"Hmm... Guess it's still not good enough."
I floated above the castle with [Fly] and amplified my [Search] spell with my
divinity, but I still couldn't search the entire world. That was because [Search]
worked by stretching out my magic power and resonating it with the magic
already present in the atmosphere, allowing me to look anywhere that wasn't
protected by magical wards or other such preventative measures.
However, since I was utilizing my divine power to use [Search] this time, I had
to spread out my own divinity to create the required surface area. But as it
stood, I didn't have enough divinity to cover the entire world. As my divinity
increased, I'd eventually be able to do it...but I couldn't just yet.
Yakumo had told me that the wicked devout were spreading some kind of
drug that either destroyed or mutated people, and that they were probably
planning something big. Plus, to make matters worse, the drug was apparently
formed from the remains of the mutants I'd fought.
I thought I'd eliminated all of the mutants during the clean-up after the final
fight with the wicked god, but apparently, I'd missed some... Or perhaps some
had just been hidden from me. It was possible to use wards to hide from my
detection abilities, after all. That was why I'd decided to use [Search] to try to
track these wicked devout people down, but it hadn't worked. I couldn't even
locate the Ark they'd stolen from us, let alone the people themselves. Part of
me wondered if it was being kept in the space between worlds, like where the
Phrase hid during my battle against them. It was annoying that they were
sneaking around the world in this way. I wished they'd just attack me head-on.
They probably knew I'd crush them if they did that, though.
As I was pondering the matter, I looked down and saw a ferocious clash taking
place. Yakumo was wielding a wooden sword in the training field. Her foe was
none other than her mother, Yae. It was a mother-daughter showdown, just like
when Frei fought Hilde. Linze had also fought Linne, come to think of it... Both
Lu and Arcia had fought as well...in the kitchen, anyway. I wondered if mothers
competing against their daughters was just a normal thing in our family.
"Kokonoe Secret Style: Lightning Flash!"
"Kokonoe Secret Style: Dragonfang Disaster!"
Their weapons swung at intense speeds. Even though they were using
wooden training swords, I'd reinforced them enough to withstand the
monstrous strength that members of my family possessed.
...Why do those swords look sharper than usual? Just how many times have
these two fought?
I apprehensively headed down to the training field. There was quite a crowd
gathered around it to watch the clash. Not just knights, but maids and civil staff
as well. And among them, I recognized a familiar face.
"Oh, Jutaro? You're here?"
"Ah, Touya-dono... Er, no. Grand Duke Brunhild. A pleasure to see you."
The stern-eyed man who was so attentively watching the clash was none
other than Jutaro, Yae's brother and Yakumo's uncle. He was staying in Brunhild
as a guest of our castle to be specially trained in the art of combat. His fiancée,
Ayane, was here as well, of course. Sometimes he'd train with the knights, but
at other times he had personal training sessions with Moroha.
I'd already told Yae's parents and Jutaro about Yakumo. They were surprised
at first, but ended up accepting the news faster than I'd expected.
"What do you think of them?"
"What do I think? Well...it's quite hard to put into words. It feels as though
Yae has overtaken me, and even her daughter has as well... It makes me
question my own strength," Jutaro answered, his shoulders drooping slightly.
Honestly, I felt he was being a bit too hard on himself. He was already a very
strong man. After training with Moroha, he became even more skilled, so there
wasn't a single knight in my order that could beat him in a sparring session. I
didn't think it'd be an exaggeration to say he was among the best warriors in all
of Eashen. That said, he'd probably never be able to reach the inhuman peaks
Yae and Hilde had reached, so I could understand his feelings.
"Kokonoe Secret Style: Prodigal Wind!"
"Kokonoe Secret Style: Flying Swallow Rend!"
Their swords clashed once more. Yae attacked from below, sending Yakumo's
sword flying into the air and completely disarming the girl.
"Match over! Yae wins!" Moroha, who was playing the part of a referee,
called the end of it. Shortly thereafter, the crowd erupted into applause.
"Hmm... You seem to be well-trained, you do."
"Ugh... I can't believe I'm no match for you even when you're younger..."
"I know the feeling, sis..." Frei muttered, understanding of Yakumo's plight.
Your mothers are already at the level of servile gods, especially with those
wedding rings they have on. It's not reasonable to expect to be able to defeat
them, kids! Hell, the fact that you guys can even face them head-on is
something to be proud of, I think.
"My turn next. Are you ready, Yakumo?"
"O-Oh, yes. D-Don't go too hard..."
Hilde, her own wooden sword in hand, stood up to face Yakumo. The fight
between the girl and Yae must have really riled her up. She looked raring to go.
Hmm... After the fight with Hilde, she has to face the true boss character,
Moroha. Sorry, Yakumo... Your dad can't get you out of this one.
At the very least, I'd be able to use [Refresh] on her afterward. No doubt
she'd definitely need it.
Do your best, kid... I'm rooting for you!
◇ ◇ ◇
"Ugh... I'm so tired..." Yakumo wailed. She was exhausted after the fight, so it
was a small mercy to have the opportunity to plop down in the Parent Café. The
group she was with was large enough that they had to push two tables
together. In total, there were eight of them, and they were all sisters aside from
Allis.
Yakumo, who was the eldest and usually maintained a dignified presence, was
showing them a very undignified side of herself.
Quun seemed to find this especially amusing, so she teased her by saying,
"Looks like you're quite popular, dear sister."
"I never asked for this..."
After Yakumo's fight with Moroha had ended, she'd been approached by so
many knights who wanted to duel her that she ended up fighting the entire
order at once in a big, flashy final bout.
"Consider it punishment for your wanton traveling, hm? Maybe you'll learn
something."
"I've learned plenty already..." Yakumo grumbled, biting back at Arcia's snide
comment. She'd already been lectured enough by her mother.
"Hey, hey! Yakumo! Did you fight those wicked devout people?!"
"Yeah! Did you win?!"
Allis and Linne suddenly switched the topic to something more pressing.
Yakumo smiled softly as she brought a glass of water to her lips. She then set
it down and sighed quietly before replying, "I fought two of them. A man in a
strange helmet with a blue hatchet and a woman in an iron mask with an
orange mace. The one in the helmet escaped during my fight with him, and I
escaped from the woman in the mask during my fight with her."
"You escaped?"
"I had a companion with me, so I had no other choice. Otherwise, I would
have made a stand. He called himself the professor, had a lot of Gollems, and
—"
"Th-The professor?! Y-Y-Yakumo?! You met the professor of all people?!"
Quun practically leaped out of her chair, raising enough of a ruckus to turn the
heads of some nearby diners.
"Hm? Didn't you know? I thought he went to see Elluka..."
"He did?! I-I have to go!" Quun exclaimed, then immediately dashed out of
the door and left the café.
Yoshino shook her head, apparently disappointed that one of their sisters was
so eager to flee their lunch.
"We haven't even gotten our orders yet..."
"That's fine. I'll eat Quun's share," Frei responded quickly, grinning wide due
to her good fortune. Apparently, she had no issue with her sister ditching them.
"...So, what can you tell us about the wicked devout?"
With Quun's outburst over, Yoshino veered their conversation back on topic.
"I didn't really fight either of them properly, but I think any of us are strong
enough to defeat them. Our mothers would destroy them. They seem to
possess unique powers, however. The masked woman had an ability not unlike
yours, Linne."
"Like mine?" Linne asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"She had something similar to [Gravity] imbued in her weapon. Maybe the
helmeted man's ability to teleport things is his own specialty as well. Their
hatchet and mace were suspicious enough on their own, actually. I could sense
a strong portion of the wicked god's power inside them."
"Oh, that reminds me. The wicked devout member that stole the Ark had a
strange red rapier as well..." Yakumo's words reminded Arcia of that little
detail. She hadn't got a chance to see it clearly, but it was enough of a similarity
to point out.
"Then they could be some manner of sacred treasures imbued with divinity?
Wicked treasures, perhaps?" Frei mumbled to herself as the waitress finally
showed up with a serving tray full of desserts.
"Sorry for the wait there, kids! Here's your fruit parfait and your Mont Blanc."
"Yay!"
The fruit parfait was placed down in front of Linne, while Arcia took the Mont
Blanc. Then, the waitress began serving the rest. Frei had a mille-feuille, along
with a tasty-looking roll cake. The roll cake had been Quun's order, but it wasn't
hers anymore.
"I'm just glad we've all made it here without an issue so far."
"You might've made it back easily enough thanks to your teleporting,
Yoshino...but Elna and I lost our phones in a river the moment we showed up..."
Yoshino casually chomped at her shortcake as she spoke, much to Linne's
chagrin. Yakumo and Yoshino could warp across long distances, Quun happened
to materialize not far from Brunhild, and Arcia was able to make use of
Distortion Blau to arrive faster. The others, however, each had a rougher time
as far as actually making it home went.
Frei had ended up materializing on the faraway island of Helgaia, but she'd
managed to use her phone to make contact pretty easily.
"Hmm... Kuon and Steph still aren't here, are they? Do you think they
might've run into some trouble? Lost their phones like we did, maybe?" Elna
mused quietly as she poked at her strawberry tart. Kuon was a pragmatic boy,
so there had to be some reason why he hadn't simply called right away.
Frei laughed quietly as she started to polish off her cake, then replied, "He
usually has a level head, but our Kuon might be out of his depth this time."
"No way! He's got a really level head! That's what I love about him!"
"Hah. There you go again with your Kuonmania, Allis..." Linne mumbled,
shaking her head in disbelief. Kuon and Allis had been just about inseparable
since they were babies, probably because they were around the same age.
Nobody knew exactly when Allis had started to develop her crush on Kuon, not
even the sisters at the table. However, one could probably consider it a natural
result. After all, Kuon was the only boy Allis's age who was capable of matching
pace with her. And as far as the sisters knew, Kuon cared about her as
well...though he wasn't nearly as open about his feelings as she was about hers.
"You really like Kuon, don't you?"
"Of course! He's strong, and cool, and gentle!" Allis replied, smiling innocently
in the face of Elna's question. Her upfront manner was enough to make the
sisters chuckle nervously, but it was the kind of thing that would make poor
Ende grind his teeth in worry if he'd heard it.
Kuon and Allis were both on great terms with the other's parents, so the only
one who was a stick-in-the-mud about it was Ende. Really, the two could've
been engaged to be married then and there, but Touya had a firm policy of
allowing betrothals only when the kids came of age, and on the kids' own
terms, so it hadn't reached that point on an official level yet.
Of course, that line of thinking wasn't solely for the sake of his children. Touya
had very much not wanted his children to have politically motivated fiancés at a
young age, so it was more for his own sanity than anything else. That was why
none of Touya's children were engaged, even though they were all royal
princesses.
There were various individuals from other nations who had made formal
inquiries for possible betrothal arrangements, but Touya had denied them all
outright. None of the sisters really had any particular interest in relationships
yet, so all of them were fine with it.
That digression aside, the girls were still pondering the fates of the remaining
two siblings.
"Do you think Kuon and Steph both lost their phones, then?"
"I could definitely imagine Steph doing it... She lost her phone more than a
few times back in our time, didn't she?" Arcia said, letting out a sigh as she took
a sip of her tea. Their youngest sister, Stephania, was at best naive and at worst
catastrophically dense. Whenever she had an idea, she'd usually just charge in
without thinking at all.
Arcia reasoned that Steph had no reason to fear anything because of how
ironclad her defenses were thanks to her [Prison] ability. There was nothing
that could harm her when she activated it, after all. Any little girl who perceived
herself as physically invincible would end up charging headlong into trouble all
the time, unfortunately.
Linne turned to Arcia, who seemed to have the best understanding of Steph's
character, and asked, "Who do you think will show up next, then? Steph or
Kuon?"
"If Steph's further away, then it'll have to be Kuon. He'll definitely have
started heading straight for us, but..."
"He usually has a level head, but our Kuon might be out of his depth this
time," Frei repeated herself as if to end Arcia's sentence.
Nobody disagreed with that assessment. Sure, Kuon was a certified genius,
but he was also a bit inexperienced in the ways of the world. Thus, he regularly
found himself getting into trouble without meaning to, much like his father.
"I hope he hasn't run into trouble..." Yoshino mumbled to herself, hoping for
the best. Everyone at the table prayed for the same thing.
◇ ◇ ◇
"This is trouble..." Kuon mumbled. He found himself stranded on a country
road on the way to Gallaria, the capital city of the Regulus Empire.
There was a mountain of corpses strewn all around him. Goblins, hobgoblins,
goblin archers, goblin mages, goblin soldiers, goblin rangers, goblin generals,
goblin lords, and even a goblin king...had all fallen due to his might.
Why had so many goblins been there to begin with? That was a rather poorly
timed stampede. The carriage Kuon had been riding in ended up getting caught
up in said stampede.
The goblins chased after them at full speed, and in the confusion of it
all...someone had pushed Kuon off the carriage. The boy had been completely
stunned. He'd felt the hand on his back, and then he was on the ground as the
carriage sped away.
The man who'd done it was someone who'd been annoying Kuon the entire
trip. He'd been complaining and grumbling for the majority of the ride. He'd
clearly pushed Kuon off the cart in a panic, to stall the pursuing goblins.
The idea was probably to offer up a sacrifice, and the easiest target would've
been the child who was traveling on his own. The man was the kind of coward
who'd consistently pick on the person he viewed as weakest.
Kuon had only a few moments to get his bearings straight as he fell to the
ground, but he quickly hopped to his feet and cast one of his father's signature
spells.
"[Slip]!"
"Gwaaakgh?!" a goblin bellowed in confusion before tumbling head over
heels. Kuon rushed in, grabbed the rusted sword that the goblin dropped, and
promptly killed it before turning to face the others.
"Graaakh!" a goblin soldier roared as it swung its weapon toward Kuon.
"Whoops!"
Luckily, the boy promptly ducked, his eye glowing an orange-gold hue all the
while. That was the power of precognition. It was one of Kuon's seven mystic
eyes; namely, the one that allowed him to predict his enemy's movements. It
worked similarly to his mother's ability of foresight, but it only activated in very
short bursts. That still made it an effective tool for avoiding enemy attacks,
however.
Kuon set about dodging attacks, stealing weapons, and using said weapons to
slaughter the incoming goblin horde. After ten minutes or so, he was the only
one left standing.
When Kuon was thrown off the carriage, he'd lost the bow and arrow that
he'd brought with him. Fortunately, he had everything else he owned in the
backpack he was wearing. Thus, the only question that remained was how to
proceed.
"Should I walk from here?" Kuon muttered, pondering the matter.
He waited there for about two hours, but there were no signs of his original
carriage or any new ones. He had little choice but to set out on his own. He just
had to hope that the man who'd shoved him off the cart would be charged by
the relevant authorities at the end of his trip.
"They probably think I'm dead..."
There was a town that wasn't too far away, but in light of the stampede, it
would've either been evacuated or fortified, so there was no point
investigating.
The boy heaved a small sigh and took out a map from his pocket. He'd bought
the simple cloth map from a store before he'd gotten on the carriage. Kuon's
father, Touya, had mapped out several regions using his phone. He'd then sold
the cartographic information to various nations, creating even more intricate
maps for public consumption. They weren't cheap, but they were useful in
times like this, especially since he'd lost his smartphone.
"Hmm... I departed from Betan, and we would've passed through Lybub
soon...so if I cut through this forest here, I should reach Gallaria shortly. At
worst, I'll arrive at a town closer to it."
Kuon looked at his map, then looked at the dense woodland to his left. It
would be faster for him to cut through the woods than to follow the road. The
map showed a pretty dense area, but the boy didn't mind a challenge. Sure,
there could've been monsters or beasts in there, but those wouldn't pose much
of a threat to him.
Kuon began to search through the pile of dead goblins for a suitable weapon.
The one wielded by the goblin king appeared cleanest, but it was far too big for
Kuon to wield effectively.
"This one should do..." he mumbled as he picked up a knife that had been
wielded by one of the goblin soldiers. It had likely been looted from an
adventurer fairly recently, since it wasn't as worn or chipped as most of the
other weapons the horde had wielded.
Kuon would've preferred to have a scabbard, but goblins weren't civilized
enough for such things, so instead, he pulled a cloth out from his backpack and
wrapped it around the knife. Then, he slipped it into his coat pocket for ease of
access.
"Maybe I'll find a beast that can give me a ride..."
One of Kuon's mystic eyes held the power of subordination, a force that could
compel animals and monsters alike to serve him. Unfortunately, it had specific
working conditions and wasn't always reliable, so it was basically down to luck.
"Let's get going. No point just standing around," he muttered to himself for a
bit of inspiration, then headed toward the dense woodland in front of him.
The forest was so overgrown it almost felt like the place was attempting to
actively deny entry to all outsiders. Most people who came upon these woods
would've found them off-putting. There was some kind of silent pressure
emanating from the trees.
Danger. Run away. This forest is dangerous. Flee. Danger. Leave. Fear. Fear.
Fear.
Any normal person would've heeded the building anxiety induced by the
silent waves, but Kuon simply moved forward without a care in the world.
It wasn't that Kuon couldn't sense it. If anything, the pounding intimidation
was nipping right at him. He just didn't have time to spare.
"This is some kind of magical ward...and a powerful one too. Does that mean
there's something special in this forest?"
Kuon used the knife he'd looted from the goblin to cut away at the branches
and shrubbery as he passed on through. He couldn't help but find the place
stranger as he moved deeper. It felt as though something was nearby, watching
him, but he couldn't tell if that was just an effect of the intimidating ward.
After a while, a dense fog rolled through and it became harder to see. Kuon
could barely even make out his hands in front of him at that point, which he
found odd, as fog typically formed when the temperature was low and there
was high humidity. That was typically why fog rolled in after the rain, after all.
And yet, the forest was neither cold nor humid... He'd also felt a pulse of magic
power nearby.
Upon adding all those factors up, it became clear that this fog was likely manmade, probably by the same people who'd placed the ward around the forest. If
this was an attempt to get Kuon lost or remove him from the forest, then...
"Stop right there," a voice rang out from the fog, bringing Kuon's motions to a
halt. It was a hoarse voice that seemed like it belonged to an old man. Kuon's
instinct about being watched was seemingly correct, and now this person was
using the fog to obfuscate himself.
"Young one. Turn back at once, lest you incur the curse of calamity... Leave
this place..."
"No, I'm good, thanks. I just want to get through the forest as quickly as I can.
Do you want an offering or something? I can pay."
"Wh-What?" the hoarse old voice replied in confusion, wavering slightly.
Clearly, whoever was speaking had expected Kuon to react fearfully...not like
this.
"We need not your money, child. Leave this place at once unless you wish for
monsters to gnaw at your bones."
"Look, I don't really care what you say here. I need to get through this forest
to reach the other side. I'm not going to turn around, okay? I mean you no
harm, so just let me pass."
"No! Turn back!"
"Not happening."
"No fair! Come on!"
Kuon started to move again, and the voice grew a little more strained. The
boy picked up on the sounds of rustling leaves above him. It seemed whoever
was speaking to him was hiding up in the trees.
"...What are you doing?! Get him to turn back!"
"Ugh, I guess I've got no choice here... We'll scare him a bit more, don't
worry."
"Hm?"
Kuon's ears picked up on two hushed voices this time. The sound of a young
man and a young woman. The hoarse voice was most likely an act they'd been
putting on. And so, he decided to keep his ears open as he continued to move
through the woods.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared before him. It was a hulking creature that was
about four meters tall. Its body was made of wood, but it had a generally
humanoid shape. With every step it took, bark flitted from its form.
It was a Wood Golem...and a juvenile one, at that. Fully grown ones were six
meters tall at the very least. Still, it was massive compared to the six-year-old
boy it stomped toward.
"Graaargh!"
Kuon cast a silent glare toward the creature. Whoever had been speaking to
him clearly interpreted that as a sign of fear, and they spoke once more with
reclaimed confidence.
"Begone, intruder! Lest the Golem of the Woods strike you dow—"
A loud crash rang out as the Wood Golem's tiny head cracked open and fell to
the ground, severed from its broad shoulders. At the same time, a deep roar
rumbled out from its body. It fell backward and shattered into pieces in an
instant.
Kuon heard two horrified gasps resound from above.
"Huh. So Golems don't count as living creatures, eh?" Kuon's eye glowed a
reddish gold as he muttered quietly. It was one of Kuon's seven mystic eyes,
bearing the power of compression. It was an eye that could compress matter
just by staring. There were some limits, however. He couldn't crush objects that
were too sturdy, he couldn't use it on living creatures, and it had to be things he
could clearly see. The eye worked on things like Skeletons and Zombies, so Kuon
thought to use it to target the core in the Wood Golem's throat. Much to his
surprise, it actually worked.
"What is this kid?!"
"He's not normal!"
The voices had grown so flustered that they weren't even hushed anymore.
Kuon had heard the words "not normal" several times in his youth. All of his
siblings had heard those words, really. He was used to being seen as something
not quite human. It wasn't exactly the nicest feeling, but that didn't mean he'd
shy away from his powers. His powers were part of who he was; they were
precious gifts from his parents.
Kuon walked past the Wood Golem's remains and headed deeper into the
forest.
"A-Aaah! Wait! Wait!"
"Oh no! Get him to stop!"
A rustling sound rang out into the woodland as the man and woman finally
jumped down from the trees in front of Kuon.
They both had long ears, and they wore green clothing. The latter was likely
for camouflage in the forest, but the former...
"Oh, you're elves."
"You can't go further! Please, turn back!" the male elf yelled at him. He'd
already drawn a bow, aiming an arrow steadily at Kuon.
The female elf had a magical staff pointed at the boy in a similar fashion.
"As I told you, I just want to pass through. Can't you just look the other way?"
"Enough! We've warned you several times!" the male elf barked as he let
loose one of his arrows, and his companion conjured up a sphere of water
about the size of a man's head.
Kuon promptly used his knife to bat away the arrow, and he simply stared
down the water sphere as his eye glowed blue-gold. The sphere evaporated
into nothingness right before it hit him. Both elves were stunned by that turn of
events.
"What?!"
"How?!"
"Magic doesn't work on me. Well, it's not exactly that. I can just cancel its
effects using my mystic eye of negation."
There were some limits to this particular power, in that he had to be able to
see the entire range of the magical effect. That was why he couldn't use it to
cancel out the fog, since he couldn't see all of it. It was a similar limitation to his
compression eye, but he could at least activate that one from a distance.
"Huh?! What?!" the mage woman sputtered as she tried to conjure another
sphere, but it fizzled away the second it formed at the tip of her staff.
"Wh-What are you?!"
"I'm Mochizuki Kuon. Kuon is my given name. Can I pass through now?"
"That's enough, all three of you," a new voice suddenly called out,
interrupting Kuon's introduction.
Three elves appeared from the underbrush. One of them wore a grass-green
robe, and it was clear from his adornments that he was different from the
others.
"Elder!"
Despite his title, the man looked no older than any of the other elves around
him. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties at the oldest, and his long golden
locks had not the faintest hint of gray.
"Human boy, we've inconvenienced your passage. For that, I would apologize
and invite you to our elven refuge. You can rest there, wash up, and be on your
way."
"An elven refuge? I appreciate the gesture, but I'm kind of in a hurry..."
"Sunset comes soon, boy. Try to wander through the woodland in the dark
and you'll be lost all through the night. Stay the night with us, then leave when
the light returns."
Kuon looked upward and saw traces of the dusk sky peeking through the
branches above. He was on his own, and camping in the woods didn't sound all
that much fun. He'd probably have to sleep up in a tree branch just to avoid the
wild animals. He didn't have much food, so he started to consider his options,
but there was something he had to verify first.
For just a moment, Kuon's eye flashed a stunning platinum. He'd triggered a
special ability that allowed him to determine a person's intentions and feelings.
It was the very same power his mother held. He sensed no malice in the elves,
only an abundant sense of wariness. There were also traces of fear within,
though he couldn't tell if that was related to his presence or the presence of
something else...
"I'll stay with you tonight, then. Sorry for the trouble, Mochizuki Kuon at your
service."
"Mmm... I am Wolfram, chieftain of the elven village in these parts. I can't
offer you much in the way of luxuries, but I can at least provide a warm bed and
a hot meal. Colette, show him through."
"Me?! R-Right... This way, please..."
The elven mage who'd tried to cast a water sphere at him earlier let out a
small yelp before composing herself and guiding Kuon away. As she and the boy
wandered off into the depths of the forest nearby, the elf with the bow and
arrow spoke up against his elder.
"What are you thinking, sir?! We can't let such a dangerous child into our
sanctuary!"
"There's something about him. He's powerful for his age. Very, very
powerful... He may be able to aid us."
The chief had quietly observed Kuon dispatch the Wood Golem. He'd quietly
watched as the boy had rendered the two other elves powerless. After seeing
all that, he wondered if the boy's mystic eyes were the reason for such
strength. He wondered if that strength was enough for what he required.
The chief quietly headed back to the village, clinging to a quiet hope that
salvation may have finally arrived.
◇ ◇ ◇
The elven refuge existed in harmony with nature. There was a single large oak
tree in the middle of the village, and various suspension bridges jutted out from
its canopy, leading to other buildings in the upper branches of the surrounding
trees. The entire village was suspended off the ground.
There were a few lights scattered here and there, illuminating the dark. Upon
closer inspection, Kuon found that they were actually fireflies in little glass
bottles. They weren't ordinary fireflies, though. They were flashflies, a type of
magical firefly that absorbed ambient mana and discharged it in the form of
powerful light. In short, they were animals that could naturally cast the [Light
Orb] spell from within their bodies.
Kuon realized that the reason they were being used as a light source was
because it would be unwise to use torches, as bringing an open flame out near
the branches and leaves of the trees was a dangerous move.
The hut he'd been taken to belonged to Colette's father, the village chief. To
Kuon's eye, they had looked like siblings, but that was elven immortality for
you. Long-lived species barely experienced physical change once they finished
maturing. Two of Kuon's mothers, Leen and Sakura, had already finished
maturing by the time Kuon was born. All of his mothers were blessed with
various forms of divinity, however, so their aging processes would be abnormal
no matter what.
Kuon was shown to his room, then was asked to come and eat. Chief
Wolfram, along with his wife, Ursula, and his daughter, Colette, sat at the table.
"My apologies. I can't offer you more than this."
"No, it's fine, really. If anything, I'm incredibly thankful."
Kuon took a look at the food spread out on the table. There was bread, a leafy
salad with beans in it, and a soup with boiled veggies and roasted meat inside.
A common stereotype about elves was that they were vegetarian, but that
wasn't true across the board. The meat was fairly simple, just some manner of
lightly salted poultry, but Kuon found himself enjoying it quite a bit.
As Kuon ate his meal, which was far heartier than he had initially assumed,
Chief Wolfram spoke up, asking, "Now then, Kuon, where are you off to?"
"Brunhild. I'm headed there to see my family. I was planning to stop by
Gallaria first, but I lost my way and decided to cut through the forest instead."
Gallaria, the capital... You're not wrong in that it's faster to cut through the
woodland, but we had wards in place designed specifically to prevent
trespassing..."
"You did, but they wouldn't work on me."
Wolfram couldn't help but find himself baffled by Kuon's casual response. He
couldn't understand how the boy had so easily bypassed the warding left to
Wolfram's people, the last magical remnant of a mighty ancient civilization. His
wife and daughter could barely believe it either.
"You're quite remarkable for a human, young Kuon..."
"Oh, well... My family's far more remarkable than I am, I think. We spent a lot
of time training together."
To be more specific, Kuon had trained with the goddess of the sword, the
goddess of the hunt, and the god of combat. His mothers and sisters were
insanely skilled people as well.
Wolfram was hesitant for a moment, but he finally mustered up the courage
to speak to the strangely imposing boy.
"I have a favor to ask of you, young Kuon..."
"What kind?" Kuon poked at some veggies with his fork as he casually replied.
He'd been expecting something like this.
"This forest is also known as Deity's Grove. My people guard this place."
"Huh? Guard? So you've got something sealed up here?"
"Aye, we do. This forest contains a vile Artificer, a great monster from an age
long past. It's said to have wreaked havoc during the era of a great magical
kingdom, destroying all in its path."
Artificers were monsters that were created by human hands, the product of
magical research. They were also known as artifact creatures. They ranged from
simple to catastrophic, and it was even believed that Slimes were originally
created by people as well.
Golems, Gargoyles, Chimeras, Mimics, and Homunculi all counted as
Artificers. And apparently, one such creature was sealed within this forest.
"The beast's fetters are all but torn apart, and its miasma is already leaking
out into the surrounding area..."
"Oh, I see. That explains how weird things felt earlier."
The ward in the forest was designed to instill unease, but the presence Kuon
had felt was far more intense than a simple spell.
"So, what kind of creature is it, exactly?"
"I can show you, if you'd like to see it with your own eyes."
Kuon was a little surprised to hear that. Usually, sealed beings were locked
away deep in the earth, or someplace out of reach.
When they finished their meal, Chief Wolfram and his daughter left the house
with Kuon.
Wolfram held a flashfly lamp in his hand, illuminating the dark path in front of
them. The seal was apparently right on their doorstep, on the biggest tree in
the center of the village. It only took a few minutes for Kuon to see what all the
fuss was about.
"The tree itself is the seal, keeping it held back. But as you can see, it's
weakening."
"What is this thing?" Kuon asked as he looked up at what could only be
described as a sword wrapped in vines that held it against the tree.
It was a broad weapon with a silver-white sheen. Its hilt had beautiful golden
lines etched into it, and an ominous red jewel slotted in the middle. It was
definitely a sword...but did a sword count as an Artificer?
Kuon tilted his head slightly, staring the blade down. And eventually, he heard
a voice.
"Kill... Kill... Slaughter... Break... Ruin... Kill... Kill... Cut... Slice... Slash... Hack...
Gouge... Slaughter..."
"Whoa, scary," Kuon said as he took an uneasy step back. There was
murderous intent emanating from the blade... It almost felt like it was alive.
"The Mindsword. It's a cursed weapon with an evil will. This Artificer was
created by an ancient civilization some five thousand years ago. Our protective
tree keeps it sealed, but eventually it'll break free and wreak havoc upon us all
once again..."
"I don't know about eventually... It looks ready now."
Right as Kuon said that, the sword began to shake against the vines holding it
in place. The wood crumbled away, allowing the blade to slice off even more of
its restraints.
"N-No! It can't be!"
"KILLLLLL!"
The demonic sword broke free of its fetters completely to float in the air in
front of Kuon... It then turned its tip toward him.
"SLAUGHTER!"
It sailed through the air like a loosed arrow, desperate to impale the child on
its blade. Just when it looked as if Kuon was about to be skewered, the blade
stopped in midair and fell to the ground with a clatter.
"C-CANNOT BE! STUCK?!"
"So you move around with magic, huh? Too bad, I negated it."
Kuon's eye was glowing blue-gold. His mystic eye was canceling out the
magic. Even if Kuon couldn't see the spell, he could comprehend it and see the
area it was affecting. Thus, he could cancel it.
The Artificer rested helplessly on the ground, its means of motion taken away
entirely.
"Man...you're a pretty bad sword, aren't you?"
"WRETCH! ME... REND YOU!"
"Wow. You're one rude sword. Hey...that gem on your hilt... That's your core,
right? Will you stay alive if it gets destroyed? How about we find out?"
Kuon's left eye shone with a red-gold light, triggering his compression ability.
Kuon's mystic eyes could be triggered from either one of his eyes, and he could
even use them in tandem like this.
Kuon's left gaze settled on the red gemstone embedded in the sword's hilt. It
began to make a creaking noise.
"S-S-STOP! STOP! ENOUGH! TOO MUCH!"
"Hm? What was that? Enough? You think you're in a position to command
me?"
The gem started to make an unpleasant grinding sound.
"GYAAAGH! W-WAIT, PLEASE. ME. BEG OF YOU."
The blade grew more desperate as time went on. The core was the source of
an Artificer's life. Much like the Wood Golem Kuon had killed earlier, this blade
would die if it lost its core.
Usually, an Artificer's core had some kind of protection around it. This sword,
for example, had a regenerative ward placed on it that made it harder to
destroy. However, Kuon's mystic eye had already negated that as well.
Both Colette and her father watched in disbelief as Kuon relentlessly bullied
the sword with the threat of impending death. Their people had given their
lives to protect the seal. They'd all been prepared to unite and give their lives to
reseal it, should the day come...and yet, a six-year-old boy was giving their
existential threat a psychic noogie.
"Er... Kuon?"
"Oh, sorry about this. I just need to teach this thing some manners, okay?"
"Er, right..."
Kuon kept threatening the sword by holding its life in his hands, and the
sword kept begging for forgiveness. Then, when things started to die down...the
sword immediately flew back up into the air and tried to kill Kuon once more. It
didn't take long for the mystic eye to trigger again, and for the Mindsword to be
back on the floor, screaming for mercy all the while.
"I'm sorry, kid! I won't disobey you anymore!"
"Oh, now you can speak properly? That's funny. What about your broken
speaking pattern earlier?"
Creak... Creak...
"GYAAAGH! PLEASE STOP! I'LL DIE! IF YOU DO IT ANYMORE I'M REALLY
GONNA DIE! PLEASE!"
The sword's screams echoed through the elven refuge. At some point along
the line, the gem turned from red to pale blue, as if to mirror the blade's horror.
Kuon had subdued the blade, so now it was his to command.
◇ ◇ ◇
"I got carried away... I didn't mean to cause your people such unease over the
years, really. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me..." the cursed blade said
as it awkwardly bowed its hilt in apology.
The elven villagers were so stunned by the sight that they found it hard to
even respond. After all, the wicked creature they'd dedicated their lives to
sealing away was now groveling at their feet. They were somewhat happy and
somewhat just plain confused.
"He seems sorry to me, so if you could let this slide..." Kuon said, then bowed
his head, prompting the flustered Chief Wolfram to dismissively wave his hand.
"E-Er, it's fine... None of us came to any direct harm or anything, so..."
"Thanks for that, I appreciate it. So, uh, what should I do with this sword,
anyway? Destroy it?"
"Forgive me, kid! Please! How about I join you, yeah?! I'd be a good
companion!" the sword begged as it pressed its pommel up against Kuon's leg,
desperately clinging to him for mercy.
Kuon grimaced slightly at the thought of it accompanying him.
"You placated it, so we'd be happy to leave the decision to you, young Kuon.
The stain upon it seems to be gone."
The "stain" the chief referred to was a common feature of Artificers and
artifacts. In short, Artificers gradually absorbed negative emotions over time,
and they could influence those around them with what would then manifest as
a curse.
Kuon's father had once encountered a stained artifact back in Eashen when
he fought Yamamoto Kansuke. The man had a crystal artifact in his eye that was
deeply stained in negative feelings.
The stain manifested in different ways. Sometimes as a result of the artifact's
purpose, as was the case in Eashen, and sometimes as a result of the object
being used to slaughter many, as was the case with this blade.
Cursed objects often also possessed incredible power, however...
"I guess I am in need of a weapon, but..."
"That's right, that's right! Toss away that dirty goblin dagger, boy! Take me
with you!"
Kuon didn't really like the idea of wielding a talking blade. He knew his sister
Frei would've loved the prospect, but he wasn't so easily impressed. He
wondered why the sword talked so weird too. Also, why it was being so
submissive. Was it just trying to humor him, or was that actually how it was? He
knew that the Babylon gynoids all had their own weird speech quirks, so it
didn't throw him off too much. It was still annoying, however.
Kuon had a sneaking suspicion that the sword might've been one of Doctor
Babylon's creations, so he turned to face the sword and asked, "Who was your
creator?"
"Hmh? Some cheap bastard named Chrom Ranchesse. Hated that guy."
Kuon's eyes widened upon hearing that. Chrom Ranchesse... He was the
legendary Gollem meister who had created the crowns and transcended the
barrier between worlds around five thousand years ago.
Kuon had heard a lot about Chrom Ranchesse from Doctor Babylon and Quun,
because his mother Yumina was the interim master of Albus, the white crown.
Though honestly, he'd never expected to hear that name here of all places.
"...If I wield you, will there be a price I have to pay in compensation?"
"No, sir! That Chrom jackass was trying to make new Crowns. Ones that didn't
cost anything. I'm a prototype."
In other words, Gollem technology was at play in this sword. There were
types of Gollems on the western continent that were more like equipment than
actual autonomous machines, so the cursed sword here likely fell into that
category.
"C'mon, boy. Pick me up. Take me with. You'll never go back to any other
sword after feeling me."
"You're being too pushy about it..." Kuon sighed and picked up the blade by
the hilt. He gave it a few brief swings. It wasn't too heavy, nor was it too light. If
anything, the blade was perfectly suited to him. There was one issue, though.
"You're a little too large for me."
"Really? Give me a second, then."
A literal second passed before the cursed blade shrank. It had been a
broadsword before, but now it was more of a shortsword. It was the ideal size
for Kuon.
"You can change your size like that?"
"Sure can. To an extent, at least. I can even do this!"
The sword suddenly expanded to the size of a greatsword with a huge, broad
blade. Kuon's father had a spell called [Modeling] that allowed him to alter
shapes like this, so the blade must've worked off a similar principle.
Kuon thought quite highly of the blade's capabilities, but he didn't say it out
loud. After all, he didn't want the sword getting full of itself or anything.
"I have a ton of other features...but you can find those out later!"
If this magic blade was truly one of Chrom Ranchesse's creations, then it
doubtlessly had some fascinating history and abilities yet unknown. It had
piqued Kuon's personality, at the very least. And so, he decided then and there
that he'd bring it home to have Elluka and Doctor Babylon look it over.
"Oh, young Kuon. We can't possibly let you go without at least preparing a
scabbard for the blade," Chief Wolfram interjected, as Kuon swung the sword
around a few more times. He had a point. Waving a sword like that around
unsheathed would just invite trouble.
"Wowsers. Thanks a ton, sir. I don't want grime getting on my blade, you
know?"
"Does that matter to you?"
"Think about it, boy! The blade is a sword's face! Would you want mud on
your face?! That'd make you a big disgrace!"
Kuon understood the words, but he couldn't help but notice that the blade
was positively filthy from years of exposure to wind and rain while strapped to
the side of a big tree. The boy decided not to mention that, however.
"Thank you so much for freeing us from our duty, young Kuon. We'll prepare
a banquet at once. Please join us."
"I appreciate that offer, really, but I only had dinner a little while ago, so I'd
prefer to decline if possible. I'm a bit tired too..."
Though night had fallen, it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. Wolfram couldn't help
but smile, remembering that the little boy in front of him was just that, a little
boy.
Kuon headed off to bed, while the elves prepared to feast and celebrate. Just
to be on the safe side, they wrapped the tree branches back around the sword
for the rest of the night. The elves feared the blade may try to escape or attack
while Kuon slumbered, but the blade denied any thoughts of doing so.
"If I try anything funny, he'll really destroy me. I believe it, fully. That little
devil would smile while doing it too. Believe me. I saw it in his eyes. There's
wickedness there. I'm not gonna disobey him, no way..."
The elves couldn't help but almost pity the blade as it trembled and shivered.
If it could perspire, it would surely have been sweating bullets.
"Here, we made you lunch. You can eat it on your way."
"Wow! Thank you so much."
The next morning, Kuon had walked toward the edge of the village with his
cursed blade in tow. Much to his surprise, however, Colette had followed after
him with a gift.
The cursed blade jutted out of Kuon's backpack, nestled safely within a black
sheath that the elves had fashioned from local materials. Kuon wasn't wearing
him at his waist, though, since that felt a bit uncomfortable.
"I hope you come back to see us again. We'll treat you to the banquet we owe
you when that day comes."
"I'll be sure to. Thanks," Kuon replied as he waved back to the village elves,
who were standing in the distance to see him off. According to the information
he'd been given, he just needed to walk straight through the forest to reach the
road to Gallaria.
"Where we off to, anyway?"
"A smaller country, Brunhild. I'm gonna see my family, but, uh...don't talk to
me while we're on the road like this, okay? People will think I'm weird."
Any onlookers would have seen Kuon talking to himself and gotten confused
by the sight. Kuon was just as concerned as any other person would be about
general public perception.
"Humans sure have strange manners."
"If you ask me, it's swords that have strange manners. By the way, do you
have a name? Did Chrom Ranchesse give you one?" Kuon asked something he'd
been wondering about for quite some time.
"Infinite Silver, if I remember right."
"Infini...what? That's too long. Let's just call you Silver."
"Huh? Fair enough, I guess. Oh, kid. We're nearly out of the woods."
Silver's words prompted Kuon to look up ahead of him. And sure enough, the
forest parted and revealed a sloped hill with a nearby road down from it.
"Hmm... Let's see... Sun's over there, so Gallaria's gotta be over that way."
Kuon found his bearings, hefted his backpack, and began making his way
down the hill. He had a bit of a spring in his step, perhaps because he was finally
free of the woods. If he could get to Gallaria, he'd be able to find a carriage
straight to Brunhild. He was excited to finally see his family again, but he also
knew he'd have to do a little bit of shopping. After all, his sisters would be mad
if he didn't bring them back some souvenirs.
It wasn't easy being a little brother to so many demanding sisters. Thankfully,
Gallaria was the heart of Regulus. There was no better place for shopping. And
in the absolute worst-case scenario, he'd be able to hand off Silver to either Frei
or Quun. They'd like that as a gift, surely.
"Hmh?! Didja just think something bad about me?!"
"You're imagining things," Kuon said, shushing the worried blade as he began
a brisk walk along the road to the capital.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Let's celebrate the four of you with a toast! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
I raised my glass...and everyone followed after me. The tavern was
completely packed with adventurers, so the hustle and bustle was louder than
ever.
"Congrats! Have a good one!"
"Treat yer wives well, kid!"
"C'mon, lads! Drink more! We're celebratin'!"
At the center of this raucous torment was the man of the hour, Ende. Today
was the day he'd gotten married to Melle, along with Lycee and Ney as well.
The after-party was being held at the adventurer's guild tavern in Brunhild. Allis
and my children had attended the ceremony, but they'd been sent home to bed
once night fell. This party had a ton of rowdy adventurers attending, after all.
It'd be bad for them to see all that. Yumina and Linze had offered to look after
the kids, so they were even babysitting Allis in the castle too.
We'd reserved the tavern for our celebration, and most of the attendees were
adventurer friends of Ende or women that Melle, Ney, and Lycee had
befriended in Brunhild.
"More fried food and cake coming through! Clear the table!" Micah, manager
of the Silver Moon, said as she came out from the kitchen with a selection of
food on hand. All the attendees cheered at the sight.
Micah, Aer, and Lu were staffing the kitchen. They'd been producing food
nonstop all night. This was largely due to Melle's massive appetite. She just kept
asking for more.
When Micah set the large platter down on the table, several hands reached
out to grab at the tasty treats set upon it. Melle and the other not-so-blushing
brides were more than eager to dig in as well.
"Oh, how delicious! We were right to ask Touya about this!"
"Lady Melle, try this cake. I've never had it before!"
"Ah, delicious... Yummy. Ohhh, this is the best."
The brides smiled wholeheartedly as they shoveled food down their gullets.
They were really going all-out... Poor Ende was still being harassed by
adventurers over on the other side of the room, but the brides didn't seem to
be paying him much heed.
Technically, Ende was only Melle's groom. He'd married her, while Ney and
Lycee had married Melle.
Gay marriage was very uncommon in this world. It wasn't forbidden, it just
wasn't seen as a regular thing to do. Though really, it could've just as easily
been something that was underreported. There was no formal marriage registry
in this world. If you were a noble, you'd have to report it to whoever you served
under, but that was about it.
Well, Brunhild definitely has no plans to discriminate against same-sex
marriage, so they'll be free to live happily as...wife and wife? Partners, I guess.
Unfortunately for Ende, the casual observer saw this kind of arrangement as
Ende getting himself some kind of harem, so he was the target of no small
amount of envy.
Ende managed to shrug off his jeering assailants and staggered over toward
me.
"Good job out there, Ende."
"Hngh... Adventurers have no sense of restraint, do they? They're the worst
sometimes..."
"You're an adventurer too, you know?"
He was a gold-rank, at that. He was cleared to take on national-level threats
and be paid for the trouble. And I was that rank too, of course.
"Well, congrats on the wedding either way. Look after your wife, yeah? And
good luck when the girls start pushing you around."
"Yeah, I'll take that to heart. I know you've been there, after all."
With that, Ende and I clinked our glasses together.
"It's not like getting married is gonna change our dynamics much, anyway..."
"By the way, are you gonna move or stay put?"
Ende currently lived in a regular house in Brunhild, but it wasn't too
uncommon for newlyweds to move to a new place entirely to mark a new
chapter of their lives.
"We're having a new house built. It'll get more cramped when we have the
baby down the line, so I'd like to raise her in a big house with a garden."
Damn, having one built? I guess you can afford it, with your rank and your
ability to warp around... You're probably swimming in dough, huh? Well, that's
fine by me. Give all that hard-earned money to Brunhild's carpenters and
stonemasons, pal!
Apparently, Ende's new home was to be in the new residential district we
were planning. There were plans to build a train station there, so it'd probably
end up being a busy place.
Right as I was about to ask more, he got dragged off by a few more guests.
Sheesh, someone's popular today... Oh well, no harm in letting him be the
main character for a little while.
Ende had really gotten used to life in this world. If anything, he had more
friends than I did. He was extremely well-liked among his fellow adventurers, I
knew that for sure.
According to Allis, Ende would eventually take over as Brunhild's guildmaster.
And looking at him and the way he interacted with the guys around him, I could
see it. He was the right man for the job.
"Your Highness."
"Oh, Relisha. Nice to see you."
Just before I got fully absorbed in thought, the current guildmaster snapped
me back to reality. I wasn't surprised to see her here. Ende was one of the
guild's prized adventurers, and this guild tavern was technically her property as
well. And since I was so busy with doing Grand Duke stuff, most of the gold-rank
quests ended up getting assigned to Ende. Thus, he'd done a lot more for
Relisha and the guild than I had.
Relisha was still wearing the dress she'd worn to the wedding ceremony, and
she looked stunning. She had natural beauty as an elf, but the dress really
accentuated all of her best features. Fortunately for her, nobody at the
reception had thought to try and charm their way into her good graces over it.
"About that drug..." Relisha spoke in a quiet voice. She clearly had some new
information about the mysterious drug the wicked devout had been spreading.
Or at least, I hoped she had some new information.
"There are very few cases of any adventurers on the eastern continent having
even heard of it. I'm not entirely sure if that's by design or not..."
"It's a supposed cure for the goldflower pox, right? That's how they've been
selling it, anyway. Barely anyone on this side of the world would care about it,
since we're so far from Isengard."
The goldflower pox, as it had come to be known, was a peculiar disease said
to have originated in Isengard, though it was actually manufactured by the
wicked god to convert humans into its mutated thralls.
Unfortunately, rumors had already spread out that the goldflower pox was
the reason for Isengard's complete collapse, so many on the western continent
sought out the medicine that could supposedly ward it away. I just couldn't
understand the purpose behind spreading something like that around,
however.
I had Flora run an analysis on the powder Yakumo had brought back, and we
determined that the drug was infused with a powerful curse. It was a curse that
ate away at the body and mind of a person until they became a shambling
invalid. The effect wasn't too dissimilar to that of the purple crown, Fanatic
Viola, in that it gradually sapped at a person's sanity over time.
It was far too elaborate a plan just to kill people. They must've had something
else in mind...but what?
"I've sent word to the adventurer's guilds across the eastern continent. I'll let
you know the moment I hear about any major cases."
"I appreciate it."
"It's my pleasure, really. You're a gold-rank after all."
Relisha simply smiled after saying all that. Since the adventurer's guild
concept hadn't yet caught on over on the western continent, I decided I'd have
Silhouette and her Black Cats investigate.
"Still, there've been plenty of strange things going on lately. We've seen
multiple stampedes, much more than usual, and there are even reports of
villages going silent."
"Silent?"
"Indeed. I hear a fishing hamlet in northern Refreese is just a vacant ghost
town now. Traveling merchants headed up there on their usual route, only to
find the place completely barren. No person to be found...and nothing but
strange footprints leading towards the water..."
Relisha's words caught me off-guard.
A fishing hamlet in northern Refreese?
The island Yoshino had taken me to, the one attacked by the Fishmen,
would've been in the same waters as that hamlet. We'd defeated the Fishmen
there, but what if they'd attacked other places previously? What if those
villagers had mutated, become more Fishmen, and wandered into the waves?
Was their base really under the water after all? The Ark functioned as a
submarine, so that did make some amount of sense.
I had ordered Sango and Kokuyou to have their aquatic familiars scour the
depths, but nothing had turned up quite yet. They hadn't been able to explore
everywhere, though, as some places were just too full of sea monsters to
scout...
"Maybe I should look into designing an unmanned submarine..."
An underwater search drone seemed like a good idea. Or maybe some kind of
underwater Frame Gear. Plus, I needed to consider how to access the Ark when
I found it. For that, I'd probably need to talk to Elluka or Doc Babylon. Or the
professor, since he was still here.
I gulped down the last of the fruity water in my glass as heavy thoughts ran
through my mind.