Chapter 146 : Unexpected Reunion

TL:SummerPeanut

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“I can't even raise my hand anymore…”

When all the death armies on the west side were taken down, the senior glasses collapsed. Heal has already become much less effective so I decided to have her just lie there.

Heal is a magic that restores HP, and fatigue recovery is only a by-product, so it does not actually do a complete recovery.

When I looked at Ike and the others, they had almost finished defeating the magic beasts. We can rest easy now...

And with Ike, Clarice, and Ellie, there is no need to worry so much. If one Misha joins us here, I will worry, though...

I laid down alongside senior glasses.

“I thought it was Clarice...”

After I laid down, the senior glasses next to me muttered to the sky.

“I didn't think Mars is a Holy magician. I would have ruled out Mars because you seem to have a pretty high level of Wind magic. And it's not Ike either. If it had been Ike, I believe he would have told me, and... Ellie is out of the question. I've never heard of a beastman who can use Holy magic."

“Why did you think there was a Holy magician among us?”

“Hmm? Well... I wasn't sure... but I thought just maybe from looking at Karen and Misha's levels and stats values... Usually when you level up suddenly like Karen and Misha, your stats don't go up like that because of powerleveling.

But they leveled up abnormally fast, and their stats increases were so great that... Karen and Misha might not have thought that much about it if they had been equipped with disguise bracelets but..."

So I'm sure Duke Regan would definitely suspect Clarice huh. ...maybe this means I should reveal myself as a Holy magician as soon as possible.

A little later, Ike, Clarice, and Ellie came running this way.

“You've already cleaned this side... You're fast as usual...”

Ike said that, and when he looked at me, he saw a senior glasses.

“Ike, Mars was terrible. He used me so roughly…I can't stand up because my back is already wobbling because of Mars... If you play with a girl's body before she's married and she can't be a bride, you'll surely be held accountable!"

Is trying to say that? If she can't marry Ike, she'll marry me? Ike laughed at the senior's words.

“I see. You've been used roughly eh... Thanks for the help, Mars..."

Ike seems to have realized that I used Holy magic on her from the words she just said. I don't know how he could interpret it that way though...

“Don't be silly, let's go. The city gates were completely closed so there's probably no damage but I'm still bothered...”

Clarice said, interrupting our conversation, and Ike agreed with Clarice.

“I'm sorry. Clarice is right. Let's go into town."

We all collected the magic stone, threw it into the carriage, and headed for the tightly closed city of West Rimurgarde. The city gates of West Rimurgarde did not seem to be as solid as those in Issac, but they were still of certain toughness due to them being made from Earth magic.

“I wonder how to get in this...”

“I guess we'll still have to get someone to open it for us...”

After Ike replied to my words, someone noticed us and turned to us from his watchtower at the city gate.

“Who are you people!?”

A somewhat nostalgic voice is directed at us. Hmm... this voice... where did I...?

“We are from the Lister Imperial School. We were on our way to Almeria when we saw the city under siege, so we defeated the magic beasts. Do you mind if we come in?"

Ike shouted to a man on a watchtower, and the man suddenly said.

“Lister Imperial School? Almeria...?"

The man seemed to be looking intently from the watchtower as he muttered the words.

“Are you Ike!?”

I was startled by the sudden mention of the word Ike. And I clearly recognized the owner of the word.

“Yes! Could it be you, Van?”

The man immediately opened the city gate without replying and rushed over to us.

“I knew it was Ike! Even Mars!”

It's the Azure Fang’s Van, after all. The last time I saw him was when he escorted me, Clarice, and Ellie to the Lister Imperial School, so it's already been almost a year.

When Van called out to us happily, the women also came out from inside the carriage. Van seemed surprised when he saw the ladies.

“I was also surprised at how much Ike and Mars have grown up... but Clarice and Ellie look like adults... and the other girls I've never seen before but well...that can wait. Just get on into the city! Lord Zeke will be pleased."

What, Zeke's here too? And I'm kind of tickled that Van called Zeke as Lord Zeke, even though he used to call him Zeke...

We can't just stand here and talk, so as soon as I entered the city, the city gates were closed. The city was so calm that it was hard to believe that it was under siege.

The inhabitants were going about their lives as normal, and there was no sign of any logistical disruption. Above all, there seemed to be skilled people standing guard in some places.

I wanted to ask Van what was going on as we walked, but Van was walking so fast that I couldn't insert a conversation.

“Well, here we are. Come on in."

Van said and invited us into the big building, and there was a surprised-looking Zeke in the doorway.

“Ike... and even Mars... why are you here?”

Zeke said, and Ike replied.

“Long time no see, father. I, too, don't know why father and Van are here either, but I decided to go home for the school holidays and happened to be passing by this area so I dropped in, and Mr Van led us here. Why are father and Van here?"

Ike called Zeke ‘father’. In the past it was your esteemed father, and lately I also call him father but when I actually meet him, it's esteemed father... I guess my feelings are subtly changing or something...

“Come inside for now. Are you two alone?"

Huh? Where's Clarice and the others? I wondered if they heard Zeke's words, but Clarice, Ellie, and, at the tail end, a fearful senior glasses came in. When senior glasses entered, I didn't miss the slight change on Zeke's face.

“Long time no see. Father-in-law.”

Clarice greeted Zeke with a perfect smile, and Ellie also followed with a nod. And then the senior glasses looked more nervous than I'd ever seen her before...

“Long time no see. Lord Zeke."

She greeted with an awkward smile. Zeke greeted each of us back and we were led into the house for the time being. As soon as we were shown to our room, we immediately asked.

“Why are esteemed father and Van here?”

Zeke replied to my question.

“I see... You guys don't know anything, huh... That by the order of the state, B-rank adventurers and above are to take turns guarding the city of West Rimurgarde..."

Huh? I think Zeke was a C-rank adventurer... but I waited for the rest of Zeke's words.

“At first it was only for those above B-rank party. ...Afterall for a B-rank party, inevitably some weaker members would be called in. The death knights, death armies, and death hounds that appear here are somehow well-organized... and they sometimes target the weaker ones.

Some B-rank parties only have one B-rank adventurer, and the other members are D or E-rank adventurers with recent paper backgrounds. Then they bit more than what they can chew to protect their party members…and more and more B-rank parties got killed and finally the Red Wings we had sent here all died...”

I was speechless. The members of the Red Wings, who had been together as a matter of course until last year, were wiped out. ...Red Wings was a party that could be called one of Zeke's arms alongside Azure Fang... Zeke's face was distorted in pain.

Ike also struggled to hold back his tears and asked Zeke a question.

“It's a pity. ...how long will father stay here?”

“Until the end of December. Until then, we have to guard this place well.”

Zeke replied.

“Wasn't esteemed father a C-rank adventurer? Why are you here?”

Zeke replied when I ask him what I was wondering.

“Yes, I was. But we can't just send Van alone here. Van is a very important Knight Commander of the Knights of Bryant. And I only refused to become a B-rank adventurer previously so now I'm also a B-rank adventurer.

That's why I came here with him. And in my case, I got a call to arms, but I could have turned it down... but I didn't want to repeat the same thing with Red Wings."

Yes, Van is important, but... my mother, Maria, I believe, is now...

“How is the war’s progress?”

Ike asked, to which Zeke replied with a lowered tone of voice.

“Not so good... the B-rank adventurers in each city are doing their best... but there are too many magic beasts... However, It's not all bad. Everyone's level has risen considerably because they're defeating high-ranked magic beasts.

If we can keep persevering, I think we can eventually break out of the situation. That's why the country is sending B-rank adventurers here on a rotating basis. And the number of B-rank adventurers has increased considerably compared to the past. The number of magic beasts has increased, so there are more avenues for adventurers to gain experience.”

It's true that both Zeke and Van are getting stronger... but to take on a death knight alone...2 they both say they're B-class adventurers...

Name: Zeke Bryant

Title: -

Status: Human race, head of the Bryant Earl Household

Condition: Good

Age: 33 years old

Level: 31

HP: 55/55

MP: 82/82

Strength:

Agility: 25

Magic: 44

Dexterity: 20

Durability: 26

Luck: 10

Special Ability: Knifemanship (Lv3/D)

Special Ability: Earth Magic (Lv7/C)

Equipment: Staff of the Earth

Equipment: Clothing of the Earth

Name: Van Riggles

Title: -

Status: Human race, head of the Riggles Baronet Household

Condition: Good

Age: 23 years old

Level: 30

HP: 64/64

MP: 32/32

Strength: 42

Agility: 32

Magic: 28

Dexterity: 30

Durability: 30

Luck: 5

Special Ability: Swordsmanship (Lv 7/D)

Special Ability: Water Magic (Lv 3/E)

Equipment: Mithril Silver Sword

Equipment: Silver Mail

Zeke’s stats are that of Balkus Kingdom’s magician in other words he has low MP.

Minerva might even be stronger than him. ...Van has become much stronger. He is the head of the Knight Order of Bryant, so he must be training well every day.

But I feel like he could only fight a death knight and just barely win. His swordsmanship level is higher than the death knight's, so I don't think he will lose. ...

Zeke, perhaps knowing that I had appraised the two of them.

“How about it? We're getting pretty strong, aren't we?"

He asked me with self-mockery. Maybe he knows he's not worthy after all. After Zeke said that, he bowed to us and said.

“Ike! Mars! I have a favor to ask!"

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Author’s note:

If Zeke's stats is enough to be a B-rank adventurer, then Minerva too would be one...

The number of B-rank adventurers is increasing but the reality is that...

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