Mushoku Tensei

Volume 18 Chapter 6 - Along the Way

Part 1

Next morning.

After finishing preparations, we left the hut.

The morning sun has yet to rise.

The forest looks dark, quiet, and thin.

"Well then, follow me."

With Tris leading us, we proceed deeper into the forest.

As the sun is not out yet, it was hard to tell where we were headed.

Looking at the inclined ground, it seems we are moving towards the mountain.

Without any chatter from anyone, we moved quietly.

I think we’re already pretty deep in the forest, too deep to be followed.

But after emerging from some bushes……

"Ooo……"

The forest abruptly opened up in front of us.

There is a large lake in the middle of the forest.

I can say that it’s more like a swamp, but it’s still a lake.

The half-moon shaped lake, flanked by a tall cliff and the tall forest behind us, had a clear blue color.

There is no waterfall nor river.

I wonder if it’s fed from spring water.

"This area isn’t charted on the map yet."

“This is a position that can’t be seen from far away, you guys wouldn't have managed to come here without our map."

"Hee."

Tris said as she explained this to us.

We walk along the lake shore, heading towards the cliff.

When we reached the vicinity of the cliff, Tris casted some sort of spell towards the stone tablet.

Then, part of the cliff that was facing the lake disappeared, revealing a cave.

"Over here. Be careful, the floor is slippery."

Under the cliff, Tris stepped into the lake while walking on its edges.

The part of the water near the cliff seems to be shallow.

The water is about knee deep.

"Rudeus! Let's hurry!"

Eris is looking at that scene with her eyes sparkling brightly.

It seems she wants to go into the cave quickly.

Even though she’s already 20 years old, this part of her didn’t change at all from the old days.

Well, as a matter of fact, I'd also enjoy entering tiny crevasses.

"It’s okay if you hurry along, but don’t let your horse slip and drop you into the water."

"I know."

Eris makes a face like she doesn't understand, and forcefully pulls the horse Matsukaze into the lake.

Matsukaze doesn't seem to want to enter the lake, but tugged by Eris, he gets pulled into the water.

She's almost like a Kappa…

Eris seems like she'd be good at sumo.

Does she like cucumbers?

I haven't seen her be picky about things often.

"Rudi, we’re next"

"Ah"

Prompted by Sylphy, starting with Eris, we form the horses into a line.

The water is cold.

If it's already this cold now, what about during winter?

I wonder if the horses will die in such a low temperature.

No, since the lake freezes in winter, you might be able to move more easily.

I mean, it was raining yesterday,so it’s possible that the volume of water increased.

The water probably only reaches the calf normally.

The entrance to the cave goes uphill, so we got out of the water immediately.

"Stay behind me, the road is very messy and disorienting."

Tris, leading with a torch, went through the dim cave.

Just in case, I also summoned the spirit of the lamplight.

Looking back, I see Ariel looking rather troubled by her wet pants.

"Ariel-sama, if you wish I’ll dry it for you later."

"Yes, I understand."

Ariel, with a troubled face, forces a sweet smile.

"……"

Looking back on yesterday, the fact that Tris became an acquaintance of Ariel so quickly could only be explained by good fortune.

Ariel’s charisma was effective as usual, even if the two had met by chance.

Because of that, there was a feeling of [As expected of Ariel-sama.] that spread throughout the cabin.

As for Eris, she seemed annoyed for some reason

Eris’s cranky mood aside.

Ariel seems to support me earnestly.

"……Rudi."

When Ariel and I looked at each other, Sylphy’s voice comes from my side.

"What is it Sylphy, my lovely wife?"

"Don’t stare at Ariel-sama too much, or I’ll pull your ear."

"I understand. I guess I can only stare at Sylphy."

My ear was pulled.

It’s no good even though Sylphy gets along with Ariel.

If it was Eris or Roxy then it would have been alright, but Ariel is no good for some reason.

…Let’s just say the situation is similar to that with Nanahoshi.

Looks like she thinks I might cheat again.

In retaliation, I licked her ear from behind.

Part 2

The cave floor was beautifully tiled.

It appears man-made.

“It will turn into a complicated maze up ahead, so please do not get lost.

Magic beasts do not appear often, but be careful as sometimes they may come from behind.

If you see a light in the distance, absolutely don’t go towards it.

Thats because the territory outside belongs to the Red Dragons."

We move on after listening to Tris’s various warnings.

The cave has a ceiling that is very wide and high.

Tris says it has tortuous paths, with many branching roads.

However, it's not a labyrinth, just a man-made tunnel.

"Somehow, it’s incredible."

Sylphy said suddenly.

"Rudi, is this not a labyrinth?"

"What? Oh, yeah. This is not a labyrinth."

"Such a big tunnel, how was it made…do you know?"

Asked by Sylphy, I was puzzled.

"Well………from what I heard, the Red Dragons began to live in this mountain around 400 years ago. Looking at the remnants it looks like the ones that lived here before the Red Dragons were the Dwarf race."

"Oh, is that so …… this tunnel is quite old then."

Sylphy and I walk in the cave while holding a conversation between us.

In the front, Eris is looking curiously down a strange passage, before getting pulled forward by Ghyslaine.

Just for the worst case, we stayed overnight in a place with roof, mind might loosen a little.

"Come to think of it, Rudi……"

"What?"

"……No, it’s nothing."

After Sylphy said that, she glanced back.

While slightly apart, Ariel is right behind us.

………The party must not fall into disorder.

I guess it’s better not to widen the distance from each other so much.

Demons seem to be few and far in between, but getting lost in this place is definitely no laughing matter.

Part 3

We passed through the cave.

Looking at the position of the sun, it’s just barely around noon.

Counting from the time we departed, about 8 hours have passed.

Like the entrance, the exit is also hidden by magic.

Speaking of which, we’re still in the middle of a forest.

Tris says, the time for smuggling into the border is from morning to evening.

And from the evening to middle of the night, it’s for smuggling out of the border.

This way the smugglers won’t get in each other’s way.

We were made to wait in that hut due to the timing.

"Yes, we have now reached Asura Kingdom."

Our current position should be southeast of the border.

If you head south of here, you’ll hit the Donati territory.

If you head southeast, you’ll hit the Fedoa territory.

"Ariel-sama, you have crossed the border, congratulations!"

"Eee ……Thank you."

Tris said so as a joke, but Ariel was exhausted.

Even compared to Luke and the other attendants, Ariel’s physical strength seems low.

Well, Ariel had reigned as a charismatic figure in the magic university.

Even if she can’t train her magic and perform physical exercises, she should do things such as jogging.

Even in everyday life, stamina is important.

Despite her muscle pain, she could move around.

It would be solely thanks to the healing magic.

Healing magic works well with muscle pain, back pain, and also stiff necks.

However, it can’t alleviate fatigue.

We continue while taking a break several times, and aimed to exit the forest.

Part 4

The journey from there went smoothly.

Tris knows all the back roads in Asura Kingdom.

Even though they're the back roads, they weren’t any harder to traverse on.

Also, other than the highway connecting the city and town, the back roads exists as an alternative route for convenient use.

The princess’s carriage, traveling on dirt roads normally reserved for village handcarts, unfortunately draws a lot of attention…

While we moved quickly, though we expected it, Auber’s attack never came.

……Though it can also be attributed to the routes Tris chose, but there’s no way to know if Hitogami had already known about these routes.

I guess the enemy is concentrating its forces near the Royal Palace or Imperial City instead.

Well …… whether it’s Darius’s judgment or Hitogami’s judgment, it was a mistake on their part.

Part 5

Along the way, we pass near the Fedoa territory.

A few years have passed since the beginning of the reconstruction, wheat fields are visible here and there.

The people have also become more and more lively.

But the golden sea of wheat from our memory was absent.

It would need another ten years for that to be regained.

Sylphy and Eris, with their horses in a row, are watching the wheat fields and grassland spreading before them.

The face of the two contrasted each other.

Sylphy has a nostalgic face.

Eris has a grumpy face.

"There are more fields now than when we came before."

"Really? I don’t remember."

"The reconstruction is going well."

"……Hmph, it doesn’t matter."

Eris turns away with a frown.

“Don’t say that you don’t care about this. After all, it’s our hometown. Even knowing about that, you still didn’t want to come back …… Eris? "

"No. I was hated."

"Come to think of it, I was also hated……"

Saying that, Sylphy’s eyes narrowed down in nostalgia.

How nostalgic.

Both of them were born here, but into vastly different situations.

Bullied, Sylphy could only coop up like a turtle.

Eris was bludgeoning her opponents before bullying them.

If these two met at the same time, things would have just gone wrong.

…… No, that's no good.

The scene of Eris bullying the crying Sylphy floats before my eyes.

Somewhat different from the present Eris, the past Eris seems more fierce.

If Sylphy was hanging out with Eris, it would be a day-to-day hell for Sylphy.

It's day-to-day, such as Nob○ta was beaten by Gi○nt every day.

It might also have iron fist made Su ○ oni, if Sylphy now.

"Sylphy. Just so you know."

"What, Eris"

"Even if I remained here, there is nothing I can do anyway."

"……?"

Sylphy tilted her head.

It was lovely like a squirrel.

"Oh, that’s right. Eris was the Daughter of the Lord of this area. I’ve forgotten about it."

"Hmph, just a figurehead anyway."

"But, I think Eris would be more uncomfortable with such a life style?"

"…… Right."

Eris’s mood has improved.

The wonder of simplicity.

"On top of that, I don’t necessarily want to be a lord. There are people who deemed me unfitting for that role anyways."

"I guess Eris is more suited towards swinging the sword."

"Right?"

Eris’s chat with Sylphy does not stop.

"But, if things happened differently, there’s a possibility that Eris would have become a noble of the Asura Kingdom."

"There isn’t."

“And I feel that Rudi would have married Eris, and helped her from the shadows. And with Rudi’s help, Eris would become the Head of Boreas in no time."

Sylphiette, that delusion is an overestimation.

"So, Rudi abandons me, approaches Ariel-sama. The House of Boreas becomes Ariel’s faction, Rudi’s and Eris’s companion, and as a result of that they wage a battle against Darius and Grabell."

I disagree.

If that were the case, did Sylphy intend to abandon me?

If that were the case, Sylphy and I wouldn’t meet again.

Well, it is just a delusion, but it’s quite good.

"What else would be different?"

"Eris is the head of the Boreas house, Rudi is the lieutenant. I think you would be a match…"

"I’m only good at swinging the sword every day and making babies with Rudeus."

Eris said so frankly.

Even though I was listening, I felt embarrassed.

Sexual harassment.

"Sylphy, are you not satisfied with just that?"

“Honestly, I’m satisfied. After marrying Rudi, I was allowed to have a fulfilling life."

"……"

“Soon after marriage, Rudi and I were also like monkeys in heat. Rudi carried me into the bedroom with an erotic face when we were home alone. As for me, my heart would beat quickly thinking [I wonder if Rudeus will make me his today too] and…Ah, this isn't something to talk about during daytime, is it."

Oh, that's right, we should probably stop.

Starting from a while ago, Eris was watching jealously and stealing glances at me.

I’ll probably be kidnapped into a bush by someone with an amazing naughty face tonight.

Although I welcome it, I’m worried.

There is no time for such things right now.

"Although I’m fine with things as they are now, I might become paranoid about the possibility of another wife."

"…… I also wonder about the possibility of having children."

"Huh, the child of Eris and Rudeus will most likely become naughty kids."

"What you mean by that ……"

If they inherited my genes, they’re going to be a lustful guy without exception.

If its like that, I'm worried about Lucy’s future.

Even if Sylphy isn't too lewd, her grandmother is Elinalise after all.

Those tendencies might become worse by mixing with my genes, my child could grow up into a man eater of innocent, honest boys.

All right, this requires moral education, and continued vigilance of her growth as closely and as early as possible.

"I want a child soon."

"You will be able to soon. Eris is from the human race, so your affinity with Rudi is better than mine."

Why would Sylphiette-san say something so self-depreciating?

The affinity between our bodies is outstanding.

Even now my inner beast is on alert and it'll be ready to make a second child with Sylphy.

"Though, instead of a child, right now it’s more important to protect Rudeus."

"That's right."

The casual conversation continues.

Sylphy will teach Eris cooking when we get home. What Roxy is doing right now. The regional specialties of Fedea region. Meagering, leaiaurely words.

Eris doesn't speak much, so Sylphy keeps the conversation going, but it doesn't feel forced.

Listening to them converse is soothing, and hugging Sylphy from behind makes me feel

secured.

Even though we could be attacked in any moment, I couldn't help by dooze off.

Part 6

After travelling for about ten days, we arrived at a town called Rickett.

It’s a great town that connects the end of the Donati territory to the Asura capital.

The flow of traffic stretched from northern to central Asura.

Though, there are more merchants traveling northward than southward.

Therefore, people such as village chiefs from the Donati territory are attracted here.

Selling their crops into the south, as well as buying crops from other regions.

It feels like an important trade hub in the Asura Kingdom.

Saying that, I wonder how important this place is to Asura Kingdom.

Trading towns such as this are larger than the Magic City Sharia.

Normally, we try to stay hidden on the way to the capital.

We collect information from each village, but always hiding our tracks from our pursuer.

In a city as large as this though, hiding places and places where we can be attacked are both hard to come by.

Rather, its the opposite, this is a good place to hide.

Although I think that, unfortunately we stand out from the crowd.

It’s a given for Ariel, but Ghyslaine, Eris, and Sylphy also stand out.

Their appearances as individuals are too unique.

Also, Luke is a celebrity in the Asura Kingdom.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to avoid this town.

Though Tris is familiar with the roads, she can’t make new ones.

Roads are made to connect one place to another.

It might sound like I'm waxing poetics, but I'm quite earnest here.

Basically all roads from the capital city to the Donati territory pass by this town at some point.

Being such a convenient choke point, the possibility to get ambushed here is high.

It's the next checkpoint after crossing the border.

And, although I thought that.

We didn't get stopped by guards at the entrance to the town, and there were no soldiers in armor setting up roadblocks inside the town either.

Guided by Tris, we’re moving to her recommended hotel.

It's an ordinary inn at first glance, but it's an inn that consists of only gangsters and those who were in organizations similar to Tris.

The buildings that surround the inn are all properties of the organization, and in an emergency, we can also escape using an underground passage.

It’s just like a Ninja House.

Ariel stays inside the inn and Tris went out to gather information.

The rest of us act as Ariel’s guards.

Part 7

Currently, Ghyslaine and I are near the stairs on the first floor.

Sylphy and Eris are near Ariel’s room on the second floor.

We are all guarding our respective locations.

In the room with Ariel are Luke and the two attendants in disguise.

Though I think it’s unlikely, I hope that Luke doesn’t go berserk and attack Ariel.

If he does go mad, before he lunges at her we can do something…

Hopefully.

I look Ghyslaine.

"……"

Standing to the side of the stairs, she was looking towards the entrance with her ears up.

Recently, I haven't had many conversations with Ghyslaine.

She is engaged in the role of escort more seriously than I am.

I tried to make conversations.

But she said it interferes with her hearing and stops the conversation.

Maybe she hates me?

Such a thought sprouts.

But she doesn't even hold conversations with Eris, always diligent.

"Rudeus."

This time, she suddenly spoke to me.

"Yes, what is it"

"I was saved the other day."

…… The other day, when?

"When I was blinded by Wii Taa."

Oh, that fight in the forest.

"No need to thank me, supporting you is the role of the rear guard"

"Your quick wit reminds me of the old days."

When she says old days… that would be ten years ago.

Comparing to back then, I've changed quite a lot about myself.

Though in the eyes of Ghyslaine, I did not appear different.

“But your wit will also get you into trouble one day. When that happens, rely on Eris-ojousama.”

Oh.

That’s what Ghyslaine is talking about.

The fact that I always try to do everything myself.

"Eris-ojousama worked hard for that.”

"…… Right."

I wonder why.

I want Sylphy and Roxy to sit tight at home.

But I don’t think the same about Eris for some reason.

As you say, Ghyslaine, it’s probably because Eris has been working hard for that.

That effort is showing its results.

An image of Eris that stays put at home never crosses my mind.

I mean, Eris says she wants children, but I wonder if she is going to sit still.

…… I'm worried.

"……"

Afterwards, the conversation dropped.

What should I do?

I wonder what I should talk about.

Old things, uh, uh.

"Incidentally, Ghyslaine do you still practice your reading and writing?"

"Oh sorry, after I learned it, I've never practiced again. Now I have forgotten most of it despite all of your hard work. I'm sorry."

What a great attitude.

I want Eris, who also didn't remember most of it, to emulate that.

"The guys from the Holy Land of the Sword didn't believe that I was able to write letters."

"But it should've been easy to prove?”

“… No, because most of the guys can’t read or write either, so they think it’s just scribbles.”

"Haha."

I want to see that sight a little.

"What about you? Are you still practicing the sword?"

"A little. When I have time, it’s part of my exercise routine, practice swings."

"I thought because you’re a magician you've stopped training them."

"Even for a magician, muscles are necessary. Right?"

I am not aiming for the top in sword skills.

Paul, my goal for that, is gone.

Though I was able to teach a little swordplay to Norn.

But, in this world of swords, not being able to wear touki is deadly.

"Do you remember the promise of the old days, Rudeus?"

"Promise of the old days?"

"Did you forget? About making a doll of me."

Oh, come to think of it there was such a promise.

One made on my 10-year-old birthday.

How nostalgic.

"I heard from someone that you’re still making dolls. When you have time, make one of me again."

"Yeah, of course"

"I do not know much about art, but I like the dolls you make."

Those were some moving words just now …

Why do the people of this world like this kind of talk before battle.

Although somehow I became anxious.

It’s not a death flag.

No, I'm aware.

It’s the opposite.

Since I've retained the knowledge of my past life, to speak like that before a decisive battle would be considered a death flag.

However, this world is different.

You have to collect all that give you a reason to live, and when push come to shove those reasons will decide life or death.

"Mhm."

Then, Ghyslaine twitches her nose and ears.

As I tighten the grip on my staff, becoming alert, Ghyslaine waves me down.

"No, it's all right."

A person walked through the door of the inn, Tris.

Holding a bag in each hand, she closes the door with her foot.

As she walks steadily towards us, she holds out one of the bags.

"Good work. Here, have some rations."

"Thank you very much."

"Be grateful to Tris-neesan as you accept this."

Inside the bag are pear-like fruits.

She took one, and tossed it to Ghyslaine, who began to eat it without peeling off the skin.

"Well, good luck."

While waving her hands, Tris went up to the second floor of the inn.

I think in the past ten days, she has fit in quite well.

Personality-wise she’s similar to the two attendants.

A fellow Ariel believer.

A little cheeky, but not a bad person.

Though her dress is quite revealing, I’m troubled about where to look.

In terms of how revealing it is, Ghyslaine’s clothes are comparable, but in Ghyslaine's case it's the style of a warrior.

Muscle is an art.

"Tris’s mood is good today."

"That's true, I wonder if something happened."

While talking, I also picked up a pear.

I peeled off the skin with a knife and took a bite.

It tastes crunchy, but less sweet, and sour.

The fruits of this world aren't very palatable in general.

Well, this one is not that bad.

"She might have gotten some good information. Gisu is like that too, in times like these, his mood would improve tremendously."

"I see."

Ariel constantly have Tris collect information about one thing or another.

From the location of Darius’s private army, Auber and everything else.

She reports everything that has caught her eyes to Ariel.

After organizing such an enormous amount of information and sifting through them, she comes to me for consultation.

I mean, there is a possibility that I've also missed important information… but.

There’s probably no other option than to give up for that matter.

Because I'm not talented enough to control everything.

“Come to think of it, Gisu had said that he’s going to Asura Kingdom. Possibly, we might meet up somewhere "

"If he's here, he'll be the one to find us."

True.

Gisu is that type of guy.

He discovers you, but he doesn't make contact then and there, he instead takes action to set up a passionate reunion.

He's probably trying to produce an exciting reunion.

"A guy like him. Being bad at gambling, he would have left to another country anyway."

"Gisu is bad at gambling?"

"He is only good when there is no money."

This was a story I heard from Roxy, though.

Asura Kingdom seems to be a country where an adventurer can’t easily live.

In addition to the small number of demons,

Knights are sent to rural places,

Court magicians and Knights are sent to do monster hunts on a regular basis which also serve as training and exercise.

Hence, the number of monster subjugation requests is next to nothing.

Because the major guilds have something like collection teams, there are no gathering and harvesting quests.

Guards are not requested since the danger zone is small, so it’s a relatively safe place in many cases.

Speaking of quests that are available, there are time-consuming tasks such as plain delivery quests or search quests.

Though there seems to be something like farm helpers that are needed now and then.

Anyway, the work for adventurers is almost nothing compared to other countries.

This trend increases as you move closer to the Imperial City, the capital Ars,

Even if there is a small number of young adventurers going to the local territory Donati and Fedoa territory to increase their rank, when their rank goes high enough they would move to the north or south.

If you are strong or educated, I hear you will be employed as bouncers and tutors, but jobs like that are only a handful, since in the first place there is no need to be an adventurer.

In short, because Asura Kingdom already has many specialists for various tasks, there aren’t many jobs available for adventurers.

Questionable meat-heads are not needed here.

The Holy Kingdom of Milis also have an Adventurer’s Guild, but the story is similar there.

"…Mhm?"

Ghyslaine voiced, whilst twitching her ears.

Her expression is a little tense, maybe an actual enemy is coming this time.

I hurriedly throw away the pear core, grip my staff, and stare at the entrance.

However, Ghyslaine’s gaze isn’t at the door entrance.

It's at the top of the stairs.

My ears hear the voice of someone arguing from the top of the stairs.

What?

"For now, I will take a look."

"Okay."

If you go up the stairs, you can see Eris and Sylphy are watching the door with an anxious look.

Did something happen?

"Sylphy."

"Oh, Rudi. A while ago after Tris-san came back, Luke and Ariel-sama started arguing for some reason."

"……"

Luke and Ariel fighting?

Hey hey, even though she said things like [Entrust Luke to me]…

No, maybe fights are important to have every once in a while?

"Excuse me, it’s Rudeus. I’m entering."

Just in case, after I knock once, I enter the room without waiting for a reply.

There, Luke stood with a pale face,

Sitting on a chair, was Ariel with a straight face.

And, there was Tris, looking troubled.

"Rudeus-sama, you’ve come at a good time."

Looking at me, Ariel’s face remained calm as she said that.

"Did something happen?"

"Yes. Tris brought some information."

Tris who brought that information had a troubled face.

"What information?"

"……Information regarding Sauros Boreas Greyrat."

Sauros.

So, it’s concerning the promise with Ghyslaine.

Did she make Tris look into it?

"Events in the Asura Royal Palace, rather than in the capital, the people from this region are more knowledgeable about that. If you know things you’re not supposed to in the capital, the royalties will have you silenced."

I guess it’s something like that.

"I see. And the person who arrested Sauros-sama, who is the main culprit?"

"Main culprit …… you say? "

"……"

Luke’s face is scary.

Ariel wears a Noh mask.

It is a face with no emotion.

"Again, that person was from our faction. Moreover, that person has had a personal grudge against Sauros-sama ……"

Ariel said without putting on airs.

"It’s Philemon Notus Greyrat."

Philemon killed Sauros.

Well it would be likely.

The Notus house was the largest noble house in Ariel’s faction.

The Boreas house sits opposite of the Grabell faction.

They’re enemies.

On top of that, Philemon personally hated Sauros.

There is no reason not to act given the chance.

I guess that’s to be expected.

Whatever you say about Sauros, he was still a lord at that time.

Even if he lost his territory, he had the protection of the first prince's faction, he wouldn't have been able to lose his standing if the person responsible wasn't a noble with the same level of power as him.

"…So, what do you intend to do Ariel-sama?"

"As promised, I will leave him to Ghyslaine"

Luke chewed his lips.

Well, someone is angry about it.

Ariel knew how much Luke values his House.

In this case, prioritizing Ghyslaine over Luke.

“Ultimately, Philemon-sama… and whether the Notus house has really betrayed us. I still can’t confirm the credibility of this information.”

" …………"

"Supposing that we’ve been betrayed, then I will execute Philemon. Then I will appoint Luke as the head of the Notus family at that time "

"If you have not been betrayed? "

"I will persuade Ghyslaine and we will settle for another person’s head."

" …… Who is that other person? "

Ah, I see, even if Philemon is the main culprit, she still has uses for him.

Keep her tools alive, kill others.

Selfish, but it can’t be helped.

I am no saint either, I can’t afford to care for people outside of my circle.

"Luke, that’s alright with you, right?"

"…Whether it’s betrayal or murder, there isn’t a shred of evidence."

Luke had a sour face.

I understood at the beginning, but now it's a face that I can’t read.

He’s not giving much of a reaction even when he hears that his parents are going to be killed.

"Someone might be trying to lure us into a trap…"

Saying that, he looked at me for an instant.

"Luke, rest assured. As I said before, Rudeus-sama will not take over the house of Notus.”

"Ariel-sama, talking about that in front of Rudeus is…!"

"No, exactly because he's in front of us, I need to be clear about it."

Said Ariel while inhaling a big breath, as if to make a declaration.

"No matter what achievements he accumulates during this fight, I have absolutely no intention of granting nobility to Rudeus-sama."

I have no intention of accepting it either.

I've never thought of such a thing.

" ……"

But Luke’s face when he heard this.

I’ve become a mortal enemy to him.

Part 8

The next day, there was a report from Ariel.

Thanks to the fight yesterday, Luke finally confessed.

As it turns out, Luke had indeed received advice from Hitogami.

As for the advice, Luke received just one.

The timing was while preparing for the trip.

What he heard is basically『Beware of Rudeus's betrayal.』

Hitogami said:

Desiring to be a lord of the Notus House, Rudeus will defect to Darius’s side.

The purpose is status, money and Ariel’s body.

Without being discovered by Sylphy, I acted behind the scenes.

Pretended to be Ariel’s ally and led her into traps by the day.

Passed information to Darius by the night.

All of it has been secretly planned by me from several years ago.

Marrying Sylphy is also a part of my plan.

That Rudeus sure is talented.

So talented that I wanted to trade places with him.

If I can be so cold blooded, my life would be much easier.

At first Luke thought, [There's no way Rudeus has interest in social status] and didn't believe it.

I didn't think that he had so much confidence in me, but I suppose that matched my usual behavior.

However, with the transfer magic circles’ destruction recently, then the betrayal of the Notus House, Hitogami’s prophecy began to hit the mark.

With these things happening, Luke’s trust in me began to wane little by little.

So he readily believed in Hitogami, and came to look at me suspiciously.

By the way, It seems that even now, he still doubts me.

But Ariel seems confident she has him under control.

Well, if the degree of advice Luke had received was just that, we could probably take it easy for the time being.

The fact is, I've never even seen Darius's face,

I’m not interested in Paul’s former home,

And it's not like I need Ariel's body, either.

No matter how much Luke is suspecting me, it’s all a baseless lie anyway.

Lousy advice from Hitogami.

I understand very well, that guy didn't expect anything from Luke.

Anyway, with such a lousy story can't stick even on someone suspicious of me.

Fitting the right story for the right person is important.

Part 9

I went out to town the next day.

Luke was standing around acting hostile towards me, and acted in a way to separate me from Ariel as much as possible.

Since Ariel declared that I won't be made a noble, he probably thinks that I will kill Ariel and deliver her neck to Grabell.

However, being separated wasn't that bad.

Knowing Luke’s way of thinking, his actions are limited.

Now the number of things to be concerned about in this journey have decreased by one.

I don’t know if she anticipated all this, but Ariel's ability should be praised with [As expected of Ariel].

Oh yeah, as for avenging Sauros, Ariel told everything directly to Eris and Ghyslaine.

“And that’s why, the one who took down Sauros-sama may be someone from my faction.”

"Is that so?"

"Fuun."

Eris wasn't interested even a bit, but Ghyslaine’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.

But, that doesn't mean Eris didn't take interest at all in the conversation, I understood that when I saw her hand gripping the sword on her waist.

Her finger lost color and turned white, she is trying to restrain herself.

"Ghyslaine, do you wish to kill me?"

" ……No, I will kill the enemy that you've prepared for me."

Ghyslaine seems to be obsessed with killing Philemon.

I wonder if she can be persuaded, but this was Ghyslaine’s aim all along.

Eris was silent.

But, nodded so as to follow Ghyslaine’s words.

"Well, I will also kill the enemy that’s trying to attack Rudeus."

Eris is as usual.

After that, all that remains is the capital.

It should take about 20 days.

While taking several detours, we headed to Asura Kingdom’s capital.

We arrived at the Imperial City Ars.