Manowa

Chapter 105: Let's Talk with the Ghost King

Abandoned Capital Muruage, Feudal Lord's Mansion

It isn't necessary to destroy it to the point that wind can completely blow through it.

Yumika grumbled in front of the Feudal Lord's Mansion.

Every time it is explored ghosts will gush forth. Isn't that why the windows and the doors are all broken?

If we want to quickly crush all the ghosts' hiding places I can destroy the buildings with the mass-production models.

Kazane looked at the mass production model Tatsuyoshi-kun installed on Hippomaru-kun's left and right, but Louise stopped her.

That's no good. The ghosts are remaining in this city because it retains the shape of their city. If it loses that the ghosts might start spreading.

Muu, you mean I shouldn't destroy them?

That's right.

Louise nodded.

Then maybe I should use Breath for a little bit.

Everyone except Naoki understood the meaning of Kazane's words.

There are no people inside?

Just to be sure Jinrai checked with Kazane.

Yeah. There arepresencesbut noscents.

If so there probably isn't any problem. It's a little violent, but it's not a bad idea if you think of it as fumigating the insects.

Naoki couldn't understand the conversation and titled his head, but Kazane told NaokiI'm going to change into a little strange appearance so don't be startled.Naoki thought (eh, what does she mean?) as his head was completely filled with pink thoughts. As usual he was an idiot. But then,

SkillDragonization

Those thoughts were blown away when he saw Kazane's appearance change into a 5 meter dragon.

Wha wha wha what's this?

Naoki shouted.

That's why I told you not to be startled.

Kazane said before she turned toward the house and brought her dragon face near the entrance. Yumika was currently explaining the situation to the astonished Naoki.

(Lower middling power. If I have Water element at the minimum and Ice element and range at the maximum can I clear the building in one clean sweep?)

Kazane thought while she used her Cold Breath. Cold Breath was a composite magic of Water and Ice elements, and it did sufficient damage to Astral types like ghosts. With the weakened Water element the entrance wouldn't be blocked by ice, but icicles were still being formed.

In the middle she got the skillsRear PresenceandStealthy Placementso it seemed that monsters were being defeated. But in the middle of using her Breath an angry voice could suddenly be heard from deeper inside.

What are you guys doing?!!!

A robed skeleton jumped over Kazane's breath to come outside.

Wow, moving bones.

You should already know I came to an agreement with the Adventurer Guild, or perhaps I should say dragon!?

The skeleton looked surprised to see the blue dragon Kazane.

Um, seems like a boss?

Wait, Kazane. That guy was saying something about the Adventurer Guild.

Blue dragon Kazane was about to attack, but she was stopped by Jinrai.

The other companions surrounded the skeleton, but the lack of hostile attitude from the skeleton made them hesitate.

What's with this? All of you, maybe you didn't hear anything?

When the skeleton asked Kazane saidHear what?

I received provisional approval from the Adventurer Guild for this place to be treated as my land. I am the Ghost King YohanSimpson.

Everyone listened witheh?expressions, but Kazane and Yumika's expressions were more astounded than the others.

You said Yohan Simpson?

By any chance the person that died at Coral Temple?

To the two people's questions the skeleton called Yohan said,

Yeah? Do you know me?

Umm, let's see.

Kazane undid her dragon transformation and approached Yohan.

Oh, you changed into a child? You, no way.

When Yohan seriously studied Kazane's face he clapped his hands. The sound of bones crashing against each other resounded.

Oh oh, it's you, isn't it? Aren't you the one who released me?

Yohan said, then continuedI am indebted to you for thatand bowed his head.

If I helped you it wasn't my intention.

No no. I'm talking about when you came and took that Key. It was a wedge keeping me from moving.

So that's how it is?

She didn't really understand how it was a wedge, but it seemed that Yohan became able to move because Kazane took the Infinite Key from his body.

Ah, that's why?

Yumika raised her voice from behind.

Now that you mention it, I didn't see your skeleton when I left even though it was right by the arena for obtaining the ring. Well, I guess you must have already left.

Yohan nodded his brilliant skeletal head and saidThat's right.

A while after you took the artifact I became able to move, and I left the temple quickly.

So that's what happened. Well, you lost to the Heroic Spirit and your artifact was taken, so there was no point staying in Coral Temple.

No, I didn't fight with the Heroic Spirit. I froze to death before that.

Eh?

Kazane was stunned.

You didn't realize? The gist of it is that if I challenged the Heroic Spirit and lost, wouldn't it be strange that I died in front of the trial's entrance?

That was certainly true. There also weren't any other skeletons from people who had died from challenging.

Umm. Well then, maybe Yohan-san used up all his strength climbing the snow-covered mountain and collapsed at that place?

That's right. It's a little embarrassing. As you might expect, it was hard for a shut-in geek from the countryside to climb such a mountain. I thought I would take a short break before I took the challenge and slept eternally.

The skeleton rattled as he laughed.

So that's how it was.

Kazane's shoulders felt weak.

Besides, seeing what would happen if I lost the trial was a little scary. As you might expect I wasn't in a challenging mood after my long-awaited revival.

It was scary?

Yohan nodded after Kazane's question.

When you lose your body disappears. One person came several months before you.

Kazane and Yumika shivered at those words. It was fine since they lived, but it was still a dangerous trial. When she thought about that Kazane couldn't help but look at Naoki.

(Naoki has not yet gone to Coral Temple)

And Naoki had cleared the main scenario, so he was on another playthrough. In other words, he was a player that fulfilled the conditions necessary to connect the worlds.

(Should I have him simply fetch thatand leave?)

There was that option, but it didn't seem like a good decision to Kazane. Or if somebody different had already obtained itit definitely wasn't.

Anyway, they couldn't head for Coral Temple until after they've finished their request to go to the East Dragon Village. Besides, Yuuko-nee had people secretly monitoring the path to Coral Temple at Kazane Magic Hot Springs. So if another player obtained it before then Kazane thought it would be fine.

What is it, Aneki?

Naoki asked Kazane after seeing her serious gaze.

Well. No, it's nothing. Naoki, this is Yohan Simpson from our same homeland. He is a foreigner-san with blond hair and blue eyes.

Nice to meet you, best regards.

Although she said blond hair and blue eyes, he didn't grow hair and he had no eyes.

Ah, nice to meet you. But how are you still living in that form?

Naoki asked Yohan bluntly. And Yohan started to speakActually .. ...

It seems to be because I obtained a Skill calledGhost Manipulation.Well, it's probably self-evident that it is a Necromancy based Skill, but I guess I'm now using it to manipulate myself?

I also have a Skill calledInnate Talent: Spearand Yuuko-nee has the SkillSun Bearer.Does each player obtain one Unique Skill?

But I do not have such a thing.

Kazane only had skills obtained from monsters.

Maybe it just never showed up; don't you possess a monster ability stealing Skill?

I wonder if that's so?

Kazane tilted her head, but that didn't mean an answer would appear.

Well, for the time being can Yohan-san explain the situation? We came because we saw this, but?

So saying Kazane took out the request form and showed it to Yohann.

Well, this is probably an old one. This is the new one.

So saying Yohan took out a request form from inside his robe.

The request name wasGhost King Hiring Power: Let's Defeat Dullahan Grace.

It isn't a Lord?

There are also Lords. There were four, but since I defeated one there should be three remaining. But when I was attacked by Grace I ran away. Well, I'm a rookie Ghost King, so that's the way it is.

Can a Ghost King even be a rookie? ..... Kazane thought and shivered.

After snatching the ice magic sword from the one I defeated I went to the Adventurer Guild with it in hand as a souvenir. I met a reasonable person who changed the request.

I see.

In other words the Dullahan Lord with an ice magic sword that Organ had talked about was already taken care of by Yohan.

It seems the information was more complicated than Organ obtained with this request.

What a blunderous guy... Naoki said.

So then the two parties heading for the cathedral ...... perhaps.

Those guys came yesterday. I suggested they stay here, but they thought it looked scary. Well, that can't be helped. They said they were going to sleep immediately outside and head there at dawn.

After Yohan's spoke in an easygoing manner Kazane threw out a question she was worried about.

By the way Yohan-san, we defeated many of your companions. Aren't you angry about that?

She obtained two Skills, but it was likely that there was more than two bodies in that mansion, and Kazane thought it was weird that he didn't seem to intend to say a single word of blame for that.

Well, there's no feeling of fellowship. They're specters that are drawn to come here by themselves, so even though I call myself the Ghost King they're merely monsters I am subordinating with my Skill.

Yohan said, and Kazane repliedSo that's how it is.

Well, I'm thinking about looking for a way to improve the controlling seal in the future. It seems the Guild will also help me with that.

Well, that might not be a bad idea.

Louise said.

Is that so?

Although Kazane couldn't weigh the veracity of his words, it seemed like he couldn't forge the request form that quickly, and if it was a glamor her Circlet of Wisdom would see through it. That being the case it was probably the real deal. The other parties also would have heard this story and they decided to go to the cathedral, so she thought it was okay.

Well then, even if we go now they may already be finished, but shall we look around the cathedral?

Let's do it. It would be better to get there in time. It seems I could fight freely against a Dullahan Grace class.

Jinrai answered Kazane's remark, and the other companions nodded.

Is that so? Well, for the time being I am suppressing the ghosts throughout the city, so you don't need to worry about them. Although it seems there are still some of the Dullahans' retainer Ghost Knights around.

We met those just now.

After Kazane spoke Yohan grumbled about being unable to control them. Apparently he was fighting over dominion of this city with Dullahan Grace.

Yohan saw them off with atake carewhile Kazane and the others started heading for the cathedral on Hippomaru-kun and High Hippo-kun.

Ghost Knights appeared on the way, but because there were only two Kazane and Louise defeated them with Fire and Thunder magic as they passed by.

Kazane, is your Magic Power okay?

Kazane nodded in response to Louise's question after the battle.

But both Accumulators are empty and that consumed a little from the Crimson Saint Coffin. All the same, Breath eats a lot of Magic Power.

Dragons compensate for it by having Dragon Hearts that operate fully during battle, but naturally Kazane did not have one. Furthermore, Sieg's white dragon Karza was substituting a Childstone, so the sustained power of its Breath was lower than an ordinary dragon.

But if it's an ordinary battle it should be sufficient. In the unlikely event that becoming a dragon is necessary there still isn't a problem.

Well, since it's a cathedral the interior will be too spacious to blow through with its range.

That's true. Other parties will also be inside.

There was the possibility that they would also storm out yelling like Yohan just now or attack and try to kill her. That wouldn't be good.

While they were speaking they reached the cathedral. At the entrance Kazane and the others discovered adventurers hanging their heads.

Abandoned City Muruage, In Front of Mule's Cathedral

Hey there, young girl and group riding on big horses.

A man who seemed relatively lightly wounded among eight people greeted Kazane and the others.

Hello, are you in the middle of something?

No. We're returning after this. Our members have also decreased.

The man's voice was feeble as he replied. Yumika and Tiara's expressions fell in response. It seemed they left with people killed in action.

Hm. Are they that formidable?

Jinrai asked the man. For the sake of measuring the power of the things they would challenge.

Dullahan Grace generally has three Lords escorting it. Even that alone is troublesome, but they all have magic swords, so it's even more dangerous. I'm just grateful that it's not night and we don't have to deal with their horseback riding.

After the man explained some of the Dullahans' characteristics he finally asked them to bring out their companions' remains if they could, then he called out to his companions to stand and they left the entrance. They would be in trouble if they stayed here and were attacked by other monsters.

It seems to be an all we can carry away magic sword sale.

Jinrai said as they watched the other party leave, and Kazane repliedFirst we have to worry about surviving.Beyond the amount their killing ability was high. They were considerably tough enemies.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer

Equipment: Staff White Blaze, Two Handed SwordBlack Fang, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Carapace Bull Trousers, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator

Level : 29

Health: 101

Magic Power: 170+420

Strength: 49+10

Agility: 40

Endurance: 29

Wisdom : 55

Dexterity : 33

Spell : Fly Torch Fire HealFirestormHealer RayHigh Heal

Skill : Warrior's Memory Night Vision Crushing Blow Dogs Sense of Smell Golem Maker: Lv2 Rush Fire Principle: Third Chapter Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter Air Jump: Lv2 Killing Leg: Lv2 Fear Voice Invisible Tiger Eye Wall Walking Intuition Cheat Death NimbleChargeMaterial ShieldInformation LinkOptical CamouflageDashBloodsucking BladeDragonizationRegenerateRear PresenceStealthy Placement

Yumika: The Skill you obtained sounds a little like it's the test of courage type.

Kazane: It seems maybe it could be used for feints. But isn't even that mostly redundant?