If I Can't Have It

"Can we finally have a proper conversation now?"

"Do you really think you'll walk out of here alive if this is how you behave?"

At Umpura's words, the Venetus warriors moved to block our retreat.

I glanced around at the encirclement, then calmly raised both hands.

"As I said before, I have no intention of fighting. All I want is to purchase the mana stones at a fair price."

"A fair price, is it... And did you bring the money?"

"Of course."

I opened a subspace and drew out the chests of gold coins.

Five chests prepared by Redberry's kingdom, Lusua.

The quality of the gold and the included gems were excellent, so the amount was more than enough to buy as many stones as I needed.

"I brought extra just in case, but honestly, this much should be plenty."

"That should cover it, then."

At Umpura's casual flick of the hand, a Venetus of comparatively smaller build cupped both hands together.

Tsuut!

Before I knew it, the warrior was holding a Blue-Red Stone the size of a human head.

"Considering what happened to the children, our side is willing to show a little understanding. This should be more than enough, don't you think?"

"......"

"That's far too few."

"It's already generous. On top of that, what you did to the children needs to be undone as well."

"Give me a hundred more stones of that size, and I'll consider the debt for insulting my knight paid in full."

"Absurd."

Well, I did something too, which is exactly why I deliberately lowballed him.

"Then two hundred?"

"...If you have no intention of negotiating, we'll have to settle this in a fight to the death."

"Three hundred."

".....Do you actually want to die?"

Kuuuuum...

Umpura's mana began to boil.

The ground around him cracked open, and the mana dispersing into the air churned violently.

A Divine General boasting a level comparable to a mid-tier World Boss or higher.

His power was on an entirely different plane from Leo or Sword God—even the Venetus warriors standing nearby could barely remain on their feet.

"Nnngh..."

Redberry, too, stabbed her staff into the ground and strained with everything she had to endure the mana raging like a madstorm.

Certainly, even I couldn't capture him simply right now.

Simply, that is.

“...?!”

Brilliant white divinity coiled around my body.

My blue hair turned snow-white, and Redberry— who had been struggling just to stay upright—entered my aura and finally managed to breathe again.

Umpura's viciously wild killing intent was devoured by the divinity and snuffed out.

The mana currents that had been thrashing about soon regained their natural flow.

Tap.

White Savior, the snow-white spear, rested in my hand. I tilted it lightly and met his gaze.

“Four hundred.”

“......”

“I won't accept anything beyond that.”

Unless something else comes up, of course.

Umpura flinched, his fist—big as my entire head—twitching as he clenched it.

He was weighing whether or not to throw that punch.

Umpura was certainly strong enough to hold the title of Divine General, but the strong tend to understand better than anyone: just how much power the person standing before him actually possessed.

”......”

One thing was certain: even if he fought me with everything he had, he might wound me— but he could never kill me.

It was true that the Venetus race was formidable, but the hateful blood running through part of my veins stood at the very apex of all living things.

The only ones who could ever oppose me were the demons.

His deliberation did not last long.

“...I will grant you an audience with the Chieftain.”

“Umpura, sir?”

“Divine General!”

“But do not spout that insane number in front of the Chieftain.”

“Four hundred?”

“......”

Following Umpura's lead, we made our way deep into the village.

I had seen countless villages, cities, and natural landscapes on my journey, but this place was beautiful in a way all its own.

The entire village was woven together in a dreamlike haze of blue-glowing natural formations and architecture.

Blue-Red Stones radiating azure light were entwined with blue-green vines on every building, and outside, rabbit-like creatures grew plump on the blue mana that saturated the land, hopping about freely.

It was, quite literally, a village straight out of a fairytale.

"Such a pretty village."

"Pretty words won't save you."

"I meant it."

Why is it so hard for people to believe me?

I scooped up one of the blue-furred rabbits that had scurried past my feet.

The rabbit, with its dark blue eyes, kicked and squirmed, desperately trying to escape my arms.

"Hmm."

Adorable.

I savored the rabbit for a little while, and the moment I set it down, it bolted off and vanished into the forest.

It's not as if animals usually dislike me...

"Hmph. So there IS something I can't do."

"Kall. Stand away from the lady's side. Come here."

"Ah, y-yes, sir!"

Kall hopped over like a rabbit himself and hurried to the Divine General's side.

I remained lost in thought.

"Redberry."

"Yes?"

"Why do you think that rabbit ran away?"

However I may look, my affinity with animals was actually quite high.

I could tame most ordinary beasts, and I even had my own history with the beastkin.

Myoshin, the ancient monster once worshipped as the god of the beastkin, was living proof of that...

Redberry let out an awkward "uh..." for a moment, then pulled out a Blue-Red Stone of her own.

The fingernail-sized stone she'd been carrying all along.

"Perhaps they reject anything that doesn't radiate the same power? The Venetus, and that rabbit just now—they all carried the same color, didn't they?"

"...Hmm. You think so?"

"Yes. That's probably it..."

"I refuse to accept that."

"Sorry?"

"If I can't have it, then I'll just have to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠break it."

"That was a joke."

"...It really doesn't sound like one."

"We're here."

We had finally arrived at the Chieftain's house.

Though we hadn't toured the whole village, as chieftain he presumably owned the largest house in it.

Several Blue-Red Stones, each the size of a boulder, were embedded in the house's foundations, and the mana concentration around it was extraordinarily dense—about the same level as when Umpura had sent his mana raging through the air not long ago.

The only difference was its lack of aggression; the mana itself flowed along remarkably stable currents.

"It's... kind of hard to breathe in here."

"That's because so much mana is dispersed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the air. I'll teach you a breathing technique later."

"Okayyy..."

While Redberry wrapped herself in flames and struggled to endure, I gave her a light assist and then we stepped inside.

For all its dignified exterior, the interior was plain.

A simple kitchen for preparing meals, and a living room furnished with only a few pieces of furniture.

A dull, blue-gray bed sat in the bedroom, and there wasn't a single glittering, expensive trinket hanging anywhere.

Anyone would believe it was the home of an ordinary tribesman rather than the chieftain.

"The Chieftain lives frugally, doesn't he."

"He's already a remarkable man without needing to put on any airs or luxury."

"The outside looked pretty grand, though?"

"That's because we forced it on him. Even so, a chieftain of the tribe can't let his facade fall into disrepair."

So he said.

"But... the Chieftain isn't here, is he?"

"He's away at the moment. Wait quietly."

With those words, Umpura left the house, leaving the two of us behind.

Alone in the house with Redberry, she spoke up, sounding uneasy.

"Something feels off about this."

"What does?"

"They were acting like they were about to devour us just moments ago, and now they've left us here without a single guard..."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Hmm..."

She had a point.

The mana currents, utterly placid until now, were indeed beginning to stir, little by little.

But they showed no intent of aggression, so I left them be.

"Nothing will come of it. Even if something does happen, I can handle it myself."

"That's reassuring."

"Besides, it actually works in our favor if something happens."

More room to squeeze— ahem, to negotiate.

Nothing to lose either way.

"......"

The mana permeating the house began converging toward a single point.

Gathering as if to greet its master, the mana coalesced and traced out a circle, forming a travel gate.

A pure condensation of mana itself.

Through the gate, I could keenly feel a tremendous well of mana on the other side.

"A teleportation spell... circle?"

"I believe it's an invitation."

"Shall we go?"

"...Hoo. Yes."

We crossed the gate.

The first thing I saw upon crossing was an enormous tiger.

A tiger with dark blue fur and eyes to match.

It was at least three times larger than an ordinary tiger—perhaps twenty times my own size.

Grrrrrr...

Even every single strand of its mane was steeped in mana, lending the beast a razor-sharp edge.

An ordinary person would have crumpled, unable to even hold themselves upright under the tiger's pressure—but I smiled.

"About time I showed you my taming skills."

However it may look, I was someone who raised a dragon.

Tigers might be a bit special, but a tiger is still a tiger. This should be easy.

Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I had in my saintess days, I poured divinity into my hand and reached out toward it, merciful and gentle.

SCHWAK!

Claws raked across me.

"......"

GUUUGUNG...!