――My heartbeat quickened up.

I think this is the biggest amount of blood thus far…

I can tell that its instead of at work here.

My Lucival blood, which kept gushing out while dyeing Hal’Konk crimson, rapidly expanded into a vortex as if a typhoon of chaos had suddenly manifested in the air. also contained . I could clearly perceive the chaotic nature of the blood spiral.

◇◆◇◆

“A shining tree clad in His Excellency’s blessing and divinity after absorbing his blood!” Helme exclaimed.

The solemn atmosphere of the Iglued tree as it was basked in sunlight had grown even more intense. While absorbing the surging waves of Lucival blood, the number of its branches and silver leaves kept growing as if to cover the sky with myriads of stars that formed a night sky canopy.

Rollodeen, who had transformed into her divine beast mode, also looked up to the Iglued tree.

“Nyagooo…,” she roared in a peculiar way.

Her voice was filled with worry over her beloved partner losing great quantities of blood. At the same time, she understood that the Iglued tree was growing into the Crest Tree of the Lucival.

Yet, her love towards Shuuya prevailed. With her pitch black pupils widening, she judged the actions of the Crest Tree as an attack against her beloved. While deploying tentacles from her whole body in a fan form, she put strength into her limbs, about to pounce on the tree.

Thereupon, the honey-loving Sea of Trees beastman passed in front of Rollodeen, causing Rollodeen’s fervor to diminish somewhat.

That furball squealed in surprise, “Puyuyu!”

This beastman spoke a lower ancient language in the past and had been able to use the golden, dark pot of Skill God Abkhur, but because of a strife with a certain cursed god, it got struck by a curse, dooming it to only talk in puyuyus. By the way, some of the Sonzol and Terpot races, which resembled beastmen and lived in other areas of the Sea of Trees, had also fought against and got hexed by the same cursed god.

Meanwhile, a huge amount of blood was still being released from Shuuya’s body. That blood expanded while adopting a spheroid shape, just to wrap up the exterior of the Iglued tree. A sea of blood violently raged within the sphere itself.

The whirlpool of blood was seasoned with the space-time attribute and moved around so madly that even calling it whipping wouldn’t be enough to describe its crazy raging.

Within that storm-like blood, a wand, which signified a king’s scepter, clearly surfaced. Countless small, dazzling circles that depicted the taiji of yin and yang while carrying huge amounts of mana manifested. The wand and those circles repeatedly clashed and appeared as if exhibiting the overlapping of good and evil.

At a glance, it appeared as though light and darkness were vying for supremacy. But, that was wrong. In reality, it was the height of both devouring each other.

Then Debonchchi clad in blood appeared within the raging seas of blood. They danced in the air while faintly singing, “…Chchi, kago noway dahm”

“…Chchi, chiichchii, kago noway.”

“…Chchi, dallar, phushra dahm.”

“…Chchi, kago noway.”

Very likely only few understood the meaning behind the lyrics of their song.

The also perceived how their own hearts throbbed, experiencing an agitation as they had never so far.

“…The beating became faster. The amount of mana went up a notch too?”

“Nn, but worried about Shuuya.”

Hearing Eva’s voice, Shuuya inclined his head. Meanwhile Ciel, who sat on the ground behind Eva and Rebecca, groaned, “Aaauaaah…”

Ciel was staring fixedly at the bloody Debonchchi with her eyes only thinly opened. Her expression was blank, but contrary to the confusion dyeing her voice, she was apparently trying to tell the others something.

Because of Ciel’s groan, Shuuya said, “The blood consumption is terrifying, but I’ll be okay,” so as to soothe everyone.

“Really? I feel like it’s way more blood than during the time when you turned me into a though…”

“…It probably means that I grew stronger.”

As if reacting to Shuuya’s words, the Crest Tree of the Lucival let new green and white flowers bud at its branches and trunk. Those budding flowers absorbed the blood and once they obtained a gloss, they orderly lined themselves up as if forming huge magic crests in the center of the big trunk. Moreover, small circles also appeared on the branches’ surface, too.

One among the big circles on the trunk had “Lucival’s First Viine” in an ancient language carved into its center. Likewise, you could read the names of the other Lucival bloodkin in other circles.

◇◆◇◆

“…I feel like getting paralyzed from within my body. This tree does have a presence…”

“Nn, Muu-chan, no need to be scared. It’s okay.”

“Hey, all the blood and now the sudden growth of the tree…are you alright?”

“I’m Nemus…”

Moga and Nemus called out to me. Muu appeared to be scared too.

“Nyaooo.”

I could also hear Rollo’s voice among the clamoring.

“It’s somewhat scary, but…look! My name is written inside that big circle over there!” Rebecca pointed at the evolved Iglued tree.

“It’s no Iglued tree anymore. The big and small circles on its trunk and branches are proof of it being family. That’s why this tree is kinda like our family tree. It embodies the Crest Tree of the Lucival,” I explained.

“Nn, I sense the awe.”

Eva seems to feel the same as everyone else. Is it the effect of and Blood Surge Teller? Does it mean something like a “blast of blood that brings about fear and panic”? Or does it use some electromagnetic waves similar to electricity to cause panic in other people’s minds? Or maybe it’s just the surprise of having seen the amount of bleeding and smelled the thick stench of blood.

“Big. Unlike before, this is the genuine Crest Tree of the Lucival…”

“Nn, characters depicting my name are inside a big circle, too. Those circles stand for !”

There wa a slight difference in tone between Helme and Eva…

“…The tree has absorbed Milord’s blood!?”

“Quema-sama…please hide behind me!”

The orcs were completely frightened.

“…”

“The number of big circles seems to have increased. Also, some of the circles have new shapes, don’t they?”

“Nn, Shuhelia’s name is carved in one of the new circles.”

“Shuuya mentioned that she’s somewhat different from us, but does that mean we’re actually the same?”

“…I don’t think you can call it the same. The new circle with Shuhelia’s name has no connection to the 25 smaller circles containing the names of the , unlike our circles which are connected to them.”

While nodding at Eva’s words, I added, “Yep. Not all of it is the same. It’s probably an outcome of me having accepted a Spirit World Knight.”

“Hmm, so does that mean Shuhelia-san is an exclusive knight just like she talked about? Doesn’t that feel like she’s a Light Demon Knight who’s exclusively attached to the Lucival? Though, that might be the result because the gods of the Spirit Worlds approved of it.”

“Perhaps.”

“I feel envious of the bloodkin whose connection with His Excellency has been noted down officially.”

Helme’s name wasn’t anywhere to be found on the crest tree.

“Also, Veronica-senpai’s big circle is connected with small circles through small notch lines.”

“Nn, Veronica-senpai was able to create her own as because of her rich experience as a vampire who lived for a long time,” Eva explained with a serious expression.

Rebecca agreed to that by nodding.

“…Her being able to create three by sharing her blood is evidence of her , I suppose. But, it also means she’s on the same level as the empress of the Valmask family, doesn’t it? It sure drives it in once more that regarding Veronica as “senpai” is just proper.”

“Blood Path skills are harder to obtain than normal skills.”

“There’s also , so it can’t be helped. But, the shape of the blood that surrounds the tree…is the same as when we were reborn as bloodkin, isn’t it?”

“Nn, bigger, but the same as back then.”

“I wonder whether the tree’s ability to fuse with His Excellency’s power…is an effect of me having watered it with a pew-pew.”

Is the crest tree only big? It’s hard to tell the full shape of the blood covering the tree from here. But, if it’s just as everyone says, it should be the same as back when I created the .

The pipes stuck in my arm still continued to suck my blood as if alive. But, just when I started to wonder how much more it’d need,

『Guuuuh, as if I’d let thee suck my blood!』

Saraten hurled a telepathic message at me. It sounded as if she was feeling a danger to her own life, but I ignored her.

At that moment, a stinging pain ran through my hand and arm. My hand was still covered by bark up to the wrist, but the pipes had been retracted. The tips of the wooden pipes looked like syringes.

Those needles lowered themselves as if bowing, then the pipes turned into something akin to whips, and got pulled back into the crest tree. At the same time, my bleeding stopped. Moreover, the blood surrounding the tree was sucked into the crest tree in one go.

The traces of my blood were pretty as they glistened. On the other hand, blood streamed out of the holes on my wrist and back hand.

And then, without me even focusing on , the blood flowing out of my hand and arm was pulled back into my body as if watching a video being fast-forwarded. Just for the open wounds to be closed up naturally as befitting for a vampire.

Has the metabolism inside the tree been stimulated after sucking my blood? It was making its mana circulate.

Next there was a rumbling as if the bark and handprint were causing a pulsation. Several glowing cracks ran across the bark. Those lines drew arcs, creating a magic crest on the tree’s surface. It was a magic crest with a shape that matched the hand print.

The picture of a dazzlingly gleaming wand could be seen in the center of that new magic crest. Is this an effect of ?

In the next instant, when the magic crest started to rotate around my wrist as if becoming a special lock of the Crest Tree, I could hear a metallic click as if a heavy lock had been opened.

Has my arm really become a key for the Crest Tree? Well, I’m the suzerain of the Lucival, on top of my hand currently being stuck in the tree.

At the same time, the bark in front of me transformed, turning into a bark-made, double door corresponding with the thick tree trunk.

That door opened by widely denting inwards with a creak. Of course, I was pulled into the tree together with my arm that was still stuck in the hand print.

The crest tree’S interior was dark. It felt like it had depth. But, sensing anything with Grasping Perception or Magic Observation proved to be difficult as there were mana responses all around me. The visibility was also bad, so I couldn’t see much.

…But, I could tell that my body had been engulfed by something like a liquid. Any normal person would have died from suffocation because of that, but…is this blood?

No, going by its smell, it’s something else. It’s not sap either.

I could perceive some moist sensation from my skin as if it was in contact with some sort of body fluid.

…It’s warm. Can you say that I’m currently inside Iglued’s body?”

“――Your Excellency!”

“Aaahh! Shuuya’s body has been drawn in!”

“Did Iglued eat him?”

“Nyagoaaa.”

“Aaahh, Miloooord!”

“Quema-sama! Are you okay!? You’re peeing yourself…”

I could hear everyone panicking behind me. Did Quema collapse?

『…Vessel, thou are in a grave situation! Thou must let me out!』

『No. It’s not like the tree is hostile, but if I let you out, you might have your blood and mana sucked, instead of just a bit of blood』, I warned Saraten.

Although she fell from the divine domain, she’s a being holding the name of “Treasured Divine Sword Saraten.” That’s why I think it’d be alright even if I released Saraten inside this tree. Or rather…Saraten is talking about the situation being grave, but it’s clear that she’s aiming to absorb my blood. She’s apparently attempting to feast on my mana and blood.

Her blood consumption seems bad, but maybe blood is also flowing through her blade. If I get the bald, cool Suloza to appraise Saraten…

No, it’s quite possible that she’ll simply repel the attempt of an appraisal.

As I was pondering about all that…

『…Tsk, I wanted to suck some blood, but I’ll endure! I’ll wait here!』

Saraten calmed down. But, I have to let everyone know about the situation.

Since my mouth was blocked, I told Rebecca and the others through a blood message that I’m alright.

“A blood message? Has your mouth been blocked inside?”

『Yes, it’s covered by a fluid, but I can hear just fine』

“Rollo-chan became all upset in her divine beast form.”

That’s probably because she saw me being pulled inside the tree. It must have worried her.

『Eva, please calm Rollo down』

『Okay』

This fluid-like substance wrapping up my body was weird. It wasn’t as though it was encroaching me or anything. But, the sensation was slightly different from when Helme was engulfing me…

The fluid was warm and felt somewhat sticky, feeling like it was tending to my body in a special way. Maybe comfortable describes it well?

But, Iglued, which transformed into this crest tree, should have originally been a spirit or evil spirit tree. And even though it’s an outcome of me having poured my mana into it…for it to have evolved to such an extent…I guess it grew while reviving as something akin to a spirit tree because it got my mana which combines light and darkness.

And Iglued’s spirit tree, which probably possesses a light attribute, achieved the great feat of fighting off the invasion by Queen Sardyne.

Moreover, I don’t know whether it’s been triggered by my mana or Eva’s mind reading ability, but after feeding on my blood and mana, the Iglued tree, which seems to have turned into a spirit tree, reacted to my Extra skill and also to my recently obtained, new skill . I assume it evolved from a spirit tree into the Crest Tree of the Lucival as a result of that.

Just when I wondered how Iglued had drawn me inside itself, I became able to freely move my arm – the one which had been stuck in the hand print until now. The bark sensation, which had dragged my arm into the handprint, was gone.

I could sense some sliminess from my hand, but I could also move my palm as I wanted.

And just when I lowered both my arms, I felt something touching my palm, as if probing.

Hmm? What is it? Small tentacles?

They feel soft…going by their tiny size….childish fingers?

Once those soft thingies grabbed left hand after groping around, I could hear a childish voice saying, 『…Master』, from below.

The next moment, I was washed outside as if being expelled by the liquid. Then the Lucival tree instantly regained its previous shape.

“Oh, you’re back. Though you’re covered in mucus. Huh? You’ve got a small tree with you?”

“Don’t tell me, from His Excellency’s butt…”

“Surprise.”

“Nyao.”

“Puyu! Puyuu~”

“I was startled when it changed into a huge tree of blood, but for you to give birth to a relative of Nemus is even more unexpected!”

“…I am, Nemus…”

“…” Read over 40 chapters ahead and support the TL!

Everyone was naturally astonished. Hearing Helme and seeing them all so tense, I reflexively laughed out.

But, a small tree flower and not a child?

I looked at my right hand. Currently Catiza posed as a sixth finger. But, what was more important right now was the thumb. The nail-art-like dragon crest – the proof of my contract with Balmint – was just the same as before.

Next to the nail with its pretty art, a new, small, four-leaf clover that shone emerald had been added. And what was clasping my hand as if to cover that mark was a plant vine? A plant vine that extended from a vine-made amulet. It was something that had transformed into a small finger.

At the end of that vine…stood a tiny tree being with the shape of a human child. It had thin hair seemingly made out of pure-white and green petals. The hair ornament with its rainbow-colored, floral pattern was cute. Its eyebrows were yellow, close to golden. Its eyes had a brilliance as if small marbles had been put together while both eyes possessed different colors. Ear cuffs made out of white and green vines hung as accessories from its ears. A wooden choker adorned its neck. And it was wearing plant-made protective clothing with lovely, small leaf decorations, as you’d see on fairies.

Naturally, my eyes were drawn to its choker. A tiny, crystalline, rainbow-colored gem, which contained mana, was embedded in the center of the choker. Something like a shining wood cube colored in the seven prismatic colors was projected into the air right above the choker, before vanishing, just to reappear again moments later.

Suddenly, the Debonchchi, which were clad in blood, drew close. Are they planning to give her, who had just been born, their blessing? They’re dancing as if to form a diadem of blood. Are those bloody Debonchchi…different from the ones so far?

Then again, each of those Debonchchi has its own perks to begin with. Wherever I went, be it the Goldiba village, Holkerbaum, or the temple of Akreshys-sama, the Debonchchi were always different in nature.

Even their faint singing right now was something I’ve never heard before. It’s kinda like a nursery song, or maybe a spirit song?

But rather than worrying about the Debonchchi and their song, this little tree girl was of more interest right now. Is she possibly…going by her colors…the child between Elias and Iglued?

Yet, the arbor on her back has been connected to the crest tree while shaped like wings. Does that mean that she’s my kin, but basically a tree race?

“…Are you the child of Elias and Iglued…?” I asked the tree girl.

“…? Master…”

Hmm, she’s calling me master again? Well, she’s obviously meaning me as she’s point a tiny plant finger at me.

Does she have no memory of Iglued and Elias?”

“Did you lose your memories?”

In response, she inclined her head, “…? Master…”

Once again, she used the same words to answer me. Next she put her tiny finger, which she had pointed at me, into her tiny mouth. That and her gorgeous eyes turn her into a truly adorable tree spirit.

“…It sounds like you speak my language though…”

“Your Excellency, you gave birth to a new fairy kin-chan from your butt?”

“No, that’s wrong – on so many levels.”

Helme’s tomfoolery woke an urge in me to retort with a chop, but I refrained.

“Nn, cute! Kind of resembles Elias and Iglued from the memories.”

“…She’s adorable, but Shuuya…” Rebecca narrowed her eyes after agreeing with Eva.

She was gazing at me as if to carefully scrutinize my nether region and butt…

“Rebecca, don’t misunderstand. I think I just got a new kin, or rather, formed a contract.”

“Really? That’s good to hear. I thought that you might have given birth to her or that you impregnated the tree thanks to your overflowing stamina.”

“Nn, but Spirit-sama says she was born from your butt.”

Eva and Rebecca teased me. Puyuyu was next to them too, after separating from Moga and Nemus. It cried and then exchanged a nod with Muu.

The two’s eyes were sparkling. It seemed as if they were curious about the being which was smaller than them. But, then both got nudged by Rollodeen’s nose from behind. Her nasal breathing whirled up their hair.

“Nnn, nya, nyaooon.”

Rollodeen looked awfully curious as if wanting to find out what was going as it looked so interesting. Next, she extended a small tentacle from her neck towards the tree girl.

But, for a change, the movement of her tentacle stopped midway. This was rare for Rollodeen who was a natural prankster. She apparently sensed that the girl was different from the children so far. Apparently having become cautious, she didn’t try to touch the tree girl anymore.

“Master…,” the girl whispered.

I don’t know whether she was embarrassed, surprised, or scared by the liveliness of everyone, but she hid behind my calf. Grabbing my trousers with her tiny hand, she occasionally peeked her head out from behind my leg.

It seemed as though she was curious.

“What a very adorable spirit kin! Your Excellency, did you decide on a name for her?”

“No, not yet…,” I looked at the tree girl at my feet.

“I like her! She’s so very small, so how about “Tin?””

“――I’m Nemus.”

Moga and Nemus made a suggestion. Nemus was trying to draw something like a kanji on the ground, struggling with it… Apparently putting too much force into her excessively huge hand and fingers, she caused the ground to cave-in while messing up the lines she had already written… It looks like that will still take some time.

Thereupon, Rebecca pressed one hand into her hip, and extended one hand in my direction, while suggesting, “Then….how about Lucy!?”

Lucy, huh? That might actually be quite nice.

Eva nodded at Rebecca’s suggestion and then instantly switched to her magic wheelchair mode.

“Nn, Ieshu!”

She announced while sitting on her chair and extending a tonfa in the air.

“Eva’s proposal is a combination of Iglued’s I, Elias’s E and lastly my Shu?”

“――Correct,” Eva confirmed with an angelic smile.

Next she directed her eyes at the tree girl.

“Puyu――”

Puyuyu threw something like a dice on the ground, and after seeing its outcome, it repeatedly nodded, before shouting, “Puyuyuuun!”, while triumphantly holding up its wand in the air.

Somehow I understood the meaning behind that action, but I ignored Puyuyu either way.

Then Helme made her magnificent boobs sway, before saying with a broad smile, “Hehehe, everyone, your naming sense is still lacking!” while waving a finger in denial. “I see, it’s my turn now! I shall prepare a special name just like with , , and !”

For the time being, let’s leave aside her selfishly adding skill names without my knowledge…

She’s acting awfully high and mighty. Maybe, she’ll let me hear a name that will show me that her naming sense has grown even further. Very well, let’s have her give it a go!

“Okay, Helme! Go for it!”

“Okay! Allow me to nominate Crack-chan then!”

“Yeah, no, rejected.”

“Then, from butt――”

“Nyaoo.”

Rollo apparently got triggered by the mentioning of butts.

“…Even if Rollo agrees, it’s still rejected.”

While everyone was laughing at our antics, I looked at the tree girl down at my feet. Immediately following, the tree girl went back towards the crest tree, though I don’t think that it was triggered by her fear of the weird drive of everyone trying to name her.

“…Huh? I was planning to decide on your name, but does that mean that you can’t stay outside for long?”

“…Master…”

The tree girl nodded her head. Looks like I was right.

Soon after, the wooden door closed with a heavy thud. With it hiding the odd-eyed tree girl.

I’m pretty sure that childish being is my bloodkin, but…is she something like a fairy that inhabits the crest tree? Or…

And just then, as if to answer my question, a part of the flowers and grasses growing near the tree’s roots suddenly moved. A transformation occurred while a soil enclosure was being created.

Dark green and jade green vines and plants extended all over the place, just for an altar and pillars to be formed out of flowers and plants. The altar, which reminded me of the pretty celestial gates depicted by lute-like instrument patterns, was finished in the blink of an eye.

Seeing how the altar also came with pillars, is this possibly supposed to be a temple?

“――nh”

Muu, who had been silently watching together with Ciel, ran over while ejecting threads from her artificial limbs. She was apparently curious about the girl that had vanished into the tree. I guess it’s because they shared almost the same physique.

Muu’s protective clothing looked much more fashionable. I think Dokoko-san gave it to her as a gift.

Although we’ve got plenty of war loot from the orcs, making new clothes each and every time…moreover, all of them are handmade…I feel like she’s pampering Muu way too much.

On the way, Muu stumbled over a root of the crest tree. Helme got ahead of me when I advanced in order to catch Muu. Helme’s strings coiled themselves around Muu’s body, hindering her from falling down.

“Muu-chan, even without you hurrying so much, fairy-chan is going to show herself sooner or later again. Right, Your Excellency?” Helme winked towards the end of her remark.

“Yep, that’s correct,” I answered with a smile.

Still, although all kinds of causes overlapped…for me to create a tree fairy-like kin…it didn’t cost me that much mana, but the blood consumption was harsh.

Well, I guess it’s only natural…seeing how I quickened the Iglued tree’s evolution into this temple-like crest tree. And now it has turned into the foundation of an ancient, living tree which qualifies as one of the Light Demon Lucival’s mysteries.

But, it just shows that , which combines four other skills, isn’t a high-level skill for show…not to mention , an Extra skill that also signifies a torrent of light and darkness.

I still haven’t checked my status, but I fully grasped that isn’t just a skill to strengthen the power of my bloodkin while being related to .

While pondering about all that, I looked up to the Crest Tree of the Lucival which kept dripping blood, appearing just like a Lucival temple. At the same time, I took a magic cigarette out of my pocket.

The names of the were carved into the big circles, and the small circles hosted the names of my . The number of big circles had increased from ten to twenty, just as Eva and Rebecca had mentioned earlier.

I checked Veronica’s circle. Just from her circle alone extended small branches towards special small circles. Those small circles contained the name of Mel and Benett as . Veronica should be able to create one more .

…I wonder who she’s going to pick.

Veronica held the same rank as Empress Familia, if you used the Valmask family’s hierarchy for a ranking. Familia also had three, founding vampires as who directly descended from her. Hoffmann, the reincarnator who has 250 demons under him, and Lunz who’s chasing after Veronica.

Assuming that Lunz is as strong as Hoffmann, he will give Veronica a run for her money.

The name of the last was…what again? Alban? Alobart? No, Robalt is part of my dark guild.

Oh well, whatever. I’ll know right away if I ask Veronica.

At that point, I focused on the crest tree again.

…It’s a masterpiece. I can sense a special power of this living tree, similar to Sephirot or Qliphoth. As I reminisced about my first meeting with Kazane, I put the magic cigarette into my mouth. Seeing that, Rebecca kindly released a small, blue flame from her finger.

While admiring her growth in close combat techniques as she had closed the distance between us in an instant, I muttered a thanks.

“No problem. It’s my thanks for yesterday,” Rebecca answered with her cheeks flushing at some places while she averted her eyes.

While tickling her side, I held my cigarette against the blue flame while sucking in the healthy smoke.

◇◇◇◇

I was also curious about my new kin that had taken in my Lucival blood, but…first I applied healing magic on Quema, who had fainted, to get her back on her feet again.

She immediately regained her consciousness, but…maybe she got shocked, had her pride as leader of a small clan crushed, or experienced a shaking of her faith over having wet her pants. Anyway, she quickly excused herself in Orcish, and then dashed inside my house. All the while leaving her own weapon out here.

Solobo mumbled with a troubled look, “Milord…”

“Sure, go and take care of her,” I urged him to follow her with a jerk of my chin.

Solobo curtly confirmed my instruction, picked up Quema’s spear, and followed her into my house.

Next Muu, Helme, Moga, and Nemus had a mock battle against Rebecca, Eva, and me. Of course, my team won. But even so…O got scolded by my teammate Eva that I’m childish.

I wonder why…?

Rollo played a mysterious game of janken with Puyuyu. Meanwhile Ciel fiddled around with Puyuyu’s fluffy fur.

I flopped down on the fence around the training ground, and took a break. I kept watching Helme who was play-competing with Muu and Rollo.

After some time, Puyuyu acted as if it had suddenly remembered something. Leaving Ciel behind, it waddled down towards the village, but although I wondered whether it had some sort of appointment, I didn’t go after it. Rollo almost did, but then desisted.

Because I showed off the porcelain doll versions of Alray and Hueremy with a ta-dah! Afterwards, I played hide-and-seek with Rollo around the crest tree while using the dolls to lure her.

Rollo got totally excited about it, repeatedly extending her forepaws, causing Ciel to react to her motions. The dolls were fine even when getting hit by Rollo’s cat punches. Unlike Hina-san’s Nuko dolls, these magically created tigers were quite sturdy.

Just like this I spent some fun time playing around with Rollo and Ciel. And while we did that, Moga and Nemus began to train with Rebecca and Eva.

Rebecca yelled, “It’s a training regiment based on the assumption of future party combat!”

“Aye! But, it depends on whether you can cope with the techniques of my Moga Style. Though I won’t use Magic Sword Shallow…”

Moga adopted a peculiar low stance that seemed to capitalize on his small build. It made me remember what Yui or Kaldo had taught me when they occasionally adopted such a low stance, too: “This stance is beneficial during sword duels or drawn-out competitions.”

Rebecca used a stance of the Kulbul Boxing Style, holding her right hand upwards and her left hand downwards. The katar, which looked like it was growing out of her left fist, was pointing its tip at Moga.

“Nn, want to examine Nemus’s hard metal,” Eva extended her tonfa while sitting on her wheelchair.

“Eva, melting it with your legs is a no-no, okay?”

“Nn, okay.”

“…I, am, Neee, mus…”

“Bloody hell! Nemus is afraid. It looks like she still hasn’t forgotten about the professor and his assistant who came at her with saws.”

“It’s alright. Unlike Mysty, I won’t melt her.”

“Is Mysty that research-loving bloodkin of Shuuya I’ve heard about?”

“Okay, enough talking! Let’s go!”

Wanting to demonstrate her close combat techniques, Rebecca launched a preemptive attack, spelling the start of the training.

“Don’t injure Moga and Nemus, okay?” I warned my bloodkin, albeit not being worried about it at all.

Moga and Nemus were superb enough as a duo to have taken down the A-Rank monster, Black Sweet Water Snake.

…After several hours of messing around with this and that…

Muu had gotten tired of training and playing, and left the training ground together with Moga and Nemus. But, I suffered a little shock. When I tried to give her La Doola as a present for having made so much progress with her training, she turned it down, indicating that she was fine with the wood spear I’d given her before…

And yet she’d accept clothes from Dokoko-san…

Well, she frantically shook her head and didn’t want to let go of the wood spear at all…so I guess she might have found something she likes about that spear.

…Muu’s threads were tightly coiled around the grip.

So, while shouldering La Doola, I declared, “…Okay, I think it’s about time for me to inform Quiche of my new kin.”

“Okay, there’s also the matter of turning Commander-in-Chief Quiche into your bloodkin, too. With this…the Emerald Sword Empress, hehehe…” Helme’s plans clearly leaked through there.

But, what’s an Emerald Sword Empress? What is she trying to do with Quiche – going beyond working on her butt?

“Higlia-san seems to be waiting, too.”

“Nn, the brawling ceremony?”

“Yep! I really don’t wanna see such a ceremony, but…I suppose it can’t be helped in her case.”

“I’m also curious about the hometown of the ancient wolfmen.”

“Higlia is probably waiting quite eagerly for you to visit.”

Just as I was chatting with everyone, I sensed several magic source responses closing in on us with a ridiculous speed from the sky.

――An enemy attack?

“Rollo――”

My partner was staring in the same direction as I was. I already pinpointed their locations with Grasping Perception.

Are those forces of the Demonic Moth King?

“…I’ll protect you, master.”

Eh? The tree girl’s voice?

It was the voice of my new kin, the tree fairy.