Clarifications:
-"Person Talking"-
-(Person Thinking)-
-
[Skills or Magic]
(JC: Author's Notes)
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Let's start
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So.
As anyone could imagine, carrying out a hit on a government minister presented a number of serious problems.
-"My brother, my brother,"- Kaido muttered, with a few security officers trailing behind him. -"What did you do this time?"-
He was on duty today; even he couldn't afford to miss shifts all the time. Kaijin had given him an invitation, but he'd declined... only to go to the nightclub anyway thanks to his brother's boorishness. Simply running would have been an easy enough plan for us, but it was likely doomed from the start.
-"Hmph! That fool!"- As four knights carried Kaijin away, he yelled and pointed a wild finger at the minister. -"He practically spat in Yukimaru's face, my client and the best benefactor I've ever had! What's wrong with putting him in his place a little, huh?!"-
Vester, for his part, still hadn't gotten over the shock. He was just staring at us, blood still dripping from his nose. He looked pathetic and somewhat comical. I never saw it coming, I guess. The surprise probably kept it from hurting.
-"Brother,"- Kaido whispered with a sigh. -"You don't put a government minister 'in his place' like that... Anyway, all of you are coming with me!"- He signaled to his men, and then they took me aside for a moment. -"Just stay calm, okay? I promise we'll treat you well."-
I wasn't planning on doing anything else, of course. However, before leaving, I sneaked up to the manager of the place and tossed five gold coins into her hand.
-"Something for the trouble and also for the good service,"- I told the surprised matron with a smile. -"I promise to come back soon!"-
After all, it seemed like a decent place. It wouldn't be right if I never saw the inside again. Besides, it's good to have connections or friendships with the owners or employees of this type of establishment. The owner and the women here are sure to know a few bits of gossip or secrets about the Dwarf Kingdom's bigwigs who come here to hang out.
I don't like you acting this almost paranoid again, but I'm the leader of a village now. I have to know if the Dwarf Kingdom or an official is a threat to me and the goblins.
That was my second arrest here in the Dwarf Kingdom...
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-(Hey, it's not that big a deal...)- That aside, I think I'm forgetting someone. -(Gobuta!)-
He wasn't with us at the club. In fact, he was redeeming his idiotic behavior by submitting to what I liked to call "Moth Hell." At first, I thought about hanging him by his feet, but that just seemed like cruelty for the sake of cruelty, so instead, I tied him up with [Sticky Thread] and left him dangling from the ceiling.
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-"Wait!"- He complained. -"This is so cruel, sir! I want to come with you!"-
I had shown him no mercy this time.
-"Enough! I can't take any more of your carefree behavior! If you don't like it, summon your companion Stormwolf and have him help you!"-
-(Not that he could,)-
I thought as I closed the door behind me.
A goblin was one thing, but a hobgoblin could go without food or drink for a week straight.
Even so, if they kept us for a while, I'd have to break in and bring him down sooner or later. For now, though, I filed it away in the back of my mind.
-(Was I being mean to him, maybe?)- I thought I was, for a moment.
But it was okay. He could deal with it.
-"Keep an eye on him."-
I gave the last order to Night, who obediently stood guard outside the room.
-(Good boy!)-
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The five of us were taken to the royal palace. It's not like we were under much guard. If anything, it seemed completely voluntary.
We ended up having to spend about two days in the castle's jail room. It wasn't too bad; the food looked decent, and we had all the amenities we needed on-site. It was less like a jail cell and more like an urban apartment shared by the five of us. We weren't treated too terribly either.
-"I just had to lose my temper, and now I have you all here with me... I'm so sorry, guys!"-
Kaijin apologized.
But none of his dwarf friends cared too much either.
-"Okay, Kaijin! No problem at all!"-
-"Yeah, don't worry, boss!"-
-"...."-
-"Also, once we get out, we want to go with you, Kaijin!"-
-"Yeah, can we go with you, Yukimaru?"-
-"....?"-
I wasn't observant enough to tell what the Third wanted from me, but I understood enough.
-"Sure, we'll take care of all of you! However, you'd better be ready... Once we get to the village, you'll be working!"-
-"""I understand!"""-
We were already talking about life outside of prison. As prison terms went, it was pretty cold.
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It was the evening of our second day.
-"By the way,"- I thought to ask. -"Why does that Minister have such a bad opinion of you, Kaijin? Was there a reason for it?"-
Kaijin's expression immediately soured. With a sigh, he began to explain. It turned out he used to be a Captain in the palace's Royal Knights, a leader of one of the seven armies that make up the entire system. Three corps were dedicated to behind-the-scenes work like engineering, supply, and emergency relief. Three more—Heavy Attackers, Magic Attackers, and Magic Support—played a more central role. The last, and most important, was the King's Personal Guard. Kaijin had been head of the engineering corps, and Vester had been his second-in-command.
-"He was the son of a Marquis,"- The Dwarf growled. -"A noble title he bought with money. I think he must have been jealous of a commoner like me taking the lead role. It was complicated, you know? It must have been humiliating for him, taking orders from someone beneath him. And I'll admit I didn't care too much about what other people thought of me. I was too busy trying to stay on the King's good side. That's when it happened."-
The "Magic Armor Affair."
At the time, the engineering corps was seen as the lowest of the seven departments in the military, barely producing any new technology for itself. Vester believed that a technologically rich kingdom should have an appropriately renowned engineering corps, while Kaijin was more of a status quo man when it came to research and development. Despite the intensity of their arguments, they never managed to reach an agreement during their countless garrison meetings.
Along the way, the corps launched a project called the Magic Armor Soldier with a team of elven engineers. A project, which Kaijin claimed, was inspired by a legend about a technology from an ancient civilization.
Vester was determined to make this project a success and boost the corps' position in the military pecking order. Kaijin warned him that he was proceeding too quickly with it, but even then, Vester had little time for the advice of a commoner.
In the end, thanks to Vester's arbitrary whims, an experiment went awry and led to a spiritual magic core running amok—a very public failure and a serious setback for the project at an early stage.
Thus, despite some of the world's greatest minds working on it, the Magic Armor project ground to a complete halt. As head of the engineering corps, Kaijin ended up taking the blame, resigning from his position in the military. Vester not only made Kaijin the scapegoat; He even convinced his friends among the higher-ranking leaders to give false testimony against him. That, according to Kaijin at least, was the truth.
Once he finished, Kaijin let out a tired sigh.
I could understand his perspective. There must have been a lot of resentment built up over the years from that.
Still... Vester is just a total movie politician, isn't he? They don't get any easier to watch than that. As far as the Minister is concerned, Kaijin could return to the military and threaten his position at any moment. That sort of thing.
-(Besides... It's something I would have done years ago.)- I sighed inwardly, remembering the kind of person he used to be.
-"So,"- Kaijin concluded. -"Maybe he'll calm down a bit if I leave the country for a while."-
He seemed a little sad, but at least he had backup. The three brothers with us were equally aware of the truth, and there was no love lost between Vester and them either.
Still, Kaijin hit a noble, so I wondered if they were going to release us and bid us farewell.
-"I wouldn't worry about it,"- Kaijin reassured me. -"I'm out of the military now, but I made up for it with the corps leader. As for my social standing, I'm just below Baron. If I were strictly more common than noble in the courts, well, I might have entered the picture."-
He punctuated that morbid fact with a hearty laugh.
Meanwhile, I just sat there. If things got tough, then I'd have to put up more of a fight.
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Our day in court came soon after, and we were all brought before the monarch.
The Heroic King of the Dwarves.
Now that I was seeing him in person, his majestic aura was almost awe-inspiring and overwhelming.
His Majesty Gazel Dwargo closed his eyes and sat deep in his throne. He was burly, dwarf-like, and his exposed, armor-like muscles positively radiated energy. His skin was a deep, dark brown, and his black hair was swept back on his head.
He exuded pure strength. My fight-or-flight instincts kicked in for the first time in a long time, but also a strange instinct to attack to prove who was stronger. -(Where did that come from?)-
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I sighed wearily. -(Simply great...)-
Two knights were stationed near him, one on each side. They were equally muscular, no doubt, but they still looked weak compared to their sovereign. Seriously, this guy was a monster. I'd planned to beat a hasty retreat or fight if necessary, but now... I was hesitating to do so. The moment I was placed in front of him, all my nerves and muscles were tense.
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-(At the level of a Maou? Well... That's both surprising and terrifying.)-
It may have been the first time in this world that I perceived a clear danger to myself.
A man knelt in front of the King, checking something with him. After receiving permission, he stood and read the affidavit.
-"We will now begin the trial! Silence, everyone!"-
For the next hour, both sides presented their cases. As criminal suspects, we weren't allowed to speak; in the royal court, that right was reserved for those with the rank of earl or higher. Otherwise, you needed the King's express permission. If you spoke out of turn, that apparently proved your guilt on the spot and earned you an additional charge for contempt of court.
Whether you were innocent or not, that was just the way this place worked. We were stuck having our representative speak for us. He had made a few visits during our two days in custody, discussing the nature of our case. Our kind of lawyer, basically.
Could we trust him, though? Anxieties like that had a tendency to arise for a reason...
-"So there was Mr. Vester,"- he continued. -"Sitting in this club, enjoying an alcoholic beverage, when this gang forced their way into the place and exposed it to horrific violence! This is not the kind of behavior that should ever be forgiven!"-
-"Is that the truth?"-
-"It is, my lord! I heard it from Kaijin himself, and I've also written accounts from the club owners. There can be no confusion about the course of events that night!"-
-(...Um, apparently he wasn't completely on our side... That can't be good.)-
I shot a glance at Kaijin; his face turned bright red, then slowly began to lose color.
-(I bet. Our lawyer didn't even bother to excuse us.)-
Needless to say, representatives of the accused weren't allowed to lie in court. If they were caught, that would be another hanging. It was impossible to think that a would-be lawyer would attempt it, barring extreme circumstances, and yet ours was doing it right in front of us.
-"My lord!"- Vester exclaimed, goading him on. -"You've heard it for yourself! I beg you to deal with these scoundrels harshly!"-
He flashed us a smile of supreme confidence.
-(Bastard. Perhaps I should hit him by "accident" if I must fight my way out of this charade.)-
The King remained motionless, his eyes closed. Instead, one of the guards at his side spoke.
-"Order! I will now give the verdict! Kaijin, the mastermind behind this crime, is sentenced to twenty years of labor in the mines. His accomplices are sentenced to ten years of labor in the mines. With that, this court hereby-"-
-"Wait,"-
A deep, calm voice interrupted.
The King opened his eyes and looked at Kaijin.
-"It's been a while, Kaijin. Are you remaining in good health?"-
-"...Yes, my lord!"- came the instant reply. Assuming he had the right to speak now. -"I am glad you remain just as well!"-
-"Yes. Now, what about you and your friends?"- He looked at us, and I was sure his gaze lingered on me for a while longer. -"Do you have any wish to return with us?"-
The audience in the royal court murmured among themselves. It must have been an unusual development. Vester immediately paled. Our traitorous representative, meanwhile, had developed a deathly pallor.
-"I beg your pardon, my lord, but I have already found a master to serve! I made my vow, and he became my treasure. A treasure so fine, in fact, that not even my lord's direct order could make me a sharer of it!"-
This clearly angered the audience. I could see the guards glaring at Kaijin. But he stood firm, his chest puffed out, the picture of dignity.
The King, seeing this, closed his eyes again.
-"I see."-
Silence reigned for another.
-"I've made my decision. Heed my prayer! Kaijin and his friends are hereby exiled from the kingdom. After midnight tonight, when the new day arrives, you are officially no longer welcome in my lands. That is all. Leave at once!"-
Opening his eyes, the King made his proclamation loudly.
-(Ha, the dignity of a born leader!)- His overwhelming presence certainly impressed me. Although, being King around here seemed to be an awfully lonely job.
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So there we were, after the trial, in Kaijin's shop. That little celebratory drink we wanted must have gone wrong, right? Now we had to pack up and leave for good.
-(Oh, wait, is Gobuta okay? We're still on day three with him, right?)-
Night followed where I left him, seeming to be perfectly fine. I hope Gobuta survived.
I was a little nervous as I opened the door to his detention room.
-"Oh! Welcome back, sir! Did you have fun? Gosh, I certainly hope you'll take me with you next time!"-
There he was, leaping off the couch to greet me! -(How did that happen...? He couldn't have gotten out of my spider silk that easily!)-
Taking another look, I realized that the cushion Gobuta had been using on the couch was actually a Storm Wolf. -(Wait, really? He actually summoned the wolf?)-
-"Uh, Gobuta, how did you get that wolf in here?"-
-"Oh! Right! That's it! I just thought, 'Hey, will you come here, please?' And he did, sir!"-
He made it sound so easy. None of the other goblins had ever accomplished the feat from such a long range before. Maybe their brain cells were dedicated to their natural talents instead of, you know, actual intelligence. It seemed ridiculous to me. I concluded it must have been a coincidence.
Then I realized the sight of the Storm Wolf had frozen the Dwarves in their tracks.
-"What's going on?"- I asked. -"We need to start packing, right?"-
-"W-Wait a second!"- the terrified Kaijin replied. -"What the hell is a Black Fang Wolf doing here?!"-
-"Yes! You need to run! That's a B-Rank monster!"-
And now they were panicking.
They looked so ridiculous, I was actually amused.
-"Calm down! It's like a big dog! We've got it inside and everything!"-
My attempts to calm everyone's nerves were met with deathly silence.
Black Fang Wolves, by the way, were a slightly more advanced version of the common Fang Wolves. If they evolved in a more magical way, their fur would turn black. Storm Fang Wolves' coats were also black, but with a unique colored sheen.
First of all, Fang Wolves weren't supposed to evolve toward the "storm" element; that was just a side effect of the name I gave them.
In volcanic regions, Fang Wolves evolve with a fire element and become Red Fang Wolves. Near bodies of water, you'd find Blue Fang Wolves. In forests, they would be Green Fang Wolves. In other words, adopting elements was a fairly common evolutionary pattern for these wolves. Meanwhile, the magic-infused black ones were apparently a notorious threat to any nearby humans and humanoids. The Storm element gave our wolf pack a very faint purple glow to its black color, something you wouldn't notice if you weren't paying attention.
Sorry, I scared the Dwarves.
We didn't have time to explain the whole story. I'll just call it Gobuta's pet for now and move on.
After hastily urging the Dwarves to put on their best traveling attire, I hurried them out of the tent, returned, and proceeded to pack the entire contents of the building into the [Stomach]. Capacity-wise, it was still fine, but "devouring" the entire building would likely have drawn too much attention, so I kept it that way.
Once our preparations for the journey were complete, we headed to where Rigur and the other Goblins were waiting.
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The space was silent, a far cry from the heated arguments of a moment ago.
After the five defendants had left the court, no one dared to move an inch. Vester gulped nervously. The King's persistent silence unnerved him and everyone else.
Then Gazel broke the calm.
-"Now, Vester. Do you have anything you wish to say?"-
-"A-A thousand pardons, my lord, but this is all a misunderstanding! It must simply be a mistake!"-
Vester's voice was a nervous trill as he pleaded his case. The King regarded him coldly, betraying none of his emotions.
-"A misunderstanding? If so, you've cost me one of my most faithful servants."-
-"How can you say such a thing, my lord?! You call what he offered you 'loyalty'? Why, he's simply a man of the street-"-
-"Vester. I see you are mistaken. Kaijin left my body of his own free will. When I speak of a faithful servant I have lost... I am referring to you."-
The Minister's heart raced. -(I need to find an excuse...)- But his mind was blank. Words refused to reach his lips. His thoughts were slow to form. -(What did he just say? Did he mean me? Then...)-
-"Let me ask you once more, Vester. Do you have something you want to say?"-
Fear, pure fear, dominated Vester's mind. The King had asked him a question. He needed to answer. But all his speech had deserted him.
-"I... My lord, I'm afraid... I..."-
-"I had high expectations of you, Vester. I've been waiting for so long. Even during the matter of the Magic Armor, I waited for you to finally tell the truth. And now I consider, once again..."-
The expression Gazel showed Vester could almost be described as kind. The King's words pierced the Minister like the sharpest sword.
-"Take a look at this."-
The King pointed to two objects one of his attendants had presented.
Vester, with hollow eyes, looked at them. One was a sphere filled with a liquid he had never seen before; The other was a greatsword.
-"Do you know what these are?"-
The liquid remained a mystery to Vester, but the greatsword reminded him.
Kaijin had brought it.
-"You can explain,"-
The King ordered his attendant. The following speech took quite a while for Vester to fully understand.
The liquid was a Life Regenerating Elixir, a near-perfect extract of the juices of the Hipokte Herbs. A so-called "complete" potion, named for its miraculous healing properties.
Even with the best technology the Dwarves had at their disposal, the purest extract they could produce reached 98%. That made it as potent as a "high" potion. This liquid, meanwhile, was at 99%!
Vester's face twisted in shock. He had to know!
-(What did they do to produce such a level of-?)-
But before he could ask, the attendant had even more shocking news for him. The greatsword had a core of Magic Steel that was already working through the rest of the sword.
-(Impossible. That process only began after a ten-year adaptation procedure!)- Shock made Vester's mind reel. -(If this were true...!)-
-"Both of these wonders were brought by that human boy,"- The King said. -"And thanks to your behavior, we have lost our connection with that person. Do you have anything you want to say?"
Now Vester realized the extent of his King's fury. There was truly nothing he could say.
-"I... Not I, my lord."-
Tears began to well up in his eyes. He knew all too well that his lord had now abandoned him. All he wanted was to serve his King. To win his approval. That was all.
-(When did I go wrong? When I became jealous of Kaijin, or before...?)-
He didn't know. All he knew was that he had betrayed the King's trust.
-"I... see. In that case... Vester! I hereby forbid you from entering the palace. Don't let him see you before me again. I'll let you go with this: I've had enough of you!"-
Hearing his words, Vester stood and bowed deeply to his lord. Then he left, departing to pay his penance for his foolishness.
As he did, a guard rushed forward and arrested the representative serving as Vester's accomplice.
The King watched them out of the corner of his eye.
-"My Dark Agent!"- he shouted with some urgency. -"Track that boy's movements! Don't let him notice. Never!"-
The normally taciturn King's emphatic order gave everyone in the chamber pause.
-"By my life, my lord!"-
The Dark Agent said before disappearing.
The King thought to himself.
-(Who was that boy?)-
He wasn't a human. A type of Monster, no doubt. Was that the level of Monster being unleashed then?
His Hero instincts gave him a feeling he couldn't ignore. Trusting them, he began to act.
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Rigur and the group were safely at the edge of the forest.
Between this and that, we'd spent a total of five days in the city, about what we'd hoped for. Things didn't go according to plan, but we largely accomplished what we'd set out to do.
Too bad we couldn't go to the Free Guild in town. To me, it sounded like a typical adventurer's club, the exact kind of place one or two from another world might hang out. It would have been nice to check out all the good looks and armor the Dwarves were known for, too. But, oh well. We had a group of master craftsmen with us here. That was enough of a find.
I took the time to introduce Kaijin and his unfortunate friends to the Goblins. We'd all be working together for a while, so I wanted to start off on the right foot. Now that I think about it, I didn't see much in the way of casual racism from the Dwarves—most of them, anyway. Considering the Semi-Magical origins they all shared, I suppose it makes sense. I could imagine us crossing paths again someday.
Now we were more or less ready to go. The only problem was transportation. Ranga, of course, was wagging his tail, as if me jumping on him was the pinnacle of his life. I explained that he needed his full fifteen-foot size for a while so he could fit two of the three brothers on his back.
Ranga wasn't a fan of this idea. His face instantly turned sulky as he stumbled backward and dropped his butt onto the ground. He looked at the newcomers as if suggesting he could eat them and save everyone a lot of trouble.
The Dwarves nearly jumped out of their skin. Even when they first saw him, they cried in unison. -"""Gaahh! How can you even...?!"""- And so on.
Either this was a well-practiced routine of theirs, or Ranga really scared them that much. There had to be something I could do.
-"Wait, Ranga,"- I said. -"I tried transforming into one of you before, and I'd like to test how it works a little. That's why I want you to let these Dwarves up, okay?"-
His head immediately shot up.
-"I understand, my master!"-
Kaijin and Garm, the eldest of the three brothers, would ride on my back; Ranga would take Dold and Mildo. Once they were up, I would spin a [Sticky Thread] to make sure they stayed up. These guys made almost fifty at their peak. In this world free of shaved vehicles, the experience would probably make them faint. Not that I knew if I could handle that speed, or if I wanted to.
Now for me.
Mimic: Starstorm Wolf
-"Amazing! Your dazzling strength knows no bounds, my master!"-
-"Hahaha! Yeah, I bet! And you'll look like that someday soon, if you keep this up!"-
-"We'll do our best to live up to your lofty expectations, my master!"-
Ranga's eyes sparkled at this new mission in life. The rest of the Storm Wolves became equally excited. It's always a good idea to motivate the troops a little.
So I enlisted Kaijin and Garm to get them up, and...
Well, that's weird. They're all unconscious and foaming at the mouth. What are they doing anyway? -(Oh well. I knew the practice would come in handy.)- A bit of [Sticky Thread] on my back, and everyone was lifted up and firmly in place.
Night, without thinking, also climbed on top of me, putting himself at the front of the Dwarves.
The fainted Dwarves wouldn't make good traveling companions, but we set off anyway.
Incidentally, I had intended to start off at a leisurely trot, only to find myself going over sixty miles per hour or so. Maybe it was for the best that my passengers weren't awake to see this. If they were, our acceleration would have caused them to lose their lunches.
I glanced back at Dold and Mildo on Ranga's back. They had a little more guts... Or I thought they did. Then I realized they were unconscious with their eyes open. My condolences.
Putting the Dwarves to the back of my mind, I continued on the path back home. At least they wouldn't bite their tongues or whatever if they were unconscious. If I were them, I wouldn't want to wake up in the middle of this screaming machine anyway. It would be better for everyone if they stayed asleep until it was all over. I'll feed them, of course, but...
I really am a bit bad with people, aren't I? And speaking of which...
-"Rigur! Have you ever successfully summoned one of the black wolves before?"-
-"... I haven't, Yukimaru-sama, I'm ashamed to admit it."-
-(Hmm. He hasn't, and it was a point of frustration for the other goblins as well, not to mention his fellow wolves. So why only Gobuta?)-
-"Really? Because I guess Gobuta managed to do it."-
-"What? Gobuta, is that true?"-
-"Y-Yes! I answered, and he came for me!"-
There was a fighting spirit in everyone's (and every dog's) eyes now.
-"... It's not impossible,"- Rigur mused. -"Gobuta is strong enough to have made the journey from the Dwarf Kingdom on foot once!"-
-(Oh, right...)-
I thought he was an idiot, but apparently he was good in a pinch. He was an idiot, of course, but not useless. Surviving a four-month trek through the desert and feeding off the land wasn't something just any old man could do. He'd also had to deal with Monsters along the way, however weak they might have been.
For now, I placed Gobuta a few rungs higher on my internal ranking. He'd probably fall again soon enough.
We decided to camp once nightfall fell. I wasn't tired, but everyone else needed to rest, so I could test out my Skills in the meantime.
A Starstorm Wolf, to say the least, was physically gifted. I could practically feel the power pulsing inside me. Just a slight leap, and I was high in the sky; on the ground, I tore through any path I found with my swift sprint. Add in some quick reflexes, and it seemed I had what it took to put this form to good use.
Most of my battles so far had involved me throwing out a few [Water Blades] and finishing them off just like that. I hadn't given it much thought, but strength—and reflexes—were going to be far more important to me if things got dangerous. On that front, the Starstorm Wolf seemed to have just about everything I could want.
A Starstorm Wolf, not under my control, would be stronger than a Black Snake, which would be an A-rank or so; Although I probably couldn't take on ten at once. Although there was that strange skill, [Black Lightning], I should think...
My instincts told me one would pack a punch, so I'd try it out in my normal form first. That should temper it a bit so I could observe it.
The [Black Lightning] I unleashed was... Let's call it "beyond all belief." There was a flash, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. The large stone at the riverbank I'd chosen as my target was gone, crumbling into pebbles. I could see the lightning crashing down faster than light... But witnessing its terrifying power, for me, simply shocked me. Beyond expectations.
-(Well... Shit...)-
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-(Ooh yeah...)-
Let's leave it at that. Sealed for later, like the snake's [Poison Breath]. It would be best if I saved it until I knew how to moderate the intensity of my attacks a bit. It didn't cost as much magic as I thought it would; I barely felt it being drained when I activated the Skill.
Given the range of that beam, however, it could be a nice ace up my sleeve someday. The entire twenty-meter radius around the disintegrated rock was burning and crystalline. Something to think about.
Rigur, of course, had a few hobbies there to figure out what was going on. I told them it was just a rogue beam. -(Sorry to interrupt your sleep, guys. I'd have to save the more dangerous experimentation for a place where I could work in peace)- Some soundproofing would also be nice. Otherwise, it would be hard to really flex my muscles.
Still, there was some more data to work with. I replayed the simulation in my mind. According to the results, a Starstorm Wolf outside my control could use [Black Lightning] and probably kill ten Black Snakes at once. Which meant the attack had probably surpassed A-rank.
The guideline for an A-rank was being able to destroy a small town—Disaster Level, in other words. It was best to avoid that transformation in urban areas.
My experiments continued until morning, albeit much more quietly.
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The next day...
Like any cook, I'll personally take care of breakfast. It was a simple breakfast; it was the little I could make with the ingredients we had.
But still...
It was the most delicious breakfast I've ever tasted! And it was just roasted wild hares!
It seemed the Goblins and Wolves felt the same way. They were literally crying with joy with every bite. That must be because of my Unique Skill [Cooking]. And if I'm not mistaken, this food will improve their strength, speed, and intelligence.
Literally the best food in the world...
The Dwarves were awake, still white as sheets.
-"Is everyone okay?"-
-"Y... Yes... Where are we?"-
As they slowly shook off the cobwebs, they realized they were in unfamiliar territory. It unnerved them. I explained that we were on our way to the village these Goblins called home.
-"W-What?! That would normally take about two months! We won't have enough food unless we get a carriage from a nearby town!"-
-(It's a little late to be surprised by that, isn't it?)-
I wanted to say, but, thinking about it, I really hadn't explained much to them, had I? Things like how we got here and how fast we were going. We weren't in a hurry today, so I decided to take the time to explain in detail what we were doing.
Breakfast was served at that moment. And with just that, the Dwarves stopped thinking about the journey and started crying over the delicious food.
As they ate, I reexamined our future plans.
-"We'll be back in the village in two days or so."-
-"""No..."""-
They whispered in unison, realizing how quickly the wolves were carrying them.
-"Hey, don't worry!"- I replied with a carefree smile. -"Once you get used to it, it's a piece of cake."-
It would be nice if you could get used to it, but I thought we'd probably reach the end of the journey before then.
....
.....
...
....
.....
We headed back to the road.
Time to build a [Telepathic Communication] slot for ourselves. Now that I'd done it a few times, it was second nature to me. The Dwarves picked it up too, which was a relief.
[Telepathic Communication] was a sort of high-level version of Telepathy, allowing you to create links and talk to multiple people at once. It also made things like strategy meetings easier for us. It was still effective at a range of half a mile or so, which was more than enough for my purposes.
By the second day, the Dwarves seemed largely able to stay on their mounts without fainting. The force of the wind prevented them from opening their eyes, so I constructed a sort of visor for all of them out of silk. Something like a helmet replacement, I suppose, and it seemed to do the trick.
I also began to notice that I could control my [Sticky Thread] to some extent through Telepathy. Once you got used to controlling magical energy, it was amazing what you could do with it. [Sticky Thread] probably wasn't the only thing I could apply that to either. These tiny particles were the essence of magic.
Anyway, the Dwarves were getting the hang of things, and their makeshift helmets were having the effect I wanted. I could talk to them now, and they were kind enough to teach me a thing or two about life in their kingdom as we rode. The goblins were also listening, referring to their own experiences, and we had a pleasant, friendly conversation for much of the day. This should continue in the village as well, I hoped.
Dwarves, being part spirits, were extraordinarily long-lived. Goblins, being partly magically born, were notoriously short-lived. Evolution, or perhaps living conditions, had created quite a difference between the two.
Sometimes I wondered if goblins were actually a step down on the evolutionary scale.
Hobgoblins, the next step up, struck me as a monster equivalent to dwarves. As if they had returned to their ancestral roots, in a way, with much more magical power at their disposal. I wouldn't know for sure, but I imagined evolution also worked wonders for their lifespans.
However, they still weren't the most practical, and there was a big difference between Monsters and Fairies, but even so...
Dwarves, on the other hand, were probably more closely related to Monsters than, say, Elves, another spiritual race. Maybe that helps these two species get along too.
Since I suddenly remembered something else, I decided to mention it.
-"Kaijin. I know I'm a little late in asking, but are you okay with this? You really respected that King, didn't you?"-
-"Oh, that? I do, yes. There isn't a Dwarf alive who doesn't respect him. Imagine having the Hero of your nighttime fairy tales as your true King!"-
It was an interesting thing to consider, the mythical Heroes of the past, still alive and kicking ass and protecting their people as King. That would help me build a pretty healthy respect, yes. I'd like to root for this ideal King, one who always did the right thing and never left room for error.
I wondered how much he had to sacrifice to keep that ideal a reality.
In a way, it was terrifying. It took a lot of spirit, I'm sure, to be a leader like that. That's what made people believe in him.
-(... Was I ready for that? I had become, more or less, the master of this Goblin Village. But what comes after that?)-
The last time I had desires and longings to rule, it was for selfish reasons, and I had done a lot of manipulation to achieve it. If I have to do it again, I'll have to do it differently than my "rebellious" days.
-
-(Thanks for the support, Ddraig)-
-"Well, let me ask you this then, Kaijin. Why did you come with me? Wouldn't it have been the best thing for your life if you rejoined the King?"-
-"Gahhahaha! Well! Much more sensitive than I thought, huh, Yukimaru? I did it because it seemed fun. It was just instinct, you know? Like, 'Hey, this guy's going to go out and do something!' That's all the reason I needed, you know?"-
-(...Yeah. Maybe. Fair enough)-
-"Heh,"- I retorted. -"Well, don't come crying to me later if it turns sour."-
-"Of course!"-
Kaijin replied. I nodded, satisfied.
Two days later, we arrived back at the village on time. Mission accomplished.
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
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Author's Notes
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Please note that this story is mostly centered around Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken and another novel that you may recognize. Please also note that Rimuru is completely replaced by my own character (Yukimaru). You are warned.
Disclaimers:
The character or story mentioned from an anime, or novel, does not belong to me. Instead, it belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi (High School DxD), Fuse, Mitz Vah (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) and Patora Fuyuhara (Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni)
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Upcoming chapters (Spoilers):
Chapter 15- The Girl and the Hero
Chapter 16- A New Beginning for the Goblin Village
Chapter 17- The Conqueror of Flames