The attack I got hit with had quite the power.
A martial art thrust that doesn’t match Rona…was just an extra. The real attack was the black lightning.
But there’s no way demons can utilize the lightning element that’s like the ultimate affection of the Goddess.
It is true that if that’s her trump card, I wouldn’t have imagined it no matter what.
Even now, I am still confused.
Several stone trees have been broken behind me, and there’s no doubt that adventurers who come here by mistake will be taking those back with vibrant faces for pocket money…
That’s what I was thinking in a daze while Shiki and Tamaki were checking me.
After that, we sent Risui back to the Base.
I thought I was going to die, but I managed to endure it without collapsing, so I returned to Asora slightly unsteady on my feet.
While thinking that maybe it was a bad idea to leave Rona to Tomoe and Mio.
“So, here?”
At the time I told Shiki and the others the situation and had them check the state of my body, Tomoe and Mio had come back while dragging Rona with them. So they have brought her to Asora, huh.
Well, she won’t be meeting the demon Sari by coincidence here.
“We also thought about bringing her to Tsige instead, but that thing that hit Waka flickered in my mind, you see.” (Tomoe)
“Tomoe-san said that we shouldn’t kill her immediately, so we brought her here belatedly… Waka-sama, is your body alright?” (Mio)
“…”
Tomoe didn’t say it outright, but she is also worried.
I am thankful for that.
“They are checking right at this moment. Shiki-sensei is done, so it is now Tamaki-sensei’s turn.” (Makoto)
“For now, we have dealt with it using normal healing magic.” (Shiki)
“…Hope you are telling the truth here-ja na.” (Tomoe)
“I wouldn’t lie in a place where there’s only family here.” (Shiki)
Tomoe is a worrywart.
…Or more like, it looks like Rona has not received any treatment at all.
“Aah, Shiki, I am sorry after you have just finished, but please see after Rona too.” (Makoto)
“Yes, Waka-sama. I will do the preparations for the dissection at once.” (Shiki)
“That’s—ugh! Ouch!” (Makoto)
“Waka-sama?! Was there still somewhere left that hurt?!” (Shiki)
“N-No, I wonder. It is true that it does feel as if it has been healed, and there’s no problem of movement. Just that, how to say it, I feel as if my joints hurt somewhat…” (Makoto)
What might it be?
I do feel as if I have been healed.
However, this sensation is nostalgic…
Right, it reminds me of my childhood.
That time when I would collapse or get injured from every little thing, worrying my family the whole time.
It feels as if my body is accepting this pain as if it is normal.
It is that sensation as if the memories of pain were clinging to my body or my mind.
“This is not the time to be dissecting Rona, huh. Tamaki, have you grasped something on your side?” (Shiki)
“I think his body has completely recovered from your treatment, Shiki-san. I am scouring for any traces of a special type of spell or curse, but I don’t find any abnormalities that stand out.” (Tamaki)
I thought that Shiki was joking around in order to soften the mood here, but it seems like he was seriously planning on making Rona his guinea pig.
It bothers me that the other 3 here are not retorting at all.
“Have any ideas at what kind of attack it was-ja?” (Tomoe)
Tomoe asks Shiki and Tamaki.
“Magic. It is hard to believe, but I think it is an offensive spell that broke through all of Waka-sama’s barriers and Magic Armor on top of piercing through his body.” (Shiki)
“Same opinion here. If I had to add anything, Tomoe-sama and Ema-sama have been hit with an attack of a similar type before. I would say it is an elemental magic just as it looks.” (Tamaki)
“…Lightning, huh. But Alte is an Apostle of the Goddess, and the lightning was red…” (Tomoe)
“I haven’t seen it directly myself. However, I could tell by instinct that it wasn’t that good of a thing.” (Mio)
Shiki and Tamaki answer the question of Tomoe.
Mio has not seen the lightning element directly, but has tasted the one from Tomoe directly.
Alte said something about colors.
If I were to trust Alte’s words, depending on the user, red and black should also be possible.
“We still only know little about this lightning element that’s said to only be used by an Apostle of the Goddess. It doesn’t leave any outstanding aftereffects, but if I were to speak medically instead of about magic, I can see quite the stress in the nerves and muscles of Makoto’s body. In other words, they are terribly exhausted…no, I can’t give an accurate conclusion just yet.” (Tamaki)
Tamaki doesn’t know much about the lightning element either, huh.
This matter relates to her master, that’s me, so she shouldn’t be able to lie.
Then that means we have even less of a reason to kill Rona.
“Rona was…clearly not in a normal state. She couldn’t even hold a proper conversation. However, she was utilizing that black lightning properly as if it were her own. That’s why we won’t be doing anything to Rona right now. What we should be doing first is not dissecting but medical treatment.” (Makoto)
“But you went through the trouble of leaving her close to dead.” (Shiki)
“That was just Rona self-destructing by herself -after getting a hit on me, that is.” (Makoto)
“It is most likely the cost of the spell.” (Tamaki)
“Leaving aside the fact that she was brought to Asora, there shouldn’t be much to worry about if she is here. We don’t have to worry about her escaping either.” (Makoto)
It would be bad if I had a curse that can be infectious, so Shiki and Tamaki moved locations after returning to Asora.
We are in the suburbs of the Neptunes’ underwater city capital.
An accommodation that was made at the bottom of the ocean trench.
If it is just medical treatment, the Highland Orc Ema would be reliable as well, but the lightning element isn’t a good memory for her, so I had her stay on standby this time around.
However, she has taken the job of obtaining medicine and goods, so there’s no doubt that she would bring them at once if we were to ask her for something.
After what happened, Ema said elegantly “I should not slack on my fighting power. Looks like I was quite rusty” and upgraded her training to an even harsher one.
It was simply that Alte was on a cheat level and Ema is still one of the most prominent mages in Asora though.
“That Tomoe-dono and Mio-dono brought Rona here must mean that…” (Shiki)
Shiki had a bad feeling about this and had difficulty in saying it.
“…Yeah. Just as Waka must have already noticed as well, there’s the chance that Rona has been Charmed by the Empire.” (Tomoe)
“Yeah, she stinks.” (Mio)
So it really was that, huh.
I felt like she looked similar to the ones in Lorel.
But it wasn’t the same.
Please don’t tell me there’s types of Charms too. It would be a pain.
“Makoto-sama?” (Tamaki)
Tamaki asked me too as if doing a final confirmation.
Okay~.
“Yeah, I also think that Rona has been Charmed in some way or form.” (Makoto)
“I see. She may be a Demon General, but she is a woman, so maybe it is easier for her to be hit by that Hero’s Skill…?” (Tamaki)
Tamaki goes silent most likely falling into thought.
“…Right.” (Shiki)
“Shiki?” (Makoto)
“Rona is a Demon General that specializes mainly in intelligence and back maneuvering. She has the most chances to get close to the Empire and Kingdom. Even if she is not at her best, she still easily got to Tsige and got to the Base.” (Shiki)
“Yeah.” (Makoto)
“The murder declaration beforehand towards Waka-sama which she had no chance to achieve by herself. A setup method that’s so reckless and rushed which is the furthest from her usual self.” (Shiki)
“…”
“The ultimate trump card that we have never seen until now; the lightning element. Thinking about the personality of Rona…hmm.” (Shiki)
“Shiki?” (Makoto)
“What-ja? If you have noticed something, say it already.” (Tomoe)
Being urged by Tomoe, Shiki approaches the collapsed and thrown away Rona, raised her chin, and turned it his way.
“We will ask her every single thing she knows after we have healed her, but as for my current deduction…” (Shiki)
““…””
“Rona might have used Waka-sama as her safety measure for the time when she got hit by the Charm.” (Shiki)
“Safety measure? If I remember correctly, that’s what I think Rona said after asking why I haven’t died.” (Makoto)
“…Before she fell into the ranks of the Empire’s Hero, she must have put a suggestion in a magic tool that has some sort of compulsory power for Waka-sama to kill her, or something like that.” (Shiki)
“…So she wanted to get killed in the process?” (Makoto)
What an unbelievable thing to be using me for, Rona.
So you went that far in order to not become a hindrance to Lord Zef?
“Yeah, it wouldn’t be a mystery for her to think there isn’t anyone who can surely kill her aside from Waka-sama. That’s how much the Kuzunoha Company and Waka-sama have done after all.” (Shiki)
“What an unsavory evaluation.” (Makoto)
“For now, we will look after Waka-sama and Rona. It may be discomforting for a few days, but please let us keep watch over you constantly, Waka-sama.” (Shiki)
Shiki lowers his head deeply.
I feel a presence by my side and look there, and Tamaki also lowered her head the same way.
Well, it can’t be helped.
But if even a Demon General has fallen to the Charm, that would mean the Empire is attacking the demons pretty seriously.
Tomoki, that guy…
No, it is not like we know everything about the war either.
I feel like he is strangely hurried here, but it is not something that I should be voicing out right now.
However, it is true that a Demon General being absent is a big loss for the demon lord army.
Limia might not serve just as a supply train but also join the Empire army in a big attack.
“This is looking like it is going to be a big war.” (Makoto)
“Rather, since the matter of Rotsgard, you could say the demon side has been way too strangely silent.” (Tomoe)
““…””
The words of Tomoe were kind.
I do think the independence of Tsige we participated in was decently stimulating to the world. Even the Apostle of the Goddess, Alte, should have had an effect on the hyumans.
And yet, she was aloof without showing it in her face.
Thanks.
I didn’t say to Tomoe outright what I really thought, and simply left it at looking at her and nodding.