58-Episode 56: Makoto Takatsuki talks to a wise man



 What do I do...?
 If I'm going to follow the advice of the goddess, I shouldn't go in.
 But here we are?

"Great Sage? Are you there?
 There is no reply to Sakurai-kun's call.

Is he not at home?
 Okay! So let's go home.

What? Great Sage. Do you want them to come in alone? .........Yes, yes, I understand.
...Sakurai-kun, what's going on all of a sudden?
 You suddenly start talking to yourself, Sakurai-kun is scared.

I got a 'telepathic message' from the Great Sage. He wants you to come alone.
Yes....
 I was getting more and more worried.
 As I was getting restless, Sakurai-kun pushed me inside. 

 ◇

Excuse me....
 The inside of the tent was dimly lit, with a popping magic lantern floating in the air.
 The inside was overflowing with things, creating a passageway that led to the back.
 At the end of the passageway, a small wizard in white robes was sitting on a huge sofa.
 Should I go that way?

Come closer. You're not very nice to talk to.
 Unlike the image, it was a young woman's voice.
 As I approached a few meters away as I was told, I saw a pure white hair hidden by a white hood.
 It was indeed a white great sage.

'I'm Makoto Takatsuki, apprentice wizard. This is my companions, Lucy J. Walker and Sasaki Aya.
Nice to meet you.
Hello.

"Hmm.
 The Great Sage Master walked briskly towards us and stared over at us.
 Her red eyes were piercingly intense.
 Her face is like a beautiful little girl's, but she has a horrific, horrifying quality.
 How old is she? You don't look like you're as good as you look.

'You're half elf and half demon?' he said, looking at Lucy.
 I was frightened.
 I looked at Lucy and she froze.

"So you're a Lamia. And you're a disaster-level person. Interesting.
 The Great Sage grins.

 Yikes!
 This guy has grading skills!
 When I look at Sa-san, he's pouting, as if he doesn't understand the situation.
 d*mn, this is bad.
 Demons and demons are going to be hunted!
 If only we'd listened to the advice of the goddess!

'Don't be so defensive. You helped the brave boy of light, didn't you? Spirit users are so rare nowadays. I just wanted to meet them. But your friends have a lot of personality, too.
 The Great Sage is grinning.
 ........Does that mean he doesn't care about being a demon race or a demon?

You scared the shit out of me. Come sit down. You want a cup of tea?
 A large, round, aged table surrounded by chairs that are also aged
 Is it an antique?

You're here.
 For some reason, I was assigned a seat next to the Great Sage.
 Ki, I'm nervous.

 I wondered if there was a servant in the room, but then a pot of tea flew out and a tea cup was placed in front of me, also fluffy.
 When the tea was poured into the cup, it smelled fluffy and citrusy and good.
 Are you living by magic?
 It's nice if you have extra magic power.

''Tea sweets ... well, here you go.
 A large plate with a variety of western sweets suddenly appears in front of you.
 How did you serve these sweets now...?

Are you teleporting?
Well, you know the drill.
 It's not a good idea to go back to school.
 I'm going to have to do something about it.
 I'm not going to be able to get away with it.
 Or rather, it looks like he can't even escape.......

So, what do you want from us?
 Mr. Saasan is quickly crunching down on his snacks.
 Hey, back off a bit!

I just told you. I was just curious. I heard that you were the spirit user who pulled that abomination dragon out with king-class magic. In my estimation, the brave boy of light, I figured it would take a month for him to get there.
I'm told it would have been quicker if you'd helped him out?
 I remember a line Yokoyama-san said to me.

''Well then, it's not much of a training program. From now on, the Great Demon King is going to come back, and we don't want him to be bothered by two evil dragons that are just a couple of brave men of light.
 I see.
 You purposely didn't help, I see.

"By the way you red-haired wizard.
Yes!
 Lucy is nervous and doesn't talk much.

''You, do you realize that your body is being burned by your own magic?
What?
 Lucy looked surprised, and I was surprised too.

'You think it's constitutional? That body temperature is the result of your magical powers running amok.
How do I...?
Here. Put it on.
 The Great Sage handed Lucy an arm band that was lying around.

It is an item that calms the flow of magic. It's an item with a price tag enough to buy a house. Use it carefully.
Are you sure you want to do this?
 I'm a picky eater, and I freak out and ask.
 Isn't that a little too kind? This guy.
 Do you think you'll get a huge bill later?

We're on the lookout for a strong leader. We can't afford to have a good wizard sleeping around. Hey, you're always eating lamia.
 This time he turned to Sa-san.

'Whew.'
 Saa-san! At least swallow and then respond.

'The 'change' skill you have is excellent. You can turn into a perfect person, not just a half-baked person with such blue skin color. On the contrary, it's a skill that allows you to change into anything. Even a dragon or a demon race.
'Huh? I was taught by my sisters as 'humanizing magic'.
'That's a skill the Lamia have. Your skills are better than that.
'Oh, yeah.... Thank you.

 That's great.
 This guy gives me useful items and advice.
 He's a helpful character.

So, you're the problem. Spirit user.
I'm only human.
"Law.
 The great sage's eyes laugh in amusement, and a hand is placed on my head.
 He's kind of cold-fingered, just like Sa-san.

''Let me take a look at your status. It's easier for me to appraise you if you touch your hand. ........That's quite a skewed status. It's low across the board, but only your water proficiency is outstanding.
 It's tickling me.

Mmmm... this is not good.
 It suddenly grabbed my head.

"You're the messenger of the evil one.
 Time is frozen.


 ◇

"...and...
 Lucy and I are silent.
 The only sound is the sound of Sa-san opening the candy.

'No, Chigaymasuyo.'
 For now, let's cover it up with a smile.
 Belief in an evil god is a felony without question.
 That was the common view of Fujiyan, Nina-san and Lucy.

'An apostle of the evil god Noah........ You're the second person I've met.''
 The Great Sage has a difficult look on his face.
 His head is held in a small hand, with his head held in a tight grip.

''No ... so there must be some mistake ...''
He was, as I recall, a thousand years ago.... He was one of the nine demon generals the Great Demon Lord was following, the 'Black Knight of Forbidden'?
'What? That legendary heroic killer?
 Lucy interrupts.
 'What's that?'

"Lucy, what's the Forbidden Black Knight?
He's the natural enemy of humanity in the story of the Savior. He's the legendary warrior who was said to be the one arm of the Great Demon King and killed all the heroes except the brave men of light a thousand years ago.

 She said it, and Lucy got nervous too.
 Oh, Master Noah, what are you doing?
 Didn't you hear anything about that?

'But ... the Messenger of the Evil One I knew was even crazier. At least they couldn't even talk properly.
 What was it like, Apostle Sempai?

You say that as if you've seen it all.
Well I have memories of a thousand years ago.
 That 'inheritance' skill you're talking about.

"You're going to be the messenger of the evil one?
 The Great Sage asks me.
 What should I answer to this?

''No, so.......I'm not a believer in the evil gods, so.......''
 It's painful, but I continue with the same excuse.

'Hmmm ... well, let's just put it that way.
 He let go of my hand.
 Lastly, he crinkled my hair.

'Boys, when you come to the Land of the Sun (Highland), come to me. I'll put you through your training.
 Huh? Are you done?

Oh, um..... Are you sure?
 Demons, demons, and an apostle of an evil god.
 It's a party that feels like a triple role-playing party and a felony.
 Will they miss it?

''As I said before, I want to secure as many strong people as possible for the revival of the Great Demon King. If you turn against me, I will take care of you responsibly.
 He grins at me. Scary.

''We're not going to fight the Great Demon Lord, are we?
'What? That's right. Takatsuki-kun.
 Sa-san, you don't have to look so surprised.
 I'm not a brave man, and I'm not strong.

''If the Great Demon King returns, there will be a war between the people of the earth and the demon race. If we lose the war, we will all be the demon tribe's livestock.
....
 You can't escape.

''Spirit Master. I suggest you stop being an apostle of the evil god before the next time. Following that evil god will only make you unhappy.

 When he said that, the Great Sage lay down on the couch.
 After all, he was a good man who would give me advice and items.

 It would have been great if it wasn't for that last conversation...


 ◇


 When I returned to my seat with a hazy feeling, the banquet was almost at its end. 

 I sobered up.
 I had lost my appetite. 

 My head was fluffy and I was in a daze.

"Takatsuki-sama. A visitor is here," Nina said, poking me on the shoulder.

 The person who appeared was Sophia Roses, a water priestess and princess of the Water Country (Roses).