As I hear the bell that signals the end of lunchtime, I walk forward with my back to the main school buildings. My footsteps are heavy.

The Alzas Fort, huh.(Kurono)

Its the place we once desperately defended, and now its become an important location for the Crusaders that allows them to extend the reach of their next invasion. This fact alone causes emotions of defeat, a mixture of anger, fear and regret, to swirl around in the bottom of my heart.

Advancing fortifications, marching soldiers. Spadas increased vigilance in response. Signs of rebellion in Daidalos.

Im glad that the thing I was most worried about, Spada letting their guard down, isnt happening. But theres no doubting that an air of tension is rising, to the point that one can say its the eve of war.

That much is clear from the fact that Spadas messengers havent returned and the Crusaders havent given any form of reply.

How much time is left before they come attacking(Kurono)

Even as I whisper this question, theres no way I can know the answer. There are limits to Spadas ability to gather intelligence. And theres no way that the Crusaders will suggest a fair battle like the Dragon King Garvinal. They can appear at any time, with no warning.

I have to hurry.(Kurono)

According to Will, if theres not an invasion within the month, it will be peaceful until next years spring. The reason is simple Theres going to be snow.

The passing of seasons of Pandoras middle-eastern regions is similar to Japan; snow could fall as early as November, or by mid-December at the latest. Incidentally, the equivalent to November is the Month of Frozen Earth (Toudo) and December is the Month of Gloom (Meian).

Anyway, in those months, the Galahad Mountain Range thats the only invasion route from Daidalos will be blocked off by blizzards. Spada will be attacked by a cold wave fit to be called the coming of a hard winter.

Well, I havent experienced winter in Daidalos or Spada yet, so I dont know how its really going to be, but Will had gone into serious-mode during his explanation so I have no doubt in his words. In fact, its said that even Garvinal would never attack during winter.

Now that I think about it, Fiona said that the Sinclair Republic has faced many harsh battles during the winter. War during winter is difficult, no matter which country its in.

Still, I cant stay so carefree.(Kurono)

The fact that the enemy is approaching from across those mountains doesnt change.

I have four trials remaining. Lust, Gluttony, Pride and Envy. I dont know which elements will correspond to which sins, but the remaining elements should be ice, wind, water and light. The darkness element falls under black magic, so it can be excluded.

Drive that enhances my physical strength, Gear that enhances my defense and Accel that enhances my concentration. Considering that theyre all effects that enhance my abilities, I should at least be able to gain a speed enhancement from one of them.

In the Boost system of modern magic, there is something calledElement Boost, but, hmm, its difficult to judge whether Id be able to gain that effect.

Either way, if Im going to fight not only the Crusaders but the Apostles as well, I want to finish all of the trials and gain the Demon Kings true divine protection.

At first, I thought the divine protections were a little dull since it just let me change the element of my mana, but now that Ive learned of their true power, I understand how incredible they are. With seven such transcendental enhancing effects, Im sure Ill be able to hold my own in a head-on fight with an Apostle.

The fact that this hope exists is making me even more impatient.

Where are the monsters for the trials No, I suppose I have no choice but to just search for them.(Kurono)

Well, I should go to the Adventurers Guild to gather information while Im out shopping.

Now that Ive reached the highest Rank, Rank 5, I can freely visit the upper district contained within Spadas inner walls, the celeb-zone inhabited by the nobles. And I can use the main headquarters of Spadas Adventurers Guild as well.

At the main branch of the Adventurers Guild that only high-Rank adventurers can use, Ill be able to get more complete information on monsters than at the academy district branch that Im very well-accustomed to. Its possible that there are extermination quests for Rank 5 monsters that arent posted in the other branches, and some of them might be the monsters Im aiming for.

I have a feeling that my days plans are getting busier and busier, but I suppose its fine. With my current mental state, Id feel more restless if I was taking it easy.

As I finish gathering my thoughts, I arrive back at the dormitory. The same worn-out, wooden front door greets me.

I could have gone straight into town, but I thought I should say something to Lily and Fiona first. Well, Im not certain that the two of them are in the dormitory; theres a high chance that Lily is attending a Necromancy lesson and Fiona is in the great library. This is just in case.

Im home~(Kurono)

My voice echoes as I announce my return and open the rickety door.

Theres no response, so it seems that the two of them arent home after all.

Ah Onii-sa Gah

But I can hear a muffled voice coming from the lounge thats right down the corridor past the entrance.

Huh, has Simon come back already?(Kurono)

My ears can make out a small voice through the door. I recognize Simons lovely voice.

He returned faster than expected. Well, hes back, so whatever!

Coming to this positive conclusion, I open the door and speak out.

Yo, Simon, welcome back!(Kurono)

I see the face of a beautiful Elf girl, no, a handsome Elf boy, which I have not seen since I rescued him at Iskia Fortress.

Ah Onii-san Th-this is(Simon)

Simon is indeed here. However, this is not an emotional reunion between close friends.

Hey, you must be the rumored Nightmare Berserker. Excuse me for being in your home.

Because there is an unfamiliar third party present.

Shes a beautiful woman in the prime of her youth. She has brown skin that overflows with exotic charm and silver hair that looks as if its made of pure Mythril. And considering she has the same long, pointed ears as Simon, shes undoubtedly of the Dark Elf race.

Hmm, I definitely dont know her. I dont have a single Dark Elf acquaintance.

Come to think of it, Ive heard lots of stories about you, but this is the first time weve met, isnt it (Dark Elf)

See, it really is our first time meeting. Now Im certain of that, but honestly, I dont really care about that right now. The problem is, there is something I am far more concerned about than trying to figure out who she is.

This onee-sans appearance is really erotic.

Nice to meet you. Call me Sofie.(Sofie)

Shes wearing clothes like a dancer from Arabian Nights. The design of these clothes, their shape and the way they expose her body, are perfect. They match her tall stature and her ridiculously glamorous figure that looks like an embodiment of a mans fantasies as if they were order-made. That makes this even more troubling.

Her voluptuous flesh that is clearly visible through a see-through veil is beyond captivating.

A white top that looks as if it will burst trying to contain her large chest and a thong with a dangerously small surface area are the only substantial things covering her bare body. The fact that I can catch glimpses of what is essentially her underwear beneath the decorative pieces of cloth fluttering near her chest and waist is incredibly bad for my heart, in a psychological way.

Nice to meet you, Im Kurono.(Kurono)

But still, I somehow, just barely, manage to give a calm response.

Thanks, Mom, I managed to avoid being mesmerized by the Dark Erofu* Sofie-san because Ive grown tired of seeing your huge breasts.

TLN*: This is a joke where the author has replaced /erufu meaning Elf with /erofu, a combination of Elf and /ero which means Erotic

By the way, Sofie-san, what business has brought you here?(Kurono)

Ive come to see Simon. Ah, Lily can vouch for my background, so you dont have to worry. Im not a suspicious person.(Sofie)

Yes, well Its true that Lily-san introduced us, but(Simon)

Judging from Simons incredibly awkward testimony, I guess Sofie-san is speaking the truth.

The thing is, her face below her clear-blue eyes is covered by a veil, masking her expression. The veil is transparent, so I can see her nose, mouth and the contours of her face, but for some reason, they wont stay in my mind at all.

This strange sensation is an unmistakable sign that her face veil is a Magic Item with an effect that prevents her from being recognized.

Considering that shes covering her bare face with something like that, shes more suspicious than a man wearing a ski mask, but I suppose its fine to trust her if Lily has vouched for her background. At the very least, theres little chance that shes a robber who uses her erotic appearance to have her target let their guard down.

Now that I know this much, I suppose its about time.

I see, well then, please make yourself at home.(Kurono)

I, the hindrance, should leave.

Yes, thank you for being so considerate.(Sofie)

Eh, no way, wait, Onii-san!(Simon)

Pretending not to hear Simons voice as he clearly tries to stop me from leaving, I hurriedly leave the lounge behind me.

Come back, Onii-saaan!(Simon)

As I hear Simons heartbroken scream, I reach behind me to close the door in order to make absolutely sure that I wont turn around.

Sorry, Simon. I cant stay there and pretend not to read the mood(Kurono)

I read the mood with everything I had. With desperate feelings in my mind, I left Simon and Sofie-san alone out of consideration.

Why is that? Its simple; I could tell with a single glance. From the moment I foolishly opened the door and said,Simon, welcome back!

Indeed, Sofie-san was firmly holding onto Simon. A passionate embrace, as if they had fallen in love.

My romantic experience is nonexistent, but if presented with such a sight, even I can sense the atmosphere that indicates the relationship between the two is one between a man and a woman. I can sense it more than Id like. To the point that its extremely awkward for the third party, me, to witness.

In other words, the conclusion my intuition comes to is that its a problem to be solved between the people involved. Therefore, Im just a hindrance. I would only be a hindrance if I stayed, and so would Lily who introduced Sofie-san to Simon. Its only natural for us to not be there anymore. Now we just have to leave the rest up to the young couple.

Haah, I suppose well have to cancel tonights drinking plans.(Kurono)

As the image of Simons red face buried in Sofie-sans cleavage due to the difference in their heights resurfaces in my mind, I begin walking.

I look up to see that a few wispy clouds have appeared in the previously clear sky during the short time I was in the dormitory. As I look further, I see a gray sea of clouds closing in on Spada from the Galahad Mountain Range.

Looks like its going to be stormy tonight.(Kurono)

Whispering this cool-sounding monologue line, I head towards Spadas town to go shopping, trying to forget about everything.