Tradition…they must think this worked well in the past, and that’s why they keep doing it. Generations of precedent built up by the Goddess manipulating the politics there. Whatever’s convenient to her, she calls tradition—whatever isn’t, she discards.
“No one has ever emerged alive from those Ruins of Disposal, but you made it out. You even defeated the Black Dragon Knights with your incredible status effect powers.”
“Yeah.”
“The Goddess is blinded by tradition. But that’s why she made her biggest mistake—getting rid of you.”
“I’m just glad I got to see her true colors when I did. If she thought I’d be of any use, she’d probably be manipulating me right now.”
“I see. I understand why you want revenge.”
“Right? But it’s not some noble quest, is it? ” I laughed. “I don’t like that foul Goddess. The way she threw me away like it was nothing…I’m going to make her wish she was dead. That’s all.”
I raised my hands in the air resolutely.
“Anybody gets in my way, I’m going to annihilate them without mercy.”
Seras looked uncomfortable.
“Your beliefs and your idealistic justice, they don’t play well with this vengeance stuff, do they?” I said, looking her straight in the eyes.
“No. But if you hadn’t saved me today, I certainly would have been killed by the Elite Five. And I have no love for the Goddess of Alion myself. If I can be of any use to you in your quest, then…”
Seras laid one hand across her chest.
“Please, allow me to assist you.” She dropped to one knee and lowered her head. “In the Emperor’s eyes, Seras Ashrain is clearly dead. I am freed from my oath to him—cast aside with nowhere to go…” She trailed off.
“I know it might sound strange coming from me, but…revenge isn’t good.”
Nobody’s going to thank me for this. I’m never going to be the hero of this story—not that I’d want to be.
“You don’t think you’re in the right?”
“I think it’s right for me, that’s all. It’s a personal grudge, and I’m the only one who benefits in the end.”
“That’s exactly why I’d like to help.”
“What?”
“As I said, I have my own opinions about the Goddess of Alion. But more than that, you put your life in danger to save me. I have a debt to you that must be repaid. If what you’re doing is right for you, that is enough for me.”
Seras, still on one knee, looked up at me.
“I have died once this day, but I live because of you. My only wish is to be useful to you, and you may use me however you see fit.”
She sounds like she’d jump off a cliff if I asked her to, or loan me a bunch of money, no questions asked. She’s cautious at first, but open and honest once she trusts a person enough.
I took a breath.
“If you’re willing to go that far, sure. Whatever you want.”
“Thank you!”
Loyalty. Responsibility. These bonds are much stronger than the ones money can buy. You can trust the people you hire to want their reward enough to work for it, but there’s always the risk that they’ll betray you to a higher bidder. Bonds of true loyalty and responsibility are different, though. They’re thick enough not to break or bend when tested.
“Can I count on you, Seras Ashrain?” I asked.
“I will not let you down, Sir Too-ka,” she replied.
I can’t say I didn’t suspect this would happen. Why did I set off into the Dark Forest to save Seras? She does remind me of my foster mother—that wasn’t entirely a lie. But I also thought it might make her feel compelled to help me. To Seras Ashrain, bonds are like chains. All I want is to get my revenge—no matter what.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sir Too-ka?”
I put my hand on her shoulder.
“Someday I’ll find a way to repay you, too.”
Give and take.
We hurried onward, heading north, away from Mils and toward the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters. Seras told me of a small village a few days away, and we settled on it as our destination. We decided to split up before arriving—a single traveler would arouse less suspicion than a pair.
Regardless, seems like it’s a pretty slim chance we’ll be discovered.
Not only had Seras changed clothes, but her face was different, too. The spirit of light had settled, and Seras was able to disguise her appearance again. She chose a new face—though when I looked at her, I still saw the pointed ears and incredible beauty. She explained that her true appearance was only visible to me.
Pretty convenient features on these spirit things. Just gotta be careful to call her by her new pseudonym, Misura, at all times.
“Excuse me, but…would you mind if I referred to you as ‘Master’ in future conversation?” asked Seras, stopping and looking back at me a little sheepishly. “I accidentally called you by your real name once, if you remember…”
I nodded.
That incident must’ve really bothered her.
“It might be a good idea. Sure. Call me whatever you want—I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
She’s so serious about this. “Master” is a heck of a way to refer to someone. Might take some getting used to on my end.
“I’m trusting you and Piggymaru to watch my back,” I said after a long pause. “Thanks for coming along.”
Seras smiled back at me warmly, and her clear eyes met mine.
“Yes, Master.”
Epilogue
AFTER TWO DAYS on the road, we reached the small village, halfway between Mils and the capital of Ulza. Seras and I had arrived separately, each booking our own rooms at the lone inn. Our destination, the Land of the Golden-Eyed Monsters, was further north past the capital. There were no signs that we were being tracked.
The strongest knights on the continent, the Black Dragon Knights, have lost their core leaders. The backbone of the country’s military strength, gone in an instant. Maybe they don’t even have the resources to track us anymore. Bakoss must be in chaos.
Seras Ashrain
AFTER CHANGING out of her traveling clothes, Seras lay down to rest. As she stared up at the soot-blackened ceiling, her thoughts began to race.
Sir Too-ka…
Ever since he rescued her in the forest, she felt feverish whenever his face came to mind.
I think I’ve managed to conceal it from him, but…
In his presence, she remained his quiet, obedient servant with no plans to seek anything more.
Sir Too-ka has a clear goal and is determined to see it through to the end. I cannot distract him with other matters.
She was glad that they had separate rooms—she needed time to clear her head.
But to think he saved my life, just like that…
Without his intervention, she would surely have died. The bed creaked underneath her as she turned over. Her disguise had dropped, the spirits paid.
I should be able to sleep now. There’s nothing stopping me—and yet I cannot. I’m tired enough, but I…I’m too restless to sleep. Too worked up.
“A lapse in concentration unbefitting the former captain of the Band of the Holy Knights—” She caught herself mumbling and stopped.
The thing that had her worked up had nothing to do with being a knight. She was kidding herself. Seras clutched a pillow to her chest.
Someone I can trust…
She could no longer deny it—he was that someone.
Who else would put their own life on the line, fight those Black Dragon Knights, even the Strongest Man in the World himself?
He saved her despite the odds against him. He believed her when to all appearances she had taken his blue dragonstone and run. Seras was almost ashamed that he’d been able to trust her so.
I was the one who suggested that I call him Master. Perhaps it was simply because I’m embarrassed to say his
name. I feel…
She realized her body was hot—burning.
But he doesn’t need my feelings for his journey. They would only get in his way. I have to… For now, I have to…
Be the loyal knight. He was the master and she the servant, the traveling companion.
Be his sword.
And so, the knight Seras Ashrain closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, her cheeks still warmed by thoughts of her master.
Mimori Touka
I stood in the center of the village square. Seras was still asleep in the inn, with Piggymaru on standby in my room. A bonfire lit up the area against the otherwise pitch-black night, sparks rising high into the sky.
The square was busy, lined with stalls and full of people. There was a group playing music for a dancing crowd, while other people milled about talking excitedly and joking, and others sat at long tables, trading stories over drinks. It seemed to be mostly village folk, but there were also some who looked like travelers.
We must’ve come here on a festival day—lucky for us. We can blend in easily enough, and if anyone asks, we’re just here for the party.
I walked around to look at the stalls and listen in on conversations, but I didn’t hear anything interesting. The Black Dragon Knights were mentioned, of course, but only in passing. Something’s happening over near Mils was as detailed as it got.
I looked down at the palm of my hand to peek at my stats. Sleep was now level 3 and could be dispelled at will. It looked like its duration had gotten longer. I’d tested my new freeze skill on the road, too.
Freeze, like the name implied, covered a target in ice. It could only be applied to non-living targets, so it couldn’t be stacked with other effects. Its range was about the same as the Sleep skill’s. The only big difference was the duration, which was three hundred days.
I can’t dispel it yet, though. Maybe once I’ve leveled it up a bit more. Right now, it isn’t a skill to be used lightly.
“If it works the way I think it does…”
It could solve the problem of the suspicious corpses I keep leaving around. I’ll test that out eventually.
One of the stalls caught my eye, and I walked over.
“Welcome, step right up!” A cheerful, middle-aged shopkeeper motioned toward the campfire. “How ’bout it—want to buy something and join in the fun?”
Looking around, I noticed that many of the dancing festivalgoers were wearing masks. There were all kinds of them laid out neatly on the shopkeeper’s stall.
“Masks, huh?” I picked up the first one that caught my eye.
“Oh, so you’re a fan of the Lord of the Flies?”
“Lord of the Flies?”
“Never heard the tale, eh?” The shopkeeper began to tell the story, and I half paid attention while he talked.
“It’s a story about the Root of all Evil that spawned all the monsters you see today. The Lord of the Flies was a monster king, see, and he spent a hundred years defending his fortified island from invaders. But the Root of all Evil cast him out.”
“Lord of the Flies…”
“Well, he wasn’t having that! He gathered a bunch of warriors and fought the Demon King himself! Sure, they got wiped out, but they looked cool doing it. Maybe that’s why the kids like him—he’s a real popular character. Masks of him and his men all sell like hotcakes.”
I turned the mask over in my hands. The eyes were pointed and aggressive for a fly, not round like they’d usually be. The feelers looked like horns.
“An evil king?”
Wasn’t there a fly king back in the old world too?
“Is this mask rare?”
“Not at all—guy’s popular, like I said. You can find these things anywhere.”
Hmm…so they’re very common, available all over the place.
I picked up another mask with a different design.
“What about this one?”
“That’s one of his men. I’ve got the whole set—kids wear ’em when they’re playing monsters and knights, that kinda thing.”
An outcast. King of monsters.
“I’ll take one of each,” I said after a moment.
“Pleasure doin’ business with you! Glad I got to explain the story. There’s a mirror through the curtain over there if you wanna go try it on.”
The shopkeeper pointed me to a small tent next to his stall. I paid him, walked through the curtain, and stood in front of the mirror.
Might be a good idea to wear this thing when I have to act in public. I could assume a whole new identity. A mask sold all over the continent is the perfect disguise.
“Well, then…”
What should I do when they ask who I am? I can’t pass as a merchant, not without anything to sell.
“The only option is…”
A mercenary. As long as I hold on to my weapons, I can pass for that. It’ll be easy to hide my true intentions. Seras and I—our own mercenary band.
The Goddess Hunters.
I looked down at the Lord of the Flies mask in my hands.
Masked mercenaries—not exactly knights in shining armor. Practically the opposite, really.
I donned the mask.
My coronation.
When I looked into the mirror, a creature with black robes and the head of a demonic fly looked back at me.
A monster.
“Someday, Goddess Vicius, I’m going to dispose of you.”
Afterword
I’VE WRITTEN a little more here this time—this is Kaoru Shinozaki.
I should be better at this, but I’m always complaining to my editor that I still have no idea what to write in these author’s notes. I find it easier to write stories than emails and notes. Talking on the phone uses up much less energy, making it much more convenient (mail has its own benefits, of course). It really drains me to write emails and notes like these…I wonder why?
But here goes—I have to write a few things about volume two, then.
We’ve finally left the Ruins of Disposal, and our hero has joined up with the high elf Princess Knight, Seras Ashrain. Their relationship and the distance between them are going to change in important ways moving forward. You can learn a lot about a character from their interactions with others, and I think the best things about character novels are these little encounters and developments. I’d like to really focus on that moving forward. Next, some acknowledgments—to my editor O-sama, I’m sorry for all the trouble and stress I must have caused you this year. Thank you for all the earnest and steady support you’ve given me, nonetheless. I’d also like to thank my illustrator, KWKM-sama. I’m more in love with Seras and all the other characters than I’ve ever been thanks to his designs. Every time we receive new drawings, I think again about how glad I am he agreed to illustrate this project. We’re so fortunate to have him working with us.
Thank you as well to everybody who helped bring this volume into the world. Thank you to all my readers online who still leave incredibly supportive comments on the online release of this novel. To be frank, I don’t know my own limits, but I’d like to continue to write as long as this journey will take me.
Thank you for buying this second volume. I’ll be happy if you find some joy in it.
I hope we can meet in the next volume, where perhaps Too-ka’s and Seras’s relationship will deepen even further. Thank you very much for your support.
Thank you for reading!
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Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells (Light Novel) Vol. 2 Page 18