Divine Spirit Power into the sword… that would undoubtedly make it the strongest sword on the continent—I’m certain of it.

Spirit Gods and Spirit Power have a certain affinity. Gathering and binding these powers might be a difficult task, but if it can be done, it will create a synergistic effect.

I see, then that would indeed be a trump card against the Demon King… but is there any material that can withstand that?

There are candidates.

Just as I was about to ask, “What is that—”, Garuku responded.

Western Edge… you know there’s a big tree there, don’t you?

Oh, of course. You mean the Holy Tree Coronarecion, right?

—There’s a small island across the sea from the westernmost tip of the continent. It overflows with immense magic power, and because of that, a Sacred Tree exists there. I’m sure its name was mentioned in the game, but it never appeared directly.

There was a setting that even the Demon Race and demons couldn’t approach its sacred power. Such a place… in other words, the Sacred Tree exists in the most sacred place.

“There is a spirit guarding that Holy Tree. Its name is Corona, taken from the Sacred Tree… that being can use the power of the Sacred Tree to create materials.”

“Materials…?”

“The Sacred Tree even absorbs ores and metals contained in the ground. By drawing out the power of the great tree that grows in this way, it can create fused substances with various properties. If we create materials that strongly bind with the magic power of us Spirit Gods and spirits, they should become even more powerful.”

…Just to confirm, will they cooperate with us as soon as we go there?

“I don’t know. However, there shouldn’t be a need for conditions like subjugating them. Although—”

Garuku then showed a meaningful smile.

“Since we can’t deal with subjugation by force, it might be troublesome in reverse.”

…Then what should I do?

“First, we have no choice but to go directly and talk to them.”

Alright… then, as for the future plan—

First, let’s make the Spirit Contract, which is Sofia’s goal.

Lefin stated here.

Let’s head south to Undine’s place.

That’s according to the original plan… then let’s go with that.

“If you go south, you will have to fight Water King Azua.”

…You say it so easily, but it’s incredibly troublesome, isn’t it?

“Of course. However, in order to prevent a continental collapse, it is undoubtedly necessary to borrow the power of other Divine Spirits.”

Since only I can do it, I have no choice but to do it.

Garuku, is there anything else we need to decide?

“Not at the moment.”

Then, the discussion is over… Garuku, I’m counting on you.

“Understood.”

The discussion ended—and since it was late at night, I decided to rest for a bit with Garuku’s permission.

We started moving early in the morning, as the sun rose. At first, I thought about returning to Ganaize right away, but then I felt an urge to make a detour and decided to change our plan.

Lefin, there’s a place I’d like to stop by.

That’s fine, but where to?

My hometown. I’ve been observing it using familiars, but I don’t get many opportunities like this, so I want to see how it’s doing directly.

Your hometown, you say. That’s fine.

She seemed quite interested… but there’s nothing special about my hometown.

So, we started moving. Immediately after, I heard Garuku’s voice in my head. It must be because Young Garuku is inside my body.

“Are you originally from that town?”

No, originally both my parents were nobles, and I lived in a mansion when I was little. We got caught up in political strife and fell, settling in my hometown.

“Even if I understood the story, it was impossible to correct such circumstances, wasn’t it?”

I was just a child. Besides, don’t you think political struggles are more troublesome than a war with demons, depending on how you look at it?

“Because it’s a problem that can’t be solved by simply defeating them.”

While having such a conversation, I hurried. A few hours from Garuku’s forest. Perhaps because I pushed myself quite a bit, I arrived at my hometown.

First, I went to my parents’ house. They were surprised by my sudden return but welcomed me.

When I told them I was still traveling, my mother encouraged me, saying, “Do your best.” I hesitated for a moment about staying longer, but in the end, I left my parents’ house after a brief conversation.

“Wouldn’t it have been good to take it easy for a day?”

Lefin asked, but I shook my head.

“I’ll do that after everything is over… with Sofia and the others.”

“So you mean you’re just going to keep moving forward now.”

“That’s right.”

Then my stomach growled. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten anything today. I started walking to my usual eatery.

On the way, residents greeted me with “Long time no see.” Since I’m known as a skilled person in town, some people ask me about my monster battles. I answered them with small talk and arrived at my destination.

I thought the shop might not be open yet, but it was. The owner is whimsical; sometimes they start in the morning, other times they open before noon. Despite their erratic nature, their skill is undeniable, and they have a good reputation in town.

When I went inside, the shopkeeper looked at me and said, “Long time no see.”

“Were you visiting your hometown?”

“Just passing through on my journey. I’m relieved nothing has changed.”

“I see.”

The shopkeeper smiled and watched me closely.

“What, I thought you might have gotten a bit tougher, but you don’t look much different.”

“Thanks.”

“So, what’s your order?”

“Let’s see… the usual.”

“Alright.”

The shopkeeper started cooking, and I looked around the shop. Since it was morning and right after opening, I was the only one there. The sound of cooking echoed quite a bit in the room.

“How is this town doing?”

I asked casually. The shopkeeper replied while cooking.

“The monsters in the surrounding area seem to have gotten a bit stronger and more troublesome, but we’re managing somehow. Of course, there seem to be some problems, but… I also hear stories of various national capitals being overrun by the Demon Race. This place is pretty peaceful, isn’t it?”

“I see… are there many people who have been driven out of the capital cities?”

“I see a fair number. However, if you go a little south from here, there’s a large town, right? That town is mostly the destination for such people, so perhaps there aren’t many humans who settle down here.”

At least there’s no chaos. Although I regularly gather information with my familiar, learning various things on-site like this is a significant gain.

“The monsters are apparently getting stronger, but what about their numbers?”

“Their numbers have increased compared to before. Just the other day, we conducted a monster subjugation. There was apparently a somewhat strong one among them, and the person who participated in its subjugation must have been injured.”

“Injured… from the way you say ‘participated in the subjugation,’ were they humans from outside?”

“Yes.”

“And since they’re injured, are they still in town?”

“Yes, they are. They’re a duo, and they helped us quite a bit.”

I was a little interested. They did participate in the Monster Subjugation, so I should at least greet them.

Where is the inn?

It’s Miharu’s inn. Are you going to see them?

Yeah. By the way, what are their names?

I only know one of them. The one whose name I don’t know is a beauty, and the men in Town were all gossiping about her.

A woman… a Warrior? A Magic-user?

Both are Magic-users.

Both?

That’s unusual, that kind of party composition. Well, in games, it was possible for Magic-users to fight with combat Vessels, so maybe Magic-users have roles like vanguard and rearguard.

I thought I should at least ask for their names and opened my mouth.

So, what are their names?

Oh… the beauty’s partner is a man, and he doesn’t seem like a lover, but more like a pretty good partner. His name is–

The Shopkeeper spoke while stirring the soup.

–His name should have been Richard.