Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, fake names are usually associated with thieves, swindlers, or criminals. Though, pen-names and character names could be considered fake names, but the impression is very different.”

 

“Kuro, sir, we have taken all 262 Lost Thieves to the Adventurer’s Guild. The Guildmaster is calling for you.” The commander reported enthusiastically to me, her face smiling.

 

“Is that so? I’ll go immediately.”

 

While responding to the commander, I walk along the passageway and toward Labyrinth City. The Commander is a 21 year-old woman who’s name is Sumina.

 

She’s an intense-looking woman with red hair which reminds me of a lion’s mane, and high cheekbones. She has a good shape, with D-Cup breasts and an hourglass figure.

 

However, her abs--which is revealed, because she removed her breastplate and underneath she had a shirt which exposed her midriff--were impressive, she had a bigger six-pack than I did; her arms were also rather muscular.

 

She was one of the only people I had seen who was this muscular--but it looked really good on her.

 

When I inquired as to why she wasn’t wearing her breastplate, she responded with, “Sorry, Kuro, sir. We were in a safe place…and you were nearby, so I considered it to be safe. Was I wrong?”

 

She looked at me with her eyes slightly downcast, her hand wresting on the pommel of the Ant-Wing Sword.

 

“It wasn’t wrong, I was just curious.” I reassured her.

 

“Thank you, sir!” She responded enthusiastically, a slight colour appearing on her cheeks.

 

Walking along, with her by my side, we go to the Guildmaster’s room in the West Guild.

 

The Guildmaster instructed Sumina to leave the room as soon as she saw my face.

 

Sumina saluted her, glancing at me for an instant, to which I nodded, before leaving.

 

“As I thought, it’s you, huh.” The Guildmistress looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Hmm, to think that the pyromaniac is the Guildmaster. Think more carefully about where you are before unleashing your overly-destructive Magic.”

 

“Mind your own business.”

 

I spoke in my Kuro character, in a haughty tone.

 

“You broke that Sokel guy out of prison didn’t you? I think I should arrest you here and now as the Guildmaster, how about it?”

 

“Enough with the pointless mind game. I’m protecting that guy. I will deliver him back to you if you can provide a place that can prevent all assassins, or relatives.”

 

Frankly, the reason I am sheltering Sokel is because I plan to wait until the heat is off, and I will give him to the Guild, but the Guildmistress doesn’t need to know that yet.

 

“So, who’s behind you.” She calmly changed the subject, maybe she suspected something from my words.

 

“My master is Nameless.”

 

“Oh? I didn’t think that you would answer me. To think that the Royal Family is behind you.”

 

No, I wanted her to think I was subordinate to Sine Nomine. But she seems to have misunderstood.

 

“So, have you suppressed all of the Fiend Drug fields?”

 

“Yeah, I didn’t burn them,” I paused an looked at the Guildmistress, who rolled her eyes, “Because I wanted to lure the guys out--I then released all the people who worked there.”

 

“You really were the person who saved all those people huh. It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone with the Alchemy or Compounding Skills, though?”

 

“There’s no one with the Alchemy Skill, and I have placed the ones with the Compounding Skill in a proper location.”

 

The Guildmistress looked satisfied with my answer. Though I imagine that she’s having another strange misunderstanding.

 

“And, are you going to stay in Labyrinth City for a while?”

 

“No, I originally came here because of the request of an acquaintance, he wanted me to take care of someone from his clan that became a Lost Thief. I’m going to be in the Royal Capital for the time being, though I do intend to come here again in the near future.”

 

“That so? I’d like to give you a medal, in my capacity as the Resource Minister of Labyrinth City.”

 

“That’s unnecessary.” I answer haughtily and leave the Guildmistress’ room.

 

Sumina looks worried, her eyes searching my face, but I tell her that everything’s fine--she smiles happily, with a nod.

 

We go to the Guild Treasury to receive the reward money--which is nearly 400 gold.

 

I give Sumina and the other Adventurers 1 gold coin each.

 

Then I hand the remainder to Porina and ask her to buy the vacant site nearby.

 

Sumina is one of the Adventurers who chose to stay, so I assigned her to protecting Porina--she looked a little disappointed, but understood that she couldn’t be seen around me when I Kuro; she seemed trustable, but I didn’t tell her who I was when I wasn’t Kuro--she just knew that it wasn’t my only identity.

 

***

“Tifaliza, add some new names to me.”

“Yes master, what kind of name would you like to have?” Her gaze was tranquil, her face and eyes difficult for normal people to read.

 

I give her a list.

 

“Master, even if I give you several names, all of them beside the last one are going to be useless--is it okay with you?”

“Ah, I don’t mind.”

 

I nod, and she begins to chant the Naming spell in a calm, quiet voice.

 

“**, Name Order: Trismegistus.” Tifaliza, who finished the Naming tilts her head and looks puzzled, “Master, I’m sorry. The Naming right now might have failed.”

 

Yes, Trismegistus, the famous Alchemist--Hermes the Thrice-Greatest. One of the most well-known Alchemists and founder of the Golden Dawn.

 

To check her words, I open the Menu. The Name I have set is Kuro, but the Available Names lists Trismegistus, alongside Tek, and Sine Nomine.

 

“I don’t mind if it fails, please add the other names.”

 

Tifaliza looks at me with a tilted head and slightly widened eyes, but she nods and obediently begins chanting. While I supply her with Transfer Magic along the way, causing her face to be slightly flushed and a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead by the time we finished.

 

She had given me about 10 names.

 

I had to support her, because were trembling and her knees seemed weak.

 

Now then, as for Tifaliza and Nell’s futures--

“You two, is there anything you want to do?”

 

“If it’s allowed, I wish to know how my parents are doing.” Tifaliza looked up at me.

 

Come to think of it, her hometown was destroyed by a Demon.

 

“Very well, I currently cannot Teleport to the Lesseu Earldom, but I have another way of checking.”

 

She told me the names of her parents, their levels, and even their features. It looks like they had been turned into slaves, the way she had. Small tears leaked from her eyes when she heard this, she was glad that they were alive--she buried her face in my chest for a second, acting on instinct--before jumping back with a bright red face.

 

As for Nell, she doesn’t have any attachment to her hometown, since her relatives are all dead.

 

“You don’t have anything you want to do, Nell?”

 

She looked up at me with dewy eyes, “Right. Please stop with the half-killing, and quickly hold me.”

 

“What, are you frustrated?”

 

“I-It’s not like that? I’m a genuine maiden.” Her impression seemed as though she was imploring me.

 

“Well, I’m not exactly against it, but I need to know you better--and introduce you to my girls first.” I grinned at her.

 

She let out an embarrassed giggle, her face going scarlet. I don’t actually think she was serious, but I wouldn’t mind if she was…I wouldn’t turn down a girl, unless she was disliked by my current girls.

 

“Are you going to free us? If I’m not mistaken, the two of us should be worth around thirty gold coins.” Tifaliza spoke quickly, like she was embarrassed, “I have never heard of anyone releasing slaves that are worth that much.”

 

“I’ve heard a story about someone releasing slaves who are over 50 years old and unable to level up anymore. But I have to say, it was more like throwing them away.” Nell spoke up, from where she seemed to be partially hiding behind Tifaliza.

 

It seems that Nell and Tifaliza didn’t really have anything in particular that they wanted to do, and they seemed to be against me releasing them.

 

“Well, when you’ve found something to do, just tell me. Until then, study Magic from this book. Tifaliza, you have no knowledge of Magic, so have Nell teach you.”

 

“Yes, master.”

“Understood! Tifa, I’ll make you into a full-fledged Spell-User!”

 

Good answer.

 

I give Nell Elementary-Grade books on Nature Magic, Water Magic, Earth Magic, and Tifaliza got an Elementary-Grade book on Life Magic.

 

Sooner or later, I’m going to take the two of them power-leveling, so this is in preparation.

 

Now then, I leave Nell, who has started her lecture, and Teleport to the outskirts of Fusra town.

 

***

From Fusra, I use Flash Drive and fly towards the Lesseu Earldom.

 

I caught sight of the Kingdom Army being kicked around by a Monster that looks like a Dragon. Though, it’s a huge Monster called a Gaudy Mole; it has Dragon-like wings, a split tail, and wears a really strange roll-shaped hat on its head--since its level is around 57 it’s fairly formidable, for normal people.

 

Is that the ‘Dragon’ that’s blocking the highway?

 

I feel slightly sorry for them, so I take my Sine Nomine form and eliminate it with Claiomh Solais from the sky.

 

The highway should be open now.

 

I install several Carved Seal Boards in a few towns along the outskirts of the Zettsu Earldom, which neighbours the Lesseu Earldom. I saw someone unexpected in one of those towns--but I couldn’t meet that person as Tek, so I’ll be waiting for the next chance; we will probably meet in Labyrinth City, or the Royal Capital.

 

I arrived in the Lesseu Earldom the same day, but Tifaliza’s parents weren’t on my map, so I searched three adjacent Earldoms and two neighbouring Kingdoms, but they weren’t in them either.

 

It seems that the search is over, so I return to Labyrinth City.

 

I told the truth to Tifaliza, and then she went to her room after muttering, “Thank you very much.”

 

After a second, I followed along to cheer her up. She was laying on her bed and sobbing; so I sat next to her and began stroking her silky hair. She looked up at me, “Thank you, Master…”.

 

She quickly sat up, embracing me with a muted wail--I held her as she sobbed, stroking her slim back--until she calmed down.

 

After her sobbing calmed down, she looked up at me with a shaky smile, “Thank you, master. I am okay now.”

 

Gently squeezing her one more time I released her and stood up. As I left the room, I looked back and told her I would be sending in Nell--she smiled at me, though tears still glittered in the corners of her eyes.

 

Nell walked past me as I exited, she had expected my orders.

 

I teleported back to the mansion.

 

***

“Wilcome!” Tama finds me, meeting me as soon as I open the basement door and leave.

 

“Today is the festival of Lazagna and Cheese!” Pochi also rushed quickly behind Tama.

 

Oh, that sounds nice.

 

I wrap my arms around the shoulders of the enthusiastic girls, who make appreciative noises and rub their soft bodies against me.

 

“Oh my, welcome back. I saw Master do flashy things that weren’t like the usual Master.” Lulu looked at me with a soft smile.

 

I sit down between Arisa and Mia, both of who are relaxing in the living room. Both of the girls snuggle up against me while Tama and Pochi shared my lap.

 

“So, almost everything has been settled today?” Arisa snuggled against my side, looking up at me with wide eyes.

 

“Mostly, yeah. I guess all that remains would be eliminating the mastermind behind Sokel and securing a way for the slaves and adventurers of the Mansion of Ivy to be able to sustain themselves.”

 

Though I wish the Kingdom could do something about the former, but if they can’t settle it before the Kingdom Conference, I’ll interfere without holding back.

 

Liza sits at my feet, leaning back against me and turning her head, reporting on her observations on the training of the children. Lulu comes out and gives us all plates with Lasagna--none of the girls want to give up their positions while eating. She sighs, sitting next to her sister, but looking at me.

 

Now then, it’s been a while, so let’s go to the Labyrinth with everyone, and level up from tomorrow onwards.