by Okina Baba
Then he lays her down gently next to the sleeping Sophia and pats her head lovingly, upon which the mistress slips into a contented sleep.
The master chuckles. “She does not seem to appreciate being left out of our little evening drinks. It’s quite endearing.”
“It is indeed.”
The mistress, whom I have known since childhood, has always been honest and adorable.
Though I knew it was never to be, I could not help being taken with that carefree smile of hers.
And so, I am glad that it is my master who became her husband.
I know that he will never do her wrong.
As long as the mistress is happy, it is but a trifle to lock away these feelings of mine.
“Merazophis, I am sorry.”
And yet, my master now apologizes to me with a look of anguish.
“I failed to protect Seras from such terrible misfortune. I was not strong enough.”
I shake my head quietly. “I have no doubt that she was happy. How else could she sleep with such a peaceful expression?”
Ah, the scene is still burned into my eyes.
My mistress sleeping peacefully in the arms of my master.
They loved each other until the very end.
Yes, what happened was truly unfortunate.
But my mistress was loved by my master and was happy.
I know that to be true, and so my master need apologize for nothing.
“Even so, let me apologize. I put you in grave danger and saddled you with the burden of grief for us. If you do not wish to bear it any longer, you are free to set it down at any time. You know that, don’t you?”
“All the more reason that you should not apologize, Master. I have chosen to protect the young miss of my own free will.”
That’s right. This is my choice.
I will protect the young miss until my last breath.
“Master John Keren, whom I hold dear as my lord and as my friend. Mistress Seras Keren, whom I love as a woman. I wish to protect your child. Because you have entrusted her to me but, most of all, because I wish to protect her more than anything else.”
Of course.
I have a reason to live.
And yet I forgot that reason and dwelled solely on my own feelings.
Even when I knew how much worry I was causing the young mistress, whom I am sworn to protect.
I must protect her, yet she is always saving me instead.
“I will not hesitate any longer. I shall protect the young mistress in your stead.”
That is the least, and the most, I can do.
I cannot shower her in familial love as her parents did.
But I can stay by her side and support her.
The young miss is strong.
I doubt that one as weak as myself can provide her with much support, but I will do everything I can.
“It is not grief that I shoulder for the two of you. It is love, for you and for the young miss. And I shall never set it down until the day I die.”
My master smiles at my words.
Though he does not cry, he wears the face of one smiling through tears.
Then, silently, my master finishes his drink and stands up.
He lifts the sleeping mistress and begins to walk toward the door.
“Merazophis…take care of Sophia.”
With that, he steps beyond the threshold.
My eyes snap open.
My hand, still reaching for my master as he stepped through the door, grasps nothing but air.
I felt that if I did not stretch out my hand, I would never see my master and mistress again.
And I was right.
They are no longer of this world.
Tears begin to dampen my cheeks.
I bring my outstretched hand back to my face, wipe away the tears, and stand.
I must have caused them a great deal of worry.
So much so that they deigned to appear in my dreams.
Master, Mistress, you do not need to worry any longer.
I shall protect the young miss.
This vow I swear to uphold until my final breath.
So please, sleep and be at peace.
THE OLD MAN CHALLENGES THE EARTH DRAGONS
I am stark naked!
Indeed! I have become accustomed to this stark-naked lifestyle!
My shame has long since gone flying away somewhere beyond the stars.
In fact, even I cannot be sure whether I had such a thing to begin with!
It has been some time since I began living among the spiders.
As the cavernous Great Elroe Labyrinth is untouched by the light of the sun, my sense of time has become rather unclear.
Thus, I know not how long I have been here exactly.
However, it has surely been no small number of days.
I say this with certainty, for all my skills have increased considerably.
Since I came here, my rate of growth has been remarkable.
Truly, I must wonder what I have been doing with my life until now.
As long as I can put this valuable time to good use, being naked matters not to me!
I have cast aside my clothes, consumed monsters, and slept amid nature.
Wonderful.
Truly, this is how creatures are meant to live.
I cannot help but wonder if building houses, donning clothes, and eating cooked food are exactly the kinds of actions that have caused humanity to degenerate.
If possible, I would continue living like this for the rest of my days.
However, there is a dark cloud that hangs over this lifestyle now.
The spiders have noticed, too, and are chattering about it.
It is a problem that affects all of us: a food shortage.
The spiders and I have hunted the monsters in this area so thoroughly that there is nothing left to eat.
The only possible food source in the Great Elroe Labyrinth is monsters.
If the monsters are gone, there is nothing left to eat.
We have nearly hunted the surrounding part of the Upper Stratum dry, and even in the Middle Stratum, one must travel some distance before finding any monsters.
It would be highly dangerous to venture into the heat-filled Middle Stratum.
Thus, the Upper Stratum is the only option, but there are no monsters left within the radius of one or two days’ travel.
If worse comes to worst, I can teleport back to town, but the spiders do not have that option.
The spiders have a considerably large family, too, which means they have many mouths to feed.
On top of that, their numbers have only grown since I first arrived.
There are far too many for me to count at this point.
As the spiders continue to multiply, they have begun to run out of monsters to prey upon.
Even if they travel elsewhere to hunt, they will be hungry again by the time they return.
The situation is essentially a famine, and soon it will reach a breaking point.
It seems to me that the only solution is for the entire swarm of spiders to migrate. What do they plan to do?
Naturally, the nine spiders who serve as their leaders have noticed the same issues I have.
As always, they talk among themselves using Telepathy in a language I still cannot understand.
Finally, they reach some kind of conclusion and address all the spiders with Telepathy.
Then the nine begin preparing a Large-Scale Teleport spell over the spiders.
I recognize it because I have the same spell myself.
What incredible talent.
The speed with which they develop the spell, the perfect scribing of the rune, the efficiency.
All of it is far superior to my own magic.
Amazing.
The spiders stand ready to be teleported, with me mingling among them.
Soon enough, the spell is complete, and all of us are immediately transported to a different place.
However, the air feels heavy here, filled with far more tension than the previous cavern.
My Danger Perception skill is reacting intensely.
The spiders seem to sense the same thing.
They’ve gone into battle mode, standing on high alert.
But as if in mockery of that, one of the spiders closest to the edge of the group is attacked.
Its body is crushed, killing it instantly.
It’s been pierced by a metallic claw.
The monster’s entire body, shaped like that of an insect, emits a metallic glow.
I quickly Appraise it and learn it is called an Elroe Utoeudo: a monster I have never seen or heard of in my life.
But what truly terrifies me is its status.
Its physical stats, namely attack, defense, and speed, are all over 1,000.
A considerably powerful monster.
The Elroe Utoeudo swings its claws, attacking the spiders.
However, these spiders are no ordinary monsters, either.
They spread out around the Utoeudo, covering it in thread from all directions and rendering it immobile.
Once it’s been trapped, other spiders fire spells at it.
In a matter of moments, the Elroe Utoeudo has been crushed by the spiders’ incredible teamwork.
Then they waste no time digging in to their first prey in some time.
In the outside world, only a seasoned adventurer would have been able to cross swords with that monster, but here it is nothing more than fodder.
One spider was lost in the process, but it can be replaced in no time.
What a terrifying army.
But where in the world are we, that such a strong monster would be casually milling about?
Since it was called an Elroe Utoeudo, we are surely still within the Great Elroe Labyrinth.
But I have never heard of such a monster.
No…perhaps I have.
Its name was certainly new to me, but I do know of one place where strong monsters run rampant.
The Lower Stratum of the Great Elroe Labyrinth.
A place said to be swarming with monsters so strong that no human could ever set foot there.
In the past, adventurers have descended into it through large holes known as shafts, but any who dared were all but wiped out.
The only thing the survivors brought back was the information that the place was swarming with powerful monsters.
Could this place be the Lower Stratum?
That would certainly explain the heavy atmosphere coiling around my skin.
I have come to a truly dangerous place.
And yet, for some reason…there is excitement mixed among my nervousness.
How well will the skills I’ve honed in the Upper Stratum serve me here in the Lower Stratum, which has never been explored by man?
I cannot wait to find out.
Some days have passed since my enthusiastic arrival.
I do not have such energy anymore.
For I am surely going to die here.
The Lower Stratum of the Great Elroe Labyrinth surpasses my imagination.
Monsters as strong as the Elroe Utoeudo or stronger attack us without end.
Just one of these monsters would cause widespread panic in the outside world, but here they are but a dime a dozen.
Truly terrifying.
Equally terrifying are the spiders who effortlessly drive those monsters back.
I, too, participate a bit in these battles to secure my own share of food, but my confidence falters each time I do so.
The monsters fend off my magic easily, to the point where I cannot even tell if I have truly hit them.
Often I have not, for my magic takes far too long to prepare.
And even if I do hit my target, it has little effect, for I am able to do so only with weaker spells that I can cast rapidly and in great number.
If I want to cause damage, I would have to land a more powerful spell.
But this takes time, which lets the enemy easily read my intentions and dodge it.
Yet, the spells that do not take long to prepare are too weak and cause little damage even if they hit.
I long for magic that can be cast easily yet still deals a great amount of damage.
But as much as I rack my brain, a solution does not come easily.
Increasing the speed at which I construct runes for spells would be a lengthy process.
What am I to do?
I have no time to worry about such things any longer.
The spiders sense it, too, and tensions are high.
They are coming.
Monsters beyond compare to any we have seen thus far.
Yes, the monsters we have encountered have been strong.
But even they would tremble in fear before what is now approaching.
Status: HP: 4,199/4,199 (green)
SP: 2,798/2,798 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 3,990 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 1,837 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 1,225 (details)
MP: 3,339/3,654 (blue)
: 2,995/3,112 (red)
Average Defensive Ability: 4,334 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 4,006 (details)
Skills:
[Earth Dragon LV 2] [Imperial Scales LV 9] [Hard Armor LV 8] [Steel Body LV 8]
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 6] [MP Recovery Speed LV 2] [MP Lessened Consumption LV 2] [Magic Power Perception LV 3]
[Magic Power Operation LV 3] [SP Recovery Speed LV 1] [SP Lessened Consumption LV 1] [Terrain Enhancement LV 8]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 8] [Piercing Enhancement LV 6] [Impact Super-Enhancement LV 5] [Magic Power Attack LV 1]
[Terrain Attack LV 9] [Cooperation LV 1] [Hit LV 3] [Danger Perception LV 10]
[Heat Perception LV 6] [Earth Magic LV 2] [Destruction Resistance LV 9] [Cutting Super-Resistance LV 2]
[Piercing Super-Resistance LV 3] [Impact Super-Resistance LV 6] [Shock Super-Resistance LV 4] [Terrain Nullification]
[Fire Resistance LV 3] [Lightning Resistance LV 7] [Water Resistance LV 3] [Wind Resistance LV 5]
[Heavy Resistance LV 2] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 8] [Rot Resistance LV 3] [Pain Nullification]
[Pain Super-Mitigation LV 3] [Vision Enhancement LV 3] [Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 4]
[Auditory Enhancement LV 1] [Ultimate Life LV 2] [Magic Hoard LV 3] [Instant Body LV 1]
[Endurance LV 1] [Herculean Strength LV 9] [Stronghold LV 2] [Monk LV 2]
[Sanctum LV 1] [Acceleration LV 1]
Skill Points: 31,200
Titles:
[Monster Slayer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Dragon] [Champion]
>
Status: HP: 3,556/3,556 (green)
SP: 4,067/4,067 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 3,434 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 1,343 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 4,123 (details)
MP: 2,991/2,991 (blue)
: 3,562/3,845 (red)
Average Defensive Ability: 3,875 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 3,396 (details)
Skills:
[Earth Dragon LV 2] [Imperial Scales LV 6] [Hard Armor LV 2] [Steel Body LV 2]
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 3] [MP Recovery Speed LV 1] [MP Lessened Consumption LV 1] [Magic Power Perception LV 3]
[Magic Power Operation LV 3] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 3] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 3] [Terrain Enhancement LV 8]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 9] [Cutting Super-Enhancement LV 8] [Piercing Super-Enhancement LV 4] [Impact Super-Enhancement LV 8]
[Magic Attack LV 1] [Terrain Attack LV 8] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 5] [Cooperation LV 1]
[Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Correction LV 7] [Danger Perception LV 10]
&nbs
p; [Presence Perception LV 8] [Heat Perception LV 7] [Motion Perception LV 8] [Earth Magic LV 2]
[Destruction Resistance LV 4] [Cutting Resistance LV 8] [Piercing Resistance LV 8] [Impact Resistance LV 9]
[Shock Resistance LV 5] [Terrain Nullification] [Lightning Resistance LV 3] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 3]
[Rot Resistance LV 1] [Pain Nullification] [Pain Mitigation LV 7] [Vision Enhancement LV 7]
[Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 5] [Auditory Enhancement LV 5] [Olfactory Enhancement LV 4]
[Taste Enhancement LV 3] [Longevity LV 9] [Magic Hoard LV 1] [Ultimate Movement LV 2]
[Fortune LV 1] [Herculean Strength LV 8] [Sturdy LV 9] [Monk LV 1]
[Talisman LV 8] [Skanda LV 3]
Skill Points: 31,000
Titles:
[Monster Slayer] [Monster Slaughterer] [Dragon] [Champion]
>
Status: HP: 2,965/2,965 (green)
SP: 2,943/2,943 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 2,938 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 2,899 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 3,000 (details)
MP: 2,912/2,912 (blue)
: 2,877/2,944 (red)
Average Defensive Ability: 2,941 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 2,907 (details)
Skills:
[Earth Dragon LV 1] [Imperial Scales LV 4] [Hard Armor LV 1] [Steel Body LV 1]
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [MP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [MP Minimized Consumption LV 1] [Magic Power Perception LV 8]
[Magic Power Operation LV 8] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 1] [Terrain Enhancement LV 4]
[Destruction Enhancement LV 3] [Cutting Super-Enhancement LV 3] [Piercing Enhancement LV 3] [Impact Enhancement LV 5]
[Magic Attack LV 5] [Terrain Attack LV 5] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 3] [Cooperation LV 1]
[Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Correction LV 6] [Danger Perception LV 5]
[Presence Perception LV 5] [Heat Perception LV 4] [Motion Perception LV 4] [Earth Magic LV 10]
[Terrain Magic LV 6] [Destruction Resistance LV 2] [Cutting Resistance LV 2] [Piercing Resistance LV 2]
[Impact Resistance LV 3] [Shock Resistance LV 2] [Terrain Nullification] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 1]