“Some of the Majin are quite interested in humans, and the Traveler is particularly one of them.”
“Yeeh…*sigh*…”
As the evening sun was setting, Hirtlocker was slicing a piece of meat with a knife on the balcony, where the high moon and the Milky Way were visible.
Across the wide table sat a ruggedly built middle-aged human man, devouring his food with evident relish.
The Duke of the Desert Development Area, Damien.
Hirtlocker had been invited to the Duke’s residence for a meal simply because he had exchanged a few words with the Majin known as the Traveler.
“Is the food to your liking?”
“It’s excellent.”
That was the truth.
Although he had eaten camel meat several times, claiming it was a local delicacy, it always had a strong taint and was terrible, but this was different.
It tasted as good as beef, if not better.
Then again, it was the kind of meat served at the Duke’s table, so that made sense.
“…*tap tap*…”
A rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed from afar.
Being a former soldier, Hirtlocker immediately recognized it as the sound of troops marching.
In the desert development area, it was not uncommon to see troops moving like that.
“I hear you didn’t know the Traveler’s true identity?”
The Duke smiled as he lowered his wine glass.
“Yes. I had no idea. I just thought he was guiding me, so I followed him, and who would have guessed he was a Majin?”
“If it’s alright with you, could you share everything you talked about with him? Of course, you can leave out sensitive topics. I’m simply eager to collect every word he said.”
Could it be that he was a superfan of the Traveler?
Although Hirtlocker was puzzled, he began recounting everything that happened during his short journey with the Traveler.
Since he hadn’t revealed anything critical, there was nothing to hide.
Moreover, satisfying the Duke might make his activities in the desert development area easier and possibly expedite his investigations.
“So, I visited a place called Gorgan’s Rock, and to my surprise, there was absolutely nothing there. That wretched fellow totally took me for a ride.”
“Wait a second. You faced several Sandworms all by yourself? That’s impressive.”
“Yeah, well… I dabble a bit in magic.”
“Did he not take any action during the entire battle? Did he not assume a combat stance? Did that posture resemble any martial arts forms? Oh, if you’re not familiar with martial arts, just describing the stance will suffice.”
“…”
Normally, one would be shocked to hear about someone dealing with dozens of Sandworms at once.
Hirtlocker expected the usual follow-up questions about where he learned magic and what kind he used.
Yet the Duke’s interest was purely directed at the Majin known as the Traveler.
That sparked a doubt in Hirtlocker’s mind.
The Duke’s pathogenic curiosity could very well be a façade he has constructed.
“Speaking of Majin, I’m reminded of another one I met before.”
“Another Majin…? You met another one?”
“Yes. A Majin known as the Madman. I encountered him while on my way to Eisburg when I was stranded…”
Half of that was a bold-faced lie.
Hirtlocker had never met the Madman.
He cleverly mixed in bits of information about the Madman that Shlus had shared with him into his tale, making it hard to discern what was real.
“Hmm. How intriguing. Can you elaborate?”
“Of course…”
Hirtlocker, observing the Duke’s demeanor, began to smile as he recounted his tale.
On the surface, it seemed he was interested in Hirtlocker’s adventures, but it was evident his true interest lay in the Madman.
This meant that the Duke wasn’t curious about the Majin Traveler as an individual, but was instead collecting information on all Majin.
Besides, the Duke was asking questions about even the minutiae regarding Majin, making his interest suspiciously obsessive.
‘Is he preparing for war or something?’
Hirtlocker chuckled to himself as he suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.
The Duke of the desert development area could be preparing for conflict against the Majin…?
Somehow, that didn’t sound like a mere joke.
“You seem like quite the powerhouse. How about working together? I’m currently looking to recruit mercenaries.”
“Mercenaries, you say? I’ll need to hear what we’re fighting against first before I decide.”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. The security situation has been rather poor lately, so I just need someone for vigilance. If someone were to infiltrate, we would need to counter them… But let’s discuss specifics when we sign a contract; for now, let’s enjoy drinks, ha ha!”
Once doubt entered his mind, everything the Duke said began to sound loaded with implications.
*
*Clank…*
“*Hoohoo! I knew I’d find you here!*”
“*…*.”
The cheerful voice echoed through the quiet chapel.
Tilfitz, kneeling in prayer before the statue, sighed deeply and turned around.
Sure enough, there stood Alexia, her hands on her hips.
“Do you have a moment?”
Seeing the serious expression on Alexia’s face, Tilfitz slowly nodded.
“Have you made any progress in finding the culprit?”
“Not at all…”
“*Hmm! This is bad! It seems the Asylum’s influence is only growing!*”
“Yes. I can feel it too. Recently, there have even been people who confess, claiming they’re getting caught up in the cult.”
Everyone felt the Asylum’s terrifying expansion.
With their reckless growth, many believers were being exposed and captured, slowly unveiling their actual identity.
Yet, their core members took extreme measures to ensure they couldn’t be identified, meaning even with thousands of believers captured, the Asylum only became stronger.
“Isn’t it time to give up on finding the Majin behind this? If someone is determined to hide, it’s not impossible! For all we know, it could be me or even Tilfitz!”
“What are you implying?”
“I’m suggesting we shift our focus from Majin to humans! The situation has escalated to where humans can no longer handle it themselves! I believe we need to intervene in this conflict!”
“It’s still too soon to speak of such things.”
The Majin do not interfere in human conflicts.
That clause was part of a peace treaty signed thousands of years ago.
If violated, the peace between Majin and humans would be shattered.
Although humans and Majin have coexisted for millennia without major conflicts, each side was secretly preparing weapons to harm the other.
Should a war break out, it was likely that neither side would gain outright victory, resulting in massive losses on both sides.
“I don’t think the risk is worth taking just yet.”
“How cold! At this rate, we might get stabbed in the back too!”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You know very well! Once the Asylum sweeps through the humans! Their true aim will be the unification of Majin!”
“That’s an absurd leap in logic.”
Shaking his head in denial, Tilfitz, nonetheless, internally acknowledged it.
He hadn’t neglected that possibility until now.
Killing all other Majin and becoming the last one standing to amass all authority in one place.
It was an idea anyone could imagine, but voicing it was taboo.
After all, it presupposed fratricide.
Theoretically, extracting authority without killing other Majin was possible, but practically it remained in the realm of impossibility.
“Well then! It seems you’re still undecided! I’ll come back to discuss this again! I hope our conversation flows smoother by then!”
“*…*.”
With a big wave, Alexia exited the chapel.
Determining there was no room left for dialogue, Tilfitz knelt with his eyes closed for a long while before extending his hand.
At that moment, a purple glow sparked in the air, and a crack began to form.
Through that fissure, Tilfitz’s hand reached forth, pulling out a massive longsword.
Finally, the dimension-slicing blade, Durandal, revealed itself fully.
Tilfitz carefully cradled the longsword and opened his eyes.
“The decision has long been made.”
What matters is the heart of the conflict.
In this case, that was Schlus Hainkel.
What is that inhuman human doing right now?
Tilfitz stroked the blade’s edge, recalling his empty gaze.
.
.
.
“*Grrr… grrr…*”
Suddenly, I felt a pang of doubt about what I was doing.
Before me stood the Holy Knights, perfectly lined up and gazing in my direction.
Not a single sign of disturbance, expressionless.
Before them, Pelaine had completely discarded her armor and melted into my touch.
Even though there was a barrier between us that blocked vision, the scenery outside could be seen clearly from within; did she really want to do this?
I couldn’t help but admire Pelaine’s audacity.
“Why aren’t you patting my belly? You used to do it.”
“*…*.”
Pelaine completely flipped over, exposing her belly, staring up at me.
Is this even a cat-girl?
I began to suspect whether she was actually a dog or fox-type subhuman.
“That was just to wash you, not to pet you.”
“*Uwhu… this feels nice.*”
As I gently stroked her belly, pleasant laughter escaped her lips.
It was a fascinating texture.
She had firm abs, but they didn’t feel like those worked out by a man.
There was softness felt in various places too.
Is this the limit of femininity?
Still, in this world, muscle mass didn’t hold much significance anyway.
The importance lay in how impressive one’s internal circuits were.
“*Ah?! W-wait a moment…*”
“What? Why?”
“*Ahhh…*”
As I pressed on her lower belly, she suddenly shot up, gripping my wrist tightly.
Her grip was so strong, it nearly shattered my wrist.
If I hadn’t reflexively activated my internal circuits to harden my hand, it would have been crushed.
She seemed surprised to the point she couldn’t control her strength.
What on earth was going on?
“*Hah… haah… Schlus-sama…*”
Pelaine’s breathing became ragged.
The serene smile vanished from her face, replaced with the gaze of a ferocious beast.
She then pushed me down against my chest and lay on top of me.
With the momentum that suggested she might bite my neck at any moment, I found myself frozen in place.
“What’s wrong? What’s happening?”
“*Schlus-sama… I’ve been thinking, and I believe I’m rather strong compared to the women on the continent.*”
“I think so too.”
It’s hard to be certain since I don’t know how skilled Trie is after leaving for training, but I could confidently say she would be at least 2nd best.
Even if we don’t restrict it to just women, she would definitely rank within the top ten.
“And you, Schlus-sama, you’re the strongest man on the continent.”
“Well… I guess.”
“No, you definitely are. Your body may seem a little feeble, but everything else about you is perfect.”
“*Umm… I’ll accept that, but what does that have to do with anything?*”
“The strongest man and woman in the world must have an important duty, right? If we don’t leave offspring, it will be a huge loss for humanity!”
“*…*?”
Wait, what? Out of the blue?
“Subhumans often give birth to twins. Triplets and quadruplets are the average. So, we can leave many offspring!”
“*W-wait a second, Pelaine, what are you saying-*
“Don’t worry. No one will know it’s your child. I’ll raise them as warriors on my own. You just need to provide the ‘seed.'”
“*Y-you…!*”
My arms and legs were completely bound.
Not only could I not resist, but I was entirely pinned down.
Pelaine, seemingly losing all rationality, breathed heavily while burying her nose in my shirt.
“*Sniff sniff sniff… heh, haah…*”
“Ah.”
That was when I realized what I was going through.
But strangely, my limbs felt utterly devoid of strength.
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