The New Gate:Volume 2 Chapter 3

Shin and Schnee entered the forest at a quick pace.

While avoiding the adventurers who were moving into the plains, they turned their route toward Tsuki no Hokora. On the way, because the set-up base had been abandoned, he stopped, broke it down, and collected it all including the interception item. Wilhelm seemed to have given priority to evacuating and since Wilhelm wouldn’t do such a foolish move like collecting items in that situation, it was only to be expected that the base was neglected.

Shin’s feelings wouldn’t be hurt or even bruised if the items themselves were left. He removed them in this situation, because there was a danger of them changing into a permanent fort without its owner. In fact, many Skull Faces might have already fallen victim to it, as there were signs that the interception magic had activated. They seemed to have been individuals, those killed here, because it was not very far from the plains.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t you receive a request? Is it completed?”

Shin asked Schnee as he finished collecting the items.

“It is not quite finished yet, but my job is almost done.”

“Job?”

“It’s the safekeeping and distribution of the items. My work now is to manage all of it to prevent infringement, since multiple countries had joined together to form a joint military unit.”

“…Is this perhaps related to the recent uproar?

“Of course.”

“Seriously…”

Shin sighed. Although it was not intentional, he had meddled in another large affair again. He was utterly ignorant toward serious matters, he didn’t realize that the countries had started working on calming the situation down. Although he was a little regretful that he had done it in such a flashy manner, the damage was already done.

While asking Schnee about what kind of situation it was in detail, he wracked his brain to recall if there were any eyewitnesses. After grunting “uh-huh” for a while, he concluded that as far as he could tell, no one could have seen him, except for Schnee. Even the green markers he had protected should not have seen him or which way the fireballs came from, given how massive the Skull Faces were.

“Well, never mind about that. So, does Schnee not have to show up for the distribution? I think you should at least go to the meeting place or should I say headquarters for you to finish your request.”

“It will be alright for a while. Even if I distribute it evenly, it doesn’t work on the basis of first-come, first-served. I am supposed to do the allocation after all the corps have gathered. It will take about one week at the earliest, until there can be a meeting. If I think about the range of each unit’s progress, there is no problem even if I don’t hurry that much.”

As he had given up on thinking about the eyewitness case, because nothing could be done any further, he confirmed Schnee’s timeline. If she was serious, Schnee could travel faster than the others, so she could afford to spend some time with Shin

Whether it was Shin or Schnee, there were a lot of things they wanted to ask each other. While heading toward Tsuki no Hokora, they decided to explain to each other their own situation.

“Since I have a lot of questions I want to ask, you can ask me anything before that.”

Shin decided to accept questions from Schnee first, considering the longer time she had spent here. Actually, it still hadn’t even passed one month since Shin came into this world, so he might only be able to answer a little.

“I understand. Then I will ask several things that I’ve been anxious about for the time being.”

“Go ahead.”

Schnee asked Shin three things.

First, where was he until now?

Second, why did his combat ability rise?

Third, what will he do from now on?

“Then the first one. About where I was until now. To tell you the truth, I personally haven’t even been here for one month, today, since I went to the last dungeon.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s true. Remember the time when everyone saw off me to challenge the Origin?”

“Yes.”

“I defeated the Origin and it should have been the end accordingly. But afterwards, in the deepest depth of that dungeon, 【Gate of the Otherworld】, there was a big door in the boss’ room. It opened soon after the Origin fell.”

Shin recalled that moment while explaining it to Schnee. The scene where the heavy door he thought was just a decoration opened up while making a sound.

“Door…?”

“Yes. After that, I lost consciousness, and before I realized it, I’m laying down on a grassy field. After that, I went to Tsuki no Hokora and heard the outline story. I was really surprised when I heard that more than 500 years had passed. That’s the reason why I haven’t been around for 500 years.”

“So that’s the reason, huh?”

Schnee seemed to understand the situation as she listened to what Shin said. It was different from the time when they met earlier; she had an expression of relief, like her chest wasn’t constricted anymore.

“Schnee?”

“Fufufu, it’s nothing.”

“Then, that’s good.”

Though Shin had a question mark dancing above his head because Schnee, for some reason, was in a good mood, he didn’t think about it too much because it was boorish to be a wet blanket; especially when with someone who is in such a joyful mood.

Now then, for the next one. My abilities and stats went up because of the titles I acquired after defeating the Origin.”

“Titles? What kind of titles?”

“There are three of them. 【Limit Breaker】, 【Accomplished One】 and 【Liberator】. The first two are related to the growth of my stats. Though I heard them for the first time when I got them, do you remember hearing any of them before?”

No, I’ve just heard all of those titles for the first time as well. What kind of effect do they have?”

Shin explained each of the titles’ effect in answer to Schnee’s question. Even though there was not a stat raise for the title 【Liberator】, since he felt like it had some kind of meaning, he explained it in one go. (E/N: 【Liberator】 – Immune to all binding and restriction effects, be it items or magic skills. 【Accomplished One】 – All ability points doubled. 【Limit Breaker】 – The upper limit for all stats has been removed, and all stats will rise according to how many ability points were discarded prior to limit removal.)

“…That’s absurd, isn’t it.”

“Totally. I also thought it was a joke until I looked at the stats.”

Shin too, could understand the feeling of Schnee who was at a loss for words. If a chosen one acquired these titles, the power balance of the world would likely collapse.

“However, I think it is not necessary to worry about it to that extent.”

“Why is that?” Shin asked.

“It is the acquisition requirement. Although monsters exist in this world, the phenomenon of re-spawning in the same place with completely identical unique monsters doesn’t happen. I don’t think there is a person who can meet the acquisition requirement anywhere else, because the Origin might be the only one. Also, the dungeon that Master went to has completely disappeared.”

“I see. That does make it impossible.”

According to Schnee, several days after Shin left to conquer the dungeon, Shin’s support characters became exasperated when Shin didn’t come back, so they gathered together and followed their Master’s path. However, not even a shadow or shape was there, even the outlines were gone.

When they stopped the search temporarily and went back to Tsuki no Hokora, the support characters of other players were making a racket saying, “My Master has disappeared!”. Schnee heard it and was convinced that Shin had cleared the dungeon. But they still doubted that he disappeared with the other players, and started to investigate the story on their own. She also thought of the possibility that Shin was still in this world, just like her and the others were.

However, the earth’s crust changed, and a state of confusion followed on the continent afterwards. While helping the people who were in trouble, Schnee remained in Tsuki no Hokora, and the rest of his support characters separated to continue searching for Shin, or moved to protect their own race.

Somehow, Shin had expected that they would do that.

“But wait? Didn’t the Dusk of the Majesty occur right after I defeated Origin?”

Shin had noticed that there was an unusual time lag for the support character to make a racket.

“Master, if you think about the former location of Tsuki no Hokora, of course it would take some time for the information to circulate. Where did you think it was?”

“…True.”

Schnee was saying that since numerous boss monsters existed in the area near Tsuki no Hokora, one could say it was a remote outpost. In a situation where the support characters couldn’t use the chat function, information couldn’t be shared right away.

“That’s why I believe that a person who has Master’s titles or at least similar titles will likely never appear. If such a person does appear, well, please do something about it.”

“So it falls to me, huh?”

“Of course. Only someone of Masters’ standing can oppose them, if a person with a power similar to our class obtains those titles. Therefore, I leave all of it to you Master.”

“Well, that is right.”

The stats double, so that mean that the higher the original stats were, the stronger the titleholder would became. If a chosen one with a high ability obtained the title 【Accomplished One】 or in even【Limit Breaker】, even Schnee wouldn’t stand a chance against that person.

However, since there were strict requirements for the acquisition conditions, and Shin had beyond maxed stats, Schnee believed that the appearance of any enemy that would be able to get a solid hit in, was very unlikely in the present state.

“By the way, Schnee.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“That, ‘Master’ calling, can you do something about it?”

While talking, Shin by all means felt bothered. Though he didn’t mind it during the game, simply because she was an NPC, it was very awkward when she called him that in the current situation.

“Is there a problem when I’m calling Master, ‘Master’?”

“No, there’s no…problem, but isn’t Schnee famous now? If such a person calls me ‘Master’, it will absolutely turn into an uproar.”

“Mu, that’s certainly the case, but…”

Shin well understood the influence of Tsuki no Hokora. And, it was certainly Schnee who made it so. It was impossible that nothing would happen if a person such as Schnee appeared to have a master whom she looked up to.

“Don’t you think so? I would especially like to avoid becoming the center of the attention. Therefore, I request that you do not call me ‘Master’.”

“But, then what should I call you?”

“Eh? Wouldn’t using my name normally be enough?”

“Uh!? T-That…”

For some reason, the surprised Schnee looked downward with her mouth mumbling. After a short time, she raised her face to stare straight at Shin as if she had made up her mind.

“T-Then…Shin.”

“Ah, there we go.”

Schnee said it in a whisper. Her cheeks were dyed a faint, pink color and her ears were bright red.

As for Shin, he had quite the response of ‘Eh, what is that reaction!?’ and strangely enjoyed the embarrassed feeling.

Schnee’s reaction was certainly seen in a lot of mangas and games. Though Shin well knew of this situation, the problem was whether or not he could return the reaction directly.

Though he was not well-versed, it didn’t mean that he had never experienced love before.

To tell the truth, Schnee had never changed her expressions to be this shy in the game, so the very action of calling his own name with somewhat upturned eyes was terrific, and considerably very ―――― ‘Moe’.

“How should I say this…that has destructive power…”

“Eh!?”

“No, it’s nothing. Yeah, it’s really nothing. From now on, please call me Shin.”

“I understand. Then, after this I will call you S-Shin.”

Schnee tried to act calm, but the flushed cheeks and ears vividly expressed her state of mind. Shin, who knew her usual calm appearance, was worrying about the too extreme gap.

(Is this the true ‘Gap Moe’? Indeed…the destructive power is worthy of comparison with the gap of Celica-san, which I felt in the guild.)

After that, they walked without saying anything to each other for a while. After confirming that the ears of Schnee, who was fidgety, returned to their former color using side glances, Shin resumed the conversation.

“Ah, though we got off topic, should we continue with the questions?”

“Yes, I showed an unsightly side. But I’m alright now.”

Though he felt that her voice still sounded somewhat excited, he ignored it, because the conversation would not advance if he pointed it out.

“Let me see…Errr, I’ve already talked about my abilities. Then about the last question. First of all, I intend to go around collecting information around here and there after this.”

“Information?”

“Yes, first I will learn about this world. For the time being, I have investigated a little in the kingdom’s library, and I intend to go to the Sacred Land later. Has Schnee been there before?”

“Yes. But because it was only a simple internal investigation, I still don’t know what’s going on in the center of the city.”

“Is that so?”

Whether the key to returning to his former world lies there or not. The only way is to go there directly.

“Um…Shin.”

“Hmm?”

Schnee called out to Shin, who was thinking on whether he wanted to go the Sacred Land next. Her voice had completely changed from a while ago and was a little bit stiff.

“If you find the way…are you going to stop and return?”

“…Ah.”

He went silent for a while and replied. Though he hesitated on how to answer Schnee’s in this state, it wouldn’t change the conclusion even if he lied. He didn’t mean to give up if there was still a possibility.

And there was no meaning in vague answers, either.

He didn’t want to lie.

“That should be expected, huh?”

“…Sorry.”

“No, When I listened to your talk earlier, I already thought you wanted to do so.”

Schnee nodded while showing an innocent smile, seemingly understanding in some respect. At the expression that resembled a look of relief, Shin felt a faint sense of incongruity.

“Hey, Schnee. How much do you remember from the game?”

Shin asked, in an attempt to change the sense of incongruity.

“Everything.”

“Everything..?”

“Yes. From the time I descended down from that place to be together with you.”

Everything until this very moment now.

◆◆◆◆◆◆

The moment when he ran through a field for beginners.

The time when he was depressed due to losing in PvP.

The eagerness to improve his stats.

The friends he had in the guild.

The loud laugh after defeating a large army of players.

The dungeon where he risked his life.

The tears he shed for not being able to protect someone’s life.

The assassin’s dagger he wielded.

The promise he made to a certain person.

The last time seeing his back.

“――I remember it all.”

Schnee said while calmly putting her hand above her chest.

“Although it was useless to ask you to forget it too, please say…”

“I’m not saying~”

The smiling face was too radiant as she answered bluntly. It was a facial expression that he hadn’t seen when she was an NPC, and when his fellow made this sort of face, Shin became a little glad.

“But, if that was the case. Though you only talked in pre-set sentences, were you in a state of awareness?”

“No, it was after Shin and the others entered the situation known as the death game, that a type of self-consciousness became clear. Until then, it felt like watching a moving picture. It is very hard to explain it, but it’s like looking at myself from a bird’s-eye view.”

Though it was her memory, Schnee said that it was like the memory of another person. To be frank, he didn’t understand it well, because he thought it was rather painful that her consciousness became aware while in a state where her body moved without permission, so he didn’t question it further.

“I see. In short, you know all about the logout stuff and the other things beyond that point as well.”

It was possible to say that that might be the reason why she had retained her memories of the game.

“Yes. At that time, it was because all of the adventurers sometimes used those words after the life and death fights began. If I am not mistaken, another world, different from this one, is the real world, right?”

“That is correct…so anyways, after I left, you guys searched for me and then separated, huh?”

“…Yes.”

While smiling as if she had been in trouble, Schnee affirmed it.

The last fight of the death game. If Shin won the fight, Schnee and the others would disappear. If Shin lost, Schnee and the others would lose their master. Either way, it couldn’t become a happy ending. Therefore, they took several actions, due the mysterious situation where they didn’t disappear even though Shin should have won.

“If only you all could have told me beforehand, though that might not be possible to say.”

“Then, wouldn’t Shin have been troubled by it? You had to do the best that you could at that time.”

“Is that so…”

Though it was decided that it was okay and he had been in high spirits when he left Tsuki no Hokora; when he learned about the circumstances that his support characters had concealed among themselves, Shin felt miserable.

Nevertheless, even if he had known, he would not have doubted himself, and would have done what he did, so he did not say anything.

“In those days, independent action was not completely possible yet, and the talk of freedom, like the present day, was more or less not even imaginable. Either way, it would have been impossible to talk about.”

“Well now that you mention it, when the death game began, I thought it was weird that the NPC’s were strangely acting like human beings. Now knowing that it was self-awareness, I realize ‘Ah! so that’s it’.”

“You have a difficult personality as always, Shin.”

“Shut up!…Leave me alone.”

He muttered at Schnee, who smiled wryly while he was embarrassed. He was pondering his past actions, thinking about if or when the programs had began self-consciousness or something, wondering ‘Did I treat them decently?’, as Schnee’s remark actually hit the target.

“Well, you would have gone to battle even if you had known, Shin.”

“…That’s probably true.”

Compared to the lives of ten thousand humans, the support characters were no more than data. Even if the data had been somewhat self-consciousness, it was still not comparable.

“Besides, didn’t you make a promise?”

“…Yeah.”

Even though it wasn’t much, many people returned to reality.

In fact, it was due to that promise which Shin had exchanged with a certain person.

Since they knew about it for sure, neither Schnee nor the other support characters would have said anything.

“Now then, let’s put a stop to this solemn atmosphere. Especially since we are able to meet again after so much effort and a long wait.”

“…That’s right. “What am I saying now, it’s quickly become depressing! Let’s stop it!”

In order to completely change the mood that had become depressing, Schnee behaved cheerfully and clapped her hands in an exaggerated manner. Shin also joined in by raising his voice.

“First of all, to celebrate the reunion, let’s go all out with a party. If it’s about food ingredients, I have a lot left in the Item Box.”

“Let’s do it. Please let me demonstrate my cooking skill that I have raised over the years.”

“By the way, what is your cooking level?”

“It became Ⅸ about one month ago.”

“Seriously!?”

Shin was surprised that it had grown to the level where she could cook even a high level monster. Even if she made the lowest grade meal, a simple soup, with this level it transformed into a dish that generated a lot of bonus stats. It was said that a skilled cook was found to be as useful as a skilled blacksmith in major guilds. There were enormous bonuses when a dish was made using rare ingredients. If one of two players with the same level, job, and about the same ability ate the dish, the player who ate it would end up with a complete victory in combat.

And Rokuten, where Shin had been a member, was able to overpower other player’s skills and stats because there was a cook skill of level X. So, with a dish that gave a bonus of temporary adding to their maxed stats, they were able to exceed the limit, though it was only by a little. (E/N: Even though their stats were maxed at 999, with that food they could go above 1000)

By the way, only Shin and the other members of Rokuten, who had reached the maximum stats, knew of that information. All of the members, including Shin, started to notice the increase in damage from the bonus effects, and the information was not circulated in order for only the six members of Rokuten to benefit from it.

“Though I’m not like Cook-sama, you can anticipate it.”

“Yosh! Leave the ingredients to me!”

While expressing “Fufufu”, he took a look at the ingredients in the Item Box. Even though the ingredients were stored since the time it was just a game, he himself had already confirmed that it was okay to eat them.

“By the way Shin, may I ask one more question aside from the questions earlier.”

“Yes? What is it?”

Schnee asked him the question while looking at the top of Shin’s head.

“That one, what is it?”

“This one? …Ah.”

He realized what she was talking about.

It was Yuzuha who was sleeping soundly on top of Shin’s head.

“Though since only its name and level are seen, did you use Taming on it?”

“Yeah, there were some minor circumstances, and we made a partner contract due to them. Its name is Yuzuha. I will be honest since it is Schnee. It’s race is the Element Tail.”

“…When I looked at the tails, I thought it was not a mere Demon Fox race. So it is an Element Tail, huh?”

Schnee became stiff momentarily, right after she heard the race of Yuzuha. But she promptly regained herself as if she thought, ‘Well, it is Shin after all.’

“You found out through the tail?”

“Perhaps Shin didn’t notice it? I could understand that it was not an ordinary Demon Fox because there are 3 tails.”

Shin tilted his head due to what Schnee was saying. There should be no such feature in Yuzuha’s tail.

“…Three…tails?”

Then he suddenly noticed it. Now that he thought about it, there was a sense of tails hitting his ears and the back of his head.

First, he grabbed a tail with his right hand. Yep, nice and soft.

“Hmm.”

Next, he grabbed a tail with his left hand. This one was also fluffy.

“…Hmm.”

Finally, he concentrated on the sense of touch on the back of his head. There was a faint light touch.

“…Hmm.”

For the time being, he released the tails from his hands, gripped the body of Yuzuha from above his head and brought it in front of his face.

“Kuu?”

“They had certainly become three.”

Yuzuha woke up after being moved from overhead. And then the tails that had increased to 3 swung side by side accordingly.

When looking at its level, it had unexpectedly gone over 400.

“…Well, I guess its level rose too much.”

Even if the former level was over 200, it had gone up too suddenly. It hadn’t killed many monsters while they were power-leveling Rashia. And it was indeed impossible for it to level up almost 200 levels just from the fight with the Lord.

“I think something else happened.”

Shin thought that there was something that he personally didn’t know. The growth extent of a monster partner or something similar was something he had heard from a member of Rokuten; Cashmere. Therefore, he understood that such a straightforward growth was nearly impossible.

The first thing that came to Shin’s mind was that a hidden quest had been completed when the requirements were fulfilled. He had experienced it several times during the game, so he had grown accustomed to it. If he remembered correctly, there was a quest with a monster partner, too.

“Schnee, how do you take up a hidden quest in this world?”

“As far as I know, I haven’t heard talks of any such quests being generated. The world voice I had heard before, it too was never heard from again after Shin vanished. And I have not heard of any story like this either.”

The world voice Schnee mentioned was probably the announcement system in THE NEW GATE.

Unlike the quest which could be accepted in a guild, when the conditions for the generated hidden quest were met, the player was notified of what kind of quest it was via an announcement as the hidden quest began.

In this case, since there was no sort of announcement at all, Shin didn’t notice Yuzuha’s level up. Also, judging from Schnee’s story, the system feature of announcements was likely gone.

“Still, for the number of tails to increase, is this because the level rose?”

Shin spoke while facing Yuzuha.

Because there were no Element Tail kit’s in the game era, he was uncertain about how they grew up.

It might unexpectedly just be a mere growth spurt rather than a quest and the like.

“Kua~…Good morning, Master.”

Without knowing that Shin was worried, Yuzuha yawned loudly… and greeted him like it was only natural.

“Wait a minute, Yuzuha! Did you reach the point where you are able to talk?”

“Kuu? When the black things disappeared, my head felt refreshed.”

“Black things?”

When he heard about the black things, he was thought of the Lord’s core that was sliced in half just a while ago. If he recalled back, it was only Skull Faces that had surrounded the Shinto shrine where Yuzuha was rescued from. And it was not strange to regard the Lord that appeared this time as the boss.

“It was black, roundish, and inside the bones. And Master cut it.”

“It’s the Lord’s core, no mistake about it.”

It seemed like it matched Shin’s expectations. There was some kind of relation that connected Yuzuha and the Lord, Shin’s intuition as a gamer told him so.

Was some portion of its power absorbed? Or was it sealed? It was regrettable that he had no way of confirming it after defeating it.

“For now, you are prohibited from talking in public. Since ordinary Demon Foxes can’t talk.”

“Okay.”

“If it’s just the two of us, it should be fine, but don’t expose yourself to other people.”

“Hmmm, then do I only talk directly into your mind?”

“Telepathy? If so, it should be fine.”

Since there was telepathy, it was still possible to communicate. It seemed that Yuzuha also understood it intuitively, as it nodded obediently.

“But Shin, since the number of tails have increased, will it still be known as a Little Fox?”

“That’s right…”

Actually, there were various types of Demon Fox races, and so naturally there were ones with multiple tails. Indeed, it was possible to say that that most of them had multiple tails.. But generally it became a slightly dangerous existence for a commoner if the number of tails exceeded 2.

As for Demon Fox races with 3 tails, there was Flame Tail, Tail Leader and so on. Even if it was young, their levels were still at least 250. They were not the kind of monster that one would just take as a pet in this world.

“Its still a child, so entering a country might be possible, but…”

“Well, it will become an adult sooner or later, too. That’s right…say, Yuzuha. Can’t you do things like transform?”

“Kuu? There are things that I’m able to do, and things I am not able to do.”

“Can you change the three tails into one?”

“Easy~”

Yuzuha said, while its three tails splendidly turned into a single tail with a pop sound.

“Oh!”

“That’s nice.”

Shin and Schnee both opened their eyes wide in surprise.

Rather than an illusion, they seemed to have really become one tail. Even touching it seemed natural.

“Is this good??”

“It’s okay. Won’t it make you tired?”

“It’s alright!”

“Then from now on, can you merge them into one tail in places where people can see? Because that will save us some trouble one way or another.”

“Yes, I can do that~”

Yuzuha agreed easily. It didn’t hide any resistance.

“…It was somehow solved easily.”

“Yeah, that’s true. If it’s like this, it won’t be discovered easily.”

Schnee too, assured. It seemed like Shin was relieved by this.

“Yuzuha is excellent?”

“Yes, yes, good job.”

“Kuu~~”

With Yuzuha held against his chest, he patted its head for its good job.

“…Cute!”

“Hmm?”

“Ha! It’s nothing.”

“…Do you want to pet it?”

“Sure!!”

Even though she was so strong, Schnee was still a woman and seemed to like cute things. Petting Yuzuha indeed felt really good, too.

“Still the same as ever, Shin never fails to surprise me.”

“Hmm?”

“No one has accomplished taming an Element Tail before.”

Schnee’s declaration contained something of amazement while stopping her petting. The Element Tail was set to be impossible to tame since the beginning of the game era. It was no wonder that she was surprised.

“You don’t look surprised while saying that though?”

“Well, since it’s Shin I’m really not surprised. No high level individual like you has ever tried doing that before.”

“Indeed. We, the Rokuten, weakened the opponent while going easy, even if the difficulty was high.”

Shin recalled. Having every attribute of magic, aided by strong physical attacks from its fangs and claws, it was a monster that had a nimble and agile nature which didn’t match its large body. Even the maxed stats players could not let their guard down. That was the original appearance of the Element Tail.

Yuzuha, which was curled up while being held by Shin’s arm, did not show such a threat at all.

“Kuu?”

“Yosh, let’s run at full speed now. In fact, there are some companions ahead of us. and they might cause an uproar soon.”

“If that’s the case, we better hurry. We might catch up in time.”

If someone thought about the travel speed of Shin and Schnee; they could easily overtake a horse that ran at full speed by a large margin. However, Wilhelm had the buff given by Shin, which made him run faster. It was likely that he would lengthen the distance in this case. If those two people arrived at the kingdom and informed them about the situation, it would be troublesome for Shin in various ways.

“Let’s get serious. It’s too bothersome to be marked by the guild any further.”

“What you said just now, can you explain it later?”

“That is that and this is this.”

Would it be possible to put it off after Schnee made such a face, Shin couldn’t say.

“Yosh, let’s go!”

He put Yuzuha on top of his head, and began to run with Schnee.

It didn’t take too long for the two people to catch up with Wilhelm and Rashia.

After about half a day since Shin and Schnee began to run and not much time had passed since the sun appeared from beyond the horizon, the figures of Wilhelm and Rashia were perceived.

–

“Oi! Now tell me everything, like what on earth happened back there?”

“What’s up with this sudden contentious attitude…”

Wilhelm was cautious of the surroundings while protecting Rashia, who was asleep. Though they joined up safely, Wilhelm was losing his temper and flared up at Shin with a threatening tone.

Meanwhile Rashia continued to sleep, probably because of fatigue.

“Well, to put it simply, Schnee took the trouble of defeating the Lord.”

“Hyun!”

Shin, who answered, was pushed away by the devil spear. It was not serious, but there was some speed put into the devil spear.

“Wait! That’s dangerous!!”

“I’ve never seen anyone that could do anything like that and have their magical power leap to that degree. You are dangerous after all!”

“Why are you so persistent!?”

“What else do you expect!! What was your intention when you saw us off with such an exaggerated skill, and then easily caught up with us! Even with such a margin in time! And I was fucking desperate to return!!”

“Wait, wait, calm down! Though it was a bad joke, isn’t『Venom』too much!?”

The devil spear was continuously thrust out, but it didn’t hit Shin even once.

“Tsk”

“What the heck are you clicking your tongue for!? It was just a little joke.”

“What joke? That face seems like it wants to say something, but you yourself didn’t do anything. Explain it precisely and I don’t want another joke.”

As one would expect, the joke seemed to have gone a little too far.

Wilhelm looked at Shin with a serious expression.

“Shin, let’s cut to the chase now.”

Schnee, who looked at Shin and Wilhelm messing around, stepped forward.

“You are..? Don’t tell me, you stood behind him.”

Wilhelm said it with some kind of profound meaning.

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you. If you understand, then the explanation is unnecessary?”

Apparently, the two people communicated with only those words.

“Hey, I want you to tell me in a way that I understand.”

Shin had no idea at all of what they were talking about.

“You don’t know, huh? Schnee Raizar is famous for not yielding or kneeling to anyone. I guess even to the Royal family and the Pope.”

It was somehow very stout-hearted.

“Isn’t that disrespectful?”

“I kneel to no one except to my Master.”

Somehow, Shin felt bad about her making the royal family an opponent, but it seemed like Schnee would never waver.

“Well, to begin with, there is no fellow who would dare pick a fight with her.”

“So that is the reason it was tolerated, huh?”

Let alone punishing her, there were only a few people who could even rival her.

When Shin heard that, it seemed as if that was not the only reason. Her tone and attitude were both polite. If a strong monster appeared, she lent her power. She kept neutrality without belonging to any organization, and didn’t bother picking any unnecessary fights.

The achievements from over 500 years were not just for show.

Though there were people who had secretly tried to draw her into becoming their ally, because she had such a great power, it seemed like none had ever succeeded.

“I understand the feeling of wanting to win her over to be an ally.”

“Wait…then if she is obediently following a guy like you, that means…”

“Ah, so you figured it out, huh?…”

Shin didn’t know how well Schnee and Wilhelm were acquainted, but it seemed like Wilhelm had already seen through it.

“A High Human, huh?”

“He is also my Master.”

“Yeah, that’s more or less it.”

“That’s not just more or less. But if that’s the case, I understand. That level of magic power was no joke.”

“Sorry, but that was still me in ‘easy’ mode.”

“I see…the Master of Schnee Raizar, huh? Indeed, the story was more than I expected…Oi, then the animal that you, a High Human, put on your head is not just an ordinary fox?”

Wilhelm shifted his attention to Yuzuha while feeling relieved and shrugging his shoulders. Surprise and amazement began to mix into his tone of voice. There was no sense of fear here, probably because he got to know Shin without any preconceived notions.

“Kuu?”

“It might not be a Little Fox. Its level exceeded 400 after the fight a little while ago.”

“…Again, I’m not really surprised.”

Wilhelm sighed while glaring with scornful eyes. Even though he was surprised by the truth about Yuzuha, which had the appearance of a small animal as well as a level exceeding 400, he was way past being shocked, so he ended up feeling “Like hell such a thing could exist!”.

“So that is why you vaguely answered about being a chosen one earlier, huh?”

“Right. In my case, I was not strong since birth, though my power is higher than a chosen one. I thought such guys were rare in this world, don’t you agree? Therefore, I decided to go with being a chosen one.”

“I see. Then, if you two act together from now on, it’s only a matter of time before it comes to light.”

Wilhelm’s point was justifiable. Generally speaking, Schnee and Tsuki no Hokora were famous. So if Schnee appeared to be close to a man, certain groups of people would try to gather information.

“For that situation, there are magic skills that easily allow me to deceive others. I can earn some time if I make full use of illusion magic.”

“I don’t think the illusion magic you talk about is similar to the one I know. I would not be surprised if you transformed into a monster.”

“What kind of treatment is this…”

Shin could do nothing but smile wryly.

“If you are going to do that, then you will be a walking disaster. A guy like you could easily go out and erase a country if he felt like it in the same day. If I were the King, I would lose my mind.”

It was meaningless to try and act violently, so Wilhelm sat down as he added another point. He then urged Shin and Schnee, who were still standing and talking, to sit down while he mended Rashia’s bed sheet.

Rashia was sleeping soundly as her breathing could be heard. According to Wilhelm, when the people were told that high ranking adventurers were around, they seemed to calm down at last. Regarding Shin, he seemed convinced that there was no need to use the illusion magic skill immediately to that extent.

“Which reminds me, are any documents relating to us, High Humans, still remaining?”

He had returned empty handed when he visited the library before, but how were player matters circulated? Shin only had the unclear information that he had heard from Tiera. If he thought about it now, he wasn’t certain if it was unconsciously avoided. No one would bother with such a dark history, and they would pretend like it never even happened, naturally.

“There might be some left. Well, the things that I know of are; they have absurdly powerful-like strength and each had their own field of expertise in which they possessed an abnormal ability. They were treated like Gods in their particular field.”

“There are various legends that have been passed down among other people, right?”

Schnee chimes in.

“Uhee, this is gonna be troublesome again. Because Rokuten certainly was a former production guild first, we felt like we wouldn’t lose to others when it came to our individual fields of expertise.”

“Ha? Since you were strong at the beginning, did you waste time on craftsmanship? Like Schnee here.”

“Wilhelm, didn’t I only cook to pass the time??”

There seemed to be some kind of different history between the two people.

Even though every member of Rokuten certainly had amazing stats, the main reason they first gathered together was to be production guild.

“It’s different from that. Even if the levels are the same, humans are weaker than other races. In my case, I compensated with blacksmithing. It was really difficult to raise its level at the same time as combat skills.”

“You just ran from place to place many times when you first started adventuring, right?”

Schnee grunted “uh-huh” and nodded. When Shin first played, he was very weak compared to the present.

“These kinds of things, I guess, are not normal.”

“That’s what ‘High players’ did.”

Schnee casually said a word that only players would understand.

“It was called ‘High Human’ though.”

“Hai pu…what?”

Wilhelm could not understand the net term.

“Anyway, I made weapons to raise my level in blacksmithing. I equipped them and defeated stronger opponents to raise my level. Then I made a stronger weapon with the material from the opponents I defeated. And again, defeated another stronger enemy. It was this loop.”

To begin with, the world of blacksmithing was not sweet enough to be able to make an advanced weapon as easily like Shin said. Though ‘blacksmith’ was an example of a production skill system that was somewhat easier to raise than the combat system skill, THE NEW GATE was not a lenient enough of a game to allow it to be maxed that easily.

For this reason, there were divisions for production and combat system guilds. The majority of players who worked on both sides stopped halfway and quit, although it’s also difficult to master just one of the two systems. No similar person accomplished this.

In the systems above, players with a combat job had to be able to make a lower class recovery item, like a class 10 Potion, and production job players had to be able to handle a battle. But it was still only at a ‘better than nothing’ standard.

“Amazing. I guess you are the real deal.”

“How rude.”

“It’s absurd no matter how much I think about it. I can’t even think about standing both jobs together.”

“If you think about it, it seems like it would favor the long-lived species such as elves and pixies. But they are not able to do it.”

If the Pixie and Elf species existed in reality, they would not be suited for being blacksmiths in the first place.

In other words, raising two jobs together and so on was an unbelievable act of sheer madness for the residents of this world. Shin was able to do it because it had only been a game. Using items every time to gain a proficiency bonus and learning skills from using secret books, there stood Shin today only because he had spent the time to strengthen himself.

And even that took a tremendous amount of time. It was impossible to do the same thing in the daily life of this world.

“I’m aware of it. The members of Rokuten are strong in various ways. It is quite normal that even I am not a match for them, except for in blacksmithing. Cain could build a castle in a day, Cook could make a dish from dragons, Cashmere raised a monster ranch before anyone knew it, Hecate produced Elixirs and Philosopher stones, and made a load of low grade potions by mood. Also, Reed’s puppets were able to exchange blows with divine beasts.”

“Shin has produced several holy swords and cursed sword types. And if you don’t like an 《Ancient》 grade sword, he and Filma will melt it down to avoid complaints.”

Schnee expressed a wry smile as she remembered those days. It didn’t matter if it was a 《Legend》 grade or a 《Mythology》 grade, he would just do it over again if he was not satisfied.

By the way, Filma was Shin’s no. 2 support character. Incidentally, Shin, who recalled that time, was strangely discouraged.

“That sure is a damn dramatical way to improve oneself. I mean, your specialty is blacksmith, huh?”

“That’s right. Do you want me to restructure your 『Venom』 ?”

“Are you kidding me?!”

Kukuku. Shin, who now had a suspicious voice with a grinning face, forced Wilhelm to reply right away. He seemed to give off a bad feeling somehow or another.

“Please tell me if you’re not satisfied. If it’s Wilhelm, I will reinforce it for a bargain price.”

“Oi, Why are you making a face like a shady merchant?”

“Iyaa, how should I put it, it’s just my blacksmith’s blood getting excited?”

“…Oh, your profession is certainly a craftsman. That face looks like a dwarf’s boss in a hot-iron room, now that I think about it.”

In any world too, it seemed like people with similar occupations all resembled each other in speech and action. The face of some dwarf craftsmen when they saw 『Venom』 appeared in Wilhelm’s mind clearly.

They have the eyes of children that have just found their new toy as it glitters, much like the eyes of Shin just now.

“Even so, you need a blacksmith’s forge to showcase your skills, don’t you? Though you are different than the others, a weapon cannot be made using secrets or a lost secret arts thing, you know?”

“I’m not like some fake blacksmith!! I only intend to hold a hammer after such a long absence from Tsuki no Hokora.”

“I know you will be able to make something. From the story of a craftsman, whom I am indebted to, the longsword produced by Rokuten’s blacksmith was of 《Normal》 grade, but was on equal terms with a 《Legend》 grade sword.”

Of course, Wilhelm was not a child to believe such a story. In a sense, 《Normal》 grade and 《Legend》 grade have different performance standards that couldn’t be compared with each other.

“It is indeed…no, wait. Now that you mention it, there was a time when I tested how far I could strengthen a 《Normal》 grade weapon.”

“Oi…you are joking, aren’t you?”

When Wilhelm reflectively asked that question in return, Schnee also opened her mouth to talk.

“Wasn’t that the experiment you conducted that was suggested by both Reed-sama and Hecate-sama?

“That’s right. If I’m not mistaken, only suitable and prepared iron can be enchanted. It’s the kind that could only be made by using the best facilities available at that time. I put it in the store by mistake, I wonder if the buyer was surprised and spread that information.”

“…What the heck is that!”

By the way, the buyer bought it as a present for a beginner who had just begun to play the game. And it was discovered by players passing by, as monsters that should not able to be defeated by a beginner were being killed in one hit. When watched from the side, the monsters gave off a feeling of being awfully weak. The buyer thought it was just a normal longsword and didn’t notice it because they didn’t check the stats on the weapon.

“I was astonished that an amazing thing could be made at that time. However, because the material was iron, the durability is inferior by all means. I made several of them, and started to test them, or should I say crossed swords. They broke after striking each other about 10-20 times.”

“I would think, it’s damn weird, when it was possible to exchange blows at that time.”

As if to say he couldn’t comprehend Shin’s common sense, Wilhelm held his head with one hand. The grade of the weapon should not be sweet enough that even a blacksmith’s skill could enhance it this way.

“Ah, I understand it well. You are definitely a High Human. The common sense here just continues to break down since a while ago.”

“Because it is my Master, the current common sense does not work.”

“Kuu~Kuu~”

“No, that’s not a compliment.”

To the proud looking Schnee and the agreeing Yuzuha, Wilhelm retorted while being astounded. He seemed to still be a little confused as he didn’t notice how Yuzuha had reacted, as if it understood the words.

Schnee seemed to be boasting, probably because it was about the legend of Shin.

“Nh…Ngh?”

When Wilhelm was about to sigh, Rashia who had been sleeping on the side woke up. They apparently had made too much noise. It was too loud for her to continue sleeping.

“Eh?…Shin, san?”

“Yo.”

“Ah! Hello…why are you here!?”

Rashia, who was still half asleep, recognized someone with a glance before raising her voice. She was certain that this man had remained with the flock of monsters to let them get away. Even Yuzuha, who was on top of his head, was still the same as before.

“I somehow made it here.”

“Eh…?”

Rashia looked like she wanted to say, “What is he saying?” as she faced toward Wilhelm.

Wilhelm caught the gaze and responded.

“Apparently, an ally happened to pass by.”

Wilhelm said that while glancing at Shin and Schnee, as if his eyes said to Shin “Don’t you dare tell this girl.”

Because Shin also intended to conceal the fact about him being a High Human from Rashia, he gave a small nod. Unlike Wilhelm who had some connection to Rashia, who was a commoner, she couldn’t guess the identity of Shin from Schnee’s attitude. Though there was no problem if it was known, it was still dangerous just to know that valuable information. A possible information leak may cause Rashia misfortune..

So Wilhelm decided to modify the story to one where just an ally happened to pass by.

Incidentally about Wilhelm, Schnee was the companion who had handed over the letter of introduction to him, so he didn’t have to worry.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Schnee Raizar. I am the acting manager of Tsuki no Hokora.”

“Thank you for the polite words. I am called Rashia Luzel…um, what did you say just now?”

Rashia asked Schnee again as if she had heard something impossible.

Of course she had heard it, she just couldn’t believe it.

“Because it’s Schnee Raizar. You know. It’s that Schnee Raizar.”

“…That?”

“Oh, it’s you!”

Schnee raised her eyebrow a little.

“Though it sounds like the meaning is not very positive for some reason.”

Even though her name meant a good thing in this world, it was still a mystery how it could also have a strange meaning when people kept saying it.

“Just make up your damn mind. Look! Rashia, come back to yourself!”

“E-Errr, I’m Rashia! It’s an honor to meet zuu! ….uu”

“Yes, I hope to get along with you.”

Schnee replied as if Rashia biting her tongue didn’t happen.

“I was only able to defeat those monsters thanks to Schnee helping out. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“Did you defeat all of the monsters!? A-As expected from the 『Saint』-sama.”

“Saint?”

Shin was trying to emphasize the achievements of Schnee, but had a question about the unfamiliar word.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Schnee-sama never accepted it.”

“Didn’t accept it?”

Shin looked at Schnee unintentionally.

“I received a communication acknowledging me as a Saint from the church headquarters previously. Although I declined it.”

“Was there any problem in accepting it?”

“Yes. I don’t have any intention to be affiliated with influence somewhere just because I served with the High Humans. However, when the title of Saint arrived, because there is the possibility that I would naturally end up with some church influence, I didn’t accept it. I thought it was already forgotten about because it has been more than 100 years, but it seems they still haven’t given up yet.”

It was indeed unexpected, Schnee sighed as she was disgruntled.

Although the church recognized her as a Saint, it was meaningless if she didn’t accept it.

For Shin to meddle in the church’s internal politics would be more than a petty complication, it was completely contrary to his goal. Religion was something which was troublesome through all the ages. When thinking about these kinds of things, Schnee smiled at Rashia.

“You can call me Schnee, it’s no problem.”

“S-Such a thing! It’s too much.”

“You’re too tense!”

“Will, that is too much, too!”

Though it was somewhat exaggerated, Shin thought it was the correct reaction.

Shin, personally, was Schnee’s long-time acquaintance, and Wilhelm had a character that didn’t hold much back. Therefore they could talk normally. However, as Tiera said before, even children knew the name Schnee; she was very popular.

If that person was in front of someone normal, they would probably react this way, too.

“Oi, come on! Don’t we have to go soon? There’s no need to rest here, right?.”

Shin and Schnee hadn’t taken much of a break, and Wilhelm understood that much.

“That’s right, we should go then.”

Shin spoke while standing up with Schnee. They were able to leave without any problems, and since there were orphanage matters too, it was better to rush.

Rashia began to tidy up the bedding in a hurry as well. Though Rashia didn’t understand the significance of the details of the incident, for the time being she understood the explanation about how it was solved by Schnee. It didn’t mean that she had forgotten the fear of when they were surrounded by monsters, but Rashia might believe that there was nothing impossible for this person.

According to a commoner such as Rashia, Schnee Raizar was a living legend. A heroine and a saint, who had been protecting this land for more than 500 years.

There was a trust that was close to faith.

“Well, the reliance is greater than I thought.”

Shin talked to himself, as he saw the expression full of trust in Schnee on Rashia’s face. It was easy to imagine that it would become outrageous if Schnee walked together with him. It might be difficult even if it was only to buy something.

He sighed and decided to carefully make the disguise.

◆◆◆◆◆◆

Wilhelm carried Rashia, as Shin and Schnee maintained their speed to match up with them. No matter how much her level had risen, it would be a significant burden on Rashia if she had to run with all her effort.

That speed couldn’t be compared with a horse. Even though they took a break on the way, the four people arrived at the location where they were able to see the kingdom’s town before sunset.

They walked from there because it would be difficult if they caused others to be cautious of them as they were going to a place with public eyes.

“Ugh, I feel like vomiting…”

“Come on, I carried you on my back, so endure it.”

Rashia, who was not used to high speed travel while being carried by someone, had her complexion worsen, like she was having motion sickness. Since it was cruel to let her walk as it was, Wilhelm carried her on his back.

“Are you alright?”

Schnee called out kindly.

“Don’t worry, I will put up with it…”

“That’s serious.”

Shin let out a small sigh.

Because potions didn’t work on motion sickness, the party proceeded after she said so.

Schnee had already changed her appearance using a magic skill before being perceived by the public. Her blue eyes turned red, her silver hair changed to blonde, and she now had a ponytail hairstyle. Several other skills were applied besides that.

Since Shin personally applied the magic, it would never be discovered unless in an extreme circumstance. From the beginning, just transforming a woman’s hairstyle and her impression made her significantly different. If her hair color and eyes were changed, even humans who were used to seeing Schnee would not notice it immediately.

“Just to confirm, it’s okay if we separate in front of the gate?”

“I don’t mind. The request was originally until she learned the skill. There’s no need to bother walking us to the church, too. If something does happen at the church, it’s for us to manage.”

“That tone that doesn’t match with your honest side is the same as always.”

Schnee showed a wry smile while speaking to Wilhelm.

“Dammit, leave me alone!”

They joked around while approaching the gate. Even though Wilhelm said that something might have already happened, Shin expanded his perception range to the orphanage, and confirmed everyone was safe. Of course, there were no signs of any uninvited guests either.

“Then, we will walk together up until we get there. I will give you this just in case. Please contact me if anything happens.”

When they arrived at the gate, Shin presented the message card and the letter paper.

However, Wilhelm who saw that, tried to refuse.

“This is the item that transfers a message, huh? If it turns into a situation where I need to use this, I won’t choose to do so. What if I involve you and something happens?”

“Moreover, it only puts you at a disadvantage.” those were the words left unsaid, but expressed through Wilhelm’s eyes as he told Shin, and his intention to have Shin stay out of it could be sensed.

No matter how similar Shin was to a chosen one, or as a similar fellow who was recognized by Tsuki no Hokora, Wilhelm didn’t intend to involve a companion who had merely received the request. There were possibilities of Shin being marked by the church when he received enough requests. If the message card was handed over and used, that alone was unjustifiable. He had already expected that Wilhelm would say that.

If something were to happen without Shin being involved, like the situation earlier, there was the high possibility that it couldn’t be solved, or it would become more disastrous. Even still, that man couldn’t approve of it.

Rashia, who was being carried on Wilhelm’s back, didn’t say anything either.

They themselves were going to challenge the enemy; who had power, money, and ability.

Schnee Raizar and her master. It should not be shameful in any way if they requested help from a companion with unparalleled power and fame in this world. But in this case, they kept their problems to themselves till the very end.

Though the request for 【Purification】 was just recently put out, it was already over, too. If possible, Wilhelm would settle it by himself from here-on. That belief became a wall that stood between Shin and Wilhelm.

“It’s fine. Take it.”

Shin forced the message card onto Wilhelm. He was saying to ignore the invisible wall between them.

“I will feel bad if I neglect you both from here on.”

“But――”

“Besides!”

Wilhelm tried to say something, but was interrupted by Shin.

“When I first came here, those children only tried to protect each other and their friends. I will not abandon them. Thus, when the chips are down, I will help.”

“You…what are you saying…”

“You can contact me without worrying about a thing. Take it quickly! It’s becoming a little embarrassing to say anymore!!”

He felt embarrassed about the lines which he had never uttered before, even in the real world. It was guaranteed that he would groan in agony once he thought about it later. Am I such a passionate guy? No doubt he would question himself.

But remorse would not do either.

Even if this world was a different world for him, there was nothing wrong with his choice. Believing so, Shin handed over the items.

“Then, I shouldn’t hold back?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

Wilhelm, who was broadly grinning, received the message card at last.

“Shin too, still the same as ever.”

“Is that so?”

Schnee said while seeing Wilhelm and Rashia off toward the gate. It was because there was a situation resembling such a thing before.

Though Shin showed a reaction of not remembering, Schnee clearly recalled the figure of Shin that had helped some strangers before, like just now.

They were a little girl whose eyes were swollen with tears, a young boy who was dumbstruck, and an old man who was going to sacrifice himself and desperately tried to go ahead of the young boy. There was no discrimination at all.

‘It’s impossible for me to save everyone, but there is no other way but to try to do it.’

When Shin talked like that.

Schnee was able to recall clearly, even now, the figure that was almighty, but didn’t act like it, and continued to protect the weak.

“What’s the matter, Schnee? Let’s move on.”

“I’m sorry, I was lost in my thoughts for a moment. I’m coming now.”

Schnee walked while looking at Shin’s back. After advancing for a while, they almost came to their destination.

Shin tilted his head when he looked at Schnee with side glances, but without pointing it out, the two people moved one step closer to Tsuki no Hokora.

Schnee’s face, when captured in Shin’s line of sight, had a very calm and gentle facial expression.

◆◆◆◆◆◆

After they had walked for a while, a familiar sight appeared in front of Shin and Schnee. Needless to say, it was Tsuki no Hokora.

Because the wooden sign at the door said 『The storekeeper has left home』, it seemed like the store was already closed. Naturally it was locked, but Shin was the owner, and Schnee was registered as an employee. So the lock automatically opened when Shin put his hand on the door, and the door swung open.

The store hadn’t changed much from the last time that Shin visited, and there was a faint scent of dinner in the air.

“It can’t be helped, my stomach is grumbling.”

“I’m hungry~”

Shin held his belly, and Yuzuha, who had been silent for a long time, also raised its voice. Whether it could read the mood or not, it appeared to be bored because it had hardly barked while they had traveled with Wilhelm and Rashia. Now it was being carried by Shin.

“It’s just the right time, let’s have dinner first.”

They both nodded at Schnee’s proposal as she canceled her disguise, and then the sound of a person running loudly, probably from the main room to the counter’s interior, was heard.

“Master!!”

“Master!!”

It was Tiera, who was tending the store. She had probably heard the sound of the bell chime when they entered the store.

She appeared to be out of breath while holding a kitchen knife. She might have been in the middle of cooking as not even a little sense of danger came from her.

“Calm down. You are too flustered.”

“S-Sorry. But, as I wrote in the message card, a person came and told me he was master’s acquaintance, and then he left some amazing things behind!!”

Though the person in question was right in front of her, it seemed like she hadn’t noticed yet, probably because of her panicked state.

“Is this person the one?”

“AHH! T-That’s certainly right, but…Eh? Why are Shin and master together?”

Tiera became aware of Shin’s existence only after Schnee stepped sideways. But now the question of why the two people were together came out from her mouth.

It was because Tiera thought that her master should still be in the Wraith Plains and had no clue as to why the two of them were together. Aside from Schnee, Shin should still be in the plains when one thought about it with this world’s common sense.

“Just some various things have happened. Can we have dinner before we move on to the detailed story?”

“Because we had a bit of a complicated situation yesterday, it might take a long time to explain.”

Sigh “I understand…then Shin too, is gonna eat with us?”

Tiera, who didn’t know the circumstances, responded to Shin who talked like it was only natural.

“Of course he will.”

“Eh? Of course…what?”

“…Come to think of it, no one has told you yet, right Tiera? This person here is the ‘Manager’ of Tsuki no Hokora, Shin.”

Schnee smoothly dropped a bomb there.

“The man..a..ger?…Ah, the manager…THE MANAGEERRR!?”

It took a while for the word, “manager” to register in Tiera’s brain.

Tiera’s reaction when she finally understood what Schnee meant was as followed; she opened her eyes wide, her mouth formed an ‘O’ shape, and she almost dropped the kitchen knife she was holding. She was indeed easy to read.

“Isn’t she is a bit too surprised?”

“Because the common knowledge among the general public is that you don’t exist anymore, it’s no wonder that she is so surprised.”

“Who wouldn’t be surprised!? The manager, the… legendary manager!?”

“Eh? What? Am I known as the legendary manager?”

“That’s not it!! I mean a High Human!!”

“But, didn’t I tell you that when we first met?”

“Normally no one would believe it…”

The scene of Tiera losing her composure alone was amusing, but Shin was beginning to think that this might be the normal response. Like Tiera said, normally if someone said “I am High Human” or something like that, no one would take them seriously. But the best witness, Schnee Raizar, was here. Because she wouldn’t mistake the person she had actually served, it could be said that her testimony about Shin being the real deal, a High Human, was the definite proof. In the meantime, Tiera’s face turned pale.

“I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t realize you were the manager!!”

“Yes?”

“Kuu!”

She was completely transformed from the shock. Tiera bowed vigorously.

This time, it was Shin’s turn to be surprised.

What was she thinking of, because Yuzuha put its paw on the lowered head of Tiera, and Shin also stopped her immediately.

(This is…that, huh? That feeling when the other party casually speaks to their superior. Even though I experienced that shock, I still got flustered.)

The partner with whom Shin got along with, at his old part-time job, was in fact the shop manager, so he could understand a bit of Tiera’s feelings. Though it wasn’t a straight comparison, the partner who unbeknownst talked overly familiarly with their superior, often fretted and felt embarrassed when they found out.

Seeing Tiera in a flustered state made Shin unconsciously feel some pity.

“Don’t worry about it. I understand your feelings.”

“Eh? Oh, yes.”

While nodding, he put his hand on Tiera’s shoulder.

Of course, Tiera didn’t know that Shin’s thoughts expressed understanding, and his action caused her to become even more confused.

“No, really, don’t mind it. It’s weird and embarrassing for me too, if you obey respectfully at this point.”

“R-Really? You won’t say something like, ‘Get out of here’?”

“I won’t say it!?”

What kind of unreasonable action was this!? He wanted to retort.

After that, they talked for a little while, and it concluded in the same manner as before. Aside from Shin being Schnee’s master, because there was more trouble when Yuzuha was introduced and could talk, Tiera had a similar reaction as before, so the rest of the story was omitted.

“Then, shall we eat?”

After a short period of discussion, all three people and one animal sat down together at the dining table. Needless to say, they had taken a bath prior to eating because they were covered with dirt.

They appeared to be in unity as they clapped their hands while saying “itadakimasu”. Elves didn’t seem to have such a custom, but because Schnee did it, Tiera too, did the same.

And Schnee was certainly imitating Shin.

“But, as expected from Schnee. All of them look delicious.”

It was only natural that Shin praised her. The dishes that were arranged on the table were something that was not very often seen, even by Shin.

Even if the pinnacle of chefs, Cook, was in Rokuten, they didn’t eat homemade dishes every day. Moreover, the skill level Ⅹ of ultra high-class cooking was not meant to be eaten at every meal. It was sometimes made only by experimenting, and there was the possibility of serving a terrible failure of a dish, too.

However, the dishes in front of Shin were not that inferior when compared to Cook’s high class dishes. As she compensated her skill with special flavors that were from this world, the dishes rivaled the best menus in a row.

In front of that type of meal, that even the royal family might not be able to eat, it was no wonder that the sounds of gulping in his throat resounded.

“Kuu~ A feast, a feast!”

“I have never seen Master cooking like this until now…Master is serious.”

“Of course I am.”

Yuzuha, who saw the dishes lined up, was also in high spirits.

Tiera, who lived together with her for a long time, was also astonished at Schnee’s enthusiastic attitude.

“When it comes to a great dish like this, it’s worthwhile to supply the ingredients.”

“Amazing~”

“Hey, though I heard a little, just what on earth did you supply? There is a weird aura coming out of the dish.”

“Ehh?”

“Kuu?”

When Tiera said that an aura came from the dish, Shin stiffened. Yuzuha tilted its head.

Even though nothing was displayed in Shin’s eyes, he recalled the ingredients which he handed to Schnee. And it was not strange that Tiera, an elf, said that the dishes radiated an aura.

“Th-That right. The main meats are Thermal Leo, Orc King, and parts of Elmora. The vegetables are Blood Radish, Karma Onion, and Baocha Potato or something like that. The fruits are the Topaz Pear and Fruit of Idea. The others are somewhat proper. I guess you used the ingredients you had stocked up after that?”

“Indeed. I have used a few high-class ingredients because today is special. Though I didn’t have enough time to do anything special.”

Schnee’s words seemed like she was indirectly saying “I’m not serious yet”.

And speaking of Tiera, who just heard the name of the ingredients.

“W.. WH.. WHAT’S THAT!? Almost all of the ingredients are extremely hard to obtain!! I’ve never even heard of some of them before until now. Moreover, when you say Fruit of Idea, it’s the fruit of dreams that only bears fruit once every 100 years. Though I was told that the real deal didn’t even exist anywhere…”

She was at her wit’s end after hearing the names of the ingredients which left Shin’s mouth.

Thermal Leo and Orc King, were both acknowledged as monsters of calamity. As soon as they were discovered, there was such a degree of danger, that the guild conveyed an urgent summons for all of the adventurers. Even though Tiera hadn’t heard of the name Elmora, because it was treated on the same rank as the previous 2, she could imagine that it might be a similar one.

Blood Radish was a vegetable similar to a half monster that grew by sucking out demon essence from the air, and Baocha Potato was a tuber vegetable that exploded from a certain amount of pressure, just like a landmine.

As for the Topaz Pear, its surface glistened like a jewel, and about the Fruit of Ideas, there was no need to say anymore.

Once they were put together, one did not expect them to be used for cooking.

“Hey, Schnee. What aura does Tiera refer to?”

“It’s similar to the remains of the life force and magic power from the ingredients. Because we elves and pixies have senses unlike other races, such things can be perceived. It can be sensed more easily from a strong monster or a rare plant and so on.”

“Is that so?”

Since elves and pixies were originally a race that had a high sensitivity, he was able to understand what she said.

“Tiera too, calm down. Let’s eat soon or the special dishes will get cold.”

Schnee urged.

“Y-Yes.”

“That’s right. Then, let’s eat at once.”

Shin agreed as he nodded.

““Itadakimasu””

“Kuu? Itadakima~”

After clapping their hands for prayer, Shin took the knife and fork.

Soup, potato salad, hamburger, and his favorite rice and bread were lined up on the table. For the celebrated occasion Schnee’s treasured drink, 『Moonlight Sake』, was poured into their glasses.

If one looked only at the menu, excluding the drink, they were similar to dishes served in a family restaurant. But he could recognize the skill of the cook directly due to it being a dish he was used to eating.

The meat juices that overflowed when he cut into it with the knife and the aroma of the sauce that was singed on the iron plate caused him to salivate before he even tasted it.

As he put it into his mouth, the meat juices overflowed even more as he chewed, and combined with the texture of the tender meat, only the single word ‘delicious’ could come out.

Then his mouth was filled with white rice, and there was no need to say anymore.

The corner of his mouth raised as he started grinning. A smile escaped him.

When one ate a really delicious dish, that person couldn’t help but smile.

When he tilted his glass, the rich scent and deep flavor of the 『Moonlight Sake』 increased his appetite even more.

“…!…!…”

“…………”

Shin and Tiera silently savored the food. As for Yuzuha, the word ‘undivided attention’ was embodied in its whole body.

While observing two people and one animal smiling, Schnee ate the meal fully at ease.

“Ha!! I unintentionally ate in silence!?”

Shin was stunned while sitting in front of his empty plate.

“Can I have another serving?”

“Sure!!”

Such interactions between Tiera and Yuzuha were repeated several times. As if she foresaw that, Schnee prepared it without missing a beat.

Even if the pace slowed down in the middle, they became a happy circle sitting together while listening to how Schnee and the others had spent their time until now.

“――Even so, those guys live quite freely.”

Those words leaked from Shin’s mouth as he heard about the other support characters. There was a fellow who became a King, one who wandered from place to place, and one who was missing in action. They seemed to be stubbornly searching for a clue on Shin’s whereabouts. Though they might have stayed in this world, because they didn’t imitate him by wasting their lives for that reason, he felt a little relieved.

He understood once he thought about their personalities. Up till here, only the devoted Schnee was special.

“‘Shin is somewhere’ was the only wishful thought I had to the end. Everyone might understand that it was not good to needlessly worry.”

“That will save me trouble. I didn’t want to keep you all looking for an imaginary guy who does not even exist.”

“Even if one of us chooses to do so, it is our own choice. Shin doesn’t have to worry about it.”

“You are right.”

Wouldn’t worrying when a person has gone missing make us human? Thinking about such things would indeed be a useless action. Well, even if said ‘people’ didn’t worry, because Shin was the master, it was just idle thought and meaningless speculation.

“Master, sad?”

“I’m okay, I’m okay.”

Shin returned a smile to Yuzuha who was looking at him with concern.

“Geezz~ Why ish Schhinn woarryingg soo muchhs~”

“…Hey, Tiera. I think you’re drunk.”

Her tone was slow and some enunciation didn’t come out well. Her remarkably white skin stood out, in stark contrast with her black hair, which was now dyed in a slightly pink color. It was considerably reddened when he thought about her original snow-white skin.

Thus, that reminded him of how many sake bottles had been emptied so far. He got carried away as he had also drank a large amount up til now.

“Hey Schnee. How many 『Moonlight Sake』 were emptied?”

“Approximately 5 of them.”

“Incidentally, what is the alcohol percentage?”

“It is around 35 percent.”

“That’s HIGH!!”

Because he thought it was just a type of wine from the taste and easiness of drinkability, the alcohol from this fantasy world’s common sense was more than expected.

“Tere arre twuoo Masterrs~”

“This is really dangerous. Is Tiera weak to alcohol?”

“She’s never got drunk like this when she drank before, but quantity is quantity.”

“But I don’t feel very drunk.”

Whether it was about alcohol tolerance or not, Shin felt a little tipsy, but not more than a certain degree of loss of awareness. He wasn’t slurring and didn’t stagger around either. When he thought about the alcohol percentage, he himself would certainly be down for the night if this was in the real world, and it was a good thing that it became difficult to expose shameful behavior with alcohol. There was no need to be troubled by some strong alcohol, even though he normally should be.

“Though I’ve had this body for one year, what’s happened to my real body… Well, now might not be the time to think about it.”

While Schnee took Tiera to her room, Shin tidied up the tableware. Shin suddenly thought of these kind of things while wiping the table. He didn’t know whether it was possible to return either, so it was no use even if he thought about it.

After the tidying-up was finished, Schnee returned.

“That was quick.”

“Because I’m used to doing this.”

Since he lived alone in the real world, he had to do the dishes on his own. Certainly he didn’t do it during the game, but he remembered how to unexpectedly.

“Yuzuha is sleepy…”

Yuzuha was falling into a doze on top of the desk.

“That’s right. We too, should go to sleep soon.”

“Let’s do so. Since Shin’s room was left as it is, it can be used immediately.”

“I appreciate it.”

After leaving the living room, Shin headed toward his own room while carrying Yuzuha. It was the room for Shin and the other support characters in Tsuki no Hokora, though there was also an extra room for more guests and customers to use. Even though a guest or customer room and the like was not needed, it was the result of the obsession from Cain and Shin; which could be said to have made useless additions in that construct, the Tsuki no Hokora. The place was thoroughly discussed about and they fussed over such pointless things; as it was the expected outcome when Japanese people get excited.

“It really hasn’t changed.”

He entered his own room and looked around inside. The inside area of the room was approximately 16 tatami mats big, with a bed and a desk. There were multiple shelves where trophies and items obtained from various events were displayed. Not many things were there. It was a plain room. The room might have been cleaned regularly, as dust hadn’t accumulated.

Moonlight entered naturally from the window, but the light that night was terribly weak. He proceed to change his clothes without turning on the light, because he had the skill 【Night Vision】. Because there were no such things like pajamas in this world, he chose equipment with a jersey-like material.

Yuzuha had jumped onto the bed the moment they entered the room and it was already curled up next to the pillows.

“Somehow here is the best place to let myself relax.”

Was it because he had lived here since the game time? He could relax his mind and didn’t have to set up barriers because it was already fully equipped with a very powerful security system. He didn’t have to consider the possibility of a guy attacking him while he was sleeping, quite unlike the time during the death game; so he was able to genuinely relax for the first time since he came into this world again.

Of course, when there was an assailant, he would deal a serious blow, for it was deserved.

“Yuzuha…did you fall asleep? That won’t do, I should sleep too.”

As the alcohol set in, he lay down on the bed with a good feeling enveloping him.

When he closed his eyes and gradually felt his consciousness getting blurry, something soft suddenly clung around his right arm. Normally, he would jump up to his feet and shake it off in that situation. However, Shin’s body’s awareness told him that he didn’t feel any danger at all.

“?”

Was it embracing him rather than twining around? There were only two people in the Tsuki no Hokora who could do such a thing, and one person was already down for the count.

There was no reaction from the continuous activated skill for an anti surprise attack. Shin’s own intuition didn’t signal it as an enemy either.

Because it somehow had no particular movement, he turned his neck and looked at his right arm.

Beside him lay the figure of Schnee, who was already asleep, clinging to Shin’s arm. His right arm was wedged in between Schnee’s breasts. The identity of the softness he first felt was this.

(Seriously…is such a development even possible?)

With a different meaning from the time in front of the dishes, a gulping sound resounded in the room.

Even Shin was a man. He didn’t know about NPCs, but the Schnee in this world was undoubtedly the real deal. As a matter of course, there was no way he didn’t feel anything.

And frankly speaking, Schnee was created by combining Shin’s preferences. If he had picked her up, taken her into the room, and laid her on the bed, then he could lie down next to her with a gentleman’s behaviour. However, Schnee’s body-temperature was transmitted to his right arm, which was currently embraced closely, and the softness of her breasts put a hold on his reasoning power. His left hand stretched toward Schnee unconsciously, even though he was aware of it.

(This is…bad.)

He didn’t mean to do it, but due to the influence of the alcohol, by any means, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the defenseless sleeping face.

He understood it. Yes, he understood this was not good.

He desperately tried to cool down his head that was overheating, but his reasoning didn’t act like he expected.

He was entranced by her.

Her extremely defenseless face, innocent, and seemingly sad somewhere.

It was just by a little, but he wanted to leave his arm there a bit longer before excusing himself from Schnee.

It was at that moment. When the moon that was obscured by the clouds finally appeared.

The moonlight that was obstructed until now shone inside the room gracefully. It reached the edge of the bed, the place where Schnee just lay down.

“…!?”

When illuminated by the moonlight, Schnee’s body faintly shone. The silvery hair, which was spread on top of the bed, reflected the moonlight and emitted a mysterious shine. And then, a stream of bright sparkles from her closed eyes slammed into Shin’s eyes.

“Schnee…”

The flowing sparkles were tears that she shed.

It was flowing from the closed eyes in a straight line and dampened Shin’s clothes.

“…………”

The moment he saw it, the haze that enveloped Shin’s consciousness cleared up.

The excited heat of desperation was cooled and disappeared instantly.

It was because he had seen a sad sleeping face.

What did she think about that made her cry? Shin had no idea.

Were they happy tears caused by their reunion? Were they tears for the upcoming parting?

He wiped her tears, and gently patted her head.

“Ah…u…i…”

Even though he wasn’t able to understand it, was it “Master” the word that leaked faintly from her mouth? Moreover, she might not have gotten used to calling him “Shin” yet.

(I…)

Looking up at the night sky, while aware of Schnee who was sleeping on his right arm, Shin thought of the question.

Until his consciousness sank into the darkness, no answer emerged.

---(Extra content from LN; Warning: might or might not contain a spoiler, read at your own risk)---

Let’s rewind time to go back to just over half a day into the past.

It was around the time when Shin and Schnee were dashing at near full speed for the sake of meeting up with Wilhelm and Rashia.

Right now, the Wraith Plains have become an ordinary large plain. Every one of the knights and adventurers that had gathered to investigate realized that the battle had ended. The light from the magic power that had spread through the sky had already faded away, so the mages were illuminating the place. Even though they had the choice of waiting until dawn before starting their duty, it was decided that an urgent investigation was necessary for the current situation.

From the fact that Schnee Raizar, who should have participated in the battle, had left, it was thought that at least there was no danger left.

“What the heck is that?”

While the knights and adventurers were busy moving around, one woman muttered as she looked at the deep crater newly created in the plains. The name of the woman with hair like golden threads swaying in the wind was Rionne Strail Bayreuth. She was the second princess of Bayreuth Kingdom.

Several hours before that, there was an incident in the forest when the knights were fighting the Skull Faces. Suddenly a wailing like voice, like a shriek, was heard reverberating from far away in the night sky.

Simultaneously, a group of Skull Faces with strength that never seen before appeared. A fresh enemy sprang up from the ground, in front of Rionne’s eyes, an enemy whose strength could not be compared to that of the Skull Faces she had fought until then.

At first, she felt fear. It was not a fear of being killed. She understood the opponent’s strength, so instead she felt a strong fear as she could imagine the tragedy it could cause. ‘I must not let that get away from the plains’, was the only thought she had in her head.

After her subordinate released her restraint, she faced off against the Skull Face with her sword. From the weight of a single blow that transmitted through her hands, its agility could be mistaken for an advanced level knight. She herself was said to be superior even among other chosen ones, and it was abnormal to exchange blows with her on equal terms.

Still, because the Skull Face’s equipment was the same as an ordinary Skull Faces’, she was able to win due to the difference in their equipment. A few days ago, all of a sudden, a white greatsword pierced on her room’s wall. The greatsword was bestowed with a light attribute, the weak point of all undeads, and it caused the Skull Faces to be weakened steadily. But unfortunately, they were too many in numbers. It couldn’t be helped since the other knights had to fight on their own.

Thereupon, Rionne, while at the same time letting the messenger return to their country, launched herself at the Skull Faces. Even if it only attracted a small amount of the attention of the enemy, she could gain more time. It was for the sake of stopping the crowd of monsters from leaving this place. With only one subordinate accompanying her, she charged into the middle of the battlefield.

She charged into the middle of the battlefield

Then, a Skull Face ranked higher than before appeared in front of her. Possibly, it was a Queen or King class in front of her; as the one earlier was a Jack class Skull Face. It was supposed to be impossible to defeat, as encountering one would be hopeless. The calamity caused by a single King class that appeared once still remained strongly in people’s memory. As such multiple enemies appeared and filled up the plains. It might become an unprecedented disaster.

They actually felt death surrounding them, as they sensed the Shinigami’s breath on their skin. They reprimanded their bodies that trembled, and when they grasped their swords again, a red cannonball came flying from the sky. As the sphere hit the Skull Faces, it caused their whole bodies to be riddled with holes. No matter if it was the shield, sword, armor, arms, legs, or even their cores. Its appearance was similar to the flame system magic skill 【Fire Ball】. But 【Fire Ball】 had no such destructive power and homing nature like that flame ball in front of them. To begin with, a flame arts that didn’t explode was unusual and the light it emitted upon impact eliminated its target as if it scraped off only that part.

Even though they were wondering why it didn’t hit them, they understood that they were being protected. As they felt gratitude to whoever released the fireballs, they prepared their swords again to fight the Skull Faces that surrounded them.

This time, blue lightning passed through in front of them. This was the specialty of the person who helped out numerous countries, the lightning system magic skill. It was the skill that crossed the line from the art, as it had superior power and boasted of being the strongest skill ever.

The person they expected, appeared at the same time that the lighting had disappeared. With silver fluttering hair, it was the acting manager of Tsuki no Hokora, Schnee Raizar. Her appearance seemed unchanged since the last time Rionne had seen her, with her calm voice, Rionne felt death becoming distant. As if the Shinigami was blown away by the blue lightning.

“I will take over from here on out. Please escape through the forest.”

Her words were returned with unhesitating nods. The Skull Faces that were scattered like wood chips were visible to their eyes.

And then, as they defeated the Skull Faces that were found here and there in the forest, the surroundings suddenly became as bright as if it was daytime, and the Skull Faces became ashes instantly without them doing anything.

Thereafter, the Skull Faces they encountered had sluggish movements and were smashed into pieces by a single blow of their swords. Though the opponent was supposed to have equal skills to Rionne, they were weakened to the point that even the ordinary knights could defeat them. It seemed like it was caused by the light that shone onto the plains. A gentle and graceful light. It became clear that the damage they had received was recovering.

They couldn’t help but think: ‘If it’s Schnee-dono, such a thing is possible’. After a while, the wriggling Skull Faces dissolved and became demon essence all at once. From watching that, they could comprehend that the situation was resolved.

Now, Rionne was looking at the traces of the battle that might be left from Schnee. There were deep fissures remaining in the earth and he ground was ripped apart. Something that continued for hundreds of mels; there was even a place where the earth was totally molten.

At the location where they apparently clashed, there were bizarre traces of high voltage burns and deep slashing attacks. How much power was released when they clashed? They couldn’t even imagine anymore. The first princess, who was the elder sister, might be able to do something similar with magic, but it was impossible for her to do close combat if she plunged into a crowd of Skull Faces.

“This… is this the power of a person who was recognized by the High Humans?”

Once again, that power was recognized. Even though Rionne’s battle capability alone was said to be equal to 100 people or more, she felt like a dull, ordinary knight when compared to Schnee.

“Although it’s still dusk, can you see here a little?”

The one who started talking was the subordinate that went to survey the surroundings. The man wore red armor that wrapped around his big body and his name was Gadras Jarre. He was the leader of the knights in Bayreuth Kingdom, and was the commander of the strongest knight squadron,【Red Wolf】, in the kingdom. The reason why he became a mere battle assistant and accompanied Rionne was to prevent her from going on a rampage, but he hardly ever accomplished his role, not even this time.

Gadras too, had to directly face against the Skull Faces. He was the only chosen one in the knights squadron who could handle a close range battle with Rionne, and although he usually had the role of a watchdog, this was the only time that he had to fight as hard as he could. There were numerous cuts on his armor as proof.

In Gadras’s hand was a katana. Its handle was worn-out and darkened, the blade was cracked, and its edge was chipped here and there.

“This is?”

“This thing was found at the end of the fissure in the ground. I collected it, since it was stuck between the two sides of the fissure.”

He also noted that the katana's placement matched the directional line of the fissure.

“It’s just a hunch, but I think this katana is what caused the fissure. But I don't know what skill they used to accomplish it."

“Hmm, is there a possibility of that?”

Was Schnee with someone else on the battlefield? Rionne thought it might be possible, if it was Schnee.

“That katana here, what do you see?”

Gadras pointed at the katana.

“…Something like a bird?”

“Right. I once heard a story from a well-informed acquaintance of mine. The design on this sword is a falcon, just like that story."

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“Not really. I just have an idea of the blacksmith who carved it into the katana. Of course, it’s only one of many possibilities, but…”

“You have an idea? That doesn’t mean that there's only one blacksmith who can draw falcons, don’t you agree? Why are you making such a fuss?”

Rionne abruptly cut in and gave Gadras a puzzled look. He appeared to be strangely restless.

“You will understand if you look at this.”

Gadras spoke as he lifted the tattered hilt and raised the katana above his head. Then he swung downward, straight to the ground.

“…I see, so that’s the reason, huh?”

Rionne’s expression showed understanding.

The ground in front of her now had a deep gouge. Regardless of how much people praised Gadras as a chosen one, he couldn’t unleash such a powerful slash with a chipped katana. In other words, despite the fact that Gadras had swung the katana down with all his might, the katana still maintained its fractured shape.

“If it was a normal katana it would have broken apart when I smashed it into the ground. But it hasn't done that, even though I used all my strength. It's obvious. No ordinary blacksmith could have forged this.”

“Certainly…if it was in a perfect state, how much power could it have released?”

“Also, speaking of the blacksmith who would make such a katana carved with this crest, there is only one person, as far as I know.”

“Fumu, who is it?”

Rionne replied as calmly as possible. Furthermore, Gadras’s voice was filled with excitement.

“A High Human. It was said that the blacksmith, who had mastered all the smithing techniques, was called the 【Dark Blacksmith】.”

“That may be true. I can see how this katana must have been forged by someone was well-versed in smithing, especially if it was a High Human. But, that High Human should not be in this world anymore. However, if it’s Schnee-dono, who was under that High Human's direct command, it wouldn't strange for her to possess such a weapon. Moreover, if you saw the skill that was protecting us and that light from before, there's the possibility of the 【Crimson Alchemist】, too.”

Of course, the alchemist whom Rionne spoke of was both the mage and alchemist of Rokuten, Hecate. Because Rokuten’s production aspect was famous, they were often called by a name that was related to their job. The color that was attached before the job’s name was the color of the clothes that each of them liked to wear.

“Well, there is no conclusive evidence, but…anyway, it's simply amazing that a weapon made by a High Human would be lying around. Besides, I don't think Schnee-dono would simply discard her Master's weapon. Instead, I think we're dealing with someone who can afford to use and throw away a weapon like this."

“But this time, the scale is different from the battle so far. Do you understand the light that illuminated the night? If it was such an intense battle, even Schnee-dono might not think about wasting a weapon…Still, it is true that there was someone else here besides Schnee-dono. Who on earth is that person?”

“What could have caused Schnee-dono to be placed in such a predicament, it’s unimaginable.”

As she listened to Gadras’s words, Rionne thought about it. Truthfully, since she had seen Schnee’s figure easily kicking aside the Skull Faces, Rionne wasn’t convinced by her own words either. It was due to the magic skill user who took the trouble to protect them in the beginning. Judging from the power and scale, it was probably not a High Human, but for certain it was not in the class of a chosen one either. After they went into the forest, did Schnee Raizar join to fight with that person? If it is true that there was a powerful person at this place, then who was it?

“No way, really?”

Was there a High Human in that place?

The katana which Gadras held, it might even be a higher grade than the weapon Rionne had, if it was in a perfect state. For a being to be able to use and dispose of such a weapon, she couldn’t fathom they existed.

“No, it’s impossible.”

Rionne shook her head in denial. High Humans should have disappeared like many other people did after the Dusk of the Majesty. Since the unusual event that was said to still be a mystery, until now, no one had ever returned. However, maybe. Just maybe.

There was, as far as the legend goes, a story that it was High Humans that crushed the people who were called heroes and brave men altogether. If the High Human has returned, it would be not strange.

“…I better stop, I will never understand it even if I think about it.”

She didn’t know who was in that battlefield, but if that person was related to Schnee, then that person could not be a dangerous character. Even though it would be necessary to spare a number of men to monitor Tsuki no Hokora to some extent, Rionne thought it would not be a serious problem.

“As soon as the investigation is over, I will go back to our country. I would like to talk to Schnee-dono if possible, but…”

“It will be difficult, right?”

From Gadras’ words, Rionne nodded as she understood too. Once her request was finished, Schnee Raizar wouldn’t stay too long. This was because the invitations came from many places and had grown out of control, so it might be complicated this time.

“Gadras. If I’m not mistaken, Dark Blacksmith was the owner of the Tsuki no Hokora, right?”

“Yes, that should be right, though…?”

“Fumu, then try to visit Tsuki no Hokora right away when you return.”

“Though that is what I want to say, is it because you think that a High Human has really returned?”

“I am certain that there was at least one other person on that battlefield. Well, in fact, someone should be confirming it. If one really has returned, I certainly would like to have a match. I assume that he would be perfect as a marriage partner.”

“A-Again without warning, what are you talking about, huh?”

Gadras became flustered by Rionne who had suggested an unexpected thing. When he thought about it calmly, if the High Human was won over to their side by the dedication of Rionne alone, it would be good for the country. Even Gadras understood that much.

The problem with this princess, Rionne, was that it was said that a portion of her brain might be made up of muscles. Though it was not the truth, “If you want to be my husband, you have to show your own power and defeat me.” was considered to be what she said up until now. All of the vassals including Kings, if he thought about it, how many times did she reject them…if they were uninteresting.

The princess’ situation was understandable, and there was the feeling of having to think about the nation, as well. In the future, he understood that she expected for her marriage to not be forced, either.

This time too, even if it became a situation where the Skull Faces began to overflow from the Wraith Plains, there was no question about her actions either. The princess was outside of their territory, and in addition to that, showed up on the battlefield.

Rionne and Gadras were chosen ones, therefore it was not a big problem for them. They cooperate in moments of peril at the same time without sparing any effort in attitude, which was displayed even in a strange land.

Under the pretext of that power and her beautiful face which raised the knights morale, she had participated in this investigation and exterminatory battle. Although the latter role has been taken away by Schnee, she has accomplished her given role well.

One point. If the one point of an oddball character was nonexistent, she would be perfect. Though it was not the whole head, there was the reason she was said to have a part of her brain muscle.

“Just to be clear when I say a test of strength; what if it turns out to be an impostor who stabs at my back without warning? If not, the day when a High Human turns into an enemy, our country will disappear.”

“You have a point there.”

“Heh, I don’t want to hear that from you. Well though, I wonder if a High Human could become a really good partner.”

Even though he was supposed to be wise, for some reason, the slightly abrupt answer from Rionne caused Gadras to be weary. Consequently, the excitement from when he discovered the katana had also left him.

---(Extra LN Content END)---

Translator's Notes and References

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