatever—just bring the cost down a bit. I look around the shop while I wait. It’s largely empty and feels more like a workshop than a storefront. “By the way, do you sell magic items other than mermaid armor here?” As I ask, Zolan’s grinning face gives a little twitch and his eyes bulge. Yet, by the time he opens his mouth to reply, his expression is completely normal. “Not currently.” Not currently, huh? There must be a reason. It’s none of my business, but…should I press the issue? I don’t want Zolan to hate me—he’s a valuable resource. I hem and haw for a moment before deciding to leave it be. “Are you well versed in all magic items?” “…Just who d’ya think yer talkin’ to? ’Course I know almost everything about ’em.” I see definite conviction on Zolan’s face. Learning more from him could prove worthwhile. Deep underground in the Church of Ahz Gried headquarters lies a room behind many, many layers of doors that is protected by the holy knights. The doors are made of mythril, and encompassing them are powerful prisms cast by priests specializing in prism magic. The doors repel all sorts of spells, including teleportation spells, as well as physical attacks. Behind them is the safest room in the entire world. This room contains one of the Church’s mainstays, the Laboratory for Mysteries and Magic Items, where various secrets and magic implements from across time and culture are investigated and uncovered. A man removes a gold key from his chest pocket and puts it into the keyhole. It makes a loud noise as the lock clacks and the doors swing open. “Well, well, well… Your Excellency. Thank you for coming all this way.” The elderly man greeting His Eminence Creio Amen has white hair nearly trailing down to the floor and wears a black robe unlike that of a mage. He narrows his eyes and smiles insolently at Creio. Magic research is crucial in the fight against demon kind. Within the organization of the Church, magic learners called holy casters belong to the Magical Coordination Department. They’re placed in respective divisions, often starting out as communications operators, but anyone who possesses special abilities is called up from their position and assigned to the research and development of magic items. This facility is where the transmission devices dispatched to crusaders and certain towns’ churches originate. The laboratory itself is incredibly well organized, with innumerable glass cases arranged on shelves. It certainly looks more like a research facility than a house of worship. Creio glances toward the researchers busily attending to their tasks before turning back to the laboratory’s director, Bartholomew Ramires. “Have you made any discoveries?” The researchers’ present directive is to analyze a magic item that a demon possessed in Golem Valley. Magic items are different from magic itself in that they are of greater use to humans than demons. This is generally because magic items are used to compensate for an innate lack of skill, and as such, demons have no use for them. However, the two golden amulets that were recovered in Golem Valley have turned this common knowledge on its head. Bartholomew answers as he strokes the head of his cane. “Hmm. Well, they were created to evade detection, that much we know for sure.” “…Both of them?” “Yes, they are the same item.” Creio furrows his brow. Anti-detection magic items are rare but not unheard of. However, finding two of the exact same item is a different story. Only a portion of mass-produced magic items are relevant for everyday life. If there’s no demand, they simply won’t be made. The same goes for magic items used in battle, and items used only in specific situations are usually one-of-a-kind. “It seems they were created just recently. Someone may be passing them along to the demon army.” “Do you know where they were created?” Creio bites his lip. He’s had a bad feeling about this from the start—the current incarnation of the Demon Lord is extremely cunning in his methods. Magic items are used by the weak to supplement their handicaps. Demons generally never use items that humanity creates—until now. Bartholomew sighs quietly and shakes his head. “Most magic items have their manufacturer’s seal engraved into them, but these amulets do not. I have nothing to tell you.” “…Perhaps that can’t be helped. It’s a pity we couldn’t capture the items’ users themselves.” Creio heard they had been formidable foes. Steel tigers are particularly well-known for their military prowess. The end result was much more preferable than Ares being defeated, but Creio can’t help wishing they could have caught the werebeast and forced information out of it. Demons are strong enough to begin with. It will prove extremely vexing if someone is distributing magic items to them. “That said, the item is what it is. There are a limited number of people capable of creating this…even among humans.” “So if we leave no stone unturned, we’ll be able to find them, yes?” “If not…then it will cause us no end of trouble.” “…Understood. We’ll begin the investigation. Please continue to keep me updated.” The Demon Lord Kranos—an enemy of God, hell-bent on destroying humanity and ruling the world. He has yet to show his true colors. “Good work, Amelia. I take it nothing happened along the way?” “…Everything is as I’ve reported. We hit a few snags, but they were nothing we couldn’t handle.” Amelia and Rabi arrived in the water capital about an hour after Toudou and his party did. This is the first time Amelia and I have worked separately from each other, but the results are excellent. Hiring additional mercenaries was definitely worth it. A small figure hops off the runner lizard after Amelia, her hood drawn low, as usual. Rabi Chatre. Sanya bounds toward her, smiling from ear to ear. Her tail is wagging nonstop. “Rabi! I’m so glad you arrived safely!” “…Phew.” Rabi stands just a short distance away and sighs with exhaustion before looking at me. Her ruby eyes are the only part of her exposed to the outside air. Her voice is quiet and void of emotion but still sweet, nonetheless. “Boss, the mission is complete.” “Ah, yes, thank you. Take a load off for now.” Rabi’s arm squirms underneath her thick robe. She probably has her hand on the blade at her waist. I’ve already heard from Amelia about what happened at the mountain village, and Sanya’s told me about Rabi’s raw power. We’ll be working alongside her for the foreseeable future. We need to allocate her assassin skills appropriately. But that can wait until later. Right now, we should be glad that all our party members are fully present. Preparations are in order; Toudou’s party should have received their guidelines and map of the sunken temple from the Church. “Oh, that’s right. Sanya, before you take a rest, show Amelia and Rabi to Zolan’s shop. He needs to take their measurements.” “Okay, boss.” “Oh, is that the perv— Um, peculiar magic-item creator you mentioned in our communications?” Amelia looks a bit perturbed. I don’t entirely blame her. There are just a few too many “peculiar” folk in this world. It doesn’t help that most of them are extremely talented. “I’ll only say this once: Don’t piss off Zolan. We still need his help.” “…Are you planning on offing him when it’s all said and done?” …I never said such a thing. Just who do you think I am? It’s been a while since I last heard Amelia’s typical nonsense, but I ignore it and continue. “The materials and payment have already been taken care of. Sanya has checked the magic item’s functionality, too.” I’ve had Sanya swim down to the sunken temple once already. I’m not sure exactly how the item operates, but it definitely performs as advertised. Bizarre. “Oh, by the way—what about yours, Ares?” Amelia asks as if she’s just remembered. Did I not tell her already? In the end, I was unable to procure male mermaid armor. I don’t know if Zolan can’t actually make it or if he just didn’t want to, but it was a lost cause. Pushing through with holy techniques will be my last resort. “Unfortunately, I’ll be holding down the fort on this one. And that goes for Toudou, too.” If Limis can enter a covenant with a water elemental spirit, her combat skills will expand significantly. We have no choice but to move forward step-by-step. The small shrine above the surface is just the entrance to the sunken temple—the majority of it lies on the ocean floor. I asked Sanya to swim down there and test the functionality of the magic item and also to survey the area. The results were superb. It’s very difficult to maneuver any sort of close-range combat underwater. In terms of basic tactics, it’s best to use long-range attacks on aquatic enemies from land. However, the mermaid armor allows one to move just as they would aboveground. This magic item is useful only in certain situations, but it’s powerful. With just a few adjustments, it would be perfect. “It was so gorgeous down there… I got soaking wet, but that’s a given in a bikini.” “That sounds…exciting.” At the inn, we sit around a large table to discuss strategy. Sanya’s impressions of her trip underwater aren’t particularly useful, and Amelia looks unimpressed. Sanya’s tone is light as she tells us that the sunken temple is teeming with aquatic monsters. That means Toudou’s party will have to fight their way through them in our search for a water spirit. Without the mermaid armor, Limis wouldn’t have a shot at forming a water spirit covenant. Amelia must be exhausted from taking her measurements—she looks beat. Rabi is also quiet, refusing to say a word. By “taking measurements,” their sizes were actually gauged instantaneously using a magic item, so everything with Zolan should have gone quickly. If Amelia is tired from such a simple ordeal, it proves only one thing—that geezer is a real piece of work. Sanya seems to be the only one unbothered by him as she continues to explain. “The monsters aren’t really that strong. Your movements are different, since you’re swimming, but that’s really it. For mages, it’s particularly simple, but even for those used to close-range combat like you or me or Rabi, their moves are easy to read.” I’m not a specialist in close combat. And originally, only mages were supposed to be able to travel to the sunken temple. It seems it’s true that Zolan changed things after all. Since Sanya managed to survey the area alone and come back unscathed, I’m not concerned about her combat abilities. “Aside from myself, I plan to have the three of you assist Limis. Is there anything else?” “The mermaid armor doesn’t work if worn underneath clothing,” Sanya adds, having just remembered something. “Rabi and I will be able to avoid any trouble, but if any monsters go after Amelia, she could be in danger.” I hadn’t heard this yet. “Huh, the armor is useless if you wear it under your clothing… I wonder why?” “’Cause mermaids don’t wear clothes, I guess. Boss, you think I just went down there without considering that beforehand?” “I mean, your outfit’s fairly skimpy to begin with.” Every time Sanya opens her mouth, I’m constantly reminded that she seems to think I have absolutely zero knowledge of Zolan’s exploits. “In that case, it’d be awkward if I wore the mermaid armor myself, right?” “…” “…” “…” “Say something!” All three of them avert their eyes. But appearance aside, defense is crucial. Even Amelia’s mage robe offers some resistance. Not being able to wear any armor could prove a major disadvantage. On that note, even if Toudou could hide it, I doubt he would head down to the sunken temple wearing a woman’s bikini. That is far beyond the realm of a hero’s responsibility. That said, if he actually did it, I would be willing to forgive him for everything so far. Amelia pipes up to change the subject. “What are you trying to say? That we have to fight in just a swimsuit?” “Thank God Stey isn’t here. So you’ll do it, yes?” “Urgh…… This is so unfair.” Amelia collapses onto the table limply. She’s still beat from Golem Valley. In any case, she’s not a combat specialist, and Sanya and Rabi are scouts. Their job is based on evasion. Toudou’s party is pretty much in the same boat. There’s always a silver lining—nothing to worry about, from what I can tell. “By the way, Ares, if you can’t come down to the sunken temple with us, then what will you be doing the whole time?” “R and R.” “…” “…I’m joking. I have no shortage of things to take care of.” Wipe that look off your face. I’ve been too focused on Toudou and his party, and I’ve neglected to get a grasp on what’s happening in other countries. The Church’s upper ranks seem concerned, but I’m the closest to the Demon Lord this time around. It’s been on only two occasions, but I have come face-to-face with the Demon Lord’s underlings; I’ve been close enough to touch them. I may have something to offer. “That will be all. Everyone, get to work on your respective preparations. Any questions?” Amelia raises her hand slightly. “I’ve never been to the ocean. I’m a terrible swimmer. To be honest, I’m a bit terrified of the sea.” Rabi’s hand shoots into the air. “Boss, I have a question. Perhaps I shouldn’t complain before I actually see the thing, and I didn’t say anything because I planned on wearing something over it, but in all honesty, I am way too embarrassed to fight in my underwear.” Sanya’s eyes are all agleam. “Okay, that makes me the most capable one, right? So I’m second in command. Amelia, go buy me some bread!” Dammit. Why does it always come to this? I look at the clock on the wall and then back to my confused yet dependable team. “Okay, okay, okay! Let’s figure this all out, one at a time.” Toudou is clutching the large box she’s been handed and looks back at her party members. “Y’know, I’ve always felt this way, but…the Church really has incredible foresight, don’t they?” “…They’re a massive organization, after all. Their influence extends beyond national borders,” replies Aria. “I know we gave them a report, but this is quick work, don’t you think? I mean, all the churches I’m familiar with were just save points.” “Save points…?” Leaving the Great Forest of the Vale aside, the party received a map and items at the church in Purif, and in Golem Valley, they were given training and information on the monsters that spawn there. Of course, Toudou is the hero summoned by the Church in secret. It’s only natural that she has their support, but still, this amount of foresight is downright incredible. “How did they manage to survey the entire area before we even arrived…? We got here so quickly, too.” “The Church possesses a number of technologies…,” Aria says in hushed tones. “The hero-summoning itself is one of their proprietary rituals, and there’s even a rumor that they have a division responsible for capturing mages and craftspeople who have invented dangerous magic.” “Huh… Well, Gregorio is supposedly a priest, so it’s really not that hard to believe.” Toudou scowls as she brings Gregorio to mind. The party reaches the inn and investigates the contents of the box. It includes instructions on how to acquire a water elemental spirit, along with a map and information on nearby monsters—all the necessary guidelines for the water capital. According to their guidelines, the water spirits exist in a temple at the bottom of the ocean floor. Toudou has been to a number of places since coming to this world and acquired a wealth of experience, but she’s never been to the bottom of the sea. She has no idea where to start. “A sunken temple, huh? This really takes the whole ‘fantasy’ thing to the extreme…” “I was expecting this, but it’ll probably be hard for Garnet to fight down there.” Limis looks at Garnet, whose eyes bulge in its head from agitation. Elementalists are easily influenced by their environs. A high-ranking spirit such as Garnet can still cast magic in a place filled with oppositional elemental spirits, but its power will be decreased. Toudou traces the words on a piece of paper as she continues to read aloud. “To enter it…you need a magic item, it says. ‘Mermaid armor’?” “…I’ve never heard of such a thing. Have you, Aria?” “…Armor as in a set of armor, yes? That’s hard to imagine. If you haven’t heard of it, Limis, then it must not be a very well-known magic item…” Limis and Aria look toward each other and then to Glacia, but it’s impossible to tell if she’s listening or not—she’s being her usual sullen self. Her sunken eyes gaze around the room aimlessly. Toudou senses a bad omen but figures there’s no use in dwelling on it. She nods to herself and looks up. “Let’s go check it out. It says that once we get our measurements done, it’ll take some time to create the armor, so we should get that done right away… It also says it’s already been paid for. They really think of everything, don’t they?” Toudou’s ill omen takes shape quickly. “Wha…? Whaaa—? This is mermaid armor?! Wh-what about this counts as ‘armor’?!” Limis’s shrill voice pierces through the small shop. Her eyes are wide as saucers, and in front of her, the owner of the magic-item shop, a dwarf calling himself Zolan, jabs his finger at a small piece of white cloth. It seems he’s been in this situation before. “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck… No need to worry! With this groundbreaking armor o’ mine, even someone with yer kinda figure can make a fine mermaid!” “A-and just what is that supposed to mean?!” “H-hold on, Limis, hold on. Calm down.” Limis is screaming, red in the face and halfway over the counter of the shop. Aria grabs her by the arms to restrain her. Limis’s gaze turns to Aria’s chest for a moment before becoming completely serious. But she immediately starts to flail her arms and complain. “There’s no way we’ll fight in that thing! In what world do mages and sword masters battle in swimsuits?!” “It’s not a swimsuit. It’s mermaid armor.” “Grrr… Same difference!” “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck… But ya won’t be able to manage underwater without it, will ya now?” “…” It’s true that Limis has no idea how to reach the sunken temple, nor has she ever even heard of a way to get down there. A water-based elementalist might have some work-around, but she’s in this fix precisely because she doesn’t have a water elemental spirit. Limis stares miserably at the piece of cloth on the counter. She shouldn’t be complaining about one or two pieces of equipment at this point…perhaps. Aria puts her hand on Limis’s shoulder and steps forward. “Are you certain that it works?” “Loads o’ people have used it with success.” “…Are there any non-swimsuit types…?” “No.” Zolan doesn’t waver in his response. The party huddles in a corner of the shop to talk it over. “This is…unbelievable… It’s absolutely insane,” Limis grumbles. “But this information came directly from the Church, so it’s gotta be accurate. If there was another way, they’d have suggested it to us.” In combat, defense is just as important as your weapon—some monsters even require switching up your defensive equipment. A mage’s robe is buffed by magic. Cloth armor isn’t inherently weaker than metal armor, but the piece of cloth Zolan has on display doesn’t seem to offer a high amount of defense. “Aria, you don’t have any magical energy to begin with, right? Will it still work for you…?” asks Toudou. “…Magic items consume magical energy, so it probably won’t.” Aria heaves a sigh. She’s working with a handicap of zero magical energy, so even a magic item that uses only a trace amount won’t work for her. Zolan smiles ear to ear as he waits for them to answer. “Listen, it’s already been prepared for us. What if we looked for another option and took this just for now? Not to mention, we don’t even know anything about its usability.” “…What…? What am I gonna do? It’ll be a dead giveaway for me.” Toudou looks dead serious. No matter how good she is at pretending to be a man, the second she removes her clothes, all bets are off. “W-well, yes, that’s true… For the measurements, you could have him make a men’s size and just wear your armor over it?” “…What’s the deal with this hero business anyway? I thought I was brought here to defeat the Demon Lord…” Toudou knew she’d face trials, but she didn’t anticipate worrying herself over something so stupid. A thousand-yard stare crosses Toudou’s face as she imagines herself in the mermaid armor. Aria has nothing to say back. Sea monsters can only exercise their full power underwater. That alone is the reason why port cities are still able to function even now that the seas have fallen into the Demon Lord’s hands—most sea monsters can’t come on land. Cloudburst also has a port. As such, it faces the sea, but its defenses are nearly perfect. The port is equipped with a ballista used to fight off giant squid, sea serpents, and other such massive sea creatures, and there is a regular cadre of knights stationed in case of an attack by mermen or other monsters able to come on land. The waterways have metal grates installed in them to prevent monsters from invading the city. So long as these grates aren’t attacked from the ground above, they will not falter. Toudou’s present goal is to establish a covenant with an elemental spirit. Sanya and Rabi are strong, no doubt, but their magical knowledge is negligible. Amelia is a mage to the extent that she can cast healing magic, so she will need to join this underwater quest. It doesn’t matter if she can’t swim…because she’ll be using the mermaid armor. The beach where Sanya and I gathered materials is completely devoid of people yet again. It used to be a popular swimming destination, from what I gather, but given how active the monsters have been lately, the gorgeous ocean and beach simply extend as far as the eye can see. Amelia follows behind me and squints as she takes in the sea for the first time. “I wanted to try swimming.” “Once we defeat the Demon Lord, you can.” Sanya is carrying a large backpack and calls out to me. Her amber skin and silver hair stand out, and her largely exposed look—even without the mermaid armor on—is in stark contrast to Rabi, who’s covered from head to toe in a robe behind her. “Boss, I’ve got a great idea.” “What’s that?” “A way to enter the ocean without the mermaid armor!” I’d wanted Amelia to experience going underwater as well, but unfortunately, her mermaid armor isn’t ready yet. I tried to get her to wear Sanya’s, but the bust was too small, and she couldn’t fit. I only wanted Amelia to get her first glimpse of the ocean today, but Sanya continues, sounding confident. “Amelia, if you start to suffocate, you can just cast healing magic on yourself. It’ll be really tough, but you should be able to manage until your holy energy runs out. Give it a try!” “…Ares, her idea is crazy. She’s essentially telling me to die. Are you still so sure about choosing her for the job?” “…” Sanya is looking at me, clearly entertained. That was my bad, wasn’t it? As we walk slowly along the coast, something pokes its head out of the water farther out to sea. Its form is visible from between the waves for a moment before picking up speed and approaching us. Its slimy head resembles that of a fish, and deep-blue scales cover its four humanlike limbs, but it’s not a demi-human—this is a type of monster unusual among sea-dwelling creatures in that it is able to walk on land. Sanya casually pulls a knife from her waist with a practiced hand. “It’s a merman. They’re pretty rare. It’s ’cause you killed all the giant monsters, boss.” “My apologies.” The merman climbs onto the beach and looks our way, not a shred of intelligence present in his gaze. He stands up and staggers before running toward us at full speed. Mermen can survive on land, but it’s simply that—survival. Their combat strength is paltry out of the water. They have strong arms, but their webbed feet are not made for running on land. In spite of all this, the merman doesn’t show any sign of hesitation or fear as he approaches. One reason that mermen are classified as monsters is their low intelligence—far lower than other beings classified as demi-humans. They aren’t capable of speech and largely behave according to instinct. Mermen have high fertility rates, hearty appetites, and will attack anything that moves. Anyone with the slightest capacity for fighting on land would not consider these monsters enemies. The merman is unarmed and outnumbered. You would think he’d be more alert for other monsters in the area. His feet slap along the ground as he struggles to run toward us, and Sanya launches a knife at him. The merman doesn’t even try to evade the knife and takes it directly in the head. He falls down and goes motionless. “I wonder what that was about…” “No idea. I’m sure they’re tougher in the ocean. They can be dangerous when they appear in large numbers underwater, so be careful. They’ve even been known to sink ships.” “No way I’m losing to any mermen, no matter how many appear.” “Giant monsters can’t enter the sunken temple, right? So I suppose this merman right here is probably the biggest size?” From what Sanya’s gathered, the halls of the sunken temple aren’t that spacious. An aquatic monster’s size is generally proportionate to its strength, which means nothing dangerous should appear down there. Sanya pulls out the knife and green blood gushes forth. Gazing at the bloody blade, she says, “I think you’re right. Maybe they’d be more of a threat if they were just a bit smarter.” “The sunken temple is basically a dungeon. You can’t just walk straight through—it’s got paths leading every which way.” The map that Sanya has created of the sunken temple is vastly more detailed than our current one. We’re making final preparations at the inn. Sanya’s eyes are ablaze as she speaks. Amelia adds, “…That’s the sort of thing that elemental spirits like—places that make it easy to gather energy, right?” “The temple is massive. Creating this map was a challenge, but the biggest issue at hand is that we don’t know where our destination is. There’s a magic circle deep inside the temple, so I assume it’s there, but I can’t even see elemental spirits, much less detect them.” “Detecting elemental spirits requires a different capacity from casting magic… High-ranking spirits are incredibly strong, but they have to establish an affinity with you before you can even see them.” Amelia isn’t an elementalist, and no one in our group is an expert on elemental spirits. Having Stey here might have been a different story, but that would have caused a whole litany of other problems. “Let’s leave the spirit covenant up to Limis. We’ll stay behind the scenes…and keep the location under control. Let’s finish this up as quickly as possible and move on to the next town.” We have no use for places ill-suited for leveling up. Meeting the skilled craftsman Zolan was a definite bonus, but that could just be a result of the Holy Warrior’s good fortune. Sanya balls up her fists as she says, “I like working behind the scenes. I’m in.” She’s become a lot more docile since I kicked her ass in a sparring match. Just then, Rabi, who’s been quiet so far, raises her hand. “Boss. I—” Rabi’s abilities are already a guarantee. We’re going to need her combat skills at some point. She said she’d be too embarrassed to fight in a bikini, but Sanya already told me why she’s acting so ridiculous. Simply put, it all comes down to instinct, I’m told. Being of mixed wererabbit lineage doesn’t sound easy. “Only the women will head down to the sunken temple. Toudou won’t see you. Are you still embarrassed?” “……” “I’m not asking you to prance around half-naked forever. I know about your race’s peculiarities. It’ll only be for a little while.” Rabi’s hood twitches and her ruby-red eyes go wide. Rabi stays frozen that way for about a minute before she asks diffidently, her voice hoarse and unable to hide her shock: “……Wh-where did you get that information?” “From her.” “Hey—boss! I told you it was a secret!” yells Sanya, flustered. Rabi looks toward her fellow apprentice with a gaze so icy, it gives me goose bumps. I double-checked to see if it was true, but it’s on Sanya for letting the information slip so easily. Sanya attempts to slink away, but Rabi easily grabs her by the tail with a skilled hand—I doubt this is the first time she’s done it. “Rabi, wait! It’s only natural that I’d disclose that information to our boss! He won’t exploit it!” Sanya tries desperately to convince Rabi, who isn’t even looking at her anymore. “Boss, do you mind if I borrow Sanya for a moment?” “Don’t kill her. I still have a use for Sanya.” “…?! But I didn’t do anything wrong, right?!” “…I’ll use my own discretion.” Leaving those venomous words hanging in the air, Rabi drags Sanya out of the room by her tail. The biggest issue when working in a group is human relations. Without the right modifications, there are likely to be some outbursts. Amelia silently watches them leave and checks that they’re both out of sight before asking me, “…Did something happen?” “I kicked Sanya’s ass in a sparring match and she’s been really loyal ever since. It’s instinctual.” Having werebeast blood isn’t strictly an advantage, in both Rabi’s and Sanya’s cases. Sanya is so skilled in combat that it’s hard to believe she’s only a scout, but we’re just not very compatible. Amelia sighs, obviously astonished. “Ares, do you always make a habit of doing things that way?” “If necessary, yes. If not, then no. In this case, I was simply heeding Sanya’s request.” And I was right in doing so. No organization will flourish if its subordinates have disdain for their leaders. I’ve managed to set things straight before getting to our main objective. This will make for a quality report to Creio. “By the way, what are the peculiarities of Rabi’s race…?” Amelia asks. I could tell her, but Rabi and I don’t know each other yet. If she considered me to be someone who would expose her secret at this juncture, that would only come back to haunt me. I pretend to hem and haw for a moment before looking up at Amelia. “It’s a secret.” Amelia and Rabi. I’m trying to imagine what it was like with just the two of them together, but I seriously can’t fathom it. I visit Zolan’s shop again to get his impressions of Toudou and his party. Zolan looks up from pounding away with his hammer behind the counter and grins when he sees me. The shop hardly has any items for sale, as always. How does this guy make a living? “Well? How’d it go?” “Hyuck-hyuck, they cut a fine figure, the lot of ’em.” Zolan gives me a thumbs-up. That’s not what I asked, but it looks like the magic-item creation is going well, regardless. The dwarf wipes the sweat from his brow and sets down his hammer. I can see the scales of one of the fish I caught on his worktable. What’s the point of hammering those? “Been a long time since I had an order this big. My arms are killin’ me.” “Good news for you.” “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck, not to worry. I’m gonna make the sexiest damn bikinis you’ll ever lay eyes on!” That was really never the point. Nobody asked for a sexy bikini. I better make sure of that, though. “You’re talking about the mermaid armor, yes?” “Yep, that’s the one.” “…” Is this guy really all there? …Well, I won’t be the one wearing it anyway. Now that we’ve confirmed the armor does what it’s supposed to, I need to make a compromise. “Did you finish taking Toudou’s and his party’s measurements?” “’Course I did. I’ve got these skeleton glasses, after all. And there’s more than enough material for their suits. It’s gonna be the most magnificent mermaid armor yet!” Zolan is brimming with confidence. What a stupid way to use this kind of technology. Plus, he mentioned something I can’t just ignore—a magic item that measures size by sight? “These skeleton glasses… They don’t allow you to see through clothing, do they?” “Like hell they don’t. They just measure size. But I know what ya mean. If only my wife would let me make ’em able to see through clothes…” Zolan looks genuinely sad. So there is someone stopping him. Maybe if he had three wives, he’d actually be a normal craftsman. I think I’ve seen enough; I’m exhausted. Nevertheless, Zolan continues, having just remembered something. “Oh, that’s right. There’s just one problem.” “…” It must be Toudou. We’ve been covering up the fact that he’s a man, but I’m sure Zolan noticed. He looks pretty androgynous, so I thought we might just be able to pull the wool over Zolan’s eyes… Maybe I can convince him. We gathered the materials and have paid cash, so perhaps Zolan will make one for men just this once? As I open my mouth to speak, Zolan’s mouth stretches into a wide grin and he makes a completely unanticipated remark. “There seems to be one member who’s got zero magical energy—the sword master. Big tits, blue hair. That one.” I’d forgotten about that. The mermaid armor might be ridiculous, but it is a magic item, after all. Without magical energy, it won’t function. However, if Aria and Toudou can’t travel underwater, that means Limis and Glacia will have to tackle the sunken temple alone—a tall order. Glacia is strong enough, but I can’t imagine she would be able to protect Limis on her own. This new problem brings a frown to my face, but Zolan grins even wider and thumps his chest. “Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck! Don’t make that face. I know exactly what yer thinkin’. Leave it up to me.” “…” “I’ve developed a new type of mermaid armor that collects magical energy! If ya imbue it with magical energy beforehand, even someone lacking any themselves can wear it, no problem! But ya gotta make sure the girl with the huuuuuuge tits wears it! Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck—” …Maybe he is a genius? It doesn’t matter; I really couldn’t care less. I mean, that does help, but it’s just… How the hell does he create something like that off the cuff?! And what’s the deal with acting like we’re close pals? Did I do something to deserve this? Zolan is beyond elated, but I can’t come up with an adequate response. I decide to double-check instead. “Any other problems?” “They’re all total knockouts. Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck… You’ll get your three sets of armor, no sweat.” It seems that Toudou slipped by him somehow. This is such bullshit. Well, I doubt that Toudou expects to receive a bikini, but that’s on the back burner for now. “I see… Then I’ll leave this in your hands… Three sets?” “Ah, one was a size I had in stock, so I already gave it to ’em.” “…Very well. I’ll be waiting for the rest, then.” “You got it!” I watch Zolan as he picks up his hammer and starts pounding again before I leave the magic-item shop. He had a set in stock? Well, that was a waste of our materials, but it’s not as if there are any tricks to determining a person’s size before meeting them. Chalk it up to a loss. That evening, I learn something even more shocking through Glacia. “Toudou is going to wear the mermaid armor?” “Y-yes… The set he already received from Zolan…” Amelia’s voice quavers. She’s trying to remain calm but can’t hide her discomposure. Sanya and Rabi hold their breath as they listen. So the suit Zolan had in stock was for Toudou…?! Toudou is a man. How could his “size” be in stock? It’s on me for pushing the issue, but I didn’t think it would actually work. If Toudou was alone, that would be one thing, but he has his companions with him. Companions who are girls his age. And he’s going to put on a bikini in front of them? This is nothing short of perversion. What a fix… This is completely unexpected. I’ve underestimated Toudou’s dedication to defeating the Demon Lord. The man knows no shame. He really does have the qualities of a hero. I resign myself to this fact. For the first time, I feel deep respect for Toudou—and shame in myself. I close my eyes and think. Amelia doesn’t say anything, nor does Sanya or Rabi. They’re all keeping their mouths shut as if waiting for my thoughts to settle. I ponder for a good thirty minutes before finally opening my eyes. Fighting against a monstrosity is easy. I’m used to risking my life. However, resigning myself to the road ahead has taken time. This may just mark the difference between heroes and common folk. Damn, heroes are insane. “I’ll…negotiate with Zolan. Amelia… I’ll…wear the suit.” “?!” Amelia’s face freezes in place. But my conviction remains strong. This is a matter of sheer willpower. What are shame and honor worth anyway? “It’s a perfect fit… So creepy. What the hell?” Toudou mumbles, her face twitching as she tries on the mermaid armor—the bikini—that she received from Zolan. Naotsugu Toudou is a girl. She has a masculine name, and ever since arriving in this world, she’s hidden her gender at the Kingdom’s discretion, but she always lived life as a girl before being summoned to Ruxe. She has no reason to hesitate to wear a bikini. However, she never actually took any measurements at the shop, and even though she’s been pretending to be male, she was given a bikini that fits her perfectly. That’s just downright creepy. Aria looks Toudou over from head to toe after she finishes changing into the armor and furrows her brow. “You definitely won’t pass for a man looking like this…” “…Mm…” “Your hair is getting long, too.” Toudou brushes aside her bangs, which now hang down to her eyes. She’s not sure if she should be elated or dejected, and her face shows it. Looking in the mirror, she can’t see the light-blue mermaid armor as anything but a bikini. Her breasts, which are usually constricted by a tight cloth wrapping, are now fully liberated. Seeing them, Limis is astonished and turns away. If she heads to the beach in this getup, she’ll be turning heads for certain. Of course, she has no intention of walking around like this. She has no idea who might be watching her, wherever she goes. Toudou adjusts the swimsuit’s shoulder straps and sighs. “…Guess I’ll just have to wear my armor over it.” “…Will it fit?” “…It’s just one extra layer of cloth, so I think so. I’m gonna take a quick dip in the ocean to test it out.” The other members’ armor isn’t ready yet, but a quick test run should be fine. Aria and Limis nod worriedly. “…My armor…is so tight…” “Why are your boobs getting so big when mine won’t grow at all…?” Limis mumbles to herself as the party practically drags her along to the beach near the entrance to the sunken temple. The cobalt-blue ocean stretches as far as the eye can see. Toudou is dumbfounded by the view. She’s heard that powerful monsters dwell under the sea, but looking from the outside, she can hardly believe it. “Nao, please be careful.” “Yeah, I know.” Toudou checks the fit on her armor as she stretches her arms and legs, almost like she’s doing a warm-up. It’s impossible to tell from the outside, but Toudou has now equipped the mermaid armor in place of her underwear. The holy armor Fried is extremely light, so even if the mermaid armor happens to not function properly, she shouldn’t need to worry about drowning. The beach is completely abandoned. As she tests the sand underneath her feet, Toudou looks back at Aria and the others. “This is just a test, so I’ll come right back.” “Monsters could appear. If something happens, give us a signal right away. I can swim well enough.” “Got it.” Toudou is also an accomplished swimmer. She checks the holy sword Ex hanging from her waist and nods to herself. Then, as her companions watch on, Toudou steps into the ocean. So this is…mermaid armor, huh? It functions tremendously well. Keeping her eyes wide open, Toudou steps carefully out into the sea, step-by-step, as sunlight pierces the water’s surface. A cool sensation envelops her entire body, but she’s able to keep her eyes open, and her breath comes easily. She opens her hands to check and see what her movements are like. There is very little resistance, to the point where she quickly forgets she’s underwater. A number of different creatures lie within the sea’s murky depths. Toudou is still close to the beach, but she already sees fish and crabs as big as she is prowling the ocean floor. Thankfully, they don’t seem to have any interest in Toudou as she explores. Walking through the ocean is an odd sensation. Toudou watches as a three-meter-long fish with a blank look on its face swims past, and she lets out a gasp. Even as she exhales, no air escapes her mouth. “So the ocean…also has monsters? The scale of this world is massive.” Yet, she met a demi-dragon in the Great Forest of the Vale, and the underground tomb was full of skeletons. Toudou has faced off against monsters that didn’t even exist back in her home world. A big fish isn’t going to scare her. Convincing herself as much, she unsheathes the holy sword Ex in one clean movement. The silvery blade shines in her dim surroundings. A number of fish and giant crabs draw closer to the light. Toudou takes a few practice slashes. Even under the ocean, the holy sword Ex is light as a feather. They’re probably not afraid of the sword itself, but the fish and crabs that drew closer scatter and flee. Toudou checks her form a few times. She feels equally as sharp as she would on land. She should be able to fight underwater just as well as she does anywhere else. After checking her blade’s performance thoroughly, she puts it back in its hilt. Everyone is probably worried about her, and she’s satisfied with her trial run. Time to head back. Just as she turns on her heel, Toudou catches sight of something odd: a squirming mass of shadowy figures slightly ahead of her through the murky sea. Squinting, she can see their silhouettes—monsters. They have the head of a fish and short, stubby legs covered in blue scales that emit an eerie glow. The arms sprouting out from their sides hold long, thin weapons. These must be the mermen that were detailed in the information provided by the Church. They’re not supposed to be very strong monsters, but this is a peculiarly large number of them in one place. Even from this distance, Toudou can see over ten mermen. What the heck? Why are there so many of them? Over one hundred meters separate the mermen and Toudou. They haven’t noticed her yet. Toudou takes one step toward them before realizing that the entire group is focused on one spot. “…?!” Just ahead of them is a single merman. But he’s different from the rest. First off, he’s a different size and color. Different weapon, too. And the eyes—they’re not the same, either. The average merman is about one and a half meters tall, but this one is a whole head taller. The others have dark-blue scales, but this one has scales black as iron. Despite the large gap between them, he swivels his giant head around and locates Toudou on the dimly lit ocean floor. She can see his eyes flashing deep red, even from where she stands. He has a golden fin growing from his back. Toudou instinctively retreats a step from his commanding presence. Even with the distance between them, she can feel his seething vigor. Judging from her past experiences in battle, Toudou is convinced—this merman is…powerful. He could be more powerful than any monsters she’s battled so far. “A merman…king?” There’s no chance he could have actually heard her, but at Toudou’s words, the merman suddenly brandishes his weapon. From where she stands, Toudou can practically feel the shock wave from the attack. The mermen groveling in fear nearby are cast asunder like scraps of shredded paper. The rest try to escape but are immediately smashed into the ocean floor. Though she can’t hear the black-colored merman’s voice, she can still feel his terrifying fury from afar. —I need to get out of here. Toudou suddenly realizes she must escape and instinctively makes a beeline for the shore. This was only a test run of the magic item’s functionality. Her companions aren’t close by. She needs to avoid combat to the extent possible. Toudou stomps on the ocean floor as she runs with abandon. She doesn’t even have time to think about drawing her sword. Thankfully, nothing is pursuing her. Her vision is flooded with light as she returns to dry land. She doesn’t stop running until she sees her companions. Finally, she collapses onto the sand. Limis and Aria dash over to Toudou, worried by her unusual appearance. “Wh-what’s wrong, Nao?! Did the mermaid armor—?” “Pant, pant… There was s-something down there…” “…Something…? What was it?” Aria gives Toudou her hand. She takes it gratefully and looks out toward the sea. It looks the same as when they first arrived, still as beautiful and serene, without any sign of trouble. Toudou wipes her mouth with her sleeve and sputters. Her heart is hammering in her chest. She’s trying hard to stay calm, but her voice is shaking uncontrollably. “Their boss… The merman boss.” “Boss?” “Yeah, he was horrible. Easily the most terrifying monster I’ve ever seen. That thing was pure evil.” Toudou is brave. No matter what monsters have appeared thus far, she’s always faced them with valor. Aria and Limis are shocked to hear something so unexpected coming out of their hero’s mouth. “What kind of…monster was it?” “There shouldn’t be any monsters that strong unless you go out to the open sea—” Limis attempts to stifle her anxiety. Aria looks grim. “He didn’t even hesitate…to kill his own kind. And… Oh yeah. He had a different weapon than they did—he had a mace.” “Pffft— Boss, that is epic! What even is that thing?!” “Hell if I know!” I wait for Toudou to disappear before coming back up onto the beach. Sanya is cackling like a hyena and slaps me on the back. My armor’s rough, lifelike black scales are coated in a special metal alloy—far more rugged than any normal suit. The mouth contains a full set of teeth, each like individual knives, and it gives the armor a sort of intimidating air beyond the scope of mere decoration. The golden fin sprouting from its back is made from that of a sea serpent and has the effect of frightening off sea monsters. It has one eye on each side of the head that shines a bright, bloody crimson. Unfortunately, because they’re in a different position from human eyes, they’re simply decorations. Instead, the wearer can see out of the mouth.