Chapter 48: “Legend of the Dark Hero (with Poem)”
An elf doing dogeza.
That was the first dogeza I saw in another world.
Rafilia has an immovable posture with her hands, feet and forehead stuck to the ground.
It’s a dogeza that you want to put on the picture book as it is.
“… No, you don’t have to go that far”
“Without you ‘Bath man’, I wouldn’t know what to do. It really helped me … Thank you.”
Rafilia screamed, holding her forehead against the ground.
“My name is Souma Nagi not ‘Bath man’.”
I said. I’ve already taken off the sea dragon mask, but Rafilia is still on her knees, shaking a little, as if she’s afraid to look at me.
“… And you don’t have to do dogeza. I can’t talk to you like that.”
“Yes. Bath…, Souma Nagi-sama!”
Rafilia finally raised her face.
Rita is looking at me mysteriously.
I’ll explain later why it’s a “Bath man” later ──I wonder if I have to do it.
“I’ll introduce myself again. I’m Souma Nagi, this is Rita. We’re not suspicious, I’m an acquaintance of Iris Hoffimier.”
“No. I can’t doubt those who help me! I trust SoumaNagi-sama and his friends unconditionally!”
Is this child okay?
Rafilia is looking at us with her purple eyes wide open.
“I’m Rafilia Grace. As you can see … I’m a former adventurer.”
“Former …?”
“Yes.I have understood that I am not suitable to be an adventurer.”
Rafilia stood up and brushed her bare knees.
“I’ve had nothing but bad luck since I started adventuring.”
“…Is that so?”
“I left my hometown because I wanted to be the hero of the fairy tales I had heard so much about,……, but nothing good ever came of it.”
Rafilia hangs down her elf ears and slumps.
“In the previous battle, all my friends were wiped out. All of them became incapable of fighting, and I was fine. Still, everyone managed to recover by magic. After that, Iris invited me to a hot spring as a reward for my work. I was told to just go … In the meantime, a member of my party ran away with all my luggage, equipment and money … ”
It was unfortunate.
“After that, I managed to get to this point with the 3 Arshas I had left, but I didn’t have the money to go back to my hometown, and when I stopped by the Adventurer’s Guild to find a job, I was caught by the masked people.”
Haah!
Rafilia held her chest and sighed.
“Ah, where is Rafilia’s hometown?”
I couldn’t help asking.
I was afraid that if I left her alone, she would die there or be made a slave.
“If it’s in the direction of Metekal, my friend is going back, so you can go with her.”
“It’s a small village on a peninsula that takes a month by boat.”
“Is it in the opposite direction …”
“It’s not my birthplace, though. I can’t remember anything that happened more than five years ago.”
…What?
“I’m in trouble.”
Said Rafilia with her arms folded.
No, even if you say such a thing so easily.
“I was picked up by my parents when I was wandering around without my memory.”
I’m not sure how to react to such a heavy story out of the blue.
But Rafilia seems to have recognized us as “people who she can truly trust”.
While grabbing her own beautiful elf ears with her fingers, she keeps talking as if she were shy.
Five years ago, an old bakery couple picked up Rafilia when she arrived in a different port town.
They were good friends at first, but as the bakery’s business declined, Rafilia had no place to stay.
She was almost sold as a slave.
So she set off on a journey to become an adventurer.
But she was too weak and was treated as useless in the party. She was robbed of her reward.
She doesn’t seem to mind it at all. It’s as if she is talking about someone else’s past. Rita, Reggie and I contined to listen to her with a blank face.
“As you knowI got to Irgafa from the hot spring town of Richerda, and now I’ve lost my carrer, the great adventure of Rafilia Grace is over.”
“Great adventure of Rafilia Grace is over?”
“I mean, I mess up so much. And as the masked men said I lack crisis and money management skills. I am not cut out to be an adventurer.”
“In the first place, why did you decide to become an adventurer even though you don’t remember anything?”
“The only old memories I had were my name, the story of the hero’s adventure when I was little, and the fact that I ‘protected’ something or someone.”
Oh. I see.
“So, you thought that if you became an adventurer and ‘protected’ something or someone, you may remember your past …?”
“Yes. I thought I could remember who I was!”
Rafilia shined her purple eyes and pushed her fist up into the dark sky.
“Because, maybe I’m a legendary hero whose abilities have been sealed, or a great wizard of the country’s salvation! When I run into a crisis, I awaken and defeat the Demon King. ”
“” Go home because it’s okay! “”
Rita and I spoke up at the same time.
“Can’t you go back to your hometown? Even if you can’t just go to a safe place.”
“A safe place?”
“It is reckless of you to become an adventurer even though you have no memory in the first place, and it is too dangerous to travel alone without knowing the land or information.”
Even I, who was summoned from another world, was initially informed by Ashtalte, and I managed to survive because Cecil and Rita were there.
“Without knowing anything, even though you don’t know who you are, you travel alone aiming to be an adventurer … It’s like blindly belivieng something will happen and return your memories back to you.”
“That’s why you got caught in a pressure interview! Or rather, it’s a miracle that you’ve survived until now!”
“If you can’t go home, find a town you know nearby. Look for a safe job there.”
“Maybe you are right. I couldn’t be a legendary hero, but … I’m happy.”
Rafilia closed her eyes, held her big breasts, and muttered dreamily.
“I have seen the real legend properly. That alone will keep me alive.”
“Legend?”
“Yes. They are Dark Heros of justice. That’s why I inadvertently got involved with the Order of Divine. I foolishly thought that they might be the ‘ Dark Heros’ since they are the no.1 party in Irgafa.
“I think you should forget about the ‘Dark Hero’.”
“Yes … I was thinking of forgetting about that ‘Dark Hero’ and not telling anyone. But, I feel like I’ve been charmed by the darkness.”
Rafilia said with a slightly red face.
“I’m going to tell you about the’Dark Hero’ who rules slaves with fear and pleasure’.”
“Rather, I think it’s better to subdue him.”
“Don’t speak ill of him, he’s my benefactor!”
“By the way, where did you meet this ‘Dark Hero’?”
“Yes. In the hot spring town of Richerda, during the attack on Iris-sama. ”
The hot spring town of Richerda. During the attack on Iris.
“When my party was about to get annihilated, they quickly appeared.They wiped out all of the Black Living Armors. ”
Wipiping out the Black Living Armors.
“The sun that appeared in the middle of the night and the wall of flame. I will never forget that … ”
Like the sun that appeared in the middle of the night. And the huge wall of flames?
“… Hmm. That was so magnificient.”
Yup. I know that hero.
The one who hides his powers and doesn’t want to be seen.
” Accompanied by a golden beast and a dark magical girl, he looked crazy.”
“Where is the crazy part come from!?”
“I didn’t get to see his face because it was dark, but that person’s hand struck the big magic girl’s breast, and the girl said,’I’m sorry … but … happy.’ The hero’s mysterious dominance also seemed to bring out the girl’s magic.! ”
“Wasn’t it wrong to o that?”
“Impossible! That dark hero’s beautiful eyes that fascinate all who see it (Rafilia’s POV), his noble demeanor (POV), and the way how he gracefully and brilliantly dominates the slave girls. What’s wrong with the strongest ‘Dark Hero’ (subjective) doing that !? ”
“…all of them”
“You can say that because you haven’t actually seen him!”
Rafilia quivered, holding her body with both hands.
“That golden beast that blows black armor with a single blow is also a mysterious. The maid was also amazing. It seems that the dark hero has controlled information to hide his identity! The proof is it was announced that the regular soldiers defeated the enemy!”
I see. That’s one way of looking at it.
It’s amazing.
“I still can’t forget his voice that seems to echo from depth of the underworld. It echoes deep within my soul, and on that day my body was so hot that I couldn’t sleep, and I finished a lot of poems to honor the hero. I have … ”
“Can you tell me more about that poem?”
Rita, who was silently listening to the story, suddenly shook Rafilia’s hand.
“It’s a poem that honors the hero who wiped out the’Black Living Armors’, right? I think everyone, Cecil and Aine, want to know. I wonder if you can tell me when you’re done.”
“Are you interested?”
“Rather, I want to buy those poems.”
“The title is’Contractor running in jet black-Honeymoon in the darkness with a slave girl-‘”
“It’s great. You should spread it to the Adventurer Guild right now.”
“Do you like ‘Dark Hero’?”
“You can say I love him.”
“He is a hero who uses slaves to avenge evil.”
“I want to teach everyone in the world how wonderful he is.”
Gashi
Rita and Rafilia hold each other’ss hands again.
“No, I think it’s better to destroy it now. It’s also an information control method!”
“This is my soul. I am going to sing it until the dayI die.”
Please stop.
But … I see. Was Rafilia the elf girl at that time?
It makes sense for Reggie to remember.
In other words, the ‘Dark Hero’ that Rafilia saw was us.
Rafilia, who was about to quit being an adventurer, got caught in the Order of Divine because she misunderstood that they were the ‘Dark Heroes”. She wanted to meet the hero she longed for once more.
… What is this… this feeling of guilt.
“But Rafilia-san, one thing is wrong.”
While holding Rafilia’s hand, Rita muttered with a serious look.
“Wrong? What is wrong?”
Rafilia mysteriously bends her head.
“I don’t think it’s fear and pleasure that dominate the slaves.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. That’s not the reason why slaves show their true power. He’s pulling out the power of those slaves via-uh, uh … oh, oh, oh.”
“Love?”
“Uh, yeah. Oh, love. I’m sure of it. I’m sure of it!”
“I see. But it doesn’t burn as a poem, so I rejected it.”
It was rejected?
In this way, I was handed down as “a dark hero who controls slaves with fear and pleasure.”
… I wonder if that memory will be erased if I doubled the reward …
By the time we got home, the sun was setting.
I introduced Rafilia Grace to everyone and went to the kitchen.
I told her about our current situation. About how a Elder Slime lives in our house, and we need an elf’s hair, nails or bodily fluids to get him out.
“… Isn’t it okay if you just give me your hair and nails?”
“No. Now that I have a job, I have to be present!”
Rafilia said, sweating because she ran around.
She was very serious. She looked like she was about to cry because she was so enthusiastic.
“I brought an elf, Elder Slime”
“Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!”
Plop, plop, plop, plop, plop!
Elder Slime still clinging to the pillars of the kitchen is still dripping blue drops.
“Please stop because cleaning is difficult.”
“Well, well, what have you brought me … oh, an elf. You look a lot like the one who made the me … My master was just as beautiful as you. I was generously allowed to eat … ”
“What are you talking about?”
I translated what Elder Slime said to Rafilia, since they can’t converse directly .
By the way, this Elder Slime was made and thrown away.
Then …
“You poor little thing. Waa..”
Poro, Poro Poro Poro!
Tears began to spill from Rafilia’s eyes.
“Oh, I was abandoned by my partymates, so I understand. I’m sorry, I feel so sorry for you.”
“Do you understand? What a gentle elf.”
Waaa…Waaaa
Uhhh…uhhh…waaaa
The elf and the Elder Slimes continued to shed tears just like that.
They hit it off in a very weird way.
“Please tell me anything you want me to do. You can use my hair, nails, or sweat. Please help him.”
“I am lucky to have met such a wonderful elf at the end of my long life …”
“Don’t I look like the same elf that abandoned you? I am so sorry. Let me know what I can do. I will do it without fail.”
“I am going to take your word for it then. Please let me eat your panties. ”
“Of course.”
When Rafilia heard the lines I translated, she turned over her skirt and put her hand on her underwear.
“Wait a minute!”
“Don’t disturb me. I’ll take it off for Slime-san ──, huh…huh…huh?”
Rafilia stopped her hand on her white underwear just before she lowered it.
Did you finally notice?
“Hey ‘Elder Slime’, you said you needed elf hair, nails or body fluids, didn’t you?”
“Hmm.”
“Then, why do you want underwear?”
“When I saw this kind-hearted elf girl, I remembered my master.”
The Elder Slime speaks with nostalgic eyes.
“The elf who made me looks a lot like Rafilia.”
It seems his creator was handing her sweaty underwear as it was, so that it would be more efficient to hand the fluid to Elder Slime. Elder Slime hasn’t died until now because it had been absorbing the panties little by little over time. It seems that the person eventually died in an accident and the Elder Slime was abandoned because she was gone.
“It is said that elf’s hair, nails, sweat and other body fluids have magical power. With your underwear, I can return to a completely small size and hide until death … ”
“…Understood”
Eh…?
Rafilia nodded looking very determined.
“… I’m the same as that elf, so I also don’t care about my underwear. It’s in” Material provision “! I don’t mind if I have to give you everything I wear! This Rafilia Grace is a person who protects someone and makes them happy! ”
“Oooooooooo”
“… But at least in a place that people aren’t looking at …”
Well, that’s right.
Cecil, Rita, Aine, and Leticia, who were watching at the entrance of the kitchen, went out to the corridor.
“Then I will be translating Elder Slime’s words standing behind the door. If anything happens, call me right away.”
“… No, please stay here with me Souma Nagi-sama.”
Gyu, Rafilia grabbed my sleeve.
“Please stay. Please.”
“No, but …”
“By all means. I feel a little strange … No, just in case something goes wrong.”
“…Huh”
I think it’s okay because we have a treaty with Elder Slime that we will not harm each other in “Food Negotiations”. However, as a person who requested a job, I can’t just leave the anxiety of the hired person alone, can I?
“Then, I’m looking towards the door, so please tell me when you’re done.”
“Ye…Yes.”
I turned my back on Rafilia and Elder Slime.
“… My Lord, what do you think of that elf?”
The magic sword Reggie placed under my feet trembled.
It whisphered so that Rafilia and Elder Slime don’t hear us.
“She maybe a good match for us, and even Elder Slime is friendly with her. If I left her as she was, she would definitely have been enslaved by the Order of Divine.”
“She also helped us with Elder Slime, My Lord.”
“And it looks like she saw our battle.”I don’t want the ‘Dark Hero’ poems to spread.”
“What do you do think about her? We can’t leave her alone. ”
“I’m thinking of asking Iris.”
Rafilia is being watched by the Order of Divine.
On the way home, I learned that she wanted to return to her hometown by boat. She was trying to get the quest to earn the money for the boat fare and the cost of staying until the boat arrived. I can’t afford to pay her that much reward.
Rafilia has been hired by Iris once, so she should be acquainted with her. Iris may be able to introduce Rafilia to some work in the mansion or to a job that don’t require her to go outside.
We can’t even show up in the Adventurer’s Guild until this matter cools down, so I’d like to meet Iris and listen to information about the Order of Divine.
“It’s a good idea. But my recommendation is ── ”
“I won’t enslave her.”
“If you just say “I’m that ‘Dark Hero’, I think she will happily be your slave.”
“There is no reason to enslave her.”
“I thought it would be useful for researching the skills that the Lord wanted. Oh, it’s about to end. She has just taken off her underwear. I cannot believe what I am seeing. Even though it’s that big, it’s wonderful and is in good shape. By the way, she is about to take off the bottom ── ”
“Don’t give me a live feed.”
“──── A”
SPLASH
There was a sound.
Involuntarily, I looked back.
I looked back and saw it.
Rafilia’s body with her underwear down to her knees is sunk into the Elder Slime?”
“Did you……. fall?”
“Ye, Yes.” ”
“Rafilia! Are you okay …?”
Elder Slime’s mucus entwined Rafilia’s limbs.
“Elder Slime! You”
“No, no. I did’t do anything.”
Juru, Piccha, Torori
The tentacle-like body of Elder Slime stripped off Rafilia’s underwear.
Also her jacket.
Also her skirt.
Elder Slime swallowed every single thing that Rafilia was wearing and spit out metal and anything other than clothes.
“Thank you for the food, elf, Rafilia Grace. Souma Nagi, thank you for hearing me out. You both are wonderful people. ”
Elder Slime’s body shrinks.
It shrinked to the size of a poster that spread all over the wall. More like a tablet. Finally, Rafilia’s body, which lost its support, collapsed.
“Because this girl is awkward, I will leave a part of my body.”
With that said, Elder Slime tore off his body and put a marble-sized alter ego on Rafilia’s back.
“It doesn’t have a personality, so it should obey this girl’s orders. Then I will tell you one last thing. This girl may have unknown skills that even she doesn’t even know. The master who made me was such a person. I feel the same sign from this girl. ”
“Skills that the person herself does not know about? Is there such a thing?”
“I don’t know if it’s invisible or if it’s has not awaken yet. However, it turns out that it is a “skill that interferes with fate.” You can find out if she awakens or you make a “master-slave contract”. I highly recommend it …”
The smaller Elder Slime slowly left through the window gap.
After all, it looks like he wasn’t a bad guy.
But …
I saw Rafilia lying down on the floor.
She was completely out of it.
She was completely unconsious.
“… I’ll give you an additional reward.”
I put my coat on the fallen Rafilia.
“Farewell. Elven girl, human boy. Good luck to your future. ”
Muttering as if praying, the Elder Slime went out of the window.
“I’m not trying to make a good story …”
The kitchen was cleaned.
He collected everything from the part that stuck to the wall and the parts that he spilled like tears.
The only damage was Rafilia Grace’s clothes and her underwear.
After all, what did Elder Slime really …
Wait?
Are you telling me this happend just to save Rafalia from being abducted by the Order of Divine? Is this Rafalia’s ‘skill that interfers with fate’? But if that was the case, the Order shouldn’t have noticed Rafalia in the first place.
No use thinking about it.
“… Let’s ask the person when she wakes up.”
“Are you considering the ‘Master-Slave Contract’? My Lord ”
“If I do, I will be the same as those Order of Divine.”
“It depends on the person who performs ‘Contracts’.She may be willing. And ── ”
I saw Rafilia’s face.
“… I did it. It’s my first time completing a quest…”
Rafilia, still unconsious, had a strangely happy face.
“Didn’t I say that she was a gem?”
Reggie, who had taken a human form before I knew it, said that and laughed.
After that, I asked Aine to dress Rafilia appropriately.
Now that we can use water, I’ll take a bath.
We celebrated “Arrival at Irgafa & Commemoration of the availability of water” with leftover ingredients. Rafilia ── It’s difficult to get an inn this late, so I decided to stay overnight.
Aine seemed to like Rafilia, who shed tears no matter what she ate, and recommended a dish that couldn’t fit on the plate. Cecil was also impressed with Rafilia saying, “She’s a real elf …”, and Rita and Leticia repeatedly thanked her for being able to get rid of Elder Slime. Leticia, in particular, may have failed her “contract” because of the Elder Slime.
After the meal, Rafilia recited a poem titled “Praise the Dark Hero.”
Everyone was very excited. They seemed to be getting along well. I was blocking my ears.
Finally, I told Rafilia that I would introduce her to Iris tomorrow, and she readily agreed.
We had some trouble, but we were finally able to calm down.
In this way, the first night of Irgafa was peaceful.
“… I’m sorry for the late night. I have a request …”
It was midnight.
I heard a voice and a knock at the door, so I opened the door.
In the hallway, Rafilia was on her knees in her nightgown.
“… So why Dogeza”
“I was taught by a certain person that whenever I thank someone from the bottom of my heart or whenever I ask someone for something, I should do this.”
Beyond the pink hair on the back of her head, her long ears were shaking.
Who spread the dogeza to the elves? Was it a visitor …?
“I have a favor to ask you, as I consider you to be a trustworthy person, Souma Nagi-sama.”
Rafilia finally raised her face.
Her purple eyes seemed to shine in the darkness.
They was serious.
She looked straight into my eyes, took a deep breath, and then…
“Why don’t you become my master and check me!?”
She declared in a hoarse voice.