Foreigner Volume 7, Chapter 136

Volume 7 Chapter 136, Magic Sword ~ 44

　The wind danced with a swoosh, and dust flew in the air.

　The earth, which had lost its magic power due to the reversal magic circle, was blown away by the wind. The forbidden art used to defeat Satoru had turned an area about one mile (1,350 meters) in diameter into a barren wasteland. The soil and grass are completely devoid of life. There are five living ones there ― or more precisely, four, since the immortal king is not recognized as a living person.

「Oi, you still want to continue?」

　Satoru walked slowly to the Giant Killer on the ground, drew his greatsword, and called out to the woman who was still slumped over.

　The sharp-looking and beautiful woman was staring at the Holy Sword, which had been reduced to its hilt as if she had lost her mind. The sharpness that made her look as if she could kill people just by the way she stood is gone.

　She raised her head at the sound of Satoru's voice, looked at his face, and shook her head from side to side with a heavy burden.

「No. .......Since the Holy Sword is broken, I have lost. I will honestly admit defeat.」

「I see.」

　――It's a complete defeat.

　Isolde's mind was clear. Like a clear blue sky without a single cloud, she could honestly accept her defeat.

　In any case, fighting a monster like Satoru without the Holy Sword would be impossible. Isolde's soul alone can only sustain the strengthening of her body by releasing all of her abilities for a count of ten or so. It would be impossible to defeat Satoru with only a dozen or so of her abilities.

　But even if she had the Holy Sword, she would not have been able to beat Satoru. Isolde herself is painfully aware of this.

　On that basis, Satoru defeated not Isolde but the Holy Sword that bound her. If all he wanted was to ensure victory, he should have just gotten rid of Isolde, but instead of taking the easier way out, Satoru chose to destroy the Holy Sword that Isolde had clung to as her karmic link.

　Was it his whim, his discretion, or some other reason that kept her alive? Whether it is a whim, a margin, or some other reason, Satoru has won and Isolde has lost. That's all there is to it.

　And then, two black gales blew into the battlefield.

「Satoru!」

「Ohhh, Rico, Solor. We're done here, too.」

　Isolde looks at the two women who have returned with the force of the wind. They were Satoru's companions who had escaped after being ordered to destroy the circle. Unable to stop them by herself, she entrusted them to her subordinates, but seeing that they are still alive, they were probably defeated.

　Then, there are six of them.

　It is unprecedented in recent years that so many members of the Holy Sword Clan have died in a single mission. In the days of the Ancient Magic Kingdom, there had been a battle with one of the upper demon generals in which as many as 16 people were killed, but this was the largest number of deaths since that time.

　Isolde mourned her own incompetence and her companions who died because of her incompetence, and she chided herself that her leadership had been poor.

　Now that the Holy Sword Clan has been destroyed, all ties to the clan are in the past. All that remained was to ask Satoru not to meddle with the other clansmen at her own death.

　Thus, the Holy Sword Clan will come to an end.

「Leia. Minerva's ......」

「No problem. It was beating properly」

　Leia answered without hearing everything Satoru had to say. While Satoru was fighting after the circle disappeared, she was the first to confirm that the infant in Minerva's womb was safe using the 【Diagnostic】 art. It would have been dangerous if the magic power had been completely sucked out of the baby due to the influence of the circle, but it seemed that Leia's isolation warding had somehow arrived in time, and Leia was relieved to confirm that the baby was pulsating properly.

　Satoru was also relieved. If Minerva's baby had died or flowed out of her belly, they would not have been spared, and Satoru had every intention of it. But the worst was averted.

　Walking slowly, Satoru stood in an imposing position in front of Isolde. He looks down at the loser woman, not scornfully, not mockingly, but coldly.

「Let me talk to you for a minute.」

「The loser has no right to refuse. Whatever you want.」

　Isolde, whipping her exhausted body, straightens her posture, crosses her legs, and, as she attempts to raise her arms, realizes that her left shoulder is still dislocated. A dull pain began to attack her left shoulder, probably due to the removal of the physical enhancement art. Using her right hand, which hurt her wrist, she forced her left hand forward, then attached her right hand and bowed deeply. The way she exposed her neck showed her attitude that she did not mind being slashed in the neck by her opponent.

　Looking down at the nape of her neck, which was whiter and thinner than expected and exposed, her dark brown hair shook in the dust, Satoru turned his cold gaze on the woman in shreds. He could order Leia to fix her dislocated left shoulder and broken right wrist, but he will not do so. He thought that it would stimulate the other's pride to show so much mercy to this woman, the loser.

「Those who are afraid of my ridiculous power wanted to take me down. And you came out. Am I correct?」

「No.」

「Who are you? You said you were the head of the Holy Sword Clan.」

　Isolde reacts with a twitch as she hangs her head so deeply that her forehead is almost touching the ground. Under the circumstances, she is not allowed to raise her head without the victor's permission.

「In ancient times, in the battle between demons and humans, there was a hero who wielded the Holy Sword that was destroyed by you earlier and defeated the Demon King. Even after the death of the hero, the Holy Sword has been passed down from generation to generation. I am the current head of that clan.」

「...... Haah」

　Satoru, who had not expected to be told a fairy tale about the next era of this world's mythology, raised his voice in dismay. At the beginning of his journey, around the time he welcomed Minerva into the group, he had heard a brief history of this world from Leia when she read to him a collection of anecdotes called The Tragedy of Hardy, but he had no idea that the story of the battle between the demon race and the human race prior to the time of the Ancient Magical Kingdom group that he had heard at that time would be involved.

「Satoru-dono, do you know the anecdote about the Demon King and the hero?」

「No, I don't. All I know is that a hero defeated the Demon King.」

　Satoru glanced back at Leia. Leia shrugged her shoulders. That's really all she told Satoru. She told him a few anecdotes from the anecdote book, but that was it. Leia knew a little more, but she didn't think it was necessary to tell that much.

「Let me tell you a little about the old days. Let's put aside for the moment the history of the battle between the Demon King and the hero. After the defeat of the Demon King, the hero of the day went into hiding. The power of the Holy Sword is extraordinary. And the power of the hero who was created to wield it is also beyond human control. Although the Demon King has been defeated, it is obvious that it will be his turn to be hunted.」

　Satoru's mind was suddenly filled with the words, "When the rabbit dies". He did not remember the exact anecdote, but he thought it meant that if the rabbit died out, the hounds would no longer be needed and would be boiled and eaten. In other words, it is a metaphor for when a powerful enemy is destroyed, the object of its destruction is also considered unnecessary and is killed.

　More precisely, When there is no bird left to catch, the bow is put away(A parable of how a person is used when he has a use for something and discarded when he no longer has a use for it), and a cunning rabbit dies and the running dog is killed.

　The Ancient hero must have realized that he would be in the same situation.

「Taking the initiative, the first generation declared seclusion. If a monster or a demon race that is beyond the power of the nation appears, he will go out to exterminate it, but he will not be involved in any other disputes in the nation. If they interfere with him, he will destroy them, but otherwise, he will not take sides with them. 　Since then, he has lived in seclusion deep in the mountains in the middle of nowhere ― but there was another reason.」

　Leia's eyebrows rose. But there were other reasons, too, that she did not know about. Isolde spins her words in a self-mocking voice while keeping her head lowered.

「When the Demon King died, a curse was placed on my ancestor ― the Holy Sword, to be precise. It is said that the wielder of the Holy Sword is hated by all living things. It is extremely difficult for a person to defeat a demon race one on one. And they cannot fight against the Demon King. It is said that the Demon King wanted to have the humans dispose of the Holy Sword in anticipation of his resurrection in the future―Losing the Holy Sword is the same as losing the means to oppose the Demon King. That is why the hero chose the path of seclusion so that he would not meet anything living.」

　Satoru looks sour. The words "Losing the Holy Sword is the same as losing the means to oppose the Demon King" stuck with him. In other words, he had destroyed the means of opposing the Demon Lord in this world― He had no intention of destroying this world, but as a result, he felt guilty for having done so.

　However, there is no hint of blame in the voice of the woman lying flat in front of Satoru.

「The first generation had to spend a lonely time not being able to meet with others, but the Holy Sword must be passed on to the next generation, to future generations. Fortunately, he was able to entrust his skills and sword to a boy who had wandered into his seclusion.」

　Satoru was deeply moved by the pain and loneliness of the first generation, even if he only imagined it for a moment.

　Even so, the first generation of heroes worked hard to pass on the Holy Sword to future generations and passed away. Even though he was born to defeat the Demon King, was marginalized after defeating him, and was persecuted by others, he still entrusted it to the next generation, and his integrity is something to be admired.

　It is a shadow of history that even Leia did not know. Minerva seemed uninterested, but the rest were listening to the story of the woman who had been the head of the present-day Holy Sword Clan, who was flatly lying down with interest. Even Solor.

「The one who sealed that curse was that mask created by the second generation and removed by you during this battle.」

　Satoru realized that this was the true nature of the black feelings that had sprouted in his heart when he saw her true face. The feelings he had felt were within his control, but he remembered that Leia had seemed to be drifting away. Perhaps Satoru was able to resist the curse because of his enormous soul. Solor is picking up the mask with the broken joint.

「I see ...... Now that the sword is broken, the curse is gone.」

「If you have no hatred for me, then that's what it means.」

　There is no black emotion in Satoru anymore. It is hard to say because she looks down now, but Leia and the others do not seem to have any more hatred for her than they should.

　In other words, she represented the guardian of the anti-demon race in the shadow of history. And Satoru defeated her―Honestly, I feel like I've done it, but that doesn't mean I would have had any other choice when I was facing her.

　My intuition that I should not kill her was, in a sense, correct. But there was no way to bring her to her knees without killing her, except by destroying the weapon she was relying on.

「If I may add, the Holy Sword Clan is known only to a small percentage of the royal and princely classes. The common people don't know about them.」

　Satoru glanced at Leia, who gave a supplementary explanation.

　During the battle, the head of the clan had called Leia a former royalty, and Leia knew the details that the common people should not know, so she must be a member of the royal family of some country. And perhaps it has something to do with a country like Rothforts.

「The hero said that he would not get involved in any national disputes, but in fact, the Holy Sword Clan had destroyed several nations that tried to intervene in disputes.」

「Indeed. I don't know if you are aware of this, Leia Löwenstadt, who has been in seclusion for more than 200 years, but the Holy Sword Clan destroyed another nation about 150 years ago. That makes four.」

　Satoru looked at the woman who answered Leia's question with disbelief. It may be necessary to do so to remain secluded and isolated for thousands of years, but they are extremely thorough.

　The clan's mission is to defeat the demon race, and anything else is useless ― an ironclad rule, she thought, and her heart ached that she had destroyed it.

　Now, she is honestly admitting defeat and is lying on the ground.

　Although she was fighting in a way that made them recognize the difference in power, there is no doubt that the greatest point that led to her falling prostrate in this way was still the destruction of the Holy Sword.

　She, who had been prostrate all the time, raised her head. It was rude to raise her head without the permission of the winner, Satoru, but she was not willing to do so.

　She glared at the big man who had brought the Head of the Holy Sword Clan to her knees with sharp, fixed eyes. But there is no hatred in them. Her sharp gaze is surprisingly clear, and Satoru involuntarily swallows his spit.

「May I ask you a question too?」

「As long as I can answer.」

　He replied, but he no longer had anything to hide from her. In his normal journeys, he would conceal Leia, and he would conceal his own powers, but she knows about both of them.

「What is your purpose? Do you wish to reign over this world with all your power?」

「No. I don't think of anything like that at all」

　Satoru immediately responded to the somewhat old-fashioned question by shaking his head from side to side. Even after coming to this world and discovering that he possesses a level of power too different from that of others, he has never entertained the thought of being drowned in power. He thinks about it a little.

「I'm sorry to return the question with a question, but do you know that I am being summoned from another world, right?」

　Isolde nodded in agreement with Satoru's question. "But," she added,

「It was just a theory.」

　Satoru's conviction deepened at that comment.

「Well, I'm going to say it clearly, you're right. I am not of this world. I am a foreigner, summoned to this world by the 【Immortal King (Leia)】 over there. I don't know why I have such a ridiculous soul, though.」

　I really wonder why Satoru thinks. Do otherworldly people summoned to this world generally possess such soul that they are not considered to be of this world?

　The point at which Rico ran into Leia when they were discussing their path from Galhassan shortly after Rico became a member of the group.

　Why is the art of summoning from another world a Forbidden Art? Wasn't it designated as forbidden because someone had been summoned before and found to be dangerous? Leia was too exasperated to answer such a question from Rico, but the possibility was certainly there.

　Satoru put that thought on the shelf for the moment and turned squarely to the woman who was still glaring at him.

「For now. My main goal is to return to my original world. I've been told that there is a summoning art, but no repatriation art. I'm looking for Leia's master, the 【Immortal King】 Yarth, who may know the art of repatriation.」

「Then why did you cause the tremendous explosion in the Deep Green Forest and kill people? If you were looking for Yarth to return to your original world, you had no reason to kill people!」

「Do you think I would have caused such a huge explosion because I liked it!!」

　Satoru's angry shouts echoed over the furious loser's voice.

　Isolde's face, which should have been furious, instantly turned pale as she was hit by a thunderous shout from directly in front of her. She was scared of Satoru after all this time―but that was not all. Satoru's expression was so ghastly that it was almost uncanny.

　As if worried about Satoru, who had bared so much negative emotion, Leia stepped to Satoru's side and held him in her arms. She looked up and asked her Lord for permission to speak with Isolde with a look. Satoru nodded back, sniffled, but was thankful for Leia's consideration.

　This time, Leia turns to face the woman, the head of the Holy Sword Clan head-on. The hatred that welled up in her when Satoru removed her mask during the battle and saw her true face is still not there. As she had said, the curse on the Holy Sword must have been broken by the destruction of the Holy Sword.

「That was―an accident, so to speak.」

「An accident, you say?」

　Leia nods gravely. Rico and Minerva both stare at the conversation with grave expressions. Liz is clutching the hem of her own dress tightly, probably because she is remembering the scene. Satoru is still sniffling. He must be emotionally overwhelmed―Leia puts a little strength into her own arm, which clings to Satoru's arm.

「My Lord has been thoroughly restrained ever since he was summoned, though there have been some minor troubles. He has never thought of reigning over this world or destroying it. I will stake my name on it, I assure you.」

　After casting a somewhat sarcastic glance at Leia, Isolde turned her head slightly.

「The name of 【Immortal King】 Leia Löwenstadt, huh...... Under normal circumstances, I would say that this is very hard to believe. There is the very light of reason in your eyes. I believe it. Then why did the accident happen?」

「Anger」

「Anger?」

　Leia nodded and looked at Satoru, then at Liz.

「Indeed. The Academy of the Wise is the one who tried to hinder our Lord. They take a hostage this half-elf, Liz, who led us into the Dark Green Forest, and her mother, Reine, and they wished death upon our Lord」

「What did you say」

　The face of the head of the Holy Sword Clan visibly distorts and faded.

　Liz and Satoru's expressions were also distorted. The truthful expressions of these two people truly tell Isolde that there is no lie in Leia's words.

「However, Reine was already dead at that point ― when our Lord realized that his benefactor was dead, he exploded in anger, resulting in that outburst. That's the reason.」

「.........」

　Isolde pulled her chin back.

　She remembered that when High Mentor Graham Coogan was on his way out from the city of Ares, he had unintentionally complained about the bias in the way he saw things about Satoru.

　Isolde had questioned the High Mentor, wondering if perhaps it was the adventurer's side who had done something to deserve to be killed. And if she was to believe Leia Löwenstadt, that is true.

　There was no cause for that avenging army, of which Leia had slaughtered most of them and Satoru had taken out the general.

「.....I see. I didn't think it was possible, but the academy was at fault」

　Isolde sighed as she squeezed.

　That avenging army has no cause―The same is true for herself, to say the least. Although she accepted the invitation issued by High Mentor Graham Coogan and decided to cooperate in eliminating Satoru after learning of the viciousness of his soul, there was no righteousness if she knew that Satoru was no danger.

　This is not to say that there was not an arrogance in Isolde to want to fight the strong and test her skills. She should have discussed this with him first ― but she failed to do so because of her selfish pleasure in being able to fight a strong man.

　Satoru thrust the Giant Killer into the ground again with a thud and looked down at Isolde while he managed to deflect his pent-up emotions by taking a deep breath.

「You already understand, don't you? If I were serious about trying to conquer or destroy this world, I'd at least know that no one would be able to stop me.」

「...... I suppose so.」

　There are some things that can be understood only by those who have clashed swords with each other.

　Isolde had accurately discerned that Satoru's ability could not possibly be measured by this world's standard and even the single-minded nature of the man Satoru. Satoru's swordsmanship is poor as a technique. However, his sword's line was straight, and because of this, even Isolde, whose physical strength was significantly inferior, was able to channel that power.

　If Satoru had fought to intend to kill her, she would be long gone. Isolde understands this as well.

「But I don't. Because it is unnecessary for my purpose. If I had to do it for my purpose, I might have done so, but that's not the case.」

　If Satoru had to destroy this world to return to his original world, he would do so. And he has the power to do so. Of course, he would hesitate, but that is why returning to his original world and meeting Alice again is the most important goal for Satoru.

　Satoru glances at Liz. The encounter with her had made him determined to return to his world and meet his beloved sister again, no matter what it takes.

　He is determined to do everything in his power to return to his world.

「If someone stands in my way, I will crush them. If not, I will not fight them. That is how I have always done it, and that is how I will continue to do it. If that's what the world wants to fight over, by all means. I'll buy it.」

　Leia, Rico, Minerva, and Liz laughed. It was too bold a statement. But that's what Satoru is all about.

「Fufunn, that's my Lord for you」

　Leia was so excited that she clung to his arm with her whole body.

　The four who laughed at Satoru's words, Solor, who did not move her face, and the five who became this man's magical slaves are determined to follow Satoru, even if it means making enemies of the world. Liz is still a bit unprepared, but the rest of them are willing to give up their lives if their lives are needed for Satoru's sake. Of course, Satoru would not allow such a thing.

　Seeing the looks on the faces of the five women around Satoru, Isolde also knew they were ready to do the same. She marveled and bowed her head again.

「Your words ...... seem to force me to admit it.」

　Hmph, Satoru sniffed.

「Until a while ago, you were trying to get us,.......The circle? The one that was set that up was the Academy of the Wise of Ares, right?」(?)

「I didn't want to sell out my client, but I can't go against you, but you're right.」

「Hmph, I knew it.」

　The magic of the circle was almost ineffective on Satoru, but if someone could manipulate such art that even Leia could not nullify it, it could be no other than the Academy of Sages. At the moment, the only organization that realizes the enormity of Satoru's dangerous soul and is hostile to him is that organization.

　Satoru thinks as he strokes his chin with his hand. He had planned to do nothing more than destroy the Chalk Tower, but that level of destruction might create a mockery later on for an opponent that has clearly engaged in hostile behavior. At the very least, it would make sense to have the person responsible take the blame. If they still want to mess with him, he will destroy the Academy of the Wise. If it had been just me that would have been in danger, that's fine, but if Leia, Minerva, Rico, Liz, and Solor, all were in danger. There was no way I could forgive them.

　Since they were enemies, they should be blamed for that. Satoru is not so unlimitedly generous that he can forgive without anything, nor should he. At the very least, the beautiful woman who is prostrate in front of him bears the responsibility of having the Holy Sword, which has been handed down for thousands of years, destroyed.

　The prostrate woman lifted her head a little. She opens her mouth gravely, keeping her eyes on the ground.

「If there is nothing else, I have a favor to ask.」

「I'll just listen」

　Satoru's immediate response was met with a pause, and the woman who had been the head of the Holy Sword Clan rubbed her head against the ground.

「Kill me. In exchange, let the rest of the clan's members go.」

「I refuse.」

　Isolde was horrified by the blunt response. But it can't be helped. It would have been nice if the head of the clan could have saved the lives of the other members of the clan, but under the circumstances, the head of the defeated Head of the Clan is worthless.

　Perhaps even if all the members of the clan united to challenge Satoru, they would be no match for him without the Holy Sword. The whole clan would be kicked to death, and the clan would perish at the same time as the Holy Sword. Since they've picked a fight with that many opponents. Inevitably, they will all be killed.

　The victor's choice is not wrong. It is because it is common sense on the battlefield to annihilate the opposing clan as long as there is a risk of retaliation.

　Hopefully, we will not die a cruel and senseless death, but a death filled with pride and dignity.――apologizing to her clan members, Isolde bites her navel in regret and is about to make her decision when she is surprised by Satoru's next words.

「I'm not interested in your clan. I told you before. If you want to fight, I'll buy, if not, I won't fight. This fight is between you and me. That's it. I have no intention of killing your clan or anyone else.」

「―What the....」

　Isolde looked up in surprise. She had thought that after they had gone head-to-head like this, her clan would have incurred his enmity and all of them would have been killed, but Satoru assured her that he would not do that, and she looked at his strong face with fear.

「Besides, there is no reason for me to be ordered by you. If you want to die, go ahead and do it yourself. Why should I go to the trouble of killing you?」

　Isolde accepted Satoru's every word, her mouth hanging open as if to ruin her sharp good looks.

　Satoru renounced the rights of the victor and even the dignity of the loser.

　She had hoped for at least an honorable suicide, but she did not recognize the value of that either. If she wants to die, she can die on her own, and the fact that he says so means that he has no intention of killing her. On the contrary, he said he would not kill her clan.

　He said. The fight was over. The fight was over when it was clear who would win and who would lose, and when the loser accepted it.

「―Well, if your Holy Sword Clan and others still oppose me even after the destruction of the Holy Sword and the overthrow of the head of their clan, then I will show no mercy, and if you ask me to fight again, I will show no mercy at that time」

　Satoru's grinning, his villainous expression was serious.

　Satoru's huge size is so big that it makes her laugh. It seems that it was not only his soul, his back, and the sword he handles that were big. Isolde did not hold back the unspeakable feelings that welled up.

「Fu......fufu, Hahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!」

　Satoru looks at the beautiful woman who suddenly begins to laugh out loud, thinking she might have lost her mind.

　―I lost. I've lost, I've lost! There's nothing I can do!

　It was so funny that I couldn't stand it.

　There was no way she (Isolde), a fool, could win against a man (Satoru) with such a great capacity and soul. What a ridiculous thing to do. It is no laughing matter for a baby to challenge a strong warrior. She had done the equivalent of that.

　Satoru and his magical slaves watched the woman who was laughing without pride or mask. After laughing a lot, the beautiful woman straightened up her posture and made a splendid bow to Satoru, without a single flaw.

「I give up. Satoru-dono. Please allow me to call you Lord. In addition, Lord. Please allow me to accompany you on your journey.」(TLN: 殿 = Tono=Lord/Milord)\

　　If I die here, nothing will come of it. If that is the case, I would like to survive and watch over this unprecedented man's journey. If possible, I want to help him. I don't care if I die afterward.

　Isolde pleaded with a radiant face.

「Hmm?」

　Isolde's offer seemed so unexpected that Satoru tilted his head. Isolde confidently and clearly stated.

「I would like to see your journey come to fruition.」

「Huh......」

「If you won't allow it, then I'll just watch over you on my own.」

　If it is my choice to die, it is also my choice to choose the path I want to take. Isolde just wants to see what happens to this man. She wants to see the end of the journey of the great man from another world who destroyed the ancient system of the Holy Sword Clan.

　Before Satoru could say anything in the eyes filled with strong determination, Leia sighed.

「...... My Lord. Telling her to stop following you probably won't help.」

　Leia remembered the power of those eyes.

　The most recent person she had seen was Rico.

　Rico, needless to say, is in complete admiration of Satoru. To put it another way, if Satoru wanted her dead, she would probably willingly put a knife to her throat ― though Leia doubted Satoru would order her to do such a thing. After the humiliation of anal sex, Rico's single-minded loyalty to Satoru has become so strong that even Leia's astonished, although it was slightly shaken by the encounter with Liz and Reine.

　The strength in Isolde's eyes comes from her unwavering faith.

「If that is the case, it would be easier to keep her inside. She can be used as both a shield and a sword to protect my Lord, to a certain extent. It's honestly annoying to be left alone and to keep being watched」

「That's fine. I will gladly be Lord's shield and sword. Even without the Holy Sword, my swordsmanship is filled with techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.」

　To be honest, Satoru wonders if he needs a shield or a sword anymore. But at present, Satoru is the only one who can proudly carry the front line with his own magical slaves. Leia and Solor are strong enough to protect themselves, but it would be impossible for Satoru to protect Liz, Rico, and the pregnant Minerva with only his two arms.

　However, Satoru didn't let her live for that purpose. He just followed his intuition that he should not kill her. He was going to say that since she had surrendered, he didn't know the rest, but that didn't seem to be the case.

「Lord did not take my life as a loser. It is the duty of the defeated to follow the victor.」

「You're a pain in the ass, aren't you? And then you're gonna kill me whenever you get the chance.」

「I don't have a minute to think about that. First of all, it is no longer possible for me. There is no one in this world who can defeat you. The king dragon, Feather Dragon, might be a possibility, but even he would be at a disadvantage」

　And it would be shameful for a swordsman to kill at the first opportunity and call it a victory. A swordsman must fight fair and square.

　Satoru nodded his head in agreement at the sharp and beautiful woman's uncharacteristic words and actions. Her thought process is easy to understand.

「Musclebrain with samurai temperament, huh? I see」

「Samurai-style brains? What is that?」

「It's nothing.」

　Samurai do not exist in this world, but knights and noble classes do. Numerous anecdotes that Leia taught him early in his journey tell of them, and those who would be called knights admonish themselves to be honorable, place loyalty to their lord first and cherish their pride. Bushido and chivalry are not the same in many ways, but their essence is the same.

　And she is an athletic person who thinks based on pride, or more specifically, she is a musclebrain person.

　She probably thinks that it is natural to follow a defeated opponent to death. Satoru doesn't know what kind of life the Holy Sword Clan and others have lived. However, as she said, the first generation of heroes maintained their noble intentions and died as they did, and if that way of life is the norm, then it is understandable.

　――But, you know.

　Satoru murmured

「.....If you don't believe me, cut me down right here and now.」

「Shut up. I told you I don't want to do this」

　Satoru returned with a scowl. If she wants to commit suicide, Satoru has no intention of stopping her, but he doesn't think it's right for him to get his hands dirty now. Satoru cannot be so heartless as to kill an unarmed woman who has lost the weapon she relied on.

　Besides, he thinks it is regrettable that she is somewhat single-minded.

「.....Rather, why don't we just turn her into a magical slave?」

　Satoru was startled by a voice coming from the side.

「Huuh? Oi, Liz」

「If you make her into a magical slave, she cannot hurt her Lord. The magical slaves will die themselves when they try to kill their Lord. I was thinking that if you suspect that this person is going to kill Onii-san, you might as well do it.」

「No, that's true, but ......」

「Liz has a point or two. I would do the same, and I think it's a good idea」

「Leia, you too......」

　Satoru was clearly discouraged. Satoru had no intention of adding any more magical slaves. The current five, and that would be the end of it. He had thought so, but the girl he had asked to act as a guardian, and the first magical slaves, were instructing him to accept her.

「I don't mind. It is reasonable for the loser to give everything to the winner. If I can show my loyalty to Lord who did not take my life, then so be it.」

　The beautiful woman who is looking up at Satoru with both knees on the ground and her posture calmly straightened replies. She really has no intention to get her hands on Satoru. She is aware of the severity of being a magical slave who can never raise her hand to her Lord, and yet she is willing to do so.

「Rico, Minerva, Solor, what about you?」

「I just follow the Master's decision.」

「Minerva was not sure. But if she's going to be a shield to protect Danna-sama, why not?」

「I can't really say. I won't object to Satoru's decision.」

　―This is hopeless

　Satoru unintentionally muttered in his mind.

　Counting one, two, three, and so on, he is ready to accept the proposal of the chaperone and the first magical slave.

「Ahh, all right, I can't help it. Then, I'll make you my magical slave ....... wait, what's your name?」

　At Satoru's question, Isolde laughed.

「Isolde. I don't have a family name.」

　She can no longer call herself the head of the Holy Sword Clan. If that is the case, the name that bound Isolde is no longer necessary. She will be able to live as a single swordsman. She can work under a lord with a large vessel.

　Satoru, who was so relieved to see her cheerful face, looked back at the slave who had been hugging his arm and pressing her small chest against him for a long time.

「Then, Leia.」

「Very well. If you're that covered in wounds, you don't need any new blood, do you?」

　Jokingly, Leia laughed and released Satoru's arm, which was clinging to her, and stood between both Satoru and Isolde. Isolde's body is covered with scratches here and there. The amount of blood flowing through her body is not a question in the case of the 【Slavery】 art, although it has already healed quite well, probably due to the benefits of the physical art.

　With a swing of her beloved wand, she enters the art.　

『......Thou are 【Visitor from Another World】 Kasahara Satoru.

　Thou are 【The Holy Sword's Clan former head】 Isolde.

　In the name of 【Immortal King】 Leia Löwenstadt and Miguelfi, I, in accordance with the ancient laws of the world, hereby enter into a bond of magical slavery.

　O Kasahara Satoru, who art my Lord and Master, whether thou wilt or not.』

『I accept』

『Then, Isolde, whether thou wilt or not』

『I accept』

　Nodding in agreement, Leia held out her hand and declared cheerfully,

『The contract is done. The blood of the new magical slave Isolde is proof of this

　【Slavery】』

　The blood from Isolde's abrasion wounds all over her body gathers and wriggles like a living creature. The blood contracted to carve the pattern of a magical slave on the back of Isolde's left hand.

　Isolde advanced directly to Satoru's feet, framed herself on the ground, and kissed Satoru's shoe slowly.

　This is the same oath of absolute obedience that Leia swore to Satoru when she pledged her slavery to him.

「Once again. My name is Isolde. I hereby worship the otherworlder (Foreigner) Satoru-dono as my lord, and I pledge to be his sword, shield, and limbs until my body is consumed by decay. You are hereby commanded me to do as you please.」

「O, ouh」

　Satoru, who was acting suspiciously, was left aside as Isolde bowed politely to Leia, and then to the other slaves who were watching from a short distance away.

「To all of you. I know I'm not very good at this, but I would appreciate your kind guidance.」

　All but the expressionless Solor smiled a little. Whether it was Rico, Minerva, or Liz, Satoru looked up at the sky and sighed, as if he was taking it for granted that Satoru would welcome the new slaves into the group.

　And then, 

　Two footsteps echoed.

Previous Chapter --- TOC --- Next Chapter