72 Episode 72 "What I got at the end of the battle was a place where I could sleep calmly.".txt

A large amount of water had accumulated in the golem's joints.

It ran down his arms, mercilessly cooling the captured lord's body. His prized black clothes were just too wet and heavy. The jewels that adorned his chest were also off and gone.

Outside the forest, soldiers and adventurers are releasing arrows and magic. They're falling in front of the forest, so it must be a threat. But the golem doesn't want to leave the forest, perhaps because it doesn't like it.

The Ilgafa lord sighed for an unknown number of times.

How did this happen?

...... Of course, I know. It's because I activated this golem myself.

When Iris told me about it, my first intention was to destroy this thing.

But then I got scared.

The thought of myself being the one who would be in charge of the festival in the future instead of the priestess scared me to the point where I shuddered.

It wasn't the first time that a miko had been threatened with death.

So to prevent them from dying before leaving a child behind, the lord's family has imprisoned maidens. Even Iris was set to take a son-in-law soon.

Would I be in the same position as that?　And the children's children?

What is it if not fear?　What's wrong with wanting a shield of power?

I shall not die ....... If I die, what happens to Irgafa ......?

"There are plenty of other ways to replace you.

A growl came from the golem's mouth.

This golem's head resembled a crushed frog. It looks like something between a man and an aquatic creature. The tentacles on its hips creak around as it walks, which is horrifying.

"Be the vanguard of the demon king's extermination. Follow me. "Be the vanguard of the demon king's extermination, and return my master to me!

My husband said it was .......

Is it the Marquise?

"You are not my master. Tell him where his master is. Find him.

"............ the woman ...... is

What if I told you that you were in the dungeons of the House of Lords?

Is this one headed straight for Ilgafa?　This is not a joke. How can a lord enter a town with a golem's hand in his grasp, such a disgrace!

"Somebody help me with ............. I'll pay you!　Blessings!　Unnecessary!

'Don't be so selfish as to cause a ruckus on your day off.

abandoned

Suddenly, a human shadow landed on the head of the golem.

It looked like a golden beast──. No. It's a beast girl with golden hair, beast ears and a tail.

Her arms are folded, her golden hair is fluttering in the wind, and she is looking down at the Ilgafa lord with cold eyes.

''Confirmation. You've made a 'contract' with Iris. Our information is to be kept secret. That's why I'm happy to help you ....... Because that's what the master wants.

You're not... You are...

''Fellow Sea Dragon heroes. So you can't tell anyone about this.

GISYAAAAAAAA──!

Before the lord could respond, the golem reacted.

The tentacles start to move in unison with the anger that was riding on their own heads. It thrusts its pointed tip out at the girl above her head. Just before it rushes in, the girl jumps up, kicking her in the head.

The girl uses her slender arms to defend the tentacles that are trying to pierce her. It strikes, kicks, and catches away. It's as if she is flying through the air. A song can be heard. As she sings, the girl's movements accelerate. The lord can't even follow it with his eyes. It's too fast. I don't even know what kind of skill it is.

''GUGAAAAAAAAAAAAA!''

The golem screams in anger. Its crushed, frog-like head glares at the girl as it flies through the trees. Even with all its tentacles thrown in, the golem is unable to catch the girl. It's as if she's trying to spear the petals floating in the air, trying to pierce them with her spear. Even the lord can't take his eyes off her. The golem's gaze, the tentacles, the lord's gaze, everything is focused on the girl──.

You attack me!　"I am the vanguard against the Demon King!

I heard that line a million times in the basement. Master knows exactly what you'll be doing.

In the air, the girl giggled.

''So, this is another opening I created for my master (Nagi) to strike a blow. Do it, Nagi!

The girl's gaze was looking far down to the ground.

The lord was also tripped up and looked down, but the golem's fingers were in the way and he couldn't see. He just heard a voice.

''Activate!　''Delayed Combat (Delayed Arts) Lv 1!''

A huge sword wind passed in front of the lord's eyes.

The black blade that appeared from directly below tore through the golem's arm effortlessly, tearing its joints apart - and then...

It even blew the consciousness of the lord who couldn't bear the unexpected situation anymore.

''Well,''

I managed to catch the lord who fell ──── ah.

Becha.

Yeah. It was a bit of a stretch.

I managed to catch it once, but it was a sneaky slip and the lord fell straight to the muddy ground.

Well, I'm killing the momentum of the fall, and I'm sure I saved him, so it's fine.

''GYAGULAAAAAAAA!!!''

The golem is howling. The tentacles are being attracted by Rita, but don't stay long.

The plan is simple.

Have the regulars and adventurers fire warning shots and contain the golem in the forest. I blow the golem's arms off from below while Rita flies around the trees as a foothold and attracts the golem above my head. And then I rescue the lord. That's all.

Rescuing hostages is a pain in the ass.

If I only had to defeat them, I could have done it with just one hit of Cecil's magic.

"...... Do you want to sabotage the defeat of the Demon King? "Interfere with the extermination of the Demon King...

I'm done with that.

I have no use for a doll that can only speak the installed language.

I run with the unconscious lord on my back. Into the depths of the forest.

Ahead of me stands a girl with beautiful brown skin.

Her little lips are moving. She's chanting a spell. She's been doing it for a while now.

"'The stream called Demon shall return to its source. "Wanderlust. "Voluminous. It is too powerful to wear and control. That is why it is called Demon, and is respected. But it is to be returned to the source.

It was Cecil's magic that he finally completed.

It seems that it took a long time to turn the special magic into an ancient language.

Next to Cecil, Aine is holding the Hagane no Mop next to him. It's an escort until the chanting is complete.

The trees around it are covered with blown-up demons.

The demons in the vicinity of the town are no match for Aine's "Demon Wipeout Lv 1" and "Sister's Spirit".

"The return to the original is called a fall. ''You must fall. You must fall. Spill out and return to the primordial. Inhabitants of the body and magic. Inhabitant of things and magic. And the magic that dwells in the heart. It's like a wheel that goes round and round.

Cecil continues his chanting.

''GIGAAAAAAGAASYAAAAA!!!''

The golem is chasing us. My arm is beginning to regenerate. Is it because of the magic crystal that the lord embedded in it? And it's noisy. You can't hear Cecil chanting in a good voice, but you can't hear him.

"Reggie, I'm sorry. Sorry, Reggie, do it again!

"Never mind!　This is just a big piece of crap, I don't need to aim for it!　Do it!

The Magic Sword Reggie answers at my back.

Cecil's chanting is almost over. There's no need to run anymore. I shake off my lord.

Clutching the Demon Sword Leggy with both hands. Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it ──── shake it!

Activate.　'Delayed Combat (Delay Arts) Lv 1' ────!

Once again, the giant blade of the magic sword Leggy blows the golem's tentacles together and blows them away. It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on it. It cuts through. Even so, it doesn't reach the magic crystals in his body. On the contrary, the arms and tentacles are beginning to regenerate. As expected of a cheat golem created by the visitors.

But it's over.

Cecil's chanting is complete.

"Finish it, Cecil!

"'Therefore, I hereby return the stream called Demon to its source! ──── 'The ──── Arrow of Fallen Power (鼎oku)'!

And Cecil's ancient language version of 'Arrow of Fallen Power' was activated.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who are willing to pay for it. It has the power to take away the enemy's magical power, but because it's a special spell, it took us a long time to analyze the ancient language chanting.

Even among the ancient language chanting magic, the chanting is terribly long and the magic consumption is about the same as that of the "Ancient Language Fireball".

But against gargoyles and golems, it's unbeatable!

"GIA? A? Is that the power of the... demon king?

No. It's the power of love.

Cecil replied flatly to the frightened golem's voice.

Magic power spurted from Cecil's arm, creating a single jet black arrow.

Its size is several meters. Several times Cecil's height.

It is more like a 'spear' rather than an 'arrow'.

You can find a number of things to do with your own personal computer.

At the same time, Cecil's body shook unsteadily.

I hurriedly ran over and held her small body in my arms. I put my hand on Cecil's tiny chest.

I activate my "Ability Rebuild Lv 4" and send my magic power into her.

It's not a good idea to go to ............ for ....... Nagi-sama ...... is.

Are you okay?　Did you make it in time?

Whew. I'm more comfortable than usual with my body. ...... Thank you very much.

It's up to us to thank you. I made him 'work on a holiday'.

I kept Cecil in my arms and looked at the enemy.

The golem remained twitching and unmoving.

The ancient language version of the "Arrow of Fallen Power" that was biting into his torso, before I knew it, took on the shape of a large branch and began to grow roots around it.

The roots crawled throughout the golem's body as if searching for something, and reached the crystal of magic power at the center of its body.

The rest was easy enough.

The black root of the ancient language version of the Arrow of Fallen Power intertwined with the magic crystal and stole the magic power to annihilate it.

The magic power that filled the golem's body also disappears.

The golem that has lost its magic power is just a doll.

The right arm that I cut, the tentacles, and the body, too, crumble to pieces.

The remaining arm falls off my shoulder and shatters on the ground. If my lord was here, I'd be flattened by now.

The 'Arrow of Fallen Power' disappears and all that's left is the remnants of the golem that has stopped moving.

Let's take care of it and smash it to pieces later.

It's also a grudge for working on a holiday.

''Hi, I'm the local character 'Hero of the Sea Dragon'

I introduced myself to the lord who woke up.

The lord, sitting leaning against a tree in the forest, opened his eyes and said, "Hiiiiii! I screamed.

'I won't do anything to you. I mean, I'm not going to help you if you're going to hurt me.

I put my hands up.

I have Cecil, Rita, and Aine out of their seats, all three of them hiding behind the trees.

I want to keep the cards over here as hidden as possible.

"You are ...... no, you are my daughter's beloved ......?

The lord finally said just that. He seemed to have calmed down.

''The name is Souma-Nagi-dono. ''The one recognized by the sea dragon Kerkator, is it?''

Yeah. So, right off the bat, I've got a proposal.

Proposition?

.................. "Don't get involved in 'otherworldly forces'.

I tried to sound as chilled as I could.

"The golem that almost killed you this time. The mask of the Knights of Divine Life. They are all 'otherworldly powers'. It's all the powers of the other world, and those who look down on us as savages, like Eterina Hersburg, are involved. You can't control those forces.

To the other side of the world?

The lord looks at me, stunned. I continue, waiting for the words to soak in.

I'm good at thinking up these kinds of settings. I was going to ask Raphilia to do it too, but with her, it would be an oddly too cool name. Let's try to keep it low key here, for the sake of realism.

''Neuel-Hafeumea was also fascinated by the power of her. The sea dragon Kerkator does not want even the Ilgafa lord to commit the same folly. The sea dragon changed the shape of the festival in order to avoid such a mess. How do you not understand that?

............

"This time, I've been asked by Iris-Hapheumea to do the 'Lord Rescue Quest'. If you don't have the ability to pay, she will cut herself off and pay me the reward.

At all ...... how far does the Lords family have to go to burden their sea dragon relatives ......?

............ hi, hi!

The lord's face turns blue and tends to turn blue, and he starts snapping his teeth.

''Make a 'Contract (Contract)'. ''Lord Ilgafa,''

I said.

"The House of Ilgafa will henceforth have no part in the Power of the Otherworld. That shall be one of the rewards of my helping you this time.

"...... What's wrong with wanting power to protect yourself?　I'm horrible: ...... the role of substitute priestess.

That's what maidens used to do, isn't it?

I can't be that responsible.

'If you don't like it, you can negotiate with the sea dragon. Just like Iris did. Or you could legally give up your lord's position to someone else. I don't want it, though.

............ Oh.

The lord nodded disappointedly.

I feel sorry for her, but you've locked up the miko and treated her like a tool until now. I think it's too much of a bug to be afraid of being in the same position. I mean, the blessing of the sea dragon will last for 100 years, so it's fine. Even the festival's substitute is a long time away. You don't have to be so afraid of causing a panic.

"Alright ............ I won't be involved in the 'otherworldly power' again. "I'll make a deal.

That's what a lord does. And you won't tell anyone about the help we gave you. Or the Sea Dragon Warrior. Or about your friends. And why I can't touch the Otherworldly Force. Carry it with you, my lord.

Lords cannot tell our secrets to others.

So we can't tell others why we are not allowed to touch the 'power of the other world'.

I don't know if that would be a punishment or not. At least it should be a deterrent.

"Live with a secret you can't tell anyone about. That's why you're being held accountable for the folly of your actions.

............, okay. So,

Lord Irgafa looked at me with a frightened look on his face.

'What reward did Iris promise you?'

For Iris, the reward?

'You promised me, didn't you?　You don't mean the lords' house?　Or a percentage of the port's revenue?

The lord looks at me with bitterness as he grits his teeth, snapping his teeth.

What does this man think he is doing with people?

I'm going to have to pay a fair amount of money as a 'rescue quest' and rent a vacation home while I'm at it.

What about ............?

The lord's eyes darted to the ground.

I continue, as if to slap him.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not the only one. This is the ultimate in bitterness.

I have to give the girls a fuller vacation to put away this regret. Those who wield great power need to be rested for it. They have wielded a lot of power in the series of incidents related to the festival. I could give them a month or so off, but unfortunately, I don't have that much time to spare.

However, we must replenish the energy (power) we lost in this battle. For those who have worked hard, that's how much time off and rewards are due. They need a restful environment and time. The wise Lord of Irgapha will understand this. No, I'm sure he can't not understand. Would you agree with that, please?

I don't know what...

For some reason, the lord nodded with a frightened look on his face.

Oh no, he was getting hot again.

It's not good, right? It's not good, it's not good to get angry when the words 'return of holiday' or 'non-payment of salary' come to mind.

"I hereby 'contract' to never again be involved in the 'power of the other world', not to divulge any information about you, to rent the villa belonging to my Ilgafa lord family, and to give you monetary compensation.

Saying that, the lord took out a 'medallion' from his chest.

''Yes, sir. With it, I shall take it as a reward for rescuing thee from the golem this time.

"'Contracts'

clink

We've been discussing medallions.

And now, at last.

All the events of the Festival of the Sea Dragon had come to an end.

That night, we held a "Case Closed Party" instead of a picnic.

Instead of a picnic, we held a "Thank you for solving the case" party that night.

Cecil is fast asleep from the daytime fatigue. I'm worried that he'll run out of magic, so I've decided to keep an eye on him today. Rita and Aine cleaned up afterwards, while Iris and Raphilia returned to the lord's residence ...... I was in my room checking the materials while watching Cecil. It's not just the map to the villa borrowed from the lord's house and a book about the nearby 'Magical Experimental City'.

It's not a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get a good idea of what's going on. If you go there, you might be able to get at least a rumor about the 'Guildmaster'.

If you can make contact with a magic researcher, maybe even information about summoning magic from another world.

If things go well, I may be able to obtain the magic to return to my world...

...... No, I don't want that one.

I can't just go back to the world I came from now that I've established a living base in this world.

And I can't leave everyone who signed up as slaves behind.

Besides, I've been paid by the lord to exterminate the golem exactly. It would be a shame to leave this behind and go back to my home world.

What I got was a monetary reward and the indefinite (...) loan of the villa. With a certificate.

The 'indefinite' part is a bit worrisome, but I've made a 'contract' with the lord, and he's not going to divulge my information, and he's not going to do me any harm. Therefore, I'll tie them up in profit. Let's just be vigilant.

Anyway, now that we have more money to spare, we can all buy swimsuits and relax at the villa for a while. I can't wait to see everyone in their swimsuits or .......

And since we've had a lot of fancy moves this time around, it's best to get out of town until the heat dies down.

So, tomorrow is a 'substitute holiday' for paid vacation, so we're all going to go see the swimwear. We'll get ready for the trip for a while, do some quests when we can afford it, and then we'll take a leisurely trip to the villa.

I looked at the bed.

Cecil is sleeping quietly. His long silver hair is spread out over the sheets. He's sleeping facing me, his thin limbs stretched out of his thin nightie, facing me. Her physical condition seems to have calmed down. Until a moment ago, she had resisted, "I'm afraid to sleep in Nagi-sama's bed! The magic this time is quite special. It's just the way it is.

"...... Naa-kun, can I come in?

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Aine's voice.

'It's open. Just about ready to go.

I put the paper and pen on my desk.

I was going to write a letter to Letitia before my trip.

She said she would come over when she got settled, and I didn't want her to miss me then. I thought I'd let her know where I was during the trip. We don't have a contact network or electric appliances in this world, you know.

That's why I was going to ask Aine to write me a letter.

I can manage to read the letters in this world, but I'm still not very good at writing them. Besides, Aine is the only one who knows Leticia's address, and with Aine's handwriting, Leticia can recognize it at a glance.

'...... Sorry to bother you, nana.

Aine looked at Cecil and nodded reassuringly.

Then, quietly, she walked into the room.

'This is your letter to Letitia, isn't it?　What do you want me to write about?　Nah-kun.

'For now, I'll be moving towards the villa in a week's time and the name of the town. Also, ...... 'Guildmaster' and the visitors. Write this one a little blurry.

Okay. What else?

All I need to know is what's going on. I'll leave it to Aine.

Can I write about Aine's personal life, too?

Yeah. I'll try not to read that one.

I've got it. ...... "Okay, 'Nah-kun became a hero. Nah-kun has gained a new slave. Nah-kun gave me a 'Yuukyuu Kyuka'. Nah-kun is .......

'No, you don't have to write it here and now. And don't put in a sentence that Letitia won't be able to respond to.

Letitia would usually read it with a smirk on her face: ...... That's not what I want to do.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in your life. It's a good idea to have Nah-kun by your side to keep your writing going.

Aine turned her head to look at me as she sat down in her chair and tried to write out a sentence.

'I see,'

Well, if that's the case, then so be it.

All right. Then you can keep going. But you don't have to say it out loud.

Why?

I'm so embarrassed.

...... I get it.

I'm glad you understand.

You shouldn't embarrass yourself, Nee-kun, by whispering a bit.

You don't understand, do you, Lisa?

'Aine has a habit of saying things out loud when she's writing sentences with emotion.

Aine mumbled as she poked her ears with the butt of her pen.

I don't know if you have a habit like that ...... Aine says you do, so I guess you do.

It's a good thing. I'm not going to be the one who asked for it, so it's up to you.

To Letitia, it's a letter from her best friend.

It's best if I don't tell her what to do.

Aine goes to her desk again and begins to run her pen.

''Aine will enjoy writing your letter, so I thought you should take a break, Naya-kun.''

Let's just say it directly to him and not write to him.

But, well, I'll take your word for it.

............ Fluffy.

I sat up in bed.

I was starting to feel sleepy.

"'............ In the end, it was Nah-kun who solved the case in this port town, but ............ Nah-kun said he just wanted to help Iris-san. But ...... Nah-kun said he just wanted to save Iris-san. ............

I can hear Aine's voice and──Cecil's sleeping breath. It's somewhat reassuring.

''It's ............, so Letitia don't worry about anything. But you know, ............ Aine is ...... hey, Leticia.

Come to think of it, it was always the sky of travel right after the case was over. I've never been able to relax like this before.

It's nice to sleep with the voices of your friends, isn't it?

...... I didn't know ............ until I came to this world. ......

''............ Aine wants to be the same thing as Cecil-san and Rita-san, that's what she wants to be──that's...''

'...... Good evening. It's a letter to Lady Letitia, isn't it? I've been wanting to write to you too...

A light knock and Rita's voice. I felt like ...... I said, "You can come in,

Rita and Aine are at their desks writing a letter and Cecil is asleep beside me.

I'm not sure if I'm getting better or not, but Aine's pen begins to move with great speed and...

Rita had some ideas, and Aine responded to them...

While I was listening to their voices, before I knew it, I was sleeping next to Cecil.

It will be a long time before we find out what the letter I sent to Leticia was like.

This is how the incident with the sea dragon and the "visitor" in the port city of Ilgafa ended.

We've managed to find a place to settle down.

Chapter 4: The End.

Continued in Chapter 5.