World-Saving is a Skill

Presia’s desire to follow him into undeath was something Troll already knew well.

But even so, for her to demand the spell the moment it was completed struck him as shockingly hasty.

—Presia, there’s no need to decide so quickly. Even if it’s possible, it would be better to take more time and prepare.

“I believe in Ventus’s ability. You wouldn’t even state a deadline if you thought you might make little mistakes, right?”

—That’s…

“Besides, I don’t want to stay in this body for long.”

—What do you mean, Presia? I already told you, even now you’re truly beautif—

“No, it’s not about appearances. It’s about age.”

—Age?

“I’m used to it now, but I can’t deny it, Ventus. Compared to when I was younger, my stamina has dropped, and when it looks like rain, my knees ache. Getting older is natural, but you can’t exactly say it’s pleasant, can you?”

—Hmm… well, that’s true.

“And it’s not just me. Most women my age are already hunched over, literally bent like old grannies. Honestly, it won’t be many years before my back curves too. I don’t want to show you that side of me. And I don’t want to endure back pain either.”

“Uh…”

The sheer realism of the subject left Troll speechless.

Having become a lich before ever reaching old age, he was completely removed from such worries of aging.

But he could imagine how painful physical decline must be.

After all, Troll came from the Magic Tower!

There had always been plenty of mages there who were brilliant in skill but frail in body.

Some stooped over from years in the laboratory, others complained that their joints ached whenever the weather turned foul—there had been no shortage of them even back when Troll was alive.

—Alright, Presia. I’ll do my best to make it happen quickly. But even once it’s finished, can’t you wait just a little longer?

“Why?”

—I don’t think it’s right if only I witness you becoming undead. At the very least, shouldn’t that girl Amelia be there to see it? And if you do it without telling Nellin, she’ll be terribly hurt.”

“…That’s true. I suppose I was too hasty. Fine then. Let’s use the spell a month from now. By then Amelia and the paladin Paulen will have arrived at the holy city, and Nellin should be reaching the capital around that time as well.”

—Thank you for understanding, Presia.

“No, I should apologize for putting you in a difficult spot. Thank you, Ventus, for thinking of me. I love you.”

—…! I-I love you too, Presia.

Troll was still a novice at love, unaccustomed to hearing words of affection spoken aloud.

***

Ten days had passed since leaving the Magic Tower.

Squishy and Nellin’s party arrived at a village.

Thanks to Squishy’s massages during the journey, they weren’t too exhausted, but the horses still needed rest, so they decided to stay in the village for about three days.

“Hey, take it easy today.”

Now that they had arrived, Nellin declared a break from training, meaning they could relax from the road’s fatigue.

“Whew, so we can rest today.”

“Heh, even a warrior needs rest.”

“Awesome!”

“Hehe, then today I’ll play with Squishy all day.”

Ppo-yong!

While Godrick’s group cheered and Squishy bounced in response—

“…Too bad.”

Only Claire sounded disappointed.

As they were wondering how to spend their rest, Skol turned to Nellin with a question.

“Nellin-sis!”

“Hm? What?”

“Once we get to the capital, how long are we staying?”

“Huh? What kind of question is that?”

“Well~ honestly, it’s our first time there, so I was kind of looking forward to it. Even if Squishy wants us to go north, can’t we at least sightsee a little in the capital before leaving?”

“Oh, so that’s it. Do the rest of you feel the same as Skol?”

“Ahem. I am curious to see what the capital looks like.”

“There must be even more people than in the holy city, right?”

“Much more than the holy city.”

“Wow!”

“Heh, the capital where schemes and intrigues lurk—I look forward to it.”

“There you go again, saying something vague to sound cool. Not that it’s exactly wrong, though…”

“Master, what do you mean?”

“Hmm? Just that where there are lots of people, there are always shady ones too.”

“Oh, Nellin-sis. Does that mean you’ve experienced intrigue firsthand?”

“Hawane, why are you looking at me with such excitement? I haven’t spent much time in the capital, you know. After slaying that black dragon, I only stayed a few days for reports and to meet the big boss of the kingdom.”

“You’re probably the only one who calls the king ‘the big boss.’”

“Well, isn’t that what he is?”

▶The king?

▶Isn’t that just the leader of humans?

▶Oh, then that means he’s the strongest human?

[Free Spirit] ▶ Nn, not exactly.

▶Wait! The king is a human who isn’t the strongest, but is served as the leader by other humans!

▶ Wow, even Mr. Know-It-All doesn’t know much.

▶This is just parroting what someone else in chat said.

▶ What now?

▶ Lol

“Anyway, I only stayed a few days, but even then, you get a feel for things.”

“What kind of things?”

“That there are loads of people who look down on others, and loads who treat anything rare like merchandise. Ugh, so many looked at me not like a hero but like some prized commodity.”

“They looked at you that way, Nellin-sis?”

“Don’t tell me—you stuck an arrow in their eyeballs?”

“Am I crazy? Just glaring was enough. If they’d actually come up and mouthed off, I’d have knocked their teeth out, though.”

“Oh, that reminds me.”

Godrick recalled a rumor he had once heard about the capital.

“I heard there are dangerous auction houses and arenas there.”

“Dangerous auction houses? Arenas? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Claire asked, and Godrick answered immediately.

“Auction houses that sell items you’d never see in normal ones. Things stolen from somewhere, or whose origins no one knows—but worth a fortune.”

“And arenas?”

“There are rumors of arenas, unlike colosseums, where people really fight to the death. And even stranger rumors of monster arenas.”

“Monster arenas? You mean they make monsters fight each other?”

“Yes. I heard it while working as a mercenary. Honestly, even among mercenaries it was considered far-fetched, though.”

▶Monster arenas, what even.

▶Anyone streaming that?

▶ Nn, never seen such a broadcast.

Fifty years ago.

Among the black dragon’s favorite words—one who had rampaged through even monster society—was “arena.”

So naturally, even monsters understood the concept of an arena.

And that was precisely why the rumor of a monster arena opening in the capital left them bewildered.

After all, they had never once seen a human broadcast where monsters were forced to fight.

If such a broadcast had existed, monsters themselves would have loved it and made it a huge topic of conversation.

Which meant only one thing.

▶Looks like they’re just dragging in weaklings.

It had to be low-level monsters, ones with no intelligence and unable to use the System, being thrown against each other.

▶ So it was just fights with weaklings? What a letdown.

▶Still, watching weaklings brawl is kinda fun. I know because I’ve seen Squishy’s streams.

▶ loll

▶But lately Squishy’s not doing weakling fights, so it’s boring. He just keeps winning.

▶? He always lost against Muscle-human and Troll.

▶ Yeah, and he lost to elf too.

▶ Ah~ sparring is different from a real fight, you know~ No thrill or tension in it~

▶ But when Squishy loses even once, the stream ends lolol.

▶ Well, there you go.

▶ Lol

“What a strange idea.”

Nellin glanced at Squishy after hearing Godrick’s story.

“…Come to think of it, Squishy, you’d better stay quiet when we’re in the capital.”

‘Huh? Why?’

When Squishy tilted its body, Nellin poked it with her finger.

“You’re a really unusual slime. If you catch the eye of some vain or eccentric noble, it’ll be nothing but trouble.”

“Ah…?”

Hearing her, Godrick’s group silently agreed, recalling Viscount Fedfil.

Having already known nobles with bizarre tastes, it wasn’t hard to imagine that the capital—full of nobles—would harbor ones with even stranger hobbies.

“It’s probably safest if we just buy takeout and eat in our rooms.”

“Yeah, no good comes from standing out.”

“Heh, there’s no need to reveal the truth to fools.”

“We—we have to protect Squishy! We can’t let some creepy noble kidnap him!”

“I’m not worried about kidnapping. What worries me more is Squishy pounding the kidnappers and causing a bigger problem.”

‘Mm. Squishy strong. No kidnapping.’

He had been kidnapped once before by Brooks Vessilja, but that had only been possible because Brooks could use a half-baked teleportation spell.

So the real concern now was simply praying that if anyone tried to abduct him, they weren’t someone of high status.

▶These humans worry about everything. If someone attacks, just wipe ’em out, right?

▶Don’t you know how humans work? Even if it’s got nothing to do with them, the moment they hear another “fellow human” got hit, they swarm in like ants. Total pain in the ass.

▶Yeah, humans are annoying like that.

[Smooth Wind King] ▶ Sometimes they’ll hound you to extinction, chasing nonstop.

Viewers from the continent of Derxia shuddered as they recalled their own run-ins with humans.

[Just Slam First] ▶ Were humans really that annoying? A few came at me once, but I never had them come in swarms.

▶No way that’s true.

[Free Spirit] ▶ If it’s you, Just Slam First, then yeah, I can believe it.

[Noblesse Fire] ▶ The hell’s that supposed to mean?

[Free Spirit] ▶ Pretty much the same reason as with you.

[Noblesse Fire] ▶? Explain yourself, bastard!

[Free Spirit] ▶ The places you and Just Slam First live are brutal as hell for humans. Too harsh for them to even get close.

▶ Loll

▶ If survival’s impossible, of course they won’t come.

▶ Didn’t that old fart live near a volcano?

▶ No way humans could last there lolol.

The fire dragon bristled as soon as his lair was mentioned.

[Noblesse Fire] ▶ F, how the hell do you know I live at a volcano?

▶Where else would a fire dragon live, if not in a volcano lolol?

[Noblesse Fire] ▶ Ah.

▶Ah loll

The fire dragon was one of the few whose identity was openly known among viewers.

Unlike Troll, he hadn’t gone out of his way to hide it, and he even mentioned in chat that he breathed fire, so not knowing would’ve been stranger.

▶Fine, but what about the wolf bastard’s lair? Why’s it so hard for humans to reach there?

[Free Spirit] ▶ They freeze to death on the way.

▶Wow, so fragile.

[Just Slam First] ▶ What, so all those humans shivering on the way to me weren’t trembling with excitement to fight, but because of the cold?

Fenrir realized he’d been mistaken all along.

▶ loll With elf, Furry, and the humans hanging around Squishy—could they even make it to the wolf bastard’s place?

▶ Wouldn’t they just freeze and turn back halfway?

[Just Slam First] ▶ No! Don’t you dare, Troll! Do something about this!

[Free Spirit] ▶ And what exactly do you expect me to do?

[Just Slam First] ▶ You use human magic, don’t you?! Make sure Squishy can reach this master here!

▶Already flexing his “master” pride lolol.

‘So Squishy still wants to meet Just Slam First, huh…?’

[Free Spirit] ▶ Fine, I’ll keep an eye on the situation. If it looks like they can’t make it, I’ll lend a hand.

[Just Slam First] ▶ Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!

—Phew.

Fenrir let out a sigh of relief.