Arc 24: The King is Busy in Many Ways
Chapter 232: The Blade of Light, and the Cat Knight
「Hee, this is the first time I see this way of using divine power」(Moroha)
Moroha-nee-san, who crossed her arms, looked at me in admiration.
[G.o.d’s authority release] was unleas.h.i.+ng divine power in which I was clad. It seemed that the G.o.ds in the World of the G.o.ds did it as if they were breathing normally, but in my case, the burden fell on my body.
So then, I was wondering whether I could draw out my divine power partially, so I concentrated it on my right arm up from the wrist and let a blade of divine power appear.
I wasn’t able to do it well at first, but I finally managed to easily do it once I’d learned the trick to it.
I had been practicing in a forest away from the castle just in case because I didn’t want to be seen by someone.
「We usually don’t suppress our power or do something similar, so this is a method that didn’t occur to us before」(Moroha)
「It’s because I’d like to be excused from having my hair grow each and every time I use this power」(Touya)
Having said that, it was a secret that I’ve been anxious about what I would do if fur grew on my hand or if I became a thickly bearded person.
「However, it’s hard to keep its shape if I don’t concentrate…」(Touya)
An object that could be called a “Beam Saber” was extending from my right arm, which then shook and started to disappear after I lost focus for a short amount of time.
「I think that it’s easier to apply it on something that you’re holding」(Moroha)
Moroha-nee-san agily threw me a twig that was laying around here.
I caught it and applied divine power into it as if it’s an extension of my arm. Ah, she’s right. It was easy since I’d completed it without being occupied about preserving its shape.
I slightly swung the twig and easily chopped a large tree growing in the forest. Oi-oi, this may be able produce a slas.h.i.+ng power that’s even better than a crystal sword….
Letting go of the twig, I then gripped a stone which was lying nearby, and easily broke it into small pieces. I then tried doing it with my left hand as well, but it was impossible with just a normal arm.
Umu. The part from my right wrist upward is like a different object. I tried driving my right fist into the large tree that I cut down a little while ago, and my right fist sunk in without me feeling any pain. It seemed that the divine power wrapping around my fist was sc.r.a.ping the tree. Won’t I pierce it if I push further inside?
Originally, divine power wasn’t a power that should be used on the ground. Thus, my sisters didn’t use it for anything other than fighting against the subordinate G.o.d. However, it seemed I was an exception since I was outside of those limits.
However, I believe it’s better if I don’t have to use it, but the ruler-cla.s.s isn’t limited to just Gira from before. No, there are certainly more ruler-cla.s.ses like him, so it’s better to have as many countermeasures as possible.
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Sakura and Linzie were discussing something in the courtyard when I came back. Their relations.h.i.+p was fairly good. Was it due to their personality having a lot in common? Both of them were shy, but they were different in such a way that Linzie was pa.s.sive whereas Sakura was just indifferent.
「What are you doing?」(Touya)
「King-sama」(Sakura)
Sakura
「Ah- Touya-san. Sakura-chan has said that she wants to learn magic, so I’m examining her attributes」(Linzie)
Ah, are you identifying them with those magic stones? I also did it that way initially. Sakura can use [Teleport] (Accurately speaking, she still hasn’t managed to master it yet), so she should have an apt.i.tude for non-attribute magic in the worst case scenario.
「And, how many apt.i.tudes does she have?」(Touya)
「The no-attribute, the water attribute, and the dark attribute」(Linzie)
Hee. Does she have three as well? Not bad. However, no-attribute magic is basically a personal magic. One could only learn one spell from it. So essentially, does that mean she only has two attributes?
「It seems she has a considerable amounts of magic power as well. She doesn’t have as much as Rin-san though as expected, but I think she has more magic power than me」(Linzie)
Well, she is from the demon king tribe who rules at the top of demonkins after all. She must have at least that much. Or rather, Rin has even more than her, you say?… Well, the other person was the head of the fairy clan that excels at magic after all.
「I can teach you the water attribute, but as for no-attribute, you can only learn by yourself. Though I think there won’t be any problems as long as you learn how to use the magic power. As for the darkness attribute, only Yumina or Touya-san can teach you…」(Linzie)
Oh right, Rin doesn’t have the dark attribute.
By the way, our attributes were
Touya ■ All Attributes
Elzie ■ Non Attribute (Boost)
Linzie ■ Fire, Water, Light attribute
Yumina ■ Wind, Earth, Darkness attribute
Yae ■ None
Luu ■ None
Suu ■ Light attribute
Hilda ■ None
Sakura ■ Water, Darkness, non attributes (Teleport)
Rin ■ Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, non attribute (Program, Transfer, Protection)
Like this.
Huh? If I am not mistaken, Rin has said she has four non-attribute magics. One is missing. I have been told that the the people from the Fairy Clan each has a spell from the non-attribute magic due to them having a high apt.i.tude for it.
「Oh, what’s everyone doing by gathering here?」(Rin)
Oops, speaking of the devil. The person herself appeared. Naturally, Pola came along while walking unsteadily.
Pola slightly raised her arm as if saying “What’s up! (Ossu!)”. She’s energetic as ever. Ah nope. I don’t really know whether a stuffed toy can even be energetic or slumped.
「Rin, you have four non-attribute magics, right? Three of those are [Program], [Transfer] and [Protection]. What’s the last one?」(Touya)
I frankly asked the question that I had in my mind. It shouldn’t be something she would want to hide.
「Ah, did I perhaps not mention it? It’s the same lookup magic as your [Search]. It’s called [Discovery]」(Rin)
Discovery. Does it have a meaning similar to [Exploration]?
「You clearly imagine the object that you want to locate to have a general understanding of its location. The effect will be vague if you don’t have a really clear detailed image, so it’s difficult to use」(Rin)
「Really? It seems convenient when used for searching objects」(Touya)
「Let’s say that I, for example, search for an apple I’ve left on the table with [Discovery]. I may be able to find unless something in it has changed. It won’t work if, let’s say, you took a bite of it」(Rin)
Eh? Has it become useless with only just that? The said discrepancies that were related to the object being searched for were the well-known limits which diluted the effect of search magic.
「Accurately speaking in the case of the apple, other apples may also be mixed up in the search, so it’ll be hard to find the object that you’re looking for no matter what. Even I don’t really use it for anything except to find Pola when she wanders off somewhere」(Rin)
Looking for a lost child? Ha~, the usage of that magic is surely difficult, isn’t it? If it was my original world, we surely would’ve used it to look for portable objects like a tv remote control or the keys to a car or a house. Oh my? Isn’t it useful?
We then got back to Sakura’s magic training after solving the mystery of Rin.
Nowadays, darkness attribute was only being recognized as [Summon Magic].
Creatures like Lizardmen and silver wolves were being summoned from some place in a different world in accordance with the situation at hand once they’d made contact with the summoner.
Apparently, Kohaku and the rest were summoned once every dozen of years from a faraway world (though I named it “mythical beast world” temporarily) as well, but they were usually being called out by random chance. The summoner also wasn’t also capable enough to make a contract with them.
I’ve been thinking about it, but I wonder if magic beasts are perhaps the descendants of those who has strayed from that world of mythical beasts.
For example, if a summoned silver wolf made a child with an ordinary wolf in this world and that silver wolf returned to its original world, the child that had been born would belong to a species different from that ordinary wolf. In other words, it would be the birth of a magic beast. In that case, it might be due to summoning magic that magic beasts were spreading in this world even now.
Well, there was no way to confirm it, and it wasn’t like anything could be done about it even if that was proven to be true..
Besides, there were other magics in the darkness attribute aside from summoning magic.
「Spells which influence the mind like [Confusion], [Sleep], [Temptation], or something similar are also from the darkness attribute These are cla.s.sified as ancient magics that have already been lost, but we can now learn them because there are grimoires in [Library]. Just so you know, the mind magic system doesn’t work on people with high magic power, okay?」(Touya)
Sakura looked at me with a disappointed face. Were you planning on using [Temptation] as well? Well, I’m already in a state where it feels as if it’s being casted on me by everyone here, but let’s not say anything. It’s embarra.s.sing.
「For now, how about summoning something as a test? It will also become practice for handling magic power」(Touya)
「Hm. I want to give it a try」(Sakura)
Sakura then slightly nodded. Rin taught the procedure for the summoning, while Linzie and I were drawing the summoning formation in the courtyard. Pola also helped us out. She’s a kind stuffed toy.
With the preparations done, Sakura started concentrating while pouring magic power under the guidance of Rin. A black mist began to faintly drift in the round magic formation, gradually gathering in the center.
「I wonder what kind of child will come out」(Linzie)
「I’m kinda looking forward to it」(Touya)
I whispered in low voice along with Linzie who’s hugging Pola. Sakura is good at music, so maybe something like a Siren will come out, I think? It will look amusing if she can make a choir.
Before long, the black mist cleared, and a small shadow that’s crouching down energetically stood up, pulled a slender sword high in the sky, and started to shout.
「A cat for the sake of a person! A person for the sake of a cat! Heaven knows, Earth knows, the cat knows! My cat chivalry will be the thorough witnesses! Nya~!」
Long boots, a hat with a long feather, gloves, a mantle, a rapier, a belt with a sheath and a black cat. This fellow has quite a high tension…
「Cait Sidhe. It’s a summoned cat beast」(Rin)
「Sorry, but I’m a Cat Knight ~nya. This is important ~nya」(Cait Sidhe)
The cat knight corrected Rin’s explanation. Is he seriously ending his sentences with a [Nya]? Its size wasn’t different from an ordinary cat, but could this guy really fight? Though a talking summoned beast was indeed rare.
「I want to make a contract with you. State the conditions」(Sakura)
Following Sakura words, the cat knight exaggeratedly took off his hat and said:
「Conditions~nya are unthinkable~nya. It’s the knight’s duty to help a frail woman. I will dedicate my sword for you~nya with pleasure~nya」(Cait Sidhe)
「If it is a man?」(Touya)
「I will scratch him and go away~nya」(Cait Sidhe)
The cat knight nonchalantly answered my meddling. Oi, are you calling this chivalry? He extremely puts on feminist air, but is this fellow a male?
「In that case, the contract will be completed if you give him a name」(Rin)
「A name…King-sama, do you know of any good ones?」(Sakura)
Sakura addressed me after having heard Rin’s explanations.
However, Cait Sidhe waved his finger “ChiiChiiChii” side-to-side, calling her to stop. His every part is conceited. It kinda make me a little irritated.
「Excuse me ~nya from an event of being named by a man ~nya. Even if I myself look like this, my pride is high. Someone with doubtful origin from an unknown place is…」(Cait Sidhe)
「…[Gate]」(Touya)
I opened [Gate] in front of Cait Sidhe’s eyes and summoned Kohaku.
The moment he saw Kohaku who had suddenly appeared, the cat knight, who’s putting on airs, stopped his movements at once. Before long, his body began trembling and his teeth started chattering. His fur which could be called body hair suddenly stood up.
「Nya-Nya-Nya why, the [White emperor]…!」(Cait Sidhe)
『Lord. Who is this cat?』(Kohaku)
「He’s Sakura’s summoned beast. I’m thinking about giving him a name right now, but he doesn’t seem to be satisfied」(Touya)
Kohaku then glanced at the cat knight which caused him to prostrate with a terrible force and rub his head against the ground.
『Are you saying that you have any objections about being named by my Lord?』(Kohaku)
「T-there is no way I would do that! Nya, nya I will obey! Nya!」(Cait Sidhe)
His att.i.tude has changed with a frightful speed. Well then, what name shall I give him?
「Nyantarou─────」(Touya)
It was funny to see how much despair had fully shown on the Cait Sidhe’s face when I muttered that name. He’s full of facial expressions in spite of being a cat.
「And, d’Artagnan. Which one is good?」(Touya)
「The d’Artagnan one please, ~Nya!!」(Cait Sidhe)
(ED: In case you guys don’t know, it’s p.r.o.nounced as dar-TAN-yan, dar-TAN-yun, or dar-TAN-nian)
The cat knight who was prostrating himself came out from the magic formation, feeling visibly relieved after Sakura named him. He’s somewhat taking a slight distance away from Kohaku and me, but I guessed it probably couldn’t be helped.
「By the way Sakura, how much magic power does Nyantaro consume?」(Touya)
「Hm. As it is. I don’t think he will remain for even an hour」(Sakura)
「My name is different ~nya! It’s not Nyantaro, it’s d’Artagnan ~nya!」(Nyantaro)
I’m saying it with full understanding of how you feel about it. The real name will be d’Artagnan, and the nickname will be Nyantaro.
I took out a ring which I’d given to everyone from my pocket and pa.s.sed it to Sakura. She accepted it even while feeling shy.
「Magic power is stored in this ring, so you can draw it from here and pa.s.s it on to Nyantaro. I think it will last him for half a year. I will replenish it again if it gets exhausted, so come talk to me when that happens」(Touya)
「Hm. Thanks」(Sakura)
「d’Artagnan ~nya!」(Nyantaro)
He’s still saying that. He’s pretty funny guy so let’s keep him around permanently. Let’s have him become everyone’s bodyguard if he can manage it. I’ll throw him into Moroha-neesan’s place, and he’ll be trained well whether he is cat or not. Who knows? He’ll probably become a super Cait Sidhe.
As the cat knights raised his protest against the name “Nyantaro”, Pola tapped on his shoulder which gave off a feeling that says “now, now”.
Won’t those two make an unexpectedly good combo? I was thinking of thoughts like those when Kougyoku came flying in from somewhere and landed on my arm.
「Eeeeh! Even the flame emperor is here! What ~nya is going on here ~nya?!」(Nyantaro)
Kougyoku, having glanced at Nyantaro who’s unable to stand, spoke as if being unconcerned about him.
『Lord. A place resembling the last ruin has been found』(Kougyoku)
「Really?」(Touya)
If it’s a Babylon ruin, then I’ll be able to discover the last one, the [Laboratory].
Somehow my motivation was lost after I had discovered [Warehouse], but as expected, it should be better to collect all of them. If I am not mistaken, [Laboratory] is the birthplace of Shesca and the other Babylon numbers, and it’s also the place with medical personnel and various experimental facilities, right?
Come to think of it, Monica said she was not good with the [Laboratory] manager. Is there some problem with her personality?
…Now that I think about, there was no one among the Babylon numbers that had a proper character. Isn’t it too late to worry about it now?
Whatever. Then, should I go and complete the castle in the sky?