Chapter 1: Makoto Takatsuki Heads for Highland
Once we left the Habhain Islands, we headed for Highland’s capital—Symphonia—via airship.
The countryside spread out beneath us, and as I basked in the pleasant wind, my mind was filled with thoughts of the as-yet-unseen country... Well, not really. I was still thinking about the Seafloor Temple and the divine beast Leviathan.
How do I even deal with that monster...?
No matter how much I pondered it, nothing came to mind. That didn’t mean I’d give up, though. If anything, seeing a real final boss had made my sinking motivation skyrocket.
Makoto, you know the Great Demon Lord comes first, right? Noah said in my mind.
Yeah, I know that.
As I was chatting with my goddess, someone came up to me from behind. Because of my RPG Player skill, I was able to view my surroundings from a 360-degree perspective—I used this to see who was approaching me and then turned to greet the person before she could speak.
“What’s wrong, Princess Sophia?”
“Do you have eyes in the back of your head?” she asked. “No matter. Have you memorized the important people in Highland?”
She’d discussed a lot of the particulars with me yesterday.
“Uh, well... There are the four great noble families. I have to avoid going against them, right?” I asked. Thinking back to our conversation, I seemed to remember that there was the Roland family from the east, the Whitehouses from the west, the Baileys from the south, and the Ballantines from the north.
Those four families, along with the royal family, were called the five Sacred Nobles, and the country as a whole revolved around them.
“While this goes without saying for the Highland family, each of the other four has greater riches and military might than even our own royal family.”
“More than the Roses family?” I asked. That was crazy. Napkin math indicated that Highland would be roughly five times stronger than Roses.
“Militarily, Roses is somewhat of a vassal state of Highland...” Prince Leonardo added from behind his sister.
“Leo, you should do something about that pessimism,” Princess Sophia answered, keeping a firm demeanor. “We’ll look them in the eyes one day.”
Still...I felt kind of bad for the struggles of a small nation in diplomatic straits... And since I was a hero of that country, it probably meant that there was a lot of turmoil ahead.
Oh, are you only just realizing? I heard Noah ask.
Yup, seems so... Oh well. I’d manage somehow.
“Hero Makoto, are you unnerved as well?”
“No, not really,” I answered. It didn’t bother me.
“You need not worry,” said the princess, though it felt more like she was telling herself rather than me.
Half a day later, the airship was slowly gliding through a reddening sky.
“Good job, old-timer,” I said to Princess Sophia’s bodyguard as I handed him a drink from the galley.
He refused, as serious as ever. “Oh, Hero. Thank you, but I’m on duty.”
“Here you go, everyone. Good work!” Lucy called.
Immediately after, Sasa added, “They’re ice cold!”
The two of them handed out the drinks, plus some snacks, to the other knights. Fujiyan had said that work was probably tiring for the knights, so he’d provided a little pick-me-up. He was always thoughtful.
“Princess Sophia said you should enjoy yourselves,” I told the bodyguard.
“Hmm... Well in that case...” he took the drink and brought it to his mouth, but then began spluttering. “Th-This is alcohol!”
“Yup, bottoms up!”
“H-Hey! I’m on duty—”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” I leaned on the railing and sipped at my own juice-cut booze. After a few moments, I turned to him. “By the way, there was something I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?” he inquired, eventually giving up on abstaining.
“This afternoon, Prince Leonardo mentioned that Roses was like a vassal state of Highland in terms of military strength. I wanted to hear a bit more detail.”
“Well...” he began, his face darkening. “It’s true. We are a weak country in terms of military might. Roses has relied on Highland for aid on several occasions, including defeating both the blight dragons in Labyrinthos and past rebellions brought about by cambions... For our nation’s defense, we do indeed depend on them.”
“I see,” I answered after a pause.
“Roses’s army numbers perhaps thirty thousand at most. Our only hero was Prince Leonardo...and now we have you. But in comparison, Highland has over three hundred thousand men and five heroes.”
Yikes, that was some difference. It felt almost like the gap between my stats and those of my classmates... Actually, there was more of a difference there. It also brought to mind the relationship between Japan and...another country...but let’s not get any further into that.
Just then, Lucy and Sasa walked over, and they spoke one after another.
“We’re done, Makoto.”
“Takatsuki, what’re you talking about?”
“Oh, just about how things are tough no matter what world you’re in,” I answered.
The two of them looked quizzically at me. My thoughts roamed to the future as I ruminated on a country I’d never seen. I let out a sigh.
Several days later, a huge walled city stretched out before us.
“So that’s Symphonia? That’s where Saki and the others are!” Sasa cheered.
“It’s the most prosperous city on the continent...” Lucy added. “I’ve never been here before!”
Both of them were excited. Of course, so was I.
“So the city’s surrounded by both the sea and a river,” I muttered to myself.
Symphonia was located near a vast river mouth that fed into the ocean, similar to Manhattan in America. There was a huge statue made of white stone that sat in front of the castle gates.
“Fujiyan, what’s that?” I asked.
“A statue of Abel the Savior.”
“Whew, it’s huge.”
The statue depicted a dashing swordsman atop a massive pedestal, and his right hand held a sword aloft. The pose...
“It looks like the Statue of Liberty,” I commented.
Fujiyan agreed. “I thought much the same when I first saw it.”
It felt like we were on some kind of school trip or something, and my excitement welled up. We’d have to look around.
“What is the meaning of this?!” I heard the bodyguard yell. “This is the princess of Roses, Princess Sophia herself!” He’d apparently gotten into some form of dispute with the gatekeepers.
“A vicious criminal is currently on the loose,” responded one of the gate guards, “so security in and out of the city has been strengthened. Even a member of a royal family must be inspected.”
That didn’t sound good.
“Fujiyan, is he talking about a cambion?” I asked, remembering that Highland’s capital was the Snake Sect’s next target.
“Hmm...give me but a moment,” he answered before examining the guards. He was probably using his Mind Reading skill. “No... It would seem that the escapee is the Priestess of the Moon.”
“There’s a criminal priestess?” I asked after a moment. How did that work?
“I thought I had already mentioned it. Laphroaig’s priestess is cursed. She is said to be the reincarnation of the Witch of Calamity, who betrayed mankind a thousand years ago. The current moon priestess was confined in preparation for the Great Demon Lord’s revival, but it seems she has escaped.”
“Punished for something your ancestor did...”
“At any rate,” Fujiyan continued, “the current priestess was apparently leading the criminals and cambions of Laphroaig, so the Soleil Knights are taking preemptive action.”
“That’s disturbing,” I replied with a sigh. Still, I suppose it didn’t have anything to do with me.
Before long, the inspection was over, and we got to pass through the huge gates. We stepped out onto a road overflowing with people. Looming up behind the crowd was a pair of large buildings that didn’t seem to fit the vibe of the rest of this world.
“The one on the right is the largest building on this continent, Highland Castle,” Princess Sophia explained.
The normal houses were almost all two-story buildings. Even the tallest were only three stories. But the castle felt almost on par with the skyscrapers on Earth... It was that imposing. Even though it was situated in the distance, it looked like a bird rearing up and spreading its wings. Roses Castle was beautiful, but Highland Castle was overwhelming.
“The building to the left is the Cathedral of Anna the Holy Mother,” Chris added, picking up the thread of Sophia’s explanation.
The cathedral had a solemn presence that was different from the castle. It was somewhat similar in appearance to the Sagrada Familia that I’d seen on TV once—a church with countless steeples that seemed to almost pierce up into the heavens.
“King Highland lives within the castle and the pope’s seat is in the cathedral. The two of them stand at the top of this city,” said Fujiyan.
That seemed a little unusual. There were two people in the top spot?
“We can save the details for later. First, we should secure lodging for tonight,” Fujiyan decided. He then took the lead.
Before we could wander any farther, Princess Sophia stopped our procession. “Excuse us...this is where we part ways.”
“Ah!” exclaimed Fujiyan. “My apologies. The two of you will be staying within the first district, I presume.”
“Indeed, and you will be housed within the third. Hero Makoto, we shall see you later,” she said with a smile. Then she and the prince went off with their guards in another direction.
I guess they’ll be staying elsewhere.
“We all got here together, so we could have stayed together,” I pointed out.
“My esteemed Tackie, the districts in the capital are segregated by one’s standing,” explained Fujiyan.
He followed up the brief explanation with a more detailed one: The first district was for royals, the second for clergymen, the third for nobles, and the fourth through sixth were for human commoners. The seventh and eighth were for beastmen, elves, dwarves, and other such demi-humans.
The ninth...was for those of even lower standing.
“So since you’re a noble now, we’re in the third district?” I asked.
“Precisely.”
“Hmph.”
What a strict city.
“Hey, look, look.”
“Wow, so many shops!”
Despite that, Lucy and Sasa were both goggling at the various stores.
“Fujiyan, what was the district just after the gates?”
“The sixth. The closer to the castle you get, the higher standing the inhabitants have.”
That made sense—the seventh and below were distanced from the castle.
In that way, the layout was fairly similar to Horn. However, the main street didn’t just continue straight to the castle but was interspersed with several huge gates. They were probably separating each district...?
We all started walking.
“Whoops, ’scuse me,” I apologized as I almost bumped into someone. There were a lot of people around, but there was something off...
“There are barely any elves or beastmen here,” Sasa murmured, putting my unease into words. She was right... Unlike in Macallan, everyone here was human. I couldn’t see a single other race.
“This is the sixth district, so it’s a human town,” Lucy replied absently.
“Standing is everything in Highland’h...” Nina said, hunching over slightly.
“Nina, you don’t need to worry,” Chris said, patting her on the back. “Hold your head high.”
“Might I suggest we find our lodging first?” Fujiyan said to me.
“Yeah, it’s been a long trip. Let’s take a break in the inn.”
There seemed to be a lot going on in this country. With those thoughts on our minds, we passed through the first gate and on to the next district.
“The water is perfect.” Fujiyan sighed.
“I love a big bath,” I agreed.
We’d all headed for the communal baths in the inn as soon as we’d arrived. It was the perfect thing to recover after a long journey. They weren’t mixed baths, of course, so both Lucy and Sasa weren’t here.
“So Highland does this sort of thing too.”
“Actually, no,” Fujiyan commented. “Sharing a bath is not part of the country’s culture. As far as I am aware, this is the only inn with such facilities.”
That was Fujiyan, all right... He knew all the best places.
“This is wonderful!” exclaimed Prince Leonardo. He’d come by despite his lodging being in the first district. “So in the other world, everyone shares a bath like this?!”
As for the princess, she’d immediately gone to offer her greetings at the castle. Her work was never-ending...
The prince had been left at a loose end while she did, so he’d come to hang out with us. We’d invited his guards in as well, but they had refused, unable to consider sharing a bath with the prince like that.
“Makoto, let’s go to the castle together tomorrow,” Prince Leonardo suggested, slipping through the water toward me. “It’s your first time here, right?”
I couldn’t see anything but steam and water from his shoulders down. His good looks and unbroken voice meant that he still seemed like a beautiful girl.
“Makoto?” he asked, tilting his head.
S-So close! Wait! Hang on! He’s a guy!
I pulled my eyes away and looked over at Fujiyan, who swallowed tightly. He was frozen stiff.
Come on, you’re going to have two wives, aren’t you? You still with us?
“Heeeeyyy, Fujiyan,” I called.
“Bwah! What on earth?!”
Guess he’d had a similar reaction to Prince Leonardo.
Makoto... I heard from Noah. Do guys get your heart racing more than girls?
Th-They don’t!
I activated Calm Mind. Come on, calm!
“Thank you, Prince,” I said after a moment. “I’d appreciate you showing us around tomorrow. It looks like Highland has a separate castle and church, unlike Horn.”
“That’s right. It’s because Highland is a secular nation.”
“Well spotted, my friend!” Fujiyan joined in. “It has to do with the founding of the country itself. Are you aware of Highland’s founder?”
“Come on, Fujiyan, don’t make fun of me,” I answered. I’d heard that trivia enough times to get sick of it back at the Water Temple. “It was Abel, right?”
Even I knew that!
“Precisely. However, did you know that the Highland family is not descended from him?”
“Huh?” What’s this, some mystery novel?
“Abel the Savior left Highland after founding it, so the first monarch was Anna the Holy Mother.”
“Anna...was the sun goddess’s priestess, and one of his companions, right?”
“Indeed. She was also the first pope of said goddess’s church.”
“The first pope...” That must tie in with the conversation from earlier.
“The royal family are her descendants, and the pope’s position in the church has been hereditary for generations.”
That certainly would give both of them a lot of influence... “So that’s why you said they’re both at the head of the country,” I reasoned.
“The king leads the country, but they cannot give an order to the pope. The two are completely independent of each other,” Prince Leonardo explained.
“The cathedral is regarded as extraterritorial,” warned Fujiyan. “If you are interested, I ask that you remain cautious.”
Nope, not touching that with a barge pole. I was a disciple of an old goddess (wicked deity), so going to the foremost place of Sacred Deity faith on the continent was too scary for my blood.
“Apparently, their greatest wish is to assimilate the blood of Abel the Savior into the royal family,” Fujiyan said.
“Nah...that ain’t happening.” I mean, Abel was alive a millennium ago...
Fujiyan smirked though, presumably reading my mind. “It is said that his reincarnation has recently appeared.”
“You can’t mean...”
“Of course. The Hero of Light, Sir Sakurai.”
“Uh...” Sakurai had come from another world, though, so surely that meant he wasn’t the savior reborn?
“After a thousand years, another person with the Hero of Light skill appeared... It was incredible when everyone found out—the country was in uproar.” Prince Leonardo said this with a distant look as if remembering it.
Man...Sakurai had ended up a real big shot. Though, I kinda felt for him and his plight of being the most important person in such a huge country. He’d always been responsible, so I was sure he was doing his best to live up to the title.
“The moment he appeared, the line of succession changed from the first prince to the second daughter, Princess Noelle,” said Fujiyan.
“The second?” I asked.
“The eldest had already married. In addition to being a priestess, Princess Noelle is said to be the reincarnation of Anna the Holy Mother. The whole country wishes to see those two wed.”
Replicating the legend from a thousand years ago. What a role Sakurai’s been stuck with...
“He has not got it easy...” Fujiyan commented.
“You got that right...” I agreed.
He’d been at a school desk the same as us, and now he was standing right up there.
“I’m feeling a bit light-headed,” I said after a while in the bath. “Shall we get out?”
“Would you be averse to a nightcap?” Fujiyan asked.
“Sounds good.”
Prince Leonardo chimed in. “Could I join you as well?”
“Of course,” I told him, “but no alcohol for you.”
“Aww, just a little?”
Nope. Princess Sophia would kill me.
We then joined up with Sasa, Lucy, Nina, and Chris for a meal. As the night went on, Princess Sophia arrived with a tired face. We invited her for some tea, but she refused and left, saying she had an early morning for work. She had a hard job...
The next day, Prince Leonardo guided us to the castle.
Fujiyan and Nina apparently had merchant work to do, so it was just Lucy, Sasa, and me. The princess was also coming, but separately for other work.
The castle had been imposing from a distance but was even more so up close. It was constructed using plain stones, but just stone probably wouldn’t be able to maintain that height, so it likely used magic for support. There were lots of knights inside the castle, each with their own crest engraved on their armor.
“There are a bunch of knights here,” I commented.
“The Hero of Light is going to be inaugurated as a leader of the Soleil Knights soon, so knights from all five of the Sacred Noble families are here,” the prince explained.
The five Sacred Nobles referred to the five families that led the country: the Roland family, the Whitehouse family, the Baileys family, and the Ballantine family. All of them were people we couldn’t hope to stand against.
“Wasn’t Sakurai already their leader?” When he’d left the Water Temple, it had sounded like that was pretty much decided.
“He had the same skill as the legendary savior, so there was a large movement to treat him as such, but the opposition was also firmly rooted,” Prince Leonardo explained.
“To be specific, objections came from the Roland family—supported by the first prince—and the Whitehouse family—supported by the second,” Lucy said. Apparently, this was common knowledge.
“Sakurai was the acting leader, but his recent achievement of defeating two blight dragons saw him recognized officially as leader of the seventh division.”
“Oh, pretty impressive,” I commented.
In response to my idle words, Sasa protested. “Wait, weren’t you involved too?!”
“I mean, I guess so.” Plenty of stuff had happened since then... I barely remembered.
“You managed to forget blight monsters?!”
“Makoto, they’re the natural enemies of mankind...”
Lucy and Prince Leonardo were aghast as well.
“Ah, that reminds me,” I said, turning to the prince. “I have a favor to ask you.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Can you make sure all the knights learn Serenity?” I asked him. “The blight monsters are constantly using fear and charm skills—that’s what makes them such a pain. Without them though, they’re weak.”
I’d only fought against blight monsters twice, but they’d all gone down without much trouble.
“Disregarding that opinion, combating their mental attacks is important! I’ll start considering it immediately.”
He’s such a good kid.
Prince Leonardo kept showing us around for a while longer. Highland Castle was too big to see in a day, though. As we arrived in an area about the size of a soccer field, the prince suggested we take a rest.
There were knights, mages, clerics, and archers all training around the area, with several stalls set up on the edges that seemed to be selling food.
“This is a training ground for the Soleil Knights, but any soldier can use it. Let’s get some lunch,” Prince Leonardo suggested.
“Wait? I’m a soldier?!” I exclaimed. That was out of the blue!
“Becoming a State-Authorized Hero provides an equivalent rank to general in the army. With that said, you are not particularly affiliated with the army. It’s just organizational.”
“They explained that in the ceremony,” Lucy chastised, looking disappointed at me. “Weren’t you listening?”
“He was too out of it,” Sasa interjected.
Don’t tell them that! Though honestly, I’d been so excited that all the extra stuff had gone in one ear and out the other.
Anyway, we soon headed cheerily for the food stalls. I looked around and saw a lot of people sparring with wooden swords or training combat magic.
Suddenly, I realized...there were water elementals here.
There hadn’t been any in Roses Castle, but I suppose the lack of religion in Highland made the difference. Or maybe it was because we were so close to the sea. Either way, there was no better feeling than having my lifeline of elementals.
While I was considering that, an aggressive voice stopped me. “Halt right there. Are you Roses’s hero?”
Prince Leonardo shuddered at the sound, his shoulders quivering. “L-Let’s go, Makoto.”
“Oi, what’s the big idea?” demanded the sharp-eyed knight wearing golden armor. His hair was blond and his eyes were blue. The decoration on his armor made him seem high-ranked, if ill-mannered. “Oi oi oi, don’t clam up. Out with it, kid!” And he had a verbal tic of saying “oi”...
“Who is he?” I muttered to the prince, who was behind me and casting his head down.
“Highland’s Hero of Lightning, Sir Gerald.”
“Sir? That’s Lord to you! Don’t think some no-name hero can act like an equal to me!”
What on earth? This guy was acting like some rural yobbo. Did he not have manners?
“I don’t think you need to go that far,” I interjected, trying to mediate.
“Trash like you should keep its mouth shut,” the hero said, directing a harsh gaze my way. Calling me trash was a bit much...
“Takatsuki’s a hero of Roses,” Sasa defended.
“He’s defeated blight monsters,” Lucy added.
“Hero...Makoto...” the man murmured, his expression changing. “You’re an otherworld hero?”
“Yes,” I answered, “though I was only just appointed.”
His expression sharpened even more. “C’mere,” he demanded.
Was he trying to be some gangster?! I mean...I guess he’s a hero...?
“Wh-What?” I stuttered but followed.
He didn’t answer and instead flung a wooden sword in front of me. “Let’s go a round. I’ll take it easy on you.”
There was a sadistic smile on his face. Man, I had a bad feeling about this.
“Makoto! You can’t!” the prince yelled. “He has a habit of harassing people he doesn’t like!” To be honest, that’s about what I’d figured.
“Shut up, scrub. It’s just a spar! Only a coward wouldn’t do it! When I was your age, I’d already hunted hundreds of monsters and dragons. Then there’s you, hiding away at home when a blight monster appears in a dungeon in your own country!”
“Guh...” Prince Leonardo grunted in frustration.
That made sense, I guess. I’d thought it was the norm for Prince Leonardo to not go to the dungeons due to his youth, but apparently, this other hero had been doing so since he was nine. Did this world have labor laws? It seemed not.
“Oi, what’s the hold-up? Heroes are signs of their country’s might. You’re not going to turn me down, are you?” Gerald taunted. “Or does that whore of a mage or her flat-chested friend want to take me on instead? Oh, are they stronger than you?”
You bastard... I mean, they are, but still. I didn’t want to hear him talk about them like that.
“It’s okay, Takatsuki, I’ll take him on,” Sasa offered. Angry motivation: clear.
“I can pop him with a Meteo if you like!” Lucy was joining in too! Well, she also had a short temper.
“Now, now,” I said reasonably. “I can take you on just fine, right?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying, trash. Come get some.”
This was supposed to be the biggest city on the continent... The standards seemed a little low.
“I’m sorry, Makoto... This is my fault,” the prince apologized.
“What are you on about? He’s the one in the wrong,” I replied.
“He used to be Highland’s leading hero, then the Hero of Light appeared from another world and he lost his position,” the prince explained. “That’s why he’s like this now. Don’t go too far...”
“Oh...I see...”
So Gerald had lost his place to Sakurai. Poor him. That was no reason to get all aggressive with a kid, though. The hero had his arms folded as he waited in the center of the arena.
So we were doing this in the middle of everyone? Man, we’ll stand out. The other warriors were all looking on curiously.
Ugh, I don’t wanna, I thought as I walked slowly over. I just wanted to go home.
“I am the Hero of Lightning, Gerald Ballantine,” he declared as he flourished the wooden sword.
Gah?! Weren’t they the family I was supposed to avoid standing against?
The Ballantines were one of the five Sacred Noble families, on the same level as royalty... I’d thought he seemed a bit too at ease being so rude to the prince... Maybe I shouldn’t be picking this fight.
“Uh, I’m Makoto Takatsuki, Roses’s State-Authorized Hero...”
Introducing myself was good manners...probably. I borrowed one of the staves in the area.
“A mage then...with that pitiful mana. And you call yourself a hero,” Gerald mocked. “Now, begin!”
There was barely a signal before he launched forward.
H-He vanished?! Dodge!
I managed to avoid the attack by a hair’s breadth, though the ominous whipping sound of air rushing past my ear was all I heard. This was him holding back?
“You dodge like a turtle!”
“Gah!”
There was a sharp pain in my shoulder. Hadn’t I dodged it?!
“It’s over!”
He was attacking again, crap!
Water Magic: Ice Needle.
“You’re using what?!” taunted Gerald. “That’s trash magic!”
He weaved around the countless needles that were aimed at his eyes. That was one of my trump cards... I remembered that Sasa had done the same, so I guess that spell wasn’t very effective once the level difference was big enough.
“Trash magic and trash attacks.”
I could barely see Gerald’s strikes! Guess I just had to avoid his sword blows, even if I took other hits.
“Guh!” He attacked just after my evasion again, this time with a kick to the back.
D-Dodge! Dodge! Dodge!
“This is pathetic. Just surrender! You shouldn’t call yourself a hero!”
Shut up already! My skill should let me dodge, but I was getting more and more wounds. It was supposed to be a wooden sword, but it felt like a metal one. Was that the effect of coating a weapon in aura?
“Oi, oi, I’ll finish it in a blow. You should at least make me use some spellsword skills!”
The bastard! I just tried a Fog spell for lack of any other options.
“C’mon!” His bellow created a blast of wind that blew the mist away. My strategy hadn’t even bought me any time...
“Hah!” He was now moving faster than before.
It felt like an explosion went off next to me and I went flying. I must have bitten my tongue because I could taste blood, and I was barely able to hold down my vomit.
Another hit like that and I’ll pass out...
My three friends all yelled for me and raced over.
“Knock it off already! Makoto’s a mage!” Lucy yelled at Gerald.
“It’s okay, Lu. I’ll take him on.”
“Makoto...I’ll fight with you.”
Lucy and Sasa both sounded angry as they stood between us.
“Calm down, you three. I’m fine at the moment.” Honestly, my body was screaming and my legs were shaking. I was dizzy, but I managed to stand.
“You’re a moron,” said the hero disdainfully.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” someone commented from the sidelines.
“Lord Gerald causes so many injuries when he goes too far...”
“He gets carried away in training.”
“That’s a hero from Roses... This is going to be a problem...”
“Someone go get Princess Noelle.”
“We went ages ago!”
I could hear the various voices. So this was common... Regardless, I’d prefer to keep the hot-bloodedness on the down-low.
“Oi, what gives? I’ll take you all on, bring it.” The Hero of Lightning, Gerald... He sure was cocky, and he was supposed to be a hero of Highland.
“You women should leave him and come with me. I’ll take good care of you.”
“Who would...”
“Disgusting.”
Lucy and Sasa mocked him.
“Nah, I’ll fight alone.” I stood and pushed forward past them.
“You can’t, Takatsuki!”
“Come on! Let’s fight together.”
“It’s fine,” I told them, smiling. They seemed on the verge of tears. But Gerald wasn’t getting away with making them look like that. Suddenly, several more people arrived.
“Takatsuki! Are you okay?!”
“Hero Makoto! Are you safe?!”
I was holding back the pain in my body as Sakurai and Princess Sophia arrived.
“Gerald! Stop this now!” Princess Noelle demanded.
“Noelle’s here...” the man in question muttered.
“What were you thinking?” she asked. “He is a hero of Roses! Did you presume that this would be allowed?!”
“Shut it. It’s just a spar—butt out.”
Those are some brass ones... Princess Noelle was the first in line for the throne, so she should be the most influential person on the western continent...and he thought he could get away with speaking to her like that? Still, there was something more important.
“Princess Noelle, I agree with him,” I said. “This is a spar, so could we finish it?”
“What are you saying?!” Princess Sophia yelled.
“Takatsuki...” Sakurai murmured worriedly. Sorry about that, really.
“Sir Makoto, you understand that it will be stopped if this goes too far?” asked Princess Noelle with a serious look.
“I do, thank you,” I told her.
I turned to face the Hero of Lightning again. Gerald Ballantine was a hero of Highland and had the strength to prove it. His aura was sparking from his body and he seemed as threatening as the dragon I’d encountered in Labyrinthos. He was as strong or stronger than Sasa in martial arts... I’d have no chance of facing him head-on.
It’s kinda surprising though... Compared to Leviathan...he ain’t all that. I looked down on everyone using my RPG Player skill. He’s so small. So’s everyone, compared to that beast.
Would I ever manage to rescue Noah from the Seafloor Temple if I slacked off here?
Yeah...I was angry.
And I was disappointed in myself. My objective was to beat Leviathan and then rescue Noah from the temple. I had to push through all the obstacles to that goal.
“Come on then, use your dregs of mana,” sneered Gerald.
“I’ll take you up on that,” I answered as I set Calm Mind to 0%.
Elementals, give me a hand and beat the crap out of him.
Right!
I was the only one that could hear the elementals’ chorus in response to my anger.
“Eat shit!” Gerald moved instantly, but I’d already called the elementals. Vast quantities of mana gathered, even more than when I’d used Synchro with Lucy.
Get him!
Their chorus echoed in my ears. Cutting off my Calm Mind had let the water elementals be influenced by my anger, and now they were excited. The countless blue elementals swirled around me, lending me just a bit of their infinite mana.
Water Magic: Grand Cascade!
I let my rage free and cast king rank water magic.
◇ Gerald’s Perspective ◇
“What?!”
Out of nowhere, a huge amount of water appeared. It was like a pond had been upended.
“AH!”
“What the...?!”
“Run!”
The spectators had all started to panic and run away. With a hiss, I coated my practice blade in mana and sliced at the falling water. The mass of water split into two pieces. Damn worthless magic—for a hero like me, it was almost completely lacking in attack power. I pivoted my sword to take the mage down.
“××××××... Yeah, that’s right...××××××.”
The hero from Roses said...something. What was it? Some kind of spell. As he spoke, water started bubbling around us like rapids.
Then, he lifted his right hand.
“Water Magic: Azure Dragon.”
The roiling water formed a massive dragon. It didn’t have wings though, so it looked more similar to the snake-like dragons that lived in the East. It grew, coiling around and around, growing so large that it could put Highland Castle to shame.
The other hero was inside of the beast.
So what? Was he trying to use the dragon for defense?
“Sun Magic: Thunderbolt!” I shouted. My ultra rank magic blasted forward but then glanced off the water dragon. The size of the beast meant that my spell had hardly any effect.
“Tch.” In that case—
“Sun Magic: Thunder Sword.”
—it was time for my spellsword skill.
This attack would see the pointless battle finished. Thunder Sword was a legendary skill that had been used by Abel the Savior. My wooden sword shone gold and its composition changed, granting it power that was beyond even a normal magic sword. Now, it didn’t matter what kind of power that hero used—I’d slice through his crappy spell like a hot knife through butter.
“Sir Ryousuke! Shouldn’t you stop him?!”
I could see Noelle shaking the Hero of Light’s shoulder... That pissed me off.
“It’ll be fine. This is Takatsuki, after all,” came the bastard’s response.
What faith did he have in that piddling mage? I’d make sure his precious friend would never walk again... The Hero of Light could just stand and watch me.
“Take that!” I focused a huge amount of lightning mana into the sword in my hand, then leaped into the huge water dragon. That hero was in there somewhere, and while it was dark, I could find him with my skills.
It’s over!
But then, just before my sword reached him...
Water Magic: Abyss.
I shouldn’t have been able to hear his voice underwater, but for some reason, I could.
What?!
Suddenly, my body felt oddly heavy. That coiling, snake-like water he’d summoned was tightening around me.
And yet, I wasn’t fully immobile. Such a pointless struggle... This was all he could do? Child’s play. I lifted my sword to swing down on him, but then, I heard an unfamiliar phrase.
Water Magic: Thousand Meter Depth.
Gah!
The pressure bearing down on me multiplied, and it felt like I was covered in lead. But even then, my arms...and my legs...were just able to move.
You little shit! I’ll get rid of the dragon first.
I gathered my mana to start casting, but then...
Water Magic: Two Thousand Meter Depth.
The voice came again, and with it, the surrounding pressure redoubled. My body was immensely heavier and I could hear my bones creaking in protest. I couldn’t breathe and my head was swimming. Soon, my vision started going black as all my senses screamed, “Danger!”
W...Wait... This...is bad.
Water Magic: Three Thousand Meter Depth.
A bone snapped.
AHHHHHHH!
The pain was immense, but I couldn’t scream. I just gritted my teeth in the water.
Fu...ck. I’ll kill him... I just need to...get out of here...first...
“Water Magic: Four Thousand Meter Depth.”
I heard the dispassionate voice again, but before I could parse the meaning, something was crushed with a grinding noise. I couldn’t tell whether it was my arm or a leg.
Aa...rgh... St...op...
I couldn’t understand. What was happening?
My mind wasn’t working. I couldn’t think. Well...there was one thing I understood.
At this rate, I’m going...to...die...
“Water Magic: Five Thousand Meter Depth.”
My brain refused to comprehend what had happened. My body...
I’m...dyi...
“Takatsuki! That’s enough!”
Just before I lost consciousness, I saw a dim figure jump into the water dragon and pull me out. It was that damn Hero of Light...
◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇
“What?”
In between blinks, I found myself in an empty space...
My goddess’s realm.
That was weird... Wasn’t I fighting with that Hero of Lightning?
“Makoto, are you with me?”
Oh, there’s Noah. I knelt as I always did and gave my greetings.
But...she didn’t reply. Uh, what? Just as that realization dawned on me, I looked up, and Noah started smacking my head.
“Stupidstupidstupid! What are you playing at?!”
“Ow, ow. That hurts, Noah.” Although honestly, it didn’t really.
“Makoto, on your knees!”
“R-Right,” I answered. I did as she asked, though I wondered why.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
“Uh...” I thought back.
I’d been in some training grounds behind the castle, and I was pretty sure I’d been fighting that Gerald guy... So, if I was here, then that meant...
“I lost?” Oof, that was embarrassing. I’d played it all cool in front of Princess Noelle, but that’d been pointless.
I peeked up to see Noah directing an exasperated look my way.
“Look,” she commanded, snapping her fingers. A big screen appeared in the air.
“Makoto! Stay with us!”
“Takatsuki, wake up!”
“Makoto!”
“Hero Makoto... Healwater.”
On the screen, I could see that I was laid out flat. Lucy, Sasa, Prince Leonardo, Princess Sophia, and Sakurai were all around me, and the princess was casting healing magic on my prone body.
“Sophie’s fixing you,” Noah confirmed.
“I’ll have to thank her.”
I couldn’t see any major wounds, but if I’d passed out, then I probably had lost. My shoulders slumped, but as they did, Noah pointed at the screen.
“Now look at this,” she said, snapping again. The image on the screen changed, and now I could see...
“Uh... What?”
The Hero of Lightning. His limbs were twisted, bent, and crushed in ways that they certainly shouldn’t have been. W-Was he...
“I-Is he dead?” I asked. Blood was pouring out of him. N-No way. I was a murderer?
Just then, Princess Noelle’s beautiful voice rang out from the screen.
“You, our beloved that art in heaven. Grant us this miracle. Sun Magic: Revival.”
Gerald was engulfed in holy light, and his body instantly reverted to the way it had looked at the beginning of our fight. Whoa! That was incredible!
“Good for you,” Noah commented. “You were lucky that Noelle was so close. There aren’t many people on the continent that can use the saint rank Revival spell.”
Ph-Phew! That’s great! I’m not a murderer.
“I’ll need to thank her later too. By the way...did I do that...?” I couldn’t recall causing those injuries at all... Weird. I remembered the rest of the fight though.
“You lost control of your elemental magic,” Noah told me, hands on her hips.
“I...lost control?”
“Yup. Ryousuke stopped you.” She snapped her fingers to change the display again. “Take a look.”
A huge mass of water was floating there. That...must be the stuff I’d conjured, right?
“That’s the stupid-huge amount of water you summoned. It would have been enough to swallow the castle whole. It would have flooded the town, would’ve washed countless people away...if it hadn’t been dealt with.”
“Wha?” For real? But who was controlling it while I was passed out?
“Look over there.”
I peered at the screen and saw someone who looked like a mage wearing a white robe... The Grandsage. She was controlling the water?
“Tch...such a bother,” I heard the Grandsage gripe. Oof, she was angry. The strongest mage on the continent was muttering to herself as she cleaned up after me.
Before long, the whole mass was gone.
“Thank you, Grandsage,” Lucy said to her.
“Tell the elementalist to come visit me when he wakes up,” was her only reply before she teleported away. Man, she really didn’t sound happy... I’m definitely not looking forward to seeing her—she’s gonna tear me apart.
“You need to thank the people that helped you,” Noah scolded, hands still on her hips.
Yeah...I caused a lot of trouble for a lot of people.
“I suppose part of it’s my fault,” she added with a conflicted smile. “When you used emotions to fuel your elemental magic, you were just doing as I told you. I should have been more careful with my warnings.”
“Did I do it wrong?” I asked.
“It ended up like this because you used your rage. With any other emotion, I think your mastery level would allow you to control it. But since rage is the fiercest emotion for people, you managed to crush him.”
O-Oh, right... So anger’s not one I should use.
“By the way,” continued Noah, “why do you think the Sacred Deities hate elemental magic?”
“Uh, where’d that come from?” It was a bit off-topic, wasn’t it?
“It’s not. When you lose control of elemental magic, it causes so much harm. Just like what happened to you.”
“Harm...”
Right, if the Grandsage hadn’t been there, I would have caused a massive flood.
“That’s why the Soul Books provided by the Sacred Deities’ churches have mastery capped at 99. It makes you feel like you aren’t progressing, like you’ll never see the elementals. The churches are also responsible for the overall impression that elemental magic isn’t worth it.”
“Oh, they are...?”
So that was why there were so few books on the topic. I could now understand why, though—the results of losing control were terrifying. Damn...I really screwed up.
“Well, it’s not all bad,” she told me, flicking out some paper.
“My Soul Book?” I asked. She’d taken it without asking, but I couldn’t muster up a protest.
“Here,” she replied, pointing.
Yup, no impro—what?! “Mastery level...200?!” I cried. It was only 160 the other day. How’d it shoot up so fast?!
Whoa, did this mean that there was a more efficient way to raise it?!
“You might not remember, but you just used really powerful magic. Oh, and don’t ever use your rage in your magic again. You might screw up and catch your allies in an out-of-control spell.”
I paused for a moment, then answered in a serious voice. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Imagining Sasa or Lucy getting caught up in my spell made me shudder. I’d definitely avoid using elemental magic like that.
“You’re waking up,” Noah pointed out.
“I made everyone worry.”
Noah nodded, her conflicted smile still on her lips. “You might have messed up this time, but no getting down. See you.”
With a wave of her hand, she vanished. Her words were probably meant to comfort me, so I muttered a quick thanks.
◇
When I opened my eyes, Lucy and Sasa were right next to me, and their voices were raised.
“Makoto!”
“Takatsuki!”
Prince Leonardo was standing a little farther back. “Makoto, are you okay?” he asked, voice laced with worry. Princess Sophia was at his side, and Princess Noelle was standing apart from them.
“Gerald, wake up,” said Princess Noelle
“I’m...alive?”
The Hero of Lightning was at her side. Apparently, he’d healed up as well. Phew, what a relief.
“You’ve caused a lot of trouble. Apologize to Sir Makoto,” ordered Princess Noelle.
“Shut it.”
He seemed as full of himself as ever. I could respect that in some way, but it still made me wonder... I asked Prince Leonardo about it since he was close by.
“Prince Leonardo, why does he speak like that with Princess Noelle? Isn’t she of a higher rank?”
The prince had a sad look on his face as he answered. “Lord Gerald and Princess Noelle have known each other since childhood... In fact, until the Hero of Light arrived, they were engaged.”
“What?!”
So basically, Sakurai had taken Gerald’s childhood friend and fiancée from him? On top of that, now he had to play second fiddle as a hero. That...was kinda sad.
“Awful...”
“It is...”
Prince Leonardo and I shared a deep sigh.
“Screw this,” Gerald spat, not meeting our eyes.
“Gerald!” called out Princess Noelle, but he ignored her angry yell and left the arena. He carried none of the indomitable aura from before, only sorrow.
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