Chapter 33

* * * This contains some cruel expressions.

The magic circle shattered like glass, scattering and emitting light.

The flames, as if using this as a springboard, writhed and flew.

The trees they grazed were carbonized on the spot.

The serpent of hellfire, after rising, plunged straight into the center of the village—

In an instant.

A blast wave spread like a wave. Blinding light accompanied the nearly white flames, which spread to a radius of about 30 meters. Flames spiraling to the right and left alternated, forming a vortex.

“Gah!”

Overwhelmed by the intense wind, Hikaru pulled Ravia closer. He couldn’t keep his eyes open. Ravia also clung to Hikaru, but her grip was weak—she was drained of strength.

“Ravia! Hold on!”

“T-the magic power was… more than I expected…”

Hikaru and Ravia hid behind the large tree. As they did, the flames, as if they had done their job, extinguished as if by magic.

A stifling heat and a burnt smell rushed over them. Hikaru cautiously emerged from behind the large tree.

“…Amazing.”

A perfectly round, pitch-black ground lay before him. The trees were charred, emitting white smoke. The ground was gouged in 20-centimeter increments. The goblins that had been there were all annihilated.

A goblin at the very edge of the circle was rolling, having lost its right arm and leg. It wasn’t bleeding because it was completely carbonized.

A makeshift hut that was barely outside the range of the magic caught fire from the residual heat carried by the wind.

A few energetic goblins scattered into the forest like spiders.

“!”

At that moment, Hikaru felt a strange sensation welling up from deep within his body. A restless feeling that made him want to scream—his soul rank had increased.

【Soul Board】Hikaru

Age 15, Rank 19

2

【Soul Board】Ravia

Age 14, Rank 11

5

Hikaru’s rank had increased by 2, and Ravia’s by an astonishing 4.

“Ravia… Are you okay?”

The girl in his arms, breathing heavily, looked up at Hikaru.

“I’m fine… Just a bit… I might be more tired than expected because of my ‘Occupation’… I’ve never used ‘Flame Mage’ before.”

“Is that so?”

“…I started using ‘Flame Mage’ after I began killing weakened monsters in the mansion… By then, I had realized I was just being used… Before that, I was using ‘Magic Principle Creation God: Challenger of the Principle of Magic’… At that time, the magic wasn’t this powerful, and the magic consumption wasn’t this intense…”

Hikaru understood. Ravia had probably been hiding her ‘Flame Mage’ occupation from the Earl. He was genuinely grateful that she had told him.

Could the ‘Principle of Magic’ skill be related to the magic consumption when casting elemental magic?

He also realized something else.

He had thought their compatibility as a party wasn’t very good. But with this power, they could be an incredibly powerful mobile artillery platform.

For example, in a surprise attack during a war. Or when eliminating a group of stationary monsters.

Hikaru felt a mix of excitement and fear at this idea.

“…Hikaru, please don’t leave me behind?”

Hearing those words, he felt as if he had been doused with cold water.

Her ‘high-power magic’ was taboo for her. It had been used to exploit her by the Earl, who had confined her to the mansion, and after the Earl’s death, she was almost used by the King.

He had made her use it.

Even though it was to kill monsters, it was still mass slaughter.

What had he made her do?

So insensitively—

“…I’ll take you with me. Of course. The first time I saw you, I realized you dreamed of adventure.”

“That’s… good.”

He wiped the sweat from her weak smile with a handkerchief.

“Ravia”

It would have been easy to apologize here. Ravia would likely accept his apology.

(But that’s not enough. If I do, I might hurt Ravia again. It’s because our relationship isn’t equal. Ravia has revealed everything to me, but I have many secrets from her. That’s why I… become insensitive.)

There was only one way to resolve this.

To be on the same level and equal with her.

“You might leave me someday. When you want a different life.”

“……”

“But until then, while you’re with me, I want us to be equal. So… let me tell you my secret.”

Just as he was about to speak—

“No…”

Ravia’s slender index finger touched Hikaru’s lips.

“You shouldn’t say more… The favor you’ve done for me can’t be repaid just by using magic… So we don’t need to be equal.”

Ravia, wobbling slightly, stood firmly on her feet.

“Our adventure has just begun. We can’t stumble over such a small incident.”

“—Right.”

Hikaru thought he couldn’t win.

He hadn’t expected Ravia to tell him not to speak.

Ravia was much stronger than he was.

“Alright, Ravia. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

She gently took his outstretched hand.

Hikaru and Ravia were still not equal, but when he felt the warmth of their connected hands, it seemed their distance had closed more than before.

They caught a fast horse by the lake and returned to the town of Pound with Ravia.

When they entered the town, they of course used “Group Concealment” to hide Ravia’s presence. Hikaru, though it was a hassle, went out again and showed his guild card to the gatekeeper to enter.

“Hey, how was the capital?”

The gatekeeper chatted casually.

“It was vast.”

“What, what? Of course it is. Is that all? Like, the women were beautiful, or cute, or had big chests?”

The other gatekeepers laughed.

(—The people here are warm.)

Hikaru was glad this was the first town he had come to.

“It’s too vast for me.”

“…Really? Many adventurers say they’ll ‘make a name for themselves’ and leave Pound, never to return. You went to the capital to raise your rank, right?”

“Yes, but I can raise my rank from F to E in Pound.”

“Right, right. Then work hard in Pound again.”

The gatekeeper said happily.

As the gatekeeper and the receptionist at the capital guild said, there were more requests and larger jobs in the capital. That’s why many adventurers went there.

But on the other hand, adventurers in the capital were also called to participate in wars like this one.

(Well, some might think of ‘making a name for themselves’ in war.)

Hikaru preferred a town like Pound, where everything was within a certain range of his sight.

Of course, he would leave this place for dungeon exploration when he reached rank E, and if he needed to continue hiding Ravia’s identity, he would consider leaving the country.

“? What’s wrong, Hikaru?”

“What do you mean?”

“You seem happy.”

“—Maybe. Maybe I am.”

Hikaru stored the conversation with the gatekeeper in his heart and walked through the twilight of Pound with Ravia.

Their destination was the Adventurer’s Guild to submit the day’s earnings.