238 9-18 Sand Country Roukaku Red Pattern

What's up, Coren?　Are you ready?

Oh, um, sis?　Is the old man...?

My grandfather would be tucking in the doorway, you know?

When I looked at the end of Renge's chin to indicate the tip of his chin, I saw Kuduro-san lying on the floor.

Somewhere in that fall........ah!　That's how you fall, man!

...you're still alive, right?

''I didn't expect your sister to be in a hurry to use her 'power'...'''

Well........we're in a castle. It takes a lot of time to deal with an old man..... Besides, I remembered everything, so I had to take him out and punish Coren for it. Now, let's punish him...

"Being punished by your sister........ 　.....................Ha, ha.

Which one do you want, then?　Training with 100 male soldiers. A male soldier and a sauna. Male soldier and Amatkuni-style smoo, oh, it looks good in all of them.

Huh?

For a moment, Coren-sama was ecstatic to hear that he was being punished, but when he realized that it was a serious punishment, his eyes widened and his face turned blue.

Yeaaaaah!!!!

And it's a hearty rejection.

Coren-sama squats down, holding his head and shaking with a shudder, as if to show how serious he is.

I'm sure I'm just imagining it, but it's going to be pretty tough.

Well, it's no surprise that he doesn't like men.

The decision is tomorrow, right?

It was ruthless, but it couldn't be helped.......

Wow, I just remembered something personal!　Grandfather. Come on, get up!　Come on, I'll live!

Hungry....

If I run, I'll do it tomorrow, for sure. I mean...

Aside from wondering what kind of business he had to run from this time, Coren-sama galloped with Kuduro-san's collar, which he hadn't awakened, and disappeared into the dark corridor.

It was just me and Renge left behind........

''Master, I'm sorry I was put there as an escort.

'That's okay, but... um...'

Rather than that, I was more interested in that pattern right now, and my gaze was focused on the glowing red pattern.

''Uh ... I'll explain it properly. But first.........I'll fix the door.

'Oh, yeah. I'll help you...

Renge goes to get the blown door and I take the metal out to repair the hardware.

Renge holds it down and I put it together, but there was no conversation between us.

I'm sorry....

Well, if you're in the restroom you're going to have to...

Lately I've been having trouble holding back too much, and if it's a physiological phenomenon, I don't blame you.

But from now on, when this happens, I will request a room for more than one person.

Don't worry. You're safe and I'll keep my mouth shut...

And you don't expect the queen to be up and waiting for you this late at night, even though you don't know if Renge is going to go to the bathroom or not.

Renge puts on a relieved face, bows her head with a smile and sits down on the bed where I sit.

Renge's skin still has a red pattern on it, and when she realized I was watching her, she stroked her arm shyly.

''Haha........I'm still curious.......''

Well, you know.

Hmm... where should I start?

Renge's doing well as usual... but not exactly.

She seems to be concerned about the pattern after all.

"Well, I did tell your husband that I did a ritual and became a princess miko, didn't I?

Yeah.

It's a ritual that could kill you, as I recall, and you received it when you were little....

This is the result of the ritual, or rather a byproduct of it. By implanting a special magic stone that was processed at an early age, it is deposited in the body as an imprint of magic power as it grows. Then, the body is able to produce a rich magical power, and when you use that power, the magic mark will glow red when you use it.

'Concentrated magic... is that okay?

Yes. Well, if you fail to perform the ritual, you will die if the magic mark is incompatible with you, it won't settle and you will lose your life due to the magic runaway. That's generally understood at about 8 years old, so I don't have any more problems with it.

Or rather.........

''........Hey.......What's the difference between being concocted with thick magic power and normal?''

It's true that magic power can be thick and thin, but if anything, more or less should be the norm.

And what reason is there to risk the life of a small child, and what reason is there to risk the life of a royal family?

What exactly was he looking for to go that far?

''.........hmmm.... To put it simply.........become stronger.

Strong?

That's right. It's not just magic, it's the power and scale of magic that increases. It's not just magic, but now I'm a vanguard, so I use it to improve my physical abilities as well.

Renge pointed his palm towards the window as if to ask him to watch.

''Crystal Blitz (Crystal Blitz).

What Renge cast was probably the magic that Koren-sama was trying to unleash on me.

But even though Koren-sama's magic was on the way, it was at most about the size of a plastic bottle.

But this one........bigger than a castle pillar, and it seemed to spread to the entire room.

With a huff, Renge closed her open fingers and released the magic, and the crystal shattered and disappeared into a mist while shining fleetingly.

''Well, it's like this.''

Great but is that all you've got?

I certainly think it's great.

But I still didn't think it was enough to make him risk his own young child's life.

Well, I can understand your husband's suspicions. 'Well, I can understand your suspicions,' he said, 'but Lohkaku was originally not a country, but a collective term for a group of tribes governing a village. But when the kingdom and the empire became neighbors, the first master thought that one of the tribes would eventually invade Lokak, and he wanted to group them together to form a nation.

Renge continues to explain in order to answer my questions.

But there are many strong-minded chiefs to begin with, and there was also the problem of the local dragon, so it didn't go well. The first daughter of the founder's beloved daughter took over the long-defunct princess maiden ritual and declared that she would be responsible for protecting all the villages, and the country was finally able to take shape.

...and that's been going on for generations?

That's right. The Sand Wolf tribe values their friends and family more than anything else. Since then, kings have been in charge of politics and princesses have been in charge of protecting the people. In a king's family, all the people are his friends and family, so the princess priestesses never opposed the rituals because they were honored. I was never opposed to it either.

Honor.........different countries, different races, different cultures.

That's what I mean by that, if the world is different, the way of thinking is different too........

I can't help but feel that it's because this is a world with demons, a world with skills and levels, a world with wars as a matter of course, that it's going to be very different from my common sense.

I don't understand it, but I suppose this world is one where there are races that value pride and other things that are heavier than death....

''Hm?　But, you know, Renge was kidnapped, right?　You know, the ones I've been protecting as friends and family.

Hmmm.........well, when you become a country, people from other countries also come in, so that's why they were kidnapped by people who are investigating the rituals of the princess priestess.

You are an immigrant.

"Right. Well, that's all over now, and basically, as long as you live in Lokak, there are a lot of good people who you can consider your friends and family, even if they are immigrants.

Renge laughed to herself and plopped down on the bed with a plop.

It's a good thing that you can't get away with it. It's a good idea to give up the throne to my sister as a means of closure, while I regained my time to train with my master.

''I see.... So it was good to meet your master, not only for Renge, but for this country as well.

Yeah?　Master has defeated so many earth dragons that he decided to train his troops so they won't be around for a while, but I didn't expect an abnormal situation like this one....... Well, I think we'll work together to solve the problems from now on.

Renge gets up and smiles at me.

Even I, who I knew today, could see from the dinner party that this country would work together to overcome its difficulties.

The past notwithstanding, the country is becoming a better country, I suppose.

'Well, I get it, all right. But if it wasn't for the confidentiality or something, why didn't you tell me about the rituals and all that stuff earlier? I wanted to know more about Renge...

Uh... no... no... well...

What is it?

Is there some kind of serious side effect?

Even though it's a ritual that involves risking death, it's still implanting a magic stone inside your body.

It wouldn't be surprising if something happened.

''........Doesn't it feel weird?　Like this, red patterns on your skin...

... what?

Well you see, it's not quite normal, but...

Renge, with her hair brushed back and giving off an air of inexplicability.

This guy is really.........

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. To begin with, there are no demons, and there aren't even beastmen with ears and tails, you know?　What is normal?　I'm just saying.

'Hi...but isn't it kind of unfair that it's like an afterthought...isn't it?　I got her to like me first, and then I found out this secret!　And...

Stupid. You care too much. When I saw that pattern, I thought it was just plain cool.

What was that? It's just too cool.

The sense of hidden power that has been sealed away........that's exactly what it is.

You've got magic and you've got skills....

Even the Invisible Prison (Invisible Jail) stinks in the kitchen enough.

Do I look good?　Ehehe........that's good.......

Don't tell me you were worried about that and didn't tell me?

No, no, no, no, that's not all there is to it.　At the time of the martial arts tournament, even though I could prove the legitimacy of the tournament with a candle, I thought it was a bad idea to use the power of a forbidden ritual, and I thought it would cause trouble for my master if he heard of someone doing research in the kingdom, so I thought it was a bad idea to use it in the kingdom.

.........Oh, that's for sure.

Mad researchers have an image of being in line with their goals........

Especially if you've been kidnapped once by a waxwork, even more so.

''........I get it. Anyway, as long as it doesn't have any negative effects on Renge's body, it's fine.

If your husband is in danger, of course he'll use it to protect you. If your husband is in danger, of course I will protect him, and maybe you can even beat White if you use this power.　We didn't even use it in a mock battle.

Yeah. Give it a try. I'm sure White would love to fight a strong opponent.

That's right!　Laughing, Renge apparently returned to form.

He seemed to be nervous and a little sweaty, but he didn't seem to be getting any heat.

''Ah!　Well ... your husband?

Hmm?　What's going on?

Coren, I think he feels pressure from my mentor and other important people that they don't want him to extinguish his blood as a royal, even if the ceremony is gone.... Normally, I am a royal, so I should have carried that responsibility, but right now I'm carrying it on my shoulders alone. That's why........

'Yeah. I don't mind, as it turns out, you're safe.

I'm sorry on behalf of Coren. And thank you....

You're welcome. What a sweet sister you are.

But a spanking is a spanking. I'll do it tomorrow to make sure that this won't happen again. Well, I won't leave your husband any longer today. So, you can go to bed without worrying about it.

'Yeah well I guess so...'

This time, Renge squeezes my waist as if she won't let go.

Let's put him down.

Good. That's it.

Huh?　Wait, what?　

".........I'm sorry, Master Coren was serving me up....... I've been trying to hold back, but I can't do it anymore.

Like the way Renge spread her legs to show off her pattern, or her thighs when she fell on the bed, or her breasts defying gravity.

This was still holding me back for a long time.

I didn't know when I was going to attack him, but it was serious and I was very patient!

I should have pinching marks on my thighs to the point of congestion by now.

So ... that's it, right?

Wait, sir!　Oh, my God, my eyes!　Gah, that's a serious face!　No, no, it's fine.　But now, come on, at least until the pattern goes away!　

And then--.

Coren-sama left the line and rushed to Renge with a wobbly step.

''Absolutely not. Look, there are 67 people left.

To such Koren-sama, Renge put his hands on his hips and sternly said to him, "I don't usually carry a sword.

''I don't usually carry a sword or anything like that........ I'm more of a magician........

Then we'll do a joint drill with the magic squad. Soldiers will be motivated by this, so we'll do it right.

But from that distance, my juices, my male juices are gushing out....

Well, in a way, Coren made me feel loved yesterday, so I'll take it easy on you.

Heh?　Did you do it again, sister?　Wait, I need a sheet for that!

"...What?　What are you talking about?　I mean, I've already sent it out for washing.

'I don't care if it's in the wash!　Which handmaid has taken it?

Coren-sama is unwavering.....

I'm not that much of a pervert myself, but in a way I respect you.

........What on earth does he plan to do with the washed sheets?

I mean, why are you trying to get out of it on your own?　You're being punished?

Because the sheets!

Because there's no shit. ...I was going to forgive you for one of the Amatkuni style smooches or the sauna, but I'll add two sets.

'Two sets!　Noaaaaaah!　Sister!　Oh, sister I'm sorry.

So you'll do it right?

Renge smiled and Coren-sama gave up and took his punishment firmly and trained with the soldiers, almost in tears.

Never before had Master Coren been in such close proximity to watch his soldiers train, and never before had he trained them.

Me?　While I watch them, I take a nap because I don't have enough sleep.

It's hot, but the shade is surprisingly comfortable, so I'll use the magic ball of water as a cushion to get a good night's sleep.