The Hidden Elven Refuge

"Hmm... Guess it's still not good enough."

I floated above the castle with [Fly] and amplified my [Search] spell with my

divinity, but I still couldn't search the entire world. That was because [Search]

worked by stretching out my magic power and resonating it with the magic

already present in the atmosphere, allowing me to look anywhere that wasn't

protected by magical wards or other such preventative measures.

However, since I was utilizing my divine power to use [Search] this time, I had

to spread out my own divinity to create the required surface area. But as it

stood, I didn't have enough divinity to cover the entire world. As my divinity

increased, I'd eventually be able to do it...but I couldn't just yet.

Yakumo had told me that the wicked devout were spreading some kind of

drug that either destroyed or mutated people, and that they were probably

planning something big. Plus, to make matters worse, the drug was apparently

formed from the remains of the mutants I'd fought.

I thought I'd eliminated all of the mutants during the clean-up after the final

fight with the wicked god, but apparently, I'd missed some... Or perhaps some

had just been hidden from me. It was possible to use wards to hide from my

detection abilities, after all. That was why I'd decided to use [Search] to try to

track these wicked devout people down, but it hadn't worked. I couldn't even

locate the Ark they'd stolen from us, let alone the people themselves. Part of

me wondered if it was being kept in the space between worlds, like where the

Phrase hid during my battle against them. It was annoying that they were

sneaking around the world in this way. I wished they'd just attack me head-on.

They probably knew I'd crush them if they did that, though.

As I was pondering the matter, I looked down and saw a ferocious clash taking

place. Yakumo was wielding a wooden sword in the training field. Her foe was

none other than her mother, Yae. It was a mother-daughter showdown, just like

when Frei fought Hilde. Linze had also fought Linne, come to think of it... Both

Lu and Arcia had fought as well...in the kitchen, anyway. I wondered if mothers

competing against their daughters was just a normal thing in our family.

"Kokonoe Secret Style: Lightning Flash!"

"Kokonoe Secret Style: Dragonfang Disaster!"

Their weapons swung at intense speeds. Even though they were using

wooden training swords, I'd reinforced them enough to withstand the

monstrous strength that members of my family possessed.

...Why do those swords look sharper than usual? Just how many times have

these two fought?

I apprehensively headed down to the training field. There was quite a crowd

gathered around it to watch the clash. Not just knights, but maids and civil staff

as well. And among them, I recognized a familiar face.

"Oh, Jutaro? You're here?"

"Ah, Touya-dono... Er, no. Grand Duke Brunhild. A pleasure to see you."

The stern-eyed man who was so attentively watching the clash was none

other than Jutaro, Yae's brother and Yakumo's uncle. He was staying in Brunhild

as a guest of our castle to be specially trained in the art of combat. His fiancée,

Ayane, was here as well, of course. Sometimes he'd train with the knights, but

at other times he had personal training sessions with Moroha.

I'd already told Yae's parents and Jutaro about Yakumo. They were surprised

at first, but ended up accepting the news faster than I'd expected.

"What do you think of them?"

"What do I think? Well...it's quite hard to put into words. It feels as though

Yae has overtaken me, and even her daughter has as well... It makes me

question my own strength," Jutaro answered, his shoulders drooping slightly.

Honestly, I felt he was being a bit too hard on himself. He was already a very

strong man. After training with Moroha, he became even more skilled, so there

wasn't a single knight in my order that could beat him in a sparring session. I

didn't think it'd be an exaggeration to say he was among the best warriors in all

of Eashen. That said, he'd probably never be able to reach the inhuman peaks

Yae and Hilde had reached, so I could understand his feelings.

"Kokonoe Secret Style: Prodigal Wind!"

"Kokonoe Secret Style: Flying Swallow Rend!"

Their swords clashed once more. Yae attacked from below, sending Yakumo's

sword flying into the air and completely disarming the girl.

"Match over! Yae wins!" Moroha, who was playing the part of a referee,

called the end of it. Shortly thereafter, the crowd erupted into applause.

"Hmm... You seem to be well-trained, you do."

"Ugh... I can't believe I'm no match for you even when you're younger..."

"I know the feeling, sis..." Frei muttered, understanding of Yakumo's plight.

Your mothers are already at the level of servile gods, especially with those

wedding rings they have on. It's not reasonable to expect to be able to defeat

them, kids! Hell, the fact that you guys can even face them head-on is

something to be proud of, I think.

"My turn next. Are you ready, Yakumo?"

"O-Oh, yes. D-Don't go too hard..."

Hilde, her own wooden sword in hand, stood up to face Yakumo. The fight

between the girl and Yae must have really riled her up. She looked raring to go.

Hmm... After the fight with Hilde, she has to face the true boss character,

Moroha. Sorry, Yakumo... Your dad can't get you out of this one.

At the very least, I'd be able to use [Refresh] on her afterward. No doubt

she'd definitely need it.

Do your best, kid... I'm rooting for you!

◇ ◇ ◇

"Ugh... I'm so tired..." Yakumo wailed. She was exhausted after the fight, so it

was a small mercy to have the opportunity to plop down in the Parent Café. The

group she was with was large enough that they had to push two tables

together. In total, there were eight of them, and they were all sisters aside from

Allis.

Yakumo, who was the eldest and usually maintained a dignified presence, was

showing them a very undignified side of herself.

Quun seemed to find this especially amusing, so she teased her by saying,

"Looks like you're quite popular, dear sister."

"I never asked for this..."

After Yakumo's fight with Moroha had ended, she'd been approached by so

many knights who wanted to duel her that she ended up fighting the entire

order at once in a big, flashy final bout.

"Consider it punishment for your wanton traveling, hm? Maybe you'll learn

something."

"I've learned plenty already..." Yakumo grumbled, biting back at Arcia's snide

comment. She'd already been lectured enough by her mother.

"Hey, hey! Yakumo! Did you fight those wicked devout people?!"

"Yeah! Did you win?!"

Allis and Linne suddenly switched the topic to something more pressing.

Yakumo smiled softly as she brought a glass of water to her lips. She then set

it down and sighed quietly before replying, "I fought two of them. A man in a

strange helmet with a blue hatchet and a woman in an iron mask with an

orange mace. The one in the helmet escaped during my fight with him, and I

escaped from the woman in the mask during my fight with her."

"You escaped?"

"I had a companion with me, so I had no other choice. Otherwise, I would

have made a stand. He called himself the professor, had a lot of Gollems, and

—"

"Th-The professor?! Y-Y-Yakumo?! You met the professor of all people?!"

Quun practically leaped out of her chair, raising enough of a ruckus to turn the

heads of some nearby diners.

"Hm? Didn't you know? I thought he went to see Elluka..."

"He did?! I-I have to go!" Quun exclaimed, then immediately dashed out of

the door and left the café.

Yoshino shook her head, apparently disappointed that one of their sisters was

so eager to flee their lunch.

"We haven't even gotten our orders yet..."

"That's fine. I'll eat Quun's share," Frei responded quickly, grinning wide due

to her good fortune. Apparently, she had no issue with her sister ditching them.

"...So, what can you tell us about the wicked devout?"

With Quun's outburst over, Yoshino veered their conversation back on topic.

"I didn't really fight either of them properly, but I think any of us are strong

enough to defeat them. Our mothers would destroy them. They seem to

possess unique powers, however. The masked woman had an ability not unlike

yours, Linne."

"Like mine?" Linne asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"She had something similar to [Gravity] imbued in her weapon. Maybe the

helmeted man's ability to teleport things is his own specialty as well. Their

hatchet and mace were suspicious enough on their own, actually. I could sense

a strong portion of the wicked god's power inside them."

"Oh, that reminds me. The wicked devout member that stole the Ark had a

strange red rapier as well..." Yakumo's words reminded Arcia of that little

detail. She hadn't got a chance to see it clearly, but it was enough of a similarity

to point out.

"Then they could be some manner of sacred treasures imbued with divinity?

Wicked treasures, perhaps?" Frei mumbled to herself as the waitress finally

showed up with a serving tray full of desserts.

"Sorry for the wait there, kids! Here's your fruit parfait and your Mont Blanc."

"Yay!"

The fruit parfait was placed down in front of Linne, while Arcia took the Mont

Blanc. Then, the waitress began serving the rest. Frei had a mille-feuille, along

with a tasty-looking roll cake. The roll cake had been Quun's order, but it wasn't

hers anymore.

"I'm just glad we've all made it here without an issue so far."

"You might've made it back easily enough thanks to your teleporting,

Yoshino...but Elna and I lost our phones in a river the moment we showed up..."

Yoshino casually chomped at her shortcake as she spoke, much to Linne's

chagrin. Yakumo and Yoshino could warp across long distances, Quun happened

to materialize not far from Brunhild, and Arcia was able to make use of

Distortion Blau to arrive faster. The others, however, each had a rougher time

as far as actually making it home went.

Frei had ended up materializing on the faraway island of Helgaia, but she'd

managed to use her phone to make contact pretty easily.

"Hmm... Kuon and Steph still aren't here, are they? Do you think they

might've run into some trouble? Lost their phones like we did, maybe?" Elna

mused quietly as she poked at her strawberry tart. Kuon was a pragmatic boy,

so there had to be some reason why he hadn't simply called right away.

Frei laughed quietly as she started to polish off her cake, then replied, "He

usually has a level head, but our Kuon might be out of his depth this time."

"No way! He's got a really level head! That's what I love about him!"

"Hah. There you go again with your Kuonmania, Allis..." Linne mumbled,

shaking her head in disbelief. Kuon and Allis had been just about inseparable

since they were babies, probably because they were around the same age.

Nobody knew exactly when Allis had started to develop her crush on Kuon, not

even the sisters at the table. However, one could probably consider it a natural

result. After all, Kuon was the only boy Allis's age who was capable of matching

pace with her. And as far as the sisters knew, Kuon cared about her as

well...though he wasn't nearly as open about his feelings as she was about hers.

"You really like Kuon, don't you?"

"Of course! He's strong, and cool, and gentle!" Allis replied, smiling innocently

in the face of Elna's question. Her upfront manner was enough to make the

sisters chuckle nervously, but it was the kind of thing that would make poor

Ende grind his teeth in worry if he'd heard it.

Kuon and Allis were both on great terms with the other's parents, so the only

one who was a stick-in-the-mud about it was Ende. Really, the two could've

been engaged to be married then and there, but Touya had a firm policy of

allowing betrothals only when the kids came of age, and on the kids' own

terms, so it hadn't reached that point on an official level yet.

Of course, that line of thinking wasn't solely for the sake of his children. Touya

had very much not wanted his children to have politically motivated fiancés at a

young age, so it was more for his own sanity than anything else. That was why

none of Touya's children were engaged, even though they were all royal

princesses.

There were various individuals from other nations who had made formal

inquiries for possible betrothal arrangements, but Touya had denied them all

outright. None of the sisters really had any particular interest in relationships

yet, so all of them were fine with it.

That digression aside, the girls were still pondering the fates of the remaining

two siblings.

"Do you think Kuon and Steph both lost their phones, then?"

"I could definitely imagine Steph doing it... She lost her phone more than a

few times back in our time, didn't she?" Arcia said, letting out a sigh as she took

a sip of her tea. Their youngest sister, Stephania, was at best naive and at worst

catastrophically dense. Whenever she had an idea, she'd usually just charge in

without thinking at all.

Arcia reasoned that Steph had no reason to fear anything because of how

ironclad her defenses were thanks to her [Prison] ability. There was nothing

that could harm her when she activated it, after all. Any little girl who perceived

herself as physically invincible would end up charging headlong into trouble all

the time, unfortunately.

Linne turned to Arcia, who seemed to have the best understanding of Steph's

character, and asked, "Who do you think will show up next, then? Steph or

Kuon?"

"If Steph's further away, then it'll have to be Kuon. He'll definitely have

started heading straight for us, but..."

"He usually has a level head, but our Kuon might be out of his depth this

time," Frei repeated herself as if to end Arcia's sentence.

Nobody disagreed with that assessment. Sure, Kuon was a certified genius,

but he was also a bit inexperienced in the ways of the world. Thus, he regularly

found himself getting into trouble without meaning to, much like his father.

"I hope he hasn't run into trouble..." Yoshino mumbled to herself, hoping for

the best. Everyone at the table prayed for the same thing.

◇ ◇ ◇

"This is trouble..." Kuon mumbled. He found himself stranded on a country

road on the way to Gallaria, the capital city of the Regulus Empire.

There was a mountain of corpses strewn all around him. Goblins, hobgoblins,

goblin archers, goblin mages, goblin soldiers, goblin rangers, goblin generals,

goblin lords, and even a goblin king...had all fallen due to his might.

Why had so many goblins been there to begin with? That was a rather poorly

timed stampede. The carriage Kuon had been riding in ended up getting caught

up in said stampede.

The goblins chased after them at full speed, and in the confusion of it

all...someone had pushed Kuon off the carriage. The boy had been completely

stunned. He'd felt the hand on his back, and then he was on the ground as the

carriage sped away.

The man who'd done it was someone who'd been annoying Kuon the entire

trip. He'd been complaining and grumbling for the majority of the ride. He'd

clearly pushed Kuon off the cart in a panic, to stall the pursuing goblins.

The idea was probably to offer up a sacrifice, and the easiest target would've

been the child who was traveling on his own. The man was the kind of coward

who'd consistently pick on the person he viewed as weakest.

Kuon had only a few moments to get his bearings straight as he fell to the

ground, but he quickly hopped to his feet and cast one of his father's signature

spells.

"[Slip]!"

"Gwaaakgh?!" a goblin bellowed in confusion before tumbling head over

heels. Kuon rushed in, grabbed the rusted sword that the goblin dropped, and

promptly killed it before turning to face the others.

"Graaakh!" a goblin soldier roared as it swung its weapon toward Kuon.

"Whoops!"

Luckily, the boy promptly ducked, his eye glowing an orange-gold hue all the

while. That was the power of precognition. It was one of Kuon's seven mystic

eyes; namely, the one that allowed him to predict his enemy's movements. It

worked similarly to his mother's ability of foresight, but it only activated in very

short bursts. That still made it an effective tool for avoiding enemy attacks,

however.

Kuon set about dodging attacks, stealing weapons, and using said weapons to

slaughter the incoming goblin horde. After ten minutes or so, he was the only

one left standing.

When Kuon was thrown off the carriage, he'd lost the bow and arrow that

he'd brought with him. Fortunately, he had everything else he owned in the

backpack he was wearing. Thus, the only question that remained was how to

proceed.

"Should I walk from here?" Kuon muttered, pondering the matter.

He waited there for about two hours, but there were no signs of his original

carriage or any new ones. He had little choice but to set out on his own. He just

had to hope that the man who'd shoved him off the cart would be charged by

the relevant authorities at the end of his trip.

"They probably think I'm dead..."

There was a town that wasn't too far away, but in light of the stampede, it

would've either been evacuated or fortified, so there was no point

investigating.

The boy heaved a small sigh and took out a map from his pocket. He'd bought

the simple cloth map from a store before he'd gotten on the carriage. Kuon's

father, Touya, had mapped out several regions using his phone. He'd then sold

the cartographic information to various nations, creating even more intricate

maps for public consumption. They weren't cheap, but they were useful in

times like this, especially since he'd lost his smartphone.

"Hmm... I departed from Betan, and we would've passed through Lybub

soon...so if I cut through this forest here, I should reach Gallaria shortly. At

worst, I'll arrive at a town closer to it."

Kuon looked at his map, then looked at the dense woodland to his left. It

would be faster for him to cut through the woods than to follow the road. The

map showed a pretty dense area, but the boy didn't mind a challenge. Sure,

there could've been monsters or beasts in there, but those wouldn't pose much

of a threat to him.

Kuon began to search through the pile of dead goblins for a suitable weapon.

The one wielded by the goblin king appeared cleanest, but it was far too big for

Kuon to wield effectively.

"This one should do..." he mumbled as he picked up a knife that had been

wielded by one of the goblin soldiers. It had likely been looted from an

adventurer fairly recently, since it wasn't as worn or chipped as most of the

other weapons the horde had wielded.

Kuon would've preferred to have a scabbard, but goblins weren't civilized

enough for such things, so instead, he pulled a cloth out from his backpack and

wrapped it around the knife. Then, he slipped it into his coat pocket for ease of

access.

"Maybe I'll find a beast that can give me a ride..."

One of Kuon's mystic eyes held the power of subordination, a force that could

compel animals and monsters alike to serve him. Unfortunately, it had specific

working conditions and wasn't always reliable, so it was basically down to luck.

"Let's get going. No point just standing around," he muttered to himself for a

bit of inspiration, then headed toward the dense woodland in front of him.

The forest was so overgrown it almost felt like the place was attempting to

actively deny entry to all outsiders. Most people who came upon these woods

would've found them off-putting. There was some kind of silent pressure

emanating from the trees.

Danger. Run away. This forest is dangerous. Flee. Danger. Leave. Fear. Fear.

Fear.

Any normal person would've heeded the building anxiety induced by the

silent waves, but Kuon simply moved forward without a care in the world.

It wasn't that Kuon couldn't sense it. If anything, the pounding intimidation

was nipping right at him. He just didn't have time to spare.

"This is some kind of magical ward...and a powerful one too. Does that mean

there's something special in this forest?"

Kuon used the knife he'd looted from the goblin to cut away at the branches

and shrubbery as he passed on through. He couldn't help but find the place

stranger as he moved deeper. It felt as though something was nearby, watching

him, but he couldn't tell if that was just an effect of the intimidating ward.

After a while, a dense fog rolled through and it became harder to see. Kuon

could barely even make out his hands in front of him at that point, which he

found odd, as fog typically formed when the temperature was low and there

was high humidity. That was typically why fog rolled in after the rain, after all.

And yet, the forest was neither cold nor humid... He'd also felt a pulse of magic

power nearby.

Upon adding all those factors up, it became clear that this fog was likely manmade, probably by the same people who'd placed the ward around the forest. If

this was an attempt to get Kuon lost or remove him from the forest, then...

"Stop right there," a voice rang out from the fog, bringing Kuon's motions to a

halt. It was a hoarse voice that seemed like it belonged to an old man. Kuon's

instinct about being watched was seemingly correct, and now this person was

using the fog to obfuscate himself.

"Young one. Turn back at once, lest you incur the curse of calamity... Leave

this place..."

"No, I'm good, thanks. I just want to get through the forest as quickly as I can.

Do you want an offering or something? I can pay."

"Wh-What?" the hoarse old voice replied in confusion, wavering slightly.

Clearly, whoever was speaking had expected Kuon to react fearfully...not like

this.

"We need not your money, child. Leave this place at once unless you wish for

monsters to gnaw at your bones."

"Look, I don't really care what you say here. I need to get through this forest

to reach the other side. I'm not going to turn around, okay? I mean you no

harm, so just let me pass."

"No! Turn back!"

"Not happening."

"No fair! Come on!"

Kuon started to move again, and the voice grew a little more strained. The

boy picked up on the sounds of rustling leaves above him. It seemed whoever

was speaking to him was hiding up in the trees.

"...What are you doing?! Get him to turn back!"

"Ugh, I guess I've got no choice here... We'll scare him a bit more, don't

worry."

"Hm?"

Kuon's ears picked up on two hushed voices this time. The sound of a young

man and a young woman. The hoarse voice was most likely an act they'd been

putting on. And so, he decided to keep his ears open as he continued to move

through the woods.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared before him. It was a hulking creature that was

about four meters tall. Its body was made of wood, but it had a generally

humanoid shape. With every step it took, bark flitted from its form.

It was a Wood Golem...and a juvenile one, at that. Fully grown ones were six

meters tall at the very least. Still, it was massive compared to the six-year-old

boy it stomped toward.

"Graaargh!"

Kuon cast a silent glare toward the creature. Whoever had been speaking to

him clearly interpreted that as a sign of fear, and they spoke once more with

reclaimed confidence.

"Begone, intruder! Lest the Golem of the Woods strike you dow—"

A loud crash rang out as the Wood Golem's tiny head cracked open and fell to

the ground, severed from its broad shoulders. At the same time, a deep roar

rumbled out from its body. It fell backward and shattered into pieces in an

instant.

Kuon heard two horrified gasps resound from above.

"Huh. So Golems don't count as living creatures, eh?" Kuon's eye glowed a

reddish gold as he muttered quietly. It was one of Kuon's seven mystic eyes,

bearing the power of compression. It was an eye that could compress matter

just by staring. There were some limits, however. He couldn't crush objects that

were too sturdy, he couldn't use it on living creatures, and it had to be things he

could clearly see. The eye worked on things like Skeletons and Zombies, so Kuon

thought to use it to target the core in the Wood Golem's throat. Much to his

surprise, it actually worked.

"What is this kid?!"

"He's not normal!"

The voices had grown so flustered that they weren't even hushed anymore.

Kuon had heard the words "not normal" several times in his youth. All of his

siblings had heard those words, really. He was used to being seen as something

not quite human. It wasn't exactly the nicest feeling, but that didn't mean he'd

shy away from his powers. His powers were part of who he was; they were

precious gifts from his parents.

Kuon walked past the Wood Golem's remains and headed deeper into the

forest.

"A-Aaah! Wait! Wait!"

"Oh no! Get him to stop!"

A rustling sound rang out into the woodland as the man and woman finally

jumped down from the trees in front of Kuon.

They both had long ears, and they wore green clothing. The latter was likely

for camouflage in the forest, but the former...

"Oh, you're elves."

"You can't go further! Please, turn back!" the male elf yelled at him. He'd

already drawn a bow, aiming an arrow steadily at Kuon.

The female elf had a magical staff pointed at the boy in a similar fashion.

"As I told you, I just want to pass through. Can't you just look the other way?"

"Enough! We've warned you several times!" the male elf barked as he let

loose one of his arrows, and his companion conjured up a sphere of water

about the size of a man's head.

Kuon promptly used his knife to bat away the arrow, and he simply stared

down the water sphere as his eye glowed blue-gold. The sphere evaporated

into nothingness right before it hit him. Both elves were stunned by that turn of

events.

"What?!"

"How?!"

"Magic doesn't work on me. Well, it's not exactly that. I can just cancel its

effects using my mystic eye of negation."

There were some limits to this particular power, in that he had to be able to

see the entire range of the magical effect. That was why he couldn't use it to

cancel out the fog, since he couldn't see all of it. It was a similar limitation to his

compression eye, but he could at least activate that one from a distance.

"Huh?! What?!" the mage woman sputtered as she tried to conjure another

sphere, but it fizzled away the second it formed at the tip of her staff.

"Wh-What are you?!"

"I'm Mochizuki Kuon. Kuon is my given name. Can I pass through now?"

"That's enough, all three of you," a new voice suddenly called out,

interrupting Kuon's introduction.

Three elves appeared from the underbrush. One of them wore a grass-green

robe, and it was clear from his adornments that he was different from the

others.

"Elder!"

Despite his title, the man looked no older than any of the other elves around

him. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties at the oldest, and his long golden

locks had not the faintest hint of gray.

"Human boy, we've inconvenienced your passage. For that, I would apologize

and invite you to our elven refuge. You can rest there, wash up, and be on your

way."

"An elven refuge? I appreciate the gesture, but I'm kind of in a hurry..."

"Sunset comes soon, boy. Try to wander through the woodland in the dark

and you'll be lost all through the night. Stay the night with us, then leave when

the light returns."

Kuon looked upward and saw traces of the dusk sky peeking through the

branches above. He was on his own, and camping in the woods didn't sound all

that much fun. He'd probably have to sleep up in a tree branch just to avoid the

wild animals. He didn't have much food, so he started to consider his options,

but there was something he had to verify first.

For just a moment, Kuon's eye flashed a stunning platinum. He'd triggered a

special ability that allowed him to determine a person's intentions and feelings.

It was the very same power his mother held. He sensed no malice in the elves,

only an abundant sense of wariness. There were also traces of fear within,

though he couldn't tell if that was related to his presence or the presence of

something else...

"I'll stay with you tonight, then. Sorry for the trouble, Mochizuki Kuon at your

service."

"Mmm... I am Wolfram, chieftain of the elven village in these parts. I can't

offer you much in the way of luxuries, but I can at least provide a warm bed and

a hot meal. Colette, show him through."

"Me?! R-Right... This way, please..."

The elven mage who'd tried to cast a water sphere at him earlier let out a

small yelp before composing herself and guiding Kuon away. As she and the boy

wandered off into the depths of the forest nearby, the elf with the bow and

arrow spoke up against his elder.

"What are you thinking, sir?! We can't let such a dangerous child into our

sanctuary!"

"There's something about him. He's powerful for his age. Very, very

powerful... He may be able to aid us."

The chief had quietly observed Kuon dispatch the Wood Golem. He'd quietly

watched as the boy had rendered the two other elves powerless. After seeing

all that, he wondered if the boy's mystic eyes were the reason for such

strength. He wondered if that strength was enough for what he required.

The chief quietly headed back to the village, clinging to a quiet hope that

salvation may have finally arrived.

◇ ◇ ◇

The elven refuge existed in harmony with nature. There was a single large oak

tree in the middle of the village, and various suspension bridges jutted out from

its canopy, leading to other buildings in the upper branches of the surrounding

trees. The entire village was suspended off the ground.

There were a few lights scattered here and there, illuminating the dark. Upon

closer inspection, Kuon found that they were actually fireflies in little glass

bottles. They weren't ordinary fireflies, though. They were flashflies, a type of

magical firefly that absorbed ambient mana and discharged it in the form of

powerful light. In short, they were animals that could naturally cast the [Light

Orb] spell from within their bodies.

Kuon realized that the reason they were being used as a light source was

because it would be unwise to use torches, as bringing an open flame out near

the branches and leaves of the trees was a dangerous move.

The hut he'd been taken to belonged to Colette's father, the village chief. To

Kuon's eye, they had looked like siblings, but that was elven immortality for

you. Long-lived species barely experienced physical change once they finished

maturing. Two of Kuon's mothers, Leen and Sakura, had already finished

maturing by the time Kuon was born. All of his mothers were blessed with

various forms of divinity, however, so their aging processes would be abnormal

no matter what.

Kuon was shown to his room, then was asked to come and eat. Chief

Wolfram, along with his wife, Ursula, and his daughter, Colette, sat at the table.

"My apologies. I can't offer you more than this."

"No, it's fine, really. If anything, I'm incredibly thankful."

Kuon took a look at the food spread out on the table. There was bread, a leafy

salad with beans in it, and a soup with boiled veggies and roasted meat inside.

A common stereotype about elves was that they were vegetarian, but that

wasn't true across the board. The meat was fairly simple, just some manner of

lightly salted poultry, but Kuon found himself enjoying it quite a bit.

As Kuon ate his meal, which was far heartier than he had initially assumed,

Chief Wolfram spoke up, asking, "Now then, Kuon, where are you off to?"

"Brunhild. I'm headed there to see my family. I was planning to stop by

Gallaria first, but I lost my way and decided to cut through the forest instead."

Gallaria, the capital... You're not wrong in that it's faster to cut through the

woodland, but we had wards in place designed specifically to prevent

trespassing..."

"You did, but they wouldn't work on me."

Wolfram couldn't help but find himself baffled by Kuon's casual response. He

couldn't understand how the boy had so easily bypassed the warding left to

Wolfram's people, the last magical remnant of a mighty ancient civilization. His

wife and daughter could barely believe it either.

"You're quite remarkable for a human, young Kuon..."

"Oh, well... My family's far more remarkable than I am, I think. We spent a lot

of time training together."

To be more specific, Kuon had trained with the goddess of the sword, the

goddess of the hunt, and the god of combat. His mothers and sisters were

insanely skilled people as well.

Wolfram was hesitant for a moment, but he finally mustered up the courage

to speak to the strangely imposing boy.

"I have a favor to ask of you, young Kuon..."

"What kind?" Kuon poked at some veggies with his fork as he casually replied.

He'd been expecting something like this.

"This forest is also known as Deity's Grove. My people guard this place."

"Huh? Guard? So you've got something sealed up here?"

"Aye, we do. This forest contains a vile Artificer, a great monster from an age

long past. It's said to have wreaked havoc during the era of a great magical

kingdom, destroying all in its path."

Artificers were monsters that were created by human hands, the product of

magical research. They were also known as artifact creatures. They ranged from

simple to catastrophic, and it was even believed that Slimes were originally

created by people as well.

Golems, Gargoyles, Chimeras, Mimics, and Homunculi all counted as

Artificers. And apparently, one such creature was sealed within this forest.

"The beast's fetters are all but torn apart, and its miasma is already leaking

out into the surrounding area..."

"Oh, I see. That explains how weird things felt earlier."

The ward in the forest was designed to instill unease, but the presence Kuon

had felt was far more intense than a simple spell.

"So, what kind of creature is it, exactly?"

"I can show you, if you'd like to see it with your own eyes."

Kuon was a little surprised to hear that. Usually, sealed beings were locked

away deep in the earth, or someplace out of reach.

When they finished their meal, Chief Wolfram and his daughter left the house

with Kuon.

Wolfram held a flashfly lamp in his hand, illuminating the dark path in front of

them. The seal was apparently right on their doorstep, on the biggest tree in

the center of the village. It only took a few minutes for Kuon to see what all the

fuss was about.

"The tree itself is the seal, keeping it held back. But as you can see, it's

weakening."

"What is this thing?" Kuon asked as he looked up at what could only be

described as a sword wrapped in vines that held it against the tree.

It was a broad weapon with a silver-white sheen. Its hilt had beautiful golden

lines etched into it, and an ominous red jewel slotted in the middle. It was

definitely a sword...but did a sword count as an Artificer?

Kuon tilted his head slightly, staring the blade down. And eventually, he heard

a voice.

"Kill... Kill... Slaughter... Break... Ruin... Kill... Kill... Cut... Slice... Slash... Hack...

Gouge... Slaughter..."

"Whoa, scary," Kuon said as he took an uneasy step back. There was

murderous intent emanating from the blade... It almost felt like it was alive.

"The Mindsword. It's a cursed weapon with an evil will. This Artificer was

created by an ancient civilization some five thousand years ago. Our protective

tree keeps it sealed, but eventually it'll break free and wreak havoc upon us all

once again..."

"I don't know about eventually... It looks ready now."

Right as Kuon said that, the sword began to shake against the vines holding it

in place. The wood crumbled away, allowing the blade to slice off even more of

its restraints.

"N-No! It can't be!"

"KILLLLLL!"

The demonic sword broke free of its fetters completely to float in the air in

front of Kuon... It then turned its tip toward him.

"SLAUGHTER!"

It sailed through the air like a loosed arrow, desperate to impale the child on

its blade. Just when it looked as if Kuon was about to be skewered, the blade

stopped in midair and fell to the ground with a clatter.

"C-CANNOT BE! STUCK?!"

"So you move around with magic, huh? Too bad, I negated it."

Kuon's eye was glowing blue-gold. His mystic eye was canceling out the

magic. Even if Kuon couldn't see the spell, he could comprehend it and see the

area it was affecting. Thus, he could cancel it.

The Artificer rested helplessly on the ground, its means of motion taken away

entirely.

"Man...you're a pretty bad sword, aren't you?"

"WRETCH! ME... REND YOU!"

"Wow. You're one rude sword. Hey...that gem on your hilt... That's your core,

right? Will you stay alive if it gets destroyed? How about we find out?"

Kuon's left eye shone with a red-gold light, triggering his compression ability.

Kuon's mystic eyes could be triggered from either one of his eyes, and he could

even use them in tandem like this.

Kuon's left gaze settled on the red gemstone embedded in the sword's hilt. It

began to make a creaking noise.

"S-S-STOP! STOP! ENOUGH! TOO MUCH!"

"Hm? What was that? Enough? You think you're in a position to command

me?"

The gem started to make an unpleasant grinding sound.

"GYAAAGH! W-WAIT, PLEASE. ME. BEG OF YOU."

The blade grew more desperate as time went on. The core was the source of

an Artificer's life. Much like the Wood Golem Kuon had killed earlier, this blade

would die if it lost its core.

Usually, an Artificer's core had some kind of protection around it. This sword,

for example, had a regenerative ward placed on it that made it harder to

destroy. However, Kuon's mystic eye had already negated that as well.

Both Colette and her father watched in disbelief as Kuon relentlessly bullied

the sword with the threat of impending death. Their people had given their

lives to protect the seal. They'd all been prepared to unite and give their lives to

reseal it, should the day come...and yet, a six-year-old boy was giving their

existential threat a psychic noogie.

"Er... Kuon?"

"Oh, sorry about this. I just need to teach this thing some manners, okay?"

"Er, right..."

Kuon kept threatening the sword by holding its life in his hands, and the

sword kept begging for forgiveness. Then, when things started to die down...the

sword immediately flew back up into the air and tried to kill Kuon once more. It

didn't take long for the mystic eye to trigger again, and for the Mindsword to be

back on the floor, screaming for mercy all the while.

"I'm sorry, kid! I won't disobey you anymore!"

"Oh, now you can speak properly? That's funny. What about your broken

speaking pattern earlier?"

Creak... Creak...

"GYAAAGH! PLEASE STOP! I'LL DIE! IF YOU DO IT ANYMORE I'M REALLY

GONNA DIE! PLEASE!"

The sword's screams echoed through the elven refuge. At some point along

the line, the gem turned from red to pale blue, as if to mirror the blade's horror.

Kuon had subdued the blade, so now it was his to command.

◇ ◇ ◇

"I got carried away... I didn't mean to cause your people such unease over the

years, really. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me..." the cursed blade said

as it awkwardly bowed its hilt in apology.

The elven villagers were so stunned by the sight that they found it hard to

even respond. After all, the wicked creature they'd dedicated their lives to

sealing away was now groveling at their feet. They were somewhat happy and

somewhat just plain confused.

"He seems sorry to me, so if you could let this slide..." Kuon said, then bowed

his head, prompting the flustered Chief Wolfram to dismissively wave his hand.

"E-Er, it's fine... None of us came to any direct harm or anything, so..."

"Thanks for that, I appreciate it. So, uh, what should I do with this sword,

anyway? Destroy it?"

"Forgive me, kid! Please! How about I join you, yeah?! I'd be a good

companion!" the sword begged as it pressed its pommel up against Kuon's leg,

desperately clinging to him for mercy.

Kuon grimaced slightly at the thought of it accompanying him.

"You placated it, so we'd be happy to leave the decision to you, young Kuon.

The stain upon it seems to be gone."

The "stain" the chief referred to was a common feature of Artificers and

artifacts. In short, Artificers gradually absorbed negative emotions over time,

and they could influence those around them with what would then manifest as

a curse.

Kuon's father had once encountered a stained artifact back in Eashen when

he fought Yamamoto Kansuke. The man had a crystal artifact in his eye that was

deeply stained in negative feelings.

The stain manifested in different ways. Sometimes as a result of the artifact's

purpose, as was the case in Eashen, and sometimes as a result of the object

being used to slaughter many, as was the case with this blade.

Cursed objects often also possessed incredible power, however...

"I guess I am in need of a weapon, but..."

"That's right, that's right! Toss away that dirty goblin dagger, boy! Take me

with you!"

Kuon didn't really like the idea of wielding a talking blade. He knew his sister

Frei would've loved the prospect, but he wasn't so easily impressed. He

wondered why the sword talked so weird too. Also, why it was being so

submissive. Was it just trying to humor him, or was that actually how it was? He

knew that the Babylon gynoids all had their own weird speech quirks, so it

didn't throw him off too much. It was still annoying, however.

Kuon had a sneaking suspicion that the sword might've been one of Doctor

Babylon's creations, so he turned to face the sword and asked, "Who was your

creator?"

"Hmh? Some cheap bastard named Chrom Ranchesse. Hated that guy."

Kuon's eyes widened upon hearing that. Chrom Ranchesse... He was the

legendary Gollem meister who had created the crowns and transcended the

barrier between worlds around five thousand years ago.

Kuon had heard a lot about Chrom Ranchesse from Doctor Babylon and Quun,

because his mother Yumina was the interim master of Albus, the white crown.

Though honestly, he'd never expected to hear that name here of all places.

"...If I wield you, will there be a price I have to pay in compensation?"

"No, sir! That Chrom jackass was trying to make new Crowns. Ones that didn't

cost anything. I'm a prototype."

In other words, Gollem technology was at play in this sword. There were

types of Gollems on the western continent that were more like equipment than

actual autonomous machines, so the cursed sword here likely fell into that

category.

"C'mon, boy. Pick me up. Take me with. You'll never go back to any other

sword after feeling me."

"You're being too pushy about it..." Kuon sighed and picked up the blade by

the hilt. He gave it a few brief swings. It wasn't too heavy, nor was it too light. If

anything, the blade was perfectly suited to him. There was one issue, though.

"You're a little too large for me."

"Really? Give me a second, then."

A literal second passed before the cursed blade shrank. It had been a

broadsword before, but now it was more of a shortsword. It was the ideal size

for Kuon.

"You can change your size like that?"

"Sure can. To an extent, at least. I can even do this!"

The sword suddenly expanded to the size of a greatsword with a huge, broad

blade. Kuon's father had a spell called [Modeling] that allowed him to alter

shapes like this, so the blade must've worked off a similar principle.

Kuon thought quite highly of the blade's capabilities, but he didn't say it out

loud. After all, he didn't want the sword getting full of itself or anything.

"I have a ton of other features...but you can find those out later!"

If this magic blade was truly one of Chrom Ranchesse's creations, then it

doubtlessly had some fascinating history and abilities yet unknown. It had

piqued Kuon's personality, at the very least. And so, he decided then and there

that he'd bring it home to have Elluka and Doctor Babylon look it over.

"Oh, young Kuon. We can't possibly let you go without at least preparing a

scabbard for the blade," Chief Wolfram interjected, as Kuon swung the sword

around a few more times. He had a point. Waving a sword like that around

unsheathed would just invite trouble.

"Wowsers. Thanks a ton, sir. I don't want grime getting on my blade, you

know?"

"Does that matter to you?"

"Think about it, boy! The blade is a sword's face! Would you want mud on

your face?! That'd make you a big disgrace!"

Kuon understood the words, but he couldn't help but notice that the blade

was positively filthy from years of exposure to wind and rain while strapped to

the side of a big tree. The boy decided not to mention that, however.

"Thank you so much for freeing us from our duty, young Kuon. We'll prepare

a banquet at once. Please join us."

"I appreciate that offer, really, but I only had dinner a little while ago, so I'd

prefer to decline if possible. I'm a bit tired too..."

Though night had fallen, it wasn't even ten o'clock yet. Wolfram couldn't help

but smile, remembering that the little boy in front of him was just that, a little

boy.

Kuon headed off to bed, while the elves prepared to feast and celebrate. Just

to be on the safe side, they wrapped the tree branches back around the sword

for the rest of the night. The elves feared the blade may try to escape or attack

while Kuon slumbered, but the blade denied any thoughts of doing so.

"If I try anything funny, he'll really destroy me. I believe it, fully. That little

devil would smile while doing it too. Believe me. I saw it in his eyes. There's

wickedness there. I'm not gonna disobey him, no way..."

The elves couldn't help but almost pity the blade as it trembled and shivered.

If it could perspire, it would surely have been sweating bullets.

"Here, we made you lunch. You can eat it on your way."

"Wow! Thank you so much."

The next morning, Kuon had walked toward the edge of the village with his

cursed blade in tow. Much to his surprise, however, Colette had followed after

him with a gift.

The cursed blade jutted out of Kuon's backpack, nestled safely within a black

sheath that the elves had fashioned from local materials. Kuon wasn't wearing

him at his waist, though, since that felt a bit uncomfortable.

"I hope you come back to see us again. We'll treat you to the banquet we owe

you when that day comes."

"I'll be sure to. Thanks," Kuon replied as he waved back to the village elves,

who were standing in the distance to see him off. According to the information

he'd been given, he just needed to walk straight through the forest to reach the

road to Gallaria.

"Where we off to, anyway?"

"A smaller country, Brunhild. I'm gonna see my family, but, uh...don't talk to

me while we're on the road like this, okay? People will think I'm weird."

Any onlookers would have seen Kuon talking to himself and gotten confused

by the sight. Kuon was just as concerned as any other person would be about

general public perception.

"Humans sure have strange manners."

"If you ask me, it's swords that have strange manners. By the way, do you

have a name? Did Chrom Ranchesse give you one?" Kuon asked something he'd

been wondering about for quite some time.

"Infinite Silver, if I remember right."

"Infini...what? That's too long. Let's just call you Silver."

"Huh? Fair enough, I guess. Oh, kid. We're nearly out of the woods."

Silver's words prompted Kuon to look up ahead of him. And sure enough, the

forest parted and revealed a sloped hill with a nearby road down from it.

"Hmm... Let's see... Sun's over there, so Gallaria's gotta be over that way."

Kuon found his bearings, hefted his backpack, and began making his way

down the hill. He had a bit of a spring in his step, perhaps because he was finally

free of the woods. If he could get to Gallaria, he'd be able to find a carriage

straight to Brunhild. He was excited to finally see his family again, but he also

knew he'd have to do a little bit of shopping. After all, his sisters would be mad

if he didn't bring them back some souvenirs.

It wasn't easy being a little brother to so many demanding sisters. Thankfully,

Gallaria was the heart of Regulus. There was no better place for shopping. And

in the absolute worst-case scenario, he'd be able to hand off Silver to either Frei

or Quun. They'd like that as a gift, surely.

"Hmh?! Didja just think something bad about me?!"

"You're imagining things," Kuon said, shushing the worried blade as he began

a brisk walk along the road to the capital.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Let's celebrate the four of you with a toast! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

I raised my glass...and everyone followed after me. The tavern was

completely packed with adventurers, so the hustle and bustle was louder than

ever.

"Congrats! Have a good one!"

"Treat yer wives well, kid!"

"C'mon, lads! Drink more! We're celebratin'!"

At the center of this raucous torment was the man of the hour, Ende. Today

was the day he'd gotten married to Melle, along with Lycee and Ney as well.

The after-party was being held at the adventurer's guild tavern in Brunhild. Allis

and my children had attended the ceremony, but they'd been sent home to bed

once night fell. This party had a ton of rowdy adventurers attending, after all.

It'd be bad for them to see all that. Yumina and Linze had offered to look after

the kids, so they were even babysitting Allis in the castle too.

We'd reserved the tavern for our celebration, and most of the attendees were

adventurer friends of Ende or women that Melle, Ney, and Lycee had

befriended in Brunhild.

"More fried food and cake coming through! Clear the table!" Micah, manager

of the Silver Moon, said as she came out from the kitchen with a selection of

food on hand. All the attendees cheered at the sight.

Micah, Aer, and Lu were staffing the kitchen. They'd been producing food

nonstop all night. This was largely due to Melle's massive appetite. She just kept

asking for more.

When Micah set the large platter down on the table, several hands reached

out to grab at the tasty treats set upon it. Melle and the other not-so-blushing

brides were more than eager to dig in as well.

"Oh, how delicious! We were right to ask Touya about this!"

"Lady Melle, try this cake. I've never had it before!"

"Ah, delicious... Yummy. Ohhh, this is the best."

The brides smiled wholeheartedly as they shoveled food down their gullets.

They were really going all-out... Poor Ende was still being harassed by

adventurers over on the other side of the room, but the brides didn't seem to

be paying him much heed.

Technically, Ende was only Melle's groom. He'd married her, while Ney and

Lycee had married Melle.

Gay marriage was very uncommon in this world. It wasn't forbidden, it just

wasn't seen as a regular thing to do. Though really, it could've just as easily

been something that was underreported. There was no formal marriage registry

in this world. If you were a noble, you'd have to report it to whoever you served

under, but that was about it.

Well, Brunhild definitely has no plans to discriminate against same-sex

marriage, so they'll be free to live happily as...wife and wife? Partners, I guess.

Unfortunately for Ende, the casual observer saw this kind of arrangement as

Ende getting himself some kind of harem, so he was the target of no small

amount of envy.

Ende managed to shrug off his jeering assailants and staggered over toward

me.

"Good job out there, Ende."

"Hngh... Adventurers have no sense of restraint, do they? They're the worst

sometimes..."

"You're an adventurer too, you know?"

He was a gold-rank, at that. He was cleared to take on national-level threats

and be paid for the trouble. And I was that rank too, of course.

"Well, congrats on the wedding either way. Look after your wife, yeah? And

good luck when the girls start pushing you around."

"Yeah, I'll take that to heart. I know you've been there, after all."

With that, Ende and I clinked our glasses together.

"It's not like getting married is gonna change our dynamics much, anyway..."

"By the way, are you gonna move or stay put?"

Ende currently lived in a regular house in Brunhild, but it wasn't too

uncommon for newlyweds to move to a new place entirely to mark a new

chapter of their lives.

"We're having a new house built. It'll get more cramped when we have the

baby down the line, so I'd like to raise her in a big house with a garden."

Damn, having one built? I guess you can afford it, with your rank and your

ability to warp around... You're probably swimming in dough, huh? Well, that's

fine by me. Give all that hard-earned money to Brunhild's carpenters and

stonemasons, pal!

Apparently, Ende's new home was to be in the new residential district we

were planning. There were plans to build a train station there, so it'd probably

end up being a busy place.

Right as I was about to ask more, he got dragged off by a few more guests.

Sheesh, someone's popular today... Oh well, no harm in letting him be the

main character for a little while.

Ende had really gotten used to life in this world. If anything, he had more

friends than I did. He was extremely well-liked among his fellow adventurers, I

knew that for sure.

According to Allis, Ende would eventually take over as Brunhild's guildmaster.

And looking at him and the way he interacted with the guys around him, I could

see it. He was the right man for the job.

"Your Highness."

"Oh, Relisha. Nice to see you."

Just before I got fully absorbed in thought, the current guildmaster snapped

me back to reality. I wasn't surprised to see her here. Ende was one of the

guild's prized adventurers, and this guild tavern was technically her property as

well. And since I was so busy with doing Grand Duke stuff, most of the gold-rank

quests ended up getting assigned to Ende. Thus, he'd done a lot more for

Relisha and the guild than I had.

Relisha was still wearing the dress she'd worn to the wedding ceremony, and

she looked stunning. She had natural beauty as an elf, but the dress really

accentuated all of her best features. Fortunately for her, nobody at the

reception had thought to try and charm their way into her good graces over it.

"About that drug..." Relisha spoke in a quiet voice. She clearly had some new

information about the mysterious drug the wicked devout had been spreading.

Or at least, I hoped she had some new information.

"There are very few cases of any adventurers on the eastern continent having

even heard of it. I'm not entirely sure if that's by design or not..."

"It's a supposed cure for the goldflower pox, right? That's how they've been

selling it, anyway. Barely anyone on this side of the world would care about it,

since we're so far from Isengard."

The goldflower pox, as it had come to be known, was a peculiar disease said

to have originated in Isengard, though it was actually manufactured by the

wicked god to convert humans into its mutated thralls.

Unfortunately, rumors had already spread out that the goldflower pox was

the reason for Isengard's complete collapse, so many on the western continent

sought out the medicine that could supposedly ward it away. I just couldn't

understand the purpose behind spreading something like that around,

however.

I had Flora run an analysis on the powder Yakumo had brought back, and we

determined that the drug was infused with a powerful curse. It was a curse that

ate away at the body and mind of a person until they became a shambling

invalid. The effect wasn't too dissimilar to that of the purple crown, Fanatic

Viola, in that it gradually sapped at a person's sanity over time.

It was far too elaborate a plan just to kill people. They must've had something

else in mind...but what?

"I've sent word to the adventurer's guilds across the eastern continent. I'll let

you know the moment I hear about any major cases."

"I appreciate it."

"It's my pleasure, really. You're a gold-rank after all."

Relisha simply smiled after saying all that. Since the adventurer's guild

concept hadn't yet caught on over on the western continent, I decided I'd have

Silhouette and her Black Cats investigate.

"Still, there've been plenty of strange things going on lately. We've seen

multiple stampedes, much more than usual, and there are even reports of

villages going silent."

"Silent?"

"Indeed. I hear a fishing hamlet in northern Refreese is just a vacant ghost

town now. Traveling merchants headed up there on their usual route, only to

find the place completely barren. No person to be found...and nothing but

strange footprints leading towards the water..."

Relisha's words caught me off-guard.

A fishing hamlet in northern Refreese?

The island Yoshino had taken me to, the one attacked by the Fishmen,

would've been in the same waters as that hamlet. We'd defeated the Fishmen

there, but what if they'd attacked other places previously? What if those

villagers had mutated, become more Fishmen, and wandered into the waves?

Was their base really under the water after all? The Ark functioned as a

submarine, so that did make some amount of sense.

I had ordered Sango and Kokuyou to have their aquatic familiars scour the

depths, but nothing had turned up quite yet. They hadn't been able to explore

everywhere, though, as some places were just too full of sea monsters to

scout...

"Maybe I should look into designing an unmanned submarine..."

An underwater search drone seemed like a good idea. Or maybe some kind of

underwater Frame Gear. Plus, I needed to consider how to access the Ark when

I found it. For that, I'd probably need to talk to Elluka or Doc Babylon. Or the

professor, since he was still here.

I gulped down the last of the fruity water in my glass as heavy thoughts ran

through my mind.