''Take away the mithril.......and become stronger.......?''

　I couldn't decide in what way I should understand those abrupt words.

　The mithril is mined from the mine and is on its way to be transported for processing and distribution.
　What do you mean by taking that away........?



　Over Pigalo's back, Altamir asks Radie.

'What an abomination we showed in the Rasperda Fortress...!　You were right. We weren't strong enough at all. And the end result is a crushing defeat...!
Altamir...!
This is not how I wanted to see you again. I would have liked to see you at least once I had gained power and redeemed my name through the methods you showed me...!
''What are you talking about?　What are you trying to do, Altamir........?

　Radey was bewildered in front of the good enemies who once competed for the title of heroes.
　I've only met them once, but I still know.

　I'm sure you'll find that their behavior has changed.

'Don't say anything, Altamir.

　Pigalo says in a dry, non-threatening voice.

''This is a rival that needs to be kicked off. There's no point in getting along with a guy like this.

　All I know of their footsteps is that they were defeated at the Rasperda Fortress and taken away by some unidentified person.
　Since then and until now, I have no idea where he has been and what he has been doing.

'You said you were going to take Mithril and make him stronger...?'

　I cautiously join in the conversation.
　'It's still balanced now, but you never know when the surprise will come.

'Are you trying to make a weapon out of the mithril you've taken?　I can't think of any other way to become strong with ore, but...!

　If so, I thought it was a stupid way to go about it.

　If you want a weapon made of mithril, why would you go after the raw material before it's processed?
　Mithril is just a mineral at the point of mining and must be processed by a blacksmith in order to make it into a weapon.
　They themselves do not seem to have such skills, and if they wanted a weapon made of mithril, they would have to go to an armorer or forge and steal the finished product.

　It would still be foolish to risk committing a crime, though.

''You also said 'That One'?　Is that the same guy that took you guys?　You say you were wearing a cloak.......what did that guy blow you away?
Shut up, a**h*le!　That's disrespectful!

　I still can't have a conversation with Pigalo.

'I'm a brave man!　You don't talk to me, a brave man, like the rest of us!　A brave man is noble, holy, and on a height that no ordinary man can touch!
That's why you're losing.

　They mistakenly believe that just having a title changes them, and they lose sight of their own competence because they are consumed by a sense of all-powerfulness.

Those who misunderstand themselves deserve to lose the battle.
Shut up!　I will not tolerate abusive language from a brave man!　I'll shoot you in the face!
And you'll be pissing off some more unbeatable opponents...

　If you can take the provocation and put a target on me, I'll be in the clear.
　We'll have them in custody now, with no chance of escape.

"Do not get provoked, Pigaro.

　It didn't work out that way.
　We have the most massive and difficult opponent of the three to attack.

'Our goal is to gain mithril and gain more power than we have now. Don't let your emotions get distracted and lose sight of your purpose.
I know!　Don't tell me what to do!　As long as we accomplish our goal, our cooperation with you guys is over!

To Zester, the Hammer.
　What in the world is going on here?

　If only Aranziel-san hadn't gotten involved, she would have been calm and accurate in her judgment, and she would have seemed to be the most suitable for a brave man in terms of her s*xuality and ability.

''I'm sorry, Lord Dariel.''

　His gaze turns to me.

'Our current conduct is the farthest thing from brave. I am aware of that.
Then why did you...?
To become a true hero. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this. For that, I'm willing to take emergency measures.

　It was only then that I finally realized what was going on. Pigalo, Altamir, and Zester said there was something wrong with the color of their eyes.
　They were emitting some kind of suspicious red light.
　A red light that seemed to infuse them with madness and paint their sanity.

　Aside from Pigalo, this red glow was the reason why even Altamir and Zester had decided to commit a criminal-like act.......?
　It invades the psyche and enlarges certain emotions.......!

...brainwashing magic?

　The mental interference type of magic used by the demon race.
　Are they now being controlled by magic to control their minds?　So you're committing thievery and such?

'Whatever!　Then I'll show you the moment when I'm the strongest!

　Pigalo shouted.
　At the same time, he reached for his secure cargo box.

What's that?

　Naturally, loaded on the back of the truck are mithril excavated from the mine.
　It is a freshly dug up ore.

　Mithril is a metal that is 100% pure and has uncommon characteristics that do not require refining.
　That's why it can be dug out and loaded on the back of a truck as it is....

"What are you going to do with it in your hand...?

　The amount of mass that can be held in one hand is negligible.
　Even if you took that much away, it would only be a knife.

"Gufufufu...!　You don't understand, do you, ordinary man?　You can't even begin to imagine the secrets that he has given us!

　Saying that, Pigalo, with the mithril ore in his hand in front of him, he began to mumble something.
　It was like a spell of the demon race.

　Then..........

Ha!

　An amazing thing happened.
　The mithril they were holding lost its hardness and began to shake and pull.
　It's just like the jelly that Marika makes as a snack.

''Oh, it's exactly as that gentleman said........!　And this...!

　I ate.
　The mithril, soft as jelly, went into my mouth without hesitation.

'No wait!　They ate it!　Mithril?　Like a snack?

　But mithril is metal!　You won't get sick to your stomach with it, you'll never get sick to your stomach with it!
　And yet, not only Pigalo, but also Altamir and Zester are gobbling up Mithril without hesitation!

　It was such a shocking event that both Radie and I just watched, oblivious to our reactions.

　Eventually, they devoured a heaping pile of mithril and even burped and breathed out....

This.........is the power-up method that he taught me. With this, I can give off an aura a few hundred times greater than before........!　You will be invincible!

　The declaration was immediately put to demonstration.

　A tremendous density of aura erupted from Pigaro's entire body with the force of a geyser.
　The momentum was so great that it caused a storm to erupt.

''Hahahahahahaha!　You see that?　This is the power of the brave Lord Pigalo of the new Sword!　I'm a new man!　Stronger and more absolute!　He has evolved into a super-strong hero that no one can surpass!

　It wasn't just Pigalo who was spewing out a high-density, high-powered aura, but also Altamir and Zester.
　The amount of aura has risen dramatically after being hit by the same mithril as well!

''Oh, great...!
''With this, we can defeat the Four Heavenly Kings in a single blow.......!

　It was all incomprehensible.

　If you want to soften metal to a certain extent, you can do it with alchemy.
　But no matter how soft it is, metal is metal. There is no way you can ingest it in your body. At worst, it's a matter of life.

　And yet those three people somehow turned Mithril into jelly and devoured it.

　Was that magic?　Or is it a trick of the aura?

That's wonderful, but it's not enough. I am the man who must defeat the Demon King. If I don't generate more aura, the demon king won't deserve to be defeated...!

　Pigaro spins on his heel and heads for the loading dock.
　There's still a heap of mithril ore there...?

You're not going to eat it all?　Are you going to eat all of that?

　I'll never get hungry again!
　Now that they've recovered from Bashvaza, Mithril is finally being supplied again.

　What would it cost to eat all that stuff for free?

"Stop it!　Don't let that biting bastard touch Mithril!

　At the sound of my voice, all of us who have been swallowed up by the strangeness of my voice react in unison.

　To the brave men who have lost their lives to the thieves and food escape criminals. Radhi and Gacita also try to attack, but....
　But then they attack us with a shock!

What?

　The impact was of two kinds.
　I'm not sure if this is the right way to go, but I'm sure it is.

I'm not going to be the only one who's been in this situation.

'I won't let you pass from here, Radie.

　Altamir points the tip of the nocked arrow at Radie.
　And.....

That's what you're dealing with.

　A huge man with a hammer stands in front of me.

"Dariel, I hope you will accept this challenge again. For the true perfection of the Great Armor.