Chapter 4: Makoto Takatsuki Fights Enemies Attacking Horn
“Let’s head for Highland, then,” I suggested to everyone. We had no real reason to stay in Horn long-term.
“Because there weren’t any goblins?” Lucy teased.
Yeah, problem?
“There aren’t many elementals here, so it makes training more difficult,” I said, trying to give an excuse that any Elementaler would. Still, the bigger reason for leaving was that barrier around the capital; since there were no monsters to hunt, I’d be in the financial red while we stayed in Horn.
Sasa agreed, fiddling with her hair. “That sounds fine.”
I guess she wasn’t fond of the area after she’d beat up all the knights. We often came across them in the town, but usually they were the ones avoiding her gaze.
“Very well. We should inform the castle before we leave,” Fujiyan told us.
We had to do that?
“I will go and bid our farewells,” Chris offered.
“Shall I come with you, Miss Chris’h?”
“Nina, I’ve told you not to bother with the ‘Miss.’ Let’s go together.”
“Okay, Chris’h. I’ll go get ready’h.”
The friendship between them obviously wasn’t just skin deep. You’d never guess that they’d been at each other’s throats until the other day.
We all got ready to depart Horn while we waited for them to return.
“When we informed the castle of our intent to leave, they stated that they would like to hold a banquet and instructed that we should come to the castle tonight,” Chris explained with a troubled expression.
“They wish to stop us...I suppose,” Fujiyan murmured.
“And, if we don’t go...” I began, looking over everyone.
“We have to, Makoto. Honestly, what are you thinking?” Lucy asked, folding her arms and sighing.
“It’s best to give proper farewells to all those higher-ups, Takatsuki,” Sasa added.
You too?! Both my party-mates were scolding me...
All right, I’d learn eventually. This was a forced event, then.
“Maybe there’ll be a load of tasty food,” Sasa pondered. Was she just after the meal...?
“Roses’s court chefs are apparently of a very high caliber’h,” Nina answered dutifully.
Guess that means I can get my hopes up too.
So, the whole group ended up going to the castle again.
“Wowowow! This is amazing, Takatsuki!” Sasa exclaimed.
“Mmm, this is great! Sasa, try this.”
“Calm down, you two.” Lucy’s exasperation at the both of us was no surprise.
My imagination had underestimated the quality of the cooking—every dish was superb.
There was steak so tender that you could tease it apart with chopsticks, and a sashimi platter that featured fish similar to a huge tuna. (It was even served with something close to soy sauce!) There were also crab and shrimp dishes with tempura vegetables alongside vivid salads.
Was it a coincidence that so much of it was similar to Japanese food?
Well...no. They were probably doing it on purpose to appeal to our tastes.
“Takatsuki! There’s a dessert corner!”
“Right! Let’s go!”
The party was buffet-style, so Sasa was having plenty of fun eating her way around the room. Honestly, I was too. I was glad we’d come.
“Makoto, what do you think? Does Roses’s food measure up to your tastes?” It was Prince Leonardo. I didn’t want to be rude, so I straightened up in front of him. The fact that Sasa was gulping down wine behind me weighed on my mind. I hope she doesn’t get too drunk and do anything improper...
“It’s the first time I’ve had such delicious food,” I answered honestly. Really, I did think so.
“I suggested to my sister that we have this buffet,” Prince Leonardo admitted. “I wanted to talk to you again.” His youthful eyes were sparkling, and he looked just like an adorable girl. Honestly, that amount of cuteness was wasted on a guy.
“Makoto, would you show me some magic again?”
“Ummm...okay. Come this way.”
It’s not like I could half-ass a request from a prince. Luckily, I’d spotted a fountain in the castle gardens.
“Elementals, elementals...” I murmured, borrowing some mana from the few elementals in the area. “Water Magic: Dance!”
I used the fountain’s water to sculpt mermaids, birds, horses, and other animals before animating the figures and making them dance. It was like a performance of water, and the band that’d been playing music changed the tune to match the tempo of the water dancers.
There were only a few elementals, but there was a decent chunk of mana within the palace’s fountain. I remembered the feel of the water from the Water Temple. That must’ve been the source of the water in the fountain, now that I thought about it.
“W-Wow! How much practice did it take to get that skilled with water magic?!”
“It’s not that special. I can only use this type of magic, after all.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Prince Leonardo seemed happy with my exhibition.
“Hey, Makoto. What’s your mastery level at now?” Lucy asked, poking me in the cheek while holding a champagne flute in her other hand. The red, off-shoulder dress looked good on her. I shouldn’t have been surprised that she could blend into places like this.
“It’s over 150, I think,” I told her quietly. Modifying the Soul Book was illegal, after all, so I couldn’t be too loud about it. Officially, it was recorded as 99.
She let out a small groan. “Mine’s still only 30...” she said, slumping.
“Don’t worry about it—when we met, it was only level 10.”
She was growing, and besides, it was easier to improve your mastery when you had lesser skills to begin with. With weak magic, it was necessary to be able to cast more spells. For a king rank mage like Lucy, though, a single use of magic was difficult. Each time she cast a spell, she had to control an ocean of power. It was way easier for a low rank mage like me with barely any mana...though it made me sad to admit it.
While I was considering that, the prince tugged on my shirt.
“Makoto! Would you teach me magic?!” he requested with shining eyes. “I want you to be my teacher.”
Will you grant Prince Leonardo’s request?
Yes
No
It’d been a while since I’d had an RPG Player choice pop up.
Picking “yes” would mean that we’d need to stay in Horn for a while. “No” would... Well, could I even refuse the prince’s request?
I didn’t dislike him. He was friendly and he earnestly idolized me. His sister was scary though. As I hemmed and hawed, I heard a cool voice.
“Leo, what are you doing?”
◇ Princess Sophia’s Perspective ◇
We had organized this party at Leo’s request. Still, though, I could not see why he was so taken with Makoto Takatsuki. That boy was simply a mage that could use his water magic somewhat skillfully, and there were countless such people in this country.
However, Leo had passionately protested against this assertion. “You’re wrong, sister! Can’t you see how precise his water magic is?! It’s almost like it’s alive!”
Regardless, such techniques would be of no use for defeating the Great Demon Lord; they were mere children’s playthings after all.
Though that being said, all the otherworld heroes I’d wanted to conscript...had already left the country. That much was my fault. They had come from another world, so their faith in our goddess was minimal. Forcing this country’s rules upon them was my mistake.
Princess Noelle from Highland was doing far better. She had provided riches, land, and even lovers to those who followed her goddess. I perhaps should have done the same, but it was too late now.
My mother was even going so far as to start bizarre rumors and was demanding that I use my looks to bring the Hero of Light to Roses. There would be no point, though... Compared to Princess Noelle of Amaterasu, the priestess of the sun goddess, I had no way of winning.
Oh? Leonardo’s talking with Makoto Takatsuki. I hope that apprentice mage won’t be a bad influence.
“Sister! I was just asking Makoto to teach me magic!”
“G-Good evening, Princess Sophia.”
Leo had a full grin spread across his face, while Makoto Takatsuki’s was more awkward.
“Leo, he is an adventurer. You shouldn’t ask too much.” A prince seeking instruction from an adventurer indicated our pathetic state of affairs...and beyond anything else, Makoto Takatsuki was a mage apprentice.
What was my brother thinking...?
“Prince Leonardo, if you wish to learn magic, then I’m sure there are many mages willing to instruct you who are more qualified than I am,” Makoto Takatsuki replied.
Well answered. That response keeps your standing in mind, I thought.
“Leo, I can arrange a water magic instructor from the palace later.” Our country’s lack of even any ultra rank mages was a pitiful position for us to be in.
“No, sister! Makoto’s magic is a work of art. It’s not like anyone else’s.”
The man in question responded with a rueful smile. “Well, that’s overselling me a bit.”
“Leo...works of art won’t defeat monsters or demons.”
This was strange... Somehow, Makoto Takatsuki and I were working together to persuade Leo.
Just as I was considering how we should withdraw from this situation, there came a cry that interrupted the party.
“A group of monsters has appeared in the town!”
◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇
“How?” Princess Sophia asked, her calm voice cutting through the noise of the hall. “Has the barrier been broken?”
“W-Well, a group just suddenly appeared in the town! The cause is currently unclear and we are prioritizing the evacuation of the civilians.”
“Go at once to the guild and request their aid. Inform the adventurers that we will pay for saving civilians as well as defeating monsters. If they hesitate, offer them double.”
“At once, Your Highness!” the group of soldiers replied.
Sophia had calmly taken command of the situation. That’s some quick decision-making!
“As for the palace knights, they are all to aid with the subjugation of the monsters and protecting our citizens,” ordered Princess Sophia.
“Sister!” called Prince Leonardo. “I can help!”
Sophia paused for a moment. “Very well,” she answered. “Come with me.”
Maybe she didn’t want to expose him to so much danger...but hiding a hero away while his own country was in peril just wouldn’t work.
“Sasa, Lucy, we’re helping too,” I declared. We weren’t affiliated with the guild in this town, but we were still adventurers of Roses. We could aid in some way.
“Got it, Makoto,” said Lucy
Sasa also agreed. “Right, let’s go, Takatsuki.” The two of them gave firm nods.
Then, Fujiyan called out to me. “Tackie!”
“Fujiyan, you evacuate with Nina and Chris. Nina, look after them!” She was a gold rank adventurer after all, so I knew she could keep them safe.
“Leave it to me’h! Husband, Chris, let’s go’h!”
And so, everyone left for our own destinations.
Horn was burning.
Well, more accurately, there were plumes of smoke surrounding the city—it wasn’t completely ablaze yet.
The rampaging beasts seemed scattered. There weren’t that many, but people who’d never seen monsters before were fairly scared of them. Screams echoed from all around.
“Hyah!” Sasa yelled as she blasted a kobold-looking thing away with a single punch.
“Earth Magic: Stone Shot!” Lucy’s spell caught an orc in its head and brought it down.
“This way!” I called, guiding an older person by the hand toward the temple that had become an emergency shelter.
With no source of water—and no elementals—there was little I could do with my magic... Well, helping rescue citizens was an indispensable job as well.
Suddenly, the alert from Sense Danger started blaring in my head.
“Makoto, look!”
“Takatsuki, it’s a griffin!”
Lucy and Sasa’s calls prompted me to turn. I saw a lion-bodied monster with the head of an eagle, rushing through the sky on its wings...and headed straight for me. There’s a griffin in the city?!
“Guess this was never going to be easy!” I grumbled, pulling out my dagger.
“Get back!” The former bodyguard had leaped in front of me and was facing down the griffin head-on. Would he be okay?
Slam! Beast collided with man.
“Grrrgggh...” The former bodyguard’s face had gone red, but he’d brought the griffin to a halt!
Not bad!
Without holding back, I drew power from my tiny mana pool. “Water Magic: Ice Cutter!” The griffin screeched as magical blades of ice pierced its eyes.
“Earth Magic: Stone Shot!”
“Hyah!”
Lucy’s high-speed boulder hit at the same time as Sasa’s Charged Attack. The griffin was smashed into a house and there, it stopped moving.
Those two were really something...
While this griffin might’ve been on the smaller side, I was surprised at how much easier it had gone down compared to the larger one I’d fought with Jean’s party.
“Captain!”
“Are you okay?!”
“Thank you, adventurers!”
The former bodyguard’s subordinates had arrived.
“Hey, Takatsuki?” Sasa asked, looking at the griffin’s corpse meaningfully.
I followed suit and stared at the monster. Then suddenly, it clicked. “Isn’t this the one from the circus?”
“The other monsters look like the same ones too,” Lucy confirmed.
I could even see scraps of costumes clinging to the beasts...the exact same ones that the circus monsters had been wearing. Had they escaped? But even if they had, would they all rampage at once like this?
“Makoto Takatsuki, do you recognize these monsters?” the former bodyguard asked as he came over to me.
“I think they’re from the circus troupe that was set up in the middle of town,” I told him.
“What?! So this is their fault?! What are those tamers playing at?!”
“Let’s go check it out,” I suggested. If people hadn’t managed to escape the circus, then the tent would be the most dangerous location. All of us headed toward the central plaza.
“This is awful...” Sasa murmured.
I felt the same way. The plaza had definitely seen the most destruction. Houses had been destroyed, and the street lighting was all bent out of shape. The corpses of monsters...along with some partially eaten people...were scattered around.
“So it was them...” mumbled Lucy.
But then, a roar shook the air.
Before us was a giant, standing about ten meters tall, and rampaging.
“Forward!” the former bodyguard yelled, and his subordinates all chorused an affirmative.
I gave orders to our team too. “Lucy, aim for its head. Sasa, I’ll wreck its footing, so you finish it off.”
“Got it.”
“Leave it to me.”
I then examined the large water fountain in the plaza. Great, I can use this.
The former bodyguard was out front and leading the charge to attack the giant.
The beast’s movements were clumsy, so the soldiers could easily avoid any attacks. However, the creature’s sheer size meant that the knights also couldn’t land any meaningful blows of their own. Just as I was about to advance, some more people appeared.
“Hey, are you adventurers too?!”
“This thing’s the biggest threat!”
“Give us a hand!”
“We’ll split the reward!”
The adventurers from Horn’s guild had started to gather. Great! We’ve already won!
Makoto, stay on guard, Noah advised in my mind.
All right, goddess, I’ll be as careful as ever.
“Fire Magic: Fireball!”
“Wood Magic: Wind Sword!”
“Meteo!”
The guild mages blasted the giant with magic, and Lucy launched hers off alongside them.
She’s gained way more control over her power, I mused.
As I approached, I surveyed the giant. It’d taken the spells head-on and was woozy but still moving. This thing was as tough as it was big.
“Water Magic: Flow.” I pulled the water from the fountain and dashed it against the giant, splashing the knights near it in the process.
“Hey!” Their leader didn’t seem too happy at that, but I’d explain later.
“Water Magic: Ice Floor.” I cast the spell quickly, freezing the ground underneath the beast.
“Whuh?” huffed the giant. It struggled to maintain balance, but...ended up falling on its backside.
“Now!”
“Kill it!”
The knights swarmed it to attack.
There was a fwish of something shooting through the air, and then I saw a small figure lancing toward the giant’s head.
Sasa!
She’d jumped several meters up and then had kicked hard, using the resistance from the air to rise even higher. She then fell toward the head, and there was a huge thud as she impacted. Double Jump was definitely a convenient skill.
Sasa’s kick collided, and the giant’s head slammed into the ground. Instantly, it ceased all movement.
“Hurray!”
“Is it dead?!”
The group of adventurers erupted into cheers. But, just in case, the archers and mages threw a few more attacks at it. There was no response—it must’ve been defeated.
“That kick was incredible,” one of the adventurers said to Sasa. “Are you gold rank?”
“What was that ‘Meteo’ spell?”
“You really pulled us out of the fire. Where’s your party based out of?”
Lucy and Sasa seemed slightly embarrassed, but happy as well. I kept half an eye on them and used the rest of my attention to check around with my Scout skill.
There aren’t any strong monsters left alive, so we should all be fine. Well, to be fair, my skill detected that the giant was still actually alive, but it was gradually weakening. Some of the adventurers were keeping a careful watch on it, but it looked like their concern wouldn’t be needed since it’d be dead soon.
“You were a real help.”
I looked over to find the former bodyguard standing at my side.
“I’m proud to call them friends,” I said of Lucy and Sasa. They really were too good for me.
“No, I mean you. Your magic brought that thing down to our level, no? Without that quick-wittedness, we never would have won.”
“Really?”
I was pretty sure the girls could’ve taken it out together, even without me.
Just then, Princess Sophia approached us along with Prince Leonardo. “What happened here?” They might’ve been surrounded by an escort, but shouldn’t they have evacuated?
“Lady Sophia! The monsters in the plaza have all been eliminated!” the former bodyguard reported.
“I see. Well done, everyone.”
Those in the area nodded in satisfaction at her words. The adventurers and knights alike seemed happy to get a personal thanks from her. Seeing her like this... She really did give off the impression of a great princess. She wasn’t even afraid of exposing herself to danger.
“Lady Sophia!” a knight called, running swiftly over from the tent. He’d apparently been investigating the circus. “The tamers are all dead!”
That wasn’t the best of reports. Had the monsters gotten them?
“The tamers were all killed by bladed weapons, so it was most likely not the work of the monsters.”
“Search for survivors,” Sophia commanded. “We need to hear the details.”
“At once!”
Something treacherous must have happened. I wonder if those clowns are safe. Wait a minute...I remember now. When I was pretending to be a clown, that man mentioned something about looking forward to the surprise today...
Thinking back, that whole situation seemed at least a little suspicious.
Just as I was considering telling the group about my experience, a sharp pain raced through my head.
“Agh!” It felt like I’d been smashed in the skull with a hammer.
That...that was Sense Danger. I remembered this level of pain... It was the same sensation I’d felt when the earth dragon in Labyrinthos had leaped out at us.
Which meant...there was a calamity level monster here? That was impossible.
“Makoto, what’s wrong?”
“Are you not feeling well?”
Lucy and Sasa both seemed concerned as my face contorted with pain.
“What is it, Makoto Takatsuki?” The older guy (the former bodyguard) was worried too.
“There’s a calamity level monster...nearby,” I managed to spit out.
“Huh?”
“Where?!”
“What?!”
The three of them glanced around in shock.
“But I cannot see anything like that...?” questioned the former bodyguard.
He was right. Where is it? This is the capital city, not a dungeon.
Suddenly, I heard a faint voice.
Y...ou...hate...ful...hu...mans...
The voice was overflowing with resentment. Was it the giant?
Yup, they’re hateful. I get it, I really do, came another voice. This speaker was strange. Childish, girlish. Soft and quiet.
N...ee...ed...pow...er...
That definitely came from the dying giant, and the words were rough and labored. I had a bad feeling about this.
“Someone kill that giant!” I yelled, commanding the adventurers who were near it.
I’ll give you power. That was the softer speaker again. What will you repay me with?
“Lucy, Sasa, can you hear that kid’s voice?” I asked.
“What?”
“A kid’s voice?”
No one else can hear it?
But then, the almost-dead giant suddenly stood. “Graaaaaaahhhh!” Strangely, its body began to fall apart. Wait, no... Its skin was splitting, but something red was bubbling up from underneath its flesh. The thick scarlet goop hit the ground and hissed, scorching the pavement black.
Was that...lava? It was! Lava soon covered its body and the giant started to transform.
White things were floating in the lava too... Were they bones? They were. Lots of them. This change was so grotesque and just wrong that I couldn’t even wonder who the bones belonged to or why they weren’t melting.
Now, said the soft voice, let us fight against our fate of perdition! Take out as many as you can!
What the hell did that mean?
At that, the child’s voice faded away, and the giant’s low roar morphed into a screech of grating glass. That sound was something I’d heard before...
“A blight...monster...it’s a blight...giant...” I heard one of the other adventurers mutter dazedly.
That’s right—in Labyrinthos, I’d seen something like this grotesque form and had heard a similar grating call. Back then, it had been the blight dragons. This was a completely different thing, but the wrongness and creepiness of it felt the same.
Regardless, none of that mattered now. It was clear that if we didn’t defeat this thing, countless people would die and the city would be thrown into chaos.
“Lucy, Sasa! Wait...wha?” I turned to address my party members but instantly fell silent.
The chilling roar echoed around us again. The knights, the adventurers, and Lucy were all sitting on the ground with pale faces.
“Lucy?!” I felt a chill crawl through me as I rushed over to her.
“Makoto...I-I’m fine...”
“You’re not even slightly fine!” I put my arm around her shaking shoulders. What happened?
“Blight monsters’ voices instill fear...”
I turned around to see Princess Sophia still standing, but ashen-faced. She must have had some resistance against debuffs because she wasn’t on the floor like the others. It did look like she was struggling though.
I turned to Sasa next. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I feel fine. But it’s creepy...” Sasa was a monster as well, a lamia, so the debuff must’ve had less of an effect.
“Makoto, are you all right?” Prince Leonardo asked. He seemed fine as well, but I guess that was because of his goddess’s divine protection; the same seemed true of other heroes, like Sakurai. At least I could relax on that front since the heroes in this world were so unfairly overpowered.
“I have a skill called Calm Mind,” I explained.
Princess Sophia seemed surprised by that. “Still, for the blight beast to have such little effect on you...”
But this was the second time I’d encountered blighted monsters, after all, so I was used to it.
“I’ll defeat the blight giant!” the prince exclaimed, readying a sword that shone blue. I suppose it must have been a magic sword because mana began flowing from the blade. I’d bet it was an heirloom weapon of the royal family.
“Leo...take care.” The princess usually seemed aloof, but her expression now was laced with worry.
“I will!” Prince Leonardo called. “Blizzard Sword, Slice!”
He swung the sword, and a huge blade of magic impacted the giant.
Nice! It hit like ten of Jean’s sword strikes, and the magic cut deep into the body of the giant. But...
“It’s...regenerating,” Sasa murmured, exhaling.
The giant’s wound was indeed healing, just as Sasa had said. Whether the attack had damaged the creature or not, it was impossible to tell.
Suddenly, the giant’s arm rocketed toward the prince, who hurriedly tried to gain some distance. He was cutting it very close.
“Leo!” Princess Sophia screamed.
“Guh!” the prince grunted, swinging the sword once more...only for the same thing to happen again. Did he not have any special skills? I remember that Sakurai’s sword of light had some.
I glanced at the princess and found her praying anxiously. Hmm, it didn’t look like the prince was hiding some trump card...
Huh?
Honestly, I’d been pretty relaxed so far. After all, I’d seen Sakurai take down those blight dragons with a single blow. Heroes were overwhelmingly strong people in the pecking order of this world, so I’d thought that Prince Leonardo would be the same.
Makoto, Noah said to me, the Hero of Light is special. Also, little Leonardo is fairly weak compared to the other heroes...
Oh, he was?
I held on to Lucy and peered around again.
The knights and adventurers were all immobile from fear. Sasa could move, but a barehanded attack against the lava-covered giant was ridiculous; she’d end up burning her arm off if she tried. And our trump card, “the Hero of Ice and Snow,” hadn’t been able to do much.
We...might be in a bit of a state here.
A cold bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.
Once again, the giant’s fist came for the prince. It was evident that he wouldn’t be able to dodge it this time!
“Prince!” The former bodyguard dove and knocked the boy out of the way.
In the prince’s stead, the former bodyguard took the giant’s blow. It was like a truck had smashed into him—he bounced off the floor before slamming into a wall and plowing right through it.
“Old-timer!” I yelled. The former bodyguard gave no response. He...must have...died... The giant’s attack had certainly been fatal.
Damn it!
I gritted my teeth, but I couldn’t focus on that right now. I had to let it go and not lose my cool.
I set Calm Mind to 99%.
“Aahhhhh!” The prince, however, did lose it, reacting with anguish when he realized that his ally was dead. His movements started getting sloppy.
“Hey, Takatsuki,” Sasa began. “I...can die up to four more times...so should I give it a shot?”
I shook my head. “No. I doubt that an unarmed attack will do much good against a lava-covered giant.”
Regardless of anything else, I couldn’t accept her attacking with the assumption that she’d perish in the process.
At this point, the blight giant seemed to be getting used to the prince’s attacks. It was learning, and its counterattacks had started to change. Each time it moved, globs of lava shed from its body and set the ground alight. With fire raging beneath his footsteps, the prince was running out of places to move. He’d soon be caught.
“Sasa, help Prince Leonardo!” I commanded. “Throw a boulder or some rubble at the giant and grab its attention. Don’t move too close though—you can’t get hit!”
“G-Got it. I’ll do my best.”
I offered a mental apology for asking her to do something so dangerous but then noticed that Princess Sophia was watching me.
“Makoto Takatsuki...” she murmured. “Is there nothing you can do...?”
“Princess Sophia...”
As she asked for my aid, her face looked shattered, heartbroken.
Will you accept Princess Sophia’s request?
▶Yes
No
On an emotional level, I’d definitely pick yes...but how was I physically supposed to defeat this thing?
Come on, I thought. There must be a way...there’s gotta be. Is there some hint? A revival item? A support character? If we were in Macallan or Labyrinthos, then I could at least use elemental magic...but here?
I racked my mind, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
What do I—
Just then, I was interrupted by Noah. Makoto...use Princess Sophia.
What? Noah? Use her? What did she mean?
Use... Wait, maybe?
“Princess Sophia!” I yelled. “Do you have any magic skills?”
“I do not have any training as a mage...but I do have Ice Magic (King Rank). I can only use self-defense spells, though...”
That’s it! I grabbed her hand immediately. That might’ve been rude, but I’d apologize later.
“What are you doing?!” she demanded, but I’d expected that response.
“Sorry, but I’ve gotta borrow your mana to save him.”
“V-Very well,” she conceded. It seemed like the words “save him” had been enough to make her calm down.
I held onto her hand and concentrated.
Synchro.
Instantly, it felt like I’d dropped into a waterfall—pleasantly chill mana flowed into me.
“Ngh!” I heard the princess gasp quietly.
“Sasa! Prince Leonardo! Get back!” The prince didn’t hear me, but Sasa dragged him away from the giant.
“Water Magic: Water Dragon!”
A dragon of ice gushed forward from my hand toward the blighted beast.
Huh? Water Dragon turned into an ice dragon? It must’ve been because of the princess’s ice affinity.
The ice dragon struck the giant, which bellowed a reverberating roar as its lava skin started to freeze. Its movement slowed slightly. Maybe this would actually work well?
The giant gave another roar, ripping the ice dragon off.
“Makoto Takatsuki...what on earth?” Princess Sophia asked.
“I used Synchro with you to tap into your magic... Are you okay?”
“I-I am, but let me re—”
As soon as I heard her say she was all right, I interrupted. “Then let’s keep going.”
“What?”
I upped the rate of mana transfer and even more of her power poured into me.
“Hau!” She shuddered, her back arching. Maybe I pulled too much at once?
“Water Magic: Twin Ice Dragons.” This time, I used two of the dragons to attack. They managed to slightly damage the blight giant, but it crushed them eventually.
“Hmm, ultra rank isn’t quite cutting it...”
The princess was breathing heavily. Keeping Synchro active for too long might not be good for her.
“U-Um... My body...is hot...”
“Can you manage?” I asked. “Does it hurt?”
“N-No...it doesn’t hurt.”
“Then we’ll finish it with the next one. Full power.”
“What, that wasn’t—”
Full Synchro.
It felt like I’d become utterly one with her. I sank deep, deep, and deeper still into the princess.
“Guh! Ahhhhgnnn...!”
She let out gasps each time that sounded almost pained... Was she really not suffering?
Still, I had vast quantities of her mana to work with, and it was far easier to use than elemental magic. This might just do it.
“Water Magic: Yamata—” I’d been planning on casting the same king rank spell I’d used in Labyrinthos, but I changed my mind midway through. Setting that one loose in the city would catch the adventurers and knights in the crossfire.
So let’s change it up! “Water Magic: Ice Phoenix.”
Phoenix was usually a king rank fire spell, so I changed the composition to water magic instead.
Not bad, Makoto, I heard the goddess say.
Your praise is an honor. Also, thank you for the hint.
You’re welllcooome.
In moments, the spell was complete. A huge phoenix made of ice appeared in front of us.
That’s so cool!
“Go!” I ordered. “Defeat the blight giant.”
The ice phoenix screeched shrilly as it attacked.
“W-Was that...king rank?” Princess Sophia stammered.
“Yup, thanks to you.” I grinned.
That’s what having a high skill rank could do for you.
“R-Right...I see.”
“It should be over soon, look.” I pointed to where the blight giant was starting to completely freeze over.
All right, let’s finish it here. I still had some of the mana I’d borrowed.
“Water Magic: Tundra Gaol!” This spell would capture monsters and drag them toward the magical onslaught.
Caught in the raging spell, the almost pitiful whimpers of the giant gradually weakened. Eventually, it was frozen into a sculpture...and stuck in a slightly ridiculous pose. With the ice phoenix perched atop the giant’s head, the whole thing made for quite the sight.
“Is it over?” I heard Princess Sophia whisper.
“It should stay frozen for a week or so. Do something about it before then.”
If I’d been in Macallan with all the elementals, I could’ve kept it frozen for a year, but that wouldn’t work in Horn.
“Very well,” she said after a pause.
“Phew, I think we’re good.” I sighed. That was tough.
“U-Um...” mumbled Princess Sophia.
“Princess Sophia, thank you for your mana,” I said.
“Y-You’re welcome...but, my hand?”
“Hm?”
Crap! I was still holding on to her.
“Pardon me!” I cried, dropping it immediately.
She looked as if she almost couldn’t speak for a moment, but then her face turned serious again.
“Listen well, everyone!” she called out. “The blight giant is defeated. Those who can move, scout for any remaining monsters. Continue evacuating citizens as you go. Adventurers, help as you are able. You will be well rewarded.”
“Lady Sophia!”
The first reply came from the former bodyguard.
What, hang on?!
“You’re alive, old-timer?!” I asked. He’d taken a massive blow from that giant. I hadn’t even expected his body to be recognizable.
“Aha ha. I would have been squashed like a bug if not for my Iron Wall skill...ugh!” Despite his skill, he must’ve pushed himself too far because he ended up dropping to the ground.
“Come on, don’t strain yourself,” I said. “You should rest.” I rushed over to try and support him, but he waved me off.
“I am fine. Knights, if you can move, aid the citizens. Several of you need to escort the prince and princess back to the palace!”
“Sir!” came a unified bellow from his subordinates.
The knights seemed to have rallied as well. They were all amazing... Though they’d been close to death, they were already moving back to the front lines.
Well, that organization might be the faintest bit exploitative...
“Makoto Takatsuki,” the princess called from behind me.
Prince Leonardo was slung over the shoulder of a knight who was standing close to Sophia’s side. Right now, he looked like a young kid, but he was, in fact, a hero.
I couldn’t help but feel for him a little.
“I offer you my gratitude...for earlier,” she said. “You will be properly thanked later.”
“No, it really wasn’t anything big...” The mana was hers, after all.
Without another word to me, Princess Sophia gave a command. “Let us be on our way.” The princess and knights left for the castle.
At that, I let out a relieved sigh and glanced at my own companions. Lucy was looking much better. As for Sasa...huh?
“Urgh...”
She was pale and shivering! Was this some curse from the blight giant?! Damn it! What was it?!
“I’m cooold...it’s so cold...Takatsuki...”
“Oh!”
Damn, lamiae were weak to the cold, and the huge ice phoenix and giant statue were here. Plus, the king rank magic had made it start snowing, effectively cooling the air three more degrees.
“Sasa, put this on!” I said, draping my jacket over her shoulders.
“Phew, thank you...Takatsuki.”
She was still shivering though.
“Aya, are you okay?” Lucy asked as she wobbled over.
I’ve got it!
“Sasa, come over here. You too, Lucy.” I got the two of them close and had Sasa hug Lucy.
“Hyah!” Lucy cried as Sasa’s freezing arms enveloped her.
“Ahhh, Lu, you’re so warm...”
Lucy was startled a bit, but Sasa relaxed.
“Wh-What’s going on?!” Lucy exclaimed.
“Sorry, Lucy, but we can’t let Sasa get too cold. Just stay like that for a while.”
“Hahhh, Lu the space heater.” Sasa’s pale face was regaining its color. Thank goodness. It was a great thing that Lucy was always so warm.
“Ugh, she’s so cold...” complained Lucy. “It’s all right, though. Are you okay, Aya?”
“Mmm, warm.”
“Wait, where are you touching?!”
Sasa had started feeling around Lucy’s body. “I wonder if there’s anywhere warmer.” Sasa’s hands were moving really lewdly. Yup...seeing two cute girls together sure was a sight to behold...
“Right, while we head back to the inn, let’s search for anyone that didn’t get away.”
“Sure,” the two chorused languidly.
And so, we progressed cautiously through the city back to the inn.
Goddess, that really was tiring...
◇ Fujiyan’s Perspective ◇
All around us, children were screaming, their eyes shimmering with tears as mothers tried to soothe them; frightened older people accompanied these families, and everyone was trying to escape the monsters. Yet, even in this panicked environment, Roses’s knights were keeping the groups of civilians calm as they guided us all toward the evacuation area.
“This is awful,” murmured Lady Chris, her face pale.
“I wonder if the others are all right’h? I’d prefer to join the fight too, but’h...”
“We are in Roses’s capital. Our friends will be supported by many superb knights and mages... Let us put our faith in them.” My own merchant’s skills were useless here, and I lamented my lack of combat utility.
“Nina, you are to become a member of the Macallan family. You cannot join adventurers and expose yourself to danger,” said Lady Chris.
“But everyone else is in trouble’h! And I’m the only one safe back here’h...”
Lady Chris did not want Lady Nina jumping into the fray, while the latter was worried about the rest of our friends. I myself felt pained since I understood both of their perspectives.
However, the anxious thoughts of our group were not dissimilar to those of the other fleeing citizens; it seemed like the whole evacuation shelter was filled with unease and sadness, all—
One moment?
My Mind Reading skill had picked up something strange...
“Lady Nina, Lady Chris, a word?” I asked, interrupting their clash of opinions.
Everyone around us seemed consumed by fearful thoughts about the monsters...except for one person. Someone with a joyous mindset had suddenly appeared.
That man was possibly...
“Lady Nina, could you capture the man over there? The one wearing that deep hat.”
Lady Chris let out a noise of shock as Lady Nina questioned my motives. “Husband’h? What do you mean’h?”
Of course the two of them were surprised. “I will take responsibility for it, but he must not be allowed to escape,” I told them.
“You must have some reason’h...” mused Nina. “Got it’h.”
“Mr. Fujiwara, please explain later.”
I would need to tell them both about my mind reading...
“I will lure him to a secluded location,” I said. “Lady Nina, I am counting on you to handle the rest.”
“Leave it to me’h.”
“Both of you, be careful,” Lady Chris cautioned.
The others were risking their lives and putting themselves in much more danger, so I would do what I could as well.
◇ Princess Sophia’s Perspective ◇
The knights had been ordered to aid the civilians. I’d returned to the castle and left Leo in the care of the palace doctors. Now, as I neared my personal room, my escort spoke up. “Ah, Princess? Perhaps a period of rest—”
“I do not need it,” I replied. “I need to check the temple and see how the civilians have fared throughout the evacuation. Are mother and father well?”
“They are! His and Her Majesties have been moved to a safe location.”
“Good. I will get changed.”
“I will help,” offered my escort.
“That is unnecessary. Wait there.”
I gave the order, then entered my room and closed the door behind me. I sighed out a breath. As the air left my lips, I let my Coldhearted skill drop. It was a unique skill I possessed that constantly kept my emotions running cool, and it had saved me in countless situations. However, it made my expressions rather frosty as well, which was a slight downside.
The emotions that Coldhearted had been suppressing suddenly flared up now, all at once, and made me gasp. I placed my hands on my cheeks and found them burning with heat. Striding over to the mirror, I peered at my reflection.
“What in the...?”
My face was flushed bright red like I’d been cooked in a pot. This was supposed to be the face of the “princess carved of ice?”
“Makoto Takatsuki...”
As I said his name, my body shivered, and I wrapped my arms around myself. I wasn’t cold—if anything, my whole body was flooded with heat.
“That...Synchro magic...”
He’d rudely grabbed me, a princess, and had wormed his way into me... Into my heart, and into my body. Simply remembering it... I felt that sensation shooting through my back again, that pleasure. It was almost like being held by the man...
That was when I realized it.
“H-How lascivious!”
I was a priestess serving the goddess of water, Eir! I could not allow my body to become corrupted!
And yet, I could not forget the image of Makoto Takatsuki smiling at me. Leo had been cornered; my knights and the adventurers had been frozen in fear. I had thought it was the end, that Horn would be trampled by a single giant.
I’d been despairing.
“Then we’ll finish it with the next one.”
He’d been almost conversational, despite the situation.
“It’s thanks to you.” He’d smiled. His face was...
“This isn’t the time for that! Sophia!” I shouted at myself, activating my Coldhearted skill again and smoothing my expression out. I changed clothes quickly and left the room, then surveyed my uneasy subordinates.
“I am heading for the city. Those that can move, join me. However, no one that is injured should be pushing themselves.”
“Yes, ma’am!” they all chorused.
I need to forget it. Just for now. I am the symbol of peace for this country.
I cannot lose my composure.
◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇
I returned to the inn with Lucy and Sasa. The monsters in town all appeared to have been slain since we didn’t run into any on the way back. Once at the inn, I made sure that the girls got some rest.
Then, I headed for the guild. I quickly reported the conversation I’d had while pretending to be the clown, along with the strange voice I’d heard before the fight with the blight giant.
“Those associated with the troupe are being searched, by order of the princess,” the guild worker told me. “As for that odd voice... I can’t really comment...” It seemed as though the circus workers were already being investigated as the source of the monsters; however, the authorities weren’t sure how to handle that voice.
Well, there was the possibility that I’d just been hearing things...
After speaking to the guild, I took a little look around town, but the knights were still guiding civilians, so I decided there wasn’t much for us adventurers to do.
I headed back to the inn, and Nina told me that Fujiyan was apparently occupied with something important and would be gone for several days. He’d asked that we wait at the inn until he concluded his business. I agreed, figuring that I’d rest for a while.
Today sure was a day...
Once I’d checked that Lucy and Sasa were sleeping soundly in the next room, I let myself collapse into bed as well. In seconds, I was asleep.
◇
When I came to, I was standing in the goddess’s space.
“Noah?”
I glanced around, and she appeared, smiling broadly.
“Hi, Makoto. Good work today.”
“You really helped me during the fight with that giant.” I dropped to one knee, expressing my thanks. Her hint had really saved my bacon... If I hadn’t synchronized with Princess Sophia, I never would’ve beaten the blight giant.
“To be honest, I think you could’ve come up with it on your own. Still, if you had put forth less effort, Aya might’ve lost at least one of those lives.” Noah said this in a disinterested voice.
I shuddered. Thinking back on the battle, we had been walking a tightrope—we’d managed to make it through, but only because Sophia happened to have a strong ice magic skill.
“That’s not true,” Noah remarked, having read my mind. “Roses has a lot of people with water-related magic skills. Leonardo has king rank water magic, so you could have synchronized with him, right?”
“Oh, that might have worked.” He’d been fighting the giant, though. Synchronizing with him in that precarious position wouldn’t have been easy. Ultimately, Princess Sophia had been the best option.
Noah again responded to my thoughts. “That’s what I think too. Though, I didn’t expect you to synchronize so forcefully with a country’s princess.”
“Forcefully?”
You could synchronize gently?
“It wasn’t a bad thing though, looking at the results.” Noah was smirking meaningfully at me.
What was she getting at? It was bugging me, but other things were bothering me more. Maybe Noah would know something about that...
“I heard a kid’s voice just before the giant became blighted. What was it?” I asked.
After I’d heard that voice, the essentially dead giant had turned into an absolute terror. If that fight had carried on, even several extra lives wouldn’t have helped...
“Oh yeah, that,” she said, unconcerned. “That voice was from the being that you people call ‘the Great Demon Lord.’”
There was a long pause.
“What?”
That was a shocking truth. The voice...belonged to the Great Demon Lord?!
“The Great Demon Lord has revived?!”
“Nope. What you heard was just a leftover. Prerecorded.”
“Right...” I uttered after another pause. I wasn’t so sure... It’d sounded like a proper conversation between the child’s voice and the dying giant.
“You don’t need to worry about it,” Noah said. “Anyway, that revival hasn’t happened yet. I’d say you have at least another half a year.”
I couldn’t keep up. “You’re spilling incredibly important information like it’s nothing,” I pointed out.
“Like I said, you don’t need to worry about it. I’ll tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it.”
“That makes it feel like we’re all dancing in the palm of your hand,” I countered.
Was that a problem? Well, I was her believer, so I guess not.
“It sounds bad when you put it like that,” she muttered, sulking. “We gods can’t interfere directly, so we use our believers and priestesses to guide the people below, making sure our lost lambs find the way☆”
There was practically a cute little sparkle as she finished speaking. Even though what she’d said wasn’t cute at all...
“So, your followers are essentially pieces on the board?”
It seemed that Noah only kept me around as a pawn. That made for a pretty unbalanced game.
“I think you’d be more like a knight...?” she suggested.
“But you won’t deny the chess piece analogy,” I said. Still, I was happy that she’d called me a knight rather than a pawn... Though that reaction probably didn’t bode well for me.
Wait, now she was glaring at me. “For someone calling himself a chess piece, you sure don’t listen to me enough.”
“I don’t?” I mean, she had told me to abandon my friends and flee on several occasions, but there was no way I could do that.
There was another pause.
“Normally, a believer is better about listening to their goddess. If I tell you to run, it’s because I don’t want you to die.”
“Then give me guidance that saves the others as well.”
“And now you’re dictating to a goddess...” she grumbled.
Was I really saying something so strange? Was I?
“Whatever. You did really well today!” she cheered.
“I did? Thinking back on the battle, I feel like I have a lot to improve on.”
I hadn’t been able to use my elemental magic in Horn, and the blight giant had been too dangerous for my friends to fight. They’d even been unable to run away. I’d been too naive about a lot of things, so now that I was more aware, I needed to come up with countermeasures.
“I don’t mean good job with the battle,” she clarified.
I looked quizzically at her, waiting for her to explain.
“I meant about making friends with the priestess.”
My words faltered. “I...didn’t, though?”
I could probably say that I got along well with the hero prince, but his sister? As soon as we’d defeated that blight giant, she’d headed off somewhere. I guess she had to go take command since, after all, she was a princess.
Noah let out a sigh and shook her head, dismay apparent on her face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“This is why you’re called dense.”
“What did you say?” Huh, what was that? I’m dense?
“I said, ‘this is why you’re called dense.’”
She’d said it twice. Must be important.
But, I wasn’t dense...was I? After all, I’d talked to Fujiyan about Lucy and Sasa.
“I suppose I can try and build things up with Princess Sophia.”
“Hmm... I don’t think you need to...” Noah mused. “Well, anyway, do your best.”
“I will. I need to train more as well.” I had to make sure that I was never stuck in a situation like the blight giant battle ever again.
“My, how diligent. Then your wonderful, kind goddess will give you a hint.” She grinned, then patted me on the head. She seemed to be in a good mood now. “Makoto, you activate your Calm Mind skill while you’re using elemental magic, right?”
“I do. Well, I’ve almost always got it running, not just when I’m using magic.”
Since Calm Mind was a skill that soothed the thoughts of the user, it was perfect for mages. Casting magic required concentration, and having a skill that cleared the restless mind was a huge boon.
“You need to stop using Calm Mind with elemental magic.”
“Why?” That was the exact opposite of what I’d learned at the Water Temple. My teachers had driven home how useful a calming skill could be in battle. So now, I had to stop using it on purpose?
“Elementals prefer it when you show your feelings.”
“They...do?” I asked. That certainly hadn’t been in the book.
“Well, the book said that, in order to use stronger elemental magic, you need to bond with the elementals. Is that right? Besides, doesn’t everyone prefer speaking with more sociable people?”
“Well...I guess so,” I conceded. Considering how much trouble I had with that sort of thing, her words hurt to hear. The elementals think I’m unsociable? Ugh.
“Well, just try it,” said Noah. “You’ve got a lot to learn as an Elementaler.”
“Got it. I’ll give it a go.”
“Yup, do your best.” She stroked my head. Recently, I’d been getting more used to her doing that.
And, just as I thought that, Noah started pouting. Whoops, guess she was reading my mind.
“Right, I should get going then,” I said, making my excuses and moving to withdraw.
“Hey, Makoto?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
Noah slid closer. I didn’t even have time to think about what was going on before she’d kissed me on the forehead.
I froze.
“Your reward for the day,” she said, smiling, as she vanished.
Whoa. Whoa, whoa, hold on! I thought my heart was going to stop!
Even with Calm Mind going, my chest was pounding. That was bad for my constitution... The worst thing she’d done so far...
Oh well, I guess. I’d just take it as a reward for working hard.
◇
It started the day after the attack.
“Heyyy, the Fujiwara Company is providing meals.”
“That’s not all—they’ve also got clothes.”
“My kids are young, so this shop’s a lifesaver...”
“The employees are all cute beastgirls too! It’s so soothing.”
“Maybe I should sign up...”
“Men find it tough to get employed there.”
Horn was in the midst of recovering from the damage that the monsters had inflicted. The area where the giant had rampaged was the hardest hit, but some other large monsters had damaged houses, and many folks had nowhere to go at the moment.
The country and church were providing temporary lodging to those displaced, but there weren’t enough supplies to go around. Food and clothes were a particular issue. Luckily, the Fujiwara Company had noticed that void immediately and had stepped in.
It was a decision Fujiyan had made. He’s a bit too efficient, don’t you think? Are we really the same age?
Apparently, he’d left on the day of the attack and had returned soon after with his airship full of goods and volunteers ready to aid Horn. When other nobles and companies finally moved to provide their own help, the refugees had already been supplied by the Fujiwara Company.
“Fujiyan’s amazing!” Lucy exclaimed. She was watching some of the refugee children as they played.
“Okay, everyone, wait your turn!” Sasa cajoled as she handed out sweets. “No cutting in line.” She’d lived with four younger brothers back on Earth, hadn’t she? It seemed like she was pretty used to handling children.
Since Sasa was also good at cooking, she’d been volunteering with Nina at Fujiyan’s place, giving out food and dealing with the kids. She’d actually suggested that task for herself, as a way of helping out.
On the other end of things, Lucy and I had been working with the adventurers to clear the rubble and rebuild the capital. Magic was extremely convenient in this case since even the hugest chunks of wreckage could be floated away. However, neither Lucy nor I could use that type of spell, so we’d just steadily cleaned by hand. Also, the guild was paying us to do so.
Once Lucy and I had finished our job for the day, we went to fetch Sasa.
“And that’s all of them. Oh! Takatsuki, Lu!”
“Good work, Sasa,” I told her.
“You must be exhausted,” Lucy added.
“Nah, I love playing with the kids.” Despite working hard day after day, Sasa’s smile didn’t show any hint of fatigue. She sure was something.
“Let’s head back to the inn,” I suggested. “Fujiyan might turn up today.”
“It feels like Fujiwara’s been flitting around and working this whole time,” Sasa said.
“Should we talk to Nina?” I asked.
Sasa hummed for a moment, then answered, “She needs to keep an eye on the other employees.”
“That’s awful...” Lucy commented. “She’s going to be getting married soon.”
“Yeah.” Lucy and Sasa both looked sadly over at Nina.
That’s right...she was engaged to Fujiyan. So was Chris. It was crappy luck that she’d gotten caught up with so much work despite that.
“We should head back then, just us three,” I suggested.
“Yup.”
“Suuure.”
Since we were all finished, we went back to the inn.
That evening, we were joined by a joyous Fujiyan.
“Ah, we finally meet again,” he commented with a belly laugh.
Chris was slumped by his side.
“Are you okay, Chris’h?” Nina asked, concerned.
“Ah... Nina, it’s been a while,” Chris murmured in response.
Sasa spoke up with a smile on her face. “Thanks to Fujiwara, all the kids are happy, even without a home to return to.”
Fujiyan turned to Sasa and said, “I heard that you have been helping Lady Nina.”
“She’s been a star’h!” Nina exclaimed. “Miss Sasaki is wonderful with children’h.”
“Well, I used to look after my little brothers a bunch,” Sasa answered, shyly scratching the back of her head. Honestly, though, it was just as I’d expected—all of the kids in the city now admired her.
“Incidentally, my esteemed Tackie, I have heard tell of your exploits! So, you defeated another blight monster?!” I didn’t know where Fujiyan had heard that from, but apparently, he wanted to discuss what’d happened a few days ago.
“Hey, hey, you can’t just say that, Fujiyan. We defeated it together, along with the Hero of Ice and Snow and the other adventurers.”
I tried to play up the collaboration aspect. The rumors around town right now said that Prince Leonardo, the hero, had defeated the blight giant. If the messaging shifted and revealed that he’d been on the verge of defeat, despite being a hero chosen by the goddess, then the citizens would probably start losing sleep.
The royal family and the guild had both taken that into account and had adjusted their policies accordingly. Even the guild’s leader had asked each of the adventurers who’d been present to keep a low profile. Of course, the royal family had also provided quite the sum of hush money.
“There you go again, Makoto! Giving away your achievements...” Lucy chided with a pained grin.
“That just makes it cooler though!” Sasa exclaimed. “He’s like a hero, protecting people from the shadows.”
“Right?” I answered. Sasa had a way with words.
“Besides, we defeated it because Princess Sophia was there, so I’m not giving away my own achievements. It’s more like the Roses family defeated it.”
“You used Synchro magic with the princess, right’h? You don’t know what fear means, do you’h?” Nina’s face was flustered.
I mean, it’d been an emergency, and that’s just how it goes.
“That’s the spell thing from before, isn’t it?” Lucy asked. There was a conflicted look on her face, likely from her recalling our prior experiences.
“What happened?” asked Chris.
“I used it with Lucy and got burned all over,” I replied.
“Right... That must’ve been difficult.” Chris looked a bit surprised, but not exactly stunned.
“Hey, Lucy, gimme your hand.”
“What? Why?” she asked, trying to move her hand out of my reach.
I managed to grab hold of it and then started the sync.
“Hawww!” Lucy twitched.
It suddenly felt like boiling water had been poured all over me. “Hot!” I let go in a hurry.
“Wh-What’s the big idea?!” Lucy stammered.
“Sorry, sorry. My mastery went up, so I thought it might work... Guess not, though. Not even slightly.” If anything, her magic felt even wilder now.
She had the High Wizard skill, which supposedly let her use fire, water, wood, and ground-aligned magic. Since she could technically control water, I should’ve been able to sync with her, but maybe we just weren’t compatible.
Though...that would mean that Princess Sophia and I were compatible.
“Pervert,” Lucy mumbled at me, her cheeks flushed red.
“My bad,” I apologized. Synchronizing out of nowhere was probably a bit inconsiderate. I was just piling on the failures tonight.
“Hey, do me too,” Sasa said, grabbing my hand.
“You’d better not, Aya,” warned Lucy. “It gives you chills.”
“Don’t worry about it!” Sasa was looking at me with excitement. She didn’t have a mage skill, so I wondered how it would work.
“Synchro,” I said, but...nothing happened.
“I’m...just fine?” Sasa reported, her voice questioning.
Well, I suppose it made sense. Sasa was a close-quarters physical fighter, not a mage. “Hmm, guess you need a magic skill.”
“Aww, that’s boring.”
Nina was next. “I have mid rank earth magic and low rank water magic’h,” she cheered, eagerly reaching out her hand.
Huh, so she has water magic. Not that I’ve ever seen her use it.
“Do you really want to use Synchro with Nina?”
Yes
▶No
What was this about? RPG Player hadn’t popped up for Lucy or Sasa...
Nina’s ears were bouncing with excitement in front of me.
Well, she’ll be marrying Fujiyan, right? I wasn’t entirely sure what had caused the selection screen to appear, but I was pretty sure I shouldn’t pick yes. For some reason, I had a bad feeling about it.
“Lucy has the High Wizard skill, but it just failed, so maybe not,” I said as an excuse. “It’s just not going well right now.”
“I see’h...” Nina looked fairly sad about my refusal.
You missed your chance with her, said Noah in my mind.
Uh... What was that, goddess?!
I suppose there were some risks to the skill that I didn’t know about. From now on, I’d need to be more careful.
We finished up our food and then just chatted over tea. It was peaceful. Having us all together again and interacting like this really made it feel like the city was calming back down.
“Incidentally, the whole tumult was caused by a cambion,” Fujiyan told us.
“A cambion?” I asked.
“What’s that?” Sasa didn’t know either, then.
“‘Cambion’ is what we call the offspring of a demon and a human,” Chris explained. “In the dark ages of the last millennium, demons ruled the land and kept humans as slaves, leading to many cambion being born. The ones alive today are the survivors from back then.”
“They don’t have a country of their own,” Lucy added. “Well, they never did, actually. Their culture is more nomadic. Over the last thousand years, they’ve moved across the west and north continents. I’ve heard that a lot of them are staying in the ruins of Laphroaig...”
“Neither humans nor demons accept them’h,” Nina said, giving a touch more explanation.
“Seems like there are race problems here too.” I sighed. Guess all worlds were the same in some ways, depressingly enough.
“So, one of those cambions caused it?” Sasa asked.
“Indeed,” Fujiyan said. “In fact, we were able to investigate the circumstances and discover their hideout.”
Lucy, Sasa, and I gave a trio of shocked gasps. Fujiyan had managed to do all that while evacuating the city? What even was he?!
“That’s right’h! Husband found the culprit as we were escaping the attack’h.”
“I was terrified. I couldn’t help but worry that they might be stronger than you...” Though Nina was all excited to relay the story, Chris seemed slightly nervous.
“What then, what then?!” Sasa pressed. I was curious too.
“We simply delivered the culprit to the knights. It was nothing too extravagant,” Fujiyan answered with a laugh.
Chris looked astounded as she elaborated. “I can remember the cambion’s face now. When we handed it over, Mr. Fujiwara told the knights exactly where their hideout was located.” She turned to Fujiyan. “I have no idea when you managed to find that out...”
I see that his mind reading is still serving him well.
“Leaving the cambions unchecked might lead to this happening once more,” he explained. “I simply did what I needed to.”
That’s Fujiyan, all right... I was honestly just impressed.
The town might actually be more peaceful due to Fujiyan’s work behind the scenes rather than the efforts of adventurers. Regardless, we all celebrated the conclusion of this ordeal and had our own little party.
The next day, we were summoned to the palace.
Princess Sophia was waiting for us, looking cool, collected, and gorgeous.
Fujiyan had said that she’d been working nonstop. That had to be tough.
“Merchant Fujiwara. Your contribution to the city is extreme in two regards: not only did you donate goods and aid to our citizens, but you also apprehended the cambion working behind the scenes. Due to your actions, many of our people still live.”
“I simply did what any citizen of Roses should do,” Fujiyan said, bowing his head politely. He was playing this well.
“Is there anything you desire?”
“I have recently become engaged to the daughter of Lord Macallan, Lady Christina.”
“I see,” she stated without any sign of surprise.
I was shocked that he would bring up something so important. But, I got an explanation a little later—a few days ago, when Fujiyan, Nina, and Chris had taken the airship back to Macallan for supplies and aid, they’d reported the betrothal to Chris’s family. Apparently, the three of them had been heavily questioned, but the state of emergency in Horn had allowed them to convince everyone quickly.
That must’ve been why Chris had seemed so listless...
“I ask one thing,” Fujiyan said to Princess Sophia. “If I am to receive a peerage or any land, I would like it to be based near Macallan.”
“Very well,” answered the princess. “I shall make the preparations with that in mind. You will be informed of the details before too long.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Well, that was all sorted. Now Fujiyan would be a noble, and he’d have two wives.
He’d advanced so far from where we’d all started in this world... It almost felt like he was but a distant glimmer. It was bizarre, like an old friend I’d fallen out of contact with had ended up as a startup CEO or something. Or, maybe not...?
“Next, Makoto Takatsuki.”
“Yes?” I stepped forward.
“By defeating the blight monster, you have served the country well.”
“Thank you,” I managed to say after a moment.
Officially, Prince Leonardo had done it. So...could I admit the truth here? No one reacted negatively to the princess’s words, and the prince himself had sparkling eyes as he looked at me. I suppose everyone here was trusted, and the gag order was more of a general thing for the citizens.
The princess took a slight breath. She was staring steadily at me, almost glaring. But...just as I thought that, I noticed her eyes were watering. She wasn’t glaring, then.
Is she...nervous?
I waited quietly for what she’d say. Silence reigned in the hall for several seconds, and then, she opened her mouth.
“Makoto Takatsuki, I wish to bestow the title ‘Hero of Roses’ upon you.”
Uh...you what?
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