Maseki Gurume – Vol 4 Prologue & Chapter 1 Part 1

It’s Ko-Fi’s Supporters’ chapter (42/79), enjoy~

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Prologue

 

The blizzard that overwhelmed the area would freeze the creatures in the blink of an eye. The only monsters that lived in the area were those that had the strength to survive the harsh environment.

A gray cobblestone road ran through the former Demon Lord’s territory near the adventurer’s town of Baltic, and the Demon Lord’s Castle was located at the far end of the road.

Despite the blizzard, there is no snow on the castle, which is located on the northern side of the continent. It is a place where snow is repelled by a mysterious power and never freezes. The jet-black exterior of the castle shows its shadow even in the blizzard that blurs even a few steps ahead, and anyone who stands on the road leading to it will realize that it is not just a ruin.

And then.

A knight stood in front of the gates of the Demon Lord’s Castle.

“There is a person who has a vessel. One of these days.”

The old, low voice echoed around the area, defying the raging wind.

“I have waited for hundreds of years. The time will come in a breath.”

The knight’s armor was jet black, similar to the castle of the Demon Lord. The vein-like tubes that run through his body glow like blue fireflies, growing brighter in response to his joy. There was no body in the armor, no two eyes in the helmet, only the empty space.

 

 

When he holds his hand up in the air, a jet-black sword is grasped in his hand.

“Haha ─ Hihi!”

A huge beast appeared in front of the knight. The huge gray body is more grandiose than a multi-story inn, and its four legs are muscular and strong. The fur on its body was as pure white as the first snow, but its red face, which looked as if it had been painted with fresh blood, could not be hidden.

“I don’t need a monster, then. You have no right to set foot in this castle.”

“Hihaaaha!”

The beast’s muscular paws pounced on him.

However, in the middle of the attack, the beast’s body sprinkled crimson blood that did not match its features. Without realizing it, the beast’s body was torn in half. The strong wind created by the flash of the sword flew up into the sky with a whoosh, and the clouds that had been causing the snow to fall dispersed.

“That should do it.”

The knight looked at the azure sky and nodded in satisfaction.

Soon, several skeletons crowded the prone beast. In the blink of an eye, the corpse of the beast was being carried away somewhere.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

“I’m sincerely waiting for your return.”

He looked in the direction of the royal capital, Kingsland, and let out a few words.

Finally, he took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, muttered, “Let’s fulfill our mission today,” and put his hand on the door of the Demon Lord’s Castle.

 

Chapter 1 – Things That Have Happened And Things That Will Happen

Part 1

 

The crown prince, Ain, always felt that he was really busy in his tenth year. On his way back from a nominal trip to the Duchy of Euro, Dullahan took away his physical freedom, and the wear and tear on his body caused him to fall into a coma for six months.

What awaited Ain when he woke up was an unprecedented change in his body. It was a monsterization, an abnormality that affected his body and mind and could make him no longer be Ain.

The cause was undoubtedly the ability to absorb the power of magic stones.

No matter how much the Elder Lich suppressed the Dullahan that resided within Ain, the Named on his status card still remained the same, and the danger was not known in detail. So Ain headed to the magic city of Ist on the sly, meeting with prominent researchers and seeking knowledge of the symptoms of monsterization.

And there were many incidents in Ist as well.

On the way back to the royal capital, the water train was attacked by a Wyvern, and it was unforgettable that the trip was full of topics until the very end.

All of this had to do with a mysterious monster called the Red Fox.

In addition to his body and the Red Fox, Ain now had many things to learn.

It seemed that he would continue to be busy.

As Ain was looking out of the carriage, a woman’s voice came from the seat across from him.

“──It’s been half a year already, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, it has. It’s a good memory now.”

The person to whom Ain replied was Chris. She was an elf, and her beauty was as extraordinary as ever.

She shook her lustrous golden hair and smiled at Ain’s reply.

“It’s not all good memories, you know. It took half a year to restore that bridge.”

“It was a long time when you think about it. I turned eleven during those six months.”

In addition, two more months will pass in April, and Ain’s school life as a fifth-year student will begin.

“The bridge that was destroyed by Viscount Sage’s Kraken has been cleaned up quite a bit.”

“Yes, not only the railroad tracks were repaired, but also all the dilapidated parts were repaired. I don’t know how they were able to finish the work in six months.”

As Chris said, the fact that it took only six months was astonishing.

That bridge was large enough to go through the whole brackish water area in one go, and it was a structure that had supported the land transportation of Ishtalika for a long time. Needless to say, it was huge.

As they approached the bridge, the sound of a crowd of people stimulated their ears.

“It’s just as I expected from the presence of Ain-sama, isn’t it?”

“…You’re exaggerating!”

“Haha, that’s not true. It was you who saved the water train that night. That’s why Ain-sama was invited to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the bridge.”

“When you put it that way, Chris-san should also be invited, as well as the Sea Dragon twins who came to help us.”

When she heard these words, she turned her head away with an embarrassed cheek.

“I-I’m sorry. But still, Ain-sama! It’s been a really smooth road this time!”

Ain nodded in agreement.

On the way here, they first took a water train from the royal capital and got off at a nearby station. The next step was to get on the carriage that had been prepared for them, and the royal knights who had come ahead of them mounted their horses and escorted them around the carriage.

Ain had come all this way without giving any instructions, mostly just moving from door to door.

All that and more.

“It’s all thanks to having a capable assistant with me.”

This time, the coordination was not by Warren but by a woman who was newly appointed as Ain’s assistant.

After hearing the story, the girl sitting next to Chris opened her mouth.

“Could it be me?”

After asking in a bell-like voice, the girl smiled daintily and looked at Ain.

“Yes. It was definitely about Krone.”

“Fufu, thank you.”

The girl who answered in a good mood was not dressed in plain clothes or a dress. Because now she is not a daughter of the August merchants but an assistant to the crown prince.

Her uniform is based on the color black. Her thin legs peeking out from her skirt are covered with tights.

The uniform, with its Ishtalika-like style, gave the impression of neatness, but when she wore it, the flowery look could not be hidden. The star crystal in her hand shone as brightly as the flowers.

“You are a talented young woman who has outshone many of the candidates, including those who have already worked as civil servants in the castle. I also heard just the other day that Lady Krone was the only one who got a perfect score in the winter appointment exam…”

Chris’s admiration was about the exam that had been held just this past winter.

The quality of the candidates was suitably high since the lord they would serve was the crown prince. In addition, the level of the exam was high, to begin with, and to be honest, it wasn’t so easy that a young person like Krone could pass it.

However, Krone was the only one who scored a perfect score in the exam and obtained an assistant position. Of course, it was also important to note that she had won on her own merits without any intervention from Warren.

“Excuse me, Lady Krone?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Didn’t you ever think of becoming Ain-sama’s personal servant instead of his assistant?”

“Of course. Because the assistant is the closest to him, I can do the serving work right beside him if I want to.”

“I-I see…”

The fact that Krone has been able to achieve results may have been inevitable, considering that she has been working hard since she was a child.

“Thanks to you, this carriage is also on loan from the August Trading Company.”

“The ride is not too bad, is it? It was a new model, but I made sure that my grandfather kept the price down.”

“Well, is everything all right with Graff-san?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he looked tired at the end of the meeting.”

That’s what I was worried about. It seems that the man who was called the ruler of land transportation when he was in Heim was no match for his granddaughter.

Nevertheless, Graff was never a man who made deals based on nepotism alone. What’s more, it can be expected to be due to Krone’s bargaining power.

“I didn’t want to ruin Ain’s reputation by spending tax money unnecessarily.”

The way she said it with a sly smile was adorable.

“Ain-sama, Ain-sama. I’ve heard that the results of Lady Krone’s business negotiations were so good that even Warren-sama was impressed.”

“…Amazing!”

Ain was so taken aback that his voice leaked out.

In any case, it’s admirable to keep costs down where they should be. Ain nodded to himself, thinking that Krone would not allow him to discount more than necessary.

“Ahem. Let’s get ready to go down.”

“Hmm, okay.”

Looking through the carriage window, the venue of the ceremony was already within a stone’s throw. After putting on his formal jacket, Ain closed the buttons of his shirt. Just when he thought the preparations were over.

“Ain, wait a minute.”

Krone, who had left her seat, sat down next to Ain and extended her arm.

“Eh, what’s the matter?”

“One of the buttons on your neck is off. I’ll fix it for you; just stay still for a moment.”

“No, no, no, I can fix it myself───.”

“Unfortunately. I’ve already fixed it.”

“…..”

Krone seemed to be enjoying herself as she did to Ain.

Chris could not help but have a wry smile on her face.

 

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