Published at 25th of April 2023 07:08:03 AM

TNG Vol. 16 Chapter 3 Part 2

Shins party reached Passner less than a day after they left Baomultans area.

They had left after noon, so, when they arrived, the sun had already set, but, considering that with a normal carriage it would have taken days of travel, the speed of their arrival was incredible.

Garons party had also prepared a carriage, but the speed was too different so they let the horses go and recovered only their luggage and the carriage itself. The horses were trained to return to Passner on their own, apparently.

Acting as Schnees party also allowed them to use the item box freely, so they turned all the luggage into cards.

I did think we were going fast, but to think were already here

Its definitely faster than us running. Even if the carriage was drawn by a tamed monster, this speed is truly incredible.

Kagerou had stayed back with Tiera in Baomultans area, so this time the carriage was drawn by Yuzuha. She accepted the task because it was an emergency along with the condition that Shin did one thing she asked too.

Her size was about three mel, smaller than her original form, but she was strong enough to be able to go faster than any other animal suited to pulling carriages.

If she pulled a normal carriage with the same strength, everything other than the pulling ropes would surely break into pieces. Thats how much strength she had.

Shins carriage was much more durable and stable than a normal one because he modified it in various ways.

We cant enter at night, I suppose?

Its alright, we asked to be let in even after they closed the gates at night. Im sure the sentinels noticed our arrival too. I will go talk to them, please wait.

At least, it seemed that Durgin did not attack the country while they were away. The walls and watchtowers stood tall, and they could see soldiers protecting them too.

The soldiers had noticed the groups arrival; Garon approached them while waving and several of them hurried closer to him.

There were bonfires alight, but in this world the darkness of the night was very deep. They had lit some light globes to prevent monsters from approaching the carriage, so the soldiers probably understood who had arrived pretty quickly.

Usually, doing this makes monsters more prone to attack.

Risha recalled the trip and sighed. The night was the time of monsters: many animals were also more active during the night. Normal travelers used animals to avoid monsters and stood guard throughout the night. When traveling at night, they used as little light as possible, erased their presence as much as possible, and proceeded while avoiding being spotted as much as they could.

Advanced Chosen Ones could also travel as Shins party did, but traveling at breakneck speed while being surrounded by lights was completely insane by this worlds standards.

With a partner monster like that pulling the carriage, I bet even a dungeon boss would get out of its path.

After listening to Rishas words, Agarj spoke while looking at Yuzuha.

When the wolf beast Agarj saw Yuzuha transform from small fox mode to her current form, in order to pull the carriage, he shook like he had been struck by lightning, kneeled down and shed warm tears.

He probably felt something deeply in that sight. Yuzuhas power was gradually recovering to her original level, so similar monsters and Beasts might be able to feel something special in her aura.

Though, Shin made him stop immediately.

Ah, looks like everything went well.

Garon was heading back towards the party while waving his hands and Sety waved in return.

I apologize for the wait. We are going to explain the situation to the king, so please come with us. He doesnt doubt our words, but he would like to see us all in person.

Garon had an item that allowed him to communicate over long distances, so he had informed the kingdom of their return ahead of time.

Since they returned much earlier than expected, the king of Passner was worried that an accident had occurred. Garon had already sent a brief explanation, but meeting people in an area of deadly poison was not normal, so he wanted someone to come.

Shin thought that, if they used Schnee Raizars name, they wouldnt be thought of as suspicious, but still they couldnt leave everything to Garons party and move on their own.

Shin knew that they would probably have to meet with the king directly to explain the situation, so he quickly agreed to Garons request. The group was not very large, so they decided to go all together.

I also heard that there were no attacks while we were away.

Seven days had passed since Garons party left Passner. During the last attack, Durgin had not been wounded, so Shin wondered why it would do nothing for all that time, but could not come up with an answer.

Under the gaze of the gate guards and the night shift soldiers, Shins party entered Passner. The king was already waiting in the royal palace, so they headed there immediately, led by Garon and his party.

Its so dark. Are they keeping the street lights down to be ready in case Durgin attacks?

Unless youre in a big city, its like this everywhere at night. What are thosestreet lights? you talked about, young lady? Contraptions that emit light, I suppose?

Based on what Garon said, there were no devices to illuminate the streets at night in Passner.

Sety was lighting the partys path with globes of light, but the only other lights were the ones faintly filtering from the houses. When the people turned in for the night, the streets would turn even darker.

Shin recalled that it was like this in most cities he had visited.

The only illuminated areas were around shops that were open until late at night. It wasnt uncommon for certain alleys or areas to be pitch black.

In this world, people rarely left their house at night. It sometimes happened, but going out in near total darkness entailed various risks.

Sety explained that street lights were magic tools installed on the streets at fixed distances, used to illuminate the night. Not only was Garon surprised, but the other party members were as well.

Theyre lit all night? They must consume an incredible quantity of magic power

And theyre all over the cityI cant even begin to imagine how many mages they need to power them.

In the game era there was no need to worry about such magic power supply, so whole cities were illuminated just like the real world. Back alleys far away from the main streets were darker, but still pretty well lit when compared to this world of total darkness.

The world before the Dusk of Majestyif I could see it I would want to see it, but its all fairy tales for us.

Naturally, only a few members of the long-living species knew what the players hometowns looked like.

Many NPCs also lived in the hometowns, but most of them lost their lives in the tumult after the Dusk of Majesty, and, even for members of long-living species, it wasnt uncommon to not know how the world was then. Naturally, no members of short-living species did.

Even if they heard about how things were 500 years before, it was difficult to believe it was true.

There are many things I would like to talk about, but lets keep quiet for now. Were going to have an audience with the king, I guess.

You guess?

Youre Schnee Raizars party, arent you? In terms of rank, youre higher than he is.

As Garon said, both in terms of fighting prowess and contributions to various countries, Schnee was superior to the king of a small country like Passner. Garon continued saying that, since they would save the country from a great crisis, they would be welcomed with all honors.

Is it really fine to do this, though? It wont have grave effects, maybe, but theres still poison in the air.

The king is thinking about what happens after the battle, yes?

Correct. Besides if, by any chance, your temper turns sour, this country is finished, you know? If I was in his position, I would have done the same.

Garon agreed to Schnees words and continued.

We have come here with our own goals, so theres no need to do so much, though.

Yes, I know. I did tell them that you would probably say something like that, but it looks like they have to do something. In the future, we will have to tell people of a certain rank that Lady Raizar has visited the country. There are people connected with other countries too. I know that you wouldnt mind, but if others hear that Schnee Raizar came here and nothing was done to welcome her, they would surely interpret it in the worst way possible.

Since Schnee offered her assistance to defeat Durgin, the king was already looking at the future beyond the battle. Based on her abilities, it was pretty obvious for him to do so. If the Durgin was as powerful as Shin expected, not even a horde of them could stand up to Schnee. Because of this, they had to think about what would happen after the battle.

All politics, then.

If I could spare you this, I would. I hope youll understand.

From the kings standpoint, it was an inevitable step. Shin and his party had quite a few acquaintances among royalty too: he could understand what Garon meant.

Eventually the group arrived at the royal palaces gates and Garon spoke to a guard. They had already been informed, so they passed through smoothly. They had not publicly announced the arrival of Shins party, however, so they entered through a small entrance, reserved for the gate guards.

hey, Schneeisnt the poison getting thicker?

Yes. The more we approach the royal palace, the thicker the poison becomes.

What did you say!?

Schnee replied to Shins question by agreeing with him.

Garon heard their exchange and turned pale. If the poison grew stronger as they proceeded towards the castle, it was normal to think that the source of the poison was inside.

If the place where the king and the other individuals in charge of leading the country gathered every day was the source of the poison, they had a grave emergency on their hands.

The gate guards did not look sick, though. If the castle was filled with poison the people inside would surely suffer from its effects, so the gate guards would be affected too. It cant be that they didnt notice anything, can it?

Something was done for them not to notice. You can feel it in the air.

After Setys observation, Shin looked at the castle with more focus. Even if it was filled with poison, it looked like any other castle. Despite this, Shin could feel goosebumps on his skin.

A mental manipulation skillits a weak one, set to make small changes feel like they were your imagination, but it could surely trick anyone other than Chosen Ones.

I see, so thats how it feels to resist a mental manipulation skillits a bit different than before.

Sety added that since she had lived in a Faerie Village for most of her time, it was her first time to be targeted by a mental manipulation skill after the Dusk of Majesty. It felt in a different way compared to the game era.

Why are you people so carefree? Arent you even a little anxious?

Garon couldnt keep quiet while looking at Shin and his companions reaction.

He didnt start hurrying towards the castle either. He knew well how dangerous it could be to act carelessly during an emergency.

Im scanning the situation inside. Looks like most people arent moving.

Shin could tell what was happening inside the castle even while still outside, thanks to the map and his detection skills.

A few presences were moving, albeit very slowly. Their bodies probably couldnt move well because of the poison.

Even so, there was one reason why Shin was not especially concerned.

The poison filling the castle was not lethal: it was a type that limited the targets movements via paralysis.

When his stats were still low he too used this kind of poison often, so he knew it well.

Paralysis poison, I see. I cant feel anything either, is this equipment protecting us from that poison too?

Shin explained about the poison and Garons party nodded in understanding, as it wouldnt outright kill anyone affected.

If anyone with ill intentions had infiltrated the castle, not being able to move was naturally dangerous, but Shin could not spot any monsters or presences moving normally.

The equipment I gave you is specialized against poison, so if the opponent uses magic or skills that cause paralysis, it wont have any effect. Since this paralysis comes from poison, the equipment can prevent it.

The poison status ailment simply decreased HP. As an item, however, poison was slightly different.

The status ailment-causing attacks Hydro and Oxygen used were closer to that: the effects they caused and the countermeasures against them were different from regular status ailments.

In this case, to prevent paralysis, it was necessary to adopt countermeasures against poison.

On the contrary, even if one had taken countermeasures to avoid paralysis, they would be affected by this paralysis, at least to a certain degree. That was one reason why status ailment-causing attacks were so hated.

Shin, who used poison himself, did not understand what the game creators had in mind when he first read the explanation and grumbled to himself I just dont get why it doesnt prevent it!.

Lets go see the king first. If we find anyone affected by the poison on the way there well help them. Is this okay with you?

I feel bad for the others, but we have to prioritize the king. Any objections?

All party members shook their head at Garons question.

Shin took the lead and, soon enough, they found a collapsed soldier. They erased the poison in the surroundings with a skill, healed the little energy he had lost due to the poison and woke him up.

According to the soldier, he had been feeling unwell since last night and this morning as soon as he started his shift, his limbs were paralyzed. He lost consciousness, so he didnt know what happened afterwards.

Considering the time, it must have been after I sent my message.

I suppose so. Its a slow-acting poison, so the symptoms probably vary from person to person. Even so, the soldiers being unable to move should be the perfect situation for the culprit to do whatever they were planning, but it doesnt look like anything happenedwhat is going on here?

Shin gave the soldier an item that temporarily subdued the poisons effects, then told him to leave the castle. They couldnt take the soldiers they helped along with them, after all.

The kings chambers are up ahead. Hes probably waiting there, but can you detect his presence?

Supposing the presences in the corridor are guards or attendants, there are five presences two rooms ahead and two in the room next to it. Im guessing the king is in one of these rooms.

To locate someone they had never met before using only the map and detection skills was rather difficult. Shin searched the room where the king was more likely to be, in order to find him as quickly as possible.

Shins prediction turned out to be correct: when they entered the room with five presences, they found all of them collapsed on the floor. Garon quickly approached a man dressed clearly more elegantly than the others and helped him up. He was the king of Passner: the other presences were the queen and their personal guards.

After administering the antidote and healing them, all five quickly regained their consciousness.

Garon, is that you? Looks like you have saved us yet again.

No, this time I have done nothing to deserve your thanks. If it wasnt for them, we would have been done in.

After the king stood up, Garon explained again the situation.

So you people are the allies Garon spoke about?

The king first looked at Schnee, who was leading the group, then the other members behind her. He then slowly kneeled down.

Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Graffior Passner, king of Passner. Lady Schnee Raizar, I have heard much about your exploits. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for helping my friend.

A countrys king was kneeling to a normal person. It was something normally unthinkable.

In Schnees case, not so much. Her position was equal, or maybe superior, to the king of a small country like Passner.

Please, that will be enough as a greeting. Rather, could you let us know what happened before you lost consciousness?

Of course. I fear I cannot give you any valuable information, though. At first my body felt somewhat heavy, but I did not notice anything else. I did not notice any intruders before I collapsed, nor can I recall anyone forcing me to take any drugs or poison.

Graffior added that it all happened suddenly.

The soldiers had said the same. The only difference was that Graffior might have collapsed later than them. There were few clues.

In the end, the people in the castle were just paralyzed? What is the culprit thinking?

A reason to force everyone inside the royal castle to immobilitymaybe they wanted to kidnap an important person? But in that case they would just need to use a stronger poison on this person and take them away. Maybe they wanted to steal a valuable itemor paralyze the countrys ruling powershmm

Shin voiced all the possibilities he could come up with.

Are there any rare items of materials that other countries might not have here?

Not that I can think ofwe have many precious items in our treasury, but nothing that could warrant such a large-scale plan to steal. The equipment Garons party is wearing right now seems more precious to me.

Graffior said that they had items other than gear, but nothing extremely precious.

There might be items with yet undiscovered effects. Could we take a look at the treasury?

Please do.

In other countries it wouldnt be so simple, but Graffior gave them permission as they were Schnee Raizars party.

Shin, Schnee, Ill leave that to you two then. Sety and I will go take care of anyone in need of healing.

Understood. Well also heal anyone if we find them.

Schnee and Sety often acted as the partys healers: having them act independently would be more effective.

The poison filling the castle was something even Filma could heal without trouble, so Setys burden would be smaller.

Yuzuha, you stay here to protect them. Whoever scattered the poison might still be around.

Kuu!

Small fox mode Yuzuha cried, then turned into her two mel size. Graffior and the others were surprised, but were convinced when Shin said that she was his partner monster. She could use healing skills too, so even if other kinds of poison appeared, there was nothing to worry about.

Do you have an inventory list or something similar?

I believe the person in charge of our resources does, but if they arent in the department, I dont know where they could be.

Graffior, considering that Shin was a member of Schnees party, answered his question politely.

Shin and Schnee thus decided to check the department the king told them about first; if they couldnt find the functionaries in charge, they would just check the treasury for any traces of intrusion.

While heading towards their destination, they healed and gave antidotes to any soldiers and functionaries affected by paralysis.

According to the words of one of the soldiers they helped, they learned that luckily the functionary in charge of storage and preservation were present.

The functionary was surprised and wary of Shin and Schnees sudden visit, but the royal guard that accompanied them explained that they had obtained permission directly from the king, so they could act right away.

I apologize in advance for the rude question, but can you confirm that this is the castles treasury?

Yes, it is. Is there anything that troubles you?

Well, actually

Shin gave a vague reply to the functionary in charge, who led them to the treasury.

If Shins senses werent betraying him, the poison grew stronger the more they proceeded. The source of the poison had to be close by.

Shin had given the royal guard an item that nullified all poison under a certain threshold, so he would be safe.

Shin informed the functionary of his findings. Since the latter was within the radius of the items effects, he wouldnt notice that the poison was growing thicker.

Shin proceeded while removing the poison, leaving a safe path in their wake.

Looks like its here.

Yes. In a place like this there wouldnt be a risk of anyone finding it by chance. There are traces that the lock was opened.

Shins eyes could clearly see the traces red handprints that a skill was used to open the lock. Schnee should be able to see them too.

Traces, sir?

The royal guard and the functionary could not see the handprints, so they looked at the lock with stern expressions.

Thanks to their skills, Shin and Schnee could see the fingerprints on the lock, so without using anything it would naturally look like any other lock.

Since we can see them so clearly, I guess the culprit was confident no one would ever find out?

Or they didnt have any methods to erase the traces, I would say.

Most players with thief-related jobs would learn such skills. In a case like this, which involved more than just opening a lock, skills to remove any traces of unlocking were necessary too.

Most players who used such skills were PKs or those who stole from other players.

There were many players who specialized in lockpicking, but even so, it felt unnatural for the traces to remain so clearly on the lock.

The more skilled the user was, the fewer traces would remain. Shins experience told him that only beginners would leave so many clear traces.

The treasury is structured as to contain more valuable items the further you advance. Weapons and related gear are on the right, while all other items are on the left.

The group opened the lock and entered the treasury. Shin advanced in the direction the poison felt stronger, while listening to the functionarys explanations.

The treasury was a rectangle-shaped room, extending deeper and deeper.

Shin stopped when they reached the middle of the room. He approached a display of precious jewels, grabbed the edges of a stand housing a necklace decorated with purple gems and moved it.

This is

The royal guard and the functionary swallowed their breaths. The stand concealed a stone-like object that could only be described as solid poison.

The octagonal object was the size of a fist and, upon closer inspection, revealed that it could filter light. It was probably a gemstone originally.

Shin picked it up and used his analysis skills. He knew there were no traps and the poison could not affect him.

This gem is enchanted with a poison that causes paralysis. But thats it.

It wasnt enough to spread poison throughout the castle. Shin analyzed the base of the necklace on a whim and discovered that it was enchanted with a spell to spread the poison.

Lets take these with us. If they are turned into cards, the poison wont be able to spread anymore.

Schnee stored the gem and the necklace base in the item box. They looked for any other such contraptions, but did not find any.

(What did the culprit want to do with this?)

Shin asked Schnee a question via Mind Chat. The timing had been perfect to do something, but no action was taken. Extremely visible traces. Something felt definitely wrong in the whole affair.

(The gemstone enchanted with poison couldnt be analyzed, so this might just be an experiment.)

Shin tried to analyze the gemstone enchanted with poison, but couldnt tell exactly what type it was. It looked like a gemstone, but it could also be a mineral.

Shin thought it resembled the gem Baomultan gave him, but he couldnt start comparing them when the royal guard and the functionary were still around. Thinking they should make their report first, Shins group headed back to the kings room.

An item producing poison? Why would such a thing be in the treasury?

Graffiors expression was grave.

(Do you think demons might be involved in this?)

Graffior was deep in thought, so Shin connected a Mind Chat to Schnee and the others. Since they were in the same party, the message would reach Shibaid and the others too, even if they were far apart.

(Waah!? Eh? W-why can I hear Shins voice!?)

Before anyone could reply, however, they heard Tieras confused voice.

The chat function he used belonged to the old generation of the game era, so Tiera, a member of the new generation, wasnt supposed to be able to hear it.

The chat message sent to the whole party, however, reached Tiera too.

Shin heard her surprised voice and wondered if it was an after-effect of her fusion with Marino.

He had never sent personal messages to Tiera, so he wouldnt know when she could start hearing them.

Nevertheless, the fusion with Marino was the only trigger he could think of.

(T-this is so embarrassing)

Even if only Shin and the party would hear, Tiera was subjected to the embarrassment of all her thoughts being displayed publicly until she got used to the Mind Chat.

According to Shibaid, she was blushing so hard you would expect steam to come out of her head. Even Baomultan was looking at her with concern.

(ErIm sorry.)

Shin didnt think the Mind Chat would connect to Tiera, but he was the cause nonetheless, so he honestly apologized.

(Dont talk about that anymore, please)

(Got it. So, about the demonswhat do you think, everybody?)

Tiera feebly implored Shin to change the topic and he promptly complied, thinking of making amends to her in some way later.

King Graffior and the others were talking about what countermeasures they could take, so Shin continued the conversation while paying attention not to show any unnatural response.

(It does feel like somethings off. The demons weve seen up till now wouldnt let a chance go like that.)

If Shins party didnt come, no one in the castle would have been able to move. Even if it was just a preparation for something, it was odd that there was no action at all after the poisoning.

Furthermore, no miasma could be found in the gem and base that Shin collected.

(Whoever infiltrated the treasury was probably controlled. It would explain why we didnt find any miasma. We still dont know the extent of what they could have done though.)

Schnee recalled cardinal Greyl, who had teleported Shin, Schnee, and second princess Rionne from Bayreuth to a Sacred Place.

He had been affected by various status ailments and cooperated with the demons unbeknownst to him.

(This time the plan seems more complex, if there really is a demon behind this, it must be a pretty smart one, no? But in that case, why would it set up something like this in the first place?)

(Since it has a high degree of intellect, its using it to make people suffer?)

Sety answered Filmas question with a theory. Something like that had happened in the past.

The demon who kidnapped the churchs holy woman crafted a plan to make people suffer.

It could easily have killed them at any given time, but didnt. Shin and the others learned directly that such demons existed too.

(Based on the demons we have faced up until now, we can say that their methods have changed a little. Its also safe to say that they might have abilities we arent aware of. Theres not much we can do, but lets keep each other informed about anything we notice.)

If they continued the Mind Chat too long they wouldnt be able to follow Graffior and the others conversation, so Shin cut it for the time being.

Schnee looked like she could keep up without trouble, but Shin was struggling to keep up with two conversations at once. Especially this time, there were many things to think about, so he was afraid of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.

Schnee had taken the lead in the conversation with Graffior and the others, so it had worked out until now.

Lets use items and purify the poison in groups. The demons might do something, but if we go individually the castle and its functions will remain paralyzed. There might be some who could die because of the poison.

I suppose that is inevitable. If the enemy is planning something outside the castle, spending too much time here would play right into their hands. This is quite a difficult decision. To think there might really be demons, though. I honestly thought they only existed in old tales.

Shins party had faced them various times, but few people in this world were aware of the demons activities.

Even kings like Graffior were no exception.

Shin thought that they should inform their connections that the demons were on the move again, once the current situation was resolved.

After the conversation, they began purifying the castle of poison. The affected area was wide, but the poison itself was not very strong.

Shin quickly crafted antitoxin items with his skills and gave them to the healed soldiers. He also asked Sety and Filma to continue removing the poison and administering antidotes.

The healed soldiers would in turn become healers, so it didnt take much time until all the soldiers in the castle recovered.

The menu displayed that it was still a little after 10 PM.

The group arrived in Passner a bit after 7 PM, so about three hours had passed since they started heading for the castle. The actual poison removal took about two hours.

I thought Durgin would attack, but looks like nothings happening at the moment.

Right. Why did they spread that poison anyway? No attacks from Durgin or anyone else, nothing was taken, no one was kidnapped. Its beginning to sound like a sick joke.

In a room assigned to the party, Shin spoke while looking out of the window and Filma, sitting on a chair, replied while cocking her head in disbelief.

They had been assigned individual rooms, but they gathered in Shins room to discuss.

If the enemy is truly intelligent, it might have noticed our presence and concealed itself

The poison was spread before we arrived, though. That seems a bit far-fetched, no?

If the demon had only average fighting power, it might have perceived how powerful Shins party was and fled, said Filma while thinking.

As Sety pointed out, it didnt sound plausible.

Even if it was an indiscriminate terrorist act, the effects are too mild. Could it be that the mastermind is not a demon after all?

The possibility is there. Its not like demons are responsible for all bad things that happen.

Shin agreed with Schnees hypothesis.

In this world monsters were an ever-present threat, but countries would still wage war against each other at times.

At present, because of the power relations between countries and the relations between neighboring territories, no large-scale wars were going on, but the possibility of conflict breaking out in the future still existed.

After the Dusk of Majesty smaller conflicts broke out in various regions, as Shin had learned from a document he had read earlier.

The possibility that this act was caused by a foreign agent was not zero. Even if it was, there were still many unclear points about the whole affair.

I cant feel miasma, but there is a strange aura here. Something likea mixture?

Only Shin and his party was in the room, so Yuzuha took human form and spoke. Sitting on a sofa next to Shin, she looked perplexed.

Yuzuha could also perceive miasma, but she confidently said that there wasnt any in the surroundings. She could feel an unusual aura, though.

A mixture? How does that feel exactly?

Shin thought it would be difficult to explain such a sensation, but decided to ask Yuzuha all the same.

Like a negative feeling, close to miasmaI guess?

It was not a strong impurity, but something closer to lingering negative emotions.

Yuzuha added that Shin and Schnee couldnt feel it because it wasnt miasma and it was also very faint.

Either a long time passed or it was faint from the beginning. We cant tell for sure about this either. We do know that its definitely hostile towards us and that Durgin landed here for a reason.

The causes were still unknown, but there definitely was a mastermind hiding in the shadows.

Durgin, like Baomultan, was a creature necessary for the world. If possible, Shin wanted to do something for the monster.

Lets keep our guard up for today. Im thinking we should take turns sleeping, what do you all think?

Everyone nodded to Shins proposal. They had all rested plenty in Romenun, so their condition was perfect.

There were items that helped a user not feel sleepy.

According to Shibaid, while convenient these items let exhaustion accumulate faster and made it easier to lose focus, so it was better to rest when possible.

Shin had never used such items after coming to this world, so he decided to follow Shibaids advice.

There also were skills that could alert the user if any monsters approached.

Someone would stand guard just in case while the others slept, but there was no reason for everyone to force themselves to stay awake.

First itll be me and

And me.

Schnee raised her hand before Shin could end his sentence. Filma and Sety nodded, knowing smiles on their lips.

I will stay up too!

Yuzuha joined in while leaning against Shin. She had recuperated most of her powers and looked almost like an adult, but many of her gestures were still childish.

She was taller than before, so her pointy fox ears could touch Shins. They would move sometimes, which Shin found a bit ticklish.

My my, looks like Schnee has a rival here.

Not a problem. Shin is not such a fickle person.

Schnee sharply replied to Filmas joke, smiling in return. Her behavior and words fully expressed her trust in him.

Schnee would always panic a little in these situations, but look at her confident smile now! They definitely did it

This feels more like big sis Schnee, though. She isnt the type to catch someone and keep them chained, but to catch someone and make them feel like they dont want to escape. I bet Shin is already caught in all sorts of ways already. Like through his stomach.

You two? You do know that if you continue saying whatever you please like that, I will have to take the proper countermeasures?

Schnees aura changed.

Filma and Sety understood that they were about to step in dangerous territory and quickly left, saying they would go to sleep first.

Theyre always ready to make fun of me, those two

Your aura became softer, after all. I guess its easier to joke like that now.

Shin was sure that they wouldnt have said so much before.

Its a problem if they find me easier to make fun of.

Theyre not just having fun at your expense, you know that. Just let them have a bit of fun.

You can say that because they dont make fun of you, Shin. Besides, they ask me all sorts of embarrassing things when youre not around.

Schnee looked really embarrassed, as she went red up to her ears. They apparently dug really deep, probably without restraint as they belonged to the same gender.

Shibaid also wanted to know more about what happened, but, because of his personality, he would never ask intimate questions like Filma and Sety did.

I kind of understand Filma and Sety. Shibaid never asks me anything though.

Like Filma and Sety with Schnee, for Shibaid it would surely be easier to ask Shin about what happened while he was alone with Schnee.

Shin couldnt recall being asked such questions, though.

I wonder if hes holding back?

When they met in this world, Shin told Shibaid to be unrestrained with him, but the Dragnil clearly still felt their master-servant relationship strongly.

They belonged to the same party and entrusted each others backs to the other in battle. Even so, Shin felt that there may not be a wall, but a line clearly traced between them.

In Shibaids case, I think its more due to his personality than restraint. If Girard was here, he would ask questions as brazen as Filmas, I think.

Shin agreed that Girard would have done just that. Even if they were both warriors, Girard and Shibaids personalities were quite different.

Shibaids thinking has become more flexible. I suppose his time as king has been beneficial.

Really? I didnt think that he changed muchno, I guess he did.

Shin recalled what Shibaid said when they met again, words like a general meeting his king, and retracted his statement.

In the game era, Shibaid would never have casually addressed Shin unless ordered it.

everyones changed. Everyone has lived all this time. Of course they would.

Shin?

Schnee, finding him different from usual, couldnt help but call his name.

No, its just that Ive never properly asked everyone about how they lived, what they did while I wasnt around.

He had talked about it with Schnee while they were alone, but apart from her, the only one Shin talked with at length was Girard.

Considering he had lived over 500 years, it was just a tiny moment, but for Shin it was something unforgettable.

He had heard very superficial things from Shibaid, Filma and Sety.

While talking with Schnee and Yuzuha, Shin thought that he should talk with those three much more.

Let me start by speaking about them from my viewpoint, then. Its better than just waiting, no?

Yes, please.

Shin agreed to Schnees proposal, had the sleepy Yuzuha turn into small fox mode and picked her up in his arms. She cuddled up and quickly drifted off to dreamland.

Yuzuha said she would stay awake, but evidently succumbed to sleep.

Its already Yuzuhas bed time.

Hard to think that she is a legendary monster

Yuzuha usually turned in early at night.

Except when an enemy was near, on normal days she would always sleep soundly. So maybe today there would not be enemy attacks.

Maybe she was getting accustomed to her body while she slept, so she could be doing it now too.

You cant go to sleep too, okay Shin?

Of course, I know.

Shin placed Yuzuha on his lap, careful not to wake her up, stroking her fur as he listened to Schnee.