Foreigner Volume 4, Chapter 41

Volume 4 Chapter 41, Discovery ~ 15

　A corner of the Chalk Tower where the evening sun shines. In front of the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise, who is also known as the wisdom sac of this world, a beautiful woman with quirky flaxen hair dyed an orange sunset color straightened her posture.

「In the meantime, I have succeeded in guiding them.」

　　High Mentor Graham Coogan nodded his head in agreement to Sheryl's relieved report. The High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise, who should rarely be met by an outsider, has been meeting with this beautiful young unmarried woman frequently these days, albeit in secret. It is rumored by some to be a clandestine meeting, but of course it is impossible.

「I see. Well, no matter how the 【Immortal King】 Leia present, I don't think the [Labyrinth of No Return] will be conquered so easily.」

　Sheryl didn't notice that his voice was filled with remorse. It had been over 350 years since its discovery, and the Labyrinth of No Return was still defying human hands. There was no way it would be so easily conquered.

「To the clan in question is...」

「We have delivered our letter to them. I've been told that they are at least as capable as one of the Five Dragons.」

　They surpasses the Water Dragon [Suiray], that's just a feeling, but it's probably true.

「.........」

　But Sheryl felt unsettled.

　At this point, the Academy have not had a direct encounter with Satoru. If the "Holy Sword Clan"  responded to the Academy invitation, it would mean the beginning of a war with Satoru, and even though he had caused a magical tremor this morning, he hadn't caused any other trouble, and she wondered if it was really okay to fight with him.

「You don't look happy, do you?」

　The High Mentor, who was used to the worldly affairs, noticed Sheryl's expression. She was upset that he could see through her complexion, and she just looked down.

「Did you feel for him after talking to him?」

　――Feeling? I wonder if that's really the case. Sheryl thinks with her head down.

「 ....... I don't know. He didn't seem like such a bad guy.」

　He has a strong face and an intimidatingly large physique. He has a bad mouth and is somewhat arrogant. But for the life of her, she couldn't think of him as a bad guy.

　There was a possibility that she would be attacked when she went to the inn by herself. But he didn't. It might have been a pillow talk, but he had described her as a good woman. If he had really been true to his desires, he should have pushed her over, but he didn't. It was a sign that he had a sense of reason.

　Isn't it us who are ignoring the fact that there is room for discussion? Such doubts were swirling around in Sheryl's mind.

　Perhaps sensing Sheryl's feelings, the High Mentor let out a small sigh.

「That may be true for now. But he has within him the nemesis of all living people, the Immortal Family.」

　Sheryl remembered this fact. The "Shadow Diving" is a special technique of the "Immortal Family" to hide in the shadows of the living. The conditions for using it are surprisingly strict: the opponent must be alive, have the intelligence to use magic, have a certain amount of soul, and ask for permission from the other party. In other words, at least Satoru has given permission for his "Immortal Family" to live in his shadow.

「There is a possibility that the "Immortal Family" is controlling the young man called Satoru. You said his goal was to find Yarth, right? Could it be that they are colluding with Yarth to challenge us humans to a battle?」

　It was only a matter of possibility, but the High Mentor said as if to say that it must be so.

「If it was indeed Leia Löwenstadt who was in the shadows, the number of souls of those who "Rebelled" would exceed 3000. If there are more than 3,000 souls, that alone is more than a country. And Satoru, who possesses an unfathomable soul, and plus with Yarth? This world will become a purgatory.」

　The High Mentor spoke of the worst possibility. He was unaware of it. He didn't realize that he was trying to convince himself that Satoru was a bad person out of some trivial feeling of jealousy that he had hidden deep inside him.

　Sheryl bowed her head at the serious words of the High Mentor.

「....... My apologies. It's just as the High Mentor said.」

「Your fears are justified. Perhaps we are about to step on the tiger'fs tail.」

　It's not just that they may be stepping on a tiger's tail, it's that they are, but neither he nor Sheryl is aware of that fact.

「As the head of the Academy of the Wise, the entity that is watching overmi this world, I can't ignore an existence that is too dangerous.」

「Yes, sir.」

　Sheryl nodded in response to the High Mentor's words, as if he were saying to himself.

　Sheryl is essentially a pawn. It was only natural that she should follow the orders of the head of the Academy of the Wise, which had influence over the entire continent, and there was no way that his judgment could be wrong.

　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊　＊

　Rico came back just before the fourth bell rang. Rico had also gotten some information about "Labyrinth of the World Tree," but the content was the same as what Sheryl had told him. At first glance, it seemed like a waste of time, but it was necessary to double-check the information and make sure there were no discrepancies.

　The question was about the elven blessing, but Leia brushed it off.

「Oh, the blessings of the elves. As a race, I've heard of such things, but they only use the forest as their ally in the art of the Lost Forest. Even within that magic, there are paths that only elves can see, and I'm just saying that to sound plausible.」

「But there are no elves among us, remember?」

「...... That's true, too. You can either force the spell to be lifted, or you can seek the help of the elves in a village near the forest. If you want to threaten them with violence, that's fine too.」

「That's not a good idea, as it ignores Sheryl's warning too much. Threats are a last resort.」

　While eating dinner, they sorted out the information. According to Rico, other than the "Labyrinth of No Return" and the "Labyrinth of the World Tree", the other small to medium sized labyrinths in the area have already been cleared. Once a labyrinth has been cleared, it loses a lot of its power as a labyrinth. The details are not known, but the prediction seems to be that it is because the magic power that has been stored is dissipated. It is possible for someone to enter a labyrinth that has been conquered once as a new master, but the power of the labyrinth itself is not nearly as strong as the power it originally possessed. They say that it's hard to run a labyrinth because it doesn't attract beasts and magical creatures that are attracted by the magical power.

「Well, if Yarth is there, it's either one of those two - if we're just talking about possibilities, it's probably the "Labyrinth of No Return".」

「What makes you say that?」

「It's simple. Because my master, Yarth, was once a mortal.」

　Leia said that the probability of the "Labyrinth of the World Tree", which requires the protection of elves to approach, is low. In addition, the "Labyrinth of the World Tree" is considered to be the oldest labyrinth that existed before the time of the Ancient Magic Kingdoms. It's possible that the master of the labyrinth has been replaced in the 200 years since it was last seen, but it seems highly unlikely - although it's not impossible, so if he wasn't in the "Labyrinth of No Return", they still need to challenge that labyrinth.

　When it came to challenging the labyrinth, Rico bought a few pieces of equipment that would be necessary to conquer the labyrinth. She bought a long rope, a lantern, a torch, and a bow and arrow. Rico seemed to think she was going to use the bow and arrow, so she checked the tension of the string and so on. Satoru is good as both as a warrior and a magician. Leia and Minerva, in human form, would be magician. If it's just a matter of balance, Rico should be on the front line, but it's easier for the whole party to fight with Satoru as the sole leader. Above all, Satoru would not like to have Rico on the front line, and of course it would be hard to fight while protecting her, so the choice of bow and arrow was not wrong.

　However, as he looked at Rico cleaning her weapon, Satoru hesitated and decided to make a statement.

「Rico.」

「Ye~ss」

　Rico cheerfully turned to Satoru.

「What are you going to do?」

「What do you mean?」

　Her large eyes were questioning. Satoru took three breaths, and then spoke up.

「You can get out of from my magical slave and live in this town.」

　As long as she can get away from Galhassan and go to another town/city so that Rico can be on her own. That was the intention of Satoru when he took Rico in. With that in mind, the city of Ares, with its large population and racial melting pot, was the perfect place. Even if she didn't work as a bandit, there were plenty of ways to survive considering Rico's talent. If she wanted, he could ask Sheryl to take her in at the Academy of the Wise. He's willing to give her the money she needs to live first. He hadn't touched any of the money Jim had given him.

　Rico took in Satoru's words - and instantly tears welled up in her large eyes. She hurriedly looked down and out of sight, trembling and thinking hard about the meaning of Satoru's words.

「...... Am I, hindrance?」

　Eventually, a small muttered voice trembled with sadness.

「You're not a hindrance at all. The only thing is, this is a labyrinth where even the most skilled adventurers will lose their lives. It's also very dangerous.」

「Don't wanna!」

　Interrupting Satoru's explanation in mid-sentence, Rico rejected him loudly. With tears streaming down her face, she grabbed Satoru's chest to bite him and shook him repeatedly.

「I ...... want to be on Satoru's side! All of me belongs to Satoru, you know? If you say you're throwing me away because you don't need me anymore, that's it, but... but... ......」

「There are other ways to live, though.」

　Rico shook her head violently from side to side.

「I can't do it anymore. I can't think of any other way to live. If I'm abandoned by Satoru, I'll die.」

　If I'm abandoned, I'll die... That's a line that has reached the point of dependence. Satoru was speechless.

　To be honest, there were many ways in which Rico had helped him. However, thinking about her personally, it was not in Satoru's nature to put her in danger. In this city, Rico could have made a new life for herself, but she refused to do so.

　Rico has clearly changed since she drank Satoru's semen at the blowjob. He had thought that the current Rico would be able to live without having to put her trust in someone, but now she realized that the sense of security that she had left everything in Satoru's hands made her the way she was.

「...... threatening me?」

　He finally moaned that much, but Rico shook her head from side to side.

「That's wrong. I'm with Satoru because I'm prepared to do so.」

　She told him firmly. She continued.

「If I am in you way, or if you don't want me, kill me. Satoru saved me from being killed twice. If Satoru is going to kill me, I have no choice, and more than anything, it's the best thing for a magical slave.」

「Oh, God, ......, All right, I'm sorry.」

　Satoru raised the white flag. He didn't want to put herself in danger, but Rico was prepared to follow him. It would be too much to disregard her wishes and separate here.

　Next, Satoru looked back at Minerva.

「Minerva」

「Minerva is also with the Danna-sama.」

　Minerva told him rather plainly, in an indifferent manner. Satoru was discouraged.

「I haven't said anything yet. ......」

「Danna-sama is going to ask Minerva the same thing you told Rico.」

　Satoru was choked by the first move. Minerva is a flying dragon, and she is just following Satoru. She doesn't need to force herself to follow Satoru, but she chooses to do so. She just wants to be with him. Danger is completely out of the question.

「Oh man ......」

　At Satoru's grunt of dismay, Minerva, who had deliberately averted her gaze until now, turned to face him.

「Danna-sama. I have a request.」

「What is it?」

「Minerva, too, can you make Minerva kto become your magical slave?」

「!」

　At Minerva's offer, Satoru was again stumped. Minerva is definitely intelligent, so it's correct that the art used would be "Slavery" rather than "Subjugation," but that's not the point.

「Minerva doesn't want to leave Danna-sama. Danna-sama is very strong. Minerva wants to have Danna-sama baby. Now Minerva is with someone she doesn't want to leave. Minerva is so happy!」

　The expression on her face was so enraptured that Satoru had no words to reply――No

「But I'm ......」

「I know. Danna-sama came from a world other than this one, and you're going back to your own world, right?」

　Minerva told him, quite simply. Come to think of it, Minerva has also heard Leia and Rico talking about such things when she was in her flying dragon form. Not only that, but she saw Leia's tears during intercourse the day before yesterday.

「But it's okay. Even if Danna-sama leave, if Minerva become a magical slave, the contract will become Minerva's bond with Danna-sama.」

「.......How did you know such a difficult word as "Bonds"?」

「When Minerva was leaving my father, he taught me this. He told me that no matter how far apart we are, my relationship with him is eternal. Minerva want my relationship with Danna-sama to be eternal too」

「I see. ......」

　To tell the truth, Satoru was opposed to Minerva becoming a magical slave. It's true that Minerva's presence made the journey much easier. The travel time was five to ten times longer, and the intimidating presence of Nushi, who was near the top of the beast tribe, had certainly helped him avoid unnecessary fights. But the situation is different from Leia and Rico. In the case of Leia and Rico, there was an element of reparation for the trouble they caused, whereas in the case of Minerva, he was the ones who caused the trouble. It was just the nature of the race to go along with the strong, but the nature of the race was very different.

　But even though Minerva knows this, she still wants to be Satoru's magical slave. Considering Minerva's intentions, shouldn't I accepted her?

　Satoru looked back at the most magical slave for help. Leia noticed Satoru's gaze and shrugged her shoulders.

「I agree. Oh, by the way, you don't have to tell me about it. I have no intention of leaving my Lord.」

「...... Arghhh, you stubborn bastards!」

　As if he had given up on everything, Satoru yelled. However, his face was smiling. There was a part of him that was glad to see the thoughtfulness of the three of them. Leia, Rico, and Minerva were all smiling.

　Surely, Satoru is the most stubborn one of all.

「Leia.」

「"Slavery"?」

「Right.」

　Considering Minerva's temperament and nature, it is unthinkable that she would leave Satoru's side. If that were the case, then it would be rather less of a problem for her to be a magical slave. If she wanted to leave him, he could simply use "Emancipate" her.

　Leia stood up and walked over to Minerva's side with a smile. She put her hands on her hips and looked at the eccentric child of the Five Dragons.

「But, Minerva. You've changed, too.」

「From Minerva's point of view, Leia is also changed. You're the "Immortal King", and yet you follow the humans.」

「It's only because my Lord.」

「Minerva is with you.」

　The two of them laughed. It was only through Satoru that this relationship could be established. Leia's single-mindedness, Minerva's single-mindedness, it was all because of Satoru. Satoru felt a little uncomfortable when he was told this.

「You may not be in the same order as Rico, but you are the first companion for me and my Lord. Please continue to get along on this journey」

「Yup!.」

　Leia approved of Minerva. The flying dragon Nushi followed him in places she couldn't reach by herself. It was only after the "Mimicry" that she was able to communicate with Leia, but she had dramatically increased her movement speed, arranged for breakfast and dinner, and even though she couldn't communicate with her, she could tell that she was working very hard for Satoru. She may have a stronger sense of comradeship than Rico.

　Leia gave a small smile and touched Minerva on the shoulder. In Minerva's arm, there is a bracelet that Satoru chose, which has been given the counterpart of "Life Force Absorption". Leia's not afraid to touch her anymore.

「...... But you know what? Don't seek my Lord more than necessary.」

「I don't want to be absorbed by "Life Force Absorption" anymore.」

　Minerva replied with a straight face. It was a small trauma for Minerva when she had intercourse with Satoru, which was so pleasurable that she repeatedly asked for it, only to be "Life Force Absorbed" by an angry Leia. It was after that that she began to think about Satoru's body and consciousness. That's why she tried not to talk much, even when walking around town. Leia appreciated her efforts.

「Is that blood on your fingertips?」

「Right. You remember what happened with Rico, don't you?」

「Yes.」

　Minerva looks back at Satoru happily. As soon as Leia admitted this, Satoru could not say anything else. He nodded to Leia, and she immediately went into action. The cloak softly floated up.

「『That is the [Visitor from another world] Kasahara Satoru.

　That is [The Dragon's Back, the flying dragon's nest is Nushi] Minerva.

　In the name of [Immortal King] Leia Löwenstadt and Miguelfi, following the ancient laws, I pledge the bond of a magical slave.

　O Kasahara Satoru, who has become my lord, do you accept her or do you not?』」

「『Accepted.』」

「『And Minerva, o you accept or do you not?』

「『Accept.』」

　Leia nodded in reply to both of them.

「『The contract is done. The blood of the new magical slave Minerva will be the proof. "Slavery."』」

　The bead of blood floating on Minerva's fingertip began to writhe as if it had a life of its own and attacked Minerva's left hand. There was a small puff of air, and a plume of smoke appeared on the back of Minerva's left hand.

　The same pattern as Leia's and Riko's was clearly engraved on the back of Minerva's left hand, and Minerva stroked her left hand curiously and smiled at Satoru.

「I'm looking forward to continuing journey with you in the future, Danna-sama.」

「That's my line. I'm looking forward to continuing our journey, Minerva.」

「Yes, sir.」

　Minerva smiles at him. Satoru smiles back and bows his head to the smile that suits the calm and beautiful woman. Rico, too, somehow regained her smile and hugged the shoulders of the beautiful woman who had become her senior as a companion and junior as a magical slave. With words of congratulations.

　Thus, Satoru's number of magical slaves increased again. It was just as Leia had predicted.

「Umm, Danna-sama.」

「Hmm?」

　Clinging to Satoru's arm, Minerva looked up at him with an innocent expression.

「I want to celebrate.」

「Celebrate?」

　In response to Satoru's parroting, Minerva nodded her head vigorously and said proudly, "Yup".

「Minerva want to have sex with all of you.」

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