Chapter 3:
New Self
COME ON, Fran!
“Hm!”
The day after I woke from my remodeling, Fran and I decided to test me out.
“Haa!”
Good! That was great!
“Tsch!”
There!
I made a five-meter-wide boulder with Land Magic, and Fran split it clean in half. But she still wasn’t satisfied with the result.
“Not good enough…”
No?
“Hm. Not even close.”
I figured.
Charging me with mana was more difficult than before. When she held back, it wasn’t enough to use me properly, and when she didn’t, it was too much to be efficient. It was interfering with her skill control.
The Air Hop she’d just executed was terrible. She’d prepared to use two Air Hops, then cut the boulder vertically from above. But in the end, she did three. It threw her off balance and meant that she didn’t accelerate through the boulder so much as fall through it. When the first skill in the chain failed, it threw everything else off, and she couldn’t pull off the Pressurized Quickdraw.
I knew how she felt. It was very similar to when the P.A. compounded my skills. For a while, the advanced skills were harder to control, and it threw off my rhythm. Still, Fran had gotten used to it pretty quick back then, and I was confident she’d do the same thing now.
The problem was with me.
Because of my enhancements, Element Blade and the other spells I used to support Fran were too powerful. And I’d grown so strong so quickly that it was difficult to control them. My spells took too long to cast, and that impacted on everything else, so our other skills were mistimed too. On top of all of that, our practice boulder came out lopsided. I needed to get used to my current power level, and fast.
This is awful…
“Hm.”
Fran might have a knack for picking things up quickly, but I was smack average. I needed a lot more practice.
But there were definitely some improvements. My mana circuits ran better, and now that my internals were fixed, simultaneous casting was cheaper. I could charge a single spell with more too, and so my maximum damage was increased. I was pretty sure I could pull of Murelia’s altered Kanna Kamuy once I got a handle on things, but I hadn’t tried it yet. After all, I was still recovering from the sword version of an illness.
“Again, Teacher.”
All right!
We kept at it, using as many skills as we could. Sometimes, Fran accelerated with skills and spells to dodge my magic. Other times, she broke through the walls I set up, swinging with all her strength. We were getting better, but it still wasn’t good enough. Eventually, Urslars came out of the mansion.
“Having trouble?” he asked.
Fran nodded. “Hm…”
She didn’t even try to deny it.
“Hmph.”
“…!”
Wha?!
Suddenly, Gaia was bearing down on us, dripping with murderous intent. Fran narrowly avoided the Earth Sword, which gouged a deep cut into the ground beside us. If we hadn’t avoided it in time, that swing would’ve caused some serious damage.
What are you doing?!
“Nice dodge.” Urslars chuckled. “You couldn’t have done that if you didn’t use your skills properly.”
He…made a good point. When Fran realized what he was trying to do, she clapped her fist into her open hand. Urslars had created real danger to help us. It was the only way to get better. Just thinking about using our skills wouldn’t cut it.
“Training helps you get the hang of your skills, but real combat is the best teacher.”
I understood what he was getting at, but he could’ve at least given us a heads up! Still, Fran was nodding vigorously. She agreed with Urslars one hundred percent.
“Hm. Got it.”
“Great!” he said. “You won’t die with Teacher around anyway, right?”
He made his intentions clear, and Fran readied me in preparation.
Hey!
“Haaa!”
“Hngh!”
Before I could get a word in, they’d started their sparring match. These blood knights seemed to understand each other perfectly.
“Raaaagh!”
“Hmph!”
“That was good!”
Urslars attacked, and Fran dodged. Neither of them used spells, as though they’d come to the silent agreement to rely on melee for now.
The big man might look like he was swinging his sword wildly, but there was a method in his violence. I noticed that he sometimes used slow and deliberate attacks between a number of fast slashes, like he was laying a trap. If you dodged carelessly, he could predict your movements, and few could match his strength enough to block him. He could overpower any attempt to deflect, and ignoring it only gave Urslars an opportunity to close in. That’s how he threw his opponents off balance. All he needed was a moment’s opening for the Godsword to do its work.
“Ha ha ha! So you deflected it! Very good!”
“Barely. You okay, Teacher?”
That took a chunk of my durability, but I’m still good!
Fran only used me to deflect Gaia for an instant, but it was enough to do some serious damage. The striking difference in our strength didn’t do much to improve my spirits. The only reason Fran could keep up was thanks to her superior agility and sword mastery. That compensated for our difference in experience, strength, and weapon power. Although we were still on the defensive…
Still, we were holding our own against this beast of a man. He was an S-Rank adventurer, so the fact that we weren’t killed immediately was an achievement in itself.
“Taaaah!”
“Hurgh! There you go!” said Urslars. “That’s the way to do it!”
“Hngh!”
It wasn’t just his regenerative abilities that made him impressive. He was relentless. Pain Immunity stopped him from flinching at deep wounds, and Shockwaves did little to slow him down. For the fighting game fans out there, Urslars had perpetual super armor. He could keep attacking, even under heavy assault.
The two carried on sparring for a while, although I was starting to wonder if you could even call it sparring. They knew that they could heal at the brink of death, and so neither of them held back. The only vague rule was “try not to kill each other.”
Still, Urslars was right: real combat was the best teacher. They’d both had to heal up many times already, and Fran’s movement was getting better. I’d initially panicked when she got hurt, but in the end, it made my healing more precise. It was a strange feeling, and this was only the beginning.
“All warmed up?” Urslars asked.
“Yep.”
“Good! Now we can get started!”
“Hm!”
And then they were off. They moved faster and struck harder, and now magic was an option too.
“Take this!” said Urslars. “Gravity Stomp!”
“Ugh!”
Fran sensed the danger and backed off quickly, as a large swathe of ground around Urslars sunk by several centimeters—like an invisible plate had pressed down on it. It didn’t seem to affect Urslars, probably because of the Land Magic Immunity on his Godsword. Fran managed to avoid it too, but the danger was far from over.
“Let’s see how you handle this,” he said.
“Hrm!”
Urslars slashed horizontally with his Godsword, while Fran brought me up to deflect.
“Huh?”
What’s going on?!
As soon as his attack landed, Fran started to float. She couldn’t believe her eyes, but I realized what was going on right away: he’d reduced her gravity until she couldn’t keep her footing. I didn’t detect any spells coming from Urslars, so it was probably Gaia’s latent power.
“Stone Spear!”
As we were blown away, huge shards of rock came flying at us, and all of them were charged with mana. Urslars might look like a meathead, but he had some serious control and creativity with his spells.
“Oh?”
Fran Air Hopped out of the way, but her body was too light, and she put too much power on it. It was like walking on the moon, and Urslars was prepared for her mistake. He jumped up easily into the air. Yep, he could definitely manipulate gravity.
“Raaaah!”
That won’t work this time!
Danger Sense warned me that nothing good would come from blocking his Godsword this time. If it could make things light, it could probably make them heavy, and I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that. Instead, I blinked away and got behind him.
“Yaaah!”
Fall!
Fran was used to this tactic and quickly moved to the right after the teleport—slashing her sword while I cast a Thunder spell.
“Raaagh!”
Urslars dissipated the dense field of electricity with his sword, but Fran wasn’t perturbed. She cast a Wind spell to support her in midair, then used Vernier and Air Hop to charge Urslars’s flank. She moved so fast that it looked like teleportation, but he was ready for it.
Take this!
“Teacher, now?! Ha ha!”
Just go down!
I fired a Flame spell at Urslars while he was preoccupied with Fran, but to no avail. He just calmly shot some boulders back at us.
Now this intense sparring match was peppered with spells. The longer this went on, the less either of them held back. We used more spells and powerful attacks, and I got so into it that I even fired off a Kanna Kamuy. Urslars had fired the first shot when he used gravity manipulation, so everything was fair game now.
It wasn’t long before Aristea’s front yard was an absolute mess. Trees were toppled, grass was burnt, the ground had holes in it. But Urslars didn’t seem too worried about Mad Ogre Form. It had just reset, so maybe that’s why he could fight at this intensity. That meant this might be our only chance to train with him. I was really grateful that he’d spend his precious lucid time with Fran like this.
“Ga ha ha! You’re moving a lot better now!” he said.
“Tsch! You haven’t seen anything yet!”
“Ha ha ha!”
And of course, he was very much enjoying himself.
Their sparring-match-come-all-out-war continued into the afternoon before they broke for a late lunch. As they ate, they discussed the fight.
“Looks like you’re back to good form,” Urslars said, munching on his food.
“Hm,” Fran said, chewing along.
After a quarter of a day fighting with him, our skill usage had definitely improved. We still weren’t quite where we needed to be, but at least we were good enough that we wouldn’t mess up a skill in the heat of battle. We might still miscalculate our teleports, but depending on the encounter, that might even be beneficial. Our training had paid off. All we needed now was more experience.
Thanks. You really helped us out.
“I had fun,” Urslars, smiling a bit through his food.
Was he being shy?
“Going out and hunting some monsters will do you the world of good,” he said, one rice ball in his hand and another smeared all over his lips. Risking our life fighting monsters sounded like good training, but I was still worried. Didn’t we need more training before we went out…?
“Teacher,” said Fran. “We’re going to kill monsters.”
Don’t you think it’s too soon?
“Now.”
Fran was completely on board. Well, I guess we could start with some weaker ones. If there were any goblins around, we could easily kill those.
As we discussed what kind of monsters to hunt, Urslars got up. He’d eaten twenty rice balls and his hunger was sated. He patted his stomach.
“I’ll show you something cool before I go,” he said.
“What?”
“You said Teacher was going to be stronger than a Godsword one day.”
If Fran says so, I have to believe her.
“Hm. Teacher will be the best sword ever!”
Urslars gave her a savage smile, then took Gaia and pointed it at the sky.
“Behold the goal you seek!”
What was he doing?
“Godsword Release!” he bellowed.
Mana poured out of him into Gaia. There was so much that I could see it. And, with that, he unleashed Gaia’s true power.
“Wow.”
Whoa!
The shockwave rippled outward for ten meters. If I hadn’t set up a barrier, we would’ve been blown away. And the winds blowing around Urslars were only getting stronger.
We were all right, but I wish he’d warned us first! Still, Fran’s eyes were absolutely sparkling with excitement.
Within the storm of mana, Gaia transformed into the thing we saw in the dungeon—a cross between a greatsword and a battering ram. Even just standing near it was more intimidating than a maxed-out Menace Skill. Fran knew it wasn’t hostile, but she took a step back all the same. The earth, air, and even the mana around us reverberated with the advent of Land Sword Gaia.
Identify still can’t tell much…
Gaia was far stronger than me, so I couldn’t see much information.
Name: Land Sword Gaia
Attack: 4700; MP: 20000; Durability: 30000
Mana Conductivity: SS+
Skills: --
But thanks to my remodeling, I could see its MP and Durability now. Hooray for progress!
And yet…this thing was monstrous. Its Attack, Magic, Durability…everything was so much stronger than me. This was a true Godsword. This was what I was trying to become, but the difference was so great that I could have cried. Still, Fran believed that I could transcend even this, so I had to keep my tears to myself. I carved the image of Gaia’s absolute power into my mind, to make sure I never forgot my objective.
As we watched in silence, Urslars shouldered the Godsword.
“I’ll show you some of Gaia’s power,” he said. “Burn it into your minds!”
Gaia glowed with a reddish-brown aura. The mana was so menacing, it was palpable.
“Haaaa!”
The ground shook, like Urslars was the epicenter of the earthquake.
“Watch this!” Urslars roared, jumping into the air.
He manipulated his own gravity and soared through the air, climbing a good thirty meters before he started crashing down. I knew his tricks, but it still made for a strange sight.
“Gravity Blow!”
By the time Urslars slammed Gaia into the ground, it was a whirlpool of mana. A massive crater formed around us—thirty meters wide and twenty meters deep. It appeared in an instant. Blink and you would’ve missed it, as Urslars landscaped the whole area in a single blow.
“Wow…!”
You can say that again.
If we’d been caught in that attack, we would’ve died. At best, we might have been able to escape with a Dimension spell.
“I only used half its power, but I hope that was a good demonstration. Can’t go too crazy, now…”
So much destruction, and it was only at 50 percent power?! Godswords really were incredible, and I was glad he’d gone berserk in a dungeon where he couldn’t use his full strength. If it hadn’t been for that, we might not be standing here now.
Most terrifying of all was the fact that he didn’t even break a sweat. Guess he wasn’t kidding when he said it wasn’t at full power. Could he use that attack more than once in quick succession? Once again, I felt the size of the distance between us. No wonder he was an S-Rank adventurer. But we weren’t about to give up.
“This is a fraction of what you’re aiming for,” he reminded us.
“Great,” said Fran.
“Really?”
You heard the girl. I can’t quit once she sets her mind on something.
“As long as I have Teacher, we’ll catch up.”
And we had a lot of catching up to do. I had no idea how we’d do it, but at least we knew what we were aiming for now. As long as we were together, we could do it.
Just you wait.
“We won’t give up,” said Fran.
That’s when it happened.
“Uh, Teacher? Fran?” Urslars said, alarmed. “You’re…you’re glowing!”
“?”
Wait, this light…
“Huh. We are glowing.”
It’s the blue light…!
The same mysterious light that always came when we were fighting a powerful enemy. We shone with it together, united.
But we’re not even fighting…
<Fran’s contract status has been upgraded from Sword User to Swordnited.>
The P.A.?! What’s going on?
<…>
Silence. Despite all the remodeling work, she still couldn’t answer me.
“It’s…gone,” said Fran.
Yeah, but something seems to have changed between us. Although I have no idea what.
“We’ll be fine,” said Fran. “The light has always helped us.”
That’s true.
Fran was right. Whatever had happened, it didn’t feel wrong. If anything, a warm bond had formed between us. We would be all right.
Urslars laughed. “So, you’re okay? That’s great!”
“Hm.”
He ruffled Fran’s hair. In fact, he did a real number on it, but Fran didn’t seem to mind. Actually, she looked like she quite enjoyed it.
“Let’s have another sparring match the next time we meet!” said Urslars. “I hope you’ll be stronger by then.”
Fran nodded enthusiastically. “Hm! We’ll make you give it your all.”
She was really serious about taking on at full strength. Personally, I didn’t even want to see him like that. Maybe he was just saying it to encourage her. After all, Mad Ogre Form would probably stop him from sparring in the future.
“Well,” said Urslars. “I have to get going.”
That was sudden. He put Gaia back in its sheath and walked off. Not back toward Aristea’s mansion, but away from it.
“So soon?” Fran asked.
“Yeah. I’m not the type to stay in one place for too long.”
I didn’t need a skill to see that was the truth. The fear of losing control was always with him. The better he knew you, the less he wanted to be around you. If he hadn’t sparred with Fran, he probably could have stayed longer. But it would be a waste of his favor to say that to his face.
Fran waved goodbye, looking lonely. “Bye-bye.”
See you around.
“Count on it!”
And so Urslars dashed away. He looked really cool doing it too. I felt like calling him “Boss” the next time we saw him.
“He’s gone…”
Fran looked sad, but she soon regained her composure.
“Teacher, we have to get stronger.”
Yeah.
With Urslars gone, we returned to the mansion and asked Aristea if we could borrow one of her workshops to carve up our monster materials. We’d amassed a mountain of them in our last battle and, while it wasn’t enough to fill Pocket Dimension to capacity, it was getting close. And there were definitely important materials hidden in all those remains.
I asked Aristea if she needed any of them to help with Fran’s upgrade, but she had it covered. I dared not ask how much her materials cost, but I’d have to talk to her about it when she was done. However, she did ask for a list of the materials we got, as she might have some use for it.
So, with the Godsmith’s wish list in mind, I started carving up the strongest monsters. We wouldn’t have time to carve all of the remains, and besides, Aristea probably didn’t need anything from the weaker ones. So the boss monsters from the horde took priority. I counted five so far: Graphite Hydra, Crimson Wolf, Steel Titanbear, Adamas Beetle, and the demon baron.
The Graphite Hydra was practically unusable after I blew it to pieces with Kanna Kamuy, and the Adamas Beetle and Illusion Magic-wielding demon were already carved up. After killing so many Fiends, I didn’t feel too bad dissecting the humanoid demon. The fact that their blood and guts were completely inhuman helped too.
“What shall we do with this?” Fran asked.
Yeah, its fur is a mess…
She held up the C-Threat Crimson Wolf—the one Jet defeated after a tough battle. Its fur was patchy, its bones brittle, and its meat was starting to stink. Jet’s Deadly Venom Magic had really done a number on it, and there wasn’t much left that we could use.
Let’s just carve it up for now. There might still be something useful.
“Okay.”
I’ll get started on this one.
The Steel Titanbear was over ten meters long and took up over half of the workshop. I’d killed this one by breaking its crystal, so it was still in near-perfect condition.
This is gonna take a while.
But it had to be done. I flayed its skin away, carved the flesh, took its organs, and stored them all in our Pocket Dimension. I had the highest level of Disassemble and could move around freely with Telekinesis, but the job still took almost half an hour. It would have taken a normal adventurer half a day of back-breaking work.
It wasn’t the last of the strong monsters either. The Dragon Lizard was exactly what its name suggested, Dryad Lion was a wooden beast and used Wood Magic, and there was an assortment of High Ogres too. These weren’t exactly bosses, but they were at least D-Threats.
When Fran got tired, I carried on carving into the night. In the end, I managed to get through a good fifty specimens. Fran would be eating well thanks to all this meat!
After that, a sleepy Fran took me to Aristea, and I asked if there was anything she could use.
“You finished carving?” she asked.
For the most part. Here’s the list.
I handed it over, and Aristea calmly scanned through. For now, she seemed more interested in my carving skills.
“You did all that in one night?” she asked. “That’s very fast.”
I had help.
“You did most of the work,” Fran said.
You did at least a third of it, Fran.
“A third?” said Aristea. “That’s still something. So, that’s the real value of Skill Sharing.”
She kept scanning the list as she talked, then asked for the Crimson Wolf intestines and Steel Titanbear fangs, since she’d figured out a use for them.
All that’s left now are the crystals. Do you think I can absorb them again?
“I don’t know,” said Aristea. “I patched up your other soul as best I could, but there’s only one way to find out.”
I figured.
“Just try not to do anything that makes it worse.”
“We’ll try absorbing some,” said Fran.
“Go for it.”
And so, the experiment began.
I started with a weaker monster, a Big Rat. I carved it up quickly and floated its crystal over to my blade. As it disappeared, it turned into mana.
“Well?” Aristea asked.
So far, so good…
“Glad to hear it.”
Let’s try a Fiend next.
“This one?”
Fran took out the crystal of a Hobgoblin Lancer, one of the Valkyrie’s soldiers. There was a chance that this might place undue stress upon the mystery soul. After all, Aristea said that he couldn’t process Malice. That was why I couldn’t get much power from them.
Do it, I said.
“Hm.”
Fran pressed the crystal against my blade, and I quickly absorbed it. It didn’t give as much as other monsters of similar strength, but I didn’t feel sick. It was business as usual.
“Well?” Aristea asked.
Not much difference. Although I think I feel slightly more satisfied.
“I see. Let me inspect you.”
Aristea touched my blade and began her analysis.
“I think you are more deeply connected to this other soul since the remodeling.”
What about the skills I’m getting back?
I’d lost Dig during the remodeling, but now it was back. It looked like my skill and mana gains were back to normal, but I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about that.
Dig came back.
“So, you can regain erased skills by absorbing more crystals.”
After everything we went through to get rid of them, I don’t think this is a good thing.
“Hmm,” said Aristea. “Hang on.”
She analyzed me again, and we continued the experiment with a crystal from a Hobgoblin Archer, which contained many abilities. We had other goblin crystals to try out if that didn’t work, but fortunately, I got Carpentry on my first try.
Well?
“Hmm…you can take on more skills now,” said Aristea. “I think the remodeling has turned you into a skill specialist.”
“Which means?” Fran asked.
“That he can hold anything from 120 to 150 skills in total. Not that I would recommend it…”
That’s good news.
I was worried about getting swamped again.
“Still, you should come and see me before you hit this limit. Don’t take on too many at once.”
All right. I guess that means I’ll have to go through remodeling again…
“You’ll have to get used to it, I’m afraid,” said Aristea. “But if you get rid of your skills regularly, then I don’t think it will be as severe.”
Let’s hope so.
Under Aristea’s watchful gaze, I continued absorbing crystals. That way, she could help right away if anything went wrong. In the end, I got 2,203 points from 100 crystals. That gave me fifteen new abilities, and Dig and Carpentry both rose to Level 2. The Fiends probably used these skills to move around a dungeon.
Then everything was done, and I was still fine. I was back to normal.
But I have a long way to go before my next evolution.
We decided to leave the next day.
Thanks for everything.
“We owe you a lot.”
“Woof.”
We stood in front of Aristea’s mansion and bowed our heads to her. If she hadn’t taken us in, we probably wouldn’t be smiling right now. We might not have known her long, but she’d taken good care of us.
“You’re welcome,” she said. “I learned a lot. I hope to see you again soon.”
Are you sure this is all you wanted for upgrading Fran’s armor?
“Yes. I enjoyed her reaction much more than the gold.”
Aristea must have used Godsmith-tier materials to make those upgrades. And that’s before we even started to talk about my remodeling. Her work was priceless. It had to be worth at least several trillion gold, but she didn’t seem interested in taking payment. Instead, she said that the chance to analyze a talking sword was payment enough.
Still, that didn’t sit well with me, so I insisted. Eventually, she’d relented and said, “All right, fine. You’ve already given me some materials, so throw in a million gold and we’ll call it even.”
The way she said, you’d think a million gold was a pittance.
“I would also like a pot of curry,” she added.
So, I took out our biggest pot of curry. Fran protested, saying that she’d rather part with all our money and materials, but she backed down when I told her we could make more. We just needed to buy some more spices first. Still, even taking all the labor and ingredients into account, an industrial pot of curry barely cost ten thousand gold. I would’ve given Aristea the recipe, but she couldn’t cook. And her golem could only cook things if it had the data for them.
“Thanks for the armor,” said Fran.
“I only improved an already excellent design.”
We’re really glad you worked on it. It’s as cute as it is powerful.
Fran’s Black Cat set had evolved. Its name and shape had changed, and it was good as new. The changes were even more drastic on the inside. Each piece had increased its Defense by fifty, taking the total from 350 to 650. It also had an extra two hundred in Durability, and its effects were improved.
Name: Black Sky Tiger Armor
Defense: 150; Durability: 800/800
Skills: Deep Sleep; Deodorant; Cleanse; Mental Abnormal Status Resistance Up (Large)
Name: Black Sky Tiger Gloves
Defense: 150; Durability: 800/800
Skills: Shockwave Resistance Up (Large); Strength Up (Medium)
Name: Black Sky Tiger Boots
Defense: 115; Durability: 800/800
Skills: Jump; Agility Up (Medium)
Name: Black Sky Tiger Earring
Defense: 65; Durability: 800/800
Skills: Sonic Resistance (Large); Elemental Resistance (Large)
Name: Black Sky Tiger Cloak
Defense: 135; Durability: 800/800
Skills: Cold Resistance; Heat Resistance; Self-Repair
Name: Black Sky Tiger Belt
Defense: 65; Durability: 800/800
Skills: Magic Resistance Up (Medium); Abnormal Status Resistance Up (Medium); Item Bag (Small)
Even the set bonus got a boost. The old Black Cat set could only be equipped by Black Cats, it gave you +10 to all stats, as well as Death Immunity if you wore the whole thing. The Black Sky Tiger gave you +20 to all stats, Death Immunity, and Stealth Enhancement. And it could only be worn by Black Sky Tigers, which made Fran its only eligible user.
Still, I don’t think Kiara would have worn it in the first place. It was far too cute. Aristea had taken the charm of the Black Cat set and added a more feminine twist. The main armor was now a proper shirt with a collar, and it covered Fran’s midriff, which was good news. The less she was exposed, the better! Aristea had also redesigned the right glove to be a gauntlet, which functioned as a decent shield. The bottom part was a frilly skirt over underwear that looked like a cross between culottes and bloomers. The knee-high socks made Fran look more mature, and they connected to boots that looked like pumps. And none of it detracted from her agility.
Despite Aristea’s masculine mannerisms, she was still a woman. Her design was a lot girlier than Garrus’s.
“It’s frilly, but I can still move in it.”
You look very cute, Fran.
“It’s among my finest work, to be sure,” said Aristea. “And you look great in it. I think you’ll be drawing the attention of the men around you soon enough.”
Fran frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Why not?”
“Monsters can find me too.”
Fran, that’s not what Aristea meant…
She had no interest in looking cute. The only thing that mattered to her was whether it would help or hinder her in combat.
Aristea groaned. “Teacher…”
I know. But what do you want me to do? She doesn’t care about that stuff!
“I know,” said Aristea, staring at me. “But it’s such a waste.”
She might not care about dolling herself up, but she still wanted others to look their best.
I agree. Look, I’ll try, all right?
“And I’ll…temper my expectations.”
Thank you.
“?”
Aristea chuckled. “I can’t wait to see you again, Fran.”
“Hm.”
Finally, they shook hands.
“Thanks for everything,” said Fran.
“Take care. Teacher isn’t used to using his skills yet.”
“Hm. We’ll keep training.”
We’ll try not to go too crazy.
We should probably focus on ranged combat until the skill situation stabilized. Also, if an encounter got too dangerous, I could always teleport us out.
So, do we come back here for my next maintenance? I asked.
“I won’t be here then,” said Aristea. “I travel around the world. In fact, I’ll be moving before the end of the month.”
Then how were we supposed to contact her?
“You’re going back to the continent of Jillbird, right?” she said. “That’s my next stop.”
“Hm.”
We’re going to the auction in Granzell’s capital.
“Aaah, I see. That’s in two weeks’ time, isn’t it?”
Yeah, thereabouts.
“I might cross over the border before you,” said Aristea. “I have some business in the southwest of Belioth, in a little town called Ulster. And I can sense your mana now, so I’ll contact you once you’re in the area.”
That made things easier. Especially since Aristea could sense a weapon’s mana signature from quite a distance.
See you on the other side.
“Hm.”
“Safe travels.”
“Bye-bye.”
That morning, our first stop was Green Goat. We wanted to know about the war effort and check in on the Black Cats. We rushed through the forest on Jet’s back, heading toward the city in a straight line—ignoring small monsters and navigating the mountains with Air Hop.
“I see it.”
“Woof!”
By midday, Green Goat was in sight.
“The walls are damaged.”
Looks like they had quite a fight.
Some stragglers must have attacked Green Goat. Kiara and Mea had tried to thin out the horde, but they couldn’t kill them all. The walls and the area around the town bore testament to the fierce battle that had resulted. The walls were scorched, and parts of the forest were burned down. The trees by the gates had been uprooted by some powerful magic. Fortunately, the monsters never made it inside, and there were still guards patrolling the walls. Somehow, they’d stopped the assault. The guards were probably still nervous, so we landed out of sight to save them from attacking Jet.
“Come on.”
“Woof!”
Jet shrunk down to the size of a large dog, and we headed toward the gates. The long line of people we’d seen when we first entered the city was gone, and the gates were closed. I guess they weren’t so foolish as to open up right after the horde had attacked.
As we approached, one of the guards spotted us.
“Stop right there!”
“State your name!”
They were definitely nervous. I was worried one of them might start firing at us.
They don’t want to kill you…I don’t think.
“Hm.”
Despite my overworked skills, I couldn’t sense any murderous intent. They were just terrified and trying to do their jobs.
“I’m Fran. Adventurer.”
The guards kept glaring. From the way they spoke, you wouldn’t guess they were talking to a child.
“What’s with the wolf?!”
“He’s my familiar.”
“I don’t know what you’re doing out here, missy—”
“Wait, hang on!”
Another guardsman stepped in.
“What!”
“Sh-she can come in!”
He recognized Fran, and we were soon let into the city. The main street was full of people.
There are a lot more than I was expecting.
“Hm.”
“Woof.”
They were spread out on both sides of the street, but despite their numbers, they were all huddled together quietly. These must be the refugees from nearby villages. They’d escaped to Green Goat with nothing but the clothes on their back. They’d survived the night, but they were far too exhausted to smile. They only stared at Jet, too tired to be afraid.
We headed toward the viscount’s abode, until we noticed a group of refugees who looked different from the rest. They’d put up tents and even set up a simple kitchen, but the biggest difference was the smiles on their faces. They were the first smiles we’d seen since we’d entered the city, and they were on the very faces Fran was looking for.
Guess we won’t have to ask the viscount after all.
“Hm!”
It was the Schwarz Katze encampment. The Black Cats were more than ready to evacuate—they really weren’t kidding when they said they were used to running. Their quality of life here was far higher than the other beastmen. It felt more like a campsite than a refugee camp. The older folk looked relaxed, and some of them were even playing board games. By contrast, the younger Black Cats looked tired. I guess they weren’t as used to running away. Still, all their years of nomadism weren’t for nothing. Schwarz Katze had been in a safe spot, but escape was in their blood. If I had a hat, I would have taken if off to them.
Fran approached someone she recognized.
“Elder!” he cried out. “Salutia!”
“Princess, you’re all right!”
“Oh, thank the gods!”
Salutia and the elder stopped maintaining their equipment and ran over to Fran, smiling. The rest of the Black Cats soon followed suit.
“Guys, the princess is back!”
“Welcome back, princess!”
As soon as they saw her, their exhaustion turned to joy. Fran was happy to see them too, although she didn’t quite know how to handle this welcome.
“I’m back.”
She pursed her lips and nodded. Her kin seemed to agree that she was devastatingly cute. Their smiles turned to laughter as they swarmed around her. She was kind of like their idol.
“Come on, you lot,” said the elder. “Stop pushing! Let the princess breathe!”
“But we wanna talk to her!”
“Yeah!”
“Quiet!” he said. “The princess must be exhausted. You need to give her some space.”
“Fine.”
“Aw, man.”
At his command, the Black Cats dispersed, and the elder led us to the center of their campsite. No one complained when Salutia tagged along. At some point, she’d become the representative for the youngsters.
“Right this way,” said the elder. “I’m afraid this is the best seat we have.”
“Hm. Thanks.”
“Can we get some tea here?” he shouted.
Fran sat on a chair while the elder sat down cross-legged in front of her. Salutia was right behind him, and the rest of the Black Cats were all around us.
“So, what happened out there?” the elder asked. “What remains of our village?”
We knew they’d want to know what’d happened to their town, so we’d stopped by Schwarz Katze on our way here.
“It’s fine,” said Fran. “Most of the houses are still intact. We defeated the monsters. You can go back whenever you want.”
“R-really?”
“Hm.”
“That’s great news!”
“Yes!”
“You’re the best, princess!”
“Three cheers for the princess!”
The Black Cats exploded with cheers. The ground felt like it was shaking. They must really have been worried about their home.
“Thank you so much! D-did you destroy all the Fiends by yourself?”
“No,” said Fran. “Mea and Kiara were with me.”
“Kiara? You mean the Kiara?”
“You knew her?” she asked.
“Of course! Lady Kiara is as much of a hero as you are!”
“Yes! She and Jet saved us!”
“Really?” Fran asked.
“Woof!”
Before they came to aid us, Kiara and Jet had joined up to help Salutia and the others.
The Black Cats had split into two evacuation groups. The first was made up of youngsters who were fast on their feet. They were sent to reach Green Goat as fast as they could and bring help. The village’s supplies were put on horseback to go with them. I suspect the elder had sent them ahead because he knew they would survive, and the blood of the Black Cats would survive with them. Although he would probably never admit it.
The second group was made up of children and the elderly, protected by the village guards. They were more vulnerable and moved slowly. This was the group that Kiara and Jet had saved from the Fiends.
“Kiara would be happy to see you all safe,” said Fran.
“Where is she now?”
“Hm…she’s…”
Fran trailed off. The sorrow on her face was more than enough to tell them what had happened.
Everything fell silent in the makeshift square. Finally, Fran told them about Kiara’s final moments.
Everyone listened intently. The village elder had been saved by Kiara when he was younger, and he was the first to break into tears. The rest of the Black Cats soon followed. But Fran ended the story with a smile.
“Crying wouldn’t make Kiara happy. I think she’d like it more if you celebrated and called her a hero.”
“Princess…!” said the elder. “Oh, but you’re right!”
“Yes…we will do that!”
“The princess is right!”
Fran’s influence was immediate. The clincher was probably when she wiped her own tears away and smiled at them. They couldn’t celebrate yet, but the gloom had lifted.
Meanwhile, we were attracting a lot of attention from the other beastmen. Seeing an entire village of Black Cats crying in unison must be quite unsettling. Even some of the children had started crying too. I was really sorry about that.
After Fran finished explaining, the Green Goat came to investigate.
“We received reports of loud sobbing…”
“Wh-what’s going on?”
“Who’s in charge here?”
The other refugees must have reported us. I couldn’t blame them. You never knew what was happening with this crowd.
When the village elder explained, the guardsmen turned to Fran. Their eyes were full of more admiration than resentment.
“You’re the Black Lightning Princess?!”
“We heard the stories!”
Apparently, when Mea came to see Marmano, she’d told the entire city about Fran.
The knights asked right away if they could have the honor of escorting us to the viscount. Fran went along with it, but the sight of the other beastmen freezing, kneeling, and praying made her feel a bit awkward. I guess she was the only Evolved Black Cat in town. Going incognito was difficult.
Mea had told them all about the powerful Black Lightning Princess and how she led the charge against the Fiends and monsters, risking life and limb for the Beastman Nation.
We entered the viscount’s estate and went to the waiting room until Marmano arrived. The city was still in a state of emergency, and the viscount looked like its true protector in his heavy armor. It was a far cry from the last time we dropped in on him to find him in his nightgown.
“Welcome, Black Lightning Princess!”
“Hm.”
“The Princess Nemea told me everything! On behalf of Green Goat, I thank you for saving our city.”
“I was protecting my friends.”
“And you saved us in the process. I hear you took on hordes of Fiends and monsters by yourself. And that you destroyed them all!”
I mean, we had done that, but the way Marmano told the story, Mea had definitely added some embellishments. The viscount’s eyes glowed as he recounted Fran’s great defense of the Beastman Nation. Apparently, Mea’s version of Fran had defeated a thousand monsters with a single strike and rained spells down from on high, defeating many platoons. He made it sound like she had her own Godsword.
“Though you shook with fear when faced with such terrifying creatures,” said Marmano, “your desire to protect your kin proved stronger! I wish I could’ve seen it!”
Mea’s exaggerations had clouded the story so much that I had no idea who he was talking about anymore.
“I thank you again,” said Marmano, bowing his head deeply. “You didn’t only save Green Goat; you saved the entire country.”
“It was nothing special.”
“Now, now. If you say that, it would be difficult for me to reward my men. You accomplished something great. I will not ask you to blow your own horn, but you must recognize what you have done. If you don’t, you may end up making some unnecessary enemies.”
He was deadly serious, and I saw his point. If Fran rejected all the praise that was piled on her, then the common soldier couldn’t accept his reward with a clear conscience. The nobility especially would take issue with her. Downplaying her achievements to a garden-variety noble would make him feel small. Marmano was an exception to this rule.
People judged others by how they behaved themselves. If a young adventurer was happy to be praised, the nobility wouldn’t give it a second thought. However, if she held herself to an unworldly standard, that would bother them.
“Hm,” said Fran. “Got it.”
“Excellent. Ah! But I apologize for lecturing you!”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I know you’re looking out for me.”
“I see the Black Lightning Princess has humility to match her strength! You keep outdoing yourself!”
“Now you’re laying it on thick.”
Marmano laughed. “Our country would have suffered grave losses in that pincer attack if you had not intercepted the northern forces and destroyed the dungeon they were coming from. You, Princess Nemea, and Lady Kiara have saved us. The only ones who can say the same are the two generals who fought on the southern front.”
I was quite interested to hear about the southern front, and the two generals who led the charge. Judging by Marmano’s triumphant tone, I guess they won.
“How did the battle go there?” Fran asked.
“It was a raging victory for the Beastman Nation!”
“It’s over?”
The war only started just under a week ago. Both countries had set their armies against each other. Resolving that should have taken months, if not years.
“The difference between our forces was too great,” said Marmano.
“But I thought Basharl had powerful mages?”
“That they do. Their mages and manatech far outclass ours.”
The mage guild in Basharl had invented the manaphone, so I could see them developing manatech for military purposes. Even if the beastman forces outnumbered Basharl, how did they manage such a victory?
According to Marmano, Basharl’s soldiers were so weak that they couldn’t capitalize on their magical advantage.
“It is more a problem of awareness than race,” he explained.
“Awareness?” Fran asked.
“Yes.”
There was no question that beastmen were physically stronger than humans. But mentally, there was a huge difference between them too.
“Our army is large,” said Marmano. “But we also call upon our peasants in times of war.”
The kingdoms of this world conscripted their citizens to fight. In peacetime, professional soldiers kept the peace and exterminated monsters. When they were sent to the front lines, the number of reserve troops dropped too.
“From the moment they are conscripted,” said Marmano, “our soldiers are different.”
“How so?”
“Basharl forcibly conscripts everyone they can. Naturally, many of them are reluctant to go.”
It made sense. No one wanted to risk dying on a battlefield.
“It’s different in the Beastman Nation,” he explained. “In times of war, our civilian militia swarm to volunteer. Some even treat it like a hunting trip. By the time we’re done recruiting, there’s so many that we don’t know what to do with them.”
So, Fran was simply following the customs of her race by being a battle junkie.
“Most of the forces on both sides are made up of peasant troops,” said Marmano. “But Basharl’s don’t really want to be there. Meanwhile, most of our peasants are basically soldiers themselves. They feel right at home on the frontlines.”
That difference was huge. Plus, the Beastman Nation regularly trained their people. That made the average citizen strong enough to go toe-to-toe with a professional soldier. Except the Black Cats, of course…
“So,” said Marmano, “Basharl has superior manatech, but a war is fought by soldiers. And that is where the real difference lies. Granted, there are always things going on behind the scenes…”
There were no guarantees in war, and there was always some dark plot or another going on in the background.
“But we will not lose when it comes to raw military force. Why, the Basharlians retreated as soon as they received word that their northern invasion had failed!”
After that, the Beastman Nation claimed victory with ease. Their great Land Mage, who was the current chief of the White Rhino tribe, was also there for the battle. He and a band of mercenaries held the line, and even inflicted some punishment on the retreating Basharlian forces, until backup arrived. The Beastman Nation’s commanders could fight as well as they led.
Fran finished her tea. “Do you know where Mea and the others are?”
That was the next thing on her mind.
Marmano shook his head. “She went south after stopping here. I do not know where she is now.”
“Do you think she’s all right?”
“I dare not presume, but her strength is reassuring…”
“I see.”
“If you wish to find out more, you should go to the capital.”
I guess that made Bestia our next stop, although something that Murelia had said was still bothering me. She wanted us to save that Romeo kid…
Fran had reservations about leaving immediately too.
“Will this town be all right?” she asked.
The Black Cats were sheltering here, and she had to think about their safety.
“You have nothing to worry about,” said Marmano. “Our knights, soldiers, and adventurers will soon return from the war, and we have enough food to last until then.”
Food was the only threat facing them now. Since we’d destroyed the dungeon, everything was back to normal.
“There’s still the odd monster or two lurking about, but goblins will not break through our walls. And I shall see to it that no harm befalls the Black Cats.”
Marmano stuck up his lip and thumped his chest. He knew she was worried about her kin and did everything he could to dispel her concerns.
“Thanks…” said Fran.
“You are most welcome.”
The viscount asked whether we wanted to stay the night, but we were in a hurry. Now we knew that the Black Cats were safe, Fran wanted to make sure that Mea was all right.
We left Green Goat just as the sun set. The guards were worried about us, but Jet could deal with anything we encountered. Weak monsters couldn’t catch him, and anything that did would be easily defeated with some shadow spells. Anything stronger, Jet could detect and avoid.
So long as Jet and I were around, Fran could even sleep on the way.
“Zzz.”
And that was exactly what she did. She had mastered the skill of sleeping while Jet ran at full speed. She held onto the reins and his fur, breathing quietly. I could probably even stop supporting her with Telekinesis, although I wasn’t about to do that. Fran even ate a solid meal before falling asleep, and not just kebabs and bread. She ate soup and pasta with a fork and spoon, like she was seated at a table.
She could probably spend her whole life on Jet’s back. She already got the hang of eating and sleeping here, although bathing would probably be tricky. Maybe a shower? But then Jet would get drenched. Perhaps a wind barrier would solve that issue…
Jet broke my speculations with a groan.
“Woof.”
What’s the matter, boy?
“A-arf.”
Fran’s grip was so tight that she was choking him out. Even though he was back at his original size, she’d somehow found his weak spot.
You’re doing great, I told him.
“R-ruff?”
I mean, you don’t wanna wake Fran up, do you?
“W-woof!”
I definitely wasn’t getting back at him for falling asleep while Fran was worried sick during my remodeling.
“Hmgh…”
“Arf!”
You’re doing fine, boy!
We rushed through the night, serenaded by Jet’s whining.
The moon looks nice tonight.
“Hurf…!”
We made it to the capital the next morning.
It’s so peaceful here.
“Hm.”
Bestia was exactly as we left it. The war hadn’t reached here, and merchants and adventurers were still lining up to enter.
Land somewhere close.
“Woof!”
“Teacher, look.”
Huh?
Fran was awake, and she pointed at something flying over the horizon.
What is that…? A wyvern?
“No. It’s Mea.”
Oh, that’s Lind!
I only realized when I pointed all my Detection Skills at them.
I’m surprised you could make him out from here.
“I can always spot my friends,” said Fran.
I-I see. Abort landing and take us to Mea, Jet.
“Woof!”
Mea and her party must have spotted us too. They broke off their route to the capital and approached us at full speed. Mea and Quina were riding on Lind’s back. Mianoa was the only one missing.
“Fran!” Mea called out. “Teacher, Jet! It’s been a while!”
“Hm!”
Mea waved from on top of her dragon, and Jet and Lind found a place to land. As soon they’d set down, Mea and Fran jumped off and rushed toward each other.
“Mea!”
“Fran!”
“Good to see you’re okay.”
“Likewise!”
They held each other’s hands and hopped around like high schoolers. It was about the most age-appropriate thing I’d ever seen them do.
“Perhaps you would like to be seated?” asked Quina. “I am sure you have much to discuss with each other.”
“Yes!”
While we weren’t looking, the royal maid had stealthily prepared a brunch table. Her nickname wasn’t Reaper for nothing. Mea was used to her maid’s antics, so she nodded and took a seat. Fran followed her lead.
“Some snacks, paired with the fresh tea from the capital.”
Only the snacks were actually steak.
“Bison steak!” said Mea. “My favorite!”
“Looks good.”
This was more like lunch than afternoon tea. They had thick-cut steak in one hand and tea in the other. Other cultures might think that Quina was being silly, but this was the custom here.
Fran filled up on several cuts of steak, then started the conversation.
“What have you been up to?”
“Well, you see…”
They could’ve had this conversation in the capital, but neither of them could wait. When Mea was finished, Fran told her about how I went through remodeling, and that I was having difficulty using my skills.
“So, you can’t fight as well because you can’t control them?” Mea asked. “That sounds horrible!”
“Hm. It’s really bad.”
“If it’s any reassurance,” said Quina, “it isn’t unheard of.”
Really?
“Yes.”
She explained that these things sometimes happened when Detection and Physical Enhancement Skills reached their maximum level and evolved into their advanced forms. It could also happen when your level spiked after defeating a powerful enemy. That was more what’d happened to me. Either way, it completely threw off your feel.
“Although I’m afraid that I’ve never experienced it myself,” said Quina, “so I have no advice to give you.”
I see… What do people usually do? I asked.
“Train.”
Urslars’ idea would work faster, but training was the next best thing. Next, we told Mea about how I was somehow made from the Godsword Cherubim. She was quite surprised.
“To think I’d run into one Godsword user after another…”
“Yes,” Quina agreed. “How unusual.”
Come on, you have a real Godsword in your hands. At best, I’m just a pseudo-Godsword.
“A pseudo-Godsword who also happens to be an Intelligent Weapon. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you have even more secrets tucked away.”
“Truly. You might as well be a Godsword at this point.”
I laughed wryly. What else could I do? I’d seen enough of Land Sword Gaia to know I wasn’t even in the same ballpark. Lind couldn’t express its full power yet, so Mea had no idea. Still, if Gaia was any indication, that dragon would be a truly terrifying beast…
I couldn’t compete with that.
But Mea overheard my grumbling and glared at me.
“Listen, Godsword or not, you saved our country! Act like it!”
“Hm!” Fran agreed. “You’re a great sword!”
D-do you really think so?
“Of course!” said Mea. “You judge an adventurer by their equipment as much as their skill. Think about that! By devaluing your achievements, you’re devaluing Fran’s too! You should hold your head up high…although I’ll let you figure out the logistics of that!”
I’m actually putting Fran down…?
“That’s right! What if I told you about an adventurer and her sword, who were powerful enough to save the Beastman Nation from monsters and Fiends, and who even destroyed the dungeon that created them?”
I’d be impressed. It sounded very heroic.
I see… I guess I’m… We really are great.
“You’re fantastic!” Mea agreed. “Both of you!”
I needed to be humble without being a doormat. What Marmano told Fran applied to me as well. I’d just lost confidence after seeing Gaia’s unleashed form. The difference in power was so great that everything I had done seemed like nothing. That frustration kept piling up inside of me. Every time I remembered the Godsword’s powers, I couldn’t help but put myself down.
I had to acknowledge that gulf, but I also had to remember my promise to become as powerful as Gaia. Mea was right. Calling myself a piece of junk was as good as saying that Fran fought with a piece of junk.
You’re right. Sorry about that.
“Very good.”
I should strive to be like Fran: confident but not arrogant.
“So,” said Mea, “did you get Urslars to unleash Gaia for you?”
“Hm. Just for a little bit.”
Mea was jealous of our sparring match with the S-Rank adventurer. These combat addicts were all the same.
“I wanted to fight him too!” Mea said, biting the tablecloth.
Quina whipped around to look at her, and Mea regained her composure.
“In any case,” she said, clearing her throat and changing the subject, “I see you’re wearing new armor. It looks great. Did Aristea modify your old one? How are its stats?”
She squinted at Fran’s new equipment. Unlike Fran, she was still conscious of appearances. I really wanted to know how Quina had raised her to be interested in feminine things.
“Hm,” said Fran. “It’s perfect.”
“I see,” Mea chuckled.
Was Fran’s cuteness getting to her?
Fran tilted her head. “What?”
“Oh, nothing,” Mea said, trying to hide a faint blush.
“Princess, are you pleased that your armor was crafted by the same Godsmith?”
“N-no…! I definitely wasn’t thinking that!”
“But it clearly shows on your face.”
“Shut up!”
Mea frantically tried to silence her maidservant, but the truth was out. Seeing her like this, I understood why Quina enjoyed teasing her.
“A-anyway,” said Mea, changing the subject again, “you asked about what we were doing?”
“Hm.”
Fran went along with it. She didn’t seem to understand why her friend was so bothered in the first place.
“Did you go to the southern front?” Fran asked.
“Correct. Do you know what happened there?”
“A little. Your powerful Land Mage sent Basharl packing. Were you there with them?”
“Yes. Although in my capacity as a mercenary, not a princess.”
“Why?”
High command knew about Mea’s identity, but she wanted to keep it a secret from the lower ranks. She fought as a bodyguard for Ligdartha, the White Rhino commander.
“They wouldn’t be able to fight effectively if they knew the princess was there. Also…”
Also?
For once, Mea was tongue-tied. Maybe it had something to do with why she hid her identity in the first place? I considered changing the subject, but I didn’t get the chance.
“It’s because Selene was there,” said Quina.
“Who’s Selene?” Fran asked.
“A royal maid,” she explained. “And a Gray Tapir, like myself. While she’s not as well versed in combat as I am, she is a master of illusion. And she looks similar to the princess. With a little help from manatech, she serves as the princess’ body double.”
I guess she was the one we met when we first arrived in Bestia.
You don’t like her? I asked. What’s the problem?
“It’s nothing like that,” said Mea. “It’s just that…if I made myself known, I’d have to trade places with Selene…”
“And you would stick out like a sore thumb,” said Quina.
“In an instant,” Mea agreed.
“What?” Fran asked.
“It’s the way she plays her role,” said Mea. “You see…”
“Selene behaves like a prim and proper princess,” said Quina. “And Lady Mea could not keep that act up for a second. The difference between them would be immediately obvious.”
Every kingdom employed body doubles, but if Mea and Selene traded places, the nobles and commanders of the Beastman Nation would find out that the princess they had been protecting was a fake.
“They would start comparing her to Selene.”
How could they not?
“And it wouldn’t take long for them to start complaining. ‘Man, the body double was much cuter.’ ‘Yeah, she’s so proper and elegant.’ ‘I don’t much like this beast of a princess we have now.’”
Quina mimicked the voices of various other beastmen, but she wasn’t very good at it. Wasn’t she a master of illusion? Perhaps she just didn’t feel like it. Either way, her deadpan voice drove the point home.
Yeah, that’d be rough…
“Urgh…”
Mea groaned with frustration. She was hot-blooded, and that suited the beastmen’s natural temperament. She’d probably be quite popular. Still, men would be men, and they still admired the kind of prim and proper act that Selene put on.
Which raised another question.
Why have that kind of body double to begin with?
Selene could just as easily have played an energetic princess. Why was she ordered to play such a specific role? Why let the public see a gentle and helpless princess when Mea was a ferocious fighter? Surely, that would cause a public outcry when the real Mea was finally revealed.
You’re going to give your citizens a heart attack…
Mea nodded. “You’re right. It doesn’t make sense, does it? I really should’ve gotten a body double who behaved more like me.”
“His Highness thought it would be funny,” said Quina.
He what?
“He wants to see how the people react to Lady Mea after watching Selene’s act for so long.”
“The old man has a terrible sense of humor…”
I felt sorry for everyone in the Beastman Nation who’d been dragged into Rigdith’s antics.
“He also wishes to tease Lady Mea,” said Quina.
“Tease her?” Fran asked.
“Yes. He enjoys seeing Lady Mea blush when someone who looks just like her acts all prim and proper.”
“He really has the worst sense of humor in all the realm!” said Mea.
“Also,” Quina went on, “because her body double behaves so differently, the princess is less likely to be discovered.”
Now that made sense. Selene was no ordinary body double. Because of the act she put on, no one would suspect that a rowdy adventurer like Mea was the real princess. However, I suspected that was more of an afterthought in Rigdith’s mind.
All right, so how did the battle go? I asked.
“Honestly…we didn’t do much fighting,” said Mea.
“The enemy was already on the ropes by the time we got there,” Quina agreed.
They’d wanted to chase the scattering troops deeper into enemy territory, but they weren’t allowed.
“We were only permitted to join the war effort if we stayed with the general,” Mea said.
He’d even assigned her as his personal bodyguard so that she couldn’t try anything. Smart man.
“Still, we parted ways with them around halfway.”
“Why?” Fran asked.
“I…wanted to look into House Magnolia,” Mea said.
I thought she was joking, but it turned out she was just as bothered by Murelia’s last words as we were. Murelia had asked us to save Romeo, and so Mea went looking for information about him and his house.
You went into enemy territory?
“It just so happens that I didn’t have to. Our forces have entered Magnolia territory.”
Don’t they have forts along their border?
“They do. But our forces destroyed them. They are in disarray.”
The Basharlian forces had gone from assured victory to utter defeat. Their ranks were in chaos. They couldn’t house all their foot soldiers in their garrisons, and there was the possibility that spies had infiltrated their ranks. The advancing beastman forces only put more pressure on them.
So, you just went straight through them?
“You could say that. Lucius handled any garrisons that put up a fight.”
“Lucius?” Fran asked.
“Lucius Laurentia, our court mage. Heir to the Tragedy of Laurentia and the greatest Land Mage in the kingdom. In Chrome, he’s known as Great Wall Lucius.”
Did she just say Laurentia?
Does he have something to do with Linford?
“Linford…the Fiendmancer who summoned Murelia?” Mea asked.
“Hm,” said Fran. “Linford Laurentia.”
Linford was a Fiendmancer. Before Fran and her friends defeated him, he turned into an Archfiend and wrought havoc on Bulbola. You could even say he was responsible for the invading forces that we fought.
“So, he was a Laurentia…”
Yeah. That monster was over a hundred years old.
“A hundred?” Mea asked. “Then I don’t think Lucius is his son. He’s only forty.”
Maybe a grandson.
This Lucius person…he’s not a Fiendmancer, is he?
“Of course not.”
“If anything,” said Quina, “I hear Sir Lucius has the utmost hatred for Fiendmancers.”
If that were true, then he might have been a victim of Linford’s antics. Fiendmancers didn’t necessarily beget Fiendmancers, and we didn’t know how far Lucius was removed from the original Laurentias. Also, I couldn’t imagine that Rigdith would risk having a Fiendmancer in his army.
“Lucius’ Land Magic is peerless in siege warfare. A fort is no more than a hut to him.”
“He attacks the forts with Land Magic?” Fran asked.
“That is an option, but mostly he digs tunnels. Basharl guards its underground channels with manatech, but with all the chaos that was going on, they didn’t notice Lucius digging around.”
There was a similar account in Japan of the warlord Takeda digging tunnels to send fighters under enemy lines. Fiction may have embellished history, but tunneling was still an effective way to breach a fortress.
“Because of him, we made it to House Magnolia easily.”
“All their soldiers had been sent to the front lines,” Quina confirmed. “The castle was effectively deserted.”
“Did you find Romeo?” Fran asked.
Mea shook her head gloomily. “No. I didn’t.”
Did they meet some kind of resistance? Was Romeo even real? Maybe he was evacuated when the war started.
“Someone got to him first,” Mea said.
Who?
“A two-meter ogre of a man with battle scars all over his body. Sound familiar?”
We knew two men who fitted the description, but Urslars lacked the scars. And besides, he’d been with us the whole time. That only left one person.
“Theraclede?” Fran asked.
“That’s what I think,” said Mea. “He must have attacked House Magnolia and abducted Romeo. By the time we got there, the Magnolian guards were a pile of corpses.”
But what would he want with Romeo? Theraclede had betrayed Murelia in her final moments. Did he abduct the boy out of spite? Or was there another reason?
Any idea why he did it? I asked.
“Not a clue.”
Figures.
“Could Jet track him down?” Mea asked.
Jet whined. As good a sniffer as he was, their scent would be long gone by now, and Theraclede probably teleported away from the scene of the crime anyway.
“I see…” said Mea. “Unfortunately, we have no other leads.”
“We’ll put up a bounty. There’s already one on him, but putting up another will keep him on his toes.”
“Hm…”
That was probably the best we could do.
It can’t be helped. If we see Theraclede again, we’ll just have to ask him. Not that he’ll tell us right away.
“Hm!”
I didn’t want to see that monster again, but we’d already run into him twice. A third encounter seemed inevitable.
“We’ll beat the details out of him.”
After what happened with Kiara, negotiation was off the table. Besides, combat was probably the only way to get any answers out of him.
We’ll have to get stronger then.
“Hm.”
Fran nodded, filled with determination.
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