Prologue

There was only one reason I became the Sage: because I could see the future. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could peek into tomorrow; if I so wished, even scenes of the distant future would play behind my eyelids.

Naturally, I chose to tread toward a future in which I would succeed—in which I, the useless fool, would be lauded as the Sage. All I had to do was make the right choices to lead me down that path—an easy task, as I could see the future before it happened and plagiarize others’ knowledge and findings as I pleased. Thus did I rise from a useless peasant to a Sage revered throughout the land.

Surely, the people would riot if they ever discovered the truth, for not a single one of my achievements had been my own. The wisdom and research that the populace praised me for had all been built by others’ hands. All I could do was peer into the future, no more than a thief, swooping in and stealing the fruits of their labor.

Thus, the “Sage” was no more than an empty facade—and it was not long after this title had been bestowed upon me that I came to realize this myself. The praise and envy I’d been showered with felt good at first, yes, but soon I began to feel a sense of discomfort, along with a growing doubt in my mind—the root of which lay in the countless lives I had watched while peering into the future and the extraordinary effort they had exerted toward their goals.

There was once a scholar who had dedicated his entire life toward improving the soil quality of a poor land. He had been ridiculed by his fellow scholars for his decades upon decades of failures, even scorned and stoned by the very people he was trying to help, but not once did his heart give in. He had continued his research, tireless and resolute, until it finally bore fruit and saved countless lives.

There was once a doctor who had gone above and beyond to save the ill. Not only did she focus her research on a rampant plague, but she had even visited the afflicted lands in person to treat the patients and stay by their sides. Ultimately, she lost her life to that very plague, but her findings were later used to save many agonized souls.

Someone once invented a simple device to dig up an underground waterway for people suffering from a water shortage. Another delved into mathematical formulae to solve a problem that had eluded her since her early days. One even dedicated his life to fulfilling his childhood desire for flight.

As I watched these people succeed in life, a question gradually budded within me:

Why can I see the future?

Through my actions, I had changed the future, yet these people still eventually succeeded in one way or another—as if the fate of the world was sealed, or as if someone had already assigned them their roles in this life. Numerous futures and possibilities branched out, but these people always fulfilled the same role in each one, almost as if they were driven by some greater power dwelling within them.

Then what about me? What was my role, as one who could peer into the future?

I sought the answer through the means available only to me: by closing my eyes and yet again wandering through the endless stretch of time. Whenever I did this, the hours seemed to stretch on into infinity—only for me to open my eyes and find that no more than the briefest of moments had passed.

Once again, I set my consciousness afloat in the sea of time, its course charted for the distant future. Cycles of prosperity and decline whizzed past me, churning out the ever-unchanging ebb and flow of humanity.

Finally, at the very end of the seemingly endless world, there stood a single girl, all alone.

Immaculate silver hair and deep ocean-blue eyes were set upon stunningly delicate features. Her beauty, however, was eerily stark against the world around her. Everything, heaven and earth alike, was tainted in a filthy pitch black. Amid the desolate nothingness, the girl simply turned her empty gaze to the sky while humming a dreary tune.

Curious, I continued watching this girl and the bleak world around her. One year, five years, ten years, fifty years, a hundred years—time passed, but nothing changed. Now, only this girl and her lonely tune remained.

And so, I returned in search of another future. Time branched into countless paths, housing every possibility, every crossroad, and every choice to exist in the world—but alas, not a single one led to a different outcome. Every road led me back to that girl humming all alone in the ruined world, as if this were the role given unto her by the universe itself: to sing like a broken doll, alone and beyond salvation, as the only participant of the world’s endless apocalypse.

In my desire to understand her, I traversed time over and over, until eventually I understood my role. Why was I given the power to see the future? Why had I become the Sage?

It was all...to save the girl named Eluria Caldwin.

Chapter One

Four months had passed since Raid and Eluria’s group settled their talks with the Altanian imperial family and powers that be.

The couple had personally escorted the assenting nobles to their new home, then brought the original residents of Paradise back to the capital. All power and authority had been passed to Raid and Eluria, ushering in an unprecedented period of change to Altane’s system of governance. With this, the front lines established on the eastern region of Etrulia were temporarily dismantled, allowing Hero Ariel Verminant and her troops to return to the capital as well.

Needless to say, the First World was changing rapidly—as was Ariel Verminant’s standing within it.

“Mm... Ariel,” called Eluria.

Ariel swiftly straightened her back. “Y-Yes! What is it, Lady Eluria?!”

“Do you remember what I asked you to do while we were away?”

“To...train the soldiers of the capital.”

“Mm-hmm. There’s no need to station too many soldiers here in the capital given its distance from the western continent. They’re better off serving on the front lines, hence my instructions.”

“Yes...”

“But this is no good at all.” From atop the city’s outer walls, Eluria looked down on the soldiers with a petulant frown. “They took thirty minutes to get into formation. That’s enough time for a cup of milk tea to grow cold.”

“I’m afraid I fail to comprehend the standard of measure...”

“What I’m saying is that their time management is horrendous. It’s unthinkable for soldiers to take thirty minutes to get into formation,” Eluria explained with a furrowed brow.

Ariel, however, had certainly not been slacking off. “But unlike my troops, the soldiers here have only been handling security and public order. They lack on-field experience—in fact, I’m certain they’re hardly interested in that sort of work at all. And I doubt that will improve anytime soon, given the huge changes the city has been undergoing in recent—”

“No excuses,” Eluria chastised, puffing up her cheeks. “Punishment, now.”

Ariel meekly bowed her head, allowing Eluria to land a few chops. Were they painful? Absolutely not. But somehow, Ariel still felt a sad little sting in her chest with each blow.

In any case, despite her “excuses,” Ariel was not entirely free of fault. After all, she was one of the reasons why the capital troops were not motivated for their training. In the former Altanian empire, Ariel Verminant had been known for becoming a Hero through betrayal. This had spread from the young noblemen who’d entered the army down to the ordinary soldiers in the capital. Because of this, not many applied for the front lines under her command, and she’d often needed to borrow some men from Dian’s troops.

“My apologies,” Ariel mumbled. “This is all because of my poor reputation in— Owww!”

“Another excuse,” said Eluria, this time flicking Ariel’s forehead before folding her arms. “Ariel, reputation is irrelevant when it comes to training soldiers. I didn’t start out with a good reputation either.”

“R-Really...?”

“Mm-hmm. I was an elf before I was reincarnated. The other soldiers always kept their distance from me. The first time I was entrusted with my own troops, I could count the number of applicants on both hands.” A small smile formed on Eluria’s lips as she looked back on her past. “But by the end of my past life, I was leading a battalion of over five hundred soldiers. If you count those who’d retired, I’d had over a thousand people under me in my time in command.”

The number was certainly on the smaller side for an army, but it was an astounding record considering magic had been a new and upcoming art in which Eluria had trained all her soldiers from scratch.

“Yes, reputation is important, but it shouldn’t come from others,” Eluria continued. “You should own it, build it up yourself—make it a show of what you’re truly capable of. Besides, reputation may be important when leading troops and increasing an operation’s chance of success, but it isn’t needed at the training stage.”

“Then...what is needed for training?” Ariel asked.

“It’s simple—so simple, in fact, that you can do it too.” Eluria took her magic gear in hand and turned her gaze down to the soldiers. “Show them overwhelming power and give them a taste of fear and pain.”

Suddenly, ice began to form over the soldiers’ feet.

“Wh-What?!”

“I-Ice is crawling up our legs—from the ground!”

Eluria watched as the soldiers began yelling in panic, all while ice continued to make its way up their bodies. She took up a magic megaphone and said, “You took thirty minutes to get into formation. Seeing as you lack awareness as soldiers, we must first rectify your mentality.”

“S-Stop messing with us! I am the eldest son of a noble lineage in Altane—” The moment one soldier raised his voice in retaliation, the speed of the ice crawling up his feet increased, swiftly covering his thigh. “Ack! M-My legs...!”

“I did not permit you to speak,” said Eluria. “No decent soldier interrupts their superior, yet you don’t seem to understand such basic protocol. Truly unacceptable.” Her cold gaze bore down on the soldiers, as frosty as the ice encasing their limbs. “I don’t know what kind of people you are, but I do know that every single one of you is a sorry excuse for a soldier. Until we rectify this, the ice stays. First, you must internalize what it means to be a soldier.” Eluria narrowed her eyes into an icy glare. “Repeat after me: ‘We are not soldiers. We are trash.’”

“Why should we— Aaaagh!”

“When I order you to repeat, you repeat. Noncompliance will be met with a jolt of lightning through the ice. If you don’t want to obey, then you have two options: Get electrocuted until you’re reduced to smithereens, or live the rest of your life as an ice sculpture.”

The soldier convulsed and spasmed as the ice over his lower body kept him mostly upright. The others paled at the sight and desperately straightened their posture.

After a short pause, Eluria continued, “Now, repeat. Loud enough for me to hear from here.”

“W-We are not soldiers! We are trash!!!” yelled the troops.

“You’re not in sync, and your voices are trembling. No soldier trembles before the enemy. Again.”

“What’s the point in— Aaaaagh!”

“I have not permitted commentary.” Eluria’s sharp gaze pierced through the soldiers far below. “Currently, I have only one order for you: Repeat after me. This doesn’t end until you fulfill my command.”

The soldiers could see it in her eyes—she was serious. None of them were leaving until they accomplished her orders, no matter if the ice slowly but surely froze over their bodies and rendered them completely immobile. It was only then that the situation finally sank in for the soldiers.

“All together now. Repeat,” Eluria prompted.

“We are not soldiers! We are trash!!!”

“Still not in sync. Nor was it loud enough. Again.”

“We are not soldiers! We are trash!!!”

“Don’t look down. Fulfill your orders while facing your superior. Again.”

“We are not soldiers! We are trash!!!”

“I did not order you to be angry. Again.”

The soldiers repeated over and over, but each time Eluria shut them down with a cold voice:

“How can you expect to coordinate with your allies when you can’t even synchronize your voices? Again.”

“You’re supposed to protect the people. Why do you look so scared? Again.”

“Some of you are glaring at me, but I have no reason to fear those who can’t even follow simple instructions. Again.”

“Crying won’t fix anything. Again.”

“Don’t think I’ll stop just because you’re at your limit. I already said that this doesn’t end until you fulfill my command. Again.”

“Soldiers must risk their lives to execute their missions. Thus, every command must be undertaken with similar resolve. Again.”

As the soldiers’ desperate shouts rang through the air, Eluria simply continued mercilessly shutting them down.

Ariel watched this from beside her, trembling. “L-Lady Eluria... Did you do this in your last life too...?”

“Mm-hmm. After around two days, my troops were left with no light in their eyes. After that, they became very good kids who no longer resisted their superiors.”

“Sounds more like brainwashing to me!”

“No. They became good kids,” Eluria insisted with puffed cheeks—which would have looked cute, had she not been leading such a brutal exercise. “Besides, the point of this isn’t to make them obedient—it’s to familiarize them with pain and fear. If they freeze up in actual battle, they could harm not just themselves but others around them. This is especially important if they’re wielding a weapon as powerful as magic, so I always made sure to be very thorough about this.” She looked down at the soldiers and narrowed her eyes. “Obedient or not, as long as they remain ignorant, people easily become twisted when they get their hands on immense power. Magic, especially, can take another’s life with the snap of a finger—but I didn’t make magic just so people could use it so thoughtlessly.”

Long ago, Altane had used the Demon Lord’s magic to trample over others and to rule over the entire continent, hence the Demon Lord had set out to rectify their misuse by bringing ruin to all. The Eluria Caldwin before Ariel right now was not the Demon Lord passed down in the stories and legends, but she was undoubtedly the same person at her core—Ariel could feel it in the strength and conviction in her words.

“It’s easy for anyone to inflict pain and suffering unto others when they don’t know how it feels themselves,” Eluria quietly continued. “That is why this is an important process.”

“Yes... You’re right,” Ariel muttered. “When I first attained the Hero’s power...I swore never to turn my blade against the common folk.”

“So you understood without having to be told. You’re a good kid, Ariel.” Eluria stood on her toes as she reached up to pat Ariel on the head, eliciting a faint blush from the Hero. Eluria drew her hand back, then winced. “But sometimes, the people who make it through this training develop...problematic proclivities.”

“How so?” Ariel asked.

“For some reason, they start asking for punishments.”

Ariel gritted her teeth. “Why does that sound so vexingly familiar...?!”

Suddenly, one of the soldiers on the left side of the formation raised his voice. “Commander Caldwin! I, Junior Officer Volo Crepton, stationed under Commander Verminant, humbly request permission to speak!”

Eluria nodded. “A very respectful request. For that, I grant you special permission to speak.”

“As Commander Verminant’s subordinates, we make a sincere plea that our superior personally give us orders!”

Eluria turned to Ariel. “Sounds like they want you to do it.”

“Th-They want me to...order them like you?”

“We want Lady Ariel to call us trash too!!!” the soldier clarified with great enthusiasm.

“What are you saying all of a sudden?!” Ariel snapped.

“If possible, please do so while glaring down at us!”

“Of course, we love your current perplexed expression! But we would also love to see you look down on us in disgust!”

“And if you could so kindly lace your voice in scorn as well, we will gladly bark for you!”

“Hey! Who said that?! Which mad lads are spouting these crazy requests?!” Ariel screamed.

Eluria placed her hand on Ariel’s shoulder. “It’s the superior’s job to meet her subordinates’ expectations.”

“Wha...?!” Ariel sputtered. “You too, Lady Eluria?!”

“I know those eyes... I’ve seen them from some of my own students and subordinates,” said the girl as she gazed into the distance. Ariel realized that she, too, seemed to have had struggles of her own. “Morale is important. So, Ariel, go ahead.”

“Urgh... I understand what you’re saying, but I just...!”

“Don’t worry. I think you have the potential,” Eluria insisted as she pushed Ariel to the front.

“What potential?!” Ariel exclaimed. She looked down at the soldiers from atop the city walls and nearly flinched from the sea of sparkling eyes filled with hope and expectations looking back up at her. Steeling her resolve, she sucked in a deep breath and said, “Y-You are not soldiers... You’re trash!”

“WE ARE NOT SOLDIERS! WE ARE TRASH!!!”

Instantly, the ice around their legs shattered into brilliant, shimmering fragments.

Ariel collapsed to her knees and buried her face in her hands. “How were you able to suddenly give such a perfect response?! Dimwits—every last one of you!” she wailed, although her cries were buried beneath her soldiers’ joyous cheers.

She and Eluria sat in silence for a while, as Eluria consoled her with a kind and sympathetic hand on her back.

◇

While the girls were facilitating training, Raid was in their current base of operations: the Altanian throne room. “Oh,” he said, looking up. “Sounds like things are getting lively over there.”

Wisel raised an eyebrow. “Really? I don’t hear anything.”

“Well, I heard some very loud shouting from the city walls. Probably the soldiers, since Eluria and Ariel should be conducting their training right about now. Sounds like they’re all pumped up.”

“Oh? I’m sure Ms. Eluria’s very happy about that. Ms. Ariel said her efforts didn’t produce much results...but I’m sure they can overcome any horrific training with enough grit.” Wisel sighed and gazed into the distance, likely recalling the early days of his and Millis’s training with Eluria. Eventually, he turned back to the room and adjusted his glasses with a grimace. “Anyway, it’s great that things are going well over there, at least. But as for us...”

Their original plan for this world had been to take authority from Altane, dismantle the empire, evacuate everyone to the eastern continent, then deal with the polluted mana. But things had changed a bit with the Sage’s Codex now in the picture.

The Sage’s Codex was a manuscript left behind by Raid Freeden of the First World—a marvelous treasure trove of knowledge and technology, one that even the Demon Lord had used to craft the art of magic. At present, this manuscript was their main lead to finding a solution for the polluted mana.

“Raid, have you figured out how to decipher it yet?” Wisel asked.

“Sure have,” Raid replied. “The Sage of this world led a completely opposite life to mine, so I was kinda worried for a second there...but it turns out we still think the exact same way. Bizarre, isn’t it?”

As Raid had suspected, the Sage’s Codex was not simply a compilation of knowledge and research; rather, it was an immense labyrinth of ciphers and codes. Some words were spelled slightly differently, meant to be put together with other such words from various pages to form a completely new paragraph. Some words seemingly made no sense until they were placed against a mirror and recomposed into a new passage. Raid could identify several ciphers he himself had invented and used in his past life.

That being said, the Codex was far from indecipherable. Each individual cipher could be decoded given enough time, effort, and manpower. In fact, some of the ciphered contents ranged from advanced technology to magical knowledge related to the Hero spell—things that were already known to the First World, meaning that many had taken up the challenge of the Codex’s ciphers and had already succeeded.

However, even then, the Sage’s Codex was far more complex than anybody could have ever imagined.

“So the deciphered texts also contain ciphers within them? How terribly cautious,” Wisel muttered. “It’s almost as if he could see through everything and made sure to complicate the codes.”

“I think the point wasn’t to complicate the codes, but rather to make sure only a certain person could decipher their true contents,” Raid suggested. “After all, the people of this world must have felt like they’d perfectly decoded the text when they were left with a new passage after so much painstaking effort.” Most people would have been elated the moment they found such advanced knowledge and groundbreaking technology hidden behind the first layer of ciphers. They wouldn’t think to look past that—to piece together the ciphers themselves—where the Sage had hidden the true secrets of the Codex. “I’ve tested this method myself a few times. It never really took off, though, given its complexity, so I stopped using it.”

Wisel narrowed his eyes. “What a...brutal way to wield knowledge. He used these groundbreaking inventions as a smoke screen? No ordinary person would think that way.”

“Or maybe it was just that vital to keep the major secret hidden,” Raid suggested as his gaze trailed over the pages scattered around him. “The Sage needed to make sure that only the intended recipient would be able to decipher the Codex’s true contents.”

To decipher one code alone was a tall task, but with the Sage’s Codex, that was no more than the first step among many. There were ciphers hidden behind ciphers, codes folded into codes. Even piecing these together was not the final step, for sometimes, different ciphers were used partway through the process. It was certainly not something one could achieve with a human lifespan—that is, unless it was the one who crafted the ciphers himself.

“The Sage definitely left this behind because he saw everything coming,” Raid concluded. “What would become of the First World...and that we would eventually arrive here.”

Wisel furrowed his brow in confusion. “But didn’t the Sage live two millennia ago? Are you saying that he knew what would happen two millennia in the future...and the creation of a new timeline?”

“Is it so surprising? I was reincarnated from a thousand years ago, Tiana can send her consciousness through time, Elise has inherited millennia-old memories, and Dian and his troops actually traveled through time themselves. All of this was made possible...with magic.” In the First World, Demon Lord Eluria Caldwin had invented magic by deciphering the Sage’s Codex. In other words, Sage Raid Freeden was the origin point of all magic. “The Sage left behind the foundations of magic as far back as two thousand years ago. Clearly, you can’t write him off as ‘just a smart guy’; there has to be something about him that defies logic. Besides, have you noticed how this manuscript is in perfect condition even though it should be two thousand years old?”

“You’re right... The preservation magic cast onto this manuscript is powered by the mana veins, not human mana. I thought somebody had cast it on the Codex at some point...but in that case it should have developed wear and tear over the millennia before magic was invented.”

Raid nodded. “Precisely. It was probably cast on the manuscript from the very beginning. This way, the Sage’s Codex is seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. The people of the past must have seen it as some sort of divine item and would have naturally stored it away in a secure location—such that, even two millennia later, all the volumes can still be found.” Raid narrowed his eyes at the manuscript scattered around him—a mere portion of the entire Codex—before quietly turning around. “So, Valtos, are you certain about the location of the rest of the manuscript?”

Behind him, a large man was seated with his legs crossed. Instead of responding, however, this man—Valtos—clenched his fist and yelled, “Hah, behold—my fifteenth consecutive victory! Do you understand now that I, a proud member of the Altanian imperial family, would never lose to a woman and a child?!”

“Aaaaargh! Norn, what’s the meaning of this?!” Millis demanded. “Don’t we have the All-Seeing Eyes? Isn’t it supposed to be a super overpowered ability or something?!”

Norn stuck out her bottom lip and mumbled, “Our eyes give us the ability to intuitively comprehend mechanisms and structures. But it’s up to the person to apply that information.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh...” Millis nodded, listening eagerly. “So, what does that mean?”

“It means that just understanding the game’s rules and theories doesn’t make you smarter. Basically, you lost because you’re kind of a dum-dum.”

Millis slumped over like she’d just received a punch to the gut. “Have you no mercy for your dearest ancestor...?!” she wailed.

“Please try putting yourself in my shoes for a moment. I really wish I never learned how much of a ditz my ancestor was...”

“Ha ha ha!” Valtos’s boisterous laugh interrupted the girls’ exchange. “I see you finally understand that you could never dream of matching up to the genius of my noble lineage!”

Millis gritted her teeth and punched the floor in frustration. “I would’ve won by a landslide if this were a cow milking or foraging competition...!”

Valtos, however, continued to laugh with his head held up high. “It stands to reason that only I, the crown prince of Altane, am fit to— Ack!”

Raid withdrew his foot from Valtos’s back with a sigh. “Cut the nonsense. The Altanian empire has been dismantled, and the imperial family is no more. You’re just an ordinary civilian now.”

“Did you have to kick me?!” Valtos snapped. “Even if the empire is gone, our family has protected the people over generations! Have you no respect for me?!”

“None at all,” Raid answered swiftly. “Besides, your vassals were the ones actually protecting the people and keeping things running. Those who stayed behind told us that they had to make sure your family stayed entertained so they wouldn’t mess things up.”

“Who dares?! Bring them before me now! I shall have them executed right away!”

“Case in point,” Raid muttered dryly as he landed a firm fist on Valtos’s head. “What a useless buffoon.”

They had allowed the Altanian upper class to move to Paradise—save for Crown Prince Valtos, who now remained under guard in the capital. The reason was very simple: They needed his cooperation.

“The Sage’s Codex was split into seven volumes, and the remaining six are mainly in the western region because that was where the Demon Lord’s invasion began. Correct?” Raid asked.

“Of course,” said Valtos. “It was recorded as such in our history books. The Sage’s Codex was evacuated from the central continent to the eastern continent before it could fall to the Demon Lord’s invasion.” However, the Sage’s Codex stored in the empire was incomplete, as Altane had failed to secure a portion of it amid the Demon Lord’s invasion.

With six volumes missing, their group’s progress was currently stalled, and going out to recover them was no simple task either. “Eluria and I can handle the Calamities,” Raid began, “but faced with more than one of them, we can’t deal with the Offspring too. So we really need more hands on deck.”

To top it off, Calamities could revive so long as polluted mana existed. This would take much more time in the eastern region, which had yet to be fully corrupted, but the same could hardly be said for the area around Old Vegalta in the west, where the Demon Lord’s invasion first began. If Raid and Eluria were to deal with the endless stream of Calamities, then they first needed to prepare enough forces to handle the Offspring in the meantime; only then could they bring the Codex back to their home base and progress their plan. Eluria was spearheading the soldiers’ training for this very reason—because what they needed now was not individual powerhouses but an army.

Valtos was also factored into this equation, as he had been granted a Hero’s power by Viteos’s greedy schemes. Since his power was on par with that of Dian and Ariel, he would surely be a huge asset in battle against the Offspring. Alas, gaining his cooperation was another matter entirely.

“Hah... And what does that have to do with me?” Valtos spat. “I am a proud member of the Altanian imperial family, the inheritor of our noble blood and successor of our peerless authority. Why, I’ve even earned the Hero’s power to protect the capital. Nothing else is any of my business. Why not leave it to the other Heroes?”

Raid hummed. “What imperial family? From where I’m standing, they’re all gone.”

“And whose fault do you think that is?! Not only did you send me flying with a cowardly surprise attack, you even deceived my father and the nobles into moving to Paradise so you could take over our empire!”

“I won’t deny that,” Raid conceded. “But hey, your father agreed to leave you here with us, so why don’t you make yourself useful and get to work?”

“I refuse! You might as well take me to Paradise too!”

“You must be delusional if you think we’d make the entire trip just for you. If you wanted to go, why didn’t you say that from the start?”

“Because you knocked me out, and everything was already over by the time I came to!” Valtos snapped.

“Oh... Right. Welp, sucks to be you.” Raid shrugged. “Anyway, you’re no longer the crown prince, so we’re gonna need you to put in some work.”

“Did you not hear me? I said I refuse to—”

“Didn’t ask,” Raid interrupted. “Millis, have at it.”

“Sir, yes, sir! As you wish!” Millis grabbed the scepter behind her and gallantly raised it into the air.

The next moment, a shock of lightning ran through Valtos’s body. “Aaaaaaah! Stop that, you braaaaat!”

“Aaand for calling me a brat, you get an extra jolt—on the house!”

“Aaaaargh!” Valtos collapsed to the floor with a scream as lightning crackled and snapped loudly within the room.

The Heroes of the First World were embedded with a mechanism that restricted their actions as a way of preventing a rebellion against the emperor—and this magic scepter, previously owned by Viteos, was the means by which this mechanism was controlled. Raid had received—or, more bluntly put, stolen the scepter from the previous emperor in order to keep Valtos in check. This was why they were willing to let him move about freely without any sort of tangible restraints.

Valtos gritted his teeth. “To think that you would hand the scepter to this little brat...!”

Raid shrugged. “I thought she was the funniest option.”

“What a preposterous reason to hand her such a powerful device!”

Millis threw her head back and laughed. “The countryside girl becomes the strongest tamer by subjugating the arrogant Hero-prince!”

“Dear ancestor, let me try, please!” Norn exclaimed.

“Oh, you sweet child, how could I ever say no to you?” Millis crooned. “Just five minutes, okay?”

“Why are these children treating me like their toy?!” Valtos wailed.

Raid shrugged. “If you refuse to work, then you might as well make yourself useful as Norn’s playmate.”

“You dare treat me, the proud and mighty crown prince of Altane, as a child’s plaything?! You— Aaaagh!” Another shock left Valtos’s large body convulsing over the floor like a fish out of water.

In actuality, the scepter could do more than just shock. According to the records, it could even steal the Heroes’ free will and manipulate them like puppets. Given this shock was the most humane punishment installed into the scepter, it made sense that Millis chose it above the others—although she also seemed to be having her fair share of fun with it.

That being said, this was likely the most unbearable punishment for Valtos—to be treated like a toy by two girls—as he finally yelled, still writhing on the ground, “F-Fine, fine! If you want me to go to the front lines, then I shall!”

Raid huffed. “Well, why didn’t you just say that from the start?”

“B-But first, you must return my sword to me!” Valtos demanded. “How could the Hero of Altane stand at the front lines without his sword, the symbol of his power?!”

“Viteos stole this from me.”

“Even so, it was mine! And you stole it from me with a foul surprise attack! Should we not decide its true owner through a fair match?!”

“A fair match, huh...” Raid muttered. “You sure about that? I can’t see any outcome where you win, though.” He could admit that, in a sense, he had launched a surprise attack on Valtos. But nothing screamed “amateur” more than the way Valtos had come charging straight at him, so Raid had made sure to hold back. Grabbing his face and throwing him away was the lightest Valtos could’ve gotten off in that scenario. If they were to have a “fair match,” as Valtos was demanding, no amount of handicaps would help Valtos secure a victory over Raid. In fact, in terms of skill alone, Valtos might even have been below Millis and Wisel.

Unfazed by Raid’s response, however, Valtos smirked confidently. “When did I ever mention a physical match? It seems this operation will entail a large-scale battle, yes? Then it goes without saying that you will need a commander!”

Raid raised his eyebrow. “Oh? And you want to be that commander?”

“Indeed! I am the crown prince of Altane! I may lack practical combat experience, but I am unparalleled when it comes to leading an army!”

“And how do you know that when you’ve been cooped up in the capital this whole time?”

“Why, with this game of shogi, of course!” Valtos declared, proudly pointing at the game board on the floor.

Raid hummed. “That’s like Legnare’s version of chess, isn’t it? Though it has more types of pieces and moves, allowing a much wider variety of strategies and developments. Pretty neat.”

“Oh? And here I thought you were no more than a barbarian who only knew how to throw people. It seems you have good taste as well!”

Raid shrugged. “So, you wanna compete with shogi?”

“Correct! If I win, you will let me be the commander—safe and away from the front lines!”

“Whoa...” Millis winced. “He asked for a fair match, then demanded they play to his strengths... What a guy.”

“I may need to look up the word ‘fair’ in the dictionary again,” Norn mumbled.

“Silence, you little brats! I cannot find peace until I beat this man!” Valtos snapped, puffing his chest out. He seemed terribly confident in his skill—either that, or he’d grown overconfident after winning against the Lambuts.

Meanwhile, Raid stared at the game board in thought. “Hmm... Looks like this has fewer pieces than dai shogi. Are the rules the same?”

Valtos blinked. “‘Dai shogi’...?”

“Well, the version I know about has twenty-nine kinds of pieces and is played on a fifteen-by-fifteen board. From the looks of it, the pieces are the same, so I’m guessing they’re moved the same way too.”

“Er... I do not know about that,” Valtos said slowly. “But there should be no issue if the rules surrounding the prince piece and the lion’s double-capture abilities are the same.”

“Oh, all right. Sounds like they are the same, then. Well, we can just go for it with you correcting me as I go. If I make a mistake, I redo my move. Deal?”

Millis piped in with an impressed hum. “Raid, you’ve played this game before?”

“Huh? No,” Raid replied bluntly. “I just learned it from a Legnarian who’d washed ashore in the past. This’d be my first time actually playing against another person. After all, it’s not like many people knew the game to begin with.”

“But...” Millis narrowed her eyes. “You remember all the rules and pieces?”

“Sure do. I used to play against myself in my head.”

Valtos scoffed. “And you think you can defeat me, the undefeated champion of the imperial capital? Truly laughable!” He crossed his legs as his lips stretched into a fearless grin. “Now then... Let our battle of wits and strategy commence—a fair match where winner takes all!”

◆

Once training was over, Eluria and Ariel ate their lunch perched on the city wall.

“Here,” said Eluria, handing Ariel a packed lunch. “This one’s for you, Ariel.”

“Oh... Thank you.” Ariel meekly looked at her. “Er, by the way, Lady Eluria...”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Are you sure we can leave the soldiers like that...?” she mumbled, pointing at the frozen soldiers down below.

Eluria nodded impassively. “I’m sure they’re cold, but don’t worry—they won’t die,” she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. “I have to say, though, your soldiers are excellent. Ten out of ten.”

“Are they now...? Well, I suppose they are the liveliest of the bunch, but...” Ariel’s pained gaze strayed off to the side. A ways from the frozen soldiers were her own troops lined up in a neat formation as they continued with their own “exercises.”

“Men! Is this training painful?!” bellowed the sergeant up front.

“Sir, yes, sir!” replied the troops in spirited unison.

“But tell me—who gave the order?!”

“Lady Ariel!”

“And what does that mean?!”

“This is a reward!”

“Exactly! Kind words and excruciating training—they are rewards to us all the same! And we can even receive the former so long as we conquer the latter! Now, my brethren—chant with me! Channel your blazing passion through your voices!”

“Her might—so huge! Her smile—so cute! And when she blushes, we all swoon! Lady Ariel, WE—LOVE—YOU!”

“Good! Now, keep it up as we train!”

Ariel pried her eyes away from the embarrassing scene and diverted her hollow gaze to the distant sky, an empty laugh spilling from her lips. “I knew they had to have some screws loose to follow a ‘traitor’ like me...but I never knew they were this weird.”

“They chose you as their pillar of support amid my difficult training... If you think of it that way, it’s not too bad. Though I won’t deny that they’re weird,” Eluria said.

“A pillar of support, hmm? Perhaps that’s why I feel like I’m about to crumble as I watch them ‘suffer’...!”

“There, there. Set all your worries aside and just have your lunch for now.”

“Okay, I will...” Ariel mumbled, taking a bite of her sandwich with drooped shoulders. The moment she started chewing, however, some light returned to her eyes. “Oh... This is delicious.”

“I know, right?” Eluria preened.

“Did you make this, Lady Eluria?”

“No, Raid did.”

“Wow. He made you such a wonderful meal... He must love you a lot.”

“I...guess so.” Eluria turned away and took another bite of her sandwich, stuffing her faintly reddening cheeks. Clearly, she was quite embarrassed.

Seeing this cute and youthful side of Eluria’s, Ariel found her lips loosening into a soft smile. “The sauce for the chicken is delectable, and he’s even prepared some other options—including soup—for you to choose between. And this bread... He baked it himself, didn’t he? I’m impressed.”

“I think he did,” Eluria replied. “Even the milk tea he usually prepares for me looks kind of complicated to make... He’s a bit of a perfectionist.”

“I was aware that you’re betrothed, but still, he’s a very good fiancé to do all this for you while being swamped with work himself.”

Ariel’s innocent remark, meant wholly as praise, made Eluria freeze in her tracks. Just a moment later, the girl began sweating bullets.

“What’s the matter, Lady Eluria?”

“Um... Raid always prepares my milk tea just the way I like it. Since he came here, he’s also been preparing my meals.”

“My, how wonderful.”

“But...he also does his work perfectly.”

“He’s currently deciphering the Sage’s Codex, yes? It will be quite the tedious task, even if it was written by another version of himself.”

Eluria’s face instantly paled, and she began shaking like a leaf in the wind. “And yet, I bothered him with making me this lunch...?!”

“N-No, not at all!” Ariel hurriedly interjected. “It could simply be that Lord Raid enjoys cooking! I hear that more men are handling housework nowadays—it must be because the gender gap has been closed thanks to the development of magic!”

“But I don’t feel like I’m doing much work...”

“Th-Then what have you been doing since you met him?”

“Usually, I’m waiting for him to wake me up, prepare my clothes, heat up my bath, or pour me some milk tea... When I’m alone, I like to read and take naps...”

“Urk! But, Lady Eluria, you know how to cook, do you not?!”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then that’s enough! That means you can help him if need be!”

“But in the Institute, we usually just eat in the cafeteria. In fact, I’ve never needed to cook for myself since I reincarnated because I’m an aristocrat; the servants did everything for me. So my skills are limited to the simple type of cooking you’d do out in the wild...” Eluria’s shoulders drooped lower and lower as the conversation progressed. “I’m strong, but so is Raid. I’m better at magic, but Raid is more knowledgeable on many other topics. He can wake up by himself every morning, he can cook, and he knows his way around social settings—formal or casual.”

Ariel grunted. “This cannot be... Your point of comparison is far too perfect! Is he even human?!”

Eluria slumped over lifelessly, her eyes gazing at nothing. “What does it even mean to be a wife—for me to be his wife, I wonder?” she mumbled, her thoughts sinking further into the abyss.

“Oh no! Your negative thoughts have steered you toward pessimistic philosophical thinking!” Ariel flailed her hands about as she struggled to think of how to cheer up the girl—when suddenly, a different voice piped into their conversation.

“Heya,” drawled Alma. “I wanted to ask you two for... Hmm? What’s up with Eluria? Did she get floaty from a post-meal nap or something?”

Walking up beside her was Tiana. “Tsk, tsk, Alma. Right now, Lady Eluria is not floaty—she is broody. She has fallen so deep into thought that she is diverting all her energy to her mind.”

“I dunno... Looks to me like she’s just staring blankly at the sky, about to drool any second now.”

“Hmph. Perhaps to you, who hasn’t known Lady Eluria long enough. But as her disciple, I can easily identify when her mind is filled with profound thoughts versus when she’s floaty!”

“How so?”

Tiana’s eyes snapped wide open, sparkling brightly. “When she’s floaty, she’s as cute as a tiny creature moving purely on instinct! And when she’s spacey, she’s as cute as a doll sitting on display!”

Alma groaned and scratched her head. “My mistake. I shouldn’t have bothered asking the fangirl...”

“Lady Alma, Lady Tiana!” Ariel exclaimed, relief flooding her expression. “I’m so sorry. Lady Eluria ended up this way because I said more than I should have...!”

“My, oh my,” said Tiana. “How many unnecessary words did you spew? I shall break an equivalent number of your fingers as punishment.”

“I had no idea it was such a heavy sin!” Ariel shrieked.

“Ignore her,” Alma said flatly. “What did you tell her?”

“Um, well... I was just talking about how much love and care went into the lunch that Lord Raid prepared for her, then she got depressed because she felt like she wasn’t doing anything for him...”

“First thing’s first—I must make it clear that I love Lady Eluria the most!” Tiana exclaimed.

“We won’t get anywhere if the fangirl keeps interrupting,” Alma deadpanned. “How about you go back to your husband?”

“What?! Alma, might I remind you that I am your—”

Before she could finish speaking, Tiana’s figure dissipated into thin air; Alma had sent her back into her magic gear. Though Tiana was seeming less and less like Alma’s ancestor, Alma seemed too exasperated to even care. She swiftly shrugged it off and turned her attention to Eluria.

“Eluriaaa,” she called. “Wakey-wakey. We’ve got something to discuss.”

“Mm...” Eluria blinked back into clarity. “Oh... Ms. Alma’s here.”

“Yep. ’Cause we’ve got something important to discuss—with His Excellency too. Come on, I’ll fill you in as we move.”

Eluria nodded. “Ariel, tell the soldiers we’re taking a break. The ones who haven’t passed can try escaping if they want...but I will turn them into ice sculptures when I find them.”

“U-Understood...!” Ariel grabbed the magic megaphone and passed along Eluria’s orders. She watched the ice come undone from the soldiers’ bodies before following behind Alma and Eluria.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Eluria asked.

“Well, we’re currently working on gathering the forces we need to collect the remaining volumes of the Sage’s Codex,” Alma began. “But from what we’re seeing...things aren’t looking too good.”

Eluria squinted. “We lack the forces?”

“Not just forces—we lack everything.” Alma sighed. “Since the Calamities can revive due to the polluted mana, we’ll need to establish our front line as far west as possible—specifically, where the Celios Federation used to be.”

Ariel frowned. “But that’s...an entire continent away—more than, even. We don’t have enough warships to transport all the troops, correct?”

“Exactly. Because of the polluted mana, teleportation magic is off the table, and it’s not like we can just waltz through the monster-infested central continent either. Our only choice is through the sea where the polluted mana’s influence is weak, but we just don’t have the ships to transport our full force.”

Ariel winced. “Yes... Small vessels are the norm here, especially when crossing to the central continent. After all, bigger ships mean more personnel lost if they encounter a Calamity or Offspring.” Altane had owned large warships in the past, until the Calamities destroyed them—killing nearly every soldier they carried—as they attempted to flee the central continent. Since then, only submarines and smaller warships had been constructed, just enough to carry around a hundred personnel. Besides being few in quantity, these vessels were also not made for long-distance voyages; who knew if they could even reach as far as Old Celios?

“We don’t have ships large enough to carry all our forces together, nor any craftsmen who can design them for us—much less the manpower to construct them.” Alma sighed and shook her head. “We can somehow scrounge up the resources if we demolish the castle, but, well...that’s not very feasible, is it?”

“Hmm... How about using the soldiers here as builders?” Ariel suggested.

“I’m not too sure about that... Eluria may not be too happy with them as soldiers, but as magicians, they’re as good as what we call first-classers back in the Second World—that’s just how advanced magic is here. Sacrificing their training time for construction work could have a negative impact on the operation.” The plan was for Raid and Eluria to handle the Calamities while the rest of the army fended off the Offspring. Ariel’s troops were accustomed to such battle, but the same couldn’t be said for the soldiers stationed in the capital. Without proper training, they could very well be annihilated in the coming operation.

Eluria raised her hand. “In terms of combat forces, Ms. Alma, you can just give it your all.”

Alma narrowed her eyes. “Are you talking about the Hope’s Brigade?”

“Of course. Raid had a ton of troops.”

“Let’s see... We’ve got five hundred in Vegalta’s Magic Regiment and five thousand in Altane’s Special Combined Forces. It would certainly be a problem solved if I could summon them all at once. But, Eluria, what do you think will happen if I do that?”

“You’ll probably run out of mana in thirty seconds, then collapse.”

“Correct answer,” Alma deadpanned. “Listen, I’m pretty confident in my mana capacity, but summoning everyone? We’d be lucky if they could do anything before I run dry. So I shouldn’t be counted as a—”

“Then you just have to chug down a drink every thirty seconds.”

“I’m telling you that’s downright impossible!” Alma snapped. “Remember when I summoned almost a thousand troops to siege the capital? Well, I just barely managed that by chugging a crap ton of mana recovery drinks! How could I do that every thirty seconds?!”

“Chug, chug, chug! Chug till you drop!” Eluria chanted, clapping her hands to the beat.

Alma instantly paled and began trembling violently. “S-Stop! Stop looking at me like that! Nooo!”

Ariel looked between them, feeling a little lost. She had no idea what happened during the siege, but whatever it was, it seemed to have severely traumatized Alma.

“Anyway!” Alma clenched her fist. “My task for this operation is to dispatch members of the brigade to each unit and monitor the chain of command! So no chugging this time around!”

“Aw... I wanted to see you chug,” Eluria mumbled, pouting.

“Well, too bad, so sad!” Alma said, swiftly bringing an end to the topic. “Anyway, the plan now is to discuss one possible solution for this lack of manpower: recruiting help from the Second World.”

Ariel nearly froze in her tracks. “Wait,” she said. “Is that...possible?”

“Of course,” Alma replied. “We’re never short on mana—Divine mana, even—with His Excellency around, and Eluria can set the landing coordinates nearby. This was always on our to-do list once we’d secured a base of operations.”

“I... I see.” Ariel hung her head, brow slightly furrowed.

Seeing that, Alma sighed and gave her a pat on the head. “I know what you’re thinking, and I understand. A huge sacrifice was paid just so Dian and his men could cross over to the Second World. It can’t feel good to learn it’s actually possible at so little cost.”

“Yes,” she mumbled weakly. “The order to invade the Second World, all the soldiers and vassals who paid with their lives... The very meaning of our existence as Heroes... I can’t help but think about it all.”

With the sword Viteos had brought to their world, three new Heroes had been born. They had been entrusted with the power to protect the people and to save their world from ruin... Alas, reality was cruel; the Heroes found that they were powerless where it mattered.

“Fending off the Calamities was the best we could manage; subjugating them was another matter entirely. That was how the Second World invasion plan came to be... In the end, we had to sacrifice the people we were meant to protect, all because we were ‘incomplete’ Heroes. But if that’s true...why did we become Heroes to begin with?”

With their power, the Heroes had managed to slow the advance of the Calamities and the polluted mana, but not without cost. A real Hero, however, would never have allowed any sacrifice.

Nauvis Videre, the last Hero who had sacrificed himself to send the Demon Lord to the past, once protected the eastern front on the central continent by himself. “Take others with me, when I’m marching to my death? Hah! I’d rather die a thousand times over!” he’d said with a laugh before making it all the way to Old Vegalta and executing his plan.

Raid Freeden of the Second World could single-handedly defeat Calamities without any sacrifices, be it from his comrades or even from his enemies. The only death he’d allowed—since fending off Dian’s invasion on the Second World and taking over the empire in the First World—had been Viteos’s. Every single one of his plans had been executed without any unintended loss of life.

Whenever Ariel thought about them—about the true Heroes—she couldn’t help but wilt at her own powerlessness. “If only... If only we were real Heroes, then perhaps we could have made a difference,” Ariel muttered, her deepest vulnerabilities tumbling from her lips.

Eluria watched her with a thoughtful gaze before slowly reaching out—and tugging her cheeks.

“Yowww!”

“A punishment for you,” Eluria said, pouting. “There’s no point in brooding over the past. Besides, it’s not your fault you’re incomplete Heroes and not as capable as you’d hoped.”

“Argh! So blunt...!”

“And most importantly,” she continued, still pinching and pulling Ariel’s cheeks, “whether a Hero is ‘real’ is up to the people to decide. You’re a Hero not just because of the spell, but because the people saw what you did with that power and decided you were their Hero. At least...that’s how I see it, after watching Raid for so long.”

Eluria’s gaze dropped to the soldiers outside the city walls taking a break. “Those people followed you because they believed in you, and to this day they remain as your subordinates and give their utmost to fulfill your orders—all because of everything you’ve done and shown them, and all the effort you’ve put into protecting them.” Eluria turned back to Ariel with a smile. “To them, you are a true Hero. So don’t waste your energy on comparing yourself with others. Instead, direct your efforts to working hard—so you can keep being their Hero.”

A small smile formed on Ariel’s lips. “Yes... I think you’re right, Lady Eluria.”

“Mm-hmm. I’ve been watching Raid for over half a century, so you can trust my judgment,” Eluria preened, nodding proudly as if she were bragging about herself.

Ariel couldn’t help but think, with much interest, that it was in times like these that—contrary to her actual age and vast experience—Eluria looked no more than a young maiden.

“We’ll be counting on you and your troops from here on out,” said Eluria.

“Of course.” Ariel smiled. “Should the chance come, I must meditate on your advice and think of how I can convey my gratitude to my troops for—”

Before she could finish her words, however, a loud voice suddenly boomed from outside the city walls.

“Now that Lady Ariel has left, it’s time to begin our breaktime routine: the Lady Ariel Acronym Exercise! First set—go!”

“‘A’ is for ‘arugula’! She hates it but doesn’t want to look picky in front of us, so she eats it while getting teary-eyed!”

“‘R’ is for ‘routine’! She tries to greet us every morning but always gives up so as not to pressure her subordinates!”

“‘I’ is for ‘intellectual’! She uses big words even when she doesn’t know what they mean to look impressive as our boss!”

“‘E’ is for ‘expressions’! She never realizes that she wears her heart on her sleeve!”

“‘L’ is for ‘lapel’! She fiddles with hers whenever she’s alone and bored!”

“Well done! On to the second set!”

“Um, Ariel...” Eluria muttered. “You think everything’s all right back there? Sounds pretty lively.”

“Pardon me, Lady Eluria, Lady Alma,” Ariel said swiftly, her face carefully blank. “I believe we must hurry to the meeting with our ears covered, please.”

Eluria nodded. “I recommend stir-frying arugula. It helps with the bitterness.”

“I can eat it raw, I swear! It’s just... It’s just a little bitter, that’s all!” Ariel shut her eyes and desperately pushed the two down the hall, as far as they could get from her subordinates’ embarrassing yells. She didn’t doubt that they looked up to her as their Hero, but she had an odd feeling that there was something else mixed into their feelings of admiration.

Likely sensing her thoughts, Alma wore a cheeky grin and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Hey, what’s so bad about it? Heroes don’t need to be perfect, you know? Stressing over a greeting and hating bitter food—sounds to me like you’re a perfectly relatable human.”

“Urgh... Th-That may be so, but...!”

“Take Valtos, for example. He doesn’t exactly feel like a Hero, does he?”

Ariel hummed. “I suppose he does feel less like a Hero or a prince and more like a spoiled aristocratic child. He’s more muscles than brains and hardly has anything good going for him...”

“Oh, wow. Talk about merciless...”

“Hmph, of course. He pushed all the work to me and Dian while he remained in the capital, lounging around while boasting about being a Hero.” Her brows creased in frustration. “Are we really including him in the operation? Even if you can restrain him with the scepter, his personality is hardly...desirable, no?”

“Oh, your worries aren’t unfounded,” Alma acknowledged. “But trust me when I say His Excellency is an expert when it comes to wrangling and reforming people like him. Besides, he brought along the perfect assistant.”

“The perfect assistant...?” Ariel cocked her head just as they entered the throne room.

Immediately, several loud and boisterous voices reached their ears.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? It’s Raid’s tenth victory in a row! Would you look at that!” Millis threw her head back with a hearty laugh.

“Urgh... That doesn’t count!” Valtos screamed. “I am undefeated in shogi! Does it make sense that I lost every match...against a handicapped opponent?!”

Raid shot him a withering gaze. “I mean, come on... You’re so easy to read. What you’re trying to do, which piece you’re aiming for, how you plan to move next... I just have to counter your every move before you make it, and that’s that.”

“Oh me, oh my, could it be? You said you were undefeated...but have you only been playing against toddlers, perchance?” Millis snickered. “In that case, let’s have a word from the king of the tots, shall we? Sir, how do you feel after losing every single match against an adult for the first time?”

“Shut your mouth, you little brat! Have you forgotten that you haven’t won a single match against me?! Where do you get the gall to mock me?!”

“Splendid! Thank you very much for your salty little comment, Mr. Sore Loser!”

“Wait, hang on! Get your hands off that scep— Aaaagh!”

Wisel looked at the guffawing girl with a conflicted blend of admiration and exasperation. “You’re always happiest when ridiculing others, Ms. Millis.”

“Well, nothing gives her more confidence than leverage and a safe place to wield it from,” Raid remarked.

“I can think of so many historical records that need to be revised,” Norn mumbled glumly.

Millis’s hysterical laughter and Valtos’s piercing screams echoed off the walls of the throne room as three exasperated gazes watched on in resigned silence. With such a scene playing out right before her eyes, Ariel found a dry chuckle spilling from her lips as she finally decided to cast all her worries to the wind.

◇

Once Valtos had finally resigned himself to Millis’s torment, Alma began the meeting and shared her findings and suggestions.

“Recruiting help from the Second World, huh?” Raid folded his arms and sighed. “Honestly, I’m a bit reluctant to drag other people into our personal circumstances...but I guess beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Well, there’s always the option to spend a decade or two building up our resources and manpower here, but...” Alma shrugged.

“Eluria and I wouldn’t mind, but I doubt Ms. Alicia would be too happy with us... I mean, what kind of premarital vacation lasts two decades?”

Ariel squinted. “Our world was saved on a premarital vacation...?”

“I’m sure you feel conflicted about this, Ariel, but just ignore it,” said Millis. “Raid and Lady Eluria are in fact the types to save a world while they’re on vacation.”

“Really now...?”

“Yes. Even Mr. Dian reluctantly resigned himself to it by the time we left. Or rather, it looked more like he just gave up thinking altogether. You should do the same.”

“Oh, I see... I suppose I’ll take you up on that advice...” Ariel looked toward the ceiling, the light slowly leaving her eyes.

Meanwhile, Eluria—seated beside her—raised her hand. “So, are you returning to the Second World, Raid?”

“Yep. Not like anyone can travel between worlds without me.”

“But...” Eluria pouted. “I need to stay, otherwise there’ll be nobody left to fight the Calamities in case of an emergency.”

“Well, there’s no helping it this time around. I’ll need to do a bunch of negotiations and planning to recruit all the forces we need, so I doubt I can come back right away either.”

Raid thought back to the document Alma had prepared for them. The personnel they were in most dire need of were craftsmen and technicians to construct more ships. They would also need food and supplies for all these workers, as well as materials for construction. The scale of this operation was so huge, it would be unthinkable to recruit everything and everyone they needed without the cooperation of several countries.

Combat forces were another issue entirely. Offspring weren’t nearly as threatening as the Calamities, but nonetheless they were as formidable as large-sized—sometimes even ultra-sized—manabeasts of the Second World. This meant that they had to recruit first-class magicians at the very least, preferably special-classers. Either way, both classes were often utilized for national defense in their respective countries—not the type of personnel a nation would just lend out without extensive paperwork and rigorous negotiation.

All things considered, the best-case scenario would be for everything to be ready within a month’s time. Realistically, however, they were looking at more like three to six months, and at worst over a year.

“Looks like we’ll be apart for a while. Are you okay with that, Eluria?” Raid asked.

The girl pouted. “I’ll be a little lonely, but I’m okay.”

“Hey, cheer up. Tell you what—if things take longer than expected, I’ll make sure to drop by and show my face for a bit.”

“Mm... Okay. That’s fine, then.”

“Wow,” Ariel whispered. “She brightened up in an instant!”

Millis nodded. “Lady Eluria is very expressive when she’s with Raid. Raid also smiles at Lady Eluria in a special sort of way he never does with anyone else.”

“Fascinating... I’ve little personal interest in love and romance, but I’m starting to feel like I would enjoy just watching these two...”

“Oho, sounds to me like you’ve got potential, unlike Mr. Dian—he didn’t really like it.” Millis snickered. “There’s just a special type of joy that you can only get from watching them, isn’t there? I recommend you enjoy it while you can.”

“Hey, you two,” Raid called with a dry look. “We’re having a serious discussion here. No whispering, and pay attention.”

With the meeting back on track, Wisel raised his hand. “I’d like to stay here. Someone will need to teach the recruited craftsmen about this world’s magic and technology. I’ll work on preparing all the necessary documents.”

“Oh, that’d be a huge help.” Raid nodded before turning to the rest of the table. “So, does anyone else want to—”

“Ms. Alma will stay,” Eluria said, finger pointed decisively at the woman. “No buts. That’s final.”

“Well, I don’t mind,” Alma said, shrugging. “We’re done investigating the capital’s surroundings and sorting out internal affairs. I’ve got nothing left to do but to kick back and relax while—”

“I will need your and the brigade’s cooperation for a very important matter.”

“Oh, uh... Okay.” Alma slowly nodded, a little perplexed by the serious look in Eluria’s eyes. “Not sure what this is about, but it sounds like you’ve got a task for me?” As far as she knew, there shouldn’t have been any more urgent matters on their to-do list; perhaps Eluria had found a new issue that needed to be tackled.

Raid nodded. “Next, we need to decide who’s coming back with me. Norn and Ariel are coming for sure.”

“Wow!” Norn cheered. “So I get to explore outside of Paradise and our world? I can’t wait!”

“Er... Why am I coming along?” Ariel meekly asked.

“Roughly speaking, it’s a field trip,” he answered. “Ours is a world that evaded ruin. See it for yourself, so you can finally have an idea of what this world’s future is going to look like.”

To the people of the First World, “the future” had been synonymous with “the end.” Even the former residents of Paradise were no exception; in fact, stepping out of their homeland must have only solidified that feeling even further in their minds.

Raid continued, “Once everything is over and the world is saved, the First World will head toward a future of peace, not ruin—and witnessing that sight with your very own eyes will serve as good motivation to keep living and fighting for it...whether for you or for soldiers who are used to throwing their lives away for the greater good.”

“Oh...” Ariel hung her head. In a world where ruin drew ever nearer and Calamities loomed over the people’s everyday lives, Altanian soldiers had to put their lives on the line simply for a chance to resist. But now that salvation was within their reach, there was no longer any need to sacrifice themselves.

“You will lead the Altanian troops,” said Raid. “So go and see the Second World for yourself, and make sure that someday, they’ll get to see it too.”

Ariel’s lips slowly curled into a small smile before she bowed. “Thank you very much for your kind consideration, Lord Raid.”

Norn suddenly thrust her hand up. “Ooh, ooh! What about me? What will I do?”

“Your job is to enjoy the trip and bring home lots of stories for everyone here.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled brightly. “Leave it all to me! As one who’s lived all her life in an unchanging countryside village, I shall frolic around the city like a starved beast!”

Raid nodded. “Sure thing. As long as you’re careful.” Suddenly, he heard a weak groan from the floor and looked down.

“Freeden...” Valtos grunted. “If you’re going to the Second World, then take me with you...!”

“Nah, you can stay. We don’t really need you there.”

“Who better to witness our world’s future than I, the crown prince?!”

“Former crown prince,” Raid corrected. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter. You can tag along if you’d like.”

“Splendid! Then it’s decided! Finally, I am rid of this pesky little brat and her—”

“But,” Raid added, “if you’re coming, then so is Millis.”

“Oh my, Valtos! To think you wanted to get away from me so badly... Seems I haven’t shocked you enough, hmm?” Millis cooed.

“Eek! Wh-Why not just hand the scepter to the tinier brat?!”

Raid turned to Norn. “What do you think, Norn?”

The girl cocked her head. “Um, I don’t really understand what I should do... Do I just keep shocking him like my ancestor does?”

“Could you at least try to understand?!” Valtos cried.

Raid sighed. “Welp, no can do. We’ll lose a lot of trust if you start acting up over there, so we need someone who knows how to stand their ground against you. Norn is still a kid...so whether you stay or go, Millis is tagging along.”

“Curses! If it’s the same either way, then I suppose I might as well go with you to see someplace new!”

“I don’t mind either way.” Millis shrugged. “You know, Valtos, you’ve been looking a little glum lately. A change of pace would do you some good!”

“Says the root cause of my glum mood...” Valtos slumped over, feeling defeated once more.

In any case, with the matter settled, Raid once again addressed the whole group. “We’re leaving for the Second World in a week. Those coming with—make sure you’re ready to head to Old Palmare. Those staying—take to your tasks, and good luck while we’re gone. That’s all. Dismissed!”

“Ms. Alma, Wisel!” Millis called. “Is there anything you want from our world?”

“Not really,” replied Wisel. “I’m sure you can pick out something good for us.”

“Same here,” Alma drawled. “Edward’s one of the personnel we plan to recruit, and I’m sure he’ll bring whatever theses and papers we need even without my instruction.”

Millis hummed. “Edward... That’s Raid’s older brother, right?”

“Yep. You see, I needed someone to take after my work while I was here, but Philia couldn’t handle it all on her own, so I invited him to serve as my assistant instructor in Vegalta. He’s technically research staff, but he’s also got a good grasp of combat thanks to his daily spars with his little sister.”

“Oh...?” Millis’s eyes began twinkling. “Ms. Alma, I rarely hear you give such high praise!”

“Well, he deserves it—he’s such a good find. He tidies up all the clutter in my research room, organizes my scattered documents, buys snacks for me when I get hungry late into the night, and so on... Frankly, I think every office needs an Edward.”

“The more you praise him, the more he sounds like an errand boy!”

“I mean, I did say I invited him to be my assistant, didn’t I?”

“But... But I was imagining something more, you know...” Millis vaguely waved her hands in the air before slumping over. “Oh, never mind...”

Alma looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow but eventually shrugged it off. Instead, she turned to the rest of the group—Norn, Ariel, and Valtos—and called them over with a gesture. “All right, you guys, come along. I’ll give you a briefing of what the Second World is like. Oh, and you, Valtos—make sure to pay attention. You’re the most likely to cause a problem over there.”

“You dare call me by name?! I am the crown prince and a Hero of— Ack!” Suddenly, a skeletal arm manifested behind Valtos and sent the large man flying.

“Yes, yes, we heard you the first time. You say that again and you’ll be receiving another knuckle sandwich and a shock from Millis, so you’d best keep quiet now.”

The skeletal arm then grabbed Valtos’s limp body and dragged him out of the throne room, followed by the rest of the group. Such rough treatment would’ve been unthinkable back when he was the crown prince, but unfortunately for him, he was currently no more than an arrogant civilian claiming to be the next in line for the throne.

Once they had vacated the room, Eluria walked over to the only other person left inside. “Raid...”

“Hey. Still got some questions?”

“No... I just wanted to say that the lunch you made for me was delicious.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.” Raid patted her head with a grin. “You stayed behind just to say that. This is why I love cooking for you.”

Eluria’s lips curled into a small smile for a moment, until her expression sank a little. “Raid... Are you pushing yourself too hard?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Things are different now compared to when we were at the Institute. You have so much on your plate, yet you still wake me up every morning, prepare my meals, and everything...”

“So you’re worried that you’re being a burden and came here to ask,” Raid finished.

“Y-You saw right through me...”

“I don’t see it as a burden,” Raid said, smiling. “In fact, I enjoy it.”

Eluria blinked. “Really...?”

“Of course. In my past life, I never had to think about how to make my loved one happy.”

In the past, Raid had devoted a great deal of his life to others. It had all started when Viteos’s father, the previous emperor, had taken a liking to him. That had signaled the start of his rise in the ranks, but most importantly, it had served as a catalyst for many fortuitous meetings. Higher status and greater responsibilities also granted Raid a vaster, more overlooking view of the country and its people—and since he himself had come from a poor village, he had gone on to spend his life thinking of how to make the country a better place for others around him.

However, it was precisely because he thought of everyone that he never especially cared for any one person in particular. In fact, he might have even been subconsciously avoiding any sort of favoritism, as he’d felt he was equally duty bound to every citizen of Altane.

But things were different in this life. His status and responsibilities were all gone, and he was free to treat his beloved as specially as he wanted.

“In my ninety long years of life, this is a first-time experience for me. I’m having so much fun; how could I think of you as a burden?” Raid’s lips stretched into a wide and toothy grin. The person who’d given him this joy was right in front of him. He felt so grateful, so content, and so—“I’m just so, so worried to leave you for such a long time...!”

“I came to ask about one problem but discovered another,” Eluria mumbled.

“I mean, I’ve been waking you up every morning, preparing your clothes, heating up your bath, boiling your tea and milk to just the right temperatures, planning your meals for a healthy and balanced diet, keeping the bed clean for you to sleep well at night, drying your pillow out in the sun to keep it as soft and fluffy as you like it, and even regularly replacing the cotton stuffing... That’s been my daily routine ever since we started living together, but now...”

“I...never realized you did so much...”

As it turned out, Raid was even more restless than Eluria about spending time apart; that was just how deeply ingrained caring for her had become in his daily life. “Well, since Alma’s staying, I guess I can ask Tiana to take over for me... Could she keep Tiana summoned as long as she consumes a mana recovery drink at regular intervals...?”

“Looks like Ms. Alma will be chugging after all,” Eluria mumbled to herself.

“Anyway!” Raid grabbed her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “You’d better look after yourself while I’m gone, okay? If you start feeling sick, you should rest right away—no pushing yourself. Do you understand?”

Eluria indignantly puffed up her cheeks. “I know you’re always looking after me, but I’m not a child,” she told him. Alas, it seemed to do little to abate his worries, so Eluria soon came up with a different solution. “I’m sure you can get your head in the game once you cross over, but I wouldn’t want you to be distracted over there. What kind of wife would I be if I’m that much of a handful?”

“But I love that about you too,” Raid said with the straightest of faces.

Eluria’s face flushed instantly. “Y-You can’t just hit me with that out of the blue...!” she said, flailing her hands around. Eventually, she cleared her throat and faced Raid again. “I need to give you a proper send-off.”

“A proper send-off...?”

“Mm. Close your eyes for a bit.”

Raid did as he was told, and so his vision turned black. After a short moment in the darkness, he felt something soft press against his cheek.

“Okay... You can open your eyes again.”

Slowly, Raid opened his eyes, only to find Eluria turned away from him, red to the tips of her ears and all the way down to her neck.

“I gave you a goodbye kiss,” she said, her voice quietly quivering. “So now, you have to go over there and give it your all, so you can come back and return the gesture.”

Raid stared at her for a few seconds. Eventually, he tilted his head up while covering his face with his hands. “Ah, my bride is too cute... Now I really don’t want to leave her behind.”

“Wh-What? That won’t do... I’m too embarrassed to do it a second time!” Eluria vehemently shook her head.

“Right... Any more and you’ll probably collapse,” Raid mused, his hand still over his mouth. He kept it there for just a little while longer until the blush finally receded from his face.

Chapter Two

One week later, the group was finally ready to return to the Second World.

“All right. Off to Old Palmare we go, then.” Raid gave his companions a once-over before nodding and turning to Eluria. “Just to be sure—Eluria, we can teleport directly back here to the capital when we return, right?”

Eluria nodded. “Of course. I have a grasp on the mana of the World Tree on the other side, so all I had to do was draw a similar mana flow from the capital and connect the two. Then, I adjusted the exit coordinates from the dimensional gap above the sea to a spot in the plains right outside the imperial capital.”

“Long story short, it’s all good?”

“Mm-hmm. A perfect ten out of ten, if I do say so myself.”

“Great. Then that’s all I need.” Raid grinned. “We’ll try to get things done ASAP on our end. In the meantime, I leave this place to you.”

While the couple were speaking, the rest of the group were also saying their goodbyes.

“See you later, Wisel and Ms. Alma,” said Millis. “Look forward to my gifts for you! They’ll be so good, you’ll wish you came back home with us!”

Wisel chuckled. “I’ve no doubt about that, Ms. Millis.”

“I just want some good food,” Alma said. “Bring some back, and I’m happy.”

“Roger that, over and out!” Millis whipped her head around to grin at Valtos. “Good luck, Valtos! It sounds like you’ll have a lot of luggage to carry for me and Norn.”

“Tch... To think that I, the crown prince, would be reduced to such measly labor... My heart yearns to resist, yet my body fears the inevitable shock that would follow...!”

Ariel shot the man a dry look. “And who was it who declared, completely unprompted, that he wouldn’t help us battle? Honestly, you only have yourself to blame.” Sighing, she turned to the Lambuts with a smile. “Please rest assured, I will see to your safety myself.”

“Thank you!” Norn crowed. “I will leave all the difficult things to you and simply enjoy the trip!”

After a lively exchange of goodbyes, the group boarded a small ship at the port and finally set sail. They remained on the stern, waving and yelling, all the way until their boat disappeared into the distance.

Only then did Eluria somberly lower her hand. “They’re gone...”

“Indeed they are,” Alma muttered. “It’s been real lively since we took the capital, what with all the new people around, but it looks like things are going to be pretty quiet now.”

Wisel nodded. “True. But we have our own tasks at hand. We won’t have any time to feel their absence if we just focus on our work.”

“I mean, for you and Eluria, sure... What about me, though? I’ve got nothing to do besides dumping a ton of training on the soldiers and watching them suffer.”

“I can already imagine you getting bored and telling them to fight to the death, just for the heck of it...” Wisel muttered.

“What do you take me for, a sadistic aristocrat? We’re training the soldiers to make them stronger, not to get them killed.” Tutting, Alma shook her head. “Obviously, they’re only going to get beaten half to death at most.”

Wisel chuckled dryly as his face paled a touch. “And that, Instructor Alma, is why I feel bad for the soldiers... You and Ms. Eluria are brutal when it comes to training.” He paused in thought for a moment before turning to Eluria. “Come to think of it, Ms. Eluria, didn’t you say during the meeting that you had a very important task for Instructor Alma? Do you need my help as well?”

“Mm... You’re right. Maybe I do,” Eluria replied. “The more intel, the better. And the more opinions we factor in during the assessment stage, the more accurate the results will be.”

“All right. Then feel free to call on me whenever you need.”

“I’d like to start right away, actually. They might return in as soon as a month... To succeed before then, there’s not a second to waste.” Eluria nodded firmly as she set her right hand on Alma’s shoulder. “Ms. Alma, I need you to call Ryatt and Tiana for me, as well as the top brass of the Special Combined Forces—anyone who’s worked with Raid a lot. You can exclude those who are occupied, though.”

Alma blinked. “What? You want me to summon them all now?”

“Yes, now,” Eluria affirmed. “If you don’t have enough mana, then it’s time to chug some—”

“I have enough mana!” Alma snapped, already halfway to casting her spell. The looming threat of mana recovery drinks was a great motivator indeed. In no time at all, particles of light manifested in the air and formed several human figures.

“Bah ha ha ha! So you’ve summoned me again! There’s gotta be a fight this time, right?!” Blofeld bellowed as he flexed his muscles. “Lemme tell ya, these bad boys ain’t for lame jobs like carrying boxes and construction work!”

“Blo... Didn’t gramps already tell us that there wasn’t going to be any fighting for a while?” Felius mumbled, looking exhausted. “Just because you’ve lived for around a century doesn’t mean you should go senile already...”

“Hey! Are you calling me a geezer?! I’ll have you know I can recite everything I ate for every day over last week—breakfast, lunch, and dinner! How dare you call me senile?!”

Vance shot the large man a withering gaze. “Blo... Have you forgotten that you have five meals a day? Forget the contents of the meals—you can’t even count their number. Maybe you are going senile.”

“Blo is big. Too big to care for small things,” said Echalot while nibbling on a strip of jerky. “Look. I am small, but patience is big. So I let him be.”

“Echalot, what you need to worry about is your snacking habits,” Vance chastised. “Actually, where did you even get that jerky? We don’t need to eat...”

“People in the castle gave me. I am small. Need to eat lots to grow.”

“I don’t think dead people have any growing to do...”

Amid the crowd of boisterous soldiers, Tiana and Ryatt stepped forward and performed a salute to Eluria.

“Reporting for duty, Lady Eluria,” said Tiana.

“In place of His Excellency, I have gathered the captains of each squad in the former Altanian Special Combined Forces,” Ryatt reported. “We shall fulfill the orders of Vegalta’s Sage to the best of our abilities.”

“Thank you both.” Eluria nodded. She smoothed her expression and straightened her back before continuing. “With these present members, we will now conduct a meeting of utmost importance. All matters discussed today are to be considered top secret.”

The clamor and chatter instantly died down, and everyone straightened up to face Eluria.

“Now...” She swept her gaze across the group, then slowly opened her mouth to speak. “Tell me everything you know about Raid.”

Silence reigned. Nobody spoke a word or moved a single muscle.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ryatt quietly raised his hand. “Sage of Vegalta, may I be permitted a question?”

“Very well. Also, you may call me by my name.”

“In that case, Lady Eluria, could you provide us specific parameters as to what would be included in ‘everything we know about His Excellency’?”

“Everything,” Eluria repeated, the look in her eyes dead serious. “What he likes and dislikes, what he’s good at and not good at, what types of people he is fond of and not fond of, how he usually spent his time a thousand years ago, his habits, birthday, birthplace, blood type... Anything and everything you can tell me.”

“Understood. May I ask another question?”

“Mm. Permitted.”

“There may be an overlap in the information we possess and the information you already possess. Would it be possible for you to tell us what you are already aware of?”

“He likes fighting, richly flavored food, and animals.”

“Thank you very much for answering. I was not aware of the last item. I shall interview the other members of the brigade to corroborate this new information.”

“Mm-hmm. I heard you also worked as Raid’s assistant. I’ll be counting on you.”

Eluria and Ryatt’s exchange progressed steadily, but not a single peep was heard from anyone else. For a while, Wisel watched them with a grimace before leaning over to whisper to the woman beside him. “Instructor Alma, why did their discussion just begin like the most normal thing in the world?”

“It’s probably because Ryatt is such a serious guy,” she replied, looking just as exasperated.

Fortunately for them, as well as the rest of the brigade members, Tiana was willing to step up and voice the question that had been swirling in all of their heads: “Er, Lady Eluria, did you hold this ‘meeting of utmost importance’...to ask about Raid Freeden?”

“Mm-hmm. I wanted to urgently gather as much information on Raid as possible.”

“Then why not ask the man himself?”

Eluria pouted. “I was too embarrassed to...”

“That’s my Lady Eluria!” Tiana cheered. “Too embarrassed to ask—oh, how adorable! In that case, let us gather as much information as we can! Even intel from third parties, when collated in enough quantities, can boast high accuracy!”

“And we have another one who just accepted the order like it was nothing,” Wisel deadpanned.

“You can’t tell me you were expecting anything less from the fangirl herself,” Alma replied with an empty look in her eyes, like she had given up and lost interest entirely.

Eluria shot her a sideward glare. To her, at least, this was every bit the important meeting she’d said it was, so she was hoping for Alma to give it her all.

“But, Lady Eluria,” said Tiana, drawing her attention back, “why are you gathering this information now?”

“Mm... It’s because I’ve realized that I am currently suffering an overwhelming loss. Look at this,” she said, handing Tiana a small notebook.

“These are...Lord Freeden’s notes?”

“Mm-hmm. He asked me to hand this to you, so you could take care of me while he’s gone. He wrote down how to prepare my milk tea just the way I like it—which he discovered through a series of trial and error, by the way—down to the perfect temperature; how to adjust my bath to the right temperature so as to guide me out of my floatiness as quickly as possible; and how to efficiently arrange my clothes while taking into consideration my habit of searching from the left-side shelf, among other things Raid has observed about me.”

“He has been taking such thorough care of you all this time?!” Tiana gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. “The Hero of Altane... Truly formidable!”

Eluria smirked. “Mm. Isn’t he amazing?”

The conversation was only getting weirder as it progressed, Alma realized with a dry chuckle. “You know, Wisel, when you realize all these guys are lined up here just to listen to their bosses being lovebirds, this whole situation actually starts looking really funny.”

“Had Ms. Millis been here, she would’ve come up with the perfect thing to say...” Wisel sighed. “Unfortunately, neither of us have her prowess when it comes to these matters.”

Eluria blatantly ignored the dry remarks coming from behind her and firmly clenched her fist. “In war, information is key—and I cannot stand that I am now losing so severely to my former rival. Thus, I am taking advantage of his absence to aim for greater victory.” Brow furrowed, she raised her fist high into the air and declared with utmost vigor, “With this operation, I will learn more about Raid...and become the best wife in the world!”

◇

Much later, Raid’s group arrived in the Second World without much incident. They emerged from the cavity between the World Tree’s roots and were greeted by a burst of warm sunlight and fresh air.

“Weather’s looking great,” Raid mused as he raised a hand to shield his eyes. Smiling, he turned around to the rest of his companions. “Norn, Ariel, Valtos—take a look. The skies here are as clear as can—”

“Ugh... F-Finally here... We made it...” Ariel grumbled.

“The ground... My feet are touching the ground!” Valtos cried.

“I thought I came here for a fun trip... Wh-Why did I see my life flash before my eyes before we even got here...?” Norn whimpered.

Alas, the three Raid thought would be the most moved by this sight were slumped lifelessly over the ground.

“Ariel...” Valtos glared. “Did you not flaunt to me on the ship about how cool and levelheaded you are thanks to your wealth of experience? What happened, hmm?”

A dry laugh spilled from Ariel’s lips. “All I can say is that jumping from steep cliffs is a very different experience from being thrown at the cliffs, then pulled toward the sky...”

“I thought I was going to become a shooting star,” Norn mumbled darkly.

Raid sighed. “Look, we didn’t have much of a choice. The dimensional gap’s coordinates were all the way up there.” He recalled how he and his friends had arrived at the First World at the start of their expedition: by falling from the sky. To go back the way they came, then, they naturally had to jump to that height—specifically, Raid had to jump to it with everybody else tied to him with a rope. “Not to worry, though. Eluria said she can adjust the coordinates once she grasps the mana wavelength of intertimeline travel. Besides, we’ve got the World Tree as a foundation on this side, with stairs heading to the dimensional gap. It’ll be a much safer trip back there than it was coming here.”

“Oh, thank the heavens... I never want to feel my insides floating ever again,” Ariel grumbled. Valtos and Norn nodded vehemently behind her.

After some time, Millis finally emerged from the cavity and stepped out with them. “Whew. Home sweet home!”

Raid raised an eyebrow. “Well, you’re looking just peachy, Millis. Guess your experiences in the other world have toughened you up, huh?”

“Of course! I stayed behind in the dark—while everyone else was out here in the sun—so that I could hurl up my guts to my heart’s content. So now I’m A-okay, with not a single blemish to my dignity to boot!”

“Uh-huh... Yeah, you’ve definitely grown, all right,” Raid deadpanned.

“Anyway!” Millis cleared her throat. “Shall I contact Headmaster Elise?”

Raid nodded. “Yeah, please. We Heroes can’t use magic devices. She should have a communicator for urgent messages—contact her there to tell her we’re back.”

Their first order of business after returning from the First World was to contact Elise, but none of the Heroes could do that because of the unique mana they possessed, and Norn wasn’t very familiar with magic devices. As it turned out, it was great that Millis had tagged along after all.

“Huh...?”

Raid raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“The headmaster isn’t picking up... She should have the device on her, and she should know it’s me based on the mana wavelength, so why...?”

“Maybe she’s in the middle of a meeting?”

“Perhaps. Shall we go to her office and leave a note?”

“Can you teleport us to Vegalta all the way from here?” Raid asked.

“Lady Eluria told me that I could just use the mana stored in the World Tree to cast a teleportation spell the same way I’d use one of the teleportation devices at the Institute...” Millis trailed off, frowning. “Wait, you didn’t know? How were you planning to return to Vegalta?”

“By running,” Raid answered plainly.

“Oh, yes, how could I forget... With you crazy superhumans, anything is possible.”

“Hang on a second!” Ariel interjected. “Why are you looking at us too?! Heroes have enhanced physical capabilities, yes, but running from Palmare to Vegalta is out of the question!”

“I’ve never stepped foot out of the capital until now, so I have no confidence in my stamina!” Valtos eagerly added.

“Ah. I stand corrected, then,” said Millis, nodding. “It seems Raid is still the only superhuman.”

Raid looked at them with an arched brow. “Dian was pretty tough. Aren’t you two the same?”

Alas, he was met with two identical grimaces—a very loud and resounding no.

Ariel cleared her throat. “I suppose the difference lies in the fact that you, Lord Raid, have inherited the true Hero’s power. It is just like how, with magicians, more mana directly translates to more power and more versatility.”

“Oh... Come to think of it, Dian was using some strange ability,” Raid recalled. “Was he using the Hero’s mana as magic or something?”

“Indeed. His ability is ‘distortion’—he can freely control the direction and momentum of his powers. You could see it as a sort of spell, but it hardly fits within the parameters of any known laws of magic, so we generally refer to them as ‘abilities.’”

“Does that mean you two have your own abilities too?”

“Yes. Mine is ‘transfiguration’—I can materialize mana into whatever form I wish. This works not only on my own mana but even polluted mana, so it was exceedingly useful for setting up temporary camps and defensive fronts out on the front lines. As for Valtos...”

“My ability is ‘metalization’! With my ironlike flesh, I can take a hit from a Calamity and escape unscathed. I can also transform anything I wish into a weapon!”

Ariel shot the man a withering look. “Or so he claims, but none of it has been verified as he’s never stepped foot outside the capital.”

“But of course!” Valtos puffed out his chest and held his head up high. “How could I, the crown prince, be lost in battle when I carry the hopes of our people?!”

Although Ariel seemed doubtful—and rightfully so—of Valtos’s capabilities, he had indeed survived a punch from Raid without so much as a scratch. At the very least, he didn’t seem to be lying about his ability.

That aside, these abilities were actually rather familiar to Raid. He was capable of grabbing and parrying magic with his bare hands, as he had done with Eluria’s magic frequently in the past; Fareg and the Guardian Dragons came up as more recent examples as well. He had even subconsciously created his old broadsword with his mana. So he couldn’t help but entertain the thought: Could these have been manifestations of Ariel’s “transfiguration,” the ability to materialize mana?

Raid had also learned to freely wield weapons during his time as a mercenary, then went on to wield the magic he had grabbed on the battlefield as if they were weapons—just as Valtos said his “metalization” ability allowed him to.

Perhaps this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that Raid had inherited the original Hero’s power—the root of the Heroes’ abilities. But if that were the case, then what exactly was the original Hero’s ability...?

“Attention, everyone! We’re ready to teleport!” Millis announced.

Raid shook his head, abandoning the line of thought in favor of approaching the girl. Beside her now stood a glowing portal. “Do we just step in here?”

“Yessiree! This is a simplified version of the teleportation gates set up in some cities, so it’s a little small, but this should take us straight to the headmaster’s office.”

“By the way, Millis... Have you ever cast teleportation magic before?”

“Not once. Why do you ask?”

Raid narrowed his eyes. “If I remember correctly...can’t a failed teleportation spell bury us alive?”

“You could just say that you doubt my skill, okay?!” Millis snapped. “I’ll have you know that Lady Eluria wrote the instructions for me, and I followed them to the letter!”

“Well...if you say so...”

“Why do you still look so reluctant?!” Millis groaned as she began pushing Raid toward the portal. “What kind of Hero is afraid of a fancy little door? Get in there and show us what you’re made of!”

Bright light flooded Raid’s vision until it slowly faded and settled back down. Before his eyes was a familiar room: the headmaster’s office. “Looks like...she’s not here,” he muttered.

“She must be in a meeting after all,” Millis agreed, stepping in after him with the rest of the group. “She’ll probably contact us once she sees our note. In the meantime, shall we kill some time in the city?”

“Hmmm... Let me think for a second.” Raid slowly walked around the room, checking the desk and shelves with narrowed eyes. “I’d like to get her permission before we walk around freely, especially since we’ve got people from the First World with us. Could you ring up the faculty room and ask where she is?”

“Roger that!” Millis placed her hand on the magic communicator on the headmaster’s desk and had a quick exchange with the staff. They placed her on hold for a while, then came back and ended the exchange.

“Sounds like she is in a meeting,” said Millis as she stepped away from the communicator. “They’ve told her that we’re back, and she said she’d contact us once the meeting is over. Until then, we’re free to do as we please.”

“I see... All right.” Raid let out a quiet, furtive sigh before once again turning to the rest of the group. “Well, it’s nice and all that we got permission to leave...but I was also hoping to ask Elise for your sightseeing funds.”

“Having her money snatched, on top of everything she already deals with? I feel like I can hear her wailing already,” Millis remarked with a dry chuckle. “Well, I suppose we can ask her for reimbursement later. For now, though, should we look for funds elsewhere?”

“Elsewhere?” Raid hummed. “Oh... You’re right. I know just the person who’d come running once he hears we’re back and give us some pocket money for the day.”

“Really? On such short notice?” Ariel looked a little surprised for a moment, then nodded. “I heard that Altane and the Hero’s existence were wiped from history in this world, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you have a sponsor, Lord Raid, given your superior capabilities.”

However, Raid waved his hand with a chuckle. “A sponsor? No, not really. He’s just a classmate in the Institute, the son of a wealthy aristocratic family, and my swordsmanship student.”

“Mm-hmm, I see... In our world, due to the advancements in machinery and magic, swordsmanship and other martial arts are now seen as no more than facets of spiritual training... It’s quite impressive of this young man to take to it despite coming from such a privileged background. Has he perhaps left his mark in our world’s history?”

“I don’t know if he left his name in the books, but he has left behind some descendants in the world.”

“Really?! Then I might have heard of them already! It would be an honor to meet the ancestor of such a respectable—”

“It’s you,” Raid cut in.

Ariel blinked. “Huh?”

“I’m talking about your ancestor, Ariel,” Raid continued with a smile. “Let’s go. It’s time to meet the one and only Fareg Verminant.”

◆

Fareg Verminant was by no means a prominent historical figure.

He had inherited his house at a young age only to bear the heavy sin of betraying their motherland. For that, he had distributed his family’s entire fortune and the rights to their businesses to the citizens, reducing the Verminants to aristocrats in nothing but name. Even then, he continued earning money through manabeast extermination and donated all his earnings to the people and the surrounding small nations.

He was a person of character through and through, but alas, the sin of betrayal loomed like a large shadow over the Verminants’ history—a stain in their otherwise righteous background as Vegaltan knights. Because of this, Fareg Verminant’s philanthropic exploits were known only within the Verminant house. To Ariel, at least, he was a respectable ancestor of hers...or so she had believed until this moment, as she watched that very ancestor bicker and argue with a snickering countryside girl.

“Why, you wretched bumpkin! Not only did you call me here out of the blue, but now you’re even demanding my money?!” screamed the red-haired boy, Fareg Verminant.

“Oh dear, what’s the matter, Fareg?” Millis cooed. “Don’t you still owe me? Hmm? The son of House Verminant should at least have a bit of money to his name, no?”

“Of course I do—it’s called an allowance! For me, one person—not a whole tour group!”

“Hmm? Are you sure? Come on, jump for me—I’d better not hear any coins jingling in those pockets!” Millis grabbed the boy’s collar while cackling villainously.

“Aaargh, I knew it! I never should’ve gotten your help back then!” Fareg wailed, desperately shaking his head.

Ariel watched the scene play out with a strange sense of detachment. Perhaps, she thought to herself, that boy wasn’t actually her ancestor. Perhaps it was all a silly little joke—a prank, even.

“Wow. On closer inspection, you guys really do look alike, from your hair color to your eyes,” Raid mused, mercilessly striking down her meager hope.

Ariel hung her head. “Oh... Yes, you’re right... We do look alike...”

“So, what’re your thoughts after meeting your ancestor?”

“He is very...lively and spirited...!” she gritted out, realizing she had never struggled to choose her words as much as she did now.

Raid nodded. Then, he turned his head and called, “Hey, kid. Come here for a sec.”

“Ohh, Freeden! It’s good to see you back!” Fareg jogged over to them with a smile.

“What’s this? You done calling me a peasant?” Raid teased.

“Well, I’ve recently learned that it’s not good to call my teacher such names!”

“I really wish you’d learned that much earlier in your life...” Raid deadpanned.

Fareg cleared his throat. “So, why did you call for me? Could it be that you’ve already heard of my great exploit? While you were all gone, I contributed significantly to the subjugation of an ultra-sized manabeast. Are you going to praise me for that?!”

“Huh. First I’ve heard of it. Anyway, more importantly...”

“‘More importantly’?! Is my heroic episode truly of such little significance?!”

“More importantly,” Raid repeated, pointing beside him, “your descendant is here with us. Don’t you have a few words for her, as her venerable ancestor?”

“My...descendant?” Fareg’s dubious gaze followed Raid’s pointed finger and landed on Ariel. After no more than a short pause, he burst into a bright smile and placed his hand firmly on her shoulder. “Aha, I see—a descendant of the respectable House Verminant! Sir Dian told me that the First World is currently a thousand years ahead of our timeline, but it comes as no surprise that our outstanding lineage survives to this day. After all, it can’t be easy to snuff out the type of talent and excellence that birthed me!”

Raid chuckled. “High praise from your ancestor. Good on you, Ariel.”

“Please, Lord Raid, I can’t take any more—I feel like crying! Learning that my respectable ancestor was actually much like a certain...clown prince is too much for me!”

“What did you just call me, Ariel?!” Valtos snapped.

“Hang on! You speak as if I’m not a respectable man!” Fareg pointed out, indignant. “Shouldn’t a descendant be more reverent of her ancestor?!”

“Oh?” Valtos turned to him, eyebrow raised. “You’re quite the clever young man. Indeed, lineage is the most important of all! Naturally, I deserve the most respect, for I am born of imperial blood!”

“I have no idea who you are, but I strongly agree. My descendant should respect me!”

Ariel held her head in her hands and cried, “Nooo! Now there are two idiots...!” The sight of her ancestor and the former crown prince linking shoulders was giving her a headache—as well as an irresistible urge to punch them both.

Fortunately, Raid went ahead and did it for her; he landed two iron fists on both their heads, then grabbed them by the back of their collars. “All right, that’s enough horsing around. We’ve still got a trip to make,” he said as he dragged them toward the magic automobile, where a familiar boy was waiting for them. “Lucas, could you load the girls’ luggage into the passenger compartment? I’ll sit in the luggage carrier with these two handfuls.”

“Roger that,” Lucas crowed as he spun around to the girls and gestured toward the passenger compartment. “Welcome, everyone! Please, make yourselves at home.”

“Thank you! Norn, Ariel, let’s get in,” Millis urged. “There are enough seats in here for us. As for the idiots, though... Well, I suppose they can have fun jostling about like baggage!”

Ariel staggered exhaustedly into the automobile. “Okay... I can finally rest at least...”

“Wow! It’s my first time riding something besides a cow or a horse!” Norn exclaimed.

With the girls seated and luggage loaded, the magic automobile set out on the road. Cradled by the gentle sway of the vehicle, Ariel eventually found her eyes drawn to the passing scenery outside: an endlessly blue stretch of sky, a field of verdant green dancing softly under the passing breeze, and a distant horizon lined with magnificent mountains. Their automobile drove along a neatly paved road, occasionally passing by houses. People were out and about—doing laundry, tending to their yard, and simply living their lives.

“It really is...the opposite of our world,” she muttered. There was no dense fog of polluted mana blanketing the surroundings, no contaminated clouds blocking out the sunlight, no barren desert ravaged by sandstorms, no warped and grotesque vegetation, no Calamities and Offspring prowling the lands. “How do I put this...? It’s so opposite, it almost feels...eerie.”

Norn hummed, cocking her head. “Really? Not for me, though. It must be because I’ve spent most of my life in Paradise. I’ve seen the outside world every now and then, but to me, this all just feels like...a bigger Paradise!”

“I suppose that would make sense for you, Lady Norn,” Ariel replied with a strained smile. “However, I spend most of the year staring out at the front lines of our polluted world.” This was how the world was supposed to be, and Norn and the people of this world were right to feel at home with it. Raid had been right on the nose; Ariel was simply far too accustomed to the disaster that was the First World, as unfortunate as that was.

“I wish that our world, too, will look as peaceful as this someday.” Ariel dreamed that the day would come when they would no longer need to use magic devices to protect themselves from polluted mana or stay on high alert at all times in fear of attacking monsters or spend their days trembling in terror, unable to sleep lest they see nightmares of their allies being devoured by the Calamities. As these feelings of hope blossomed within her, so did her gratitude for Raid, who had brought her along for this very purpose.

Ariel watched the passing scenery with a wistful smile on her lips until she was drawn from her reverie by a hearty laugh. When she turned her gaze back into the automobile, she found Millis puffing out her chest with a smug smirk on her face.

“We’re just getting started!” she declared. “You’d best prepare yourself, Ariel and Norn, for we are currently headed to the capital of Vegalta—the largest metropolis of the central continent!”

Ariel hummed. “In the First World, the only traces left of Vegalta are some old documents and records... I’m looking forward to seeing it as a prosperous nation.”

“Wooow! Does it have a super big castle?!” Norn asked.

Millis snickered darkly. “Oh, little Norn... Not only does it have a super big castle, it’s also filled with crowds upon crowds of people, the likes of which you’d never see out in the sticks! Boasting of the latest cutting-edge magical technology and ranking as the most popular sightseeing destination—here it is, the magnificent and glorious capital of Vegalta!”

With a bombastic swing of her arms, Millis drew their gazes to the window—and there, in the distance, was a vast city surrounded by looming walls with a spectacular castle standing proudly at the center. Instantly, Ariel’s and Norn’s eyes grew wide with wonder.

“Wow... It’s certainly quite impressive,” Ariel remarked. “The architecture has such a traditional, classical charm to it... How fascinating!”

“The buildings remind me of the antiques granny showed me before!” Norn crowed.

Millis froze, blinking widely at the two. “Huh...? That...wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.”

“N-No, well, you see... The city looks wonderful, yes, but this is millennia-old architecture to us,” Ariel sheepishly explained. “It feels very...mystical, yes! It triggers a strong sense of nostalgia!”

“I liked the iron castle in the imperial capital, but this one reminds me a lot more of the brick houses back at home!”

Millis clutched at her chest and gritted her teeth. “The metropolis I looked up to all my life...is on par with a rural brick house to Norn?!” Each well-intentioned remark from the First Worlders stabbed deeper and deeper into her poor hillbilly heart.

Just then, Raid poked his head in from the luggage carrier. “Why’re you so surprised? Their world is a thousand years ahead of ours,” he reminded her. “Norn may have lived in Paradise all her life, but Altanian machinery had already propagated throughout the continent by the time they isolated themselves. She’s used to the magic devices and machines in her village.”

“Grrr... Okay, fine, I admit I was impressed by those ‘chainsaws’ and ‘cultivators’ in Paradise, but still...!”

“Actually, won’t they be more blown away by the food?” Raid asked. “All they have in the First World are canned goods and light seasoning, right?”

“Yes, well, we have very little land to work with...” Ariel sighed. “We have potatoes, beans, and some vegetables, but the flavor is mostly processed into the food, then supplemented afterward with nutrients. We do have some livestock—such as cows and pigs—only for the privileged class, though.”

“We also usually eat veggies in Paradise,” Norn added. “I don’t get to eat meat very often.”

“Really?” Raid smiled. “Then you’d best get your fill while you’re here. We can grab some skewers from the food stalls.”

Instantly, Ariel snapped her head up. “S-Skewers...from food stalls?! A-And do you mean real meat, and not protein made with soy?!”

“Are those chicken skewers? Or can we eat pork and beef too? Are they grilled?!” Norn’s eyes began to sparkle. “We only eat those during the annual festival in Paradise!”

Raid nodded. “Chicken, pork, beef—take your pick. You can have it all.”

“H-How could this be...?” Ariel grabbed her head like she’d been assaulted with a sudden dizzy spell. “I’ve only ever eaten real meat once in my life, when I first became a Hero. Since then, I’ve been craving it—seeing it in my dreams, even—and you’re telling me I can now have as much as I want?!”

“We usually process and preserve our meat; grilling it is such a luxury!” Norn shouted. “The way it falls apart when you bite, and the juices spread through your mouth... Can you really eat that every day here? I’m so jealous!”

Raid turned to Millis with a smirk. “See? Told you so.”

“Whaaat...? My urban dreams lost to some meat? Really? Boo...”

Millis hung her head and slumped her shoulders, utterly defeated by the sparkling gazes on Ariel’s and Norn’s faces. Alas, it seemed that enjoying delicious food was a universal experience no matter the world.

◆

A week had passed since Raid departed for the Second World with some of their companions. Today, Eluria stood before Alma, Wisel, Ryatt, and Tiana in the meeting room, her features set with a touch of nerves.

“We will now commence the meeting for Operation Become the Best Bride,” she announced. “First on the agenda is...this.” She set a plate on the center of the table for everyone to see.

Wisel leaned over for a closer look. “Is that...eggs Benedict?”

“Mm-hmm. I consulted Nivera, Vance’s subordinate in the logistics squad, and learned that Raid had this for breakfast once and really enjoyed it. After that, he’d frequently order it as a light snack between meals.”

Ryatt nodded. “His Excellency was very busy. Hence, he took to light snacks such as sandwiches, for example, which he could consume during his work hours or while he was on the move.”

“And that’s why I also prepared a chicken sandwich and some jerky,” Eluria added, setting additional plates onto the table, “made with no less than the meat of a mythical glutamina bird, a top-tier ingredient that can only be found by asking for its location from another manabeast known as a mystical delish bird.” Eluria straightened her back, folded her arms, and narrowed her eyes. “Now...please give it a try.”

The four meeting participants—or rather, taste testers—gulped under Eluria’s silent pressure and silently reached for their meals. Nothing but the clinking of utensils filled the air for a while as they all took the time to savor and chew their food. Once they finished and swallowed, they looked at one another and nodded.

“Hmm... It’s very easy to eat,” Wisel commented. “The food of this world isn’t very strong on seasoning, yet the eggs are thick and the bacon’s saltiness is just right.”

“I procured the bacon from the residents of Paradise. The eggs were from the delish,” Eluria explained. “Apparently, glutaminas and delishes are antagonistic species. When I asked the delish where I could get some good meat, it told me, ‘You’ll get some good grub outta that cocky rascal, I reckon. Tell ya what—I’ll give ya his location and toss in summa my eggs to boot, so how ’bout ya spare me, eh?’”

“I don’t know which is more surprising, that a bird can speak or that it’s such a scumbag...” Wisel deadpanned.

“They’re just like the rithmoles—manabeasts with exceptional intelligence. They survive by selling out their enemies. But...”—Eluria cocked her head—“it turns out the glutaminas know that the delishes are giving away their location, so whenever one of them is hunted down, they retaliate by attacking the delishes in turn.”

“What a vengeful food chain...!” Wisel exclaimed, aghast.

“Tastes good to me,” Alma added. “It’s not like you’re bad at cooking, Eluria, and I’m sure His Excellency would be happy with anything you make.”

“I concur,” said Ryatt. “His Excellency is not picky with the taste; he places more importance on the chef. I am certain he would be happy with anything Lady Eluria cooks.”

“Mm... Then I should ask Vance for more recipes and expand my repertoire,” Eluria decided. “Tiana, any input?”

“Urgh...” Tiana sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes as she gripped a sandwich in her hands. “My apologies, Lady Eluria... I am just so moved to have the honor of tasting your cooking...!”

Eluria nodded. “It looks like Tiana won’t be any help, so let’s move on to the next agenda item,” she said, swiftly ignoring her disciple—quite the cruel response, but she wasn’t going to become the best bride by dawdling. “I want to confirm Raid’s hobbies. Felius interviewed the brigade members and reported that Raid used to spend most of his nonwork hours maintaining his weapon and conversing with his subordinates or the locals.”

“Correct,” Ryatt affirmed. “His Excellency places great importance on socializing, and as a result, he possesses a vast pool of knowledge and hobbies. He even lends his ear to his subordinates’ concerns—truly an exceptional superior.”

“Mm-hmm. Keep praising him. It makes me happy.”

“But of course. I can sing His Excellency’s praises for three days and three nights if need be.”

“Wonderful. Ten out of ten.”

Alma blinked. “Hang on a second,” she said, a hint of dread growing in her voice. “If we put these two in a room together, would they just create an endless spring of compliments for His Excellency?”

“Hush, Instructor Alma. We should lie low, then find our chance to escape,” whispered Wisel.

“I’ve detected two flight risks, so let’s return to the matter at hand,” Eluria said, her cheeks puffed up indignantly. She knew she was taking up their time, but did they have to act like she was holding them hostage? “For starters, I’d like to confirm if Raid and I have any shared hobbies.”

“Understood. May I ask what your hobbies are?”

“Reading, taking naps, going for walks, and researching magic.”

“I believe everything excluding ‘taking naps’ are a match. His Excellency enjoys every type of reading material, so I am certain he would accept any recommendation you have to offer. He has also always been interested in magic.”

“Hmm... I want you to elaborate on why naps are excluded.”

“His Excellency requires far less sleep compared to the average person. He sleeps for three hours at most. Most of the time, he simply shuts his eyes for ten minutes during breaks.”

“By the way, I usually sleep for eight hours and take one-hour naps.”

“How very healthy of you, Lady Eluria,” Ryatt remarked. “In any case, His Excellency does enjoy spending his time peacefully, so the most effective course of action may be for you to recommend him some books to read while you’re enjoying your nap.”

“Okay. In that case, I’ll try taking my nap after we read together.” Eluria nodded, greatly satisfied with Ryatt’s work. He wasn’t Raid’s right-hand man for nothing.

Tiana meekly raised her hand. “Er, Lady Eluria, may I say something?”

“Mm. Permission granted.”

“Firstly, we all know that Lord Freeden is much younger now.”

“Mm-hmm. He’s the same on the inside, but physically he’s much younger.”

“The times have also changed. From food culture to entertainment—Alma has told me how much more there is now compared to the past.”

“That’s true. There are a lot more things to do and enjoy now.”

“So, with regards to Lord Freeden’s food preferences and hobbies... The members of the brigade, Ryatt included, accompanied the Hero during his later years. In which case, the information they possess would also have been gathered when he was older.”

Eluria squinted. “Which is to say...?”

“Is it not possible that his preferences have changed since then?”

Eluria slumped in defeat. “So all I’ve achieved is learning some new recipes...”

“I-It’s just a possibility! It could have not changed too!” Tiana hurriedly added, flailing her arms around in a panic.

Regardless, she wasn’t wrong to point that out. Physical changes could affect one’s personal preferences, and not to mention, Raid’s lifestyle had changed greatly since he was reincarnated. Eluria could ask Raid’s current family about his new lifestyle, but as for his preferences during his youth, she would have to ask someone who knew him during that time in his life.

“Ryatt, did any of the brigade members know Raid well during his youth?”

“I am afraid not... His Excellency organized the Special Combined Forces right before he entered his thirties. Anyone who knew him before then—or even during its formation period—would have already retired by...” Ryatt trailed off before quietly gasping. “Pardon me. I believe there is one member who meets the criteria. He has been under His Excellency’s command since before the formation of the Special Combined Forces and likely spent much time with him during his youth.”

“Mm... Are you talking about Blofeld?”

“Yes. He was a criminal—the leader of a large bandit group that attempted an invasion of Altane—who was subjugated by His Excellency. As his reward, His Excellency requested the previous emperor for their custody and placed them under his command. From my knowledge, this was the beginning of the Special Combined Forces.”

“I see... Ms. Alma, can you summon Blofeld?”

“Aye aye,” Alma drawled, turning her gaze to her magic gear. “Blofeld, you got a sec?”

“Yeaaah!” came a spirited yell from within the flag. “There’s gotta be a fight this time, right? Right?!”

“Ugh, do you always have to speak so loud? I feel like my ears are gonna bleed.”

“Bah ha ha ha! A big guy’s gonna have a big voice! What can I do about it?!”

“‘Big guy,’ my foot. You literally have no physical form right now...”

As Blofeld’s boisterous voice resounded through the meeting room, Eluria leaned forward and said, “Long time no talk, Blofeld.”

“Oh? I know that voice! It’s the silver kiddo!”

“That nickname takes me back,” Eluria mused.

“Bah ha ha ha! ’Cause you’re so used to being called the Sage now, eh? And to think you used to roll around in the mud with us just decades ago!”

“That was when I was just a grunt. Then I beat you up a ton with magic, and I eventually managed to rise in the ranks. So, thanks for that.”

“Am I supposed to say ‘you’re welcome’?! Ah well, I guess it’s all good! Your fifty-year-long fight was what little entertainment I had in our shitty world, after all! Bah ha ha!”

A smile formed on Eluria’s lips as her mind wandered to the past. No ordinary person could contend against Blofeld, given his extraordinary size. Before the Magic Regiment was formed, Eluria had often stepped up to face off against him—at a time when she had been known not as the Sage or even for her magic, but as no more than “an elf with powerful magecraft.” Thinking back now, she and Blofeld truly went way back.

“Anyway,” she continued. “Blofeld, I want to ask you something.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“I want to know more about what Raid was like around the time we first met. What he liked, how he spent his time—stuff like that.”

Eluria’s question was met with a bout of silence—one so sudden and jarring, it was hard to imagine Blofeld had been talking nonstop just moments ago. When he finally spoke again, his voice came out in a startlingly deep and curt tone: “I refuse.”

Ryatt furrowed his brow. “Blofeld,” he said, a stern undertone to his voice. “Our brigade serves the Hero and the Sage. Refusing to answer Lady Eluria’s question is a strict violation of—”

“So what?” Blofeld cut in. “Neither you nor the silver kiddo are the boss of me. My only superior is Raid Freeden. If you’re not asking me to fight, then I’ve got no reason to comply.”

Alas, it seemed even Raid’s most trusted adjutant was met with a clear-cut rejection. Looking back, when Alma had summoned the captains of the Special Combined Forces on the day Raid and their companions had left, Blofeld had not been very active in sharing information. The most he had said was that he didn’t know much.

“Anyway, you ain’t gettin’ any answers from me. I only listen to those I’ve acknowledged. If you really wanna get me to listen, then you’ll have to make me. How ’bout it, Silver Witch?”

Even through the magic gear, a heavy weight carried across on Blofeld’s voice. With those words alone, Eluria immediately understood what she needed to do. She nodded firmly. “All right. It’s been a while since we last did this.”

“Bah ha ha! You sure are quick on the uptake! Guess you really are much older than you look!”

Eluria pouted. “I’m a human now. I’m exactly as old as I look.” Then, she smoothed her expression and affixed her gaze upon Alma’s flag. “Blofeld—I challenge you to a duel.”

◆

Sometime after the group arrived at Vegalta’s capital, Ariel was standing by the side of the road with a look of pure bliss on her face and a juicy skewer in hand.

“Ahhh... Real meat is the best...” she said around a mouthful of beef. “So juicy... So sweet... So yummy...”

“Mmngh... Grilled meat is the best,” Norn agreed.

Millis shot them both a look of concern. “Is it just me, or have Ariel and Norn just been repeating the same lines for a while now?”

“Can you blame them? They’ve rarely had food this good,” Raid reminded her. “Ariel, Norn, just take your time and enjoy. We’ll wait until you’re finished.”

“Here, have some drinks too!” Millis offered Ariel a cup of juice.

“Thank you so much...!” Ariel sniffled and took a sip from the cup. “Ahhh... Juice is the best...”

“Aaand there she goes again... Has her vocabulary regressed to that of a child’s?”

“As she is now, she definitely looks like she’d follow a stranger for food...”

“I-I would never, not even for food!” Ariel indignantly shouted as she continued sipping on her juice. Unlike in the First World, where juice was artificially flavored and colored, juice here was filled with natural sweet and sour flavors that could only come from fresh fruits.

In any case, Ariel and Norn weren’t the only ones going crazy over this world’s food.

“Fareg! I demand another sausage and beer!” Valtos exclaimed with a hearty laugh. “None of that wretched ‘hot dog’—it is far too plebeian to eat with my hands! But the sausage—that was truly delectable!”

“Stop treating me as an errand boy! I am the son of House Verminant!” Fareg snapped.

“And I am the crown prince of Altane! It only stands to reason that you obey my commands, no? Ha ha ha!”

“Freeden told me that you’re no more than a civilian now! In that case, I—an aristocrat—am above you in status!”

“Hah! Then let us duel for superiority! Whoever can eat the most sausages shall be above the other!”

“And you want me to pay for all that with my allowance?!”

“Hey, keep it down over there,” Millis called, waving the scepter in her hand. “Keep making a ruckus and you’re in for a shock, hmm?”

Although she just issued him a warning, Valtos hadn’t actually been causing them as many problems as they had expected. At most, he was keeping himself busy frolicking with Fareg. Much like with Ariel and Norn, the food of the Second World had greatly piqued his interest.

Raid approached Fareg and asked, “Kid, how much have you spent so far?”

“How much...? Well, thanks to that gluttonous alcoholic over there, at least one month’s worth of my allowance has gone up in smoke!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll reimburse you for Ariel and Norn’s costs.”

“But not the guy who’s spent most of my money?!”

“Oh, of course, he’ll shoulder his own costs—right, Valtos?” Raid wore a bright smile as he grabbed Valtos’s shoulder in a vise grip. “You’re going to work for everything you’ve eaten and drunk here, yeah?”

Valtos scoffed. “Must I remind you again that I am the crown prince? The food and drink I’ve consumed today would hardly make a dent in my treasury of—”

“And might I remind you that you’re an ordinary civilian without a single coin to his name?”

Valtos blinked. “What?”

“The previous emperor—your father—took everything of value with him to Paradise,” Raid told him. “The contract also states that anything left behind now belongs to the Lambut family. So you’re quite literally broke.”

“Do you mean to say that the gold I’d hidden in my closet has also been taken?!”

“Oh. Guess I gotta confiscate that when we get back.”

“Ack! I messed up! Noooo!” Valtos held his head and fell to his knees.

“So, seeing as you’ve got no money to your name, how ’bout you earn some by contributing as a Hero in our operation?”

“Urgh... But I am the crown prince!”

“Sure...” Raid shot him a dry look. “Unfortunately for you, you’re nothing but an ordinary civilian and a penniless debtor.”

“Nooooo! I’ve gained yet another shameful appellation!”

Raid shrugged. “I guess your debt isn’t so grand that you couldn’t just refuse to pay it at all. But then you’d be leaving your name in the books as a cowardly prince who ran from a debt he’d incurred with someone of lower status.”

“Do you think a proud member of the Altanian imperial family would bear such a disgrace to his name?!”

“Oh?” Raid slung his arm over Valtos’s shoulder with a grin. “So what you’re trying to say is that you will contribute to the operation!”

“To flee in shame or defend my honor in battle... Are those truly my only options?!” Valtos gritted his teeth, cornered like a mouse.

Ariel had heard that Raid was adept at handling troublesome characters such as Valtos, and she was now witnessing it with her own eyes. He clearly knew Valtos’s personality and how to corner his type.

Finally, after much internal struggle, Valtos released a heavy sigh. “Very well... I shall fight on the front lines as one of the Heroes...”

“It’s about time,” said Raid.

“I stand by that I was unjustly cornered into this... However, I am not as foolish as I may seem.” Valtos furrowed his brow, a solemn look in his eyes. “I was ordered not only to protect my ancestor, His Majesty the Emperor Viteos, but also to live as Altane’s Hero, the future ruler of our nation, and a symbol of hope for the people. If I were to fall, then the citizens would be left in despair as they await their deaths... Some may even succumb to despair and end their lives before the world itself falls to ruin.”

The Heroes were the last hope of humanity. Nauvis Videre, the fiftieth Hero, had given his life to remove the Demon Lord from this world. But in exchange, he, too, had disappeared, leaving the world with neither its greatest enemy nor its greatest hope. Faced with a world rife with Calamities and no Hero to save them, many people had crumbled under the looming despair and taken their own lives. Valtos, being a Hero and a ruler of imperial blood, could inspire within his people the strength they needed to fight till the bitter end.

“It was imperative for me to simply continue being the Hero and crown prince. The masses may mock me for being a mere decorative ruler...but the sight of my lavish lifestyle may yet grant them a sense of relief amid our harsh reality.” Valtos quietly raised his head, revealing a self-deprecating smile on his face. “But now, the empire is gone, a new hope is born, and the people can look to a future that is well within their grasp. I am not so cowardly as to insist...that a decorative ruler is still needed in such a world.” Valtos’s expression brightened into his usual confident smile. “For I am the crown prince, the Hero...as well as the hope of humanity, am I not?”

Faced with such a raw and sincere confession, Raid felt a small smile tug on his lips. “Actually,” he said, “you’re just a hopelessly broke civilian who’s still got a debt to pay.”

“You dare stain my wonderful resolve with such a shameful appellation?!”

“Besides,” Raid continued, “you will actually be contributing something to our forces, not that I can say I’m expecting great things from you either, what with your pathetically meager practical combat experience. At most, I’d assign you grunt-level tasks.”

“You mean to say I cannot even make my stunning debut as a Hero on the battlefield?!”

“Eh. Maybe after you prove yourself as a grunt.”

“Gaaah! Does that mean that on top of being a broke and indebted civilian, I even have to work as a common soldier? Perhaps I should have remained a decorative ruler after all...!”

But as Valtos hung his head in dismay, a small, furtive smile appeared on Raid’s face. The criteria for compatibility with the Hero spell had yet to be determined, but a point of similarity across all Heroes was their tendency toward selfless acts and sometimes even self-sacrifice. Although Valtos had been artificially selected as a Hero through Viteos’s inhumane schemes, and there were many who’d proven more worthy than him before they were eliminated, the fact remained that Valtos had eventually been bestowed the Hero’s power—and the reason for this, Raid felt he’d finally seen from Valtos’s somber confession.

Ariel had also picked up on Raid’s thoughts. She had never thought about how Valtos felt about his role as a Hero. He was naturally arrogant and self-centered, yes, but today she felt like she could finally relate with him in some small way—and it was all thanks to Raid’s deep understanding of the Heroes that he was able to draw that part of Valtos to the surface.

“Ariel,” Raid called. “Feel free to treat Valtos as you would a common soldier.”

“Understood. I suppose he would be useful as a shield on the front lines or as a decoy during retreat.”

“Are those really my only two uses?! A meat shield or a decoy?!”

“Blame your life of indolence in the capital,” Ariel said with a bright smile. “Dian and I have been working on the front lines for years. It’s high time you make up for all the load we’ve carried in your stead.”

“Ack... There goes my gallant battlefield debut!” Once again, Valtos slumped in defeat.

Raid shook his head. As they said, what goes around comes around. All the time he’d spent leisurely was now coming back to bite him from behind, and very rightfully so.

“Hmm?” Fareg suddenly looked up. “Excuse me, I have a call to take.” He took some distance from the group while taking out a magic device from his pocket. After a short exchange, he walked back with a mystified look on his face. “Freeden... My father just called, but...”

“Oh? Is he finally disowning you?”

“Do you think I’d report that to you?!”

“I’m just messing with you. So, what’s up?”

“He said he wants to welcome you back and is inviting you to our estate. Apparently, the headmaster is still busy at the moment.”

Raid narrowed his eyes. “Ah... I see,” he muttered, nodding. “Millis, no response yet from Elise?”

“Hmm... Nope, none. Shall I try again?”

“Yeah, please. If she doesn’t respond, we’ll head straight for the Verminant estate, so go and buy whatever else you want to while you can.”

“Oh, oh! I still want to try a ‘crepe’!” Norn said.

“As do I!” Valtos added.

“My wallet keeps getting lighter and lighter...!” Fareg wailed. Alas, he was seized from both sides by the duo and dragged to the food stalls.

Meanwhile, Millis had just returned her communicator to her pocket. “Nope. Still not connecting.”

Raid shrugged. “Figured.”

“What? Then why did you ask me to try again?”

“Just to be sure.” Raid waved his hand with a wry smile. “Well, they still let us go around the city... From the looks of things, it shouldn’t turn out badly.”

Ariel sensed something was off about Raid’s behavior, and it didn’t take long for her to figure out why. “Lord Raid... Are we perhaps causing you trouble?” To the people of this world, Ariel, Norn, and Valtos were essentially invaders. Normally, they would’ve been apprehended and detained upon arrival, even if they came in with Raid and Millis.

Surprisingly, Raid swiftly shook his head. The slight tension in his features was gone too. “Oh, well, that may be one of the reasons, but no—this is actually about me, not you. Don’t sweat it.”

“About...you?”

“Well, long story short, I’m in a bit of a...weird position in this world. So, whatever’s happening has probably got to do with me. If anything, you’re the ones getting dragged into my business.” With a strained smile, Raid gave Ariel a pat on the shoulder. “All right. Let’s wait for them in the automobile, shall we?”

Ariel and Millis got into the automobile after Raid. Soon, Norn and Valtos returned, carrying more food in their arms. Once everyone was seated, the magic automobile departed.

“Ariel, look—this is a ‘crepe’!” said Norn, handing her one of the food packages. “The old man running the shop said it’s a dessert filled with strawberry and cream!”

Ariel accepted it with a smile. “Thank you very much, Lady Norn.”

“Hey, lad! Do you see this? You can order it with meat too! Truly delectable!” Valtos crowed.

Fareg slumped over, completely drained. “Good for you... I’ve never seen anyone eat ten crepes in one sitting. Are you even digesting everything properly?”

“But of course! My stomach is endless, for I am the crown prince!”

“What does being the crown prince have to do with your stomach...?”

Fareg and Valtos’s bickering carried into the passenger compartment from the luggage carrier. All the while, Raid sat quietly in his seat, swaying along with the automobile.

Concern budded in Ariel’s chest at the sight—

“Ahh... So sweet... So yummy...”

“Oh! Ariel, you got some cream on your cheek!”

—but more prominent yet was her contentment from eating the delicious snack in her hands. Truly, sweets were the quickest way to a brighter mood.

Millis hummed. “Come to think of it... Fareg, did you tell your father that we were back?”

“No, I left the estate as soon as I got your message. I told Valk to prepare to welcome you all back, so perhaps she informed my father along the way.”

“Ah, so there must be a ‘welcome home’ banner waiting for us in the estate...”

“What? How did you know?! It was supposed to be a surprise!”

“Well, we appreciate the sentiment,” she said with an awkward smile. Then, she cocked her head. “Anyway, since you didn’t tell him, maybe the people in the Institute did for us?”

Eventually, the magic automobile stopped in front of an extravagant mansion with a vast yard, incomparable in size and scale to the estates they’d seen along the way. The lavish scenery, however, was currently filled with quite the number of patrolling knights.

Fareg squinted. “What...?”

“Hmm? What’s the matter, Fareg?” asked Millis.

“Those are...House Verminant’s magic knights.”

“Ohh! I’ve heard stories about them.”

“They are composed of the cream of the crop among the first-class magicians and are regularly dispatched to subjugate large-sized manabeasts. During festivities, they are even entrusted with the safety of the royal family and other VIPs...” Fareg trailed off. “But why are they all here?”

“I mean, they’re your family’s knights, aren’t they? I suppose your father called for them,” Millis said.

“No... He doesn’t usually summon them to the estate. Meetings are conducted in the magicians’ garrison near the royal capital.” His narrowed gaze cautiously scanned the knights. “Father has never gathered them here in our estate. Just what—”

“Oh,” Raid said, speaking up for the first time since they got in the automobile. “They’re probably here for me.”

Before Fareg could say anything in response, Raid alighted from the luggage carrier and headed straight toward the front door—until the knights suddenly pointed all their weapons at him. He halted his steps, natural and unfazed, as he raised both hands up with a wry smile on his face.

“Don’t look so tense now; I’m not going to do anything. I’d appreciate if I could talk to your superior, though...”

“That would be me,” said a man as he cut through the crowd of knights. He appeared to be in the prime of his life, and his hair was a very distinct shade of red.

Fareg immediately burst out of the magic automobile and yelled, “Father! What is the meaning of this?!”

“Calm down, kid,” Raid said. “He was just about to explain, wasn’t he?”

“Indeed, Sir Freeden,” replied the man. “I, Martis Verminant, have been issued a directive by His Majesty the King of Vegalta...” As his solemn voice boomed across the front yard, Martis narrowed his eyes into a cold gaze and declared, “Raid Freeden, you are hereby detained under suspicion of subversion of the state and incitement of foreign threat.”

Chapter Three

The day after Eluria challenged Blofeld to a duel, she found a spot for their battle in the plains outside the imperial capital. “Mm, good. This should be far enough from any people or structures.”

Alma walked up beside her looking exasperated. “Eluria, are you seriously doing this? I mean, it’s nice of you to find an isolated spot for the battle...but is this even necessary?”

“It is,” she replied firmly. “You see, when mercenaries and bandits are without their leader and cannot come to a consensus, they make a decision via a duel. Where they come from, the strong rule over the weak.” Bandits were lawless and selfish by nature—they were most likely to submit to the strong, as opposing someone you couldn’t beat was the most foolish way to die.

However, the most important detail was the fact that Blofeld had called Eluria the “Silver Witch.” That had been her nickname among the Altanian soldiers before she’d come to be known as the Sage, at a time when she and Raid were only starting to hear about one another and—if her memory served her right—when Blofeld was still active as a bandit. This had led her to believe that Blofeld was proposing a duel.

Alma waved her hand with a groan. “That’s not what I mean. Why don’t you just ask His Excellency himself? You can’t tell me that’d be harder than going through all this, right?”

“Mm-hmm... Raid would probably tell me if I asked.”

“Then—”

“But,” Eluria cut in, her gaze sharp and unreadable, “I don’t think...I should make him talk about this.”

Alma narrowed her eyes. Sensing something more behind Eluria’s words, she let out a sigh and decided to back down. “Fine. I’ll summon Blofeld and leave.”

“Okay. Blofeld and I will be beating each other up, so get ready to chug like your life depends on it.”

“And that’s why I really didn’t want this to go through...” Alma grumbled. “I’m sure Lady Tiana’s gonna force it down my throat no matter what... I might as well find somewhere to get comfy.” She spun on her heel and walked away while waving her hand.

Finally, once Alma’s figure disappeared into the distance, particles of light converged into a much larger figure that loomed over Eluria. “Bah ha ha! What a great day for a fight!” Blofeld’s voice boomed raucously across the plains. He hefted an axe—much larger than a house—over his shoulder and looked down at Eluria with a fearless grin. “Come at me, silver kiddo! I’ve been waiting far too long now!”

Eluria quietly looked up at the large man for a moment. “Blofeld.”

“What?! You’re not backing out this late into the game, are you?!”

“We’re the only ones here,” she said, smiling. “You can drop the act now.”

Blofeld’s smile froze, twitching once, before it swiftly fell from his face. “Are you sure?” he quietly asked.

“Mm-hmm. I told everyone else not to come.”

“Oh yeah? Guess I can put this away, then.” With a grin, Blofeld swung his axe into the ground and plopped down beside it with a heavy thud. Legs crossed and cheek resting on his fist, he slightly hunched his back to be on eye level with Eluria. “Whew... Been a while since I got to be myself.”

“You haven’t told the truth even to your squadmates?”

“I mean, I’ve been acting this way since my bandit days because everyone always expects ‘great things’ from a descendant of the giants... I’m kinda embarrassed to stop after all this time.” Blofeld let out a yawn as he lazily scratched his stomach.

Nobody would have thought this was the same man who was constantly rampaging through every battlefield he could find. Regardless, these were the true colors of the human named Blofeld.

“Ugh... Seriously, what a pain. People used to mock me for being too tame despite my size, and some even called me a monster and threw rocks at me... Then, when I started acting more like a giant—well, whatever they thought a giant was like, anyway—bandits and ruffians started hanging around me until I somehow ended up their leader...” Blofeld sighed. “I just wanted to live in the countryside among the cattle and livestock...”

“You’ve tried to live in isolation before, haven’t you? But then you were mistaken for a large-sized manabeast.”

“Oh, you remember that story? I told you that back when I first challenged you to a ‘duel’ during my time as a prisoner of war in Vegalta, didn’t I? The Sage’s memory sure is impressive.”

“Mm-hmm. By the way, don’t you want to have your herbal drink?”

“Oh, can I? I thought it might be bad manners, since we’re talking and all, but if you say so...” Blofeld took what appeared to be a large alcohol bottle by his waist and began chugging it. Nobody would think that it contained an herbal drink to soothe his throat. “Man, it’s so tough shouting all the time. My poor throat. Ha ha!”

Blofeld had always been a pacifist. Alas, born as an atavist, he had manifested the large build of his distant ancestral giant bloodline and was thus driven from his hometown. From there, he’d lived a life of persecution until he began to abide by people’s expectations. Bold, crass, loud, violent—by playing the role of a “giant” as the people around him expected, he was finally able to protect himself.

Ultimately, it led to him attracting the unsavory crowd, becoming their leader, and even launching an invasion on Altane—only because he couldn’t bear to let his followers starve to death when they all looked to him for guidance. The misdeeds they’d conducted—theft and plunder, for instance—were undeniable, but Blofeld had forbidden his followers from taking human lives unless their own lives were threatened. He’d even promised them that he would personally deal with any officials who’d come after them.

Ironically, letting all their victims go only spread their infamy further. More and more bandits came seeking protection, dragging him deeper and deeper into the bandit life as well as his role as their giant leader. Blofeld’s life truly was a never-ending series of misfortune—a painful life story that he likely couldn’t bear to share with others, given his kindhearted nature.

“So,” Blofeld continued, “you said you wanted to know more about Raid back in the day?”

“Mm-hmm. You’re a very kind person. Since you asked for a private conversation, it must be because you don’t want to make Raid talk about it or for others to hear, right?”

“Pretty much... Also, I feel like I might cry, and I wouldn’t want anyone to see that.” Blofeld tugged his lips into a strained smile, but it didn’t last long. Soon, his expression darkened as he muttered, “You see, back then...Raid was killing people left and right.”

Blofeld took another swig of his herbal drink before continuing. “He became an imperial soldier because the previous emperor—Viteos’s father—took a liking to him. But make no mistake, that guy wasn’t interested in Raid’s military feats. No, his eyes were just twinkling at the ‘fascinating monster’ that appeared in his domain. He treated Raid like an exotic beast and threw him out into the battlefield so he could kill more and more people.”

From how he spoke, Eluria had a feeling that Raid had been sent to subjugate Blofeld’s bandit group simply because the previous emperor had wanted to see a “monster” and a “giant” fight it out.

“Raid probably had us pardoned and placed under his command because he was getting sick and tired of all the killing back then,” Blofeld continued. “He never said it outright, of course, and he came up with a bunch of other excuses during the hearing...but after the previous emperor heard about it, he started throwing all sorts of dirty work at Raid.”

Eluria frowned. “Dirty work?”

“Oh, you know... Criminal execution, political purging, mercy killing injured gladiators—the works. Not the type of thing you’d nominate a specific soldier for, no, but the previous emperor didn’t care; he shoved it all onto Raid anyway.”

“Why didn’t Raid refuse...?”

“I never asked, but I do have a hunch... His guardian at the time was an Altanian researcher, and the previous emperor had implicitly threatened to cut funding and support. Raid was indebted to that researcher—even praised their research to the skies—so he probably couldn’t refuse.”

When Blofeld looked back, Raid was clearly far more knowledgeable than the ordinary soldier. From retrieving Vegaltan magic devices and studying them to raising impoverished villages to be self-sufficient—his feats weren’t achievable simply by reading books as a hobby. With a researcher as his guardian, Raid had probably had many chances to involve himself in deeper studies, which would explain his vast pool of knowledge.

“It was the same out on the field,” Blofeld continued. “Enemy soldiers went without saying, but even his fellow soldiers who were injured or had violated the rules... His shitty superiors would order him to kill them, saying, ‘It’s His Majesty’s orders,’ while laughing their butts off.” Blofeld’s features warped in distaste as he clicked his tongue. “But Raid was just as annoying as them. I tried protesting once, when it was one of my bandits who’d committed the violation—I said I’d do the execution as my man’s superior. But Raid, that idiot... He just smiled and said, ‘It’s okay. I’m more used to it,’ and went on to do the deed himself...”

Raid had known that Blofeld was a pacifist at heart, and so he’d decided to take on the dirty work himself.

“He’s...such an idiot,” Blofeld gritted out between his teeth. “He’s the biggest goddamned idiot...I’ve ever met!” Tears began welling up in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. “He was always plagued by nightmares of the people he killed... In his sleep, he would call out their names and apologize over and over... It got to the point where he was too afraid to sleep, but even then, he kept shouldering everything by himself just because he didn’t want anyone else to dirty their hands... He’s the biggest, most infuriating idiot in the entire world!”

Eluria had only ever seen Raid asleep a few times, only enough to count on both hands—far too little, even considering their different lifestyles. Of these few times, she’d never witnessed him tossing and turning from a nightmare, but she could imagine that his current tendency toward minimal sleep was something that had stuck with him from his early years in his past life...all the way to the present, where he’d reincarnated into a new body altogether.

“That’s why I swore to stick with him forever,” Blofeld said. “I’m a pathetic excuse for an adult who made a kid do his dirty work for him...but there had to be something I could do to lessen that idiot’s burden!” Thus, Blofeld continued being a “giant.” He buried his cowardly self and stood in front of everyone else on the battlefield in the hopes of shouldering at least some of Raid’s burdens. “Because, despite everything...” Even with tears streaming down his face, Blofeld stretched his lips into a wide and toothy grin and said, “We love that idiot with every fiber of our being.”

Such was the sentiment shared by the entire Special Combined Forces. No matter how they met him or the nuances in their dynamics, each member of the Special Combined Forces chose to follow and support Raid Freeden because he was their Hero.

“Supporting him was the best we could do... But you, kiddo—I’m sure you can stand right by his side. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather entrust him to.”

“Mm-hmm. Whenever Raid has to shoulder something, I’ll be there to shoulder it with him.” Eluria smiled brightly. “I’m going to be the best wife in the world. So rest assured and leave him to me.”

Blofeld wiped his tears away with his thick arm before throwing his head back in laughter. “Bah ha ha! I knew I could count on you!”

“Oh. You still laugh the same way.”

“I mean, it’s pretty hard to fake a laugh...” Blofeld chuckled. “Ah, my bad. It’s been so long since I got to openly chat with someone; I ended up talking all about myself instead of answering your question...”

Eluria shook her head. “I’m happy you shared this with me. Besides, we still have some time. Could you tell me more about Raid?”

“Hmm... I don’t really know a whole lot more. I was too big to go indoors, so I only talked with people when they came outside...”

“Oh, so you really didn’t know anything... I thought you didn’t answer on purpose.”

“Raid and I have known each other for many years too...” Blofeld hunched his back and sheepishly scratched his cheek. After a short pause, however, he straightened up and looked at Eluria. “I just remembered something! On those sleepless nights, Raid sometimes sang a lullaby. He told me that he’d always have a different sort of dream whenever he did.”

“A lullaby...? From his hometown?”

“No, that language—it wasn’t Altanian, or even Vegaltan for that matter.”

“I’ve accidentally unearthed a new mystery...” Eluria mumbled.

Blofeld shrugged. “Well, who said lullabies need to make sense? As long as it brings you back to your childhood, right?”

“Mm. When Raid comes back, I should sing that lullaby for him.” With a small smile, she turned her gaze to the distance. “I’m sure he’s working very hard on the other side. He deserves a good night’s sleep when he comes back.”

◇

Raid allowed the knights to put him in handcuffs without the slightest bit of resistance. From there, he was taken to a drawing room inside the Verminant estate.

“I apologize that our first meeting had to be this way, Sir Freeden,” said Martis, gaze downcast as he took a seat in front of Raid.

With a strained smile, Raid waved his cuffed hands. “Please, rest assured. I understand how you truly feel and the current position I am in.”

“Hah... It puts me at ease to see you so calm about this. Headmaster Lammel explained to me the circumstances of your reincarnation, and I can see now that it is true without a shadow of doubt.”

“Indeed. I may look young on the outside, but I am actually over ninety years old now. You wouldn’t be the first person to notice a mismatch between my appearance and speech.”

“I see...” Martis leaned back on his chair. “You may speak casually with me, if you wish. I would feel more at ease if your speech were to match your appearance.”

Raid nodded. “So it seems I’ve been cast under suspicion. I assume this was instigated not by Vegalta, but by some foreign nations?”

“Yes... You were aware?”

“Not at all. It was just my speculation. Since I entered the Institute, my exams have been altered last minute, and I’ve been specifically appointed special-class magicians as proctors, among other rather questionable decisions—none of which Vegalta had any reason to make.”

Raid was far stronger than any student, and his abilities couldn’t even be defined within the parameters of magic, so it was only natural to treat him as a special case—but still, making him select a proxy for the last exam was far too bizarre a measure. In Eluria’s case, she could already cast tenth-stratum magic and was practically guaranteed to become a special-classer, so wanting to foster her teaching ability at this early stage made perfect sense. But considering the unclear nature of Raid’s abilities, it would have made more sense to give him an exam that focused on research and investigation. This would have been much safer too, given his inability to use magic devices. Had Vegalta been the one to decide, this would have undoubtedly been the case.

“Eluria Caldwin, who is already known to be of special-class level, is the daughter of an aristocratic household of Vegalta. And I, her fiancé, will also become affiliated with Vegalta through our marriage,” Raid continued. “This will cause a great power imbalance between the nations.”

Although the countries of the central continent were essentially vassal states to Vegalta, they still had rights over their own state sovereignty. In other words, while the Magic Kingdom of Vegalta had unified the central continent, in practice it stood on equal ground with every other nation. The structure was similar to a federation.

Hence, it was frowned upon for Vegalta to monopolize so many special-class magicians. At present, there were nine special-classers: two affiliated with the eastern continent of Legnare, one with the western archipelago of Celios, and the remaining six with the central continent of Etrulia. They were often dispatched to handle jobs that were beyond the hands of ordinary magicians, such as the subjugation of ultra-sized manabeasts.

Additionally, special-class magicians were typically affiliated with their home countries. Other nations could borrow them for a fee, and their home country always got top priority. Besides this, the mere presence of special-class magicians in a country stimulated their magic education and promoted economic growth, among other positive effects. Long story short, there were many benefits that came with a country having its own affiliated special-classer.

“There have been far fewer ultra-sized manabeast appearances compared to the past, so in the interest of balance, more restrictions have been set in place for the appointment of new special-class magicians. Otherwise, the more special-class magicians a country nurtured, the more powerful that country would become on the global stage.”

Martis sighed. “It is exactly as you say. This is especially the case for Vegalta, as we are already in a unique position over the other countries. If we carelessly amass too much power, we will be subject to needless criticism from all sides.”

“If it weren’t for this problem, Lady Alicia could have easily been reinstated as a special-class magician once Eluria had come of age.” Raid nodded. “But there’s nothing to be done now that Eluria and I have emerged center stage.”

“Correct.” Martis furrowed his brows. “That being said, there is no option for you and Lady Caldwin to not become special-classers.”

Raid and Eluria had not only defeated an ultra-sized manabeast—a Calamity, to be precise—but even saved Palmare from a disaster. Many people saw them as their saviors, hence the public backlash would be unimaginable if they were to be barred from becoming special-classers—and in fact, this would be the least of their problems.

If Raid and Eluria did not become special-class magicians despite all their achievements, then everyone—from active magicians striving for a promotion to students of magic institutes—would be terribly demoralized, possibly even causing a stagnation in magic development and research around the world.

However, there were many countries that simply couldn’t accept Vegalta getting two new special-classers at once.

Raid sighed. “So, they’re grasping at straws by attempting to drag me down—is that correct?”

“It is,” Martis affirmed. “We had to explain your circumstances to the other nations in order to send you to the First World. It seems they took it as a chance to erase your prior achievements by claiming it was all a hoax—by insisting that you’d colluded with the First World from the very beginning.”

“And thus, Vegalta had no choice but to act on that accusation,” Raid finished.

Martis nodded grimly. “It was clear that they were ready to accuse Vegalta of ‘monopolizing the other world’s resources’ the moment we would attempt to defend you. Hence, we needed to detain you, even if it was just a formality.”

Raid huffed and shook his head. “Humans never change, do they?”

“Hearing that from you makes me feel all the more ashamed,” Martis admitted with a sigh.

Raid could only offer him a bitter smile in comfort. Long story short, Vegalta never doubted Raid in any way, but cornered by this barrage of accusations and criticism while Raid himself was absent, they had no choice but to detain him to, at the very least, keep up appearances and appease the other nations.

“I truly cannot apologize enough,” said Martis. “You saved Palmare and protected our world from an invasion we never would have seen coming—a true hero, through and through—yet we couldn’t even spare you from such an inane political skirmish... Please, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us.”

“I take no offense to it. Please, rest assured. In fact, since this meeting is technically no more than an interrogation, I will still get the chance to personally plead my case before the other nations. For that, you have my thanks.”

“Then your thanks belongs not with me, but Sir Dian and his fellows from the First World. Not once since the beginning of their detainment did they cause us any problems. Thanks to that, we were able to hold off the verdict on your case until your return.”

“That must be why Elise, Dian, and his subordinates were placed under House Verminant’s watch until our return, and you, Lord Martis, were put in charge of my detainment, correct?”

“You are indeed correct...but how do you know so much? Have you not just returned to this world?”

“There was no sign of recent activity in the headmaster’s office. Dust had begun to accumulate on some surfaces. Clearly, Elise had not used her office in a while, and we couldn’t even contact her. Thinking back to past events, it was obvious that she had been caught up in some incident, likely concerning me.”

Martis narrowed his eyes. “I see... I must use this as reference should I ever need to deceive you in the future.”

“In that case, you would best start with fixing Elise’s habit of beginning a conversation with prostrating herself. I’m afraid her forehead is too accustomed to meeting the floor every time she faces a complaint regarding me.”

“Aha, indeed... She is a very hard worker, but that habit of hers certainly doesn’t do her dignity any favors.” Martis chuckled, then quietly stood from his seat. “Headmaster Lammel and Sir Dian are currently confined in a Verminant villa. You and your companions are to be detained there as well until the day the Assembly of the Central Continent is decided. There, you shall respond to the summons and plead your case before all.”

“Understood,” Raid replied. “By the way, Lord Martis—I am aware this may be asking a bit much of you, but could I entrust you with a message for His Majesty the King?”

“Of course. His Majesty also feels rather apologetic for this entire affair. I’m certain he will gladly hear you out.”

“Thank you very much. I’m afraid this is something I can only ask of His Majesty.”

“Hmm? A favor, is it?”

“Yes. For the upcoming Assembly, the nations of the central continent will naturally be in attendance. However...” Raid narrowed his eyes. “I would like for the heads of the eastern continent of Legnare and the western archipelago of Celios to be invited as well.”

Martis furrowed his brow. “Could I ask why? These suspicions were cast upon you by the countries of the central continent. Legnare and Celios may know of your circumstances, but inviting them to the Assembly would necessitate an explanation of the charges... Depending on how they take it, they could very well end up antagonizing you as well.”

“Setting Celios aside... The Imperial Lord of Legnare and I are old acquaintances, so there is no issue on that front. Apart from pleading my case, there is also something I would like to announce to everyone.” Raid’s lips slowly curled into a dark smile. “In which case, would it not be easier to get it all done at once?”

◆

After Raid was taken to the Verminant estate, the rest of the group was escorted by the knights to a villa...where they were immediately met by a young girl prostrating herself on the ground.

“And that is why Raid was taken away,” she said at the end of her explanation. Through her entire monologue, her forehead had never once lifted from the ground. “Just to be clear: Vegalta is on your side, okay?! Those guys just don’t know when to quit! Every single time, they keep finding fault with Raid and come in with a new complaint—and now, they want to accuse him of a crime?! They’re ridiculous, aren’t they?!”

“So, you made sure to give them an earful, right, Ms. Elise?” Millis said.

“Of course! Why, their ears must still be ringing from the sound I made when I slammed my forehead to the ground!”

Millis nodded. “That’s our little headmaster. As pathetic as ever.”

“Waaah! I can’t help it! I’m so used to apologizing, it’s practically a reflex by nooow!”

“There, there. Bad habits take time to get rid of.” Millis empathetically patted the wailing girl on the shoulder.

Ariel watched the scene play out with a blank expression. She’d heard that Elise had inherited the memories of Wallus Caldwin, the Demon Lord’s closest aide, but Ariel never would have guessed. All she could see was a miserable little girl.

Suddenly, Norn thrust her hand into the air. “I have a question! If they decide that Raid is a bad guy, then what will happen to us?”

Elise hummed. “Norn, Ariel, and...Valtos, was it?” she said, looking at each of them in turn. “If that were to happen, you three would essentially become prisoners of war. But don’t worry—that’s never going to happen because Raid won’t be found guilty.”

Norn blinked. “Really?”

“Like I said earlier, they’re just nitpicking. All they ever needed was to cast suspicion on him. Now, they’ll just hold off his appointment as a special-class magician until information about the First World is publicly revealed. Then, they will use the mere existence of this case to deter his appointment altogether.”

“Even if he’s proven innocent?”

“That’s right. Because of the nature of their work, special-class magicians can freely cross national borders and have the right to demand from the state whatever documents they need for their missions. Nobody—not even the neutral states or the citizens—would agree to give such authority to someone who’s had such a case on their record.”

Raid’s acquaintances would all vouch that he was a person of character and that he had the power to save countless lives. Alas, not everybody knew him that well. To most, he was no more than a man who’d been cast under suspicion by multiple states—and that impression would be difficult to overwrite. Once sown into their minds, this doubt would resurface no matter how many achievements and good deeds followed after. This was why House Verminant of the First World had to endure more than a thousand years of derision for a single catastrophic betrayal in the past. Now, Raid would be condemned to the same fate.

“This is absurd!!!” Fareg slammed his fist against the wall, his features warped in anger. “Raid Freeden, he... He’s saved so many lives! During the simulation exam and when we were in Palmare, he protected all the innocent people...and even offered his hand to the enemy combatants who came after his life! He is more worthy of respect than anybody I know!” As tears welled up in his eyes, Fareg tensed his fist so hard that his knuckles began to turn white. “And yet, for such a worthless political squabble, they want to throw all his feats to the curb...and even smear his name for the rest of his life?! This is just...so wrong!!!”

Anger boiled and indignation festered within Fareg at the sight of this cruel injustice. This sense of righteousness must have been what had led him to live a selfless life to erase his father’s betrayal in the First World.

“I will raise a protest to my father and His Majesty,” Fareg declared grimly. “This farce cannot be allowed to play out.” He spun on his heel and began stomping toward the door—until he was stopped by a single shoe, flying through the air and landing square on the back of his head.

“Quit acting out, ya red brat,” drawled a voice from the second floor. “Jeez... What’s with all the ruckus? I was tryin’ to take a goddamned nap.”

Ariel’s eyes blew wide open as she looked up toward the source of the voice. That irritated tone and that coarse language—she would recognize it anywhere. Her shocked gaze met a pair of crimson eyes belonging to a white-haired man grinning down at her.

“Oh, hey. It’s the red pooch. Looks like you managed to scrap your dumb loyalty bullshit after all.”

“D-Dian? Is it really you...?”

“Huh? Who else could I be?”

“A-Are you really Dian?!”

“Don’t make me say it— Ack!”

All of a sudden, Dian’s irked features blurred in Ariel’s vision. “I can’t believe it... You’re really alive...!” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Dian clicked his tongue as he descended the stairs. “Ugh, you’re such a handful. What’re you crying for?”

“B-Because you’re alive... Waaah...!”

“How else do you think I made that recording?”

“B-But before you left for the Second World, you told me to take care of everything if you died... A-And I just...!”

“Goddammit! Stop cryin’ already, damn pooch!” Dian snapped, landing a chop on her head.

“Oww, that hurts! That means you’re real, and really actually alive... Waaah!”

Ariel had already seen him in the recording that Eluria had given her, but she simply couldn’t contain her excitement upon seeing him alive and well in person. Selected as a Hero among countless candidates, Dian bore a strong sense of responsibility and always volunteered for the most dangerous tasks. When he’d learned just how much sacrifice would be necessary for the Second World invasion plan, he’d stepped up to lead the operation and sworn to Ariel that he would make it a success, even if it meant ensuring it with his own life. Despite his rough demeanor, he was one of the kindest people she knew. How could she not be happy to find that he was alive?

“But... But also...!” Ariel sniffled. “Stop calling me a pooch! Waaah!”

“Goddammit!” Dian hissed, then whipped his head around to Millis. “Hey, blondie! Is it just me, or is she acting weird as hell today?!”

Millis sighed. “Sorry about that... I think Ariel regressed in age after sightseeing in the capital...”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, none of you are making sense today! Hey, stop crying already!”

“Sir Dian!” Fareg snapped, holding his head. “How could you hit me with your shoe? I nearly fell over and face-planted!”

Valtos threw his head back with a hearty laugh. “Ha ha ha! It has been too long, Dian! It is I, your crown prince!”

“Shut up, you two! Nobody asked!” Dian hissed, his hands still busy landing chops on Ariel’s head. “I’m busy over here—I’ve got no time to deal with a brat and a meathead!”

Ariel pouted, her eyes now red and swollen. His chops actually hurt a bit, so she wished he would stop.

“Anyway...” Dian glared at Fareg. “Like I said, you’d better not do anything excessive, brat. It’s not like you can change anything anyway. Vegalta can’t side with him even if they want to.”

“But—!”

“Besides,” he cut in, “do you really think that geezer wasn’t expecting this to some extent? Annoying as it is, that guy isn’t just your ordinary ‘wise old man.’ He’s crazy smart.”

Ariel observed Dian’s bitter expression with slight interest. His praise must have stemmed from the fact that Raid had managed to shut down their operation. Regardless, it wasn’t every day she heard Dian dish out such high praise.

“By the way, blondie,” Dian continued, turning to Millis. “Why did you guys come back to— Huh? Why’s there a second blondie? Ugh, what a pain...”

“This is our first meeting, and you just rolled your eyes at me!” Norn exclaimed, aghast.

Millis cleared her throat. “This is Norn, my descendant. She’s the former Keeper of Paradise.”

Dian squinted. “‘Former’? What happened to it?”

“Oh, many things, actually...”

“Ugh, I can’t be bothered. Summarize it into three points.”

“First: The Hero and the Sage ran wild in the First World. Second: The Hero and his subordinates ran wild in the imperial capital. Third: The empire was dismantled in exchange for ownership of Paradise.”

“Elaborate on just the third point.”

“Simply put, we offered Paradise to the imperial family and bigwigs of Altane. In exchange, all authority over the empire was transferred to the Lambut family.”

“So now, I have a big castle and am super important!” Norn added.

“Oh? So, this tiny blondie is the new leader of the First World, huh?” Dian hummed, then furrowed his brow again. “Then...why’d you bring the meathead along?”

Valtos gasped. “I knew it! You did call me a meathead earlier!”

“Who else would I be callin’ a meathead, these girls?” Dian groaned. “This tiny blondie would’ve been enough. Why drag along this pain in the ass too?”

“Must you insult me so?! I am your crown prince!”

“By the way,” Millis pleasantly chimed in, “as I said earlier, Altane has been dismantled. So Valtos has been demoted to ‘ordinary civilian who’s just going around screaming that he’s the crown prince.’”

“All the more reason to leave him behind...” Dian deadpanned.

“I’ve nothing to do back home, and I, too, wanted to see the Second World for myself! So far, I am greatly pleased by the food!”

Dian leveled Millis a flat look. “Did you really have to bring him?”

“Fret not!” Millis declared. “I have with me the scepter that can restrain the Heroes. If he ever runs wild, I can easily stop him!”

“Oh? How?”

“By giving him the shock of his life, of course!”

Dian chuckled. “Hey, that sounds fun. Show me.”

“What is this sudden bout of injustice?!” Valtos shrieked before receiving the most unjust shock of his life.

It was to this chaotic scene that Raid returned, entering through the door behind them while rolling his shoulders. “Yo, I’m back... Huh? What’re you guys doing?”

“Waaaaah! Raid, I’m so terribly sorry for being so useless!!!” Elise wailed, swiftly landing back into her most familiar position—prostrating on the ground.

“S-Save me, Freeden! I swear I’ll fight properly on the front lines, so please, just take this girl away from me!!!” Valtos screamed.

Raid shot them both a withering look. “I have no idea what’s going on, but I think you should both calm down.”

Dian walked over while casually waving his hand. “Sounds like you had a tough day out there, geezer. Not the warmest welcome, huh?”

“Definitely not. But don’t worry—I plan to use this to my advantage.”

Dian narrowed his eyes. “I knew it. You’ve got a plan, don’t you?”

“Sure do. I’m playing along with their little farce, so I need to earn my fair share from it, don’t I? I shouldn’t be wasting my time on this nonsense, especially when my bride’s still waiting for me back in the First World. In fact, I’m itching to get back to her already. So...” Raid’s lips curled into a dark and ominous smile. “Why not use this Assembly to gather all the forces and resources we need in one fell swoop?”

His eyes were glinting like a predator who’d found his prey.

◆

The royal castle of Vegalta stood tall and proud at the center of the capital. Inside the throne room, which was normally reserved for audiences with the king, were rows of plain tables and chairs to accommodate the participants of today’s Assembly—the state heads of the central continent. Some were busy reading through relevant documents, some were nervously observing their surroundings, while others were leisurely chatting with their friends and acquaintances.

In this room full of top authority figures, one was seated right beside the throne. Unlike the rest, she—Mifuru—was puffing up her cheeks in discontent.

Standing guard beside her, Totori leaned over and whispered, “My lord, I would advise against making such an expression before the other heads of state...”

Mifuru begrudgingly dropped her pout, settling instead for a subtle frown. “I understand...but I simply cannot accept this.”

Two weeks ago, Mifuru had received an official letter from the king of Vegalta—an invitation to an international Assembly regarding a publicly undisclosable matter. The issue at hand was related to the First World, as well as Raid and Eluria’s reincarnation, both of which had been previously explained to the leaders of each state. However, the aforementioned Assembly’s agenda was “to discuss the suspicions cast upon Raid Freeden for subversion of the state and incitement of foreign threat, as well as to provide the defendant a setting to plead his case.”

“Of all the things they could have done, they chose to accuse our nation’s benefactor?” Mifuru huffed as her fox ears stood ramrod straight in annoyance. “They will have to choose their words wisely in this Assembly, lest I decide to revise our policies toward their states!”

Totori let out a quiet sigh. “I echo your sentiments, but I have a feeling you’re allowing your personal feelings to take the lead...”

Suddenly, a strained laugh cut into their conversation—it had come from none other than the man seated upon the throne. “I empathize with your discontent regarding this matter, Imperial Lord. Please allow me to apologize, even if I can only do so in an unofficial capacity.”

“N-Not at all! I understand that there isn’t much you can do in your position, King Kratio. Rest assured, Princess Kris’s private letter made Vegalta’s true intentions very clear.”

“Thank you for your kind words. Sir Freeden is the fiancé of my daughter’s dear friend. I’ve no reason to doubt his ability and achievements.” The man—Kratio von Vegalta—smiled, the faint lines on his face forming creases on his gentle expression.

As the unifier of the central continent, Kratio was obligated to respond to the voices of the states regardless of his personal sentiment. However, the private letter from Princess Kris—enclosed along with the official invitation—had made Vegalta’s stance on the matter very clear to Mifuru. Hence, she held no ill will toward Vegalta.

On Kratio’s other side sat an elderly man, who nodded in agreement. “Hoh hoh. If you would also allow me to extend my personal thoughts as Celios’s representative—I am also of the opinion that the accusation is entirely baseless.”

Mifuru turned her gaze to him. “You agree, Chief Kalkas?”

“But of course. I’ve heard that Sir Freeden sent my granddaughter’s Guardian Dragons flying with his bare fists. Would he even need to resort to schemes and collusion? No, he’d have a much easier time beating everyone into submission.” Kalkas Lailas, the representative chief of the Celios Federation, shrugged his shoulders in exasperation. “I would have rather made this trip to meet the Sage than for a farce like this.”

“Do you have some business with Lady Eluria?” Mifuru asked.

“Lady Caldwin saved my granddaughter, so naturally I would love to meet her. Lufus is currently recuperating under my care and working hard on her training. She gets so happy every time she receives a letter from Lady Caldwin. I’ve been told to pass on her regards.” Kalkas nodded slowly, a soft smile gracing his lips. From the looks of it, he didn’t seem to have a bad impression of Raid either.

At the very least, the eastern continent of Legnare, the western archipelago of Celios, and the representative nation of the central continent—Vegalta—all held favorable impressions of Raid. It might have been safe to assume that the eastern region of the central continent—in other words, the countries around Palmare—felt the same way.

However, the same could not be said for everywhere else. Seeing as Vegalta had been pressured into action, there were clearly more than just one or two nations backing this accusation. Had they colluded behind the scenes and acted out as one? Or had one country spearheaded the effort and incited its neighbors into action? Alas, everything—including what would become of Raid after this Assembly—was still up in the air.

However, there was something else that was far more curious at the moment.

“Now then...” Kalkas hummed. “The accusation was presented by the various nations of the central continent out of concern regarding Raid Freeden’s appointment as a special-class magician... So, why were we called here?”

“I wonder as well,” Mifuru said. “Legnare and Celios are independent of the central continent. Their special-class magicians have little to no effect on us. Setting aside Lord Raid’s case, the contents of the Assembly could have simply been summarized and shared to us at a later date.”

“Hmm. A fair assumption would be that he sought us out as allies...but the message he passed to King Kratio is most curious indeed.” Kalkas narrowed his eyes, shifting nervously in his seat. “‘You’ll regret it if you don’t come’... Now, what could he have meant by that?”

Kration sighed. “My apologies. I was aware that the message could be taken as a threat, and so I asked Sir Verminant for more details... However, all Sir Freeden clarified for us was that he meant no malice; in fact, he said that this should benefit you both greatly.”

“Oh? Did he say why he couldn’t elaborate further?”

“Apparently, it is because the matter is related to the First World. So...” Kratio cast the clock a sideward glance. “I suppose we will have to hear it from the man himself.”

The king quietly stood from his throne, gathering all the gazes in the room. “We shall now begin the Assembly of the Unified States of Central Continent Etrulia.”

The people scattered around the room promptly returned to their seats. Kratio swept his gaze across the participants, and once everyone was seated, he also settled back down on his throne.

“Let it be known that this Assembly has been called to discuss classified matters involving the First World,” Kratio began. “Raid Freeden has been accused of the following: subversion of the state and incitement of foreign threat. Our agenda for today is to discuss these accusations, to allow the accused to plead his case, and to decide on an appropriate response thereafter.”

Shortly after Kratio finished speaking, the large door to the throne room slowly opened. Raid walked in, back straight and head held high, until he stopped right in front of the king. There, he bowed his head and got down on his knee.

“I, Raid Freeden, have responded to your summons, Your Majesty.”

Kratio nodded. “Raise your head. A number of accusations have been made against you. You may now use this place to plead your case and prove your innocence to the nations of the central continent.”

“Understood. Before pleading my case, however, I shall first deliver a report of the current status of the First World. Please forgive me for any transgressions in my speech hereafter.” After responding with flowing eloquence, Raid slowly returned to his feet and straightened his back. “At present, the majority of the First World is contaminated with polluted mana—the dark purple mana included in my previous report. Thus, human activity is limited to the eastern continent of Legnare. Only the easternmost region of the central continent remains as humanity’s final front against this contamination.”

Kratio furrowed his brow. “Quite the grave situation, to say the least. Your report aligns perfectly with what we’ve heard from Sir Dian and his subordinates.”

“Yes. However, that is only the beginning. Within the contaminated regions, we have confirmed countless ‘Calamities’—that is, monsters the likes of the ultra-sized manabeast that appeared off the coast of Palmare. The people of the First World are at a standstill against these foes and are left with little choice but to quietly await their ruin.”

The room instantly erupted into gasps and murmurs. The disaster that had struck Palmare was still fresh in everyone’s minds. How could they even begin to imagine an entire continent being infested with a countless number of such monsters? The Second World would fare no better if they were ever faced with a similar disaster.

“I’ve heard that you and Lady Caldwin quelled the Calamity that appeared in Palmare,” said Kratio. “Could you give us your insights regarding these monsters?”

“Of course. We have also fought several of them during our trip to the First World,” Raid replied. “Lady Caldwin and I are more than capable of defeating them by ourselves. On the other hand, I would say that special-class magicians have no more than a five percent chance of slaying these monsters, even if they were to fight as a team.”

Brow still furrowed, Kratio closed his eyes and groaned. Before he could respond, however, someone else raised his hand and spoke up. “May I ask a question, Sir Freeden?”

Kratio turned his gaze to the person, then gestured to him, permitting him to continue.

“I’ve heard that the Calamity that appeared in Palmare was massive and fearsome, but I find it difficult to believe that special-class magicians would be so powerless against them. Could you explain why only you and Lady Caldwin can contend against these monsters?”

“Very well. First, allow me to bring to your attention a precedent in which special-class magicians were powerless against a manabeast.”

The man squinted. “A precedent, you say?”

“I am referring to the Guardian Dragons of Celios, of course. Two hundred years ago, a squad of magicians—including five special-class magicians—were dispatched from Vegalta, only to be annihilated by a single Guardian Dragon.”

Kalkas hummed. “You bring up a very memorable case, Lord Freeden—one I can most certainly corroborate. Five special-class magicians were indeed annihilated by one of our Guardian Dragons.”

The man who had raised the question subtly flinched at his response.

“If I may bring up another example,” Raid continued. “During the simulation exam of the Vegalta Royal Institute of Magic, Lufus Lailas lost control of her four Guardian Dragons, and Lady Caldwin and I suppressed all of them together. If we are to assume that Calamities are of similar might, then I believe this serves as additional proof of our capabilities. All in all, my earlier statement was made based on this past precedent and present achievement. Currently, Lady Caldwin and I are the only ones to have proven our strength in this manner and are thus the only reliable forces against Calamity-level threats. That concludes my answer.”

The man furtively furrowed his brow. “I understand. Thank you,” he said, then reluctantly sat back down.

“Hmm... Quite the skillful response,” Totori mused, sure to keep her voice down.

Mifuru cast her a glance. “What do you mean?”

“If he only talked about the Calamities he’s defeated, they might have further accused him of simply learning how to defeat them from the people of the First World. His record of defeating the Guardian Dragons serves as far more objective proof than anything—and it even prevents them from arguing back, lest they anger Celios.”

Guardian Dragons were the apex of all manabeasts that protected the western archipelago of Celios, sometimes even revered as divine beings. Doubting Raid’s abilities—despite him proving to be stronger than the Guardian Dragons—was tantamount to mocking Celios and its beliefs. Not to mention, this also kept the discussion away from any possible accusations that Raid had secretly received intel from the First World.

But it seemed Raid was not satisfied with simply refuting the man’s attempts. He looked the man in the eye and curled his lips into an unreadable smile. “It seems some of you are very eager to discuss the suspicions cast upon me,” he said, making it clear that he had read them like an open book—that their intentions to nitpick and find fault through that question were clear as day. By responding perfectly to the question, however, Raid had gained the upper hand. “I kindly ask you to bear with me for a while longer. My report on the First World is an imperative prerequisite for the next topic I would like to discuss today.”

Kratio hummed. “What would that topic be?”

“Why, Your Majesty...” Raid smiled, took in a quick breath, and declared, “Of course, I am referring to the condemnation of everyone who cast suspicion upon me and called for this Assembly to begin with.”

The room instantly erupted into chaos.

“You seek to condemn us? When you yourself stand accused?!”

“Do you understand the situation you are in?!”

“Regardless of your extraordinary circumstances, you are still an institute student! How dare you make such a demand before the continent’s heads of state?!”

The Assembly participants spoke over one another, some red-faced from anger and others too perplexed to speak.

“Order!!!” Kratio’s voice, normally soft and kind, swelled with anger as it boomed across the room. “Raid Freeden... Do you understand what you just said?”

“I understand fully, Your Majesty. However, as you can see, it seems to have incurred the wrath of the participants. May I continue my explanation?”

Kratio sighed. “I permit it. However, I cannot simply overlook your initial statement. You had best explain yourself well, lest we proceed to discuss your punishment.”

“Understood. Then allow me to explain.” Raid nodded to Kratio, then turned back to face the rest of the room. “There once existed an empire called Altane in the First World, ruled by one Viteos Altane. He had devised the plan to invade and colonize our world. It was under his orders that Dian and his subordinates came to our world and summoned a Calamity off the coast of Palmare. However, at present, Viteos Altane is dead and the empire has been dismantled.”

“You say he’s...dead?”

“I killed him with my own hands,” Raid said bluntly, eliciting a new wave of murmurs from the room. “I served Viteos in my past life. However, he was a tyrant who cared not for his people, and this did not change even after he crossed over to the First World. There, he sacrificed many lives and caused far too many tragedies. As his former vassal, I took it upon myself to right his wrongs.”

Despite his impassive tone of voice, Raid’s words carried much weight. Even the look in his eyes and the air about him seemed to suffocate those watching and listening.

“I may have murdered my own lord, but I stand before you now with the desire to save every life within my reach so that one day our worlds can be at peace. I am fully aware that the power I hold is to be used for the greater good. In this, you have my word.”

Raid took a moment to sweep his gaze across the room before continuing. “And that is why...I am terribly enraged,” he said, his voice low and rumbling. “While the people of the First World live every day fearing it will be their last, we are here wasting our time on such buffoonery.”

His sharp glare pierced through each and every person who had raised their voice earlier. “I have returned to this world for one simple reason. Now that the empire has been dismantled and a new leader sits upon the First World’s throne, our timelines can now enter an era of cordial relations. To begin with, we have the opportunity to aid them in their fight for survival. And yet...you welcome me home with a set of accusations and an entire circus with which I must now waste my time, all while the people on the other side are drowning in despair amid a future of promised ruin. This is no better than murdering them with your own hands, is it not?”

His harsh words rained down on every person who cast suspicion upon him. “I have brought with me Norn Lambut, the new leader of the First World, and two people as strong as Dian as her escorts. They have come here seeking our help, yet now they are detained and forced to wait...instead of taking action to save as many lives as they can. Who knows how many have been lost while we bicker here?”

Faced with Raid’s wrath, not a single soul in the room could utter a word.

“Allow me to repeat myself,” Raid growled. “I may have murdered my own lord, but I desire to save every life that is within my reach so that our worlds can be at peace. And for that...” Raid narrowed his eyes into a piercing glare. “I will not hesitate to seek justice by dirtying my own hands.”

Pressure emanated from Raid like a silent killer, slowly coiling around everyone’s necks. Silence reigned in the throne room as Raid’s cold glare swept through the frozen participants...until it was shattered by his own heavy sigh.

“I suppose I sound like I am threatening everyone here, but I have one goal today and one goal only: to recruit aid for the First World. If we can give this top priority, then I shall not pursue recompense for these absurd accusations.”

Kratio hummed. “You mean to say, you wish to proceed with discussing the provision of aid to the First World?”

“Correct, Your Majesty,” Raid replied. “Moreover, I am not so brazen as to request your assistance for free, especially after my threatening tone earlier. People take action when there is appropriate reward... Is that not why so many of you have gathered here to accuse me today?”

“Then, are you saying that the First World will reward us for our aid?”

“Yes. This matter has already been approved by Norn Lambut, the new leader of the First World. I am simply speaking in her stead as she is still young.” Raid paused to take in a breath, then declared, “States that provide aid for the First World shall be rewarded with land.”

Immediately, the deathly silent throne room once again erupted into whispers and murmurs.

“Land matters little if the world is ruined and everybody is dead,” Raid continued. “Then it is only right that it be given as a reward, no?”

“A question, if I may,” said one of the participants. “Specifically, what kind of aid is the First World seeking from us?”

“Combat forces, construction materials, foodstuffs, and technicians,” Raid answered. “Combat forces and technicians must meet a certain standard and are more desired than ordinary workers. Once each nation’s aid is finalized, we will assess the quality of your aid and distribute the rewards accordingly.”

“May I ask a question as well?” asked another participant. “Is there a limit to the amount of aid you are seeking?”

“None,” Raid replied. “The First World is lacking in everything.”

“Sir Freeden, would you happen to have a catalog of what is needed?”

“Yes. It will be distributed later. That being said, the majority of the First World—outside of what little habitable land remains—is no more than a barren wasteland. Should you provide materials excluded from the catalog, which can still be used for land reclamation efforts after the operation, then rest assured that it will still contribute to your assessment. Incidentally, earlier provision of aid will also significantly increase your standing.”

Question after question flowed from the participants, and Raid smoothly answered each one in turn. The atmosphere in the throne room had clearly shifted; nobody cared any longer for the accusations they had piled onto Raid. Instead, they were racing to raise their hands, throwing out one question after another.

But who could blame them for this desperation? After conquering the continent long ago, Vegalta had returned each state’s sovereignty to their rulers, became the representative nation of the central continent, and forbade needless war between countries. By their rule, human conflict vanished from the land, replaced later by the international race to research and develop magic.

Thanks to this, peace had been upheld in the world for nearly a thousand years—but so did each nation’s advancement slow, limited by the bounds of rules and morals. No war meant no invasions, and no invasions meant no changes to national territory and borders. Small nations remained small nations ever since the beginning of Vegalta’s reign, leaving them little room for improvement in intangible assets such as knowledge and techniques. Technological advancements stabilized annual crop yield, but limited land meant there was no hope for growth. The same could be said for their population—with no more space to work with or plots of land to build more houses on, how could they invite more people to migrate to their country? Legnare and Celios, being separate land masses, could easily expand to the sea, but to the landlocked nations of the central continent, that wasn’t even an option.

In other words, there existed between the nations a gap that could never be filled—and that was why this opportunity Raid had provided was so tempting to these smaller nations. The land of the First World was only unusable at present, but it would be a different story once they cleared the polluted mana. Another world was normally farther than anyone would ever consider expanding their territory, but Raid and his companions had already made a round trip there. With further advancements, interworld teleportation could even become the norm. If only they could move their base of operations to the First World, then they would finally have the chance to attain their dreams of growth and expansion that had been rendered impossible in the Second World. Even if they missed out on attaining a large expanse of land, they could still dispatch their personnel to the First World to attain valuable information that would help them catch up to other larger nations technologically.

Kalkas stroked his beard with a hum. “I see... Lord Freeden was right. I would have regretted not coming here today,” he mused. “The nations accused him because they stood to gain from it, but he presented them with a counteroffer of even greater benefit—so much so that it invalidated his case in their minds. Not to mention he steered this entire debacle toward the accomplishment of his own goal... Quite the cunning man. I can certainly believe that he’s nearly a century old despite his looks.”

“Wow!” Mifuru clapped her hands. “Splendidly done, Lord Raid! Bravo!”

“Imperial Lord, we cannot simply stand by and watch any longer, can we?” Kalkas said with a bitter laugh. “Our nations may be big, but we cannot afford to lag behind here. Lord Freeden must be planning to release the criteria at a later date in the interest of fairness.”

“Because otherwise, we—the larger nations—could simply pick and choose the highest-value aid to provide... But now, everyone is going in equally blind?”

“Precisely. Moreover, the bigger the nation, the more likely they are to supply their higher-quality personnel and resources, just to be on the safe side—which naturally benefits Lord Freeden as well.” Kalkas laughed pleasantly. “Goodness, just how far ahead has that man planned? His cunning is fearsome...yet he uses it all to save a world and its people. Is it not right that we do our part as well?”

Mifuru smiled. “Of course. King Kratio, what say you?”

“Sir Freeden is a citizen of my nation; we shall aid him to the best of our abilities. However, since we have already secured two exceptional personnel—namely, him and his fiancée—then jumping into the fray here would undoubtedly enrage every nation present. Hence, I shall stay my hand for now.”

“Music to my ears. In that case, allow me...” Kalkas quietly stood from his seat and raised his hand. “Lord Freeden, you said that earlier provision of aid will add to our standing. What, then, if we were to promise you our aid here and now?”

“Then that promise, too, will be added to your score,” Raid answered. “This is, of course, on top of the bonus based on how quickly you are able to actually prepare the aid.”

“Very well. In that case, I—Kalkas Lailas—swear upon my name to provide you aid.” Kalkas nodded, his lips stretching into a wide smile. “Namely, four Guardian Dragons...and full authority over our summoners’ brigade.”

Gasps and murmurs filled the room at Kalkas’s declaration. The shocking part here was neither the Guardian Dragons nor the summoners’ brigade—no, what had caught every person here off guard was that Kalkas had promised Raid full authority over them. This meant that Raid was free to issue them direct orders—to command Celios’s mightiest forces as if he were their superior. This was greater proof than any of Kalkas’s trust.

“Your earlier words and your ongoing efforts are proof enough to me that you will see this operation to success. After all, you have already saved my granddaughter once.”

“Thank you, Lord Kalkas. I swear to live up to your trust.”

“Good. As a fellow senior, I look forward to your success in battle.”

Just as Raid was chuckling at Kalkas’s words of encouragement, Mifuru suddenly raised her hand. “Legnare shall provide you with two special-class magicians and our sorcerers’ brigade—also with full authority, of course. As well as, hmm... Oh, anything else you need, Lord Raid! Simply ask and you shall receive—all of Legnare is at your disposal!”

“M-My lord?!” Totori sputtered. “You cannot say that! We need to keep some resources for our nation! Our officials will pass out from shock!”

“But, Totori, Lord Raid is our God of Victory. We must offer him our all! Don’t all the youth these days support their idols in this manner?”

“Where did you learn that?!”

“When I sneaked out with Savad!” Mifuru’s tail gleefully swished left and right. “I overheard some youths gushing and squealing over their idols!”

“I feel like I’ve caught a glimpse of our nation’s downfall...!” Totori wailed, cradling her head.

Raid cleared his throat. He had no idea what exactly “supporting one’s idol” entailed, but it sounded like tough work. “I appreciate the sentiment, Imperial Lord, but your word alone will do. As for the details of your aid, please inform me after you consult your vassals.”

Finally, Kratio stood with a small smile. “Now then, it seems like our participants have lost interest in our original agenda...unless anyone here would like to insist that Sir Freeden was planning to subvert the state by gathering funds and resources to aid the First World? In which case, his mastermind scheme has succeeded.” He swept his gaze across the participants in the room. “I would like to discuss this matter in more detail with Sir Freeden. However, before that, we must first settle our original agenda. Naturally, should he be deemed a criminal, then this entire deal would be null and void.”

Kratio smiled and, despite knowing their answer, proceeded to ask, “Raise your hand if you wish to pursue your accusation toward Raid Freeden. Stay silent if you wish to drop the charges and continue discussing this deal.”

Naturally, not a single hand was raised. The people who had raised their voices to criticize Raid mere moments ago could only awkwardly avert their gazes.

Kratio looked around the room and slowly nodded.

“Then I hereby declare that the accusations against Raid Freeden are null and void. Instead, let us begin our investment into the future!”

◇

After the accusations against him were dropped, Raid spent the rest of the Assembly explaining the details of the deal. Then, once everything was over, he returned to the Verminant estate to fill in his companions from the First World.

“With this, we’ve secured all the aid we need.” Raid looked at the provisional aid list in his hand and nodded firmly. “From Legnare, two special-class magicians and a large-scale magicians’ brigade. From Celios, a magicians’ brigade of similar scale, Lufus, and her four Guardian Dragons. From Vegalta, several former special-class candidates and financial aid. Other nations similarly offered combat forces, as well as their specialty resources and materials. It’ll take some time to inspect it all.”

Valtos harrumphed. “Dare I say that amount of aid is the bare minimum, considering they will be receiving former Altanian land as a reward!”

“Well, yeah—land that’s thoroughly polluted and will take god knows how long to purify,” Raid said, shooting him a glare. “I’m just glad they accepted it as a reward at all. It’s not like the meager population left in the First World can make use of all that land... Fortunately, we were able to use it in the negotiations.”

“Hey, old man.” Across the table, Dian lifted his chin from his hand and asked, “Do you think the First World can get back on its feet?”

“Who knows? At the very least, there’s definitely more to the Sage’s Codex than meets the eye, so it’s our best bet at the moment.”

“So...” Dian squinted. “You managed to extract all this support from all these nations...without any solid proof?”

“Hey, I didn’t trick them, okay? If the Sage’s Codex ends up being a dead end, then we’ll just have to shift to a more long-term plan of studying the pollution and coming up with our own solution. Either way, we’ll need more people and resources, so the nations of this world will have no choice but to help us if they want their rewards.”

“You... Are you sure you’re a Hero? You’re startin’ to sound more like a sleazy old scammer to me.”

“Well, you got the ‘old’ part right. And with age comes wisdom, no?” Raid smirked. “Anyway, once preparations are complete, we’ll go back to the First World, reclaim the western archipelago, set up a base, and look for the Sage’s Codex. Then, we’ll decipher its contents—and if we’re lucky, it’ll tell us how to get rid of the polluted mana in that world and finally save it from destruction.” He turned to the three Heroes and smiled. “What will you guys do when the First World is back to normal?”

“Er... What do you mean?” Ariel asked.

“I mean, Altane has been dismantled, so you’re no longer tied to it. I’m sure you’ll have your hands full once the polluted mana’s been cleansed, but only for a bit; at some point, you’ll have more time to yourself. Why not take this chance to think of what you wanna do then?”

“Hmm, well...” Ariel reluctantly spoke up. “I’ve spent all my time on the front lines, so I would like to stay somewhere calmer instead—to surround myself not with barren wastelands, but with lush trees and maybe a beautiful lake.”

“A lake, huh? Not bad,” Dian said. “Staring blankly at the water, rod in hand, and slowly nodding off to sleep... Honestly, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Ariel gasped. “Speaking of, I saw your recording! You were just leisurely fishing over here while I was working so hard on the front lines and getting so worried about you!”

“Hey, I’m a prisoner of war over here. Not much else I can spend my time on... Besides, wouldn’t the people over here feel better seeing us messin’ around by the lake, rather than looking all grim and glaring at nothing all day?”

“B-But...it’s just not fair!”

“‘Not fair’...? Aren’t you an aristocrat? One of the lower-class ones, sure, but I didn’t think you’d care about fishing.”

“You think I don’t care about fishing? Well, you...!” Ariel froze, then instantly deflated. “You...would be right. No, forget fishing—I had no hobbies to speak of whatsoever. Every day was spent training. Since becoming a Hero, I’ve spent my days charging into the battlefield and battling Offspring. Furthermore, since you left for the Second World, I’ve been drowning in a pile of my own work... Whatever meager free time I had was spent on baths and sleep... Ha ha ha...”

Dian groaned. “Okay, my bad. You should go on vacation as soon as you can.”

“Okay... I will...”

“Well...do you wanna try fishing? Seems like we’ll be staying here for a while longer... Since the tiny headmaster will take care of everything else for us, we’ve got some free time on our hands right now.”

“Okay... I wanna try fishing...and anything else...” Ariel muttered, her eyes dark and lifeless. Beside her, Dian awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. It seemed like she was in desperate need of some R and R.

Suddenly, Valtos spoke up. “Freeden, will I also be free once everything is over?”

“Well, that depends on how hard you work,” said Raid. “Of course, as a Hero, you won’t ever be completely free. You’ll need to be monitored in some way, at least.”

“Tsk... Will I be stuck with that girl forever...?!”

“Why do you ask? What do you want to do if you’re free?”

“That goes without saying—I want to travel the Second World! The food here is incredibly fresh, allowing for a wide variety of dishes. I feel like I could go on a culinary tour and still never run out of things to try!”

“Huh. A surprisingly mundane dream for the former crown prince.”

“I am also simply irked that the girl mocks me every time I try to ask about the food here! ‘Why, Valtos, you don’t know about this?’” he said, mimicking Millis. “How in the world would I know what a ‘panna cotta’ is?!”

“Well, who knows? Once we fully decipher the Sage’s Codex, we might even be able to undo the Hero spell. What would you like to do then?”

“I wouldn’t mind giving up the Hero’s power if it means gaining freedom. I never excelled in the martial arts to begin with, nor have I ever desired to stand upon the battlefield!”

“By the way, if you’re not a Hero, then you’ll be reduced to a needlessly huge civilian who’s also broke.”

Valtos clasped his hands together. “I swear I will give my utmost, so please! Please return my hidden stash!”

“All that comes after you do your part as a Hero,” Raid reminded him. “Relax, I wouldn’t toss an ordinary civilian into the streets with nothing but the clothes on his back.”

Ariel nodded. “That sounds appropriate. If you don’t hand him some money, then Valtos would likely die on the streets before he could even attempt some sort of crime.”

“Agreed,” Dian piped in. “The guy spent his life lazing around in the capital. He’ll just drop dead like a fly if you just kick him out.”

“Indeed! I will probably die!” Valtos agreed proudly.

Raid shrugged. “All right, then. If you work hard, then I’ll return your savings and give you a reward. Use it to eat all the food you want for the rest of your life.”

As the conversation progressed, smiles began to appear on the three Heroes’ faces. With the Second World’s aid set in stone, their salvation was starting to look less like a pipe dream and more like a foreseeable reality. Even if they failed to find anything from the Sage’s Codex, the aid of the Second World was as good a foundation as any to start working toward another solution. The future they had only ever spoken of in fear and despair now became a topic of such hopeful and whimsical conversation.

With a small smile of his own, Raid quietly stood from his seat. “That ends our meeting. It’ll probably take some time for each nation to prepare their aid. You’re all free until Elise has a job for you.”

With that, Raid left the room, where Fareg had been waiting for him. “Are you finished?” the boy asked.

“Yep,” Raid replied as he continued walking down the hall. “His Majesty and Mr. Martis are at the main estate, right?”

Fareg nodded, falling into pace beside him. “Along with Her Highness Princess Kris, it seems. Apparently, she was quite vexed that Caldwin hadn’t returned with you, so she wants to at least ask you directly how she’s doing.”

“I feel like she’s going to ask me to take her with me too...” Raid sighed. “Well, I actually wouldn’t mind. We’ve finished securing the area around the imperial capital, and we would stand to benefit from bringing her along.”

“You would...?”

“People from different nations are coming along for this operation. Although I’ll technically have authority over them, I’d be hard-pressed to say they actually see me as their superior. Wouldn’t having the visible backing of a Vegaltan royal put them more at ease?”

“Well, I suppose... Princess Kris’s fondness for Caldwin has left a good impression on the masses, making her known as a friendly royal. Despite how she seems, she has actually contributed significantly to public policies. Having her around will definitely be a boon.”

“It’s too bad she gave up her claim to the throne...”

Fareg sighed. “She publicly announced to both her father and the vassals that she would relinquish the throne to her elder brother because she ‘wants to stay with Eluria forever’... Well, nothing can be done if she doesn’t wish for it. Besides, her elder brother—First Prince Klifort—is also an excellent heir.”

“Is it just me, or are you wincing?”

“Well... When I met Caldwin for the first time as kids, I actually messed with her a bit... Princess Kris was naturally enraged and beat me until my face was all swollen. Since then, she always glares daggers at me whenever we meet...”

“You know what they say: You reap what you sow.”

“I was just trying to befriend her, though...!” Fareg held his head and groaned at his old memories.

Raid decided not to ask any further. Some embarrassing childhood memories were best left unprodded. More importantly, there was something else he was more curious about: “Are you not gonna ask me to take you along anymore?”

At Raid’s question, Fareg stopped in his tracks.

Raid halted a beat later, then turned around to face him. “We’ve secured a safe base of operations, so I don’t mind bringing you along now. Besides, I’ve heard about what happened while we were gone. Turns out you led the charge against an ultra-sized manabeast?”

While waiting for the day of the Assembly, Raid had caught up on recent events in the Second World. Of particular note was the appearance of an ultra-sized manabeast off the northern coast of the central continent, as well as a horde of manabeasts that had been stimulated by its appearance. Both Fareg and Dian had been dispatched for this battle.

“Dian and another nation’s special-classer dealt with the ultra-sized manabeast. As for the manabeast horde, you were given command over their subjugation since you identified the problem before anybody else.” Raid folded his arms. “I thought you’d use this as ammunition to convince me to include you, but you never brought it up again.”

Fareg frowned. “Well, you were busy with the Assembly,” he mumbled. “I knew you could free yourself of those accusations, but I didn’t want to bring up anything that would distract you from the task at hand.” He resumed his steps and walked past Raid. “Besides, that was by no means my achievement. I was entrusted with command of the operation for two simple reasons: because I am knowledgeable on manabeasts as a member of House Verminant, and I was already positioned in the rearguard. At most, I sought out the help of Sir Dian and his subordinates because I determined that we were lacking in manpower.”

“Right... If I recall correctly, you ran to Dian, looking pale as a sheet, so he went ahead and helped you without asking for permission. Because of that, Elise had to force him into the subjugation squad while bawling her eyes out from stress.”

“Asking a prisoner of war to help with national defense isn’t standard procedure, after all.” Fareg shrugged, a bitter smile on his lips. “I was one step away from being accused of treason in the Assembly alongside you.”

Regardless, the operation had pushed through thanks to Fareg’s initiative. “You were entrusted with the command because you’re knowledgeable and trustworthy—and these stem not from the Verminant name, but from your own actions. Besides, didn’t Dian and his subordinates take action because you promised to take full responsibility if any one of them died?” Raid shot the boy a knowing look. “No need to humble yourself. I’ve heard about it all, you know.”

Raid hadn’t seen Fareg in action. Everything he knew, he had heard not from Fareg’s mouth but from others. “Next time, tell me yourself,” he chided gently. “How else am I gonna praise you?” Smiling, he slowly reached a hand out for the boy’s head—and gave it a very hearty whack.

“Owww!” Fareg cried. “You hit me? Why?!”

“To get your head back in the game. We’re heading over for a talk with your father, aren’t we?”

“You’re going to talk with him—I’m just bringing you there! What does this have to do with me?!”

“Everything, actually. Like I said, we’ve got a safe base of operations in the First World and—thanks to all the aid we’ve secured here—plenty of combat forces to boot. And I’m about to lead them all on a grand and glorious mission to save the world from destruction. But...” Raid smirked. “Wouldn’t it be a waste if nobody was there to watch it all and share my story to future generations?”

Everything that Hero Raid Freeden had built up a millennium ago was erased alongside Altane’s history for the sake of world peace.

“You’re lacking in both ability and experience, so I have no intention of letting you participate in the battle. But if you’re fine with that...then I’ll give you a special front-row seat to the show.” Raid spun around to face Fareg and declared, “Fareg Verminant, I hereby appoint you this operation’s record keeper.”

Fareg’s expression turned slack from shock.

Regardless, Raid straightened his back and continued, “Accompany me and record everything you witness on the battlefield. Your role will be to create a new record of the Hero—one that will no longer fade from history, but will be passed down alongside the story of how we saved the world. As for everything you learn from watching me...it will be entirely up to you to make use of it.” Raid’s lips stretched into a toothy grin. “So, from today onward, you are now my subordinate. If you accept, then respond as a subordinate would.”

For a moment, Fareg’s expression warped as if he were holding back a torrent of emotions. But no sooner had Raid observed it than Fareg straightened his back and executed a salute. “I, Fareg Verminant, humbly accept my new appointment as your record keeper,” he exclaimed, a brilliant and dazzling smile on his face.

Chapter Four

Nearly two months had passed since Raid returned to the Second World with his companions—a long time, some would say, but considering everything they had accomplished, Raid could say that it was an exceptionally short stay.

“Wooow... It looks spectacular all gathered together like this,” Millis marveled.

“I’ve never seen so many people in my life!” Norn crowed beside her.

The two Lambuts were in awe of the scene surrounding the World Tree. Countless ships were docked in the water, some of which had brought in the mountain of shipping containers now stacked upon this man-made island—an extension to the World Tree, made to hold all the personnel and resources now gathered there. Suffice it to say, the vicinity of the World Tree had changed greatly in these two short months.

Raid observed the surroundings with his hands on his waist. “Who would’ve thought this place would turn into a small city in just a bit over a month?”

Millis blinked, then turned to him with narrowed eyes. “Says the guy who made it all happen,” she retorted.

“Hey, I never said anything about all this. They volunteered.”

The day after the Assembly of the Central Continent, the leaders had gathered once more to further discuss the details of the project to aid the First World, and one of the issues brought up was that the area around the World Tree was far too small to hold all the personnel and resources they were preparing. In the end, Palmare had volunteered its magicians to set up a more optimal site, since their recent disaster left them incapable of providing tangible assets like the rest.

It’s worth mentioning, however, that actual construction had begun only two weeks ago.

“Whew... This is making me realize all over again just how incredible magic is. This would’ve taken years using Altanian machinery... Even in this era, I never got to see this type of reclamation and construction magic back home in the boonies.”

“As a fellow hillbilly, I agree.” Millis nodded, then shrugged. “Still, this isn’t all that surprising when you see how many people have gathered here, no? We’ve got five thousand combatants—all first-class level and skilled in fighting manabeasts—along with second-class magicians, artificers, researchers, and other miscellaneous staff, totalling to a whopping twenty thousand personnel. With this many hands on deck, anything is possible.”

They had managed to recruit far more personnel than they could have ever imagined, to the point where they had to set an upper limit of twenty thousand, including combat personnel. Noncombatants were not required to be magicians, but even with that caveat, eighty percent of personnel ended up being magicians. Right now, this place was like a culmination of the past thousand years’ worth of magic techniques, research, and development.

“Ahh... We worked so hard to see this come to fruition...” Ariel said shakily, looking as pale and withered as a corpse.

Valtos groaned, faring no better. “I worked so hard... Even at the cost of sleep...”

Raid turned to greet the two Heroes. “Hey, you two. Good job out there. Once we’re back in the First World, we’ll be busy organizing the troops and briefing everyone, so you’ll finally get some free time on your hands. Make sure to get some rest.”

“Really...? Can I actually rest this time?” Ariel muttered sadly.

“Freeden, make sure that Second World cuisine is prepared for me when we return,” Valtos grumbled. “I had a grand plan to eat till I drop while I was here, yet I sacrificed it all for the sake of this project... I demand compensation...”

The original plan had been for the Heroes to spend their time leisurely here in the Second World, but that changed quickly when they found a lot more magicians among the recruited personnel than expected.

Due to the overflowing polluted mana in the First World, magic devices functioned quite a bit differently than they would in the Second World. Ariel and Valtos had been tasked with collating documents outlining the differences, cautionary points, and adaptive methods, as well as personally briefing the magicians on these matters and helping them apply them in practice. Alas, they hadn’t been able to coordinate the timing of when each nation would send in their personnel, so Ariel and Valtos had to spend an entire week—from day to night—distributing the documents and conducting briefings for each new batch of magicians that arrived in Palmare.

Millis cocked her head. “I get Ariel, but why are you tired, Valtos?”

“‘Why’...?” Valtos’s lifeless eyes glinted resentfully. “Brat, did you just ask me why I am tired...? When I not only spent an entire week making documents and conducting briefings with Ariel, but even assisted Dian and Lammel in tweaking the dimensional gap to prepare for a large-scale teleportation...?!”

Millis blinked. “Huh? Wait, Valtos, don’t tell me... You’re actually smart?”

Ariel sighed. “Lady Millis, this may come as a shock to you given his appearance, but Valtos actually has a doctorate degree in magic research and polluted mana studies...”

Millis’s jaw nearly dropped to the ground. “What? This guy?! The guy who looks like he’s got brawn for brains and keeps yapping about being a proud and mighty crown prince like he’s got no other words in his vocabulary?!”

Valtos chuckled darkly. “Behold, insolent little lass... Today, you learn that I, the heir to the imperial throne, am simply a cut above the masses in every way! This, too, is my duty as the crown prince!” He threw his head back and guffawed. It seemed Millis’s shock had recharged him.

On the other hand, Millis clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. “He looks so much like a meathead that I failed to see through to his true nature... Curses!”

Raid watched the two with a shake of his head. He was glad to see them enjoying themselves, as usual.

Just then, someone came jogging toward him. “Raid! It’s so good to see you again!”

He turned toward the newcomer and smiled. “Hey, Lufus. Long time no see. Thanks for coming again, and for your help back during the integrated exam.”

“Of course! I’d never say no to Eluria! And this time, my grandpa told me I could do as I please—so here I am. Right, Lafika?” The girl, Lufus, turned to the dragon on her shoulder with a bright and beaming smile. Lafika responded with a rumbling purr.

Raid hadn’t been able to see them after the integrated exam, busy as he’d been at the time, so he was glad to see them both doing well now.

From there, many acquaintances and familiar faces dropped by to say hi as well.

“Oh, my li’l bro... I’m so proud to see you’re making a name for yourself yet again,” Edward mumbled as he approached with heavy steps.

“Ed, hey. You look as tired as always,” Raid mused.

“About thirty percent more exhausted than usual...” Ed yawned. “I had to serve as a punching bag for our cute little sister ’cause she was sulking about not being allowed to come along... But what can we do? She’s still a student...”

“Thanks for all your hard work... Once we get to the other side, you can take care of Alma instead.”

“And by that, you mean I have to start organizing her documents again... I can already imagine all the dust and clutter that’s accumulated around her in my absence... Argh, my urge to clean is acting up!” With slumped shoulders and a lifeless gait, Edward dragged himself to the assembly area.

Soon, Alicia and Galleon came over to fill his spot.

“Raid,” greeted Alicia. “It’s a pleasure to see you once more.”

“Greetings!” Galleon bellowed. “I look forward to seeing my son-in-law in action up close!!!”

Raid bowed his head. “Ms. Alicia, Mr. Galleon, thank you very much for coming to our aid again.”

Alicia and Galleon hadn’t come alone, though. Seeing their companion, Millis walked over with wide eyes. “Huh? Ms. Carille! You came with Lady Eluria’s parents... Do you know each other?”

“Oooh, Millis, long time no see...” Carille drawled with a lazy smile. “I’ve made magic gear for Lady Alicia and Lord Galleon before, sooo I’m coming along to help with maintenance...”

Alicia shot the woman a dubious look. “You fail to mention that you overslept and nearly didn’t make it. Of course, I had seen that coming, so I went to pick her up from her workshop—and lo and behold, I found her collapsed inside, as expected.”

Carille chuckled. “I’m honored you know me so well...”

“Oh!” Millis gasped, suddenly remembering something. “Ms. Carille, do you know anyone who calls himself ‘Lesi W. Ater’?”

“Mm... Lesi W. Ater...?”

Millis nodded. “In the First World, that was the name of a skilled technician who lived in Paradise a thousand years ago—which should be around this era we’re now living in. I figured you might know him if he’s famous.”

“Whaaat? He’s famous in the First World?” Carille giggled.

“Do you know him?!” Millis’s eyes flashed brightly as she grabbed Carille by her shoulders. “You see, he apparently had a very, er...fateful relationship with me, so please tell me whatever you can about him!”

“Well...” Carille drawled, her gaze wandering lazily. “Firstly, ‘ater’ is a word from a veeery ancient language that was used in the eastern region... It means ‘black,’ or something like that...”

“I see, I see! So it means ‘black’!”

“Aaand then, uh... Our surname ‘Blanche’ means ‘white’ in our old language, so we use ‘Ater’ as a fake surname when we’re going incognito... I mean, we’re pretty well-known, right? Buuut sometimes we wanna test our skills or new techniques without any of that bias...so yeah.”

“Oh hoh... So, you’ve used this fake surname too, Ms. Carille?”

“Uh-huh... My fake name is Ellira C. Ater. Just flipped my first name over, nothin’ much to it...”

“So you mean to say that...‘Lesi W. Ater’ is also a flipped name?!”

“Preeetty much...” Carille’s expression melted into a loose smile. “Aw, shucks... I knew he looked up to me and all, but I never thought he’d copy my fake name... My little brother’s too cute...”

“I see, I...” Millis froze. “Huh?”

“By the waaay, this is how you spell my brother’s name...” Carille grabbed Millis’s hand and trailed her finger over her palm, spelling each letter of a very familiar name.

“It’s... It’s...” Millis trembled like a leaf as realization slowly dawned upon her. “It’s Lesi W. Ater?!”

Norn gasped. “Have you finally uncovered his true identity?!”

“N-N-N-No! I most definitely absolutely indubitably have not!”

“Wow! You’re so easy to read when you’re flustered!”

Cradling her head, Millis crouched down and began to mumble under her breath. “Of course, as a classmate, I deeply respect his earnest and diligent work ethic...whenever he makes a new magic device or gear, he always takes its user and their preferences into consideration, and for that he always puts his all into his magic training...not to mention, he hails from a prominent household, yet unlike a certain young master, he’s never arrogant or condescending about it. In fact, he’s very friendly and so easy to get along with... It’s not as if I see him in a bad light; far from it, he’s actually very... Ack! A hurricane of love is suddenly breaking through my walls!!!”

Norn drew back, wincing. “Mr. Raid, I think my ancestor is broken...”

“She sure is. Humans break down when subjected to information overload,” Raid replied, gently patting Norn’s head. He had heard about this from Eluria, and he agreed with her that they had best watch over their friends from the sidelines.

Just then, Fareg jogged over toward him. “Freeden, the first batch is complete—the Caldwin couple was the last of them. The headmaster is also done with her preparations. We can initiate teleportation anytime.”

“All right. Thanks for the report, Fareg. We’ll head in first to give Eluria a heads-up. After that, you can leave the rest to Elise and just follow us in with everyone else.”

“Understood. We’ve arranged the personnel by their affiliated states, and I’ve told the headmaster everything she needs to know, so everything should proceed smoothly.”

“Roger that...” Raid gave the boy a curious look. “You do know you don’t have to be so uptight, right? I only appointed you as the record keeper; no need to take on all these miscellaneous tasks too.”

“Hmph... It’s no problem at all. I’m doing this because I want to. Besides...” Fareg smiled. “Since you finally stopped calling me a kid, I need to work my fair share to prove that you weren’t wrong to do so.”

Raid studied him for a while, then shrugged. “Well, you’re my subordinate now, so I can’t call you that kind of nickname. I need to speak precisely when working.”

“What?” Fareg’s jaw dropped. “That’s why you stopped calling me ‘kid’?!”

“What other reason is there?”

“Y-You acknowledged that...I’ve finally grown up...?”

Raid made a face. “What? Grown up? You?”

“Okay, you don’t have to look at me like that!” Fareg snapped, his face flushing a deep red.

Raid simply waved his hand with a sigh. He was glad to see the boy acting more like his usual self again, but the day his growth would be worth acknowledging was still very far off.

“Jokes aside, it’s time to depart. We’re already a month late, after all.” Raid tilted his head back, his gaze set firmly on the enormous tree looming over them. He grinned and said, “My bride is waiting for me back there. I need to hurry back and show her that I’m doing just fine.”

◆

Two months had passed since Raid took some of their companions back to the Second World. Meanwhile, in the First World, not much had changed. People went about their days in peace despite the looming threat of ruin. In fact, one could even say that things were too peaceful these days.

“Alma. You may be my descendant, but there are things I cannot overlook.”

“Uh... Okay.”

“Do you understand what I’m saying? Hmm, Alma?” Tiana was wearing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she spoke in a hushed tone.

Suddenly, a groggy groan cut into their conversation—it came from none other than Eluria, who was currently clinging onto Alma.

Tiana bristled at the sight. “Step away from Lady Eluria right this instant! That’s my spot...!”

“Huh? Is this my fault? I only came here to wake her up, but then she suddenly latched onto me and went right back to sleep... Which part of this is my fault?”

“Hush! You’re speaking too loud! Lady Eluria’s sleeping face is the cutest when she’s floaty, and this is a precious chance to gaze upon it all we want—we must treasure it!” Despite rebuking Alma, Tiana wore a wide and blissful smile. “Ahhh, her childlike face and her slightly slackened lips... Her cheeks are softer than usual because she’s so relaxed... Not to mention the way she curls into herself and latches onto anyone nearby like a tiny animal! I praise and thank the world for creating such a lovable existence!”

Alma shot her a dry look. “Lady Tiana, you say this almost every day. Don’t you ever get tired?”

Tiana looked at Alma like she’d grown a second head. “Get tired? How could I? When blessed with Lady Eluria’s cuteness, it is our duty to offer our sincerest gratitude to every force in the world that led to her birth, no?” The Sage’s number one fangirl was at full force again today.

Alma sighed and turned her attention back to the floaty girl. “Eluria, it’s morning. Time to get up,” she called, shaking her shoulders.

“Nuuu...” Still clinging to Alma, Eluria nuzzled her head against the woman’s stomach like a cat hiding from the light. After a while, she stopped moving entirely and began quietly snoring once more.

“I see, I see... This is Floaty Pattern E,” Tiana observed.

“Oh, right... His Excellency had a bunch of different behavioral patterns jotted down on his notes.”

“Indeed. Lady Eluria follows Pattern E whenever she does not want to get up. If handled wrongly, she falls back asleep and extends her floaty period, at worst falling into a cycle from which she doesn’t break free until noon.”

“I’m impressed she managed to attend her classes every day...”

“We have Raid Freeden’s research to thank for that. His notes are impeccable. As Lady Eluria’s disciple and as one who’s also taken care of her in the past, I must admit that I acknowledge his prowess.”

“His Excellency’s been through so much, huh...?” Sighing, Alma gently caressed Eluria’s head.

“Nu.” With an odd squeak, Eluria’s eyes suddenly opened halfway. She swiftly released Alma’s arm, crawled out of bed, and made her way to the set of clothes that had been set aside for her.

Tiana gasped. “Alma, this is an undiscovered pattern!”

“Ah, so getting out of bed to get dressed is a groundbreaking discovery...”

“You’ve tried to wake Lady Eluria a few times, haven’t you? Then you should know that whenever she’s floaty she never moves of her own volition!”

“Wow. When you put it that way, she sounds like an utterly hopeless human being.”

Unfazed by Alma’s deadpan remarks, Tiana kept her eyes glued on Eluria’s valiant effort to change clothes. Alma had to admit that she was right, though—it wasn’t every day Eluria took such independent action while floaty. Although her eyes remained half open at best, she brilliantly fixed all her buttons—in the right order, no less—and finished changing her clothes.

“Raid...” she muttered out of the blue.

“Huh? What about His Excellency?”

“Raid is...coming home...” Eluria let out a small yawn, stretched once, then nodded. “Okay. I’m awake.”

“L-Lady Eluria...conquered floatiness on her own?!” Tiana exclaimed in shock.

“Welcome to a morning in the life of an average human,” Alma mumbled.

“Ms. Alma, Raid is coming home. Let’s head to the arrival site.”

Eluria walked over to Alma with steady steps and grabbed her hand. Instantly, Alma’s vision blurred, and a floating sensation enveloped her body. The next thing she knew, she was staring at the plains on the outskirts of the imperial capital.

Alma squinted in exasperation. “Okay, sure. Just step out of bed and cast a complex teleportation spell, why don’t you?”

“My future husband is coming home. This isn’t the time to be sleeping,” Eluria replied with a decisive nod. It seemed that not only was she fully awake, she was also rather excited for Raid’s homecoming.

“Oh, but how do you know His Excellency is coming back?”

“While applying adjustments to the dimensional gap, I set up an automatic response to his mana that would trigger once he initiates the teleportation: Regardless of my consciousness, my body will get up, change clothes, and gradually warm up to spur on my awakening. It’s a type of biological magic.”

“I’m...pretty sure that’s a lot harder than you just made it sound.”

“Mm-hmm. I made it by combining the First World’s magic and biomedicine, then added a formula that would activate and stabilize magic while the caster is unconscious. It’s too complex for anyone else.”

“Couldn’t you just use that every morning to free yourself of your floatiness?”

Eluria pouted and grumbled, “Don’t like to interrupt my natural sleep cycle.”

In the end, floatiness was always going to be a part of Eluria.

As their idle chatter filled the air, a blue light suddenly appeared in front of them, gradually expanding into a circle and creating an opening in the air. Soon, one man stepped out, casually waving his hand.

“Yo. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Eluria eagerly jogged over to Raid’s side. “Welcome back, Raid.”

“Thanks. It’s good to be back,” he replied while giving her a pat on the head. “Was everything good while we were gone?”

“Mm-hmm. Tiana and Ms. Alma helped me a lot.”

The couple exchanged their greetings like they would any other day. At first glance, Eluria looked the same as ever, but Alma could see that her expression had gotten much lighter after seeing Raid. If she had a tail, it would no doubt have been swaying joyously.

As Alma was about to move on with a nod, however, Raid suddenly said, “Oh, that’s right. A promise is a promise.” He slowly leaned over—and placed a kiss on Eluria’s forehead.

They all fell silent.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, an utterly stunned “What?” tumbled out of Alma’s lips, drawing Raid’s attention.

“Oh. Hey, Alma. Thanks for coming.”

“Okay, hang on. I think greeting me is the last thing you should be doing in this situation.”

“I just came back from my trip. Why would a greeting be out of place?”

“Because there’s something else that needs to be addressed!” Alma snapped. “What the heck? You two have been apart for two months—why are you even more lovey-dovey now?”

Raid shrugged. “Well, Eluria told me that she wanted a kiss from me once I came back from the Second World.”

“You really just said that with such a straight face!” Alma exclaimed in disbelief.

“I mean, what’s so embarrassing about a couple greeting each other with a kiss? Right, Eluria?”

“Y-Y-Yesh! I-Is very normal...!” Eluria squeaked out, her eyes spinning and her face flushed to the tips of her ears.

“Uh, is it just me, or does Eluria look like she’s about to erupt?” Alma asked dryly as she watched the girl sink to her knees.

Eluria had probably asked for that kiss expecting it to happen when they were alone. Alas, Raid was so indifferent about such matters that he’d fulfilled the promise out here in the open, leading to this catastrophic incident.

Alma wore a small smile as her gaze turned to the distance. “Ahh, such hopeless lovebirds, these two... That blasted all my sleepiness away.”

Raid squinted. “This is how you welcome me back? Anyway, forget it,” he grumbled, waving his hand. “We’ve got a lot of guests coming over—and I mean a lot. It’s time for a meeting.”

Alma watched Raid, intrigued by his unusually petulant reaction. Before she could comment on it, however, people began to emerge from the glowing opening behind him. The first was a young girl with a bright smile on her face—Lufus.

“Hi, Eluria! Thanks for calling on me again!”

“Y-Yeah... Thanks for coming, Lufus,” Eluria replied.

“Huh? Why’s your face kinda red?”

“B-Because I just woke up...!”

“Your face turns red when you wake up?” Lufus asked, innocently tilting her head.

Soon, two very familiar figures followed behind Lufus—Alicia and Galleon.

Alicia wore an exhausted expression as she looked to the sky. “I never thought I would have to cross dimensions just to see my daughter...”

“Why the glum look?! Take it as a sign of our daughter’s growth!!!” Galleon bellowed.

“Galleon, could you keep your voice down? I’m feeling nauseous from the teleportation...”

“Oh, Instructor Kanos!” Edward immediately jogged over to Alma. “Please, you gotta take me to your workplace right this instant. I can already imagine the mess it’s in, and it’s filling me with an unspeakable urge to clean...!”

“Whoaaa, would you look at thaaat... Machines here, machines there, machines everywhere!” Carille exclaimed in awe.

One familiar face after the other emerged from the glowing opening—the “guests” that Raid had spoken of. Eventually, Millis also emerged.

“Hey there,” Alma greeted casually. “Looks like you brought along a ton of help, huh? And this isn’t even the end of it, from what I’ve heard. Seems like we can finally get a move on.”

“Yes, we certainly can...” Millis mumbled.

Alma eyed the girl. “You good, Millis? You’re kind of spacing out...”

“N-N-No, I’m not! Absolutely not! I’m the same old cheerful and noisy country girl you all know and love—nothing to worry about here!”

Alma shot her a skeptical look, not believing a single word she said. “What happened on the other side?”

“N-N-Nothing, nothing at all! I just so happened to learn that ‘ater’ means ‘black’ and how to spell Lesi W. Ater’s name backward, but that doesn’t have anything to do with it, okay?!”

“Huh. So this is how you react when you’re flustered,” Alma remarked with a knowing smile. Then, nodding once, she turned her gaze back to the distance and muttered, “Ahh, youth...”

She just couldn’t help but wonder: The world was halfway to ruin and the end was nigh, so why—just why—was there so much sickly sweet love in the air?

◇

Raid brought their companions up to speed on everything that had happened on their trip to the Second World. Once that was done and dusted, they proceeded to hold a meeting in the throne room.

“Looks like each state’s representative is gathered.” Standing on the elevated platform in front of the throne, Raid swept his gaze across the room and nodded. He could spot some familiar faces among the crowd, but most were newcomers. “Thank you all for gathering here. For starters, let me tell you all now that I won’t bother with any formalities or etiquette moving forward—it’s a waste of time. I may look like a kid, but keep in mind that I’m nearly ninety years old on the inside. Well, you can pretty much think of me like you would the Legnarian beastdweller and special-class magician, Totori.”

With his preface out of the way, Raid nodded once and continued. “For this operation, I, Raid Freeden, and Eluria Caldwin hold full command. Our orders will always take top priority.”

Taking the chance during Raid’s brief silence, one person raised his hand. “First-Class Magician Pastor of Vildpeth,” he said, introducing himself. “You’ve already been handed all authority over us, so I have no objections to that. However, I’ve heard that you two will be in charge of fighting the Calamities, so I would like to suggest that you entrust command to someone else.”

“Let me explain why we didn’t do that,” said Raid. “Approximately six thousand people are being mobilized for this mission. The scale is huge, the likes of which the Second World hasn’t seen in generations. Naturally, there are no commanders experienced in handling this many soldiers. However, Eluria and I are different—we’ve led thousands of troops in an era of war and human wave tactics. Thus, this operation has the highest chance of success with us in the lead.”

Pastor narrowed his eyes. “Even if you must take command while facing the Calamities?”

“Correct. I can declare with full and unwavering confidence that I can face the Calamities while commanding an entire army without producing any casualties. Well, if you’re still doubtful of our abilities, then you can see for yourself in our initial skirmish to recover Celios. If you’re unsatisfied, you can raise another protest after.”

“Hmm... I understand. I’ll trust your confidence.”

Most likely, Pastor wasn’t the only one who’d had such doubts—after all, not everybody here was familiar with Raid’s and Eluria’s strength. However, with this public declaration, Raid had managed to put their concerns to rest at least for the meantime.

After a short pause, another hand flew up. “Hey-ho, over here! Special-Class Magician Jamil of Gralea speaking,” drawled an easygoing middle-aged man. “So, about those Calamities—are we special-classers really no match against them even if we team up?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Raid replied. “Calamities are generally as big as—if not bigger than—ultra-sized manabeasts. Not to mention that they’re not exactly living beings, but rather an amalgamation of magic in the form of a creature. To beat them, you’d need to destroy their core, for which you’d have to first break through their tough exterior. It’s far more efficient to have you guys deal with the Offspring, since they’re much easier to beat despite their larger numbers.”

“Yeesh... A’ight, got it.” The man sighed and shrugged. “I’m pretty confident in my ability—I mean, I am a special-classer—but if those things aren’t like anything we know, then I guess I’ll just go kick some small fry butt instead.”

Special-classers were the pinnacle of the Second World’s magicians. With their strength, Raid could certainly expect good results against the Calamities...eventually. Calamities could infinitely recover their flesh with polluted mana and thus keep their core protected at all times. Against them, special-class magicians could only win after a long and tedious battle—and that estimate could still shift depending on how good or bad a match the special-classer was against each specific Calamity.

Hence, it was far more efficient for Raid and Eluria to take on the Calamities and instead delegate the special-classers to the Offspring. This would not only speed up the battle but also ensure a much higher survival rate for everyone else.

“Offspring are also unlike any beast or living being we know, but they’re only as big as medium- to large-sized manabeasts,” Raid continued. “You can fight them like you would manabeasts, as long as you keep in mind that they’re tougher than usual. Special-classers go without saying, but even those below them can beat an Offspring as long as you coordinate as a team like always.” Moreover, if they still struggled against the Offspring, there was still a fallback. “Just remember—if things are looking dicey, head straight for the sea. As for why, Ariel over here can explain.”

Ariel nodded. “Calamities and Offspring typically act on land. The reason for this is because—as explained earlier—their bodies are composed of polluted mana.”

The crowd nodded and murmured in understanding.

“Mana easily shifts and disperses around water currents and pressure. This makes it difficult for Offspring to maintain their forms underwater. Not so for Calamities, but they avoid the water anyway. This is why we fled across the sea to the eastern continent—to place a large body of water between us and those monsters.”

The Calamity that appeared in Palmare in the Second World had been unable to move immediately because it had appeared in the sea. It had been directing all its mana to maintaining its large form, and after it started moving, it prioritized heading for land.

“That being said, they are not simply vulnerable to water. For example, magically applied water actually hinders the leakage of polluted mana. Rivers have a flowing current but are too shallow, whereas lakes are deep enough but have little to no flow—neither are effective in stopping the Offspring and Calamities. In summary, please keep in mind that only the sea fulfills all conditions for hindering these monsters.”

Ariel finished her explanation with a bow. After confirming that there were no questions, she stepped back again.

“For the aforementioned reason,” Raid continued, stepping forward in her place, “we will make our way to Celios through the southern sea route. It’s gonna be a long trip since we’re headed from the eastern continent all the way to the opposite end, but it’s the safest route we have with the smallest chance of being ambushed by Calamities. Well, not like the land route was ever on the table to begin with.”

“Heeey,” drawled Carille, raising her hand. “Carille, magic artificer from Vegalta speaking... Sooo, considering the distance from this eastern end of the world aaall the way to Celios, we can’t exactly make the full trip without resupplying partway, can we? Even if we can, it’d be a one-way trip... Uhhh, what are we going to do about that...?”

“A technical question. Then allow me to answer.” Raising his hand, Wisel stepped to the podium and took in a short breath. “Whereas magical technology is mainstream in the Second World, machinery is the mainstream in this world. There aren’t many experts here, so I’ll keep it simple: Mana and electricity can be produced from water currents, and we have machines that can produce power by fusing these two. Now, with technology from the Second World, we can increase the proportion of mana and amplify the electricity, making extra-long-distance trips possible. The prototypes responded well to the tests, so it’s all good to go.”

“Wooow... So we don’t even need a stopover?”

“We plan on making one after recovering Celios. We’ll create an artificial island away from the mainland and use it as a stopover for teleportation spells to form a secure supply route.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh, I see... We’re all amateurs when it comes to machinery, sooo I guess we’ll learn as we go,” Carille drawled.

“I’ve already prepared materials explaining the First World’s machinery. I’ll give a more in-depth explanation once all the artificers and technicians have gathered.”

Carille nodded, satisfied.

With that, Raid stepped forward once more and said, “Let’s wrap up this discussion here. Remodeling the Second World’s ships will take some time, so we can still entertain questions and flesh out the plan until it’s time to depart. In the meantime, you’re all free to acclimate yourselves to life here in the First World.”

Raid dismissed the meeting with a clap. With that, some First World personnel stepped forward to escort the representatives.

Finally, Raid let out a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of free time...”

“Mm-hmm. You’re going to be especially swamped the whole time.” Eluria reached out and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Since Raid and Eluria were the heads of this operation, they naturally had a lot of work ahead of them on all sides. Although most of the work would be left to Alma and her brigade, only Raid could transport personnel and resources from the Second World. He also had to face the Calamities, take command of the operation, and flesh out their strategies and plans for the future. Suffice it to say that there would be no time for rest anytime soon.

“If you ever feel tired, I’ll help you with command,” Eluria offered.

“I guess you did lead your own regiment before. But this time, you’ll be leading strangers... Will you be okay?”

“I will.”

“Ooh, so confident. You’ve grown so much... To think you used to be so shy.”

Eluria pouted. “I wouldn’t let my shyness impede a combat operation. Lives are at stake here.”

“I know, I know—I was just teasing you. Cheer up, okay?” Raid gently patted her head with an awkward laugh.

“Eluria! It’s been a while!” Totori crowed, approaching them with Savad in tow.

“Mm. It’s good to see you again, Totori and Savad,” Eluria replied.

“I’m glad to see you doing well, Eluria,” said Savad. “The Imperial Lord has been worried about you.”

“How’s Mifuru doing?”

“Ever since her outing with you, she has taken to sneaking into the streets incognito and has been a lot more chipper than before. Well, maybe a bit too chipper... I heard she nearly handed Raid our entire country on a silver platter.”

“Wow... I just took my eyes off him for a little while, and he nearly became a king,” Eluria muttered.

“We would have still followed the Imperial Lord’s orders if it pushed through, but a sudden change in ruler would certainly be quite the ordeal, so...” Savad mumbled with a tired smile.

Eluria could imagine the headache that the Legnarian officials went through when it was decided that Totori, Savad, and their magician squad would be deployed for this operation.

“Well, would ya look at that.” The man who’d raised a question earlier—Jamil—approached with an easygoing smile and wave. “Turns out you’re acquainted with the Legnarian duo!”

Totori turned to him. “Oh! It’s Uncle Sandy!”

“Long time no see, Uncle Sandy,” greeted Eluria.

Jamil sighed. “Well, I can’t blame you for calling me that... Still, I’m a special-class magician, so could you at least spare me this indignity when we’re in public?”

Savad looked at Eluria in surprise. “You know him as well, Eluria?”

“Mm-hmm. He knows my mother and father, and he came to our estate when I was a kid.”

Jamil offered his hand to Raid. “Let me reintroduce myself. The name’s Jamil Hyer, a special-class magician from Gralea down south. Hope I can be of some help!”

“I’m Raid Freeden. I’ve heard you’re the most senior among the special-classers. It’s encouraging to have you on board.”

“Hah! You sure know how to flatter this unc! Still, I’m nowhere as strong as you young’uns. I could only be a special-classer for so long ’cause we lack magicians down south. Don’t get your hopes up, a’ight?”

“I take it you’re being modest,” Raid replied with a subtle smirk. “I’ve heard many things about the Sandsmith of the South. You’re definitely a valuable force for our operation.”

“Sandsmith, my foot! ‘Uncle Sandy’ is enough for him!” Totori snapped.

“Mm-hmm. Uncle Sandy,” Eluria agreed.

Raid squinted. “So, why exactly are they calling you that...?”

Jamil chuckled awkwardly. “Well, ya see, when li’l Totori here first became a special-class magician, I mistook her for a lost child, so I made a sandcastle for her...”

“Of course, I snapped and burned that puny thing to a crisp with my lightning,” Totori deadpanned.

“He made me a sandcastle too,” Eluria added. “So I made him an even better one with my magic.”

A dry laugh spilled from Jamil’s lips as he gazed into the distance. “I lost to a newbie, then to a kid... So now I’m just ‘Uncle Sandy’...”

Despite his modest remarks, Jamil Hyer was the oldest veteran among the current special-classers and boasted numerous feats in the southern region of the central continent which was rife with desert regions and manabeast attacks. His support from the people of the south was immense, placing him among the upper ranks of the special-class magicians.

“Uncle Sandy, make me another sandcastle! I’ll turn it into glass for you!”

“Uncle Sandy, I’ll show you around this castle. Let’s compete to see who can re-create it with the most detail.”

“Okay, okay... I’ll find some time to play with you both, so could you please drop the nickname...?”

Alas, none of his glory could be gleaned from his slumped figure. He looked very miserable, sandwiched between two petite girls—one a long-living beastdweller, and the other a genius Sage. Raid was starting to feel bad for him.

Meanwhile, Savad turned his attention to Raid and said, “Come to think of it, are the three of us the only special-classers who were recruited for this expedition?”

Raid nodded. “That’s right. Well, it’s not like we could’ve brought all of you...”

“What? It’s just us and Uncle Sandy?” Totori hummed. “Well, I understand Celios’s cloudhead and Vegalta’s ironman not coming... But what about the north’s furball and little miss burner? Or the east’s four-eyed meathead? They all seem like they’d have their eyes on some land here in the First World.”

Savad sighed. “So you had weird nicknames for all the other special-classers too...”

“Well, setting her nicknames aside...” Jamil smoothed his expression, looking much more professional. “The northern region is busy due to the recent ultra-sized manabeast attack, while Celios is still occupied with investigating manabeast behavior across the land, so their special-class magicians had to stay behind. There’s been some strange behavioral patterns observed ever since, hmm...around the time Alma was running around eliminating dragon nests.”

As they had heard from Fareg, an ultra-sized manabeast had suddenly appeared in the north while they were in the First World. The deal Raid had offered to the nations of the Second World was a good one, but nothing was worth leaving their home base in the Second World utterly helpless before another possible manabeast attack. Hence, many states decided to keep their special-class magicians—individual forces capable of single-handedly fending off ultra-sized manabeasts—and compensate by offering their other combat forces.

“But the southern region doesn’t have that luxury.” Jamil sighed. “We don’t have many primary industries, what with our territories being filled with deserts, so getting our hands on more land in a new world is top priority.”

Raid nodded. “Sounds to me like we need to save this world in a jiffy so we can give the southern nations their new territory already. The First World will benefit from that land development as well.”

“Hah! You say it like it’s so easy...” Jamil grinned. “Well, from what I heard earlier, it sounds like I can rest easy with you two in the lead.”

Just then, Eluria curiously swept her gaze across the room and asked, “Raid, where are Ms. Alma and Millis?”

“Hmm? Oh... Now that you mention it, I don’t see them at all. The First World personnel are in charge of escorting the representatives, so the brigade members shouldn’t have any work till we start loading stuff in tomorrow...”

“Mm... I’ll go look for them.”

“Do you really need to? I’m pretty sure Alma’s just getting Ed to tidy up her room for her or something.”

Eluria bobbed her head with sparkling eyes. “I’m even more curious now.” She jogged away with cheerful steps, leaving Raid wondering just what could have fascinated her so much.

“By the way,” Jamil said, “you said we’re planning on recovering Celios... Can the Calamities not cross the strait between the central continent and the western archipelago?”

“It would depend on their size, but they probably can,” Raid answered. “The continent and archipelago are quite far apart, but the distance isn’t much compared to the gaping sea between the central and eastern continents. The Calamities will probably come rushing in once we land in Celios.”

As Ariel had explained earlier, Calamities typically disliked entering the sea, but that wouldn’t stop them if there were targets to eliminate on the other shore. They possessed a certain level of intelligence, with which they could determine that entering the sea would be no impediment to their flesh and movement. Thus, Calamities were likely to come rushing toward them in Celios from the central continent.

Jamil squinted. “So, we would be dealing with the Calamities in Celios and constant reinforcements from the central continent? Forget the next stages of the plan—will we even be able to establish an outpost there?”

“Rest assured, we’ve already prepared for that. Eluria said there should be no problem.”

“Oh... That girl’s always been a bright one...”

“Whether now or in the past, she’s not one you can describe simply as a genius. I struggled a lot against her back in the day...” Raid remarked with a fond chuckle. “Not only did she invent magic, but she also dished out strategy after strategy the likes of which no ordinary person could ever devise. To top it all off, she executed them without the slightest hesitation and saw every single one to completion. She’s so crazy, isn’t she?”

Jamil shot him a flat look. “You know, Alicia and Galleon told me about your engagement... Are you sure you want to talk about your future wife like that?”

“No, no. I’m just like her, so this is a compliment. Besides, that just means she’s always up to something interesting. I couldn’t ask for a better wife.” Raid’s lips stretched into a fearless grin. “She makes the impossible possible—that’s my bride, Eluria Caldwin.”

◆

After exiting the throne room, Eluria made a beeline for Alma and Millis’s location. She always made a point to memorize the wavelength of her companions’ mana, so it was a simple matter to trace them via the mana they unconsciously leaked out.

The location was Alma’s office. Eluria opened the door and was welcomed by a rather chaotic sight.

“Waaaaah... What do I dooooo...” Millis wailed.

“You’re asking the wrong person,” Alma said flatly. “Ed, say something to her.”

Edward sighed. “Oh, Instructor Kanos... You can shove your mess and clutter to me, and I’d fix it in a jiffy. But this? Oh, I can’t fix this. Do I look like I understand the struggles of youth these days?”

“Why are you talking like a geezer? You’re only three years older than His Excellency—so twenty-one, right?”

“My youth was all about mana research and my sister’s fists... Instructor Kanos, why don’t you give her some advice as a highly experienced senior?”

Alma raised an eyebrow. “And you think I’ve got any advice to give?”

“Absolutely not,” Edward replied flatly. “You’ve got empty beer bottles rolling all over the floor, nothing is in its right place, and your clothes are scattered everywhere... You’re a woman on the outside but an exhausted middle-aged man on the inside. No way you’d have romantic advice to give.”

“How about I punch you for every year I’ve been alive?”

“Now, I’m aware it’s rude to ask a girl her age, but since my life is at stake here—may I ask how old you are?”

“I’m twenty-six.”

“Whew! My little sister punches me four times as much on the daily, so it looks like I get to live to see another day.”

“You didn’t even try to convince me not to punch you...”

“Could you two please stop ignoring me?! I’m at my wit’s end here!” Millis shrieked, slamming her hand on the desk.

Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Alma just continued looking through her documents with a sleepy gaze, while Edward appeared more interested in the two trash bags in his hands.

However, it didn’t take long for Alma to look up from her papers and notice Eluria’s arrival. “Oh, look—someone with a love life.”

“Ah, Lady Eluria, my dearest sister-in-law who is experiencing her springtime youth,” greeted Edward. “Have you any wise words to spare for your pitiful friend here?”

“I might need an explanation first,” Eluria mumbled.

Millis fidgeted. “Well, I found out the true identity of Lesi W. Ater—”

“Correction: I might need to prepare some tea and snacks first,” Eluria interjected with sparkling eyes as she eagerly began to set up her very own tea party in the office.

“Wow! Finally, somebody looks excited to hear me out!”

Eluria was glad she’d come as soon as she had; she wouldn’t have been able to live with herself if she’d missed out on such a fascinating conversation. “So?” she urged Millis on. “Who is Lesi W. Ater?”

“Um... Wisel, probably,” Millis mumbled.

“Mm-hmm. And how did you react when you found out?”

“I never would have expected him to be an acquaintance, much less a friend!”

Eluria smiled. “I’ve been eagerly awaiting that reaction.”

“Aha! So you did know about it! I had a feeling you were whispering something behind my back in the hot springs!”

“I was just being a thoughtful friend. It was better for you to find out on your own.”

“Maybe you should’ve said that before you told me that you’ve been waiting for my reaction!” Once again, Millis slammed the desk in frustration.

Eluria averted her gaze. She’d gotten a bit too excited back there. In any case, she turned back to her friend with a quizzical look. “I understand that you were surprised, but why do you also seem a bit bothered?”

“Well, I mean... To me, Wisel is a colleague and friend who’s overcome arduous training alongside me. I never thought we’d have ended up together here in the First World...”

“So, do you not like Wisel?”

“Th-That’s not it! Setting aside all the romance talk, I really do respect him as a friend and as a person!” Despite her firm declaration, there was clearly still much bewilderment lingering on her expression.

Eluria stared at Millis for a brief moment, then nodded. “I’ve read about your case in a book before.”

“H-Have you now?”

“You’re like a protagonist who only starts being conscious of the female lead after his friend points out that she’s in love with him.”

“That sounds like a romance novel!”

Eluria nodded. “A spin-off of Once upon a Sage’s Love, to be precise. The sixth volume focuses on the protagonist and the female lead’s friends. This scene is from the forty-sixth paragraph of chapter four.”

“Such amazing memory!”

“Mifuru told me about it during our outing in the capital, and I happened to pick it up recently.” The friends of the protagonist and the female lead had spent so long together watching over the two that they also began to develop feelings for one another. It had quite a different flavor from the original work, making for a delightfully interesting read. “I think the same thing is happening with you. This made you more conscious of Wisel, but I don’t think you need to be so bewildered. Since you like him as a friend, then that might someday blossom into romantic feelings.”

“I...suppose you’re not wrong,” Millis admitted with an uncomfortable wince. “Th-They do say that you never know what life has in store for you, but still...!”

“Besides,” Eluria continued, “you shouldn’t feel shackled by the actions of your First World counterpart. If you had to marry Wisel just because that’s what happened in this world, then by that same logic I’d have to become the Demon Lord again and destroy the Second World.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I certainly can’t afford to object!” Millis exclaimed, aghast.

“Our cases are similar, aren’t they? This time around, I get to be with Raid. In your case, Millis, you don’t need to care about what your First World self did—just be yourself. I believe it’s more important for you to think of how you feel about Wisel after learning this new information.”

“How I feel after learning this...?”

“Mm-hmm. You learning about what happened to you in the First World is similar to me reincarnating with memories of my life a millennium ago. It shouldn’t have happened at all, but it did—and because I still had my memories, I remembered my feelings for Raid and went looking for him.”

Had she not retained her memories, Eluria would have never gone looking for Raid. They might have crossed paths at some point in their new lives, but she probably wouldn’t have even noticed him. In a similar vein, Millis never should have known of this alternate future—but now that she did, that new information could influence her choices going forward.

“What happened to you is simple: You learned a new piece of information. That’s all. With that information, you could start being conscious of Wisel and perhaps fall in love with him. Or you could maintain the status quo if that’s more comfortable for you. If you can only see him as a friend, then that’s perfectly fine too. What matters the most is what you want to do, Millis.”

Millis listened quietly and intently to Eluria’s advice. For a while, she fell silent in deep thought, until finally she gave a firm nod, looked Eluria in the eye, and decided, “I guess I’ll put this on hold for now!”

“Wow,” Eluria remarked blandly.

“I mean, I never should’ve even known this, right? After all the time we’ve spent together in the Institute, I see Wisel as a wonderful friend! Wouldn’t it be weird for me to start acting all awkward because of something that never even happened to the current me?” Millis wore a bright smile, looking as if a load had been taken off her shoulders. “In that case, I could ask for nothing more than to fall in love with Wisel purely as myself!”

Seeing her smile, Eluria could tell that Millis had already had her answer deep in her heart—and that this incident did no more than bring her to that realization herself.

“With all that said, it might be difficult for me to not be conscious of it...but I suppose I’ll just keep being myself again! Then, I’ll give Wisel a point whenever he does something I like—and once he fills the bar, that’s when I’ll go all out!”

“Okay. I’m looking forward to it,” Eluria said with a smile.

Alma stared at the two with a flat look. “Ed, do you see this? Eluria actually solved the problem.”

“That’s Lady Eluria for you. She accomplishes what we can’t like it’s nobody’s business.”

“Yeah, this case was definitely outside our expertise...”

“It sure was. You even started drinking the moment she came to you for advice.”

“Ugh, can you blame me? I’m single—how am I supposed to help my student with her love life? I needed some booze to get me through this nonsense.”

“I’m impressed you call yourself a teacher with that kind of impulse. But I understand. In fact, I had to hold myself back from telling her, ‘You’ve earned the chance to enroll into a magic institute—focus on your studies, not your love life. How about I sic my little sister on you, huh?’”

“Wow, I couldn’t have put it better myself. Care for a drink?”

“If there are two things in this world I never say no to, it’s my sister’s fists and my superior’s drinks. Cheers.”

Alma and Edward emptied their drinks in one swig and declared in unison, “To hell with the youth!”

“My momentous resolve has been tainted by a pair of drunkards and their whining...!” Millis wailed.

Eluria patted the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll get Raid to scold them later.”

Later, Raid indeed came over to the office and told off the two drunkards.

Chapter Five

A month has passed since the aid from the Second World arrived.

In this time, the magic artificers and technicians found themselves with the most work on their hands. From making improvements to the ten large ships provided by the various nations to learning the First World’s machinery and applying it to the Second World’s magical technology, all their efforts bore fruit in the form of a fleet of ships that can now withstand long-distance voyages.

Additionally, thanks to all the information that had been accumulated in the First World regarding the Calamities and Offspring, as well as the results of Eluria Caldwin’s initial investigation and subsequent assessment, Carille Blanche succeeded in inventing a new magical barrier capable of dispersing the polluted mana that comprises the Calamities. With this, the journey to the western archipelago is expected to go much smoother.

It mustn’t go without saying that such exceptional progress was achieved in such a short time thanks to the efforts of one Wisel Blanche. Because he conducted a preliminary study of machinery and its applicability to magical technology, the artificers and technicians were able to dive right into work the moment they arrived in the First World.

In the meantime, the combatants have also been working hard at their training. They visit the central continent’s eastern outpost in limited groups in order to acclimate themselves to the First World’s polluted conditions, which is vital in combat and mana manipulation. They also regularly go out to observe the behavior of the Offspring and accumulate practical combat experience against them.

Progress on this front has been increasingly smooth because the magicians deployed for the operation are already highly skilled and experienced. Every single one is as experienced in manabeast subjugation, practical combat, and team coordination as a first-class magician.

All in all, progress has been good. The operation to recover Celios is seeing a high chance of success at the—

“Fareg, it’s almost time.”

Hearing his name, Fareg set down his magic recording device and looked up. “Apologies, Lord Ryatt. I was too engrossed in proofreading my records.”

“Your dedication to your work is commendable. However, I also taught you that it is important to be punctual...and to heed your superior’s commands, yes?”

Fareg cleared his throat. “Of course...Sir Ryatt.”

Ryatt nodded, satisfied with the less formal term of address. Fareg had been placed under his tutelage and employ ever since his arrival in the First World. Since Ryatt had been Raid’s assistant a millennium ago, Raid saw it fit to assign Fareg to him so the boy could best learn the ropes of his new job.

“Simple honorifics are standard procedure in our squad,” Ryatt explained. “The reason for this is that most members are of humble birth and unaccustomed to aristocratic speech and etiquette. But for you, Fareg, I simply believe you should act more your age and be more at ease.”

Fareg nodded. “All right. I suppose that’s why the other members always talk so comfortably with one another. Even when speaking with Freeden, they just—”

“That’s ‘His Excellency’ to you, rookie,” Ryatt hissed with a sharp glare. “Address him casually again and I’ll wring your neck.”

Fareg instantly straightened his back. “I apologize! I will be more careful!!!”

Beside Ryatt, Tiana wore a strained smile and said, “Come now, Ryatt. Fareg has been classmates with Lord Freeden all this time, and it’s not as if Fareg knew him back in our time. He must feel awkward to address him so respectfully.”

Ryatt frowned. “His Excellency has always been our general...but I suppose it’s different for Fareg,” he conceded. “Perhaps it’s a similar case to Blofeld, who knew His Excellency in his youth.”

“Precisely. Lord Freeden himself doesn’t seem to mind. There’s no harm in showing the same leniency.”

“Then, Tiana, what would you do if Fareg spoke disrespectfully to Lady Eluria?”

Tiana hummed. “One, perhaps?”

Fareg shot his hand up. “A question, Lady Tiana! What does that number mean?!”

A dark smile crept over Tiana’s face. “Well, humans have two arms, two legs, two eyes, and also two of some organs, no? So I can crush one of them and you’d still have a spare.”

Fareg trembled before the fanatical duo. Memories of his less-than-commendable past played in his mind, and he swore in his heart never to reveal it to them at all cost.

“All right, you two, stop picking on the newbie,” called Alma as she kept her gaze up ahead. “We should be seeing the western archipelago soon. Get ready to move once we receive His Excellency’s signal.”

Fareg furrowed his brow. “Instructor Kanos... Will this plan really work?”

“Hmm? Getting the jitters now that the archipelago’s right there? Don’t worry—you’ll be safe here with us on the flagship, at least compared to everyone else.”

“I’m not worried about myself... It’s Freeden and Caldwin. I know they’re both incredibly strong and have faced a Calamity before, but isn’t this just too reckless?” The so-called strategy the two had devised was just so absurd that Fareg couldn’t help but voice his concerns. “Supreme Commander Raid Freeden will charge into the southern Celiosian island by himself and eradicate the Calamities while heading northward, while Eluria Caldwin will single-handedly hold off all the Calamities attempting to cross over from the central continent... Just what kind of ‘strategy’ is this?”

Currently, nine ships—including the flagship they were on—were headed for the southern island of Celios. Raid led their fleet from the skies with Felius and her dragon, while Eluria took their last ship to the strait between the central continent and the western archipelago. The placement of troops was so simplistic, Fareg wouldn’t have blamed anyone for thinking they’d appointed a civilian as their strategist.

However, it seemed nobody around him shared his concerns.

“Aha ha! It does look really silly, doesn’t it?” Alma grinned. “Man, I remember everyone’s faces when we first announced the strat... His Excellency and Eluria are the only ones in the world who could propose this with such straight faces.”

“Indeed,” Tiana agreed. “Hearsay can only convey so much. It makes sense for the plan to appear reckless when you haven’t yet seen either of them in action.”

“I do not blame them,” said Ryatt. “Any sensible person would doubt this strategy. Only we, their longtime subordinates, would accept it without a doubt.”

Their smiles were fond and relaxed, as if they held complete faith in Raid and Eluria’s victory.

“Fareg,” Ryatt called. “Do you think His Excellency and Lady Eluria are strong?”

“Well...” Fareg frowned. “Of course they are.”

“Then explain to me in what way they are strong.”

“Er... Their combat ability? Caldwin has her magic, and Freeden has his inhumanly sturdy body...”

“That is only a portion of their strength. Tiana and I, however, would answer this way.” Ryatt smiled and declared, “Everything. The answer is that simple.”

Fareg squinted. “You’re not messing with me, are you?”

“Of course not,” Ryatt replied. “His Excellency and Lady Eluria are strong in every way. On top of what you mentioned earlier, their spirit, character, will, and conviction are all unbelievably strong. Our bodies may have rotted, centuries may have passed, but we still burn with the desire to serve them—and this is the reason.”

Just then, a broadcast sounded from a machine on deck: “Sixth ship, Vance speaking. The southern island of Celios has been spotted up ahead.”

“Roger. Any enemy presence detected?” Ryatt replied.

“Negative. No enemies... Wait, stand by.”

While listening to Vance’s report, Fareg kept his eyes on the silhouette of the island up ahead.

Suddenly, the island swelled. The ground rose, higher and higher, as a thick black pillar stretched out toward the sky.

Nobody could identify what it was. Was it a burst of polluted mana? A Calamity? Or another type of monster? But the moment they spotted two large eyes on the “pillar,” everything made sense—it was a large three-headed dragon. The surface of its dark purple body was filled with rugged bumps and hollows, all covered in the dust it had kicked up as it rose from the ground.

“Fourth ship, Zelsis speaking. Disseminating information on the spotted Calamity.” Without the calm voice speaking from the broadcast, nobody would have believed the sight before their eyes. “As per Lufus Lailas, the Calamity shares many traits with Magnifimos, commonly known as terracrown dragons. Additionally, according to Lufus Lailas’s own summoned terracrown dragon, the Calamity possesses similar mana to itself, though it has likely physically warped under the influence of polluted mana.”

The true identity of the Calamity was one that every Second World magician would have heard of at least once, and any magician worth their salt should have known just how fearsome those manabeasts were.

“From the aforementioned observations, we conclude that the spotted Calamity is a Guardian Dragon of the First World.”

Zelsis’s report was punctuated by a tremendous roar. The sound was so immense that it carried over the distance between the Guardian Dragon and the fleet, sending waves crashing against their ships and forcing many to cover their ears.

In this army, composed of experienced magicians, nobody fell into a panic at the sight of the warped Guardian Dragon. After all, nobody participated in this operation while underestimating the Calamities. They had spent their days training, observing the Calamities from afar, and bracing themselves for what to expect from this operation.

Even so, the air grew tense and everyone’s eyes blew wide at the unimaginable sight. Despite all their preparation, their instincts still screamed at them that this beast was beyond them, that they shouldn’t even dare to face such a superior creature. Their instincts were screaming at them to run.

“Supreme Commander Raid Freeden speaking.”

But amid their inner turmoil, their commander’s voice rang clear and steady.

“I confirm the same sight from the sky. The Calamity is a higher threat level than initially expected. All ships, deploy every type of magical barrier to full capacity.”

All the magicians took action immediately, covering their ships with numerous defensive spells. Even as they worked, Raid’s broadcast continued.

“As you can see, the enemy is huge. I’m sure some of you feel like running right about now...but the operation continues.”

In the distance, they saw a small shadow descending beyond the cloudy skies.

“No need to get all tense because this is a large-scale operation. No need to get all stressed just because the fate of this world is on our shoulders. And no need to worry just ’cause the enemy’s a big fella. Why? ’Cause you see...” Raid landed in the dragon’s shadow while brandishing two broadswords. “I’m stronger than all of them combined!”

Their vision was painted by a burst of white. The ships shook from the blast as they were assaulted by a torrent of power incomparable to the corrupted Guardian Dragon’s roar earlier. The sight was familiar to Fareg—it reminded him of the light he’d seen from afar during the simulation exam.

“The rest is up to you guys.”

The light gradually dispersed as Raid’s voice resounded from the communicator—and the first thing everyone saw was a gaping hole in the beast’s body. The cloudy skies that had been hidden behind the Guardian Dragon were now visible to them through that hole.

“As planned, I’ll run around crushing Calamities. Second and third ships, bomb the Offspring with magic from the deck to advance the front lines. Once they’ve reached the shore, the fourth and fifth ships will provide cover while aiding their disembarkation. The sixth through eighth ships will stand by on the water to secure an escape route, while the ninth ship will keep watch of their rear. Basically, guys—just do it as we planned!”

Raid’s voice was steady and casual as he reiterated everyone’s tasks. Instead of making any mention of his grand feat, he snapped everyone back to their senses and grounded them back in reality.

“All ships, swiftly execute the commander’s orders.”

With Ryatt’s final broadcast, the ships resumed their advance toward shore.

“Do you see, Fareg? That is His Excellency’s strength.” Ryatt turned to Fareg with a smile. “No amount of power matters if you fail to take that one step forward. In this regard, His Excellency never fails to lead the charge—because he understands his own strength and the goal he must strive toward.”

Fareg recalled what Raid had told him a few months ago.

“You’ll never catch up to me...so I guess you’ll just have to spend your entire life trying.”

By leading the charge, Raid always showed others the way. By standing at the very front and wielding his unparalleled strength, he became the pillar of support for many and gave them the hope to push forward. It stood to reason that many witnessed that sight and were inspired to chase after him. Because he forged ahead and showed everybody the way, the people following behind him began to call out to him in admiration and respect.

“That is why Raid Freeden is our Hero.”

Ryatt was just one of many who were inspired by Raid’s gallant figure and tried his hardest to chase after him, even after death.

With trembling fists, Fareg admitted, “I want...to chase after him too.”

“A commendable mindset,” Ryatt remarked. “To chase after a goal while knowing it’s unattainable and still trying to grasp what you can... There is value in that attitude, and in passing it along to the future. That is why His Excellency took you under his wing.”

Fareg swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

“Man, I just love it when my opponent isn’t human. This is way more fun!”

However, the emotions swelling in his chest were shattered instantly by Raid’s bright voice.

“I can never go all out against other people without turning them into mincemeat, after all... I also have to take care not to damage my surroundings all the time. It’s not every day I get to throw out punches as hard as I can in an abandoned wasteland like this. Whew, time to let loose!”

“Ryatt speaking. Your Excellency, we can hear you.”

“Huh? Did the communicator break from the shock wave earlier?”

“I believe the button may have gotten stuck from all your moving around.”

“Oh hey, you’re right. Gosh, I don’t usually carry a communicator around with me, so I completely forgot to check. Anyway, I’ll be here having my fun—you guys take care not to get hurt!”

No sooner had he said that than they heard several violent explosions through the communicator. He truly seemed to be having the time of his life.

When the transmission finally ended, Ryatt nodded with a very solemn look on his face. “His Excellency even knows how to be playful sometimes. A truly remarkable man.”

“Are you serious?! I’m pretty sure he was just being a battle junkie!” Fareg exclaimed.

“Silence, rookie. His Excellency possesses a very heroic fighting spirit.”

“It sounded to me like he just wanted to wreak havoc!”

“Felius, the rookie said he wants to watch His Excellency’s gallant figure up close. Take him with you.”

“Roger that,” drawled a voice from the communicator. “Come on, I’ll take you up close to gramps’s battlefield!”

“Huh? Didn’t you say I was going to stay here and— Gack!”

In no time at all, Felius’s dragon swooped onto the deck, grabbed Fareg by the torso, and returned to the skies.

“Heya! You excited to see gramps’s full strength up close? Me too!” Felius crowed. “I always knew he was crazy strong, but I never got to see him go all out a thousand years ago!”

“O-Okay, okay! I get it! At least let me ride with you on the saddle!” Fareg cried.

“But then you won’t be able to see gramps very well. Aren’t you the record keeper? You need to get all that footage so we can rewatch it later!”

“Wh-What if the footage is blurred?”

“Then the guys who couldn’t join today will probably beat you up.”

“This job is a lot more dangerous than I thought!”

“All right, get ready! We’re swooping in for a close-up!”

Despite his cries, Fareg readily directed his recording device to Raid. He, too, understood how valuable this recording would be. Unparalleled strength and undaunted might that vanquished foes in a single strike—it was a sight to behold, a scene that inspired awe time and time again.

So he held his device in a firm grip and recorded this scene with a bright smile on his face.

◆

In the strait between the central continent and the western archipelago, Eluria stood on the deck of her ship with a communicator in hand. As she listened in on the main fleet’s situation on the southern island, she stuck out her bottom lip in a sulky pout.

“Raid sounds like he’s having fun...”

Calamities and Offspring were especially responsive to human mana, or just mana contained within living beings in general. It stood to reason that these monsters were more attracted to the main fleet with more people and more mana, charging southward without paying Eluria’s ship any mind.

The tenth ship was manned by only the bare minimum of personnel. Among the crew of helmsmen, workers, and defensive magicians, only two people—Eluria included—counted as combatants. The arrangement was extremely bare-bones, but this was their best option. While the main fleet’s goal was to face the Calamities in the western archipelago, the tenth ship’s goal was to stop the Calamities of the central continent from crossing over. For that, they hardly needed as many forces as the main fleet.

All in all, this meant that they had next to no likelihood of engaging in combat.

“Uncle Sandy, I’m bored. Do you want to fight?”

“Eluria, please... That’s not very funny,” Jamil replied, pale-faced as he gazed out at the central continent to their right.

The distant land was shrouded—completely covered, in fact—in a dense purple fog of polluted mana. This came as no surprise, however, as there were currently thousands of monsters prowling the shoreline—all Calamities that took on grotesque and abominable forms. A humongous snake with a dog’s head. A massive bull with bark-like skin and a head of petals. A bizarre purple egg with four limbs. A bipedal beast with countless bird heads eerily crying out. A creepy ball with large vine-like tentacles.

Countless indescribable monsters were making their way to the western archipelago, followed by a horde of Offspring so massive and dense that they blanketed the entire stretch of land along the shore.

“Good grief... I’m known as the most experienced special-class magician, so the folks back home would be disheartened to see me shakin’ in my boots here.” Jamil laughed dryly as he scratched his head, but his lighthearted remark could not stop the trembling of his hands.

Alas, who could blame him for despairing before such a catastrophic sight? Calamities dwarfed even ultra-sized manabeasts, both in size and in mana, and the Offspring blanketing the land were nigh uncountable. Nobody in their right mind would ever think of facing such an overwhelming horde of these monsters.

However, the girl beside him was as composed as ever. “No need to be so scared. It’s not like we’re going to fight them. Besides, I’ll take care of any flying Calamities. Uncle Sandy, you can just enjoy our little tea party.”

“Well, what a reliable li’l missy... I guess my job is pretty much over. But are you sure we’ve stopped those monsters?”

“Mm-hmm. If I’m not mistaken, then those Calamities will never be able to cross the strait.”

Jamil squinted. “And if you are mistaken?”

“That’s not possible. But if, hypothetically speaking, they do cross over...then I’ll just have to get to work.”

“If the youngster’s ready to fight, then I can’t just run with my tail between my legs, can I...?”

“Mm. Have some milk tea.” Eluria offered him a cup.

Jamil immediately shook his head and waved his hands. “No thanks... I feel like I’ll just puke it back out.”

Eluria sulkily set the cup down. She couldn’t understand how he could pass up on experiencing a tea party with this peculiar backdrop.

“More importantly, are you sure you can be so at ease right now?”

“Mm-hmm. I have nothing to do until a flying Calamity appears. After all...” Eluria turned her impassive gaze to the distant coastline, where Offspring were starting to leap into the sea in an attempt to cross over. “None of them can make it here alive.”

The Offspring that leaped into the sea...never surfaced again. Sensing something amiss, the horde of Calamities finally halted their advance.

“See? They stopped.”

“O-Ohh... It actually worked?!”

“It did. They can jump in all they want, but they’ll never come back up.” With a teacup in hand, Eluria took a few steps on the deck as she observed the vast expanse of water...and the rapidly swirling currents far below. Whirlpools ravaged the water column, dragging all the unsuspecting Offspring into the dark abyss. “All that’s left is for them to spin round and round until their mana disperses and they disappear. Very efficient, isn’t it?”

“Ugh... It’s like looking at a stupidly huge washing device.”

“Of course. I came up with this while watching one of our maids do our laundry.”

“But is it really that effective? Don’t the currents themselves still contain mana?”

“No, they don’t. You see, I embedded a boulder with a magic formula, then tossed it into the sea, where—by feeding off the mana produced by the water currents—it moves rapidly to artificially produce new currents. Simply put, those whirlpools are being produced physically, not magically.”

“Basically, there’s a boulder in the sea that’s stirring up the water currents,” Jamil summarized.

Eluria nodded. “As long as it doesn’t break, none of those monsters can cross the sea.”

The calm surface was a deceptive trap. With just a single step into the water, the monsters were bound for a one-way trip to the deepest depths of the ocean. Given their smaller size, Offspring would much sooner be torn to shreds or crushed by the currents on their way down than die from mana dissipation at the bottom.

“And since you converted the ocean walls to glass for us, we don’t even have to worry about the currents ravaging the terrain or the Offspring crawling their way back up,” Eluria continued. “Not to mention the smooth surface helps speed up the currents. Three birds with one stone.”

“Well, I’m just glad I could help.” Jamil sighed. “Looks like I can still hold pride in my title as a special-classer.”

Eluria smiled. “Mm-hmm. You’re not just Uncle Sandy. You’re a very special Uncle Sandy.”

Proving greatly useful in this operation was Jamil’s specialty, his alchemical magic. With it, he had the ability to crush stones and boulders into grains of sand, condense them back into rocks, and even use the heat created in the process to produce glass. Alchemical magic was typically used to manipulate a wide variety of substances, but Jamil’s was a little different, and it certainly wasn’t as simple as it sounded. By incorporating the equibinding formula of Legnarian sorcery into Vegaltan magic formulae, he was able to amplify the range and effect of his magic in exchange for limiting his material of choice to sand.

But sand was everywhere. As long as he wasn’t locked into an unfavorable setting, Jamil could compress sand into a defensive wall or transform countless grains into sharp blades through high-speed vibrations. In other words, he was indeed a very versatile and sandy uncle.

With his flexible skill set, Jamil had protected the southern region from desert-prowling manabeasts and even helped expand the sphere of human activity by furnishing the barren desert with useful and productive edifices. All in all, his achievements ranged from simple manabeast subjugation to land expansion and national development. Top that all with his impeccable mana control, and it stood to reason that Jamil had come to be respected as the Sandsmith.

“Uncle Sandy, you can hold your head up high as a special-classer.”

“I’d be more moved if you stopped calling me that...” Jamil mumbled, then suddenly whipped his head toward the coastline. “Wait. They’re doing something.”

One of the Calamities that had been standing still at the coastline suddenly leaped into the ocean. Water sprayed and waves crashed, but soon the Calamity’s large body sank into the depths. The surface soon calmed as if nothing had ever happened.

Eluria hummed. “They must have sacrificed one of their own to test the waters, literally. Unlike ordinary manabeasts, they know how to think and adapt accordingly... Interesting.”

“Uh... The moment that boulder’s destroyed, we’ll be saying goodbye to those whirlpools and hello to those monsters, right? If that happens, this unc’s gonna start bawling his eyes out, ya know?”

“Uncle Sandy, do you think they can break it?”

“No way.”

“See? I’ve even made sure they’ll never reach it.”

As a matter of fact, the sacrificed Calamity had not resurfaced. It might have been able to resist the current to some extent with its large body, but crossing the strait or even reaching the seafloor was another matter entirely.

“After all, the Calamity will no doubt run out of mana before it reaches the seafloor ten thousand meters below.”

Jamil looked at the girl in exasperation. “When we first got here and you told me you were going to dig a ten-thousand-meter-deep sea trench, I wondered if you’d finally lost it.”

“Mm. I put my back into it.”

“And it spans the entire strait to boot...”

“I’m pretty sure I dug at least a few thousand kilometers.”

“This has gotta be beyond the realm of magic... If you can just alter ocean terrain with the flick of a finger, then what’s next—the entire continent?”

Eluria pouted. “I dug a trench because I’m trying to preserve the terrain. Originally, I was planning to turn the entire coastline into a pitfall so I could dunk all the Calamities into the sea in one fell swoop. But I refrained because we promised the states land as a reward—it wouldn’t do for me to use up some of it here. So I moved to plan B.”

Jamil shot the girl a flat look. “I don’t think anyone would normally think of turning an entire coastline into a pitfall...or digging up a deep-sea trench as a backup plan...”

Eluria puffed up her chest. “Well, I’m not just anyone.” In fact, she thought she deserved much more praise for being so considerate of the post-operation restoration plans.

Soon, two more Calamities jumped into the sea, but the outcome didn’t change—they simply sank down, never to be seen again. The horde of Calamities were unable to advance from the continent.

Eluria nodded contentedly. “I think our job here is as good as done. With their level of intelligence, they should know to give up on all the people here in the western archipelago since they can’t even make it across. I was worried about flying Calamities...but it looks like we’re in the clear.”

An aerial approach was the Calamities’ only remaining path to the western archipelago, but Eluria had hypothesized that a flying Calamity was highly unlikely. The reason was simple: If any Calamities could fly, then they would have already crossed the ocean to the eastern continent and eliminated every last human in this world.

During her stroll to Ariel’s outpost, Eluria had taken the chance to observe the Calamities she’d spotted along the way. She’d found that some Calamities possessed wings and feathers but lacked the ability to fly. Additionally, the monsters appeared to have adapted the appearances of familiar manabeasts but failed to inherit their unique characteristics and abilities. From this, Eluria had surmised that Calamities had evolved into larger bodies via polluted mana while sacrificing their original bodily features and abilities.

The only exceptions were the rithmoles of Paradise. They possessed the ability to communicate with humans and maintained their pretransformation intelligence, so their evolution—uniquely guided by the Demon Lord—must have been different from the rest.

Eluria’s hypothesis had proven right thus far. None of the countless Calamities and Offspring prowling the shoreline could fly. Slowly but surely, they all began to retreat from the coastline.

While keeping her eyes on the retreating monsters, Eluria took her communicator and reported, “Tenth ship, Eluria speaking. Confirming the retreat of the central continent Calamities. The planned method of obstruction is effective.”

Her report was met with boisterous cheers that rattled the deck from within the ship. One in particular came from right beside her.

“Whoa, you actually did it!” Jamil exclaimed. “You chased away such a huge horde of monsters! That’s the Sage for ya!”

Eluria, however, didn’t seem as chipper as everyone else. “Yeah... Everything went according to plan. That’s good...”

In fact, they couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. If she’d failed to repel this horde, then even she and Raid would have struggled to fend them all off. The whirlpool-producing boulder functioned exactly as it should have, and she’d also enjoyed the process of creating a deep-sea trench to divide the central continent and western archipelago. Morphing underwater terrain from the surface had challenged the limits of her magic.

However, she couldn’t help but utter one complaint.

“I wanted to run wild like Raid...”

“Eluria, please don’t say that... You’re scaring me.”

“Uncle Sandy, can I go play for a bit?”

“Stop, please... If you go and pick a fight with them and they come charging our way again, I might just faint from the stress...”

“But I’m also a supreme commander...”

“All right, you can go. But I’ll bawl my eyes out. I’m gonna cry and wail like a little baby. You fine with that?”

“I was joking...” Eluria mumbled. “The Calamities will keep reviving until we deal with the polluted mana. I don’t plan on sabotaging the operation.”

No matter how dissatisfied she felt, Eluria wouldn’t make any unnecessary moves that would put the operation at risk. She could have even gone to regroup with the main army—eliminate Calamities and Offspring while advancing northward with them—but she’d chosen to remain here just in case the Calamities of the central continent came back. Also, she simply didn’t want Jamil to cry and wail like a baby.

In other words, there was just one thing left for Eluria to do.

“It’s time for me to enjoy my afternoon tea.”

With a ruined world as her backdrop and harrowing roars in the distance, Eluria leisurely tilted her cup and took a quiet sip of her favorite milk tea.

◆

While Raid was leading the charge and mowing down Calamities, Ariel was busy eliminating Offspring. The rest of the main army had now fully disembarked onto land and were following closely behind her.

“Squads entering urban terrain, stay vigilant! Take advantage of mid-sized structures in the area—hide in the shadows and ambush your targets from their blind spots! Don’t let a single one of them get away!”

Ariel swung a sword materialized from her mana while barking out orders. They had to secure their formation to leave some wiggle room for the rearguards coming up.

“Ariel,” called Dian from the communicator. “Once we enter urban terrain, I’ll hold my position on the front line—buy time for the others to get rid of all the Offspring, then regroup and face the approaching wave together.”

“Roger. Valtos, status report!”

“Ha... Ha ha! I’m doing surprisingly well! Before my metalization, no Offspring can— Owww! It bit me! Ms. Alicia, Mr. Galleon, h-heeelp!”

Ariel breezily ignored Valtos’s screams. This wasn’t the first time he’d been bitten. Fortunately, he sounded like he still had a lot of energy to spare.

The task of the three Heroes in this operation was simple yet vital: to lead the charge and expand the war front. Dian clashed headfirst with the Offspring as their vanguard, Ariel followed behind him to fortify their formation with her ability, and Valtos stood in front of the main army of magicians as a shield and decoy, giving them more time and leeway to eliminate the Offspring around them. Through this, they gradually eradicated the enemies in their surroundings and expanded their formation in a circle around them. Ariel and Dian were working flawlessly thanks to all their experience fighting Offspring on the front lines.

The operation was smooth sailing. A lot of it was thanks to Raid leading the charge and getting rid of the Calamities for them, but there was more to it than just that.

“Supreme Commander Raid speaking,” called a voice over the communicator. “Due to the loss of the Calamities, the Offspring are now shifting eastward. Fifth regiment, provide support to the right. Eighth and ninth regiments, intercept in the plains three hundred meters ahead. Seventh regiment, finish eliminating your current targets, then shift to finishing off stragglers to the right.”

While dealing with the Calamities on the front line, Raid was also disseminating his orders and intel on the battlefield, such as the enemy’s locations and numbers. The commanding officers of the Hope’s Brigade assigned to each regiment received these orders and trickled them down to the troops, allowing Raid to perfectly move and command the entire army. Ariel surmised that Raid must also have been receiving individual reports from each regiment’s commander, compiling the information, and filtering it all back into relevant orders for each separate regiment.

Thanks to her experience leading troops, Ariel understood just how extraordinary a feat this was. While dealing with the Calamities—monsters even the First World Heroes couldn’t raise a finger against—Raid was also keeping track of the entire battlefield, disseminating intel to the troops, sorting through all the incoming reports, and giving out corresponding orders. Just thinking about it made Ariel’s head hurt. She had to wonder if Raid actually had a few extra ears or heads hidden somewhere.

But that wasn’t all. Even more impressive was the fact that not a single person had been sacrificed in this operation. Despite the size and scale of this battle, they hadn’t even gotten any reports of major or fatal injuries. They had the prowess of the Second World magicians to thank for this, but also Eluria herself.

While maintaining a formation well suited to their long-range combat specialization, the magicians’ regiment also regularly swapped vanguards and rearguards so that nobody fought up front while fatigued. This led to higher alertness on the field and sharper decision-making in battle.

Magic was an immensely powerful weapon that could easily backfire on one’s allies if wielded carelessly. Every magician present understood how dangerous their weapon was, and so they took every precaution needed to prevent misfires and accidents on the field. This thoroughness also led to a better and clearer understanding of the battlefield.

All this was made possible by the efforts of Sage Eluria Caldwin, who understood not only the obvious positives of magic but also its hidden dangers. Because power beyond human wisdom came with unimaginable risks, she had prepared the foundation for these vital strategies and formations. These were then polished and refined across a thousand years, and although it came at the cost of close-quarters combat techniques, the Second World had now wholly inherited the Sage’s will.

Thus, the operation’s apparent lack of casualties was no doubt one of Eluria’s achievements. She had even made her own adjustments to the army’s composition and formations, all of which were now being led by the most experienced and skilled commander they could have ever asked for. With such extraordinary leaders, perhaps Ariel shouldn’t have expected anything less.

And more than anything—

“Ariel. Where d’ya think you’re going?”

Ariel whipped her head around and found Dian on the rooftop of a building.

“We’re done for the day once we suppress this southern city,” he continued. “Wasn’t the plan to crush the places where Offspring might be hiding and take shifts clearing out the more open spaces?”

“Y-Yeah...” Ariel cleared her throat, then jumped down beside him. “Sorry. I was absorbed in my thoughts.”

“Get it together. I know we’re only fighting Offspring, but let your guard down and they can still end you. Imagine a Hero being the first casualty of this operation... Hah.” Dian scoffed, but his lips soon settled into a comfortable smile. Ariel had spent much time with him as a fellow Hero, but this was her first time seeing him with such a lax expression. “Anyway, I get what you’re thinking. Until just a few months back, we never could’ve imagined carrying out an operation so smoothly.”

Ariel nodded. “That’s right. Through experience, we’ve managed to minimize our sacrifices...but things were much tougher back when we first became Heroes.”

For the longest time, sacrifice had been a forgone conclusion in their battles. This hadn’t changed even after Viteos had brought the Hero’s sword and the three Heroes came to be. Until now, Ariel and Dian had witnessed many of their subordinates die right before their very eyes.

But as she recalled those painful memories, Ariel muttered with a small smile, “What a joyous thing it is...to fight without any sacrifices.” She had always yearned for this, yet today she realized all over again what a wonderful thing it was—and she was certain that the man beside her would agree.

“Yeah... It really is.” Dian turned his gaze to the sky. “I’ve always been a sorry excuse for a Hero, watching so many people die and letting ’em offer their lives for some stupid plan the higher-ups cooked up... But if their deaths brought us to this day, then I think I can hold my head up high and thank them when we meet again in the afterlife.”

Born a commoner, Dian had watched some of the privileged class persecute those below them, birthing his hatred for plans that discarded people like pawns. As the Hero, he had to maintain a hierarchy with his troops, but whenever he held a bottle in hand and let the alcohol loosen his lips, Dian would call them his “companions.” And it was always on the days he lost one of these companions that he would go drinking to begin with.

Ariel knew that Dian was one of the most kindhearted people in the world. She knew that he was a caring soul who always looked out for his companions. And...

“I really...couldn’t ask for anything more...!”

And she also knew that he cried every time one of his precious companions died—just as he did now. Voice trembling, Dian turned his teary gaze to the skies in search of friends long gone.

Ariel, too, did what she always did.

“You’re such a crybaby, Dian.”

She put on a smile and gave his trembling shoulder a firm yet gentle pat.

◇

Soon, the old city of the southern island was fully suppressed and secured. With the dimming sky in the distance, the army set up their provisional camp in the ruined city and proceeded to take their rest.

“Whew! Well, that was a rampage and a half,” said Raid with an incredibly refreshed smile. “I had to hold back a bit around the city, but everywhere else was fair game. What a blast!”

Eluria puffed up her cheeks in discontent. “No fair, Raid. I only got to float around a bit. I wanted to let loose too.” It seemed like she’d been terribly bored throughout the operation.

“But you carved out a deep-sea trench and did all sorts of stuff during the preparation phase, right? Then you must be a little tired... And isn’t it better to run wild when you’re fully rested?”

“You...may be right,” Eluria relented.

“For this stage, we needed to isolate this western archipelago from the central continent, and we still need to fully suppress the archipelago and set up our base here... But we should have a lot more wiggle room after that. Do you wanna let loose then?”

Eluria’s eyes sparkled. “I do... I want to blast a mountain or two.”

“Considering the size of the trench you made, I think you’ve already blasted thousands of mountains worth of rocks...”

“But that was all underwater. It doesn’t feel as good as making a mountain go boom.”

“Oh, I getcha. I felt really refreshed after stomping out that volcano way back when.”

“I remember that very well. I’ve always wanted to try that too.”

Raid and Eluria’s conversation progressed with a frighteningly cozy tone. Meanwhile, Millis and Wisel stared at the two with identical winces.

“Wisel, do you hear this? They’re talking about blasting mountains with such happy expressions on their faces.”

“I hear them loud and clear. How about we talk about blasting our fatigue away, Ms. Millis?”

Millis groaned, looking terribly exhausted. “I knew I was safe because Ms. Alicia and Mr. Galleon were around—not to mention an entire army of first-class magicians—but it was still so terrifying to see all those Offspring up close. If only I didn’t have to keep an eye on Valtos...”

“Well, I was fortunate enough not to have been around any Offspring—or even combat, for that matter, since I’m part of the logistical support squad—but I was absolutely swamped with repair work. A bunch of magic devices went haywire because of all the polluted mana, and we needed to get them up and running by the end of the day to secure our base...”

Although the two hadn’t participated in the battle, they’d still fulfilled their tasks to the best of their abilities. In particular, Wisel—as the deputy head of the technicians’ division—had already been working day in and day out preparing all the magic devices for this operation. Add all the repair work he had done today, and it was clear how much more stressful his work was than simple labor. As for Millis, it was easy to imagine that she had simply tired herself out from screaming as usual.

Besides their work, however, there was something of interest happening between these two.

“Whoa!” Millis stumbled forward. “It sure is hard to walk with all the rubble around here...”

“In that case, I should walk on the outside. The path should be clearer near the middle.”

“Wowie, Wisel, you’ve earned another point!”

Wisel squinted. “I’ve been meaning to ask—what is that point system you’ve been mentioning for a while now?”

“Er... A point card for love and courage?”

“Hmm. Sounds like you’ll start striving for world peace the moment it’s full.”

“Heck yeah! That sounds like a plan!” Millis cheered, smiling brightly.

Wisel responded with a chuckle. “Really now? I’m not entirely sure what your criteria is, but I’m looking forward to it. Good luck.”

Eyes narrowed, Raid leaned over and whispered to Eluria, “Did something happen between those two?”

“Mm. A bunch of somethings,” she replied.

“Judging from your vague response, I must be better off not asking.”

“Sharp as always, Raid.”

“Well, I’ve heard my subordinates talk about this kinda stuff before, so I had a hunch.”

“Me too. I always just watched over them from the sidelines.”

“That’s definitely the best move until they come to us directly for advice.”

“Mm-hmm. Let’s deploy the same strategy for these two,” Eluria decided, eagerly bobbing her head with sparkling eyes. From that alone, Raid could guess that she had been watching over these two for a good while now.

In any case, at the moment there was something more curious than Millis and Wisel’s relationship. The goal of this operation had not been to simply recover Celios—it was to establish a base of operations from which they could collect the remaining volumes of the Sage’s Codex.

Finally, they had gotten one step closer to that goal.

“So this is the volume stored in Celios, huh?”

In the heart of Old Celios, a box was enshrined upon a platform. The box itself had been weathered through the passage of time, but its contents—the stack of papers filled with what looked like scribbles—were as good as new.

“I’ve already confirmed the contents based on the custody records that Sir Valtos showed me,” said Wisel. “Unless the records are inaccurate, this should be all the pages stored here.”

Raid hummed. “What about the wooden box beside it? Is this also part of the package?”

“Yes. According to the records, this was also left behind by the Sage.”

Raid took the small wooden cube and observed it closely. “This...doesn’t seem like a box, though.”

“I did a preliminary check with my magic devices,” Wisel said. “Its parts can rotate, but there doesn’t seem to be anything inside. It’s treated with the same preservation magic as the Codex, but the designs on its sides—the flowers and trees—don’t seem to be magical patterns.”

“All right... But the fact that it was preserved and passed down must mean that it’s relevant in some way.” With a hum, Raid studied the patterns carved onto the sides of the strange box.

Eluria leaned in for a closer look. “Oh... Isn’t that a Ribik’s cube?”

“A what...?”

“You can rotate the parts to shuffle the patterns on each side, and the goal is to piece the pictures back together. It’s a puzzle toy that we elves always played with.” To demonstrate, Eluria rotated the parts and jumbled up the patterns.

Millis hummed, intrigued. “You shuffled it so randomly... Can you really piece it back together?”

“Mm-hmm. It’s not too hard if you know the steps, so we used it as an educational toy for kids. When I was young, I always tried to figure out how to piece it back together with the least number of moves.”

“Er... I’m sure you were the only one who played with it that way.”

“Mm. I remember my excitement when I discovered that twenty was the maximum number of moves needed to solve any combination.” Eluria’s eyes sparkled as she reminisced about her elven childhood.

Meanwhile, Raid held his chin in thought. He’d never heard of a Ribik’s cube. There had to be some sort of meaning behind it since it had been preserved just like the Codex itself. Considering the fact that Eluria of the First World had invented magic from the Sage’s Codex...

“This Ribik’s cube is the key to all the ciphers,” Raid concluded. He turned to Wisel and asked, “Do you have a duplicate of the Sage’s Codex from the capital?”

“Of course. I’ve got multiple ready—use them freely.”

“Thanks.” Raid nodded. “Eluria, I’m going to divide one of the pages like a Ribik’s cube—six sides with nine pieces each. Can you solve it by grouping all the pieces with words that start with the same letters?”

Eluria hummed. “Which letters?”

“R, C, J, V, B, and N. I want you to tell me the shortest combination that would group those words together.”

“I don’t know if I can do it with words instead of patterns...but I’ll give it a shot.”

With smooth strokes, Raid divided one of the duplicate pages into six sides with nine pieces each, then handed it to Eluria. She folded it up into a cube, then studied it for a while.

“I think...these twenty moves should do the trick.” She jotted down the order, then proceeded to swap the words around accordingly.

Finally, a new passage revealed itself to them:

“‘Efficient Mana Application and Basic Formulae,’” Wisel read aloud, brow furrowed. “Isn’t this the same thing you deciphered back in the capital, Raid?”

“It is. I deciphered it by restructuring the passage following rules and regularities in the passage’s first letters and words... Turns out it matches up perfectly with Eluria’s process and answer.”

What they had unearthed from the cipher was information on magic. Most likely, the rest of the pages were decipherable in the same way, and this must have been how Eluria of the First World had gained knowledge of magic. Humans would never think of using a Ribik’s cube, but an elf like Eluria had been well practiced with it from a young age. She might have discovered it by pure coincidence or noticed something was off as she studied it like she would a puzzle.

Given the elves’ history of persecution, nobody would have thought to use one of their toys to decipher the Sage’s Codex. Even Raid hadn’t thought of it until Eluria mentioned the Ribik’s cube. But this was the cipher that the author—the Sage himself—had incorporated into this Codex. Raid could have only managed to decipher it halfway at best—but with Eluria by his side, they would be able to dig into the deepest depths of this mystery.

“Jeez... What cautious and roundabout measures,” Raid muttered, feeling exasperated with his otherworld self. He took an empty sheet of paper and copied a passage onto it. “Eluria, could you do the same thing with this one?”

“Okay.” Eluria got to work and repeated the earlier procedure.

What she was working on now was a passage Raid had already attempted to decipher through various means but ultimately given up on. Back in the capital, he had concluded that he needed the entire Codex to make sense of this passage, but it turned out that he would’ve failed to decipher it even if he’d had the complete Codex in his hands. After all, he knew absolutely nothing about the true cipher—the Ribik’s cube.

“Here it is—the shortest combination.”

Raid accepted Eluria’s notes and read out the newly formed passage: “‘You did well to make it this far, Hero Raid Freeden.’”

They were the words left to him by his otherworld self—the man known to all as Sage Raid Freeden.

Epilogue

I was so utterly and despicably powerless.

I’d finally understood my role in this world and, after a long process of trial and error, I even realized that by taking knowledge from the future and leaving it in the present, I could change the course of the world. By my hand alone, the future could branch into countless possibilities and tread down a different path.

But leaving behind future knowledge meant little if the people of the present failed to comprehend it. And if they finally comprehended it at the wrong time, then the future would branch off into a different direction than what I had planned.

Among these futures was one in which the world ended even before Eluria Caldwin was born—yet still her fate remained unchanged. Humanity may decline and civilization may return to its roots, but without fail Eluria Caldwin would eventually create magic and lead the world to its end.

I had the power to change the future...but none to save her.

I could do naught but watch her live out her life in solitude. I couldn’t even rush to her side, for my flesh was mortal and we were parted by a millennium of time. All I could do was listen to her lonely tune from a time in which she had yet to even exist. I could hold my hand out, but it would never reach her.

The people hailed me as the Sage, but I was truly so helpless. It felt like fate itself had rendered me powerless to save her, just as it had condemned her to be the lone custodian of the world’s end.

Could I have been mistaken to believe that it was my job to save her?

Perhaps.

But even then...I refused to give up.

If all paths led to a future of ruin, then I simply had to create a new path. If fate had condemned her to the end of this world, then I would bestow upon her a new role. If I couldn’t save her myself, then I could just entrust the task to someone else.

The moment I came to that realization, I abandoned my plan to change the future. Instead, I used all the knowledge at my disposal to create a new future.

May this new future be the kind and beautiful world she envisioned. May it be one in which the girl who earnestly strove for everyone’s happiness was hailed as the Sage, instead of a powerless plagiarist like me.

Now then, to whom shall I entrust the task of saving her?

To save Eluria Caldwin was to save the world itself. Hence, this role would have to be shouldered by my polar opposite—someone strong, someone mighty, someone who possessed the power to save her and all the people in this world, to grasp the future that remained so helplessly out of my reach.

And so, with my hands, I decided to create a Hero.

Afterword

Greetings, distinguished readers. My name is Washiro Fujiki.

As I write this afterword, I am suffering from a runny nose and sore throat due to a certain infectious disease, while licking some honey and muttering, “Mm, honey,” like a certain yellow bear. But for this volume, I’ve been allocated an unusually long space for my afterword, so I’d rather talk about the series than myself.

The Hero and the Sage, Reincarnated and Engaged had actually been planned to end on the fourth volume. However, it got much more traction thanks to the manga adaptation by Riku Nishi, and so I was given the green light to write a bit more—leading to the fifth volume, and now the sixth. And I’m sure, if you’ve read this volume in its entirety, that you can tell that we will keep going for just a little longer.

This story continues to this day all thanks to the readers—whether from the light novel or the manga—and not to mention my editor and the editorial department for sticking by me, Heiro the illustrator, Riku Nishi and the manga editing team, and so many others. I would like to take this chance to express my heartfelt gratitude once more. Thank you all so very much.

Now that I’ve finished sharing my sincere feelings, allow me to further share another honest thought I have at the moment:

I have absolutely nothing to write for this afterword!!!

I’m serious. I never go out save for groceries or walks, and I spend my days playing with my cat—what is there to even write about?

Well, I suppose I do have a few things. For example, I recently started playing a famous fighting game for the first time and have been giddily practicing all sorts of combos. I’m also looking forward to the annual Pacific League of this one FPS game. I’ve been watching some very entertaining streamers and enjoying mahjong for the first time in a while... I do have a bunch of things to write about if I really had to.

But at the same time, I hold my head and think, “This isn’t the sort of thing you write about in an afterword, is it...?” You’d probably tell me, “Go yap about that on your social media account!” and I’d actually nod and agree with you. That being said, I’m not very active on social media, so I wouldn’t post about this stuff anyway.

Sometimes I consider tweeting something, but then I think, “Does anybody care about some random author’s daily life?” When I tried thinking from a reader’s perspective, my answer was no. Hence, my account now serves no purpose besides retweeting posts related to my series. My DMs are open, though—please feel free to send me your comments and thoughts. I would love to open my inbox for reasons besides deleting spam.

Anyway, I digress.

One idea that came to me was that I should write about my series. As a matter of fact, whenever I release a new series, I write about my inspirations and whatnot for the story. But when it comes to the more detailed character settings, I can’t help but think, “Would this be better off explained in the story?” Besides, if the author lays everything out in so much detail, then the readers won’t be able to enjoy coming up with theories and headcanons. Ah, what a conundrum.

You may be thinking, “Then share some inside stories about the writing process!” and I assure you I’ve thought of that too. But my writing process for this series is pretty straightforward, so there’s really not much to share.

If I had to say, I’d actually never planned for Fareg to be part of the main crew. I really just threw him out as your typical bratty rich kid, but he was just so fun to tease that I ended up dragging him into the gang. To think that he’s grown and achieved so much since then...

I might as well take this chance to mention that Millis is such a useful character. Plopping her into a scene is enough to flip the mood, so you could say that she’s one of the most important characters in this series.

Anyway, I digress again. For the aforementioned reasons, I’m really no good at writing afterwords. I’m left with no choice but to ramble on aimlessly and sometimes expose my personal preferences, consequently transforming my afterwords into rather questionable pieces of writing.

But my expression of gratitude earlier came from my heart. Allow me to say it again: Thank you all so very much.

Now that I’ve managed to pad up these pages, allow me to touch on the contents of this volume. Relatively not much has happened this time. This is probably the most leisurely I’ve ever written a volume before. Some parts of the plot have moved while others haven’t. If you’re curious about how things may or may not move from here, then I would appreciate your continued support for the next volume as well.

I said I would touch on the contents of the volume, but there wasn’t actually much to say... In any case, allow me to move on to my words of thanks:

To my editor, thank you so much for bearing with me every time. This might not be my place to say, but let’s both look after our health. You should try some honey—it’s really good.

To Heiro the illustrator, thank you once again for the wonderful illustrations. I’ll do my best with my work so as not to trouble you any more than I already am.

To Riku Nishi the manga artist, every time I receive the storyboard, I see how adept you’re becoming at handling Millis. As the original author, I couldn’t be more proud. My favorite part is the one where she bursts into tears.

And to everyone who was involved in the process, as well as all the readers who gave this volume a read, I give you the greatest thanks of all.

Washiro Fujiki

Bonus Short Story: The Best Food in the World

As the day of their return to the First World neared, the visitors of the Second World heaved forlorn sighs in the dining hall of House Verminant’s villa.

“It’s almost time to say goodbye to Second World cuisine,” Ariel lamented.

“So it’s back to bland and tasteless food for us,” Norn muttered glumly.

Raid regarded them with a raised eyebrow. “It’s not like this is the last time. We’ve got foodstuff in the resources we’re transporting over, don’t we? What’s the difference?”

“The difference is that the food will be preserved!” Ariel exclaimed indignantly. “No fresh and crunchy vegetables, no juicy and succulent meat...!”

“She’s right!” Norn agreed. “Of course, to have meat every day—preserved or not—is already a luxury! But... But we’ve experienced even greater luxury in our time here!”

Valtos nodded firmly. “As crown prince, I’ve never gone hungry. Yet not even the highest-quality dishes I’ve been served could compare to the delicacies I’ve savored in this world.”

“Agreed,” said Dian. “When I became a Hero, I was excited ’bout finally having some proper grub, and here I am not wanting to go back now that I’ve had a taste of this world’s food.”

Raid frowned. “Huh. Well, I guess that’s how it is for you guys. I’m used to our food, and it’s not like things were as bad a millennia ago as they are now in your world...” He shrugged, then asked the four, “So, which foods did you guys enjoy the most during your stay here?”

Norn tilted her head. “Which foods...?”

“Tell me now, so I can pass it on to the chefs. They can always cook it up as long as we prepare the ingredients.”

The girl groaned. “I’d love to say that meat is number one, but sweets like parfaits and cakes are no pushovers...”

“I understand.” Ariel nodded empathetically. “Beef steak nearly moved me to tears, but beef stew is just too good to pass up on... I struggle to choose just one.”

“But not I! Sausage is my answer!” Valtos declared. “All the more if paired with some good alcohol!”

Dian clicked his tongue. “What are you, a buncha kids? It’s just food. As long as we can eat it—”

“Really now?” Raid hummed. “Guess we can just prepare some good old-fashioned First World cuisine for you then, Dian.”

“Sole meunière,” he answered promptly. “I like sole meunière... So please, anything but First World cuisine again...” The man looked ready to get on his knees if need be. He really didn’t want to eat the food of the First World again.

Norn raised her hand. “Mr. Raid, you’re the most familiar with Second World cuisine! Please share your insights!”

“Me? But I don’t really have a favorite food... I guess I eat whatever I feel like that day.”

Norn clenched her fist. “That answer alone already shows the difference between us and you...!”

Raid shrugged. “If I had to say, I like food eaten on an empty stomach.”

“That’s...not quite what she was asking.” Ariel sighed. “How surprising, though. I thought you would answer that you like Lady Eluria’s cooking the best.”

“Oh, I getcha. Well, I would have given that answer...if I’d ever tried Eluria’s cooking. At most, we’ve cooked simple outdoor meals together a few times...” Raid dug through his memories, but he couldn’t recall ever trying Eluria’s cooking. In fact, he was usually the one cooking for her. That was why she’d been so bothered before they left. “Eh. I’ll probably get to try it when we get back.”

“Hm? Did Lady Eluria promise to make you a meal?”

“Not really. But I imagine she’s going around asking about my preferences and studying up on some recipes in preparation for my return.”

“H-How do you even know that...?!”

“Eluria’s a lot more playful than she looks, you know? She likes preparing surprises, like the magic sword she gifted me for my enrollment in the Institute.”

“I...don’t think magic swords are a typical choice for a surprise gift...”

“Neither do I,” Raid agreed. “But this is Eluria we’re talking about. She always gives it her all. So, saying that ‘my bride’s cooking is the best’ should come after I actually taste the fruits of her labor, right?” As Eluria’s diligent figure came to mind, a bright smile naturally formed on Raid’s face. “Whatever she cooks will have all her love poured into it—I’m sure it’ll be the best meal in the world.”