Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Diamant Valley, the westernmost point of Nordglacier’s southern border.

The local town, which was formed more than one hundred years ago as a lodging place for miners excavating the largest ore reserves in the kingdom, developed in such a way that that the bottom of a deep canyon was blocked from east to west.

The town had only two entrances, east and west, and as long as these two gates could be defended, an invasion would be difficult.

However, it seemed that all the ores had been mined out in recent decades. The number of abandoned mineshafts was increasing, and the area was gradually becoming desolate… Yet, with the discovery of a new vein of a certain ore that could nullify magic, for which demand had surged in recent years, had suddenly brought the area back to life once again.

Such a boom only lasted for a few years until goblins suddenly attacked the town’s mines, the key to its industry, and even the town itself.

As a result of repeated attacks by organized goblins, the west gate, which had been gradually accumulating damage over the years, was finally wrecked by an explosive device brought out from somewhere.

Count Roland, who ruled the surrounding area, took the situation very seriously and dispatched troops to the region. The town’s military forces were greatly expanded, and its defenses were well prepared until the repairs were completed.

…Or it was supposed to be.

The west gate, which had been half destroyed in the previous attack, was no longer able to fulfill its role effectively, but the troops dispatched by the Count should be more than enough to defend it.

…Or it was supposed to be.

Unnamed Soldier

Since the arrival of the dispatched soldiers, there had been sporadic attacks, but they had stopped for a few days. While there were whispers that the leader of the goblins had been killed somewhere along the way, there was no denying that the peaceful days had left the people feeling somewhat at ease.

To be honest, I was not very comfortable being stationed in this town. The reason was that the town mayor, who was supposed to be in a position to ask for help… had been very uncooperative so far. He wasn’t the most likable type of person in the first place, and reeked of vulgar nouveau riche. Sometimes, men posing as thugs would even try to make things difficult for us, and he did nothing to stop them.

However, even these days were somewhat peaceful as we waited for materials to arrive and repairs to the outer walls to begin, and then we would be able to return to the capital within another month. 

I was one of those people.

The third son of a merchant family, I volunteered to become a soldier as soon as he came of age at 15, thinking that there would be nothing in the family business that I could take over. I did not have any deep purpose or ideal in mind, but only because being a soldier looked kind of cool, and the treatment was generous.

Nevertheless, I completed the training, which was so rigorous that I was disgusted with it, with a moderately excellent grade, and it has been five years since I officially became a regular soldier of the Count Roland’s territory. As of now, I was often looked up to by my juniors as a senior who can be relied on to a certain extent.

I even got a girlfriend. It was nothing extraordinary like in a storybook, she was just an ordinary town girl, not a princess or anything, but I fell in love with her and finally won her approval with sheer perseverance, that’s the most important thing.

She even promised to marry me when I returned from this mission.

But what had I gotten myself into…?

“Ronnie! Anson! Are you still alive?! Answer me!”

I called out the name of my colleagues, with whom I was playing card games just yesterday, but there was no answer. The only voices that could be heard were those of anguish and pleas for help.

“Curses!”

I couldn’t back down any further, I was a soldier who volunteered to protect the town and its people, and now behind me was a town whose residents were trembling and hiding in fear.

However, as if to ridicule such pride, the front line was slowly falling back against those who, with sheer numbers, were rushing to attack in a straight line without regard to their own lives.

Our comrades fell one by one to the onrushing tide of small creatures, screaming in agony and lost sight of their allies who should have been beside them.

Our spirit was being driven into a corner by the screams and decimations coming around us.

Concerns kept popping up, but I couldn’t look back for fear that if I took my eyes off the front, I would be the next one to be swallowed, so I just kept on swinging my spear.

Just what were those creatures? Weren’t they just a bunch of goblins and other small fry monsters…?!

It wasn’t supposed to be such a tough fight. If each of us showed our strength as we had been trained to do on a daily basis, the goblins, each of which was only a small fry, would not have caused much damage, even if we were outnumbered a little. But the difference was…

“Why… WHY WON’T YOU DIE?!”

Normal goblins certainly did not keep on attacking me with their dark, lifeless eyes as if pain didn’t exist to them.

No matter how many of their own fell down in front of them, no matter whether their arms or their legs flew off, they would keep on attacking even if they had to crawl all the way. When a goblin latched onto us, the other goblins would thrust their weapon straight through its allies, paying it no mind whatsoever.

The same was true of the enemy’s covering fire. No matter how crowded the battle was, they just kept raining arrows down on both sides without any regard to friendly fire, and the enemy frontline just kept on advancing.

This was not a tactic that these cowardly little imps can take. No, I wouldn’t even call it a tactic. This was just the work of a berserker who simply rushes to the target at the cost of his own life.

Just what kind of opponents we were dealing with…?!

They were less living creatures and more of undead hellspawns at this point!!

The fear that spread quickly and easily disintegrated our battle lines, leading to an avalanche of chaos.

“Dammit! Dammitdammitdamnitall!! Ack?!”

Now it’s my turn to fall.

A flurry of arrows struck me in the shoulder, and I fell with a jerk from the impact. A few moments of writhing in agony from the intense pain in my shoulder. When I looked up, I was already surrounded by a small herd of goblins.

“Eek?! N-no, s-stop… RAAAAAH!!”

In a panic, I thrust out my spear and felt it pierce something like a hard shell in my hand, but this time it was entangled in the flesh and bone, and I could not pull it out…

The next moment, hot, sharp pain coming from multiple places pierced through my entire body as if a bunch of burning tongs had been plunged into me.

“Ah…”

My body shut down from the pain.

With each moan and spasm, hot liquid rushed up from the back of my throat, making breathing difficult.

It was supposed to be an easy job.

My girlfriend was still waiting for me.

I still had to introduce her to my parents.

My brother wrote to me in his letter that his wife just gave birth.

There’s still so much I want to do, I can’t die in a place like this…!

The weapons were then pulled from my body, and a horrific amount of viscous liquid flowed out of it. I was lucky to still be conscious… no, that was the worst luck ever. Every second, I felt my death coming closer.

No, I still have so much to do, I can’t die, I can’t die, I can’t…

However, even though I was barely conscious because my head was intact, I understood that I could no longer survive. If I had to live only to be made to feel such things, I would have preferred to end my life in an instant, without any consciousness left, and without being tormented by pain and regret.

Resignation robbed my world of color, sound, and all five senses. And yet, I felt cold, as if my whole body was frozen.

What a cruel fate. Just yesterday it was supposed to be smooth sailing, but how did it come to this?

O Goddess from above, did this poor soul do anything to offend you?

Resenting the Goddess for my cruel fate, I gave up on everything and closed my eyes when a machete was aimed at my head.

Finally, some mercy. Now I would suffer no more.

Just before my vision completely closed, I thought I saw something flaming red twinkling at the edge of my darkening field of vision.

……

………..

……………

……………….

……………….The killing blow didn’t happen.

“Hey, are you still alive?”

A voice I didn’t recognize.

I pried open my heavy eyelids, which were tempting me to close them, and saw the back of a young man with fiery red hair tied back in a messy bun and a large sword in a swinging stance. Behind him were countless small bodies that seemed to have had their heads or torsos chopped off and were spewing some kind of liquid from their severed surfaces.

Is this a dream?

Or perhaps this person is a messenger the God of War Ares-sama sent to pick up my soul after my death?

As I was thinking about the dignified back of the young man, who looked as if he were the protagonist of some heroic tale, I heard a small sound of glass breaking with a crack.

The young man roughly broke the mouth of a vial and came pouring its contents on me… a potion? Like it would do me any good.

As I was thinking about this with a sense of resignation, he grabbed me by the collar and pulled my upper body up.

“Don’t give up just yet. As long as you stay alive, you’ll be saved… Look, she’s coming.”

Save me?

How?

With these injuries, there was no way to save me unless one of those “Saintess” who were protected by the Church passed by so conveniently.

But the way he talked to me, at such a close distance that I could almost touch his forehead, his eyes were full of conviction, and there was enough power in them to tilt the scales slightly from despair to hope. Sound and color returned to the world.

There was the sound of arrows cutting through the wind.

But they suddenly stopped in midair and fell from a high place, as if hitting an invisible wall.

The red-haired young man, who had already taken his hand away from me and disappeared before my eyes, also splattered blood and flames around him one after another with blinding speed.

Behind him, a crowd of goblins, which had been swarming and hanging on to the narrow outer gate, was swallowed and obliterated by the red flame and dazzling purple lightning that rushed in a straight line. The situation had turned around so quickly in just this few blinks of time that I couldn’t believe my own eyes. 

Then I saw “that”.

A young man in knight’s armor with an androgynous beauty, fluttering his pure white feathers as he flew over the outer wall and descended with the setting sun in the background.

And… another person was being held in his arms with great care.

Even in the backlight, a beautiful girl with silver, iridescent hair wearing an azure robe was praying, a dazzling warm light surrounding her form.

“Gyss”

At first, I did not recognize that as a voice. It sounded as clear as if it were a musical instrument made with the utmost care by the finest craftsmen. Whenever her dainty little mouth made a sound, a warm, intricate, gigantic formation of light would form around her.

“Afzelia”

The tremendously huge, complex, three-dimensional formation of lights that filled my field of vision convinced me, for no reason at all, that somehow we would be able to return home. We were saved.

“Dilete”

The surroundings were enveloped in a dazzling light. But even though it was dazzling, it didn’t hurt my eyes. The light was like a gentle embrace.

My whole body was enveloped in warmth, and the pain melted away.

“Ah… Ahhh…!!”

I found myself reaching out to the light, as if clinging to its warmth.

If I had been able to move now, I would surely have knelt down and hung my head without hesitation. I’m that I would never forget this scene in my life.

Suddenly, I felt ashamed that I had resented the Goddess earlier.

Because the Goddess had sent me a helping hand right in front of me.

My eyes happened to meet the girl’s.

She looked back at me with a complicated expression, both crying and smiling, as if she were relieved to see life returning before her eyes, while at the same time she was filled with sadness and sorrow for the life that had been lost.

I couldn’t stop the warmth from flowing from the corners of my eyes.

(TL Note)

Outsider PoV wasn’t supposed to understand Iris’ chant.

Well, that was simply the AoE heal skill, but seen from the eyes of a random soldier.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

The merchants surrounding me were staring at me with bated breath, but also with some anticipation, and I spun my usual familiar chants while feeling a strange tension.

“3^rd Purification Mantra: Breath of Life… ‘Heal’”

As soon as the chanting ended, a faint light appeared in my hand.

Although most of the injuries were minor, quite a few people were injured, so I’d been using my elementary healing magic over and over since before dawn… However, unlike in the past, I did not feel particularly tired or fatigued at the moment.

Looks like my magical power had grown considerably after all.

I gently approached the horse, which was sitting on the ground because of an injured leg, and held out my hands, covered in a pale glow. The swollen and heated area quickly receded as if nothing had happened, and the horse, sensing that the pain was gone, firmly stepped on the ground and raised itself up.

Although the horses pulling the merchants’ carriages were probably not as delicate as the racehorses of the original world, an injury to a horse’s leg was still a serious matter for both the merchants and the horse itself, so everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight.

“All good now. We’ll be counting on you for the road ahead, okay? Kyah?!”

After stepping on the ground a few times with its healed leg to check, the horse pampered me by rubbing the tip of its nose against me as a way of thanking me. Although the force was gentle, as if it was trying to keep me from falling down, the way it rubbed my chest was really ticklish.

“Ahaha, it tickles! Come on, stop it already! (pouts)”

When I pretended to be a little angry at the horse, it seemed to get the message and hurriedly pulled itself away. Since I wasn’t actually mad, I stroke its neck a few times until it was back in a good mood. As this was happening, a well-dressed man, who said he was the leader of the merchants, came forward to represent everyone.

“Thank you, that was a life-saver… I was so afraid I had to abandon that horse. We can now move forward without incident.”

“Yes, I’m sure it’ll be fine for the time being, but we should keep an eye on it and let it have some rest… Are those all of the injured?”

After last night’s ruckus, when the disturbances happened… the horses that had been tethered went berserk, resulting in several merchants and a few horses were injured, so it was up to me to heal their injuries.

The most severely injured person suffered a broken bone when he failed to avoid the leg of a rampaging horse… I had already completely treated him, and he was now back on the job.

“Will do. I can’t thank you enough, miss.”

“It’s my pleasure. I’m just glad that I could help to make this trip a pleasant one.”

Yeah, a cushioned carriage seat would be much better than walking or riding directly on the back of a horse… my buttocks were still sore from sitting on a rock for such a long time.

“I really meant it! Without you, miss we would have had to leave our horses and luggage behind! If possible, we would like you to stay with us after this job is over…!”

Uh oh, this conversation had taken a suspicious turn.

“M-My apologizes, but I have to discuss this with my companions, and I’m afraid we have our own plans to fulfill first…”

“That’s not a problem! Considering your ability, we’ll pay as much money as you need…!”

“Aaaand stop. For the sake of our future business relations… I would like it if you don’t try to headhunt our guest without permission.”

Fortunately, Philias-san, who was acting as both my liaison and escort, quickly intervened before the situation escalated.

The glare she gave the merchant was much colder than the cold of this northern continent… She was usually like a lively and kind older sister, but I vowed inwardly to be careful not to offend her.

Last night, I sensed a “Wound of the World” opening.

Somehow the pain that pierced my entire body at the time subsided, and I informed Captain Walter, who rushed to the scene. Everyone’s expressions turned grim, and they began to act. Soon, a reconnaissance team from the mercenary company was assembled in the vicinity and quickly dispersed.

Because we already had the means to remove the “Wounds” since we arrived here, I didn’t really get the full picture of the situation, but after the Lightwing race became extinct, the people affected by the “Wounds of the World” had been unable to do anything other than defeating the monsters that spawned from them to somehow mitigate the damage, and the areas where the “Wounds” appeared had to be sealed off.

When I thought about it, in this world where the sphere of life was gradually shrinking, the fact that I’m a one-of-a-kind existence weighed heavily on me.

Reiji-san and Nii-sama had gone to join the reconnaissance team, so the only people remaining at the camp were me, the merchants, along with Philias-san and a few mercenaries as escorts… One hour after daybreak, some of the people who had already finished their search returned to the camp and began to eat breakfast.

The smell of the broth, which was made by boiling salted dried meat in boiling water, adding vegetables and simmering some more, filled the air around us… and Philias-san just had to choose this timing to reprimand me about what happened earlier.

My stomach growled as if in protest.

“You shouldn’t have done that, Iris-chan. If you show weakness by giving ambiguous answers to those merchants, you could end up being forced to sell yourself to them.”

“Y-Yeah, you’re right… but I can recognize it before it happens… I think…”

Those people didn’t look all that bad…

“That’s naïve. You’re so naïve that it hurts, Iris-chan. It is true that Nordglacier, by policy, has prohibited the slave trade since the reign of the previous king, but prostitution is still not yet off the table. Fooling a naive young lady is a piece of cake to those smooth-talking merchants, and just one sign of a contract is enough to land you into a brothel… That can totally happen, you know!”

The seriousness of the situation made me realize that this is not the world, not the peaceful country I used to live in, and that such dangers could be lurking anywhere… No, that might actually happen in my original world too, had I been a girl from the beginning. The thought of that sent chills down my spine.

“…Well, the Count have entrusted those merchants with this mission, so he must have some confidence in them, so I guess I overreacted a little back there. But from now on, please be careful. Especially when no one is around.”

Did Philias-san just hurriedly add the last part at the last minute?

At least I got out of her lecture earlier than expected… Lately, I’d been getting lectured so much that I felt like I’m getting used to it…

“What, did you do something wrong again?”

“Hyaaah?!”

Reiji-san’s voice suddenly came from behind me, and I yelped in some strange language.

“…In conclusion, there seems to be no such anomalies in the vicinity. It’s as you said, the source must be somewhere far away… How about you? Still having a headache?”

“Yes, a little… but I can manage.”

The intense pain like last night had already subsided, but there was still a creeping, dull ache that seemed to linger in the core of my head.

Philias-san and Lenny-san told me to take a break because of my pale complexion, but as long as I’m near the “Wound of the World”, this pain would not fully go away, as I’d experienced the last few times I have been there.

Leave, or put the anomalies to rest… In any case, it is not something that can be done immediately.

And my “Wound” sensory range this time was terribly far compared to the past. It is as if something is calling out to me, directionally announcing its presence… I have a bad feeling about this.

“Really, you don’t have to worry about me so much. It’s not something unbearable.”

“I see… If you’re having a hard time, just let me know, okay?”

“Yeah, you keep things to yourself a little too much.”

The two of them still look worried… Was my complexion that bad?

“Almost forgot. Walter-san wants us to get together for a minute because he needs to talk to us. We’re going to be a bit late for breakfast, but let’s wait for Saul and the other to return first…”

At that moment, something rustled the bushes right next to us.

“Who’s there?!”

Instantly reacting to the sound, Reiji-san drew his sword and leapt into a position to protect me. Just behind me, I heard Philias-san drawing her weapon as well.

Growing impatient by the presence that didn’t show itself, Reiji-san flashed his sword into a bush where something was lurking. Emerging from it was…

“Goblins, here of all places?!”

“Hold on!”

Seeing them, Reiji-san readied his sword to strike, but I hurriedly stopped him.

Unlike the goblins we fought earlier, these goblins were better dressed, but on closer inspection they were covered in injuries. They seemed to be siblings… the smaller of whom apparently had an injured leg, and perhaps that was why they didn’t run away from us, or to be more precise, couldn’t run away from us.

The larger of the two embraced the one with the injured leg as if to protect it, and the color of fear was in their eyes as they stared at us, shaking themselves. Malice, hostility… I sensed neither.

“Hey, Iris, that’s dangerous!”

“Don’t worry… I think these little ones are actually hobgoblins… They aren’t bad children, so leave them to me, okay?”

Hobgoblins… Unlike normal goblins, who are barbaric marauders and thus classified as monsters, they are more civilized and closer to fairies and zashiki-warashi, as they sneak into people’s homes and perform household chores unnoticed. I think I’d read a story where someone brought hobgoblins into Japan to replace the local zashiki-warashi as they migrated away.

In the game’s lore, which probably applied to this world as well, hobgoblins are an integral part of the daily lives, as they’re useful in cleaning the house and tending the garden when the householder was away, as long as people hang alcohol and a small amount of food at the front door as reward.

Some of them also peddle their wares in human villages and play a role in supplying the bounties of mountains and sea, while others engage in mercenary work, serving as scouts and baggage carriers.

They can be pranksters, which can cause trouble, but they are not so vicious and are accepted in some regions… However, judging from the appearance of the two in front of me, they seemed to have escaped from somewhere.

“Hold still, you’re going to be fine… Let me heal your wounds.”

“H-Hey!”

Now, it was Reiji-san who is trying to stop me from approaching the hobgoblins.

I sent him a reassuring look. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.

“…Alright. But the moment I sense you’re in danger, I’m dragging you back, whether you like it or not.”

With an air of reluctance, Reiji-san lowered his sword.

Slowly, step by step, I approached them while smiling… I didn’t know if this works on demi-humans, but I tried anyway.

Their trembling stopped and they remained still, quizzical but somewhat alert.

I bent down, made eye contact, and gently stepped forward to touch the hobgoblin that was protecting the smaller one. It jolted once, but there was no further resistance. After confirming that it’s safe, I used “Purification” to clean the mud caking its body and checked its condition. The main injuries were lacerations from a not-so-sharp knife and bruises from a blunt object… Apparently, it was engaged in battle with something.

I chanted “Heal” again, and the wound disappeared from its body. From the way it looked at its own body in surprise, the spell seemed to work. I couldn’t fix its torn clothes, but its body was healthy now.

“…Allow me to check on you as well.”

I called out to the slightly smaller one who was being sheltered, and after looking at me and the other hobgoblin a few times, it came forward with a nod. A light examination of its condition revealed that its  injuries were generally the same. The most severe leg injury was nearly infected, but it still did not appear to be bone-deep.

“Okay, you got roughed up a bit, but it’s all over now.”

As before, I purified and healed it. After walking a few steps to check on the suddenly healed leg, it hugged the other hobgoblin with a smile on its face. I breathe a sigh of relief at the sight.

“…Well then, be careful from now on, okay? Don’t get yourself hurt again.”

I then took out some portable rations… something like hard biscuits with dried fruits mixed in… and gave them to the hobgoblins. They accepted the food and moved away with light steps, bewildered but completely healed from their wounds. Just before they disappeared from sight, they looked back at me and bowed, so I gave him a small wave and watched them disappear.

As I watched them leave… I remembered that I was supposed to have a meeting with Walter-san.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting… Reiji-san?”

I hurriedly adjusted the hem of my skirt, stood up and turned around, but Reiji-san was still gazing at me blankly.

“Um, Reiji-san? Reiji-san?!”

“…Woah?!”

Because of the considerable difference in height, it was unavoidable that I had to tug on the belly area of his clothes and looked up to him from below when Reiji-san suddenly restarted all of a sudden and backed away with full force.

“Such motions… somehow they both look calculated and natural at the same time… Just what is this girl…?!”

Philias-san was mumbling something from a little distance away. What on earth was she on about?

“…Huh? Sorry, I was out of it for a bit… Thought I never expected you to approach them like that without any hesitation. Weren’t you afraid?”

“They aren’t bad children, and I just couldn’t look at them being in so much pain… so the fear just kind of disappeared before I knew it.”

Or perhaps… it was because of last night’s dream, where “she” was adored and surrounded by various animals.

“…Um, weren’t we supposed to be back at camp already?”

“Ah! We’d better hurry!”

“Wah?! Don’t so suddenly, it’s bad for my heart…”

“HEY! Wait for me! And you, treat girls with more courtesy, will you?!”

Reiji-san suddenly came back to himself, picked me up and ran at a great speed. Philias-san’s scolding voice, who was supposed to be following slightly behind us, gradually moved away… Oh my god, slow down! There’s someone in front! You’re going to run them over!

It’s terribly scary to be swung from side to side at a completely different speed than what I’m running on my legs, and all I could do was hold on tight to avoid being swept off my feet while breaking out into a cold sweat and having my stomach churn with fear.

“…Uh, sorry ‘bout that, I was a little rough, wasn’t I?”

“Gnnnnnnnnnn…”

It wasn’t until a full minute of terror later that I was finally put down.

He dragged me all the way across the camp, bypassing the entire crowd of merchants. My knees were still wobbling, and my ears were still ringing even after the “ride” ended.

I glared at Reiji-san with tears in the corners of my eyes, and he looked away in embarrassment.

With trembling legs, I entered the tent where Captain Walter was, and sure enough, everyone was already there.

“You’re here at last… Uh, milady, are you sure you’re healthy enough to join this meeting? Somehow you looked even worse than before.”

“P-Please don’t mind it… I just got off from a rollercoaster, that’s all…”

“Is that so? Well then, let’s get started, I suppose…”

Walter-san cleared his throat and began to speak.

“After resting a night at the planned accommodation in the checkpoint, I would like all of you to rent another carriage and go on ahead to the next city. If you stay with the merchants, their wyrm wagons are just going to slow you down.”

With his first words, he addressed everyone present in the meeting… namely us, the fours reincarnators, along with Zeltis-san, Philias-san, Lenny-san and Weiss-san.

As a side note, the “wyrm wagons” he mentioned were pulled by, well, wyrms, instead of oxen or horses. A wyrm is a dragon subspecies, herbivorous dinosaur-like creature with body the size of a large horse-drawn carriage. It’s very strong, and its gentle temperament and ability to move somewhat faster than oxen make it very reassuring when pulling heavy loads… but its speed is still much slower than that of a horse-drawn carriage. The purchased lumber was being carried by the wyrm wagons.

Incidentally, I was shown one of those wyrms once during a break… I’m actually a little bit uncomfortable with it because I was caught off guard by its adorable, lazy movements as they grazed and its gentle colored eyes, and it licked me with their cushion-sized tongue, making my face all sticky… It was cleaned up with purification magic, so it did not become important. What’s more important is Reiji-san rolling on the floor laughing at that time, and I would never forgive him for that. I wondered if he would have to go through the same thing one of these days.

Oops, looks like I digressed too much.

“The direction of the ‘Wound’ milady talked about is almost in line with our path, which has a really fishy smell to it. I’m sure the local troops will join you as reinforcements, but even that’s not reassuring. I have to take command here, so I want you to head over there first and use your own judgment if anything goes wrong… Can you do it?”

Myself a healer, three swordsmen, a tank, two magicians, and an archer, making a total of eight people. Certainly, this group would be able to cope with a fairly wide range of unexpected situations.

Zeltis-san, who was originally in command as a squad leader, nodded his head without any particular sign of concern, while Weiss-san and Lenny-san seemed to have no problem either. This inevitably leads to the four of us being the focus of their gaze.

“Milady… I really don’t wish to send you out into battle… but you’re our only chance against the ‘Wound’. My apologizes for asking, but can you lend us your power?”

I could still remember the influence of such a “Wound” on the surrounding areas. This time, It was not only the town we were heading to now, but also the town we left the other day, and I did not know when it would extend its fangs elsewhere. If this is the case, I couldn’t leave it alone now that I had sensed it.

Not to mention… the dream of a “girl” with the same hair color as mine yesterday. It is easy to laugh it off as just a dream, but I couldn’t help but feel a tug. And above all, I felt a certain attraction to the current matter, a feeling I didn’t understand, similar to nostalgia.

There was a sense of duty. A sense of fear, too. But more than that… I wanted to see what awaits me.

I looked at Reiji-san and Nii-sama on either side of me, and they both nodded. I turned around, and Milly-san put her hand on my shoulders.

If everyone’s on board, then…

“I understand. This is something that concerns me as well. And I’ll gratefully appreciate everyone’s help.”

Yes, I hung my head in gratitude.

(Author’s Note)

Afterward, she was lectured again, saying “In your position, it is not easy to bow to others”, and breakfast was further delayed.

Then it’s decided that she has to be trained in nobility’s etiquette.

The wyrm mentioned in this chapter is based on the Apceros from Monster H*nter.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

???

“The Sacred Daughter hid herself again! Find her, find her!”

“Why is she always pulling this kind of prank?! You, over there, did you find her?!”

“Like hell we did! Dammit, we can’t afford to let her in danger! Find her, quickly!”

With the commotion beside me as if someone had just poked a beehive, I slid myself into the maintenance walkway that was set up on the exterior wall.

I learned the route to my destination after “she”, who proudly showed it to me the first time with a proud look on her face, led me on many escape runs together. For someone in her position, she was surprisingly quite the tomboyish girl.

Following a complicated but well-defined route, I ducked into a small crack in one of the outer walls, which had apparently been overlooked during repairs after a battle long ago, and into which a single person could somehow dive. It was easy for her to proceed, but a little tough for me, but at least I could pass through, one of a few things I appreciated about not having been blessed with much physique.

When I went under there, past the outer wall and looked down… I could finally see the ground far below for a hundred meters.

Without hesitation, I leaped into the air, and as I did so, I felt my wings appear on my back, shining as usual. With a single swipe, I immediately soared up, catching the wind and launching myself into the sky with a mighty leap.

She… the girl they referred to as “Sacred Daughter”, for some reason, was good at finding these secret paths, and causing the guards a lot of headache. However, I had no obligation or duty to report her, so I had not told them about it, in fact, I was an accomplice to her, since I used this secret pathway myself from time to time.

Suddenly, I looked down and saw the structure that had just appeared… A huge tower taller than mountains and more than 10 kilometers in diameter, painted in a chalk-white color… The so-called “Fully Environmental Multi-Layered Enclosed City”, which was said to have been built with the pinnacle of magical science. It was built as a last stronghold for the people to prepare for a crisis that might one day come, but in reality, it was a city full of self-worshipping bigwigs and clergymen, along with those conceited Highborns who believed themselves to be the descendants of messengers of the Goddess.

“…How arrogant. Did they actually aim to bring down even God when constructing that tower?”

I spat out hatefully at the city, which they called “Acropolis”, and flapped my wings toward where “she” might be.

It didn’t take long to find the person I was looking for, just about 30 minutes of flying away from the city, which amounted to nothing more than a short walk to me.

As for her… she was in a flower garden that was well-lit by the afternoon sun, while surrounded by numerous animals, sleeping soundly at the center of it all.

The same was true for the animals around her, some snuggled up together for a nap, some just staring at her, and there was even a little one that climbed up her sleeping body and enjoyed itself in silence.

This moment of peace seemed to last forever.

“…You always have this fairytale-esque air around you, don’t you?”

How carefree of her, not knowing the hardships of the guards who were probably desperately searching for her right now. I sighed in dismay, feeling sympathy for them, even though I usually didn’t think well of them.

I landed on the ground a short distance away in a steep descent, then extinguished the shining wings on my back and walked up to her.

Perhaps because they sensed my anger, the little animals left like spiders scattering.

A huge wolf was offering its fur in place of her bedding… Phantasmal Beast Sirius, also known as the Celestial Wolf. It was definitely not the kind of being that could just appear around human settlements like this.

The disturbance just now seemed to cause it some annoyance, but it merely sighed and then returned to sleep.

Unfortunately, perhaps sensing various movements around her, she, who had been sleeping peacefully, let out a troubled breath, and her closed eyelids quivered.

And now the wolf was enraged. So I hastily tried to quell its anger.

Fortunately, it seemed to be devoted to its role as her pillow. Because we both knew she would be sad if we started fighting each other.

Eventually, she snapped her eyelids open, revealing her clear, amethyst eyes with long eyelashes. As she drew back in surprise, her long silver hair, which was shimmering with a pale iridescence, slipped down and immediately became a curtain that framed her well-featured face.

The girl, whose beauty was praised by the populace as “heavenly”, sleepily looked around her surroundings, and finally noticed my presence.

“…Ah, it’s you! Hi~”

She wiped the tears on the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and greeted me in a relaxed manner.

I almost shuddered at such a sight, but managed to pull myself back together.

Then, as if trying to give off as much “I’m so mad at you” vibe as possible, I put one hand on my hip, covered one eye with the other, and sighed as loudly as possible.

She simply shrugged her shoulders and tried to mock a glare.

“Ahahahaha, how many times did I tell you already? That pose doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Shut up. Try putting yourself in my shoes for once… At the very least, you could have told me before you left.”

Truth be told, I wasn’t even that mad. I just didn’t find it funny that she went out without even telling me… I was just sulking, if I do say so myself, but what’s not funny is not funny.

I moved closer and slumped down next to her. After staring blankly at me for a moment… she slid in next to me, intertwined my arms with hers, and leaned her soft body on mine.

“But you did take your sweet time to look for me, so I’m grateful for that, my fiancée.”

“…Hmph.”

At the sight of her smile, carefree and full of joy, I could no longer say anything… because I had already fallen in love with that smile.

“Come here, I’ll take it all in

Like warm light shining through the trees

I’ll surely become your sun

Don’t be afraid, give it all to me

Seeds of hope I’ve gathered so much

I’ll surely bring them to you…”

…I could hear her singing. Her song was like a gentle embrace to everything in the world.

I laid there in a daze, admiring her figure, which I was afraid might pass into fantasy at any moment… until I felt asleep.

When I jumped up in a hurry, it was already dark around us, and the stars were beginning to twinkle overhead. Next to me, she was smiling and looking at me in a good mood.

I suppose there would be no point in making an excuse if I took her home now, so I sat down again with a sense of resignation, thinking that a few more minutes of delay would not make any difference.

“The stars are so beautiful… We couldn’t see them in the city because of the ceiling being in the way, though. That makes today’s trip worth it, don’t you think?”

“Not so worth if we caused uproar throughout the entire city , if you ask me… I’m sure the maids are going to give you one hell of a sermon when we get back.”

I could see it in her eyes. That sermon was well beyond the time she usually slept, and I am sure she would wake up tomorrow with a drowsy look on her face.  Then she would doze off again on official business and get scolded.

“Ugh… Can we not go home? I want to stay here until morning.”

“…Sounds good to me. Actually, not just until morning, but forever, just the two of us, somewhere no one knows you.”

“…Pardon?”

She looked back at me with a slightly surprised look on her face, probably not expecting an affirmation. But the truth is, this was my true intention. If we didn’t want to go back, then we should never go back.

“Rather than just a walk in the neighborhood like this, I wish we could run off to somewhere far away…”

“That’s not going to happen. If we did that, everyone would be in trouble, wouldn’t they?”

“Like I care about that… ‘Sacred Daughter’ this, ‘Sacred Daughter that’, you shouldn’t have been sent out into the world to deal with such trivial matters.”

There, I spat it out.

She was one of the last… no, she was the very last confirmed bearer of that white healing light. A “prodigy” with unblemished, pure white wings that occasionally appeared only in her bloodline, with far superior capabilities than others. She should have been revered and live modestly and peacefully as an inviolable being, as did her ancestors generations ago. In fact, she was supposed to.

The reason why she became the last of her kind was because… we, the Lightwing race, exchanged our birth rate for longevity, and even that not-so-high birth rate had decreased significantly nowadays. Coupled with the fact that we were wounded and fell in battle in the midst of dealing with the “Wounds of the World” that had become more active recently, our number continued to decrease further.

She herself… was ill-suited for fighting. No matter how hard we fought to protect her, somebody would eventually get hurt, and eventually they might even die. Whenever there was a casualty, she would raise her sorrowful lamentations alone in a secluded place. She, who was better at purification and healing than anyone else, also had the kindest heart of anyone.

“The reason you were sent out in the first place is because those bigwigs have been using our people like disposable tools, caging us in their hands and making us bleed recklessly. Only after our numbers became too low and no more children were born did they rush to protect us… They only start making a fuss when it’s already too late.”

“…Pfft. You really hate people, don’t you?”

“Why shouldn’t I?! I really mean it, you know, why don’t we run away together? I’ll take you anywhere, as long as you want to…!”

She held up a finger to stifle my words, her face on the verge of tears.

“…Hehe, I like it when you care about me so much, but I still can’t do it. If there’s no one left to do that ‘duty’, who would protect the people… Wah?!”

“It doesn’t matter! You only have to nod once, and I’ll go to the end of the world for you…!”

Impulsively, I grabbed her shoulders hard and pushed her down onto the soft field of flowers, raising my voice. The petals flew into the air from the impact, and I immediately came back to my senses and panicked at what I just did.

In the midst of all this, her eyes widened in surprise… gradually, her cheeks turned cherry red. However…

“…I’m so sorry, I still can’t do it. They all believe in me, and that’s why I’m able to keep going. The food I eat, the clothes I wear, the people who serve me… I can’t betray them, after all these years they’ve been giving it to me.”

Again, as usual, she only smiled sadly.

No matter how many times… I told her over and over again… I couldn’t change her gentle mind.

Until the bitter end…

A bundle of parched paper fell down with a thud, waking me up from a shallow sleep.

I looked around and found a book on the floor next to my bunk, which I had been using to shield my face from the light.

“…Another sweet dream.”

I shook my head and raised myself up. Looking around, I saw a room with crude bunks and simple desks that looked like a miner’s rest room… It was, however, quite cluttered with books and laboratory equipment that I brought in from outside without permission. Not that anyone was left to give me permission, though.

However, from a few minutes ago, I felt a fine vibration, as if something large was going haywire. It seemed that this is the reason why the book fell down.

“…How noisy.”

I strained my ears and heard the high pitched squeaking of goblins outside my room. This was an old mine shaft that had been turned into a goblin den, but at the beginning, I had made it clear that I was the one in charge, and I had given them strict orders not to go near my room, which I had offered them in exchange for a small boon of technology.

“…Come to think of it, their boss is dead now, and these loser dogs are now running back. I went to the trouble of giving them knowledge of the latest magical explosive, but looks like even such a toy is too much for those barbarians.”

Shrugging, I started shoving my stuff into my bag. If the boss had been killed, a subjugation force would be coming here soon. It would be a shame to let go of the hideout I had just begun to get used to, but there was nothing I could do.

Just as I was thinking this, someone unceremoniously burst in, making noisy footsteps and kicking open the door with a loud thud.

“Huh? What da human doing here?”

A dark-skinned, muscular body, well over two meters tall…

“Just a troll…”

I instantly lost my interest in the intruder. Trolls were a warrior-like race who excelled in muscle strength and self-regeneration ability and were often devoted to their own training first and foremost, but this noisy specimen of a troll seemed to have no sense of propriety.

Well, I heard most of the information from my partner, which I did not want to hear anyway, so I was going to summarize by saying that he was wandering around after being chased out of his village, and found a settlement of those weaker than him in just the right place, so he decided to take it. Simply ridiculous.

“…Tch, there’re misfits who fall behind the rest, no matter the community, after all.”

I spat out in self-mockery.

“Da hell ya say, weak-lookin’ human?!”

The surprisingly sharp hearing troll raged and raised his fist in the air… but it would never be swung down.

As for why… the moment he took hostile action, a dark-colored serpent appeared out of nowhere, instantly constricting him in the blink of an eye and completely immobilized his body.

“Nice one, Crom.”

“W-What dis thin’ doin’…?! Lemme go…!”

“Huh? Savages like you… should just grovel.”

“Gaah?!”

The serpent, still restraining his movements, forced the troll in front of me to kneel down, while shattering his supposedly strong body with a cracking sound.

I finally began to see the fear in his eyes. Looking down at him like some roadside filth, I said what just suddenly came to mind.

“Since I’m in a very, very good mood after seeing ‘her’ again after so long, even if it was just a dream, I shall refrain from simply strangling you to death and give you a choice. Either become Crom’s food… or bow down to me in apology for your rudeness, and be granted power in return?”

He hesitated for a moment at my words, and then, more quickly than I had expected, he submitted, albeit reluctantly. That was easy.

These savages had so little pride that they’d take the bait right after I dangled it in front of them… without even suspecting the possibility of poisoning.

Well then, let’s continue this little game for a while longer… I even heard one of the companions of that accursed “Sorcerer King” who gave me such a hard time before was nearby, so if I could get him caught in the chaos and make him suffer, all the better.

With a casual flash of my right hand into the air, a high-pitched, crystal-shattering sound rang out from a space that should have been empty.

“…? W-What you doin’… guh, argh?!”

The troll looked up with a question mark in his eyes at the sudden high-pitched sound, and something crystalline sprouted from behind his eyes. It quickly ate through his head and upper body from inside out, the troll screaming in agony each time it did.

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, right? Though I can’t guarantee how much of an ego you’ll have left if you survive… Let’s go, Crom.”

With the giant body dancing around in the middle of the room, sprawled out in extreme pain, and the small goblins moving right and left around it, I left the room with the now-miniature serpent that had come up to me entwined in my arm.

When I glanced behind me as the door closed, the room had already turned into an alien world covered in mysterious crystals.

Glowing a dark, murky color like darkness of night, the three tattered wings, as if they had been bitten off, opened behind me, and I took flight into the night.

To the southeast… I stared in the direction of the far-off abominable enclosed city that I couldn’t see now.

“…It took me quite a long time, but I’ve mostly recovered now… and that ‘Sorcerer King’ nuisance is no longer in this world… Just a little longer… then you will all pay… for taking ‘her’ from me…!”

I reached out my arm in that direction, as if trying to catch her shadow, which was now far out of reach. However, the feelings slipped through my fingers along with the dream and scattered into the starry sky.

All what remained in my heart, was this flame of anger, as dark and gloomy as the wings on my back.

Even after all these years, it was still scorching like an inferno.

Iris

I felt like I was having a warm, but sad dream.

When I awoke unexpectedly, before I knew it, tears were running down my cheeks, and they did not stop for a while, even after I wiped them away.

Eyes still completely blurred by tears, I quietly went outside and sat down on a comfortable-looking rock, so as not to wake up the other women assigned to the same tent as me… Milly-san, Lenny-san and Philias-san.

The cool night air was clear and pleasant to my red, swollen, feverish eyes.

There was nothing around except the light of a bonfire, which seemed to be standing guard in a distance.

In the midst of all this, the cloudless night sky was lit by two moons, proving that this was another world, whether I liked it or not, and there was a starry sky all around, as if jewels had been crushed and scattered.

“So beautiful…”

At night, my breath was still white, and the cold made me clutch the front of my cloak over my nightgown, and when I looked up at the sky, I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of admiration.

Lying on my back atop the flat rock, there was no obstruction to my view of the sky, now that we had left the forested area, I felt as if I were floating in the starry sky above…

Come to think of it, I don’t think I’d ever had the time to leisurely look up at the stars like this ever since I came here…

Suddenly, a sense of loneliness that I don’t quite understand took over my heart.

I thought back to the dream I just had. A dream of a girl with the same hair color as mine now, looking at the sky intimately with an unfamiliar boy.

I felt something nostalgic about these two people, whom I was sure I had never met before.

It was not as clear as my memories of my mother, but rather a nostalgia that is somewhere far, far away, faint as a haze.

But I was left with the impression that the girl looked somewhat forlorn and the boy somewhat pained, which still grips me to the bone when I wake up.

“Who could the two of you be…?”

I reached for the starry sky and clenched my fist as if clutching the memory of a dream that is dissipating. However, such an action meant nothing, and it slipped through my fingers and scattered into the night sky.

(TL Note: omg the parallels)

But I guess it’s just my own instincts… I couldn’t help but somehow understand that those two are “the same” as me. And that… neither of them was here anymore.

“Extinct race…”

I was the only one of my kind in this world.

I hadn’t paid that any thought because I always had Reiji-san and Saul-niisama by my side.

However, when finally confronted with it, I could not help but feel that this fact, of which I had never been aware before, pierced my heart like a knife.

“Rrha ki…… tie…… ni en nha……?

Wa……a……mea yor……al……”

As if to fill up the loneliness in my heart, I tried to remember the memories of the dream and hum the song “she” sang in the dream, hoping to reproduce it somehow. But it was an unknown language to me… probably the old magical civilization language at the time of the game… Most of it had slipped from my memory, and I could only stammer out the lyrics and melodies. Still, I kept repeating, over and over again, seeking the shadow of “her” who should not be here.

I mulled over such a sentiment for a while, when…

“…! AAAAAARGH?!”

Intense pain suddenly pierced my entire body, making me scream and curl my body, trying to endure it… This was the third time I’d had this pain. There was no question about what caused the pain.

Around me, the tethered horses, perhaps feeling uneasy because of their unique animal senses, began to run amok, and suddenly the caravan was in an uproar. The commotion caused all of the mercenaries, who had been sleeping, to jump out of their beds. Then…

“Iris-chan?!”

“Iris-sama, are you injured?!”

“I’m… fine…”

I somehow managed to tell everyone who rushed out, apparently having heard the earlier screams, that I’m not injured, although I was dripping with greasy sweat. However, the matter might be much more serious than that.

“…I think… a new ‘Wound of the World’… has opened… somewhere…”

I could feel the people around me gasp at my words as I barely managed to hold back the pain.

(Author’s Note)

For convenience, “her” song was described in Japanese, but as Iris sings, it is actually in a special language.

I have no talent for writing lyrics.

Including the troll race this time around, the setting for the monsters in the work was greatly influenced by the TRPG “Sword World 2.0”.

(TL’s Nonsense Rambling)

Sacred Fireflies, Forgotten in Dreams is a certified banger, but the song that comes right after it is the most epic thing in existence.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

It was early in the morning, when the eastern sky was just beginning to turn white.

I put on the brand new “Clarte Iris” and wore a cloak on top of it as usual. My nightgown was neatly folded and stored in my magic bag.

…No longer was there anything to do in this room.

“Iris-sama, you didn’t forget anything, right?”

“Of course. We went over everything last night.”

One last time, I looked back at the room where I had been sleeping for the past month and a bit. Since we were aware that it was only a temporary accommodation, we didn’t add anything bulky to it. Therefore, we only had to do some sweeping and dusting to clean up the room, and overall, the room wouldn’t look very different after we were gone.

But the room, completely cleaned up, sheets and bedding folded, was no longer a place to return to. Perhaps because of this state of mind, I felt a sudden chill… the very room I was standing in was no longer the room I once knew.

“We should get going. Your brother and the others are waiting for you downstairs.”

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

Shaking off the sense of regret and loneliness that still gnawed at my back… I walked away, leaving the room behind for good.

The morning air was chilly enough for my breath to turn white.

It was still early in the day, so not many people came to see us off, but I could recognize some familiar faces among them, like the families whose daughters I had healed.

“Thank you all for all you have done for us in the short time you have been here. We will never forget the many things you have done for this town.”

“It’s us who should be thanking you for all the accommodations. Everyone in this town has treated us well, and we’re grateful for that.”

 A short distance away, mayor Rudolf said his goodbye to Nii-sama, who represented us. Then, I…

“Thank you… Thank you for everything…!”

I think my voice was trembling a little. Was I going to cry after all? No, I should hang in there. It’s better to say goodbye with a smile than with a crying face, after all.

“I’m going to miss you, you know… Stay strong out there. I think you should take this.”

Auntie Miranda handed me a considerably thick book that resembled a bundle of paper put together.

“This is…”

I flipped through it, and what I found on the first page I opened was a recipe for a dish. As I flipped through the pages, I found many recipes for dishes and medicines handwritten on them.

“Auntie Miranda…”

A recipe book, not printed, but filled with newly handwritten notes. I wondered how much time and effort it took to write all this down.

When I looked up, auntie Miranda was smiling, scratching her cheeks in embarrassment.

“I really wish that I could teach you more… and I hope you could take it along in your travels.”

The unexpected gift from the kindly smiling lady was too much for me to bear. The tears I had been trying to hold back for so long reached their limits and began to spill. I clutched the book in my chest and jumped into her bosom. I heard a slight panic in her voice, but I couldn’t stop myself anymore.

“I… I’ve already… learned so much from you…! This is the first time… I’ve ever… felt like my mother was here with me again…! I’m… I’m so glad that I’ve met you…!”

My mother had been gone since I was little.

As an older brother, even if “I” had to rely on others because of my crippled legs, I couldn’t afford to show such a weakness… especially in front of Ayame, I couldn’t say that “I felt lonely” in front of her. However, this feeling must have accumulated at the back of my mind before I even realized it.

When auntie Miranda was teaching me things, I must have subconsciously thought of her as the mother I had lost. To me, it was like experiencing an opportunity that should have never come. That’s why I enjoyed it so much.

I understood very well that it would be a nuisance for everyone if we remained here. But parts of me didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to say goodbye!

Those feelings must never be spoken. Instead, I was held in her bosom for a while and cried. There was no rejection. A hand was gently placed around me and patted me on the back.

I kept crying like that for a while until I gradually calmed down and merely sniffled… Then the shame of having done it began to creep up on me, and I hurriedly pulled my face away… I didn’t let out any snot while I was crying, did I?

“S-Sorry for causing you trouble, please pardon me… Kyah?!”

This time, it was auntie Miranda who pulled me into a hug.

I gently looked up and saw a sad smile on her face. She was also crying, albeit slightly.

“I’m glad that you feel that way toward me. Don’t say that you caused me trouble, you’re always welcome as my cute daughter. Come visit me again whenever you feel like… Because as this child’s older sister, you’re always welcome here.”

“……Eh?”

The words suddenly jumped into my ears, and I involuntarily raised my tear-stained face. Auntie Miranda was holding her own lower abdomen area with one hand…

Wait, does that mean…

“Hahaha… No matter what we did, we were still unable to have children… but at last…”

“To be honest, I’d already given up halfway through my 30s… I’m sure it’s all thanks to your blessing.”

Behind me, the mayor scratches his head in embarrassment, and auntie Miranda remained lightly holding me with her other arm.

The meaning of this conversation was slowly percolating through me.

“So… the reason you haven’t been feeling well lately is…”

“Looks like I’ve made you worried… That’s right, do you want to touch my belly? With your blessing, I have a feeling that this child will be born healthy.”

“Y-Yes, I’d love to!”

Wiping the tears with my fingers, I gently touched her still unchanged abdomen without prompting, praying for the child growing up inside.

…I still didn’t know how it feels like to touch a pregnant belly. But I couldn’t help but think about the mystery of life when I thought about a new life growing inside it.

And it is a bodily function that I should eventually acquire in the near future, even if not now. I don’t feel it at all now, but I wonder if one day I will carry a new life in my belly like this and become a mother.

“Amazing…”

“One day, you’ll become a mother, too.”

“Erm… actually, I can’t imagine that time ever coming at all… but this is still amazing regardless…”

I felt like my vocabulary was declining, which is shameful, but I couldn’t come up with any other words.

“Just take it easy for the time being. On your travels, you should meet a lot of people, see a lot of things, and eventually find the person who is really important to you… Just remember to take care of yourself, okay?”

“Yes…”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do fine in that regard.”

“……?”

When I looked where auntie’s eyes were looking with a question mark above my head, I saw Nii-sama smiling bitterly and Reiji-san scratching his head while looking the other way… and why was everyone else looking at me so warmly?!

I instantly felt embarrassed and quickly took off leaving. It was an unladylike thing to do, especially when many people were here to see us off, but my emotions were running so high…!

Fortunately, Reiji-san moved toward me and tapped on my shoulder to calm me down before I died of shame, though not after letting out a chuckle at my expense.

“Well then, everyone, have a safe trip. If there’s a next time we meet, you’re always welcome in this town.”

“I hope you come back someday… the three of us will be waiting.”

At these words, I made a smile as best I can on my face, which had yet to stop crying. I didn’t want to cause them any more worry.

“Yes… Someday, I’ll come back to see your child’s face! By that time, I’ll make sure to master these recipes and cook for you, auntie! It’s a promise…!”

“Well then, please excuse us… Let’s go, Iris.”

At Nii-sama’s prompting, we started walking out of the town, where the merchants and mercenaries were waiting for us. I could hear warm voices filled with gratitude coming from the people around us.

I found myself impulsively removing the hood of my cloak, which I basically wore all the time when I was outside in public. My hair, glistening in the morning sun and shimmering in a pale rainbow glow, fluttered in the air at the edge of my field of vision. Next to me, Reiji-san and Saul-niisama looked surprised… but even so, I wanted to express my gratitude with my own will at the end, not through the hood, but with my bare face.

And as soon as I turned around, all eyes were on me at once.

For once, there was no fear.

I gathered strength in my stomach and spoke as loudly as possible.

“Everyone! Thank you for everything!!”

I bowed deeply, and after a few moments of silence, the crowd started to send cheers back to me… uh, I could hear a “Please marry me” mixed in somewhere! Who did it?!

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh at that.

With that, I looked up, smiling as brightly as I could, and then we left.

After leaving the town and meeting up with the merchants and mercenaries, Reiji-san and I were sitting next to each other in a corner of the carriage seat that was kindly provided to us by the merchants. Somewhat off to the side, Lenny-san, who seemed to have been asked to take care of me, sat quietly, as inconspicuous as possible.

We were currently sitting in the merchants’ carriage, positioned in the middle, flanked by the carriages of the mercenaries who were escorting us. I, who could use healing arts, was unanimously assigned the safest place, with Reiji-san and Lenny-san as my escorts.

Now that I had been given special treatment in this way, I must do my best when something happens. It is best, however, that the time for something to happen doesn’t come. A healer is never too busy.

Meanwhile, Nii-sama was accompanying Walter-san in the rearmost carriage because he had a meeting with the mercenaries, alongside Milly-san who was also assigned there due to the distribution of forces.

…Initially, there was some dispute over who got to sit with me (mainly from Nii-sama, Milly-san and Philias-san, who all claim ownership of the hug pillow named Me), but Walter-san quickly put a stop to that nonsense and gave a seat to Reiji-san, who had been the least nosy, with a single word, and the rest had to accept taking turns after each break. So, except for the occasional curious glance from the merchants who were allowed to ride with us, the ride was quiet.

“…They’re good people.”

“…Yes. They really are…”

To be honest, it would not be an exaggeration to say that I had suffered a lot in the past month. So many wounds. So many painful experiences. But there’s still warmth in this world. Mayor Rudolf, auntie Miranda and the other townspeople had treated us so well. That’s why I was so reluctant to part ways with them.

I wondered if to travel means to repeat these goodbyes…

As if sensing my anxiety was about to act up again, Reiji-san placed his large hand on my head as usual. The warmth and loneliness I had felt earlier, mixed with feelings too complicated for me to process, seemed to calm down just from that single gesture, and I leaned myself on his sturdy arm.

It wasn’t until I experienced my first separation in this world that I suddenly realized something.

I had little to no lingering attachments to my “original” world. The only person who could be called a relative was Ayame, and the only person who could be called a friend was Reiji. But what about Reiji, who left his family behind? What about Ayame, who, unlike “me”, was supposed to have friends on the other side?

“…Reiji-san.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“…It’s nothing. Forget I asked.”

I couldn’t ask him. No, I was afraid to ask. I wondered if he missed his family on the other side and if he felt any resentment at being involved in this situation.

As if he could see through my doubts, he lightly tapped me on the head.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m staying with you until the end. Maybe Saul too.”

“Yes…”

The horse-drawn carriages that proceeded along the road, which was maintained as a distribution route for lumber and was surprisingly clean and neat for its remote location, did not sway as much as expected and transmitted only rattles and gentle vibrations.

The Kingdom of Nordglacier, linked to us by fate.

Three days until we reached its border.

(TL Note)

It’s Old Choked Memories ~ BEGAN time.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

For the final week that I would still be in this town, I decided to spend these days in peace. Asking auntie Miranda to teach me about cooking as much as possible, getting the things I need for the trip, watching over everyone’s training, and sometimes socializing with others.

When I told the people of the town that I was leaving, they all expressed their regret about my departure. Each time I told them, the realization that I was about to leave this place deepened, and I often felt a sense of loneliness that tightened my chest.

In the midst of all this, however, there were some joyful moments.

One day, on my way home from delivering lunch to Reiji-san, Saul-niisama and others who were training as usual, I was stopped by a familiar voice that I had not heard for a while.

So, after returning to the accommodation in a hurry, I asked Lenny-san to prepare a tea table in the garden and thus meet the people who had approached me.

“…Are you getting married?”

“All thanks to you, miss. I can’t ever thank you enough…”

It’s been a long time… Scott-san. Behind him, a woman I had probably seen somewhere before was bowing her head. A beautiful woman in her early twenties, not spectacular but with a reassuring atmosphere. I searched my memory, but could not recall her.

“Thank you so much for saving me. At that time, I had long given up on happiness… Without you, I could have never returned to being an ordinary woman, let alone marrying someone like this.”

“I remember now! Yeah, both of you returned to a neighboring village since then…”

I’m so sorry for forgetting about you until now… That period of time was a turbulent part of my life that I wanted to forget.

She was one of the women rescued from the bandit hideout, and probably who suffered the most… losing one of her eyes and having severe burns on her face due to brutal abuse, alongside broken bones and bruises all over her body like the others.

Even in this situation, she was still kind enough to be concerned about the other captives… In the end, I was able to heal her back to normal with “Restoration”.

“I’m glad that you two are doing so well, but marriage…?”

“Hahaha… That’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Then they proceeded to explain to me about what happened.

After the incident, Scott-san was wondering what to do with his life when his would-be wife offered him to go to the pioneer village where she lived. Even after revealing his background, he was still accepted into the village as a member, and lived his life hunting and cultivating the fields.

Putting aside his criminal past, he had experience being a scout and doing various oddjobs, and some of his knowledge and skills were useful in the village, such as tracking and trap-making techniques. He had a gentle temperament, but he also had some fighting skills, and in the pioneer village, where there is never enough manpower, he was now relied on to a certain extent, and had become a fully accepted member of the community.

And so, after getting the approval of the people around them, they were going to get married next month.

“She’s my savior. She was the one who convinced the captured women to forgive me, saying that no matter what they had to go through, I was still partly responsible for their rescue.”

“Oh, come on, don’t say that… You were the only one who treated us with decency in all those hellish days, you know?”

“You…”

“Yes?”

Uh, should I say something here? They seemed to have wandered off into a world of their own… but I’m glad that they both seem happy.

For now, I sipped my tea while waiting for them to return.

…The moderate tartness was just right.

I didn’t add sugar, come to think of it, but it felt very sweet, I think, and I looked at the beautiful clear sky.

Before I knew it, the lingering snow had melted, and the sun was shining warmly. Soon the short summer would arrive in this town much later than expected. But the ambient temperature seemed to have already increased…

As I was enjoying the view and tea alone, they came back to their senses, blushed together, and quickly moved away from each other. Yes, yes, thank you very much for the treat.

“Uh, sorry ‘bout that, miss.”

“It’s fine, I’m just glad that you two are getting along so well… Congratulations on your marriage, and I wish you many years of happiness.”

They had found their own happiness and were on their way to a new chapter of their lives together. I couldn’t be any less happy about it.

“You too, miss, you’ve changed a lot since then.”

“…? Is that so?”

I tilted my head at his words. I didn’t really get what he said…

“You seem… kind of livelier. Before, it would have been impossible to have a nice chat with you like this…”

Well, a lot had happened since then, and I wasn’t the same person as before, quite literally.

I took a sip of tea while thinking about the many hectic events that I’d gone through in the span of just a month or so that I was here.

“…And no matter how I look at it, with the maid behind you and your ladylike gestures, you really do seem like a princess from somewhere.”

“…?! (chokes)”

He suddenly said that just as I was swallowing my tea, and some of it entered my airway…ugh…

“Woah, are you okay?!”

“Iris-sama, here.”

Lenny-san, who was immediately behind me, wiped my mouth with a handkerchief.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it… It was just bad timing, that’s all.”

“Phew… I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m sorry, too.”

Since I couldn’t say “Well, I’m actually a princess” to him, I had to force myself to smile…

“And that’s about it. We’ve come here to say our thanks to you and tell you the news… Once again, thank you for everything, miss, and sorry for deceiving you at that time…!”

“I’ll never forget this favor for the rest of my life. If you ever come back here again, please don’t hesitate to visit us.”

“She’s right! If you have any problems, I will help you to the best of my ability!”

“…Yes! I wish you both the best of luck!”

Thus, after having tea with me for a while, they returned home.

We all had painful memories of that time, but we could laugh together like this now, and that fact brought me a lot of joy.

I kept waving at them until I couldn’t see their backs as they left, looking back at me from time to time.

Some days later… Just before the day of departure.

While everyone around me in the common room watched with bated breath, I was facing Weiss-san, who was sitting quietly in front of me with his eyes closed. Bandages and other items that normally covered the wounds had been removed, exposing the cruel burn scars.

Raising my hand to the scars, I fearfully chanted the spell.

“3^rd Purification Mantra: Breath of Life… ‘Heal’”

I gently recited the “Heal” chant that I should have been used to using, but it felt like it had been a long time. For some time now, I’d failed to get any response, but now it produced a warm green glow in my hand.

When I woke up this morning, I felt a flow of magical power that I had not felt in my body for some time, so powerful that it seemed as if it was about to overflow from my body.

I called everyone in a hurry… and was about to run out of the room in my nightgown when Lenny-san caught me red-handed. She got really angry at me for that.

So anyway, after getting ready for the day and gathering everyone, I decided to check on Weiss-san’s condition and tried to treat his scars again… Sorry for making you a test subject, Weiss-san.

The pale light from my hand seeped into the wound, and Weiss-san’s scars were getting smaller and smaller… I wasn’t able to completely remove the scars, but they were much less noticeable now.

“…It’s done.”

“I have to admit, your healing arts never ceases to amaze me.”

The keloid-like area had been cleaned up to look much closer to normal skin. Weiss-san looked curiously at the scars and expressed his admiration.

Honestly, I was amazed myself, too. The limit line of what could be healed was now much wider. I just decided to give my healing another try since there was no harm in it, but the effect was dramatic.

Does this mean that the potency of my healing magic itself is increasing…?

“…Um, are you sure you’re fine with just ‘Heal’? I could have just removed all the scars with ‘Restoration’…”

“How many times have I told you about this, kid? I’d rather keep those scars than losing the experience I’ve had for a while now.”

While “Restoration” can erase all wounds, it was rather inflexible, as it merely returned the body to its previous state without question, thus erasing any growth and training results gained from combat.

Since Weiss-san had already made his choice, I should respect it.

“Well, at least they look way less unsightly on me now, so don’t sweat it, kid. I say it’s fine, so it’s fine… Geh?!”

I think he was about to lightly smack my head, but his hand reaching toward me was slapped off by another just before it did.

“Well, congratulations for graduating from a rookie hoodlum to become a slightly scarier hoodlum with those scars. Isn’t that just awesome?”

“YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!!”

Looks like those two were at it again.

Since recently, Weiss-san had been casually keeping watch near my vicinity, and him butting heads with Lenny-san, who always served by my side, had become a regular sight.

I couldn’t help but chuckle while looking at the two of them.

“So… Iris-chan, how are you feeling now?”

“I’ve never been better, it seems… probably because I had a good night’s rest.”

Compared to before, I felt a flood of magical power coming from deep within my body, and I think I could even use the top-level area-of-effect recovery magic I used the other day multiple times in a row.

“Well, I think that’s because your magical power has significantly grown compared to before.”

“…Eh?”

“What do you mean?”

Suddenly, Philias-san decided to drop the bombshell. Saul-niisama and I turned to look at her with interest.

After pondering for a while, Philias-san prefaced her talk by saying that there are still few examples of this story and that there is no proof of it.

“There have been reported cases of people’s magical power growing considerably after recovering from magic depletion. The most plausible reason for it is that it’s a defensive response of the body trying to prevent the same thing from happening… Unfortunately, I haven’t come across such a case before.”

“It’s kind of like a broken bone getting stronger after it’s healed…”

“Then, if I repeat this process, I might- Ack! It hurts! What is everyone doing?!”

I was getting enthusiastic about the thought that I could be of more help to everyone if I could increase my magical power, but all three of Philias-san, Saul-niisama and Reiji-san whacked my head with their knuckles in quick succession, applying way more force than usual.

Holding my painful head, I looked around at them with tears in my eyes…

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN, EVEN AS A JOKE!”

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU MADE US WORRY WHEN YOU ALMOST KILLED YOURSELF?!”

“This one’s entirely your fault. Reflect on what you did, dumbass!”

I didn’t dare to breathe in the presence of those three’s furious expressions. What I said was really bad, wasn’t it?

“(sniffs) Sorry…”

“Oh my god, where do I even start… There are very few examples of complete recovery from magic depletion to begin with. What makes you think you can even repeat doing it? Didn’t I tell you to stop being so reckless?”

“I’ll be careful, sorry for making you worry…”

Philias-san’s shoulders drooped in dejection as she admonished me.

I felt disgusted with myself for having entertained the thought of taking the easy way out. However, if I looked at it from another direction, I was truly blessed to have so many people willing to get angry with me when I tried to go down the wrong path. That thought made my cheek loosen even at a time like this.

“Well, well, well… A little short on remorse, aren’t you?”

“Eep?! N-No, this is something else…!”

Then Nii-sama caught me smiling and added time to my reflection session… (sobs)

“I didn’t mean it, really… I never meant to make light of what everyone was saying…”

“Ahahaha… What a disaster. Well, consider that your tuition if you’re really serious about it.”

After what felt like a very long lecture was over and everyone had disbanded, Reiji-san, sitting next to me, chuckled as I wilted from the sermon that lasted for about 30 minutes… if possible, I wanted him to stop, so I glared at him in protest.

Reiji-san groaned and looked away. Success.

“In any case, we should get ready for departure soon.”

“…Right. By this time tomorrow… we’ll have already left this town.”

I tried not to think about it as much as possible, but I suddenly remembered it and the feeling of loneliness tightened my chest again.

I felt a sudden longing for human contact, and I laid my head on Reiji-san’s arm.

The peaceful time passed in the blink of an eye, and for the first time since I arrived in this world, I had to say my farewell.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“…Looks like an unexpected person is starting to improve, too.”

“What?”

I looked where Walter-san was looking and saw that person a short distance away, drawing his bowstring in the midst of the bustle around him… The burn scar around his neck that still pricked my chest with guilt every time I saw it and was noticeable even from behind.

“Weiss-san…? Wait, is he overexerting himself?! We should stop him!”

“No, hold on a moment.”

It was indeed Weiss-san who was before my gaze. However, there was something wrong with him. His breathing was ragged, and he seemed to be having difficulty lifting his arms.

He was clearly overworking himself, so I tried to tell him to take a break, but Walter-san stopped me.

“Just wait and see. Maybe this time… he’ll make it.”

“Eh?”

His arm quickly rose, and he placed an arrow on the string… His movement was so natural and beautiful that the voices of the mercenaries who were buzzing around him died down, as tension enveloped the room.

Then, with what little strength he had left… he released his bowstring in a flowing motion… I saw his arrow clothed in the familiar glow of fighting spirit.

There was a tremendous sound as the arrow cut through the air at breakneck speed.

Not only did it shatter the target, but it also gouged out the trunk of the tree to which the target was attached… The arrow pierced deep into the tree, right up to the feathers.

Such power… did he just activate something like a skill in the game?

“Wha…”

The person in question was stunned and could not believe what he was seeing.

I watched the whole turn of events, and Walter walked toward him, I hurriedly moved my staff to follow him.

“Good work, recruit.”

“C-Captain?!”

While Weiss-san was astonished, Walter-san seriously observed the situation around him.

“It’s something that people often just awakened by chance. Well, in your case, as a result of you unconsciously trying to draw the bow with something other than raw muscle power to make up for the strength you lost, you awakened to better utilize the energy that flows through your entire body. As for why your arrow became so destructive… Well, let’s not get into the nitty-gritty details, shall we? Just don’t forget what it feels like to use that new technique of yours.”

“Yes, sir…”

Technique? Is that what they call skills in this world?

If I recall correctly, there was a skill called “Strike Arrow” that somewhat resembled his earlier technique.

“And by the way… ‘they’ seem to be skilled technique users, so if you want to catch up, you’ll have to work on that in the future.”

“U-Understood!”

Even I could realize that, since Reiji-san saved him from the goblins the other day, he’d developed a rivalry with him and Saul-niisama. His joy at finding a clue to catch up to the two of them was clear to see even from the back of the room.

“Now that I think about it, I still haven’t rewarded you for protecting my esteemed guest. Here, take this.”

He talked as if he just remembered about it just now, but Walter-san had been carrying a large package on his shoulder the entire time, which he took off and tossed to Weiss-san in a casual manner.

“Woah?! This thing’s heavy!”

Weiss-san almost stumbled under the package’s weight.

Did you seriously almost forget about it even if you were carrying it all this time, Walter-san?

“This is a magic bow called Dreadnought. I know it’s hard for you to master at the moment, but I’ll give it to you.”

“Magic bow?! Uh… could I draw it?”

“Go ahead.”

Weiss-san fidgeted as he unwrapped the package and opened it to reveal a large, intricately designed, yet elegant-looking white bow. At first glance, I could sense that it was an exceptional product.

“Huh? What’s happening, why can I draw this thing?”

Weiss-san’s hand stopped as he immediately tried to place an arrow on the unusually thick string. No matter how much force he put into it, it hardly seemed to move.

“One does not simply draw a magic bow with force alone. You have to let the fighting spirit spread through the bow, just like the arrow you just fired earlier.”

“If you say so… Damn, it’s still too heavy…!”

A pale green light began to leak from places on the bow, and the string was being pulled just barely, inch by inch, while greasy sweat dripped from his forehead.

But eventually, the strength left his hand, and the string slipped from his fingers, firing the arrow from his bow… The arrow pierced through the wood and disappeared deep into the forest.

“Holy sh-!”

“That’s… amazing, isn’t it?”

Weiss-san was absolutely mortified at how powerful it is, and I barely managed to squeeze out a few words. What in the world would happen if he mastered using his magic bow?

“Hahaha, you may not know how to use it yet, but when you learn to use this thing, you’ll be a valuable asset against the big monsters. Keep it up, you’ve got this.”

“…Thank you, Captain!”

Weiss-san bowed his head with tremendous force, and Walter-san returned the gesture with a wave of his hand.

“Good for you, Weiss-san.”

“Oh, yeah. I must work harder from now on…!”

“…That’s enough.”

When I came to congratulate Weiss-san, who was renewing his determination, Lenny-san suddenly cut it between us and interrupted. Her eyes were a little harsher than those of the others, and Weiss-san, who was facing me, involuntarily drew back.

“Iris-sama, you’re being too close to the opposite gender. If you let your guard down against a man in such a rowdy place like this, what would happen if he suddenly turned into a wolf and attack you? Especially one like him.”

“D-Don’t you dare slander me with your delusion!”

“That’s rich, coming from someone who assaulted her at the first meeting.”

“It was just a prank! Besides, I already said at that time that I’m not into children like her! I’m more of a… uh…”

At the mention of “children”, I involuntarily slapped myself in the chest area… I couldn’t deny it. I slumped my shoulders in disappointment.

Weiss-san suddenly trailed off at the middle of his sentence, but I couldn’t miss the very moment he shifted his gaze to Lenny-san’s powerful “mounds”, then immediately averted his eyes.

…I see. So he swung that way. Come to think of it, he did complain about me being too “scrawny” to hug before.

“A-Anyway, can’t we just drop this topic already?! Curses, why does she have to be here of all places…”

“Fine by me, but I would still advise you to be careful around this man, Iris-sama.”

Oh, no. I shouldn’t let them continue their shenanigans, else we’d all be late for lunch!

“E-Everyone must be hungry by now, right?! So let’s have lunch! Weiss-san, you’re welcome to join us, too.”

“O-Okay…”

“If Iris-sama says so, then it can’t be helped.”

After confirming that they had (reluctantly) agreed to have lunch together, I returned with them to where everyone was.

“By the way, do you two know each other?”

“…As much as I hate to admit it, he and I have the same hometown.”

“To be precise, she’s the daughter of the guy who ruled over where I used to live, dammit.”

Weiss-san didn’t expect to meet Lenny-san again, as fellow mercenaries in the same company even.

Small world, isn’t it?

The lunchbox’s contents were several kinds of sandwiches, including ham and eggs, and what resembled German fries in my original world, which was fried potatoes and salted meat. There was also pickled vegetable as side dish. In fact, it would have been nice if I could have added more green into our meal, but fresh vegetable was rare and precious in this cold region.

“What do you think…?”

“Mmm, you did well. It was tasty.”

“…Well, actually, most of the seasoning was done with auntie Miranda’s instructions, hehe…”

I giggled at Nii-sama’s compliment and confessed it while scratching my cheek. Reiji-san patted my head when he heard that.

“Still, it was you who did most of the cooking, right? I look forward to the next one.”

“Y-Yes! Let me prepare lunch for you tomorrow!”

“Thanks…”

I’m so glad that my hard work had paid off.

“Thanks for the meal! …Hey, brother, are you okay?”

“Hmm, did you just call me? Well, it’s good that they’re getting along, but…”

“So you’re thinking what I’m thinking too? Yeah, that’s rough…”

At some distance away, Zeltis-san and Philias-san were having some kind of conversation… What could they be talking about?

My eyes then happened to meet with Zeltis-san’s.

“By the way, princess.”

“Not again…”

“Oops, pardon me, Miss Iris. Anyway, since you and your friends seem to know a lot about those mutated goblins the other day, I was wondering if you could tell me something about it.”

I see, they were talking about the boss goblins we had just fought. Judging from their reaction, they seemed to be a rare occurrence in this world. In the game, it was not uncommon to see in high-level hunting grounds and such, but that part of the game didn’t seem to apply here.

“Oh, I was wondering about that myself. Something tells me you three know a lot about monsters… May I ask who knows the most?”

“That would be…”

“Iris, right?”

“M-Me?!”

Everyone’s gaze turned toward me.

Certainly, support players often have a bird’s eye view of their surroundings from the rear and are often entrusted with overall command, but…

“Then, milady, could you enlighten them about those mutated goblins’ characteristics?”

“O-Okay. First of all, I would like to say that my knowledge is based on written sources, so there may be some discrepancies with the actual situation…”

Various parts of this world are completely different from the game, and I’ll take insurance against the possibility that there are differences between the game and reality… It’d be embarrassing if I get the facts wrong. From memory, I recalled the descriptions on the strategy site and organize them in my brain.

“Ahem. So the mutated goblin, which I shall temporarily refer to as the High Goblin… it receives healing and various enhancements from the goblin sorcerers…”

As I spoke, I gradually grew excited and began to describe the enemies’ characteristics in a rambling manner with hand gestures, using my fingers as if they were a conductor’s stick.

“…While I couldn’t use it myself, it would be nice if there’s a high-level Enchanter on our side, who could dispel the enemy’s buffs… Otherwise, the most effective means would be somehow cutting through its sturdy skin and destroy it from the inside like Reiji-san and Zeltis-san did…”

As my explanation neared its end, blood gathered in my face as I realized that I got too overexcited and started talking like a teacher.

Oh god, I really went and did it, didn’t I?!

“Ahahaha, don’t be so shy, you made quite a fine teacher… Honestly, I didn’t expect you to go into so much details.”

“Gnnnnnnnn…!”

Walter-san ruffled my head again. The thought of teaching knowledge to a bunch of people who made a living by fighting made me so embarrassed that I could feel my face on fire…

“Excuse me! I want to hear about something else from you!”

“Good idea… How about the differences between the dragon species, apart from the size?”

Philias-san’s statement was followed by an additional question from Walter-san. Uh, dragons…

“Erm… Compared to lesser dragons, dragons are more intelligent and can use higher level magic… their scales can repel all kinds of magic below a certain strength… I think?”

“How do I deal with slimes’ mucus?! It ruins clothes and other fabric upon contact, what a nuisance!”

“Um… Quickly rinse it with water then squirt it lightly with alcohol, that should neutralize it-”

Starting with the widely known knowledge, the questions gradually headed toward another direction as they enthusiastically asked me one after another. We were talking about the Cyclops race at the moment.

“…Contrary to the public’s image of the Cyclops as rough and brutish, many of them are respectable craftsmen, their delicate and powerful metallurgical techniques produced very high quality weapons… It’s difficult to earn their cooperation, but if you can, you’ll get some hard-to-find, one-of-a-kind equipment.”

“I see… I’d want to meet one too. By the way, has any of you met a Cyclops before?”

At Zeltis-san’s question, Reiji-san and I turned to look at each other.

“Yeah, we did… kind of…”

“Ah, ahahaha…”

Since Reiji-san’s “Arsley” was a jet-black sword with a dragon’s eye at its core crafted by a Cyclops, it’s true that we had met him before… But the mere memories of it made me blush bright red.

When I glanced sideways to Reiji-san, he was blatantly looking away from me… I only went along with the project because it was absolutely necessary to meet the conditions required for the production.

No one, not even Saul-niisama, should hear about what happened.

…I wondered if “he” was in this world too.

“Ah, yes, respectable craftsmen, pfft…”

In the midst of all this, Walter-san remembered something and laughed with amusement… Oh, no.

“If you wish to do so, I have contacts and can make introductions… Well, he wouldn’t say no if you’re with us, milady.”

“Yeah, I know right, ahahaha…”

His words, which carried a slightly apologetic undertone, elicited a dry laugh from me. I knew it, that person existed here too… Nevertheless, it would be reassuring if we could get some help… I should be prepared to put up with a little embarrassment by that time…

This exchange of information started out lively, but as I answered the questions, other people started coming to listen, and yet the number of words around me gradually decreased.

…I felt like the purpose of this had changed. Were they testing how far I could answer the questions? I found it hard to focus if they kept focusing their gaze on me like that.

“Could you tell me about the Arachne Queen? After all, your current clothes were made from her threads.”

Walter-san looked exhausted.

A little, I tried to picture the information in my mind and assemble in my brain how to explain it…

“Yes. First of all, the threads that are in contact with the main body have a strong ability to absorb mental energy, and even a large adult will fall into a coma after 3 minutes of contact, and will die after about 10 minutes. But the victims are often unaware that they are touched by the threads, so we must stay vigilant. And the Queen doesn’t act alone, she always has escorts lurking nearby…”

“Okay, that’s enough… You got it all correct.”

For some reason, Walter-san interrupted my explanation while holding his head like he was tired. But if I didn’t tell the whole story, it would be difficult if we had to face the monster in question.

“…And while all Arachne has a humanoid half, the Queen is different in that her nervous system is spread evenly throughout the body, so in the worst case scenario where either half is destroyed, she’s still able to reproduce and recover her swarm.”

“Now that’s something I don’t know… That explains why she caught me off guard from behind after I had already decapitated one of those Queens.”

Walter-san’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, and a question mark appeared above his head. I looked around and saw that everyone in the mercenary company, including Zeltis-san and Philias-san, who had initially gathered to listen with great interest, were smiling dryly in exasperation.

“…To be honest, I have no idea what you’re talking about…”

“…What a coincidence, I’m the same. How is it even possible that you know so much about the phantasmal beasts that only eyewitnesses of them existed?”

Weiss-san and Lenny-san were already hanging their heads limply.

“U-Um, did I do something wrong…?”

Perhaps there was something wrong with my answers? Or did I get too carried away?

“N-No! Nothing like that at all! I just admire your vast knowledge!”

“Y-Yeah you’re amazing, Iris-chan! Did you guys have to remember all of that…?”

“Of course not, I didn’t expect my sister to be able to do that either… It’s just too much, even for me.”

“I should have studied that site more seriously when I still had the chance… I’d always left this kind of thing up to her.”

“I’m fairly confident about my knowledge too… but only when material drops are concerned, nya…”

Now even the players’ side was saying all kinds of stuff… Was I the only one being weird here? I had been told on a message board I happened to look at that it was natural for a support player to be able to do this, so I tried my best to remember every bit of it.

“…Well, in any case, I appreciate your knowledge. When I need your wisdom in any case, please do me a favor.”

“Y-Yes!”

Seriously, was it such a big deal? I only knew a bit too much about monsters, that’s all.

“You’re thinking it’s not that big of a deal, aren’t you?”

I felt like I had seen a jumpscare when said exactly what I was thinking right now. With one deep sigh, Walter-san turned to me with a serious face, so I straightened my posture and waited for him to speak.

“Allow me to tell you one thing. Knowledge is a treasure. Just from what I’ve just heard, there are many ways to put it to use, such as compiling it into a book or starting a new business using the knowledge. Even without your healing arts and species, that alone is enough reason for you to be targeted… Don’t be so careless about showing them off. That includes you too, tailor girl.”

“Uh… I understand?”

“Nyahaha… I copy that.”

…So I was too much of a showoff just now.

The knowledge on strategy sites is a compilation of information brought together by countless people, but when it comes to actually playing the game, it takes a tremendous effort to actually utilize said knowledge. Having the so-called “knowledge cheat” is both a blessing and a curse.

“…Well, Miriam is more solid and reliable on that front than Iris, so I think she’ll be fine.”

“Reiji-san?!”

“So be careful alright, Iris?”

“Nii-sama, you too?!”

How could they say such a terrible thing to me?! And why is everyone nodding in unison?! Argh!

As my mood had been terribly soured, I grabbed one of the sandwiches and violently bit into it.

(Author’s Note)

Iris’ narration: “I violently bit into the sandwich.”

What really happened: Iris opened her mouth as wide as possible and bit into the sandwich.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“…So you’re leaving next week… I’m going to miss you.”

“…Yes.”

The morning after we decided to leave the town, I spoke about it to Miranda-san, who was resting on the sofa. The lady who had been taking care of us since we started staying in this town had not been feeling well lately, and she had been sleeping more often… but she still agreed to teach me how to do a lot of things… The thought of saying farewell to her passed through my mind, and my chest tightened.

“Um…”

“Is there something you want to ask?”

“Yes! Well… I just want to make a simple lunchbox…”

Reiji-san and Saul-niisama left the house early in the morning, as they were going to be trained by the mercenaries. So I thought of what I could do… and this is what I came up with… but I’m worried about the auntie’s health, too.

“Oh… Why are you making such a long face? I’m feeling rather well today, so grab your apron and come to the kitchen with me.”

“Thank you!”

“Did you make this lunchbox?”

“Yes. Since Reiji-san and Saul-niisama are working so hard, I suppose I should do something to help…”

“Aww, that’s so cute, nya!”

“I-It’s nothing! And stop tickling me!”

Face pouting, I glared at Milly-san, who gave me a peck on the cheek.

I was walking along the street where many people come and go for lunch before noon, chatting in a good mood with Lenny-san, who was holding a large lunch basket in her hand, since I had to carry my staff around to walk, and Milly-san, who had finished her work and was taking a break.

Since the “Clarte Iris” was too conspicuous, and we weren’t going to a dangerous place, we decided to keep things as simple as possible.

My current attire was a simple one-piece dress and a cloak that looked a bit expensive but not too fancy.

“If you had told me, I could have been of some help.”

“I appreciate your concern. But while I’m still in this town, I…”

I wanted to leave behind as many memories as possible. I wonder if that was part of the reason I went out of my way to learn how to cook.

“…Understood. Iris-sama, you’re sad to say goodbye, aren’t you?”

“Yes… I find it strange myself, but I feel very much so…”

I could think of a few reasons. Perhaps, it’s because of the auntie who taught me so much…

“In any case, we should get going before lunch break’s over.”

“Mm, you’re right, that would be a shame after all the hard work I put in.”

I quickly dismissed my thoughts, which were about to take off in a strange direction, and walked quickly out of the town, toward where everyone was training.

I went to the training site outside the town, by the mercenaries’ camp, which was made from the remains of a forest logging site, just as Reiji-san and Zeltis-san were squaring off against each other. They were surrounded by the rest of the mercenaries, who had rested their weapons and were looking forward to the duel.

“Nii-sama!”

So as not to disrupt the duel between them, I moved over to Saul-niisama, who was sitting down to rest nearby.

“If it isn’t Iris. Thank you for escorting her here, Lenny-san.”

“No need to thank me, Saul-sama. This is just part of my job.”

“I… I see…”

Like me, Nii-sama wasn’t accustomed to receiving this kind of treatment… We noticed each other’s gaze and let out a chuckle.

“So, what brings you here… a lunchbox?”

“Yes, Miranda-san taught me how to make it… It’s still simple, though. Did I interrupt your training?”

“Actually, you came in just the right time. This is the last round before lunch break.”

I took a closer look at Reiji-san and Zeltis-san again.

The two men were sweating profusely from their foreheads, but still glared at each other and hardly moved.

The spectating mercenaries were also not moving an inch.

“These guys are basically equal to each other in strength… That’s why neither of them dares to make a bad move and expose an opening. And so they just stare at each other like that… uh oh, here we go.”

Immediately after Nii-sama finished, the two figures moved at a dizzying pace, their swords clashing against each other, before stopping at a good distance from the other’s sword reach.

“Amazing… I couldn’t see anything at all.”

“Same here… but looks like the other side’s winning.”

“You think so?”

“Good eyes. And it doesn’t seem like there are many in my company who realize that… Nice looking lunch you’ve got there, by the way.”

From behind me, a large hand gripped my head and stroked it. There’s only one person with such hands… Walter-san.

“…Captain. It took me so long to make up her hair, could you not mess it up?”

“Oops, sorry ‘bout that, Lenny… You too, milady.”

“I didn’t mind it that much… Besides…”

My gaze returned to the two people, who once again stared at each other while barely moving.

“If that’s what you’re concerned about, I suppose I could help. I trained Zeltis myself, but his basics were learnt when he was studying to become a knight, and thus more suited to fight human opponents. In contrast, I could tell that the boy with red hair has been fighting non-human opponents… in other words, monsters since day one.”

“That’s true…”

Back in the game, both Reiji-san and Saul-niisama weren’t big fans of PvP, and that extended to me, who accompanied them on their monster hunting, as well.

“If this was a contest of how many enemies they can take down, I’m sure your red-haired friend would be the victor. But oh well.”

At that moment, Reiji-san’s sword jumped up slightly, and Zeltis-san’s sword slid past it and thrust into his body… right above where his heart should be.

“That’s enough!”

Walter-san declared the end of the duel.

The two men, released from their extreme tension, started to wipe sweat from not only their foreheads but also their entire bodies like a waterfall, and they both fell into a heap.

“…Darn, I lost again! You’re strong, I have to admit.”

“No, your sword is more like something designed to be used against an opponent bigger than you… and it’s remarkable to see how well you’ve held your own.”

“Hell nah, a loss’s a loss. It’s 3 to 5 in your favor now. Next time, I won’t lose.”

“I’ll be your training partner anytime. I, too, find sparring with you a good experience, for which I am grateful.”

Just like that, they laughed and bumped their fists together.

I didn’t think these two were very close until yesterday. They somehow hit it off, and the way they laughed at each other like little boys made me giggle.

“Reiji-san! And you too, um, Zeltis-san. You both worked hard. Please take these towels.”

“Nice, thanks.”

“Many thanks to you, my princess.”

“Could you stop calling me that?”

Unlike Reiji-san, who accepted the towel like a normal person, Zeltis-san reverently accepted it by placing his hand on his chest and bowing.

Could he stop embarrassing me by pulling that kind of stunt already? It’s just a towel.

“My apologizes, allow me to correct myself… um, Miss Iris.”

“That’s better.”

While that name still sounded embarrassing, I’d rather hear it than “Princess”… so I just left it at that and gave up.

“And, uh… I’m sorry you had to see that side of me.”

“It’s not like that at all! When you two fought earlier… it was so cool!”

“Oh…”

“It’s my honor, then.”

When I excitedly told them what I thought of them, they looked embarrassed and wiped their sweat off their faces.

Calm down, me. I shouldn’t get carried away like that.

“I’ve also seen it all. That was a good match… Zeltis, did you improve your skills again?”

“Not really, I just found myself an opponent of equal strength and got a little overzealous. That, and I’ve been doing very well lately…”

While they were talking, his gaze turned toward me for a moment, and then he suddenly lost his facial expression and went back to his conversation with Walter-san… What was that for?

“And you, Reiji, right? You’ve fought well yourself… but there’s one thing I need to ask you, are you okay with that?”

“Hmm? Sure.”

“This concerns His Highness Saul as well. From watching you two’s movements, I have the impression that you two have yet to recognize your current abilities. It’s like… you could have done better, but you aren’t comfortable with your current selves… something like that.”

At those words, Reiji-san gulped.

“…I didn’t expect you to see through us that much.”

Those two were basically at their peak of power right before the reincarnation event. Compared to those days, things might be much more difficult for the two of them now that they were still growing up after the having their level reset post-reincarnation.

I didn’t really feel sluggish since I didn’t move my body around that much to begin with, but I did run out of magic more quickly than I used to back then…

“I’ll take that as a yes. Well, I’m not going to inquire further if it’s such an awkward topic for you. At any rate, I’ll see to a few things this afternoon. Now, let’s have lunch, since it looks like the lady here has prepared some food she wanted you boys to have.”

“Ah, yes! While I couldn’t make a meal for all of the mercenaries, I did cook more than usual for us to eat together… I’m not sure if it will suit everyone’s palate, though…”

“That’s still very thoughtful of you, and I’ll gladly enjoy the meal in your company. Let me call my sister over.”

With that, he bowed and went to look for Philias-san.

“Reiji-san, you’ve gotten along pretty well with that person, haven’t you?”

“Well, he isn’t exactly a bad guy, and…”

Reiji-san’s eyes looked at me awkwardly, but were quickly averted.

“…I definitely won’t lose to him.”

“Eh?”

“Nevermind, just forget it. I’m going to help Saul prepare for lunch.”

While a question mark was raised above my head, Reiji-san quickly spread the mattress as if in a panic and walked away toward Saul-niisama, who was setting the contents of the basket.

“Hahahaha, looks like you still have a long way to go, boy.”

I tilted my head at Walter-san, who was watching the situation with amusement.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Say ‘ah’.”

“A-Ahh…”

The soft substance melted in my mouth and enveloped my tongue, spreading a rich sweetness along with the bitterness of the cacao and the mildness of the milk… When I swallowed it, there was a soft lingering orange liqueur aroma at the end.

That was a fine chocolate confection.

“How was it?”

“It’s very tasty, but…”

Since a while ago, I had been fed various kinds of sweets by hand. I was fine with just that, but the problem was…

“Why do I have to sit in your lap again…?!”

This time, it was Milly-san who’s hugging me while I was sitting on her lap!

First with Nii-sama, then with Philias-san, why did everyone love to hold me so much? And why was everyone looking at me so warmly?!

“Nyehehe, since you promised me to do ‘just one thing’, I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can, nya. Come on, say ‘ah’ again.”

“…Ugh, I’m starting to regret this…”

Another piece of confection, this time caramel-based…Where did they get all those sweets from, anyway?

With an ecstatic expression on her face, Milly-san kept on patting and fondling me as if I were a little kitten. If only I had known her idea of “promise to let her do just one thing” was “loving me half a day while I was dressed in the clothes she made”!

“…Well, she makes cute clothes for cute girls to wear in exchange for hugs and cuddles. Please pardon her strange hobby.”

“That’s a dreadful hobby if I’d ever seen one!”

Nii-sama, you could have told me about it earlier!

All I could do now was open my mouth like a baby bird waiting to be fed and crunch the sweets that were brought to me.

I’m going to get fat, aren’t I?

“Oh, looks like everyone’s here. Milady… I see you’ve got yourself a rather exquisite attire. It suits you well.”

A man with large build… Walter-san, arrived and ruffled my head with enough strength to make my neck sway from side to side. From behind, Lenny-san muttered “Oh, no, I worked so hard on her hair…”.

“Sorry to interrupt your pleasant chat, but we have business to attend to. Our original mission was to escort a caravan which was asked to buy lumber and transport it to a town near here that had been heavily damaged by goblins’ attacks.”

This town was built on the processing and sale of logged softwoods into lumber, and the merchants sometimes visit when there is a demand for large quantities of lumber like this.

Lumber cannot be used for building materials immediately after it is cut down. It must be exposed to wind and rain for a while to remove the lye, and then dried thoroughly… It takes several years from harvesting until it can be used as timber.

Taking advantage of the rich forest resources in the area, each town has its own lumber mill, which is important in harvesting and processing lumber for distribution.

“It’s about time the negotiations are completed.”

“That’s correct. They’ll start moving the lumber tomorrow… By this time next week, we should be departing, so prepare for it. Besides…”

Walter-san turned to look at me.

“His Highness Saulques, Her Highness Irisria… What are your plans for the future? If you need any help, I’m at your service.”

“Pardon?”

His attitude suddenly changed from a leader giving commands to bowing his head in deference.

“If you decide to come with us, we will make accommodations for your stay. There’re people who will back your cause, I can assure you that much. However, we do not intend to force you to do so. Think carefully about your next course of action.”

“Um, there’s no need for you to be so humble, please raise your head.”

“Yes, treating us like royalty’s a bit too much… Honestly speaking, we don’t have the memory of it, and we don’t really feel it… So I’d really like it if you treat us like equals.”

For those of us who had never had the experience of being respected as a superior, the current situation was very unbearable.

“Hmm… That’s fine by me. Zeltis, Philias, what about you?”

“That’s a bit unfortunate… but I will treat you as a friend for the time being.”

“I’m in. Iris-chan already asked me to do that the other day. Once again I hope we all get along.”

“…Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

While we had certainly roleplayed the role of a prince and princess in the game before, since I identified myself as a commoner, it’s quite mentally demanding to actually be treated as royalty.

So Nii-sama and I were both very happy to see that they had agreed to treating us as equals.

Philias-san went to a meeting with the merchants on behalf of the company, and Zeltis-san left to explain the future plans to the mercenaries, leaving us alone with Walter-san.

“Well then… I think we should travel with them.”

“Saul-niisama?”

“Fair enough. If we stay in this town forever, it’s impossible to know where information about you will spread… and if it attracts people who’s up to no good, it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Reiji-san too… I think I understand what you said.”

This time, the mercenaries became our allies was largely because their leader, Walter-san, was friendly and cooperative. If anyone else discovered the truth about myself, they might develop the urge to do less-than-decent things to me… no, they would be sure to do that.

Worst of all, the thought that this town could turn into a war zone, involving Mrs. Miranda and her family, who had been so helpful to me, sent chills down my spine. Not to mention…

“Of course that’s part of it. But more than that, we are too ignorant of what is happening around us.”

Nii-sama revealed the bitter truth.

Yes… We were suddenly transported to another world, and we had no idea why it happened. Neither did we know who or what was behind it.

If we continued to stay here, our means of knowing what’s going on in this world would be limited.

“First of all, we need information. Fortunately, there’s someone who might have a lead and also get sent over here.”

“…Higami-san, right?”

“Uh, who?”

That’s about right. Due to the confidentiality of his workplace, Reiji-san was the only one of us who was not acquainted with that person.

“Yeah, you have never met him, Reiji-san. He’s our superior in ‘Arks VR Technologies’… and also, one of the top players.”

“What the hell, he’s one of the devs, isn’t he? Isn’t that cheating?”

“Ahaha… Well, if you think about it, the two of us could be considered developers to some extent, too… But he made and treated his account completely separate from work, to the point that the company didn’t figure it out until recently, so…”

I answered with a wry smile.

…Seriously, how did he find time to play the game?

“If everyone who’s obtained the tertiary reincarnation class has been sent here as I speculated, then there is a good chance that he’s somewhere in this world. And it’s likely that somebody at the heart of the development process knows more about what happened then than we do.”

“But how do we get in touch with him if there’s no way to communicate?”

Neither remote chat nor friend lists that had existed in games existed here. In this world, which was so much larger than the one in the game, the chances of meeting someone by chance were infinitesimally small. We had to take measures.

“Let me think about it… We could travel to the Central Business District… or even the capital of Nordglacier and wait, as there’s a good chance we’ll meet him there someday. Alternatively, we could let Iris’ name spread until it reaches his ears and let him know our location.”

Naturally, the second option allowed us to take a more active role and possibly achieve our goal easier, but it also contained many risks.

Saul-niisama seemed to have thought this through, but Reiji-san was wrinkling his brow and making a difficult face.

“Nevertheless, as far as you both are concerned, it’s too dangerous for us to travel alone, that’s why…”

“…We should cooperate with Walter-san and the others, while finding the people who would back our cause, is that what you’re trying to say? It sounds a bit like we’re just taking advantage of his goodwill…”

“Actually, I’ve taken interest in your fighting power as well. Think of it as a mutual cooperation… Of course, I’ll do my best to make it as easy as possible on you, my esteemed guests.”

“I appreciate the thought… However, with all due respect, I still have one last question about your mercenary company.”

While speaking apologetically, Saul-niisama’s eyes, which were staring at Walter-san, turned sharp, as if he was assessing something.

Walter-san, on the other hand, took it in stride and faced him with an amused look on his face.

“Ask away. We’re just a bunch of mercenaries from the countryside, and there’s not much we can do on our own.”

“…Then I beg your pardon. Why is a company of that size escorting such a small caravan? Even if it’s for reconstruction purposes, there’re way too many mercenaries compared to merchants.”

“Oh?”

Walter-san listened with interest.

“As far as a caravan is concerned, the more people they hire, the more expenses they incur. I don’t think it makes sense for the caravan to spend that much money on escorts. From what I have seen of your abilities, Zeltis-san and Philias-san alone would be enough to escort a caravan of that size… Last but not least, your equipment didn’t seem like it was for a simple escort mission.”

Indeed, there were twenty-something fully armed mercenaries, and among the weapons they were using were arrows with what appeared to be explosives… That’s way too excessive for escorting a caravan.

“…In other words, the escort was a bonus, something you received later on, as a side note to your true mission, wasn’t it? As for your true mission… you were supposed to clean up the goblins who were ravaging this area on a large scale, am I correct?”

“And it’s hard to believe that the merchants would willingly purchase lumber for charity purposes… Considering our current location, the nearest territory is…”

Saul-niisama’s finger pointed to a spot on the map, a little east of where we were now, just after we crossed the border, passing through the town where the goblin attack occurred as mentioned earlier, and entered Nordglacier… For both of us, it was a bit of a fateful place.

“Count Roland. Is your employer the Count himself, or someone under his command?”

Hearing those words, Walter-san’s cheeks relaxed, and he broke into the smile, as if we had just hit a bingo.

“…Very well. It’s not like I was hiding it from you, but you got everything correct for the most part. It’s just like you said, the Count is our direct patron at the moment.”

“That’s glad to hear. Frankly, I am not comfortable with the idea of someone else backing our power, but if we are associated with the Nordglacier royalty, we will have to make our position clear eventually. But for now, I still need time to get the information I need to make a decision. I know I’m being overly paranoid here, but…”

He then took a breath and turn to face Walter-san with a serious expression on his face.

“Is Count Roland someone we can trust? Is he the kind of man who would have our backs?”

At these words, for a moment, really only a moment, Walter-san’s expression darkened with pity.

“…I see. So you really don’t remember anything. Then I’ll say this with certainty. He is truly a trustworthy and honest man. Especially when it comes to the two of you, you probably don’t have to worry about him trying to corral you with his greed or use you for his own personal gain… no matter what.”

After pausing to catch his breath, Walter-san continued.

“…His Highness Saulques. When you were a mere commoner, still unknown to the world… you were the first person to stand up when your sister, Irisria-sama was kidnapped… It just so happened that the former Count’s brother, who was still the Vice Commander of the Knight Order at the time, was paying a visit to inspect the territory.”

We all gulped at those words. Count Roland’s territory was the site of the official event that led to Nii-sama and I being treated as semi-official characters.

And now the story sounded familiar. After all, the introduction to that event was generally the same.

A brother and sister, who were living in hiding on the frontier, the latter happened to catch the attention of the local lord and were taken away. The girl’s brother, desperate to save his sister, and the lord’s son, driven to bring his father to justice, joined force and worked behind the scene to persuade a knight, the local lord’s brother, who happened to be visiting the vicinity, to help rescue her with his help.

That was the general plot of an actual raid event during the game.

The same events as in the game did actually happen in this world with us as participants.

I felt that at this very moment, an invisible wheel of fortune was beginning to roll…

(Author’s Note)

The protagonist was sitting on Milly-oneesan’s lap throughout the entire chapter.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

I was looking at an unknown landscape.

Together with an older brother (?), who took great care of me, we lived our lives peacefully in a simple, wooden house. Come to think of it, I wonder how long I had been doing this. For some reason, the house I should have lived in since birth always seemed like an empty landscape.

I was looking at an unknown room.

Suddenly I was forcefully brought to a large town, away from the village I was in.

This was a room in one of the largest houses in the area. There was little furniture, but the furnishings were of high quality and must have been expensive.

A dark-haired girl I didn’t recognize, who appeared to be about one or two years older than me, was taking care of me apologetically and tearfully. She didn’t have to be that distressed.

I was looking at an unknown sky.

Floating in the clear blue sky were two moons. As I looked at them in a daze, for some reason I had a vague but certain feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be here.

Suddenly, I heard a noise and looked out the window to see a strange blue-haired boy looking at me with a surprised expression on his face.

I was looking at an unknown ceiling.

The feel of a soft bed on my back. A man in fine clothes, who frequently showed his face, was draped over me, but I just looked on as if it was someone else’s business.

For some reason, I had always been convinced in a corner of my mind that this world was not my world. So I did as I was told and just stared blankly at the ceiling.

Just before anything else could happen, I watched without any emotion as the blue-haired boy I saw some time ago punched the man who was pushing me down. My older brother, whom I had not seen for a while, appeared with a group of people carrying weapons, and upon spotting me, ran up to me and hugged me.

After being tossed about from one place to another, I somehow found myself in a luxurious room, facing a man in fine clothes that instantly identified me as a person of noble status, who looked at me with sad eyes, and I found myself living an unimpeded life under his protection.

…Wrong.

……Was this really my memories?

There was no way it could be possible. At the time, I was still “me”.

This wasn’t “my” world. Somewhere else, there were people who are important to me, and there was a daily life that is important to me.

Yes, I had to go home.

“Yes, it’s still too early for you to come back.”

Suddenly, I heard a voice, and as I reached out my hand to the empty space… someone’s hand took hold of it.

Ah, it’s been so long. With relief that I could finally return, I rested my body in that hand and threw myself off the balcony into the air.

And so, “I” disappeared from this world, once and for all.

I could hear birds chirping.

Someone slid open the curtains, letting the bright and warm sunlight into the room. It seemed the sun was already quite high.

“Fwah…”

I picked myself up and found my fine hair flowing down my body. The softly fragrant, flowery aroma might be the perfume oil imprinted on the skin after last night’s bath.

I looked around, thoughts still hazy. It seemed that I was back in my familiar room.

I felt something flowing, and when I gently touched my cheek, I found a clear liquid on my finger.

“Did I just cry…?”

Come to think of it, I think I was dreaming something… However, immediately after waking up, it easily lost its outline and density, and fizzled out as if fleeing before I could grasp it in my hand, leaving nothing behind.

“Good morning, Irisria-sama.”

“Wah?!”

Suddenly, a voice from behind me startled me, and I gathered up the bedsheet and hugged it to my chest.

…Oh, right, it was just Lenny-san. She had moved in here today for my personal care, dressed in a traditional maid’s uniform.

While she was quickly taking care of the chores around her… I used this spare time to grasp the situation and collect my hazy thoughts.

“Please come over here so that I can do your hair.”

“Ah, thanks…”

I sat down as she told me to, my head still shaking with sleepiness, and my long hair, which had become very shaggy in my sleep, was gently combed.   

“Such smooth hair… the comb hardly gets stuck at all.”

“Is that so? Fwah…”

“You seem to have a good night’s sleep. Are you tired anywhere?”

“No, it’s just… it’s just so long since I’ve had such a relaxing bath, and the perfumed oil was quite nice… Ah?!”

Finally, my head started to reboot, and I realized. If she’d been in this room the whole time, that meant…

“D-Did you see that…?!”

Blood gathered in my face at the thought of my sleeping face being seen. What if I look embarrassing? What if I drool or something? I wiped my mouth, feeling uneasy.

“…Oh, I see. Then please rest assured.”

With a sweet smile, she told me…

“Your sleeping face is super adorable.”

“W-W-Wha?!”

I was glad I didn’t make an embarrassing face when I slept, but could she not tell it straight to my face like that?!

“…It’s done. You look pretty, Iris-sama.”

She had finished combing her hair and trimming the damaged ends, and as I was idly watching her put away her tools with a somewhat satisfied look on her face, the door slammed open and a familiar figure burst in.

“Thank goodness, you’re awake! You made me so worried…”

Saul-niisama suddenly burst into the room… and went to hug me. I felt like it’s been a while since I’ve seen anything like this.

“…Ahem. Saul-sama, even if you’re her brother, please behave yourself in moderation. It’s improper to touch an unmarried woman in her nightgown.”

“Um, Lenny-san? He does this all the time to me, and I don’t really mind…”

“I see, so this is an everyday occurrence, I assume?”

““Eek?!””

The usually reserved Lenny-san glared at me and Nii-sama like a snake staring at a frog.

“I think it’s time to teach Iris-sama and Saul-sama a lesson in etiquette…!”

“Well, while I’m grateful that someone finally calls those two out for their behavior, could you save that for some other time? Ugh…”

The helping hand arrived in the form of Reiji-san coming through the door… but I had to wonder, is he alright? He looked very pale.

“…He was in a drinking contest yesterday.”

“So it’s just hangover…”

Nii-sama whispered to me in secret.

Is it OK if I don’t use magic to cure his hangover? I think he should reflect on this a little bit too.

“Oh, by the way, Miriam’s calling you, it’s about your clothes. You know, you can’t wear your old clothes anymore.”

Apparently… the priestess dress I had worn in the last battle had become no longer wearable after my emergency treatment.

“If that’s the case, let’s revisit this matter at a later time. Now, please lend me your hand, Iris-sama. Saul-sama and Reiji-sama, please wait downstairs in the common room.”

When Lenny-san reluctantly backed down, Nii-sama and I both patted our chests.

Nii-sama then quickly left the room as if running away, and Reiji-san wobbled away as if he was about to fall down… again, was he going to be alright?

I watched his back with nothing but anxiety as we headed for Milly-san’s room, which had been unopened for the past few days.

The scene before me as I opened the door… to put it bluntly, it’s in total disarray.

What looked like pattern paper, scraps of fabric, and a variety of other sewing tools. As if to show the struggles of the past few days of being cooped up, such things were scattered all over the room.

Amidst all this, in one neat and tidy corner was a mannequin… if I recall correctly, it was a magical tool that could copy the exact body shape of the target in three dimensions… On top of the mannequin was a set of clothes.

“Milly-san, this is…”

While it was obvious from the size that it was going to be for my own use only, I was so fascinated that I couldn’t help but stare at it.

“Nyehehe, surprised, aren’t you? It’s something Senpai and Ayame-chan entrusted me with, what do you think? Is it cute?”

“……Yes, it’s very cute.”

I gently touched the surface, thrilled by its wonderful texture. Its overall silhouette was similar to my old priestess dress. However, unlike the warmer colors of the previous dress, the coloring was now white and blue, emphasizing a sense of holiness and purity.

“You can try it on, actually.”

“I would be honored to assist you, if I may.”

“P-Please…”

Fearfully, I dropped my one-piece nightgown crisply to the floor to put on the new clothes.

First, the underwear… It’s nothing worth mentioning, so I’ll skip it.

A pannier with plenty of frills. Like my previous outfit, this also seemed to prevent my underwear from being exposed due to its structure. Then, the one-piece dress that was supposed to be worn at the bottom. The back was slightly longer than the front, with an additional lace fabric covering the buttocks.

“Um, isn’t this too short…?”

“You’ll know when you put on the whole set, nya.”

The skirt was quite above the knee. It was also the case with my previous outfit… but above all, it was wide open from the shoulders to the back. When I wore this much, I felt like a young lady in a summer resort, but I also felt a very sensational atmosphere and involuntarily held down the hem of my skirt and wriggled around.

“Aww, don’t be so shy, nya. Here, wear this next.”

“This corset skirt, isn’t it? Turn around, please.”

The word “corset” made me cringe. I imagined the infamous tightening corset that I often heard about, and I turned pale.

“Ahaha, it’s nothing to worry about, nya. I would never make you wear something that constricting while your body’s still growing, nya… Just think of it as an adjuster of sort, though I don’t think it’s that necessary, nya.”

“I agree, Iris-sama is very slim.”

“But her waist and hips are certainly shaping up, nya.”

“So beautiful…”

“Could you not discuss that in front of me?!”

For some reason, they seemed to devolve into a discussion of the shape of my buttocks. My face turned red, and I hurriedly protest.

…I could hear both of them sighing in disappointment. When I glared at Lenny-san, she just looked the other way, feigning indifference.

In the meantime, the outer dress was put on over the one-piece and it was over. The pannier fluffed up the front and the skirt, which covered the sides and back, reached below the knees and around the shins, with only the occasional frill peeking out through the slits, completely restraining exposure of the lower half of the body.

I thought the longer skirt length would make it difficult to move, but strangely, the fabric was light as a feather, did not inhibit movement, and had a pleasant texture that caresses the legs… When I lightly turned to test the dress, the softly spread skirt formed a beautiful circle.

…More importantly, as soon as I put the dress on, my legs felt better.

“Hehe, it’s enchanted to increase your leg strength, nya.”

“Isn’t this way too expensive?!”

Back in the game, enchantments that increased movement speed were incredibly advantageous, and could only be made using high-level boss materials! Just how costly is this dress?!

“All good, all good, anything for your sake, Iris-chan.”

“I appreciate it, but…”

Certainly, this would act as a substitute for my enhancement magic to some extent, and I was very grateful for this effect in my travels. It could be scary when the effect disappeared after taking the dress off, though…

“I’ve packed the enchantments to the limits, so look forward to it, nya. Anyway, we’re not done yet, nya.”

“Yes, here’s your coat, please excuse me… okay, you can put your arm down now.”

After the sleeves were put on, Lenny-san came around to the front and buttoned up the collar… I could do this much on my own, but she was stubborn and wouldn’t give it up.

Clean white collar reminiscent of a priestess’ uniform. A short bolero-like jacket that covered the lower chest. The sleeves bulged out like a trumpet like the previous outfit, and through the slit peeked the multiple layers of frills on the inside. As with the previous outfit, the length was adjusted so that only the tips of the fingers peeked out.

Wearing all of them, I sighed at the quality of the workmanship, as if they were upwardly compatible versions of the clothes I had worn before. The blue and white outfit exuded a sense of purity and loveliness. As the designer of my original outfit, I felt defeated, but unable to hide my delight, I stood in front of the dresser picking at the skirt and sleeves, occasionally turning around to look at them from various angles.

“Its name is ‘Clarte Iris’, I hope you like it, nya… Well, I guess I don’t even have to ask, nya.”

“Iris-sama is having so much fun…”

Feeling some kind of warmth in their eyes and voices, I was excited about my new outfit for a while.

“U-Uh, I need to ready myself…”

“Have some self-confidence, nya. Come on, just go in.”

My excitement quickly turned into embarrassment as Milly-san and Lenny-san took me to the common room in a flash… Reiji-san and Saul-niisama were definitely waiting inside.

Too embarrassed to be seen with my new clothes, I was then pushed into the room with my head down. What awaited me was…

“……?”

Total silence.

Did they not like it? Unable to bear the silence, I squeezed my eyes shut…

“Iris-chan… So cute!”

“Eep!”

Suddenly, a woman jumped at me with tremendous force… Philias-san had me in her arms and rubbed her cheek onto mine in no time.

“Princess… Oops, that one’s national secret. Miss Iris, your majestic appearance has been etched in my mind. I regret to say that my vocabulary does not allow me to fully describe my heart, so allow me to say just one thing… You’re so gorgeous, my princess.”

“So you still end up calling her that after all, idiot brother.”

“…Thank you, very much…?”

At Zeltis-san’s unfamiliar and excessively worded compliment, my face was heating up… I couldn’t look up at him.

“Hey, stop making her embarrassed, asshole! And, uh, I’m late to the party but… yeah, it suits you.”

I looked up quickly at the blunt impression that reached my ears, and found Reiji-san lying on the sofa, looking embarrassed and turning away from me… I found myself unable to keep my cheeks from loosening, it’s weird, isn’t it?

“Yeah, it totally suits you… Miriam, what about the enchantments I asked?”

“Well, you’d better listen up, nya… Leg strength support aside, there’s ‘Magic Exhaustion Mitigation’, a ‘Reactive Shield’… unfortunately, I could only fit a single copy of it. And then there’s…”

“…Okay, that’s enough.”

Nii-sama’s face twitched at the contents laid out. I was also surprised.

Reactive Shield was an enchantment that deploys a set number of barriers when hit by an attack of a certain strength or greater, and would have been especially popular with rear-guard positions that are not normally exposed to attacks… Of course, it was very expensive and time-consuming to process the clothes to suppress the equipment restrictions…

“Also, since I used Arachne Queen’s threads as the base material, it should have some regenerative ability, and the durability should be as good as or better than Senpai’s armor, right?”

“What, are you serious- Ouch!”

Reiji-san jumped up in surprise and hit his head. Behind me, I feel Philias-san and Zeltis-san, who had been tilting their heads at our conversation, gasp at the names mentioned.

“Um, what about your payment…?!”

“Nya? As I said, it’s not a problem at all, nya.”

“But… it cost you a fortune to make this, didn’t you?”

As I was still bothered about its cost, Milly-san placed her hands on my shoulder. Her expression was very serious.

“Then, let me put it this way… This is the price we paid to entrust our lives in your hands… Never neglect yourself. Self-sacrifice is out of the question. You are irreplaceable to all of us. Remember that.”

“…Yes!”

…I must take those words to heart.

This outfit of mine was a symbol that I am responsible for everyone’s lives. That I must not fall before anyone else.

(TL Note)

The author themself drew two illustrations of Iris, one of which was used as their profile pic.

https://17218.mitemin.net/i262784/

https://17218.mitemin.net/i339200/

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

(While Iris and the other women were in the bath, the men still remaining at the banquet recalled the time of the Goblin General’s battle after Iris lost consciousness.)

Saul

After seeing Iris and the other women off to their accommodations, Reiji and I made our way through the banquet to the person we were looking for… Walter-san.

“…You want me to train you?”

“Yeah, you’re way stronger than us both. We realized that we still have much to learn… so we want to study your fighting skills.”

Reiji and I then bowed our heads.

“I’m telling you, you boys are not at fault for the last battle, no one could have imagined that they would have prepared something like that, and as commander, I should take responsibility for this blunder. In fact, I even have to thank you for holding out so well, so don’t worry about it…”

“I agree, but… I don’t want to have regrets when something happens, and I wonder if I could have done more. I want to do the best I can, that’s why…”

We needed to gain more combat experience.

The enemy we struggled so much against, the Goblin General, was only the very first raid boss before the initial level cap was lifted. We had to be ready for whatever came up next…

(Flashbacks)

“Release…!!”

Immediately after Iris’ top-level area-of-effect recovery magic finished, I slashed at the giant body in front of me with a circle of light floating above my head.

When her little body was engulfed in the flames of the explosion, it sent chills down my spine… but it seemed the man from this morning shielded her with his own body, getting grievously wounded in the process. I couldn’t thank him enough for that, but the fact that Iris left him lying there and sent her magic to us meant that she probably had no magic power left. Otherwise, there was no way that the gentle Iris… the gentle “Onii-chan” would have left such a person alone.

I wondered how much heartache she’s going through. Iris was at her physical and mental limit, we couldn’t let this go on any longer. We must end this fight, here and now.

The Goblin General’s reaction was sluggish. It is understandable to be bewildered by the fact that its opponent, who had been dead until a few minutes ago, had healed completely and attacked it again. Now that I had unleashed my racial traits, I should have an easier time from now on.

“Cheryaaah!!”

With a roar, I saw the ridiculous sight of a sword of overwhelming mass being bounced off my short, flimsy blade.  A fist filled with lightning far more powerful than ever before pierced its empty torso, exploding with a violent sound and scattering light everywhere. 

“Lightning Edge!!”

As I activated a new technique while the enemy was out of position, the blade of the sword I was carrying was enveloped in a wide, translucent purple edge, increasing in size. The sword, imbued with purple lightning, was then thrust into the Goblin General’s body, still reeling from the impact of my fist strike.

This was a new technique I had just come up with. During the effect, even with my current ability, my ordinary sword was as sharp as a high level powerful magic sword.

It managed to block my sword with its left arm, which was as strong as a very thick rope made of steel wire, but it didn’t matter, as I plunged the sword in with all my might, gradually breaking on through.

As the smell of burning flesh filled the air, the sword’s blade finally dove into the General’s body, and the purple lightning imbued in the sword collapsed, exploding the stored energy into a single point at the sword’s tip, gushing inside its body and immolate him. The General let out a deafening roar, probably from the pain, but we weren’t done with it yet.

“Swap with me, Saul!”

Reiji, who had also unleased his racial traits, jumped in while the enemy was still stunned, and cleaved his sword into the arm I had just injured.

“First, we blow off one of its arms!!”

With a frenzied smile, Reiji released the fighting spirit within his sword, overloading the scar on the General’s arm with a blue glow and making it explode.

“Take that, you giant freak!!”

The arm that had hardly been harmed before was shredded in the middle and blown off. The Goblin General finally cried out in anguish as it swung the weapon in its hand around wildly.

“Archers, open fire!!”

Right after Philias-san’s instructions coming from behind, we jumped out of the way as a hail of arrows rained down on the General. Most of them were bounced off its skin, but a few of them stuck into its body. The inside of those arrows seemed to be hollow, and blood was flowing freely from a hole in the arrow head, forcing bleeding… That’s nasty.

The mercenaries then drew their swords, and we moved in for the kill. The left half of the General’s body, which had lost one arm, had a large gap, giving us a much greater opportunity to attack.

We’d done it… that was what I thought.

Soon, the unthinkable happened.

“UUUUUAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!”

Iris’s blood-curdling wail, a wail too feeble to be an exclamation.

At the edge of my vision, a faint, much weaker-than-usual light of “Heal” flashed… Impossible, she must have already reached her limits!

When I turned my eyes toward her, I saw the severely injured man from earlier surrounded by a pale light, and Iris’ body crumpled up, looking completely drained of power. It is clear that she used healing magic beyond her limits, and I did not know and could not imagine what would happen if she squeezed all her magical power in this world.

“IRIS!! Curses, get out of my way!!”

Even if I tried to run to her, there was a strong enemy in front of me. I could not carelessly turn my back on it. I began to feel impatient, and while I was distracted, a sword like a guillotine blade was approaching from overhead… Dodging seemed to be of no use, so could I take the hit? I readied my shield to somehow block the attack.

“That’s as far as you go, monster!”

Someone rushed at a tremendous speed and leaped in front of me in an instant… Zeltis, was it his name? With his twin swords, he flicked the giant blade away, diverting its trajectory… Apparently, the perimeter has been cleared, although much sooner than expected.

“…Sorry, I was a little distracted. You saved me.”

“No problem. Please go back to the Princess… your sister, and take your friend and Philias with you.”

“B-But we can’t leave you alone here…”

“He’s right, brother!”

No matter how I looked at it, even if Reiji and I, along with the mercenaries, finally managed to keep the enemy in check, it still seemed reckless of him to fight it alone without the rest of the main combat force, and Miss Philias half-screamed at him for it.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

He brushed aside our objections, smiled, and told us without hesitation.

“…Look, the most dependable person has arrived.”

What happened next was… honestly, even my eyes couldn’t follow.

The next moment, I thought I saw a black shadow jump into the fray, and then a black and red storm swept over, and it, the Goblin General, screamed in agony as its back was ripped to shreds, that’s all I could make sense of it.

“…Hello there, I apologize for being late. I’ll assume command from this point on.”

Like a storm… Captain Walter was standing there with his back to us, sheltering us before we knew it. Although he was speaking aloofly like usual, the density of the fighting spirit he wore sent shivers down my spine. And the battle axe in his hand.

“Arsley… It can’t be!”

I felt the same way when I heard Reiji muttering in dismay. He was equipped with an axe of ominous red light, and looked just like the one Reiji used, except for the shape.

“Hmm, you know about this thing, boy? But you got its name a little wrong… it’s called ‘Ars Nova’. It’s been a while since I’ve used it, but I assure you it’ll be done in a jiffy. How about you check on the young lady for me?”

“Y-Yes, I appreciate your help. Let’s go, Reiji.”

“O-Okay.”

Reiji, who was better equipped and stronger on his feet, ran one step ahead and hurries to Iris, who was lying on the ground. Behind us, the sounds of battle resumed, more intense than ever.

Strangely… I couldn’t imagine that person losing in the slightest.

“Is she still breathing?”

Reiji was one step ahead, reaching and holding Iris up. Miss Philias was generously dropping potions on another man who had severe burns all over his body.

Iris looked so limp and weak in Reiji’s arms that I had a bad feeling about her. Her small body breathed a little with a hiccup… No, that’s not breathing at all!

“Move aside, Reiji! She’s not breathing at all!”

“Huh?! So what’s she doing?!”

Agonal respiration. This is just the sudden stop of the heart, causing the muscles to spasm and making her appear to be breathing.

I took Iris’ body from Reiji’s arms and laid her on her back on the hard ground… As I feared, I couldn’t see her chest rise and fall, nor could I feel her breathing when I hold my hand over her mouth. It’s a race against time!

“Reiji, perform CPR!”

“R-Right, leave it to me!”

Immediately, Reiji began to perform cardiac massage. As a martial arts practitioner, he must have had much more repetitive practice in this kind of action than the rest of us, so it is better to leave it to him than to do it myself. I had more important things to do right now.

Lightning formed between my hands. As “Saul”, I was specialized in the lightning attribute. Although it was only used in offensive techniques, I seemed to have no problem generating electric shocks in this way, and it’s possible to fine-tune it if I wanted to.

What I was attempting now is to recreate the AED of the other world. But what about voltage? What about current? How much force could I use to stop only the heart spasm without damaging the cells? What would have been automatically diagnosed and determined by a machine must now be grasped only by my intuition and senses.

Fortunately, I had taken several courses in its use. And I happened to remember in a corner of my memory the information that the doctor told me when “Onii-chan” was in the hospital. Never thought something I learnt for fun as a child could become a life-saver here.

Remember it!

“Philias-san, is it? Please block the others from looking! You too, Reiji!”

“Me? Ah, I’ll do it!”

“You’ve got this!”

While shouting in rapid succession, Philias-san took off her own cloak and used it as a curtain to block the view, and Reiji quickly did the same. After confirming that no one was looking, I flashed my sword and cut through Iris’ jacket, being careful not to scratch her skin.

I grabbed her blouse, ripped off the buttons, and tore off her underwear to expose the front of her chest. Her heart-stopped body was eerily pale, but her body temperature was still slightly warm. I put my hand under her right collarbone and left armpit.

It’d be alright.

I could do it. I’d be alright.

With great care, fine-tune and gather the magic in both palms. I couldn’t afford to screw up here. Continue to adjust carefully and cautiously… Here I go!

“Please, come back to me!”

I applied the shock, and Iris’ slender body jolted wildly. I then immediately resumed the cardiac massage… I could only pray that I’m successful.

Iris, please open your eyes, I beg you.

Single-mindedly continue the CPR. After doing so for a while…

“…Ack?!”

Her lungs shook a little under my hands, and Iris coughed weakly… I could also feel the resumption of the heartbeat, albeit weak, under my palms.

“Did we do it…?”

“Looks like it. She’s breathing again.”

The two of them sighed deeply.

I sprinkled a potion on her skin, which was slightly burned by the electric shock, and laid her on her side, still crying and coughing, so that she could breathe easily.

When I finally turned to the battlefield, the sounds of battle had stopped before I knew it. The huge body of the Goblin General was cut in half by Walter-san and sank to the ground with a resounding crash.

…Such overwhelming power.

Reiji said he didn’t know if he could win when I asked him this morning, but now I had to correct that statement… As of now, both of us combined didn’t stand a chance against that person.

There was no scratch on his body. It might be a difference in weapons, but that’s not the only reason. I’m sure that the skills and knowledge he had accumulated up to now were much more than ours…

Right. I finally remembered. That person was in fact…

(End of flashback)

Still aloof as ever, he was looking at us somewhat appraisingly, and I hit him with the question I felt before.

“…Warlord Walter. You, together with Sorcerer King Aureolus, are the great warriors who successfully subjugated the ‘Death Serpent’… am I correct?”

In the game, the calamity that struck the northern continent was described as a past event during the reign of the previous king. A natural disaster that suddenly appeared from the “Wound of the World” and burned down several cities in the blink of an eye. It was he, the mercenary king, who was side by side with the previous king in leading the subjugation against it. He was a living, breathing legend, whose name I had seen several times at events during the game. It’s hard to believe, but that’s probably who this aloof old man really was.

“Well, well, well, it seems that his letter has some credibility after all…”

“…Excuse me?”

“Don’t mind what I just said. And for the love of god, don’t address me like some great hero and such, it makes me cringe. I’m just the leader of a freewheeling mercenary company, a fool who knows no other way of life, nothing more, nothing less.”

He rejected me with an indescribable look of disgust, as if he really wanted me to give him a break, and then continued his story with a somber look on his face.

“…The ‘Death Serpent’ was in no way subjugated. He’d only suffered a temporary setback. We’d paid a lot of blood so that we could injure him enough to make him retreat. Thanks to that, the company I had worked so hard to build was destroyed, and most of the people who remained scattered… It wasn’t until now that I got back into shape… and well, here we are.”

So that explained the “Coffin” name. In this kind of business, you never know when or where you will lose your life, and he understood that better than anyone else, so only those who were ready to lie in a coffin should sign up for his company. He had an alias like “Mercenary King” because he had probably seen more of his friends off than anyone else.

“Well, we should stop pursuing this topic, lest it dampens the mood… It would be presumptuous of me to train someone as capable as you, but I would be happy to be your training partner. However…”

He placed a mug of ale in front of himself and Reiji.

“Show me your resolve. Let me see you have what it takes.”

“Oh? I don’t really get it, but if it’s a drinking contest, I’ve never lost in college, so get ready for it, old man!”

Reiji happily accepted the challenge.

Come to think of it, Reiji, who was athletic at heart, loved this kind of competition…

“Hey, that guy’s got guts, entering a drinking contest with the Captain…”

“His ass’s gonna get kicked.”

The surrounding mercenaries became excited… stupid Reiji, you got too carried away.

Moreover, no one expected Reiji to win. There was no mean color on the face of his opponent, Walter-san. Perhaps this was just an excuse for him to fool around. When I shrugged my shoulders with a disappointed look, he noticed me and smiled broadly.

Good grief, why are men all like this. Do whatever you want, I don’t care if you see hell tomorrow.

I decided to stay out of this mess and began sipping my own light fruit wine at my own pace.