By the time I finished appraising and interviewing all the former slaves, night had already fallen. During the process, it became clear that several of them were carrying something called 【The Budding Evil God】 inside them.
According to the appraisal results, people who harbored this bud could be slowly transformed into vessels for an evil god through regular infusions of the evil god’s magic power . In exchange, they gained an unnaturally accelerated growth rate, far beyond what any normal human should achieve. It was a troubling, double-edged gift.
「Removing it would be easy… but the power that’s been letting them advance so smoothly as adventurers would take a huge hit…」
For people whose entire livelihood now depended on dungeon exploration, this was literally a matter of life and death.
「What should I do…」
I gazed down from the balcony at the group cheerfully barbecuing in the garden below. Their laughter drifted up on the night breeze. Honestly, I wanted to just rip the buds out right now, but that would rob them of future possibilities.
「Haa… What should I do…」
I probably couldn’t figure this out alone.
「No… I just can’t bring myself to decide.」
「What can’t you decide, exactly?」
At the soft voice, I looked up. Liliana stood there holding two drinks, her silver hair glowing faintly in the moonlight, the hem of her dress brushing the floor as she stepped closer.
「Liliana… since when have you been here?」
「Since Yuuki-sama let out that big sigh.」
「Ahaha… You caught me at my most pathetic moment.」
「That’s perfectly fine. So… what were you worrying about?」
She set the drinks on the small table between us and sat down across from me, close enough that our knees almost touched. The faint floral scent of her hair drifted over, warm and comforting in the cool night air.
「Well… actually…」
I explained everything I’d been thinking about. When I finished, Liliana blinked once, then gave a bright, matter-of-fact smile.
「Then why not just train them yourself, Yuuki-sama?」
「Huh?」
「Exactly. Even if you remove the buds, if you personally train them, their growth rate will be on a completely different level.」
「Is it really that simple?」
「It is that simple. Why not talk to them about it tomorrow?」
「Yeah… maybe I will…」
「Danna～!! Come down here～!!」
「Hey! Regil, shut up! You’re bothering the neighbors!!」
「Ow ow ow ow! Laila, your voice is even louder!!」
Laila tugged hard on Regil’s ear. Considering she had just accepted Radi’s proposal last night, their playful roughhousing felt surprisingly carefree and intimate.
「Arara, we’re really going to be a nuisance to the neighbors if we keep this up.」
「Yeah, you’re right. Let’s head down.」
I scooped Liliana into my arms and leaped off the balcony. A gentle wind spell softened our landing.
「Hey! No fair, Liliana!」
「That’s right～! Yuuki-sama, me too! Me too!」
Amilia and Selene immediately crowded in close.
「And I heard Liliana-sama went on a nighttime date with Yuuki-san yesterday!!」
「Wait!? Liliana!?」
「Well… I did enjoy some private time with Yuuki over there…」
「Amilia-san too!? That’s so unfair～!!」
Selene’s eyes shimmered with tears as she clung tightly to my arm, pressing her soft cheek against my side in a needy little hug.
「Come on, Yuuki. Take responsibility～」
「Yes, take responsibility♪」
With both of them closing in, there was no escape.
「Ugh… fine. I have business tomorrow, but the day after that…」
「Really…?」
「Yeah. Tomorrow I have to meet Ulberick-san officially.」
I reached out and gently patted Selene’s head. Her beast ears twitched and flattened in ticklish delight, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks as she leaned into my touch with a tiny, happy shiver.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
The next morning came early. I gathered everyone who carried 【The Budding Evil God】.
「——and that’s the situation.」
「No way… some of us have…」
「But that’s exactly why we got so strong so fast…」
「Master… do you really have to remove them?」
「Yuuki-san…」
Everyone wore anxious expressions. Even Laila was among them.
(Well… Laila’s worried for a slightly different reason.)
I had already explained everything to her the night before.
「Isn’t it fine? You guys have been getting way too cocky lately anyway. Getting knocked down a peg might do you good.」
「But Regil-san!!」
「I get that you’re scared. But having this guy personally train you? That’s actually a huge advantage.」
「But Danna-sama isn’t that strong, is he?!」
「You really don’t know? Oh right… you haven’t seen it yet.」
「Is he really that strong?」
「Yeah… you guys never actually witnessed it, did you?」
「Huh?」
「Let’s head to the garden… boss… please show them.」
With that, Regil strode out of the room. Everyone followed him to the garden.
「Um… what should I do…?」
「Just stand right there and take my attacks, boss.」
「Got it.」
「Then here I come!!」
Regil closed the distance in a blink. I caught his strike with one hand. Instantly a knife flashed toward my face, I tilted my head just enough to let it skim past my cheek.
「No good, huh!? Then!!」
He hurled a smoke bomb at my feet. My vision vanished in thick gray haze. But Regil could clearly see through it. I felt the faint shift in the air as he readied another knife.
「Here goes! 『Mirage Dance』!」
「There it is! Regil-san’s Mirage Dance!」
「The ultimate technique that tears monsters to shreds!!」
Blades came from every direction, above, below, left, right, each one aimed at a vital spot that would end the fight instantly.
「Ooh… impressive, impressive…」
Metal clanged repeatedly as I parried every single strike. When the smoke finally cleared, all the attacks had been stopped cold.
「Haa… As expected from boss. Not a single hit landed…」
Regil sheathed his knives and shrugged with a wry grin.
「No, that was seriously amazing. I don’t see many people who can handle knives that precisely and that fast.」
「But none of it even touched you…」
He scratched the back of his head as he walked over.
「So yeah. And just so you know, his magic is even stronger than Laila’s. Any complaints?」
「Y… yes…」
The slaves stood frozen, mouths hanging open, eyes wide and glassy.
「So that’s the deal. Training starts after we finish all this, okay? No objections?」
「「「「「Yes!」」」」」
「Alright then. Let’s do this. 『——Anti-Evil Healing!』」
I poured a massive amount of divine power into a heavily modified version of Dispel. After checking with appraisal, the 【Budding Evil God】 had vanished completely from each of them.
「Done! All finished!」
I tried to sound cheerful, but their complicated expressions didn’t brighten at all.
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