Chapter 4: Feast

The catastrophe that had befallen the eastern edge of the forest was visible even from the Village of the Elves. Its inhabitants watched fearfully as a gigantic tornado that reached far up into the sky had suddenly appeared, then was destroyed just as abruptly.

The shockwave caused by the dispelling of the whirlwind was just strong enough to reach the village, but, thanks to the distance it had traveled, it did not cause any real damage. The tiny bits of trees and debris that had been chewed up and sent flying all along the way, however...that instilled terror in their hearts.

“The...giant tornado is gone. You think the battle is over?”

“How would I know? I may have good eyes, but even I can’t see that far. I mean, you’re an elf too; if you can’t see it, what makes you think I can?”

Currently occupying the wall that surrounded the village were the locals with relatively higher levels and more battle experience. Each of them had a bow in hand and were keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. Fortunately, they hadn’t needed to do anything so far, but there was no telling when and from which direction the enemy might approach. The calamity occurring in the distance did little to calm their nerves.

“Speaking of elves, how crazy was Efil-san’s archery just now? My ears are still ringing!”

“I know, right? It was my first time hearing such a loud sound made by releasing an arrow. I bet she can see all the way out there.”

“As an archer myself, I can’t help but admire her. Plus, she’s so pretty!”

The elves were not entirely without hope, as they were accompanied by one of their own brethren who displayed prowess with the bow far beyond what they had ever seen or heard of. In contrast to her sweet appearance, what she released from her dainty hands were missiles of purgatorial fire accompanied by explosive thunder. With her hawk-like eyes that seemed to transcend the concept of distance, she dealt death from incredible range with pinpoint accuracy.

None of the other elves knew for sure whether Efil landed all her shots or not. But that wasn’t so important. What mattered was that every time she let an arrow fly, it instilled a rush of excitement within them. Again and again, their hearts tightened with bursts of encouragement.

“Efil-san, is the battle over?” Nellas asked, climbing up the stairs to the top of the wall.

Efil, however, seemed slightly out of it, and could only manage a distracted, “Um, Nellas-sama...”

“Your face looks slightly flushed,” noted the Elder before coming to a realization. “I-Is this a side effect of the magic you were using?! Medical team! Come here, hurry! Efil-san is in a state of emergency!”

“Th-That’s not it! I’m fine, really!”

Nellas’s shout, which had been delivered with his face poking out over the ramparts, sent the rest of the village into a flustered buzz.

“Efil-san’s hurt! Someone, anyone who can use White Magic, hurry to the wall!”

“You there, bring out the most potent potion we have in the village storeroom. There’s no time to waste!”

“Leave it to me!”

“E-Everyone! Please calm down; I’m entirely unharmed!”

Thanks to Efil’s convincing — if it could be called that — the hubbub quickly subsided.

“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions at such a crucial time...”

“Thank you for your concern, Nellas-sama. More importantly, Master’s battle has indeed finished. He’s returning to the village now. The rest of my companions are also on their way.”

“So you mean to say —”

Efil smiled brightly. “Yes. The enemy has been annihilated, and the village has been saved.”

All of the elves on the wall erupted into cheers. Before long, the joy spread to those within the walls, and soon the entire village was bursting with elation.

“Efil-san, thank you so much, thank you so, so much!”

Many an elf approached Efil to give their thanks, some crying big, fat tears, and others simply radiating happiness from head to toe.

Oh dear, this is quite troubling. I’m not the one they should be thanking; the real credit lies with Master and Rion-sama, Efil thought, trying to pull back from the praise. But the fact was, she had contributed immensely to the defending of the village. The rain of her invisible and undetectable arrows had sown terror into the hearts of the enemy and stopped their advance entirely. Consequently, the village had suffered no damage. And furthermore, the figure of her standing up and supporting Kelvin with her bow had greatly encouraged the elves. She was more than deserving of her fair share of praise.

Master’s words just now...that made me so happy...

::‘My woman,’ was it, lass?::

With a poof, Efil’s head figuratively exploded with embarrassment. She crumpled to the floor, steam all but rising from the top of her head.

“E-E-Efil-san?! MEDICS!!”

Once again, chaos erupted.

::Wait, she’s already down for the count? Was that too much for her?::

Gerard had been standing guard in front of the main gate the entire time. His proximity to the defense wall, however, had enabled him to sense Efil’s strange mood ever since she had descended the arrow tower.

::Gerard, dude, what’re you doing?:: came Kelvin’s voice. ::Aren’t you supposed to focus on staying vigilant?!::

::With how obvious she was acting, my king, how can I not tease her a bit? Ever since she got to the wall, she’s been zoning out here and there. Considering the timing, the reason for that could only have been what you said at the top of the arrow tower, right? ‘Don’t you dare lay a h—’::

::Don’t you dare finish that sentence. You’re going to make me keel over with embarrassment too.::

::Hahaha, all right. Oh, looks like Princess and the rest are almost back.::

Far off in the distance, on the other side of the drawbridge, was a cloud of dust rising up from the forest. The culprits were currently charging straight towards the village gate.

“Gerard is in sight! We’re almost at the finish line!”

“Haaaahhh!”

“This time I’m going to win for sure!”

There was Melfina, running as fast as she could, Rion, sprinting with electricity crackling all over her body, and Sera, tearing down the path with Jin Scrimmage applied to her wings. Apparently they were having yet another competition.

::What are you guys up to this time?::

::We’re competing to be the first to get praised by Honey!::

::We’re competing to be the first to get praised by Kel-nii!::

::We’re competing to be the first to get praised by Kelvin!::

::I...I see.:: Uh, and I’m being treated as the goalpost here? Gerard thought. He wasn’t left to wonder long, though, as his three companions had already rushed past him.

Rion managed to beat the other two by a small margin, then Melfina and Sera crossed the finish line (Gerard) at the exact same time.

“Yayyy! And it’s all thanks to a spell that I thought up on the spot!”

“Ugh, losing to Mel is one thing, but Rion...”

“Sera, this is where you should be happy about her growth.”

“I suppose so, yeah, you’re right. Congratulations, Rion. I hate to admit it, but you won this time. You get first dibs on telling Kelvin what you did today.”

“Sera-nee, Mel-nee, thank you! I’ll continue working hard in the future too!”

The three of them clasped each other’s hands in friendship.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt what seems like a special moment, but...what is this?” Gerard asked.

“Adolescence.”

“Uh...what?”

The three of them proceeded to explain how enemy morale had plunged after the defeat of Gigant Lord, prompting most of the Trycenians to either turn themselves in or flee.

“We did a sweep of the area just in case, and somewhere along the way we started competing to see who could round up the most stragglers,” Sera said.

“And we ended up with pretty much the same number of soldiers, so we decided to make it a race back to the village,” Melfina added.

“It sure was fun!” Rion chimed in. “Wasn’t it, Alex?”

The wolf showed his face from Rion’s shadow and barked once in agreement.

“I...have very reliable friends, it seems.”

“Oh, yeah, Gerard, we asked Clotho to bring the people we captured back to the village ahead of us. Did they arrive yet?”

“Mhm. The last one got here just now. I honestly don’t think we can fit another one in.”

The enemies who had been brought back were all packed inside of a cage that had been set up in the village square. Although the holding facility had been created with extra space just in case, it was now so full that the prisoners inside were all squished up together.

“Oh, Kel-nii is back!” Rion cried, pointing towards the eastern sky.

Indeed, there was Kelvin’s figure, flying low towards them. He looked a bit exhausted, but otherwise none the worse for wear.

“Hey, guys. Looks like I’m the last one back. Good work out there, everyone.”

“Kel-nii, welcome back! Listen, listen, I defeated this huuuge monster with just Alex!”

Seeing Rion jumping up and down with excitement and pride in such a cute way brought a warm smile to Kelvin’s face.

“Mhm, I was watching. You did great, Rion.”

◇ ◇ ◇

My gentle patting of Rion’s head put her in high spirits. In the background, Sera ground her teeth with regret and Melfina murmured, “My, oh my,” while looking on with a smile. I pretended not to see Gerard in my peripheral vision, restlessly itching to take my place.

My companions warmly welcoming me back was quite a common sight at this point. I was deeply thankful for it, and it made me extremely happy. However, the guilt of having let the enemy general get away was not so easily banished. I had made “not overly relying on stats and skills” my creed and repeated this to my companions many times. But in the end, I was the one who had failed to grasp the concept. My heart was filled with regret.

The price for having let Clive go was probably not going to be cheap. Considering what a prideful man he was, there was no telling what cruel and cowardly scheme he might cook up in revenge. Now that he knew my face, not to mention Efil’s, chances were high that he would cross the border and come straight for us.

I needed to properly reflect on what had happened, both to avoid a similar outcome in the future and to prevent my companions from being exposed to any further danger.

I don’t want to regret anything anymore.

“Regret?” I repeated, whirling around. Did that voice just come from the depths of my own mind?

“—nii. I said, Kel-nii! Are you listening?!”

“Oh, uh, sorry, sorry. Yes, of course I’m listening.”

“Gosh, you suddenly seemed to zone out or something. So, back to my story. The giant’s body went fwum! And flames burst...”

Rion’s heroic retelling seemed like it was going to last a while. I wasn’t sure what that voice I’d heard just now was, but what I needed to do at the moment was give Rion all my attention. That was, after all, my duty as an older brother.

◇ ◇ ◇

The sun was rising, slowly illuminating the world around us. I passed through the gate of the village with Rion, who was still flushed with excitement, riding on my shoulders.

“Rion did take down the biggest enemy, but I captured the most soldiers,” Melfina said as she nibbled on a skewer of what looked like Japanese dumplings, pulled out from who knows where.

Wait, no, I think I know where. Clotho, don’t overindulge her. She’s gonna get fat.

“If we’re talking achievements, then I finished off the most monsters!” Sera crowed with her characteristic pose of legs spread, arms crossed, and chin lifted in pride.

Uh, why are the two of them just staring at me? Oh! They want to be praised?

“Both of you did an amazing job.”

“I know, right?! So —”

“Uh-uh, it’s still my turn!” Rion said, leaning down from her position above me to rub her cheeks against my hair.

Sera and Melfina stepped back compliantly, looking slightly defeated. They’d normally be a bit more persistent. What’s with the uncharacteristic sportsmanship today?

“Your hair’s so smooth, Kel-nii.”

“Really? I think yours is nicer to the touch, though.”

Rion and I fondled each other’s hair. For what it was worth, I did put quite a bit of effort into maintaining my personal presentation. After moving into the mansion, I’d been taking baths every day and loving it. Of course, so did everyone else in my party. Viva la bathing culture!

“My king, there’s nothing wrong with flirting, but the elves are going to notice soon.”

“What are you saying? This is normal and respectable bonding between brother and sister.”

“That’s right, Gramps. It’s not like we’re doing anything embarrassing.”

“Oh, right, silly me. But, wait...” Gerard made a slightly confused face...or at least, I thought he did.

What? What’s weird about what we’re doing?

“Honey, I think you’ve been quite influenced by Rion yourself.”

In the time it took us to have this exchange, we found ourselves back at the village square. We had to get quite close before the elves noticed us, distracted as they were by Efil’s collapse.

I happened to meet Nellas’s eyes as he turned around in our direction.

“K-Kelvin-dono!”

“Nellas-san, we’re ba—”

“KELVIN-DONOOOO!” shouted the elf, dashing towards me at full speed.

Is it just me or has his character completely changed since our first meeting? He’s...a pretty clingy elf, isn’t he?

“I’m so, so sorry! Efil-san has collapsed, and we —”

“First of all, please calm down. Efil is totally fine. No, no, get up! Please!”

Hot on the heels of Nellas, who seemed about to prostrate himself in apology, many of the villagers came over to welcome us back warmly. I heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that none of them were injured.

I somehow managed to convince the elves that Efil was just very tired. Once they believed me, their apologies were replaced by a deluge of praises and thanks. As the gathered crowd consisted of virtually every member of the village, the decibel count climbed rather high, to put it mildly. But seeing how heartfelt it all was, I couldn’t simply tell them to leave us alone.

Efil must have been so overwhelmed having to face this all by herself.

“Truly, how can we ever repay this debt?”

“Nellas-san, I’m sorry, but can you give us a moment? I want to check on the cage.”

“Of course, the captured Trycenian soldiers. Never did we dream that Trycen was behind the monster attacks. Ah, there it is. Please take your time.”

Right before me was the special cage I’d made with Green Magic. According to information gleaned through the Follower Network, we had captured, from the Mixed Monster Order, a lieutenant general, two colonels, five captains, and numerous Tamers, and from the Magic Knight Order, one lieutenant general and three colonels.

Very conveniently, all of the ranked soldiers wore medals denoting those ranks on their collars. It made the confirmation process quite easy.

According to the breakdown, Clive had brought all of the strongest members of his order along as bodyguards. He had called them his “trusted retainers,” after all. Consequently, we now had in our custody a significant portion of his army’s fighting strength.

“E-Eeek!”

Many of the captured prisoners shrieked and tried to press themselves back at our approach. Or to be more specific, it wasn’t so much “our” approach as it was Sera, Melfina, and Rion’s.

“Well, that was uncalled for. So rude!” Sera exclaimed in a slight huff.

Having watched a good part of the battle, I found myself empathizing a bit with the soldiers. After all, what they had witnessed were unidentifiable enemies rushing straight at them while mowing down a horde of vicious and fiendish Rank B monsters as if pushing past paper scraps. The fact that they appeared to be two cute teenage girls and a stunningly beautiful young woman only made it worse.

During the latter part of the battle, the Trycenian chain of command had broken down due to the absence of officers, leaving the soldiers no choice but to turn and run. I wouldn’t have been surprised if a lot of them returned home with severe mental trauma.

“Hup! Hey there, don’t be afraid. We don’t bite!”

“S-She’s coming! Save us!”

Rion had jumped off my shoulder, done a front flip in midair, and landed right in front of the cage. She approached, waving her hands and smiling brightly, but the end result was the same as Sera’s.

“As a girl, getting that kind of reaction is pretty hurtful, you know?”

“Come on, leave the poor men be. And it’s not even them that I have business with.”

I directed my gaze towards the four women sitting with their arms around their knees. These women, who had been Clive’s subordinates in the Magic Knight Order, all had a blank emptiness in their eyes. Unlike the soldiers of the Mixed Monster Order, they were completely unresponsive.

“Clotho, bring the female knights forward, please.”

My slime buddy peeked out from my robe, leaped to the ground, and expanded a part of its body to sprout tentacles that snaked through the bars of the cage, entangling the women and lifting them up, then laying them out in a line facing us.

The surrounding Mixed Monster Order men raised a huge fuss, partly due to how graphic the whole process looked, but I made a conscious effort to block them out.

::Honey, the man who Charmed these women, this Clive person...did he really call himself a transmigrator?::

Hm? Oh, yeah, he did.

::I see...::

What of it?

::Never mind, we can talk about it later. Focus on what you’re doing for now.::

If you say so.

With the bars between us, I stretched out my right hand towards one of the knights and cast Benediction Cure, which could dispel the majority of debuffs aside from curses. Full disclosure, it was my first time trying to heal the Charmed status. Fingers crossed.

“Nn...nnn...” Slowly, light returned to the woman’s eyes.

Whew, it worked. Let’s go and cast it on the others.

◇ ◇ ◇

“How are they doing?” Nellas asked.

“They’re currently sleeping in a separate cage in makeshift beds,” I answered. “Their Charm debuff has been lifted, so they should be fine once they recover their stamina.”

After treating the female knights, I left Gerard and Sera to guard the cages as I made my way to the Elder’s house. The map on the Network told me this was where Efil was resting.

“But they’re still officers from Trycen’s army, aren’t they? Are you sure about that?”

“It’s preferable to leaving them in their Charmed state. What would we have done if they were ordered to kill themselves? We’ll hand off all the prisoners to the Adventurer’s Guild in Gaun.”

According to the letter from the Beast King, Leonhart Gaun, my Rank S promotion exam would be considered a “pass” once I successfully defended the Village of the Elves. There was no mention of what to do with any enemies that we captured. However, this quest had come through the Adventurer’s Guild, so it made sense that I would either hand them off to the Guild or to the adventurer serving as my exam proctor, King Leonhart himself.

But before I did so, I’d have Sera extract as much information as she could.

“Speaking of which, where is the Beast King observing us from, anyway? Did he actually get the notification that we protected the village?”

“Uh, about that, the truth is —”

“It’s fine, Nellas. I’ll explain it myself,” an imperious voice rang out from outside the door.

The owner of that voice pulled the door open and entered. It was the serving girl who had poured us tea earlier.

“And you are?”

“You’ll have to pardon my appearance. I am the Beast King of Gaun, Leonhart Gaun.”

“What?!” Rion exclaimed.

I somehow managed to prevent it from leaking onto my face, but I was also astonished. I used Analyze Eye on the woman, but her Status remained that of a common female elf.

“The Beast King...is a woman?”

“No. I’m using a magic item passed down through our family which enables me to take on the appearances of others. In short, it’s an illusion. Unfortunately, I am a man. I stayed close by in case anything went wrong, but it seems you’ve resolved the situation without needing my help.” Leonhart laughed smugly, clearly emanating a “gotcha!” aura.

A magic item that can fabricate not only appearance but also Status? Considering its capability, it must be Rank S.

“Are you sure about revealing the existence of a national treasure so openly, Your Majesty?” I asked carefully.

“You tell me. I believe I’ve gotten a pretty good grasp on your character while observing how you handled this battle. What’s more, you’re now the village’s champion. Isn’t that right, Nellas?”

“Without a doubt, Your Majesty!”

Leonhart threw himself onto the sofa across from me.

“Kelvin, I give you a pass for this exam. There was no damage to the village at all, and you even exposed the mastermind behind the enemy force. That said, I do have to deduct a few points for the damage to the forest itself.”

“I’m terribly sorry about that.”

“Even so, I’m extremely satisfied with the result. If we had dispatched a squad of our finest, the forest would have suffered even greater damage. Thank you for what you’ve done.”

Leonhart lowered his head deeply. At the moment, he looked like a normal village girl, but I didn’t feel that humbling himself was something he should be doing in his own territory. I hurriedly tried to convince him to stop, but he waved me off.

“Don’t worry about it. While masked by this appearance, no one would suspect me of being the king. The only one who knows is Nellas. By the way, this is his daughter’s visage, and I’ve been stepping in and taking her place every once in a while. It was quite funny one time when he got down on his knees before his own daughter.”

“Y-Your Majesty, please spare me...” Nellas begged, almost on the verge of tears.

“Oh? I still have so many stories, but all right,” Leonhart replied with a chuckle. He turned to look at me, taking out what looked like a stamp from his chest pocket. “Kelvin, I’ll make arrangements for the prisoners you captured. As part of the payment for your achievement, I’ll grant you my personal mark of authorization so that you can use Gaun’s teleportation gate. Go on, show me your guild card.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Ugh...where am I?” Clive groaned as he slowly returned to consciousness. He felt absolutely awful, as if he had just awoken from a nightmare. His cheek and legs hurt, and he felt terribly sluggish.

“This...is my room’s ceiling. I see...I see! Hahaha! So, I made it back alive!”

Although he still felt like shit, laughter bubbled up from his throat. It was a real pity he hadn’t managed to kill that goddamn impertinent black-robed asshole, but there would be plenty of chances in the future. The young man himself might be strong, but he seemed to have plenty of companions that could be used as leverage.

“That’s right. This time, I’ll use my Charm Eye —”

“Looks like you’ve come to.”

Clive turned his head to the right and saw the figure of a blond man he knew well. “What’re you doing here, Tristan?”

And it wasn’t just Tristan. He realized that his own subordinates were also present, standing in a circle around his bed.

“Did you all come to check up on me, kitties? Oh, that’s right. Tristan, you saved me back there. Good job getting me out!”

“How could I not? You’re a transmigrator; your body is a world treasure. I only made the obvious choice.”

“Hahaha, you really do get me! It was the same when you recommended me for the position of General of the Magic Knight Order back in the day. You really do have an eye for value.”

“Well, your predecessor had just resigned...but speaking of that, it’s already been two years since you came to Trycen, hasn’t it. Time sure flies.”

“Thanks to you, it’s been a very enjoyable two years. Oh, you want to take one of my kitties home with you? I’ll give you your pick as thanks —”

When Clive tried to sit up, he realized that his hands, arms, neck, chest, and thighs were all tightly bound to the bed with rope-like restraints. He couldn’t move an inch.

“Uh...what is this, Tristan?”

“You finally noticed? I guess your dull head needed some time to fully wake up,” Tristan replied, tapping his temple with an index finger, his mouth twisting into a smile.

Clive recognized this smile of Tristan’s. He had seen it before when, on a whim, he had responded to a summoning of the generals and seen Tristan sneering at General Dan of the Steel Knight Order. The smile was a telltale sign that Tristan was up to no good.

Because they were similar in character, Clive was closer to him than to the other generals and could see through this habit of his. A cold sweat broke out over his forehead.

“C-C’mon man, spare me the weird jokes, will you?”

“Joke? What is the joke? Is it how you arbitrarily mobilized both the Mixed Monster Order and the Magic Knight Order but then lost to mere adventurers and came crawling back with your tail between your legs?”

“What are you saying? That was...you were the one who persuaded me to go! And I only mobilized my own Magic Knight Order!”

“No, no, no, what are you saying? The one who gave the orders to the officers of my Mixed Monster Order and brought my men and monsters out was you, Clive.”

“What the FUCK?!” Clive clenched his muscles in an attempt to free himself. “Ropes like these, I’ll just use my magi—”

“It won’t work. Those are special items that nullify magic. The only people who’d be able to break free with raw power are probably Prince Azgrad and General Dan. Oh, and in case you’re curious, I’ve already reported to King Zel that you died in battle.”

“What exactly do you want?” Clive demanded with an accusatory glare.

His target, however, was entirely unfazed. “I said it, didn’t I? Who you are inside is one thing, but as a transmigrator, your body is priceless. Otherworlders are rare in this world, but actual transmigrators — those are even more so. I might not meet another one even if I waited centuries, so how can I let this wonderful body of yours slip through my fingers?”

Tristan signaled the knights nearby with his eyes. They parted left and right, revealing a large serving cart that looked like a table on wheels. The numerous objects arranged on top rattled slightly as one of the women pushed the cart close to where Clive lay.

“L-Little kitties, what are you doing? The protagonist is in a pinch here! Help me already!”

“Don’t bother. Did you think your Rank A Concealment was enough to hide the fact that you’d cast Charm Eye on the entire Magic Knight Order? The reason the country turned a blind eye to it so far was because of how much you were worth. Trycen is a meritocracy, so its people are willing to overlook certain things if you bring enough to the table. However, you messed up. Big time. That changes things. Now, the Magic Knight Order has become mine. I’m the new Acting General.”

“What...what did you say?!”

Tristan picked up an object from the cart. It was a dagger, and it was radiating a hair-raisingly ominous aura.

“My regular merchant is a resourceful guy. Isn’t it amazing? Take a look; all of these are cursed weapons. Oh, wow, this one just looks wicked, doesn’t it?”

“What are you planning to do...?”

“Hey, don’t worry, I won’t kill you. No, no, your body is too precious to let it die.”

A squish sounded as the rusty blade pierced Clive’s right shoulder.

“Hngg...aahhh...ahHHH!”

“These cursed blades hurt so badly that you feel like fainting, no? But don’t worry! I won’t let that happen.” The general Summoned a tapir-like monster next to Clive’s pillow. “This monster, called an incubaku, is extremely weak but possesses the ability to unlock someone’s emotions by eating the dreams of another. Just like this.”

The incubaku opened and closed its mouth several times over Clive’s head. Consequently, his consciousness, which had been attempting to detach itself from the pain, was yanked back to reality. Right back to where the pain was lying in wait.

“F-F-F-FUCK YOOUUUU!!”

“Good morning, sleepyhead. You really should listen when people are talking, you know? Look.”

With a muddy mind halfway torn between dream and reality, Clive summoned all his strength to look in the direction Tristan was pointing. A pink-colored mist was forming over the crowd of female knights, all of whom were slowly closing their eyes.

“By transferring the dreams seized from you, all inhibitions have been removed from their minds, freeing them to do whatever they desire most right now. This is not Charm, but a form of hypnosis.”

“Don’t tell meeee...”

“It should be fine, right? If they really love you, like you’ve always claimed, they should be doing exactly what you hope they’ll do.”

The front-most woman approached Clive, then picked up a blade from the cart.

“Oh, and in case you’re worried, all of them are wearing a simple anti-curse protection on their hands.”

“S-Stop, d-d-d-don’t —”

With a practiced hand, the female knight lifted the rapier in her hands, then plunged it straight into Clive’s thigh.

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!”

“Oh, dear, looks like she just happened to be in a bad mood. But you still have plenty of subordinates. I’m sure at least one of them would willingly reciprocate your feelings, right? Uh oh, your HP is looking a bit low there. You, and you, take turns healing the general. I’m sure he’ll be grateful.”

The two knights he had pointed to smirked nastily.

“H-h-h-how DARE you d-d-d-do this to m-m-meeee!!”

“Whoops, is that really the time? I’m sorry, looks like I have to run to a meeting. I won’t be back for...several weeks, so I hope you enjoy yourself while I’m gone. I’ve made arrangements to replenish the cursed weapons that are used up, so...have fun!”

“Y-Y-Y-You stop right there!”

“Ciao!”

With a merciless click, the door to the room closed. In the short time it had been open, Clive had spied a line of female knights waiting outside.

A sight that once brought him untold delight now instilled nothing but terror. His inescapable hell was going to continue for some time.

◇ ◇ ◇

Tristan proceeded down the corridor in a great mood, his shoes making crisp clacks on the floor.

So, that was a total of one thousand three hundred and forty-two cursed weapons. I should probably praise Jildora for preparing so many in such a short timeframe, but some of them weren’t the best quality. Looks like it’s going to take a while for Clive’s body to be ready. I’m sure his ego will be long gone by then, but at the very least, he’ll hopefully turn into a fascinating monster.

The headquarters of the Magic Knight Order was unnaturally silent. There wasn’t even a whisper that could be heard.

Cashel had a little bit of talent, so I might have taken him in as a subordinate and trained him up properly if he hadn’t run away from home, but...oh well, that younger brother of mine has always been a coward and a pervert whose only hobby was killing people, so I guess I don’t need him after all.

“But enough of that. It won’t be much longer before we declare war on the continent. Things are finally getting interesting.”

◇ ◇ ◇

The morning after Tristan returned to Trycen from the Forest of Crests, King Zel summoned the generals to the Roundtable Room. Azgrad, Dan, Tristan, and Shutola were currently in the room, which made for full attendance with the exception of Clive.

“That bastard isn’t just playing hookie this time, is he?” Azgrad asked.

“Apparently, he went somewhere with his subordinates,” Dan replied. “One of my men saw him flying off with Green Magic several nights ago.”

“That’s the reason I called this meeting,” said Zel.

“Clive’s the reason? What’s he gone and done this time, old man?”

“Please allow me to do the explaining, Crown Prince,” Tristan offered.

“You know something about this?”

Tristan got up and walked to the center of the room with somewhat theatrical gestures. “It was in the deep of night, four days ago. The day General Dan’s subordinate saw him leaving. The lieutenant general of my Mixed Monster Order, along with the majority of my colonels plus their troops and monsters, all went missing.”

“Missing? What are you talking about? Aren’t they out on an expedition right now?” Azgrad looked up and to the side as if recalling something. “To subjug— Ah, since it’s you guys, to ‘capture’ a monster, right?”

“That was indeed the purpose with which Lieutenant General Ulfred and his men set out, even going so far as to bring along Gigant Lord, the hidden ace of my Order, no less.”

“Now I’m understanding why you said ‘missing’ even less.”

As a Rank S monster, Gigant Lord’s destructive power and toughness were such that there were only a handful of people in Trycen who could defeat it. Throwing a whole army at it was one thing, but in a one-versus-one scenario, the only ones who could handle it were Dan, Clive with his Rank S magic, or Azgrad on a dragon.

If Gigant Lord was part of a formation that included half of the Tamers and monsters in the Mixed Monster Order, even another Rank S monster wouldn’t be their match.

“I don’t get it either,” Dan rumbled. “And how’s this related to Cli— Wait, don’t tell me...”

“Your mind is as sharp as ever, General Dan. That’s right. Just as he did to his own subordinates, General Clive used his Unique Skill, Charm Eye, on my troops.”

Tristan’s words set off a buzz around the room. The attending lieutenant generals seemed especially flustered.

This was true also of Lieutenant General Jin of the Steel Knight Order, who had not known that Clive possessed such a skill. Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and he understood why the Magic Knight Order had changed so drastically over the past two years.

He turned to his father. “General Dan, you knew about this?!”

“Mm. It was top secret, though.”

“How could you keep quiet about something like that?! That’s far too —”

“That was the agreement,” Zel stated.

Jin had flown into a rage as the terrible revelation caused the blood to rush his head, but the moment he heard Zel’s voice, his emotions were strangely calmed, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.

What was that? he thought to himself, feeling a cold sweat trickling down his back. He hadn’t the faintest idea what had just been done to him.

Paying the young man no attention, King Zel continued to speak. “Who remembers when Clive’s predecessor, Lunoir Victoria, left our army along with her lieutenant general?”

“Lunoir...haven’t heard that name in quite a while,” Azgrad replied with a nostalgic look. “Aside from Dan, she’s the only one who’s ever been able to match my spear.”

“She was the youngest Trycenian general in history, wasn’t she? Fearful is the power of youth indeed. If I remember correctly, she simply left a note behind and slipped out in the dead of night. What a pity, truly...” Tristan trailed off.

Zel nodded gravely. “Indeed, the hole left in our army by her absence was massive. We tried searching for her but to no avail. And equally fruitless was our search for someone to succeed her.”

“And that’s when that bastard Clive appeared,” Azgrad finished.

Two years ago, several days after Lunoir’s disappearance, word had spread of a remarkable Green Mage. The man’s magic far exceeded the abilities of anyone in Trycen, particularly in the realm of defense. Furthermore, he possessed a face and voice that seemed far too perfect for normal men. It was only a matter of time before his name became known.

Naturally, Trycen had reached out to the man: Clive. The country had hoped he would be capable of filling Lunoir’s shoes. He was secretly invited to Trycen Castle and subjected to intense scrutiny.

The man’s response to the offer, however, beggared belief.

“If it’s a workplace with lots of girls, then maaaybe I can consider it.”

It was a train of thought that seemed to belong to a puerile boy who’d retained his immature mental age while growing into the body of an adult. Those evaluating him despaired. They chastised themselves for having been taken in by mere rumors.

But that dismissal had been revoked almost immediately. The tremendous power of the magic the man displayed, and the astonishing capabilities of the equipment and items in his possession, could not be denied. Additionally, he had connections with an enigmatic merchant, a highly suspicious dwarf who always kept his face hidden in the depths of his hooded robe but dealt in top-tier goods. Supposedly, this merchant even had a pipeline to items of legendary fame.

Eventually, this hooded stranger became a dedicated purveyor of powerful goods to Trycen, and Clive was installed as the general of the Magic Knight Order, with the condition that he was free to do as he pleased with the female knights under his command.

“You all know the particulars of how Clive joined our army,” Zel said.

“Of course, we also made him agree to constantly present results and to abide by a few conditions of our own,” Tristan added.

“Naturally, this is highly classified information. If this ever leaks out...do I have to finish the sentence?”

The air of intimidation emanating from the king prompted all the lieutenant generals to nod their heads furiously. Jin, however, still looked conflicted.

“Lieutenant General Jin, I think you’re smart enough to figure this out without having it spelled out for you, but this was something that our country needed at the time,” Dan chided, before adding, “Although it does make my stomach churn.”

“I...understand.”

Tristan suddenly clapped his hands loudly, gathering the attention of everyone present.

“It seems we’ve digressed quite a bit. So let’s get to the most important part. After Charming my Mixed Monster Order, General Clive, of all things, went to attack the Forest of Crests in Gaun!”

“Where the Village of Elves is?”

“As expected of Shutola-sama, general of Black Ops, the breadth of your knowledge is as wide as the ocean.”

“Enough with the empty flattery. Why did he take such a risk in going all the way there?”

“Using the Magic Knight Order, for which we’ve given tacit consent for that bastard to do with as he pleased, is one thing. We cannot overlook him seizing control of another Order,” Azgrad spat with a grimace.

“Everyone, I ask you to think about this very carefully. We’re talking about General Clive on one side...and elves on the other. Isn’t it obvious what was going through his mind? He went there to kidnap them.”

An awkward silence filled the room.

“Come on, even that bastard wouldn’t go that far...”

“And yet, Esteemed Brother, there have indeed been reports of monsters kidnapping elves of late.”

“I suppose we’ll never know for sure,” Tristan stated, regaining control of the conversation. “After all, General Clive lost his life in action.”

“What? Clive? Dead?”

“That’s right. A group of adventurers who happened to be in the village turned the tables on him.”

“You’re joking!” Azgrad cried, pounding the table in agitation. “That bastard may be a hopeless lust demon, but he had the strength to back it up. He’s worlds apart from that pathetic figurehead, Christoph!”

“Hold on, hold on, please let me finish. I happened to get a look at this adventurer by using one of my beloved monsters. To my surprise, his appearance is a perfect match for the adventurer who supposedly accompanied the Heroes during their takedown of Christoph. Do you remember the report that you presented earlier, Shutola-sama?”

“Ah, that one. You were the one who asked for it, Esteemed Brother. As part of our investigation of the Heroes, we caught wind of an adventurer from Parth who’s abruptly risen to prominence over the past few months. His name is Kelvin, if I remember correctly.”

“And you’re saying that’s the guy who did Clive in?”

“Not only General Clive,” said Tristan. “During their encounter, this adventurer’s companions also annihilated the Charmed members of the Mixed Monster Order, including Gigant Lord. Thinking about it now, Christoph and his party were close in level to the Heroes...how, then, were they captured so easily? I’m starting to suspect that this Kelvin character’s hand in it was bigger than we initially thought.”

“The dots do seem to connect,” Dan murmured thoughtfully.

“What is this newcomer like?” Having remained silent until then, King Zel finally showed some interest.

“At the risk of sounding dramatic, he has the appearance of the Grim Reaper. I saw him wield an enormous scythe, and he was clad in a black robe. Most telling, he had a full-faced smile throughout the entire fight.”

“A Grim Reaper, you say. So, he’s strong...”

“Hahaha, of all people to catch the attention of, that Clive bastard went and encountered a Grim Reaper!”

Trycen’s circumstances were worse than ever. Yet both King Zel and Prince Azgrad appeared to be in a good mood, although for rather different reasons.

“I ask you once more, what is it that our country should be doing now?”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Goddammit, my head hurts. Just what is His Majesty thinking?”

Once the meeting ended, most of the attendees had promptly taken their leave. The only ones currently still in the room were Dan, Jin, and Shutola.

“General Dan, are you all right?”

“There’s no need to worry about me. But this confirmation of war and transfer of the Magic Knight Order to Tristan...none of it seems to make sense. His Majesty has changed so much. He used to be a steady and reliable presence like you, Shutola-sama.”

Seeing Dan hang his head, Shutola sighed slowly, as if to relax her nerves.

“Dan. Jin. There’s something I want to discuss with you two. Would you lend me your time?”

◇ ◇ ◇

Beneath the base of the Dragon Knight Order was a deep, deep ravine. Or rather, it would be more accurate to describe it as the base having been built on a bridge that hung over the ravine.

The dragons ridden by the knights of the order kept their nests within that gorge, where they deepened their bonds with their partners and trained each other up every day.

Although Trycen generally touted human supremacy, things were different in this place. Here, humans and dragons were equals who placed their trust in each other. It had once been part of the Mixed Monster Order, but with the installation of Azgrad as general, his drastically different principles led to a breaking off and the establishment of an entirely separate branch.

The layout of the valley was such that the stronger the dragon, the farther down they could make their nest. As such, Azgrad’s beloved partner was at the very bottom. It was dark down there, and visibility was questionable even when the sun was at its zenith and shining straight down. The entire floor of the valley was reserved for this one single beast.

“Hey there, you doing all right? Then again, you’re just sleeping all the time, really. Oh, come on, still sulking?” Azgrad’s tone was warm and companionable, as if he were speaking to a close friend. “The collar goes against my principles, you know that. It’s honest and open communication that makes us dragon knights what we are. But we’ve gone over that before. Today, I’ve come to bring interesting news. Apparently, a man who’s capable of killing Gigant Lord and Clive has appeared.”

The dragon’s eyelids twitched.

“That caught your attention, didn’t it? A real man can’t help but get a thrill from hearing that! As the son of the mighty Darkness Dragon King, I knew you’d get it!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Thanks to King Leonhart adding his stamp of authorization to my guild card, the capital of Gaun was added to the list of places I could visit using the teleportation gate. According to him, Gaun’s gate was also beneath their royal palace, just like Toraj’s. The king generously promised to sort things out with the gatekeeper so that I was free to come and go whenever I wanted.

The night we beat back the Trycenian army, another force from Gaun arrived at the Forest of Crests and took up position as a new border protection garrison. I didn’t get to meet him in person, but apparently this was an elite group personally led by one of Leonhart’s sons.

“They arrived just in time to help mop up the stray monsters. I’ve ordered them to shift to guard duty as soon as they’re done.”

At least, that’s what Leonhart told me, but my guess was that he had already stationed the force nearby in case something went wrong during our defense of the village. For him, protecting the elves was a top priority, regardless of whether I passed my exam or not.

That night, the entire village came out in full force to throw a gigantic feast. Even Efil, who would normally insist on sticking to her duties as a maid, enjoyed it a lot. I noticed her eating a lot more than she usually did. Perhaps as a half-elf, the cuisine here particularly matched her palate.

Most of the dishes were made from ingredients that could be found in the forest, such as mushrooms and fruits, and had rather simple seasonings. There was also a boar-like monster on offer, although I had a feeling that was something that had been specially prepared out of consideration for my party and the newly arrived Gaunian soldiers who were stationed there.

Having grown used to Efil’s exceptional cooking, I did find the fare slightly unsatisfying, but the elves kept offering me more, causing me to overeat quite a bit regardless. However, I’d like to state for the record that I didn’t come close to consuming even a fifth of what Melfina ate. I swear she was packing away more food than the volume of her entire body.

Every once in a while, Nellas’s daughter came to refill my cup with fruit wine. Each time, I would brace myself, fearing it would be King Leonhart instead. It really was troublesome that even Analyze Eye couldn’t tell the difference. Considering how masterfully the Beast King copied the girl’s very aura, even Nellas couldn’t be blamed for mistaking the two of them.

As for my companions, they were pretty much their usual partying selves. Having gotten completely sloshed, Sera came to mess with me and just wouldn’t let go. Gerard stood on top of a platform that I could swear hadn’t been there earlier that day and was sharing the highlights of the fight.

“Kelviiiin! Aren’t I deserving, hic, of some comp’ments too!”

“All right, all right. Good job, Sera. Good girl, good girl. Can you please let me go already?”

“There y’go trynna change the subjec’ again!”

“And so I said, ‘If you wish to pass, you’ll have to defeat me first!’”

A roar of cheers went up. Dude, but you didn’t do any fighting...

“I say, wer’you lookin’ off to!”

I had started off drinking slowly by myself but somehow ended up being caught in the chaos. Shit, I think I feel my bones creaking.

“Ah, I’ve found you, Kel-nii! Things have gotten really crazy where Mel-nee’s at!”

“I think I’m more worried about how crazy things are getting with my arm right now.”

“What? Isn’t that a side benefit, though? That’s how it’s always depicted in manga.”

I can’t even feel my hand anymore. Do you understand how tiresome it is using healing magic to continuously restore my own arm before it snaps?

“Anyway, never mind that! Mel-nee is having an eating contest with the Gaunian soldiers over there, and she’s already beaten six of them! Apparently, some of the elves had to go out to hunt more game because the ingredients ran out.”

“She still had room for more?” She’d already eaten enough portions for several people when she was at my table earlier...

“Riiiiooon, itz my time now! Go’way, shoo, shoo!”

“Sera-nee, how about I get you to bed? We’re leaving tomorrow morning, remember?”

“I don’ waaaant to!”

In spite of her petite frame, Rion managed to forcibly peel Sera off me and give her a piggyback ride. Sera put up some token resistance, but in her drunken state, she was no match for the sober Hero. And the position of riding piggyback seemed to have done the trick in triggering her sleepiness, as my demon companion promptly fell silent and started breathing peacefully.

“Looks like you’ve had a pretty tough time of it, Kel-nii.”

“Thanks, you saved me. My arm was literally about to bend in a direction it’s definitely not supposed to.”

“That just goes to show how much Sera-nee thinks of you. As a man, you’ve got to answer her feelings properly.”

I’m trying, I really am. Would it help if I bumped Iron Wall up a rank or two?

“Since it’s already quite late, I think I’ll bring Sera-nee to bed and then go to sleep myself.”

“Sounds good. Good night, Rion. I know I’ve said it several times already, but you really did an amazing job today.”

“Nah, what was amazing was your commanding. I only did what anyone would have done in my position. But, I mean, if I could have a reward...”

“Is there something you want?”

“Hmmm...never mind, it’s a secret. Good night!”

After seeing them off, I was left on my own. Well then, it’s about time. We’ll be striking off for Parth in the morning. Rion and Sera have already gone to bed, so I should probably do the same. Gerard I can just leave alone, as he’ll wake up on time anyway. But Melfina’s extremely bad with mornings. Looks like she’s still in the middle of her eating contest too, so I might have to force her to go to bed.

“Which leaves only...Efil.”

◇ ◇ ◇

A gentle breeze blew across the top of the wall, carrying away the faint sounds of merriment that had traveled all the way from the village square. Efil stood alone, looking up at the eastern sky, her blond hair flowing in the wind.

“What’re you doing here?”

“Oh, Master.”

When I called out, she noticed my presence immediately and turned towards me with a smile. Her face looks a bit red. I did see her drinking a little tonight, even though she normally doesn’t partake. Could that be why?

“Guess this wall’s gotta go tomorrow too. I did promise to revert everything to the way it was once the battle was over.”

“Master, Nellas-sama told me that he doesn’t mind the wall staying. The men of the village have taken quite a liking to it.”

“Really? Well, then it stays, I suppose.”

“I’m sure they’ll be delighted. But at the very least, let’s revert the water in the moat back to normal,” Efil said, giggling a little.

“You look kind of flushed. Did you drink a bit too much?”

“Th-That’s not it, Master. I only drank a single cup tonight.”

“Ah, then you’re tired from fielding all the words of gratitude from the villagers? You should have continued lying down a bit longer and gotten more rest.”

“Thank you for your concern, Master.”

The conversation came to an end there, and silence filled the air. Efil’s face remained red, but her expression was that of marvel.

“I can still hardly believe everything that’s happened here. I’m really thankful that we came. Nellas-sama and everyone else have treated me so warmly even though only half of my blood is elven. Most of all, I got to learn something about my mother.”

Efil’s mother, Rumil, was an elf who supposedly bore an uncanny resemblance to her daughter. Unfortunately, she had long since died, so there was no way to meet her in person. Even so, having found a clue about her seemed to mean a lot to Efil, who had spent her entire life as an orphan.

“I still know nothing about my father or how I came to be, but something that made me happy enough not to dwell on that happened, so...” During the latter half of her sentence, Efil’s voice grew softer and softer until it was almost unintelligible. Inversely, her face seemed to grow redder and redder.

“Are you sure you’re all right, Efil? It’s pretty late...you want to go to bed?”

“Y-Yes, let’s go to bed together!” I turned to descend the stairs, but she suddenly called me back. “Master, I...I will support you with all my might, even more than I’ve done so far. So, um, may...may I continue serving you for the rest of my life?”

Efil waited for my answer with a hand touching the collar on her neck and her eyes averted anxiously. What she was wearing was a Slave Collar, an item commonly used to make a slave obey their master’s bidding. As there was absolutely no need for it in our case, I’d offered to remove it numerous times, but she always firmly refused me, saying, “You gave me this yourself, Master, and it is my pride and joy. Please do not take it away from me.”

I must have done a bad job if she’s making such a worried face. Come on, I’ll only ever have one answer to that question.

◇ ◇ ◇

On top of his platform, Gerard was continuing to enthusiastically recount the day’s events.

“Then my king, Kelvin, looked straight at the enemy general and declared, ‘Don’t you dare lay a hand on my woman!’”

The elves whistled and stomped their feet as they reached the height of their excitement listening to the knight’s gripping tale. On the other side of the square, Melfina, surrounded on all sides by the unconscious forms of the collapsed Gaunian soldiers, brought her hands together, saying, “Phew, what a delicacy that was. Let us always be grateful for the food we eat.”

All in all, the scene was absolute chaos.

::Well then, I think I’ll be heading off to bed soon. What about you, Ger— Hold on!::

::What’s the matter, Princess?:: Gerard replied, emanating the air of someone who had just managed a huge accomplishment.

::Try listening to the sounds being picked up by the Clotho clone accompanying Efil on top of the wall.::

::My, oh, my. My king has blocked off the Network, but he’s clearly forgotten about Clotho’s presence.::

::Those are truly cringy things he’s saying. Even I’m getting embarrassed listening in.::

::I can’t just let this go, now can I?::

Gerard once again stepped up to the stage.

“Apologies for the wait, all! This is the best part yet, so listen up! This is the final part of the performance by yours truly, so here goes!”

In response, the elves as well as the soldiers, who had just begun to return to life, roared with elation and pumped their fists in the air.

“Oh, you’re going to tell them? Uh...sorry, honey!”

Unbeknownst to him at the time, this night would go down in Kelvin’s memory as a dark, dark episode indeed.

◇ ◇ ◇

Early the next day, we bid farewell to the Village of Elves and set off for Parth. Nellas and the villagers all invited us to stay a while longer, but Ellie and Ruka were waiting for us back home. The longer we remained gone, the more they would worry.

The elves gathered every last coin they had and tried to give it all to us, but we turned them down. We couldn’t very well bankrupt them. We asked them instead to gather the kind of fresh produce that could only be found in their forest.

Ah, Efil likes this fruit. They sure knew what to bring back.

At the village gate, Nellas and Leonhart — who was again borrowing the appearance of the Elder’s daughter — saw us off.

“Rest assured, Gaun will take responsibility for protecting the village. Next time, use the teleportation gate and come visit our capital. We’ll welcome you.”

“I hope you’ll finally show us your real appearance then!”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Very well, I promise you. Though I imagine you’ll be busy for quite a while, having reached Rank S.”

“What do you mean?”

“The birth of a new Rank S adventurer calls for a citywide celebration. After all, it is something that only occurs once every few years or so across the entire continent.”

“Uh, you know, I prefer not being in the spotlight so much...”

“Come now, it’s not such a bad thing. Being famous has its perks too. Plus, the celebrations are one of the citizens’ rare sources of entertainment. It’s tradition to pull out all the stops on the day of the promotion ceremony itself. The last time was...that’s right, Sylvia, a year ago. She shot right up through the ranks just as you did. When I think about it that way, the recent rookies all seem so talented. As it happens, her promotion was held in Gaun, and we threw her the biggest celebration ever! Of course, she herself was too embarrassed to attend any of it! Ha ha ha!”

Uh, doesn’t that mean she basically ran away? And wait, they went ahead with the celebration even though the guest of honor never showed? Wow. Just...wow.

“So, you really are leaving us, Kelvin-dono, Efil-san...” said Nellas dolefully.

“Thank you for everything yesterday, Nellas-sama,” returned Efil with a refined bow.

“It was nothing compared to what you’ve done for us. We are the ones who should be saying thanks!” Nellas replied in a fluster as he and the elves behind him all lowered their heads deeply.

Wow, it feels so strange being bowed to by so many people.

“Please think of this village as your true home and come visit whenever you want. Every one of us will be waiting. Oh dear, I almost forgot.” The Elder took out a small jeweled box and passed it to Efil. “Efil-san, this is yours.”

“Umm, what is this?”

“It is a memento of your mother, Rumil. Please take it with you. I’m sure she would have wanted you to have it.”

“My mother’s...memento...” Efil accepted the box, then silently lifted the lid to peer inside. “A hair clip?”

“Rumil was wearing this when we found her. In fact, it was the only undamaged item on her.”

“The emerald ornaments look lovely, don’t they? Good for you, Efil!” said Sera, looking closely at the clip from the side.

I activated Analyze Eye from my position a bit farther away. Not only was this “Magical Jewel Hair Clip” beautifully ornamented, it had also been crafted in such a way that the properties of the Magical Jewels embedded in it retained their functional properties. In fact, I would venture a guess that the efficacy of the Magical Jewels was even higher than it had been when they were in their raw, unprocessed form.

There was no doubt this was the handiwork of a master artisan. The hair clip was in the shape of a small flower, with tiny emeralds embedded in each petal. What it lacked in flashiness, it more than made up for with elegance and beauty.

“Efil, how about trying it on? I’m sure it’ll suit you,” I suggested.

“M-May I really?” she asked hesitantly.

“It’s already yours,” Nellas replied. “Feel free to do as you wish with it.”

“Um, in that case...Master, can you do it for me?”

“Gotcha.”

I circled around behind and let her hair down, then carefully redid it using the magical clip. Every once in a while at home, when I woke up early enough, I would brush her hair. Thanks to that experience, I somehow managed to do her hair up quite nicely.

“How is it?” she asked, turning only her head around.

Nellas nodded, touched. “As I expected, it suits you as well as it suited your mother.”

“It really pops against your blond hair. It’s perfect!” added Sera.

“You look wonderful,” confirmed Melfina.

Just as everyone was saying, the hair clip looked so good on Efil, it was as if it had been specially made for her. The older elves who’d personally known Rumil brushed tears from the corners of their eyes.

Looking happy, Efil shot me furtive little glances. I looked straight at her and said clearly, “Efil, you look beautiful.”

“Th...Thank you very much. That makes me so happy.”

As we stared into each other’s eyes, the atmosphere surrounding us gradually started to turn swee—

Clap, clap!

“All right, all right! Kel-nii, Efil-nee, leave that for after we get back, okay?” chided Rion, dispelling that atmosphere around us with two loud claps.

Is it just me or is my little sister getting really on top of things lately? Her growth makes me happy, but couldn’t she have waited just a bit longe— Oh, okay, now I notice all the stares from the elves behind us and the Gaunian soldiers on top of the wall. Perhaps beating a hasty retreat is the best thing to do here.

“Ahem! Well then, Beast King, Nellas-san, we’ll be taking our leave.”

“Mm. I look forward to your future exploits.”

“Thank you once again for everything! I wish you godspeed!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Just as we had done for our journey to the village, we ran the whole way back. If we hurry, we can make it home within the day.

::My king, I was thinking, maybe it’s time I come out...::

Gerard, you are sentenced to a week of house arrest inside my magic pool. I will never forget what you did last night. Do you even know how much of a commotion Efil and I found ourselves in after coming down from the wall? Come to think of it, the reason for all those stares just now was mainly because of you. Even my hair stands on end when I remember what I myself said to Efil last night, and you exposed it to the whole village? Know the weight of your crime. We are so done!

::Uh...I don’t think the staring just now had anything to do with me.::

::Gramps, I kind of understand how you feel, but you really shouldn’t have done that.::

::Rion, child, if you take their side, then I really have nothing to say in return...::

::However, I’m also partially responsible as I was present and did nothing to stop him. As punishment for myself, I’ll refrain from having seconds for a week!::

Melfina’s bombshell statement evoked an alarmed “What?!” from everyone through the Network.

Don’t be hasty, Melfina!

::Kelvin’s right! Mel, your body won’t last the week!::

::Princess! You really don’t have to keep someone like me company!::

::I can’t subject you to such a cruel and unusual punishment, Mel-nee...::

::That would be very troubling, Melfina-sama. The amount of ingredients I procured were calculated based on your normal rate of consumption. If you don’t eat it, I’ll have to, um...should I give it to Clo-chan? Wait, or maybe I could bring some to share with Clare-san...::

Everyone tried their best to convince Melfina to drop her mad scheme. Given how familiar we’d become with seeing her enthusiastically wolfing down her food, the sight of her suppressing her appetite would undoubtedly fill us with a deep concern that she was unwell.

::To think that you all appreciate me so much! All right, I understand. I’ll do my best to eat as much as I can, then!::

And so, it was with laughter and friendly banter that we made our way back to Parth.

◇ ◇ ◇

The sun had almost set by the time we returned. As always, two golems holding halberds were standing guard before the front gate. I was relieved to see that nothing had happened in our absence.

When we passed through the gate and reached the fountain, we found Ruka weeding the garden. Before we could say anything, she noticed our approach and rushed over with her small strides.

“Master! Welcome back!”

“Hey there, Ruka. Have you been a good girl and listened to what Ellie said?”

“Mhm! We worked hard taking care of the place! Welcome back to you too, Efil-sama!”

“We’re glad to be back,” my Head Maid replied. “All right, show me what you two have done. I’ll go check on it now.”

“So soon?! Sh-Shouldn’t you rest up first?”

Ruka was pulling a face, probably because of how strict Efil’s usual instruction was. Although she had a gentle personality and was normally kind to everyone, Efil would not compromise an inch when it came to her professional duties. She applied this high standard to Ruka and Ellie as well, consequently putting them through some pretty tough training each day.

Even so, the two of them trusted her greatly, proving that she was a good leader who knew how to properly share her vision and connect with subordinates on a personal level. Well, that and the staff meals she made every once in a while probably played a part too. Once, I’d just happened to walk past an open door where Ruka was eating while tears streamed down her face.

“Efil sure is a tactician, winning over master and subordinates alike through our stomachs” is what I’d normally say, but since it’s her we’re talking about, she probably just wanted to reward Ruka for her hard work.

Thanks to this educational approach of Efil’s, even I, as an amateur, could tell that Ellie and Ruka’s skills were improving by leaps and bounds every day. They had also amassed plenty of levels and skill points, so I was genuinely looking forward to seeing how they developed in the future.

“Oh, right, we brought back souvenirs! Ta-da!” said Rion, taking out one of the fruits that we’d received from the Village of Elves and giving it to the little girl.

“Wow! I’ve never seen this kind of fruit before! Can I eat it, Rion-sama?”

“Sure you can! It’s like a pear; you’ll love it. We have plenty, so go ask Efil-nee to cut you another one sometime, all right?”

“Oh, oh, I’ve already learned how to cut fruit! Want me to show you the results of my traini—”

“What’s all the commotion, Ruka? Oh, Master!”

Having been drawn by our voices, Ellie appeared at the door. Just like Ruka, she noticed us immediately. Was she in the middle of cleaning the lobby?

“Welcome home. I sincerely apologize for not noticing sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it. We literally just got back.”

“Did anything happen in our absence?” Efil asked.

“No, nothing. Oh, but we did receive a letter from the Adventurer’s Guild addressed to Master.”

A letter to me from the guild? I imagine it must be related to the promotion. “Would you bring it to me in the living room later?”

“Yes, Master.”

Considering the hour, I’ll just read the thing and show up at the guild tomorrow.

“By the way, where’s Grandpa Gerard?” asked Ruka.

“Gerard is...on a week-long training journey.”

“Aww, I wanted to show him my awesome peeling skills too,” she said with a pout, moving one of her hands as if it were a knife and applying it to the fruit she was holding.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility and eat Gerard’s share too,” Melfina offered.

“Ah, then I’d like some as well. That fruit is pretty delicious,” Sera chimed in.

I nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a good idea. Let’s all have some after dinner.” With that settled, it’s time to head inside and rest up a bit.

::My king! My king! I beg of you, please let me have some too! This is the plea of a lifetime!::

It wasn’t exactly a handmade dish, but was still fruit cut by Ruka’s hands, and Gerard doted on her so much. However, his cry from the soul fell on deaf ears. I had slightly dialed down the volume of his voice for the duration of his house arrest, so it wasn’t all that distracting.

I didn’t realize beforehand how truly cruel this punishment would be. At this rate, Gerard’s mind might break down. I might have to shorten the duration of his sentence a bit.

◇ ◇ ◇

The larger room on the first floor was our living room, and it was decked out with all the furniture that Efil had carefully selected with the aim of making it a space where a significant number of people could relax.

Before the Western-style hearth was a rug made from the hide of a white sable that we had caught ourselves. The rather sizable sofa was Sera and Rion’s favorite lounging spot, and I would always find them lazing about on it at this time of day.

“Ahhh, home really is the best,” sighed Sera blissfully.

“I know, right? It feels even better after such a long time away,” Rion agreed.

“Look at you two already monopolizing the couch as soon as we’re back.”

When I entered the room, the girls had already settled themselves in. The couch was indeed quite large, but there wasn’t enough space for a third person to sit when the two of them spread themselves out like that. Before I knew it, Alex emerged from Rion’s shadow and curled up before the fireplace as well.

While I was considering purchasing another sofa, Efil spoke up from behind me, holding a tray bearing cups of tea in her hand. The unique aroma told me that it was likely a blend from the Village of Elves.

“Excuse me, I’m coming in. Ah, Master, what time do you want dinner?”

“Hm, everyone’s still winding down right now, so how about in an hour? Oh, wait, but you’re tired too, Efil.”

Although we had taken a few breaks, we’d run at a pretty brisk pace on our way back to Parth. I felt bad asking her to cook so soon after returning.

“I want to say that I’m completely fine, but Ellie and Ruka convinced me otherwise. Tonight, the two of them will be preparing the food.”

“Oh, that’s a first. I know they’ve been learning from you and helping out with the cooking so far, but tonight is the first time they’ll be handling everything by themselves, isn’t it?”

Efil had a certain pride with regard to the kitchen, which would sometimes spur her to push herself to do the cooking even when she was tired. I’d been thinking about forcing her to take a rest, but thankfully, I didn’t have to go that far.

“That just goes to show how worried they are about you,” said Melfina, walking in with a large platter piled with cookies.

“Mel-sama, please allow me to carry the snacks.”

“Nuh-uh, this is for me to handle. Have you already forgotten what Ellie told you? You do have a tendency to take everything on yourself.”

“But...”

“No ‘but’s. Place more trust in those around you. Especially your subordinates. They really do want to help take some of the burden off your shoulders.”

“What’s happened?” Did a problem crop up where I wasn’t aware?

“Nothing happened, really, it’s just that when I tried to start preparing the ingredients, the two of them stopped me and told me to rest.”

“And that was when I jauntily entered the scene and threw my support behind them,” added Melfina as she shoved a cookie into Efil’s mouth. Efil munched on it, looking embarrassed. “I know you told Kelvin you’d try harder, but you mustn’t overwork yourself. If you end up collapsing as a result, you’d just be making him sad. That’s not what you want, is it?”

“You’re...right. I suppose I may have been causing everyone undue worry. Master, I guarantee Ellie and Ruka’s growth. Would you please give their cooking a try?”

“Well, let me see...” I said, approaching her and evoking a “Fhwat?” from her by pinching both her cheeks. “Do you even have to ask? These are your apprentices we’re talking about here. I’d be more than happy to try their food.”

“That’s right, Efil, you should be more laid-back.”

“Yep, yep, just like us!”

Sera and Rion, you two are too laid-back.

“Going all out as a maid is fine and all, but do make sure to take some time for yourself every once in a while, okay? With that in mind, you two, share some of your laid-backness with Efil,” ordered the goddess.

“You got it!”

“Aye, aye, sir!”

I snatched the tray from Efil’s hands.

“Wh-Whaaaat?”

“Come on, let’s laze around together over there!”

“Efil-nee, rest is to be celebrated and cherished! Come, come!”

Slowly but surely, my maid was dragged over to the devilish sofa. It would be troubling if she became too much like them, but it was true that I wanted her to occasionally have some downtime.

“Mel, thank you for caring for Efil. It seems she’s been pushing herself quite a bit after acquiring staff, so it helps to have someone looking out for her.”

“Even if I didn’t, Ellie and Ruka would. Most importantly, now I get to eat food made by the two of them.”

“Mel, you...” She sure knows her priorities. Or is she just hiding her embarrassment?

::My king...Ruka’s handmade cooking!:: moaned Gerard with a voice that sounded like he was crying tears of blood.

All right, all right! I’ll lift your house arrest before dinner!

::MY KING!::

I thought I felt Gerard’s loyalty climb another notch.

◇ ◇ ◇

Dinner went by as a boisterous affair, just as it always did. But we had a fairly important event lined up for four days later. The contents of the letter I had quickly scanned could be summed up in three points:

I had passed my promotion exam.

The official promotion ceremony would be held at the Adventurer’s Guild in Parth in four days.

After the ceremony, there would be a practice match between the new Rank S adventurer (me) and an incumbent Rank S adventurer.

I didn’t particularly mind, but the third point was quite sudden. So, I’m the entertainment at my own celebration?