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(POV Rika)

“…Who are you all?”

“…”

As we were walking through the forest in search of some other prey, suddenly a group of people came out of the trees and approached us. To my question, most just remain silent, and those who led them to this group show a smile on their faces…

Looking at their actions, it was obvious that they did not come with good intentions. Although the good thing is that now I did not feel so worried about this… it was not the first time that we went through something like this, and so, all the girls who were with me are holding their weapons with a serious face waiting for an order to attack.

Umu… without a doubt their actions generated a lot of trust between all of us. There was just one thing that bothered me now…

As an acquired custom, I quickly put on my glasses to examine this group … then I could only frown upon seeing that this couple of a man and a woman that was leading them, both had a Soul level 2 according to these glasses! Also, everyone else around them was between the 7th and 9th limit!

This group of about 20 people did not seem to be the same as those of some thieves that we had encountered so far in this forest… with those levels of strength, they should have a good backup behind them! Therefore, it would be a bit strange if this group were to steal the profits that adventurers can get from this Area…

“That insignia… they must be disciples of the same sect as the princess. Besides, it seems that there are even some instructors with them… “

It seems my hunch was true… these people weren’t just thieves. Sadly, Rulnement’s words, who was close to me, make me think of some not-so-good possibilities why they were here…

“… What do people from the 7 Mountains sect want with us?”

“Fufufu, we just had some business to deal with with your group… the [Ilios Apeiro Family].

It’s you all, right? “

“…”

This time, after my words indicating that we had recognized them, the woman in front of their group decided to answer me. By this woman mentioning that name makes the atmosphere of our group somewhat restless… the meaning of this implied many things after all! So, even I could not prevent my face from blushing a little.

But since she mentions the name of the [Family Ilios Apeiro], this only grew more my suspicions of why they were looking for us. The name which should be known mostly in this area must be that from the guild of soldier girls, [Alexander’s Servants]. So it was a bit strange that they were looking for precisely our group…

But then their next words make it clear that they did not come with good intentions.

“You are the group formed by the Princess of Delna’s fiancé, right?

That boy shouldn’t have gone after someone else’s woman… so, now he will have to pay for that. Now you will understand that opposing Velrut-sama was the stupidest thing he ever did “

As I thought, it was about that matter which the princess had previously warned us about… since a few months had passed after that engagement was announced and nothing happened, I thought that most people who had a grudge about that with Alexander had given up on that after investigating our group.

After all, I think we had made a good show of our strength recently. Instead of groups looking for problems with us, now they looked to us to create alliances or at least have a good relationship with our group.

But now it seems that I was wrong…

“I knew it! These are problems caused by that brat!! Besides, is he really interested in taking women from other men now?!!

…Now I must seriously talk to my parents to prevent something strange from happening.”

“Rei… that woman obviously refers to the matter from princess and Alex-san… Besides, he’s in another place now and so he can’t go after a woman here, right?.”

“E-Eh? R-Right…”

“ Hmp ~ You are nobody to decide who is a woman that Master can chase. If that man lost the woman he loved, then it is only because he could not keep her with himself or simply the woman realized that the Master was much better”

“It’s true ~ It’s true ~ If a male isn’t suitable, then it’s normal for the female to look for someone better, Roock~ Also, only the strong have the right to have eggs, roock ~

Surely that person who lost his women is someone pathetic, roock~”

“ “ … “ “

…It seems that Rei has quite a few things and concerns on her mind. Well, I can’t deny that what she says is a bit disturbing. Although… I think Yuriko-san’s matter is a bit special.

On the other hand, it also seems that there are girls like Mary and Vrana-chan who don’t care about such things and they would actually support the boy… in fact, the latter’s mentality is a bit wild!

Also… the soldier girls seem to support the ideology of these last two girls! Most of them agree with what they say and nod repeatedly!

…Well, these girls had to put up with being with people they surely hated, so it’s not hard to imagine that they would agree much more with what they say.

As to the people in front of us, it seems that this was not the reaction that woman was looking for when she told us all that… probably by mentioning that name she wanted us to show fear or something like that, but… she only gets those answers that make her frown and look a little upset.

The truth is that it is not like we wanted to despise or underestimate that guy… the problem was more basic, it was that we simply did not know him! Unfortunately for this girl, the only ones who like to search for information are Kurisu and Saya… and none of these girls are here right now.

Well, seeing as how that man could order two people with a level 2 Soul, then he should be someone quite influential and he couldn’t be underestimated at all. Probably if the other girls could see this like me, they would be a little more serious now.

The problem was that, since these people couldn’t display that strength in this place now, the others shouldn’t have felt threatened since the aura they emanated was only from someone at the 9th limit as well. In fact, this was why I too could be a little calmer even watching this.

“Tch… it seems like they’re just ignorant bitches. It’s a pity that the brat doesn’t seem to be here… “

“It doesn’t matter, we can leave him a message through these girls…”

“Fufufu… that’s fine with me.”

“Everyone get ready to fight ¡”

As if losing interest in continuing to speak, the entire group of them takes up their weapons and begins to prepare for a fight. I knew that in the end this would be inevitable, so I quickly give orders to the girls who also take a stand to confront these people.

My biggest concern was those two at the front, but as if they instinctively knew who was the strongest among them, Mary, and Vrana advance towards the woman who spoke. While Saeko, Scythe, and Rulnament advance towards the man, and soon their weapons collide with theirs.

“Everyone, finish off the others quickly!”

“Yes, Rika-sama!”

Without wasting time, I also take my rifle and lead the girls to fight with the other people from that group. I was a little worried about those who went ahead to fight, so the best thing was to finish with the others as quickly as possible to help them right away.

There was one thing that worried me if we fight them, but for now, I could only fight and then solve that later.

Even though those two were outnumbered, they really didn’t seem to have much of a hard time because of it. Certainly though they couldn’t show their true strength, their abilities couldn’t be underestimated… as long as their fight dragged on, the others would be the ones at a disadvantage.

The good thing was that the other girls and I didn’t have much trouble dealing with the others who accompanied them. You could even say that our side was razing them…

This was not strange, after all, we had fought against groups of monsters with a number much greater than them. Besides, it was probably the first time they had seen weapons similar to ours… so they had to learn from their own experience how stupid it was to simply charge towards us.

In case that was not enough and some of them had the ability to get too close to one of us to attack, the only result they found was to be stopped by one of the BIMs that generated a shield… of course, what followed after that was a hail of bullets.

Seeing all this, even the other two erased the smile they had on their faces until now to be replaced by surprise and some fear.

“H-Hey, if those girls with weird weapons surround us too, that would be pretty bad, Kell! “

“…It seems that we underestimate this group… we must withdraw and come better prepared, Tilene”

“Yes… I think that will be the best”

After seeing that soon everyone else in their group would be defeated, those two make the decision to escape.

Since it seems that those who were fighting against them had even used some items to protect them, then letting them go would be the best for everyone…

Although we may be able to defeat them if we join those who fought against them, it may not be without paying some cost to achieve it…

“Rika-san, we can’t let them escape!”

“…”

I didn’t want someone to be severely hurt… or even worse, killed! But… if we let go now, that would give us many more problems further ahead!

[Bown!] [Bown!] [Bown!]

“Die…”

“Kuh!”

“You will not escape from Vrana, Roooock~”

“Sh-Shit… t-this girl… Kyaaa~!”

Unexpectedly, before I could make up my mind, things change drastically. As she had done until now, Scythe wields her scythe to try to cut the man with who she was fighting along with Saeko and Rulnement.

The different thing was that her entire body seemed to be giving off a bit of steam that distorted the environment around her… also, the scythe that she wielded this time moved at an incredible speed and was covered by a black aura!

As a result of this, this time the man was unable to block Scythe’s attack. Although luckily for him, he must have had an object that defended him by saving his life at preventing him from being cut in two.

“T-That girl has become scarier…”

I totally agreed with Rei’s words… that black aura emanating from the scythe gave a very bad feeling!

On the other hand, the other girl with a level 2 Soul, had used an object to fly away from here. With that speed, probably not even Vrana could catch up with her… I thought, but… just like with Scythe, something in her changed and her speed increased quite visibly!

It seemed to be propelled by the wind around her and thanks to this in a couple of seconds she had reached that woman, who taste how sharp her claws which had destroyed our bed several times were.

“Go away!!”

The relaxed atmosphere that those two had, now could not be seen anywhere… the man’s face now showed despair as he tried to push Rulnement and Saeko aside in order to escape from Scythe which thanks to those two could wield her scythe again against that man.

“Kuuuh!!”

Probably with no other object to defend him from Scythe’s weapon, he tries to use his sword to stop it. Unfortunately, although he could escape death again, his sword breaks but making divert enough scythe to only receive a wound deep enough…

“Fuck! Those two damn bitch breakthrough on their soul level!!”

Yes, as that woman indicated, those two girls were now identified by my glasses as people with a level 2 soul! But, this woman also was wrong on something…

“I will not allow you to fly again!”

[Pan!!]

“Y-Youuu … Kuhaaa!!”

When the woman tries to get up to try to escape again, Mary had reached her side and immediately gave her a strong kick throwing her several meters rolling… not only these two had advanced her soul level, Mary had also done it!

“T-This is bad, Rika-san! If those girls don’t restrict their power now, then they’ll call a world tribulation!! “

While I was watching all this quite surprised, Palmir who was next to me tells me that with a worried face. Her words sounded quite scary, but it was good that Alexander had foreseen that something like this could happen and he had given them some items to those girls.

“Rook ~?”

“…?”

Some bracelets that Vrana and Scythe used, suddenly, begin to shine a little. These girls seem to notice this change, and then the aura that surrounded those girls begins to descend little by little until it returns to as it was before.

“Eeeh~? Vrana doesn’t feel so strong anymore, Roock~

Is it because of this thing~? “

“…”

“S-Stop, bird girl! You can’t take that off! “

“Why?! Vrana wants to feel strong again!! “

Probably instinctively, Vrana tries to remove the bracelet on her foot that matched the other that allowed her to transform her limbs. The other girl, Scythe just curiously looks at the bracelet on her wrist.

Then quickly Rei who had heard Palmir’s words tries to stop her. It seems that somehow she manages to do it since, although a little moody, she stops trying to take it off.

“Mary… put on the bracelet Alexander gave you too”

“…it’s okay”

The truth is that Palmir’s words seemed a bit exaggerated to me, but seeing how the weather seems to start to change as if a storm was approaching, I quickly also indicated to Mary to use a bracelet with the same effect that Alexander had also given her.

… It was a bit strange how after she does it, things immediately seem to go back to normal.

“… Looks like we were lucky this time that these girls made it to the next level of the soul. Otherwise, it would have been quite difficult to hold these two… “

“Well, more than luck, those girls had already been at the peak of the 9th limit for a while.

Furthermore, according to Alexander, it would not be difficult for them to advance because of their race… you could say that these two simply served as an impetus for them to achieve it. “

“That is true, but… the only time that a person can maintain a force greater than what is allowed in an area in the world, is when they advance their Soul level for the first time.

At that time they can manifest that strength for a few minutes… then, they have to decide whether to restrict their strength or leave that Area to another where they can display that strength without problems.”

“… what if they don’t do it like that?”

“Well… if they are lucky, they would only be forced out them of this Area. If they don’t… the world can manifest a calamity to annihilate that person.

That is maybe the only reason why those two preferred to use objects to escape than simply show their strength.. surely they had a much better chance of escape than to oppose the laws of the world. “

“D-Did you hear, bird girl?! You absolutely can’t take off that bracelet ¡! “

“You are only envious because Vrana is now much stronger, fat girl! Roock~ “

“… If you take it off, I’ll actually tell Alexander that you didn’t want the gift he gave you.”

“V-Vrana won’t take it off, Rei! Don’t tell Master, Rook~ “

A little curious about what had just happened, Saeko and Rei also join in my conversation with Rulnement as Mary and Scythe drag the two now-in-bad- condition guys. Also, it seems that Rei has begun to understand how to control Vrana little by little…

“ So what are we doing with these two? Will we sell them as slaves too? If they pay a lot for people in the 9th limit, then surely the amount for them will be even more “

“D-Damn bitches… you all will pay dearly for this!”

“…”

Since this is what we had done so far with the people who attacked us, Rei asks me that…

“ … That’s not good. It is bad enough to oppose someone from the 7 Mountains Sect, but that only means having a disagreement with one faction of this one. That is still tolerable, and more if we have the princess and her family that is from the same sect to support us.

Selling one of their disciples as slaves is much worse, that would tarnish the name of the entire sect! Probably even the princess has trouble interceding if we do that. “

I had already thought about what Palmir says… the biggest problem in facing these people was not their strength, but rather that they had quite a big influence behind them. It would really be quite troublesome to have to oppose all the sect…

But… it seems like it’s not always a good thing to have someone strong backing you up. If we cannot get rid of them by selling them as slaves, then there is only one alternative …

“Rika-san … you can leave the rest to us, you can come back for now.”

Probably seeing me frown at the decision I had to make, Rulnement intervenes… surely he had the same idea in my head as I did.

“No… this is a problem for our group, so we must solve it too”

I was tempted to take his offer, but in the end, I couldn’t just leave the dirty work to his group… also it was my responsibility to make decisions, even if I didn’t like them very much or were difficult.