Chapter 5: Makoto Takatsuki Meets the Saint
The girl, who looked just like Princess Noelle, stared at me awkwardly, then finally spoke.
“Yes. I am...Abel.”
“You’re...a girl?” I asked in confusion.
“Well... I’m not quite—”
The dragon suddenly cut her off. “You carry the blood of the avians, don’t you?”
“Mel, when you say ‘avians,’ do you mean—”
“Y-You...” the dragon sputtered. “Is ‘Mel’ supposed to mean me?! Well...call me as you will, I suppose. I did lose. And by ‘avians,’ I mean one of the races that serve the gods.”
“A race that serves the gods...”
Oh, I remembered now—I’d met some avians when Rosalie had taken Lucy and me on that world tour. They were a race of women with wings. So...was Abel one of them? I hadn’t heard anything about that in the legends, and it wasn’t in the picture book.
I turned back to her—to Abel. Beautiful white wings unfurled from her back. She looked just like an angel.
“The white dragon is right. I am descended from the avians, and that is connected to my gender.”
Indeed, said Mel. The avians are a race consisting only of women. However, the hero was a human male until just now. I presume he is of mixed blood.
Abel nodded. “That’s right. When I am a man, I call myself Abel. My human father gave me that name. However, there are times when my avian heritage is stronger, and I turn into a woman. When that happens, I use the name my avian mother gave me: Anna.”
“Anna?!” I couldn’t help but shout.
I’d lost track of how many times I’d been shocked today. Hero Abel...and Saint Anna...are the same person?!
According to the legend, they’d been childhood friends and lovers. The writings, paintings, and teachings of the church all said as much. However, Abel was personally telling me otherwise. This seemed like more solid evidence than anything the church had proclaimed.
“I’ve never seen you so surprised...” Abel murmured. “I am terribly sorry for hiding it. Outside of my parents, only my mentor knew.”
The avians, who serve as messengers for the gods, only reside on the floating continent, said Mel. The demons see them as enemies, so if they found an avian on the surface, they would do their utmost to kill them.
“Exactly. I had no choice but to hide my heritage...just like my mother.” Abel looked away sadly, and I couldn’t bear to interrupt the conversation between her and the dragon.
All of this was new to me. The avians, Abel’s parents...and the truth behind Anna.
One thing is clear, though.
Abel, the Hero of Light.
Saint Anna.
The Grandsage.
Johnnie the Spellbow.
Helemmelk the Holy Dragon.
The legendary party was now assembled! Whew... Noah, Althena...I did it!
I’d fallen deep into my thoughts, and I was pulled back to reality when someone tapped my shoulder.
“Um...Makoto?”
Whoops, I was off in a world of my own. I turned to Abel. “Okay, I get what’s going on.” It’s finally time to say it. “We can now...fight Iblis.”
“Huh?”
What?!
Both Abel and the white dragon gawked at me.
“Where did that come from?!”
Are you sane?!
Aaah... They thought I was crazy. Guess I got carried away. Though the legendary party was finally all in one place, Iblis was an embodiment of fear. He was treated as an absolute, unequivocal evil in this world.
“Well...” I scratched my cheek. “Maybe we should take on Bifrons first.”
“That’s not...” Abel shook her head. “Um, Makoto?”
You do realize that Bifrons stands above even the other nine demon lords, yes? asked Mel.
Neither seemed on board with that plan, even though I’d suggested taking out the lesser threat before going for the Great Demon Lord.
“Mmm... So noisy...”
It seemed that Abel and the white dragon’s voices had roused Momo. She crawled out of the bed.
“Teacher, is Sir Abel awake ye— Huh?! Who’s this woman?!”
“Hey, Momo,” said Abel. “I’m actually—”
“‘Hey’?! Don’t talk like you know me when we’ve only just met!”
“Ah, but we haven’t just met, I’m—”
Incidentally, Elementalist, I do not even know your name. Would you tell me?
Things had gotten way noisier all of a sudden. Though the dragon’s words made me realize that we actually hadn’t introduced ourselves.
I managed to calm Momo down—with Mel’s help, I explained Abel’s situation and identity. Then, we all gave our names.
Hmm... Mel gazed down at us. Although realistically, she was so big that she couldn’t not look down at us. Makoto the Elementalist, Abel the Hero, and Momo the Half Vampire. I look forward to working with you.
Momo and Abel still seemed a bit unnerved by her and weren’t quite ready to drop formalities.
“Likewise, Lady Dragon...”
“L-Likewise, Lady Helemmelk.”
Oh, speaking of introductions and the group... There was one more important person with us.
“Dia,” I called out.
Instantly, Dia popped into existence by my side. “Yes, my liege?”
“Thanks for keeping watch. We got some decent rest.”
“It is an honor to be of service.”
“The white dragon is on our side now, so go ahead and introduce yourself.”
“Haah...” Dia peered at Mel, who fidgeted warily—the Undyne’s demeanor shifted from all smiles to a look of utter boredom. “You should be honored to serve my liege, liz—”
“Oy,” I cut Dia off, grabbing her shoulder and yanking her toward me.
“M-My liege?”
“Dia, Mel here was kind enough to help us. Show her proper respect.”
“O-Of course! My apologies!”
I turned back to the dragon. “Sorry she was so rude to you, Mel.”
I-Indeed. It is no concern. Also, my “kind” behavior was in direct response to your threat...
Great, the legendary holy dragon was just as open-minded as I’d hoped!
“Boss of Labyrinthos,” Dia said. “I am the Undyne given the name Dia by my liege. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
At least she had better manners this time...
I am the ancient dragon Helemmelk. Incidentally, is the naming of an Undyne not one of the Titanea’s—
“Dia!” I ordered as I realized what the dragon was about to reveal.
Instantly, the area was covered in a thick mist. It wasn’t a normal mist either—it had elemental mana running through it. I heard one of the ancient dragons yelp. Was it that red one from earlier?
Wh-What in the world is wrong? Mel asked in confusion.
“××××, ××××××××××××××××? (Mel, can you understand Elemanti?)” I asked.
××××××××. (To a degree.)
Thank goodness. Well, she had lived for like ten millennia, so she probably knew almost everything.
“×××××××××××××××××××××××. ×××××? (The others don’t know that I follow a Titanea. Can you play along?)”
×-×××××××××××××××. (V-Very well.)
Whew, that was close! I used water magic to clear the air.
“Makoto?” Abel asked.
Momo tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”
Both of them looked confused.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it, you two.”
I used Calm Mind to relax my nerves. Abel then took a step forward and grasped my hand.
“Um...Makoto?”
“Y-Yes?”
Had I seemed too sketchy? Had Abel realized that I worshiped the same goddess as Cain? No, I should be fine. There was no proof of my allegiance to Noah. It wasn’t even written in my Soul Book.
“Um... Could you call me Anna when I’m like this?” she asked, fidgeting.
Oh... That’s all? Great! She didn’t suspect a thing.
“Okay then, Anna. I...still look forward to working with you.”
“R-Right.”
We shook hands. She was smiling, but for some reason, her cheeks looked kind of red. Maybe she still hadn’t fully recovered?
“Sir Makotoooo,” Momo trilled.
“What’s up?” I asked.
She huffed, pouting. “Nothing.”
Maybe she was hungry? I’d have to give her some blood later.
“Let’s head back to the surface,” I suggested. “Mel, can we return here when we need your help?”
The dragon cocked her head curiously at my question. I shall come with you. It will be more convenient.
“Huh? You don’t mind?” That’d be great...but wouldn’t it cause problems? She led these ancient dragons, after all.
“Mother! You cannot seriously consider going with this human!”
“Then I shall come too!”
“What should we do?!”
Just as I’d expected, a clamor arose among the other dragons.
I simply want to visit the surface. It’s been so long. You should all stay here—this area is safe. If you wish to accompany us, speak to the elementalist. But if, like earlier, you cannot defend against the Undyne’s magic...you will likely be a hindrance.
Silence stretched out in the wake of her words. Anna also looked awkward. Well, all the dragons except Mel had been frozen...
Mel looked at me seriously. Elementalist, there is something I wish to ask. What is your goal?
“To defeat the demon lords and Iblis. To bring peace to the world.”
Mel and the other ancient dragons looked at me with wide eyes.
“Peace? I’m surprised he even knows that word,” muttered an ancient dragon.
I glanced sideways and saw that Anna and Momo were taken aback as well. Man, everyone native to this time period is really terrified of Iblis, huh? But that didn’t change anything. I would work with the Hero of Light and defeat the Great Demon Lord.
Mel shook her large head. So you are targeting not just the demon lords, but an even higher existence. Ordinarily, I would discount that as the ramblings of a fool, but—
“Impossible! Even Lord Astaroth was no match!”
“A man cannot kill the demons’ god!”
“Foolish human! You know not of the terror he commands...”
The ancient dragons couldn’t believe that I was even suggesting the possibility of defeating Iblis.
“No, it’s possible.” I looked them dead in the eyes. “I know it.”
I mean, it made sense that defeating Iblis would be unthinkable to those of this era. I was from the future though, so Iblis’s defeat was a matter of fact. We didn’t need to worry. After all, everyone in the Savior’s party was safe and well. We just had to follow history and take things as they came.
“Lizards...you do not know my liege’s strength,” Dia proclaimed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and manipulating her mana. An ominous feeling filled the air. Come on, Dia, stop abusing your strength.
Mel seemed to cringe back. “Please, Undyne, do not treat my family too harshly.”
I sighed. “Knock it off, Dia.”
She allowed one more beat of tense silence, then said, “Fine,” and stopped the mana manipulation.
“All right. Mel, you’re the only one coming with us. It’s kinda far to the middle layer, though...” I thought back on that long path into the depths of the dungeon. “Do you know any shortcuts?”
You need not worry. I can teleport us to wherever you would like to go.
Oh! She could do that? Whoo!
I turned to Anna and Momo, ready to leave...and then realized something.
“Anna...is it okay for you to go back to the others looking like that?” I asked.
“I’d prefer to be in human form,” she murmured, her face conflicted, “but I’m not fully recovered.”
Mel quickly offered a solution. You may drink from the Spring of Life.
“Huh...”
Well, there was an enormous amount of mana coming from the spring. Anna approached and took a sip. As the water touched her lips, she was enveloped in light.
“Wow! I feel so much better.” The exhaustion that had clung to her features was nowhere to be seen. The spring seemed to act like a recovery item. Also, she had turned back into a he.
I stepped closer and scooped up some of the water for myself. The second I drank it, I felt my body heating up from the inside.
I was...being filled with mana. W-Wow... This is just as good as an elixir?!
“Whoa! I want to try too!” Momo rushed over toward the spring.
Hm? I felt a strange sense of unease. Suddenly, a screen with words floated up in front of me.
Will you stop Momo before she drinks from the Spring of Life?
Yes
No
Wh-What the—?!
“Momo! Stop!” I yelled.
At the same time, Mel shouted, Wait, little vampire!
“Huh?” Momo instantly froze.
“You can’t drink that!”
Water from the Spring of Life is anathema to the undead.
“E-Eep!” She leaped back and clung to me.
Th-That was close. I’d almost forgotten—the undead couldn’t use recovery substances.
“Here, Momo, take my blood.”
“O-Okay...”
I held out my arm and let her drink a little. When she’d finished, I let out a deep sigh. Today had been utterly exhausting, in more ways than one. I just wanted to curl up and sleep...and eat some meat to make up for the blood loss.
“Let’s head back.”
“Ah, Makoto—”
“If you would, Mel.”
Of course.
At Mel’s gesture, a magic circle appeared on the ground beneath all of our feet. Well, not “all.” The other dragons...
“Mother!”
“Be well!”
Around us, the ancient dragons were all waving tearily. The sight was surreal and a half.
You all need to behave, she ordered.
We were quickly engulfed in light. A second later, the scenery had changed. The first thing I noticed was the roar of cascading water.
“Wah!”
“Ahh!”
“Whoops!”
Abel and Momo couldn’t stand on the water, so I grabbed their hands and cast Walk on Water. I peered around. We were definitely back on the lake.
Man! Teleportation is so convenient. Now we just need to find Volf and Julietta and let them know we’re back—
My thoughts were interrupted by a scream. “An ancient dragon!”
“Th-That’s the boss of Labyrinthos! What is that doing here?!”
“R-Ruuuuun!”
“Help us!”
The watchmen all scattered.
Say...Elementalist, is this not an issue? Mel asked, looking at me in concern.
Crap...
After I managed to calm everyone down, I explained the situation.
“Let me get this straight. You...went down to the lowest reaches of the dungeon?” Johnnie asked. He was holding his head in his hand as if he had a migraine.
We were in front of the lake, and the dungeon town’s residents had all gathered around. This was a wide-open area, and normally, monsters would be a concern. Right now though, there was not a single one to be seen. The reason for that was...
“Um... That woman...is the boss of Labyrinthos?” Julietta asked haltingly, staring at Mel.
The dungeon’s boss had appeared on the middle level, causing the monsters to flee in terror. Now, the whole layer was peaceful. The monsters must’ve been having heart attacks.
One more thing—Mel had used Transform to change herself into a human woman. Of course, she was still around two meters tall and built like a model, so she definitely stood out.
“Precisely, elf,” said Mel. “I am Helemmelk, the leader of the ancient dragons on the deepest level. It has been centuries since I have stepped aboveground, but I assume my name is known.” She puffed out her chest.
“Well, yeah... We do know of you...”
“The legendary ancient dragon...”
“No way...why is she here?”
Mel was like a celebrity.
Johnnie shook his head in disbelief. “Sir Makoto, you said you would just be briefly scouting the lower layer...”
“Yup, that’s right. We only spent a night away.”
Silent and incredulous looks pinned me.
Why all the fuss? We came back when I said we would.
“S-Sir Makoto, perhaps you would like to rest? The journey must have been exhausting.” This offer came from the elf who looked like Lucy. The slight quaver in her voice was probably caused by her fear of Mel.
“Yeah, I could do with a nap.” I glanced at Johnnie. “I want to fight Bifrons soon. Would you come with us?” The legendary party was all together now, so I figured Bifrons shouldn’t be too much of a concern. At least, that was my thinking.
“What?!” Everyone’s shocked exclamations rang out at once, and the faces around me were bewildered.
“S-Sir Makoto?! What in the world?!” exclaimed the Lucy look-alike.
“Sir Makoto!” shouted the Hero of Iron. “Don’t be absurd!”
Beastmen around us called out in aghast protest. The noise in the cavern increased to a deafening roar.
“Calm yourselves! Quiet!” yelled Johnnie.
Mel, Abel, and Momo barely reacted. They just looked resigned.
All I’d said was that we should get ready to fight the demon lord... History said that Bifrons had been defeated first, so surely it wasn’t that weird to target him now. Johnnie looked conflicted, though.
Mel then spoke. “Incidentally, Makoto, if you are fighting a demon lord...does that mean you have a holy sword?”
“A holy sword?” I repeated.
“The demon lords are blessed by their Daemon. Without a holy sword to strengthen blessings from the Sacred Deities, defeating them will be impossible.”
“Hmmm, you really need one?” I asked.
“How did you not know that?!”
Well, I’m only technically a hero... Oh, actually, I think I remember hearing about holy swords. Someone from the future had once mentioned that defeating demon lords required a hero skill and a holy sword. At least, I think so.
Prince Leonardo, the Hero of Ice and Snow, had Ascalon.
Maximilian, the Hero of Swaying Trees, had Clarent.
Olga, the Hero of Incandescence, had Balamung.
Gerald, the Hero of Lightning, had Caliburn.
And, Sakurai, the Hero of Light, had Aroundight. Though was that actually a holy sword?
I didn’t really remember any of the others, but I knew that most heroes had one. Okay, so you need a holy sword to fight the demon lords. Still, that wasn’t the main issue here. We had plenty of other things to worry about.
“Does anyone here have a holy sword?” I asked, peering at everyone in turn.
They all looked away sadly.
U-Uh...?
“There are no holy swords here,” Johnnie admitted.
Wait, for real?
“My mentor, the Hero of Fire, had one, but...” Abel paused and took a deep breath “It was lost in her battle with Demon Lord Cain.”
“Wh-What?!” That’s awful. Does this mean we’re doomed to lose?
“Mel, do you know of any?” I asked.
“Hmm. I am not all that knowledgeable about human weapons.”
Well, this was bad. While I was chewing things over, Johnnie broke in.
“Makoto...to answer your earlier question, I will help with your fight against the demon lord. I would like more time, though. We are in the middle of building the town on this layer. The monsters around us are strong, so it is taking more effort than expected. Hence why we need more time.”
Ah, so he’s worried about his people.
“Elf chief,” Mel replied. “Perhaps one of my family could take up residence here? An ancient dragon could ward off any attacking monsters.”
Johnnie peered up at her, eyes wide. “You...would do such a thing?”
Nice idea, Mel!
“Although, if one of my kin were to harm a resident...I imagine Makoto would be angry.” Mel glanced my way.
“Yeaaah. Maybe not the red dragon. He has a bit of a grudge against me.”
“He said he couldn’t stop shaking when he saw you, so it will probably be fine,” Mel reasoned.
“Huh? I didn’t do anything that awful, did I?”
Momo sighed loudly. “Sir Makoto...”
What? “I just froze him for a bit.”
“And then tried to sacrifice him!”
“Oh...right.” Yeah, I did. Guess that would freak anyone out.
“The town should be finished within a hundred days. After that time, I will come with you to fight the demon lord,” Johnnie stated.
Great! So we would go after Bifrons a hundred days from now. We needed to find a holy sword before then, though. Hmm, what to do? It was during times like this when I missed Noah’s guidance. She’d helped me ever since I’d left the Water Temple...but she wouldn’t know me in this era. I slumped in sadness.
“Maybe...” Julietta muttered to herself. It was like she’d just remembered something. “Perhaps we could find a holy sword there.”
“Where, Julietta?” I asked.
“Cornet. The capital of Laphroaig.”
Laphroaig! That was Furiae’s homeland. It wouldn’t be a ruin in this time period either. Far from that—it’d be thriving. But...
“Why do you think they have one?” Momo asked.
Good question. Surely if there were rumors about holy swords, the demon army wouldn’t have ignored them?
The Lucy look-alike answered. “The Moon Queen rules Cornet. It is considered a holy ground that the demon lords’ armies cannot touch. Allegedly, they have warriors and legendary weapons capable of standing against the demons.”
A holy ground the demon armies can’t reach... Surely they have to know...or maybe not. In this time period, the truth about Laphroaig had yet to be revealed. Knowing what would happen to Laphroaig...felt really weird.
“No one who has sought aid from the dungeon towns in Laphroaig has ever returned, though,” Volf pointed out. His expression was sour.
“Huh? People have traveled there?” I asked, surprised. And...for aid? Well, I guess that makes sense.
“You’re right, Volf,” Julietta admitted. “Rumors of the capital’s safety are just that—gossip brought by the traveling traders.”
“Huh, you get traders too.” Merchants were still managing to make a living, huh?
Julietta nodded. “We do. They move between towns like ours that are hidden in dungeons.”
“Why do you not seem to know any of this?” Volf asked me, tone incredulous. They all looked confused about my gaps in knowledge.
“Ah.”
Crap. I’d shown how little I understood about this era.
“Do you think someone capable of bringing us down in a single strike—someone like Makoto—would hide away in the dungeons?” Mel asked.
A round of nods followed her question, and people offered their agreement.
Well, that’s not the reason for my ignorance...but it’s a solid guess. Let’s go with that for now. We’ve gotten a bit off topic, though. Time to focus on planning our next moves.
“Johnnie, you’re fine with joining us in battle a hundred days from now, right?” I asked.
“Hm... I suppose the fight is decided. I will help.”
“Then in the meantime, we’ll go look for a holy sword in Laphroaig. Mel, do you know the place?”
“I know most places. I shall take you.”
“Please do.”
Great! Our next destination was set. We were off to the not-yet-destroyed capital of Laphroaig, Cornet. And according to legend, it was ruled by the Witch of Calamity.
◇
We were currently sitting on Mel’s back as she flew through the sky. “We” consisted of Abel, Momo, and me. The four of us—including Mel, of course—were the ones leaving Labyrinthos. Julietta had wanted to come too, but Mel had said, “Too many people will slow me down,” so she had tearfully given up.
I felt kinda bad about leaving her...but Mel was giving us a ride, so I couldn’t really protest.
“We’re so high up!” Momo cheered.
Abel was wide-eyed. “This looks amazing! I can’t fly this high on my own!”
“Mm-hmm, it is indeed amazing,” Mel replied, sounding a bit smug at their reactions.
As for me...
Well, the wind was too strong, so I couldn’t speak. Uh...was it going to be like this the whole trip?
“Elementalist, shall I slow down?” asked Mel.
“I’d appreciate it,” I managed. I guess Mel being the eldest made her the most considerate as well.
Thanks to the slower speed, I could finally join in on the conversation. I did my best not to look down at the ground as I spoke to everyone.
“Have you ever been to Laphroaig?” Abel asked.
I was about to say I had, but I hurriedly stopped myself. “I have not, of course.” It wasn’t a total lie—I’d been to the ruins a thousand years from now. A desolate area of nothingness. “I’ve actually always wanted to go. According to the rumors, it is the one place that has been kept free of the demon army. I wonder what kind of nation it is.”
“Yeah... I’ve always wanted to visit too.” Abel’s eyes were sparkling so brightly that I couldn’t form a proper reply.
His hope made my chest ache. The reason for Laphroaig’s prosperity was that they were working with the demons, and according to the picture book, it was Abel who’d discovered that. I wasn’t about to leave Abel’s side, but I wondered what would happen when he realized...
“Sir Makoto, I can’t practice Fire Magic up here!” Momo protested.
The wind was strong enough that it was snuffing out her flames. On the other hand, I was still able to practice Water Magic.
“Then go with something else,” I suggested. “You should be able to work with Ground or Wood Magic.”
“Urgh... Couldn’t you have given me a break from training while we travel?”
“Hey, it’s not like there’s anything else we can do up here, is there?”
I didn’t understand my apprentice sometimes. Even though she’ll be the Grandsage in the future...
That thought made me realize something important.
“Mel, can you teach Momo Teleport?” I yelled over the wind.
“Hm? You want me to teach? I do not mind.”
“What brought that on?” Momo asked.
“I can’t teach it to you, but your Sage skill means that you should be able to use it.” A thousand years from now, she’d be one of the best Teleport users on the continent. So she should already have the ability right now.
“Then I shall instruct you in Fate Magic while we are free,” said Mel.
“R-Right. I’ve got two teachers now...”
“I have never taught a human—pardon, a half vampire—before.” Mel laughed. “I’ll have you know that I am a strict instructor.”
Momo flinched. “Urk... Be gentle?”
Mel was really caring—she acted like a reliable older sister. The ancient dragons of Labyrinthos adored her. That’s a ten-thousand-year-old dragon for you. She glares when you talk about her age though...so I’d best not say that aloud.
“Makoto, what should I do while we’re flying?” Abel asked.
That was honestly a weird question. I could hardly act all high and mighty with the legendary savior. Also...
“I’m not a swordsman,” I replied, “so I don’t have the skill to teach you anything.”
“I...see.” He deflated, looking kinda bummed out.
Suddenly, I remembered a conversation I’d had a while back with Fujiyan.
◇
“Are you listening, my esteemed Tackie? When three or more friends gather, commonalities are important. You and I are content to discuss games, but if someone in our midst was unfamiliar with them, they would feel alienated. Having other topics to discuss is vital.”
“I get it.” Fujiyan was great socially, so that was solid advice.
“Therefore, I shall expound upon the virtues of animal-eared girls!”
Or...not. Apparently he just wanted to talk about his hobbies. Guess that advice was less helpful than I’d thought.
“Would anyone interested in girls like that not be into games? I mean, it’s kind of a stereotype.”
“Hm... I suppose you may be right.”
◇
That conversation had just been pointless chatter. Back then, I hadn’t come any closer to “understanding the virtues of animal-eared girls.” That aside, Fujiyan’s initial advice was relevant to this situation—the three of us had been talking about magic, and Abel hadn’t known enough about the topic to join in. That wasn’t good.
“Could you teach me Sun Magic?” I asked. “I acquired the skill recently, but I’m not used to it yet.”
“You...want me to teach?” Abel beamed. “Okay! Leave it to me.”
That was the right choice. Thanks, Fujiyan.
“Can you give me some advice on my spells?”
“R-Right now?!” Abel sputtered.
“You three, don’t fail your casts while you are on my back,” Mel warned.
◇ Hero Abel’s Perspective ◇
As night fell, an exhausted Mel landed, and we made camp. Makoto caught some fish from the nearby river, and Momo cooked dinner for us. I tried to help—Makoto just waved me off and told me to rest. I had nothing to do.
Once we’d all eaten, it was time to schedule when we’d each take watch for the night.
“Abel, you go ahead and sleep first,” Makoto said.
“You’re swaying, Sir Makoto,” Momo pointed out. “You should rest.”
“Elementalist, you are the most tired. Rest,” said the white dragon.
“Okay...”
He’d been riding on Mel’s back like the rest of us, but that had apparently taken up quite a bit of his stamina. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the bedroll.
“Me too!” Momo exclaimed. She quickly crawled under his blankets, and in moments, she’d dozed off, a happy look on her face. She’s like a girl getting spoiled by her big brother.
Only Mel and I were left awake. Currently, she was wearing her human form. No conversation blossomed between us. It was intensely awkward.
Eventually (and fortunately), she broke the silence.
“Out of curiosity...why are you in your avian form? Surely you should be hiding it?”
“Those in our camp already know my secret,” I replied. “Also, it’s easier to spend the night in this form. Though I spend the day as a man...”
“Hmm, part of your mixed heritage? That sounds rather difficult to deal with.”
“It is... I need to constantly make sure my secret remains hidden. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to exist in my natural form like this.”
As I spoke, I watched Makoto’s face. It hadn’t been that long since we’d met, but he’d constantly surprised me. I’d found myself caught in his wake. If I just put my trust in him...everything will work out. My thoughts naturally drifted in that direction.
“This man is...at risk,” the dragon mumbled to herself.
I thought I’d misheard her for a moment. Makoto is at risk? Even though he’s so strong?
I glanced at her, surprised. She stared back.
“What, human hero?” She smirked. “Do you not feel the same? Are you just assuming that everything will work out if you simply follow him?”
I jumped. It felt like she was staring into the depths of my mind...but I didn’t say anything to confirm or deny her suspicions.
Why had she said something like that?
“Lady dragon... Please, explain—what do you mean?”
“Not so loud,” she scolded. “You will wake them. This is...fundamentally my own assumption, and not necessarily correct. Do you still want to know?”
“I do... Please.”
“Very well.”
And with that, the dragon, rumored to have lived for over ten millennia, began to speak.
“I have lived for thousands of years. I have seen darkness give way to light—and vice versa—several times...”
What was she talking about? What did this have to do with that?
She raised her eyebrows. “Your face says that you can’t believe I’m talking about this.”
“N-Not at all!” I floundered, schooling my expression back to something more neutral. She seems to be able to read me like a book...
“I shall put it more simply. The demon lords have ruled for over a thousand years. It is nearing time for the Hero of Salvation to appear.”
“Salvation?” I repeated. “I don’t understand.”
“When either the demons or humans rule for a long time, a member of the subjugated race appears to topple the current system. Human and demon regimes alternate over long periods—usually, it takes roughly a millennium for this reversal to occur.”
I fell silent. This was beyond human comprehension—we had the perspective of only one lifetime, a mere hundred years at best. Well, I was technically somewhere between a human and an avian, but my life span wasn’t all that different from a human’s.
“When I met the elementalist, I thought he was the one.”
Shocked by the dragon’s words, I looked over at Makoto. He would be a savior?! That was incredible! Even a legendary dragon thought this highly of him!
“However, as I have traveled with him...I have gotten the impression that he is living quickly.”
“Living...quickly?”
“You could say that he is...rushing, I suppose. It seems to put him in a precarious situation.”
Now that I thought about it, I could see the logic to what she was saying. Since we’d first met, Makoto had been bold—he’d declared that we would defeat the demon lords and Iblis. Everyone had been aghast and shocked at first. However, he had shown the strength to back up his words. He defeated one of the demon lord’s generals and even repelled Cain. The white dragon herself recognized his strength.
All of those miraculous feats had kept me from realizing something—he never seemed to take a break. According to Momo, he even trained in his sleep. He often looked exhausted but was still pushing himself so hard...despite how strong he already was. I’d even asked him if he actually needed to train so much, but he’d replied that he wasn’t training enough. And when asked what that meant, he’d just said that he wanted to get his mastery up another point.
That was all? Once you were above fifty mastery and could cast without an incantation, there wasn’t really much point to training it... Yet for the time I’ve known him, I don’t think I’ve really seen him take a break. I’d gotten used to the sight. Could you call that “rushing”?
“Can I speak honestly?” the white dragon asked.
“About...what?”
“I feel like he could defeat a demon lord, even now.”
“Wha?!” I was shocked. He could defeat a demon lord?!
While I was reeling from the shock, she continued, sighing deeply. “You are far too open, human hero.”
“Huh?”
“I will tell you one thing. Despite the years I have lived, I do not possess the strength to be called a demon lord. I am weaker than a demon lord, and weaker than the elementalist. You should not take my perspective as certain truth.”
“R-Right...” Despite her claims, they were all far stronger than me, so I couldn’t help but believe her.
“This estimation is from my own limited perspective, but...while I believe Makoto could best a demon lord, I do not think he can measure up to Iblis.”
My entire body tensed. Iblis. That was the being who ruled even the rulers of this world. The being which they all obeyed. Their god.
“Have you...ever met Iblis?” I asked.
“I have. Once.”
“What is he like?” I could barely imagine it. After all, I didn’t even have the courage to face one of the normal demon lords.
“It brings me fear to even recall. That thing should not reside here...and I want nothing to do with it.” The dragon’s voice shook as she spoke. “And that’s why...I want to gather power slowly, without rushing. You are this party’s only hero, no?”
“I...” Well, I did have the skill Hero of Lightning. I also had—though I hadn’t yet told Makoto—the Sun Priestess skill. Telling anyone that I was a priestess would’ve revealed that I was a woman though, so I’d kept it a secret.
Because of these two skills, I’d been raised as something special my whole life. My parents had treasured me and my skills. I could barely remember them, though. The demon lords had taken my parents from me when I was still young.
The next person who’d thought I was worthy was my mentor, the Hero of Fire. She’d been convinced that I would one day save the world. But she had also died to a demon lord. My heart had shattered into pieces...and all I’d been able to do was run away. Even when Demon Lord Cain, the one who’d slain her, had appeared in Labyrinthos...I had been useless. Weak.
I am...so weak.
“I...could never be like Makoto. I can’t...be that strong.”
Mel shook her head. “Don’t concern yourself with that.”
“Huh?” She’d cast aside my worries with only a few words.
“The elementalist has an Undyne serving him. Even one of them could destroy a country. And in Labyrinthos, he summoned five. If he ever cuts loose, he’ll bring the continent below the waves.”
“Th-That’s a bit much.” I laughed dryly. Surely that’s an exaggeration...right?
“Well... Saying the continent will sink might be overstating things. Still, the power behind his magic is immense.”
She certainly didn’t sound like she was joking. I remained silent.
“I know the legends of elemental magic,” she continued, “but this is the first time I have seen that power used. I knew that elves and dwarves maintained the skill to manipulate the elementals, but for as long as I have lived, there have been none capable of commanding the arch elementals. No, even during my parents’ era, there were none so powerful.”
The white dragon had lived for ten millennia...and even she was saying that...
“What in the world is he?” I murmured.
Suddenly, she fell silent.
“Lady dragon?” I asked.
“I shouldn’t say.”
“Huh?”
“Someone’s watching. It must be the Undyne. Though, she could do that in the open...”
Oh, you noticed me. No need to be too open about my liege.
Dia suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She was faintly transparent, and she had less mana coming off her than usual.
“You’re holding yourself back,” the dragon said smugly. “Did the elementalist scold you?”
There was a pause as Dia pouted. “I’ve been forbidden from using my power without permission. But I was only trying to help.”
Apparently the answer to Mel’s question was “yes.”
“Hero, if you want to know his true identity, ask him yourself.”
I sighed. What did she mean by that?
“Well, I can probably say this much.” The dragon was silent for a moment. She then began speaking slowly, seeming to choose her words carefully. “Manipulating the power of an elemental wears away at a human’s soul. It uses their life span.”
“Their life span?!” I yelped without thinking.
“Elemental magic is strong enough to bring countries to ruin. Did you think that power cost nothing?” Mel asked.
“B-But Makoto hasn’t said anything about that,” I protested.
“He has not... But I know it to be true.”
Dia then piped up from next to us. “My liege doesn’t worry about that.”
I jolted. So it’s true? Dia might as well have confirmed it. Makoto was using his life span to fight? How could I have been so blind...?
“That is a problem, isn’t it, Hero?” asked Mel.
I nodded. “I-It is.”
“Do you think he should continue fighting alone?”
“He...” Well, the answer to that was definitely no. He was using up his life itself to protect Momo and me. I couldn’t just let him keep doing that. “I’ll help him. I might not have the power now...but I’ll get strong enough to support him.”
“Good.” Mel smiled at me gently. “And if he starts pushing himself too hard, then he should be warned. His comrades should be the ones to warn him, no?”
Right! I’ll stop him the next time he starts acting rashly! That is...if I can. His spell had knocked me out in Labyrinthos, so I wasn’t exactly sure about managing him on my own...
“U-Um...” I stammered. “I want the two of you to help me too.”
“I cannot,” the dragon declared bluntly.
Wh-What?! Why?!
“The ancient dragons do not cross those who defeat them,” she explained, her expression serious. “I lost to him, so I will not go against his wishes.”
Ah. I’d heard something about that before. If you could force an ancient dragon to admit defeat, they would obey you.
“So that’s why you listen to him,” I muttered.
She snorted derisively. “It is just my pride. The years make us stubborn.”
“I am enough for my liege!” Dia exclaimed suddenly. “I will support him. He doesn’t need anything else!”
“You and the little vampire cannot find fault in him,” Mel pointed out. “You both practically spur him on.”
“It’s not like it matters...” said Dia.
“This is why I’ve always said elementals are empty-headed. They don’t think things through.”
“What was that?!”
The white dragon ignored Dia’s anger. Instead, she looked meaningfully at me. “The elementalist...seems to respect you. He may act somewhat reserved, but...he is likely to listen to your words. You can act as his restraint.”
“He...listens to me?” He was always considerate of me, but I thought that was because I was unreliable. He respects me?
“Besides, unless I am mistaken, someone else has filled that role in his life before now. Otherwise, I do not think he could have survived this long.”
“Someone else...has been supporting him?” I asked.
“It is how the world works. Partings are aplenty. Perhaps his fervor to defeat the demon lords is his attempt at revenge. Maybe they have taken someone precious from him...”
Had he also lost someone dear to him? No... That’s not it.
“He said one of the goddesses gave him his mission,” I said.
“Yet he is not one of the Sacred Deities’ believers. Indeed, he is not a disciple of any deity.”
“Well...” She was right. He had claimed to be on a mission from the goddess, but he wasn’t part of Althena’s faith. I knew that because of my Appraisal skill.
Many mysteries surrounded Makoto.
“You should find out more about him,” the dragon said. “Support him too. Not as I do—subservience due to defeat—nor as the Undyne here does. Also not as the little vampire does. You alone can act as his equal.”
“R-Right...” My heart skipped a beat as she said that. I felt like I knew him, and I trusted his strength. That faith had made me assume everything was fine.
But I hadn’t known...that he was throwing his life away to protect us. Whether his protection of me came from a divine decree or something else, I didn’t know.
I looked at his face. He was sleeping peacefully, features relaxed. As he dozed, not a single muscle twitched. And watching him...I felt my heart speed up.
◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇
“Let’s practice Sun Magic, Makoto!” Abel exclaimed.
“S-Sure.”
This—Abel starting up conversations—had become a much more common occurrence since yesterday. This was our second day of travel. The weather had turned foul though, so we’d landed early and made camp.
We’d wandered a bit, looking for shelter from the driving wind and rain, but Mel had declared it a bother—she’d used her magic to create a house. That’s crazy convenient!
Once we’d finished eating, we had some free time—well, training time.
Mel was currently speaking to Momo. “Come on, little vampire—time to practice teleporting. First, you need to correctly envision both your current location and your destination’s coordinates. If you fail, you will send yourself off into the sky.”
“I-I don’t know what you mean!” Momo protested.
“First, I shall demonstrate. Then you will follow suit.”
“What?! You’re not going to explain?!”
“Don’t think! Feel!”
“I caaaan’t!”
Mel had taken up the mantle of Momo’s teacher. I had no clue about the higher levels of Fate Magic—including the use of Teleport—but it sounded like Mel was really getting into it. I was jealous.
“Makoto, I’ll use Synchro with you and cast some Sun Magic. Focus on how it feels.”
“R-Right, Abel.” Abel was right next to me, and I was somewhat taken aback at the difference in behavior compared to yesterday.
“Wrong, Makoto.”
“Huh?”
“I said you should call me Anna when I’m like this, didn’t I?”
“R-Right. Okay then, Anna.”
“Good! I look forward to working with you,” Abel—or rather Anna—smiled as she stood in front of me.
That’s right—Abel was in her female body right now.
“Why...that body?” I asked.
“I can use magic better like this.”
“The avians are a race that excel at magic,” Mel remarked from where she was tutoring Momo. “Not even the demons outclass them.”
“Huh...” Mel sure knows a lot.
Anna stood in front of me, her wings spread. I’d thought so before, but she was practically the spitting image of Princess Noelle. She didn’t speak or act the same, but I couldn’t help but think of the princess whenever I looked at Anna. It was rather awkward.
“Is there something on my face?” she asked.
“Ack...” Damn, I’d been staring. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to answer honestly.
“You look a lot like someone I know.”
“Someone you know?” she repeated.
I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t able to admit that said acquaintance was her descendant...but still.
Anna hummed, tapping a finger on her cheek. She really does seem different when she’s Anna rather than Abel.
Anna seemed to think of something, and her smile took on an impish air.
“Is this ‘someone’ I look like, perhaps, a lover?” Her gaze searched my own.
“Wha?!” Momo yelled. “Sir Makoto?! What’s this about?!”
“Little one! We’re training.”
Momo didn’t listen to Mel’s admonition—she bounded over to us. “So you like beauties like Anna?!” she demanded, closing in on me.
“M-Momo?! I’m not beautiful,” Anna protested, obviously flustered.
Though I did agree that Anna was beautiful, Momo was jumping to conclusions about the rest.
“Anna looks similar to my friend’s fiancée,” I told them.
“Oh... That’s all?” Anna muttered. Apparently, she was somewhat let down by that answer.
“O-Ohhh. I see. You don’t have a lover, huh?” Momo asked.
She let out a looong sigh. Rude.
“What?” I asked. “I do.”
I’d promised to come back for Lucy, plus I had Sasa, Sophia, and Princess... More than a few, actually. I managed to keep the names and numbers to myself, though.
Mel, Momo, and Anna practically gaped at me.
What?
“Makoto...not that I’m doubting you...but do you really?” Anna asked.
“Why’d you ask?”
“Well...” Anna looked like she couldn’t quite bring herself to say.
I’m not lying! I mean, a thousand years from now, I’m a State-Authorized Hero. That should make me pretty popular...I think.
“She wants to know how you have a lover when you’re a virgin,” Mel explained absently.
“Wha?!” How’d she know?!
“Right! Teacher Mel told me about vampires! Your blood tastes great! It’s got a mellow scent and feels like velvet on the tongue—that’s the taste of a virgin!”
“Oy,” I retorted crankily. But...there was nothing else I could say. She didn’t need to be so obtuse about it! Also, velvet?! Who was it? Who tainted Momo?! I glared at Mel, and she looked away.
“That’s right.” Dia nodded solemnly. “My liege is of pure body. He hasn’t done anything like that.”
They all...! Even with Calm Mind, I was shocked. “How do you all know?!” I shouted. This was the loudest I’d been since arriving in this era. My exploits, or lack thereof, had leaked somehow... I soon found out the following:
Knew through Appraisal—Mel and Anna.
Knew from my blood—Momo.
Knew...somehow—Dia.
Also, Dia, what is “knew...somehow” even supposed to mean?!
“D-Don’t be angry...” Anna whispered.
I slumped over, then took a deep breath. “I’m not angry.”
After a moment, I managed to overcome the shock and carry on with training. Things were silent for a while before I started the conversation again.
“It’s not fair that you found out my secret,” I complained to Anna. “You should tell me yours.”
“My secret?” she asked. Her eyes were flitting around in a panic.
“U-Umm... W-Well, I have the Sun Priestess skill!”
“Oh, I see.” I already knew that. Well, a thousand years from now, even children knew that.
“You’re not surprised at all!”
“What else?” I pressed.
“Uh...you want something else?”
“Would you tell me what skills you have?” I asked. “All of them.” I wanted to hear, from her own mouth, what skills she possessed as both Anna and Abel.
“I-I suppose so?”
She proceeded to list a whole parade of powerful skills.
“Aaand that’s all,” she finished.
“You don’t have any others?”
“Huh? No, that’s all of them...?”
“Could you check again? Look closely at your Soul Book,” I insisted.
“O-Okay, I will... What?!” Her eyes opened wide. “H-Hero of Light? What in the...?”
“So you do have it.”
When Abel had broken Cain’s armor, his blade had been glowing with prismatic light. That glow was proof of a divine rank or equivalent attack. According to what Althena had told me, only the Hero of Light could use that skill.
“Makoto!” She rounded on me, her eyes menacing and accusatory. “How did you know I had a new skill?!”
“Hm? Uh...Althena told me.”
“Do you think I’ll believe anything if you use the excuse that the goddess told you?!”
“No, I don’t think that,” I said stiltedly. Admittedly, because she was so innocent, I had kinda assumed that I could blame everything on the revelation from Althena.
“Makoto, did Althena really give you a revelation? You aren’t hiding anything from me?”
For some reason, her accusations kept coming. Not good.
“Well, couldn’t you ask her? You’re the Priestess of the Sun, right?” A priestess could hear the voice of their goddess. And I definitely had been given the revelation from Althena...a thousand years from now. Asking the goddess personally would clear things up.
“I...can’t.”
“Why?” I asked her this, though I already had my suspicions about the answer.
“The Clouds of Darkness. They’re covering the sky, and I can’t hear her unless the sun reaches me... I’m a useless priestess.” She slumped over, despondent.
“Well then, guess there’s not much we can do,” I replied as brightly as possible. “Ask her if you get the chance—I definitely did receive a revelation from her. For now, I’ll just have to ask you to trust me.”
“Right...”
“We’re off topic. Let’s carry on training,” I suggested.
It was a good thing Anna didn’t realize what that new skill of hers meant. Then again, being the Hero of Light when there was no sunlight was like having a car with no fuel. We’ll have to drop it for now.
“Um...about my secret...” Anna murmured, coming in close. Her face was red.
“Eh, it’s fine. You told me your skills, so we’re even.”
“No...I feel bad for finding out a personal secret of yours...”
“You don’t need to.” After all, the Grandsage, Mel, and Dia had found out too. It’d be pointless to worry about Anna knowing when everyone else did as well...ha ha.
“Well...I don’t have any experience either,” she admitted.
I looked at her questioningly for a moment. Her meaning wasn’t clicking in my brain.
“I’m...a virgin too,” she whispered, right into my ear, her face now bright crimson.
Saint?! What are you saying?!
“We match,” she concluded.
I gave a shaky nod. “O-Okay.”
“Sh-Shall we get back to training?!”
“Y-Yes!”
The rest of our practice that day was rather awkward.
The rain had eased off by morning, so we continued traveling. After several hours, we spotted our destination from atop Mel’s back.
“Let’s land here,” the dragon suggested. We did just that.
Using Clairvoyance, I could see walls in the distance. The walls looked new, but I nonetheless recognized the area. In the future, it had just been wide plains and ruins. But standing before us now was a huge walled city and a gorgeous castle.
We had arrived in Laphroaig’s capital, Cornet.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login