Chapter 1: The Freeloading Princess
Chapter 1: The Freeloading Princess
Everything felt vague and hazy, as if I were inside a dream. The only thing I could see was darkness.
What’s happened to me?
“——”
What’s that?
“———”
Hello? Is someone out there? Did you just say something?
“———y...”
The voice seemed infinitely far away and yet it was as if it had spoken right next to my ear. Ugh, my mind’s all in a haze.
“———why...”
I could only make out fragments. I feel like I’ve heard this voice before. But I can’t put my finger on it...
“I don’t want to regret anything anymore. I—”
A faint silhouette took shape within the darkness. Who are you?
::Honey!::
::Kelvin!::
Two loud voices abruptly burst directly into my mind. The darkness was banished by light, and my consciousness rose back to the surface.
◇ ◇ ◇
I mumbled something unintelligible as I opened my eyes. My mind was still in a bit of a fog, but my body felt warm. I realized that I was wearing my pajamas and had been tucked into bed. Slowly, my eyes registered the unfamiliar ceiling above.
“Honey, you’re finally awake!”
“Gosh! How many days do you think you’ve been sleeping?! We were worried out of our minds!”
Melfina’s and Sera’s faces entered my line of sight from the left and right respectively, the former filled with relief and the latter colored with anger but teary-eyed.
Come on, I just woke up. What’s with those faces? Wait...I just woke up? How long have I been asleep?
“‘Good morning’ is probably not the right thing to say now. What happened to me?” I asked, patting Melfina’s head and wiping away the tears from Sera’s eyes.
“Thank you,” Sera said, holding my hand in both of hers. “Um, do you not remember? After we defeated the Demon Lord, you suddenly collapsed in the middle of me telling you off.”
“Oh, right...”
The memories slowly came back to me. I had indeed been feeling quite out of sorts after the fight was over. Oh, so I collapsed.
“You’ve been sleeping for three days, honey. Just now, you were moaning in your sleep, so we thought we should try to wake you.”
“Oh, that’s why. I think I heard your voices in my dream.”
What was with that dream, anyway? I feel like it was tugging at something inside of me...but I guess there isn’t much point in looking for meaning there. Let’s not dwell on it any longer.
“You’re in a guest room in Trycen Castle. Oh, don’t worry. There are guards from all the allied countries here, and above all, Mel and I are here! It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this is the safest room in the world! There’s no hurry to get up—rest for as long as you need!”
Okay, yeah, I can’t imagine anything in this world capable of making it through such security measures.
“Goodness, how could you collapse on the day you proposed to me? You sure know how to make a girl cry, honey.”
“You’re definitely using easily un-understandable wording on purpose, aren’t you?”
“There’s no misunderstanding. It was our love that erased the Demon Lord!”
I reached out to stroke Melfina’s blushing face. “I...guess you could say that, sure.”
It was true that Zel had been obliterated by the weird power-up Melfina had received from hiding her embarrassment. If she wanted to call it the power of love, I suppose that’s what it was.
The power of a maiden in love is strong indeed.
The line that Melfina had mistaken for a proposal had not been planned on my part. I didn’t even think it was possible to misconstrue it as a proposal...although hindsight did give me a bit more perspective on that. Regardless, I realized without a doubt that there was no taking it back considering how happy she looked.
Not that I had any intention of doing so. While it wasn’t exactly what I had planned, I too had feelings for her. The moment I saw her there after waking up, I understood why I’d fallen for her at first sight before my transmigration.
I don’t really have the right to talk about integrity to anyone, do I? In the end, I basically ended up liking all the girls in my party. You stupid beast! You lump of worldly desires! But good job, you!
“Looks like me sneaking into your bed every night finally paid off,” Melfina giggled.
Uh, in your case, that actually worked against you, all right?
Normally, a guy would be excited and might have trouble controlling himself when a girl he liked slipped into his bed, but that was definitely not the case with Melfina. The instant her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light. And yet despite being fast asleep, her fists and legs remained extremely active. With her stats, what should have been heart-thumping nights of excitement turned into heart-thumping nights of life-threatening training in a flash. I never even got close to feeling what I did while sleeping with Sera or Efil whenever I shared the bed with Mel.
Sera sighed. “Okay, look. As I said, I’m fine with this, but you’re going to have to explain it to Efil yourself, all right? Knowing her, her answer’s pretty much set in stone, but this is a matter of courtesy.”
“I know. I’ll make sure to tell her properly. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused you both. Were you looking after me this whole time?” I asked, having noticed the towel and bucket full of water on the end table next to my bed.
“Oh, it’s fine!” Sera exclaimed, her cheeks reddening. “You looked after me too, so now w-w-we’re a match!”
You mean we’re even, right? But that was cute, so I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.
“We’re not as skilled as Efil, but we did our best,” Mel added.
“Thank you, Melfina. Thank you, Sera. I really appreciate what you did for me.” I looked at each girl in turn and patted their heads.
Speaking of which, why is Efil not here? She’s normally the one who’d insist on taking care of me. It seems out of character for her to let these two take her place.
“By the way, where’s Efil?”
“Right after you collapsed, she also came down with a fever,” Mel replied.
“EFIL TOO?!”
Sera nodded. “It wasn’t just her. Rion and Gerard as well, although in Gerard’s case, he didn’t get a fever, but he was groaning like, ‘I feel something coming out, grrr.’”
I jumped up in a panic. What’s going on?! My beloved maid and little sister are also suffering from a fever right now?! Wasn’t Rion’s Vigor skill supposed to protect her from illnesses?! This is no time to be stuck in bed! I’ve got to heal them with the most powerful White Magic spell in my arsenal! If that’s not enough, I’ll have to develop a new spe—
Before I could get out of bed, Sera forcefully pressed me back down. “You’re the last one to wake up. Everyone is fine, so you stay right where you are!”
“Honey, I get how you feel, but calm down. Everyone else has already recovered. We were looking after you just in case, that’s all.”
“I... I see. Sorry, I panicked...” All right, they’re both fine. That’s a relief.
“And it wouldn’t hurt you to spare a thought for Gerard, honey.”
“Mel’s right! Gerard did well with his Evolution too!”
“I keep telling you not to read my mi— Wait, Evolution?” Weren’t we all sick?
“Yes, honey, Evolution.”
“Yep, Evolution!”
“Uh...who Evolved?”
“Efil, Rion, Gerard, and—”
“You, Kelvin!”
I froze. After a moment, my mind rebooted, and I took a look at myself. I couldn’t see any differences. I patted my arms, legs, chest, and...
Whew, that part’s fine. Ha ha ha, what kind of joke are these two trying to pull? I’m the same as I’ve always been. See, even Analyze Eye shows—
Kelvin (23 y/o, Male, Daemon, Summoner)
Level: 120
Title: Grim Reaper
HP: 1,940/1,940
MP: 18,000/18,000 (+12,000)
Strength: 741 (+160)
Endurance: 673 (+160)
Agility: 1,380
Magic: 2,340 (+160)
Luck: 1,819
Skills: Magic Overclock (Unique Skill), Parallel Processing (Unique Skill), Sword Mastery (Rank B), Scythe Mastery (Rank S), Summoning (Rank S) [Available Slots: 2], Green Magic (Rank S), White Magic (Rank S), Analyze Eye (Rank S), Flight (Rank B), Presence Sensing (Rank A), Danger Detection (Rank A), Concealment (Rank S), Nerves of Steel (Rank B), Army Command (Rank A), Smithing (Rank S), Spirit (Rank S), Herculean Strength (Rank B), Iron Wall (Rank B), Magic Enhancement (Rank B), Double Growth Rate, Double Skill Points, Experience Sharing
Passive Effects: Blessing of the Goddess of Reincarnation, Concealment (Rank S)
Mommy Clare and Daddy Uld in Parth, how are you? I’ve got some news to share. I woke up and found out that I’m no longer human.
◇ ◇ ◇
Sera and Melfina suggested that we get the gang together for my first meal in three days, and I agreed, so they brought me to a room that looked like a dining hall. We passed quite a few soldiers and servants on our way, all of whom looked surprised to see me. They saluted, bowed, or did other things expressing respect before quickly scurrying away.
Uh, what’d I do?
“That startled me! So, that’s Kelvin-sama, the champion who defeated the Demon Lord! Looks like the rumor about his fondness for sensual pleasures is true.”
“Huh, so that’s the heathen who led Colette-sama astray. Heh heh heh, you just wait...”
“Hey, hey, did you hear? That’s Kelvin-sama, Efil-san’s master!”
“He’s not as handsome as the rumors say. Clive was a lot more— Hm? Strange, I have a feeling Clive wasn’t as handsome as I remember.”
“I can’t really remember what he looked like either...but hey, I kinda dig the new champion. He looks nice, don’t you think?”
My physical capabilities had apparently been greatly bolstered by my Evolution. Part of that included enhanced hearing, which allowed me to clearly pick up all the whispered conversations going on around me.
That second guy is a member of Colette’s fan club, right? Live strong, man—I hope you keep your pure image of her for as long as possible. I’d even welcome assassination attempts, but I’m kinda curious what you think you can do at Level 13. Would you be hiring mercenaries? If so, please find the most powerful and feared master you can. Well, let’s put a marker on the guy just in case, so that I can erase him in a split second if he tries anything funny against Rion to get to me.
“Honey, you’re thinking something weird again, aren’t you? You have that grin on your face.”
“Wait, I do?” Oops, I was so happy about having a new thing to look forward to that I couldn’t help it.
“You’re still recuperating, so make sure you don’t push yourself, Kelvin! It’s a bit early still, but Efil will be along with lunch soon, so just sit tight till then. Cooking was the last duty she vehemently refused to relinquish.”
“All right, I will. What’s everyone else doing right now?”
“Well, first...”
After I shot the breeze with the two of them for a while longer, I noticed markers on my map rushing towards our location at incredible speed. The signatures belonged to Rion and Gerard, with Rion being slightly faster.
“You’re up, Kel-nii!”
“Whoa! Ha ha ha, nice to see you’re just the same, Rion!”
Upon spotting me, my sister immediately dove into my chest. Of course, as any brother worth his salt would have done, I saw it coming and made sure to catch her properly. Then I used the momentum to swing her around two or three times as we rejoiced together. I will name this spell Wonderful Little Sister Spiral!
“I’m sorry I made you worry. How’re you doing?”
“My fever went down the day before yesterday! Gramps also finished his Evolution around the same time I woke up, so we went training together! Efil-nee’s Evolution ended yesterday.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Same as me, your appearance didn’t really change mu— Huh?”
“What?”
The two of us stared closely at each other, still locked in a hug.
Um, she looks exactly the same as before, but why do I feel like she’s a lot more dazzling now? It’s as if there’s this light illuminating her silhouette or she’s emitting a brilliant aura of some sort! Am I just imagining it?!
“Um...what did you Evolve into, by the way?”
“Aha ha ha, why do you even ask, Kel-nii? You can just see it with Analyze Eye, right?”
I’m kind of scared to! At least, I want to hear it from your mouth.
“Well, all right. I Evolved from human to saint! Oh! Is it the same for you?!”
“Uh...”
Rion (14 y/o, Female, Saint, Sword Saint)
Level: 114
Title: Black Meteor
HP: 1,480/1,480
MP: 2,399/2,399
Strength: 1,322
Endurance: 690 (+320)
Agility: 2,175
Magic: 1,884 (+320)
Luck: 1,367
Skills: Residual Slice (Unique Skill), Absolute Purification (Unique Skill), Sword Mastery (Rank S), Dual Wield (Rank S), Acrobatics (Rank S), Covert Action (Rank S), Sky Walk (Rank S), Red Magic (Rank S), Danger Detection (Rank A), Mind’s Eye (Rank A), Nerves of Steel (Rank A), Companionship (Rank S), Vigor (Rank S), Iron Wall (Rank A), Magic Enhancement (Rank A), Double Growth Rate, Double Skill Points
Passive Effects: Concealment (Rank S)
We didn’t get the same thinggggg! “Saint” is... Well, okay, I admit that does suit Rion. But why am I a ‘daemon’? What is a daemon, anyway?! It’s different from a demon, right?
“Kel-nii?”
“Um, I, er, became a daemon.”
“A...daemon?” Rion’s eyes widened.
Did I disappoint her? Is she shocked by the fact that her blood brother—wait, no, we’re not actually connected by blood—her brother up and turned into a being that’s the exact opposite of her?
“That’s... THAT’S SO COOL!”
“What?”
“That’s incredible! Aww, I wanted to get daemon too! You’re, like, ‘Oh, I’m the fallen being who controls arcane magic!’ That’s so amazingly cool! Kel-nii, you haven’t picked up any new skills with your SP yet, right? Let’s brainstorm together later!”
The sight of Rion squealing as her eyes blazed with joy and excitement was a perfect illustration of her new race. No, I take that back—she was an angel. She was an angel who had descended to this world! Mel—an actual angel—looked somewhat disgruntled, but that was the plain truth and I wasn’t going to apologize for it.
“My king! You are well!”
“Kelvin-sama, I heard the news! Please give me the honor of officiating your ceremony!”
More familiar faces joined us in the dining hall. I had known Gerard was coming, but Colette was with him, probably having smelled me waking up or found out by some other ludicrous method.
Hmm, let’s see...
Gerard (138 y/o, Male, Hades Knight King, Dark Knight)
Level: 121
Title: Sword Guru
HP: 12,700/12,700 (+8,400) (+100)
MP: 527/527 (+100)
Strength: 2,483 (+320) (+100)
Endurance: 2,619 (+320) (+100)
Agility: 501 (+100)
Magic: 398 (+100)
Luck: 644 (+100)
Skills: Glory Within Mine Hands (Unique Skill), Self-Transcendence (Unique Skill), Sword Mastery (Rank S), Danger Detection (Rank A), Mind’s Eye (Rank S), Armored Skin (Rank A), Riding (Rank B), Army Command (Rank A), Teaching (Rank A), Auto Healing (Rank A), Fortitude (Rank S), Herculean Strength (Rank A), Iron Wall (Rank A), Materialization, Dark Damage Invulnerability, Greater Slicing Damage Resistance
Passive Effects: Self-Transcendence/Demon Sword Dainsleif++, Self-Transcendence/Dreadnought++, Self-Transcendence/Crimson Mantle++, Self-Transcendence/Goddess’s Ring++, Summoning/Magic Supply (Rank S), Concealment (Rank S)
The upgrade that Gerard had gotten gave him such an overwhelming aura of intimidation that I would have believed it if someone had told me he was a suit of armor that had once belonged to a Demon Lord. His new race name was Hades Knight King—Dude, you’re a king now?!—and his stats were powerful enough for him to have stood his ground against Demon Lord Zel on his own. I also noticed that both of his Unique Skills had changed.
“I’m glad to see you two so full of energy. Hold on, Gerard; it’s not just your armor that changed—is that still Dainsleif?”
“You have a sharp eye, my king! It is, but it has a new appearance thanks to my new skill, Self-Transcendence. Not only does the skill improve the performance of my equipment, it gives it a cosmetic improvement! Of course, the performance increase is significantly more than what Self-Modification offered. But most importantly, get this: I can freely take my equipment off!”
“So it’s a direct upgrade to Self-Modification! I’m happy for you.”
Being able to easily take off and change his gear is a big deal. I haven’t been able to regularly improve his stuff because giving him a new set meant permanently losing the others, but that’s obviously been resolved. I can’t wait to stand in front of a forge again!
“Do you not also have an abundance of SP from your Evolution, my king? I haven’t spent mine either! Let us put our minds together for a strategy meeting after this!”
“Uh...sure. Later, then.” Please don’t say the same thing Rion did while you loom over me with your brand new menacing look. Ahem. I can ask about his other new Unique Skill later. Colette’s been standing completely still next to me this whole time.
“Kelvin-sama, I heard the news! Please give me the honor of officiating your ceremony!”
“You...didn’t have to repeat yourself. I heard you the first time.” Now you’ve gone and ruined my efforts to ignore what you said earlier. Let me guess, Melfina put you up to this?
I couldn’t think of any other way to handle it, so I simply whispered in Colette’s ear, “I may actually need your services sometime soon. When that happens, I’ll reach out.”
“Ye— Of cou— ’Kay! I-I-I’ll dedicate all of Deramis’s resources to making it the most amazing wedding possible! Wait, I know! I’ll have my father—he’s the pope—officiate inste—”
Hey, even I have no idea what kind of wedding we’ll be having! Knowing that we can count on someone we trust to officiate gives me peace of mind, but we probably won’t be getting around to it anytime soon.
“Whoa, hold on, dial it back. We’re not looking for something that grand. All we want is your blessing. For now, stop that nosebleed of yours. Here’s my handkerchief.”
“Th-Thank you very much! I’ll take it through the necessary procedures for storing it as a holy relic!”
“No, just wash it and give it back to me, please.”
Who the heck would worship a piece of cloth soaked with the Oracle’s blood? Wait, would that fanatic from earlier? Man, it’s such a crazy idea, I can’t even wrap my mind around it.
Suddenly, a weak voice spoke up from outside the dining hall door. “C-Colette-chan? Can I come in?”
Although the tone sounded young, the voice was that of a girl just under twenty. The disparity was a bit jarring.
“Of course you can! Don’t be afraid; everyone here is very kind. Come on, Shutola-chan.”
The stranger peering into the room was Shutola, the princess of Trycen.
◇ ◇ ◇
“An aftereffect of the brainwashing, huh? I thought everyone returned to normal the moment the Demon Lord died.”
“That is indeed the case for most, but perhaps due to having suffered direct and intense brainwashing, Shutola-chan’s mind remains in a state of regression, as you can see. What’s more, her memory is quite spotty. Thankfully, this means she’s forgotten about what happened to King Zel. At the very least, she’s been spared the grief of losing her father. Mel-sama and I did what we could with our magic, but this appears to be a psychological issue and not a physical one. There’s not much left to do but hope she heals with time...”
Colette trailed off, shooting Shutola a brief look. The way the princess was chatting with Rion, with a big smile on her face and a plushie in her arms, made her look very much like a child.
“It was the Demon Lord who was behind the whole war. We do want to take advantage of this opportunity to do what we can to correct the prejudices that citizens of this country have towards those of other races, but the Alliance’s end goal is to guide the nation towards picking itself back up. Now that King Zel is gone, the only other person competent and qualified enough to seize the reins is Shutola-chan. She is deeply trusted by her people, is incredibly brilliant, and has a strong, unshakable core. At least, that used to be the case. Currently, we have no choice but to find a stand-in to take her place until she recovers.”
“A stand-in? Can’t Azgrad do it? He’s the crown prince and carries the name of the country too.” Although he’s also a hopeless battle junkie...
“Unfortunately, that’s exactly how the situation is turning out, even though I keep telling everyone I’m not suitable for the role. Yo, Kelvin, looks like you’re still alive and kicking. You here for lunch too?”
Speak of the devil and all that. There was Azgrad, decked out in an extremely extravagant outfit—a marked departure from the norm. He had been almost exclusively wearing combat equipment while in Parth, so the new look seemed out of place to me.
“Trycen has a total of five princes, including Crown Prince Azgrad,” Colette explained. “However, princes two through five have all disappeared. A search is underway, but we’ve yet to find any solid leads.”
Azgrad scoffed, “They probably all slipped away during the commotion or died in a ditch somewhere. It might be a bit harsh coming from me as their brother, but every last one of them was a piece of shit that would run this country into the ground if they assumed the throne.”
I did meet one of them before. It was the third one...I think? My condolences to Azgrad for having to deal with a total of four of them in his life.
“So, what’s it like suddenly having to lead the whole country? Did you have trouble explaining to your citizens that Zel was a Demon Lord?” I asked.
Colette took it upon herself to answer. “General Dan of the Steel Knight Order will be serving as the crown prince’s aide, and all three nations of the Alliance will assist them as much as possible. Of course, that includes helping them phase out the parts of their slave-trading industry that have gone too far. That said, statecraft is our area of expertise, so you can leave it to us, Kelvin-sama, and do whatever it is you need to do.”
Fair enough. I have a feeling this highly capable Oracle can take care of things. She won’t go berserk as long as Melfina isn’t accidentally involved somehow... I hope. Well, even if she does, the Beast King and Tsubaki-sama will stop her. Let’s trust Colette here. I have zero interest in national politics, after all.
“Basically, I’m just the figurehead till Shutola gets back,” Azgrad added. “It’s gonna be boring just warming the seat for her, but she’s done a lot for me. It was thanks to her pulling the strings that I was allowed to do whatever I wanted in the military. This is my chance to repay the favor.”
“I see. Well, I hope she gets better soon.”
“Mm. And until then, make sure you take good care of her!”
“Of c—” I started. “Wait, what?”
Stop pat...actually, you’re pounding my shoulders! Ow! Seriously, stop! And what the hell did you just say?
“Have you not spoken with Mel-sama?” Colette asked. “Shutola-chan will be recuperating at your residence, Kelvin-sama.”
“Sorry, I’m having trouble understanding what you’re saying. Uh, why my place?”
“Things will be chaotic here in Trycen for a while. Thanks to you, our military strength’s been more than halved. We’ll be busy building it back up, but while we do so, there might be assholes taking advantage of the situation to target Shutola. When I mentioned this at a meeting the other day, someone suggested moving her to a safe place far from the Trycenian political infighting. And, well...the suggestion was accepted.”
“And that ‘safe place’ would be...”
“Yes, Kelvin-sama,” Colette confirmed. “Your residence.”
“It’s probably the safest house in the world, ain’t it?” Azgrad said. “I once heard Shutola say that even her lackeys couldn’t get any information on your place during the war.”
Why was such a huge decision made without the homeowner’s input?! Our place is a deadly haunt inhabited by a terrifying wolf, giant dragons, and a permanently starving goddess! It’s no place for a weak, frail princess to live!
“Oh, I was the one who suggested it!” Rion interjected. “Since Shutola-chan’s getting along really well with Alex. Um...should I not have?”
I promptly got onto one knee in front of the young woman who was clutching her teddy bear. “Princess Shutola, I am Kelvin, an adventurer who will have the honor of serving you for a while. Please let me know if there is anything you need.”
I guess we’re partly at fault for exhausting Trycen’s military strength. This is the least we can do in recompense.
“Um, th-thank you...for inviting me...”
While she did give me an answer, for some reason, she did so from behind Rion’s back. But due to being significantly taller than Rion, she wasn’t very well hidden.
Why’s she so scared? I’m not giving my usual smile right now, am I?
Azgrad chuckled, “Oh, this sure brings back memories! Right, Shutola really was shy at that age.”
“Indeed,” Colette agreed, nodding with a wistful expression. “At the risk of being disrespectful, I agree that the sight of her makes me recall the past.”
Shutola pouted. “Jeez! Esteemed brother Azgrad and Colette-chan, stop teasing me! You’re both meanies!”
The burst of speech proved that Shutola was indeed only shy around strangers. In other words, it was going to take a bit more time before she would open up to us...with Rion being the exception, of course.
Melfina, can you make another Clip of Camouflage?
::Ah, I see what you’re thinking. Sure. I only need a few hours.::
Okay, just one, please.
At the moment, there was a large contrast between the princess’s appearance and her mannerisms, so I was thinking of helping to bridge the gap by giving her the option to look more like the age she felt.
Oh, Efil’s marker has appeared on the map. She’s moving pretty slowly and is being followed by a few other signatures. Ah!
Soon enough, my maid opened the door and walked in, pushing a serving cart. Behind her were several women also in maid uniforms doing the same thing, indicating they were likely in the castle’s employ. As they bustled about, serving the food-laden plates, Efil came straight over to me.
“Master, I am relieved to see you are well. I am truly sorry for not having been beside you when you awoke.” Although her words were measured and calm, her ears were twitching furiously, reminding me of a dog’s tail.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. All that matters is you’re also okay. Looks like your ears got longer, huh?”
“Yes, they became as long as a normal elf’s during my Evolution. Ummm...Master?”
Efil’s face had turned red, probably because I had unconsciously reached out and started playing with her ears. I noticed the other maids sneaking glances our way and squealing quietly.
What did you tell them, Efil? Never mind. First things first: your Status!
Efil (16 y/o, Female, High Elf, Battle Maid)
Level: 119
Title: Bombing Princess
HP: 1,108/1,108
MP: 3,463/3,463
Strength: 503
Endurance: 500
Agility: 3,306 (+640)
Magic: 2,159 (+160)
Luck: 1,687 (+1,437)
Skills: Blue Flame (Unique Skill), Divine Restitution (Unique Skill), Archery (Rank S), Red Magic (Rank S), Farsight (Rank A), Covert Action (Rank A), Service (Rank S), Cooking (Rank S), Sewing (Rank S), Cleaning (Rank A), Acute Reflexes (Rank S), Magic Enhancement (Rank B), Double Growth Rate, Double Skill Points
Passive Effects: Blessing of the Flame Dragon King, Concealment (Rank S)
High elves are considered a superior race to normal elves, right? So that’s why her ears grew. And like Rion and Gerard, she’s gotten a few Unique Skills. Doesn’t look like she’s assigned her SP yet either.
We dug into the food straight away. It was still a bit early, but we cleaned our plates—not that there was a chance we’d ever leave food on the table with Melfina around.
◇ ◇ ◇
We have returned! Home sweet home!
As we had done so many times, we walked the path connecting the Parth Adventurer’s Guild and our house, approaching the front gate where golems Two and Three stood guard. How had we gotten back so fast? The answer was simple: Azgrad had added the Trycenian national crest to my rainbow-colored Rank S guild card, granting me authorization to use their teleportation gate. Now, with the exception of Deramis, I could freely use all the gates on the Eastern Continent.
Since the commotion surrounding the Demon Lord is mostly over, maybe it would be a good idea to pay Toraj and Gaun a visit.
The Clip of Camouflage I had requested from Melfina had been firmly fastened to Shutola’s hair before we’d set out. The end product was even better than Sera’s—not only did it alter her features, it could alter her entire appearance as well, clothing included. There was one limitation: the new look had to be of the same race as the wearer, but it was more than handy enough to merit its Rank S rating. Shutola merely had to picture her mental image of herself and pour MP into the clip. She now looked like a seven- or eight-year-old version of herself, but I hadn’t been sure how true to life it was. I knew she would definitely be considered a grandchild by Gerard now, but that was beside the point.
After she’d put on the barrette, I had brought her around to the people who had known her since she was young, and the responses I got were interesting, to say the least.
A certain weirdo Oracle had said, “Shutola-chan?! Now you even look like you did back then!”
A certain grizzled old man had said, “Never had I imagined I would be blessed with the opportunity to see Shutola-sama look this way again! Ugh, Jin is a fool for missing out on this miracle! Where on earth is he idling around at a time like this?!”
And a certain battle-loving prince had said, “Damn, that sure is a nostalgic look. I still remember when she would follow me around all day long.”
Based on everyone’s reactions, I concluded that her current appearance was indeed faithful to how she had looked as a child. I had not expected Dan to be so overcome with emotion as to burst into tears, but I figured it just went to show how much he had cared for her since she was young.
I had Clotho collect all of the stuffed toys in the princess’s room, per her request, then we did a final check for anything she might have forgotten. When it came time to head to Parth, Dan was sniffling the whole way to the teleportation gate.
Maybe we should call him Gramps Dan too.
Colette was going to remain in Trycen, as she had mountains of things to take care of. I wanted to tell her, “Hang in there,” but I suspected that doing so would cause her to literally work until she collapsed, so I only vocalized a moderate amount of support.
Just as we were about to step through the gate, she told me, “Touya, Setsuna, Nana, and Miyabi will be returning to Deramis soon. Now that the Demon Lord has been defeated—even though it wasn’t done by them—their duties as Heroes have been fulfilled. I’m sure you already know, but they will be given a choice to remain in this world or return to their own. We will send word to you and Mel-sama when they arrive. We would appreciate it very much if you could spare the time for a quick visit.”
Colette bowed her head in entreaty, with Captain Cliff following suit. “Please consider this a request from me as well. I’m sure it would make the four of them happy to see you.”
Oh, right, the Heroes are supposed to get a reward after the Demon Lord is defeated. Even though we were the ones who did the actual fighting, it doesn’t change the fact that four high schoolers were called to this world without their consent. They deserve to be compensated. And technically, it was our goddess who facilitated everything.
I shot Mel a look and a message through the Network.
When I actually stop to think about it, I’m a different story, but you have to be there, don’t you? You’re technically involved in the whole thing.
::I suppose I do have a job to do. Ughhh, I don’t want to work...::
You know, Melfina, I seem to remember you claiming you take your job seriously when I first came to this world. What happened to that claim?
There was a part of me that was starting to seriously worry we might have been spoiling our goddess a bit too much. It wasn’t as if I didn’t understand the feeling of coming back to work after a holiday, but still. We may have to hold her to a healthier lifestyle—just like the one I’m living. We can’t have her setting a bad example for Princess Shutola, after all.
On a side note, Colette was going to help deal with the rumor going around about me being a Hero. She said she would spread the story that she had summoned one more Hero but that they had already returned to their own world.
“Gerard-sama, Sera-chan, Kelvin-chan, looks like we’re parting ways here,” Prettia said mournfully before turning away dramatically. “Oh, but don’t cry for me! Our hearts will always be connected!”
“Oh? Uh, indeed. I wish you the best,” Gerard managed.
“Aww, Prettia-chan, we’ll meet again, won’t we?” asked Rion.
I observed the dynamic between the three of them. I’ve already seen this so many times, can I just ignore it? No can do?
It had been decided that Prettia and Sabato’s group would be going their own way. Apparently, something was happening in Gaun that made them want to travel while training against monsters on the way. If anything, it was the girls in my party and Dahak who were reluctant to accept the parting, whereas Gerard looked relieved. I heard later that the reason Dahak hadn’t been in the dining hall with the rest of us was because he had been running around in search of Prettia.
Will the day ever come when his efforts pay off? Even then, I’m not sure I’d want to see it...
“Hey, Kelvin, thanks for everything,” Sabato said, clasping my arm. “My old man’s already given you the authorization for using our teleportation gate, right? When you come to Gaun, we’ll give you a huge welcome.”
Goma smiled knowingly. “With what’s coming up soon, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stay very much.”
“Uh, what’s coming up soon?”
“It’s still a secret for now. You’ll find out eventually.”
It sounds like she’s referring to something specific, but I have no idea what it is. What, are you guys going to throw us a whole festival or something? Oh, and then I suddenly find myself being attacked by the Beast King! I don’t care how it starts. All that matters is that it ends in a battle. I’m looking forward to it, Sabato!
And that was largely how our parting went. Then we stepped through the teleportation gate and found Ange waiting for us on the Parthian side. Guildmaster Rio was absent, probably busily running around dealing with the aftermath of the Demon Lord’s defeat.
Ange told us we were going to get a cash prize for our achievement, but given the amount of time required to gather such a sum, it would be handed to us at the celebration ceremony—Ugh, another ceremony?—along with decorative medals from the heads of state of each country on the Eastern Continent.
Tsubaki-sama is definitely going to redouble her efforts to recruit us too. I can already feel it.
“Welcome back, Kelvin-sama.”
“No irregularities were detected during your absence.”
As we approached our front gate, Two and Three opened it for us. While they were at it, I informed them that Shutola was now a fully authorized resident.
Rion turned to the princess. “Shutola-chan, this is our house, and now it’s yours too!”
“What a big house! You’re a noble, Rion-chan?”
“Aha ha, I’m not a noble. Let me take you on a tour!” She grabbed Shutola’s hand and pulled her inside.
Looks like my trustworthy sister’s got things handled.
While I was watching the two run off, Ellie came outside with Rosalia and Huba, who had returned just before us.
Ellie bowed and said, “Welcome back, Master,” prompting the other two to do the same.
“We’re back,” I replied lightly. “Sorry we were away for so long again. We’ve largely taken care of all the big requests, so we’ll be staying home and taking it easy for a while.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Master. Ruka has been feeling somewhat lonely. Ah, yes, we have been instructing the golems to take care of Dahak-sama’s garden according to his instructions, but sprouts appeared the other day—”
“You hear that, Gerard? Dahak?”
“I’M COMING, RUKA! GRANDPA IS BACK!”
“I’M COMING, MY CUTE PLANTS! I’LL GIVE YOU ENOUGH LOVE TO MAKE UP FOR THE TIME I’VE BEEN GONE!”
With a whole lot of crashing and banging, Gerard dashed into the house as Dahak shot off towards his crops around back. My party members were very passionate, to put it mildly. Gerard was always like that when we returned home, but I thought his face looked liberated today, as if he had just been freed from some burden. Not that I could see his face...
Still, dude, did you forget your appearance changed during your Evolution? What do you think Ruka is going to say when you rush at her in your “I look like armor worn by a Demon Lord” body? I mean, look how surprised Ellie is.
“Are they acting like that to distract themselves from the pain of parting with Goldiana-sama?” Efil asked pensively.
Melfina murmured, “Is that what it’s like having a long-distance relationship?”
“As they say, it’s complicated!” Sera replied with her characteristic knowing look.
I’m glad to see you three enjoying the girl talk, but I’m pretty sure you’re misunderstanding the old knight.
I cleared my throat. “Ahem. Rosalia and Huba, are you sure about remaining with us in Parth? The moment you came to Trycen as reinforcements, all the restraints woven into your uniforms were disabled. You’re free to go home, you know.”
“We’re remaining here as Shutola-sama’s guards,” Rosalia replied. “Regardless of what he might say, Azgrad-sama does care quite a bit about her. Rather, the onus is on us to ask you for permission. Will you allow us to stay here in our current capacity until Shutola-sama is herself again?”
“We’ll do our best, both as maids and as guards! Please!”
The two of them bowed.
“Sure, I’m totally fine with it. Thank you for offering, really. Now I don’t have to worry about the princess being lonely.”
And it’s maid uniforms. Of course I’m gonna say yes.
Rosalia bowed once more. “Thank you for being understanding.”
Which means I now have to decide on an appropriate salary for the both of them. After all, I firmly believe in properly compensating employees for their work. Hey, I’ll even add on a bit as thanks for wearing the work uniform!
“Phew, I’m glad that’s out of the way.” Huba surveyed our group. “Um, so, where is Shutola-sama? I don’t see her here.”
“What are you saying, Huba? You just passed her; she was with Rion.”
“Huh?”
Huba, as it happened, was not familiar with how Shutola had looked as a child. In contrast, Rosalia wore an “Ah, I thought so” expression. The difference in their reactions was likely due to the difference in how long they had been serving Trycen.
Well, it’s about time for us to head inside too. I’m technically still recuperating.
“My king, a moment, please?”
“Master, a moment, please?”
Just as I stepped through the entranceway, I was called aside by Gerard and Ruka, the latter of whom was riding on the former’s shoulders.
Looks like they managed to reunite without mishap.
“There’s something I want to talk with you about later, my king.”
◇ ◇ ◇
The moon climbed into the sky as the night deepened, illuminating the balcony of my house where a private drinking party was underway. Gerard and I were sharing a bottle of local sake from Trycen, which we had bought on Dan’s enthusiastic recommendation, and snacks made by Efil. This specific brand was a bit too fiery for my taste, but the knight across from me seemed to have no trouble downing cup after cup, looking none the worse for it. I couldn’t help but wish he’d been able to share some of his tolerance for alcohol with Sera.
“A dwarf who called himself Jildora, huh?” I murmured, sipping from my own glass.
The matter that Gerard wanted to discuss with me was the mysterious man named Jildora whom he had encountered during the fight in Trycen.
“Indeed. That is what he called himself, according to Dahak. It’s the same name as the elf who claimed to be a general of the Rizean Empire and brought ruin to my homeland, Alcahl. When I think back on the fight, I cannot help but see the similarities between the elf Jildora from long ago and the dwarf Jildora from Trycen, especially their manners of speech and auras. However, what happened to me was a lifetime ago. Perhaps my memory has been affected by age.”
I paused to take another sip. “Do you remember what I told you about Colette’s response when I asked her about ‘a Rizean elven general named Jildora’?”
Right after I was promoted to Rank S, a dinner party had been held in my honor. Colette had been in attendance, so I had approached her to pick her brain about Rizea. After speaking with her, I had wanted to share the information with Gerard immediately, but this knightly grandpa had fallen asleep as soon as he got home, and, well, quite a lot happened to me that night. I had only managed to share what Colette had said with him the next morning.
“There was indeed one such general, but he had died several decades ago. His body was discovered mauled by monsters and torn to shreds. I remember thinking it a fitting end for him and feeling a burden lift from my shoulders even though it meant I had lost any chance at avenging my wife and country.”
Since then, Jildora had disappeared from the public sphere in Rizea and his name had never come up again. However, on the off chance he had managed to survive somehow...
“Whoever this new Jildora is, one thing is for sure: he’s dangerous. The specs of the golem he manned are off the charts, and it bothers me how deeply he managed to entrench himself as a merchant in Trycen. Clive seemed to know him too, and there’s always the possibility he was somehow involved in this ‘other reincarnation’ Mel was talking about. Biggest problem is, I can’t figure out what he’s after.”
“Hmm...in other words, we don’t have enough information to act on.”
“We don’t even have conclusive proof that the two are the same person. All we can do is gather information and build up our strength in preparation for whatever comes our way.”
“In short, the same thing we’ve already been doing?”
“I...guess so, yeah. Want me to talk to Mel? See if she knows anything else or has any insights?”
Of course, at this hour, she’s probably fast asleep. She goes to bed early, wakes up late, and sleeps like a log. Rousing her would take more effort than it’s worth, so let’s do that first thing tomorrow instead.
“I suppose that’s all we can do, in which case that’s it for this talk. Wine should be enjoyed, so let’s change the subject!”
“You sure change gears fast.”
Gerard’s tone lost its edge and took on a mischievous note. The serious atmosphere from moments before had disappeared without a trace.
“Do things when you can do them! Enjoy things when you can enjoy them! That is the trick to getting the most out of life. You would do well to keep that in mind, my king, though I suppose you already put it into practice.”
“I’m aware I’m blessed in that regard.”
“So, how far have you gone with Princess? Have you already done it?”
“ACK!”
The snack I had just put into my mouth went down the wrong way as I choked with surprise at the sudden jab. For the briefest of moments, I thought he was referring to Shutola before remembering that “Princess” was how he referred to Melfina. It was very confusing. I quickly grabbed my glass and washed the morsel of food down with wine.
“Gerard, are you trying to get Efil to kill me?”
“With the snack, or...”
“I have no idea what you’re insinuating!” Efil would never hurt me!
“Hey, you can tell me. We’re just two guys here, right?”
What’s this, locker room talk between high school boys on a school trip? Not that I remember what that was like. Either way, my answer is...
“It’s a secret.”
◇ ◇ ◇
I bathed in the rays of the morning sun next to the fountain in our garden where Clotho was lazily floating. I took in the refreshing morning with every pore of my body as I reached out both hands towards the clear, blue sky.
I even did a stretch. “See, Mel? Waking up early is great, isn’t it?”
The only reply I got was a yawn.
“You...look sleepy.”
Melfina’s cute mouth opened again in another yawn. It was currently seven in the morning—much earlier than when the goddess would normally be awake. Previously, I would have just let her be, but things were different today. In order for her to carry out a well-regulated and disciplined lifestyle, I had convinced her to match my sleeping habits as closely as possible. Back when I’d first brought it up, the look on her face was like that of a goddess who had just seen the end of a world. However, when I told her “This is necessary if we are to live together as husband and wife,” she immediately perked up and responded, “Honey, let’s go to sleep and wake up together at the same time starting tomorrow!”
What an easy goddess to appease.
“Because I was so sleepy, I couldn’t eat all that much for breakfast...”
“Don’t worry. You being sleepy had nothing to do with it.”
Normally, Melfina ate breakfast by herself at a later hour. As such, she would get to have an entire table of food all to herself. This time, she was part of a group eating together, which meant that fewer side dishes made it onto her plate. Her appetite wasn’t something that could be mollified by sleepiness. Plus, she’d had several huge servings of rice to make up for it.
Speaking of which, Princess Shutola had looked entirely fascinated by my using chopsticks to eat. After all, no one used chopsticks in Trycen. My house was well-stocked with ones we’d bought from Toraj, freely available for anyone who wanted to use them. That included Rion and me, of course, what with us being Japanese, but we were also joined by Sera, who had picked it up as quickly as she picked up everything else. Efil had struggled with them at first, but she had kept at it and was now capable of using them without issue. Gerard and Dahak had also given it a try, but it didn’t suit them. Mel knew how to use them, but since she prioritized the speed of getting food into her mouth, her preferred utensil was a spoon.
“So, what was it you wanted to ask me?” Melfina rubbed her eyes.
Is this really too early for her? She still looks so sleepy.
“Well, it’s...”
We sat down on the edge of the fountain, and I proceeded to share what Gerard and I had discussed the night before.
“To sum it up,” Melfina said, “an elf who was confirmed dead somehow turned into a dwarf of the same name and reappeared before Gerard and others.”
“Yep, that’s right. So I was wondering if his case might be related to Clive’s transmigration. And I thought, who better to ask than you?”
A long silence followed as Melfina brought a hand to her mouth, indicating that she was thinking. Clotho made a bit of a splash in the water just as she opened her mouth to speak again.
“I did not see the corpse of this elf myself, but I will speak on the assumption that he was indeed truly dead. Normal skills, even Rank S ones, cannot resurrect someone who has died. Black Magic can reanimate corpses, but that is not the same thing as restoring life. Still, it’s hard to be sure with Unique Skills.”
According to Mel, even the deities did not have a complete understanding of Unique Skills, and there were many they did not know of. This was because some appeared spontaneously, one of a kind and suited to the skill owner alone. Not even the gods had the time and resources to check the Statuses of every single living being.
“It is possible someone used the power of reincarnation. I can only think of one individual other than myself who is capable of controlling that power.”
“There is someone?!” Isn’t that a huge issue in and of itself?!
“It’s Elearis, the previous Goddess of Reincarnation.”
“So the predecessor you mentioned before, who was demoted for being up to no good, was called Elearis?”
“That’s right. Specifically, the Divine Pillars—” Melfina suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Her bewilderment indicated that it had not been a conscious choice.
“Ah, honey. I’m sorry, but it appears I am unable to go into the specifics of what she was trying to do. This matter is deeply involved with the realm of the gods, so the Hidden Skill planted into this artificial body, Divine Binding, is triggered when I try to talk about it.”
“That skill limits your stats and stops you from talking?”
“Well, there are things that would cause a huge uproar if any deity visiting the mortal world accidentally let them slip. I am unable to speak or write the answer to your question. If you could Summon my real body, it would be a different matter.”
“You know as well as I do that it’s beyond me.” But it would solve so many problems...
My maximum MP had gone up by a whole digit when I Evolved into a daemon, but it was still insufficient for Summoning a goddess, as Summoning any individuals with a class directly relating to the deities required infinitely more MP than normal creatures. I still came up short.
Little wonder there are no historical accounts of anyone having successfully Summoned a deity.
“Hold on, the name of the previous goddess isn’t considered confidential?”
“It would come up in no time if you were to look through the records at Deramis. After all, they worship me as the Goddess of Reincarnation now, but the target of their worship used to be Elearis.”
Well, that makes sense. Mel did say before that Demon Lord Gustav had been defeated during her predecessor’s time. In other words, it was Elearis who granted the Oracle of the time the Blessing of the Goddess of Reincarnation and urged her to perform the Hero-summoning Ritual. Over time, the target of the Holy Empire’s worship has shifted to Melfina, but it wouldn’t be strange for the name “Elearis” to remain.
“But it is impossible for Elearis to use reincarnation now.”
“Why is that?”
“I should clarify what I said a moment ago: I can only think of one individual other than myself who was capable of controlling the power of reincarnation. She is no longer here. I did meet her once after her demotion, and she had definitely lost that ability.”
“Uh...then that brings us back to square one, doesn’t it?”
In the end, it’s still only Melfina who can use the power of reincarnation, right? Yet Clive was brought over to this world, and it wasn’t Melfina who facilitated it. What she’s saying is contradictory.
“That is why I believe we can remove Elearis from the list of possible suspects. But instead,” Melfina brought her face close to mine, “I said before that there might be someone who has attained the power of reincarnation, right? My suspicion is that this power was not obtained by accident, but was passed along. For example, what if Elearis transmitted her power to a human who had been waiting to accept it?”
“Is it even possible, passing skills to someone else?”
Mel nodded, falling silent. I gulped nervously and met her gaze. Her eyes, which had seemed on the verge of closing sleepily not long before, were now wide open. I felt like I would fall hopelessly into them if I let my guard down for a split second.
“Of course, I have no conclusive proof. Honestly, I’m not even sure of my theory. After all, there’s no precedent for it. What scares me most is who the power went to. When speaking of those closest to and most capable of channeling the power of a Goddess of Reincarnation, there are a very limited number of candidates.”
“Closest to and most capable of channeling the power of a Goddess of Reincarnation... Hold on a minute. In your case, wouldn’t that be...me?!”
“Oh, very good, honey, very good. You’re an exceptional being too. Never before in the history of this world has another Goddess of Reincarnation been proposed to. You’re the first. Good job. What a historic achievement. Congratulations.”
“Um, sorry, I saw the chance for a joke and couldn’t help myself.”
The way Melfina started clapping with a blank look on her face left me no choice but to apologize. The atmosphere had gotten so serious that I had thrown in the joke before I even knew what I was doing.
But don’t think I missed the edge of your mouth climbing up in a little smile, Melfina!
“So, after limiting the candidates, who do we end up with?”
“Either the Oracle of Deramis who formerly worshipped Elearis, or...”
I suspected that halfway through. Without someone like me in the picture, the closest person to a Goddess of Reincarnation would be the Oracle who receives prophecies and is blessed by the goddess, and can even speak directly to her. Heroes are connected to the goddess in a way, but that’s only for a brief moment when they come over. After the Summoning, they don’t have any opportunity to speak with or meet her, and all communication would have been done through the Oracle. The Heroes don’t receive the goddess’s blessing either.
But even if it was a previous Oracle who summoned Clive, I’m relieved it wasn’t Colette. I shudder to think what someone who worships another deity as fanatically as she does Melfina would do with such power. She could destroy the world while claiming to be saving it.
“Honey, all the Oracles have been zealots, no matter the generation. Colette is a bit more extreme than the others, but the Oracle before her and the one before her were also somewhat ill in the hea—”
“THE WORLD IS IN DANGER!” No joke!
“Of course, what I’m saying is just a conjecture. Take it as one of an infinite number of possibilities. Rather than spending too much time speculating, I think it would be more productive to stay wary about Unique Skills we’ve never heard of and continue our daily training. When you strip everything else away, power is all that matters!”
“So...basically, we do exactly what we’ve been doing?”
“I guess you could put it that way, yes.”
In the end, speculation was exactly that, and all we could do was our best. Sometimes, simple answers were the right answers. The only thing that could oppose absolute power was absolute power.
“Heeeere we go! The Gerard Line is now en route to Dahak Farms! Hang on tight, Ruka and Shutola!”
“Aha ha ha, go, go, go, grandpa!”
“It’s so fast, Ruka-chan! It’s so faaaaast! I’m gonna fall off!”
A dark locomotive carrying two young children passed by us. Or rather, an armored man had run by with two little girls on his shoulders. The sight was alarming, to put it mildly.
Gerard, make sure to never do that outside the grounds of the estate, all right? And if you don’t like that, materialize and take off your armor.
Melfina smiled. “We might be worrying about nothing after all.”
“I sure hope so.”
The sight of a grandfather playing around with his grandchildren had completely taken the tension out of the air.
◇ ◇ ◇
Everything in the room was pure white, without a single speck of imperfection. It just barely maintained the look of a room with four austere walls on each side, but the distance to those walls seemed vague and indeterminate, almost as if they were mirages. It was both mystical and uncanny.
“I’m back!”
A dark figure clad in a black hood appeared within the pure white space with dance-like steps, looking around.
“Welcome back, Assassin. How did things go?”
A white temple towered in the center of the room. It had the same characteristics as the walls, its form looking as unstable as a fleeting dream. The temple housed a small crib that was impossible to peer into from the outside. The person who had greeted Assassin took three steps forward from the shadow of the temple, revealing silver hair that trailed all the way to the floor. Her face came into view, revealing an expression so filled with compassion and love it was as if she was looking at her own child.
“Pretty good. See?” Assassin took a black book out from the front of her clothes and lifted it up. It floated up and teleported into the silver-haired woman’s hands.
“Thank you. Did working with Creator tire you out? He’s been like that since long ago.”
“I can’t very well refuse when you ask me to do something, now can I? Don’t worry about it, Arbitrator. Hm? Are you here alone? Everyone else not being here is normal, but— Oh, there’s Protector.” She squinted as she looked up at the roof of the temple.
“Nice going, Assassin! You have just overcome destiny!”
A young girl landed softly in front of Assassin. She was wearing a pure white outfit that sharply contrasted the other’s, and there was a sword hanging from her waist.
“I have to live up to my alias, don’t I? I won’t lose to anyone when it comes to detecting presences. Protector, are you always here with Arbitrator?”
“Aha ha ha, to use your words, I have to live up to my alias, right? And Arbitrator and I go waaaay back, although her aura is a bit different now. How long ago was it that a Demon Lord rose and she—”
“Protector, that’s enough talk of the past. You speak too much.”
The young girl giggled in response to the admonishment and disappeared.
“You have done well, Assassin. You can take your time off, but make sure to keep an eye on your target.”
“You got it! Yay for breaks!”
The dark figure left the white space. The only person remaining, Arbitrator, returned to the temple. She laid a hand on the edge of the crib, looking down into it with the expression of a holy mother.
◇ ◇ ◇
With my blade in hand, I took aim and slashed at the target. Merely flailing wasn’t good enough, though. I repeated the motion hundreds—no, thousands of times, striving to make even sharper movements, to be faster, to be more precise. After much trial and error, I finally developed the perfect form. I had arrived at this, the realm of the dei—
“Th-That’s so damn cool! Brother, I knew you were special!”
Dahak could not stop gushing with admiration upon seeing my movements—which was only natural, of course, considering what a work of art they were. Any normal person wouldn’t have been able to see them, only the target being cut down without mercy. At the moment, one could even call me a blade of wind personified.
“Brother, please teach me that technique!”
“Hmph. You sure you want to try it? If you attempt this with a half-assed attitude, you’ll only get hurt.”
“My resolve is as firm as Prettia-chan’s abs! I will never give up!”
“A-Ahem. You sure know how to talk big! Very well! Make sure you keep up with my speed!”
“Yes, boss!”
The black dragon in human form followed closely after me, and we kicked things up to another notch of fevered activity. Slow and deliberate teaching was not my style. No, I was a firm subscriber to the idea of students stealing their teachers’ techniques through close observation.
Turn what you see into your flesh and blood, Dahak! Come, test your mettle against me and break through your limits!
“Uh...what’re you guys doing?”
Just as we were about to enter the zone, Sera suddenly called out to us. I turned around and saw her standing there in pajamas and a coat. Although Dahak and I were sweating due to how vigorously we had been moving around, it was quite chilly at this time of day.
“Cutting grass.”
“Cutting grass, sister.”
A solid bout of exercise feels great in the morning.
“Is that something to get that enthusiastic about?”
“You’ve got to listen to this, sister! Brother’s grass-cutting technique is absolutely mind-blowing! He goes through the grass as if his scythe is some legendary sword!”
The sun was about to peek over the horizon, and Dahak and I were standing together on his farm, each of us holding a single-handed grass-cutting scythe. We were wearing matching straw hats and had towels slung over our shoulders for the characteristic farmer look. I was surprised to discover that the skill Scythe Mastery was useful for something other than fighting—it seemed so appropriate for grass cutting it was almost as if that had been its original purpose. In any case, it enabled me to mow the grass with movements even more refined than Dahak’s, and he was a master of farming.
I had woken up even earlier than usual and was on my way to the toilet when I’d spotted Dahak up as well at the crack of dawn, hard at work tending to his crops. I’d casually said hi to him and, on a whim, decided to join him in cutting grass. I’d found it much more fun than I had imagined. Before I knew it, I had drawn out the full potential of my Rank S skill, earning Dahak’s profound respect. This caused me to get even more enthusiastic and to even start speaking in a wei—
No, nothing had happened.
“Hmm...I don’t really get it, but it makes sense if it’s Kelvin! Make sure to praise him even more!”
“Of course I will! Brother! I am touched beyond words!”
“S-Sure, thanks...”
Please don’t lay it on any thicker. When it goes this far, it’s going to bring me back to my senses. Actually, I’ll apologize. I’m sorry, I acknowledge I was acting pretty cringey. I’ve got to change the topic ri—
“By the way, sister, why are you out here? Did you need brother for something?”
Nice job, my sworn brother! My evaluation of you has gone up just a bit!
“It’s not that I needed him for anything specific; it’s just that I found him gone when I woke up, so I went looking for him.”
Oh, it’s almost time for Efil to come wake me up. I figured I had to wrap things up soon, but I got so engrossed that I forgot the time.
“And Mel was sleeping on the floor instead of on the bed for some reason, positioned like she was trying to crawl towards the door.”
“On the floor? That’s strange. She moves quite violently when she sleeps, but she’d never fall off the bed.”
“She was repeatedly calling out to you in her sleep. Did you say something to her, Kelvin? It looked like she was trying to chase you.”
Chase me? What did I sa— Wait, is it because of the promise that we would sleep and wake up together at the same time?!
“Oops!”
I didn’t expect her to actually try that hard to keep that promise! Was her unconscious mind trying to push through the sandman’s grip as I left the bed?
“Looks like something was going on there. But don’t worry! I carried her back to bed! Then her expression relaxed and she went on sleeping deeply!” Sera put her hands on her hips and threw her chest out proudly.
Ah, so Mel’s desperation lost out when pitted against the warmth of the bed. But the fact that she tried so hard still makes me super happy.
“Guess I’ve got to make sure I treat Mel to something delicious later.”
“I know, ri— Wait, Mel?! What about me?!”
“Aha ha, don’t worry. Thank you for carrying her back to bed. Is there anything you’d like to do today? If you want, I’ll accompany you.”
“Let’s go to town after breakfast! I don’t get to have you all to myself too often.”
Ah, an invitation for a date. That’s an instant “yes,” of course.
Dahak nodded understandingly. “So, this is a real-life example of the ‘Go on the offensive’ strategy that Prettia-chan taught sister Sera,” he mumbled as he scribbled something into a notebook he had taken out from who-knows-where titled How to Steal Prettia-chan’s Heart (Top-Secret).
I’m definitely not going to take a guess at what he’s writing down.
◇ ◇ ◇
“So, are there any appropriately exciting dungeons conveniently close by? We’d want one that’s upper Rank A to S. Or a similarly powerful monster that needs subjugating.”
“Sera-san, we went over this last time, did we not? Quests and dungeons at the difficulty you are describing only appear once in a blue moon. In the first place, killing monsters and exploring dungeons are not things you do on a date!”
“But one appeared last time when I asked, didn’t it?”
Sera and Ange argued back and forth over a counter at the guild. Sera and I had wandered around Parth for about an hour when we happened to pass by and decided to drop in to say hi to Ange. I had wanted to pay Rio a visit too, but he was apparently still out of town. Ange, who was in work mode, greeted us with her customary smile. Things had been fine up until this point.
Then, as a natural progression, it had occurred to us to check out what quests were available since we were here and all. When Ange showed us the full list, however...
“The highest-ranked one...is only Rank C,” Sera noted with dissatisfaction. “Are you sure that’s all there is?”
“Yes, Sera-san. Thanks to Kelvin defeating the Demon Lord, the monsters’ aggression levels have returned to normal. What’s more, the Dragon Knight Mercenary Group and the soldiers of the Allied forces already did a sweep of all the dangerous subjugation targets that remained in the vicinity. As a result, the only available quests are those of the usual difficulty for this area.”
“And the usual difficulty for Parth is?”
“Mostly Rank C, with a rare Rank B. As for dungeons, the most dangerous is the Shrine of the Puppets you yourself discovered recently.”
Sera looked at me, so I returned her gaze.
“Um, Kelvin? Sera-san?”
I sighed. “What difficult times we’re living in.”
“I know, right?” Sera agreed, also sighing.
“I, for one, think the peace is great!” Ange retorted.
Sera leaned in close. “Ange, you know you can talk to us, right? Are you really, really sure there isn’t a quest you’re hiding under the counter or something?”
And that was what had led to our current situation. The fact that we had been pretty lucky with quests so far had made it hard for my companion to give up.
“Sera, let’s drop it. Even if there isn’t anything good now, I’m sure something will turn up eventually.”
“But Kelvin, you just Evolved the other day. I want to find you a good opponent to test your new abilities against.”
“I appreciate the intention, but it’s not like I’m in a hurry. Ange, sorry for bothering you when you’re so busy.”
With that, Sera and I turned to leave. Just before we reached the door, Ange ran over and caught up with us.
“Wait a moment, Kelvin! It’s not a quest, but I wanted to let you know about this.”
“Hm?” I looked at the sheet of paper that she had handed me. “A Naming Ceremony in Gaun?”
“Do you remember when I mentioned you can get a family name after being promoted to Rank S? There’s going to be a Naming Ceremony in Gaun soon. It’s a good opportunity. What do you think about joining it?”
Oh, right, there was talk of that before. Everything involving Trycen happened in such quick succession after the promotion ceremony that it entirely slipped my mind.
“I’ve heard you’re already acquainted with the Beast King, right? If there’s a family name that you want to adopt, and you submit the application for it, I’m sure it’ll be approved without issue. In fact, I can even do the application for you if you already have one in mind.”
“Nah, I haven’t given it any thought yet. Can I come to you again when I have something?”
“Of course. There’s still time. Please let me know once you’ve decided.”
I can’t very well make a decision like this on my own. Let’s get the whole gang together.
“WE’RE IN TROUBLE!”
“IT’S A DISASTER!”
Just as Sera and I were about to head for the door again, it was banged open forcefully. Two adventurers, Heath and Moi, came tumbling inside. For some reason, my companion reacted almost immediately.
“The boss of the Clayworm Passages, the mother clayworm, has woken up!”
“What did you say?! That Rank A monster is awake?!”
The adventurers all around us fell into an uproar.
“Ange, this quest is ours!”
“Huh? Uh, s-sure.”
Sera prompted the receptionist to log the quest and promptly grabbed it off her with a practiced hand.
Is this Sera’s Luck stat at work again? What is it now? It’s already over 2,000, isn’t it?
◇ ◇ ◇
Without further ado, Sera and I went to defeat the mother clayworm by way of a stroll. When we reached Clayworm Passages, we found an especially large branch of the tunnel down in the dungeon. As we proceeded, easily dispatching the monsters of various sizes that we encountered on the way, we came upon one so big that it barely fit between the walls. This was clearly the creature that had been creating new passages—the mother clayworm—so we finished it off in the blink of an eye. As always, I had Clotho retrieve the carcass, just in case some parts turned out useful in the future.
Then the two of us enjoyed our time together, getting back to the house just before lunch. Along the way, we made sure to stop by the guild to report to Ange and claim our reward. I’d probably never forget the faces Heath and Moi, the two adventurers who had first brought back news of the “crisis,” made when Sera and I received the money.
And that was it for our date. With our sweet episode over, it was now time to focus on something serious.
“All right, everyone’s here. Guys, I have an important announcement.”
As soon as I got home, I sent out the call for everyone to gather at the dinner table. The others were now in their seats as the five maids—Efil included—stood at attention at the side of the room.
What a moving sight it is having all our maids lined up like this. We only had Efil when I first bought this house, but now there are five of them. Rosalia and Huba are more like temps, but I’m offering extremely generous employee benefits even by Japanese standards, so I hope they’ll continue working for us forever.
::Rawr.::
::Grrr!::
Boga and Mdofarak were still within my magic pool, but I considered this full attendance.
“Oh, my king, have you finally decided to begin making arrangements for your wedding?!”
“Seriously?! Congratulations, brother! I had thought you and sister Sera seemed closer than usual today! That was the reason why?!”
Gerard and Dahak immediately jumped to some sort of misunderstanding, quickly derailing the conversation. I saw Efil’s ears twitch in response and the smile on Melfina’s face disappeared in a split second. I thought I could hear “Why haven’t I heard anything about this?” in my brain even though I could have sworn I hadn’t received any telepathic messages.
I could tell the conversation was on the fast track to pandemonium. Although I had gotten permission from Efil, Sera, and Melfina to date all of them concurrently, marriage was a whole other ballgame. Allowing anyone to steal a march on the others was a reprehensible act that was utterly unforgivable. And even if Efil forgave it, a goddess wouldn’t.
Sera just looked confused. Her head was tilted and her brows were knitted together as if she was trying to recall whether she had heard anything about it.
“Rosalia, can you stop emanating cold air? I’m getting goosebumps,” Huba complained.
“It is not me. This is... Read the room, all right?” Rosalia replied.
“Rosalia, Rosalia! Who and who are getting married?” Shutola asked, tugging on the older maid’s sleeve.
Hey, Trycen trio over there, can you not?! The room is getting colder and colder!
“Ahem. Don’t misunderstand. I am talking about an entirely different matter.”
I took great care to enunciate properly and speak clearly as I denied the allegation. I was so nervous that my voice almost cracked, but Nerves of Steel saw me through yet another one of my predicaments.
“Aha ha, Gramps and Hak-chan are both too impatient! When Kel-nii marries, of course he’ll be marrying everyone all at once!” Rion said, backing me up. The wink she sent me made me feel more reassured than I had ever felt.
I couldn’t have asked for a better little sister! Your kindness is almost enough to make me tear up!
Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who had derived reassurance from Rion’s words. Efil’s ears settled back down as Melfina reddened with the realization that she had leaped to conclusions. The crisis had been successfully averted.
“So, what’s actually happening is...”
I proceeded to share the news of the upcoming Naming Ceremony that would be happening in Gaun and explained how it led to the need for me to decide on a family name.
“Oh right, there was that perk to being a Rank S adventurer. Do you already have a few candidates in mind, honey?”
“I’m afraid I’m drawing a complete blank. That’s why I gathered all of you. I was hoping that by putting our heads together, we could come up with something good. I want the staff’s input too, so don’t worry about your station or whatever and feel free to speak up if anything comes to mind.”
I was well aware that I had a terrible sense for names—even I had no idea how I’d managed to come up with “Clotho” at the start. I knew a bit about Japanese names, but most names in this world fell under the Western category back on Earth. What’s more, my last name would become Rion’s and, in the future, Mel, Sera, and Efil’s last name. It would be too hasty for me to just decide on something arbitrarily. That was why I wanted to properly consult everyone. I even took out a blackboard from Clotho’s Storage and had Efil, who had beautiful handwriting, serve as secretary.
Dahak crossed his arms. “Family name, huh? We dragons don’t really have that custom.”
“It’s hard to come up with something good when you get down to it,” Melfina commented. “If this was for a dish, I could come up with a name in a split second, but it’s not quite the same thing.”
The point was to pool our ideas, but nothing was occurring to anyone. I wondered if this was how parents felt when deciding on names for their children. Although the nuances were probably different, I was sure that the level of difficulty was the same.
Suddenly, someone raised their hand. “May I, my king?”
It was Gerard, and he seemed strangely confident.
Oh, with all his life experience, I’m sure he can come up with something good! My expectations are climbing!
“How about Magosky?”
“What am I, a Russian?! That’s a name based on your preference!” And why’d you say that in the most suave voice you could manage?! I guess a suggestion’s a suggestion, though. “Might as well put it on the board, Efil.”
“Pfffffft! Honey...as a R-Russian!”
Melfina was having a heck of a time trying to hold in her laughter. Apparently, my retort had struck her as funny. Of course, no one but Melfina and Rion had any idea what a Russian was. Honestly, it was a mystery to me whether the joke was that funny even for those who understood it.
“Kelvin! Me, me!”
“Yes, Sera!”
“How about Bahl? Bahl is a family name with an ancient and honorable origin where I’m from!”
“Hmm, Bahl. Bahl. Please put that on the board too, Efil.”
“Yes, Master.”
I was worried that starting off with Gerard’s “Magosky” would set us off on a streak of weird names, so I heaved a sigh of relief at hearing a proper suggestion. Speaking of which, I wonder what Sera’s homeland is like?
“Oh, Master! I just thought of one!”
It was as if Sera’s “Bahl” had been a trigger that unlocked the floodgates. Various suggestions came in one after another. As the saying went, two heads were better than one, and we had many, many heads here. We ended up with so many ideas that there was no more space on the board. Then we took a vote.
“I have finished tallying the votes. I will now announce the winner.”
Efil, who had changed jobs from secretary to teller, stood in front of us with a single piece of paper in her hand. Our normally boisterous dining hall fell silent, with everyone hanging on her words with bated breath.
“Going forward, Master and Rion-sama’s honorable family name will be, with eight votes, Rion-sama’s suggestion of ‘Celsius’!”
Cheers and applause erupted. So, it was Rion’s idea that won! Well, I did vote for it too. I mean, it sounds cool, doesn’t it? Kelvin Celsius and Rion Celsius... Yep, I love the sound of it!
“Well then, can we have a word from the person who came up with it? Congratulations, Rion-sama. What inspired you to think of this name?”
“Umm...thank you? I was reflecting on Kel-nii’s name when it just came to me.”
“I see, so this name is imbued with love for your brother!” Mel wiped a tear from her eye. “That’s so moving!”
Your feelings have touched me, Rion. May I cry now? I think I’m going to cry.
Rion scratched her head, looking somewhat unsure. “Umm...you know, I was sort of kidding... Are we seriously going with this?”
◇ ◇ ◇
After we settled on my new family name, I promptly headed to the Adventurer’s Guild to inform Ange. I knew I had to wait for the Naming Ceremony to be over before I could officially use the new name and that there was still quite a bit of time until the ceremony. However, I wasn’t in any particular rush, especially in light of the fact that I could travel to Gaun in an instant through the teleportation gate. So my companions and I decided to use the time to upgrade our equipment, check out our new abilities, and so on. A few of us were now gathering in the training hall beneath our house to do the latter.
“It’s so big here underground! It’s even bigger than dear brother’s house. I might get lost.”
“I do admit I went too far with the expansion. It’s pretty much a labyrinth at this point. Make sure to be careful, all right, Shutola?”
“No, don’t say that! I have a good memory! I can remember all the roads!”
I opened the heavy doors to the training hall, pulling Shutola’s hand. To anyone surprised by us already having become so close, I remind you that we were housemates living under the same roof. Having her avoid me all the time would have taken a severe toll on my mental health, so I made a conscious effort to build a relationship with the little princess. Thanks to that, we had recently gotten close enough for her to call me “dear brother,” and we treated each other as friends. Apparently, she was the kind of person who opened her heart all the way once she let someone in.
Of course, this had required a fair amount of effort and sacrifice on my part, the most prominent examples being when I gave her snacks that Efil had made for me and when I helped her hide from Rosalia, who was in charge of tutoring her. Azgrad had warned me before that she was shy with strangers, but I had not expected winning her over to be harder than defeating a Rank S monster. Somewhere along the way, Huba had started giving me weird looks, though. I would bet she was laboring under some terrible misunderstanding.
“Well then, today is for exploring the new skills that Rion, Efil, Gerard, and I acquired during our Evolutions. I’m sure everyone’s already tried using them on their own, right?”
I had issued a blanket order forbidding the use of any of our new skills during practice matches until now. After all, it was far too risky using them on each other without first understanding their effects. Although everyone had access to their own Status and could read the description that came with each skill, there were finer details that required actually using the skill to understand.
“My king, are we doing this ‘testing’ today in a real match? Since we are talking about Unique Skills here, would that not be dangerous?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve really given it serious thought. See, it doesn’t really matter what our target is as long as we have a target. Sera, take it away.”
“All right. Ah, Shutola, stay back; it’s dangerous. Actually, Dahak, it’s your duty to protect Shutola. You hear me?”
“I’m not sure what this is all about, but you got it, sister Sera! Come on, girlie. Here, I’ll give you these vegetable sticks that sister Efil made for easy snacking, so stay close to me.”
Dahak took out a circular container filled with vegetable sticks in a large array of vivid colors and held it out to Shutola. The container was so fancy that it emitted cold air, which meant it had likely been made by Melfina.
How does Dahak manage to look like a delinquent offering a little girl a cigarette?
Shutola’s eyes lit up. “Efil made them?! I want some!” she cried, immediately reaching to take one. Even this princess, who had been brought up in a royal palace, found Efil’s food irresistible. “It’s so gooood!”
“’Course it is. It’s sister Efil’s food.”
The two of them proceeded to stuff their cheeks, with Dahak sitting cross-legged on the ground and Shutola on his lap. Despite his appearance and mannerisms, for some strange reason, children really liked the dragon.
Do you even know how hard it was for me to get Shutola to open up?! Huh?! Hmph, I can only hope that that strange ability of yours works on the person you’re actually pursuing!
“Come on out, mother bloodworm!”
Sera’s shadow seemed to explode as a giant red form rushed out with incredible momentum, reaching so high that it almost touched the ceiling.
Rion tilted her head quizzically. “Wait, isn’t this—”
“Yep, Sera basically used her Black Magic to resurrect the mother clayworm we killed the other day,” I confirmed. “What’s more, it’s got Sera’s blood in its body, so it’s pretty strong now. We won’t get any XP for killing it again, but it should serve as a good opponent to test our new skills against.”
“I’m not really controlling it or anything, so it’ll just fight on instinct. What we’re aiming for is a realistic battle, after all!” Sera announced, glancing at me. The tail of the creature rushed towards her in a mowing attack, but she stopped it with a single hand. “See? Dangerous.”
Um, you sure don’t make it look dangerous, Ms. I Can Stop It With One Hand. That said, it’s true that the mother clayworm—now a mother bloodworm—is very likely to be classified as a Rank S monster if the guild were to evaluate it. Overall, it’s even more powerful than the evil dragon in Dragon Sea Cave. Yep, Sera did a good job. It’s still weak enough that she can stop its attack with a single hand, though.
“If this is a reanimated corpse, I should probably go last,” Rion suggested.
Gerard stepped up. “Then I shall go first. My new skills aren’t so much ‘new’ as they are upgrades to the ones I had before...”
◇ ◇ ◇
“Nope, it’s not working. Kelvin, this clayworm can’t be resurrected anymore.”
“Hmm, if even you can’t manage it with your Rank S skill, I think it’s safe to say it’s categorically impossible.”
“That last attack from Rion really finished it off. It’s been completely purified.”
“Aha ha ha... Sorry.”
The order in which we each fought the mother bloodworm was: Gerard, Efil, me, and then Rion. After every match, it had been reduced to an absolutely tragic state. Gerard had diced it up, Efil had incinerated it, I had also sliced it into pieces, and, in the end, Rion had straight up helped it pass on...although technically, it had already “passed on” the first time Sera and I killed it.
“In any case, it seems we’ve largely seen everything our new skills can do.”
Let’s go over Gerard’s skills first. His two new Unique Skills, Glory Within Mine Hands and Self-Transcendence, were, as he had said, upgraded versions of the two he had previously owned: Loyalty and Self-Modification. Gerard had already given us a general explanation of Self-Transcendence, and there wasn’t really much else to add. Its effects were pretty straightforward.
Glory Within Mine Hands was sort of like Loyalty but without the drawbacks. Loyalty buffed Gerard’s skills for a certain period of time but then rendered him immobile for a while afterwards. In contrast, Glory Within Mine Hands had no such lingering debuffs. What’s more, the duration of the effect increased with every enemy defeated. He’d had to use the skill tactically and carefully before, but now he could use it without holding back. The only issue was how much loyalty Gerard actually felt towards me.
I sure don’t feel that loyalty in the way he’s always messing with me. Are we okay here?
“As for Efil, your skill basically turns your flames blue.”
“Yes, Master. I can now generate blue flames,” Efil responded, summoning a small ball of fire in the palm of her hand.
Shutola leaned forward. “It’s so pretty.”
“It’s a lot more dangerous than it looks, so don’t ever try to touch it, all right?” I warned her.
“You heard him. Back off, girlie.”
Since Dahak was keeping an eye on Shutola and holding her back where necessary—although he got a pout and an indignant “Mrrm!” for his troubles—I didn’t pursue the matter.
Just as its name implied, Efil’s new Unique Skill, Blue Flame, turned her fire blue. Of course, that was not the full extent of its effect. The blue flames were significantly more powerful than the orange ones and were much more MP-efficient. According to the description that she read aloud from her Status screen, these flames could even penetrate any resistance her opponents had against fire-elemental damage. In short, the rate at which she could dish out damage had just gotten a massive boost. Since she could freely switch between the two, it was likely going to become a very effective ace up her sleeve.
“By the way, what does your other skill do? I don’t think I saw you use it during your match just now.”
“I believe Divine Restitution is a skill that raises my Luck stat. It should be similar in function to Super Luck, which Sera-san possesses.”
“Damn, the buff from yours is more than double hers, and hers is already at Rank S.”
At Rank S, Super Luck gave Sera a boost of +640 in Luck. In contrast, Efil’s Unique Skill gave her +1,437. It was astounding, to put it mildly.
There’s gotta be something else about the skill too. The name seems to be hinting at it.
“Um, I don’t think I see anything else in the desc—” Efil, who had been scrolling down the description panel, suddenly let out a small “Oh!” before continuing. “Um, after many, many blank lines, there is one line at the very bottom that says, ‘The amount of correction to the stat is proportional to the amount of misfortune previously experienced by the owner of this skill.’”
The rest of us found ourselves at a loss for what to say. The atmosphere’s so heavy!
“Master, there is no need to make that face. I am extremely happy now. What I have received since I met you has been more than enough to write off—no, it has been severalfold what it would take to balance out everything I suffered before. All I want from you, Master, is your usual wonderful smile.”
“Efil...”
Why am I surrounded by such angels in this life?! If I don’t make all of them happy, I’m probably going to get struck down by divine punishment!
“Lass, when you say ‘wonderful smile,’ are you perhaps referring to...”
Efil tilted her head as if failing to understand what Gerard meant. “All of Master’s smiles are wonderful.”
“Uhhh... Sure, yes, of course. I don’t know what came over me. Please continue, my king.”
What was he thinking of? Oh well, never mind. “Rion’s Absolute Purification also seems to be exactly what it sounds like. It’s rendered the mother bloodworm impossible to resurrect again.”
“Mh-hm! I think this is going to be quite effective against Black Magic in general. Judging from how it feels, I think I can purify most undead monsters with a single tap. The description does mention cleansing grudges and poisons. Oh, and it’s really powerful against curses! I tried using one of the cursed weapons in Clotho’s Storage, but the curse disappeared the second I touched it.”
Even her Unique Skill is saintly. Considering the MP she still has left, it’s also a completely passive skill that doesn’t cost anything to use. I guess it’s more of a physical constitution thing, then. And Clotho, don’t be giving Rion dangerous things like that just because she asks for them.
“Sounds like it’s a skill that’s perfect for you, Rion. But don’t push yourself too hard, all right?”
“Ehe he he, you don’t have to remind me, Kel-nii!”
I couldn’t stop rubbing her head—not that I had any need to, though. I could praise Rion all day long, and it wouldn’t be enough.
Dahak finally spoke up. “How about you, brother? What do your new skills do?”
“Oh, mine? Well, they...”