View from the Otherworld Train Part 2

With Parames behind us, the magic train carried on northward. After heading

through mountains, more forests, and some fields, we eventually arrived at our

next stop. It was Sarania Station, which was situated in Saranis County.

Duke Ortlinde and I repeated the same motions we'd done at the last station,

which was to get off the train and greet the local authority. This time it was

Viscount Saranis, and he gave me another souvenir package. Once I finished

that, the train was ready to depart again. We said our goodbyes to the viscount

and carried on.

"Hm? Something smells good, it does."

The moment I entered the train car, Yae started to sniff around in an

exaggerated fashion as she faced the souvenir box I was carrying.

...What is she, a hound?

"It's freshly picked fruit from the local area."

"Crystal cherries. They're a specialty of Saranis County. They're one of the

best fruits in the world, frankly. A perfect mix of sweet and sour."

Yumina's words made all my children turn their hungry eyes in the direction

of the box I was carrying.

Huh? You guys wanna eat it all now? Well, I guess there's enough for everyone

present...

I opened up the box to reveal several smaller boxes of different fruits. They

were all different varieties of crystal cherry. One box had red ones, another had

yellow ones, and a third was filled with green ones.

I picked one up and examined it in the light. It was translucent and shone

brightly when held up. They were like glass, really, which was probably where

they got their name. I couldn't even see any seeds or pits inside it. It was like I

was holding some kind of delicious candy... I didn't know how they tasted, but I

was already happy just looking at them.

I popped one of the red ones into my mouth.

Mmm! Delicious! It's kinda like the cherries I'm familiar with, but this one's

way nicer!

I tried the yellow one next and found it to be much sweeter.

Oho, this one's yummy too... Now let's try the green...

"No faiiir, dad! I wanna try too!"

"That's right, daddy. We want some as well."

"Me too, Grand Duke! Please!"

I almost got lost in a world of flavor before Linne, Yoshino, and Allis dragged

me out of it with their complaints.

After hearing them complain, I set the three boxes down on the table in the

middle of the train car and quietly despaired as tiny hands snatched just about

all of them away.

"This is delicious, it is. What a dignified flavor."

"We could probably use these for confectionery, I think."

"Actually, mother, desserts made from crystal cherries already exist. Though

they're somewhat expensive."

My kids were greedily chowing down on the cherries. And not just the

children, but the wives and guests too. They were like animals. Fortunately,

Duke Ortlinde could sense my misery, so he quietly handed a few cherries over

to me from his own stash.

"Sorry about this..."

"Ha ha ha, worry not. Viscount Saranis gives us boxes of these at the start of

every year. It's no great loss."

This world also seemed to prioritize the idea of giving gifts toward the end of

the year. Given that Duke Ortlinde was a noble, he probably got a lot of things

from a lot of contacts.

Sadly, it didn't take long for the crystal cherries to vanish entirely. Given how

many of us there were, that was only natural. Though, that didn't stop me from

wishing I could've had some more.

Hilde quietly muttered to herself as she savored the final cherry, saying, "If

the magic trains become more well established, will we be able to have these

cherries in Brunhild?"

"It'd revolutionize the supply chain, I think. Even with just this train track, fish

caught in Refreese can be in Belfast in a matter of hours. It's gonna change the

face of cuisine for a lot of places. There'll only be limited quantities, though...so

the fish will probably be pricey."

Up until this point, towns far from the oceans could only eat river fish, if even

that. If they wanted to eat saltwater fish, it'd only really be commonly available

in dried or preserved form. There were no fresh options.

I didn't think fresh fish would become immediately available to average

households, but as the number of trains increased, the supply chain was bound

to improve as well.

I guess timekeeping's probably gonna become more important across society

too. They have clocks on the western continent, so I should probably look into

getting them introduced over here as well... Maybe we can start rolling out

watches? Wait, if we have watches then we can...

"Hm? What's that?" Yumina suddenly broke into my mind palace with a

comment, sending me hurtling back to reality.

I turned my gaze off into the distance and narrowed my eyes, scanning across

the vast field.

Hm? I don't see anything... Wait, no...there's something moving, it's just really

hard to see because of the distance.

"I think it's a monster... It looks like it's chasing something? Not a person,

though... Hm..."

"I'll check it out... Hold on... [Long Sense]."

Yumina was a sniper, so she had a well-trained eye, but not even she could

fully make out the scene in the distance. Once I used my magic, the tiny speck

immediately became bigger to me.

Yep, that's a monster all right. A beast-type. Looks like a giant rhino to me...

Wait, this thing's a Rhinobash, I think. I saw it in a guild field guide once. It's a

red-rank monster, if I recall properly. It's massive, but...what's it charging after?

Let's see...

"Oh, this is bad. It's chasing after a carriage and it's about to catch up."

"What?! We have to help them!" Yumina exclaimed, rising to her feet in a

panic.

Yep, I've gotta help them. Shouldn't be too hard to make a quick pit stop out

there with my magic. No big deal.

I waved over to Ende.

"Yo, Ende. If something happens, you come too, okay?"

"Oh, sure. I'll wait here until then."

"Gotcha. Okay... [Telep..."

Right as I was in the middle of casting my spell, two small individuals jumped

in from the side and grabbed me.

"...ort]?!"

I instantly shifted right next to the carriage being pursued, directly in front of

the headlong charging path of the Rhinobash. But it wasn't just me. Linne and

Allis were clinging to my sides.

What the hell?!

"What'd you guys come for?!"

"It's okay, dad! We've got this!"

"That's right, we'll take it out!"

"That's not what I was asking! Hey, wait!"

The two kids cheerily ignored me as they turned and charged toward the

Rhinobash.

Ugh... You two have way too much energy!

The carriage went hurtling past us and I caught a glimpse of a terrified man

inside. It looked to be a merchant's carriage. The Rhinobash had probably been

drawn in by the scent of food.

"Let's gooo!" Linne roared as she blasted forward, meeting the Rhinobash in a

catastrophic head-on clash. But with Linne being so small, even though she had

a good grip on the creature, it still pushed her back.

"[Gravity]!"

"GRAAARGH!"

I heard a sickening crunch as the Rhinobash's knees tensed up and were

forced to a halt. Linne had activated weight-manipulation magic, transforming

herself into an immovable object. The poor Rhinobash struggled in vain, clearly

having no idea what was going on.

Right after that, Allis came charging in from behind. She leaped over Linne's

head and extended her arms toward the Rhinobash.

"Prisma Rose!"

Vines of crystal grew from Allis's right arm, coalescing in the form of a massive

machete at the end.

The Rhinobash had already run out of strength, leaving it a sitting target for

Allis, who was sailing through the air and swinging her weapon down at it.

"Prisma Guillotine!"

"BRAUUUH?!"

The Rhinobash was decapitated in seconds, its head falling to the ground at

about the same time as its body.

"We did it, Allis!"

"Great work, Linne!"

The two of them did a little dance, then gave each other a high five.

Linne turned to me with a big smile on her face and said, "See that, dad? We

didn't even ruin it! The guild'll buy this for sure!"

"Oh... Yeah, that's right. Great job."

Rhinobash leather was good material for armor. Cleanly decapitating it was a

smart move, all things considered. The best way to kill it would've involved not

slashing through the skin at all, but they'd still done pretty well. We'd definitely

fetch a good price for this carcass from the guild, that much was assured.

I hurriedly put the Rhinobash corpse into [Storage], then looked around for

the carriage it was chasing. I couldn't see it anywhere, so it had likely fled. That

was fine by me, since I needed to get back to the train anyway.

I realized it would be hard to return to the train with [Teleport], since it was

constantly moving, so I opted for [Gate] instead.

"[Gate]."

We passed through the portal and appeared on the train without any issues.

"Good job, Touya."

"Well, I didn't actually do much..."

I could only shrug my shoulders a bit as Yumina flashed me a supportive

smile. She was the only one on the train who would've been able to see what

happened, so I appreciated her trying to boost my confidence.

"That was a lot of fun!"

"Mhm! A ton!"

Just as Linne and Allis started to celebrate, two shadows loomed over them

from behind.

"Fun, was it...? Could we talk for a second, Linne?"

"Allis... Dad wants to have a few words..."

"O-Oh no..."

"Eep!"

Linze and Ende grabbed their respective kids by the arms and dragged them

away for a stern talking to. It was understandable, all things considered.

Yumina handed me a cup of tea, so I took it and sat back down to relax.

Linze and Ende nagged at their respective children until we got to the next

station. Both Linne and Allis seemed terribly uncomfortable as they were forced

to sit on the floor and repent. I had no sympathy for them, myself. They were

reaping what they'd sown.

The next stop after Sarania Station was Lancelet Station, deep in Lancelo

County. Earl Lancelo owned this territory, and it was the last stop within Belfast.

After this, we'd be heading straight into Refreese.

Much like we had in the previous two stations, we disembarked to greet the

local lord and received a gift from him. To my kid's disappointment, however,

the gift was a selection of beautiful fabrics and textiles.

Linze and Elna seemed quite taken by the selection, though, and they quickly

began to talk about what kind of things they'd be able to make with the

materials.

"Oh! A tunnel!"

Just as Sue let out her cry, the entire train fell into darkness. The only light

afforded to us was the dim glow of the interior lightstone fittings. The tunnel

stretched on for quite a while. There was nothing but pitch black outside the

windows, and the glass showed us nothing but reflections of ourselves. Every

now and then we could see lights that had been installed in the tunnel,

streaking like meteors as we whizzed on by.

"My ears feel strange, they do," Yae said as she frowned a bit and placed her

fingers up to the sides of her head. The air pressure in the tunnel must have

been affecting her eardrums.

We still had a while to go yet. I knew that for a fact because I was the one

who had dug it out.

The Sulonicia Mountains straddled the border between Refreese and Belfast.

It would've taken a long time to travel around them. That was why I used Earth

magic to dig out a tunnel, then the [Stone Wall] spell to smooth out and

reinforce the interior. I'd designed it with the Seikan Tunnel from back in Japan

in mind. The magic I'd used on it was strong enough that I had no reason to

think it wouldn't last at least a few thousand years.

I only dug the tunnel out and reinforced it, though. I left everything else like

the installation of the lights, the leveling of the ground, and the other stuff to

the two countries. Plus, I got paid a nice commission fee.

"It's so dark... This is no fun," Frei grumbled as she looked out the window.

She didn't seem impressed by the monotonous black or the occasional glimmer

of light.

There wasn't much I could do to help. We had to slow down in here because

it was a tunnel, and that meant it'd take at least another twenty minutes to

reach the other side.

Yumina suddenly turned to me and asked, "Do you think it would be possible

to make an underground train in our world? Like that subwait from yours?"

"Subway, you mean. And yeah, I think it might be possible...but it'd cost a lot

in terms of labor and construction fees. I'd also be a bit worried about

landslides and cave-ins."

An advantage of a subway system was that you could run trains beneath

existing habitats without disrupting any existing buildings, but obviously, it took

a lot of infrastructural planning to make such a thing possible.

For one, even with the power of Earth magic on our side, it would take a

countless number of regular mages to carve out underground tunnels. There

were also safety measures to take into account as well.

I heard it cost an obscene amount of money to build even one kilometer of

subway track back on Earth, so I couldn't even begin to imagine what it might

take to start establishing it in this world.

I could've probably made a subway in Brunhild fairly easily, but I brought the

idea up with Kousaka and he shot me down. He told me that if I did it, I'd be

depriving our nation of a potential national project. In other words, he'd

approve the subway only when the systems were in place for everyone in

Brunhild who wanted to contribute to do so.

Oh? Is that a light I see up ahead? The exit, maybe?

"It's the sea!"

The first thing we saw on the other side of the tunnel was the sight of water

spread out along the horizon. It was the inland sea situated between Belfast

and Refreese. It glimmered in the sun, shining a dazzling blue. Looking into the

distance, we spotted a handful of fishing villages along the coast.

Seeing the spectacular view made the dull tunnel ride completely worth it.

"We should go swimming sometime, at the beach!"

"Yeah! Let's go soon!"

"Oh, that sounds fun. It's been a while since I've been to the beach."

Linne and Quun seemed very receptive to Hilde's suggestion.

A beach trip, huh? That sounds fun. Wouldn't take long if we headed to the

dungeon islands for one either.

Still, I wanted to wait until everyone was here. I didn't think I'd have to wait

that long... Surely not a year. After all, Yakumo was already guaranteed to be

here, so the others couldn't be far behind.

"I wonder where Yakumo is... Hope she comes home to us soon."

She could use [Gate], so there wasn't really anything stopping her. I could

only assume she was keeping her distance for some important reason.

"Good grief... She will be sorry, she will. Making her mother worry is a

punishable offense, it is..."

Upon hearing Yae's muttering, all the kids nervously backed away from her,

instinctively placing their hands near their behinds.

Ha ha ha... I bet they've all had their fair share of spankings from Yae in the

future. Hell, she's even spanked Doc Babylon before, so this doesn't surprise me

at all.

"Yakumo is one thing, she is, but I am also concerned for our son, I am... I

hope he has not fallen into any danger or gotten himself tricked."

Yae had a point. Either Yumina or Sue had a son, and he still wasn't here. It

was a matter worth getting concerned over.

Allis, however, seemed completely unfazed. She puffed her chest out and

smirked wide as she said, "Kuon getting tricked? Hah! That's impossible! He'll

know who to trust and who not to trust thanks to his mystic e—

Bweeeehghghfh?!"

All of my kids suddenly rushed over to Allis and attempted to slap their hands

over her mouth.

...What was that just now? Mystic eye? Able to know who to trust and who

not to trust? That sounds awfully familiar...

Yumina must've had the same line of thought. She shakily stood up and began

walking toward Allis. The kids, who were surrounding Allis, all parted to the left

and right as Yumina stepped forward. It was almost as if I was watching Moses

part the Red Sea.

"...Allis?"

"Eep?"

Yumina crouched down and placed her hands on the small girl's shoulders.

Ende was about to say something, but he immediately shut his mouth once

Yumina narrowed her eyes in his direction. Presumably, he was able to sense

the danger emanating from her glare.

That's it, Ende... Probably a smart idea.

"So...did you mean what I think you meant?"

"E-Eeeeeek..."

Yumina's words were quiet, but they carried immense pressure. Allis was

trapped like a rat.

We all had a good idea of what it was she'd meant, which was why I wasn't

surprised when she gave a meek nod.

"Hmph... Kuon is Touya and Yumina's son? That's a shame."

"H-He's my son!"

Sue grumbled a bit and puffed out her cheeks as Yumina punched her hand

into the air and celebrated.

So my kid with Yumina has a mystic eye? Interesting.

"Aaagh... We got found out..."

"What do you expect? Allis is terrible at this."

"Ughhh... I'm sorry... I just don't think when Kuon comes up..."

Frei and Yoshino shook their heads at Allis. I was personally thankful to Ende's

kid for not being able to shut up. She'd taught us plenty.

"Touya! It's our son! My son! The heir to Brunhild!"

"Yeah, I know, calm down..."

"Calm down?! How can I calm down after learning this?! The one who'll take

the throne someday was born from me! Me!"

Our kid wasn't even born yet, but Yumina's excitement showed no sign of

settling. She was the first grand duchess of Brunhild anyway, so it didn't really

matter. Though I could imagine there was some kind of internal, unspoken

pressure from her family to produce the national heir or something.

"But Kuon has a mystic eye, you said? Is it the same one Yumina has?"

"It's not exactly the same, no...but I wouldn't worry about that for now,"

Quun answered my question, though it didn't really answer my question at all.

What did she mean?

"It's fine, father... You'll find out once Kuon arrives."

"Hmph."

Damn you... Why can't you be as loose-lipped as Allis? I'm not asking for much

here...

"Then my child with you is a daughter, hm? That's fine by me, of course. I'm

sure she'll be incredibly cute."

Sue didn't seem all that disappointed by the news. She honestly seemed

happy for Yumina. The prospect of having a child with her was something that

troubled me... I hadn't even gotten physically intimate with her yet, after all.

I wondered who was older, though... Kuon or Sue's daughter.

"Is Sue's daughter the youngest?"

"Er, well...it's probably obvious..."

"...Yeah, that makes sense."

Elze turned and asked Elna, who gave the answer one would expect. It

definitely made sense...and that meant Kuon had seven older sisters and one

younger sister. I couldn't help but pity the kid.

Just as I was quietly pitying my yet-unborn son, I felt someone tap me on the

shoulder.

"Er... Sorry. What is this about? Sue's...daughter?" Duke Ortlinde asked as he

glanced around the train car, looking equally as confused as he did nervous.

...Aw crap.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Th-These children are all Touya's? From the future?"

"Oh, all of them except Allis. She's Ende's."

After some deliberation, I decided to tell Duke Ortlinde and his wife Ellen the

truth. I was planning to tell them whenever Sue's kid turned up anyway, so it

was no big deal... I just hadn't expected to do it so soon.

"Hmm... They do bear an uncanny resemblance to your brides, I must admit.

But could they really be from some far-flung future?"

After I told him everything, the kids deactivated the [Mirage] enchantments

that had them looking plainer. They looked so much like their respective

mothers when standing by them that it was just about impossible to deny they

were related.

"Hmm... I must admit, them referring to you as father and whatnot did have

me confused."

Ugh, I knew it... He had some suspicions to begin with. But I couldn't tell my

kids not to call me dad, could I? That would be a bit much...

"S-So wait, where is Sue's daughter?"

"Oh, well...I'm not really sure about that, father. Yae's daughter, my daughter,

and Yumina's son haven't arrived in Brunhild yet. They're somewhere out there,

I think."

"What?! I-Is she safe?!"

Duke Ortlinde and Ellen both looked horrified upon hearing Sue's words. Ed,

who was sleeping in Ellen's arms, began to gently stir as well.

"It's fine, really. All of our kids are gold or silver adventurers."

"What?! Wait...how old is Sue's daughter, exactly?" Duke Ortlinde asked,

narrowing his eyes as Sue turned to Allis.

"Allis, how old is my daughter?"

"How old? Steph's a year younger than me, so she's, uh, let's see... Five!"

"Hoh... So my daughter's named Steph, is she?"

"Awah?!" Allis panicked and placed a hand over her own mouth.

The kids all glared at her, while Ende sighed and patted her on the head.

...Careless as ever, I see. Not that I mind. Thanks for the tip!

"Steph! That's a lovely name. What's her full name? Stephanie?"

"No! I'm not saying more!" Allis grumbled as she crossed her arms and turned

away from us.

Aw, c'mon.

"It's Stephania, father," Arcia smiled over at me as she spoke in Allis's place.

Stephania, huh...? So Steph's just for short. Neat.

"Five, you say? I don't care if she's a silver or gold adventurer at all! How can

she be safe at that age?"

"It's okay. Of all us sisters, she's the most defensively-oriented. Nobody can

lay a finger on her."

Duke Ortlinde seemed anxious, but Frei simply chuckled as she spoke.

The most defensively-oriented? But Linne uses [Shield]. Does that mean...?

"She has [Prison] on her side."

"Oh."

[Prison] was an incredible spell that could deploy a safe zone around you with

all manner of conditions. It would even stay active while you slept. With that

spell on her side, there was nothing she couldn't protect herself from.

"She has [Accel] too. Very useful for her."

"She can even use that? Wow..."

Impregnable defenses and perfectly honed senses... She was probably the

safest five-year-old in the world no matter where she was.

"She doesn't use [Accel] to run away, though."

"Yeah, she just uses it for the Stephrocket all the time."

Quun and Linne were discussing something interesting. What the hell was a

Stephrocket, exactly?

"It's her ultimate attack. She combined [Prison] with [Accel] to turn herself

into a living missile."

"A mighty ramming attack, yep."

Elna and Yoshino explained the rest.

That's insane... Then again, Sue always had a habit of hug-tackling me...

Guess this is a case of 'like mother, like daughter,' huh?

I couldn't read the expressions on the faces of Duke Ortlinde and his wife.

They probably had mixed feelings about learning all this about a grandchild

they'd yet to even meet.

"Have you told my brother?"

"Not yet, no. I was going to wait until Yumina and Sue's kids arrived before

telling you both. The leaders of Regulus, Lestia, and Xenoahs know about it,

though."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't have believed it without seeing... I'm still struggling

to believe it, even. But the thought of my granddaughter lost out there does

make me anxious...and excited."

"Me too. What kind of child is Steph? Does she take after Sue? Is she quite

energetic?"

Both the duke and Ellen were clearly eager to learn more. The Stephrocket

thing had me thinking she was probably pretty active. She was likely quite the

tomboy.

"Please don't tell King Belfast about this just yet. We plan to tell him when

Yumina's son, Kuon, arrives."

"I see... So Yumina will bear the heir, then. No wonder she was so excited.

Congratulations, Yumina."

"Thank you, uncle!" Yumina replied, beaming as Duke Ortlinde congratulated

her. She was already like this and she hadn't even met the kid yet... I was

legitimately worried about how she would behave when Kuon eventually

showed his face.

"What's my son like, anyway? Is he smart? Cool? Kind? Gentle? Good with

girls? Obedient to his parents?! Respectful to his elders?! Polite?! Welllearned?! A good student?!"

"E-Erm... Umm... Ahhh..."

"Stop! You're gonna make Elna's head explode. I know you're excited,

Yumina, but you've gotta calm down."

Poor Elna seemed to be at her breaking point in the face of Yumina's rapidfire questioning. Fortunately for her, Elze was there to save her.

"Come on... Let's wait until you meet him, okay? He might feel awkward if

you know so much about him in advance."

"Ugh... I want him to come home soon..."

I had to step in and talk Yumina down a little, but she was clearly growing

impatient. It'd been a while since Yoshino had shown up, so surely the next kid

wouldn't be much longer.

Frankly, I hoped that Yakumo would be the next one to appear, if only

because if she kept Yae waiting any longer, she'd be guaranteed a hard

spanking. I didn't want to see that happen to my daughter right after meeting

her, so I quietly hoped that Kuon and Steph would only appear after her.

◇ ◇ ◇

Her katana swung through the air, blood splashing off its blade. She sheathed

it, triggering the [Clean] enchantment, rendering it free from imperfection.

"You're strong, lass. Taking out a whole group of bandits on your own? That's

nothing to sniff at..."

The professor looked at the fallen men, letting out a sigh of mixed relief and

concern. The two of them had come to Isengard by way of Gardio's port, but

there was no way for them to catch a ride to the ruined former capital city of

Isenberg. Thus, they'd elected to head there on foot, only to run into a group of

bandits.

Once Isengard started to collapse, it wasn't long before people like them

began to overrun the wilderness. With nobody left to stop them, they banded

together and began using ruined forts and other places as their bases of

operations.

About fifty or so bandits had attacked Yakumo and her companion...and just

about all of them had fallen to her blade.

"This is strange, it i— Er... This is strange, isn't it? These people didn't seem to

be in their right minds at all. They were saying such strange things, as well...

Could this be...?" Yakumo mumbled as she rummaged through one of the men's

pockets, finding a tattered wallet. The sight caused the professor to wrinkle his

nose in distaste.

"Not quite right to loot the fallen, young lady... If you're that desperate for

money, I could always give you some."

"Th-That's not it at all! I'm not taking his wallet because I need the money!"

Yakumo roared, hurriedly explaining herself. She was looking for something in

particular. And sure enough, she'd found it.

"Hm? What's this? Some kind of medicine?" the professor asked, raising a

brow as Yakumo held up a small packet she'd found in the man's wallet. She

then opened it up, revealing trace amounts of golden powder.

"Gold dust? No, the color seems a touch murkier..."

"This is a supposed miracle cure made from the branches of the puretree...

But that's not what it is at all. In truth, it's a toxin that makes one succumb to

their base instincts. It causes aggression, heavy mood swings...and eventually,

death."

"What?! And this kind of thing is just out on the market?!"

One of the bandits who'd attacked them was babbling something quietly as

he stared up at the sky. No matter how you looked at him, he was clearly not

thinking straight. The drugs had already worn away at him, body and soul. He

didn't have long to live.

"The goldflower pox is running rampant around Isengard, it seems. There are

many here who have succumbed to the allure of the golden medicine."

"Hm... I'd wonder what the country is doing to combat it, but there's no

country left to speak of..." the professor muttered as he frowned quietly.

The person Yakumo had met, the one in the diving suit, had called themselves

one of the wicked devout. This medicine surely had something to do with them.

And it was clearly in circulation in the ruins of Isengard. Plus, it had even

reached the neighboring nations of Lassei, Gardio, Strain, and Orphen...

In truth, the spread was so intense that Yakumo had no idea if she could even

solve it anymore. But at the very least, she knew she couldn't return home until

she had some meaningful information about the origin of the problem.

"We're almost at Isenberg now. If we can get there, we'll be able to return in

a flash," Yakumo said, speaking to herself as she walked down the road. She'd

already told the professor about her [Gate] spell, so in the worst-case scenario,

they only had to reach the ruined capital and then they'd be able to go back.

Whether or not she'd immediately return to Brunhild upon reaching their

destination was still up in the air, though.

After another half a day of walking, they saw large impact craters in the

ground that were remnants of the battle between Yakumo's father and the

wicked god. The professor couldn't hold back his amazement as he stared at the

craters.

"Good gods above... What manner of battle could've caused this?"

Yakumo didn't really know, to be honest. That was only natural, of course,

since the fight had happened long before she was born. Still, she knew it had

been a fierce one, and that it was the wicked god who had ravaged the

landscape.

They passed the craters and began heading into the former residential

areas...or at least, what they assumed must have been them. The center of the

city was dead and frozen, while the outskirts were crumbling and in complete

shambles. The difference between the two places was staggering.

"My, it's hard to walk around with all these crumbling walls..."

"Best to stay away from the taller ones. You never know what building might

fall next."

This was once a proud city that was at the forefront of magitech research, but

not a shadow of that remained anymore. The only things that even hinted at

the place's former glory were the scattered fragments of rusted metal and

chunks of blasted stone.

Every now and then they'd pass wrecked Gollems and dead creatures trapped

beneath the rubble. There weren't many human bodies, of course. Most of the

people who had lived here had evacuated back when the witch-king activated

his enormous Gollem, and there were barely any people living here by the time

of Yakumo's father's fight against the wicked god.

"Hmm..."

"What is it, lass?"

"Shh... Quiet, a moment..."

Yakumo, who was walking ahead, suddenly ducked into the shade of a nearby

structure. The professor, along with his soldat Gollem attendants, followed

quickly after her.

"I thought I sensed something... Wait there!" Yakumo roared. Her line of sight

trailed toward a nearby building, where a monster seemed to be lurking. It

wasn't quite apt to call this thing a monster, however. It had bat-like wings and

a long, leathery tail. Its entire body was covered in black armor plating. Two

gnarled horns sprouted from its head. Its face was blank and featureless, with

the smooth sheen of a freshly-peeled hard-boiled egg.

"A devil...?"

Devils were creatures from the Netherrealm that could be pulled into this

world via summoning magic. The strength of the devil depended on the might

of the summoner, but summoning a more powerful devil required far more

complicated rituals.

Yakumo carefully scanned the nearby area for any signs of the summoner, but

there was nobody to be found. The girl was working solely on instinct, but she

assumed the devil in front of her wasn't very strong. It was probably from a

lower rank on the hierarchy.

"A devil, you say? I've never encountered such a creature before... What

strange wings."

The professor was born on the western continent when it was still the

Reverse World, so it was only natural that he'd be unused to such things as

summoning magic. But the remark about the wings wasn't solely due to that

ignorance. It was because the wings were distinctly mechanical.

The devil's forearms were also mechanical in nature, as were its legs from the

knee down. It appeared to be some manner of hybrid creature. An unholy

fusion of Gollem and devil.

If Yakumo's father were here, he would've surely remarked something like,

"Wow. A cyborg."

The devil seemed to have no more business in the area. It spun around and

began to leave.

"Professor, you wait here. I'm going to follow it."

"Okay. Be careful, then."

Yakumo crouched down low and left the shade of the building. She'd been

taught how to best hide her presence from a young age, and her teacher had

been one of the best in that regard: Tsubaki, the head of Brunhild's intelligence

corps.

She skulked in the shadows, following after the devil-gollem as it went on its

way. After a time, the creature reached what appeared to be a ruined factory.

Though the glass of its windows was shattered, and its steel affectations were

rusted over, it still looked far sturdier than the surrounding structures.

Yakumo quickly circled the building in search of a back entrance, as she knew

it'd be riskier to follow the devil in through the front.

She cautiously peeked through the broken remains of a window. The interior

was dark, save for a few spots of light that peeked in from holes in the ceiling.

"Is that—?!" Yakumo trailed off, her eyes going wide as she saw what was in

the middle of the factory floor.

There were various talismans stuck up all over the inside of the building, but

the most eye-catching part of all was the thing that seemed to be enshrined

right in the middle. It looked like some kind of large insect. Or, to be more

specific, an ant. What it resembled most was a sculpture of an ant with a

muddy, stony surface. Cracks ran along it, giving it the impression of something

that had experienced severe wear and tear.

It stood upon a large metal stand, and although Yakumo couldn't make it out

very clearly from her vantage point, the stand seemed to have various magical

runes inscribed on it. The purpose of such inscriptions was entirely unknown to

her, however.

"Is that...one of the wicked god's servants? One of those...mutants I heard

about?" Yakumo questioned herself silently. She had never seen the wicked god

before, and she'd only heard stories of the mutant army it had mustered from

her parents. If there was any video evidence of the situation, Yakumo wished

she'd asked her father to show it to her, but it was a bit late for that now.

The sight before her matched what her mother had said about the mutants,

though. Yae had told her that once the wicked god fell, all the mutants lost their

golden luster and turned to stone. But if this truly was the remains of a mutant,

then what was that devil doing with it? As far as she could tell, it was dead, or at

least no more capable of movement or thought than any other statue.

"Hm..." Yakumo mumbled as she got lost in thought. She saw multiple devils

in the factory. Most of them looked identical to the one she'd followed, but

there was one individual who was visually distinct from them.

It was a woman. Her outfit bore a striking resemblance to the one worn by

Leen, one of Yakumo's mothers...but this specific take on the ensemble was far

more risqué and glamorous. The most provocative feature was that the corset

was bound tight, emphasizing the woman's bust. She wore a metal domino

mask on her face, obscuring her expression and making it hard to read her

features. Her long, wavy red hair was bundled up messily. She had long legs clad

in lace stockings that jutted out from her short skirt and a garter at her thigh.

A word came to mind when looking at her, but Yakumo dared not utter it.

Harlot.

Yet despite her gaudy, feminine attire, there was a beastly, uneven-looking

mace at her waist. It seemed to emanate a faint orange glow. Her entire vibe

was eerily similar to that of the individual in the diving suit that Yakumo had

met earlier. Though she had no way of knowing for sure, she instinctively felt

that this was one of the wicked devout.

"Hmph... Quite a bit of work this, isn't it? But it's work that must be done

nonetheless," the woman in the iron mask said as she lifted the mace at her

waist high and brought it ruthlessly swinging down toward the mutant statue.

Yakumo would have expected the entire thing to shatter under the strike, but

it didn't. Instead, it merely cracked and dented.

"And here, and there, and there, and here!" the woman exclaimed as she

began to rhythmically beat at the statue with her mace. The mutant gradually

lost its form, like a lump of clay being beaten down. It was hit from side to side,

from top to bottom, until it was reduced to a formless lump of stone. It was

struck repeatedly until it became the size of a baseball. It was as if it was being

compressed.

The mace kept picking up speed as it smacked and hammered against the

now-floating orb. The orange light it emitted flared outward and filled the

factory. Eventually, it all came to an end...and the tiny stone ball glowed with a

muddy golden sheen.

"Haaagh!" the masked woman roared as she delivered one final swing of her

mace, thrashing the orb so hard that it should have been completely

pulverized... And yet, it wasn't destroyed. It had been turned into some kind of

sparkling golden dust that had fallen onto the magic runes below, which looked

shockingly familiar.

"Goodness me... Is this really all there is? Indigo's going to be upset."

The devils ignored the masked woman and set about sweeping up the gold

dust.

"Is that...the golden medicine? I never knew it was made from the remains of

the mutants..."

It would've been more fitting to say it was squeezed out, rather than "made."

It was like they'd squeezed out a wet cloth for every last drop of water inside...

Yakumo leaned a little closer to get a better look, but the rusted window

frame she was resting against suddenly popped out and fell inward.

"Eek!" Yakumo let out a quiet gasp and tried to reach for it in time, but there

was little she could do. The metal frame fell against the factory floor with a loud

bang, drawing all eyes toward it.

With the window and frame completely gone, Yakumo was standing

there...fully visible. She knew in her heart that she looked like a total moron.

"...Oh my? An intruder? Who are you?"

"I-I won't give you my name!" Yakumo bashfully blurted out.

"Won't give me your name, eh? That's fine by me, little lady. It'll be erased

from this world soon enough, anyway," the masked woman said with a giggle

before giving her cyborg devils the order to attack.

Yakumo, who was still outside the building, spun on her heels and ran for it.

The devils clambered out of the window in hot pursuit.

"Huh?!"

After running a short distance from the factory, Yakumo stopped in her

tracks. There was another group of cyborg devils just in front of her.

"Skreeeh!"

The creatures hissed and lashed their mechanical claws out toward Yakumo,

attempting to cut her to ribbons.

"Hmph!" Yakumo harrumphed as she pulled out her trusty phrasium blade

and cleaved through one of the devils in her path.

The creature's torso was separated from its lower body, and it fell to the

ground. Blue blood spilled from the open wound, dyeing the ground beneath it.

Yakumo didn't bother looking, however. Instead, she pressed the offensive

against her assailants. The crystal sword she wielded had been created and

blessed by her father, giving it an unparalleled sharpness. Only a phrasium

blade of equal or higher magical density could hope to outmatch it. Not even

these mechanically enhanced devils could do anything to stop her attack.

However...

"Hngh?!" Yakumo just barely blocked in time to prevent the heavy orange

mace from crushing her bones.

"Ooh? How strange. My Halloween didn't shatter your sword. What a sturdy

sword you have there..."

"I could say the same of the weapons you and your friends have."

The masked woman had caught up to her, and she'd already begun a

relentless assault with her own trusty weapon.

"Friends? Who?"

"The person with the round helmet and the blue hatchet."

"Oh, Indigo? You fought him too, did you? Then let's have a little bout!"

The masked woman brought her mace swinging down again. Her speed was

immense, but not so overwhelming that Yakumo couldn't make it out. The girl

brought up her weapon to block.

"Gwah!" Yakumo shrieked as her arm felt a pang of pain. This blow had been

far heavier than the previous one...and she couldn't even tell if it was the extent

of the masked woman's power.

"Hm-hm-hmmm? What's wrong?"

"Hngh... Gah!"

The mace came down over and over again, each blow heavier than the last. It

was painful...and extremely strange. It called to mind the image Yakumo had

just seen, of the statue being pulverized over and over again until it was nothing

but golden dust.

On the next strike, Yakumo rolled to the side. The mace struck against the

ground, leaving a deep dent in the earth below.

"That mace... Either you can freely adjust its weight...or each time you swing

it, it gets heavier."

"Oh my, you figured out my little trick? Just who are you, girl?" the masked

woman asked, sounding curious all of a sudden as she pointed her orange mace

at Yakumo.

Yakumo had quickly realized the way the mace worked because it wasn't too

dissimilar to how one of her sisters fought. Though honestly, Linne's attacks

were considerably heavier in comparison.

The fight against the woman had given the cyborg devils time to surround

them both. If it was just the devils, Yakumo would have been fine...but she

knew she had no chance against them and the strange woman at the same

time. Thus, she took the one path to survival that came to mind.

"[Gate]."

Yakumo opened up a portal beneath her that was just big enough for one

person to slip through. It was annoying, but it was still a good strategy

nonetheless. She locked eyes with the masked woman seconds before she fell

through, sensing her glare.

On the other side of the portal, the professor was minding his own business.

Or at least he was...before Yakumo suddenly materialized in the air and fell to

the ground by his side.

"Whaaagh! Wh-What was that, lass?! You scared the wits out of me!"

The poor professor jumped and backed up against a nearby wall. He nearly

tripped over a piece of nearby rubble, but fortunately, one of his soldat

attendants had caught him.

"They've found us. We need to go!"

"R-Right! Got it!"

The professor immediately grasped the situation and nodded along. Yakumo

hadn't teleported too far from where she was before, so she knew the devils

would surround them before long.

"Skreeeh!"

Just as she was figuring out where to escape to, the devils appeared once

more. They flapped their leathery wings and picked up speed in the distance.

The masked woman was behind them, charging full pelt toward Yakumo and

the professor.

It bothered Yakumo that she had to flee, but she saw no point in pushing too

deep into enemy territory. If it was just her, she'd have considered fighting, but

she had the professor to worry about. Her father often said that the smartest

thing to do in a tight situation was to beat a hasty retreat. It was one of thirtysix military strategies. Yakumo didn't know the other thirty-five, though.

"[Gate]!"

She quickly opened up another portal and made the professor and his soldat

entourage run through.

One of the devil cyborgs fired its arm forward on a chain, as if attempting to

prevent her escape. Yakumo simply sliced the chain apart with her blade,

however. It was a meager threat in her eyes.

The last thing Yakumo saw before backstepping through her portal was the

sight of the masked woman lunging toward her with that orange mace. Seconds

later, the portal disappeared. The woman's attack swung into thin air and

landed on the cobblestone paving below, shattering it to pieces.

"...She got away. What a shame. I wonder if this'll annoy Indigo?" the masked

woman, Tangerine, mumbled to herself as she let out a deep sigh.

The other side of the [Gate] was a back alley in a bustling city. The alley led

into the main plaza, where the city's majestic clock tower stood. Off in the

distance, one could see the castle on the hill. It was a castle Yakumo knew all

too well...the one she was born in.

The sight of the castle left Yakumo heaving a quiet sigh.

"Home at last..." Yakumo muttered. She had unconsciously thought of the

safest place to escape to, which was her home. She'd brought them to Brunhild.

The specific alleyway they'd come out in was one she and her sisters had used

to sneak out of the castle a few times in their childhood.

"This is Brunhild, is it not? You and the ruler here know each other, yes? Quite

a wise hideout."

"I definitely know the ruler here, yes..."

The professor seemed happy, and he couldn't quite understand the mixed

look on her face.

Yakumo had accomplished her goal of finding more intel on the wicked

devout, and her parents would surely be able to make use of that information,

yet despite that, she couldn't help but feel hesitant in approaching them after

all this time.

Her stomach growled, though she knew not if it was out of anxiety or hunger.

"Oh, are you hungry? That inn over there seems to serve food. Shall we go

there?"

"Sure, why not... Ah! Wait, no. Not that inn. I think we should head in the

opposite direction instead. Yes, let's go to a restaurant over in this direction.

Come on, follow me," Yakumo hurriedly said as she dragged the professor off

somewhere else.

The inn he had pointed out was none other than the Silver Moon. It was a

state-operated inn run by the Brunhild royal family. Knights working for

Brunhild often ate there, and it was generally considered one of the best and

safest places to eat in the whole town. Yet for Yakumo, it was one of the most

dangerous. All kinds of people related to her father could've been there, after

all. In the worst-case scenario, her father could be summoned there after she

was recognized...or even her mother...

Yakumo had no intention of leaving Brunhild, but she still wanted a little more

time to wrap her head around seeing her parents.

Unfortunately for her, she was far too flustered to realize she'd already been

caught. A group of cats sitting outside the Silver Moon was staring right at her,

yowling to each other all the while. One started to tail Yakumo, while the others

headed back to inform their boss about what they'd seen.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, on the magic train...

The magic train had stopped at Pariston Station, the first station within

Refreese's territory. For geographical reasons, that was our only stop in

Refreese other than Bern, the capital city. In other words, we were almost at

the end of the line. Our little day out would soon end, and the train seemed to

be in good shape. Things had gone shockingly smoothly.

I felt that they'd build from this track and start spreading it out across

different regions of Belfast and Refreese, like a local line in another world or

something. The track would also eventually be expanded to other countries like

Regulus, Mismede, and even Panaches, which would definitely help in terms of

trade. And once that was done, there'd be more people who took the train just

for vacations too. I had a feeling tour companies and things like that weren't far

off.

Yumina wistfully gazed out of the window, seemingly sad the trip was already

coming to an end.

"It only took five hours to get to Bern from Alephis... Given how many days it

used to take by carriage, this feels surreal..."

"Well, it's not cheap. But since it guarantees your safety, I think it'll offer a lot

of advantages to those who can pay."

Taking the magic train guaranteed your safety. No bandits or monsters would

be able to attack you during your trip. And assuming freight trains were

eventually added, they'd be a safer alternative for hauling cargo. It felt as

though a distribution revolution was upon us as a result of my work.

"My liege."

"Hm? Kohaku?"

I suddenly received a telepathic message from Kohaku, who was back at the

castle. I wondered if something had gone wrong.

"Did something happen?"

"You could say that, yes. One of the cats we have on surveillance in the castle

town reported seeing a girl who resembles Lady Yae..."

"What?!"

My sudden outburst roused the attention of everyone else in the train cart.

Yumina looked at me as if to ask what had happened.

"Wh-What is it, Touya?"

"Well... I just received a message from Kohaku. Yakumo might be in

Brunhild..."

"What?! Do you think she is, do you?!" Yae exclaimed as she scrambled over

toward me. Everyone else had stopped chatting, so the entire carriage was

silent.

"Kohaku, where is she now?"

"I don't know her exact whereabouts, but she isn't headed for the castle. We

have cats tailing her, so I'm heading after them now..."

Not heading for the castle? Is she thinking of running away again?

I could feel Yae's impatient gaze bearing down on me.

"W-We must seize her at once, we must! If she is not caught quickly, then she

will escape, she will!"

Don't treat her like a criminal... She's your daughter, remember? Our

daughter!

Yae had a point, though. Yakumo could use [Gate], which meant she could

escape easily if not tracked down fast.

"All right. I'll use [Gate] to go to Kohaku. Then, I can meet up with the cats

and—"

"W-W-W-Wait a moment, Duke Touya! Emperor Refreese is waiting for us in

Bern! It would be improper not to greet him!" Duke Ortlinde suddenly spoke up

in a flustered panic.

Oh, yeah... This isn't just a fun little trip, it's part of my duties as a royal.

Dammit! Why now, of all times?! If it was just the emperor, then it'd be fine, but

his advisers and retainers are gonna be there too. It'd be bad if I vanished

midtrip and didn't say hello.

"Wh-Why not just send Yae back to Brunhild by herself? It won't be as big of a

problem if just one of us isn't present... Would that be okay, Duke Ortlinde?"

Linze timidly asked, raising her voice.

The duke tapped his chin before replying, "Well, so long as Touya's present...

If you explain to the dignitaries that you sent one of your wives home due to

sickness...it should be quite fine."

"Very well, then! I am not feeling well, I am not! I ask that you send me home

at once!" Yae shouted, speaking so clearly that it was hard to buy the idea that

she was sick. Luckily, nobody in the carriage really cared.

Grr... Wish I could go with you, but I'm stuck here... Damn, this blows.

"I'll go with her, father. I want to see my sister," Frei chimed in, offering to

accompany Yae, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility as the second-oldest. If

Frei went with her, I'd definitely feel a bit better. That way, at least Yae

wouldn't be alone.

"Got it. Now, Yae, please keep a level head when you see her."

"I will keep my head as level as can be, I will. Calm and collected, I am."

Yae was just about bouncing off the walls as she spoke, so I wasn't exactly

convinced...but I desperately hoped all would be well. I opened up the [Gate] to

Kohaku, and Yae practically sprinted through. Interestingly enough, Frei also

bolted right after her.

"I wonder if they'll be okay..." I mumbled as I shrugged my shoulders, a mild

sense of unease setting in as the train carried on toward Bern.

◇ ◇ ◇

Yakumo said her goodbyes to the professor and walked around Brunhild's

castle town. The professor had gone toward the castle to meet an acquaintance

of his, likely Elluka...while Yakumo had elected to look around a little.

Ordinarily, they would've gone together, but the girl was still hesitant to

return.

"I'll be in trouble, I'm sure... I should have asked mother for permission

before going off on my own..." Yakumo whispered to herself. She then let out a

sigh as she aimlessly wandered the streets. Even though this was a town in the

past, it was a town she'd wandered around from a young age, so she couldn't

possibly get lost in it.

As Yakumo fell into deep thought, a shadow suddenly eclipsed her body. And

when she looked up to investigate, she saw a familiar face. It was a younger

face than the one she knew, but it was unmistakably her mother's. Yae stood

before her.

"I have found you at last, I have! My runaway daughter!"

"N-No, I... Mother, I did not run away..."

Yae's glare inspired fear in Yakumo, who instinctively stepped back. She'd

already lost to the fearful, silent pressure. Yakumo was a gold-ranked

adventurer. She was a proud warrior who had absolute confidence in her skills.

And yet, she knew she couldn't hold a candle to her mother.

"So you've just been wandering around, you have? Where, exactly?"

"W-Well, mother...I... I have my reasons, I do... But..."

Yakumo sounded like a frog staring into the gaping maw of a ravenous snake.

Her mother's wrath was something she knew well, so she cowered miserably.

The thought of escaping via [Gate] crossed her mind, but she dared not pour

oil on the fire. And so, she closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate,

when...she felt the warmth of an embrace wrap around her body.

"E-Er...Mother?"

"You foolish girl! Did you not know how worried I was?!"

It was only natural for Yae to fear for her young daughter's safety, gold-rank

adventurer or not. While she had no memories of caring for her daughter,

who'd yet to be born, Yae instinctively loved and cared for her...and such

feelings naturally came with anxieties as well.

"We finally get to meet, we do..."

"Mother, I... I am sorry..."

"Hu hu hu... Looks like Yakumo's acting all shy."

"What?! F-Frei?!"

Yakumo's younger sister, Frei, appeared from behind Yae. Kohaku, one of her

father's summoned beasts, was there as well.

Yakumo naturally grew flustered as she realized this tender moment had

spectators. Though she struggled to free herself from Yae's grip, her mother

refused to let go.

"M-Mother, you need to free me!"

"...You worried us all, you did... Did you think I would let you go so easily, did

you?"

"Huh?"

Yae's tone of voice suddenly shifted, prompting Yakumo's eyes to glaze over.

The arms wrapped around her grew uncomfortably tight.

"Ah... M-Mother? Isn't that a bit tight? Owowowow!"

"Might I have to punish you for your misbehavior, might I?"

Hearing the whispered threat caused the blood to drain from Yakumo's face.

It was the tone of voice that really killed her, as it was something she'd heard

many times before.

The same thing happened whenever she failed to return home in time for

curfew, or when she told a lie to cover up her own blunders, or when she

annoyed the residents of the castle with her selfish desires.

No matter what she did wrong, the punishment was always the same...

"Nooo! M-Mother! P-Please forgive me! Please!" Yakumo screeched as she

began to flail in her mother's grasp. However, Yae's arms refused to give even

an inch.

"F-Frei! Save me!" Yakumo cast all of her remaining pride aside to beseech

her sister for aid.

Unfortunately for her, Frei simply flashed her an impish smile and said, "Sorry,

Yakumo... It's bad to run out on your family, isn't it?"

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

"Let us return to the castle, let us. I have some spanking to mete out, I do..."

"Eep! Father! Save meee!" Yakumo called out to her father...but he was

nowhere to be found. For a brief moment, Kohaku considered telling Touya

about this via telepathy...but Yae's terrifying smile soon stopped her. Not even

Kohaku was immune to the fear.

Yae hauled Yakumo up over her shoulder and began the long trek back to the

castle. The poor girl could only lament the fate awaiting her as her mother held

her firmly in place...

◇ ◇ ◇

"Hrghrghrrrgh..."

"Welcome back, everyone."

"Oh, yeah..."

I'd kept my anxieties in check long enough to finish the relevant meetings in

Refreese before opening up a [Gate] and bringing us all back to Brunhild. Once

we got back to the castle, we were greeted by the sight of a smiling Yae and a

girl who was probably Yakumo face down on the couch. Frei was applying an ice

pack to her butt.

Apparently, the poor girl had been punished with a particularly fierce bout of

spanking. In that moment, I made a mental note to never upset Yae ever again.

"What happened here...?"

"I have punished our runaway a little bit, I have."

Upon hearing that, Yakumo glanced over at me as if to say, "It wasn't a little

bit..." However, Yae didn't seem to acknowledge her. Though my wife was

smiling, I couldn't help but fear her demonic eyes.

"Yakumo."

"Y-Yes?!" Yakumo replied, scrambling upward and trying her best to sit

comfortably upon hearing Yae speak. Her butt was clearly still sore, however.

"I-I'm sorry for causing you all such trouble, I really am..." she said as she sat

up straight and bowed her head apologetically.

You didn't cause me any trouble! It's okay!

I walked over to Yakumo and cast some restorative magic on her. The pain

seemed to dissipate within a few minutes.

"You okay now?"

"Ahhh... I am thankful, I...er... Thank you, father."

Yakumo's cheeks flushed a faint red as she thanked me before turning away

in embarrassment. She was rather similar to her mother in that regard. She

seemed utterly serious, perhaps even a little too serious, to the point that she

lacked flexibility in her focus.

Whatever the case, I was just glad she was okay. That made seven children

under my care, which meant there were only two left. I couldn't help but

wonder where my only son and my youngest daughter were..