The journey with my new friend, Nea, was difficult in many ways.

First of all, it's noisy, it's troublesome, and it's a dodgy girl. In addition, there are constant fights with Amako -- no, if you include the fact that Amako doesn't even have any teeth at all, you could say that she is a one-man sumo wrestler.

Either way, it's still noisy.

It was good that after a few days out of the village, he got used to the trip and regained his composure.

 

"Hey, tell me about the world of Usato."

 

Suddenly, Nea, who was riding on my shoulder in the form of an owl, said to me as I remembered.

 

"Huh......"

 

I think about the words and the slightly excited voice that I don't like inside.

I'm not averse to talking about it. The reason she wanted to arrest me in the first place was to ask me about the other world, so this request itself is rather slow to ask.

However, I wonder if it is okay to talk about other worlds without going around to this type of nair who is immersed in what interests him.

...... I guess there's a high possibility that I won't be able to stop myself and will be bombarded with questions all the time.

 

"Look, tell me something, you can't just walk, right?"

 

Moreover, why does this guy seem to be so vainly bossy?

I mean, you're not walking.

You're just on my shoulder all the time, aren't you?

I'm a little annoyed by Nea slapping my cheek with her wings, but I put a smile on my face.

 

"Well, I'm going to tell you about vampires in my world."

"Well! A vampire from another world?"

 

Nea bites when she hears that she is the same as herself.

Okay, I'm going to tease you a little bit.

 

"The vampires in my world would pick up a boulder with ease, and they would draw blood just by looking at it. So it's a monster that flies around the night sky like a swallow, sneaks into people's houses, and lives in the darkness to the point where it sucks people's blood to death."

「...... Heh, heh...... I'm going to do quite a bit, aren't I--"

"No, it's still there, it shoots rays of light from its eyes, it spits blue venom from its mouth, it grows to become huge, it turns into mist and can slip through any wall, I think vampires are the deadliest creatures."

"Is that really a vampire!?"

 

Of course, it is a lie. Is there such a vampire?

However, as if she believed my words in a voice with no inflection, Nea trembled her small body, and from the way she looked, I could see that she was dismayed that the vampire from the other world was a monster that far exceeded her expectations.

I don't know what it is, it's so fun to watch.

 

"Oh, that's a lie, isn't it? Vampires aren't that kind of monsters, are they? Eh, maybe I was a vampire?"

"Well, it's a lie."

「...... What?"

 

You're more of a pity than a jerk.

 

"Squeak! Wow, you don't have the courage to plot against me!"

 

Knowing that I was being teased, Nea opened her wings as if to show her anger and tried to poke me on the head with her beak.

However, just as her beak hit my head, her body stiffened as if she was bound by something, and she slid off her shoulder.

I caught her with my left hand as she fell with a pitiful cry of "Hya~" and looked down at Nea, who was rolling her eyes on her palm.

 

"Come on, have you forgotten the habit you put on yourself, ...... the restriction that you can't harm me, the Lord?"

「わ、忘れてただけよ!!」

「かけた本人が忘れるなよ」

 

　ネアは僕に対して危害を加えることができない。

　彼女と僕が結んだ使い魔契約には様々な制約と機能があり、その一つが主に対して一切の危害を加えられないというものがあるからだ。

The scope and standard of harm is at the discretion of the servant, the master, and with my permission, Nea can use magic on me and make her drink her blood, which is her food.

Now I don't have to worry about her biting unless I give her permission...... But I didn't expect that the person in question had forgotten .......

 

"Toritou ......"

"What did you just say, brazen fox!!"

 

Nea overreacted to the words that Bosori and Amako had uttered.

Amako, who was walking with Bulllyn in front of me on my left, looked back at me and opened her mouth to Nea with a stunned expression.

 

"I've told you the truth, and now I know why you don't walk with usato. Because if you take three steps, you'll forget."

"Fufufu, fufu...... I've been lying to you for a long time, but I can't stand it anymore! Ho ho!!"

 

Nea jumps out of my palm and charges at Amako at a tremendous speed.

Amako, on the other hand, dodges Nea by simply tilting her head as she rushes into her face, grabs her, puts her arms around her, and throws her towards me.

In a matter of seconds, she was defeated, and her transformation unraveled in mid-air and rolled down the ground at my feet.

...... I wonder how many times I have to repeat the same exchange to be punished.

 

"Damn it...... Next time, next time, ......."

"I'll admit that guts, but I think it's going to be hard to beat Amako because he anticipates his moves, right? Besides, you can see that you are going to lose in that form--"

"Noisy, noisy!! Originally, it's bad that Usato lies! Why are you lying!? Why are you messing around!?"

"You don't have to be angry at me for regressing ...... infantile thing, oh, I'm sorry."

 

I'm the one who's at fault.

But why would you get to the point where Amako would fight back just by teasing you a little? I'm amazed that he was turned away like a catch.

After scrubbing and wiping her eyes, Nea transforms into an owl again and jumps on my shoulder.

 

"So, in the end, it stays on my shoulders."

"Hun, I'm Usato's familiar, so this is the best place."

 

For the past few days, Mr. Alc, Bullin, and I have been staying on the horse, but at last they have been staying on my shoulders.

Apparently, she took my shoulder as a special seat. As long as I don't make a fuss, it doesn't bother me that much, but sometimes when I spread my wings or something, it hits my ears and neck.

After that, Amako's gaze becomes strangely severe.

 

"Hmm, yes......."

 

Come to think of it, Nea is in the position of a familiar, but she can become a humanoid, so what do you think?

In this case, I ......wonder what kind of perception will be given to Samariar, who will have a strong attitude toward subhumans, and if you say familiar, they will treat you that way.

In such a case, it is best to ask Mr. Alc.

 

"Alksan"

"Yes?"

 

When I called out to Mr. Alc, who was pulling the horse in front of me, he slowed down so that he was in line with me.

I point to Nea on her shoulder and ask her what bothers her.

 

"I'm talking about this guy, but even though I have a familiar contract, is it okay to put a humanoid demon inside the Samaria?"

"Hmm, if it's a familiar, it should be fine, but humanoid monsters like Nea are quite rare, so I honestly can't judge. Maybe she'll be recognized as a subhuman whom Samarian hates......"

 

I've heard that Samarian doesn't have good feelings for Ajin, but it's quite annoying that she might have to hide the existence of Nea, who is not only Amako, but also a demon.

 

"It's a lot."

 

Next to my sullen face, for some reason, Nea is proud.

 

"A humanoid demon means that it is intelligent enough to understand human language, which means that a smart and amazing monster like me is as close to a subhuman as possible!"

"There's a part of me that regrets letting you go on a journey right now, ....... If you don't do this well, people will mistake you for bringing ...... slave."

「...... Hahaha, that's a possibility......

 

It's a lie.

It's ridiculous, you've got a lot of baggage on your back.

She told me that she was forced to sign a contract, but she was treated as a slave .......

What's more, Nair's transformation is easier than you think. So much so that Amako just swung the hand that grabbed Nair around and easily returned to her original form.

If this were in the streets of Samaria, there would be no way to hand over the letter.

At best, you will be kicked out of the kingdom. If it's bad, Nea will be targeted and we will be caught.

 

"I hope you don't get caught, it's okay if I stay an owl all the time."

"At least be humanoid......

"Well, it's easier because you don't have to walk this way."

 

Why did this kid turn into an owl and not fly?

In addition, the fact that she confidently said "I'm fine" is only unsettling. Perhaps, after entering the country, this knowledge is the only thing that the naïve girl of a moment ago will do something, so when you hand over the letter, you will definitely be away.

 

"Mr. Aluk, should Amako and Nea act separately during the audience? I'm apprehensive about putting these two dog-monkey friends together, but it's better than going into the castle with us, isn't it?"

"Well, that's all right, and I'll ask you two to stand by with me when I hand over the letter. Are you two okay with that?"

"Nope."

 

You guys are good friends.

If I look at you guys over the past few days, I don't think it's understandable.

As I shrugged my shoulders at the expected reaction, Amako suddenly pulled the sleeve of my uniform. When I looked at it, Amako looked up at me and spoke to me while stammering.

 

"But, because I can't help it...... It's good."

"Amako ......"

 

You're too good a girl.

It's a level that makes me worry because it's too obvious.

 

"Nea, you--"

"No, why do I have to be with such a cheeky beastman?"

 

I'm a troublesome child. I don't know who's older.

I can't help it, if I don't have any other way, I'll take hard measures.

Immediately, I walked up to Bulllin, who was walking in front of me, and stroked his head.

 

"Amako is great, and I think so would Brulin. I'm not selfish, unlike someone else."

"Guaa......"

"Well, how about meat for dinner today?" You've only been eating fruit lately, so you want to eat something powerful once in a while, right? It's just--there's a good chicken."

"Whew!?"

 

He immediately holds Nea's head with his left hand, which is about to take off from his right shoulder.

With a smile plastered on his face, he slowly turned his eyes to see an owl with tears in his eyes, shaking his body.

 

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Suddenly, I wondered if I could wait with this guy!?"

"Oh, really? I'm glad you understand."

 

In a cheerful voice, he agrees to stay with Amako.

He nods yes and puts his left hand away from the nea.

Now that she can move freely, she shakes her head and screams in bewilderment.

　

"Ho, ho, ho, why are you threatening me so nonchalantly!? Is my common sense wrong?! Or is Usato crazy!?"

"Don't worry, it's just that Usato is crazy."

"Hahaha, Lord Usato is as eccentric as ever."

"It's not a cute thing to be wacky, is it?!"

 

Amako is expressionless, and Aluk says this with a cheerful laugh.

As expected, the chicken I mentioned earlier was just a joke for the sake of intimidation. However, if you are too selfish, you will become a hindrance, so you have no choice but to take these measures.

 

"Well, since I told you, I'll make sure you're home."

"Huh, hmm, why are you so afraid of me being discovered? If they find me, I don't want them to erase my memory."

"It's only a last resort, and if you can't do anything about it and that's really the only way to do it, you'll have to rely on your abilities."

 

However, even if she has a few people, it is impossible to erase her memory if she is found out in a densely populated place.

If you use it incorrectly, it has the disadvantage of making your position worse than it is.

 

"It sounds useful, but it's hard to use, what are your abilities?"

"Well, what a way to put it, in terms of the variety of abilities, there is no one to my right! The Necromancer's ability to manipulate the dead and magical powers! Vampire charms, the ability to manipulate the living, and the ability to shapeshift! And the three magics that I have mastered over the course of 300 years!!"

 

That's a lot, for sure. From my point of view, which can only use healing magic, it can be said to be abnormal.

Even so, you don't need the ability to manipulate the dead and the living while traveling. If it is found out that you have used it, it may be thought that you have manipulated the other party to cooperate when handing over the letter.

...... In fact, the only thing Nea could do on the journey was magic.

 

"Three? Wasn't your magic limited to restraint and resistance? And it's pretty inconvenient to use."

"It's superfluous, but I've noticed a good point."

 

Nea asks me a lot, and her voice becomes proud.

Is there one more thing you can use besides restraint and resistance? Isn't it pretty amazing that a person remembers three spells that he or she takes almost a lifetime to master?

 

"Fufufu, this is an important magic that every magician must learn first."

"Wow, I guess that's a great magic thing."

"Yes, yes, my third spell is--"

 

There, she paused, took a deep breath, and opened her small mouth with a look full of herself.

 

"Liberation--that is, the curse is broken!!"

「...... Oh, oh."

 

It was more sober than I expected......

- She was dissatisfied with my reaction, ho-ho! and emits a squeak that contains some anger.

 

"What's your reaction?!" It's amazing to be a sorcerer who can perform liberation magic!?"

 

No, even if you say liberation, it doesn't really make sense.

In fact, I was surprised that there was such magic.

 

"Okay!? In principle, magic can only be solved naturally or continue to function semi-permanently! That's why the magic of dismantling, which is the art of solving it, is an important magic that you have to learn first!?"

 

I see, that's why the spell of restraint I put on her disappeared after a while.

If it was the magic she said was a semi-permanent function, then I would have remained in custody until she released me.

With that in mind, it can be said that the magic of liberation, which plays the role of breaking spells, is an important magic.

But-,

 

"How long does it take to learn?"

 

If it takes a long time to learn, won't you die before you can learn other spells while you learn the magic of liberation?

Nea seemed to think my question was plausible, and said, "It's a natural question for a human," but she opened her eyes and spread one wing wide to show me.

 

"Ugh!? What the hell ...... all of a sudden?"

"It's only been 40 years!" As for magic, you can learn it pretty quickly! I've never done a magic trick that's too complicated, so I don't know if it's possible, but if it's easy, I can solve it in an instant!"

 

That's right, 40 years must be a blink of an eye for a long-lived monster!

But from a human point of view, no matter how quickly you learn as soon as you are born, you will become an uncle, right?

Is it worth remembering it all the time?

 

「...... Do you have a chance to use that magic?"

"There must be, because there are magicians in every country, right? If you're involved in witchcraft, you're naturally dealing with books on fetishes and witchcraft."

"Huh?"

 

Magician? What the hell is there such a person in every country?

Tilting his head, he looked at Mr. Aluk in silence, and he shook his head with a wry smile.

If you look at Nea again, you will see that she is bragging about the magic she has learned, as if magic is used normally.

The inferences that can be drawn from these are:

 

"No way......

 

...... Don't you know that the magic of this world is almost in decline?

It can be. He is the kind of child who has been secluded in the village and the Western-style house since he was born. Maybe she only recognizes that magic is a bit of an unusual skill for her.

In that case, it would be too cruel to teach her the reality. After all, he has to tell them the fact that he spent 40 years on a near-pointless act of magic.

 

"Hey, Usato--"

"Amako, don't tell me. I'm so happy ......."

 

I stopped Amako's words and turned my head away to see Nea in a good mood on her shoulder.

I can't say that magic is almost in decline, so I rarely get a chance to use spells. Moreover, I casually asked him that he had only solved his own magic.

From Nea's point of view, it's like the first time she's had the opportunity to brag about magic, so it's all the more painful.

 

"How's that? Usato, I'm amazing, aren't I?"

"Oh, you...... He's a great guy."

 

Don't look at me with such confident eyes.

I feel sorry for him.

 

"Huh-huh, of course...... Why don't you try to make eye contact with me?"

 

Trying not to make eye contact with Nea, I looked ahead and saw the back of the road—a city surrounded by a large wall—in the distance.

Fortunately, I point in the direction where I can see what appears to be a city.

 

"Oh, I saw something!"

 

Nea, who was about to question my words, and Amako and Alc, who were walking nearby, also looked ahead of the road.

The city in front of us is separated by a wall, but as far as the eye can see, we can see a building that looks like a castle and a long, narrow building that is as tall as the castle.

Sadly, there are parts that are very similar to the cityscape of the Lingle Kingdom, so that must be our first destination.

 

"Is that Samariar?"

 

After a dozen days of leaving Luxvis, we had some troubles with Nea, but we finally made it to our first destination, Samariar.