It is within the realm of expectation that Lakra-san's goal is to get Dokora's belongings. It was already at the level where Marito and I were saying, 'I wonder if that's true.
　It's not that we had made up our minds, but it's only natural that we would think that if personnel were suddenly sent from the headquarters while we were on alert for the movements of the Yugra cult.
　A sigh escaped me. This is the first time I've encountered a s*xy event in this world, and yet this flag is being collected so quickly.
　It would have been more fun for us if they had built a good relationship with us for a few more days, and then targeted the timing when we fully trusted them. .......

I'm not sure what to say.　I'm not sure what to do.　Why are you sighing? ......
Well, it's because he came to me in a s*xy way and asked me for information. ......
It's not that, it's just... are you sure you're not under some kind of enchantment ......?

　What's that? That's what he did to you?

Well, I was almost mesmerized in a way, since you approached me like that. ......
"......

　Oh, my face just turned red.

Forget it!　I beg you! Forget it!

　It's been a while since I've been grabbed by the chest and shaken. It's been a while since I've been grabbed and shaken.

"Well, well, well, please calm down. I think you look very glamorous.
"No, sir!　That's the kind of preliminary action that's necessary!

　"No! That's the kind of preliminary action that's needed!" Lacla's face turned red and she complained with tears in her eyes. She looks like she's about to cry if I play with her any more.
　As an adult, you have to moderate your attitude.

Don't worry, she's fascinated. You made me nervous.
"Aaah!

　But sometimes temptation can be overwhelming. In many ways.


Here, have some water.
Ugh, ......, thank you so much.

　I quieted the distraught Lakra and sat her down on the bed. Don't be a prankster.
　Now, I need to hear the details.

I'll wrap it up then. Ms. Lakra was looking for something other than this inspection and approached us, the prospective librarian, to get that information. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's a bit of a jerk.
"...... Yes.
In addition, the use of a charm spell will cause the memory of what happened before and after to be erased, so even though you had the courage to perform the charm spell, which you would normally be too embarrassed to do, you only exposed yourself to embarrassment because of your mistake.
"...... Yes.
If you had just seduced me normally, I could have done it without magic.

　Oh, I'm going to cry again. I'm not sure what to do. I guess it's a self-inflicted wound after escaping to an easy method.

"Why doesn't ...... work when it does work?　
I'm not sure. Just to be clear, is this the type of charm magic where you cast a spell on someone's head or something?
Yes, yes. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.
That's it. I told you that I have little magic power. I think I did the gestures right, but I don't think I have enough magic in me to build it in my body.

　This reminds me of Rai's fruit. It uses the magic power of those who eat it to create a state of domination and lure creatures to the nest where the slime is.
　It can be effective enough even for beasts with delicate magic power, but someone who is new to the other world will not even be affected by it because he or she has only one magic point.
　At first I thought I was lucky, but when I heard that I couldn't receive most of the healing magic, I felt like I had no insurance.

I'm not sure what to do.　I'm sure you've heard of it.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.

　I'm not sure what to do. I got the gist of it. That's how you do it? What's with this pompous beauty?

If you're going to go that far, wouldn't it be faster to just seduce her ......?
No, you can't do that!
You've been doing it for a while.

　Now, after a second break, we resume our conversation.

"But why are you forcing me to do this ...... thing again, if you don't mind me saying?
Umm ......

　The gist of the story was as follows.
　In the headquarters of the Yugra religion, there are sealed materials related to the abomination and the demon king.
　It is possible that one day the Demon Lord will reach out to the abomination again and reappear. It is kept as a last resort against such a situation.
　But Dokora, a member of the dark side of Mejis, stole one of the books. I have not been told the details, but it seems to contain information on necromancy.
　Although inferior to reanimation magic, necromancy is also a taboo subject. The Yugra cult has been following Dokora's footsteps to avoid the spread of this.
　They found his base of operations in Ghane. There they found traces of Dokora's attempts to learn necromancy.
　After that, he was never heard from again, but recently, Ms. Maja sent a request to Mejis for information.


　A man with a ship's arm and a possible use of necromancy. That's Docora, without a doubt.
　By the time he escapes his pursuers in Mejis, Dokora has already lost one of his arms. After that, the Yugra headquarters instructs Maja to search for the book.
　Since Dokora had acquired a high level of necromancy, it was highly likely that the book had been brought to Taze.
　However, even after searching all the locations, the book was not found. Headquarters instructed Maja to continue the search, but with no results.
　It should be there, but it's not. As a result, some people began to raise suspicions about Ms. Maja.
　In order to solve this problem, the headquarters secretly dispatched Ms. Lakra, a capable person.

"Competent?
It's true, she's an expert in all higher level magic, especially purification magic, and she can handle an army of undead alone!

　Competent. Even against dozens of undead, the country's most numerous knights were unable to attack.
　And yet, this clunker is strange. Is this actually an act? If so, how clever ....... No, you should have succeeded in seducing him from the start.
　But when I hear stories like this, I realize how important chemistry is. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you. ...... Let's put aside our sadness for the moment.
　You can't handle attacks from knights with unusual movements like that.
　But those knights are not decisive against the undead. But a cleric can slaughter undead unilaterally. They're already dead. 　
　The gorilla that blew them away with a single blow does not fit into the category of affinity, so I'll categorize him as an exception.

And when I came to Taze, I got a chance to act away from Maja's eyes. And then I met someone who might be able to give me some useful information if I used my charm magic just right, and here I am.
"Yes, .......
You've just destroyed yourself in your haste to succeed!
No, no, no!　If it's all happening so fast, it must be God's guidance!
Let's say that's true. It's fine until you use the charm spell. What about the fact that you neglected to check afterwards whether the charm had been cast and cut to the chase?
"I've never failed before!

　To be honest, I'm very wary of the Yugra religion. I've been trying to be very careful with Marito, and I've consulted with him many times to devise various countermeasures, so this mess is hard.

I'm not going to be able to do it. ...... I'm not going to be able to do it. ...... I'm not going to be able to do it.
"If you're going to kill yourself, do it in your room. I'll tell you about my last heroic act at the bar.
I'm sure you mean what you say.　If you say so, I can't die even if I wanted to!　I'm going to become undead!

　That's a pretty black joke for a white priest. I hope he rests in peace.
　I hope you rest in peace, but if you're the cause of death, you're not going to sleep well. I'll follow up.

You don't have to be so secretive. I'm sure Maja knows she's under suspicion if someone from HQ comes at this time. Then why don't you just announce it and search openly? Why are you trying to find them in secret?
It is feared that if the existence of the forbidden book comes to light, there will be people who will want it.
Didn't the headquarters explain the existence of the book to you, Maja?
...... Yes, they did.

　She clapped her hands. Give me back the effort of socializing in the morning, you bastard. We thought we were dealing with an assassin.

"Oh, but what if Maja is hiding the book?
But what if she is? In fact, it would be better to declare it so she can't move.
"...... I see.

　I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to make of that.　I'm not sure I'm ready for this.

I'm going to ...... bed.
You're not going to help me, are you?
Think about what you just did. See?
Forget it. Let's forget it.
I'm not going to forget it!
You're getting a little rough with your language, aren't you?
A reserved attitude is for those who need it.
Ugh, I thought Master Shosho was a nice guy. ......
Thank you for that. Lakra was nice, too, until a while ago.
It hurts to be honest!
Totally. ...... Okay, okay, okay. I'll help you find the book. Is that okay?
Are you sure?　Thank you very much!



　I'm not going to share the information that Marito already owns the book.
　The flow of the conversation was vague, but I was able to avoid answering the question, "Do you know anything about the book?

"Oh, by the way, do you know anything about books?

　Not really. She is a woman who always betrays my thoughts.

"On the contrary, I'd like to know about the book. Do you have any information about what it looks like?
"Well, it's an old book with a title in a language I've never seen before.
And the contents?
Yes. It's not easy to decipher.
I don't think I've ever read anything like that in Tarz.
I see. ......

　Safe, I was lost for a moment. I've already seen the title of the book several times. But I haven't read the contents yet.
　The problem is that I was about to say 'I have never read such a book'. This would be a lie.
　The problem is that I was about to say 'I haven't read such books', which would be a lie, because I know that they are written in Japanese, and of course I read books in Japanese in Japan.
　If you add the words "in taze" later, you are retracting the lie later, and the lie detection sensor may respond.
　You have to try to discern what is valid and what is not, but you want to avoid it in such a dangerous situation. Although it can be dealt with, it is still a troublesome power.

Is there any way to find it?
Yes, there is. The book contains a special magic power that will react to a special ward.
I see. That's why you've been going around to the churches in the village to place the warding mechanisms.
Yes, how do you know it's ......?
"Wolfe told me. Rakhra's pack was slowly diminishing. It didn't smell like food, but it did contain something that looked like a stone. In a village without a church, he would have at least prepared a simple altar to offer prayers. I can imagine.

　Wolfe's nose and ears are not those of an ordinary man. I'm impressed that he's a subhuman wolf.
　As he was telling her about the differences and changes, he also mentioned Lakra's luggage.
　Looking at Lakra's purpose and her cards, it was easy to predict what she might do.

Can one of these wards cover an entire village?
"Yes. Yes, but it won't harm you. On the contrary, the magical power of the wards is useful for correcting the disorder of magical power in the body and recovering from fatigue.

　I haven't seen any negative ion products lately. The only thing I can think of is.

Many of the knights of Taze have magic seal stones in their weapons. Isn't that mechanism affected by the magic seal stone?
"Yes. The core of the warding is affected by the demon stone and will be released. However, the magic power emitted from the wards only has such characteristics, so you should be fine.

　So you're saying it's okay as long as they don't try to bring weapons into the church.
　It's similar to the method Docora took. No, they are originally from the same country, so it is natural that their methods are similar to some extent.

Can you tell when it reacts even at a distance?
Yes. If the magic power of the book in question and the magic power of the ward come into contact with each other, they will resonate and emit a kind of wave of magic power peculiar to a very wide area. If you can receive it, you can determine which location's ward has reacted.

　It's getting more and more complicated to use. Still, using the nature of magic seems to be a way to escape the existence of the magic seal stone.
　But if this is misused, won't it be possible to make some pretty dangerous weapons?
　I'm not an expert, so I don't know if it's possible to give the new magic power that is created from the properties to have the specific properties that you want.

If there is no response to the installation in all the villages, it means that there is nothing in the villages for the time being, right?
Yes. And finally, if we plant it in the Tarzan's homeland, we can check all the places where people are.
Yeah, but... Can you get permission for that?

　I wonder how many countries would say yes if they were asked if they could go around setting up wards in their country.
　They will give you something like negative ions, though. .......

"Can't you help me with ......?
"You're a candidate, you don't have that kind of authority. I'm sure I can talk to the king about it, but I'll have to ask him if he can get it approved.
That's good enough for me!
And then there's that. We'll have to find a reasonable place to set it up in the city together. But with all this stuff, you'd think we'd be more careful.
It's just that ...... seeing the amount of magic that Shosho has, I thought it would be safer .......
"Hey Lakra, I'll betray you someday.
I'm sure you're right.　You mean it when you say it.

　I'll betray you someday.

What?　I'm not sure what to make of it.　I'm older than you!


"No more of that stuff.

　And the next day and the day after that, they continue to visit villages to finish the trick. He spent two days visiting the western village, and on the third day he visited the eastern village.
　But in spite of all the traps in the villages, they did not find the book. That's only natural, since it's in the castle.
　Since I had nothing to do at this point, I continued my work as a prospective librarian.

But the Order must be busy if they have to work in so many villages. Aren't they short on manpower?
Yes, they are. In the home country, the knight apprentices are also working hard on various chores. ......
"Lakra, I heard that there is a high rate of demons in Mejis, how are you dealing with it?
Yes, I do. We put a bounty on the body parts of the demons and ask the adventurers to deal with them. Villages also hire them as guards under contract for a certain period of time.
"I see. So they leave it to the demon extermination experts.
I wish we could do the same, but we don't get many adventurers in Taze. ......

　Because demons come only rarely, adventurers can't hunt steadily.
　It's hard to use it the same way as Mejis. I'd like to see something in Taze that will attract adventurers.

By the way, when did you two become friends?
No, we haven't gotten close.
You're talking to each other like you're friends. You're even calling me by my first name.
That's his...
You know what?　I've asked him to call me that and to use a friendly language in the hope that we can build a friendly relationship like Shosho-sama and Ilias-sama!
"Oh, really?
No, it's just that his reputation has fallen.
Why can't you just be nice?
I'm not that happy to be thanked for it. I thought it would be more unpleasant to be misunderstood.
How can you say that with such sincerity?
...... What's really going on here?
"Shishou, I want Wolfe to feel the same as Ilias and the others.

　He silently beckoned Wolfe to sit near him and patted him on the head.

"Look, Wolfe. It's true that Wolfe's position is in the minority and different from everyone else's. But there's no need to make her reputation worse. Just be careful who you imitate, okay?
But ...... Shisho, you're always nice to Wolfe.
But Shisho is always nice to Wolfe. It's just that the rest of us are not as good as the rest of you, so just let Wolfe be his natural self.
...... Yes!
Wait a minute, does that mean I have a bad reputation too?
You think I'm good?
Don't be surprised!
We're the smart ones. Don't think it's easy to get a good reputation when you're always trying to solve everything with brute force.
"Ugh, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. I'm a brainy guy myself!
I'm not saying you're an idiot. I'm a reasonably intelligent person!
"What's a gorilla?

　After that, they returned to Taze's home country. Lakra immediately told Maja about the situation.

"Of course you're right. It can't be helped. As for me, I hope you can clear your suspicions as soon as possible, so good luck, Lakra!
"Oh, yes, .......

　"Oh, yes, ." I was given permission to do as I pleased. With this, there would be no hindrance to my activities in the city.

I mean, Maja, you knew almost from the start, didn't you?
Of course I did. You'd be crazy not to know.
I know.

　--------------------------------------

　A holy place of the Yugoslavian religion in Mejlis. It is the place where the heroes once swore to defeat the demon king, and the cathedral of the Yugra religion has been built.
　I, Eupalo-Rosaleo, the Pope of Yugra, am in the smallest and most humble room of the huge cathedral.
　I don't like luxury and opulence. But the Yugra faith is the most populous faith in the world.
　So while the cathedral stands as one of the world's great buildings, my office is a replica of the workroom I was assigned as a young man.
　And now, in that room, an archbishop is summoned.
　Ucka-Kenuk, the man on the left side of the Yugra religion, the one who sent Lakra to Tarz.

So you sent Rakhla Sarv to collect the book?
Yes, that is correct, Your Holiness.
"...... If I remember correctly, she's a top-notch priestess. If I remember correctly, she is a top-notch priestess. She has mastered almost all of the purification magic that is the essence of Yugraism at such a young age, and she has a proven track record in demon hunting.
Yes, that's right, sir.
And I remember that his other talents were so miserable that it was said that they took everything from him.
Yes, that's true.
Why did you choose her? ......

　Sigh. I wonder if a battle-ready priest like Lakra will be able to collect the books. No, I don't think so. I've seen Lakra once, you know. I don't think she's up to it.



Am I the only one who can see that Maja of Taze will find out what it's all about?
No, that was the plan all along.
"...... Okay. I'll save you the trouble of asking and answering.
Lakra is only going to have the book searched in an official capacity. Maja, the Archbishop of Taze, is a smart woman. Perhaps whoever they send will realize she's a suspicious auditor.
"I agree. It's no mean feat to have risen to Archbishop at such a young age.
So you should just open up. We'll send Lakra, whose intentions are obvious, so that Maja will be aware of them at an early stage, and then we can search for her.
"But did it have to be Lakra?　If we send a few more priests to investigate...
"Well, it had to be Lakra. If someone who is so careless is sent as an auditor, Maja will be forgiven for thinking we don't care that much about her. That's where we're going!
"...... is sending someone else in secret?
That's the Pope!

　Vodka praised him with an exaggerated reaction. Who made this guy the Archbishop, it was me.
　No, he's not like this, but he's got great connections.
　I'm sure you've heard of him.
　In other words, he can get along with most people. His achievements are so great that even the archbishops who want to say something have no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

I've already sent someone from the dark side of Mejlis to Taze. While Lakra is conspicuous by his shoddy search in the open, a better darkie will get the book in the background. This is my plan!　People let their guard down when they find the answer. That's what I'm going to do!
"...... Well, yeah. I don't blame you if you're using someone with the proper skills. But don't do anything that could jeopardize your relationship with Taze.
Yes, I'm on it.

　But this guy's got a lot of contacts, but does he have any connections to the dark side of Mejlis?
　I wonder if they just hit it off in a bar or something.

"My plan will never go unnoticed, sir. It's perfect, after all!

　--------------------------------------

Well, they're sending someone else, aren't they?
Yeah, that's the only way I can think of.

　That night, I went to Marito to report on the quarry and discuss possible actions for Mejlis.

I don't think it can be the same cleric. It's possible that he could be a merchant or an adventurer.
"It's going to be difficult to investigate with an unknown face. Is it possible that they are using the dark side of Mejis?
Yes, if they have the skill to disguise themselves, they could sneak into the castle.
We'll have to take precautions. Yes, I'm going to help Lakra, but it's okay if I let him swim, right?
Yeah. You can use them to your advantage.
"Use. ...... Okay. And what about the book?
The way you said it, you're going to set up wards around the outside of the castle, right?　If so, you can't take it out. Lord Raggedy or I will continue to hold it.
"We might as well start deciphering the book in case the worst happens and it gets recovered.
"Right. But whoever sent Lakra is a very daring man, isn't he? It's like announcing to Taze that you have a book on abstinence.
I'm sure Maja was prepared to find out, but she didn't think that Lakra would leak the information to the Tarzan nation. ...... No, that's not possible.
I'm sure they're trying to show some degree of compromise in order to prevent relations with the Tarz from deteriorating. I think that's a good thing.

　--------------------------------------

"I told Taze's potential librarian what happened?

　Ukka was astonished when he heard the report from Lakra. This is one of the secret arts of the Yugra religion that uses crystals to deliver words to people at a distance.
　You can use it in a limited number of places, but it is installed in most churches of the Yugra religion where there is a position higher than bishop.

It's all right! I told them what happened, and they agreed to help me find the book.
Oh, that's wonderful.
He's a very serious person, and he's a good friend of Maya. I'm sure she understands the seriousness of the situation.
"Mm-hmm. You've been blessed with good helpers! But remember to keep your mouth shut.

　If Euphrosyne were here, he would have a hard time with this conversation, but no one would argue with him.

"Lakra, if the necromancy described in the book spreads throughout the world, it will be a disaster. Keep your head up!
"Yes, I will do my best to live up to Master Ucka's expectations!

　Communication was cut off. Ukka was surprised by Lakra's unexpected behavior, but satisfied with the result.
　He even thought that perhaps he would find the book before the Dark One did.

'Master Ucka, may I?


"Oh, it's you. No problem.

　Then a visitor appears. A young man.

Is he communicating with Lacla?
Yes. Looks like things are going better than expected for Lakra. He may even find the book before the dark agents you arranged for him.
"Well, well. But that's okay. But that's fine. It's better if one of the prominent Yugoslavian priests can make a difference.
"Well, yes. So what can I do for you?
Yes. I'd like to add a few more assistants to the ones working behind the scenes. I've come to ask for your permission.
"Hmm, Lakra's got help on the ground, too. It would be difficult to work behind the scenes and not have the cooperation of the locals. You can arrange it as soon as you can.

　Ukka readily signed the documents prepared by his visitor. 　

"Yes, so be it.

　With that, the visitor leaves the room. After seeing him off, Ukka stares at the sky for a while.

"...... Well, who was that?

　Ukka tilted his head.