Chapter 28 – Fool

000

Dream of childhood

From the time he was born, he learned from the adults in the village that he had to live hidden from the eyes of others.

A clan that cannot live under the sun’s light.

It is said that they carry karma and sins in the lineage that runs through their bodies.

The evidence is black hair, black eyes and white skin.

In the world of humans, they are called the ‘clan of the dark horse’.

In the past, when a man called the Demon King raped a human woman and made her give birth to his own child.

Their descendants were hated by the world as beings who shared blood with the devil.

As a result, it is a harsh environment where people usually do not set foot.

For example, in the middle of a valley made up of mountains, if you look up at the sky, a wyvern is flying around.

Children are often taken for their prey when adults take their eyes off them for a moment.

Valley of Dragons.

However, in the sense that there is no malice, the flying beasts are better than humans, and they are slowly perishing there without abandoning the village of their clan.

But the slow demise suddenly accelerated.

Those who noticed the high magic aptitude of the dark horse clan came to sell the children of the village into slavery.

It was a human who usually delivered food to the village to help.

Hiding a hired mercenary in a wagon, he entered the village.

As usual, the people of the village felt a strange energy from the wagon that delivered food, but it was already too late the moment they entered the village.

The scroll of the transfer magic is activated and the dimensional door opens.

What came out of it…

Scholar somewhere.

Priest of the church.

Guild adventurer.

It was a night of quarrels.

All humans capable of resisting were killed.

Those who were even a little out of shape were shackled and carved the mark of a slave.

The whole village was set on fire.

Ironically, it was on the day the clan was destroyed that the village, which was always dark due to the shadow of the valley, became the brightest.

But the worst was not the end.

There was a magic swordsman in the dark horse clan.

He was furious and devastated at the sight of his child being raped right in front of his eyes.

Naturally, his demonic sword awakened, and then went out of control.

They slaughtered all the invaders in front of them, but the rampage did not stop.

Such a story unfolded throughout the village that night.

Most of the clan of dark demons are humans who live with the demonic sword while keeping darkness in their hearts.

As if an awakening brings another awakening.

A night of madness where all the negative emotions accumulated so far explode and resonate.

The invaders kill the elders of the clan.

The adults of the clan kill the invaders.

The runaways kill others.

A neighbor killed them to stop the runaway.

Children, too, were not safe from madness.

A child who barely survived the invaders was killed by her father who ran amok.

A child hiding in a closet died in a burning house without being able to escape.

Massacre. Smashed. Strangulation.

And blood and madness.

A boy who was said to be the weakest in the village.

The boy who always climbed the steeple without the adults knowing to see the stars visible through the valley

He closed his eyes and plugged his ears, unable to bear the sight of the scene unfolding below, silently weeping in fear.

Thud! A jolt echoed from under the spire.

Someone is coming this way

Thinking so, the boy quickly looked for something that could be used as a weapon.

Next to him was only a weak blade that had not yet fully manifested its power.

And a ladder leading to the roof of the spire. The moment your slender hand reached the top.

The boy swung his sword and tried to stab the hand.

Kang!

“It’s dangerous…! What are you doing, human!”

However, the person who came up was different from those who were invading the village from below.

Pink hair. And a heterogeneous tail. Amber eyes. Unlike humans, her pupils were split vertically, but she was a cute girl.

“Human. I came here to save you, so you can’t come out like that.”

Saying so, the girl goes to the boy’s side and interlocks her hands to form a seal to infuse her mana.

Then, a translucent film spread around the girl and boy.

The girl spoke to someone outside the spire, holding him tight so he couldn’t move.

“As you said, it seems that this human is the only one who is fine. You can start.”

[—-…]

Who are you talking to?

I heard something like that answer from somewhere.

“Because this body protects me properly! Do it!”

Next moment.

A star fell through the valley.

It was a brilliant golden color.

The star took the form of a man, holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.

Wearing beautiful silver armor.

She landed in the center of town.

With just that shock, the ‘humans who fell as beasts’ who had lost their reason flew away.

He quietly looked around and thrust his sword into the ground.

“…In the name of the hero Lesia… I will purify this place.”

Legendary warrior.

Its power is strong enough to shatter mountains and split seas.

Despite having such a powerful force.

The voice was mournful, as if blaming himself for his powerlessness.

The village hidden in the valley of the dragon disappeared from the map that day, unknown to anyone.

In a golden flash that shines like an explosion.

001

The gorilla gave me nightmares.

Cleon grabbed his forehead and rose from the bed.

After Talchek and Iona went back, Sasha, who had been away for hunting, looked somewhat uneasy, unlike usual.

And to appease that anxiety, he recalls how he clung to Cleon even more childishly than usual.

I looked down at her, who was still sleeping next to her, breathing lightly.

The girl realizes once again that she is still young.

“…”

Cleon carefully got out of bed to keep Sasha from waking up and headed for the bathroom.

Yesterday’s story.

As a reward for the Memoria Cube, you have to investigate the back of ‘Marquis Hughes’.

That is. It was like going back to the city once more.

“Polymorph. Illusion. Comfort.”

Through a contract with Luti, Cleon is able to use her powers.

However, even with polymorph, it is impossible to change very greatly in one’s body due to human limitations, so Layla and Quon’s magic was still needed to hide the gender.

Cleon’s appearance changes in front of the mirror.

This is the image of a woman who had been briefly used as a fake identity before.

As a bonus, Galatea also transforms into a rapier that suits her body type.

If it’s different from before… The fact that it gives reality to the illusion so that it is difficult to find out even if someone comes close… ?

Cleon looks at his reflection in the mirror for a moment.

If you think about it, it was an ordinary perverted act.

Thanks to the polymorph, every time I move, it shakes here and there, so it was more than before.

Realizing that, Cleon felt a chill and dispelled the magic.

“…Doesn’t it have to be a woman?”

A different look this time.

When Cleon activates his magic again, there is a figure 10 years younger than his usual self.

This was only possible with Polymorph. It seems to be because it is a transformation at the level of reversing or progressing the growth of the body.

Maybe it was right after I had that dream?

There was something strange about his reflection in the mirror.

“Wow! It’s the childhood Cleon!”

Galatea suddenly appears.

In order to reduce the sense of incongruity in moving the body, the gaze is lowered.

Cleon’s head is properly positioned just below Galatea’s chest.

“… I should quit after all. This figure too.”

“Why!?”

Galatea hugs Cleon as if telling him not to do that.

Fluffy.

Cleon quickly blushed as he pressed close to Galatea’s soft body.

She was the same as usual, but it was a strange feeling. Could it be that even the mind has become young?

“Cleon~ Shall we do this once?”

A demon that seduces its owner with a snort.

Cleon struggled for a while, but overcame it by taking a deep breath and clenching his fists.

“…You idiot, I have to go to work from now on. If I start with you, I don’t think it will end until the sun goes down.”

“Whoops. Then later♡”

Saying so, Galatea returns to her sword form. This time, instead of the usual ‘long sword’, it was a ‘short sword’.

Still, the physique of oneself now is a little big.

“…Okay. Let’s start by getting out of the mansion without being noticed by anyone.”

Cleon held his breath quietly. I moved the mansion with the curtain of darkness open.

002

I didn’t come here looking like this.

Cleon was walking through the city with deep regret.

Wearing a cute souvenir headband that doesn’t go well with her head.

He was holding the hand of the silver-haired woman next to him.

“Hey… How long do you plan on wandering around?”

“Just a little more. You have to melt into the villagers without feeling uncomfortable, right?”

Unlike yesterday, she took off her heavy armor.

Today, she is wearing casual clothes that are easy to move in and her hair is tied back and pulled back.

‘Silver hair red eyes’

‘White skin like white jade’

‘Pointed ears’

Even if there was only one, it would stand out, but since they are all gathered in one place, it is only natural that they draw attention regardless of gender and age in the city.

As a bonus, her body, which was cramped under heavy armor, was amazing in many ways, comparable to Galatea’s.

Of course, the pinnacle of that part was Quon, who was cooking at the mansion today and worrying about his body shape…

Thanks to the gap with the intelligent face, her presence was further highlighted.

When Cleon saw Iona for the first time at the promised place.

I thought about how to talk to her beauty for a while.

Since he had changed his appearance, he could be alerted if he suddenly spoke to him.

However, that worry vanishes in 10 seconds.

Iona meets Cleon’s eyes.

For a moment, she felt her gaze go down and then up as if it were scanning her entire body.

Goosebumps run down Cleon’s spine.

Once again, our eyes met Cleon’s. She came over smiling.

After that, he would lean down and talk with Cleon at eye level.

“Hey… Would you like to go over there to the coffee shop and talk to your sister?

Ha… Ha… Rough breathing.

Iona Chevalier was Shotacon.

“…Wipe your nosebleed.”

“…That voice… Cleon…!?”

Shocked by her shock, Iona took ten steps back.

She looked at Cleon once again.

Eventually, the blood flowing from his nose stopped, and he returned to his usual intelligent face.

“You’re here. How are you? How are you?”

“No… Yes. Yes. I won’t ask in detail.”

Disappointing Cleon’s consideration, Iona led his hand and circled the entire city.

Indulge in a dessert, buy a souvenir, or indulge in another dessert.

In the end, what was the reason for setting the appointment time early?

The two were sitting on a bench in the square and resting for a while.

Already, her side is full of luggage.

“Hey… You must have had the heart to investigate Marquis Hughes, right?”

“Of course. But before that, even if it’s temporary, it’s a city that I used as a base. I wanted to figure out the structure of the whole and know where and what kind of buildings are located. The real work starts now. “

Watching Iona pour out words without hesitation, Cleon didn’t even have the energy to die anymore.

Seeing her smiling face as she talked happily, getting angry just became stupid.

“But. There are no bookstores. In this city.”

“Ah. This is a city developed around the adventurer’s guild. There are many shops for adventurers. Or tourists.”

Iona rested her chin for a moment.

“Definitely. Considering the illiteracy rate of adventurers, I don’t think bookstores will do well.”

“That’s prejudice… You can’t call it that.”

Applause to Luti for thinking of an employee service (10G) that reads the contents to adventurers who cannot read the request.

“…Ah.”

At that time, Cleon opened his mouth as if he had suddenly remembered something.

Seeing this, Iona tilted her head as she looked at Cleon.

“Why is that?”

“…There is. A bookstore… How can you call it a bookstore? For starters, it’s a place that handles books.”

Hearing those words, Iona’s eyes lit up and she leaned over to Cleon.

“Are you sure!?”

“I’m serious, so stay away.”

Galatea alone was enough to see her chest the size of her current face approaching in front of her eyes.

After Cleon pushes Iona’s shoulder, she gets up from the bench.

“…I’ll tell you in advance. I heard about it a long time ago, so it may have disappeared.”

“It’s okay. I’m not expecting too much.”

You lie While lifting and lowering the heel.

Cleon took Iona to the outskirts of the city.

It was relatively underdeveloped because it was far from the adventurer’s guild in the center.

“…A bookstore in a place like this?”

“I told you. It’s not a bookstore.”

As Cleon traces his memories, he walks a complicatedly tangled and unorganized path.

Could it be that the walls and streets have not been cleaned for a long time? Moss and vines were growing wildly.

Overall, it was a gloomy space.

“More than 10 years ago, there was a small school near here. There were few students, so it was close to the school, but…”

“Are you at school?”

Iona responds to Cleon’s words.

I seem to be interested in the word school.

“Yes. It was a place to educate children who wanted to be adventurers. Your father… Talchek also briefly taught swordsmanship there.”

“Did the gorilla bump the children…? It must have been an education without blood or tears.”

Sure that’s right

Talchek basically hated children and forced his own level.

Reputation among children is ‘raw meat agu agu devil gorilla’.

But there were results.

In fact, I heard from Luti that the children who were trained by Talchek at school are now famous as excellent swordsmen in the adventurer’s guild in the center of the continent.

I don’t think I’d be too happy about that, even if Iona did.

Rather, he would make a strange expression.

“Then did Cleon go to that school?”

“Me? No. Not me. Back then, the prejudice against the dark horse clan was worse than now. I personally received training from Talcheck.”

“…”

While talking like that, the two arrived at a place that looked like a small hole-in-the-wall shop.

An exhibition hall that is fading away with worn-out signboards. It was hard to even tell when the cheap snacks inside were made.

The owner seemed to be gone.

“Ah… As expected. Is that so?”

Cleon seemed to be sorry. I looked around the store, but I didn’t feel any presence.

“Schools have children, and it is one of the school’s educational policies that children should read books.

“I see… Ah, here it is. It’s definitely old and dusty…”

Iona said that and took out a book from the bookshelf.

“…This…”

[Imperial Dragon Lutios and the Hero]

It was literally a book that unfolded the legends related to the 4 heroes like a fairy tale.

Of course, since it had been neglected for 10 years, it was old and not in good condition.

“I’ll take this one.”

“To do it with that… There is no owner?”

Cleon spoke as if her words were strange.

Iona shook her head and took her silver coin from her own purse and put it on the unoccupied counter.

“If you take it as you please, you are a thief.”

002

It was after the sun rose in the middle of the sky that the two headed to the adventurer’s guild.

Dusting off her books and putting them in her bag, she checked her time.

“It’s later than expected! Hurry up!”

It was a quick run to say.

Is it because of the smaller body? Her stride her lengthened as well, and as soon as Cleon, who was thirstier than expected, entered the rest area, she sat down.

“A pint of beer.”

“Two glasses of cold water, not…”

Cleon himself covers her mouth as if her words her were in vain. The waitress must have thought it was her child’s prank her. She smiled lightly and went back.

“…It seems that changing the body with Polymorph will also affect the mind.”

“I think so. You are much more talkative than yesterday, and your expression changes easily. You are stupid.”

“… From now on, I won’t be able to come back like this.”

I’m going to get in trouble at work. Muttered Cleon.

Snap!

And Iona grabs Cleon’s hand.

“No, no. I engraved the image of you and me walking around on the villagers, so please come again next time.”

“You… Why are you bleeding from your nose?”

This guy is as strange as Talcheck.

The moment I try to drink the water brought by the waiter…

Haha! That’s why I said there! You villain! If you don’t surrender with the hostage, I’ll cut you with my holy sword ‘Misteltain’!”

Cool! A voice echoed from Cleon.

Hearing such an idiotic sound, he involuntarily bursts out laughing and choked up.

Watching Cleon cough, Iona quietly opened her mouth.

“Why the hell are they holding hostages and trying to slash them with a sword…”

“Cool… It’s so dark… Joe, be quiet…”

After clearing his throat several times, Cleon, who had finally calmed down, looked at the fool.

Brown hair. Green eyes. He was a young man whose appearance was not bad if he kept his mouth shut.

However, he laughs lightly with his mouth open. The worst design sense that was worn on his body he was ruining everything.

And, no matter how you look at it, a sword of the same size as the weight of the heavy armor carried on the back.

“While I was away, the guild grew more fools…”

When Cleon looks at him with a slightly hopeless expression, Iona continues.

“It’s okay. That fool is the latest addition.”

“…Do you know?”

Iona nodded at Cleon’s question.

“Eustes Woodnocker. The son of Marquis Hughes and a candidate for the hero.”

“…A candidate for a hero?”

Iona, her eyes shining, took a small book out of her bag.

[Continental common sense encyclopedia that even a 10-year-old boy can understand]

“I won’t say anything about the title for now. Go on.”

“Yes. The candidate for the hero is the person designated as the next hero by the Order of the Protection of the Saint.”

Originally, the hero was determined through the revelation of a ‘saint’ or a ‘priest’ who received the oracle of the holy sword.

The adventure itself to find the holy sword is an ordeal for the hero.

Albain was like that, and most of the warriors were like that.

However, occasionally. There was also a case where a holy sword was excavated without a hero.

In that case, the holy sword was retrieved from the church.

And one of the hero candidates was given a holy sword and contracted as a hero.

“…Is that it?”

“I heard that it is possible with the sect that the church has.”

There are many ways to become a hero candidate.

The fastest and most common case was the method of receiving a recommendation after obtaining a voice by making a large amount of donations to the church.

To become a hero is to become an important figure in the country.

If you achieve success, you can become a hero, and even if you don’t, it’s possible to obtain the powerful power of the holy sword.

If this system had existed when Count Gortian was still alive, the tragedy might not have happened.

Of course. Fools in front of you. Eustes is also of that kind.

With the money that Marquis Hughes poured into the church, he was a candidate for a hero.

“It seems that I haven’t received the holy sword yet.”

“That’s right. If Alvein’s Holy Sword was recovered, I think he would have gone to him.”

“…That’s terrible.”

Galatea also vibrated quietly.

“Marquis Hughes is a squirrel. My father calls him incompetent, but he’s no match to be taken lightly.”

“So… You’re using his relatively stupid son.”

Iona nods at her. And it was to look at Eustes with Cleon.

Then, Galatea opens her mouth.

[Cleon. The dark-haired woman behind that fool.]

Then, a woman who had not been noticed until now came into Cleon’s gaze.

Black hair, black eyes. White skin.

Wearing a white lace outfit worn by common attendants in black, she wore a long single-edged sword scabbard around her waist.

“… It’s a magic swordsman. Of the dark horse clan.”