According to the communication crystal, my compatriot and Marya had an encounter with an enemy bastard while Lakra and I were being diagnosed at Balastos' place. We were told that a brief battle had broken out, and we rushed back to Trine.
　Mikus took them to Odysse's house in Trine for refuge. Considering that Marya had been followed when she returned from the Horstal Trading Company, it was not a bad choice to use the residence of the hard-to-reach general of Trinh's army. Leaving the base to Harkdock and Masetta, he arrived at the destination with Lakra and Ao.

"Brethren! Marya! Are you alright?
"Oh, Mister Ecdysius. I've been expecting you!

　We were greeted by Mixx and Odysseus. I can't see my compatriot or Marya. But I could tell from the look on his face that he was in trouble.

"Mixu, I've heard that there's been a strange change in the two of you, what's the situation?
What's the situation?" "Lord Marya is resting at the moment, sir. I think it would be quicker to see your friend in person at .......

　I was shown to a room where my compatriot was. There was no sign of any change, but as soon as he saw me, he turned his eyes to observe me. It's been a long time since I've seen him like this, but it still sends chills down my spine.

I wonder if this is the ecdysiac I was talking about earlier? I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm not sure what to make of it.
You don't remember ...... me, do you?
Yeah. I don't remember you, I guess I should say. At least I don't know who you are.
"Mr. Shosho, you're acting rather normal ......, though your mood is much different .......
It's not easy to believe in the current situation, but when magic and subhumans exist, you have to accept that this is a different world. At any rate, I understand that you guys are not harmful or hostile. Thanks for the explanation, Mix. For now, let's summarize what's happened.

　The compatriot began to explain the situation that had just happened to him and Marya. It seems that due to the magic of the bastard who calls himself Solide, the Compatriot and Marya have lost their memories from a certain point until now. The difference seems to be that Solide's target was Marya, and her brother was indirectly involved.

So Marya was brought back to a time not long after she lost her sister. ......
I'm not sure what to make of that. And it's a wonderful development that I'm surrounded by people who know about me. By the way, you've gotten really strong. I know how inconvenient life in another world can be.

　The compatriot moved his body as if to check its condition. It seems that you have much more strength and muscle power than when you first appeared in this world.

I've explained to your friend what I know of his history, and he's adapted remarkably well.
"It's complicated inside, though. But it's so convenient that he can easily overcome the language barrier.
But the power to take away memories ...... is quite dangerous .......

　In the event that you've got a lot of money, you're going to want to make sure that you're able to get it back. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea. I'm not sure if they can take away your memories, erase them, or get them back, but depending on what it is, you may need to change your response. Balastos, right? Maybe that guy, the Great Sage, can do a little more research.
"Hmm ......, I suppose the immediate policy is to investigate first?
Yes. But, Mix, you were exposed by Solide, right? I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it. Including me.

　From Solide's point of view, it was no surprise that Mixu's subhuman disguise had convinced him that the target of his attack was one of his own people. His plan to infiltrate as a merchant would have been doomed.

Let's go to Lord Balastos.
But before that, there are some of my personal belongings at our base, right? I need someone to retrieve it for me. A few years have passed, but I'm still me. I'm sure they have all the information they need to figure out what to do with it.
I'll take your friend, Marya, and I'll ask you to take Ecdysiac, Harkdock and Masetta with you.
"Yes, I understand. But will my people be able to fly in their current state?

　I think the order to Kutou was reasonably complicated, but I doubt that my compatriot, who has no memory, will be able to fly satisfactorily.

"The demon possessing this wooden sword, is it Kuto?
"Yes, Al-Jissama. Kutou, my best friend!
I have no idea how to use you or anything.
Ow. ....... Kutou, Kattenakoudou, dekinai. Arjisama no meirei, yes man.

　Kuto is a demon, of course he has an ego. But at the hands of the Purple Demon King, Kuto's voluntary actions are restricted. This is not for the sake of his compatriots, but for the sake of his collaborators, including Marito. It is an insurance policy in case Kuto, who is always carrying his compatriots, moves for his own benefit.

Are you sure you want us to fly with you?
"Not exactly, but it'll work. Newangstka, I'll do whatever you want!
That's a very disturbing answer.
We're over capacity in Kutou. There's a Dal'Agestia holed up outside the royal city of Turrin. We'll take her.

　I think that's reasonable. It's less conspicuous with Kutu, but now the enemy may be closing in. With the high strength of the Daluagestia, it would not be so easy for them to get their hands on her.



As I recall, your friend has written a manual for commanding Kutu. You can check it out later.
Oh, so that's what he's writing. I see you've adapted better than I thought, future me.
"......

　My people are on their way to Balastos. I don't know how much the loss of my present memory has affected me, but I don't think my people have lost much of their ability. In reality, however, I have been told by strangers that I am a long-time friend. It must be taking its toll. I could clearly see that they were more distant from us than usual.
　And as for Marya, ....... She has been brought back to the state of mind she was in when she lost her father and then her beloved sister. I wish there was a way to undo it, but if she's still lost everything she's ever known, ....... I'm not sure if all the words and memories Marya gave me back then are gone. She forgave a man like me because she had trained her mind to become a holy knight. If I were to repent again, would I be forgiven?

...... No, I never intended for her to forgive me in the first place. All I had to do was pay for the sins I had to pay for.

　Marya saved me, now I have to save her. If I don't, I'll never be able to face Lacia. It may sound arrogant, but it is the only way I can atone for what Lacia tried to protect.

　◇.

　When I returned to my room, I found that Ritual was in the middle of making a cup of tea. The way he was making tea made me think that he must have been Nektokhar's tea master for a long time.

I thought you'd be back by now, so I made you some tea.
"I'm not thirsty, by the way. But we've had some success. We've made contact with the Yggra Star People.
Oh, you were successful in finding them?
"It wasn't that difficult. It's true that I was at a disadvantage when it came to deception with the Yugra people, but he doesn't do everything himself. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be if I just focused on going after his collaborators.

　We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The main reason why the people of Yugra's planet are so important is because of their intelligence. If this is the case, then the people around them are likely to be good at something other than that field. Even if there are two wise men, the place will not run well.

That's good. It's a good thing I'm not around.
At first I thought they were the black wolves I'd heard about, but they'd grown subhuman ears and tails by magic or something.

　The Blade of Annihilation, Mix-Thayes had subhuman ears and a tail, so I was aware of its mechanism. If it weren't for that, I couldn't shake the suspicion that he might be a collaborator of the Kuro Wolves.

So, what was the result?
"I used my power on one of his people. I used my power on one of his people and got the people of Yuggra involved as well. One of them got his mind back to when he was a kid, but I'm not sure how much he's gotten back.
The power of the curse is always frightening to hear. The power of the curse is always frightening to listen to. The power to interfere with one's memory, which is essentially a talent that allows one to keep one's memory clear and forget unwanted memories. But it has been sublimated to the point where it can force others to adapt to its falsification through the medium of sound.
As far as I'm concerned, it's more frightening that you know so much about it without even explaining it to me.

　Originally, this power was a skill I honed to escape reality, to forget unpleasant experiences. All I wanted was to spend my days without pain. But then one day I thought. "Why do I have to forget about the people who made me feel bad? Once that idea came to me, it was easy. By taking away the memories and experiences that are important to the other person, you make their entire life worthless. I had such a useful weapon in my hands.

But Solide. Nektothar told me that your power was limited.
Yeah, the power you give others is a curse. When the curse is lifted, it's over. But unless you're Yugra, you'll never get rid of it unless I do.

　I'll use my wand as a medium to implant a wedge in their past memories. If I do so, the opponent will reacquire memories of the present from that point in the past. This curse consumes magic when it is cast, but does not require magic to maintain the result. The effect is permanent if the wand is used in conjunction with it to maintain the wedge.

Until the wand is destroyed or you die, I suppose. Will it be affected by the sealing stone breaking the magic construct?
The wedge I'm granting is different from a magic construct. It's more like a direct conceptualization. You can disable the curse when you want to, but you can't undo the wedge itself, can you?
"The bastard's talent is beyond magic, isn't it? It's like a transcendent power given to a demon lord.
That's because he's the one who prepared it. It's a shame we couldn't finish him off, but it's a bonus that we were able to take away the memories of Yugra's people. They've been exposed and weakened. I'm sure they're just making up their own mind about what they're going to do against a bunch of strangers.

　My power is not only to take away their experience. I can plant the seeds of discord. People around you know who you are, but you can't remember any of your relationships with them. That fear is more than enough to slow you down. A strategist who is unable to cooperate with those around him or her is nothing more than an insignificant person.

It is better not to be too careful. Human nature has not changed since we were children. Just because the memories of Yugra's star people have returned to the past doesn't mean they've been neutralized.


I'm not going to let my guard down. That's why I came back, to avoid having to deal with the mix.

　I've heard rumors of her. She joined Morgana, a prestigious adventurer's guild, without revealing her identity, and rose to rank 2. She is also famous for destroying a number of bandits by herself. If I were to go to war with him, I'm sure I'd be killed.
　It's not just Mikus. The fact that the star people of Yugra had recovered and appeared to Trinh meant that Ecdyke, who had become a member of the Blue Demon King's demon tribe, Ilias-Ratzel, who had won the sword fighting tournament in Taze, and Lakra-Salph, a cleric of the Yugra cult who was said to have defeated several great demons, would also appear in force.
　As long as I can trap them, I can neutralize them with my power alone. I don't know how much effort you have spent to reach that level, but I can make it worthless. As long as I can read and win over whoever it is, I can handle as much as I want.
　It's time to get rid of the riffraff. It's time to bring in those who can be used as assets.

"You can help other bastards, but don't use them up. They're one of us.
"Ritual, if you can read what I'm thinking, you don't need to worry, do you?
I'm worried about them because I can.