I Became the Strongest With The Failure Frame 02

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  [My name is Mist Barkas. Nice to meet you, Pigimaru-dono?]

  [Pii? Pyiii… Piii…… Pyuuuu~♪!]

  Pigimaru began to rub Mist’s finger with his protrusion.

  His color has turned into a light pink.

  It seems like he liked her.

  [Fufu, It’s a really cute slime. I strangely feel at ease with him.]

  [Pii~ ♪ ]

  [It seems that you’re quite liked by Pigimaru… I think this is the first time that I’ve seen him being friendly with others.]

  [Pii!? Pyuuu~!]

  His protrusion suddenly reached out towards me.

  Punyuu, punyuu~

  I could feel Pigimaru’s squishy protrusion on my cheek.

  Pigimaru’s color turned into a really bold pink.

  Mist covers her mouth with her hand.

  Pfft…

  [Nevertheless, It seems that he really likes Hati-dono the best.]

  [Pii ♪]

  * * *

  Monsters came attacking us at regular intervals.

  However, Mist was always the one who slays them every time they appear.

  Mist doesn’t seem to be in that much danger in these battles.

  It seems that she stands up against them quite well.

  I feel like she’s already used to battling.

  We proceed further down into another floor.

  I arrived at a place that kind of resembles another residential area.

  [Hmm?]

  A familiar door gets into my sight.

  They look like the jewels that I had seen before.

  This is exactly that door that opens when you inject magic energy into them.

  I placed my hand on the jewel and inject my magic energy.

  With a subtle vibration, the door began to open.

  I promptly check inside the room while being alert for ambushes.

  It seems that the room is completely empty.

  I step inside and look around the room.

  There was nothing particularly eye catching that I could see.

  Old furniture were already arranged inside the room.

  There doesn’t seem to be any traces of traps…

  I call out towards Mist that was standing guard outside of the room.

  [You can come in now.]

  [I understand. Excuse me.]

  Mist enters the room.

  [………]

  [What is it?]

  [Nothing.]

  Was that “Excuse me.” earlier really that necessary?

  I closed the door and placed down my luggage on the floor.

  I take out my pocket watch and checked for the time.

  [We will take a break in here.]

  [Roger that.]

  [You can take some sleep, you know? I will just wake you up when we’re about to leave.]

  Mist paused for a while before replying back.

  [No, I’m fine.]

  [I can see that you lack some some sleep though… I swear I would wake you up when we would start to go. That’s why I want for you to get some sleep, but…]

  Mist covers her eyes.

  [I think I would surely not get some sleep though.]

  [I heard that you would remove some of your fatigue even when you just lie down for a bit. How about you just lay down in a sleeping bag on the floor?I would also be troubled if you suddenly collapsed on the way.]

  Mist began to ponder about it.

  She exhaled out a sigh and smiled.

  [I understand… Well then, I’ll be lying down for a bit.]

  Mist began removing her bracers while leaving her forehead protector that’s emitting light.

  Next, she laid down a sleeping bag and laid down.

  In a posture that’s turning away from me.

  [Pigimaru.]

  [Pii.]

  I secretly gave some instructions to him earlier.

  I would have him distract her.

  Punyonn~

  Pigimaru jumps down to the floor and turned back into its round shape.

  While he’s in that rounded form, he crept in front of Mist.

  He finally stops when he’s in front of her face.

  [Pii!]

  [Pigimaru-dono…? What’s the matter?]

  [Pii!]

  []

  [—-… suu…]

  I invoked towards Mist.

  I will let her sleep until the gauge runs out.

  This deep sleep that she would have may have been just for a short time, but it would still restore some of her fatigue.

  I’ve read that somewhere in the net before.

  [If the duration of her sleep is longer, it may even be used to treat insomnia…]

  Well, it’s not really clear yet whether would make someone have some peaceful sleep.

  [Pii, pii, pii, pii, pii.]

  Pigimaru is swaying left and right in front of her.

  Somehow, he looks like he’s moving like a metronome.

  Is he… watching over Mist?

  [Pii?]

  At that time,

  [Pipiii~!?]

  Mist’s forehead protector disappeared.

  The bracer that was placed beside the sleeping bag also disappeared.

  Immediately after that, I could see Mist’s figure suddenly changed.

  [————-]

  Her ears completely deformed…

  –into pointed long ears.

  Elf…

  I stood in front of the sleeping Mist.

  [Pii?]

  “What happened to her?”

  It seems that Pigimaru is asking something like that.

  [I’ve already had some premonition about her true identity. It’s just that—]

  I looked towards Mist again.

  [This is really surprising.]

  The change wasn’t just her ears.

  Even her face has changed.

  “Something” must have been cancelled out when I used earlier.

  I also feel that her hair is a bit different.

  Her face was evidently different.

  My breathing almost stopped when I saw her face.

  Mist’s face before she changed was indeed that of a beautiful woman you could find back in my world.

  However, now—

  She’s way beyond that.

  I’m already used to seeing beautiful women.

  For example, I can say that my aunt was a beautiful woman.

  Even back in Class 2-C, there’s Sogou Ayaka.

  There’s also the Takao sisters that you could call the pinnacle of beauty.

  Therefore, I had only regarded Mist as a “beautiful woman” on the same category as them.

  However, the current Mist Barkas was very different from just that.

  How do I say this…?

  It’s as if she’s not real.

  Rather than the face of a living being, it’s as if her face is something that was sculpted by an artist who’s in search for the pinnacle of beauty.

  [I see…]

  “I’ve heard that the men and women Elves were so beautiful that your eyeballs would pop out after you see them.”

  I remembered the conversation I heard in the tavern.

  [So this is how High Elves looks like.]

  I also remember his words.

  Monk Dorogetti.

  He’s the man who tried to pick a fight with Mist in the middle of the crowd and was shamed because of his mistake.

  Though, he later died here in Mills Ruins.

  After he tried to pick a fight with Mist in the plaza, I kind of felt something out of place.

  It’s because Monk was too confident.

  Why is he so confident with his words?

  I became a bit worried about this.

  Mist’s head has been covered with a hood at that time.

  Ordinarily, he shouldn’t have been certai
n with his words.

  He haven’t even seen Mist’s face after all.

  First of all, it is just natural to consider the possibility that he has mistaken someone for another person.

  However, Monk was absolutely sure at that time.

  What does that mean?

  It means that— he had some kind of basis that has led to his belief for his accusation towards Mist.

  An example of this is when I had heard her voice at that time. I was immediately certain about my thoughts.

  That Mist is “the girl that I had met back in the dark forest”.

  Monk must have also been certain about something.

  He must have heard Mist’s voice.

  She could probably change her face and ears with some kind of special power.

  However, it seems that only her appearance can be changed.

  In short, her “voice” can’t be changed.

  Monk had been extremely obsessed with “Seras Ashrain”.

  I remember her voice because her voice is something you can’t easily forget.

  And, he must have heard her voice before.

  As far as Monk could see, the voice of “Seras Ashrain” and “Mist Barkas” must have been exactly the same.

  [………]

  There’s another thing that I’ve noticed.

  My sight… moved towards Mist’s chest.

  There appears to be no change that has happened when in comes to her body— or so that’s what I think.

  As far as I could see, only her head has changes.

  I thought about what Monk has said before.

  “Even that already ripe part of yours, that pathetic excuse of a pair of breasts! I remember it all!”

  He was so confident that he had burned her “breast” into his memory.

  No, I don’t think it’s just because he had burned her breast into his memory…

  Moreover, her body had been concealed under her clothing.

  However, her personality must have made Monk absolutely sure.

  Her voice and her breast.

  Her personality must have also been burned into his memory.

  It was burned into his mind so much, that he became completely convinced that she is Seras Ashrain.

  That’s why, when he had removed her hood, Monk became terribly confused.

  That’s because the face she’s wearing and the shape of her ear doesn’t match with the one on her memory.

  Monk wouldn’t have understood the reason why.

  Her voice and the shape of her body were completely the same.

  However, just her face and ears weren’t exactly the same…

  “That’s… a lie… I’m not mistaken. Everything’s a lie…”

  It had also been in her favor when he became confused.

  I then looked towards her pointed ears.

  Monk had tried to reach out his hand and touch Mist’s ear.

  Mist strongly slapped his hand away and glared at him.

  [In other words… This is how it originally looks, huh… Rather than changing her body, this ability of hers changes the “information” that was reflected in other people’s eyes…?]

  For examples, through the use of Illusory Techniques.

  I see.

  When you touch her ear, you could feel inconsistencies between the “information that you had seen” and the “information that your hand could feel”.

  That’s why, is this the reason why Mist strongly dislike being touched by others?

  “By the way, are elves strong?”

  “They fight by borrowing the power of the spirits.”

  The men has talked about this back at the tavern in the inn.

  [Is this illusion technique the power of the spirit…?]

  It may also be the power of the spirit that made her have the ability to see through lies.

  Her forehead protector.

  Her bracer.

  Her armor.

  All of these equipment must have been made with the power of the spirits.

  Now, it seems that the power of Mist’s spirits has been released.

  When she was incapacitated because of , the effect of the spirit’s power were sustained.

  However,

  [It seems that the power of the spirit would be temporarily disappear when I casted towards them…]

  Unexpectedly, I’ve discovered the advantage of .

  I look down towards the beautiful face of my guard who’s gently sleeping right now.

  The blue gauge above her head is steadily decreasing.

  [………]

  It is still not clear yet.

  It could just be said that the premonition I held before was reinforced with this.

  However, I am almost certain…

  –that she’s the former knight leader who has disappeared from the Holy Kingdom of Neia.

  The Princess of the High Elves.

  The true identity of Mist Barkas is—

  [The Princess Knight, Seras Ashrain.]

  Chapter 63

  Orange Floor

  After I gave Pigimaru some instructions, I also went into my own sleeping bag.

  [I’m sorry for making you do this unpleasant duty, partner.]

  [Pii ♪ ]

  I glanced again at the gauge over her head before I go to sleep.

  After checking it, I laid down into the sleeping back with my back towards Mist.

  We are now raiding this ruins.

  I don’t want to be troubled now just because I’ve learned her true identity.

  Mist— Seras Ashrain.

  I still have some trouble thinking about how to deal with her.

  However, I think this story should be put aside for now. There should be another opportunity that would be more appropriate to talk about this.

  At least, I’ll leave this out until we’ve made it back to the upper ground.

  I have to finish my top priority first, getting the materials that I need.

  The problem now is whether she noticed my usage of towards her or not but…

  I laid down and waited for the effect of to expire.

  […………]

  The effect will soon be released.

  I closed my eyes.

  [Nnn—-… eh?]

  I could hear some sort of sound wave resounding from her side…

  It seems that the forehead protector and bracers that has disappeared were summoned again.

  I wonder if that Illusion Technique of hers was automatically activated when she has awakened.

  [No way… I’ve fallen asleep before I even knew it…? However—]

  She started checking for signs if I’m awake.

  [I should still have some time before the contract expires… Why did this happen?]

  Time before the contract expires?

  Is Mist unable to sleep because she used it as payment or something like that to a spirit she has a contract with?

  After a while, I could hear her relieved sigh from where I’m lying on.

  It seems that she was relieved after she confirmed that I’m asleep.

  Good.

  Apparently, she didn’t know that I casted on her.

  Or is it that Pigimaru’s distraction was that successful?

  [—… Pyuu?]

  [Pigimaru-dono? Perhaps, has he already fallen asleep?]

  [Pii.]

  I think Pigimaru is a monster that doesn’t need to sleep.

  But now, it seems that it was trying to act like it’s sleeping.

  [Is that so…]

  Mist looks quite relieved again.

  She must have thought that Pigimaru haven’t seen the changes in her face and her equipment.

  That’s what she must have confirmed right now.

  [Pyiii~ ♪ ]

  [W- What happened? No way… Hati-dono is quietly sleeping a
nd you’re quite lonely?]

  [Pii! Pii ~♪ ! Pyyiii~ ♪ ]

  [U- Umm— Could you not touch my body too much… especially around the face…]

  [Pii…? Pyii… Pyuuuuuu…]

  [Ahh? I- It’s not like that! There’s no problem with Pigimaru-dono at all, or so I think…!?]

  Pigimaru faithfully executed the instructions that I had left him earlier.

  According to my instructions, Pigimaru would try to make as much ruckus as possible.

  Mist should also lose her cool in response to that…

  Around this time, I would also “naturally” wake up from my slumber.

  I tried stifling the yawn that’s about to come out of my mouth.

  There were some tears that were “unknowingly” on the side of my eyes.

  [Nngh… What’s wrong, Pigimaru? Why are you making such a ruckus?]

  I raise my body from the sleeping bag I’m laying on and rub my eyes with my fingers.

  Mist finally notices me.

  [Ah, I’m sorry. Did we wake you up?]

  [It’s nothing. Rather than that, I had said that I would wake you up myself when it was already the time to leave. I’m sorry about that.]

  [No, don’t worry about it.]

  Her face has turned back to how it was before.

  There’s also the forehead protector and the bracers that has been reequipped on her body.

  I don’t think that she has found out that I’ve just been feigning my sleep earlier.

  Perhaps, the only way she could tell someone is lying is through their voice.

  [Have you taken some rest?]

  […Yes. Thanks to you, I was able to take some rest for a bit. Ummm… It seems that I wasn’t really that aware of how fatigued I am.]

  Mist wryly smiled.

  There’s still a bit of awkwardness left on her smile.

  She wouldn’t be able to sleep, but she suddenly lost consciousness even if it’s just for a while.

  It seems that she feels a little uncomfortable after that has happened.

  However, it seems that it’s already good for her if her identity weren’t exposed for the time being.

  [Sleep is really important for our body.]

  I was reminded of the time back when I was in the Disposal Ruins.

  [Yes. Whenever I could, I would take some sleep as much as I could.]

  [Yeah, if that’s the case then it’s good.]

  We left the room and started preparing to depart from this place.

  * * *

  We descended down to another floor deeper into the ruins.

  [I feel like the amount of pyroxenes in our path has been steadily increased in this layer.]