Dark Knight Kroki

　Elyos, the country where the gods live. Elyos is a country in the sky that is built to float in the clouds at the top of Mount Elyos, the highest mountain in this world.
　There are three ways to enter Elyos: the first is to fly into the country, the second is to climb the mountain, and the third is to enter from underground through the mountain.
　Whichever route you take, it's not going to be easy.
　The first, of course, requires a way to fly, and if you don't have the permission of the holy knights serving the God King Odis to enter from the air, you'll be killed just by approaching them.
　The second is that Mount Erios is a steep mountain, but the great sea of trees at the foot of Mount Erios is home to the kingdom of the elves. You need the permission of the elves to enter the forest.
　The third underground passage is guarded by dwarves and can only be entered with the dwarves' permission.
　The route I am going to take is the third underground route.
　When your vision wavers, it changes to a different room than the one you were in before. The magic circle at your feet still had a bit of faint light in it.

''Dario-dono, where are we?''
This is a shrine at the edge of the jungle, Master Dihart. There is an underground passage at the end of the hall that leads to your destination.

　The answer was a man who was taller than he was to his own shoulders, but twice as big beside him.
　A dwarf. That's what they call him, a race.
　They dwarves are longer-lived than humans and are better at blacksmithing. The tools they make are the best in the world.
　Many of these dwarves frequent Nargol because of the close relationship between Modes and the dwarves' god, Heybos. Nargol is rich in mineral resources, so it is probably beneficial for the dwarves as well.
　Dario is one of the dwarves who frequents Nargol and can help guide you to Elyos.
　The reason he came to Elyos is to meet the god Heybos at the lowest level of Elyos. The reason I came to Elyos is to meet with the god Heybos at the lowest level of Elyos to get new armor to replace the armor that was tattered in the battle with Rage and his friends.
''Well, shall we go now?
　Dario says this and starts walking.
　It seems there is an underground passage behind the shrine that leads to the dwarven kingdom.

Shall we go, Kuna?

　I look to the side and urge Coona to hug my arm.
　Kuna nods without answering. Then the black hood that hides her face shakes, revealing a few silver bangs and a white face.
　Myself and Kuna begin to walk as well.
　Kuna won't let go of my arm, making it a little difficult to walk, but I persevere.
　It's a beautiful and pretty girl who is admiring me. Of course it's okay if it's a little bit difficult to walk around.
　In the first place, have you ever been liked by such a pretty girl before?
　Maybe it's only natural that I should like myself since I'm the goddess I made for myself, but looking at the finished Kuna, that didn't matter.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

'Kuroki ...... are you crying?'

　Coona asks me to look into her face from below. The gesture is adorable.

'No, ...... this is just snot coming out of my eyes. Let's go, Coona.

　As we walked, we came to a place where a small, oddly shaped boat-like structure was placed in the passage.

'Lord Dihardt, we'll take it from here.
For this? Lord Dario.

　It's not that I'm floating in the water. It's just a boat being placed on the gangway.

'Woo hoo, well, you'll find out when you get in.

　Dario says with a grin.
　Myself and Cuna board the boat with Dario in the lead.
　As they board themselves, the boat suddenly floats up.

'Oh!'

　I can't help myself.
　The boat rises to the surface and continues forward.

"Well, I think the Dark Knight would be surprised.

　Dario says with a laugh.

'Yes. 'I'm surprised,'

　I answer honestly.
　The technology in this world is astounding. In some ways it is more advanced than the world I was from.
　The boat is moving quite fast.
　Above this tunnel is already a sanctuary. The sanctuary is basically only accessible to the angelic race, elves and dwarves of the race recognized by the gods of Elyos. And moreover, I am from Nargol, an enemy of Elyos. If a non-Dwarven race finds me, I won't be able to get away with it.
　The boat goes on. The sanctuary is large, so the underground passage that passes underneath it is also quite long, and the end is not in sight, even though the boat is advancing at a considerable speed.
　Normally it would be faster to move with transference magic, but since the entire sanctuary is enchanted to block transference for defensive reasons, the sanctuary can only be advanced by such means.
　It would be about an hour or so in time, and we finally see the exit.
　When the boat stops, we get off the boat ourselves, and this time we go out into a slightly smaller passage.
　When we exit the passage, we find ourselves in a large area.
　Various lights illuminate us. The light in this place is different from the light in the passage was also bright with lights.
　The streetscape that was colored by various lights such as yellow and red and green makes you forget that this is underground.
　The beautiful decorations are decorated all over the streets, creating a fantastic scene by illuminating it with various lights.

''Oh!　Here's another one: ......

　I marvel at the sight for the first time.
　Dario looks satisfied when he sees his own face.

''Welcome, Master Dark Knight Dihardt. This is the dwarven city of Vernd.





　Dark Knight Kroki

　The dwarven city of Verundo, located underneath the sanctuary of Mount Elyos, is a city built on the best of magical technology.
　Everywhere in the multi-layered city, there are moving floors and stones that rise and fall like elevators without any ropes or anything to connect each area of the city. This is something that does not exist in the human world. It's no secret that dwarves have far more advanced magical technology than the humans of this world.
　And the exterior of the city is adorned everywhere with the glowing jewels of magical technology, their seven-colored light illuminating the beautifully decorated streets and buildings. And although the city is underground, it is designed to be just the right size so that it does not feel cramped.
　There are about 20,000 dwarves living in Vernd. Even though the number of dwarves is much smaller than the number of humans, it's a lonely number for the capital. However, the city has a special meaning to the dwarves, as it is the home of the dwarf god, Heybos, the god of craftsmanship.
　As you walk down the street, you will pass many dwarves. This is the capital of the dwarves, so it's only natural.
　But as they walk, they pass non-Dwarves as well. I was wondering if there are non-dwarves living in the city, but when I looked at them they were not living creatures. The body looks like a round tube with a slender face. It is probably a golem made by dwarves.
　Golems are moving dolls made from rocks, wood, iron and other materials. They are the same as the robots in the original world.
　The golems are accompanying the dwarves and cleaning the roads.
　I had heard about the golems from Lugas. Golems are used for various purposes, from combat to household chores, he said.
　The golem being cleaned now is probably for cleaning.
　Come to think of it, there was a huge doll of steel in the transitioned place of the shrine, but that might also be a golem.
　Perhaps it's a golem for fighting off those without permission. If Dario hadn't been with us, we might have been in a lot of trouble.

'You look so surprised that you can't speak, Master Dihardt.

　Dario says as he sees himself scurrying around from earlier.

''Yes, Dario-dono. I am amazed at how amazing the dwarves are at building such a large city, even though it is underground.''

　Dario was pleased with his own honesty.

'Woo hoo. But, Lord Dihardt. But no more surprises. We'll be entering the place now, so prepare yourself.

　Dario says, returning his face to a slightly more serious look.
　I nod to myself.

'Cuna, cover your face.'

　He urges Cuna, who hadn't spoken at all before and was walking around clinging to his arm.

'Yes.'

　Coona said and put his hood over his head to hide his face.
　We had brought ourselves to a much higher level on the floating stone. From here on out, they would have to move with caution.
　Beyond this is the most important area of the Vernd, the dwarven workshop.
　And above this workshop is the workshop of the god Heybos.
　We will enter the workshop area. It was a bleak but practical scene, unlike the places that had been decorated before.
　Many of the dwarves in this workshop are particularly finicky and must not be too noisy.
　And because some of the dwarves in this workshop are misogynistic, it would normally be best not to bring Kuna, but I ended up bringing her with me because she did not want to leave me and I was worried about leaving her in Nargol.
　The reason for the anxiety had to do with Regina, the former princess of Argoa.
　She was picked up by me in the Acheron Mountains and later became my maid of honor in the Demon King's castle.
　And it seems that Kuna doesn't like her. It's not so much Rigena's dislike of her, but Kuna's dislike of her seems to be one-sided, and she doesn't feel comfortable leaving her at home with Kuna. That's why I brought Kuna along with me.
　We quietly exit the workshop ourselves. Although I was curious about what the dwarves were doing in this workshop, I heard that some of them were very reluctant to have their territory entered, so I resisted.
　Then, I pass through the workshop and reach the upper floor.
　It was a strange room.
　Various ores, tools, and paper are scattered about, and the room is arranged in such a way that it is hard to tell whether it is narrow or wide, which confuses the viewer.
　This seemed to be the workshop of the god Heybos. If that was the case, then this place should also be the boundary between Vernd and Elios. According to the story, God Heybos is the lowest place in Elyos and lives in the highest place in Vernd.
　We proceed to the workshop of the god Heybos.
　Then we come to a slightly larger place. There was a man there. His hairy beard and crooked body give the impression of weakness, but the muscles in his arms and the glare in his profile are sharp and spirited.

''Hey Boss God. I've brought the Dark Knight.

　Dario thanks the man. If that's the case, then I'm sure this man is the God of Heybos.
　Heavos looks at you.
　A sharp look catches him. I've heard that the god Haybos is not a skilled fighter, but I can see the power in his eyes that could be called a warrior of long standing.

''I'm pleased to meet you for the first time, Heybos .......
No need to say hello, Dark Knight Dehart.

　I was about to greet him with a curtsy, but was interrupted.

"You have asked for instruction from Dario. Will you show me that sword?

　The god Heybos holds out his hand.
　He holds out a small sword that he held in his pocket.
　The stiletto is shorter than a typical longsword and slightly longer than a shortsword.
　This stiletto is something he learned from Dario and made himself by striking it.
　When the Haybos God pulls out the stiletto, the black sword barrel is exposed.

'This is all I know of this Haybos. I know better than to spin a hundred words.

　The Hayboss God sullenly looks at the sword. The sword was one that he learned from Dario, using his own black flames, and after many failed attempts, he finally completed it.
　Not only was it difficult to find materials that could withstand the black flames, but it was also difficult to find the right amount of strength to create the sword, creating a lot of debris.
　The final product was a small sword that was forged by the black flames, its body shining black and its sharpness was quite impressive.
　I think it's a good piece of work, but I'm not sure if it's good enough to be shown to the god of craftsmanship.

Hmmm, I see. ...... It's a pretty good idea. But wait a minute.

　When he says this, the Haybos God says so and leaves his seat. And when he returns a short while later, he doesn't have the dagger he gave her, but rather another beautifully crafted dagger in his hand.

'Here,'

　The god Heybos hands him a small sword.
　I take the stiletto in my hand.

"Pull it out and see.

　Pulling the stiletto from its scabbard, the black sword barrel is exposed.

''This is .......''

　I let out a sound of surprise to myself.

'Yes, that's the sword you made,'

　The stiletto that was given to me was the one I had given him. When I had given it to him, I hadn't done any work on the hilt or anything else, I just wanted it to be easy to hold and use.
　However, the dagger handed to me by the god Heybos is still as easy to use as it was to use, but it is beautifully crafted. That's why I didn't realize it was the one I had given him.
　I am honestly impressed.

'I was wondering why the sword was completely unadorned... I had to do some work on it. To be honest, I don't feel like I'm trying to dress up. You don't have any fancy clothes at all, do you? You wear black clothes all the time to keep a low profile, don't you?

　The words of the Haybos God pierce my heart.
　How can I know that? I'm surprised that I actually do.
　Even from Syrone, "Kroki wears only black or gray, but not anything else? I've been told that. I'm more comfortable in darker clothes, yes .......

'Is it a hit?'

　I can't talk back to the Heybos God.
　Well, it's no surprise that it's actually hit, so it's not even a gagging sound.
　Then you look at the sword.

'Even though I can sense the will to make something good: ......

　Then the god Heybos looks at himself.

'You seem to be a clumsy man in a way ....... I'd say he can't do anything with a woman he likes, and he won't compete with another man for a woman, so he backs down.

　The words pierce my own heart again.

'Perhaps the Lord will stand down and not fight over anything, not just women? And then at the end of the day, you can't help yourself and you do something you can't take back.

　And the god Heybos looks a little farther away.

'Just like the Modes guy: ....... The Modes guy should have fought a little bit, but he said to retreat to Nargol as soon as possible. So they get licked and expand their demands, and then they start fighting each other's retractions.

　And the Haybos God laughs a little.

'But denying involvement with others and confining himself to the world of this frail workshop alone, does this Heybos have any right to say anything: ......

　God Heybos says in a muttered voice.
　Nat says that God Heybos is always holed up in this workshop and never goes to the meetings of the gods. That's why he didn't find out until later when Modes was banished from Elyos.
　The god Heybos seems to regret that a bit. That's probably why he's helping Modes.
　And now he looks at the small sword he holds.

'A bit off topic ....... It's not ornate, but if it's purely a sword, it's quite good. It's not inferior to anything a dwarf would make.

　This was definitely a compliment of the highest order.

'Thank you,'

　I bow my head in praise.

'Can you show me the sword Modes gave you?

　I pull out the magic sword at my waist and hand it to the god Heybos.
　The black barrel of the sword is decorated with a red pattern, hence the name "black blood magic sword".

It's always a great sword. A sword like this one, not even Heybos could make it.

　It was an unexpected word.

''Isn't that sword made by the Haybos God?''

　At his own words, the god Haybos shook his head.

'It was Nargol, the mother of Modes, who made that sword. Nargol, called the God of Destruction, has the ability to create weapons for destruction. Even this Hayboss is no match for him. As a matter of fact, Modes can make weapons as good as this Heybos. He doesn't really want to make weapons, though. And maybe you have the ability to do that too.

　Hayboss God says as he compares the demon sword to the small sword he made.
　The ability to make a sword.
　In other words, the ability to be a sword smith is definitely an ability he gained by coming to this world. The world of swords should be so profound that it is said to be a lifetime of sharpening alone.
　I've learned from a master's acquaintance who is a swordsmith, but it's not something that can be done in just one night.
　The reason why I came to this world is that I am able to make precise movements, which is why I am able to make products that are as good as the dwarves. So if I went back to my original world, I wouldn't be able to make the same sword that I gave to the Haybos God.

"Well, it's not what it looks like, but Modes and you are very much alike. You can give it to someone else. It's a bit gaudy and I doubt you'd like it.

　Then he gives me the sword back.
　I think about who I should give this little sword to.
　Kuna looks like he wants it beside me, but I want to give Kuna something better than the sword I make for him.

'I'll give Kuna something better some time,'

　Then he pats Coona's head and tucks the sword into his pocket.
　Coona looks dissatisfied, but stroking her head seems to have cured her mood.

I've got some armor made over here for you. You can follow me.

　After saying that, the Haybos god walked out and led them to themselves.
　In the destination of the guide, there was an armor of one territory including a helmet. The color of the armor is jet black and looks the same as before, but the magic contained in it is much stronger than the previous one.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you. I made it based on the tattered dark knight's armor that was given to me earlier, but you won't know for sure until you come to see it in person, so you can try it on.

　Heibos God told me to put on the armor and it fit my body well and did not blur. I'm sure you'll be able to see that it doesn't impede your movements despite the heavy armor.

'It's amazing. It's amazing that you can move with such big armor and not be hindered by it. ......

　Even in the original world, they wouldn't be able to make this much armor.

"And you can have this for the girl.

　The Haybos god takes out what looks like a long stick. It was a huge scythe.

'This is ......'
Yes, I got a call from Modes. I made one.

　With that, the Hayboss God handed the scythe to Kuna.
　When Kuna held it, it was not too long and not too short for his height, and it was a perfect fit. And it suited him well.
　I'm not comfortable with letting Kuna fight, but I know how hard it is to have no power.
　I don't want to make them fight as much as possible, but there might be a time when they could if they did.

''Thank you, Hayboss God.''

　I bowed my head again and thanked him.

I know there are some things you don't want to give up, and I pray you'll be able to keep them too.

　The Haybos God says this and turns away.
　There seems to be nothing more to say.
　I returned to Nargol after bowing to the back of Haybos God many times.






Kuna, the Silver White Witch.

　I use shifting magic to return to the Demon King's Castle.
　I look at the scythe I got earlier from a guy called Heybos or something.
　With this, Kuna will be able to fight as well. I hope this will help Kuroki.
　When I wield it, it feels good in Kuna's hand. But I think I need to train like Kroki.
　Kroki swings his sword every morning.
　It's called "training everything". It's not the same as a sword, but Kuna should swing the scythe with you. That way you can be with Kroki.

'This is Kuna-sama ....... Welcome home.

　While walking, she meets a woman. When the woman sees Kuna, she bows.
　Her name is Rijena.
　I don't like this woman very much. She gets irritated when she comes near Kroki.
　Kuna belongs to Kroki. Then Kroki is Kuna's.
　Krona is Krona's only property, but he is also kind to this woman. That's what is so disgusting.
　I want to put a collar on Kroki and keep Kuna alone. But if I do that, Kroki won't like it.
　So you're going to have to deal with this woman. Kill her? But if we do that, Kroki will be sad.
　So we'll have to find another way.

"Regena.
'Ha, yes!　What is it, Lady Kuna!

　Regena looks frightened when Coona calls out to her. It's not that I'm not going to kill him now. So there shouldn't be any need to be frightened.
　That's where you suddenly notice what Regena has in her hand.

''What's that?''

　I ask, pointing to the object in my hand.

'Se-...... laundry, sir!

　I was a little afraid to ask, my voice was upturned.

Whose is it?
...... It's your husband's.

　This time his voice was smaller.
　The only person Rijena calls master is Kuroki. I can feel a black fire welling up when I hear her call me that master.

'Did you wash it?'

　Ligeena nodded her head in agreement.

'I thought princesses didn't do that?'

　Rigena is supposed to be a princess in a human country called Argoa or something.
　And the princesses you hear about are not supposed to do laundry.
　Kroki has been reading various books to learn the characters of this world.
　Some of them are stories about various people, and he reads them to Kuna before she goes to bed at night.
　It's a happy time for Kuna to sleep while listening to Kroki's gentle voice.
　And in one of the books, there is a story about a princess.
　The princesses in the stories don't do that. It would always be done by an attendant. So it was a surprise to me that Regina could do that.

''I, no, I wanted to thank you for helping my master ...... and I learned to wash my clothes from my grandmother ...... that .......''

　Rigena replies sluggishly.
　Rigena was picked up here with a squire, as I recall. She must have learned from that squire.

'Yes ......'

　Then he looked at the laundry in Regina's hand. In it, I could see Kuroki's underwear.
　That's what Kroki was wearing yesterday. I've checked it many times, so there's no mistaking it.

Did you suck on it ......?

　I ask Ligeena.

'What? ......?'

　Rigena replied, then looked down. Naturally, there's Kroki's underwear there.

''Oh yeah, I didn't do that!　You can't just suck it up.

　Regina denies it a little late, perhaps not realizing the meaning of what was said at first.

'Covering and ....... Licking and ......'
No, I didn't!　I didn't!


　Rigena bobbed her head in denial.

'Suck it!　I didn't lick it!　No, I didn't!　It's just a little sniff!
　Rigena tried her best to deny it, but there was one word in those words that she couldn't miss.
'Did you smell it?'
Oh, .......

　Silence rules the place.
　No, ......, we have to do something quickly .......

"Regina ......
'Yes!

　He approaches Rigena and pulls her face closer.

'Teach Coona to do the laundry,'

　Since you can't kill them. The only way to do it is for Coona to learn to wash and protect her underwear.

'What?　Lady Coona, sir?

　Ligeena looks surprised. I don't know why.

'You have to teach Kuna everything she needs to do to take care of Kroki, not just the laundry. I want to be able to take care of all of Kroki's needs.
Oh no, His Majesty's Princess of the Demon King would do such a thing: ......

　Ligeena says apologetically.
　Before I knew it, Kuna was the daughter of the Demon King. Probably because she looks like Moona.
　It's different, but I won't deny it every time.

'I just want to remember.'

　If Kuna can do everything, there is no need for Regena to be Kroki's maid.
　At that point, you can do Regena somewhere else.
　You also need to think about where you want her to go. If there was nowhere to go, the gentle Kroki would leave Regena there.
　One word comes to mind.
　The Kingdom of Algore.
　It's where Regena was a princess. Why don't we give her back to the princess there?
　After all, she could go back to being a princess, and Kroki wouldn't say it was a bad idea, and it would be good for Regina.
　So it seemed like a very good idea.