The 《Sub-source Colors》of Sonata-Campbell was rainbow color. Called, “Mana of Truth”.
When someone believed the lie that he said while using his Rainbow Mana, the mana would give the user the magic construction formula necessary to turn the lie into the truth in a moment (only 0.36 seconds, as time passed it would be forgotten). The mana gave only the magic construction formula, simply the knowledge necessary to activate the magic, and the Red, Green, and Blue Mana required to activate the magic were consumed separately. In ancient times, this mana was also called “Mana of Wisdom.”
The magic construction formula given by “Mana of Truth” was far superior to the magic construction formulas that exist in modern times, and the amount of mana consumed when performing magic and the speed of magic formation were both out of the ordinary.
However, it wasn’t all-purpose, and the lie that couldn’t be realized by the mana within Sonata couldn’t be materialized. For example, sealing wasn’t possible. Magic using Black, White, Yellow, and other Rainbow Mana couldn’t be reproduced. What could be achieved was within what kind of mana Sonata Campbell had ―― So, it was limited to his 《Three Main-source Colors》.
Sonata described this special mana as “unfriendly” Because it was almost impossible to use it with a monster who couldn’t understand language, or with a person who knew the nature of this mana.
As an advantage, if the condition was met, it would be possible to perform magic with power that might exceed those with a chant, in no time. The amount of mana consumed at that time was also small, and the amount of mana consumed by Sonata for making a thunder dragon wasn’t much different from the amount of mana consumed for beginner magic that was produced by regular means.
If there was a person who believed in his lies on the side, it would be possible to overwhelm those different in ranks by firing large-scale magic without delay. The control force needed when Sonata Campbell’s Rainbow Mana activated was immeasurable.
“Why do you need to lie?”, “Why do you need to have someone to believe?” The details were unknown. Research hadn’t been advanced yet, and Sonata himself didn’t have a detailed grasp of his Rainbow Mana. Rainbow Mana was treated as useless mana in some parts, and it was this aspect that caused this long research. Only a short history of property analysis, so it was difficult to apply them to many things. In particular, the difficulty level of the “Coloring” technique that combined the 《Sub-source Colors》 with the body, tools, and other magic techniques was significantly higher than the mana of 《Main-source Colors》. There was just not enough precedent who succeeded.
Sonata had no intention of telling this mana to Seal and his party. Because he wouldn’t be able to use it when he needed to fight them.
《Yuubaku Style》 magic mainly for restraining the opponent and the “Mana of Truth”. These two were Sonata’s main weapons.
———– Seal perspective ———–
I’ve lost.
As expected of a Knight Captain. I can’t do anything if he gets serious.
“To make me use almost all of my cards, You’re amazing.”
“Was that last thunder dragon also a 《Yuubaku Style》 magic?”
“That was, different”
Sonata went up from the surface of the water to the ground, drying the wet coat with flames.
I also went up from the water and took the disposable weapons from the ground.
“By the way, your master, Barha Zetta, also used the 《Yuubaku Style》 magic.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I heard that from my teacher. 《Yuubaku Style》 Magic specializes in binding, so I think it could be convenient in various ways.”
I see… Use those magics used by Sonata to bind your opponent and mark them to then use the sealing technique…
“Teach me in your spare time. Those 《Yuubaku Style》 magics.”
“I don’t mind at all. I have to get you stronger after all. But in your case, maybe, from more basic magic? “
Oh, right, Ash told me that she would teach me how to use the Green Mana, but in the end, it hasn’t happened yet.
Red, Blue, and Yellow Mana have come to be used in one or another way. Yeah, it’s time to start working on utilizing Green Mana.
When I returned to the tent, it seemed that the girls had returned before us, and I could hear laughter from their tent. Layla seemed to have done it well.
“Looks like it’s okay now.”
“That seems to be the case. So, should we talk about something? Wanna talk about some love story?”
“No way. Don’t say a word when you enter the tent. I’m going to sleep.”
Unlocked the dagger from the talisman and held it in my right hand before accelerating to Sonata.
” ‘The prisoner’s name is Aleister. Tied up by fantastical ice sword――’ “
Is it a chant?
If he finished it, it may be my end.
Sonata wasn’t suitable for close-quarters combat, he looked so. That was why, my plan was to never let him finish his chant while crushing him.
“I won’t let you …!”
Splashing water, I rushed to Sonata while throwing the dagger.
“Hmmph…”
Sonata dodged it by tilting his upper body forward while holding his hat. Raising his right foot and aiming at his face, Sonata jumped and fled to the sky.
While crossing the sky, Sonata recites the continuation of the chanting.
” ‘Manifested in a symbol of freedom, in the shape of wings ――《Hyoujou Kenu》” [TN: Roughly mean, ice locking feather swords]
Just above Sonata, big ice in the shape of wings appeared.
Looking closely, the ice was made up of a collection of small swords. The small swords separated and approached me from all directions.
“tch, so troublesome…!”
I ran on the watery surface and avoided the swords. When the little ice sword touched the water, it froze the surface of the water around it.
The side touched by the sword got frozen, even a single hit may freeze my whole body.
――If I get hit, it’s over…!
“You won’t let me relax huh――<Osiris Orb>! “
Took out the dangerous ring and fit it on my right index finger. Bruises spread from my right hand to my nose.
Boosted my physical strength with the power of the ring and jumped into the waterfall.
There was a rock scaffolding in the space behind the waterfall, and I landed there.
The waterfall was frozen by the ice sword, but the water that kept falling from above shut out the ice sword one after another.
I put the talisman with “月” written on it on the rock scaffolding, and jumped out from the side of the waterfall. Scratching the coming ice sword, I approached Sonata.
” ‘O, Chains of Flame Lord, come forth and strangle thy lord’s enemy’ ―― 《Ensasen Baku》”
A chain of flames that evaporated water came from around Sonata’s feet.
The number of chains gradually increased, expanding to the point where Sonata couldn’t be seen.
The chains stretched and flew to tighten my neck.
I won’t retreat… I’ll keep moving forward!
Thanks to the ice sword for creating an icy scaffolding, I could move fast.
While kicking and crushing the ice so as not to slip, dodged the approaching flame chain and ice sword in steps approached Sonata.
” ‘O, the playful wind’――”
“Bard! You’re singing too much!”
I deployed the <Lion Spear> to the left, extended the spear, stitched it between the chains, and threw it toward Sonata.
Sonata jumped back to avoid it.
“Hey, not bad! You can pass two of the seven 《Yuubaku Style》magics!”
“How long can you be so relaxed! I won’t let you use magic anymore!”
Let go of the spear and held a dagger in my left hand before closing the distance.
I won’t let you even say another word. I’ll always stick close to you――!
“You can’t use other mana while chanting, right? The sign of Red Mana has faded since you started chanting a while ago.”
“Yeah! You’re right! Red Mana can only be used a little while chanting. “
With the dagger in my hand, I tried to stab. Sonata leaned sideways, avoiding my attack and putting out the palm of his left hand toward my right cheek.
I moved the dagger to my right hand and grabbed the Sonata’s palm with my now free left hand.
Aimed at Sonata’s abdomen with my dagger, but before entering the motion, Sonata’s right foot kick pierced my belly.
“Bastard…!”
You can keep up with my movements after the boost of the <Osiris Orb>?!!
However, as much as I was concerned about Sonata’s close combat skill, I didn’t feel the difference in pressure and ability as much as I felt from Pearl.
I slid onto the surface of the water and retreated by two steps, but accelerated immediately. To set up close combat again without giving a moment of time.
“What an enthusiastic approach…!”
Sonata seemed to hate that idea and so he ran towards the waterfall to get some distance.
I chased Sonata’s back, grabbed the coat, and brought it to the surface of the water.
” ――hm!?”
Only the coat was left in my hand.
Sonata abandoned his coat the moment it was grabbed by me.
Away from me, Sonata with a black shirt which sleeves up to his elbows, spreading his hands.
“President, it’s a checkmate. At this distance, the chanting will end before you get closer.”
“Really? I wonder if that’s the case ―― <Engetsu>”
A boomerang was unsealed on the rock behind the waterfall, far behind Sonata.
I left it when I hid myself behind the waterfall.
Sonata looked a little confused at my words.
Yep, he hasn’t noticed… I’m glad I’m able to guide you to be in this situation.
” ‘O, the playful wind’ ―― “
I stretch a chain made of Yellow Mana from my feet so that it passed under the surface of the water. When the chain stuck to <Engetsu> behind the waterfall, I pulled my right foot back. In response to the movement of my legs, the boomerang flew out of the waterfall and approached Sonata’s back.
” ‘carry the thunder’ ―― Hm!?”
<Engetsu> hit Sonata’s back. It wasn’t powerful because it was in the normal condition without any “Stack”, but for turning the tide of battle…
――it was enough.
While Sonata got staggered, I would close the distance―― was my plan, but…
“Hahaha! You surprised me! Well, well, you possess such a surprising weapon huh.”
Sonata laughed as he lost his stance.
Now… he’s trying to cover his body with Red Mana. Means, the chant has been canceled…!on
――The battle will be determined here!
“But, didn’t you forget something, President?”
Sonata continued talking, brilliantly avoiding my vertical slash.
“On <Seadust Island>, I put out a thunder dragon without chanting――”
Suddenly, I remembered that moment in my head.
Oh, right, this guy, he sent a flying ridiculous mass of thunder on Seadust Island in the form of a dragon to the dragon {Gun Emperor} was riding.
――At that time, he didn’t chant.
“You see, I, can manifest a thunder dragon in no time“
It wasn’t a lie, I knew that Sonata could do it.
At the same time as I thought so, Sonata’s tongue shone.
――A dazzling light fell on the surface of the water.
Looking up at the sky, a giant thunder dragon opened its mouth while staring at me.
I threw away my dagger and raised my hands.
“I, surrender …”
It’s clearly a foul… not fair!
Author’s note: If you stop chanting, you can resume it. However other Mana can’t be used properly if you are interrupted. You should always focus your mind on the chant, otherwise, you must chant again from start.
In front of the waterfall, where Layla and Shura had their fight, I put my hands on both knees while looking around in search of something.
When I looked into the water, I found a round object that reflected the moonlight.
Plunged my hand into the water and picked up the mysterious object.
――It was an iron ball.
Right, a large number of iron balls that were large enough to be wrapped with both hands were there.
The scooped iron balls became a green mist over time and turned into nothing.
“…Green Mana, did you make these iron balls with the Mana of Creation?”
Judging from the fact that Layla created a knife for battle, it won’t be strange that she’s good at creating other things too.
Set up the iron balls in the water with Green Mana while engaging in a close battle with Shura.
Layla leaded Shura to step on the iron ball and lost her balance, which must be what happened.
But, the scariest thing is that she could do that in that high-speed battle.
“W-what a scary woman …”
I got out of the water and walked towards Shura, who was crouching on the ground.
“Are you okay?”
Shura raised her face.
“~~~~!!”
“Hm!?”
Biting her lower lip, Shura glanced at me.
Tears collected at the corners of the eyes. From the appearance of her desperately enduring tears, I felt that she would definitely cry if no one was around.
It must have been humiliating. She was completely defeated in the close combat that she was good at.
The weak expression that the normally bullish Shura showed, such a gap in her expression, somehow aroused the desire for protecting her. I was on the verge of hugging her and stroking her head, saying “It’s ok, don’t worry”, but I could imagine that things would get worse if I did that, so I held myself.
“…I’ll run for a while”
“Huh?”
“I’ll be back!”
“W-well… be careful”
Shura ran away towards the darkness of the forest.
Is she okay? If she’s attacked by a monster―― yep, she’ll be okay.
There was a popping sound from the puddle behind.
“It was a great amount of Red Mana. I would be knocked out if I got even one direct hit.”
Layla walked beside me, squeezing her wet clothes.
The white clothes were transparent, and the skin color was faintly visible. The figure of her wiping the water droplets on her body with a handkerchief, was sexy. Naturally, my eyes were on her body.
Layla noticed my gaze as she squeezed her wet bangs with her right hand.
“Huff, you’re a man after all…”
Layla uttered as if she was amazed and looked down.
I forcibly blocked my eyes with my eyelids and scratched my cheeks, trying to get my reasons back.
“I’ll leave Shura, to you.”
“Yeah, I get it. I’ll apologize to Shura-chan. “
Layla followed Shura’s footsteps into the forest.
The sound of trampling the grass echoed behind.
When I turned around, Sonata stood with his hand on his waist.
“It’s sure nice being young. But, a duel huh… I haven’t done it for a while. I used to do a lot with friends from the same school.”
“Huh? Did you learn martial arts?”
“It’s not a martial art, it’s a school of magic. There is also a school of magic. And I belong to a magic school called, 《Yuubaku Style》. One of the Knight Elite Guards called Shinhwa is from the same school.” [TN: “Yuubaku”, roughly mean, Playful Bind]
A school of magic huh…
I wonder if Sealing Technique is also regarded as one.
“Huff…This is bad. It seems that the fighting spirit in me is ignited because I remembered the old days. “
Sonata’s eyes become sharper.
I was pressured by Sonata, who was supposed to be my companion, and took a step back.
“President. The night is still long. You must have felt something after seeing their fight, right? There was almost no fighting today, I think, I have a lot of physical strength to use, how is it?”
Sonata walked towards the waterfall.
“What do you want to say?”
Sonata Campbell answered my question with a smirk.
“Have one serious battle with me. Do you feel like it? Sealer, Seal Zetta-kun “
“――!!?”
Green Mana rose from Sonata’s body.
The Mana that made the blue water surface looked green…
The fear inside me appealed to “Reject”.
However, my curiosity told me, “Go!”
“A duel, is it…”
Sonata looked at me with a relaxed expression.
He’s really annoying…
It was a face saying that you could never lose.
It was more like “Let’s see your strength”… I was seen as below him.
Well… I don’t think I can beat a Knight Captain.
But, I’m sure my power is enough to surprise him.
Above all, the fight with this guy is sure, will be fun. I mean, he’s a Knight Captain. A great magician. He must have an interesting skill. I want to see it!
“――Alright, it’s going to be a good way to kill time.”
I took out the talisman with “祓” from my pocket, held it in my right hand, and proceeded to the waterfall. [TN: it’s the dagger]
“Can I take it as a YES?”
Like Layla and Shura, I and Sonata sunk our feet into the water with the waterfall in the background.
“What about the rules? 《Sub-Source Colors》 allowed?”
“Yes”
“What about sharp weapons?”
“Let’s go with Yes!”
“… What about killer magic?”
“Hmm, that’s right… let’s go with, YES!”
“OK, good. Bright it on!”
With a talisman between my right index and middle fingers, I readied myself.
The duel between Shura and Layla would be interesting. On one side, stood Layla could fight at all short, medium, and long distances. On the other side, stood Shura who only fought in close combat.
Without knowing the circumstances, I was excited.
Good grief, but fine, do it.
I wonder, which one is stronger?
…Wait, wait a moment, Seal Zetta. Being curious is fine, but this is bad for a new party, isn’t it? I have to stop them.
“What happened? Did you have a fight for a man?”
“It’s not a big deal, Seal-kun”
“This girl came into my blanket without permission! Even though I turned it down once!”
“Ummmm?”
It seemed Layla once offered to sleep together, but Shura refused.
However, Layla invaded Shura’s blanket without permission while Shura was sleeping. When Shura woke up from the heat, Layla was in her view, and angry Shura asked Layla for a duel.
I looked down at Layla, she put her index fingers together saying, “I can’t help it…”
“Layla, you’re bad”
“I’m sorry… but let me make an excuse, okay? After Shura-chan fell asleep, she grabbed the hem of my clothes and muttered, “Mom …”, you know? In that situation, isn’t it impossible to resist hugging her?”
“…I see, seems there is a situation for it.”
“Of course not!”
If I was in the same situation as Layla, and the person sleeping beside me, muttered “Dad…” …I don’t know if I could suppress the paternal instinct.
“Isn’t it okay? Let them have a duel, if that’s what she wants! It’s briーght tonight.”
Sonata made a carefree remark.
“Also, it may be a good opportunity to know each other’s power.”
By saying such plausible good reason, I was convinced that a duel might be a better option.
Of the four, only one was reluctant to duel.
“Hmmー… If I win, I don’t think… something good will come out from it…”
Layla, who was nearby me, muttered in a low voice so that only I could hear it.
“… Sure, even if you win, Shura will just be in a bad mood.”
I also replied with a small voice.
“If I lose, I’ll do anything, even if it’s sleeping together!”
But, as expected, Shura had good ears. It seemed that our muttering was also heard by her.
Promised a great reward, Layla’s eyes were shining, she was now more enthusiastic than anyone else.
“What are the rules? Where should we do it?!”
Layla was really excited.
“I think near the waterfall is a good place. The moonlight reflects off the water surface and the visibility there is good.”
“As for the rule, what about ‘No sub-source colors. And, a prohibition of sharp weapon and killer techniques’ ?”
Wait, isn’t the rule proposed by Sonata a little more advantageous to Shura?
I mean, it basically, limits Layla from throwing knives and using Mana of Transference. She can only use ‘Ruten’. Well, I guess with her battle sense, she’ll somehow manage it? Will she accept it?
“Sure. Let’s go with that.”
“I have no complaints either!”
The rules were decided with the consent of the two.
“Shura, what do you demand from Layla if you win?”
“Eh? Well… I’ll think about it after I win!”
This girl, she asked for a duel on impulse huh…
——————————-
Shura and Layla were facing each other at a distance in the front of the waterfall, which had the weakest stream among many waterfalls.
The depth of the water was just enough to sink the two ankles. It was shallow because it was quite far from the waterfall.
I and Sonata put ourselves in the shadow of a tree farther than them.
“President, which one do you think will win?”
“Well, I think 60% of chance that Layla will win.”
“Why?”
“She can’t use her throwing knife and also her Mana of Transference, but Layla has ‘Ruten’. Well, the risk is severely cut down if the attack isn’t close, but Shura has no choice but to have a close combat. If she countered by ‘Ruten’ at a good timing, Shura won’t be able to stand up.”
Sure, Shura trained her body. But Shura is a woman, and she is short and weight lightly. I had a hard time dealing with Laya’s ‘Ruten’, and if Shura get a direct hit, her small body won’t be able to handle it.
“I’ll vote for, Vice-President.”
“Why?”
“Bard’s intuition!”
“Huh? What’s that……”
Unlike us, the two girls were looking at the other person in front of them with serious expressions.
“After seeing you and Seal fighting, I’ve always wanted to fight you… don’t let me down.”
She really just wanted to fight Layla huh…
Actually, you’re not so angry, right?
“I’m sorry Shura-chan. I’m not good at holding back… I might overdo it.”
“You should worry about yourself…!”
CLAP!!
Sonata came out of the tree shadow and clapped his hands.
“Win or lose is decided at my own discretion. Once I clap my hands again, the fight starts. Ready… “
CLAP!!
As soon as Sonata clapped his hands, Shura kicked the surface of the water with her right foot.
――She was creating a gap.
The water kicked up by her created a wall between them.
Layla ran towards the waterfall in an attempt to dodge the water wall. Perhaps Layla’s movements with predicted, Shura ran in the same direction as Layla.
They were now close in distance.
Shura’s prepared her left fist.
Pulled her left fist and put it forward ――
“—’Ruten’ !!”
Blue Mana swirled around Layla’s whole body in an instant.
It was a perfect timing counter. If the left fist hit it, the Mana covering Shura’s fist would be released, and Shura’s attack would be broken down.
“I thought it would come…!”
Shura’s left fist punched the air.
It seemed she didn’t want to hit Layla in the first place. In other words, it was a feint.
Shura jumped and kicked toward Layla, whose swirl of Blue Mana had disappeared. Which meant, no defense.
However, the kick didn’t hit Layla either. Layla bowed down and avoided it.
Yeah, Layla could still fight
She could be said a versatile fighter who could fight in all ranges. Of course, close combat too.
However, I didn’t think she could avoid Shura’s serious pursuit attack.
” ――!”
As expected, Blue Mana swirled around Layla’s palm.
Yeah. This blow should be what Shura must be afraid of.
Again, as expected, Shura seemed as if she wanted to retreat far away.
In a way, Shura was slowly reducing Layla’s Mana.
Layla on the other hand, was rebuilding her posture.
What would happen next was easy to guess.
As expected, Shura sank her foot into the water and tried to take a back step, but――
“Huh!?”
What happened? I can’t see it well from here.
――Shura’s feet went wild.
Shura lost her balance as if she had stumbled upon something.
Her knees sank so much that she stopped moving, though not enough to make her fall.
――Still, the winner, had been decided.
The bottom of Layla’s right hand caught Shura’s chest.
“—’Rutensho’ !”
The impact of the spiral made an explosive sound.
Shura’s little body was blown away and her back was struck against a large tree outside the puddle.
Shura curled up on the spot after spitting gastric fluid out of her mouth.
As we proceeded from the organized roads to the valleys, a magnificent view welcomed us.
The sound of a waterfall could be heard.
Waterfall lined up on the rock walls on the left and right, creating water paths.
“Really, Nature never makes me bored.”
“The sound of the waterfall is amazing…!”
“Umm, I don’t think I can sleep around here…”
Three young people were fascinated by the superb view.
On the other hand, Sonata was looking at the scene calmly alone.
“President, it’s still early, but why don’t we rest? It’s hard to get to the tower by the end of today.”
“I agree with taking a rest, but let’s walk a little longer. As expected, this area is too noisy.”
This valley, called the <Dragon Castle>, was roughly divided into three areas.
The outermost mountain area where mountains were scattered as so to surround the valley.
The waterfall area where the waterfalls were.
The innermost forest area with a tower that penetrates the clouds, <Volketurm>, in the middle of it.
The four of us decided to decide on a campsite when we crossed the waterfall area and entered the forest area. When we reached the forest, it was already dark and only the moonlight could be relied on.
“Let’s stop here?”
At the place where some gaps between the trees in the forest, we stopped.
And decided to camp here.
The place where the sound of the waterfall echoed in your ears gently, and the distance where you could always grasp the location of the water. In short, a perfect place.
“Alright, maybe I should look for grass that could be used as a cushion…”
“You don’t have to do that, Seal. Leave it to me!”
Layla proudly said so.
Layla drew a magic circle with her finger in the sky. It was a magic circle of transference.
When she fought with me, it was about a fist size, but this time it was about the size of a human head.
“That’s the limit size?”
“Yeah. If I widen it any further, the transfer position will not be stable.”
“I see…”
Sonata looked at the magic circle of transference with interest.
“The transfer magic, is it? I’ve heard that there was one user of it in ancient times, but it’s really rare.”
Shura, who replaced Ash not long ago, sharpened her lips.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“This transfer gate leads to the storeroom of my house at <Motherpunk>. And there is something in the storeroom. “
Layla thrust her arm into the transfer gate and took out some sticks.
Then pulled out the green cloth.
I looked at the cloth and guessed what Layla was trying to do.
“A tent!”
“That’s right. It’s two tents. I’ll take them out of here. So, Let’s assemble together.”
“Well, well! It’s really a convenient magic. With this, we can even put items that are too much for a trip into the storeroom through it.”
“You can put heavy luggage in the storeroom from now on… Hmm! Not bad, white-haired girl”
Yeah, it’s really convenient.
“Is it okay to keep the magic circle of transference to the storeroom all the time?”
“Yeah! There is more mana to recover naturally than to consume if I’m to leave the transfer gate. If it’s just one, it’s nothing much.”
It doesn’t consume much mana? Isn’t it really good?
But, a tent huh. Well, it’s nice that insects and wind won’t disturb your sleep.
Hmm? wait a minute…
“Two tents, ah, of course, gender-separated…”
“I and President will sleep under the same roof! Let me sing a lullaby on this sleepless night!”
“Perhaps I should sleep outside…”
“Stop saying stupid things, and start helping me build the tent!”
After assembling the tent according to Layla’s instructions, set the fire and it was time for dinner.
The menu was grilled fish. There was a river passed through the forest, and Layla killed the river fish with a throwing knife. Then stabbed it on a skewer, and cooked it.
While eating the fish, as I started talking about the night scenery, Sonata put out a green incense stick to protect us from monsters. If the incense sticks burned, you wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked by monsters at night.
After eating dinner, we would have a rest in the middle of the night forest. I lay down in a one-pole tent with a book in my hand.
“… It’s so comfortable”
There were no noisy insects or the sound of the wind.
I flipped the cover of the book and looked for the most comfortable position to read.
Supine or sideways? Or prone on both elbows… The most comfortable position always changed depending on the day. It was hard to decide.
“President, are you awake?”
Sonata Campbell appeared by rolling up the cloth door of the tent.
“I guess I should sleep now”
“Ah, so you’re still awake? Why don’t we have a talk outside? “
“Too troublesome”
Sonata left for a while and appeared with a cup in both hands.
A fragrant scent drifted from the cup.
“I have coffee”
“…Say it earlier”
I closed the book and went out of the tent.
The sky was light blue. It was a night with a nice moonlight.
Sonata sat on the grass. I sat next to him at some distance and received the cup.
For the time being, a sip before talking about anything.
“――huff”
The coffee was a little sweet, probably because he was being considerate of me.
“I hate this kind of sweetness”
“Do you not like it sweet?”
“No, that’s not the case. I just don’t like half-baked sweetness like this. Coffee should be completely black or sweet with plenty of milk and sugar.”
“I see, I see…”
Sonata took out two vials from his coat pocket.
There were a lot of white beans on one side,
The other one contained blackish beans.
“What’s that?”
” “Coffee seeds” and “milk seeds”. Don’t you know?… Recently in Imperial City, this seed series is being developed for travelers. When this seed is dissolved in water, the seed melts, and the water will become coffee or milk… Take this.”
I took the white beans out of the vial that Sonata gave to me.
Put the seeds in the coffee. Then a white stain could be seen in the coffee, and slowly the color turned light brown.
“Wow, it’s amazing.”
“If you like the coffee to be rich in taste, add more seeds. Also yeah, I also have sugar cubes.”
“Give me four.”
My mouth touched the sugary coffee milk.
Yeah, good.
Delicious.
The taste of milk was firmly there.
“In a quiet house, I will drink coffee while shaking the “Rocking Chair”, but drinking it in this kind of situation is also good…”
“Yeah, it’s exceptional. Though mine is milk coffee.”
Placed the cup on my crossed knees and asked Sonata,
“So?… What do you to talk about?”
“You won’t believe me, but I have something to say.”
Sonata staring at the bottom of the cup,
“President, I will not betray you, no matter what.”
Unusual for Sonata’s remarks, the words were enthusiastic.
“Because you, are my hero”
“… You praise me up again. But a hero huh? I’m, not such a big deal.”
Put my mouth in the cup and sip the milk coffee. The tip of my tongue felt the rough texture of unmelted sugar. I gulped until empty, put the empty cup on the ground, and this time I asked a question.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Sure”
“Why are you chasing the Regenerators?”
Is it because they’re the enemy of humanity or because it’s the work of the Knights? Or ―― personal grudge?
It’s important to understand the flow of emotions that leads to the purpose.
I wanted to hear the reason because I wanted to know more about Sonata Campbell.
“There is no big reason”
“I see, then it must be, job as Knight? Well, it can’t be helped.”
“That’s ri～ght. But, there is another reason… You see, a Regenerator destroyed my hometown and killed my loved one. That’s about it.”
“… Two motives of 100 points makes it 200 points, it’s more than enough reason, right?”
A sudden sad past.
But, well, no one would want to fight such a thing without some good enough reason.
Regenerator…
“Isn’t it possible for anyone to seal all the Regenerators?”
“Yeah. Even your master couldn’t do it.”
Then, if I can seal all the Regenerators… I would be a full-fledged sealer, right?
Suddenly, when I moved my gaze to the left, Sonata, who read what was inside my heart, grinned.
“President, join my new u――”
“No way!”
Dangerous…
It was really dangerous.
This guy, if there is a chance, he’ll drag me to join the new unit.
I need to be careful.
” ――Get out! White-haired girl!”
An angry voice broke through the silence of the night.
It was Shura’s voice.
“What? What is it…”
“It smells like trouble”
Shura appeared from the women’s tent, followed by Layla. Shura looked angry and pointed to Layla and declared.
“Enough, I’m so pissed now!… Duel! Have a duel with me! Layla Freiheit!!!”
Sonata Campbell, who looked the same as usual, stood there.
“C-Captain Sonata Campbell!?”
Layla looked at Sonata with a respectful color in her eyes, saying “I can’t believe it…”.
Well, Layla wanted to be a Knight, so of course, she knew Sonata.
“Ah, you’re… Layla-chan! I’ve heard of your success at the Magic Academy. Even though you haven’t joined the army yet, there was a battle over you in the upper ranks of the Knights.”
“It’s the person who isn’t good at singing.”
“Ash-chan, please refrain from remembering that…”
Sonata picked up the bag and pointed his toes towards the valley.
“Are you also going to the valley?”
“Yep… Hey, President, are you not interested…”
Sonata held the hat in his hand and turned his eyes toward us.
“…in Barha Zetta’s last partner――Adolphos Eater-kun “
———————————
Adolphos Eater.
As expected, he was the last partner of the old man.
―― 『”That’s right… I think it’s the last partner I teamed up with and adventured with.”』
When I asked who was the strongest magician the old man had ever met, he replied so.
The Strongest Magician, is it―― There is no reason not to be interested.
“I’m going to see him now.”
According to Sonata, Adolphos Eater should be in a tower in the center of the valley, <Volketurm>. It seemed that he lived on the top floor. In other words, the hermit that Layla mentioned before, must be Adolphos.
“Want to follow me?”
“…”
Somehow, I felt like Sonata knew this.
This guy…. was he actually ambushing me? He’ll try to guide me and at the same time add me to the new unit, right?
… well, I can’t help but be suspicious. Just in case, I should be alert at all times.
“I’m going to take a majority vote now. Raise your hand if you want to see him~”
I and Layla raised hands, and Ash… did not.
“I’m interested. He’s the person who traveled with Grandpa after all.”
“I’m not interested. Such a tall tower, must be tiring to climb…”
<Volketurm>… a tower high enough to penetrate the clouds.
Certainly, it’ll be tiring to climb. Ash… I mean, Ash and Shura. They don’t really care enough about Aldophos to bother to climb.
“Adolphos traveled around the world with Barha. The amount of knowledge he has should be considerable. Maybe he knows some hints to break the curse? “
Ash raised her hand immediately.
“Looks like, it’s decided. Then, let’s go back to the valley! “
“I ended up acting with you as if it’s a matter of course…”
“Hmm? What is it, President? Why’re you a little sullen? Oh! Maybe…… Surrounded by beautiful girls, a harem adventure trip!… Did I ruin your dream?”
Sonata put his arm around my shoulders and whispered so.
“T-that’s… not true.”
“Isn’t it convincing to say it while your eyes swimming around, you know?”
“Actually, there are too many people of the opposite sex. So, to be honest, I’m relieved that you joined the party. “
“Is that so? That’s good. Let’s get along well.”
“Ah, if you want to leave, say it first.”
“…Ahaha, am I smell so suspicious?”
Ashura sisters.
Sonata.
Layla.
And then, I.
4 people (+1 person), with such a party, we went into the valley.
『”Who is the strongest magician you have ever seen?”』
It was just a question pure of curiosity that suddenly came to my mind during training the Sealing Technique.
The old man stopped reading the book.
『”Apart from me?”』
『”You are surprisingly confident …”』
The old man stroked his chin with “Hmm…”』
And after a few seconds, he opened his mouth.
『”There are various types of strength. The compatibility with the opponent also matters. There is no such thing as, the strongest.”』
『”Hah, you’re so boring. There must be a person who suddenly came to your mind, right? ――Ah, other than you.”』
The old man waited for a few seconds again,
『”That’s right… Speaking of which, I think it’s the last partner I teamed up and adventured with. He’s still rough, but if he keeps gaining experience, I’m sure he may eventually gain more power and be stronger than me in my heyday.”』
The old man didn’t stop there.
『”Wait―― If you include the potential, you could say there are two more candidates?”』
『”Who are you talking about?”』
The old man glanced at me and smiled.
『”It’s a secret”』
『”Huh?”』
The old man looked back at the book again.
『”Ah, speaking of which, I just remembered I hadn’t told him properly yet… I forgot to say it.”』
Probably the old man was talking about the companion he just mentioned.
『”What is it?”』
The old man slowly turned the page and told me the words he had forgotten to say to his last partner.
He said that word, the word that wasn’t directed at me,
And, for some reason, it had not left my mind.
——————————–
I, Shura, and Layla, left Motherpunk safely, and now walking on the grassy road.
We were heading for the Imperial City to find the one who trapped the old man, and also to find a clue to break the curse.
“Hey, why are you grinning, Seal-kun?”
“Huh? Did I grin?”
Layla who walking next to me, told me that, so I tried to touch my face to check it.
“Somehow, you look like a person who thinks everything in this world is happy.”
“Even you, Shura…”
Really? I didn’t really notice it at all.
“I understand, Seal-kun. When a man can travel with two cute girls, of course, he’ll get happy naturally. “
“Yes, yes, you can think whatever you want.”
“Then, what’s the truth? It’s creepy, so spit it honestly, now.”
“Wha-? Creepy…? Well, I just thought that the feeling I have right now is what they called a “journey”, and so I was kind of happy.”
The sunny sky and the grassy road.
Volcanoes and valleys in the distance.
A plain in the field of view.
What a good day to travel, to have a journey.
Without the eyes of others, I would’ve dived into the grass and rolled around by now.
When I visited a volcano, it was on a cloudy day, a different weather really could change your view of a place.
“Really, you’re such a kid!”
“… I don’t want to be told by you. Little girl.”
“Wha-?!”
“Come on, don’t quarrel. So, Seal-kun, which route we will take?”
The route Layla mentioned was referring to the volcano and valley that could be seen further away from us, or the roads between them.
We had to choose one of these three routes to get to the Imperial City.
“The valley. The level of monsters may be a little high, but there should be water sources there, so we won’t be troubled with water, and it seems to be the most comfortable in terms of temperature.”
“But, what if a dragon comes out?”
“That sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Defeating a dragon will be the real thrill of an adventure.”
“――I thought you were a more rational person…”
Layla sighed as if she was amazed.
Really, she couldn’t understand the romance of an adventure at all …
“Waaー! Don’t stick to me!”
Disturbed footsteps from behind.
Looking behind, Layla was entwining her right arm with Shura’s left arm.
“It’s okay, Shura-chan! We’re both girls!”
Layla moved her foot toward Shura.
Closer and closer.
A girl having fun with another girl. You could say, it was an eye candy. However, somehow it made me feel uncomfortable. It was around this time that the loose and fluffy atmosphere peculiar to girls got disturbed.
“Oh, wait, this is bad… it’s about time!”
“Kyaa!?”
Shura disappeared and Ash appeared.
Well, I thought it was about time.
Layla seemed to be unable to keep up with the mysterious phenomenon in front of her.
Well, it couldn’t be helped, everyone seeing it for the first time would be like that.
“T-the cute girl disappeared and another cute girl appeared! What does this mean, tell me, Seal-kun!?? “
Then, I explained to Layla. About the fact that whenever Shura was exposed to the sun for 30 minutes, she would then change place with her sister Ash, and when Ash was under the shadow for 30 minutes, she would change place with Shura. Also, about their purpose, which was to break this curse.
When Layla heard about the situation, she shed tears, perhaps because she had sympathy.
“Ash-chan …”
“Mmph!?”
Layla hugged Ash.
Ash’s nose and mouth were blocked by Layla’s chest, and her hands were fluttering.
“I-it’s hard to breathe…!”
“I’ll help you break the curse too! For sisters can’t stand side by side, I can’t let it goes forever…! “
Ash bent over from Layla’s restraint and escaped, hiding behind me.
“Layla, stop it there. Ash is scared, you know?”
“S-Sorry, Ash-chan… I’m sorry I can’t hold myself well…”
Ash turned away.
“A-ah, see, you’re completely disliked by her.”
“Ash-chan, who is in a bad mood, is also cute …”
“Oi, you won’t be able to shorten your distance with her for the rest of your life at this rate…”
Dozens of minutes walking.
The mountains surrounding the valley could finally be seen.
Rivers and waterfalls were flowing through the gaps in the mountains.
“Climbing the mountain is a hassle, we should along the river in between.”
“I’m curious about the view from the top of the mountain. Is the risk really that big? “
“Again, why you’re so unreaso…?!”
Layla, who was walking next to me, suddenly stopped, pointing at something.
“What is it?”
I looked in the direction of the tip of Layla’s finger.
There was a figure of someone in a tattered long coat and several men surrounding that person.
“They must be bandits… I heard that they sometimes appear around here.”
Layla extinguished the light from her eyes and formed a knife at hand.
“Layla, put the knife away.”
“Why? Don’t you want to help?”
“There’s no need for that”
The bandits were holding an ax or a sword, and slowly approaching the figure in a long coat.
A myriad of chains of flames spawned, binding the bandits. Shortly after screaming, all the thieves were unconscious. The chains broke when they finished their role.
“Amazing…”, whispered Layla and Ash.
From the point of view of the two who were familiar with magic, perhaps it looked different from me who was still an amateur…
I approached the figure and called out.
“What are you doing in a place like this? Mr. Bard”
“Well, well! We really meet so often, right～ President!”
TN: This is the start of Arc 3 and also the start of LN vol 3
Also, btw the 1st chapter of the manga came out 4 days ago. It’ll comes out every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month.
Author note : The event on this ch happened in the night before Seal’s group departed from Mother Punk
64. The Regenerator From A Legend
There were seven Regenerators in this world.
Those Regenerators were said to have been born at the beginning of the Rondo calendar (no official confirmation).
There were two main characteristics of a Regenerator,
One, never die. They had the ability to heal any wound immediately.
Two, they were angry with the human species. Their motivation might be different, but it was always related to the destruction of humanity.
The number of countries destroyed by the Regenerator was unknown. In the “White Calendar”, one of the five continents of the era was sunk by the power of the regenerator.
It was no exaggeration to say that the period between years 0 and 500 in the “Rondo Calendar” was the age of the Regenerator. Mankind was still bad at handling Mana, and the Regenerator gradually reduced the human population.
However, the era of regenerators ended with the first Sealer born in the 500th year of the Rondo Calendar.
Not only the Sealer, but also some other Technique users who could repel the Regenerator alone appeared one after another after the 500th year of the Rondo Calendar. The Regenerators, and those of demon race, called them
―― ”Natural Enemies”
In the last half century, there were 7 people called “Natural Enemies”. Two of them, Barha Zetta and Saurus Rosso, had died, leaving only five.
One of the remaining five, Adolphos Eater, was visiting a wetland.
“I finally found you, Regenerator”
The night when the full moon colored the sky.
Adolphos glared at a woman across the lake.
At first glance, the woman would look so beautiful that she could captivate men and women of all ages. She didn’t wear any piece of her clothes. She generously exposed her beauty.
“I’ve never thought you would accumulate mana in such a place…”
The woman slowly turned to Adolphos and appealed with her tearful eyes.
“No… don’t look at me with such scary eyes! I’m not like what you think.”
Being shown a bad performance, Adolphos sighed as if he was deeply disappointed.
“{Mud Emperor} “Anri Rou Elflare”. A legend said you could manipulate “mud”, which is considered to be the source of all things, very well to the point of sinking one of the continents into a mud.”
“…”
The woman―― {Mud Emperor} was exposed to Adolphos’s confident eyes and smiled.
“Fufufu… You knew that much and still dare to come in front of me, huh? Yeah, I’m the Legendary Regenerator. Not someone you could against. You know it, right? Boy with Dragon Wing.”
“Twenty years ago, you got sealed by Venerable Bar. Being able to revive only with the help of others, you don’t have the right to brag.”
“Haah?”
“The legend was over since then, and it won’t start again. Not today, not in the future.”
“You bark a lot…”
The woman’s skin melted and her whole body turned brown.
The Woman Illustration
Adolphos frowned at the scent of sewage on his nose.
“You are… not a Sealer.”
The {Mud Emperor} focused her eyes on the dragon wings that spread wide on the back of Adolphoss.
“You use the mana of creation to turn your body into a monster huh? I see, so you’re a Transformation Technique user, I presume?”
“Who knows.”
“If you’re not a sealer, you won’t be a threat …!”
The {Mud Emperor} raised her chin, looking down on Adolphoss.
Adolphos gently rubbed the sole of his shoe against the ground without changing his expression.
“…When I broke the egg, two yolks came out.”
“Haah?”
“When I fished, I caught a rare fish that I wouldn’t normally see. The book I’ve been looking for was found in an antique shop in a small village I visited by chance.”
“So what?”
“And you are now in front of me. Today, I’m very lucky… Today, I don’t have the misfortune that is my biggest weakness.”
Adolphos took his right foot one step further.
The {Mud Emperor} finally realized the amount of magical power hidden in Adolphos.
“――!!!!!?”
The {Mud Emperor} quickly broke her relaxed composure and in her head, she was preparing for a strategy. She thought she couldn’t win without a proper strategy.
T-this amount of mana…! No way. It’s more than me, a Regenerator――
“Be prepared. The lucky me, will definitely defeat you.”
The sound of the weight of one man stepping on the ground. Upon hearing the sound, the {Mud Emperor} exuded sweat from her whole body and took a long distance.
“Y-you’re just right for exercise!!”
A part of the body of the {Mud Emperor} popped.
The mud that overflowed from the body turned into a blade and approached Adolphos’s eyes.
” ”Vattle” “
Adolphos cast a spell, a whirlwind was created, shedding the mud.
“Huh? Is this all you’ve got? Very disappointing!”
The trees around Adolphos melted turning into mud and swirled around Adolphos.
――But soon the mud was wiped off by the wind. Adolphos looked up at the {Mud Emperor} with boring eyes and hands in his pocket.
“――Really. Is this all you’ve got? Very disappointing.”
“――?!This damn brat …! “
The {Mud Emperor} jumped into the lake next to Adolphos.
Then the water of the lake turned brown, and the whole area of the water turned into mud. A high wave of mud was then approaching Adolphos.
Adolphos flapped the dragon wings on his back and flew into the sky to avoid it.
While flying, he was dodging the following mud bullets.
The power to turn the touched object into the mud. In addition, the mud can be manipulated freely. If she managed to touch me, I’ll be out in one shot. Close combat is prohibited…
The landscape was changing to mud one after another.
The earth, the lake, and even the atmosphere were turned into mud.
Adolphos predicted that if this kept going on, the entire wetland would become a muddy land.
“So it’s not just a legend. I can’t leave her alone…!”
“I’ll make you muddy! Winged Boy!!”
The {Mud Emperor} made countless muddy giant hands and stretched them towards Adolphoss.
Adolphos landed on the ground once, then put his right hand on a land that was not yet muddy.
Used the Mana of Creation to spawn hundreds of towers of hard iron from the ground.
The iron tower blocked the muddy giant hands.
The vision was narrowed by the splashes of mud, so he relied on his nose instead of his eyes.
“Back, is it!?”
Adolphos sniffed a bad smell from his back, so he created an evasive posture…
“I’m really lucky today!”
But, when Adolphos turned around, his left arm was cut off by a mud sword that stretched away.
“Tch!”
“A type that is good at medium to long distances, is it? Means, you’re not good at short-range battles! Right, Boy!?”
Holding the mud sword, the {Mud Emperor} said in a confident voice.
“That’s right. Close range is certainly… well, let’s say, it may be something I’m not good at.”
Adolphos admitted lightly and grew a hard iron arm from his left shoulder.
“But, see? No blood… It was a prosthetic hand from the beginning.”
The {Mud Emperor} turned the ground into mud.
“So, what!?”
Adolphos sensed the danger and jumped into the sky. The {Mud Emperor} covered the sky with mud and prevented Adolphos from jumping high in the sky.
Adolphos had no choice but to fly low.
“Kyahahaha! By the way, close combat is mーy favorite!”
The {Mud Emperor} grew mud wings, and also flew in the sky. She was approaching Adolphos.
The mud thorns that grew from the ground aimed at Adolphos from below, and the mud that covered the sky also generated mud thorns, approaching Adolphos from overhead.
And, the {Mud Emperor} aimed at Adolphos from the front with a mud sword.
“Come here and take my gift, boy!… What happened to you!? I won’t let you take any more distance!!!”
“――!”
Top, bottom, front. Simultaneous attacks from three directions.
Adolphos moved his eyes up and down while avoiding the mud sword that shorten the distance.
“You can’t handle this much mud with just a mere whirlwind!”
The ground on the other side turns into mud, and it kept rising up, closing the escape route.
Lost his escape and was being cornered…
“――As expected, Humans are insignificant!!”
――Desperation should be in his mind.
But, in a situation where up, down, front and back were blocked,
Adolphos was just seeing at the {Mud Emperor} with a looking-down gaze.
“Don’t make light of humans, you damn Regenerator…! Also, your good points are not always better than my weak points.”
Adolphos emitted Blue Mana from the whole body.
The {Mud Emperor}, the mud ceiling, the earth, and the area around Adolphos were all wrapped in Blue Mana.
The Blue Mana then spun, creating a torrent――
“What!?”
” ――”Ruten”!!”
The Blue Mana swirled like a storm and blew away all the mud around Adolphos.
The approaching mud thorns, the mud ceiling that was blocking the sky, and the mud sword, all of which were swallowed by the Blue Mana, were destroyed.
“No way!?”
The Mud Emperor literally becomes naked, loses the wings of the mud, and floats in the sky unprotected.
With the mud ceiling gone, Adolphos flew toward the {Mud Emperor} with a rusty sword.
“Wai ――!!”
” “Mud Destroyer” “
Adolphos turned the rusty sword into a red sword, pierced the {Mud Emperor}’s belly, and slammed her to the ground.
Red blood flowing from the belly of the {Mud Emperor}.
Seeing blood flowing from her belly, confusion came out on her face.
“W-Why…? Why I can’t parry the attack!?”
“The name of the sword is <Claiomh Solais>. It’s a sword that can capture the substance of a demon and block the use of mana. Still, it can’t prevent the regeneration…” [TN: just some info, Claíomh Solais is said to be the sword of light in many Irish and Scottish folktales]
Adolphos raised his right foot and stomped the ground.
A rigid iron kiln grew from the ground. Adolphos grabbed the {Mud Emperor}’s arm with his sword stuck in the belly and threw her into the kiln.
“Guh!?”
The {Mud Emperor} hit her head against the bottom of a hard iron kiln.
“It’s useless! Eve, if you trapped me in a place like this, I…”
As the {Mud Emperor} looked up at the sky, a lump of flame was thrown into the kiln.
“No――Don’t joke with meeearrgh!!”
The body of the {Mud Emperor} bathed in flames and burned.
Adolphos gave the kiln a whirlwind protection so that the hard iron kiln wouldn’t melt in the flames.
“Gyaa――AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!?”
Finally, Adolphos covered the kiln with a rigid iron lid with air holes, and further sealed the kiln with a chain of rigid iron.
A rigid iron altar was built around the kiln, and a wind barrier was wrapped around the altar.
“…Die for the rest of your life.”
Adolphos turned his back on the kiln and began to walk away.
This area is a no-man’s land with no towns or villages nearby. There should be no problem even if she manages to escape and rampage… After reducing her mana to the lowest point, let’s move it to a place that is easy to monitor…
Adolphos suddenly stopped and looked up at the moon.
――『”If you’re not a sealer, you won’t be a threat.”』
Recalling the words of the {Mud Emperor}, Adolphos looked down.
“That’s right.”
That’s right. As that muddy woman said. I can’t seal a Regenerator completely. As I keep maintaining the sealed kiln, my mana is constantly consumed… It’s impossible to make 6 more and maintain all of them.
First, if Adolphos himself died, this simple seal would break very fast. It was impossible to contain the subject forever.
Adolphos looked down and remembered one of his benefactors.
“How to stop them completely without a Sealer? Teach me. Venerable Bar…… “
Muttering so, Adolphos flew away.
———————————————
After Adolphos flew away, a man appeared in the wetland.
“Oi oi, doing such a terrible thing to a woman, he really isn’t a gentleman.”
It was a white-haired old man with a weapon called a “pistol” on his waist.
Barha Zetta’s younger brother, the {Gun Emperor}, a <MAJIN> who confronted Seal Zetta on <Seadust Island>.
“But, well… so that man was Adolphos, huh? I’ve heard rumors about him, but yeah, I don’t want to fight him…”
The {Gun Emperor} approached the kiln where the {Mud Emperor} was sealed with a grinning face, and pointed the muzzle at the kiln from outside the wind barrier.
“Hihihi! Please be a catalyst for “his” growth. Do your best, Lady Regenerator…”
At the middle of night, the popping sound of gunpowder echoed in the wetland.
Outside the mother punk, I and Shura lined up in the field.
Pearl and Akane-san, Dia and Garratt came to see off.
I turned my head and looked for a girl with white hair.
“She…isn’t here?”
There was no figure of Layla.
In the end, did showing her the letter, a good choice?
I don’t know the contents of the letter. It would be nice if she could recover her spirit after seeing the old man’s letter… At this point, I’ve no choice but to believe in the old man.
“Seal-kun, Shura-chan”
Akane-san smiled gently and gently put her hand on my and Shura’s heads.
“If it gets hard, you can always come and visit us.”
Uh… what a lovely mother.
Please stop… You’re making it hard…
“Yes. It was a short time, but I’d been in your care. Thank you.”
“W-well, if I feel like it, I’ll come and visit you!”
It seemed that Shura was shy.
“Fufu, I’m looking forward to it. “
Next to Akane-san, Pearl folded his arms and laughed as usual, “GhaHaHa!”
“I will go to the Imperial City after I get rid of the work that has accumulated in <Mother Punk>!”
“You don’t have to. I mean, Don’t leave Akane-san alone here.”
“Ara ara, Seal-kun will be a good husband! “
Akane-san squinted and looked at Pearl.
Pearl looked apologetically, “Yeah.”
Then, two small shadows appeared in front of me.
Dia and Garratt.
“If there is something wrong with <Engetsu>, bring it here and I’ll fix it.”
“A’ight”
“If you want to pet this I, Garratt, come back anytime!”
When I slid my point of view to the right, Shura was glancing at Garratt and turned her cheeks red.
“If you want to touch, you should touch.”
“Uhh… then, just a little”
Shura attacked Garratt with a big hug. Garratt received it with a scream, “Urgh!?”
After the farewell greetings, we set out on our journey.
“Alright, time to go.”
It was when I was about to turn my back on <Mother Punk>.
“WAIT!!”
A girl’s voice stopped us.
I looked back and looked at the source of the voice. I couldn’t help but make my eyes round.
“You――”
“She is…”
The owner of the voice was a girl with white hair.
She was dressed in pure white clothes. Definitely, she was Layla Frieheit.
However, the hair had been cut to about the shoulders. Her long hair that stretched to her waist wasn’t there.
With a flower-shaped hair ornament on the head,
She also had a bag on her shoulder.
“What happened? Your hair is…”
“Hmm? There’s no deep reason. I just cut it because it was in the way. You think, it doesn’t look good?”
――It’s a foul to ask that while glancing up like that. At least for me.
“No, no… it looks good on you. Rather, it’s my favorite length.”
“Really? Ehehe… thanks.”
Layla looked relieved while playing with her short hair with her index finger as if she got shy.
“Why are you getting embarrassed. Ewww, stop, it makes me feel sick!”
“Why are you getting frustrated?”
Shura looked at the bag on Layla’s shoulder and pointed her finger.
“Hey, where are you going with your luggage?”
“Oh, right. First of all, I have something to tell you… “
Layla walked over to us and looked back.
“Let me follow your journey, too. Seal-kun. I also want to go to the Imperial City. I want to go there and clear my grandpa’s name.”
“Hah?”
“What!?”
“Is it… a no?”
“Nope!”
“Welcome”
“Hey!”
Shura looked up at me and glared.
“What? There should be no problem in terms of strength, right?”
“Ugh, that’s right but…”
“If you’re heading to the old man’s house, it’s better to have this girl. Am I wrong?”
“Mmmー…”
Even if I don’t take her, this girl will move alone. If so, it’s easier to keep her within reach. I can’t let this girl die after all.
Besides, this girl’s ability goes well with me. I’m sure there is no loss in moving together.
“I’ll be in your care, Shura-chan! Hmm～! You’re so cute after all…”
“Hmmph! Just don’t be too much of a burden!”
Two footsteps approaching Layla.
Pearl and Akane-san were staring at Layla with lonely faces.
“Miss Layla…”
“Thank you very much, Pearl-san. Akane-san too, thank you…”
“Layla-chan. It looks like you’re okay now.”
“Yes……”
Layla bowed to the couple with a few tears.
When Layla raised her head, I opened my mouth.
“Layla”
“What is it, Seal-kun?”
Raised my index finger and pointed to the cherry blossom-colored hair ornament on Layla’s head.
“That hair accessory, looks good on you. I really like it. It seems you’ve got a good sense.”
It was a beautiful cherry blossom color.
A color that would calm you down, just by looking at it.
” ――!? Um, mmm… Thank, you.”
Layla looked down and briskly passed me.
…Hmm? Did I make a mistake? I honestly praised her though…
“Hey, Seal-kun”
Layla raised her face and looked into my eyes.
“Can I, take back my previous statement?”
The smile was as radiant as the cherry blossoms that color the city. It was beautiful and bright without any cloudiness.
“After all, you look a lot like the person I like the most…”
The Everlasting Spring Town, <Mother Punk>
It seemed that I finally got the chance to see Layla Freiheit’s honest smile in this place where the cherry blossoms were scattered.
“Is that so? Well, what an honor.”
And so, Layla joined the group, and we left <Mother Punk>.
“Then, let’s go! Next is the Imperial City <Avalantia>! “
In this way, a new page of the story began.
I, Shura, and Layla set foot at the same time toward the plain, where volcanoes and valleys were awaiting.
TN: So this is the end of arc 2. I managed to finish this arc before the manga release tomorrow.
Just some info, in the LN, Seal ordered the weapon before the battle with Layla, but that’s all, the flow of the story in overall still the same. This ch is the end of LN vol 2.
“Because I’ve decided to hit him once…! I mean, this B*stard, leave us on a deserted island! “
“Well, I’d something urgent to do! Really! We just met again after a while and you’re being so mean already… “
Sonata fixed the chair while rubbing his cheeks.
This guy, he’s a Knight Captain but he’s relatively light… even though he used such a great magic on <Seadust Island>. Is it the same as Ash, who can use Green Mana but not so much Red Mana?
“――Was you in the middle of an important talk? Sorry for disturbing you. Then.”
“Ah, wait, wait. Seal, you should listen too.”
“…?”
Sonata sat back in his chair and looked up at me with his black eyes.
“President, You remember that {Corpse Emperor}, right? “
Tch, it’ll be a long story huh.
Anyway, I didn’t sit in a chair, and just left my back on the wall outside the aisle.
“Of course. Such a dangerous monster is hard to forget.”
Seriously, I don’t want to remember if I can.
“That {Corpse Emperos} is the problem now.”
“Twenty-two cities of the Emperor, in one of them, The ancient city <Tiachren> was attacked by him, half of it is now in ruin.”
“What!?”
I couldn’t help but bit my lips.
At that time, if only I didn’t let the {Corpse Emperor} escape from that island…!
“It’s not something you should care too much about. All of it is our, the Knight’s responsibility.”
“I’m fully aware of it. Nothing would have happened if you hadn’t let the {Corpse Emperor} escape in the first place.”
“Ahaha～, you’re so unforgiving huh.”
“So, were you talking about what to do with the corpse?”
“It’s a little different. Like the {Corpse Emperor}, the problem now is those regenerators themselves. “
“Regenerator… Is it an immortal and self-regenerating monster?”
I don’t know much about it…
“Does President know how many regenerators there are in the world?”
“Hmm…”
100…? No, that’s too many.
“3…”
“Oh!”
Sonata made a surprising look.
“Did I get it right?”
“Well, it’s completely wrong. The correct answer is 7!”
“Then don’t give me a misleading reaction!”
But, 7 huh?
It seems that it’s a lot and but also not at the same time… Well, I guess it’s within the acceptable range? To be honest I’m glad it’s not 100.
“Four of them were sealed by your master… Barha-san and his disciple, Saurus, and entrusted to the Imperial Knights. Among 4 of them, you faced one. That man, the {Corpse Emperor}.”
“The {Corpse Emperor} is out there, so now you only have three of them?”
“That’s right. But, the other Regenerators that were actually kept in different places were stolen. That’s the urgent thing I wrote in the letter.”
“Wait, all the Regenerators are always left alone? Hey… for now, the Knights = incompetence guys. That’s my image of you all. Unbelievable.”
“HaHaHa! Yeah! I can’t argue!”
“It’s not a joke… But well, even if they’re not stolen anyway when the old man died, the seal should have been broken and those Regenerators would have escaped, right?”
“No, your master wasn’t that sweet. Even if he died, he was taking measures to prevent the seal from being broken. Well, that measure was also solved by the one who stole them.”
“Even though the seal is persistent, if the Sealer died, the security of the seal will be weakened. Now, even if you aren’t a sealer, if you are an advanced magician, you can break the seal made by Venerable Bar.”
“Sealer Saurus Rosso and Barha Zetta. The release of the Regenerator is a sign of their death. With the release of the Regenerator, information on the death of the sealer will be transmitted to the world. The rampage of the (Corpse Emperor) will also accelerate the spread of information. When the other Regenerators “mistaken” it as the sealer has completely gone from this world, it’s only a matter of time before they go on a rampage.”
“Therefore, we decided to form a new corps to capture those Regenerators, led by Sonata-dono! It was what we were talking about earlier.”
I don’t know what would happen to this world if those who had the same ridiculous ability as the {Corpse Emperor} do whatever they wanted. So yeah, it’s only natural to take measures.
“I want to have as few members as possible, and so I’m trying to collect only the elite. This・is・the・real・topic! This me! I want to add two people to the squad!”
“They are in this <Mother Punk>… or somewhere near <Mother Punk>, is that what you mean?”
“You’re right! So, who do you think? President.”
“Say quickly…”
“You’re no fun… Alright, let’s announce it now! The first is Adolphos Eater! He has the power of the {Dragon} which is the ruler of the sky, the power of {Slime} to parry physical attacks, the power of {Sylph} which could control whirlwinds, and the power of {Metal Conductor} which could control iron. He has the power of four kinds of monsters, so you can say he won’t lose to a Regenartor in terms of ability and Mana. A brilliant man with great skill!”
“That guy?”
Adolphos… He helped me at <Mt.Grueri>.
Being in a volcano probably means he’s living near here. Still, As I felt when I met him, he’s really an amazing guy.
“Adolphos, he’s been on a journey to seal the Regenerators for three years with that Barha-san, and he has captured two Regenerators. Of course, he had seen and even fought with those Regenerators. In short, you can say he’s a specialist for this.”
“Traveling with the old man…?”
“There are a few people who have traveled with Venerable Bar, But he is the only person who was with him for over a year! Even I couldn’t last more than three months following Venerable Bar!”
“Eh!? So, maybe, Adolphos is stronger than you?”
“Of course!”
T-there’s someone stronger than him huh… I thought Pearl was the strongest.
“Then the second person! The second person is a person who knows President well! So, who do you think? Who do you think!??”
“So annoying… it’s me, right?”
“T-that’s correct… it’s good that you understand.”
“If you want to catch the Regenerator, it’s natural to want a Sealer.”
“Yeah, since you understand it, this will be quick! Seal Zetta, by all means, be my subordinates– “
“Absolutely, no.”
Sonata dropped his shoulders and shouted, “Why!?”
“Aside from the Regenerator, I don’t want to belong to any organization. Moreover, the Knights, there is a certain amount of my personality that won’t fit.”
Above all, I really hate the idea of becoming this guy’s subordinate.
“Even without the Sealing Technique, you do have some measures for those Regenerators, right?”
“Yeah. But compared to the Sealing Technique, all of them are flawed.”
Sonata smiled suspiciously, muttered “I can’t help it then” and raised his face.
“Is that all? Then excuse me.”
“President, what’s your plan from now on?”
“Go to the Imperial City in search of the bastard who despised the old man. I can’t leave the old man as a criminal. Also, my companion has something to do with the old man’s house, so I’ve to accompany her.”
Whatever it is, next will be the Imperial City.
A place where you can find all kinds of information in the center of this continent.
Anyway, I’m curious about the cityscape of the city.
“I see, the Imperial City, is it? Seal, do you know Niamh? “
“Niamh? I feel like I heard that name somewhere… Oh!”
――『”…I’ll just say it straightforwardly. Please teach me Sealing Technique.”』
A female knight with her navel exposed who visited the old man in the prison at <Distall>
Yeah, her name was Niamh.
“I know. What about that person?”
“Ah, Captain Niamh? She’s a little grumpy, though… that’s her cute point.”
“Captain!? That woman is also a Knight Captain?”
“That’s riーght”
“She must be in the Imperial City. Alright, Seal, never use any Sealing Technique in front of her. I can’t predict how she’ll react. If you’re not a good talker… you’ll be slashed for sure.”
Sweat was on Pearl’s forehead.
Yep, it’s a serious advice.
Niamh… she was desperate for Sealing Technique.
If she knows that such a rat like me has learned the Sealing Technique… yeah, I can’t predict what kind of action she’ll take.
“OK, I’ll keep it in mind.”
BAM!!
The sound of the door opening.
Shura burst into the living room with a sleepy face while rubbing her eyes.
“So noisy. What are you talkin――”
“Hey! It’s been a long time, Vice President… why are you holding your fist too!?”
“――How dare you left me on the island!”
Shura enveloped her fist with Red Mana and approached Sonata.
I lifted my back from the wall and grabbed Shura’s shoulders to stop her.
“I’ve already hit him once, so please forgive him. It seems like there was really an urgent matter.”
“Because of this guy, we were drowning in the sea! I have to hit once too to get rid of my anger!”
“…It’s your own fault in that regard.”
Remember? I didn’t agree with that raft operation.
“Anyway, get ready quickly. I’m leaving before noon.”
“Mmmm! It can’t be helped then…!”
Shura returned to the room unsatisfied.
“Then, Mr. Bard. Do your best, in your journey to seal the Regenerators.”
“Yeah! Thank you for your support! Then, “See you again” President!”
I left the living room and prepared my luggage.
After waiting for Shura’s preparation, I and Shura left Pearl’s house.
And so, we finally went outside the <Mother Punk>.
