《The Great Sage Who Returned from Another World Wants to Live Quietly》 CH 1 Despite numerous clashes with the demon army, the human army was unable to reclaim their occupied territory. The empire, the largest human nation, was exhausted. Sensing that it was only a matter of time before the human race was destroyed, Empress Anastasia Lanford the Third pleaded the impartial great sage to join the hero¡¯s party in subjugating the demon lord. A linchpin of the demon army, emerging victorious over the many parties of heroes that challenged it, the current demon lord was said to be the strongest in history¡­.. ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á ¡°Rook to e4, check¡± In the middle of a remote desert, I flick my finger towards that demon lord. A magic stone shaped like a chess piece flies to the place I target, kicking up sand as it falls down. ¡°Great Sage Saitou-sama, Cain is¡­!¡± My backup, the Saint Ange whose large chest looks like it will spill out of her priests robes, yells at me. I use location magic to find the Hero Cain. He¡¯s at the rear of the demon lord with a deep wound on his leg preventing him from moving. I knit my eyebrows at her swaying chest but¡­.. ¡°Ange, use a miracle of healing on me¡± Since I¡¯m weak at healing magic, I¡¯ll use magic to transfer the saint¡¯s miracle instead. Apparently that¡¯s an impressive feat but¡­.. For my master, the Great Sage Kate, something of that level could be done with ease. ¡°Yes¡± At Ange¡¯s voice, I sent the miracle to Cain while continuing to prepare the sealing ritual. ¡°Amazing, controlling two great magics simultaneously¡­.. not to mention chantless¡± Ange let¡¯s out a voice of suprise. If I were to look back right now, she¡¯d probably be gazing at me with her deep red eyes and hair, but I¡¯m focused on the demon lord. Besides, the saint with a beautiful face and sexy body has probably already done it with the Hero Cain. Its too late to try and gain favour now. ¡°Knight to b6, check¡± As I move more magic stones around, the demon lord¡¯s two faces distort in pain. Thats right, the demon lord has two bodies and brains in one. It looks like two large men who were forcibly merged together but its four limbs move dexterously and its two heads allow it to take offensive and defensive actions simultaneously, making it much more troublesome than fighting two demons. As a bonus, no matter which you destroy, as long as one head remains the other will regenerate immediately. ¡°Go Cain, Ryza, Moulin!¡± For the final stage of my plan, as the Hero Cain, the Paladin Ryza, and the Great Mage Moulin all attack simultaneously, I use the gap created by them to finish the seal. CH 2 Perhaps because of the distortion in space-time, after being sucked into the gate¡­.. Old memories came back to me. I was called a prodigy as a child. There was a kid¡¯s chess tournament in my early years of primary school¡­.. well, it was only a small neighborhood event but I won three years in a row. I was the champion of sport¡¯s days and marathons and my grades weren¡¯t bad either. I was the pride of even my strict father and at that time my mother was kind to me. I cherished my only younger brother who would follow me everywhere. Things began to change when middle school started. Somewhere somehow, as if possessed by an evil spirit¡­.. My grades slowly fell and my father¡¯s attitude became stricter towards me. My mother gradually began to focus on my brother, whose grades were rising and was a regular member of the soccer team, in his first year of middle school. ¨D¨D I¡¯ll improve just my grades at least. With that in mind, I quit as a substitute of the track and field club to focus on my studies but no results were showing. As things begin to crumble, the impetus will increase. It is something that one cannot stop alone. When my grades showed no signs of improving my parents began to lose patience with me, only ever talking about my brother. When I quit the track and field club I began to be alienated in class and a target of bullying¡­.. The high school I somehow managed to slide into could not be called high level, and I was treated as a plaything by my boorish classmates. When I tried to bring their escalating bullying to the teachers attention. ¡°You also have bad points don¡¯t you?¡± I was unable to gain assistance. Since I couldn¡¯t even study there, I shut myself in my room to battle with textbooks and reference books. The distance between me and my family grew to the point that my father began to act as if I didn¡¯t exist. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with that child anymore¡± Said my mother. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting, brother¡± I felt like I could hear my brothers words but¡­.. I continued to study like a madman. ¨D¨D No, In reality I was already mad. ¡°You have lost your physical body in this world but certain requirements have been fulfilled. Would you like to be born into another world and redo your life¡± She said while smiling kindly. ¡°Are there any conditions¡± ¡°Please save that world, for that cause I will provide you with the necessary power¡± I tried to return a smile but the woman, who looked like a goddess from games or manga, gave a bitter smile and took some distance so I don¡¯t think it went very well. ¡°Would something other than power be impossible¡± That¡¯s right, at that time there something that I longed for, even if it was only in my dreams. ¡°What is it¡± ¡°People that would not abandon even someone like me, and accompany me to the very end¡± With that murmur my consciousness faded¡­.. When I awoke I found myself in a dense forest where even the sun did not shine fully. In the distance I could hear what sounded like the war cries of a beast. As I felt at a lost. ¡°Are you okay? Collapsing in a place like this¡± With monkey ears and tail, a beautiful girl who looked around 12 to 13 years old spoke out to me. ¡°You don¡¯t feel uneasy looking at me?¡± ¡°Hmm, you may have the famished expression of a withered child but those are good eyes. Quite to my liking¡± She sniffed with her well featured nose. ¡°I thought I smelt the goddess of jealousy Lilianess in my forest so I came here in a panic but I see how it is. I don¡¯t know what those mischievous gods are thinking but¡­.. I suppose this is some kind of fate¡± She hid her monkey ears were inside her curly reddish brown hair and her tail also disappeared. ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á To be honest, I¡¯m not really sure how long I was in the other world. After being accepted as my master¡¯s disciple, my sense of time grew vague as I spent all my time training. I was trapped inside a subspace known as the Infinite Book Corridor and only let out after I had studied thousands of books¡­.. Once I was tasked to suppress the Ancient Dragon King. I was put to the verge of death many times and would bathe in its blood to restore myself. Eventually I was able to make that Dragon King my subordinate but I cannot recall how long it took. My master didn¡¯t give much advice but she would always help and guide me at the right times. Were it not for that, I would have given up or reached the end of my life first but I can¡¯t say that there weren¡¯t also fun days. ¡°Getting too absorbed is a bad habit of yours¡± However now that I¡¯m here I regret losing my sense of time My appearance is around my twenties, you would think that about five years have passed but I¡¯m not sure anymore. The members of the hero party looked to be all around the same age but, ¡°Saitou thinks like an adult, as expected of a great sage¡± I heard those words often. I make my way to the exit while pushing past discarded mattresses, desks, and chairs. ¡°For now lets think forward¡± I brush the dust off my body and walk out with confidence. Looking around my surroundings, there aren¡¯t any cars flying in the sky like in the sci-fi movies I watched as a kid nor are there skateboards hovering midair. The design may be fairly different but the cars were moving on four wheels and the kids were running around playing normally. CH 3 November 30, 2021Zathael It seems the current imperial era is Reiwa.1 My last memories of Japan was in the 13th year of the Heisei Era, 2001 going by the western calendar. If that¡¯s the case¡­.. It¡¯s been 19 years. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you look like someone I used to be close with¡± Kanako-chan was sitting behind the counter, showing me the catalog with a strained smile. As this was a private run store without much display space, after choosing from the catalog she would bring the clothes out from storage. I took a seat at the counter. As if time had frozen, the inside of the store was the same as before. The small shop about 66.2 square meters was lined with middle and high school uniforms. The remaining half of the store had formal suits and shirts. The only difference was the design of the suits and the idols wearing school uniforms in the posters I suppose. I was more surprised by the date and the articles than the pictures in the catalog. Kanako-chan was somewhat excitedly explaining current japan to me. 19 years¡­.. When I think about it, it does feel like I could have been in the other world for that long. Spending over ten years on master¡¯s grueling training must have been necessary for someone as inferior as me. Perhaps my young appearance is due to bathing in the blood of the dragon king, who is said to be immortal, or repeated use of healing magic during my training and battles with the demon army¡­.. There¡¯s too many possibilities, I can no longer tell what it could be. Which reminds me that when receiving healing magic I felt as if my figure was changing. After asking my master, ¡°Healing magic is a reflection of one¡¯s interior. If you possess a pure heart and strong mind, it will materialise in your body¡± Was what she told me. Which means¡­.. maybe my heart is still that of a kid. A 34 year old kid. In some ways its embarrassing. Translators Notes: 1: The Japanese have a calendar that divides the years based on the current ruling Emperor. Reiwa began on 1 May 2019 following the end of the Heisei era. 2: Any opinions on keeping onii-san or using an english word? If you¡¯d prefer it translated though give me an option that isn¡¯t big brother because it looks unnatural every time I see it not that having random japanese words is any less unnatural. 3: Natsume Souseki is a famous Japanese author. He was printed on the 1000 yen note between 1984 and 2004. CH 4 ¡°Maya!¡± Translators Notes: 1: The raws specify ¡®very strong school team¡¯ but I cant think of how to word it nicely so into the notes it goes. 2: Oyakodon (literally parent child bowl) is a Japanese dish made with chicken and egg. It¡¯s also slang for a threesome with a mother and daughter. 3: The word mune typically means heart/chest but can be used for stomach as well. CH 5 December 14, 2021Zathael ¡°My grandparents were using this room until I entered highschool so it¡¯s still quite cluttered but feel free to use it. As for a change of clothes¡­.. the size might not be quite right but the ones in the drawer are clean¡± The place I was led to next was uncle¡¯s room that I played in many times as a kid. In the centre of the 12 tatami mat japanese style room was a low wooden table above which a nostalgic chess board lay.1 On the side of the table, a brand new futon was layed out. ¡°You did this?¡± ¡°Mom¡¯s a bit inattentive with these things so I thought this would happen¡± ¡°Thanks¡± ¡°Hehe, do you need anything else? apart from my-bo-dy that is¡± Maya-chan put her hand on her hip and twisted her body. The slender body that was tempered through basketball made her well endowed chest stand out. With the way they swayed around, plus her scent after a bath and still slightly wet hair, even as a joke that gesture had a sense of guilty pleasure. ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on your offer then. Could you lend me your textbooks. Later is fine¡± ¡°Is that so¡± Somewhat disappointed, she lowered her shoulders, ¡°But what do you plan to do with textbooks?¡± She titled her head cutely. The way her attitude and expression changed was like a small animal. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I was in Japan so I want to understand the situation¡± ¡°Ones on society?¡± ¡°If possible all subjects¡± The changes in culture and science and technology in this country, or the advancement of mathematics. Textbooks are valuable books which contain that knowledge. ¡°OK! Then I¡¯ll add the recent newspaper as well. It¡¯ll be quite bulky though so help me out¡± ¡°Thanks, if you leave the textbooks in the hallway I¡¯ll deal with the rest. I¡¯ll put them back where they belong by tomorrow morning¡± ¡°In the living room there¡¯s a container with old newspapers you can read. Also If you want, feel free to use the bath. If you go now you can have a taste of a JK¡¯s remaining bath water, and its the golden time for the a lucky pervert event like accidentally running into my mother, so I would be quick¡± Translators Notes: 1: Tatami mats are a type of traditional japanese flooring about twice as long as they are wide. The exact measurements differ depending on region. 2: Joshikousei(highschool girl) 3: A Shintai is an object of worship in which spirits or gods reside. Inari is a japanese god of foxes amongst other things. Shikigami are like familiars used in Onmyoudou. I might¡¯ve missed some notes at the end there but honestly most people here reading japanese webnovels probably already know these things and if not I¡¯m sure you guys can use google. CH 6 December 21, 2021Zathael ¡°D- Don¡¯t try to assault me or kill mom. If you do I¡¯ll bite it off¡± The misunderstanding progressed at an incredible rate. Not to mention I don¡¯t understand what she means by it. Tongue? Down below?1 Although based on her words, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s talking about her own tongue. Unsure of what to to with the frightened Maya-chan, who was for some reason glancing at my lower body, I take a sigh, ¡°Besides yare yare type guys aren¡¯t popular nowadays, even in late night anime. The forums will be full of lmaos too¡±2 Now, even in a linguistic sense, I don¡¯t understand her. Even if cars aren¡¯t flying, it seems language has evolved greatly. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy, so don¡¯t bite your tongue ok¡± ¡°Not tongue, the thing I¡¯ll bite off is your shabby something¡± That kind of search ability¡­.. The powers of modern day japan can¡¯t be underestimated. I couldn¡¯t detect any mana at all. No, my thing isn¡¯t shabby. ¨D¨DProbably, definitely. While trying to smile, I approach Maya-chan and touch her decayed katana. My automatic magic also scans enemy items, allowing me to draw out its data. Its my first time seeing this kind of technique, but the fundamental theory is the same. ¡°Bishop, assimilate¡± I pull a chess piece magic stone out and attempt to repair it by remaking the bits that have broken off and the spots where mana has been exhausted. ¡°Eh, impossible, it¡¯s fixed?¡± When my work finished, Maya-chan¡¯s mouth was open wide. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine like this I hope¡± Bishop might have been a bit overkill, the shine from the katana was brighter than the scan data but if I don¡¯t say anything it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Amazing¡­.. could this be divine creation? The treasured tool¡¯s spiritual rank has increased and it¡¯s completely undamaged, as if newly made¡­..¡± Maya-chan takes the sword into her hands and channels something like mana into her eyes. At the same time, although weak, a technique similar to [Appraisal] and [Mind Reading] skills is activated. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: In the original text Maya says below which is pronounced the same as tongue. 2: Yare yare types are a type of anime trope characterised by generally being unmotivated but competent when needed. Yare yare itself is an exclamation of annoyance or relief. 3: Dogeza is part of traditional japanese etiquette where one kneels on the ground and bows while touching their head to the ground. 4: I apologise for this mess of a sentence but I¡¯m not the one that decided to write a triple negative CH 7 ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, Dragon King¡± I pat it¡¯s head and it responds with a small roar. ¡°W- Wait, what are you doing!¡± As I try to jump off, Maya-chan grabs the end of my robe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, protective formations have been set up around the Dragon King so attacks won¡¯t reach here and you won¡¯t fall of either¡± I pat Maya-chan¡¯s head as well before jumping off the Dragon King¡¯s back. ¡°You¡¯ll die, idioooot!¡± Maya-chan¡¯s screams rang out but at this height they shouldn¡¯t be able to hear from the ground. I analyse the enemies fighting strength as I descend. The shopping district is enclosed in some kind of barrier magic and in front of the clothes store, a minivan and a black luxury car is parked. At the north and south each, there is someone maintaining the barrier. In the cars before the store, there¡¯s five armed ordinary people and one person wrapped in defense magic. ¡°No, there¡¯s one more hiding themselves¡± After calculating the abilities of the nine attackers and their positioning, I throw out some pieces. ¡°Set knight to standby inside the shop, set rooks to the barrier mages in the north and south, pawns continue on automatic defense¡± This should be more than enough combat strength but I¡¯m still concerned about the one I can¡¯t see. After dwelling on it a while, I pull out the queen too. Using suspension magic to decelerate, I drop before the armed men, ¡°Are you some bodyguard hired by the kitsune?¡± The middle aged man with a pot belly, wearing a black suit and sunglasses despite it being nighttime, pointed his gun towards me. The results of my search magic caused some concern. ¡°High blood pressure, high blood sugar, wig detected¡± As expected, it seems I still can¡¯t use magic in this world properly but¡­.. There¡¯s no mistaking this face. What happened to you these past 19 years, brother? Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Nyoibou is the Japanese name for Ruyi Bang, Sun Wukong¡¯s staff from Journey to the West. 2: Vajra is a ritual weapon symbolizing the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force). 3: The word yabai means bad or dangerous but as slang also means great or cool. CH 8 There exists a concept known as the law of universal gravitation. Objects above the ground are not just pulled down, but every object in the universe is pulling on one another. In other words they have gravitational pull. That was the same even in the other world. The heavier something is the stronger the pull towards the ground is. However the two masses before my eyes, as if to mock that law, bounce upwards to emphasise their beautiful shape and glossy tone. ¡°Ta- Tatatatatsuya-kun, so suddenly. Ma- Maya is still awake I think¡± As I was absorbed contemplating physics, Kanako-chan takes a pose reminiscent of Sandro Botticelli¡¯s ¡®The Birth of Venus¡¯. Her right hand covering her chest and her left hand at a more important place. ¨D¨DAah, it¡¯s like the goddess of beauty is here. The new truth brought to me by contemplating fine arts left a deep impression on me. ¡°What are you doing to mom!¡± From behind, Maya-chan does a jumping knee drop. ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á ¡°Now, get walking!¡± I decided that it was probably not a good idea to dodge and took Maya-chan¡¯s jumping knee drop to the face. It¡¯s definitely not because, as her legs were spread wide open, my gaze was drawn once again to her flower print panties. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Asks Kanako-chan with a concerned face¡­.. But Maya-chan, with her ears and tail hidden, replies, ¡°Don¡¯t worry mom. I¡¯ll be sure to properly train this mongrel¡± She grabs me by the scruff of the neck and drags me out of the changing room to the storefront. ¡°Rook is chasing after the fleeing mages, Shrine Maiden-chan is in custody in my special room. That place is fully equipped with food and a bathroom¡± ¡°But the mafia and your brother still remain right¡± Oh yeah, they were so irrelevant I completely forgot. I thought they would have run away by now but my brother is still slumped down in front of the store. The rest of the mafia have also collapsed outside. ¡°Ryuujin-sama subdued them¡± I look up and see the Dragon King looking down on the mafia who are groaning. ¡°The Dragon King¡¯s nickname. They call me Sato-chan back, it¡¯s how our relationship is Maya-chan wordlessly tilts her head, ¡°What should we do with these guys¡± I gaze at the five dirty men and fold my arms, ¡°Whatever we do, we probably shouldn¡¯t just let them run like this¡± She pouts her cheeks and glares at me Certainly this is a place with bad public order where bandits can roam around mugging people and leaving the fallen cartridges and bullets would cause trouble for Kanako-chan later. ¡°Understood¡± I use magic to gather all the traces of a gunfight and shove them into the minivan then fix my younger brothers wig before poking him in the cheek. ¡°Y-Y-You¡¯re¡­..¡± I feel some pity looking at his frightened expression but, ¡°Coward who flees from sin, when night descends remember this face. ¨D¨DThis is terror¡± I gaze into his eyes, and make a smile with my true face. While I¡¯m at it I search his memories of nineteen years ago but, as expected he wasn¡¯t even aware he killed his older brother. Like this I won¡¯t even be able to pinpoint the person behind this all. I stuff my brother, who had fainted once again, into the minivan and speak to the collapsed mafia members, ¡°Now please drive safely on your way back¡± After I use magic to plant a suggestion on them, they all nod their heads up and down and pile into the car. ¡°Hey, what kind of magic was that?¡± ¡°A simple suggestion. They¡¯ll return to normal in a few hours¡± Well, my brother might not be able to sleep for a while. ¡°Not the mafia, that hopeless person who seems like they may be related by blood¡± I stroke Maya-chan¡¯s head, whose expression had turned serious. ¡°I didn¡¯t use any sort of magic¡± As I tell her the truth¡­.. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Kanako says batsuichi which literally means one cross (as in having a name struck from the family register) and is slang for a divorcee so Saitou¡¯s confusion is slightly more understandable. Sorry for missing a chapter last week I was pretty busy over the Christmas/New Year period. With this chapter we¡¯ve finished the first act of Great Sage. See you next week for the start of act 2, ¡®Fools Dance in the Moonlit Night¡¯. CH 9 January 12, 2022Zathael Onsen Inari¡­.. official name [Thousand Years Onsen Inari Shrine] is about twenty minutes by bus from the station, overall the trip is no longer than three hours. I could have flown over instead but I was concerned about Maya-chan who is tagging along, and she said that she wanted to visit the newly opened cafe in the station so we decided to spend some time there. It¡¯s early October but the clear afternoon¡¯s light is warm so many people are still in short sleeves. Maya-chan is wearing a cap with a sports brand logo, a polo shirt, and jeans. It has a rough look but perhaps because of her sense of style, it draws the attention of those around her. The cafe is self service so it¡¯s full of youngsters enjoying their break. I somehow manage to order and enjoy having carbonated water for the first time in a while. ¡°What are you thinking about? Are you some kid?¡± It seems Maya-chan¡¯s anger has not yet subsided, I look at my glass and narrow my eyes. ¡°For some reason there was no carbonated juice on the other side. More importantly, tapioca pearls are still popular?¡± In the store was a [New Release!] poster for tapioca milk tea royal something something. I look at Maya-chan¡¯s glass and tilt my head. ¡°Eh¡­.. Oh you¡¯re right, they were popular in the late 90¡¯s too¡± Maya-chan is using that buttonless calculator like thing. ¡°What¡¯s that¡± ¡°Smartphones weren¡¯t around nineteen years ago huh¡± Then she gave me an explanation of modern internet and smartphones¡­.. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, truly [any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic]¡± I¡¯m somewhat moved. ¡°These days having a smartphone is¡­.. well a family register and money and common sense are all also necessary¡± ¡°For money I have something in mind, and I¡¯ve got common sense¡± Inside my storage magic there¡¯s many items that have no value in the other world that seem like they would go for a high price here. ¡°Common sense huh, then why did you do that to mom¡± ¡°Well I only realised halfway myself¡­..¡± That was after I fit the ring on Kanako-chan¡¯s finger. ¡°Mom¡¯s stuck in bed isn¡¯t she¡± No matter how much I tried to explain, Kanko-chan drifted to her room saying ¡°Let me rest for a bit¡±. I had completely forgotten about wedding rings or engagement rings. In the other world, rings were considered to be items for magic so that concept didn¡¯t exist. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Fukuzawa Yukichi is a japanese writer amongst other things and an early advocate for reform in the Meiji period. He is featured on the 10,000 yen note. 2: Torii are traditional japanese gates found at Shinto shrines. 3: I¡¯ve changed mage to practitioner because in retrospect its probably better to make a distinction between western type magic and eastern type magic. This change has been applied retroactively to previous chapters. 4: Komusou are monks of the Fuke school of Buddhism that wear kimono alongside a straw basket on their head and are known for playing a shakuhachi flute. 5: Tokusatsu is a type of live action show that makes heavy use of special effects like ultraman or kamen rider. CH 10 ¡°Maya-chan, stay back¡± I turn to the man in komusou clothing and take a step forward, ¡°The head temple left me with an annoying job but it seems things have gotten interesting¡± The man smiles. ¡°If that is truly his name, then he has the greatest firepower in the Kashizu sect, the man known as [Flaming Death Fist]¡±1 I hear Maya-chan¡¯s voice from behind my back. I¡¯m getting somewhat excited. That kind of nickname is a man¡¯s dream. ¡°Are you a fool ignorant of sin, a coward fleeing from sin, or a sin I must bear¡± I take Nyoi out of storage and strike a similar pose. Behind me, I hear a sigh though¡­.. ¡°Hou¡± The man throws the staff in his hands to the side, ¡°A man who prefers to speak with his fists huh¡± Flaming Death Fist Yuikuu converts his mana into flames that faintly clad his body and takes the pose of a Deva king statue.2 That was probably out of consideration for Maya-chan so that she wouldn¡¯t be injured while clashing with Nyoi. With his mana capacity, he should be able to use combustion type magic as he pleases. I too discard Nyoi and take a fighting pose barehanded. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m bad at close quarters combat and I also don¡¯t want to cause collateral damage. ¡°Hahaha! It seems you are a true man among men, now come!¡± At Yuikuu¡¯s words I advance and¡­.. Once again, I hear Maya-chan¡¯s deep sigh. ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á Yuikuu¡¯s blows were heavy. In the other other world there was a time I caught the legendary giant ogre¡¯s punch but Yuikuu¡¯s speed and power was greater. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: His nickname is “䚢Ñ×Õß(Bokusatsuenja) which literally translates as strike murder flame person. 2: Deva king statue 3: Taishakuten is the Buddhist equivalent of Indra. 4: Yuikuu says to ¡®the salt¡¯ which comes from the japanese saying ¡®to give salt to your enemy¡¯ and means to something like ¡®show humanity to one¡¯s enemy¡¯. The phrase originates from a story from the sengoku period where Uesugi Kenshin sent salt to his enemy, Takeda Shingen, who was cut off from salt supplies. 5: Shimenawa are ropes made of straw or hemp used to consecrate areas or as a talisman against evil. CH 11 February 9, 2022Zathael This is a story from the time I was in the Infinite Book Corridor. ¡°Fools will thoughtlessly believe only in their own experience, saints understand the hearts of others and share in their pain, and sages understand the significance of history and learn from it¡± Master spoke to me as I was struggling through a history book. I liked reading books on magic or physical chemistry as the basic theory was the same as science textbooks in my previous world so it wasn¡¯t that difficult, plus I¡¯ve always thought of history as a rote learning subject, ¡°Do I still lack understanding¡± I had failed master¡¯s comprehension level check many times before. ¡°Perhaps so, then let me tell you a story about the empires founding that you just read¡± When the human race¡¯s largest [Empire] was just formed, master was invited to a certain party. There, a certain man told her. ¡°Killing nobles requires neither sword nor magic, even if it¡¯s a lie, convincing everyone that they have a bad reputation is enough¡± Hearing her words, I nodded as if I was interested and understood, ¡°That was this man¡±¡£ She pointed to the name of the short lived third emperor. ¡°After all, a schemer is one who wallows in schemes and there is nothing more difficult to deal with than to be treated as evil¡± According to the book, that man put out many policies and became a cornerstone of the over 2000 year old empire. Then master took out a nearby book on magic, ¡°Curse magic will, without fail, also curse the caster¡± Was written on the page she pointed to. ¡°All fields of study are connected, people will repeatedly make the same mistakes over and over. That is what it means to learn from history¡± And then with a somewhat sad expression, ¡°Resentment will eat into a person, malice permeates through a group and rots them. Because the most fearsome of curses is not magic but [human malice]. It is better to resolve it swiftly¡± She rested her hand lightly on my cheek. ¡°Oh yeah just like how no matter how many times you try to be careful, when I walk up the stairs you peek at my skirt¡± I was panicking as my intentions to sneakily peek were exposed once again, ¡°Ending the repetition of the same foolish actions and inviting others to a new path is also the duty of a sage¡± Master stood up and waved the short dress skirt that she had been wearing a lot recently and, like a mischievous young girl, stuck out her tongue. In doing so, in the corridors faint light, I caught a glimpse of her lovely pure white panties. Yes, that was¡­.. the first time I got knocked down by my master. ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á They lead me to a large tatami room where Maya-chan is sitting cross legged on a floor cushion with a disgruntled face, ¡°My lord, I have been expecting you¡± Wrapped in white clothing, the beautiful gentle girl is sitting next to her. ¡°Earlier I showed you an unsightly scene¡­..¡± Her cheeks turn red. That embarrassed appearance is something that¡¯s fairly difficult to come by. ¡°No it was a sight for sore eyes. My creed is a strong style to not refuse anything that comes my way so don¡¯t worry about it¡±1 However in the case of romance it¡¯s never worked out so maybe in this instance a change in philosophy is required. When I asked master about love she replied ¡°I- Idiot, even I know about that!¡± and got mad but in the end she never taught me anything. Even now, Chiyo is looking at me with a troubled smile. I sit down on the cushion set opposite her and girls in red hakama place tea and snacks on a tray one after another. The girls who were all around intermediate to upper primary school glanced repeatedly at me. They all have bobbed hair to their shoulders and their cute faces were all somewhat similar. ¡°Please feel free to eat¡± Chiyo-san clears her throat with a cough as if to suggest that I regain my composure so I pick up the teacup when, ¡°Ah¡± Perhaps because my grip strength hasn¡¯t returned yet, it slips out of my hand. A great sound rings out as it hits the tray, ¡°Kya¡± ¡°Eh¡± ¡°Awawawa!¡± The young girls¡¯ screams chain together¡­.. Young foxes panic and run around the room The young girls wearing red hakamas can no longer be seen. ¡°Now now, this is disgraceful. Calm down at once¡± At Chiyo-san¡¯s words, the young foxes huddle up in the corners of the room. ¡°What are you doing, scaring those kids¡± Maya-chan is glaring at me but, ¡°These kids are the children of kitsune who live in the forest and still aren¡¯t used to taking the form of a human. However after hearing the news, they said they really wanted to meet my lord¡± Chiyo-san makes a gentle smile and tilts her head. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Strong style is a term that originates from japanese professional wrestling and as slang means something along the lines of ¡®leaving out any excessive showiness and facing something head on¡¯ 2: Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the great unifiers of japan. A more organised person would probably make sure they have some plan in case they are suddenly busy but instead you have me. Sorry I missed last week but there was a lot of work to do after returning from my trip. CH 12 February 16, 2022Zathael I organise the current situation and assemble a chessboard in my head. 1. Yuikuu said that his job was complete after I reached the kitsune. 2. From Chiyo-san¡¯s story, it seems that the Shimogami School¡¯s target was Chiyo-san herself. 3. And that it¡¯s origin traces back to the later years of the sengoku period. Which means that there¡¯s the possibility that the Kashizu Sect had a problem with Chiyo-san falling into the Shimogami School¡¯s hands. ¨D¨DBut if the Kashizu Sect is backing the Mafia, then they¡¯ve only started to move recently. This means that there is a factor that occurred recently I do not know about. Not to mention that the attacker from last night, who concealed their presence, aimed for Kanako-chan. As expected I still can¡¯t assess this board state, I need whatever incident occurred recently. If I can find that, this board will be complete. As I was engrossed in my thoughts, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what should I do¡­..¡± Chiyo-san¡¯s fluffy ears droop despondently. ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed yet and there¡¯s still lots we don¡¯t know. To solve that, could you set up an opportunity for me to speak directly to the Shimogami School¡± Talking it out is the best way to settle things amicably after all. The win condition is not to subdue the enemy but securing the safety of Kanako-chan, Maya-chan, and Chiyo-san. ¡°Yes, that is not a problem¡­..¡± Chiyo-san turns to Maya-chan with a concerned look. ¡°It¡¯s the same for us kitsune too but a contract should have equal value¡± To which Maya-chan makes a forced smile and looks to me. Even in the previous world, demons and apparitions would honour contracts of equal terms and those with responsibilities in the human race such as nobles would seek compensation to assure their promises. A story from the time Master explained [the responsibility of those with great power] to me. ¡°There is no reason to be concerned with unreliable things such as good and evil, money and influence. Adhering to your principles and honouring the way of the world is the responsibility of those with great power¡± After that, ¡°However, at times, this can also lead to disaster. Unequal exchanges can throw the balance of the world into disarray¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: The demon¡¯s gate(Kimon) refers to the northeast direction and is believed to be the place where oni and other evil spirits enter from. CH 13 February 23, 2022Zathael After returning home with Maya-chan, ¡°Sorry I¡¯m still not feeling well¡­.. but today is a day for celebration so let¡¯s get sushi for dinner¡± Kanako-chan¡¯s face is still red. ¡°Celebration?¡± ¡°Yup¡± Then with light steps, she returns to the second floor. ¡°If you make mom unhappy I won¡¯t forgive you okay¡± I seem to have annoyed Maya-chan¡­.. I¡¯m sure the reason is that I wasn¡¯t able to properly resolve the misunderstanding. Even I can figure out something like that. ¡°I¡¯ll properly take responsibility¡± ¡°Hmmm, is it alright to leave it to you?¡± ¡°Of course¡± Maya-chan glares at me with suspicion. ¡°Well whatever, getting sushi is nice¡± She brings out some delivery menus from the dining room and looks over them happily. Whenever you feel you¡¯ve made a mistake, even if it seems like a detour, reassessing the situation from the beginning is the quickest and best route. While arranging the memories of the few days I¡¯ve been here, I return to my room and dismantle the smartphone I bought. As expected, the structure of the smartphone was the same as the basic circuit of the latest magic tools in the other world. In order to compare, I bring out the [Status Window] and disassemble it in the same way and find that many parts bear a resemblance to each other. Despite the difference of magic tools using mana as energy whereas phones use electricity as energy, ¡°Like this there¡¯s bound to be some patent infringements¡± Well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing there¡¯s no system of that sort in the other world. As a test I consume a pawn to transplant some parts from the status window into the phone. Then pour mana into it, ¡°As I thought¡­..¡± The smartphone¡¯s start screen appears. I take out the manual and instructions from inside the box and open up the settings only to be even more surprised. ¡°Wh- What¡¯s this¡­..¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: The master she uses is goshujinsama the same kind you¡¯ll typically hear from maids as opposed to shishou which saitou uses for his master. 2: While technically ayakashi is meant to refer to yokai that appear above a body of water the two terms are more or less used interchangeably. CH 14 March 2, 2022Zathael ¡°I¡¯m 119 years old. But until nineteen years ago I was just a cat so¡­.. I¡¯m 19 nyan ?¡± As the black cat ears above her long silky hair sways, she brings her two hands up to her cheeks and curls them like a cat. It¡¯s pretty cute. ¡°Nyan my ass!¡± While I was admiring her, Maya-chan hits the cat on top of the head with a slipper. Where did she get that slipper from? ¡°Why¡¯d you do that¡± The cat glares at Maya-chan who brings out her ears and tail and growls in response. It looks like two beasts fighting over territory. Were they on bad terms to begin with I wonder? I¡¯ll ask one of them indirectly later. ¡°If it¡¯s like that then servitude is the safest option¡± Having her completely under my control is the easiest way to protect her. ¡°I object! We¡¯ve already heard what we can from her, let¡¯s just stuff her into a cardboard box or something and leave her by the riverside¡± Apparently Maya-chan is against it. ¡°But Maya-chan what about animal rights laws¡± ¡°Then contact an animal shelter or something¡± I don¡¯t think an animal shelter will accept her¡­.. ¡°M-Master, please don¡¯t say something like that¡± Even if it¡¯s an act, I¡¯m weak to crying. Well, I did promise after all, ¡°Maya-chan, I¡¯ll take responsibility for this cat so please let it be¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t know when she might betray us¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll bind her with an [Oath]¡± That seems to have convinced Maya-chan. ¡°I¡¯m missing a bishop so I guess I¡¯ll fit you there? For living arrangements, you can continue to stay in my tent like before¡± ¡°Of course that¡¯s perfectly fine with me¡± The cat clings to me in joy prompting Maya-chan to deliver a chop to her head. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: The japanese emergency number for fire/ambulance is 119. 2: Idk of any english equivalents for the term moe, cute is the closest maybe but then she uses cute later in the explanation. 3: The word for curse here is akutai which means abusive language. I think this is a reference to akutaimatsuri which is a festival in which people will yell out insults as a means of warding evil and relieving stress. CH 15 March 13, 2022Zathael After showing her the shrine maiden outfit and the extracted self destruct spell, I manage to clear things up with Maya-chan. ¡°So a guest did come but it seems they¡¯re looking for you¡± ¡°What are they like?¡± ¡°A boing-boing blondie¡±1 I don¡¯t understand what Maya-chan is saying at all but after moving to the reception I see a familiar looking blond man in a black suit accompanying Boing-boing Blondie-san who is sitting across the counter. I walk up to the counter and smile. With a high class business suit and bold blonde hair, she looks over me with her large blue eyes. ¡°I understand why Yuikuu would compare you to Taishakuten. I won¡¯t waste your time so could we talk for a bit¡± She pulls a business card out of her pocket. In response, search magic once again activates unintentionally, ¡°Height 172 centimeters, hip 84, waist 58, bust 98, D cup¡± The strange report is displayed. It seems my skills are rampaging on their own. ¡°Fine by me¡± Blondie-san speaks to the man standing behind her in a small voice, causing my translation magic to trigger. It seems this one is functioning normally, [I don¡¯t think the silver bullets from the church will work on this man, have our comrades step down] So it was translated. Based off the pronunciation she¡¯s not speaking english but russian or something similar. [What business do you have with me at this time of night] I match my words to theirs, [My, It¡¯s the first I¡¯ve met someone in Japan that can speak our mother tongue] She laughs heartily. However, Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Maya says patsukin which is kinpatsu(blond hair) backwards. I love having to translate slang 2: Japanese count large numbers in units of ten thousand(10,000 then 100,000,000 etc) so he¡¯s asking for 50(10,000). CH 16 Half a month has passed since I made a deal with Alona of the Lithomanmari National Trade Association. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Loss of X is a term used to refer to a feeling of loss or hopelessness, like when a series ends or a celebrity gets married. This chapter marks the end of the second act. The next act is titled ¡®Saint¡¯s Conceal Sorrow Within Their Chest¡¯. CH 17 March 23, 2022Zathael As I rush through the shopping district¡¯s main street, I lookup the exact location of the development company Ryuuki works at. ¡°Teleportation¡­.. no, at this distance flying is just as fast¡± Teleportation magic follows the shortest route and leaves you unprotected the moment you appear. In the other world it was a common tactic to purposeful teleport your opponent and prepare a counter. ¡°Dunno if it¡¯s possible with the magic of this world but it¡¯s best to be careful¡± Now the problem is the two beasts following behind me¡­.. ¡°Maya-chan, Haruka, don¡¯t follow me it¡¯s not safe¡± Still facing forwards, I yell at them, ¡°I refuse¡± ¡°Master and I will share the same fate¡± Such wonderful replies came. Looking back, I see Haruka in a maid outfit and¡­.. CH 18 April 6, 2022Zathael In the end, Maya-chan ended up wearing the same maid outfit as Haruka. As expected I won¡¯t be able to relive my youth¡­.. Perhaps because she¡¯s taller than Haruka, the skirt seems to be shorter and since her chest is large the front of her apron dress also turns into something incredible. In my opinion it¡¯s more erotic than the sailor uniform but, ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than before¡± Spoke bouncy eromaid-san. ¡°Anyway let¡¯s hurry¡± I somehow draw my eyes away from Maya-chan¡¯s swaying chest, [Bright Urban Planning]1 Is written on the nameplate. This is Ryuuki¡¯s place of work¡­.. Is it the company¡¯s mascot or something? A character, who I can¡¯t help but see as that, is plastered on the door with a vulgar smile.2 ¨D¨DJust where is Ryuuki headed. I suppress the urge to retort and gently open the door causing a scent that I had grown familiar to in the other world to waft into my nose. Behind me, Haruka¡¯s eyes turn sharp and Maya-chan raises her eyebrows. CH 19 April 10, 2022Zathael I contact Chiyo-san, ¡°My Lord, thanks to the first aid treatment, the injured people you transferred should recover by the morning¡± She says with a calm voice. ¡°Were you attacked?¡± ¡°It appears that hundreds of monsters came but¡­.. were unable to leave a scratch on My Lord¡¯s barrier. Azan and Unzan have been left with nothing to do¡± I confirm the appearance of the monsters before switching to contact the Lithomanmari Trade Association. However no matter how much I call, there is no response. Just in case I try to contact the Dragon Lord, ¡°Ngya, nygagya, gyaagyaa¡± It roars in response. ¡°Is mom okay?¡± ¡°It seems fine, Gyaa-chan said that if something appeared he would handle it appropriately¡± ¡°Hey, do you really understand what it¡¯s saying?¡± Maya-chan tilts her head, ¡°Master¡¯s so cool!¡± Haruka¡¯s eyes are sparkling. CH 20 April 13, 2022Zathael ¡°Queen, prepare for a sacrifice¡°1 As I give my orders, Haruka finally recovers from Queen¡¯s overwhelming mana, ¡°What do you mean by that¡± She raises her hand meekly. ¡°A direct translation is [Self Sacrifice] but in chess terms it means to [to give up a piece in order to gain an advantageous position]¡±2 Maya-chan, who is sitting next to Haruka, explains. It seems Maya-chan doesn¡¯t play chess anymore but when she was a child I heard she often played with her grandfather. ¡°Since the Lithomanmari Trade Association is quite far from here, the enemy must be planning to make me use teleportation magic¡± The exit for teleportation magic appears first, making it easier for enemies to detect. Not to mention that until the caster is fully transported, they are unable to use magic. If you try and force it you could end up stuck inside a sub dimension, and at worst you may end up drifting though time as a [Lost Child of Time]. ¡°Purposely drawing me here was probably also part of their plan to make me use teleportation magic¡± CH 21 We exit into the parking lot in front of the building. ¡°I can¡¯t see Queen anywhere¡± Maya-chan looks up to the sky in concern, ¡°The whole building¡­.. all the way up to the sky is enclosed in a barrier¡± Haruka frowns in disgust. ¡°Were going to charge in, but first let¡¯s inspect our equipment¡± Haruka must be accustomed to this because she checks over her western style hand fan and recently made shikigami while a flustered Maya-chan watches. ¡°This is the basics of combat, with preparation there is nothing to fear¡± Slightly concerned, I walk up to Maya-chan¡­.. I bring out a glove with knuckle guards and leather breastplate from storage magic and use reinforcement magic to adjust the size. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°These gloves were used by the legendary berserker, they increase the force of your blows so its perfect for someone as ferocious as you¡± Maya-chan accepts them with a somewhat twisted face. ¡°¡­..I see, t-thanks. So, the other one is?¡± CH 22 I pull out two knights to search the building but the second and third floors are enclosed in a special barrier and I get no response. Instead I receive a message from the rooftop. ¡°I¡¯ve secured the area up here darling¡± ¡°I see, did everything go alright¡± ¡°Of course, don¡¯t worry I made sure to properly follow our accord and didn¡¯t kill a single person. They should all be seeing pleasant dreams right now¡± ¡°Thanks, the boss seems to be right below you. It¡¯ll be helpful to pincer him later so can you watch over the sleeping kids for a bit¡± I cut our connection and reassess the situation. On the first floor is two figures thought to be from the demon army, eight monsters under their control, and one man monitoring them all. Having finished transporting the injured, Samon, Umon, Maya-chan, and Haruka are ordering the mafia to retreat while helping to defend. ¡°So how are we making our entrance¡± Yuikuu stands by my side. ¡°Do you know the man at the back who¡¯s observing?¡± The man behind the demon army is wearing the same priest garbs as Yuikuu. ¡°I recognise his face but we¡¯ve never spoken. Perhaps he¡¯s shy, whenever I get close he would run away. While we¡¯re at it, are those monsters in the front your acquaintances? I¡¯ve never seen anything like them¡± ¡°I know them very well, they¡¯re also very shy. Whenever I get close they flee¡± ¡°Then for starters, how about we go deepen our relationship with our respective friends?¡± As Yuikuu says, the best plan is to deal with the opponents we are familiar with. Plus it¡¯s a practical chance to understand the quirks of different techniques. Yuikuu must be thinking the same thing, ¡°Thanks Maya-chan, in many ways, I understand what¡¯s going on better¡± ¡°Then Master! Let¡¯s leave this monk to the handsome long haired Onii-sans and move onto the second floor. Yuugen was my former superior so I know his tricks well¡± Haruka looks up to me, ¡°Some of them will be controlling ayakashi like Reina and I. So¡­.. please take me along¡± She has a strong look in her eyes. ¡°I more or less understand the two ladies¡¯ situation now, so should the four of us head on together? Also the maid outfit is a great look¡± Amused, Yuikuu hits me on the back. No, the maid outfit was their idea though¡­.. I was about to object when, ¡°Understanding the appeal of moe is also the mark of a man¡± Yuikuu brings his face close and murmurs. ¨D¨DIt appears I have yet to understand modern japan¡¯s sense of values. CH 23 May 11, 2022Zathael As we break through the barrier on the second floor, I plan our formation. ¡°Haruka will attack first then I¡¯ll follow her and provide support. Maya-chan and Yuikuu can¡­..¡± ¡°How about you entrust the rear guard to me¡± Given Yuikuu¡¯s strength, it would be inefficient to have Maya-chan between us and there¡¯s no reason to guard the back but it seems he has something in mind. And in that case it¡¯s probably best to leave it to him. I give him a nod, ¡°Master please watch! I¡¯ve devised a whole lot of new ultimate techniques so look forward to them¡± Haruka opens her western style hand fan and smiles. Going up the fire escape and through the emergency exit we¡¯re greeted with three girls in shine maiden clothes loitering in the dim hallway. Their eyes are unfocused and they¡¯re carrying things like katanas, khakkharas, and gavels.1 Behind them is a tall skinny man with a pale face wearing white clothing. ¡°I guess the guys from Kashizu and the demon army are all useless. What¡¯s this, the filthy cat that should have been disposed of is here¡­.. what a dilemma¡± As you would expect from his appearance, an unpleasant smile crosses his face. The man waves his hand and the shrine maiden girls attack Haruka. ¡°I¡¯m going to save you all so hold on¡± Haruka dodges their attacks with the agility of a cat and releases confetti from her fan. ¡°Such childish tricks are useless¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Khakkhara are staffs traditionally carried by Buddhist monks. 2: Shiki being short for shikigami. CH 24 May 19, 2022Zathael I catch the unconscious Maya-chan, ¡°You should rest for a bit, your complexion looks awful. Let me and the cat girl deal with freeing the hostages and interrogating that scrawny onmyouji¡± Yuikuu pats me on the back. I didn¡¯t notice before but my palms have gotten sweaty. My breathing is rough and sense of mana is off too. I manage to regulate my mana circuits and calm my breathing, ¡°Y¡­.. Yeah¡± Maya-chan¡¯s consciousness returns. ¡°Are you alright¡± I peer into her eyes to confirm, ¡°Eh, yeah, um, I¡¯m fine¡± Her face slowly turns red and she averts her eyes. There¡¯s no longer any shadows hiding in the depths of her eyes and her body is shivering. Concerned, I activate search magic but it doesn¡¯t work like I expected. In the analysis display, only the word [LOVE?] is flashing. There seems to be a big problem. ¡°Do you have a headache or chills or numbness in the body?¡± I give up on using magic and swap to palpation. I put my hand on her wrists and nape to check her heartbeat and temperature and find her heart rate increasing and body temperature rising. ¡°Ah, eh, what is it¡± CH 25 June 1, 2022Zathael ¡°What are you after, Yuikuu¡± I ask as we escort Maya-chan and Haruka towards the first floor, ¡°There¡¯s been a number of suspicious events and disasters in this area, the head temple insisted that this was due to the [Eyes of Calamity] but that didn¡¯t make sense to me. Thus I investigated on my own¡± According to Yuikuu, the [Eyes of Calamity] are a technique used by those on the path to enlightenment to ward off disaster. Then he discovered that the recent events showed signs of techniques from a system different to the Kashizu sect, Shimogami School, or the ayakashi of this country, ¡°I thought it might have been Europe¡¯s [Turn Crusader(Shadow Unit of the Church)] or America¡¯s [CUA(Central Unnatural Abilities Administration)] coming to Japan to make trouble but¡­..¡± Yuikuu laughs, ¡°Something more interesting came out¡± While listening to Yuikuu¡¯s story, a case of vertigo assaults me. ¡°Are you okay¡± Yuikuu supports me with a concerned look. ¡°I still haven¡¯t fully adjusted to it but it shouldn¡¯t pose a problem with dealing with the two on the third floor.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s why you sent those ladies back¡± I cant help but make a bitter smile at his keen intuition. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: The phrase ¡®Can¡¯t be underestimated¡¯ literally translates as ¡®Can¡¯t be put into a corner¡¯. CH 26 June 8, 2022Zathael Opening the fire exit for the third floor, the dense mana pricks my skin. I cut off all mana towards my eyes and suppress the mana within the rest of my body to the minimum. While I¡¯m waiting for the time to storm in. ¡°Do you want to go for a drink after this?¡± I give him a smile but Yuikuu¡¯s face warps. ¡°I do not drink alcohol¡± He looks like the type who would like to drink though¡­.. ¡°Do you really not drink?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t talk about it that much though¡± Seeing Yuikuu¡¯s troubled face, I hold back my laughter. ¡°I prefer sweet things instead¡± He mutters. ¡°Ok, then let¡¯s get something sweet. I prefer it to alcohol too¡± That¡¯s right, sweet things are the taste of a cool man. I give him a nod, ¡°It seems your spiritual energy has settled a bit, then I¡¯ll deal with the room at the front while you head to the end of the hallway¡± I nod at Yuikuu¡¯s words and begin to run down the hallway, from behind me I can hear the sound of him enthusiastically breaking down the door. Will he really be able to plead for his life after that I wonder while I unconsciously dodge a slash that flies towards me. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t say much, this is a problem that precedes acting skills¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: Going to take a break for the next two weeks to focus on my exams. Sorry about that. CH 27 July 7, 2022Zathael After I hear Moulin walk down the emergency exit, I sever the mana to my eyes once again and lower it to the limits in the rest of my body. The headache and chills haven¡¯t stopped but at least I can walk straight. I slowly open the door to the room that Yuikuu entered with [Branch Manager¡¯s Office] on the front¡­.. The room has a delicate atmosphere. Inside the room is only Yuikuu and Alona-san. As if in a comedy skit, Yuikuu is lying spread out on the ground in front of the gaudy sofa. Alona-san is tightly bound to a chair beside the desk in the back, looking at him affectionately. The way she¡¯s tied up is similar to what I¡¯ve seen on the packaging of videos for adult gentlemen, emphasizing her large chest. Tortoise shell bondage was it¡­.. I believe it was called something like that. Her shirt button has come off, putting her black lace brassiere on full display, and the cord tightens in the centre of her tight skirt, it¡¯s complete chaos. Seeing the beautiful blond woman in such a state, it¡¯s hard to tell what¡¯s going on¡­.. I look over the room once again and confirm no one else is there. Is this after Yuikuu has beaten Ashiya, having extracted what he needed to know. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Amida and Shaka are the japanese names for Amitabha and Gautama Buddha respectively. CH 28 July 13, 2022Zathael Hera begins to absorb my mana as she hugs me. My distorted memories begin to settle but at the same time my physical strength is drained. ¡°You¡¯re always pushing yourself¡­.. Darling is an idiot¡± ¡°Did I release the restraints on my mana again¡± Hera looks me over with a sad face, ¡°About half is it, well if it¡¯s like that then it¡¯ll calm down soon¡± It seems like shes trying to smile. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s about to cry or laugh but, looking at the legendary witch¡¯s complex face¡­.. I lose consciousness. ¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á¡¡¡Á Within my dream, I have the self awareness that I am dreaming. I am hanging on a branch over a clear spring, concealing my breath like a hunter aiming for it¡¯s prey. That¡¯s right, near the hermitage where me and Master lived there was a beautiful abundant spring but the people of the nearby village were too scared to come close. In the past, it was said that there lived a fairy there that was so beautiful that men would fall in love at first sight and never leave the forest, and women would go insane with jealousy. ¨D¨DAlthough the origin of the rumour is Master. It was a time after I had left the Infinite Book Corridor and was learning practical skills in the forest. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Once again a reference to Sun Wukong, Kinto¡¯un is the name of his magical flying cloud. 2: The trigeminal nerve is the part of the nervous system responsible for sending pain, touch and temperature sensations from your face to your brain. I forgot to mention but last chapter was the end of act 3 and this chapter marks the beginning of act 4: Even then, the Great Sage Wishes for a Modest Happiness. Edit: Forgot to put Great Sage in the title so the chapter wasn¡¯t updated automatically in novelupdates, my bad. CH 29 July 20, 2022Zathael While I fell headfirst into the valley, I thought back to the story of [The Queen of Darkness and the Valley of Death]. There was a single picture book on it in the Infinite Book Corridor. What¡¯s this doing here¡­.. I found it strange so I consulted Master about it. ¡°That¡¯s the most well known fairy tale in this world. It¡¯s passed down as a cautionary tale for children but sadly the events are real¡± With a bitter smile, she opened the book. It was late in the night and I was preparing to sleep in the corner of the hallway as I usually did, ¡°How about I read this to you as a bedtime story¡± I turned on the magic lantern and entered my sleeping bag as Master sat down beside my pillow. Her smooth kneecaps and the pure white panties behind them flickered in the dim light. ¡°Long ago, there was an extremely beautiful girl¡± Her lovely voice, like a ringing bell, reverberated throughout the silent corridor. ¡°More than Master?¡± ¡°Fool, don¡¯t interrupt the story as it¡¯s just beginning!¡± Master pouted her red cheeks cutely but the punch she gave me afterwards almost sent me to sleep forever. Translator¡¯s Notes: Make sure you haven¡¯t missed last chapter because I forgot to put great sage in the title and the chapter wasn¡¯t picked up by automatically on novelupdates. Edit: This one didn¡¯t update automatically either for some reason, guess I¡¯ll have to start doing them manually from now on. CH 30 July 27, 2022Zathael As I was falling down the cliffs, perhaps due to the curse of the Witch of Darkness, a peculiar mana was emanating to my left and right and I was unable to use magic properly. Gradually my body became enveloped in a darkness that light couldn¡¯t pierce, ¡°Ugh¡± I finally hit the ground. ¡°Owowow¡± At the very least, it didn¡¯t hurt as much as being hit by Master, ¡°Normally you¡¯d die from that¡± For a while I couldn¡¯t move my body and looking up I was unable to see the sky. My body was surrounded by the dark. I managed to stand up and confirm I was uninjured, ¡°Is this a side effect of the healing magic I receive after being hit by Master?¡± The durability of my own body surprised me. ¡°Well let¡¯s just call it the results of my training¡± It¡¯s definitely not because I¡¯ve been harassing Master too much. At that time I could still only use simple magic and determined that I would not be able to break through the anti-magic field and fly out, CH 31 August 3, 2022Zathael I was the one who awoke first. The beautiful woman with red hair sleeping next to me was naked so I took off my robe to cover her. The woman glowed silvery white and seemed younger than before. Concerned I opened the robe to confirm and found that her large chest had shrunk slightly but the springiness had increased and they pointed upwards. ¡°Huh?¡± Should I be happy or sad I wonder. As I was engrossed musing over medical science, the sword at my feet also began to glow silver, ¡°Broken child led into this world by my mother Lilianess, I am the one who observes fate, Arius¡± Wearing knights clothing, a slender man appeared pompously before me. He gave off an impression similar to the vocals for a idol group that specialised in roller skates.1 ¡°Good morning¡± I didn¡¯t have any idea what time it was then but¡­.. as I had just woken up, I remember hearing that such a greeting was common even if it was nighttime in the business world, ¡°A-Ah, morning¡± Somewhat surprised, the slender man raised a hand to greet me. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: This is a reference to Hikaru Genji, an idol group in the 90s that performed dance routines on roller skates. 2: For those interested, she refers to herself using atai (the same pronoun she uses in the present day) rather than atashi like she did in the previous parts of the flashback. CH 32 Merging your consciousness with another person¡­.. It¡¯s an extremely strange sensation. Half a lifetimes worth of memories from a beautiful and gifted woman surged into me. Born into a wealthy family, loved by kind parents, the young girl was brought up like a princess. After receiving the trial of the gods, she wandered the forest and repeated the cycle of life and death over and over, united the demon tribes and became the Demon Lord, then sealed herself within the deep valley. Her great pain and suffering became my own experience and engraved itself upon my heart. I turned my head to find a blank white space with a woman with fiery red hair and tears streaming down her face. ¡°Your life was also full of hardships I see¡± Her appearance was that of her mid twenties but her way of speaking was that of a young girl. ¡°Well I do have experience dying but it¡¯s nothing compared to you Hera¡± There was a time in her memories, back when she was human, where she was called that. ¡°I¡¯ve already discarded that name so I would like it if you could call me by something else¡± Wearing nothing but my robe, she wrapped her arms around my neck and shut her red, well proportioned eyes. Various things touched me so it was troubling in multiple ways. ¡°Witch and Demon Lord are both not quite right. Then how about Queen?¡± I spoke, ¡°Sounds good, Darling¡± She smiled at me happily with upturned eyes and hugged me harder. Is that really what she¡¯s going to call me from now on? I was about to demand a change when, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Darling but I still think it¡¯s best I depart from this world. It¡¯s impossible to keep enduring this pain, besides¡­..¡± She slowly released her arms. The agony that Queen felt, as that god had said, reached me as well. It seems that she¡¯d noticed it too¡­.. ¡°Sorry but it seems that¡¯s not possible anymore¡± I grabbed the sword that was floating around in this space. CH 33 After Queen¡¯s old memories finished playing, I was in a bright white void. Only Queen is here, cuddling close to me in her mid twenties form¡­.. It appears I¡¯m still in the spirit world. ¡°As promised, I¡¯ll remove a [Shackle], Darling¡± Queen takes the spiritual body of the onmyouji known as Ashiya that I had absorbed within myself from out of thin air and opens her mouth wide before eating it whole. ¡°That¡¯s bad for your stomach¡± I speak with a sigh, ¡°Yeah, but this isn¡¯t enough to give me a stomachache I think? If they weren¡¯t Darling¡¯s fated enemy then it would be better to just squish him¡± Certainly, if I wasn¡¯t oblivious to the existence of magic at the time, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen for such a simple trap. ¡°With this, the curse that was cast on Darling has been removed, so I figured I¡¯d take this as one or my rewards or something¡± The way she narrows her red eyes and licks her lips is strangely erotic. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll properly reward you this time¡± Thanks to those precious metals, my wallet is full. No matter how great of a glutton Queen is, I should be able to manage. ¡°Yaaay! Then maybe I¡¯ll ask for the sweets of this world©`¡± I watch the delighted Queen, ¡°Then, wait a moment¡± She rests her hand gently over my head and speaks an incantation. ¡°This will probably please that parent and child with the eyes but¡­.. the one closest to Darling is me so I definitely won¡¯t lose¡± Queen rests her head on my shoulder while speaking. My body slowly awakens and when I open my eyes, I find myself still in the Lithomanmari Trade Associations branch manager office. Queen shines a pale light and begins to disappear. Our eyes meet and she winks at me before her body vanished and turns back into a chess piece. I¡¯m concerned about Ange but I have no choice but to reorganise and prepare so that they won¡¯t be able to run away again. CH 34 ¡°That was fast, welcome back¡± ¡°Good job at work today Darling¡± The operation was proceeding smoothly but two of the three culprits behind the the troubles in my private life are laughing behind the counter. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Maya-chan, in her school uniform, and Queen, wearing a frilly black lace gothic dress are looking in a catalog from the store. ¡°Choosing Queen-san¡¯s pajamas¡± Hearing Maya-chan¡¯s words, I take a peek. ¡°I was looking for some sexy nightwear that would excite you Darling but none of them stand out¡± Queen flips the page with a sigh. I left the Dragon King with Kanako-chan and Queen with Maya-chan as a bodyguard. Queen is normally a ribbon in Maya-chan¡¯s hair but from time to time she¡¯ll take human form and the two will play together. Back when she went to get sweets together with Queen in human form as a reward, ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a young girl order a cake whole and gobble it down so quickly¡± She was pretty surprised¡­.. Apart from that it seems they got on pretty well. She peeks at my face before turning away. I look at the catalog to find nothing but transparent one-pieces and underwear lined up. ¡°Hey, ho-how about this?¡± The photo the embarrassed Maya-chan pointed at is known as babydoll I think? The lace bra and one piece are joined together and in a thin blue outfit. ¡°I-I wonder¡± The image of Maya-chan wearing that floats in my head¡­.. CH 35 When I returned from the attack on the Lithomanmari Trade Association, I immediately went to speak with Kanako-chan, who is also a woman of marriageable age in a sense. ¡°I had prepared myself but this was beyond my expectations¡­.. Sorry Tatsuya-kun, it¡¯s going to take a while for me to sort out my feelings so can we discuss this gradually¡± She made a strained smile. Suddenly being told that your former husband was a kitsune or that I came from another world¡­.. I can appreciate how that can be difficult to follow. ¡°I understand, I¡¯m free to talk whenever you want¡± So I responded at the time. Since then, Kanako-chan has asked me questions from time to time but it¡¯s difficult talking about the cause of her former husbands death and often I found myself at a loss for words. It seemed like this would take a while but¡­.. Two days ago, Kanako-chan wandered around in front of my bedroom in her pajamas while holding a pillow. I thought I would have to prepare myself to speak with her but it seems that she lacked the determination and eventually returned to her room. Thinking of the past few days I lay on the futon in the room I was borrowing when one of the pawns I had left outside detected Kanako-chan near the door. It was too early for dinner so I opened the door curiously, ¡°Eh, ah, Tatatatatsuya-kun, are you free right now?¡± Kanako-chan in her work clothes, a jacket over her sweater, is holding a pillow for some reason and looks at me with a surprised face. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I was just thinking some things over¡± CH 36 September 23, 2022Zathael The shop on the map Yuikuu sent me was in a warehouse off the main road in a government designated port city near the Lithomanmari trade association. As I arrive at a park near the spot, the smell of the tide fills my nose and the surroundings begin to be shrouded in twilight. According to the clock in the park, it¡¯s almost five in the afternoon. I thought they would aim for the opening provided by teleportation magic but my pursuer simply watched from afar. I watch the trade ship docked in the port as I walk but nothing changes. I arrive at the front of the store to find a sign written in strong brush strokes, [Maid(Underworld) Cafe Scorching Hell]1 What a suspicious sign. ¨D¨DDid Yuikuu make it I wonder? The store itself looked like a stylish cafe remodeled from a warehouse but, ¡°That name would make you hesitate to come in¡± I take a deep sigh. Suppressing the urge to go home, I open the door, ¡°Welcome back, Master!¡± A maid with horns like an oni and chestnut hair comes up to me with a smile on her face. Inside the store is around ten tables plus counter seating and a number of women in similar maid outfits. It has the same atmosphere as the maid cafes I¡¯ve researched online so it¡¯s safe for now, Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: The word for underworld is meido. 2: The japanese equivalent of the saying ¡®the customer is always right¡¯ CH 37 September 30, 2022Zathael The cat eared maid leaves and the man in the hood sits down loudly in the seat Yuikuu was sitting in. The woman he brought with him sits at a nearby counter, laying down tiredly. I look at the woman with concern when the man removes his hood and ruffles his untidy spiky hair, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Saitou¡± He glares at me with a face similar to those that bullied me during middle and high school. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight, Cain¡± The Hero, Cain, has dark circles under his eyes and on his cheek is a cut that hasn¡¯t been healed with recovery magic. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised¡± Cain sneers, ¡°No I am surprised. I thought all three of you would come, what happened to Paladin Ryza¡± I answer him as I take a drink of water, ¡°After dealing with Moulin, that guy became too rebellious so I turned him into rust on my holy sword. Even though we made so many great memories together, he got attached to that woman in the end¡± He gestures towards his wound and smiles. ¡°I see, that¡¯s too bad¡± When I was in the hero party, the two seemed to get along¡­.. that¡¯s unfortunate. Or perhaps, that was all their friendship amounted to. ¡°Did you not hear from Moulin on her deathbed? He used a forbidden spell in order to steal Moulin from you¡± I did hear that story from Moulin after healing her. After making a secret deal with the demons, Hero Cain used a special magic tool to alter Ange and Moulin¡¯s heart. By the time we had defeated the Demon Lord, they were no longer sane. Even then the two of them were able to put up the bare amount of resistance, protecting their chastity with the resolve to end their life if Cain or Ryza tried to take them by force. Moulin spoke to me in tears. Remembering the story fills me with anger, but Cain¡¯s self serving lie, convinced that Moulin is dead, is ineffective. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not noticing sooner. Even though I was requested by Her Highness not just to subjugate the Demon Lord but also to educate the four of you¡± The mission given to me by Her Highness was to subjugate the Demon Lord and to raise the next generation of leaders for the Empire. She said it was so that humanity would deal with a new Demon Lord or threat of the same level without having to rely on the power of the Great Sage each time. Master also thought it was a good idea, thinking about the future, I would work together with them rather than defeating the Demon Lord on my own. Even if it takes longer¡­.. ¡°Ah, there you go again, looking down on me as if you can see through everything¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: Nenbutsu is the three-word invocation ¡°Namu Amida Butsu¡± dedicated to the Amitabha Buddha?. CH 38 There¡¯s a secret in my home. It¡¯s not something common, like that my dad is actually a kitsune, or that there secretly exists supernatural powers in this world that are regulated by governments and organisations behind the scenes. In a small outdated shopping district, on the second floor of a school uniform clothing store that you could find anywhere. A room that my grandparents used to use, that¡¯s where it is. Above the tatami mat is a futon, an old low table with a worn chess set, and a closet in the back. Tapping on that closet three times in a row is a magic key that causes it to open. ¡°Hey Maya-chan, what¡¯s up?¡± Inside the closet is a thirty tatami sized room with a large round table in the center that could seat ten people. A man who could be a model for a fashion magazine sits gracefully at the table like a medieval king and speaks to me.1 Beneath his black robe, like that of a hollywood magician, is the clothing of a medieval knight that he wears without complaint. The ceiling is high with over ten doors on the circular walls that surround the table. Each of those doors connects to storage magic rooms, or sub dimensions made with transfer magic, some are even things known as [Otherworld Tunnels] made by that man¡­.. It seems that it¡¯s now easy to travel between worlds. I have only once set foot inside the place this man calls the warehouse. Sealed inside was many incredible magic tools and cursed objects that he had discovered in a dungeon or received as gifts from countries and royalty from another world as well as a mountain of gold and silver. The rare metal he sold to the mafia in the past were piled up at the entrance to the point I thought it might actually be garbage. Its size is tens of times larger than the Tokyo dome and even the owner himself doesn¡¯t have a good grasp of everything within. He calls it storage magic but due to the man¡¯s strength and technique it¡¯s become a magic on a whole new level. ¡°The high class cake set that Queen-san bought online has arrived so I came to deliver them¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1: 30 tatami is approximately 55 square meters. I know this is sudden but I¡¯ll be dropping this series. I started translating back during the pandemic and I don¡¯t have the time I used to now that things have more or less returned to normal and this felt like a good point in the story. I¡¯m sorry to all the fans of Great Sage. I will be continuing to translate A Misunderstood Mentor as well as Kage no Jitsuryokusha which currently has an anime airing. They¡¯re both great novels in my extremely unbiased opinion so I¡¯d be happy if you gave them a shot. Thanks for all the support on this series.