Chapter 209
The sky maintained a uniform brightness, despite it being the time of day where it should change towards evening .
While pondering such trivial questions in my mind, I wandered through the prairie with everyone . Probably because we kept walking, the Burning Knights, who marched in front, seemed to be ablaze .
Are they in high spirits?
The two Burning Knights . They make me sense masculinity from their faces . A boney one, though .
Their protruding frontal and nasal bones were covered by their steel helmets . A mana flame was brightly burning within their finely chiseled eye sockets . Jet-black darkness filled the surroundings of those flames . Seemingly having a faint, iris-like mana retina on the surface of those blazing flames, the mana flame swayed slowly in a mysterious way . Their cheekbones were thick as well . Their upper jawbones and sphenoid bones gave them a grim impression .
Their armor was just like a breastplate worn by soldiers of the Roman Empire, matching the muscles and sternum .
As associated with their names, black or red vapor coiled itself around their bodies .
The Hell Knights . Refined and cool .
“I’d like to charge into the enemy lines as a sole rider just like His Excellency . ”
“Adomos, that’s impossible for you . ”
“Didn’t I catch the Sonrissa gathering at the basin when we went to the Gulgan Waterfalls in the spirit world!?”
“That’s certainly true, but…”
They were having a little argument . But rather than their fight, I was slightly interested in the contents of what they were saying . They mentioned something similar to the name of a place in the spirit world and of an animal living in the spirit world .
Is that Sonrissa a horse or some other mount that can be ridden? Or is it a hippopotamus, seeing as it was at the base of a waterfall? I’m curious what the spirit world looks like .
I had a talk with the Goddess of Magic Poison, Misea, didn’t I? It might be fun to try trespassing into the spirit world through a tear1 and wander around the spirit world .
However, there are also other unknown places I’d like to visit . …Attempting to get into the spirit world also requires the Score of the Demon King . That’s why I’m looking forward to the auction in a few months .
Even if I were to get my hands on a Score of the Demon King, a visit of the spirit world would be a matter for the distant future . In addition, there’s also the search for the mirrors .
And the Radford Empire that’s been throwing its long shadow . Seeing as Oseberia’s Pelneet is peaceful, I think I should also keep in mind that there are wars going on elsewhere as well .
The second prince, no, for me it might be rather Remrona . While lending my assistance to her and thoroughly talking about dragons…it might also be nice to speculate about her boobs .
“――Look! The animal over there! It resembles a Sonrissa in shape . ”
As I was pondering about rude things, one of the Burning Knights had extended his bone arm .
“You’re right . But, is this place connected to the spirit world?”
“It does have similarities…”
Being lured by the Burning Knights’ talk, I looked to the side in front . There I saw a herbivore with a dignified appearance, a combination of a zebra and a rhinoceros . Spreading its big mouth, it pulled seeds of grain ears with a blackish hue that seemed to be rotten wheat ears off the stalks, single-mindedly chewing and eating them together with the husks .
“N, nyaoo――”
Rollodeen began to run, obviously separating from the area which we were traversing . Seeing the movements of the zebra-rhinoceros-like animal, her hunter instincts apparently kicked in .
“You going to scout with Rollo-chan~?” Rebecca shouted from behind, but my partner didn’t stop chasing after its prey .
Her sentiments were to chase after cat powder, no, to chase after prey . No, this is also wrong, I think . I suppose it’s the curiosity typical of a carnivore . A spirit of wanting to enjoy a good hunt, huh?
“Rollo, stop . ”
The divine beast Rollodeen with her appearance close to a black horse, a black panther or a black lion stopped moving .
The herbivores, which had probably seen the jet-black beast, got startled and started to run . And then completely got away .
“We will return to everyone . ” I instructed her .
“Nya, nyao～”
It felt as if she’s saying, 『I want to chase after them nya～』 .
“Not now . ” I reigned her in .
“Nnn . ” Rollodeen made her long ears dent in . It was cute, but she used her peculiar, throaty voice indicating her discontent .
I pulled the rein tentacle ― turning my partner’s head towards our friends .
Having accepted my order, Rollodeen began to walk like a good child . However, she transmitted 『Sky』, 『Sky』, 『Fly』, 『Play』 to me .
――The sky, eh? Can’t be helped!
It will allow her to satisfy her urge to hunt while at it .
“…Rollo, I understand . I guess we will go on a scouting trip just like Eva did . ” I yielded to her wish .
“Nyaoo . ” Rollodeen delightfully pointed her face upwards like a wolf, who was about to howl, and roared .
She extended several tentacles to the left and right, affixing them by stabbing their tentacle bone swords into the prairie’s ground . Multiple tentacles spread like artificial muscles, seemingly also possessing the special effect of spider threads .
Just like that she kept on running as if accompanied by a swarm of tentacles alongside a stretching sound, making use of her powerful limbs . The tentacles affixed to the left and right continued twisting flexibly . The forceful motive power of my partner, who was running without minding those tentacles, was amazing .
What I felt from her muscles beneath my thighs told me that her muscles were working vigorously . The feeling of her thick divine beast fur, which exceeded the mana of a horse or lion, felt really pleasant .
If she took part in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Rollodeen would definitely come out as the winner .
As I was sensing the speed while caressing my partner’s fur on her back, Rollodeen stopped moving, and turned around in the opposite direction .
She probably intends to release the amassed power in one go by giving the stretched tentacles free reign .
I was speechless during her accumulation of power with my heart beating fast out of fear as if right after climbing to the peak of a roller coaster ride .
As I embraced such a feeling, the swarm of tentacles that had been continuing to stretch on the left and right side, suddenly contracted back towards the bottom of her neck and chest . The twisted, stretched, steel-wire-like tentacles looked as though they were attacking Rollodeen . No tugging sound was audible, but with that kind of terrific recoil ― after grazing the ground’s surface ― Rollodeen flew up into the sky in once . 2 She broke through something like a thin, mana layer in the air . At the moment when the wind tearing my ears weakened down, she spread her black wings to the left and right .
We slowly rode upon the winds . The passing wind felt as if it was gently stroking my cheeks .
It’s obvious, but…I guess this world has wind as well .
『Your Excellency, it’s strange . It feels no different from the surface . 』
『You’re right…』
We scouted the vicinity while revolving in the air . As I kept watching the distant scenery, I spotted various kinds of monsters such as huge raging bulls, monster flies, moose-shaped monsters, a humanoid monster, gargoyles, monsters consisting of two tied eyeballs, a group of orcs, and plant monsters, just as Eva had pointed out .
Immediately following, a swarm of double-eyeball monsters, which was flying in the distance, spotted us . They wriggled their two eyeballs, glaring at us while widening their disgusting pupils .
Are they doing something like a camera zoom-up? Oh? Those ugly bastards raised their speed and are now closing in on us .
They were shaped like biplanes, with their two eyeballs at the position of the engine . The number of airborne monsters is high .
The eyeball’s pupil of one flying monster at the front of the formation squirmed around again . As if releasing tears, large amounts of gray liquid were released from that eyeball .
The emitted liquid transformed into a group of pointed stakes . Those stakes turned into missiles, approaching us .
“――Rollo, evade . ” I instructed her .
“Nn――”
My partner reacted immediately . She raised her speed, and flew diagonally upward .
The gray stakes didn’t have a tailing function . They passed through the spot where we had been just now .
『Rollo-sama is definitely fast!』
While agreeing with Helme’s telepathic message, I held out my left hand towards the flying monster that had unleashed those annoying projectiles .
I aimed as I pressed my index finger against my middle finger like a dancer, who concentrated on expressing his form down to the fingertips, and activated the advanced water spell, 《Frozen Snake Arrow》 at the same time .
Snake-shaped ice arrows with the size of human arms were created around Rollodeen . They looked like extras floating around mainframes appearing in shooting games .
I won’t do anything like “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, x, ○ . ”
The 《Frozen Snake Arrows》 flew off towards the monster with launching sounds . The monster took evasive maneuvers while letting its eyeballs look around restlessly . However, the arrows chased after it .
The two eyeballs were hit by arrows in succession, were penetrated, frozen in no time, and broke apart . Its biplane-like body was put in ice as well, resulting in it crashing head first .
Seemingly comprehending that one of theirs had died after it went down, the remaining flying monsters started to counterattack . All of those disgusting things emitted gray liquid from their eyeballs at once . Just like before, that liquid turned into gray stake missiles .
Ugh, no matter what one might say, there’s quite a lot of them . Should I shift to defense by creating a shield with <Chain>?
At the moment I considered that, Rollodeen raised her speed, and advanced ― in a spiral motion ― from the front, she took the trajectory of a fighter plane as if instantly drawing a semicircle ― uwaaaaahh! ― and performed a barrel roll . She splendidly dodged the approaching stakes .
“Hahaha―― Rollo! Have you been dancing with angels?” I shouted in exaltation .
Rollodeen completely avoided the stakes with magnificent, fighter plane-like maneuvers . And immediately afterwards, she started descending upon the monsters from above with an acceleration that would make you hear the exhaust sound of an engine .
Yahoooo!
“――Fire at will . It’s payback time!” Having gotten excited, I yelled this spontaneously in English .
Her black tentacles transformed into missiles that seemed to leave a trail in their wake . The bone swords, which appeared out of her tentacles, struck into the monsters, making it look as if they had been caught in spider threads . The monsters stabbed by the bone swords burst and scattered in an instant .
I was sharing sensations with my partner, and shot down many monsters while feeling like an ace pilot .
One after the other went down . The monsters scattered in all directions and crashed towards the prairie . As they impacted on the ground, they exploded .
Once their numbers had dwindled down to just one, my partner entwined her black tentacles around the monster’s whole body, and pulled it toward herself by reeling in those tentacles .
“Nyaoooo――”
What a happy voice…so it had to end like this, I suppose .
Rollodeen tightened her hold on the monster with its conspicuous eyeballs, obviously breaking it with a snap at the monster’s center . And then she brought it to her mouth just like that .
I couldn’t see from my position, but she had probably spread her mouth . Rollodeen shook her head, and then the sounds of her eating with a crunching could be heard .
“Are the monsters in the evil domain delicious?” I asked curiously .
“Nyaon . ”
Eyeballs…might be unexpectedly delicious, but I had no intention to try it .
The dog fight had come to an end . As I was enjoying the tranquility of the sky, a human-shaped monster showed up next .
I wonder what it is .
The humanoid wore a black helmet covering the upper part of its face . It had five brightly shining things at parts that seemed to be eyes . Even from far away, it had apparently spotted the flying Rollodeen with its eyesight or demonic eyes .
That flying monster came approaching by making its black wings that grew out of its back flap .
Different from just now, it didn’t show any intention to attack .
It held a shield in its left hand, and a morning star made out of red and black metal in its right hand, but those were still lowered . That’s why I decided to check out the situation first .
“――This is mine domain, the domain of the sky’s bonfires . Oh, one possessing beautiful, night-like eyes…what are thou?”
It was a female voice . A tone that made me feel a child-like formality .
Her lips were dark purple . She was wearing a neck guard with embedded pretty, red magic gems, which was connected into a single armor with the base of her neck, the shoulder armors, and the upper arm armors . And she had a corset armor hiding her big chest and with red and black patterns that made me sense mana . Seemingly created while capitalizing on a constriction of her waist, it also possessed many bold gaps .
Her buttocks were covered by a black and red apron cloth . Her small leg armor only protected the outer parts of her thighs . She wore black, leather long boots that reached up to her thighs while covering her long legs .
The upper part of her face was concealed, but her dark purple lips gave me a bewitching impression .
I spoke up while naturally having my eyes drawn to those lips, “…Domain, you say? I didn’t know since it’s my first time being here . ”
“First time, thou say…thou look like a human, but isn’t the beast thou are mounting a subordinate of Shadow?”
“No, she isn’t . ” I replied .
“Hoh…are thou one of the divine domain?”
Different from the eyeballs and the armies on the surface, she was a considerably friendly being .
“…No, you’re wrong . I resemble a human, but I’m of a different race . ” I explained .
“That’s a surprise . Did thou maybe descend from above? Does that mean the upper world has been communicating with the surface?”
“I wonder . I think they do . ”
It’s a labyrinth .
After hearing my words, she lowered her face slightly while pondering .
Just what is this intelligent life…?
“…Umm, I’m sorry to interrupt your thinking, but I’d like to continue passing through the domains . Is that fine?” I asked cautiously .
“As long as thou don’t extinguish the sky’s bonfires, I don’t mind at all . But, I don’t know about the others . If thou are confident in thine strength, thou may pass through them as thou like . ”
I don’t know what those bonfires of the sky are, but I suppose there are landmarks in the sky .
“What are the sky’s bonfires?”
“Signs burning in the sky and marking mine domain . They are casting a beautiful, red light . It’s a traditional magic handed down among our species . Even in the spirit world, the red light of the Amshabis is lovely . It was a famous as place where even Meliady-sama, who governs over demonic life, had often come to take a walk . ”
Hee… So there are such places in the sky as well . Are they on Sera as well?
“…I understand . ” I said .
Once I did, she released mana from her five, gem-like, red eyes connected to he black helmet, and fixedly stared into my eyes . And then I could hear a sound of her swallowing down her spit from her throat .
“…Rare, human with eyes of the night, I shall teach you mine name . Mine name is Souq . Souq of the spirit world’s Amshabis race . ”
Is it just my imagination that the lower part of her cheeks was tinged with a faint red?
However, she’s a courteous person . Souq-san of the Amshabis race, huh?
Then I straightened myself while sitting atop Rollodeen, and according to courtesy, “My name is Shuuya, Shuuya Kagari . ”
“I see . Shuuya, do thou wish to fight against me?” Souq inquired .
“No, I won’t fight unless you do . You seem to be a beautiful woman . ” I replied .
“…How amusing . I heard there are humans who will be excited because I am a female…” Souq affixed her weapon to her waist, and started to seductively touch her big chest armor with her slender hand .
It’s not like I’m all that excited, but…that gesture is sure nice .
“…Well then, Souq-san, I’m going to return to my friends . ” I said .
“I-I see…how regrettable . ” Souq revealed a disappointed expression .
She extended her tongue, licking her upper lip lewdly . My interest was drawn towards her body, especially that amazing chest which was clearly a case for the Boob Research Society, but…right now I got to prioritize my objective .
“…Rollo, let’s go back . ” I instructed my partner .
“Nyao . ”
“Farewell, Shuuya with the charming eyes!” Souq-san’s words reached me through the air .
Rollodeen, who had been hovering, changed the angle of her wings and glided downwards .