Manowa 349

Chapter 349 - Let's Part From Younger Brother


Kazane stopped by the Adventurers Guild tavern where Nina worked because she wanted to know the current state of the area. And when she talked to Nina and the adventurers in the bar, she heard several things.


1. Garra's party was still in the middle of capturing Gordo Golden Ruins. There had apparently been a quarrel inside the party, but they seemed to be in good health.


2. The coronation of Tsuvara's King would soon be held, and he would officially become the King.


3. The details were unclear, but the princess of Tsuvara was missing. Well, the truth of that situation was well known to Kazane and others.


4. Minaka, the swordswoman from Japaness, hadn't come this way.


5. There was a rumor about an oracle saying a Devil King had appeared in Hyvern Dukedom. It seemed the story about her appearance in Shijiri City hadn't arrived yet.


6. There was a rumor that an Angel-sama had appeared in Wombard City. They were saying that it was a girl with loveliness that didn't seem to belong to this world. Kazane grinned goofily when she heard that story.


7. There were rumors that Jiro-kun might be a Hero. It seemed Jiro-kun had an outrageously thick Excalibur for his exclusive use. The details were unclear.


8. It was said that Minshiana Kingdom was looking for a hero. They were secretly hypothesizing in various places that it was to subjugate the Devil King.


9. There were rumors that either Angel-sama or Jiro-kun was the real hero. Also, there were factions forming around both opinions.


10. Black potions were appearing on the market. The Adventurers Guild was warning people not to use them, but the effect was certain, so the number of users seemed to be endless.


11. The situation in the Soldard Kingdom was unstable. Crossing the border was apparently difficult, and the merchants were all saying that the royal capital was in a sad and gloomy state.


12. A biography about Jiro-kun's conspicuous success was on sale. It seemed it was even being sold abroad.


13. To commemorate Jiro-kun's conspicuous success, Jiro-kun Manju was now on sale in this Winlard City. There was a scary rumor that eating Kazane Manju caused upset stomachs, so it wasn't being sold.


14. Jiro-kun...


15. Jiro-kun's..


16. Jiro-kun was...



◎ Winlard City, Ricardo Inn


The night of the day they returned to Winlard City. The White Party returned to the inn and held a party meeting.

「There are too many rumors about that Jiro guy.」

And the focus of the conference was all about Naoki's brief comment.

「He had certainly come up as a topic of conversation on our way here as well, but since he's an adventurer from this area, it's extremely common here.」

「Come to think of it, didn't father also adore that Jiro-san person?」

Lyle and Emily seemed like they could still say more. Tatsuo also seemed very curious and said『Is he an amazing person?』Though there were also people there who weren't the same.


「Kazane.」

「I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it!」

「How does it feel, knowing you've driven a man's life mad?」

「This isn't just my fault, right!?」

Kazane collapsed after Jinrai's words. She'd really done it now. She had made a mess. She thought that. Kazane sorrowfully thought that.

「You're right. It wasn't just you. If I had stopped you at that time, it wouldn't be like this...」

Jiro-kun, who was raised to stardom due to the trifling prank of Kazane and others, seemed to have continued rising, and he was now roaring down the star highway.

「No, but. Perhaps something has awakened inside Jiro-kun and made him stronger.」

「Not a chance. That guy's a genuinely ordinary person. You should know that well.」

Jinrai was casually saying something terrible, but one didn't normally become dramatically stronger in just a few months. Kazane and Yumika were simply abnormal.

「In the first place, it's scary that the majority of the rumors make him seem so amazing when he hasn't actually demonstrated his abilities.」

Yumika also had a cramped expression.

「It feels like he must be living a life like he's treading on thin ice.」


Naoki tilted his head at the whispered exchange between Kazane and the others, but from their atmosphere, it didn't seem like they would talk about it, so he asked Louise, who was looking out the window by herself, instead.

「Louise-san. Is that Jiro guy such an amazing person?」

Louise groaned after Naoki's words.

「Umm. I don't really remember much, but...」

And after she glanced at Naoki's lower body and thought a little,

「I think his caliber is different from you two.」

「So much……」

After Louise asserted that, Naoki and Lyle made pitiful expressions.

「But that's something that can't be helped. It would be best to think that his stage isn't something you two can reach in a lifetime. Yeah, I don't remember very well, but I know that much.」

Naoki and Lyle shuddered after Louise's words. They never thought there was a man in the world who would make Louise say so much.


Ignoring that exchange behind her, Kazane suddenly clenched her fist and thought that she had to do something about this.

「I'm certainly partly responsible. Therefore, I'll do what I can do right now!」

「Concretely, what will you do?」

Kazane grinned after Jinrai's question.


Kazane decided to use the next day's Wyvern Service to give Jiro an Odanobunaga Ashigaru armor and a Crimson Crystal Kodachi: Nobunaga Style, which she'd had processed at the East Dragon Village. Ashigaru equipment had a speed-increasing effect, and the Crimson Crystal Kodachi: Nobunaga Style was a maneuverable weapon with a short blade that had been Crimson Crystallized. Since Jiro was a Scout, they should be useful to him, which was why Kazane decided to give him those items.


And the next day, Kazane handed the package to the Wyvern Service. After that, they immediately went to Conrad City. Furthermore, the next day, they headed toward Kazane Magic Hot Spring Town (provisional).

However, this time, Kazane and the others would split into a separate group from Naoki, Lyle, and Emily on the way.



◎ Argo Mountains, Mountain Road Entrance


「Nostalgic. We hunted Gray Golems with Master here.」


That was already more than half a year ago. This was the mountain entrance where Kazane and Yumika were brought by Master. A little ahead was the habitat of the Gray Golems, and deeper in the mountains was a place that was said to be an inviolable sanctuary that couldn't be entered, the Coral Temple.

Naoki needed to obtain the Artifact『Return Stake』there. Even if there was a hole in the bottom layer of the dungeon to return to their original world, that Artifact was essential to return to this side.

The『Return Stake』that enabled Transfer, which should intrinsically only be possible by devils or other beings that only possessed a single attribute, was the most important acquisition target at the present point.


「So then, Naoki. According to the report from that person just now, the only people who went this way were adventurers for Gray Golem subjugation, and it seems there was nothing else in particular, so, well, the『Return Stake』should still be there.」


That person she mentioned was a soldier who was keeping watch in a hut near the entrance of the mountain road. The guards were there to maintain security due to the recent Mortal Monkey uproar and the ongoing creation of the hot spring town... at least, that was the pretext, but they were actually there to search for players by investigating anyone who might enter Coral Temple.

Also, the Cigna Ruins that Kazane and Yumika entered at the beginning were now seized by Minshiana Kingdom's army and were being investigated.

The Cigna ruins had the Grimoire Field for learning the lost flying magic『Fly』. The potential value for Minshiana Kingdom was great, and as the first discoverers, Kazane and Yumika would be rewarded with something or other based on the findings.


「So you should be able to obtain it without any particular problems. The more important problem is... you're going for your Heroic Spirit after all?」


Naoki nodded after Kazane's words. Kazane couldn't help but frown. Kazane being Kazane, she was unmindful to the considerable danger when she obtained Heroic Spirit Sieg, and Yumika's Arch being Arch, she'd had practically no problems, but Naoki's Heroic Spirit was quite dangerous.

When a magician-type Heroic Spirit like Yuuko-nee's Heroic Spirit Yukei was the opponent, they might have beginner killing abilities, like ranged attacks and attacks that can kill in a single blow. Against such opponents, the chances of a player dying before they could obtain their Heroic Spirit was much higher.

In fact, to safely obtain Yukei, it seemed Yuuko-nee raised her level considerably first and brought all the support items and magic tools she could to the battle.


「She will definitely be helpful to Aneki.」


Kazane smiled bitterly after those words. Kazane truly thought that as long as Naoki was safe, it didn't matter what happened to her. However, it seemed the same was true for her younger brother.


「Naoki, crouch for a second.」

「OK?」


Naoki fell to his knees with a puzzled expression, and Kazane approached Naoki, then firmly hugged him.

Naoki thought (Uha!), but feeling the trembling of his older sister's body, that feeling faded.

「Aneki......?」

Naoki looked at Kazane's face. She was making a face like she was enduring something.

「Naoki is a boy and an adventurer.」

Then Naoki realized that trembling came from fear.

「Onee-chan won't stop you. I believe in Naoki.」

She wanted to stop him, but she didn't. There was probably no lie in her feeling of believing. But she was surely worried. Kazane was anxious and couldn't help thinking that this might be the last time she saw her beloved brother.


「So Naoki, don't die.」

「Yeah. Aneki, thanks.」


Naoki smiled and returned his older sister's hug with moist eyes.


(Truly... ah, jeez)

Naoki thought it was like a curse. Before, when his older sister clung to him while crying and said「Have you come to hate Onee-chan?」his heart was stolen by his older sister, and here, his heart was once again tightly seized. He thought that he truly loved the person in his arms.


So that he wouldn't make his older sister anxious when she seemed about to burst into tears, Naoki separated from Kazane with a smiling face. Without pause, he started to climb the Argo Mountains with the friends he met in Hyvern. Their destination was Coral Temple, where Naoki would obtain new power.



Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Summoning Fighter

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King, Liberator

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Draghorn Tonfa x2, Dragon Eating Ogre Army Armor (True), Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, White Magic Accumulator (Revised) ×2, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring, Angel Bracelet

Level : 38

Health: 152+20

Magic Power: 340+520

Strength: 72+45

Agility: 78+39

Endurance: 43+20

Wisdom : 75

Dexterity : 51

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』『Rabbit Speed』『Flare Mirage』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior's Memory: Lv2』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv4』『Aegis Shield』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition: Lv2』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『High Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Devil King's Intimidation』『Stone Minotaur: Lv2』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-Silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur: Lv2』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』『Boost』『Monkey's Strong Arm』『Two-sword Style』『Boobies Plus』『Living Armor』『Alarm』『Six-sword Style』『Mental Attack Complete Protection』『Spider Web』『Wire Cutter』



Kazane:「Ah, jeez, I showed something embarrassing. I wonder if I seemed like a Brocon?...」

Yumika:「No, rather than you, I'm more worried that Naoki's pathology has progressed drastically.」

Kazane:「...??」

Yumika:「No, nothing. Forget it.」