《She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN)》 Volume 1 - Prologue Virtual Reality. It has been half a century since this system ha been implemented. It is a technology that todays world economy can not do without. Schooling is done through accessing special terminals at home, and connecting to a virtual reality through the internet to attend lessons. The risk possible during commuting has disappeared, and because of the lack of maintainance costs for a virtual school, in todays world, schools have become extinct. With work, greeting clients is also done through virtual reality, and because of electronic programs being used for everything, the cost of paperwork has also disappeared. Even when it comes to buildings for headquarters, the cost of renting and maintaining a private server for the company is overwhelmingly cheaper than the maintainance costs of a company building. Because all things outside of physical needs could be satisfied with virtual reality, the VR technology continued developing rapidly. Of course, there was no way this technology wouldnt be targeted by the game industry. The technology was still a little expensive, but even so it boasted a rate of popularisation that made it common for normal households to buy them to celebrate a childs coming of age for example. It happened over different periods, but a number of VR games began being developed. Sakimori Kagami was also one such normal youth who received a VR machine for his coming of age. He did his job from home using the VR machine he received for his coming of age. At lunch break he would eat the food prepared by his mother, and then once again went to work using this VR machine. There was no time spent commuting, and it was a normal small-to-medium firm, and he spent his days without feeling any particular dissatisfaction. ..* ..* ..* ..* There was an online game called Ark Earth Online. It began very quietly, and the closed beta started and ended before anybody had noticed. The reason that Sakimori Kagami knew about this minor game was because of a commercial that had aired late at night. The commercial had neither sound nor video, and was merely the games personal VR access code aired for 15 seconds. When he started up his VR machine to take a look out of curiosity, a white virtual space with the title Ark Earth Online appeared around him. The only other things were two lines: Begin Open Download He didnt hate the fact that they didnt try to butter him up. Thinking this, he tried downloading it. And after choosing yes, he installed it. The background was textureless, and it only used a normal font, so he had absolutely no idea what kind of graphics or world this game would present. However, Kagami was somewhat charmed. Coerced by something impossible to really explain, but that was similar to some sort of compulsion, he began. The installation took roughly fifteen minutes. When he immediately tried to activate it, what appeared was a title screen that was almost like reality. Thus began Sakimori Kagamis days of addiction to Ark Earth Online. ..* ..* ..* ..* ..* ..* ..* ..* Four years had passed since the Open had finished. News of the game was almost non-existent in gaming magazines or even the internet, with it spreading through word of mouth, and with players pressured by the big hitting online games, it became quite a crowd. On the contrary, it was a strange situation where despite the number of players, information on it wasnt circulated throughout the internet. Kagami who had started since Open was famous as a veteran. The setting of the game was typical fantasy, but because of its overwhelming degree of freedom, it was hugely popular. Only, as an online game, it had one extremely mysterious point about it. That was the management. In the four years that it had been out, there were only two updates, and because there was no official home page, even the name of the developer was unknown. But even so, it was an overwhelmingly attractive game, and in the end a number of people even reasoned that their laissez faire attitude made other things possible. What was more important than anything was probably its lack of bugs. ..* The character that Kagami played was a magician overflowing with dignity. With white hair and a white beard that brought to mind a veteran magician, what Kagami spent a day creating was a character with incredible presence. The name of the character came from a magician school principal that appeared in a certain world-wide hit adventure film about a ring. [tl: apparently harry potter and the lord of the rings were one film in his world] That name was Dunbalf. His class was a Summoning Expert. In the Open he had chosen the Sorcery Expert but he had no idea how he was supposed to learn sorcery. No matter how many enemies he defeated he couldnt learn sorcery, and there was nothing like a tutorial or a manual. It was a ridiculous game that left you completely on your own after suddenly dropping you into the world, but it was fun searching for your own playstyle, so the players were completely drawn in. Even so, no matter how he searched, he couldnt figure out how to learn sorcery. Because of that, when the official service began, he chose a different magician class. A Summoning Expert gained summons through defeating sprit-type enemies and forming a contract with them, or through clearing class-specific quests, and though the level of difficulty was high, there was a little bit already on bulletin boards about this so Kagami had an idea of what to do. Of course, because of the lack of explanation for the game, there was a lot of grumbling amongst players, but it was discovered that the game had a system where if you passed strict conditions you could even create a country, so the players passion went in that direction. Becoming a king, developing a town, and building an army. Invading neighbouring countries, building defensive forts, hiring mercenaries etc.; towards the ability to do things that they had only ever seen in fiction before, the players went mad with enthusiasm. Ambitious players who founded nations, players who looked up to those founders and followed them, adventurers who loved freedom, people who established secret societies, as well as merchants, and mercenaries, and on top of that, even assassins; because of these many playstyles to enjoy, the dissatisfaction eventually died down. Moreover, the degree of freedom was not limited to that extent. Though there were weapons, armours, potions etc. that existed in great numbers, up to legendary class items, depending on the efforts players put in, even totally new items could be created. They could create legendary items, or even items that went beyond that. It was enough that it was said that there was nothing you could do in reality that you couldnt do in the game. Some players who delved deeply into enjoying blacksmithing became known by all players, and one of their swords could go for millions. There were also players who raised smithing to the maximum and then developed building construction techniques to build castles. Players obsessed with digging holes found hot springs, and were now managers of massive onsen resorts. One of Kagamis friends had thought up his own sword techniques and opened a dojo. What kind of skills were there? How far could they bring things? People who used skills to develop new sports, people who realised their dreams of becoming pirates, people who collected information from around the continent and crossed a dangerous bridge in becoming information brokers. Amongst these players were also people who formed skill lists by organising the massive number of known skills. They would go to each player and ask about the techniques they developed. The skill list book was published and became a massive best seller, earning them a fortune. And in fact, Dunbalf was also a famous person who developed a number of unique techniques. One of them was a technique he developed through trial and error, designed to make up for the magician classes weak points. It was the second class. Kagamis main class was a Summoning Expert, and his other class was the close-quarters specialist of the magician classes, the Xian Expert. By sitting under waterfalls, hanging upside down from trees, walking against the wind and other such things, a Xian Expert could learn their skills. Incidentally, the way for a Sorcery Expert to obtain their skills was discovered little by little in the month since official service began; they were to place a catalyst on a piece of paper with a magic circle drawn on it, and then use the only skill that Sorcery Experts started with, the Sorcery: Flame, to burn it up. The problem was that you needed multiple catalysts, and to begin with the paper with the magic circles hardly appeared on the market, and it was a method that could lead to you just burning everything up if you made a mistake, so it wasnt something that you could try out immediately. It wasnt a problem you could easily fix just because you knew how to do it. ..* ..* ..* ..* One day, Kagami had gone off to suppress monsters that had appeared near the border of the nation that he belonged to. This type of subjugation mission was common, and other members of his nation took turns to do this. This time was Kagamis turn. He left his tower, and languidly headed towards the national borders, when suddenly, he heard a call from the real world and his sisters shrill voice, signifying dinner time. He logged out for dinner, and once that was done, dived back into virtual reality. Just as he was about log into the game from the home space, he noticed that a message had come. When he read it, the contents stated that the cash he had bought for Ark Earth Online was about to expire. He had bought 1000 when the game first started, and then 2000 more a month later. Just like other online games, Ark Earth Online also had a cash shop. Having said that though, there was nothing like useable equipment in game, and were just minor support items. Amongst these cash items was a Vanity Case that allowed one to change their appearances, and it wasnt an exaggeration to say that every player bought it. Of course, Kagami had bought it. One Vanity Case cost 500 and had the function of resetting the appearance of ones avatar, but the reason it sold so well was because of the abundance of changeable options. The number of parts you could choose from when the official service began numbered in the thousands, but with the Vanity Case it numbered in the tens of thousands. It was basically already common sense that a player would log in with any random character appearance, and then immediately use a Vanity Case. That it would take one or two days could also be said to be common sense. Besides the Vanity Case, Kagami had also bought the cash item Floating Continent. It was roughly the size of a 100 metre circumference courtyard, and was a convenient item because you could do most activities on it. On top of that, it could travel by flying through the air, so you could ignore terrain and use it as a vehicle. Kagami built a house from the cheapest wood, and used it for storage. This Floating Continentcost 2000. Kagami could only purchase cash in 1000s, so after buying this initial Vanity Case, this left him with 500 left. It was after all, just 500 from four years ago, so as youd expect he didnt have much lingering attachment to it. Perhaps out of stinginess, or perhaps bceause he felt it would be a waste, he opened up the cash shop menu. A personal room with high class production equipment, 1000. In the end, there was no option but the Vanity Case. If you didnt buy the Vanity Case, then the minimum spending was 1000. This is the world of adults. Since it would just be a waste at this rate, Kagami bought a Vanity Case. His VR money balance was now 0. Kagami then logged into the game to finish his subjugation mission. Using his bracelet-type terminal, he activated the item menu. There he found a lacquered box, the Vanity Case he had just purchased. It had already been four years since he had last used it. In those days he was completely obsessed about whether or not he could create his ideal male avatar, and so he remembered nothing about the other parts. He was a little curious about them now. Kagami used the Vanity Case, and was brought to the avatar creation page that he hadnt seen in four years. The parts you could choose from were things like various impression categories like lively, mild, strong-willed, cowardly or various atmosphere categories like mysterious, solemn, gloomy, bright that you could use to navigate. Because there were tens of thousands of parts, if you went through them one by one, it would take you all day. What Kagami felt from having a skim through the parts was that as expected, his current avatar Dunbalf was the greatest. There was probably nothing greater than this avatar. It was because at the end of the day, it was an avatar drawn to his ideals of a man after all. Whilst gazing on in satisfaction at the work of art that he had once created, a word in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Male It was the word that stated the avatars sex. And suddenly, a thought rushed through Kagamis mind. It was that the ideal male image had already been perfectly created. Then, what about the ideal female image? He changed the sex from male to female, and Dunbalf became a girl. A slight feeling of embarassment appeared. Even though it was a game, staring straight at a girls figure gave him this difficult to describe sense of shame. Whilst suppressing his shame or rather, with a slight feeling of arousal, he chose the parts. He went into the strong-willed category and scrutinised the parts one by one. Just how long had passed since he began creating his ideal female? By the time he had made it to his satisfaction, and gazed at it with smirk, his younger sister was already calling him for breakfast. Before he knew it, it was already 9 in the morning. Immediately afterwards, he was assaulted by an intense feeling of sleepiness. The moment he tried to touch the log out button, the world went dark, and his consciousness promptly left him. Volume 1 - CH 1 Ahh, thats right. He had fallen asleep before he logged out. After he had sorted out the situation in his head, Kagami remembered that he had fallen asleep after he had received the morning call. And then pinching his forehead, he looked up at the sky. He couldnt tell how long he had slept. However, he judged that the fact that he hadnt been woken by his young sister Mayu meant that he probably hadnt been sleeping too long. Squeezing his eyes shut and then opening them as though to clear away the sleepiness, he realised that he was in the dead centre of a grassy plain surrounded by a forest. Here and there the plain was dotted with nameless flowers, and in the distant he could see a splenderous mountain range. And he spotted amongst the mountains a number of dully shining silver towers. In the middle of the plain, before the familiar scenery of the game, he lazily placed a hand to his chin and began thinking to sort out the situation. At this point, he still hadnt noticed that feeling of wrongness that he had suddenly experienced. First, Falling asleep in-game was a famous term amongst online gamers. It referred to falling asleep whilst in-game, and having your avatar stand there without reacting to anything. However, the VR system was designed so that it would automatically shut down the system when you fell asleep, and cut off the equipment from the power source, so it was fundamentally impossible to wake up inside the game. However, the towers among the mountains were, however you looked at them, the Linked Silver Towers. Each of the nine towers was used as a base by one of the Nine Sages, so there was no way that he would mistake them. The first thing that he suspected was that there was a bug. However, his thoughts never went past rare things do happen sometimes. There was one more baffling point after all. If you compared the two points, this one was the more important. It was that he could smell things. Each time the wind blew, a grassy scent tickled his noise and he felt a sense of discomfort. The developed VR technology could reproduce the sense of touch, but the sense of taste and smell werent developed to a practical level yet. Despite this, when he inhaled through his nose, his brain was clearly telling himthat there was a scent. This was incomprehensible. So when he tore off some grass by his feet and began to chew, he found that a bitter and astringent taste spread through all of his mouth. Unable to stand it, he spat it out along with a large amount of saliva, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The taste was annoyingly intense, and they even meticulously reproduced his saliva. Unable to understand what herbivores were thinking, he turned his sight down towards a fairly closeby thicket of grass when it happened. A roar suddenly came from within the forest along with a rumble of the earth, and then the high-pitched sound of metal rubbing against metal resounded through the air like the roar of a gale. It was a sound familiar to him. Ah, thats right. He recalled that he had come out to subjugate the group of monsters that had appeared at the national boarders. Had somebody unluckily run across them, or had somebody else taken his place to subjugate them this time? After thinking that the second wouldnt happen and giving a wry smile, he began running. If you continued past the forest into the grass clearing, you would find that knights proudly emblazoned in the emblem of their nation were cutting down small creatures the size of a child, with blue skin, and a pointed nose and ears. However, immediately after, two of three of the blue creatures with dully flashing knives in on of their hands grouped together, and attacked that knight. It was a complete battlefield. The colours silver and blue filled up the plain. The knights dressed in armour shining like mirrors who were raising a battlecry were knights belonging to the same nation that the Nine Sages did, the Kingdom of Arkite, and the kingdoms elite Magic Clothed Knight Order. The enemy that they were fighting were the common monster, the goblin. With such a scene in front of him, I sure slept for a long time, huh Kagami realised. Because he was much too late in coming here, the kingdoms knights were dispatched. Summoning: Dark Knight After activating his magic, a darkly shining hole opened up in a place hidden by the thicket, and a large black knight gradually rose from it. Fully covered in jet black armour that you could even feel a chill from, it spouted what appeared to be a black flame from its entire body, so its silhouette wavered ominously. It had no face, and instead in a space painted with darkness floated two shining fires like red eyes. This black knight that gave off a presence obviously different to others, suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield of knights and goblins. Stopping their feet due to the appearance of the unknown black knight, the goblings screamed kii kii, as though to threaten it. Having come this far, Kagami felt a sense of discomfort. The goblins should not have been programmed to do something like that. The oft killed goblins were designed as an always brave and daring monster; if you put it in a bad light, they were monsters that didnt know their place. However, what Kagami saw before his eyes was, no matter how you looked at it, goblins making a fuss due to fear. However, concluding that it would be useless even if he contemplated it right now, he ordered the Dark Knight to clean them up. And when he did, in an instant, the battlefield was transformed into a hellish massacre. The black greatsword cut through the wind, and created a gale. Each time its blade carelessly descended, five or six goblins let out a deathcry and scattered into the surroundings as pieces of meat. Gradually, the goblins threatening cries changed into shrieks filled with despair and they began running to escape from that hell, but the Dark Knight who had been ordered to clean them up had not even a grain of compassion. Without even time to shriek at the black clump that closed the distance, a number of unlucky goblins were sent flying through the air, torn to shreds. The surrounding goblins who saw this couldnt even take the bare minimum measures of self-defence, and without guarding were sent flying with a single swing of the sword, bodily fluids and entrails scattering, before the goblins bounced against the ground with lifeless eyes. Having cleaned up the immediate area, the Dark Knight captured a group that included a goblin wearing armour who was a size larger. The heavily armoured goblin gave off dull metallic sounds whilst screaming out orders with some impatience mixed in its voice. The armoured goblin was slow because of the weight of its armour, but it had quite a bit of stamina.A few of the goblins who were particularly clever realised that being around the armoured goblin would increase their survival rate, and so they enthusiastically herded around it. However, with the Dark Knight who was bursting with bloodlust as the opponent, it was nothing but an act of stupidity. If they had wanted to survive, there was no option but to run in the opposite direction of those who were confronting the Dark Knight. However, even that would not be allowed. The black killers blade chased after them, and in the face of this scene of absolute death, the herd of monsters had descended into terror, and forgotten about the meaning behind working as a group after all. Having come to this, the goblins were nothing more than lone monsters. This had all just happened in an instant. Without even being able to understand what was happening, the goblins dyed the earth with dark red blood. Just as ordered, the Dark Knight had finished its performance of cleaning up all the goblins in the area and turning them into silent husks. Of the two colours that had been on plains, the bule were now lying on the darkened ground, while the silver were grouped together in a formation, vigilant against the Dark Knight. There were perhaps a hundred goblin corpses on the ground. Dunbalf gave a casual glance at the corpses to confirm that he had completed his chores, and sent away the Dark Knight. And then he once again recalled the frightened monsters earlier. Smell and taste, as well as goblins that had taken actions he had never seen before. There was only one conclusion. It was the third game update. It was difficult to believe that the worlds technology had developed to a level were smell and taste could be reproduced to such an extent, but it was a reality that the five senses were being conveyed to his whole body. It was strange that such cutting edge technology was used for a game first, but it was also a fact that there was no way to explain it except this. As expected of the Ark Earth Online staff. Dunbalf reached the conclusion that the reason it didnt shut down despite him falling asleep was because of the version update. After assenting all on his own like that, he noticed the sound of chafing metal. The source of the sounds were the band of knights. On their shields was emblazoned the symbol of the Kingdom of Arkite, a coat of arms of a great tree and a moon. They were the Arkite Magic Clothed Knight Order. They could be distinguished from their armour and shield. Their mirror like armour reflected the light and assimilated into the surroundings, and their shield boasted strong defence against magic or breathes spouted from monsters. The man who appeared to be the leader of these elite knights stopped them with a hand signal, and took a step forward. His slicked back hair was silver-grey with streaks of white mixed in, and on his deeply chiseled face ran a slanted scar that was proof of his long service. Atop his armour was what was probably the symbol of the commander; a red mantle. He couldnt match Dunbalf, but he was sombre and handsome. However, Dunbalf had no memory of that face. This was despite knowing the faces of all the people that served as commanders to the elite units because of his position. The black armoured knight from before. Im assuming it was a technique belonging to controller class arts. Was that your doing, Ojouchan? Would it be all right to consider you as reinforcements? The man who appeared to be the commander spoke to Dunbalf. However, Dunbalf didnt realise that it was directed at him. There was something obviously wrong within the mans words, after all. Then who is he speaking to? wondered Dunbalf, as he turned his head to check. And when he did, he noticed that one of the goblin corpses was moving, and something shot out from under there towards the forest. Nu, there was a survivor? The moment that those words left his mouth, he felt that two things were wrong. The first was that the survivor had characteristics obviously different to a goblin. What is this? And, the one other was that what came out of his mouth was a lovely voice like a bell. Looking at himself in the mirror-like armour of the knight commander before him, Dunbalf was dumbfounded. It was the Arkite Magic Clothed Knight Orders official equipment, the Clear Mirror Armour. The surface of the armour that reflected light was already basically a mirror. Seeing his own form reflected there, he moved his right hand, and then his left. When he did, without an off beat, the girl reflected in the commanders armour copied him. No, it was already beyond the realm of copying; they were the same body. And, he knew this girl. She had silver hair that reached her hips, and with the corners of her strong-willed, azure eyes a little upturned, her faintly reddened cheeks, and her small nose, it was an innocent and cherubic face. The clothing she wore was the same as what Dunbalf was supposed to be wearing, but what was inside the clothing had clearly changed. Indeed, what lay inside the clothing was the form of his ideal girl; the girl that he had created with the Vanity Case. Volume 1 - CH 2 Why? he wondered, as his mind searched through his memory at full throttle to recall what happened before he fell asleep. While that was happening, the commander was at a loss regarding the distracted girl. At that moment, a number of his subordinates came over and reported to him. It was regarding the shadow that had jumped out from beneath the goblin bodies. It seems that they injured it, but was unable to bring it down. While the commander gave instructions to split his group into a search group and a pursuit group, the girl stared at her two hands. What was reflected on the surface of the armour, was the ideal girl that he had created from earlier. What did this all mean? He had created it, but he shouldnt have confirmed it, he thought, as he pulled up the reason from the well of his memories. He had cancelled it, and then logged out That was as far as his memories brought him. Perhaps a little bit before he logged out. He had a feeling that he feel asleep before then. And he had the feeling that he cancelled before even that. He tried his best to wring out the circumstances back then from his memories and remember that he had heard the call for breakfast, but after that it was hazy. While thinking this, something suddenly occured to him, and he activated his bracelet type terminal and opened the status window from his menu. There, information about his avatar was displayed in a column. His name was Dunbalf Gandadore. There was also his class Summoning Expert, as well as the nation he belonged to, and his base of operations. His mana was exceptional, but physically he was no different from any other magician. That was supplemented by his gear. From a glance, everything seem as he remembered, and he couldnt spot any particular problems. It wasnt that he logged into another avatar, nor had his avatar disappeared. It was the status that Dunbalf had been working with for four years. Continuing on, seeing the next page of the menu, the girl lost all his hope, and hung his head. The special gear for the Sages was lined up there. All his equipment was exquisite, and when each Elder became a head of one of the Silver Linked Towers in the Kingdom of Arkite, they were bestowed these by the king. Each of these were uniquely crafted by first class craftsmen famous in their industry, and only Dunbalf possessed these items. The problem was the avatar display lined up beside it. The girl he had created was displayed wearing these clothes. This was not a form that the (up until now) handsome and stern guy Dunbalf should have been showing the world. Wondering what this all meant, the girl grabbed the cuff of his robe, and rolling it upwards, he tried stripping. When he did, at the same time, the word in the corresponding equipment slot turned to None. With his robe hanging idly in one of his hands, he looked down to check his exposed body, and found that supple silver hair was floating in the wind as though coiling around his skin. Breasts that swelled from his chest, large enough to gently spill from his small hands, and white skin as though transparent. A small butt, and two well shaped legs stretching out from it. Without a doubt, it was the ideal masterpiece that he had created with the Vanity Case. OOOOIII! OIOIOI! What are you doing!? The commander who had finished giving instructions to his subordinates raised a voice in surprise at the girl who had become naked before he knew it. And in a great panic, he grabbed his red mantle in his hand and covered her to hide her body. All of the surrounding knights had been focusing their gazes on the girls immodest appearance, but now with their self-restraint of steel kicking in, they all averted their faces and stayed silent. Honestly, if youre a woman, Ojouchan, then you shouldnt be revealing your skin like that. We knights are all sincere and honest so there isnt a problem, but in this world there are people you cant let your guard down around, you know. Was there really a need for such an overreaction? So wondered the girl, while at the same time realising from their reactions that they were actually all players, and so praising them in her heart. Reasonably famous and powerful players could bring along attendant NPCs to walk with them. The girl thought that the knights around her were the commanders attendants, but it seems that she was wrong. NPCs shouldnt have been able to make such reactions after all. She didnt really want to believe nor admit it, but as truly reluctant as she was, the girl decided to accept the situation. Accept that though she didnt know how or what she messed up, the fact was that she had confirmed the avatar reset. It was surely because of the version update. Having reached this conclusion, she was thinking that she had to buy another Vanity Case. However, though it was only 500, there was no choice but to spent another 1000. This made the girl frown. Wriggling about under the mantle, the girl put her robe back on, and after checking the status menu again, she found that the avatar on the menu had her robe back on as well. Is that an Operators Bracelet? So you were actually an adventurer, werent you, Ojouchan? Whilst putting back on the returned mantle, the commander muttered this as he looked at the girls arm. The Operators Bracelet. It was an unfamiliar term to her. Following the commanders gaze, there was no mistake that he was refering to the terminal. However, there was no need for him to ask about it. As long as you were a player, you would have one, so conjecting that you were an adventurer from this was just strange, thought the girl. To begin with, adventurers referred to players anyway. Well if you ask me if Im an adventurer or not, I suppose I am indeed. She was still confused, but she replied in the affirmative. In this voice she just couldnt get used to. The timbre of her voice was just too lovely, that it just didnt fit the manly tone she had always used, and gave a feeling of being mismatched. [TL: Again, she speaks like an old dwarf, or an old veteran man or something.] Her choice of words had been the one she had used with Dunbalf since she began adventuring when the game began its official service. Thinking that indeed, she had to use a dignified tone that suited her appearance, she began roleplaying by herself. And having gone through four years, by now she was already used to using it while logged in, and it came naturally out of her mouth. Familiarity is an astounding thing; prioritising how this world looked, even after taking the form of a girl, she found it mysteriously out of place to change her manner of speaking, and she wouldnt be able to immediately change it anyway. Having said that though, because there was no particular problem with it, she promptly lost the motivation to change her tone and decided to just leave it. I see, so you were an adventurer. Im grateful to receive the assistance of a powerful adventurer like you. However, about that earlier black knight. Ive never seen anything that shares that appearance; what kind of technique was it? Despite accepting the girls words, the commander was curious about her strength. In particular, he was interested in the identity of that black knight clad in the ominous aura, mismatched with the girls lovely appearance. Even if you ask me that, I am unsure of how else to answer. As you can see, it is a summon. While speaking, the girl activated Summoning: Dark Knight, and by her side appeared once again the black knight. While the knights were shaken by that overwhelming sense of pressure, the commander alone gazed at it with deep interest. Summoning How splendid. I see, an Armour Spirit is it? How rare. Probably comparing the black knight against his memories, the commanders expression changed to one of rumination as he was astonished by the magnificent black knight who was a number of timeslarger than he was. The spirits that Summoning Experts used were spirits that lived in man-made creations or example, or primordial spirits that were found naturally in the world. Primordial spirits were the stronger of the two, but because man-made spirits lived in created objects, they were easier to use and easier to get close to. Spirits that lived in the armour used by those that battled for themselves were called Dark Knights while those that lived in the armour used by those who fought to protect others were called Holy Knights. Armour Spirits were classified as lower class summons, but Dark Knights that continued to be used due to their ease of use grew to become fighters that rivalled high class summons. Having said that though, the girl thought that the commander was weird for calling the basic summon of a Summoning Expert rare, but certainly it was true that these days there were few Summoning Experts who used such a low class summon. Thats why she judged that it was indeed rare. However, just when were you sent out on a request? Lately there have been monster herds like these frequently appearing, so Im grateful for you, but I would have liked you to have told us first. The commander grumbled this in a rather displeased manner, but his expression looked quite happy. Thats just how busy he was dealing with the monsters. However, there were some problems with what he was saying. First of all, because the Nine Sages were taking turns exterminating them, the monster herds were being dealt with just fine. Second of all, they werent actually appearing all that frequently. They appeared with a frequency so that each member would only have a turn exterminating them once every few months. Hmmm, do they not appear only once, or at most, twice a month? I do not believe that it is a huge number. Despite saying this, the girl felt something wrong about this. There might have existed somebody who felt that once a month was often, but rather than that the girl felt that there was some kind of fundamental different between herself and the commander. It was that kind of feeling of wrongness. Once a month, huh? If it were ten years ago, then it might have been at that level, but these days we get ordered to suppress them at least three times a month. The commander was disappointed like a child at the height difference between himself and the Dark Knight, while he replied nonchalantly to the girl. Ten years ago you say? Those words that she unconsciously repeated, were one obvious point of difference. Ojouchan, youre an adventurer too but you havent heard of it, huh? About the battle with the monsters that rained from the sky ten years ago, and the Three God-doms Defensive Battle. Since that time, monster appearances have close to doubled. Three God-doms Defensive Battle, you say It does not sound familiar to me. You dont know about it? Hmmm, well, ten years ago you wouldve been two or three I guess, so I suppose its not unreasonable. So the commander said, however, Ark Earth Onlines ingame clock ran at the same pace as the real-world calendar. In other words, tens years ago Closed would not have even begun. She manipulated her bracelet and opened the usual menu. The floating display that was like the types you would often see in sci-fi anime or films, was something that could only be noticed by the person themselves. To other people, it would only look like you were poking at the air. The girl manipulated her menu with a difficult expression, whilst the commander merely waited silently. The history she had chosen from the chronology was nothing particularly strange, but the girl stared at one row of letters as though she had lost her words. It was the latest event. Year 2146 of the Arks Calendar, April 23rd: Second Prince of the Kingdom of Mirston was born. He was named Atolzade. What was shocking was not the contents. The problem was the year. When she checked the present time displayed on the chronology in a panic, she found that it had changed to Year 2146 of the Arks Calendar, May 12th, 3:12PM. There is something I wish to comfirm; what year, month and date is it? Right now? The 12th of May, 2146. The answer that she was given proved that the terminals date was not broken. The game had begun in the Year 2112 of the Arks Calendar. No matter how you thought about it, the situation was strange. Provided that the time in the game still ran in sync with the real time, thirty years had passed. Moreover, perusing the chronology a little, she found that it was filled with history she had no memory of, and as the commander had mentioned, ten years ago on the 24th of June 2136, there really was an Outbreak of the Three God-doms Defensive Battle. The girl grabbed her silver hair in a bunch and brought it to the tip of her nose. When she did, she found that she could smell a faintly sweet, feminine scent like vanilla. When the girl tried chewing on her hair as a test, she found that there was no test, and that her tongue and lips could feel the individual strands. The VR technology in her memory had the five senses in the research stage. Having said that they could reproduce some of it fairly well, the sense of touch in VR had only reached the level of being able to recognise when you touched something. If there was really a version up where you could experience this level of sense, then it would certainly have been recorded in the chronology. And in fact, the previous two version updates were definitely recorded here. However, there was not a single mention of the version update that happened only yesterday. Even skimming through the past entries, there was nothing but the two updates that she remembered. If all of this wasnt the effect of a new version update she thought in confusion, and at the same time a sense of unease surfaced in her heart. I can taste grass and smell scents in the air so both taste and smell are perfectly recognised right now, so what does this all mean? she wondered. The present situation was too unrealistic, but the things she could sense with her five senses were also too realistic. By chance, a sudden hypothesis floated to mind. But that was just absolutely impossible. Closing the menu and the looking upwards, her eyes met with the commander who was bewildered by her eccentric behaviour. Aahhh, speaking of which we havent introduced ourselves yet, have we? Im Graia. Graia Astol. Im serving as the First Squad Captain of the Astite Magic Clothed Knight Order. Commander Graia who had almost reflexively introduced himself gave the girl a bow to show his respect. Speaking of which, Im assuming youre quite a skilful magician, but if its fine with you, Ojouchan, may I hear your name? Having raised his head from the bow, Graia continued speaking, looking deeply interested. There, something felt out of place. Graias actions were probably extremely natural. Naming yourself upon your first meeting, that is. And if you were interested in the other party, you would ask their name. But was this the case in a game? It was common sense that if you investigated your target, words would appear in your vision, and the targets name would appear above their head. The other party would know your name without you going out of the way to tell them, and likewise you could find out their name without going out of the way to ask them. But Graia named himself, and on top of that, he was asking for the name of one who probably could not be simply classified as skilful magician; one of the Nina Sage of the Kingdom of Arkite, Dunbalf. The girl did not think of herself as prideful. However, there was also no reason that a member of the Kingdom of Arkites elites would not know her name. She felt something unnatural about that. Would you not know if you simply investigated? A certain hypothesis floated in the back of her mind, and she asked this question in return just to test it. Hmmm Im sure that at your level of skill, you would be quite famous, Ojouchan, but because I am unstudied, I do not know you. I apologise. Is there anyone here that knows? At Graias question, everybody shook their heads, and answered that they had never seen her before. Hmm I, see She had heard that there were those amongst the players that felt it disrespectful to investigate a persons status without permission. If you told them to have a look, then even they would probably have a look. Having said that her appearance had changed too much, if they investigated they would realise that this was one of Arkites most important people; Dunbalf. However, they were saying that amongst these people, not a single one knew. And the hypothesis that she had come up with was that these peoplecouldnt investigate. And the response that she received gave her hypothesis a sense of reality. She was talking to someone that a players common sense would not work with, and whose thought processes were quite different. The girl found herself needing to perhaps once again reaffirm whether or not these were players, as she put her hand to her chin and began going hmmm. With the information she gathered as a basis, she built up her hypothesis. And as she did, an impossible explanation began to gradually take form. Really, Im truly sorry. Were a group of people who have no redeeming features outside of our swordsmanship, you see, so we arent really that knowledgable about adventurers. Misunderstanding the girls silence as considerable shock at their failure to recognise, Graia had quickly followed up on the situation. The members of the knight brigade as well wore somewhat apologetic expressions. The girl saw that they held strong will in their eyes, and yet there was more than enough here to let her recognise anew that they were not players. All five senses were real, and beings that could not be said to be either NPCs nor players. Having come this far, it was impossible for VR to reproduce and she abandoned her original explanation that this was because of a version update. And more and more, this urban legend-like explanation became impossible to remove from her mind. But despite telling herself thatthis explanation was the one that was truly impossible, given the situation she couldnt completely deny it. Indeed, the explanation was that this was reality. It was a ridiculous conjecture. However, it was also certainly true that she had no basis on which to refute it. At that moment, she recalled something that could prove that this was a game. It was logging out. It was the command to end the game. (It seems that I have become quite confused.) While mocking herself, she opened the system entry on her menu, and chose to log out or at least she tried to. However, she couldnt. Far from suceeding, even the system entry on the menu itself had disappeared. Moreover, even the force shutdown code for when the game froze was not working. It would probably not be an exaggeration to say that this was a huge decisive blow. In that case, at the end of the day, was this world the same as the game world that she knew? Do you know the one called Dunbalf? To determine this, what came out of her mouth was her own name, who should have become a person who appeared in history. Isnt that a given? Theres probably nobody in this country that doesnt know of Dunbalf-sama. So replied Graia, with some hint of pride on his face. When he continued and asked, Right, everyone?, the knights all gave large nods as though it was obvious. I see. So you know of him. From their reply, she established that a person named Dunbalf existed, or at least did in the past. Next was to find out whether it was herself in the past, or if it was just somebody with the same name. Do you know what kind of person he was? Being asked that, Graia tilted his head. Well even if you ask me what kind of person he was, well, like I mentioned earlier theres nobody in this country that doesnt know of him. When you speak of Dunbalf-sama, what comes to mind is this nations hero who played an active role in the Age of Upheaval. He was an Elder of the Silver Linked Towers, and was a Summoning Expert and Sage feared in other nations as War Power Dunbalf, right? The words that the commander spoke as though obvious, completely agreed with the girls memories. And She had established that even that Chuunibyou-esque alias had been passed down. Ohh? A hero, you say? Thats right. Its said that in the wars following the founding of the country, he held continuously held back the enemy advances and created a chance for victory after all, and theres also the story of how as an Elder, the platoon he created descended the enemy camp into chaos. Moreover, Ive heard that he was the one who developed the refinement technique with few users today, and that he could use the powerful Xian techniques as well. Well, its not just Dunbalf-sama, but there are huge numbers of anecdotes for all the Sages. What Graia spoke of was just like the history in his memory. The war was the same, as was having Xian Expert as second class, and being the Elder Dunbalf who had thought up t refinement technology after researching. There was no mistaking that all of these anecdotes had been piled together and passed down as the tale of Dunbalf the hero. Hmm, I see. And so, do you know of Dunbalfs final days? As material for the final judgement, she threw out a question that could very likely be the clincher for her hypothesis. His final days? Mmmn, I havent really heard anything about him having died To begin with, this is something that happened thirty years ago, but one day he departed for the national borders to subjugate some monster than appeared, and was never seen again. Theres no way Dunbalf-sama would lose to just some monsters, so in those days the whole country had conducted a search it seems, but it was said that they couldnt find him. I see. As I thought. What came back to her was a reply that was just like what happened today. Things were connected in time. In other words, she had enough evidence to be confident that this was the same world, thirty years later. From a game, to reality. She didnt know how it happened, but having figured out at least this much, she forced herself to calm down and stopped thinking for a while. The problem was what would happen if at this rate, she just honestly said that her name was Dunbalf. It might have been different in another country, but in this country it was a famous name. The name of a dignified and sombre, veteran summon master who was an Elder of the Silver Linked Towers. And according to the story just now, presently a hero. That hero had been turned into this lovely girl. When she imagined the cold gazes she would suffer when she returned to her original form, the girl trembled at the immeasurable crisis she was in. The result was that she naturally concluded that there was no path other than making something up. Graia and the others couldnt Investigate so she would use this to her advantage. Having made up her mind, unnoticable to anyone else, the girl snickered. It was a cunning plan, all for the sake of her self-protection and honour. Her official excuse would be that even if a hero who disappeared thirty years ago reappeared as a little girl, nobody would readily believe it. Moreover, if she desperately tried to convince them that she was Dunbalf, and they asked her why things turned out like this, there was no way that she could tell them about how she was creating her ideal woman and smirking away. No matter how she thought about it, it would deliver something lethal to her image. Well then, it seems that I have yet to give my name. I am Mira. Because I am still a beginner, it is a given that you do not know me. Thus, what came out of her mouth was not the name Dunbalf, but an alias that she had randomly created from her real name. She spoke while placing her hand against her chin, but because Dunbalfs beard was missing, she felt somehow uneasy, and the girl, Mira, felt anxiety for her future. * * * * * * tl: I am unsure about ߤ݆. The ١ as a character means control or manipulate, but by itself in Japanese its read as misao and takes on the special meaning of chastity. As in, ٤ؤ. As for the item itself, its something that all players have, so I went with Operators Bracelet, but it might actually be intended as Bracelet of the Chaste, though I heavily, heavily doubt it. In a compound, Ive only ever seen it take the original meaning of control. War Power Dunbalf is uh, ܊ݤΥ֥ա. Kind of like War Potential Dunbalf or War Asset Dunbalf I guess. Dunbalf the One Man Army maybe. Idunno. I got confused about the gender pronouns. The light novel deliberately removes all instances of Kagami did ____, but thats not possible in English, so I had to either go with he, she, Dunbalf, or they. I went with she, because the light novel keeps saying the girl. Also because the rest of the series more or less forgets that Kagami was ever a man, excepting his interaction with [spoiler]. Ah, and when he sees tits. Nothing like a good pair of tits to remind you that youre actually a 25 year old man. Again, Kagami mirror miraa Mira [tl. stats menu from web novel:] Name: Dunbalf Gandadore Class: Summoning Expert/Xian Expert Affiliation: Kingdom of Arkite Base: Silver Linked Tower|(Summoning) HP: 1210/1210 MP: 4390/4390 Strength: 5+20 Stamina: 6+15 Mana: 51+10 Dexterity: 7+15 Agility: 6+37 [tl note: also, I think its mentioned in the web novel that 5 str is an average mans strength. Wait, or was that THE NEW GATE?] Volume 1 - CH 3 The Forest of Milete was situated near the national borders of the Kingdom of Arkite. And on a meadow inside the forest, a huge pyre was burning. The knights there made sure to fuel it with the remains of the countless goblins killed; at the same time, a dark and thick smoke steadily raised from the fire, as if it were some kind of hellish miasma trying to find its way to heaven. Lady Mira alright, Ill remember it! But I never thought youd be someone this talented a Summoning Expert, huh Being on that level should be expected, no? Mira, the Sage, had left the job of massacring the goblins to her Summoned Knight. Likewise, Graia, Captain of the Magic Clothed Knights, ordered his subordinates to do the cleanup afterwards. They continued their talk, not paying attention to the hard-working knights. We may be talking about goblins, but annihilating a group of that size in just a few moments? You mustve had a pretty amazing teacher to learn magic of this level at your age. So said Graia, while fixing his gaze on the sword being held by the Dark Knight, who seemed like it was waiting for further orders from its master. Hmm, well, it is like you said. That wasnt the case, but she chose to go with his conjecture. It would be too tiresome to fabricate an explanation, so Mira quickly gave a confirmation while seeming quite pleased with herself. Then, at that time, one of the knights hurried over to Graia. Sir, reports are back. The escaped monster has yet to be found. For the time being, our pursuit group will stay here and wait for information from the ongoing search party. Understood. Im a bit worried about it, though. It was a species weve never seen before right now we cant do anything but wait. Well, excluding the search party, I guess we should all return to base. After receiving the news, Graia called for a messenger to transmit his orders. The knight who came to give the reports timidly observed the Dark Knight. Curious? Thats a Summoned Armor Spirit, the Dark Knight. Brimming with confidence, and as if trying to sound like Mira, Graia talked with his companion. A summon? First we find that weird monster and now this, how unusual Ive heard about Armor Spirits but I never thought they would be this intimidating. Right? I was surprised too! While the two were having this back and forth, Mira was focusing on something weird she heard from them. Why would they treat Summoning as something unusual? Certainly, it wasnt a class that many people chose to play with. And by the way, even less people played with the Blessings Expert class. But its users were really popular amongst other players, considering its main function of casting healing and supportive spells, something essential to a party. That said, Summoning wasnt what you would call unusual to see. When this was still a game, each of the expert classes had at least one skill available for use right after being selected. All Summoning Experts started with the Contract Seal skill. It was the ability to form a contract with a defeated spirit and use it as one of the players Summoned Spirit. However, on its own, the skill didnt hold any offensive power, so the problem was dealing with a spirit first. This fact was the reason the class had a slow start and was considered fit only for experienced players. Simply defeating an Armor Spirit didnt pose much of a problem. A player could ask his friends for help or even hire a mercenary to do the job. But after some trial and error, they found out that in order to summon it, the Summoning Expert must personally defeat the Armor Spirit. Mira, or better, Dunbalf, obviously went through this process too. After stocking up with a large amount of bombs and healing items, he went to the Ancient Battlefield of Hubeladius. There, Dunbalf fought a fierce battle that lasted two hours and, in the end, resulted in his contract with the Armor Spirit, or the Dark Knight. While considered a very useful summon, it was mostly due to the knight being his first Summoned Spirit that he grew really fond of this great companion. However, that wasnt something anyone could do. Those who merely had some basic knowledge of the game, obtained through bulletin boards, tended to avoid going into the Summoning Expert class. The degree of difficulty was too high for them. Nonetheless, that didnt mean there were no Summoning Experts out there. Rather, the class had received a boost of popularity and members after the boards were filled with information from the heroic deeds of Dunbalf. Many players picked up the class in order to follow his steps. But after hearing the conversation between the two knights, the situation seemed serious. Somehow, the Summoning Expert class had lost its popularity again. It wouldnt be a stretch to think as such after considering that thirty years had passed. Thirty years. By no means it was a short amount of time. Just how much happened during those three decades? Do you have a minute? I want to ask you something. Before the knights were finished with their preparations to return, Mira kept asking Graia one question after the other, in order to gather as much as possible information about those years. C Well then, be careful on your way back. I would like to say the same, but I know that Lady Miras strength is the real deal. Lets just leave it like that. Graia replied and laughed heartily while offering his right hand. This time I felt greatly at ease, thanks to you. I hope that when we meet again, you continue to use your abilities and help me make my subordinates to work even harder. I see, that is fine. If I find myself with time to spare, I will make sure to attend your request. Mira shook hands with the half-joking Graia and smiled happily. Yeah, and Ill be waiting! After saying that, Graia and his knights departed, without making any effort to stop their boastful voices from echoing in the distance. C In the middle of the meadow, only burn marks could be seen where once existed a huge pile of goblin corpses being burned. Mira stood nearby, trying to organize the information she had collected. Graia thoroughly answered every question she asked. They were mostly focused on the current state of affairs of the Kingdom of Arkite. Eight of the nine Elders, sages that serve as cornerstones for the kingdoms safety, were absent. That void in the countrys defenses is being fulfilled temporarily by each one of the towers. In short, Dunbalf wasnt the only one who disappeared thirty years ago. Less than one year after his disappearance, the same thing happened to all other elders and the Silver Linked Towers were left without their masters. Fortunately, ten years later, one of them suddenly returned. It was the Master Wizard, Luminaria the Calamity. Originally, the Kingdoms top brass had decided to keep in secret the disappearance incident, but it was by Luminarias suggestion that the case was revealed to the public. Even now, particularly talented individuals amongst the Elders assistants and researchers were working in their masters stead. However, the difference in ability and experience was still too big and it seemed they were nearing their limits dealing with the duties of a sage. Elder Luminaria. It was a very familiar name for Mira. That person had also an expert class and, ever since the official service began, both of them had been playing together, forming a close bond with each other. She had a long and vibrant crimson hair, almost like it was made of roses. Her strong will could be clearly felt just by looking at her face. Moreover, her tall, model-like build was coupled with a voluptuous chest. It was an appearance that would instantly charm anyone who happened to throw even a single glance at it. This was the Luminaria that Mira knew, the embodiment of mens desires. And the person behind that character was a man. Not only that, he didnt have any problem talking about indecent stuff with his fellow male friends. The feeling of discomfort that somehow arose during that kind of talk was still fresh in Miras memories. Just like Dunbalf, she disappeared thirty years ago. They both went through the same problem, at around the same time. And she also returned. Even if it was twenty years earlier than Mira, the process was nearly the same. Well, excluding the fact that Dunbalfs normal appearance was no more. Finally, Mira decided on where to go next. The Luminaria that went through the same thing as Dunbalf was, most probably, the acquaintance that had always played behind that avatar. Talking with each other might even help them find something new about their current situation. In short, Miras destination was Arkite Kingdoms Heavenly Magic City of Silver Horn, the land where all skill users gathered. C Mira walked through the forest, following a road that led directly to Silver Horn. The small gaps from the treetops revealed a faint tone of red being mixed with the blue sky. Checking the current time in floating menu, she confirmed it was already past 5 p.m. Considering what she knew from the game, it would take about one hour of walking to clear the distance from the meadow to Silver Horn, but shes not even halfway there. That was mostly because Mira made a few stops on her way. She made sure to observe, without hiding her enthusiasm, things like a butterfly sucking nectar from a flower, earthworms emerging from the ground, and so on. It was a level of realism she had never experienced there when it was still a game, so everything tickled her curiosity. When Mira was about to close the menu from her bracelet, she remembered there was an apple pie left inside the item box. Feeling hungry for some time already, it was something perfect for the moment. With her fingertip, Mira touched the items icon and, like some magic trick, it appeared on the palm of her hand. She carefully observed it. That apple pie had been inside the item box for one week already. No, more precisely, it was something she bought thirty years ago. But strangely enough, the items appearance was perfectly fine. Hesitating a bit, she tried bringing it close to her petite nose and then, when it registered the sweet fragrance of vanilla, her stomach started to growl. With resolve, Mira opened her mouth as much as she could and bit into the apple pie. Immediately, her mouth was filled with the crispy texture of the crust, combined with the sweet and sour taste of the apple. Miras taste buds were thoroughly stimulated. Feeling confident, she opened the item box once again and, this time, took out an Apple au Lait. Without any exaggeration, it was a supply item that everyone from the Expert classes always had with them. This simple drink made of milk and apple had the properties of boosting the users mana recovery rate. After smelling the faint, but sweet aroma of apple, Mira took a sip of the cream-colored drink. Delicious The thought escaped her lips. Both items she tasted were in pristine condition, the flavor and feeling of them going down her throat couldnt be better. It was the first time that Mira ate an apple pie, but she had never expected to be so impressed by its taste. The Apple au Lait, similarly, was something she had never seen before in the real world but also perfectly pleased her tongue with its sweetness. Mira took a deep breath and let it go. While looking at the clouds slowly drifting through the sky, she used everything to feel the world she was in. There was the sensation of the wind that made her hair flutter, the pleasing scent of flowers brought to her nose, even the fatigue she felt, proportional to the distance she covered. Finally, there was the deliciousness of an apple pie and Apple au Lait spreading inside her mouth. A sense of reality was transmitted to Mira through a wide variety of stimuli. Taking into account those facts and carefully thinking about them, no matter how hard she tried, Mira couldnt find anything to deny it. That world was real. For now, that was what she chose to work with, treating this place as reality. Even if that premise were wrong, it wouldnt be any problem to just consider it as some funny story she thought of. On the contrary, thinking that this was still a game could result in something irreversible happening. What if she died and stayed dead? Mira might never be able to respawn after dying. Being abandoned while in a pinch could lead to a really bad ending. Luminaria seemed to know how to live as someone from this world, so hurrying up and meeting with her friend should be the priority now. With that in mind, Mira looked at the road ahead and moved forward. C After a while, something appeared right in front of Mira. It had a gray body and ferocious eyes. Its sharp and protruding canines were dripping with saliva. Releasing a sharp growl, it slowly approached its prey. Mira already knew that monster. It was called Saber Dog, the first obstacle for beginner players. This area was that monsters territory. And there she was, a little girl who wandered outside the city and ended up far away, entering the forest completely alone. It was something so foolish one could think she wanted to kill herself. Thats what anyone would think after looking at this situation and judging Mira just by her appearance. At most, they would guess that her robed figure meant she was an expert. However, she also looked like a little girl still in her growing stage. If any adventurer happened to see Mira there, most probably they would jump in to her rescue. It seemed like the Saber Dog thought the same. Reflected in the monsters eyes was just a frail and weak girl. The Saber Dogs length easily exceeded one meter and even an unprepared adult would have problem dealing with it. The hunter, thirsting for blood, slowly approached the prey who apparently had given up on fleeing. Mira pointed her right hand to her foe. And, as she felt the usual sensation of casting an ability, the monsters face was instantly covered in fear. However, the next moment, the Saber Dogs body was destroyed as if something crashed into it. Red flower-like smudges appeared on the trees that were directly behind the target. In the game, the Saber Dog was one of the strongest lower class monsters, but a single one was easier to deal than an entire group of goblins. What Mira used was a Xian Expert basic ability, the second-class spell named Heavenly XianShock Wave. It was a simple ability that launched a shock wave forward to deal damage but, when used by someone of Miras level, it would easily obliterate small fry. No problems, I think Mira could use summoning spells, but wanted to check if the Xian abilities were available too. With the experiment, she confirmed that the way to use them was the same as when she was still in a game. Finally, after going overboard against her enemy, Mira rushed back to her destination. Volume 1 - CH 4 The night sky was filled with countless shining stars. It was the same old sky you would see inside the game. As for the livelihood in the city, the sight would surely catch you by surprise and make you gasp in astonishment. Mira finally arrived at her destination, the City of Silver Horn. While waving and thanking the gatekeeper for his work, she entered the city and for an instant stood there motionless, perplexed by the changes it went through. But in the end, that was something she could understand. The walls surrounding Silver Horn had grown considerably bigger and, if Miras memories didnt fail her, the town itself was easily over three times its old size. She could only confirm that it was the right city when she saw the sky-high towers sitting at the heart of this metropolis. Those buildings, known as the symbol of Silver Horn, were the Nine Silver Linked Towers. Of course, thirty years could change any city. Mira muttered, as if trying her hardest to convince herself. She began walking towards the far away entrance to the towers, sounding a bit displeased while trying to go through the main street, filled with citizens coming back from their work. Her child-like figure, illuminated by the moon and the flickering light of street lamps, stuck out in the crowd, catching everyones attention. The person herself didnt notice, but many were captivated by her alluring beauty. Others, worried about a little girl walking there so late at night, tried calling out to her. A wide variety of reactions to Miras appearance accompanied her. Something like that happening was probably inevitable. Her figure, created with the ideal female image in mind, had the power to take anyones breath away. Of course, even the creator himself would fall for her allure. Or, more precisely, there was once a being known as Kagami that would fall for her allure. Surely, Graia and his knights deserve praise for holding out and not getting charmed by her. C At the end of the main street, a wall of about four meters and a huge gate blocked Miras path. Behind them, illuminated by the moonlight, stood the imposing figures of the Silver Linked Towers. Buildings so tall one would have problems trying to look up at their top. To enter their premises, the only option was to go through the gate. However, to stop outsiders from getting in, some kind of special certification was required. To unrelated people, a pass could be issued by the towers administrative department, only valid for a limited amount of uses. For the tower researchers, a Silver Key was provided, allowing them entrance. Finally, engraved with nine towers on it, a Master Key was given to each one of the towers highest ranking individuals, the Nine Elders. Because of that gate, there was no need for any kind of guard so the place in front of the towers was mostly deserted. Naturally, as one of the elders, Mira wouldnt have any problem entering the place or so she thought. When Mira stepped forward in front of the gate, just as she had done so many times before, she instantly noticed something was amiss. Previously, they would open automatically whenever she approached the entrance, but now the gates didnt even move an inch. Mira then tried getting closer, but when it looked like she was about to bump into them, the girl quickly backed off. What is the meaning of this? While looking up at the gates, Mira restlessly moved in front of them. Jumping, hopping, going back and forth, over and over again. However, as if it were some kind of boring kid that wouldnt react to anything funny, the gate looked down on her. Closed. Something is not right. Mira made a murmur and tried to recall everything related to that gate. A pass, the Silver Key and then the Master Key. Naturally, being the elder to the Tower of Summoning, she held the Master Key. Upon remembering it, she opened her item box, looking through the section for special items. Amongst the many icons there, Mira confirmed that the one for that key still existed and brought the item out. By the way, it might be called a key but it wasnt the kind of object you inserted into a keyhole and twisted. It had the shape of a card. Carved on its silvery surface were nine towers, one of which sparkled gold. This was used to indicate the master keys corresponding tower. The key seemed alright. So what was happening here? Mira pondered, while placing a hand on her chin and trying to check the key with her other one. All of a sudden, and without any apparent reason, the gate opened. How did it ohoho, I see When she put the Master Key back inside the item box, the gates closed. After taking out the item one more time, Mira saw them opening again. Before, the key always worked while inside the item box, but apparently this wasnt the case now and you needed to have that item out. Close. Open. Close. Open. Before she knew it, Mira had started playing with the gate, as if holding a grudge against it. The girl was baffled that the way to use the item had changed, but it wasnt much of a problem once she understood what to do. After passing through the gate, Mira tossed the Master Key back inside her item box. Inside the premises was a huge lawn. There, you could see a few researchers walking in a hurry, going back and forth between their towers. It was already past working hours, but the tower researchers didnt seem concerned about that. Miras memories from that place were outdated, so she felt a little anxious about how things turned out at the towers three decades after her disappearance. Nevertheless, everything was the same. Experts would never change their blind devotion to their work, no matter what. Thinking that, Mira breathed a sigh, both relieved and amazed. The nine long towers were arranged forming a circle over their massive site. Going clockwise from the entrance, their respective names were: Tower of Sorcery, Tower of Blessings, Tower of Onmyou, Tower of Exorcism, Tower of Summoning, Tower of Necromancy, Tower of Xian, Tower of Demonology and Tower of Abstractionism. Just as Graia had said to Mira, Luminaria was the Elder of Sorcery. And if she really was there, it would only be inside the Sages Room, at the highest level of the Tower of Sorcery. Mira began moving towards the tower that faced the gates. On her way, some of the experts tilted their heads in confusion after glancing at the girls figure. The towers themselves didnt require any kind of key to enter, so Mira simply walked in. An atrium occupied the entire tower, giving a real sense of spaciousness to the building. That shape was the result of many donut-like facilities being stacked one over the other. And then, going up to the ceiling, was a spiral staircase that connected all floors. After repeating the process of building a floor to accommodate new researchers many times over, when they noticed it the place had already reached thirty stories. Obviously, using only the stairs to climb a tower that big would take too long. To solve this problem, Abstractionism techniques were applied to create an elevator in the middle of the building. The learning method for Abstractionism didnt follow any linear approach and many of its techniques held peculiar effects. With the players own creativity, it was possible to use them for many things like ambient illumination, as a power source for devices, etc. The elevator was also one of the fruits of the players wits. And not only that, the entire tower was built by them. That was something that could be done since the early days of the games official launch, from a time when no one knew how to properly learn new skills. Every new player had to choose one out of three available countries to start their game in. Those nations were called the Beginners Three Kingdoms and, once a player reached a certain rank, they were forced to leave that country. The premise was that players who werent members of a country suffered a lot of restrictions and couldnt receive any of the benefits given by it. First of all, the penalties for dying were absolutely wicked, causing the player to lose all the contents of their item box. Furthermore, the player would be afflicted with a serious debilitating debuff for an entire day, stopping them from performing well at combat. Another restriction was that if anyone tried to cross borders they had to pay an expensive fee to continue. Now, if the player was affiliated with a country, they wouldnt lose any items and the harsh debuff would wear off in a few minutes just by resting in their own kingdom. Also, the fees for crossing the borders would be reduced to next to nothing. Finally, the country gave considerable benefits to their players, such as the access to all its facilities free of charge. However, belonging to a kingdom also had a drawback, since there were taxes to be properly paid. Even then the pros outweighed the cons. In spite of the fiendish setting of being forcibly thrown out of the their own countries, the players that initially had problems with it eventually accepted that as something natural to Ark Earth Online. And, when they were about to come into terms with living forever as a wanderer without nationality, the first founders appeared. With that event, players that left the Beginners Three Kingdoms could finally maintain the benefits of being affiliated to a country. And at the same time people rushed to create new nations, fights over territories broke out frequently, ushering in a new era of war. Founders hired other players as mercenaries, on a high pay, to bolster their forces. Citizens, or players belonging to the country, also participated in the war. If someone wanted to challenge themselves, they could go alone with about ten NPC soldiers and still emerge victorious. If a country got bigger, the number of players affiliated to it would also increase. Consequently, the kingdoms funds would multiply even more and, once it secured enough top-level players, the country could easily win the war. This situation spread through the entire continent and gradually become a problem. Then, when the difference in power between large and small countries became too big, the problem worsened. After being founded, small kingdoms would get immediately attacked and annexed by the bigger ones. The world began to look harsher for newly created countries. Amidst all that chaos, the nation leaders assembled together and entered into a treaty: National Power Ranking Restriction This international pact created a rating system with five levels based on every nations territorial, economic and military strength. Those levels were used to restrict the number of players allowed to participate in a war. The most peculiar characteristic from the treaty was that the maximum number of players participating in the war had to use the ranking level of the weakest country as reference. Not only that, it was decided that the players eligible to fight had to be chosen at random. Concerning affiliated and mercenary players, a restriction was imposed. It stated that, of the maximum number of players participating in the war, seventy percent had to be citizens from their country. With this, the strength between each nations group of players tended to find an equilibrium. At the same time, that decision raised the usefulness of soldier NPCs in a battle and created a situation where a players individual strength greatly influenced the course of war. Not everything was perfect, however. In those days, players belonging to the expert class only had their basic abilities to use. Admittedly, there was the possibility of forming a party, but by the time they finally became seasoned players, the experts could only be a nuisance. Being considered as a class of failures, nearly all experts ended up completely losing their roles in the game due to that treaty. When expert players, that wouldnt amount to even five NPC soldiers worth of war strength, occupied a precious slot in their nations quota of players, the war would eventually be lost. This resulted in a movement, from behind the scenes, that further progressed the persecution of expert class users. Lying in the southeastern part of the continent, the Kingdom of Arkite was a small country born in the middle of that age of wars. In order to protect newly founded countries and stop them from getting caught in a conflict, the treaty declared that, within four months since its creation, no nation could be attacked by others. Still, even if there werent any large kingdoms nearby, recently created countries would become an easy target for the countless small and medium-sized ones. Against all odds though, the Kingdoms doomed fate wasnt settled. The leader of Arkite, Solomon, was friends with Dunbalf since the Open Beta. And that same Solomon invited Dunbalf to his country, in a time when the persecution of expert class users still existed. Following that, expert players from everywhere heard about a nation that would accept them and, seeking to become citizens, moved to the Kingdom of Arkite one after the other. Solomon always watched over Dunbalf and, consequently, knew the hardships that expert users went through. Because of that very fact, Arkites leader had an ambition. When Solomon gathered and accepted all experts, an interesting phenomenon began to take place. It was the information exchange between fellow expert users. Finding a method to learn new abilities was hard enough and when someone discovered a completely new skill, they would monopolize it, gaining a huge advantage against others. During those days, information could be sold at a high price. But that didnt happen in Arkite. Everyone that gathered at the Kingdom worked together as comrades and would teach each other how to learn their abilities and what effects those skills had. Regarding wars, Solomon had already given up on them, but the citizens still prepared for battle. They wanted to be useful to the only country that accepted their pitiful selves. Experts abandoned the idea of only working alone. Rather, they would be even more powerful if their combined strength were used. There, Solomon saw a chance of victory. The sovereign lent a portion of the Kingdoms territory to the expert players for the sole purpose of researching abilities. And on that territory, they built nine facilities, one for each type of expert class. Later, those buildings would serve as foundations for the current Silver Linked Towers. That marked the moment the strongest nation was born, a small country that could oppose and destroy the invasion of even the largest ones. This was the history of the Kingdom of Arkite. C In this world, those events had happened over thirty years ago. While deeply reminiscing about her past, Mira stepped in the elevator, aiming for the Sages Room at the top floor. By the way, that wasnt the usual elevator that could be seen in the real world. It worked as a transparent tube with a thin and round stone that would go up and down. Completing the device was a magic circle drawn on the stones surface. A passageway extended from each of the floors to the elevators tube and, if looked at from below, its appearance would resemble that of a fish spine. For that reason, people started calling it Fish Bone-style Elevator. But that was another history from Miras old days. TL: Towers/Classes ħg C Tower of Sorcery }g C Tower of Blessings (Could be translated as Sacred Arts too) g C Tower of Onmyou (Yin-Yang, Onmyoudou, etc.) ħg C Tower of Exorcism نg C Tower of Summoning g C Tower of Necromancy g C Tower of Xian ħg C Tower of Demonology (Literally uses Demon Invocation/Summoning. ) og C Tower of Abstractionism (Shapeless arts, considered what it can do at later chapters too.) Volume 1 - CH 5 The Sages Room occupied the entirety of the topmost floor in the Tower of Sorcery and was split into four distinct areas: the Elders private room, their laboratory, an office and their aides room. A transparent membrane blocked both the front and back of the moving elevator. Mira waited for the device to arrive at its destination and, when that membrane raised to allow her access into the floor, she went through the front exit. Then, after crossing the semi-transparent tube that linked the elevator to the floor, she arrived at a circular corridor and gazed at the door right in front of her. It was the door to the laboratory. Heeey! Luminaria! Are you there? Answer me!! Mira brought her tiny, balled-up fists to the door several times. It was possible to hear, echoing in the corridor, the bell-like voice of a little girl and the dangerous sounds of a door about to give in to her strikes. After becoming one of the elders, nearly all of Luminarias ingame time would be spent confined inside the laboratory. So, if there was one place she could be in, it would most probably be there. That was why Mira went directly for that door and started hitting it, waiting for Luminaria to scream Keep it down, will you?! while kicking open the entrance to her laboratory. However, that usual exchange between them didnt happen this time. Finally, Mira stopped her fists and tried listening through the door. She is not inside? Luminaria, in the rare moments when she actually left her room, would often conduct dangerous experiments in the nearby forest. (As expected of someone who cannot read the mood.) Disappointed, Mira thought about her friend and, while placing a hand on her chin, pondered about what she had to do now. C May I ask who you are? Mira, who had been walking left and right in front of the door, started to consider whether or not to wait there until Luminaria came back. Abruptly, at that exact moment, a calm and composed womans voice called out to her from behind. And it sounded pretty familiar to Mira. Indeed, when the little girl turned around, her sight was greeted by a beautiful woman dressed as a secretary. Wearing glasses that suited her position and possessing a blond hair that reached her shoulders, she stared at Mira with her blue eyes, revealing a puzzled look on her face. Ohh, it has been a while, Litalia. Do you know the whereabouts of Luminaria? That beauty, called Litalia, was an aide working directly for an elder. It was known that those who became elders would receive an NPC dispatched by the Kingdom to assist them in their research and daily chores. So, in short, Litalia was Luminarias aide. Incidentally, that woman belonged to the elven race. Viewed by many as a dream-like species, their longevity meant that even after a long period of time her beauty would still remain intact. Although players in Ark Earth Online couldnt choose any race other than the human race, NPCs werent bound by that restriction. And not only Elves, there were many other famous species from fiction they could belong to, such as the Dwarves, Gnomes, Sires, Werewolves and Giants. Game-original groups also existed, including the sturdy-bodied Garidia Clan and the ones known for having a human-like appearance, except for their cat-ears and tail: the Meow Tribe. Who might you be, young lady? This floor can only be reached through the elevator and even then, only a few people should know how to do it. Emanating a tense aura around her, Litalias eyes were deeply filled with suspicion. Like I was saying before, I oh of course At that point, Mira remembered her figure was that of a little girl now, and not of the solemn Dunbalf. And since Litalia couldnt use Investigate, she had to ask who the little girl was. Mira wasnt sure if the aide would believe her if she told her real name. But the biggest problem wasnt that. It would be completely unbearable for Mira if the people who knew the great Dunbalf started to think he were the kind of guy who would enjoy living as a little girl. She wouldnt mind telling that secret to Luminaria, though. First of all, Mira witnessed it countless times and knew that her friend was someone who enjoyed that kind of stuff more than anyone else. If Luminaria were to see the current state of Dunbalf, she would say with confidence that it was cute. However, what happened now was a bit unexpected. Mira remembered it too late but, just as Litalia had said, only a few people should know the special method to reach that floor using the elevator. It was a mechanism added in order to block desperate fans from invading the Sages Room. And as one of the elders, Mira obviously knew how to do it, easily arriving at the topmost floor of the tower. But Litalia could only wonder how the little girl in front of her was able to get there. With that, Mira couldnt try to use the excuse that she was just a simple Summoning Expert passing by to visit the Sages Room and still keep her identity concealed. C While tracing her chin with her fingertip, Mira was deep in thought, trying to find a way out of that predicament. She had to think of a convenient explanation that would keep her identity a secret and still justify how she knew about the security mechanism in the elevator. It had to be something that also allowed her to freely move in and out of the tower. Suddenly, a great idea came to her. Lady, do you know who Dunbalf is? Mira broke the silence and turned her eyes up at Litalia while displaying a confident smile. But of course! He is the Elder of the Tower of Summoning! Sounding a bit more lively, the aide immediately replied. Yes, good. I am the pupil of that same Dunbalf. He had a few words to tell Lumi Lady Luminaria so I was ordered to come here and transmit the message. With her heart beating like crazy, Mira still managed to not let her appearance falter a single bit while telling a completely fabricated story. She then tried to check Litalias reaction to it. Dunbalf-samas!? If thats the case, then certainly no, wait. I have never heard of Dunbalf-sama having a pupil such as yourself. For a moment, right after Mira professed herself, Litalia revealed a clear look of excitement on her face. Of course, the aides reaction was something completely natural. That young girl called herself the apprentice of someone who was considered missing since thirty years ago. Indeed. I only became his pupil after the disappearance incident. After he disappeared!? Then, that means Dunbalf-sama has returned to the Kingdom!? Not looking satisfied, Litalia pressured Mira even more, causing the girls expression to lose a bit of her usual confidence. Exactly. However, due to some circumstances, he is unable to move from where he is. That is why I came in his stead. Is that so? Dunbalf-sama is but, just what in the world happened to keep him stuck in a place? Ahh hmm, you see The idea was perfect, but it still lacked specific details. With that in mind, Mira thought of an appropriate excuse that used something she often did as Dunbalf. Assuming it was also a fact that happened in the history of that world, it would probably work. He has been stuck at the City of Mythical Beasts in order to train a new Summoned Spirit. Mira answered with unease, wondering if it would really work. Training yet another Summoned Spirit. That is so like Dunbalf-sama. Sometimes he would suddenly leave for that place to grow one of his spirits. I guess he never changed, huh? If that is the case, I can understand that he cannot move from there. Oohh, Dunbalf-sama, how I wish to see your face already. It was an excuse born out of desperation but, apparently, Litalia was satisfied with it as she nodded in agreement. Also, Mira was now confident that, one way or another, her past actions were engraved in that worlds history. The City of Mythical Beasts was a pretty popular farming spot for players. But even though it was called a city, no one really resided there. That was because the ruins of an ancient city occupied the entire place, only serving as home to a great variety of monsters and mythical beasts. Dwelling within that town was an ancient blessing that could be earned after killing the monsters there. It steadily increased in power as the player defeated even more monsters, boosting their experience and recovery rates and also increasing the chances of a rare item dropping. With the wide number of enemies that spawned in that city, it was a classic farming spot for high ranked players. However, once a player left that town, the blessing would be reset. So it was common sense amongst everyone that, if one really wanted to farm there, they had to give their all by buying a large quantity of items and spending as much time as they could killing monsters. Yes, that is what happened. So, about the matter with Lumi Lady Luminaria Mira thought it was a good opportunity to ask Litalia, who seemed to be in some kind of a trance. Oh, right. Currently, Luminaria-sama is oh no, wait a moment I cannot say that yet, really. Indeed, what you told me was something that Dunbalf-sama would often do. But anyone familiar with him would know that, so it does not prove that you are his pupil. Do you have any kind of physical evidence to confirm it? Litalias respect for Dunbalf, who once supported the Kingdom together with Luminaria, went beyond admiration. After hearing about the possibility of him being alive, her whole face lit up with hope but she quickly composed herself, determined on finding whether it was the truth or not. Evidence? Uh-huh this should be enough, right? After considering her options for a bit, Mira opened her item box and took out something that only Dunbalf possessed, an item that could easily work as proof. Of course, it was the silver card engraved with nine towers, the Master Key. This is the Master Key to the Tower of Summoning! So you really are Dunbalf-samas would you honor me with your name, little lady? As soon as she finished verifying the item, Litalia let out a smile. My name is Mira. Litalia, I have already heard about you from my master. And again, is Lady Luminaria not here? Indeed. Luminaria-sama has left for the Lunatic Lake and will only return tomorrow. Oh, I see. Then there is no other option for me but to come back later. If shes not there, Mira cant do anything. Traveling to the Lunatic Lake right now would be too troublesome, so she concluded it would be fine to visit the tower again after Luminaria returned. My, look at the time! It is already late at night and you could simply stay in my room. If you are fine with it, we could wait there until Luminaria-sama returned, right? Then, if possible, I would like to hear so much more about Dunbalf-sama! Litalia suddenly approached the little girl as if she were a cat aiming for its prey. With her back pressed against the door, Miras expression stiffened while she averted her gaze from the aide. Even though Litalia only wanted to hear about Dunbalf, it would be just something fabricated on the spot by Mira. It wasnt a good idea to prolong a story that could fall apart without a moments notice. No, I have a few more things to take care of, so I hope you let me return tomorrow. Mira spoke without any hesitation. Quickly running away from there was the best course of action she could take. Ahh, no way forget about the entire night then, I just want a little bit of your time. Mira-sama, what happened thirty years ago? Please tell me what Dunbalf-sama had to go through! Now is not the time for this. I have to first take care of the tasks entrusted to me by my master. Pulling herself free from the clinging Litalia, Mira leaped inside the elevator and started it, moving towards the first floor. There, she decided to think of a suitable excuse to give if an emergency such as that one appeared again. While feeling a bit of regret from what she said, Mira tried looking up at the top floor, only to see the complete change Litalias appearance had underwent, her entire body clinging to the transparent tube. The girl let out a deep sigh. She seemed way more intellectual That kind of behavior wasnt something the NPC Litalia had before. When this was still a game, she always gave off the impression of being a hardworking secretary. Was it because thirty years had passed? Or was she like that all along? While supporting her chin with a hand, Mira smiled wryly, looking at the the floors going past her. After several seconds, Mira reached the first floor and, with regained composure, took the opportunity to encourage the researchers she passed by with a Do your best! shout. It was a habit of sorts she had as Dunbalf and, unbeknown to her, when the researchers heard the cheers of an unfamiliar girl that suddenly walked through the tower, many of them got fired up for their all-nighter. Having left the Tower of Sorcery, Mira went directly to the Tower of Summoning. Luminaria would be coming back tomorrow but, until then, the girl wanted to confirm something by herself. The fact that she had tasks to do wasnt entirely a lie: Mira had to verify her base of operations, the Sages Room. If the girl could use it just as she always had, then it wouldnt be a problem to spend the night there. C The structure inside the tower was the same as the Tower of Sorcery, its dead-silent interior as bright as day, illuminated by the flickering light generated with Abstractionism. Mira squinted a bit at that and, while thinking of later adjusting the amount of light generated, operated the elevator to reach the top floor. Differently from the other tower, the place was completely deserted and she couldnt see any researchers working on the floors she passed by. At that sight, Mira remembered how the knights told her that Summoning was something unusual. It was obvious now that the number of Summoning Experts had decreased. After experiencing such a fact, it felt like she were seeing off her retired comrades and a feeling of helplessness welled up inside her. TL: Names ꥿ꥢ C Litalia ʥƥå쥤 C Lunatic Lake êν C City of Mythical Beasts С C Gnome ǥ C Garidia ᥪ C Meow Tribe Volume 1 - CH 6 The top floor of the Tower of Summoning. Its layout was the same as the one inside the Tower of Sorcery, a large circular corridor giving access to each one of its four areas. And walking down that corridor without any hesitation was Mira, with her destination right ahead: the Private Room. A red carpet was laid over the hallway and black armors, similar to the Dark Knight, decorated the way to the room. They were items awarded to Dunbalf as proof of his achievements in the wars he fought for the Kingdom. After giving a quick look at the two armors standing in front of her, Mira reached out for the imposing black door that was placed between them. Oops, I almost forgot it. She suddenly stopped her hand and, while thinking she would never really get used to doing that, brought out the Master Key out of her item box. As if it were glad for its masters return, the moment Mira held the item close to the door, a *click* could be faintly heard near the door knob and its lock came undone. With the cool sensation from touching the metal spreading through her warm hand, the girl twisted the knob and entered her Private Room, only to be assaulted by a strange feeling of discomfort. First of all, Mira couldnt find a proper place to remove and leave her boots since the entranceway didnt have a special spot for that, so she just dropped them there. When it was still a game, she never had to remove her shoes while entering a room. But now, with that vivid sense of reality there, Mira couldnt help but feel uncomfortable while wearing those boots indoors. Finally barefoot, the girl advanced into the room she was already familiar with and caught sight of something that covered four fifths of its entire floor: a carpet made with the pelt of a demon beast king, the Grand Caecus. Its shining gold fur was soft to the touch but extremely strong; it wouldnt be a stretch to say that even if martial artists sparred on that carpet it would still remain intact after the battle. That rare item was something Dunbalf asked an artisan to make with the pelt he had received as reward from an event where all Nine Elders participated, the Demon Beast King Subjugation Tour. Raw materials collected from monsters of that class were considered high grade components for the best kinds of equipment. So it wasnt a surprise that, when ordered to make a mere carpet out of the fur, the first-class leatherworker complained to Dunbalf and asked him over and over again if he was really sure about doing it with that precious pelt. In a sense, it was an item that brought memories of Miras past. The carpet lay there, as if bowing down to its master, sharing place with several other familiar accessories gathered by Dunbalf. However, their positions were slightly off. Did Mariana do this? She could think of only one person as being the source of that out-of-place feeling: Dunbalfs particular assistant, a resident of the Tower of Summoning. The girl reached that conclusion simply because there could be no one else capable of entering the Private Room except for her, who held the Master Key, and her aide. Since its owner was absent for thirty years, it was clear to Mira that it was none other than Mariana that tidied up the room, just like she had always done before. The Mariana from Miras memories was exactly the kind of person who would do that. There were many places for storage inside the Private Room. Whenever Dunbalf returned from farming monsters and left his loot in complete disorder around the place, the next time he logged in everything would be perfectly sorted in their respective storages. In short, every time the room got cluttered, the very next day it would appear tidied up. Because of this, since Dunbalf became an elder, he never had to do any kind of cleaning anymore. If one were to describe Mariana as a character from a rom-com, she would be the stubborn childhood friend that always took care of the main characters needs. Now, regarding the items positions that made Mira feel anxious, it was a fact that her aide had been diligently reorganizing them every month when it was still a game. Mariana was someone who seemed obsessed with the likes of fortune-telling and feng shui, so whenever Dunbalf left her to do as she pleased, the room would turn up like that. It was possible that during those thirty years, the assistant still kept doing the same thing, every single month. That sudden thought made Mira feel a bit worried about Mariana. However, the girl decided to leave those matters for tomorrow since her body was already begging for rest and she still had to find where the bed was. Before, if Kagami felt tired while playing, he could simply log out and sleep on his own futon. But the circumstances were different now: there was no way to log out so Mira had to sleep there. The problem was, since she never had to use the bedroom from that room, she didnt know where it was. Obviously, it would be there in one of the many rooms that occupied the Private Room, so Mira had to search them, one by one. The first room was the Collection Room. It had a lineup of rare and strange items collected all around the world. The second one was the Refinery Room. It was full of materials and information related to the refinement techniques developed by Dunbalf. The third was the Storeroom. Things like weapons, armors and experimentally refined items were neatly arranged there. Knowing that Dunbalf was the kind of person to leave his items scattered around, if Mariana saw that room she would make a fuss, wanting it for herself. The next one was the Restroom. Mira instantly remembered that since arriving in this world, she had yet to relieve herself. As if on cue, the girl was afflicted with a very familiar feeling coming from her abdomen, indicating that her body needed to do a certain something. It wasnt that Mira had forgotten about that. She just wanted to forget about it. Even before she arrived in Silver Horn, the signs had already been there, coming and going from time to time. But no matter what, Mira didnt want to accept it. Her entire being screamed that if she actually did that thing while in a little girls body, there would be no turning back anymore. Unfortunately, it wasnt a matter that would simply disappear if the girl endured it. Rather, the more she held it in, the more it would be worse for her body. And now, after seeing a room that had all the tools she required to actually finish that deed, the things Mira tried so hard to forget resurfaced like something thrown in the Dead Sea. It was a warning that her body was nearing its limits. With her resolve fully formed, she closed the door to the toilet room and, after a short while, a faint sound of flowing water could be heard from inside the room. (Luminaria would have laughed like a maniac if she saw this.) Merely imagining the kind of face her friend would make at that time was enough for Mira to smile bitterly. The girl then unconsciously held a hand to her abdomen, lost in thought on what she just had done inside the restroom. Well, that was simple. No matter how you look at it, what I did was something completely normal. That wasnt directed at anyone but to Mira herself, a single murmur with the intent of convincing her mind that everything was fine. The hardest part was doing it for the first time and now that she cleared it, the girl felt cheerfully refreshed. However, some dirty thoughts still passed through her mind; it couldnt be helped, her real personality was that of a healthy man full of vigor. Indeed, without any doubt, Mira felt a little excited. Being frank about it and acting like it wasnt a problem was a way she found to justify herself. Afterwards, when she opened the door to the fifth room, a completely joyful Mira removed all of her clothes inside the Bathroom and, stark naked, took a bath. (Having a long hair is a bit tough it will take some time to finish it.) While feeling a bit more awake after bathing in hot water, the (still naked) girl started drying her dazzling silver hair with the towel and, the moment she finished everything, properly hung it. Immediately after, Mira sat on the leather sofa with her small and naked bottom and opened the menu for her available items, trying to find any kind of clothing she could use as a bathrobe. The girl noticed it once she came out of the bath, but her usual robe was smeared with blood and dirt. Even though she wasnt a neat freak, Mira didnt want to wear that dirtied robe right after taking a bath. Looking through the item list, a certain icon caught her attention. It was an item called Robe of the Celestial Maiden. Available only to a Xian Expert, that special equipment was a reward for clearing the quest Legend of the Celestial Maiden and, when equipped, would strengthen the users Xian-specific abilities. However, the items design didnt suit Dunbalf at all, so it was shelved. When it was still a game, she cared considerably about the appearance of all equipment Dunbalf wore. That obsession was so strong that if an item didnt make him look like a grand wizard, it wouldnt be equipped, no matter how good its bonuses were. But things were different now and Mira wondered how it would look on her. The robe itself had a wavy appearance and was simply flawless. She imagined herself wearing that item and thought that it could work now, since her figure was that of a young girl. Theres no time like the present, right? With just that kind of reasoning, Mira took out the Robe of the Celestial Maiden from her Item Box and immediately wore it. At first sight, it looked like a slightly larger babydoll. The lower hem reached around Miras calves and its sleeves covered at most half of her upper arms. Coupled with the robes slightly pink fabric that didnt offer any kind of resistance to the touch, it was an item that lived up to its Celestial name. Obviously, not only Dunbalf, but anyone with a male avatar would be against equipping that. My, this looks quite good. The dark night reigned supreme outside of the room, with the only thing separating it from the inside being the window. From there, a faint light was projected and, even though it barely illuminated Miras figure, she could discern her appearance. While using that window as a substitute for a mirror, the young girl observed her scantily clad body, dressed in nothing but a robe. She was smiling during the entire process, as if completely charmed by that image. That same expression still held a bit of lust in it but her entire appearance seemed closer to that of a mischievous and seductive girl holding an innocent smile. Afterwards, Mira continued her search for the bedroom, looking through every single room there. Additionally, in order to have a good set of changing clothes ready, she took out various other robes from the Storeroom and threw them unceremoniously over the sofa. Those were the clothes that Dunbalf had been using thirty years ago; beautifully decorated and painted robes that gave off an air of grandeur. Basically, Mira chose only her favorite items to wear for later. The girl then wondered about how she would deal with the laundry, but since Mariana was there, she could leave that matter to her along with all the clothes scattered around the place. Nothing that didnt happen before. C Mira leaned against the window and, while observing the street lights in the distance, let out a small yawn. Then, she placed her hands on her hips and lightly stretched her body, only to feel even more sleepy as her eyelids started to weigh down. Checking the current time from the menu, it was already over ten p.m. Usually, that was the period when Kagami would be playing in full throttle but, since Mira had to walk inside the forest, her tiny body accumulated too much fatigue. The bath she took just kept her awake for a bit longer and now the girls drowsiness was clearly apparent; a second yawn came out from her tiny mouth while she wiped both eyes with the back of her hand. At any rate, Miras purpose in being inside her personal base wasnt just to check if everything was alright there. She also came to meet the other player who probably went through the same situation as her, Luminaria. However, since Litalia said her master would only arrive tomorrow, there was nothing else Mira could do right now. After reaching that conclusion, the little girl walked towards the bedroom, as if drawn in by an invisible force, and finally collapsed into the bed. The softness of the mattress gently pushed back against Miras small and young body. She could feel Marianas very feelings that permeated the bed, prepared every single day by the aide who longed for her masters return. Lunatic Lake was the capital of the Kingdom of Arkite and its borders were connected to a large crescent-shaped lake. Lying near the dead centre of the city was the Arkite Castle, the kings residence. King Solomon let his entire body rest on the back of his leather chair, right after finishing up all his duties for the day. Then, seemingly annoyed at the pile of documents he just dealt with sitting atop the desk, he kicked it. The recoil from that made the chairs small wheels clatter around, bringing Solomon closer to the window. There, under the light generated by Abstractionism, he used his fingertips to touch the silver bracelet attached to his left arm, all the while staring at the seemingly empty air. Visible only to its owner, the projected terminal floated in front of him and displayed a list of names, each one of them colored in either white or gray. Dunbalf Solomon verified that terminal every day. Floating there was the name of Dunbalf, written in white letters. The king raised his face and, after turning his chair to face the window, observed the dark and silent night. On the other side of the faintly visible mountains was the Heavenly Magic City of Silver Horn, the land of all heroes who served the country. When Solomon was lost in thought, reminiscing about that city, a respectful knocking coming out from the door brought him back. You may enter. Excuse me. The man who opened the door and bowed was one of the Arkite Kingdoms heralds. With a sheet of paper in hand, he stepped forward inside the room and waited for his lieges permission to begin. After Solomon prompted the man with a look, the herald spread out the paper and began reading its contents out loud. This is the scheduled report from Graia-sama of the Magic Clothed Knights. We have identified the group of monsters that appeared near the national borders. With the help of a young adventurer girl, the cleanup was finished. However, an unidentified monster escaped so a search party with my subordinates is under way. P.S. The adventurers name is Mira. She is a fine and lovely little lady with a long, silvery hair. After receiving the report, Solomon made an unnoticeable frown. Every group of monsters that appeared until now was only composed of beings that lived in the vicinity of the Kingdom. Any knight tasked with protecting the country would be able to identify those monsters, so actually finding an unknown individual was something clearly unusual. Did it get mixed in with the group of monsters by accident? While they were moving it could or, maybe hmpf, I dont get it. The king sighed and dropped that thought. Then, when he raised his face, Solomon casually made eye contact with the herald who still held the report in his hands. Is there anything else? Yes, sir. Alright, let me hear it. There is a message from Silver Horns Tower of Sorcery. Its aide, Litalia-sama, contacted us via the magic phone to inform that Mira, a young girl claiming to be Dunbalfs pupil, appeared there. Did you just say his pupil? Solomon looked at his bracelet terminal, displaying the name of Dunbalf. Since thirty years ago and until yesterday, that name had been colored in gray. Now, after the letters turned white, a young girl appeared, claiming to be the disciple of the hero of the Kingdom,his best friend. There was also the adventurer who helped the Magic Clothed Knights in exterminating the swarm of monsters. And both of them called Mira. My, this cant be a simple coincidence. Until a while ago, the kings eyes were devoid of color after the incessant and exhausting office work he had done; however, they were now lit with a strong and joyful light. Promptly send out an envoy to Silver Horn. They must treat that Mira with the utmost courtesy and invite her for an audience with me. Im leaving the personnel choice up to you. Certainly, sir! At once! Folding his report and bowing, the herald left the room. After following his subordinate with his eyes, Solomon directed his gaze once again towards the far away city, the place known for its nine towers. On its way, the pitch-black mountains seemed to absorb all of the moonlight that reached them. In contrast to that, around the castle, the lake that gave name to the city shone brightly with the reflected light, a brilliant and fleeting spectacle seen all over its surface. TL: Names and Info ħ󥫥 C Demon Beast King Grand Caecus Ů C Robe of the Celestial Maiden (Hagoromo of the Celestial Maiden) Ůh C Legend of the Celestial Maiden (Similar to the Swan Maiden) Related to the appearance of Mira C Сħ C Koakuma-teki (or just Koakuma if you want): Kind of cute girl that may seem innocent at first, but is mischievous, seductive, may hold a ruthless side, etc. They charm and instill fear in men. Well, something like that. ħͨ C Magic Phone (temp) Volume 1 - CH 7 Through her closed eyelids, the dim sunlight stimulated the young girls pupils and slowly brought her back from her drifting consciousness. After a while, Mira sat on the canopy bed and started tidying up her thin and now out of shape clothing. At the same time, she opened her small lips and took a deep breath, trying to keep her drowsy self awake. That, however, was in vain. Succumbing to the vestiges of sleepiness that still affected her, the girls eyes closed as her back made contact with the bed once again, her mind drifting away to the land of dreams. Then, the moment she finally fell asleep, Miras slumber was disturbed anew by something else. Inside that quiet room at the highest floor of the tower, where not even the birds cries could reach, a muffled and rhythmical sound could be heard, over and over again. Against her own will, the girl ended up half-woken by that terrible noise. While staring blankly around her with unfocused eyes, she got up and, surprised, found herself in an unfamiliar and very luxurious room. Where am I? Triggered by the high-pitched voice that escaped from her lips, all the events that happened yesterday suddenly gushed forth like a geyser and filled Miras mid. At the same time, similar to dizziness, she was affected by a slight sense of loss as the girl became aware of her current state. Ohh, I see was the only thing she could mutter in response, resigned to her fate. Still not used to her petite body, Mira let herself slide to the edge of the bed and sat there, taking a breather. But all of a sudden, from that position, she caught sight of her young and charming legs; now revealed by the flipped over end of her robe. The light shining in from the gap in the curtains worked almost like a spotlight, somehow emphasizing even more the pure whiteness of her skin; Mira was simply at a loss for words. Even though she was blushing like a teenage boy, the young girl observed her legs and used her fingertips to quietly feel and verify their skin: it had just the proper degree of flexibility and softness, as ascertained by Miras sense of touch. She also clearly became aware of another thing that was going through her brain at that exact time. It was something Mira had felt yesterday while observing her own body, a sky-high sense of arousal. But wait a moment, just what is this noise so early in the morning? With her mind now completely awake, the girl finally noticed the incomprehensible and rhythmic sound that had started while she was still asleep; consequently, she strained her ears to try and identify it. (*knock knock knock*) First came the sound of something hard being hit; next was the faint and unclear voice of a person. In the end, what Mira managed to grasp was that at least two people were talking, so she left the bedroom to check if anything had happened. As she got closer to the main door of the Private Room, the voices and their intention were made clearer, the chaotic noise from before now forming recognizable words in Miras ears. Mira-sama, are you there? Mira-sama. Litalia-sama, are you really sure that the disciple of Dunbalf-sama is here? The first voice seemed to belong to an elegant woman while the second one came from an unknown man. Without a doubt. She held the Master Key of the Tower of Summoning and, after asking around, I found out that a young girl with silver hair was seen entering this tower yesterday night. That means she most probably slept here. But later in the night, couldnt she have left the tower and gone for an inn? She has the Master Key, why would she bother staying in an inn, of all places? The Private Room has everything she would ever need. Moreover, I made sure to clean and tidy it up every day, the entire room should still be in perfect shape. This time, a different voice could be heard from behind the door and, rather than an adult woman, it sounded like a young girl was talking. All together, there were three people outside the room: one man and two women; Mira felt the younger girls voice was strangely familiar, but couldnt clearly remember to whom it belonged; thus, she chose to open the door and verify it with her own eyes. My, so it was you, Litalia and Mariana. After quickly looking up to confirm who the visitors were, Mira glanced at her acquaintances while rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, still displaying some traces of sleepiness. At that moment, she made eye contact with the third person; a man dressed in a military uniform standing in wait, one step behind the two women. It was possible to see on his right shoulder an armband of the Kingdom of Arkite. And you are? Mira-sama! Why are you dressed like that!? You! Please look the other way! For an instant, Litalia stood there, dazed at the sudden appearance of Miras figure. The next moment, she rushed to the girls side and covered that nearly naked body with her own, trying to block it from the mans line of sight. A girl who was dressed in maids clothing acted simultaneously, her sapphire twin-tailed hair fluttering and sparkling while she moved. The maids intention was to force the military man to do a right about-face; before that, he couldnt take his eyes off from the parts of Miras body that were visible through her thin robe. That was then followed by a dull sound as he faced the wall and nearly hugged it with his entire figure. Behind him, Litalia already had Mira on her arms and was bringing the young girl back to the room. Just what are you doing!? With the door finally closed, Mira was let off on the side of the leather sofa. She didnt understand why she was forced to return inside; so, while feeling completely baffled, the girl looked up at Litalia and demanded an answer. I should be the one asking that. This may be the Sages Room, but you cant simply come out dressed like that! Theres a possibility that people will come here for a visit! While feeling a bit angered, Litalia scolded Miras choice of attire; as a result, the girl brought her gaze down to look at her clothes, wondering what could be wrong with them. Instantly, she noticed that indeed, the Robe of the Celestial Maiden was too transparent to be used as underwear, let alone as everyday clothing. More often than not, she spent her time inside the Private Room while casually dressed. And right now, all the robes Mira had prepared before going to sleep were only tailored for combat. Even the Sages Robe she was wearing yesterday was, in the end, something oriented for battle. If compared to what she was using now, though, Mira would feel more comfortable in any of those combat clothes. The problem was that she didnt have any intention of wearing outdoor clothing while inside her own room. Sorry, but I do not have any clothes for the occasion. Feeling she couldnt do anything to fix that problem, Mira brazenly said what she thought of it. There is something you can use here. At least cover your skin, or you might end up attacked by some lecherous pervert. After warning Mira, Litalia picked up a red and black robe from the sofa and put it over the little girls head. She squirmed for a bit and when her face finally appeared through the collar, Mira realized that its size was simply too big for her body. The lower hem was dragging on the ground and not even her fingertips would come out from the sleeves. But the biggest problem was that the collar of the robe, once a perfect fit for Dunbalf, now was simply too wide for Mira. Its opening reached the area around the young girls chest, exposing a huge part of it while giving off a bewitching aura that differed from being simply naked; consequently, this went against Litalias original intention. It is too big. Of course, that robe has the right size for Dunbalf. It would never fit your small frame. While saying that, the maid girl took out one of the bands that tied her hair and used it to fasten the robes collar. After that, the red, ribbon-like band that now decorated Miras chest area emphasized even more her little girl appearance. This does not suit it at all Mira dropped her shoulders, reacting to the sight of one of her favorite robes losing part of its majestic feeling due to a single ribbon. Mira-sama. Are you really Dunbalf-samas apprentice? The maid asked Mira while still adjusting the collar, her eyes fixated on the young girl. It seemed as if she were clinging to a sliver of hope that suddenly appeared in front of her. Indeed. Mariana, I have heard a lot about you. She was a maid that could easily take ones breath away. Her sapphire-like hair and eyes didnt have a single stain that tainted its color and her physique was similar to Miras. On her back, two butterfly-like wings slightly swayed. Those same wings, that instead of wind used the mana captured from the atmosphere to fly, were proof of her status as a member of the Fairy Tribe. Another characteristic from that race was that its individuals would maintain the appearance of a human child even after reaching adulthood. And that fairy girl was none other than Dunbalfs aide, Mariana. Im so glad Dunbalf-sama Feeling completely relieved, Marianas eyes got slightly damp and tears started flowing down her face, the reddish tinge on her cheeks moistened by that crying. Upon seeing the aide breaking out in tears, Mira became incredibly flustered and, in a semi-unconscious act, held out a hand to that girls cheek, unable to endure that scene any longer. However, right before touching the girls face, Mira brought that hand back and idly placed it on her chin, having finally grasped the feelings behind Marianas crying expression. Those tears were shed because of her emotions towards the disappeared Dunbalf; as a result, Mira hesitated to caress the aides cheek, feeling somewhat guilty for deceiving her. Being moved by those tears, she considered telling the truth, at least to Mariana. However, she dropped that thought. Just how would Mira explain that situation to her? It would be a huge shock to the aide if she knew that her master, Dunbalf, had turned into a young girl. What that in mind, the apprentice decided to continue using her fabricated story. In the past, Mira had only treated Mariana as a mere assistant. But now that the NPC became a real person with a sense of self and even shed tears for Dunbalf, the girl wasnt sure on how to deal with her aide. This was mostly caused by two different emotions that fought within Mira: one was the selfish feeling of not wanting to be rejected by Mariana, who dearly missed her master; the other was the desire to not let the assistant feel worried anymore. Naturally, as Mira chose the selfish way out of that situation, the words she wanted to say stopped at her throat and slowly disappeared into silence. While still feeling pathetic for that, the girl stared at the hand that was now hidden by the robes sleeve and then silently watched the scene in front of her. Responding to what Mariana felt, Litalia whispered Indeed, I am also glad while gently wiping the tears from the maids cheeks. C Sorry, Im fine now. Just as Mariana had finally sorted out her feelings and calmed down, a familiar rhythmical sound could be heard inside the room. Hello? Litalia-sama, Mariana-sama. Are you finished yet? Following it, after a short while came the muffled voice of the military man, the person who had been forced by Mariana to turn around and face the walls; once again, with renewed composure, he restarted the absolute mission assigned to him by the king himself. Yes, we are leaving now. With that reply, Litalia then returned her attention to the one who was the original goal of her visit, Mira. Currently, the little girl was shaking the sleeves that covered her hands while stretching her body on the sofa. So, what does he want? I see that he is a soldier from the Kingdoms army. Oh, right. Yesterday after we met, I humbly reported that matter to King Solomon and he instantly wanted to meet you, Mira-sama. That gentleman outside is an envoy from the capital sent to pick you up. Hmm, Solomon I see The King of Arkite, Solomon. He was Dunbalfs best friend, the player who invited the Summoning Expert to his newly founded nation. Compared with Luminaria, Solomons friendship with Mira started much earlier. However, neither Litalia nor Mariana knew that, so they thought the casual tone used by the young girl to address the king had a different meaning. It would be considered a huge disrespect to their leader if one were to use his Solomon name without the King title or the correct honorifics; the assistants, though, simply treated Miras shameless behavior as a charming trait of a rebellious adolescent. Not only that, the way she talked was so similar to Dunbalf that, in their mind, it evoked the image of a child mimicking her parents actions. Yet, those thoughts were unknown to Mira. Luminaria-sama is also in the capital, so I believe you can meet her after your audience with the King. Oh, good. Then, we should not make them wait any more. If Solomon was really there, then he would probably be in the same situation as Luminaria: a player stuck in this new reality. After realizing that, Mira got up from the sofa to respond to the summons; an act in vain, as her movements towards the door were stopped instantly by Litalia and Mariana. Stop right there, Mira-sama. Hmpf, what now? Surely, you are dressed in a robe now, but you still cannot go out like that. What Litalia meant was that the hem of that robe was dragging on the ground and its sleeves still covered Miras hands. In short, the size of that clothing was still a problem for the girl. Please stand still, Mira-sama. I will fix it really quick. To Mira, Litalias eyes seemed to show a suspicious gleam but, in the end, the aides hands didnt leave a single opening for escape and captured her. What followed next was a scene where a joyful Litalia helped Mariana, who produced a great number of ribbons out of nowhere, to adjust the robe, rolling up its sleeves and raising the hem. Mira still tried to somehow oppose them, but ended up overwhelmed by their splendid coordination, her clothes finally decorated with the ribbons. C Now the only problem left is the underwear. Exactly. Having roughly finished with the outside part of Miras clothing, the assistants remembered what happened earlier, when she came out of the room wearing nothing but the Robe of the Celestial Maiden[1]; they then pondered about what to use for undergarments since that one-piece, now under the remodeled robe, didnt serve as a proper underwear. Upon hearing the only word she wanted to avoid at all costs, the girl who was treated as a dress-up doll felt a terrible chill run down her entire spine. Although the robe Mira was wearing now covered her skin, it was just that; her current state could still be considered as being naked. She also didnt remember ever wearing any kind of underwear since arriving in that world. So, to sum it up, Mira was currently both pantyless and braless. Incidentally, there was no way that the two assistants would allow the girl in front of them to go out in that state. After considering her options for a bit, Mariana made up her mind about something. I know exactly what you can use. Please wait a minute, Ill be right back. Stating that, she opened the bathrooms door and entered the place where just yesterday night Mira had defiantly charged in. A few moments later, the maid came back with something in her hands. Even though the younger girl couldnt identify what it was at glance, it looked like a garment made of white cloth. Still, for some reason, Mira felt she had seen something similar before. Well, this should be a proper fit. Now, come here, Mira-sama. In spite of being the one who asked the girl to move, Litalia ended up using her own hands to lift Mira without any effort; followed by that, the little girl was practically forced to wear the item Mariana had brought with her, receiving a simple excuse me, before the act. In the end, it was something Mira had no say at all. When the girl finally looked at the underwear the maid put on her, she saw something that resembled short pants and remembered what it was. Called bloomers, they were a kind of underclothing often used in the Gothic Lolita fashion. Why why was something like this inside my ro err, inside my Masters room? The first thing that came into Miras mind were those questioning words that somehow escaped from her throat. Even though there existed, indeed, underwear equipments in the game, Dunbalf was never the kind of person who had the hobby of collecting womens underclothing. Not only that, but Mira didnt remember ever bringing that kind of thing to her room. Inside there she had, at most, a rainbow-colored loincloth that Dunbalf obtained from the River Climbing Festival. The bathroom here in Dunbalf-samas room is so big I cant help but enjoy it. Indeed, it is something splendid, but Its my spare underwear. Oh. oh right At that instant, Mira lost all her will to fight back and majestically hung her head in shame, having finally become a complete dress-up doll. C The robe was now decorated with countless ribbons. Its hem was folded to make it look like a flared skirt and the sleeves, also enveloped in the same kind of ornament, were left in a moderately loose state. At first glance, Mira could be easily mistaken for the likes of a magical girl; but the ones who accomplished such feat, Litalia and Mariana, simply nodded to each other, satisfied with the result. The young girls expression, however, was the complete inverse of the assistants, displaying over and over again a bitter smile. Well then, Mira-sama, shall we go? The envoy outside is waiting. Not while I am wearing these clothes. We cannot make him wait any more. Leave me out of that. You were the ones who decided on your own to do this with the robe. That was because of the clothes you were wearing before. Yes, but you did not have to go all the way with Having found no way to win against those two, Mira gave up and brought her gaze down to the magical girls clothing she was wearing now; only to let out a splendid sigh as it didnt fit her robe at all. Alright, lets go. Leading the way, Litalia opened the door and there, outside, was the uniformed man standing in wait, exactly as when Mira first saw him. His cheeks, however, were somewhat red. When the young girl left the Private Room, Mariana appeared behind her and calmly closed the door. On one hand, the man was surprised by the sudden change that Mira underwent, when her figure clad in a robe full of ribbons completely filled his view; on the other hand, the image of that same girl wearing nothing but a skin-colored one-piece resurfaced in his mind and made him remember what he felt at that time. Finally, being the first one to notice it, Mariana shoot him a glare that could even silence a dragon. The man, who had been standing upright all the time, appeared to flinch a little from that gaze. Then, after slightly clearing his throat, he placed his right hand on his chest and bowed, in a sort of greeting. It was a style of salute used by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Arkite, but at the same time Miras expression became strangely stiff. When Arkite was still in its early days and was about to fight its first war, everyone thought it would be a hopeless fight. However, the moment they triumphed, the victorious players mood was in perfect form and, together, they came up with that salute. In other words, it was something created in the heat of that moment. Of course, as Mira clearly recalled, in the middle of the atmosphere and mood of the war, the scene of all soldiers doing the salute together was a sight to behold. But right now, when it was only one person doing it, Mira couldnt help but give off a forced smile. Pleased to meet you. I am Garrett Astol, serving as the vice-leader of the Arkite Kingdoms Mobile Infantry Force. And I am Mira. Dunbalf-samas apprentice, Mira-sama, right? I am here to bring a message from his Majesty, the King of Arkite. After Mira gave a short reply, Garrett continued without any change in his attitude. I have already instructed her on what the message was. Mira-sama has gladly accepted the invite for an audience with the King. While peering into the mans face, who didnt seem to want to lock eyes with her, Litalia spoke about his main objective. Oohh, is that so? Thank you very much. Well then, I have a carriage prepared in front of the tower, so let us leave without delay. Having finished saying that, Garretts expression revealed once again very small traces of seriousness. Then, as if trying to run away from there, he guided Mira to the front of the vehicle. Please take care on the way to the capital. Mira-sama, if possible in the future, would you mind telling us about Dunbalf-sama? Right, of course. I will make sure to do it the next time we meet, then. Thank you so much. I will be waiting. Good, see you later. Mira lightly waved her hand in a farewell to the two assistants and boarded the carriage, her mind now troubled by the need to create and expand a convincing story about Dunbalfs disappearance. TL: Names and Info ϥ C River Climbing Festival. To quote http://travel.kankou-gifu.jp/en/see-and-do/35/ : and river climbing, a kind of mountaineering in which you follow a stream all the way to its mouth! å?ȥ C Garrett Astol ܇ C Mobile Infantry Force Volume 1 - CH 8 The paved road that started outside of Silver Horn and led to the capital of the kingdom, Lunatic Lake, was surrounded by a forest. And currently, a single carriage was rushing through it; the wagons wheels and horses echoing in the distance. Nicknamed Thousand-mile Carriage, that two-horse vehicle was only used in urgent matters to carry VIP personnel. This fact revealed just how much King Solomon wanted to see Mira, considering that simply picking up guests for a meeting wasnt the original purpose of that kind of transport. The girl herself, even with all the shaking, was greatly enjoying that first experience of traveling in a carriage, exclaiming, Wow, this is incredible! It is so fast! while looking at the moving scenery from the window. When it was still a game, she could simply use the Floating Continent to travel long distances. That option, however, wasnt available anymore as the System entry in the menu was gone and, with it, the command to use the item. But even if that command were there, Mira had doubts on whether the Floating Continent would work or not in that world. Nevertheless, just as she didnt want to worry about her current situation as a girl, Mira also wanted to forget any problem related to the game turning into reality, so she chose to enjoy herself for now. Sadly for her, that joy was disturbed less than two hours after departing from Silver Horn. The young girl started to look a little fidgety and her eyes were searching all around her; an effect of the same physiological phenomenon she had challenged the night before. And this time it was especially bad, as the continued shaking in the carriage made the situation around her abdomen feel increasingly dangerous. Finally, believing she couldnt endure it anymore, Mira snuck her head out to look at the coachman seat. Hey, is there any WCs around here? Double cheese?[1] I dont think so is it some sort of food? Well be arriving shortly at Silver Wand, so you can just tell me what it is and Ill gladly pick it up for you. No, I am not talking about that well, if you were to ask me, I would like something made with pheasant meat. Pheasant oh, chicken meat? Now that you mention it, we still didnt have breakfast. Alright, leave it to me. Well be a little late for that meal, but we can finally eat after reaching the city. Ahhh, forget what I just said! I am talking about WCs!! Hummm. Im terribly sorry I dont think Ive seen such food being sold in Silver Wand This is not about food! I am looking for a bathroom, toilet, restroom or whatever! Aaahh stop here! I will find a good place behind a tree to just do it! Ehh? Ah aah! That was what you meant!? If Mira were in her old body, she would probably be able to hold it for a bit longer; however, that wasnt the case now. When her young body started complaining about it, the girls instincts warned her that she would soon end up wetting herself. While impatiently poking Garretts back countless times and pointing at a proper spot in the woods, Mira urged the military coachman to stop. Promptly, the two horses simultaneously started to slow down their pace. But in the end, she couldnt wait for them to stop completely and simply jumped out of the carriage, rushing for an appropriate point under a tree while rolling up the hem of her robe. When the girl finally saw the bloomers that covered her lower body, her hands came to a stop. The legs, though, didnt follow suit and kept fidgeting, her feet restlessly stomping the ground in a weird manner. (Just how do I take these off!!?) As if mocking Miras rushed efforts, the undergarment she was forced to wear blocked her from relieving herself. Simply put, the girl didnt know how to safely remove it; an obvious problem, considering it was her first time wearing such kind of underwear and that she wasnt the one who put it on herself. The bloomers didnt have any sort of strap or band to fasten them around her hips, but even if she tried to pull that undergarment down, it would stop at her hips. The situation was so bad it got to the point where Mira almost resolved herself to tear everything off. Yet, she had to drive away those thoughts, as the girl couldnt possibly destroy something lent to her. Incidentally, more than anything else, she didnt want to wet herself in those borrowed bloomers, a fact that only aggravated her impatience. Mira even tried to stretch the sides of the underwear with her fingers while pulling down, only for it to end in another failure. Then, when her whole body felt like it was drenched in sweat, she happened to look at the portions of underclothing that her slender fingers were touching. That made the girl smile bitterly at her own panicked reaction from earlier, as she wondered why she didnt realize something so obvious about the underwear. Right around the lace, on the waist part of the bloomers, was a single string tied in a bow knot. If Mira had the presence of mind to think carefully and analyse her situation, she would find it in an instant, without any problem. However, with so many first experiences related to that new body of hers flooding her head, it was natural that the girls mind would forget to consider something so simple. Once she understood how it worked, removing the underwear wasnt a big deal anymore. And since Mira already felt she was an inch away from reaching her limits, she hurriedly untied the string, brought the bloomers down to her knees and squatted. What followed next was a supreme feeling of freedom as the girl greatly relieved herself. C After doing that act for the second time already, Mira was convinced that she had perfectly mastered her own body and its needs; a short-lived thought, as she quickly became aware of the blunder she just committed. When the young girl finished her business and stood up to bring her bloomers back in place, she remembered that women were supposed to wipe themselves there. (How am I going to do it here?) She didnt have anything ready to use for wiping, not to mention any toilet paper. Just in case, Mira even tried to open her item box; but other than food items, there were only refining and raw materials inside. When she closed the menu, the girl started looking around her for any sort of thing that could work as a substitute for the paper. In the middle of the forest, it was possible to hear the soft whispers of the animals; some of those revealed by the sunlight shining through the treetops. Finally, displaying their beauty on a clearing in the thick grass was an incredible variety of flowers. Then, after finishing that brief visual search around the place filled with natures gifts, Mira picked up a white petal from one of the huge flowers there, squatted once again and used it to wipe herself. C Hey, sorry for having you wait all this time. Sounding somewhat spirited, Mira called out from behind Garretts back, just as he was greatly enjoying himself while caressing the horses fur. Oh no, it was my fault for not realizing what you meant earlier. Im terribly sorry for that. Garrett reflected on what had happened before and quickly wore a serious expression on his face, subsequently lowering his head in an apology. Oh do not worry, really. I should have expressed myself better. The girls cheerful expression reflected just how pleased she was with the mental growth she achieved regarding her own body; consequently, upon seeing that, Garrett felt relieved and opened the door to the carriage for her. For now, lets stop by Silver Wand to have our breakfast. Alright, I am in your care. Finally, as Mira got inside the vehicle, the military man made sure to check the horses harnesses and then jumped on the coach seat. C About one hour had passed since the WC incident and the carriage was already approaching the City of Silver Wand without any problems. That last statement, however, only applied to the coach and not to the person inside it; currently, Mira was suffering through something she had never imagined would happen. (What the hell is this!? Why is it stinging!? That hurts!!) Mira was rolling on top of her seat in the vehicle, writhing in pain as a burning sensation shed never felt before spread through her private parts. At first, the girl thought it was some kind of disorder peculiar to women, but as the pain gradually became unbearable, she finally decided to remove her bloomers to investigate what was happening there. And then the realization hit her. (So it was poison or something similar) The answer she arrived at was: the flower petal she used to wipe herself was poisonous. Mira couldnt think of anything else that wouldve done that; there was no way that those symptoms would appear exclusively for women. After guessing the cause, the young girl opened her item box, trying to find anything that could help her. As she looked through the various items she had in stock, Mira finally took out a specific medicine that caught her sight. Called All-Purpose Salve, that recovery item was able to heal abnormal conditions and, to a certain extent, some injuries suffered by the player. While feeling a bit of reluctance to do it, the little girl crouched in the corner of her seat, looking almost curled up, and hoped with all her heart that the salve she just applied would show its effectiveness. Soon after that, her prayers were answered and the poisonous flowers effects were healed by the items anti-poison properties. Feeling relieved over that, Mira lay down on the seat, muttering a few words in response to everything she had to go through, No more please. C Approximately ten minutes after the flower mischief, the carriage slowly came to a stop; followed by that, Garretts face appeared inside the vehicle. Mira-sama, we have arrived at Silver Wand. Shall we head to a restaurant? Or do you want me to go and buy something for you? Mira thought about her options for a bit and Since we are here anyway, I pick the restaurant. Let us go together. Usually, she wouldve asked for the second option, but the girl ended up choosing the first one. To begin with, up until now most of her necessities were satisfied by the use of Virtual Reality; it was something so natural to her life that she rarely walked outside, under the sky. Mira had been living in the age when even work would be done via VR, much less shopping for goods, as they could be easily shipped to the persons house. However, the current world was different. The girl walked in a forest, met with other people and even felt the shaking inside of a carriage. It wouldnt be a stretch to say that it was the first time she experienced something so real and distinct from the convenient life she had before. And Mira was starting to enjoy everything there, even those same inconveniences, as she considered them essential to expand a persons mind. Motivated by that thought, the girl jumped out of the coach and looked at the vast, blue sky, determined to experience that brand world with all her might. C Silver Wand. It was a town situated in a valley close to a mountain range, standing right between Lunatic Lake and Silver Horn. The city was mainly known for the work done by its inhabitants in the fields of agriculture, forestry, mining and others in that area of expertise. It also worked as a stopping point, connecting the capital of the kingdom and the largest military power of the country together; because of that, another thing that flourished and made Silver Wand bigger than ever was the trade business. Currently, Mira was in the parking lot of the commercial district of the city. On the vast lawn there, various carriages were parked and lined up against the stables. Usually, if a person wanted to leave their vehicle there, they were required to pay a fee; it wasnt the case for the Thousand-mile Carriage, though, as that coach could park in the area reserved for the kingdoms vehicles. In short, that special place could only be used by royalty, nobility and related VIPs to leave their carriages, free of charge. As a result, it was perfectly natural for that parking lot to draw the attention of everyone in the vicinity. And especially now, the populaces gaze was fixed on the young girl that suddenly appeared, bringing about an incomparable atmosphere with her. With eyes that revealed complete confidence on herself and a beautiful silver hair that shone as she moved, Miras pale figure clad in a robe full of ribbons stunned everyone who gazed at her. Or rather, simply exchanging looks with that girl was enough to make them forget how to speak. Mira, trying to relax herself, did a long stretch while looking up at the sky, enjoying the scenery of the surrounding mountains. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a bird flying freely and chased after it with her sight, only to get distracted again by many others that suddenly took flight out of various spots in the florest. As her eyes followed them, the girl herself didnt notice, but she kept spinning her own body to keep up with all the nature around her. While able to somehow hear Garrett finishing the formalities from parking there, Mira brought her gaze down after finally noticing the strange mood that was set in her surroundings; in order to not meet eyes with the others, she turned to face the patch of grass she was standing on. (They are looking at me. It must be because of the clothes I am sure they are laughing and thinking of how weird these are) Her current appearance completely resembled that of an anime character and was definitely at odds with what would be considered fit for someone living in a fantasy world. But that was just the impression Mira had and, as she tried to run from everyone elses gaze, Garrett finally finished his talks, returning to the girls side. My apologies for the wait, Mira-sama. Now, what would you like to eat? Not letting go of that opportunity, Mira listened to the military mans question while hiding behind his larger frame and replied with a simple What do you suggest?; the only thing she wanted right now was to leave that place, so anywhere else would do. With that in mind, she urged Garrett to move by pushing his back. Well then, let me guide you to one of my favorite restaurants. That scene of an impatient young girl pestering the military man for something was a lovely sight to see, simply because they closely resembled a parent and his daughter together. After leaving the parking lot, Mira and Garrett went through an alley from the main street, finally arriving in front of a building that served as both a restaurant and an inn. Here we are. Its a bit small but I can guarantee that the food is delicious. The girl looked up at the wooden establishment. Painted in big letters on the swing door was the places name, The Corner of Twilight. Apparently, that western-style entrance allowed one to easily perceive what was happening inside the shop; however, because of Miras height, she could only see its ceiling from outside. Oh my, how rude. Its been such a long time and the first thing you do after coming back is to call the place, a bit small, huh All of a sudden, the two heard a womans voice sounding from behind them. When they turned their heads, a woman in around her twenties was standing right there, holding with both hands a basket full of goods and glaring at Garrett. Despite her seemingly plain appearance, given by the chestnut hair that stuck out of her kerchief and reached shoulder-length, she was a beautiful woman altogether. Embroidered on the womans white and blue pinafore was the name The Corner of Twilight, revealing that she worked at the restaurant. Why, hello there, Shelly. Long time no see. And put long in that. Geez, you should visit us more often wait a moment, whos that cute little kid with you!? After letting her basket down, Shelly moved her sight to Garretts side and took notice of the young girl trying to look up at her; instantly after, as if it was completely natural, the woman placed her hand on Miras head and started rubbing it. Wha! Hey, stop doing this! As she brushed off Shellys hand, the girl concluded that the shop worker in front of her was yet another one of those that would only treat her as a kid. For that reason, Mira chose to hide behind the military man, using his body as a shield. Oh my goodness, shes soooo lovely!! The way that little girl acted, suspiciously observing Shelly from behind Garretts back, only made that womans maternal instincts grow stronger. She is Mira-sama. Hmmm, I see so your name is Mira what a cute name, Mira-chaaan~ The shop workers expression softened even further as she slowly shortened her distance between Mira. Shelly, thats enough, Mira-sama doesnt seem to be liking this. Yes! He is right! While still hiding behind Garrett, the young girl expressed her agreement to what the man had said. Although that scene fueled Shellys outburst even more, she didnt have any intention of being hated by that cute kid in front of her; because of that, the woman decided to restrain herself with all her might. Hey, hey, Garrett what are you and Mira-chan doing together? Trying to fix her mellowed expression, Shelly straightened her face and looked at Garrett with inquisitive eyes. Im in the middle of escorting her to Lunatic Lake, but we still didnt have breakfast. And then you decided to come here. Well done. The shop worker picked up her basket of goods and opened the swing door, guiding both customers inside. Okay then, since the counter is still empty youll have to wait for a bit hum? Mira-chan? Are you still mad at me? Feeling a bit of regret, Shelly observed Mira, who was still wary of her while walking closely behind Garrett. Oh no, I dont think that Mira-sama is the kind of person to get mad at something so trivial. And he was absolutely right, the girl wasnt angry at all; she just felt terribly embarrassed by being treated like a child. However, after seeing the desolate expression the woman had on her face, Mira moved out from the military mans back as her feelings of guilt won over the desire to stay hidden. At least do not treat me like a kid, alright? The girl only said a few words. But to Shelly, they were just the words of a kid trying to act like an adult. As a result, this time she succumbed to the urge of hugging Mira with everything she had. I cant take your cuteness anymore, Mira-chan!! As soon as the woman said that, she threw out both her shopping basket and reasoning altogether, jumping at the girl in front of her. Then, upon receiving such honest display of love, the now tightly squeezed Mira couldnt force herself to shake Shelly off; Oh well, whatever suit yourself was the only thing she managed to mutter as she sighed in defeat. TL: Names and Info ǧR܇ C Thousand-mile Carriage (Literally, Thousand-ri Carriage, also based on the thousand-mile horse.) ܛa C All-Purpose Salve (Universal/Perfect Salve) Ϧĺνֽͤ C The Corner of Twilight (or Dusk/Evening) ` C Shelly Volume 1 - CH 9 Having finished her meal at The Corner of Twilight, Mira was now appeasing her thirst with a Berry au Lait given by Shelly. The sourness of berries was perfectly mixed with the sweetness of milk, causing the little girl to relax her stiff expression from before; and of course, there was no way that the shop worker would ignore such moment, resulting in a series of Youre so cuuute Mira-chan!! to every little thing Mira did. Was she already desensitized to it? Or did the girl simply give up? She didnt really know which one was right but, in the end, Mira let Shelly do as she pleased without treating the woman with scorn. Meanwhile, Garrett was cheerfully watching them as he chatted with Varga, who was the manager of that place and Shellys father. So, when are you going to take my daughters hand and marry her? he asked to the military man in jest, even though his eyes seemed serious; not knowing how to reply, Garrett could only display a wry smile. Actually, that exact exchange was one of the reasons for his sparse visits to the lodging. The man named Varga had a short hair with the same brown color as Shellys. The extremely fine cuisine made by him contrasted with his imposing body, forged by all the work done in the mountains. Now, for the meal the two customers had, it was Garretts idea to ask the manager for a sandwich of roasted chicken and vegetables; obviously, it was because he remembered how Mira talked about pheasant meat in the carriage. Then, as dessert, Shelly brought a pudding tart for the young girl to eat. Both the sandwich and the tart were made by Varga and, naturally, overflowed with his obsession in delivering the best taste and appearance to the client. Mira could only eat such delicious food because of Garretts decision to recommend the restaurant, in spite of how he had to deal with the inevitable jokes coming from the manager. C Well then, I guess its about time we leave. Garrett had been waiting for Mira to finish her Berry au Lait. As soon as she did that, he quickly drank the rest of his herbal tea and rose up from his chair. Whaaat? Come on, stay here for just a bit longer, pleeease! Shelly started pouting and complaining, removing her attention from Mira for the first time since they entered the place. Sadly, we cant do that. Im still in the midst of work. While answering the pleading woman, Garrett took out his wallet and dropped the correct amount of money on the counter. Indeed, let us go. Ahhnn, even you, Mira-chan? That moment of distraction was the perfect chance for the girl to slip through Shellys arms. Upon seeing Miras back as she fled from her grasp, the shop worker suddenly felt terribly lonely and started picking up the coins left on the table. Thank you very much for the food, it was delicious. Therell be a next time, okay? It was really great. I hope you really come again. And the same goes to the little lady. Ill always have a Berry au Lait especially prepared for you. Even while carefully tidying up the robe decorated with ribbons, Mira reacted to the drinks name. Hmm, maybe I should pay you a visit when that lady over there is absent. She just had to think for a few seconds to give that answer, suggesting the minimum requirement for her presence in the restaurant. Mira-chan, you meanie!! I think that right before noon should be fine, since thats the time she goes out for shopping. Ohoho, I will remember that. Not you too, daad! It looked a bit forced, but Shelly tumbled over the counter at the sudden realization that no one there would be her ally. C After leaving The Corner of Twilight, Mira and Garrett returned to the parking lot; and before any of the curious glances from earlier assaulted her again, the girl quickly got inside the carriage. In front of the vehicle, the two horses seemed to be in high spirits after being treated by the caretakers. As if trying to show that their fatigue from the trip was gone, they neighed, full of energy, when the harnesses were equipped on them. Then, as soon as the carriage started moving, Mira directed her sight to the window, carefully observing the townscape of Silver Wand. (So this city was created during the thirty years I was gone, huh) The girl didnt have any memories of a town named Silver Wand around that place. With her heart pounding in excitement, moved by the freshness of the scenery outside, she realized just how real was the period of time shed lost in that world. Finally, after leaving the main street, the carriage entered the forest road outside of the city. It was mostly a straight path and, as the travelers climbed it, the road would eventually lead to a certain place. An incredibly high cliff, that almost looked like some kind of wall, appeared right in front of them; imposing, some parts of it were reinforced with countless blocks of stone. And it was inside there that the public road continued, entering through a large, semicircle-shaped hole placed in the middle of that crag. As soon as Mira, who was riding in the coach, thought theyd arrived at a clearing in the forest, the scenery outside the window changed and suddenly lost some of its brightness, surprising her. Now, she could only see stone walls everywhere while they moved; the light from the entrance gradually disappearing as the vehicle followed the road. After the girl took into consideration the ringing that assaulted her ears and the condition of the place around her, she reached the conclusion that they were now inside a tunnel. Mira, however, didnt remember that kind of passage in the mountains existing between Lunatic Lake and Silver Horn; puzzled, she poked her head out to ask the coachman. This is incredible. I never thought a tunnel like this one would exist here. When was it built? Oh, the Benedict Tunnel? If Im not mistaken, I heard that thirty years ago Solomon-sama ordered its construction and after five years it was completed. Oho, so that is what happened (That guy, I see he is really doing his job properly.) Since Mira already had her head outside of the carriage, she used that opportunity to look at the path ahead, observing the various lamps that illuminated the inside of the tunnel; created with the help of Abstractionism, they were lined up at equal intervals on the walls. The thought of Solomon doing such great king-like work made the girl chuckle to herself. Lunatic Lake and Silver Horn are separated by a mountain range, so traveling between both cities was extremely inconvenient. Consequently, it wouldnt be unusual to say that the passage they were now using was indispensable, considering that the most common means of transportation was a horse-drawn vehicle. Then, another thing that left Mira in deep thought was a specific piece of information that Garrett had just said; the king ordered the construction of the tunnel thirty years ago. It meant that Solomon had been, indeed, living in that world since Dunbalfs disappearance. With that, the only thing left for her to verify was if the player and his avatar were still the same person. In the end, the young girl was thankful that once they reached the exit of that tunnel and, consequently, crossed the mountain range, their arrival at the capital of the kingdom wouldnt be that late. She then returned to her seat and just looked at the monotonous scenery that appeared from outside her window. During that time, the dull view of stone walls and lamps mingled with the echoing of horseshoes and wheels hitting the ground. On top of them was also the cradle-like swaying inside the carriage and Miras own feeling of satiety from the meal she had in Silver Wand; all of those factors contributed perfectly for the girl to start nodding off, her soft breathing barely audible while she moved her head back and forth, drowsily. C A magnificent blue sky spread all over in front of the carriage after said vehicle finally left the tunnel. In the distance, it was possible to see a certain crescent-shaped lake that directly reflected the clean color from above. Then, adjacent to that mass of water and placed near its center was the Arkite Castle, home of the leader of the nation, King Solomon. Lastly, spreading from the vicinity of that building and occupying the land around the lake was the Capital of the Kingdom of Arkite, Lunatic Lake. The coach carrying Mira was now descending the mountain at full speed, running through a rugged and faintly darkened plateau while leaving behind the forest at the foot of the mountain. Mixed in with the vegetation from the grasslands were numerous rock surfaces; and occasionally, from some of the crevices, small animals that lurked there would show their faces and follow the vehicle with their eyes, curious as to what it was. When the sun reached a certain height, its light started seeping inside the carriage, causing the girl to lazily wake up. While using the back of her hands to rub her sleepy eyes, Mira placed herself on the other side of the seat to escape the strong brightness coming from outside. She then let out a small yawn while stretching her body and placed an arm on the window frame of the vehicle, resting her chin on it. From that place, she kept watching the beautiful and far away scenery slowly moving behind, contrasting with the faster pace of the landscape right around her. Afterwards, feeling a bit thirsty for the first time since she left the restaurant, Mira took out a bottle ofApple au Lait and brought it closer to her lips, having a sip from time to time. While enjoying the drink, she also felt thankful for the wind that made her hair flutter, as it flowed in from the window and gently brushed her body, still slightly hot from sleeping under the sunlight for a small period of time. Hmm, I see that the capital has grown bigger too. After switching her attention to the front of the carriage and gazing at her destination in the distance, as soon as Mira recognized the huge townscape that bordered the crescent lake she couldnt help but speak a line in admiration. From the rugged plateau overlooking Lunatic Lake, it was possible to see that both the capital and the big mass of water were encircled by walls, their shape now resembling that of a complete full moon. When the girl compared that city with the one from her memories, it was considerably larger than before; and what caught her attention were several structures that greatly stood out amidst the other buildings in the capital. Promptly, Mira once again moved to speak with the coachman, her face appearing behind him. Hey, what is that huge building in the city? Huge building? She used her slender fingers to point at the city while asking Garrett a question. Then, stimulated by a glimpse of the girls cheerful expression, the military man tried to verify the place she was indicating with her hand. The first thing that would enter someones field of view and could be considered a large structure was the Arkite Castle, enshrined at the heart of Lunatic Lake. However, Garrett believed that Mira wouldnt ask such elementary question, so he searched for other sizable buildings, identifying four in the end. Inside the city, with the Royal Castle as starting point, there were four facilities placed near the walls that greatly stood out, one in each of the four cardinal directions. Everyone who lived in the capital knew what the buildings were. Ohh, are you talking about the Tools of the Five Elements? Is that what you call them? Yes, those facilities are the result of Solomon-samas project to restructure Lunatic Lake with his Five Elements Plan, and were built at around the same time as the Benedict Tunnel. In order of construction, there is the Waste Treatment Plant on the south; then, if you look to the east you will see the Arkite Academy; the Drug Research Institute is located on the north side of the city; finally, on the west, we have the Craftsmen Workshop Bureau. Together, they are called Tools of the Five Elements. Oho now I get it. That naming sense was based on the five elements principle of the Chinese philosophy, like in the feng shui: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. It was similar to what could be seen in Kyoto, and Solomon actually managed to pull it off with his policies for the capital of the kingdom; Mira couldnt help but agree that her friend was exactly the kind of person to do that. Solomons love for the feng shui started because of his experiences within the game. He became so engrossed in it that he studied the art with great zeal and would happily talk about it with Mira, or rather, Dunbalf, at every opportunity. The sight of her best friend coming in and reading her luck with money, work and many other topics was still fresh in the girls memories. Having grasped the meaning of those buildings, Mira returned to her seat and, once again, positioned her arm against the window frame and placed her chin on the hand she just put there. Soon after, the young girl took small sips of the Apple au Lait bottle that had been opened earlier and gazed at the scenery outside; from time to time, it was possible to see a group of migratory birds flocking together, calmly flying in the skies. C Under the great weather, the silhouette of a carriage could be seen moving through the peaceful plateau; and swaying back and forth inside the vehicle was Mira, with certain thoughts welling up inside her. There were many occasions when bewilderment was the only thing she felt, but if one were to ask the girl about her emotions right now, she would probably give a different answer. Simply put, it was a feeling not too different from happiness that gradually occupied her mind. When Mira finished her drink, she put the empty bottle in a corner of the coach, near her feet, and retrieved two more vials of Apple au Lait from her item box. She then approached the front of the vehicle and quietly revealed her face to the coachman, offering one bottle of the beverage to him. Thank you very much, Mira-sama. Garrett gladly accepted the drink given to him, in a scene resembling that of a superior giving his subordinate a cup of coffee. So, why did you join the army? Mira was just in the mood to talk about something, so she casually inquired him on his motives for enlisting. Hmm, my reasons for joining the army, huh While muttering, Oh, thats right I, Garrett brought the Apple au Lait to his mouth and then, by reflex, exclaimed about how delicious it was; the exquisite taste of the drink making the military man feel like his entire soul was healed. The girl simply agreed with him as she revealed a triumphant expression on her face. I think its because of my father. I see does your father serve in the military too? Yes. This is a bit embarrassing but, I wanted to be just like him. He is the First Squad Captain of the Order of the Magic Clothed Knights and I grew up watching everything he did. When Garrett answered, his eyes gently shone, full of admiration for his parent. That is quite the respect for ones own father. I am sure he would be delighted if he heard that. Oh no, I couldnt possibly say that in front of him, its would be too embarrassing. Please, Mira-sama, lets keep this conversation a secret. The coachman said so while placing a finger on his lips, his face displaying a very serene look. Indeed, the feelings for his father came from the bottom of his heart and Mira could easily grasp that fact. Yet, to a certain extent, the gesture Garrett just did could be seen as him trying to warn a little kid to not do anything bad; Mira chose to forgive him, however, since her own heart was now filled with warmth. Your father must be a really fortunate person. Having your son think about you that much was an incredibly great blessing, so the girl couldnt help but feel jealous of Garretts father. Is that so? Indeed. So much that if I were someone elses father, I would have liked a respectful son just like you. Well, in Mira-samas case, you would be a mother rather than a father, right? Ahhh, that is right When the military man pointed out that fact to Mira, she hesitated for a bit while answering with a bitter smile. C A mother rather than a father. She didnt think about it at all, but now that the question appeared, the girl had to agree that if she were to ever become a parent, she would be a mother and not a father. Mira didnt hate kids; rather, there were many occasions when Kagami thought about what he would do if he had children, how he would play with them and what would be their names. Those memories, though, came from a really distant past a fact the girl was sadly reminded of. Even without becoming a parent, she realized that watching over kids would still have some meaning to her. Nonetheless, Mira decided to only think about that matter when the time required it; for now, she would simply enjoy her second life in that completely new body. Then, after reaching such conclusion, the girl finished drinking her second bottle ofApple au Lait. TL: Names and Info Х륬 C Varga (Valga? Barga? Balga?) ЙC C Tools of the Five Elements (Five Elements Organization?). Partially related to the Five Mountain temples of Kyoto (thats why Mira talked about that city). I C Waste Treatment Plant 륫ѧ@ C Arkite Academy aо C Drug Research Institute š˹ C Craftsmen Workshop Bureau By the way, I wonder why Mira didnt realize who was Garretts father (look at his surname). Volume 1 - CH 10 The carriage carrying Mira gradually decreased its pace and finally came to a halt in front of an imposing, giant gate. When they were still traveling on the plateau, only the walls that encircled Lunatic Lake could be seen from that high place. However, as the travelers got closer and looked at the city from below, they were greeted with a visage that splendidly embodied the meaning of Arkite Kingdom, a country that focused on its national defense. While leaning her body on the window of the vehicle, the young girl looked up at the city walls and exclaimed, Wow, they got really big, as her heart pounded in excitement; an obvious reaction, caused by such disparity with the memories she had from the capital of thirty years ago. Mira then wondered just how different the place inside was, considering its outside was like that now, and started looking forward to all the changes undergone by the world during her absence. Currently, the Thousand-mile Carriage was positioned in front of a gate that wasnt the main entrance to the capital; rather, the enormous doors blocked the way to a straight road that led directly to the Royal Castle. Garrett exchanged a few words with its gatekeeper and, soon after, the huge gates began opening with a deep, dull sound. Then, when the soldier serving as gatekeeper raised a hand over his head and made a signal, the ringing of a bell that sat atop the gates resounded in the skies. In response, another bell started echoing in the distance, sounding almost as if it tried to do a follow-up every time time first one rang. From afar, they announced the arrival of the very special carriage Mira was in. Although five other lanes crossed it, the dedicated road to the castle didnt have a single pedestrian walking on it. That was due to the fact that each of its intersecting points had been temporarily closed, as soldiers holding black and yellow rods came out of those passages and started blocking any passerby from reaching the roadway. Speaking of the Thousand-mile Carriage, it was a particular vehicle used when very important matters related to the country were involved. As a result, that amount of preparation used, where everyone stayed on high alert, was perfectly reasonable. Oh my, this is quite an exaggerated reception When the gates opened completely, the girl who was still leaning on the coachs window was able to see the entire pathway. At that moment, when she caught sight of the many soldiers lined up at regular intervals on the road, Mira realized just how grand the greeting prepared for her was and couldnt help but mutter a line in dismal. The carriage then slowly started moving again, gradually increasing the pace until it reached its maximum speed after several seconds, the view of the city around the vehicle quickly changing and moving behind it. While following the wild dash of the Thousand-mile Carriage with curious eyes, the inhabitants of Lunatic Lake would easily take notice of Garrett, who was working as the coachman; consequently, it piqued everyones interest as they started wondering about how serious and important the matters related to that visit were. Steadily, Mira began growing accustomed with the scenery outside and, soon after, she discovered a very preeminent building among the many others that had entered her field of vision. (Now that I am closer, I can see just how big it really is) It was one of the Tools of the Five Elements, the Craftsmen Workshop Bureau. Upon seeing the impressive structure, that greatly resembled the good old German architecture, placed right inside the capital, Mira decided to schedule for later a sightseeing tour to each of those five great constructions. After a few more moments of shaking inside the carriage, the young girl noticed the moving scenery outside gently slowing down, coming to a complete halt as they finally arrived in front of the gates to the Royal Castle. I guess we finally arrived. Mira, whose body had stiffened from sitting inside the coach for almost the entire trip, loosened up after stretching for a bit; her next action was to secretly leave another empty bottle of Apple au Lait by her feet, on the vehicles floor. Yes, Im thankful for your efforts, Mira-sama. Garrett opened the door of the carriage and bowed, subsequently extending a hand in order to escort the young girl outside. Sorry for all the trouble. As Mira thanked and apologized to the military man, she followed it by refusing his help; the girl then gently brushed off Garretts hand and simply jumped out of the vehicle. A few moments later, she raised her face to gaze at the castle and realized that at least that place didnt change even after three decades; so it was with a mix of disappointment and relief on her face that Mira brought down her sight, only to become speechless immediately after. When the gates to the Royal Castle slowly opened, she was able to see what awaited behind them: a reception even grander that the one in the roadway she had just crossed. On each side of the passage that led to the interior of the building was a line of knights, standing completely still while holding a sword before their own eyes. And forming another line behind them were more knights, each one with a spear in their hands. In addition to all that, at regular intervals in those lines it was possible to see soldiers hoisting the flag of the kingdom. Now, well this seems a bit too much It just shows how much Solomon-sama is pleased with your visit, Mira-sama. It was that guy, huh Mira let out a sigh as she muttered those few words, a weird sense of discomfort now quickly assaulting her. If we consider Dunbalf-sama, he is a hero of the kingdom, right? So this kind of reception for the disciple of said hero is perfectly normal. Hmmm, is that so? Yes, of course. Well then, Mira-sama, lets go. The moment they moved away from the vehicle, a caretaker working for the castle appeared and began transporting the Thousand-mile Carriage to the stables. With Garrett escorting Mira towards the building, they both crossed the gates that had been opened for them. And not a second later, their ears were suddenly assaulted by a strong and rhythmical sound made by drums. Not only that, but the knights holding swords thrusted their weapons diagonally above their heads and readied their shields, each one of these defensive equipments engraved with the national coat of arms. At the same time, behind them, the second row of knights tilted their lances with the same oblique angle of the swords. Effectively, the combined actions of those particular soldiers created an arch that covered the passageway to the Royal Caste. Hm, well this seems a bit too much For me, this feels somewhat pleasing. In the middle of that grand reception for Mira, the one who seemed to enjoy it the most was the person supposed to be guiding her, Garrett; he simply revealed a great smile while speaking to the young girl. Good grief, what am I going to do with you now Such carefree attitude displayed by that man caused Mira to mirror his expression with another broad smile. Furthermore, it made a really favorable impression of his human nature while also increasing the girls praises for Solomon, who had a person like Garrett as his subordinate. C Supported by the delightful sound of the fife and drum corps, the visitors crossed the exaggerated arc created by knights and finally entered the castle. Waiting for them at the entrance were two palace guards who bowed and said, We will be guiding you to where the king is waiting. Because Mira didnt like standing out that much, she felt relieved that it was a bit quieter there and followed them. When the guards opened the door to the kings place, the pleasant fragrance of sophisticated flowers entered their noses. A carpet has been laid on the floor and, from where Mira stood, she could see it was colored in a specific order, at equal intervals: first was the black, then blue, followed by green, red and finally white. After a quick look at the room, she noticed five individuals there, with the most conspicuous one being, obviously, the young boy seated on the throne placed atop a set of stairs. He had a light green hair that slightly covered his golden eyes and wore on his head a crown adorned with countless of jewels. At first glance, that scene felt really out of place; however, the boy clad in sumptuous clothing and seated on the throne was, astonishingly, an impeccable king. That fact could be easily assumed by looking at all his accomplishments done while he governed the country for over thirty years. Indeed, that young boy who kept staring at Mira with a mischievous look on his face was Dunbalfs friend and the leader of Arkite Kingdom, King Solomon. Except for his clothing, that looked somewhat more luxurious than before, the kings appearance was still the same even after all the years the girl was absent. A few steps below the top of the stairs were two individuals with their backs turned to King Solomon: the first was a knight standing in wait, exuding an atmosphere that indicated he was no ordinary person; the other was an Expert wearing a robe tinged in black and covering his head with a hood. Said Expert observed Mira with a gentle expression while smiling at her. On the other hand, the knight breathed a sigh in disappointment when he realized that the disciple of Dunbalf, the kingdoms hero, was a mere little girl. Garrett took a step forward, kneeled and I humbly present you Elder Dunbalf-samas pupil, Mira-sama. Made his report, bowing afterwards. Thank you very much for your efforts on the trip. You can move back now. The one who replied while exhibiting an imposing air as he stood next to the throne was Suleiman. As a member of the Elf race, his characteristic blond hair fluttered over his graceful face. Upon hearing the orders given, Garrett said, Then, if you will excuse me., and walked to the side. Nice to meet you, Mira-san. My name is Suleiman, personal aide of King Solomon. Yeah, Mira here. While only moving her eyes to recognize the person talking to her, the girl answered with a very brief greeting. Garrett, who was near her, became greatly flustered by seeing Miras unchanged attitude even after she stood before the king. But the person herself had no way to know what was going through that mans head, so she crossed her arms and placed a hand on her chin while trying to investigate Solomon. In spite of the girls efforts, however, no information appeared on her field of vision as she observed the king. Instead, she was able to confirm Suleimans full name and status floating within her line of sight. (Just what is the meaning of this?) Let us get to the point, first we need you to prove that you are, indeed, Dunbalf-samas apprentice. Are you fine with that? When Mira was in deep thought, trying to figure out why she could inspect Suleiman but not Solomon, the formers words brought her back. Oh right, no problem. She brought out the Master Key from her item box and, with it in hand, walked towards the kings aide while saying, Here it is. Or, more precisely, the girl tried walking towards him. Because all of a sudden, she was stopped by the knight who drew his sword, unable to contain himself anymore as he said with an angry voice, Dont get any closer than that! You bitch, theres a limit to how disrespectful one can be! While also pointing his weapon towards Mira. That man was the leader of the Imperial Knights of the Kingdom of Arkite, Reynard. Right before the audience, Solomon had told him to not mind the visitor even if she didnt know the proper etiquette. And he followed his orders, keeping in check his boiling emotions as Mira didnt kneel before the king and kept using such improper way of speech. However, of all things she dared to approach King Solomon without being allowed to do so, causing him to finally snap. Mira didnt know that, but there was a restriction to how close a person could get to the king. The distance was determined according to ones own social standing and guests, excluding exceptional cases, should never move past the black section of the carpet. What? Then how will I hand it over to Suleiman? Just give it to the palace guard standing by your side! In the old days, Solomon and Dunbalf always walked together as equals; consequently, to Mira, that visit was nothing more than a meet-up with her friend. She just wanted to talk with him for a bit, that was the only thing the girl had in her mind. Because of that, she completely forgot about how serious an audience with the highest-ranking person in the country was supposed to be. (How bothersome) Mira was talking as if she were still playing the game, but upon seeing the anger-filled expression on the knights face, the girl finally remembered that the circumstances right now were different. She didnt know a thing about the proper manners required by visitors on such occasion, so it was with a bit of unease that Mira pinched the tip of Reynards sword with her fingers and presented the Master Key to him. That is right. Sorry, my bad. Anyway, since I am here already, could you hand it to him? You bastard just how far are you going to first of all, get out of the stairs! Seething with rage, the knight put his strength on his sword. Contrary to his expectations, though, the weapon that was supposed to be held by the fingers of a mere little girl didnt move an inch; Reynard couldnt help but reveal a surprised expression at such absurd occurrence. Reynard, bring it here. The boy sitting on the throne finally talked, albeit using a few words only. But Solomon-sama! That person is being too disrespectful! Remember what I said before? This is still within my expectations. Or perhaps do you mean to make me wait even longer? The knight seemed to shrink under the kings gaze, causing Mira to wonder if she somehow made a mistake without noticing it. Nevertheless, a moment later the girl changed her mind and just let it go as an annoyed Reynard grabbed the card from her hand and, in response, she released his blade. He then threw a sharp glare a Mira while observing the pale and thin arm coming out of her robe, concluding, in the end, that she most likely used some kind of shady ability to hold his sword. As a result, the knight further increased his vigilance against Mira. Amidst all that, Garrett was observing the scene unfolding and when he noticed that it had calmed down, from the bottom of his heart he felt relieved, now that everything was settled without turning into some kind of fight. While Mira walked down the stairs and returned to her original place, Solomon examined the item he received from Reynard, trying to ascertain that it was, indeed, the Master Key to the Tower of Summoning. Without a doubt, this is Dunbalfs key. If we consider that he, as the master, handed it over to his pupil, then it is perfectly understandable. As Solomon said that, he gave the Master Key to the royal guard by his side and, a moment later, the girl received her item back. She then quickly returned it to her item box while simultaneously trying to move away from the knights line of sight, whose piercing glare was still directed at her. Now that we have confirmed it, lets head to another place. Disciple of Dunbalf, I want you to tell me everything about your master, who disappeared for thirty years. Is that okay? Yeah, no problem. Mira gave an immediate reply to the kings life-saving invitation. Well then, I believe that my office should be fine since our conversation will be more private there. To everyone else, you can join the party prepared by the parade group. Upon hearing Solomons words, Reynard once again took a step forward, forcing a bitter smile to appear on the young girls face. Solomon-sama, even if she is Dunbalf-samas apprentice, staying alone with such suspicious person is too dangerous. Your humble servant asks to, at least, stay together with Your Majesty in the room! The knight threw a glance at Mira and bowed deeply to his king, giving a proposal concerning Solomons safety. (I see we did not progress here) Considering that situation, the girl thought that she could, indeed, appear as someone suspicious to him. On the other hand, Reynards loyalty was so exaggerated that Mira simply shook her head, feeling tired of the back and forth happening there. Reynard, are you trying to imply that I could lose to the likes of that little girl? Solomon displayed an extraordinary spirit as he fired a question at his knight. Even if the king had the appearance of a young boy, it didnt mean that the three decades he kept working as the countrys sovereign were just for show. It wasnt just politics that decided the fate of a nation in the world they lived, but above everything else was the military prowess of its leader. And it was in that exact world that Solomon continued to rule over the whole country for all those years; consequently, one could easily guess just how strong the king was. N-No, absolutely not! Its just if that person uses some kind of weird ability, we must be prepared. Only that Mira had absolutely no idea about any kind of weird ability he was talking about. It was understandable, though, considering Reynard had mistaken what Mira did with his sword as the girl using a spell or ability. He arbitrarily concluded that there was no way that his well-built physique would lose in terms of strength against such a frail-looking little girl. And in reality, Miras strength was indeed boosted by her own equipment, but since she didnt understand that Reynard was talking about said status boost, instead of a weird ability, the girl had no way of explaining herself. Mira thats your name, right? Do you have any intention of causing harm to me? Why would I? I simply came here to talk with you. When Miras reply reached his ears, Solomons face briefly displayed a pleasant smile. Did you hear that? I also want to speak about a lot of stuff with her. At least be reasonable, Reynard. But, if by any chance something happened to Your Majesty, I would never The knight pleaded so while clenching his fists. However, the one who finally stopped that back and forth barrage of arguments was the Expert, who had stayed silent until now. Then, how about this; I will be on standby together with you, Reynard-san, on the corridor right before Solomon-samas office. If anything happens, well be able to answer it right away. Do you believe that Mira-sama, or even Dunbalf-sama would be able to do anything to His Majesty in the short period of time we would take to enter the room? Hhmm, ugh indeed Alright, so it is settled. The fact is, I was really looking forward to the party, but since Reynard-san wouldnt budge, it cant be helped. I believe that it should be enough if its just the two of us doing the job, right? After the Expert made his suggestion, he placed a hand on Reynards shoulder while smiling. Thats a great idea. Sorry that you wont be able to attend, Joachim. Well hold another party again soon, okay? After nodding with all his might, the king paused for a moment and got up from his throne. Oh no, there is no need, Your Majesty. Reynard-san will treat me to something. Hmgghh Not able to retort anymore, the knight revealed a twisted expression. Okay then, shall we go? On Solomons invitation, three people followed him, making way to the corridor that led to his office. TL: Names and Info 쥤ޥ C Suleiman 쥤ʩ` C Reynard 襢ҥ C Joachim Volume 1 - CH 11 Situated on the fifth floor of the Royal Castle, the kings office had the privilege of overlooking the citys lake. And it was inside of such special place that Mira and Solomon stood, completely alone. Awaiting further orders on the corridor that led to the room were the kings loyal servants, Reynard, the Knight, and Joachim, the Expert. The interior of Solomons study was surrounded by bookshelves, with every single one of them packed full of books containing knowledge about the techniques and histories of places from all sides of the world. Under the view of said bookshelves, the king was currently sitting on a leather-covered chair, his back closely pressed against the furniture. On the other hand, Mira was nonchalantly observing the room as she sat down on the corner of a sofa that looked dangerously close to get buried by official documents. Well, this place seems like a complete mess, you know? Come on, Im so loaded with work theres no way I could find a breather to clean the room. Even if he was addressing a young girl, the tone Solomon used to speak with her was incredibly informal, unthinkable for someone who stood as the king of a country. That, however, wasnt a problem since Mira had already forgotten the difference between the positions they currently held in the kingdom. Humm, indeed. After that reply, both of them straightened their postures and exchanged looks. First of all, could I go directly to the point and ask you something? Solomon focused intently on Mira while raising his index finger. Alright, what is it? With the intent of increasing her level of comfort while sitting, the girl took the many documents that were in her way, on the sofa, and placed them indiscriminately by her own feet. During that time, she just directed an affirmative answer to the king, without paying much attention to the person himself. Are you Dunbalf? Those words were enough to bring her back and Mira caught herself turning to look at Solomon with surprised eyes, the official papers she held moments ago now scattered all over the floor. The reason she was taken aback was simply because the young girl was in the middle of thought, trying to find a harmless way to explain, if possible, her current situation. She wanted to keep to a minimum the damage to her own image, or rather, to her very existence as a human being. However, not even in her wildest dreams did Mira expect it would be the king himself who would start with that delicate subject. Furthermore, his question wasnt something he used to try and collect basic information about her, but actually a means to confirm his suspicion; the smile on Solomons face already revealed how much he was sure about that fact and had no traces of his usual love for playing pranks on others. Finally, after looking at that very expression he displayed, Mira was able to confirm that, without a doubt, the boy in front of her was none other than her close friend Solomon, the person with whom shed worked hard together when it was still a game. At least, somehow, things will be quick then and she wont even need to fabricate any more lies. While disregarding her own image for now, the girl decided that the first thing she needed was to get a good grasp of the current situation. Without paying any mind to the documents shed dropped, Mira once again sat down on the sofa with all her weight. Indeed, well done. To Miras short and affirmative answer, Solomons lips parted into a huge grin. Man, talk about a complete change! While holding a hand over his mouth and giggling like mad, the king glanced at Mira over and over; every time he caught a glimpse of her figure, he would lose it and burst out in laughter. Yeah yeah yeah, a lot of stuff happened to cause this, you know? The girl glared at the laughing Solomon, a disgruntled and sour look in her eyes. But that kind of change its like heaven and earth. Well, somehow, thats so like you. That loli body, I mean. Oh, leave me alone. He held his laughter back while eyeing Miras whole body again and gave his seal of approval. However, that only made her turn away and pout, seemingly annoyed. The entire scene was so ridiculous that, at first glance, no one would be able to guess it was made by one of the highest ranking Experts of the kingdom together with that countrys very king. Anyway, could you answer me something first? Just what is this world? Mira started with the most simple and direct question she had. Solomon briefly finished laughing and, while fixing his posture, sorted out the information he had in his head to finally reply with a few words. I dont know. How is that possible? Even after thirty years you do not know anything? Her eyes slightly widened when she heard what the king said. Oh yeah, thats right. Properly speaking, were not in a game. The world here is real, but is this planet somewhere in the same universe as our Earth, the place we were born? Or are we now living in a world from some kind of universe that follows a completely different set of laws? What if it isnt any of that and were actually in a dimension composed of principles that are outside our very comprehension? I still cant answer these questions so thats what I actually meant when I said I dont know. I see now but anyway, we really are in a real world, huh? Most likely. Just what kind of crazy daydream would make it possible for one to clearly feel the passage of thirty years? Solomon shrugged while directing his gaze at a part of the bookshelves, replete of data collected from events that had happened during those three decades since the game became reality; I really did my best. he said in a self-praise upon seeing the sheer amount of information stored there. Well then, in my case it would still be enough for me to think of it as a dream Okay, thats fine since youve only spent one day here. But, too bad! This is real. Spent one day. In a sense, these words reminded Mira of a really important question that kept bothering her mind. By the way, Solomon. How did you know that I was Dunbalf? She didnt remember giving any hint that would lead to such conclusion. At most, it would be the Master Key, but the excuse that it was an item given to her by her master wasnt something so poor it would fall apart so easily. In fact, both Litalia and Mariana were convinced after seeing the key. Anyway, who would really expect that someone who went missing for thirty years would suddenly reappear there? That boy, however, got the answer right in an instant. There mustve been a reason for that and Mira wanted to hear it. Hmmm, yeah. If I were to go into details it would take too much time, so Ill be brief. I received a report from my Magic Clothed Knights stating that theyd met a young girl named Mira. It also detailed that said girl was a Summoning Expert who controlled an incredibly strong Dark Knight. And right after the report, I heard that some girl, also called Mira, appeared in one of the Silver Linked Towers and claimed to be Dunbalfs apprentice. So with that alone you managed to guess it? Oh no, I received the report yesterday night immediately after checking the Friend List. For thirty years your status had appeared as offline but, on that day, it changed to online. Wait, did you just say Friend List? Of course, that list wasnt something unknown to Mira; simply put, it allowed one to register friends and verify if they were online or not. What she really wanted to know was where did Solomon find such thing in the menu. If there were an entry for it she might have tried to open the list, but that was exactly the reason Mira didnt consider doing that. When the girl was still in a game, the Friend List could be accessed by opening the System entry in the menu, but that option was now gone from the screen. Then, how did her friend manage to check that Friend List and confirm that she was online? The System option in the Menu is gone, so how is it even possible that you managed to open the list? Man, thats right. Considering youve just arrived in this world, you must only know thegame methods to do that stuff, right? When he finished talking, Solomon placed his fingers in the usual position to open the Menu, over the bracelet on his left arm, and kept them there. After a short while, a screen that only the boy could see was projected to him, its appearance differing from the regular Menu. Now, try copying what I did a moment ago. Mira did exactly what she had seen him doing and continued to press her fingertips against the Menu. A second later, a completely new screen appeared and, there, she was able to confirm the entries in the list. Ohoho look at this From top to bottom, the items listed in the menu were: Friend List, Map and Divine Protection. There is one entry here I have never seen before The girl murmured in surprise and tried selecting the Map entry that floated mid-air. Although the entire screen suddenly blanked out, there were no further changes to it. Hey, Solomon. What is up with this Map in the menu? I believe it did not exist before Since she didnt understand what it did even after testing the item, Mira was quick to ask her friend. Then, while closing his terminal, Solomon turned his eyes to look at the girl. Its a newly added entry. If you leave a map in the special items section of your item box, it can be easily accessed through that Map entry. Pretty useful, no? Ohh, so that is how you use it. Yeah, it is handy, indeed. The moment Mira heard the kings explanation, she instantly understood just how convenient was that item in the menu. Basically, it could be said that while playing in a game that boasted a naturally large world, the Map function was essential; however, Ark Earth Online did not have such a feature. Instead, there were rough diagrams of the continent sold at the Beginners Three Kingdoms, but even then their selling price was at a level that newbies, the ones who needed maps the most, couldnt afford. Although later the players managed to create more detailed versions of that kind of item, they still needed to take out and unfold a different map for each region if they wanted to check a certain location. Of course, those maps had no markings on them, let alone a dot that would show the players current position. Right? If you have a map with you, why dont you put it in your special items section now? On his suggestion, Mira immediately opened her item box but then, she found no map there. Ahh, now I remember. I left all my maps in the flying island. Oohh my. Now thats a disaster you have there. That flying island she mentioned was the 2000 item from the cash shop, the Floating Continent. When her item box had gotten incredibly cluttered, she ended up placing all the maps inside the wooden house of her portable mass of land. In most cases, when Mira wanted to go somewhere (a dungeon, labyrinth or a field, for example) she would use the Floating Continent and check the corresponding map to reach the place. But right now, that convenient way of traveling backfired on her. Then, at that moment, she was reminded of something.. Now that I think about it, I cannot find the Cash Shop Management menu As the girl expressed her concerns, even though Solomon displayed a meaningful smile on his face, a distinct and serious tone appeared in his voice when he proceeded to answer. Apparently, that entry is simply gone, together with the Message Box and the Shutdown to log out. The Cash Shop Management was, just like its name said, a menu that handled everything related to cash shop items; obviously, it was right there that one could select and use the Floating Continent. Since that entry disappeared, it meant that her ability to access her flying island was also gone. No way Yeah, at first I was really upset. All kinds of holy swords were left on my flying island ahh, even now I can still remember them clear as day Afterwards, while under the comfortable light generated by a lamp in the office, somehow both people there spent a few moments simply staring at the space in front of them, reminiscing about the many items theyd lost. Inside the room, the shadows cast on the walls wavered faintly and hopelessly, as if reflecting the two friends state of mind. C Anyway, after finding out about me, you went and sent that urgent invitation for the audience, right? Despite the fact that the wound inflicted on her by the earlier shock was still big, Mira managed to recover herself. Exactly. The timing was simply too perfect, you know? And even if your appearance had changed, I could guess that it was because of the Vanity Case. Something like that wouldnt be impossible to happen. Following Mira, Solomon also sealed once again the scars from his past and turned to face the reality in front of his eyes. If I knew this would have happened, I would have never used it in the first place You were so obsessed with that appearance of yours to the point you created a damn collection of screenshots of your avatar doing cool poses. Thats why I thought you absolutely liked that old mans image but why did you end up changing it? Hmm, well it is a long history She then continued and talked about how she had received a message informing that her game money balance would be expiring soon, resulting in her buying the only 500 item in the shop. Next, while omitting the fact that shed pulled an all-nighter after deciding to create the ideal female image, Mira explained she had just wanted to check, out of curiosity, the parts that could be selected by the Vanity Case. And then you turned out like that, huh. While displaying a bit of compassion on his face, Solomon expressed how it was, indeed, a misfortune that had happened to the girl. Yep. I do not remember ever hitting the confirm button, only that I fell asleep while looking at the screen. Reaally? Its pretty strange for you to suddenly doze off like that. You probably lost yourself working on the character editing. When I noticed, I had spent the whole night on it. It was too late, but Mira realized her mouth had just splendidly betrayed her. Furthermore, that longtime friend of hers had already started to suspect something was missing from her history. To prove his assumptions, Solomon moved his lips and spoke. That Mira-chan of yours was really done with all your might It is my greatest masterpiece Yup, yup! Say it again! That loli body is soo like you! The king looked like a kid whose prank was successful, but that appearance was easily overshadowed as the corners of his mouth distorted in a broad and wicked smile. In the past, the two of them used to talk all night about the characters and idols they liked; as a result, they easily understood each others preferences. And because of that, Solomon was able to see through Miras excessively honest figure. So far, the girl didnt give out any specific examples of her interests[1], so she tried thinking objectively about her own appearance, something that was customly made from head to toe. Then, upon realizing that she was now a walking embodiment of her inclinations, Mira threw herself to the back of the sofa, feeling completely drained. Solomon do you have a Vanity Case? Sounding almost like a plea, Mira asked her friend. Yeah, I have one. Here, look. Meeting his friends expectations, Solomon produced a japanese-style black case from his item box. Undoubtedly, it was the Vanity Case, its lustrous lacquer coating easily recognizable from the distance. For a second, Mira stared at that box in sheer amazement. But suddenly, she stood up and assaulted the king. GIVE ME THAT!! W-Whooa! When Solomon was hit by the jumping girls body, he ended up falling together with his chair. Moreover, some accessories on the desk were caught by the ribbons from her clothing and also fell on the floor making a loud noise. Solomon-sama! What happened!? Promptly reacting to that huge commotion, Reynard opened the door to the office without any reservation and became speechless by the spectacle in front of his eyes; it was a scene that easily surpassed anything he would have expected to happen. There were two people entangled together. Mira had fallen over Solomon and was now in a straddling position over him, all the while grasping the hand he held the Vanity Case with both of her own. At first glance, it would appear that she had assaulted the boy, but the biggest problem was Solomons current posture. The hand he had used to push Mira back was magnificently holding a very soft swelling on her chest. In addition, his leg was in such a position that it ended up lifting the hem of the girls skirt-like robe, exposing her lower body. Oh, dont worry, theres no problem here. Solomon informed the knight while feigning serenity, but no matter how one would look at it, there was indeed a problem, and a huge one at it. I see it now, you bitch! You finally showed your true colors! As usual, Reynard started displaying his reckless behavior. And arriving a little late, but with the important job of cooling down the knights anger, was Joachim, whose face appeared at the door to take a peek inside the office. My, Reynard-san. Lets calm down and observe the situation here. Look, isnt it fine? At a glance, it will only seem that Mira-sama has pushed His Majesty down, but I ask you to give a careful look at Solomon-samas hand. Can you see how firmly our King is rubbing it? Following Joachims suggestion, Reynard confirmed it with his own eyes and twitched his eyebrows in anguish. Hmm, indeed but even then ngh! With one hand, the Expert stopped his companion, who was about to object once more, and presented his reasoning. In short, this is what happened: when they were having a good time on the chair getting to know each other, they suddenly lost balance and ended up in this position. And oh yes, thats right! I simply believed that Solomon-sama had no interest in women, but it was actually a case of finding someone with a suitable figure that met His Majestys tastes. I finally understood it! Now the future of the Arkite Kingdom is secured. Apparently enjoying that spectacle, as evidenced by his smile, Joachim reproached Reynard. Theres a problem, though, Joachim. Will the others accept the likes of that little girl? She is the disciple of Dunbalf-sama. Isnt this one of the greatest titles someone could have? Hhhnngh certainly Having their circumstances arbitrarily decided by others, Mira and Solomon finally realized the entire situation they were currently in. The girl was straddling over the boy with their faces close to each other; simultaneously, the boy was feeling an extremely pleasant and soft sensation through his hand. Then, coupled with Reynard and Joachims behavior, they deduced the answer to that entire scene. Finally, at the same time, both friends looked at each other in the eyes and, as if kicking one away from the other, instantly separated themselves, keeping a considerable distance between their bodies. Hey, wait a moment! You people are making a huge misunderstanding there!! Yeah, shes right. When Mira was falling I ended up getting dragged by her and fell down too, theres nothing else besides that. In a big hurry, they attempted an explanation by correcting what the others had said. However, compared to the spectacle witnessed just now by the kings assistants, their words had zero persuasive power. Ah, Solomon-sama. Just in case, I will leave it to Your Majesty on how to conduct yourself when we leave. For the sake of the Kingdom for an heir While Joachim finished with some unnecessary lines and Reynard dreamed of the future, they both calmly left the office and gently closed the door. Ill hold an emergency meeting later I feel bad for you. Dont go thinking it doesnt concern you. If I return to my old appearance using that Vanity Case it will be fine, right? Instead of working out a way to clear the misunderstanding, it would be faster to just restore Dunbalfs figure. That was what Mira suggested while pointing at the item in Solomons hand. Ahh thats impossible. Did you forget this was a cash shop item? Of course I did not. I am aware that since we cannot access the cash shop anymore, this item is indeed really valuable. If you let me use it, I promise to work with all my might for you and repay your generosity. So, give that item to me. Just like a kitten leaping at its prey, the girl reached for the kings hand. Im talking about the rules for this kind of item. You cant give or trade them with others. As he reminded Mira about that rule, Solomon extended his arm and held out the Vanity Case to her. Oh come on, look. I can just pick it up like wait a moment, what is the meaning of this!? When Mira, whose fingers were the only part of her hands not covered by her sleeves, tried to take the item from the boys hand, something unexpected happened. As if laughing at her efforts, her fingertips hopelessly went through the Vanity Case like it were a simple hologram, leaving no sensation of touch. TL Info Volume 1 - CH 12 Just what is the meaning of this!? While looking completely baffled, Mira stared at her own hands that were now literally passing through the black case. As you see, the game world may have turned into a real one, but were still bound by its original rules. Considering the Vanity Case is a non-transferable item, you cant hand it to anyone else. In addition, items for which you have authority over, like your Master Key, can be given to others; however, no one is able to steal or take them by force. Basically, unless I get one of those cases by myself, I am pretty much stuck with this appearance, right? The young girl drew her face closer to the phantom-like item and squinted. Exactly. Anyway, you already know the harsh truth, but I must remind you that you cant access the cash shop anymore. Oh hell Upon this simple exchange of words, Mira dropped her entire body on the sofa and stayed there, lying face down. Her mind, that was now assaulted with the desire to simply give up, began searching desperately for something, anything to get her out of that situation. Are there any exceptions to the rules? Clinging to a tiny sliver of hope, the little girl had the strength to turn her head towards Solomon. Never heard of anything like that in the thirty years Ive been here. No way It was an answer backed by three decades worth of experiences, enough to quickly shatter any hopes she had left. Trying to escape into the land of dreams, Mira closed her eyelids as she returned her face to the couch and started reminiscing of the magnificent figure she once had. You know, I really want to help you on that matter, in any way possible but there isnt anything I can do. Yeah, right. I bet that deep down you must be just laughing at my current situation. Mira was now the perfect image of a kid throwing a tantrum, the incessant and negative thoughts in her mind permeating her words while she grumbled on the sofa. Oh no, of course not. Considering youve only spent a day in this world, you didnt forget about the state of our country, right? You are one of the Elders who made this kingdom stand on par with the other countries, I would never laugh at what happened to you. When Solomon threw a glance at the girl lying on the couch, he endured the urge to burst out in laughter and forced a poker face. However, Mira didnt miss the slight trembling of his lips. It is just as I thought! You are really making fun of me. Oops, my bad. But the fact that I want to help you still holds true. Upon correcting himself, the king stared at Mira while showing his usual and gentle smile. In return, however, he only received a displeased stare from the girl. Ahhh, by the way, did you hear about the other sages? Such important people are still missing Solomon averted his gaze as he tried to change the subject. The matter was the greatest incident that happened in Arkite Kingdom, where Dunbalf disappeared and, less than a year later, all other Elders suffered the same fate. Yes, Graia told me. From what I understood, everyone was gone at the same time, but Luminaria returned after about ten years. I then went to the towers to hear the current situation. Hmm, I see now. Well, if you know that stuff already then things will be easier to explain. Lets start with a question, what do you think would happen to our country if its greatest military assets, the Elders, were gone? Akin to the host of a quiz show, the boy presented his inquiry. At the same time, his smiling expression slightly darkened. That is right She could easily guess the answer. Mira softly narrowed her eyes as she began stroking her chin with her fingertips, groaning in thought while still lying on the sofa. Making use of the nine Elders influence and power, the Kingdom of Arkite managed to avoid conflicts against other countries by never waging wars against them. Since it had plentiful lands and the kingdoms ruler was devoid of greed, there was no need to take away someone elses territories; then, the efforts made by the country were directed into its own defenses. Naturally and gradually, those countries looked to start commercial relations with Arkite. However, the individuals who held together the kingdoms defenses had been lost. Ten years later, when the incident was officially announced, Luminaria had already returned; but no matter how strong an Elder was, being responsible for the entire country was too much for a single individual. As a result, the number of military interventions against the kingdom multiplied, reflecting the other countries desire to obtain its profitable lands. The situation didnt evolve into a complete war, but the constant skirmishes gradually brought Arkite to exhaustion. Such was the current situation of the kingdom. A single one may not exert much influence, but if all nine sages returned together their persuasive power would be immeasurable. And considering group battles, there was a sage who was especially known for its prowess in them, the War Power Dunbalf. Look, this is my own opinion as the king, but first of all you are this countrys hero. Your existence alone bears a tremendous influence, so we cant really shout from the rooftops that you, the hero, became a little girl. Ugh gghhh The reason why she had professed herself a pupil of the sage Dunbalf was similar, it was an act to protect her own reputation; that is why Mira chose to not say a word to Solomons statement. Since youre still the same person, your real strength is also the same, but everyones impression of you would be completely different. Although I think that it wouldnt be such a problem if you had that appearance since the start, the image that everyone has of you is that of a veteran Expert, someone whose figure would never put to shame the Sage title. Having her ideal male figure praised was enough to put Mira in a good mood, resulting in her turning a joyful look at the king while making a victorious pose[1], as if telling him how right she was. It is exactly like you said. Even now, I can still say with complete confidence that it was my greatest masterpiece. Then, can you imagine what people would think if they knew that such great hero became a loli? What kind of image would be evoked in their minds? When questioned, Mira tried to think about it. He was someone respected by others. What if the magician Dunbalf, from that movie, suddenly became a very young girl? A person you could not rely on. While murmuring that, the girl finally realized her current situation in its fullness. Indeed. What I really wanted was to announce that Dunbalf has returned, but theres no way we can reveal that this is your current appearance. Vanity Cases are something unknown to the citizens, so they wouldnt understand. Humm, can you afford to just proclaim that Dunbalf is back without showing him? With an expression that said she came up with some great idea, Mira suddenly straightened her posture on the couch. That would be hard, I think. Remember that this is the return of the great hero after thirty years. The entire country would hold a grand party to celebrate and we cant do that without the guest of honor. In addition, even if we didnt have that problem and things calmed down in the kingdom, the other countries would surely try to investigate. Her bright idea was utterly destroyed. At the same time, the girl seemed to be destroyed too as she slumped on the sofa face-first and, once again, laid there. It was exactly like Solomon said. After three decades of absence, holding a huge party for the returning hero would be the natural course of events. Spies would also be sent to find out if Dunbalf was really there or not and, the moment they discover the truth, it would instigate distrust between Arkite and the other nations. Nevertheless, since the time he met with Mira, the king had no intention of revealing Dunbalfs reappearance; there was something more important than that. In order to tell his friend what was on his mind, Solomon walked towards the place where she currently was, the sofa. When Mira saw that boy standing near her, she also noticed that instead of his usual smile, his face now had a completely serious look. Under that gaze, she corrected herself to sit straight and looked up at him, puzzled. Then, something happened at that moment. The hallway, just outside the room, suddenly became noisy and it was possible to hear Reynards and Joachims voices coming from there. Wondering what could possibly be happening, Solomon approached the door and opened it, revealing that someone was there: the head messenger of national defense affairs. What is it? In a completely different manner than when he was conversing with Mira, the king directed his question with a deep and calm tone to the officer in front of him. Reynard and Joachim, that stood on both sides of the door, bowed and stepped back. Then, after being surprised for a moment at the appearance of King Solomon, the messenger followed suit and immediately made the same gesture. Subsequently, he took his report and began reading its contents out loud. This is an urgent report from the Benedict Fort. A herd of monsters has been spotted advancing towards the northwest. Their numbers are estimated to be around 200, composed of over thirty different species. After finishing his task, the head messenger stepped back and waited for further orders; still, he seemed to have been in a big hurry to reach there, as evidenced by how much his shoulders kept shaking. Near him, the Knight and the Expert displayed their clear agitation over the contents of such simple report, indicating that it was, indeed, a matter of urgency. If we are talking about the Benedict Fort, its already inside our own territory! Are you telling me the border security let that huge number of monsters pass by them!? It has been barely a day and there is already another pack invading that is somehow too soon. And over thirty species mixed in it, this is the first time I have heard of such thing happening. I am a bit worried. In contrast to the anxious Reynard, Joachim calmly analyzed the situation, albeit with a stern expression on his face. Barely a day, species mixed in hmm, wait a moment. When Solomons brain processed and reviewed the report, he murmured a few words, seemingly struck with an idea. The messenger understood those orders and stood at attention after correcting his posture, waiting for the kings instructions. Then, Solomon returned to the office after closing the door behind him. One way or another, the boy came up with something to fix that situation. At least that much could be understood by Joachim, as he didnt miss the faint smile his king made at that moment. I want to ask you something. Immediately, that was the first thing Solomon said after facing Mira, who sat on a corner of the sofa listening attentively to the conversation. I am still tired from that travel, you know From the flow of events and the contents of what she heard, the girl could easily infer what her friend wanted to ask and quickly began massaging her calves in a clearly forced manner. Please, help me. It cant be anyone else but you! Well, if that is the case, leave it to me! Solomon asked Mira in a somewhat dramatic manner and she replied with the same tone. It was enough to make the king deliver a joyful smile from the bottom of his heart. Man, this back and forth it has been so long. I really missed it. Well, in my case it has been only a week since you made me accompany you on the hunt for materials for the Jail Shield. Yes! That one! The Jail Shield in the end, not a single material dropped, huh. First would be the refusal, then the begging and finally the affirmative answer. That sequence of events was something they had agreed on to do whenever one had a favor to ask the other. Considering Solomons situation, the last time it happened was over three decades ago, so it was with a cheerful laughter that he closed his eyes while reminiscing of the past. Nevermind that, we are in an emergency, right? What do you want me to do? Oops, sorry, let me see Following his friends comment, the king stopped thinking about the old memories that had flooded his mind, a tense expression returning to his face. Then, when he stared straight at the girl, Solomon remembered that Dunbalf, the Sage, had another ability on par with his summoning skills. Just to be sure, do you have any sealing gems with you right now? Yeah, every single kind. Mira answered the question as if it was a matter of fact. The Sealing Gems that Solomon spoke of was a general term used to identify certain gemstones that had the natural ability to hold specific kinds of power. They were primarily found in nature, but because of the refining technology created by Dunbalf it became possible to manufacture them. Refining was a special sort of ability. Basically, it was an entire technology that extracted, combined and affixed a variety of attributes and auxiliary effects. With those technical procedures, it was possible to enhance pieces of equipment with the special effects contained within gems; conversely, it was also possible to extract the power from an equipment and seal it inside the gemstone. Oh, thats great. Damn, Im really glad that you came here. As Solomon said those words, he gave a smile that expressed not only his joy as someone being reunited with a dear friend, but also the interests he held as the king of a country. To the girl, the fact that it was an expression she was pretty familiar with only brought relief. It reassured her that even after an entire period of thirty years, that boy was still the same old Solomon she once knew. Well then, I will explain the details along the way. Lets go. Alright, roger that. Solomon then threw open the door in a lively manner, slipping out a chuckle after seeing the surprised expressions of the three people that had been waiting outside. When he gave out a few orders, the messenger bowed once and departed in a hurry, an action also followed by Reynard, who left the place in order to carry out the instructions received. We have a special vehicle prepared for this. Please go. The king beckoned Mira while asking Joachim to lead the way. Certainly, Your Majesty. Upon answering, the Expert made an elegant bow directed at Solomon and another, in gratitude, towards the young girl. Okay, off I go. Yeah, Im counting on you. Both Solomon and Mira exchanged only a few words, but behind their thick voices Joachim was able to notice an incredible degree of trust between them, unthinkable for people who had known each other for barely a day. He then remembered a certain phrase, faintly heard through the door to the office: It cant be anyone else but you! With a completely wrong idea about what had happened inside the room, Joachim guided the girl towards the garage, where the special vehicle was being prepared. C Situated in the underground of the Arkite Castle, that peculiar garage was used solely to house unique and special carriages. Mira, who was brought to that place, found herself in front of a black vehicle, its pretty modern look a result of remodeling and application of matte paint over the carriages body. In addition, sticking out on top of its metal reinforced roof was a distinctive gun barrel, so it wouldnt be a stretch to say the girl was standing in front of an armored vehicle. Somehow, it seemed like that was exactly the special vehicle Solomon had talked about. I see he was pretty focused in his hobby. For me, I really love it. When Mira looked up at the familiar-looking vehicle and murmured those words, someone replied. He was the one who had traveled together with her that morning, the coachmanor rather, chauffeurGarrett. Never thought we would meet again this early. Oh my, its an honor seeing you once more. The young girl narrowed her eyes as she moved them to the side, bringing Garrett into her field of view; while appearing seemingly embarrassed, the military man moved and opened the armored vehicles heavy-looking door. Please, Mira-sama. Greatly resembling a common passenger car, the inside had a bulky couch dividing the front and rear of the vehicle. After observing it and lightly poking the armored exterior with the back of her hand, Mira went in and quickly sat down on the car seat, almost burying herself in its softness. Excepting that fluffy sofa, the interior looked particularly plain with only leather and wooden boards filling everything. To Mira, however, it didnt feel bad. Ohoh, in contrast to its outward appearance, this seems rather comfortable. That was added out of necessity, though. While the young girl was going up and down on the sofa to test its elasticity, Garrett heard her comment and replied, a wry smile showing on his face; of course, Mira would soon learn the hard way what was his reason to make such expression. C After departing in a rush from the Arkite Castle, the armored vehicle moved towards the place where the group of monsters was discovered, its figure roaring noisily on the road that cut through the grasslands. (That damn Solomon, I never thought he would be able to make something like this) The Thousand-mile Carriage was simply no match for its armored counterpart in terms of speed, as evidenced by how fast the scenery outside the window was moving. Having ascertained that fact, Mira shifted her attention to the person sitting in the front, Garrett. Amidst the mess that was the drivers seat, with a number of different devices lined up, he was cheerfully gripping the steering wheel. This vehicle seemed so heavy at first, but now I see that it can run pretty fast. From the windshield, that was short in height but large in width, the only things she noticed at a glance were the grassy plains and the sparse forest that surrounded them. However, when looking way further ahead, the girl spotted a certain white pillar, towering towards the sky in a clearly unnatural way. While observing it, she made her remark about the vehicles speed. Of course, this is the crystallization of the most advanced technology from our Sorcery Engiiineering! As the military man answered, his voice grew to a lively tone and, even though he was still facing the front, Mira managed to catch a glimpse of his face, apparently beaming with joy. Hmm, Sorcery Engineering? Having never heard about that term before, she expressed her lack of understanding through her words and tone. Then, in even higher spirits, Garrett started his talk. Yes, its pretty amazing. I have been told that this is controlled by a device made by combining metal components with the stored power of sealing gems. Oohh it uses sealing gems Indeed. Considering this Armored Jeep has been just completed, it includes most of our state-of-the-art technology. Because of that, however, its fuel consumptiongem consumption, in this case is still significant, so we only ran it for tests once. In spite of what he had said, his tone and mood kept growing with every word. But just a while ago, they suddenly came and gave me a great number of sealing gems, saying that I could use them as much as I wanted. Then, I was ordered to use the Armored Jeep to take you, Mira-sama, to your destination with utmost haste! Thank you very much! With a quick movement of his head, the man looked back and expressed his thanks towards Mira, returning his gaze to the front not even a second later. Dunbalf was the leading person in refining technology and, with his disappearance, the kingdom lost the only person who knew the fundamentals of such technology. This resulted in thirty years of nearly zero advancements in that area of expertise. In addition, because the production couldnt keep up with the demand, higher grades of sealing gems ended up becoming incredibly valuable. And now, for the sake of bringing Mira to the group of monsters, said valuable items were being used without any control. While Garrett was surprised at the treatment given to the sages disciple, he also felt incredibly grateful to her. (I see that is why he talked about those gems) Mira recalled how Solomon asked if she had any sealing gems with her. Basically, since the king saw the prospects of a great supply of those items, he decided to splurge. In fact, the girl didnt receive any kind of special treatment; Solomon simply saw the benefits of running a second test run on his Armored Jeep while simultaneously sending his friend to her destination in a swift manner. No one held stronger feelings than Garrett if vehicles were considered. Not surprisingly, it was mostly because of those feelings that he took the position of vice-leader of the Mobile Infantry Force. Seeing that he had the chance to drive his number one favorite vehicle, unrestricted, the military man took the orders and received the sealing gems. The Armored Jeeps performance was higher than what Mira had imagined, especially its frame that was reinforced by the power of a sealing gem. Even after running over the monsters in its way, it wouldnt budge an inch; furthermore, when rushing at full speed on the trackless, unpaved path, the burden applied to that frame was almost nothing. However, the same couldnt be said of the jeeps interior. Could you please do something about this!? Mira raised her voice in protest while falling from the couch. All things considered, it was mostly because they were now pushing their way through the middle of the grasslands after ditching the road. As the Sorcery Engineerings most advanced invention, the Armored Jeep was built with a communication device able to contact any locations equipped with transmission tools. When Garrett used it to obtain the latest data about the monsters whereabouts, he confirmed that the herd was moving straight ahead, as if aiming to reach some specific place. On the direction they were heading, there were no inhabited lands, only forests and prairies as far as the eye could see; if one were to mention something special, however, it would be the flower bed at the base of the towering, white pillar. With the information that was gathered, they inferred what was supposed to be the herds destination and rushed there. But there was a problem with that pacing. With the unevenness of the terrain, the entire vehicle began shaking violently, sometimes even jumping and moving midair for a few moments. As a result, every time it happened Mira would get launched up, only to have her body caught below by the soft and comfortable sofa. That was the meaning behind Garretts bitter smile and words, regarding the necessity for such item inside the jeep. I have spotted the flower garden. Well arrive there shortly! In contrast to Mira, the military man was in top form and didnt have the slightest intention of stopping there, so the Armored Jeep continued cutting through the grassy plains. Oookay I can, see it, too. While bouncing all over the couch, almost as if she were in a trampolining routine, the young girl muttered a reply, her mind actually seeing a different kind of garden: the Eden one.[2] C After climbing to the top of a vibrant and small green hill, the Armored Jeep continued moving and, with its momentum, flew off that peak. Immediately, while fully enjoying the slight floating sensation from inside the vehicle, Garrett yelled in delight. The other side of the hill was a gradual slope, ending in an area completely covered by grasslands and a sparse forest. From the vehicles current place, it was possible to see a beautiful flower bed, its existence opening a circular gap in the middle of that distant, deep green. Then, standing at the center of such a richly colored place was the pure white pillar, a structure that evoked the image of a guardian protectors sword. Having fixed her posture on the sofa, Mira strained her eyes and looked through the windshield. I suppose we were right, huh. Being twice the height of the silver linked towers, the white pillar was the target of a group of creatures, with every single one of them coming out of the woods nearby and advancing straight ahead towards their supposed destination. Since there was still a great distance between them, it wasnt possible to identify their species, but Mira and Garrett could at least confirm that the wriggling mass was indeed composed of monsters. Hmm, it seems that at this distance, they will be able to reach the place first. When compared to how close they were to the pillar, the herd of monsters had the overwhelming advantage, to the point that even with the Armored Jeeps speed, it would be unlikely for Miras group to overtake them. No other choice then. Let us go full speed ahead. At your command! Immediately after his answer, Garrett picked around three sealing gems and threw them all at once inside the small port connecting to the engine. Converting the power of those gems into its driving force, the Armored Jeeps main device started rumbling even louder, prompting Mira to ask the driver to take safety into account while speeding. In a flat-out run, the vehicle continued its descent down the gentle slope, pushing its way through the densely grown vegetation, bushes and trees alike. Then, a few minutes later, they reached a distance that allowed them to discern the details of the group of monsters. Trying to not look at the driver, who was completely fired up while gripping the steering wheel, Mira directed her gaze to the flower garden and caught sight of the monsters casually trampling down that place. It was then that she noticed something. Hey, what is happening over there As soon as the herd arrived to their destination, after so much work to get there, every single one of them prepared their special abilities, moved to face each other and began a slaughter with their travel companions as the target. It may be true that they were an unorganized gathering of monsters, but there were also individuals of the same species there. Even then, regardless of that fact, they attacked anything that was in their direct vicinity. What the hell are they doing hurry up! Obviously, anyone would know that monsters preyed on each other. However, that wasnt supposed to happen with beings of the same race; furthermore, if all those monsters had a predator-prey relation between one another, it wouldnt be possible for them to even march together in a peaceful way, just like they had done a few moments before. (Are they fighting over something that exists there? Or perhaps) Regardless of their true intention, it was without a doubt that the monsters had a specific goal. With that in mind, while bearing an indescribable sense of uneasiness, Mira lied down on the sofa. C When the Armored Jeep finally stopped in front of the flower bed, a lone girl jumped out of the vehicle, almost tearing off its door in her hurry to leave. A Lesser Demon I knew it, that guy was really involved in all of this mess. Amidst all the monsters, there was but a single irregular existence there: with a body covered in wounds, it was a demonic being called Lesser Demon. As the monsters continued to kill each other, their numbers decreased in the blink of an eye and, when the herds size was finally reduced to one monster, the Lesser Demon was the one who cut its neck off. What a strident voice In a corner of the garden, there stood the demonic being, cackling like a maniac. Mira threw a hateful glare at her foe and instantly summoned a Dark Knight. The figure clad in black armor ran through the scattered corpses, kicking around anything in its way and, in a flash, bisected the Lesser Demon. Subsequently, some sort of black mist flowed out of the wounds opened by that attack; however, after floating for a moment, it dissolved and dispersed in the air. Below that spot, on the ground, the remains of the slain demon were added to the other countless corpses, its face displaying what appeared to be a blissful, distorted smile. Damn, they really made a mess here. When Garrett finally caught up with the young girl, he surveyed the surroundings and commented about the situation. The many flowers, that were supposed to fill their eyes in a colorful scenery, became tainted by the dark red blood of monsters; it was akin to the picture of a maiden laying on a place, collapsed, after having her purity stolen and sullied. A section of the flower bed, however, remained safe from the pollution. The damage was focused only on the outer portions of the circular garden, somehow leaving its central part, or about half of the entire place, without a single drop of blood tainting the flowers. Well then, shall we go back? Oh, that is right, we need to take care of the corpses first. If it were still a game, the dead bodies of monsters would naturally vanish by themselves, but then Mira remembered what happened right after she arrived in that new world. When her Dark Knight massacred the goblins, the Magic Clothed Knights took the monsters corpses and burned them. Indeed. If we leave those bodies like that, a huge number of ghouls might be born from them. Glancing at the myriad of scattered corpses by his feet, the military man said Im going to get something real quick, and ran towards the Armored Jeep. He then returned a moment later with two small bags in his hand. First of all, we need to gather everything in one place. Mira-sama, would it be okay for you to sprinkle this over the monsters corpses? As he asked the favor, Garrett presented Mira with one of the bags. Okay, and what is this? After receiving the pouch, the girl found that it was filled with a white, fine powder. She then did as told, taking a handful of said powder and sprinkling it on the dead bodies by her feet, not forgetting to also question Garrett about the item. They are called Ashes of Hamelin. Ah, you dont need to use that much, just a pinch of it will suffice. Following his reply, the military man trotted towards the flower garden and began using the ashes on the corpses. In the end, he didnt tell her what kind of item those ashes were, so Mira decided to ask again later, after finishing the job of copying the guys movements and sprinkling powder over the monsters bodies. The entire work took about ten-odd minutes, and the two were now by the jeeps side. Okay, lets finish this already and go back to the castle. While saying that, Garrett took a few steps forward and placed a rectangular gem on the ground. After he returned to his previous position, it required only a few moments for a bizarre scene to unfold right before Miras eyes. The monsters, that were supposed to be dead, stood up in a sluggish way and started walking. For a second, the girl stayed vigilant of their movements, but after seeing the calm expression on Garretts face, she remembered the name of the item they had just used and inferred its effect, finally revealing her understanding with an Oh, I see. Their eyes lifeless, the slain foes moved mechanically towards the place where Garrett had set the gem and, one by one, lied on top of each other. Then, in just a few minutes, there was a pile of monster corpses gathered on that spot. Im going to burn them now. Mira-sama, please get a bit further away from there. Without a moments delay after his request, the military man jumped on top of the vehicle and aimed the muzzle, that was equipped on the roof, against the mountain of bodies. Lets see, which one is the fire sealing gem oh, found it. Well then, Im shooting! Garrett manipulated something and, not a second later, a thunderous roar resounded as a ray of light was launched towards the corpses, being absorbed by them; what followed next was a huge pillar of flame shooting upwards, so high it seemed to even pierce the heavens. This is quite splendid, I must say. While seeing the shower of sparks coming from the burning pile of corpses in front of her, the little girl muttered a few words in admiration. However, when looking over her shoulder and noticing the bright expression coming from Garretts face, she let out a bitter smile. Having finished the disposal of the corpses, both of them returned to the Armored Jeep and departed from the garden. As Mira took the chance to peek through the rear shield, all of a sudden, something came to her mind; it was the Lesser Demons last moments, the ominous smile he had on his face even with a body already covered in wounds. Because there were times when a demonic being would incite lower class monsters, the girl deduced it might have been the case this time too, with the Lesser Demon bringing the entire herd to the flower bed. Huuumm? I thought that thing was whiter Despite all that happened around it, the towering white pillar remained unscathed. But compared to the last time she had seen it, the structure appeared a bit darker, almost as if it had absorbed the monsters blood. TL Info: zTζ C Jail Shield (or literally, Prison Gate Shield). A reference to Lord of Arcana? ħʯ C (Magic) Sealing Gem (or Jewel) C Attribute Effect (Ore Twintails uses the Attribute Power term, but I believe effect fits better for now) a C Auxiliary Effect (literally, Correction Power/Strength/Effect. I have seen this term used when talking about certain kinds of clothing and the mechanisms used to tighten or loose them) ϩ`λ C Ashes of Hamelin Volume 1 - CH 13 A herd of monsters had suddenly appeared within the Kingdom. With her mission of suppressing said group of enemies finished, Mira returned to the Arkite Castle and quickly reported what she found; afterwards, the girl comfortably placed herself on the corner of a sofa, inside the Kings office. Hmm, I could have relaxed like this if it were not for all that shaking. Once again, during her trip back to the castle, she kept being thrown around inside the Armored Jeep, so it was with a relieved expression that she now stood there, gracefully sipping on her Apple au Lait. Who wouldve expected that a Lesser Demon would be involved in that matter so then, the entire herd was killed, but its goal was achieved, right? Yeah, without a doubt. It let out that peculiar and annoying laugh. While remembering the creepy smile that crept on the demons face during its last moments, Mira placed the bottle of her drink on the table, having only finished half of its contents. The Lesser Demons laughing voice. It was something well known among the players of Arc Earth Online, a sound that signaled the completion of their foes goal. In other words, it meant that the demon had achieved whatever its objective was before being killed by the Dark Knight. This is bothering me. Im usually busy with all kinds of stuff and now theres another problem I need to worry about. When they were still in a game, events that involved the Lesser Demon were always troublesome to deal with, most leaving a really bad aftertaste even if completed on time. Obviously, Solomon had experienced those events, so it was with a disgusted expression that he finished the report. So, am I also one of those problems of yours? Considering she arrived there not as Dunbalf, but as a disciple of his, Mira reacted to what her friend said about getting more problems to take care of. Oh no, of course not. Rather, Ill have you in charge of it ah, it wasnt that long ago, but remember how I said that we couldnt announce right away your status as a Sage? Hmm, yes, there was something like that. Then, I have a plan for you. After placing the finished report on the edge of his desk, the king folded his hands and, looking almost like a commander from someplace, leaned forward to utter those words. Ohoo and what is it? In response, the girl threw a sharp glare at Solomon and fixed her posture on the sofa, placing a finger on her chin during that time. While in the game, it was a kind of pose that the friends often did together when they were about to discuss things seriously. After you achieve feats deemed worthy enough by everyone, I believe that declaring you, the pupil of Dunbalf, as the successor to his title of Sage would be completely fine. What the boy wanted to say was that her position as the disciple of a Sage gave weight to her name. The fact was that only a few people would truly believe a little girl who suddenly appeared and claimed to be Dunbalf. And even if everyone accepted it as the truth, that drastic change in appearance would inevitably destroy the majestic image the Sage had, so the king had no idea of what kind of negative influence that problem would exert. Additionally, if Solomon were to immediately grant the Sage title to Dunbalfs disciple, another problem would arise. That position, the highest ranking an Expert could reach, held enough power to directly influence the future of the kingdom; consequently, no matter how strong was the position of being a disciple of the hero, raising a featless young girl to the Sage ranking would most probably be met with unneeded opposition by the hardworking Experts. However, what would happen if Mira appeared with a track record of great contributions done for the country? It will definitely go well is what I cant say for sure, but I think that its worth a try. Or more precisely, I want to do it. Although there was also the option to simply have Mira show off her true powers to everyone, Solomon had abandoned it. The details were mostly unknown by the girl herself, but the succession of Dunbalf was currently something that held way more importance than she wouldve ever thought. The king believed that, to convince the neighboring countries of Miras strength, she needed to provide proof worthy enough of the Sage title. Well, I got the gist of the situation. So, what are you having me do? When Mira asked her question, Solomon took a deep breath and crossed his arms. Then, while looking completely serious, a somewhat troubled expression appeared on his face. Dunbalf no, from now on Ill be calling you Mira. I dont want the risk of having your real identity leaking. Alright, be my guest. Then, Mira. What I want you to do is to search for everyone else. Everyone else? The young girl repeated her friends words while holding her chin with a hand. She had no idea who or what Solomon was talking about; or rather, she couldnt understand what he meant for a moment, but after considering the flow of their conversation until now, Mira managed to think of something. After that sudden realization, she furrowed her eyebrows and revealed a pure, annoyed expression on her face. Are you telling me that, besides Luminaria and me, there are more of the original nine Sages in this world? Yep. And I might even be right to say that youre the last one to appear. What the Remember how I told you about the Friend List when you first came here? Give it a try and check it. Just as she was instructed to do, Mira operated her bracelet. After activating the secret menu, she opened the Friend List and observed the names lined up there, each one of them corresponding to a friend she made in the game. Of course, written in white letters, were both Solomons and Luminarias names. Then, while searching through the other ones, when the girl finally found the names she was looking for, it was with a completely lethargic look that she confirmed they were also written in white characters. Hmmm everyone is online. Mira checked the names of seven people. In short, they were the ones that, together with Dunbalf and Luminaria, made up the Nine Sages. Exactly. So, why are they not here? Because he verified that Dunbalfs status had changed from offline to online, Solomon could realize that the young girl calling herself Mira was, in fact, his good old friend. Then, it was possible to guess that if someones status was online, that persons existence in the (now real) game world could be confirmed. However, in the Kingdom of Arkite, homeland of the Nine Sages, Luminaria was the only one present. No idea. Thats why I want you to search and investigate it. This is pretty bad. Where do I even begin looking for them? Except for the towers, they are the kind of people that will never stay in one place. Well, to be frank, I believe it will take some time. But if possible, I would like you to find at least half of them before the year ends. Find half before the end of the year. What would be Solomons goal in order to set such a time limit for the task? Without the slightest idea of her friends reasons, Mira expressed those concerns. Wanting me to do that within this year this is quite the hurry you have there. We have absolutely no idea about their whereabouts, so the job of searching for them is not something a person would be able to do in one or even two years, right? Since their relationship was a long one, Mira had a considerably good understanding of her comrades. And precisely because of that, she was also pretty familiar with what she couldnt grasp of them. Yeah, I know that. But it will be really bad if we dont find those Sages until then. Even your appearance here, in this world, was in the nick of time. I cant help but feel that this is fate at work. Naturally, the king knew that the matter was a very difficult one to solve. That was why he wanted to entrust it to the person who would most likely be able to see it to the end. The figure of that boy, looking completely tired as he wrinkled his eyebrows, immediately showed that something was off; from Solomons expression and the tone of his voice, Mira could sense that their situation was quite dire. So, why do we have to hurry that much? Could you tell me the reason? When asked by his friend, the king retrieved from the bookshelf a folder filled with documents and opened it on a desk, right in front of the sofa. Inside said folder were the written records of a battle that happened ten years ago. Mira then recalled, from the back of her mind, the conversation she had with Graia. After a certain battle, the number of monster appearances had increased. The Three God-doms Defensive Battlehuh? The girl glanced at the documents and, after checking the cover of that file, read it in an audible murmur. You know about it? Yeah. I think it was something from a decade ago. Graia said that, afterwards, the rate of monster attacks greatly increased. While glaring at the folder, she remembered the story told by the knight. Exactly. Without you and the other Sages, I ended up having to deploy an order of knights to take care of the problem; it happens so often that the military budget is shooting through the roof. As he explained the situation, Solomon sat by Miras side and took the half-empty bottle of Apple au Lait on the desk, tasting it in the process. This stupidly sweet taste damn, it really takes me back. Hmpf, drinking it without even asking I am sure that you, as a king, have a lot of first-class stuff at your disposition. Im not a genuine king, you know. Ill never forget my love for junk food. Together with his retort, the boy held out both of his hands towards Mira; while one was returning the empty bottle, the other demanded seconds. Good grief. So, the reason why you have to be so hasty is inside here, right? In the end, it was something that happened long ago. Or are you trying to say that you just wanted to be stingy about your military expenses and have the Sages, me included, return to help once again with the suppression of monsters? Getting rid of the empty can, she took out another Apple au Lait and handed it over to Solomon. Ahh, thats right it would be a great help to have you guys do it, but there are more pressing matters here. After his reply, the boy took a sip of his drink while turning the pages of the folder, stopping at a certain point.Limited Anti-war Treaty was how the matter that occupied that page was titled. Hmm, and this is? Mira inspected the title in a quick fashion, averting her eyes from the tiny characters that continued right below it and, immediately after, asked for an explanation. Since you werent there, of course you wouldnt know. The Three God-doms Defensive Battle was something on a completely different scale than any other war we had ever fought. Maybe it will be easier for you to understand if I tell you that the rulers of the Beginners Three Kingdoms, the God Kings themselves, took command there. What did you those Immovable Kings acted? It was no wonder that Mira appeared surprised. The Beginners Three Kingdoms were a group of nations that every player once belonged to, at the beginning of their playing history. Before new ones started being created, those countries were already in the game, serving as a safety zone for novice players. When the continent went through a surge of new nations being founded, not a single one of them declared war against that group. And on the off chance that they actually tried doing it, no one would stand a chance against the powerful NPCs that resided there, characters so strong even top players would be easily destroyed by them. So, if the three kings of those countries went out to battle, it would be easy to comprehend the sheer dimension that the war took; incidentally, the Immovable Kings Mira talked about was a nickname given to them because of the fact that they have never moved from their places. Its called the Three God-doms Defensive Battle, but because the Beginners Three Kingdoms struggled at the frontlines, it was a war that involved the whole continent. It all started with a swarm of demons that came flying from the sky. Even though they mainly assaulted the Three Kingdoms, when the reinforcements arrived they flew and scattered towards other locations too. Those demons then swoop down on the neighboring nations, greatly increasing the damage they caused, even resulting in the complete destruction of some of the smaller countries. That stuff was really harsh. With an expression distorted in anguish, as he talked about that cruelty, Solomon certainly showed that he carried the determination of a king that was concerned about his people. Upon seeing that figure, the girl replied with So that happened, huh and, even though she couldnt understand the matter completely, as a close friend she worried about Solomon. Well, that great war happened ten years ago anyway. But you can easily imagine what was the situation post-war, right? Everywhere was very busy with the reconstruction work. Correct. Thats why, to restrain the nations from attacking one another, we created the Limited Anti-war Treaty. Simply put, it was a treaty stating that, for a period of ten years, anything related to waging wars was prohibited between them. In other words, because all the countries in the continent were clearly in no condition to battle, for a while they had to focus on restoring themselves and stop attacking others to take advantage of the situation. So, what you are telling me is that the time limit given by the treaty is almost over? From what she heard up until now, Mira guessed that her friends reason was a time limit. After the deadline given by the treaty, its effectiveness would be over and, consequently, the ban on waging wars would be lifted. So, considering that the main strength of the Kingdom of Arkite, the Nine Sages, was reduced to only one person, the other nations could take advantage of that gap in the kingdoms defenses. With its bountiful, gifted lands, and an unrivaled progress in the area of Abilities, if anyone were to take possession of Arkite and its wisdom, it would surely bring about great fruits for the victorious party. Honestly, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that were being protected by this treaty. Anyway, we dont need the kind of war potential that would make others fearful of attacking us, but something that would at least help in successfully defending our country. Thats why Im asking you, once again. Mira, would you find everyone else for me? After closing the folder, the girl paused for a moment and stared back at Solomons sincere eyes. Deep down, she already knew her answer. Sure, why not? I accept the job. Upon receiving that reply, the king thanked his friend and smiled broadly. C Well then, now that weve finished negotiating, theres the matter of where and how you will search for them, but Having finished his Apple au Lait, Solomon kept the empty can in his hand while proceeding their conversation with a sigh. The fact was that every single one of the Nine Sages was a very eccentric individual, each with their own peculiarities. Yeah, indeed. Those guys are not the kind of people that would be easily located. Exactly. The problem we have here is that the bad habits you all have are just too strong. As the king affirmed that, he moved a hand and stared at Mira through the hollow bottle he held, letting out a bitter smile while saying Just look at what happened with one of them. His eyes, however, shone somewhat cheerfully, for he was able to meet once again with his best friend after thirty years. Suddenly, at that moment, the outside of the office became noisy. Immediately after, having ignored the pleas to stop given by Reynard, a single woman opened the door to the room with such violence that anyone would think she wanted to break it. That person, who single-handedly snatched the gazes of Mira and Solomon, was clad in a blue and white robe, revealing an extremely attractive body line; furthermore, not losing to that perfect figure, her face was also finely beautiful. Indeed, that woman was so pretty she could easily captivate anyone that looked at her. Taking a moment to fix some of her fiery, deep crimson and long hair with a hand, the beauty glanced at Solomon with her also blazing red eyes, not giving any thought to the fact that her actions were causing her ample bosom to sway. Finally, the womans gaze moved and concentrated on the other person in the office, a young girl. What is with you suddenly barging in? I thought our appointment would only be later. Without a single hint of his earlier informal behavior, Solomon talked in a tone that now exuded a dignified presence while staring at the pretty girl that had just arrived. Then, the moment said girl heard those words, she vigorously closed the door; sadly for Reynard, his face was nailed hard by the moving object, causing the Knight to display an anguished expression as he staggered to a great extent, tears faintly welling up in his eyes. While placing a hand on his companions shoulder, Joachim tried to comfort him by saying No matter what you say to that lady, it will be useless, so please do not mind her. When I heard about how a girl, who called herself Dunbalfs disciple, was here in the castle, I went to take a look at her, but had no luck in finding anyone inside the guest room. Then, I saw one of the guards nearby and squeezed out the answer from him: everyone had moved to the office. So, here I am. The beauty faced Solomon and explained herself, a bright smile appearing on her face. I see well, whatever. Afterwards, I was planning on bringing her to your place anyway. Following his reply, the king walked and approached Mira. This girl here is the so-called disciple of Dunbalf. Her name is Mira. After being introduced, the little girl didnt even try to leave her seat nor greet the other party. She simply gazed at the woman standing in front of the door and, upon confirming that the beauty looked the same as ever, revealed a wry smile while strongly correcting her posture on the sofa. Ah, so it is her. By the way, Solomon-sama, is it fine to be using that kind of tone? What the woman meant was that Solomons manner of speech had become one that would only be used when talking between friends, and not the one he had previously changed into, a tone filled with the dignity of a king. That matter was something they had decided beforehand: in a situation where the two of them werent alone, both Solomon and the woman were supposed to behave in a suitable posture and manner. Yeah, theres no problem. Since this girl here is Dunbalf himself, you know? So you can just drop that and speak normally. Even after this many years, Im still not used to that new tone of yours. While saying that, the boy had a playful and radiant smile on his face. Wha w-w-wha Ooh, hey there, Luminaria, long time no see. Or that is how it is supposed to be for you, I guess. In my case, it has been barely a day since then. Still relaxing on the couch, Mira simply raised a hand to greet the woman. Luminaria. That was the name of one of the Nine Sages and also the only Elder whose whereabouts were known. Got it. Dunbalf, huh? So youve finally arrived here too The beauty then tried to get a good look at Mira, observing her whole figure from top to bottom. That cute, adorable little girl in front of her was enough to make Luminaria remember clearly an old conversation she had with Dunbalf, when they talked about their preferences in women; currently, Miras appearance completely matched the characteristics she heard that time. Finally, while feeling happy to once again meet her longtime friend but also finding that situation hilarious, Luminaria burst out in laughter. Escaping through the door and reaching the outside, the faint laughing voice made Reynard cover his ears as both him and Joachim nodded to each other. Within the castle, there were rumors circulating that, sometimes, Luminaria would act like a completely different person. In a sense, they were completely right. When the woman finally stopped her convulsing outburst of laughs, she gave another look at Miras figure and, as if trying to imply something, smiled broadly. So youve also finally realized how wonderful this is. Having a womans body is great, right? Did you play with it to your hearts content already? Then, the very first thing that came out of Luminarias mouth was some really indecent speak. However, even that didnt change the fact her seductive lips, now raised in a smile after uttering those words, were also part of her charm, filled with sensuality. Do not put me on the same level as you. This was mostly an accident, I had no intention of having this happen to me. Damn, that was some excellent work for an accident, dontcha think? Im finding it a tad bit hard to believe After stroking Miras silver hair for a moment, the woman placed her fingers on the collar of her friends robe and pulled it, taking a peek at the young girls chest; even under the clothes everything was flawless, so Luminaria made sure to voice what she found. Uughh. It will take some time if I were to explain, but Seemingly irritated, Mira brushed off the beautys hand and briefly explained the events the led to her current situation, starting with the message that warned about her soon to be expired in-game cash. C Well, I bought my current Vanity Case because of that too. But in my case, I didnt use it. As Solomon finished listening to his friends history, he mentioned that the same message had arrived to him and, after thinking that it would be a waste to simply let his money expire, bought the Vanity Case in the process. Same here, dude. In order to prove what she said, Luminaria opened her item box and brought out the same item, holding it on the palm of her hand. Then, while glaring at the case with a bitter expression on her face, a completely sulky Mira pouted and threw herself on the sofa. Why am I the only one without iiit? Cause you used yours, of course. Having her heart pierced by Solomons point-blank words, the girl could only groan in despair and, while looking exactly like a sullen kid, sprawled face-up over the couch. Vol.1 Chapter 13 But hey, that ended great, right? At least you didnt try to copy the image of some joke character[1] out there. If I remember well, you said this was your ideal female figure, no? Well, even if this werent your ideal or you had no attachments to it at all, your current state in itself is something to celebrate. For me, it was like Id hit the jackpot when this world became real, this place is just the best shit ever. I spent the entirety of my first day here playing hard with my body. A truly refreshing smile appeared on Luminarias beautiful face. Without a doubt, most men would get instantly charmed by it, but only if they didnt know the real person that was behind that pretty expression. And unfortunately, the other two individuals there knew really well her true identity. While sending an icy stare towards her friend, whose behavior and appearance remained the same even after all the time that had passed, a certain question appeared in the girls mind. By the way, I had this sudden thought now, but Solomon spent thirty years here and Luminaria twenty, right? It is a lot of time, so why do you guys look like you did not age a single year? Because Mira had barely spent a day in that world, she obviously wouldnt feel that things were out of place there; what was baffling, however, was that her friends didnt change a single bit after spending a considerable amount of time in that new reality. Even if she disregarded Luminarias case, it would be impossible to do the same for Solomon. There was no way for a human in their forties to still have the figure of a young boy. Oh, thats right, it was so natural to us already we actually forgot to talk about that. Yeah, its the reason why I said this world was the best shit ever. In order to settle down and focus on the talk, Solomon tried to get his wheeled office chair and bring it near the sofa, but apparently Luminaria thought First come, first served, and quickly sat on said chair. The woman then crossed her fascinatingly long and slender legs, with a clear intention of showing them off. Simply put, it seems that we, former players, are quite different from the ordinary people, or former NPCs. The boy continued the conversation while poking his friends head, retaliating for her audacity in taking his seat. Different from the ordinary, you say? Yep. First of all, Im talking about Inspection. Did you already try to inspect both me and Luminaria? When the king asked that, Mira remembered that during her audience with him, she had tried to inspect the boy but no information was displayed. So this time, the girl attempted to observe Luminaria, who kept squirming around in a really unpleasant way. However, she couldnt make any kind of data appear in her field of vision.. Nothing appeared, for both of you. And yet I could do it for Suleiman and Graia After hearing Miras reply, Solomon let out a jovial laugh and quietly sat near the sprawled girls feet. Somehow, it looks like we cant inspect former players. This is the first difference. Oh, by the way, when I first saw you I tried the inspect function, but since it didnt show anything, I could confirm that you were an ex-player. Then, there was the fact that the name Dunbalf had changed to online and, at the same, a certain disciple of his appeared, a loli whose appearance looked perfectly fit for his tastes. That was enough evidence to convince not only me, but anyone else with such information. In other words, it can be used as material for decision-making. Mira concluded with a bitter smile. Indeed. We cant be completely sure that the people youll be looking for wont change their appearances, right? At least with this you will be able to identify if someone is a former player or not. Said the boy as he adjusted the lower hem of his friends robe to cover her legs; that skirt-like part of her clothing was in a dangerous position, to the point that even her bloomers were exposed. Anyway, with how those guys are, we should be able to identify them without even looking at their appearances. Youre right. For example, if Luminaria here changed into someone else, Im pretty sure I would recognize her. Exactly. There are not many perverts like her. Throwing a look at Luminaria, whose expression was of pure ecstasy as she ogled her own legs, the other two resisted the urge to laugh. Although the woman directed a sharp glare towards her friends after being called a pervert, she completely changed her expression all of a sudden, as if something had happened. Hey, in other words if were already at the point that we can recognize each other without even looking at our appearance, then were really close buddies! Luminaria, who gave a surprisingly positive reply, stood straight up and, looking almost like a pro wrestler, made a diving attack towards the sofa. With nimble movements, Solomon managed to escape in time, but Mira wasnt that lucky; the girl was lying sprawled on the couch, feeling completely exhausted, so she couldnt do anything in response to her friends sudden attack. A moment later, assisted by the force of gravity, the woman relentlessly embraced Mira. Ohh, my friend~! Hey! Drop that, Dumbnaria![2] Where the hell do you think you are touching me!? Switching their target to the young girl now, Luminarias hands started crawling all over Miras body, as if trying to investigate its every nook and cranny. This should be fine, right? Its aalright OOOF! While making a scene fit for a clichd drama, Luminaria, acting as the evil governor, laid her hands on the young girl, attempting to rape her[3]. However, that was quickly interrupted by a dull exploding sound, followed immediately after by the womans groan as the air from her lungs was forcefully expelled; Luminaria flew in the air for a moment and, after colliding hard with the ceiling, crashed onto the floor. Still lying on the sofa with her face up, Mira also had her right hand thrust towards the ceiling. At point-blank range, she had launched an ability from her secondary class, the Xian Expert, against the assaulting woman. Sexual harassment is pretty risky, huh. Seemingly indifferent to what had just happened, Solomon called out to Luminaria. The woman then slowly rose to her feet and proudly gave a thumbs up, replying with But I can take that risk. As for the girl, she got up from the couch while tidying her worn out robe and, with her eyes now completely awake, glared at her pervert friend to say Next time you do that, I will be using it together with my Mystic Eyes, as an ultimatum. With a clear intention of continuing her assault, Luminarias hands were already ready to thoroughly grope Miras body, but when she heard the girls warning, the woman stopped in her tracks, both hands now wandering after losing their destination. Afterwards, she started picking up the documents that were scattered on the floor. Now that is something deserving of praise. Nah, come on, I just like to keep things tidied up. Oh really? Then, while youre at it, take care of these ones too. Taking advantage of the situation, Solomon pointed towards a desk filled with even more scattered papers. Silently, Luminaria nodded in agreement. TL Info: ޶s C Limited Anti-war Treaty 1ͥ C Neta Character or a memetic character (Japanese version). The term is really broad, but you could say that Akari (from Yuru Yuri) is an example of a neta character, what with all the jokes about her being invisible. 2Хʥꥢ C Bakanaria, a pun with Luminaria and Baka (so obvious). 3褤ǤϤʤ褤ǤϤʤ C Yoi de wa nai ka~ Yoi de wa nai ka (lit. Isnt it fine~ Isnt it fine~): those lines are commonly used (in dramas, anime, manga) by evil politicians of the Edo period when they lay their hands on a helpless girl and try to rape her. Something like, dont worry, it will all be fine (obviously it wont). Well, see this (humor skit) if you want an example: (first few seconds) here or a cute girls version ħ C For now, Im keeping it as Mystic Eyes since we already have the same term, from some really huge works (Tsukihime, KnK), translated like that. But suggestions are always appreciated. Volume 1 - CH 14 Okay then. Continuing from where we stopped, the biggest difference between us, former players, and the former NPCs is the state of our bodies. As you can see, it seems like we dont grow old at all. While saying that, Solomon spread both of his arms and showed off his figure. And that is why, even after living here for thirty years, your own body stayed the same? Yeah. To be honest, theres still a lot that we dont know, so I cant say with confidence that its something absolute. Do we really never age? What if its just our appearances that wont change and were still growing old as usual? Do we have some sort of life span? Well, thats the kind of doubts we still have. Maybe well be able to understand things after four or five more decades have passed, I guess. If they didnt grow old, it would also mean that their bodies would stay healthy, without ever deteriorating. The same would obviously apply to their skin, with its firmness remaining the same after the passage of years. It was mostly because of the very fact that their appearances wouldnt change that Luminaria said their current world was the best; if a person was beautiful, it would be for eternity. After her friends explanation, Mira understood why their figures remained unchanged. Also, it apparently was something that only happened to former players. What caught her attention, however, was how Solomon talked about a life span. Evidently, no one would die of age after just thirty years, but what if they died of other causes? When it was still a game, every time a player was killed by the likes of a monster, for example, they would revive at their base or affiliated country and receive a debuff. The point was, it happened when they were in a game. Now that the world they played in became reality, would the same rule apply if they died? That was what worried the girl. By the way, what happens if we die here? Do we still revive with a debuff? If we die, huh As he listened to Miras question, the boy made a troubled expression and crossed his arms in thought. After taking a moment to put his ideas in order, Solomon raised his face and began his reply with a few words, stating that the matter was still inconclusive. To tell you the truth, weve yet to hear about a player dying in this world. Well, my personal view on it is that maybe we just die, I guess. As blunt as it was, the kings answer was completely serious. Considering the game became reality, it wouldnt be impossible to think like that. Even though she wished it wouldnt be the case, Mira also believed that such a convenient thing would be too good to be true, so she easily accepted her friends words. Is there any reason for you to believe we would just die? Its because of the Friend List. I kept checking it every single night. And even now, just like you guys, it seems that there are others who suddenly arrive in this world. But the opposite also happened too. I had a friend whose status appeared as online, but their whereabouts were still unknown. At that point, Solomon stopped his explanation for a moment to moisten his dry lips. During that time of silence, the only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of Luminaria bundling up the documents. Apparently, she was still working to keep the place tidy. One night, when I verified the Friend List as usual, that persons name had changed tooffline. After that happened, I have never seen it return to the previous online status. I see In that world, being online in the Friend List meant that the person existed there. On the other hand, being offline was a sign that they werent in the world. From that, they could think of two possible answers as to what happened with that individual. The first one was that they somehow managed to find a way to logout. The other was that, for some reason, the person disappeared from the world; in other words, they died. Believing in her friends reasons, Mira decided to act even more careful while living in that new reality. Even if were askin whether well die or not, the most common cause of deaths in this world is related to actual fights. Well, I doubt wed ever die because of that shit. Thats how strong we are, and even if were up against something we cant beat, be it a Demon Beast King, Demon King or Dragon God, we can simply use all our strength to escape and survive, right? While organizing the papers, Luminaria sat on the table in a seductive manner and spoke. Indeed, if it were those three in the room, they wouldnt be in serious trouble; during the four years since the official launch of the game, those individuals employed a great variety of means and ended up as one of the strongest powers in the world. So much that there was nothing that would beat them. Agreed, it is just like you said. Yeah. And in the end, this is only a hypothesis I have. Lets just put that matter on hold for now. Currently, theres no need to find an answer for it, and even if we were required to find one, theres simply no humane way to test it. At most, I guess we just need to be careful not to die. Returning to his previous smiling face, Solomon opened the menu from his bracelet and confirmed the current time. Okay then, since this is a rare occasion, Im dropping my work for now, so lets have dinner together. Just like the old days. The king proposed that and rose from his chair, telling the gist of it to the two subordinates that were on standby, outside the room. After a short while, with the preparations for their meal finished, one maid came to pick them up; the three friends then switched places from the Kings Office to a big banquet hall. Being alone there, they would able to eat and chat without any kind of restriction. As expected of a king. What an extravagant dinner you have here. Inside the hall, it was like they were in a standing buffet party with tables of food lined up before them. Holding a plate on her hand, Mira decided to try every single one of the dishes there and started taking turns, eating them one by one. Of course! That food was prepared by first-class cooks with the best of the ingredients. Everything you see here is absolutely delicious. As Solomon bragged about his banquet while also holding one plate, he walked and stopped near Miras side, to her left. Theres even fried chicken here, damn! First-class fried chicken![1] Not even losing a moment to stuff her cheeks with the fried food, Luminaria praised it and, at the same time, placed some of that golden, perfectly cooked dish on the little girls plate. To both of Miras friends, it was already natural to have top grade goods to eat, but that look of excitement she had was a great way to remind them of her former self. Then, with her eyes sparkling at the sight of such a magnificent banquet, Mira served as inspiration to Solomon and Luminaria, turning their dinner in the Arkite Castle into a very lively event from beginning to end. C After their meal, the three friends sat down on the edge of a stage, situated in the middle of the banquet hall, and merrily talked about their old days. This really takes me back. Even now, I can still remember its dauntless figure. The boy closed his eyes and recalled the offline event he went to, thirty years ago. Organized yearly by the JSDF[2], it was an exhibition where people could gaze upon military related items, from equipment to real weapons. Although the event started as a means to recruit new personnel for the Self-Defense Forces, it became a hit between military aficionados; as one of those enthusiasts, Solomon also attended it, making sure to adjust his schedule whenever it was necessary. Man, how I want to see the gallant form of the Type 10[3] again. It could have gone without you walking around everywhere. I am not exaggerating to say that it was the day I walked the most in my whole life. I freakin gave up at that time. You told us you would cover for all our expenses, so we accompanied you, but in the end it was a damn festival for army nerds. In contrast to Solomon, whose expression was of complete bliss while immersed in his memories, Mira smiled bitterly and Luminaria made a completely sour face as both remembered their experiences at that time; yet, they still longed for those old days. Dont be such a killjoy. Didnt you guys have plenty of fun there too? The boy began swinging his legs around and, seemingly sulking, retorted. To Mira, it had been about two weeks since the events of that festival happened. Being told that all her necessary expenses would be paid and feeling like traveling, it turned out that her destination was a large venue, where all sorts of warplanes and military weapons were lined up. Looking back at the overall appearance of that place, still fresh in the girls memories, the figure of the Armored Jeep suddenly came into her mind. By the way, what was that sort of armored vehicle you made me ride during the day? Instead of fuel, it used sealing gems to move and was even equipped with a fire cannon. I think Garrett said something about Sorcery Engineering or something like that. When Solomon heard Miras question, he stood up with a brand new smile on his face and, after walking to the center of the stage, struck a daunting pose. I have been waiting for the very moment that you would ask me this. To tell you the truth, the Armored Jeep is the first step towards my dream! In a clearly cheerful tone, the boy began talking about his dreams. Eventually, he announced that, as a king, he would bring to completion a Type 10 Tank. Trying to go along with Solomons enthusiasm, the other two sporadically applauded. Thank you very much for your attention. Oh! This is just perfect, its about time for our appointment. As he stood there, posing with both arms spread wide, the king took a look at the wall clock positioned near the entrance to the hall; after confirming the current time, he jumped out of the stage. Oh yeah, thats right. It was the reason why I came here anyway. Remembering the original purpose of her stay, Luminaria followed Solomon and spoke. What? What time is it? It was almost like they suddenly decided to change from reminiscing of the past to talking about their current reality, causing the girl to ask a question in the daze of being brought back from her thoughts. Turning their heads to look at their friends state, they gave her a smile brimming with confidence. Just wait and youll see it. Ill show you how much this world has progressed. Said Solomon in a playful tone, a moment before the beautiful woman walked towards Mira and, as if it were completely natural, took the little girls hand and pulled her. C Advancing through the corridor, the three went down a countless number of stairs. With every new floor they reached, the silence there would deepen even more, causing the sound of their footsteps to echo off the cold, grey walls around them and violently ring inside their ears. They had already traveled about ten stories down. At almost the same time that such a thought went through Miras head, she finally caught sight of a large iron door and, nearby, the figure of sentinel guarding it. As soon as the guard recognized Solomon and Luminaria, he made the traditional military salute from the Kingdom and informed that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Thank you for your efforts. Being in front of others now, Solomon returned to speaking like a king and directed a few words to his subordinate. It was also the same for Luminaria. Everyone is already gathered inside. I see. In a short while they will commence the operations, but Solomon-sama, who is that person? The palace guard directed his gaze towards Mira. She is Mira, Dunbalfs disciple. Her skills might be useful in the coming experiments, so I brought her along. Oh, that lady? Please excuse my rudeness. After offering an apology, the guard took a card-shaped key and held it up near the door. Slowly, that heavy iron mass opened, only to reveal a white passageway that continued behind it. The girl then followed her friends and, as she went through the door, found something incredible on the other side. Around Mira was a scenery completely different from the usual medieval style she was accustomed to seeing; it seemed like she had just entered inside an ultramodern facility. The moment she scanned her surroundings to get a complete view of that spectacle, the surprised girl recalled something she had seen in the past, when she watched a TV program exhibiting a certain foreign countrys National Aeronautics and Space Administration agency. (Well well, they seem to be doing something interesting here.) Deep underground, a strong door and an experiment. It was simply obvious that they were inside a secret research facility. C Okay, weve finally arrived. Indicating as such, Solomon stopped in front of a large door that, after a few seconds, began opening by itself, albeit at a slow pace. Now look at what you have here, this is incredible. Behind that door, a white and vast room appeared. That spaces height, width and length continued over a great distance, to the point that their limits could only be seen far, far away. Inside there, a countless number of what appeared to be machines were lined up, but what instantly caught Miras attention was a remarkably large device in front of her, placed in the middle of the room. It had a cylindrical object, sticking out horizontally from its heavy-looking body, and a row of meters and gauges, positioned around it. In front of those instruments was someone clad in white robes; then, in the vicinity of that massive machine, was the figure of a person wearing an apron and a very conspicuous jumpsuit, still dirty with oil, discussing this and that with the other. Observing that situation in the background, near the door from where Mira and the others entered, was a group of people. There were eight robed Experts and five nobles, with the latter ones wearing some extravagant clothing that looked completely out of place. We have been waiting for you, Solomon-sama. Appearing from the doors side was the kings aide, Suleiman. He slightly bowed to the three friends and stood by Solomons side, waiting for further orders. Everyone, thank you for your continued efforts. The moment he spoke, everyone stopped what they were doing and, together, turned around to give a deep bow towards their king. Then, when they raised their faces, everyones gazes gathered on the unfamiliar girl there. Still not used to receiving such curious looks, Mira slid her feet sideways in an attempt to move away from their sight; however, when she tried to hide herself behind Luminaria, the woman grabbed the girls shoulders and, with all her might, put Mira in the spotlight. This young girl here is the disciple of Dunbalf, Mira-chan. She has inherited all his refining techniques, so I am fairly certain that she will be of great help with todays experiments. While voices filled with all kinds of emotions could be faintly heard around the girl, one of the nobles took a step forward. So she is that Dunbalfs may I be allowed to greet her? Okay, very well. Receiving Solomons permission, the nobleman walked towards Mira and kneeled. Seemingly around his sixties or seventies, with silver-gray hair and dense wrinkles on his face, the noble looked up and kindly smiled at the girl. While looking like the personification of a sages composure, the title of King appeared to fit way better with that man than with her own friend. Even his gorgeous garments didnt have an excessive amount of ornaments and were elegantly in order. Nice to meet you. My name is Edward Corse Steiner. It is the utmost honor for me to meet the disciple of our Hero Dunbalf-sama. After greeting Mira, Edward took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. Although Mira would instantly try to brush away his hand, she admired how the noble acted in a perfectly gentlemanly way. Or rather, it could be even said that the girl was charmed by it. Obviously, it was because Edwards form was the very ideal she held of a male figure. Hm, I am Mira. The nobleman then stood up, bowed and began his return to his initial spot. As she observed his retreating figure, Mira renewed her conviction over the ideals she was devoted to. Curiously, no one there could understand why Luminaria, who was behind the girl, kept chuckling. (Wait a moment Edward did I meet him before?) While pondering about that nobles gentlemanly behaviour, Mira felt she had already heard the name Edward in the past. However, just like a reflection on the surface of water being disturbed by ripples, no matter how much she looked through her sea of memories, the girl couldnt get a clear picture of the figure she was searching for. Well then, is everything ready? Let us start from the first phase. Being brought back from her thoughts by Solomons voice, Mira began following with her eyes the researchers and engineers that were moving around in a hurry, not forgetting to also look up at what was in the middle of them, the gigantic machine. This thing it looks similar to the one atop that vehicle the Armored Jeep, I guess. The one youve seen was just a small prototype. This here is the real deal. Some of the researchers there, after seeing Luminarias gentle smile directed at the younger girl, were struck by the womans sisterly allure, causing their hearts to beat even faster. On the other hand, as someone with the knowledge of who was behind that affable expression, Mira had a subtle, completely unknown emotion showing on her face while she slowly moved away from that spot. Then, at that moment, in a corner of her sight, the girl noticed some kind of device that was placed far away, in the exact direction the gun barrel pointed to. (Just what is that thing there?) When Mira inclined her body slightly to get a good look at the object, her flowing and shining silver hair softly fell upon her shoulders while the many ribbons on her robe swayed. Hey, someones staring really hard at us. Hmm, what? You know theres no problem in doing that. Just get this stuff ready already. No, well err, I mean, its The hells with all that mumbling? In the direction she was looking at, there was a researcher and an engineer carrying out the last adjustments on the device; when they caught a glimpse of that lovely young girl, whose eyes were observing them with great interest, the workers began a discussion. If my memory serves me right, shes the disciple of Dunbalf-sama, err Ahh, yeah! Its Mira-chan! Hey hey, come on. Dont add chan to her name. Youre being rude, you know? But, no matter how you look at it, shes Mira-chan. What else could I use with her name? How about Mira-sama? Mira-sama seems OK to me. Said the researcher with a grin. The engineer, who had the exact same thought, nodded in agreement. Then, although they were discussing something completely trivial, they actually started to work even faster; being watched by Mira was enough to put them in high spirits. The preparations are finished! We are ready to start the experiment at any time now. One of the engineers, the only one among them wearing a red headgear, announced that they were done with the arrangements. He was the one in charge of that place and also the person who designed the main part of the cannon being experimented that day. Glancing once more at the huge machine, Mira could guess that they were about to start a firing test. However, judging by its appearance, it didnt seem to be an ordinary cannon. That kind of mounted gun, able to shoot out common shells, already existed when it was still a game; as weapons commonly used by every country, the cannons could be produced by players who had developed the blacksmithing skill. But the ones from that time werent as big nor required a countless number of meters and gauges connected to them like the cannon in that facility. (Let me see, the other one was small but had that much power. I cannot even imagine how strong the big version will be.) Mira happily stroked her chin with a hand, eagerly waiting for the outcome of that experiment. In front of the many devices linked to the weapon were the researchers, waiting on standby. Meanwhile, the nobles were all lined up near the wall, watching attentively for the results of that experiment. Begin the experiment! Start the experiment, now! With Solomons loud signal, the chief engineer repeated the order to his subordinates, who soon activated the main engine of the cannon. Inside the room, the high-pitched sound of a motor could be clearly heard and, at the same time, the needle indicators in the meters began to tremble. As the nobles had their breaths taken away, Reynard and Joachim stood on guard in front of Mira and her friends, observing the cannon with great care in case something went awry. First phase starting in five four three As the countdown continued, the roaring made by the engine grew even louder, with the sound of electric discharges mixed in it from time to time. Two one critical point confirmed! Fire! On the kings orders, the engineer in charge pushed a lever. Immediately, along with a thunderous roar, a flash of light shot out of the barrel, dangerously large electric arcs encircling the entire beam. The lone device, previously prepared as a target, had a curtain of light deployed in front of it, but when that torrent of destruction scored a direct hit, a powerful vibration spread and jolted the entire room with the impact; after a moments delay, a massive explosion sound assaulted everyones ears. For a short while, when everyone in the facility witnessed that destructive power, enough to blow away the barrier of light along with its generating machine, they stood there in a daze, entranced by the weapons might. Its power was on a completely different level if compared with the cannons from the past, so the girl couldnt help but observe with sparkling eyes that new model and its gallant figure. Wow, this is a whole new league of strength. Luminaria then placed her hands on both of Miras shoulders and leaned over, bringing herself closer to the amazed girl so that their faces would stay side by side. During those thirty years you were gone, we developed a brand new crafting technique. Then, using the Sorcery Engineering, we created this state-of-the-art weapon, the Accord Cannon. Having demonstrated enough firepower, the Accord Cannon was presented by the beautiful woman, who raised her eyes towards it with satisfaction. TL Info: 1(P) C Basically, the deep-fried chicken they all talk about. 2JSDF C Japan Self-Defense Forces in case you still didnt know. 3ʽ(܇) C Type 10 battle tank used by JSDF, entered service in 2012. Makes you wonder why they would still be using it in the year of 2100+ and not a newly created one from that period. Maybe a Type 14 or something like that or they were just making an exhibition of old military stuff. ɥ`?륹?奿ʩ` C Edward Corse Steine Volume 1 - CH 15 With the complete success of the Accord Cannons firing test, the researchers and engineers in the facility began analyzing the obtained data; at the same time, the main members were in the development room with some documents spread before them, discussing with each other ways to make use of the weapon and how to mass-produce it in the future. As for Mira, she was also in the same room, but quickly moved away from the tedious government-related talk and decided to look for something in a shelf, a great variety of things lined up there. Well then, Thoma. Looks like we managed to activate it with success in the first phase. But still, is everything alright? Yes, we have perfectly suppressed the recoil. I believe it can already achieve something small for us. Thoma, the person in charge of the experiment, answered full of confidence the kings question. Solomon then nodded in response, visibly satisfied. By the way, how are you going to mass-produce the cannon? With all that firepower, our Wellesley House is obviously willing to invest in the weapon. When one of the nobles eagerly leaned forward, the other ones also indicated their intention of helping. Err, regarding that, theres a certain problem Saying that with a clouded expression, Thoma retrieved one document and displayed it on the table. Written there was information relating to the Accord Cannons projectiles and the supply of materials it used as fuel. As you can see, a single firing requires one refining and two sealing gems. The engineer then explained the theory behind the cannon. In short, they would first take a refining gem as the projectile. Afterwards, they would extract the energy from the sealing gems and charge the bullet with it. Especially developed to store power with extreme ease, refining gems could be produced with the use of refining technology. Basically, the Accord Cannon acted as a device that could draw out the power contained within sealing gems, amplify it and then fire that energy. The refining gem, used as a projectile, served to provide a direction for the wild torrent of energy that was amplified to its limits. With the gems tendency of easily storing energy, that raging power would be drawn to the bullet and destroy it, being launched from the cannon at the same time. The bigger the refining gem was, the more they would need to wait for it to get destroyed; in return, the range of the cannon would also increase. Finally, there was the last item. They required a lightning sealing gem to operate the Accord Cannon. C Because of that, if everyone here collaborates it will be fine to mass-produce it, but the main problem we have here is related to those gems, the sealing and refining ones. After finishing, Thoma breathed a deep sigh. The problem he talked about was the methods used to obtain the required lighting and refining gems. Currently, several individuals in the Kingdom of Arkite held the necessary skills to create the latter; for the former, however, the most they could produce were medium quality gems, only enough to ensure the minimum level of operation for the cannon. The silver lining was that, even with such limitations, the Accord Cannon was a very powerful weapon, as demonstrated by the experiment from earlier. Mass production was possible. With some effort, they could also work out a way to supply enough projectiles. But then the weapons produced would only be able to display their minimum amount of power. Seeing how his beloved creation, developed over the course of many years of hard work, was being forced to use only a fraction of its original power, the engineer glared at the documents in front of him, frustrated. I believe I have the solution for that problem right here. As Thoma stood there, looking sad, Solomon revealed a joyful expression on his face and placed several gemstones on the tablesome of which emitted a faint light. This is a turquoise and a moonstone. And here we have a sealing gem? But Solomon-sama, the quality of this one doesnt seem to be that good, how would it solve our problem? Turquoise and moonstone. A great number of naturally occurring gems had the property of storing power, exactly like the ones presented by the king; as a result, instead of just serving as ornamentation, they were also used for a variety of different purposes. Lastly, the ones emitting a pale light were gemstones that had already received energy within them. In other words, sealing gems. What Solomon revealed on the table wasnt something particularly unusual: all of those items were simply run-of-the-mill gemstones. Consequently, everyone there had doubts about what the king had just said, but they also remembered how they heard similar words from the boy, with the same provocative tone, on many occasions in the past, so everyone chose to quietly wait for his follow-up. Okay, come with me~ Wha-! What is it now!? Coming from a corner of the room, the sudden voice of a hysterical girl made itself heard, instantly attracting towards her the attention and sight of everyone else there. When the happy-go-lucky Solomon saw that, he couldnt help but break into a small laughter. Luminaria was carrying Mira in her arms while the girl, looking exactly like a child, struggled as she was pressed against her friends bosom. After being placed right in front of the table, Mira scowled at the pouting figure of Luminaria; a moment later, though, when the girl noticed that every single person in the room had their gazes on her, she quickly shrunk away. So, what do you need? Asking in a certain manner to keep up the appearances, this time she pierced the boy with her glare. Sorry. I have a favor to ask. With a smile that said he wasnt sorry at all, Solomon picked up some of the gems from the table. Mira. Could you turn these into a refining gem? Towards Mira, he held two turquoises and three moonstones. The surrounding people then focused their attention on those items. Hmm, wait, so I just need to do that? Even though she stretched her arms to receive the gems, Mira couldnt take them because her hands were holding something already: two crudely crafted robot models she had found in the shelf, earlier. In her right hand was a red robot while her left hand held a blue one. Since the models had a tag indicating they could combine, the girl had been tinkering with them, trying to find a way to complete a bigger robot, but was stopped in the middle of the process when Luminaria grabber her. Err should I hold them for you? Yes, please. Amidst that awkward silence, when Suleiman, in a reserved manner, presented a helping hand by the girls side, she replied with a few words and quietly handed over the strange robots, each of them making clanking sounds as they were placed on the aides hands. Now unimpeded, when Mira finally took the gemstones, Luminaria appeared again, carrying a large board towards her. A few robed Experts then helped the woman by holding the edges of that huge object and placed it on the table. Is this a refining stand? The moment Thoma saw what was deposited there, a board with countless shapes and symbols drawn on it, he spelled out its name. A refining stand was a special tool used in the process of refining items. Forming a complex pattern on its surface were various figures intertwined together, each representing a different meaning: decomposition, combination, transmutation, conversion and condensation By some chance are we going to start a refining process here? Doesnt it take some time? Such was the question Edward asked. It was a completely natural reaction, considering that currently, in the Kingdom of Arkite, even the most skilful person in the use of refining techniques required thirty minutes to craft a single refining gem. In response, both the Experts and nobles who had knowledge about refining nodded to the mans words. Well, you will understand it soon enough after seeing this. Come on, Mira, Im counting on you. Good grief, and I was just this close to figuring it out Muttering complaints, Mira stood before the refining stand. In the corner of her eyes, she could still see the two robots being held by Suleiman; the girl was nearly sure that with a little more time she would be able to find a way to combine them. For that reason, Mira decided to quickly finish what she was tasked to do, arranging the gems on the board and also placing her hands on the correct positions to start the procedure. A few moments later, the engraved pattern began emitting a faint light. While minutely controlling the degree of power applied and the activation of each of the figures on the stand, she decomposed the gemstones, extracted only their properties of storing power, condensed and finally combined them. In the middle of the flickering and sparkling light, the gems started transmuting into a different material. Then, just a short while after Mira began the process, she removed her hands from the refining stand. Ah! You cant take your hands off the board while youre still refin! Although Thoma said that in panic, he came to a halt when he saw with his own eyes the swirling light particles that surged from the board, the engineers breath taken away as he intently observed from above what was happening there. This is As the light lessened, instead of the many gemstones that were previously arranged, what could be seen on the refining stand was a single large, transparent gem. With an expression showing his utter lack of belief as to what his eyes were seeing, Thoma brought his face near the limpid object and stared at it, getting so close he was almost touching that gemstone. This is a refining gem no way how is it possible to create this kind of thing in such a short period of time He had a good reason to look astonished. Mira had just finished creating a refining gem in less than a single minute. I told you, shes the pupil of Dunbalf. Mira has inherited all of his techniques. Solomon brazenly threw out his chest, as if he were the one who managed to do such an amazing feat. And rather than being someone who inherited skills, Mira and Dunbalf were the same person, so it was obvious she could do it. However, since that fact was a secret, the kings explanation was good enough; without objecting to it, the girl nodded in affirmation. The maximum amount of energy that could be stored in each gem was something already fixed by nature, but by using the same process as Mira just did, combining multiple gemstones together, it was possible to craft a refining gem. Because they could hold way more power than the other stones, refining gems were considered valuable and useful items. I knew that Dunbalf-sama was the one who created the refining technology, but I never expected that even his disciple would be so skillful with it. Removing his gaze from the gem, Thoma directed it towards Mira. That girl could possibly be the person who would allow his weapon, the Accord Cannon, to display its full potential. The moment he thought that, his whole body shook, the feeling of excitement arising from the bottom of his heart. Okay then, Mira. Could you also combine this here with the refining gem? When the boy placed three sealing gems on top of the refining stand, Mira simply replied with Okay, moved the new stones to the correct position and, once again, started the refining process. Similarly to what happened before, it took less than a minute for the light to disperse, but this time there was only a shining, brand new sealing gem remaining on the board; the energy stored in the three gemstones had been extracted and injected inside the refining gem. With the process of refining, it was possible to combine together the power from stones and infuse a refining gem with it, producing an even stronger sealing gem in the end. There. Is this enough for you? Yes, its perfect. Solomon picked up the newly created gemstone and nodded, completely satisfied. Instead of the faint glow emitted by the other stones used as crafting materials, the refined sealing gem was brimming with light, its considerable stored power being clearly evident. With this, I believe well be able to solve the problem we have with the refining and sealing gems. As he said that, the king handed the sealing gem to Thoma. Yes! Of course its enough for us! After carefully placing the gemstone on the palm of his hand, the chief engineer replied while giving a smile. C The moment everyone in the room began talking about matters related to the Accord Cannon, Mira, with the two robots in her hands, walked to a corner of the room and sat there, the models letting out clanking noises as she started to fumble with them again. Soon after, a man clad in a robe approached the place where she was. Mira-chan. Could I take just a little bit of your time to talk with you? I am busy now so leave that for later. While going crazy over the robots, the girl replied without even taking her eyes from their movable parts. Then, looking a bit frustrated, the man leaned over and implored, saying Please, its just for a short while. Mira sighed and turned her face towards him. That man, wearing a blue and black robe, had a brilliant silver hair that reached his shoulders and, with his great facial features, looked quite handsome. When she saw his face, the girl recognized that person. Hey, is that you, Cleos? Oh my, did you already know who I am? Obviously, to Mira, it was the first time they have met. However, that wasnt the case for Dunbalf. A half-elf, half-light-spirit, Cleos was one of the servants affiliated with the Tower of Summoning. With the special abilities of a spirit of light, if someone were to take an individual of that race to the darkness of a dungeon, it was possible to completely ignore the need to bring a lamp or any other form of illumination. Because of that advantage, Dunbalf frequently brought that useful attendant with him when going inside dungeons. Ah yes, I heard about you from my master. When she saw the mans face, Mira instantly recognized him and blurted out some words without a second thought; then, in order to correct that mistake, she replied with a safe excuse. Saying, So thats how it was, Cleos smiled, looking slightly happy. Then, let me introduce myself once again. I am Cleos, working as a substitute for the Elder of the Tower of Summoning. I am Mira. The two exchanged a simple greeting. Immediately after, the girl recalled something about a certain term that was just used by the Expert, substitute. Now that you mention it, I remember Graia saying that there were people within the towers working in the Elders stead. So you were one of them, huh? As substitutes for those who were missing from the Nine Sages, they were essentially the top individuals of their respective towers. More or less, you could say that I was forced into this situation. They recommended me because I was the one who spent the most time going on journeys with Dunbalf-sama. Well, it was mostly the same for the others, though. Oh, I see It was a pretty simple reason, but not bad for a selection criteria. Purely speaking of strength, Cleos was indeed one of the best choices among Dunbalfs servants, considering the Elder always went out with him to extremely dangerous places. And just like Cleos had said, the other Elder substitutes were selected through similar criteria. Everyone had experience in being taken along to extremely high level fields, so whether they agreed or not, it was a fact that those individuals were strong. By the way, should you really be here instead of joining their conversation there? That is a really important weapon, no? Asking that, Mira threw a glance towards the table where Solomon and the others were discussing the cannon. Its fine, dont worry. We, the substitutes, simply came here to observe the performance of the Accord Cannon. Hmm, we? So those there were in the same position as you? Mira moved her eyes to look at the several robed Experts that were lined up alongside the wall, each one of them doing whatever they pleased, just like Cleos. After finishing with the important issues, they seem to be going over the mass production details. This is the area of expertise of Solomon-sama and the nobles. And that is why you came here, huh As the girl concluded, she returned her eyes to the robots in her hands, once again beginning to turn and bend their parts, exploring the places where they could possibly combine. Then, although the two continued with some silly talk, eventually it turned into a one-sided grumble by the Expert, who complained about the extent of the dangerous places that Dunbalf would take the people under him to; smiling bitterly, Mira simply continued the conversation by acting like a yes-man. TL Info: ȩ` C Thoma bʯ C Refining Gem 쥪 C Cleos Volume 1 - CH 16 By the way, are you still using the Rairinko[1] ? After getting tired of the constant and excessive grumbling directed at her past self, Mira tried to somehow change the topic and said the name of Cleos most used summon. Oh, did you also hear about my Rairinko from Dunbalf-sama? Ahhh hmm, yes, you are right! Taking just a bit of time to ponder, in the end the girl decided to say that everything she knew from the old days came from what her master had told her. My goodness, this is a tad embarrassing. But, well, that means he talked quite well about me, huh. While saying that, the Expert smiled happily. Even though he threw a barrage of complaints, the feelings behind them were simply of respect and devotion towards Dunbalf. Then, from the bottom of his heart, Cleos was delighted to know that the Sage himself had been chatting with his disciple about his servant. Exactly. I have heard lots about you. And just like you mentioned, my main summon is the Rairinko. Although I must say that it became much stronger than the last time Dunbalf-sama saw it. Oho, seems pretty reliable then. The Rairinko was considered an above average summon amongst the summoning techniques. If it grew even stronger than what she remembered, that summon would indeed be a reliable strength. I went through so much trouble to form a contract with it. But when talking about Dunbalf-sama As Cleos began, this time he passionately spoke of how wonderful Dunbalf, the Sage, was. Undeniably, Mira only dragged that servant with her because she considered him someone pretty convenient to have, but when she heard how highly Cleos valued her past self, mentioning things such as That time he did it for me, and That was how he taught me, the girl, embarrassed, was assaulted by a sense of guilt; she then mustered all her strength to not let those feelings show on her face and returned to her yes-man acting. C Then, with everything I have experienced, I ended up working as the substitute of Dunbalf-sama, taking care of the management of our Tower. Seemingly satisfied, the Expert concluded his long history. To Mira, it even made her fondly recall some past events; from Cleos point of view, however, it was mostly a narration of Dunbalfs heroic tales. After she listened to everything, the girl remembered a certain worrying matter that occurred when she entered the Tower of Summoning. Now that you mention it, before coming here I stopped by at the Tower, but differently from the Tower of Sorcery, it looked awfully deserted. Did anything happen? The moment Mira asked that, Cleos once cheerful expression gave way to a gloomy one, his eyes dangerously close to tearing up. Oh, hitting right where it hurts, I see indeed, thats exactly right. The current number of Summoning Experts is extremely low. Uugh, so it really was that. Considering she had visited the building during the night, Mira imagined that the lack of people in the building might have been caused by that simple fact, but when she heard what the servant said, the young girl could guess that the Tower of Summoning was suffering from a severe lack of personnel. As she dropped her gaze down, feeling depressed, Mira remembered how lively and crowded was the Tower in the past; she had to do something about that problem. If Mira-chans the pupil of Dunbalf-sama, then you probably went through the same process during your first contract, right? Cleos asked, innocently, after feeling he caught, for some reason, a vague glimpse of Dunbalf on the girls figure, with her eyes cast down while in deep thought. The process of her first contract. During her time as Dunbalf, the only things she had brought with her for that task were healing items and bombs. However, Mira knew that the process the Expert was talking about was something different. Refined equipment and blast sealing gems, yeah? It was a method suggested and recommended by Dunbalf himself, with the intention of helping his followers as the Elder of the Tower of Summoning. Yes, exactly. With Dunbalf-samas disappearance, for a while we were still able to form contracts. But after some time, the blast sealing gems were completely expended. Following that, all our refined equipment broke and, well even with the refining engineers from this castle, we couldnt produce materials with quality as high as the ones created by our lost Elder. Gradually, the number of individuals who werent able to make contracts increased. Ahhh hmm, I see. The method proposed by Mira was similar to the one that used a great number of medicines and bombs, but was much more efficient. Instead of applying the healing items to increase their stats, refined equipment would be used by players to raise their stamina and endurance; similarly, in place of the bombs, they would expend blast sealing gems of the attribute that matched their opponents weakness. As a result of using that process, the degree of difficulty for the Experts first contract became incredibly easier. However, since it was something backed by Dunbalf, with his disappearance the continued use of that method turned into a problem. Although there were a few people who could still use the refining technology, because the production took a considerable amount of time and effort, the price for the refined equipment had an inevitable jump. Furthermore, when compared to the ones produced by Dunbalf, those items were clearly inferior in quality. As a result, amongst the newbie Summoning Experts, there were many who couldnt defeat an Armor Spirit and, subsequently, ended up leaving the Tower. Finally, with the absence of its absolutely charismatic leader, the Tower of Summoning saw its numbers dwindle, becoming practically deserted. Alright, for the time being let me do this! With her thoughts collected, Mira raised her face and opened her item box to retrieve all the blast sealing gems she had there, letting everything fall and scatter on the floor. The girl then gathered every single one of the items and presented them to her servant. These should be able to help about twenty people against their contract targets. Wait, those are blast sealing gems! And on top of that they are really strong, similar to the ones from thirty years ago no, they seem even stronger! Are you fine with giving me something so precious? Cleos was staring wide-eyed at the gemstones on the palm of Miras hand, each one shining brighter than common jewels. Yes, for now this is the most I can do for everyone. But didnt Dunbalf-sama give those so you could defend yourself, Mira-chan? That kind of sealing gem was a very powerful item that, in times of need, could be used as a trump card. Because of that, Cleos thought the ones in Miras possession were given to her by Dunbalf, with the intention of protecting his disciple; even then, he still tried to confirm it first, swallowing his desire to instantly grab the items. There is no problem, I have the Dark Knight I received from my master. Besides, if he were here right now, there is no way Master would ignore the current state of the Tower. It was in a roundabout way, but the girl managed to say what Dunbalf really felt about that situation. Indeed. If it were the Summoning addict Dunbalf-sama, he would probably do something to change our situation. Cleos muttered a reply and, with both hands held out, received the blast sealing gems from Mira. Thank you, Mira-chan. After this I wont lose a second to contact the newbies who gave up on the path of Summoning and tell them that everythings fine now. The Expert bowed to Mira, a huge smile appearing on his face. Obviously, Cleos himself was also discontent with the present condition of the Tower and had taken a series of measures to combat that problem. Although he managed to be fairly successful, in the end there were still many issues left to resolve as his methods still lacked a critical component. Then, seeing their dreams shattered, the young individuals who gathered at the Tower, aspiring to become Summoning Experts, decided to leave the Kingdom of Arkite. For Cleos, who had continued to watch those figures as they departed, the gems he received had more worth than a 100 carats[2] diamond. Good, please do that. Oh right, you should have this here too. Feeling that Cleos tried his best to manage the Tower even during her absence as Dunbalf, Mira decided to please the Expert, giving another farewell gift. This time, she removed a ring from her finger and a necklace for her neck, handing both over to Cleos. Th-These are They are specially made ornaments that will, respectively, increase ones physical strength and power. With those, going against an elementary level Armor Spirit should not pose a threat of defeat. Is it okay for me to receive something this valuable? Of course. My wishes to protect something are aligned with my masters. In return, I am definitely counting on you to do your job, Cleos. I swear on my name, as the Elder Substitute, to bring back the prosperity of our Tower! The man, seemingly elated, looked straight into the little girls eyes and greatly nodded, his pupils shining with a fierce light. C Alright then, the second phase of the experiment will be carried out in five days, at the same hour. As Solomon brought the meeting to an end with his announcement, the nobles and Elder substitutes bowed and began leaving the development room. Looks like they are done. Okay, Mira-chan, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have to contact everyone this instant, looks like things will get really busy now. Yeah, take care on your way back. Cleos bowed very deeply towards Mira and, following what his colleagues were doing, rapidly left the room. Despite the fact that the other substitutes were surprised by the mans lively expression as he walked with nimble movements, they still gently observed his figure going further and further away, until he was finally gone. Every single one of them did know how much that Summoning Expert was worried about his Towers problems, but they already had their hands full with the management of their own Towers and couldnt do anything to help. Until that time, the other substitutes often saw Cleos displaying a very depressed look; it had been a long time since he was in such high spirits. The reason for his happiness was, of course, the light of hope he found that would help restore the Tower of Summoning. However, since his fellow workers didnt know about those circumstances, they misunderstood it and simply thought that Cleos, who was fond of kids, felt renewed after talking with Mira. When everyone else had left, the only ones remaining in the development room were four people: Mira, Solomon, Luminaria and Thoma. The king, after reaching for the shelf of documents, secretly pulled a certain stack of papers that was placed really deep in that furniture, so far it seemed like someone had wanted to keep it hidden. He then looked over it with a serious expression on his face, grinning broadly from time to time. As for Luminaria, after the woman spotted Mira from behind, sitting in a corner of the room and making some weird rustling noises, she slowly approached the young girl and quietly looked at what was on her friends hands. Incidentally, Mira was fiddling with the robots once again. Hey, are you still doing that? Seeing the strange shape that the toys took after being modified over and over again, Luminaria brought her face closer to the girls shoulders and muttered a question, seemingly bored. This is incredible. Just a bit more and I will complete them! Mira replied with a carefree, childish smile; or rather, her current appearance was indeed that of a child, but the cheerful answer she gave was similar to that of a boy who was deeply engrossed in something. In her case, it was the modification of the robots, which she still continued. Wondering what was going to be complete, Thoma searched for the source of that comment and saw the two friends sitting near each other. Pulled in by that curious sight, the chief developer approached them, catching a glimpse of the objects that were on Miras hands. Ah, isnt that the Super Combining Lord Vulcan[3]? Where did you find it? Apparently, Thoma recognized the robots the girl was playing with. They were lying inside the shelf over there. Answering, she pointed towards the upper portion of the furniture that was in front of her. So it was there, huh. I thought I had lost it for good. The developer gazed nostalgically at the jumbled up object being held by Mira. Oho, are you saying this is yours? Yes, and rather than being just mine, it is something I crafted. Whoa, really? That is a pretty good hobby you have there. Oh my, I guess you could say that such a hobby became my main occupation. Well, I made it with the best of my abilities, but in the end that robot was a failure: because of errors in the design, the two parts cant be combined. What did you say? With an expression of complete disbelief, Mira awkwardly turned her head after hearing the conclusion of the mans explanation, trying her best to hide her embarrassment with a smile as she stared at Thomas face. E-Errm when I was including the combination mechanism, I ended up making a slight mistake with the width. Since I had to disassemble it first to fix that problem, I kept telling myself I would do it one day. But when I finally noticed, the robots were already gone. After taking a look at Mira, whose lifeless and somewhat scary eyes contrasted greatly with his previous image of her as a lovely little girl, the chief developer mumbled an answer and slowly moved away from there. WHAT THE HEEELLL!! It was a scream that could be heard from outside the development room. Promising to rebuild the robot and give it to Mira, Thoma managed to calm her down; then, feeling relieved, he received the Super Combining Lord Vulcan and left the room as if his life depended on it. C Huh, huhu, huhuhuhuhuhu. Ominously, a sinister laughter filled the place. Reflexively, Mira turned towards the source of that sound, spotting Solomon with a stack of documents in his hands. Finally. At long last, we will be able to start a full-scale development. While saying that, the king stared straight at Mira, his face distorted into a frightening, huge smile of delight. There he goes again. As someone who knew that boy for years, after seeing his current state and the papers he held, Luminaria could guess the reason for that sudden outburst, muttering something in the end. The moment Mira heard that, she wondered what her friend was talking about and tried to ask the woman its meaning; however, before the girl knew it, Solomon himself was already by her side. So far, our bottleneck was the production of raw materials, so we had to work with an economic design. But now, with you here, its almost as if Ive got a hold of the highest output sealing gems. Finally I will be able to say goodbye to the miserly idea of saving energy, we will develop everything without worrying about our consumption. This is a major step towards the Type-10! Looking completely excited, the king started speaking without a single pause, carefully telling Mira all the hardships he had to go through until she arrived. According to him, in order to work flawlessly on a practical level, the cannon would need to consume several hundreds of magic sealing gems; and simply preparing that many gems would take half a year. Obviously, it was impossible to consider that amount of time as something practical, Solomon fervently explained. The Sorcery Engineering is still advancing and it will be able to do much more in the future. And thats why I saw a possibility there. Especially, depending on the class of the sealing gem used, the difference in output is something incredibly amazing. You see, the higher the gems class is, the higher the Okay okay, thats enough. Dude, look at her, shes nearly dozing off already. Noticing the steady growth in the boys enthusiasm with his speech, Luminaria appeared and brought him to a stop. Rather than doing it just because it was a convoluted topic, the effects of continuously listening to a talk that focused mostly on Solomons hobbies could be clearly seen on Mira; as the girls head began drowsily swaying, her friend decided to act. Hmm, then it cant be helped, I guess. Easily accepting the womans argument, Solomon withdrew and returned the documents to their place inside the shelf. Nevertheless, it did not actually mean that his fervent passion had subsided. The boy simply believed that, from now on, he would be able to have Mira accompany him as much as he liked. His best friend was there. For the time being, that was good enough to Solomon. Hey, wake up. While poking the girls cheek, Luminaria called out to Mira. Oh no, I am not sleeping. Came her reply as she brushed off her friends hand and glared, with firm eyes, at that woman. A moment later, however, Miras eyelids lost strength and, when they were about to completely close, she managed to regain herself, once again forcing her eyes wide open. But you wanna hit the sack, right? Yeah. She immediately answered. By the way, did you take a bath already? I will take one tomorrow. Upon hearing the girls reply to her second question, Luminarias expression completely changed. Nope, you must be nuts. Theres just no way someone would choose to not enter a bath after becoming a woman! Although that was simply her friends opinion, while already trying her best to keep herself awake, Mira had no strength left to object. Okay, were going! The moment she said that, in a scene similar to a kidnapping attempt, Luminaria grabbed and ran away with the young girl in her arms. (There are so many things wrong with this but maybe I will be able to enjoy what is coming next.) Being left behind, Solomon saw his two best friends disappearing from the room, a happy smile on his face. Then, alone, he slowly walked towards the mens bath. C Why do we have to go in together? As the fragrance of the bath reached the tip of her nose, the drowsiness that had been restraining Mira lessened a bit and, since she was already there, the girl decided to get into the water. Of course, the main reason for that choice was her curiosity over the enormous bath in the castle. Cmon, its fine, the place is really large. And since its been so long since weve last met, lets just go there naked and socialize![4] After being carried by her friend, the girl finally reached the dressing room of the castles large bath. Luminaria, already used to undressing herself, folded and placed her clothes on the clothing shelf; in contrast to the woman, Mira was still struggling with her robe covered in ribbons, something that was personally customized by the aides, Litalia and Mariana. Geez, let me help you. Standing in front of the young girl, with dexterous hands Luminaria began untying the ribbons, one by one. At the same time, majestically emphasized before Miras eyes was the voluptous object of that womans obsession. Since she couldnt possibly look straight at it, the girl forced her eyes to wander around the place. Then, after Luminarias efforts, there was a total of twenty ribbons lined up on the shelves. With those items removed, the robe returned to its original form as the hemming that had been prepared came undone. Finally, when the woman took off the ribbon-shaped hair band that was fastened around Miras body, the robes collar opened to the point that the girls shoulders could be seen, revealing through a small opening her modest chest; the moment Luminaria noticed it, she gave an approving smile. Hmm, I see that even this part of your body fits your tastes. Just drop that topic already While dragging the lower hem of her garment on the ground, Mira walked towards a corner of the room, brought her arms inside her robe and, after squirming around, finally removed it. With the faux magical girl-esque attire out of the way, the only thing remaining on Miras figure was her underwear: the Robe of the Celestial Maiden and the bloomers. This ended up being enough to, once again, incite Luminarias attack. Damn, wearing a see-through lingerie together with the old-fashioned bloomers even though youve barely spent a day in this world, look at how much youve grown up. At this rate youll reach my level soon enough. The combination of a childish, bewitching see-through garment and the seemingly unattractive bloomers made the red-haired woman discover something. Throwing the robe that was in her hands towards that pervert, Mira hurriedly stripped off her remaining clothes and ran in the direction of the bath. Luminaria carefully folded her friends garb and placed it on the clothing shelf, afterwards joining the same place as Mira. Considering it resided inside the castle where the king lived, that bath was so splendid it would never bring shame to its royal location. The large bathtub was always filled with warm water; in the middle of that place, looking almost like a fountain, hot water was gushing out towards the ceiling and, with the gravitys attraction, kept showering the surroundings, incessantly. Since even visitors were allowed to use that bath, it had been packed with things to show off how grand the kingdom was. Consequently, it was possible to guess Miras current state as she would be fully enjoying that feeling of being in a completely new world. This is crazy! This thing here is completely ridiculous! With the rest of her sleepiness blown away by that spectacle, Mira was cackling right below the fountain, basking under the water that fell there. In an instant, after absorbing the moisture around it, the girls hair began sticking to her body and droplets of water slowly flowed down her soft, fair skin. Such a place felt ridiculously extravagant, even when compared to a high class spa; and in that bath, the girl was now kicking around the hot water that poured out of the fountain, all the while savoring the pleasure of swimming around that place. Now that I look at it, shes really acting fit for her appearance, huh. Well, from the beginning that guy always had that childish side of him. But are you perfectly fine with this, Dunbalf? Luminaria muttered to no one in particular as she, looking somewhat pleased, observed her friends antics. Vol.1 Chapter 16 In the bath, a familiar theme song from a certain anime could be heard. While deeply submerged in the bathtub and getting completely relaxed, the woman had began humming to herself. Then, after glancing at the singing Luminaria for a second, Mira returned to the dressing room, feeling refreshed as her mind and body were healed by the hot bath. Since the garments that the girl had left on the shelf were sent to the laundry, a change of clothes was placed there for her use. However, the moment she took that article of clothing and unfolded it, Mira instantly froze; what she saw in her hands was a frilled, sky-blue dress. At her own discretion, a maid had mustered all her strength to find an outfit that would best suit Mira. Yet, that wasnt the only problem. Or rather, that simple dress was overshadowed by something else that had been prepared next to it: white panties decorated with a small ribbon. Although it looked plain, that piece of clothing was showing how it was still possible to further boost Miras already perfect allure. There was no need for the other useless stuff, just wearing those panties was good enough. She would then be able to reach the supreme body no, the embodiment of her tastes[5]. That was what the underwear told the girl. Promptly, Mira opened her item box and tried to find something to use as a replacement for those clothes. But just like the other night, when she verified its contents, there was only the reaffirmation that she could not escape her fate. In order to recompose herself, the girl casually averted her sight from the panties. The moment she did that, before her eyes appeared a beautiful girl, one that would probably look pretty well with the underwear Mira was trying to forget. Hmm ahh, there is a mirror here That cute, stark naked girl was none other than Mira herself, her body reflected in a large, full-length mirror. After staring at that figure with great intensity, I am so cute. Was what she murmured. Since becoming Mira, the first time she saw her own figure was on the mirror-like armor of the Magic Clothed Knights. Then, the next one was on a window, dyed by the dark of the night. As a result, after seeing her perfectly detailed reflection on the mirror, the girl became thoroughly captivated by her own charms; in the process, she was reminded even further of her own preferences. Mira continued to observe the mirror as she wiped her body with a bath towel and, for some reason, began touching her face. After starting with her cheeks, she kept moving her fingertips and reached the lips; following that, her fingers slowly ran down towards the nape of her neck. Once she removed her hands from that place, Mira directed her attention to the sleek, fluttering silver hair on her head and began to gently comb it. I welcome you to my side of the world. Greetings, my friend. Engrossed in her own stupid world, the girl was taken by surprise and, startled, straightened her back, looking towards the source of the female voice that tried to imply something about her. There, Mira found the figure of Luminaria, a triumphant and warped smile on the womans face. How long have you been here? I am so cute. A second later, the young girl used Way of the Xian: Shukuchi to charge against Luminaria. However, as if it was an illusion, the womans figure flickered and she easily evaded the attack. Hey, what the hell is that? I have never seen that kind of movement before. Luminaria seemed to have disappeared all of a sudden. Needless to say, Mira found herself fascinated by those never seen movements; among all the skills she knew, there was nothing that would have caused those motion effects. Dont go thinkin that the only progress we made during your absence was the Sorcery Engineering. Its been thirty years, yknow? Day by day, all sorts of skill classes made steady progress, too. Together with her illusion, the woman kept appearing and disappearing. When Mira saw that, she completely forgot all the embarrassment she had been feeling a moment earlier, the girls head now filled with her curiosity over that brand new ability. I think this one was developed eight or so years ago, the evasion skill Mirage Step. Its effects are, well exactly what youre seeing now. Explained Luminaria as she continued to leave behind afterimages while doing her movements. There are some conditions to learn it. If I remember, first, you need to possess mana, and second, you must have acquired the divine protections of light and water. Oooh! Then it means I am able to learn it immediately. Teach me! Aware that she met all the conditions to obtain that ability, Mira strongly demanded the woman to instruct her. Whaaat? I wonder~ why would I teach it to you for free? That was something produced through many years of effort and history, yknow~? Replied the unwilling Luminaria. Heor rather, she knew, from the very beginning, about Miras striking and insatiable tenacity when it came to skills. Hmpf, never mind then. Solomon probably has that ability too. While saying that, the girl threw her bath towel. Then, after receiving it, Luminaria used the towel to cover her hands, as if hiding something. Hey, wanna guess what I have here? Like a magic trick, the moment the woman flung the cloth high into the ceiling, a book appeared on her previously empty hands. Written on its cover was Skills Compendium C 2146 edition.. No no way is that what I think it is? The Skills Compendium was a huge bestseller, created in order to collect in one single book the countless number of diverse skills that had been appearing. Obviously, as a skills aficionado, Mira had one copy, but it was the Skills Compendium C 2116 edition.. In other words, a book from three decades ago. It wasnt a surprise, then, that Mira couldnt take her eyes from her friends compendium. Even in the four years since the opening of the games servers, various kinds of abilities were either discovered or developed; as a result, the thirty years of wisdom written in the book held by Luminaria was inestimable. Currently, this valuable book is heavily limited, to the point that no matter how much money you accumulate, you still wont be able to get one. So, what if I said that Im willing to give this one to you? What do you want in return? The young girl asked, going directly to the point. In Luminarias case, she had already finished reading all the instructions written in that compendium; however, she knew exactly how attractive that book was to the current Mira. Since the woman brought it out, she had no intention of giving it for free. That fact was also obvious from the pretentious tone Luminaria had just used. Good, this wont take long, then. Anyway, considering its you were talking about, it wont be hard to achieve. I heard from Solomon that youre going to search for those guys. So while youre at it, I just want you to get your hands on two items. Oho. Then, what is your request? The first item is the Sword of the Red Lotus King, and the second one is the Yggdrasils Charcoal. Hmmm they are pretty rare. But well, it is not like I cannot get them. The problem is that the same thing applies to you. Why would you bother asking me to collect them? Both the items mentioned by the red-haired woman were first-class treasures. On the other hand, with Miras strength, they wouldnt be impossible to obtain. As you know, I cant take a single step out of this country. Theres also the development of our Accord Cannon, but damn the biggest problem is that I have to avoid at all costs giving the other countries a reason to attack us. Like carelessly crossing our national borders, for example. Ill have you know that Im considered a big shot in this world. While saying that, Luminaria threw out her ample bosom, full of pride, and raised the corners of her mouth in a fearless smile. I see. Since the beginning this game was pretty realistic. But now it became reality itself, huh. Indeed, if that is the case, then it might be easier for me to move around. Right? Thats why Im counting on you. If you complete my request, this thing here will be yours. She replied and, at the same time, as if trying to show off, patted Mira in the head with the book. Okay, okay, I accept it. However, what are you going to do with the sword? I believe that using Sorcery is faster and stronger, no? And what are you using the charcoal for? From what I remember, it was a material used for alchemy. Did you not say that packing too many professions was not your cup of tea? Luminaria was a Sorcery Expert. And the highest ranking one to boot. But no matter how rare the Sword of the Red Lotus King was, it would only display its true worth when equipped by an advanced Swordsman. A Sorcery Expert would never be able to master its use; and even if their intention was to employ flame attacks, using SorceryDual Blaze, for example, would be overwhelmingly better in terms of efficiency. Then, since Luminaria had a hard time dealing with delicate works, she completely ignored alchemy, so Mira had no idea why her friend would need Yggdrasils Charcoal, an ingredient required for the Secret Gem of Purification. Well, Im not planning on using them normally. They will just work as a catalyst. Completed the woman as she lightly hit Miras head with the compendium, following a rhythm. Raising her eyes, the girl glared at her aggressor. Catalyst? Wait, by any chance are you talking about a catalyst used to learn spells!? Correct. Long ago, I found a completely new pentagram. And after analyzing it, the information I got was that those two items should be used as its catalyst. As their conversation continued, Mira took the opportunity to strike and stretched out her hands towards the book on her head. Sadly for the girl, though, they uselessly grabbed nothing. To think that even new abilities were developed those thirty years were amazing. But hey, you just mentioned something about analyzing, right? What is that? Were you not supposed to randomly expend different materials until you actually found the right catalysts? If you apply that analysis method can you really discover the right ones? Yes, its a new skill that evolved from Appraisal, the Technical Analysis. Of course, inside this book youll find the information related to this new ability. After answering Miras question, Luminaria held the compendium right before the girls eyes. In an instant, faster than the eye could see, Mira stretched out her hands, only to grab an afterimage. Ughh. Youre exactly thirty years too early to even think of defeating me. Now then, what are you going to do? Im givin this to you if you find those items for me. Okay, I accept those terms. Turning her head to look at her friend, who used Mirage Step to sneak around her back, the girl consented, her eyes sparkling at the sight of that skill. But only on one condition. Hm? And what is it? Travel expenses? Some tools you would need? I believe Solomons going to provide those already, man. Oh no, I just want you to teach me how to use that illusion-like ability. With an expectant expression on her entire face, she looked up towards Luminaria. After receiving such an indirect attack, even the deeply experienced woman felt her heart skip a beat. You know quite well how to use that body of yours, huh? Fine. Think of this as an advance payment. Then, inside the dressing room, a temporary study session between two naked ladies began. C Before long, the teaching of the skill finished. Once she got the gist of it, Mira didnt have any problem using the ability. But maybe because of the difference in training experience, when compared to Luminaria, the girls roughness was evident. Nevertheless, that was and would always be the point of diligently practising. As they completed their study session, the stark naked friends finally started dressing themselves. Wait what. Are you really hesitating there? You better give up now since youll have to deal with this same shit for your entire life. If youre going to freak out with every single thing youll just end up wasted. While putting on the clothing that was prepared to her, Luminaria looked at Mira, who stood still with the dress and panties in her hands, and complained. Shed only needed a second to understand what was happening. But you see Murmured the girl as she turned her face towards Luminaria and stared at that robed figure, eyes wide open. Why do you have a robe to wear? Come on, I often come here, you know? If its a change of clothes, I have plenty enough of them. Then lend one for me. No way I am going to wear these. They would never fit you, look at the difference in our sizes. And no matter how I look at it, those you have there will really suit you, so dont worry and wear them already. I could even give you a hand too. Luminaria completed, a suspicious smile on her face as she gradually approached Mira. I can do it myself! Immediately after replying, the girl left an illusion behind, escaping to the other side of the room. She then took a deep breath, readying herself, and pushed her head through the skirt of the one-piece dress. A few moments later, feeling her wet hair getting cramped inside the garment, Mira used one hand to force that shining silver hair out. Finally, the only thing left was the panties. Inside her head, two different options waged war: one would result in her going commando and the other would cause her to lose something dear to her being. The latter option was strongly backed by how short was the hem of her dress; the former option, however, was desperately defended by the last line she didnt want to cross, as someone who was once considered a man among men, the great Dunbalf. In spite of that, when it appeared that Miras internal struggle would continue indefinitely, a single persons hands were enough to quickly bring an end to that fight. Why are you still at it? Damn Said Luminaria as she took the underwear from her friends hands and crouched down, preparing it near the girls feet. Come on, lift one leg. No like I said Hurry up already, dude. Trying to urge Mira, the woman poked her leg. Reluctantly, the moment the girl slightly lifted one leg, her red-haired friend did not miss the chance and swiftly placed one side of the panties through the raised foot. Now the other one, come on, the woman urged, once again. Resigned, the young girl did as told and, in the end, had someone putting underwear on her. It was almost like a reenactment of the bloomers incident. Being made to magnificently lose something dear to her, before finally leaving the dressing room, it appeared that, instead, Mira had achieved enlightenment. C The visitors bedrooms were located near the maids quarters. After being guided there, the girl immediately slipped into the bed. (Today was pretty busy, huh.) Mira thought while remembering the events that happened in a single day. She now had to live in that new world, a game that turned into reality. But she didnt feel too anxious about it, as her friends were there to encourage her. She couldnt go clean and confess, however, that it was because of those two individuals that she felt at ease. It would be too embarrassing. Amidst such thoughts, the girl fell asleep. TL Info: 1[ C Lightning Scaled Tiger (I believe its an actual name, mostly because of the furigana used) 2Carat C Unit of 0.2 grams used for gemstones and the like. A flawless diamond must have at least 100 carats. ħⱬʯ C Blast Sealing Gem 3`ɥХ륫 C Super Combining Lord Vulcan C Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan 4Naked Socializing C See this: http://squashedmochi.com/hadaka-no-tsukiai/ 5ߤΡ䡢Ⱥäδڤؤ{Ť롱 C Theres a play on words here. (Supreme) is written with the same kana/sound as Ⱥ (Tastes, preferences): Shikou. So the narration would be saying that, rather than being able to reach the Supreme Being it would be the Embodiment/Personification of (her) Tastes/Preferences. ɵis C Way of the Xian: Shukuchi (rapid movement technique) tɏ΄ C Sword of the Red Lotus King ̿ C Yggdrasils (The World Tree) Charcoal ħg˫g C Sorcery: Dual Blaze gʽ C Technical Analysis (Ability-styled Analysis) Volume 1 - CH 17 It was early in the morning and, inside a bedroom within the Arkite Castle, Mira was dozing off, dreaming. However, a sudden and strong knocking on the door forced her to wake up. Uugh When she looked around, the girl felt she was in an unfamiliar and extravagant room. That sense of strangeness did not last long, though, as Mira recalled and grasped the situation she was in. Since the sounds coming from the door still continued, she got up from the bed and opened it, wondering what could possibly be happening. Ah good morning, Mira-sama. For a moment, the palace guard outside the room found himself a little dazed at the sudden appearance of Mira, whose clothes were worn out and loose; yet, he instantly managed to pull himself together. I was ordered by Solomon-sama to take you, Mira-sama, to His Majestys place with the utmost haste. It is a pressing matter. His breathing heavy, the guard communicated the orders given to him. Additionally, he wasnt the only person in the outside corridor. That place looked considerably busy as many more people were running around, without even paying attention to each other. Okay, I am coming at once. Thinking about those circumstances, which required someone to actually come over and call her, the young girl realized that they were in an emergency. Errr shouldnt you fix your clothes first, Mira-sama? As she nodded and tried to leave the bedroom, the guard recommended something, shyly. The one-piece dress she was wearing had been greatly stretched during her sleep, exposing the entire area between her collarbones and shoulders. Oh, you are right. After looking at herself and confirming that the man was indeed correct, Mira quickly repaired her attire and then proceeded in the direction of the kings office, where Solomon awaited her. C Send the second and third squads of the Magic Clothed Knights toward the southwest. Split the Sorcery Clothed Experts[1] into two groups and send them to the southeast. I leave their composition in your hands. It was noisy everywhere in the castle. From the already opened door to the office, Solomons voice resounded and, following it, a vigorous reply came out. Having received his orders, the officer immediately took off from the room. While looking at that person disappearing in the distance, Mira finally entered the place her friend was in. There, she found a completely tired Solomon, his arms and face lying flat on the office desk. Things are looking pretty noisy around here. What happened? Upon hearing that voice, the king energetically raised his head. Morning also, were in huge trouble! As soon as he said it, the boy beckoned Mira while hitting the map that was on his table. I can somehow guess what you are talking about. So, how huge of a trouble do we have here? Solomon, who usually never looked that agitated, now seemed to be in an awful hurry. After seeing that atypical appearance, the girl felt more worried about it than even the restless situation they were in. I received a report stating that, early this morning, a herd of about three hundred monsters had appeared. Replying, he used the map and pointed at the area further east of Lunatic Lake. Although that location wasnt really far, it didnt seem like it was a threat that would turn upside down the entire castle, with everyone panicking about it. Having that fact in mind, Mira expressed her doubts. Well, seeing this happening three days in a row is quite baffling, but I do not think this is something to be flustered ab Indifferent to what his friend was trying to say, the boy continued to move his finger and stopped at another point in the map. Fifteen minutes later, another group of three hundred appeared right here. What did you say? Mira had never heard of simultaneous groups of monsters suddenly appearing. Such a situation was also novel to Solomon, who spent thirty years of his life living in that new world; moreover, that scene wasnt over yet. The boys hand moved once again and indicated two more places. About thirty minutes ago, two groups invaded our territory from these two locations, respectively. The first has two hundred monsters while the second is a herd composed of eight hundred. After revealing those pieces of information, the king, with a sigh, relocated his fingertips on the map. And finally, just a while back, about three hundred were spotted at these two points. While following Solomons fingertips with her eyes, the girl felt some anxiety creeping over her and frowned at that abnormality. In addition, the report said that within each herd, there was a single individual that seemed atypical. Judging from its characteristics, were most probably dealing with Lesser Demons. Hmm in other words, every group of monsters is being stirred up by a Lesser Demon, right? Without a doubt, I believe. The king answered and nodded, taking his hand from the map as he returned to his chair, looking incredibly drained. Besides, in the direction that all those six groups of monsters are moving, there isthat flower garden. I swear, there seems to be something hidden there. With his eyes closed in deep thought, Solomon said something that made the girl remember the scene from yesterday, her sight now fixed on the point in the map where the garden was. I wonder if they are going to kill each other again. Well then, theres this here Using that as an introduction to what he would say next, the boy indicated the place where a group of monsters had appeared, in the southern side of the Kingdom of Arkite, and continued. I sent Luminaria to take care of the swarm of eight hundred that invaded us here. Now, I would like to entrust you with the two hundred monsters from the north. The northern side of the Kingdom. Indicated by Solomon, the location of the monsters appearance was the closest one to the place Mira had been sent just a day ago: the flower garden. Two hundred, huh. Hmm, I do not think there will be any problems, but should I not go to a more worrisome spot? Among the groups that appeared, the northern one had the fewest number of monsters and Mira felt it would be relatively fun to take care of that herd. As a result, she jokingly asked that question, but the boys mouth moved to form an audacious smile as he answered Naturally, didnt I just decide on the most troublesome one for you? his appearance now refreshed. Instantly, the air of composure around the girl was undone and the expression on her face changed completely. Although there may be less monsters there, they are the ones closer to their probable destination, the flower garden. So you need to reach that place fast, or I believe we wont make it in time. Well, at least the speed problem is already covered, right? You should remember that we have a really quick vehicle. A fast vehicle that would quickly get her to the group of monsters. Upon hearing those words and recalling the only means of transport that made sense within that context, Miras face became even bitter. Oh, another thing. The witness report said the Lesser Demon from that herd was holding something akin to a black crystal. A black crystal? Could it possibly be a Demons Crystal? There was a Lesser Demon holding a crystal. She knew the exact meaning of that. I think so. Thats why I want you to go there. I see. Looks like things will not be easy then, huh. Now agreeing to the fact that she would have preferred to go against the larger herd, the girl accepted the request, albeit with a wry smile. C After leaving Solomon behind, who tried to cheer her up by telling that at least all preparations for her trip were already done, Mira arrived at the garage. And just as she had expected, the imposing figure of the Armored Jeep was there, waiting for its next task. Mira-sama. I am looking forward to working with you again today. Yeah same here, once again. Exactly like yesterday, Garrett was standing by the vehicles side. With a lively smile, he bowed to the girl in front of him. Now that everyone is finally here, well depart immediately. Concluding, the man opened the door to the rear seat. Oh, then you guys are going with me? The moment Mira boarded the jeep, she noticed that there were already two more passengers inside, on standby. So the trump card Solomon-sama talked about was Mira-sama? This is quite reassuring. Directing a pure smile towards Mira was Solomons loyal servant, the Expert Joachim. As for the other passenger, who remained silent and averted his gaze on the spot while showing a clearly discontent expression, he was also someone the girl knew: the Knight Reynard.. (Same reaction, as always) Why were those two individuals going with her? Trying to guess her friends intentions, the girl sat down near Joachim. Okay, we are leeeaving! The slightly heavy atmosphere, that had started to form inside the vehicle, was physically dispelled by Garretts highly spirited voice combined with the abrupt departure of the Armored Jeep. He definitely needs to go to a driving school I heard the impacts would be incredible. But to this extent? Uughh what did you say? Good grief. All together, the three people in the rear seat complained after being flipped over on the sofa. C During their travel to intercept the herd, Mira and the others discussed how to deal with the monsters. I will take care of the frontlines. Joachim, as always, will crush them from behind. And then The Knight, who planned to use the safest and most familiar tactic he knew of, looked at the component of uncertainty that would be added to his strategy this time: Mira. Lady Mira will defeat the Lesser Demon per Solomon-samas orders but honestly, since I dont know how capable you are, I am still pretty doubtful. Can we really count on you to do that? Reynards face was the very definition of seriousness as he devised his strategy, and this time it didnt bear any resemblance of animosity towards the young girl. Indeed, even if we get the worst possible case it will not be any problem. Worst possible case? Whatre you talking about? Nah, forget it. At any rate, make sure to kill the demon. When Mira replied, the Knight threw a glaring look at her and reminded the girl about her job. Of course. I should also say the same to you, do not commit any blunders. Looking down on him, she returned the scowl and smiled. Come on, both of you. I am sure there is no need to be worried. Even without seeing it, the fact is that Solomon-sama has recognized Mira-samas true strength. And Mira-sama too, please have faith in us. Certainly, Reynard has this meticulous side of him in regards to etiquetteor, rather, he is pretty insistent about itbut that is simply because of his sincere nature as a Knight. Rest assured, he is the sort of man and Knight to carry through his promises when he decides to protect someone. As for me, I would not say that my strength is on the same level as the Elder substitutes, but I am pretty confident in the usage of abilities, so I shouldnt fall behind. Noticing how Mira and Reynard were glaring each other and about to start a heated argument, the person that was right in the middle of that dispute, Joachim, couldnt endure it and forced them to focus on him. Apparently, the Knight had wanted to say something in response to Mira, but ended up settling with a Naturally, and directed his eyes to the windshield. Regarding the girl, she had no doubts about the power of someone chosen by Solomon to be his close aide; on the contrary, Mira harboured great respect towards that persons loyalty, someone who would concentrate on devoting himself to her best friend. Of course, she had no intention of putting it into words. By no means we should worry about it. Saying just that, Mira also faced the windshield of the vehicle. There, she noticed a familiar landscape spreading before her. It was the same scenery she had seen the other day, a few moments before they jumped from the paved road to the grasslands. As soon as she realized it, almost by reflex, the girl lowered her posture, directing her face to the sofa. Immediately after, the Armored Jeep made a splendid dive into that grassy place. Even though the armor of the vehicle made violent sounds, as expected of the pinnacle of Sorcery Engineering, there was simply no damage to its frame and the jeep continued its travel, unfazed by any kind of impact. However, as usual, the same couldnt be said of the ones in the back seat. Guuhh this again? It has plenty enough speed, but at the same time this vehicle requires some countermeasures against the shaking and impacts suffered inside it. While taking a moment to correct his posture, Reynard groaned with a frown. Next to him, still lying face up on the couch, Joachim gave his analysis of the situation. I think there is a problem with the driver too Mira, who used her previous experience with the vehicle to ready herself against the shock, raised her voice as if trying to compete with the severity of the shaking from jeep; she then gazed at the back of Garretts head, feeling slightly resigned. C Thanks to the communication device equipped in the Armored Jeep, they kept receiving detailed reportsfrom the each of the observation fortsabout the movements of the herd of monsters. According to the information received, they could infer that the monsters were, indeed, going to the same location as yesterday, the flower garden. Disregarding its interior, the jeep progressed in excellent condition towards their destination. Ahead of them, it was possible to faintly see the light pillar, so the three continued their strategy meeting while occasionally toppling over on the sofa. Okay then we mustnt defeat them inside the garden, huh? Exactly. As soon as they arrived at that place, they began killing each other. In other words, their aim is to do it in the flower bed. Even the Lesser Demon, who had incited the monsters, released his laugh on the verge of dying. This is just a guess, but I have the feeling that its objective was to die right there. Remembering the events from the other day, especially the final moments of the Lesser Demon as it smiled, Mira raised a conjecture. However, she still couldnt grasp the meaning of the monsters needing to die at that particular place. They want to die inside the flower garden? Quite the romantic last moments, I must say When he heard the girls words, Joachim closed both eyes and murmured, a pensive look on his face. At the same time, Reynard groaned, apparently thinking about it too, but it was possible to see on his face the sheer number of questions that surfaced in his mind. Thats right perhaps they might be trying to create a Pure Bog of Undeath[2]. After the Expert slowly opened his eyes, he talked about his guess. A Pure Bog of Undeath? Is that even something that could be created? The young girls voice came out full of surprise as she heard Joachim. That title was something already known to her. Rather, she had a thorough knowledge about it. Frequently found in locations related to the deadsuch as battlefields, execution sites, graveyards and the likeit was a place where undead monsters frequently appeared. During her time as Dunbalf, in order to efficiently hunt monsters there, she sometimes had to be on the lookout, since those places were often used by other players. Oh no, I didnt mean that we have proof of it being possible to be created. Its just that I have read an essay about that exact matter. And all the conditions for it are present here. The Expert himself had doubts about it and mentioned that there was no conclusive proof. Following that, he continued and brought up the conditions for the creation of a Pure Bog of Undeath. First, it required a region that held some kind of hidden power. Second, a massive quantity of corpses on that location. Third, a great number of lives being lost there. The moment he reached that point, Joachim still seemed able to think of even more conditions, but since they had no description, he brought the explanation to an end. According to that thesis, there are many issues regarding the place, and the main one is the transformation powered by the phenomenon of death. For example, lets suppose there is no Pure Bog of Undeath. If the Lesser Demon is trying to cause some kind of change by bringing death to the flower garden, then Saying that, the Expert looked straight ahead, observing the white pillar as they grew closer to it. Hmm, that is a very interesting subject. While I cannot even imagine how it would affect the place, seeing that a Lesser Demon is involved, it will not be something good. Effects brought about by death. The words said by Joachim made the girl think and remember about occult-like terms, such as haunted places and spiritual diseases[3]. In a world where demons, spirits and other similar beings existed, supernatural terms like those could easily be received, as strange as it would seem. Envisioning a flower garden full of fiery souls[4] floating around, Mira gazed absentmindedly at the white pillar. (I wonder if it wants to start a wildfire or something with those souls) Whilst thinking of that apparent joke, she caught sight of a small hill. Yesterday, it was right there that they splendidly flew in the air. And the Armored Jeep was triumphantly accelerating towards that very hill. Seeing how Garrett was at the peak of his condition, Mira quickly assessed the situation and forced her body into a corner of the sofa, bracing herself. When Joachim, who sat next to her, noticed the girls movements, he also readied himself by sinking his own body deep in the couch. As the scenery seen from the side window vigorously moved, the only things that could be observed now were the forest and mountain range in the distance, along with the clouds up in the sky; without any interest in them, Reynards sole focus was on the towering pillar in the front. Suddenly, an unfamiliar floating sensation assaulted the Knight. At the same time, the scenery he had been previously seeinga white pillar with the skies in the backgroundwas dyed completely green by the deep vegetation. Ughaaaah! Not again!! With that splendid landing, the sound of the impact on the ground was so strong it wouldnt be a surprise to think they had just suffered an accident. Then, amidst the continuous leaps made by the vehicle, Reynard raised his voice as his body somersaulted around. Giving a sidelong glance at what was happening to him, Mira braced herself with both arms and legs. The Expert, who managed to brace himself in time, felt somewhat relieved that he escaped the fate of displaying his figure in an unsightly manner. Looks like we will arrive before the monsters. When the shaking in the jeeps frame moderately decreased, the girl gazed at the outskirts of the garden in front of them and expressed her thoughts. Granted, in the entire visible portion of the flower bed, she couldnt find any of the monsters from the herd. According to the reports, if the group keeps going straight ahead, they might come out from the forest to our right. Straining his eyes to confirm the situation, Joachim compared their current position with the herds latest known location and indicated the possible direction where the monsters might be coming from. Did you already expect things would turn out this way? Why.. didnt you tell me? A voice nearly devoid of life and full of resentment could be heard behind them. When the two turned around to look at its source, there they found Reynards figure, his body stuck on the backrest of the sofa and looking almost like laundry that had been blown away by the wind. Ahh, that is right. My bad. I barely noticed it before it actually happened, so all I could do was brace myself. I had the same problem. The moment I saw what Mira-sama was doing, I quickly readied my posture and immediately after you know. Even though they said that, without a hint of guilt, both Mira and Joachim revealed a faint smile, forcing the Knight to furrow his eyebrows, annoyed. However, in the next instant, the jeeps wheels ran over something on the ground and caused its entire body to leap in the air. Without any chances to deal with that unexpected impact, the girl and the Expert rolled together all over the sofa. That damn Garrett While she carefully reseated herself, Mira directed her grudge towards the driver and muttered a few words. Indeed, this is a problem. Joachim also complained and, after looking at the innocent look on Garretts face as he controlled the steering wheel, smiled bitterly. On the other hand, seeing how the two other passengers went through the same thing as him, Reynards smile was of satisfaction. TL Info: 1ħװgʿ C Order of the Sorcery/Magic Clothed Experts. The naming is similar to the Order of the Magic Clothed Knights (gװTʿ) but instead of g (magic, technique, art, ability) it uses ħ (the kanji alone means evil, demon or something like that, but it is mostly used with other characters to make sorcery, magic, etc). Would there be a better translation for them? Suggestions are appreciated. 2μɤ C Pure/Holy Bog/Swamp of Undeath 3֢ C Literally, Spirit/Soul Illness, a term used when something from an etheric plane or an invisible world affects badly the soul. Not to be confused with diseases from the mind. 4˻ C Hitodama or the souls of the dead. Usually, they look like little floating fiery balls and you should have seen it many times already in anime/manga/whatever. Volume 1 - CH 18 As soon as she arrived at her destination, Mira looked around the flower garden, surprised. What what is the meaning of this? Observing the ground beneath her feet, she murmured a question. There, the garden was painted in a myriad of colors, a result of the great variety of flowers that had vigorously bloomed in its area. Indeed, I wonder what happened Following the girls reaction, Garrett also sounded astonished by the scenery in the flower bed. Just yesterday, a herd of monsters had went berserk there, so the outer portion of that circular garden was supposed to be completely devastated, with its terrain trampled down and stained by an immense amount of blood. But now, everywhere they looked, they couldnt find a single vestige of that destruction; there was only the richly colored scenery extending all around the place. Whats wrong? Is there any problem here? Since Reynard wasnt in the garden at the time of that incident, he expressed his doubts while enjoying the view of that splendid flower bed before him, its beautiful flowers in full bloom. Yes, and rather than a problem, there is something inexplicable here. The entire group of monsters that had appeared yesterday killed each other right here, in this garden. At that time, the state of this place could only be considered as a so-called battlefield, taking into account that its grounds ended ravaged and soaked in the blood of those monsters. Strangely, only the outer portions of the flower garden were in that condition, but While he was explaining what had happened, the military man stopped his words for a moment, bringing back his sight towards the garden. As you can see, there isnt even a single trace of blood here, let alone the huge devastation from the other day. In the area within their view, evoking the image of pure and innocent maidens, lovely flowers were swayed by the wind, their faint rustling sounding like whispers in the air. There was simply no way to imagine that, just yesterday, hundreds of monsters had slaughtered each other in that peaceful place. Was that so? Certainly, this is a mystery. Once more, Reynard and Joachim looked around the flower bed and muttered a few words. As if lured by it, Mira also raised her face and investigated, with great attention, the surrounding region. Then, the moment she reconfirmed that there wasnt a single speck of taint on the garden, her gaze stopped at something that instantly brought a sense of uneasiness to her: it was the symbol of that place, the sky-high white pillar. Different from its upper part, that was pure white, the lower portion had been dyed black, looking almost like a sheet of paper[1] that had been soaked in black ink. Although the girls attention was drawn to that specific part, since she had not verified in detail that pillar yesterday, her memories about it were, one way or another, unclear. To the point that, if anyone were to tell her that the pillar had always been like that, she would be convinced on the spot. And it was this very fact that fueled her unease. Mira-sama, is anything wrong? Noticing how Mira had her eyebrows furrowed while continuously staring at a single, fixed point, the driver called out to her; then, a moment later, with her concentration broken by that voice, she removed her gaze from the white construction. Maybe it is just my imagination, but I have the feeling that the pillar over there turned a little bit darker The pillar? It was almost like she had mumbled it to herself, but when Garrett heard those words, he squinted towards the center of the flower garden, far away from their current position, and tried to check it. Now that you mention it, Im also getting the same impression still, seeing that the garden looked so disgusting, with everything dyed in blood, it left a very strong impression on me, so my memories about the pillar arent that clear. Right? I cannot remember it well too. Did it change overnight? Or did it not? Which one is the right answer? I do not know. By now, the girl didnt have the motivation to remember it anymore, and just mentioned what she felt while looking up at the incredibly high pillar. Well then, we just confirmed that, so far, no monsters have reached this place. I wonder where the herd is at this exact moment Considering that Reynard wasnt interested in the garden itself, he cautiously watched the surrounding forest, searching for the group of monsters. However, there were no signs of it anywhere; he could only see the leaves in the trees, gently swaying every time the wind blew on them. According to the report we received just now, I believe they might be already approaching this location. Garrett looked in the probable direction that the monsters would be coming from. As stated by the transmission they had received a few minutes ago, the herd was around five kilometers away to the north-north-east of the flower garden and still advancing towards it. Okay, let me try a little search there. It should be that way, right? As Joachim observed the direction of the drivers gaze and asked a question, it seemed like he had some kind of method to investigate that place. Yes, taking the report into account, if they continue to move straight ahead, the monsters should emerge from the interior of the woods over there. The surroundings of the flower bed were covered in grass, at the beginning, and ended in a thinly scattered forest. While pointing towards that exact location, Garrett answered and the Expert moved to verify it. He brought his left hand to his ear and, with the right arm stretched, directed it to the woods that were previously indicated. (Is that Abstractionism?) Noticing the faint light that covered both of Joachims hands, she began observing the situation with great interest. As he continued to use his ability, no one dared to speak a single word for an entire minute, the time it took for the Expert to drop his shoulders and relax his posture, taking a breather. Did you find anything? After a short pause, Reynard finally asked his companion while Mira and Garrett also eagerly awaited the answer. There is still some reasonable distance between us, but I managed to confirm the footsteps of a group approaching this place. Without a doubt, it seems I found the herd of monsters. Alright. If thats the case, it will be a good plan to attack them at the grasslands past the forest. I believe theres no need to actually wait for them right here, their very goal. Joachim answered while staring intently at the interior of the forest, causing the Knight to propose a course of action as he focused his sight on the same spot. If the four of them were to wait in the garden, no matter which route the herd would take, it would eventually appear before them. But now, with the help of the Experts skill, they had the confirmation of the monsters whereabouts; as a result, there was no need to be concerned anymore about a certain hypothetical situation, where they never find the herd in the woods and let the monsters finally reach their objective. Then, just as Reynard had said, there was no meaning in waiting at the garden. Indeed. Lets make haste! As soon as he said that, Garrett began running towards the Armored Jeep, feeling that it was his turn to shine, once again. With a disheartened expression, the other three followed behind, their pace heavy and dragging. C By the way, some time ago you used an ability to find out the whereabouts of the group of monsters. What kind of skill was that? Regaining her composure after the jeep was forced to travel with caution inside the forest, Mira took the opportunity to immediately ask Joachim about something that had made her curious. Used an ability some time ago oh, the Sharp Hearing skill, right? He answered amidst all the shaking they were experiencing in the vehicle. Even though the driver was gently doing his job this time, the Armored Jeep still swung from side to side, more than ever before. Oho, so it is called Sharp Hearing, huh? Then, its classification should be under Abstractionism, right? Indeed, you could say that. But it would be more appropriate to classify it as Secret Abstractionism. Secret Abstractionism? After hearing a completely unfamiliar term, the girl approached Joachim with her eyes shining and, almost glued to him, asked another question. Come to think of it, you have been training with Dunbalf-sama in a remote place until a few days ago, so I heard that Mira-sama must be unacquainted with the most recent situation regarding the abilities. Hmm, well it is something like that. Then? She simply decided to roughly keep what Joachim had said about her as the truth. Considering the long thirty years that she was gone, it was a good excuse Mira and Solomon planned together, in order to cover for her current lack of knowledge about the ways of the world. Although there are various conditions to use Abstractionism skills, some of them have different, special requirements. And those are the ones categorized under the Secret Abstractionism. Special requirements? What kind of requirements are we talking about? Falling onto the sofa face-first after a massive jolt from the armored vehicle, the girl immediately got up and urged Joachim to continue, her expression full of glee. As a fellow Expert, the man could easily understand Miras reaction to what he had been saying. To tell you the truth, we have yet to elucidate the exact conditions needed to use this kind of Abstractionism. However, it is said that there could be a connection between certain factors, such as the possession or not of a divine blessing of spirits and the type and number of monsters defeated. Anyway, even for the Sharp Hearing ability, the only confirmation we have is that the divine blessing of wind spirits is related to its acquisition. While securing himself against the swaying with both hands, Joachim explained about the requirements. Then, he finally concluded, saying that the process of learning Secret Abstractionism techniques was extremely difficult to reproduce, addingwith a slightly triumphant look on his facethat within the continent, only a handful users of Sharp Hearing existed. Could I not be able to learn it? As a result, she understood that the acquisition of Secret Abstractionism skills wasnt a feat she could somehow achieve after just listening to its explanation. So it was a relatively sulky Mira that rolled over when the vehicle made a violent swing and, at the same time, complained in a murmur, I will definitely send him to a driving school. C In just a few minutes, the Armored Jeep ran through the forest to the north of the flower garden and arrived at a flat grasslands area. Immediately, in a place about one kilometer ahead of them, they detected the herd, a black squirming mass of monsters. Okay, just as we imagined. Well assault them here, so slowly stop the vehicle. The field of view seems fine and there arent any obstacles that could obstruct the usage of skills. The conditions are pretty favorable to us. Now please slow down, then stop the jeep. Indeed. And with our view unimpeded, they will not be able to run away. Take your time while stopping. As the three passengers bent their bodies and gazed at what was beyond the windshield, each of them also placed a hand on Garretts left shoulder, head and right shoulder, emphasizing the request portion of their speech. Roger that! Having three people continuously reminding him, the driver did as told and gently stepped on the brakes, finally bringing the Armored Jeep to a stop. The moment they confirmed it had actually happened, the three caught their collective breath, relieved, and stepped on the grasslands. Now then, may the fortunes of war smile upon you. Just as we have planned, I will move to the backup point, so please send a signal if you need my help. After verifying if the doors were closed, Garrett said what he was going to do, pointing towards the top of a hill, to the right of the advancing group of monsters. Yeah, got it. Well, I dont think well have any problems against this number of enemies. Dont get careless, Reynard. Hmpf, I know what Im talking about. Observing the foes that were heading straight towards them, the Knight mentioned how easy their job would be, earning in the process a warning from the prudent Joachim. Nonetheless, there was no signs of worry at all behind those words; rather, it seemed like the Expert had said that warning to himself. Slowly and without standing out, the Armored Jeep began climbing the hill to their right in order to reach the backup point. While gazing at the back of the vehicle with cold eyes, Mira grumbled, Now he knows how to drive safely, and both Joachim and Reynard simply nodded in agreement. Okay, have you memorized our strategy? Changing his focus, the Knight called out to the young girl. Of course. Also returning her attention to the herd, Mira answered while rubbing her chin with a finger, a signature pose that had been mastered by her. If it were during her time as Dunbalf, that appearance would look perfectly appropriate, but now, with the figure of a little girl, she didnt look reliable at all. Hmm, fine then but I heard that a Lesser Demon is capable of using some unusual kinds of summons, will you still be okay with it? Remember what I told you before? Even if we get the worst case, I will not have any problems. Come to think of it, you really said that. Well, if anything happens, Ill provide my support. As soon as he mentioned it, the Knight put on a show of readying the shield that was in his hand. Although it seemed like he would be the kind of person to turn against her, Reynard was a righteous Knight, someone who would never let his personal feelings interfere with his work. Nothing will happen, so you can just attract the herd without any worries. Besides the glimpse of his nature the girl caught through their conversation, there was a main reason for why she recognized that man as a true Knight. Simply put, it was the fact that Solomon had chosen him as his loyal retainer. Now then, I leave the tanking job to you. Reynard snorted in amusement at her remark and began walking towards the monsters, an air of composure around him. A few moments later, Joachim followed after him. With that, Mira also decided to move, turning to the left and going further away from the two in order to reach the flank of the herd. The strategy they had decided to use began with Reynard and Joachims role. Just the two of them would go against the majority of the herd and, for that to work, they would make themselves stand out by facing the monsters head-on. In the distance, like dark-colored ripples on the grasslands, the group of enemies continued their rush, gradually revealing its whole aspect in detail. First, dashing as the herds vanguard, were four-legged monsters, the Dirty Hounds. Following them and assembled in platoons were the Arch Goblins, a subspecies of the Goblin. Finally, making itself secure at the heart of those platoons, was the Lesser Demon, as spotted by Mira. (No surprise here, it is heavily guarded.) Even though Miras role in the strategy was to take care of the Lesser Demon, it also included another related duty. In order to accomplish it, she separated from the other two and, while concealing herself to not attract any attention, advanced downwing. Eventually, Reynards group squared off against the monsters. At that moment, in the middle of the grass-covered plain, the distance between them seemed to be about twenty meters. And every time the wind blew through, as far as the eye could see, ripplesappeared on the green vegetation in quick succession. The ones that currently perturbed those waves were the nearly two hundred monsters gathered there, along with a person whose mere threatening auradirected at his enemiesdisturbed the surrounding atmosphere: the Knight Reynard. When that man drew his sword, he moved forward to block the advancing foes, causing them to interrupt their movements. It was a group of two hundred against only two individuals, but following their instincts, the monsters had stopped their legs. The Dirty Hounds let out a low growl as they glared at the two men, in an intimidation attempt. However, disregarding that display of hostility, the Knight continued his march, step by step. Before long, in the center of the herd, the Lesser Demon released his strident voice. Immediately, as if receiving their orders, ten-odd hounds from the vanguard cried out in a mad howl while simultaneously rushing towards Reynard. Without losing a second to act, when the Knight took a big step forward and planted his foot there, the air at that spot began to tremble, propagating that same effect to the surroundings. After seeing that overwhelming vigor, even Mira thought it was a considerable display of skill and experience. And yet, the Dirty Hounds did not stop. With their instincts dampened, the monsters looked like puppets as they lunged at the enemy in front of them. A moment later, those hounds were engulfed by the quivering atmosphere and, in an instant, when Reynard took another daunting step, he screamed out fiercely[2] while flashing his sword. Without touching anything at all, the Knights weapon made a full swing, suddenly stopping with its tip pointed towards the sky. At the same time, all sounds ceased; even the wind seemed to become quiet as the entire place was engulfed in silence. Then, abruptly, the vegetation was torn to shreds, its small pieces scattering in the air. Following that, the Dirty Hounds that had attacked Reynard were instantaneously bisected, their cut bodies simply and quietly falling down as the blood oozed out of them, finally painting the grasslands in a dark red tone. (Superb.) Mira, who had been watching the situation from afar, said a word of admiration in her mind and returned her attention to the heart of the enemy group. The Lesser Demon was flailing both of its hands overhead while shouting wildly, glaring at Reynard with vengeful eyes. As an immediate response, the entire herd of monsters concentrated its gaze in a single point. Recognizing that man as a true threat, they had decided to use all their strength to eliminate him. On the demons orders, the group began changing its formation and, without doing anything, both Reynard and Joachim patiently waited for them to finish that action. With their caution entirely directed at those two individuals, the monsters completed their battle formation by perfectly surrounding the Knight and the Expert, having absolutely no intention of letting those two run away from them. This is within our expectations. It seems our strategy will be able to continue as planned. After glancing at the area around them, Joachim whispered to Reynard. Lets continue, then. As if making a display of it, the Knight raised his sword high, receiving in return an intimidating war cry from his enemies, a roar that seemingly indicated the two were going to be devoured whole. Then, a loud uproar started all around the grasslands, enough to drown out a certain sound of footsteps that rapidly approached the herd. Because of the sweet scent of a young girl that came wafting directly behind it, the demon managed to pick out that specific noise within the cacophony of sounds in the area. Since the monsters had changed their battle formation to surround Joachim and Reynard, those two were now at the very center of the group. Then, in order to evaluate the flow of battle with ease, the Lesser Demon took position in a place that was farthest away from its enemies. When that same demon turned around to look behind it, Mira was standing right there. She had been waiting for the moment when the Lesser Demon would be left completely alone. (A black crystal yeah, it is the Demons Crystal. Just as expected, that one is of a summoner kind.) In the exact instant it noticed the two Dark Knights standing by the girls side, the demon panicked and raised toward the heavens the Demons Crystal he had been holding. Well then, I wonder what it will pull out from its hat. Will it be a lion? Or a dragon?[3] The actions done by the Lesser Demon were a rite required to perform a summon. Nonetheless, differently from the summoning techniques used by Mira, the one conducted by a Demons Crystal would call out to a demon beast, completely at random. If she were lucky, it would only result in another Dirty Hound being added to the herd, but it was a kind of dangerous summon that would, in the worst case, bring out a large demonic beast. However, without even trying to interfere with the summoning process, the girl simply observed the magic circle that appeared and expanded in the sky. When fighting against an enemy summoner, defeating it before it performed the summon would be much easier to accomplishbut that theory didnt apply when going against the cunning Lesser Demon. Immediately before its death, that demon would release from its body a black mist, entirely shaped by malice. Although it was something that would, after several seconds, completely disperse in the air as the Lesser Demons last and vain struggle, if an object or body containing some kind of special magical power were nearby, the mist would place a curse on it. Then, whether it was in the middle of a summoning or not, a cursed Demons Crystal would always bring forth a high-level beast. Obviously, it was still possible for a clean crystal to summon a high-level monster, and it was precisely because Solomon considered those possibilities that he chose to send Mira to that place. Miras duty in their plan of action, other than taking care of the Lesser Demon, also included the defeat of the summoned demon beast. She did not feel the slightest hint of apprehension over what kind of enemy would come out and simply waited for it. Meanwhile, when the crystal began emitting an ominous radiance, the moment finally arrived. The magic circle that had been floating in the sky suddenly expanded and, a second later, with the appearance of old trees, two thick and warped legs hit the ground, the massive force of their impact causing a tremor around them. Humpf, worst case it is. While gazing at that scene, Mira muttered those words with a sigh. No matter how she looked at it, those familiar legs protruding from the circle belonged to a high-class demonic beast. As the summoning continued, the next thing that appeared was a tail, sliding around as it extended itself and struck the ground with a heavy, dull sound. That limb was even thicker than the legs and had scales covering its entire surface, just like a dragons tail. Then, at long last, the whole body of the beast was revealed. With a large build that was enough to allow it the privilege of calmly overlooking all the trees in the forest, the monster turned its neck around, scanning the surroundings. Subsequently, since the summoning process was over, the magic circle vanished; at that moment, looking as if it was convinced of its own victory, the Lesser Demon released its extremely annoying laugh. But right after that, a sky-tearing roar engulfed the entire place, easily overpowering that laughing voice and any other sounds in the area. Grimacing from the sheer volume of that bellow, Reynard and Joachim shifted their attention to the culprit. Standing at the outer part of the wriggling herd of monsters was the figure of a beast, its upper body similar to a roosters and the lower body resembling that of a lizard. Those caught by its eyes would never again see the break of dawn, forced to gaze upon a stone-imbued dream for all of eternity[4]. Cockatrice was the name of that demon beast, a full-fledged high-level monster, holder of several troublesome abilities. That one is simply too dangerous! We need to back her up immediately, Joachim! Having enough knowledge about the Cockatrice, unsurprisingly, the Knight felt that Mira was in a disadvantageous position and tried to go for her aid. However, as the monsters surrounded both of them, not only were they unable to escape the encirclement, but the two werent allowed to even leave their current position. Damn it! Get out of my way, you pieces of shit! Without hiding his irritation, Reynard was already clicking his tongue when the Expert clasped his shoulder. Please calm down. And then watch well what is happening. Even though Mira-sama is standing in front of that demonic beast, she isnt displaying any signs of discomposure. Try to remember her expression when Mira-sama said that, even if she gets the worst case, it would still be within her expectations. Following Joachims words, the Knight recalled the lovely and jovial smile she had, an air of composure around her. Then, as if on cue, differently from the boastful roar from before, a shriek full of pain swept over the grass-covered plain. After seeing and hearing that scene, Reynard could perfectly feel his head suddenly cooling down. Yeah, thats right. I guess she wont need our help there. His voice now calm, he murmured in agreement before cutting up the Dirty Hounds that swooped to attack, subsequently returning his sight from the Cockatrice to the monsters in front of him. The scream heard by the Knight came from none other than the demonic beast itself. After being successfully summoned and landing on the ground, in a probable display of might, it released a loud cry while spreading its huge wings, closely following those actions by shaking and loosening its own body. Then, with slow movements, the monster gazed at the girl before its eyes; originally, the Cockatrices eyes would be capable of even stopping a strong warrior on their tracks, stunning them with the sense of intimidation coming out of those organs. In the next moment, however, all of a sudden, the beast lost half of those threatening weapons. Blood started flowing abundantly from one side of the Cockatrices face before it screeched in pain, so when Reynard witnessed that instant, he understood how futile were his worries. Among the two Dark Knights standing by her side, the one to the girls left had its sword covered in fresh blood, an endless flow of red droplets trickling down that weapon. Without even waiting a few seconds after the completion of the summon, the Dark Knight had slashed one of the monsters eyes. Hidden within those organs was a magical power endowed with the special ability of Petrification; and yet, that power could only be activated if both eyes were used together. Having fought against that monster on countless occasions, Mira knew about that fact and immediately took proper action to block that special ability. However, after losing its strongest technique, the Cockatrice still filled itself with the will to fight, releasing a roar while showing an expression full of anger. On the other hand, the Lesser Demon was different. Evidently, it had been shaken when the beast was wounded, so the demon glared with frightened eyes at the Dark Knights lined up in front of it. Nevertheless, starting now, it was going to be a full-blown fight between enemies. When the girl deployed her summons to the forward area, the Cockatrice responded by lowering its stance, preparing itself for the combat. And then, as the two parties were about to crash against each other, the Lesser Demon screamed. In the next instant, without a clear reason, the monsters once enraged eyethat had been glaring at its enemy during that timesuddenly lost its vividness, growing dull in color. Afterwards, the demon started running and, just like that, jumped on top of the Cockatrice. What the hell? Leaping high in the sky and skipping over both foes and allies alike, the beast broke out in a run towards the exact direction of the flower garden. Mira, who had been eager for a direct fight, was overcome with surprise, watching the receding figure of the Cockatrice with a dumbfounded expression. Every time it jumped in the air, the demonic beast would start flapping its wings to slow down its falling speed. Looking at that figure, rather than actually flying, the Cockatrice was simply doing long jumps while parachuting itself. HEEY!! STOP RIGHT THEEERE!! Being dazed by that somewhat comical appearance, Mira finally came to her senses and began, with all her might, chasing after the demonic beast that was thrusting itself into the woods. With a bitter smile on their faces, Reynard and Joachim observed the running girl as she disappeared in the forest. TL Info: 1뼈 C Here, the word used was one specific for a Japanese writing paper, where they practice calligraphy. The Barakamon series is the most blatant example I could give (if you want to check it out). og C Secret Abstractionism (or Secret Abstract Arts) `ƥϥ C Dirty Hound 2ѲΚݺϤȹ C This expression is pretty overused everywhere and basically means the scream a swordsman/samurai does when hes going for the attack. 3뤫ߤ뤫 C Literally Will a devil (oni) come out or will it be a snake?, its an expression used when there are two things that could happen, both bad, but one is worse than the other. 4ͫ줿ߤҹϤʤhʯΉҊA¤ˤʤ C Somehow, I really liked this line. I chose to word it differently, but it basically says something like The individuals caught by those eyes would never experience the dawn/daybreak, as they would be forever gazing at a dream of stone. If you think I could improve it, feel free to give suggestions. Volume 1 - CH 19 A flower garden with a white, soaring pillar right at its center. That place was currently serving as the background for the confrontation between Mira and the demonic beast Cockatrice, with the latter being accompanied by its summoner, the Lesser Demon. You crafty little piece of Just when she had thought they were about to fight, both of her enemies simply ran away, forcing her to rush after the two. Then, a few moments later, with the figure of the garden in the background, the girl finally managed to catch up with them; that being said, the Cockatrice wasnt a monster that could easily be caught simply by running. She only succeeded in doing so mainly because of her equipment and the terrain. There were many articles worn by Mira that held within them special effects and, of course, the ability to amplify her running power was one of those. Additionally, she was fortunate enough that because of its large build, the demon beast had a hard time running through the forest, so it simply resorted to jumping. Now, after regaining the considerable distance that had been put between her and the monster, the girl summoned an extra three Black Knights and had them surround the Cockatrice. As such, including the two standing in wait by her side, there was a total of five conjured knights in that place. Apparently vexed, the Lesser Demon kept glaring at their ghastly figures, an overwhelming sense of intimidation being emitted by them even as they stood there, motionless. If it was against a Dark Knight, the demonic beast had the confidence that it could shake free from its opponent. And without a doubt, the fact was that the knights pace would never reach that of the Cockatrice. However, the number of Dark Knights there had further increased and, consequently, the Lesser Demon now felt regret over its decision to merely judge Mira by her appearance. Yet, it did not give up. Shouting with a bawling voice, the Lesser Demon pointed at the young girl. Immediately, with its eye seething in madness, the Cockatrice released a strange sound and broke into a run towards Mira. While advancing, every time its feet hit the ground the earth would be gouged out, throwing in the air the thick vegetation that was once there. Naturally, the beast possessed an enormous mass that was directly proportional to its large body, and just that monsters movements could be enough to blow away most things in the middle of its path. In spite of that, the demonic beasts claws and beak never reached Mira. The Cockatrices massive body began to lurch to one side as its right leg, that was covered in strong scales, suffered a deep woundthe Dark Knights that were surrounding the monster had only aimed and slashed against that leg. (When it has something to protect, it will not even hesitate to throw itself in a suicide attack) Promptly, the girl had made her decision and gave an order to her summoned units. Since she didnt know how tough the beasts leg could be, she settled with an all-out attack against it and managed to successfully wound the Cockatrice, inhibiting any further assaults from that monster as its means of running was damaged. As a result, without sufficient support for its large build, the Cockatrice retreated while dragging its right foot. But then, it happened. In a corner of her field of view, from a place that would be difficult to notice had Mira not been paying attention, the Lesser Demon rushed out towards the flower field. (Hm? Did it use the Cockatrice as a decoy?) While using the beasts massive body to conceal itself, the demon had moved to a distant location. Then, before the girl became aware of that, the Lesser Demon came up with an urgent plan to carry out its precious objective. It just needed a few meters to reach its goal, so while seemingly assured of that victory, the demon let out its usual, annoying laugh and flaunted a disgusting expression, full of joy, in the direction of Mira. The girl, however, simply stood still and only turned her head to look at her enemyalthough there wasnt even a need for that. She had already predicted that the Lesser Demons target was the garden. What it actually intended to do there was still a question to be answered, but the girl was certain that nothing good would come of that. As a result, it could be said that as long as the Lesser Demon never reached the flower bed, it would be fine. A gust of wind ran through the grasslands. And within that thundering, furious gale was rage itself, clad in jet-black. Suddenly, the laughter that could be heard all around stopped and was replaced, in the next moment, by a shriek full of hatred that covered the entire area. Nonetheless, that same sound also lasted for a single instant before it quickly disappeared. Lying on the ground, right at the destination of the wind that had been previously blown, were the remains of the Lesser Demon, its body swallowed up and bisected by a cruel storm of black. Upon closer examination, while the demons hollow pupils looked up at the sky, it was possible to see a distorted expression on its dead face, almost as if dread itself had been smeared all over it. Finally, standing right next to the body was a Dark Knight, its sword wet with blood. That individual was one of the two summons that were by Miras side. After arriving at her current location, the girl had ordered the knight to eliminate any enemies that approached the flower field, so it quickly executed its mission. Therefore, she had no need to move even a single step from that place. As if nothing had happened, the knight calmly distanced itself from the corpse and walked towards its master. Then, from behind, a black mist rose into the air: it was the substance made of pure malice from the Lesser Demons dead body. Wait what is happening there? Since there was nothing nearby that could be cursed, the mist was supposed to disperse and disappear with the wind. But instead, while apparently displaying some kind of will, the smog began flying straight ahead. As something that she had never seen or heard about, the girl vigilantly observed the floating movements of the grudge-like substance, completely leaving the problem of dealing with the Cockatrice to her other three Dark Knights. Slowly but surely, the black mist drew close to its supposed foe, the summoned knight, and merely passed by it, continuing to move away from Mira. (What kind of phenomenon is that? It is as if the substance is actually wandering around, seeking a target to curse) Rubbing her chin with a finger, the girl squinted, using her eyes to follow the smog. Without the slightest breeze going through the grass-covered plain, the Dark Knights footsteps could be perfectly heard even at a long distance. Then, just like the laughter of the now dead Lesser Demon, those sounds suddenly stopped as the knight returned to the girls side. Immediately after, coming from the location where the substance of malice had arrived at, a groan-like breathing faintly reached Miras ears. So does it really intend to curse that? When the wobbling mist finally reached its planned destination, what had been lying in wait was the Cockatrice, its figure standing right there in silence even though the monsters eye still seethed. If it tried to move just an inch, the Dark Knights would cut it down; the Cockatrice clearly understood that, despite having its body covered in wounds. As a result, while boiling with an agonizing and insane fury, the beast still managed to control the urge to go on a slaughter and quietly obeyed the last orders of its master, the Lesser Demon. Abruptly, after the smog of hatred reached the monsters side, that black substance swelled up and, almost like it was being sucked up, gained speed to coil around the demon beasts tattered body, going inside it through its wounds, eyes and mouth. In the end, the Cockatrices transformation was dramatic. As the black fog grew thinner, the monsters physique distorted into a larger form, to the point that it seemed dangerously close to rupturing and exploding like a bomb. Then, the beast groaned in an extremely sad and pitiful roar. Every single spot on its body that had been wounded was closed up by the swelled up flesh, and the single eye that still harbored an intense desire to kill became bloodshot, revealing an even stronger color of madness. Following the transformation, at long last the mist dispersed completely, signaling the conclusion of the curse. That substance of malice was supposed to only curse objects with power stored inside of them, so when it targetedof all thingsa high-class demonic beast, the smog managed to do something that, until that very moment, had been considered unthinkable to happen. (To think this situation would occur is it also because of the game turning into reality?) Strengthening her wariness, Mira examined the appearance of the Cockatrice after it became twono, three times as large than before. Whether the beast had lost the focus from its eye or was still adapting to its new body, it looked around blankly and casually spread its wings, shivering. Over and over, the Cockatrice repeated those actions. (Well, at any rate, looks like it did not turn into something troublesome.) Along with a bitter smile, the girl sighed and gazed at the monsters new form that, now, looked considerably different from its previous figure. Then, at the same time, the three Dark Knights assaulted the Cockatrice in a jet-black storm. Oh apparently its toughness has increased. Not long ago, the knights attacks would tear the demon beasts flesh, spraying blood all over the place, but now it was completely different. Although their blades still damaged the monsters legs, wings and torso, the wounds never reached further than its skin. In addition, with every passing second, those injuries would get instantly healed, leaving behind just slight scars. And yet, the Dark Knights did not stop; on the contrary, their swords grew faster and began drawing even sharper trajectories. As they continued to attack, when one of their strikes finally managed to gouge the beasts flesh, it also brought the Cockatrice back to its senses; until now, it had been absentmindedly observing the surroundings. With a glare, the moment it perceived the figures of its three foes, the monsters crimson, bloodshot eye opened wide. Immediately, that same eye became dyed by hatred and, as the Cockatrice reached its boiling point, it strongly flapped its wings, apparently trying to ward off the knights that persistently continued their attacks. As soon as it did that, a squall broke out and mowed down the surrounding area. Trees began to creak, their leaves scattering and disappearing in the air while the grasslands swayed violently, like a sea in the middle of a storm. It wouldnt even be an exaggeration to consider that wind as a shock wave, seeing that Miras small body was sent floating away from the ground. Then, the moment the storm calmed down, a large number of splinters that had been blown away began slowly falling all around the place. Managing to do this much with just a flap of its wings I guess it became considerably stronger. As though stepping in the air, the girl kicked it twicethen three timesto decelerate and land on the ground without a problem. Her knights, that had also been blown away, quickly regained their postures and surrounded the beast from three sides. While focusing on the Dark Knight in front of it, the Cockatrices accumulated rage was ignited when it noticed that enemy calmly preparing to attack with the black sword. Then, from the mouth that seemed to completely split open, erupted an explosive, sky-shattering roar. Be it the heavens or the earth, the very space itself trembled with the thunderous sound that was released. It was so loud, the intense vibrations on Miras eardrums almost numbed them, causing the girl to grimace and take half a step back, covering both ears with the cuffs of her robe. Good grief, what a noisy fellow Without even reaching her own ears, Miras annoyed mutter was immediately drowned out by a sequence of metallic sounds. In the middle of the grasslands, the roar had signaled the beginning of the battle between the Dark Knights and the Cockatrice. Screaming in a frenzy, the monster made use of its deadly body and charged against its enemies. While not showing the slightest hint of being perturbed by the oncoming attack, the girls summoned units received it, moving their swords. The Cockatrices fierce strike held an incredible amount of destructive power, piercing the ground and slicing off the air. In addition, after taking a form ready for battle, the beasts skin became even harder and the knights could no longer cut through it as easily as before. However, those were the only things that had impressed Mira. Of course, anyone would be amazed after seeing the power of that blow; it was strong to the point that even her wouldnt come out unscathed after receiving such an attack. Yet, it was just that, nothing else. Originally, the Cockatrice would make use of its dangerous special power and, together with its nimble body, deliver a powerful combo attack. So the strike the beast just did, by swinging its entire frame with all its might, appeared pathetic when compared with the combined attack. It was akin to fastening a lump of iron to the pointy end of a great spear, completely destroying its specialty. If one were to talk about the sole advantage the monster currently held, it would be the Cockatrices tough body that was able to withstand the Dark Knights blades. But even then, it still gradually received damage, and it was only a matter of time until that large figure would fall down, defeated. Despite that, Mira had been observing the battle with a displeased look on her face. It was indeed only a matter of time for it to end, but at that rate it looked like the fight would conclude after the sunset. Although she could easily solve that problem by just increasing the number of Dark Knights, Mira had a stronger desire to understand the current state of the new reality she was in. As a result, she had been wanting to confirm the behavior and degree of coordination between her summoned units. If the girl tried to add more knights to the battle, she wouldnt be able to give her full attention to every single one of them and would, eventually, lose details from their fight. (Anyway, I still have time even if I do not do it right now. It should be fine to try things out without rushing, no?) Since Mira had just barely started living in that new world, there was no need for her to act in a hurry. Then, rather than experiment with that situation, she decided to be patient and analyze the world slowly, one thing at a time. Hmm? What is that? When Mira tried to promptly settle the fight by summoning more Dark Knights, she noticed, from the corner of her eye, a certain crystal that shone ominously. Lying at the edge of the flower garden, that object fell on the ground after its owner, the Lesser Demon, had been cruelly bisected by her knightit was still possible to see the corpse right by the crystals side. Moved by curiosity, the girl approached the item and picked it up. The crystal, that was painted in a dull, black color and emitted some kind of pulsating light, was, without a doubt, the Demons Crystal. The Demons Crystal was a special item that only Lesser Demons of the Summoning kind held. Nevertheless, upon the demons death, it would always disappear along with the corpse, so the players considered that impossible to obtain item as mere graphics in the game. Oho ohohoho. Now that is how you should grab my attention. While observing the item in her hand, Mira revealed a wild smirk. Now that the game world was real, instead of simply disappearing, beings like monsters would leave behind a corpse when defeated and, eventually, return to the nature after decomposing. As such, that natural cycle ended up granting her an unexpected favor: the possibility to obtain a Demons Crystal, the unique crystal used by Lesser Demons to perform summonings. Considering Mira held an extraordinary interest in summoning techniques, since the very start she had been greatly fascinated by the summoning catalyst employed by the demon. As the girl analyzed the crystal, the sound of something violently colliding with an object reached her ears. Almost instantly, a body clad in black passed by her sidethe Cockatrice had sent a Dark Knight flying away. While being subjected by the momentum of the beasts strike, the knight bored onto the garden behind Mira and finally stopped after the upper half of its body had been buried into the ground. However, in the next moment, with a conduct that looked undoubtedly impossible for a human to perform, the black knight rose up and rushed out like a bullet. (It looks exactly like an attributed crystal but the tinge is different from one related to the Darkness attribute. It is not supposed to shine in such a disgusting way.) In spite of that, Mira had been so engrossed with the item that the ongoing battle didnt even enter her mind. It was the first time she ever held a Demons Crystal and when she looked at it, Mira was immediately reminded of an attributed crystal. That kind of item could be used by a variety of different fields and, specifically, was a well-known, all-purpose material in the area of summoning. Summoning Experts possessed a certain ability called Attribute Shift. It allowed them to take an object with pure attribute effects and use it as a catalyst, enhancing their Armor Spirit with the same attribute. As a result, when summoned with the help of an Attribute Shift, most of the Armor Spirits strength would have the characteristic of the effect contained within the used catalyst. Trying it out might be fun. Although it emitted an unfamiliar color, that dark crystal had traits that greatly resembled those of an attributed crystal. Then, as soon as she decided to try an attribute shifted summon with the item, Mira immediately put those thoughts into action. In the grasslands, the sounds of the Dark Knights swords and the Cockatrices roar continued to ring out, incessantly. The area where that fierce battle raged was supposed to be covered in green, but now it was completely bare of any vegetation, with clouds of dust rising and dancing at every moment the fighters clashed. While looking at the space in front of the battle, the girl held the Demons Crystal over her head. SummoningAttribute Shifted Dark Knight Applying the same feeling she had whenever she wanted to summon a Dark Knight, Mira added just a little change to the process and released the power contained within the crystal. Then, the magic circle that had appeared in front of her began to absorb the energy gushing out of the Demons Crystal, growing twice, thrice as large as its initial state. How should I put it this is really weeeeeird. In a fraction of a second, the magic circle was dyed in a poisonous-looking black and began squirming around, looking as if it were the entrails of some creature. Having felt signs of something unusual happening, the young girl hurriedly jumped away from that place. Immediately after, just like a clogged blood vessel, the circle didnt resist the sudden swelling and exploded, ejecting and spraying its bloodthe magical powerin all directions. At first, the girl wondered if the summoning had failed after seeing such a grand spectacle before her eyes. However, when the slimy vestiges of magic power stopped raining down, something massive was filling up that previously empty spot. It occupied so much space one would think that all the trees surrounding the place had been gathered at that exact location. Standing there, majestically, was a being that wore an armor just like a knight and had a tough physique, similar to a wild beasts. The creature, clad in a black color that seemed to have been born from the darkness itself, revealed its shining, blood-soaked pupils. At the same time, it made one of its weapons apparent: instead of possessing a sword, that being had a gaping mouth filled with countless fangs, each lined up to form a saw-like pattern. Should I call that thing a Dark Beast? It was easy to notice that the creatures appearance was quite different from the usual Dark Knight, but Mira could clearly sense the link between her and that summoned being. Consequently, she could understand that the ability she had used was successful and that the thing in front of her was the result of the summoning process. Then, after realizing that fact, Mira decided to name her servant based solely on its looks. The being that appeared after the girl took the Demons Crystal and performed the attribute shifted summon was, one way or another, a monster. Its body, made up by a combination of traits from wild beasts such as lions and tigers, seemed to have been forcibly clad in a warped, distorted version of the Dark Knights armor. The magic power that had been scattered by the summoning ritual was on the Dark Beast, sticking to it like some kind of viscous blood. In addition, that substance slightly flickered, giving an impression that the monster was breathing through its entire body. With such a bizarre appearance, anyone could easily expect the Dark Beast to begin rampaging on the spot, but it simply stayed by Miras side, waiting for further orders as it lied down on the ground, in a posture resembling that of a hungry beast aiming for its prey. Vol.1 Chapter 19 Hmm, at least I guess that it will listen to my orders. At first glance, she couldnt feel the slightest traces of intelligence within the summoned being; however, since it obeyed a simple command given by her, Mira looked up at it and made that assertion. Meanwhile, in the battle between the Cockatrice and the Dark Knights, the injuries suffered by both parties were still too small when compared with the damage done to their surroundings. On the demonic beasts side, not only did it obtain a self-healing ability, but its toughness also greatly increased. On the knights side, albeit limited, they also possessed a regenerative power and their evasion abilities were high. Even then, that battle did not seem to be heading to a stalemate, since the Dark Knights were superior due to their numbers and coordination, so if the fight were to continue without any changes, sooner or later they would obtain victory against their foe. Yet, at that pace, it was clear that they would only be able to finish everything by sunset. Let me see, how about you show me your true strength? Speaking to the Dark Beast, Mira looked at the battlefield and, after waiting for the right time, pulled back her three knights. The rampaging Cockatrice didnt even care that its enemies were suddenly trying to move away, and simply charged blindly toward the foes before it. While concentrating solely on destruction, the demonic beast shook the ground as it ran with its thick, tree-like legs, and exactly when it tried to thrust its large body against the knights, something happened. Accompanied by a dull and heavy metallic noise, as if something had exploded below the earth, the entire place was filled with the sound of the ground rumbling. A moment later, that sound was substituted by the roaring cry of the Cockatrice, full of grief. Cutting into the battleground, the Dark Beast had stopped with its whole body the strike coming from the Cockatrices large build. Enraged, the demonic beast brandished its neck to snap against the new enemy that had appeared, but Miras new summon howled and, at the same time, used its gaping mouth to return the bite, with the clear intention of ripping off the attackers flesh. Seemingly suffering, the Cockatrices dragon-like tail hit the ground countless times, shaking the ground and releasing a booming sound with every strike. (So it does not understand detailed orders, huh I wonder if the only instructions it follows are stay and attack) In the same way as what she had done with her Dark Knights, the young girl sent several orders to her beast. Nonetheless, every single one of them was ignored and the Dark Beast merely continued its fight. In other words, it could be said that, currently, the creature was acting on its own instincts. Guess I need to check it first. While looking away from what was happening in front of her eyes, Mira murmured some kind of excuse. C Just what happened here? Hm? Ooh, is that you, Reynard? The instant Mira heard a voice by her side calling out to her, she turned around and saw both Reynard and Joachim there. With a stiff expression, they were looking at what was unfolding before thema deadly battle in which both sides completely disregarded their own defenses and focused on attacking only. Although the one over there seems to have suffered a considerable change in its appearance, I believe I can recognize it as the Cockatrice. But the other one Seemingly worried as he fixed his eyes on the situation in front of him, Joachim still calmly analyzed it. Neither of the two beasts were pulling back and, while still entangled in their battle, tried to destroy each others bodies with pure, undiluted violence. Fang against fang, claw against claw, roar against roar. Even while dyed in their own blood, instead of decreasing their pace, the Cockatrice and Dark Beast raged on, their battle actually intensifying more and more. This is what happened after I performed a summon. Not knowing what to say anymore about that situation, Mira pointed out what she had done and shrugged. The three just stared, dumbfounded, at the scene unfolding before them. If one were to dare to express that spectacle in words, it would surely be something out of a tokusatsu[1]movie, where two monsters fought in a great decisive battle. So great they have reached a point at which no one could see the small birds that were flying from the surrounding woods anymore, and even the critters that inhabited the nearby places had completely fled to take refuge from that maelstrom of fury. By the way, I cannot see Garrett around here. Where is he? Asked the girl, trying to forcefully change the topic. Ah, I left the task of taking care of the monsters corpses to him. Usually, I am the one in charge of that, but he asked to do the job so I could rush to your aid, Mira-sama. And surely, if we are talking about an opponent on the level of the Cockatrice, of course I would feel worried. However, now I see that there was no need to assist you in battle Answered Joachim as he gazed, with a distant look on his face, at the two rampaging monsters. Immediately after, a ray of red light surged from the other side of the battlefield. (That Garrett he does not need to worry about me.) Upon seeing the swaying, crimson column of fire blazing in the distance, rather than imagining the flames burning everything, Mira envisioned Garretts figure there, his face showing a bright smile while he operated the jeeps turret. After a short while, it seemed like the disposal of corpses had finished as the pillar of flame lost strength and began disappearing. Then, at that moment, something red was once again launched towards the sky. In quick succession, a certain shriek resounded across the grasslands, cutting off the usual howls of intimidation the beasts had been launching against each other just a few seconds ago. The cry, that came out of the Cockatrices throat, was a sign to the shower of fluttering red in the air: the demonic beasts own blood. Looking carefully, it was possible to notice that one of its wings had been ripped from the base, and the blood was gushing forth from that wound. How fierce. Was what Reynard muttered, involuntarily. With a keen gaze directed toward the Dark Beast, a creature able to fight against a Cockatrice that had its ferocity boosted, the Knight realized how bottomless was the area of summoning, causing his evaluation of Mira to gradually change. The Dark Beast then made a motion to spit something it had been holding with its mouth, revealing an abundant amount of blood dripping from that place. What actually fell on the ground was the Cockatrices lost wing, its tragically sorry state indicating how savage the entire fight was. And yet, the demonic beast did not stop, for its eye still shone with both insanity and the will to fight. When it warded off its foes charge with the remaining wing, the Cockatrices massive body shook violently, apparently dragged by the swinging action of that impromptu shield. Taking into account its excessively large build, the Cockatrices sense of balance was broken the moment it lost one of its wings, so it couldnt control its movements after thrusting itself with the mighty physical strength it possessed. That opportunity wasnt overlooked by Miras summoned beast. As soon as the Cockatrice staggered, the Dark Beast firmly planted its four legs on the ground and split its mouth open, seemingly ready to roar. Instead, escaping from the bottom of the monsters throat was a blinding, glimmering light. This magical power is Sensing the enormous amount of magical power being gathered inside the Dark Beasts mouth, Joachim opened its eyes wide in surprise. Promptly, right before the black monstrosity steadied its aim, the Cockatrice turned around and swung in a huge arc its tailcovered in thick and tough scalesto deliver a strike against the side of its enemys face. Accompanied by a heavy and dull impact sound, the Dark Beasts body swayed dangerously. However, that wasnt enough to stop it, because a split second after getting hit, the beast released a beam of light from its mouth. A thunderous roar resounded in the distance and even the air itself trembled as soon as the that dazzling flash came out. In spite of that, the beam didnt hit the Cockatrice directly. What saved the demonic beast from the line of fire was its tail strike, which managed to turn away the Dark Beasts face. With the aiming disturbed, the light ray gouged the ground and teared open the forest in its path. In addition, as if giving the finishing blow, explosive flames erupted from the trenches that had just been formed on the grasslands surface. Before everyones eyes, the scene that unfolded was akin to the episode of an apocalyptic war being acted out. As they looked at the towering walls of dust that had been formed, each whirling to the tune of a tremendous rumbling, Reynard and Joachim werent the only ones standing still, looking stupefied; even Mira herself couldnt help but display the same reaction. Nonetheless, disregarding the three onlookers state, the battle continued. Appearing to struggle for the very air that transmitted them, two deep and angry roars filled the surroundings. And then, all of a sudden, one of the air-shattering sounds vanished. It was the Cockatrices voice. The demonic beasts large body fell, taking with it the fierce howls it had been releasing. At a closer look, its left leg had been cleanly burned to ashes from the knee down. It seemed like the beam of light had completely missed its target, but it actually slightly grazed the demons leg. Looks like the fight is over. Although it now lied on the ground, through the shine on its sole pupil, the injured beast still showed a will to continue the battle; however, against the foe it had been fighting on almost even grounds, without one wing and a leg its chances of winning were gone. Realizing that, Reynard revealed a somewhat relieved expression on his face. Afterwards, the Dark Beast that was calmly standing in place just needed to finish off the writhing Cockatrice, be it by swinging down its claws or by stabbing the demons body with its fangs. Instead, what came a moment later made a chill run down the spines of the observers. The Dark Beast had braced itself on its four legs, mouth wide open. This magical power! Does it intend to shoot that thing again!? After a single look at the terrible spectacle promoted by the monsters previous attack, Joachim asked a question in panic, to which Mira promptly turned her face away and hesitated to speak. She did try to do it several times already, but as expected, the Dark Beast wasnt following any of her detailed commands. In other words, it could be said that the girls summoned beast was merely acting on its own instincts. Hey this might be worse than the one from earlier. Said Reynard while directing his sight once more towards the monster. Since it apparently had enough time now, the magic energy being gathered for the light beam had already exceeded the amount used for the previous one; furthermore, with each second that passed, the accumulated power grew even stronger. In proportion to that growth in strength, the light leaking out of the Dark Beasts mouth began shining brightly, its form resembling that of sharp blades. It was like the sun itself was being held hostage deep inside the beasts throat, giving the dangerous feeling that it could end up exploding at any moment. The first ray of light had been launched when the monster, after taking the same posture it displayed now, charged the attack for about two or three seconds. But currently, it was accumulating power for around ten seconds already. With that amount of magical power amassed, one could only wonder about how strong the attack would be. Instantly, the image of everything in her field of view getting razed to the ground, scorched, passed through the girls mind. That thought wasnt an exaggeration, as even Joachim envisioned a similar scenery after observing the large quantity of magical energy being accumulated. Immediately, a huge magic circle appeared at the Dark Beasts feet. It shone in the same poisonous-looking color of the previous magic circle used to summon the beast, but instead of summoning, it began to pull the black monster in. As soon as Mira cancelled her summon, the process of sending the beast away began. Almost like being dragged by the gates of hell, the Dark Beast was getting swallowed by the pulsating magic circle, a scene that took the three observers breath away. Still facing the Cockatrice even as it was being dismissed, the monster revealed in its eyes the will to fight. When the only thing left to disappear in the circle was its head, the brightness coming from the Dark Beasts mouth increased in an instant. Mira-sama! On it! A split second later, Mira gave a command to her Dark Knight on standby. Then, dashing like the wind, the knight followed its summoners orders and hit the Dark Beast right in the jaw. Simultaneously, a flash clad in a spectacular radiance surged toward the heavens. As the condensed magical energy pierced through the sky and above, it eventually dispersed, turning into miniscule particles of light that kept raining all around the place. By now, the Dark Beastthe main culprit of that grand showwas nowhere to be found, its dismissal process concluded. Despite finally feeling a sense of relief, the three people caught sight of another problem. With the wound on its leg closed, the Cockatrice let out a groan and forced itself up from the ground. Then, even without a wing and a leg, the demonic beast released a roar filled with madness, making a display of the overwhelming insanity it possessed. It might be wounded, but dont even think of getting careless. I know that. To the intense show of vigor before them, once again both Reynard and Joachim braced themselves, ready to face their enemy. Step back. This one is my responsibility. While stopping the other two with a hand, Mira faced the Cockatrice. Shortly after that, all of a sudden, nearly twenty Dark Knights appeared and surrounded the beast in the blink of an eye. Hngh! Now that is something Seeing the unexpected appearance of the group of knights, the Knight and the Expert revealed an expression of astonishment on their faces. Forget the Summoning Experts in the army, not even Cleos, the Elder Substitute, could do something like simultaneously summoning in an instant that number of Dark Knights. Just what kind of meaning did the title of Sages Pupil hold? While the two were at a loss for words to describe how bottomless it appeared to be, the fight had been settled. Even with its body covered in wounds, the Cockatrice still held the advantage in physical strength. On the other hand, that wasnt enough to beat the sheer number of foes and their violent strikes; as a result, its knee gave up and, for the second time, the demonic beast fell on the ground. Then, there was no way for the Cockatrice to resist anymore, so its entire body suffered all the slashing and piercing attacks coming from the swarm of knights, at a rate that its regenerative power couldnt keep up with. Blood gushed out from several places on the demons body, causing the earth below it to get quickly dyed in dark red. At first sight, what was there looked like a small hill of squirming black, but with a closer inspection of the scene, it appeared as the performance of a lynch mob. Around them, the Dark Beasts parting gift continued to fall in the form of a rain of light, causing one to wonder just how much magical power had been collected for the attack. If the observers were to turn around, they would see shining light particles fluttering all over the richly colored flower field, the gentle addition of the wind evoking the image of a smiling angel, its whispers sparkling in the air. Standing in a place that could be said to be between Heaven and Hell, Reynard and Joachim quietly turned to face the Heaven side. Volume 1 - CH 20 Sometime around evening. While giving her report in the Kings Office of the Arkite Castle, Mira nibbled a late snack, relaxed. As for Solomon, he listened attentively to his friends recounts, giving the occasional affirmative responses and, at the same time, looking over the report done by Joachim, written during his trip back to the castle. The Lesser Demon cursed the Cockatrice? Yeah, never heard of anything like that happening in the thirty years Ive been living here. To begin with, this is the first time in, like, ten years since we had a Lesser Demon appearing here. Is that so? I wonder what the hell was that just when I thought the mist would simply disappear, that thing happened out of nowhere. Well, you have my thanks for taking care of it. There was a huge, near-infinite wall of differences between the past and the present. Consequently, the girl thought that what she had seen happening for the first time was, one way or another, a fact already well known in the new world. And yet, the occurrence of a living creature being cursed by the substance of malice was also a first for Solomon. A Lesser Demon makes you wonder, just where did it come out from? After reading the report, the king placed it on his desk and mumbled, deep in thought. Indeed. And if that demon is involved, it definitely is something troublesome. I have no doubts. In any case, we have to at least identify its place of origin before stranger things happen. Hmm, the place of origin As Solomon, with a sigh, heavily dropped his body on the chair, Mira followed him by leaning her entire frame on the sofa, a groan escaping her lips and revealing her worried thoughts. When it was still a game, the Lesser Demon was an existence that only appeared during certain quests. And said quests were mostly accompanied by a bad ending. Mira recalled those past events while stuffing her cheeks with cookies. Then, the moment she gulped down all those snacks with some black tea, the figure of a certain individual appeared in her mind. Oh, right what was that persons name again Hm? Who? Although she had a clear image in her head, the young girl couldnt remember the most important parttheir nameso, while pursing her lips, she squinted and searched within her memories. Seeing his friend, who always had a problem with remembering names, Solomon welcomed for a few moments the nostalgic feelings in his heart as he listened to her once again. Come on, it is that guy who carried a massive amount of holy water with him and chased Lesser Demons around, I remember he was an NPC that specialized in demons. Aahh, are you talking about Howard? Yes! That one! When Solomon instantly said the name Mira had forgotten, the girl pointed towards him and indicated he was correct, all the while still holding a half-eaten cookie in her mouth. Hmm, if Im not wrong, I believe hes already dead. Since the first time weve seen him, he already looked pretty old, you know. Howard, the man who researched demons. He was an aloof, old guy who treated everyone with his medicinal beverages brewed with holy water. Was that so? Well, I believed he might have known something about it. Upon hearing that fact, Mira slowed down her hand, but still continued to bring snacks to her mouth. Immediately, she was struck with another bright idea. If he is dead, then there is something we can still do. Correct me if I am wrong, but there existed a mirror that could let you talk with the deceased, right? Yeah, the Mirror of Governing Shadows[1]. But the problem here is that, in order to talk with the dead person, we either need to have made a strong connection with them while they were alive or possess an article that the deceased considered dear to them. Huumm, you are right. Since her relationship with Howard was, at most, related to questing, Mira couldnt say she had a strong connection with him. Moreover, she had no such article or item that could meet the Mirrors requirements. Sipping her tea in an apparent bad mood, the girl absentmindedly let her gaze wander around. Come to think of it, there was a quest with a cursed mirror Yep. And if I remember correctly, along the way you would come across Howard, huh. Right? He would suddenly sprinkle holy water on you. Prompted by the Mirror of Governing Shadows keywords, Solomon was reminded of the good old days, a period when they were still playing a game. Then, for a short while, the two friends had a lively talk, reminiscing their past. C Ah, thats right! Abruptly, Solomon shouted as a certain thought crossed his mind; in turn, the girl asked him to explain what he meant. Luminaria interrupted us when we were discussing it, right? The matter about searching for the missing Elders. Now that you mention it, there was that subject, yeah. Who, and how she would search for. Yesterday, when they were about to discuss that matter, Luminaria had entered the office. The moment she remembered it, Mira poured some black tea for herself, removed her shoes and stretched her legs on the sofa, preparing for a long conversation. So, I will look for them, fine. But do you know where they might be? If we do not have any clues, it will be impossible to catch those people. Just like Mira said, the Nine Sages were a group of misfits. Perhaps, they might be simply wandering about, following their own whims. Consequently, there was no way for anyone other than the person themselves to know their whereabouts. Since the girl was asked to search for those wanderers, how would she even begin that task? Tilting her teacup, Mira decided to leave that question to Solomon, considering she still couldnt fully comprehend the new reality she was placed in. It was the Mirror of Governing Shadows. It made me recall about this discussion. Do you remember where the mirror was located? There is only one person that could easily be found there, right? The young girl began to ponder about it immediately. That item, a mirror that reflected the deceased, resided somewhere in the underground of a temple; then, as soon as she reached that part, the figure of a certain person crossed Miras mind. I see, it is Soul Howl. Correct. He was the Elder of the Tower of Necromancy, Soul Howl the Giant Wall, an individual who held a near-pathological love for undead girls. Deep inside the dungeon Archaic Temple Nebulapolis, nicknamed among players the Underground Graveyard, existed the Mirror of Governing Shadows. In the past, when they had explored it with every member of the Elders, Soul Howl called the place aparadise. To him, the dungeon that gathered a great number and variety of undead monsters could easily be considered a sacred place. Since he was stated as online in the friend list but wasnt in his own tower, investigating Soul Howls most likely location could be worth a try. And then, while youre at it, you can also try to use the mirror and contact Howard there, right? Theres nothing to lose if you just try anyway. Yeah. Who knows, maybe if I bring a lot of holy water with me it might even work. Great, one way or another, you could say that item is like a synonym for the old guy. Both friends laughed at that exchange. An ordinary person wouldnt be able to understand that, but apparently it was a common point of humor between players. But the Underground Graveyard, huh it is a bit far from here. If only I could use my Floating Continent it would be perfect. Ill leave you to deal with nah, Im providing some backup for you there. However, since this is roughly a top-secret mission, I cant use neither the Thousand-mile nor the Home[2]carriages. When Solomon was about to say something, he stopped for a moment and then indicated he would be giving some sort of support. See it by yourself, feel delight in all the surprises this world can provide you. That was the wish within Solomons heart, for Mira to fully enjoy the world he had spent thirty years of his life in. Thousand-mile? Home Carriage? What are those? Ah, the Thousand-mile Carriage is the vehicle that brought you here from the Tower. It was quite fast, right? Thats because of the special harnesses equipped on the horses. They make use of ability effects to thoroughly reduce the burden on the animals. It is the fastest carriage in our country. Proudly answered Solomon, a great smile appearing on his face as he boasted with his chest puffed up. Indeed, it was pretty fast. Not on the same level as the Floating Continent, though. Just forget about that overpowered item. After all the time Ive spent here, I can see just how much of a cheat that item was for us. Cheat. The Kings words were actually reasonable, as the traveling speed of the Floating Continent rivaled that of a common airplane. Even the Armored Jeep, one of Sorcery Engineerings finest works, was no match for it; additionally, the fact the vehicle had a high consumption rate of fuel, using sealing gems like water, was another setback. As a result, carriages were still the most common means of transport in that world. The Home Carriage might not be as fast, but we put up a lot of effort to make the interior as comfortable to live as we could. Simply put, I guess you could call it an RV version of a carriage. Oho, that looks good. Sipping her black tea, Mira imagined herself lying on a bed inside a slowly running carriage, gulping down an Apple au Lait as her eyes gazed at the moving scenery outside the window. Surely that Home Carriage would make anyone want to try riding it, huh. Well, one day Ill let you use it. Hey, come on, you cheapskate. Should it not be fine to send it to the Underground Graveyard? I really, really want to do it, but remember that this is a top secret mission. Both the Thousand-mile and the Home Carriages are custom-built vehicles, used mainly for stuff like transporting royalty or attending to national matters. Wherever any of them goes, they might end up attracting too much attention. And I would like to avoid that. Right? Anyway, I will prepare a normal-looking carriage for you. Okay, got it. As she replied with a nod, Mira tossed another cookie in her mouth. A second later, however, the Office door was opened with a loud bang, startling the girl and causing her to have violent fit of coughing after choking on the snack. Mission complete! Together with the shout, what appeared there was the figure of a certain person striking a pose, her blazing red hair fluttering around: Luminaria. While throwing an annoying glare at the woman, Mira gulped down the tea she held. Good job. Solomon raised a hand and said some words of appreciation. He then cast a glance at the map on his desk, reconfirming the four remaining points where a herd of monsters had appeared. Currently in the middle of battle, the units dispatched to those locations had yet to send a completion report. However, there was no problem with that fact; rather, Mira and Luminaria were way too fast to finish their tasks. Oh, youre back already? Maan, and here I thought I would be the first one to return. When Luminaria closed the door, she saw the teary-eyed Mira pouring black tea and raised her voice. It was close. If youd arrived around one hour earlier, you would have won. One hoour? Damn, that was just the difference between our means of transport Already used to doing it, the red-haired woman skillfully sat on a corner of the office desk; but contrary to her tone and words, she didnt exactly look disappointed. You rode on the Armored Jeep again, right? How was it? Luminaria asked, the expression on her face showing that she already knew the answer. Then, after drinking her teacup dry, Mira returned the question with a hateful gaze directed towards that all-knowing face. One way or another, the lack of a seatbelt is a clear problem. Or maybe you could have Garrett receive some driving training. Now looking at Solomon, Mira said that half-jokingly, albeit with an obvious focus on the seriousness of the matter. Hear what she said? Come, man, you really should equip a seatbelt on that jeep. Huumm, okay okay. Ill try to take that into consideration. With a reluctant expression, Solomon agreed and took out a camouflage helmet from his desk drawer. I believe that using a tank helmet has its own charm, though Muttered the boy while donning the tank headgear, looking somewhat proud even behind the sullen expression he displayed. C By the way, now that we are on this subject Starting with that, Solomon retrieved a sheet of paper from the top of his desk and stood up, drawing closer to Mira in an act that evoked the image of a child trying to pester his parent for something. So that we can have a better handling of the Armored Jeep, and also for the Accord Cannons experiments, I want you to make a good number of refining and sealing gems. I will bring all the raw materials for you!! After asking for that favor, he presented the paper to his friend. Written there was a detailed list of items, their required numbers and types. Other than it simply being a national interest, the Sorcery Engineering was directly related to his own hobbies, so it was probably for that reason that, right now, the boys face looked so alive. Okay. I see you really need a lot of those, huh? So, what is the needed rank of sealing gems? Said Mira the moment she received the paper and took a glance at it, fueling even more Solomons smile. As high as you can make them, but I guess we should focus on the number first. Aahh, well, it would be great if at least five of the gems you created were third-grade. The ranking or grade of a sealing gem indicated the degree of power charged within them, ranging from first-grade for the strongest and seventh-grade for the weakest gem. Depending on the raw materials used, there was a limit for the ranking of the produced item, so a first-grade sealing gem was, by principle, pretty rare. No problem. However, if that is the case, I believe it will be faster if I return to the Tower. For stuff like refining gems I should have too many to count stored within my warehouse. Moreover, I probably have there a reasonable number of refining crystals, refining magic crystals and sealing gems. As expected of you. If only youd arrived in this world faster, we would be already at the production of a Type-10, I guess It could be said that the quantity of sealing gems produced was closely related to the progress of the Sorcery Engineering. Therefore, Solomons words were not an exaggeration, and if they had access to all the refining materials hoarded by the very developer of refining techniques, they would have advanced one, two levels above their current progress right now. Why did you not ask, like, Mariana for the items if you needed them that much? Even in my absence, she is still able to enter my placeI left her with the job of sorting every item there, you know? Of course, to use the contents of the storehouse that was located within the private room in the Tower, one had to first enter the room; but the only individuals who could do that freely were the Elder of that Tower and their own aide. Well that was the problem. You see, I once asked if there were any refining and sealing gems in your storage. Could I have some if you find them there? was what I requested Said Solomon with a bitter smile as he suddenly turned around and sat on the sofa. Was that so? Then what? Did you happen to end up using everything? Aaahh you see she didnt listen to me, at all. Mariana said that even if I am the one asking, she wouldnt hand over your items willfully. There was something about it being her mission to protect that place, so that you wouldnt be inconvenienced after your returnand you would definitely return, she added while also crying. Obviously, there was no way I would force her to do it. Exactly. I was there too and, damn, she looked like she could even give up her life to protect that place. Talk about being stubborn. I see Hearing her friends, Mira thought once again about Mariana, who had been waiting for such a long time to see the return of Dunbalf. (Maybe, at the very least, I should tell Mariana the truth.) The figure of a young girl with a beautiful, sapphire-like hair, looking downward in a desolate manner appeared in Miras mind. Perhaps, Mira herself could be her savior and make the girl raise once again that face. The ideal man shed aimed to be would never leave behind a girl crying; as soon as she realized that, Mira made the decision to be frank with Mariana and tell the truth the next moment they meet. The girl etched into her mind that, rather than the momentary feeling of shame she would be afflicted with after disregarding everything and telling the truth, confessing was something much more important to her. There you have it. Ill leave the storehouse portion to your own judgement. The portion that I asked before will be good enough for now. Later, Ill get you to the Refining Room. Alright, then let me make the gems before going to bed. Heh, if any of our refining engineers were to hear what you just said I bet they would faint. With an extremely happy smile, Luminaria talked as she bent her upper body, supporting herself with both hands on her seat, the table. The refining engineers in the castle were busy day and night, so if they were to witness the speed at which Mira performed her refining, there was a risk that they would fall into a completely hopeless state. I will have the materials and the refining table sent to your bedroom. Picturing such scene in his head, Solomon told Mira he wanted her to refine the items in secret, with no one else around. While replying with I do not mind, the girl placed her teacup on the table. Just something, though. If you wish, would it not be better if you guys were able to do it yourself? Well, that mightve been my best option. Like our technology progress, that is still quite slow, our current production pace can barely keep up. Do you have any good techniques to help? The boy looked at Mira, his eyes full of expectation. Hmm, it will depend on your own hard work. Got a pen and paper? Yes, err, let me see here they are. After taking a fountain pen that was on the desk and retrieving a parchment from its shelf, Solomon handed them to Mira. Just wait a moment. With the objects in her hands, the girl unfolded the parchment on the table and began filling it with symbols and characters. Okay, I am done. Show this to your refining engineers later, okay? Humm. The hells this? Cant understand shit here. Snatching the parchment from the girls hands, Luminaria stared at the figures and symbols drawn on it, her face frowning. In but a few moments, she gave up and pushed the sheet to Solomon. This is yes I can understand they are related to refining. I should show this to them, right? Got it. Good, I am counting on you. The things Mira wrote on the parchment were the configuration for a brand new refining table, one she had invented and researched since long ago. The small details needed were omitted and scribbled on the margin of the paper as special instructions. In the distant future, that parchment would help revolutionize the Sorcery Engineering, but no one would have imagined that yet. Now then, going back to our previous discussion. I have already made the preparations for your carriage, so tomorrow morning you can already depart towards the underground graveyard and begin your search. While saying that, Solomon took off his tank helmet and very carefully returned it to the drawer. That is a bit too fast for me. I still want to take a break and rest a few days here As she stretched her whole body, Mira insisted she was completely spent. Really? Are you staying here for some more time then? Okay, but know that I prepared for you to leave earlier than usual because I was thinking of you. You did it for me? She casted a dubious glance in the kings direction. Mira had absolutely no idea of what she could possibly gain from departing sooner. Yeah. If youre going to stay, then my maids will be elated, but, of course, I believe you will be the complete opposite of that, right? What? What are you trying to imply there? I heard something from my Head Maid. They received a burst of inspiration after seeing the robe you wore, and now it looks like all the maids are working to make you new outfits. Solomon was all smiles after relaying that information and seemed to be greatly enjoying the situation; Luminaria also chimed in, saying Youre so lucky, as she laughed. I am leaving as soon as the day breaks tomorrow. Huhuhu, alright. I will inform the others of that. There was no way that clothes inspired by a faux magical girl-esque dress would turn out as something normal. As a result, Mira decided to quickly run away from the castle. What a bunch of weirdos Disgust welling up from the bottom of her heart, the girl complained and immediately stood up. Where is the toilet? Behind that door over there. When Mira asked, Solomon pointed towards a small door in a corner of the Office. I am borrowing it for a little bit. Together with those few words, the young girl opened the door in a hurry and disappeared inside that room. Left on the table were the empty teapot and several cookies. C When it comes to a kings toilet, I bet that just renting it might cost like a hundred thousand[3]. After a short pause, although Mira returned from the restroom feeling refreshed, she also said, at the same time, something that only a complete commoner would let escape from their mouth. A second later, the girl was immediately captured by the red-haired woman, who had been lying in wait for her prey with an invigorating smile on her face. Then, why dont we go to a one million bathhouse next? And just like that, being carried under her friends arms, Mira was taken to the castles large bath. C Having finished their bath, Mira, Solomon and Luminaria had dinner together. Afterwards, they moved to the Office and spent a pretty long period of time talking about trivial mattersit was just a silly conversation between close friends. In the middle of it, when Solomons military discussion began to show its signs, the young girl softly yawned. Oh wow, look at the time. Upon seeing the sleepy Mira, Luminaria checked the present time and confirmed that soon it would be midnight. It went by pretty fast. Also confirming the time, Mira gulped down the rest of her Apple au Lait and greatly stretched her body. Shall we call it a night? Lets continue it next time. Ah, yes. Of course. It would be a complete borefest if the military discussion were to actually continue, but after a good night of sleep he would probably forget about it, so Mira agreed without much thought. Your bedroom is the same as yesterdays. Do you remember where it is? Yes, it is okay. Secretly leaving the empty bottle of Apple au Lait on the sofa, Mira stood up and walked towards the door. Then, I am going ahead. Okay, good night. If you have to wake up early, try to take your nightly activities in moderation and get enough sleep. Do not lump me with the likes of you. Good night. Directing a glance towards the smiling Solomon and then changing it to Luminaria, whose habitual grin was plastered all over her face, Mira sent her good-nights and left the Office at the same time. Volume 1 - CH 21 As the sun rose on a brand new day, the area around the castle began to slowly flourish with people. While half-awake, Mira walked with unsteady steps towards the bathroom, her mind still slow to completely dispel her sleepiness. Then, when she returned after doing her task, she just dropped her body on the bed without a second thought, resulting in a certain something to spring up and land on the young girls hand. What is this? The moment she tried to grab that something and fling it away, Mira recognized, through her faintly opened eyes, rabbit ears bobbing up and downand immediately jumped to her feet. At the same time, a piece of paper that had fallen nearby caught her attention. We have prepared a set of pajamas for you. Please, it would be our greatest bliss if you were to wear themThe Castle Maids. An extraordinary feeling of dread assaulted the girl. Currently, she was only in her underwear and the culprit was right before her eyes. Together with that written note, pajamas that looked more like a bunny costume had been laid out for her; as a matter of course, she had pretended not to see them. Solomons words from yesterday crossed her mind. She had been told by her friend that all the maids were engrossed in creating a new outfit for her. And that was merely their first step, as the costume revealed a glimpse of how serious and fast those maids could be when doing useless work. Opening the menu in a great hurry, Mira tried to confirm the current time: 8:45 in the morning, the clock indicated. It could be said that she had a completely late start in the race to escape from being treated like a dress-up doll. With only unpleasant thoughts passing through her mind, Mira tried to find what she could do next to escape from that predicament, alarms going off with every second that passed. However, the girls thought process was forcibly terminated by a light knock on the bedrooms door. Mira-sama, good morning. I have brought your clothing. A woman called out to the girl, from the other side of the door, in a slightly excited voice. Mira then realized that there was no escaping her fate now. (There it is, she came here to bring the outfit!) In a rush, Mira looked around the bedroom, but the only clothes she found there were the bunny pajamas and a cute one piece dress she had used right after leaving the bath. Although the young girl desperately sought for a way out of that situation, the time-out signal finally reached her ears. Hmm, theres no answer maybe she is still asleep. Oh no, at this rate, the breakfast is going to get cold. I must go in and directly wake Mira-sama up. Yes, I must offer my help. As if reading from a script, the woman spoke in a monotone way and, afterward, opened the door. Immediately, the first thing the maid saw in that bedroom was Miras small buttocks. Having fallen into a slight state of panic, the girl had the idea to dive head first onto the bed. And that was the extent of her hastily made idea. She was the literal example of the ostrich policy[1], her head hidden and bottom exposed. Mi~ra~sa~ma. Good morning. Using quick and light steps, the maid ran up to Mira and, after gently lifting the bedding made of fine feathers, confronted the bitterly smiling girl with a smile of her own while also renewing her greetings. Ye yeah. Morning. I have been appointed as your personal maid assistant, Mira-sama. My name is Lily. I am looking forward to working with you. I I see While feeling ashamed from her excessively foolish behavior, Mira was also at her wits end in anguish, having seen the thing that was on the maid Lilys hands: forget about the faux dress she had been wearing, that new one had a full-blown magical girl-esque style. Especially because of the white and black colors used as its basis, at a glance that outfit, made without any excess of fabric, gave off a feeling similar to a gothic lolita costume. The white, sleeveless dress and arather shortblack flared skirt combined to form a single piece of clothing; then, to complete the outfit, a coat, resembling a robe with just its front split open, was worn over the dress. In the end, being denied most of her demands, she was dressed up in that outfit and thus the Extraordinarily Beautiful Magical Girl Mira was born, the frills and ribbons on her new clothing way more emphasized than the previous one. At least, amidst that despairing situation, Mira had one of her wishes granted: instead of lace underwear, she begged for something plain-looking, similar to the one she was wearing at the time of the request. C After she finished changing clothes, Mira was dragged against her will to the Maids Quarters, the only place within the castle where men werent allowed to enter. There, in one of the rooms, she was currently surrounded by an incredible number of maids. Okay, Mira-sama. Please raise your hands in a hooray[2]. When asked by Lily, who carried a measuring tape, the girl obliged and held both hands up in the air. Her eyes were already devoid of life as she had been reduced to a mere puppet that obediently did as told. They were now in the middle of measuring the girls chest area. Although the maid could be somewhat flexible with the choice of panties, the same couldnt be said of the bra; if Mira were to choose and wear one that did not fit her properly, problems would occur in the distant future. Since Lily made sure to stress that point, Mira resigned herself to her fate and muttered, Just do as you please then, and that is how they reached the present situation. In fact, the young girl had not done any serious physical exertion to warrant a problem for her, but she still felt, over and over, a rubbing sensation caused by the robe coming into contact with her bare skin. In what sounded like a semi attempt at intimidation, all the other maids said that staying in a bra-less state like that would later make Mira feel great pain even at the slight touch. Nonetheless, at that point she had already given up and simply stopped caring about what the women did. You have such a great figure. Im getting jealous I see Lily turned towards Miras back after successfully taking the girls rough measurements and gently wrapped, with both hands, the two small mounds on that chest to accurately determine their size. (When will this torture end?) Having grasped in every detail the chest measurementsagainst the absentminded girls will, it must be saidLily directed various instructions to the other maids and they promptly brought an ideally sized bra. How is it, Mira-sama? Does it hurt? Is it too tight for you to breathe? Hmm, it is okay. But one way or another, I cannot feel at ease with it It should be fine then. You see, the first time is like that for everyone. As soon as the bra was gracefully adjusted and put on her chest, she felt the underwear applying some slight pressure against it; at the same time, Mira breathed a magnificent sigh after looking at her own appearance. Every single maid there wanted to, with all their hearts, entertain that important guest, whose concern about clothing was inexistent. Although they seemed to be just having a lot of fun, those were professional maids, after all, and both their work and coordination were nothing less than perfect. In the blink of an eye, they finished measuring not only Miras chest, but her entire body. Afterwards, the maids talked enthusiastically with each other, as they would now be able to create the perfect costuthe perfect clothes for Mira, ones that would fit even better than her current clothing, since it had been prepared with unreliable measurements, only done by eye. The girl did not realize that yet, but right during her next visit to the castle, she would be facing the maids real deal. Moving away from the other womens gazes, Mira was guided by Lily to the dining hall and had breakfast there; the light but balanced meal, with bread and soup, salad, fruit juice and others, actually managed to bring her back to her senses. In a corner of the dining room sat a magical girl, a cheerful expression on her face as she slowly took small sips of her fruit juice. Keeping an eye on her with an affable look was the old lady that commanded the mess hall and, nearby, Lilywho was all smiles. The girls attire had suited her to an unimaginable degree and, naturally, attracted the attention of everyone in the surroundings. It was only when the magical girl took the last sip of her juice that she finally raised her face and noticed all the gazes focused on herself. (What the is that everyone looking at me?) Even though she revealed how weary she was of the surroundings, Miras state as she restlessly looked around only served to instigate the womens desire to protect that panicky little girl. In fact, Lily herself was squirming in place while seeing Mira act like a helpless, small animal. The problem was that, to the girl who still wasnt used to being the center of attention, it seemed like she was just being too conspicuousand in a bad way. Feeling completely out of place, Mira vigorously stood up and rushed out of the dining room without so much as a glance back. C When Mira left the mess hall, she was appeased by her maid assistant and conducted to the Office. I have brought Mira-sama to you, Solomon-sama. Lily knocked on the door and spoke to the person on the other side. Good, come in. Pardon my intrusion. Upon hearing Solomons reply, the maid calmly opened the door and bowed. Then, after Mira entered the room, she closed that same door without making a single sound and waited outside. Hey there, morning. Yeah, morning. The girl returned the greeting and dropped down on the sofa, looking utterly tired. When Solomon glanced at her outfit, he quickly covered his mouth with a hand as his shoulders began to tremble, earning him a strong glare from Mira. Did you have a good nights sleep? Yes. I slept so well I could not escape in time from the maids. Mira replied, seemingly sulking, and her friends face simply broke out in an incredible smile. Hey, you look good in it. As expected of the maids from my castle. I would be completely fine with a normal robe. Holding the hem of her skirt, the young girl revealed a wry smile as she shook and made the skirt flutter around. In truth, it was something so well crafted one would seriously doubt it had been finished in just a day or two. By the way, looks like you have made the things Ive requested during yesterdays night, huh? Indeed. Aahh, now that you mention it, I think I forgot them in the bedroom. The Kings words brought a memory to Miras mind. Yesterday night, when she returned to the bedroom, the refining materials and table had already been arranged there for her, so she quickly used them to finish the items her friend had requested. One of my maids brought them to me after you left your room. With this well be able to do some really productive experiments for a while. Thanks. That was nothing, do not worry about it. Mira answered as if what she had done was completely natural and, while worrying about an absolutely unfamiliar sensation that arose from her chest, put her weight on the back of the sofa. Oh right. Before I forget, let me give this to you. At the same time he informed her, Solomon threw a pouch to the girl, a faint and metallic jingling sound coming from it. Hmm, what is this? She asked, shaking the bag to make even more sounds. Its money, you know? The funds for the job youre going to do from now on. Come on, I thought it was something else. Still, I already have so much money it would be pointless to take this. Ah, really? Did you have some deposited in the warehouse of your tower? What do you mean? I have it right here with Saying that, the girl tried to retrieve her money, but stopped on her tracks a moment later. She had attempted to pull around 100 Rifu applying the same kind of feeling that was used when playing the game; however, nothing came out. Incidentally, Rifu was the currency unit of that world. Ah, did you notice it? Did you just realize your situation now? Solomons face revealed a mischievous smile. Although Mira hurried to open the Status field in her menu to check her current money, the numbers that had always been there, displaying her finances, were now completely gone. Her entire head shook violently. Where did my money go!? Its the same thing that happened with the Floating Continent. Maybe it was swallowed by waves from the electronic world and disappeared. The majority opinion is that since the money wasnt considered an item, it couldnt get inside the Item Box. It was something else, in other words. During the time when we were still playing a game, our money was handled by the game system, but now that we are in the real world, that system doesnt work. Well, thats the gist of it, we believe. How could this my two hundred million While paying no heed to about half of her friends explanation, Mira collapsed on the sofa. Thats quite the sum you had there anyway, I had the same reaction when this happened to me As the subject of the Floating Continent reopened the wounds in their hearts, both boy and girl remained silent for a while, looking up at the sky. And thats why you cant use money if you dont carry the real thing with you. The pouch in your hands can be considered a reward of sorts for doing all that work yesterday. For the time being, I put 100,000 Rifu there, so you must manage it wellisnt that your forte, anyway? Inside the pouch Mira had received, there were several pieces of money: one gold coin, three mithril ones, another three coins made of silver, four cobalt coins and ten pieces crafted with copper. Respectively, each kind of coin corresponded to fifty thousand, ten thousand, five thousand, one thousand and, finally, a hundred Rifu. One hundred one hundred thousand? Hey come on now, forget about that already. I know you will be able to earn even more in no time. Losing my moneys already water under the bridge for me. Yeah, water under the bridge According to the rules of the game system, it was impossible to have your money stolen and even one of the penalties for dying only involved the loss of items contained within the players Item Box, leaving their money intact; consequently, there had been no need to deposit ones own money in a warehouse. But now that mindset had backfired on them. Okay, I just remembered something after telling you about the money. Have you already used your Item Box since arriving in this world? Being brought back to his senses, Solomon recalled some of the changes that had occurred in the game world when it became real, things he was already starting to forget after thirty long years. Several times. Is there anything wrong with it? With this kind of reaction, looks like you arent aware of it yet As he concluded, the boy took a fountain pen from the top of his desk and, again, threw it to his friend. Drawing an arc in the air, the object was stopped by Miras hand and then brought at her eyesight level. Judging from its appearance, it was just a common fountain pen, with nothing special to it. Yet, considering it was something being used by a king, it wouldnt be wrong to think of that pen as a luxury item, evidenced by how finely it had been crafted. Soo? Try putting it inside your Item Box. Wondering why she had to do it, Mira still did as told. She opened her Item Box and tried to store the pen within it; that, however, did not succeed, and contrary to her expectations, the item fell to the ground. Hey, what the hell was that? While fixing her eyes on the Item Box, the girl observed what was happening directly below, with the pen rolling on the floor. She had enough space in her box and there wasnt any problem in particular with it. Having no idea about what had just happened, she then directed her gaze to Solomon. Remember how a while ago I said that the game system had been managing our money? In truth, looks like even the items themselves were managed by that system. The boy stood up and picked the fountain pen, opening his own Item Box a moment later. When this world was still game, fountain and quill pens were categorized as miscellaneous items, swords and armors were considered armament items, jewels and metals were raw material items and so on, right? Explaining, he took out and displayed a certain sword to his friend, one that was even known to her. A short while after the game became reality, some players gathered together and created a research center in order to clarify this worlds natural laws. There, they conducted a series of investigative experiments, from which they ascertained that during the game period, items were things that had been automatically assigned and classified as such by the game system. As a result, like its own name says, the Item Box can only contain things that are categorized as items. As he continued talking, Solomon picked a book from his shelf and held it so Mira could see it. Since the game system isnt working now, the fountain pen isnt a miscellaneous item and this book isnt a book item. In other words, they cant be placed inside the Item Box. Oh, by the way, the items that are inside your box have already been categorized, so they should be fine. Solomon then finished by returning to his Item Box the sword he had taken out beforehand. This is pretty inconvenient. In the end, does that mean I will have to travel with my hands full of luggage? The girl heavily lamented upon hearing those news. Every single one of the individuals she was supposed to find were problematic people, so the amount of goods necessary for that harsh journey would obviously be huge. But you know, half a year after the Item Box became unusable, a revolutionary technique was developed. Oho tell me more about it. Seemingly putting on airs as he said that, Solomon was urged by Miras gaze to continue. Basically, you should manually perform what was once done automatically by the system. With that in mind, the end result of the research was the development of AbstractionismItemization. After using this ability on an item, it can be assigned in all kinds of item categories and, thus, become able to be stored in the Item Box. So to sum it up: with that ability, it will be possible to continue using the box as if nothing has changed, am I right? Exactly. Since its pretty easy to do it, Ill teach you the skill. Okay, thank you. After taking a document from his bookshelf, the King brought it to the table in front of Mira and unfolded it. Written therein a very detailed waywas the process required to obtain that new ability, so the young girl promptly began studying it. C Thirty minutes later, having learned the Itemization skill without any problems, Mira applied it to the fountain pen and nodded, satisfied, after confirming that it actually went inside her Item Box. Then, after successfully trying the basics of itemization, Mira returned to the sofa to take a breather. Now, going back to the Underground Graveyard matter. Differently than before, all dungeons are now managed by the General Adventurers Union. Solomon finally broke his silence and began talking about his friends requested mission. General Adventurers Union? What is that? While taking out from her Item Box the various things she had stored when playing with the new skill, Mira listened to what the boy said and asked for an explanation. Its an organization that was created after the game world became real. Its main purpose is to prevent the general populace and the powerless from recklessly entering a dungeon and losing their lives. Oho so it was that but I am not really buying that main purpose. What if they just wanted to keep a monopoly on the dungeons treasures or something? You see, there was a certain incident that happened long ago and one child died. Humm, I see Noticing how Solomon slightly dropped the tone of his voice, for some reason the girl felt inclined to agree to his point. Dungeon was a term applied to all kinds of fields that, rather than occupying an area outdoors, they existed within an enclosed space. Riches and hidden treasures laid in wait inside the dungeons, but because those places were rife with far stronger wildlife and monsters than the ones in outside fields, they were considered to be very dangerous locations. Nonetheless, the dungeons still had a certain and great fascinating nature, so it wasnt uncommon for people with the most diverse intentions to enter such hazardous areasonly to never see the light of day again, falling into the darkness of death. Obviously, that had not been considered a problem by the players during the game era, but now that everything became real, they couldnt ignore an incident that happened there. A child had set foot inside a dungeon. Their intention was to pick a flower, that served as an ingredient for a special medicine, and, thus, help their sick mother. As the night fell, however, the kid still hadnt come back, so all the adults mobilized a large search party. In the end, just a little further inside the dungeon, the childs corpse was found: its mangled, half-eaten and scattered state making it unrecognizable from a humans body. Then, when the mother heard that one of their hands had been clutching a lone flower, she couldnt endure it and passed away moments later, as if chasing after her child. The game world became real. For the NPCs that had already been living there since the game period, it meant that now they were genuine living beings and, as such, were able to feel emotions like any other person; as a result, the death of a kid was accompanied by many kinds of sentiments that emerged within them. When a certain player heard about the incident, they built an organization to manage the dungeons, so that such a tragedy would never happen again. And that was the General Adventurers Union. There were those who had the intention of entering a dungeon. Others wanted the raw materials that existed there and wondered how they could obtain those items. After listening to all sorts of requests coming from individuals like the ones exemplified, the Organization did not stop at just managing the dungeons, but also started acting as an intermediary between the people making those requests and the strong enough to fulfill them. Little by little, the Organization grew larger, and many countries allowed the establishment of branches in their own territories, albeit with the following conditions: the Union wasnt authorized to take part in any disputes between nations and it was also required to cooperate with operations, performed by a country, to exterminate monsters. Well, thats why youre going, of course, to the Experts Union. Here is your letter of recommendation. Walking up towards Mira with an envelope in hand, a smiling Solomon presented it to her. Oh, so I just need this to enter? While receiving the letter, the girl briefly gazed at its front and back, then promptly used Itemization to throw the envelope inside her Item Box. There, the letter of recommendation had been classified as a document item. No no, thats simply a recommendation letter. Only the adventurers affiliated with the Union can enter a dungeon. In addition, every dungeon has its own difficulty ranking, with the Underground Graveyard requiring a C and above rank, I believe. Now, a rank is something you earn at the Union and, as you fulfill the many requests issued there, youll be recognized by your ability, receiving a suitable increase in your personal rank. It will be easier to understand if you think of that as an Adventurers Guild of sorts. Obviously, that kind of staple system didnt exist in the game world, but thinking about it now, I wonder why it hadnt been implemented strange, isnt it? Indeed. So anyway, after raising my rank, I should be able to take higher difficulty quests, right? I enjoyed games with this gimmick too. Even if it wasnt something big, the moment Mira heard about that game-like element in the new world, her excitement began, slowly but surely, to rise up. That letter of recommendation is something that will guarantee your identity and true strength. Originally, a newly registered individual will start with the G rank, but what I just gave you will instantly get you to the C rank. Speaking of which, the rules of the Union cant really be bent that easily, so even as the king of a country this is the most I can do for you. I understand. But it should be sufficient enough. Having finished putting her Item Box in order, the girl expressed her comprehension while also quietly leaving various objects at the edge of the tablethings she had used during her experiments with Itemization. Incidentally, you need to know that there are two entry points in the Organization: the Warriors Union and the Experts Union. As you can probably guess from their names, the details for the jobs offered in each of them are different. Hmm. So, does that Union or whatever have a branch in this city? I must make my registration there without delay then. Yeah, there is. Or rather, they exist in almost every city. Well, since youre already going by carriage to the Underground Graveyard, theres also one branch in the town near that dungeon. But are you really fine with doing it here? It takes a whole day for them to issue an Adventurer License, you see. Said Solomon, the smile on his face laden with some hidden meaning. Upon seeing that expression, Mira felt a slight sense of unease. Oh, is that so? Then I will spend one more night That was the exact moment when her memories from the disaster in the morning resurfaced. If the girl were to grant the maids an entire day with her in the castle, she couldnt even begin to imagine what kind of masterpiece work they would come up with. Now understanding what her friend meant, Mira started pondering her options. She could spend the night in one of the citys inns. However, the chances of her being captured by the maids, when returning to the castle in order to ride the carriage, were high. Even having the vehicle wait for her outside of the town was also out of the question, considering a maid could be waiting for her there. Then, taking into account all of her worries, Mira determined that it would be, without a doubt, completely fatal to prolong her stay by one day; as a result, she strengthened her resolve to immediately depart towards the Underground Graveyard. Please, prepare the carriage right now. Huhuhu. Everythings already ready, you can leave whenever you feel like it. As Mira stood up with intense vigor, she left the Office alongside Solomon. Then, accompanied by Lily, all three arrived at the castles stables. What Mira found there was a two-horse carriage waiting for her, its proportions about one size bigger than the vehicle that, just the other day, had brought her from the tower. Standing by the carriages side were two people: a maid, holding a large basket and a bag in her hands, and the one working as the coachman, Garrett. How should I put it we meet really often, Garrett Remembering the military mans figure while he grasped the steering wheel of the Armored Jeep, the girls expression stiffened. Good morning, Mira-sama. It might not be on the same level as the Armored Jeep, but this vehicle here is also another wonderful piece of work! I am deeply touched by having the opportunity of being its driver. Garrett bowed and, with his arms spread, introduced that seemingly commonplace carriage, an inebriated-like smile on his face. I just do not care anymore about the kind of carriage we are going to use. But please, at least drive responsibly. She had requested that from the bottom of her heart, to which Garrett replied with, But of course, his previous smile changing to a greatly refreshing one. C Well then, take care. Yeah. After briefly exchanging farewells with Solomon and then being tightly hugged by Lily, Mira finally boarded the carriage. When she was already inside, the other maid brought the bag and the basket for the girl. Please be careful and have a safe trip, Mira-sama. Inside the basket, there is a meal we have arranged so you can eat along the way. In addition, there is a change of clothes prepared for you within this bag. O-Okay I see. Thank you With a bow, the maid stepped off from the vehicle. Staring at the bag whose contents she couldnt begin to imagineor rather, she didnt even want to imagine themMira sighed; it was still in the morning and she had already lost count on how many times that kind of reflex had left her lips. Then, moments later, when the vehicle slowly broke into a run, Mira felt greatly relieved and took a sip from an Apple au Lait she had previously retrieved from her box. Outside of the window, the passing scenery gently gained speed. It was easy to notice that, when compared with the old days, the townscape that could be seen from there had undergone through a complete change. While vacantly gazing at such an unfamiliar sight, Mira concentrated on the sweetness that was spreading within her mouth. C Seeing his friend off, Solomon began moving in a hurry. From his own experiences, the unsettling behavior of the Lesser Demons, who hid themselves in the many groups of monsters that invaded the country, was something that, if left unattended, would bring too many worries for him. On top of that, there was their main destinations: the flower gardens decorated with a white pillar each. To the players, those places were known for possessing harvesting spots for a peculiar kind of medicinal herb, called Angels Dropand it was just that, no more, no less. However, because of what had just happened, there was now the possibility of something else existing and being concealed in those locations. Organize an investigative team and collect data related to the Lesser Demon. As Solomon quickly gave out those orders, he faced the direction in which Miras carriage had gone and, looking up at the sky, smiled. Volume 2 - CH 1 Everything was a success! I can now resume the translations without worrying about work deadlines at home. Chapters should steadily come out every week (hopefully), depending on their size. Anyway. enjoy the start of a new volume! Completely devoid of clouds, the clear sky was dyed in a single, oppressive color of blue; the only things that freely ventured through that azure heaven were its unseen gusts of wind and the flying birds. Then, on the ground, the greenery that covered the earth seemed to be spreading its buds and flourishing all at oncea vision intensified by the sunlight as it shone upon the land. Overlooked by both the sun and that sky, the very elements that made possible the existence of such a fine and beautiful day, was an extensive forest. Within there, right from the main road that cut across the woods, if one were to look up at the heavens they would see another spectacle: with every sway of the treetops, the sunlight that escaped through them appeared as if there were countless shootings stars dancing around, forming a sparkling, starry sky. The wind that escaped from each of the gaps in the trees harbored a breath of the fresh verdure, quickly filling the air of the entire area with hints of spring. Truly, anyone would easily point that it was the perfect weather for an afternoon outing in the wild. And coincidentally, parked right in the middle of the main road was a single carriage. However, the two individuals that were therea young man clad in military garb and a younger girl dressed in a lovely gothic outfithad been standing stock still by the vehicles side, looking completely dumbfounded. The girls long, silver hair gently fluttered around as a swaying breeze caressed her cheeks. Yet, not only she wore a stiff expression on her face, but also the girlsor rather, Mirascountenance looked somewhat pale while she stared at a certain location. The young man by her side, Garrett, also seemed to be at a complete loss for words as he gazed at the thing lying down on the ground. Built over leveled and compacted soil, the main road in that forest had a width that allowed carriages to pass by each other without any problem. Moreover, since the sunlight was still able to reach it, as shown by the flickering spectacle, the visibility there wasnt that bad, even when considering that it was a place surrounded by trees. In spite of that, an accident actually happened, thought Mira as she turned her head and glanced at the carriage. With the dark red stains that were now splattered on the vehicles frame, anyone could guess that it had violently collided into something. Then, while feeling an unspeakable sense of irritation, Mira returned her sight to what was in front of her. A person dressed in old rags. Lying face down on the ground, their body stood completely still, as if frozen in time. Head, torso and legs, it still had them. But all of its joints were bent in absolutely unnatural ways. To make matters even worse, that persons right arm had been completely torn off and thrown far away, exactly in the direction the carriage was facing. Truly, no matter how one looked at it, that was scene where someone had died after being run over by a vehicle. Well, I guess you finally went and did it, huh While regretting that her pleas to send Garrett to a driving school had been too soft, the girl managed to squeeze out that statement, sounding very serious. P-Please wait a moment Mira-sama. That person suddenly jumped out from the side of the road! I had no time to stop! Granted, the main road was dimly illuminated at that time. It did not mean, however, that it was so dark one would fail to notice the figure of a person being there. Instead, the problem came from the deep, dense forest that spread right by the sides of that road: a place that could easily conceal a person, a demon or a monster. Although he had seen everything from the coachmans seat, the military man seemed unable to completely understand what had just happened there. As a result, without hiding his unrest, he did his best to voice out an excuse. Instead of delivering a cold, icy gaze towards that Garrett, Mira simply stared at him with hints of pity in her eyes. Then, as if indicating that she had understood him, the young girl slightly nodded and calmly began to walk, following the path directly in front of her. Noticing that she had believed in his story, Garrett returned the nod, feeling relieved; he had secured a very powerful supporter for his defense. Immediately, the intense emotions that had been pressing on the military mans heart began to dissipate. Nonetheless, an accident was still an accident. There was the need to report it to the kingdom and also handle that corpse. With such a thought in her mind, Mira sighed, her gaze moving from the body in front of her to the torn off arm in the distanceor, more precisely, to something that was a few steps away from the limb. Mira-sama. How far are you going to keep walking!? From what Garrett saw, Mira had calmly walked past the arm lying on the ground and steadily advanced through the road. Since he had thought that the girls objective was to just pick up that limb, Garrett spontaneously raised his voice in a concern. I am leaving this place to you. Did I not tell you that already? No no, wait a moment, thats the first time Ive heard anything like that. But just a while ago I nodded that I was going to count on you, no? What!? So that was what you meant!? Apparently, they didnt grow close enough to the point of understanding one anothers thoughts through simple eye contact. Is there anything wrong here? While the two were exchanging a back-and-forth, an unfamiliar voice interrupted them. Turning around, they noticed a huge man standing there, his body clad in metallic, light armor. And parked in a place further behind himabout ten-odd meters awaywas a peddler-like carriage. One way or another, that man seemed to be an escort for those traveling sellers. When he quickly noticed that, Garrett looked up at the sky, a bitter smile appearing on his face; it was obvious that, because of the information network formed by the peddlers, news about the accident would end up spreading in the blink of an eye. As for Mira, she already looked stupefied. With a drawn smile on her lips, the young girl gazed at the bodyguard that had appeared. Frowning at such a weird behavior coming from both Mira and Garrett, the moment the escort noticed a body lying on the ground, right by the military mans feet, he finally grasped everything. Returning his gaze to look straight at Garrett, he bluntly declared: I see, what a disaster, huh. After expressing his sympathies, the bodyguard let out a mean-spirited laugh. The person they thought they had run over and killed was actually a zombie. Furthermore, it wasnt any ordinary zombie. Below the robes that seemed to be made of the bark of a rotten tree, its body revealed bones so withered they had the reddish appearance of something covered in rust. And instead of flesh, what covered those very bones was a combination of soil and wilted plants. Considering that things true identity, there was no need to be fretful anymore. In the first place, since it didnt shed a single drop of blood, with a closer look it was possible to confirm that, indeed, it had not been a living person. Even though it was too late for that now, Mira regained her composure and revealed a strained smile, as if trying to gloss over the issue. Well, not only its appearance looks weird, but its pretty strange for a zombie to appear at this time of the day. Garrett, now released from the guilt that had been assaulting his chest, returned to his everyday mood and directed a dubious glance at the zombie on the ground. Admittedly, the highway they were in was surrounded by a dimly illuminated forest, but it was still possible to see the sunlight making its way through the foliage covering the sky. Indeed, you are right. Placing a finger on her chin, Mira nodded as she looked towards the tiny spots in the road that managed to get illuminated by the sun. Looks like you lot havent been around here for too long, right? Then I can understand it. From Mira and Garrett, then to their carriage, the bulky man shifted his gaze back and forth. If Im not mistaken, its been around one month since those kinds of weird zombies started appearing. Well, its just a mere zombie, but you better keep your guard up since we dont know its origins. Stating that, the escort continued He briefly told the other two about certain abnormal events that, recently, had been occurring in the neighborhood. According to him, zombies would wander around at night. However, that kind of talk wouldnt really strike someone as being weird. Nevertheless, they still caused harm, with things like crop fields receiving the brunt of it and getting trampled down by the zombies. Occasionally, there were cases like the one that had just occurred, with zombies that were, somehow, active during the day; they would hide within places such as that forest, where the sunlight was weak, and end up causing accidents. When he reached that point, the bodyguard stopped and sighed. Afterwards, with a complaining look on his face, he spoke. Anyway, thats why just the other day a suppression party has been created. I even took part in it myself, since they were offering a pretty hefty reward but those zombies didnt resist at all! You can imagine how much it gave me the creeps. As he mentioned that, the man shifted his attention to the zombie lying on the roadside. So they dont assault anyoneeven when being attacked themselves? Just what is their real intention? This is clearly novel to me. Both Mira and Garrett muttered their thoughts after looking at the corpse on the ground. That zombie was indeed something new to Mira, and she had a very solid reason to make that statement. First of all, not just zombies, but all monsters of the Undead class were only supposed to appear in two different occasions: inside the dungeons, where there was no sunlight, and in the open world during the night. That was something known as one of the fundamental laws of the world, explained during a tutorial quest in the game era. Exactly. The world she was currently in had been a game world in the past. However, somehow, that world became real. As a member of the Nine Sages, a group comprised of the strongest Experts in the game, Dunbalf had been requested to search for his old comrades in that new world; but due to a twist of fate, he had become a young girl: Mira. And right now, she was in the middle of her journey. As a result, Miras knowledge about the basics of the world was very profound. It was that very knowledge, then, that told her the zombie before her very eyes was something novel. Just the fact that it had been lurking between the shadows in the forest, trying to avoid the light, was weird enough. It wasnt like the zombies had been simply hiding themselves during the day, in the pastunless it was night time, they would never appear anywhere, at all. To make matters worse, even the bodyguard didnt know much about such a mysterious kind of zombie. Afterwards, Mira and Garrett were helped by that man and took care of the corpse. With that out of the way, they drove the memories of that eerie encounter to the corner of their minds and finally resumed their journey. Three days had passed since they had left Lunatic Lake, the capital of the Kingdom of Arkite. While banqueting on food made with wild plantsa cuisine from a village they had stopped bythe girl had already started getting used to traveling in a carriage. And now, the vehicle that was transporting Mira crossed the gates to a certain city, entering its main street. Located next to the C-Rank Dungeon Archaic Temple Nebulapolis, it was the Requiem City of Coronach[1]. That town was centered around a specific stone monument, used by the people to pray for the peace of the war deceased: those who died long ago, while participating in the Great War. It was, indeed, a city with history. Additionally, since there were many dungeons nearby, it also served as a gathering point for a great number of adventurers. Probably because of the approaching night, signaled by the crimson color spreading through the skies, the city seemed pretty quietand in some respects, even melancholic. Casually following with her gaze some of the sparse citizens in the streets, Mira abruptly slid down and fell from her seat as the vehicle was brought to a sudden stop. Good grief, what is it now? Complained the girl with a pout, her face appearing near the coachmans seat. As soon as she did that, what entered her field of view were Garretts head, the carriages horses and, finally, the figure of an old person lying on the ground, right in front of them. (Hey, without a doubt this is an accident scene!) Opening her eyes wide while observing that situation, her cheeks twitched when she wondered if Garrett had really done it that time. Im terribly sorry. Are you alright? However, ignoring the worrying girl, Garrett came down from his seat and, while extending a hand towards the older individual, expressed his apologies and concern. Immediately, the body lying on the ground steadily began to move. Dear me! I should be the one apologizing! It was my fault for suddenly jumping in front of you Said the old person after raising their face. Following that, they grabbed the hand that had been stretched before them and used it to stand up. Considering his splendidly forged physique, if one were to disregard his almost non-existent hair, he didnt look like an old man at all. You seemed to be in a great hurry. Did anything happen? Its my grandchild, the poor kid still hasnt returned home, so Ive been looking everywhere. You see, these days the nighttimes getting pretty dangerous. Apparently, the old man had been looking out for his grandchild and, just as he had absentmindedly entered the main street, he found himself in front of the carriage. Caught by surprise, he fell down on his own. After scanning that old man with her eyes and confirming he was in perfectly good health, without any injuries, Mira felt awfully relieved. Still, with how well built that man was, if he were to actually get hit by the carriage there wouldnt really be any need for worry. The nighttime, huh? By any chance, are you talking about the zombie problem that has been occurring lately? Yes, exactly. Thats why Ive told my grandkid to come back before dusk but it seems the little rascal cant settle down at all. His voice blurred with sadness, the old man confirmed Garretts suspicions. Although Ive heard they werent attacking humans yeah, it still makes you worry. The rumored zombies did not attack people. Yet, it didnt mean that a parent wouldnt feel anxious about the safety of their kid. Afterwards, when the two men exchanged a few more words, the older one apologized for the trouble he had caused and bowed. He then resumed his search for his grandchild, moving towards the places a kid would probably like to go. I felt a certain air of melancholy in this city, but to think it was because there were no children around here Pointed the girl as she briefly surveyed the town, a deep, dead silence ruling that placemore than she would have liked. Im sure theyve also been told to return home before dusk, just like the case with the grandfather from earlier. Returning to the coachmans seat, Garrett repeated Miras gesture and looked around before giving his opinion. During that time, when the young girls figure entered his line of sight, certain doubts surfaced within his heart. She was far too cute and lovely: ten out of ten people would easily consider Mira a very beautiful girl. And yet, he wondered why the thought of that little girl walking all alone during the night didnt bring even the slightest hint of anxiety to him. Amidst the sound of hooves rhythmically hitting the ground, Miras vehicle entered the premises of a large, three-story building. Garrett then directed the carriage a bit further ahead, to the wooden stables of the place, and stopped it in one of the stalls. At the same time, an employee of the innwho worked as the manager of the stableswalked towards the military man. Good evening. Are you going to stay at our inn? Yes, indeed. Understood, sir. I shall ask you later about the handling of the carriage and the horses, so please take that into consideration. Alright. When he handed a receipt to Garrett, the manager took a step back and bowed. Now then, Mira-sama, well have to check-in first. Sure. Sticking out his head from the coachmans place, Garrett called out to Mira, inside the carriage. Then, with flowing movements, he jumped out of the vehicle. His next actions were also swift, and when Mira was still stretching her body on her seat, the military man had already opened the vehicles door. Having finally disembarked, the girl was guided by her driver towards the reception of the inn. Next to the entrance of the place was a large sign made of marble, with the name of the establishment carved on it: The Summer Lantern[2]. As Garrett opened the door and entered, the interior of something akin to a first-class hotel greeted their view. There was a front desk, and it was possible to see many uniformed employees coming and going, their calm demeanor contrasting with how quickly they moved. By the windows, an adventurer clad in an elegant armor and robe was sitting together with their colleagues, on what appeared to be resting chairs; that sight only emphasized the feeling of being in a different world. The mix of the modernistic, western-styled interior of the hotel and the medieval fantasy setting[3] brought about an indescribable atmosphere to the place. The view outside of the windows was also something worthy of mention. Within the garden that spread there, neatly pruned trees and shrubs danced to the tune of the wind, their movements also followed by an entire flower bed. In addition, it was even possible to see children running around the place. Hey hey, this is simply amazing. Obviously, it couldnt be compared with the royal castle, but the inn was thoroughly clean, its employees conduct impeccable and the interior design had been casually personalized. Even Mira, who had spent a few nights at the castle, wouldnt dare to say that such an establishment was inferior to the Kings stronghold, in regards to its splendor. As expected of a Coronach inn. Would it not be too expensive, then? I do not have that much money with me If one were to consider cities bigger than Coronach, there would be only one that existed nearby: the very capital of the Kingdom of Arkite, Lunatic Lake. Consequently, it could be said that Coronach was one of the top cities of the kingdom. Filled with unease, Mira frowned as she touched the dark belt pack that was tied around her waist. Found inside the bag given to Mira by the castles maid, that accessory matched her black-and-white clothes pretty well. The girl had thrown within that pack the small pouch that contained all of her moneythe one awarded by King Solomon. Naturally, you wont have to worry about that, Mira-sama. This time all of your travel expenses will be paid by Solomon-sama. Said Garrett with a radiant smile, followed by, Just once, I wanted to try spending a night here. In a playful murmur. Good grief, you need to show some restraint. Although Mira was astonished by that, she was also pulled in by Garretts mood and smiled back at him. While the man was taking care of the check-in procedure, Mira, who didnt have anything to do, killed time by observing the objects in the entrance hall, such as its furnishings and paintings. However, the girl herself didnt realize that, just like those pieces of art, she was also being observedalbeit in secret. As expected of a high class inn, it was used by high-ranking adventurers, individuals who could easily make their gazes go unnoticed. After Garrett concluded the formalities with the front desk, they were guided to a room by an employee. Apparently, all the highest-grade ones had already been occupied, so they were given a room in the second-best ranking; it would still easily beat even the finest rooms offered by the common inn. But incidentally, it was completely out of the question to compare it with Dunbalfs private room, in his Silver Linked Tower. Since he was going to stay in one of the standard rooms, the military man left for the lower floor, his job done for the day. As soon as Mira entered her room, she noticed a note that had been left on top a table. Written there were a set of reminders and information about the service given at the inn. It covered a lot of topics, such as the instructions to leave the key at the front desk when going out, how to call for the room service by ringing the bell near the doorway, how they handled the breakfast, lunch and dinner, etc. Having roughly scanned the contents of the note, Mira then looked at the huge wall clock in the room. It was almost six oclock in the afternoon. Outside of the window, the sky was almost completely dyed in black, with the last tinges of crimson only appearing far away in the distance. (Okay, I already did too much today. It should be fine to start my mission tomorrow.) Mira decided in an instant. She then then sat down on the sofa after taking a drink with herone of the goods that had been arranged for those using the room. The girls carriage journey, which lasted for several days, had taken its toll on her, but nevertheless she still had the desire to fully enjoy a first-class inn. She immediately opened the room service menu and rang the bell, without even looking at the prices there. In the following day, just when the young girl was walking towards the dining hall to have breakfast, she ran into Garrett, who had finished enjoying a cup of coffee after his meal. Ah, Mira-sama. Good morning. Yeah, morning. Mira answered after a small yawn, quickly taking one of the nearby seats. If Im not mistaken, Mira-sama is going to the Experts Union and register there, right? Indeed. She nodded while looking over the contents of the breakfast menuand then raised her face, as if suddenly remembering something. Mira had left a firmly locked box inside of the carriage so, one way or another, it was worrying her. Come to think of it, what are you going to do now? I doubt your only mission was to bring me here. Yes, youre right, Mira-sama. In regards to a different matter, Im going to the Coronach Fort. As he confirmed the girls suspicions, Garrett casually waved a letter in his hand. It seemed like his mission was to deliver it. Oho, is that what was inside the box? Exactly. Its related to the mission you undertook yesterday. Lets call it an Official Letter of sorts. I heard it contains a warning and guidance, so that they would know how to deal with the problem the next time it happens. Hmm, I see. Related to the mission she had undertaken. In other words, about the Lesser Demons shady actions. Those developments had, somehow, bothered the girl, but it was a matter that had been left completely on the care of Solomon. Mira herself was entrusted with a very important mission. Oh, right. Do you know where I could find the Experts Union? However, in order to proceed with that very important mission, the first step was to know its location, and Mira had absolutely no idea where it was. For the Experts Union after you leave this inn, turn to the left and follow the path straight ahead. In almost no time you will be able to find it, Mira-sama. Hm, straight ahead to the left, okay. With the letter that was in his hand, Garrett pointed at the direction towards the Union. Mira then followed it with her eyes while repeating to herself those instructions. If by any chance you get lost, you can ask the patrolling knights ask the nice people in white-and-blue armor about the citys best inn. They will gladly teach you how to return here. Do not worry about it. After saying that with a pout, the young girl used the menu she held and turned it towards Garrett, her fingers pointing at an entry labeled Croque-monsieur Set. I see, you want the Croque-monsieur Set, right? Would you like anything to drink? A Banana au Lait please. Understood. He replied as asomewhat cheerfulsmile took place on his face. Immediately, the military man walked towards the restaurant counter and repassed Miras order. Well then, Mira-sama. See you at dinner. Sure, take care on your way there. I will. Be careful so you dont get lost, Mira-sama. And not even a second later, he was already hurrying out of the dining hall. Come on, as if I would ever get lost. Muttered the girl while scowling at the direction Garrett had run away. Twenty minutes later. Having had her fill of food during breakfast, Mira, with light steps, strolled towards the Experts Union. Volume 2 - CH 2 Granblue took way more time than I wouldve liked, but here is Chapter 2! It was just a little after the day had fully welcomed its morning stage. The scenery that could now be seen in the main street was especially livelyto the point one would easily think that the melancholic atmosphere from yesterday had been merely a bad dream. In particular, coming and going in the street were many individuals that, at first sight, could be recognized as Warriors or Experts. And at a corner of that avenue, Mira was stealthily advancing towards her destination, trying her best not to stand out. Okay, is this the correct place? Garretts words were right on point. After walking for a while, she could see twosomewhat largestone buildings, side by side. Each of them had a signboard on top of their doors: the board for the left building had Warriors Union written on it while the other, on the building to the right, had the words Experts Union. Confirming the door to the Experts Union, Mira reached out for it. However, at that exact moment, a certain noisy and agitated voice came from the other establishment. Please! I heard that everyone here is really strong! Im begging you! The door of the Warriors Union opened and, suddenly, a boy that appeared to be ten years old came out of the place, being chased out. Following that, a muscular man clad in metal armor revealed himself, a disconcerted expression on his face as he pushed back the youth that clung to him. I really, really want to listen to your request, but currently we have, at most, D-Ranked adventurers here. Lad, theres no one here that can meet the requirements for what youre asking. For an instant, Mira wondered if the boy was being harassed. But at a closer look, that situation was closer to a troubled adult trying to deal with a spoiled kid making demands. As the boy continued to hang on to the burly man, other adults came from the building in rapid succession to soothe him down. Then, concluding it wasnt an affair to be worried about, Mira simply opened the door to the Experts Union. Well-organized, the inside of the establishment had a number of reception desks aligned in a row, with various waiting chairs and a large bulletin board placed in front of those tables. At a glance, anyone could mistake the place for a public office[1], but for a moment, Mira looked bewildered as she surveyed the surrounding scenery. Considering that the building was the Experts Union, most of the people there were, obviously, Experts. Furthermore, nearly everyone was clad in robes; mixed in with them, however, was a group of individuals whose appearance caused the girl to doubt her very eyes. Seriously, is it really something common in this world? What caught Miras attention was the attire worn by certain girls, who appeared to be around fifteen to sixteen years old and could be seen all around inside of the building. No matter how she looked at it, they were magical girls clothes. Believing that the gothic lolita dress she had with herone that resembled a magical girlswas downright embarrassing, Mira had been acting vigilant against any stares that could possibly be directed at her. The young girl felt as if she would be the only one looking out of place there. And yet, what could Mira possibly think now? She was able to confirm, with her own eyes, that many girls were dressed in clothes similar to hers. Upon that discovery, deep inside Miras heart, something began welling up with great intensity: it was the fact that no, she was not alone in that world; she had found proof that her garments did not, in fact, look weird to others. After attaining an immeasurable sense of security because of her findings, the girl walked towards the reception desks, a refreshing smile appearing on her face as she was finally released from what had been chaining her down. Among the many reception tables in the building, there was a vacant one with a sign that read Registrations Desk. Apparently, each of them dealt with a different matter. I want to register at the Union. Are you busy right now? While clearly recalling the public offices from her original world, Mira started the conversation. No, its fine. You want to make a registration, is that right? Yeah. Replying with a smile was a woman of graceful features, her long, blond hair tied into a ponytail with the aid of a ribbon. Then, hanging around her neck was a name tag, with Eureka written on it. Mira, who had been wary of how the woman would react to her attire, was relieved to see the smile on Eurekas face as she didnt even bat an eye to the clothes. Once again, the girl confirmed that, indeed, her outfit was something normal in that world. Then, please fill out this form. When she saw the document presented to her, the girl remembered Solomons recommendation later and placed it on top of the sheet of paper. Oh right, I have a letter of recommendation with me. A letter of recommendation? Let me see it. After turning around the envelope in her hands, Eureka confirmed who the nominator for the letter wasand immediately froze in place. Despite the fact that the number of new registrants bringing recommendation letters with them wasnt high, it couldnt really be considered something unusual. For example, there were cases with nobles who pursued treasures and, in order to dispatch a private army to a dungeon, they would first register their soldiers at the Union; or sometimes, in other occasions, a high-ranked adventurer would recommend a powerful rookie to the organization. In Eurekas case, she had already taken care of several of those recommendation letters, so they werent something new to her. However, compared to all the others she had received before, the letter this time was plainly, utterly different. Surely, Eureka at least acknowledged that the young girl in front of her was an Expert, considering she had directly come to the Experts Union. Even if someone were to appear like a frail little girl at first glance, the Expert class was one such that body or physique had nearly no relation to it. The fact was that, usually, having ones own magical power remain unclear from mere sight was considered everything to the class. That was also what Eureka had been thinking when she was handed the letter. She believed that the recommendation either came from a high-ranked adventurer, who had somehow met the young girl and acknowledged her strength, or from a noble, who gave that document to their daughter. If the woman had to guess, going by the girls lovely appearance, the latter case would most probably be the correct one; as a result, for the sake of verifying which noble had sent that letter, she looked at the nominator indicated on it. And then, the name written there betrayed all of her expectations. Solomon was the nominator. The ruler of the Kingdom of Arkite, King Solomon himself. I-Im sorry. Please wait a moment!! Her smiling face now completely gone, Eureka started running towards the interior of the Union. She had never seen nor heard of something like a king directly issuing a recommendation letter. Consequently, she could not handle that situation on her own, so the employee rushed for the Union Chiefs Office, seeking guidance from the person in charge of that branch. Being left behind, Mira pondered if anything had happened, but since she had absolutely no idea what it was, she decided to take the pen provided on the desk and began filling out the form. Im terribly sorry. Thank you for waiting. Right as she had finished the document and was observing the interior of the Experts Union, a voice coming from the desks side called out to Mira. Turning around, the young girl caught sight of Eurekas smiling face, the womans regained composure managing to bring back the affable expression she previously had, before checking Miras letter. I filled out everything. Is this all right? Asked the young girl as she handed out the document, to which Eureka nodded in agreement after making sure that all the entries had been filled. Yes, I see no problems here. Now, about the recommendation letter, could you please accompany me to the Union Chiefs Office? Okay, sure. One way or another, Mira had brought with her a letter of recommendation from Solomon, a king. To her, he was simply a friend; to that world, however, he was a prominent figure. Then, Mira concluded, the Union Chief needing to confirm everything in person was something that would most probably happen. Eureka asked one of the nearby staff members to take care of her desk and guided Mira to the third floor of the building, stopping at the Chiefs Office. There, she knocked on theparticularly well-builtdoor that led to the room. From the other side, an austere and wizened voice replied with Come in. Excuse me. The employee bowed once and opened the door. As expected from the room of a Union Chief, it was a quiet and classy place. Organized without giving too much emphasis on its furnishings, there was, however, a large bookshelf in the room. Sitting leisurely behind the office desk, that furniture added to the elegance and appeal of the place, with its contents speaking for the intellectual thirst of their owner and master of the roomthe Union Chief. Sorry for calling you here. I am a Chief of the Experts Union, Leoneil. The man, who identified himself as Leoneil, stood up from his official chair and bowed. Along with his finely chiseled features, the wrinkles on his face, engraved by time, strengthened even more the maturity of his presence. Leoneil then moved to his reception table and, while sitting down, urged Mira to do the same. And I am Mira. Returning the introduction with a short reply, the young girl paused for a moment and took a seat on the opposite side. As if she had been waiting for the right time, a woman appeared from the back room bringing tea and sweets; after arranging them on the table, she did a small bow and returned to the place she had come from. Mira-san, huh? The Chief received the document from Eurekas hands and confirmed its contents: the girls name, her class and nationality. Are you perhaps the rumored disciple of Dunbalf-sama? Leoneil asked on point, his expression full of confidence. As a chief of the Experts Union, not only he collected intelligence regarding internal affairs, but also a great variety of information reached through to him. And in particular, Leoneil was someone who was really devoted to gathering up information, to the point he formed an exclusive intelligence agency for that purpose. Consequently, one of the things caught by the mans information network was the rumor that a disciple of the Hero Dunbalf had appeared; Mira was her name, a beautiful, silver-haired girl whose class was the Summoning Expert. Such were the contents of the talks circulating around. With just that, it was particularly easy to conclude that the young girl there, who identified herself as Mira, was the very disciple from the rumors. Yes, indeed. So it already spread this far I guess the rumors were true, then. If thats the case, I can also agree that this recommendation letter really came from King Solomon. The chief revealed a somewhat surprised expression and, as if accepting it, placed the document on top of the desk, subsequently applying a stamp to it. Before, he had considered whether he should verify if the nominee was befitting of the C rank requested in the letter; but in addition to the recommendation being personally sent by King Solomon, the girl herself was the disciple of a hero, so Leoneil judged it an unnecessary action. Meanwhile, Eureka, who didnt seem to be able to follow that conversation, had completely forgotten to keep her usual smile and simply stared at Mira, dumbfounded. Err, excuse me! When you say Dunbalf-sama, are you talking about that Dunbalf-sama!? Asked the woman, her brain finally managing to process a minimal part of their talk. Even though she believed it was disrespectful to interrupt them, Eureka could not help but look at her boss and express that question. Exactly, its that Dunbalf-sama. The person who developed the refining technology and was one of the Founding Heroes. The one known as War Power Dunbalf. Yes, we are talking about him. As if it was something completely natural, the Chief replied. Dunbalf. He was one of the sages that had disappeared thirty years ago. Since then, not only were his whereabouts unknown, but also no one knew whether he was alive or dead. And yet, his name had been suddenly mentioned in the talk between Mira and Leoneil. Moreover, with the appearance of someone calling herself the disciple of Dunbalf, the complete news greatly shocked Eureka. Had he not acquired the intelligence beforehand, even Leoneil might have needed a while to confirm the authenticity of the girls letter. Over and over, Eurekas mind processed the answer she had received. And every time it did so, the expression on the womans face would brighten, steadily turning into a joyful look. Give it just a bit of time and the rumors would eventually spread throughout the town. While thinking as such, Leoneil forbade his subordinate from speaking about that matter, just for the time being. Then, he took the authenticated form and handed it over to the woman. Take care of the other formalities for this document. Y-Yes! Please leave it to me! With a high-spirited voice, Eureka cheerfully answered. Immediately after, while closely holding thatseemingly preciousdocument with both hands, she threw a glance towards Mira and quickly left the Union Chiefs Office, her job now to complete the registration process. Well then, everythings going to be handled internally by us so you can leave now, but if you have some time, would you care to keep me company for a little chat? The validation of the recommendation letter had been concluded. However, Leoneil appeared to be greatly interested in the many things that Mira probably knewand that were still unknown to him. His thirst for knowledge was working at full throttle and, if possible, he wanted to hear about Dunbalfs current situation and about the girl herself. Sure, no problem. In its own way, the position of a Chief of the Experts Union held considerable power and influence. As a result, Mira concluded that it would probably work in her favor to converse for a bit and become acquaintances with him. While listening to Leoneils questions, the girl recalled what she had told the two assistants from the Silver Linked Towers, Mariana and Litalia, and kept giving reserved answers: that Dunbalf had been in the City of Mythical Beasts, but right now she didnt know whether he was still there or not; that her summoned dark knights had the same strength as the ones from her master, and so forth. All in all, they were things that even if someone were to hear about, they wouldnt create problems for herself. Whenever Mira had the chance, she would nibble at the cakes and take a sip of the herb tea that had been served there. Seeing how the young girl looked truly delighted while eating, the Chief offered seconds, to which she instantly nodded in agreement. I want to ask you something too, is that okay? Having mostly finished answering all of the mans questions, Mira put her teacup down and stared at Leoneil, looking as if it was now her turn to present an inquiry. Yeah, of course. With a somewhat joyful expression, Leoneil replied, adding that as long as he could answer it, Mira was free to ask as much as she liked. Then, this is about the zombies that, recently, have been causing troubles to the people here. How much do you know about their origin? Those zombies, that currently were a source of anxiety for the populace, were a phenomenon absolutely impossible to occur when the world was still a game. Since Mira was immensely interested in the changes undergone by that world, she had great hopes and waited for the mans response. Hhmm, their origin, right? Well, to begin with, monsters of the Undead class dont appear around here. If we were to talk about a nearby place where they might come from, it would be the so-called Underground Graveyardthe Archaic Temple Nebulapolis. Even then, the zombies were seeing now, made of soil and plants, dont exist there. Leoneil answered while in thought. He then stood up and went towards the desk, returning with a stack of papers a moment later. From that stack, he retrieved a single sheet and spread the paper on the table. Written there were the characteristics of the zombies in question: They wandered during the night, without attacking anyone, and their bodies were made of soil and plants; During the day, in order to escape from the sunlight, they would lurk in the shadows, occasionally getting hit by carriages and the like when moving around; There were several cases confirmed of zombies that couldnt avoid the sunlight in time and, after losing all their strength, would end up falling in front of houses; No one knew why did they keep wandering about; No one knew where did they come from; The reason why they did not attack people was also unknown; Finally, whether they were monsters or not still remained remained a mystery. The whole answer that was presented to Mira did not satisfy her. In regards to this matter, its not like Im not allowed to tell you about it. As you can see right here, we simply dont know anything. Explained the Chief as he looked at the window. Anyway, we have something in mind. Currently, weve made plans to soon try and investigate the Archaic Temple. Despite that situation, he seemed to be truly enjoying everything; it was like he was a detective from a mystery story, getting more engrossed in the puzzle the deeper it grew. Oho, I see. This is just perfect then, as that place is the reason why I have come here. While I am there, I could do a brief, preliminary investigation of the place for you. Hmm, thats right. So thats why you need a C-Ranked Adventurers License. I will count on you, then. Leave it to me. Said Mira, brimming with confidence, before stuffing her cheeks with the last piece of cake. Thank you very much for the food, it was great. Well, see you later. I will hasten the registration process, so come the morrow and your Adventurers License will be ready. Okay, got it. Having had her fill, Mira patted her belly while leaving the Union Chiefs Office, a satisfied expression on her face. After Leoneil saw the girls figure walking away, he grabbed King Solomons letter and sat down heavily on his chair. Then, he started pondering. She had called herself the pupil of a Sage, had earned the Kings cooperation and casually declared that she was going to the Archaic Temple. Leoneil could clearly sense that Mira was hiding something, but he couldnt feel any ill intent behind that. While stuffing herself with cake and getting some of the cream on her cheeks, in behavior and appearance, she was the very figure of a little girl. However, there were times when both her gestures and choice of words seemed to differ from a childs. As his eyes fell upon a particularly unbelievable sentence in the letter, Leoneils body sunk deeper in his chair. Yeep. I cant measure it. The Chief threw the letter of recommendation towards the desk and looked up, as if lamenting to the heavens. Lightly dancing in the air, the letter fell on a corner of the worktable; the last sentence written on that paper read as such: I request the issuance of a pass for a Restricted Area, the Primal Forest. TL Info: 1 C The term being used here is actually Ward Office, as in the public office for a specific Ward in Japan (some cities there are subdivided in Wards). 쥪˩` C Leoneil Volume 2 - CH 3 After finishing the adventurers registration formalities at the Spellcasters Union, Mira watched adventurers walking back and forth on the main road. There was a mix of ordinary adventurers wearing armors and robes, as well as some American Ninjas concealing themselves and Samurais who looked ready to go sword hunting any time. Walking around like it was ordinary there was also a woman in nun outfit who wore a noh mask, and whose outfit was far more ridiculous than a mahou shoujo one. (So, Im normal.) A person who was even beyond Miras kind, was walking around the city like she owned the place. There was no need to fear anything, Mira thought as she looked down on her outfit and, becoming confident of this fact, she forgot completely that even more so than the outfit, her own looks were what gathered attention. (Now then, what I should doo.) It would take an entire day until the adventurers license was issued and ready, so she was unable to enter the ancient temple which was her objective. Done with her business a little past noon despite thinking it would take a little longer to finish formalities, she had to think of what to do with the time that opened up. That moment, a female adventurer wearing a robe with an alluring slit had passed beside Mira and entered a shop for spellcasters. (Hm...I guess I need to investigate the city!) After chasing the adventurer with her eyes, caught in her field of vision were unfamiliar spellcraft items lined on the display behind the window, dyeing her eyes with curiosity. Since she had free time, she thought she might as well enjoy this real-turned world, and in high-spirited gait she entered the spellcraft store. (I see, so this is the difference between the game and reality, huh.) Impressed, Mira took a look at the spellcraft items displayed around her in the store. In the past, spellcraft items were for supporting people in battle. But now, among the lined-up items the majority were things related to cooking, lighting and other similar things related to daily life. (Its all so interesting") She activated a device that sucked in air from the front and pushed it out on the back, which appeared to be some kind of vacuum cleaner spellcraft item, then with a smile started playing around with adjusting the strength of the wind that came out. Ahead of her line of sight, there was a suggestively-shaking slit. Mira did not stop only at the spellcraft store but also toured weapon and armor, as well as medicine shops, and her eyes sparkled at all the progress. After she left the eleventh store, she found an unnatural crowd of people and stopped. Before she realized, she moved a little away from the main street and was in the residential area where this crowd had gathered. (Whats with all that fuss?) Whether it was spirit of curiosity, or maybe just a reflex, but Mira thrust right inside the group of people as if sucked in. Forcing her small body in, she passed in between the people to arrive at the source of the incident soon after. There, was a wooden house that had nothing unusual in it. Possibly because they were not taken care of well enough, the flowers on the veranda wilted lifelessly. However, the reason for the crowd gathering was not the house. It was the zombie sitting down and leaning against the house. What seemed to have been a jacket, was horribly burned and ripped turning into leather rags which were caught on the zombies shoulder. We are in the middle of investigating it. Its dangerous, so please dont approach. Warning the surroundings like this, was a Patrol Knight wearing a light armor of white and blue colors. Patrol Knights were soldiers belonging to the Arkite Kingdoms Patrol organization and were doing something like police work. On their light armor acted as replacement for a uniform there was the emblem of Arkite Kingdom. Of the two Patrol Knights that were on the scene, one of them was having the onlookers move back, while the other one held his hand on the sword as he stood vigilant of the zombie that did not move a single finger. (What is going on? The sun is still up high.) The light of sun poured down from straight the sky and did not paint even a faint shadow. Looking up at the sky, Mira squinted at the dazzling light before moving her gaze to the zombie in the middle of a sunny spot. That moment, one of the Patrol Knights muttered It looks theres something strange." and approached the zombie. At the same time, the noisy crowd turned silent, the location was dyed with stillness. After standing in front of the zombie, the Patrol Knight removed the sword sheath from his belt and resolving himself, poked the zombies shoulder with it. A quiet voice leaked from no one in particular and spread to everyone else in the crowd, making everyone whisper. However, there was no sight of the zombie moving. After confirming this, the Patrol Knight once again poked him with the sheath. The poke being stronger this time, caused the zombies body to shake. At the same time, the whispering voices suddenly stopped, making the surroundings silent again. While held their breath as they watched, the zombies body tilted and he fell on the side. (Looks like he ran out of strength.) The zombies limbs let out a small cloud of dust and shattered, making the two Patrol Knights look in each others faces and smile bitterly. Good grief, a false alarm. After muttering so, the Patrol Knight who was cautioning the surroundings had declared that it was safe. Hearing that, the onlookers started to excitedly speak among each other, appearing to sow the seeds of rumors before slowly dispersing from the location. (I knew it, it has a body made of soil and plants... Seeing how it walks beneath the sun, rather than a zombie it feels more like a necromantic golem.) As people flowed in all directions, Mira stood in place with a finger on her chin and watched the enigmatic zombie. Necromancy. They were spells for creating a temporary soul imitation and pouring it into dead bodies or inorganic substances. Although the dead revived with these techniques were only temporarily back, they were capable of retaining their abilities from when they were alive. Furthermore, unlike undead monsters, they did have a soul so they had no problems when they were exposed to the light of the sun. It was also the same for the golems who had a soul poured inside them. (Still, according to what they say, they are trying to avoid sun. I guess theyre different after all.) Although they were similar, there were also clear differences between them, and above all, it was human bones that were the core of the zombie. If anything, it was more like a skeleton was made into a golem. But was there a spell capable of doing such a thing? Even if there was one, it would be denying the very foundations of Necromancy itself. While Mira thought of such a thing, a different Patrol Knight carried in a large box. Knights gathered the zombies corpse which fell apart and started to put the pieces into the box. Whats this, a ring? I hope it doesnt have some kind of strange curse on it" From among the pieces of the corpse, a Patrol Knight picked up a ring, then with a scowl he threw it into the box as if discarding it. Seeing that with the corner of her eyes, Mira suddenly recalled her friends face. (I wonder If Soul Howl is in the underground cemetery, and if is is related somehow to this incident.) Although he was eccentric, his knowledge and his skill in regards to Necromancy were beyond anyone else. If asked, he might know something about this, Mira noted in her heart. Once they were done putting the zombie inside the box, the Patrol Knights withdrew from the location. After seeing them off, Mira wondered if she should go to some cool store and started walking towards the main road. Almost all onlookers have disappeared and the location had recovered calm silence. Ehh?! Theres nothing here! That moment, a hysteric voice had disturbed the silence. The owner of the voice who ran up to this place, was an Elf woman with long black hair. She had a gentle expression and slightly droopy eyes, was wearing a light armor of white and green color, and was equipped with a slender sword. She stopped in place and started to turn around restlessly to look around. Based on her behavior, Mira thought she was just an onlooker who heard about the zombie from somewhere and ran over, so she only peeked into the womans face as she passed by her. That moment, the woman turned around towards Mira and captured her in sights. Oh, can I ask something? I came here because I heard a zombie appeared in here, do maybe you know what happened with it? The elf woman ran over to Mira while asking, then leaned forward in order to lower her line of sight to the same level as Mira and peeked into her face. Although the woman smiled gently, there was anxiousness in the back of her black eyes. Just a moment ago it was cleaned up by those Patrol Knights people. When Mira skipped the entire process and told her just the result, the woman looked away from her and turned her face toward the direction Patrol Knights left in. I see, I see. In other words, everything was resolved already. Ahh, Im glad. Thanks! Relieved by Miras words, her cheeks loosened and the Elf woman said her thanks before knocking on the civilian houses door the zombie had been leaning on. Since all of the zombies corpse was removed clean, someone who just came wouldnt know that just a moment ago a zombie was in that place. Curious about what the woman intended to do, Mira walked up to her, watching. From inside the house came out a plain, adult woman. Oh, Emera-san. What happened? The woman asked indifferently, and looking somewhat in daze she tilted her head. Maybe she was sleepy, as she seemed to be there in body but not the heart. Seeing that woman, Mira felt uneasiness in her chest. I heard that a zombie appeared around here, so I was worried and came. Was it all right? The elf woman called Emera appeared really worried, since she grasped the womans hands and squeezed them. (Rather than around here, it was right under your feet, though.) In her mind Mira retorted to Emeras words. Is that so? I didnt notice. The woman spoke as if it did not concern her. It was hard to pick up from her expression, but she was not bothered even after hearing a zombie appeared. I see. Looks like it was nothing serious then. Ah, if something happens be sure to tell me. Ill do so, thank you. And like that, the two exchanged farewells and the door closed. After moving away from the door Emera turned around and made a relieved expression. She must have been really concerned about the woman from the house. Then, when her eyes met with Miras and she smiled softly, Mira pointed by her feet. Thats where the zombie was lying around. Fuhyahh?! When Mira pointed it out, Emera screamed in amusing manner and leaped away, just to look back at the place she was in just earlier. So you were an acquaintance of this houses owner. With a dark smile, Mira pointed at the house with her gaze, making Emera puff her cheeks and nod. Yup. Her husband was a member of the guild I belong to. Thanks to that connection we met a few times and became friends. Was a member, huh. In other words, he no longer is. Hearing Emera lower her tone of voice slightly, Mira felt an emotion a little different from curiosity, as she asked. After taking a good look at her friends house, Emera lowered her gaze and nodded, then smiled softly. Yes. Our guild is mainly an adventurer''s guild and we regularly move from city to city. Which is why why we dont live a stable life. Certainly, that is true. If one gets married, they need to build a solid foundation for the sake of his wife and the children that would eventually be born. When it comes to that, adventurers were worse than artists, very unstable. Although the reward was good, it was dangerous work where one risked their life. Thats why he, um, he was called Thomas-kun. Thomas-kun had undertaken the exam for this citys unions employee. And you see, thanks to the activities he did in our guild he was evaluated well and employed. He became unions employee and was about to start his new life, but" After saying this much, Emeras expression suddenly clouded and she glanced at the house of her friend. Something happened, right? Upon seeing Emera like that, passing by the back of Miras mind was a glance of the womans appearance. It was dark expression beyond what someone married should have, an expression of a person whose happiness has been completely crushed. It happened about a month ago. He went for an inspection of the dungeons barrier device and did not come back. A search team has been dispatched, but couldnt find him. Our guild also did its best, but nothing. We couldnt find even a single clue. Emeras words appeared to let out unbearable emotions, they felt like she was blaming herself for not being able to help. Although she was clearly dejected, she suddenly raised her face and changed her expression. Eh, sorry for saying something this dark. Its all right! See, Thomas-kun often disappeared when he got absorbed into something. Im sure he will come eventually! Emera smiled brightly towards Mira. However, the words she said felt more directed at herself. Well then, see you! Finally, saying a farewell, Emera gallantly ran off. (That girls expressions sure were finicky and often-changing.) After seeing Emera off from behind, Mira thought the impression of her. Then next, with a slightly sorrowful look on her face, Mira turned her gaze to the side. There, was the house of the woman that was Emeras friend. Although this house was supposed to have become happy thanks to the marriage, but despite being in the light of the sun, it appeared like the house itself was about to cry. Volume 2 - CH 4 The morning after finishing registration formalities in the Spellcasters Union. On the bed Mira exposed her upper body and through trial and error she attempted to put on a bra. It was previously put on her by the castles maids, and she did not understand how it was put on. Yes, up until now Mira was going around without a bra. Then after the difficult struggle continued for a while, she came back to herself. I dont get it" The reason she attempted to put it on, was because she recalled the intimidation from the maids, but eventually tormented by self-loathing she threw the bra on the bed, before putting the sleeveless dress on. This morning she woke up fairly early and decided to eat breakfast together with Galet. It appeared like his errand at Fort Karnack was over and today, carrying a parcel, he was leaving on another case. Sipping Banana au Lait leisurely, Mira recalled the details of her objective. The dungeon nicknamed underground cemetery", Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. It had six levels in total and just as its nickname suggested, it was a dungeon that continued deep below the earth. This temple carved out inside a small rocky mountain, had multiple statues of god carved out in the same way which were a magnificent view. If not for monsters, it might have prospered as a sightseeing spot. And just as the word cemetery suggested, this dungeon was filled with undead monsters. Which was the reason there was a high possibility the one she looked for, one of the Nine Sages and a big lover of undead girls, Soul Howl was hiding in there. Once she finished drinking her Banana au Lait, Mira took a deep breath before putting the coat on, then jauntily left for the morning city. After arriving at the Spellcasters Union, Mira walked up to the familiar receptionist. Diligently putting documents in order was Yuurika, who handled Miras reception yesterday. Although the two were just acquaintances, it was not like they did not know each other. Can I have a moment? Yes. Please wait. Being called out to, Yuurika put away the documents she was holding to the side and raised her head. Then noticing Miras appearance, she opened her eyes wide. Fuehh?! Ohh, Mira-san! Good morning! Um, you came to receive your adventurers license, right. After panicking for a moment, Yuurika quickly recovered her composure and immediately realized the reason Mira came. Mm-hm, is it ready? Yes. Its complete. Please wait a moment. Yuurika said and stood up to pick up a file from a shelf behind the reception before returning. Here it is, please check it. A single card was extended to Mira. Written on it was her name, class and rank. The name was Mira, Summoner class and thanks to the recommendation, she started from the C-rank. No problem. Well then Mira-san, you are a C-rank so you are allowed to rent an Operators Bracelet. Will you use one? Yuurika opened a shelf and picked up a bracelet of a simple design to place it on the counter. An Operators Bracelet. It was an unfamiliar name to Mira. However, she did know item put on the counter very well. Nhm, you mean this? While saying so Mira pulled back her left arms sleeve to show a bracelet on her white and slender arm. That moment, Yuurika fell silent in astonishment, but had immediately come back to herself and affirm. Yes, yes that one. It appears you already have one. Mm-hm. Recalling that Mira was the disciple of a hero, Yuurika was convinced. It was no strange for a person of such caliber to possess one privately. An Operators Bracelet were replicas of the terminal that players used, and the only option they had was the item box. And yet, the cost of creating one was extremely high and the technology used was secret, so there were few people possessing those privately. Despite that, these items were unfathomably useful, so high-rank adventurers who were thought to have potential, in other words, C-ranks and above were able to rent them from the union for a monthly fee. As expected of Danbulf-samas It appears like I should act more proper. While still a little nervous, Yuurika realized that since Mira was the heros disciple there was a need of acting with a better attitude. Coming back to herself, Yuurika opened the file and took out a single piece of paper to give to Mira. Explained here you have the main points of the Spellcasters Union. Each request has its own rank and you cannot undertake a commission that is above your rank. You are allowed however, to participate in a higher rank request together with a higher rank adventurer, but that requires a fair amount of resolve. Also, dungeons in various locations are limited depending on their rank. These dungeons are managed by the unions in the cities nearby, so to enter a dungeon you need to request a permission to receive a pass that will release the barrier. If you violate this regulation you will be imposed a penalty so be careful. Do you have any questions in regards to what I said so far? I need to request a permission? Mira was about to head to a dungeon from here on. According to what Yuurika said, she would have to request a pass, otherwise she would receive a penalty. After this I thought of going to underground cemetery...Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, how do I receive permission for that? You are suddenly going in there?! ...Oh, the reception window takin care of dungeon management is the first one on the right as seen from the entrance, you can receive the pass in there. I see, mmm. Twisting her upper body a little, Mira peeked out to confirm the reception in the back on the right. Although there were many people around the receptions in the middle, there were few by the reception at the corner in the right. Well then, now about using the unions facilities. They are mostly free. Consumables such as food and drinks are offered at a discount. Also, in case an adventurer damages facilities in any way, the repairs are deducted from adventurers rewards so please use them carefully. Once she finished explaining, from her pocket, Yuurika took out a leather case of about the same size as the card. It was a pink and cute card case with a wand drawn on it. This is a gift from me. Please use it to hold your adventurers license. Uh-...mm-hm. Thank you. Although Mira was bewildered by this overly feminine design, she was unable to flat out reject broadly-smiling Yuurikas goodwill and just nodded. Seeing Mira agree, Yuurika immediately picked up the adventurers license from the tray on the reception and inserted it inside the card case, then passed it to Mira with a smile. Smiling wryly in response to that, Mira received the license. Also, unions chief said that he has something he wants to give you. He said that he will prepare it today, so he wants you to come show yourself tomorrow or after that, when you have time. Something to give me? Yes. I did not hear what is it, but I hear that it was something requested from Solomon-sama. From that guy, huh Well, fine. I will come tomorrow or some time after, is that fine? Yes, please do. Understood. While Mira had no idea what will be passed by the unions chief, but considering she was moving on Solomons request, she thought it must have been something related. With this, the formalities are over. Also, the only ones who know about Mira-sans identity is just me and union chief, so if you need anything please come to me. Ill remember it. Also, um" What, is there something more left? Having a hard time to say it, Yuurika stared at Mira with a sparkle of expectation in her eyes. Please shake my hand! She extended her both hands forward and lowered her head while saying so. Just earlier she was making an expression for work. But now that was over, she was unable to contain herself and let her personal feelings completely take over. Yuurika was a huge fan of the Nine Sages and especially Danbulf, to the point where her house was filled with goods regarding to them. During her long vacations she went to Silver Horn and spent her time off on pilgrimages to look up at the Silver Towers. In front of her, appeared the disciple of the hero she admired so much. As a result, she lost her head. Is this fine? When enveloped by the momentum, extended her hand, Yuurika gently but strongly squeezed it with both her hands as if to engrave the sensation in herself. Moreover, tears started to appear in her eyes. Thank you very much. I wont wash my hands ever again! No, I think its better if you washed it. Not knowing that Yuurika was a wildly enthusiastic fan of Danbulf, Mira responded slightly put off. However, even though she did not understand it, she thought it was fine as long as Yuurika was happy about it. Well then, please have a good life of adventure. Thank you very much for using our services! Seen off by vigorous Yuurika, Mira moved away from the reception and started walking towards the reception in the right corner to receive a permission to enter the ancient temple. I want to request a permission to enter ancient temple, is this the place? After arriving at the reception, looking at the sign saying Dungeon Permission Reception" she spoke. Yes, this is the reception that issues permissions. Hearing a familiar voice for some reason Mira raised her head. And there, stood Yuurika. Because Mira said that she was going to the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, Yuurika asked the woman who had been working at this reception to switch with her temporarily. Although Mira was appalled wondering what was Yuurika doing there, she did follow her instructions to pass the formalities required to enter the ancient temple. After finishing the formalities, Mira paid a handling fee of 1000 Riffs and received a permission to enter the high-ranked ancient temple dungeon from Yuurika. It was a card that had various figures drawn on it. At the same time, Mira received an explanation. First, when the card touches the barrier stone at the entrance to the dungeon, the barrier is released and it becomes possible to enter inside. After ten seconds since the card stops touching the stone, the barrier repairs itself. The card could be used only once, and to enter inside it was necessary to go through formalities again. However, since cards could be used again if they went through special treatment at the union, they wanted adventurers not to discard them and bring them back after using. No card was needed to leave the dungeon as it was possible to pass through the barrier to the outside. I ask again, please, we are low on the permission cards for entering the ancient temple, so cooperate with us and recycle it. Yuurika once again explained and then as if to add on to that, she pointed with her finger at the recycling box by the entrance. After interjecting to show she was paying attention to everything Yuurika said, finally, once again exchanged a handshake. Once Mira left the Spellcasters Union, Mira thought she might as well put the permit to enter the ancient temple inside the card holder. Although it had an overly feminine design, it was certainly useful. It happened when Mira opened the case. Suddenly, the door of the Warriors Union opened with strong momentum and from the inside jumped out a single young boy. It appeared that something happened as the boy had tears in his eyes and he cast down his face with an expression of sorrow, then started to run in Miras direction. Fugyah?! UWaah?! The boy, not looking ahead of himself had charged straight at the Miras back. As she was in the middle of putting the permit inside the card case so the impact made her drop it, but she was able to bear it and not fall over. What the hell?! Mira reflexively glared at the one who bumped into her. But there, her eyes captured a young boy who tumbled and fell on the ground. Seeing that, her anger has cooled off and she walked up to the boy, then holding him with both hands she pulled his body up. Are you okay, boy? Does it hurt anywhere? While peeking at him to check on the state he was in, Mira brushed dirt of his body and gently asked. The boys face which was probably mischievous normally, was both sorrowful and perplexed at the same time as he looked at Mira. Smiling softly to the boy, Mira used the sleeves of her coat to wipe tears from his red eyes. Y-yes. Im sorry to bump into you. The boy hurriedly lowered his head. Hes a good boy, Mira thought impressed and answered its fine", then pat his head. How about you, are you hurt anywhere? Hearing a voice come from above, Mira raised her head. There, her eyes saw an Elf woman with black hair and black eyes. Nhm, youre" Ah, from yesterday. It was the Elf woman that Mira had met at the location of the zombie incident yesterday. Although the boy glanced at the Elf woman, he immediately cast down his eyes and trembled. Hmm. It doesnt seem like this boy cries because he fell over. Do you know something about it? If the boy only cried because he tumbled, Mira would give him Apple au Lait and went back. However, the boys were already swollen red from crying. Bothered by that, Mira asked for the reason. Umm...ah, speaking of which I have yet to introduce myself. Im Emera. Im Mira. After introducing herself shortly, Mira said Cmon, a boy shouldnt cry." and wiped the tears of the boy who was about to burst into crying again. Seeing that, Emera made a slight smile. Um, about the reason, its not my fault...most likely, but this cant be helped. Hooh, and what kind of reason is that? Aw, we just refused a reckless request, thats allll. Hearing a little of anger in Miras voice, Emera responded in panic and started explaining. Uh, um, this boy apparently wants to enter a C-rank dungeon. Did you know that when youre affiliated with the union you can receive a permit to enter a dungeon corresponding to your rank? Im a C-rank, so I can enter up to a C-rank dungeon. Thats why he requested me to take him there, but I cant just take him into such a dangerous place, so I refused. Mm-hm, I see. If there was such a reason then it could not be helped, Mira loosened her expression. Relieved after confirming that the harsh presence disappeared, Emera showed her adventurers license to show it. It was certainly a certainly a C-rank license and the class matched the appearance of a swordsman. Certainly, you are a C-rank. Oh right, I just entered the union, too. Oh my, so youre a newcomer. When Mira tried to show her newly-made adventurers license, she realized what happened just a moment earlier. Oops, I dropped it when we bumped on each other just now. She muttered and started looking around her legs. The boy too, imitated her and turned his gaze on the ground. Ah, Im sorry. Its my fault. The boy who found it first picked up the card case from the ground. And when inside the still-open card case he saw the dungeon permit, his eyes sparkled. Onee-chan! Onee-chan, are you going inside Nevrapolis?! He wiped his own eyes and looked up at Mira with anticipation in his eyes. Mm-hm, I am. Although she did not know what kind of change happened in his mental state, but it was fine as long as he stopped crying, so Mira nodded with relief. Eh...no way?! Youre a newcomer, right? Newly registered should be starting from G-rank. Surprised even more so than the boy, was Emera. It was no wonder. It was unheard of for someone who newly registered to start from a C-rank. Of course, Emera knew that with a recommendation letter one could start at a higher rank. However, the common sense was that it allowed starting at E-rank at the highest. The adventurers who newly register with the union raise their rank accordingly to their accomplishments. If their skill is acknowledged they become F-ranks, then to E-rank, that was normal. Then once they pile up a lot of experience to be acknowledged as first-class adventurers they are given the C-rank, which was a proof of a high-class adventurer. However, this girl had completely skipped the middle-class and started from high-class right after registering. What is the meaning of this? As if rushing in, Emera moved to peek at the card case the boy was holding. There, other than Miras adventurers license, there was the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis entrance permit. Whats going on? A newcomer? Huhh?? Confused, Emera stared down Miras adventurers license. However, even if one managed to fake the rank written on the license, the union did manage all of adventurers information and faking ones rank would not work when asking for permission to enter a dungeon. The ancient temples permit... its a real one, isnt it. Emera had to mutter this one way or the other. Hearing those words, the boys eyes sparkled even stronger, and as he faced Mira he bowed deeply. Onee-chan, please, take me to Nevrapolis! He asked very desperately. Not raising his head yet, he repeated please, please" time after time. The Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. to go inside that dungeon, it was necessary to be affiliated with the union AND to be a C-rank or higher. And just as Emera said, inside there were dangers befitting the rank. Which is why Mira got curious as to why did the boy wanted to go inside the ancient temple so desperately. If there was the reason for his tears then Ill fulfill his wish, she thought. Hm, explain me your reasons. When Mira said this, the boy finally raised his head. His expression mixed in both anxiety and expectation, but he nodded with strongly with anticipation. I heard that there is a mirror deep inside Nevrapolis that allows people to talk with the dead. I want you to take me there! A mirror allows talking with the dead...huh. You mean Dark Aids Mirror. So, is there someone you want to meet? I want to meet Dad and Mom. My Dad and Mom are adventurers. But the other day people from union came and said that Dad and Mom died. Mira listened in silence to the boys words as he spoke with tears in his eyes and sniffling. Then, she looked towards Emera who seemed like she would know more details. You see, according to unions regulations, people who disappear and dont give signs of life in the middle of undertaking a request are treated as dead after five years since they have undertaken it. Although it was difficult for her to speak about it, Emera then supplemented the explanation. About a week ago the boy appeared in the Warriors Union and started making a request to adventurers there. Emera who was a Warriors Union member had seen him multiple times and had naturally heard the reason he was doing so. I see. So thats how it is. She could understand that when one is told they cant meet their dear person, they would still want to meet them despite that. Because his emotions grew too strong, fresh tears appeared in boys eyes and he faced downwards. Acknowledging his wish and put her hand on the boys head. What a coincidence. I planned to pass by there as well. Ill take you with me while at it. Mira peeked into boys face and smiled to help him calm down, then looking into his eyes, she spoke gently. The boy whose wish was refused all this time had a little of trouble understanding Miras words. However, it slowly sank in the his heart. T-thank you very much! My name is Takuto! When he understood it, the boy, Takuto cried, but also made a childish and careless smile as he said so, then lowered his head again. Volume 2 - CH 5 Takuto said he wanted to go to the mirror that allowed one to talk with the dead, which was inside the ancient temple, so that he can meet his parents. Accepting this request of his, Mira took Takutos hand right away and started walking. However, there was a certain person who was very much against it. Hey, wait, WAIIIT! You intend to go with just you two?! Emera who was there with the two, moved around them and stood in their way. Mm-hm, thats what I intend. Mira answered instantly, leaving Emera at loss for words and astonished, but returning to herself she continued to speak. Its way too reckless to bring a child with no combat experience to a C-rank dungeon! The dungeons were managed by the union according to their rank. Just as a C-rank adventurer was treated as high-class adventurer, the dungeon was also just as difficult. The difference between a D-rank and C-rank was an especially large wall, and dungeons of rank above C had their difficulty skyrocket. Because Emera understood that well, her response was natural and there would be no one in the union who wouldnt support her judgment. Thats why Takuto has been constantly refused by the Warriors Union. The ancient temple was not a place to take someone who could not even protect themselves. It doesnt matter as long as I protect him. But Mira said so, while ignoring such a thing completely. She actually imagined going all the way to the fifth level while escorting someone, and decided that with the abilities she held it was more than possible to deal with everything. Why, why decide so simply" Miras overly confident remark made Emera anguish. But, deep inside her, she also felt a presence of a veteran warrior inside Mira. A spellcasters skill could not be judged by their looks. That was common sense in this world. However, if Miras skill as a spellcaster was within the margins of common sense, it was hard to believe her remark. Either overconfidence, or the real thing. To Emera, Mira was a completely unfathomable existence. At the same time, she connected it with the fact that despite being a newcomer who just registered at the union, she had received a C-rank. Based on this preferential treatment unheard of before, she must have had power befitting that. With that said, it was impossible to discard the fear of Mira just being overconfident. Then Ill go with you! As a result, Emera naturally said so. One of the factors behind this, was that Mira was completely unfazed by the ancient temple and she grew curious about her as an adventurer herself. Hearing that, Mira thought it was a good compromise and nodded, consenting. After Emeras accompanying them was decided, the three headed to a cafeteria in order to speak of the details. It was a store called Caf de Chocolat" which had perfectly tasty cocoa and chocolate cakes. So I would like to ask, Mira-chan, youre a spellcaster right? What kind of spellcaster are you? First of all, Emera started probing into Miras ability. The place they were going to was the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis nicknamed underground cemetery" which was a lair of undead monsters. Based on enemys characteristics, if Mira was a high-class Holy Mage or an Exorcist, her compatibility when facing against them would be great and it would make sense that she was confident. However, the answer was different. Im a Summoner. Mira answered shortly, then stuffed her cheeks with Caf de Chocolats most famous cake, Chocolatic Overlord, that she was treated to by Emera. It was a first-class cake that was not too sweet but at the same time had a potential to make a sweets lover groan. It was also quite big, so she ate it together with Takuto who was sitting next to her. From time to time Mira used paper tissues that the table was equipped with to wipe cream off Takutos cheek. While watching the two act like friendly siblings, Emeras expression froze over. Speaking of Summoners, they were a class known in the world to be an endangered species. Due to the high difficulty threshold, Emera heard there were not many new Summoners. The only Summoners Emera knew were Silver Towers elites, and they were not a good point for comparison. Umm, I dont know too well, so...are Summoners...strong? She tried to probe Miras strength but ended up knowing even less, so she made the simplest question there is. And these words had triggered Miras pride and devotion to Summoning. At the same time, Mira recalled the words said by the Tower of Summonings Elder substitute, Cleos. He said that Summoning was on the decline. And according to how Emera put it, even she, a high-class C-rank adventurer had yet to see a Summoner in combat. Understanding just how much Summoning had declined, Mira looked up above her, toward the heavens. However, she did not lose her spirit. She planned on reviving the dignity of Summoning with her own hands. Youll see once the time comes. Mira chuckled meaningfully. On the other hand, Emera muttered once the time comes and you lose its all too late" and grew even more anxious. After the two finished talking for the time being, they left the Caf de Chocolat. Now then, lets go. Mira squinted in the bright daylight, then held Takutos hand and started walking in the direction of the ancient temple. However, Emeras expression froze over again. Then she held her head for the nth time in anguish. Wait, waait! Were going to a C-rank dungeon, right? Theres no way we can go there without any preparations. At the very least lets spend today preparing. She spoke admonishingly while making sure to remain calm. This reaction was also within common sense, it was natural that it took time to prepare before entering a dungeon. Especially when it came to higher-rank dungeons, there were cases where preparations took even a week. Therefore, Emera did not think they would be going today. It cant be helped then. Let us depart tomorrow in such case. Mira who thought that she would get it done today felt it to be a pain, but if Emera was to be convinced with that, she agreed to put off the departing until tomorrow. From there on, Emera started to show her real skill as a high-class adventurer. They went around various stores to buy required medicine and tools. Just in case, she bought high-class medicine. If necessary, she intended to escape with them even if it meant running out of all the medicine. Compared to that, Mira was completely in sightseeing mode. The only item that she bought was an insect repellent. Takuto was taught by Emera about using tools and various medicine types. This too, was just in case something happened. Mira-chan, will you really be okay? Its fine. I intended to go to ancient temple right from the start. I have everything here. Mira said pulling back her left arms sleeve she revealed the bracelet-shaped terminal, called in this world the Operators Bracelet. I hope thats the case" Not convinced completely, showing anxiousness on her face Emera bought plenty extra of medicine and tools just in case. Mira only accompanied her due to her mood. She made an excuse that she has everything bought, but in fact Miras item box was already full of various medicine and tools, so in a way it wasnt wrong. Once they had all consumables prepared, led by Emera they went to buy food items this time. In the corner of the main street, there were shops selling food as main and from among those, Emera headed straight for one. Ohh myy, Emera-chan. Welcome. Are you going off somewhere again? The place she headed to was a store with food for adventurers that she had frequented. It was a store a well-built granny was running, and lined up inside there were various processed foods as well as seasonings. The granny welcomed Emera with a wide smile as she put the goods on the display, making Emera burst into a smile as well. Yes, to the ancient temple. Hohoh. Aiming high arent you. I guess with your guild theres nothing to worry, but be cautious. Yes, thank you very much. Not wanting to worry her, Emera did not say anything about bringing Mira and Takuto. However, of course, the granny looked with curiosity at the two that came together with Emera, alternating between their faces. Are these two your kids, Emera-chan? They are NOT! While the old woman made a mischievous smile, Emera denied with her face beet red. While the two acted like in some home drama tv show, on the side Mira curiously looked at the lined up goods. In the meanwhile, Emera bought processed meat, freeze-dried vegetables and fruits in cans. The next place they headed for was an armament store. Inside the store there were metallic armors and several customers took them in their hands to check the state they were in. "By the way, it seems like you dont have any weapons, what kind of weapon do summoners use? Emera saw that Mira had an Operators Bracelet so she thought the weapon might be inside the item box. However, a weapon was something carried within hands reach just in case. Naturally, Emera too, had a sword by her waist at all times. I dont have one. Summoning is a weapon itself, after all. Hee, is that so. While what Mira said was not wrong, it was not like all Summoners were like that. There were many who held staffs to improve their maximum mana and speed of recovery. It was one thing that Miras skill as summoner was beyond ordinary, but she also had a Daoist as secondary class. Bare-handed combat was the basis of Daoism so holding a staff would make her unable to make full use of the second class, as such she did not hold any weapon. However, Emera didnt know anything about such circumstances or Summoners themselves, so she was convinced by what Mira said. The main reason for her coming to the armaments store was for inspecting Emeras equipment and to prepare armor for Takuto. By the way, the entire sum was paid by Emera. It was one thing that she wanted to show her dependability as someone older, but at the same time she earned enough that an armor for a child was an insignificant expanse for her. Phew, I guess this is it. Normally it takes longer to prepare, though. After Emera purchased everything necessary, she sat down on the small stone wall surrounding a monument for appeasing souls which stood in the middle of a plaza. In their surroundings, the sun had already fallen and lanterns shone on people as they returned home after work. About tomorrows schedule, is ten in the morning in front of the union all right? Mm-hm. Yes! Please take care of me! While responding to her Mira sat down next to Emera, Takuto stood in front of the two and bowed deeply. From Emeras perspective there was still anxiety remaining in her, but she intended to do something about that from here on. Well then, its already late, so lets go back for today. Mira-chan, Takuto-kun, where do you two live? I live in grandpas house in the back street behind the union. I...what was the name again" Speaking of which, Mira recalled she did not hear what was the name of that hotel-like inn. However, along that line of thought she recalled the words she was taught in case she was lost. If Im not wrong, it was the number one inn in this city. Apparently. Touching the chin with her finger Mira answered vaguely. Hearing that, Emera made an expression not that of surprise, but a completely astonished one as she put a hand on her cheek. Takuto looked at the two in alternation and tilted his head wondering what happened. You mean...there. As she sighed, ahead of where Emera pointed with her gaze there was a large building brightly lit by the street light. The brightly-lit up building was the inn Summer Lantern" which looked different from how it looked during the day, being very showy now. Ohh, that place. To think it was this close, mm. Chasing after Emeras gaze, Mira recognized the building whose atmosphere changed despite being still the same familiarly-built inn. Fine...I wont be surprised anymore. Yes, nothing will surprise me. Letting her gaze wander, Emera slowly stood up and took Takutos hand. Well then, I will see Takuto-kun off. Mira-chan, you go back straight to the inn, understood? Emera said to make sure Mira listened, then moved her head next to Miras and stared straight into her eyes. M-...mm-hm, Ive gotten hungry after all, Ill go back right away. While saying so Mira stood up and then leaned back to move away from Emera. She was unable to completely hide her perturbation from suddenly being approached so close by a beauty. I see, thats great. Well then, see you tomorrow. Yeah, see you tomorrow. You too, Takuto, see you tomorrow. Make sure to sleep well today. Yup, thank you onee-chan. See you tomorrow, please take care of me. Mm-hm. After exchanging farewells, Mira nodded in response to Takutos smile, then turned around to start walking towards the inn. Emera did not move right away, she waited to confirm that Mira entered the Summer Lantern" before taking Takuto and heading in the direction of the union. Volume 2 - CH 6 The next morning after they arranged to go to the ancient temple, Mira received the lunch box set she requested at the inns dining hall and left the inn. The sky was cloudless and it was a perfect weather for a picnic. Walking around on the main street in the gentle, late morning sun, were housewives and armed adventurers. Deciding to show off the essence of Summoning today, Mira took a deep breath and started to walk. The location they promised to meet up, was in front of the union. After arriving there, Mira looked for Emera and Takuto. However, it appeared that they werent there yet. After lightly checking the surroundings, Mira sat down on a chair for resting that was in front of the Spellcasters Union. Nhm, whats going on? When she raised her head after taking a short break, Mira saw a squirming crowd. On a small plaza in front of two unions, there were men and women of all ages gathering around something. Another zombie? Mira thought at first, but coming from that crowd were high, cheering voices, which is why she decided that was not the case. After muttering to herself Mira lost her interest, took out Apple au Lait and started to sip it. About ten minutes after Mira arrived at the union, the large clock on the plaza displayed ten in the morning. However, the two still did not appear. Theyre late. Completely late, mm. Her dazed line of sight she aimed towards the surroundings, had once again captured the lively crowd. (Are there street performers in the morning in this city?) Thinking that could be a good way to kill time Mira stood up, and that moment, a familiar boy squeezed himself through the crowd and jumped outside. However, he was kicked by someone and fell over, which caused him to let go of the two copper coins he was holding, so he chased after the coins. What, its Takuto, so you were here. Mira picked up the copper coins that rolled on the ground and called out to the familiar boy. Ah, Mira-oneechan. Good morning! She smiled gently and extended a hand with the copper coins on her palm, which Takuto received with a friendly smile and said thank you!. Its not just you, right. Wheres Emera? Umm, there. When she asked, Takuto pointed with his finger at the crowd that gathered in the plaza. Mira thought that they came before her and were killing time. Emera-oneechan! Mira-oneechan is hereee! Takuto turned towards the crowd, approached it and raising his voice he called out. After a while, the crowd split and the black-haired Elf, Emera appeared from it. Mira-chan, so you came. You should have called out. When Emera said so, Mira shrugged and heaved a sigh theatrically. Dont say stupid things. I didnt think you would be in the middle of such a crowd. Hearing Miras words, Emera turned around to look again, then allowed her gaze to wander around before she smiled bitterly and joined her hands in apologetic gesture. Im sorry! I didnt think so many people would gather. Emera made an excuse. However, there was something that caught MIras attention in what Emera said, so she opened her mouth. In that moment. So this missy is the Mira girl you spoke of, sub-leader? Along with that voice, from behind Emera peeked a large man. This man was clad in a metallic armor shining in dull silver color and wore gloves decorated with scarlet bells. The large hammer he had on his back was as long as the man was tall and spoke of the inhuman strength he possessed. He had an expression of a good person, but at the same time his shortly-cut red hair and the unshaven face made him give off a wild impression. With that as the start, two more people showed their face. Hahyuu, thats super cuuteee! A woman wearing a purple robe stood right of Emera and while saying this, jumped like a rabbit. She had green hair and her green eyes hidden behind her glasses were dyed with lust and sparkling. A scarlet bell was embroidered on the sleeves of her robe, which must have been the guilds symbol. At first glance she had intellectual facial features, but now that her expression was dyed with lust, it all was for naught. Her green hair extended a little below her shoulders. By the waist, she had an about meter-long staff. Seriously? Where, wheree?!! Ohh, found a pretty girl! But personally, Id wait for another five years first. This time, lining up to the left of Emera and looking at Mira curiously from the top of her head down to her toes was a man clad in light equipment. He had brown hair and an earring in his ear, embroidered on the green bandana he had the same scarlet bell as the two others. He was the lady-killer type of guy, tall and holding twin short swords by his waist. He was wearing a black jacket on his back and camouflage-patterned pants with several belts tied around his waist. His light-heartedness was not limited to his looks, but also showed in the way he spoke. Who are they? While feeling uncomfortable with the sudden exposure to several stares, Mira looked at the three who seemed to be Emeras acquaintances. They are members of the guild I belong to, carlate Carillon, whom I handpicked from among everyone! In response to Miras question, Emera puffed up her chest and said with confidence. With that said, we were the only ones who were free today, riight. Why did you have to say it?! While Emera tried to show off as much as she could, it was all exposed by the light-hearted man. Caught by angry Emera, he said sorry, sorry" clearly poking fun at her. Im Asbar. Lets get along, missy. Glancing at such two and smiling cheerfully was the large man. Although he appeared stern, his good-hearted personality showed in the edges of his words. Im Fricca. Take care of me. Following him, the woman in purple robe put a finger on her glasses to raise them and smiled intellectually, then extended her right hand seeking a handshake. M-...mm-hm. Im Mira. Thinking that her impression was different from earlier, Mira extended her own right hand towards Friccas hand. I knew it, youre so cuuute! The instant their hands touched, Fricca smiled broadly and speaking in mushy voice she started to squirm, then pulled in with unexpected strength. Having no idea what is happening, Mira was caught in Friccas arms. So youre called Mira-chaaan, these cheeks are soo squishy. While saying so, Fricca poked Miras cheeks with her finger. Although Mira attempted to escape, she was firmly caught in Friccas arms and was unable to escape from her range. Mira shook her head and resisted, but the moment it almost worked she fell for a feint and was poked in the cheeks again. Emera, do something! Unable to bear it, Mira raised her voice. Wondering whats going on Emera let go of the light-hearted guy and turned around. Then noticing what was going on she smiled wryly and there!, delivered a chop at Friccas head from above. Im sorry, Mira-chan. I already told Fricca not to touch you as much as its possible for her. Id rather you made SURE she doesnt instead of as much as possible. The chop must have been fairly powerful as Fricca held her head with both hands and made an anguished expression. Still, since she was still intent on clinging onto Mira, Asbar pulled her away with an experienced move. Im Zeffard. You can call me Zeff. The light-hearted man who introduced himself as Zeffard approached Mira without a sound and lowered himself to match Miras height, then smiled broadly. This carefree expression of his had given Mira an unexpectedly good impression of him. Im Mira. So, who are these people? The appearance of Emeras comrades whom she did not mention at all yesterday had confused Mira. Helpers! On the other hand, Emera answered as if it was the most natural thing ever. All of this was caused by the fact that the place they were heading was a C-rank dungeon. In order to dispel the remaining anxiety and make sure they completed the dungeon safely, Emera hurriedly spoke with the three last night. To Mira, the ancient temple was low level hunting grounds, but in general it required a fair amount of fighting power like the one that was here now. Mm-hm, well, fine. Lets go. From Miras perspective there was no problem even if the number of people increased. It has been a while since she was in party with people she met for the first time, so it even felt a little fun. Holding Takutos hand, Mira started walking with intention of departing but had immediately opened her eyes with astonishment. Before she realized, the crowd from the plaza earlier had spreading with them as the center. This uproar was actually caused by Emera and others. carlate Carillon was a famous high-class guild. With the four members of such a guild gathered together, they started to gather attention. Emera and others arrived in front of the union before Mira. They dealt with the several things they had to do inside the union and when they waited for Mira, people suddenly gathered to turn into this mysterious crowd. The cause of the crowd gathering was with Mira, so it was self-evident that the same phenomenon would occur around them. Emera-neesan, so wonderful." I wanna be stomped over by Fricca-san." Zeff, dont get carried away" Asbar, bro, bring me to drink something next time." Is that cute girl a new member? Zeff, be careful on streets at night! Voices came from all over in the noisy plaza. Used to it, Emera lightly waved her hand back, Asbar laughed cheerfully, Fricca remained absorbed in Mira, and Zeff alone said All I get is abuse" and hung his head. Well then, lets go. Everyone, follow meee. Rooger. Raising her right arm, Emera started walking the main street in high spirits. The only one who responded to her was Zeff. Once Emera started to move, the crowd opened up and as they passed by, they were given voices of encouragement. It looks like high-class adventurers are treated like celebrities, Mira thought impressed as she hid in Asbars shadow. About an hour from the Soul-Calming City of Karnack. After passing through the forest to the North, a cliff had spread in front of them. There, enormous statues were lined up one next to another, welcoming the party. The countless statues cut out of the wall continued so far that they couldnt all fit in the field of vision. Now then, its finally time for the real thing. Looking at it again, it sure a magnificent view, mm. Looking up at them Emera tensed herself, as for Mira, seeing this massive scenery, had completely entered a sightseeing mood. At the foot of the cliff filled with countless statues, there was the entrance to the ancient temple. Well then, Ill be off. While saying so, Zeff silenced his footsteps and entered the ancient temple. Although the possibility was small, there could be monsters hiding at the ritual site. It was an action cautious of such possibility. With that said, it appeared there was no problem this time as soon after, a voice saying iIiiits allll riiiiiight" had sounded. Once everyone moved into the ritual site, they sat down somewhere near. Then after waiting until everyone caught their breath, Emera opened her mouth. Now, our objective this time is the fifth level, the Dark Aids room. The Dark Aids Mirror, was it. Still, Im not familiar with Summoning, but on the fifth level the number of troublesome monsters increases, will it be fine? carlate Carillon has dived into this place multiple times. They have prepared their equipment and charged in with their main members, thanks to which they were able to finish the fifth level. Although they grew stronger compared to back then, there were only four members of the main force this time and a Summoner of unknown skill had been added. It could not be helped that Asbar spoke such a honest opinion. Hmm, I will make you correct your prejudices then. Mira said with confidence and puffed her chest. carlate Carillon was a guild that caught a lot of attention. If its main members properly understand Summonings real power, they will become an advertising sign that will help wipe away the bad image. Thats what she thought. I see, then Ill look forward to it. While saying so, Asbar confirmed the medicine and various tools. It was so that he was able to protect Mira and Takuto if it was necessary. Asbar-san and I will be the vanguard. Mira-chan and Takuto-kun will be in the middle and in the back Fricca and Zeff-kun. Got it? Got it. Yes." Roger roger. Mm, fine. Yes! Please take care of me! After everyone had given their acknowledgement, Emera nodded with satisfaction. Then, the four of carlate Carillon started their preparations for combat. Asbar held the large hammer and confirmed the connection part, Fricca checked several tarot-like cards before putting them back in her breast pocket. Zeff pulled out his short swords and covered them with an oil-like coating. As for Emera, she put away the sword she had at her waist and took out a long western sword out of item box, then with a suspicious smile different from before she hung it on her waist. Oh, is that leaders sword? Seeing the sword Emera had, Asbar asked and everyones gazes naturally gathered on her. Yup indeed. I mean, we know what kind of place it is, when I explained to him whats happening he lent it to me. With this we should be able to progress much easier. While saying so, she pulled out the blade. The sword with blade on both sides let out a faint white light, and just by a glance it appeared it was not just any sword. Hooh, a Spirit Sword of light, huh. Thats an interesting thing you have there. Said Mira after seeing Emeras sword. The faintly shining white light was a characteristic of items enchanted with light element. There were several light elemental swords including rares, but the one in front of them was something acquired through special circumstances. The most regular sight elemental sword was something that had radiant water and augite added to materials when crafted. The rare ones were holy swords and divine swords which had peculiar designs, things that could be distinguished at a glance. But the one that Emera was holding in her hands at the first look appeared like a mere sword imbued with light element. However, to spellcasters, especially the higher class ones, a certain something could be seen around it. Im surprised you noticed. Its normally our leaders item, but I asked him if I could borrow it. Emera said and stared at the blade with an ecstatic expression. Then once she put the sword back inside the sheathe, the sparkling particles that were clinging to it have disappeared. Those sparkling particles were the reason Mira said it was a Spirit Sword of light. Spirit Swords. They were swords that were blessed by a spirit and held a characteristic of the spirit that blessed them. These blessings also dwelled in things other than swords, and those items were called Spirit Armament1. Their characteristic was that the blessing could dwell inside any kind of armamen,t and spellcasters were capable of seeing some of its power. Warrior classes could see fighting spirit, spellcaster classes could see spirits. Which is why Mira was capable of seeing the spirit power dwelling inside the sword. Every spellcaster knew of this. And the higher class the spellcaster was the more clearly he could see them, and sense more spirits. "Well be relying on you then. Asbar raised the corner of his mouth in a smile and put the large hammer on the back again before standing up. Sure, leave it to me. Now, lets go! Following Emera who stood up with a strong momentum everyone else also stood up and headed to the entrance of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis underground first level, which was at the altar. Emera, Asbar and Zeff only thought of Mira as of a knowledgeable girl, but Fricca who was also a spellcaster, was different. She was incapable of seeing the particles of light that were the proof of a Spirit Sword. For someone who could not see it, it would be difficult to guess at first glance that it was a Spirit Sword. Although Mira spoke those own words as nothing but idle talk. From Friccas perspective this was the moment she started to think Mira was not an ordinary person. The six lined up together in the middle of the altar. Part of the ground in front of them was covered by something like a membrane of polished glass. In the four corners of it, there were suspicious pedestals and crystals. After taking a step forward, Mira took out the card case. Then recalling the method she was taught, she pressed the ancient temples permit onto a pedestal. That moment, the membrane that blocked them from entering underground had become completely transparent in no time. Hmm, what an elaborate mechanism. Mira looked at the permit that lost its color and muttered. Meanwhile, carlate Carillon members passed by her and went ahead. Now, its finally timee. I wonder if there will be treaasuure. Dont forget the objective. We are escorting them to the Dark Aids room. I know I know. Zeff passed through the completely transparent barrier and lightly descended down the stairs, Asbar with all seriousness warned him, then Emera and Fricca. Once Mira saw Takuto had passed through the barrier, she turned the permit to the card case and chased after them. Volume 2 - CH 7 After getting downstairs, Mira and others walked down a long and dark corridor while relying on lantern lights. It sure has gotten bright, mm. Mira muttered while looking at the lanterns at Emera and other threes waists that lit up the surroundings. Surrounded by a metallic support there was a pale blue spherical object that released light and lit up the surroundings. I heard that you were prepared so I didnt go to a store with adventurer goods, but I didnt think you wouldnt even have a lantern. Emera said appalled and stared at the ball of light floating above Miras head. It was the light that Mira created with Abstract Magic for lighting up the surroundings. Spellcasters can cast a lighting spell. Thats enough. That might be the case, but it consumes mana to light the surroundings, we dont know whats ahead of here, will you be really fine? Emera said and Fricca nodded in response to her words. They just entered the dungeon and from here on they would enter combat multiple times. In such cases it was unthinkable for adventurer spellcasters to use mana, also called MP, to light up their way when they could replace them with lanterns. The amount of mana this level of a spell consumes is insignificant. No problem. Every time the light made with Abstract Magic disappeared, it was necessary to cast the spell again and yet did not fill the entire location with light, so there were places still dim. This was the reason why back when she was still Danbulf, she dragged Cleos around. Cleos who had the power of a Light Spirit could light the entire area up to every little corner and acted as a highly efficient lamp. Looking ahead into a badly-lit corridor, Mira thought it would have been much simpler if she took Cleos. It was thinking that Emera and others would have even harder time understanding. Is...that so. Emera did not know the details of a Summoner class, so she thought it was some kind of bonus summoners had, and was convinced as such. Fricca too, hearing Mira - who saw the traces of the spirit that she could not see - say this and was convinced that what she said was true In fact, there was no such thing as class bonus, but Miras mana had already completely recovered. She had trained herself with magic power stat as the foundation, so her max mana and the mana recovery speed were far beyond the common sense of ordinary adventurers. While chatting like that they continued on, until they reached a small hall where the corridor ended. The air touching their skin there was moist and beyond where lights reached, everything was enveloped by silent darkness. While the only things sounding were the sounds of their exhaling, their footsteps and of armor rubbing against itself, Emera spread her map and started walking towards the corridor leading to the next open hall. (Its about time monsters started to appear.) After walking down to the underground the went past the first hall and walked in the corridor for a little while. Ahead of them there was a large space spreading out. Mira recalled that in the ancient temple, monsters started to appear from the second hall. Summoning: Holy Knight After setting the summoning location to beside herself, Mira used Summoning to prepare for combat. Then suddenly, a shining magic circle appeared on the ground and lit up the corridor. What is this light?! What, what is it? A light bright enough to drown out both lanterns and the light spell had flashed, making Emera and Asbar who walked in front turn around. What the two saw, was a pure white knight who appeared from inside the light. Sorry to surprise you. This guy here is my summoned spirit. Mira explained shortly while knocking on the white knights waist. This knight was over two meters tall, had a shield tall enough to cover his entire body and was holding a shining silver longsword in his hand. What was the most characteristic was the armor his entire body was clad in. It was so white it shone, and behind the full-face helmet shook two red lights. So this is an Armament Spirit? I feel an amazing amount of power. Emera and Fricca gasped and stared at him. What this existence held was not an overwhelmingly intimidating presence, the white knight was giving out an aura that gave a sense of security. Thats keewl. So this is Summoning, huh. This sure is amazin. While the Holy Knight stood gallantly, Zeff looked at him from the front, the back and both sides before speaking up childishly. As for Asbar, he stared seriously at the knight in front of him and recalled what he heard from Emera. It was about Mira who despite being a freshly registered newcomer, was a C-rank. Hearing that, Asbar thought that Emera was joking or saw it in a dream. However, she said she is actually going into the ancient temple. Asbar decided to go with them to confirm the truth, and if necessary bring them back even if by force. However, seeing the Holy Knight in front of himself, or rather, being shown off, he corrected his understanding. His intuition said that this knight was stronger than him. He thought this must have been the reason for the treatment unheard of before. Seeing how unfathomable Summoners were, he felt slight fear. Seeing the four reactions and them change their opinion of Summoning, satisfied, Mira ordered the Holy Knight to protect Takuto and eliminate all harm that could come to him from any direction. The Holy Knight was a spirit that dwelled inside armament that was used to protect. Therefore, when it came to protecting it could even be as strong as a higher-class summon. This was also the reason she was able to bring Takuto to such a dangerous place. Right now there was no existence in the ancient temple capable of defeating the Holy Knight when he focused on protecting, aside from Mira herself. Now that Takutos safety was assured, the party reached the large hall. At the same time, Asbar turned his gaze toward the surroundings while on his guard, then changed the grip on his large hammer as if to confirm its state. Stoppi there, it feels like theres something here. Zeff moved his gaze from the direction they were moving in to the left, then coming up to Mira and Takutos side he poised with his two short swords. Asbar stood between Mira and the thing that appeared, and Emera quickly folded the map and stood next to him. Before long, like a ripple spreading in the silence a sound of something behind dragged had reached them. Although slowly, the presence has been surely getting closer to them. Asbar and Emera poised their weapons as they glared forward. Zeff prepared for a surprise attack from another direction and had been straining his eyes at the surroundings. Holding her staff, Fricca stared in the front with a calm expression. Oh, Ghouls, huh. When the silhouettes appeared as multiple of them crawled towards the light source, they appeared to somewhat resemble humans. Although Emera and Asbar showed disgust, they immediately recovered their calm and confronted them with weapons in their hands. Zeff stood back on stand-by and the Holy Knight stood behind Takuto and had covered him with the large shield. (Still, the visibility sure is bad.) To Mira who got used to the fact Cleos was always there, monsters appearing from darkness was a first time in a while experience. She strained her eyes, but Asbars back was too big and she could not see well, so she stretched and tried looking from the sides but they were still a little far and she could not grasp their entire appearance. Mm...what is this smell? I wonder too, its strange smell. The stench had gradually filled the surroundings making Mira scowl, Takuto standing beside her also could smell it and had pinched his nose before muttering. Its their smell, obviously. While saying so, Zeff pointed with his gaze in front. Yes, this smell Mira felt was the smell of something rotting. The monsters that parasitized the corpses did not give them a new life, so the corpses continued to rot. Bodies continued to rot and eventually broke apart and the monster took over the next corpse. Understanding Zeffs words, Miras face was filled with even more disgust. Then, she was able to see a glance of the ghoul from behind Asbar. Ugh! It was a lump of meat that festered so much it could no longer be be called a corpse. The clouded eyes were defocused and watched the prey emptily, the mouth without lips remained open and the tongue peeked out and looked like it could be bitten off any time. They had thinned out cheeks and head with skin partially torn off, while still retaining a few hairs. Their skin was torn and maggots could be seen in some places between rotten meat. The sight was graphic, and because they barely retained the appearance of a human, one could feel an illusion that even the air they breathed in was corrupted. This scenery filled with realism made Mira feel a violent urge to puke. However, when she looked away and saw Takutos appearance, possibly due to pride of a guardian who brought him here. Mira swallowed the urge to puke. I will start pre-emptively. Fricca declared and took a step forward, then activated the Wizardry: Deep Crimson spell she prepared. Raising her staff she gathered magic power which sparkled for a moment, before turning into a vortex of flames that appeared in between group of Ghouls. Enveloped by the rampaging hellfire their skin was burned off and their legs burst, before long Ghouls fell over forward where flames further covered them, breaking their skin and burning them down to the entrails, spreading ash. Soon after the cremating flames have purified the pitiful defiled corpse and burned it down along with the stench, Once red flames lighting the surroundings calmed down, two Ghouls that were outside the spell range had resumed their movement. However, the moment Emera and Asbar saw that, they leaped forward. One of the Ghouls was cut down into small pieces, the other one had about half of his body pulverized, turning into pieces of meat and throwing around maggots as it fell on the ground. Even if they were undead monsters, they were unable to move after being damaged to that extent. Looks like we cleaned them up for now. Everything took a few dozen of seconds, but Mira had once again understood the situation had changed from when it was a game. Back when it was a game Ghouls looked very realistic so she was unable to look straight at them. However, she got used to it as she continued to play the game. But meeting again with those things in reality, seeing how theyre rotten and being able to not only see them but also feel the smell of their decomposed bodies, was something one could not get used to even if they had acquired some resistance. Everyone had released their stances and Takuto, while holding his nose, peeked out from behind the Holy Knights shield. Ghouls that turned into ash were not a problem, but the remnants of Ghouls that Emera and Asbar beat were still releasing a putrid smell, Mira twisted her expression again at that. Takuto-kun, did you drink the medicine? Yes, I did. When Emera asked, Takuto responded with nasal voice. Then that should not bother you as much. It cant be helped, I guueeess. We might be used to it, but its the first time for Takuto. Even if its weakened by the medicine, its not like itll completely disappear right away. Zeff said so to Emera who was wondering whats happening, then glanced at Ghouls corpses. Hearing that, Emera said I guess youre right. and recalled the first time she came here. Hey, what medicine are you talking about? Finding a term she got curious about in their conversation Mira asked, while feeling the urge to recur due to the smell, and had covered her mouth with the sleeve. Of course, I mean the Smell-Resistance Drug...can it be you did not bring it, Mira-chan?! Smell...Resistance Drug? First time hearing of it. Hearing Miras response Emera muttered It wasnt just...the lantern" and smiled bitterly. Well, simply put, its a medicine that makes really smelly things smell a little less...I guess? Thats a roundabout way to put it, but yeah. As Emera gave a rough explanation, Asbar only shrugged and agreed with her. This drug was apparently used for twenty years already, according to Asbars explanation. The Smell-Resistance Drug worked on the sense of smell and temporarily paralyzed it. Although it did not shut it down completely, it helped putting an upper limit on smell and had effect of protecting the user from a certain amount of pungent odor. It was an effect that Mira did not even think about when it was a game. However, now that this was a reality, due to the demand such drugs were developed and then became popularized. (Thirty years, huh. Interesting. I wonder what other things are there out in the world.) The first adventure-like adventure since coming to this world welcomed Mira with sense of reality and made her excited. However, the problem was now. The odor continued to spread. Takuto let go of his nose and attempted to get used to it. It appeared like he managed to bear it thanks to the effect of the drug. Its best to get used to it. The moment Mira thought so, a certain thing passed by the back of her head. The place they were in now was the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. The underground cemetery that was a paradise of undead. Even the early group of Ghouls caused this much problem. And yet they will continue to appear in large numbers from here on, then, Mira recalled that from the third level start appearing Giant Ghouls which were enormous decomposed bodies. The effect those things would have was immeasurable. This instant, she gave up on having an actual adventure and moved away from the five, then extended her right hand to the side. Summoning Skill: Arcana Constraint Circle When Mira activated a skill, in the space ahead of her right hand at appeared a blue magic circle as big as a human was tall. However, Miras actions did not stop with just that. After checking the magic circle she pointed her hand to towards the left. Then, the second magic circle had appeared. This slowly moving magic circle was called the Arcana Constraint Circle. It was a Summoners exclusive skill and when there was a summoned body nearby it received various benefit from it. The effect grew stronger with their number and raised the base statistics and had additional effects like decreasing the required mana to use various skills. However, Miras objective was not strengthening a summon. Arcana Constraint Circle was a condition for activating a different skill. Mira-chan, what are you doing? Well, just look. Noticing the faint light of the magic circle first was Emera. After responding shortly to her question, Mira extended her hand to the magic circle. Now. Summoning Skill: Rosario Summoning Circle When Mira touched the magic circle, the two circles started to shine brilliantly and were overwritten in no time. Not knowing what this sight meant, Emera and others only gasped. Once the light had settled down, a new, double-layered magic circle had appeared. These two magic-circles shining in red light were clad in powerful magic power unlike before. Feeling the presence of that power, Fricca was so enthralled she forgot her thirst. With the preparations completed, Mira slowly opened her mouth. I ask of the maiden running through the sky, what is the name of one who uses a flash of light to remove evil? Mira whispered while touching one of the magic circles. It was not just Summoning but all of high-class spells that required a chant. And the words Mira had whispered were one of the chants for a high summoning. The name is Alfina. The name of the sword that swore master its loyalty. A voice sounded from the other summoning circle. With this answer, the preparations for summoning have safely completed. And this voice had also reached the five in the back, so they started looking around, but immediately realized it came from Miras direction and returned their gaze back towards her. Come to my side. Summoning: Valkyrie The moment Mira declared usage of the high summoning, the magic circles in her surrounding had responded to her magic power and shone. Whats this? What is happening? What amazing magic power...what is it this time? It was Emera who raised her hand to protect herself from the dazzle, and Fricca who squinted as she stared with deep interest. The other three lost their words at the sight they havent seen before, just remaining spectators. The magic circle that was by Miras side had glittered powerfully before disappearing. Immediately after that, the other magic circle slowly floated up into the air and the inner and outer circles of it split to move up and down respectively, opening up. I have come answering to summons. It has been a while, my master. From the white pillar of light that appeared like an afterimage, a single womans figure had appeared. Her appearance was beautiful, she was wearing an azure-colored light armor, gauntlets and greaves. On her head she was wearing a circlet shining gold and her aquamarine hair flowed like wind on a plains and were tied behind her back. At her waist she had a sword sheathed inside a sheath of the same azure color as her armor, but from inside of it leaked a divine light. A battle maiden not bringing shame to this name, had suddenly descended in front of Emera and others. Mm-hm, its been a while, Alfina. Mira said and stared intently at Alfina. The summoned Valkyrie, Alfina, knelt in front of Mira to show her respect. My master, it appears you have changed completely. Alfina said so after taking a look at Miras appearance. Uh...well, a lot happened. Is that so. Although Mira predicted this and was able to retain an innocuous attitude, she still smiled bitterly seeing that things came this far. Back when this was a game, the summons that were called in through summoning spoke the minimal amount of words, only when responding to masters orders. However, the Valkyrie in front of her, Alfina, held her own will which spun her words. Hearing this, Mira was made certain. Ever since she found out this world has become reality, she somewhat predicted this might be the case. Among summons that Mira had contracted there were many who possessed high intelligence. Valkyrie was one of such summons. In other words, she was probably able to hold a conversation with others as well. This was good fortune for Mira who had often played solo. Even more so than surprise, she was filled with joy. Alfina, what did you do up until now? Since she was already summoned, Mira curiously decided to try a conversation. I mainly spent days training with my sisters. I did the best of my abilities to be ready for masters at call any time. Mm-hm, I see. As expected, you are very reliable. It is an honour to be praised like this. With this a lone journey would not be lonely, Mira thought and her expression broke into a smiling one. He...hey, Mira-chan. Who is this person? Opening her wide at the Valkyrie who was clad with an extraordinary aura, Emera took a step forward while still staring at her, and asked. Fricca was at loss for words at the amount of magic power that flowed, and as for Zeff, his gaze was glued to Alfinas beautiful appearance. Shes Alfina, a Valkyrie. When Mira answered simply like this, Alfina stood up and turned towards Emera. You are my masters comrades, yes? My name is Alfina, pleasure to make your acquaintance. She greeted them like so. Her movement was so elegant that Emera in panic responded with a clumsy greeting S-same here, please take care of me. . Thats one dazzling beauty. Rather, she feels kinda different from that white knight there. She can talk, after all. Returning to himself, Asbar stared at Alfina and muttered impressed. Asbar too, felt the completely different presence that came from Alfina and was astonished at the pressure in whole different league that surrounded her. Indeed, indeeed. I hope you finally changed your understanding. Bragging a little, Mira crossed her arms and puffed her chest. For the time being, with this she was able to show off the power of Summoning, she was convinced. My master, your orders. Alfina turned around and once again knelt, waiting for instructions. Seeing that, Mira gave an order that blew away all of Emeras preparations and worries. Eradicate all monsters from here until the fifth level! As expected, Mira did not want to see any more of those grotesque Ghouls or any similar. In such case, she just had to make someone go ahead and wipe everything clean. That was the conclusion that Miras thinking had come to. Your will. Alfina pulled out her sword from the sheath and pulling a flash of light behind herself, she dived deep inside the Ancient Temple. Volume 2 - CH 8 Alfinas fluttering hair reflected brilliantly even in artificial light as she sprinted aiming deeper underground like wind itself. After seeing her off, Mira thought there was no more problems left and blinking strongly, removed the sight of the Ghoul earlier from her mind. Now, we should be going. She said and when she turned her gaze towards the direction they were progressing in, Takuto trotted up to her side and held her hand. Fricca too, followed him and like it was natural she leaned towards Mira. On the other hand, Emera, Asbar and Zeff still turned in the direction Alfina headed to, frozen stiff. You two, did you see that? Yeah, I saw it. That was tremendous. But I think that too, is wonderful. What the three had seen with their eyes, was the fighting spirit overflowing from Alfina. It was enormous and bigger than any other they have seen before. Although it could vary between people, fighting spirit was a type of energy that anyone was clad in during combat and its size grew proportionally to the fighters skill. And just like spellcasters were able to sense and see spirits, warrior classes could see fighting spirit with their eyes. Emera looked towards Mira who puffed her chest with pride and satisfaction. She wondered just who on earth was Mira, whom Alfina, an owner of such strength called her master. Summoning is truly amazing. It was my first time seeing it, but I have been greatly surprised. "...Who the hell are you? Mira stared at Fricca, who spoke to her in such a way. The atmosphere Fricca was giving off was way too different from before. Where did her expression from when she teased Mira because of her cuteness go to? Currently, Fricca turned her eyes, sparkling like starry sky, towards Mira. This intellectual appearance of hers might as well have been a complete stranger. We were together all this time, you sure say the oddest of things. Fricca responded along with a gesture of raising her glasses. Emera, EMERAA. Fricca is being weird! Feeling something unfathomable within Friccas attitude as she reservedly pat her head, Mira sought help from Emera. Um, what happened? Absentminded Emeras consciousness returned when she heard her name called and she walked up to Mira while still in daze. Fricca is acting strange. Shes overly calm, or should I say, acting intellectual. In any case, weird. Ahhh. You mean THAT. After grasping the situation, Emera mischievously smiled and saying I love you" she suddenly hugged Fricca. What is it? Emera. Dont screw around. Fricca had lightly brushed such Emera away and slipped out from her arms. As for Emera, she stuck out her tongue and saying I was dumped" she laughed. So, whats with her? Mira-chan, do the same thing I did just now. Why would I do something like" Mira was clearly shaken. Of course, there was no wonder because what Emera told her to do, was to cling onto Fricca. Although Mira would love to do it if she could, the embarrassment still won over. Come on, youll understand once you try it. Unable to just watch like that, Emera grasped Miras hands from behind and made her cling onto Fricca from the front. Whapp, what are you doiNG EMERa.AaAAaa?! Oh Mira-chan, youre such a spoiled giirl. It cant be helped, come on, Ill give you a squeeeze! It was sudden. Suddenly Friccas cool and intellectual expression broke and she hugged Mira who was thrown onto her chest, almost so strongly she almost pushed Mira down. And then she started rubbing her own cheeks against Miras to enjoy the softness. Mira-chan, I love youuu! What is going oooooooooon?!! This sudden and complete change made Mira flustered. Although at first she had been cautious of Fricca because of her impression, she was completely deceived by this calm behavior and let her guard down. As you probably realized already, Fricca is a sucker for cute girls. Normally shes calm and collected, a reliable rear guard. But as you can see, if theres an opportunity she falls in such a state. It was enough to explain with your words! Being stroked all over her body by Fricca, Mira desperately raised her voice as she resisted. I thought it would be faster to see it yourself. Tehee. You foooollll! Miras scream vainly reverberated in the ancient temple which has recovered its calmness. carlate Carillons members only looked at her with looks saying my condolences" and smiled wryly. Only Takuto alone, squeezed Miras hand, self-asserting himself. Once Fricca finished replenishing her supplement of cute, Mira was finally released. Five minutes has passed since she was constrained. In the meanwhile, Zeff had checked the remnants of Ghouls for items characteristic to the monster. To Zeff, who was unintimidated by anything, classifying monster-dropped materials was easy. And so, after a while they resumed their progress forward. It was a dark passage inside which their footsteps and some metallic sounds reverberated. On her guard from the heavy breathing of Fricca behind her, Mira continued to walk forward. Feeling a different kind of nervousness from the usual dungeon delving nervousness, Mira arrived at the next hall all languid. Inside there was absolutely no signs of presence, instead, here and there piles of ash could be seen. Theres nothing heereee. Zeff who peeked inside the hall to check it just in case, had shook his right hand and announced it was safe. Moving in front of Mira and others, Zeff searched the surroundings. Then standing in front of the pile of ash, he found something shiny inside of it. Oh, its a Magic Stone. He said and picked up a purple, bead-sized stone. Seeing that, Asbar used the hammers hilt to break up a pile of ash. Then confirming there was a magic stone inside, he raised his lantern and took a look at the hall with monsters completely wiped out. Can it be that all of these piles of ash are monster remains? Within this about twenty meters large room around the, there were over ten piles of ash. From among them, Mira took out a Magic Stone. (Hmm, looks like they drop like they should.) Magic Stones were one of materials that could be obtained mainly from undead monsters. They were holding the magic power required for moving their bodies, and that magic power could be used in various fields, which is why there was a demand for them. Mira now confirmed that the monsters properly dropped Magic Stones in this underground cemetery, like they should have. In the past, players who aimed for these drops over-hunted monsters in this underground cemetery. It went so far, that among the players the term grave visiting" meant excessive hunting in this dungeon. While Mira recalled such a thing, Zeff ran around from a pile of ash to a pile of ash and recovered Magic Stones. There were 14 of them in total. I just thought, but, was all of this done by that Alfina-san? From earlier? Considering the circumstances, looks like it. But why did they all turn into ash? I think she was holding a sword. Maybe she uses flame Wizardry or something like that? Just as Zeff said, what Alfina was holding was a sword. If she had cut them down, there would be corpses with slash wounds remaining, but all of what appeared to be corpses have turned into piles of ash. It would have to be a fairly high class Wizardry spell to turn them into ash without a trace like this. However, there appears to be no residue of high class spells here so it probably wasnt Wizardry. Unless it was a fairly high level flame attack, it would be impossible to turn entire bodies into ash. It was possible for Wizardry to do such a thing. The only spells that could deal this much firepower were high class ones, but when such spells are used, residues after their usage remain. Unable to find such residues, Fricca decided that was not the case. The difference between the current situation and the reality made everyone puzzled, and after a moment everyone''s gazes turned towards Mira. Then, Mira-chan. What is the actual answer? Zeff winked and requested an explanation, so Mira said It cant be helped" and putting on airs, answered. She also mentioned it was also the main reason why he choose Alfina from among countless summoning spells she had. The sword Alfina uses is forged from converged light, its an exorcising sword. At the same time it slashes evil, it releases a flash of light that burns them down. All monsters here are undead so there is nothing that can stop Alfina. With a finger on her chin, Mira puffed her chest cockily as she boasted. So a sword like that exists" Emera looked towards the piles of ash with a sparkle in her eyes. Although she asked carlate Carillons leader and borrowed his Spirit Sword, it could be said that half of the reason she did that was just because she wanted to try using it. Emera had a weakness for any kinds of rare swords. I see, to think that you were able to summon someone holding such a sword, Im amazed. Just as Mira planned, Asbar appeared to have revised his recognition of Summoning for the better. The completion of the C-rank dungeon, Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, was far simpler than Emera thought it would be. Rather, it could be said to be as fast as it was possible. The number one thing to be wary of in the dungeon, were monsters, which have all been replaced with piles of ash that Zeff had rummaged through in high spirits. The only adventurer-like thing they did, was most likely just Emera confirming the direction they went by consulting with the map. Why did we even come here again? Free Magic Stones? Zeff who recovered items from piles of ash suddenly leaked out such words. From his perspective they were insignificant words, but Emera who stood in the middle went Ugh", as her breath was taken away. Escorting Takuto to the Dark Aids hall. That was the objective. But judging from the current situation, Mira was more than enough capable accomplishing that alone. A C-rank dungeon was a dangerous place even for high-rank adventurers if they did not prepare properly, so she couldnt let a young boy and a young girl go there alone. Declaring so, she partly by force accompanied them. Having swung the Spirit Sword just once up until now, Emera smiled bitterly. Free leechiing? DONT SAY IIIITTTT!!! The words that gouged her heart and drilled inside made Emera anguish at her wits end. Afterwards they continued to move forward until the third levels middle hall. Inside of it, in the middle there was a large pile of ash. The monster that was there, was the one Mira didnt want to meet no matter what and caused her to use Summoning, a Giant Ghoul. It had become a pile of ash and was scattered with a kick from Zeff. Whoaa! A Magic Crystal! Finding a stone as big as a fist inside the pile of ash, Zeff raised his voice loudly. That moment, carlate Carillon members who havent shown much interest, had changed the look on their faces all at once. It was no wonder, Magic Crystal was a rare drop from large monsters that were difficult to beat. Amaazing! Show me, show me! Heey, you serious? We are really lucky. After seeing off Emera and Zeff who completely snapped and charged in, Asbar looked at the gem-like thing inside Zeffs hands with a distant look in his eyes. As for Fricca, she did not change her expression, but her cheeks were flushed. Faced with such a group, Takuto had no idea what was happening, but seeing the fun atmosphere he smiled. In Miras case, she only looked at the Magic Crystal thinking that it sure was a rare drop, as if this did not concern her at all. Then they continued to progress forward until they finally arrived at the Dark Aids halls on the fifth level. There too, everything was the same as everywhere else and completely devoid of monsters, with just piles of ash continuing endlessly. However, their numbers and size clearly increased, speaking of Alfinas valor, making Emera and Asbar gasp even if they were not able to actually see it. After all, normally, it would have been them who bore the full brunt of those monsters attacks. Extermination is complete. Meanwhile, Alfina was waiting in the hall. She did not appear to be out of breath and there was not a single scratch on her armor. She looked the same as when she had first appeared. Mm-hm, good work. As expected of you, Alfina. It is an honour to receive such words of praise. As Alfina knelt and reported, Mira said words of appreciation and raised her hand. Make sure to rest well. Instructed to return like so, Alfina was enveloped by a magic circle that appeared and as if turning hazy, was dismissed. This somewhat solemn and respectful sight made everyone only be able to look, unable to interject anything. Just Zeff alone appeared very disappointed. The fifth levels structure was extremely simple. After going down the stairs and passing through a corridor, they reached a large square-shaped hall which had four passages, one in front and one in the back, and two on both sides. Excluding the passage that led back to the fourth floor, there were three passages. The left one was leading to a storage and the one in front led to the lowest floor. In other words, the Dark Aids hall Takuto wanted to go to was in the passage to the right. Once Emera confirmed that on the map, she started guiding them towards the passage on the right. Zeff who was rummaging through ash was a little late to chase after the party. Looks like this is the Dark Aids hall. At the end of the passage they opened door crafted from copper and entered, they arrived at a room with enigmatic shapes drawn on the walls. Mira did not forget this abnormal scenery and stared at the familiar antique seen in the back. After taking a look around the room, Emera and Asbar saw that there was not only no monsters but also no piles of ash inside. All there was, was a single mirror. Faintly lit up by the light of lanterns, the mirror that creepily emerged from the darkness had not only the effect of showing the dead, but was also surrounded by the aura that said there was something more about it. A quiet sound of someone catching their breath was erased by the silence. As the abnormal nervousness grew in there, Mira said now then" and walked up to the mirror, took out Holy Water and sprinkled some on the mirror. Remembering a quest where a Lesser Demon had cursed the Dark Aids Mirror which led to a tragic result, Mira first attempted the method of dealing with that. Mm-hm, looks all right. After confirming it was not cursed, Mira turned around and walked up to Takuto. Eh, what? What happened? Seeing Miras sudden action, Emera made an astonished expression and asked. If Mira was to explain in detail it would take time. Mm, well, its something like a lucky charm. Which is why she responded vaguely, dodging the question. With water trickling from the surface, the Dark Aids Mirror grew even more creepy than before. Looking at it timidly, Emera wondered what kind of lucky charm was that. Then suddenly, the door opened behind them along with a loud sound. Ohhhies. Why are you stuck in a place like this? Did you find what we came here for? When Zeff caught up with them and called out, Emera twitched, surprised by the sudden sound. W-we found it. Its that, THAT! After responding like that, Emera blushed with shame and pointed at the mirror in front. We did it, Takuto. With this youll be able to meet your oops and mom. Yes, its all thanks to everyone. Thank you very much! After confirming the Dark Aids Mirror, Zeff rejoiced as if it was for himself and put a hand on Takutos shoulder. Takuto responded with a smile and tears in his eyes. Come on, go, meet them. Mira gently hit Takutos back. Being pushed from behind, he took a step forward, said yup! and then stood in front of the Dark Aids Mirror to call his parents names. Although it required some connection with the dead or items strongly related to them, the Dark Aids Mirror was extremely simple to use - it was enough to call their names while thinking of them. Recalling the faces of his parents he faintly recalled, Takuto called out towards the mirror. ... ... Did they...appear? While everyone watched holding their breath, Emera was unable to bear her impatience and asked. However, she was immediately glared at by Fricca and shrugged her shoulders and backed down dejected. Should it be visible to us? Asbar was unable to bear the silence that filled the room posed a question. However, there was none to answer this, and everyone could only stare at Takutos back. Takuto. The first to notice the change was Mira. She ran up to him in trot and hugged his head to herself as he trembled, crying. Seeing that, the four wondered what happened and moved forward, but Takuto had raised his voice crying, then clung to Mira seeking warmth. Dad...Mom! Receiving his tears that gushed forth like a broken dam, Mira gently pat his back. What happened? Was saying farewell sad? Hearing his words, Takuto shook his head to the side and responded, then with tears in his eyes looked up and, Dad and Mom, they dont want to meet me. He said and cried again. It appeared like he was unable to meet his parents. Emera and Fricca put hands on his shoulders and tears could be faintly seen on their discouraged faces,. Not knowing what to do, Asbar was consternated. He opened the item list and was looking for sweets and juice. As for Zeff, he stood in front of the Dark Aids Mirror and stared at it with anticipation. Lilika. He muttered quietly. It was the name of his little sister who died before him due to an illness. This name spoken unconsciously was something like a prayer to him. Immediately after that, the Dark Aids Mirror leaked a faint light, and a single girl appeared on the mirrors other side. She was about fifteen, sixteen years old, was wearing a red one piece dress and had brown hair tied into two tails. She made an affable smile as she looked up at Zeff standing in front of the mirror. No...way" Her age did not change compared to when she died, she was wearing her favourite one piece dress and had the hairstyle which she had many times pestered him to tie for her. This appearance that Zeff could recall clearly even now, was without doubt his little sister Lilika. And this appearance was seen not only by Zeff, but also Mira, Emera and others. While consoling Takuto, Mira, Emera and Fricca had their gazes glued to the mirror. LilikaLilika!! Zeff unconsciously clung to the mirror and shouted his little sisters name. Onii-...chan? That moment, the girl inside the mirror responded to these words and tilted her head. After Zeff confirmed she could hear his voice, his feelings exploded. Im sorry, Lilika. I wasnt able to save you, Im sorry! If I only came back faster, you wouldnt" Zeffs voice spinning words of apology has grown hoarse in the middle and was no longer intelligible, but he still raised his voice to repeat apologies time and time again. Onii-chan. Why are you apologizing? Did you do something bad? What stopped Zeff who spit everything that had been piling up deep inside him as his feelings dictated, was no one but Lilika herself. I I didnt save you. If I returned to the village faster you wouldnt have died, Lilika. Zeff raised his voice as he hung his head in remorse. The only one here who knew the circumstances regarding this was Asbar, who scowled and started walking to Zeffs side. That wasnt your fault. When Asbar was about to say so. Its not your fault, Onii-chan. I died from illness. Thats why, its not your fault at all! The reason I came here to meet Onii-chan was not to listen to apologies, but to say thank you! The face of the girl inside the mirror turned red and she scolded her brother, Zeff. She was upset, she did not want to be apologized to for such a reason. And at her brother, who kept blaming himself for such a reason. Onii-chan! Y-yes! Lilikas voice filled with anger made Zeff correct his stance and stand upright. The moment she saw that, Lilikas broke into a broad smile and chuckled. Li...Lilika? You havent changed, Onii-chan. Eh, y-yeah. Back when Lilika was still alive, she would scold Zeff like this when he was acting too naughty. Although quite some time passed since then, his body still remembered Lilikas voice. Onii-chan, I died because of an epidemic disease. Dont bear any needless responsibility for that, Onii-chan. But, Lilika" Dont but" me. I know that you were doing your best for my sake, Onii-chan. Thats why, I just wanted to say this one thing. Thank you, Onii-chan. I love you. After she said this, Lilikas figure slowly turned transparent. It looked like time was running out. Me too. I love you too! Zeff shouted towards Lilikas disappearing shadow. The instant after that, everyone felt like they saw the girl smile faintly. Volume 2 - CH 9 After moving away from the Dark Aids Mirror wordlessly, Zeff turned his face to the side and closed his eyes. If he turned around, he would expose a worse look on his face than Takutos, and he had no confidence he would be able spin any proper words. Realizing that, others exchanged glances among each other and agreed on leaving Zeff be for the time being. Looks like it can be used without any problems. Mira said and looked at the mirror. The Dark Aids Mirror certainly did show the dead. It was proven thanks to Zeff. Then why is it? Emera asked, wondering why did it not respond to Takutos call. Takutos parents did not appear in front of him. They were able to grasp this thanks to Lilika appearing in front of everyone. When Takuto did it, no one was reflected in the mirror. Maybe its because he tried calling both at once? Fricca hypothesized that the Dark Aids Mirro could only show one person at a time. That it did not show his parents because he called them both. That is possible. Asbar said and with his gaze he prompted Mira. Nodding to that, Mira gently made Takuto stand in front of the mirror again. Takuto, this time try calling either your mother or father, just one of them. Takuto nodded, and inside his head he put up the image of his mother. Mom, Mom Riine. With strong emotions in his voice, Takuto called his mothers name. And yet, the Dark Aids Mirror still did not respond, so he continued after a short silence. Ashley...Dad" Once again, tears pooled inside Takutos eyes. But no matter how much he called out, they wouldnt come to meet him. Surely, they dont want to meet me - he thought, and as such feelings spread inside his chest, his feelings were dyed with sorrow. Ue...ueeehh" Even as his face turned crumpled with tears, he continued to cling to the sliver of hope and looked into the mirror. However, his feelings were only answered with emptiness and as the time passed, his parents did not appear in the mirror. They aint coming out" Asbar spilled such words, and with that as the start, Takuto finally raised his voice and cried loudly. Timing-wise Asbar thought it was his fault and once again panicked. While the large man was in panic not knowing what to do, Mira pulled Takuto to herself. In her warmth, Takuto had started to calm down a little. Still, his flowing tears did not stop and he was in a state unable to say anything. Still, I wonder what does this mean. Emera walked around the mirror while staring at it. She wondered if she could find if there was some reason for that, but there was no traces of such thing. So trying one by one did not help, right. And it doesnt look broken, either. Fricca peeked inside the mirror and touched the surface. Asbar who recovered his calm had stared at the mirror together with Fricca and after confirming there wasnt even a scratch on it, they made troubled expression. Mira started to think what did this mean. The Dark AIds Mirror was an object that had an effect allowing people to meet with the dead. Now that the world turned into reality, it was proven that it worked regardless of the quest thanks to Lilikas happening earlier. Then why did Takutos parents not appear? Do they really not want to meet Takuto? However, Mira rejected such possibility. There was no parent who would not want to meet their child who thinks of them so strongly. In such case, why was it? Mira had arrived at a very simple theory. Can it be, that Takutos parents are still alive? Hearing these words, Emera stopped moving. The objective they came to the Dark Aids Hall was to allow Takuto meet his dead parents. At the very least that is how carlate Carillon members understood it. However, what Mira said had overturned the very basis of this case, making everyones waves of thoughts suddenly stop. I see, them being treated as dead due to the fact they havent showed signs of life for five years after they went missing, was the start of all this. Which means that it is possible that they are alive. That must be the truth, Emera was convinced and her expression changed and she ran up happily to Takutos side. Five years of being missing. There was something like that among rules of the union. I see, so that was the reason. Hoo, so there was a rule like that. In other words, its not like a corpse was found or anything. Fricca and Asbar, as well as Zeff appeared to hear about this for the first time. There is a boy who wants to meet his dead parents, and a newcomer C-rank girl who intends to bring him together with her, Im worried so I want you to help. Thats how Emera had requested their help. Takuto. Mira had let go of Takuto whom she was hugging and looked straight into his eyes. He realized that she was being serious and while sniffling, he looked straight back in her eyes. Listen well. Dark Aids Mirror is a mirror that reflects dead. In other words, it does not reflect people who are alive. You understand, Takuto? In other words, this means your parents are still alive. Still alive. These words strongly sounded inside Takutos heart filled with the lowest of feelings and the single ray of light closed in the darkness had peeked out. But...Grandpa said they died. Thats why give up" he said. He had recalled how his grandfather, who raised him for five years already, said this with an expression never seen on him before. Then losing the hope that floated up for a moment, Takutos heart sank once again. However, the people from the union said they are missing, right? Yes. In which case, there is a possibility. In other words, there is no one who saw your parents die. In addition to that, they arent being reflected in the Dark Aids Mirror which reflects the dead, dont you think this makes the possibility they are alive quite high? After speaking slowly to him, Mira smiled gently. If they are alive, you will definitely be able to meet them. Riine-san and Ashley-san, right. If we meet them somewhere, we will make sure to tell them about you, Takuto-kun. It looked like Asbar was unexpectedly easily moved to tears as he was holding the corners of his eyes. Fricca took out her notepad and there, she wrote Find Takuto-kuns Riine dom, Ashley dad". They are surely alive. The fact they werent reflected in the mirror is the proof. Its good that we came, right? Takuto-kun. Leaning forward to match the height of his line of sight, Emera used the towel she pulled out to wipe the remaining tears in Takutos eyes. Thats right, boy. If they are alive, theres hope. Such a despair-filled face doesnt fit a kid. Smile, your pops and mom surely would be happier that way. While speaking to him, Zeff peeked into Takutos face. His own eyes were slightly red, but his expression had calmed down and he did his best to smile towards Takuto. Yes, thank you...very muchh. Although sniffing, Takuto made the best smile so far as he answered. And he then thanked from the bottom of his heart the people who listened to his selfish wish and brought him to such a dangerous place. Everyone looked like they were more than enough satisfied with that as they nodded and pat his head. While the atmosphere had turned slightly peaceful, suddenly Mira recalled something and pulled out Holy Water again, then stood in front of the mirror. Howard, come ooout. Look, Ive got Holy Wateeeer. She said and shook the bin to make the Holy Water splash around inside. However, the Dark Aids Mirror did not respond to her call. (I knew it, its not enough.) The self-proclaimed devil researcher Howard. To Mira, he was not someone as close as to allow her call him out, and the Holy Water she used to talk with him was not something Howard himself had especially strong feelings towards. With that said, Mira did not expect to meet him either. It was enough if she reported to Solomon that it was just as they predicted it would be. Giving up right away, Mira turned around on her heel with the back to the mirror. That moment, the figure of Zeff standing a little distance away had entered the edge of Miras sight. Although it had passed a little unnoticed because of Takuto, this incident seemed to have helped to deal with Zeffs trauma from the past. Such appearance his was very different from the first impression he gave off and appeared in Miras head as a flashback. By the way, Zeff. Are you all right now? Hearing Miras words, everyone turned their gaze towards Zeff as if they recalled it. Suddenly being exposed to the brunt of everyones stares, Zeff flinched, but after blinking lightly he raised his index finger upwards and, IM BACK! he declared loudly. Although there was a small cloud remaining in his expression, it was the usual friendly Zeff. Asbar who knew his circumstances saw the anxiousness deep inside him, but seeing Zeff like that he was finally relieved. Zeff himself was able to spit out the feelings that squirmed deep inside his heart for a long time already, and felt very calm now. Mira had approached him and stretching herself she extended her right hand towards his head. What is it, Mira-chan? While Zeff asked puzzled, Mira had touched his head. Good for you, I dont know the details but it looks like your heart cleared up. Although her appearance was completely different, as the relief had spread inside his chest he felt as if he was consoled by his little sister. At the same time, the mask of appearances he put up crumbled and he smiled naturally before muttering thanks", quietly enough for just Mira to hear it. Mira might have looked younger, but he saw some kind of adult and motherly presence from her, so he allowed himself to indulge a little in her kindness. Then, with a smile, he saw off his little sister that appeared in the back of his mind. Well then, our business here is done, lets go back. Seeing a good moment, Emera clapped. That moment Zeff had leaped away with a strong momentum all the way towards the entrance. The results were unexpected, but I guess its a happy end, right? It appeared like Zeff had completely returned to himself, he turned around and smiled like a young boy. From Takuto-kuns perspective everything starts from here, I guess. Yes. I will become an adventurer like everyone here and go find Dad and Mom! His parents were surely alive out there somewhere. Rather than achieve his original objective, this result was far more lucky. Speaking of unexpected, so was your case, lolicon. I wondered what to do about you, Im relieved youre past that now. Huh? I think I just heard a super unexpected word come at me. Was I just hearing things?! So you knew about it, Asbar-san. I didnt know! Im a sub-leader and yet, I didnt notice that our member was so troubled! Seeing Mira cheer Zeff up, Asbar took the impression he got then and then randomly switching words around he made a new nickname for him. Of course, Zeff opposed against it, but he himself happened to think Its not too bad and had become unable to resist to the bitter end. In contrast to this, Emera was in anguish over her own inability as the sub-leader. However, naturally, no one expected such a thing of Emera. Rather, not even the leader himself did have a grasp on all members troubles. What an amusing bunch" Faced with such a noisy bunch, Mira smiled wryly and felt the invisible bond between them, which made her think it was a very pleasant sight. Now then, since youre going back, could you take Takuto and bring him back together with you? I have things to do on the sixth level, you see. Now that Takutos business here was over, there was no need to drag him around the dungeon any longer. Deciding so, Mira thought she could leave him to these members and said so. What, missy, you had business to do at the sixth level? The sixth level? I heard that theres just a castle there but no monsters. A place with nothing there. I heard that too. Theres been thousands of people who came here already, but I have yet to hear about anyone finding anything on the sixth floor. Just as Fricca and Zeff said, the sixth level was a little special place for a dungeon. Up until the fifth floor, the dungeon did look solemn like a temple. However, the sixth level suddenly turned completely different, inside it, there was an enormous cave and in which there stood a castle and in the corner, there was a large underground lake. But, what was the most characteristic about the sixth level was not that. The problem was its reason for existence. There was none. The only thing that seemed like it would have a meaning, the castle, was raw inside with materials that made it still exposed, and there was not a single piece of furnishing. Far from that, rooms did not even have doors and all places that looked like they could have treasure were all open and empty. No treasure, no monsters appearing, no events happening. There was a certain player who called himself an archeologist, but even though he checked every corner of the castle, the result was only a proof of sixth levels meaninglessness. However, Mira had business in such a place. Speaking of which, you had the permit to enter the ancient temple right from the start. I see, so your objective was the sixth level. Emera had recalled what happened in front of the union and muttered. The reason Takuto had begged Mira was because there was a permit to enter the ancient temple inside Miras card case. In other words, Mira had business in here even before she decided to bring Takuto to the Dark Aids Hall. Sounds interesting, so well go too. Mira had a business to do in a place that had already become common sense to have nothing in it. Growing interested in that, Zeff announced he wants to go too. However, at the same time everyones stares pierced through him. I knew it, youre a loli" He wasnt like this before, though. I wont give Mira-chan to you! I told you its not like thaatt! Zeffs nearly screamed, but his voice did not reach anyones heart. You all saw it, right. Mira-chans strength. Im just curious about the business that Mira-chan has, I was thinking there might be something there, thats all. I have absolutely no feelings I need to be guilty of. He said, lining up excuses. With that said, Emera and others were also quite interested in it. They did hear there was nothing on the sixth level, but it was not like they confirmed it with their own eyes. Although they were still half-in-doubt over Zeffs motivations, they were curious about Mira herself. And Mira wanted to go there. There might be something there, such an expectation was born in their hearts. And so, Mira-chan, do you mind if we went with you? After a noisy moment, Emera had asked as the representative of carlate Carillon members here. I dont know if theres anything there myself, so I would prefer if you went back But well, fine. The person Mira was going to meet was one of the Nine Sages, Soul Howl the Great Wall. His hobbies were quite distorted so Mira frowned and was reluctant about it, but life is accompanied by lessons and thus, she agreed. Soul Howls hobbies were bad, but since his hobbies did not go in a direction where he would seriously harm other people, in that aspect Mira was not worried. The only difference is that when someone would make a haunted house with various gimmicks in it, he would make one where real corpses are hanging from above. Also, Mira herself also thought of wanting to stay with these members a little longer, which was one of the reasons. After they left the Dark Aids Hall, Mira opened the door leading to the sixth level. From that point on, no monsters appeared and after walking past the passage, they could arrive at the sixth level. A while after they walked through the passage, they reached the upper part of the underground cave. Most of the caves floor was raw bedrock, and by the shore on the right there were stairs carved from the rock itself. However, these stairs did not look too reliable despite being quite wide. Woohyoo! So thats how it looks like. Zeff fearfully peeked inside. There was light in the sixth level, inside the large and wide domes walls there were multiple shining crystals which lit up the entire wide space. Now then, I wonder whats he doing. Mira muttered to herself and removed the Abstract Magics light, then holding Takutos hand started descending down the stairs. S-...so hiiigh??... Certainly, its high. Inside this last location it finally feels like were completing the dungeon. Leader would faint in here. After removing her lanterns lights, and peeking inside, Emera followed after Mira while clinging to the wall. Asbar smiled a little bitterly, but took a deep breath and laughed it off, then with heavy steps he started walking down. Fricca who was capable of using Abstract Magic that decreased the speed of falling was unfazed, instead she recalled carlate Carillons leader who had fear of heights. And Zeff who was used to high places was focused on teasing Emera. Volume 2 - CH 10 I hope you are prepared! Theres no way Id have! After they reached the hard surface of the sixth level, like a man-eating fiend Emera beat the hell out of Zeff. Although she did not have fear of heights, she was still as bad with them as much as any other person, and this was the result of Zeff continuing to tease her. You are really busy folks, arent you. Smiling bitterly, Mira saw the two off from behind with amusement before turning her gaze to the towering pure white castle. If Soul Howl was living somewhere, then there was no place more fitting than this castle. Thats what she guessed right from the start. Maybe we should just leave them be and go to the castle, mm? She said to the remaining members before starting to walk on the raw rock beneath their feet. Although it was hard, it was not enough to make them slip. Were off to the castleee! Asbar nodded in response to Miras words and then shouted towards the two merrily playing tag near the lake. But it was unknown if they heard due to the screams that sounded from time to time. (Now then, I wonder what are those ruins.) On the way to the castle, there was leftover debris that looked like something was burned down. While Mira thought that they must have been something related to Soul Howls experiments, she felt some kind of indescribable presence and looked around. While there is nothing here, this sight itself is splendid. That moment, Asbar who was right behind her had been overwhelmed by the castles enormous size when seen from up close. As for Takuto, he had sparkles in his eyes as he looked around restlessly. Indeed it is, mm. With its great size, this castle which had no visible weak points would have been a famous sightseeing spot if it was on the surface rather than on the lowest level of the underground. Although, depending on where it was it could also turn into bandits nest. After Mira had returned her gaze towards the front of the castle, she agreed with Asbar, then entered the wide-open gate. In the middle of the entrance there was a large staircase and embedded in the walls here and there could be seen shining crystals. Other than that, it was all undecorated walls and floors of raw stone that continued endlessly. Now, could you guys wait here? Ahead of here I have some secret business to do. This was the furthest she could go together with them. Ahead of there, she was supposed to meet with one of the Nine Sages on the kings secret orders, so she could not let anyone know of this. Knowing Soul Howls personality, Mira thought that he would have left golems around the castle to protect it. However, since they already entered the castle it meant that there should be no golems appearing. If there were undead girls inside, there would be no golems outside. Thats the kind of person Soul Howl was. Of course, all of that was based on the assumption Soul Howl made this place his base, which Mira believed without doubt. Hmm, secret, huh. Although Asbar was interest in knowing what kind of business was that, being told straight like that he could not just say that he will go as well. It was the same for Fricca, but her fantasy went in completely different direction as she muttered Mira-chans SE-CRE-T" and squirmed. Sorry, but take care of Takuto for now. Mira said and passed Takutos hand to Fricca. Most likely thanks to that, Fricca was able to hold herself back despite being on the verge of going berserk. All right, understood. Mira-oneechan, please take care. Mm-hm, Im off. After waving her hand back to Takuto, Mira went up the stairs that were in the entrance. Once he had seen her off, Asbar decided that if the secret is above, then there was no problem searching the first floor and started investigating it. Right after Mira to the upper floors of the castle, she started searching for a room with a certain installation. Running in a trot, she moved around the castle for a while before she found what looked like what she sought. Hmm...this looks good enough. After Mira had entered the room, then looked inside the hole in the middle of it and muttered. It looked similar in shape to a Japanese-style toilet. Inside the room with no doors, Mira lowered her underwear and raised her skirt as she crouched. Looking to the side, she could see the the long corridor so if someone was here, she would immediately be in the line of sight. While still nervous, Mira finally let out a sigh of relief. Afterwards there were no problems, Mira took out paper from the pouch. She learned her lesson from the poisonous flower so was now mindful to always carry paper with her, just in case. With both her heart and body in perfect state, Mira activated Daoist Skill: Life Sensing as she raised her panties. (Looks like Emera and Zeff joined up with them.) Although they were a little away of each other, she could sense the pulsation of five people. However, she could not feel any presence in the upper floor. With that said, Life Sensings reception differed depending on distance and objects in between. The castle was large and there were walls in between, so at this point she could not say with certainty that there was no one on the upper floors. And so, Mira headed straight up on the stairs. They said that something and smoke like high places, and thus she had acted in accordance to that. In the middle of it she thought of raising her voice and calling Soul Howls name, but realizing the possibility of everyone below hearing her, she gave up on the thought. The names of Nine Sages were widely known as those of heroes. The moment they heard it, the secret would no longer be a secret. Instead, Mira thought of using some nicknames they thought up for him among friends, like Undead Girls Prof" or Perverter of Samsara or Gentlemans Dregs" but they were not something she could just go around shouting, so that was rejected. As a result, she concluded it was the fastest to search by her own eyes. After arriving at the top floor, Mira immediately used Life Sensing to check the surroundings. Nhm, this is" That moment, in the very edge of her search range there was a response. However, it was very, very small and she was only able to realize it after concentrating on that spot, a life so weak it was about to disappear. It was hard to think that anyone else but the guy whom she was searching for would be here. However, the pulsation she could feel was overly weak. Sensing that to be very enigmatic, Mira killed her presence and started approaching that response. It was located on the front side of the castle, in a large room in the middle of the corridor there. The throne room. Sticking to the wall right next to the entrance to the throne room which had no door, she peeked inside to check what was there. This is, beyond words" What appeared in Miras sight, was a mysterious scenery that went far above what she expected to see. Still, seeing the almost-insane state of the throne room, she smiled wryly and without hesitation walked inside. Inside the throne room, there were countless chairs lined up all the way to the throne. Mira approached one of them and moved her head closer as if to peek in. Are they not functioning? Mira touched the cheek of the woman wearing maid clothes. It was cold and no warmth of life could be felt from her. Both her closed eyes and lips showed absolutely no expression, they just were there. Looks like his perversion is evolving. She took a sweeping look over the surroundings. On all the chairs in the throne room there were corpses of women made wear a great variety of clothes that could be categorized as maid clothes" of both Western and Eastern types. It appeared they were all treated perfectly with preservatives to stop them from decay, and looked like they just died. No matter who and how one thought it could only be Soul Howls work, said Miras intuition. However, all of what lined up here were corpses which would not show any response to Life Sensing. Suspicious about that point, Mira had once again concentrated her consciousness. Then, she could feel a response from the back, around the throne. When Mira turned her gaze in that direction, she saw a clearly different existence there. There were two thrones lined up. Seeing a woman on one of the thrones, the one for the queen, Mira gasped. Aged about seventeen, eighteen years old and was clad in a beautiful, elegant dress. A beauty with ephemeral but distinct facial features. She had clear indigo blue hair reaching her waist and skin so white it felt very sickly. Although she was a very attractive woman, the reason for Miras gasp was somewhere else. It was that despite the fact she could sense life from the woman, she did not appear to be alive at all. The womans eyes were closed and she was faintly smiling, it was a smile devoid of any emotions to the point she could be described as expressionless. However, it was not a corpse. Wanting to learn what is going on, Mira extended her hand to touch her skin. Shes frozen" The living womans skin, was cold as ice. Soul Howl, are you here?! As expected, completely unable to grasp the situation she decided to call out the name of the one she searched. However, even as ten, twenty seconds passed there was no response. Giving up after thirty seconds, she decided that he was not home and started to searching for hints. To start with, she entered the room behind the throne room and immediately found what she looked for. Inside the room she found a large amount of papers and books scattered. On top of the table located in the middle, there were resources such as encyclopedias or ancient manuscripts, and on the pieces of paper scattered from on top of the table were countless hastily-written notes. Thinking they might become a hint, Mira started picking the countless notes and passed her eyes through them. Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree...huh. Mira spoke the answer she had come to based on the resources. Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. It was capable of recovering any and all abnormal status, heal any wounds, remove all evil, even push death aside and remove any kinds of penalties received during combat, furthermore, it was the ultimate defense against Devils who were the enemy of humanity. A legendary-class rare item. However, there was not even a rumor of anyone acquiring it. It was even unknown whether it was a drop from monsters, a crafted item, or an item acquired from some place in dungeon. Which is why between players it was treated as an unimplemented item existing only as data. An item that only existed as information, that was the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. (Why did that guy investigate something like this?) Certainly it had unprecedented effectiveness. However, Mira had no idea why would he desire it so much that he would gather this much documentation for it. Being one of the Nine Sages, it was hard to fall in a situation where they required the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Then why? As she thought so, in the back of Miras mind appeared the frozen woman from earlier. Leaving the room, Mira returned to the throne room and started investigating the woman from her toes to up to the top of her head. Ogling the young womans body all over as if licking it with her gaze, Mira was a pervert not much different from Soul Howl. Realizing that mid-way, Mira told her an excuse that it was for the sake of discovering the truth. Cant see anything. After a round of investigation and especially careful checking of the skirt part of the dress, she returned it back to the normal state and took a step behind to capture her in sight all at once. First of all, the womans state was too abnormal and there was no way of judging what was going on. However, looking at her from the front Mira noticed. Because the woman in a sitting position, her back was still unchecked. Slowly and carefully moving the woman forward, Mira checked the state of her back and was shocked. The back of the dress was widely-open and there was not a single scar on it. However, there was a dark, noxiously looking blood directly leaking out from the skin to create a hexagram shape. And Mira had a memory of the state the womans back was in. There were shapes and symbols around the hexagram, and engraved inside were the letters XV. These odd circles on the womans back were a seal. Called the Curse of Underworld or Devils Blessing, it meant certain death. Among quests related to this seal was one called Shadow of Dark Wings". The content of it was to save a knight who received a seal, but it ended with the knight dying to the seal anyway. That bad impression was what made Mira to remember it well even now. And this memory she had recalled connected with the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Soul Howl must have been trying to remove this seal with the power of the chalice. Because it used to be a part of the event, it was impossible to remove the seal with spells or medicine. If a player was asked for the one thing that had the possibility of removing it, any of them would respond with the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decrees name. Mira also thought there was no other thing that could do it. Once again Mira looked at the woman. She was cold like ice, but there was a response to Life Sensing so it could be concluded that she was still alive. Frozen while remaining still alive. Although Mira had no knowledge of such a spell, but she recalled some of the documents she rummaged through earlier. Other than things regarding the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree, there also were many entries regarding Necromancy. Soul Howl used Necromancy to put her in a state where the progress of the seal was slowed down. Then, searching for a solution he left on a journey. This was Miras conjecture. For a living woman, huh. Looks like even he changed a little. Recalling how Soul Howl went around saying Undead girls are moeee! , Mira said farewell to the woman on the throne and left the throne room. Although one of the Nine Sages was not there in the ancient temple, there was evidence he did exist in this world. With that said, if he was searching for a legendary item such as Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree, it was unknown when would he come back. Mira walked around the castle recovering documents that could act as hints for his destination. Ohh, this is niiice. While she walked around gathering notes on his experiments and studies of Necromancy, Mira encountered what was Soul Howls room with clothes. Although they could never come to an understanding in regards to fetishes, the only thing that Mira, or rather, Danbulf and Soul Howl had a little common was their taste in clothes. Inside the rough-looking stone room, there was a mirror so large it reached the ceiling and several hangers lined up one next to another. And they were packed with robes just to Miras liking. Seeing the robes all being in colors and shapes that gave off dark impression, Miras eyes sparkled. I guess there will be no problem if I take one or two of them. Saying an excuse to no one in particular, as she started to search through the robes Mira thought she can give it back some day,. There was no need to remain dressed according to maids preferences, it was best to dress according to ones own preferences, is the thinking Mira came to. After taking off the gothic lolita-like clothes, she took various robes and put them on. However, but of course, the size did not fit, and every time she put one of the robes on she was disappointed. Still, she did not give up and as she continued to rummage through the clothes, until she arrived at a hanger with short robes. Because they were short, if she turned the sleeves to the inside they would fit her. Hmm It only makes my cuteness more prominent. Flipping the barely-enough long hem she looked at the mirror, once again confirming her own attractiveness and muttered with a satisfied look. A short robe was a basic equipment which required both top and bottom parts of the outfit. Although Mira was no longer dragging the hem behind her, it now looked no different than a miniskirt. Looking at how her own panties peeked out she thought it was real nice, but also realized this is was not the thing she looked for, and with great pain gave up on changing clothes. Clad again in a goth loli-like outfit, Mira returned to the first floor of the castle where everyone was waiting. By the castles entrance, Emera and Fricca snuggled up to one another with pale faces. Asbars face also didnt have the best color. As for Zeff, he was playing cards with Takuto and when he noticed Mira walk down the stairs, he lightly welcomed her by waving his hand. You guys, what happened? In response to Miras question, Emera and Fricca returned empty gazes. Really, what happened? With a wry smile, Mira looked away from them and immediately after, received Takuto who rushed at her. Welcome back, Mira-oneechan. Compared to the two, Takuto had a carefree smile to which Mira gently smiled back. Were you a good boy? Yes! Takuto responded lively and nodded with a smile. Mira said I see, I see" and pat his head. Mira-chan...what is this placewasnt it supposed to be empty? With a very uneasy look on her face, Emera completely ignored the difference in their age and clung onto Mira. What is it, did something happen? There were dead maids, a lot of maids" While being shaken wildly, Mira realized everything from Emeras words. Emera and others must have seen female bodies just like those in the throne room. And a lot of them, too. Looking from the side, Soul Howls actions were insane. For a person who thinks normally, it was something that could even damage their mentality. However, Mira who gained some resistance to it due to acquaintance with Soul Howl, only thought that it has gone worse, but was not bothered by it. There is no need to worry. Its all related to Necromancy. When Mira answered looking knowledgeable, in daze Emera said Necromancy? and tilted her head. Does that mean theres a Necromancer in here? Looking completely exhausted, Asbar turned his gaze to Mira while still sitting down. Beside him, Fricca appeared to look for answer too as she nodded. There is evidence that he was here, but it looks like he isnt right now. From your way of speaking it appears like you had business with that Necromancer, is that right, Mira-chan? Well, thats how it is. So, theres no need to be particularly concerned about. His hobbies are like you can see, but hes not a bad guy. Despite what Mira said, neither Emera nor anyone else had any intention of nodding. To be precise, Necromancy was not a branch of magic manipulating bodies, but one that manipulated souls. And that soul itself was the pure positive energy, which through a spell could be poured into stone dolls or corpses. And Necromancy itself was officially one of the nine great spellcasting schools. This was the reason that the people around the world did not hold an image of it being heretical, heartless or immoral. With that said, it did have a dark and creepy impression. Thanks to Miras words everyone found out that Necromancy was the reason behind it, and as expected, Emera and Fricca, as well as Asbar did not try to probe any further. However, Zeff was an exception. Necromancy...I wonder how do you get about to using it. Having his heart shaken by beauties and beautiful girls, Zeff leaked such half-serious words. Volume 2 - CH 11 Emera who took a glimpse into the abyss of Necromancy now flinched at even the slightest sound from the surroundings and turned around. Asbar, feeling uncomfortable drank a little from his water flask. And speaking of Fricca, Mira-chan isnt perturbed in the least, how wonderful! - she appeared like usual. Because she was a spellcaster herself she had some understanding of Necromancy. Hey, lets eat something. Im real hungry already. Stroking his belly, Zeff sat down on spot. Hmm-mm, I guess. Mira felt hungry as well so she agreed with him. Other members also nodded agreeing partially and took out ingredients as well as cooking equipment from their item boxes. Cmon, you too, sub-leader. Haaah Id prefer if there was nothing here. When Zeff called out to her, Emera muttered and mixed in a sigh. Asbar and Zeff were in charge of cooking, and women who were in charge of consumption were in the middle of chatting meanwhile. By the way, I just barely heard earlier. But Mira-chan, who is that Howard-san who you were trying to meet? Is that a secret as well? Although Emera has been trembling with fear after searching the castle, now either because of pure curiosity or maybe to distract herself, asked something she was wondering about. What, are you curious? Mira asked back while passing Apple au Lait to Takuto. Yup, just a little. Its possible that its the same person that I know, I thought. Happening to know someone like that Emera asked the question, her face was full of curiosity. This time Mira was unable to gain any information in regards to Howard. However, he was quite famous, it was possible that someone here knew him and could summon him by using the Dark Aids Mirror. Thinking so, Mira explained his simple characteristics as they appeared in the back of her head. His trademark were a trench coat and capotain, he was a self-proclaimed Devil Scientist. Howard whom Emera knew might be a different person. However, expecting to find some information on Howard, even thoguh she didnt expect much, Mira provided his easy to discern characteristics. Ah, so its really that grandpa Howard that you meant! It appeared like the characteristics matched. Emeras expression had immediately turned brighter and this time, she squinted as she reminiscenced. Ohh, so you know him. Yup yup. I know, I know. In the past in the Lion Kings dungeon I was splashed with Holy Water by him. You suddenly splashed Holy Water at the mirror and called out his name, which is why he came to my mind first. So he splashed you too" While she said this Emeras smile twisted a little, Mira returned a wry smile to taht. His act for splashing people with Holy Water was a simplest method to confirm whether someone was under a Devils influence, and something that Howard did not forget to mention every time. By the way, if you have business with grandpa Howard, what kind of business was it? Can it be its aboutthe recent rumors that Lesser Demons have appeared? With an even more curious expression than before, Emera got on all fours and approached Mira. Well. I cant say it hasnt. Somehow, Mira started moving away as she affirmed. Lesser Demons have appeared for the first time in twenty years. However, she did not hear of Solomon putting a gag order on this topic. Lesser Demons often cause trouble so in general, it is dealt with by also calling for being on additional alert. Therefore, the case of Mira and the two Lesser Demons was also being added to the wave of information. So that was it, after all, ehh. Theres no good rumors about them, and the other day our guild received information that they appeared again. Which is why I was curious. According to recent rumors, they say that they appeared near Arkite, too. Before Mira realized, Fricca had approached and was right beside her and interjected when it counts. Although Mira was on her guard for a second there, but Fricca had either calmed down or had learned something as she stopped at approaching any closer. At the same time as she was relieved, a question appeared in Miras head in regards to what the two said. To be precise, to words they appeared again" and near Arkite, too". This did sound like it meant that aside from the incidents Mira herself was involved with, that Lesser Demons appeared in other places as well. The only ones I know of is about the ones that happened inside Arkite Kingdom, were there other incidents? Yes, there were. When she asked, smiling Fricca moved up closer again, then in high spirits, she started to explain in detail. According to what she said, over the last week there were three countries including Arkite that have battled against monsters incited by Lesser Demons. Their objective was currently under investigation and a warning was scheduled to be given to all adventurers soon, recommending caution. It appeared like the higher-ranked guilds were able of gathering information like these, Mira was impressed as she interjected to show shes listening. After hearing Friccas information, Mira had put a finger on her chin and groan hmmm", she started sorting out all the details. According to what she said, other than Arkite there were also a few other countries that had monster herds appear sometimes, and in them several Lesser Demons were spotted. Back when it was still a game, invasions by herds of monsters were part of it and it was not the problem of Arkite alone. They were appearing in multiple countries founded by the players. And recently this trend has been intensifying until just the other day, when Lesser Demons appeared. With that said, thanks to countries quick response these incidents concluded without any casualties. However, there WERE other countries where monsters appeared. Monster invasions and Lesser Demons. Also, the locations that were their objectives. Was there some kind of common point connecting them? Receiving this many intermingling information, Miras consciousness sank into the sea of thoughts. Seeing Mira serious expression as she thought, Fricca, who had approached right next to Mira, stared at it with sparkles in her eyes. This serious expression is keewt as well! Unable to bear it Fricca leaped at Mira, but was smacked down like a fly by Emeras chop. Not even noticing the exchange of attack and defense between the two, Mira continued to recall the quests that Lesser Demons were involved in. Back when it was still a game, there was no clear objective or reason for Lesser Demons actions. The only thing known was that they had an ill will and that all events had ended in really unpleasant manner, which was their only common feature. However, the uproar this time had occurred in multiple countries adding some murkiness to these incidents as if there was an objective behind it. (This is growing more and more concerning, mm.) Although Mira did not expect it to succeed, it was regrettable she could not speak with Howard. He might have been just a self-proclaimed Devil researcher, but his knowledge was certain and there was a possibility of gaining some kind of hint. Disappointed, Mira heaved a sigh with a sour look and glanced at Emera. By the way, did you have some kind of deep connection with Howard? If you do, Id want you to call him out using the mirror, though. Hmm. I directly met him only once in that Lion Kings dungeon, so I cant say I have a good enough connection to call him out. Mira asked Emera grasping onto the sliver of hope, but Emera shook her head sideways as she answered. In order to use the Dark Aids mirror, a strong connection to the person when they were still alive was necessary. This could be relation by blood, being a lover or best friend. Of course, Emera who only met him once, and Mira who only spoke with him through the quest did not have strong enough connection. If Im not wrong, even if you have no connection with the dead, if you had an object that was strongly related to him you could use the Dark Aids Mirror, right? In that case how about going to Ivris Village? That is the last place Howard-san has been researching in, there might be something left behind by him. It appeared like Friccas keewt-pathy has calmed down as she opened her eyes and raised herself up, and said while flashing an intellectual smile. Hooh, Ivris Village, huh. Its a little far but it is worth searching. Just as Fricca said, even if there was no personal connection, it was possible to use the things left behind by the deceased instead. If she found that, it would be possible to use the Dark Aids Mirror to get information from Howard. Ivris Village was a location far away from Arkite Kingdom, but it was possible to ask Solomon to send someone to collect his things, so it was not a problem. As Mira once again sank her consciousness into beneath the surface of thought, Friccas illness started to resurface with at full power Mira-chan, so cuu And this time too, Mira did not even notice as Fricca was sank by Emeras hand. Volume 2 - CH 12 The lunch made by Asbar and Zeff was like a full-fledged meal from a restaurant and not fitting this location they were in. Satisfied with the meal, Mira sipped some after-meal tea and took a deep breath. Her expression was like that of a elderly man calmly enjoying his retirement. You know, this place, see, it feels really comfortable. Even though its a dungeon. Zeff muttered while rolling around. Speaking of which, this was a dungeon, wasnt it? Yeah, so it was. How do I say it, I wonder whats up with this place? Hearing Zeffs words, Fricca and Asbar too, had once again grown conscious that this was a dungeon and asked the same question. However, there was no one who knew that. Mira did not know what meaning was there behind this place either. Now, my business here is done. I guess we can go back now, mm? Mira drank the remaining tea all at once, then acting just the opposite of Zeff who was lying around lazily, she stood up. The objective she came to the ancient temple for was to confirm whether Soul Howl was here, and that was complete. In the end the person himself was absent, but instead she acquired hints regarding his possible destination. Therefore, there was nothing left to do here and such she started making arrangements to go back. Yup. Lets do so. Even if its safe here, this is still the lowest level of a dungeon. Emera who had finished cleaning up after the meal, had reseated the sword on her waist. Gootcha. True. Lets go. And up we go. Along with Emeras words, other members also stood up and started to confirm their weapons while groaning and stretching themselves to loosen their bodies. Takuto quickly stood up and immediately secured the position next to Mira. Then, Mira and others left the large white castle and headed for the stairs leading to the upper levels. Just like when they descended, the sixth level was lit up by the crystals of light and seeing the entirety of the cave was not a problem. Hm, wasnt something there? Zeff said and stopped, then stared towards the lake. This lake had a round shape looked like it was gouged out from solid rock with a spoon and had reflected the light of crystals back up, glittering. You must be seeing things. There is no monsters, and not even curious adventurers come here. Asbar said while looking at the lake. In fact, it was possible for light reflecting from the lake surface to cause such a misunderstanding if one did see it with the corner of their eyes. However, his personality aside, Zeff was a scout. If he said there was something, then the very least of caution was necessary. Hm-mm. Just as Zeff says, theres something here. After hearing Zeffs words, Mira used Life Sensing to check the surroundings of the lake. There, she found an actual response. However, even though she felt it, she was unable to tell what was it. The only thing she could tell was its position and size. On her guard and hiding Takuto in her own shadow, Mira glared the lake. Hey hey, what the hell is there in a place like this? What do you mean by something, theres no monsters in here, right? Asbar pulled out the large hammer from behind his back and poised it. Emera unsheathed her sword and pointed towards the lake. A moment later, the surface of water has started to sway unnaturally. Emera and others grew nervous feeling an abnormal presence. If it was something that had an ill will, they could not show their backs to it. To confirm it, Asbar and Emera took a step towards the lake, and at that moment Wha--!! Along with the sound of explosion that felt similar to radio noise, a large pillar of water rose up from inside the lake. The pillar of water reflected light of crystals randomly, and immediately after, a black shadow leaped out of it. It flew straight towards them and descended in front of the party. This guy is...what is the meaning of this? No way...why in a place like this?! Asbar and Emera raised their voices in response to the identity of the shadow. It was completely black. Although it had physique similar to that of a human, its surface felt inorganic and the twistedly-swollen arms had hands with four fingers equipped with claws shining black. The face looked like a noh mask and had no nose, just eyes and mouth twisted creepily. Finally, the most characteristic part were its twisted two horns, as well as bat-like wings extending from its back. This existence was similar to that of the ones who had caused the world to fall into chaos ten years ago. No way...why is a Devil1" They were supposed to have been wiped out ten years ago" Zeffs eyes were filled with shock as he muttered. Fricca too, had opened her eyes wide as she stared at the black, abnormal creature. Whats the meaning of this. Why is there a Devil here? Mira immediately summoned a Holy Knight and ordered him to guard Takuto, then while staring at the Devil, she said go hide in the castle", and pushed his back. It appeared Takuto felt the disturbing atmosphere as he quietly nodded and went back to the castle together with the Holy Knight. Devils. They were an existence that was said to be an absolute enemy of humanity. The Defense of Three Gods Countries war from ten years ago was caused by Devils who led an army of Demons which became a war with humanitys survival at stake. As a result, humanity had won and Devils had perished, thats what they thought. However, in front of them there was without a doubt one of them, a Devil. For just an instant, the seal on the woman seen in the castle appeared in the back of Miras head. Maybe this Devil had something to do with that. However, since the details of the seal were completely unknown, there was no way to prove this possibility. Devils unlike many monsters, had been an existence on different level. Therefore, when it was still a game, it was only possible to meet them during missions for the main story in the Three Gods Countries. To think I would meet humans in such a place, how fortuitous of me. You shall become a splendid offering. At the same time a muffled voice sounded as if spoken inside water, a large scythe had appeared in the Devils hand. Being exposed to clear hostility, Emeras and Asbars expressions distorted. Damn!! He wants a fight after all! While uneasy, Zeff took out his short swords and took a low stance. Behind Emera and Asbar who were on their guard, Fricca has been already preparing a spell. As everyone hurriedly prepared for combat, Mira stared at the Devil. A Devil appearing in the sixth floor of the ancient temple. It was the first time this happened, and inspecting the enemy seen for the first time was something that became a players second nature. Hmm earl of 3rd rank, huh. So, what do you guys think? Can you fight him? Back when this world was still a game, the weakest one was a baron of 3rd rank who had strength equal to a player who just climbed up high enough to be considered high-ranked. From the bottom up to this Devils rank there were baron, viscount and earl, and he was earl of 3rd rank. If one based the strength on that, he would require at least a party of six high-ranked adventurers to beat. An earl, huh" Asbar had seen the appearance of this opponent, a Devil, before. When he was still a newbie adventurer, black clouds covered the sky. Falling from them were groups of Devils. Even now he could clearly recall it. Adventurers being trampled over, among them there were people to whom Asbar looked up to. Now, was he stronger than those adventurers back then? After thinking up to that point, Asbar shook his head to shake of this question he posed to himself. In any case, there was no escape. I dont think we are even equal. If were ready to suffer casualties, then its another thing. He answered while keeping an eye on the Devil, his expression turned into a painful grimace. Then, he suddenly recalled the sight of heroes sweeping Devils from the town, the backs of those who possessed power beyond humans. Hm-mm, I see. Mira looked between Asbars expression twisted with frustration and Emeras expression in her sight. From the looks of it, she grasped that the Devil was a too harsh an opponent for just four of carlate Carillons members. (I have yet to use my full strength since coming to this world") Back when it was the game, Mira had the experience of beating up to a Duke of 3rd rank. However, that was when it was still a game and she had all equipment and medicine prepared. Right now, she had yet to get used to reality and had given some of her equipment to Cleos so there were reasons for concern. She was full of anxiousness. Having little experience in combat in this reality-turned world, she had yet to resolve herself to fight battles with her life at stake. Mira herself thought of slowly getting used to this world. How much could her skills reach, how would this new body respond. She planned to take time investigating it. What Mira had now, was the experience and skill she had gathered up when it was a game, just the knowledge. Based on this alone, for her as one of the Nine Sages, the Devil in front was not an opponent strong enough to be wary of. You guys get back. I will take him on. She said in low, strong voice and stood in front of the poised two. Although they knew each other for a short time, there was no doubt Emera and others were good-natured people. If she acted like usual, she could protect her comrades. Wishing for that strongly, Mira resolved herself. But the opponent is a Devil. I know youre strong, Mira-chanbut! Agreed. That Alfina swordsman, to summon her you need time, right. At least let us buy that time. Emera gasped and Asbar clenched the hammer more strongly as the two spoke to Mira who faced against the Devil. However, Mira did not turn around to the two as she said Looks like theres no time for that! and summoned a Dark Knight in front of herself. Immediately after that, a sound of metal clashing against metal sounded and the repelled air had spread like ripples along with impact. Momentarily, the Devils scythe was swung right in front of Mira, but was stopped by a large sword that was thrust to stop the the scythes trajectory, and received all of the destructive power. This is!! As he witnessed this sight, cold sweat poured down Asbars forehead. Emera who was unable to respond in time was only able to point her sword an instant too late. And this contact made the two realize the Devils true strength. You guys get back! Mira once again warned carlate Carillons members. But then" It would mean that adults left all combat to someone who was still a young girl, not only Emera but also Asbar was unable to just nod to that. However, this opponent was not someone against whom they could fight against, and even if they became a decoy they probably would not be able to last for any longer than a minute. That is what the two realized from that one strike. You two, lets go back to the castle! Thats right, that will be for the best! As Emera and Asbar took two steps back just to stop, they heard voices from behind. When they turned around, they saw Fricca and Zeff with impatient expressions signalling with hands to get back. But, the moment Emera and Asbar wanted to say something. If we stay here Mira-chan wont be able to fight at her full strength! Fricca said as if screaming. She could see it, the swelling power of the Devil who stood there like a revenant, being covered by the enormous magic power flowing from Mira. Accepting Friccas words, the two once again turned around. Without saying anything Mira only glanced at the two and although it was faint, she put on a brazen smile as she nodded. Seeing this small, big back, the two realized it was just as Fricca said. Sorry, Missy. We leave it to you! Mira-chan, if you cant win then get back right away. I will do something and stop him here! Leaving their will, the two had rejoined Fricca and Zeff, then ran over to the castle. Asbar who had turned around once more, saw the appearance of past heroes overlap with Miras small back. No way, is it. He muttered and thinking that he was being carried away by the atmosphere, he switched his thinking back. Flounder all you desire, at any rate, you cannot escape of me, you puny humans. Spilling out a creepy laughter, the Devil had forcibly brushed away the crossed weapon that resisted him along with a loud sound, then glanced at the Dark Knight and leaped away. Although it was not the Devils full power, it was still a strong blow and as such, he acknowledged the Dark Knight who was able to receive it, was a suitable opponent for him. Let us start by introductions, strong one. I am Wolft Vein Varnales, a Soul-Hunting Knight. Turning formal, the Devil stared at Mira to judge the distance between them and respectfully paid homage to her. Wolft was a Devil who was also an earl, and had the pride of a noble. Although, from a humans perspective a Devils pride was heresy, and they were unable to understand it. Im Mira. As you can see, a Summoner. Mira had pointed at the Dark Knight with her gaze and facing against Wolft from the front, returned a greeting. Kukuku, a Summoner. In which case, the moment I cut down that knight its all over. The moment he said that, Wolft kicked off the ground and leaped, then matching his entire body body weight and gravitation he delivered a blow at the Dark Knight. That moment, along with a blunt sound of metal there was a sound of something crumbling. It was the sound of the ground caving in. The black knight raised his longsword above and blocked the strike of the scythe, but the ground was unable to withstand the powerful blow, and the ground beneath black knights legs had crumbled. And due to that the black knights posture broke, which was something Wolft did not miss. At almost the same moment he landed on the ground, he rotated his body, and using centrifugal force swung the scythe horizontally. The groaning blade pierced sharply into the belly of the dark knight who lost his balance, and the Devils raw power was turned into impact which blew the black knight away with ease. With this the knight protecting princess is gooone! Rotating along with fierce centrifugal force he instantly turned around, and twisting his face with delight, Wolft swung the scythe at the girl like an executioner. However, what the black blade pierced was an inorganic rock. The girl who was there a few seconds earlier, left behind a mirage and disappeared from Wolfts sight. Where...!? Daoism - Heaven: Refined Impact In the instant the Devil turned his head around, Mira had sneaked under him and smashed a Daoist spell into him. The attack refined from multiple Impact Waves had struck Wolfts belly while he was completely off guard, and rampaged with violent waves. (Hmm...well, its so-so.) Wolfts expression twisted and along with a intense sound of bursting, he was blown away to fly in the air. Still maintaining the Devil in her sights, Mira lightly squeezed her fist as she pondered over the flow of combat just now, confirming things. There is almost no difference in combat, that was what Mira felt with that fist. Although there was a difference in her reach, that could be covered by stepping in half a step further when attacking. And thanks to her body becoming smaller, it was easier for her to slip in under someone. That was the analysis Mira had made with that one contact. The number one thing that made her anxious was the physical difference due to the world turning real instead of a game. Things like air resistance and other natural phenomenons that could not be calculated, major differences in space itself. However, they were not something significant enough to cause problems with her movements. And above all, thanks to her five senses being very clear, she was able to feel the presence and flow of air with the entirety of her body which caused her intuition to give very sensitive reactions. The very basis of Miras strength were the many and varied techniques that she has acquired and compiled together to turn into strength, as well as the experience and her own skills she had gathered. And what made her gather all those factors, was nothing else but Ark-Ars Online itself. That game was realistic to the point of lacking common sense, and had a world that was affected by players to an impossible extent. Even right after the game just started, people with experience at martial arts or kendo rankers were capable of fighting middle-class monsters and other players just by using their own body to beat them. Therefore, it was a system that not only made people stronger, but also improved their real skills as well. In fact, the powerful warrior who fought against monsters using his own fists, player called the Fist King Kojiro managed to turn from being a complete amateur into someone who was capable of entering a national karate tournament and win a high place in the ranks. Although, he did eventually lose due to his lacking physique. And therefore, Mira who was capable of close combat as Daoist, was also on a level where her skill alone was enough to allow her to participate in the world of martial arts. Indeed, it was more than enough. If she acted like she always had, did what she always did, she could fight against the Devil without a problem. Mira repeated a deep breath and focused herself. Recalling herself back from when it was still a game, she overlapped that on herself of now. Girl, what did you do?! Twisting his body in mid-air, Wolft descended on the ground and raised his voice with irritation as he glared at Mira. I just touched you lightly. Dont lose your temper like that, brat. Mira could feel the sensation from back when she was Danbulf flow back into her. At the same time, a smile naturally spilled onto her face. This pleasant nervousness was to Mira a very familiar sensation. Dont get carried away, little girl! Seeing Mira smile back at him fearlessly, Wolft exposed his anger. At the same time, the black scythe burst into crimson flames as if responding to his anger. Swinging the large scythe upwards, Wolft charged in. The flaming slash which made use of his body weight and speed roared eerily as it cut through the air. Mira avoided the attack with just her footwork. Immediately after, the trajectory of the flames changed and once again assaulted her. However, that pursuing attack was once again enveloped by a mirage, and at the same time, together with the sound of impact Wolft slipped on the ground. Standing in front of the Devil who glared at her wordlessly, Mira only stared back at him, raising the corners of her mouth slightly. You have my gratitude, thanks to you it appears Ill get my condition back. Wolft who assaulted her was a mass of violent brute force which Mira received with mirages and counters. Possibly from nervousness, Mira took overly big movements as she avoided, but every time they exchanged attacks it, she gradually optimized them. She had the skill that had permeated her body and the experience that backed it up, both of which turned into her strength. Returning to her form, Mira saw the scythe pass by in front of her by a paper thin difference and naturally threw her fist in the gap in Wolfts defense. Damn you, how insolent! Getting poked time after time, Wolft had finally reached his boiling point. He was being toyed with by a small and very young opponent. The fact that he, a noble of superior race that were Devils, had been getting one-upped by a human in a one against one combat had started to crumble Wolfts pride. The slash that he released with all of his bodys strength while greatly twisting the scythe, had been effortlessly avoided by Mira. After passing by, the great scythe that pierced into the ground while releasing crimson flames, that moment Mira immediately entered a posture for attacking. Retaining the momentum she moved around the Devil and kicked the back of his knees that were protected by the black skin. With this impact, Wolfts attacking posture broke and Mira was able to ran up his back to hold his horned head with her right hand. Daoism - Earth: Crimson Grasp As Mira concentrated her consciousness, her palm shone with red light and explosive flames burst from it in the direction where her fingers pointed to, as if intent on destroying Wolfts head. GAHHHaaHhhH!! Flicked onto the ground, Wolft rolled around before holding his burnt head as if to protect it. Finally, his eyes were filled with flames of madness. Hmm...looks like attacks wont work unless I use a spell after all. The fist that Mira had used to punch the Devils body had been stopped by his skin surface that was like a strong carapace, which almost completely negated the attack. And it was not just that, her fist was red and throbbed with pain. However, this was just natural as she had passed her equipment for close combat strengthening to Cleos, so her current bodily strength was no different from that of a normal spellcaster now. Daoism had many techniques that raised muscle strength. Right now Mira was covering that with her high magic power, but still, having low muscle strength made her attack power to be lower than expected. Originally, the Daoist class combat style was a combination of normal blows and Daoist spells, only then it displayed its true worth. For that sake, Mira had received lessons of martial arts and continued to practice it. However, right now her normal blows did not affect the enemy. Daoist Mystery: Shingan2 Now that Mira had recovered her senses from back when she was Danbulf, she closed her eyes lightly. And when she slowly opened them again, her pupils grew even more blue, becoming more a far more vivid shade of blue than the sky. The Daoist Secret Technique, Shingan. When activated, other than increasing all of the users abilities, it had also increased effectiveness of Daoist spells and was one of Miras trump cards. Miras swelling magic power had reached the eyes of Fricca who was looking at the situation from the castle. She had reflexively fell on her butt upon feeling the pressure coming from Mira, she felt her consciousness almost sinking in the torrent of magic more powerful than anything she felt before. What happened, Fricca? Emera asked while extending her hand to Fricca who suddenly staggered. Mira-chans atmosphere changed. Its even stronger, even...deeper now. Still staring at the location Mira was in, Fricca suddenly stood up. Seeing Fricca so different and hearing her words, everyone caught their breath. Miras battle with the Devil had been growing even more intense. Although Wolft had been furious, he managed to recover his reason and clad both of his arms with black flames as he attacked in waves with his flaming scythe. When the scythe was swung down and Mira avoided it, the black flames burst to pursue her. In order to resist the black flame, Mira activated Daoism - Earth: Wind Clad and with her both hands clad in wind she repelled the black flames that had pursued her before slipping in beneath the Devil to deliver a palm heel strike. Immediately after that, the power of wind she was clad in was released to create a storm of turbulent whirlwinds and vacuum that blew Wolft several steps away. Nnghnn! However, acting as if that was nothing, Wolft stepped in forward deeply and twisted his scythe to slash upwards. Even the wind attack did not damage him enough to stop his attacks and he sharply slashed through the storm, leaving a trail of flames right in front of Mira. Furthermore, before he even finished raising his scythe completely, Wolft extended his hand and attacked with black flames. Hooh! Not bad, brat! Crossing her both arms and using the wind they dwelled, Mira received all of the flame before fixing her clear blue Shingan eyes at Wolft. Little girl, you intend to mock me further?! Shouting with anger, Wolft leaped backwards. His magic power immediately swelled and proportionally to that, the flames on his arms had covered his entire body before gushing forth towards the ceiling. I will not take you as part of the gifts. You shall turn into cinders right here! The blazing flames had converged in no time and enveloped the Devils entire body. Looking like a black sun, Wolft roared even more intensely than his flames and charged forward like a bullet. Crumble away to dust! The great scythe had been dyed black with the black flame and shone dully. Mira clearly grasped the Devils movements with Shingan, he raised the black scythe upwards and shattering the ground beneath with his steps, he approached quick as a bullet. I refuse! At the same time as she released Refined Impact Mira used Dao Way - Movement: Shukuchi to close the distance between her and Wolft in an instant. The multiple-layered impact wave that followed slightly after her had peeled off the part of flames that Wolft was clad in and halted his momentum slightly. That opportunity was the best chance for attack for Mira. "Wha?!! Due to another Refined Impact delivered at close range, the black flames covering Wolft had been completely scattered and thrown high into the air. However, even though he made an anguished expression, Wolft managed use his wings to stop himself and did not receive large amounts of damage. It must have been because Wolfts fighting style focused on attacks had come from the fact that he was confident in his defense. It was also a fact, that the surface of his body possessed toughness matching his confidence. Little girl...just how much will you! Even if her attacks did almost no damage, being played around with as she wished to by a human child, made Wolft furious inside. Gritting his teeth with hatred, Wolft glared at the ground. However, the sight in front of him made his body freeze all at once. Dao Way - Movement: Sky Striding Moving up as if she had been walking up the stairs, Mira had approached right in front of the Devils eyes. Curse youu! He would not make it in time if he swung the scythe. As such, Wolft held the handle of the scythe and swung it up at the closest distance to sweep her away. Mira avoided this desperate attack by leaping even higher, then looking down at Wolfts while still facing behind him, she put a hand on his head. Although her skirt was lifted up and everything from her thighs to her belly could be seen, Mira did not care about that in the least as she concentrated her consciousness on her hand. How about, this? Daoism - Earth: Furious Grasp At the same time the spell activated, a lump of impact waves had appeared inside Miras palm and becoming an unstoppable wave, rampaged to blow away Wolfts head. Because of the overly violent torrent of power he was blown away, then unable to stabilize himself in the air he smashed into the ground. A sound of rock crumbling had spread and an instant later, Mira descended on the ground. Her eyes were fixed at the black Devil crawling out of the debris. To think that there would be a human like you. Although the Devil received two high-powered Daoist skills, he did not appear to have received any serious damage. His toughness alone, was aberrant no matter how one looked at it. (To think there would be a Devil this hard, mm.) However, Mira was not bothered as she continued to capture the Devil in her sight. Its useless! I feel nothing! Attack of such level will not affect my trained body!! Wolft howled in order to retain his will. Daoist skills in fact did work on him. However, Wolft himself did not feel them strong enough to endanger him. It was a good match. But its about time to end it. Hidden Daoism: Magan Release After saying so with gratitude in her voice, Mira released a special power. Her right eye was dyed black and her pupil color had changed into golden. It was an odd eye containing evil magic, shining like a sinister moon on a pitch black night sky. With that eye fixing its sight on him, Wolft felt himself be pierced with just the gaze alone and was covered in powerful feelings of dread. Sensing an aura of a superior being from Mira, he unconsciously trembled. YOU IMPUDENT LOWLY HUMAAAAAANNNnn!! Wolft raised his voice and cladding the scythe with all of his black flames, pointed it at Mira. However, the instant after that, the large scythe slipped out of his hands and Wolft had finally realized the change in his body. (This is...nghh...paralysis?! Insolent, impudent!!) Daoist Eyes: Evil Gaze of Paralysis The opponent stared down with Magan had been affected with paralysis and further, was being destroyed from the inside, it was one of the highest class Daoist spells. The requirement for its activation was to capture the opponent in ones sight for a certain amount of time while Magan was activated. The reason why Mira had landed in a position quite a little distance away from the Devil was to widen her field of vision around him. Nhh...uuuuuOOOOHHHHH! As expected of a Devil, huh. It appears it wont hold him for long. Fingers, arms, shoulders, Wolft was gradually released from the paralysis. All Devils were highly resistant against abnormal states, but Mira was capable of paralyzing him despite that thanks to her great amount of magic power. Of course, she was more than aware of this fact. She simply wanted to keep him in spot for just a moment. Although Mira blew away Wolft multiple times and overwhelmed him, she had trouble with his excessive hardness. It would take her a quite some time to shatter his armor with her own power. But its all over now. The next instant after Mira said so, a terrifying presence appeared behind Wolft making him stiffen and he reflexively tried turning around. However the effect of paralysis had yet to been released. Although he grit his teeth hatefully, seeing a black blade suddenly protrude from his chest he opened his eyes in shock. Ghh...ooo Impossi...ble" Gritting his teeth as black blood spurted from his mouth he resisted paralysis and turned his gaze behind himself and then, his expression was dyed with shock. There, were black knights red wavering eyes, the one whom he had supposedly cut down right after the battle had started. Although she was not capable of delivering effective blows with her fists, Miras Dark Knights blow had sharpness that had far surpassed that. Still, because Wolfts body was very hard, it was necessary for the black knight to gather strength for an attack to pierce him. That was the reason for using paralysis. Wh...y...since...when This" There is no way my Dark Knight would be defeated as easily as that. Mira calmly walked up to him. Every step of hers engraved her ensured victory on the ground. To think...I would be defeated...like this. I told you right at the start, havent I. I am a Summoner. That...is true. Standing right in front of Wolft, Mira stared at him with both Shingan and Magan. Staring back in those eyes, Wolft smiled faintly. His expression said that he accepted that he fought and was defeated by a truly powerful enemy, and he paid his respects. The Dark Knight pulled out the great sword and poised it to the side. "...Splendid" Along with the last words, Wolfts was beheaded by the black knight. The black blood stuck to the blade splattered to become a black spots on the ground which would not disappear. The black body fell to the ground as if leaning forward. Snuggled up beside it, there was Wolfts head looking up to the heavens. Volume 2 - CH 13 That was incredible" Asbar muttered unconsciously after seeing Miras battle with a Devil from start to end. Emera and Zeff fell speechless at how she was on absolutely different level from them. Beside the three, Fricca continued to watch the Devils magic power as it contracted until it finally disappeared. Unlike the four who stood in mute amazement, Takuto ran over to Mira right away. The Holy Knight faithfully fulfilled her orders and followed Takuto. Seeing that, carlate Carillon members returned to themselves and chased after him. Mira-oneechan, you are amazing! So cool! About the same time as Emera and others caught up with him, Takuto said in high spirits as he stared at Mira with a sparkle of reverence in his eyes. Mm-hm, indeed I am, indeed I am. Honestly accepting the feelings of this pure boy, Mira got all cocky and started boasting with a wide grin on her face. Her eyes had returned back to her normal color and there was no trace of the ominous Magan in her eye. There was no trace of Mira from when she was fighting against a Devil, just from being admired by a child she was in extremely high spirits. Seeing the difference in the atmosphere surrounding her, Emera and others were surprised for an instant, then relaxed and broke into smiling expressions. However, they were still curious about Miras aberrant strength which allowed her to overwhelm a Devil, one of the creatures even said to be enemies of humanity. I dont know what should I say, but thank you, Mira-chan. We were saved by you. Yeah, I dont know how it would turn out with just us alone. Mm, no need for thanks. I was the one who involved you in this, after all. From Emeras perspective, she did have feelings of gratitude for saving their life, but from Miras perspective it was a place she was originally supposed to come to alone. It would mean that they were involved in the incident with that Devil by her, which is why she said with a wry smile that it was troubling to be thanked. Still, Mira-chan, youre real strong arent ya. Does that have something to do with you becoming C-rank right after becoming adventurer? Suddenly, Zeff asked the question everyone here was curious about. What kind of circumstances, what kind of secrets did she have? Miras strength they have witnessed was so overwhelming that they hesitated to touch the topic. However, because Zeff was a blockhead or maybe because he did not understand that, he asked the question like it was nothing. Hm-mm, I see. Youre interested. Well, I guess its fine to tell you. Receiving Zeffs words she put up airs of importance, then poked the white knight that stood next to Takuto with the palm of her hand to emphasize on the summons existence. So...the reason for your strength, Mira-chan, is? As expected, or rather, it was natural, but the one who was most interested in it was Emera, who paid incredible attention to Miras words, waiting for her to continue. Do you know the one called Danbulf? Im being his disciple. Since he cannot move for certain reasons, Im going around doing minor things here and there in his stead. Mira explained the reason for her strength and at the same time, she gave herself a reason to tell them for when they will surely ask her why did she come to the ancient temple. If she mentions that one of the Nine Sages is involved, she will be able to use that title as a shield to keep it secret. That was her thinking. Now, how will they react? Mira thought and put herself on guard, but their reactions were unexpectedly calm. Danbulf-samas disciple...so thats why you are so strong. The Sage nicknamed the Army...his disciple. I see. Emera and Asbar responded completely convinced and easily swallowed the answer. They saw combat on a level completely different from their own that they have seen unfold in front of their eyes, as well as the scars caused by it that were engraved on their surroundings. If there was someone who had this much power, it would be definitely be an existence that did not fit in the boundaries of common sense. It was the level of power where Sages, the very top adventurers and the generals of Three Gods Kingdoms have lined up in. Miras strength which very much resembled the strength of such existences would be rather hard to explain if it was not for such a reason. Above all, considering what happened in their sight left no room for doubt, and even if they doubted it, they had no way of finding the answer. Talk of Danbulf aside, they were easily able to accept Miras words. Danbulf-samas...a Sages disciple" Unlike Emera and Asbar who were more calm than Mira had imagined, Fricca had continued to repeat Miras answer to herself. Fricca had also seen Miras overwhelming strength with her own eyes so there was no doubt of it. Even before combat against a Devil she felt multiple signs of that. However, unlike Emera and Asbar, Fricca was a spellcaster and knew that there was no precedent to what Mira said. It was a fact that none of the Nine Sages had ever took a disciple. Spellcasters of the Silver Towers were ultimately just researchers and while some sought teachings from the Sages, but that was all. They were not their disciples, or even in a relationship like that of a teacher and student. It was said that there was no person in the world who would receive all of their knowledge and techniques on one on one basis. There was not one person acknowledged as a disciple before they have disappeared, and the only Sage who had returned, Luminaria, did not take any disciples either. Fricca was wavering between the feeling that there was no other explanation for such strength other than Mira being the Sages disciple, and the fact that according to history such existence was unprecedented. Awesomee! I know him, too! Thats a name even I know. A disciple of a super famous guy. Thats amazing, Mira-chan! Richly gesturing while he spoke, Zeff showed his admiration. Then, looking at the Holy Knight standing nearby he said Now that I look at him, he really has dignity on another level! he made a fuss. No matter whose disciple she was or what circumstances there were, Mira defeated a Devil and saved them. To Zeff, that was all that mattered, in any case, Mira was strong that was all to it. He was unable to sense the mood, but in a good way. Or rather, he did not even try. As for Takuto, to him, Danbulf was only a hero character from picture books and stories. Above that, Mira who had defeated a Devil was a hero herself, which is why he looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes so bright they were nearly blinding. Mira thought that they would doubt her a little, but seeing everything was sorted out without anything happening she let out a relieved sigh. The reason she thought that might be the case was because it was a well known fact that the Nine Sages were missing. So to speak, anyone could easily introduce themselves as a disciple of someone whose location was unknown, or whether they were even still alive. However, these people accepted it without much thought or confirmation. Whats with you all, you really honestly believed that? Feeling that to be kind of anti-climatic, Mira spilled such words. Eh, was it a lie?! Emera who was convinced with the reason of being a disciple and calmed down, had panicked and once again drew towards Mira. No, its not a lie. Also, youre too close. Blushing slightly, Mira moved her gaze away and took a step back. Rather. My teacher is missing right now, right? I thought you would be asking something in regards to that. Ah, so thats what you meant. Emera nodded with an understanding expression and touching the white knight with her hand she spoke as if speaking of some kind of dream. Certainly, there are many theories regarding the missing Sages. Like, they entered the demon realm or that there was discord between them and they killed each other, or that they have achieved godhood and ascended to heaven. However, that is all things some people talk about for humour. The common opinion is that they are out in the world somewhere on retirement. Its been thirty years already, considering the timing it wouldnt be strange if a disciple had appeared. She was not completely wrong. Once Emera finished speaking, this time Asbar stared at Miras entire body and, Also. Your fighting style, missy, it fits perfectly what I had once heard from my father. he continued and smiled broadly. And what he said, was the decisive factor that they believed in Miras story. I also heard from my dad about that! Me too. Ever since it was found that I had a talent to be a Wizard, I read the stories of Nine Sages many times. Right? Heck, I dont think that theres anyone who lives in this country that doesnt know it. Following Asbar, the other three together started recalling the scenes inside the stories. And the sight inside those scenes had a fighting style resembling Miras. Stories? What stories? Mira muttered and furrowed her eyebrows. Story of Nine Sages. In other words, a story about herself and and her comrades. What kind of story was it? Mira thought, puzzled. What, you dont know The Story of King Solomon and the Nine Sages"?! Emera had screamed in loudest voice so far, and when Mira nodded, she responded with it cant be helped" with a somewhat joyous expression. Then, she started explaining the story in details, in high spirits adding her own feelings to the explanation as well. The story they spoke of was very popular among men and women of all ages, and it was based on the Nine Sages. Among these stories there was the story of Danbulf and his Army" of a thousand Armament Spirits summoned simultaneously and the tales of his heroism. However, there was an even more popular story about Danbulf than that. It was mainly about how he used both Summoning and Daoism to fight in close quarters combat in tight spaces, unlike any other Summoners. Danbulf running along his summons into combat. All children had absorbed themselves in that story. Emera had concisely but enthusiastically spoke of the contents of the stories. It was thanks to having such knowledge, that they immediately accepted Miras words. To think that there was something like that out there" Mira muttered with a strange, shaky expression that could not be described as either embarrassed or surprised. By her side, Takuto with a pure and innocent expression only repeated amazing, amazing!, excited. Mira-chan, this is only the prologue! Your masters, Danbulf-samas stories of valour dont end there! Getting more and more caught up in the moment, Emera swung her fist up. Immediately after, Fricca used a hard part of her stick to smacked it intoEmeras belly. Its enough. Rather than that, we should hurry back. Theres a lot we have to report. I-...I guess. Lezz do zzat" Crouching and holding her belly, Emera responded in muffled voice and stood up unsteadily with tears in her eyes. I was the one who asked, I should have stopped her in the middle of explanation. Mira spoke, worried about Emera and thinking that Emera wouldnt have to suffer if only she stopped her earlier. Not at all, Mira-chaaan! It was all Emeras fault, you dont have to be botheeered! OOOohh?! Fricca suddenly let out a squeaky voice and as if snatching her, she hugged Mira. At the same time, she put her face in Miras breasts and started to rub against them while breathing heavily. Even though she was a spellcaster, her movements were more keen and nimble than that of a lion assaulting its prey. Mira felt a chill on her back, as well as creeping sense of danger. However, all of that was splendidly exorcised by Emeras chop. Fricca lied on the ground, Emera covered her side with her hand. It kind of looked like the two who often went berserk, had a relationship where they stopped each other. Um, sorry about that. You were normal just a moment ago, too, mm. It must be because the tension had been released and she couldnt bear it any more. "How troublesome. The two said and looked at Fricca who rolled around on the ground with a happy smile in anguish and It was super sooofttt!! she said, making Mira and Emera let out a big sigh. Its a real shame, isnt it. Well, I guess this is also a part of Fricca-chans charm. Asbar muttered, lamenting, but Zeff who was okay with anything as long as it was a beauty, spoke with a refreshing smile. Still, Mira-chan, you can use both Summoning and Daoism just like Danbulf-sama did, right? That was amazing. While Fricca had gradually recovered her calm, Emera spoke with fires in her eyes. Although that was Danbulfs fighting style, it was quite peculiar for a Summoner. Daoism, huh...you suddenly disappeared and such, right. Daoism sure is amazing. That much is normal. From time to time I had a problem keeping chasing you with my eyes. Do all Daoists move without sense like that? That much is normal. And you ran in mid-air, too, right? We have a Daoist in our guild, but I think he couldnt do such things. Its Sky Striding, an ability inherent to Daoists. That much is normal. Mira was also a high-class Daoist, and this time had lavishly showed off a wide range of different moves, which from third persons perspective apparently looked like an illusion show. In fact, the impressive battle that Mira fought had engraved itself vividly in Emera and others memories, too. Daoism sure is amazing! Acting as representative of everyone, Emera raised her voice with excitement. Along with this, carlate Carillons members had improved their opinion of Daoism. The disciple of a Sage who was a Summoner but was also capable of using Daoism, was able to fight to such an extent with Daoism, and it was Daoism that had overwhelmed a Devil. It was hard not to be charmed by it. "...Wh...at" Although she was intending to show off the power of Summoning, the result was that it was Daoism of which evaluation improved the most. Mira had looked far into the distance and at her wits end, wondered where did she make a mistake. Meanwhile, there was a boy who looked with respect and envy towards such Mira. I want to become a spellcaster like Mira-oneechan! The Nine Sages epic tales strongly appealed to childrens imagination. In addition to seeing Miras gallant figure in battle, he was also influenced by Emeras elated speech and as such, Takuto was a complete captive of the moment. Hooh, I see, I see. So you want to become a Summoner like me, right. How admirable. Mira said and stroked Takutos head strongly, and smiled happily. If you want to become a spellcaster, first you need to investigate your aptitude. I wonder if Takuto-kun has a spellcaster aptitude. Seeing Takuto receiving all of Miras affection on himself, Fricca had finally calmed down and spoke while suppressing the jealousy inside of her. Spellcaster aptitude? Hearing the term for the first time, Mira stopped her hand and looked at Friccas face. Oh my, you dont know about it? Ahh, mm-hm. For training I had been living in a place far away from people together with my teacher. Im poorly informed of such things. Guessing this was a change that had happened due to this world being real, she spoke the excuse she had prepared. "...I see. It cant be helped then. Even if she had the best mentor possible, one of Nine Sages, it would require many years for her to reach the current level of strength. In which case, it was natural for her not to know of Spellcaster Aptitude Theory that has been established within these last ten years, Fricca nodded convinced. To explain simply: although there are differences between people, every persons magic power has its own characteristics. People with different characteristics are capable of using different spells, in other words, its a way to judge whether someone has an aptitude or not. In order to become a spellcaster, it was necessary to have aptitude for it. In Ark-Ars Online both Warrior classes and Spellcaster classes started by freely choosing what they wanted to do. They could become whatever they wanted. However, according to what Fricca about the differences in magic power, they were not freely allowed to choose what they wanted to become. A difference in magic power, hmm So, how do you think Takuto is? Will he be able to become a Summoner? It has to be first investigated in regards to that first. He can be examined at Spellcasters Union, so we can stop by it once we return to the town. Ohh, so union could do something like that. So, Takuto, what about you? You want to know? Yes, I want to know! When she asked, Takuto nodded lively and immediately answered. Then lets stop by there once were back. Mira said and smiled gently. Seeing that smile, which was a combination of an angels and holy mothers smile, Fricca had been caught in a whirlpool of jealousy and started to writhe madly. Volume 2 - CH 14 Heey, isnt this a quite nice thingy? While Mira was praying for the birth of a new Summoner, Zeffs voice suddenly resounded. When they turned their sight in his direction, they saw him poke the Devils large scythe with his finger. Now that I look at it again, this is quite a sight. Asbar who was the first one to get interested, had ran up to the Devils body and looked at the various scars on his body. After that, Asbar poked him with the palm of his hand and let out an impressed sigh. He was doubtful whether he would be able to wound on the Devil even if he hit him with all strength he had. Glancing at that, Emera was also filled with similar feelings as she strongly clenched the swords handle, deciding in her heart to double her training from today on. Her eyes which in which she engraved the battle seen here, were staring at the battles even further beyond the Devils, that are yet to happen. While Emera and her guilds members swatched the Devils corpse impressed, upon seeing the Devil with the corner of his eyes, Takuto hid behind Miras back. Seeing him like that, Mira said its all right. and squeezed his hand. Looking at the two from behind, Fricca watched Mira looking for an opportunity to capture the other hand. So, about this. It doesnt look like Ill be able to carry it back. It must have been fairly heavy, as Zeff was barely able to drag it with his both hands, and he left it right beside Asbar. When he received it, Asbars expression immediately distorted. Nhhh...this is so heavy. Hnggh! While saying so, Asbar somehow managed to pick up. forcibly poise the large scythe with his both hands and then swing it down. Letting out a heavy metallic sound, the blade had pierced through the ground. So, hows it? This must be a class exclusive weapon. A warrior like me cant handle it. Well, missy doesnt need a weapon, but it might fetch a fairly high price. Agreed. Therere those Magic Stones and Magic Crystal too, Mira-chan will be loaded now. Can I have 10% for picking up all those items? Zeff smiled as he cracked a joke. All the items they picked up in the ancient temple, aside from the ones from first Ghouls were all thanks to Miras efforts. Zeff gathered them fully aware of that, and other members too, had no intention of complaining about it. However, that was not the case for Mira herself. What? Its normal for such cases to split between all the members, right? Im not good with calculations so Ill leave that to you. Hearing her words, carlate Carillons members were at loss for words. Magic Stones they recovered, as well as the scythe that was a Devils weapon. There was no need to calculate to know it was a fortune. And no matter how one looked at it, it all belonged to Mira. However, the person herself said she would share it with everyone as if it was natural. Although it was common sense for adventurers to split spoils when they have been cooperating, but knowing Miras strength now, Emera and others have had perceived themselves as merely someone accompanying her. But look, it was all beaten by Mira-chans Summoning. We are a party, arent we? As confused Emera had explained what they thought, Mira answered so with a puzzled look. Mira had intended to do so right from the start, as that was a players common sense that had ingrained itself in her. And since Mira was bad when it came to disputes over item split, she always thought it was ideal to simply split evenly between all members. The two, Emera and Mira exchanged stares and tilted their heads, both puzzled. Beside them, Takuto was also puzzled, unable to understand what they were talking about. This broad-mindedness of yours is also WONDERFUL, Mira-chan! Fricca said and leaped to hug Mira again, who prompted Emera to do something about it. Once again, for the nth time, Emera delivered a chop from above on Friccas head and chuckled. Mira-chan is completely devoid of common sense, isnt she. Agreed on that. Emera smiled looking a little astounded and Asbar nodded strongly agreeing with her. Im not so troubled in regards to money, after all. If she needs more money, she can always extort some from Solomon, Mira thought and raised corners of her mouth in a smile. Well, I guess you ARE staying at Summer Lantern, so I guess that is the case. Ahh, you mentioned something like that. Yeah, she has. Not troubled about money huh, Im so damn enviooous. Emera had a distant look in her eyes as she imagined the Soul-Calming City Karnacks best inn and the day they had, just once, visited it to celebrate victory in there. Asbar and Zeff also recalled the gorgeous interiors and the luxuriously prepared feast. Well, thats how it is. No problem. Is it really okay? I dont mind. Also, if there is someone in your guild who can use that scythe, its fine to give it to that member of yours. Since they found a rare weapon, Mira decided it would be best to give it to someone who could use it and proposed so to the party members. This too, was something they had decided back when she was still a player. When equipment dropped, they would give it to someone who could use it to the best of its capabilities. That was what Mira had been doing all this time up until now, and had no intention of changing it. Miras statement in line with that mental attitude of hers, had once again caused everyones expression to change completely. Emera was dumbfounded, Asbar smiled bitterly, Zeff laughed loudly. Fricca who had recovered right before this, looked at everyones reactions, puzzled. We wont know for sure until we identify it, but this thing alone is quite something, you know? If there is someone who can use equipment among your comrades, its best to give it to that guy. I dont need it, after all. Is there someone like that in your guild? Nnm, we have a Darkness Knight among our guilds comrades. He might be able to use it, probably. Although Asbar said so, he himself was unsure if it was really all right to give such a first-class weapon that belonged to a Devil to the person who was not here, so he spoke a little ambiguously. Hooh, a Darkness Knight, huh. Sounds just right. You can pass it to that guy then. No, wait. It would be a great improvement in fighting power for our guild and wed be really grateful, but we really cant take this. I mean, its too much. Yup. We are thankful for your proposal, Mira-chan, but we would be either ashamed or would feel awkward if we took it. It was no wonder Emera and Asbar hesitated. It was one thing that adventurers were very careful about money, but this case was on another level. Mira had no need for the scythe, and was not very troubled when it comes to money. In addition to that, she thought it would not be good if she sold it and it went to hands of someone with a bad personality. Personally, Id prefer to leave it with someone whom I can trust, however. Although it has been short time since Mira met them, Emera and others were without doubt good people. The fact that worried about a child and tagged along Mira despite lack of any reward, was a proof of it. Mira said so and turned her gaze from the great scythe to Emera. Receiving that look, although astonished, Emeras expression had gradually changed to a bright one. She responded to the trust that could be felt in those words. And these words had directly struck her simple heart. All right! I will hold on to it with full responsibility! Emera squeezed Miras hand, then with a strong will dwelling in her straightforward eyes and overcome with emotion, she announced. You serious? Its not something I should be saying myself, but we just met today. Well, yeah. But I guess it doesnt feel too bad. Aint it fine? I would never betray Mira-chan. While Asbar did feel happy about it, he gave an opinion based on common sense. Zeff made a carefree response, and Fricca declared without any hesitation. The only one whose response was against it was Asbar. Mira fixed her sight at him and grinned. If something happens, I will come personally to recover it. Said Mira and smiled fearlessly. Understanding what did she mean, Asbar was unable to refute and was forced to agree. Well then, for now I will take responsibility and pass it to him. Said Emera and forced the great scythe inside the item box. Uh-whoa. Barely fits in. Looking at the item list, Emera raised her voice when she saw the numbers describing item box capacity. The Operators Bracelet lent by the union had maximum capacity which differed on the bracelet type. Of course, the greater capacity was the higher rental fee was charged, and also to lend better ones, it was necessary to have not only the rank but also unions trust. Speaking of which, you did buy a lot of things in preparation. For todays dungeon attack Emera had prepared even more carefully than usual, and a large amount of capacity was taken by that. Asbar who did hold that scythe in hand, thought it was no wonder considering the large weight. However, Mira tilted her head, puzzled. It was because back when it was a game, there was no limit to capacity. What, you have maximum capacity on your bracelets? She said and moved her head close to Emeras bracelet. This bracelet had almost exactly same design as Miras own. The only difference was, that it was slightly bigger. You dont have any, Mira-chan?! YOU DONT?! You can put in all you want?! Not only Emera and Asbar, but also Zeff bit into Miras words. To Zeff, as the one in charge of recovering items, having an item box that does not require him to select what to pick up and what to discard was an ideal storage item. Having a voice raised at her in rapid succession, feeling a strong pressure, Mira opened her item list to check. After taking a look inside, she found that there was nothing especially heavy inside. Most of what she had in the item box were small items. With that said, it was quite a lot of items and if she calculated the total weight, it would easily weight over 300kg. If there was an upper limit set to the item box due to the world becoming reality, it meant that at the very least she was able to put in this much. Hmm...I have quite a lot of things put in, but I cant tell. Considering various possibilities, Mira responded like so. That moment, Fricca who up until now had been concentrating on Miras gestures, had posed a question. If you lent it from the union, then you must have heard of the capacity. Hearing these words, everyone raised their voice saying ah!. Thats true, now that you say it. Did they tell you? Even though thats what Emera asked, the thing Mira had was not the Operators Bracelet but a management terminal, there was no way she could have. Ahhh...you see, this, is something I received from my master. I only heard how to use it. I see, no wonder. It cant be helped then. Mira used her setting as the disciple and dodged the question, as a result, everyone nodded convinced. Everything she did not know was made the fault of her being away from civilization, and the things she knew in detail and the outstanding things were something she heard, or received from master. That was the main line Miras excuses. However, you might get in trouble if it turns out your capacity is full when it counts, so it might be better to confirm the maximum capacity. I guess. Ill do so. Agreeing with Friccas proposal, Mira memorized inside her mind that once she returns to Arkite Castle, she needs to ask Solomon who probably knew in detail. Afterwards, to try it, Mira received the great scythe and put it inside the item box. The result was, that there was no problem. Following that, they put Asbars large hammer and other heavy things, but there was no limit. The bracelet that she had received from Danbulf boasted of abnormal capacity. Seeing such a result, everyone praised Danbulf to the heavens for something other than Summoning. After such experiment had ended. The first one who noticed it was Zeff, who raised his voice. OHHH?! He started burning! Everyone turned around in response to his words and looked at the Devils corpse as it was clad in black flames and started scattering apart. What is it? Did you do something?! Asbar walked up to the corpse as close as possible without being burnt and asked Zeff, who was taken aback by this. No, nothing. It just suddenly happened. Zeff shook his head to the side and continued to stare at the flame. He watched the first Devil he had seen with interest, then suddenly, the Devil had burst into flames right in front of him. No need to worry. That is how all Devils end. Mira announced flatly, with a completely calm face. Once Devils are defeated, they disappear in black flames after a little of time passes. Hm...looks like theres something left behind. Once the flames had disappeared, there was a black object left behind. Zeff had poked it fearfully with his finger. When Devils die, they are turned to dust by the flames of the underworld dwelling inside them. Only the toughest parts of their body are capable of resisting the hellfire. Looks like unexpectedly much was left behind. Accepting Miras words, Zeff decided that was just how Devils were and started to collect Devils materials. On their way back, monsters had yet to reappear, and they were able to return to the first floor without anything happening. Once Mira and others passed through the barrier at the entrance, they took a lungful of invigorating fresh air. HAAaa. This moment always feels so good. Emera stretched strongly and exhaled. Although to be precise they were still at the ritual site and not outside, but the air here was already refreshing as compared to the damp and gloomy air underground. Although not to the same extent as Emera, Asbar and Fricca were also conscious of the sense of freedom. And behind them, Zeff was holding down his cheek colored red in a shape of a hand and muttered It huurtttss". This was the result of him making fun of Emera again when they were climbing up the stairs on the sixth level. Takuto continued to watch Miras figure from right next to her. Dwelling in his eyes, there were great respect and strong will. Well, we got outside unexpectedly fast, lets hurry up and return before the sun sets. Crimson-dyed light poured in through the gaps of slightly-damaged ancient temples walls, seeing the light form a single crimson-colored sunny spot on the floor, Emera said with slight reluctance. It took under an hour of walking from the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis to Soul Calming City Karnack. Having planned two days one night adventure, Emera had relayed that to her comrades, thinking that they will probably spend the night at one of the middle floors. And therefore, inside her item box there were countless food items sleeping under the great scythe. Going to the deepest level of the ancient temple and coming back the same day. This will surely be a topic of many conversations. After walking out of the ritual site, Asbar turned around and looked up at the ancient temple. The countless statues lined up on the cliff have been lit up by the setting sun and left a deep shadow, making the sight give off a yet different impact from when it was the day. I think our meeting with a Devil will rouse everyone up even more, wont it. I dont think it will end at just everyone being roused. Yeeeah, agreed. Being glared at by Fricca, Zeff shrugged slightly, This is a trial" he muttered. One of Devils who were supposed to have been wiped ten years ago had appeared once again. Considering the influence Devils existence had, it was an extremely difficult to handle case, so they decided not to disclose information carelessly. Zeff who was aware of his loose tongue had already started to gather stress. In any case, lets go back. We need to consult leader in regards to this. Emera put a hand on the handle of her Spirit Sword and said with reluctant but tense and serious expression. Nn, agreed. Lets hurry up. Although Zeff usually acted carefree, he turned around now to look at the ancient temple and closed his eyes. (He sure has a difficult personality.) Mira muttered so inside her heart, then pulling Takutos hand she started to walk forward. Behind her, a single tear passed by the cheek of the man standing in place before falling on the ground. Volume 2 - CH 15 About an hour after Mira and the party exited the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, they have passed through the forest and arrived at the Soul-Calming City Karnack. The evening sun started to hide behind the edge of the horizon and the sky was dyed red. Beneath the brightest stars which appeared ahead of others, everyone had been at loss for words at the sight unfolding in front of them. The normal sight, would have been the citys activity slowly shifting into the night mode. What is...happening? Dumbfounded, Emera somehow managed to squeeze a voice out. However, the most she could do was to pose such a question. It was but natural. Adventurers and Patrol Knights were fighting off a group of animals rampaging around, it was no wonder Mira and others could not understand what is happening. In any case, were backing them up! Asbar said and first of all had rushed forward, following him were Emera and Zef who leaped right onto the battlefield that the city has become. Takuto, you must be worried about your grandfather. Want to go confirm hes safe first? Its okay. Grandpa is the strongest in this town. When Mira asked Takuto, he shook his head sideways and answered a little prideful. It seemed that he really trusted his grandfathers strength, as he did not worry in the least. In such case, dont move away from me. "Yes! Concluding there was no need to worry, Mira summoned a Holy Knight and instructed it to protect Takuto. Ill never move away from you! Like a haunting ghost, Fricca snuggled against Mira from behind. Emera who was in charge of restraining Fricca, was running around in high spirits with a Spirit Sword in her hand. Mira started walking in her direction right away. These guys, theyre those zombies from before. After catching up with Emera and others, Mira took a look at a cut-down beast and muttered. From the distance they looked like a mixed group of beasts, but their bodies were in fact made with soil and grass. The same as zombies that have been the cause of uproar in the town. Yeah! We only saw human-type of these zombies until now, so where were did they all come from? Emera had answered while quickly fulfilling her duties as the person in charge of Fricca. Just as she said, only humanoid zombies were seen so far during past incidents, and it was a first for everyone to see the beast version of them. Moreover, the zombies who - although were creepy - did not assault people, were now attacking them indiscriminately. Beast-type zombies were running about in the city, here and there they could hear angry roars and sounds of combat mix together. On the other hand, the city lanterns continued to light up the city in silence. With a good look at the surroundings, Mira noticed that compared to the destruction caused to the city itself, there were few human casualties. It seemed that people who were outside now, were only those who knew how to fight. Nhm...this is" Then, as she looked around to confirm the situation, her eyes stopped at a single store. It was devastated and the goods were scattered. However, Mira was not bothered about the store, instead focusing on the signboard stylized to look like an umbrella which mysterious presence caused it to stand out. (A zombie...no, theres no way.) Mira lightly laughed it off in her mind and moved her gaze from the store that dealt with rain gear, back to Emera and others. Lets go to the plaza in the center first. Theres union and Patrol Knights station on the way, we might learn something from there. When said so and pointed at the main road leading to the center of the city, Mira turned her face in that direction to see the road filled with beast-zombies and adventurers. Hm-mm, I guess...hm? As Mira answered her with a nod, she found something ahead of her line of sight and furrowed her eyebrows. That carriage" She squinted and stared at it, because the night had come and it was dark she could not see it clearly, which is why she ran up to it to ascertain it. Seeing Mira charge forward all alone, an entire group of beast zombies rushed at her. However, before their fangs could reach her, a black knight had appeared to slash a beast zombie in two. Emera and others chased after Mira with a little delay, then smiled faintly seeing beast zombie corpses fly in all directions every time a black sword was swung. A single carriage had pierced into one of the buildings lined up by the main road. It was the carriage Mira had been traveling with and collapsed beside it was a man wearing a familiar military uniform - Galet. I knew it! Galet, get hold of y...our...self" Mira ran up and crouched beside Galet who lied on the ground, and she shook his body. But that moment, what entered her sight was a broad, happy smile on his face. She once again took a look at the surroundings. What was there, were countless beast zombie corpses and a carriage covered in a large number of stains. These stains looked the very same as the one left by the zombie they ran over before, if anything, they were even bigger now. Come on Galet, wake up. While snickering, Mira mercilessly slapped Galets cheek which was dyed with joy, Come on, come on" she repeated as she slapped him repeatedly. Emera shivered seeing the scene from behind, and Fricca writhed with delight. Unnh Ah, an angel! In which case, is this heaven? Its me, dumbass. You better take a good look around. Hearing Galets half-awake remark, Mira poked his forehead and pointed at the carriage beside them. O-ohh, I remember now. Seeing the carriage that pierced into a house, Galet finally woke up. As he started to correct his disheveled appearance, Mira requested him to explain the situation. According to Galet, right after midday had passed human-type zombies started wandering around. Then after a while, zombies of dogs, bears and similar beasts have appeared to start attacking people. Warriors Union was made into an emergency shelter, while Spellcasters Union was made into a first aid station. Patrol Knights, adventurers and citizens with skill were dealing with zombies. According to him, beast-type zombies were unable to enter houses as long as they were properly locked. Apparently Galet was at the union when everything started, where he heard all the information and had a good grasp on the situation. Then finally, Galet strongly accented that he received a request from the union and had joined the battle as part of his military duty. This sure is enigmatic. Mira said after she finished listening to the explanation, then took a look at the city where fighting still continued. Defeated zombies were scattered all over the city and still continued to pile up. Disposing all of this will be a pain once its all over. Certainly, with this many of them it will require much effort to clean up. Mm-hm, theyre filthy zombies, after all. Mira declared with a triumphant expression thinking she came up with something funny. But what answered her was a complete silence that took over the surroundings. It would be much easier if I had the armored jeep. After a moment Galet continued, and as if nothing happened, he started to pull out the carriage that was pierced into building. Nmm? It looks much heavier now, huh. Mira made a displeased expression at the fact her joke was ignored, then smiled bitterly upon seeing seeing armor on the carriage as well as knightly-looking armored harness. This carriage is for escorting important people, you see. This equipment is for when there is a need of forcing our way through something. Sitting down in the coachmans seat again, Galet rubbed his cheek against the carriages body and with a completely intoxicated expression he responded to her. Seeing that junkie look of his, Mira only answered with "I see" and moved a few steps away. Oh, Mira-sama, want to get on? Ill pass. Galet invited her on board as if wanting to share his happiness with her. Easily able to imagine what did he intend to do based on the state the carriage was in, Mira refused immediately not wanting to be thrown around inside the carriage. Is that so, what a shame. Ah, by the way, I feel my cheek sting, do you know anything about that maybe? Im sure you must have hit something when you fell off. That might be the case, yes. Rubbing his cheek, which was so red that it was already impossible to tell there were red handprints on it, Galet nodded, convinced. Well then, Mira-sama, see you later. He said and along with a strange scream drove the carriage right into the middle of the battlefield. Even though they had an accident, the horses that pulled the carriage were reinforced with harness improved with magic engineering and now started scattering the zombies gallantly with a loud neigh. She stared at it from behind with a distant look in her eyes. That person just now, he was a soldier, right? Is he your acquaintance? No, its my first time meeting him. Mira declared briskly and forced smile in response Emeras question, who was quite put off by the sight. Thanks to information they received from Galet, Mira and others were able to get a grasp on the situation even without going to the union. They started cleaning up enemy in the surroundings as they slowly moved towards the city center. Emera and Asbar cut down and crushed the beast zombies, Zef and Fricca finished off anything that slipped past. On the opposite side, Dark Knight had rampaged, mercilessly cutting down every enemy and building up a mountain of corpses. And yet, the beast zombies continued to appear from nowhere in particular. Theres no end to this, mm. Mira nimbly hopped around while scattering the beast zombies and had arrived at a buildings rooftop, then muttered after taking a good look around the city. Because she was not conscious and completely careless of her skirt, she did not notice that Fricca stared at her from below with a sparkle in her eyes. Although each beast zombie was not very strong, this many of them was troublesome. Even if they were not capable of dealing powerful blows, they gradually deprived their enemy of their stamina. This was the reason why even in some places within her field of vision, she could see powerful warriors who prided themselves in their strength, be gradually pushed back. (This isa chance!) While the defenders were not being overwhelmed by beast zombies, there was no doubt this would turn into a long battle. After taking a sweeping view at the situation, Mira smiled fearlessly believing this to be an opportunity to show off the power of Summoning. When Mira extended her both hands to the sides, ahead of them appeared the Arcana Constraint Circle, which was immediately transformed into Rosario Summoning Circle. The prayerless funeral procession under the moon. Swords marking empty graves. Guides descend from the sky, richly-colored messengers of heavens. To carnage is where battle maidens invite souls removed from the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. As the funeral song of swords clashing sounds, they build a bridge of rainbow leading to heavens. Come, descend from the night sky, o arbiters clad in seven colors. Summoning: Valkyrie Sisters Although her voice sang very quietly, Miras every word appeared to have been engraved on the night sky and the magic circle which was dyed with colors of rainbow. Then once all words have connected to form a single meaning, Miras magic power had responded to it, the magic circle shone even brighter and Alfina had descended. However, this time the summoning did not stop there. The battle maiden sisters passed through the circle of light, showing themselves on after another. Then once the last one had descended on the land, the magic circle turned into particles of light and dispersed. We seven sisters come, answering to summons. Once Alfina took a step forward, the remaining six lined up behind her. Then, the seven battle maidens gathered together on the roof of a normal, civilian house, with Mira in the center they knelt to show their respect. Although their small details differed, they were all clad in similar armor and all of them had an attractive face and figure, were clad in noble aura. Mm-hm, good work. I met Alfina earlier, but its been a while since I met others. Were you in good health? Acting self-importantly, Mira called out to everyone to check how they would respond. There, one of the sisters who stood at the end, had quickly raised her head and spoke. Yes, with exception of Alfina-neesamas training, that is! She said as if telling on someone to a parent, before quickly turning her face away to escape from Alfinas sharp stare. I apologize for making you listen to this nonsense. I will scold Christina properly later, so please forgive her. Alfina said and deeply lowered her head. (Looks like they havent changed, mm.) Christina was the youngest of the seven Valkyrie sisters. She had her hair tied in twintails and heart marks engraved onto her armor, which probably came from her hobbies. Also, her personality was almost perfect opposite of Alfina, who was the oldest of sisters. Hmm, is that training of yours really so strict? No, not at all. It is very easy training that focuses on repetition of basics. Alfina humbly declared in response. But the next moment, Christina raised her head vigorously and, Ten thousands practice swings isnt nowhere near easy is it?! with a desperate expression she sought Miras consent. Alfinas basics went too far. But no matter what she, the youngest said, Alfina would not listen. As such, Christina appealed with tears in her eyes to Mira, the only person whose opinion her older sister had listened to. I see, hmm. Certainly, ten thousand feels a little much. They must have just finished training, or were in the middle of it, as all of them looked fatigued. The content of their training was even harsher than Mira imagined, and her feelings were inclined towards Christina. We are still inexperienced. To be able to become masters strength we need to pile up more studies and training. Alfina declared with a serious, peremptory look in her eyes. It was her honest feelings that made her not spare any effort for Miras sake, which left a deep impression on Mira. Hmm, is that so. I cant be helped then, is what she was about to say, but the appearance of the sisters appealing to her desperately entered her sight. In a position where Alfina could not see them, they joined their hands in a praying gesture as they looked at Mira. It appeared that making the training lighter was something not only Christina, but also something that all sisters aside from Alfina wished for. From the looks of it, you all appear fatigued. Were you training until a moment ago? After looking at the tired six, Mira asked Alfina. Yes, sleep and meal time aside, is all training. Mm-hm, I knew it. While Alfina spoke as if it was natural, her sisters behind her smiled bitterly, looking emaciated. After seeing them like that, Mira turned her gaze towards Alfina and puffed her chest a little. Alfina, would it not be better to also provide some time to rest? From here on, you never know when will I call you. I might not be able to borrow your strength when you are tired and covered in wounds from training. Mira had proposed a compromise. Hearing that, Alfina opened her eyes with surprise and turned towards her sisters behind her. The six of them displayed very realistic acting...or maybe they really were so tired, as they turned their faces full of exhaustion towards Alfina before looking away. This is My apologies, master! I had concentrated so much on doing our best to not be left behind by master, I had not noticed such a failure. Aghast at the state her sisters were in, Alfina turned towards Mira and lowered her head very, very deeply. You did it for my sake, there is no need to apologize. If anything, I should thank you for your hard work up until now. Make sure not to overexert yourself from here on. Mira crouched to match Alfinas line of sight and put a hand on her shoulder as to show appreciation. Ahh, master. Your words are too much of an honour to me. As you command, I will reconsider the training regime. Raising her head looking enraptured, Alfina sincerely accepted Miras words. With this everyones dissatisfaction should have been diminished, Mira thought and took a look at sisters softened, relieved expressions and stood up. Now then, as you can see, there is trouble happening. I thought of leaving those zombies overflowing in this city to you, what do you think? Do you have enough strength remaining to deal with them? Yes, leave it to us! In any case, it was true that sisters have had accumulated fatigue. Which is why Mira had asked to confirm, to which Christina instantly replied. Unlike her expression from earlier, she now had a cheerful smile on her face and was full of vitality. Other sisters also looked at Mira showing consent with their expressions. Mm-hm, that is reassuring. Well then, Alfina, I leave the means to you. Get to it swiftly. Mira nodded with satisfaction and immediately gave her instructions. Mission received. After taking one more deep bow, Alfina stood up and proudly swung her sword up to the sky. Responding to that, her sisters corrected their postures and raised their weapons up high. We, seven sisters, shall obey our masters will. Although sisters voices were quiet, their eyes turned in Miras direction were burning with loyalty. Commence the operation! Along with Miras voice, the seven sisters scattered. Alfina once again bowed, then leaped towards the battlefield. After seeing her off, Mira jumped down from the rooftop and joined up with Takuto who was waiting for her, then chased after Emera and others who went quite far ahead of the two. Volume 2 - CH 17 Beneath the sky that had recovered the sparkle of tiny stardust, the countless stalls standing by the citys main street started recovering their liveliness. Since it was apparently common sense to hold a party after completing an adventure, Emera and others would be holding one in an inn called Spring Snowfall". After being forced to make a promise she would join them later, Mira together with Takuto came to the Spellcasters Union. It was very lively under the brightly shining lights inside the union. To take care of the remains of zombies and also with formalities of adventurers, the unions employees were running all over. This looks busy" Agreed" After seeing this hustling and bustling scenery, Mira and Takuto looked into each others faces. Pulling Takutos hand, Mira headed to the corner of the building that had relatively few people in it. Placed there was the recycle box and since she was already there, Mira threw the used-up permit inside. Thank you, you are very kind. A very cutely voice of a girl sounded from the recycle box, and while it was unknown how did it work, a hand-sized girl appeared on top of the box, then smiled before then disappearing as if nothing happened. What was that?" While Takuto happily looked at the recycle box with interest from various angles, Mira only muttered with a wry smile. Ah, Mira-san! Mira turned her gaze towards a merry female voice, there, she saw Yuurika holding some documents. Ohh, its you. After a moment, Mira turned towards the acquainted face. Can it be that you already entered the ancient temple? Mm-hm. My business is done so I recycled. Is that so, thank you very much. By the way, who is this child with you? Said Yuurika and pointed with her gaze towards Takuto who was all over the recycle box. I met him the other day, it seems like he wants to become a Summoner! I heard you can check this spellcaster aptitude thing for him, so I brought him with me. Mira explained, hearing those words Takuto stood in front of Yuurika and bowed slightly. Please take care of me. My name is Takuto, I want to become strong like Mira-oneechan. He said and raised his face with, he made a serious expression filled with expectation. Takuto-kun, is it. Im Yuurika-oneechan, lets get along. While saying so, Yuurika smiled gently towards Takuto. If you are Mira-sans acquaintance, then I guess we can examine you right away. Also, the thing we spoke of the other day has been prepared, will you receive it today? For just a moment, Mira wondered what is this about. But after a moment, she recalled that when she was registering as an adventurer, they said they have to pass something Solomon-related to her. Mm-hm, I guess. I will take it. Mira tensed her expression into a serious one and nodded. Then, this way please. Still holding the documents, Yuurika started walking ahead of them. Mira held Takutos hand and as to make sure they did not notice that she forgot all about it, she followed Yuurika as naturally as possible. I brought Mira-san. Ohh, come on in. When Yuurika knocked on the union chiefs door spoke, a lively voice responded from the inside. Now then, Takuto-kun comes this way. Lets examine your aptitude while Mira-oneechan is talking. Yuurika leaned forward to match Takutos height and extender her hand to him. There, Takuto glanced towards Mira to confirm what should he do. I might take some time, go on. Mira let go of his hand and with her now free hand, she lightly pushed his back. Yes! Takuto nodded lively and pulled by Yuurikas hand, he headed off to have his aptitude examined. Excuse me. After saying so, Mira opened the door to stare suspiciously at the union chief who was tilting a glass in great mood. Whats this? You look like you have really good mood. Mira said and sat down on the chair in front of Leonil. Then, in no time, Leonils secretary placed tea and cake on top of the table. When Mira came the other day, the two chatted and hit it off well. As such, they learned that both of them are bad with formalities and have decided not to care about such things. Also, Mira shrewdly requested the secretary to serve some cake and tea whenever she comes. Well, take this for now. While Mira stuffed herself with cake, she only glanced at the two things Leonil put on the table. One thing was a black card, the other one was a sealed letter. Is this the thing you said was related to Solomon? She placed the fork beside the plate, took the card in her hand and asked. The card was black and slippery like glass, engraved on the back there were complicated symbols and magic circles. This is what they call a permit pass for a forbidden area. Forbidden area, you say? Mira raised her head and asked the question. In response, Leonil picked up a folded map and spread it on the table. It was the map of one of Ark-Ars Online regions, Shmegoofe region and islands surrounding it. Do you know of dungeons called Heavenly-Demon Mazes? Mm-hm. I do. Heavenly-Demons Maze. That was the nickname of multiple dungeons existing in this continent which had very peculiar nature. Mira has visited them countless times, so she naturally nodded. That makes things quick. Although that place was very mysterious for a long time, but for some time now the number of mysteries concerning it has increased. And now, theyve been been set as specially designated forbidden area. Mysteries? What do you mean by that? Heavenly-Demon Mazes were different from a regular dungeons. All monsters that appeared inside were subspecies and they were stronger than their basic counterparts. Also, from the treasure boxes or the boss in the deepest part of those, sometimes one could receive items that had heavenly-demon" in the name. This is the reason why they have been been called Heavenly-Demons Mazes. Why did powerful subspecies appear in them? Why did heavenly-demon equipment drop in them? It was unknown why was it, but if the mysteries increased it meant that there was something more to them now. Mira displayed interest in this new mystery that Leonil mentioned. Apparently, treasures inside this dungeon reappear after some time passes. Hoohso" So what? Is what Mira was about to say, but desisted from it. In a game it was natural that a dungeons treasure has reappeared. If that was not the case, the unique items that could be acquired in that dungeon would be limited to a single one, and a fight over such an item would break out. However, to Leonil that seemed to be a mystery. In other words, in this real-turned world it was common sense that a treasure box was a one-time thing, and realistically thinking that was normal, too. As a result, one could infer that Heavenly-Demon Mazes were abnormal. So... did something happen over the ever-recovering treasure? Although it was abnormal, it was also a chance to get a fortune. In which case it would be natural for people to flood there, and when people gather, problems happen. As expected of Danbulf-samas disciple. As you say, the scramble over treasure has grown to an intolerable scale, so to prevent it, the areas have been sealed as forbidden. Well, there was a fairly strong backlash to this, of course. Leonil smiled bitterly and, finished speaking and pointed at one location on the map. It was the center of the forest spreading Southwest of Arkite Kingdom. This permit is for the Primal Forest" Heavenly-Demons Maze. I dont know why Solomon-sama has requested me to give it to you, but I had a really hard time issuing it. Is what he said, but for some reason he looked to be in very good mood. From the look of things, you must have charged him well for this. Well, I just requested some financing, thats all. The twos line of sight crossed, and Hes already got plenty of trouble on his head, dont bully him too much. Mira said, worried about her friend and brought the topic to a finish. Then, she put down the card and next, picked up the sealed letter. And what is this one? There was no way she could see through it, but Mira raised it up as if she tried to. This is a wyvern mail which came addressed to you this morning. It was sent by someone called Lily, sounds familiar? Hearing these words Mira traced her memory and soon reached a certain woman. The maid who came to wake Mira up in the morning in Arkite Castle. At the same time, a chill ran down Miras spine. M-...mm-hm. I know her. What, you dont look too happy. A woman Danbulf-samas disciple is bad with, huh, this makes me curious. Leonil said and raised ends of his lips in a grin. Although Mira had no idea why did Lily go out of her way to send the letter, she had a hunch it was nothing good and decided not to read it here, instead throwing it inside the item box. To change the topic, tell me, do you think Devils have been wiped out? Although Devils are said not to exist anymore, one did appear on the sixth level. Miras words had a purpose of probing what Leonil, who seemed well informed, knew about it. "...Looks like you saw something. After a few seconds of silence, Leonil spoke. It appeared like he knew something. Based on his expression and the way he spoke, it could be inferred that it was very serious matter. There was one of those Devils in the deepest part of ancient temple. Mira swallowed the cream in her mouth along with tea, then spoke. It was the report of the investigation she had promised Leonil to do when she had registered as adventurer. A Devil...you say? Not Lesser Demon, but an actual Devil?! Mm-hm, it was an earl of 3rd rank. Devils have been treated as extinct after the Defense of Three Gods Countries, and in fact, there has been no official report of any Devil appearing since then. However, Leonils information network caught a shadow here and there of something that looked like them. Can it be that they were still alive? Is what he thought before, and now in fact he was told that a Devil had appeared. If it was not Mira but some other adventurer who reported this, Leonil would only put this information in the corner of his mind. There have been multiple incidents that did smell like a Devils doing, but investigation into every one of them ended up as either being a mistake or a an appearance of a new monster subtype that looked similar to a Devil. However, this time was different. The person who reported it was Sage Danbulfs disciple and someone trusted by Arkite Kingdoms King Solomon. She also knew as much as the Devils rank. Her credibility was extremely high. It cant be No, I see. In such case, the cause of that failure was Hearing that fact, Leonil made a surprised expression at first, but a Devil who held great power was a piece to fit the puzzle in his mind. It seems like you have something in mind? Leonil opened his eyes wide and his mouth twisted into a grimace. Peeking into his clearly changed expression, Mira asked. I-indeed. Its about ancient temples barrier device, however. Starting like that, Leonil started explaining while sorting the information for himself as well. First, lets start with basics. Youve seen it so I guess you already know, but theres only one entrance to ancient temples underground. And there, has been placed a barrier device which requires anyone to have a permit in order to enter the dungeon. Mm-hm, indeed. Just like he said it was very basic information, Mira carried some of the cake to her mouth and responded affirmatively. This is no exception even for a Devil. However, a Devil had appeared there, hasnt he. Then, how did he enter? Hmm, the barrier did work as it should, however. When she was entering the ancient temple, Mira certainly had to remove the barrier with her own hand, she thought and nodded. After confirming that response, Leonil pulled out some documents from a drawer and threw them. You see, about a month ago the barrier device had a malfunction. The reason behind it was unknown, but your report explains it. Mira picked up the bundle of documents that fell in the corner of the sofa and confirmed the content written in there, grasping the situation. These documents were a report of examination the barrier device has undergone. Since there was a lot of complicated specialist language in there, Mira skipped most of it and from the list of possible reasons for malfunction, she focused on single one of them. In case of an abnormally strong power used on the barrier from the outside... It said. I see. I dont know how strong the barrier is, but that Devil might have been able to do this. Yeah, a device made to stop adventurers below C-rank wouldnt stop an earl-class Devil. As a result, a month ago there was a device malfunction. Coming to such a conclusion, Leonil heaved a deep sigh and If I only knew from the start. he said in a voice so quiet even Mira could not hear it. In other words, this Devil came here a month ago. Yeah, thats right. Its safe to assume so. ...Wait. If Im not wrong, zombies started appear a month ago, too" After establishing the time when the Devil came to the city, it had overlapped with the timing that zombie trouble started. Was it really a coincidence? Leonil deliberated carefully. As he continued to build up a theory with the information, he leaked words such as I see., So that was it., Which means.. Meanwhile, Mira stuffed her cheeks with cake and passed her eyes through a certain line in the document. Written in there was one investigator missing". Yes, I dont think zombies and that Devil are unrelated. In which case, he must have done something to make zombies overflow in the city, huh. Having assembled his thoughts, Leonil looked outside at the city which turned into a battlefield not so long ago. Speaking of which, what happened to that Devil? Leonil asked Mira as if he just recalled it. The appearance of the Devil was overly sudden and had connected with the zombie incident. Because of that, he forgot something even more important. He was a good opponent for me to grasp sense for combat. While recalling the sensation she felt with her body during combat, Mira only relayed the result to Leonil. Actual combat in this real-turned world. It had certainly gave me a real sensation, Mira thought as she immersed herself in that experience. She did feel like this most important experience was priceless. As expected of a Sages disciple. That is something a normal person like me could never say. Really splendid. Just the fact of being a Devil makes it a powerful creature, even more so when it comes to an earl-ranked one. However, Mira had displayed results worthy of a hero disciples title. Hearing that a problem hiding nearby was gone, Leonil was relieved from the bottom of his heart and did not spare her praise. Still, while we know how this happened, we dont know why. Leonil said and groaned. Although he thought there was no doubt it was the Devil who caused the zombie incident, he had no idea what was the Devil trying to do. I thought those zombies were looking for something, but if a Devil was involved then that possibility disappears. Mm-hm. If he wanted to find something, he has pawns like Devil Bats and Sealing Eyes that could do it. Mira spoke names of two monsters, confirming. Devils had many underlings that they could use, including ones excelling at searching things, These were namely Devil Bats and Ceiling Eyes1, and having them there was no need to go out of his way to use zombies. Well in any case, there is no explanation to todays turmoil. It was quite different from what was happening up until now, too. Until the other day, zombies did not bring any harm to humans and only started to wander around at night. However, zombies today started appearing during the day and assaulted people indiscriminately. The two thought deeply over the reason for that, but in the end, most likely due to lack of information, they did not find the answer. Then, Leonil had completely lost himself in the sea of thoughts as he searched for the truth behind the zombie incidents. Since this happened often, the female secretary sincerely apologized to Mira. Since she had many people who acted similar among her acquaintances, with a smile Mira told the secretary not to worry, then said farewell to her and left the union chiefs office. Volume 2 - CH 18 Now, where was Takuto taken to, hmm? Standing in the corridor which was well-decorated with wood, Mira muttered to herself as she looked at countless doors there. Because she did enter union chiefs office without seeing Takuto off, she didnt know where he was. Since it could not be helped, she searched the surroundings with Sensing Life, but there were responses from everywhere and she was unable to pinpoint his location. After taking a light look around, Mira immediately gave up and soon decided that if she waits he would eventually come out, then headed downstairs. The first floor of Spellcasters Union. Compared to when she came here earlier, the hall which appeared to have calmed down some, was been enveloped in complete silence when Mira went down. The reason for that, seemed to be the smile she had on her face. How should I teach Takuto if he becomes a Summoner, I need to prepare items required for contracting - and so on she thought. Recalling back how everything went when she started the game, she continued her delusions about future that was yet to be determined. Her smile mixed in a childs innocence and a gentle motherly side. Everyone in the union hall at the time had naturally been attracted to her and had a moment of the time stolen from them. Not bothered by the change in her surroundings, Mira sat down in the corner of the hall and to kill time as she waited for Takuto, she took out the sealed letter she received from Lily. Hmm...whats this? There was just a single piece of paper inside the letter. I forgot to tell you: F 2117, 9, 20 L 2126, 8, 11 K 2132, 6, 18 A 2138, 1, 14 D 2146, 5, 12 Was written on it. (Are these numbers, dates? But what kind of dates are these?) Mira glared at the paper suspiciously and found Solomons show-off signature on the lower right of it. It was something they thought up together in the past, and from the looks of it, it was impossible for a third person to realize it belonged to Solomon. To say, this signature is something Mira alone was capable of understanding. (Hmm. In any case, this doesnt look like something written by Lily.) She placed the paper on her knees and said need some sugar" as she started sipping Apple au Lait. She was following the common knowledge saying that sugar is useful when using brain, but also completely forgot that she just ate a cake. After a moment, she wondered if Takuto is already done, and turned her gaze towards the stairs. That moment, a large wall clock entered her line of sight. This taller than her own height clock, was also equipped with calendar. On the upper half of the the calendar there was a picture drawn, on the lower half engraved was a date, it was a very basic design of a wall calendar. (Seeing these in a fantasy world feels really off.) Compared to the wall clock whose appearance did feel appropriate for this world, the calendar made Mira recall the world she was previously in and furrow her eyebrows. However, the moment her eyes traced the current date, Mira realized the meaning behind what was written in the sealed letter. It was simply additional information regarding Solomons request she has been working on. (So...that was it, huh.) Single letters were the first letters of each name. And the numbers were the date they have appeared in this world, is what Mira thought. Today was 19th May of year 2146. The day Mira came to this world was 12th of May. In other words, D meant Danbulf, and the numbers ahead of it were the date. Although just knowing the date did not seem useful for the search, but people whom Mira was searching for, were the Nine Sages who had extreme individual characteristics. If something worth of mention happened or started around such date, it was highly possible they were related to it. Thinking so, Mira looked through the first letters of each line on the paper. (Flone, Luminaria, Kagura, Arteshia, and me. He said he checked every day, so the ones whose names arent written must have appeared in this world before Solomon.) Mira glared at the paper for some time, but realized there was not much point to it, so she thought of asking Leonil if there are any documents regarding to these dates. That moment, Yuurika had come down bringing Takuto together with her. So here is where you were. Finding Mira, Yuurika smiled with relief. It seemed that she was going around, searching for Mira. This will be Takuto-kuns spellcaster aptitude results. Ohh, Ive been waiting for this! Receiving the examination results from Yuurika, lowered her gaze at it with an expression full of expectation. Lined up there were many details of the examination, but Mira had quickly skipped those and her gaze rushed towards the aptitudes field. Theres...no Summoning..." Takuto had spellcasters aptitude for three spellcasting types - Wizardry, Holy Magic and Onmyoujutsu. Confirming there was no Summoning written there, Mira felt apathy like a student who failed at entrance examination and hung her head. Her ambition to raise Takuto to be a splendid Summoner, had crumbled away. Umm, each of these spellcasting types are easy to use. I also measured the amount of magic power he has, and it was higher than average. Takuto-kun has very promising future head of him! Seeing Mira change completely, Yuurika complemented like so. Will I be able to become like Mira-oneechan with this? Takuto ran up to Miras side and spoke with an innocent smile. Seeing him so happy made Mira unable to remain disappointed over the lack of Summoners aptitude. Mm-hm, if you do your best you will surely become a splendid spellcaster. Mira raised her head and nodded strongly with a smile. Hearing these words, an even nicer smile bloomed on Takutos face. Weve been in your care, Im grateful. Thank you, onee-chan. Oh, no. If its Mira-sans request then Ill do my best even if its difficult! Yuurika who was Danbulfs huge fan, was very devoted to his disciple, Mira. With do-or-die spirit sparkling in her eyes, she sought a handshake as a reward, making Mira smile a little wryly. With the business over the two left the union, Mira looked at the city lit up by the lanterns as she recalled the name of the inn Emera and others said they will be having a party in. (Hm, what was it again? Spring...something something inn?) Tracing back her vague memory she held Takutos hand and started walking down the main street full of evening bustle. Mira walked down the city of Karnack which was full of scars after the zombie turmoil and looked around restlessly to confirm each stores signboard. Most likely due to turmoil that happened, there were many Patrol Knights mixed in among people. They were watching over the piles of corpses located here and there. Then, Miras gaze who was looking for the inn where Emera and others were, had met with one of the patrolling knights gaze. Good evening. What are you doing here at such late hour? The male Patrol Knight wearing a white and blue tabard walked up to the two with a smile and spoke to them. Hm? What is it? Good evening. Thank you for good work. While Mira tilted her head suspiciously, wondering what is it about, in contrast Takuto had greeted the young man with a bow. Did I surprise you? Im sorry. I am Evin, a guard affiliated with the National Armys Patrol Department. Could I hear your names? Not bothered with Miras expression, Evin introduced himself. His job was to say, something like that of a policeman. He was concerned about the two talking around at after sunset, looking around restlessly. From a third persons perspective, Mira and Takuto looked like a pair of siblings who are lost. It was perfectly natural natural for the Patrol Knight to speak to them. However, Mira was completely unaware of that and had no idea why did he speak to them. Im Takuto. Mira. While Takuto responded briskly, Mira answered while becoming even more puzzled. Takuto-kun and Mira-chan, is it. So, what were you doing here at such late hour? Are you lost? If so, I will guide you back home. Evin said and made a reassuring smile. When Mira heard these words, she finally made a softer, understanding expression. But the next moment, she hung her head when she realized she was misunderstood for being lost. Although she was dissatisfied to be mistaken for being lost, Mira did have a good impression of Evins enthusiastic work attitude and action. We arent lost. However, we dont know where is the inn our acquaintance is in. It was named with Spring in name, do you know of it maybe? I see, so that was the reason. Hmm If its an inn with Spring in name, then I guess you mean Spring Snowfall? Ohh, thats the one. It had that kind of name. The moment Evin spoke the name, the fog clouding Miras memory had dispersed and she affirmed with a bright expression. If that is it, then its a little ahead of here. I will take you there. Evin smiled nicely and with an experienced move, he took Miras free hand and started walking. Because of it was so sudden and done such casual manner, Mira lost the timing to reject it. Moreover, Evin was spreading an aura of a perfectly good person which made Mira unable to shake his hand off, as such, pulled by hand she was escorted all the way to Spring Snowfall Ah, Mira-chan is here. Hee.y? In front of the Spring Snowfalls door, Emera could be seen was waiting impatiently for the two to come. Raising her head upon hearing a familiar voice, Mira shook off the hand strongly, found Emaras figure and glared at her. Pffft! Mira-chan came in custodyyy! Im not! Just a step of bursting into loud laughter, Emera disappeared from Miras sight in no time to report this to everyone inside. No matter how one looked at it, Mira looked like a lost child being led by hand by a Patrol Knight. Although she denied it with all her might, other people in the surroundings only looked at her with gentle eyes. Its late now, so you shouldnt be playing outside for too long. Said Evin after they arrived at the place of destination, then after greeting Emera and others, he left to continue his patrol. "...It was just a misunderstanding, got it? Mira glared at Emera and Zeff whose heads peeked out form inside Spring Snowfall with a strange light in their eyes, and spoke an excuse devoid of persuasiveness. Yup yup, I know of course. Its just a joke. Although its been just half a day, we are comrades, arent we. I get it. I see, fine then. Emera and Zeff nodded repeatedly. Although it has not been long since they met, it was fine as long as they understood, thinking so Mira softened her expression. However, she did not notice the two were trying to bear with something. Come in Mira-chan, hurry up. While saying so, Emera took Miras hand and invited her in. The inside of the inn was all made with wood, its first floor seemed to act a cafeteria and reception. There were multiple sturdy tables and chairs lined up in there, on which sat customers enjoying the evening activities. Ohh, missy and boy, we were waiting for you. Asbar raised his voice and waved his hand from the corner of the inn where a table larger than others stood. This way, Mira-chan. Before Mira realized, Fricca stood behind her and snatched her to guide her to a seat. And like it was perfectly natural, she tried to sit down next to Mira...but that seat has been already taken. Emera who occupied the seat next to Mira looked towards Fricca and raised the corner of her lips in a grin. In her eyes dwelled the will and responsibility to protect Mira. If it was not the left then she will take the right, and so Fricca moved to secure the seat right of Mira. However, Takuto who was holding hands with Mira sat down there as if it was natural, and was happily looking around. With despair in her eyes, Fricca sat in front of Mira and looking forward with desire she started doing her best to burn Miras appearance into her memory. Meanwhile, everyone finished sitting down and with that as the sign, Asbar called the clerk. Lets order drinks first. Emera spread the menu on the table and everyone peeked at it. Takuto, is there something you want to drink? I want orange juice. Mira asked Takuto, who answered as such. This exchange of words was like that of friendly siblings. Asbar looked at the two with a smile and Beer, big. he ordered the moment the clerk approached. After that, when Emera, Fricca and Zeff finished their orders, Mira ordered orange juice for two. When the clerk repeated their orders to confirm and moved away, Zeff immediately spoke. Well then, lets split the loot. First, this. Zeff placed sixty-four Magic Stones and one Magic Crystal on the table. Ill ask again, but is this really okay? Still hesitating considering the situation, Emera moved her gaze from Magic Stones to Mira. We already finished talking about this, have we not. I know, but still. See, our vice-leader is really serious. Well, its not like I dont understand. Emera looked down at the spoils with a difficult look on her face. In the end, they only tagged along and yet they would earn over a hundred thousand. It could not be helped that she confirmed multiple times. Other members also understood her feelings, which is why they did not say anything and left the decision to Emera. Im sorry for the wait. While Emera and others hesitated, the lively voice of a clerk blew away the silence and he swiftly placed the drinks on the table, then left in a hurry. Lets have a toast first. Asbar distributed the drinks placed on the table and raised his beer mug. Then with drinks in their hands, everyones line of sight gathered on Mira. Takuto, who read the mood also stopped himself from drinking and holding the glass with both hands he looked at Mira. I leave the toast speech to you. Nhm...what, to me? Both in the game and in reality, Mira always left this kind of thing to others, as such she was not used to speeches and was a little at loss. Ysee Mira-chan, you are todays lead after all. Zeff said so and smiled like a boy as he pointed his glass in Miras direction. Emera and others agreed with him and readied their glasses in the same way. It cant be helped then, mm. Responding to all the gazes that poured onto her, Mira raised her glass and putting on airs she spoke the most important words of celebration of this day. Lets toast to Takutos Wizardry, Holy Magic and Onmyoujutsu aptitude, cheers! Cheers! Wait, to that one?! Ha ha ha ha! Thats great. Cheers! Toast to Mira-chan. Cheers! I already knew from Mira-chans expression that she wouldnt do it normally! U-...umm. Thank you very much. Everyone said their cheers as they pleased. Asbar drank his beer from the mug all at once and laughed lively. Emera thought it couldnt be helped and tilted her glass. Mira pat Takutos head with a contented smile, and Fricca stared at the two with envy. While everyone grew cheerful and had fun, a certain person approached the table, and Zeff waved his hand in greeting. Thats a lively party you are having. That person who called out to them, he had long red hair that could be said of finest wines color. He was tall and looked about twenty years old, he had extremely well-ordered, androgynous facial features to the point where he could be mistaken for a woman if not for his voice. Is this girl the disciple you spoke of? Yes. Shes Mira-chan. The boy next to her is Takuto-kun. Fricca answered triumphantly. Hearing that, the young man looked straight at Mira and greeted her with a soft smile. I am carlate Carillons guild leader, Celo. It appears that my members were in your care this time, so I would like to thank you. No need for thanks. It ended up being more fun than going alone, after all. Is that so, Im glad. Celo smiled upon hearing Miras words. However, right beside her there was someone who rejoiced even more than Celo. Mira-chan, so you thought of us so muuuch! Hearing Mira say that she had fun with them, Emera, who was worried that they were not useful at all, made a touched expression with tears appearing in her eyes. It was fun for me toooo! Wha?!! And the person who was even more happy than Emera, appeared from beneath the table as if climbing on Miras legs. Most likely because she was caught by surprise, Mira reflexively raised her leg and splendidly struck Friccas solar plexus. Could it be that Fricca-san troubled you on the way as well? Fricca displayed a lot of skill by fainting from pain while retaining an expression full of pleasure on her face. Asbar pulled her off from Mira by her leg. Celo stared at all that with a bitter smile. Verily so. "...Im sorry. "...Well, I dont mind. Mira and Celo shortly exchanged words as they turned their gaze towards Fricca. When she remained silent she was quite the beauty, the two thought and heaved a sigh. Meanwhile, Emera was still emotionally moved now had a softened expression as she made a wide smile. By the way, is that todays loot? That is a lot. Noticing Magic Stones on the table, Celo raised his voice in wonder. It was because this amount was not something that could be gathered in just a day. Mira-chan beat almost all of it, though. But she said that it should be split among everyone. Thats so generous, aint it. Is that so? Oh and, theres a Magic Crystal, too. This should amount to quite the sum of money. It was a fact it could be said to that Mira had the right to most of the loot. And the total worth of all this loot could be easily estimated for at least 1,500,000 Riffs. For a normal person this was enough to play around luxuriously for two, three months. Oh, speaking of which, we got a weapon, too. Right, a large scythe. It belonged to that enemy, but Mira-chan says we should give it to our acquainted Darkness Knight. A scythe? What kind of scythe is it? Umm" Seeing Celo display curiosity, from her item box Emera took out the great scythe that the Devil was holding. Since it was too heavy for her to lift, the moment she took it out, it rolled on the ground with a loud sound. "...That is very ominous. Celo said and grasped the pure black scythes hilt. Then, although his physical build was no different from Zeffs and he was smaller by a size or two than Asbar, who barely managed to lift it despite being stronger than Zeff by a level or two, Celo raised the great scythe with just one hand. Seeing that, Mira got curious as to how much strength did Celo have and focused her gaze on him. Nhm? She unconsciously leaked a voice of surprise. Mira could not see Celos status. This meant that it was highly possible that this Celo person used to be a player. What is it, Mira-chan? Fricca who was watching Miras every single move and listening to every word and phrase, noticed Miras behavior and called out to her. Nhm. Ah, no, its nothing. I just thought that is amazing. How are players treated in this world? Mira recalled that she forgot to ask Solomon such a thing and at the spur of moment, she spoke what she thought. Regardless of whether Celo was a player or not, she decided it was not something she should touch on without knowing more about players situation. Well obviously, hes our leader after all. So hows he, amazin right? Asbar who listened to the two, proudly raised his voice. And it was not just him, but also Emera and others were proud of their leader being praised by Danbulfs disciple. Not at all, I still have a long way to go. Said Celo very humbly and made a bitter smile. In any case, this is a very splendid item. Staring intently at the great scythe again, he spoke impressed. Well, dealing with it is just as troublesome as its splendid. If its your guild which acknowledges people like Emera, then it will not be used for bad things, right? If there is someone who can use it, could you pass it onto them? I see, so that is the reason However, I should not be one to say this, but is it alright to believe us based on just two days? It is possible that we pass it to someone who is up to no good. Celo said and smiled mischievously. Mira raised the corner of her mouth and smiled back at him. Well, in that regard I can only say I believe in you. Its true that it was not long, but I came to like everyone. Lets call it a trust loan. While saying so, Mira looked straight in Celos eyes. Trust loan. She did not mean a literal loan. It was a type of slang used between players when passing up a powerful item to another member for the sake of improving the partys overall strength, with the meaning of dont sell it off on your own" included in it. Thank you very much for believing in my comrades. I will take responsibility in regards to this. Most likely because he realized Miras intention, Celo nodded vigorously as he answered. Do take care of it. The other carlate Carillon members who watched Miras and Celos exchange while holding their breath, now smiled broadly with relief. And then, Mira said that might as well" and they had another toast, this time together with Celo. Volume 2 - CH 19 The friendly chat which started with Emera and Miras first meeting and had continued like a grand story. Meanwhile everyone made their orders at their own leisure and by the time food arrived, the story reached the ancient temple part. Zeff mentioning that Alfina was right in his strike zone. Emera feeling in low spirits because she was unable to do anything despite being lent a Spirit Sword. Asbar mentioned with laughter that the gap between Miras lack of common sense and her strength was amazing, Fricca who while squirming said that there is no limit to Miras cuteness. As she watched Emera and others talk happily, Mira was a little envious of how everyone looked up to Celo. From time to time they sought her agreement saying things like wasnt it? or you think so too, right? to which Mira answered I guess. or similar to show she was listening. However, upon hearing Mira-chan is mine. she rejected with all her might. While she listened to everyones conversation, from time to time Mira wiped Takutos mouth and ordered extra drinks, enjoying the friendly atmosphere to the fullest. The party had entered the final part and when everyone was more focused on alcohol rather than food, the conversation had also focused on something else - the topic moved to zombies overflowing in the city. We come back and thats what we see, surprised me like hell. Zeff spoke as he recalled what happened just two, three hours earlier, carrying a potato fry to his mouth and laughing. I dont know why did that happen, but I was also surprised. However, the thing that surprised me most were those seven battle maidens who appeared all of a sudden. During todays turmoil, Celo who had put all his effort into protecting the town was put on full alert upon sensing a disturbing presence wriggling in the sky. But before long, it had disappeared along with a blinding flash of light. The reason for that, were the seven Valkyrie sisters summoned by Mira. Seeing that from the start to end, Celo looked with interest at Mira. That one was really great. If I was a spellcaster, Id prefer being a Summoner over a Necromancer. Not interested in them as a fighting force, Zeff spoke of his delusions of making his perfect harem. Naturally, everyone looked at him with gazes of pity. The disjointed conversation had continued lively meandering without any directionality, until they returned to the topic of what to do with the loot. Other than Magic Stones, this loot also included the materials from a Devil. As a result of their discussion, they decided to split Magic Stones evenly between all of them, but pass the Magic Crystal to Mira. In regards to Devil materials, as expected they could not put them on a table since they were traces of Devils who were said to be extinct. They decided to gather again later in a private room to split them. Eventually, when their bellies grew full and some members have gotten drunk. A single man opened the Spring Snowfalls door. Having his gaze led towards the door by the sound of a bell, there, Asbar found a familiar face. Oh, if it isnt Kilik. You came at perfect time! The young man was called Kilik and he seemed to be one of carlate Carillon members. He was clad in matte black armor and he was expressionless, it was hard to read his emotions. However, when Asbar called out to him, he turned around and smiled faintly. The difference when he was smiling compared to when he was not, was something hard to tell unless one compared pictures, but Asbar who knew Kilik for a long time could tell he was in good mood. What is it, Asbar-san? By perfect time you mean...? Kilik walked up to everyones table and asked in almost monotonous voice. In todays loot theres something that seems like it will fit you, we thought of passing it to you once you come back. Asbar said and turned his gaze towards Mira as if prompting for an opinion. Led by that gaze Kilik turned in that direction, then upon seeing Mira his eyes rounded in amazement and he gasped. Cute" Kilik muttered in voice too quiet for anyone to hear. Mira was in the middle of stuffing her cheeks with a tart for dessert. At such time, noticing Kilik stare at her intently in the corner of her vision, ehem" she cleared her throat flustered; trying to keep appearances. I see, so you are the Darkness Knight that Emera and others spoke of, yes? Since she was listening to the two talking, based on the content of their talk and Kiliks appearances she surmised this much. Then with cream still remaining by her mouth she puffed her chest. Certainly, I am a Darkness Knight, but Asbar-san, what is the meaning of this? It means that youre lucky. Asbar stood up and started strongly patting Kiliks shoulder, then received the great scythe from Celo and extended it to Kilik. And this ishm? This appears to be dwelling strong power of flames, what is this? Right after laying his gaze on the scythe Kilik appeared to feel something as he suddenly let an aura of nervousness. Its the loot belonging to this missy here, but she doesnt need it so she asked us to pass it to someone who does. In our guild you are probably the only one who could use it, right? In any case, try holding it. Most likely because his arms were at the limit, Asbar forcibly passed the great scythe to Kilik. Receiving the scythe because of the momentum, Kilik took it in his hands and upon feeling its overwhelming power from up close, he trembled. Hows it, think you can use it? Asked so, Kilik took a step back and held the scythe with both hands. This...has a lot of power hidden inside, but I probably could use it. Feeling his hands gradually get used to the great scythe, Kilik thoroughly confirmed the blade before he answered. Hooh, it does look good on him. Unlike when Emera, Asbar or Celo held it, it looked very natural when Kilik poised with it. Seeing his splendid appearance, Mira made a satisfied smile. Hows it, missy? It seems like he can use it. Also, I guarantee he has good personality. He might look gloomy, but hes a compassionate man who even donates to orphanages. Eh? Why do you know that?! For an instant Kilik nearly dropped the scythe out of fluster upon hearing Asbars words. It appeared that donations he made to orphanages were something he did in secret from everyone. Heh, we all know that much. Hearing Kiliks question Zeff responded as if to tease him. And all other members of carlate Carillon in this place also nodded in a big way and smiled with enjoyment. All right. Kilikwas it. I will leave it with you. Make sure to work hard. Kiliks expressionless face crumbled as he blushed, making Mira also agree that there was no problem if it was him. Good for you, Kilik. You got acknowledged. Umm...I understand that I am to take it, but I think this is a very excellent item. Is it really okay that I use it? Holding the great scythe which was clearly on a completely different level from the weapon he was using up until now, Kilik hesitated because at the suddenness. Mm-hm. Use it well for peoples and for societys sake, that will be enough. As for Mira, she answered while looking straight in Kiliks eyes. Thank you very much. I promise not to do anything that would go against that belief. Receiving Miras feelings sincerely, Kilik looked back in her eyes, corrected his posture and bowed deeply. M-...mm-hm. Youre...welcome? Bewildered by Kiliks very serious attitude, Mira answered and to try hide her embarrassment, she stuffed herself with tart. As for Emera and others, they thought it was very Kilik thing to do and laughed. I cant be at peace of mind having one-sidedly received something this good. I would like to do something in return. He carefully put the scythe inside the item box and once again he spoke to Mira with a serious face. You say return, but" Mira gave it to him simply because she had no need for it, which is why she was bewildered to see him go this far. However, Kilik did not seem like he would back down; a burning determination could be seen in his eyes. He was completely different from his expressionless self that came to the inn at first. Thats true. I too, as the guilds leader would like to thank you somehow. Thanks to this, we can expect our fighting power to increase by a fair amount. Nhm. An unexpected supporter, the guilds leader Celo had joined Kilik, making Mira unable to say anything. It appeared that from Celos perspective too, this was too much of a favor to receive without giving anything in return. Emera and others also agreed with them at this critical moment. Receiving such determined looks, Mira realized that she was unable to leave it at that. In which case, she started thinking of something and traced back to recall something fitting in her recent memory. If you go that far, then I have a request. Yes, please leave it to us. Celo nodded even before Mira said anything. Listen first before agreeing, Mira thought with a wry smile and took out a piece of paper from a letter. I would like you to investigate various incidents and occurrences, strange happenings that occurred on the date I will say now, and within several days of it. How about it, can you do it? Information gathering, is it. We have members who excel at gathering information, it is a non-issue. He responded and swiftly took out a pen and a memo paper he probably had always ready. After confirming that, Mira lowered her gaze at the paper in her hand. 20th September of year 2117, 18th June of Year 2132 and 14 January of 2138. Thats all. It doesnt matter how trivial the information is. After she finished reciting dates, Mira put the paper back in the envelope and inside the pouch. A moment later Celo finished writing them down, then after confirming them with Mira once he put it in his pocket. I will ask our most prominent members to gather information. Also, I dont know what do these dates mean, but I vow that we will not let any of the information we gathered to leak outside. That would be a great help. It regarded to Arkite Kingdoms most important people, the Nine Sages. Although it was not something that should normally be asked of a mere adventurers guild, but it might be a good camouflage and actually better to use them instead of the countrys intelligence. Is what Mira thought after requesting this, which proved that she herself did not understand just how important it was. After the negotiations ended and they returned to a disjointed chat, the inns clock struck nine oclock in the evening. While listening carefully to this gentle sound, Mira confirmed the time on the clock. So it was nine already, huh. Takuto, it is quite late, at what hour did you tell your grandfather that you will come back? Takuto said that ever since he was separated from his parents he has been in his grandfathers care. I think its all right. According to the schedule we were supposed to be staying night in the ancient temple. I told him to make sure to tell his grandpa about it. Right, Takuto-kun? There is no oversight, Emera added and puffed her chest. The Ancient Temple Nevrapolis completion was not something that could be something to do and come back from within a day. Therefore, Emera prepared for such event and did tell this to Takuto as well. However, in contrast to Emeras words, Takuto acted very strange. He was having fun just a moment ago, but now he was making uncomfortable expression and his line of sight wandered. Can it be that you didnt tell him anything? Mira asked one more time, making Takuto flinch before looking at Mira fearfully. Based on his appearance, it was clear that he did not say anything to his grandfather. Tracing her chin with her finger, Mira heaved a sigh and stared in Takutos eyes. He must have had awareness he did something bad, as he hung his shoulders dejectedly. You see, Takuto, you are not the only one who was sad when you heard your parents died. Your grandfather must have been just as sad, or felt even more sadness than you, Yes" Why would you worry him at time like this? Do you wish to make your grandfather feel even worse? When Mira spoke to Takuto both strict and gentle, Takuto shook his head sideways without a word. Right? When youre leaving you need to tell him where you go first. You need to promise me that. She said and gently pat Takutos head as he fell into a slump and smiled to him. Yess. Takuto engraved her words in his heart and nodded. Good boy" Mira said and embraced him, feeling her warmth Takuto was reminded of his mother he had buried in his distant memories. Mira-chan in oneechan-mode! Read the mood. Breathing roughly, Fricca stared at the two with feverish look in her eyes, but was stopped by Emeras experienced move. Im not Fricca-chan, but I do think that Mira-chan sometimes shows this very mature charm. Oh, whats with that, lolicon. Is that your excuse for yourself? Ehh? Youre still pulling that joke alonnng?! When Zeff spoke with a refreshed look in his eyes, Asbar brought up his new nickname and grinned wide. That is something I would like to hear details of. Zeff-san, werent you a fan of big breasts? While Zeff was troubled over this shameful nickname, Celo and Kilik delivered additional blows - even his fetishes were suddenly exposed. As a result, within the next few days Zeffs embarrassing nickname became known to all of carlate Carillon members. Well then, I was the one who mentioned this, so I will take responsibility and see Takuto off back home, mm? Mira said so, took Takutos hand and stood up. However, she was immediately stopped. Missy. We still havent finished splitting that other material, what about that? Like Asbar said, the distribution of Devils materials was still remaining. With that said, there was no materials Mira needed too much so she could just say so, but the looks everyone gave her said that they would not allow it. Then Ill come back again after seeing Takuto off. In that case, how about I see him off. After Mira proposed a compromise, Celo immediately nominated himself. He had already received a report of what happened inside the ancient temple, and seemed to have a grasp on Devil materials which could not be shown publicly. No, however. But the reason of all of this happening was her own promise to bring Takuto. She could not bother Celo who was unrelated any more than this. Concluding so, Mira was about to reject his proposal. I will come as well. I dont think I will be able to return the favor with this much, but I would like to be of help even if a little. With leader and me together, it will definitely be safe. Just as Kilik said, with the two together Takuto would be safe even if zombies started to overflow again. However, Mira intended to act as Takutos guardian. Therefore, she was reluctant to pass this duty to others. If you see him off, Mira-chan, youll get misunderstood and taken into custody again. In Emeras words there was also intention to tease. However, to Mira it could be said to be nothing but the highest shame there was. As a result, Mira hung her head dejectedly and agreed. Mira-oneechan, Emera-oneechan, Asbar-ojiichan, Fricca-oneechan, Zeff-oniichan. Thank you very much. Right now there isnt anything I can do, but one day I will definitely return the favor. Takuto straightened his back and bowed deeply. Then after finishing saying his long thanks, his face was filled with not just gratitude but also strong aspiration. It was just a small change inside him, but he was clearly different from before, it was a face of a boy who grew more mature. See you again, Takuto-kun. If you want to become adventurer, I will teach you lots of things next time. If you choose to become a spellcaster, I should be able to teach you something. You can come to me any time. Ojii-chan...huh. Emera and others crowded by Takutos side to pat his head all over, massaged by their hands, Takuto made a boyish smile and yes! he answered. Well, in any case Tell your grandfather than your parents are alive. He will surely rejoice. Also, three roads to spellcasting opened before you, I might not be the to talk, but you have the talent. If you intend to walk any of these roads, come to Silver Towers. I will welcome you. But dont forget to consult this with your grandfather. When Mira leaned forward to peek at his face and pat his head, Yes! Takuto answered with a smile and nodded. Once again, Takuto took a look around to burn his benefactors appearance into his memory. They were splendid adventurers he couldnt thank them enough. Thanks to his meeting with Mira, he had found so many people he loved. Thankful to the luck that connected them, Takuto headed back to his grandfathers house. Mira-chan! Welcome not just Takuto-kun, but me too! Right after Takuto headed back, Fricca bit right into the words Mira earlier spoke to Takuto. It was how Mira said she will welcome him in Silver Towers. The Silver Towers were not only Arkite Kingdoms, but entire continents largest spellcasting research organization. To enter it, a little amount of prestige was nowhere near enough, both power and its wide application were necessary, making it very difficult to enter. In that place, even first-class adventurers were laughed at scornfully and turned back at the front door. It was a den of eccentric weirdos inside of which the super-first class spellcasters continued to do research. That is what the Silver Towers were. Outwardly, Miras position was that of Tower of Summonings highest authority, Danbulfs disciple. Furthermore, based on her combat with the Devil it was clear that she had fulfilled all the required requirements to enter the tower. Hearing Mira say so naturally that she welcomes Takuto made Fricca think that Mira must already have fair amount of influence inside the Silver Towers. The much-admired Silver Towers. To Fricca as a spellcaster, it was a place that could be said to be holy land. Mira-chan, just a little peek inside is enough! Pleee-aaaa-s-eee! Just a step away from prostrating herself completely, for the first time Fricca turned a gaze devoid of lust towards Mira. Her eyes now were full of a spellcasters curiosity and envy. Fine, fine, I get it. If I have time Ill guide you around, so hurry up and let go of me! Up until now Fricca acted like a beast who leapt at her prey. However, right now the pressure she gave off was something like that of a beast ensuring the capture prey would not escape. Feeling Friccas tenacity, Mira realized she would not be able to escape and was half-forced to promise as such. Mira-chan, I love you! With Miras agreement, Friccas emotions swelled up and in the end, she leapt on Mira which was within Emeras expectations, and Fricca was struck down. Eventually they settled on that one day, she would come together with Takuto. After reaching this point, they put a close to the party. Next, Mira together with everyone headed to Zeffs room that was in the back of the second floor. Now, time to distribute materials. Zeff pulled out the Devils materials and lined them all up on the table. Two twisted horns, eight claws shining with black, jet black skin, as well as two wings. All of it was releasing ominous presence which put Emera slightly off, especially that they were having a celebration just a moment ago. Since Fricca who was capable of seeing magical things did not say anything, Emera knew there was no problem, but still could not completely get over it. Still, now that I look at it again like this...damn, this sure is amazing. Asbar heaved a sigh and glared at Devil materials. Agreed. There is a considerable amount of magic power dwelling inside these claws. Based on the directionality of that power, it appears it dwells power of flame inside and if used for making spell equipment, they would become powerful items. Fricca picked up one of the claws and squinted as if to examine it. A fire elemental sword!! The first one to react to Friccas words was Emera, who looked at the materials from some distance. Emera who had an overly fixation on swords had her previous feelings blown away without trace, and was now looking at the Devils claws on the table with a sparkle in her eyes. First of all we need to distribute those, but...Mira-chan, is it really okay for us to have these? We were completely of no use when fighting this guy, after all. Uh...youre right. The question had returned for an unknown, nth time. Emera who was in high spirits was brought back to reality by Zeffs words. That Devil was not someone they could win against. Far from that, they were aware that if Mira was not there, by now unbeknownst to anyone they would have been cold corpses buried inside the ancient temples underground. So stubborn. If you are so bothered by it, you can also memorize what I requested earlier. I want even the smallest piece of information, after all. There is nothing more important to me now than that. Hearing the words Mira said, Zeff and Asbar looked in each others faces and shrugged with I knew it". Fricca already took note of the dates together with Celo when Mira said them, and puffed her chest to say she already intended to do so. Leave it to me! Although without any basis, Emera was full of motivation, with the sparkle returning to her eyes she answered to Mira full of confidence. Well, in any case. Missy, you can take whatever you want from these. We will split the rest. "...Hmm, all right. Mira answered and glanced at the table. The black skin was most suitable for making a light armor of it, Devils claws for making spell tools and spell equipment, wings were useful material for making any kind of defensive equipment. However, Mira judged she does not need any of these type. After all, there was a material that had a far better compatibility with her than that. In that case I will have these. You can use the rest as you like. With that said, Mira picked the two horns in her hands. Missy, are you sure thats enough? There is no need to hold back. From our perspective just one of these is more than enough of a reward. Seeing her choose just the two horns and state she does not need anything else, Asbar asked once again. Materials from Devils who are said to be extinct now were something traded for high prices. The only ones that were in the market at the moment, were the ones rarely excavated from ancient battlefields and ruins, as well as from deeper layers of the earth. On the other hand, the materials in front of them were in perfect shape. They must have been worth quite the sum. This is enough. Of course, the horns Mira choose also were fairly expensive materials, but above all they had good affinity for Energy-Refining. Well, if Mira-chan says so. Alright then, lets split these between ourselves. Judging that Mira really did not need anything, Zeff lowered his gaze to look at the table. At almost the same time a hand extended towards it, grasped Devils claws and pulled them back. Sub-leader" Zeff, Asbar and Fricca looked coldly toward carlate Carillons sub-leader, Emera. Ever since she mentioned a fire elemental sword, the aroused Emera vigilantly aimed for Devils claws. She was much like a dog told to stay". Eh...but, its fine now, right? When it comes to swords, Emera changed completely from the usual big sis" personality and turned very reckless. The word restraint" did not exist for her. As a result, Emera received five claws. Asbar got the skin, Fricca - wings. Zeff took three claws and a little of skin, and with that, the loot distribution had ended. Ill be going back then, mm. It was fairly fun. Seeing this to be good moment Mira said so. That instant, Emera and others stood up and all together bowed to her. Surprised by the suddenness of this, Mira made an astonished expression as she stared at the fours faces. We are still alive only thanks to you, Mira-chan. Let us say thanks once again. Thank you. Even as a flower-like smile blooming on her face, in Emeras eyes dwelled the earnest will to become strong. Thanks, missy. We even received such gifts, too. Asbar knocked on the black skin and laughed cheerfully. Thank you very much, Mira-chan. I will definitely return the favor I received. If possible, could you tell me your addre" Thanks to you I was able to get over many things, too. Thanks. Fricca was interrupted halfway through her sentence by Emera, and Zeff picked up after her in no time. What, its nothing that needs such thanks. Being a target of such words of gratitude, Mira was overcome by embarrassment and her gaze wandered around. Her cheeks were dyed red and made a smile that suggested she felt quite good about this. Mira-chan, youre so cute! Of course, Fricca was unable to bear it upon seeing that appearance. And with that the chain of events had come to an end. Volume 2 - CH 20 The night grew deeper and the bustling city started to dye in silent darkness. On the other hand, countless stars shining in the sky became more lively at this time. Mira who finished saying her farewells with Emera and others, left the inn and started walking through Karnacks streets at night. There were sporadic people walking the streets and about half of them were Patrol Knights. I will escort you, Mira-san. It was Celo who called out to her like that. He was standing under a lantern in front of the inn and the moment Mira came out, he smiled and walked up to her. Ill pass, is what I would like to say, but I also had something to talk with you about. The carlate Carillons guild leader, Celo. Since Mira was unable to Inspect him, there was a high possibility he was the same as Mira and Solomon, an ex-player. And Celo must have thought the same, too. Discerning that Celos real intention was not what he said, Mira nodded in agreement and smiled. With the twos intentions matching, they started walking the night street together. The regularly-placed lanterns were filled with faint light and showed the contours of the main street. Most likely because of the earlier turmoil, in some places lanterns were broken which caused the mountains of zombie corpses to stand out and look even more creepy. However, Mira and Celo were not bothered by that in the least as they walked. Now then, it seems like you have already noticed the real reason I said I will escort you. After they walked down the main street for some time, Celo said so and turned his face towards Mira. The tone of his voice suggested he was enjoying himself and his expression was like that of someone reminiscing about an old friend. Although involuntarily Mira had to look up at his face, she puffed her chest as if to say of course". Its clearly because both you and I used to be players. Yes, that is the reason. And so, by all means I would like to talk a little. Celo nodded slightly and affirmed with a carefree smile. With his androgynous and extremely-well ordered features, this smile was charming enough to make most women swoon. But, Mira was completely unconcerned with it, she made a confident expression and responded with very well". Mira-san, how much time has passed since you came to this world? About a week I guess, hmm. Most likely thanks to Celos presence there was no Patrol Knight who would call out to Mira, she continued to walk calmly down the street at night. So it was very recently, as I thought.. Celo had anticipated that Miras transfer must have been recent and he muttered as if convinced. The reason for that, was because the majority of ex-players in this world excelled at something and Celo had a good grasp on who they are. And among them, there were even fewer who were capable of overwhelming a Devil. Over these thirty years, it was a confirmed fact that many ex-players suddenly appeared in this world. This was the reason he thought it would be more reliable to think in this direction, and which allowed him to conjecture this. And yet, you appear unexpectedly calm. Back then, I desperately did my best to look for a way to return to our original world. He made a somewhat lonely, faint smile, as if he was talking about something embarrassing that happened when he was still a child. Well. If the situation was different I might have been the same. As Mira squinted, in the back of her mind appeared the image of her friends. The way to come back to their original world. Mira also thought about it. However, after a while she gave up on thinking about it. The reason for that were Solomon and Luminaria. When she was speaking with the two, she once asked them about it. The answer she received to that was as you can see". Even after thirty years, the way to return to their original world still had yet be found. Otherwise, Solomon would not continue to live for thirty years, and Luminaria twenty years in this world. Its thanks to my friends being there. The two were there, she spoke with the two, and if she was not taught many things by them she would still be confused right now. While Mira felt very thankful to the two, she was also very bashful of her own words and made a bitter smile as if to hide it. Friends, is it. You mean friends who came to this world before you, yes? That must have been very reassuring. I understand that very well. He too seemed to have such experience deep inside his heart, and when Celo agreed with her in voice suddenly overcome with emotion, Well, now Im being worked hard by that friend of mine, however. Mira joked around and snorted. Still, to meet a friend within a week of coming here, you must have been very lucky. In my case a lot happened and it took a year. That long? I guess its because when I came to this world the tower was very close by. I found my friends location right away. The place her life in this world had started. If it happened to be somewhere else, somewhere deep inside a forest, it could have been troublesome even getting to the closest town. Tower, you say? Speaking of towers, you must mean the Silver Towers. Ahh, speaking of which, you were Danbulf-sans disciple, was it. So that was why it was close. Something...like that. When Celo had mentioned her title, Miras expression stiffened slightly as she answered. As an ex-player, Celo might have known Danbulf himself. There was a concern that Mira said something she should not, her identity might be found out and Danbulfs dignity could sink low. Wanting to avoid that at all costs, Mira immediately thought of that and came up with several excuses she lined up in her mind. I havent heard before of not only Danbulf-san, but also other Sages having a disciple, but Can it be that you were real friends (who know each other in real)? Although there were fakes who named themselves Sages disciples, this was a first time someone appeared who had Miras considerable level of strength and who also used Danbulfs own fighting style. With that said, back when it was still a game there was absolutely no information in regards to a disciples existence. A Summoner and Daoist. Based on what he heard from Emera and others, Celo knew that Mira had acquired the special ability called Second Class which allowed to use Spells and Skills of these two completely different classes. The more powerful the ability, the more likely it was for someone to take the measure of keeping it to themselves to stay ahead of others. Celo knew this from experience. What kind of relationship would they need to be in to share such a technique? Thinking so, Celo came up with the connection in their original world. If they were strongly connected in their original world, it would make sense that she fought this way. Ah. But it could be that Mira-san is actually Danbulf-san. Celo half-jokingly spoke something as if he had just came up with it. However, his smiling face was serious and it seemed as if he could see right through Miras inner thoughts. (Hes spot ooon! What do I do?! No, wait, Im sure he was trying to joke. In such case, should I laugh it off as a joke? Or maybe I should say hes correct, and if he laughs it would be taken as a joke? ...What is the correct answeeer?!) Having suddenly the truth pointed out, Mira took out Apple au Lait in silence and sipped some and pretending to be calm, she did her best to maintain a smile. While restraining the impulse, she opened up a huge dispute in her mind before resolving herself. "...Of course not. Were real friends, I was taught a lot in the real world, too. In game we mainly played separately and my log times were irregular, so its no wonder you dont know me. While she was aware that this was quite a forced excuse, Mira pretended to be calm as she said her improvised setting. I see, so thats how it was. Celo did not probe any further and accepted Miras explanation. (Was he...convinced by that?) Mira fearfully peeked at Celos expression, but there was no sign of contempt on it. Based on that, she was relieved that the excuse must have worked. Celo stared at Miras such blatant attitude with a gentle look in his eyes. Let''s put my topic aside, could you tell me about yourself? I want to know how are players living in this world. Feeling that if she speaks any more about herself she would end up slipping up somewhere, Mira attempted to change the topic. The thing she proposed instead, was something she was incredibly curious about. Solomon and Luminaria could be said to be living in very peculiar environment. What Mira was curious was a different life from that, one of an adventurer" who walked all across this enormous world. Well. First, I started ten days after the day of beginning. Hmm. What is this day of beginning? So you still havent heard of it. The day of beginning is the day the game became reality, the 14th October of 2116. Apparently, all players who are here, were logged in back then. Fourteenth of October, huh. Certainly, It happened to me on that day, too. Tracing back his cloudy memory, Mira recalled the date that was on the mail notification about web money expiration. The date on the mail was 13th. In other words, one day before the beginning. So even those who come thirty years late are the same. Even though the day everyone played is the same, the time we appear in this world can by off by a large margin, I wonder what does that margin mean. Certainly, I wonder what. Mira responded and for a moment she wondered about this time difference. However, there was no way for her to resolve this question no one has resolved for thirty years, and as such she quickly gave up on thinking. See, at first I was very confused. Suddenly the air started to feel very fresh and the pain from wounds I received from monsters were hard to endure. Not understanding the situation I tried to log out, but the option was gone. I really panicked back then. Recalling what happened back in the day, Celo squinted his eyes as if looking somewhere far into the distance. After that, I quickly ran off to a village nearby and stood there astonished. There was no acquaintance nearby, and I was at a loss on what to do all alone. But at that time, there was a woman who called out to me. It was not any of my friends nor a player who was in the same situation as me. That woman was one of NPCs whom I ignored up until now as I passed by her. Celo said, then continued nostalgically. Back then, due to either deep confusion or tiredness, Celo made a fairly horrible expression which was what made the woman worried and call out to him. Although Celo was surprised at the NPC doing an action unheard of before, since his spirit was at the lowest he depended on the womans kindness and started freeloading in her house. After he spend a year helping out with the housework and exterminating monsters that appeared at the road to city and around the village, Celo understood from the bottom of his heart that he was living in reality. At the same time, a small light appeared in his chest. Although it was very small, Celo felt it was something very important. Ever since that day, Celo did his best teaching the youngsters how to fight in order to decrease the casualties caused by monsters. It took quite some time until what he started without prior knowledge, had taken shape. But, it was worth it, as thanks to the monster subjugation squad he formed, the human casualties disappeared. Then once his life in the village calmed down, Celo left for a journey. Although searching players under the same circumstances was one of the objectives, above all he wanted to be of use to people, that is what he has come to think. It was the result of his life in the village and the villagers kindness moving his heart. After saying this much, Celo paused and recalling the night sky in his memory, he looked up to the sky. His story was something like a monologue, but it felt like it was full of burning emotions which reached Mira. I started my journey for such self-complacent reason, but I ended up finding out the situation of other players laughably fast. The village I was in seemed to be quite the sticks. After I passed the mountains and arrived at a moderately big city I found Adventurers Joint Union and when I entered it, by chance I found a friend of mine. I was really surprised back then. This friend of mine taught me a lot of things. As a result of hearing about many changes and things that happened, I understood that the Adventurers Union was the place I could do what I wanted to do. I was really happy as I registered. After that, I received many requests and started a travel to return the favor. Then, along the way I met people who shared similar feelings. Mira-san, its the two you already know, Asbar and Emera. For a while after the three of us traveled together, but eventually the number of people who related to us started increasing. Then, I resolved myself and I started the guild we are now. As he said this, Celo spilled a happy smile and from his pocket he took out a small bell he rang. I see. This might come from me who had a friend close by, but I think you also had great luck to meet someone who saved you, and to find people who related to you. The feelings Celo had arrived at after many hardships were not wrong. Mira said so as to praise him highly and raised the corners of her mouth in a smile. I...guess. It seems that both back then and now, I was and am, blessed with wonderful people. Straightening his back with confidence, Celo smiled with pride. Formation of carlate Carillon. That event was entirely result of people naturally gathering by Celos side after being deeply impressed by his conviction. He himself said with a bitter smile it was for his self-satisfaction, but it was not something that just anyone could do. Impressed by Celos conviction, Mira responded affirmatively. At the same time, she started to realize the reason why he spoke with this much detail. Right now, the number of members increased and so has the number of things we can do. However, the only ones we can save are people who are within our reach. No matter how desperately we extend our hands, there were many times when we were unable reach and they slipped from our grasp. I was so vexed, so frustrated, I wished so many times to have hands that could reach even wider, even further. Frustrated from the bottom of his heart, Celo looked at the bell in his hand, then resolving himself he spoke his true intention. Mira-san, would you please join my guild? Celo spoke those words very simply, but putting all his feelings into them. (Hmm, so that was it after all.) Under the light of lanterns, the expression Mira had stared back at was showing just how incredibly serious he was. It said all about just how deeply he regretted not being able to save those people. Sorry. Despite how I look, Im in a very busy position right now. I cant allow myself to join any group. However, Mira had a promise which she gave to Solomon, to search their past comrades. And also, she had the position as part of Arkite Kingdoms strongest fighting power, one of the Nine Sages. Hearing his story, Mira thought that Celos actions were praiseworthy, which is was the reason why others who felt similar to him had become his comrades. However, Mira was shouldering an even more important wish of her close friend. Is that so I could somehow tell I would be refused, but I tried since I have nothing to lose. You are busy in relation to the dates you mentioned earlier, arent you? Although Celo was disappointed, he did not show it and smiled instead. Mm-hm, indeed. Well, I wont enter your guild, but if I hear a voice seeking help during my travels, I promise you that I will help them with all I have. How about it? Mira put a finger on her chin, and while saying so she peeked up at Celo. Although she was looking up at him, her words were full of composure. Thank you" Celo answered and smiled broadly.. The two continued to walk down the main street while talking about their memories from the time it was a game, until they suddenly stopped in front of a mountain of zombies. This pile was the closest one to the center of the city and was far bigger than others. Still, your exploits today were amazing. I was very surprised when Valkyrie sisters suddenly appeared. Celo looked up at the mountain in front of them and spoke a little enviously. In no time the seven battle maidens decimated zombies who went berserk in the town and created an opportunity for a counter-attack. And it was Mira who commanded that strength. Celo both admired it and was envious of this power, which was on a level far above his own. Indeed! And thats not all the power Summoning has to offer. Miras eyes sparkled at the ideal reaction he has shown and suddenly grew haughty. As expected of Danbulf-san...s disciple. Mm-hm, I havent heard any good opinion about it this entire week, but now that Im here everything will be fine! Glowing with self-satisfaction, Mira did not notice the nuance in Celos words as she smiled proudly. Nevertheless, I wonder what was this turmoil today. Although they were same zombies made with soil and plants, they were completely different aside from that. It has been about half a month since we started investigating this incident, but this is the first time something like this happened. Looking at the mountain of zombies again, Celo spoke as if to consult with her. Hearing that, Mira recalled the conversation she had with Leonil earlier. In regards to this matter, we thought about this with Spellcasters Unions boss and" Mira turned her gaze towards the mountain of zombies and started explaining to Celo about the relation between the Devil and zombies that she discussed in the union chiefs office. The malfunction of the barrier device and the appearance of zombies happened at very similar time, and that it has been thought that the barrier device malfunctioned due to some kind of great power. In addition to that, she mentioned that the Devil in the ancient temples deepest level possessed enough power to break the barrier. As a result of arranging of these information, Mira conjectured that this Devil who was lurking in the ancient temples was the one who caused this turmoil. After he finished listening to the explanation, while surprised by the fact that a Devil was involved, I see" he said and agreed that this theory had very high credibility. If it was a Devils doing, we should not let our guard down. This result might have some other meaning behind it. Whenever Devils were involved, most of the events end with a tragedy. That was the common recognition among players and everyone had bitter memories of it. Moreover, among them there were cases where a supposedly happy ending was suddenly turned around to become the worst one possible. The moment they resolved the problems and let their guard down, something fatal happened. They cleaned up the zombies going rampant in the city, but it was possible that this was just a preparation for something else. Thinking so, Celo glared at the mountain of zombies vigilantly. That is possible. But then again, what kind of meaning can it have? Among high-level quests there were many related to Devils, and Mira had experienced them more than others due to her strength. This was why she made an irritated expression now as she turned towards the main street that had mountains of zombies scattered all over. (Still, theres a lot of them. This is no thousand or two. More like ten thousands.) Mira counted the number of piles as she thought so, but then suddenly stopped looking around. She turned around again, looked up at the biggest pile of zombies and recalled. Influence death has on land, huh" About what happened a few days earlier. The invasion of monster herds and monster corpse-filled flower field. As well as Lesser Demons who arranged that. If that Devil schemed the same thing those Lesser Demons have Thinking so, Mira suddenly felt a vague discomfort. Influence death has on land? What do you mean by that? Celo asked with interest when hearing the mutter Mira spilled, Hmm, well. I guess it might be better if you knew this. Mira heard from Emera and others that Lesser Demons appeared not only in Arkite Kingdom, but in other places as well. She could conjecture that they were doing the same thing in other places as well. To give Celo heads-up and put him on alert, Mira told him everything she knew. That there was the hypothesis that due to countless death overflowing in one place, the land could change and become a Mournful Swamp of Undead. A land holding power, a large amount of corpses and loss of large amount of lives. These three factors were said to be necessary. And that the Lesser Demon had brought large number of monsters to fight one another on the field, then as if to prove that theory, he laughed with irritating voice. After finishing her rough explanation, Mira boasted that the second invasion has been completely prevented so there was no effect. I heard of Lesser Demons appearing, but I did not think they were doing such things. While arranging the information inside his head, Celo compared the things that happened so far. In the middle of that, he spoke as if he recalled something. Speaking of which, it was about two months ago. A friend of mine made a racket that he saw a Lesser Demon. And the place it happened was in Symbios Spirit Gardens mass grave cemetery. Moreover, he said that the Lesser Demon was digging out a large number of corpses. My friend said he cut down the Lesser Demon on spot, so the goal remained unknown, but is it really a coincidence that these cases are connected by corpses? Miras story and his friends story, as well as the piles of corpses in front. They were all connected by the fact all involved large amounts of corpses. However, there were also many differences. In which case, they should be thought of as separate cases, Celo thought with a difficult look on his face as he fixed his sight on the pile of zombies. To think they even went as far as to dig up graves, they are real scoundrels. Still, their actions are concerning. Yes, very. I wonder what on earth were they trying to do with the remains they dug up. After exchanging these words, the two fell silent for a while and their thoughts cycled around Lesser Demons enigmatic actions. With that said, the information they had was too vague and they could not think of a convincing answer. Still, the damage is quite severe. Because she stared at it for too long, Mira got fed up with the zombie mountain and turned around to look around the city. The city was damaged so much that it stood out even in the darkness of the night, it would take a lot of materials land time to repair everything. That is true. However, no one had died, and there were only lightly wounded. Hooh, thats great. However, there is a point that doesnt make sense. Celo said so and furrowed his eyebrows, then spoke of the enigmatic part about this times turmoil. First, even though there were so many zombies overflowing in the town, there were only six humanoid zombies. Moreover, as a result of holding an inquiry on the items these six were holding, it turned out that they all matched people who were on the citys list of missing people. In addition to this, despite all that rampaging by zombies there was no one who was harmed by those humanoid zombies. After speaking this far, Celo looked up at the sky for a moment, They might have been gotten rid of before the rampage had started, though. and continued, to conclude. However, it seemed like Celo felt like there was something more to that. Even more mysteries, hmm" Hearing what Celo said, Mira touched her chin with her fingertip and grumbled. It appeared that while zombies were rampaging, humanoid zombies did not change compared to when they first appeared. Nevertheless, while there is no basis for this, I do not believe that this Devil just wanted to cause a turmoil. It is reasonable to think that just like Lesser Demons, he was aiming to use deaths influence. Although there were many unknowns, Celo spoke the most appropriate answer there currently was. It was a solution he would not be able to reach if not for the information about Lesser Demons. I guess, it might be the case. Mira also thought that it was a reasonable conclusion, she nodded and answered. But if that is the case, now that there are so many corpses in the city it would mean that this Devils scheme was fulfilled. It might be necessary to take measures from here on. In the city of Karnack there was a large amount of corpses now. It could be said that one of the conditions to transform the land has been cleared. First of all, these piles of corpses need to be quickly cleaned up before anything happens, mm. Agreed. I will advise them to hurry with it. The two said as they looked up at the pile next to them, then sighed feeling dissatisfied for some reason. Certainly the city was full of corpses. However, all of it was just gathered here and no one had died. One of the conditions was loss of life. Did zombies involved in this turmoil have life"? It was impossible to precisely categorize what life was. WIth that said, the Devil that was the main culprit was already dead, so nothing more than this should happen. Although it was vague, that is what Mira felt as she looked up at the sky. There, the whole sky filled with shining stars silently covering this world. That moment, a single shooting star flashed in the night sky. It was as if it was giving an example of how fleeting lives were, appearing suddenly and disappearing in no time. After coming up with a single answer in regards to the zombie incident, the two shared simple way of contacting each other and started to talk excitedly about their previous world. Mira mentioned that when seeing the signboard of rain gear shop, she was reminded of a famous horror game and laughed, to which Celo nostalgically mentioned that he attempted to complete it on the highest difficulty with just a knife. And then, sound of footsteps approached the two from behind. Mira-samaaa. Wondering who is it she turned around and there, she found that Galet was the source of footsteps. It seemed that he got worried about Mira not coming back despite late hour, and came to meet her. (...Hes making brighter expression than ever.) Upon finding Miras appearance, Galet waved his hand and ran up to her. He must have rampaged to his hearts content during the turmoil as his face sparkled brighter than the starry sky. It seems your escort is here. Now then, in regards of the request we undertook, I will contact you through the union once there is progress. Mm-hm, please do. Mira answered while staring straight into Celos eyes, then she turned around with he back to him. See you, then. Turning back to him slightly, Mira said her farewell and started to walk. Yes, see you one day. Celo nodded strongly, and then cast down his eyes just faintly before starting to walk in the opposite direction of Miras. Like this, the two exchanged short farewells and separated to walk on their way back. However, the direction their hearts fixed their gaze on, was the same. Volume 2 - CH 21 The next morning after the chaotic day during which she acquired clues to Soul Howls whereabouts in Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, defeated a Devil along the way, and put the zombies rampaging in the town to rest. Mira-sama, my apologies! After all of her business was over, Galet made an extreme display of prostration. According to him, it would take time until the carriage is repaired. Apparently this was the result of him rampaging around the town during the turmoil about just as much as zombies did. You sure are beyond help. Fine, I will go kill some time then. Staring down at Galet with a cold look in her eyes, Mira passed her arms through the sleeves of her coat and seen off by Galets please take care! she left to the morning city. One night has passed since the turmoil and the city of Karnack became lively as if nothing happened. Here and there the repair works have began and many craftsmen were continued to walk on the main street and the central plaza. Also, it seemed like the processing of zombie bodies has fully started as Patrol Knights and adventurers could be seen carrying corpses away. (At this rate, they will clean it up soon enough.) While dazedly taking a stroll down the main street, Mira confirmed the citys state. Even though it was just yesterday, citizens did not seem too sorrowful, far from that, they were engaging in lively gossip. Hey, did you hear about the green-haired warrior women? I sure did, apparently there were seven of them. That dumbass who was chased around by three dogs apparently saw ones face from up close. He said she was an amazin beauty. Im damn envious. I only managed to see one from afar, the one holding a bow. The topic of rumors that could be heard from here and there, appeared to be Valkyrie sisters. Their appearance descending from the sky and wiping out zombies in no time, was like that of angels, is what both men and women spoke excitedly. And above all, while the power of sisters new technique struck awe into people, it was also highly praised as very reliable. Unexpectedly walking up to a gathering of people, Mira listened carefully to rumors and made a smiley expression of delight. If this many people recognized it, it would definitely have effect on Summonings restoration. Feeling a proper reaction, in high spirits she headed to visit the crowded and busy Spellcasters Union. The union was currently giving out special requests related to restoration of the city, and while the reward was nothing big, all participants would receive an additional reward depending on their class which is why everyone was fired up for it. However, Mira ignored all of it and at the reception she gesticulated to the busy Yuurika to receive permission before she headed to the union chiefs office. I see Death influencing a change in the land. It is possible. Leonil muttered and leaned deeply on the back of his chair. The Devil was not trying to do something with zombies, but gathering zombies itself was his goal. Although for now it was merely their imagination, there was a high possibility this was the truth, which is why Mira spoke to Leonil of the conclusion she reached together with Celo. Its not like we have any conclusive evidence, however. But based on the situation, this cant be overlooked, right? Yeah, this is information that will be useful for incidents other than this, too. Im grateful. When Mira spoke while restlessly carrying chocolate cake to her mouth, Leonil showed an indescribable smile and expressed his thanks. Afterwards, with the rumors spreading in the city as basis, Mira spoke of how wonderful Summoning is before she left the union chiefs room. Compared to the relatively quiet upper floor, the unions lobby grew even louder. Here too, the rumors of Valkyrie sisters started to burn up. Seeing that Summonings good reputation is spreading, Mira smiled with satisfaction. When she left the union, she saw a large group of people in a line carrying bags. This group charged with removal of corpses was talking excitedly who out of seven was the nicest. Here too, there were rumors of Valkyrie sisters. Mira saw them off as they mixed in among people, then with light steps she started walking the main street. (Now then, its about time Galet finished preparations, mm.) About the time it was noon. After purchasing some snacks in confectionery, feeling some attachment Mira looked around at the city of Karnack as she walked towards the inn. Due to the turmoil, there were big and small pieces of rubble lying all around most likely torn off from the buildings. When she took another look at the city, the cityscape of Karnack was very regularly organised much like a cemetery, and in contrast to the hustle and bustle around her it was solemn and calm. Mira who walked through such city suddenly stopped her legs and stared at one place. Ahead of her gaze, there was a single store. In the front on display it had several of what was probably samples of goods. Among them there was one that Mira had fixed her gaze at, then as if invited by it, she moved feebly inside the store. Inside the store there was a great variety of goods lined up, but Mira slipped through between customers and without hesitated she chose a single one out of many goods. (There is no need for me to earnestly wear these frilly clothes. I have money, I can buy some clothes!) Wondering why did she not notice such a simple thing up until now, Mira laughed at the extent of her own stupidity. The thing she held in both her hands and spread like a banner of victory, was a robe of the same design as the Sage robe. Like a monk who was enlightened, Mira made a perfectly clear expression like that of an actual sage and with calm gestures she confirmed the price label. On the label the items name was Sage Robes Replica" and it cost 5000 Riffs. It was a fair price for something without any additional effects. Thinking so, from among various flavors Mira choose Sage Robes Replica (Summoning) and stood in front of a large mirror. Next, to confirm the size she pressed it against herself before going to cashier to pay in high spirits. Calming her legs down so that she doesnt start moving in hops, Mira hugged the purchased robe to herself and hurried back to the inn. The best room of Karnacks number one inn, the Summer Lantern". Inside of it, Mira undressed leaving only panties on, and with a face beaming with joy she passed her arms through the sleeves of the robe she bought. Then standing in front of a large mirror, Mira looked all over her own body very carefully, and as she ogled it she spread her both arms in energetic move. I, HAVE RETURNED. Mira displayed a majestic pose and nodded with satisfaction. Then after staring at herself for a while, she abruptly rolled up the hem of her robe above her knees and loosened her collar. This is not bad, either" She muttered and made a twisted smile before starting to challenge the borderline. The store that Mira bought the replica in, was named Luna and Silver Towers Local Specialties, Karnack Branch". In other words, it was dealing with Arkites local souvenirs. At this time, Mira had yet to notice. Notice why was there a robe size matching a childs stature. Satisfied, Mira thought it was about time and left the room to check on the state of the carriage. When she arrived at the stables, Galet had just finished up. It appeared that repairs were complete and everything was ready for departure. Well, lets go back. There was no reason in particular to stay any longer, so Mira said so and got up on the carriage. Understood. Galet immediately answered, then closed the carriages doors politely he sat down on the coachmans seat and took reins in his hands. The carriage which had started moving stopped just once at the front gate. There, Galet finished check-out formalities. And then, the carriage once again started driving down the main street. Looking at the Soul-Calming City from the window of the carriage, Mira recalled all that happened in there. Takuto who wished to meet with his dead parents. Although he was not able to meet them, a possibility they were alive had appeared. The good natured-adventurers, carlate Carillons Emera and the party. As well as meeting their leader and an ex-player, Celo. The absence of Soul Howl who was the objective and acquiring of hints to his whereabouts. Combat with a Devil. As well as the zombie incident and its relation to that Devil. After closing her eyes and recalling that, Mira raised her head and squinting nostalgically, she melted the memories together with the flowing scenery. A few days after Mira left the city, the Adventurers Joint Union and Patrol Knightss branch office had announced the end of the zombie incident. The cause announced was overflowing of undead magic power from Ancient Temple Nevrapolis and along with this announcement, the required rank for the dungeon has been raised to A. The information regarding to the Devil was concealed from general public and several methods of information manipulation had been put into works. After the turmoil has calmed down, the union has performed an identity check on humanoid zombies they have been keeping safely in conjunction with examination of the missing persons list. As a result, many of them had matched and bodies were delivered to the families of deceased. And in the city, a single rumor has spread. It was about the noble and beautiful, as well as overwhelmingly powerful seven battle maidens. The main point in question among these rumors, were the details regarding with what guild were they affiliated with. It appears it will still take some time until Summoning is restored to former glory. Volume 3 - CH 1 Inside the lushly green forest, a single carriage lightly drove on a gentle-curving road. This carriage had left the Soul-Calming City of Karnack a few days earlier and carrying Mira, it was on the way back to the Arkite Kingdoms capital city, Lunatic Lake. Compared to the scenery on the right side, the forest that could be seen on the left was very sparse, instead, colorful flowers could be seen there. While Miras mood swung back and forth from sorrowful to joyful due to this gap in scenery, ahead of the carriage in a place a little away from the road, was the sight of a group of adventurers fighting against several monsters. With that said, this was a very ordinary sight in this world. Galet who was sitting on the coachmans seat and held the reins, only took a brief look to check the adventurers battle situation before driving the carriage to the side of the road. It was to drive by them without getting in the combats way. However, just when the carriage was about to pass behind the adventurers backs, something happened. A magic circle appeared on the ground in front of the carriage and suddenly, a creature looking similar to a raccoon had appeared. Ah" Because of the suddenness, Galet was unable to respond and the carriage grandly sent the creature flying. Immediately after, the raccoon-like animal let out a kyuuun" wail before it was enveloped in a magic circle and disappeared. What was that, just now?! A familiar blunt sound rang out inside the carriage, making Mira peek out to the coachmans seat in a hurry. Then, she immediately checked the surroundings with her eyes. It was to see whether there was anything humanoid lying on the ground. But nothing like she imagined was there. Although Mira was relieved for a moment, she recalled that the sound of impact that she heard was fairly loud. It was possible that it was flung far into the distance. Thinking so, she took another look around while further increasing the range of her search. Which is why she confirmed that there was nothing that felt off on the road ahead. She turned her gaze to the side toward a grassland on which wind blew lightly, to see the adventurers in combat. Ahead of them, there were tall mountains and blue sky, on which floated large, white and fluffy clouds. From the looks of it, there was nothing that could have been the source of the impact sound. Instead, Miras gaze stopped at a female spellcaster from the group who stood still, dumbfounded. Thats why I told you. Dont waste mana on some stupid Summoning. You just have to support us with Abstract Magic. The one who said this along with a sigh, was a male spellcaster standing next to the female spellcaster. While supporting his comrades with Wizardry, he pat the womans shoulder as to cheer her up. It appeared that the woman was a Summoner. Yes" As her shoulders slumped dejectedly, what was reflected in the womans eyes was the sight of Wizardrys flames obliterating monsters. While multiple monsters screamed when burned by flames, there was a girl who showed an extreme reaction to certain words. Yes, it was Mira. Stupid Summoning...a waste...he said? To Mira who was also a Summoner just like the woman, and also the one who reigned as the top of all Summoners, the words that the Wizard man said were something she could not forgive. As if it was natural, I cant let this pass! she said and immediately jumped off the carriage. Then deciding to show off the true essence of Summoning, she turned toward the monsters. However, the adventurers group appeared to have very skilled members, they fought in a very safe manner, and the combat was already coming to an end. When the Wizards spell burst between the monsters, the combat had ended. Mira stood between the two adventurer spellcasters, losing the way to deal with her pent-up anger. Thats when Galet approached after descending from the coachmans seat. It was so sudden I couldnt avoid it, my apologies. Galet spoke an apology and bowed lightly. Responding to that, the spellcaster man took a step forward and facing Galet, he also lowered his head. Oh, no. Its us who should apologize. Shes not good at affixing the summoning point, although, I did tell her not to use it because something like this might happen. The Wizard man said so and poked the female spellcaster as if to prompt her. Im...sorry" A moment later, the Summoner woman apologized with sorrow in her voice. However, Mira made an expression that said she couldnt care less, and spoke while looking up at the woman. I knew it, so you are a Summoner, arent you?! Umm Yes. Seeing Miras joyful smile, the woman made a hesitating expression for a moment, but responded with a light nod. At this moment, Summoners were the least popular class. Therefore, they were exposed to harsh criticism which was the cause why the woman had a sense of inferiority. I see I see, a Summoner, huh. Isnt that wonderful! On the other hand, Mira was filled with joy to have met another Summoner. Is...that so. Seeing the reaction opposite of what she expected, the woman was taken aback as she stared at Miras face, who was in high spirits, and also smiled as if drawn in by that. Indeed it is. So, you are bad at affixing summoning point, was it? There was a time when I was like that as well, mm. But well, as long as you learn a simple trick to it, itll be alright! Mira kept talking while recalling her past experience, then summoned a Dark Knight next to woman and added Look, like this" before puffing her chest boastfully. The summoned black knight overflowed with ominous will to fight and held a black-dyed longsword which seemed as if it was clad in fear itself. What is he?! This appearance was overtly sudden, so sudden that the adventurers did not realize it was Summoning. As a result, the surroundings tensed up all at once and they immediately entered battle-ready postures. Among all that, the black knight looked down at the woman with its blood-red eyes. Hey! Get away, hurry! The Wizard man raised his voice roughly. However, the woman did not move from the spot and only stared back at the black knights red eyes in wonder. This is Armament Spirit Summoning, isnt it? Which means you too, are" While the man panicked, the woman asked Mira with a little happy voice. It appeared that she could tell at a glance that it was Summoning. Mm-hm, a Summoner! When Mira answered, there was a commotion among the adventurers. It was only natural. This Dark Knight was quite unlike the one summoned by their comrade, being very impressive and frightening. Its amazing. Its my first time seeing such a powerful Dark Knight. The woman looked with envy at the black knight, then turned her gaze towards Mira. Isnt it, isnt it! It was the first time since Mira became her current self that someone realized at the first sight that her Dark Knight was actually a Summoning spell. In good mood upon seeing the womans reaction, Mira further summoned a Holy Knight. Naturally, this time too it was a sudden Summoning without any preliminary movement, so voices full of caution sounded from the adventurers group. A body clad in pure white armor and a tower shield big enough to cover all of it. This appearance was personification of protection itself, looking like an actually existing holy knight, it turned its red eyes towards the woman. This is a Holy Knight, isnt it. Its my first time seeing this powerful Armament Spirits. And you can summoned them so precisely, too. You have my respect. As she stared seriously at the white knight, the womans voice grew lively. In even better mood, Mira traced her chin with her finger and fu-fun" she laughed boastfully and, As you see, if you only grasp the trick for affixing summoning point, you too will be able to do it before long. she said and turned a smile that mixed in both kindness and joy towards the woman. Really? Can even I do it? Clinging to the hope that peeked out towards her, the woman asked half in doubt. Mm-hm, its nothing hard. Dont worry, Ill teach you carefully. To Mira who stood at the top of all Summoners and looked after many fellow Summoners, a troubled Summoner was not someone she could just let be. Therefore, she looked straight into the womans eyes and answered with a strong nod. So, about the trick to it" While the adventurer group who had no interest in Summoning gathered the loot, Mira explained the trick even more carefully and thoroughly than she used to back in the past in the Silver Towers to her followers. Five minutes later. As if putting down a small sto...ne" After being taught by Mira about the mental attitude and required imagining when Summoning, the woman stared at a small circle drawn on the road and cast the spell. Then, a magic circle appeared overlapping the drawn circle, from which a small raccoon-like animal jumped out. It was a Carbuncle summoned by the woman. I did it I DID IIT! Seeing the Carbuncle appear from the location she had designated without being off even a little, the woman raised her both hands in joy. Then, out of extreme joy she clung onto Mira and Thank you very much! she spoke with tears in her eyes before she started to cry. Mm-hm, that was splendid. You sure understand fast. Im sure youll become a splendid Summoner! While Mira was agitated by the characteristic feminine scent mixed together with the scent of sweat, she immediately switched her attitude and with a Sage-like look on her face, spoke words of praise. Right now, due to reasons she looked like a young girl, but Mira used to be an elderly Summoner called Danbulf and held a position of one of the Nine Sages. Therefore, when it came to Summoning she was more knowledgeable than anyone and was able to immediately realize what point did the woman have a problem with. Ill do my best! Flattered by Mira, the female Summoner made an even more happy expression. It was then. Suddenly, it seemed like a sudden gust of wind blew past them from the grassland, then immediately after a black cat jumped out of the thicket and rushed into the forest on the opposite side. What was that just now, a monster? One of the adventurer group members raised his sword and spoke. What went past first was a Wind Spirit, wasnt it. It did kind of look like it was being chased. The female spellcaster strained her sight as she looked toward the back of the forest. Mm-hm. It did seem like something that looked like a cat chased after that Spirit. Mira also looked into the back of the forest as she muttered, then put a hand on her chin as she traced back her memory. It was in regards to the existences that did something as sinful as assaulting Spirits. What she recalled, was a monster called Elemental Eater. However, that monster had horns like that of an Oni and looked like a real monster, it could not be mistaken for a cat. While Mira was absorbed in thought, the forest rustled and the Wind Spirit had once again passed by everyones side. Upon seeing it, Mira immediately stepped forward and caught the black cat that jumped out after the Spirit, then clung it to her chest. Hmm, what is this guy? The cat was much lighter than it looked. Or rather, she could not feel a living beings weight. And yet, the cats appearance was filled with charm as it looked up at Mira, then appealed by meowing. Hm? This black cat, its filled with artificial magic power. The Wizard man must have found interest in it, as he peeked in at the cat by Miras chest and spoke. (Hooh, artificial, huh.) Hearing the mans words, Mira focused on the black cat. It was the very basic action of players which allowed them to read the targets basic information. This guy.... so hes a shikigami. After checking the text that appeared overlapping with the black cats appearance which said Shikigami: Nyanmaru, Mira muttered convinced. Shikigami were something like servants controlled by Onmyou spellcasters1 and they had countless forms. They could look like insects or cats, or even creatures that were mere fantasy. Still...this is The black cat that continued to meow in Miras chest and push against her with his paws was very cute. Just a step before breaking into a loose expression, Mira grew conscious of the adventurers gaze and restrained herself. However, there was no stopping the black cats cuteness. Um While Mira pat the cats belly with a tense expression, along with the dancing wind, a whisper-like young girls voice reached Miras ear. At the same time, nyaun the black cat raised its voice and twisted body, slipping out from Miras grasp to run behind her back. When Mira turned around, she saw the Wind Spirit there. W...what do you intend to do to the kitty?! Peeking out from behind a tree by the road, the Wind Spirit embraced Nyanmaru as if to protect it and displayed vigilance. On the other hand, Mira and others thought that the Wind Spirit was being chased by the cat, so they were a little bewildered by the situation. It appeared that the Wind Spirit and the black cat were acquainted and got along well. Ahh...we dont intend on doing anything to it, mm. Umm...um Th-then...you came to bully me, yes?! When the Wind Spirit screamed with an expression that made it seem like she would burst into tears at any time, suddenly the air in the surroundings stirred and a small whirlwind appeared, surrounding them. What? Whats going on? This wind, it doesnt feel natural. A Swordsman from the adventurers group suddenly raised his voice surprised by the sudden change, the Knight that acted as the groups tank put strength into his hand holding the shield. Warrior classes were unable to see Spirits, which is why they had no idea who was Mira talking with. However, they could feel with their bodies the phenomenon that was a powerful whirlwind. Theres a Wind Spirit there. When we explained we arent going to bully that black cat, for some reason it misunderstood that we intend to bully her instead. Thats the situation. So, is everything alright? When the Wizard man explained along with a sigh, the adventurers realized they might have suddenly been caught up in a dangerous situation and the warriors expressions stiffened. You can calm down. I thought that you were being chased and caught that Nyanmaru. That is all. Mira looked intently towards the black cat by the Wind Spirits chest to indicate it, and explained as it was. Spirits were existence that could be reasoned with, in general, they were allies of humanity. "...Nyanmaru? The Wind Spirit tilted her head puzzled and repeated a single word Mira said. Its that black cat-looking shikigamis name...can it be that you didnt know? "............ After that, Mira explained simply. That it looked to them like the Wind Spirit was being assaulted, and that she stopped the cat wanting to help her. And that the black cat was a shikigami whose name was Nyanmaru. Aauuu...uh, um. Im sorry. As Miras explanation progressed, the whirlwind had weakened and the moment it died down, the Wind Spirit apologized while still holding Nyanmaru in her arms. No...its my fault for butting in without knowing the circumstances, sorry. So kitty...Nyanmaru-san was a shikigami. Nyaaun. When the Wind Spirit stared at Nyanmaru whom she was holding to her chest, Nyanmaru looked back at her. By the way, do you know Nyanmarus owner? No, the first time I met Nyanmaru-san was when scary people attacked me. When I was in danger, Nyanmaru-san saved me, but I think there was no Onmyou spellcasters nearby. After that, Nyanmaru-san came to play with me from time to time, but I didnt meet the spellcaster. The Wind Spirits expressions were very rich as she spoke. When she spoke of how she was assaulted she made an expression of fear, and when she spoke of how she was saved there was a sparkle in her eyes. Hmm, if there was no spellcaster nearby then this means Nyanmaru is an autonomous shikigami, mm. While curious about this peculiar way of telling a story, Mira guessed the type of the shikigami. Shikigami were generally categorized into two types. Responsive type that was directly controlled by the spellcaster and an autonomous type of shikigami which moved according to its own will. That aside, just earlier you said you were assaulted by humans, didnt you? Were they really humans? Mira posed a question about something that did not make sense to her. Natural Spirits were very cooperative with humanity. Actions such as attacking them were forbidden by the Three Gods Countries law, and just as the name suggested, Natural Spirits were an existence that manipulated forces of nature. Unless the attackers were very powerful, they would easily get tables turned on them. Yes. When I was basking in moonlight by the lake, they suddenly surrounded me. Those people had scary faces and held weapons in their hands. I was so surprised I escaped around the forest until Nyanmaru-san jumped in and chased the scary people away. The Wind Spirit spoke while constantly changing her expression. Attacking a Spirit-sama, unforgivable. Mm-hm, agreed. Hearing the Wind Spirits words, the Summoner woman raised her voice in anger. To a spellcaster like her, Spirits were a very close and precious existence. It was natural she was enraged. And her voice of anger reached those who were unable to hear the Spirits voice and grasp the situation, the warriors. Natural Spirits, unlike monsters, did not bring any harm to people unless they were attacked. Far from that, they granted many blessings just by being nearby and they were very gentle and kind existence that often saved people from predicaments. Even if one defeated all Spirits there were, they would not acquire any rare items, and they would be treated as criminals in the Three Gods Countries. However, this was how it was when this world was a game. Now that it became reality, it was possible there was something Mira did not know. Something one could gain by harming humanitys good neighbours. After thinking up to that point, Mira felt unpleasant when she considered just how sinful humans could get. Im very grateful to Nyanmaru-san. Also, this is something I heard from a friend, but apparently our comrades are being assaulted all over and kidnapped. In other words, there are other fellows like that who assault Spirits? It looks like it. I was saved by Nyanmaru-san, but. The Wind Spirit hugged Nyanmaru with her trembling hands. Her expression was sorrowful as she prayed for her comrades safety. (If it happens in many places, then it must be some scum who makes a living by hunting Spirits, or doing of someone who uses them for trade.) Basing on the Wind Spirits words, Mira made several speculations. There was some kind of way of using Spirits that she did not know, and their worth rose with it, which is why people dealing in trade with them existed. Just like the Wind Spirit in front of Mira, almost all Spirits were beautiful, so there could be people who kidnapped them to admire or keep as pets. Other than that, there was a possibility of using their powers for military purposes. With that said, Spirits had no mercy against those who harmed them. Even if a Spirit was captured, if it fought back seriously they were capable of easily erasing a small village. Spirits were a lump of power of such extent. However, based on what she said, Mira could imagine they came up with a method of capturing Spirits. Now that thirty years has passed since the game turned into reality, it was not surprising to her that technology that did not exist had since been developed. Especially since she did see one thing that gathered the knowledge of magic engineering, the Accord Cannon, with her own eyes. Development of technology. It was both a hope and a monster that had the possibility of overturning the common sense known up until now. (Im overwhelmingly lacking information") No matter how much she thought about it, Mira just came to this world. Facing the problem of still missing much of the information of these thirty years, Mira heaved a grand sigh and gave up on thinking for the time being. That aside, so you had friends other than Nyanmaru, mm? Suddenly Mira raised the edge of her lips in a grin and smiled towards the Wind Spirit mischievously. Of course I dooo! Upset by that, the Wind Spirit stomped the ground in small tantrum and puffed her cheeks. The opponents identity was unknown. If it was an entire organization, a fair amount of preparations would be necessary. Mira thought that it would be best to ask Solomon, who seemed like he would already know about this problem. Putting the attackers case aside, Mira once again turned her gaze towards Nyanmaru. Although in general there is no opportunity to face them, Spirits were fairly strong and not someone humans could fight. If it was someone knowing they faced a Spirit and attacked despite that, it meant that they knew they had sufficient strength to face them. Otherwise, they would know better than to attack an opponent that had strength far beyond that of a human. But in such case, there arose one more question. It was Nyanmaru, who possessed enough power to scatter the opponents strong enough to attack a Spirit. If it was capable of winning against the people who attacked the Spirit, it could be said that Nyanmaru, a shikigami, possessed power beyond that of a Spirit. This meant that the owner must have possessed even greater power than that. Hmm...Nyanmaru, huh" Based on the black cat shikigamis name, Mira recalled a certain person. It was one of the Nine Sages and the Sage of the Tower of Onmyoujutsu, suzerain Kagura of the Seven Stars"2. Among Onmyoujutsu existed multiple ones that used shikigami like Nyanmaru, but among them the most versatile shikigamis were called the four beasts". The famous existences like Suzaku, Genbu, Seiryuu and Byakko could be used by high class Onmyou spellcaster. And when someone had acquired a Shikigami, they were capable of naming them. This was the reason why Mira was reminded of Kagura. Her Genbu was Kamekichi, Seiryuu was Nyorozou, Suzaku was Piisuke and Byakko was Gautarou. If Nyanmaru was added to that, there would be nothing off about it. Kagura also had other shikigami, but they all had similar names. (Still, it cant be") Of course, there was a possibility of a coincidence. It was possible there were other people with similar naming sense to Kaguras. But with that said, based on the measurement of Nyanmarus strength, the spellcaster must have been fairly skilled. In which case, it was possible that as an Onmyou spellcaster they could know something about Kagura, who stood at the top of Onmyoujutsu, even if it was just a rumor. In the end, it was a mere speculation, but they had absolutely no information on Sages other than Soul Howl. In which case this could be a good starting point, and if they reeled in some luck, they could catch something. Well, it was better than having nothing. Thinking so, Mira decided to keep this information in the corner of her mind. Volume 3 - CH 2 Stay on your guard. Spirit-sama, please be careful. Mira lightly waved her hand, and the Summoner woman saw the Wind Spirit off with a worried expression. Yes, thank you very much. The Wind Spirit answered, and holding Nyanmaru in her hands, she turned around with a flutter. Nyanmaru sat obediently in the Wind Spirits arms. It was safe to think that this shikigami was guarding the Wind Spirit. Although in current situation it was completely unknown who were the attackers, it was hard to think it would be over after chasing them away just once. Nyanmarus owner either left the autonomous shikigami to protect the Wind Spirit, or possibly has been using the Wind Spirit as a bait, planning to lure out the attackers. It was just a speculation, and there was no way for Mira to tell now which one was it. With that said, although Mira was worried, if the Wind Spirit and Nyanmaru combine their powers they wont fall so easily. (What a busy world its become.) It was the time of the day when the sun shone at its highest point. With this chance meeting now over, the Wind Spirit and Nyanmaru returned to the forest. See you then, make sure to train diligently. After seeing off the Wind Spirit, Mira immediately said so and started walking towards the carriage. U-um. My...my name is Amy. Could I ask for your name? Im...Mira. Farewell, Amy. Mira turned around and smiled gently like a good-natured old man before getting on the carriage. Ill excuse myself as well. Galet bowed lightly and got on the coachmans seat, held the reins and had the carriage start moving slowly. The carriage wheels turned with a blunt sound and horses strongly kicked off the ground. That moment, for some reason the Carbuncle that was sitting by Amys legs suddenly let out a scared squeal, jumped onto Amys chest and started trembling. And so, the carriage that Mira was riding on had managed to cause a big trauma to the Carbuncle, then left soon after. After such a meeting, the carriage had safely drove down the road back and by noon of the next day they arrived at the capital city of Arkite Kingdom, Lunatic Lake. Immediately after Mira entered the castle she was guided by a maid, and felt nostalgic as she headed toward Solomons office. At first Mira was scared deep inside that she would get surrounded by maids and turned into a dress-up doll again. However, that was needless worry and she arrived at the office without a problem. After the maid knocked on the door, there was an immediate answer. The maid opened the door with excuse me" and when relieved Mira entered, a sound of door closing could be heard behind her. Welcome back. Its been a week, hasnt it. So, did you find him? Inside the room there was just Mira and Solomon, as such, Solomon spoke as he does when talking with friends. He threw away the documents he had at hand and asked. Unfortunately, he wasnt there. However, there were traces of his presence. Also, things that might be a clue. While saying this, Mira opened the item list and selected a few of the documents she took from the ancient temple and pulled them out. Solomon roughly pushed the documents on top of the desk to the corner, then took in his hands the documents that Mira piled up one on top of another. Phoenixs reincarnation rules? And this one is Immortal Kings cremation method, the location of Spirits of Four Seasons What on earth is he trying to do? Youll understand once you see this one. There was no way he could arrive at the answer based on the information that went back and forth. Solomon furrowed his eyebrows and passed his gaze through the document Mira passed directly to him. It was a list containing various recovery items used on the seal called the Devils Blessing, and their effectiveness. It listed many things from basic items to high-class spirit medicine, and almost all of it had no effect at all. The only item name that had nothing written in regards to its effectiveness, was the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Can it be that hes after the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree? It has been thirty years since he came to this world. Solomon who enjoyed it when it was still a game, had reached the answer with just this information taken into account. Mm-hm, most likely. Mira answered with a nod, and told Solomon about what she saw in the sixth level of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. I wonder if shes his precious person. Possibly, mm. After the two finished talking, surprised that Soul Howl of all people would do something like that they fell silent concerned about their close friend. Regardless of what kind of change of heart he had, it was certain that Soul Howl was traveling all over seeking the chalice. If he wasnt there, its safe to say that he must have found some kind of clue and left on a journey. If we are to search for him, I think its best if we can discover the chalices secret from those documents and trace his footsteps, how about it, mm? Agreed, that would be best. First they needed to ascertain the locations Soul Howl headed for based on the documents and then check them. That was about all they could do now. The two concluded so and glared at the pile of documents with annoyed look on their faces. Still, checking this many documents would be real hard. Lets call someone fit for the task instead. Solomon poked a bell on the desk twice with his fingertip. The bell hanging from a small frame looked like palm-sized church bell. However, it did not release any sound. Despite that, Solomon returned his gaze back to documents as if there was no problem at all. Hey, what is this bell? It didnt give any sound, did it? Solomon said he would call someone and made a gesture ringing the bell. But as opposed to his actions, Mira did not hear even the faintest physical, metallic sound. Hm? Ohh, its a call bell. A spell tool actually, it can only be heard by the specified person. The effective range is about a kilometer wide. And the one I specified now was" Solomon-sama, have you need of me? While Solomon explained, a mans calm voice had reached them from beyond the door. Mira was familiar with this voice. There is something I want to you to do, come in. Solomon switched to kingly mode and with a different tone of voice he invited the person in. Excuse me. The man who bowed after opening the door, was a blonde Elf wearing a very calmly-colored outfit, Solomons aide Sleyman. Upon seeing his appearance, Mira recalled Sleymans characteristics. It was his knowledge of ancient history and Spirits. This characteristic was not categorized as an ability but as pure knowledge, and could be said to be a non-physical treasure just as precious as rare items. Knowledge could be gathered as much as the brain allows it. The starting point of such knowledge is hearing of the information from someone or reading it in a book. But since the amount of information out in the world was extremely large, only people with strange tastes would gather them all. However, there were wise men who possessed a certain part of such enormous amount of information. Sleyman was one of them. Welcome back, Mira-sama. Was there any progress? Mm-hm, I found some clues, you see. At the same time he entered the office, Sleyman caught the sight of Mira and bowed vigorously. Receiving his words, Mira smiled bitterly and pointed with her gaze toward the documents on the table. Sleyman checked what was ahead of her gaze and upon seeing the mountain of documents, he immediately understood the situation. I see, so these are the clues. It appears to be quite the amount of it. From what we read so far, it appears these documents require knowledge of Spirits and ancient history. As such, I have called for you. I want to know the information that can be deciphered from these. If necessary, I permit reading A-rank documents of the great library. Solomon said and placed a silver key on top of the pile of documents. Over these thirty years ago, on top of having his vast knowledge Sleyman also put his talents to use to organize and decipher information. In regards to combat he was only a little stronger than a civilian, but there was none in the Arkite Kingdom who was better than him when it came to desk work. Understood. If my knowledge can be of use, then I shall do to the utmost of my abilities. Sleyman bowed as he undertook the task and preciously hid the key in his pocket. He not only did his duty as an aide, but also greatly respected Solomon and swore loyalty to him. In high spirits that his knowledge was necessary, Sleyman put the numerous documents on a spell tool for carrying items and Well then, I shall head to the great library" he said before he left the office vigorously. Solomon grinned as he saw him off with satisfaction. Now its only a matter of time. You splendidly pushed all of it onto him. Id prefer you said I picked the right person for the right task. You see, my job is to use people. Mira smiled wryly seeing Solomon act like he usually did, then threw herself at the sofa. While she twisted her body as to check how comfortable was the sofa and looked for a good place to settle in, she also opened the item list to take out an Apple au Lait. That moment, she saw Devil Horns name with the corner of her eye. Ohh, mm, speaking of which. Theres one more thing to ask, is that fine? Hm, I dont mind. Did something happen? When lying down on the sofa Mira only turned her face towards Solomon and spoke, he loosely gathered documents from the corner of the desk and answered. You see, I met a Devil in the last level of the underground cemetery. "...A Devil you say? The moment Mira said those words, Solomons expression turned steep for just an instant. Mm-hm, he appeared suddenly. It was an earl of 3rd rank. He attacked so I stomped him, but the reason why that Devil was there is unknown. I see, thats certainly strange. After a moment of silence, Solomon moved the documents to the corner once again and he took out firmly sealed file out of the drawer. Mira stood up wondering what is this about and lowered her gaze at the file that Solomon opened. I dont know how much information have you gathered about this world so far, but Devils have been treated as extinct since the war ten years ago. Mm-hm, apparently so. You sure gather information fast. The truth is as you have seen, the remnants are lurking in various locations and scheme something. This is a report regarding to it. Its a gathering of sightings and traces they left behind. While saying so, Solomon took out several documents out of the file and lined them up. All of them were marked as top secret. Hmm, top secret, huh. The general public thinks they are extinct, after all. The only ones who know that Devils are still alive are countries and unions higher ups. Is that so Maybe I should have told them to keep it secret, mm" Based on Solomons words Mira understood it was more serious matter than she thought, and in her mind flashed the adventurers she met in Soul-Calming City of Karnack; Emera and others. Wait! Did you tell someone about this?! Solomon reflexively raised his head and looked towards Mira who stared at the documents from the side of the table. Feeling it was unusual for Solomon to show such impatient expression, Mira opened her mouth. Thats not it. I had company with me when I met that Devil, thats all. With these words as a prelude, Mira spoke of how everything started by meeting the boy Takuto, Emera and others. That she escorted Takuto to the Dark Aids room and then after entering the sixth level she did not find Soul Howl, but instead she found clues. And that when they were about to head back, suddenly a Devil appeared. After Mira finished roughly explaining the flow of events, Solomon nodded convinced and stood up. I see. I get the circumstances. But I guess I still need to warn them. Guild carlate Carillon and Takuto-kun, is that right? Mm-hm, thats it. Emera and Asbar, Fricca and Zeff. Also, the guild leader Celo. Roger that. Ill go call the union over there and have them control the information, wait here. Leaving these words behind, Solomon left the office and headed to the communication room. It was a facility that had a device allowing for long duration and distance transmissions. This too was a result of one of the functions that were controlled by the system, the chat mode (allowing players to contact each other) becoming unavailable, a technology created with magic engineering to compensate for that. Left behind all alone by Solomon, Mira picked up the documents lying on the desk and sat down on the chair to roughly look through them. The first sighting was in a forest located in the West of the continent between mountains. A shadow of a person with horns on their head could be seen on top of a cliff, examining a knight orders exercise maneuvers. It immediately disappeared when it was found by one of the knight troops members and since it was very far, it was unclear if it was really a Devil. Mira also looked through other reports, but they were mostly just as dubious and there was nearly nothing that would have high credibility. After she quickly finished reading through the documents to kill time, Mira looked at the scenery under the castle that could be seen through the window. (This is one luxurious scenery.) The sight spreading through the large glass window was that of the crescent moon-shaped lake which was the symbol of the capital city Lunatic Lake. The city has developed with this lake as the center and from the location Mira was in, she could take a sweeping view over the cityscape full of life. However, since the castle was in the center of the city, it was only the scenery of half of the city. Mira leaked out a sigh of admiration and at the same time, she focused on a certain conspicuous facility. It was a school that gathered students from all over the continent, the Arkite Academy. (Its bigger than the university I attended, mm.) Seeing the school building stand like some kind of palace, Mira lowered her eyebrows as she recalled the campus filled with meetings and farewells. Arkite Academy. It was a school that was the second biggest facility in the city after the castle and had three buildings, it was a top-class learning institution that occupied a tenth of the entire citys total surface area. The school was split in primary school, high school and specialty school divisions. It had unexpectedly many departments regarding spells, which were the Arkite Kingdoms specialty, and it was often said to be the number one school in the entire continent in regards to spellcasting. Therefore there also were many exchange students from other countries, children of various noble families were staying at the nearby inns for entire years. The best educational organization to anyone who strived toward becoming spellcasters, that was what the Arkite Academy was. Taking the fact that game turned into reality into consideration, Solomon set his sights on the future and created it as one part of his Five Pillars policy. While deeply immersed in emotions Mira watched the school that was filled with various thoughts like that, in the back of her head appeared Takutos carefree smile. (Speaking of which, does Takuto go to a school?) He was an existence that looked up to her. Surely, that boy will do his best as a spellcaster from now on, she thought. After a while, Solomon had returned to the office. How was it? Apparently its all right. Mira remained glued to the window and only turned her head as she asked, she saw Solomons expression crumble into a relieved one as he sat down on the chair. According to what the union chief said, theres not even a rumor in regards to Devils. Hmm, I see. Well, I dont think those guys would spread this information without reason. She said, smiled as if it was obvious and puffed her chest. The high-rank adventurers that were Emera and others should know well just what kind of effect information could have. Also, based on the conversation she had with Celo, he did not seem like a person who would go out of his way to spread confusion around the world. Well, thats how it is, so make sure not to tell anyone about this incident. Among all this ambiguous information, info from someone who faced against a Devil and returned alive is fairly decisive, you see. Sitting in his office chair, Solomon said so to make sure Mira understood. Understood. So, it looks like its still unknown why was that Devil in the sixth level, right? Yeah. The basic information is unclear, after all. Devils objective isnt certain. But well, maybe I should send a research group to the sixth level of the underground cemetery. Its concerning just what was he doing in a place like that. That might be a good idea, mm. What Mira examined in the sixth level of the ancient temple were only the things regarding to one of the Nine Sages, Soul Howl. She did not search for information regarding that Devil. Therefore, an official investigation could find something. Mira agreed with Solomon and moved away from the window to surrender herself to sofa and stretched. By the way, that clothing looks similar to your Sages Robe, but its a little different. Did you buy a replica? "Mm-hm, in Karnack. Seeing Mira loosen her body pleasantly, Solomon focused his gaze on her clothes. In response to that, Mira stood up and struck a pose and made an expression as if to say hows it?! before answering. The materials and design used for the replica were far inferior to the real robe. However, the coloring and the shape were made to look similar, as such the replica did fulfill the requirement of looking cool that Mira was most concerned about. I see I see. Yup, it looks reeeally good on you. You look just like a little girl who plays pretend, trying to be like the Sage she looks up to. Was the meaning hidden behind Solomons words as he grinned. Doesnt it. As expected, a familiar design is the best to wear. Not noticing the meaning behind Solomons words, Mira made a boastful expression. At the same time, she recalled that she left the real robe back in the tower. Back when she first went to toilet with this body, she got all excited and charged right into the bath. Since the Sages Robe was dirty, she left it behind in the changing room. (First, I need to head back to the tower and recover it.) Thinking so, Mira decided on the schedule from here on. She could not head out until the destination is found from the documents. So far, this was the only clue they had. In which case, I should go and take out the necessary materials from the towers storage. Mira thought so and suddenly recalled what happened on the way back from Karnack. There was something that could become a clue to finding another one of the Nine Sages. Oh right, oh right. There was one more thing I want to ask you, is that fine? Sure, what is it? Solomon immediately agreed and while still sitting in the chair he kicked off the desk lightly, and on the wheels he moved to the window. From Solomons perspective, he was constantly busy doing desk work in here, so talking with a friend whom he was separated from for thirty years was something he looked forward to. From what I heard, there are incidents where Spirits are being assaulted, do you know anything about it? It was about the Wind Spirit and Nyanmaru. As a countrys king, Solomon might know details in regards to it. Thinking so, Mira asked the question, to which Solomon responded with an impressed and surprised voice. Hee, so you know even about that Of course I do know about it. From what we have learned so far, its best to start with the Sea of Trees thats North of Grimdart. Everything started about nine years ago, when Spirits living in there have nearly all disappeared. Nearly all...you say? The Grimdart Empire was located in the North of the continent and worshiped the God of Justice. It was one of the three initial kingdoms and was called the knight country". Starting North of Grimdart and spreading all the way to the end of the continent was the Sea of Trees, a forest so large that it could contain five Arkite Kingdoms. Even fairly rare Spirits lived in large numbers inside such a large area that the Sea of Trees was. As expected, it was too large and it couldnt all be searched, but all the places that were thought to be the Spirit habitats were empty. Back then, the reason behind was unknown, but an investigation with Grimdart as its core has been carried out. But eventually, similar reports have started coming from other countries. At first it was suspected that there was an appearance of large amount of Elemental Eaters or its subspecies, but One day when an investigation team went to examine a certain Spirit who was a survivor, they found a group of people who captured Spirits. They were armed like a group of mercenaries and were apparently carrying many Spirits in cages. Hmm looks like there are large casualties. From what the Wind Spirit said, Mira already knew that many Spirits were attacked. But from what Solomon said, she realized the scale of this incident was far larger and was more horrible. Furthermore, the investigation team that headed to examine the Spirit, had few members capable of combat and they judged it was reckless to fight the armed group, instead focusing on carrying back the information. Currently each country is carrying out their own investigation, but the reason why were Spirits kidnapped is still unknown at the moment. We checked the slave trading routes, but there was no Spirits on the lists. The only thing we learned, was that the armed groups name is Chimera Crossen. After saying this much, Solomon turned his gaze outside the window and There should be a limit to acting heretic. he muttered, then raised his eyebrows with irritation. Still, I didnt think you would learn about it so fast. Who did you hear this from? A brief moment after he showed anger, Solomon turned toward Mira a little happily. This was also a fairly serious incident so the information was not revealed to the general public. However, the information was not restricted completely - the union revealed the information to adventurers of A rank and above, and also offered reward money for useful information in regards to it. On the way back I met a Wind Spirit, see. I heard it from her. As for Solomon, he thought that she must have learned about it from the members of the guild she spoke about earlier, but she answered it was a completely different person. Hee...a Wind...Spirit, ehh" Hearing the words she spoke as if nothing, Solomon made an astonished expression. Since Solomons class was one of the warrior classes, he was unable to see or talk with Spirits. Although it was possible that Mira heard about it from one, he did not expect it. Furthermore, it was playing with a black cat shikigami. With a joking expression Mira added so, and spoke of what happened by the roadside to Solomon. That Wind Spirit said that she heard from her comrades about people attacking Spirits. And that she was in fact assaulted as well, but protected by the shikigami black cat Nyanmaru. Also about the fact that even now, Nyanmaru remained by her side to protect her. After hearing pretty much all of it, Solomon focused on the same point as Mira. Nyanmaru, huh Reminds me of Kagura, I wonder if theres any relation. I wonder myself. That Wind Spirit did not meet the spellcaster, either, mm. Well, in any case, we have no clues on her anyway, so dont you think we might as well investigate it? Certainly. An Onmyou spellcaster who opposes Chimera Crossen, huh. That IS interesting. Ill put a few agents on it. Lit by the sunlight entering the office through the window, Solomon smiled as if he came up with some mischief and happily leaned on the chair, the back of which squeaked. Now that the two finished exchanging information, Mira and Solomon started to enjoy some idle talk. To Mira it was trifling chat. But to Solomon who was very busy with work, it was very valuable time where for the first time in a while he could chat with an old friend. Volume 3 - CH 3 After nearly an hour long chat, the entrance of a consul carrying a large amount of documents ended the conversation. At the same time, Solomons expression completely changed from a bright smiling to a cloudy one. Well then, its about time I go. When Mira stood up not wanting to get in the way of his work, Solomon glanced at her and spoke with a little bit of expectation. Arent you interested in kings work? Do you think Im fit for doing desk work? Mira answered full of confidence, making Solomon respond with Riiight" and fall onto the desk. Although Mira would like to help him out, she was bad with this kind of work with documents. It was a problem bigger than her interest or lack of it. Soul Howls destination should be found within the next few days. But the mysterious Onmyou spellcaster is still a complete unknown so Ill contact you about it later. Thats about it for now, is that fine? Mm-hm, I dont mind. After finishing the last confirmation in regards to her mission, Solomon reluctantly started to spread the documents on the desk. Youre free today, so what are you going to do after this? I thought I might as well go around for some sightseeing before returning to the tower. Mira looked at the scenery that could be seen through the offices window and said so. I see, I see. This city is my pride, make sure to enjoy it. Oh and, I would be really, really happy if you bring me some Magic-Sealing Stones you have stored, yknow? If I dont forget. While Solomon grinned suggestively, Mira who intended to do so anyway, only shrugged jokingly. Well then, see you. Yup, see you. The two exchanged short farewells and Mira left the office. She entered the corridor and when she started to wonder where to go to, that moment, the door next to the office opened and Lily appeared from inside. It was the maid who woke up Mira when she was staying the night in the castle. Ah" Oh my! Miras expression stiffened and she reflexively leaked a voice. On the other hand, Lilys expression was in full bloom. It has been a while, Mira-sama. Have you finished your business here? After giving a bow like the elite maid she was, Lily raised her head while smiling from ear to ear. Mm-hm, Im heading back now. Is that so. Then, could I have some of your time? We castle maids have finished a great masterpiece! Well fine. That is how it will end up anyway. The moment she encountered Lily, Mira had realized this much and thinking that it was better to get over with it as fast as possible, she nodded in response. As she was told to, she walked down the corridor and was escorted to a room at the end of it. Lily headed deeper inside the room in order to pick up the completed clothing. The room Mira was taken to, was a special room for sewing work. What entered her sight, were outfits in the middle of making and lined up rolls of material which filled the room making it cramped. Inside the castle there were sections with rooms for crafting. This was one of those sections and it was where night after night, some of the maids gave form to their desires. It was daytime now, so the room was silent. While fidgeting, Mira stared at the countless maid outfits hanging on the wall. There was not a single same-looking maid outfit design and each of them was a first class outfit overflowing with a different charm. (The second row from upside, third from the right. No, the bottom rows fourth from the left is also") Mira examined the maid outfits with a serious gaze and enjoyed herself dressing up Emera and Fricca in her mind with the outfits she picked. Are you interested in maid outfits as well, Mira-sama? Nhh?! Uh, um, well. I dont hate them. Mira flinched when she was suddenly spoken to from behind and lost her composure, she unconsciously leaked her real feelings. Then, would you like to try one on? No, Ill pass on that. Recovering some of her calm, Mira instantly refused. She lamented the fact there was no point if she was the one to wear it. Is that so. Then if you find interest in them again, please tell me. I will prepare a design to your liking. While Lily did make a slightly disappointed expression, there was no signs of her giving up on it. Mira imagined herself wearing a maid outfit for just an instant and sang praises to herself, thinking it would be a wonderful view. Well then, please look at this, Mira-sama. It is Mira-samas exclusive Magic Robe Set! When Mira saw the outfit Lily had spread as she spoke formally, she was at loss for words for just an instant. It will be another extreme gothic lolita mahou shoujo outfit. Thats what Mira had prepared herself for, but her expectations were discarded with a single strike. In a good way, too. Hoohooh-hoh, hoo! Mira looked at the outfit as if to drill a hole in it and nodded time after time again. The clothes Lily was holding retained gothic lolita mahou shoujo concept, but the striking frills and ribbons have been nearly all removed, with just a few accenting the outfit in some places. And above all, this cute and stylish clothing looked similar to that of a certain SF-like mahou shoujo show that Mira used to be into. To put it simply, the design looked like an outfit of a young girl belonging to some magicians organization. It had a black and white sleeveless one piece dress, it was also a set with a black coat with purple lining. Is this to your liking? Mm-hm, this isnt bad. This outfit matched Miras tastes. She expected that it would be an improved version of the outfit she was first dressed in, but because of this unexpected difference Mira completely forgot that she would be made to wear it and honestly answered. Thats great. On the night when I passed the previous work to you, Solomon-sama taught me about your preferences. So that was it. Certainly, Solomon did know her tastes. And it was not just that, they were really into SF-like mahou shoujo show together. Recalling that, Mira noticed that this outfit was similar to that of the one Solomons favorite character wore. (That guyhe mixed in his own tastes, too") Mira focused on a white belt that was integrated with the one piece dress and the coat that was made very short only in front so that even if it was completely closed, her legs would still be visible. She was certain that these parts were completely to Solomons tastes. Then, Mira-sama, this way please. Lily said so and guided Mira to a place partitioned with a curtain before passing the outfit to her. Shall I help you? No, no need. Mira received the clothes from broadly-smiling Lily and answered, then entered behind the curtain. Since it seemed to have been used as dressing room there was a large mirror hung inside, and by the side there were several shelves and hangers. Mira put the clothing she was holding on a shelf, put a hand on the robe she was wearing and started changing. It really, reeally looks good on you, Mira-sama! Is that so? When Mira appeared after she was done changing, Lily praised her with excitement. Mira herself wasnt dissatisfied at all, she looked at her outfit and moved her arms and legs, then chuckled to herself happily. The clothing made by the earnest efforts of the elite maid team was perfectly fitting her body and did not restrict her limbs movements at all, it was a high quality masterpiece. Well then, I shall explain the robes features. Taken by Lily who said so, Mira stood in front of a table with multiple pieces of paper placed on it. But first, this is the list of names of people who have cooperated in making Mira-samas exclusive Magic Robe Set. Thats a lot, mm. On the paper that Mira looked at when she spoke, starting with Solomons and Luminarias names on the top of the list, there were numerous names written. Because there were too many names there, Mira only briefly read through them, but among them there was the name of Thoma, the designer of Accord Cannon. Next, this. Just as the name suggests, magic engineering has been used for this outfit and this is the list of functions implemented into it. Magic engineering? Is it really safe? Hearing magic engineering" Mira immediately recalled the armored jeep and glanced at her own outfit. In response, Lily proudly shook her head to the side. There is nothing to worry about. Far from that, it grants so many benefits that Mira-sama will remain our dress-up d...that I assure you will remain in our outfits care. Hm? Dress-up...what? Its nothing, really. Mira glared suspiciously at Lily who quickly corrected herself. Lily turned her face to the side pretending nothing happened. Mira felt like she heard very concerning words there, but she put that aside and turned her gaze toward the papers. Umm, I shall explain then. First, starting with the most important point. The one piece dress belt has a small pocket where you can insert a Magic Stone or an elemental Magic-Sealing Stone. Lily said and spreading Miras coat a little, she opened a black buckle in the middle of the belt integrated with the one piece dress. There, was an empty space big enough for a stone to easily enter it. Hoo-hoh. This does look professional. Mira tried opening and closing the buckle a few times and muttered happily. This mechanism is the reason this Magic Robe Set has magic in its name. After all, by using a stones magic power as fuel, it grants various benefits to the user! Lily started explaining with a proud look. However, she only participated in crafting from the point of selecting materials to cutting the materials, so her entire explanation in regards to the magic engineering was something she heard from Thoma. Since she normally had no opportunity to get involved with such things, for the sake of this day alone she has been going to ask Thoma to teach her day after day. Well then, I shall explain the effects it has. First, the one piece dress and coat have been treated to be incombustible and impossible to freeze. However, that might not be the case when it comes to very extreme temperatures so there is a need to be cautious. However, if you use a Magic Stone, this effect is improved. While the Magic Stone bonus is in effect, it can stop a Hellfire Birds flame, apparently. Also, it has been enhanced with self-repair function. However, there is a limit to it and it apparently cannot repair itself from large rips. Furthermore, if you insert Magic-Sealing Stone, you receive a defense reinforcement corresponding to the stones element, apparently. It seemed like Lily managed to say all of it without making any mistake, and then looked at Mira with an expression asking So, hows it?. As for Mira, she touched all over the outfit she was wearing with interest. Hohooh. That sounds really useful. Mira was honestly surprised by the features that surpassed her expectations. Just from what she heard so far, it had plenty of interesting effects. Of course, the Sages Robe boasted even better performance, but this Magic Robe Set was also high level equipment. She had a hunch that when its active effect is turned on, it might have higher defensive capabilities than the Sages Robe. Well, I can wear them in alternation. Mira thought and in her mind she started repeating the features of this outfit that she started to taking a liking to. However, is it really all right if I have something this expensive-looking? A piece of equipment with this good options should be fairly expensive. Bothered by that, Mira looked up questioningly at Lily. Of course. All expenses have been covered by Solomon-sama and Luminaria-sama. This outfit belongs to you, Mira-sama. Is that so" Neither of them mentioned anything like this. Smiling wryly at the thought that all this fuss was caused by her close friends, she broke into a happy smile. (Im not thanking them, though.) It was something they did in secret, so going out of her way to thank them directly was not too interesting. Ill buy them some souvenirs next time, she thought with a smile and stared at the mirror. After that, Mira left the sewing room and was taken to the maid compartment and in the end, she was affectionately doted on by the maids who have been waiting for her in there. All of them were involved in creation of the outfit, and as such Mira could not simply refuse them, so she had her hairstyle played around with by them. Mira herself started to get used to such treatment and indulged herself in the sweets specially prepared by the maids, aside from all the fuss around her, she spend a very enjoyable time. A little while after lunch time, Mira had eaten plenty of snacks and her stomach was in perfect condition. Released from the maid compartment, she exchanged farewells with the guards at the castle gate and headed off to the city near the castle. By the way, everyone in the castle was told by Solomon that Mira is Danbulfs disciple and a privileged guest of honor, as such she was free to come and go from the castle. Well then, where should I go? When Mira thought so, suddenly in her mind appeared the school buildings she saw from the office. Even from a distance, they released an overwhelming presence. Recalling that, Mira took a sweeping look around. Which way was it again, mm" Not only was the city very large, but also well-organized. Since Mira was unable to catch the direction, she started walking forward while looking around restlessly. Then, with good timing, a guard in the middle of his patrol appeared on the road ahead of Mira. Seeing Mira with her long silver hair tied on the sides the guards heart skipped a beat. But immediately after he realized who Mira was, he bowed in a hurry. Mira who called herself a Nine Sages disciple was introduced to people related to the military as a guest of honor. Id like to ask something, how do I get to the academy? Feeling his appearance to be a godsend, Mira ran up to the guard and looking up at him, she asked. If it isnt Mira-sama. To get to the academy, please cross the bridge behind that and move along the main street. Hoh, I see. Thank you. Mira turned her body in the direction the guard pointed to to confirm, then turned her gaze back towards the guard to say her thanks before she trotted away in the direction of the academy. The guard was relieved that he somehow managed to respond calmly and made a captivated expression as he watched the shaking twintails. The crescent moon-shaped lake that could be said to be the symbol of the Arkite Kingdom. Surrounded by the lake was the high-class district and by crossing the lake with the bridges that were on it, one could enter the general district. Mira currently walked quickly on one of the bridges. This bridge was ten meters high and it was paved with ochre-colored stone. There were street lights lined up in even intervals on the bridge and it certainly had a style befitting a bridge that lead to the high-class district. Since the lake was large, Mira walked for about ten minutes before she arrived at the entrance to the general district. If it isnt Mira-sama. Do you have business in general district? The one who spoke to her, was the manager of the gate leading to the general district. The gate itself was not very large, about large enough to let a single carriage pass through it. By the gates side there was a small building for the gates watchman. Mm-hm, I thought of doing some sightseeing. Is that so. Well then, I will open the gate, so please stand back. When the manager said so and entered the small shed, the gate slowly opened. As it gradually opened, the sight of the city that appeared on the other side was clearly different from the elegant high-class district. It was overflowing with energy and numerous citizens walked on the streets, it was filled with life, feeling like a true capital. Mira waved her hand to say her thanks and passed through the gate, then stepped inside the Arkite Kingdoms Capital, Lunatic Lakes Eastern district. In front of her was a wide street that extended straight forward. The destination it led to, was the Arkite Academy. Once again impressed by the presence of the building, Mira started walking down the main street. The stalls along this main street were dealing with many and varied merchandise. There was especially many general goods, and because the location was near the school, here and there she could see stalls with stationery. However, what surprised Mira the most, was the overwhelming amount of stores with spell tools and similar. Wherever she turned, there has been at least one store that dealt with spell tools. Spell tools were various tools related to spellcasting. Staffs that were weapons, catalysts that were required for Wizards to learn spells, paper talismans for Onmyou spellcasters, Holy Stones used by Holy Mages and Holy Water used by Exorcists. Other than that there were Magic-Sealing Stones and various tools that had special characteristics added to them with spells. The stalls by the main street were dealing with numerous items of like that. Drawn in by the curious, fun atmosphere Mira walked from stall to stall and enjoying her sightseeing she took her time as she walked forward. Aside from the staple goods that have been sold before, there were new goods as well, which entertained Miras eyes. Whenever she saw new items she asked the storekeeper what is this? in response to which some people with a smile, some people nervously, and some very carefully explained the items to her. After plenty enjoying window shopping, a while later Mira finally arrived at her goal that was the academy. Its really big" She unconsciously leaked such words. Just as she said, the Arkite Academy boasted of premises as large as an airport. The three school buildings were lined up in an U-shape. Other than those, there were no similarly big buildings, but there were some conspicuous ones here and there. Because Mira was aware of herself as of an adult, she felt a little guilty for looking so straightforwardly inside the school, so she moved into the corner of the school entrance and only peeked her head out to look inside. However, she herself did not realize that if anything, she looked more suspicious this way. On the school grounds reflected in Miras eyes, the schools students were practicing their martial arts. There were people who trained in pairs, there were some who were running in the school grounds and also people doing other things. In the corner stood an adult man whom she thought to be the teacher, as well as about thirty children wearing shirts and short pants. From the looks of it was a lesson of martial arts. Furthermore, in the opposite direction, there was a different group. They were led by a male and female teachers, and was composed of robe-clad students of about sixteen years of age who stood in a row. However, since the school grounds were enormous, they looked to be a smaller group than it actually was. Mira happily watched all of it. Although the scale was beyond common sense, it was certainly a school. Thats youth for you, mm. Since she had graduated from university about six years ago in her original world, the feelings of nostalgia had flowed inside her chest and she muttered with a wry smile. Can it be that you are interested in school?? Suddenly, a voice called out to Mira from outside her vision. Feeling guilty about peeking inside the school, she reflexively flinched. Then like a rusty machine she fearfully turned around. Standing there, she saw a cat-eared woman with a large bag hanging from her shoulder who smiled to Mira with a half-standing posture. Volume 4 - CH 1 Over the western skies of the Kingdom of Arkite, a Pegasus is flying calmly across a small mountain range. Straddling at its back is the silver-haired girl, Mira. Its so vast. What spread out below her was a misty dark green forest that seems to stretched out endlessly. Mira was marveling at the grandeur of it, as she looks out to the horizon in the distance. Thats when it happened. Suddenly, she felt a slight vibration just beneath her feet. She can also hear a dull sound, as if something hard was broken. It sounded exactly like when Galets carriage was smashing through zombies and carbuncles. No, no way Here in the sky, the only thing that could hit them would be birds. But birds would not even dare to approach a holy beast like Pegasus. As a matter of fact, on the way here, Mira had seen a flock of birds splits in front of the Pegasus as if its Moses. Then what on earth is it? Mira then instructed the Pegasus to stop so she can look down. She then caught a sight of what appears to be a white bird falling down into the forest. Is that a Blizzard Eagle? It was a Blizzard Eagle, classified as a demon. Mira was familiar with the appearance of such a bird. It sports a pair of snow-white wings and a blood-red beak. However, its wings were covered in reddish-black blood and any sign of its supposed whiteness can no longer be seen as the eagle fell. When Mira looked down, she saw that the Pegasus hooves were covered in the blood of a demon. Apparently the Pegasus had struck back at the assailant. Relieved, Mira watched as the Blizzard Eagle disappear into the white, foggy forest. Immediately after, she put her finger on the tip of her chin and tilted her head. Hmmm. A Blizzard Eagle in the south of the continent is a strange thing. I guess thats another change that comes with the game being turned to reality. Or is it? Mira glanced at the forest quizzically. Originally, Blizzard Eagle was a demon that appeared only in the northernmost part of the continent, in the snow-covered forests and mountains. Its white wings were originally a protective color to blend in with the snowy world. But now, Mira was in the southern part of the continent. According to conventional wisdom, this sighting should be impossible. However, that was the common sense of the time when this world was still a game. As a newcomer to this world, 30 years after the game became a reality, there are still many things shes still ignorant about. But because of that, she is ready to enjoy the many changes. The area where demons appear should change. Mira decided to not worry too much about it, thinking that such changes would most likely happen regardless. She then resumed her flight. The purpose of this trip is to search for Soul Howl, one of the Nine Wise Men, in the Prayer Child Forest located west of the Kingdom of Arkite. In order to follow Soul Howls footsteps, Solomon asked Mira to collect Seeds of the Founder in the nearby Primal Forest, a magical labyrinth. On the way there, Mira, who had been riding on the back of Pegasus for quite a while, was forced to take a break as she was not used to riding horses. Hmmm. At this pace, its going to be midnight before I reach my destination. Mira made herself comfortable at a small restaurant in the town she had found from above. It was well past lunchtime, and there were only a few customers. Mira is one of them. She thought she was relaxing as one of the customers, but the people around her saw her differently. Miras well-groomed appearance made her stand out from her surroundings. Her overly toned appearance was clearly different from the rest of the crowd. The town, located outside of the main city, had no distinctive features and travelers usually would just passed through. Therefore, it was rare to see a beautiful girl like Mira who was alone. There were countless people who wanted to become acquainted with her. However, Mira had a bracelet on her left wrist that was known as the sign of a high level adventurer. This means no man dared to speak to her and they only could watch from afar. In a town with no famous dungeons, hunting grounds, or adventurers guild nearby, it was very rare to see such an adventurer come to this town. Unaware of the stares of those around her, Mira compared the distance at this point with the rest of the way on the map and calculated the travel time. She calculated the travel time easily. Miras calculations led her to the conclusion that she would be arriving at her destination at around ten in the night. She let her mind wander. In the forest at night, her vision would be almost completely dark. If that were the case, there was a risk of her getting lost. Moreover, Mira didnt want to work that late in the day. While occasionally sipping on a mixed berry au lait, Mira began to look for a suitable place to stay near the forest on the map. Hmmm, this seems to be an appropriate place. There should be enough time get us this far. From her current location, it takes about two hours by Pegasus. There seems to be a village near the Prayer Child Forest where she can stay. The Praying Child Forest is also very vast. Moreover, the sacred tree, which was her final destination, was located further into the forest, far from the entrance. So the village in front of it was a very convenient stop for Mira. After taking a 30-minute break, she went to the bathroom and left the town. She then continued to fly for a while. Below the forests and grasslands that were partly covered by mist were tinged with the fiery red sunset. Mira watched the sun set over the horizon. The sky and the earth were changing their appearance every second. As night fell, the heavens became a sea of stars and began to shine like a ripple. Mira let out an exclamation of admiration as she looked out at the jet-black forest in the distance, rustling in the wind. Then, in the foreground, there were countless artificial lights. They looked like bonfires set up in a small village. Mira followed the lights and eventually landed in the grass near the village. Thank you for your hard work. Ill ask you again next time. When Mira gave her thanks, the Pegasus spread its white wings wide, as if to say, Of course before being enveloped by the unsummoning light. The place was too big to be called a village, but too small to be called a town. Mira checked the name on the map, and it seemed to be called Hunters Village. After passing through the simple and somewhat unassuming gate, Mira walked along the hard-packed dirt road. On both sides of the path, plants and flowers were sprouting in disorder. At first glance, the street smelled like the countryside, but it was surprisingly crowded. Most of the buildings, such as houses and stores, are made of wood, but there was one stone structure standing out in a prominent place. From the signage, it looked like an adventurers guild. When she looked around, she saw that there were indeed many people who looked like adventurers. After wandering around the moderately lively village, Mira opened the door of the one building she had stumbled upon. The light sound of the doorbell rang out. Welcome! A lively mans voice greeted Mira. It seemed to be a standard inn that also served as a cafeteria, and judging from the bustling cafeteria, it appears to be thriving. Most of the customers seemed to be adventurers based from their clothing. At the same time as Mira arrived, several of them stopped eating for a moment and reflexively looked back at the door. As they looked at her with interest, Mira walked quickly to the counter. The owner of this restaurant, despite his initial big greeting, gave the impression of a thin, homely husband. Another lovely customer! How many people are with you? Are you here for just a meal or are you staying overnight? The owner smiled softly and spoke to Mira while his hands kept moving, wielding the cooking utensils and being busy cooking food for the lively restaurant. Id like you to stay overnight. Id like to have a meal as well. Both are for one person. Oh, just one. The young miss can come to such a remote place by herself. I guess youre a magician. A real one too. Thats interesting. In response to Miras words to the shopkeeper, the young man sitting next to her looked at her curiously and called out. The tone of his voice was laced with a hint of envy. The young man had a magnificent large sword that seemed to belong to him. He gave the impression to have the strength to match it, and his physique was so well built that you could see it even through his black leather coat. His dusky chestnut hair was cropped just right, giving him a somewhat unkempt look. Im sorry to barge in on you like this. My name is Alfeil. As you can see, Im a swordsman, but Ive always wanted to be a magician. Alfeil, who introduced himself, stares at Mira with envious eyes while showing a nice smile on his face. Ah, thats right. Can I ask what kind of magician are you? Alfeil asked Mira still with a smile on his face. His attitude is that of an overly-familiar person yet his carefree appearance is strangely comfortable. Mira, who received his first impression favorably, nodded mildly and opened her mouth, turning her chest up a little proudly. Im a summoner! The voices of the adventurers around her stopped as she answered. They looked at Mira with a mixture of pity and sadness. In the face of such a reaction from the people around her, Mira rolls up her back as if she were depressed and sighs, wondering if the recovery of the summoning magics reputation is still a long way off. And yet, there was one person who reacted differently. Thats incredible! How amazing summoning can get you this far on your own! Alfeils eyes are now full of admiration towards Mira. After all, this Hunters Village which is adjacent to the Praying Child Forest was not a place where a new adventurer could come alone. The adventurers in the store also noticed this with a word from Alfeil, and they all reacted in surprise. Alfeil-kun, cant you let the missy order her food first? Otherwise shell go hungry. Oh, yes, of course. Sorry about that. The owner of the restaurant, realizing that the conversation was not going to end, presented Mira with a menu of dishes. Mira took it while muttering an apology and ordered a set of herb-roasted chicken and honey au lait. It seems that Alfeil really like magic. He enthusiastically talked about the accessibility of abstract magic, which were also useful in everyday life. Alfeil wanted to feel like a magician, so he laid out the many tools he had as a substitute for magic and began to happily explain them. The tools that contain various kinds of magic are mainly called artifact1. They are commercially available and have a limited number of uses, but they can be used by those who do not have mana. As a result, they are popular among the adventurers. It is said that most magical artifact have been developed for the lower tiers, but not for the higher tiers. However, there are no artifact for Summoning, Onmyoujitsu, or Necromancy. Not even at the lower tiers, and Alfeil was very disappointed about that. After Miras order was ready, Alfeils attention turned to Summoning magic, which had only a few users and not even a single artifact available. He said that he would like to see Summoning magic used by a person whos skilled at it. Please, show me. I beg of you! The young man begged and bowed his head to the younger girl over and over again. The owner of the store said it was not the first time he had done this. It seems that Alfeil has also approached and pleaded with other magicians he has met during his adventures. The adventurers who were there from the beginning laughed at the sight of Alfeil. But those who saw the scene only just recently raised their eyebrows at the odd behavior of the young man, wondering what he wanted to see from the girl. After dinner, Mira and Alfeil went to a training square in the Hunters Village. In addition, some of the people from the inn came along to watch the spectacle. The darkness of the night was brightly lit by the light from Alfeils artifacts. After explaining that this place was prepared for the self-training of adventurers and hunters, Alfeil continued happily, saying that she would be able to use her summoning skills to the fullest here. Well, if youre that interested, Ill show you. Despite speaking in a haughty manner, Mira is in a good mood because quite a few people is looking forward to her summoning magic. But her face doesnt show it as she casted a summoning spell in a perfectly calm manner. The black knight that always has the same air of intimidation appeared from the magic circle that is in front of her. Oh! Is this summoning magic? Its so black, and looks strong too! Alfeil was so excited to see summoning magic for the first time that he looked the black knight in the face and exerted his whole body at the sight. At the same time, the visitors who were in the mood for a little spectacle were speechless and their smiles twitched. Most of them assumed that Mira was only good enough to visit the Hunters Village alone. But a glance at the summoned black knight sent shivers down their spines. They knew it was not something that looked weak. A match. C-can I request for a sparring match? Alfeil looked back at Mira with a childlike nervousness, unconcerned about the young visitors shocked feelings, and turned his expectant eyes on her. The look on his face was as bright as a dog with a treat in front of it, and it was easy to see how depressed he would be if she refused. Well, all right. Mira replied, and Alfeil jumped for joy. The crowd, perhaps caught up in his cheerfulness, began to cheer him on. Words spread around and the training square was gradually becoming more and more lively as crowds were beginning to gather around to spectate the upcoming match. In the midst of all this, Mira stares at Alfeil thats currently in high spirit to check and see how skilled he is. This is a scanning ability, which can only be used by players and is not available for NPCs. The results showed that he was a top-notch swordsman, but his magic power was below that of an average person. On to of that his magic resistance was worryingly low. The most important thing, however, was whether he had the skills to make use of his abilities as a swordsman. Alfeil took a dozen steps away from the Dark Knight and pulled out his sword. This is the first time Mira has ever seen such a thing. Her eyes caught the power of the spirit that resides in the sword. Ice spirit sword? Alfeil, holding the sword lightly, started to emit a tense aura. Mira also noticed that he switched his stance to a fighting stance. Alfeils intimidating aura coupled with his combat stance that oozes experience, clearly shows a difference between his stats and his actual fighting ability. The skilled hawk hides its talons, huh Oi missy, I cant even feel the bottom of his power yet you didnt even move an eyebrow! Mira laughed with one of the adventurer from the spectators currently standing next to her. Then she left the crowd and put her back against a suitable wall, ready to watch from the sidelines. Alfeil, on the other hand, took a few deep breaths and clasped his sword in both hands. Well then, lets begin~ As Mira said this, the black knight threw the great sword in his hand high into the sky. The next moment, however, a new great sword appeared from a small floating magic circle. The black knight took it in his hand and held the tip of the sword towards Alfeil. The great sword flying through the air reaches its peak and began to fall. The sword, spinning with a sharp, wind-cutting sound, gradually lowered its altitude. The audience, which had swelled to several dozen people, looked up at the sky and gulped with bated breath. From the sky, where no light could reach, the great sword appeared. The murmurs of the crowd subsided simultaneously. Illuminated by the lights of the artifacts, the great sword plunged deep into the ground, leaving a black trail. As if on cue, Alfeil lowered his posture and sprinted. With his sword at his side, Alfeil closed the distance in the blink of an eye and leapt up with his ice blade at great force. The icy blade that was released with a considerable power drew a sharp trajectory and was sucked into the body of the black knight. A preemptive strike with first class speed that staggered the knight. However, it quickly regains its footing as Alfeils sword is blocked by the black great sword and it did not reach the knights main body. Just from strength alone his is definitely above Emera. Especially his speed. He may even be faster than the Dark Knight. Mira was objectively gauging Alfeils strength from her position. She was trying to figure out how far she should let the Dark Knights power go. The Dark Knight blocked Alfeils sword and forcibly swung his great sword, blocking Alfeils sword, resulting in Alfeil blown into the air. A commotion goes up from the surrounding crowd. Strong, this one is strong! Alfeil shouted, unable to control his elation. He stomped on the ground, killing his momentum as he glared at his opponent, his expression both devilish and full of joy. Once again, the sound of swords striking each other roared. As soon as Alfeil had adjusted his stance, the Dark Knights great sword swung down. Its seldom that Alfeil experiences such an impact, and his voice leaked out in anguish. But then a smile appeared on Alfeils face. For a few moments ago, before he can catch all the kinetic energy of the great sword, Alfeil slides the tip of the blade and sharply cleaves the body of the defenseless Dark Knight. The flash that came out of his unhindered movement cut deep into the Dark Knight, and the speed of the sword from both of his hands became a violent impact that sent him flying. The spectating crowd erupted in applause, saying that Alfeil is amazing. Apparently, he is a celebrity in the Hunters Village. When Mira realized this, she smiled wickedly as its a great opportunity to show off the power of summoning. Missy, I didnt want it to end like this. Please, let me fight seriously! Alfeil, who is still in a state of continued alertness2 and with a presence similar to that of Shura, raises his voice with his back facing Mira. As he said, the Dark Knight was not at his best. Because now that the game is a reality, real life and death were at stake, and she couldnt go all out if she didnt have an accurate measure of her opponents strength. Hmmm. Has Sir Master lost to anything lately when you gave it your all? Mira asked so she can make her final decision. Alfeil answers the question by shaking his head. Not recently. Last time I lost was about five years ago. As Mira stared at Alfeils back, she understood one thing. The man was hungry for a strong opponent. From what Alfeil said and did, Mira is sure there were many times when others challenged him to a match like this one. And each time he had won. Still, he is not satisfied with his own strength and is looking for someone stronger. This insatiable desire for improvement is something that Mira remembers a little too. He must have been genuinely looking up and kept reaching for the peak. And yet, his hand has not grasp anything. Im sorry I tried to test you. Instead, I should let you experience this for the first time in five years. That! Im looking forward to it! As Alfeil raised the corner of his mouth at Miras words, an icy mist began to cover his sword as if in response to his spirit. The outside crowd gasped at the aura that Alfeil was giving off, but they also remembered a similar omen coming from Miras confidently haughty gesture. The Dark Knight stands in front of Alfeil. Even after being hit by a painful blow, it is still not destroyed, and the magic power that pervades it finishes repairing it. When Mira held out her hand to the Dark Knight, a magic circle appeared at its feet. It enveloped the Dark Knight from the feet up and clung to every detail of it. Summoning?Mutation: Dark Lord Mira casted her spell. The change that happened was abrupt. Armor spirits. It is a general term for the spirits that reside in armor made by human hands. It can be said this is the way they Dark Knight should be used. Dark knight is an armor spirit that is created from armor of a fallen enemy. After signing the contract, Miras Dark Knight continued to pursue its essence and raison detre: destruction. As a result, its existence has taken on a more precise form. Following the change, the Dark Knights was clearly different from before, in presence and in meaning. Its black armor was tinged with darkness even in the pale light, and its helmet, armor, baskets, and shin guards were all covered with countless blades. A look that specialized only in burying enemies. It carried a great sword in each of its left and right hands, and even if it were to lost them, it would use its head, arms, legs, and all of its body to kill its enemies. This was the kind of intention that could be seen from its appearance. Although the armor was thinner since it is now specialized for attacking, the deranged appearance would probably strike fear into anyone who encountered it above all else. In fact, the spectating crowd, which had been noisy until now, was stunned speechless by the unusual presence. And Alfeil was also in awe of the leopard-turned-black knight. He knew from the Dark Knights movements that he was being held back, and therefore wished for its full power. The Dark Knights full power. Thats what he wanted. However, the power that Mira presented was far beyond his wishes. Alfeils instincts told him that the being in front of him was different. Thats why he was so excited. With his entire body furled up, Alfeil thanked God for this day. A summit that he could never reach now in front of him. It is a beacon a new goal. This is an epiphany. Alfeil suppressed his rising joy and started running. There was no need for a signal to start. For in his mind, when a weak person challenges an absolutely strong opponent, there is no need for rules. With a burst of energy, Alfeil proudly and steadily unleashed the best blow he could muster. The rigid sword that was swung down in an overzealous manner was blocked by the blade of the jet-black knight who had shifted its body while emitting a high-pitched sound. However, it was not the jet-black great sword that prevented Alfeils blows, but the blade of armor that wrapped around its hollow body. The armor of the deadly blade moved. The two hands holding the great sword are always on the offensive. It is never used for defense. It is the embodiment of the meaning of destruction. Alfeil immediately raises his sword following the trajectory predicted by the slightest movement. Instantly, a powerful impact struck his entire body. It was a storm of power that seemed to blow his arms away. Even so, Alfeil forcibly controlled his numb hands. With all his energy, he put a lot of strength into the hand holding the sword. The jet-black armor moves again. Alfeils face contorts in agony as he draws his sword in desperation in order to fight as long as possible, even if its just for a few more moments. TL Note: You might notice on how meh this translation is but English is my second language and the entire thing is translated through MTL. Regardless Ill translate anyway since no fluent translator is willing to pick up the LN after the English release announcement (Vol 1 will be out around August/September 2021). I wont have a fixed schedule on this project so expect an update from 1 week to 2 months. If youre wondering whether I will translate Volume 2 or 3 then the answer is no. Its been translated already and even though the translator purged all of his work, a quick google search can lead you to some aggregator/pirate site that rehosts the translations. Anyway, Alfeils name doesnt seem right to me but I cant find a good one. His name in Japanese is ե which literally translates to Arufeiru. Which one is better? Arefair C Allfair C Arefeil C Alfeir or is Alfeil good enough? 1: g = ɤĤ = Kid-jutsu-gu = Activation magic tool = Artifact 2: Continued Alertness is originally the word Ф or Zanshin. Its an actual term that does not have an English counterpart. It even has its own wikipedia page! Volume 4 - CH 2 As the jet-black knight was being sent back by Mira, Alfeil was lying on his back in the middle of the training square. He had been beaten to near-death, but his expression was cheerful, his shoulders rising and falling as he looked up at the skies in satisfaction. Oh That felt good. Ugh I think I lost a tooth. Ouch Hey I dont remember you telling me your name. Its Mira. I see Master Mira then. So, howd I do? Alfeil had found a new benchmark in his battle against the overwhelmingly powerful opponent, and Mira seemed to have become someone worthy of his respect. Mira was a bit taken aback by the abruptness of the question, but she didnt mind too much and bent down next to Alfeils face to offer him an Apple Smoothie1. Im sure youve got some talent, since youve been able to fight with my best for so long. However, you still need to keep on training. Alfeil received Miras words as if he were chewing on them, and then he looked up at Mira with a sideways glance and said what was bothering him the most. I see By the way, you think I still can get strong? Five years, without a single defeat. In other words, there was no one he can fight with in order to accurately measure the limits of his own strength. Hmm, Im not a swordsman. Therefore, I cannot answer that question. Well, I dare say, doesnt it depends on your effort? I have an acquaintance who is a fool just like you, and that person has slayed my Dark Lord many times. If you have a similar disposition as they do, then there is a chance for you. Once upon a time, when this world was still a game, Mira had various associate in addition to her best friends2 from the Kingdom of Arkite. One of them was a sword-user like Alfeil who loved to fight. Mira used to play against them, and she smiled somewhat nostalgically from the memory3. Defeating that thing many times over huh I wonder if I can be like that person. Alfeil chuckled as he staring far in to the sky, remembering what happened just a few minutes ago. Like I have said, it depends on your effort. Yeah youre right. Hard work is what I do best. Ill definitely surpass it one day. In the depths of Alfeils eyes, one can see the whirlwind of determination and passion. Those eyes were filled with naivety, courage and hope. He stared at her, as if he was taking a vow to the young girl. Will you take me on again then? Umu, Ill look forward to seeing your growth. Haha. Ill blow those expectations away. Alfeil smiled with satisfaction. However, the next moment he slightly lowered his gaze, hurriedly got up, sheathed the sword he was still holding, and looked up to the sky as if to hide himself about something. Hm? Something wrong? N-no, Nothing! Thank you so much for today. Im going to do some sword swinging and then Ill be on my way. And thanks for this! Suddenly, Alfeil picked up the apple smoothie and drank it with one gulp. For some reason, his cheeks had turned red. The reason for this is simple. He accidentally looked directly at Miras underwear while she was crouched next to him, but she did not notice it and only admired at Alfeil whos already itching to practice again. It seems that Alfeil, whos an idiot with a sword, is too pure-hearted towards girls. After parting ways with Alfeil at the training square, Mira hurriedly returned to the inn, before she was surrounded by the spectating crowd. The cafeteria was almost empty, but Mira sat down at the counter and ordered a cup of herbal tea and a honey tart from the owner. You came back a little later than I expected. Whats wrong? The owner turns his gaze towards Mira while pouring herbal tea into the cup. I thought he just liked magic at first, but hes a fighting addict at heart. As soon as I summoned the Dark Knight, he wanted to fight with me. Mira shrugged her shoulders lightly, but she had a happy smile on her face. Because she remembered another person she knew who was as straightforward about what they liked as Alfeil was. And that person too loved swords. Ah, I know what youre talking about. It seems that Alfeils love for magic began when his swordsmanship, who he is very confident in, failed him against mages. The owner put the herbal tea and honey tarts in front of Mira, thinking back to the story that an excited Alfeil once told him. Mira was curious about the magician who bested Alfeils swordsmanship. If his sword skills were good enough to make him confident, even from back then, then he must have been already quite proficient. Yet if that mage managed to win completely against him then that must be no ordinary magician. Well, thats a rather curious story, isnt it? Mira poked at the tart and urged the owner to continue the conversation. The owner thought for a moment and then began to speak, organizing what he had heard. I think it was about five years ago. There was a rumor that a herb gatherer who made his living gathering medicinal herbs came across a humanoid demon that he had never seen before while working in the mountains. The demon was so terrifying that the gatherer was prepared to die. But suddenly, a woman in an exotic costume with a deep slit came down from the top of the mountain and defeated the demon in the blink of an eye. According to the gatherer, it was a female Daoist with a funny accent, and the demon was burning red hot! The story goes that Alfeil fought the Daoist and was defeated. Furthermore, if he was completely defeated, one can surmise that there was a significant difference between their true strength. Surely thats no ordinary Daoist. Yes, so when he heard the rumor, he packed his bags and ran out the same day. In those days, Alfeail was always challenging those who were said to be strong to a fight. I think it was about a month later that he came back as the swordsman that the young lady had seen, a swordsman who longed to be a warrior. I wonder what kind of battle it was. The owner concluded his story and began to wash the dishes. Mira sporadically drank the herbal tea and rolled a moderately sweet honey-tart on her tongue while picturing the Daoist with whom she has much in common. The figure of one of the Nine Wisemen Meilin the Grappler4 What are you up to. Mira agonized in secret, wondering how she could catch her friend, who was an ascetic fool, flying from place to place. Then Mira changed the subject and enjoyed an idle chat with the owner. He told her that this was a village that had been established by adventurers who made their living in the Praying Child Forest. As long as the adventurers doesnt go too deep into the forest, they wont find any powerful demons, so if their skill is good enough, theyll be able to earn enough to eat. Those who want to make more money are based in a fort deep in the forest, the owner said loudly. Without counting Alfeil, his son, who is active in the fort, is the best adventurer in the village. After the light meal, she went back to her room to make plans for the morning before going to sleep. The next morning, Mira woke up slightly late. She hurriedly readied herself and managed to ate breakfast before breakfast time was over. She then bought a large amount of sweets and took off from the Hunters Village. The Praying Child Forest stretched out endlessly in the sky below. Far ahead in the clear blue sky, the sky was hazy, as if it had become one with the clouds. In the distance, Mira could see a large tree piercing through the clouds that seemed to disrupt her sense of perspective. That tree was the sacred tree. While riding the Pegasus and facing such a spectacular view, Mira was busily moving her hands under her clothes. She was in such a hurry in the morning that her bosom didnt fit properly. She struggled with the indescribable discomfort for a while, remembering what Mariana had taught her, before finally getting it right. Then, Mira was in great agony as she experienced a spectacle that no man can ever experience.5 I dont know why I was so agitated Mira is tormented by a sense of helpless emptiness. But it was only for a moment, and after confirming that her breasts were in satisfactory condition, she muttered, Well, its perfect, while being filled with an incomprehensible sense of satisfaction. For more than two hours, she continued to fly in front of the sacred tree that never seemed to get any closer, as if it kept moving away. Mira kept changing her position over and over on the Pegasus to keep the pain in her groin at bay. She started from sitting crossed legs, on her knees, then tried laying down, then laying on her back just like a dried-out futon, and finally settled on turning her body sideways and leaning against the Pegasus neck. It was well past noon, the sun was shining brightly, and she could see an open area of forest below her. Looking closer, she could see a small fort. It must be the fort where the owner of the Hunters Village said his son was. Mira was curious. She slowly approached the fort from the sky. Hm? This is surprising It was hard to tell from a distance, but as she approached, she noticed that the fort was half destroyed. The small stone forts exterior was all but ruined while the center of the fort was somehow still standing. There is a large hole in the wall that surrounds the center fort, rendering the walls function as a protection useless. The hunters fort was in such a bad state that anyone could see it. Then Mira felt something is wrong while glancing at the fort, so she moved even closer to find out what was going on. As she approached, she saw a group of what appeared to be hunters. They were gathered near a large hole in the outer wall and were seemed to be doing something. Mira wondered if it was a party that was about to leave the fort, but it doesnt look like one. Whats more, these hunters didnt have the weapons they would need for hunting. Is that a hole theyre filling? As she got closer, she found out that they were repairing the outer wall by gathering rubble and scrap wood. Looking up at the sky, she saw that it was a beautiful day for hunting. Yet these people, who hunts for a living, were busy repairing the wall. It was clearly strange. She wondered if there was some kind of emergency. With a great deal of curiosity in her heart, Mira landed right in the middle of the fort. Huh? Who the hell are you? Are you reinforcements? When the young hunter shouted in front of Mira and Pegasus, who suddenly appeared from the sky, the people around him turned around at once and looked at Mira without hesitation. Their eyes were half expectant and half curious. I am not a suspicious person. Im Mira. Im just an adventurer. After calming the intimidating Pegasus and sending it on its way, Mira pulled a cute card case out of her coat pocket. Im just an adventurer, she said, taking out and holding up her adventurers card as if it were a badge. The man who checked Miras adventurers card, especially the rank written on it, had a look of blatant disappointment on his face. Meanwhile, a display of equally exhausted faces with a look of sadness were plastered on the others. What can I say, you all seem to be in a strange situation, so I stop by. Whats going on? Just now, you said something about reinforcements? Mira asks while looking around the half-destroyed fort, the large perforated outer walls, and the hunters with bitter faces. Yeah, well The man nodded with an even more tragic expression and began to talk about the problems the fort was currently facing. According to the man, two weeks ago, demons that were not supposed to be in the Praying Child Forest started appearing around the fort at night. Rare demons that live in distant lands were scattered here and there, and at first he was happy that he could hunt and sell them at a high price. But a few days later, the situation changed drastically. That guy was something else. It seems that there was a clearly higher species among the demons that shouldnt have been there. Like adventurers, demons also had their own ranks, assigned by the guild. Hunters stationed in the fort could hunt D-rank demons alone, or C and B in a group. However, the demon that the hunters came across easily defeated while they were in a group. At that time, five of them were killed, but the others were able to escape to the fort with their lives. Yet thats when the nightmare began. For some reason, late at night, the demons became more ferocious and began attacking the fort. Fortunately, there was only one thats powerful, and it didnt seem to have the leaping power to jump over the outer walls, so it hadnt entered the fort yet. Recently, however, it has started destroying the outer wall with its overwhelming power at night. There are usually no demons that powerful in the Praying Child Forest, and the fort doesnt have anyone with the strength to match it. Moreover, this demon seemed to be watching the area around the fort, and it was impossible to escape with just running. However, it was inevitable that they would be eventually be annihilated. Thus they sent one of their own as a messenger, pining their hopes on the adventurers. Equipped with the best horse in the fort, The messenger went to the nearest village to request for reinforcements. However, the hunters expression clouded as he wondered if their companion would be able to make it in time, or if he was even able to escape the demons pursuit. After a few days of waiting for reinforcements, betting on just a sliver of hope, the outer wall was finally breached. They managed to hunker down inside the fort until the next morning comes. But as one can see, the fort was in such a state that it would be impossible to hold out for another day, much less two. So in order to buy some time, they are repairing and reinforcing the walls, using materials from the demons they have hunted. When you came down from the sky, I was expecting you to be the reinforcements With a final murmur and a wry smile, he finished his explanation. He seemed to be convinced that she was not the reinforcement promised, based on the rank displayed on Miras adventurer card and the fact that she had no knowledge about what was happening. There was no way the messenger could not have told her what happened, so the possibility that Mira was actually a reinforcement sent ahead of him completely disappeared when she didnt know anything about it. Moreover, the messenger would know that this wasnt a mere demon that some C-rank adventurer could handle alone. The hunters disappointment must have been immeasurable. But they also didnt know that Mira was far more exceptional than the reinforcements they could get from the nearby villages. Not to mention her want-to-help attitude. After listening to the situation, Mira looked around the defensive wall and the fort. While checking the damage to the wall, she decided that it would be better if it can be repaired to at least withstand one more attack. All the outer surfaces were damaged and some were on the verge of collapsing. It looked as if Miras arm strength alone would be enough to break it down. Many hunters can be seen busy repairing the wall. One man in particular caught her eye as he was assembling wood. He didnt use any nails or screws at all, but used his superb craftsmanship to interlock the processed wood to create a support inside that could withstand the impact from the outside. The workmanship was uncanny. He used what looked like a magic tool, and processed it without even touching it. And yet, they fit together perfectly and stood as supports. Mira was impressed by the mans skill, but the demon was capable of destroying a stone wall. With wood, it would be able to last them until tomorrow at best, or only tonight at worst. After circling the fort, Mira stared at the forest where a powerful demon was said to be lurking, and put her finger on the tip of her chin and thought. Im a little worried about not knowing the identity of the demon, but Im sure itll be fine. Even though she reigned at the top of the summoners, the world is still a big place. There are some people that Mira cant compete with on her own. However, considering the state of the fort, Mira thought that she could handle it. From what she gather, the unidentified demon is not powerful enough to shatter the wall with a single blow. If that is the case, it should be impossible for it to get past the Holy Knights defense. And now that she knew the current situation, Mira had no choice but to help them. It would be quicker to eliminate the demon that caused the problem. She then started to walk outside to look for it. Hey, you have a way to fly right? I want to ask for a favor with that. The young man who had just explained the situation to her stood in front of her. His face, pointed straight at her, was filled with impatience, anxiety, and a little bit of hope. Mira then stopped and stared at the young mans unusual expression before answering. Umu, Im listening. Thank you. He then explained that they have one person with serious injuries. He wanted the injured man to be sent to the Medical Guild in the Hunters Village. Medical Guild? You dont know? The young man replied in surprise. The Medical Guild is an organization to which excellent people with healing skills and magic belong. It is said to be the last resort for seriously ill or injured patients as a high price is required to receive their advanced treatment. But the results are always worth it. Moreover, if you pay a certain amount of money per month, called insurance premiums, to the guild, you can receive this expensive treatment at a discount. Since they have paid the premium, as long as he could get to the Medical Guild, he can be saved. Thats why he asked me to take the injured person using the sky route to get there as soon as possible. The system is similar to the National Health Insurance6. After listening to the whole explanation that reeks of something a former player would establish, Mira suddenly put her finger on the tip of her chin. Fumu, I see your point. Ill take care of it. But first, may I check on the condition of that person? Mira asked the young man with a mysterious look on her face, as if she had thought of something. Ah, yeah, okay. Hes not in a good shape, but hes probably still be okay to move. Even if she were to carry him, the first question is what condition the injured person is in. In some cases, they might not be able to withstand being moved. Nonetheless, its better than leaving him here, the young man thought as he led Mira on her way. TL Note: Just realized the manga cut this part entirely. I wonder if the anime will do the same too. 1: åץ륪= Appuruore = Apple Ole = Apple Smoothie: https://recipe.rakuten.co.jp/recipe/1860004264/ 2: Author uses Shiriai (֪Ϥ) while talking about the sword-person to Alfeil but uses Yujin () describing the same person while using Nakama (g) describing Miras friends inside Arkite. Essentially, Shiriai means acquaintance while Nakama means friend. Yujin lies somewhere in between the two but theres no English word equivalent for this one. Hence why I translated it as friend for Yujin and best friends for Nakama. 3: Author describe the character using gender neutral words. Basically author kept dodging the actual gender of the character and if translated literally it will be just this person or that person. Using those in English writing would result in an awkward flow so I just shortened it to them. 4: դΥᥤ= Shaku no Meirin = Meilin the Grappler. Shoaku can mean one of the following: grasping; seizing; holding; commanding; having control over. 5: Uhhh yeah its also this vague in Japanese so just use your imagination. 6: Referring to the Japanese healthcare program. Volume 4 - CH 3 Guided by the young man, Mira descended the hidden stairs inside the fort. The basement she arrived in still had a definite sense of life compared to its above-ground part, which was in a state that could be mistaken for ruins. However, the expressions of the people there were still gloomy. Theres those who were just crying and screaming, others who were pushing themselves and encouraging others. Some of them wore a determined face, while there are some who were dejected. Each person, man or woman, has their own coping methods and take on the situation. Nonetheless, they all shared a sense of resignation in the face of the looming death. Including the injured and their attendants, there were around 20 people there. Most of them didnt even react to Mira and the others coming down, only keeping their eyes down and sigh repeatedly. The fire in the basement was dim, accelerating the gloomy atmosphere and creating a depressing space just by being there. The mood is heavy. When one of the hunters raised his head, he looked at Mira with eyes of a dead man, muttered something, and hanged his head down again. Mira smiled bitterly as she looked around the basement, feeling even more depressed. Hey, old Dolan, hows Melissa? In a corner of the basement, the young man called out to an old man who was examining the injured people lined up there. Ah, Rattri1. Melissa is, well, not so good. Anyway, whats the matter? Have you finished repairing the wall? The old man, Dolan, looked back at him, his face full of fatigue. He seems have some medical knowledge since it looks like he is the one taking care of all the injured people. The walls arent up yet. More importantly, show Melissas condition to her Um, Miss Mira here. The young man, Rattri, stepped back to give his place to Mira. Inevitably, she had to step forward and face Dolan, who gave her a small bow. Quite the lovely young lady. But why are you here at such a time and in this kind of place? At the sight of Mira, Dolan smiled slightly and then his eyelids trembled with a somber expression. Simply at first glance, Dolan knew that Mira had come from outside. But once you enter the fort, its impossible to escape because the area is guarded by demons. In other words, Dolan regretted that he had involved a young girl in this kind of situation. However, his thoughts were too hasty. Listen to this. Mira came from the sky on a Pegasus. She has the means to fly, you know. The fact that he was facing death was no different for Rattri. But unlike anyone else in the room, he had hope in his eyes and his voice. Rattris words caught the attention of those who had remained in the dark until now. Weve already talked about it. Ill have Miss Mira bring Melissa out. If she can get her to the Medical Guild, Im sure shell be fine. As he said this, Rattri walked behind Dolan and squeezed the hand of a woman lying on the floor. Apparently the woman, named Melissa, was the seriously injured person he had hoped to help. Sure, that could be a good idea. But Dolan sighs painfully. Melissas condition was so bad that even a person without medical knowledge could tell at a glance. Its not just that she cant be moved, its that she wont even last another night. Well, this is beyond what I expected. Although Melissa is in a state that makes Mira wanted to look away, she crouched down beside Melissa to make sure she was still breathing. Please, send her home. If you cant make it in time a-at least get her back to her family. Still holding Melissas hand, Rattri bowed his head deeply. And then, just like that. A large man walked up next to Mira. He seemed to have injured his arm, and the cloth he was wrapped in was stained with blood. His face was pale, but his eyes still had power in them. Hey, you. I heard you have a way to fly. The man knelt down and continued, Do me a favor. According to him, Melissa had became the bait to save her friends from the demon, and had been badly injured. The deeper the wound, the more expensive and rare the healing potion needed to be. Fortunately, Dolan had one such potion, but for some reason, it had little effect on Melissa when he gave it to her. The other hunters didnt have such a luxury item, so they gathered up everyones medicines to stop the bleeding at least, but the effect was weak and Melissa was still in a serious condition. After explaining this, the man stared at the empty medicine bottles lying in the corner of the basement. The man then bowed his head, saying that he wanted to reward Melissas bravery at least, if everyone was going to die. But the expressions on the faces of those behind the man looked very complicated. And of course, there would be someone who would say what the rest were feeling. Mr. Bard. I understand how you feel, but for the sake of the woman who risked her life to protect us, wouldnt it be better to take an action that would allow many of us to survive? She has the means to fly. I think it would be best to get those of us who can move as far out of the demons range as possible before night falls. The thin man looked Melissa in the eyes and said that was the consensus of most of the hunters here, though he looked down with difficulty. The large man, Bard, glared at the hunters in the basement and swallowed his anger. You guys If they were to take a chance and carry Melissa to the nearest village, at this hour, night would fall before Mira returned. It would be wiser to choose a means that would give the other hunters a better chance of survival than Melissa, who was more than likely wont survive. Thats why Bard couldnt blame them. Fumu, the medicines effectiveness huh However, Mira is completely unconcerned with the interaction between the men, and looks down at Melissa, who continues to breathe thinly, never knowing when she will stop. What she was concerned on was what Bard had said. The deeper the wound, the more expensive the drugs needed to be. Yet the expensive drugs having little effect. The restriction was a limitation that did not exist in the game era. In the past, even cheap medicine could bring you back from the brink of death to full recovery if you used enough of it. Mira wondered if this was another change from turning the game into reality. Then she opened her item menu and checked the recovery potion she had. Fumu I just received that, didnt I? In the item box, there were nearly a thousand elixirs, both top grade and advanced. The sight of them reminded Mira of her gaming days. She remembers ordering a large amount of medicines from a friend who claimed to have mastered alchemy. The medicine was a remnant of her plan to go solo on a group-recommended quest, in other words, to take on a multitude of strong opponents by herself. Before she could execute it however, the game had become a reality. Fumu, this is worth a fortune. Smiling, Mira closed the item menu and continued to look at Melissas face. Mira had an idea about the first thing that had bothered her, the fact that the potion had no effect. The former players had the ability to look up simple information about others just by looking at them. One can not only read their names and abilities, but also their physical condition. As expected, that is the reason. However, why here When Mira saw Melissas condition in her field of vision, she was convinced that it was as she had guessed, but at the same time she had a question. Melissa was suffering from a condition called Demons Inhibition Poison2 W-what? What is it? Miras murmurings are not clear, and Rattri asks anxiously. Dolan, Bard, and the thin man who had been commenting on all held their breath. Suddenly there was silence in the basement. Looking at her appearance, she has been afflicted by Demons Inhibition Poison As the hunters looked on, Mira said what she saw and began to give a brief explanation. First of all, when a person is affected by Demons Inhibition Poison all recovery effects, including natural healing, are significantly reduced. Therefore, even high-grade healing potions have little effect. A specialized spell is required to treat it. And above all Mira concluded her explanation by saying the only thing she had concerned about. There shouldnt be any demon capable of Demons Inhibition Poison living on this continent. The Ark Continent is located far to the west of the Earth Continent where Mira and her friends are. It is a vast continent located on the west side of the strait, and is also known as the Pioneer Continent among players. As its other name suggests, it is also characterized by the large number of countries founded by players. Some of the demons living there were carriers of the Demons Inhibition Poison, and it was impossible for the Praying Child Forest to be affected by it. No way. Then what am I supposed to do? Rattris face looked lifeless and shocked, and he tightened his grip on Melissas hand as if he was praying. He wonders if the Medical Guild has an antidote for the Demons Inhibition Poison considering it is not needed in the Earth Continent. Hes not even sure if there even is a magic user there who can detoxify it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was no way out of this situation. The results of this diagnosis left Dolan speechless and Bard downcast. The thin man, who was supposed to be in a good position to help, was also unable to say anything and just stood there. There was no argument from anyone. Melissas symptoms were consistent with Miras diagnosis. Moreover, the demon in question was obviously not a native of the forest, and they did not know its biology in detail. Therefore, they cannot deny the conclusion. The fact is, they had hunted a variety of demons which came from distant lands before the appearance of the powerful demon. It wasnt surprising that it was a demon from the Ark Continent. Thats what the hunters thought. Thats why they almost gave up on the idea that there was nothing they could do to help. But then a stone was thrown in their direction. Well, you know. It is not a problem once you know the cause. In the midst of the depressing atmosphere, Mira said with great ease. In the Medical Guild, Rattri told her that they used healing magic. So Mira thought that depending on her condition, she might be able to get by with summoning magic. Thats why she came to check on her. In the first place, there was no intention of transporting the seriously injured on the Pegasus. What do you mean? Rattri looked at Mira with a feeling that was neither surprise nor confusion, but rather anger. And then, Mira deployed the rosary summoning circle in front of her. She smiled at Rattri, who looked wary, and said, Well, watch me. Then she faced the floating magic circle and opened her mouth. I Summon TheeO Healer of Pure White Summoning: Asclepius3 With that short chant, the summoning magic was casted. The magic circle that had received Miras mana shone faintly, and a white ball of light was born, from which a white snake appeared. The snake, which was about a meter long with a pure white body, wriggled its way up Miras body and wrapped itself around her arm. Its name was Asclepius. Although it was in incarnate form, it is still a reliable companion with one of the best healing abilities. Asclepius wrapped its neck around Miras arms and torso and began to examine every inch of Melissas body as she lay there. As expected of a doctor. Mira muttered a little sadly, while thinking that Asclepius was a reliable figure. After all, it immediately examine patients without worrying about finally meeting Mira for the first time in thirty years. Was that summoning magic?! An elderly hunter shouted in surprise at the sight of a white snake emerging from the magic circle. He had seen summoning in the past, before it fell into disuse. But to the young people, all the summoning techniques the older man spoke of were like glories of the past. Most of them scowled and murmured in resignation, wondering what a single snake could do. Alfeil was so happy to see us. What a shame. Mira sighs and renews her enthusiasm for improving Summonings position. Uh J-just now you said it wasnt a problem, what do you mean by that? Can you explain whats going on? A confused Ratri asks Mira, wary of Asclepius, which continues to stare at Melissa. His voice anxious yet tinged with a bit of hope. Ah, apologies4. Its a simple explanation actually. All you have to do is remove the poison and then heal her. Remove the poison wait, with that snake? Rattri looked at Asclepius with a fearful expression. Asclepius, having completed its diagnosis, turned its dull eyes towards Mira and waited for further instructions. Im a reliable doctor. Just leave it to me.5 As soon as she said that, Mira pointed Asclepius wrapped arms at Melissa and instructed her to start the treatment. As soon as she did, Asclepius glowed white, and in the next moment it was biting Melissas neck. Hey! Rattri shouted, reaching out with his hand but Dolan immediately grabbed it. Not only Rattri, but Bard and the hunters who had been watching began to make a fuss. After all, it looks nowhere near like what a doctor would do. I thought you wanted to help!! As the youths, who on the verge of getting violent, raised their voices, Dolan pushed back Rattris hand and shouted in disapproval at the crowd. His voice echoed throughout the basement, slowly quieting down the younger hunters. When the youths quieted down slightly, the older hunters admonish and further calmed them down by telling them that everything is fine. Even though they were old, they were still active and experienced hunters. The younger crowd slowly fell further into silent, and the older ones looked at both Melissa and Mira with a mysterious expression on their faces. Seconds passed, then dozens of seconds, before the basement became deathly quiet. As everyone watched with bated breath, a change occurred at the three minute mark. Melissas breathing, which had been rough and painful until now, became calmer, and her expression began to relax. Melissa Rattri touched Melissas cheek, which had regained a little color. He said her name with a voice full of hope. After a few more minutes, Asclepius pulled its fangs out of Melissas neck and returned to Miras arms. Youve done well. As soon as Mira said this, Asclepius jumped from Miras arms and wrapped around her neck like a collar. Then it slides its head against Miras cheek. O-oh looks like Ive caused you to be worried. Hah Dont worry, Im not going away again. Mira said as she gently stroked Asclepius body with her hand. Asclepius responded happily with a squeaky hissing. While Mira played with Asclepius, the restless hunters looked anxiously at the sleeping Melissa. They wondered if she was really okay, if it what Mira did was just a treatment, and if they could trust her. A variety of emotions mixed together made the crowd feel uneasy. Thats when it happened. Melissa, who had been injured so badly that she might not even see tomorrow, opened her eyes and woke up with a start. Melissa! A-are you okay? With confusion and worry plastered on his face, Rattri put his hand on Melissas shoulder to support her body. The hunters who had gathered around her also leaned forward and looked at her with both anticipation and anxiety. Most of them were still skeptical. Somehow the pain seems to have mysteriously disappeared This means that Im finally going to On the verge of death, you will be freed from all suffering. That was the teachings of the Three Divine Religions that are widely spread throughout the Earth Continent. Perhaps Melissa remembered it as she muttered the teaching helplessly and stared at the ceiling with distant eyes. Then she slowly laid her body down again and closed her eyes. W-wha, whats going on? Ratri asked Mira in a shaky voice, as if he was about to cry. The image of Melissa on the verge of death was still stuck in his mind, and the despair he had once felt still lingered in his chest. The fact that she was using summoning magic to heal her probably compounded that fear. It shouldnt be a problemif anything, you can take off the bandages and check the wound. At first glance, Melissa looked really weak and fragile, as her vitality had been restored but her strength still hasnt recovered. Mira, judging that this was probably what he was worried about, said its better for him to check and pointed to the bloodied bandage on her arm. Ratri gave a small nod in response to Miras words, and untied the bandage on Melissas arm as everyone gasped. Amazing, the wounds are gone! The now uncovered skin is clean, even the marks had miraculously disappeared. The only evidence of the injury was a horrible bloodstain that made Mira wanted to turn away. Rattri simply let out a sigh of admiration as he untied the bandages on the other parts of the body and confirmed that there was no more wound. His astonishment was replaced by a look of joy. Perhaps roused by this, the other hunters rushed to take a peek at Melissas exposed body. They confirmed that there was not even a scar on the body, which had been too painful to look at directly, but only red bloodstains. And then, in the next moment. Guys! What are you looking at?! With a shout, the women kicked the crowd of men to the ground. Melissa had been stripped nearly naked by Rattris hands. He must have been so happy that he was crying with her bandages clenched. The women didnt seem to be able to kick him away with the other men, so they just patted him on the back and said, Good for you, with a sigh. As for the men, they got up without any trouble, as expected of hunters, and they were very happy that Melissa was safe. Miras shoulders relaxed as she looked at them. She was looking directly at Melissas naked body when she heard the angry voices of the women, and she reacted instinctively at the shouts. Everythings fine. Im a cute girl. Theres no reason to blame me! After reassessing herself objectively, Mira said, I think youll be fine, and touched Melissas body palpably. I dont know whats going on, but that snake did something that saved Melissas life, didnt it? Wiping his eyes messily with his arm, Rattri approached Mira with swollen, crying eyes. He wanted assurances that Melissa was safe. Mira pulled her hand back and straightened up, coughed a little, and then explained Melissas condition. Umu. Dont worry anymore. Asclepius has the power to heal, but weve only detoxified and treated her wounds. The blood and strength she had lost will remain. Feed her well, let her sleep, and her body should do the rest. I see, shes all right now. I didnt know that summoning magic could also heal. Thank you so much. for saving my best friend. After staring at Mira and Asclepius whos wrapped around her arm, Rattri bowed deeply. He finally collapsed in relief, as if all of his worries are gone, and grabbed Melissas hand, repeating, Im glad. Im glad, as if hes talking in his sleep. Beside him, Melissa was breathing in her sleep, looking very comfortable. The sacred white snake, Asclepius. Ive never seen it before, but youve showed more than what Ive heard. Summoners are still alive and well, arent they? Dolan bowed to Mira and the others and smiled happily. It seems that there is a big difference in the perception of summoning between young people who didnt know the past and the older people who do. This time, however, she was able to change that perception. Naturally. Now that Im here, the art of Summoning is safe! In addition to saving the young womans life, she also made the power of summoning known. After checking the reaction of those around her, she stood up and declared with immense confidence, bordering on arrogance, that she was sure of Summonings revival. As long as we can count on you. Dolan smiled and muttered in reaction while the rest laughed and cheered her on. TL note: I just realized this part doesnt exist in the WN and in the Manga. 1: ɥ=Doran=Dolan, ȥ꤫=Ratori=Rattri, å=Merissa=Melissa, Хɤ=Barudo=Bard 2: ħ趾 = Ma Zu Doku = Demon/Evil/Witch; Thwart/Impede/Prevent; Poison/Toxic/Toxicity = Demons Inhibition Poison 3: ԥ = Asukurepiosu = Asclepius 4: Mira uses Suman, which is more formal than Gomenasai but less formal than Sumimasen. Reference here 5: Mira slightly broke character here. She goes completely informal in this sentence and uses Ore to refer to herself. Ore is the more masculine version of watashi and in fiction usually only used by young men. Volume 4 - CH 4 All thats left is the demon. The basement, which had been abuzz celebrating Melissas miraculous recovery, was suddenly enveloped in a depressing silence. It was understandable. Melissa had indeed been saved, but even then, the unavoidable death would come and strike again at night. According to Rattri, the demon that was the source of this problem is still watching the fort and stalking at its prey, the hunters. As far as they could see, there was only a small amount of food left in the fort. In order to procure more food, they would have to leave the fort, which means risking facing the demon. But more than anything else, the fort itself was already at its limit in terms of durability. It was unlikely to be able to withstand a siege. In other words, it would be difficult to buy enough time to wait for reinforcements. In the first place, it was unclear whether those who had gone to inform the others had been able to shake off the demon and reached the village safely. From what I have heard, some of you have been keeping an eye on demon. Do you not know where it is? Miras carefree voice echoed in the quiet room. But there was little response. The hunters who had awakened from their dreams were vividly recalling the horrors of the demon, and were trembling at the death that peeked through. At this hour, it should be circling the surrounding forest. It was Dolan who answered. He asked a female hunter to wipe Melissas body, then reached for his bow and arrows on the wall. Youre going, arent you? Then you can use this old bone as a shield, a decoy, or any way you want. With that, Dolan stood up firmly. From Miras eyes, words and actions, he seemed to have guessed what she was going to do next. It was hard to tell from the way he was sitting, but he was almost two meters tall. Ill give you a hand. Me too. Dolan was followed by a group of older hunters. The two were not as big as Dolan, but their determination in their eyes was as equal as Dolan. They lined up in front of Mira, swords and axes in hand. Excellent. You think we can win? Mira looked up at Dolan and the others. She lifts her mouth open, and said something she didnt truly mean. She wasnt intending to test their resolve. I see an opportunity to win, so Im taking it. Its how I managed to get this old. After such a display of summoning skills, I see no reason not to stand up. If you dont rise to the occasion, you cant really call yourselves hunters. The three turned around and looked at the young hunters in silence as they answered her question out loud. Their reply were also intended to let the rest know of their intentions as the elders of the group. These strong people are about to take on an opponent that they could not defeat on their own. Can we find a chance to win in this? Is there nothing we can do against them? Or should we abandon our pride and just let them go? As hunters, are we willing to remain as prey? Thats what Dolan and the others were saying. I dont mind this kind of manly development. As for Mira, she honestly thought that one person would be more than enough. But when Dolan came forward, she abandoned that idea. Rather, she noticed what the trio were doing. They were trying to solve all of the problems in one go. The hunters in the fort were currently trembling in fear of the demon. If Mira were to remove the source of the problem, they would naturally be happy that their lives had been saved. But it would leave a bad taste her mouth. For the future of the hunters, Mira realized that the first priority should be to help them overcome their fears, rather than showing them the power of summoning. To regain ones confidence. It is very important for those whose lives were continuously filled with fighting. The opportunity to regain it was presented by Dolan and the others. All they had to do was muster up a little bit of courage. Wait a minute! Melissa is already saved. Instead of trying to fight a battle where the odds are against us, wouldnt it be better to have each of us carried one by one out of the demons detection range? The thin man interrupted the hunters and reiterated his recommendation as the most certain way to survive. His choice would not be a mistake. If you die, everything is over. But unfortunately, his suggestions were coming from his limited understanding of summoning. He didnt see a chance to win even with Mira. This same consensus was unfortunately common among the younger hunters. Its not that we dont have a chance. Youve seen her summoning, havent you? If there was chanting, it means its advanced magic. Dolan said, somewhat admonishingly. Her summoning magic. In other words, if you can handle an advanced summoning like Asclepius, then you should be able to handle combat as well. Thats right, I saw it. But no matter how good the healers are, a mere scratch from that demons attack will result in serious injury, and a direct hit will kill you instantly. Its not an opponent you can take lightly. But the thin man could not understand. The reason for this was that he only have basic knowledge on how magic works, including summoning. It is common knowledge that advanced magic require a certain amount of strength to master. There are some exceptions to this, but unfortunately, this does not apply to summoning. Real summoning magic is not like that. Isnt that right, Mira? Of course not. resourcefulness is the essence of summoning. In response to Dolans words, Mira exaggeratedly puff her chest out a little and smiled proudly. Mira thought she was expressing her dignity to the best of her ability. However, to the younger hunters, she looked like a young girl who just wanted to be taller. Dolan and the others couldnt help but laugh at her cute and unreliable appearance. Yet, their trust in her never wavered. Nevertheless, the young hunters feelings on the matter began to lean more towards the thin mans words. Thats when it happened. Im going. With Melissa at his back, Rattri stood up, said with a strong will in his eyes, and stepped up next to Dolan. There was only one thing in his heart. It was determination. Hey, we just saved Melissas life. And we have a way out. Then we dont have to fight or stay here anymore. The thin man closed in on Rattri and told him that running away was the best way to survive. If he fought the demon recklessly and Mira died, he would be killed. If Mira were to die, the escape window through the sky would be completely cut off.. He had to avoid that at all costs. Thats why the thin man is desperate. But Rattri never agreed. She is the one who saved Melissas life. Thats why, if Mira-san wants to do this, Ill go with her. If it comes to it, Ill buy you some time. She has a way to fly. Eventually, Mira will come back here, right? Then you guys can meet up with her and escape far away. So dont worry. I will not let Mira die, no matter what, even if it means sacrificing myself. Thats what Rattri said with determination. Hearing those words and the strong will in Rattris eyes, the thin man caved to pressure and choked. Besides, we have a shot at winning. Its not like I want to die either. As if to dispel the heavy mood, Rattri laughed it off. To be honest, I dont know much about summoning either, but I hear its pretty amazing. Ive been told by a friend of mine whos stronger than me now. Ive heard that advanced magicians are generally very strong, regardless of the type of magic. So, Mira-san must be quite good. He said his reasoning. His words then spread like a ripple among the crowd. First, they thought of the friend Rattri had mentioned. Even though he is young, Rattri is the best hunter in this fort. There was only one person in their memory who could surpass Rattri. The fact that he was so tough added to the common perception that a magicians strength could not be measured by their appearance. As a result, the young hunters finally saw the light. Is it possible that we can win? The thin man, who had been obsessed with escaping, asked Mira, his face regaining a little of its wariness. At the same time, the murmuring among the crowd stopped and their ears and eyes turned straight to Mira. That will depend on the effort you put in. Mira answered the youths question, and immediately summoned a Holy Knight next to her. Then she turned to the crowd. Ill use my summoning magic to guard against the demons attacks. As you can see, this one specializes in defense. Whether you can defeat the demon or not depends on your attacks. What do you think? Whos brave enough to try the knight? Mira touched the white knights towering shield and looked around at the young hunters as if to provoke them. This, of course, was just talk. The Holy Knight has a reasonable amount of attack power, even if it is not as strong as the Dark Knight, who specializes in attack. There is no opponent that Miras Holy Knight cant easily deal with. But the goal is for the hunters to regain confidence in their hands. If Mira goes all out, she wont be able to achieve that. Thats why Mira chose to act as a shield. It has a larger frame than Dolan, a fine armor, and above all, a huge shield. The white knights appearance, which specialized in the use of a shield, instilled courage in the young people, just as she had hoped. Ill try. I can see our chance now. Im a hunter, too. No way Ill miss this fight. Fear was still smoldering in the back of their minds. But by nature, young people holds great hope. Now a small spark of courage has been ignited. Starting with the two of them, one after another, young hunters began to come forward. The basement suddenly became lively as they rushed to check and ready their equipment. As for those who needed medical treatment, Asclepius was healing them one by one. Mmm, the youths should be like this. Mira looked around at them, and sat down with a thud. You have my gratitude.1 Dolan said in a quiet voice as he sat down next to Mira, who smiled at him. The two older hunters who were standing next to him bowed their heads in appreciation as well. At first, Dolan thought that he could use himself as a decoy to create an opening for an all-out attack. He thought that Mira, with her advanced summoning skills, would be able to inflict a substantial, if not fatal, wound on the demon if there was an opening. This would increase the chances of the youngsters attacks reaching them. The two older hunters who came forward afterwards seemed to have a similar idea. If once doesnt work, two or three times will. But when the three of them saw the Holy Knight, they realized that Mira was more overwhelmingly powerful than they had expected. At the same time, they also understood that she had sensed their goal of inspiring the young hunters. The gratitude given by Dolan and the others included such a meaning. Well now, I wonder what you are talking about. Mira, on the other hand, shrugs lightly and tilted her head. For Mira, it wasnt that she understood the feelings held by Dolan and the older hunters, but that she was made aware of them. It is not wrong to protect and help the weak because of ones strength. However, it is also important to let them stand firm on the ground and walk on their own. If we only protect them, the young shoots will not grow into great trees. However, if we make a mistake and the tree breaks, they will become useless. It is a difficult dilemma, but also a necessary one. And that, Mira thought, was a conclusion that could only be reached through years of valuable experience. Sure enough, the way they live, which cannot be imitated by mere pretense, is very cool. Feeling that way, Mira carved their spirits into her heart. While the basement was bustling with preparations for battle, a group of people stopped in front of Dolan and his team. Hey, is it true that were going to fight that demon? The man who said this to Dolan seemed to be one of the men who was repairing the exterior wall. Someone must have called out to him. Dolan looked at him and saw that everyone who were outside was present. Ah, yes its true. Dolan nodded ostentatiously and looked straight at the men. In the depths of his eyes, there was a certain determination that made the men gasp as if they were under pressure. But, but, but, you cant do that. Were repairing the wall because we knew the odds aint good. We all agreed to hold out and wait for backup. Thats what we all decided, right? The man stammered slightly, but still spoke his mind. They were in a critical moment, so it is natural to be cautious. What if I told you that the odds were with us? Would you fight? After glancing at Mira and the white knight standing beside her, Dolan asked the men. Ive heard the stories. That white guys your best bet, yeah? But I dont know. I aint know much bout summoning, and it sure looks awesome. But, you know, thats not something you can handle with some skill. The Holy Knight was so intimidating that it was obviously overwhelming everyone present. Just standing there was enough to make you feel pressured. The men felt it for sure. And a feeling of winning was also shining in their hearts. However, the fear of facing a demon overshadowed it. As a result, they were unable to take the first step. They are not cowards. If they were sure of their chances, they would pick up their weapons. Even if they didnt, they would at least show their determination in the end. However, the reason they couldnt do so was that the threat posed by the demon was that great. Not to mention the nightly raids where they were being hunted down. Dolan and the others had been able to raise the young hunters courage and inspire them with their words, but this time they lacked the right ingredients. One more push was not enough. Then, a man stepped out. He was wearing a leather apron, gloves, and black work clothes. He looked like a craftsman, but his face was neat, with a hint of innocence. He was the craftsman who was assembling wood with superb craftsmanship. The craftsman looked up at the Holy Knight, then lowered his gaze and stared at Mira, then said as if its a fact, I think its okay to bet on her. Well, Im not of a fighter myself, so Ill leave it to everyone. Is that so? Hmmm. If Tomoki says so, it means shes pretty good. The craftsman called Tomoki seemed to have a lot of trust placed in him, and his words seemed to be the catalyst that ignited the mens will to fight. What did the craftsman really base his decision on? When Mira thought about this, she suddenly noticed his name. It was a very Japanese name, Tomoki. Mira looked at Tomoki as the mens spirits came to life. Just then, her eyes met his, and she was convinced that she was right. Tomoki walked up to Mira, and whispered in her ear, Youre a former player, right? Can I let you handle it? He smiled then winked suggestively at her. If it were a normal girl, her cheeks would have turned red. But it was Mira, who confidently lifted the edge of her mouth and said, Ma~ Leave it to me.2 Tomoki was a former player. He quickly realize that Mira was from Japan just like him, and guessed her skills. In the old days when this world is still a game, there was no real death for players. Thats why they can fight reckless battles over and over again. As a result, players easily stepped into areas that ordinary people of this world could not easily reach. In other words, combat players are generally strong. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages, but Tomoki judged that former players are good enough to handle this. If he doesnt defeat them himself, that means hes specialized in production.3 At the same time, Mira also made a guess about Tomoki. If he is an ex-player, then his woodworking skills are on a superhuman level. In the game era, there were those who were more passionate about making things rather than fighting, such as blacksmithing, woodworking, and carving. They are called production specialists, and they vary from one person to the next, but they generally have minimal combat skills. Some of them are unfortunately not very good at it. However, this is not to say that they are completely useless. Some people can create products that are comparable to legendary status. As a side note, the ornaments that Mira entrusted to Cleos to train his successors are also the work of players who specialized in such production. Based on these facts, she could imagine that Tomoki is a great woodworker. And the fact that the men believed his words even though he said he was not good at fighting, which was not his field, meant that his experience and skills surpassed his strength. A first-class craftsman is also a first-class at judging character. A few moments later, the hunters who had finished their preparations lined up in front of Mira and the others. And when the last one lined up, the war council began. However, the meeting didnt discuss anything complex. Where to set up the battlefield and how to move in formation to get there. What to do in case of emergency. How to divide the roles of the different weapons in our hands. The contents were basic, but necessary. When the meeting was over, Mira gave a piece of advice. I will definitely protect you no matter what the situation is. So dont run behind the white knight. This battle is to regain the dignity of you hunters, and thus it is important for you all to confront the demons. The hunters responded to Miras words with a strong nod of approval. Tomoki, who is not a combatant, took on the role of watching over Melissa and remained in the fort. Rattri bowed his head to Tomoki and said, Please take care of her. Finally, Dolan and the other older members of the group issued a proclamation to the young people, and their spirited voices echoed so loudly that the basement trembled. Finally, the hunters ran out of the fortress with colors in their eyes that were the opposite of what Mira had seen when she first came. So we got some more world building about the crafting classes which surprisingly isnt in the WN nor the manga. Hopefully the anime doesnt cut this part out. TL Note: 1: Dzx = Kidzukai, kansha suru = Formal version of thank you 2: ޤΤƤ = `M, makasete oke. I kept the Ma part because its cute 3: b = Seisan = production; manufacture. So yes, the author went out of its way to point that its not your typical crafting class and more to general production. Think infrastructure, vehicles, industries and more, not just weapons and armor. Anyway, been real busy for the last 3 months with IRL stuff so sorry for the wait. That being said, if anyone whos actually fluent in Japanese and want to translate this just ask me since my translation schedule is not fixed. Otherwise, Ill see you next chapter whenever that will be. Volume 4 - CH 5 Keep going straight. You never know when itll notice. Lets hurry. Rattri said, looking back. A few minutes after leaving the fort, Mira and the rest were running towards an open square a little further away. The most suitable terrain for group combat in the vicinity is an open space. In a normal hunt with a small party, the basic idea would be to hide between the trees and set traps in the forest. However, they were going head-to-head with a single demon. With a large party of about thirty people, it is impossible to deploy that many people in a forest with poor visibility. Thats why Mira and the team chose to wait in the open field, where it would be easier to coordinate. According to the hunters, the demon was watching the fort and would surely come after them once they left. In other words, they could reach the square before it caught up with the group. So, if they could get to the square before it caught up with them, all they had to do was to be ready and wait for it to arrive. At the head of the group was Rattri, followed by two older hunters. The younger hunters followed, with Dolan and Mira behind them, and a little further back, the Holy Knight. This is because if they were to be attacked, it will most likely came from the rear. Fumu, not even a single little bird. Ever since they left the fort, Mira had been searching her surroundings with Life Sensing. However, she could not even detect a single small animal, let alone the demon itself. It must be because the demon lurking here is powerful. They all ran away. Dolan replied to Miras muttering. Despite the fact that they are moving at a considerable speed, he is not breathing heavily. Its amazing how strong he is, even though he looks to be well over sixty. I see. The area around the fort seems to have already became the demons territory. However, it was rather convenient for Mira as she did not need to pay too much attention on her skill. And so the group proceeded through the eerily quiet forest. The hunters seemed to be accustomed to the forest, and they ran through it with surprising speed, not caring about the poor footholds. At the same time, they did not neglect to keep an eye on their surroundings. Although they were young, the hunters seemed to be very skilled. As for Mira, she was not as familiar with the forest as they were, so she quickly used her Daoist skill, Sky Striding, to run in the sky rather than on the forest ground. A young hunter in the back row glanced back at her and looked up with surprise and interest. It seems that Mira is not aware of what happens when she goes higher than normal eye level in a short skirt. At the back of the line, the white knight was forcing its way straight ahead, kicking up branches and leaves as it stepped on the ground. The broken dead trees and branches scattered with a loud noise. Even though it was on their side, the power they saw when they looked back at the knight was tremendous. Mira never realized that it was spurring the hunters legs to move even faster. The white knights action was very conspicuous, but of course, it was done intentionally. The fact that they left the fort would be noticed sooner or later. If the Holy Knight is the first to draw the attention of the demon, the hunters who are a little further away can continue to move safely. As they were halfway to the square, the time had finally come. A demons roar rang out. It was very violent, as it were trying to assert its existence. At the same time, a few people cowered, stopped at their feet and trembled, as if the fear deep in their hearts had kicked in. Dolan and the rest of the older group patted them on the back, encouraging them to keep going. The roar was repeated over and over again and was steadily approaching Mira and the others. And finally, Mira catches a response from her skill. Ill hold it off here for now. You should go ahead and take your positions. With that, Mira fluttered down from midair and walked towards the demon, receiving the approval of the hunters on her back. Dolan hesitated slightly as to whether he should stay or not, but after looking at the Miras imposing back, he immediately turned on his heel and drove the young hunters away. Based on his years of experience, he seemed to have decided that it was not necessary. Mira stood next to the white knight and stared deep into the forest. From afar, the demon was approaching. It flies wildly, at a speed that a human on foot would certainly not be able to escape. The treetops sway, the earth trembles, and unconcealed hostility closes in. The light that slipped through the gaps in the sky, and the airless wind blew fluently through. The quiet forest, devoid of living things, was soon enveloped in the violence and roar of a storm. With a deafening roar, the demon revealed itself, and at the same time, the white knights tower shield caught its huge body. A dull echo and a violent shudder. It was certainly powerful enough to bring down the outer walls of the fort. However, the white knight summoned by Mira was able to withstand all of it completely. And perhaps alarmed by this fact, the demon quickly jumped back. Thus, both of them were facing each other at a distance outside of each others range. This guy. I see. Tyrant Spike-back.1 Two thick, black arms. The two arms are thick and black, and the muscles are so prominent that they can be seen even through the hair on its body. Log-like legs, and the most distinctive feature of all, its spiked back. Mira was familiar with this huge figure, which resembled a gorilla towering at three meters tall. Tyrant Spike-back. As expected, it was the name of a high grade demon that possessed the Demons Inhibition Poison skill whose habitat resides in the Ark Continent. The situation changed immediately. The demon quickly closed the gap between them in the blink of an eye, showcasing its power as a high grade demon. Then Tyrant Spike-back suddenly turned around and slammed its body down towards the knight with its spiky back in front of it. It slammed into the tower shield with the destructive power of a siege weapon. At the same time, the air was shaken by a more violent and powerful impact sound than before, like an explosion. Such power will be more than enough to instantly reduce a crumbling fort into nothing more than a rubble. But for Mira, it was nothing to be alarmed about. The armor of the Holy Knight, which specializes in defense, is not something that can be easily penetrated by even high grade demons. She was not worried about the fight. But rather, Mira was curious about the reason why the Tyrant Spike-back was in the Praying Child Forest. It was something that she had expected, but when she actually saw it, she couldnt help but think that the situation was strange. Even during the game era, this world had a magnificent ecosystem. The distribution of demons was one of them and the world of Ark Earth Online was a well-balanced combination of these elements. Now that the game world has become a reality, various changes are occurring in the world, which include the world becoming more realistic. In other words, the collapse of the ecosystem, which can be called the natural order of things, is abnormal, and the existence of this demon that is causing it is bizarre. Tyrant, as the name implies, will reign over the ecosystem of the Praying Child Forest, and it will greatly upset the balance of it. Its elimination is essential. Come to think of it, I also saw a Blizzard Eagle the other day. According to the hunters, a variety of other demons have also appeared. I wonder what is going on. While Mira was thinking about all of this, she was steadily drawing in the demon. Deep in the forest, the hunters continued to move forward. While it is hard to see them, Mira has her Life Sensing skill which allows her to track their movement. She followed them while preventing the demons from attacking. Those are some crazy-loud sounds. You sure shes okay? When the Holy Knight blocked the Tyrant Spike-backs blow, a roaring sound echoed, and one of the hunters turned around anxiously, muttering the question. A dozen or so of them followed suit, turning their heads to look back the way they came, following the source of the sounds. A few moments later, an even louder sound shook the forest, and at the same time, the hunters who had been looking behind them turned their faces in fear. As if to push them to move even faster, the sound of shock and destruction was repeated one after another. Even though their feet did not stop, they were getting heavier and heavier. Then, Dolan raised his voice. Do you hear that sound? Theyre still fighting! In other words, the white knight did not fall and continued to prevent the attack as planned. Thats very encouraging! Keep moving! Were almost there! If the battle was over, the sound would naturally cease. But the sound was still echoing at a distance, not far away. Mira and the knight were still fighting. If it caught up with them before they reached the square, the Holy Knight would buy them time until everyone was in position. Dolans words made the young hunters aware of this, and they gathered their hearts and strength into their legs and moved forward at once. After a while, they finally arrived at their destination. Looks like they are ready. The hunters who were advancing in two rows spread out in a circle. Mira, who confirmed it with her Life Sensing, measures the time and began a big retreat towards the location. Following that, the Holy Knight also turned on its heels, and rushed toward the depths of the forest while daringly kicking the branches and leaves. Perhaps watching their figures fleeing, The Tyrant Spike-back roared as if to show off its presence, and furiously chase after them. Suddenly, the forest opens up. The sun was shining brightly on a circular grassland, which was roughly 30 meters in diameter. Mira, who was running in midair, put her foot down in the center of the circle, followed by the Holy Knight which also stopped and looked back. A moment later, the tower shield of the white knight caught the arm of the demon that had swung out, and a hard, high-pitched sound spread like ripples throughout the square. Well then, its time for the real deal. Leaving the Holy Knight in place, Mira stepped back. At the same time, the hunters who had been waiting at the outer edge of the square rushed out at once and surrounded the Tyrant Spike-back. The next step is for the hunters to use the Holy Knight as a shield in a mass battle. Mira herself had nothing to do after this. The only thing she has to do is to put Asclepius on standby just in case. The Tyrant Spike-back retreated and took it time while looking straight at the white knight. The hunters in the back of the line also moved backwards to match. The white knight did not move from its spot, but kept its tower shield at the ready. When the demon glanced at the hunters, their bodies became tense and several of them slightly shrink back. The white knight did not move. As the demon glared at the hunters, there was a small scream and a few more people shook their legs. Still, the white knight did not move. The Tyrant Spike Back looked at the white knight who didnt move the slightest, and then as if to show off, it slammed the ground hard with both arms and roared wildly. It instantly revived the fear inside the hunters. More than a dozen of them slumped down and dropped their weapons at the same time. Their faces were covered with fear. That was unavoidable. The fear that has accumulated over time cannot be overcome immediately by some motivational speech. The Tyrant Spike-back, its face twisted with pleasure, looked down with amusement at how easily the formation had fallen apart. It stepped in with a single breath and swung its mighty arm down at a slumped female hunter. The woman lets out an inaudible scream. It was right after that, the white knights tower shield, a massive piece of metal, struck the face of the demon. The crash sounded dull. At the same time, the Tyrant Spike-back turned his head and stomped on the ground. The womans eyes widened in the face of the spectacular scene. Dolan smiles confidently. And Rattri said, That was fast! He was astonished, not by the hardness or strength, but by the speed of the white knights step, which closed the distance in an instant. Dont be afraid! I told you it will protect you! Mira scolded the hunters, who looked stunned. It is true that if they made a mistake, they will never recover. But with Mira present, the failure itself is all but swept under the rug. Youve seen it! This is what real summoning is all about. Theres no need to worry. Take up your weapons! Dolan shouted again, urging them on. The two older men and Rattri continued to raise their weapons at the demons. Then one by one, they stood up, weapons in hand, and summoned their courage to confront their symbol of fear. The Tyrant Spike-back, who had adjusted its stance, looked warily at the front. The white knight stood there, unperturbed, again showing no sign of movement. The Tyrant Spike-back glared sharply at the hunters around him, then slammed his arms repeatedly and gave a menacing yell. And right after that, the hunters also shouted, cancelling its roar. Then, from the demons blind spots, full powered blows were unleashed. Swords, axes, spears, and arrows pierced the Tyrants body with definite wounds. At that moment, a high-pitched roar came from it. It wasnt a show of power like the previous ones. It was simply an outburst of emotion, a roar of rage. The Tyrant Spike-back swung its thick arms in anger. But it didnt even hit the hunters who had already prepared for it, thus it was dragged down by inertia and lost its stance. There was no hunter who would miss this opportunity. They stepped in at once and imprinted their unyielding will on the huge body of the demon. It was far from a fatal wound. The Tyrant Spike-backs skin is thick and hard. If it werent for Miras assistance, it would be a very formidable opponent. However, their faces were unclouded and they kept looking forward. It must be very unhappy with the fact that the people it had been hunting down was now fighting back. The demon turned to the hunters and attacked them. However, it was stopped by a blow from the white knight again. The Tyrant Spike-back immediately regained its footing, roared in annoyance and lashed out at the white knight. But it was also blocked by the strong tower shield. If it directed its anger at the hunters, the knight would stop it. Perhaps understanding this, the demon set its sights on the white knight who was in the way. Fumu~, looks like it went well. Mira watches the battle from a distance. One thing she ordered the Holy Knight to do was to lightly hit the enemy to get its attention when it shifted its aim. As per her plan, the demon could no longer ignore the presence of the white knight, so its blind spot would naturally increased. As a result, a sequence of attacks was executed without missing a beat. One would think that it is cowardly to win with the help of a much stronger ally. That feeling persisted in the hunters heart, yet they still wanted to win. Whether it was an act of cowardice or not, they understood that this was a chance to overcome their fear and be able to move forward again. Therefore, there was no hesitation in anyones eyes, and they began to regain their normal movements. However, the opponent was still a high-grade demon. It will not be an easy task, and some of them began to left the front line and retreated. T-thanks. Thank you for the help. The man who stepped back had broke one of his arms. He thanked the white snake that had wrapped around his arm, and as soon as he regained feeling in his arm, he returned to the front line with his weapon in hand. Asclepius crawled around the battlefield, treating the wounded like a medic. It takes time, yet highly effective. The snake also became a source of moral support for the hunters. Two hours had passed since the battle between the hunters and the Tyrant Spike-back had begun. The fatigue on the faces of the hunters was visible even from a distance, and as many as half of them had left the front line to wait for healing. Even so, there was not the slightest hint of resignation in their eyes. Thats good, thats good! Its definitely working! There was the Holy Knight, who prevented any fatalities, the older group, who constantly inspired and supported the entire group, and Rattri, who inflicted more than a few minor wounds with his brilliant blows. These actions motivate the young hunters over and over again. In contrast, the Tyrant Spike-back is slowing down. The attacks inflicted by the hunters are minor, only tearing the surface of its skin. However, when the number of attacks reaches hundreds or thousands, the blood that drips from those wounds will not be negligible. The next thing the demon knew, there was a huge amount of blood on the grass near its feet. Its breathing became more ragged and violent than the hunters. Even so, the power of the Tyrant Spike-back was still intact, and its powerful arm, swung carelessly, easily gouged the earth and sent soil flying up. Immediately afterwards, the situation began to change dramatically. The earth and sand poured down on the white knight as if to cover its vision, and at the same time, the demon leaped high into the sky. Then, it clasped its hands and swung its arms like an iron hammer. It was a blow with all its might. It passed through the protection of the tower shield and completely caught the white knights head. No matter how strong a warrior it is, there is no way it can survive such an impact to the head. The Tyrant Spike-back knew this from the battle and howled, confident that it had won. But its voice instantly faded away. Its eyes met those of the white knight who was still alive and well. The Holy Knight is a spirit of armor. Naturally, it has no human weaknesses. And then Rattri, seeing the opportunity, closed the distance in the blink of an eye and intervened between the white knight and the demon. From that spot, he could see the throat, which he had always been unable to get a clear shot at during the battle. Doryaaaa!! Rattri grabbed his sword with both hands, and with a burst of energy, he thrust the tip of his sword into the demons throat. Blood flowed down from the hilt of the sword, and the demons huge body tilted unsteadily. Everyone stopped moving, and the grasslands surrounded by the forest instantly regained their tranquility. Rattris blow was sure to pierce the vital point. It was, by all accounts, a fatal wound. But then, the demons arm moved, and in an instant, Rattris body flew through the air. Rattri!! One of the hunters shouted, and everyone rushed towards Rattri at the same time. But it was Rattri himself who stopped them in their tracks. After rolling on the ground, Rattri quickly stood up, adjusted his stance, and thrust his arms high into the sky. The Tyrant Spike-backs attempt was so feeble that there was no need for the Holy Knight to react. As Rattri declared his victory, a heavy thud sounded and the ground shook slightly. A body of a huge demon was lying on the ground. A sword was thrust at its throat, and the sight engraved victory in the hearts of everyone. The tension dissipated, as if waking from a bad dream. Instead, everyone was intoxicated with glee, and the hunters raised their battle cry in unison. Volume 4 - CH 6 Caution: Some ecchi/fanservice scenes. The hunters who had defeated the Tyrant Spike-back were on their way home in high spirits. The long hours must have taken a toll on them, but everyones faces were full of life. However, some of the people at the back of the line were shivering and smiling bitterly. For there was Mira and four white knights carrying the remains of the felled demon. As the young hunters began to prepare to take the carcass home, their hunters spirits flared up, thinking that it would be a shame to throw it away in the face of such a large catch. Then, Mira told them not to push themselves too hard, since they were tired after the fight. So the task of carrying it fall into Miras hands. As the shield, the white knight was able to prevent any attacks from the powerful demon. Yet, in the end, an additional three of them were summoned as mere carriers to the demons carcass. One cant help but laugh at the sight. But thats not quite what I heard. Who said that summoning magic is weak? Who knows. Most of us have never seen the real thing. There were many people who seemed to be rethinking how strong summoning is. As she listened to their voices, Mira smiled, knowing that she had planted the seeds for the return of summoning magic. Thank you. I think were all back on our feet. Dolan thanked Mira as he watched over the youths, who seemed to be in a somewhat excited mood, perhaps because they had been freed from the fear of imminent death. You dont need to thank me. In the first place, if they hadnt been willing to do what they did, this wouldnt have happened. The fact that they have the courage to stand up even when their heart is broken is worthy of admiration in itself. Mira said as she looked at the young hunters walking ahead of her. This is the result of them who stood up on their own feet and did not leave everything to those more powerful. I see. Youre right. Yeah, they did well. After Dolan, the two older men who were standing beside him looked at the backs of the young hunters and nodded deeply. The hunters returned triumphantly to the fort and split into two groups. One group would prepare for the victory party that Dolan had proposed, and the other group would dismantle the demon while it was still fresh. Mira, who had the white knight carry the remains, went straight to the dismantling room. A sticky fishy odor permeates the room where a dozen or so hunters began dismantling the Tyrant Spike-back, which was being processed piece by piece. Mira realized as she watched the scene, that in this realized world, she would have to actually dismantle the demon manually in order to obtain its materials. During the game era, the demons that were defeated were stored in a special box in the item box. After that, one could either use their dismantling skills to turn them into materials, or leave them with an NPC specializing in dismantling. However, in this realistic world, where various elements are intertwined, some of the skills from the game era are no longer available. First of all, you cant store defeated demons in the item box. There is no effect of Abstract Skill: Itemization1 on the defeated demons. Another thing is the dismantling skill. This is a skill that is executed from the item box menu, and it converts the corpse of the demon in the special box into materials. Thats why it cant be used. However, if it was dismantled, it would be classified as a material items such as skin, bone, or food. It was Solomons guess that if its still a corpse, it would be recognized as a living thing. Therefore Mira had the Holy Knights carry it away, and although she had the skills to dismantle it, she did not participate in the dismantling process. As expected of a hunter. Youre very familiar with the procedure. Mira was watching the dismantling with admiration. It was the first time they had ever seen the demon, but there was no hesitation in the hands of the hunters. Dolan said that they could figure out the approximate structure from its physical characteristics. It seems if they dont have a deep knowledge of demon anatomy, they cant be a hunter. But are you sure you only need the magic core? This thing is quite a big one. As they were dismantling it, Rattri suddenly turned, his expression wavering between happiness and confusion. It was the only thing that Mira, the person who had done the most work, had asked for. Its fine, its fine~. Besides, It was you all who killed it in the first place. I merely gave a small help. Anyway, wouldnt it feel more real if the corpse was left behind? Mira laughs, exhibiting dignity that did not match her appearance. The expression on her face showed a far higher level of composure and kindness that resembled melancholy. Well, I guess youre right. Thanks, for pampering us. As a matter of fact, Miras Holy Knight may have hit the demon with the tower shield to get its attention, but she didnt do anything else that looked like an attack. As Mira says, it was the hunters who killed it. But of course, no one believed that to be true. Nevertheless, this hunt is sure to bring in a lot of money. Thats why Rattri thanked her on behalf of everyone. After receiving the magic core, Mira left the bloody dismantling room and went out to the front. The sky was tinged with twilight, and the night was about to fall. A few bonfires were lit, and the place was bright and bustling with preparations for the victory party. Mira watched the young hunters with a good-natured expression on her face. Suddenly, Um, Mira-san. I have a favor to ask you, if you dont mind. The woman who walked up to her had an air of fear and trepidation. She asked in an awkward tone. Mu, What is it? Lets hear it. When she turned around, she saw that the woman was in her late teens and had a very well-rounded face. Perhaps thats why Mira reflexively responded abruptly. Whether it meant anything to her or not, the woman with the happy expression on her face suddenly rolled up the hem of her shirttail. She then pointed to a part of her body that was exposed. When you healed Melissa, you didnt leave any scars, right? Can you heal this one too? The woman asked Mira, with a face as if she was praying or hoping. The woman pointed to the side of her chest where there was a scar that looked like it had been gouged out. However, it was not from yesterday, and it seemed to have already healed completely. The scar was large and very noticeable. If it was a man, he would have been proud of it like a medal. But shes a woman. It seems even female hunters seem to be bothered by scars. Fumu, I have never tried it before. I do not know if I can do it or not, but well I suppose I can try healing it? While enjoying the view from the side, Mira tried her best to answer calmly. The woman did not seem to notice Miras vulgar gaze, but smiled like a flower and bowed her head while saying, Yes, please! In response, Mira immediately summoned Asclepius. She was a little distracted, but it was the first time she had done something like this, and Mira was very curious to see how it would turn out. The summoned Asclepius crawls out of the magic circle, travels along Miras body, wraps around her right arm, and waits for instructions with dull eyes. All right, Asclepius. Can you remove this womans scar with your power? Mira then pointed her right arm at the woman. The white snake that coils around her turns around and nods to Mira in less than a second. Its eyes told her that this will be an easy task. Oh, you can? Then, please. As Mira instructed, Asclepius opened its mouth and bit into the side of the womans chest. Nn~ The woman let out a small cry and shivered slightly as she felt a tingling sensation. The next moment, however, her expression loosened, and she smiled happily at the scars. It works! The scars disappeared like ripples spreading around the spot where Asclepius fangs had pierced. Mira murmured admiringly as she carefully observed the scene. She didnt know it had this effect. Asclepius treatment was complete, leaving no trace of the scare nor of its fangs. Thank you! Really thank you very much! The woman thanked Mira and Asclepius with a big smile on her face. This is the might of summoning. Mira, who was aiming to revive summonings popularity, said this to the delighted woman, appealing its usefulness. She was glad to hear those words, Summoning is amazing, isnt it? she responded. Thats when it happened. Please help me too. Ah, this injury over here` Can you do the same for me? The women who had seen what had just happened rushed to Miras side. There were about seven young women crowding Mira. It seems that they were all curious about Melissas case and were watching the healing. Umu, I dont mind. Mira agreed to the request. Well, where is it then? She asked while pointing her right arm at one of the women. The woman looked around as the victory party was being prepared. Ah, is it okay to do it in the basement? She said apologetically with a slight blush. Mira looked back to see some of the men who were preparing for the party, turned their eyes curiously. At the same time, the woman who had just had been healed realized her blunder. She realized that she had exposed her breasts in public. When she cried out to her companions, Why didnt you tell me? they replied, looking away, We were more concerned about the result. And so, Mira went to the basement and immediately began to heal them. What is this? The first one to be treated, the one who suggested the move, did indeed expose a part of her body to Mira that would be embarrassing outside. It was her buttocks. The woman, wearing leather culottes2, leggings, and underpants half down, says, If you please, to Mira. There was a large round scar where she had been most likely pierced with something akin to a horn. Fumufumu, I see. She reached out and touched the womans buttocks under the guise of palpation. It was round, taut, and firm, but still very feminine and soft to the touch. As she savored the touch, Mira smiled with delight. In addition to the unsuspecting woman, Miras justification for being of the same sex moved her hand without hesitation. Im sure this wont be a problem! After confirming the scar, Mira nodded her head and let Asclepius took care of the injury. Once the scars were gone, the rest became very excited, not caring at all about Miras caressing excuse. As she continued to heal the young women, Mira enjoyed the inside of their thighs and cleavage to the fullest, taking great pleasure in her role. When the treatment was over and the stars were beginning to shine, the victory party was about to begin. Now that there was no need to hunker down, the forts reserves were brought out, and plenty of food was served. With all their worries resolved and their confidence regained, the hunters expressions were very vivid, and the victory party was very lively. Mira, once again praised by the hunters, drank the wine made from the bounties of the forest, and in a good mood continued to lecture about the power of summoning. Not even half of them listened to the end, yet Mira was still in a good mood. She was drunk and enjoyed the victory party very much. As the night wore on, one by one, the partygoers began to fall asleep in a drunken stupor. Meanwhile, Tomoki suddenly came to Miras side and sat down next to her. Thank you very much for saving everyone. Nah~. With my summoning skills, a problem like this is nothing much. As expected huh. Im a production specialist, so I envy people like you in times like this. Mira, while intoxicated, never forgets to sow the seeds for the revival of summoning magic. Tomoki, whether he heed it or not, began to talk about himself. Tomoki seemed to specialize in woodworking, and was good at making staffs and bows. One day, however, he made a wooden sculpture as a hobby, and it became a big hit. Apparently, they sold for the same price as the staffs and bows he had made with great care. When she asked him what the wood carving was, he told her that it was a statue of the three Gods. Nowadays, he received more orders for those than his staffs and bows, and he is now akin to a busshi3. Tomoki said with a wry smile that somehow, he have been given the honor of making a statue of a deity to be delivered to the Three Divine Kingdoms. He was a little worried that what he started as a hobby had became something too important. Nevertheless, he was determined and visited the Praying Child Forest to find the right wood for the statue. It is true that this forest, which holds the sacred tree, would be suitable. And then, with the help of the hunters, we found the wood. But somehow it turned out like this. Tomoki said with a sigh. When it comes to combat, he is somewhere between rank C and D, according to the adventurer rank criteria. If thats the case, hes certainly not going to be able to beat the Tyrant Spike-back. But if he wanted to escape, he could have done so. When Mira said that, Tomoki replied that even if there was nothing he could do, he would at least take care of her in her final days. Incidentally, Id like to ask a question. Is it common nowadays for demons from different habitats to appear, which never happened in the game? After listening to what Tomoki had to say, Mira asked what was bothering her the most. That the game had became a reality, and that this kind of change might have happened. Tomoki pondered for a moment and then answered that it could not happen unless something extraordinary happened, and that something extraordinary would be the human factor. But this time, its completely unclear. Unlike in the case of human intervention, there are too many different types of demons and their original habitats. Thats true. So, what could be the cause? I wonder The two of them muttered to themselves and looked at the nighttime forest that stretched far behind the bonfire. After Tomoki was taken away by a drunkard, Mira was sipping her drink when she suddenly noticed that Melissa was next to Rattri. She may not be fully recovered, but she looked well and seemed to have a good appetite. Then, as if sensing Miras gaze, Rattri and Melissa came to her. Thanks to Miras help, shes recovered back to be able to walk like this. Thank you so much. Ah, I heard from Rattri. Thank you for helping us. They both bowed deeply. Melissas face showed only gratitude, while Rattris showed gratitude, joy and his regained confidence. Its nothing. Whats important is that you are safe. With a short, gentle smile, Mira blushed and began to talk about the usefulness of summoning, its abilities, and how to use it. Her preach is similar to ramblings of a drunk. Yet anyone who knew who she really is would have listened to it. It was, after all, a lecture directly from Dunbalf himself. One of the Nine Wise Men and the pinnacle of summoning magic. But unfortunately, there was no one here who knew what she was talking about. So, Miras words melted into the ongoing clamor, the cool night breeze, and the shimmering night sky. Sometimes I forgot the author can write somewhat yabe ecchi scenes TL Notes: 1: og : ƥ໯ = Mukei Jutsu Aitemu-ka = abstract; immaterial; moral; spiritual; intangible + Magic + Itemization = Abstract skill: Itemization 2: å= Kyurotto = culotte. A type of medieval French clothing. Heres a wiki page of it. 3: = busshi = A Japanese sculptor specializing mostly in Buddha statues. So yeah no english word for this one. Heres an article on the topic if you want to know more aaaanndd thats the end of this LN only arc! The rest of V4 should be similar to what we get in both the WN and the Manga adaptation. Oh and dont expect another chapter for quite a while~