Chapter 5: Unaware that it was cruel

Hnn~ what a refreshing morning.

From the white surfaced rocky mountain, I feel fresh wind flow on me.

Well, I will give up on being surprised by my own superhuman specs. When I am explaining to someone, I will just tell them what I have seen. Is it normal that I am feeling this freezing gale as a refreshing wind?

I can already sense the magic power in the air, so the way I see the world has changed and I feel ‘refreshed’.

Now, it has been confirmed that I am level 1.

That is strange.

If I was a high level from the start, then I would understand why I wouldn’t level up from defeating the Liz, but…

If I am a level 1, it should go up. Or is that dog really weak?

Ema-san also witnessed me defeating it in that fight, so is it because it was a surprise attack?

Hmm, on top of my existence being a cheat, the concept of level doesn’t properly apply to me.

Even though I feel a bit sad about it, I am very calm.

“Then, shall I do it?”

I headed to the gatekeeper-san and requested him to pass onto Ema something.

A letter.

It’s incredible, right? To think that not only speaking but I can also write it as well.

I could perfectly read and write.

Cheat banzai. I have learned to respect bugs a bit. Now that it has come to this I can’t help but wonder if the other heroes are almighty or something.

With this, if I reach a human settlement, I feel like I could gain money by doing trading between humans and mamonos.

I didn’t write that much for the content.

I am going to see if I can do something about that whatever God.

I will most likely not return unscathed, so don’t worry about me and just return to the village. Thanks.

Is how it slightly went in the contents. There was some small talk and explanations as well though.

I didn’t have any intention to return to the cave again.

In the end not only did she teach me magic, I was also able to obtain a map of the area around here.

After talking to that God, I plan to go straight to the human settlement.

There seems to be a strange place where people that have obtained rare materials by traveling all over the world or people that pursue knowledge gather.

There is still quite a distance to the cave.

Anyways, I think that with my fastest speed, in order to arrive there (counting the time I have already travelled) it would take me around one week, if something happens on the way, it would take maybe 10 days.

In the way there were a number of race settlements (all mamono without exception). I can speak with them, so it didn’t become a battle all the time.

I should be fine for now in terms of food. I can manage to go for 3 days without eating after all.

If I go with my intuition, I think I would be fine even after 5 days. I don’t want to do that though. The food the orcs gave me must have been important for them too. I have to eat it carefully.

While thinking those things I circumvent a rocky mountain and head for the conspicuously tall mountain. God Mountain, huh.

In reality I wasn’t that preoccupied about that mamono or God called Shen.

Because there was something that worried me more than that.

Aside from the sacrifices, there’s no one who has seen Shen. This is the first thing that got me wondering. That meant that no one alive has met him.

And then the fact that the sacrifice must go through the trouble of travelling the desert all alone was weird.

Because if she can’t reach her destination, there’s no point in the sacrifice.

If the sacrifice reaches the several safe points to ‘purify her body’, she has already done her duty, is what they told me but… 

What is with that logic? Isn’t there already no point in the sacrifice?

Because in reality, Ema was almost going to become food to a Liz after all.

That’s right, and that Liz…that mamono seems to be in all parts of the world, but it seems that one was quite far away from the area it should be inhabiting.

And it seems they normally hunt in groups.

Then, that situation where Ema got attacked was just too weird.

I can certainly feel someone trying to slowly destroy the village of highland orcs from the conversations I have had with Ema.

But is that the will of that so-called Shen?

I feel a third party is involved in this. Or it could even be an internal affair between the highland orcs.

Those two possibilities swirled in my mind.

If they just wanted to destroy it, then the sacrifice system sounds stupid. Because they could use the mist, and in just a few years it would go down after all.

“Slowly, huh.” (Makoto)

I feel that is the key point of the issue.

I think there is meaning in taking their time.

If Shen wanted something else aside from the sacrifice, it would have certainly requested it on top of the sacrifices.

So if there is an existence that is looking for time, then that means it doesn’t have to do with Shen itself.

A third party, or a rebellion, huh.

It may be me jumping to conclusions. It could even be completely different from what I thought. That guy is not a person after all.

It’s not certain that it would have the same thinking pattern of a human. If I take that into account, my basis would all crumble.

But in my current situation, since I don’t have enough material to go on, I decided to follow that line of thinking.

If it turns into a fight, then let it become a fight.

There may even be a part of me that wants that to happen.

Magic, magic power.

It’s true that I want to utilize them.

There are many other things I want to learn as well, but I had to resolve this before Ema departed.

Actually, I secretly heard the incantation for the magic to create light from the gatekeeper, so I have already learnt it!

Morals? Aside from the list of spells I have gotten, I need to increase my repertoire of magic one way or another.

“I should try it out now. To try it when the real fight begins would be a bit…” (Makoto)

The first will be at full power.

I don’t know how exhausting it will be. In that case, I should try it at least once.

—

Now that that’s decided.

I should prepare everything first.

Whispering, I made a flame brid the same size as last night. Make it into a ball and throw it wherever. Success.

Good.

Let’s do it.

I relaxed my body and, with prudence, I chanted an aria, pouring all of my energy while picturing a ‘strong flame’. But I chant it inside my mind.

I try to whisper to the brid. This is the number 1 thing I wanted to try. Whether I can use it without saying it or not.

Success. I was able to make a condensed and flickering deep crimson flame that was many times stronger than the one last night.

I am glad. 

If I tried to do this in the cave without having the image of a ball first, it would have become a disaster. Most likely not only me, but all my surroundings would be caught on fire.

Now then, a target.

In the path to the mountain called God Mountain, at the foot of the mountain just further ahead, I could see a gate-like thing. That should do fine. The distance from here is more than a hundred meters. I should be grateful for my out of the world eyesight.

Things I want to try, number 2. I do archery.

Last night I also imagined ‘hitting in the middle’ to make the fireball fly out and hit.

So I was wondering if I could make a bow and an arrow and shoot it just like that ball.

And while I’m at it I want to know how flexible the brid can be.

That’s right.

I do a seiza (a Japanese formal way of sitting) as I do in the archery club before I hold the bow.

After I finish preparing my mind, I begin to concentrate.

If I start by doing this first, I can predict the results of what I’m going to do.

This is something that my friends in the club ask me a lot when we are preparing our bows. Why are you beginning from the sitting part? Because it gives you confidence in hitting the middle?

If you ask me why, then I do have a memory which makes me smile bitterly. It is no surprise that I am like ‘this’. I was doing archery with the objective of training my body.

At first, when I hit the target, I was happy. But that happiness began fading as it became easier to achieve it.

But there is a limit to how precise you can be with just technique.

At first, I tried many things to increase my accuracy.

I devoted myself to closing my eyes and calming down. Many times I simulated my movements of hitting the target.

My stance, posture, my every move and action in archery, I continued to concentrate on it.

By the time I noticed, my sensei told me I could use the dojo anytime I wanted, and in exchange I stopped sitting with people of my same generation.

Now that I think about it, that must have been sensei’s concern for me.

So that other people don’t get weirded out by my strangeness.

For a long while…

When I entered the dojo, I continued doing this to change my mood. Sitting in seiza, the moment I face my target, I have already pictured myself hitting it. And in reality, it came true.

When I entered high school and joined the archery club, the childishness around me brought a smile to my face. But then I realized how abnormal I was.

When I asked for advice from my sensei, she didn’t know that I was in the archery club and was really surprised.

The moment I said it was because I liked using the bow, my sensei began laughing in amusement.

Sensei must have decided on something at that moment. She told me she would teach me archery.

The actual combat archery that has been passed down in sensei’s family was an art I had no idea of. It was filled with techniques that were crafted for many different situations.

But even with that, I still didn’t change my concept of ‘hitting in the middle’. 

After 1 year of learning, sensei told me that, with this, it was over and tested me out…and I passed.

Second year of senior high school. It wasn’t that long ago.

I had gotten the position of vice-president of the club. Following the instructions of sensei, I didn’t enter a single tournament. The senpais nominated me as vice-president as I didn’t have that many opportunities to use the bow. (TLN: Yeah, being a vice-president means having chores.)

Well, I felt a bit happy that I was being relied upon by the president though. Just like that, I concentrated on teaching my kohai (underclassmen) and was enjoying my school life until I was shoved this crazy talk about another world.

When I think about it, I was quite abnormal huh. The kohai that called me by saying ‘Senpai senpai’ was really nice.

Haah, there is no helping that I feel homesick. Reality reality. Good, my fire is still stable.

Well, gotta get serious after so long.

My aim is that Shinto-like gates’ middle.

By habit, I place my left hand as if holding a bow, my extended hand placed horizontally to my face just a bit behind it.

I try to simulate setting the arrow on the bow. If I get burned while taking the ball of fire in my hand, I will throw it away.

Now, show it to me, the power of my all out magic.

I release the arrow.

It was only an image inside of my mind but the ball of fire slowly curled.

And, in a moment, it had become a cylinder shaped like an arrow that impacted the gate. A piercing fire arrow.

“It’s a success. There’s no problem with its speed.” (Makoto)

This wasn’t the speed of someone throwing it, it flew exactly as if it was shot out by something. It would be good to train with it  though. It was the same as having a bow in hand. This is a big step forward. It’s reassuring.

“Huh?” (Makoto)

The arrow didn’t disappear. It stayed pierced on the gate and began to distort…as if trying to resist. It got conspicuously bigger, wriggling and distorting.

The fire arrow exploded.

Along with the gate.

With a one second lag, the hot wind blew against me. It was fairly hot. To the point I hesitated to breathe. Is that what they mean by complete incineration?!

“This is bad, the gate disappeared.” (Makoto)

Well it’s okay if it’s just the gate. Thinking that, I began to walk and saw an unbelievable thing.

Something moved.

In the vicinity of the gate, there were living beings…

This is bad.

It must be an incredibly awful situation over there with that direct hit.

If it’s moving, I may be able to make it in time.

I can say that I didn’t have the intention to hurt anyone, but there is no other way. In this situation, if I make it in time, I should return to the highland orcs cave to ask for medical treatment.

Anyways, I should go to the scene of the crime.

I run as if blowing all my cold sweat away.

—-

“You bastard, what are you?!”

“Uwaaa, this is already…” (Makoto)

It’s already too late. There were 4 living-looking creatures charred.

And another one had its half blown away. How did he talk?

It must have incredible vitality.

“Ah well, aren’t you full of vigor?” (Makoto)

Because he was talking with me so normally, I felt my tension going down.

“I will be dying soon!”

“Right, of course.” (Makoto)

“Those bastard highland orcs, are you telling me that they noticed our plan, the plan of the demon race? Or are they intending on killing a dragon?!”

“Stop! Stoppu! You, don’t talk anymore!” (Makoto)

“Kukuku, my life cannot be saved anymore. Let me talk till the end.”

Well yeah you can’t be saved, but the one who did it was me though?!

You are setting a lot of dangerous looking flags one after the other, you know?!

What kind of stupid thing is this?!

“If they had just cooperated with us as ordered, the problem would have been solved, and we would have added them to our ranks, but to think that they had such a monster like you!”

Uooooooo!!!

The intervention of the third party was behind the scenes?! I just hit them!

“Well, you have destroyed even the gate. That guy is one that draws conclusions fast. With this, the rage of Shen will become real.”

“Hey, wait! Will it piss off Shen that much to destroy the gate?!” (Makoto)

This is bad this is bad this is bad. It’s the pattern of entering a boss fight without even going to the save point.

If I select the conversation command: ‘This is not the time for that!’, is what I feel it would say.

It will definitely come!!

“A mighty dragon, in its own territory, will see its gate destroyed. Kukukuku serves you right!!!”

After saying all he wanted to say, he disappeared like sand. He must have died believing his own words.

The other 4 bodies had already disappeared. Did they wither the same way?

And then, a tremor.

Furthermore a cloud that was covering the mountain was lowering in altitude.

A cloud, no, if I think of its attributes, it would be mist.

Anyways, it was a strange phenomenon.

I will die!

I came with the intention of conversing, and then, after shaking hands, I would return happily.

I didn’t think that it would be such a dangerous thing that could make such an unnatural phenomenon occur!

I will be buried then killed and then violated?! The order is weird?!

My prediction was correct, and yet, why did it become like this?!

The bad guys were the demon race though! The third party, dude!

“Shen-sama, please listen to what I have to say!” (Makoto)

I shouted to the mist that had already lowered by metres of its original location.

At that place, there was something even I recognized. With an enraged facial expression showing its fangs…a dragon-sama had descended.

I could clearly tell that it would bite me to death at any moment!

Anyways…

“Shen isn’t a giant clam?!!!!” (Makoto) (TN: 蜃 refers to a giant clam but can also be a dragon.)

In another world, my own knowledge doesn’t work.

I don’t want to pass on like this.

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