The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 176

A fissure snaked across the ground, and a pillar of fire erupted, shaking the very foundations of Mount Tai.

The transcendental tremor sent every mountain bird soaring into the sky, while a two-headed monster turned to ashes before it could even scream.

PiPi, who had playfully lured the creature, landed on the ashes and flapped her wings in victory.

“EASY, EASY, EASY. EEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSYYYYY.”

It’s been a while since I used my strength, and my shoulders are a bit stiff. I rolled my aching shoulders and walked down the mountain path.

This village, located in the eastern forest region of the Belisor River’s midstream, is called Basenya.

Above Basenya, radishes and cabbages floated in the air. Valensidice must be using telekinesis to help the villagers with their harvest.

“Wow…….”

“Amazing…….”

Amid the villagers’ admiring cheers, countless crops were neatly stacked onto carts.

The Blue Witch, staring at the scene with eyes as wide as the villagers’, saw me, and her eyes grew even wider.

“Oh, did you finish already? Already?”

The Blue Witch of this village was a fresh rookie who hadn’t been assigned here long.

She hadn’t mastered the Yuljang [a type of magical technique] used in dragon subjugation battles, and she seemed to have many concerns due to her inexperience.

When we offered to help if she let us stay for a few days, the witch readily shared her worries.
A high-ranking C-grade monster, Calseroth, had settled in the foothills, she said.

– It cries loudly every night, keeping the villagers from sleeping. It started by taking livestock, but now it’s attacking people too…….

She had requested help from the Aurelinople Witch Association, but they replied that the Red Witch division was understaffed, and she would have to wait a long time.

She had even scraped together witch salaries to hire a famous adventurer, but the monster was too clever and always hid whenever they came.

She couldn’t believe that I had taken care of it in half a day.

“Yes, you don’t have to worry anymore.”

“What should I do? I don’t have anything to give you as a reward… The salary will be renewed in fifteen days, so how can I then?”

“No, no, as I said from the beginning, it’s fine. Providing food and lodging is enough.”

The witch bowed repeatedly in gratitude, then smiled weakly.

“Actually, when you appeared at the village entrance, Grandma Segile saw the wizard’s conical hat and made a fuss, saying that Toureina had come to help us.”

“Grandma Segile?”

“She’s the oldest person in the village. She says she’s met Toureina many times. She said she came once a year.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but I don’t think Toureina would have been so kind as to help us like this even if she had come herself. Thank you so much.”

Whenever I saw a fragment of the world ruined by Toureina, my heart ached, but I was always happy to hear stories like this.

Speaking of Toureina’s conical hat……

I thought it would be okay since the conical hat was included in the basic robes of the Osarius School, but more people recognize it than I thought. Should I change the color?

“Ah-bah!”

Just then, the cutest voice in the world was heard, and a cute little bundle of joy clung to my leg.

“A-bah, a-bah, a-bah.”

“Aki~ Were you learning well?”

“Aki, un-hug-want-yo [Aki wants a hug].”

Perhaps because it was only half a day, she wasn’t satisfied with just clinging to my leg and asked to be held.

“……Wow, she’s really too cute.”

The witch murmured, gently covering her mouth with both hands.

A delicate red leather strap, intricately woven, adorned Aki’s fair neck.

The garnet, reflecting the sunset from its center, went very well with Aki’s red hair.

It was a gift from Juliana, and this was the second time I had met a witch, but even this time, she couldn’t read the dragon’s presence in Aki’s soul.

‘Maybe this witch is just a beginner. She said you have to reach a certain level.’

When I picked up Aki, she rubbed her head against my chin. If it had been before, she would have covered me in drool, but she had really grown a lot.

As I smiled foolishly at the thought, someone approached with a slightly angry face.

It was Celine, the first disciple of the Cheonhwa Sect [a martial arts sect] and one of the Cheonhwa Ilryong [a title given to the most skilled disciples].

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

“It’s okay to do it here.”

“Aki can’t hear it. Leave her with that witch and follow me. That guy has to come too.”

Celine had mostly recovered her body, her face had regained its color, and there were no problems with her movements. The problem was elsewhere.

“Aki doesn’t want to learn martial arts?”

“That’s what I’m saying! When I try to teach her, she thinks it’s a game and doesn’t do it. When I try to push her, she runs away.”

“Isn’t it because you’re not close yet?”

“It’s already been five days! We’re close enough to be friends.”

“Hmm…….”

About that time, Valensidice appeared, rubbing his scapula where the Joogyeol [pressure point] was located. It seemed his Joogyeol was stiff from using magic all day.

“What’s going on?”

“We need to instill a fantasy about martial arts in Aki. Help me a little.”

“How?”

Then Celine crossed her arms meaningfully.

“We’re going to put on a play.”

“A play?”

Celine enthusiastically explained a script that a madman might have written, even drawing pictures on the sand with a twig.

When the explanation was over, Valensidice and I had almost the exact same expression.

It was an expression that doubted our ears, no, all five senses.

“Are you serious?”

Valensidice asked.

Celine nodded.

“Hey, no way. You’re not seriously telling us to do this, are you?”

I tried to be sarcastic to confirm.

But Celine nodded.

“We have to do it this way.”

“No, there must be another way.”

“There isn’t. This is the only way. Don’t you guys really know how effective plays are for kids?”

Celine handed Valensidice a ghost mask roughly sewn from old clothes and a wooden sword.

“Ha.”

Valensidice often gives a cold sneer when his anger level exceeds the limit, and even I feel fear in those cases.

PiPi flew around above our heads, cawing and laughing noisily.

“Hey, aren’t you going to loosen up your expressions? This is the only way to get Aki to learn martial arts seriously.”

“Were you always this proactive? Your first impression was like a lonely wolf carrying all the pain in the world…….”

“We can’t just keep being sad forever. So, are you going to do it? Or not?”

We can’t just keep being sad forever…… For some reason, those words felt like a gentle comfort to my heart.

“Ah, okay, let’s do it, let’s do it. But you know, I bet five silver coins that it won’t succeed. Even if Aki looks like a fool, she’s not a fool, you know? She’s very smart.”

Aki is a dragon.

The most intelligent creature there is.

So, I can be sure that I will win this bet.

“Hmph, it will definitely succeed, you know? Let’s make it ten silver coins.”

“Okay.”

It took Valensidice longer than me to accept this offer. Perhaps because he had a debt of gratitude, he eventually agreed.

But he’s the type to do things thoroughly once he’s decided to do them. As soon as he put on the ghost mask, the atmosphere completely changed.

This ridiculous, childish play began when I took Aki, who was holding the witch’s hand, to the riverside.

“Um, Aki, the weather is~ so nice today, isn’t it~?”

I had no talent for this kind of acting.

As I recited the lines in a stiff tone as if reading a book, a sharp gaze flew from Celine, who was hiding in the bushes in front.

Hey, I’m doing my best too.

“The birds are chirping…… the flowers are blooming…… on a day like this─”

Fortunately, it can be said that my script ends here. At that moment, a stranger wearing a ghost mask appeared from the reed forest. It’s Valensidice.

“─A guy like you should burn in hell.”

It was a ruthless and sharp voice, like an assassin suddenly appearing on the road.

In the blink of an eye, the wooden sword was stuck in the top of my head…… No, is it real that this son of a b\[asterisk asterisk]ch hit me incredibly hard, unlike the script?

I had to recite the last script while suppressing the rising anger.

“Ugh! A~a~ck!”

As I collapsed on the spot, Aki’s eyes widened and she ran straight to me.

“A, A-bah-at, ma, mommy, daddy-oh?”

I wanted to stroke her head because she was so admirable, but according to the script, I shouldn’t answer because I’m in the dead stage now.

“Emergency~ Emergency~ Emergency~!”

PiPi also recited the script.

“Cho-bi-saaaaaang~!”

And she landed on the side of my head and started pecking at my temples.

I don’t think this was in the script, can you please stop?

Dead people shouldn’t feel pain.

“A-bah, a-baaaaat.”

When I didn’t answer no matter how much she shook me, Aki blankly inhaled. And then she looked back at the thug.

“Grrrrrr…….”

Aki showing hostility and baring her fangs! The play is just before the end. No way, is she falling for this?

“Keuheueum, that looks like Valensidice…….”

I let out a dying gasp with the setting that rigor mortis had roughly come to my vocal cords.

Celine glared at me, but Aki put her fangs in as I intended, stared blankly at Valensidice, and tilted her head.

“Balububut [Valensidice]?”

Valensidice also stopped moving, judging that Aki had recognized his identity.

Yes, this is it!

Dragons look into souls.

There’s no way they can be fooled by disguises. As if to throw a wrench in my thoughts, Aki bares her fangs more fiercely than before and threatens the opponent!

“Kyaaaaaa!”

Is the intelligence of the dragon race less than that of a chimpanzee?

I even gave her a hint?

In the end, this childish play is heading towards its end! Danger!

“Do you want to protect that guy? I’m sorry, but it’s impossible for you, who hasn’t learned martial arts.”

I’m going crazy, why is that Valensidice acting so sincerely?

No, it’s not acting. That evil guy is seriously laughing at me right now. He’s so happy that his immersion has increased.

But seeing Aki standing in front of me, who used to be afraid of turtles, brought tears to my eyes.

“I’ll finish it with this, you slick wizard!”

Valensidice lightly dodges Aki, who is rushing in, and then raises the wooden sword over my head! Aki clinging to his leg and whimpering!

It was right then!

The bushes rustled, and Celine, who had sprung out like an arrow, delivered three consecutive powerful blows to Valensidice’s solar plexus with a strong shout!

“Ha!”

“Keuk.”

“Haap! Do it right.”

“…….”

“Iyap! I said do it right!”

“Kkeuaak!”

In the end, Valensidice, who screamed in agony and flew far away, retreated as he was, and Celine proudly shook her hand while watching it.

“Hoo~ That was dangerous. Aki, are you hurt?”

“Aki, dan, dange-wous-yo [Aki, danger].”

“This kind of thing will happen often in the future. If you want to protect this guy, whether he’s your brother or your dad, you have to be strong.”

“Hee, hee-mee ee-ssuh-yah hay-yo [Need, need power].”

“The power to defeat such villains, that’s martial arts!”

Celine, kicking off the ground with Jingak [a martial arts technique] and climbing onto a tree branch. She takes a cool stance of the Cheonhwa Sect’s ultimate move and shouts.

“Do you want to have this kind of power? Do you want to learn martial arts? So you want to protect your brother?!”

“Gee, gee-kkee-go shee-ppuh-yo [Want, want learn].”

“If so, from today onwards, Aki, you are a disciple of the Cheonhwa Sect! Celine, the first disciple of the Cheonhwa Sect, is your master!”

Celine put down her stance and showed Aki the Poggwon [a martial arts greeting], famous as the greeting of the ronin [wandering samurai].

“If you want to walk the path of martial arts, follow me. This is the beginning!”

While Aki was shining with admiration and cutely imitating the Poggwon, PiPi hovered over my head and teased me like this.

“Intelligence, intelligence, intelligence, intelligence, intelligence.”

I wiped away a drop of dew that had formed in my eyes and got up from my seat.

“I’m going to leave…….”

My whole body was covered in mud and gravel, but I didn’t feel any discomfort. The real mess was in my heart.

“I’m starting to have deep doubts about the intelligence of the dragon race…….”

* * *

The southern desolate lands of the Adrion Continent.

The lands bordering the ‘Flowing Desert’ are called the desolate lands.

The name was given because the desertification gradually took place in those border areas, and the civilization itself collapsed.

“Okay, shall we loosen up our bodies for the first time in a while!”

As the huge, heteromorphic spear blade struck the ground, thunder suddenly flashed in the clear sky.

The lightning that poured down like a whirlwind swept away the demons who had hidden in the desolate lands and the mercenaries who were subjugating them in an instant.

When the dance of lightning was over, the only thing left in the wasteland was a man wearing bizarre heavy armor.

“There’s still not a single decent guy among the mortals. Still, it’s very fun to kick the demons’ asses.”

The yellow armor, which prominently displayed the dignity of the dragon race in the shape of a dragon, was made of dragon scales, which was blasphemous in itself.

“So, what’s the matter with you again?”

On top of that, the heavy spear he had just stuck in the ground, the structure of which the handle and the blade were each as long as an adult man, was all dragon bone.

“Still an amazing power. Are you warmed up a bit now?”

When the man in the dragon scale armor took the spear out of the ground, cracks spread across the ground.

“Not yet. Even after 10 years, I still can’t accept the power of ‘us’. That’s why it’s a mortal body.”

And when he slung it over his shoulder, the metallic sound rang out fiercely with the tremor of some kind of power.

Then the human charcoal scattered around exploded.

“But you know, I think I said it. If you come without any special business, I’ll kill you.”

Suddenly, there was another man standing in the direction the man thrust his spear.

“I’m disappointed, how can you say such harsh things between us.”

He was wearing a bizarre eyepatch over his eyes, but he didn’t even flinch at the thrust that had just caused the aftershock.

“I came to give you some incredibly good information.”

Instead, the man with the eyepatch shook his arm theatrically with a very relaxed attitude.

From within the dragon scale armor helmet that covered the entire face, the man’s eyes narrowed quietly.

The vertically torn pupils in the noble golden iris…… it was undoubtedly the eyes of a dragon.

“Shouldn’t you start hunting the next dragon soon? Dragon Slayer.”