Published: September 10, 2025
This is Satou. I feel like I get strangely irritable when I’m tired. Even though I know that soaking in a warm bath and getting plenty of sleep would help, I rarely get the luxury of that kind of time.
◇
A priest in white robes walked toward us across the square, which had been calmed by Sera’s magic. It was the false apostle we had seen earlier.
His hood was pulled low, hiding his face up to around his nose, so I couldn’t get a good look at him. From beneath the hood spilled long, pale blue hair.
—Is he not a reincarnator?
The false apostle cast a sorrowful glance at the injured, but he showed no sign of casting any healing magic on them.
He stopped about ten meters away from us.
He probably thought he was staying out of range, but for the muscular warrior with instant movement and the prince, he was already well within striking distance.
“—Do soldiers really hurt civilians?”
His deep husky voice trembled with anger.
Even under the effects of “Evil Energy Erasure” and “Calm Field,” he was still furious. That must mean he’s seriously lacking in calcium.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Be careful. He might have some trick up his sleeve.”
The muscular warrior furrowed his brow suspiciously at the false apostle’s muttering, and the prince, holding his Dragon Fang Spear, called for caution.
Thanks to Sera’s earlier magic, the prince seemed to have regained his composure.
Good, he was back to being the intellectual strategist type.
“An army not under civilian control is nothing but a violent agency.”
The false apostle spoke arrogantly, stringing together words that sounded like they’d been heard somewhere before.
Even under civilian control, I still think the military is a violent agency.
Besides, I don’t think the concept of civilian control even exists in this world.
Somehow, I had a bad feeling that conversation wouldn’t get anywhere before we even got to persuasion.
“Just a violent group, no different from the yakuza—”
His eyes glowed purple beneath the hood.
“Hey, I don’t like this feeling.”
“Really? I can’t just ignore your intuition.”
The muscular warrior muttered this, and the prince looked on with a bitter expression.
“Become salt by my ‘Infinite Salt Maker’!”
—Hey, wait.
I was taken aback by that familiar-sounding ability name and was a bit slow to react.
From beneath the false apostle’s feet, wrapped in purple phosphorescence, white mist erupted and began to whiten the surroundings.
The white tidal wave swallowed grass, bushes, and rocks in its path, leaving behind a white object — probably salt.
Apparently, this ability turns both organic and inorganic matter into salt indiscriminately.
His MP was dropping on the AR display, so it must be a magic-consuming ability.
“This is bad.”
“Fall back—Lord Pendragon, quickly!”
The muscular warrior and prince made a swift strategic decision and turned on their heels.
The speed at which things turned to salt was accelerating, but their physical abilities should allow them to manage.
“—Take this!”
I threw a small coconut from my storage bag at the false apostle’s face. Of course, I held back.
With a squelching sound, it embedded itself in his face, knocking him unconscious.
Even after he was down, the wave of salt didn’t stop.
“…■■■ Divine Ray Wall.”
Sera’s advanced light magic activated, creating a sparkling wall of light.
The salt touching the barrier scattered faint purple and blue sparks.
She had apparently mastered the same “Chanting Reduction” skill that her older sister, Lady Ringlande, had used, so the magic completed faster than expected.
Arisa was surprised that, at only level 43, Sera had managed to learn both “Holy Magic: Tenion Church” and “Light Magic” up to advanced levels.
The experiment to boost skill levels by stacking the “Blessed Orb” seemed to have succeeded.
◇
We took all the MP from the false apostle with “Mana Drain.”
Then I tied him up with Thorn Vine Foot ropes to prevent his magic from recovering.