I apologize for the delay in the update (sweat).
“Ka ka ka! Delicious! Truly delicious!! The sake after so long seeps into my very being.”
“Do undead even have internal organs?”
“Who knows.”
“Little girl, you shouldn’t ask such rude questions. Sake isn’t meant to be savored only by the organs. For an undead like me, it can be savored with the soul!”
This castle, the Prison Tower Castle, was created by Instructor.
Its original purpose was a two-pronged sure-kill formation: to lure enemies into Chaos and, in case of defeat, to sink them into the Sea of Chaos.
The castle he summoned during the battle with the Seraph Aiwa was destroyed by the attack of someone, and he was caught off guard by reinforcements and sank into the Sea of Chaos.
Instructor, who had transcended death and become undead, was also destined to dissolve and vanish into Chaos.
“I would have loved to make them experience this as well.”
But fate had not yet abandoned Instructor.
Instructor caressed the bones he wore with affection.
The fate of those who became a grotesque bone armor, sacrificing themselves to protect their master.
The Knights of Oblivion, the knights who served Instructor before he became undead.
The souls of those knights kept Instructor alive.
The Knight of the Shield, the Knight of the Sword, the Knight of the Bow, the Knight of Magic, each transforming parts of their bodies to clad Instructor, bought him a sliver of time to survive in Chaos.
Even if it meant their souls would touch Chaos and perish.
“Jiro?”
I don’t think I can repay that determination and loyalty.
But, I want to thank him for keeping Instructor alive.
“To the nameless knights.”
I raised my glass and toasted.
“Ka ka ka, what an elegant gesture.”
Instructor narrowed his eyes slightly at my action.
There were tears that did not flow.
But I didn’t point it out.
I gulped down the sake in my glass.
“So, changing the subject, if you survived, couldn’t you have returned? Why were you waiting here?”
I had confirmed why Instructor was in such a situation.
Now, the question was why he didn’t return.
If I may say, I thought that Instructor Fushio, who could live in Chaos and draw magic from it, could have returned easily.
“Mmm, the answer is simple and clear: I was lost.”
“L-lost?”
I braced myself for some complex reason, but the answer was surprisingly simple.
With a dry laugh, he shamelessly admitted to being lost.
“It couldn’t be helped. Thanks to my subordinates, my life was spared, but being pierced by the Holy Sword and having my body burned was a serious injury even for me. While I was drifting in the Sea of Chaos after losing consciousness, if I lost my bearings, it’s difficult to get out of Chaos, where you don’t know up from down. Moving around aimlessly would only lead to further distress. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get information from the outside within Chaos. That’s why I summoned this castle again to recuperate.”
“I see.”
However, after hearing his explanation, it was a convincing reason.
If one loses consciousness in Chaos, where all information is jumbled together, all that awaits is annihilation.
But if one survives, what awaits is being lost.
It stands to reason.
“However, unfortunately, we undead are extremely weak to the attacks of Holy Swords. I can use Healing Magic, but I’m not skilled at it, and it’s a苦手 (difficult) attribute for me. I’m barely able to close the wounds.”
“I see, that’s why you’re still so badly injured.”
“Precisely. So, what do you think, little girl? Can you heal me?”
“If you intend to be healed, please refrain from drinking.”
And so we arrived at the present, Instructor said.
From there, I gave a brief overview of what had happened outside.
There was no time to exchange detailed information here.
The enemy had not yet arrived here, but it was clear they were within Chaos.
However, we couldn’t just take the heavily injured Instructor back as he was, and I intended for Eshlee to treat him.
“…No, this is a blessing that repels the undead. It’s a good blessing for us humans, but for you, an undead…”
“It’s potent poison, no wonder the healing is so slow.”
She, a Saintess, would treat Instructor, an undead.
I briefly wondered if it was some kind of irony, but she was serious. The title of Saintess was not for show, and in terms of healing techniques, she was far superior to me.
Even Eshlee shook her head in disappointment, unable to remove the blessing.
“In this case, we’ll just have to wait for it to naturally wear off.”
“Normally, it would be enough to cause annihilation.”
“Don’t lump me in with ordinary undead.”
Without showing any concern, Instructor stroked his chin, looking troubled.
“What if we surfaced from within this castle as it is?”
“Well, it does have that function, but I don’t know how many days it would take to surface. I’d be fine, but there’s no water or food here. A human little girl would collapse first, and then Jiro.”
“Ugh, if possible, I’d like to return as soon as possible.”
“In that case, we’ll have to consider another method.”
We had prepared rescue equipment, assuming Instructor’s usual form.
Behind Eshlee, we had secured a space just large enough for one person, a space even Instructor Kio could fit into.
However, Instructor, who was now composed of the bodies of the Knights of Oblivion, was twice the size of Instructor Kio.
Naturally, he wouldn’t fit into the planned space.
Yet, we couldn’t just shave off parts of his body.
Even though he had transformed into a grotesque form, it was still Instructor’s body.
Such monstrous beings are rare even in the Demon Lord’s Army, but we had to find a way to return in this situation.
If Instructor’s body could be treated, he could use his magic to transform himself and fit into the suit, but that was also impossible due to the blessing forcibly granted by the Holy Sword.
“Instructor, is it possible to teleport from within Chaos to outside of it?”
“It’s nearly impossible. Chaos is, quite literally, a mass of excessive information where anything goes. This includes information about time and space. Teleportation Magic is a delicate magic that connects one space to another and moves matter accordingly. I doubt it would go safely if one were to move through such a chaotic space.”
The fortunate thing is that Instructor, a professional in Chaos Magic, is here.
I can grasp the coordinates because I’ve contracted with Valse.
So, I thought we could escape all at once with Teleportation Magic, but that also seemed impossible.
“Coming here with a focus on mobility was a mistake. Prioritizing fuel efficiency to suppress barrier consumption has backfired completely.”
“Nay, Jiro’s decision is not wrong. The most important thing in Chaos is how to conserve energy. The larger one becomes, the greater the consumption is a principle. Personnel should also be kept to a minimum. This situation has completely exceeded our expectations.”
If that’s the case, we should consider other means, but nothing immediately comes to mind.
I sat down on the stone pavement, grumbled, and thought with my arms crossed, but no method came to mind.
“However, rest assured. I have a plan.”
“A plan?”
That’s why he’s the reliable Instructor.
He came up with something I couldn’t, and boasted that it would work out.
Eshlee tilted her head, wondering what it was.
“If I recall, aren’t there rats sniffing around here? Their vehicle is larger than the one Jiro arrived in. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”
“Ah.”
And I once again realized that the Demon Lord’s Army’s way of thinking, which is to annihilate the enemy, had stuck with me a bit too much.
Indeed, as Instructor said, depending on the opponent’s military strength, we have two generals and a Saintess as a healer.
An ordinary fighting force wouldn’t stand a chance of losing.
I nodded in agreement.
“Ka ka ka! Let’s do what the Demon Lord’s Army does and hijack one!”
“Hijack, you mean…”
“From what I’ve heard, the residents of Isal consider us Demon Lord’s Army members as wicked and arrogant, ugly as oni, according to the church’s teachings.”
“…That’s not wrong.”
“If that’s the case, even if we add a few more unpleasant rumors by using that notoriety to our advantage, they’ll just think, ‘Ah, they’re from the Demon Lord’s Army.'”
And what Instructor says probably carries more weight than just words.
Eshlee has already realized. Hijacking means the fate of the ship’s crew.
When it comes to the fight for survival, I believe I should go all the way.
In this Fantasy world, I don’t harbor illusions or ideals that could be called dreams or fantasies.
Where there is life, and where there is battle, it becomes a fight for life.
“So, we have to make up our minds.”
“What are you saying? I’ll handle the suppression of the ship with Jiro. Little girl, just create a barrier, cover your ears, and close your eyes, and it will be over quickly.”
Eshlee’s face contorted in pain at this statement. Instructor cruelly dismissed her with such cold words as if he were fed up.
The fact that she was a former Saintess was enough to make her an object of disgust for Instructor.
However, he wasn’t so narrow-minded as to decide whether or not to use her based on such feelings.
But he also understood that her potential as an enemy from behind was an important factor in judging her true feelings.
In terms of military strength, even if injured and not at full strength, we have Instructor and me, two generals.
Even without Eshlee’s support, it would be more than sufficient.
Instructor is calling the little girl and Eshlee because he has received approval from the President to cooperate with the Demon Lord’s Army, but he can see that she still has some hesitation in her heart.
“That can’t be…”
“Don’t be a fool. Can’t you see you’re in the way? I’m not so senile that the outcome of the battle depends on whether the Master is present.”
From Instructor’s perspective, her indecisive attitude was simply bothersome.
I don’t mind it, but others might find it repulsive.
She’s not following reluctantly, but she hasn’t fully accepted it.
An unstable situation.
“…Instructor.”
However, we are partners, even if it’s temporary.
If we worsen the mood here and it hinders our escape later, it would be a problem.
A route to escape from Chaos was already secured once I reunited with Instructor.
I thought I’d try to mediate here for a moment.
“Hmph, I understand.”
It seems my timing is bad.
He slowly stood up from his seated position and took out his Ore Tree.
Following his lead, Instructor also entered combat readiness.
“Instructor, I would like a wide area to prepare for interception.”
“If that’s the case, we can just go up. There, both Master and I can fight to our full potential.”
“Is that so?”
“Eh, no way.”
“Ah, we arrived sooner than expected. I thought we might not be found at worst.”
“Most likely, he’s here.”
“He?”
Since contracting with Valse, my sense of presence, or rather, the range of space I can perceive, has expanded, and the information I can recognize has increased.
Within my detection range, I sensed a new presence.
Someone searching for Instructor within Chaos.
Not from the same Demon Lord’s Army.
So, naturally…
“Oops.”
“Ka ka ka ka! What impatient guests!”
The opponent will be an enemy.
The Prison Tower Castle swayed.
A mistake uncharacteristic of Instructor, who is responsible for its stability.
In other words, an external shock.
Instructor, who had an idea of who had arrived, began to move, and I and Eshlee followed.
“By the way, who’s here? By the presence, I can vaguely tell it’s a troublesome guy.”
“An uninvited guest. It would have been fine if the bearer had come as well.”
His gait was surprisingly casual.
Even now, huge impacts were striking the castle.
“Why are you so calm? What if this castle breaks?”
“Because I trust it won’t break.”
“I’m not so senile as to be worried by a little girl.”
Meanwhile, we ascended the stairs and arrived at the hall.
“Well then, let’s go greet that brat.”
And with those words, Instructor easily disabled the castle walls.
Today’s word:
Reunions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, exist.
Thank you, as always, for your comments and reports of typos.
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Pandora Pandemic Panic – Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, But We’re Fighting Back with Various Things at Our Secret Base!!
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