'Cry said! The truly strong! They do not choose their weapons! They don't choose! He's weak because he uses such a big axe. But there's no point in saying that now. You can't train with just an axe, so use that sword there. That'll double your attack power, right? Oh, I can use ...... my bare hands, but there's a tree branch on the ground, so I'll use that.

' Cry took the sword from me. He said that if Luke himself became a sword, he wouldn't need to carry one, and that needing a sword was a sign of inexperience. Isn't that cool?

' Kry said. Pointing a sword at the weak is not what a true swordsman does. That's what I'm pointing my branch at. And by making the weapon weaker, you'll be able to train against lower-ranked opponents.

His swordplay was a mess. It resembled none of the countless swordsmanship that Geoffroi had seen and fought with, but none of them.
The logic that came out of his mouth was a mess. The ravings of a child.

But the young man, despite all his mess, was serious and terribly strong.

He swung his axe, he swung his sword, but the blade did not even graze him, and his opponent's thirty centimeter long branch slipped through Jefroi's onslaught and struck him in all directions.
All of his attacks were seen through and even his breathing was read. He even managed to parry a heavy blow with a branch that seemed to break easily.
Neither strength nor speed could penetrate, and there was a technique that was the best Jefroi had ever experienced.

A blow from a fragile branch would not harm Geoffroi's well-honed body or armor. It was his heart that was injured. With each strike, his spirit was whittled away. Cold sweat poured down my cheeks, and my arms slowed with non-physical fatigue.
The artful blows from the childish weapon denied everything that Geoffroi Barel had ever done, from being just a kid with a bit of confidence to organizing a large band of thieves.

If a real sword had been used, Jefrois would have been cut down with just one sword. There was enough of a difference in their abilities to understand this.

Seeing the Thousand Transformations appear, the Thousand Swords said regretfully.

'd*mn it, time's up. That guy's so hard. If you can't cut, you're not the strongest swordsman. I'm still inexperienced. ...... I've only defeated the boss of the Level 8 Treasure Hall. I'm going to get stronger. I'm going to get stronger! I'll never lose again!

I've heard rumors that the Thousand Swords has crippled a number of swordsmen. It would be impossible for an ordinary swordsman to maintain his composure in the face of that monstrous swordplay.

Huge shackles were placed on my arms and legs, and my body was bound with chains and roughly stuffed into the carriage.
I had no energy to resist. Even though I've been outsmarted for a long time now, I'm up against the mighty knights of Gladys. They were not the kind of people you could kick around without weapons, let alone one on one.

The knights in uniform armor are talking to each other as if they are in trouble.

'...... These frogs, what are we going to do?

'In the meantime, we're sending them to check, but ...... we didn't think we'd be able to capture them all. ...... We'll just have to bring them in as frogs.'

'Because the numbers don't add up, the Commander thinks that there might be some civilians or stray hunters mixed in...'

'I'll have to check if any of them have been captured.

'I've never seen or heard of this kind of magic before. ...... It's like a wizard from a fairy tale.

The way they were talking to each other, I could see their intense confusion.
You can't win. In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you'll be able to get a lot more.

It's just too-- too overwhelming. It's not only the swordsmanship of the Thousand Swords, but the magic that engulfed the entire city is even more monstrous than that. If the other members of the team were of equal ability, there was no way they could win.
We shouldn't have messed with them. We should have run away with our tails between our legs as usual. I shouldn't have gotten greedy. It's too late for regrets.

There's no fighting back. All my men have been turned into frogs. The barrel is finished.

A gray-haired man is brought to Geoffroi, held by his arms.
This is the man his men had mistakenly brought to him with the Thousand Transformations. He was supposed to have been a gray frog a while ago, but it seems he has been restored.

The man with the cunning face shakes his head and says in a weak voice.

'No,......, I'm not one of,...... these people.

'Are you sure this man is telling the truth?

The knight raises his grim voice and looks down at Geoffroy.
The knight's face looked much rougher than Jefrois's men, who were supposed to turn into ordinary people.

Perhaps he was a collaborator of the Thousand Transformations. I feel the same vibe as the two men who first triggered the attack on this city.
They were targets from the start. I've never heard of such a scheme to deceive even a noble knight's order, but it's a terrible move.

I can feel my depressed emotions returning slightly. Jefrois smiled deeply and said to the man with the gray hair.
Let's at least get you out of the way.

'No, what are you talking about, Gray? You're one of us ...... barrels. You're going to leave your head behind and run off on your own? Not so fast. I want you to be my friend in prison.'







'Huh? What did you just say? Leader. I was already exhausted after returning from the Treasure House, but when I returned to the Imperial Capital, I was told that they had gone to the hot springs? I was told that they went to the hot springs when I got back to the capital. And to top it all off? It's a good thing I heard wrong.

Lucia's eyelids twitch, and she looks up at me with a sharp gaze that I can't believe she's directing at my brother.
After a full night's sleep, she seems to have finally regained her health, and her complexion is much better than yesterday. That's good.

I step back with a half-hearted smile on my face as Lucia closes in on me. Her back was damp with cold sweat.
It was not that he had any intentions. It was just a thought that had come to her mind, but it seemed to have gotten to Lucia's head.



'Uh, yeah. No, well. I think you did a good job. Yeah, you're my sister.

I tried to praise her, but Lucia's expression didn't change. She's known me for a long time and knows my personality.
Neither Luke nor Liz can help me. She looks at me as if she's watching something interesting.
Tino, too, is looking away behind Liz, as if frightened. There were no allies.

Lucia smiles, her fingertips interlocking gracefully.

'Say it again, leader. It's possible that my ears are going crazy.

'......'

'............ Brother?'

I took a deep breath and said with determination.

'To ......, change, the kind of frog ...... is wrong .......'

'.......'

'Lucia changed the tree frog. It's the toad that changes it originally. ......'

'I don't know that setting! Look at this book! It's a book made by the leader. Look! Look!

Lucia screams and shoves a handwritten book of magic that I made a long time ago at me.
On the page that has been read and is now crumpled, there is only one line, "Magic that turns you into a frog," and it is surrounded by Lucia's notes.

'Where does it say "toad"? Say it! This, this, this!

'No, no, but it's witchcraft, so it's toad. A tree frog doesn't sound like a witch.

My book of witchcraft is a child's fantasy notebook with nothing but results. I didn't even consider whether it would be useful or not, and all it contains are my old dreams.
But that is why I am so particular about the details.

'Don't worry, I was able to change into a tree frog, so I can change into a toad.

'Impossible! This is not that kind of useful magic! Please tell me before you make the magic! It took a lot of work to make the current design! You should be more impressed! You're not asking me to recreate ......, are you?

My sister, her mouth twitching, came at me with vigor. This is the expression she makes when she's not in a good mood.
Apparently, there is a huge difference between a tree frog and a toad, although it seems not so difficult to an amateur. Of course, I am not going to ask you to recreate it.

I put my hands in the air and said to Lucia in a reassuring manner.

'But, of course, that's not true. Even a tree frog would be great. I don't think it looks like a witch, but I won't ask you to remake it! By the way, ............ I want you to make a magic hot spring. You know, the kind Anthem can get into.

'There's no such magic .......'

'Make it? ...... Don't worry, Lucia can do it.'

'.............'

Lucia stared at me with tears in her eyes and snapped her fingers in a rather elegant motion.
A large object falls in front of your eyes. Tino's eyes widened.

It was a stuffed animal. It was obviously a replica of me, and it was life-sized.
Lucia silently grasped the neck of the stuffed animal with her left hand and slammed her right fist into its dove tail over and over again.

You can feel the heavy vibrations from the fist. It seems to be filled with a lot of resentment. She's rebellious.

'Lucia's having a rough time. It's been so peaceful while Kry was away.

'Hey, it's okay, Lucia. If you need a hot spring, I'll dig one. Give me a shovel.'

'Mastaa's plushie, I want one too. ......'

Liz, Luke, and Tino all made their own comments.
I didn't say a word and gently looked away.

Just then, Sitri, who had been involved in various negotiations, came back.
He had changed from his yukata to his usual robe and was holding a large mop with a handle about a meter and a half long in his hand.

Citry rolled his eyes when he saw Lucia beating up a stuffed animal, but he quickly looked at me and said in his usual tone.

'Unfortunately, there was no hot spring big enough for my brother. I've gotten permission to dig, but ...... what do you want me to do?'

Of course I'm going to dig.