Chapter 276
Chapter 276
Translator: “Hakou” Editor: “Weasalopes”
The Spirit Forest in the northern part of the Ost continent.
The World Tree, a giant tree over a thousand meters tall, rises in the deepest part of the forest.
The branches stretching out around it form a green umbrella with a diameter of 4,000 meters, and it holds the village of the elves under its umbrella. 𝘧𝚛𝗲𝘦𝚠𝙚𝙗𝚗o𝙫𝗲𝙡.𝐜o𝚖
『The World Tree belongs to the elves』
It would be unavoidable for the elves born and raised in the village to think so. If it was a resource only for tourism, not a magical power, the human race would have nodded.
Now, in a big tree hollow at the deepest part of the World Tree’s roots, two small and medium-sized magic circles floating in the air and rotating horizontally while emitting white light.
「It’s finally time for the third step. We should’ve done this from the beginning」
A skinny high elf bent his mouth and said mockingly.
He had crutches clamped under his arms. The high elves in the crowd were buzzing at the painful sight of the knight commander of the Elven knight order.
「Have you been doing well?」
「Shut up」
The slouched acting chairman called out to him, but the skinny high elf, supported by crutches, frowned and spat such words.
「He’s okay, that’s why he’s here now, isn’t he? Are you stupid?」
The old pharmacist woman standing beside him said in a prickly tone. She occasionally frowned and put her fingers on her forehead, which indicated that her headache had not yet subsided.
The knight commander taps the wall with his crutch and raises his voice.
「Just get started already」
The slouched-shouldered high elf, whose expression had become less and less expressive since he had taken up the position of substitute, turned to the magic circle as he’s become less expressive.
The work resumed in the uncomfortable silence of the tree hollow. The third magic circle, which had already been drawn, was moved using the same technique as the second.
「It’s a success. Good work everyone」
The substitute chairman, who looked even more exhausted, thanked the high elves who looked tired after donating so much magic power.
Everyone gazed at the large, medium, and small rotating magic circles lined up vertically.
When the largest disk in the highest position is filled with light, they will be able to start up the main circuit of the spirit gun.
「Isn’t the magic manipulation too complicated? You’re putting an unnecessary burden on everyone by relying on brute force」
The old pharmacist woman argued and the skinny old man agreed with her. The two did not participate in the activation magic, so they did not look worn out.
The acting chairman did not reply, nor did he turn around.
***
After parting ways with the Saintess’ group from the Eastern country, the Old Lady and I returned to the royal capital just before sunset.
After taking a bath and a meal in the red-light district, I returned to our home. Afterward, we sat in our living room and talked with my familiars as usual.
But there was something strange. Dangorou was not in good spirits.
「What’s wrong? Are you alright?」
A 15-centimeter-long dung beetle is sitting quietly on a bath towel spread on the floor. He didn’t trot around like usual.
I grabbed him by his sides and lifted him up. Then it curled up a little and scratched the air with its many legs.
「You feel dizzy and nauseous?」
According to him, he was hit by the magic power on the ground.
The flow of magic power from the depths of the earth towards the surface. It’s called the earth’s veins, and according to him, it’s all going in circles.
『It was my idea』
The turtle from the pond said in an apologetic tone.
There have been things happening lately that have never happened before, such as the appearance of areas with dense magical power here and there. In order to understand what was going on, the three of them, on the turtle’s suggestion, had split up to investigate.
「Are the rest of you alright?」
The 20 centimeters long fifth instar larvae of the swallowtail butterfly, and the turtle of about the same length nodded in unison.
Imosuke was in charge of the wind, and Zaratan was in charge of the water, but neither of them seemed to be in much discomfort.
After grasping the situation, I immediately cast a spell on the Dangorou, which I still held in my hand.
(Cure status abnormality should do it)
As I expected, he was cured with just one F-rank magic. Just to be sure, I also used the cure disease and cure injury, but neither of them had shown any reaction.
I put the revitalized Dangorou down on the bath towel and turned my gaze to Zaratan.
「Thank you, for taking action to protect the garden forest」
The reason they were gathering information was so that they could be prepared to deal with whatever might happen.
『However』, I continued, placing my hand on the general’s back and looking at him.
「Please don’t push yourself. It won’t do any good if it will make you sick」
After nodding, the dung beetle curled up. I narrowed my eyes at the sight and continued.
「Just take a rest here today. I’ll read you any picture book you want if you like」
I got up and walked over to the bookshelf, and Dangorou, who had been curled up, resurrected. He raised himself up and waddled towards me.
He requested me to read 『The Crab Warrior』.
The hero, an adventurer, found a crab on the riverbank that was blowing bubbles because it couldn’t return to the water and returned it to the river.
In order to repay the favor, he transforms himself into a warrior in heavy armor, who becomes the hero’s companion and accompanies him on his journey.
「――Its movement is slow and it only drinks water, but the crab warrior was strong. With his armor, he would protect everyone and tear through the enemy」
The dung beetle climbs into my lap, shaking his body excitedly. The caterpillar listening in front of me also seems to be drawn into the story.
「A square face with a wide gap between its eyes. An unkempt beard that grew from its sideburns to its chin. The crab warrior doesn’t have a pretty face, but he was charming, and was especially liked by the gorilla-like female warriors」
From here on, it is a classic development.
The night of the encampment. The party members noticed that the bushes were swaying. The crab and gorilla who usually go to bed early are not around the campfire.
『It must be them. Why don’t we go and take a look?』
A nighttime flesh-and-blood battle between two mighty warriors. Curious about this, the party members, both men and women, approach the bushes sneakily.
But what they saw was not a stifling exchange of submissions, but the crab warrior shedding his skin in human form.
『I am a crab who you have helped in the past. I have come to help you on your journey to repay your kindness, but it seems that this is as far as I can go』
It seemed to be a spell that could be broken if its true identity was known, and after smoke came out of its body while making a noise, it turned into a crab the size of someone’s palm. The crab then walked sideways and disappeared into the bushes at night.
(This weird feeling of after taste… it certainly feels like an old story)
The ending was a bit of a letdown, and I couldn’t tell if it was a good or bad ending. There is a lot to comment on in this story.
It seems that this trait is no different in another world.
However, Imoske and Dangorou seemed to be satisfied with it. While The turtle was resting his chin on the bath towel as he blinked occasionally.
(Was it too childish for him?)
As I looked at him with a wry smile, I felt a tickle on my lap.
I looked down to see that it was Dangorou. He was probably begging to hear the next story.
Before I knew it, Imosuke was next to me. The leader of my familiars pushed the general’s side with his head and sent a wave.
『You’re healed now, right?』
He must’ve meant his physical condition. Dangorou turns his head to the side and replies with a wave.
『Not yet』
『Liar』
I guess he was upset that I was giving him too much attention.
I thought it would be better to treat them equally, so I asked Imosuke again.
「Are you feeling sick too?」
The caterpillar lifted the front half of its body and nodded its head vigorously. At that sight, this time the dung beetle pushed the caterpillar’s side back.
『Liar』
『You’re one to talk』
They started pushing each other on my lap, so I interceded.
「Let’s all just take it easy today, alright? You finished your work on the flowers today, right, Imosuke? Well done」
The caterpillar nodded happily. The dung beetle doesn’t say anything either, as he knows how hard it is to pound the flowers.
I asked the turtle how he was feeling, just to be sure, but he said he was fine.
「Since we’re all here, why don’t we let Zaratan tell us a story next?」
A great spirit animal that has lived for a long time. I’m sure he has some good stories from the past.
The turtle was puzzled because of the sudden turn of events. He stared into the air, thinking, and then opened his mouth.
『I don’t know if this is a good story or not』
After saying that, he began to speak.
『A long time ago, when there was not a single World Tree. In those days, there were giant humanoid creatures――』
Anecdotes from this world are very interesting to me. Fortunately, it also seemed to have caught the interest of the vice commander and the general, who were both listening intently.
Zaratan seemed to find that this isn’t bad either, and I could feel the gentle waves of happiness in his voice.
『――There, I told them. Firstly, you should――』
The turtle shakes his head and gets more excited, and the two on my lap get nervous as I start clapping. And so the night passed in a relaxed manner.
***
The stage moves to a location a short distance north of Tauro’s home.
A messenger from the knight order is visiting the high-class white marble brothel that stands on the main street of the entertainment district.
This is 『Cassabell』. It is one of the top three and the oldest establishments in the royal capital.
「Take the pilot school exam, you say!? What the hell do you mean?」
The young woman wearing a black leather bikini and crimson butterfly mask, who met the messenger in the top floor suite, twisted her mouth as she struck them with her whip.
The nude messenger was on all fours, letting out a sweet scream with each stroke.
「The knight commander has judged that Her Majesty has the potential to become an excellent pilot」
The old man explained while breathing roughly.
He was an active B-class pilot. Although he did not participate in the battle where they were defeated by the Heavy Lancer, he is a fierce warrior who crossed swords with the frontier Knights of the Empire at the Battle of Landbarn.
Because he was a regular of the Plain Queen, he was chosen as the messenger to recruit her.
「The knight commander you say!?」
She struck her whip again with a grunt of hatred. The whip’s tip, which had become sharper, cut through the air and struck his butt with a bursting sound.
The old man with a dirty butt and pimple marks let out a high-pitched scream.
(Reminding me of that guy!)
The darkness in her heart tingles.
A regular customer showed up as an official messenger of the Kingdom’s knight order, so the store took care of him and prepared a suite for him to play in.
Ironically, however, this room is the place where she once spent time with the knight commander. It’s no wonder she’s getting all worked up.
(That play was something I volunteered to do. It’s not right to hold a grudge against the knight commander for it)
She wanted money for her brothers’ medical treatment. That’s why she took the job in exchange for a large sum of money.
She knew that. But she couldn’t stop the darkness from overflowing from the wound in her heart.
(When are you going to let me free? Gourmet of Gold!)
This is also just another one-sided obsession of hers.
The knight commander isn’t aware that he is shackling the heart of the Plain Queen. He simply fills a page in his gourmet picture diary as a delicious memory.
(I have to do something about this)
That’s why she also thinks that if she doesn’t do anything on her own, she won’t be able to escape from these shackles.
The Plain Queen slapped his butt again and thought about it while listening to the sweet screams that came out from his mouth. Then she came up with an idea.
「Alright. I’ll take that exam」
Thank you, said the old man, shaking his dirty butt with tears in his eyes.
Then the Plain Queen continued while stepping on his butt.
「But don’t get me wrong. I might become a pilot, but I won’t join the knight order」
She looks down at his dirty butt, which has stopped moving under her high heels, and pulls the candle out of the holder on her thigh while forming a smile with the corner of her mouth.
The color was red. It was a low-temperature type for ordinary customers.
She placed the whip on the floor and flicked her fingers with her free right hand. She lit the candle in her left hand using magic.
「My goal is to beat that commander of yours with the whip of my Knight」
She kicked his butt and made him lie on his back, then she looked into his face and asked him a question.
She is not very knowledgeable about pilots or the knight order, so she doesn’t have a concrete vision of the future regarding this matter.
『If I can win in some sort of national mock battle tournament, I might have a chance to face him』
That’s all she could think of.
「Despite that, are you still going to tell me to take the test?」
She then drops wax on the tip of the sword that was pointed at her.
「!?」
The old man with the dirty butt opened his mouth wide, but no voice came out of it. He is repeatedly breathing shallowly with a pained expression.
「I’m asking you if you are okay with it!」
She dripped more wax. The old man’s sword was placed in an improvised red scabbard made of wax.
After his mouth was gaping several times like a goldfish, the old man shouted out loud.
「Yesshh!!」
And not just once, but multiple times.
「Yesshh! Yesshhhh! It feels goooodd!」
After he repeated the same words five times, he turned around like a roasted squid and stuck his tongue out sharply into the air.
Immediately after, white pleasure erupted from around his vermillion sheath.
***
An hour later, a quiet-looking young woman in a light-colored dress appears in the office behind the counter of Cassabell.
She is Plain-chan who has taken off her butterfly mask, relieved of her role as the Queen.
「So, what did the messenger say?」
When asked by the owner, an elderly concierge, Plain-chan replied.
「It was an invitation to attend the pilot school」
Her voice is soft and gentle, like a modest ringing of a bell.
The owner gazed at her as he lost in thought.
(So they realized the potential in her)
At present, it is said that there is no way to determine the talent of the pilot. However, the knight order of the Kingdom may have found something.
After a short pause, he looked up and opened his mouth.
「And? What are you going to do?」
Clenching both fists in front of her chest, Plain-chan answered with a serious expression.
「I think I will take the test. But even if I pass the exam and get accepted to the school, I would like to continue working at the store」
𝑓r𝘦𝘦𝘄eb𝒏𝙤vel.c𝙤𝙢
The school seems to have a high degree of freedom. She continued.
The owner let out a breath of relief hearing that.
(As the Queen, she is one of Cassabell’s signatures)
It will be a big loss to lose her.
The reputation of the slime game, in which players play rock-paper-scissors to take off their clothes, is not bad. However, it was difficult to distinguish it from other stores.
In this respect, Plain-chan is a gem for the store.
「I think it will be fine when you’re still in school, but once you become a pilot, you won’t be able to do that」
But her life is her own. Even though he can give her some advice, he can’t stop her.
「Do your best to live your life without regrets」
The concierge told her so with a smile on his face.