Chapter 5

"Ugh, ugh, it's so good, little master... Ugh, ugh..."

If you want to fight, get out, the big man from the back of the guild said, and Zelly and I were thrown out, sitting on the back alley sidewalk. Zelly rubbed her tear and snot-covered face against mine. My cloak got even dirtier.

Zelly's face had clear marks from the iron claw, but the joy outweighed the pain... well, I was happy too.

My nose tingled a little.

"Zelly, tell me. Why are you here?"

When I wiped her face with a handkerchief, her snot stretched out. For a grown woman to make such a face...

"I, I was in Reif until I could make a magical device to determine if the little master was alive—"

Zelly explained.

It was really impressive that they made a magical device to confirm if I was alive. I'm glad I left the bracelet I received when entering the Reif Magic Empire.

When Zelly found out I was alive,

"I thought the stubborn little master would somehow come back."

She added unnecessary adjectives and said she wanted to do "what she could."

The red crack is called the "Red Gate," and now, the "Black Sky Pirate" — Lark — is maintaining the front line, but there's no decisive blow.

The "Silver Scales" are cooperating with the re-investigation of the "Labyrinth of Nine Emotions." If La-Feitsa's mechanism connected the two worlds, they thought it might be possible to seal the hole by analyzing it.

(That's certainly true.)

If I had no prior knowledge, I would have done the same.

But now I have the [Boundary Pact].

Through this, the world looks different.

I don't have any ideas on what to do now, but I feel like using the [Boundary Pact] might lead to a different solution.

Most of all, I was worried about Lark.

"Zelly, how is Lark— the 'Black Sky Pirate'? Is she healthy?"

"Healthy? ...No, I can't really tell. I hardly ever see her. The empire takes her away as soon as she returns from battle."

"I see..."

It's like a weapon.

She doesn't seem to be treated badly, and since the front line is maintained thanks to Lark, she is probably a hero.

But... I was very worried.

I have seen the power of the [Shadow King Sword Technique] with six stars.

A newly acquired girl cut down a grown man and even a dragon, which is a mediator in this world.

Lark can't use magic, so she must be consuming something other than magic power.

"...Little master, what's wrong? You look sad after finally meeting me."

"Ah, no, meeting you was a stroke of luck. ...So, why are you in the Holy Capital?"

"The only thing I can do is gather other adventurers."

According to Zelly, the Reif Magic Empire has opened its treasury and is offering huge rewards to gather adventurers. Not only combat power but also a large number of soldiers are stationed, so food transportation is necessary. Of course, there will be guards, and the empire is covering the guard costs—this is the information Zelly is spreading.

Adventurers are greedy for money but suspicious, especially when they hear that the "secretive empire is paying." They will be skeptical.

So Zelly is spreading the current state of the empire.

Being able to hear live information is not only a joy for adventurers but also for the guild. Now, Zelly has a guild pass and can use all transportation for free.

(Everyone is fighting.)

Lark at the front line, of course, the "Silver Scales," and Zelly too.

"Let's go—Zelly. To close the red crack!"

I clenched my fist and stood up.

"Huh, little master? Close it? Little master~!"

Zelly called out from behind as I started walking.

"There are no more carriages today!"

...That's right.

★ Reif Magic Empire, "Moonflower" ★

In the dimly lit room of "Moonflower," two girls were sitting side by side on a sofa.

The girl in the black cloak and purple combat suit was leaning completely on the sofa, looking exhausted. Her clothes were covered with a mysterious liquid that had dried and become crispy.

The other girl was wearing a dress that seemed to be made of high-quality material, and she was holding the left hand of the exhausted girl.

Golden light was seeping from the hand, which was being held as if wrapped in both hands.

It was a color that seemed to be a mix of Lark's and Eva's hair colors.

The two girls were staring intently into each other's eyes.

Sweat was beading on Eva's forehead, and her brows were furrowed. On the other hand, Lark, with a pale complexion, was lying limp, but a slight flush was gradually appearing on her cheeks.

"—That's enough. It's sufficient."

"But—"

"You're pretty exhausted too. I'll rest a bit."

Lark stood up, placed her hand on Eva's head, wobbled for a moment, and then left the room.

"..."

What Eva had just used was the "Inspiring Magic Eye." It is a special "Magic Eye" that the Sylies family can use. The "Inspiring Magic Eye" can boost the combat spirit of those who see it and can also share life force and magic power with those who are close to the user.

"—Eva, are you done?"

The person who entered the room in her place was Eva's father, the Count Sylies. The count, noticing his daughter still sitting on the sofa, hurried over.

"Are you okay?"

"...Yes, this much is fine."

"You're swaying, aren't you?"

Eva tried to stand up but immediately sat back down. It was probably the backlash from using the "Inspiring Magic Eye."

"You still haven't mastered the Magic Eye. I've warned you many times not to overuse it."

"...But compared to Lark, who is fighting at the front line, my efforts are nothing."

"Even so, Eva, if you break down, who will heal Lark?"

Kneeling beside her, the Count Sylies took Eva's hand, like a knight protecting a princess.

After the chaos of the "Dinner of New Sprout and New Moon" and the "Ceremony of Bestowing the Gift of Heaven" subsided, the count no longer hid his affection for his daughter, and the daughter, though bewildered, began to accept it.

Their bond as a family of two deepened.

"Father, have you heard about Lark's battles?"

"..."

The count nodded.

Lark goes out every day, passes through the long tunnel at the checkpoint to enter the empire, and heads straight to the front line.

The area around the checkpoint still has buildings and roads, but as you approach the Red Gate, the degree of destruction increases. Not only are buildings damaged, but the bodies of defeated monsters that cannot be collected are left out in the open. They want to burn them to prevent decay, but fires can get out of control, so most are left as they are.

As you go further, not only are there monsters, but also the equipment of soldiers from various countries scattered around, and bodies are left under collapsed buildings. In places where the fighting is intense, it's difficult to collect bodies.

In such places, Lark wields her black sword.

Whether it's gorilla monsters with skin as hard as metal, giant mantis monsters as tall as a human with scythes, or slime monsters with a sticky texture that spew strong acid, her black sword cuts through them all.

Some monsters have intelligence, some don't. Small monsters that feed on the bodies of dead monsters are killed by soldiers, and powerful monsters that are too difficult to defeat are Lark's job.

In other words, Lark inevitably fights only the strong ones.

"...Many soldiers are serving as shields, protecting her while advancing. The empire is sparing no expense on magical armaments, but the fuel is running out, and now they rely entirely on Lark."

"Yes... In the past few days, Lark has been very tired, and I want to reduce her burden as much as possible."

Eva, looking down, clenched her hands on her knees.

"But Lark, like Father, tells me not to overdo it. I feel that I am also being protected by Lark... and it hurts."

Many people have witnessed Lark's battles. And like a shadow, her comrades—the sky pirates—move diligently to protect her.

She fights with the ferocity of a lion, cutting down monsters. Everyone thinks that her battles are literally "cutting away her life," but no one can say it out loud. Because Lark is the last hope.

"If I can make Lark's burden lighter by enduring one hour of pain, I am willing to take on that role. It is also my duty as a noble."

"Eva..."

The count was moved by his daughter's growth but also didn't want his beloved Eva to suffer any more.

Is there a way to solve the Red Gate problem?

Among the methods being explored, the one with the highest probability of success is the conquest of the "Labyrinth of Nine Emotions." A meeting to discuss the results and analysis of the conquest should be taking place now—.

One of the participants in that meeting is a person the Count Sylies called from the Kurvaan Holy Kingdom.

Who did Count Sylies call? (Difficulty: Low)