Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Thousand Kills Star Prepares
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The Thousand Kills Star was getting ready.
“Sh, shouldn't he be here any minute now...?”
Leonne spun around restlessly in the garden in front of the house.
She bit her nails anxiously, then caught herself and pulled her hand away. Next, her legs started shaking uncontrollably, and she startled herself by slapping her own thigh.
“L-Lord of the Forest, Enoch will be back today, right...?”
[Didn't your spirit say so? Then that's how it is.]
A voice answered from thin air.
The master of the forest, unable to leave due to various circumstances, had sent a telepathic message on the wind.
Leonne fidgeted as if she might suffocate at any moment, hopping in place.
“Wh-what should I do when Enoch gets back? Apologize first, and then...”
[No, didn't I say to scold him? You really should break that habit of charging in headfirst.]
“Th-that's true, but.... Still...”
Her legs trembled wildly, refusing to stay still.
The forest master averted her gaze, afraid she'd grow anxious herself if she kept watching.
[Just wait a little longer. If that kid's really rushing back, it won't take long...]
“Wh-what!?!?”
The forest master flinched! Her fluffy tail clamped over her ears as if her eardrums might burst.
The distance from the forest to the elf's house was considerable— this speed was practically like flying on wind steps, wasn't it?
[Haa.... What on earth happened.]
She seemed to remember him being so calm he bordered on cold before.
Why had the elf turned into this?
Was this the flow of time?
'The flow of time is impermanent.'
As the forest master gained this new insight, a choked voice reached her ears.
“E-Enoch.... Enoch isn't coming home...!”
The elf looked ready to collapse and sob at any second.
[...Oh, dear.]
The forest master offered her condolences.
Not to the elf.
To herself.
'...She'll keep this up until that kid shows up, won't she?'
Her fur had been shedding more lately.
*
Unfortunately, the thrilling rematch with the weary lord never came to pass.
If he'd pushed for it, Undine might've foamed at the mouth?
That could've been fun in its own way, but Enoch stepped back for now.
The next day.
As Enoch emerged from his rest, no longer groaning, the lord arrived with his knights in tow, as if he'd known.
“I offer my thanks to Lady Undine. Thanks to her, we overcame the monster wave without a single casualty.”
[Did I do it? This kid handled most of it.]
“Indeed, I thank you too, Enoch.”
“Yeah.”
“We couldn't even find an opening to send reinforcements. By the time we tried, Lady Undine had already ended it.”
“Yeah.”
“You don't seem particularly interested....”
Enoch glanced around idly, letting it go in one ear and out the other. By chance, Max and his old party members entered his view.
Were they heading somewhere?
Max shuddered when their eyes met.
Seeing that, Enoch considered teasing him a bit, but decided against it.
“By the way, that Sword Sovereign's disciple.... We received the official notice, but it's best to stay cautious.”
“...?”
“They might not realize you're her disciple, and not every lord bothers reading dispatches thoroughly. Plus, since we don't know how the Sword Sovereign might react, we've only informed the lords for now—most people don't even know you exist.”
So what?
If someone picked a fight, he'd just fight back.
Reading Enoch's expression, the lord swallowed a sigh that threatened to escape.
“You might not care, but others are the problem. If you're caught up in some incident in another territory, that territory's name will change by the end of the day.”
It might even change the kingdom's name.
The name Sword Sovereign carried that much weight.
“Just how strong is Leonne, anyway?”
[No idea? But just know there are plenty stronger than her.]
What was that supposed to mean?
This continent seemed like no place for humans to live.
It might be fun, but one slip-up and he'd end up as E/noch?
He might not even leave a trace behind.
“...The Sword Sovereign would rank within the top hundred among the strong, I wager. No, top thirty—maybe even top twenty.”
[If you can't count them on two hands, that's a lot.]
“What absurd standards....”
Leaving the sighing lord behind, Enoch wandered the city.
He bought some new clothes, swapped out his mask.
Since he was at it, he picked an expensive, high-quality one.
It was a plain white mask without any patterns. The seller rambled about premium wood, comfort, and some engineering in the eye holes—clearly a top-tier mask.
Money?
The lord covered it.
“Next time you pass through, please at least send word.”
“If I remember.”
Ah.
Enoch continued.
“Then we'll have that rematch.”
“As a martial artist, I'd welcome it.”
The lord's lips curved faintly as he offered a handshake.
Enoch gripped his hand, and the firm grip shook up and down a few times.
“Then I'm off.”
With those words, electricity crackled at Enoch's feet.
BOOM-! His figure shot away in an instant.
““Loyal!!””
The knights saluted the departing figure.
The lord watched the single streak across the blue sky for a moment, then turned.
“Let's head back.”
*
[Where to now? Leonne's about to stop breathing any second.]
“...I'll be back soon.”
It was a joke, but if she actually stopped breathing, that'd be trouble.
Enoch picked up speed.
BOOM-!
The distant ground blurred past below.
Exploding aura in midair propelled him forward—the speed was insane.
At this rate, he'd reach his destination in no time.
[You gonna apologize first when you get back?]
“......”
[What, you won't!? You ungrateful brat! After all Leonne did raising you...!]
He flailed his arms, but Undine dodged effortlessly with a whoosh.
[Even if Leonne apologizes first if you stay quiet, that's no excuse! It was your screw-up that caused this!]
“...I'll do it, so shut up.”
[You better not skip it! I won't let you off!]
“...What're you on about. You're annoying.”
[Argh...!!]
How long had he been flying, locked in this life-or-death struggle with the nagging Undine?
His destination came into view in the distance.
[Agh, I'm gonna burst! Huh? That's....]
Dendalo.
The small city where Leonne and Enoch occasionally went on outings.
*
Enoch suddenly thought.
He could probably leap the walls now—should he land right in the city?
Staring at the city, he spotted a faint dome-shaped barrier spell in the air above it.
Not some grand magic, just for detecting intruders. Could he dispel it?
After a moment's thought, Enoch gave up quickly.
He was great at smashing things, but delicate spellwork? Not his forte.
Instead of causing trouble, he entered Dendalo properly through the gates—and promptly looked up.
“Ah.”
[Huh?]
“Didn't recognize the city name there.”
Undine said pityingly.
[It's Latimos.]
“A city I know?”
[The lord's name is some Cr-whatever de Latimos, so yeah, Latimos.]
“How'd you know the lord's name?”
[He said it earlier, dummy!]
“Did he?”
Enoch scratched his head and kept walking.
The destination wasn't far.
“But the lord seemed like a master at least—why's he so old?”
Half-baked or not, by the definition of realms, he was a master.
Once you opened your governor vessel and gathered enough mana, you qualified.
That was the context for Leonne saying realm and strength weren't the same.
Undine answered right away when he looked at her questioningly.
[Leonne's even older, you know?]
“...Damn it.”
[Traitor...!]
Enoch had never been on Undine's side.
Always Leonne's.
[Well, higher realms slow aging, but don't stop it. And race matters too.]
“So humans are the problem after all?”
[Wow, this guy.]
While Undine marveled at the Thousand Kills Star's true nature, they arrived.
For Dendalo, it was a sizable, impressive building.
The Giant Clan's headquarters—where they claimed they could even take on a self-proclaimed lord.
Thud thud-!
Knocking on the door, a man stumbled out, still half-asleep.
“Yawwwn.... What?”
The man blinked.
Black hood, stark white mask.
Short stature, but the whole getup screamed assassin.
“Heh heh.”
The dazed man snapped to and yelled.
“Attack...!!”
*
The clan leader's office.
In the space where the man who'd raised the false alarm was kowtowing, Enoch lounged casually in a chair.
“Long time.”
“It's been forever!”
Capri, leader of the Giant Clan.
A B-rank mercenary and a towering woman who'd taken a beating from Enoch before, greeted him warmly.
“What about that thing I asked for before?”
“All ready.”
Heh heh, Capri grinned slyly.
When he'd stopped the knights from taking her away after she collapsed last time, she'd suddenly changed— no idea why.
“If the monster kid's trying to woo some girl, what kind of woman could it be? Can't picture it.”
“Not wooing.”
“Sure looks like it.”
“...Shut up.”
Capri flashed a cheeky smile, then bellowed with mana.
“Hey! Bring the stuff we prepped!”
Soon the door opened, and a man rushed in with a box.
“Here it is!”
“Good, go rest.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
The man saluted sloppily and scampered off.
Capri set the box on the desk and smirked.
“Got the item ready, and I handled the rest personally.”
“......?”
Enoch tilted his head.
“That make sense?”
“You're not reacting enough...?”
Capri stood and beckoned.
“Come on, follow me. You'll believe it when you see.”