Book 18 Chapter 18

Chapter 136

Appearance, Mutian Ryuminique (3)

"So, to summarize what you're saying…"

Recently, a special unit composed of ronin successfully annihilated a blood clan in a battle against a great demon race.

This was an incredible achievement!

However, it was also a feat of arms that had not been reported to the superiors.

Ryuminique's judgment was that information might leak from somewhere.

"But, ironically, that blood clan guy looks just like me, Ryuminique! It's truly amazing! If I just neatly trim my beard and put on noble-like makeup, I'd be perfect!"

"!"

"On top of that, I'm also a master of disguise. If I just alter my face, infiltrating the blood clan society using that physical resemblance won't be a problem."

The blood clan is cunning!

They only operate the blood slave units; the main forces do not step forward!

"The human rear units are physically and mentally exhausted in the war of attrition against the blood slaves who were once humans. We need to end this situation quickly."

Freede, who was stuffing tobacco leaves into his kiseru, tilted his head.

"But as I listen, something feels off. As far as I know, the blood clan are extremely arrogant. There's no way they'd hide behind."

Listera's expression darkened slightly at Freede's words.

"What if they're not hiding, but have something else to do?"

Nils Blantz's eyes gleamed behind his safety glasses.

"Hmm, it seems they have a hidden agenda. Just like those Naga bastards."

Ryuminique suddenly grabbed Lin's hand again.

"That's why I need your help! The opponent is the blood clan! It's safe to assume that all the Pale Barons of the Five Great Star Families are currently on the front lines!"

"No, I don't want to. It's annoying. Do it yourself."

"Even if I'm called the [Strongest Ronin], a Mutian, it's impossible for me to defeat all of those [Strongest Blood Clan] by myself!"

"The, the strongest blood clan?!!"

"Yes, they're the strongest! And there's also the one who commands all those Pale Barons. It's Belom, the Blood-tipped Army! That guy is the [Strongest Pale Baron]! Although the [Strongest] is inherently solitary, how can one fight against many at once?"

"Did you also catch someone who looks like me?"

"When I asked the witches, they said the blood clan has a coming-of-age ceremony. It's a ritual where adult children are presented to the 'Lord of Blood' and made to swear loyalty!"

The 'Lords of Blood' are the heads of the Five Great Star Families.

Each family head forms their own sphere of influence and is served by the blood clan under them.

The age for this coming-of-age ceremony is 15!

"You're small, so they'd believe you're 15! How about it, Lin? Let's go infiltrate the blood clan and destroy them from within!"

Listera jumped up.

"No, that… The blood clan has fewer individuals than any other demon race, but each individual is a powerful demon race! Isn't it too dangerous? Lin, no matter how strong you are, it's too dangerous a plan!"

Then Lin chuckled, "Heh."

"I have a dream. For that dream, I'm ready to tap dance and enter even hell with a smile."

Listera's breathing stopped for a moment.

What could that dream be? What on earth was the dream hidden in that innocent smile?

Was it to conclude the upheaval as soon as possible, just like her?

Perhaps, it was to return home with all of the hero's party.

"Lin, why do you always volunteer to go into dangerous places…!"

Freede held out his kiseru in front of Listera as if to restrain her.

"If Ryuminique's words are true, then as things stand, humanity will continue to become blood slaves, and the war will remain one where we only hunt blood slaves. We have to find a breakthrough somehow."

"!"

"But there's one thing about this plan that bothers me."

Ryuminique raised an eyebrow.

"One thing that bothers you?"

"Yes, it's very important."

"Very important?"

"Yes! You said you're infiltrating the blood clan? So you can use the blood clan's language, right?"

"!"

"They use human language to deceive humans, but they definitely have an ancient language system passed down from antiquity. It's the most complex among the demon races. The language that imperial nobles use for pretense is like 'pee-pee-pee level' compared to the blood clan's language!"

"Pee-pee, pee-pee, pee-pee, pee-pee level."

"Yes~ Oh, how cute. But since you, representing Mushinyeon, wouldn't be unprepared to that extent, can I trust you?"

Ryuminique chuckled, "Heh."

"Good grief…" He even shrugged his shoulders with that muttered thought.

Just as Freede sighed in relief at that, Ryuminique rested his chin on his fist and smiled.

"What's that? Scary."

Freede smiled brightly.

Soon after, a desperate scream was heard!

The kiseru and Pipi's beak began to smash Ryuminique's crown and forehead, respectively, with 15 insane consecutive blows per second. A master!

"I'm starving to death, and I'm a fool for listening intently to this crazy garbage! I was an idiot! Come on, everyone, let's go. We'll figure out how to deal with the blood clan on the way."

Lin trembled for a moment.

'No, why?'

The [Strongest Mage]'s bucket list naturally includes the 'Strongest Mage infiltrating the enemy lines in disguise' scenario.

'Am I going to miss this, just like this?'

The prepared situation was truly perfect!

There were as many as six [Strongest] adversaries, and it felt like if she missed this chance, she would never seize it again in her life.

Therefore, Lin decided to insist. To perfect that insistence, her genius brain spun at an ultra-high speed of 34 revolutions per second! A crazy master!

"If we give up because it's impossible, and give up because we're unprepared… then what can we possibly do?"

The hero party members felt their bodies stiffen at that moment.

Lin was always like this.

Younger than anyone else, but precisely because she was younger, she often hit the nail on the head regarding the 'path of calling' that adults might casually overlook.

'Lin is right. Even if we're not fully prepared, this is definitely a heaven-sent opportunity…'

'Even during the last Naga subjugation, we barely managed to stop the Demon's reappearance again…'

Freede exhaled a long puff of tobacco smoke with a wry smile and shook his head.

"There's another reason this plan is impossible. Do you know what it is? Infiltrating blood clan society is fine. But does anyone know where they are now, where they gather? Ryuminique, you speak first."

That's right.

If the blood clan's location had been identified, the human defense forces would have already launched an extermination campaign.

But it was unknown!

"Hehe."

Ryuminique tapped his head playfully. Lin bared her fangs ferociously and barked.

"Grrrrrrrrrr…!"

Listera covered Lin's eyes and shouted!

"Don't show our Lin anything weird! It's bad for her mental health during her developmental stage!"

Freede put the kiseru back in his mouth and let out a long sigh!

"See, what did I tell you? Listening to that bald guy is a waste of time, that's how it works."

It was then that clapping was heard.

"Ah, I see! A most excellent plan. As it happens, I just came from locating the stronghold of a mid-ranking blood clan, and it seems it will be helpful."

The owner of this voice was…!

None other than Shuan, the wandering shepherd of mysterious beauty, whose brown hair subtly glittered with the light of dawn when exposed to sunlight!

"You, you, you, you…!"

Freede feigned surprise for a moment, then quickly ran and put his arm around Shuan's head, beginning to choke him violently.

"Hey, you rascal! You, you suddenly appeared back then, told us where Kiess went, and disappeared, and now you suddenly appear again knowing the blood clan's stronghold? How do you always act as if you know everything?"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow… If you're curious about that, it's in Chapter 14 of 『Terbel's Book of War』… Aaah, I'm dying, Sir Freede, I'm dying!"

"Freede, wait! Shuan might have brought important information. It won't be too late to judge after we've heard everything!"

At Listera's restraint, Freede reluctantly let Shuan go.

Then Ryuminique grabbed Shuan's hand and widened his eyes.

"No, how could… this is unbelievable, the shape of a palm print where the sun and moon coexist, this— *Gah!*"

Of course, before reciting the conventional promotional lines, Freede's kiseru smashed his crown, sending him off!

"Sir, tell us quickly. There is a way, right?"

Lin tugged on Shuan's sleeve, her eyes sparkling. How cute!

"Blood clan members pledge loyalty to their 'Lord of Blood' by offering blood. They must obey their ruler's commands."

Lin again rolled her eyes back and began to bare her fangs.

"Grrrrrrrrrr…!"

Listera frantically wrapped Sherpen's bandage around Lin's neck like a leash and said,

"Lin is about to go berserk! If you don't summarize the background setting in three lines, she might bite!"

"Oh dear, my apologies. Among such blood clan, there is a female blood clan member who has little interest in invading humanity. Her name is Anne! She has no desire for battle strategies or mass-producing blood slaves, so she only feigns obedience to commands in the periphery."

Freede narrowed his eyes.

"Wait, there's a blood clan like that?"

"Yes, but there's one problem. That blood clan member is very cautious, so if powerful individuals like the hero party openly attacked, she might flee."

"Then what on earth should we do?"

"As per the plan you just mentioned, disguise yourselves as blood clan members! I hear that blood clan member is very fond of cooking… Hmm, how about capturing her off guard after saying you've caught the best humans and will cook and offer them?"

"Who's going to do the cooking?"

"Why, Lin, of course?"

Then Lin thoughtfully touched her chin.

"Heh, this… is getting interesting."

Freede shrieked in horror.

"Hey! No! Absolutely not! If that happens, it won't be a blood clan capture operation, but a poisoning operation! It's much better to have Kiess do it! No, it's definitely better!"

At Freede's desperate cry, Listera and Nils solemnly nodded. However, Shuan merely offered a troubled smile.

"Even so… for a blood clan member to have the same visual age as Sir Kiess, it would take 60 years. Blood clan members who serve the Lord of Time age slowly. How would they look like father and son?"

"Can't they just say they're friends?"

"The name of the blood clan member Sir Ryuminique caught and killed was Gijas, a high-ranking noble in blood clan society, currently 40 years old. He had a son who was just about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony."

Freede's eyes narrowed.

"Where on earth did you get all that information?"

Shuan smiled sweetly and made the sign of the cross, symbolizing the seven points, or <Those Who Came>.

"It's all written in the scriptures. I can't tell you directly, so if you need a hint, I can tell you which chapter and verse… *Ugh!* That hurts, Sir Freede!"

"Where in the scriptures is there talk of Gijas or the blood clan, you little bastard! Huh? Do you think I, Freede, the priestess of the Fire Dragon, am a small fry? Huh? You want to get hit, don't you? That's right, isn't it, Pipi?"

"Right, right, right."

While Freede was twisting his fists into Shuan's temples, Lin was giggling with Link.

"Link! Watch me! I'll make even the blood clan submit with my [Strongest Cooking]!"

"Kyuuing!"

"Link, Link, Link!"

Listera, Kiess, and Nils put their heads together with serious expressions.

"We need to capture that blood clan member alive to get information, but if they eat Lin's cooking, they might die…!"

[(*. .);;;]

"It sounds like an exaggeration, but, hmm, I agree. We need to come up with a solution."

Nils rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought, then suddenly looked up and pointed at Kiess.

"Couldn't you teach her how to cook?"

"That's ridiculous! How strong Lin's pride is! She'll definitely challenge you to a cooking battle."

"Then why not just do it?"

"Even if she loses miserably, she'll say, 'I can't accept the evaluation of racist judges'… *Waaaaah!*"

Overwhelmed with sorrow, Listera burst into tears.

Nils, who disliked overthinking, approached Lin.

"Hey, Lin."

"?"

"Would you be interested in learning [Strongest Cooking] from Kiess?"

"Sure."

Listera nearly choked.

"Huh? No, cough, cough! What? This shouldn't be happening? Freede, Lin is acting strange! It must be a blood clan member disguised as Lin!"

Freede was already gripping Lin's collar and shaking her wildly.

"You damn blood clan bastard! Where did you hide our party's mage?! Give her back, give her back! You haven't already drained her blood and eaten it, have you…?"

Freede knelt, shedding copious tears, and Listera hugged his shoulder, crying with him.

"It's okay, Freede! Lin will live with us in our hearts, in our souls, forever."

Ryuminique's eyes narrowed like a wren's.

"Is this… the hero party?"

Kiess approached Lin.

Cerwevon displayed an emoticon [(ㅇㅅㅇ)?]! Master!

"Learning Kiess's cooking doesn't mean my cooking is bad."

[(ㅇ-ㅇ)]

"It's just… the gorillas living in our magic tower, in those mountains… haven't been able to try local dishes from other regions. So, um, I thought I'd make them some when I go back. Most importantly, it'd be good to be able to cook various dishes, right? Kiess's cooking… it's not at a level where it can't be eaten."

Kiess's eyes widened.

'Is this kid serious?'

Does she not know?

Her current position?

Lin is currently the hero party's mage and a Gladoss (4-star).

'At that age, she reached the pinnacle of the magic world. Wherever she goes, there would be countless rulers trying to curry favor and establish connections with her…'

In short, if she so desired after the expedition ended, she could not only super-expand the magic tower but also take her magic tower family on a nationwide gourmet tour.

'Ah.'

Lin, this kid didn't learn magic aiming for wealth and glory in the first place.

'It's just pure curiosity.'

So she doesn't know at all. How to live well off her position. Or how to gather the world's wealth and glory with her magic.

- A child untainted by the evil of this world.

As Aena's voice echoed in his mind, Kiess, with a smile that was both sad and happy, ruffled Lin's hair, turning it into a bird's nest.

"Ow! What is it? Stop it! Why? Are you upset because I said it's not at a level where it can't be eaten? You're a grown adult with such a narrow mind! Stop, I said stop! I warned you, this is my last warning! Ugh, please stop!!!"