Chapter 139 - Volume 7 (2/2)
It was bad to keep fighting here.
It was hard to use Kanzo’s preferred earth magic with the magical nature of the dungeon’s walls and floors. Even if she could use shards of rock like this, she couldn’t use wide-area spells like [Earth Shaker] to cause an earthquake to attack.
And, of course,
“My [Magic Stone] nursery……”
Yurushia was destroying all of the corpses, either intentionally or not.
Further destruction would mean a delay in the plan. Also, it was unlikely that Yurushia would follow her if she moved.
It was also entirely possible that she would be able to escape once all of the corpses were destroyed.
It was a catch-22, leaving her unable to advance or retreat.
It was as if everything had already been learned, but remembering a feeling like attraction drawing her to this place, Kanzo cooled her perplexed head.
“………………ch.”
Should she continue fighting, or turn to negotiating?
Kanzo knew that if she were to continue fighting, she would have to seriously go on the offensive and give up on all of the corpses.
Making a deal…… From what she’d felt from having that conversation, she thought that she would accept if she made more concessions.
However, it wasn’t interesting or fun for Kanzo to just unilaterally lose.
What could she obtain…… or was it entirely possible to unsettle her?
*Tap*……
“Wh-”
A large gem had rolled over to Kanzo’s feet while she was thinking.
It wasn’t just any gem. Kanzo could tell by its brightness and the magic power within that it was clearly a [Magic Stone] had had achieved full crystallization.
“W-why is this here!?”
“I made it.”
Turning back toward the voice, she watched as Yurushia approached her slowly, with such a relaxed gait that she couldn’t believe that they had been fighting each other up until now.
“Y-you, why do you have this?”
“There’s more, you know?”
As she dropped a few more [Magic Gemstones] onto the floor with a clatter, Kanzo’s eyes went wide.
“Want them?”
“……What do you want.”
As Yurushia took out more [Magic Jewels] and quietly waited, playing with them absentmindedly, Kanzo had a sour expression.
“I want to know Gamble’s [Hero’s Secret Arts]……”
“………”
Kanzo was both convinced and astonished at her words.
Yurushia was seeking the [Hero’s Secret Arts]. This battle had probably been a farce just to bring Kanzo to the negotiating table.
Given how much of each other’s hands they’d seen now, it was bound to be a dirty deal. Yet, this was something with far better guarantees than a contract with a major merchant.
She wanted the Magic Stone Jewels. But, the pride of a [Hero] lingered like sediment in a corner of her heart, and she was hesitant to pass these secret arts to someone who wasn’t a hero.
“You want the recipe too, don’t you?”
“…”
Yurushia’s words came like the devil’s whispers, tempting her with her desires.
The carefree Yurushia had somehow naturally sidled up to her, and gently whispered words into Kanzo’s ears, throwing her alertness into confusion.
“I’ll tell you a little now. You need…… strong ‘pure magic power’.”
“Pure magic power…… What are you saying, isn’t that impossible unless you’re a spirit?”
Kanzo knew that the magic power of a spirit was so pure that it couldn’t be compared to that of a human being, and their magic power efficiency was also good.
The scales fell from her eyes, as she realized that there were too many impurities in the magic power of a physical creature to manufacture a magic stone jewel.
And she was instantly disappointed as well. To obtain this pure magic power, she would have to capture a spirit and then force it into servitude.
But that would mean pitting herself against the spirits. And if that were to happen, Kanzo, who was a [Hero] by the grace of the spirit of light, could lose most of her power doing so.
While Demons were also spiritual life forms, the lesser demons had little intellect, and their magic power was as muddied as a human’s.
Calling a greater demon was possible, but she didn’t know what price it would demand in exchange.
“Ah, you seem to have forgotten something. ……here.”
“Y-you……”
Kanzo stared at Yurushia in surprise as she gently glided her fingers over her chest.
A [Hero] beloved by the spirits could create some amounts of pure magic power. But it was one of their “trump cards” that couldn’t be used without shaving off her lifespan.
“That’s impossible……”
“Fufu…… But, you’re not the only hero, are you, Kan-chan……?”
“Wh-”
As Kanzo recoiled in shock, Yurushia gently smiled.
“That jewel looks good on a beauty like you.”
“……I-is that so”
“Kan-chan and I…… if we worked together, we could get as many as we wished.”
“Yes…… that’s right”
And as they spoke, Kanzo lost every bit of her normality.
“Well, Kan-chan. Shall we make a [Promise] to be friends?”
“……Yes, let’s. I promise.”
As Kanzo affirmed the words of the golden beauty, a thin chain glinted momentarily, sticking out from her chest.
Author’s Notes:
How laid-back~
I guess it ended up being a Demon-like feeling. It’s both easy and hard.
Next time, the final chapter of the volume!