Chapter 21 – The Importance of Level

Hiiro has almost spent all of his MP in that encounter. However, it seems to be worth the effort. This S rank monster seems to have given enough experience to increase his level by 4.

It seems like Hiiro's hp has been reduced by a considerable amount. Only one light hit has reduced Hiiro's hp by over half of it's original amount.

Some new titles and skills have been added to Hiiro's status. Hiiro quickly opens a skill called 《Multiple Chain》.

《Multiple Chain》50 mp consumption

You can write more than one character. Writing another character while another character is active will not stop the first character's effects. Also, you can write the same character continuously which produces a synergistic effect.

Hiiro smiles deviously. He realizes that he no longer has to wait 40 seconds before starting to write another character.

Writing a character continuously has many benefits. This skill would have been helpful when Hiiro had to pass through the checkpoint.  Hiiro could have continuously written "fly" without alternating between "fly" and "floating."

This synergistic effect however...

"Did you see your status?"

Arnold's voice woke up Hiiro from his thoughts.

"So Hiiro, how many times did you level?"

"You leveled?"

"No, I didn't. I'm just curious."

"You are? Do you want to know how much experience the killing blow gave?"

"I just want to see how much experience being in a party that killed a S rank monster can give me."

I see. You can register a party with the guild. If you fight a monster with a party member both gain the same amount of experience. However, I and Arnold obtained different amounts of experience since we weren't in a party together.

"Oh, we could have registered as a party in Surge if you wanted to Hiiro"

"Me and uncle are in a party together!"

"Hey Hiiro what level are you?"

"Old man tell me what level you are first"

"Do I have to? I'm 35."

"Crap!"

" ... Me? Wait what did you say?"

"..."

"So what level are you?"

I was a bit angry that my level is still slightly lower than Arnold's.

"By the way, Muir is only level 13."

"Yup!"

"So what level are you?"

"... 33"

"That's amazing! But wait was that your level before or after you beat the S rank monster."

"Before the I beat the Red Boar I was around 29."

"I wonder if there is anyone insane enough in this world other than you that would fight a unique monster ... and beat it while below level 30."

"Hey pervert. What did you just say?"

"I'm not a pervert! That monster was level 50 or higher! You were about half of that. That just leaves me speechless."

"Then just shut up!"(I added this to make it a bit better)

Hiiro thought about it for a while. It seems to be an abnormal situation if he was the average adventurer. However, in this world just because you have higher stats it doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to win.

Hiiro's hp was greater damaged when he took a single blow by the Red Boar. But with his word magic he was able to defeat the boar.

Unique magic is ridiculously over powered.

Without my word magic it would have been smarter to escape like Arnold said. Fighting the boar normally at this level is reckless.

"I'm going to get the parts of the Red Boar that can be exchanged at the guild."

"Which parts do you want?"

"The usual parts..."

"... I see."

Arnold nodded, and started to collect the body parts. The Red Boar's fangs seems to be discolored, but this is probably a characteristic of a unique monster.

"But I'm surprised .... To even encounter a Unique monster in this area."

"Is it that unusual?"

"Well ... it is unusual because they are so rare. In all the time I went around the world I never saw one before."

"I see. This guy has seen more than the regular adventurer, but has never encountered a unique monster before."

Without us killing this rank S monster there would have been many deaths. Many adventurers would have died from trying to kill it.

"However, since this guy died, I'm afraid that the monsters in forest might show up."

"Yea that might happen."

Since we came into the forest, we haven't encountered any monsters. The Red Boar seems to be the reason why all the monsters ran away.

"Well this seems to be a good thing. It seems like we won't have any monsters attacking us immediately."

While Arnold was stretching his hands out, the monsters that were waiting suddenly appeared.

"The lie I..."

Arnold's thoughts weren't unreasonable, but turned out to be completely wrong.

"Hey Old man, I'm tired, so take care of them."

"What? Help me!"

"They aren't unique monsters. So you probably won't die ... so hang in there."

"Please help me!"

"Fine I'll protect Muir, but you do the rest of the work."

"Nooooo! Please help me!"

"So noisy. Just kill them already."

"Understood. I'll be thorough."

Arnold then jumps into the swarm of monsters.

Huh, I wonder if he will die?

Muir shyly looks at me expecting something.

"Well, fine I'll heal the old man if he manages to survive."

After Hiiro said this, Muir sits down next to the tree she was leaning on.

"Muir are you tired?"

"I am, but I'm going to stay awake. So I might help the old man if he needs me."

Muir says this with folded arms. She judged that she would help the old man more if she was fully recovered, and she decided to rest.

Muir without falling asleep watched Arnold's desperate fight as the day passed slowly.

After some time Arnold comes back to the place where Hiiro and Muir were resting.

"I'm tired"

"Good work Uncle!"

"That smile makes me feel so much better!"

Muir's smile makes Arnold feel a bit better. Arnold then glares at the sleeping Hiiro.

"You, kid. While I am desperately fighting, instead of watching Muir you sleep?!?"

While Arnold holds his fist while clenching his teeth, Hiiro says.

"Because I defeated a unique monster by myself I was tired."

"No ........ To refer to that as an ordeal is... This guy, what nerve!"

"Hehehe, yeah."

Arnold sits down next to the resting Muir and Hiiro. The sunlight coming down from the trees gently wraps around them like a blanket.

"Hiiro who are you really?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are stronger than most people with your unique magic. That arrogant attitude ... well leaving that aside. You are travelling alone, and you want to go to the beast's continent."

"Well ... I just wanted to go the beast continent."

"Well. The ordinary adventurer wouldn't have done anything similar to what you did so far. Also, the fight with the Red Boar from before was almost suicide."

"It was ..."

Muir also hears the truth in Arnold's speech and nods.

"Also for a level 33 your physical abilities are exceeding strong. Also, your personality..."

"Hehehe, personality shouldn't matter that much."

"This is the first time I see such a brat. I have never seen anyone like you before even among the Beastman."

"Yeah, I'm not interested"

"You look down on most guys, I fear that you will get into a bad situation soon."

" Eh, leave me alone."

Arnold looks at Muir's face which shows that she is confused.

"Muir are you still afraid of humans?"

"Yeah I am, but..."

"What about me?"

"Well ... Hiiro isn't that bad."

"Also, I don't think Hiiro is that bad" Arnold interjects. "He is completely different from the humans I met so far."

"Haha, am I?

"Sadly, you seem to be the reincarnation of a demon. The way you look at Muir is sickening."

Muir laughs even though she knows about the existence of Evila.

"I'm glad that Muir is able to laugh like that."

"Uncle..."

"You were entrusted to me by that guy. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"... No, even I will become stronger. I want to be like Uncle and the other beastman when I grow up!"

"Muir ..."

While Arnold and Muir both stare at each other, Arnold gently strokes her head. Muir smiles happily.

Hiiro slightly opens his eyes. After he sees these two in such a situation, he closes them and falls back asleep.

Chapter 22: The Bear People of Doggam

I'm thinking of changing the site URL, as this one seems a bit personal to my account... (Links will not be broken) Any Ideas?

Konjiki no Wordmaster Chapter 22: The Bear People of Doggam

"Now then, let's hurry."

Hiiro slowly gets up and begins walking. Arnold glares at him with his eyes half closed.

"... If you've already healed, then I guess it's alright. Wait, we were supposed to be waiting for you!"

"Fufufu, let's go!"

With Muir's urgings, the group presses onwards.

After walking a while, they found what seemed to be the forest's exit.

"Oh, Finally!"

Arnold suddenly gets faster. After leaving the forest, the three found themselves in a large field of flowers.

"Uwa~"

Muir stares in silence, as if she had lost the ability to speak. A gentle wind causes the petals to sway back and forth. It's a magnificent sight.

"This is the 【Doggam Garden】."

"So these were planted by the 『Bearnts』?"

"Yeah. It's pretty, ain't it? The scent is also divine."

A scent sweet enough to cause one to drool lingers in the air. The mixed varieties of flowers here probably carried a wide assortment of delicious nectars.

"And right after this, we should reach the 『Bearnt』 village, 【Doggam】!"

Past the field, they could see a village. The village was quite small, as if it were trying to hide itself from the world.

When they entered the village, Hiiro and co. see the Bearnt people gathered in a wide, open space. They try to see what's going on.

"What's up?"

"Eh? O-oh! It's been a while, Arnold!"

"Yo, Max! You're just as fat as usual!"

They grasp each other's shoulders as they give greetings.

"Hm? Arnold... Your ears..."

"Ah? Haha, well yeah."

Arnold's face looks pained. But he quickly recovers, and takes on his cheerful persona.

"Let me introduce you. This is the 『Bearnt』 Max. We shared a drink the last time I came through this village."

Arnold turns to Hiiro and Muir, and introduces the man. Max's smile flashes a hint of sadness.

"Max, let me introduce these two."

He turns again to Max.

"This child is my lovely angel, my cutie flower, Muir Castrea!"

Though he says this with a determined tone, everyone stares at him with a blank expression. Muir's face slowly turns red.

"P-please treat me well!"

She quickly lower her head. The sight of her doing so causes those watching the scene to smile.

"Yeah~ and the other one is just as he looks. He's a brat called Hiiro."

His treatment is clearly different, but Hiiro doesn't particularily care.

"The two of you are welcome here! My name is Max!"

His body is quite stalky. No,it's more like he just has a lot of excess fat.

(He looks more like a pig than a bear)

(TL: So he's like some sort of... Half Pig, Half Bear-Man?)

Hiiro thinks something incredible rude, as Arnold questions Max on the reason everyone was gathered there.

And then Max's face turns serious.

"Ah, the truth is that someone saw a Unique Monster in the forest. We're here thinking up countermeasures."

Arnold looks like he wants to say something.

"Even if we try to do something, our opponent is Rank S. This village has not the power to do anything about it."

"R-rank S? U-um, Max...?"

"What?"

"W-was that Unique Monster possibly... a Red Boar?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you know. You're correct!"

'More than simply knowing, we head on encountered it, and this brat killed it, you know.' Arnold screams in his heart.

"Oh yeah, where did you guys come from, anyways? Did you go through the forest? Then luck must be on your side. If you encountered it, you would have died."

"Well, something did die..."

"What do you mean?"

Arnold sighs, and then begins telling the truth.

"HHWWWAAATT!? You KEEEELED the Unique Monster!?" (TL: His pronunciation is off here)

It's not just Max. Everyone in the surrounding area has surprise written on their faces.

"Y-yeah. The one who did it was this brat. Here's the evidence."

And he brings out the salvaged monster parts as evidence. The crowd gets even more excited.

"WhaWhaWhaWhat's going on, Arnold!? What is he!? Is he an SSS Rank?"

"N-no... He's a D Rank Adventurer..."

"WHAAAAAAAAAA!?"

Max's mouth hangs open as he stares at Hiiro.

"D-dit this guy really kill it? This short, evil-eyed brat!?"

Max thrusts his finger at Hiiro. Hiiro grabs it.

Twist...

"Stooooop!"

"I hate it when people point at me."

The area becomes silent. Time seems to have stopped for the villagers. Arnold lets out a deep sigh.

"I'm serious, people. I can't go that far in depth, but the Unique Monster is already gone, this guy is the one that killed it, and the village is now safe. Please just leave it at that."

Hiiro seems to be slightly impressed. If Arnold had tried to explain his special magic, then he would have smacked him. But it seems that Arnold respects his privacy. Hiiro's impression of Arnold has improved a bit.

And so the village's crisis was averted. The Monster never reached the village, and no casualties arose. Hiiro's slaying of the Red Boar earned him quite a bit of attention.

The feeling of being stared at was quite uncomfortable, but as the villagers made his food extra tasty, Hiiro decided to put up with it.

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"But I'm surprised that you're alright, Arnold."

Max stares at his sake as he speaks.

"What is this about?"

"I heard a rumor that a beast man that looked like you had been enslaved by humans. I thought that was definitely you... Your ears, did they do something to you?"

"...Pretty much."

Arnold's ears which were firmly printed in Max's memory were nowhere to be seen. And he remembered the rumor of the beast man turned slave.

"It seems that you've been through a lot. The Humas race really does terrible things."

Max did not get visibly angry, but his words seemed to carry a menacing tone. Arnold feels a little happy that his friend is getting angry for his sake.

"Yeah, I definitely don't want to return to that time. But right now, I am living quite happily, Max."

"Arnold..."

"I've even started doing the things I wanted to. I became a chef, and I even have a daughter."

"Oh yeah, when did you get that girl, anyways?"

Arnold squints as he looks at the smiling Max.

"Don't get me wrong. Though she's my daughter, we're not related by blood."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. A good friend entrusted her to me."

Arnold stares into the distance, and Max downs his sake in one swig. He sighs.

"It seems that you really have been through a lot."

"Yep... Many things happened."

The two are surrounded by silence for a while.

"Then what is that kid? He seems to be a Beast Man, of the same race as the girl."

Arnold winces. Currently, Hiiro is using his magic to disguise himself. As a result, he has the same silver hair as Muir.

"Um... It's that! He's Muir's brother!"

"So that's it? No wonder they looked so much alike!"

(I think Hiiro is going to punch me later...)

Thinking about his dismal situation, Arnold starts to feel the air getting colder.

"But that kid really is crazy. I've never heard of someone taking out a Red Boar alone before."

"Y-yeah. That guy is a bit strange."

'In many ways' said Arnold in his heart

"I won't press it any further. You guys are this villages saviors, so just take it easy for a bit."

"Thanks, Max."

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"Oy, shorty. Don't be so picky."

Hiiro is holding up a green peas-like food that Muir seems to be avoiding.

"Eh... but..."

"If you hate it so much, then..."

He wraps the peas in some meat, and wraps that in more vegetables.

"Here, eat this."

"... Okay"

Even as he hands it over, Muir's eyes seem to show some resistance. Her upturned eyes seem to say, 'Do I really have to eat it?' And in response, Hiiro's eyes seem to say, 'If you don't eat it, I'll force it on you.' And Hiiro shoves the food in her mouth.

Muir closes her eyes as she chews.  And then opens them with a confused look.

(That terrible feeling is gone?)

As if he could read Muir's mind, Hiiro begins speaking.

"The reason you hated it was probably the texture, or the smell. All you have to do is get rid of that. This meat has quite a strong smell, and these vegetables have a firm texture. They'll help you get over your hatred of those beans."

"A-amazing. You're almost like my uncle."

Hiiro lightly hits Muir's head.

"Nyu!?"

"Who's like that old man?"

Hiiro frowns as he continues to stuff food in his mouth. Muir tilts her head, wondering where exactly he puts all of that food in his slender body.

(If I had a brother... would it feel like this?)

She gets a slight warm feeling inside of her chest. She had never thought of it before, but Hiiro's current hair color might be giving her such ideas.

Arnold watches the two, and stares at Hiiro as if he were going to shoot him to death.

But the Bear People around them simply misunderstood the situation and thought, 'Yep, those two are definitely siblings.' Arnold's concern was unnecessary.

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After the group continued eating for a while, a group of women in dancer like clothes that had high exposure rates came out. It seems that they will perform a folk dance.

A person comes out carrying a drum. He rhythmically beats it, and the dancers move to match the rhythm.

"Wow~! Those people are really pretty~ and the dancing is skillfull~."

Muir holds her hands together, and admires them. But Hiiro seems to be more focused on the food in front of him. After filling his mouth, he glances at the dancers.

(I see. So the Bear Race has slender people as well.)

And once again, he thinks something rude before shifting his eyes back to the food. But Muir seems to be captivated, and Arnold seems to be enamored.

"Oh~ How indecent"

Muir feels as if his father had made lecherous eyes at some random girl. She's quite embarrassed.

"Please contain yourself!"

And she heads towards Arnold. Hiiro continues pressing food to his lips, as he stares at the night sky. He sees a shooting star, and thinks, 'How peaceful.'

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Status

Arnold Ocean

Lv 35

HP 355/355

MP 189/189

EXP 50089

NEXT 6210

ATX 358 (402)

DEF 323 (339)

AGL 298 (303)

HIT 222 (224)

INT 102 ()

《Magical Attribute》Wind

《Magic》Fangs of Wind | Explosive Wind Claw |  Blast Inversion

《Title》Friend of the Wind | Former Slave | Chef | Doting Father | Man of Burning Soul | The Man Referred to as a Pervert

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Guild Card

Name Arnold Ocean

Sex Male

Age 37

From Snyoll

Rank C

Quest

Equipment

Weapon Great Sword

Guard Plate Armor

Accessory Bracelet of the Wind

Rigin 1393000

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Muir Castrea

Lv 13

HP 111/111

MP 82/82

EXP 12655

Next 2210

ATX 102 (105)

DEF 100 (108)

AGL 99 (102)

HIT 77 (78)

INT 54 ()

《Magical Attribute》

《Magic》

《Title》Kidnapped | My Angel | Cutie Flower | Girl of Tolerance

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Name Muir Castrea

Sex Female

Age 12

From Rince

Quest

Equipment

Weapon Knife

Guard Travelers Clothes

Accessory Nameless Bracelet

Rigin 56000

Chapter 23: The Determination of Vale

Note, Shinobu talks in kansai-ben. Hiiro does not appear in this chapter.

Konjiki no Wordmaster Chapter 23: The Determination of Vale

"...*Sigh*"

How many times had he sighed since then? The person sighing an uncountable number times was a certain Vale Kimble. He was sitting in a chair in the resting room for the soldiers on the training ground hanging his head.

"Hey, what do you think's wrong with Vale?"

In worry, Aoyama Taishi asks his companions, Suzumiya Chika, Minamoto Shuri and Akamori Shinobu. The other three tilt their heads.

"It seems that he hasn't been having any of his usual energy lately."

"Since when was it again?"

Chika asks. The one that answers is Shinobu.

"It's been like this since Vale left to visit the Guild."

"I believe he said that there was a dependable person whose help he wished to request for."

Shuri adds some information.

"And after he returned... He's been like that."

"What exactly happened to him?"

Chika asks as she wipes some sweat off of her forehead. The group had just been training with the soldiers. Chika trained especially hard, so she's sweating profusely.

"What should we do? Should we ask him?"

"Yeah, but he's kinda hard to approach."

The air seems stagnant. It's not really an atmosphere where they can talk to him.

After they watched him for a while, a girl dressed in pink entered the room. That person was the 【Royal Capital Victorias】's oldest princess, Lilith van Strauss Arclaim.

She approached the four with a smile on her face.

"Good work, Heroes!"

"Lilith-sama must have some difficult work with public affairs as well."

Taishi returns those words to the princess.

"Eh, um, what's wrong?"

"Why are you talking so stiffly, Taishi-sama!"

"T-that is..."

Taishi fidgets as his eyes wander around the room.

"Didn't you promise!? I told you to call me Lilith. Also, please stop talking to me like that. I thought Taishi-sama would understand!"

She approaches with her cheeks puffed up.

"G-got it! I got it, so don't get so close, Lilith!"

"Ah, s-sorry!"

Lilith appears to be very flustered as she makes some distance with Taishi. Her face is died a deep shade of red.

"N-no, it's not like I hate it. Haha."

Taishi shyly hangs his head.

"Stop it, you two!"

Taishi suddenly feels an incredible amount of pressure on his foot.

"Oy, Chika! What are you doing!?"

Chika had stomped on Taishi's foot with all of her might.

"Nothing really. I was just annoyed that your thoughts were written right on your face. Hmph!"

"Hey, that hurts!"

She steps on it again. Taishi begins tearing up as he pleads to the Lilith and Shuri to help him. Shinobu is laughing as she watches the scene.

"Ahaha! As expected, Taishi and Chika's relationship is funny~"

"What's with that! Idiot Taishi, your blushing face is unsightly!"

"Oh? Are you perhaps jealous?"

"Idi-! You're wrong idiot!"

From watching this display, everyone present was able to understand Chika's feelings. Except Taishi.

"Ufufunofu~ Falling for a dense man is tough~"

Shinobu teases Chika while smiling.

"I-I don't care anymore! I'm going back to training!"

She says as she storms out of the room. Seeing her leave, Shinobu once again bursts into laughter.

"Chika's so cute. She's slender and polite. Taishi is a lucky one."

"W-with what? I was just in a lot of pain. Where does this luck come from?"

Shinobu takes a deep sigh as Taishi attempts to explain that he's not a masochist.

"Ah, if you stay like that, Princess-sama and Chika will have a lot of trouble."

She laughs as she sympathizes with them.

"Anyways, were you people talking about something before I arrived?"

Lilith asks. The group explains the contents of their conversation to her.

"So do you think something happened?"

"That's what I can't understand. I would ask, but he's hard to approach right now..."

"There's no helping it, I'll go ask then."

"Shinobu will?"

"Yeah, aren't I the perfect person for this?"

"I'm not sure what criteria you're using, but will you really be alright?"

"Leave it to me~."

She says as she heads to the break room.

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Vale was thinking over the things told to him by Guildmaster Judom Lankars.

(So the 『Evila』King has changed, and that new King has sent multiple requests for peace talks, but our country has done nothing but ignore them...)

He was also told this: Before my daughter became a sacrifice, before you called over some bystanders to play Hero, wasn't there something we should have done?

And he was told that he was still much too immature.

(Why did the kingdom ignore... no, I understand the reason for that. There's still a high chance we'll get betrayed like before.)

When the previous 『Evila』 King had asked for peace talks and this country accepted, it was a trap, and many 『Humas』 had to become sacrifices. That's why the king could do nothing but reject these new offers.

(But...)

That's exactly why we have to communicate. That's what Judom said.

(And are the Heroes truly trustworthy individuals...?)

Judom asserted that the inhabitants of another world would be unable to sympathize with the populace. For now, everything is still fine. With their high physical abilities, and magical attributes the heroes should be able to easily overcome most obstacles.

But will they really fight with their lives on the line for the sake of another world? Do such philanthropists exist in this universe? When Judom told him this, Vale's mind became blank.

The reason for this was because Judom's argument was sound. It wasn't something based on opinion or bias. They would always use the word game. Like a game... If it was a game, then... Unlike a game... Whenever Vale heard these words, he somehow felt that these people had too little resolve.

(I thought it was because they were still young, and were not used to battle... but...)

Vale himself was still stronger than them individually at the moment. But they had the talent to take him out in an instant if they worked together. They're a major asset. But there's always someone stronger.

The 『Evila』 probably have plenty of people that could deal with them easily.

(If... If someone in their group were to die... would they...)

Would they still fight for us? Many questions that he couldn't answer surfaced in his head. Judom said that they had to return the heroes to their original world unharmed.

(What should I...)

As he closed his eyes tightly to think, Vale noticed the prescence of someone behind him.

"What's up, Vale?"

"...Shinobu-sama?"

Behind him was Akamori Shinobu.

"You haven't been energetic lately, is something wrong? Everyone is worried."

"... I apologize."

"Eh? Ah, no it's nothing you have to apologize for."

Shinobu sits next to him and asks again.

"So, is something wrong?"

"*Sigh*... well..."

There's no way he could say it. That he had doubts of the person beside him. But he wanted to ask whether she could risk her life.

(If they learn the realityof death,will theyleave the country...? Even after I've watched them grow to this level...)

His head could think of nothingbut negative thoughts.

"Is Vale worrying about something related to us?"

Vale's shoulders tense in response. Shinobu is able to effectively pick this up.

"Ah~ As I thought. So what is it? Will something happen to us?"

It's not like Shinobu was especially sharp. It's just that she noticed that Vale had been avoiding the four of them lately. As she looks at Vale, she feels a little sorry for him.

"... I can't say it."

"...... I see. Then you don't really have to."

"...What?"

Vale frowns.

"It doesn't look like it's something you have to answer immediately. You can take time and find your answer, right?"

"T-that is..."

"Or if you don't get an answer now, will the world end?"

Shinobu shows a serious expression for a second.

"N-no such a thing won't happen all of a sudden!"

"Then isn't it fine?"

"..."

"I don't know what you're worrying about, but Vale should be doing the things he has to do!"

"Things I have to do?"

Returning you all to your own world? He wanted to ask.

"And that's making us stronger."

"S-stronger?"

"Of course. You don't know when the 『Evila』 will attack, right? So what you have to be doing is preparing for that possibility by making the four of us stronger."

"Shinobu-sama..."

"To be honest, I'm a little afraid. This place may look like a game, but it's not a game."

Once again, the word game came up. But this time it carried a greater resolve.

"I don't really want to die, and I think I may run from fear."

That's a given. Vale and everyone else had thoughts like that too.

"However, if we all support each other, we'll definitely be fine!"

Upon hearing these words, a single light shines in Vale's empty mind. Vale stands up from his chair and faces the girl.

"Let's go, Shinobu-sama! As you said, we must do what we can for now!"

"Yeah, that's the spirit!"

Shinobu feels happy from the bottom of her heart that Vale was able to regain some of his energy. Vale was able to erase some of his doubts.

(That's right. I can't give up. I need to believe. In the King. In the Heroes. Once again... I'll go meet Judom-sama once more!)

With a strong resolve, he walks out of the resting room into the outside world.

But he still hadn't noticed. That the answer he reached right now didn't really resolve anything. If he were to realize the truth, the shock would only be greater now than before.

And he still hasn't noticed. That whether he liked it or not, he would have to put everything on the line to take from others their everything.

Chapter 24: Honey Gathering

Konjiki no Wordmaster Chapter 24: Honey Gathering

"And? Why do I have to dress like this?"

Hiiro wasn't wearing his usual red robe. He was dressed in thick, white work clothes from head to toe, with a net covering his face. He was even wearing dense leather gloves.

This is that, isn't it? The clothes beekeepers wear in order to collect honey.

"Hey, old man. Could the honey here be produced by bees?"

"Bees? I don't know what you're talking about, but the honey here is made by Honey Bees."

(TL: Hiiro is saying Bee in Japanese. Arnold says it in english)

Those are bees all the same, is what Hiiro wanted to shout out. But there was something he wanted to confirm before that.

"Old man, didn't you say the honey was something the 『Bearnt』people produced?"

"Ah? Did I say something like that?"

"You definitely did. To forget what you said yourself, are you going senile, pervert?"

"It's been a while since you said it you bastard! Who's a pervert!?"

"Ga ha ha! The thing we make isn't the honey. We make 《Honey Confectionaries》."

Max, dressed in the same garb as Hiiro says this. He's probably going as well.

"Hm? I think there was an MP restoring item called 《Honey Candy》.  Is that one of your products?"

"Yeah, that's an item made by mixing in the flower 《White Iris》. We breed those flowers selectively and control the flow of the product in the world."

"I see. And? Why do I have to dress like this?"

"Of course, because you're going to go gather the honey, right?"

"Cut the crap, sexual deviant."

"Ah, he changed my name again! I really don't like this change!"

"Anyways, I'm not going."

Saying that, Hiiro throws his gloves at the ground.

"Don't worry. Right now, the Honey Bees shouldn't be here. There's no danger. C'mon."

"Say that from the start... Is what you thought I would say? This Old Man has the resolve to get stung repeatedly in order to retrieve delicious honey for me, his lord."

"Gununununu! Why would I get anything for you!? And when did you ever become my lord!?"

"'Twas a joke."

I know, but still I'm angry!

Watching the two quarrel, Max goes to Muir.

"Are those two always like that?"

"P-pretty much..."

"I see..."

Hiiro ditches the work clothes, and once again dons his red robe. He seems to have absolutely no intention of going. Seeing him, Arnold begins smiling.

"Oy, oy. Are you sure about that, Hiiro?"

"Ah?"

"Of course, I could infiltrate the Honey Bee nest, take the honey and come back to let you eat it. It would probably be plenty tasty."

"...What are you trying to say?"

"But do you know when Honey Bee honey, 《Honey Syrup》 is tastiest?"

"..."

"That's right after it's taken out of its holding area."

Upon hearing those words, Hiiro's index finger twitches for a moment.

"What's more, look at this."

Saying that, he takes out a biscuit from a bag.

"This is a biscuit specially made by the 『Bearnt』 people. You're supposed to douse it in 《Honey Syrup》 the second you obtain it. Ah~ the taste of it is heavenly."

"........."

"How unfortunate. It seems you're not going, so you'll have to make do with the lesser quality 《Honey Syrup》 afterwards. Meanwhile, we'll be savoring the best quality of goods... wait, what?"

Hiiro disappeared before his very eyes. Arnold looks everywhere to find him. But what comes into his vision is a full equipped Honey Gathering Expert.

"I've said this time and again, but mention that first. Now then, let's go already Little Girl Kidnapper."

"W-who's a kidnapper you damn brat!"

Watching the two quarrel, Max goes to Muir.

"Are those two always like that?"

"P-pretty much..."

"I see..."

These two also follow closely behind Hiiro.

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Hiiro, who had lost to his appetite, resolves himself to go through some trouble. His face is warped with the desire to eat the best quality food as he hurries towards the Honey Bee nest.

He was relieved that the place was supposed to be close by, but when he finally arrived, he stared at his destination in dismay.

In front of him was a big... very big bee hive. Its size was around that of a house.

"Oy, isn't this a little too big?"

"Hahaha, actually, this is my first time gathering honey as well... This is a bit surprising."

Watching the two,Max lets out a hearty laugh.

"Isn't this to be expected? Honey Bees are about as big as babies. How would they live without a nest this big?"

"I think the books said they were around 30 Tails long."

Hiiro searches through his memory and produces this information. By the way, this world's measurement of Tail is about the equivalent of a centimeter. The only thing different is the name.

"Well then, should we go in?"

Max says this, and He leads Hiiro's group to the other side of the hive. There, they find an area with something that looked like a handle sticking out.

Max places the large bag he had with him on the ground. He firmly grasps the handle, and pulls it with all of his might. As if it were a desk drawer, the section of the hive is slowly pulled out.

Immediately, the air fills with the sweet smell of honey. Enough to make Hiiro and his companions gulp unintentionally. After he pulled out around half of the drawer, Max stopped.

"Hey, look."

Where Max was pointing was a series of crevices inside of the hive. The formation looked like a Sudoku board with the walls representing the frame.

And inside of these crevices was a soft spongy substance. Max takes that out and wrings it out over a bottle he produced from his bag.

And viscous liquid slowly flows from it. Steadily, the honey settles into the bottom of the bottle.

"You guys should try it as well."

He steps aside and points Hiiro's group to the spongy substance. Hiiro takes it in his hand.

(I see, so this is how they gather it)

Hiiro record the knowledge in his head as he begins to wring it out. But he quickly gets tired of it, and puts his hand on Arnold's shoulder, saying he would leave it to him.

"Hey! You'll get honey on my shoulder!"

It's already on it anyways. Hiiro takes off his gloves, and takes a biscuit out of Arnold's pocket.

"Oy, wait!"

"It's fine, just do your job Old Man."

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

After Arnold's shouting stops, Max shrugs his shoulders.

Hiiro soaks the borrowed in plenty of honey. The honey itself is orange in color, and quite thick. It's smell is enough to clearly convey its sweetness.

First, Hiiro puts the honey itself in his mouth.

"N........ooh"

It's an extreme concentrated sweetness. On top of that, it is a bit sour. It may be because it had been fermenting. This honey truly is top class.

Without losing any momentum, Hiiro shoves the biscuit in his mouth.

"... Yes. It's quite tasty."

Without a doubt, it's tasty. This is an item that would definitely be popular with women. But Hiiro was a holder of quite a sweet tooth, so he enjoys it equally. Before he noticed it, the biscuits were gone.

"Uooooooi! Did you eat all of them by yourself!?"

"Yes."

"Don't yes me! This is the true surprise! I've once again confirmed that you're an irreconcilable bastard!"

"No crying over spilt milk. What a petty man."

"How should I shut that mouth of yours?"

The force exerted on the sponge in his hand increases.

"Ga ha ha! If it's biscuits, then I have plenty with me. Don't worry."

"I see. Good work."

"You still plan on eating more!?"

"Don't underestimate my power."

"Wha!?"

"My stomach... Is still calling out."

"I'm going to kill yooou!"

And after various things happened, they filled all of their jars with honey, and pushed the drawer back in. Finally, they shared a meal together.

"Oh! What a delicacy! As expected of 《Honey Syrup》!"

Arnold holds his hands together in praise.

"Quiet. Don't be so rowdy in the middle of a meal."

"Nu...kku... damn... brat..."

Arnold had felt a little embarrassed for his sudden outburst, but hearing this from Hiiro pissed him off.

"Ga ha ha! Arnold is quite a spoiled man!"

Max laughs happily as he snacks on a biscuit.

"NomNomNomNomNomNomNom"

Muir is wholeheartedly eating them... nibbling on them?

Seeing her, Arnold expression turns warm.

"Ha~ Why must she be so cute~?"

"You're creepy."

"What the hell!"

"Then let me rephrase that. You're disgusting."

"Don't those mean the same?"

"Ga ha ha."

"NomNomNom"

As the four happily (?) eat, a buzzing sound begins to sound out.

"It seems the lord is coming back."

A large group of bees clouds the sky. The size of each individual bee is incomparible to that of a normal one.

"Oy, oy. Isn't this nest too small for that amount?"

"This isn't the only one. There are six hives in total."

"I see, then it seems plausible."

A large Honey Bee starts flying straight at them. Hiiro and Arnold immediately take a stance, but...

"Ah, I left my sword behind"

Arnold is the same. Arnold stands in front of Muir, and Hiiro prepares to write a word. But Max slowly stands up and laughs.

"Once again, thanks for the splendid honey."

As if in response, the bee bobs up and down in the air.

"We'll make another hive soon, so have fun until then."

Up. Down. Up. Down.

After that short interaction the bee returns to the flock.

In exchange for the 『Bearnt』 building them sturdy hives, the Honey Bees offer a portion of their honey. That's the agreement between the two parties. It was a contract that existed longer than anyone could remember. The Bee that stopped by earlier was the Queen.

"Hey, wait a second. Then why am I wearing this?"

As Hiiro says this, the two besides Max nod.

"Well it's not like there's no meaning to it."

"What do you mean?"

"This area is swarming with many bugs. Especially after we take out honey..."

Suddenly a swarm of smaller bugs descends on the group.

(T-this feels disgusting)

The various bugs crawl all over their bodies. Muir has an expression hinting at the end of the world before she loses consciousness. Arnold, who is carrying her, and even Hiiro pray to god for the end of this ordeal.

"Now then. Since we've been eating for a while, the amount of bugs will be considerable. What should we do?"

""Run!""

"I see."

With all their strength, the four leave the area.

Chapter 25: Tasty Honey Sweets

By Tenshiroe, with translation check by Yoraikun

Yoraikun's opinion: The grammar was better than most translations I've read, but the accuracy was a bit off.

Konjiki no Wordmaster Chapter 25: Tasty Honey Sweets

Hiiro went back to the village, and ordered for the making of 《Honey Candy》 with the 《Honey Syrup》. That was just how tasty he found the honey.

Arnold and Muir both went somewhere, so Hiiro was alone and planned to have a nice day relaxing. He went to the flower garden near the village and took out a book.

By the way, this was something borrowed from Max's house. Of course, with permission.

《The Adventures of Tyn Cal Weikl》.

Such was written on the cover. Somehow, he could read the language of this world, as it got translated when it entered his head. According to the guild, the language of this world was called 《Ranalyth》, and was quite different from Japanese.

But Hiiro could read the words as if they were written in Japanese. This was most likely an ability he got upon transferring worlds. His mind was able to instantly translate the words he read. However because of this, in order to write the language, he would need formal training.

To tell the truth, the four heroes have had practice writing this world's language. But Hiiro had already learned it. He could already write on the level of an average person of this world.

He had always had a good memory, especially in relation to things he was interested in. And Books were one of his passions. Though not perfect, Hiiro was able to remember most of everything he wanted to, so he was able to quickly memorize the letters of this world.

"This is....the story of a hero, right?" (Hiiro)

Anyway, looking at the cover of the book, there was a picture of a young youth with a sword.

(So books like this get written in this world as well. Let's see, the author is... Marquis Blue Note)

It was not a name he had heard of.

Hiiro turned the page and continued reading. He found that the story had an honestly common setting. The countries each claiming respective authority, and insisting that they are the top of the world. At first, it starts as a discussion, and then escalates to war.

The countries fight each other, and people feel the consequences and become impoverished. The world becomes painful. Meanwhile, a young boy unhappy with the situation of the world, and friends who have the same thoughts go to stop the war.

(That's a nice sense of justice, however the world is tough enough to survive through a little war)

As for the person who is called the hero, he is praised, but then killed later.

(... What? They kill off the main character?)

Furthermore, he was killed by the king of the country which called for the hero. In the end, the hero was executed with the crime of killing the daughter of the king. Of course, the hero was completely innocent. However, as the countries were rescued from war, the king envied the fame of the hero who became the symbol of peace and murdered him.

Then, confusion broke out as to who killed the hero, and from that, a new war started, going back the state the world was in before.

(The hero worked so hard, and died a miserable death. He wasn't even rewarded)

But the adventure hadn't ended yet.

(What do you mean by not ended!)

There still things he needed to do. So, he was still left with this mission when he died. Thus, he revived and came back to the world.

The hero searched, for a method to return the world to a peaceful state. On his journey, he came across a certain magic. Its power was absolute and could control the world as one desired.

However, his body was lost in the process, and he became just an existence, and could not use the magic. Thus, he decided to wait. Someday, a person will find the hero, and at that time, the hero will revive again, and bring back the peace. First, though, the whole country will be crushed.

(Oy, this Hero gives up quickly.)

I will eliminate all the countries with the bad ideas. Then, the world will be peaceful. A world I would be able to adventure freely in.

So, the hero continues to wait. Waiting, waiting.

Believing that the hope of light will come someday, he continues to wait.

The Man's name was Tyn Cal Weikl. A man heralded as a Hero.

(This man is definitely broken. But the ones who did it were the country and the world)

Hiiro slammed the book shut.

"And such is the end of a Hero. I definitely don't want to become one."

The book didn't grant the Hero a happy ending. Though real life can take any sort of turn, a story is just a story. Fiction is just a fabrication.

Even the hero who made peace has many enemies. If you have war, there are people who benefit. Here, there are even some people who wish to fight. And in the midst of it, a young hero attempted to push his selfish ideals of justice onto everyone else.

"Freedom is the best. Don't force yourself to work. Just going with the flow is best."

While murmuring this, Hiiro closed his eyes.

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"There is the 《Fried Syrup》, 《Honey Tart》, and the 《Threesome》, and also the 《Honey Sap》!"

Max had arranged the 《Honey Candy》 on the desk and was pointing to different ones to teach Hiiro how to make them. There were even ones that he have never seen before. Muir is ecstatically looking at all of them.

As expected of a little girl. Arnold gulps as he stares at the honey candies, which are shining like jewels.

"Amu" (TL: Sound of putting food in mouth)

"Why are you already eating!?"

Hiiro starts to eat, and soon after, Arnold joins in. He realizes that his retorts will bear no fruit, so he starts eating as not to lose to Hiiro.

The 《Fried Syrup》 was something like honey fried in oil. It had a fierce, new texture, creating a new effect.

The 《Honey Tart》 was just a tart covered in honey. It seemed to be Miur's favorite.

The 《Threesome》 was something similar to a pizza, with 3 different types of honey, the 《Blue Honey》, the 《Red Honey》, and the 《White Honey》, and then topped in different fruits. This appeared to be Arnold's favorite.

The 《Honey Sap》 was a nice finisher. It was made up of a white ball of rice cake, with the honey inside. When it was bitten into, it revealed its true taste. It combined the light taste of cake with the thick flavors of the honey mixed with jam within. This was Hiiro's favorite.

When the three companions were full, Max asked them what they were going to do from now on.

"Well, our purpose here is done. We also got the honey."

Hiiro opens up the bag, showing the bottle of honey inside.

"So, you're leaving soon?" (Max)

"Yeah." (Hiiro)

"Oh, where are you going?" (Max)

"The City of Pasion" (Hiiro)

"【Beast Capital Pasion】, hmm.... that's very far." (Max)

Right, the capital was quite far off. It would take around a week by foot.

"Well, there's no rush to get there." (Arnold)

"Oh, really? Then today we'll party 'til we drop!" (Max)

"Yeah!"

Arnold and Max bumped shoulders in high spirits, while Muir stared at them, not sure what to do.

(City of Pasion, huh. I would like to see that.)

Hiiro looked at the sky through the window.

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【Beast Capital Pasion】. This is where the king of the『Gabrenth』lives. It was made around a big tree and is surrounded by a vast forest forest. Or rather, you could say that it is the forest.

All the houses and buildings are made of trees. It's truly a Kingdom in harmony with nature.

Meanwhile, a young man was standing on a big branch looking up the tree. Then, there was a voice from below.

"Hey, don't climb so far ahead!"

"Come down quickly!"

Two men clad in armor shout towards the young man.

"Shoot, they found me, dood."

Reluctantly, the young man jumps off of the branch he was on, surprising the men.

"He jumped off!"

"I-is he alright?"

They are worrying for nothing. The young man lands stunningly on a branch... or not.

Snap!

The branch broke and the young man crashes into the thicket. The two men hurry towards him.

"Oy, are you okay!?"

While rubbing his head, the young man smiled.

"M-my apologies, dood. But I'm fine."

"G-good. That's good. Now don't be climbing up that high again, you hear?"

One of the men offers his hand. The young man gladly takes it and gets up.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see the tree that is held so dearly by this country, dood."

He looks at the large tree from underneath.

"Right. The first King Jingwald saw this tree, and made it the center of his country. It's sometimes called the《Tree of Beginnings》."

"Yeah, this is the first time I've visited the《Tree of Beginnings, Aragorn》, dood."

"Now that I think about it, you're an unfamiliar face. Where are you from?"

"Really, really~ far east from here, dood."

"East... so【Kalent】?"

"Even farther, dood."

"What was there beyond that? Ah, are you from a newly established village or something?"

"Well, something like that."

The youngster shows off his two white canines as he laughs aloud.

"But kid, how did you climb all the way up there?"

The man stares up at the towering tree as he speaks.

"How? I jumped, dood."

"Jump... Well I can see from your ears that you're of the『Were Rabbit』 tribe. I guess I can be satisfied with that explanation."

On top of the youngster's hair, which was as green as the leaves of the trees, was a set of long ears that twitched back and forth.

"Oy, it's time to change shifts."

"Ah, is it already that time? Kid, don't do anything too dangerous."

"That's for the warning, dood."

And after saying that, the two guards left. The youth stares at the giant tree once more.

"It's quite nice. This city that seems to grow around it."

He puts on a brown robe, and starts walking away. As he leaves, he stares at the other tree. The dwelling of the king of the Beasts, the《King Tree》.

"I guess it's time for me to get to work, dood."

And with the sound of the wind, the young man disappears.