CH 67

Now, what is the place where Ichiko was transported to?

(Ichiko POV for the whole chapter)

“Ah… I knew it.”

Upon sighting the name of the building, an involuntary sigh escapes my lips as I mutter to myself.

However, on further reflection, there were many factors that led me to have this assumption before reaching here: ice, snow, penguins, rocky land devoid of any plants, and so on. I suppose it makes sense in a way.

Even so, the name of this building determines my present location.

Yes, the name of the building where I am now is Showa Station[i]. It is a base established by that[ii] country in “Antarctica”.

…Antarctica huh… I’ve been sent to the furthest reaches of the globe… How am I going to go back…? Hahahaha…

Ah, somehow I’m feeling very demoralized. At least there is salvation… the fact that the presence of demons exists suggests that there is a Demon King somewhere on this continent, and depending on his mindset and abilities, there is a possibility of reaching another continent by exploiting the Demon King, right?

“First of all, I should go inside and check if there is anything that can be used.”

Taking a gander around the base, I observe the interior through a window that provides a glimpse within.

There is no sign of anyone inside the station, and the place appears to be in a bit of disrepair, perhaps from lack of activity over a long period of time. However, the door leading to the outside is securely locked. Since there are some traces of battle, it is likely that the Demon King withdrew from the Antarctic Continent shortly after appearing there, judging it to be risky.

Now, if it is locked, I guess this will do.

I walk to the front of the window, where the inside of the nearest room can be seen. Then,

“Activate ≪Sword of the Formless King・Weak≫.”

After I activate ≪Sword of the Formless King・Weak≫, I use its teleportation ability to move to the room.

Now, let the search begin.

I take a sweeping glance around the station.

Hmm. Apparently, the power supply is practically completely dead, and the communications equipment has been destroyed. Well, it seems to have been unattended for at least half a year, so it is no wonder.

And I have the feeling that something is inching closer to this station.

They are most likely demons or kin of the Antarctic Demon King, given the enormous quantity of Edge Penguins in this area.

First, should I conceal my presence and keep an eye on the situation?

“Gah-gah! Gwaaah! Gagaga!” “Buooooobababau.” “Woof, woof, woof!”

Let’s see, since the beginning, there have been Edge penguins, seals? (they’re too big, almost like Steller’s sea lions) And then the doggy demons.

And also…

“You’ve got to be kidding… Although I received the news, there must have been close to a thousand Shujin[iii] penguins in this area, and they were all wiped out… Who in the world could have pulled something like this off?”

There is one bald-headed man dressed in a white coat.

Even though he is speaking the language of my country, from the looks of it, he must have been from another country’s base and was transformed into a kin by the Demon King of Antarctica.

So, what shall I do now? If a battle were to break out, even if the young man depended on his abilities, I would undoubtedly prevail. However, by finishing off the young man, my relationship with the Demon King of the South Pole will end up being untenable, and above all, I will lose the connection to what lies ahead.

The ideal situation for now is to stay hidden here and then follow him back to his master, confirming the dungeon’s location before settling on a future course of action. If possible, I would move to another continent.

“Well, according to the Polar Queen-sama’s words… ‘the person who created this disaster has the characteristics of a typical Japanese with black hair and black eyes. However, she is short and her chest is about the same size as mine (朕[iv]: mine/I). Her equipment is a fur coat and a black gauntlet on her left hand. Her sword appeared at will, so she may have teleportation or generative abilities’.”

Ah, as expected, after 1000 feathers are cut, the details of my skills will be exposed to a certain extent.

I mean, the name “Polar Queen” is probably the Demon King’s name, but since that man also said that her breasts are the same size as mine, the Polar Queen also possesses the same size of a hill… alright, I should stop thinking this. It makes me sad to think of it myself.

By the way, isn’t the honorific pronoun “朕” used only for males… or could any distinguished individual use it?

Well, let’s leave that part aside, shall we?

“But what do you intend me to do with someone who possesses such an exceptional strength… Hm? Ah, yes.”

Hm? Have you started communicating with the Polar Queen?

“Yes. Yes. Yes. I understand. Then, in that case…”

Mmm. I am intrigued by the content, but with my skills and abilities, I have no means of finding out.

And it seems that the communication has come to an end. He is turning in my direction.

“Well, I don’t know where you are, so let me pass on the words of the Polar Queen-sama right here. [I am sorry for what I did a while ago. To counter against the demons of the other Demon Kings who crept out of the sea and assailed us, I had my Shujin penguins on standby, but since my orders were to attack all strangers, they assaulted you].”

Ah, I see, so that’s why they pounced on me the moment I came into view.

“[I have no desire to cause additional harm, but I am keen to know as to what has prompted this development. I would like to be informed for the sake of future reference as to exactly what method was utilized that brought you to this place, etc].”

…So this is what happened.

“[Furthermore, I will place Bob Southall on this spot as a guard for you. If anything were to befall Bob, I will do everything in my power to eliminate you.] Wait, Polar Queen-sama!?”

I have the feeling that Bob-san is a highly diligent guy.

Nevertheless, under this condition, even if Bob-san dies from a living being other than me or from a demon, the Polar Queen will strike me, right?

“Hah, it can’t be helped.”

While exhaling a sigh, I have opted to negotiate for the future.

T/N:

[i] Showa Station is a Japanese permanent research station in Antarctica

[ii] “That” country is referring to Japan

[iii] This has nothing to do with a kin. It’s just the name of the demon penguins

[iv] The Polar Queen uses 朕 (Zhen) as a first-person pronoun which is a pronoun used by Emperor only