Finally, the day of the parade.

　I went back to Japan once, leaving the rest to Rebecca to take care of the rest. I had to go to a legal matter.
　To be honest, I didn't want to attend this kind of thing, but I had no choice. I tried to tell my parents I had something to do, but I couldn't even think of a good excuse.
　I'm going to be out of the house soon, and we can clear this place up without a hitch. I'll be able to make it to the parade in time for the lawsuit.
　I'm not in Japan, so I'm not that strict about the time. Or rather, there is no exact clock.

　The event went on without any problem, we ate the catered meal and dismissed the party.
　During the dinner, my relatives said to me, "How's your job going? I have more important things to do than get a job!

　I managed to hurry back to the house, impatient with my mother, who had started a long talk with her relatives and was reluctant to leave, after the legal proceedings were over.
　She hurriedly changed her clothes and rode her horse past the mirror to Elishe.
　It was now one-thirty in the afternoon.
　I was quite late. I didn't have time to eat a catered meal, but I didn't feel like I could leave on the way.

'Hurry up, hurry up, ......!

　The ride from the mansion to Elishe can be reached in about fifteen minutes, if you run your horse quickly enough.
　We'll make it in time for the parade, or at least to give a shout-out to the others.
　Then we have to get there ahead of them and prepare to emcee the event.

　No, I've already done most of the preparation, so it's mainly mental preparation.
　I'd like to have a final meeting with MilkPearl.
　I've already told her the general schedule, though.

　With that in mind, we rode along the familiar road.
　My riding skills are getting better and better.
　He has a good chance to write "Horseback Riding" in the "Special Skills" section of his resume. It was unlikely that he would have any more opportunities to write that on his resume in the future.


"Well, well, well, well, do you have a minute?

　I was almost at the entrance to Elishe - and was stopped by a familiar, flashy man.

　The scent of musk that I can't forget even if I wanted to.
　A merchant with a chubby figure and a pasted-on grin.

　He is Dida Barbacro.


　◇◆◆◆◇


　I had noticed it from a distance along the way. I thought about taking the long way around, but time was just right.
　There was also the option of ignoring it and passing it by, but it seems that Dida, the chubby merchant, doesn't seem to have her prized slave warrior with her, and she is alone.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this by visiting ......?　

'Hey there, it's been a while. Do you remember me?

　A seemingly friendly chap who speaks to me.
　What the hell do you want?　I didn't expect him to be waiting for such a direct single person.　
　I was told that he might try something with his entanglement. ...... No, and even if so, its purpose is unclear.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.
　I don't know to what extent this chubby merchant is connected to the Solo family, but wasn't it said that this guy was running for the Solo family's Deanna support staff - to begin with?
　So, did you come here to talk about it?　No, Hetty-san came all the way to warn me, and I'm sure she's planning something bad.

　Well, whatever it was, this is the entrance to the city of Elishe.
　Naturally, there are many people on the street. It's not a place to stand around and talk, but as expected here, they wouldn't attack you in broad daylight.
　Even if you are attacked in the worst case scenario, there is also a magic sword. I don't intend to get hit so easily.
　It's also worth noting that it's only a half hour away. In fact, it would be more frightening to go through with this guy here.

''It's been a while, Dida-san. What's going on?　At a place like this.
'Hmmm, actually, I heard about the parade. I saw the knights waiting, but I was surprised to see that dragon.
'Oh, you've seen the Knights, haven't you? But you didn't come here just to watch the parade, did you?

　They've already seen the waiting knights in waiting. Aeon and Hetty-san are wearing their iron masks tightly, hiding their faces. From Dida's appearance, it's unlikely that she noticed them.
　Aeon even dyed her hair black with hair dye, so she must have done everything right.
　Probably someone from the knightly corps would have noticed Dida's arrival. If there was a detachment, they would be alerted to it.

"Of course, I've come for you.
Me?

　Me? So you think it might be a good idea for me to be stranded during the parade?
　The option of capturing or killing him here is a glimmer in my mind, given what I've said with Ion, but I can't do it.　

'I've been through something like that before, but today, after being allowed to see your knights, I've changed my mind. I'm still a merchant myself, you know. You're going to be a big merchant from now on. So I thought it would be a good idea to get acquainted with you sooner rather than later. It seems you're getting along well with Princess Diana, too.

　You didn't think he was going to flip out?　
　Does this mean that he has taken a real advantage as a merchant?

I think he's up to something .......

　I said, getting off my horse.
　Even though it may be a lie, I can't talk about it from horseback to someone who is trying to walk up to me.
　Of course, I didn't let my guard down.

'No way. I'm the owner of the Great Barbacro Trading Company. I'm not going to pull a stunt like that. I even went out of my way to leave my escort slaves behind, and I also brought one of our products to ...... as a token of my closeness.
Merchandise?

　According to Hetty, Dida was an arms dealer.
　He is said to have made a fortune from the war effort in partnership with the Solo family. And here's what Dida is bringing to us. It's a weapon of some kind.
　You don't think he's going to just go in and grab it?　
　Ummm ....... I don't really trust it.
　Let's be prepared to move at any time, just in case.

Yeah, I got it by accident. Well, you'll see, anyway.

　As he says this, he places a large suitcase on the ground beside him and opens it.
　Inside is a beautiful girl with light blue hair--

Hee!　Plundering minors!
Calm down. This is a relic from the ancient spirit civilization. It's called an automaton. It's a puppet.
Doll ......?

　It is true that its joints are spherical.
　The face is also beautiful as if it was made up, but it's actually made up.

　Currently it is sleeping with its knees folded. No, it's a doll, so is it strange to say it's asleep?
　Anyway, the doll is not moving. It's probably about 120 centimeters long. It looks smaller than an Etowah.

"Can I have this?　As a sign of closeness?　You can't get this stuff, you know.

　It's from the spirit civilization era, so it's one hundred years old.
　And with a doll of this quality, it's probably a national treasure. It's too valuable to give it to someone as a friendly gift.
　I'm sure it's not true!

'Hmm. Maybe you thought it was too expensive for a free gift, but you should think more about your value. High elves, demons, dragons, and monsters (juggernauts). There aren't many people who have this much power in their hands. And all in such a short period of time. We had our problems with you, and this is a small price to pay to fix it. Anyway, let's get it running. I'll change my mind when I see this automaton in action.

　I see, indeed, if we're going to repair the relationship, it might not be this much of an item that will move me.
　Is it the natural behavior ...... of a veteran merchant?
　Does it mean that coming out alone is also a form of showing good faith?

　I guess that means I'll have to let bygones be bygones when I get this .......
　I'm sure it's going to stimulate my greed, but as expected, I'm not going to be able to do that with Dida anymore.
　It's too obvious what kind of person he is, because of the Aeon thing.

　But even in the eyes of the great merchants of the imperial capital, is our knight squad substandard?
　Fortunately, Dida doesn't seem to realize it, but there's also Aeon, the 'general' and former princess of the 'holy knight', and Hettie, the god of death.
　I was just thinking that it should have a bit of an impact, but maybe it's more impactful than I assumed.

''The automata are powered by demon crystals and spirit stones, but this alone will run for a month. It's not something you can't get out now. Both the Demon Crystal and the Spirit Stone.

　As she said it, Dida took out the spirit stone and demon crystal from her pocket and opened the lid of the automata's back and loaded it in.
　The girl of the automata slowly opens her eyes.
　Red eyes filled with a mysterious light.

''All that's left is to make you recognize the Lord. I'll take one of your hair.

　As I was distracted by that indescribable loveliness of the automata that opened its eyes, Dida pulled out a few strands of my hair with a quickness that didn't match her figure.
　By the time I huffed, it was too late. I wasn't caught off guard, but I was momentarily distracted by Automata.
　Automata is looking at me with a boner, her red eyes shining. Cute.

'This automata doesn't move in this state. When you feed it the hair of its master, it will recognize and protect that person as its master. So it's a guardian doll. Isn't it pretty to look at?

That's cute, but it's ......

　I want it if you're willing to give it to me.
　But in exchange, it's too big.
　But this guy... He brought me what I seemed to want at a pinpoint.
　Is this the art of the merchants of the past?
　Well, I don't get it.

And she's very strong. This is indeed an artifact from the age of spirit civilization. It has the power to nullify spirit blessings. It can ignore all the so-called granting effects of the spirit stones.

Oh, come on, you haven't got the guts to tell me that!　I'm not going to take--

　When I said that, Dida's face contorted into an ugly mess.

'Heehahahahahahahahahahaha!'

　A high-pitched laugh escaped from the corner of his fishing mouth.

'Kukukukukuku. ...... totally. There's no way I'd do something that good for you.

　Dida's demeanor and atmosphere changed drastically.
　There was a complete change from the mild, somewhat amiable atmosphere of earlier, and a man with a cruel-looking light in his eyes was there.

''Hmmm. But you amaze me. Knights, the female knights!　My slaves are not bad, but they are still not very glamorous. Considering that, your knights are very elegant indeed. It's a shame, but I have to admit that. And where did you get those dragons? Did you get them at the Elf Village?　And the ability to tame that monster ...... legendary mercenary group "Scarlet Wedge" deputy commander Shero Roth. I'm honestly surprised. And--

'What are you talking about, ......?　You ......

'Hmmm, haven't we talked about this before?　Didn't I tell you, I don't care if I told you or not, but you wouldn't have been able to get all that stuff without the High Elves and the Elven home?　I'm taking over the whole thing. The high elf won't be so bad. If you want, I can make you my mistress. Yes, the Turks are no longer my concern. They will soon follow. I tell you what, I tried to get rid of you once before, and that time I failed--

　Dida smiles wickedly.
　She is red-faced, puffed up with ambition, and a sound that is neither breath nor laughter leaks out of the wide angle in an ugly way.

'What do you mean you've been ...... before?'

Hmm?　Yeah, I hired the city's ruffians. I tried to get them to attack me. It didn't work out. Hmmm, apparently using people doesn't work.

The raggedy little guy: "......

　I'm pretty sure I was attacked by three thugs a long time ago.
　Are you saying that he was the one who helped them do it behind the scenes?

You're not gonna get away with this much traffic.

Hmmm~?　Too much traffic?　Is that right?

"What: ......

　Looking around, there was certainly no one in sight.
　Despite the fact that the street near the entrance to Elishe, which is usually constantly crowded with people coming and going.
　A single Dida.
　The slave who should always be by my side is not there.
　In other words--.

Well, you can't tell a dead man what to do. At least I'll be able to pay them off.

　As Dida carries a lock of my hair into the automata's mouth, the girl who was looking straight ahead with empty red eyes flicks her tongue out and eats it.
　She munches and chews, moving her pretty mouth around and chewing, her bright red eyes focused on me.
　Then, waveringly and quietly, she stands up.

'You said earlier that you would recognize the person who ate your hair as the Lord. That was a lie. Actually, it's to identify the 'target of elimination'. Hmmm, it would have been a bit of a hassle if I had an escort, but I'm glad you're an idiot. Bye.

　The automata moved faster than I could brace myself.
　Before I knew it, I had a glowing sword in my hand.

　I could barely handle it.
　It was such a quick move without warning.
　There was also a carelessness about the automata's appearance.
　If it was anything, I was going to use the mirror of truth to appraise it, and that was an added bonus.

　I could feel the automata's deadly blade, which had struck me without hesitation, as if it was going to hit my body, penetrating deeply into my body.
　The automata is just looking straight ahead.

''Ugh......gu.''

　My chest burned hot from the attack.
　I ripped the automaton off and kicked it away.
　The girl rolls across the ground, surprisingly light.
　The white dress of the automata is dyed bright red.

'Hahahahaha!　She has a weapon, you know. It's a special assassination weapon. There will be no murder weapon left. I'll take care of the rest, and you can go to sleep. Ha-ha-ha-ha!

　And then Dida is just about to walk away.

'......, wait, wait, ......!

　The words I spat out with the intention of screaming, but they were only a hazy whisper.
　As if it wasn't my body, I couldn't put any effort into it.

　The red-hot liquid pouring out of my chest incessantly.
　I was struck by the realization that I was losing something important every second, as if life itself was slipping away from my body.

　I can't die here yet.
　I haven't even seen the parade.

　In spite of these feelings, the heat is rapidly draining from my body.

"............ Oh my God, no.

　I collapse to the ground, unable to stand, my strength slipping away.
　I lie on the ground, unable to resist, unable to do anything but surrender to the absolute nanika.
　The automaton just continues to look at me with empty eyes, seemingly disinterested.
　It seems that she intends to observe her target until she dies.
　Utterly looked up professionalism. ...... d*mn.

　...... And then I died.



　◇◆◆◆◆◆◆.



　How much time has passed?
　It feels like seconds, or hours.

　My left arm is hot.
　And I can feel that heat running through my entire body, gently enveloping me.

　The heat begins to flow through my blood, my body.　
　With that warmth, my consciousness becomes clearer.
　I don't know what's happening, but my body moves.

　I open my eyes and, to my horror, I see Dida and the automaton watching me curiously. Apparently, very little time had passed.

　I thought I was dead?　
　The blade of the automaton should have pierced my chest with precision.

'Hmmmmmmm ......!　No way, no way!

　Dida put a hand to her forehead and shook her head in surprise.

'I didn't expect a resurrection bracelet!　The hidden treasure of the ancient spirit civilization era. I didn't know you even had such a thing in your possession!　I want it more and more!

　Dida calls out.
　Resurrection Armband?　I don't remember doing that--

　--This is for you. This is a good luck charm for your health.
　--This bracelet has been in our family for a long time, and it is said to protect its owner's health.

　Oh, I see. This is the amulet Deanna gave me.
　I think she gave me one of her bangles.
　As for the effect of the bangle, Deanna said it would lose its benefits, so I didn't mind using it as an accessory, but since Dida was so surprised, it must have been a very rare item.
　Protecting the health of its owner. Well, yes, it does protect your health.

Automata!　Go kill them all this time!

　Dida gives the automata another order.
　A new glowing sword appears in the automata's hand as it tilts its head and stares at me curiously.

'You're not going to get hit twice!

　I stood up and drew my sword.
　My body is surprisingly well. The wound where I was stabbed is also sealed. It's probably something like Deanna's spirit magic.
　Earlier, the attack was too sudden to deal with, but I won't be easily beaten anymore.
　This is a life saved by Deanna. I won't be beaten so easily anymore!

　The automata's eyes glitter red with gleam.
　The light sword in both hands is lightly swung, leaping and attacking me.
　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to find a way to make it to the top of the list, but I'm sure I'll be able to find a way to make it to the top of the list.
　The automata attacks with tremendous force.

"d*mn, he's strong!

　A series of offensive and defensive attacks. Moves that are well versed in how to fight a human opponent whose movements are slowed down by the slightest wound.
　The human body's entire body is a weak point. Any wound to any flesh and blood part could be fatal.
　On top of that, the opponent is tireless and painless. The fact that they are powered by demonic and spirit stones is probably the same mechanism as the monsters.
　Monsters have a habit of coming towards nearby magical forces. The target of that habit is probably targeting me by making me eat my hair.
　Frankly speaking, it's not a good match.
　Against an inorganic automata, my magic sword has little advantage.

''Oraaah!''

　It shrugs off attacks and kicks away as hard as it can.
　One of the automata's weaknesses is probably its lightness of body.
　Even a kick of my size would send it several meters away.

　I took this opportunity to run.
　There was no choice but to run.
　Maybe it's because he's trained in combat, but he can tell if he's going to win or not after a few rounds of sword fighting. I'll know.
　My arms, my sword, can't beat this automaton.

　But where will I run to?　Where's the safest place to be?
　Running to everyone else is out of the question.
　We're in the middle of a once-in-a-generation parade.
　We can't let them get in the way. We're going to be watered down, and I don't know if even the girls can beat this.
　No, I'm sure Hetty and Shero can beat it.
　But I don't think it's going to be that convenient. Not to mention, there would be a crowd of people around the knights right now. There's no way you can ask them for help.
　Besides, it would cause a panic in the city even though it was a parade. It would also reflect badly on the Knights.

　I started running towards the mansion, feeling that I had to go somewhere anyway.
　I'm leaving my horse behind. With my riding skills, it's faster to ride normally. There's a risk of falling off the horse.
　Right now, an acquaintance of Shero's should be packed into Shero's house to watch for monsters, but I'm told that he's also an ordinary hunter, so we can't rely on him.
　As I thought, it would be best to escape to the mansion.

　The mansion has a ward. Monsters can't come in.
　It's about two kilometers to the mansion. But once we get to the mansion, we win.
　Since this automaton seems to be targeting only me, it should be able to get by on its own as long as it hides until it runs out of fuel.
　No, since it's only targeting me, I can have someone else take it down.
　Even from the mansion, as long as the signal is good enough, we can contact our friends with a walkie-talkie.

'Hahaha ......!　Persistent ......!

　I looked back as I drove at near full speed, and of course, the automata was chasing me. As I expected, Dida didn't seem to be chasing me.
　I wondered what he was going to do on the parade, but I didn't have time to worry about that right now. We have to leave it to the others.
　The automaton is quick, but it's still a child. It doesn't seem to be able to run fast, and at this pace, it's likely to escape.
　Yes, as long as we get into the mansion ............!

　The mansion came into view. I looked back and saw the automata a few dozen meters away.
　I can get away!

　I fell down from the forest entrance and entered the grounds of the mansion, inside the wards.
　No automata entered. It appears that I was able to ...... escape.
　I crawled into the yard and slumped down.
　As expected, it was hard to run as fast as I could over this distance. My heart feels like it's going to explode.
　...... was a mansion, if it was a mansion, I could teleport with the power of the Clan's ring.
　d*mn, I was in a hurry, I can't believe I'm remembering that now.
　No, teleportation takes a lot of time to teleport. It was impossible anyway.

　But Dida. I didn't realize you were hiding such ambition: .............
　I mean, he's already a wealthy man, but he's an ambitious man who doesn't want to stay.
　I don't know what the hell he wants from life .............
　As I sat down to rest thinking about this, the ground suddenly shook.
　You can hear the sound of something hard hitting against something hard, with a bang.

　Then, with a bang, something was destroyed.
　The feeling that something important had been destroyed. The air you feel on your skin is transformed into something different.

　And then the person who destroyed that something invisible to the eye appears.
　The light blue-haired girl who snaps and snaps, aiming her bright red eyes at me. Automata.

'Whoa!　Seriously, this guy. He broke the wards!

　I screamed, got up and ran into the mansion.
　I didn't expect the wards to be destroyed.
　Deanna should have said that the wards of human avoidance were difficult to recognize themselves, so the possibility of them being destroyed was low. So, on the other hand, did she mean that they were easy to destroy as long as they could be recognized? Or is that automaton substandard?

　I relied on the warding to escape, but with this, it's like I escaped into a cul-de-sac myself.
　A cold feeling runs down my back.
　I was killed by that guy once. The red eyes, even loving, keep staring at me.

　...... There is no other way to escape from the mirror. I'm sure you can't get out of the mirror.
　If you're dealing with a human killer, the mirror must be absolutely hidden, but if you're dealing with an automaton, it will only look like I've disappeared.
　If I disappear from this world, they'll assume that my target has disappeared.
　The problem is how to get back to the other world after I escape to the other side, where the automata will probably freeze in the mirror room due to the target disappearing, but I don't have time to think about that right now.

'd*mn it!　Don't follow me!

　I swore.
　The automaton comes at me in a straight line, looking straight at me with unfeeling eyes, coming at me to kill me.
　I no longer have an armband to take my place.　
　I ran into the mansion and closed the front door of the mansion impatiently.
　This would buy me some time.

　But soon after, I heard a crash through a nearby window.
　It seemed that an automaton had invaded the mansion, flying into the window.
　I can hear the sound of hard footsteps as it clawed its way through.

　Fortunately, the window is in the opposite direction to the basement.
　I hurried down to the basement.
　The wooden door is heavy, and with the automata looming just around the corner, there's no time to close it.
　But I just needed to get inside the mirror anyway.
　Three meters to go.
　Two meters.
　One meter.

Just in time.

　I jumped into the mirror at about the same time as the automata that had been chasing me threw the glowing sword in its hand.

　I jumped from the mirror into my room and turned around.
　A glowing sword in a thrust.
　Objects come and go with each other. But what about this glowing sword?
　I don't know.
　I quickly defended myself by holding a sheet for sale in my hand.

　-- and she's strong. That's a relic from the age of spirit civilization.
　--It has the power to nullify spirit blessings.
　--It can ignore all the so-called granting effects of the spirit stones.


　Gashan.

　I'd like to get out from behind the sheets at the front of the house.
　I heard the sound of its demise.



　◇◆◆◆◆◆.



............ Huh?

　My mind can't keep up with the events in front of me.
　A mirror that has been broken and shattered, leaving only its frame intact.
　There is only one and only one unique, magical mirror that can come and go with other worlds.

You can find it at ............

　A breath escapes me.
　Everyone's faces pop into my head and then disappear.
　My own room, just me, my own room.
　My room, in Japan, on earth, in Japan.

..................u......

　The mirror is just the same.
　It is cracked and collapsed.
　It will never magically return to its original state on its own.

"............ u...... lie..." ...... ro... ...

　I cut my finger absently with a broken mirror and blood dripped down my throat.

　It was real.

　The mirror was broken.
　It was broken.