140-Chapter 8-16 Leiden

He's walking just fine for now. Next time, let's pick up the pace.

Muttering that, I increased the speed of 'Raiden' (Raiden), modified by Newtanikaze, a little. Incidentally, both Tanikaze and Raiden are the names of rikishi. These two rikishi are master and student of each other, and both are considered to be one of the strongest rikishi in the world. The name Leiden was taken from a rikishi's name, but not Tanikazee. It was originally a play on the name of a certain inclined person's beloved horse, and since he later remembered that it was a rikishi's name, he named Newtanikaze after his apprentice. Just in time, it also has something to do with the fact that Raiden had the lightning attribute due to his use of the bicorn's magic core.

''I feel like his abilities are better than Tanikaze's across the board.

I assessed that after switching from a fast pace to a run and then to an assault walk (full speed run) and then circling around the city of Seigen as it was. However, the increased abilities made him harder to handle than Tanikaze, but it's still acceptable, so it's not a big problem.

However, even more than those, Raiden has a point of surprise. That is.........

''But a golem with a will was one of my goals... I didn't realize how easy it was to do...''

Obviously, this Raiden can take actions that I can determine are of his own volition. That is, even though I didn't give him orders, he folded his knees and lowered his body to make it easier for me to ride, avoided muddy areas that I hadn't noticed, and annihilated the demons that appeared on his own.

Moreover, the current Raiden doesn't have a slarin inside it like it did with Tanikaze. There is still room for Slarin, but even without Slarin, Raiden's abilities exceed those of Tanikaze. In my opinion, without Slarin, Raiden's ability is 10% more than Tanikaze (with Slarin), and with Slarin, it's 30% more than Tanikaze. So, if you let him run at full speed, he might be able to exceed 200km/h depending on the conditions. Although I didn't go that far just now, I think I was still going to go about 150km/h. However, the vibrations are quite harsh when you go that fast, so it would be a rare occurrence.

''It's nice to have more strength since the Slarin will be free,''

I don't think Slarin can keep up with that speed when fighting on Raiden, but that's a matter that can be fought on Shiroumaru or Solomon. If Slarin took command of two of them, they would definitely be stronger.

Raiden's power, which can be called an artificial demon, cannot be measured against the demons that inhabit the vicinity of Seigen. That said, we can't test it in Shiroumaru, and it's too small to fight in the dungeon. So, although its exact strength is unknown and there may be differences in affinity, it probably won't lose so much even against A-S class demons.

''Is that about right?''

Since we had been riding for several hours on the quicksilver, we decided to end the test around here.

For now, I went back to the place where I was first examining the performance and saw a few figures there.

''Ah! I'm back!

At the head of the group was Chris. Behind him were Maria-sama and Luna, along with their escort kinsmen.

'What are you doing here? And Tida?

The group was obviously waiting for me, but I decided to check it out just in case. Besides, I was worried about Tida's absence.

'Of course we were waiting for you. It seemed like you were doing something interesting, and I'm wondering about the new Tanikaze, which uses bicorn materials. Tida seems to be more interested in showing off her stuff.

Maria replied to my question and approached me riding Raiden as it was. It would be rude to remain mounted, so I got off and tried to put Raiden in my magic bag, but Maria-sama seemed to want to see Raiden and asked me to leave him there.

As Maria-sama walked around Raiden, looking at him from various angles, Luna sneaked up to him and tried to straddle him as he was. That's when an incident happened that I hadn't expected either.

''Bulllu...........................Gah!

I thought I heard a threatening voice coming from Raiden's mouth, and then Raiden's mouth opened with a snap after that voice.

''Kyaaaah!''

"Yikes!

Luna, seeing Raiden's threatening face up close, ran behind me, shouting loudly. Maria-sama, who was close to Raiden, was on her buttocks with a cute voice.

''Maria-sama!''

At this event, Chris-san and the rest of the kinsmen rushed over to Maria-sama and drew their swords and held them at the ready as if to warn Raiden, but Raiden ignored the kinsmen pointing their swords at him and threatened Luna, who ran behind me.

But I didn't even get into my head about Maria-sama's cute little voice or Luna running away in a panic. All that was occupying my mind at that moment was.

(She said it out loud and her mouth dropped open!)

It was. It was a blind spot to have my mouth open after such a careful check. Moreover, the fact that the voice comes out means that there is a cavity in the throat area, so there might be some trick in there that I'm not aware of.

I forced Raiden's mouth open and looked inside the back of his mouth and saw a hole that led all the way to his neck. I stuck my hand in and looked at it, but I couldn't reach the dead end, so maybe it led to a space for Slarin. He asked Slarin to try it, but Slarin didn't seem to notice, and now he's going to try to get in through Raiden's mouth.

Raiden seems to have quite a difficult time with Luna from the fact that he threatened her earlier, but he seemed to listen to me and Slarin, and did as he was told. However, even in that state, Raiden's face remained turned toward Luna, as if he was wary of her.

'Ah, so they were connected after all.

A few tens of seconds after Slarin entered Raiden's mouth, this time the entrance to the space for Slarin on Raiden's back opened and Slarin came out from inside. When I asked Slarin what was going on inside, it seemed that a part of the front part of the space for Slarin was removed so that he could pass through it. As for the roar, he said that there were some projections in the path of the throat, which seemed to vibrate and produce sound. Other than that, Slarin reported that there was some unfamiliar pattern on the throat area, which he had accidentally touched, but it posed no danger.

'So you're saying that we won't know anything until we interrogate the master...'

'Anyway, Mr Temma you need to explain this to us so we can understand. It won't be a problem because you're Mr. Temma, but you could be imprisoned by nature, right?

Chris, who came behind me, sounded a little angry and asked me to explain.

''Well, yeah...''

I told Maria and Chris what I knew so far and that Raiden hadn't wanted Luna to touch him and threatened him. Fortunately, the only person who tried to touch her was Luna, so no one else had been identified as an enemy by Raiden. It seems that Raiden has memories of the bicorn mixed in with the memories of when he was Tanikaze, and he seems to recognize me as his master and Slarin and the others as his friends. I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world, and I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world, and I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world, and I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.

''I can only say it's amazing...''

Maria was stroking Raiden as she listened to my explanation. Apparently, Raiden doesn't like strangers touching him without permission, but he's okay with people I've given him permission to touch. His vigilance probably has something to do with the use of the bicorn's magic core and materials.

''Temma-kun, if it's safe to touch, is it possible to ride it?''　

Chris seems to want to let Lyden ride it and run it. However, I asked Raiden through Slarin, and he told me that he didn't like the idea of me riding it alone. In fact, although Slarin used a very soft expression, in reality, it was a firm refusal.

However, there was another loophole in this as well. That is.....

'That's great! I don't think a normal horse would have this exhilarating feeling!

The idea was to ride with me. When I told him that Raiden's permission was granted via Slarin, it was Maria-sama who raised her hand first. Chris seemed to want to ride first, but he couldn't push Maria-sama away and insist that he wanted to be the first to ride.

Now Maria-sama is sitting behind me with her hands around my waist. In the meantime, Slarin has gone around to support Maria-sama, so she won't be shaken off so easily, but the guards, except for Chris-san, were cringing and confused.

With those guards in the background, I'm giving orders to Raiden to increase his speed. This area I was using for the test is quite far away from the plains, and the ground isn't too rough, so there's little impact, but I still think it's tough for Maria-sama, so I'm letting Raiden run with the intention of only running for a few minutes. In those few minutes, my impressions of the speed of over a hundred kilometers per hour for a little while was what I said earlier.

I think the horses of this world can reach nearly 100km per hour if you use magic or other means, but that is only instantaneous, and it doesn't mean they can always do it like Raiden did. Moreover, even if you use magic, this speed is impossible to achieve with a two-man ride like Raiden's.

"Grandmother~ Next, watashi~

Lady Luna, I'm next!

Luna and Chris are fighting for the second, but Maria-sama still doesn't seem to be satisfied, and she pretends she can't hear them and tells me to go farther away.

Since we've been running for about an hour as it is, Raiden seems to be getting tired (according to Slarin), so we decided to take a break. Luna and Chris were suspicious of Raiden (Slarin), but they seemed to know that if Raiden really didn't like it and went into a rage, they couldn't do anything about it by themselves, so they decided to keep quiet and wait for the next opportunity.

Chris and the others were laughing hysterically at Maria-sama's words. I was a little annoyed with Chris-san and the others, but since I couldn't talk back to them about Raiden, I decided to just ignore them and ask Maria-sama why she came here. In the first place, it's strange that the queen of this country would bring the imperial grandchild and the princess just because of my letter.

''Maaah! You're looking at me like that!

Maria, shocked by my words, took a fan out of her pocket and hid her face. But the action was so deliberate that I kept looking at Maria's face in silence, and then, as if in resignation, she took off her fan and began to tell the truth.

'I just want to make a little request. However, you'll have to go a little farther, but as far as transportation is concerned, you'll be fine with Raiden, right?

'No, I haven't moved up in the ranks, so I can't accept your request for appointment.

Basically, nomination requests are made from a B-rank. However, that's because when considering their abilities and achievements, if they don't have a B-rank or higher, the guild that mediates the request will be worried about them.

''Temma. You're the winner of the martial arts competition, and you've killed the earth dragon and prevented a coup, but lack of competence and achievements won't work. Besides, do you think the guild can refuse a request from the royal family?

I mean, it's up to me whether you take it or not.

And don't worry. It's just a request to go give a letter to a certain person. It's just that it's so far away that it takes some time to get there.

I thought that was fine with me, and when I tried to ask for more details, he told me that the details would be discussed when I returned to the apartment. Normally, I thought it would be at the mansion that Maria and the others were using, but I had to talk to my grandfather, so I thought the apartment would be more convenient for me, so I started preparing to return to the apartment.

Chris and Luna were disappointed that they couldn't get on Raiden, but they obeyed meekly, since they couldn't go against Maria.

When we all walked back to the apartment, we found Amy and Tida outside the apartment. It's not that they're playing, but they're talking about something together. Moreover, Amy is talking to you, so maybe she has made some progress.

'Ah! Doctor, welcome back.

Aimee noticed our approach first and greeted us. Tida was greeting us a little later than Amy, and I could see the emotion written on her face, "You could have been a little later...

'I'm home, is Grandpa here?'

Yes. He was back a while ago.

'And a little after Lady Merlin, Mr. Blanca came back too... with Miss Amour on his shoulder...'

Tida gave me some additional information. Apparently, Blanca was able to capture Amur safely. This time I don't think he will be caught off guard by the quicksilver, so we may be close to parting ways with them.

''Yes, Blanca is back too. Just in time.

As for Maria, it seems convenient that Blanca is back. I'm getting a bad feeling about something, but I can only hope that it's nothing.

'I'm home.'

I went into the carriage to talk to my grandfather first, and when I entered the carriage, I found Blanca and Amur tied up more sturdily than before. Apparently, Blanca was waiting for me to return to their home town early.

The timing is just right. We're going home now. Thank you for all your help. I'd like to thank you for all your help.

Blanca said that as soon as she saw my face and was about to carry Amour out, but it was Maria-sama who waited for her.

'Could you wait a moment, please? I want to make a request to you guys.

The sudden words of Maria, Branca didn't seem to know what to do, but he tried to say no, preferring to return home. It's about the homeland of Blanca and her friends," she said, sitting back in her chair to listen to the conversation.

'The first request I would like to make of Temma is for you to give a letter to Viscount Lobo, who houses the Southern Autonomous Region. The request I'd like to make of Blanca and the others is for you to take Tenma to Viscount Lobo.　

I heard that Blanca and the others' hometown is in the Southern Autonomous Region, so it's certainly just the right request...........................I thought, but for Blanca and the others, it's a little different.

In other words, you want me to introduce Temma to my brother-in-law........? Is that a request from Maria-sama personally? Or is it a royal decree?

It's a request from the royal family. Of course, you can say no, but there's no harm in taking the job, and you'll be paid accordingly, so I think it's a worthwhile request, don't you?

It looks like sparks are flying between Maria-sama and Blanca, but since there is no one in the country who can beat Maria-sama in belly art (I think), it was soon settled. Naturally, it was in the form of Blanca taking over.

But more than that, I'm concerned about the word 'brother-in-law (ani)' that Blanca said. The fact that he is Blanca's brother-in-law means that he is supposed to be Amour's father.

When I came to that point, my eyes naturally turned to Amur. When Amur noticed my gaze, despite the fact that he was tied up with a rope, he was stretching his chest with a smug look on his face. From the look of Amour, she doesn't look like a baroness by any means.

Just to be sure, I checked with Blanca and Maria-sama, and they came back with, ''It's definitely the Viscountess (yo).

''In the meantime, it's up to Temma to decide whether or not to accept the request... but... what do you think?

At Maria's words, Amour gives me an expectant look, but I was wondering what I should do. Financially, I could afford it, and there was the matter of Aimee. Besides, I also wanted to continue attacking the dungeon.

''Wouldn't it be okay if I took it separately?

Grandpa, who had been turned into air, turned in favor.

'Temma has only ever ventured close to the center of the country, hasn't he? This would be a good opportunity for you to take it. Right now, you'll get plenty of money and directions.

The person who reacted the most to Grandpa's words was still, or rather, Amur. For Amur, he had been running away from Blanca all over the place, saying that I was in Seigen, so he was going to stay here. It's a good idea for Amur, whose plans were crushed by his capture, to work together with me to hand over the letter to Amur's father, which would be a reversal of fortune. However, since Amur is currently being wrapped (plus gagged) by Blanca with a rope, he is moaning and groaning, and it's unclear what he is saying.

'Dear Maria, what is the content of your letter?'

Blanca, who was unusually polite in her language, asked Maria-sama a question while holding down Amour like a landed fish.

''I can't tell you the contents of the stone. It's a letter officially addressed by the royal family to Viscount Lobo...........but you can rest assured that it is safe. It's just a hair's breadth of small talk.

Sparks were quietly flying between Maria-sama and Blanca, but as expected from a martial artist, Blanca couldn't break Maria-sama's stronghold. Giving up, Blanca asked, "There are no unreasonable demands written, are there?" and when Maria-sama nodded, the sour mood was put to rest for now.

'By the way, if you're Viscount Lobo, then Amour's name is going to be 'Amour Lobo'?

In an attempt to change the atmosphere of the place, I asked Blanca what had been bothering her since earlier, and she shook her head and denied it, not only to Blanca, but also to Maria-sama and the bound Amour.

'Yeah, where we live, very few people take their family name. It's the same with Lobo, the clan chief. That's why they put the viscount directly after the name.

It is said that the southern autonomous region is a slightly unusual area within the kingdom, originally there were several tribes living in the area and it didn't belong to the kingdom, but during the old war with other countries it became the kingdom's territory and after some twists and turns it was named the autonomous region, and the position of the viscount has temporary implications due to the frequent changes in the top brass. I heard that there are many people who don't take their family name, just like the others. Well, according to Blanca, "it's a lot of trouble to give your family name.

I wonder if Temma will take care of this request?

I answered Maria's question by saying that I would accept the contract, and then we signed a variety of contracts. I think the reason the contract went so smoothly is because Maria brought the matter to me on the premise that I would take care of it.

I'd like you to go as soon as possible, but since Temma has a lot of things to do, we'll be leaving in about a week's time. Oh, and don't worry about Amy, I'll take responsibility for her, so don't worry about her.

Maria-sama, for some reason, is all uptight about Amy, so there's nothing wrong with leaving it up to her...........I thought. We decided to start preparing for the trip. Well, when I say preparations, I'm putting everything in a magic bag, as usual, so it was just a matter of buying more food and preparing some minor things. By the way, at this point, Blanca has decided that Amour will not escape and has untied the rope.

''Brother, what are you doing?''

I finished getting ready before everyone else, and I was repairing the magic bag I got in the dungeon lake. So in the middle of that, Luna arrived. When I explained to Luna, she noticed that there was more than one bag and looked at me expectantly, wondering if she would get one too, but it was immediately retrieved by Chris-san and presented to Maria-sama.

'Well, it's like this,'

We were concentrating on repairing the damage, so by the time we were done, it was time for dinner. Everyone else had almost finished their preparations, and now Grandpa and Blanca were discussing what route they were going to take to the Southern Autonomous Region.

''And then........this, this, and this.......''

I put all sorts of things from my magic bag that I could use in the magic bag I had just restored.

'Now all we have to do is give it to Amy.

In the two magic bags, I put some food preserves for emergencies and a few golem cores for guards in a redeemable magic core. The golem was not made for Maria-sama and the rest of the royalty, but it has a fighting power close to that. If we were to express it in terms of the rank of a demon, it should be at least a B. I prepared about ten of those.

''Temma is pretty overprotective........''

Something that Maria-sama was stunned by, but even this seems like a small amount to me. If a nobleman with a decent amount of power really wanted to do something to Aimee, I don't think this would be enough.

''Well, from those who don't think well of me, I wouldn't be surprised if they think Aimee is their target.

If an idiot who's really aiming at Aimee appears, I, who's in the position of a master, am obligated to take action for Aimee's sake. In that case, I'm not going to show any mercy, no matter who the opponent is.

When I told Maria-sama about it, Grandpa agreed. Grandpa has been telling people around him that Amy is his 'grandchild disciple', so it's not surprising.

Maria-sama saw me and Grandpa nodding to each other and immediately tried to get Tida, but I told her that I wasn't going to get side-tracked into a personal love affair with a stone. However, I also said that if Tida went crazy and tried to ignore Amy's feelings and tried to take it by force, that would not be the case.......

Perhaps because of that, Maria-sama was carefully discussing the matter of Chris-san and Amy's escort. Since Maria-sama said she would take responsibility for it, the royal family could be held responsible for anything that happened, so her face was serious.

I feel like I've gone a little overboard, but I'm glad to see that they know I'm serious.

It's late, so we decided to call it a day and resume our preparations tomorrow morning. For the time being, the plan for tomorrow is to buy the necessary items and to question my master.