157 Episode 157: "A Secret Battle between Nagi and the Saint and an Unfinished Gift".txt

I pray to our great saint.

At the entrance to the cave, Letitia knelt down.

This is the rocky mountain where Delilira's labyrinth is located.

We left the retreat early this morning and arrived here before noon. The entrance to the labyrinth is blocked off with fine rocks, just as the nobles crumbled it before. The only people who can get in and out are the spirit body Delilira-san and the 'work golem'.

That's why I'm calling for you to open the entrance, but...

I am Letitia-Milfe. I am Letitia-Milfe, and I am an aspiring nobleman of justice. I am a great admirer of the saint who saved people in the past. I would love to open this cave and meet you. ......

I don't think that's what you're going to call it.

You know what, Letitia?

What is it?

'Didn't Letitia hear you talking about The Message Golem yesterday?

I heard about it.

Letitia nodded with glittering eyes.

'You are very friendly, aren't you? I admire you more and more!

'How much do you love your saints?　Letitia!

No matter what the circumstances, the man worked for the peace of the world. It's no wonder that I, who aspire to be a righteous aristocrat, admire him so much: ......

Letitia's cheeks reddened and she murmured.

'But to call out to her and not get a response from her: ....... Hey, Rita-san. Is the saint asleep?

Uh, yeah.

Rita flapped her beast ears in annoyance.

'I think I can call you what Master (Nagi) said earlier: ......

Are you sure?　Wouldn't the saints get mad at you if you called them that ......?

I'm not so sure.

On the contrary, I think I'm going to be overjoyed.

"Let's give it a try. If you get angry, I'll take responsibility and apologize.

'Wow, me too. I'm sorry with my master!

If you insist.

Then we took a few steps away from the cave entrance.

There were no more hydra on top of the rocky mountain. So it shouldn't be a problem to shout out.

Me and Rita's Letitia, the three of us side by side, spread our arms wide and took deep breaths, like a certain radio exercise.

Then we make a megaphone with our hands around our mouths, and then, se-no, so

"'Delilira!　Awwwwww!

"Very well!　Friends. Let's let this saint Delilira play with you with all her might!''

Gogon.

The rock that was blocking the entrance to the cave was crushed.

On the other side of it are three of Delilira's prized 'work golems'.

The one at the very back holds a small female-shaped doll.

They look exactly like Delilira's spirit body at the back of the cave. In other words, they're 1/10 Delilira's movable figures.

"Huh, it's a little late for that, isn't it, Master Inchiroku and his party!　I've waited for you. I'm tired of waiting for you, Delilah!

Delilira-san (1/10th scale) is stretching her chest on the palm held up by the "Work Golem".

It was a perfect pose.

...... Delilira-san, waiting for you behind the wall, I'm sure.

'This is ...... Saint Delilira-san,'

Letitia fell to her knees and put her hands on her chest.

'I've never met you before. My name is Leticia-Milfe, a good friend of Souma-Nagy's. It is an honor to meet the great saint. As a person who aspires to be a righteous nobleman, I have always looked up to you...

"Yes. Nice to meet you!

Delilira (one-tenth scale)'s eyes sparkled.

''So, what are we going to play with?''

............ eh?

Leticia, your eyes are dazzling.

She looks at me, then turns to the saintly woman and says a few words.

''For now, I'd like to take the labyrinth attack ordeal like Nagi-san and the others did.

"What a good boy you are!

Delilira-san Golem shook Letitia's hand.

'I just made a 'small group labyrinth' to relieve the boredom!

It's wonderful!

'I was challenged by a nobleman's party once, and a group of people raided a rocky mountain. It's called herd mentality. You don't do that when you're alone, do you?　That's why I made a course for a small group.'

Did that happen to you at ......?

It happened.

So the hydra comes out of the rock and attacks the town. It's a joke.

And the one who defeated the Hydra was "Tenryu-sama".

''That's right. The great 'Heavenly Dragon' used his high heat breath to cut the hydra in half.

"(J────)

...... Why are you two looking at each other?

I mean, Delilira, you're an accomplice to this, aren't you? You were most flippant at the time, weren't you?

"So, well, you've created a small group course to make sure it doesn't happen again.

It's a saint.

''And if there's a group of people with incompetent skills, they'll be captured in a flash.

You can't blame them for being such a loser.

"(J────)

That's why neither of them are giving me the silent treatment.

Letitia and Delilah, they get along perfectly. They introduced themselves to each other so there's no need to introduce them. They just seem to have the same personality for sure.

Leticia, you won't make a 'contract (contract)' to 'save people' like Delilira-san in the future, will you? ...... I'm starting to worry.

I'm sure it would be difficult to 'capture the Delilirah Maze' with momentum. Letitia.

I'm a great admirer of my saint.

Leticia said, touching Delilira-san's (Golem) hand.

It's true that under no circumstances did Our Lady continue to save people. If she is willing to give you a test, I will not let that opportunity pass you by.

"As someone who aspires to be an 'aristocrat of justice'?

Yeah.

Letitia nodded her head proudly and then...

...... And Nagi and the others did capture the labyrinth, didn't they?

...... You don't mean to tell me that you're going to attack the labyrinth because you don't want to be 'left out'?

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

Letitia silently turned in the direction of the day after tomorrow.

...... here. What's up with the Aristocrat of Justice?

''It can't be helped.''

I don't think Letitia would do well on her own.

I've been advising you on Delilira's labyrinth, too. I'm sure you can make it a little less difficult for a small group, but you might want to get some support.

Then. Rita, can you keep up with them?

Yes, sir. Master.

"You. ......

When Rita raised her hand, Delilira-san Golem growled, ''Mmmm.

''Fighting beastman-kun. You're pretty tough too, though: ......''

'I'm nothing special. There are more 'tiny' girls at our party.

That's not the point.

At Rita's words, Delilira-san Golem shook her head.

With eyes the size of a doll, he stared at Rita and--

'What you fear, Delilira, is the power that your loyalty will elicit. Delilah, you're standing close behind your master, "protecting him no matter what," listening for any sign of life around you, and preparing yourself to move when the need arises. She's such a loyal, beastly girl that even from the outside, you'd think she's a happy master. You know you're tough. ......'

............ wow, wow.

"That girl - Letitia, you're not so much of a 'picky' girl as you are without a collar, right?　The fact that he brought you as her escort shows how much he trusts you. Just looking at the trust between you and the Mummimuki Master ...... Inochiki Master and you, I feel like Delilira-san has already lost.''

No, it's not ...... because everyone else cares about Nagi as much as I do.

'Not "more than me"?　'I see. So your loyalty is tied for the top spot.''

'Wah!

Rita's face went blah, blah, blazing red.

It's ......, because I can't just give up my loyalty to anyone. I can't help it. ...... I can't lie to you. ......

''Alright, then, Delilira-san, let's watch you, the master's favorite, escort Leticia-chan through the master's orders and let's watch carefully!

...... You know what, saints.

'Yes?　The "Master of Cincinnati

No mental attacks.

Rita's animal ears are flapping and her tail is bobbing. Even her body is trembling. You're about to challenge the labyrinth, and you're completely nervous.

Just because Rita is one of the strongest cheat characters in the world doesn't mean she's a good mental attacker.

'Hmph, duh. That's about as much as I can do for you guys at a ginormous party!

I'm glad to hear that. So...

...... Rita, come here.

I beckoned Rita over.

'Yes?'

Rita comes in front of me.

I lightly touch her golden hair - and declare.

"I instruct you as my master. All Rita-Melpheus limiters are cancelled.

"'R-rimitaa-kaa'?

'All skills can be fully activated at Rita's discretion until the end of the dungeon attack. Use every cheat skill to protect Letitia. Rita should be able to do that.

...... Nagi.

'In addition, you will be given 'holiday pay' as you will be required to work during your vacation. I'll do you one favor.

What...?

Rita's beast ears snapped up and her tail puffed out.

Then, with a snap, she raised her hand and bowed.

'Leave it to me!　I'll give Lady Letitia a complete escort!

The light of the Divine Power lights up in Rita's fist.

At the same time, Rita's eyes also begin to shine. Okay, I hope I can focus.

'Then ensure that you fulfill your mission from me. My slave, Rita-Melpheus.

Yes, master! Master!

Rita spun around, turned around and took Leticia's hand.

'Then let's go, Lady Letitia. This Rita-Melpheus. I will help you capture the labyrinth as ordered by your master. Double speed - no, ten times faster!

Hey, hey, Rita. You don't have to tug on me - no, I don't mean hold me!　It's not even a piggyback.　Hey ────!

Hiyuu.

─ ─ ─ With that feeling, Rita jumped into the cave with Letitia on her back.

''The ............ mental attack has been nullified. ......

Delilira-san's golem is hunched over dejectedly.

I'm not sure if it's okay ...... It's okay, Delilira-san, you did your best to gather materials with the golem. There's no way you'll be able to clear it up that easily!

Gathering materials, sir?

'Yeah. There's just not enough material to go around the cave.

Well, that's true.

Even the messengers in the dungeon are made by Delilira-san with the golem. There's no way there's any material conveniently located just around this rocky mountain.

It's a good thing that I'm not the only one who's interested in it. I've been doing a lot of traveling. That's why we can't be taken advantage of easily. Mmmm.

Delilira folded her arms and then looked at me.

'So what's the reason you let her go?

Reason?

You didn't think I wouldn't notice?

Little Delilirah-san tapped the ground next to her with her stone arm.

I sat down as I was told, and Delilira-san climbed onto my shoulder.

'Delilira-san said 'small group dungeon', but she didn't say 'two person dungeon', we could have attacked it with three people. So what's the reason you're the only one left?''

I have some business to discuss with Mr. Delilira.

"Negotiation.

How about changing the name of 'Delilira-san' slightly to 'Delilira-san, Saint of the Heavenly Dragon'?

'We've got the name of a transcendent being out of the blue!

Little Delilah-san is in a state of shock.

Did I come out of nowhere? Let's take it a step further.

"To tell you the truth, we were just recently involved in a kidnapping...

I began to explain to Delilira.

That me, Leticia, and (though not present here) Cutlass were kidnapped by a mysterious girl.

That the culprit girl had been selling suspicious items and errand boys to the nobles. That a royal princess was behind it. He defeated the culprit, but as a deterrent against that kind of thing, he came up with something called the "Heavenly Dragon's Blessing".

Specifically, I pretended that the Tenryu were watching over the port city of Ilgafa, the winged city of Sharka, and the resort town of Mishurira, and spread rumors that if you tried to attack those towns, you would be punished──. As proof of this, he used the fact that a celestial dragon defeated Hydra in the resort area.

"So, when you were defeating Hydra, it looked like Delilirah-san called out the celestial dragon - the head of the celestial dragon, to be precise - right?　So I thought I'd let the story go through. Because when someone comes in here, they'll be surprised if the story comes out of nowhere.

"...... It's quite a fun thing to think about.

Delilira-san, dressed in a small golem, chuckled.

''The point is to stop the nobles from running amok by creating a 'Tenryu (temporary)' (kakkokari) in people's minds. Good idea. Delilira-san, I like that kind of thing.''

Yes, sir.

"So you intend to become the mysterious king of the world as the 'Delegate of the Heavenly Dragon'?

No way.

It's no joke.

The king and the brave men don't want it.

''I'd rather run away to a deserted island far away than become one.

I knew it.

Delilira laughed, holding her mouth shut.

'I'm fine with that as long as I can live a peaceful and calm life with everyone. I don't think anyone can understand the 'Heavenly Dragon's Blessing' if they can't understand it. I just want to reduce the probability of my family's place being vandalized as much as possible ...... that's all.

"Uh-huh, I like it, boy.

Delilah nodded.

''Okay. I'll go along with your 'Heavenly Dragon's Blessing' plan.'

Thank you, my saint.

"Well, I suppose when the world is at peace, Delilira won't have as many bad people raiding her labyrinth, okay? So, what exactly do you want me to do?

I hope you're in tune with me, but... yeah.

Come to think of it, Delilira-san said she sometimes goes out with a golem to collect materials.

So that means...

And would you mind gathering some information for me?　I'll just need to gather materials while I'm at it.

Are you going to do this for me?

''Yes. Delilira-san's 'work golem' would allow you to gather information without being seen, right?　I want you to give me a sneak peek at what you heard and saw out there. For example...

I said, my voice a little lowered.

'Like, for example, a story about a conflict that's going on across the forest.

"Okay.

Delilira nodded quietly.

'I got that story.'

But in moderation. We're not gods, kings, or brave men.

'I understand. So, next time I'll ask you to do me a favor, Delilira?

Delilira says, and the golems behind her start to move.

They walk to the back of the cave and come back with two boxes.

''Mm. Open them.''

"Things.

The golems open the boxes under the direction of "Little Delilira-san".

In the first box, there is a small mirror.

And in the other box, there was a winged dragon doll.

''That mirror over there is called the 'Reincarnation Destination Virtual Mirror [Leaning Carnation Mirror].

Delilira said.

'When we sleep near it, we can dream of each other. 'What would happen if you were reborn,' he said. It's just a prototype, but we wanted to give you a chance to test it out.

It's what we both want, right?

When Delilira-san was a saint before she died, she made it as a way to find a cure for her troubled patients. I left it unfinished, but now I've made it so I can finish it.

What about this one?

''That's another one of my prototype uses. I was going to use it for Delilira-san to go away, but the design isn't very good, so I'm giving it to you guys.'

...... not designed well?

In the box was a palm-sized dragon.

It was made of stone, but surprisingly light. The figure is what we call a western dragon. It has a long neck and long horns. It has front and back legs, and large wings on its back. There are crystal balls stuck in the places where the eyes are. And there is a hole in his chest. I wonder if they can put in a crystal body of magic power.

No, it's cool enough, right?

It's not pretty, is it?

Little Delilira-san started tapping me on the shoulder with a thump.

I thought to myself, "Since you're going to use it, you should have more of a cute little "pa-nyu" or "fu-nyu".　It was a mistake to make a dragon. I knew I should have made it into a human form. For example, I'd have to be prettier than all your slaves.

'You can't create a prettier existence than our boys, can you?　Common sense.

What?

What?

Delilira and I stare at each other without a second thought.

Delilira-san, didn't I say something weird?　Is it my imagination?

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

"............

Is ...... Delilira's request related to this?

"......, is that right?

I just don't have enough material to finish it.

You know what I mean. That's what you get for having such a cute little slave army! It's amazing.

Delilira, you're surprised.

Well, there's a hole in the dragon's messenger, so you can see it.

'That's right, I don't have enough materials to finish this. I'll need you guys to help me collect that.

Delilira-san said that and took out a piece of parchment from the golem's hand.

What was written on it was...

Magic Crystal Collection Quest

Please pick up the magic crystal from the Forest of Night Ivy, which is located north of here.

I usually send the Work Golem to it, but recently, goblins have built a nest in that area, and we can't get close to it anymore. But recently, the goblins have built a nest in that area, and we can't get close to it anymore, because the Work Golem doesn't have any fighting power.

Some of the goblins might be advanced species of 'Goblin Lords', so be careful. There's no need to defeat the enemy. The magic crystals are often found at the base of large trees. All you need are 6 of them. They're about the size of a man's palm. They're the power source for the "Golem" and the "Reincarnation Virtual Mirror".

The rewards are the Small Dragon Golem and the Reincarnation Mirror, the Reincarnation Mirror.

Also, let's include Delilira-san's information gathering duties.

It's a forest about two hours' walk north of the main road. It's not easy to find, so be careful.

Is this it?

I pulled out a map and pointed up the street.

'Yeah, yeah, ......, why do you have such a detailed map!

I made it before.

'I made it!　How far off the mark are you guys?

Come to think of it, I never showed Delilira-san the map.

Before the Hydra Incident, the one I distributed to the guild was a simplified map. I kept the detailed version of this one for my party's treasures.

Well, well, I can't help but be surprised by your incompetence after all this time.

Delilira cleared her throat.

Also, they say there is a mysterious blank area deep in the forest. It is rumored that there are the remains of an old temple or ruins there. I don't know the exact location, but be careful because there might be powerful demons there.

Right here?

"Yeah, yeah. A vacant space in the middle of this forest - that's right, a vacant space!

I see.

I've been wondering since Garfe in Wyvern told me about this blank area in the woods.

Is there a temple site or ruins: ....... I think it might be involved in some kind of world secret.

Let's never go near .......

I understand. I'll accept the order for this quest.

"Oh, I see. You're a fast talker.

With that, Delilira-san stepped off my shoulder with a plop.

''By the way, I wonder how your friends are doing. Have you cleared about half of the 'small group labyrinth' by now?　No, I don't think it's possible. It's a pretty high-level labyrinth...''

What kind of labyrinth is this?

It's a labyrinth with low defense, but corridors filled with quick demons and traps for slimy eggs flying around. And I also set up an illusionary ward!

Delilah puffed out her chest.

''I don't think even you guys will be able to capture this one easily. For example, unless you can use the skill to stop a group of enemies from moving, or have the ability to bounce eggs back!　Not many people can break the illusionary wards!''

...... What do I do?

"............ What do I need to do?

Faintly, I heard a voice.

I looked across the passage.

There was a hole in the wall with a note on it that said, 'Labyrinth for Small Group, Exit' very carefully.

And then I saw Rita and Letitia looking at me.

They looked very, very uncomfortable.

'Hmph. I'm sure the people in the bastard party will learn a little something from this. There are some labyrinths where your henchmen skills don't work!

"...... Um, Mr. Delilira.

''But as expected, Delilira-san raised the level of the labyrinth too much this time. I'm sorry about that. That's true. Well, if we can clear the labyrinth within the next hour, we'll just give you a reward without the quest. I'm going to clear the labyrinth with my whole being, Delilira. That's the kind of reward I'm supposed to give you. Well, I don't think it's possible!

"...... thing

"What a golem! I was just...

The 'work golem' pulled Delilira-san's sleeve.

Delilira-san looked to the side.

Rita and Letitia and their eyes met.

Delilira-san got teary-eyed.

I wondered what Delilira-san looked like after that.

How did everyone, including me, Rita and Letitia, and the work golem, comfort her?

For now, I'm going to put that aside.

I felt like I had done something wrong, so - we decided to accept the quest as normal.