It was a story from way back, before either Elfi nor Ortegia became a Maou.
In those days, the Onizoku was on the side of the Maou forces.
As subordinates of the Maou, they fought against the hostile races such as humans.
However, in the end after having doubts toward the cruelty of the Maou, the Onizoku left the Maou forces.
After that, they didn’t partic.i.p.ate in any wars and always took a neutral position.
For that reason, they had been scowled as betrayers by the Maou forces and the human race that were formerly hostile with.
After time had pa.s.sed by, Ortegia has become a Maou.
The Maou forces have committed all kinds of brutality all over the world and the Onizoku left their neutral position and sided with the humans.
Even for me,I wanted them to escape those circ.u.mstance of being treated as an enemy by both humans and Maou forces.
As a representative of such Onizoku, Dionis who is the strongest Onizoku has became our comrade.
Beltoga is a subordinate of Dionis.
The Onizoku cooperated with humans several times in clashes with the armies of the Maou forces together.
The Onizoku has high physical ability and high tolerance toward magical power, too.
The achievement of the Onizoku was remarkable.
However, because they were sided with the Maou forces in the past.
The humans mostly disliked the Onizoku like an abomination even if they fought together with them.
They changed their manner and treatment frankly as they discriminated against the Onizoku.
Even if they were with the Maou force in the past, now they are humans ally.
However, I don’t like the present conditions of them being discriminated.
Watching them who were trying to change the present conditions by themselves, I thought that I wanted to do something about this discrimination by ensuring me myself from not being dragged by the circ.u.mstances too. TN probably Iori trying to say that he doesn’t want to be influence by other humans to discriminate against the Onizoku.
So, I didn’t change my att.i.tude towards them like other humans did and I had mingling with them positively.
But by taking advantage of that, I was being used by Beltoga.
「 Amatsu-San! 」(Beltoga)
It was before we marched toward the Maou castle.
Beltoga came over to the place where I have been preparing for the last fight.
「 If it fine for you, please drink this! 」(Beltoga)
He brought me a potion that it is said to be handed down to the Onizoku and it has the effect to restore fatigue and magical power by consuming it.
「 Amatsu-dono. It’s wise to not drink something from unknown origins 」
「 Shall I bring a proper potion for you? 」
While keeping an eye on Beltoga, the surrounding humans frankly gave grimace looks at him while saying that.
「 After all, the thing made by us isn’t drinkable………」(Beltoga)
While turning down his face, Beltoga said that with a feeling down atmosphere around him.
When I think about that now, it was all his cheap drama all along.
But I wasn’t able to notice it.
「 No, I get it. Thanks 」(Iori)
I received the potion from Beltoga and drank it up because I didn’t want to show any discrimination toward them.
It’s true that I’ve recover my magical power and fatigue.
However, the nail of the ogre which was a deadly poison was being mixed in it.
My body didn’t sustain any damage by the effects of the nail of the ogre.
Its just that my body got heavy little by little whenever I used my magical power.
It only affected me to such degree.
It never come to my mind that Beltoga and the others would try to kill me with poison.
The moment he started to betray me and at that very instant my reaction towards it should have been too late.
With such intention in his mind, that fellow made me drink the poison.
Actually, even if I wasn’t made to take the poison, I will be killed eventually because there’s not the slightest clue in my mind that I will be attacked by my own comrades.
『 If its that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Amatsu, he will definitly drink the potion that I(Ore-sama) gave him without examining it. Just by saying “After all the thing made by Onizoku isn’t drinkable……”』(Beltoga)
Since there was an incident where a Mazoku had slipped among the humans, I’ve certainly been paying attention regarding this matter.
But my cautioness wasn’t enough as I’ve let off my guard easily just because he was my comrade.
I completely agree that I was naive and stupid.
Nevertheless, to ridicule and utilize my good will, it was something I won’t be able to forgive.
If its “the one who got tricked is at fault” then.
Ah! I will do exacly the same thing.
Because I only pay back what they did to me back then.
The next day after my application.
The examination for entering the subjugation corps is performed in the guild like what had been told.
Unlike those adventurer application examination back then, I must pa.s.s three tests this time.
Firstly, it’s the physical checkup performed to ensure the applicants body didn’t have any abnormality.
Elfi and I pa.s.sed it without a problem.
The examination for magical power and combat ability measurement will be performed after the physical checkup.
By totaling both of these evaluations, the results of both test will decide whether you can enter the subjugation corps or not.
At first it is an examination for magical power.
The magical power quant.i.ties will be measured by using the “Appraiser Magic Stone”.
I line up before a stone and measure the quant.i.ty of my magical power in turn.
I touch the “Appraiser Magic Stone” and start pouring magical power.
The color of the stone will change depending on the quant.i.ty of magical power that is posessed by the person who had poured their magical power into it.
「 Iori-san got an…… D evaluation 」
My evaluation was one step short of being the lowest evaluation E.
Its a D evaluation.
In other words, the quant.i.ty of my magical power is lower than average and it means that it’s only to a degree of being able to barely use magical power.
But if I got an E evaluation it becomes impossible for me to enter the subjugation corps.
「 Hah, an D? Doesn’t that mean that the magic ability is approximately a zero? With that, it’s no better than just being able to use elementary level magics, huh 」
「 When you didn’t get an A evaluation from the battle afterward, you wouldn’t be able to enter the subjugation corps, ya’know 」
The adventurers whom decided to join the subjugation corps were watching over the state of the examination.
Those aventurers are jeering out loud at me who got a D evaluation.
Then as if the sound got drown out.
「 Elfi-san got an A evaluation! 」
Elfi who lined up behind my back has begun being cheered because she easily got the best evaluation.
Although, the quant.i.ty of her magical power declines because she’s using magical items to cover her race. She got an A evaluation.
If her original quant.i.ty of magical power is being evaluated, there’s no doubt, that stone would break into pieces.
「 That’s great Elfi-chan! 」
As the adventures *HYUUHYUU* whistling.
Elfi ignores the adventurers as she turns towards me with a triumphant look on her face.
It causes me to felt slightly annoyed.
Anyway, with this Elfi’s enrollment into the subjugation corps seems to have been almost decided.
I must do something afterward.
After this, is the measurement of battle ability.
In the same way as before, the evaluation result is given by the outcome of the fight with an adventurer.
The opponent was a big man with st.u.r.dy muscle.
Just by looking at his trophy axe, he seems to be the type that defeats the other party completely with his pure brute strength.
「 It’s unfortunately for you, but your evaluation will be an E-ze. Because I’ll end it with just a single blow, naa……! 」
While he’s boasting with his own muscle, that man said those words as he was taking stance while helding his axe.
He looks like having considerable self-confidence and probably every single one of the adventurers that cooperates with the examination are more than B ranks.
「 Then please begin! 」
「 NUuuNn! 」
As soon as the order was being received, a man using the Body Reinforcement Magic is charging at me.
With agility which doesn’t suit his huge body, he reduces our distance and swung the axe on his hand at me while screaming vigorously.
「 ……”Shintsurugi” 」(Iori) TN Shintsurugi【震剣】= Thunder Sword
*KIN* a high-pitched sound resounded.
Subsequently the axe separated from that man hand and fell into the ground.
「 Ha……? 」
With an apperance thats unable to comprehended it, the man can only stay astounded with “what had happen?” expression
At that instant, I thrust my sword at his defenseless throat.
「 Ah!…… 」
As he had delayed “d.a.m.n!” expression appeared on his face.
After that a stop order is immediately being given, thus the examination came to end.
「……What had happened just now 」
「 It was a sword art called Shintsurugi, don’t you know it? 」
The man shook his head silently.
Shintsurugi.
One of Sword Arts which I self-learned in this world.
Towards the opponents that have more strength than oneself, its a Sword Art that utilizes the oppponet strength to return the shock back against them.
The shock is conveyed through the weapon to the arm of the opponents, that will greatly break their stance.
If one doesn’t possess enough skills it will be impossible to dodge the shock.
Well……because it was a skill that I learned by observing the Mazoku whom had used it,it was reasonable if humans don’t not know about it.
After some time has pa.s.sed, all examinees have ended their examination.
The result of the examination was told orally.
My magical power is D and for battle is A.
I was barely in the pa.s.sing line.
Elfi got an A evaluation for both of it, 「 It’s my win 」 with a glad-look on her face.
Most of the peoples who took the examination have failed half-way.
It is just several people who pa.s.sed with us.
This time such unfair evaluation has not occured like the last time.
When me and Elfi were probing around, the staff that had connections with Merwin were in disapproval……regarding my D magical power. But eventually I’ve been approved in the end.
Actually, I had some plans if I was dropped from this.
Anyway, our partic.i.p.ation in the subjugation corps is already decided.
Afterwards we immediately received explanation about the subjugation corps.
The reward will be divided equally.
But the portion will be depending on one’s achievement.
The labyrinth core has to be submitted to the guild.
In order to match our pace with the adventures we need to attend the meeting which will be held tomorrow.
There we will receive support items such as potions and weapons from the guild.
You may become an adventurer after the labyrinth subjugation if you want to do so.
About injury and death, the guild doesn’t take any responsibility for it.
It is such things.
About the labyrinth core, I will retrieve it by making up a reason such as losing it.
Because it is my reason itself to enter the labyrinth.
I’ve no reason to do so other from it.
After having received the explanation, I returned to the inn and read the doc.u.ment regarding the labyrinth that had been distributed by the guild.
It was more detailed than the doc.u.ment which I saw in the library.
It seem that these subjugation corps have been organized not only once or twice, but already a considerable number of times a labyrinth subjugation such as this has been carried out.
It ended up with a considerable number of deaths as it was a series of failures, but a lot of information regarding the inside of the labyrinth has been obtained from the adventurers who had survived, too.
I read the doc.u.ment and consult with Elfi about the labyrinth behavior. With that,day has ended.
The next day.
We partic.i.p.ated in the subjugation corps meeting.
Dozens of adventurers have gathered.
All of them are expert adventurers as theirs average age is considerably high, too.
Misha has partic.i.p.ated in the meeting too, but even so, she is considerably young among them.
Therefore, naturally,both of us who have an outward appearance of around 16 years old are being isolated.
「 Oi……Is it all right for such children to partic.i.p.ate? 」
After a single person said that right as he saw us, *ZAWAZAWA* noisily the adventures begun to talk.
「 They don’t seem like that to me and according to the story I heard both of them seemed to be quite skilled.They have pa.s.sed the examination of the subjugation corps 」
「 Now that you mention it, aren’t they the one’s that failed to become adventurers? 」
「……Is that really all right? 」
Many evaluations don’t seem to be good, too.
As for that man with the whole body armor, he seemed displeased with our partic.i.p.antion.
「 As for those that have saw both of them fighting, you have seen it right? The ability of those two is real 」(Misha)
Then, Misha sticks up for us.
「 Gaston wasn’t it an instant kill yesterday, right? Then, tell everyone what you had experienced 」(Misha)
「 Ye……ah. He was surely strong 」(Gaston)
Being called out by Misha, the man who fought with an axe yesterday is awkwardly nodding.
For the time being I’m going to partic.i.p.ate in the meeting, although there was a commotion going on.
The review of the doc.u.ment that’s being distributed yesterday is being carried out, regarding the characteristic of the labyrinth of purgatory and the method to fight with the demons that will appear in it.
After that, the discussions reagarding everyone position was done afterwards.
It seemed regarding the position is already decided in advance to some degree.
Hence without given any chance to speak our words, Elfi and me are being positioned at the rear of the rank.
The intention of 「 I don’t expect anything from both of you 」 has been transmitted. Oh well, I have no objection in particular anyway.
Because there’s nothing better than to do it leisurely.
After that, approximately two hours have pa.s.sed and the meeting has ended.
「 Don’t drag us down, ya hear 」
The adventurers utter those as they’re leaving the places.
Is this because my magical power was D? Though my strikes are way stronger than Elfi.
Well, I do not mind it in particular.
I will have them become a meat shield to the utmost.
The next day.
Finally, the subjugation of the Labyrinth of Purgatory has begun.