Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

They received a request for upper guard duty, but that didn’t mean they would depart right away. The time specified in the request was for the following morning. Enok and Rionne decided to find suitable accommodations and stay for a day.

“Do we really not need to stop by the Magic Tower? Wasn’t Iris supposed to come here?”

At Rionne’s question, Enok nodded.

“Yeah. There’s not really anything to do once we get there. The stuff I’m learning right now is no joke.”

“Is that so?”

After finishing dinner at the inn, the two returned to their respective rooms to rest. The next morning, they headed towards the castle gate as indicated in the request, and in the distance, they spotted a flag.

“Ah, that’s it!”

Rionne waved to Enok.

“But seriously, do we not have to hide the fact that you’re an Elf? What if something goes wrong?”

“It won’t.”

Just because an Elf was wandering around the Empire didn’t mean anything was inherently wrong. It was just a bunch of misguided humans causing a ruckus.

Without hesitation, they approached the flag and showed their mercenary guild identification and request form to a merchant, who pointed in a direction.

“Everyone’s gathered over there, so go check it out.”

There were about a dozen mercenaries, loudly chatting amongst themselves. Rionne was awestruck when she saw them.

“Wow, human mercenaries really look the part!”

“That’s racist.”

“Oh, come on!”

As they approached the mercenaries while Enok lectured Rionne on racism, the mercenaries regarded them with cautious eyes. One particularly strong-looking mercenary stepped forward boldly.

“I haven’t seen you two before; what’s your name and rank?”

“Uh, I’m….”

Enok stopped Rionne, who was about to naively introduce herself. Drawing his sword from its sheath hanging at his waist, he added.

“Curious?”

“Haha, you’re a fun one.”

The mercenary smiled as he stepped closer, only to be hit by Enok.

“Ah! My bones! I got hit in the bones!”

Enok sheathed his sword again, sending the mercenary back towards his friends. The mercenaries scratched their heads, looking bewildered as they received their friend back. Rionne was in the same boat.

“…Is this okay?”

“Yeah. This is how it usually starts.”

Establishing a hierarchy like this actually reduces friction. It was a truth Enok had come to realize through occasional requests.

“Now let’s get moving, everyone gather!”

As the merchant waved his hand, the mercenaries rushed over. Enok and Rionne plopped down on one of the cargo carts as they set off.

“See? This is better, right?”

Enok pointed to the mercenaries who were dutifully walking. Since there were limited seats, only a few could afford to sit. Why walk when you can sit?

“Well… I guess. It is a bit barbaric though.”

“That’s just how the world works.”

Leaning back comfortably against the cart, Enok settled in just as several mounted individuals from the castle gate came galloping out.

“Stop! Halt!”

The riders were armored knights and a boy who definitely looked like a noble.

“Hey, that’s that guy from yesterday.”

As Rionne pointed out, the boy at the front dismounted and began talking to the merchants. In simple terms, he asked if they could travel together since it seemed their paths would cross.

“Why would a noble want to do that?”

“How would I know? If I understood nobles, I’d be one myself.”

The mercenaries were chattering away. Indeed, it wasn’t a common sight, but Enok knew the reason. The boy was staring right at him, having followed them openly yesterday and seeming intent on continuing to do so today.

“What should we do?”

Sensing something suspicious, Rionne gripped the bow slung over her back. Enok looked at her intently.

“Barbarian.”

“W-What?!”

“Relying purely on force is a bad habit.”

You taught me that! Rionne clenched her teeth. Enok ignored her, comfortably sitting and manipulating the Plasma in his hand.

“Just leave it be.”

After all, there were plenty of things to deal with.

*

Enok pondered throughout their journey. Powers and magic. While there weren’t many similarities, that didn’t mean they should be considered entirely separate.

The way he primarily used magic was fundamentally based on power, and Iris was the same. They were mutually complementary.

During the month at the Magic Tower, he had solidified the Railgun to a certain extent. Having optimized the balance between magic and power, it was now ready for practical use.

However, the Plasma remained ambiguous. Especially the Tokamak and nuclear fusion. If done correctly, it would be incredible, but reality wasn’t so willing.

“Hey, you’re Heavenly Death, right?”

Of course, he couldn’t handle it properly, but he could still use it. By rotating Plasma in a donut shape and intentionally disturbing the balance, it could produce a devastating explosion.

The issue was that if he did that, he’d also end up caught in it. It was like a self-destruct mechanism. He whimsically named it the “Atomic Bomb,” but he’d avoid using it unless absolutely necessary.

“If you’re Heavenly Death, sometimes a violent impulse might arise. Is it really okay to be out here like this?”

“Excuse me.”

While Enok was lost in thought, Rionne stepped up. She glared at the boy who kept chattering at them.

“What’s with you, always stirring up trouble?”

“I am Zikfrein Le Demisto, from the House of Demisto….”

“No, I’m not asking for your name. Don’t you understand?”

“What do you mean, didn’t I just ask?”

Rionne pulled down her hood in frustration. Her brilliant blonde hair and elongated ears were revealed, causing gasps all around.

“An Elf?”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing an Elf.”

Just like the mercenaries, Zikfrein also widened his eyes in surprise.

“Why is an Elf here with Heavenly Death…?”

“What does that even mean? Does Heavenly Death not suit Elves?”

“No! Why are you speaking so casually…?”

“How old are you?”

“I just turned eighteen….”

“You’re so young yet you’re speaking back like that!”

While she hadn’t been particularly fond of the relationship between Enok and Rionne, as she realized how serious Enok was about it, Rionne’s thoughts began to change a bit.

Of course, it was still uncertain if Enok truly felt that way. Nevertheless, that’s how Rionne felt.

“Alright! Let’s take a break here!”

As the cart came to a halt, the merchants and mercenaries began preparing for rest. It wasn’t dark yet, but the plan was to cross a stretch where monsters frequently appeared during the night after the sun rose the following day.

The boy stepped back with a puzzled expression while Enok and Rionne helped the mercenaries set up camp. To be precise, Enok only had to wiggle his fingers.

“Sort it out and clean it up.”

Miraculously, as he just waved his hand, a camp began to take shape. The mercenaries erupted into applause.

“Whoa! A Mage! Are you perhaps associated with the Magic Tower?”

“Why would someone from the Magic Tower be doing mercenary work?”

“Don’t ask me!”

While Enok continued to ignore the mercenaries as he focused on Plasma research, they didn’t seem to mind. It was no new thing for mages to be eccentric.

Instead, they were intrigued by the Elf they had never seen before.

“Hey, miss. Don’t you find humans interesting? I swear I could show you a good time.”

He made crude hand gestures. While “good time” maybe wasn’t entirely accurate, his posturing conveyed a certain level of experience. Of course, that didn’t mean Rionne received it well.

“…Are you trying to challenge me to a duel?”

For Elves, who generally had a lifelong bond with one partner, those kinds of gestures were akin to a death challenge.

“Haha! A fiery lady, I see!”

Naturally, the mercenary had no idea about that. If he were learned, he wouldn’t be a mercenary in the first place. As the mercenary attempted to hug Rionne, the furious Elf retaliated by slapping him.

“Ha ha! Getting hit by a girl!”

“You better get lost, jerk!”

Enok observed the scene, contemplating. For a supposedly gentle Elf to hit someone so instinctively was proof of the flaws in humans.

“Ugh…Hey. Are you ignoring me? Oh, do you have something wrong with your ears…? That’s unfortunate.”

Zikfrein, who was chattering away next to them, while his guards were gossiping by the nearby campfire seemed entirely unconcerned about the situation. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Enok levitated a small Plasma ring onto his palm.

“Oh.”

Finally, he succeeded in stabilizing the process. As energy coalesced inside the circular ring, a brilliant sphere of light formed. If the balance were intentionally disturbed, it would result in the Atomic Bomb. The larger the scale, the more destructive it would become.

“What’s that? It looks intriguing.”

Zikfrein’s eyes sparkled as he reached out, but—

“Whoa!”

He got kicked by Enok.

“What are you doing?!”

“Shh.”

Carefully, Enok sent the ring skyward. The Atomic Bomb rose slowly. Once it was a safe distance away, Enok swung his fist.

Whooosh—!

The force of the wind sent the ring soaring into the high sky. Moments later—

Fwoosh──────────!

The sky lit up brightly. Even after the light faded, a gentle curtain of purple Plasma remained. Zikfrein marveled at the sight.

“An Aurora… Couldn’t it be magic that creates Auroras?”

Not at all, but Zikfrein accepted it by himself and got to his feet. Having been kicked by Enok, his backside was covered in dirt.

“Hey, Young Master, can you not cause trouble?”

“What did I do?!”

“It’s obvious without looking.”

As Enok glanced back at the knight and Zikfrein, who were arguing, he shifted his gaze toward the campfire. The mercenaries had begun to treat Rionne as their sister and were putting various ingredients into a pot according to her instructions.

“Oh.”

Enok also stood up. Rionne was a good cook. If he had been alone, he would have been chewing on jerky, but thanks to her, he got to enjoy some decent meals even during their travels.

“Are you done? If so, bring me some of that.”

While he lazily ran an errand for Rionne, the mercenaries began to speak to him as well. Disregarding them proudly, Enok stared longingly at the stew boiling in the pot when—

Roar—!

A massive roar echoed from deep within the forest. Rionne’s eyes widened.

“An Ogre? Why is an Ogre here?”

“An Ogre, you say, sister!? This isn’t good, is it?!”

The mercenaries panicked. However, they weren’t the only ones alarmed; even Zikfrein and his knights, who had been preparing their meals not far away, perked up and turned their gaze toward the forest.

“Knights! Is it…?”

“Of course. If an Ogre appeared, it’s not something we can ignore.”

“Thanks so much!”

The merchants bowed deeply while the knights braced themselves. Only Zikfrein smiled confidently and declared.

“Don’t worry about it; I’m here, so there’s nothing to fear from any Ogre!”

“Please stay out of this, Young Master. Ogres are genuinely dangerous.”

Zikfrein’s guards were notably powerful, capable of guarding an Expert. That meant most of them possessed even greater strength. It was a testament to the Duke’s influence.

“Tie the horses over there! Move the carts to the back!”

The merchants hustled about. The mercenaries also began donning their gear cautiously.

With the knights by their side, even an Ogre of Master-level might be dealt with! Of course, it was best if it didn’t come this way! Just as they were all thinking this—

“Rionne, the stew might burn!”

“Can you think about food right now?”

“Yeah. I’m hungry.”

Enok was the only one holding a bowl, gazing longingly at the pot. The aroma emanating was simply divine; it seemed like today’s meal had turned out especially well.