Chapter 208: The Welcome Banquet (2)

[ Name: Ren Arken

Age: 14

Race: Human

Strength: 400,000 (+4,300,000 [Mana])

Agility: 500,000 (+7,300,000 [Mana])

Vitality: 1,000,000 (+10,200,000 [Mana])

Mana: ~~~

Spiritual: ~~~

Intellect: 700, 000

Unique Skills:

-Magic cards -Appraisal -Evil gaze -Strengthen -Leap -Basic magics -Magic mastery -Grimoire of death -Real Clone [Heavenly Slime] -Eye of Wisdom -Sword God -Fenrir Arken -Reo Arken -Predator of the sky -Wild Beasts Skills -Knight’s soul -Defiler of the banished, Ataraxia -Slime Soul Diversion -Slime technique: Split -Tarot Emperor -Master of The Dragon King, Atlas]

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“What song is that, Ren? It’s the first time I ever heard it,” Asked Edreale as she approached Ren that is staring at the beautiful moon on top of the academy dormitory roof.

“So it’s you, Edreale. I thought it’s Alfred, the both of you really have a similar presence, aren’t you?” Replied Oz with a chuckle.

“Mu… It’s not a compliment, isn’t it?” (Edreale)

“Of course it is. I’m complimenting your stealth ability, you know?” Replied Oz with the same smirk that he usually has.

Looking at the smirk on Oz’s face, Edreale couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Why does such an evil smirk matches the moon so well?’

“So? What brings the famous bard on top of a lonely roof?” Asked Oz as he didn’t even take a glance towards Edreale a single time.

(The way he seems like he’s not interested. It’s irritating…) (Edreale)

“I’m just bored,” Replied Edreale with a slightly annoyed tone.

“W-Why do you sound like you’re annoyed because of something? Ah… Are you about to gaze at the sky alone as well? Did my presence ruin your plan?” Asked Oz as he was slightly flustered in how the expressionless Edreale shows a slight hint of annoyance in her tone.

(He finally takes a look at me) (Edreale)

“No. I got interested in the song you’re singing just now. Stop changing the subject,” (Edreale)

“Ah… Was it that obvious?” (Oz)

“A bit. I’ve known you for quite long already, after all,” (Edreale)

“As expected, just like Alfred, you’re sharp. Sen is also sharp, but he couldn’t guess people’s feelings like the both of you yet-” (Oz)

“Stop changing subjects,” Edraele cut Oz’s words as she pinched Oz.

“O-Okay, I’ll tell you, it hurts, Edreale,” said Oz with a wry smile.

“It’s a song from my homeland,” said Oz as he once again gazes at the moon.

Edreale shifted her gaze from the moon back to Oz’s face. But somehow.

Rather than getting fascinated by the beauty of the full moon, Edreale found herself couldn’t take her eyes off the rare expression Oz had on his face.

“Homeland?” Asked Edreale.

“Yes. My homeland,” (Oz)

“Do you want to go back there?” (Edreale)

“Hm… That’s a hard question… Now that I’m here, I realized that I’ve changed quite a lot. I’ve become bolder, stronger, and I tend to forget how I always use dirty tricks to impress people before,” Oz stretches his arm above as if he’s trying to grab the far away moon.

“Do I want to go home, huh…? I started to think that I might be able to be something else if I return there, but even so, I don’t even know how to go back there,” said Oz as a wry smile formed on his face.

“You don’t know how to go back?” Asked Edreale as she tilts her head.

“Hm… It’s whether I don’t know and I can’t. But I would like to believe the former. Now that I think about it, why am I even here, I wonder…?” Oz further stretches his hand as Edreale felt like he’s getting pulled by the moon.

“Why am I here… Who brought me here…? That teleportation device shouldn’t be able to teleport me to such an abnormal coordinate…” (Oz)

“Device?” Asked Edreale as she heard a foreign word.

“Ah… It’s nothing. Forget it. It’s just a muttering of a slightly homesick guy. Anyway, do you want to learn that song? You’re a bard, after all,” Oz once again changed the subject. Since it would be just a long and nonsensical story if he tells Edreale about how he teleported from another world, he thought that it would be better if he just changed the subject and teach her the song that he just sang before.

“Yes, teach me,” (Edreale)

But Edreale is sensitive and sharp. Just like Oz’s words, Edreale is sharp just like Alfred. She noticed that Oz once again changed the subject because of some reason.

(So the song that he had been trying to avoid to tell me is less important than what he just muttered…) (Edreale)

Edreale is curious about what it is, she wanted to know more, but at the same time, she’s slightly afraid. As a bard, everything including the people around her is an element that she could describe in her song. And she usually describes them according to their presence.

Alfred is a shadow, a warm shadow.

Sen is a hard-steel sword.

Albus is a sofa.

Sera is winter.

But for Oz, his presence is the first time she had trouble describing.

(He’s like a void) (Edreale)

A nothingness.

Something that could easily disappear, but it wouldn’t be strange if it even disappears since it’s questionable whether it exists in the first place or not.

“Edreale?” (Oz)

“Yes,” (Edreale)

“Are you alright? You seems like you’re spacing out,” (Oz)

“It’s nothing, It’s just…” (Edreale)

(I hope I could enter that void…) (Edreale)

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(She remembers, huh…) (Slime Tarot)

“Ouch!” (Slime)

Suddenly, Slime received a surprise attack from behind.

“What are you doing, Alfred…? Aren’t you supposed to join Peter and Sera rather than wasting your time kicking me from behind?” (Slime)

“I believe it’s my duty as the eldest brother to give a sort of punishment towards the guy who made my cute li’l sister sad for more than three years, though. But well, since I’ve achieved my goal, I guess I’ll go and join them and squeeze some information from those ‘heroes’,” Alfred said before he once again used his stealth skills and disappear into the darkness.

Hearing Alfred’s words, Slime remembered how in his memories, he sensed Alfred’s presence, but the one who appeared was Edreale. Alfred was supposed to didn’t know about the song that Edreale sings. But then, judging from Alfred’s behavior, the answer is only one.

(So that presence is really him, huh… That damned stalker bastard…) (Slime Tarot)

*CLAP!* *CLAP!* *CLAP!*

As Edreale finished her song, thunderous applause resonated inside the royal castle of Granadaria kingdom.

“It might not be good if I appear together with Alfred, I guess I’ll just observe them from a distance for a while,” Muttered Slime as he erased half of his presence and blend with the crowd.

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Edreale’s singing managed to steal the lady saintess’s attention for a while, but after it finished, saintess Elvira applause and praise Edreale for the magnificent performance cheerfully before once again grabbed Sera’s hand.

“As expected of the famous heroic bard! Does the story about how you’re the one who gathered all of the Grandaria heroes members, your highness!? I always wait for the stories about your party’s adventures! I even heard about the stories from when you’re still in the magic academy!” (Saintess Elvira)

“Eh?” (Sera)

(I’m the one who gathered the others?) (Sera)

“The golden king! The prodigy fire magic god! The aloof shadow! The master of swords! And the beautiful bard! It must be fate that gathered all of the great figures like you in one kingdom! I heard how your heroic leadership gathered everyone!” (Saintess Elvira)

Hearing Saintess Elvira’s words confused Sera.

“W-Wait, I’m not the one-” But just as Sera was about to straighten the misunderstanding, a figure appeared out of nowhere.

“Well, of course, lady saintess. There is no other princess that would be able to rival our princess’s charm, charisma, and leadership. And because of it, all of us decided to join hands and make the kingdom prosper together!” Alfred said cheerfully as he raised a glass filled with wine above.

“A-Alfred!?” (Sera)

Alfred just smiled and give a meaningful wink towards Sera.

(W-What does that mean…) (Sera)

“The legendary darkness, Alfred! *Cough!* *Cough!*” Saintess Elvira finally realized how hyped she got and coughed as she regains her original composure.

“Forgive me for showing you such a disgraceful side of me, your highness. Nice to meet you, Lord Alfred. I’ve heard the heroic deeds you’ve achieved in the Grandaria kingdom, it’s an honor to meet you,” said Saintess Elvira as she slightly bows.

“The honor is mine, lady saintess. Your beauty is just like what the rumor mentioned,” Answered Alfred as he responds with a bow as well.

“So you’re the famous ‘darkness’ of the Grandaria kingdom, Lord Alfred?” Hero Lian joined the conversation after regaining his composure from getting shocked by the unexpected behavior of Saintess Elvira.

“Yes, I am, dear blessed hero of the Holy Empire, Lian Edingald,” Replied Alfred. But different from when he replied towards Saintess Elvira, Lian felt something different when he saw Alfred’s smile towards him.

(This guy, he’s different from the Grandarian king) (Hero Lian)

Alfred sticks out his hands.

“It’s nice to meet you, hero,” (Alfred)