Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu

Part 1

Either accompany a military force of ten thousand reinforcements, or go ahead of them with a carriage.

Being asked to choose one, Diablo immediately chose to go on ahead.

The reason was, in order to protect the town of the Races from the wild beasts even a moment faster──or so one would hope, but it was he absolutely didn't want to travel together with a large number of people that he didn't know.

Of course, it was It would be better if there were fewer victims among the Races though.

With that being the case, Diablo's group boarded a large-sized carriage pulled by four horses, and headed towards the southern region.

Departing the next day after the audience (officially, it was a conference), seven days after leaving the royal capital──

It was a path in the mountains that couldn't be called a highway.

On the left was the mountain, on the right was a valley.

The trees had grown thick, and since large branches would occasionally block the path, the guards would have to get down and cut down the trees.

It was a large-sized carriage that could carry eight people, but there was only Diablo, Rem, and Shera in the passenger cabin. They sat down side-by-side on a boarded seating that was like a bench.

Since it was carriage for military use, it only had small windows for light to go through. The outside could hardly be seen, and it was dim inside.

Large portions of food and water were loaded on the roof.

On the coachman bench outside, there was one coachman and two guards──They were military personnel and even acted as guides to the battlefront.

They were most likely acting as observers for Diablo's group as well. Even when they were having meals, they would take some distance, and almost never conversed with Diablo's group.

They advanced through the mountain road.

Rem was looking pale.

「Uuugh……It's great that it was a large-sized carriage. Since it would have shaken a lot more if it were a normal carriage, I don't think I would have been able to endure it.」

「so you're bad with vehicles as usual huh.」

「……Yes.」

On the other hand, Shera was unusually quiet.

Staring at the carriage's small window, she breathed a sigh.

Even though she would usually be carefree and have her chest shaking as she wore her clothes, this was rare.

He was worried……but if he had a personality where he could suddenly call out to her at times like this, he couldn't be suffering from being bad at communication. Diablo maintained his silence.

Rem asked a question.

「……Is something wrong, Shera?」

「Nnー」

It was an unusually vague reply.

「……This isn't like you. Please talk to us without holding back.」

「It's not like I'm holding back or anything……Even I, don't really get it.」

「……Not really knowing what you want to say is the usual thing for you, isn't it.」

「Auawaahー」

That was a harsh assessment of her.

Though it was thanks to that that she found it easier to speak.

After a short while, Shera finally opened her mouth.

「Well, you see……In the past, the Lifelia Kingdom attacked the Elven forest, right. They thought that the Dark Elves were Demon King worshippers.」

「……Right, that's what we heard.」

It seems that the king from three generations ago had sent an army corps called the 《Holy Army》.

As a result, the Dark Elves were driven out from their rich forest, and lived in a poisonous forest.

The surviving Dark Elves hated both the Humans of the Lifelia Kingdom that attacked them and the Elves that had abandoned them.

Right now, they were headed towards reconciliation thanks to Shera's proposition but……

She spoke.

「It might be something of the past for the Humans. Tou-san, he said that the Elves had already reconciled with the Lifelia Kingdom. But you know, the Dark Elves that had a terrible experience are still alive.」

「……Are you unable to forgive the Lifelia Kingdom?」

「Uh-uh. That’s not it, I just don't want the same thing to happen again, see……Also, I want them to understand that the Dark Elves aren’t Demon King Worshipers. For everyone to understand.」

「……That’s right.」

「I wanted to say that to the King. But I couldn’t.」

「……Considering it’s you, you have really thought about things properly.」

「Eh?」

Rem breathed a sigh.

「……There is something called an opportunity for everything.」

Shere slightly tilted her head.

「Opportunity?」

「……In everything you need to choose the person, time, and place. To bring up the Dark Elves' innocence and their suffering that continues even now──Would it really be correct to bring it up directly to His Majesty the King? I think that would be thoughtless. There is also the problem of place, see? An audience is not a place where it is alright to say whatever you like to His Majesty.」

──So that’s how it is.

Diablo felt that spoke whatever he liked to the point that it surprised even himself.

Rem continued on.

「……Most important of all, it’s the time. It was the worst. The dignitaries were seething with bloodlust, and looked like they would start a fight at any moment.」

「Un, that was really scary, wasn’t it!」

The cause of the atmosphere becoming dangerous was, of course, not just a single person.

Rem then turned a cold gaze towards him.

「……Why, did you come to the royal capital, Diablo?」

She asked that as if spitting out something she kept silent about thos whole time.

──I can’t possibly say that it was because I was could go to a monster girl soapland.

That would be embarrassing!

There was also the opinion that sex-oriented entertainment was also a form of infidelity. No, it wasn't like he intended on going to a sex-oriented entertainment establishment though!

To begin with, his goal was to secretly switch out Rem's ring……

He couldn't answer honestly on the second and third layers of the situation.

Diablo folded his arms.

「Hmph……I thought that a situation that couldn't be resolved with just the two of you would occur!」

「……Certainly, if it weren't for you, Diablo, the quest this time would be impossible.」

「That's right.」

He glossed over it!

Rem returned to her conversation with Shera.

「……Let us calm down and think about it. The Lifelia Kingdom won't be sending soldiers to the Dark Elf village anymore.」

「Un.」

「……The sense of discrimination towards the Dark Elves is a problem, but even if that were to be brought up to His Majesty, it surely wouldn't be resolved.」

「It isn't that simple, is it.」

「……I understand your feelings……However, unless you choose the correct opportunity, you won't obtain the result you are hoping for. Only saying the things that you want to say is what a child would do.」

「I got it. Thanks, Rem.」

「No problem……Looks like you're growing up little by little.」

「Ehehe……」

Rem was a bit younger than Shera, but she was like an older sister to her.

Diablo also had the same feeling.

The Dark Elves were forced to have a difficult lifestyle. They had inherited a ritual that was related to Demon Kings──it was due to that sort of misunderstanding. That sort of thing was unreasonable, and he felt that they should be helped.

However, in the audience this time, Diablo himself had nearly became an insolent person, a criminal, and a rebel.

──If we succeed in this quest, it might be alright to bring that problem up. It will depend on the mood when we meet with the king again though……

If they were made to think that Diablo's abilities were necessary, wouldn't it also be possible to request action to help the Dark Elves? He was vaguely thinking about that sort of thing.

Suddenly, Shera shifted topics.

「Come to think of itー. Where were we going from now on again!?」

Just as soon as she was praised for a bit, this happens.

Rem glared at her with scornful eyes.

「……It's the newly developed Southern territory, Caliture.」

「Hーn? Rem, do you have something to do with that place?」

「Eh? Why do you ask……」

「Somehow, your expression went dark when you said that name.」

Diablo fixedly stared at Rem. He hadn't noticed that sort of change.

She shrugged her shoulders.

「……You really do have good perception on the strangest things.」

「So you really do have something?」

「……Caliture is──」

When she was in the middle of speaking, the carriage shook grandly.

「Kyaa!?」

The one who raised a scream and jumped at him, was amazingly Rem. At times like this, it was usually Sherao who would rely on him though.

Diablo caught her slender body.

He still wasn't used to touching women, but he was at least able to catch them in his arms in emergencies. He was used to that much.

「Are you alright, Rem?」

「Uuu……sorry. I get anxious when my own feet aren't touching the ground……On top of that, things were shaking.」

Her trembling figure made her look like a kitten.

「It would seem that something happened.」

The carriage's vibrations increased, and his body was pushed back. Was it accelerating?

Driving fast on unlevel ground like this was dangerous. It wasn't like they were in a rush to get to their destination.

Diablo sent his gaze around the inside of the cabin.

「Shera, where are you?」

Rem was frightened, and Diablo was holding her in his arms. That's why he thought he would get Shera to see what was going on outside but……

Unfortunately, Shera was overturned on the floor. Did she tumble down from her seat when the carriage shook hard?

「Harahirehore……」

She was in a state where her eyes were spinning.

──Oi oi, I can see your panties!?

Part 2

A sharp voice was raised from the coachman's seat.

「What in the world is that monster!?」

──Monster?

The military use carriage's windows were small. They were unfit for looking outside.

He determined that this was no longer the time to be hesitant.

While holding Rem in his arms, Diablo half rose from his seat and kicked open the carriage's right side door.

*Gou* Wind rushed in.

Green scenery streamed by.

There should have been a valley to the right.

A gigantic head entered his view.

It was a short and stout, no necked monster. There were holes in the places that looked like they would be the eyes and mouth.

Diablo recognized it.

「So it's a 《Spriggan》!」

In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, it was a type that would wait in the vicinity of a base. To think it would appear in a place like this!

Rem's eyes opened wide.

「Is that, a Spriggan……!?」

「Hii!?」

Shera raised a scream.

The Spriggan raised a fist that looked like a hammer that was at the end of its thick arm over its head.

Most likely, they wouldn't be able to get away with the carriage's speed. Rather, it would turn out to become a perfect target.

The instant he felt danger, Diablo's thought speed skyrocketed.

──I need to crush it with magic! No, for magic that would have to be big enough for it, and moreover be strong enough to crush a monster with a metallic outward appearance in one shot, an appropriate chant length is necessary. We'd get attacked if I don't make it in time. Putting me aside, Rem and Shera wouldn't get out of it safely!

「Jump off!」

Diablo shouted at the coachmen.

Since he was carrying Rem with one hand to begin with, he grabbed hold of Shera. Carrying the two of them with both of his hands, he leapt outside of the carriage.

《Flight Magic》

If they were to jump off from the carriage that was moving with considerable speed and make contact with the rugged ground, as expected, they wouldn't get off safely.

Diablo ran toward the sky.

Immediately after──

The Spriggan's hammer-like fist struck.

The carriage was smashed.

The sound of metal being broken and the sound of wood being crushed overlapped. Even the horse's scream.

Rem groaned.

「……The coachmen were.」

It seems that they didn't jump off.

When encountering a large-sized monster, it was reckless to try and shake it off with speed. They should have abandoned the carriage and escaped into the forest.

Shera leaked out a voice that sounded like she was going to cry.

「How terrible……」

「……Kuh……What should we do, Diablo?」

「If it's just us, it will be possible to run away with Flight Magic just like this.」

「……Yes. But.」

In several days, the Lifelia Kingdom's army should be passing through this path. If the large-sized monster were to be set loose on them, a large number of victims will surely appear.

At the time of the quest commission, the cabinet minister brought up its name as the enemy that attacked the fort. Should it be considered as a target to subjugate?

「Hmph……A suitable punishment needs to be given to fools that oppose me!」

Diablo went down to get close to the crushed carriage.

「I will create a diversion!」

Rem threw a crystal. The Summoned Beast 《Stoneman》 came out. It was a stone giant.

Although it is called a giant, since its size only about twice the size of a person of the Races, when compared to the Spriggan which had a height bigger than the royal capital's ramparts, it was quite small though.

The Stoneman galloped along the mountain trail and pulled the enemy's attention.

Shera used her Summoned Beast, the 《Turkey Shot》, and monitored things from the sky.

「It looks like that big guy is the only thing nearby!」

This was unusually appropriate work.

Up until now, these two did nothing but watch from afar when they would fight against high leveled enemies but……

Before, they had personally seen Rose and Sasala serve as the vanguard, so Rem and Shera might have thought about the things that they could do.

They were also Adventurers. They grew and developed as such.

The Spriggan once again held its fist up high.

The Stoneman that Rem controlled jumped towards the opponent's face. It struck it. A hard sound resounded.

Being hit by the Spriggan's gigantic fist, the Stoneman easily crumbled to pieces.

Turning into a black clouded crystal, it returned to Rem's hand.

It was beaten without it giving any proper damage to the enemy……but it had bought plenty enough time.

Diablo pushed his Magic Staff, the 《Tonnerre Empereur》, out.

──Spriggans were of the Earth Attribute, weren't they.

What would be effective on them was the Wind Attribute.

「……O atmosphere, howl, twist in a spiral, and pierce the heavens and the earth! 《Grand Tornado》!!」

It was a tornado.

It pulled down the mountain's trees, cut up the ground, and swallowed everything into its vortex.

The Spriggan's exterior crumbled, and the fragments fluttered in the sky.

A deep voice was mixed into the violent gusts.

Was it the enemy's groans?

It had a size where all of it couldn't fit into his view, but it came making proper physical attacks, and damage could be effectively given to it with magic of the attribute it was weak against.

It looked like it had a lot of stamina, but it looked like he could win with a brute force approach.

Even with the attack, although it had power behind it, it was slow.

When the 《Grand Tornado》's effect settled down, the clearly metallic surface was cracked, and black colored liquid was spilling out from inside of it.

──Is that blood? No, instead, would it be something like oil?

This sort of damage display didn't exist in the MMORPG Cross Reverie though.

And if he were to go even further, within the game, even if living creatures took damage, they didn't suffer any physical loss, nor did their viscera come flying out.

Evading its third attack as well, he struck magic at it again.

They repeated this simple pattern.

Even the steel giant that boasted outrageous sturdiness, it seems that it couldn't endure more than ten shots of high firepower magic.

Both of its thick arms that it waved about made a sound and bent.

Maybe due to their weight, they fell to pieces.

*Zuun* The ground shook.

The Spriggan's movements stopped.

Diablo wiped the thin sweat that was on his forehead.

「Fuu……Finally.」

「……Did you defeat it?」

「As expected of you, Diablo!」

Rem and Shera rushed over to him.

「Hmph……A small fry of this level is……Mu!?」

As he was talking, Diablo hurriedly kicked the ground. Similar to when he jumped off of the carriage, he grabbed the girls with both hands.

Once again, he sent magical power to his boots, the 《Empty Sky's Dance》. Through Flight Magic, he flew up from that spot.

The Spriggan's surface became completely red.

──Something about this is dangerous!

It was a special action that wasn't in the game.

Having become like heated iron, the Spriggan softly swelled──and burst open.

It exploded.

Rem and Shera screamed.

The intense blast covered them.

Diablo's view spun like a wheel. He became unable to tell which way was up or down.

「Guuhhhh……!?」

──You're telling me the Spriggan self-destructed!?

《Flight Magic》 was not automatic. If the caster were to lose their sense of equilibrium, it would be difficult to continue flying normally.

By the time he realized it, his feet got caught in the branches of a standing tree.

「Gah!?」

「Kyaah!?」

「Helpー」

Part 3

When he opened his eyes, he saw the blue sky.

「Uugh……」

「Are you okay, Diablo?」

Rem peered at him with a worried looking expression.

Shera's face was also beside her.

「You alright?」

「Umu. What about you two? You seem to be alive but……do you have any injuries?」

Diablo raised his body.

From what he could see, Rem and Shera looked safe.

「……We are fine. It's because you protected us when we fell.」

「This tree saved us too.」

With Shera's words, when he looked around──

The foliage of the standing tree had caught Diablo's group as if it were a huge palm.

「Can it do that sort of thing!?」

「It was a kind tree after all.」

She said that sounding delighted.

Rem shrugged her shoulders.

「……Elven royalty must be special.」

「That's not it, it's 'cause this child is a kind treeー」

「……No matter what kind of tree it is, a normal person of the Races wouldn't be saved like this.」

「I'm telling you it does happenー」

「It does not.」

Making a sidelong glance at the two who were quarrelling after such a long time, Diablo turned his gaze towards the valley.

The path in the mountains had collapsed from the blast.

It was fine that the gigantic monster was defeated, but if the army were to come in later, it looked like they would have a lot of difficulty.

The wreckage of the carriage couldn't be found either.

Was it at the bottom of the valley together with the crumbled path?

Within the surroundings, countless fragments that were burnt black were scattered about.

With the fact that it didn't turn into particles of light and vanish, did that mean that it wasn't a Demonic Being or a Demonic Beast, but a monster that would be classified as a wild animal?

──Although the explosion's might was high, there's no mistake it was of the Earth Attribute. I wonder if it would have been right to defend against it with the Wind Attribute magic 《Storm Wall》.

This time, things ended with them being uninjured thanks to the large tree of the forest but……

When he recieves an attack in the middle of flight, he is unable to ignore fall damage. Since he was too focused on protecting Rem and Shera, he made a mistake in choice.

When doing Solo Play, differing decisions would be necessary.

For self-destructing enemies, confinement type attacks like 《Gravity Abyss》 and 《Naraku》, and even 《Ice Age》 which would cease actions within a certain range were available as choices.

Being surprised by a special action that wasn't in the game and committing an error due to that was really upsetting for him.

──I need to be more, adaptive. Careful. Thoroughly prepared.

Unlike the game, this world didn't have a reset or revival. He would lose precious things from a moment's miscalculation.

How was he when they had first met? He couldn't really remember.

What about now?

When he thought about how he might lose Rem and Shera……he got a chill down his spine.

The girls got down from the cushion that was made of foliage.

「……Let's go, Diablo.」

「We don't have any choice but to walk after all.」

Gazing at the bottom of the valley where the carriage had most likely fallen to, the two of them spent a bit of time offering silent prayers.

And then, Diablo's group walked a path through the mountains.

For a while, Shera looked a bit sad, but to begin with, she had a personality that wouldn't worry, wouldn't be depressed, and wouldn't be dragged down.

She showed a smile.

「It's been a while since it was the three of us walking like this, hasn't it!」

「……Now that you mention it, he have been moving around only with carriages recently.」

「It reminds me of Faltra's Lake East Forestー」

「……As I thought, journeys should be walked. No matter how many days it would take, walking is much better.」

Even though they had lost their carriage, and became a journey on foot where they didn't know how many days it would take, Rem had instead become energetic.

Shera made a wry smile.

「I, prefer the more comfortable one though……Ah, come to think of it, Rem, weren't you about to say something earlier?」

「……」

Since she was hesitant to say, Diablo urged her to talk.

「It was about the newly developed Southern territory Caliture.」

「Right, right! It somehow felt like Rem had some sort of special circumstances with it, rightー」

Maybe because she resigned herself to her fate, she started talking.

「……First, about the newly developed Southern territory Caliture, I will give a simple explanation. It is a mountainous region covered by a deep forest that spreads out south of the Lifelia Kingdom.」

「Mountainous?」

「It's a region with many steep mountains.」

「Ahh, I get itー」

Shera looked around at the area.

Certainly, there was nothing but mountains.

「……The time that the Lifelia King of three generations ago had spread his territory to this place, was about 100 years ago. That's why although it's called a newly developed territory, it no longer has the impression of being new……but putting that aside, the largest town of this region is called the 《Frontier City, Caliture》.」

Going "ahh", Shera nodded.

「Faltra City is also the Faltra region, isn't it.」

Come to think of it, that's true──is what Diablo also thought. In the game, it was a setting that he didn't pay much attention to.

Rem spoke frankly with a serious expression.

「……I……um, was born in the Frontier City Caliture.」

「Hehー, is that soー」

As if Rem's serious tone was a lie, Shera replied with an easy going mood.

Diablo thought that it was strange.

The newly developed Southern territory Caliture had been introduced in the MMORPG Cross Reverie as well.

It wasn't all that big, but it was a town where cheerful merchants gathered. The feudal lord boasted saying "there is nothing that can't be bought in this town".

There was also a place that was like an arena, and it was a town that had liveliness but couldn't be said to be elegant but……

He didn't think that it was such a terrible place that she would feel guilty about revealing her secret of being from Caliture City.

Suddenly, he realized──Come to think of it, Rem had lost both of her parents, didn't she. She might have some sad memories.

She was a fully fledged Adventurer of firm character, but she was still a young fourteen year old girl.

「Is it, hard for you to return to your birthplace?」

Rem made a bewildered looking face.

「……It isn't really like……Could it be, do the two of you not know about Caliture?」

「I've at least heard of the name though.」

Shera was the type that wouldn't care about the small details.

Diablo thought.

If he were to reply "isn't it a town of merchants?" here, it would be embarrassing if he were to be off the mark.

This other world was really similar to the MMORPG Cross Reverie, but there were also many parts that differed.

Going "hmph……", Diablo curved the ends of his lips.

「It is not like I do not know of it……You, are you. No matter what kind of town you were born in, what is there to be bothered with?」

「……That's true. Thank you very much. I might have been too bothered about it.」

Rem's expression softened.

Faintly, her cheeks were dyed.

Seeing that sort of expression, even Diablo felt like he would be bashful.