noon on the day of arrival at the base.
When Rose and I were reunited, the next thing I knew, we were going to face each other.
Though they were on a horrible side the same way, I was heartily relieved that no one was missing to survive.
... Well, then I was about to get into a fight after the stir and Rose kicked me out of the tent, but that would not be a rare view either, as it is a familiar sight in the lifeguard.
Having greeted all the members, I was then called by Mr. Siggles to a conference tent in the middle of the hub.
Going around the drapes, there were four of them in the tent: Mr. Siggles, and seniors, Kazuki and Leona.
"Well, Master Usato's here, and we're all set. Shall we begin?"
The reason why the four of us were gathered here this time is to enter the Demon King's Realm tomorrow, so we can have that discussion.
The general plan was made in the kingdom of Ringle, but in this stronghold we will be discussing another issue as we enter the demonic kingdom.
"The biggest problem is about the great rivers that are flowing in a way that separates the demonic kingdoms from the human realm..."
"Oh, there's already a solution to this."
"Really?"
Seniors answer Mr Siggles' words.
"Mr. Leona, Miarak's brave man, magically builds a bridge of rapid construction. And Usat, assimilated with Fermu, you reinforce the bridge with black magic, from which Nair exercises his resistance with sorcery. This should make enough bridges for us to cross."
Honestly, I doubt I need to assimilate to Fermu.
No, if you want me to focus on the combination of Nair and Ferm, would you rather have me?
"I really wish I could have helped, too."
"Me and Kazuki, your magic specializes in attack, so I can't help it."
Kazuki is a light system that extinguishes what it touches.
Seniors are an electric shock system that manipulates powerful lightning.
Both are powerful magic, but not suitable for building bridges or anything.
"Hmm. I understand the theory, but is it possible? May I ask Lord Leona's views?"
Mr. Siggles, with his hand on his chin, asked Mr. Leona.
"We have confirmed the width of the Great River itself, so I was wondering if it might not be possible. If possible, I just want to make sure with this eye that the right place to bridge once..."
"So will you go and see the Great River by the end of the day? From now on, you'll be home before sundown."
Show Mr Siggles' suggestion how Mr Leona is worried for the time being.
You put together a single thought, she nodded to Mr. Siggles.
"Right. I should go check it out myself first. Can I borrow your horse?"
"Absolutely."
... Will Mr. Leona go to the Great River now and look for a point to bridge?
Well, then, I'll be involved in building the bridge, so you should check with me.
Speak with your hands up to Mr. Siggles, who is instructing his men's knights to arrange a horse.
"Mr. Siggles. Can I follow Mr. Leona, too? I want to check the river too."
"What?"
"Okay. Now let's get a horse for Master Usato."
For some reason, Mr. Leona was surprised, but more than that, I was surprised that a horse would be ready for me.
... No, wait a minute.
I've never been on a horse before.
"Ugh, horses are good!! I can't ride horses!!"
"Mm-hmm? Well, I'll leave it to my men to stay behind..."
"No!"
I just can't bother Mr. Knight.
And from here to the Great River, it shouldn't be that far.
"I'm going to run, so I'm fine!"
At that moment, the expression of Mr. Siggles and his knights hardened.
And the next thing I know, they just said, "Oh, I see." He gave me an enlightened look.
●
Plain Zone.
Me and Mr. Leona were ready to leave in front of a worn wooden fence after the battle.
"I didn't expect you to follow me either."
"If it's for tomorrow, I should go."
Nair, clumped on his shoulder in the owl state, puts his chest up in an upbeat mood.
With such a bitter laugh at her, she moves closer to whether she's finished prepping first or horseback ridden Leona.
"Usato, you can always go this way."
"I'm ready too."
"I'm going to understand your level of physical ability... but I feel strange"
Mr. Leona says that with an indescribable look.
"You better get used to it. This guy does more weird things than he did when he was in Miarak."
"Ugh, yeah?"
"When I was in the Land of the Beast, I just took my eyes off and knitted moves that I didn't think were sane, and it was already tough"
This owl. What do you say to Mr. Leona?
In response to Nair's advice, Leona replies vaguely, mindful of me.
Absolutely, how little credit I have.
... Shall I hide a little more about the healing blast wave from Nair?
"Mr. Leona, it's time to leave"
"Huh? Ah!"
Let's go before they say anything more.
As Mr. Leona's horse runs out, so do I.
"...?... Him!?"
Mr. Leona's horse sounds weird when he sees me walking side by side.
"When you have someone to compare, you're really a monster, aren't you? The horses were beautiful. I saw them twice."
"... I'm gonna bite your tongue!"
Seeing Mr. Leona riding along and me, Nair grumbles about that.
I ran down the plain with my horse, listening to her.
The plains where the battle was fought seemed terrible.
Demon bodies and other things had been cleaned up, but the wounds carved into the earth by the last attack from the sky carried out by the Demon King were extensive.
The terrible part was that I didn't even know that the original was a meadow, it had been burned and I was to be reminded once again how powerful the Demon King's attack was.
From the brightly colored plains of the battle, we passed through the lush woods of the trees and quickly reached the Great River, where we were meant to be.
"... this is it, is it?"
"Oh, have you ever seen a similar river on a boat?"
"At that time, I didn't get this far when I met Suzune on the way."
There are rivers flowing beneath the cliffs that are quite high.
Looking down at the river, which is wide and fast flowing, I speak to Mr. Leona.
"Was there just a good place or something?"
"... With this much flow, it would be okay to erect a strut with ice. The question is where to hang it... the scaffolding is unstable here. Let's move places."
"Okay."
Follow her down from the horse.
We need to be careful with the scaffolding so we don't accidentally fall.
"... now that I think about it, it's a strange thing"
"What is it?"
"Remember the first time I met you. It wasn't a river, it was a frozen lake."
When we first met, was it the first time we fought Mr. Caron, who ran wild?
At that time, you mistook Leona for a man...
Now that I think about it, I've done something really rude.
"At that time, you still didn't have a cage hand, and you were just an org with a mental tolerance of a monster."
"Isn't that an orga?"
"... Oh, I'm letting you faint just one shot at an orga before that, and you're not an orga. I'm sorry."
Is that it? You apologized, but I don't feel apologized for.
The person seems really sorry, but for some reason the words are not engaged.
"Your friendship is the same."
"Naturally. 'Cause I'm this guy's user-demon. Instead, there's no one else left to hang out with him."
"Say that much?"
In a good mood, Nair winged Peppi and my cheeks.
No, I'm sure you've dated my impotence many times, but it's not like you're bragging that much...
Annoyed by the tickling feel of her cheeks, she realizes that Leona, walking while pulling her horse, is laughing with pleasure as she tickles.
"Mr. Leona...?"
"I enjoyed talking to you guys."
"Huh? Fun..."
"This is a fresh way for me to interact without other love."
Though I'm not aware I'm saying that funny... from the side, it's probably a pretty pleasant sight.
I think the sight of an upbeat owl on his shoulder causing his cheeks to façade extensively is surreal inside.
"I took part in this journey as a brave man, but I was able to make that decision because you were there"
"Am I…?"
Tilting her neck to the word, Mr. Leona, who stopped pitifully, leaked the voice "Ah".
Turning this way in a slight panic, she opened her mouth as she moved her hands warmly.
"No, it doesn't mean anything. We fought together. It's comforting to have you..."
"Uh, does it mean it's comforting to have me as a healing wizard?"
"... that's not true. I didn't make the decision because you're a healing wizard. I can't say it well, but I assure you that"
"Yes..."
In an impatient manner, Mr. Leona pressures me to correct the misunderstanding.
Can I assume you joined me because you have me as an individual, not as a healing wizard...?
Either you're so trusted by Mr. Leona or you're so worried... but when you look at your actions, you're usually more likely to be worried... yeah.
"Thank you. As far as I'm concerned, I'm... glad."
"Oh, yeah! I'm relieved you think so!"
Because of her anxiety, Mr. Leona looked back forward, brightening her expression.
"Oh, your legs have stopped. It's time to move on!"
"Right......"
"Um, this stubborn brave man and training idiot. Neither of you are clumsy and you're not meshing beautifully."
I look at me and Mr. Leona, who start to snort at each other, and Nair whispers such rudeness.
I didn't know you weren't meshing...?
I follow Mr. Leona with doubts about that.
"... this sounds like a good place. Usato, can you hold the reins?"
Copy that, sir.
Then Mr. Leona, who stopped, gives me the horse's reins.
When I picked up the reins just a little freaked out, Mr. Leona crouched on the spot and put her hand on the ground.
"Yeah. There doesn't seem to be a problem with scaffolding here. If it doesn't rain today, we'll bridge here tomorrow."
"Do you want to mark it or something?"
"A landmark... Right, let's do that."
Nodding at my words, Mr. Leona stood up and let the chill drift through his palms.
What the hell do you think…? In the meantime, the color of magic emanating from her hand darkens, and its shape changes to a bar-shaped one.
"-- System Enhancement"
When she groaned so, an ice spear formed in the universe, piercing it to the ground.
... with more than me, the process to strengthen the system is very polite when viewed up close.
"All right, you'll find this soon enough"
Mr. Leona turned this way, wrapped in a landmark cloth on an ice spear wrapped around a white beard.
"Won't it melt?"
"It's due to system strengthening, so I'll keep it spare until tomorrow morning"
"Well, if you're so cold, you don't have to worry about getting knocked out because you can't even touch the demons."
and you've also decided where to bridge, and all you have to do is go home.
Before that, I'll also look at the cloth-wrapped spear - from the point with the flag, across the shore.
Let's see how far away it is, though visually.
"Again, you say it's pretty far away... hmm?"
"What's wrong with you?"
"No, I think I heard a beast roar from the other side of the shore..."
When Nair, with a strange expression, listens just like me, he does hear some kind of squeal from the other side of the shore.
The voice of a beast that is neither human nor demonic.
Plus, quite a few.
"... the voice of demons."
"That's all!?"
"The effects of the war may have enlivened the demonic movement. If we keep going across the shore, we might get attacked."
"So should we change places?"
Nair shakes her neck to the side of Mr. Leona's words.
"If that's the case here, it's the same thing elsewhere. Then you should make it a priority to cross safely."
You know, I have to pay attention to what's going on across the shore tomorrow.
Fortunately, we have a reliable partner named Burlin, so if we let him cross first, he'll get rid of the demon.
... but the demons are making noise over there, does that mean they are also affected by the war?
"Usato. We've decided where to cross the bridge, and let's go back to base. I have to report demons across the shore."
"Right."
Walk out with your back to the Great River as you hand Mr. Leona the horse's reins.
Tomorrow, we will cross here and enter Demon King's Land.
This is a journey with a mission to defeat the opponent directly, unlike the journey of handing over letters. There's no way I can go along with a sweet idea like I've always had.
We have to keep our heads together.
"It's time to cross tomorrow. Maybe we should let Usato go first."
"Hmm, why?"
"Excluding demons. Demons are basic, and strength doesn't strike the people above them."
"Don't treat me like a demon naturally."
Returning it like that with a muck, she apologizes in a mild way just as she thought it was bad too.
"I'm sorry, don't be so obstinate.... but you assimilated to the Ferms are almost nothing like demons. That looks like an unlimited outburst of carons, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, don't be scared..."
I'm usually scared when they say that.
Is that it? If you keep assimilating with the Ferms, one day my flesh will stop being human, right?
Well, it wouldn't be so dangerous to say it's only close.