49 - CHAPTER XVIII "Lee Woo's Thoughts"

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　While Helian was on his way home, Levee, who had been ordered to investigate the city, was walking along the main street of the Labyrinth District.



　Her task is to explore the city.

　While visiting various parts of the city to create a of Helian, her immediate objective is to observe the city with her own eyes and train herself to adapt to the local environment.



　Most of the labyrinthine areas have already been explored.

　Although we were not able to visit areas where only qualified personnel are allowed to enter, or areas around important facilities near the labyrinth, we have a general grasp of the geography of the area.



　We also observed the people on the road, but we did not see anyone who could be a threat to Alkimaira.

　I heard that the top level adventurers and the elite of the knights had all gone to the front line fortress, and some of those who had been injured there had retreated to the border city. I had the good fortune to see some high-ranking adventurers who had retreated with their comrades.

　As a result, although I could not accurately assess their strength since they were not engaged in combat, I estimated their threat level (rank) to be at most in the mid-C rank. Even an ordinary soldier of Alkimaira could win the battle, but he is not a threat at all.



　This is good information.

　We now have new information that confirms the military superiority of the Alkimyra.

　This is nothing but good news for Levee-Freckhilds, who cares for her country in her position as Commander-in-Chief.



　But then, Rieve asks herself, what is this heavy feeling that is swirling in her heart?



"............ is so ugly."



　A glass window of a store.

　Seeing his reflection in the slightly fogged up window, he spits out a short word.



　You look miserable.

　He looks like a defeated soldier who has lost all his strength.

　At the very least, he is definitely not worthy of being a close associate of the great king.

　But even with this realization, Rieve has not been able to regain his normal form.



　I remember the events of this morning.

　The master gave an order to all his followers.



<


　--I was shocked.

　It was as if he had been hit on the head with a blunt instrument.



　She had been the one who was supposed to be the king's bodyguard.

　The pre-planned assignment of roles had told her so, and Rieve had accepted this assignment as a matter of course.

　He was the eyes of the Alkimaira, the close associate of the king.

　As the one who would be by the king's side and witness the same sights as the king, Rieve was always ready to work with Helian even in this city.



　But that role was given to Ceres.

　Although it had originally been her role, she was told that she would be reassigned.

　He is no longer with the king. The eyes of Alkimaira are now seeing a different sight from that of the king.



............!"



　The mere thought of this fact sent a wave of trembling impulses through Rieve.

　Her chest rumbles, and she is overwhelmed by an unknown emotion, and it is all she can do to hold back the urge to scream out. The only question that his disturbed mind asks itself is....



（Since when?)



　When did I become so inadequate?



　For more than a decade since I arrived in the world with the king, I have been nothing but a burden to him and Balan, and I have always been under the care of Eltina. The number of times we have dragged the king's feet cannot be counted to more than ten or twenty. It was a decade or so of frustration.



　However, after repeatedly reincarnating and evolving into the Moon Wolf, I must have been of some use to the king. I have been a martyr to my role as a calm and collected aide to the king, so as not to ruin his face. As a pawn of the king, I should have killed all my emotions and fulfilled my role.



　But why has he become so disturbed? When did I lose my grip on the reins of my mind?



　Since you came to this world?

　Was it since the time of my blunder in the rebel uprising?

　Or - since I saw the encounter between Lilifa-Lum-Latestwood and the king?



"Hey, there, sister. What are you doing in such a remote place?



　As I was walking down the street, a frivolous-looking man approached me.

　Looking around, I noticed a dingy building. It seems that I had somehow gotten into a back alley. This is an area that I had already explored once before. Compared to the main street, it is a little less safe.



"You wanted to see me?"

"No, no, no, I don't need you. When a pretty girl like you comes into a place like this, I'm worried about you, so I at least call out to you.



　I get one out of every ten times," the man said lightly.

　He was a man of few features. He wore a small sword at his waist, which is not unusual in this city where adventurers and mercenaries come and go.



"...... You are human, aren't you?"

"Huh?　Well, as you can see, I'm human.

"Then let me ask you a question. How do you humans see me?

"To ......?　Modeling?"

"Yes. You called me a pretty girl, but how beautiful do you think I am in your eyes?　Are they better than the elves?　Or is it lower?　If so, how far apart are they?　What am I missing?"



　A rapid-fire stream of questions.




　The man raised his eyebrows at the sudden question, but Liewe was serious.



　From a human's point of view, the Elves are all beautiful.

　The demons living in Alkymyra have a wide range of aesthetic senses, but at least to the humans of this world, the beauty of the Elves is sometimes considered a "commodity".



　The sisters that King Helian, their master, cares about are half-elves, and the one that Helian has by his side now is the [Heretic Elf] Ceres. Although Ceres is now fully humanized, they are both still elves.



　If this is the case, then how would her form be perceived by the human who is supposed to be her master's own kind?

　Compared to the elves, who are considered beautiful by humans, will they still consider them beautiful?

　No, I wonder if my form is good enough for them to be ashamed of having me around them.



　Until now, she had not paid much attention to her appearance, but for some reason, she could not help but be concerned about it.



"No, even if you ask me how much... ......"



　The man's gaze catches Levee's limbs.



　Her large, exposed white thighs and firm waist. Her breasts are larger than average and her silver hair looks tougher and more delicate than silken threads. Her face is also beautifully arranged as if it were made, and the composed expression on her face suits her strangely.



　The man nodded his head after looking at all these body parts. The person who doesn't see this as a beauty must have rotten eyes. The man concludes so without hesitation and opens his mouth without thinking.



"Of course she is as beautiful as the elves. At least to the extent that the question itself is sarcastic. I'd like to have a match with you if you'd like, no seriously.

"A fight?　Why is there a battle there?"

"No, that's not what I meant. ...... What is she, a natural?"



　The man replies with a tilt of his head.

　I don't understand some of his lines, but at least I am not ugly in his eyes.

　With a slight sense of relief, Rieve pats his large chest.



"Did some guy leave you alone, by any chance?　If that's the case, don't worry about it, you are very pretty by all means. It's just that the guy didn't have a good eye for people. ----,huh?



　--Oh, I screwed up.

　Rieve sees the look on the man's face and instantly realizes his inadequacy.

　It seems that she has let her feelings out again.

　Deeply self-conscious, she lets the slight emotion that leaked out escape into her body.



　The man who had just been speaking so casually was now completely silent.

　He had tried to jump back as quickly as possible, but had failed, and was now on his buttocks, making a noise on the cobblestone pavement. He reached for the hilt of his sword as quickly as he could, but he looked as if he had just met a vicious monster and was shaking and trembling.



　He seems to have lost his backbone, judging from the way he tries and fails to stand up. Still, motivated by a survival instinct, he is backing away to get as much distance as possible while still sitting down.



　To such a man, Rieve walked up to him with a blank expression - no, with an emotionless expression on his face, with slow movements.



"--Thank you for answering my question. Also, my master once told me that there is a saying that goes, . It is said that unintentional words sometimes become words that bring disaster.



　I look into the man's eyes.

　His eyes were wide open, as if they were about to spill out, and I could see my own face in them.



　......Oh, it's all right.

　The expression in his eyes is already gone.

　There is no emotion in my face.

　I am already calm.



　Without expression, without emotion, Rieve tells you.



"By the way, I would like to ask you to withdraw your assessment of my Lord's 'discernment' of what you just said and did ....... For both our sakes (・・・・・・)."



　When I emphasized the last word, the man nodded his head, wobbling in a buttock position.



　Good, Rieve thinks.

　Because the Lord had repeatedly ordered him not to kill him.

　If he had shaken his head, he would have been in deep trouble.

　Rieve is truly relieved that the man agrees with her.



　With that, Rieve turns on her heel. At the same time, there is a thud behind her.

　But Rieve does not pay attention to it. It does not matter to her anymore if the man has fainted from the pressure. Rieve leaves the place with quiet steps.



　Returning to their temporary lodging, they find that the light is leaking from their room. It seems that the Lord has already returned. Although he has lost his sense of smell as a moon wolf due to his fully humanized form, there is a faint scent of his master lingering in the air.

　Taking in the scent for the first time in half a day, Lieve heads upstairs to her room.



　She arrives noiselessly at the door, takes out a hand mirror, carefully checks her appearance, and then knocks on the door.



"Who is it?"



　My husband's voice, which I had not heard in half a day, permeated my ears.

　It seemed as if I had not heard his voice for a long time.



It's Lieve. I've just arrived home."

"Come in."



　With the Lord's permission, I push open the door.

　There was a guest in the room. It was the commander of the 5th corps (Gardi). He was handing over a bundle of papers that looked like a report. The king looked over the report in a few seconds and looked into the void.



"This is what I have to report. What do you think, General?

"Mm. That's good enough for the first day. You didn't cause any disturbances."

"Oh, come on, of course, General. You didn't really think I was going to go on a bender, did you?

"............ No way. What are you talking about, Gardi? I trusted you, too.



　The king nodded a few times and said a few words of thanks to Gardi.

　Rieve, who overheard this in the corner of the room, felt a prickle of pain in her chest.






　"I believe in you."

　Those words are too far away for me now.



　Then the report was over, and Gardi was about to leave when Levee stepped forward in front of the king.

　He would have kneeled, but he had no choice since he had been told to refrain from doing so outside of the country. Instead, he bends at the waist and bows.



"Sorry to keep you waiting, Rieve. Thank you. I'm sorry you're tired, but can I hear your report first?"

"Ha. Thank you for your kind words. I will now begin my report on today's investigation.



　Then Levee summarizes the main points of the information she has obtained during her day's solo activities and reports them.



　The labyrinthine area has been explored to the extent that ordinary people can enter.

　The reputation of the Count of the Frontier obtained from the conversations of the people on the streets.

　The damage caused by the herd of monsters that attacked the fortress and the current situation.

　The average threat level of the adventurers who were trying to enter the labyrinth.

　Evaluation of the combat ability of the high-ranking adventurers we happened to encounter.



　I will summarize the details in a written report, but this is the main information to be conveyed orally.

　When he finished his report, the king uttered the usual chant that only he was allowed to utter.



"Tactical Window: Open. Select: map. Target field: direct select. Format: Wide View.



　The king looks into the void.

　He must be looking at a that no one else can see.



　The king says it as if it were nothing, but his ability to instantly grasp the geography of the surroundings, the location of friend and foe, and to get a bird's eye view of the battlefield are truly .



　Demons are confident in their individual abilities. The last thing they can rely on is their own strength. It is the instinct of demons, a trait that all demons possess to a greater or lesser degree. This characteristic, if not taken properly, can reduce an army made up of demons to a mere crowd.



　But it is this power of the king that brings them together.

　He grasps the battlefield instantly, reads the distribution of allies and enemies, and accurately grasps the war situation. No matter how powerful the opposing hordes of demons are, they are mere targets in front of the king. At the hands of the king, who controls his men with a divine perspective, Alkimaira's opponents have been buried at every turn.

　With these steady victories, the king has led his armies, his people, and his kingdom.



　No one is fool enough to underestimate the king because he himself lacks the strength to fight.

　He knows that the country cannot stand without King Helian. They know that they are what they are today because of the guidance of this king. And there is no one who can still be antagonistic to him even after his big speech on this one issue.



"...... Hmmm... it's quite a beautiful city. ......It was built with perfect urban planning from the beginning. ...... But this cityscape, somewhere ......."



　The king mutters something. The king's gaze seems to be thinking of some distant place as he gazes into the void.

　Eventually, the king nodded his head and returned his gaze to the sky, as if he had been convinced by his own thoughts.



"I have a general idea of the results of the investigation. I will confirm the details in my report, but it will be submitted by tomorrow noon. After you've had enough rest, you can start working on the report.

"Yes. Yes, sir.



　The king is kind, but we must not take advantage of his kindness.

　I make a mental note to get to work as soon as I return to my assigned room.



"By the way. Is there anything you are unclear about, any questions, or anything you would like to ask me?



　Something tingled in my chest at the Lord's question.

　Something close to an impulse arises in the depths of my heart.

　Numerous questions came up from the back of my throat.



　Why did you remove me from the escort mission?

　Did I do something wrong?

　What am I missing?



　Why did you smile at Lilliput-Lum-Latticewood?

　Why did you stop smiling at me?

　What can I do to make you smile again?



"...... No. Nothing in particular.

Hmmm... Then I'd like to know about any other major reports or ...... non-work related matters. Is there anything else you would like to say to me, anything you would like to tell me?"



　Give me an order.

　Give me an order to be of service to you.



　Punish me.

　Punish me so that you will forgive me.



　Keep me close to you.

　I want to see your smile again.



Not at all, Lord Helian.



　--I couldn't have said it.









　　　　+ + +









"Mmm."



　Helian growls as he stares at the door through which Levee has left.



　Her work today had exceeded her own expectations. After all, this is a big city. Today, she had expected to be able to obtain geographical information on about half of the labyrinthine districts, but she had almost covered all but the most important areas.

　She has also assessed the strength of the adventurers on the road, and has brought back information on the reputation, or in other words, the approval rating, which affects the [ruling power] of the frontier counts.



　Gardi did a fine job, but Levee was superior in both quantity and quality of information. I think it was a good decision to entrust the survey mission to Levee, as he brought back more results than we had asked him to, and yet he did not do anything unnecessary and did his job without fail.



　However, when he came back with his report, I felt that his mood was somewhat somber. I asked him if he was worried about something else, since his work was more than satisfactory, but he replied that there was no problem. Perhaps I am simply mistaken, but it is a strange feeling.



　If I had my usual ears and tail, I would be somewhat confident, but in this town, I let them pass in their fully humanized form. Without ears and tail, Levee is a perfect cool beauty. Her facial expression is fixed in a clear face, and her emotions are almost unreadable. She is a perfect figure for the king's calm and collected entourage, but as an inexperienced master, she is a bit difficult to deal with.






"As long as we can't be sure, it would be foolish to persist in pursuing the matter. ......"



　It would be a real shame if we poke around in the bushes too much and make Levee feel uncomfortable.

　For the time being, we will have to watch Rieve more carefully than usual and keep an eye on the situation.



"But still. This city is better maintained than I thought it would be.



　He mutters to himself as he looks at the which he has displayed again.

　The , which reflects the geographical information that Rieve and Gardi have collected, shows an overall view of the city that looks like a vertical cross. The eastern urban area has not yet been surveyed, but it is likely that the outer wall of the city extends in a mirror image with the western commercial area.



　The streetscape was well organized. Buildings are neatly lined up along the streets running vertically and horizontally. From this bird's eye view, one can clearly see that the land is not wasted, nor is it densely packed, but rather ideally laid out.



　This is not the case usually. A town that has developed spontaneously becomes a complex and interconnected form, like a house that has been repeatedly enlarged and remodeled. This process may lead to convoluted and complicated streets, overcrowded houses, or vice versa, areas with too much space between them.



　But this city has none of that. It seems to me that it was built on a perfectly prepared urban plan. There is no doubt that this boundary city was created from the very beginning with a complete plan in mind.



It is just like the old capital of Kyoto.



　This reminds me of a map of Kyoto I saw in my Japanese history textbook.

　I had been to Kyoto on a family vacation. I remember going there to see the roads that still remain from those days. I remember when I was in elementary school. That's right, my father and mother took me there...



　--Suddenly, I felt a tightening sensation in my chest.



　I shake my head in panic. Your thoughts scatter. He puts a lid on the memories of Japan he was trying to remember. There is no time for unnecessary sentimentality now.



"...... I think I'll take a bath and refresh myself."



　A bath is a bath, steamy or not. Sweat off your sweat and feel refreshed, and you'll feel different. Sooner rather than later, Helian fishes through his bag of clothes as if to shake something off.



"Yeah. ......?"



　Just then, he thought he heard something outside the window.



　Looking outside, I saw dozens of people running down the main street from the north side of the city, from the direction where the labyrinth is located. Moreover, everyone was running with a desperate look on their face. It was as if they were being chased by something and were running away.



　One of them, a man dressed like a scout, met my eyes.

　He looks up at me with a desperate look on his face and shouts





"-Everyone run to the central district!　The labyrinth overflowed (・・・・・・)!!!!"





　Quickly, he turns his gaze.

　He shouted, and in the direction he pointed, a disturbing fire was rising from the center of the labyrinth district.







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