The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Adombraly-kun looks towards the shelf. Fixing his eyes on the wooden mass with Iglued in it, he answers, “What do you plan to do with her?”

“She isn’t moving right now, but I’ll try to get in contact with her in the same way as I did with you.”

“You plan to go out of your way to win over Iglued whom you defeated? You’ll suffer in the same way as Schmihazar who employed me as Demonic Armament Spirit.”

“Which reminds me, Kisara talked about Demonic Armament Spirits in the past, didn’t she?”

“――Shuuya-sama, you called for me?” Kisara’s voice reaches my ears.

Her face then peered in through the window at the roof.

“Oh, you’ve timed it just perfectly. Moment’s ago I was talking with Adombraly-kun about Demonic Armament Spirits. But let me first thank you, Kisara. It’s wonderful of you to oversee the training of everyone, including Muu.” I bow my head at Kisara.

“No, not at all. It is a matter of course since it is for your sake, Shuuya-sama. I’ve watched Muu-chan’s training together with Spirit-sama. It is proceeding well. The two orcs were surprised by my dancing paper dolls, though.”

“It looks like Moga, Nemus, and Higlia have opened up to the orcs as well.”

“Yes, although it seems like the orcs still cannot understand our language…”

Kisara entered the room with those words, and leaned her witch spear against the wall next to the window.

“The children didn’t become scared of them either. It was a big help that Arry and Taack took the initiative to chat the orcs up.”

“Quiche-san has explained it to them as well. And as someone who had witnessed their actual strength, Higlia-chan consented as well. That Quema can use her spear quite proficient. She seems to use unique arresting techniques. She has not shown us her other skills based on her bone flute yet, though… On the other hand, Solobo handles his silver sword very nimbly. He is a superb warrior who can also enter ranged combat since he can unleash mana blades.”

Well, Kisara can handle those two without breaking a sweat, though. Solobo’s swordsmanship with its way of movement I’ve never seen before was quite awesome. Enough to remind me of Marici…

『――Magnificent! But <Evil Foot Tale>!』 Kisara had yelled as she trampled down on his Magic Sword Soebally.

After the immediately following roundhouse kick, Solobo had to give up.

“Those orcs seem to worship you, Shuuya-sama. Currently they are standing at the entrance as if to protect this house. Then again, each time the Wave Gourd gleams up in crimson, they fall into panic…”

The Wave Gourd has become an entryway decoration nowadays. I wonder what’s to be found inside that gourd…I’m really curious.

Though it’d be best for the two orcs to get used to the gourd since I’ve prepared a room for them on the first floor.

Anyway, I guess I’ll also ask Kisara about Red Tiger Storm.

“The members of Red Tiger Storm are fairly strong, aren’t they?”

“Indeed. Higlia-chan had her eyes drawn to the beastwoman and dual-wielder Sarah-san. Certainly, her movements and her previous sword work were admirable. It looks like she’s also mastered her mutant power which resembles the one tiger beastmen possess. According to Sarah-san, her father was a human while her mother was a beastwoman with cat ears, but…I estimate her to be a half descending from lycanthropes or leopard beastmen… However, the one worthy of most attention is the magician Luciel Adokinz who can use light magic at will. She possesses a wonder magic wand allowing her to unleash ice pebbles on end. She also owns a heap of lightning-based scrolls like the leaders of the General Sorcery Association… She’s a beauty who makes me wonder just who she might actually be.”

It sounds like Kisara is more interested in the vice-leader Luciel than the clan leader Sarah.

“It’s light magic that worked even against the Evil Dragon King. Nowadays she’s serving as vice leader of an adventurer clan, and not the Holy Church, with her special magic. It’s definitely interesting…”

I can imagine that it might be a skill or spell Luciel acquired as a result of her abilities, magic books, skills, and combat occupation meshing in a complex way.

“Anyway, for now we’re going to continue our little conversation with Adombraly-kun over here.”

Kisara nods and so do I.

“Just as you can see, I have released him. And he earlier mentioned the Demonic Armament Spirits.”

“I see. Are you going to make a contract with him?”

“No, not yet.”

“…Make a contract with me. If you do, I’ll approve of you as my new lord.”

So his answer to my previous question about what he wants to do is a contract with me, huh?

“He has an insolent attitude, but he is a demon who raised all the way to marquis rank in the Spirit World…before he got tampered with by Schmihazar. If he becomes your bloodkin, he has the potential to grow into a Demonic Armament Spirit surpassing Schmihazar. Now that I think about it, it is good that he has not been absorbed by Rotalz and me.” Kisara comments and approaches me with her big boobs swaying.

While she’s been speaking, Adombraly-kun as been rattling on, “She’s right, completely right! Form a contract with me! Come on!”

“His attitude has completely changed from before. Probably because he doesn’t want to be eaten by Rollo.”

“Of course. Most of my power was stolen by Iglued and Schmihazar, okay?”

“So, what was that ruby from earlier?”

“It’s a power the Amshabis possess. Not being able to unleash it to a satisfying extent, I…”

“Okay, I see.”

“You understand, don’t you? Earlier I was simply angry over having been captured, so I did the only thing I could do. That’s why I’ll leave the rest to your discretion.” He says and folds his pair of wings, apparently exhibiting his intent to pledge his allegiance to me.

It perfectly fits the proverb, “There is no flying from fate.” He’s unexpectedly upright.

“If you become my master, I’ll likely transform into your personal Demonic Armament Spirit. The contract requires a fair amount of mana, however…”

All of a sudden the flow of the conversation has become completely dominated by me forming a contract with him…

“Wait a moment. Before contracts and all that, I don’t have any intention to shackle you down. I wouldn’t mind if you use those small wings of yours to travel the world.”

“Eh? You’d release me while respecting my will?”

“Yes. I caught you out of curiosity, but you don’t seem to have any will to fight against me. Besides, you want to return to the Spirit World, right?”

“…”

Adombraly-kun closed his eyelid.

After remaining silent for a while, “I’ll stay back here. After having magically remodeled me, who was once called a demonic marquis, that cursed Schmihazar evaporated into nothingness. Now that I’ve become free, I…want to return to the Spirit World if I can, but…even if I returned…”

Adombraly-kun’s eyelid trembled. Big tears formed at the base of his eye, and trickled down.

Rollo rested as a cat loaf on my shoulder, but reacting to his tears, she extended a tentacle towards his eye and wiped away the tears.

“Rollo, you’re really kind.”

“Nya.”

“…Thanks, Rollo-sama. In reality I didn’t want to talk about it, but…I…my appearance hasn’t changed much, but…thanks to Hoffmann and Schmihazar, the old me has actually…I’m no demonic marquis or Amshabis anymore…in reality I’m a shadow of my former self as Demonic Armament Spirit who’s been remodeled so that it’d be easy to absorb my mana…and nothing else.”

It’s a way of talking and crying that doesn’t suit demons.

“I got it. Then let’s have a contract! And when I go to the Spirit World, it’ll be fine for you to go back to your hometown if you wish.”

“…Are you planning to make me cry!?”

You’re already crying, eyeball! I thought but won’t present him with a spear kumite retort. If my retort hit his eyeball, it’d likely get crushed in an instant.

“…Shuuya-sama…winning over a demon with words alone…you are amazing.” Kisara joined her hands in front of her chest, resulting in her elbows squashing her boobs.

It might be a blessing that Rollo had teased his eyeball and not me.

“…So what do I need to do to make a contract with you?”

“You just need to touch this――”

The instant Adombraly-kun said so, his eyeball peeled back. Once his eye became all white, red, blood vessel tentacles began to squirm, forming a magic crest.

It’s a three-dimensional crest, but the red color thins out, and a magic crest that seems to be formed out of white and pink earthworms floats up. It’s gross…

“It looks like a trap…”

“I think it will be alright, but how about calling Spirit-sama over?”

Following Kisara’s advice, I call Helme.

“Helme.” I shout.

The chatting on the training ground is very lively. Seemingly very pleased with the black sweet water, Sarah, Luciel, Belize, and Bucchi are talking about it cheerfully.

“Hehe, you don’t need to hurry so much with the drinking, Muu-chan…”

“Still, Muu-chan, you’re really good at handling your threads. You’re a small spearmaster.”

“…”

“Can’t talk, eh? But leader, this stuff is really good!”

“…If we hunt in Pelneet, we always put a priority on a Black Sweetwater Snake after all.”

“For you to say that seriously…but I totally get where you’re coming from, Belize.”

It looks like Red Tiger Storm is letting Muu drink some black sweetwater.

“Let me have a drink as well.”

“Professor, me too…”

Domidon and Mie-san, huh?

Next, “Sweetwater, huh!? How nostalgic! Nemus drained our stock down in one night!”

“I am, Nemus!”

Once they hear Moga and Nemus, Quema and Solobo say, “This is…a sweet vegetable that can be harvested in Hekatrail…”

“It’s quite different in quality from what can be obtained underground.”

It sounds like they’re wolfing down the fresh vegetables that were grown in Hekatrail.

Moreover, Adomos and Zemetas are heatedly talking about having witnessed a legendary, huge sonrissa in the Spirit World. At that moment, Catiza, a lover of Hekatrail cheese and bread, joins in.

Everyone is probably holding cups with a mix of black sweetwater and Helme’s boob water in a hand while enjoying some snacks. Gramps Ton’s sweets are great, and Riedel’s sweets are nice, too.

She talked about having failed in making them, but…they were surprisingly great apple sweets. It sounds like they’re currently eating those.

When I contacted Rebecca through blood messaging, she told me, 『How neat! I wanna eat those sweeties too! Shuuya, you’ve already set up the 16th mirror in your house, haven’t you? Then, get your ass moving and bring them back home. Viine bought magic preservation tools a little while ago, so storage should be no issue! This has top priority!』

Rebecca was so excited that I could feel it through the blood message… It seems like her internal sweets sensor had been triggered. Eva should like apple sweets too.

As Eva is Eva, she told me, 『Thanks to the Blood Moon Sea Stars Alliance, the joint business with a fruits company that possesses its own farms is going very smoothly』

When I told her about the vegetable garden made by Donagan and the natural apple plantation discovered by Catiza, she got really happy. Moreover, we recently learned that those aren’t normal apples either.

And then, at the end, she said, 『Nn, it might be possible to oppose Tanaka confectionery, which has become famous for its round sweets, with sweets using those abnormal apples. That’s why I’d like you to sell those apples to Dee’s restaurant…』

『It might be a bit difficult, since those apple trees are natural. Well, come to Cydale and see for yourself next time. I’ll have Catiza show you around』

『Nn! I will!』

We had that kind of carefree chat through blood messages.

As for Yui, it didn’t really develop into an apple talk…

『We defeated the robbers controlling the highway close to 【Elephant God City Regeepick】, you know?』

『With your triple-katana style?』

『Yep. Thinking that things were shady, we went straight to a bar. Over there Dad ordered saboten meat and wine after we sat down, and while we pretended to enjoy a nice drinking bout, we gathered some information. But, the bitter, boiled saboten meta was sure delicious…』

『And that’s how you got a lead on the robbers, huh?』

Apparently Kaldo, Yui and Crow-san had a great fight with a dark guild opposing the Assembly of Stars, our ally, in the process of their operation. After expansively talking about it, she shifted to grumbling about her Dad and Crow-san making out…

“――Your Excellency! I am terribly sorry for being late!” Helme butts in just as I imagine Kaldo springtime.

No wait, it’s just normal since I called her over.

Helme was in the middle of reeling her <Lapis Lazuli Flower> back into her fingers. Because she was also emitting water sprays from her feet, the wooden window got slightly wet.

“No problem. Come here.”

“Of course.” Helme replies with a smile and enters the room.

“I’ve been thinking about forming a contract with Adombraly-kun over here, but…you can see the reason why I wanted you to take a look, right?”

“It’s the one you had Gramps Ton take care of, right? And yes, I see. Going by its appearance, it’s a gathering of earthworms…certainly…but, it’s okay. There are no evil spirits around it. It’s just an amassing of mana.”

“Got it.”

And then, after nodding my resolve at everyone…I fix my eyes on Adombraly-kun’s eyeball. I summon my courage and extend a hand for the magic crest.

The instant my fingers touched the group of earthworm-like tentacles…

Nuoohh!!

I felt how quite a lot of my mana was sucked out.

『Hahan! Absorbing mana from me is impossible! Fuhahaha!』

I ignore Saraten’s clamoring. Or rather, the instant her voice resounded, the tentacles melted away.

Adombraly-kun dissolved――no, became beads? Small red beads.

Having gained their freedom, the beads draw an arc in the air as if shaping a red wing, and then head my way with a sharp curve.

I tried to dodge them by reflex, but the beads gathered on my middle finger. That’s why I remained still with my hand still stretched out.

Immediately following, the beads on my middle finger turned into a ring. The ring has a red gem in its center, surrounded by a quiver mark. The red gem has crimson wings.

※Piiing※ <Demonic Armament Spirit – Ruby Loop> ※ Permanent Skill acquired ※

Oohh, it’s a skill.

“My mana got absorbed, but I acquired a skill. I guess that’s the standard type of Demonic Armament Spirits you talked about, Kisara. It seems to be a contract similar to that of the Burning Knights.”

“Oh, Your Excellency, you have a brand-new ring! It looks like you can also take it on and off.”

Just as Helme says so, I take it off my finger, and show it to Rollo.

“Nn, nya”

“The scent is the same as before?”

“Nya～”

Rollo changes her posture. She begins to wave her tail in the direction of the ring.

Kisara steps up next to me. Her perfume smells really nicely. My eyes are reflexively drawn to her armpit as she strokes Rollo, who has fled into my hood after I teased her a bit.

𝘧𝓇𝗲𝑒we𝙗noѵ𝑒l.𝐜o𝘮

But, right now is not the time for lewd stuff.

After shaking my head, I put the ring back on, and poured mana into it. Thereupon, the red wings attached to the red gem began to move. As they flapped, the wings became bigger and bigger.

At the instant when the red gem also transformed its shape by bending flexibly, Adombraly appeared while still being connected to the ring. His size has shrunk by half compared to the one before the contract.

“――Milord, the contract has been concluded. I am looking forward to working with you from now on.”

“Aye.”

Now then, next up is Iglued, I suppose. I can’t even begin to imagine how things are going to turn out with her…