Chapter 42

Epilogue How to Provide Further Support “…Why are you wearing mermaid armor indoors?” “…Well, I was all alone doing administrative work this whole time… And I hadn’t had a chance to try it on, either.” Amelia puffs her cheeks and crosses her arms over the dazzlingly white bikini she’s wearing, as if trying to accentuate her chest. She does a twirl, showing off her flawless pale skin. Everyone else hated putting it on… I wish they would all take a page out of Amelia’s book. “How do you like it?” “It looks like it would be see-through once I got in the ocean.” “…You don’t need to worry about that. Zolan’s wife oversaw its production.” Even if she did, she could have changed a few other things about it, too. That said, we owe our victory this round to the honorable Zolan. Without the mermaid armor, we wouldn’t have picked up on Heljarl’s movements until he had already attacked Cloudburst. Then our only choice would have been to run. “I made regular reports. Why didn’t you answer the transmission for so long?” “I was a bit tied up down there.” It was a brutal battle. Heljarl’s minions were powerful and brave, and above all else, there were so damn many of them. Despite their low level, taking on that sheer number of bloodthirsty warriors was not an easy task. I nearly died on several occasions… If I wasn’t a priest able to heal himself, I would have certainly depleted my strength halfway through. However, my life-risking endeavors were worth it. I extracted information from Heljarl, destroyed the magic item, and although he got away, Rabi put an end to him. These results will pay certain dividends down the road. Amelia sighs quietly as she averts her gaze. “Well, it’s no bother. As long as you’re all right.” I wanted to call Amelia at least once, but I truly didn’t have a moment to spare. Honestly, things were so frantic that I couldn’t even hear her coming through the transmission. My merman armor, riddled with holes, should prove ample testament to this fact. “Boss, you didn’t finish Heljarl off properly, and look what happened to me. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” The hooded girl, sitting on her bed and holding her knees, grumbles. My second mercenary received top marks this time around—she finished Heljarl off. Heljarl himself was an unexpected twist, and it must have drained Rabi—her voice is listless. She’s acting, I’m sure of it. Can’t fool me that easily. “…Why did you let him escape? That messed everything up so badly.” “Because I prioritized saving Sanya. I couldn’t just leave her abandoned behind enemy lines, now could I?” I played my cards well, but if I left her alone, she would have died. There’s no way I wasn’t helping someone who was in dire need. That said, I didn’t expect Heljarl to go after Toudou… He’s definitely got the grim reaper on his tail. Rabi remains silent for a moment before collapsing on her side and whispering softly, “…………I have nothing to say. So unfair. I’ll have to punish Sanya for being such a screwup.” “Don’t go too hard on her. She did everything she was supposed to.” Getting caught was definitely Sanya’s mistake, but it’s thanks to her that we were able to escape Heljarl’s stronghold so swiftly. She also led me to the treasure vault, allowing me to seize its contents. Even when she was under his control, she was apparently still conscious and able to grasp most of what was happening. Her brainwashing was dispelled when the flute was destroyed, so if anything, it was good that she got caught. Heljarl is dead. His army is no more. The horde of monsters he was gathering has largely dispersed. “Boss, you’re such a hard-ass! Maaaaan, I’m beat! I think I’m gonna quit!” Sanya, who probably had the hardest time of us all, walks into the room, complaining. She throws the wet bag she hauled all the way here on the floor and then throws herself down beside it. The bag holds the items stored in Heljarl’s treasure vault. Mar Animus was destroyed, but a number of magic items still remained within: one that ascertains the location of the Holy Warrior and one used for summoning. Researching these items further may reveal where they were made and just how they managed to fall into the Demon Lord Army’s possession. As Sanya sinks down to the floor, Rabi throws a furtive glance her way from atop the bed. I suppose she must have been worried about her after all. She sustained some damage to her bones and internal organs, but I cast healing magic on her, so there’s no need for concern. “Hey, boss! Why did I have to carry your merman armor all the way here, huh…?” “I can’t be walking around the city dressed like a merman. In any case, Rabi’s the one with something to complain about, don’t you think? Thanks to your blunder, she had to take down Heljarl. Now she’ll be rewarded with a gourmet carrot.” “?!” It was just a joke, but Rabi sits up on the bed and looks at me before scowling at Sanya. Rabi was the one to defeat Heljarl, but the credit will be given to Toudou and his party. Because that’s the way it has to be. The Holy Warrior’s defeat of one of the Demon Lord Army’s leaders is the kind of legend, the kind of hope that the world needs right now. The tale of Heljarl’s death will spread far and wide for some time. No—we will spread it. And that will act as a beacon of the counterattack on the Demon Lord and his army. “…Are you…evil?” Amelia asks. “There’s no immediate cash reward, but an accomplishment is an accomplishment. I’ll see what I can do to get some money from the higher-ups.” “Ares, you’re so business-minded.” Heljarl was top brass within the Demon Lord’s army. He was certainly a tough opponent, but Toudou has his sights on someone even more formidable. That said, I’m exhausted myself. We all deserve some respite—after we finish everything we need to do in Cloudburst, that is. “Sanya. I need you to retrieve Heljarl’s corpse before someone steals it. I’ve got a use for it.” “…Aye-aye, sir. How are you still this chipper…?” “And, Rabi, there’s no time to be resting now.” “……Huh? …I—I can’t move a muscle. I definitely have some broken bones…” Rabi is shaking her head. I cast Heal on her without another word. “…From now on, I refuse to work for a healer. Wh-what are you doing…? Don’t…b-bully me…” Rabi raises her head slowly and looks at me with tears in her eyes. Nice try—I’ve already heard plenty from Sanya about your exploits as a beheading machine. I say one last thing to Rabi, who seems to be forgetting something fundamental. There’s no way she actually forgot the purpose of our last mission here? “We’re going to help Limis and Toudou with their elemental spirit covenants.” The entire suit is full of holes—eyes gouged out, the dorsal fin shredded—and Zolan’s voice quivers as he looks over the half-destroyed merman armor. “Wh-what the hell happened…? Merman armor’s leagues tougher than a normal full-plated suit of armor…and yet…” “I was surrounded, you see.” “…I dunno what kinda mermaids ya went lookin’ for, but ya really went overboard.” Zolan pats the front of the merman armor repeatedly, clearly in shock. However, it’s not like I looked like this right after I got out of the ocean. The seadragon knights’ attacks pierced right through me. I can heal myself with spells, but that doesn’t get rid of the blood. At any rate, let’s just forget about that. “This item is superb. A real gem. Can you repair it?” “It’d probably be quicker to create a new suit from scratch.” …So I guess that means I can still use it for now. At this point, it looks like an undead merman, but it still functions, and I don’t plan on being here much longer. I’m never again going to dive into the ocean to infiltrate the Demon Lord’s army dressed as a merman. If I have a use for it, it will be just one more time, at the absolute most. I wasn’t sure of him at first, but meeting Zolan turned out to be the most fortunate thing that happened in this entire place. Zolan is a pervert, but he’s exceptionally skilled. We’ll need his deep knowledge of magic items for future battles. And serious thanks to his wife for being here, too. “There’s something else I would like to ask of you.” “Hmm? What’s that?” Zolan looks up from inspecting the merman armor with his magnifying glass. There’s something charming about his bearded countenance. His brown eyes gaze at me, and in order not to spook him, I manage a smile and cut to the chase. “Next, I would like to disguise myself as one of the legions of darkness… Something like evil god armor, for example… Could you make it?” “…Just what d’you intend to do next?” Zolan looks up at me, frowning. Of course, I’d be using it to support the defeat of the Demon Lord…but maybe it’s not feasible? Perhaps unethical, too? Although I’m willing to bet that if I really could disguise myself as a follower of darkness, it would prove extremely effective for the cause. Zolan looks thoroughly disturbed, so that’s the end of that. Time to change the subject. What I’m really after is something different. “Also, do you have any interest in the sisterhood? There’s a girl I want you to meet.” I’ve said it many times by now, but Zolan is a pervert. He’s a pervert and a genius. His talents are wasted here making weird stuff like mermaid armor. I’d definitely like him to join us at the Church headquarters. If the Church had his technical capacity to create original magic items, our analysis of existing ones would only get easier. I know Zolan’s personality well by now. He probably won’t join us if I scout him directly, but I have a secret plan. Zolan’s eyes flash wildly at my question. Hesitatingly, he asks, “Th-this sister ya speak of… Is she…cute?” “She has a great face. Certainly on par with Amelia and the other girls I brought here.” Zolan strokes his chin and agonizes over this, looking even more serious than I’ve ever seen him. I slyly add one more detail. “Ah, and she’s quite well-endowed. She would definitely require a new set of mermaid armor.” “…I-I’d like to know more. Anything else? Any other information?” Zolan takes the bait, hook, line, and sinker. I’ll be contacting Creio later. I nod at Zolan and add the finishing touch. “…She’s a massive ditz.” In the hall at the very bottom of the stairway entrance to the sunken temple, Limis looks nervous as she faces the water elemental spirit. The spirit has taken the form of a young woman. Even for me, with my low level of magical sophistication, it’s fully visible—clearly a powerful being. This high-ranking water spirit is none other than the entity known as an undine. I did not expect Heljarl to try to take Toudou’s life, but there is a silver lining. That undine and the party forming a united front against him is part of that. Today, Limis is visiting the sunken temple to complete her original goal, and the water spirit appears before her immediately. I came down here first, but the spirit didn’t show itself to me. It must have been searching for Limis and the others. The high-level water elemental spirit smiles at Limis. Its gaze is pure and affectionate. Conversely, Limis seems a bit hesitant, and she restlessly fidgets with her staff. Accompanying her is Aria, who urges her along. Toudou is under the weather, I’m told, and so he’s not here. The most important aspect of establishing a covenant is the spirit’s intention. The water elemental spirit’s expression is sunny and poses no danger. At this rate, the covenant looks like it will go off without a hitch. I’m not an elementalist or anything, but even I can grasp that much. Limis hesitates before she finally starts walking toward the water spirit. I quietly keep an eye on her from the corner and release a deep breath, letting my shoulders relax. This will finally complete our objective in Cloudburst. Limis and the others have improved their combat skills as well. We also took care of that big-shot Heljarl and managed to extract some information from him about the Demon Lord’s army. As the individual responsible for summoning the hero, Creio should be quite satisfied with the results. I solemnly pray that our next journey will go just as well as this one. As I close my eyes and offer up a prayer to the God of Order, I can hear Limis’s flustered voice. “Huh?! Wha—? Garnet?! Don’t attack it— Ugh— You’re not listening—” An explosion and a piercing cry fill the hall, followed by a surge of heat and light. I lift my head up in a panic.