Bijo to Kenja to Majin no Ken

* The overall world map can be found at the bottom of the Table of Contents page.

It is for grasping the world view and does not reflect a fine sense of distance.

Ashbell, a port town north of the Kingdom of Harland, is a city flourished by many people who go to and from it.

Frequent ships sail only to port towns, and the goods they bring make a big deal in the city.

And it's the merchants they call in.

There are therefore a number of merchants in Ashbell.

In addition, several labyrinths (dungeons) existed near Ashbell.

A demon (monster) appears in the Labyrinth (dungeon), and if you defeat that demon (monster), an item called Possessory Cost (more so) drops.

Adventurer guilds and magic guilds in Ashbell were collecting their possession (more so) and paying off adventurers that were never cheap.

Therefore, there are many adventurers in Ashbell.

In other words, the city is a city that flourished in business, in adventure - a city filled with many hopes and ambitions.

Supporting the movement of those people are two streets that lead to Ashbell.

Although Ashbell is home to quite a few ships as a port town, the city of the Kingdom of Harland is mostly inland. As a result, there are no more opportunities for ships to become a means of transportation for people than we thought.

There are also two streets that are ruined by people depending on the time of day.

Origin, gender - that's what people with different hair colors, eye colors, and skin colors walk south on the same street - or north.

Of the two streets stretching from Ashbell, it is the streets leading to Ansel, the Wang capital, which stretches to the south, which is particularly crowded.

Walking through this street to Ansel, the king's capital, takes about two days.

However, it should be noted that few people travel to Wangdu via the lodging town along the way.

Another street stretches eastward than Ashbell.

This one also leads to a labyrinth (dungeon) that attracts adventurers, so the number of people going out is never small.

But if you pass the divide that leads to the labyrinth (dungeon), there will be no way to reach Callis, a small inland city.

If I say so, there is little reason why Ashbel's human being should go all the way to Kalis, a small city. Conversely, from the person of Kalis, there are many reasons to visit Ashbell, a large city. Thus, the vast majority of people who walked on the streets stretching east from this Ashbell lived in Callis.

Those people leave Callis in the morning and head west down the street to Ashbell. Then, before the sun goes down, head east on the street and return to Callis.

Then thinking about it, it would not be natural for a group of four people wearing a jacket (said to be) to go “east” on the streets at high times when the sun is high. It must be an unnatural subject to gather gaze, at least from the point of view of those who come and go down the street from time to time.

The imagination was unmistakable, and those who slipped on the streets decided to shift their gaze to a group of four, and even after going too far, they looked back at the group.

I honestly don't want to get much attention - but I think and laugh bitterly.

Speaking of which, when I went through here before, I was thinking of something similar.

That seems to be yesterday, as well as a distant past.

At that time - I was walking this street “west”.

Now we're heading east on this street.

The number of people on the side - one then.

Now, there are three of them.

The determination that I had was to “survive."

And now...

I think as I look at the three beauties walking with me.

Now - close to them and the "let's live together” thing.

Me and Grace, Sylvia and Celestia traveled by carriage from Ansel, the king's capital, to the port town of Ashbell, where they revealed the night.

The next morning, we are heading east on the street and on foot to Callis.

As you get used to the transfer at the opening (gate) of space magic, this is how walking from city to city becomes fresh in itself.

In order to transfer with the magic of the opening (gate), a magic marker commonly known as a wedge (wedge) must be struck at the destination of the transfer. For this reason, it is still necessary to make your way to the new city by horse or on foot.

Conversely, once you reach it, you can come and go with the magic of an opening (gate). So the more places you've been, the less opportunities you actually have to travel on your own feet.

But this time it's not the first place to go.

The place I spent before I learned the magic of the gate - where I reached this world and lived for a while.

"- I thought they were trying to stop by."

Grace, holding on to the dark hair flowing through the wind and smiling small, called over my back.

The yang is leaning.

On a well-ventilated, scenic hill, four figures of people.

The little tomb marker standing on the hill, in the light of the sun, made a shadow longer than his height.

I still don't know Clancy's prayers, even though I have the title of Apostle, but I don't have faith.

When I fell back in front of the tomb marker, I did it my own way, hand in hand and prayed.

Grace, approaching from the rear, also prays to imitate.

If you look at it, there are small flowers in front of the tomb marker.

The stones were heavily weighed so as not to fly in the wind.

I wonder who gave the flowers here -? I thought about it a little bit, but I don't have anyone in mind.

Looking good, it doesn't look like it was placed today.

I don't know who the person with the flowers is.

And I'm sure whoever put the flowers here didn't know who would sleep beneath it.

But - no matter who knows who sleeps, there are people in this world who care about flowers and prayers.

When I was in the original world, I honestly felt indifferent to these emotions.

But by moving away from the original world - I felt in different worlds - it was making me feel that what I had in common with the original world was very worthwhile.

The people of this world - just like the world I was in - have warmth.

"- What is this place?

With a reluctant voice, Celestia asked me.

I guess you thought it would be rude to stay hooded against the deceased. She took the hood and exposed her head to the sun. Blonde hair reflects the light and is beautiful and brilliant.

As I looked back, I answered Celestia's question.

"The demon has used me - it's where my benefactor sleeps.

If I hadn't shown up here, maybe “she” would still be alive.

But on the other hand, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't exist right now. "

Celestia and Sylvia, who heard what I said, approach the grave marker, kneel down and pray.

The prayers offered by the two of them were in different ways. Those are different from my prayers, of course.

If they pray in all this inconsistency, then Asrina may also be in havoc in the afterlife.

I accidentally overflowed (spilled) my little grin thinking of the confusing look on her face (Asrina).

I squeeze my expression once now and tell the three of them again.

"I told her that I had to live for the life that Asrina gave me.

And I don't want to make anyone as flirtatious as Asrina.

Even if it was within my grasp.

- This is where I first thought about it.

So this is where I decided how to live in this world, so to speak, where it all started.

Celestia and Sylvia look at me quietly.

By emphasizing the phrase "in this world," they were blind to their feelings of intent.

Shortly after we stopped at Asrina's grave, the four of us arrived in the town of Callis.

Of course, you can return to Ashbell at the gate and stay at the inn. But once I wanted to see the town of Calis, I decided to take the inn to Calis.

The town of Callis is exclusively rural, and the number of people living in it is small if not large.

There were never many people going into or out of town because it was not a major traffic shock.

That's why the number of inns is considerable, and if the number is small, the size of each house is small.

Sometimes it was at dusk when I arrived at Calis, and I had little choice of accommodation. Without the luxury of four people securing separate rooms, four people will be pushed into one large room.

Celestia said, "It's not too late, let's go back to Ashbell" - and spit out a dialogue (line) that showed a subtle sense of resistance.

But shortly afterwards, Sylvia said, "That's all right. Is there a problem?" Hearing the word, Celestia becomes silent. It's a little pathetic, but I'm going to have to ask you to be patient here.

After I finished dinner with everyone, I went back to the big room and gathered the three of them.

Honestly, I want to make this timing so I can say I stayed in Calis and stayed in the big room. So, even in Asrina's tomb, we deliberately talked about it as a forward gesture.

I - I was going to tell Sylvia and Celestia what I and Grace talked about, and what Leda and I talked about, without covering it up.

What Grace and Ledda told me was in the past in this world (Florence).

The 'treasure trove' held by Grace and the secrets of the 'Prohibition Book' used to take over it.

That Grace is the daughter of the demon Yurban. And being the niece (mei) of the demon Rene.

And that I am the messenger of Clancy - the 'Demon Man'.

Sylvia and Celestia must have imagined a lot before.

However, the amount of information and the intensity of the content actually talked about should have been referred to as the Blue Sky Thunderbolt.

I told this story once because I wanted them to know me and Grace's background (backbone).

On top of that, by their own judgment, they were going to decide whether to fight with me or not.

"- Honestly, I don't know what to say."

Chewing (shuddering) the stories she heard, Celestia told them so in advance.

"I guess knowing that Clancy's apostle is the same 'demon' as Arabella's apostle would be quite problematic. After all, because in the general understanding of the people today, the apostle of Clancy is' God's mercy '.

I am a follower of Clancy but originally from a region where faith is not thick.

Besides, I'm a former Holy Knight myself, but I don't have enough faith to be a priest.

From that point of view, I can honestly understand that it is a person named Kay who is in front of me, not less than or more than that.

So, Kay - whether you're a 'godsend' or a 'demon', I don't think I'm going to use that as a reason to change my appreciation of you.

It is not the title that matters. I think what matters is faith and - in fact - the action that you take.

Otherwise, I returned the knighthood and chased the Demon Man, because I wouldn't even engage with my own actions. "

Celestia is seriously talking to me, choosing words with concern for me.

I nodded slowly, feeling the concern.

Then Silvia, listening to Celestia, laughs thinly.

"Huff - Serious people, it's hard.

I'll be honest with you. Whatever. 'Cause Kay is Kay, isn't he?

Nothing. It was actually a demon - or actually a vampire - because I'm not surprised.

Even if they say so, maybe they'll just accept it as it is?

Exactly when it's taken so lightly, it's clapping. Unexpectedly, my problems even come to me as ridiculous.

"Isn't that just the thought too flexible?

When I put a scratch in Sylvia with a bitter smile, she smiled and looked me in the eye and said.

Thank you. I feel like I've been waiting for you to return it.

"- That's stupid.

That's not the kind of woman who decides to follow a man. "

Hearing that dialogue, I can see that Grace turned to me.

Try not to look at each other - but her stabbing gaze hurts. Celestia seems to be looking at it as a flicker, as she asks here too.

I gave a dry laugh to Sylvia's unexpected verbal backlash, trying to break the story itself off early.

It must have been a thought that I took the liberty of telling the truth and asking them to choose what to do afterwards.

I honestly had that feeling when I heard Sylvia and Celestia say it.

They don't listen to me and dictate their actions from there. Rather than that, they didn't need that in the first place.

Celestia and Sylvia had already chosen to fight with me before they heard this story.

The next morning, when we were ready to leave, the four of us set out for Ferim, our destination.

From here on out, Grace will lead the way and follow her lead and walk away.

Before that, Grace opened her mouth as she looked back at us as she left Callis and went into the street.

"I'm going to show you to Ferim -,

Neither have I ever returned to Ferim since my father's death.

So I don't know what Ferim looks like right now "

Her father - Yurban's departure from the world - was a cut off to make her travel.

I tried to ask that time of year, but unconsciously avoided asking questions about Yurban's death and asked questions about Grace's journey.

"- How long has it been since Grace left Ferim?

Grace thinks a little before answering that.

"Dafan (roughly) - I think it's been two years.

Me and my father lived a little further away from the settlement of Ferim.

I set fire to my house two years ago, according to my father's last words, and then I followed Ferim. "

She put it into words with Sarali, but that's exactly what I asked back.

"Set fire to the house -?

What's the meaning of this?

But Grace shakes her head against it.

"I don't know -.

I set my house on fire before confirming my father's death, as my father instructed.

So for a long time, I was worried that I might have killed my father, who still had time to live.

From here on out, it's only my own imagination, but I think my father was trying to dispose of every 'forbidden book' he had from house to house.

During his life, my father would never let me touch the Prohibition Book.

I remember being scolded terribly for trying to touch the 'book' my father cherished when I didn't really understand that yet.

But after that, I never knew where the Prohibition existed. "

"Right," Prohibited Book "-"

Not that I forgot, but the word "forbidden book" runs around my brain again.

Indeed, Yurban had obtained secrets from the Prohibition Book to take over the “treasure trove" from Grace.

So what did Yurban do with that 'Prohibition Book'?

The Prohibition Book itself, like the Treasury, should be something that could upset the balance of this world.

Yurban is a man even called a wise man (Sage), so if I were to dispose of the 'Prohibition Book', I would also try to figure out how I could dispose of it for sure -.

I thought about that, thinking of the library that Lene would protect.

Nevertheless, I can sympathize with the idea of trying to dispose of something dangerous as I disappear from this world.

Well, I left it in the original world, and I can't get rid of it.

"After I had set fire to my home, I had left Ferim, and I had not returned to the settlement since.

When I lived in Ferim, I think I was pretty close to the settlers -.

It's just that you're out of the house on fire at the end of the day and disappearing, so it's possible that you won't be treated well if you go back for a moment - "

I call to encourage Grace to sink in a little bit. It's an unfounded word, but I still wanted to hang it.

"I'm sure it's okay.

- Grace by the way, did Ferim have a structure that looked like a metastasis gate?

If that's what you remember, I'd like you to tell me. "

Grace shakes her head to the side for it.

"No, I don't think there was anything like that, at least to the best of my knowledge.

Just... "

"Just?"

"On Ferim's side (buckwheat) is the labyrinth (dungeon).

Originally, a settlement called Ferim was created because of its labyrinth (dungeon).

The life of the settlement is made up because it brings together adventurers for its labyrinth (dungeon) and the business is made up against that adventurer -.

The size of the labyrinth (dungeon) is not great, nor does it come out a strong demon (monster), as it is the place where my father was able to take me to fight since I was little in the first place.

But for strength's sake, it was a place where the relatively valuable cost of possession fell. "

Is it a place called the Labyrinth (Dungeon), which is suitable for small money earners? If we're not going to chase a thousand dollars, there's going to be a certain number of adventurers immersed in such places.

"For a moment, in that labyrinth (dungeon) -"

You must have understood what I was trying to say. In the middle of my words, Grace nodded back.

"Yes, there is an unexplored part.

To be precise, there is a place that I have not explored.

I basically didn't set foot where my father didn't guide me, so I don't know the whole (dungeon) of the labyrinth. "

"Previously the metastasis gates were all inside the labyrinth (dungeon).

So... that's where it's most powerful. "

To my guess, Grace nodded too.

"Yes, it's just a guess - I think I'm the most likely one in the labyrinth (dungeon) too"

I hear it and turn to everyone.

"All right, let's head to Ferim's settlement once.

There are ways to get directly into the labyrinth (dungeon), but I still want to see what's going on with the settlement. And if there's an adventurer, there's a chance he'll get information about the labyrinth. "

Sylvia and Celestia snorted at my suggestion.

Seeing it, Grace smiles, standing in front of us, pointing to where we're headed.

"Okay.

I'm going to show you to Ferim. "

I nodded back to respond to that voice.

Following Grace's guidance, we started walking towards Ferim.

It seems to me that everyone was insulting this journey, just going along the side (buckwheat) of the walkable street in the beginning.

The look on my face and Sylvia's face hardened as they began to slip through the trees along the way, with irregularities (diapers) on the road and gradual slopes beneath my feet.

A loose slope around a zigzag is - it drains more health and is tougher than you can imagine.

Perhaps we pinched more breaks than Grace had originally assumed and proceeded to Ferim at a much slower pace than Grace had originally assumed.

That's how - we actually got to Ferim's settlement when the sun leaned completely and it was dusk time.

"That's the settlement of Ferim."

Looking ahead Grace pointed to, I do see some house roofs. Some of them were already in the preparations for dinner or raising smoke from the mockingbirds and chimneys.

I can tell by the way it looks, but the town is hard to describe as a village, of course - a settlement in the woods.

The scale is quite small, and those out of the house are only rare.

"Ferim has been a busy place for a long time - but it still looks like people are losing it."

Although only (not) or two years have passed since Grace left here, the time required for small settlement changes may have been sufficient.

"Let's go into the Horn settlement.

- There must be someone Grace knows. "

That's what we said and we're going into Ferim's settlement.

In the less popular settlements, the appearance of four men and women wearing coats seems to stand out in response.

That's what the settlers pay attention to us in the atmosphere of what's going on.

Grace was the only one who tried to remove the hood of his jacket to reduce the sense of vigilance of the people in the settlement.

Of course, it also means looking for someone to know Grace.

One of the settlers who saw Grace approached us to see if the intent had made sense.

Look, it's a little fat middle-aged woman. You were in the middle of buying it out, I have a cage with lots of vegetables.

"Are you... Grace?

The woman approached Grace, who was leading the way, and called out.

After all, he seems to know Grace.

"Mama Thelma...

I'm out of time. "

Grace said so, lowering her head deeply toward the woman.

The middle-aged woman, known as Thelma, brightens her expression by listening to Grace.

"I knew it! Grace, you were safe -!"

Thelma raised her voice and broke her face.

Grace looks back at me and tells me in a sober tone.

"It's me and my father who took care of you. They're hosting adventurers in this settlement."

Me and Celestia, Sylvia, meet the woman.

The middle-aged woman (Thelma) approached us.

Thelma doesn't seem very interested in us. I'm talking to Grace again, not stopping (almost) my gaze here.

I made sure Thelma's gaze didn't turn toward me and “stared” at her just in case.

"Did you come back to Ferim?

After the house went on fire, you and Mr. Yurban suddenly disappeared, and we were all worried. "

Thelma looks at Grace as if she was working. Grace's worries, who said he might not be treated very well, are likely to end up worried (kiyu).

"My apologies -.

My father... unfortunately, he's in the other world.

Are you all the same?

"About two years after you guys disappeared? In the meantime, we've lost a lot of people."

The middle-aged woman (Thelma) doesn't make it clear, but it would mean that people have decreased but their lives haven't changed.

"My house is - I think it's burned, but is it staying that way?

When Grace asked him that, Thelma said with a slight expression of sorry.

"I haven't been over there much lately, but I think it's probably staying that way.

I'm sure your neighbor lives there. "

Hearing that word, Grace narrows her eyes.

"Neighbor -?"

That's what Grace asked back and looked at my face for so long that she hardly knew if she'd notice or not.

I snort silently, as she can tell.

"No - thanks for letting me know.

I'll see you at home a little later.

My aunt is still staying at Ferim's house. "

When Grace said so, Thelma snorted and smiled.

"I'm doing it! Adventurers are totally here, too.

- Grace, you've become an adventurer too, haven't you? Of course I'm not saying I can't, but if you like, you can stay. "

Grace did not give a clear answer to that and gave her a grin against Thelma.

Thelma then exchanges a word or two of greeting with Grace, takes the baggage of the buyout and leaves.

The four of us remained silent until the middle-aged woman (Thelma) disappeared.

Immediately after she disappears, Grace leans up to me and opens her mouth.

"Kay, my house was a small house built away from the settlement, and there was no house I could call my neighbor.

Of course, if my memory isn't wrong. "

"- Other than that, was there anything suspicious?

When I asked, Grace shook her head.

"Other than that, especially...

The way it looks and speaks fits with the memory in me. "

Even more so now, it could have been a slightly far-fetched (nagging) behavior that made it easy to get inside the settlement and make everyone look like themselves.

"It's been a long time since I've been back in my hometown, but I don't want to do anything to give you water...

Unfortunately, apparently, there are some innocent people in the settlement.

Someone was attracted to a woman like you. "

The three of you who heard me squeeze your face.

"So the“ neighbor ”who's not supposed to be there - could have been replaced by charm."

"That's likely"

I snorted at Celestia.

"But - why attract residents who are not adventurers or combatants?

Unfortunately, I don't have the right answers to the questions Celestia raised.

I opened my mouth to Grace to get a good idea of the situation.

"Grace, I want to know if the only woman I'm fascinated by is just a woman earlier.

Wouldn't you be able to meet the others in the settlement?

"Okay. I will show you a restaurant that combines a dining room and a liquor store.

Let's go over there. "

I nodded at Grace's words and decided to follow her lead to the dining room in the heart of the settlement.

In Florence, where there is a proper culture of self-catering, an adventurer basically focuses on people who use the dining room. An adventurer meant a human being who came from outside Ferim.

There were about five men in the dining room that Grace showed us.

At first glance, some are adventurer-inspired, while others are lightly dressed like residents of settlements.

Celestia and Sylvia are hooded for once, but like earlier, Grace was taking off her hood and exposing her face. Regardless, Grace gathers her gaze, neither Celestia nor Sylvia has been able to hide the silhouette of a neat woman by her coat alone.

I can't help it - a man with three beautiful women in a country town like this shows up, so whatever he thinks is the object of interest.

Each of the different men out there, but they acted in common, as they breathed together, casually throwing an intriguing glance at our appearance.

Then, of the five men who were in the dining room, two middle-aged men, who apparently were eating together, look at Grace and come closer.

When I heard the words they hung on Grace shortly afterwards, both men looked familiar with Grace.

I'm going to quickly read the state (status) of the two middle-aged men that Grace and I started to laugh at. And he also checked the status (status) of the three adventurous people throwing only their gaze at us.

After a while, Grace returns to my side after finishing her conversation with two middle-aged men. I looked up to the three of them and didn't even eat there, leaving the dining room behind.

It then forms a circle a little away from the dining room, exchanging the information we just found out about each other.

"- We both knew each other.

I tried to talk to him the whole time, but neither one of them has any suspicions.

Except, of course, there's supposed to be a neighbor who's not here. "

I heard Grace's report, and now I'm gonna tell the three of you what I got.

"From the results, they were all“ fascinated ”by something, including the three adventurers.

I mean, you should consider this a fascinated “settlement”.

But - as it's already obvious, they're all fascinated, but there's nothing harmful about them attacking us.

Considering all the human beings in the settlement and that the life of the settlement is made up - perhaps the purpose that is attracting everyone is rather to "keep the settlement as it is” "

"As it is now -?"

I looked at Celestia's face and I answered it.

"For example, suppose one day, suddenly, a demon came to this settlement. Naturally, the settlement should be a fuss going up and down.

But let's say it fascinated all the human beings in the settlement and made them assume that "this settlement has been living with demons for a long time”.

If that's the case, people shouldn't think it's unnatural to have demons, but they should go about their everyday lives the way they always do.

In other words, it is possible that we are deliberately attracting everyone to maintain the settlement in order not to let them look at the unusual parts and to dress up as the same routine.

If that imagination is correct, there is something here that would not be normal if the charm were solved.

The question is, what is it? "

When we talked that far, Celestia opened her mouth as she guarded her surroundings.

"Kay, what do we do? It's time for the sun to fall.

Do you want to sit here like this?

But Sylvia showed a strong sense of resistance to the statement.

"Isn't it too dangerous just to reveal the night here?

- It's bad for Grace, but even if it's just someone I've known for a long time, it's a little bit. "

It was a statement that cared about Grace, but the Grace of the day is also in tune with Sylvia.

"No -.

I don't think I should be here either. "

"Right.

After this, I'm curious about what behavior the fascinated residents will take, but they won't have to take that risk (or risk) right now.

Let's go back to Ashbell today and get back to work tomorrow. "

Seeing the three of them snort at my remarks, I opened the door to Ashbell.

- I didn't expect anything like this at all.

However, this situation takes the form of involving settlement dwellers.

That fact really - in the past, I put a lot of weight on my mind that involved Asrina.

Returning to the port town of Ashbell to reveal the night, we pick up breakfast early, examine the necessary support and move back to the settlement of Ferim.

Now I don't know what kind of danger there is after the metastasis. In addition, to the extent that it did not intimidate residents, the equipment was examined and then transferred.

But...

"What do you think of this?

Soon after the transfer, we all noticed something strange.

All three of them shook their heads when they said, "I don't know why."

Not only did I visit the dining room yesterday, but I peeked into the nearby house as soon as I could.

Time is just like breakfast.

Some houses also had a warm hot air and breakfast.

- If that's it, there's nothing unnatural about this sight.

The problem was that the inhabitants who ate it “didn't see it" as one.

"No one - no one.

That's all, now suddenly, as if it had disappeared from the settlement (here) - "

As I listened to Grace, I looked sharply at the "settlement” where people's warmth disappeared.