Chapter 239 - Opportunity

Naofumi: “Anyways, the only thing we have to do is infiltrate the fortress and take out the leader.”

Rishia: “Um, about that…”

After hearing my order, Rishia timidly raises her hand.

Though I have a general idea of what she’s going to say.

Naofumi: “What?”

Rishia: “Hypothetically, only hypothetically, if we encountered Itsuki-sama… If we ended up fighting him, could you leave it to me?”

Naofumi: “Hmm… what’s the reason? Like Female Knight… Eclaire, do you plan on trying to persuade him?”

Rishia: “Um, yes. Could you leave that mission to me?”

Naofumi: “Well, if we did encounter Itsuki, I planned on detaining him. I want to avoid killing him if possible. But if he resists, it may escalate beyond that.”

Rishia: “I know. I… still want to try talking to him.”

Rishia has been working hard for the sake of my village.

Ren: “Rishia, will you let me participate as well?”

For some reason, Ren begins pleading to me as well.

Ren: “Just like I was offered a second chance, I want to try offering one to Itsuki. And for that purpose, I wish to lend my power.”

It’s not that I don’t see where he’s coming from…

I don’t know how his situation is, but it may be similar to Ren’s.

And this is where we establish their relation.

I do plan on harassing him a bit, but if he can become a convenient piece like Ren and Motoyasu, I should consider it.

And it seems that killing Heroes is bad. It’s probably best to leave persuading him to others.

Even if he ends up dying, we can say something like, ‘We tried to persuade him, but he showed great resistance’ or something like that.

Naofumi: “Understood… But Rishia, if you and Ren end up cornered, you need to abandon that mission. Is that alright with you?”

Rishia: “Yes.”

Ren: “Thank you, Naofumi.”

Naofumi: “Don’t say such disgusting things.”

Ren’s dedication sends shivers down my spine.

If he were broken like Motoyasu, I could just keep my distance, but he seems to have developed a strange sense of justice. I don’t have a good compatibility with him.

And wait, was Ren always this hot-blooded?

He was supposed to be a cold-blooded cool person. Though he wasn’t a bad person from the start.

Gaelion: “Kyua!”

I hear a voice from above, and when I look up, I see Gaelion with Taniko aboard his back.

I’m surprised they were able to track us.

Naofumi: “So you’re finally here.”

Ren: “Did you manage to turn over the remnants?”

Taniko: “Yeah. I handed them to the princess.”

Naofumi: “I see.”

Taniko: “And I told them the situation, and was sent to bring a message. She said it was something the heroes probably didn’t know.”

An order from Melty?

She seems to be well informed about the Heroes.

The Queen also seems to love the legends.

But the only part of it that shows normally is her love of Filo Rials.

Taniko: “Um… what was it again? It was something she found out from an old book in Faubley…”

Taniko tried hard to remember.

Why didn’t she just bring Melty along?

Though Melty’s probably busy with dealing with the rebellion.

Is it okay over there? Sadina’s there too, so it should work out.

Taniko: “According to the childrens books, after the Demon Lord was defeated, the people had their brainwashing dispelled, and everyone lived happily ever after. But according to the old book, the brainwashing persisted even after he was defeated.”

“What?”

Then What?

Even if Itsuki is the mastermind, if we defeat him the brainwashing won’t be dispelled, and the only cure for the infectious pandemic is my Shield Prison?

My head hurts.

So to save everyone, I have to take them one by one and put them into a magically reinforced shield?

Just how tedious is that supposed to be.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Though it’s eventually something I’ll have to do.

Naofumi: “I didn’t need to know that.”

I had considered the possibility, but I wanted to believe there was some other way.

Rishia: “Fueeeee…”

Ren: “That sounds… rough.”

Atlas: “Then we must simply quell the fire by killing everyone who opposes us.”

Ah, then there’s no helping it. Atlas’s heartless words draw me back to reality.

She truly is from a violent race.

The amount of people potentially saved, and the amount of victims don’t balance out.

In a situation where the vaccine itself is limited, it’s just a dream to be able to save every patient.

Naofumi: “Anyways, for now our mission is to charge their base and bring out the ringleader! Let’s go!”

Ren: “Yeah! We can figure out the details later. Perhaps we may even find the solution in there.”

Rishia: “Let’s go! No matter what happens, I won’t give up!”

Rishia has grown…

She still goes ‘Fueee’, but she’s started complaining a lot less.

She’s been obediently following my orders, and I’ve given her an opportunity to face Itsuki.

Though I have no idea whether she’ll be able to convince him or not.

And so, we stormed the fortress Armor retreated into from the front.

Inside the fortress were some remnants of the Three Hero Church, and some brainwashed soldiers and Adventurers protecting them.

But none of them were particularly strong.

There are none of my former slaves here.

Perhaps it’s because they’re right in the middle of an opportunity to take down the country. They’ve dispersed their forces away from the base.

The Filo Rial Armor was on was collapsed, exhausted, near the entrance, so I quickly put it in a Shield Prison.

“For the sake of Justice, Die!”

“Demon Lord! Prepare yourself!”

“All is for the Three Hero Church!”

The remnants shout to incite the Justice zombies. But they’re the smallest of small fries.

Ren and Rishia knock them out in an instant.

They are victims, after all.

These two can’t bring themselves to kill them.

“Tah!”

It doesn’t seem that they’re holding back against the remnants, though.

Rishia embedded her throwing knife into the arm of a priest-like person, cancelling out the Choral Magic he was preparing.

Priest: “Guaaaah! You Bastard!”

Ren: 「Gravity Sword!」

Ren’s sword changes to a dark transparent material as he slashes his enemy.

And the enemy collapses as if a force was pushing them towards the ground.

“Ugu…”

Naofumi: “A new move?”

Ren: “Yeah, it came with the Spirit Turtle Sword.”

Naofumi: “I see…”

This was the perfect time to test it.

I’m also testing out my S Float Shield.

As I thought, it was a skill to increase the amount of Float Shield.

And it works in tandem with E Float Shield.

Its maintenance cost is low, so it feels like my E Float Shield has powered up.

Ren: “Naofumi, that floating shield is kinda cool.”

Naofumi: “Really? It moves as I wish, so it’s quite convenient.”

In the past, there was a protagonist who fought with two floating shields.

‘It was a game where girls crossed blades.

If only I could use swords and bows like that protagonist. My life would be much easier.

(Note: Apparently the Game is Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. I can’t vouch for it, as I only played covenant.)

Naofumi: “And Ren, what sort of skill does your blade have?”

Ren: “It seems to use Gravity to obstruct an enemy’s movement. It also has a skill called Soul Steal.”

… That’s an ominous sounding skill.

I’ve seen a protagonist take an attack of the same name, and die instantly.

Though that was just an Event Battle.

The game didn’t end there, and some bosses who could use that skill popped up later.

Ren: 「Soul Steal!」

As I’m lost in thought, Ren uses the skill without restraint.

His target is a Three Hero Church follower, so I guess there’s no problem with an insta-kill skill.

“Gufu!”

Ren slices the opponent he had immobilized with Gravity.

A blue light flies out of his target, and assimilates into him.

I check the follower he defeated.

… He’s not dead.

But his face is pale.

Follower: “Gu… My magic is… Gu…”

Ren’s blade robs targets of their ability to move, and he follows up with this skill.

And it seems it was no Zantestuken.

But insta-kills sound way too convenient… probably.

Ren: “Ah, this is… an SP recovery drain skill.”

Naofumi: “It seems that this one has no magic left.”

There seems to be a difference between SP and Magic, but I still can’t understand it.

Ren: “Its cooldown time is long, so I can’t use it consecutively.”

Naofumi: “I see, but it seems convenient.”

Atlas pokes me in the side.

Naofumi: “What is it?”

Atlas: “The magic that entered Ren-san resonated with his weapon, and changed in nature.”

Naofumi: “Hmm…”

So Atlas can sense that sort of thing as well.

She’s quite convenient.

Should I nickname her Convenient Woman… No that’s dangerous. In multiple ways.

Firo: “Ei!”

Firo lightly kicks the left over enemies, and we proceed forward.

The Gaelion+Taniko Pair seems to be competing with the Firo+Filo Rial group in taking down enemies.

Naofumi: “This building is larger than I thought it would be.”

The building had an arena-like institution, and was littered with strange statues. I can’t figure out its purpose.

Another surprising thing was that the entrance was an ornate Western-Style door.

It rivalled the Melromark palace door in construction.

Eventually, we reached a door that was locked.

Though I just order Firo and Gaelion to break it down.

What are these strange items that are littered all over the floor?

It’s like a game I used to play, where fiddling with the needle of an old clock would make a key appear.

Just what was the maker of this building trying to accomplish?