It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

25. The Demerits of Accumulation

“Did Takeshi-san get into such a huge fight?”

“Yes, he got messed up by the women and ended up covered in bruises. He didn’t get stabbed, though.”

“Does that mean he got stabbed at a different time?”

“That’s what happened later. After that, he got along with an elven woman and got stabbed by her.”

So that’s 5 women!? Takeshi-san is ridiculously popular, isn’t he?

5 women. I might end up in the same situation if I receive affection from the party members. But that’s unlikely.

“Couldn’t Takeshi-san handle it skillfully?”

“His previous Master was a womanizer, so he couldn’t resist the temptation. He said he couldn’t help himself because he wasn’t popular before.”

“What a sad man’s nature.”

Before, or rather in my past life.

As a result, I had relationships with five women and got into a huge mess, to the point of being stabbed. Scary.

I also have a possibility of ending up like that. I need to be careful. Seriously, I need to be careful.

“Durandal, I have something I want to ask you. Is that okay?”

“Is it about the Legacies and the accumulation of magical power?”

“That’s right. Thanks for getting straight to the point.”

“I was listening in, so it’s no problem.”

It’s helpful when explanations aren’t necessary at times like this.

Later, when I consult with Durandal, it’s also smooth sailing since we’re on the same page.

There are three things I want to ask. One is about the seal on the Legacies. Is it my fault that Silvy revived?

Another is about the accumulation of magical power. Is it really possible? And why didn’t you tell me until now?

Lastly, I want to ask about Takeshi. He was part of the Brave Party, but I also want to hear about his experiences with women and get some advice.

“Let’s talk about the Legacies first.”

“Please do.”

“From what Master is concerned about, I’ll answer. The seal was already broken before Master removed it.”

“Is that so?”

I’m relieved! Really relieved.

Honestly, I was worried that I might be the reason for the Four Heavenly Kings’ revival and the attack on Crevas.

I had heard it before, but I’m reassured to hear it again.

“Didn’t Durandal awaken after I removed the seal? Can you tell if the seal was broken or something?”

“I was pierced into the ground as the foundation of the seal. To put it simply, I’m the foundation of the seal. If the seal above me disappears, I’ll know immediately.”

“That’s how it is. Do you know who broke it?”

“I apologize, but I don’t know that. However, it’s certain that it was broken by pure magical power.”

The seal that binds the Four Heavenly Kings was broken by force? The possibility of the Demon King being involved is high?

The Demon King was also sealed by the previous Brave. Did the Demon King break the seal on its own or did someone else do it?

I need to investigate that further. One of my anxieties has been alleviated, so that’s good.

“What about the accumulation of magical power? Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I think my recognition was mistaken.”

“Mistaken recognition?”

“Yes. I thought Master didn’t use magic. Since Master didn’t use magic for about five years after I was removed, I thought Master was a non-magical vanguard.”

“And Takeshi? I heard he had little magical power.”

“In the previous Master’s case, although magical power was low, they could use a little magic, so I proposed trying to use the accumulation ability.”

“That’s how it is.”

Proposing the accumulation of magical power to someone who doesn’t use magic is quite something.

I had already judged myself to be unable to use magic, so I didn’t even try to use it.

Durandal, who only saw me fight with swords, would naturally think that way.

One thing I’m curious about is that although I don’t use magic, I do use magical power to swing my sword. If I had accumulated magical power, wouldn’t it be more efficient?

“One more thing. Although I don’t use magic, I do use magical power in battle.

If I accumulate it, I won’t have to worry about running out of magical power, right?”

“That’s a big point, but Master has never run out of magical power during battle.”

“Even without me suggesting it, Master has excellent magic control, so he always has a surplus of magic in battle.”

“That’s true, but when using magic, swordsmanship is the main focus. We didn’t use magic for everything in battle.”

“Yes, and there’s something difficult to say to Master, who’s about to use accumulation now.”

“What’s that?”

When Durandal says it, I get a terrible premonition. Not saying it out loud also makes me anxious.

“Accumulation is convenient, but…”

Durandal’s tone is ominous. Is this bad?

“It’s just that the feeling of exhaustion is intense.”

“What do you mean by exhaustion?”

“Accumulation doesn’t just store a little of Master’s magic, but all of it. It’s like pulling magic from the entire body, so after using it, you’ll feel extremely fatigued, like you’ve run out of steam.”

“Can’t you just do it a little?”

“I’m sorry, but fine-tuning is impossible.”

“So, every time you use accumulation, you’ll feel exhausted like you’ve run out of steam?”

“That’s right.”

I see. Durandal is being considerate of me. If I were to use magic, I would propose it, but if Master has a surplus of magic and is fighting with ease, I wouldn’t suggest making the master tired.

“I don’t know how tired I’ll get. Can I try using accumulation once?”

“You’ll get extremely tired, but are you okay with that?”

“It’s fine. I was going to use it anyway. It’s just a matter of when.”

“Understood. Then, please hold my grip with both hands.”

I hold the grip with both hands as Durandal instructed.

“Here we go.”

With Durandal’s words, I feel like my entire body, from the top of my head to my toes, is being drained of magic, as if it’s being sucked out towards the grip.

The fatigue is so intense that my body feels like it’s about to collapse, but I somehow endure it with Durandal as my cane.

“Master, are you okay?”

“Haa… haa… it’s more intense than I thought…”

Even talking is honestly difficult. It feels like I’m experiencing a full-powered sprint and dehydration at the same time.

I didn’t think that having my magic drained from my body would be this intense.

“Normally, people unconsciously circulate magic within their bodies to supplement their physical abilities. If you use accumulation, it will absorb all the magic being used for that supplementation, so the fatigue will be intense.”

“My magic is in a state of complete depletion… is this it?”

“It’s a bit different from normal magic depletion, but it’s similar. Honestly, I don’t like this ability because it’s like hurting Master.”

“I understand Durandal’s consideration… sorry, can I have some time?”

“Yes, take your time and rest.”

I was being too optimistic. It’s this intense.

With Durandal as my cane, I somehow make it to the bed and collapse onto it.

I don’t have the energy to move my body. I just want to sleep like this. From now on, I’ll use accumulation on the bed.

I’m too exhausted to even move, so I think I’ll just sleep for a bit. This ability is absolutely impossible to use during battles.

It’s been about 5 or 10 minutes, and my magical power has recovered a bit. The fatigue I felt earlier has disappeared like a lie.

This must be what it feels like to run out of magical power. Honestly, I don’t want to experience it again. But I need to do this multiple times to use “Meteor”.

Sorry, Sasha. My heart is breaking just thinking about using magic.

Has Takeshi-san done this multiple times before?

I think I understand why he became a member of the brave party. He must have had the mental strength to endure this.

As I wake up from my sleep, Durandal starts talking to me.

“The previous master also got exhausted every time they used accumulated power.”

“Takeshi-san too?”

“Yes. The previous master was delighted, saying ‘this fatigue is good for dieting’.”

—–Takeshi-san, I don’t understand you at all.