Kuro no Maou

Now that there is a way to defeat it, I have no intention of leaving it alone.

Like that, instead of descending the mountains, we decided to pursue Wrath-Pun......but, couldn’t find any traces of it.

We didn’t had magic or skill for pursuing a monster, neither had the information about its nest or movement route, so the result can be said as natural.

With somewhat disappointment we returned to Dakia Village, there we found some party made by elite cadets called as『Wing Road』had subjugated Wrath-Pun, hearing all that information the disappointment only got more profound.

Truly, lucky bastards, Wrath-Pun had lost its biggest weapon, the right hand, and was also terribly exhausted, in that situation even a normal rank 4 party would have defeated it.

However, letting the prey run, and have your kill stealed, is a normal thing for adventurers.

[ET: He’s too much depressed, that he is using logic to persuade himself]

Let’s give up being depressed thinking that I was unlucky that Wrath-Pun escaped, and they were lucky to have met it in that condition.

With this and that, on 11th day of Red Flame month, we returned to Spada with the right hand of Wrath-Pun as the only loot.

Thinking back, we finished our rank 2 quest for capturing Doltos, the hatchet evolved, got divine protection, all in all the harvest to not less.

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Next day, 12th day of Red Flame month.

Lily’s wings were half-torn off by Wrath-Pun, the injury is yet to heal, so till the time it doesn’t heal, the adventurer work has been put on hold.

We still have some quests left for reaching rank 3, for the time being the quests with deadline coming near have been completed, so there would be no problem in reaching rank 3 even if we rest for another one or two weeks.

Though Lily is feeling no pain thanks to miracle drug, but it will take time for the lost part to regrow completely.

However, it wouldn’t take more than a week.

The wings are composed of magical power, so even without using heal on it, they would regrow on their own, like the tail of lizard, on the other hand, the five limbs and other physical parts, just like human, wouldn’t regrow.

In that sense, the fact that limbs weren’t torn off can only be said a blessing in disguise.

However, the figure of Lily without her half right upper wing, though she herself is not paying much attention to it, but it sure is not good on my mental health, I earnestly pray for her to recover fast.

In somewhat overprotective momentum, after making Lily rest in the bed of inn, I started preparing for next quests, and so I am trying to do what I can do right now.

Incidentally, I had thought of enrolling Royal Spada Academy, so I thought to take the enrollment application beforehand. On the noon of 12th day of the month, I once again passes through the splendid big entrance gate.

People are, as usual, just too much, today too it is crowded with students.

En route, I noticed many students talking about「Wing Road reached rank 5」topic.

Apparently, by defeating Wrath-Pun, they had raised to Rank 5.

For, the hard-working honest『Element Master』it is a really not good thing, even more when the talk about Wrath-Pun’s subjugation comes in.

I will tell the complete details to Simon, let’s do that, the moment I started walking thinking that,

「Huh, are you perhaps――」

A slender tall youth entered my vision, wearing black uniform with symbol of elite cadets, the red mantle, fluttering over it.

Having red hair as if blazing brightly, sensitiveness filled face, golden eyes, with a monocle over one eye.

His expression was too much depressed one, but no doubt about it, he’s the guy who was being chased by Wrath-Pun.

Though it was only for a short while we said words to each other, so he might not remember my face, but seeing him fine, I got happy and instinctively called out to him.

「Eh?」

Reacting to my voice, youth raised his head up.

「You’re really that student who was attacked by Wrath-Pun at that time, right?」

If I got the wrong person it would be just too embarrassing, so let’s confirm first.

Or rather, he looked at me with shocked expression, as if he saw someone who he thought had died, he stared fixedly at me from the top of head to the tip of feet.

What, did I really got the wrong person?

The moment I had that anxiety,

「Nightmare Berserker!?」

「Eh, what? Berserker?」

What the hell is that embarrassing name, I hadn’t called myself that ever, right?

Is he thinking of me as someone else?

「Woooooo, you were alive!!」

But, judging from this manner of speaking, looks like he didn’t got the wrong person.

I see, he thought I was K.I.A’ed when fighting Wrath-Pun, well it was rank 5 monster, and I really got near killed, so his prediction is not completely invalid.

However, with this reaction, I don’t know how to reply......

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With this and that, after we congratulated about the well-being of each other, we self-introduced ourselves.

However, it would be good to say that I was underestimating the existence called elite cadets.

After all,

「We are the son of『Sword King』Leonhart――」

Let’s skip a bit.

「――That’s right! We are Wilhart Tristan Spada!!」

[ET: So wilhart for the first time got to introduce himself without being cut off at the end, though it’s regrettable he had his most part of intro omitted]

That’s right, in human words, he’s the son of king of this city-state called Spada, in more simple words, he’s a prince.

Near the benches set on the outdoors of Academy, I met with a real prince.

「Ha, ha......」

However, meeting a royalty at first, having a fierce self-introduction, though didn’t ruin the mood, but it did make me go blank in mind.

Or rather, if I did something bad, wouldn’t I be executed for lese majeste?

「Fuhahahaha, what, don’t you worry Nightmare Berserker Kurono,you are my life savior, why would I need to accuse you for a false crime――」

No, no! Prince Wilhart repeats the words two times.

I kept on lending an ear to his roundabout formal figurative speech, apparently he wanted me to talk to him in informal way because we were both ‘adventurers’.

「Err, so should I call you Wil?」

「Umu, it’s good like that」

Wil nods with somewhat happiness, is this the so called dignity of royalty? I think it’s different.

「Well then, sorry to pour water on our destined and heart-moving reunion, but I should say this before, no, I should apologize」

「Apologize, about what?」

Wilhart suddenly stood in attention, then moved down forming a right angle, and bowed his head.

What happened suddenly, he’s a prince, right? Is it alright to easily bow his head to some adventurer?

「Though being the 2nd Prince of Spada, I, currently, don’t have the appropriate gold or treasured item for my life savior! Truly Sorry!!」

I immediately understood he was apologizing me, but it took me some seconds to understand for what he was apologizing to me.

「Err, do you mean you cannot give me reward though being a prince, right?」

「Indeed! Though I am the prince of Spada, the fact that I’m a single student in academy is also an unwaverable truth. If I was the crown prince like my brother, I could have given you treasures of gold and silver, also the prestige and medals, but......I am only an elite cadet, without the fortune or status to give」

In other words, he wants to give me large amounts of reward money and medal, but the current him doesn’t has the status to do that.

I see, though being a prince, he can’t do each and everything with his authority.

No, there might be places where it is possible, but in Spada, without the proper social status and all, the authority and assets don’t follow.

Something like, the son of a rich person doesn’t has much money, sort of.

「No, I never thought to take something after saving you, so the feelings of thanks are enough」

「No, but......however......」

「First, raise up your head」

I cannot bring myself to let him keep the perfect right-angled pose forever, it would be same if it wasn’t a prince but someone else.

With some reluctance, Wil raised his head up with a bitter expression on it.

「Don’t worry about it too much, it would happen as long as we are adventurers, just this time the person I saved was the prince」

If I had saved some child from village, then I would’ve gotten his/her treasured item like, the empty shell of a cicada.

Things like this don’t need something like that in return, these are done with good intentions and grateful feelings are more than enough rewards, but demanding for something in return can only be called as a vice act.

This time, I was at most just depressed on having Wrath-Pun escaped, I hadn’t expected anything in return from these whom I saved.

「For me, it’s more than enough if I can save someone」

It’s not some lip service, but the true feelings from the bottom of my heart.

If I want something in return for my good intentions, it would be words of gratefulness and not some gem.

「I’m grateful for your consideration, Ku......If I was the King of Spada, then I would’ve appointed you as a knight」

「Ah, no, I’m seriously fine so don’t say that......」

Not like I am aiming to be a knight, and will never become in one.

I do like my current adventurer lifestyle, if I got into a court service like knight, then at time when a monster for trial appears I won’t be able to go defeat it due to my workload.

In the first place, someone like me with a flawlessly confidential identity of this world become a knight, at most I might be hired as a mercenary.

「What, do you don’t even want status and prestige, you seriously resemble a freedom loving adventurer!」

Wil’s word of praise hurt my ears, sorry, but the reason is not something that splendid......

But amending it again and again would be inelegant, right, what don’t dare to think that I think explaining it would be tiresome, it certainly is not like that.

「Understood, I will respect your intention, I won’t do something excessive, but, if you want my power, I will do my best to help!」

「Ah, Thanks」

I’m thankful for you to say that, looks like Wil possess strong sense of duty.

「However Kurono, can you tell me one thing」

「What is it?」

His expression becomes serious, no, it was already serious with all the theatre play like behaviour, but currently serious expression went over one notch.

That Wil asked me,

「You’re still a rank 2 adventurer, but, haven’t you repelled that dreadful Wrath-Pun, and even cut off its right arm」

For the time being, I tried to tell Wil on how I repelled Wrath-Pun, by cutting our hard parts like cutting Fiona, et cetera.

「Nightmare Berserker Kurono, just what are you?」

Oh right, I first need to tell this prince, that I certainly am not that Nightmare Berserker.