Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 87: The Time of Reunion, Comes III

Together with Maria, I landed in the castle town that had been reduced to ashes.

「No way」

A place near the keep of Ashtalia's royal castle, most likely the cathedral that I had been summoned to, had been blown away. Black smoke was currently rising from it.

I could see the inside of the structure even from where I was standing.

「Maria, can you teleport there?」

「I can, but I can't see what's going on inside. It's not safe to teleport right in」

「I can become invisible for a short time. Send me ahead. As soon as I’m sure that it's safe, I'll contact you」

「Hmm. Where is your communication device?」

I tapped my glasses with my finger.

「Here it is. If I hail on all frequencies, your communication device should pick it up」

「Got it」

Maria snapped her fingers and a portal opened.

To think that something that a company needed a large-scale facility to open could be opened with such ease.

「Go, Souya」

「Alright」

I turned the cloak invisible and jumped into the portal.

Released from the grip of gravity, I closed my eyes as I was enveloped by a dazzling light, and then it turned dark before gravity and light returned, and my body fell.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the ground rushing towards me.

As could be expected, I had gotten used to it, so I landed deftly.

The cloak's invisibility would last another three seconds. With the short amount of time I had, I analyzed the situation.

Crown Princess Amelia was on the ground and an assailant had a foot on her head.

His Majesty had his great-sword at the ready, and behind him was Regure and some guards. Further back was Dugan and his men.

Countless staves were floating around the assailant. They were all staves of ancient magicians.

「Is this what a Hemu princess does?!」

The assailant who had yelled was an elf dressed in white robes with adventurer's adornments.

She was holding up a large staff and carrying a bow on her back. Its string dug into her chest, which emphasized how big her boobs were.

She was petite, but had a high-spec glamorous body. In the Showa era, she would be described as a “transistor glamour”.[1]

Her smooth blonde hair was disheveled, and her adorable face was ghastly, overawing everyone around her. Her long ears, which usually drooped a little, were raised up.

But even when she’s angry, she sure looks cute.

It's probably her magic that destroyed the cathedral and turned it into an outdoor venue.

To the people around her, it must be like having a moe character engaging in hyper-destructive acts.

Is that why His Majesty looks like he's having difficulty attacking?

「Otou-sama! Hurry up and slay this long-eared!」

「Ugh, but……」

「She's just a lowlife masquerading as my late sister!」

「Ugh」

I heard such a father and child conversation.

Lola's invisibility lifted. I had been invisible for about eight seconds. It had lasted longer than I had expected.

「Umm, both sides, calm down.」

Everyone was taken aback by my sudden appearance.

I stood between His Majesty and the assailant. Or rather, my wife, the companion to whom I had pledged the rest of my life.

「Hi, Rana. It's your husband」

「De, dearrrrr!」

Rana leapt at me.

「Oooff」

She had leapt over 6 meters in one bound. It was a real-life eight-boat-leap.[2]

「Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! Tell me who made you suffer! I'll wipe out every drop of their blood! For now, I'll just quickly raze this country's royalty and people to the ground!」

「Calm down」

「Habufuu~」

I squeezed Rana's cheeks together between my hands. A funny voice came out.

She snuggled close, put her hands around my back and hugged me tightly.

Out of the nowhere, we were able to be reunited sooner than expected. ………I'm so happy. I'm deeply moved. Yeah, she sure is cute. Jeez. And her massive boobs. They're super calming. They make me feel like nothing else in the world matters anymore.

「Your Majesty, Crown Princess Amelia. Please excuse the commotion. She's my wife. Rauaryuna?Raua?Heures. Princess of the Heures Forest on the right continent. An adventurer in the Kingdom of Lemuria. A guide of the final flame of the Hohens School」

「What, Souya, is that true?!」

His Majesty looks astonished. This is the first time I've seen this person so surprised.

「It's true. She's a wife that's too good for me though」

「No! No, no, no! You're the one who’s too good for me!」

Rana said humbly.

「No, no, you're the one」

「No, no, you're the one, dear」

We had a comedy-skit-like exchange.

「Hmm. A couple getting along well is a good thing」

His Majesty smiled warmly.

「Otou-sama! Stop smiling and punish them! Your daughter was shamed, you know?!」

「But Amelia. However, you see……」

「By the way, dear」

Rana looked at His Majesty and Crown Princess Amelia, hiding a terrible killing intent behind her smile.

「Am I correct to assume that the foolish princess over there is the one who summoned you?」

「Oh, yes」

Oh crap.

She was so overwhelming that I forgot to lie.

「Please wait a bit as I go burn this country down」

「Wait!」

Don't say such scary things so lightly!

Rana stepped away from me and looked out the blown-away wall at the streets of Ashtalia.

「Oh, could it be, dear………you’ve already……?」

「Don’t lump me in with you」

As if I’m able to do that.

「Otou-sama! Now!」

When Rana turned her back, Crown Princess Amelia shouted.

「Huhh?」

「Eeek」

At the same time Rana shot her a menacing look, one of the staves floating in mid-air grazed Crown Princess Amelia's cheek as it flew by her and stabbed into the ground.

These staves, are they funnels?![3]

「These are staves with the magic power of ancient magicians. They can penetrate even steel with ease, got it?」

Another staff grazed Crown Princess Amelia as it passed between her legs and pierced into the marble floor like it was tofu.

In the short while since I had last seen Rana, she seems to have powered-up. These staves are those of Lola's victims, aren't they?

As I marveled in admiration, an earth-shaking thud echoed through the partially destroyed cathedral.

I wondered what it was, but then I realized that it was the sound of His Majesty getting down on one knee.

「Oh, Souya's wife. My daughter has caused you much trouble. I'm no longer in charge of this country, so I apologize to you as a father. I'm sorry」

「No, Your Majesty! Please stop!」

I feel so extremely bad.

So much so that I feel like diving into a Dogeza.

「It's fine! It's fine, Souya. Summoning you without permission and then abandoning you all alone in a strange land because of an inability to grasp your talents is unforgivable, even for a king」

「How?Dare?You」

Rana was looking at Crown Princess Amelia with an expression that really shouldn't be described.

「Amelia! Won't you also apologize? This beautiful elven princess is my vassal's wife, you know?」

「Eh, no way, I'm no beautiful princess. Um, ah-hem」

Not used to being complimented, Rana was embarrassed for a moment, but quickly reverted to her previous menacing look.

「But Otou-sama」

「Souya is the man who forged the alliance between Ashtalia and Robbs. He is the person who made the dying Ashtalia be recognized as a country of worth. He persuaded me, who had lost myself to despair, and sacrificed himself to save Ashtalia. If this man is not the Brave of Salvation, then tell me who is?! Dugan! You think so too, right?!」

「Yes」

Dugan, who was quite a distance away, replied.

It appears that his vassals won't let him come forward because of the danger.

What should I do? Rana is completely being treated as a dangerous person.

Crown Princess Amelia apologized reluctantly with a sullen look on her face.

「………Ashtalia's Brave of Salvation, Souya. I apologize for mistaking you for an ordinary man and abandoning you. Please forgive me」

「Oh, it's alright. I'm not really bothered by it」

I feel a little guilty.

In the first place, the one who had summoned me wasn't Crown Princess Amelia. It was that damned Tortch.

Though I still feel some resentment about the way I was treated after I was summoned, given this incident with Rana, I'll just call it even. Or rather, please call it even.

The cost of repairing this cathedral, considering its cultural value and so on, is going to be scary.

「I………………I’ll abide by your decision to forgive them, dear, but I have one request」

Rana, who seemed satisfied, whispered in my ear.

（I want to have a child）

「Gopfff」

I choked.

No, well, you're being as hasty as the time we got married. Why do you have to bring things to a climax like this without any lead-up? I'm okay with it though.

「Your Majesty, it's alright now」

「Good」

I gave His Majesty a thumbs-up. His Majesty imitated me and stuck his thumb up.

All's well that ends well.

But everyone, including His Majesty and even the guards of the royal castle, were staring at Rana. After the destruction she had wrought, they were looking at her with something slightly different from hostility.

Dugan, who had been kept at a distance, pushed past his vassals and came closer.

「That elf there, she looks just like Lady Irisetta, doesn’t she? It's almost as if she had grown up and come back」

「Dugan, you think so too?」

「It's unpleasant」

His Majesty was looking on her favorably, but Crown Princess Amelia seemed displeased.

Rana resembles His Majesty's daughter, huh? It's distant, but they are related by blood. I suppose it's not so strange.

It's a fleeting wish now, but I would have liked to have met her.

「Yeah, they're big. They're even bigger than my wives'」

「So they are」

「Otou-sama!」

The two kings were staring at Rana's chest. I quickly hid Rana behind my back.

Please stop it. It’s improper behavior for the strongest four among the Myriad Kings.

「Souya. So you weren't kidding when you said you had an elven wife」

「That’s right」

I showed off Rana to Regure, who had walked over.

「Dear, who's this?」

「She’s Shuna’s teacher」

「Oh my」

Rana was finally talking to others with a calm face.

「Hey you, don't tempt my disciple with that body, got it?」

As if she would. As if I'd let her.

「Shuna-sama only considers those with silver hair as people of the opposite sex, so there's no need to worry」

「I, I see……」

Regure looks depressed. It appears that she also feels guilty for trampling on the dreams of a young boy.

………………Oh, I almost forgot.

「Umm, Rana. How on earth did you get here?」

「It’s the power of love and money」

「I……see?」

「Among the items you acquired from Lola, there were numerous ancient mediums. When it comes to magic, the older the medium, the better. And when they're used together with the blood of a god, there's no reason why tearing open space with brute force won't work」

「You're really amazing」

「Dear, praise me more」

Rana exuded smugness from her whole body.

Oh, I can clearly tell now that she's connected by blood to my sister.

As I was trying to decide whether to pat her head or fondle her boobs, I received a communication through my glasses.

『Hey~, heyyy! Can you hear me?』

「Yeah. I can hear you」

It was Maria.

『Look to the south. You'll see something interesting』

「Hmm?」

Just when I was about to go take a look,

「Report!」

A guard of the royal castle rushed in with an alarmed look on his face.

「Elysium's expeditionary force and the combined armies of the Myriad Kings are advancing on us from the southern plain. I believe there are at least 60,000 of them!」

One of Dugan's men also whispered something to him.

Noticing that, His Majesty took action.

「Dugan, how many of your men are capable of fighting right now?」

「Excluding the wounded, I'd say 30,000」

「Lend me your fastest cavalry, 500 is all I need. And your fastest warhorse for me. Bring me a horse that’s in no way inferior to Verxina」

「Wait, hang on, Dainsleif. I can't do that so suddenly. Besides, there's no horse that can match Verxina」

If Dugan agrees to lend His Majesty troops, there will a line of soldiers trying to join His Majesty because of his magnetism. As soon as tomorrow, the Kingdom of Ashtalia will have a new army. As could be expected, Dugan would likely not find that amusing.

Disregarding the two arguing kings, I peered out the cathedral and took a look at the enemy.

There’s really a lot of them.

It's an army of white mixed with gray. The report said 60,000, but this is……

「Your Majesty! There's 80,000! And numerous siege weapons!」

Several golems were pulling massive catapults behind them. There were twenty of them. They had also been thoughtful enough to bring about thirty battering rams.

They looked completely prepared to assault a castle.

「Dear」

Rana tugged at my sleeve a few times.

「The flag of Beza?Hohens flies among them. They have war magicians on their side」

「Your Majesty! They have magicians!」

Hearing footsteps, I turned and found His Majesty beside me.

「How many?」

「They're at the very front and in the middle」

Protected by knights with large shields, there was a group of magicians. They were different from adventurers. They had a worn-out and sooty air about them.

I handed my glasses to Rana, and she looked at their faces with the telephoto function.

「Those who study magic in the Jumikura and Hohens Schools don't side with any particular faction, but Beza<heretics> are different. They believe that the battlefield is the very place where the art of magic is needed. However, when it comes to faces that I recognize………………there aren't any among them」

If they're people from Hohens who Rana doesn't recognize, that means that there are probably no Frey-class magicians among them.

Indeed, one of those is enough to wipe out an entire army. Actually, next to me is………

「Dear, don't you think that you should turn to me for help in times like these?」

「I do. You can do it, right?」

「What a foolish question. I'm not known as a guide of the final flame for nothing」

「Ohh, madam, do you have a plan?」

His Majesty is getting into it.

「I don't have a plan. What I do have is magic. It's what I'm most proud of」

There was a small burst of light, and Maria appeared behind me.

She was drawing attention from the people around her. She had pulled up her hood to hide her appearance, but will it be okay, I wonder?

「Souya, Dainsleif, what are you going to do? Are you charging in again?」

「There's no way I'd allow something like that. Huh, you're………Misuranika-sama?」

「Like I said, who's a forgotten one? Huh………what a strange elf」

Maria said while looking at Rana, mainly at her boobs.

「Mu, what do you mean? You're a strange elf yourself. Your hair and skin are all black」

「What?! I mean, you're small and you've got big boobs! And your ears droop!」

「You're small too. Actually, you're probably smaller than me」

「I'll grow bigger in future!」

「I'll grow bigger too!」

「Are you talking about your boobs?!」

「Please don't start a war here」

Stop fighting between women.

Or rather, I have one question.

「Rana, if Hohens doesn’t side with any particular faction, wouldn’t it be a bad idea for you to unleash magic here?」

「Yes. If it gets out, I'll be struck off Hohen's rolls and have my memories taken away」

「That’s no good then. Ashtalia and Robbs' soldiers are very strong. We can leave it to them」

「Dear, it'll be fine as long as it doesn’t get out」

「Eeehh」

That’s being so careless about the details.

「In truth, there have been many magicians from Hohens who have done similar things. The army here is strong, right? Then I'll halt that army for a time and weaken it. Would that be enough, King of Ashtalia?」

「I've given up the throne. Amelia, is that enough?」

「Do as you like, Otou-sama」

Crown Princess Amelia was sitting on the throne with a tired look on her face. I felt a bit sorry for her.

「Well then」

Rana struck the floor with her staff. It rang out loudly, attracting everyone's attention.

With everyone staring at her, she shouted in a clear voice.

「Close your eyes and shut your mouth to the the entirety of the magic art that I will now perform. If you break this prohibition, this land will surely be engulfed in flames again. But the scorn of betrayal will forever be spoken of by those who live long lives. What will happen from this point on is the will of nature. My, the Heures' secret art」

It was like watching a play in which she played the leading role.

The elf raised her staff and weaved a web of words.

「Oh Ezusu, my god Ezusu. In your great name, pass my words on to the gods worshiped alongside you. Grizunas of the Abyss. I borrow the grace of my husband, who has been blessed by the oceans. Together with the blessings of the True Flame, I bring forth a rare and miraculous art」

Rana took one of the staffs floating in mid-air and kissed it.

She whispered, prayed and chanted.

「Heures?Romea?Lumidia」

A pale yet white-hot glow emanated from the staff.

Magic that bears the name of the king of the forest and the hero of the hidden name. Could this be……

「Dear, your bow」

I received the Lycan bow from Rana and nocked the magic-imbued staff to its string.

The grace that I thought I had lost returned to my arms once more.

The bow bent greatly and creaked as I drew it taut and then aimed for the heavens.

「Please shoot the staff as close to the center of the army as possible」

「Leave it to me」

I released.

The staff flew towards the distant, far-off army. It drew a parabola in the sky and then stabbed into the heart of the army.

After drawing some indifferent reactions from the soldiers,

Fog suddenly arose from the earth.

A thick, milky fog enveloped the entirety of the army on the plain. Even from this distance, I could hear the confused screams of people.

Oddly, not one person came out of the fog.

「It’s a barrier of fog that won't disappear for three days and three nights. Those trapped inside will never be able to escape. It's possible to interact with them from the outside, so you can use arrows, magic, or whatever you want to your heart's content」

「What an amazing magic art」

Everyone in the cathedral, including His Majesty, was astounded.

I was feeling rather proud of her too.

「Rana, this magic, could it be……」

「Yes, this is the magic that my ancestor Heures used when they defeated the large spider. Among my aunt's belongings that my father had given me, I found a way to recreate this magic. But it's a magic that I can only use through your deep connection with the fishmen. In other words, it's half your magic as well」

「Is that how it is?」

I'd never have imagined that Heures' magic was something that borrowed the power of the fishmen.

The connections between people are a wondrous thing.

Perhaps my encounter with Geto-san was what had led to my encounter with Rana and the others.

「Well done. Souya, and madam as well. Make yourselves at home in the castle. The utmost hospitality will be………Amelia!」

「Yes, yes, I’ll extend them the utmost hospitality, yes」

Just do as you like, said the Crown Princess.

「Alright! Dugan! Ready the men! But first, get me a horse! A horse!」

「Well, we have as much as three days, so we can surround them as we see fit」

「Don't say such ridiculous things. I'll crush them head on. We must properly impress on those shameless people what it means to be a Myriad King」

「Good grief, you're such a hopeless man. Alright, leave it to me. I'll see if I can raise an army in your name. I'll even lend you my finest horse」

The two kings were looking lively and in a very good mood.

A winning battle must be quite fun.

「Your Majesty, what I can do is little, but I'll also――」

「You are to attend to your wife. That's an order. I don't want you jumping out ahead of me again」

「Understood」

He flatly refused to let me participate in the battle.

「Madam, keep a firm hold on his reins」

「Yes」

Rana came up and hugged my arm.

Pulling away from her and going into battle is not something I want to do, not even a little.

His Majesty and Dugan left the cathedral with their men in tow.

Crown Princess Amelia summoned the maids and they said that it would take them some time to prepare a room for us.

With the cold wind blowing in our faces, we waited in the cathedral.

「How’s that? Isn't she amazing?」

I bragged about Rana to Maria.

Gununun, said Maria, looking frustrated.

「Dear, who is this elf that looks like Misuranika-sama?」

「Listen well, I’m――」

Maria's communication device went off noisily.

『It's not a good idea to reveal your identity carelessly』

It was Tortch.

My glasses had also picked up his transmission.

「Gununun」

It was a childish way of acting frustrated. She escaped by suddenly disappearing.

She's a strange child, one who is both childish and crazed at the same time.

The room was ready and a maid showed us to it. The room was warm thanks to the fireplace in it, the bed was luxurious, and the tub had been filled with hot water.

「Well then, if there's anything else you need, please feel free to let us know」

The maid curtsied and then left.

It was just the two of us after that, so, like mad, we――

[1] This is an expression from the Showa era(1926-1989), which refers to a short but stacked woman. Yes, it’s in “English”. Please note that it’s the 1900s and overlook how nonsensical it is.

[2] This is Minamoto no Yoshitsune’s Hassou-tobi(Eight Boat Leap). According to the myth, in the battle of Dan-no-Ura, which was practically a naval battle between Minamoto and Taira, through Yoshitsune's command, he managed to get the commanding Taira commander, Noritsune to admit defeat or prepare to surrender, but he instead attempted suicide. Yoshitsune decided to leap through 8 boats to either escape from Noritsune's suicide because it was causing chaos that could drown his navy; or he leapt through 8 boats to make sure Noritsune didn't get the chance to commit suicide, and severed his head. Yes, it’s one of those stories where the details aren’t clear and no one can say for sure if it actually happened.

[3] As a Gundam fan, I almost fell off my chair laughing at this line. This is an old joke, from the 1980s-1990s, a time when drones weren’t a thing. In the older Gundam series, funnels are generally drones that fire laser beams that are remotely controlled via psychic powers. Nowadays, as drones are a thing, they’re called all sorts of different names and are no longer controlled psychically. Why are they called “funnels”, you ask? Well…it’s because they’re shaped just like one…and from [1] you can sorta tell the level of English literacy in Japan in the 1900s, so I think you can see how it would sound cool to them… Anyway, here’s a gif of them in action that I found on imgur.

So, all’s well that ends well. I loved the “It’s the power of love and money” line. Had me doubled over in laughter. Yeah, the heavy atmosphere of the previous chapters is lifting.

Not much to comment this chapter, though the fact that Souya is able to become invisible longer than before is something to note.

Well, double chapter next time to finish out this arc and we’ll finally be in the final arc of this very long volume 3. Stay tuned!