15-13. Hero in the Labyrinth (2)

Satou's here. There was a movie where the characters became small and had an adventure inside someone's body. I found it absurd even with my child's mind, but nevertheless, I still remember intently watching it until the end. I've forgotten the title, but I will surely watch it if they remake the movie.

◇

"Satou, this artifact 『Demon Lord's Pointer』 is really awesome."

The hero who checked the effect of the magic tool I gave him was surprised.

Apparently the Magic Prober that the Weasel Empire loaned is merely an item that detects distribution of miasma, not an item that can directly point to the demon lord.

"Yes, I found it inside a certain ruin and thought that it would be useful for Hayato-sama, so I brought it here."

The [Demon Lord Compass] that the hero is holding looks like a three-dimensional compass. It's a diamond sphere with hollowed inside and an orichalcum needle in the center.

Of course, it goes without saying that the thing is my creation, so the story behind it is so random.

I made this item before we arrived at Dejima Island, it can receive information from my map and points at the passages that go to the demon lord.

The item receives the transmission wave from neighboring sub-space connected to it, so common magic neutralizer and magic power restriction type of traps should not be able to hinder it.

"Are these small children really stronger than us?"

"Doesn't look like it~"

Rusus and Fifi who have made a comeback at the hero party look like they don't approve of it.

"Tama strong~?"

"Pochi is also very strong nodesu."

"You two don't be conceited."

"Nn, modesty."

Liza and Mia rebuked Tama and Pochi who have been excited since yesterday.

"Is that a magic gun? Is it true that it's better than a bow?"

Miss Wiyaryi is intriguingly looking at the rifle-shaped magic gun that Lulu is holding.

Today Lulu is equipped with the lovely floating shields extend version and a magic gun.

I've told them that these floating shields are something provided by Echigoya Firm, and the support members of hero Hayato, the black knights have also been equipped with them.

Since the black knights usually suffer the greatest loss every time, Loreiya and other priests who are parts of recovery team thanked me together with the black knights.

Further, the red knights are not participating this time since they received the order left behind by the crown prince to stand by.

"Yes, probably."

"Probably?"

"I think the bow Master shoots is even stronger than this."

"Fumu, so it's like that...."

Putting aside the golden armor's options; the Floating Forts and the Accelerated Cannon, the rifle-type magic gun that Lulu holds is only 2-3 times stronger than a Fire Wand.

It's only about half as strong as the military-use Magic Cannon.

"Satou, is it really alright to give us this many 『Magic Bags』?"

"Not only that, you also gave us mid and high magic potions, and even precious Elixirs and Blood Beads."

"Yes, I've brought them for Hayato-sama's sake after all."

Lady Ringrande and Princess Maryest thanked me for the items.

Both of them look like they'd die when I reunited with them back then, but they look quite healthy now after having enough rest.

"Ain't it fine, it's a tribute from Rin's brother-in-law, no need to hesitate."

"I haven't acknowledged the marriage with Sera okay."

Lady Ringrande reacted to the scout Seina's words.

I am living with Sera, but we're not in such a relationship.

"Really?"

"Yes, it's just a misunderstanding, my relationship with your little sister Sera-sama is--right, I guess the most applicable term would be 'intimate friends'"

When I replied so, Seina put her hand on her chin and began to think about something.

"Then we have to thank you for the elixirs. I belong to hero so I can't give myself to you, but ya can snatch peerage and money from Saga Empire."

I'm intrigued by the snatching thing, but I myself am more interested in touring the Hero Summoning Magic Circle than materialistic things, so I tell them as such.

"I need not either. If I may ask the impossible, I'd be glad to be given the permission to see the Hero Summoning Magic Circle together with Earl Muno."

They'd be suspicious of me "What for", if I went by myself, but there's no doubt that they'll think of me as a young noble who likes his master if I bring up Earl Muno who's famous for liking hero into this.

Earl Muno must be happy with it too.

"I can ask that much from His Majesty the emperor."

"Are you sure Mary?"

"Yes, having been blessed by Parion-sama, Hero Summoning Magic Circle cannot be destroyed by any normal mean."

Is it like indestructible object that often appear in games?

Now that the princess has made her promise, visiting Saga Empire first might be a good idea if I can't meet the Weasel Empire's emperor after this fight is over.

◇

"Satou, don't die."

"Yes, I'll be praying for Hayato-sama's victory as well."

"Protect Princess Arisa by all cost."

"Yes, I promise."

After arriving at the place where the relay base was located at, Hero and I are going separate ways.

We're not in dispute, the hero party is going to where the demon lord is while we're going to the lowest layer to subjugate the mid-boss-like guardian.

In one of the hero's past battles, the moment they entered the room where the Dungeon Core was located, the demon lord was replaced by the guardian and the Dungeon Core was also changed into Fake Core.

It's quite an enigmatic feature, but according to Arisa, it seems to be an extremely common thing a dungeon master has in the web novel world.

We're in charge of destroying the Fake Core since it doesn't seem like they can be replaced if we destroy them all.

"Princess Arisa, once this fight is over--"

"You can't, Hero-sama."

Arisa stopped the hero who was going to raise a death flag by putting her hand on his mouth.

He seemed like he still had something to say, but it looked like he thought it'd be bad to do that so he didn't say anything more.

"Then, see ya."

"Yes, please be careful."

"Hayato-sama, may the fortune be with you."

After saying that, Arisa kissed the hero's cheek and then the hero's followers poked fun on the hero who was unusually confused. They're probably jealous.

Further, Lady Karina's anxiety was in full display, she couldn't say anything to encourage the hero no matter how hard I tried to push her.

Would have been nice if this was the driving force for her to heal her stranger's anxiety.

"Well then, shall we be going too."

We start to move to the lowest layer where the guardians are once the hero and his party disappeared from our view.

They seemed to be under the impression that there were only one Fake Core, but according to the map, there are seven fake cores and guardians.

Destroying them one by one will be troublesome, but it should be over fast if I just use Teleport Gate magic.

"Hey hey, let's quickly defeat the guardians and finish it."

Arisa talked while we were walking.

"Can we go and help defeat the demon lord?"

"Of course, that's what I'm planning to do."

I'm going to deal with the mysterious [Dungeon Master] who collaborated with the demon lord.

Moreover, if the demon lord can be reasoned with, I'll implant the [God's Fragment] to a different monster and let the hero defeat that impromptu demon lord to make him become the [True Hero].

I don't think it'll go that conveniently well though.

◇

"So there is not only one guardian."

"Master, there are nine bodies so I report."

"Hey, are they the real ones?"

"Yes, they are. That's why, don't make a move okay."

I instruct the girls to stay back, and head to where the guardians are alone.

"Good evening Liedill-sama, what a coincidence for us to meet in such a place."

"Satou, defeat me with all your might. I'll resist the control with all my power to return the last debt"

AR reading, state [Ruled: Dungeon Master] is shown beside her who's sweating a lot from her forehead.

The nine people behind her are probably her attendants.

The attendants are under Ruled state like her.

I want to know how they got under the control of the Dungeon Master, so I swiftly leap to under their busts and make them fall unconsciousness with light attacks.

"What should I say, that's a really blunt attack."

"Really?"

I lightly answered Arisa's muttering and released them from the control with [Magic Break].

It's easy compared to the demon lord's curse that isn't displayed on AR reading.

Now then, I'll check out what has happened.

Not by interrogation which is unreliable, I'm going to check the memory by using the forbidden spell of soul magic, [Soul Intrude].

I can also use the forbidden spell of mind magic, [Psycho Dive], but this one has a high probably of crippling the recipient, so I'm going with the former.

The former is a dangerous magic that can induce impairment if the user tries to read deep memory but there should be no danger of that here since I'm just going to see the recent battles. I can just cut the connection if it looks dangerous.

"Fumu, it doesn't feel that different from the advanced soul magic 『Perfect Possession』 huh."

"What a surprising magic like always."

Arisa was surprised when I talked with Lady Liedill's mouth.

I also feel odd talking with a high-pitched voice.

"Liza, restrain Arisa from playing with my body while I'm investigating."

"Yes, I understood."

After making sure that Liza is holding Arisa who was going to stealthily stretch her hands toward my body tight, I dive into Lady Liedill's consciousness.

◇

"Lady Liedill, although we have enough water and food, if we don't go back soon we'll run out of magic potion and support magic tools."

"It cannot be helped. Let's go back once we explore the next room."

I'm hauling Lady Liedill's memory with an overlooking point of view.

Apparently, Lady Liedill and her party have gone to the lowest layer.

There was a scout adventurer whom I saw in hero's party among her followers.

They were probably able to smoothly explore thanks to his guidance.

Or perhaps, they were led here by someone or something--.

"Is that the thing called guardian?"

Seeing something cowering in the corner of the room, Lady Liedill muttered so.

It seemed her mind knew that it was something different even while muttering.

I thought she had bad eyes, but apparently her [Dragon Eyes] has a power to see through the enemy's rank to an extent.

"Is that a turtlekin with purple shell?"

"No, that's not it--"

The adventurer negated with shaken voice.

"T-that's the demon lord."

Hearing the adventurer's remark, Lady Liedill was convinced, "Just as I thought."

"De-Demon lord?!"

"That's not a mere monster?"

"Looks like it's sleeping, let's escape while we can."

It seems she thinks that it's the right thing to do even while feeling disappointed with her followers' shaken and timid remarks.

"All members, retreat quietly. I forbid you to whisper hereafter."

After whispering that, there was a cliched sound of 'crack' under Lady Liedill's foot.

She stepped on and broke fragile pebbles, not a twig.

The thing reflected on the eyes of Lady Liedill who turned her head timidly is a purple shell that's standing up, and two purple embers-like things peering from its inside.

"Everyone, run with all your might!"

Whipping her body that's been withered by fear, Lady Liedill runs.

Fortunately, the demon lord hasn't stood up yet.

"There's an invisible wall on the exit!"

"Get away! Steel Cutting Flash!"

Lady Liedill shouted her technique name out loud, but that transparent barrier warded it off like bamboo against wind.

"Strange! It lets my sword pass but not my body!"

I don't know any magic like that so it's probably either the Dungeon Master's ability or the demon lord's Unique Skill.

--ＺＨＷＷＷＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＷＮ.

The demon lord's roar echoed in the room, everyone besides Lady Liedill is binded by [Fear] state.

"This much fear. Compared to the true fear, it's nothing special."

At this time, the thing that appeared in her mind was me in ratkin disguise.

That time I was just using Coercion skill a bit right.

"Lightning magic huh, that's troublesome."

Countless lightning balls that appeared beside the demon lord assault Lady Liedill and her party.

"Block them! Touya's Shield!"

Lady Liedill casted the magic tool she took out of her pouch, and then paper sheet-like thin films piled up, producing a defensive wall.

The wall blocked the demon lord's lightning balls, thunderous roar that could inflict pain on your ears and static electricity that could make your hair's end stand scattered in the surroundings.

The defensive wall was crumbling down, but it was able to block the last lightning balls somehow.

According to her memory, it seemed to be a disposable item given by the Weasel Empire's tactician.

"Touya's Key, open the door!"

She used a disposable item in the shape of a key, and then a black hole appeared on the mysterious barrier.

This is like the "Three Pieces of Charms" folklore.

Next, she sprinkled [Mad Warrior Breath] given by [Brains] on her companions to forcefully release them from their Fear state.

Quite rough, but I think it's an effective countermeasure.

"Go! Warriors, to the battlefield beyond this black hole."

Lady Liedill shouted out loud, her companions replied with a war cry and then they jumped into the hole on the barrier.

She was going to follow after the last one, but at the next moment, her view completely changed like there was a frame drop.

--It's Draw (Evil Snap).

It seems Lady Liedill cannot grasp what's happening, but this is a type of space magic that was also used by the red-body demon in my fight with the [Golden Wild Boar King].

The demon lord who got up on all four is glaring at the Lady Liedill.

Its face and and limbs were not of turtle, but rat.

"gaＲＹＵＩＥri, ＤＷＹＮi"

"Demon lord's technique huh."

While venting her frustration, Lady Liedill took an [Acceleration] magic potion from her pouch and drank it.

It's a forbidden reinforcement medicine that the hero Hayato used in his fight with the yellow-body demon.

"wan, naaaa, gohooooooom."

--Wanna go home?

Roar with a meaning reached the ears of her accelerated self.

"Touya's Chain. Let me exceed the limit--<>."

Along with her words, illusionary sounds of chain could be heard.

Lady Liedill executes Flickering Movement while dodging the demon lord's attacks.

Resistance, like running inside water, assaults her body, the little skin that's exposed is cut by the wind.

Her twin swords are clad in red light.

"Steel-Cutting Grass-Splitting Flash."

Slashing attack that's far faster than the one I received in the weasel empire assails the demon lord.

Its bare rat limbs are torn, purple body hair and blood splash.

The afterglow draws hexagram-like traces, the demon lord falls down in its pool of blood.

"--I did it!"

The future might have changed if only she attacked more.

However, there is no [What if] in a battle.

--ＺＨＷＵＵＵ.

Purple light shines in the pool of blood.

"What grotesque."

Lady Liedill took some distance away while muttering, and drank mid magic power potion from her pouch.

She blocks the lumps of silver shot by the demon lord with the swords in her hands.

--Rocket punch?

Wire-like things pull back the punches, they attach back to the arms of the mecha-like reinforced suit that the demon lord is wearing.

It somehow looks like a hero I watched in my childhood.

"It's my turn now--"

Lady Liedill whose magic power has recovered shouts out loud, but then she collapses as if she's lost her strength.

"--Time out already huh."

The sluggishness similar to when I collapsed from overworking in my company in the past assails Lady Liedill.

Her hands lost their strength, the sounds of the swords falling to the ground reached my ears while having no sense of touch.

"Heyaa, these natives sure are capable."

Unlike her hazy view that can't even distinguish the surrounding, her ears can still properly pick up the sounds from the surroundings.

"Yoo, you alright?"

"hu, HUNGryYY"

"Ok, ok. Mikudo Hamburger and Jukyuro Ramen, eat all you want--"

--ＭＵＥＳＨＩＭＵＥＳＨＩＨＡＹＧＵＥＥＥＥＷＮ.

Sounds of the demon lord's roar, gouged ground and small rocks hitting her armor reached my ears.

"Ueee, how gross, that'd appear in me-chan's dream."

I smelt something putrid, sounds of something devouring greedily could be vaguely heard.

"Hey now, I'll put out proper food here, so don't eat, those things."

The accuracy of information that Lady Liedill is getting is decreasing.

Looks like she's about to faint.

"Fuhn, a beauty that I-chan like, but I-chan am not into bestiality."

For some reason, only his voice can be clearly heard.

--Bestiality?

Besides her slightly longish ear, Lady Liedill who's a longearkin (Booch) looks exactly like a normal human.

The term doesn't fit.

The recollection still continues while I'm thinking.

It appears there's no stop.

"It's a shame, but guess I-chan'll use her to keep that abnormal guy away."

I relive the experience of having Lady Liedill's soul binded by something.

It feels quite disgusting. The worst, I want to hit the Dungeon Master right here and now.

"Don't think she can win at all, but buy enough time for me-chan to run 'kay."

After saying that, the Dungeon Master left.

◇

"--Fuh, that was tiring."

After severing my connection with Lady Liedill, I catch the black mist flowing into my head and tear it off.

Apparently, Lady Liedill was also used as a booby trap.

He probably tried to see if I could be [Ruled] through Lady Liedill.

"Good work! Now Liza-san! Release me already."

Arisa who's taken her shoes off and desperately stretching her toes toward me appeals to Liza in a hurry.

She probably wanted to join the girls who are snuggling on me like cats in the cats pot.

Lady Karina was also resting hear head on my lap together with Tama and Pochi, but she quickly took some distance at lightning speed the moment our eyes met.

"Master, may I?"

"Yes, you can release her."

I nod to Liza.

The released Arisa was making a jump like a certain third generation thief, but I catch her with [Magic Hand], and tell Arisa, who's fuming in the air, the information I got.

"Arisa, it seems the Dungeon Master here is either a reincarnated or a transported person."