—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Chaos.
A slang word that expresses the meaning of being disorderly and messy.
“Ah… no, it’s okay. I’m fine with it, but I was just wondering if you’re really okay with it. I think it’s okay, but are you really okay? I was just asking in case, but I think it’s better to be ahead of Rain and the others…”
I wondered if there was a better word to describe Sola’s state of mind right now.
Her words, accelerating rapidly, soon reached the level of simultaneous interpretation, becoming sentences I couldn’t even understand.
Truly a waste of talent.
The sight of her flushed skin, as red as her hair and irises, seemed to scream, “I’m not immune to men!”
It made me smile wryly.
Even though she was a member of the hero’s party that saved the world, and a great mage, I was reminded that she was just a girl my age who was inexperienced with men, thanks to our long, long adventure.
Sigh… I always worried if she’d fall for a bad guy…
After playing out that scenario in my head, I lightly tapped Sola’s shoulder to bring her back to reality.
Fortunately, being the experienced Sola she was, it didn’t take long for her to grasp the situation and return to her usual self.
“Ron, honey, just stay put. I’ll take care of everything. You won’t have to lift a finger.”
Right… her “usual self.”
Was she still holding onto that concept?
And wasn’t the “not lifting a finger” part a lie?
Anyway, it was better to play along than to break the mood and upset her.
Sola’s abilities tended to fluctuate depending on her physical and mental state.
“I’m counting on you, darling.”
“Ah! Hehe… Yes, dear…”
Leaving Sola with her slightly excited-sounding giggle, I began to scout the labyrinth.
A step ahead of Sola, I heightened all my senses except sight.
Actually, I wanted to move further ahead, but Sola kept following closely behind with her small body, making it difficult to shake her off and advance.
Well, she’ll be fine once we get into a real fight.
Recalling my senses from those days, I grasped the enemy’s presence and the blocked paths as best as I could, relaying the shortest route to the edge of the search area that we had been assigned.
I expected a cheeky reply like “Who are you ordering around?” but maybe she was still in character, because she responded with a honeyed voice, “You’re so reliable, honey.”
Had Sola been enjoying peace for so long that she was now playing along with other people’s jokes?
That was a good sign.
Anyway, we were currently exploring the Demon Realm.
No matter how experienced we were, this labyrinth was a place where we couldn’t let our guard down if we wanted to return safe and sound.
Of course, Sola was still being playful, but it didn’t matter as long as I stayed focused.
“Two monsters, 50 meters ahead. Heavy footsteps and what sounds like hooves, so probably beast-type.”
Situation handled.
“One monster each, 20 meters to the left and right of the fork. One is light and agile, the other is heavy but seems quite fast.”
Situation handled.
This pattern repeated about five times.
What was the point of me being here?
Sola’s power was incredible, making me feel completely unnecessary.
It was like riding on Sola’s back; all I had to do was point, and she would take care of it.
The ride was incredibly comfortable.
No wonder those rich nobles used capable adventurers to explore labyrinths.
“Ron, your scouting skills haven’t dulled a bit. If anything, they’re even sharper than before.”
Sola, back to her usual way of speaking, seemed impressed.
Being praised by Sola, who was not one to acknowledge others easily, especially with her level of talent, made me happy.
To express my gratitude, I focused even harder on scouting, even though I knew she could probably handle it herself.
And so, the cycle of encounters and massacres continued, making me wonder if this was even in the Demon Realm.
Suddenly, my senses picked up something different.
A sinister aura—something other than divine power or magic.
I had only felt this aura once before, faintly, after leaving the Demon Realm.
It was at that place, when Sola unwrapped my bandages, a strong demonic energy, yet fundamentally different.
“Demon.”
“What?”
“There’s a demon.”
My serious tone caused Sola to stiffen.
A level above monsters, maybe even several levels, they were essentially different from monsters, who acted primarily on instinct.
Cunning and cruelty were their basic traits.
Some possessed unique abilities, like skin impervious to magic, while others specialized in mental attacks.
Demons were unpredictable, their abilities varying greatly from one to another.
That made them tricky, and dangerous.
“Seriously? Why would a demon appear here? ”
We hadn’t eradicated every single demon in the Demon Realm, but with only a few remaining, we had assumed they wouldn’t be able to invade the continent for at least a few hundred years.
“…I don’t know, but… what should we do? Should we go check it out?”
“We should probably take it down.”
Sola nodded at my words.
Regardless of her usual personality, she was a member of the original hero’s party and ultimately desired peace for the continent.
Even if I had suggested leaving it alone, she likely wouldn’t have agreed.
We were all influenced by Rain Garden’s ideals.
“Alright, in that case…”
A voice echoed.
In the Plate Labyrinth, where sunlight couldn’t penetrate the dense canopy of vines, a voice, raspy and forced, rang out from the darkness.
The voice, with its discordant tone, dripped with mockery as its owner revealed itself.
The lower body of a beast, covered in fur.
The upper body, bare, revealing dark skin.
One arm, a grotesque fusion of muscle fibers, while the other was adorned with sharpened blades.
In one hand, it held something dripping with blood.
Probably a monster from within the Plate Labyrinth.
“…A demon.”
“Why have you appeared on the continent? With the Demon King gone and your numbers diminished, you shouldn’t have the resources to invade.”
the demon added, spreading its arms in an exaggerated gesture before continuing in its grating voice.
A leader was needed.
But we are not like barbarians.
We know how to respect each other, to negotiate, to debate.
The representatives of the minority clans and the strongmen of the lawless zones came to a decision… to choose a demon worthy of leadership and send them to the human realm, granting leadership to the one who could bring the greatest chaos to the continent.
“And you were the chosen one?”
“Do you think knowing about us will stop us? If you have no further information to offer, we’ll end you right here. You know that, right?”
The demon released a wave of its sinister aura, threatening us.
It was the laughter of a battle-crazed madman who seemed to revel in violence.
The Demon King, leadership… those were meaningless concepts to this demon.
It was clear that it only craved battle.
“How dare you judge us and act so high and mighty…!”
Whoosh.
Without a sound, the demon appeared behind Sola, moving with a speed that defied perception.
“Watch? You want me to watch you?”
With those words, the battle began.
The demon swung its grotesque, muscle-fiber arm with incredible speed, catching me off guard.
Fortunately, Sola’s magical barrier absorbed the impact.
The preemptively casted barrier, however, cracked under the force of the blow, nearly shattering.
But Sola remained calm, staring down the demon, gauging its every move.
Were those days, when we faced constant threats to our lives, flashing before her eyes?
We really went through hell back then.
Everywhere we looked, there were demons.
No, this wasn’t the time for reminiscing.
I drew my sword from its sheath.
It was my only weapon at the moment, but it didn’t matter; my equipment would never compare to Sola’s firepower.
I was just buying time.
If that demon, likely specializing in close combat, decided to go head-to-head with Sola, it wouldn’t be an easy fight due to the nature of their respective classes.
“Sola.”
“Right. I’m with you.”
My words weren’t spoken, but my intention to cooperate was clear.
Thankfully, Sola understood, nodding in agreement.
She had already seen my hidden power, and with her talent, jealousy or self-deprecation were not emotions she experienced.
I couldn’t fight a demon blindfolded, especially after all these years since we had been on the frontlines.
Quickly, I removed my bandages, stuffing them into my pocket.
Sola’s gaze shifted towards me, but I couldn’t worry about that now.
The demon, circling us as it observed the situation with a sick sense of amusement, came into focus.
Alright.
Get ready for a world of hurt, you furry freak.
“Hey.”
“Get ready for a bad time.”
I clenched my hand, the one marked with cursed scars, feeling the familiar jolt of pain radiating from the mark as blood rushed through my veins.
“I’m going to cling to you like a crazy ex-girlfriend.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Damn. That analogy is actually cold XD