{Chapter 1} Hypocrisy and Whims of the Inferior Ability User
Hiroto left the reception room.
When he went out into the corridor, he saw that Mathew’s soldiers were still hurriedly coming and going, preparing at a rapid pace to intercept the horde of demons.
Hiroto’s face clouded over when he saw this. This was not something that should have happened to Miramar.
This is far from the future envisioned by Mathew, Guaran, and Nina, the people who devoted themselves to Miramar.
Now, Miramar’s main city is under attack by the dangerous organization known as the Sword of Surt.
“Domori-sama, there you are. I have been looking for you.”
Hiroto was then suddenly spoken to from behind, and he turned around to see Mathew’s butler, Aroukaune. But his appearance was not that of a butler.
He was dressed in a military uniform and had weapons wrapped around his body. Arokaune now had the aura of a veteran warrior that was exuding from him.
“Arokaune-san! That outfit ……!?”
“Hahaha, the situation is such. Even a man like me can’t be at ease in the rear.”
“I see. ……”
“I have something more important to tell you, Domori-sama.”
“……? What is it?”
“Prime Minister Guaran passed away. On the way to Minra, in the car…….”
“!? No, ……, is that so. Such a pity, Miramar has lost a very dear person.”
Hiroto was surprised, but quickly calmed down and responded.
He knew that. At that time, Prime Minister Guaran’s condition was very serious.
Hiroto then became concerned about Nina. Nina must have been in the car with the seriously injured Guaran. And Prime Minister Guaran was a person who was possibly Nina’s real father.
How did Nina see Guaran’s final moments? As an ally of Mathew or as a friend of ……. In concern for Nina, Hiroto subconsciously lowered his eyes to the floor.
Arokaune looked at Hiroto for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“Thank you very much. Hearing that would have made Prime Minister Guaran intrigued. And Domori-sama, there’s one more thing I would like to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I told Young Miss Nina that Prime Minister Guaran is her real father. I told her everything, including Mathew-sama’s and Prime Minister Guaran’s past, their decisions, and what they did afterward. Before Prime Minister Guaran passed away ……”
Hiroto looked up and looked at Arokaune’s face.
“T-Then…… Nina-san?”
“Just before Prime Minister Guaran passed away, Nina-sama held his hand and said “Father” in his ear. Over and over …… and over again, until the moment Prime Minister Guaran passed away.”
“……”
Hiroto listened to Arokaune with a solemn expression on his face.
“However, a miracle did happen. I have been on the battlefield for a long time, but I have never seen anything like that. In his last moments, Prime Minister Guaran, with that body, opened his eyes and spoke to Nina-sama.”
“…… what did he say?”
“Yes, Prime Minister Guaran was ……”
For a moment, sadness lit his eyes and he stared into the distance, perhaps Around also had something on his mind.
{Nina, I am sorry. I love you.}
Guaran’s first words on his deathbed were an apology.
“Perhaps he could no longer see anything. With his free hand, he reached up to the ceiling of the car as if searching for Nina-sama’s face. Nina-sama noticed it and quickly pulled it close to her own cheek. And ……”
{I …… want to make this Miramar into the place Sunaina wished for, a gentle and prosperous country …….}
“After saying that, Prime Minister Guaran ……”
Hiroto bit his lip, wondering what kind of end it was.
He wondered. Was this really the right place for Prime Minister Guaran for his final moments?
Because it was not the military regime, the supposed enemy, that killed Guaran. If he was killed by the military regime, then the battle would be equal. Any warrior in the battle could see it that way.
But it was the Sword of Surt that killed Guaran, a third-party entity. Given the Sword of Surt’s purpose, they had no reason to kill Guaran.
Dense SenKi rose from Hiroto’s whole body as he formed firm fists in both hands.
Seeing Hiroto’s reaction, Aroukaune made up his mind about what he had been thinking about earlier.
For some reason, Arokaune thought it would be better to ask this boy to do it, even though it probably should be his role to do so. He had no firm reason for doing so.
“Domori-sama, Nina-sama has just locked herself in her room and locked the door. I am sorry, but could you please go and ask Nina-sama to come out? Depending on the condition, I don’t mind you using force. I will leave that to Domori-sama.”
Arokaune then gave Hiroto the key to Nina’s room.
Hiroto was surprised and asked Arokaune,
“Why though? Why do you want me to do this?”
“I have no idea. But if I have to say something, I would say that during the short period that Domori-sama’s group was here, Nina-sama showed many expressions that she had never shown before.”
“Eh,……, but for that reason only?”
“There’s another reason. It’s not a theory either,……, but Domori-sama somehow resembles that person.”
“Me? To whom?”
“To Sunaina-sama. Young Lady Nina’s mother. No, even if Domori-sama thinks that he doesn’t resemble the lady as well, he does. She was usually gentle, but when things happened, she also had a manly side. …… Naturally, Nina-sama resembles her the most.”
“……Nina-san’s mother, you say.”
“May I ask you that favor? Domori-sama.”
Arokaune bowed deeply to Hiroto as he said this.
And, Hiroto looked at Arokaune earnestly and nodded.
“I understand,…… I am not sure if I can help, but I will try.”
“Thank you very much, Domori-sama.”
Arokaune lifted his head and handed Hiroto the key to Nina’s room.
Hiroto walked up to Nina’s room as Arokaune had told him to do.
Although he had received the door key from Arokaune, he couldn’t just suddenly open the door of a woman’s room, so he knocked on the door first.
As expected, there was no answer from inside.
However, as Hiroto was about to knock again, he unexpectedly heard a reply from Nina saying, “Come in.”
When Hiroto opened the door and went inside, he found Nina standing in front of her desk with her back to him, looking out the window at the courtyard.
“Nina-san ……”
Nina turned around in surprise at Hiroto’s voice, as an unexpected person came to her.
Hiroto could guess what Nina’s situation was just a few minutes ago by looking at her face with swollen eyelids.
“Hiroto? What is Hiroto doing here?”
“Uhmm, Aroukaune-san asked me to tell Nina-san to come outside.”
Nina said nothing more and turned her back to Hiroto again, looking out the window through the desk.
Hiroto stared at Nina’s small back.
And when Hiroto looked at her, he didn’t miss what Nina was hiding in her pocket.
Hiroto now knew that he had to get Nina to change her mind.
“I heard from Around-san. About Prime Minister Guaran. ……”
Nina’s shoulders quivered for a moment at Hiroto’s words.
“Right now, I don’t know what to say. But, Nina-san, you can’t do that. Please drop that gun you have in your pocket immediately.”
Nina’s face stiffened when he pointed this out, and she turned around and stared at Hiroto with a dim smile on her face.
“I’ve been thinking for a while now, is Hiroto an idiot? I am going to avenge my father’s death. Why do I have to put down this gun?”
Nina then pulled out a pistol from her pocket with an expressionless face.
“Nina-san, I understand how you feel, but ……”
As Hiroto was about to continue, Nina’s beautiful face turned into an angry expression and she ran in front of him, approached him, and struck his cheek with her right hand with all her might.
“You know how I feel? You think you know how I feel!? Are you kidding me! You know what! You don’t know anything at all! Someone like you who was born in Japan, a peaceful and prosperous country!”
Hiroto didn’t say a word as he was slapped on the cheek. He just looked back at Nina, who was staring at him with tears in her eyes.
“Look at this situation!”
Nina frowned deeply and pointed out the window.
“My mother! My two fathers! The future of Miramar, which they spent their very lives and careers trying to protect, is being ruined by a group of people who have nothing to do with it! And I, the daughter of these three! For me, who was born a Miramar, and you expect me to just stand by and watch it happen? You want to!”
“……”
“I had decided to dedicate myself to this Miramar! To make it the country my father Guaran, who died today, aspired to be! That’s why I have to go! To kill those fools called the Sword of Surt who want to trample on the wishes of my three parents and destroy the future of my homeland, Miramar!”
Hiroto met Nina’s sharp gaze with his entirety. But Hiroto looked back at Nina straight in the eyes without changing his expression.
“It’s no use. Nina-san.”
“……!”
“Nina-san, they are not the kind of people who can be defeated just by one person going to them. And, Nina-san, it will be only one death in vain and that’s it. Instead of thinking about the foolishness of taking revenge yourself, it would be a much more sane idea to think about what you can do right now.”
“……!”
Hiroto said coldly. Nina was confronted with this fact, and she weakly retreated one foot back.
Then, Hiroto pointed out the window this time.
“Rather, is it okay for you to just die alone and in vain? Nina-san. Miramar is certainly in trouble right now. But Nina-san, take a look out the window! They haven’t given up yet! Right now, the ones outside, the people led by General Mathew, are trying to seize the future of Miramar!”
Nina found Teintan, Aroukaune, and Mathew outside the window, who were busy working to intercept the enemy demons.
However, having this pointed out to her by an outsider, Hiroto made Nina more emotional.
“I know, I know. ……”
Nina dropped the gun in her hand on the floor. She approached Hiroto, with a trembling voice, and looked up at him closely.
“Actually, I do know! I know that the Sword of Surt is not going to be scared off by me going over there! I know that it is useless! But what should I do? What can I do! My mother is dead and my father, Guaran, was murdered! If Miramar is destroyed by those monsters, then what did my father and mother die for! And my other father is going into battle! Into a desperate battle!”
Nina slammed her fist into Hiroto’s chest over and over again.
Hiroto stared at Nina’s tears of sadness, frustration, and helplessness, which she was now unable to bring to anyone, and clenched his fist, letting Nina do what she wanted to do.
Hiroto wasn’t someone who denied revenge.
He, too, had had his heart painted over by revenge.
And now, he could relate, no, he could understand Nina’s rage and regret.
For those who have lost it, …… it’s all they have anymore.
“If I can’t do it, then anyone will do it! I don’t care who it is! They have to defeat them! Defeat…… them”
Nina fell to her knees in front of Hiroto and started to cry.
Then …… Hiroto calmly spoke up.
“Then you need to ask someone else. Someone who can do it.”
Nina raised her head to Hiroto’s words.
“Nina-san, you just need to ask. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Nina-san’s job is to think about the future of Miramar. Defeating the Sword of Surt is someone else’s job. Because you know that you cannot do it alone to make Miramar a better place from now on. To run a large organization called Country, everyone has to work together. I believe that Nina-san needs to be able to ask the right person for the right job, depending on the nature of the job.”
Despite his calm tone, Hiroto’s face was serious, and Nina sensed that the person who could fulfill what she wanted was right in front of her.
Nina looked at Hiroto for a moment, then smiled and stood up.
She then put her hand on Hiroto’s chest.
“Fufufu, what are you talking about, Hiroto …….”
Nina was acting tough but, her body still trembling slightly.
However, her shoulders were more relaxed than before.
“Sorry about that, Hiroto. I know Hiroto didn’t do anything wrong, and I know it has nothing to do with you, but I …… said whatever I wanted to. But I’ve calmed down a bit,…… and you’re right, Hiroto, this is not going to get anything done.”
Nina smiled with tears still on her face.
Hiroto saw a resolve in her smile that he would not have expected from a girl of her age.
It was an expression that indicated that she would fight to the end. She was determined to do what she could for Miramar right now, forcing herself to control her desire to avenge.
“But, Hiroto,…… I just want to say one thing.”
“Umm?”
“Well? It’s hypocritical to say something you can’t do like you can do it. I heard your rank, Hiroto. Rank D is the third from the bottom, right? And even Mizuho-san and Marion-san, who are both rank A, can’t match them, so can you replace them, someone who has a higher rank ability? You must have felt that way after hearing what I said, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Nina said so, but it was not like she was blaming Hiroto. Rather, she is giving him a bit of gentle advice.
Hiroto gave a soft wry smile and looked into Nina’s eyes and nodded.
“And one more thing. Hiroto is kind. Very kind. That is why I took advantage of you and said terrible things to you. But I have to tell you, Hiroto, that trying to do something that has no benefit and you have no obligation to do it, is just craziness. And as far as I can see, you’re good and seem to get swayed around a lot, so I think you need to have the courage to say no to those things.”
Hiroto smiles at Nina’s attention to him.
“Jeez, Nina-san you got that right.”
Suddenly, Nina burst out in tears, and her suppressed rage seemed to break down. Then she crumpled her well-toned face and raised her voice loudly.
“Thank you, Hiroto! Thank you for listening to me. And I’m sorry! For hitting you.”
Hiroto looked at Nina, who was crying intensely, so he gently pulled her a little closer to him and patted her on the head.
“Don’t worry about it, Nina-san. I’m used to this kind of thing, so it’s okay.”
Nina put her forehead against Hiroto’s chest and squeezed out her trembling voice.
“Hiroto,…… I’m so frustrated,…… so helpless! Now I know that the dreams spun by my three parents are the same as mine! The dreams of the four of us are about to be ruined by people who have nothing to do with us! I lost my father today! I’m so frustrated that I’m nothing more than a …… little girl!”
Nina couldn’t control her welling-up emotions and started to cry loudly.
Hiroto just kept quiet and continued to pet Nina’s little head until she calmed down.
After a few minutes of doing so, Nina calmed down and when Hiroto saw that, he quietly let Nina go.
“Then, Nina-san, Aroukaune-san, and the others are waiting for you outside.”
Nina gave a small nod and wiped her tears, and then she turned her head and replied in a firm voice.
“I understand. I’ll get ready and go to the garden. Hiroto, you have work to do, too, don’t you? You go ahead. My face is not the best right now.”
Nina smiled as she said this.
Hiroto smiled back at Nina and picked up the gun she dropped.
“I understand. Then, I’ll go ahead of you.”
Hiroto turned his back to Nina and left the room.
Hiroto left Nina’s room and was about to walk to Mizuho’s room when a voice called out to him from the side.
“Where are you going? Master Hiroto.”
Hiroto kept walking and glanced in the direction of the voice.
“Ahh, Gaston,……, I’ve got a little something to do.”
Hiroto wasn’t surprised to see Gaston leaning his weight against the hallway wall before he knew it, and he chuckled as he passed by.
Chills …… Gaston breaks out in a cold sweat.
Gaston’s back went cold when he saw Hiroto’s expression, and his face unconsciously stiffened.
(Master is angry …… and from the bottom of his heart)
Gaston asked a question as he followed Hiroto’s back as he passed in front of him.
“What are you going to do? Master.”
Hiroto stopped walking.
Then, he looked back at Gaston with a look that I could not imagine from the usual Hiroto.
“I’m going to go through with my hypocrisy and drunkenness.”
At this moment, Gaston trembled at Hiroto’s answer.
However, he did not tremble with fear.
He trembled at Hiroto’s strong will, at his master’s and friend’s answer, …….. which was so like him.
Gaston then waited with all his heart for Hiroto to say something to him.
Hiroto looked at Gaston and opened his mouth.
“Gaston ……”
“…… what is it?”
“I need your help.”
Gaston’s whole body was filled with uncontrollable joy at these words.
“I’m sorry for always telling you not to do anything dangerous and for asking you to do something selfish. But now I want to rely on my friend Gaston. Gaston knows, right? ’Sword of Surt’, their location.”
Gaston gives Hiroto a big smile.
“Of course I do. I knew that Master Hiroto would come here to ask about it~. Sword of Surt is in a cave in the middle of Mount Gurwa, north of here. Of course, I have looked up the details of the place and how to get there. When shall we go?”
“Thank you, Gaston. I want to go there right now. To meet those Sword of Surt guys.”
“I understand. Then, shall I borrow one of the cars?”
The two of them walked together and Gaston told him what he could assume based on the information he had.
“There is a high possibility that a large number of demons summoned by the Sword of Surt will attack the seven cities simultaneously within two hours, considering the speed of movement.
It will take more than two hours by car to reach Mount Gurwa from here, so we will need Miramar’s army to protect each city until we defeat the Sword of Surt.”
“No, we will protect every city. I will not let a single one of them harm the civilian population of Miramar.”
“M-Master …….”
“That’s what will ruin the enemy’s joke of a show.”
Gaston was silenced by Hiroto’s emphatic words, but all he could say was that it would indeed be difficult.
No matter how much they hasten, enemy deployments to the various cities are faster. Also, even if the enemy summoner is defeated, some summoned monsters can move for a long time depending on how the magic power is infused.
Although he understood Hiroto’s character and feelings, he did not have enough cards in his hand to fulfill Hiroto’s idea.
Then Hiroto smiled bitterly, not changing his pace.
“Gaston, I, you know, I’ve been preaching to people and realized myself.”
“Hou, what is it?”
“If you can’t do something, ask someone who can do it. But that was true for me, too. I know that now. I have friends I can count on. Gaston! And everyone!”
As soon as Hiroto said that, the space in front of him became distorted. Gaston’s eyes widened at the suddenness of it, but he knew about this phenomenon. This is the distortion of space that occurs when a powerful individual manifests.
“Yoooo, did you call me? Hiroto!”
“You called for me? My Lord!”
“Boss!”
“Yay! It’s Hiroto!”
“……(nod)”
“I’m so glad you called me~”
“Uga!”
All of the sudden, Kiyoko and the others appeared in the hallway, staring at Hiroto with genuine joyful looks on their faces.
Gaston was surprised at the sudden bustle and the faces in front of him.
Then, Kiyoko noticed Gatson and came up to him looking curiously.
“Ummm? You must be a friend of Hiroto, right.”
Gaston looked restless as he was evaluated by Kiyoko.
“T-That’s right, I am Gatson. Nice to meet you, everyone.”
Gen and Ugaron happily come up to Gaston as he introduces himself.
“Ah! You~, for some time I’ve sensed your presence! I would like to have a friend like you, Gaston.”
“Uga!”
“F-friend? Y-Yes! I’m glad to have you as a friend.”
Gaston replied happily when he heard the word “friends”.
As Hiroto looked around at his lively and reassuring friends, Goukou came and knelt in front of him.
“So, my lord, what can I do for you?”
Goukou looked up at Hiroto, seeming somewhat lively.
“Umm, I have a favor to ask of you all.”
When Hiroto said that, everyone happily focused on his words.
And they seemed to be waiting for Hiroto’s request.
“I want you all to go to the cities where the monsters summoned by the enemy summoner are likely to attack and protect the people of this country, the people of Miramar!”
“Whaat, well, if that’s what you want to do, it’s no problem. Do you have a map of where we should go? With that, we can go right away, okay?”
Kiyoko nodded broadly and replied.
“Map huh, I’m sure this mansion has one somewhere ……”
“Ah, there’s a map of Miramar on the wall in the reception room, master!”
Gaston told him so, and as he moved quickly to the reception room, Hiroto pointed out the cities that would be attacked on the map. Then, on the spot, Kiyoko assigned each city’s defense personnel.
When the assignment was made, Kiyoji and the others became more enthusiastic.
“Understood, Hiroto! Leave it to us!”
“(nod nod) …… leave it to us!”
Shiro and Susan were also motivated to do this.
Then Goukou knelt there once again.
“My Lord, then we will head to the locations immediately.”
“Umm, please, Goukou.”
“So, where are you going, My Lord?”
“I’m going to …… to beat up the summoner who summoned this horde of monsters. ……”
Hiroto turned to Gaston and nodded, then glared sharply out the north window.
“Let’s head for Mount Gulwa!”
◆
Nina put on makeup for her red, swollen eyes, changed into light clothes that were easy to move in, and walked out in front of the large front door of Mathew’s mansion.
The garden of Mathew’s mansion has now become the headquarters of operations for intercepting enemy monsters, and many soldiers are running around left and right. The lushness of the scene was enough to convey to Nina the fresh atmosphere of the battlefield, and she slapped both of her cheeks with her hands.
Removing what little weakness remained in her, Nina looked around the vast garden and spotted Mizuho and Marion talking with Mathew, who was wearing sunglasses, and Arokaune, who was standing behind them.
Nina turned her feet towards their direction and subconsciously looked for the boy who was supposed to be somewhere in this garden at the same time.
“Ohh, Miss Nina! This way, please.”
Arokaune noticed Nina approaching and greeted her with a very relieved loud voice. Arokaune’s call made Mathew, Mizuho, and Marion turn to look at Nina.
“Sorry I’m late, Arokaune, and father …….”
Mathew turned towards Nina and nodded.
“…… umm.”
Mathew, now wearing sunglasses, said nothing more.
Nina could hardly remember her father ever wearing sunglasses.
But Nina felt that the sunglasses, which did not suit him very well, gave her a glimpse into her father Mathew’s feelings about Guaran’s death, and it made her heart ache.
She was sure that the eyelids hidden by those sunglasses were swollen just like hers.
“Then, General Mathew, as we discussed earlier, I will stand by in front of the expected path of the enemy monsters. Well then, please take care of me, Marion.”
“Yes, I understand. I have already finished my preparations, so please be careful, Mizuho-san.”
Mizuho and Marion looked at each other, smiled slightly, and nodded.
“Understood. I’m sorry, Mizuho-dono and Shurian-dono, for getting you involved in all of this. …… Please give my regards to Hiroto-kun.”
Nina, who was listening to the conversation on the side, twitched on hearing Hiroto’s name.
Although it’s hard to tell from just the conversation just now, the boy she had been unconsciously looking for, she imagined that he’d be going to the front lines of this battlefield.
“Well then, Miss Nina, this way …….”
Arokaune in his military uniform bows reverently, as he did when he was a butler, and urges Nina to move from this place.
“Wait a minute, Aroukaune. Where is Hiroto? I need to talk to him for a moment.
Arokaune closed his mouth in response to Nina’s question.
“…… Arokaune?”
“Domori-sama is not here.”
“Eh? What does that mean? Arokaune. Where did Hiroto go? Is he in town?”
“…… Not even in the city.”
Nina felt her body temperature drop when she saw Arokaune, who did not speak anymore. Then, she was seized by a bad premonition that overtook her mind.
She could not get the face of the boy who just a few minutes ago had listened to her quietly and told her what she could do and what she should do.
Nina was surprised when she recalled the many words she had said to Hiroto at that time.
She didn’t think it was possible.
She doesn’t think it’s possible, but …….
Nina recalled that gentle, troubled smile of the boy who was always being pushed around.
At that moment, her body naturally moved and chased after Mizuho, who was here just a moment ago.
Nina ran past the astonished Marion, faced Mizuho’s back, and unlike her normal self, shouted,
“Mizuho-san! Mizuho-san! Wait!”
Mizuho turned around to see if something had happened, and was surprised to see Nina coming up to her, short of breath.
“Nina-san!? What’s wrong?”
“Mizuho-san! Hiroto…… Hiroto-san, where is he!?”
Mizuho’s expression stiffened at Nina’s urgent question.
Nina’s anxiety increased when she saw the change in Mizuho’s face.
However, Mizuho smiled as if to wash away Nina’s fears.
“He went to the boss who summoned this horde of monsters.”
“Nah!”
Nina’s bad premonition came true in the worst way.
When she couldn’t stand it and was about to go after Hiroto, Mizuho took hold of Nina’s thin arm,…….
“Calm down, Nina-sam.”
“Mizuho-san, let go of me!”
Mizuho’s white, supple arms were stronger than her appearance would suggest, and she didn’t let go of Nina.
“Nina-san, he will be fine.”
Nina was offended by Mizuho’s tone, which lacked any sense of tension.
“What are you saying, Mizuho-san!? I’m hearing that this enemy is so strong that even Mizuho-san and Marion-san are no match for him! And when someone more powerful from the agency comes, they will switch places with Mizuho-san’s group! So there’s no way Hiroto can compete with them! Hiroto is just rank D, the third from the bottom!”
” You need to calm down, Nina-san. He’s going to be fine.”
“How, why can you be so calm, Mizuho-san!? Why didn’t you stop him! This is my fault! Because I said something unnecessary to Hiroto!”
“Calm down! Nina-san!”
Mizuho shouted at Nina. Nina’s face shrunk at Mizuho’s shout and expressed her anger, and tried to glare at Mizuho’s face…… but failed.
It was because Mizuho, who just shouted at her was smiling.
And that smile was not some irresponsible smile. It was the smile of a person with a certain confidence.
“If it’s Hiroto, he will be fine.”
Nina finally calmed down, mesmerized by Mizuho’s smile.
“How can you say something like that, Mizuho-san?”
“That’s because Hiroto-san said it would be okay, Nina-san.”
Nina looked back at Marion, who had joined the conversation from behind.
And her eyes widened.
That was because Marion also had a confident smile on her face that was devoid of any sense of uneasiness.
Mizuho released Nina’s arm and spoke to her in a gentle tone.
“Fufufu, well, we are talking big too, but at first we were a little anxious too. Ah, unlike Marion, I’m talking as a leader, don’t get me wrong.”
“Mizuho-san, that’s called being a tsundere. I learned it when I came to Japan to study.”
Mizuho laughed when Marion made fun of her.
Nina still couldn’t keep up with how calm these two were.
“But! Hiroto is rank D. ……”
“You know Nina-san. We all know that when he …… Hiroto makes that …… face and says it’s all right, it’s all right. Rank D? That’s a rank the Agency decided on its own. That doesn’t mean anything to Hiroto. Especially for him when he showed that …… look on his face.
“Yes, I also found out that Hiroto is surprisingly stubborn with that look on his face.
“I know that! He really gets cocky! Hiroto is so stubborn when he gets like that!”
Nina stares dumbfounded at Mizuho and Marion who are talking about Hiroto so naturally in this situation. Then, for some reason, Nina felt a tingling feeling deep in her heart at the sight of these two people.
Mizuho and Marion turn to Nina and smile.
“So, Nina-san, you don’t have to worry about Hiroto.”
“That’s right. We will do what we can do for now. And Hiroto-san will be fine.”
Nina kept her mouth shut when she saw Mizuho and Marion smiling at her as if reminding her.
A few moments passed.
Although she couldn’t completely wipe out her worry about Hiroto, Nina nodded her head.
“……… I understand”
Even as she said that she was puzzled internally.
For some reason, Nina was puzzled by the fact that she was now feeling envious of Mizuho and Marion talking about Hiroto, but at the same time, she was feeling impatient.
(What is this feeling? ……)[TN: My boy collecting girls like some pokemon game]
Nina was puzzled by her own strange sensations, but she could not keep Mizuho and the others away, who would play a major role in this emergency situation.
Nina thought of Hiroto’s …… face of that unreliable boy and her right hand clutched at her chest.
(Hiroto …… will definitely come back safe and sound.)
Then Nina looked up with eyes that had regained their strength.
“I’m sorry, Mizuho-san, Marion-san, for taking up so much of your time. As you two said, I will do what I can while worrying about Hiroto’s safety. Thank you.”
Nina bowed to Mizuho and Marion and turned on her heel toward Arokaune’s direction.
“……”
“……”
Mizuho and Marion stared at Nina’s back for a little while longer.
Especially for Mizuho, it was unbelievable, and even more……. ……
had a contorted expression.
“MaMaMa-Marion,…… did you see that?”
“Yes, Mizuho-san, I saw it, and what is it?”
Marion smilingly responds.
But only using her facial muscles.
“Moreover, I just noticed, didn’t she say ‘Hiroto’?”
“Yes, she did say that. She didn’t add honorifics.”
“Marion.”
“Yes.”
“When Hiroto comes back”
“Yes, when he comes back.”
“Sermon!!!”
“Yes, ………… it’s a big sermon ！！！！”””
Their dark aura (spiritual power) burst.
As Mizuho and Marion unleashed their Fierce spirit, an urgent call came from Mathew.
“There is movement in the monster horde!”
Mizuho and Marion looked at each other in surprise.
“Marion, I’m going! You take care of this place!”
“Yes! Mizuho-san, be careful! I’ll be on the front line as well, keeping an eye on the battle situation!”
After calling out to each other, the two hurriedly left the scene.
◆
In the depths of a dimly lit cave in the middle of Mount Gulwa, Rokiarun grinned by himself in a large space reminiscent of a dome-shaped stadium that was formed by crustal movement several hundreds of million years ago. Numerous torches were propped up at equal intervals on the walls of the vast space, lighting the way.
In the center of this vast space, a huge magic circle was drawn, and an altar-like structure was built inside. Rokiarum knelt before the altar and stood up after chanting a spell to supply magic power.
He removed the hooded coat he wore, revealing the eerie geometric patterns that seemed to be laid out all over his body.
“Mizgard, are you ready?”
“Hihihi…… ready? Ready? Rokiarum-sama? hihi…… are you in position……?”
Mizgard, clad in rags, replied.
This Mizgard has a different body shape from the Mizgard Mizuho buried before.
It was much larger and fatter than the previous Mizgard, and upon closer inspection, its brown skin was sallow and rough, as if it had been dried out.
Mizgard dropped the rags and exposed its upper body to the open air, as did Rokiarum. There were numerous large cut-like marks all over his body, and very thick black threads, which could not have been medical, were stitched haphazardly on the cuts.
“Kukuku, let me see!”
“Hee-hee, yes~?”
When Rokiarum gave this instruction, the thick black threads sewn into Mizgard’s wounds began to unravel with a shrieking sound, spattering black blood from the wounds.
Mizgard let out a gasp as blood trickled from each large cut to the ground in small cascades. The wounds all over Mizgard’s body gradually opened up, and not only blood but also sticky, clear fluid began to mix with them.
Then countless wounds opened wide at the same time. Eyeballs of impossible sizes appeared there, moving erratically, and then stopped moving as they stared in different directions.
Immediately after, the eyeballs project light into the sky, showing the situation of the city in Miramar in a 360-degree view above Mizgard.
“Can you see it? Hehe, can you see all of Miramar~?”
“Kukuku…… hahahaha! The people who are frightened by monsters! Foolish incapacitated people who were born without any abilities yet devour their lives as if it were a matter of course! How many ability users have worked for you in the background of your history, and how many of them have died without ever being able to appear on the stage! You incompetent fools! Know the regret of my people!”
Rokiarum shouted aloud almost throwing up, and his face wrinkled deeply with hatred.
He then turned his dim gaze to the image in front of him on the right.
There, the image of Kaliguda, who had fled the capital city of Nephi as quickly as possible, was seen moving around the outskirts of the city in several vehicles together with the Military Guards. Behind them, the military leaders were driving their luxury cars after Kaliguda.
Their cars were filled to the brim with bags and cases filled with precious metals and duralumin cases filled with cash.
“…… What a shameful thing. They have abandoned their people and their only concern is their own greed and self-preservation. Such pigs sit at the head of the country. How vile! How vile! They are symbols of the folly of the incompetence and laziness of the people of this country!”
Rokiarum raised his right arm and slowly moved his right index finger from left to right across the image screen toward Kaliguda’s image.
Immediately, a formation of countless gargoyles appears from above Kaliguda’s group.
In the image, Kaliguda’s personal guard turned pale and pointed their fingers to the rear where the gargoyles had appeared, and someone who looked like a commander seemed to be giving instructions to those around him.
Immediately after, an overwhelming number of gargoyles attacked Kaliguda’s lavishly decorated military vehicles.
It was no longer a battle at all.
The Military guards were already few in number, and as soon as the gargoyles came within a stone’s throw reach they fled, leaving Kaliguda’s car behind.
Kaliguda was dripping tears and snot and shouting something to his proud direct troops, who were fleeing without him, their master.
And after a few seconds of ……, Kaliguda’s military vehicle, stuck by hundreds of gargoyles, stopped its movement, probably because it exceeded the weight limit.
Rokiarum takes his gaze away from the image and reveals his anger.
“Incompetent people! We should have been the ones you worshipped! Not these pigs! We are the ones who are gifted! That is what is right! It is natural! That is the proper attitude to have toward those with abilities!”
Rokiarum looks around at the other images Mizgard is projecting.
“From now on, the Sword of Surt will cause the world to tremble! We will show the power of the superior species, the ability users, and let a world ruled by the incompetent know who is worthy of their respect!”
Rokiarum raised his hands, palms facing all the images.
“And the World Ability Users Agency who flatter this deceitful world! The Sword of Surt will bury them all together! Go, tens of thousands of monsters! Show the world your best show in this dying Miramar!”
With Rokirarum’s words, the hordes of monsters stationed on the outskirts of each of Miramar’s major cities began to move in unison. Facing the eerie and horrifying hordes of monsters, the expressions of fear and despair on the faces of soldiers and civilians became apparent.
Crying children, women, and elderly people with their infants in their arms were evacuated to the center of the city. Soldiers on the front lines of the city’s defense shivered on their feet and became teary-eyed at the unrealistic enemy.
“Hehehe …… show? The show is starting? Hehehe…….”
Mizgard chuckled as he looked in the opposite direction and drooled from his mouth.
After ordering the invasion of each city, Rokiarum sat on a chair in front of the altar, like that of a royal nobleman, meditated, and concocted his magic power.
Rokiarum takes in the dense magic floating in this cave, which is not tinted with any color and does not belong to anything or anyone, as if he were breathing it in.
(Kukuku, wonderful. What a pool of magical power. This is truly a place where the earth weaves its magic. Light and darkness, love and anxiety, spiritual power, and magical power. This relatively created world, this force field, which is colored with one side of the universe, deserves to be our holy place ……).
The corpse of his apprentice, Niesbeck, lay beside the chair in which Rokiarum leaned with a satisfied look on his face.
“A massacre? hehe! Overrun? Hehehe…… then a meal?”
“Mizgard, you needn’t think about anything else. All of your brain’s functions are devoted to sensing and manipulating monsters. All you have to do is move the tens of thousands of monsters I have summoned to do what I tell them to do. In a few hours, the seven major cities of Miramar will be destroyed.”
“Hee-hee-hee …… hee-hee.”
Mizgard had left Rokiarum in charge of all the battlefields.
Rokiarum had acquired the art of summoning thousands upon thousands of monsters. However, it is impossible to sense and control them at the same time.
Therefore, Mizgard was newly created as an antenna without an ego.
At this time, Rokiarum was already thinking about the future.
Starting with this Miramar, how will we deal with the world?
For the Sword of Surt, this was the beginning.
Rokiarum had been waiting for this day for over a century.
“Hee hee …… hee? Hee!?”
“What’s wrong? Mizgard.”
Rokiarum noticed that Mizgard was acting strangely.
“Hehe? Can’t get close? Can’t get near any city? Pushed back? Hehehe.”
“What are you saying? Mizgard.”
“First wave? Destroyed? hehehe. ……”
“What nonsense! You’re broken!”
Rokiarum got up and looked at the war situation in each city emitted from Mizgard’s body.
“T-This! What! Who are these people?”
There, a man and a woman were seen standing in front of a horde of monsters.
“Hihihi…… Can’t stand up to them? Hihihi……”
“No, what!? This overwhelming fighting force! Is it support from the Agency!? No, it’s too early! And if they are this powerful, there’s no way that this Rokiarum doesn’t know about it!
Rokiarum’s thoughts were unable to catch up with his astonishment and incomprehension of the situation.
“They aren’t human? Hehehe? Hehe! The second party arrived? Hee, hee.”
“Not just human!? Then these are personifications! No doubt, if it’s a change, it’s easily recognizable. Summoning…… No, they can’t be summoned! Don’t tell me, more than one person has gathered who has made a contract with a high-ranking non-human who can anthropomorphize? Ridiculous! That’s just not possible!”
The video shows a situation that is unbelievable to Rokiarum.
But the fact is that those who look no different from ordinary humans were destroying monsters at breakneck speed. The men and women in the video were also smiling.
Waning and trembling, Rokiarum clasps his hands, which have prominent spots, and bites his lip.
Only now, after a hundred years of waiting, searching, and planning, the plan had just been set in motion.
Whoever is behind this is no longer relevant at this point.
“Noooooo! I can summon as many more as I want! Behold! The legions of monsters that will cover all of Miramar!”
“Hehehe, someone’s here too …… hehehe”
“What!? Here in Mount Gulwa? Is he an ability user or someone from Miramar?”
“hehehe ……? Does he want to come in here? Hehehe.”
“Well, I’ve got five hundred upper-level monsters, Wendigo demons, stationed around this cave. It’s not that easy to get in. But now, we need to deal with them.”
Saying this, Rokiarum kneads his magic and glares hatefully at the image above him.
(Who are these contractors with overwhelming power? Considering that there is one contractor for every one of them, there are seven of them. The agency …… no such information is..)
“Hee-hee, they’re here already.”
Mizgard reported before Rokiarum had time to think.
“Now …… what did you say? Mizgard.”
“Are you the Sword of Surt?”
Rokiarum immediately jumped away from the spot when he was suddenly spoken to from the side.
This area was imbued with his experience as a summoner when facing the enemy.
Rokiarum did not even feel any sign of the boy in front of him, who came so close to him, the maximum alarm bells arising from his numerous combat experiences up to this point were subconsciously sounded.
“You ……, who are you? Kid.”
“Ah, that’s right. If you’re looking for those little monsters out there, I’ve taken care of them. They were spoiling the beautiful scenery of Miramar. Well, not all of them, I left the rest to my friends.”
The boy’s voice was very annoying to Rokiraum as he carried his sword on his back and continued to speak without answering any of his questions.
“Who are you, I ask you! You creepy little bastard!”
The boy finally reacted to this statement and chuckled.
“Haaaa, I didn’t expect you to call me creepy, at all …….”
A moment later, without warning, Rokiarum held his right hand out in front of him and summoned countless will-o-wisps from his palm, striking the boy with a fireball of magical spirits.
As an ability user who has experienced many battles, Rokiarum knows that surprise attacks and off-rhythm attacks are very useful in battle. And when he does it, he never cuts corners.
A seemingly endless number of will-o’-wisps are spat out from Rokiarum’s hand.
Each one is not that powerful. But with such a large number of will-o-wisps, the attack power increases additively. Rokiarum creates overwhelming firepower with its sheer force of numbers and strikes the unidentified boy mercilessly.
Finally, the boy’s figure is enveloped by countless magical spirits, and the pressure of the attack is so great that he disappears from sight.
Rokiarum’s mouth twists into a smile as he continues to strike the demon spirits.
“Such a foolish boy. You are a little inexperienced. To be careless in the face of the enemy means death!”
It was then.
A voice rang in Rokiarum’s ear.
And his back instantly went cold.
Yes, it was indeed a voice that was near his ear.
“I will return those words to you, summoner.”
As soon as he heard that line, Rokiarum’s arm, which was releasing a will-o’-the-wisp, leaped up into the air. The arm spun around in the air, spraying will-o-wisp in all directions.
“Howu! Ku!”
Rokiarum sensed the danger of staying where he was and flew backward without regard for his cut-off arm.
“Gwu, you jackass! You little bastard! Who the hell are you!”
He pressed down on his right arm, which was missing from the joint.
“Ha, you’re the kid that Niesbeck mentioned, the one who came as a support from the Agency?”
(As I recall, I had heard that he was just an inexperienced kid, an inferior. However, this fighting power and strength is ……)
“Just a rank D who happened to be passing by.”
“What …… do you mean?”
“I just told you. I’m just a rank D. A Rank D who happened to come to Miramar by chance and fell in love with the scenery and people of Miramar.”
Hiroto then re-gripped his Ihaku, which he held in his right hand, tightly.
“You lowlife summoner! I won’t let you destroy this Miramar with your vile thoughts!”
Then, Rokiarum reacts violently to Hiroto’s words.
“A vile thought, …… and? Y-Y-YOuuu! You’re just an Inferior rank D! This sword of ours, the Sword of Surt, has been a long-held dream of ours for a hundred years!”
However,……, in response to Rokiarum’s anger, Hiroto’s eyes lit up with a flame of anger that surpassed his own.
The faces of Guaran, Mathew, and …… Nina, whose cheeks were wet with tears, came to mind in Hiroto’s mind.
It was the faces of those who had been at the mercy of this summoner’s long-cherished wish.
Hiroto let out a tremendous stream of SenKi, and his face took on a look of fury as he pointed the tip of his Ihaku(white blade) at Rokiarum and said with a strong spirit,
“I will never forgive you for using Miramar, which you had nothing to do with, as a stepping stone, and for trampling on the hearts of those who put their lives and lives on the line for this Miramar! Your plan will crumble without a trace by this Rank D, an inferior ability user’s …… hypocrisy and whims! I will crush you without a trace!”
TN: I had almost given up on posting today, well there goes my on time sleep.
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Thought it was dropped….thank you for the update!
Welcome back~
Thanks for the chapter. Looking foward for the next chap