Demon King Zagan had been destroyed without being able to do anything.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate to praise him for surviving at all, given that he was buried alive under rubble, unable to move.
Marius retrieved the Demon King’s heart and returned to where Lucas and the others were waiting.
With magic only used once, everyone somehow grasped what had happened.
“Well, the Demon King seemed to have been weakened too much by the seal…”
No one said anything in response to Marius’s overly painful excuse.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they didn’t want to face the terrifying reality.
(Marius-sama is the best! The strongest!)
Only Barra was genuinely impressed, or rather, moved. She sent a round of applause in her mind and offered an elegant smile on the surface.
“I’m glad. Since we’re already here, why don’t we fix up this mess before we head back?”
“Indeed. We didn’t expend too much energy,” Lucas agreed immediately. The truth was, he didn’t want to think about anything else, and everyone else held a similar opinion, though to varying degrees. Of course, they genuinely wanted to help the devastated surroundings. Marius also had no objections, as he would soon be unable to bear his guilt if it were left unattended any longer.
“If the Demon King is gone, we should be able to restore it,” Zofi stated her agreement calmly. She didn’t particularly care about nature or the ecosystem, but if her master Marius wanted to restore it, she had to reveal all her knowledge. The primary cause of the ecological imbalance was the sealed Demon King. Even though he was vanquished so easily, his influence was immeasurable. Furthermore, the remnants of Marius’s magic were significant. They were distorting the perception of Rupert and Cedric, contributing to the obstruction of nature’s self-healing functions. The air felt somewhat stagnant and heavy.
“Especially the plants, what should we do…”
Restoring nature to its original state would take decades. Honestly, Marius had no idea where to begin.
“In that case, a magic called ‘Grose’ might be appropriate,” Lucas suggested. Marius was unaware, but such an earth-elemental magic existed. It could clear away fallen trees, and once the magical disturbance was neutralized, this magic could then be used to boost nature’s recovery. Neutralizing the magical disturbance would require the light-elemental magic “Neutral.”
“Unfortunately, I have not mastered it…” Lucas said with a hint of reluctance, and Barra raised her hand.
“Ah, I can use that.” Barra feigned a delicate joy on the outside, though inwardly she was thrilled that her turn had finally come. Marius couldn’t use either. They didn’t exist in the game. “Neutral” would be handled by Barra, and “Grose” by Lucas, leaving Marius with the task of clearing the ravaged land. However, there was a restriction: he couldn’t turn it into a barren wasteland. Zofi, judging her role to be complete, excused herself from Marius and returned. As a Succubus Demon, she wouldn’t have known any magic for restoring nature.
“【Fire】”
Removing all equipment except his robe, Marius cast the spell without a chant, reducing its power to the bare minimum to burn away the debris. He paid meticulous attention to avoid obliterating the remaining nature. However, it was undeniably more taxing on his nerves than a normal casting.
“Phew.” Marius completed his task in less than thirty seconds. While simply burning things could be done in an instant, exercising restraint proved to be quite difficult. Barra began using her magic as Marius finished.
“Light, follow the path. Return that existence to its proper form – 【Neutral】.” Unlike Marius, Barra performed the full incantation. Her entire body was engulfed in light, and then, lines spread out, forming circles. When the light faded, the air was clear and refreshing. Unfortunately, due to it being Marius’s magic, it couldn’t neutralize a wide area instantly, but this was evidently anticipated. Barra exhaled and cast the spell again. She continued this repetitive task, casting magic every so often without showing any signs of fatigue. Lucas couldn’t help but be astonished by her. Marius quietly approached Lucas and sought his opinion on Barra’s abilities.
“She is, in a word, superb. ‘Neutral’ is a high-level, third-tier magic. To use it repeatedly without any fatigue would be presumptuous for someone like myself to feel envy.” While not on par with Marius, Barra possessed a high amount of magic power, as well as skills to reduce magic consumption and increase magic recovery. Barra’s profile, illuminated by the light, was mystical and beautiful enough to make one lose oneself if not careful about the time and place.
(She’s such a good girl.) Marius believed it was admirable that she worked so hard, even though she had two objectives: to appeal to him and to foster friendly relations with Filat. Barra gave the impression of being cheerful and enjoying working for others, which was her great weapon. If she had conveyed a sense of duty, Marius and the people of Filat would not have been moved. However, she possessed an innocent charm that disarmed their caution, a brightness that made them feel at ease, and a diligence that made them want to cheer her on. Anyone in Filat who had felt estranged from Ranleo and viewed Barra as an enemy was now nonexistent. If she had planned this, one could only praise Ranleo’s foresight. However, her Father King had been vehemently against it, and he had reluctantly sent her off while shedding tears of blood.
(I need to face this seriously soon.) At least toward Barra, he felt he had to respond with sincerity. Marius hadn’t exchanged many words with Barra yet. If she harbored feelings for him, it was most likely due to the Demonplay, and thus, her abilities as a mage. However, Marius found it acceptable. The primary reason was the bittersweet memory of being dumped by a past lover. A classmate who said she fell for his inner self had been disappointed by another side of Marius and left, saying, “I never thought you were like that.” Therefore, it would be much better to be liked for aspects like appearance or abilities, which wouldn’t easily lead to disillusionment. Of course, he didn’t intend to deny choosing based on one’s inner self. The heart and romantic relationships are not always pure, nor can they be neatly compartmentalized or calculated. Marius, despite lacking experiences he could share with others, believed he understood that much. Lyvisa, who had completely suppressed her emotions, was almost blindingly radiant.
(That’s probably why I’m drawn to her…) Lyvisa’s self-control was astonishing to Marius, and in a negative light, even uncanny. Even for the good of the nation, and with the King’s permission, she couldn’t suddenly change her attitude. By Marius’s standards, this was rather dignified, but it could also be seen as stubbornness, and a potential obstacle as a partner. If they could achieve a state of mutual acceptance, body and soul, she would likely be incredibly reliable. In that sense, Barra, who was cheerful, innocent, diligent, and the type to be devoted, could be considered more preferable.
(A harem is okay, though.) Both Barra and Bernhard III were positive about it. In this world where death was a daily occurrence, the genes of the strong held immense popularity. It was said that the probability of a strong person’s offspring being strong was much higher than the probability of a strong person being born through mutation. As the days passed, his aversion lessened, and he himself couldn’t hide his bewilderment. He was confident and aware of his ability to switch gears quickly, but wasn’t this too fast?
(Could this be a side effect of this body…?) It had been revealed that this body had various effects, both good and bad, but perhaps it extended to his mental state in various ways. It felt as though he had lost the ability to think about multiple things simultaneously. The biggest problem for Marius right now wasn’t his bewilderment about a harem. More important was the question of “whether his children would become strong.” Both Barra and Lucas gained their strength through unremitting training after possessing natural talent. In contrast, Marius’s power was almost a cheat. A harem was established with the expectation of strong offspring, so would it be permissible if not a single strong child was born? In Barra’s case, if her mother’s genes were strong, her child might indeed become strong. In any case, he shouldn’t forget his own peculiarities. While Marius was lost in thought, Barra finished her neutralization, and then Lucas and the others began using “Grose.” To properly restore the forest, there was a need to replant trees. In that regard, magic was by no means omnipotent. However, using it at this stage would have the effect of regenerating the soil, which would not be in vain.
“Marius-sama.”
“Yes?” Barra spoke to him with a slightly nervous expression.
“Since we’re here, why not practice ‘Neutral’ and ‘Grose’?” Marius agreed to the suggestion without a second thought. Increasing his usable magic wouldn’t be a bad thing. Barra clenched her fist inwardly with joy, but outwardly, she maintained a demeanor of “slightly pleased.”
“Well, first, ‘Grose’ is a sixth-tier earth-elemental magic, you see…” After a thorough explanation, they decided to try it out.
“【Grose】”
Nothing happened.
“Well, it’s unlikely to work perfectly right away,” Barra smiled gently. Marius wondered if omitting the incantation had been the problem, so this time he tried casting it with the full chant.
“Earth, become my sustenance with your bountiful power – 【Grose】.” A flash of light shot out, and various grasses instantly sprouted from the ground.
“It’s too much,” Barra let out a sigh. Lucas and the others, after a moment of surprise, shrugged and rejoined Marius and the group. Lucas, unlike Barra, was clearly fatigued. His magic recovery couldn’t keep up.
“Lord Marius, restoring nature too rapidly can cause destruction, you see.” Marius nodded sheepishly at Lucas’s admonishment.
“Ah, I understand, but… it seems I lack the dexterity to fine-tune a spell the first time I use it.” The world wasn’t that forgiving. Since he had messed up, practicing the other spell, “Neutral,” was postponed. The side effects of overdoing it with that spell were terrifying. In the worst-case scenario, it could “neutralize” everything, returning it to nothingness. This was a phenomenon that normally would be laughed off as impossible, but they had just witnessed the “impossible phenomenon” of weeds sprouting the moment after using “Grose.” No one laughed, and no one denied it. Marius also lacked the confidence to fine-tune it, so he gave up.
