Volume 3 Chapter 25

Thats enough!! [Sebasu]

As blood spurted into the air, the butler whose uniform had been dirtied from the clouds of dust, called the fight.

Looks like I lost [s.h.i.+va]

Ah? Wasnt it my? Ow [Ryouma]

The two fighters whispered that as they grimaced in pain.

Wounded and bleeding, the two were only enduring.

The armor covering s.h.i.+vas left shoulder was cut, bleeding. His necks scruff, pierced by the tip of Ryoumas blade. On the other side, Ryoumas shoulder was pierced from above by the blade of the halberd with a shortened handle that s.h.i.+va was using. And his abdomen was suffering from a large wound incurred from the Wind Cutter spell that s.h.i.+va fired off.

The Wind Cutter spell is an elementary wind magic, and is often considered to be the first step in ones study of the element. Because of this its consumption of magic power is low, and its power is also proportionally weak. But in s.h.i.+vas case, he trained this elementary spell, and although he cant fire it consecutively, he became able to cast it chantlessly while possessing great power. On top of that, he could shoot it from a number of angles, turning it into a quick and powerful shot.

Although simple, the Wind Cutter spell is effective in any situation. Combine that with s.h.i.+vas ability and experience, its a frightening weapon. All the more so for humans that dont have a natural armor like carapace, scale, or flesh like some magical beasts.

It was by that magic that Ryouma was. .h.i.t in his armors seam. The attack didnt cause an instant death, but if left alone, Ryouma could bleed to death. In fact, if it werent for Ryoumas physical pain resistance skill Lv 8, hed be writhing in pain at this very moment.

I thought I had stopped him with my spear, but to think he would actually retaliate like that [s.h.i.+va]

Their attacks came mostly at the same time, but Ryoumas was slightly faster. And the moment Ryoumas attack sliced s.h.i.+vas armor apart, wounding him. s.h.i.+vas halberd pierced Ryoumas right shoulder that was thrusted towards him from the last attack, and in the next instance, he fired off his Wind Cutter.

s.h.i.+va thought Ryoumas sword had finally come to a halt there, but then Ryouma pulled out his sword from s.h.i.+vas shoulder and armor. Because he was unable to move his right hand because of the halberd, he let go of his sword. And as a last resort, he focused his ki into his left arm, and thrusted into the scruff of s.h.i.+vas neck.

Then Sebasu who was acting as the referee said,

If Ryouma-sama had fully swung his sword, then that attack would have definitely lopped s.h.i.+va-samas head off. At the same time, Ryouma-sama would have also suffered a life-threatening wound. So as the referee, I decided to put a stop to the match here. Now please sheathe your weapons, and quickly get yourselves healed. Especially you, Ryouma-sama. [Sebasu]

At Sebasus calm declaration, the two warriors sheathed their weapons. Immediately after, s.h.i.+va fell to the ground into a sitting position, while Ryouma fell down. And as Sebasu-san held Ryouma up, and gently made him lie down on the ground, more blood flowed out of Ryoumas wounds.

Remiri-Sama! [Sebasu]

Yeah, yeah, Im healing him! Mega Heal! Sheesh, what kind of match was that supposed to be anyway? [Remiri]

One mistake, and either of you couldve died. [Rheinbach]

My apologies, as a referee [Sebasu]

Sebasu tried to apologize, but Rheinbach stopped him.

Although Sebasu-san was the referee, and although he should ve stopped the match earlier. The battle was just too fierce right from the start, and he couldnt enter the fray. Nevertheless, he did his best as the referee, went as close as he could, and tried to see the fierce fighting to the end while not getting in the two fighters way. His dirtied clothes were proof of that.

Because of that Rheinbach stopped Sebasu from apologizing, and while Remiri healed the two fighters, he said,

Sebasu, youre not at fault. I couldnt get in between these two either. [Rheinbach]

Mega Heal Mega heal Exactly, so dont beat yourself up over it, Sebasu-chan. Mega Heal After all, even I couldnt keep up with their movements at the end. [Remiri]

Said Remiri as she healed the two warriors wounds with advanced healing magic that made it look like she was turning back time, leaving not even a scar to be seen. As a result, Ryouma was too shocked at the efficacy of advanced healing magic to hear what the adults were saying.

Sorry, but he wasnt an opponent I could hold back against. In order to measure him up properly, I needed to go at full strength. [s.h.i.+va]

I know that but [Remiri]

Well theyre both fine in the end, so isnt it fine? Neither lost their life, and neither got any scars. [Rheinbach]

Then Rheinbach asked,

With this he should be more than good enough to enter the Great Forest of Shurus. And I dont have any complaints either, so I suppose we can send him off without worrying, right, Sebasu? [Rheinbach]

Yes. With that much ability, he should be fine even without any escorts. [Sebasu]

Right. Although for him to actually manage to force s.h.i.+va to go at full strength, and come out on equal footing the power of the G.o.dchilds are truly frightening. [Rheinbach]

Just as Ryouma finished checking his wounds, he was finally able to shake himself from his amazement, and the word G.o.dchild entered his ears, causing him to tilt his head. Judging from the context, he knew that theyre talking about him, but hes never heard of the word G.o.dchild before.

G.o.dchild? What is that? [Ryouma]

Oh, you didnt know? Well, I guess its not that common of a word G.o.dchilds are people who appear once every several hundred years, possessing power, abilities, and knowledge that far surpa.s.ses other people. [Rheinbach]

That G.o.dchild Rheinbach was talking about, that comes once every several years, are most likely earthlings just like himself, thought Ryouma. At the same time, Ryouma started to wonder whether they knew that he was an otherworlder, but after hearing from Rheinbach, he finally understood the situation.

The otherworlders who come into this world all leave behind some sort of mark in history. And there are even some who inherit the ideas of those otherworlders. Amongst the otherworlders are people who inherit important positions, people who discover a number of things, saving lives until today. And even those who claimed to others that they were called here to this world by the G.o.ds.

The people of this world couldnt ascertain the authenticity of having been called here by the G.o.ds. But there was no denying that these people did exist, and they possessed knowledge and abilities that transcended others. So the people of this world honored them, and were grateful. And with fear, they came to call these people that possessed transcendent knowledge and abilities as G.o.dchild or the apostles of G.o.d.

So Im the same as those so-called G.o.dchilds [Ryouma]

Well yes, there shouldnt be any mistake. Actually, on top of s.h.i.+vas level 7 halberd arts and his position as a former knight commander, he is also the nations strongest knight. For a 12-year-old child such as yourself to fight him on equal footing, that is something that far surpa.s.ses the territory of genius. On top of that, you even have talent in various magic and knowledge in various areas. So just thinking about it a little, its not really a hard conclusion to arrive to. [Rheinbach]

Said Rheinbach with a bright smile, to which Ryouma then asked with conviction,

Not hard, then Could it be that you knew from the start? [Ryouma]

Ever since you stayed with us at the Town of Gimuru actually. I told you before, right? You are too skilled, so you should be careful of bad people, or something, right? And besides, G.o.dchilds all possess high skill levels and special skills since a young age. And they all also appear as orphans or people with no relatives. [Rheinbach]

He noticed that quickly, thought Ryouma to himself, shocked. But that was almost right after we had just met when we went to the church to get my status board made.

As Ryouma was thinking to himself, Sebasu said in a calming voice.

Please dont be concerned. Regardless of whether Ryouma-sama is a G.o.dchild or not, we will neither put you in harms way, nor try to bind you. [Sebasu]

Our relations.h.i.+p wont change. All the more so if you truly are a child of G.o.d. [Rheinbach]

Ryouma trusted the Jamil Household, so he wasnt worried about being treated badly by them in particular. But he was curious when he heard Sebasu mention something about being bound, so he asked about it. The one who answered however, was neither Rheinbach nor Sebasu, but Remiri.

The G.o.dchilds all possess great talent and great power, so getting them as ones subordinates would reap great profits. But you know, its also because they possess great power that should they be offended, they could cause great damage. Such calamities have occurred many times in the past.

Thats why all the n.o.bles in the country have wordlessly agreed to honor the will of the G.o.dchilds. How each one honors or dishonors this tacit agreement is up to each individual, but should they anger a G.o.dchild, the n.o.bles will ostracize them, seize their properties, and/or even execute them. [Remiri]

Ryoumas eyes opened wide in shock.

No way why would a country do so much for an individual [Ryouma]

Its not an exaggeration at all. [Remiri]

Remiri then brought up a previous case.

Once upon a time in this country, the Rifo-ru Kingdom, appeared a child of G.o.d. That G.o.dchild was a man who rode upon an iron horse that knew no rest, and would ride across the country at a frightening speed. Moreover, being skilled in dimension magic, he would carry with him a great number of commodities as he travelled around the country.

That mans abilities caught the eye of the king. And so the king ordered him to enter the army. But the man wished for freedom, and he obstinately refused the kings orders time and time again. He was the sort of man that would absolutely never yield, so in the end, the king decided to threaten to take away his freedom, forcibly binding him as his servant. But the man rebelled, and he mowed down all those who tried to catch him. Riding on his iron horse, no one could catch him.

After that, the man would raid the residences and carriages of the n.o.bles, pillaging their money and their goods. And no matter how many tried to catch him, not one man could catch his iron horse. Gradually, the man gained comrades, and he became a problem that even the countrys army couldnt handle.

With his new comrades, his larceny reached a new height, and he stretched his hands even on the n.o.bles of the other countries. It was a disaster. On top of that, when the man would run away, he would announce that he came from Rifo-ru, and that the king of Rifo-ru tried to take his job and freedom away, so hes doing these things as a form of protest.

Gradually, criticism towards the country that caused the disaster began to propagate both in the country and outside. Soon a conspiracy theory about how the thieves were actually a special force disguised as a thief, sent by the country to pillage other countries treasure.

As a result, the relations.h.i.+p with the other countries worsened, and the power of the king fell. In the end, his younger brother stole his position, and as punishment, the king was executed.

The other countries calmed down a bit after the execution of the former king that was the cause of the disaster, but the relations.h.i.+p was still strained. It would have been fine if the G.o.dchild was also arrested, but in the end no one could catch him, and the stolen treasures were never recovered. [Remiri]

Hearing that, Ryouma remembered what the magic G.o.d, Fer Noevir, had told him, and he understood.

Ryouma never had any intentions of committing any atrocities with his powers, but ever since hearing about how the otherworlders abused theirs, hes been making sure to keep his abilities in check. But that was only something personal. Ryouma never had any perspective as the a.s.sailant or as the victim.

A victim would obviously try to prevent a disaster from happening. Especially, if theres a high chance of it occurring.

I see [Ryouma]

As Ryouma mumbled that, s.h.i.+va, whos been quiet until now, asked,

Since you understand, Id like to ask, now that you know the truth, what are you going to do? [s.h.i.+va]

Even if you ask me that Ill still continue my training all the same, get my grandparents inheritance, and continue my life as a researcher and as an adventurer. I dont really have anything I want aside from living a leisurely life. [Ryouma]

s.h.i.+va heaved a sigh of relief at Ryoumas response, and said,

Exactly as Rheinbach had said, huh? [s.h.i.+va]

Eh? [Ryouma]

Ryouma alternately looked between s.h.i.+va and Rheinbach, then s.h.i.+va explained.

Actually, when Ryouma left the inn, Rheinbach talked about the possibility of Ryouma being a G.o.dchild and his personality. There he mentioned that Ryouma was an unselfish person with no interest in money or honor, and would rather spend his days fixating over his hobbies without living in luxury.

And while that wasnt exactly correct, it wasnt wrong either.

While Ryouma was working hard back in Earth, there were also times when he thought to live a more comfortable life. But of course, that doesnt mean to say that he wanted to live luxuriously.

Cheap, delicious food was more than enough. Clothes that wouldnt get him laughed at was sufficient. And a warm, strong house that wouldnt break during storms, and stay warm even during the winter was all that he wanted.

Ryouma isnt completely free of desires, but he is more than content just having the necessities of life.

On top of that, this world could be said to be the embodiment of Ryoumas hobbies. Thats why Ryouma is more than satisfied just living his life here normally, working as an adventurer. As a result, he really doesnt really have much more he could ask for.

Hes also not the type to show off his abilities ostentatiously, and neither is he the type for needless violence. Although he might not seem to act as young as his 12-year-old self would suggest, hes definitely a good boy.

That along with Ryoumas response just now and the air about him showed how little intention he had of harming the kingdom, bringing s.h.i.+va great relief.

Dont worry, its nothing. [s.h.i.+va]

I see. [Ryouma]

Ryouma didnt pursue the meaning behind those words any further. s.h.i.+va was the former knight commander so he figured it wouldnt be strange at all for him to be thinking about something. Whats important is that he seemed to be relieved, thought Ryouma to himself.

After that, the atmosphere became silent for a bit. The one to break that silence was Remiri.

Hey~ Ryouma-chan. [Remir]

What is it? [Ryouma]

If you dont mind, could you show us your status board? [Remiri]

My status board? [Ryouma]

Yep, your status board. We think youre a G.o.dchild, but if you could show us your status board, we could find out if you really are one or not. [Remiri]

Ryouma was surprised again when he heard those words. Ryoumas only heard about the term G.o.dchild today, so of course he didnt know that you could find something like that out just from looking at the status board.

Ryouma wondered whether he should show his status board or not, but thinking to himself, Whats the point in hiding it after everything? He showed his status board.

Theres a column for t.i.tles in the status board, right? Is there a Favorite Child of the G.o.ds t.i.tle there? [Remiri]

Ah, there is. [Ryouma]

Looking at his status board, Ryouma saw that there was in fact such a t.i.tle. So he made the column of t.i.tles visible for others to see, and he handed the status board to Remiri.

He really is a child of G.o.d, huh? Even though Im a dark elf, I never really thought Id get a chance to meet one. [Remiri]

Same. Magic aside, I dont think I could get him to go all out in martial arts. [Rheinbach]

So you left it to s.h.i.+va-chan? [Remiri]

Yes. Although I think todays meeting was actually by the G.o.ds wills. Ive always been planning of having Ryouma meet s.h.i.+va to measure his abilities, but I didnt think wed end up meeting today. Remiri, if you hadnt seen Ryouma staring at the carriage we were riding on No, if we had gone here either by my slave demons or by Sebasus dimension magic, then we probably wouldnt have met Ryouma, right? [Rheinbach]

Yeah, thats true. If Remiri hadnt suggested to travel via carriage since we hadnt met in such a long time, then we would have already gotten an Eternal Darkness (herb) and be on the way home now. [s.h.i.+va]

As s.h.i.+va agreed with Rheinbach, he looked at Ryoumas status board. Then suddenly, his eyes opened wide.

Ryouma-kun, this t.i.tle is? [s.h.i.+va]

As s.h.i.+va said that, he pointed towards the two t.i.tles beneath the t.i.tle, Favorite Child of the G.o.ds, toward the Disciple of the Sage and the Disciple of the Martial G.o.d. Ryouma replied,

Ah, those are my grandparents who raised me. They are the ones who trained me in the foundations of magic and martial arts. [Ryouma]

It was Ryoumas prepared reply.

Silence flowed for a few minutes, then they asked for the names and race of Ryoumas grandparents. Immediately, the four adults were shocked, and they finally understood why Ryouma was so strong.

Unbelievable, to think that Ryouma would actually be the disciple of the martial G.o.d and the sage [Rheinbach]

In all these years Ive lived as a dark elf, this must be the most surprising thing Ive ever heard. [Remiri]

So a G.o.dchild could show that much power after receiving guidance from those two. [s.h.i.+va]

When Ryouma heard s.h.i.+vas words, he couldnt help but ask,

s.h.i.+va-san, do you know my grandparents? You said those two just now, right? [Ryouma]

s.h.i.+va vaguely nodded, and then said,

I only really got to exchange some words with them a few times. When we were still mere soldiers, they were invited by the country, but they refused that invitation and in exchange they taught martial arts and magic to select individuals for some time. [s.h.i.+va]

Of course one of those soldiers that were selected was me. Moreover, being just mere soldiers at the time, they werent someone we could freely call out to. [Rheinbach]

After that, they decided to continue their conversation while eating, so they went back to town.

While eating, s.h.i.+va and Rheinbach spoke heartily. After that, Ryouma asked for advice in combining his magic with his sword, and he was told that he should at least find a way to cast his magic faster.

The group then discussed their plans the next day. Starting tomorrow, Ryouma will be learning from Remiri, and will be undergoing magic training while they search around the Town of Departed Spirits.

After their discussions ended, they went on their own ways, and Ryouma rested in a room that was prepared for him. There he was visited by Rheinbach and Sebasu.

Ryouma-kun, do you have some time? [Rheinbach]

Yes, please enter. [Ryouma]

Ryouma welcomed them. And when Rheinbach entered the room he said this,

Actually, I wanted to thank you. Thank you for having a match with s.h.i.+va. There hasnt been anyone whom he could fight with in these past few years equally, and on top of being made to do a lot of paperwork during his time as a knight commander, he became anxious over his age.

But thanks to you today, he was able to go all out, and has been feeling better since. And now it looks like that dominating spirit he once had is back. Hes tired, so hes sleeping now, but its really been a long time since I saw him make such a satisfied face. [Rheinbach]

Im happy I could help. Ive also come to understand the places Im lacking, so Im also grateful to s.h.i.+va-san. [Ryouma]

I see. Im glad to hear that it was mutual. [Rheinbach]

Rheinbach laughed as he said that, then taking Sebasu with him, he left the room after telling Ryouma to enjoy himself, but to make sure to get some good nights rest as theyll be leaving early tomorrow.

After sending them off, Ryouma meditated until supper time, played with the slimes, and then he slept right after supper.