There were many times when I hated myself for my inability, but I had come to terms with the fact that this was my personality and that I had a use for it. However, the only thing I could do was to resent my inability to have this feeling engraved in my mind.
If I had had a little more strength, I could have stabbed with more force. With a little more skill, I would have been able to devote my attention to the stabbing and not have the luxury of sending unnecessary information to my brain.
The feeling of tearing skin, gouging flesh, shredding muscle, ripping through bone, and stabbing into a person's body. You can remember as much as you want to, and even if you try not to, it will pop up in your mind on its own.
"d*mn.
I swear as I sit up. My back was covered in a nasty sweat, and I could tell from the coldness of the air I was slowly inhaling that I was breathing hard.
From the darkness outside the window and the condition of his body, he guessed the time to be between two and three am. I had been trying to move my body as much as possible during the day and force my body to sleep through fatigue, but it seemed that my strength was increasing. I'm glad to hear that, but I can't be happy about it.
I'm thirsty. ......
I left the room quietly to drink some water, and walked down the stairs without making a sound.
I don't want you to be aware of the nightmares that keep me awake at night, but the people in this house are all professionals at fighting. Aside from Lakra, Ilias and Wolfe are probably aware of this.
But if I fall asleep with my throat in such a state, it will surely be a continuation of the screening of bad memories. Since this behavior has happened more than once, I guess I should start thinking about getting a water bottle.
I'd rather drink .......
For a while after I returned to Tarz, I dabbled in sleeping pills, but my body soon became accustomed to them and my dosage began to increase, so I refrained from using them. This was because I had to avoid being unable to use the precious medicine that I had no magical power to use at the critical moment.
I have been drinking alcohol once every few days, but if the amount is too small, my dreaming becomes worse. If I drink too little, my dreams become worse. If I drink too little, my dreams become worse.
If you increase the dose, you can sleep well, but you will have a hangover the next day and show your face to everyone. It's like medicine, you get used to it, so even if you rely on it, you need to take it at intervals.
"Ngg...... phew......
Get some water from the kitchen, swallow it all at once, and take a deep breath. It doesn't matter what you do. The important thing is to recognize that you have flipped a switch in your body and mind with a big movement.
In reality, you are not a robot, so you cannot switch completely, but it is still important to think that this is the routine.
Now, let's go back to the room. It's half past midnight, and I'm feeling a bit dizzy, but I'm sure I'll be able to fall asleep if I read through a book while Kuto lights the lamp for me. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get up in the morning, but I don't need to get up early these days, so I can tolerate sleeping in a little.
"Shisho, can't you sleep?
Whoa!
Suddenly, someone spoke to me from behind, and a strange voice came out. It was after I had exhaled, so it didn't sound too loud, thankfully.
When I turned around, I saw Wolfe with a worried look on his face. She was not wearing her usual clothes, but a loose-fitting one-piece pajama that Cyra had prepared for her.
Her white hair was glowing slightly, as if she had recovered her magic power from sleeping. Will she be mistaken for a ghost from afar? I can't say for sure, because so far there has been no such victim.
If you can, please make some noise so that even a layman can notice it. ......
If you do that, the Iliad will happen. I'm sure it's happening.
I've been thinking about learning some cloaking techniques from Ex-Doik, but I've decided that buying a water bottle would be more economical.
Now, I have to take at least some responsibility for making you worry and then waking you up like this. There is no room for deception, so let's try to make things meaningful for both of us.
I'm having a little trouble dreaming. I don't think I'll be able to sleep anytime soon, so let's get some fresh air. Wolfe will come too, right?
"Yes, sir!
I grabbed an appropriate bath towel and went outside the house with Wolfe to lock the door.
It's after midnight, and there's nothing but moonlight outside, so it's eerily quiet. It would have been nice to take a walk at night, but I didn't want anyone to see the luminous Wolfe beside me. So I pointed to the roof with a gesture and asked Wolfe to carry me to the roof.
I laid out a bath towel and sat down with Wolfe to look at the moonlit streets of Taiz. Thanks to the fact that my eyes have become accustomed to the sight, the scenery is quite tasty.
We could have prepared a dinner or something.
The Iliad will be furious.
"Ha, no.
Our shoulders are just touching. We had both been asleep a while ago, but my body was completely chilled, and I could feel a hint of body heat coming from Wolfe. This is because Wolfe is a subhuman, or because we are old and our metabolism is slowing down. ...... Let's just say it's the former.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
"Shishou cares about ...... my arm, doesn't he?
"Of course I feel guilty. I'm trying to negotiate with the Blue Demon King and see if I can't recover it somehow. I'm more than willing to take on a few impossible tasks.
...... You don't hide it, do you?
I will if there is a reason to hide it. But don't worry about it. I'm not going to negotiate with the Blue Demon King, at least not unless Wolfe wants me to. He asked me to talk to him at the castle the other day, but I refrained.
Although I didn't see his face, I felt a little relief from Wolfe, who was watching the scene with me.
Most of the time, the only thing we have to deal with is the mental aspect. In the end, we will have to rely on the Iliad, Exdoik and others, so I don't want Wolfe to hesitate.
But he saw me weakened to the point where I felt hesitant. I made her regret that she pushed herself too hard. I'd rather have my benefactor's peace of mind than my own arms back.
I'm sure he'll never want that.
That's good preparation. Then it's a game.
"...... game?
My immediate goal is to get Wolfe to ask me to fix his arm and do something crazy for him.
In order to do that, we need to give him peace of mind. To do that, we need to reassure her. All we have to do is try to cheer her up until the feeling of guilt overcomes the feeling of not wanting her to be reckless. It's not an easy task, but it's not an impossible one either.
It's not easy.
"Maybe. But it's not a bad goal, is it?
He put his arms around Wulfe and gently cradled his shoulders, patting him lightly on the head. Since Wolfe had his arms replaced with demon prosthetics, he tended to shy away from skin-to-skin contact with me.
Yesterday, when Gold came to my house and I was having fun with Lakra, she let me pet her tail. Normally, Wolfe would have a rivalry with her, but at that time, he just looked at her enviously.
Even though I could move my prosthetic hands freely, the feeling in my hands did not reach my arms. He probably didn't want to be aware of this fact by touching his own body.
This is a cowardly act against Wolfe's resolve. It would upset her, it would bother her, it would make her suffer. But in the end, it is a necessary act in order to achieve the best result for both parties.
...... is not fair.
You should not think that it is easy to win. ...... I'm going to bed.
It is also a rather embarrassing act. It's also quite embarrassing. I shudder to think that other people might have seen this scene. Oh, but the demon with Wolfe's prosthetic hand might report to "Purple" or something. I'm not sure how you're going to get rid of it. .......
I'd like to ...... stay awake a little longer.
Yes. ....... Next time, I think I'll make some dinner before I climb.
You'll get in trouble.
That's good. We'll be pissed together then.
...... Yes.
"Well, I'm planning to get Lakra involved and make it all go away at that time. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.
I'm not sure what to do.
My friend came to the castle with a gold demon lord. It seems that he came to the castle because he was taking a break from his work, and he wanted to bring him along.
I don't think I'd want to entertain him, though.
"Well, you've got the same attitude as Heki. It seems blood is no match for blood.
If I were the Blue King, I'd have him executed by now.
What?
I'm sure you're not the only one. No, my friend is fine. I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with this.
So, since you didn't even bring Lord Ratzel or Wolfe with you, is this something that might cause you some concern?
"Well. I have a few things to show you. So, can you help me with the money and the power of governance?
Hold on a second. Are you going to take me to the virtual world created by this Demon Lord?
It's not that I'm not interested, but it's not that I don't understand the dangers of being taken into the Demon Lord's world. In fact, this demon lord has used his power to overwhelm a great demon who was far more skilled than him.
"Although I'm reluctant. He asked me to do this for him. ......
"Don't worry. "Don't worry. If the gold makes any disturbing moves, Hiya will chop his head off.
"I'm so worried about my mistress, I'm about to lose the hair on my tail.
"...... Hiya, can you help me in case of emergency?
In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find it here. The figure, which is reminiscent of the grown-up form of the legendary hero Yugra-Nariya, is still strangely intimidating.
I've never done it before, so I can't vouch for it. I can't promise that I've never done it before, so I'll just have to check. ...... Hmmm ...... Oh, I see, so this is how it works here. Yes, I can rescue you without any problem.
"Don't be so quick to analyze your mistress's power. "Don't be so quick to analyze the power of the mistress. It won't be so difficult if you're Yugra's replacement. After all, Yugra was only taught by a village girl.
"I understand, but it's a bit difficult to replicate. This power has some sort of core embedded in you. Perhaps it's some kind of support device to help build magic.
I see. That cleared up one of the questions I had been asking myself. The Demon Lords were originally inhabitants of this world, and I wondered if they would be able to obtain transcendent power, no matter how much guidance Yugra gave them. .......
"No, wait, what? If we use this theory, the very concept of magic in the first place will be ......
I'm going to go ahead and answer that, it's probably not possible. It's a system that utilizes the unique magical power of the Demon Lord, so it's probably impossible for ordinary people to do.
I see. That's good to hear.
If it can be used, then it's obvious that the major powers will want the power to rule. If that's all there is to it, it's still good, but it's not good for the world to have inhumane methods of obtaining power, such as caging and annihilation. The power of prosperity of the Blue Demon King is attractive, but it is best for people to live as people.
Are we done chatting? Come on, get ready.
You say "prepare." What do I need to do?
The moment you touch the mistress, you'll lose consciousness. If you want to slam your face into the desk, I can do that.
"......
She silently places the cushion on the sofa on the desk, ready to fall at any moment. The Golden Demon King confirmed this and touched my arm, at the same time my consciousness jumped for a moment.
When I came to my senses and looked around, I found that I was not in my office, but in a large room. In front of me is my friend.
"So this is Garne Castle.
"Yes. Yes, this is the starting point.
A small golden demon king was floating right next to me, so I grabbed it by the neck. I've heard of it, but this is quite elaborate.
"Nooo! Let me go!
Marith, you're making a scene that Roco can't see.
Oops. I've got a weakened version of my nemesis.
I don't like the sight of him twisting the neck of a captured doll as if to check its strength. By the way, if you try to break it, it will be considered an attack and will just slip through.
So you tried it.
Yeah, in my spare time.
Well, this is the world of the Golden Horde. It's better to think that you can't hurt the Golden Demon Lord here.
The small gold demon king that he had captured was released and ran away towards his friend. He was a little teary-eyed, but according to my friend, this gold demon king was not a device with no substance.
I let my guard down. ......
Oh, you have a body?
I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's not afraid to snap your neck, and that the inhabitants of Tarz are nothing but barbarians!
It's a horrible thing to say, but according to reports, Lord Ratzel was slashing at him, and Mixu was letting Wolfe hit him. It's hard to deny.
My friend opened the book that the Golden Demon King had taken out and was tracing its surface with his finger.
Then let's move. Can you link my controls to Marito's?
"Yes. Synchronized.
Well, let's just move a little bit below the cloud.
Wait, wait, wait.
Before I could ask a question, the perspective switched. If this was the first time for me to see this scene, I would have been confused. It was almost exactly the same as the picture I had drawn for Cale when he and his friend had traveled through the sky before, which meant that we were now far above Garne Castle. I don't know how we're floating, but it seems we're standing on the sky.
I'm not as surprised as I thought.
"When we went to Tarzan's world, we traveled via Gane to bypass the Mountain of the Kuro Slayer. Cale made a picture of that scene, didn't he?
"Well, yes. I'm tempted to give Cale a special allowance when I see the real thing.
Just being treated like a brother makes me want to cry, so don't do it.
Luko's situation is not so bad, but Cale's position is quite difficult. At any rate, the king to whom he had sworn allegiance would become his sister's husband and brother-in-law. He has told Lord Léanor not to give him any special treatment, but it is true that he is starting to float.
He may look weak, but his strength of will is as strong as Luko's. I'm even beginning to think that the best way to solve this problem is to leave it in the hands of Barastos.
"So, what are we doing up here in the sky? We can't even control internal affairs here.
"Just a little further up, then.
My vision was shifting higher and higher, until I could see the Ghanaian territory itself. If we look a little to the west, we can see the Tarz forest.
It's not that I'm not good at heights, but if I were to fall from this height, I'd be dead. Perhaps it's because my brain understands this, but I feel a strange sense of unease rising up.
How far is it?
Before I could say those words, the movement ended. Far above the clouds, I can't even recognize the shape of Garne Castle. What I could see were the six major countries that were connected to the land, and the various magical realms adjacent to them. It was a complete picture of them.
The position where you can see the whole of this continent is the limit of your movement. Well, I thought it would be easier if I showed you this.
"Yeah, well, it's an amazing sight. I think I'm the first person in this world who has ever seen this scene.
I've seen it before.
You're the Mad King. So, what's the story?
You can see the sea, can't you?
My friend tells me to look in the direction of the sea. Everything outside the continent is an ocean. But when I look at it, I don't see anything to worry about.
I see it. ......
"Can you see beyond that?
No, all I see is the ocean. What do you see?
Nothing. Nothing. Not even the end of the ocean.
The end of the sea? What does your friend say ...... No, no. It's me who's crazy. Why am I not thinking? This scene is too unnatural. If there is nothing beyond the sea, what is the shape of this world? Calm down, isn't the sphere of influence of the power of governance just limited to this continent? In fact, it's beyond this ocean-- I can't think straight. This is clearly not the usual me. This is not the only time I've felt this sensation, but I've felt it before. I believe this is from .......
"--your language. It is similar to when I tried to learn Japanese. Somehow the symbols, which are supposed to be monotonous, did not enter my mind and I could not recognize them. I feel similarly affected when I try to think beyond the ocean. ...... No way--
"No way. The inhabitants of this world have some kind of interference that prevents them from being interested in the other side of the ocean.
When I try to think about the ocean, my thoughts become fuzzy, as if a haze has fallen over them. This is certainly unusual. Even though you are actually shown the scene beyond the ocean and you realize your doubts, ...... no, you are still barely aware of this strangeness.
What did you learn at ...... Serendipity?
It's...
Warning, you have more information than the people of this world should know. Warning: You have exceeded the amount of information that anyone in this world needs to know. Please terminate the connection and delete the relevant memories immediately.
A woman's voice echoed directly in my brain. I don't remember hearing this voice, but I know what it is. This is what I'm supposed to have heard when I summoned the Colorless Demon King before--
Give me a break. You're making things difficult for me. Don't make me do more chores. Too high! Scary!