Book 14 Chapter 41
Stash of flesh,
Appearance of Fride, Priestess of the Fire Dragon (1)
What kind of story should kick off the events after <Centralnorth>?
Recalling the tales of those days, moments of memory stir the heart with a poignant glow.
Since most of what happened on the continent of Arkrad before arriving at the Demon Realm front was useless, we'll try to unfold our story focusing on the most important event.
That is, the formation of the hero's party.
Even as we headed to the meeting place, the collection of [King's Flesh] continued. It was during this process that the first encounter with a fated rival (宿敵) occurred.
"Ah, no… Stop!"
At the beginning of this story, I cried out, trembling from head to toe.
"Kekekek! Our young master is barking in such a cute voice!"
To others, it would look like a band of bandits holding a knife to a woman and threatening her.
"Stop that crazy act and run away quickly! You idiots!"
But in my eyes… it looked like a bunch of fools pointing toothpicks at a hungry grizzly bear.
"Hee-eung~ Please save me, young master!"
The grizzly bear, captured (or pretending to be captured) by the ruffians, cried out with a soulful lie in its voice. To me, it sounded like the roar a predator lets out just before devouring its prey.
"You want us to run away?"
"Khahahahaha! That young master, he must have lost his mind from fear!"
"Put down everything you have, starting with the hanbok you're wearing! Then we'll treat you as gently as possible until we get the ransom."
I was desperate to try out the strongest magic I had prepared for the hostage situation.
But they crossed the line.
This hanbok is my greatest treasure, and the 『Osarius Bibon』 I carry with me is also too precious to be put down on the ground.
"I gave them a chance to live, but they didn't understand. Do as you please, then."
"Gyuu…"
Sval also looked at the bandits with sad eyes. Just then, a man appeared, pushing through the bushes.
"Hey, you bastards! Because you made a ruckus, all the ladies playing in the valley ran away! Can't you handle one brat with a bodyguard, are you trying to throw a party all over town?"
"Oh, Big Bro!"
"Sorry, it's not like that!"
As some bandits flinched in fear, those who had been holding knives to the grizzly bear whispered with a sigh.
"Ugh, Big Bro has arrived. If only you had listened to us earlier, it would have been a little easier."
"Our Big Bro is a flesh holder."
"What's more, he's a heinous criminal who escaped from the legendary <Ikegrade Prison>!"
"Oh, really?"
Then the grizzly bear snapped the chains that had been binding it until now as if they were mere rope.
"Then I guess we can stop playing around now. Time for a rehabilitation flick."
The bandits' mouths dropped open.
Sounds of jaw joints popping could be heard all around.
The next moment, as if they had heard the funniest story, the bandits all did a somersault in the air and then plunged headfirst into the ground.
"Ha, I told them to run away for this very reason…"
Sval and I shook our heads.
"W-what… what are you guys?!"
The so-called "Big Bro" chose to abandon his subordinates and run away. Of course, as the [Strongest Mage] who desperately needed a magic sandbag, I would not allow that.
"Magic circle construction, Earth attribute… granting the property of binding with the rune of Binding (縛)."
The earth writhed like a snake, and tree roots shot up, wrapping around Big Bro's ankles and lifting him into the air.
Originally, my method would have been instant death (卽殺), but since Reista dislikes such things, I decided to give him one chance.
There was another reason.
A prison escapee, he must be a formidable expert, like that guy Zihit.
Given his slender build and dagger equipment, is he a Pathfinder?
"Alright, you're going to counterattack now, aren't you? The [Strongest Mage] himself is eagerly anticipating how you'll do it!"
Will he nonchalantly cut that off, land coolly, and then display the practical dual-sword techniques he's honed as a bandit?
"H-hehe, please spare me. I'm actually not cut out to be called a heinous criminal."
Um…
A momentary silence fell.
I pressed my brow, feeling betrayal, despair, and annoyance.
"Hey, you punk! These days, bandits are… Tsk! Your seniors, those who could be called such, had the audacity to risk their lives for money! Show some guts!"
The bandits, bound by Reista and tied to tree trunks, also cried out tearfully.
"How could you!"
"You deceived our pure hearts!"
"You scoundrel!"
Big Bro yelled.
"Shut up! I was an erotic artist (春畵家) from the start! It was unreasonable to be locked up in that insane prison just for drawing some erotic art! So, I'm innocent if I commit a little fraud by claiming to be from there! You fools were the ones who were deceived!"
This was my first encounter with Simon, the legendary erotic artist.
We recovered the flesh through a series of actions (holding a knife to Sval's neck and pushing his back into his belly).
It was smaller than what the [Grizzly Roar] guys had.
"Isn't it also a lie that he's from <Ikegrade Prison>?"
At my words, Reista, who was recovering the flesh, shook her head.
"No. Simon, the erotic artist. I've heard of him."
Simon, who had been struggling on the ground from the aftereffects of vomiting, grinned.
"I've seen you before. I received a commission, you see. You can't escape my discerning eye, which captured all your features back then. I don't know why you dyed your hair, but, Hero."
"What did you say?!"
What kind of commission? An assassination commission?
As I tilted my head, Simon flaunted a lot of swagger, revealing his front teeth in a grin.
"I am an erotic artist. If a commission comes in, I will draw the world's best erotic art using that person's face. Even if it's the hero known as the strongest in the world."
Reista shrieked.
"You drew something about me? You haven't sold it already, have you? If you sold it, where did you sell it?!"
Simon, battered by Reista until his eyes were black and blue, was grabbed by the collar and shaken back and forth.
"No… I was going to draw it after seeing it and then going back… but for some reason, a yellow true dragon chased me… and I ended up in <Ikegrade Prison>…"
Only after hearing those words did Reista release his collar. In the midst of that commotion, I had to resolve a one-dimensional question.
"But what's erotic art?"
"Huh?"
"This, it seems our young master, having been raised preciously in the North, doesn't even know what erotic art is. Erotic art, you see…"
Just then, Reista, who always had a strangely gentle expression, shrieked.
"Don't say useless things! Rin is still young!"
"Then what on earth is it?"
"Uh, what is it, um, what was it? Ahahaha, well, I don't know~?"
Reista fumbled, evaded the answer, and then clutched Simon's collar, which was highly suspicious.
What is erotic art?
It was truly regrettable that there was no dictionary nearby.
"Hmph, I don't know why you're so embarrassed. Erotic art, young master, can be understood as drawing the very first step in the process of making a baby."
"The first step in making a baby?"
"I told you not to say useless things!"
"Ack, ugh, gwahh! Save Simon, the world's best erotic artist!"
I wasn't particularly interested in biology, so I never indulged in books on that subject.
Still, because I had to satisfy my curiosity, I once asked the dean how babies are born.
- If a man and a woman hold hands and sleep in a room with no one else, a year later a sparrow will bring a basket with a baby.
- Wow, that's like magic.
- Yes. The Lord of Magic has cast spells even on such trivial things, according to the order of creation. Hohoho.
For a while, I even kept a repulsion barrier around my hands, fearing that Gizela might accidentally grab my hand at night and create a gorilla-human hybrid baby.
That's why I couldn't understand Reista and Simon's overreaction at all.
"Hmph, what's so great about that to draw? Does it make money?"
While Reista's face turned beet red, Simon nonchalantly whistled.
"Well, I've heard young masters awaken to sexuality early, but to say such things at such a young age… 'No need to look at erotic art, I can do it myself…' Is that it? It seems Lord Simon here has met such a formidable expert that he must yield a move."
"Expert? I am the [Strongest]."
"Huh, you're confident enough in your technique to boast of being the strongest at that age?"
Technique?
Was he talking about magical skill?
I confidently crossed my arms and nodded. As befitted the [Strongest].
"Hmph, there's no need to explain."
"Ri-Rin?"
"Oh-ho… I hope the opportunity to see it comes someday."
"You just saw it."
"Just now? It's broad daylight. You mean you've been doing it since morning? What a sly little kid… Who was the other person?"
"You."
"Eh?"
At that moment, Simon covered his butt with both hands as if protecting it, and Reista covered her mouth with both hands. Sval and I had to tilt our heads in confusion.
"?"
"?"
"?"
It felt like the framework of the conversation wasn't fitting together. Only after a long back-and-forth conversation did we realize we were having an absurd misunderstanding.
"Hah, hahahahaha! What? Sparrows bring babies?"
Simon burst into laughter like that, while Reista placed a hand on her chest and sighed so deeply it felt like the ground was collapsing. No, why is she acting like that?
"Are you insulting the dean's teachings right now? If so, I won't let it slide. I'll take action."
"Whoa, whoa, wait. I like you guys. A cute little kid and a pretty hero, accompanying you would be both fun and safe, wouldn't it? Care to make a deal with me?"
"There's no compromise with criminals. Especially not with someone like you, an enemy of women."
Reista glared at Simon, making ominous cracking sounds with her finger joints.
"H-hold on! How many commissions have come from noblewomen? They ask me to draw erotic art of handsome young nobles or even little kids like this one here! Honestly, noblewomen's commissions were far more numerous. And their tastes were even more bizarre!"
"Is that your last will?"
"Wait! Though I was wrongly accused, I served my time properly in <Ikegrade Prison>! I know all the faces and characteristics of the heinous criminals who escaped from there! I'm much better than the guards. Don't you need my help? You're a hero, and it looks like you're looking for flesh!"
At that moment, I could see Reista's gaze turn serious. I must have had a similar look in my eyes.
"A clue leading to the [King's Flesh]…"
Since the heinous criminals were said to be incredibly strong, as the strongest mage, I couldn't help but drool.
"What do you want?"
"Protect me. The heinous criminals will be looking for me, or more precisely, my flesh. And when the situation is resolved, please put in a good word for me. *Sniff*, my sentence was until this year, but then this happened. If I hadn't escaped from there, I'd already be dead."
"The first is fine, but not the second."
"No, I only drew erotic art! You can show me leniency!"
"Don't you understand that's the biggest problem? Unless you promise not to draw them anymore, maybe."
Listening to Reista and Simon bicker, I yawned with my hands clasped behind my head.
*Sigh*, it's going to be noisy for a while…
As I thought that, I glanced up at the sky at the entrance to the central region; it was brilliantly blue and vast, as if blessing the start of a new journey.
"Gyugyut!"
* * *
[To hold two Red True Dragons alone, truly a skill befitting the strongest. How can one describe this tactical value! Thanks to you, the battlefront achieved a great victory, and the bloodline army is advancing north!]
Kishua, leader of [Seven Souls], an illusion of Ironfire, spoke.
Zernix, stripped to the waist, was carving out skin that glowed with red flames, being consumed by them.
He had blocked all the flames, yet he suffered such damage from their residual heat alone. One might say this is typical of Red True Dragons born for battle. They are clearly different from the Whites and Yellows.
"Hey, you punk, how can I be called the strongest when all I did was hold them back? If I were the strongest, shouldn't I be able to defeat them all?"
[Even an ordinary Glados (4-star) mage wouldn't last 10 seconds against one true dragon. What's more, against a Red True Dragon, 5 seconds would be a luxury.]
"I am Aquizard (5-star). Don't compare me to those small fry."
Was he still insufficient to be called the [Strongest Mage]? Zernix bit his lip in annoyance.
"Alright, so what's the matter?"
"Do you remember the Osarius school?"
Suddenly, a surging torrent of magic power swept through, chillingly. Although only a mental projection was sent through the censer, Kishua trembled with a chill that threatened his very existence, even from that far distance.
"Osarius, that's a name I especially don't want to hear when I'm in such a foul mood as now."
[Please kill and punish this rude trash!]
"Enough. There's nothing as boring as taking out anger on a weakling. So, what about Osarius?"
[Bremena has been defeated.]
Bremena? Who was that? Zernix tilted his head for a long time.
Ah.
Was that the name of the one I created for when ice magic was needed?
'I don't know.'
All [Seven Souls] were vessels for top-tier puppets.
Since it wasn't possible to make them master all attributes like Zernix himself, he nurtured them to specialize in one attribute.
In situations where he didn't know what was going on, he just had to insert interjections like [Hmph] or [Hmm].
"Hmph, so that's what happened."
Then the other person would interpret it in a favorable way on their own. Because he was the [Strongest].
[Also, prior to that, the 'Grizzly Roar' mercenary group was subdued by a mage, whose identity was said to be a beastkin mage. Currently, they are presumed to be the same person.]
Beastkin mage?
Zernix's body, which had been slouching and yawning out of boredom, stiffened.
No, even his breathing completely stopped for a moment.
[Also, information delivery was delayed because the Pillar recently carried out a major undertaking, but this year the tenth Glados (4-star) mage was selected, famous as a rare genius from the Osarius school. Could it be that the power you were seeking has finally appeared?]
Osarius…
An Osarius-style beastkin, huh…
Interesting, a smile bloomed on Zernix's lips.
"It's been a while, I should pay a visit to that old man's magic tower. Are there any useful puppets in the North?"
As Zernix donned his robe and rose, Kishua's illusion, rippling above the censer, respectfully bowed.
[I had commanded 'Water' Dazerses to join with 'Ice' Bremena, so only the one the Pillar recently approved as a replacement for 'Poison' remains in the North. His name is Ken Serman. Use him as you wish.]