Sousetsuka

6





"That's the problem. Due to how sudden it was, the things with my mother flashed on my mind and I completely lost my cool back then, but after thinking about it calmly, there really was no reason to get that flustered."

"Hou. Do you really believe that."

"I do. Think about it. Even if they're a nobility, Goncourt House pales in comparison to a marquis house. Their standing is such that they have to be careful with how they interact with other nobles and the town lord. They don't have absolute power over anything. They can't just lord around wildly."

Lecan couldn't really agree with her opinion, but neither would he deny it. Norma put her forefinger on her forehead and muttered like she was talking to herself.

"Prado-san will surely realize how good his condition is once he comes to. But I believe that won't come as a surprise since they would sometimes call a priest to have <Recovery> cast on him."

"Fumu."

"But after two, three or perhaps four days, he will notice it. His condition should have worsened yet it's not happening. He may find out that the color of Eda's <Recovery> is different from the norm then."

"Probably."

"But magic color can and do differ between individuals, thus he most likely won't realize that it's <Purification> right away. And Eda recited <Recovery> spell name back then, he must think that it was <Recovery>."

"Fumu. Perhaps so."

"How it's more effective than a priest's despite being the same <Recovery>. He will wonder about it."

"He probably will."

"What action would Goncourt House take then. They will probably summon me to ask about it. Like, how come he's such in a good health."

Considering Norma's relationship with Goncourt House, that's probably what's gonna happen. It's only natural, thought Lecan.

"What answer should I give them? I absolutely can't say that it's <Purification>. Otherwise Goncourt House might lose themselves over greed. Although the effect might not be as striking as having <Purification> cast on you over several months time, they might still resort to unsavory means if it means a chance to take hold of a <Purification> user."

"Indeed."

"So I absolutely won't say it's <Purification>. But then, what should I tell them? Fumu."

Norma opened all five of her right fingers wide and put them over both her eyes. White, long slender and beautiful fingers. Her hands are big for a woman yet that in turn helps bring out their exquisiteness.

"That was a <Recovery>."

Norma raised her face and made a declaration with a determined look.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"An advanced level <Recovery> that is."

"Hou."

"And, Eda's <Recovery> isn't the only thing that helped the seemingly miraculous treatment. All the medicinal herbs he had been taking all these years finally manifested their true effects right at that point."

"Will they really run with that."

"I don't believe there's anyone who can win against me in a theoretical debate in this town. I'll make use of all the theories I have been researching all my life in the debate. There won't be any lie. I shall present it as a hypothesis I've arrived at based on the results of all research I've done up until now."

"Hou. Maybe it'll go well then."

"I don't think my debate opponent has any choice but to believe in my explanation. But regardless of how much they believe or not believe, they most definitely will attempt to summon Eda there. Through me, naturally."

"Sounds about right."

"Lecan. Eda."

"What?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any plan to leave this town for a while anytime soon?"

"Hou. You're asking that huh. We do have a plan to visit Ninae Dungeon once we're done training under you. Me and Eda. Including the round trip, it will be a one month long excursion according to Shira."

"That's it! You must go, right away. Your training is done for now!"

"That's too premature."

"I still wanna learn more."

"We'll continue your training once things have settled down. You both are truly excellent students and having your <Recovery> nearby helps with my research greatly. You're a lifesaver to me and my patients."

"The issue won't disappear just because we're not in this town. Wouldn't it just be a repeat once we got back."

"No no. What we need now is time for observation. We can't proceed ahead unless we know how Prado-san's condition is looking after several days, ten and twenty days. Please go ahead to the dungeon."

This is an attractive suggestion.

First of all, Eda won't be in danger while she's away from this town.

It'll be helpful if Norma could come up with a plan in the meanwhile.

And above all, Lecan had been wanting to go to a dungeon.

"I'll take you up on that suggestion. We'll go consult Shira."

Actually, Lecan still had one question remaining. Which is, the reason why Jinga is here. Jinga is supposed to be a knight who belongs to the marquis house. Or perhaps, belonged. Why is such an individual here.

But that would mean prying on Norma's private life. And to begin with, Norma would have told them about it had it been something she could divulge.

With that in mind, Lecan refrained from asking that question here.






Previous Chapter

Chapter 93 Conclusion

 

"That one just now was well done, however your mana kneading and composition still have a long ways to go. A slight touch from this 『Meteor』 turning them back into magic essence is proof of that."

Temuro-san is quite spartan. And [Meteor] is that morning star's name huh.
Afterward, I tried the same chantless stone wall tactics twice more and he easily broke through both.
Apparently, the steel ball part of the morning star gets this destroying effect when it's set on its shaft part. Well dang, his fighting style sure isn't a flashy one, but how it steadily and soundly drives his opponent into a corner is devastating. However, knowing this is already a good result in itself. I'd still like to at least put a graze on him though. A perfect win would be way too much!

"Stone Skin."

An earthen-colored light was sucked into my body. Preps done. This will hurt, but it's the only chance I have.

I take a stance with Lunar Cat drawn out and take a breath in and out. Discerning Magic Eye in full throttle as to not miss any movement.
Then I step forward.
The javelin went after me as if waiting for that moment. I dealt with it with the same old half step dodge. Here comes the real thing.

"Again with the same trick?"

With a sound of wind being cut, the morning star is coming at my torso as anticipated. Trajectory read!
I concentrate Mana Clad on a single point of my torso. Grit teeth and bear it!

MEKIN, DOSUN

Now!

"Graviton!"

*BOOM*, the steel ball got sunk into the ground by Graviton. I used that as a boost to dash forward.
Closing in on Temuro-san while putting all my weight behind Lunar Cat. But he didn't seem to mind at all about the missing morning star and was already at the ready to block my blade with his javelin.

GUNIN

My swung sword suddenly changed its trajectory, twice as it went for a joint on his armor. I used [<<Air Thruster>>] on the blade to forcefully change its directions. Of course it's not without a price. Thanks to the impossible moves done, my muscles are getting torn apart. They've been ruptured on several spots. I could barely hold my grip on Lunar Cat, but I won't stop I can't stop. The after effects from healing these injuries once this is all over would be pretty severe for sure.

SUPAN
KARA---N

Temuro-san's gauntlet fell down as the clip holding his gauntlet was cut. Blood seeps out of his hand from a single graze.

"Nicely done, but this is as far you go."

*kachin* just when I thought I was hearing something, Temuro-san's morning star's shaft split open as he swung it down at me. From the shaft, a baton like thing was formed.

Geez, just how multifunctional that thing is really, *gosun*!

My consciousness was easily reaped by that single swing.



<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >


ZABASHA

Buha!
I awoke with a splash of water on face.
Mitama and the girls are looking at me with a worried look on their faces.

"...You okay? Hurt anywhere?"

"Hnn, I'm fine. How long did I pass out?"

Looks like the peanut gallery has dispersed. Only us and Temuro-san are in the training ground.

"Only few minutes. Sheesh, you really pushed yourself, didn't ya."

"I would have never imagined milord could put up such a fight against that [Meteor]."


Ah, Wakamoto-san is shutting his mouth tight. He looks like he's got something to say, but he's keeping it shut.

Temuro-san peeked with a face that looked like it was saying he went overboard.

"Haha, sorry about that. I went a bit far. Been so long since anyone cut my War Armor, you see. Really though, I can't help but look forward to your growth in the future, what's with that strength of yours at such a young age. I get why master is so enthusiastic now."

He offered his hand as he said that. I stated what I had in mind as I grabbed that hand.

"That battle has truly opened my eyes on my lack of experience. I shall further devote myself and win our next match."

"Fu, hahahahaha"

Temuro-san laughed out loud heartily. Huuh, I was being serious though.

"Oh pardon. That sounded like what I told master almost word to word, y'see. Us disciples really are cut from the same cloth."

Temuro-san was a rascal back in the days huh? My impression of him feels like of a caring elder brother though. I mean, he even gave me advices during the mock battle earlier.

"You'll have to excuse me now, wouldn't want Eleanor-kun finding more excuses to scold me. This will be a nice tale for duke-sama and commander. Well then, see you around. I look forward to our next meeting."

Temuro-san left while waving his hand back.
The match really showed the gap in strength, but I managed to leave a scratch on him. My combat skill has gotten better for sure. Knowing that alone is a good result. Also I've got to create magic that's more precise and tougher. Also gotta come up with more combinations. Combining [<<Lightning Spin Break>>] with [<<Air Thruster>>] might make for a rush attack that covers both offense and defense. Oh dang, I'm getting excited just thinking about it.

As I was reflecting on the results of our match, I felt some kind of negative aura coming closer from behind. I timidly turned around and got greeted with Eleanor-san in an imposing stance. Her forehead is twitching a bit, looks like she's furious. Hiii, it's Asura, I can see Asura's aura!

"Nobusada-san. Fighting that person in a match at this point is too reckless! Listen here..."

Afterward, Eleanor-san gave me an hour long sermon, while fervently telling me how worried she was.
I'm sorry for making you worry.


The other members took care of collecting items seized from [Gottmanz] while I was having the sermon. Since the equipment seemed quite well used, they couldn't bring themselves to collect it and only took the cash and accessories. Yup, looks like the girls have got some leeway after winning big from betting on me. Me? I completely forgot to take a bet.
None of the accessories was anything rare and none of the girls was eager to use accessories used by men, thus they were traded for money at the guild. The cash is 180,000 in total. Well, let it be a lesson learned to those guys. Since we didn't touch their equipment, they can still work anyway.

As for quests, we sold all Boar's Livers and Guarana used for medicine making, six Treant Timber for making wands, and some sugar and honey for sweeteners.
Everything else besides stuff we intend to use later are sold.
Honey and sugar are reserved for the girls besides the portion needed for the quest. Otherwise, they'd never live it down with me.
As for the protein, aside from my shares, I plan to share it to Maniwa-san and friends.
I just know they'd be ecstatic.

Thus the total sales is 202,900.
The Brilliant Feathers were worth 50,000 each. According to Ranba-san it's an ornamental item for noble purveyors, with very low drop rate. Since they might be useful for something, I kept one and sold the rest.

Thanks to the unexpected income, a thought crossed my mind, ordering clothes for the three girls and Tina-chan from Maniwa-san might be a good idea. Since children grow up fast and they're going to get their clothes dirty while working, I should order plain clothes and work clothes. And also, I wanna order mufufu costumes for the ladies' night use! YES, Nobusada's Ambition starts now!

Ah, right, that thing I asked Maniwa-san to make should be done right about now.







～Digression～

"Dang, who woulda thought that guy turned out that amazing."

"Yeah, lost my bet cuz I completely made light of him."

"Still can't believe he put a scratch on that [Meteor]."

"The way he moved was inhuman, like some kind of beast."

"And he cast magic without chanting to boot, how crazy is that."

"Magic casting beast huh. How 'bout we call him [Magic Beast] from now on."

"Uwaah, that fits way good. I mean, he's got that many beauties around him, musta work a lot at night too right? [Magic Beast] is perfect."

"Nobusada the [Magic Beast] huh. Guess that makes those beauties his trainers then."

"""AHAHAHAHA, THAT'S DAMN GOOD"""

Unbeknown to Nobusada, his pool of nicknames is getting larger and larger.






Previous Chapter

5





"I have a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"I thought Red Potions and <Recovery> don't work on poisons, am I wrong?"

"Now this is a surprise, never would have thought I'd get that question from an adventurer, especially a hardcore one like you. But yes, I have the answer to that. Red Potions temporarily work on poison. <Recovery> is also effective on poison, in most cases."

"Fumu?"

"Red Potions erase the symptoms of a poison for a period of time. But not the poison itself, thus those symptoms will bounce back before long. If it's only a weak poison, Red Potions can cure it."

"I see."

"<Recovery> can work on most poisons besides those that originate from mineral and foreign objects inside body. Explaining the technical stuff would be difficult, but unlike Red Potions, <Recovery> can be used successively with a fixed interval. How effective it is on a type of poison depends on the level of <Recovery> used and the mana put into it."

"Fumu. Think I've got the gist of it."

"And I have no idea what's what."

"Practically speaking, if you want to get rid of a poison with <Recovery>, don't cast a strong but short <Recovery>, but do a repeated casting of <Recovery> over a period of time."

"I see."

"Oh, I got it now."

"Well, weak <Recovery> won't catch up to strong and quick-acting poisons though, so generally speaking, you don't use <Recovery> to treat poisons. But if you're an adventurer, you'll get your hand on green potions. At the end of the day, there's simply nothing more effective than green potions for detoxification."

"Got it. Next about the marquis, did they not give him Red Potions, or cast <Recovery> on him."

"I believe they did. Red potions would simply fall on laps of powerful houses like the marquis, and they had several <Recovery> users on stand by. There were even upper level intermediate users. However, Red Potions and <Recovery> barely have any effect on aging bodies and the pain that accompanies. Thus, my mother became a special existence."

"Got it. Also, I need information on Goncourt House, anything of use on the possible action they'll take toward Eda. Why are you making house calls to Goncourt House, Norma. What's your relation with them."

"Like I told you, Prado-san is the father of my mother. However, I only found out about that after the passing of my mother and my return to this town."

"Hou."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"After father had passed away, I received a request to make a house call at Goncourt House. That was when Jinga told me about the connection between Prado-san and my mother."

"Fumu."

"I went to Goncourt House and performed examination and treatment like I always did, then once I was done they asked me to periodically make house calls there. They never mentioned anything about me and my relation to Goncourt House though. Neither my grandfather or my cousins came forward about it. But I believe at least Prado-san, Zepus-san and Kanner-san the butler are aware of it. I could feel it strongly from their attitude toward me."

"That's probably the truth if that's how you really feel."

"Goncourt House treats me politely. Not like a common-born medic, more like an upstanding one."

"Are they trying to maintain their connection with you, their family, by asking for your expertise?"

"Unn. It doesn't feel like that though. This is coming from me and all, but the knowledge and ability I have on medical treatment is on a pretty high level."

"It's true"

"Yep, definitely true!"

"This town houses five noble houses besides the town lord. Ah, wait, I guess it's four now that Avanklein's left. Among those four, only Goncourt House lacks an intermediate <Recovery> user. As such, calling someone capable and knowledgeable yet with very little mana and low level <Recovery>, that is me, isn't really that weird."

"Isn't it because they're expecting you to manifest <Purification>?"

This question seemed to have caught Norma off guard, her eyes opened wide before she got lost in thought.

"That never even crossed my mind. But, I see now. My mother also only had little mana and could only cast even weaker <Recovery>. Then one day she woke up to <Purification>. Uuun. I see. I can't say that they may not bear that expectation. Though the chance of that is unbelievably slim in reality."

"With that in mind, the non-high handedness of Goncourt House makes sense."

"True that."

"Goncourt House is aware about your mother's <Purification>, correct?"

"They are. Though he was saying that in a roundabout way, Prado-san definitely knew about it."

"I see. So let's get this straight, what will Goncourt House do to Eda?"






Previous Chapter

17-42. Netherworld Invasion (2)

 

Satou here. During the final death march in game development, it's not unusual to find more bugs triggered from fixing a bug.
But that doesn't mean we can just ignore those bugs, such is the lives of programmers.



◇



"Awawawawa~?"
"Oh no, oh no nanodesu!"

Tama and Pochi were panicking to see problems cropping up all over the place.

"Calm down, you two."

As expected of Liza. Looks like she's got it under control.

"First thing first--"

Liza turns her line of sight toward the male gods who are struggling against black sludge enveloping them.

"We must get rid of the main culprits."

--Or not.

They might be the cause of this all, but they're still necessary existences for this world. As a breakwater mostly.

"Liza you too, compose yourself."
"I beg your pardon, Master."

Well, it's not like I don't understand their fluster though.

This all started because the male gods led their apostles to invade Netherworld, believing that Demon God had kidnapped god Parion.

At Netherworld, those gods were greeted by black sludge--high density miasma that yields [Forbidden Powers] and made an emergency escape to human world.
That's fine and all, but in doing so they broke the barrier I put between Netherworld and Human World.
Then the huge amount of apostles that followed after those gods made the rips even worse by widening them.

As a result, Netherworld is starting to unite with Human World once again.

First thing first, I need to do something about these male gods and apostles that are getting encroached by the black sludge and then onto repairing the rips between worlds.
Only then I can get to reconstructing the barrier between this world and Netherworld.

Well then, time to work together with the girls and deal with this emergency mission.



◇



"--Or so I'd like to do."

I'm getting fed up looking at the male gods who continued their destructive rampage in the city while yelling 'Impurities!', and the countless apostles flying all over the sky.
There's no casualty since I've sheltered Pier Rock Kingdom's populace in the sub-space already, but they're turning every building on ground into dust.

To avoid future problems, maybe I should listen to Liza and--

『--Hold it. Haste makes waste, Satou should wait. Karion said so too.』
『I didn't, Urion spouted nonsense. But, it's true that I'd like you to spare some time before springing into action.』

Two noisy little goddesses manifested before my eyes.

Didn't these gods require a huge amount of Divinity to manifest in human world?

『These are avatars. Our real bodies are in Realm of Gods.』
『Karion is right. We sent compressed oracles to nearby miko for an automatic playback.』

I see, looking closer I don't feel that much divineness coming from them, and only the outlines of their blond hair have the respective personal colors of these two gods.
I think teleporting nearby miko here would cost a lot too, but I suppose that's nothing to gods. I mean even god Parion delivered hero's pleasure boat--Sub-Dimensional Ship Jules Verne for her heroes after all.

This feels a bit too interactive for a playback, but I'll just assume it's all thanks to some godly techs.

"So is there anything I can help you with?"
『We have two things to impart.』
『First, take out Karisfel the [Book of Wisdom].』

I fetched the Sacred Treasure god Karion had handed me from Storage as told.

The book flipped itself, then a complex multiplex magic circle emerged above it.

『Wait a bit.』

Karion pointed her avatar's finger at the magic circle.
As the finger began moving, the lines forming the magic circle reconstructed themselves into a new magic.

『This will do. This magic allows you to endure [Forbidden Powers] for a period of time with.』

--Whoa, that's pretty nice of them.

I decode the modified magic on the Book of Wisdom as I thanked Karion.
Since I found some parts that could be customized for me, I quickly modified the magic into a new version.

But if they had this magic, couldn't they cast it on those male gods before they rushed to Netherworld.
Though perhaps, they did and this was the result.

Anyway, let's give it a chant.

--Yup, it's coming together nicely.

『Shocking.』
『What is? Immediately casting a taught magic is normal. Karion is exaggerating.』
『Not that, Urion needs to be more attentive. He modified that magic and made it into his own during that short moment. That speed is abnormal. Satou is abnormal.』

You're going to lower my motivation, please stop saying abnormal.
Looks like my thought was transmitted to her, god Urion ignored the still shocked god Karion and continued the talk.

『Next one is regarding combat. Apostles are war machines similar to demons, feel free to destroy them. Even if they die, the same individual will be revived from the seedbed's archetype.』

--Archetype? Is it like the high elves?

『Urion's too concise. High elves are different, they are work of art Creator God made. Apostles are made from patterned divinity. They do not possess more ego than what's necessary to accomplish their missions, they are nothing but mass produced machines that only move as programmed.』

Later on, I found out that in case of demons, they're created by an origin demon called Mother by kneading highly dense miasma. Greater demons have egos from collected vestiges of miasma, and like demon lords, they are immortal as they will eventually get revived even after being killed.

『Karion's speech is too long. That is all from us. Feel free to knock some sense onto Heraruon and the other two, but please do not kill them. Karion said so too.』
『I didn--maybe. Even that Zaikuon is necessary to maintain the barrier and for handing down divine punishments. But, you should teach Zaikuon with some pain.』

The little goddesses seem to be fed up with Zaikuon and the male gods as well.

『End of imparting.』
『These bodies will go back to their original locations, just leave them be. Karion said so too.』
『Take care of Netherworld's encroachment after fixing Heraruon and those two.』

God Urion seemed slightly peeved at being ignored by god Karion.

『Garleon and Zaikuon are bad with fine work, recommending Heraruon instead. Karion said so too.』
『I didn't. But, in agreement with Urion here. Garleon is especially clumsy.』
『Take care now. Karion said so too.』
『Un, do your best.』

The two vanished once they were done.



◇



"Everyone, gather round!"

I put the [Miasma Barrier] god Karion gave me on the beastkin girls.
Since there might be mental attacks like that time god Zaikuon collected black sludge in a Golden Chalice, I also put mental defense [Atism Shell] on them.

"Sparkly~?"
"T-this is?"
"Invincible nanodesu!"
"Oh those miasma barriers god taught me. With that you can get close to that black sludge but careful not to touch them, okay."

I believe it can block once or twice direct contacts, but overconfidence leads to ruin.
Liza wraps the girls in the Unique Skill god Garleon entrusted to her, [Hero Heart].

『Hikaru, Arisa, I'm sending a spell god Karion gave me. Install it on the large space ship's magic operation circuits and make it usable.』
『Okay, got it!』
『Just leave it all to Arisa-chan!』

I sent the [Book of Wisdom] Karisfel to the space ship using Material Transfer magic.

They have Sera with god Tenion's [Hermit Hide] and Mia with god Urion [Sanctuary Guard] there.
I'm sure the black sludge won't go after them until they're done preparing.

"You three, attack the apostles from a distance and lure them to the sky."
"How far~?"
"Get to the altitude where our space ship is stationed. Can you do it?"
"But of course nanodesuyo!"
"Yes, allow us to take care of this mission."

The beastkin girls drew the apostles aggro with Lyuryu's breaths and powered exoskeleton-empowered attacks, creating a train of apostles after them.
Neither too far nor too close, an exquisite balance of distance is maintained.

I also only just noticed several golden ships Zaikuon was riding on among the apostle train.
Laser attacks from the golden ships flew toward the beastkin girls, but not a single shot hit them as they freely moved around in the air using Flickering Motion and Double Jump. They would cleverly use Phalanxes whenever a shot almost grazed them.

After watching over them for a bit, I decided to do the things only I could do.

"First of all--"

I teleported next to the male gods with sight-based Unit Arrangement.

Then I cast multiple advanced level light magic [Divine Brilliant Purification], the same magic I used to save the encroached nymphs back then.

I can't exactly unleash multiple [<<Lesser Mythology Down>>] their way like that time with god Zaikuon.
He was being strengthened by the black sludge then, but these gods have their powers sapped right now, letting that loose could risk killing them.

"Nuooo, my strength is escaping me."
"Damn you human! So you're using this chance to entomb us!"
"No that's not it, the impurities have lost their power too. Now's our chance, shove them away."

This magic supposedly has no effect on gods though, maybe the impurities are draining their powers to fight against it and keep the miasma intact.

I deploy the next magic.

--Miasma Barrier.

"T-this is?"
"The encroachment's stopped!"
"Get the impurities off, now! Help me, Garleon! Zaikuon!"
"Shut up, you help me."
"You fools, now's not the time to squabble among ourselves! Why can't you understand that!"

I decided to save the relatively reasonable god Garleon first.

I put multiple Miasma Barrier on myself and then reproduce and strengthen their effects using Primeval Magic.

This should do.

"W-what are you planning."
"I'm here to help."

I grab the black sludge coiling around god Garleon and threw it away.
Then I entrap the black sludge in multiple barrier magic and annihilate it with [Mythology Down].

--Geh.

The barriers weren't strong enough to hold down [Mythology Down] power and burst open.
Vestiges of black sludge scattered all over the place, but it's weak enough for Miasma Barrier to block and I can erase it with [Divine Brilliant Purification] no problem.

"Next is me, the top seat of pantheon!"
"Human! Prioritize this great me!"

God Heraruon and Zaikuon howled.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
◇



『Master, we've wrapped up the space ship in Miasma Barrier. What should we do next?』
『Liza and the girls are luring an apostle train toward your position, annihilate that train with the ship's main armaments.』
『Ichirou-nii! They won't get within range if we don't narrow them down a bit more!』

According the Map, the beastkin girls are leading the apostles by the nose, but they're unable to gather those apostles in one spot like sheepdogs with sheep.
They need some more helping hands.

『Satou-san! I'm sortieing out.』
『I shall fight alongside Zena desuwa.』

Zena-san and Lady Karina.
From their positions on Map, the two are riding on fighter-type dimensional aircrafts.

Zena-san's got [Saint Prey] from god Heraruon while lady Karina's got Raka. I should believe in those two here.

『I understand. Be sure to submerge into sub dimensions if it proves too much.』

Zena-san and lady Karina replied with [Yes].

『Let me get on board with Zena-san. I may not be able to cast Miasma Barrier, but my holy magic should be sufficient against those impurities to a degree.』
『I shall make sure to support Karina-dono well.』

Sera and Raka's voices came in.

A huge cone-shaped unit appeared next to dimensional aircrafts that had launched from the large space ship's catapult.

『Satou, Furubanian, Four.』

Mia's voice was transmitted.

That's a spacial artificial spirit, Furubanian 4.
It should work really well as a disposable lure.

『I'm offering my supports as well.』

Large space golems controlled by princess Shistina were launched from the large space ship and followed after them.

In the meantime, Lulu has been shooting down apostles with the large spaceship's cannons.
Arisa and Hikaru are in charge of preparing the main armament, while Nana is busy defending the ship.

"What's wrong human!"
"What are you idling around for! You too Garleon, help us!"

Whoops, the neglected god Heraruon and god Zaikuon got in bad mood.
I liberated god Heraruon and then god Zaikuon from the black sludge using the same method I used on god Garleon.
God Zaikuon who got his turn last is making a ruckus.

"Well done. Impressive work."

God Heraruon said his thanks haughtily.

"You did well human. Good grief, Zaikuon always brings trouble."

So did god Garleon though he quickly shifted to blaming god Zaikuon.

"This is all Demon God's fault. Forget that, you human! How dare you saved me last, such insolence!"

God Zaikuon went straight to complaining without a single thank you.
He's really not worth saving.

『GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!』
『TEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!』

Arisa's and Hikaru's shout reached my ears through Tactical Talk.
A moment later, flashes ran over the sky, then the kind of chain explosions you see in anime were painted in the sky.

Looks like they took care of the apostles in one fell swoop while I was busy dealing with these gods.
And I wanted to see the girls in actions too.



◇



"I will be off to repair the boundary between human world and Netherworld. Would you grace me with your help?"

I ask the male gods to help me with the clean up of the mess they created.
God Zaikuon was uncooperative, but the other two gods seemed reluctant yet not unwilling.

I check on the dimensional rips using space magic.
It's all been torn up to pieces, severer than I thought. Not too many big rips, but there are countless small ones.

"We have no choice. Zaikuon, Garleon, lend me your divinity. I shall help with the fine repairs."

Whoa, seems god Heraruon is up for it.
I'll act as his support then.

God Heraruon spurned divinity like a yarn, then he gave the order [Go] before the divinity thread began moving on its own to stitch the dimensional rips.
That's a pretty convenient trick. Gotta try my hand on copying it.

Since it looks like the stitching job would not be easy, I make use of space magic to help smooth things over for god Heraruon.

The thread god Heraruon controlled went on to stitch dimensional rips.

"--Nu."

Space got pulled as the thread moved, widening rips in other spots.
God Heraruon kept working while getting irritated, but every time he repaired a spot, other spots got ripped open.

It's like trying to forcibly mend an already worn-out cloth.
Like a cloth getting stretched out and ripped, so does the space getting distorted and torn.

I'm giving my full support, but it's hard to perfectly cope with rapidly occurring distortions.

"--Tch, damn you feeble space!"

God Heraruon snapped.

It'd be bad he gave up out of frustration.

"Allow me to take your place."
"You?"
"Eei, don't get conceited you mere human!"

I ignore god Zaikuon who's forgotten about getting beat up to a pulp by that same human and stare at god Heraruon.

"Do you mean to say you will control divinity, you who do not posses divinity?"
"Yes, if it's only controlling that is."

I had secretly tested that Primeval Magic could control divinity earlier.

"Have a try then."

Seemingly tired of it, god Heraruon jerked his chin, telling me to have a go.

Swish swish swish.

The rarely used Sewing skill finally showed its merit.

"T-this cannot be!"
"A mere human possessing such skill..."
"You're pretty good. What's the matter Heraruon, you're looking pale."

Stop quarreling over the most minuscule of things, guys.

"I pulled it off somehow, but this is..."
"Umu, it's only a matter of time before the pressure from Netherworld rip them off."

God Heraruon is right, there's already a lot of places where the rips look like they would reopen.

"Getting rid of the cause is the only way to protect human world."
"That's right! We've got to invade Netherworld and remove the impurities off Demon God! Then he would surely do something about the impurities spreading in Netherworld!"
"Shut up, Zaikuon. We wouldn't have so much trouble if it was so easy, don't you know that!"

Guess that's the root of problems.

I sure would like to fire a barrage of [Mythology Down] at the idiot who crammed [Forbidden Powers]--impurities into the White Radiant Crystal that was stolen from Realm of Gods.

"What are you looking at, human! Such insolence!"

God Zaikuon noticed my glance and snarled back.

"No, wait, oh yeah. You! If you can tear impurities off us, surely you can do that on Demon God at Netherworld as well!"

God Zaikuon is unusually correct.

"Shut up, Zaikuon! What'd happen if this guy got taken in by Demon God! Don't you know that?!"
"Oh no, that's not gonna happen."

The purple little girl told me that Demon God had attained his perfect form after taking in the dummy the gods prepared.

I'd have liked for these gods to clean up their own mess, but things would only get worse if I don't do something here, no choice but to get off my arse.
Geez, Arisa's scolding will be waiting for me.

"No problem then. Right, Heraruon?!"
"Umu. I order you human--Satou Pendragon. Go to Netherworld and wipe impurities off Demon God!"
"And save Parion while you're at it!"

God Zaikuon rode on god Heraruon's coattails and said something extraneous, but I'm not gonna nod to that.
I can't carelessly accept that mission, not when it's questionable whether she's really been kidnapped or not.

"Indeed, do save Parion if you find her. If you manage to accomplish my order and save Parion, us gods shall bestow you one authority and divinity."

--Oh?

Like a godsend, the marriage flag with Aze-san came to me.
I dunno if these seven pillar gods can easily hand over divinity to someone just like that, but gods are fundamentally unable to lie, supposedly. Once I'm done removing impurities in Demon God, I'll make sure to fetch god Parion if I find her over there.

And if she's not there, she's not there, yet if I could secure her back, then I get to raise wedding flag with Aze-san, she's essentially a bonus character.

I would have liked if each mission had a different reward, but we have no time to waste for negotiations.

For now, let's take a quick look at Netherworld to ascertain whether I can complete the mission or not--.





※ Next update is planned for 12/8




Previous Chapter

4





Norma drank her cold tea. She continued on while gazing at the empty teacup.

"However, changes gradually crept in. <Purification> that started out once every ten days turned to every eight, six, five days."

She put the cup on table.

"Lecan, you probably can't imagine this. To grow old and be robbed of your bodily functions, to have a body that gets ceaselessly tortured by pain all over. However, <Purification> is capable of ridding that body of all that. Enabling one to freely move, think and work like their younger self."

Jinga pour new tea in the empty cup.

"But that body will deteriorate once a day has elapsed, and with it all the pain and suffering back. Until finally the marquis couldn't bear the anguish any more. What should he do then? It's obvious. Shorten the interval of <Purification>. What started as once every ten days eventually became once every two days."

Norma lifted her teacup, put it before her nose and enjoyed the fragrance.

"Mother was given everything. A treasure-class wand. A necklace that raises her mana pool. A ring that nullifies curses. Dresses tailored by the best craftsmen. Luxurious meals. And knight Jinga, her bodyguard."

Lecan looked at Jinga. His wrinkled face won't allow his emotions to be seen. This man appeared to be an even tougher opponent than he initially thought.

"The end came in the most unceremonious form. One day, a patient sent to father vomited in front of him. Mother cast <Purification> on that patient. She went and did it."

So, was she prohibited from casting <Purification> on anyone besides the marquis.

"Mother and father were lambasted for wasting <Purification> that could only be cast once a day, which could have resulted in the marquis missing having it cast on him."

"Couldn't she just drink a blue potion."

"Of course. In fact, they gave my mother blue potions right away. But blue potions would become less effective if drank consecutively, and mother's mana pool was just too little. What would happen if she had drank two blue potions and then cast <Purification> on someone that wasn't the marquis?"

"That's paranoid. Besides, it's your mother's prerogative."

"That's not how the marquis family saw it. Do you know how much a healthy body worth to a capable influential authoritative figure with excellent track records? The town was celebrating its prosperity. Going to the extreme, it's not an exaggeration to say that mother was the pillar supporting that prosperity."

Lecan drank up his tea as well. Jinga was going to pour him more tea, but Lecan gestured not to.

"The marquis family put my mother under house arrest. That was when I was ten."

Norma glared at wall.

"Ten years, ten years. An old man who was once a step away from death survived for ten years. Not only surviving. He even got free from the confine of bed, did a lot of work and even had more children."

She laughed and smiled at Lecan. A heartwrenching smile.

"Of course anyone is aware of the wonders of <Purification> already. But its true worth was made very clear when they saw a real life precedent in the marquis."

Norma reseat herself deep in her chair, and sent her glance upward to the ceiling while joining both her hands on her belly.

"Mother drank a bluish purple potion every morning and then cast <Purification> on the marquis. Then she drank a small blue potion and cast another <Purification> on someone else in the afternoon. That someone would be individuals who could bring something great to the marquis house, those who could contribute five gold coins to the house every month. It had come to it before I realized."

Bluish purple potions amplify mana for a time. Lecan got several from Golbul Dungeon, but he's never had a chance to use one yet.

"I would be brought to meet mother once every five days. She would ask about how my father was doing all the time. Father wasn't allowed to meet mother. I have no idea why."

Eda threw a question.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"Is the marquis still doing fine now?"

"No. Four years since my mother was confined, his age finally caught on to him. Apparently <Purification> was mostly ineffective during his last moment. But he still managed to escape death for 14 years, and even worked well moments before his death. <Purification> is truly an amazing magic."

"So did they release your mother afterward?"

"No. The eldest son took over the marquis house and inherited mother. She was practically a property of the marquis family by that point. Father once requested to see mother after the succession. This is what the new marquis said to him. 'That's fine, but can you even cough up five gold coins?'"

"That's so horrible."

"They don't think it is, but it really is horrible, isn't it. To the marquis house, that's just how things are. They're a machine that must protect and expand their territory and house. Even the family head is merely a cog in the machine, they can't go against the motion already cast in its entirety."

"I mean, isn't Norma-san's father a brother of the new marquis?"

"They might be, biologically speaking. But not in standings."

Lecan asked a question to set the topic back on rail.

"When and why did you come here?"

"Oh right, right. My mother left this world when I was 17. Then the marquis family started consulting me about my marriage."

"Are they trying to atone for their treatment on your mother?"

"Pfft. Ah no, excuse me. Eda, you're really such a good girl. I sincerely hope you never lose that pure soul of yours."

"Wait, are you making a fool out of me?"

"No no, not at all. They were fussing over my marriage because of a small hope they carry, for my children to bear the aptitude for <Purification>. Magic aptitudes sometimes run in the family, and those in the same lineage manifest the same type of magic easier. In fact, I can use <Recovery>, weak as it may. Those people would do anything to get their hands on <Purification> once again, no matter how small the chances are."

"How did you escape them."

"The new marquis spoke to father. We shall make the arrangement if you wish to leave this town. However, you cannot take your property with you."

"Fumu. He must have ulterior motives."

"The previous marquis and my mother apparently forged a pact. To not bind me and my father. That was her conditions to serve upon marquis family without resisting."

"I don't get it. Even with that pact, I don't see why they would abide by it, all the more with both party involved dead."

"It was not a mere pact. They called a priest and made an oath to god Erekus. If they broke the pact, the previous marquis would have his soul sent to hell, and crimson flames would engulf the marquis family."

Oaths get broken all the time, even oaths performed with rituals. Lecan personally bore witness to a noble who easily broke an oath their father made to god with a sacrifice the moment that father kicked the bucket. This stuff may be different in this world though.

"When I was 17, meaning nine years ago, my father and I came back to this town. Despite them telling us we couldn't bring our property, we managed to take few medicinal plants and books with us. Well, those things probably weren't worth to be called property from the marquis house's point of view."

She said she came back with her father, but there was nary a shadow of that father in this house. Just when Lecan was wondering how come, Norma gave him the answer.

"Father died in a duel the year after."

"Hum?"

"Eeeeh?"

"I mentioned about a noble who tried to kill mother with a Flat White Snake, right. A little while after that incident, the family head of that noble and his daughter were called in by the marquis family and met a dreadful end there. Since my mother had become the marquis house's assets. They could not forgive that noble and his daughter for their attempt on her life. I believe they were also intended to be an example. Like, 'This is what entails if you try to mess with her.'"

"And how did that connect to the duel?"

"The son of that noble found out that father had returned to this town and apparently believed he was exiled. A knight of that noble challenged father to a duel of honor. My father accepted the duel and died with one swing of sword."

"Didn't your father discard his family name and live in this town as a commoner."

"My mother's keepsake, her wand had been stolen, you see. We were told that they would return the wand had he won the duel."

"Where the heck is the honor in that."

"Tell me about it. To make matter worse, the other party tried to abduct me after killing my father. I most likely would have met a miserable end had Jinga not been there to save me."

Lecan looked at Jinga. He's standing silently without showing any kind of emotion like always.

"However, that noble had misread the new marquis's character and thought process. The new marquis was enraged. He probably saw it as an insult to the marquis house. The family head of that noble house was replaced with a literal head, several more individuals were also found guilty and executed. Consequently, my safety is guaranteed thanks to that. And this wand returned to my side."

Norma must have inherited her knowledge and skills as a medical practitioner from her father and took over this medical center.

Lecan himself had no interest in Norma's origin and life, but her life story should prove extremely valuable when it comes to protecting Eda. Even wife of a marquis's son ended up living the life of a confined slave. Lecan has just taken a glimpse of the cruel fate that awaits <Purification> users with this story.

Norma is done narrating all she needed to tell, but Lecan's still got some questions left for her.






Previous Chapter

Chapter 92 Peerless...ed

 

"Oy oy, you sure are having quite the fun there, my fellow disciple."

What...the!?
Discerning-sensei, please!!

Beep Beep♪ Error Occurred. For realsies.

Dammit, what an annoying no-goddess-like announcement. Apparently he obstructed Discerning-sensei through some kind of means.

He looks to be at his mid 30s. Peculiarly styled short brown hair and sharp glances, kinda sanpaku eyed though.
The white armored man talks to the puzzled-looking me with a rather surprised look on his face.

"Hmm? Did you not hear from Master? I'm Temuro Ryei. Master's first disciple and a commanding officer of this Gramada's order of knights."

What. So this person is the first disciple. He's got this calm demeanor on him, it's hard to believe he's supposed to be a battle freak like master.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nobusada, a recent recruit Master has taken under his wings. I have heard about your name from Master, but nothing about how you look like."

The surrounding people raised a stir as we had our conversation.

"O-oy, ain't that 『Meteor』!?"

"Yeah, no doubt about it. That white armor and that weapon, can't be anyone else but 『Meteor』."

"Why's that guy talking to him so casually?"

Is [Meteor] this person's alias. Man, I'm kinda jealous. I mean, did you see mine?

"Hahahaa, no need to get so formal with me. I'm not here to mess with someone Master and Eleanor-san hold in high esteem. They're gonna smash me hard if I did."

"O-okay."

"But wow, your fighting style was really interesting. No wonder Master set his eyes on you. You're so far apart from my son despite your similarity in ages."

Oh right, Master mentioned that too. He's got a son who looks like me and of the same age. Umu, did I just raise a flag?

"Ah yeah, you were the one who passed that info to Amiral-shi huh. I'm here under Duke-sama's order to discuss about some personnel affairs in the guild."

He said this in a low voice as to avoid getting heard by others around. I see, that guy went and dragged duke-sama into this. As expected of Amiral-san. Truly a capable guild master.

"And just when I was done with our discussion, I got greeted with a scene of one overwhelming six. Man, the way you fight really reminds me of my youth. Takes me back to when I brawled against nine assassins."

But that's more. Dang I can't imagine going against that many assassins.
Temuro-san pondered something for a moment before dropping the bomb with a face like he hit on something good.

"How about it? You don't look that tired and all, fancy a round against me?"

Uwoo, I didn't expect that! Since I haven't had many chances to fight against unbelievably strong people besides Master and Eleanor-san, this should be a good experience. It should be... but there's this certain rule when it comes to mock battles between fellow disciples.
Alright! It may be dangerous, but I'll prioritize in getting experience here. I'll try to not die at the very least!

"It would be my honor to."

"Nice answer. My son still can't keep up with me, y'see."

Son-bro seems to be having it rough?

"O-oy, that guy's gonna take on 『Meteor』 in a mock battle."

"Well dang, he's actually a disciple of War Fist huh."

"So he wasn't just someone who leeches off women."

Sheesh, just how bad is my rep anyway (tears of blood). I don't have many friends though, true.
But it's fine, so long as I have the girls with me! And those girls are looking here very anxiously.
Yup, forgive me for being reckless!
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

I draw Lunar Cat and psyche myself up for a real combat.
Matda's disciples first precept.
When two disciples meet for a match, they must regard it as if it's a real combat even regardless of it being a mock battle.
Master, please rethink that rule, the gap is just way too vast no matter how you look at it, you know?

"Has Master taught you about duel etiquette?"

"Yes, I'll be fine."

The peanut gallery sounded surprised when they saw us taking out our real weapons. I would have that exact reaction were I there too.

"Let us begin then. I am Temuro. First Disciple of War Fist."

"I am Nobusada. Tenth Disciple of War Fist."

""LET US COME, TO ARMS!!""

Temuro-san slowly fetches a javelin from his back. His other weapon, a kibidango, I mean a morning star is fastened tight on his waist. I can't tell its length since the grip is connected to the tip. I only knew what it really was thanks to prior information. Otherwise I would have mistaken it for a normal mace.

As for me, I take the Counter Stance with Lunar Cat at the ready and put Full Protection on myself. Feels like I gotta be passive here.

"I'm taking the first strike if you won't, hmph."

Temuro-san thrust his javelin forward from a peculiar forward inclining pose. I calmly shifted my body by a half step to dodge the javelin aiming for my shoulder and slash at its handle with Lunar Cat.

FWUON

My attack hit empty air and with that I exposed my defenseless state. What the heck's up with that javelin's return speed. Going from thrust to back was inhumanely fast. Rapid thrusts not unlike a sub-machine gun fire came afterward. Dodging them took all I could, that first strike was the only time I took it easy. I couldn't contain my surprise since even this is just a warm-up.

"What's wrong? Is that all you've got??"

Calm down me! There's no way to win against him with my current strength. On top of it, he's moving like he's got a complete grasp of my next moves. Therefore, conventional moves would only end up cornering me here.

Very well then, let's do something outside expectations.

Boom, I jumped backward before immediately rushing forward using <<Air Thruster>>.

"Frontal attack eh. Too naive, don't you think?"

Right when I arrived before him, I kicked the air and changed my trajectory with <<Air Thruster>>. After turning right, I changed my direction once again and swung down Lunar Cat from Temuro's right.

CLANK

Sound of a clash between metal echoed in the quiet training ground. It's the first time he used his javelin to block my katana. Looks like even the handle is made of metal. I can't help but feel impressed at how masterful he wields such a thing. Wonder if it's been enhanced with Lightweight magic or something? Since there is no indication of my blade cutting through the javelin, it must be quite a weapon.

"Hahaa, interesting. A combination of magic and martial art huh. Truly a curious fighting style. Guess I'll get a bit serious too then."

Temuro-san took the morning star on his waist with his left hand. Yes, he's currently stopping my slash with just his right hand. Whoa, more importantly, something real bad is coming. I've got to take some distance.

As I jumped backward and gauged the distance, rapid javelin thrust assaulted me again. I calmly dodged it by shifting my upper half, counterattack now!?

GOSUN

GOFU

I can't breathe in. A steel ball has sunk into my side. This despite the Full Protection.
I flicked away the steel ball with my katana's grip and breathed in. Ouuch, that must have broken several of my rib cages. I cast High Heal to quickly treat the damage.

But really, that steel ball came flying almost without any time lag after the javelin's assault. It's turned back into a mace form now. The way his stance makes the morning star goes along his lower half must be intentional to obfuscate its true nature.

But dang, this is rough. Unlike cuts and scratches, damages from a blunt weapon accumulates inside the body. And there's no worry of chipped damage either, it's probably the best weapon to have in a protracted battle.
That morning star must be a magic tool, or a magicraft tool like Lunar Cat. The range of its chain beggar belief. And you can't tell where it gonna come flying toward you.

"I'm sure I got your rib from that sensation, yet here you are moving around like nothing huh. I see, you're fighting while casting heal or something to that effect. Never heard of a Heal that could fix bones though, am I wrong?"

Temuro-san seems to be having fun, he's chattering away with smiles on his face. He's taking it easy huh. Well seeing as I can't even strike back and all.

Ever since Temuro-san took his morning star, I've been getting completely barred from even getting close. The morning star itself has an unknown range, but the combination of the straight thrusts from javelin and the curving assaults of morning star makes it very hard for me to even gain distance.

I can only raise my hands now that I'm being toyed around this much. I initially planned to somehow scrap through with martial art and high-speed magic, but I never imagined the gap would be this wide.

Now that it's come to this, I need to at least throw senior disciple-dono for a loop.
If I can't get close, that just means I've got to bombard him from a distance. Barrage is power, yeah.

I start moving like sliding by utilizing <<Air Thruster>> and <<Air Hover>>. My aim is his feet. I'd risk hitting the peanut gallery if I missed his upper body after all.

"<<Icicle Bullets>>!"

I keep rapidly firing at the target while sliding around. GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA, bullets of ice were shot out toward Temuro.

"Mwu, your fighting style's changed. Getting serious now are we."

Temuro is still taking it easy while hitting down only the icicles that would have hit him with his javelin.

"I applaud your wealth of mana and casting speed, however your attack patterns are too monotonous."

I'm aware of that. Hence why I'm doing this.

GOGOGOGON

Stone walls gradually rise covering Temuro-san from all four directions. Temuro-san can't move now that he's enclosed within these two-meter tall stone walls. Now I just gotta get close and... Wait whaaaaaat!?

GOGAGOGAGON

Stone walls that I had created with flawless mana were easily broken down. You're kidding me right!? Even Master couldn't have destroyed those in one hit.

Looking closer, the parts of walls hit by the morning star's thorns are getting decomposed. Just how multi purpose is that morning star anyway!

"That one just now was well done, however your mana kneading and composition still have a long ways to go. A slight touch from this 『Meteor』 turning them back into magic essence is proof of that."






Previous Chapter

Chapter 330 Strongest Sage, Infers

 

"Maybe it's like the typical scenario where the demon has killed and replaced the town lord here?"

"That sounds plausible... But this territory..."

Replacing a town lord is indeed a typical scenario.
It would afford the demon a degree of authority, easier time to create situations that benefit it, and there's little worry of getting found out as long as the demon erases the victim's body well.
It's especially effective for demons that are good at concealing their mana.

However... I don't believe there's much to gain for Zadokilgias to pose as a lord of this small town.
To begin with, the kingdom is keeping an eye on this lord for unjust taxing.
What's even the point of impersonating the guy.

Zadokilgias is most likely setting up a scheme that will certainly turn the table on its subjugation party.
With the amount of mana Zadokilgias sent through Dragon Veins, it must have anticipated the first subjugation party sent after it would be also the most elite unit, thus as long as it managed to beat them, it could take it easy afterward.
The problem is how...

"...Water huh?"

I drew water from a nearby well.
Then I drink a little bit of it.
And then I felt mana in my body getting ever so slightly weakened.

"I knew it."

The well water has been tampered with.
I'm guessing... some sort of specialized magic must have been cast in underground water.

"Is there something wrong with the water?"

"Yeah. You'll see yourself if you drink even a little... Careful not to take in too much now."

The three girls timidly drank the water after I told them that.
Alma and Ruli frowned.

"Uun, it kinda feels gross..."

"The difference is so subtle that I wouldn't have noticed had Mathi-kun not told me... But it feels really cold somehow. And not a pleasant one, more like it gives me the chill from deep inside..."

"This water is so good! ...I don't think there's anything wrong with it!"

Ruli and Alma understood.
As for Iris... I suppose this water won't affect her. To her, it's nothing but tasty water.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"Is this a poison?"

"No. It's most likely... Normal water with its mana absorption property enhanced. The way you handle mana will be slightly altered if you drink a lot of this water."

Water has a property of absorbing much more mana than air.
Hence why mana from detection magic doesn't pass through water easily.
This well water has its mana absorption property deliberately enhanced.

Drinking this water won't affect anything initially.
Thus, even those sufficiently proficient at controlling mana likely won't notice the trick in this water if they're not already on alert.
The issue will surface... once you've drunk a large quantity of this water.

Human drinks about 1.5 liter of water a day.
The water then circulates throughout the whole body through blood vessels.

Having water with this property circulating inside your body... will result in an increased amount of bodily mana, but in exchange, your magic cast time will become slightly longer than usual.
It's not a total loss since it does increase your mana pool, but it also alters how your magic work.

The more experienced a magic combatant is, the better their understanding of their own mana control.
Conversely, that also means they won't be able to unleash their power as well if there is a sudden change in their mana characteristic.

Zadokilgias must have anticipated that the subjugation party would visit this town first.
And then... The party would likely end up staying in this town after failing to find the well hidden Zadokilgias.
Afterward, they would definitely make a contact with this town's water then.

"Slightly alter mana handle... You mean it won't kill us or get us an upset stomach?"

"Yeah. And it's not like you can't cast magic anymore either, everything will go back to normal a few days after you've stopped drinking this water."

"This scheme is kind of lame..."

"...Which precisely makes it hard to detect..."

"You got it."

Ruli is indeed correct, the trick put in this water is emphasized on [being undetectable].
Hence it's not really a potent poison... or rather, it can't even be called poison.

It simply hampers one's fighting ability a bit for a time.
That's it.
In other word...

"The goal of this water is to defeat the persons who drink it. As such, it stands to reason the demon must be here in this town."

It'd let the subjugation party drink the water, and once the group has been weakened, the demon will launch an attack on its own term, fighting with the advantage on its side... That must be Zadokilgias's objective.
Which naturally means... The subjugation party (meaning us) needs to be at a place where the attack will occur.
This scheme can only work if the schemer has complete confidence in their hiding skill... and Zadokilgias definitely would.

"Does that mean, it's hiding inside this town..."

"Yeah. And I've got a good guess where it is."

"Good guess...?"

"There's no better place to hide than... Adventurer Guild."








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