"Kou-dono, you may use [Appraisal] on me. You will see that what I just said is not a lie."
King Octo urged me to see his status.
The three skills he possessed were [Majestic], [Wind Magic], and [Descendant of the God of War].
When activated, [Majestic] is said to produce a kind of aura that can make the surrounding people follow you.
However, since it is treated as a kind of state abnormality, it can be blocked with my [Transmigrator].
I'll skip the explanation of [Wind Magic] since it is literal, but the important thing is [Descendant of the God of War].
This is a skill given to those who have the blood of the God of War, and it is said to enable the repair of divine weapons.
"However, my power may not be of much use to you. I heard that the magic sword Gram and the unmarked spear were broken in a battle 4,000 years ago, but you repaired them with the power of [Creation], didn't you?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"It is well known that Kou-dono has the skill of [Creation]. I have heard that you rebuilt the Zard Bridge and the port of Fort Port all by yourself. If any of the sacred weapons break in the future and cannot be repaired even with [Creation], you can bring them to me."
"I understand. I'll keep that in mind. …By the way, I would like to talk to you about the sacred weapons. Is it okay for me to take it out?"
"I will allow it. I am also interested in seeing what the sacred weapons are like."
King Octo nodded with his eyes shining.
I stood up from the chair and took a short distance from the round table. After confirming that no servants were around, I opened my [Item Box].
I took out the magic sword Gram, the original one.
"Hoh…!"
King Octo sighed in admiration.
"That's definitely one of the sacred weapons, the Dragon Slayer's magic sword Gram, isn't it?"
"Yeah, and there's another one just like it."
I took out a copy of Gram from my [Item Box].
"Eh!"
Iris was the one who shouted in surprise.
"There are more Grams…!?"
"W-w-w-w-w-what does it mean, Master-san!"
"I didn't expect this turn of events."
Both Surara and Leticia seemed quite shocked.
"Kou-dono. Where did you get the second Gram?"
"I duplicated it with my skill."
I explained about [Item Duplication].
I also told them that Yggdrasil's bow could also be copied as long as I had the magic power to do so.
Iris, Surara, and Leticia were all shocked and froze with their mouths open.
And as for King Octo's reaction──
"Kuhahahahaha! That's exactly what it means to be out of the ordinary, Kou-dono!"
He laughed loudly in amusement and came to my side.
"This is good. If you are not that unprecedented, you won't be able to survive in this day and age. I am really glad that you are a [Transmigrator]."
"So you know that I am a [Transmigrator]?"
"I am the [Descendant of the God of War]. I can tell who is from outside of this world by their presence."
Does this mean that he can detect calamities?
According to Leticia's story, they must be beings called in from outside the world.
When I asked him if he knew her background, King Octo nodded confidently.
"Of course, I know who she is. She is the former second princess from the Kingdom of Northea."
Umm. It seems that he does not seem to understand this.
I looked at Leticia, and our eyes met.
She gave a small nod, so I guessed that she was okay with revealing her true identity.
"Believe it or not, Leticia is the reincarnation of a calamity."
"….What did you say?"
King Octo froze with wide-open eyes, apparently because he did not expect this.
On the other hand, Leticia began to speak in a relaxed manner.
"I'm a lady, too, so I try to keep my presence low when I'm in public. …Let's loosen up a bit, shall we?"
She then took a deep breath.
The next moment, her deep-blue eyes narrowed.
The next moment──
Ziiinnnnnggggg!
Ziiinnnnnggggg!
The two Grams that had been held in each of my hands, left out, emitted a metallic sound. It was an alarming sound, signaling the emergence of calamity.
"That's about it."
Leticia shrugged her shoulders.
Soon after, the metallic sound of the Grams also ceased.
Let's put it back in the [Item Box] for now.
"Leticia-oneesan! That was quite an atmosphere you had just now! That was so cool!"
"Fufu, thank you very much. Surara-sama is a strong child, aren't you?"
Leticia smiled gently and reached out her right hand to gently stroke Surara's round body.
Then she told King Octo, who remained silent.
"As you may now understand, I am Leticia, the former second princess of the Kingdom of Northea, and at the same time, I am the reincarnation of one of the calamities, the 'Brilliant and Arrogant Dragon.' However, please rest assured that I have no intention of destroying the world or getting involved in such troublesome matters. Please just recognize me as one of Kou-sama's companions."
"…I see."
King Octo finally came to his senses and answered Leticia's words shortly.
"Come to think of it, I heard that Leticia-dono also participated in the battle the other day."
"Yes. I struck the White Dragon with one of the stars in the sky."
"That was a bold thing to do."
King Octo smiled and turned to me this time.
"It would be unthinkable for a calamity to be reincarnated as a human being and then follow a [Transmigrator] as a companion. Indeed, Kou-dono is really going beyond the bounds of common sense."
"Um… I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize. If you have any other hidden surprises, let me know. I wouldn't normally be so surprised, you know."
"Actually, we need to talk about the unmarked spear."
"One of the sacred weapons. I see you have two of them now."
"I used it, along with the Dragon God's shield, as materials for [Creation]."
"…Huh?"
"The unmarked spear no longer exists."
"….."
"King Octo?"
There was no reply.
He seems frozen again.
Let's wait until he comes back.
* * *
"Apparently, I still underestimated Kou-dono…"
King Octo sat back in his seat and muttered with a sincere look on his face.
"I had intended to surprise you by revealing that I am a [Descendant of the God of War], but it seems that… I'm being beaten by my own game. Splendid."
Did you think of that?
You have a surprisingly mischievous side, don't you?
Well, I heard that he and Relic were good friends, so maybe it's only natural that he should be that playful.
"I lost this time. But it won't be like this next time."
Could it be that this king hates to lose? Lily was the same way, and perhaps everyone related to the God of War has a similar characteristic.
"Well, that's enough of the fun. I'm sure everyone is hungry. Let's have our meal."
Since the southern side of the capital faces the sea, many of the dishes on the menu were made from seafood.
For example, one of the appetizers was scallops and karasumi carpaccio.
The plump scallops were well matched with the richness and saltiness of the karasumi.
The crab quiche that followed was not only "delicious" but also "interesting" as the rich egg flavor spread out, and the aroma of crab came in a flash.
The meal was a course, and the next dish was soup.
It was gray in color with croutons floating in it. I wondered what kind of soup it was.
"This is my favorite soup."
King Octo muttered with a smile on his face.
"It's a burdock potage. The aroma is irresistible."
Is there burdock in this other world, too?
To be honest, I was surprised.
When I put it in my mouth, I could certainly taste and smell the burdock. And perhaps because it was full of dietary fiber, I felt delighted when I finished it.
"I think I may be full…"
Lily muttered worriedly.
I understood how she felt. We had just finished the appetizers, and the main course was still to come.
"Don't worry, Lily-oneechan!"
Surara said in a strong tone.
"If you can't finish it, I'll eat it!"
"That's no good!"
That was a quick answer. Lily is a bit of a glutton herself, isn't she?
Seeing this, Iris and Leticia both giggled.
Soon after, the fish dishes were served.
The name of the menu was "Poached Nordic Prawns," and the bright red prawns were served in their shells. The orange Americaine sauce spread over the entire plate was even more appetizing.
The "Nordic" in Nordic prawns was named after the royal family of this country and was said to be the tastiest variety of prawns caught in the surrounding seas.
In my world, Nordic prawns would be equivalent to Ise shrimp or lobster.
In fact, it is chewy and tasty enough to be eaten as it is.
However, when it was mixed with the sauce, the flavor was doubled, tripled, or even multiplied dozens of times.
"…It's good."
I have no complaints.
The feeling of fullness I had when I finished the burdock soup was gone, and before I knew it, the Nordic prawn was cleanly gone from my plate.
It's in my stomach now.
And I'm still hungry.
Iris seemed to feel the same way and muttered something like this.
"I feel like I was full just now, but suddenly I'm hungry again…"
"Maybe your stomach has been nourished by the food you've eaten so far, and your digestion has improved."
I see.
When you think you are full, you can still eat──this may be how the phenomenon of the so-called "other stomach" is happening.
While I was satisfied with Leticia's explanation, a pear sorbet was brought to me to refresh my palate.
The refreshing taste cleansed my palate.
Now, the climax of the course was about to begin.
The meat dishes arrived.
On the menu was beef tail stewed in red wine.
Apparently, this is a kind of beef called Sixto beef, which is a brand that is considered to be equal to that of Toue beef.
The tail, or tail section, was a tough part of the cow, but it became tender when it was stewed slowly.
The texture of the tender meat and the flavor of the fat in the broth were irresistible.
Finally, the dessert was a cake roll with fruit. It was made lavishly with fresh cream, and I felt quite satisfied when I finished it.
Thank you very much for the meal.
"Kou-dono. If you don't mind, can you tell me what happened from Aunen to the royal capital? I have received reports, but I think I understand best when I hear from the people concerned."
After lunch, King Octo asked me to explain our trip to the capital.
As usual, I explained the main points, and everyone else supplemented.
Since King Octo had the staff in the dining room leave the room, we were able to talk about the trip in detail.
In the conversation, King Octo was most interested in the Yggdrasil bow.
"Even in royal lore, it is said that in order to use the Yggdrasil bow, you need the life of the [God of War's Shrine Maiden]. …but in reality, the calamity-slayer arrow could be summoned only by the consumption of magical power?"
"Yeah. If you know the reason, please let me know."
"Fumu…"
King Octo stroked his beard with his right hand and groaned.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know either. There are so many mysteries about the Yggdrasil bow. As for the "Ymir's Arrow" and the "calamity-sealing arrow," which Kou-dono summoned on his own, I have never heard of them. If you want to know the truth, you will have to ask the God of War… the creator of the bow."
The God of War, huh?
I am inclined to talk to him at least once, as he seems to know a lot about the calamities, but I wonder if he is real in the first place.
Many things have happened since I came to this world, but as someone who lived in modern Japan, I can't shake the feeling that God is religious fiction.
As I pondered this, King Octo, standing right next to me, called out to me.
"By the way, Kou-dono, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"
"No, I'm fine. …What about everyone else?"
Iris and the others shook their heads in unison at my question.
"At any rate, I was going to relax at the guest house today."
"I was thinking of taking a break as well."
"I thought I'd take some time to paint after a long absence."
"As for me, I'm going to play with the insects in the garden."
Surara's answer was very cute. But anyway, none of them seemed to have any definite plans.
"Then it's just fine."
King Octo smirked.
"The God of War, my ancestor, lies in eternal rest in the basement of the royal palace. …With the help of the [Transmigrator] Kou-dono, he may reawaken. I would like you to come there once."
* * *
The God of War was slumbering in the basement of the royal palace.
We were all surprised by King Octo's sudden announcement.
"Wait, please."
The one who shouted in surprise was Lily, the [God of War's Shrine Maiden].
"The God of War is… in the royal palace?"
"It is no wonder you are unaware of it."
King Octo told her as he nodded.
"The location of the God of War is a top-secret matter known only to the supreme priest of the God of War religion and those of the royal family who are [Descendants of the God of War]."
I see… huh?
I wonder if it's okay to reveal it so easily even though it's a top-secret matter.
When I asked him about it, King Octo replied, "Normally, it would not be allowed."
"But we are in a state of emergency. Calamities are appearing one after another, and other regions are also experiencing a series of abnormalities, such as the outbreak of a large number of monsters. In order to survive this era, it is no longer the time to follow past precedents and customs. As king, I have made that decision."
And so, we set out for the place where the God of War rests.
"There are many underground passages in this royal capital that are known only to the royal family. Let's go through there."
King Octo led us out of the guest house.
We walked through the garden, passed by the fountain, and arrived at the edge of a small pond.
There was a covered bench nearby. This is where Lily and I had talked before lunch.
I had no idea that there was an entrance to the basement here.
"Please wait for a moment."
King Octo said so and touched the four pillars supporting the roof one by one. When he took his hand off the fourth pillar, a magic circle appeared at our feet.
The pattern was a combination of swords, spears, and bows, in other words, the emblem of the God of War.
"Whoa!"
With a floating sensation, our vision turned completely white. The next moment, we were warped into a dimly lit underground passageway.
"Is everyone all right?"
"I'm fine. What about you, Lily-chan?"
"I was so surprised…"
"Master-san! Did you feel that? It was fluffy!"
"Is it teleportation magic? That is an interesting technique."
It seems that all of us were able to warp exactly. Of course, King Octo was with us.
"I am sorry to have surprised you. Well, this way. Follow me."
The underground is a place where there is no sunlight, and thus it has an image of being dreary and dusty. Strangely enough, however, the air in this underground corridor was clear and fresh, as if we were walking through a forest in the early morning.
Perhaps it was the effect of the God of War sleeping nearby.
"By the way."
King Octo called out to me along the way.
"Do you know what the calamity is, Kou-dono?"
"…That's a difficult question to answer."
I preface my answer by reflecting on the knowledge I have.
"The calamity, according to Leticia, is a being called in from another world. …Am I correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
Leticia nodded at my words.
"I would like to explain the part of the story that I have failed to mention to you, Kou-sama, that with the exception of a few siblings, all of us "calamities" have been living in different worlds from each other. For example, the White Dragon and the Green Dragon, although they are in the same category of calamities, they had never met each other before in the battle we just had."
This is the first time I have heard of this.
So, the "calamities" were an all-star team of powerful beings that inhabited each of their own worlds.
"Although our memories of the previous world are vague, we were sent to this world by someone and given the name of the calamity and the role of "destroying this world." …But in my case, for some reason, I was reborn as a human being, and I have no intention of fulfilling my role, so please be aware that there are many exceptions to this rule."
"…Given a name as a calamity, huh?"
When I heard Leticia's story, a flash of insight came down to me.
From the carcass of the Black Dragon, the Flame Emperor Dragon Ring could be created with [Creation].
The actual name of the Black Dragon of Extreme Destruction was originally "Flame Emperor Dragon."
What about the White Dragon and the Green Dragon?
The "White Dragon of Despair" and the "Green Dragon of Rift and Demise" were names given by someone to the calamities, and they may have been called the "Ice Emperor Dragon" or the "Wind Emperor Dragon" in the worlds where they lived.
I quickly explained my thoughts to everyone.
"That sounds plausible."
Iris nodded in agreement.
"The Fire Emperor Dragon, the Ice Emperor Dragon, and the Wind Emperor Dragon… At this rate, it would not be surprising if there were an earth dragon as well."
"Master-san, you could easily take it down, I'm sure!"
Surara jumped up and down and hopped over to me. I replied as I held up that round body.
"It's a little difficult right now."
The cooldown time for [Limit Break] hasn't ended yet.
The last time it was activated was around 9:00 a.m. today, and it's just after noon, so there are still more than 18 hours left.
If a new calamity appears, I will need everyone's cooperation to defeat it.
"…Mmm."
Suddenly, King Octo growled.
"We are in trouble."
"What's wrong?"
"You have told me everything I was going to tell you, have you not?"
When I asked him about the details, King Octo said that he was going to tell me that "the calamity is an existence that originally inhabited another world" and "someone gave it a name as a calamity and sent it into this world with a mission to destroy and kill."
But as a result of my conversation with Leticia, everything he was going to tell me was preempted, and he seemed to be… disappointed.
"I am indebted to you for protecting the Royal Capital, but I cannot bring you much useful information… I can only tell you where the God of War is, but I'm sure Kou-dono could have found that out on his own…?"
"Ah!"
Surara, who was still being held by me, shouted.
"If it's Master-san's [Auto Mapping]… gumumumu."
I hurriedly covered Surara's mouth. I wonder if I managed to disguise it.
"I guessed that if you used [Auto Mapping], you could find out where the God of War was."
It was no good.
As expected of the king, he was very perceptive.
The search ability of [Auto Mapping] might indeed have been able to find him, but I had no idea that the God of War was real and was in the royal capital in the first place.
It is impossible to search for something that I am not looking for, so King Octo's existence is of great significance.
…I tried my best to explain such things to him.
This may be the first time since I came to another world that I have worked so hard to appease someone.
But it was worth it, and King Octo was regaining his composure.
"I can stay here, can't I…?"
"Of course."
I clapped my hands.
Iris and Leticia also clapped their hands in response.
"Yay! King-sama, congratulations! Congratulations!"
Surara congratulated him in a cheerful voice.
What is this atmosphere?
As I tilted my head inwardly, Lily muttered.
"I feel a very strong divine energy. …Maybe we're almost there."
Beyond the long, long passageway was a vast void. It gave the impression that it could contain a small village in its entirety.
At the end of it, a large throne was set up, and a stone statue of a giant in armor was sitting on it.
The statue must have been over 20 meters tall.
The eyes were sharp and the face stern, like the Japanese Nioh or Ashura.
"Is that stone statue…?"
King Octo answered my question.
"My ancestor, the God of War."
"…There is no doubt about it."
Lily nodded her head.
"A giant in armor sitting on the throne. …He looks just as he did in the lore of the God of War."
"The God of War was gravely wounded in a battle against a calamity 4,000 years ago. My ancestors tried all kinds of medicines and magic, but they had no effect at all. Kou-dono, can't you awaken it with your power?"
"That's not what I'm told…"
I don't have any skills that would be useful in waking up the God of War.
What about items?
If it could be interpreted that the God of War was in a slumber because of his injuries, then that might work.
Heal Potion: A top-quality heal potion refined by a skilled apothecary. It has a fine taste that harmonizes the maximum recovery of a heal potion with a good sense of refreshment.
Granted effects:"Increase Recovery Amount S+""Increase Recovery Speed S+"
It has an outstanding recovery effect, as it was able to instantly restore Iris, who had previously been mortally wounded, to her full health.
Let's give it a try for now.
First, as a preparation, I take out a Flying Potion from the [Item Box].
Drinking it all in one gulp, "Wind Blessing S+"was activated, and my body floated in the air.
Manipulating the wind, I approached the stone statue.
The surface of the statue had numerous cracks and looked quite pitiful.
"Okay, let's do this."
I took out a Heal Potion. I opened the seal of the water bag and sprinkled it on the statue from above.
The Heal Potion soaked into the statue and was absorbed by the statue.
Hmm?
It may be my imagination, but the cracks on the surface of the statue seem to have decreased.
Let's try some more.
I took out another Heal Potion and sprinkled it on the cracks.
Oh, wow.
The cracks were closing up in no time at all. It seemed that my judgment was correct.
Let's keep going.
──After I had used up five bags of Heal Potion, all the cracks disappeared.
"Phew."
I returned to King Octo with a sense of accomplishment after finishing my work.
"How did it go, Kou-dono?"
"It went well… I think."
I cannot say for sure. However, there was a good response.
Soon after, a change occurred in the stone statue.
"My name is Warden, the God of War…"
A silvery light appeared in his eyes, and a solemn, low voice echoed around the area.
"Good morning. Thou hast awakened me well."
…Hey, hey.
The dignity of the man was blown away in an instant. The tone of voice or the words are strange.
If I were to use an analogy, it would be as if he was reading out a sentence that was automatically translated by a search engine.
"Are my words getting through to you?"
"Yes. I can understand what you mean."
"The human language is very difficult to understand. It will take time to adjust."
Anyway, the God of War continued.
"You have healed my wounds, and for that, I am deeply grateful. You, the [Transmigrator], shall be praised."
The phrasing is strange, but it seems that he is thanking me.
Also, he seems to understand that I'm a [Transmigrator].
…Hmm?
I noticed that everyone except me was kneeling on the spot.
What in the world was going on?
"Don't you feel it, Kou-san?"
Lily muttered in a trembling voice.
"It's the most divine feeling I've ever felt…! I can't even stand up…!"
Hmm.
I don't feel anything at all.
Maybe it's blocked by the [Transmigrator]'s state abnormality nullification.
"Even though you are bathed in my divine energy, you are unperturbed. I recognize that you have a strong determination."
The God of War said in a somewhat amused tone.
"O [Transmigrator]. Are you a hero, a sage, or a demon king? I want you to tell me."
"I am none of the above. It's a complicated story."
After I said this, I began to explain the events that took place just before I was transferred to this world.
It started on the train on my way home from work. I was dozing off and was suddenly transported into a pitch-black space.
I was offered the choice of being a hero, a sage, or a demon king, and when I refused all of the choices, I was given a number of cheat skills, including [Creation]──
"The next thing I knew, I was summoned to this world."
In addition, the skills I possessed included powers that were supposed to be given to the hero, the sage, and the demon king, respectively.
I think I'm being a bit greedy, or perhaps I'm being too generous with my skill set since I have all three powers plus several extras.
"Nuh-uh…"
After listening to me, the God of War growled in confusion.
"You are very different from the [Transmigrator] I know. I am very confused."
"Is that so?"
"The hero, the sage, or the demon king, all of them have power that is great for the human race. With the help of the [Transmigrator], I managed to host one."
Perhaps due to the progress of language adjustment, the God of War's tone was gradually becoming smoother and smoother.
"It is exceptional to possess all three, and even more exceptional to have the [Creation] that was supposed to be lost."
The God of War finally stopped to think. His movements were so human that I almost burst out laughing.
Oops.
This is a serious situation. Let's be careful.
Besides, there was something about the God of War's story that bothered me.
"What do you mean by "the supposed [Creation] that was lost"?"
"Certainly, it should be told."
The God of War nodded deeply.
"But first, I will suppress my divine spirit. Aside from you, your companions and my descendant seem to be having a hard time."
Hmph.
I felt a slight lightening sensation around my shoulders.
Although I had not been aware of it before, it seems that I was also affected by the divine energy to some extent.
"That was a lot of pressure…"
Iris stood up with a sigh of relief.
"Kou, how did you manage to stay standing?"
"As expected of Kou-dono. Even I, a [Descendant of the God of War], was overwhelmed… Oops."
King Octo seemed to be unsteady on his feet, and although it was good that he got up, he was wobbly and out of position.
"Master-san! I will help him!"
It was Surara who said so and moved.
His round body bulged out in front of King Octo, who was about to fall down.
Plung.
"I've caught him! I'm great!"
"Oh…! Surara-dono, you saved me!"
Surara had successfully caught King Octo's body.
"Nice catch, Surara."
"Fufufu! Master-san praised me! Rurarara♪"
Surara hummed happily and shook his body.
When I looked at Leticia, I saw that she was helping Lily to stand up.
"Thank you. Leticia-san."
"No need to thank me. I did what I had to do."
I think that Leticia was rather concerned about Lily. Leticia must have often worked together with Lily in Fort Port.
I'm sure it's partly because Lily was younger than Leticia, but it's kind of heartwarming to see how she naturally cared for her.
I don't know if I am a reincarnation of Leticia's brother or not, but my life might have been different if I had had such a cheerful older sister when I was in Japan.
Anyway, I am glad to hear that everyone is safe.
Now then, let's listen to what the God of War has to say──.