Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: 3. And the Story Begins. (9)
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Insane. What the hell do I have to do to get the emperor to approve of eloping with me?
But this kid has never lied to me, except when she got hit with the bat or the Iron Bat.
Let's check first.
"If you lie, you get hit."
"Why that cursed magic weapon!"
"I used it when Rud showed up."
"You lost a comrade."
"He didn't die."
"There are times when death is kinder for a person. Getting hit by that magic weapon is one of those times. Rud probably would have wanted to end it cleanly with a sword out of old sentiment."
Sia glared at the Iron Bat with hatred.
"Come on, Master! Throw away that useless thing and run away with me!"
"Rejected."
-As expected of Master! I'm a little touched!
"Then can I take it with me..."
"That's not why I'm refusing."
-Aaaah! Give me back my感動!
A lifetime with Sia? No thanks. The organization's probably done for anyway, so I should aim for Farmer King like I gave up on before.
"You think I'll give up easily?"
"Probably not."
"Yes, Master. I'll take you with me somehow."
Snap.
The moment she snapped her fingers, the atmosphere around us shifted.
"I've thought long and hard about how to deal with you, Master. And my conclusion is ranged attacks and overwhelming numbers."
As she spoke, torches began lighting up the dark cave one by one. At least a hundred of them.
"Special paralyzing poison that can numb even an ogre with a graze. And the numbers are the maximum I could gather. Come on, Master."
Why do all my disciples bring hordes of people when they come after me?
"Just sleep for a bit, and when you wake up, you can live happily in the house I prepared."
Starting with Sia slowly backing away with a bright smile, the sound of hundreds of arrows being loosed rang out.
But that's too many? Isn't this a death route? They know I have no mana, so they know I can't block it, right?
-Wow, she's so prepared. As expected of Master's disciple! She even prepared a house. Master doesn't even have a home right now, so isn't this a chance?
-But you'd melt instead.
-Th-that can't be!
This girl still doesn't know what she's done.
Sure, I hit her, but the tool was this Iron Bat.
I guarantee it: Sia would assemble the Iron Bat Expedition Team like in those old legendary novels-turned-movies and throw her into the Stiors Volcano, which melted even the Great Demon of Fire, to erase her from the world.
No matter the pain or sacrifices along the way, Sia would endure it all and melt the Iron Bat.
-Therefore, the moment I fall, you die too!
-Master and I are destined together! Bound tightly by our souls!
So to survive with this thing, I have to block those arrows first!
"No matter how much of an instructor you are, you can't deflect this many."
She shouted confidently from afar.
Yeah, normally you couldn't block this many. You'd just get hit and die, right?
But Sia?
Did you know your voice trembled a little as you said that? Probably some anxiety lingering in a corner of your heart.
Well, objectively speaking, Sia's judgment of me is spot on. Ranged attacks aren't very effective against swordsmen with high mana.
Unless the opponent is at least a bowmaster level archer who can infuse arrows with mana, regular archers struggle to pierce the sword aura barrier of a mana-wielding swordsman.
Infusing and maintaining mana in a sword is already advanced, but keeping it in an arrow flying long distances? Even harder.
So archers are for regular soldiers or bashing, and even then, not great against heavily armored infantry.
But for mana-less me, arrows are the most useful weapon.
That's why I've prepared thoroughly against arrows.
"Block them, Iron Bat!"
-Me, a delicate child, blocking those scary things? Master is a bad guy!
If this thing, designed by the Black Anvil Clan—one of the finest dwarf clans—is fragile when it's estimated to be tougher than dragon lord scales, then regular dragons would be tutorial monsters.
That would make the tutorial too hard. Like entering Hell mode by mistake and having to self-harm to build tolerance?
"What?!"
Heh, surprised? Nothing's impossible for the Iron Bat with its MX-Mon-level transformation ability!
The Iron Bat morphed gooily into a thin shield from my hand. Even this thin, it's an invincible shield that blocked a full-force hammer throw from a dwarf clan swordmaster.
And now, for the finishing move! The dream of men!
-Combine!
-Uwaaah! Master's body and mine are becoming one!
Its original purpose was to be a superior bat weapon while covering my weaknesses.
I really aimed to make separate weapon and armor, but ran out of materials and funds.
It looks like an iron lump, but it's the only existing Mystail product, using the Mystail from legends.
Mystail only forms when a mithril mine gets hit by a meteor-level impact, compressing it highly.
If I hadn't smuggled it out with the princess, I couldn't have made it.
So I made it both offensive and defensive!
-Ultimate fusion, Arcanaran!
-What kind of corny name is that?
-Hey, corny? I borrowed three letters from this goddess Arcadia!
It just wraps my body like thin medieval armor—not thick—and boosts my defense insanely.
Plus, normal swings in this state add massive bonus damage!
Of course, it doesn't actually deal damage, but it paralyzes, combining offense and defense perfectly!
"Did you prepare for this?"
"...I don't think anyone but you would imagine something like that, Master."
Seeing the arrows bounce off harmlessly, Sia sighed deeply, then drew her sword.
"But even so, I can't give up this chance."
Mana denser and stronger than sword aura rippled along her drawn sword, her expression serious.
-Ooooh! Swordmaster! Swordmaster! There's only ten in the neighboring kingdom!
-Ah, a lot died last time, down to three. Two of them awakened at the end.
Swordmaster, huh.
She glimpsed that realm at the end of training, and now controls it perfectly.
As her master, I'm so prou—hell no. A swordmaster chasing me? That's just creepy!
"All units, close-range response. Use any means as long as you don't kill him!"
Sword aura and blade auras formed on everyone's swords. If sword aura is mana in the blade, then aura or blade aura compresses it further with sharpness. They look similar to newbies, but in practice, worlds apart.
-But neither works on this body!
The armor form leaves not even a scratch.
"N-no way, even blade aura doesn't work?!"
-Take this, Ar-yang's ultimate, tentacle attack!
"Eek!"
Even for the Iron Bat, constant blade auras would scratch and eventually cut it. But like Xtamong, it shapeshifts freely.
Scratches or cuts? It auto-regenerates! Even passively reflects attacks!
And as a bonus from its perverted personality, slimy tentacles from the left arm!
"M-Master? Something perverted came out of your arm!"
"It's auto-made by the Iron Bat. I can't help it."
"A-as expected of the cursed magic weapon!"
"Arrrgh!"
-Hey, where you running, pretty sis? Huh? A dirty guy? Not a pretty boy, so trash as promised. Mental victory, bye!
One of Sia's pursuers was ravaged by the tentacle and pitifully discarded.
"D-don't run!"
"B-but how against that!"
"Ugh! C-can't dodge!"
-Hya! Yam! No need for men! Only pretty boys spared! All others gone! Target is that tasty sis! This sis will love on sis!
-Who the hell is the sis here...
I try to contribute with a sword form on my right hand, but the left tentacle ravages before they approach. Auto-intercept while standing still. Convenient, but...
-Mana overflowing?
-Hey, don't think about later! That's Goddess Arcadia's creed!
-I have to think about later.
Even with auto-recharge, the Iron Bat has limits.
If mana runs out? Defense gone. I'm done too.
Only Nice Boat Ending or Captivity Ending left.
-Then, for Master! Ultimate 100-tentacle ravage attack!
"Cr-ack!"
"Intercept!"
"Argh, even intercepting deals damage!"
"Dodge! I-I'm done for..."
"Master! What the hell did you make?!"
In my view: about a hundred tentacles from my left hand, ravaging the foes, and Sia screaming at the sight.
Sorry, I don't know what I made either. Don't want to.
-Hey, what Master made is obviously the beautiful goddess Arcadia! No need to be shy! Being shy means you lose!
-I'll lose today! Earn the right to be free and ashamed after!
-Hey, Master isn't honest.
The faceless masked assassins nearly wiped out. Sia, locking eyes with me, bit her red lips and glared.
"You hate me that much? Enough to bring out that monstrosity!"
-Monstrosity? This sis has been treating me bad since earlier?
"Hate you... I don't hate you. But I don't like you either. Just a quirky, cute disciple. That's my thought on you."
-You're the student, I'm the teacher! And I'm the disciplinary tool between! We're tied by the bonds of school days! So don't hate me, pretty sis!
Ignoring the hellish school days remark. Sia hung her head, trembling.
What feeling is that?
Humiliation? Embarrassment? Normal girls would cry after such passionate proposal rejected...
-Hurt and embarrassed?
-My disciple wouldn't.
Subordinates wiped. No close approach possible. Only option left...
"After parting from Master, I contracted by chance with a great goddess of hell. Styx. Master."
-Master, Master? Her eyes are dangerous! Super dangerous? Eyes spinning? She's gonna charge to die together? And her contracted goddess is from hell!
"Master. No matter what you say, I can't give you up. So..."
Yeah, I know the rest.
"Come with me."
-By the command of my contractor,
A god. Among summons, comparable to hell's archdemons. Absolute ruler of another world...
"Let's go."
-Die... Kyaaah?!
Clang!
-Hey, this world's goddess is only me, Arcadia!
"...Huh?"
It flew off with a crisp sound.
"Reverse summon? One hit? A god? Ugh."
I land a gut punch on stunned Sia, shocked.
"P-pretty... person..."
"Sleep and you'll wake up home."
"...Sir... no..."
She mumbled something, but the follow-up strike made her pass out.
-Master, what now? Kill 'em all?
-Won't kill my disciple.
-Huh, you care about that?
-I do.
-Master's human! Thought you were demon-level!
To save the noisy thing's mana, I want to undo the form, but maybe ambushers for a last strike. Better exit like this.
Just out, and the princess leads thousands: "I've been waiting!" Or some boss I've never seen, eyes red: "Because of you, our thousand-year organization Howling!" Better safe.
-Hey, someone's there!
See? Iron Bat's radar caught something already?
I'm everyone's enemy now! Strike first before struck!
-Go, Batmon, tentacle attack!
-Ar ar!
"Grurk?!"
Uh, that voice sounds familiar...
-Ah, disciple.
Sorry.