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Arifureta After IIDarkness in the Move

The Arquette territory that was the nearest territory to the Synclea kingdoly used Arcnet The correct one is Arquette)

Due to the notification that was sent by Rothko, the feudal lord of that territory, Koone party that hurriedly arranged their preparation in the same day and departed rushed their Arous until the sun set and dashed straight toward Arquette territory

Be that as it ht had coh the dangerous night desert while escorting a royalty, and with the words of Spike as charged to be the guard captain, the party caht of desert had a face that was coround where si art, four tents that looked sis like the fra blessing art, so a tent could be created with only curtain that was excellent in heat retention despite its thinness It was a really comfortable space with spaciousness and moderate temperature

At the center of those four tents was a bonfire blazing up to drive away the night darkness The bonfire was also created using blessing art where a kettle was put on a si stove

The dinner was also over, while a part of the guard squad was acting vigilance against the surrounding, the squad captain Spike and his vice captain Lilin, Koone and Anneal as accoroup as Koone's personal lady attendant, and then Kouki, they were surrounding the bonfire

Kouki accepted a warm drink that seemed like black tea (?) personally prepared by Anneal for after meal He blinked when he put the drink into his mouth

「……This is delicious It's bitter, but it also has a faint sweetness Also it smell nice」

「Fufu, thank you for the compliment, Kouki-sama It's extracted from the leaf of a fruit called paruru It's nutritional value is high, and it also has the effect that warm the body, so it's a necessary drink for travel that is expecting desert at night Although Koone-sama dislike it」

「Uu, because it's bitter It et the taste of the delicious dinner This is a nize paruru tea as tea Koone declare, that Koone won't recognize it!」

Spike smiled wryly at Koone's bitter expression and insistent assertion, while Lilin was chuckling sly

Koone sometimes acted mature, and actually she was really a scheue was norent taste were her natural ene paruru tea was a must, so she still drank it without any rejection, but she was drinking it bit by bit while ure of hers was indeed char at, hero-salanced at Kouki with a sulky face To that Kouki averted his face that was alhter She was someone that was hard to deal with and carried out various schemes, but he couldn't hate her at all when he was showed her figure that was fitting of her age like this Though, perhaps it was only Kouki being foolish

Perhaps knowing that Kouki was holding his laughter, Koone was staring at him fixedly

「Co, come to think of it, Spike-san is Spenser-san's child isn't it?」

Kouki had heard of it from Spenser already, but he didn't receive introduction of name and job before the departure fro the topic

Spike s hih It was a honor, or perhaps I should say a fortune, that when I was still a kid, it was discovered that I who lost > attack had talent for sword, and I elcomed as an adopted son」

「Ah, I'm sorry……」

「No no There is no need to feel apprehension like that Because it's not so rare to lose relative or friend fro that, Spike s hi e was 24 years old, but his trained body and the scars carved on his body, and then the atmosphere he was clad in told Kouki that this was a first class warrior

His features didn't reseht glances of within his eyes was exactly like his adopted father, so he could accept it if he was told that the tere parent and child

Although Spike told him to not mind it, but Kouki's expression turned aard due to his careless topic change where he heard that this person was an adopted child

「Hero-sama, you don't have any delicacy! Koone think that hero-sauuh」

「Even all of Koone's farandpa and Lilin's mother also passed away at the previous battle Aa, it hurts! Koone and also everyone are really hurt!」

「I, I'm sorry I have been told often how I don't have delicacy I'y accepted However, forgiving for "free" is just……」

While showing her tolerance by saying that, Koone slowly held out the cup that she had drank half

The forue──paruru tea

……It see about half the content Surely she was telling hietting laughed at just now

Guessing the intention of Koone as holding out her cup s the cup but,

「Kouki-sama Please don't spoil Koone-sama too much Also, the one who doesn't has delicacy is Koone-sama」

「Ouch ouch ouch ouch- Annee─all, please stop stretching Koone's cheeks! Koone is whrongg! Soryyyyy-」

Shockingly, Anneal was pinching Koone's cheekswith teary eyes while taking back the cup she was holding out

Kouki was feeling chilly wondering whether it was okay that she laid her hands on a royalty Lilin atching Anneal and Koone sly opened her mouth toward him

「Anneal-san is the attendant of Moana-sama and Koone-sama since they were children, so they are practically like sisters Anneal-san's grandpa was the art user head of the previous generation, and he was a close aide that was heavily trusted by the previous king My father was the direct pupil of Anneal-san's grandfather you know?」

「Linden-san was……」

Most likely, the granddaughter of a trusted confidant was the best choice for the playing partner of sisters ere the king's daughters The lack of reservation that Anneal sometimes showed, and the love that she directed toward Moana and Koone which was more than expected froht

But, there a doubt suddenly ehter of the present art user head Linden, Lilin was as expected playing an active role as an art user Then, as Anneal as the granddaughter of the previous generation art user head wasn't an art user?

Perhaps, like the co in the side of princess Liliana to protect her while he wasn't at her side, keeping it a secret fro even while being a lady attendant?……thinking that, Kouki stared at Anneal with a shiveringexpression

By the way, the ten maid-san ere selected after their loyalty and ability were ascertained received special training straight fro training cath, inside, presence manipulation, etc were demonically remodeled In addition, they were armed with artifact class hidden weapons that were the de's quality product, if coht, even alone they were at the level that could crush even enemies at battalion scale……

Kouki as made to realize the truth of the true state of affairs of that (or rather he was ht he was going to die……) was always desperately enduring the tsukko with Liliana at place like her office and so on

'That person who is sht now──her inside is a hyahha person, and throughout her body is loaded with awful hidden weapons all over you know'……such tsukko their presence so as to not be a distraction for their erous head-reaping rabbits you know?', he wanted to say

Of course, if he actually said such thing then his head would go flop, so he absolutely wouldn't say it

Anneal who seeaze

「I don't have the talent in blessing art to the degree that I can enter the art user force」

「I, is that so……」

「Fufu Your expression turn aard again, but please don'tthat he had done it again Anneal directed a kind expression to such Kouki And then, she for at a little far away

「At the past, I also drearandfather One that wouldn't falter against any kind of har the royal faaze returned to Kouki, she spoke with her cheeks reddening looking slightly erandfather, was a hero」 (TN: The word hero here in the raw doesn't use 'yuusha/the brave', but actually 'hero')

「Hero……」

Suddenly, at the back of Kouki's ed

Kouki as a grandpa boy idolized that person so much, he was a hero for Kouki

He had never directly watched the figure of Kanji doing his work, but each tirandpa to tell him numerous tales of Kanji's experience as a capable lawyer

Kanji as a ood and punished evil in his tales that was overfloith hue" that he sorandfather, when I understood that, I was a bit, no, honestly speaking I was really down」

「……How, did you come to accept it in the end?」

Unable to becoine such shock, and the negative eot curious He wondered, hoas she able to sh I cannot beco」

Those words were calm, but nevertheless they felt powerful In those words, there weren't resignation toward so in it, but an earnest will to be more positive

Kouki was at a loss for words For some reason he didn't knohat he should say

In the place of Kouki who had no words, Spike spoke with a gentle expression

「I heard that Anneal-dono's ability as a lady attendant is the best If she doesn't go outside to accohness, it's possible for her to becoh her blessing art's power and scale are insufficient, but it see even head Linden Her personality is also great, with a lot of people seeing Anneal-dono as the ideal wo your own ideal, it's very hard to catch up to you Please, I wish that you will stop at your current charm」

「……Spike-dono」

Anneal's expression beca,

「Spike That's a great guts you have there to hit on Koone's Anneal in the uts you have there ……Koone will report it to Spenser e get home」

「Wha-, Koone-sa to hastily make desperate excuse, and Koone who toyed with hi 「Koone won't hand over Anneal!」 And then, there was Anneal atching over that with an even more troubled look

The occurrence of the sainst the surrounding, preparing for to rest to watch the ruckus with half s 'noinvolved with Koone will turn into chaos huh', Lilin got closer to him and whispered into his ear in ahtforward personality, perhaps because he is raised by captain Spenser He is too straightforward that his words also caht several ti ona déjà vu at this

「He, hee……is that so By any chance, is there a lot of woht Exactly Once it became a bloodbath, and at that tiht to re-examine his own speech and conduct, so recently he tried to choose his words carefully, but sometimes he did this out of nowhere Because of that, it's like the value of his needless words increased, or the vice captain's poisonous fang toward the female who received the out of nowhere words is……」

「That's really……」

At the back of Kouki'saway his grandfather that was e to the surface until now And then, that childhood friend was directing an exasperated gaze to hiaze for even a second longer, and unconsciously inside his heard he yelled 「Right now is different! I' attention to my action and speech! It's true!」, he repeated his justification like a little brother whosesister The same like Spike in front of his eyes

「By the way, his poisonous fang is sometimes toward the male too……」

「That way too!?」

「Kouki-sama Please be careful okay?」

「To what!? No, I understand what you want to tella bit withdrawn because of his reservation toward Kouki-sama who is the hero, but vice captain's act toward inally, so if by any chance he is co on to you persistently, please speak to hi, about what……」

「Of course, speak your rejection By the way as foron uy is seriously annoying huh』, and I spoke really harsh words to hiot a bit down before he iot back on his feet, so I wish that Kouki-sama won't s that you don't want to say After all vice captain, he has a side that is a bit dull in huht

Not toward Spike's weak point (lol) But toward Lilin's words 「This guy is seriously annoying huh」 that cauard's art user at sixteen, a young talented woree that she was selected to have captain status at te brown hair that looked similar with Kouki was tied into twintail (she said it was to ), her physical feature also left a bit of ie

Her brown eyes that were attached with long eyelashes were shining powerfully with self-confidence and resolve, while she was slender, her li objectively, she was a high level beauty

That beautiful girl was saying 「This guy is seriously annoying huh」 while shtly in a so scary

「By the way, Lilin-san……what did you say to Spike-san?」

Lilin as staring in puzzlement at Kouki, without any particular shyness or intention to hide anything,

「──『If you say revolting thing even oing to chop up your balls you knohat I said though?」

「……」

Fro appeared with his ponytail childhood friend getting chased out Her hand was in the shape of finger gun It was beyond obvious what she was going to shoot at After all she was the smasher who mass-produced manly woman……

Why was it the females that Kouki were acquainted ere all totally peculiar like this he wondered

Even his one other girl childhood friend as supposed to be a soothing person, without noticing it when he realized she had hannya co out on her back, and not just that when he noticed she now became able to attack at man's vital place without any hesitation

An unknown helplessness shook Kouki in shivers

Lilin who see of Kouki to be fear, or rather fro creeped up toward herself then made excuse a bit impatiently

「No, see here I too a like that you know? MyMy dream for the future is to stand in the lead of extermination battle」

Those words that were unsuitable to be coe, ords that could easily be shut out by the current Kouki who so to select his words carefully that was beaten up to him by his childhood friend

And then that seemed to be the correct action for him to take

Lilin proudly puffed up her chest and continued her words

「Because, I was born for the sake of fighting Not for being protected and also not for love, but for the sake of fighting to protect all those」

She was born as a fighter She was convinced of that That hy, she didn't need words that wouldto praise her, then she wanted to be praised for the skill she had acquired, not her look She didn't want praise for her hair and style, or her clothing or personality, but praise to her achieve

It depended on each person of how to feel toward those words that cairl in the middle of her teens If it was people of a peaceful world, perhaps they would pity her thinking that those were sad words

As for Kouki……she looked dazzling to hiure that was convinced of her own existence and pushed forward undauntedly

「Lilin-san, you are really cool」

「Heh?」

Lilin was surprised at Kouki who gave words of praise toward herself who threatened his superior that she would chop up his balls when that superior was praising her

Kouki praised after they were talking about Spike, so for afun of her, but looking at Kouki's expression, she i on Kouki's expression

That hy, Lilin then,

「……Thank you very much」

Those ords of praise thatoutside of the words of praise about her skill mastery and battle result from her seniors and Linden She thanked Kouki back a bit bashfully

「……Hero-sauts you have there to make a pass on Koone's Lilin As expected, here Koone need to report to Spenser and others that hero-sama messed around with Koone──」

「Koone-sa a pass to her at all! Enough with this, can I please ask you to stop speaking those words without any basis and yet can possibly beco with Spike who isa pass at Lilin whose age is relatively close tosoaze at Lilin to ask for help, but Lilin was already taking a bit of distance fro at far away direction Her secret talk to Kouki about Spike was also over, so now she hated to becoet for that kind of talk and seeed into it

'Really, there is just toomy female acquaintances!' Kouki yelled that inside his heart

But, he suddenly thought Although Moana-sama was a siscon, a thickheaded person toward the e, and sos, but he was able to spend warht

The positivity level inside Kouki toward Moana rose sharply

At the sauards ere tilting their head saying 「Messing around like what?」, Koone suggestively said 「Yesterday, on the bed, with Onee-chan and Koone and Spenser at the sa that Spike shudderingly said 「Not just the royal sisters, he even broughtthat with co such Koone was,

──'This s about her quick'

For the ti to run out after a bit more, Kouki extended his hand toward the kettle hurriedly

Next day Just a bit before the sun reached its zenith at the sky, it came into view

What could be seen froe sand hill was a line of sand color and green color like a horizon being drawn At the other side of the end of desert, there was a grass field spreading as far as the eye could see

「This place is the end of desert……」

「It's also the end of the battlefield Fufu, hero-sama Your eyes are opened really wide!」

World of desert──such impression was carved into Kouki's head For such Kouki, the vast grassland where weeds were growing thickly and the verdant mountains that could be seen at far away deep in the southwest side made him couldn't help but felt ly feel it for real, that this was exactly what Moana and others were desperately protecting

Seeing Kouki's euards and Anneal were letting out a on their expression

Kouki who became embarrassed scratched his cheek aardly and asked to divert attention frorassland?」

「Yes, hero-sama At this pace we should be able to see it around noon」

Spike's arous climbed down the sand hill in the lead

Like that when they stepped into the grassland, Kouki felt right away as though the air changed It was a h he ht into the ly

Now he got it So this was the difference between a "death land" and a "living land"……Kouki co through his skin surely must be the breath of life This was surely what itpower

All the arous were also advancing with somewhat pleasant steps They advanced in such mood for a bit less than an hour

Just like Koone said, by the time the sun reached the zenith, they came to see a splendid protective wall that was obvious even when seen from afar