Masahiko huffs and puffs while he tries to catch his breath. He followed Katarine-hime only to never catch up. Katsuo tried to shoot her legs, but she deflected all arrows, without even looking—directly at Masahiko, who could only evade because he has already seen this feat before.

If they had Eri with them, they may have been more successful with slowing her down. Yet the princess got away while she entered another crevice-maze and then just jumped up the cliffs. “Seriously?” The more he sees about the princess, the more admiration and respect he has for her capabilities.

Tetsuko puts her hand on his back: “Too bad. Did I see it correctly? Did she use [Swishstride]?”

“Yeah, just when I thought I would catch her with it, she also activated that [Skill].” Masahiko still feels the frustration of thinking that he finally gets her only to be outdone. “Maybe I wear too much metal for that. Still, I thought that we, as heroes, would outlast her.” Heroes might get as tired as normal people, but their bodies won't be affected by that much.

“...what now?” Katsuo asks while looking up the cliffs.

“I can't track that. Well, I can, but who is up for a climb?”

“Teruko is right, we'll only lose time. We'll return to the plain and backtrack while Katsuo will look for Daichi and Eri.”

Following that, it doesn't take long for Katsuo to spot them with his [Farsight]: “...there. Hoshibashi-san is with them and is supporting Daichi...”

“Is he hurt?”

“...there is a hole in his armor.”

Masahiko's eyes widen. Daichi became an expert in using his armor most efficiently, it's a thick plate armor which he regularly maintains. He can strengthen it with the [Shell]-skill to an absurd level. He's a tank in every sense of the word, but he was cracked!? “Double-time.”

They increase their speed while Masahiko tries to think how this could have happened. Were they lured into a trap? He thought that combining Daichi's defense and martial art experience with Eri's level-head and magic would be enough to capture Katsuragi-kun. Or has he vastly underestimated him?

The moment Masahiko is there, he supports Daichi's other side. “Everything alright, buddy?”

“Sorry, Masa. We failed.”

“Don't be sorry, it was my fault. We also failed. Let's first look at your wounds and afterward we'll review.”

“Don't bother with first aid. Eri-san has helped me as much as possible. Look.” He points at the hole in his armor, under the teared layer of leather undergarment Masahiko spots bandages. “I just need a moment to rest.”

“Masa!” Eri has waited patiently, but now that Masahiko has confirmed Daichi's well-being, she starts wailing and runs up to him: “He broke my nose, it hurts so much!” In fact, it's swollen. She may have cast [Heal] on it, but the spell isn't potent enough for broken bones or noses, though it's at least straightened.

“I know, I know.” He gently pats her head. “Shishou broke mine several times as well, remember?” Also some fingers, ribs, and once a leg. They were lucky enough to be in Esse with the temple and priests who could take care of that as well. “Hoshibashi-kun, why are you here?”

“Le- my partner said that they needed my help. Katsuragi was about to kill them.”

“...tell me everything that happened.” Masahiko tries his best to keep calm, but Katsuragi-kun hurting Eri and Daichi makes him feel righteous anger.

Listening to Eri, it really seems that Katsuragi-kun doesn't even consider talking anymore. Attacking without forewarning, aiming at vitals spots, trying to finish Eri off as quick as possible. Yet he seems nigh unstoppable. Ara'ainn was right, he can practically vanish before their eyes, but despite knowing that, Eri and Daichi weren't able to counteract. Masahiko thought that Daichi's [Bodyguard] and Eri's spells would be enough for that one assault he had free, before overpowering him. Yet, when it came to it, Katsuragi-kun already dealt Daichi that devastating blow...

This is the difference. Katsuragi-kun always played games during breaks in school, always an RPG-title. Masahiko knows a lot of them, but Katsuragi-kun is a master and has used this knowledge to give himself the edge. Ara'ainn guessed his level around 50, which is ten levels above what Masahiko and his friends have. Is the difference between ten levels so great? Enough to overwhelm two people

“His strength when he stabbed me... it was beyond anything I saw. He had just fought half-assed before, I got cocky, and he lured me into that attack,” Daichi admits his fault.

“...” Katsuo pokes Daichi's shoulder in empathy.

Masahiko looks at his party and Hoshibashi-kun: “We got fooled, and I made bad decisions. Daichi can't fight anymore, so he'll return to camp. Eri, would you go with him? Hoshibashi-kun, we need your help. I know, you're usually only working with Yoshimura-kun, but the princess is too fast to catch, Katsuragi-kun is too good at stealth. I hate to admit it, but despite all our growth, we're still outdone. Our training so far was to make better basics, but that makes us slow-starters right now. To get to Kyou, we need to take care of Katarine-hime and Katsuragi-kun first. Katsuragi-kun hurt my friends, so I'll deal with him. Hoshibashi-kun, can I ask you to take care of the princess?”

“Sure.”

It doesn't matter what you do or want to accomplish: It's usually cluttered with the mistakes you make along the way. The only question is whether you learn from them or not.

Masahiko wasn't decisive enough before. Now it's time he corrects that.

―○●○―

What the fuck, Yoshimura. What the fuck.

He wants us to join them!? After all the shit we've been going through because of them? Aroahenn, mercenaries, Goldbrunn, indirectly even the Spirit Swamps!

Rine looks helplessly at me. She doesn't even know how to process it! Ara-san also looks at me and I'm sure she doesn't particularly care. Kyou-san looks at me like I've applied to a position as a human crash-test dummy. She's certain that I'll reject the offer.

Well, I'll show you. “I have some questions first.” In the end, my goal is to return home. So as long as joining them will help me with it, I'm not against it. Unless the details are shitty. “First: Who is the boss?” I thought Correo might be the mastermind, but now he acts like a subordinate, so either he's fucking around big time with Yoshimura, Yoshimura has somehow gained the authority, or they both serve someone else.

“It's an old and powerful deity. We call her the Lady.”

“The Lady!? Does she have a name?”

“Of course she does, but her name isn't for the likes of me to speak aloud.”

“Come on, do you expect me to join someone whose name I don't even know?”

“Her name is divine and speaking it lightheartedly is only inviting divine wrath.”

“Give me something to work with! I mean, what's the damage to tell us at least once?” I want to know who I have to thank for all that shit. If it's really a goddess, then maybe Rine knows something about her.

“I won't tell you her-”

Suddenly, Correo interrupts Yoshimura: “It's Orinaenielle.”

“!” This name! “Orinay- Orine-”

“Ken, it's Orinanane- I mean, Orinaennyael-”

“Kyou, I think it's rather Orinenenell?”

“I don't even want to try.”

It's next to impossible to speak that name aloud! The reason why Yoshimura has resisted so hard to say it is most likely because he can't pronounce it either! “Seriously!? I mean, it's like in a bad game when the writers look up and combine some of the most unspeakable names because they think it'd make things better! Guess what, it just stinks of nerd!”

“Don't you dare to speak ill of the Lady!”

“Oh, what will happen if I do? Will you strike us down in the name of the Lady then? Which is? Can you tell me?!”

“Grrr....”

“I'm sure, Correo spent hours practicing to speak it so fluently.” The worst part is, Correo actually nods flippantly! Well, I'll just stick to Ori-boss. Much easier.

“OK, let's just ignore the name for now. What is so special about Rine being a hero?”

Yoshimura looks at me, then he shrugs his shoulders. “I don't know, honestly.”

I look at Correo. “What about you? Your oni talked about Rine as 'the Irregular' and that she has both. Both what?”

“I fear it doesn't have anything to do with the offer, right?”

“Of course it does! That's telling us what you plan to do with her.”

“The Lady will ask of her nothing that she can't do.”

Suddenly, Rine bursts out: “Why do you keep talking about me but not with me!? I have no idea what all of you are trying to do, but let me ask you, Kenta: Are you considering their offer?”

I rub my nose-bridge: “Rine, let's be straight. There might be some benefits and my end-goal is to return home. So the real question is, whether they can help me with it or are standing in my way.”

Yoshimura starts smirking: “The Lady can bestow you a new quest, something that's more feasible than to defeat the so-called demon king.” This is tempting.

Not only me, even Kyou-san and Ara-san might get a new quest and Rine may get one in the first place. “And if I fulfill that new quest, I return home?”

“You're also granted a wish.”

Ori-boss may be legit, just like the goddess that summoned Ara-san and was physically there. Muaotef has also his heroes and is too real for my liking. I guess, the deity who summoned us is the exception, trying their best to stay in hiding...

The more I hear, the more sense it makes to just join Ori-boss. Get a new quest, having Correo or others not chase us anymore, and maybe some way to get rid of the wedding-curse.

Kyou-san is also in thought. she's most likely thinking the same as me. Even Ara-san is... no, I think she's basically sleeping while standing.

“Kenta!” Rine grabs me at the shoulder: “Did you forget about Aroahenn!? They attacked it for their own means! What about them using monsters to attack us and their allies alike? Goldbrunn as well! They're bad people!” She looks at all of us, but there is a problem here: We're not the kind of people that have that much of a sense of justice.

Kyou-san plays with her ring, thinking of an answer. Ara-san, who has started paying attention with the mentioning of Aroahenn, lifts her ears a bit, then her left ear slowly descends. “Phew...” I just sigh. “Look, Rine,” I tell her, “until now we never had a choice to do the 'right thing', the few opportunities we actually did it was because we had clear benefits. We didn't fight against Aroahenn's invaders because we wanted to, but because we asked the elder for a reward, right?”

Rine slowly turns her head to me, her eyes are scary! This isn't the usual anger-fit, this is actual wrath, directed at me. The corner of her mouth drops, her forehead furrows, she's genuinely pissed for an actual reason.

Before the swamps, she would have somehow excused my words. Maybe thinking that this is a ruse. Or that I have noticed something behind a mask of misunderstood deeds. Yet this time, she takes my words as what they are.

I reap what I sow.

Kyou-san is about to touch Rine's arm gently, but I give her a look, telling her to stop that. “Rine,” I begin, “remember this feeling well.” Then I turn to Ara-san and speak almost soundlessly: “[Whisper]: Get into a safe distance so that you can run away if things turn south.” I repeat it with Kyou-san. Then I turn to Yoshimura and Correo.

The latter has changed his expression, he sure knows what will happen. On the other hand, the former greedily licks his lips: “Have you decided?”

“Yeah.” I straighten up and Kyou-san starts running with Ara-san, while I swiftly ready my spear: “[Speedthrust]!” I aim at Correo, but Yoshimura draws his sword, steps into my attack-line, and blocks this attack effortlessly: “I hate doing what others tell me to do.”

Correo also starts running: “I'll leave it to you, Wood-dono.”

“Rine, get him!”

“Erm...yes!”

“Not so fast,” Yoshimura says while lifting his hand: “[Wind Weasel]!” Rine jumps to the side, most likely because she feels how she can't just block a wind blade.

Yet Correo has vanished in the moment he was unobserved. “Kch. Rine, help me with him!” If we take him down, then-

Why are his muscles receding? Wait, did he cast a spell, while being a warrior-class!? Or has he a magical-warrior [Class-up]? “You don't like taking orders? Let's see about that! {Freeze}!” His voice was a bit different, is this a spell!?

…

… … …

Nothing happened? I start swinging at him, Yoshimura barely dodges while his panic obviously wells up as Rine is now getting behind him. “{Freeze}, I said! {Give up}! {Concede}!” Somehow my head feels a slight tingle. “{Don't mo-}” He can't finish his sentence as he just got Rine's foot into his side while he was busy blocking my spear.

Whatever he's trying to do, it doesn't work! Kyou-san and Ara-san are also in a good distance, I see how Ara-san is collecting water for her [Tidal Wave].

Yoshimura changes his class again and drops his sword: “[Gust]!” He can shoot it out of both hands!? At point blank I can't evade it! Rine somehow manages it, but he continues: “[Earthshield]!” A rock-wall rises between him and Rine, she just punched it, but now she cuts it with her sword. Still, Yoshimura could escape our flanking.

I hate [Gust], it violently blows you away and its casting time is way too short for its usefulness! I get back on my feet and see how Rine evades another [Wind Weasel]-spell. Other than ponytail, Yoshimura isn't shy to use fast, large scale spells to buy some time.

We all know, it's just a question of time before we get him, yet Yoshimura changes to that other class again: “{Katsuragi Kenta, you will stop fighting a-” I feel a stronger tingling than before but it's Yoshimura who starts to squirm in pain. “Seriously!? You!? Of all people!?” He looks at me, ready to join the fray again, at Ara-san in the distance, and at Rine, who lifts her sword, ready for another charge to finally kick his ass. Then he says in desperation to Rine: “{Get him!}” While pointing at me.

Slowly, Rine turns to me. Her ember-like eyes are glassy, almost as if she's daydreaming. Mind-control!? That's what he tried the whole time!? And while it doesn't work on me, it works on Rine!? Shit! Shit, shit!

Rine slowly comes closer, her movements are much duller than usual. I lift my spear, ready to defend myself. I mean it's not like I can't defend myself, after all.

…

I make the only sensible choice: To turn on my heels and start running!

Seriously, I can't do that! I remember all the times Rine kicked my ass when she didn't mean to, so even accounting for her currently dull movements, there is no chance in hell that I’ll win!

The only thing I can do is: “[Whisper]: Run!” Send Ara-san a message while I try to flee this scene like a bawling little kid that saw something scary and needs its mom.

I hear how Ara-san's [Tidal Wave] is released and I hope that they'll use it as an opportunity to run away.

Yet there is another sound mixed to the splashing water... The sound of steps following me... please be Yoshimura, please be Yoshimura, please be Yoshimura... no, I know these boots... help... help!

―○●○―

Lent Wood, wet and lying on his back, holds his head while he tries to shake off the dizziness. His head hurts so much that he can barely concentrate, and while he's aware how all of them have run away, he still needs to recover from the shock. Not only because of the [Tidal Wave] he had to take head-on, though it certainly didn't help.

Fiddling with other people's mind is a lot like trying to physically manipulate them. You can only lift someone when your own body is strong enough for the weight. Though using [Order] is often more like a wrestling contest.

Correo has warned Lent that there are two kinds of people he shouldn't try to mind-control: Elves, and stubborn losers.

Elves are supposed to have a supreme reign over their own minds. It doesn't mean that they're strong, but it means that trying to manipulate it is like trying to grab water. That trait is unique to elves, stemming from their inherent magic, though most other users of that magic fall short on it.

That's why [Order] had no effect on that Ara'ainn at all. Lent knew it, but he tried nonetheless, confident about his own prowess. He was wrong, as he didn't understand the problem before.

About these people Correo calls stubborn losers... It's easy to say that the higher the willpower is, the harder it is to exert any form of mind-control. The mind of the user tries to take over a part of the mind of the target, changing some or all of it, depending on the exact skill or spell.

Yet 'willpower' is a vague term for most people. Correo used another physical analogy for it: Willpower is like a muscle. Everyone has an inherent potential, but a muscle must be used to become strong. If a muscle isn't used, it deteriorates. If a muscle is used too much, it causes muscle ache. The memories of Lent's former self go even as far as saying that training a muscle is destroying it so it can grow stronger.

How does it relate to willpower? Easy, someone who is always faced with bad odds, resistance from all sides, experiencing defeat, sadness, and stress will train their willpower. Someone who always had their way, who never had to criticize themselves, and let everything bad slip off themselves don't do much for their willpower.

In a sense, confidence and success are the biggest enemies to attain a high willpower. Therefore the term stubborn losers.

Again, Lent thought it was just Correo's weakness speaking. Now he reconsiders it.

[Order] is a particular skill that puts one single sentence of an order into the mind of the victim. It can be strong or weak, depending on how it's used. When it works, it can't be used again for a day on the same target for reasons unbeknown to Correo and Lent.

When Lent used it against Katsuragi the first few times, he didn't put much effort into it. It was like doing some light punches against something that seemed like a punching bag. Then Lent grew frustrated and put all his mind into it, only revealing that Katsuragi's mind was a lightly cushioned concrete wall.

Lent was sure that the way Katsuragi acts was based on ignorance and denial. He never seemed to take anyone seriously, he never seemed to care what others thought about him. He should have had a feeble willpower, yet it proved to be too much.

“He... hehehe... HAHAHAHA!” Lent laughs, half out of the absurdity, half out of pure joy. He has miscalculated and thought Katsuragi's mind was weak, yet who would better fit the description of a stubborn loser? Even today, Katsuragi had been bested by Lent in terms of strategy, having not only his ambush failed, but his comrade taken hostage. This miscalculation was Lent's fault, he still thought too low about Katsuragi. Or rather too high? Only the lowest of the low who don't know any better and try anyway can attain such a high willpower.

On the other hand, the one thing Lent was worried about, the princess, has proved to have a willpower as strong as tofu! Slowly, Lent's vision clears up, literally and figuratively. He may have wasted his [Order] for her for the day, but Katsuragi will fall because of it. With his partner, he can overpower the princess or wait another day to use [Order] again on her.

He just hopes that the princess won't kill Katsuragi so that Star can kill him off instead and further the goals of the Lady!

Now it's time to look for the other two. He stands up and uses [Dry] to get rid of the water in his clothes and hair. “Wait for me, Momokawa Kyou. You will be mine.”

First, he will look for Correo. There are only few heroes left that his pendulum will detect, after all. In the end, Lent plans to visit all of those remaining heroes one after another to be as thoroughly as possible.