Volume 3 - CH 7.1

Translator: DarkHeartedAlchemist  Editor: Weasalopes

Chapter 7: Let’s Show off Our Power

「Why do I have to take one for the team here as well, general?!」

Sarnak lashed out at Aur as soon as he saw Aur’s face.

Bran seemed to be only interested in Froro. Aur ordered Folio to chain him up, but other than that she received no specific instruction on how she should treat him. She had no choice but to put him in chains and throw him into her 『Tool Bag』. It wasn’t an ideal solution, but it was much better being questioned why she didn’t kill him later (even though Yueloi said that there was no need to do that), and killing him would be an outright waste.

「Do we have any sort of plan?」

「Of course we don’t.」

Sarnak said so bluntly and confidently.

「Folio, can Sarnak’s Skill defeat Bran?」

「Maybe it can, or maybe it won’t be possible?」

Folio folded her arms on her chest and tilted her head.

「She is a typical musclehead, but she’s not a total idiot either. If she didn’t give me any orders regarding Sarnak, then that means that she does not see him as a potential threat at all.」

Sarnak bit his teeth when he heard that. But he had to agree that it was probably the case here.

「Please, general.」

Sarnak lowered his head before Aur. It was something that he has never done before.

「Three times have I been defeated, and now I understand. My Skill is not as strong as I thought it was.」

Folio thought to herself that it was not the case at all, but she didn’t said anything.

「But, the thing is, I could never even imagine how I would not win…」

Sarnak shook his head as if he wanted to say 「No, that’s not it」.

「…. I could never imagine losing.」

Bran showed them an attack that was powerful enough to destroy even the Dungeon Cube with a single blow. However, that Skill was supposed to be something entirely different from Radico’s 「Silver Arm」. If it is all about pure destructive power, then it’s not going to work against his 『Steel Shield』, meaning that he won’t lose to it. With that in mind, Sarnak finally realized. It was exactly that type of thinking that made him lose not one, not two, but three consecutive battles with his opponents.

「I… I still think that my 『Steel Shield』 is invincible. However, if I keep that up, I will most definitely lose another battle. And so I ask you… teach me. Tell me what should I do to never lose again.」

「… I guess so.」

Aur put his hand on his chin and thought for a bit.

「Truly invincible or not, there can be no doubt that your Skill is powerful. However, the way you operate it is the problem here.」

Folio came to exactly the same conclusion.

「How I… operate it?」

「Yes. Because you only think that it can prevent attacks from reaching you.」

「It’s not like that?」

Aur nodded his head. A Skill that invalidates all attacks coming towards him. That reasoning made him almost drown in Folio’s 『Tool Bag』.

「Essentially, I see it as a Skill that absorbs the energy it comes into contact with, making it possible to use not only for defense, but also for attack.」

「I never thought about it in such a way, but that is precisely why I aske din the first place. Tell me everything you know. I’ll do anything.」

Aur nodded once again and shifted his gaze to /folio who stood beside him.

「If that is the case, then I believe we have someone better than me to guide you.」

「Eh? You mean me?」

Surprised, Folio pointed at herself.

「I’m new to this world. I don’t know exactly how many Skills there are and what they do, but that’s not the case with you, right?」

Using the 『Tool Bag』 as a pitfall, utilizing the properties of the 『Steel Shield』 against its user, increasing the flame’s speed of attack due to constant acceleration… none of the uses mentioned above were legitimate ways of using their respective Skills, and she would have never come up with any of them unless she was extremely knowledgeable about all of them.

「For example, I am sure you came up with many more ways of neutralizing the 『Steel Shield』.」

「*Sigh* Well, I guess you got me there.」

Folio just dropped her arms and nodded.

「You… are you asking e to be taught by a demon?!」

「You said that you would do anything not two minutes ago.」

Aur casually responded to Sarnak’s outburst.

「Uhm, Aur, if he does not want me to teach him then I don’t really mind…」

「That’s out of the question.」

Aur shook his head as Folio folded her wings as if they have withered.

「Sarnak. The main reason why you keep losing is because you cling onto that useless pride of yours. If you really want to grow up as a person, that is the thing you have to get rid off first.」

「Guh…!」

Sarnak clenches his teeth and looks at Folio with his eyes full of hatred.

「Please…. teach, me ……」

「Please teach me, master. The master part is super important, so don’t you dare ever forgetting about it, Sarnak.」

Veins pop up on Sarnak’s temples, and there’s actual blood coming out of his mouth.

「Please teach me…. Mas…. TER!!!」

And then Sarnak bowed to her.

「H-Hey, Lord Aur… do I really have to teach this guy? Because I think he’s going to have some serious attitude problems and I don’t like it.」

「Sorry for having you do this, but please go along with it for now. I’ll be with you, so rest assured.」

Aur pats Folio’s head and whispers the words of encouragement to her.

「Well… I guess it’s going to be okay then.」

Folio fluttered her wings happily, and then glared at Sarnak with sharp eyes and an evil smile on her face.

「If you will still lose even after going through my tutelage… I’ll make you regret it!」

「Hyiiiiiii….!」

Folio screamed and hugged Aur, leaving the terrified Sarnak behind

「Stop! Bran, don’t do this!」

「You don’t have to be afraid, Your Majesty. It’s okay, I’ll make you feel good, so leave everything to me.」

Middle Level, Bran’s bedroom. There, Froro was forcefully laid on the bed. Bran didn’t look like her hands could be very strong, but she was able to firmly hold Froro down and stop her from rampaging too much, completely blocking her movements.

「No… this is embarrassing!」

「But such an expression suits you oh so well, Your Majesty.」

Froro’s face was twisted with shame as Bran slipped a metal rod into her.

「It’s going to hurt if you keep resisting, so I advise that you don’t do that.」

「……….!」

Froro stiffened, hearing Bran’s voice which was as gentle as ever, but it was clear that she won’t tolerate any resistance.

「Good girl.」

While stroking her hair, Bran pulled the metal rod out.

「……! Hnn….!」

Froro desperately tried to refrain from making strange noises as her entire body continued to shake. Meanwhile, bran put the rod in again, slowly turning it in her slender fingers.

「Nnn, fuuu… ahhhhhh….」

She inserted it deeper and deeper into her narrow hole, cleaning everything out of it. When she was done, she smiled with satisfaction.

「Alright, that one’s done. I will take care of the other one, so please turn to the other side, Your Majesty.」

「I told you to cut it out! I’m old enough to clean my ears myself!」

Froro got up from Bran’s knees and shouted.

「Oh? But you used to beg me to do it for you when you were little.」

「T-That was a long time ago… geez! Why won’t you ever listen to a word I say, Bran?!」

Froro shouted once more, angerly turning her head to the other side, resting it on Bran’s soft knees.

「I always listen to you, so you can leave everything to me, Your Majesty. Or should I call you princess, like back I the good old days?」

「See? You’re not listening to me at all…」

Bran’s demeanor has always been smiling and calm, but she never backed down once she decided on something. She carefully cleans the holes in Froro’s ears, so she had no choice but to entrust herself to her

It’s been ten years since she last did this for her … since Her Majesty the Demon Lord lost her position due to the rebellion of humans, as a result of which Froro was exiled to the Bottom.

「I’m sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. From now on, I will take care of you here forever.」

Froro stiffens in a different sense from before.

「What do you mean?」

「The world outside is dangerous. At that time I did my best to let you escape, but now I can protect you here.」

The entrance responded to Bran’s words and closed behind her. When Froro turned back, the thick steel door has already been sealed shut, cutting off her only way of escape.

「So stay with me here forever, princess.」

Stroking Froro’s cheek, Bran whispered to her in a gentle voice.