Foreigner Volume 7, Chapter 101

Volume 7 Chapter 101, Magic Sword ~ 09

　Leia took Lies with her and walked out of the hollow. Outside, it was not raining, but thick clouds were hanging in the air and heavy humidity was clinging to the ground. Leia was silent, and the atmosphere was so heavy.

　Still, she is just as beautiful as the story says she is, or even more so, Liz thinks. Her skin has turned pale after becoming 【Immortal King】, but that would not have spoiled her beauty in any way. Her hair is fiery red and her eyes are stark.

　Distancing herself from the tree a little, Leia turned around and looked back at Liz. She looked back at her silently, and Liz was uncomfortable with her piercing gaze, but still, she met Leia's gaze.

「Um, what is it?」

　Leia squints a little at Liz's question, then takes a small breath.

「『Create Stone』」

　Waving her arms in a fuh, she said one word. Three small box-shaped stones appear at her side. It is an Earth-based art. Leia sits down on one of the stones and invites Liz to sit on the other one. The roadbed was a mess because of the rain that had been falling until yesterday, and the soil that had been dug up by the explosion was soft, so it would have been impossible to sit on the ground like that. Finally, Leia gave a thin smile.

「Today is Minerva's day. It seems that my Lord does not approve of you showing their amity, so I have removed you from the room.」

「Oh, Now I understand. So..」

　Liz understood that Satoru still had reservations about her. She also knew that it would not happen overnight. When Liz blamed herself for not having chosen to leave her seat at that point, Leia smiled a little, rummaged inside her own cloak, and pulled out a large bag. It was like a pocket of a hundred-dimensional pocket, but Liz was just stunned. She knows it's an application of the 【Immortal King】's special ability, 【Shadow Diving】, but she doesn't how it works.

「Choose two of these. I left out the important ones last night, so don't hesitate.」

「Uh, all right.」

　It must be a bag of ornaments. Last night, Satoru had mentioned the idea of putting defensive arts into ornaments, so Liz's nodded her head honestly.

　Zarara, Leia carelessly arranges various ornaments from the leather bag on the stone. All of them were so sparkling and glittering that, from Liz's point of view, it was almost blinding, but Leia showed no sign of caring. As expected of Leia-san, Liz admires and looks down at the ornaments.

「I also wanted to talk to you about something else. Oh, you can choose first.」

　After raising her small head and looking at Leia's face, Liz turned her gaze again to the pile of ornaments. All of them seemed to be high-end items that would be out of reach in normal life, but She was not sure if it was really appropriate to give them to her, Liz had a great deal of confusion.

「Don't hesitate too long and choose the one you think is right. If you get lost, there will be no end to it.」

「Thank you for the advice.」

　A chari-n sound came from Leia, who gave her advice, and Liz's looked up. Leia's earrings, which seemed to have been carved out of white crystal, were hanging from her ears. The white earrings looked great on her red hair and suited her perfectly. Liz felt miserable. Liz is a half-elf who grew up in an elf village, and the elf tribe also has many beautiful and good-looking people. Because she had also suffered a certain amount of persecution in such a situation, Liz is not confident in her own appearance. From her point of view, Leia's beauty is of a different dimension. Serving under the same Lord as such a beautiful woman ― even if it's not a good thing, it stimulates a sense of inferiority.

　With a small shake of her head, Liz manages to drive her weak heart out of her head.

「Oh, this is good」

　Liz picked up a red jeweled hairpin. For some reason, she felt like she was being called out. Leia just nodded without saying anything in particular. After selecting another bracelet, Leia slowly opened her mouth.

「Liz. I'm going to tell you the truth. I have not fully accepted you.」

「.........」

　Liz gasped at the chilling declaration of Satoru's first magical slave. Leia says, "Oh," at Liz's tense demeanor.

「Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't like you personally or anything. You are not the problem. You are smart and you know what you are doing. The problem is you.」

　Leia didn't say all that. She doesn't hate Liz, and Leia knows she knows what she's doing, but she just thinks that if this girl, who is a potent combination of both medicine and poison, is going to be a poison to Satoru, then she had no choice but to get rid of her. Of course, she doesn't show it.

　Ah, Lies said, sounding convinced. At the same time, she was relieved to be told that there was nothing to be said against her. She nodded her head.

「......I knew it, the reason is that I look like Onii-san's younger sister?」

「Indeed. It is my memory, so it may not be a strictly correct picture. ...... 『Mental image』」

　Leia opens her right palm to execute the art. A picture of Satoru and a girl laughing appeared on her palm. Liz's face becomes indescribable when she sees the picture.

「This is ......」

「It is a picture of my Lord's sister from the Keitai Denwa(Phone) or something like that that my Lord has.」

「Certainly .......We are very similar. Just different ears and different ages.」

　The picture was reproduced from Leia's memory, so technically it may be a little different, but the girl smiling in the picture, which Liz could easily identify as such, looked very much like herself. However, although she is much younger than herself, the resemblance is so striking that it is understandable that Satoru would compare herself with his younger sister in the picture.

「That's right. That's why my Lord is comparing you to his sister. Also, it seems that in my Lord's world, there is a strong sense of morality, and sexual intercourse with close relatives is forbidden. There is a strong sense of aversion to performing or showing any vile acts to his younger sisters. Therefore, he is reserved even when dealing with you who resembles his sister.」

　Leia did not hear strictly from Satoru about his aversion to close-relative sex. However, Satoru's behavior up to now and the way he has shown it to Liz are so different. That is why Leia guessed that this was the case.

　Of course, incest is not very popular in this world. It is a well-known fact in this world that too much proximity of blood prevents the birth of a decent child. However, to protect the purity of their blood, royalty often marry their close relatives, and in 13 city-states, intermarriage is like a spider's web, and as a result, it is even common to see marriages between cousins. However, same-parent marriages, such as those between brother and sister, are considered forbidden. Leia guessed that in the world where Satoru lived, same-parent marriage would be even more forbidden than in this world. She looked a little further away and let out a long, thin sigh.

「You said it yesterday. It is natural to want to have sex with the person you love.」

　Liz nodded. There is no hesitation there.

「It is indeed a natural thing. But my Lord's love for you is not in that form, it is filial love. If you seek my Lord because it is natural...」

「Onii-san would be bothered by it, huh」

「Surely」

　Leia nodded broadly. At the same time, she was impressed by Liz's cleverness. She can read what Leia says before she says it because she has excellent insight. She is very smart for someone who has grown up without much education.

「I won't tell you not to, and I can't say it. As Rico said, I can't say such a thing to you who woke up my Lord. However, your presence is a double-edged sword when I think of my Lord, who until recently has been in a state of depression.」

「Yes ......」

　Liz turned her head slightly with a difficult look on her face. She understands this with her rational mind, but her emotions make it somewhat difficult for her to accept.

「I don't want you to ask for it the way Minerva asks for it. It will take time and determination for my Lord to accept you in that aspect. Please understand that.」

「I understand.」

　Anyway, Liz will not seek Satoru on her own. It takes time for Satoru to come to desire her, so she has to be patient, just a little bit―Liz recognized what Leia was saying. Leia saw in her eyes the unique wavering of a wise person and smiled at the girl, who appeared to be about the same age as she was.

「You are smart, after all. You said you have a small soul,...... but ahh, right, let me tell you something first. Every time I have sex with my Lord, for reasons unknown, my soul grows.」

「......Huh?」

　Leia's insane comment suddenly makes Liz's surprised. Her reaction is quite natural. In this world, the soul is almost absolute. Although their own training can add a little bulk, it still does not make up for the difference in talents. Leia is extremely serious.

「Solor is a special being, so her soul is not increasing, but the rest, including me, are increasing. Rico was 80 or so when I first met her, but now she is 180.」

「...... that's amazing」

　Liz was indeed surprised and mumbled. It is not every day that a soul's numerical value more than doubles. It is only when the king of a great country tries to increase the number of soul through magical slavery. However, Liz doesn't think Leia is lying. Considering Satoru's abnormality, it would not be surprising if such a thing happened.

「Of course, this too is strictly forbidden to let the world know.」

「Yes」

　Liz nodded clearly. She knows that it is too dangerous to let it be known that just a little bit of sex can increase the number of soul in this world, where the quality of souls is absolute.

　On the other hand, Liz found herself feeling a little joy in a corner of her heart. She was happy to be told Satoru's secret, which is strictly forbidden to be spoken. It was the best proof that she had become a member of the group with Satoru at the center.

　Leia smiled at Liz's attitude and took out a crystal ball from her pocket. It is a measurement bead. Just by looking at it, Liz guessed what Leia's purpose was. Without being told what to do, she silently accepted it and pointed it out to Leia.

「You are very perceptive ...... 『Soul Search』」

　With a thin, yet glamorous smile, Leia ran her finger along with the measuring bead and chanted the word "tsi" as she looked into the bead. A little, the color of her face changes to a somber one.

「...... I think it's too low for someone with elven blood.」

　A little sadly, Liz turned her head down. She was told that the number for 【Soul Search】 immediately after birth is 60. Many elves have better souls than humans. Even if they are half-elves, it is the same, but Liz's value of 60 is almost the lowest. It is a point that she did not resemble her mother, Reine, who had a considerably higher soul and advanced qualities of wind sorcery.

　Leia stroked her chin languidly after muttering "No" to Liz's lament. She seemed surprised that it was too low, but she wondered if it wasn't ― a small suspicion ran through her mind. Leia noticed Liz's gaze and smiled, as if to say, "Never mind".

「Well, it's certainly low. If it's low, it's low, but if you train properly, you'll be able to use it to a certain extent. The problem is how to use the sorcery you know. That requires wisdom, and you have that wisdom.」

　Liz only half-smiles back at the blatant encouragement. No matter how much she is encouraged, she knows that her own soul is remarkably low. Leia's line is a common phrase to encourage someone with a low soul. There is certainly room to turn the tables with wisdom, but only if the soul is close. No matter how hard I, with my laughably low soul, tried to use my wits, I was never able to match an ordinary elf.

　Leia gave a small sigh at the half-smile of Liz, who lacked any kind of high spirits. This girl is clever. But she's too smart and too quick to give up.　

「My Lord's soul is so big that it's rather difficult to control. I still teach him sorcery from time to time. Well, you should attend the study sessions. If you want to learn something else, I will teach you.」

　At Leia's offer, Liz's surprised. For Liz, who has never been exposed to proper study, this is a welcome offer.

「Is this okay?」

「No problem. As you know, I have been secluded for a little over 200 years. Therefore, there is a slight discrepancy with the common sense of today's world, but basic things such as reading, writing, and arithmetic are irrelevant. You seem to be a smart person, and if you work hard in these areas, you will probably be able to be of service to our Lord. Of course, if you are willing to do so.」

「By all means, please!」

　Leia nodded at Liz's immediate response.

「If my Lord returns to the his original world, the study would be of use to you, who would remain in this world.. My Lord may look crude, but he is a man who thinks a lot. When my Lord leaves this world, I would like to shave off some of the worries about the future.」

「...... You're a hard worker, Leia-san」

「Maybe」

　Leia returned with a wry smile, and Liz couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with her.

「There's something different about the facts that were handed down in fairy tales.」

　Liz mentioned it casually, but Leia narrowed her eyes a little and gave her a cold stare. The cold stare was a look of intimidation that she had never felt before, which made her shudder. Seeing the half-elf girl's obvious change in attitude, Leia removed her gaze from Liz's and smiled self-mockingly.

「...... That's right. Of course, this is not a topic that should be spoken about.」

　Liz was surprised to hear Leia mutter something like that. This is because she now knows that this first magical slave, who summoned Satoru to this world, has not told her Lord about her past. After working together for nearly 50 days, she had not told him about her fairy-tale past.......

「Why not? By now, Rothfort has probably forgotten the past sacrifices. Why did Leia-san not...」

「We've already been over this.」

　By actually holding out her hand, Leia made Liz stop speaking. Liz noticed the pained color in Leia's smirk and couldn't say more.

「My Lord does not know my story. He is aware that something happened in my past, but he doesn't want to know unless I tell him thoroughly. Therefore, you must not tell our Lord about my past.」

「All, right」

　She is not convinced. But Liz nodded nonetheless. There was something deep between Satoru and Leia that she could not know. It was not something that she, who had only joined the group yesterday, could interject into.

　Leia breathed a sigh of relief at Liz's understanding. At this rate, she would not even have to dispose of Liz's body at the risk of being killed by Satoru.

　For Leia, Satoru is everything. Even if it means her death or being killed by Satoru, if it is truly for Satoru's sake, she will not hesitate. She is ready for that.

「Then, the time with Minerva has just begun. Shall we work on our studies, even if just a little?」

「Yes, ma'am,.」

　Liz turns a cheerful smile, putting aside all the previous trappings. Considering how smart Liz is, it is rewarding to be the one to teach her.

「....... Wait a minute.」

「Okay?」

　Suddenly, Leia held out her hand to stop Liz from moving. She looked at Leia curiously, who was mumbling and muttering with a slightly distant look in her eyes. Leia glanced at Liz and with a mischievous smile on her face, she turned her right hand around with her index finger raised and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't help it.

「『Flame bomb!』」

　At the moment, smoke rose quite far away. A little later, a Kaboom! sound arrives.

「.........」

　She must have used sorcery to blow away those approaching him. Liz understood that. Leia was good at the art of 【Warding】, and she had a thin, wide, sensing-type 【Warding】around this tree, so she must have noticed the contact and made a move.

　She would certainly not want to take the trouble here. Satoru is currently devoting a whole day to Minerva. Even though she could not let them get in his way, Liz shuddered again when she saw up close the horror of Leia Löwenstadt, who had used her mighty sorcery to knock down the disturbers with assurances.

　After all, the beautiful girl in front of her was a fearsome being with a powerful soul who had lived a little over two hundred years.

　She is a graceful beauty who looks not so different from herself in age, but she is at a distance, aware of the enemy while talking to her, and uses murderous sorcery without hesitation ― a stark contrast to herself, which also makes her fearful.

「Well, let's study」

　Leia, who spoke smoothly as if nothing had happened, took a piece of parchment and a pen from her pocket and placed them on a table made of stone.

　The first thing Liz did was to learn how to write, but being alone with this terrifying 【Immortal King】 made Lies feel restless.

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