Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Sophomore Jinx (7)
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Karin shrugged her shoulders upon seeing Julius's expression harden in an instant. He wasn't the type to make such a face usually, so when he suddenly looked displeased, it made her feel awkward.
Ermina seemed oblivious to Julius's change in expression, still focused on the bracelet, but the moment she turned her head without finding any solution, she froze upon seeing his serious face.
"Um, Julius?"
"Ah, yes. Sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"You looked so serious, I thought something might have happened."
"It's nothing major. I was just wondering if that magic tool was latching onto you for some good reason."
"It does have a pretty ominous image, doesn't it...?"
"Wearing something dangerous and heading back to the Academy like that doesn't sit right with me."
Karin, listening from the side, nodded in agreement. Just bringing a suspicious item to a crowded place was risky enough, let alone one that Ermina found ominous.
Of course, that didn't mean the bracelet clinging to her wrist would come off easily, and smashing it or forcing it loose didn't seem feasible either.
"But it's still the middle of the semester, so we have to head back..."
"I think it's better if you don't."
"Just take a break unless it's going to affect your graduation. There's not much time left until the end of the term anyway."
"Hmm..."
"Then how about I go ahead and talk to them first?"
"If you explain it, Ermina, they'll believe you without issue."
Items woven from the powers of both the Goddess and the Demon God were exceedingly rare. They were polar opposites to begin with, and direct clashes usually led to massive incidents or disasters.
That was why even the theocracy strictly managed objects infused with the Goddess's power or those linked to the Demon God's rituals, naturally staying on high alert for any direct collisions between the two forces.
Considering that secretly possessing an item infused with divine power was a massive political risk in itself, the wisest course was to spend time figuring out its nature without alerting anyone around them.
As Ermina explained this, Karin nodded, realizing just how complicated the situation had become.
"If you decide to stay here, I'll talk to Big Sister Cosetica and arrange a place for you to stay."
"Wouldn't telling your family be awkward?"
"No, we should let them know. Just... embellish the truth a bit."
Karin let out a deep sigh and glanced at her right wrist. It certainly seemed to grant her power, but the fact that its true nature was unknown left her deeply uneasy.
And judging by the message that had appeared after absorbing Julius's power, it felt like it was urging her to absorb the Demon God's power as well. The idea of meddling with something tied to the Demon God was just too unsettling.
"Don't worry too much. We can help if things get out of hand."
"Don't go trusting Julius when he says stuff like that to just anyone."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm kidding."
Seeing Ermina even stick out her tongue playfully, Karin decided not to worry needlessly. With two people here who specialized in beating down demons and the Demon God alike, she could afford to relax.
If it were just Ermina, there might be a gap in raw combat power, but with Julius here too...
She might not trust anyone else, but these two right in front of her? She could count on them.
That thought eased her mind a little.
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This wasn't baseless confidence.
For one, based on the situation so far, the story Karin had entered was still in its early stages. Since this world was fundamentally game-based, assuming it followed the original plot, the enemies and troubles in the beginning would be relatively weak or easy to resolve by design.
Even the story centered on Ermina didn't tangle with demons until after her third year.
The plot up until I left involved growing within the Academy and resolving conflicts with rivals like Rias, so there were no particularly tough combat challenges.
Therefore. According to the Status Window, the difficulties Karin would face now, just entering the story, shouldn't be too hard.
That was my conclusion.
"...Phew. Should we go lower? Or head back first and show it to Big Sister Reimi?"
"Let's go down for now. There might be something down there that reacts to the bracelet."
"Right. I don't know why or with what intent it's here, but..."
With both me and Ermina here, it was better to run into whatever it was sooner rather than later.
With that in mind, and after getting Ermina's agreement, we headed downward.
It was a bit greedy, but I wanted to at least reach the point where I'd first encountered that mysterious deer. There might be some clue down there.
Besides, with Karin having obtained something tied to the Goddess, we might uncover something important in an unexpected direction.
I took the lead in most fights, smashing through every obstacle in our path, until we finally reached a vast outdoor layer dominated by a massive mountain.
"Whoa..."
"First time seeing a big mountain or range like this?"
"Yes."
"Well, the Imir Kingdom's mountains are all clustered in the southeast, so that makes sense."
In truth, the border between the Empire and the Kingdom was a bit ambiguous. They didn't have surveyors measuring every inch and planting stakes; nor were there convenient massive rivers or mountains to mark the lines.
The borders with demons and elves, on the other hand, were neatly blocked by mountains.
Anyway, that led to some border disputes in the old days, but now economic exchanges had flourished, increasing mutual dependence and making them a prime example of international friendship.
In any case, it wasn't strange for Ermina to be seeing a mountain up close for the first time, so I let her take a moment to appreciate the grandeur of nature.
"Is your family home like this too, Julius?"
"Yeah, pretty much. With all the clashes against demons, it's unavoidable. Both sides end up fortifying positions ideal for holding out, so it turns into a defensive setup backed by the mountains. Neither demons nor humans find it easy to fight while climbing."
"Ah, I see."
"On the flip side, there are quite a few small villages in the valleys between mountains, and those pushed into harsh, unlivable terrain often end up coexisting uneasily with demons out of necessity."
People in those situations were too busy worrying about tomorrow's food to care about demons or whatever; they had to pool their strength just to survive.
Seeing scenes like that really drove home how powerless notions of race and faith were in the face of survival.
Was I wrong for thinking this while wielding the Goddess's power? Or had she chosen me precisely because her mercy extended even to demons? I wasn't sure.
I clapped my hands to draw the attention of Ermina, who was openly awestruck, and Karin, who was subtly scanning the surroundings for anything unusual, then briefed them on precautions before ascending the mountain.
"We're climbing the mountain, so let me know if it gets tough. And since I'm looking for certain things, we might be up here for a while."
"Yep."
"Okay."
"Any questions?"
Neither spoke up while looking at each other, so I took it as no burning curiosities and started the climb.
The labyrinth changed its form periodically, along with rewards and layouts inside, but I wasn't sure if it hadn't happened yet or if changes varied by layer.
Still, the geography I'd mapped out last time hadn't shifted much, so I could confirm we were ascending with me in front, followed by Ermina and Karin.
Adjusting to their pace, we slowly climbed until we reached the spot with a view of where I'd encountered the mysterious deer before.
I thought just a bit further and we'd get some hint from that location again—
"Huh?"
Something flew in at a speed even I struggled to react to, lunging at Karin. It grabbed her collar and vanished.
Within a certain range, I could detect it with my senses alone, but there was no reaction at all, which meant...
"Ermina! Start scanning!"
Without waiting for a reply, I dashed in the direction it had gone. Light magic was incredibly versatile—offense, defense, detection, and even long-range signaling like a flare gun.
If it had retreated into its own subspace, we'd be out of luck, but if it was moving through shadows or something similar, pursuing with foot speed would help.
To break through obstructing branches and thorns, I enveloped my body in aura and slid down the slope toward the base. Behind me, a swarm of lights in butterfly form flew in, stabbing my holy sword—now reverted—into the indicated shadow.
With a pained howl, what burst out was a pitch-black hound, like it had been painted with ink, with three heads.
Its left head was clamped onto the bracelet on Karin's wrist, dragging her along.
"Chapter boss. Something like that?"
A bracelet that grew stronger by absorbing power.
If it needed the Demon God's power absorbed, taking down and devouring this thing seemed the rational approach.
While pondering how to extract Karin from the situation, I drew my other sword—not the holy one—and faced off against the damned three-headed hound.
I couldn't help but smile bitterly wondering when Karin had reached this point in the story, gathering companions without my help.