That Person. Later on...

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This is the end of Sono Mono series for real.

It's not like I aimed to release the chapter on 31th December, you know.

Several readers has suggested me to pick-up Sono Mono 2, but no, I don't have any intention to pick-up that novel for now. I want to focus to deliver Heroes at least until ch.50 or so. Glutton Berserker is also on peak almost reaching ch.100 too.

Thank you for all of your support on 2018. Please keep supporting us on next year. I and my team make sure to deliver more chapters for you all.

Well, enjoy and have pleasant holiday~

After Story 4 - 'Ultimate' is different for each person

I closed the journal that the Great Sage Inaizu left behind then turned my eyes towards everyone around me.

Everyone had mixed expressions on their faces.

I know how they feel because I also felt the same..

Because no one would have ever thought that the Great Sage was actually someone with such a career.

Of course, everyone would've thought that he had a flashier life, but as it turns out, reality turned out to be rather sad.

Although I wish I can cheer him up, the person in question is no longer in this world.

If there is afterlife, then I hope he stays healthy.

However, we now know the location of the ultimate magic spellbook.

Apparently it's in the mansion's basement.

But I remember that there was no cellar when we investigated earlier.

The fact that it can't be found by normal means, could it be that there is a trick to find it….?

Somehow, why do spell books or other precious items……always have to be hidden in such a troublesome manner? Can't they just hide it in an easier place to find?

When I say that, Kagane gave a long sigh. Was it really necessary for her to preach to me about the stylistic beauty behind it afterward? Well, it's been done already.

Stylistic beauty my arse….

Normally speaking, isn't it more important to keep anything important within arm's reach? Why do they even bother to hide it in such a troublesome manner is beyond me….

I couldn't understand it since I lacked precious things like that.

As long as I have my wives with me then I'll be just fine.

Anyways, we now knew that the spellbook really existed.

Let's just try to find a way to the basement immediately.

=====

[…..we simply can't find it..]

Floyd muttered.

At the moment, we are searching for a way to access the basement from the first floor.

Because it'll take a while, we split into groups to search it.

When I picked any of my wives to go with me, the others would complain, so I ended up searching with Floyd and Siros-san. With my wives split up in 4 person groups and 3 men + 1

With Meru who sat on my head, we searched each rooms in the mansion.

I refrained from letting the goddesses from manifesting to help search since Siros-san wasn't familiar yet with our circumstances.

[Right. I don't think that it's in this room.]

I replied to Floyd's muttering.

Actually, there seemed to be nothing in this room.

We also heard that the other groups didn't find anything.

Then where is it….?

At the very least I hope there are more clues.

[…..I've examined the place again. There's nothing that looks like something we are looking for anywhere.]

[This is troublesome. If we knew for sure where the exact room is, then we could do something about it….. Destroying the floor randomly just to find the cellar won't do any good.]

Floyd and Siros thought with troubled faces while they kept looking.

I also kept looking but I too, thought the same.

Unable to find anything after all, I opened the Great Sage's journal once more, hoping that there is actually a hint that I missed.

Whilst I read the journal, Floyd and Siros-san continued to search while talking.

[By the way, I can see that you're actually still quite young, but also a [★５] member of the bookstore guild?

[That's right. I simply work hard. After all, I love books so much that I couldn't stop working once I started.]

[Couldn't stop, huh? I see that you also love the scent of paper and ink?]

[There is also that. I like book as it is but those other factors also helps]

[Hoho, I see.]

[But even after working in this job for a long time, I still suffer from lower back pain from time to time.]

[Is it really that hard of a job?]

[Yeah. It doesn't happen everyday, but things like『Whoa, this is bad……』sometimes happened. Although 1 book is generally light, taking care of many of them at once is different matter, as we can't be too violent and put some caution when handling them.]

…..what on earth are those two talking about?

It makes me want to tell them to search more thoroughly, but as I am preoccupied with searching myself, I just chose not to.

[So care is required…..that's really a problem. By the way, I have 1 thing that piques my interest.]

[What is it? If it's about bookstore then you can ask me about anything]

[No, it's not about bookstore, rather, it's about Siros-san's own behaviour.]

[My own behaviour?]

[Yes. For instance, why do you refer to the female manager with "-sama"?]

Whoops, he said it.

This is something I need to hear as well….

[Ah, about that. That's not a difficult question. …….How should I say it? Simply speaking…… she's like a dictator. The person who can be said as a ruler in the bookstore where I'm working at, whose knowledge regarding books is vast and detailed. Not many people in the world can attain [★８], not to mention [★Special]. It's like she's a supreme existence in the world of books]

[Ho! So she's that kind of person]

[Yes. I do have it tough sometimes, but it's out of necessity. When the female manager is not working, she's quite lively and has a cute persona.]

[I see…… That means, you like her?]

Garagashaaa! The sound echoed throughout the room.

Removing my eyes from reading the journal and turning towards the source of the sound, I saw Siros-san with his eyes swimming like crazy, apparently just dropped something he previously held in his hand.

He was completely stupefied.

Ooi! Floyd, what did you ask something like that!

[W-w-w-wha, 一why are asking you about that so suddenly! Ahahaha! Of course not! O-of course that's not the case!]

Siros-san. It's no use. The truth has been revealed completely.

What's with that…..even those working in the bookstore can have that kind of feeling too?

Of course! Although he's an unknown person, no wonder that the others were fine with him.

That's why everyone looked at him with warm eyes….maybe.

However, Siros-san was too upset.

I heard it――but maybe I shouldn't――anyways, I felt sorry for him.

[Ah! Today's weather is fine indeed.]

Siros-san, Siros-san, the sun is setting and it's twilight already; not to mention that it's cloudy outside.

[Oya? It's cloudy outside….. Well, tell me more about your relationship with this female manager]

Stop! Stop it already! Don't push any further, Floyd!

It's obvious from Siros-san's state!

It's a state that you shouldn't prod around!

Perhaps, if you prod more, you'll only step on a landmine!

Don't do it! Just leave it be until his emotions have settled.

I have to do something with this root of all things before he did something harmful and immediately!

[Diee~~~~!!!]

I threw the book I had in my hand.

…..damn. It was the Great Sage's journal.

[Ha! I sense killing intent!]

Floyd evaded the Great Sage's journal that I flung at him.

You couldn't possibly die just from that, could you?

The book, having missed Floyd, actually fit itself inside the empty space on the bookshelf.

At that moment, a faint clicking sound can be heard and the bookshelf shifted itself to the side, revealing a set of stairs that led to what seems to be underground.

[ [ [………..] ] ]

Even Floyd was taken aback by this; everyone on the room can only look silently.

Who would've thought that trying to hurt him actually brought good fortune this time….

=====

[It's really in here. Honestly, I thought that the only way left is to tear the floor down with magic.]

[As expected of our husband.]

[I see. So the journal is the key]

[What do you mean?]

[…..please explain.]

[It's quite simple. Now that I check on it, the journal carries a minute amount of magic in it which probably play the role in shifting the bookshelf. The journal itself is a form of magic tool.]

[Ho. To think he made his own journal a magic tool. Truly fitting of a Great Sage.]

After the stairs to the basement appeared, I gathered my wives.

Meru was already sitting on my head from the start. Can't be helped since she's still just a child.

Sleep……dragons grow while sleeping.

However, it'll be tough to keep her on my head if she keeps growing bigger….

Not to mention it's troublesome, it'll also look weird.

Can she turn smaller through magic?

Next time, I should consider investigating that .

My daydream was interrupted by Salona speaking.

[But you found it anyways. Normally even I won't find such a thing. How did you find it?]

To that question, I can only mutter incomprehensibly.

I couldn't just tell the circumstances behind it just like that.

Floyd also read the situation and chose to stay silent, while Siros-san is looking out through the window.

It's alright, let's keep the secret between only the three of us.

[That is…….how should I say it. Ah right! Me and Floyd worked together to find it, that's why everything went so well…..]

[Indeed. It really can be said as the result of a collaboration between me and Wazu-sama.]

[It somehow sounded outrageous….]

Because I couldn't tell about it any further, I just brushed it off by [Now now, at least everything went well]. And so Floyd, Siros-san, me and my wives went down to the basement.

=====

The basement wasn't as wide as I thought.

At beast it's about the size of two normal living rooms.

Magic is still at work in the basement, seeing how everything seems clean. A lot of miscellaneous items are scattered all over on the floor, table, and wall.

Maybe because it's the result of one the sage's researches but there's a vicious looking sword leaning on the wall and also a bottle containing what I think to be poisonous liquid on the table.

Honestly, that seemingly poisonous liquid actually looks delicious to me.

And, at the center of the wall on the back of the basement, was the spellbook.

A magic diagram is drawn on the floor, and…..book contained inside transparent sphere made of magic.

Is that the book where the ultimate magic is written on?

Something is written on the wooden board that is right next to it.

[….."Those who are not qualified must stay away."]

That was what written on the board.

According to that, apparently only those who qualify can take the book out.

However, there is no entry about qualification in the journal. Was it added later on?

But whether or not someone is qualified, surely only a few would be able to use the ultimate magic that the great sage has left behind.

I hope there is one of us that qualifies……

Well, we'll find out if we just touch the sphere one by one.

I nodded to everyone, which everyone replied with a nod.

I stepped forward and tried to touch the spellbook, but the transparent sphere struck my hand back.

『Are you alright！！』

[Yeah, I'm alright. Nothing is scratched. It's like a child's prank to me.]

My wives seemed to be anxious so let's just appreciate it.

I realized after touching it, that the sphere acts as some sort of barrier to judge the qualification, and I was not qualified.

I don't feel particularly bad about it, since I still think that it's possible for me to obtain it regardless.

If I were to use godlike power, such a barrier would be a real child's play to crack.

I could forcibly take out the barrier, but the great sage might've put something in advance in case of something like that were to happen so let's save it as a last resort.

Besides, there are still 9 more people other than me.

There may still be someone among us who fit the great sage's qualification.

It won't be too late to force the barrier open after trying out everything else first.

[I'm don't seem to be qualified.]

At the same time, I retreated away from the spellbook.

As if knowing what should be done next, my wives one by one attempted to touch the spellbook, but all of them were rejected by the sphere.

U~mu. I guess this isn't going well.

Next is Floyd's turn.

He tried with a smile on his face as always, but ended up rejected as well.

What's with this thing? It kept rejecting left and right.

What on earth is the requirement to fulfill this great sage's qualification?

And lastly, Siros-san attempted it.

Because he's seen what happened to us, he tried to touch the spellbook very cautiously out of fear.

Then, before I knew it, Siros-san's hand slipped through the barrier and grabbed the book.

Siros-san's face showed that he was really surprised, but the same goes for all of us as well.

Should I give him an applause for that? While I was thinking, Floyd had already beaten me to it by giving Siros-san an applause complete with saying [Congratulations].

Taking that as a cue, all of us applaud.

[Thank you very much. It's thanks to the cooperation of all of you that I'm able to obtain this spellbook.]

Siros-san smiled shyly.

The praising continued for a while and once it ceased, I asked Siros-san.

[So, what exactly is the magic that is written in there?]

[Right. I will check it right now.]

Saying that, Siros-san opened the book and started reading.

Boooom!

[Cough! Cough!]

『Are you alright？ What's the matter？』

As soon as Siros-san read that word…..I literally exploded. But it's only me that exploded.

An explosion occurred although it's not to the extent that it can damage its surrounding.

Whether because the power is low or my resistance is too high, I wasn't even scratched, but my body is still covered by black soot.

I didn't even know what the hell happened.

And I didn't know why it's only me.

After reassuring my wives that I'm alright, I, still covered in black soot, asked Siros-san who's still holding the book.

[…..what was that just now?]

[….err…..hold on a second, let me apologize first. I'm sorry. Apparently this magic, will automatically activate if you read the spell while holding the spellbook…..it seems that it'll detonate anyone with certain conditions indiscriminately.]

[…..certain conditions?]

[Yes……ermm, that's right. Why don't Wazu-san and Floyd-san also read the spellbook to better understand the certain conditions?]

Me and Floyd? So it's gonna be a male-only team?

Giving Floyd a look, I headed back to Siros-san after calming my wives down.

Siros-san opened the spellbook so that I and Floyd could see the content.

A sentence is written on the spellbook.

『In here I left behind the ultimate magic that took me the rest of my life to create

The qualification to use it is "a male without any experience with female", who is without a doubt, a still pure man.

It can never be used by anyone else. If the user breaks the above condition, he'll be informed that he's no longer qualified.

The magic will automatically activate if you recite a spell written on this book.

The effect is that a specific subject will explode.

All target identified within the range of effect, which is a radius of 5 metres wide with the spellbook as its center.

The valid target and those unqualified to use the spell are those "satisfied people".

Next the spell to cast is

『O God heed my plea, our enemy (Riajuu) can just go (explode)』(TL note: LOL)

Lastly……for the qualified person.

With this magic, please show the weight of our suffering (jealousy) from seeing those "satisfied men" to the world.

…..that is my only hope. Great Sage Inaizu』

…..

…..

[Floyd, seal it.]

[Yes!]

Following my order, Floyd used his godlike power to seal the magic within the spellbook.

Siros-san also seemed to have no objection as he handed the spellbook to Floyd.

But, what the hell….

Why do you even produce such magic? Hey great sage?

What makes it even more terrifying was his obsession in creating this magic.

He still couldn't get over it….the time when he's scammed in that tavern.

[To even seal it, what kind of magic is it anyways?]

Salona who was watching us asked that question.

Now then, how to explain it….

To be really honest, it's hard to tell even if I'm also a man.

I don't know what to say, whether it's truly an ultimate magic or not.

[Err…….]

In short, while letting Floyd seal it, I went back to my wives and roughly explained what kind of magic that the great sage Inaizu had created.

My wives got the rough gist of it and didn't seem against sealing it.

However, Kagane, who seemingly saw through everything, murmured [No matter where you go in this world, no matter what kind of person, there will always be something like that….].

=====

After staying at the mansion for the night, we left the next day since we've nothing else to do there.

The ultimate magic that the great sage Inaizu left behind has been sealed.

Although it's still possible to read whatever written in that spellbook, Floyd had made it so that the magic won't be activated.

I originally thought about burning it but then I was reminded that Siros-san has been searching for this book for his female store manager.

I don't know if a woman can actually use it, but even if she ended up being unable to use it as it is, I think it's alright to give it to anyone.

Besides we're just helping Siros-san out so it's better to not interfere any further.

The explanation regarding why the magic cannot be used will be left to Siros-san.

[…..well, female manager-sama is a bookworm, so I think it's alright as a reading companion to this.]

Saying that, Siros-san stashed the spellbook alongside the great sage's journal.

Since I had no particular use for the journal other than to read it again, I happily handed it over to Siros-san.

[Now then, I'm truly grateful for the assistance this time. To be honest, I don't think it'll possible if it's just me alone. Perhaps I should give you people some reward? But unfortunately, I don't have anything big prepared at the moment.]

[I don't mind. Since it didn't interfere with our own travel route and it's been enjoyable.]

[I really appreciate that. But I can promise you that if you visit our bookstore in the future, we will serve you as best as possible]

[Ee. I'll be looking forward to that.]

Siros-san and I shook each other's hand with a smile on our faces.

Meanwhile my wives behind me were engaged in a heated discussion about what kind of story books they should get for our future children.

…..aren't you going too fast there?

[So, thank you very much. I'll be looking forward for your visit.]

After shaking hands with Floyd, Siros-san bid his farewell and left.

I watched his figure disappeared in the distance, then turned back to my wives.

[I knew it. Won't picture books that depict the beauty of nature be the best?]

[Romantic books to make the kid gentle and kind.]

[A picture book with a cute princess on it is also good, right?]

[No, growing with picture books depicting battles will be better.]

[…..a heroic story. Non-negotiable.]

[About wizards! Or about reincarnated people! No, sibling love!]

[Won't it be good to grow along with picture books of beastmen?]

…..is it still ongoing? Isn't it over already? Siros-san.

While patting Meru who sat on my head, I sighed.

[Let's go already~!]

My wives stopped discussing once I shouted that out loud and they instantly took positions――readying for janken――to decide who will walk with me.

Until the victors are decided, I played around with Meru and engaged in a brief discussion with Floyd regarding Great Sage Inaizu.

And after a while…..

With Salona on my left arm and joined with Naminissa on my right, we continued our honeymoon.

=====

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading so far.

I do not know when it will be, but I have been thinking about the afterthoughts little by little, I would be pleased if you could read it until end.