On the third labyrinth, Bone Crushers would now appear and punch holes in the walls. Since it was convenient, the four of them would sometimes go through them if they worked as shortcuts to reach the exit.
“Doesn’t this count as cheating?” [Ryner]
“If the holes are made by Bone Crushers, then it’s fine.” [Kirial]
That was what Kirial said when Ryner voiced his question.
“Still, for you all to handle even Bone Crushers so effortlessly, I wonder how large your mana pools are. I know it’s rude, but what was the result when you guys got them checked? Ah, but, Maya, don’t you have a small mana pool?” [Kirial]
“I’m sure you know already, my prince. As for how I’ve gotten stronger, I won’t talk about it without my master’s permission.” [Maya]
Maya spoke respectfully to the prince who was younger than her with a smile. However, she was actually refusing to talk when he indirectly asked about how she had supposedly increased her mana pool. His family knew that she had beaten her older brother and that, at the end of their duel, magic was allowed. Arka should have put enough force to knock her out and leave her injured, but she took his punch and made him fly through a wall.
“Ryner-.” [Kirial]
“No.” [Ryner]
Since she didn’t want to reveal her secret, Kirial turned his attention to Ryner who was her master, but he also refused to talk about it. Moreover, it was an instant and rather rude refusal.
“You’re really not shy around royalty.” [Kirial]
“Only when I’m sure that I can escape or deal with the consequences.” [Ryner]
“And if you can’t?” [Kirial]
“I’ll respectfully kneel before you.” [Ryner]
“That would be creepy now that I know your character better.” [Kirial]
Kirial said with a wry smile while scratching his ear.
“I can also lick your shoes if you want.” [Ryner]
“Don’t. For some reason, that thought scares me.” [Kirial]
Wanting to confirm something, Evelyn joined in on the conservation. Of course, that was after she stabbed her sword through the wall next to her, piercing the Bone Crusher’s throat and killing it before it could even appear. Unfortunately for the reptile, it was staying too close to the vampire as it waited for the right moment to ambush her from the other side of the wall.
“Prince Kirial, from what I’ve heard, there is a device that can verify the size of a person’s mana pool. Is that correct?” [Evelyn]
She asked, trying to compare the information she got from Maya with someone else’s.
“It is, though it’s not accurate, but it gives you a good idea of how much mana you hold in you. You can go to the adventurer’s guild for a quick examination. Did you never go before to check your mana pool?” [Kirial]
“I haven’t. I am deeply interested in it since it would be my first time seeing it. Although it is embarrassing, I lack knowledge and experience in several areas. You could say I have lived a sheltered life that was like living in another world.” [Evelyn]
She smoothly came up with a reasonable lie.
“I know you’re way stronger than me, but it’d still be a good idea to get your mana pool checked. Also, though I don’t really know your circumstances, it’d be bad to not know about the new items and devices made in the world. Just recently, we received this magic tool that allows us to transmit a person’s voice and image to another magic tool.” [Kirial]
“Really now? Please, tell me more.” [Evelyn]
Politely asking him, she proceeded to gather information since it might be useful to Ryner.
“A human kingdom built it and has been giving it to various nations, human and beastman, as a sign of peace. It’s like the crystal ball that can record images, but this new device is big and bulky, so you can’t transport it with you. Also, it doesn’t record, but project what is happening in real time. And, it can greatly enlarge the projection for everyone in a city to see. But, the best part is that it can send it to other devices in other kingdoms, no matter how far apart they are. It’s like a recording crystal and a communication stone in one and much better. We can now talk to people in faraway places. It’s pretty amazing.” [Kirial]
Kirial said, sounding quite excited about what his family just received for free, but the black-haired man wasn’t really impressed.
“Yeah, almost as amazing as the telephone.” [Ryner]
“What?” [Kirial]
“Nothing.” [Ryner]
“You mumble a lot, you know that?” [Kirial]
“Yep.” [Ryner]
Their journey continued without much problem, if one were to ignore the many deadly encounters they had along the way. Still, with two women that were considered S rank fighters and one monster of unclear origins, they warded of any danger. As they traveled and faced enemies together, Kirial gradually grew less wary around them, especially Ryner. Perhaps it was because the man had this lazy and laidback atmosphere that he was easy to approach.
Yet, he could feel that there was something else about him. It wasn’t his great strength that defeated Argos, but something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. If he were to try and describe how he felt, it would be that Ryner wasn’t what he appeared to be. Nevertheless, ignoring their different race and social position, they peacefully chatted. Sometimes, Evelyn and Maya would join in as they dispatched some enemies that tried to attack from behind. Other times, their conversations would stop so that they could eliminate Spiked Lizards and Bone Crushers that halted their advance.
The prince of Ofauvra asked him various questions, though he didn’t always get any answers. One time, he asked if he would marry Maya and told him that it was fine if he did. Although she was a Catallard which had the prized cardivore bloodline, she was disowned. So, her family shouldn’t have any right to complain and his old man even said that he would give their approval as king if they needed help.
However…
“I’m not interested in stuff like marriage.” [Ryner]
Was what he said.
“Master rejected me when I confessed. I need to keep appealing to him~.” [Maya]
Was what Maya said.
“He did all sorts of things to her during mating season and just threw her away. That is not the kind of man I believed you to be.” [Evelyn]
Was what Evelyn said.
“You’re making it sound like I play around with women. What’s with you? Do you suddenly have a grudge against me?” [Ryner]
Was what Ryner said with a questioning gaze.
“I am merely reminding you to not forget your actions and to properly take responsibility. As a matter of fact, that is what I intend to do.” [Evelyn]
Was what the blonde vampire that assaulted him said deviously.
Eventually, they arrived at the exit without anything major happening. Skipping their rest, they walked down the bright and empty corridor to reach their destination a second sooner. What laid in front of the teleportation circle was a demi-sphere that was pure black. It was nearly three meters tall and had a metallic luster, though the material it was made of was unknown. Bright lines ran over its surface, emitting a faint glow that rhythmically increased and decreased in intensity, like a heartbeat.
“This is the relic?” [Ryner]
“It’s my first time seeing it too, but it matches the description. This is it. The one Artifact that grants us beastmen beastification.” [Kirial]
Answering Ryner, Kirial stared at the relic that his kingdom was blessed with. His eyes contained respect, but he currently looked like an excited child. His three bodyguards were observing it curiously. Maya, who had heard about the relic since she was born in Ofauvra, was quite fascinated by it as well.
“I didn’t think we’d reach it this fast. My uncle took some Terdims with him to this place and came back nearly three days later. I wonder what he was doing that took him so long. Maybe he went farther than the third floor. I should have asked him.” [Kirial]
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“So, how does this thing allow you to turn bigger and hairier?” [Ryner]
“Beastification. If I was uptight like some people I knew, I’d be yelling at you right now. Anyway, you just need to touch it. If you’re worthy, there’ll be a bright light and you’ll be able to beastify from now on.” [Kirial]
Moving closer, the future king of a beastman kingdom stood in front of the mysterious relic and placed his hand on its cold surface. Nervously, he waited, but unfortunately, nothing happened. Knowing that there should have been a reaction by now, he understood that he didn’t get beastification and returned to the group behind him.
“I guess, to the relic, I didn’t pass the test.” [Kirial]
His face had a wry smile that said he expected this outcome and didn’t really care. But, Ryner pointed out what represented his true feelings.
“Your ears are drooping.” [Ryner]
His round ears were lying flat on top of his head, showing his depression. Since he was seen through, Kirial hung his head powerlessly, not bothering to hide behind the facade of a prince. Besides him, Maya also went to see if the relic would react to her, but it didn’t and stayed dormant.
“Well, don’t feel too down about it, kid.” [Ryner]
“Oh my~, Master, are you worried about me?” [Maya]
Using this fact to her advantage, the dark-blue haired woman hugged his left arm and looked up at him from close range. Her smile exuded womanly charm that would have seduced countless men.
“Then, please comfort me~.” [Maya]
Before her master could say anything, another person inserted herself into their conversation and hugged onto his other arm.
“You should stop your joke here. Though safe this place may be, we are still in the middle of the ruin.” [Evelyn]
It was the vampire who was staring at Maya with a composed expression, but her eyes were telling her to not do this kind of stuff with Ryner in front of her.
“This is just a master and slave playing around. Don’t worry~.” [Maya]
“I am not worried. You can do this all you like, but there is a proper time and place for that. You also need my permission, but for now, get away from him.” [Evelyn]
Watching them wordlessly, Kirial blinked twice and directed his gaze to the man stuck between them.
“I thought you said you weren’t popular with women.” [Kirial]
“I’m not sure this counts as being popular.” [Ryner]
“… You’re pretty dense toward this sort of thing.” [Kirial]
“Who are you calling dense? I’ll headbutt you and we’ll see how dense my head is.” [Ryner]
After some lighthearted chatter, the group of four decided to rest and return home. Before leaving, they were intently scrutinizing the relic since it was a rare chance to see it. They looked over the demi-sphere, trying to see just how it was created. Since it was the only one of its kind, the two humans needed to be careful not to damage it, or it might spark some serious problems later on. The prince casually told them “Don’t break it” and went back to examining it while drinking water from his canteen that was hooked on his belt.
“(What the hell is this? I don’t remember building this thing.)” [Ryner]
While the other three were curiously touching the relic, one person was troubled over its presence in his fortress. The white-eyed monster was sure he never built or acquired this item, even if his memory over the last eight hundred thousand years wasn’t perfect.
“(No symbols, no glyphs and no writing of any sort. I can’t tell its origins from the exterior, but I might discover something if I take a look inside.)” [Ryner]
He considered prying it open and examining it more in detail, but the first prince accompanying him would definitely freak out. After talking with Kirial, he learned that he was quite easygoing and wouldn’t wave around his authority over petty fights. As such, even if he messed with him a bit, he wouldn’t cause trouble to Myra and Snow who talked the royal family into trusting him and allowing their stay in the city.
“(Besides, I need to lose this kid if I want to get to the secret entrance.)” [Ryner]
Even so, if the prince continued to stick to him, he wouldn’t be able to do what he wanted or what he originally set out to do in his fortress. Since he didn’t plan on killing him, he considered the possibility of putting him to sleep long enough to accomplish his objective.
“(Should I knock him out?)” [Ryner]
However, this meant that Kirial would question him on how he lost consciousness and what happened while he was out. Coming up with a lie for the latter problem was easy enough, but he needed to make the former one believable.
“(But, the risks are great.)” [Ryner]
If he didn’t, he would have to deal with the repercussions for attacking a prince and that would make him worried over the mother-daughter pair. Although it would worsen his nightmares, he himself could burn down the city so that no pursuers would aim for his life. As such, taking these concerns into account, Ryner chose his next course of action.
“(I’ll just hit his head without being seen and blame it on my War Puppets. He probably won’t suspect me.)” [Ryner]
Having decided on what he would do, he just needed to wait until they set out for the labyrinth and strike at the perfect opportunity. Now that he was done thinking about his future course of action, he lightly knocked on the relic with his fist before going to sit against the wall of the corridor. However, at that moment, a bright light that was being emitted by the black object stopped him in his tracks. Everyone also froze for a moment and shielded their eyes with their hands. Shocked was written on their faces as they didn’t understand the situation.
“Wha?!” [Kirial]
“This is…?” [Maya]
“The relic’s reacting?!” [Evelyn]
Suddenly, the intensity of the light greatly increased and a white flash robbed them of their sight. Even though they were in a brightly lit place, it had forced them to close their eyes. When the relic went back to normal and its black surface could be seen, the group gingerly lifted their eyelids to see what happened. The relic didn’t react when Evelyn touched it, so they all thought its power only manifested on beastmen. However, this happened when Ryner got in contact with it and technically, he was a human.
“Is everyone alright?” [Evelyn]
“I’m fine, Evelyn.” [Maya]
“Just now, I think that was the light of beastification.” [Kirial]
Confirming that no one was hurt and nothing weird happened to any of them, they were about to let out a sigh of relief. However, one man’s voice wasn’t heard and they all turned their heads toward where he was last seen. The next moment, their jaws dropped.
“Woof. (I’m alright.) Woof? (Huh?)” [Ryner]
There, standing on four legs was a black and white wolf. The beast would have looked proud and perhaps ferocious if not for its sleepy-looking eyes. Also, the iris of the right one was white while the left one was dark brown.
“Woof…? (My voice…?)” [Ryner]
It was Ryner.
“Woof woof… (Don’t tell me…)” [Ryner]
Having touched the relic, he was turned into a wolf. He raised his front paw and stared at it for a few seconds while tilting his head. Finally, realizing and accepting his current situation, he let out another bark.
“Woof… (Crap…)” [Ryner]
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*Author note* UPDATED SIDE STORY AND ELF CHAPTER NEXT
The side story doesn't advance the plot and was so damn long to write. It made me realize that, even if work is dirty and messy, it is still work.
Also, I'll post an elf chapter next and what a great thing the relic is!