59 Tarasque (1/2)

Dark Knight Kroki

On the outskirts of the free city of Thessesia.

The sound of explosions echoed in the plains away from the streets.

'We did it, Kroki-san!

Kyouka squealed with joy.

The magic Kyouka had released had hit the target.

It was the first time she had been able to hit the target with magic for the 36th time.

It was a normal thing for any other magician to do, but it would be an accomplishment for her.

After all, she had never been able to use magic properly before.

''Err ...... Mido-san. All that's left is practice, I guess.

I say to Kyouka.

'It's fine with Kyouka, Kroki. You're my teacher!

Kyouka takes her hand.

'No ......, I haven't done anything that could be called a teacher .......

I'm embarrassed to be called a teacher.

I didn't actually teach him anything significant.

It all started when Kyouka asked me to teach her magic at dinner last night.

But I don't think a magic teacher can serve.

I refused, but Kyouka insisted and bowed, so I agreed to just give her advice.

So the next morning we moved to the outskirts of Tessesia.

There was only himself, Kyouka, and Shirone and Kaya here.

Raina left, as if she couldn't afford to leave Elyos any longer.

Rigena and the Lizardmen have them waiting on the Kish River.

Novis and the others have not been allowed to accompany them.

And I saw Kyouka use her magic, but it's nothing.

It's simply too much force. It's a magic that can be done with a little bit of magic power, but it's overloaded with magic power. That's why the magic goes out of control.

That's why I advised Kyouka to relax her shoulders.

Of course, it's not going to work when I tell her to relax her power.

I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do, but I'm not going to tell you what to do.

However, this is just a matter of feeling, so you have to practice again and again to get it right.

And finally, after the thirty-sixth time, I was able to activate the magic as I wanted.

''I'll try it again. Fireball!

However, the magic fireball released from Kyouka's staff flew in a different direction.

''Magic erased!''

Hurry up and counteract the magic that flew in a different direction in a hurry. If it catches fire or hits someone, we're in trouble.

''You've failed again. ......

Kyoka is depressed. There are quite a few ups and downs.

'It's okay if you fail. I think there are many things that go wrong in this world. If you get depressed every time, there's no end to it.

Comfort Kyouka.

I don't think we should be afraid to fail. Sometimes it's better to take it easy and get good results.

'But ...... your brother and Chiyuki-san were able to use their magic well from the beginning. I've never seen them fail .......

Kyoka says with a dark face.

'Not everyone gets it right the first time. I used to make a lot of mistakes myself. ......

According to Kyouka, Rage was able to do everything from a young age.

But not everyone is good at it from the start. People are not equal.

I'm not someone who can do everything from the start. I'm probably not as talented as Rage.

But you can't help envying the talents of others.

You have to compete with what you were born with. And what it lacks in talent, it can only be made up for with hard work.

This is the conclusion I came to when I recovered from losing to Rage and getting depressed.

Clearly, Kyouka is in a hurry. She doesn't like the fact that she's the only one who can't do anything compared to the people around her.

But you must not worry about the surroundings. The more you are in a hurry, the more things will go wrong.

I told him how bad I was in the past.

I thought this would make Kyouka feel better.

Then Kyouka looked as if she was surprised.

'Is that so? Mr. Kuroki can do everything and he's very strong.

'I don't intend to be that strong. I was definitely weaker than Silone in the past, and ....... Sometimes I still feel like I'm not good enough because of all the mistakes I've made. Can't you trust me?

Then he laughs with a haha.

Silone used to be stronger than me. I remember that he used to make me cry in the dojo.

And even now, I didn't feel like I was strong.

Even when I won against Rage, I was fighting selflessly and my opponent would fall on his own. That's how it felt.

'No, I trust you. I've heard a lot of bad things about Kuroki-san from Sirone-san. I'm sure it's true.

Kyouka smiles.

She looks at Shirone and Kaya behind her.

Shirone turns her head to look behind her.

Why do you turn your eyes away?

Shilohnee!　What are you talking about when you're not there!!!!

'Hahahahahahahaha!　Sorry, I'm sorry, Kroki!

Cyrone laughs and cheats.

'Sirone!　What the hell did you tell him?!

'Let's see. Mainly the contents of the naughty books Kroki has hidden under the bed and in the back of the bookshelf or .......

Syrone replies, scratching her cheek with a pouty smile. Her eyes are still looking in a different direction.

''Wait a minute!　Don't go fishing without permission!

'Hahahaha!

He would laugh and cheat.

For a long time now, Shirone has had a tendency to wreak havoc in her room without permission.

On the other hand, he would get very angry if you tried to enter Shirone's room. Isn't this unfair?

And isn't he considered a disgusting pervert by both Kyoka and Kaya?

I look at the two of them fearfully.

There is no change in Kyouka's direction.

Kaya looks a bit scared.

'Um, Kuroki-sama ....... May I have a moment?

Suddenly, Kaya calls out to me. From the sound of her voice, she seems a bit angry.

'Um, what can I do for you ......?'

I ask fearfully.

'Maybe Master Kroki isn't looking at your daughter in a disgusting way during practice, is he?

Kaya's face as she says this is a bit of a smile, but it's kind of scary.

'No, no!　I'm not looking at you like that!　I won't think anything disrespectful about someone who is working so hard!

He replied hastily and honestly.

Kyouka is an attractive woman.

Kyouka's current clothing is lighter on the west side of the continent than the east side, probably because the temperature is higher there. It's true that this makes you almost look at her well-developed breasts.

However, I don't think I should give such a chick-flick gaze to someone who is trying so hard to do their best.

That's why I don't look at Kyouka in a disgusting way. That's a fact.

I meet Kaya's eyes straight on.

'...... I see. From the looks of it, it seems to be true. I beg your pardon.

Kaya bows her head honestly.

'No, not really: ......'

This person, Kaya, seems to really care about Kyouka.

She has been summoned to another world to serve him.

It seems that Kyouka and Kaya have a special relationship, not just an employer and a servant.

I was a little curious about their relationship.

'But that's great, Kuroki. I'm sure you're not the only one who was not able to get it right when you taught it to me, but it worked when you taught it to me.

Syrone says, patting himself on the back.

Honestly, I want to question Shirone for an hour or so, but I'm not going to do it now.

Then again, Chiyuki is probably a student at the same school as us, Suiouji Chiyuki.

I know her because she was a celebrity in the school. She's a beautiful girl with long black hair.

Suiji Chiyuki is a woman who is said to be quite a talented woman. However, her personality is rumored to be quite harsh.

I've seen her before, but if she looked at me with those cold eyes, I'd be deflated and not in a place to learn.

Kyouka might as well have been the same. Just as a great swordsman doesn't necessarily make a good sword teacher, maybe being a talented woman doesn't mean she's a good teacher.

Sirone says that she's actually quite a gentle person. Well, that's probably true.

But she also seems to be stern. Perhaps Kyouka must have been too deflated to learn.

''It's not like I taught you anything of that magnitude. ......

I'm going to be honest with myself. I really didn't teach him anything significant.

I just told him to relax his shoulders. I don't think I need to do this much myself. Perhaps an imam from the Society of Magicians could teach it more appropriately?

Kyouka was afraid of failure and wasted her magic power.

But why couldn't the people around him teach Kyouka that?

I think of the people around Kyouka. The women around Kyouka are Rage and his cronies.

And Rage and the girls are all good at what they do.

Maybe Rage and the others are all the type of people who can do everything from the beginning.

Maybe that's why they weren't able to notice Kyouka's condition.

Besides, the high ability of the people around him must have been a negative thing.

The fact that I'm the only one who can't do it well puts pressure on me, which in turn makes it impossible for me to use my magic well.

In a way, it's bad luck.

It's a good thing that I'm not the only one who can use magic well.

Kyouka takes her hand and thanks her.

'No, ...... not that.'

I didn't do enough to be thanked, but I don't feel bad about being able to smile at a beautiful woman.

'Me, I'm feeling somewhat motivated!　Because even the useless Kuroki-san can beat his brother if he works hard!

Kyouka says with a carefree smile.

I'm sure she doesn't mean any offense, but it's a bit tricky.

I know I said it myself, but when someone else says no, it makes me feel a little dented.

'Come on, I'll practice more!　Kaya, get more targets ready!

Yes, Miss.

Kyouka lets go of his own hand and heads for the target.

Some of it doesn't add up a bit, but it's good to know that you're motivated. So I force myself to convince myself.

Kyouka is slowly but surely improving her magic.

Eventually, she will be able to use her magic perfectly.

Seeing that makes me a little uneasy. Have I made a powerful enemy, haven't I?

We took her request lightly, but she is essentially our own enemy.

If she's going to attack Nargol with Rage, we must fight her.

At that time, her magic may be turned against her.

I wonder if this is how she will strangle herself.

'What's wrong, Kuroki? I don't know.

Cyrone called out to me from behind, comfortably.

'No, it's nothing: ......'

I answer that.

Kyouka could have solved the problem without me telling her. So don't worry about it.

I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do.

Kyouka is happy that she was able to use her magic well.

So it's surely a good thing that this was the case. It's not just a matter of time before you get the chance to see them.

I decided to think of it that way.

◆Rena, the goddess of wisdom and victory.

Back to Elios I go. I had to go back because there are some noisy people who will not leave for too long.

My place in Elyos is on a floating island connected to Mount Elyos by a rainbow bridge. On the island, there is a garden with a fountain at the center, which makes me feel like I've come home.

'Welcome home, Lady Raina,'

When I return, I'm greeted by Nia and the other war maidens.

''Thank you for welcoming me.''

I take off my hood and hand it to the one angel who is a war maiden.

'Are you sure you're ready?'

Nia asks me.

'Yes, enough is enough.'

I'm happy to see Kroki for the first time in a while. When shall we go to see him again?

Is it enough?　Rage doesn't seem to have been saved yet: ......?

Nia, who is following behind me, asks with concern.

Why is she asking about Rage? I don't get it.

'I don't see the point in worrying about it, Nia. Rage will be fine.

I turn around and say and Nia gives me a strange look.

'Is that so?'

Yes, I do.

I answer with certainty.

Kroki is on his way to Lavrus's labyrinth. I don't think Kroki will lose to Lavrus. Rage will be saved. There's nothing to worry about.

So I reply.

'Because my knight is strong.'

Shirone the Maiden of Swords

In the afternoon, Kroki and I dive into the Kish River.

Of course, it was to help Rage and the others.

The reason why this afternoon is because I spent the morning with Kyouka-san at her practice.

If Rage and the others returned, Kroki might return to Nargol sooner or later.

So before that, I needed to learn from Kuroki.

Kyouka and Kaya would still be practicing right now.

They don't seem to need Kuroki's instruction anymore.

Kroki says that Kyouka-san has a talent to begin with, so if he had a chance, he would improve quickly.

I look at Kuroki beside me.

He is in the form of a dark knight. I don't like that appearance much.

I wish he could stay with us all the time and not return to Nargol.

But Kroki refuses to budge, saying he's going home.

Even if I tell you, you don't listen to me, is she still manipulating you?

Yeah, that's what it looks like. We're gonna get them back.

But for now, let's just focus on getting Reiji and the kids out of there.

Kuroki and I will go through the river.

I can breathe through water with the power of the water spirit. Kroki has the power of a water dragon inside his body, so he can also operate in water.

The lizardmen are leading us in front of us.

With the help of Kroki's labyrinth blueprints and Lizardmen's research, we found a waterway that leads to the labyrinth in this place.

According to the blueprint of the labyrinth, this channel seems to be connected to the five levels where Rage is located.

The hole in the channel is too small to allow people to enter. If it were smaller, it would be possible to get in, but you can't use that kind of magic.

And there was a glowing membrane at the border of the channel and the river. Probably a ward.

The wards covering this labyrinth are not perfect.

It should be easy to erase it if you exploit the break in the warding. It took me a long time to find that break.

If Kuroki and Lizardman weren't there, they wouldn't have been able to find the tear.

If we can erase this tether, everyone will be saved.

I draw my sword.

'I'll help you now, guys.

I held my sword at the top and swung it down.

The black-haired wise man Chiyuki.

'What ...... now ......'

I muttered to myself.

I felt some kind of magical surge.

Both Nao and Reno, who were drinking tea with me, seemed to feel something.

''Chiyuki-san ....... The wards seem to have disappeared. I can feel it.

”I can hear the spirits, too, Chiyuki-san.

We looked at each other and nodded.

It looks like Syrone and the others have done it.

'What's going on, guys?'

Rage-kun with Sahoko and Eulia comes into the dining room.

”Hmm, Rage-kun. The warding seems to have disappeared. It looks like Sirone did it for me.

I say and the three of them are surprised.

'That's Shirone. I've done a lot of thinking for you.

'Huh, Ray, you're right. I'm glad I waited and trusted you.

Rage and Sahoko laugh.

'Such ....... The wards are ....... What does Atra ...... do ......?

But Eulia is muttering something with an unhappy face.

''Princess Eulia?　Is something wrong?

Eulia panics when I ask.

'I, no!　It's nothing!　Oh, yes!　We have to hurry up and let everyone know, I'm off!

Eulia hurries out of the dining room.

What the hell is this?

'If the wards are gone, that means we can escape.

Yes, that's right, Raji. We can use transference magic to escape now. Everyone, gather the people of the city! We're getting out of here!

Lavrus, the evil god.

”Wards are gone!　What do you mean by that?!

He yells at one of the minotaurs who contacted him.

Then the human females around the throne get scared.

That's what makes me cringe again.