[WN] Shut-In : Chapter 129

Chapter 129

The Demon Girls

Translator : PolterGlast

(Heh... so those are demons...)

There was a silver-haired girl who looked about my age, and a purple-haired girl wearing a military uniform who looked to be about a size larger than her. In this world where colorful hair is common, silver-haired girls are completely normal too, so at first glance, she really just looks like an ordinary human. The purple-haired one has horns and such, so you can definitely tell at a glance from her visuals, though. It was the same with the maid demon I fought before, but the basic appearance of demons doesn't differ much from humans, does it? Or rather, I feel like they're all beauties. Though my sample size is small.

They seemed to be talking about something, so out of curiosity, I closed the distance just a little. However, it would defeat the purpose if they noticed my presence, so I decided to keep as much distance as possible. As your LV goes up, your physical abilities improve along with it, so I was able to catch their voices from quite a bit further away than what I would personally consider the danger zone.

「Is this really alright, Lirica-sama? Coming in with just the two of us was perhaps a bit reckless after all...」

「Even so, we didn't have any other choice right now... The letter was polite, and the king of this country seems to be a trustworthy person. Therefore, even if we have to explain our circumstances to some extent, I want to secure their cooperation.」

Well, I certainly don't think he's a trustworthy person. The two staying perfectly still behind me must have had the same thought, as they were nodding their heads vertically in the darkness.

「The inn we stayed at last night didn't seem to be of a good grade, even as a compliment...」

「...It was likely their way of showing consideration so that our true identities wouldn't be exposed.」

「Even so, I think a slightly better inn would have been fine! To make Lirica-sama stay in such a rundown place!」

「Please don't be so angry, Priola.」

Hmm, so the silver-haired girl is Lirica and the long-haired woman in the military uniform is Priola... From the sound of it, is Lirica-san in a higher position? It seems they have an objective they want to achieve, even if it means joining hands with humans. Well, if they didn't have something like that, they wouldn't go out of their way to enter a human country with just the two of them. Still, that idiot king probably skimped on the inn fees just because they're demons... What a petty man, as always.

「His Majesty the King has arrived!」

Along with a somewhat lackluster voice, the sound of instruments could be heard from what looked like an orchestra waiting in the back. No, why are you skimping when you're spending money on that? They're probably being treated as state guests, so at least spend some proper money on their accommodation... Then, along with the solemn music, a single man arrived.

...Heh, so that's Izel II.

To someone like me who's used to fantasy games, his appearance looked exactly as if he had jumped straight out of a game world. He looked to be in his early fifties. A mantle dyed a beautiful red that rivaled the carpet laid out on the floor. A fluffy-looking shirt worn underneath, and a crown heavily studded with jewels and gold on his head. When he sat down on the massive, gold-plated leather chair, surprise surprise, he looked exactly like a magnificent king, at least in appearance. Uum... Perhaps because the surrounding decorations are so well-made, he somehow ends up looking like a king with real presence.

From behind Izel II, several figures smoothly stepped forward. A man who seemed to be one of the guards was wearing a full suit of black armor, looking undeniably strong. When I tried using Magic Power Perception... yeah, he's not weak, but he's not that strong either. Even if he's specialized in swordsmanship, I've raised my LV to 10, so I can handle him well enough, and it doesn't seem like I'll have to struggle much.

Since Izel II is a king, normally you'd be executed if you didn't prostrate yourself, but the two demons dropped to one knee, gave a light bow, and simply kept their heads lowered. Seeing that, Izel II made a sullen face, then covered it up in an instant. A terrifyingly fast change in expression... if it wasn't me, I would've missed it.

「I am Izel II.」

「My name is Lirica tu Baron.」

「I am Priola tu Rusara.」

Heh, demons have proper first and last names too. Furthermore, taking a closer look at the clothes they're wearing, they seem to be of a quality not far behind what Izel II is wearing. Could it be that they actually have a highly advanced civilization over there, and the human side just doesn't know about it?

「We are truly grateful that you have provided the opportunity for this meeting.」

「It is nothing. If it means the war with the demons of the Demon Lord's Domain will end, it is a small price to pay.」

Perhaps out of caution, Izel II was facing them from quite a distance away. However, perhaps captivated by the demons' beauty as they spoke, he started saying they should change locations. True, this audience chamber is a bit too oppressive for having a discussion. The throne where the king sits is clearly higher than where Lirica-san and the other are, so they wouldn't be able to talk on equal terms like that. As I tried to follow them for the time being, Priola-san turned around to look in our direction with a puzzled expression, going 「Hm...?」

「Is something the matter, Priola?」

「No, I just felt a strange presence just now...」

...T-That was close. Her perception abilities are on par with Mitsukawa-kun's class. When I tried using Magic Power Perception, her magic power capacity was head and shoulders above the humans present here. She's amazing. She has magic power on the level of a Revenant from the Holy Corpse of the Knight. What's more, observing closely, Lirica-san's magic power capacity is even higher than that. Judging from her movements, it doesn't seem like she's all that used to fighting... but she's an outstanding talent who could become incredibly formidable if trained. Considering they also have proper surnames, they must be people of high standing even among demons... but with so many people like this around, can the human side even win? Honestly, the only person on the human side I've thought was strong is Mitsukawa-kun.

There was no hesitation in the king and his entourage's steps. It seems the plan all along was to assert dominance upon meeting them and then immediately head to a separate room. The place they entered was a single room within the Royal Castle.

(It's a reception room for honored guests. It might be a little rare for my father to enter it.)

(I see.)

After putting a little distance between us so the others wouldn't notice, I had Alicia, who was hiding in the shadow, tell me about it. As I approached and used Magic Power Perception... yeah, there are several reactions. Furthermore, a few of those are familiar reactions.

Carefully passing through the shadows so as not to be discovered, I peeked inside the room and saw the Kazuma harem there. And for some reason, the figure of a blonde beauty was among them, looking completely natural. That is probably... or rather, definitely the First Princess, Misha. She's blending in as a member of the harem in a very natural way. It's strange, because just looking at her from the outside, she appears to be a flawless beauty. Perhaps Kazuma-kun was also easily won over by those good looks.

...Ah, we might get found out by the Hero, Kazuma-kun, or the Sage, Mitsurugi-san. I need to keep my distance so as not to enter the room too deeply. After thinking for a bit, I decided to take up a position under the desk right around the middle between them and the two demons. From this position, even if either side makes a move, I can deal with it when push comes to shove. For now, I'll stay hidden in the shadows and watch how things unfold.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Jake Seagraves

Matthew Fraser

Tbaum56

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Baelee

Bloodyemperor

Ctdela

Curious Panda

nick nasca

openope

Radhitia Furqan

SD Fox

Yosua Lumbangaol

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More

[WN] Emperor's Seventh Son : 11 - 6 Part 1

11-6 Part 1

The Boundary Line Between Hypocrisy and Self-Righteousness

- Sure-Hit Kachua -

Translator : PolterGlast

The pilgrimage journey proceeded smoothly after that, and on the second day, a trivial incident occurred where our path was blocked by bandits.

「...Pilgrims, huh. Oi, you lot, this ain't a joke so listen well. If you don't wanna die, leave your valuables behind.」

It had stopped now, but a long drizzle had continued until just a moment ago, and the whole area was dimly lit and enveloped in mist despite it being daytime. The location is a forest path overgrown with trees. The brick road is chipped and crumbling, half-defeated by the vitality of the vegetation.

「Even if you say so, we do not have any valuables with us. All we have is a small amount of travel money...」

「Then hand that over. You're going to God's country anyway, right... Then, help us out a little ahead of time...」

Those guys looked like disgraced soldiers at a glance. To form a gang of only three and extort those passing the highway means they either have some confidence in their skills or are just idiots.

「Understood, we will yield a small amount... We do not wish for things to get rough, either.」

Turning my eyes to the shadow of the donkey cart, I confirmed that Kachua was hiding and nocking an arrow to her bow. Fortunately, we happened to be at the back of the line, so we haven't drawn their attention yet.

I don't know if it will convey accurately, but I made a small pointing gesture at the bandits in front of Kachua to signal a surprise attack.

「No good, hand it all over! We're starving here, we're on edge!」

「But, if we do that, we will...」

Priest Yungwi sure goes at her own pace. However, with three opponents, it's difficult with just Kachua's sniping. Because the priest is standing in the line of fire.

「Shinza... draw their attention...」

Nodding slightly at her whisper, I stepped forward in front of the shabby bandits. A strange man carrying a Shovel on his back appeared, and they seemed wary, judging him visibly suspicious.

「Who are you...」

「Yeah, I'm devout believer number one.」

However, solely of the Evil Dragon Zirant.

「Liar, as if there's a believer like you!」

「I never said I was a believer of the State Church. More importantly, you guys haven't eaten in a while, right? Then I'll give you this instead of money.」

I took out three pieces of what I had prepared beforehand and thrust them under their noses. It was nothing unusual, just salty dried meat (jerky).

「M-Meat...」

「Ugh... At a time like this, my stomach...」

Then their stomachs growled in succession. This is the reaction of guys who haven't eaten properly for a while. I felt a slight bit of pity, but when you starve, even your mind dulls. It can't be helped.

「We'll take that too! H-Hurry up and hand it over!」

「Don't be so greedy. Since I said I'd give it to you, I will. Here.」

There, using only my fingertips, I tossed the three pieces of dried meat over the bandits' heads. Then the starving men, perhaps because their minds were indeed dulled, defenselessly turned their faces and hands toward the sky.

After that is securing the line of fire. While body-slamming Priest Yung to knock her down, I swung my arm toward the enemies.

「Shoot!!」

The sound of cutting wind hyun, hyun, hyun, and three pathetic screams were repeated. The three arrows Kachua loosed pierced each bandit's thigh, splendidly robbing them of the strength to stand.

「Are you okay, Priest Yungwi?! Oi Shinza, there's gotta be a better way to do that!」

「D-Damn... You tricked us...! Ugh, ugah...」

Without giving the bandits a glance, Kachua helped the priest up. As for me, to prevent them from getting any strange ideas, I regained my stance and looked down at them from above.

「I only took the safest measure because I trusted you. More importantly, well done, Kachua. It seems you've improved your skills even more.」

「It was just a fluke. I didn't think it would go this well...」

Perhaps it's the influence of being chosen by the bizarre book, Kachua's skills had improved dramatically. An archer with peerless accuracy is tactically much easier to use than I imagined.

The peerless bravery of Sigrun, who went south and hasn't returned, is also reliable, but having a bow user you can entrust your back to scratches an itch and feels good. I revised my opinion of Kachua. She is useful. She looks like she'll grow even more.

「Being able to move this much in an instant is enough. Now, let's go.」

「W-Wait... The fight is still—ku, uguh...」

「You guys picked the wrong target. Think of it as bad luck and give up.」

Well, setting that aside, I urged Priest Yung to depart. I can't commit murder in front of pilgrims. In the first place, I didn't feel like laying a hand on starving people.

「Eh, but, is it okay to just let thieves loose...」

「Who knows. After this, we just need to contact the highway guard, and they'll do something about it on their end.」

No, however. The leader, Priest Yungwi, had disappeared from the formation. Looking closely for her figure, she wasn't preparing to depart at all. Instead, she picked up the dried meat, handed it to the bandits, and directed a look of pity at them, making it difficult to deal with...

「Um, if you'd like, shall we take you to the town?」

「Heh...」

That woman was showing mercy to the bunch that attacked her. She pulled out the arrows stuck in their legs, took out an ointment, and even started treating their wounds...

「You know... that's a bit too naive.」

「No, if we leave them here, they might be attacked by other thieves.」

「A-Are you saying you'll forgive us...? Ooh... what a broad-minded person...」

I don't understand. If bandits would wash their hands of crime with just that level of kindness, the world should be much more peaceful. Kachua also had a look that could neither agree nor disagree, wondering what to do.

「They are a bunch that attacked you. If you save their lives, they will repeat the same thing. To think opponents will reflect and reform if you sympathize with them, such a thing is the delusion of someone drunk on ideals. Self-satisfaction—」

「Shinza, you can't say it like that!」

However, I was scolded by the devout Kachua. But indeed, perhaps I said too much. It's completely opposite to my way of life, where I've condemned villains with the resolve to pile on my own sins, I suppose I felt antipathy towards the priest. Even though that in itself is self-satisfaction.

「Even so, I do not mind. We forgive them.」

Then the remaining 23 pilgrims also nodded, following the priest's judgment. Seeing that, I used the Shovel slung over my shoulder as a cane, leaned lightly against it, and sighed at the soft-hearted fools.

「W-We...」

「Yeah, I guess we picked the wrong target...」

「Hahaha, it's true... Sorry, we were starving... We're truly sorry...」

It's the exact opposite of my method, but it's probably fine if guys like this exist too. I have no desire to understand. I believe my method is correct.

「Please, Shinza-san.」

「Alright. We are merely hired hands; do as you please. Ah, also, I'll give you another piece of dried meat each. You really seem to be starving...」

This time I handed over the meat one by one by hand, and taking the place of the soft-hearted fools, I took command of the departure. The pilgrims repacked the luggage stuffed in the donkey cart and put the bandits who had attacked them on it.

Eventually, when we arrived at a nearby post town, they even gave them a little money and food, and truly set them free. It makes my head hurt. Ideals are nothing but ideals. Once their wounds heal, they will likely repeat the same crimes in order to live. That solves nothing.

Setting that aside, there were no large towns ahead on our path that day. So we were to borrow the roof of a small church in that post town for the night.

The beds were apparently the long pews for worship. Even so, without a single complaint, the pilgrims offered prayers to the statue of the Absolute God Samael, making me feel quite uncomfortable.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Jake Seagraves

Matthew Fraser

Tbaum56

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Baelee

Bloodyemperor

Ctdela

Curious Panda

nick nasca

openope

Radhitia Furqan

SD Fox

Yosua Lumbangaol

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More

[WN] A Hero From a Remote Village : Chapter 216

Chapter 216

Tactics

Translator : PolterGlast

Stepping one pace forward, Ginia slowly began to imbue her magic power. Because she cannot handle magic, she is easily misunderstood, but Ginia possesses a talent for magic power manipulation. If her total magic power volume were larger, she would have become a highly skilled mage, but there is no point in wishing for what one doesn't have. While I was pondering such things and watching to see what Ginia would do... she began to clad her body in the imbued magic power.

「【Magic Armament】」

Similar to Aoi's skill, this was a skill of Ginia's that I hadn't seen in a while. Up until now, given the opponents we faced, there had been no situations requiring her to use her skills, but against a formidable enemy like the Kaonashi, she probably had no choice but to use it. However, it was clearly a completely different thing from the 【Magic Armament】 I had seen previously. Just from this transformation alone, I could easily tell that she had been raising the proficiency of her 【Magic Armament】 during her secret training sessions.

「Wow, so cooool! You can even create armor now!」

Seeing Ginia's 【Magic Armament】, Aoi raised a loud voice. As was evident from her statement just now, unlike before, she was creating full-body equipment using the skill. Not only was the design cool, but its form was specialized for combat, showing that it must have taken a considerable amount of time to be able to create this equipment.

The Kaonashi didn't seem to pay any mind even to Ginia, who was fully equipped with her 【Magic Armament】, and unleashed magic straight at her from the front. What it used was an explosion-type magic of the fire attribute. Countless small fireballs flew right in front of Ginia and began exploding one after another. The power of each individual fireball was low, but because of their sheer number, the overall power was elevated. Not only that, but because it also served as a wide-area attack, it was a difficult magic to evade.

Because of the thick smoke, I couldn't see how Ginia was doing, but if she was on the verge of death, I would have to step in and help. However, partly because I had seen the full-body equipment of her 【Magic Armament】, I also had a feeling she would be fine. As I debated whether or not I should move to help, the thick smoke began to clear.

What I saw beyond the smoke was—the figure of Ginia overwhelming the Kaonashi. There were no signs of her having taken damage from the explosion magic just now; she had completely blocked it all. It seemed she had also successfully closed the distance all at once when the visibility worsened, and she appeared to be fighting at a distance advantageous to her.

As long as its magic was being blocked by the armor of the 【Magic Armament】, for the already heavily damaged Kaonashi to win, it had no choice but to maneuver in a way that kept Ginia from getting close. The odds were against the Kaonashi, which fought using magic, and it was continuously being pressed by Ginia's assault.

The factor allowing Ginia to overwhelm it was not just her 【Magic Armament】, but also her excellent eyesight. She launched attacks at the exact timing it tried to chant magic, crushing the spells before it could even cast them.

The Kaonashi had been furious, but as it was subjected to this continuous, one-sided assault, it gradually began to show signs of panic, and from the midpoint onward, it even looked like it was trying to plot an escape. However, Ginia did not even permit it to escape; first, she crushed its legs, and next, she sliced off its arms. And then—finally, she sent its head flying, completely and unilaterally subduing the Kaonashi.

「Ginia, you're strong! That was a total victory!」

「I also thought it was unbeatable, but that was quite a one-sided attack.」

「No, no, it wasn't a total victory at all. It was truly a close call, and I only barely managed to win.」

Releasing her 【Magic Armament】, Ginia let out a massive sigh. Objectively, it looked like an easy win, but looking at her expression, it was clear that it really was a close call.

「Is that so? It didn't look like you were struggling at all!」

「That is thanks to the heavy damage you dealt to it, Aoi-chan. I was fully armed with my 【Magic Armament】, but I was going to run out of magic power in about one more minute.」

「In that case, it really was a close call, huh. Were you just pretending to be calm?」

「Yes. It was difficult maintaining a composed attitude so the opponent wouldn't realize it.」

Hearing the story like this, it is easy to understand that it was a narrow victory. The same went for Aoi; this was precisely the result of fighting with everything they had right from the start.

「It's a victory you two grasped together. I think your judgment to fire off that big attack right from your first move was correct, Aoi.」

「Right? The moment I saw it, I knew I had to go all out from the start! I'm completely battered because of it, though!」

「Thank you very much, Aoi-chan!」

Ginia hugged Aoi, whose legs were trembling, pouring her feelings of gratitude into the embrace. Looking at the two of them, I felt a little like an outcast, while I headed toward the Kaonashi that Ginia had defeated.

Normally, monsters in the dungeon immediately turn to ash, but the corpse of the Kaonashi remained on the spot. Even from my perspective, it was a strong monster, and there was no doubt that it was definitely an irregular entity. I had considered the possibility that it might turn into particles of light and revive outside the dungeon just like we would, but that didn't seem to be the case, which was a relief.

The only thing left to wonder was what the Kaonashi had been doing in this dungeon. It was certainly doing something, but we didn't have the leeway to interrogate it. I searched the Kaonashi's corpse to see if there were any clues, but it didn't possess anything in particular.

「Graham-san, did you find anything?」

「No, nothing in particular. I thought it might be carrying something, but the only things that look usable are its wand and robe.」

「I see! Still, it's rare for a corpse to remain!」

「It's just a guess, but I think the Kaonashi is a monster that came from outside the dungeon. With its abilities, it probably could have breached that strict security as well.」

「For now, let's leave the rest of the investigation to Lynette-san. I'm out of magic power, and Aoi-chan is at her physical limit and can't move, so I think it would be best if we headed back early.」

「That's certainly true. I hear there's a warp gate for returning every ten floors, so let's use that warp gate to go back.」

And so, we decided to proceed to the nearest fortieth floor. In complete contrast to up until now where I left everything to them, from here on out, I subjugated all the monsters along the way. I easily defeated the floor boss as well, and we were able to safely emerge above ground.

I wanted to let the two of them rest immediately, but since we first had to report to Lynette, we headed straight to the Adventurer's Guild the moment we returned.

-----

Thank you for my Patrons !!

[Platinum]

-

[Gold]

B random

Nepheos

ShitaiNoKootoRyuu

[Silver]

Corey Hicks

Creris

Frédéric Bertrand-Hudon

Jake Seagraves

Matthew Fraser

Tbaum56

Xavier O'Donoghue

[Bronze]

Anton Lim

Austin Lorenzo

Baelee

Bloodyemperor

Ctdela

Curious Panda

nick nasca

openope

Radhitia Furqan

SD Fox

Yosua Lumbangaol

Read Advanced Chapters only on my Patreon

-----

<<Prev << ToC >> Next>>

Read More