We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Now, to the legendary craftsman.
“I’ll have Ruilala act as our guide.”
“Uwah, Ruilala’s coming too?!”
“That’s mean, Elnea-kun. If I’m not here, you won’t be able to reach our destination, you know?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Fufufu, in that case, shall I guide you then?”
“Ruilala-kun, please do!”
Hmm, I’d rather be guided by Ruilala than by Charlotte!
The next morning, the sun, shimmering in a sky painted with a fantastic blend of colors, rose in the east. At the same time, we resumed our activities.
And so, as atonement for destroying the detached palace, Ruilala was chosen to guide us to the legendary craftsman.
“Fufufu, please be careful. That person is quite temperamental, and once you displease them, who knows what they might do.”
“No matter what means it takes, declare that he rebuild the detached palace.”
As we transferred to the grown Nimia’s back, Ruilala joined us as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The Demon Lord and Charlotte had specifically come to see us off.
But of course, they wouldn’t see us off normally. After all, they were that pair of extremely evil demons.
“Uwaah, I don’t want to go anymore…”
“But Elnea-kun, meeting that person might solve the hero’s problem?”
“Actually, I have a question. Why would meeting the legendary craftsman solve the holy sword problem?”
“Hahaha, well, you see. You’ll understand when you go. It’s a lot of things?”
“What’s with that meaningful way of speaking!?”
For some reason, the reactions of the Demon Lord, Charlotte, and Ruilala were strange.
Every time I mentioned the “legendary craftsman,” they’d smirk. That’s definitely a smile hiding something. And they were chuckling, seeing my obliviousness.
I hate it. I hate it.
Demons are indeed wicked, a race that enjoys playing with people’s hearts.
“Kukuku. If your desire is for the extreme wickedness I imagine, I could choose not to return the White Sword as it is and observe your suffering for a lifetime?”
“No, no, Your Majesty the Demon Lord. I will definitely have the White Sword returned!”
“Fufufu, it would be good if His Majesty would return it, wouldn’t it?”
“Eh!? Wait a minute. Charlotte, what do you mean by that?”
“Departure, nyaan.”
“Aaaah, Nimia!”
Before I could pursue Charlotte’s meaningful words, punctuated by a fufufu, Nimia took off. And in the blink of an eye, the figures of the Demon Lord and Charlotte became small.
“Aaaah, they’re definitely scheming something. What will happen to my White Sword?!”
“Somehow, you always seem to have your own troubles…”
“Ristea, you understand, right?”
“Ah, perhaps the revival of the holy sword is a trivial problem compared to the trial you are facing.”
“Uuuu, a trial more difficult than reviving the holy sword…”
Ristea patted my back to comfort me as I slumped in dejection. Beside us, Slaton, Louvent, and Oz were laughing.
Alex-san was also giving a faint, bitter smile.
“It’s alright. Both His Majesty and the Chancellor like Elnea-kun.”
“So, thanks to being liked by demons, we’re being treated like this?”
“Hahaha, isn’t that something to be envious of?”
Ruilala, who had been a model vassal in front of the Demon Lord and Charlotte, reverted to his usual wicked demon self once we were out of their sight.
Ruilala, who laughingly enjoyed people’s misfortunes, ought to fall off Nimia’s back.
“If you don’t guide us, we won’t reach our destination, nyan.”
“Nn? Are you thinking of kicking me out?”
“It’s just your imagination, your imagination.”
“Is it really?”
Still, it’s true that without Ruilala’s guidance, we’d be lost.
From what I heard beforehand, the legendary craftsman lives in a remote part of the Giant Demon Lord’s country.
“He lives in a small forbidden territory in a corner of the border, adjoining the country ruled by His Majesty the Sage Demon Lord.”
“Old Sage Demon Lord? And a forbidden territory?”
“Hahaha, Elnea-kun. Even though he’s a Demon Lord of another country, there’s no way someone like me can casually say his name. And there are forbidden territories other than the place where Elnea-kun lives.”
So said Ruilala.
I recall that “forbidden territories” were lands directly ruled by the true ruler of the demon race.
And the legendary craftsman lives in one of these forbidden territories.
Does this mean the legendary craftsman is not only valued by the Giant Demon Lord but also favored by the true ruler?
There are many mysteries surrounding the legendary craftsman.
How on earth can he build super-large structures like my mansion and the Demon Lord’s detached palace in such a short period? And not just build, but also arrange the garden and furnish it.
Moreover, everything is of the highest quality.
Normally, just gathering first-class items would be difficult.
In Armēdo Kingdom’s capital, the royal castle is being rebuilt, and I’ve heard that more than the castle itself, the staff are struggling with procuring furniture and furnishings.
That’s why Father and Jiludo are so busy.
In the first place, while they talk about the legendary craftsman as if it were a personal name, I wonder how many people are in his household?
Even building a small house involves many people. Those who make the foundation, those who build the pillars, walls, and ceiling, those who handle interior work, and those who inspect.
Surely, the legendary craftsman is a “legendary craftsman group.”
Ah, I realize.
Perhaps among those people, there’s a craftsman who can reforge the holy sword.
If they’re a group capable of building such splendid mansions, it wouldn’t be strange for them to have legendary blacksmiths.
However, a question arises here.
Then why did Charlotte add the words “if Ristea is convinced”?
And there’s still a fundamental problem.
Why were the demons smiling strangely every time I said “legendary craftsman”?
The Demon Lord, Charlotte, and Ruilala won’t tell me who the legendary craftsman is.
Assigning Ruilala as our guide is also to hide the legendary craftsman’s true identity.
If they are a legendary craftsman group that takes requests from the Demon Lord and the true ruler, general demons should also know of their existence. Therefore, we might be able to find them if we wanted to, even without Ruilala’s guidance.
But the Demon Lord did not approve of that.
He intends to keep the legendary craftsman’s true identity a secret from me and make me a laughingstock until the end.
“So, how long will it take to get to that forbidden territory?”
Slaton asked, enjoying the scenery from the sky.
Ruilala pondered for a moment and replied with a troubled smile.
“During the day, I don’t think it’s possible.”
“That far?!”
How vast is the Demon Race’s country?! Everyone but Ruilala must have thought that.
But there was another reason.
“This isn’t Dragon Peak. It’s the Demon Race’s country.”
“Hou hou, Ruilala-kun, continue.”
“But, we’re riding on Nimia-chan right now, aren’t we?”
“Hou hou, and then?”
“The place we’re heading to faces Dragon Peak, and it’s different from the east side of His Majesty’s country where the presence of dragons is usually considered.”
“That’s right…”
“So, simply spotting a dragon flying in the sky will cause the demons to make a huge fuss.”
“That would be problematic…”
“At worst, the Demon Lord’s Army stationed in various regions, who don’t know the circumstances, might attack.”
“It’ll be a big incident!”
“So, we, or rather Nimia-chan, must fly without being seen by the demons.”
“And then?”
“It’s fine up to this newly incorporated area of His Majesty’s country, but from there on, it’s better to fly when it gets dark. Nimia-chan is a splendid dragon, so she’ll stand out.”
“Nyan.”
I see, it makes sense when you say it like that. I have no choice but to agree.
Even now, Nimia is flying far above the clouds, but the autumn sky has few clouds. And even if there are, they are thin. So, Nimia will stand out even from the ground.
In the Giant Demon Lord’s country, Lily was already there, and recently, our existence has become recognized by some demons. However, if asked if it’s the same on the west side of the country, which we’ve never visited before, I have to say it’s different.
“Well then, once we reach near a large city, we’ll take a break until it gets dark then.”
So, under Ruilala’s guidance, Nimia descended to a mountain range in the borderlands.
If it had just been us, I wouldn’t have noticed Ruilala’s consideration, and we might not have found a place to rest like this. Thinking about it, I regret to say that Ruilala’s company was the right choice.
Louvent, perhaps due to Alex-san’s stern warning, hasn’t caused any trouble today. However, with his usual foul mouth, we could only give bitter smiles. The compatibility between the demon Ruilala and the heavenly race Louvent seemed poor, and even during the break waiting for sunset, the atmosphere became tense at every turn. However, they didn’t actually clash.
And so, after waiting for the sun to set, we set off again.
“Nimia-chan, it would be helpful if you could fly in that direction.”
“Leave it to me, nyan.”
Guided by Ruilala, Nimia flapped her wings. Ruilala has apparently visited the forbidden territory where the legendary craftsman lives several times.
“By the way. Isn’t the Demon Lord’s Castle going to be rebuilt by the legendary craftsman?”
“Ah, that’s a valid question. But think about it. If we leave everything to that person, the craftsmen who support the country would starve.”
“I see, unbalanced work orders are not good.”
So, he deliberately commissioned the Demon Lord’s Castle to the craftsmen of his own country. My problem is also unbalanced. I wish someone would share the burden…
“Ah, Nimia-chan. Could you lower our altitude from around here?”
“Understood, nyan.”
“Ruilala, why?”
“Hahaha, that’s a secret.”
As I followed Ruilala’s instructions, we flew over a land covered in a deep forest. Then, Ruilala told us to lower our altitude. I wonder what the reason is? Anyway, Nimia lowered her altitude and flew just above the forest trees.
It seems there are no signs of people around here. The dark forest stretched as far as the eye could see, and there were no lights from human dwellings. Perhaps we’ve entered the forbidden territory? The forbidden territory where we live seems to be a special land, and unauthorized persons are not allowed. Similarly, perhaps entry to this forbidden territory is also restricted. That’s why we lowered our altitude to avoid detection?
Ignoring my questions, Nimia continued to fly.
“No, is it about time? Nimia-chan, could you land in a suitable place? We’ll proceed on foot from there.”
“…Nyan? Understood, nyan.”
Nimia, what does that momentary silence mean?
“It’s a secret, nyan.”
Kuuu, Nimia, you traitor!
“It’s not that, nyan. There’s definitely a reason, nyan.”
I wonder what Nimia noticed. Could she have read Ruilala’s thoughts?
Nimia flapped her wings gently, hovering in the air, and searched for a suitable place to land. Then, she slowly descended between the trees.
“I’m tired, nyan.”
“Thank you.”
After setting everyone down, Nimia, shrinking down, perched on my head. The cold night forest. Only the top of my head felt comfortably warm.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Led by Ruilala, we started walking through the forest.
“It feels like a forest where the Mimicho Race would live.”
“Hahaha, that’s a typical Elnea-kun comment. But the Mimicho Race doesn’t live in this forest. Only a small number of humans and those people live here.”
“Then are those people the legendary craftsmen!?”
“You should see for yourself.”
He still won’t tell me the legendary craftsman’s true identity. But it’s fine. Soon, his true identity will be revealed.
We proceeded through the dark forest where moonlight did not reach. My eyes, imbued with dragon energy, allowed me to see even in the night forest, but…
“Goodness, it’s pitch black. Does the Demon Race’s country not have civilization like lights?”
“Hahaha, there are lights. If you want, I can even light a torch. Well, for someone with night blindness like you, that much light probably wouldn’t be useful.”
“What? We can use torches? Why didn’t you say so sooner? I thought we had to be quiet to avoid revealing our intrusion. Hey, Ristea, give me some fire.”
“Ah, understood.”
Slaton prepared torches. At that moment, Ristea ignited them. As expected of Ristea. To manifest flames beyond the realm of sorcery.
Suddenly, the surroundings lit up. Louvent, Ristea, and Slaton breathed sighs of relief at being able to see.
However, the light attracted unexpected things.
“Who are you guys?!”
“What!?”
Suddenly, a man jumped out from the bushes.
Impossible!
My vision was secured with eyes imbued with dragon energy, and I had been vigilantly searching for any surrounding presence, but… I, Ristea, and even Alex-san were startled by the man who suddenly appeared before us.
And that wasn’t the only surprising thing.
“You guys look suspicious!”
Saying that, the man drew the swords at his waist.
“A Divine Sword!? And the other one is a Magic Sword? I-impossible!”
Louvent’s eyes widened in astonishment. The man, holding the Divine Sword in his right hand and the Magic Sword in his left, glared at us warily.
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