"Collapse of the bearer confirmed." "This Elemio Comb has divine power." "It nullifies all of your power!" "What the hell?" "Burn it!" "We need to run, Kuu." "That's no Alpha Stigma!" "Nemuri toki agunete" "Kimi o miushinai" "Kowashitaku naru ima subete" "Nozomu kotoba ga nidoto kikenai nara" "Inochi sae mui ni sashidasu deshou" "Kiesou na kagayaki e to" "Yorisou omoi" "Kodoku da yo" "Watashi no moto ni mo asahi ga kuru no?" "Kotaete, futari o" "Tsunagu ai ga aru to" "Manekareta zetsubou no hate ni tachimukau" "Umarete horobiru" "Hito no ishiki koso ga" "Mirai o erabi, kagi o akeru" "Hey." "Who are you?" "God." "Devil." "Dark god." "Hero." "Monster." "Call me what you will." "After all, you shall vanish." "That Sui man seemed surprised." "But the fact that you're not an ordinary Alpha Stigma bearer isn't all that shocking." "After all, you are even worse, a legendary perverted man." "And on top of being a sex fiend, you're a lazy, good-for-nothing fop." "I never told you before, but I read the report you wrote when Sion showed it to me." "If I recall, there was a certain passage in it." ""I hate people dying." "I hate killing, too." "I don't like to see people cry or to cry myself." "How must it feel not to be able to choose one's life?" "What about when a family member dies?" "Or when a loved one dies?"" "I thought that the person who wrote that must have been an idiot." "You hate people dying?" "People die." "You hate killing?" "If someone lives, it means someone dies." "As a lazy sloth who finds everything to be a pain, and as the timid person that you are," "I highly doubt that you could ever possibly kill me." "That's what I think." "Hey, Ryner." "You wanted to advance forward, didn't you?" "You didn't like being called a monster, did you?" "You thought to yourself that you were sick of killing people, didn't you?" "I've already evaded your attack five times." "But I won't dodge the next." "You can decide the rest." "I don't consider you a monster." "Got that?" "You're not a monster." "You are my partner, my manservant, and my tea-drinking companion." "You're no monster." "Can you hear me, Ryner?" "Are you listening, Ryner?" "!" "N-No..." "A-All of you..." "Shut up." "Your time is up now." "Ryner!" "Sorry, Ferris." "Close my eyes..." "Ry... ner..." "You're..." "You're not a monster." "You're no monster!" "I guess I really tried to kill you, huh?" "This is what I am." "Despised by everyone as taboo." "A monster with no talent beyond killing." "But I don't want to kill people I know anymore." "So..." "You head back to Roland." "Sion wouldn't complain." "This journey is already over..." "If you really intended to kill me, I would be dead right now." "But I'm not dead." "A coward like you who can't kill a single woman calls himself a monster?" "Don't make me laugh." "Now then, let's find a nice place somewhere and have some tea." "I still have some of the dango Iris brought for me." "Welcome back." "Yeah." "I'm home." "In a forest on the outskirts of Nelpha, two people of unknown origin, a man and a woman, used the hero relic, the Dolueli Swordscale, and assaulted us." "They possessed two other hero relics, and I believe that, like us, they are foreigners seeking to gather hero relics." "The outcome of the battle was that they escaped." "Whether they survived or perished after that is unclear." "Lord Astal!" "How many more hours do you plan to keep working?" "You still haven't even touched your meal!" "Sorry, Eslina." "As soon as this is finished, I'll eat it all and rest a bit." "You're saying that again?" "Always with the morose expression." "What is it this time?" "I'm not so troubled that I need your concern." "And there you go, taking everything upon yourself again." "I swear, you're such a..." "At times like this, if you don't physically force Sion to stop, he'll keep working until he collapses." "Remember that, okay, Eslina?" "Right, Calne!" "All of you..." "If you push yourself too hard," "Fiole up in heaven will get so worried he'll have to come back down here!" "Right, Eslina?" "Right!" "You mustn't do that, Your Majesty." "Please don't do anything that would make my brother sad!" "To be blessed with subordinates so concerned for their lord, the King of Roland must be quite happy." "Ah, Lady Noa Ehn." "Have you grown accustomed to life in Roland?" "Yes." "With Your Majesty's kind consideration," "I have had quite a pleasant stay." "Rear Admiral Klom also treats me well." "Oh?" "Claugh, hm?" "Looks like we were right on the money to have Sir Claugh act as Lady Noa's guide." "So it would seem." "Wh-What are you talking about?" "Did you have some business with Sion?" "Business?" "Have you forgotten?" "We had dinner arrangements tonight." "Oh?" "I thought you said you had a dinner party tonight?" "No, that's tomorrow." "Er, it got postponed to tomorrow." "Oh, is that right?" "S-Sorry." "I got busy, and things came up..." "I understand." "I know that you stay busy with "things," Rear Admiral." "Calne, I hope you're not telling Noa anything unnecessary..." "What would something unnecessary be?" "E-Er, that is..." "I'd like to hear all about it at greater length over dinner." "On that note, Your Majesty, I shall be borrowing your Rear Admiral for a bit." "By all means, by all means." "W-Well, er..." "Sir Claugh and Lady Noa, hm?" "Lady Noa has become something of a hostage for Estabul's sake." "I hope that Claugh remaining at her side will give her at least a little bit of support." "I'm sure she'll be fine." "Have you taken a moment to glance over my written opinion?" "Yes." "The state of affairs in the northern region seems to have finally grown dire." "Imperial Stohl boasts strong forces in the northern region." "There, at present, there are invasions advancing at a breakneck pace, led by the emergent royal family of Gastark, in the northernmost region of the continent." "Gastark has been annexing neighboring small kingdoms, one after another." "The equilibrium of the Menoris Continent has begun to collapse." "I believe that eventually, the onset of war will be inevitable." "Our most pressing business is an urgently needed unification of the Roland Empire." "If we don't make a clean sweep of the nobles' power and bring the kingdom together internally, this country will be engulfed in the ravaging vortex of war, and will disappear." "For that reason, what you must do now is..." "A political purge, is it?" "That would be the fastest way to stabilize the Roland Empire." "But, that would be..." "You are indeed a superior, excellent king." "If you take your time as you are and keep changing this kingdom, someday all of the people of the land would follow you, I'm sure." "But by that time, Roland will probably already be destroyed by another kingdom." "Regardless of your decision, I shall simply follow your will." "Duke Stearied." "I'm always hearing of your accomplishments." "I was thinking it might be nice to speak with you at length, for once." "After all, you're not like all the youngsters elevated in status thanks to the young king." "You're someone closer to our status." "I, too, desired to have a talk with you, Duke." "Is that right?" "Do you feel anything, working beneath that young king?" "Let's see." "Disappointingly, my opinions never seem to quite reach him." "He's certainly soft." "The fact that he doesn't prioritize advantages in his actions makes things awkward for me, to be honest." "I thought as much." "Then, you understand, don't you?" "You can tell which side would be more advantageous to join." "There are scant few sharp men such as yourself among the nobles." "I could make you my right-hand man." "You could have any reward you named." "You, much like the other nobles, are rather slow-witted, aren't you?" "What?" "Any reward I named?" "It would be impossible for you." "It is something that only Lord Sion Astal can make a reality." "Only Lord Astal, a true ruler who allows the weak and the strong to coexist within him." "My revered king is far too kind." "He even seeks to save the worms that crawl right before his eyes." "That is why I must act in his stead, to crush each and every one of them." "Let me ask you, instead." "With whom will you side?" "The old forces that dwell within this nation or my king?" "It's grown a bit late, hasn't it?" "I hope that's not sarcasm over my standing you up with our dinner arrangements." "Not at all." "Do I look like the kind of woman who would stay upset over such petty matters?" "No, but..." "Well, women are complicated, y'know." "My." "You seem to be quite knowledgeable about females, Rear Admiral Klom." "I'm telling you, quit with the "Rear Admiral Klom" thing." "Claugh is fine." "I'm not really angry." "I simply haven't had many outings where I remained out this late." "And under such a pretty night sky..." "Is it that pretty?" "Is it different looking up at the sky in Estabul?" "The sky is the same everywhere." "But, even looking at the same sky, the feeling you get from looking at it changes depending on who you're with, right?" "Is that how it works?" "I am truly glad that Roland has a person such as yourself." "Nothing." "Today was truly fun." "Thank you, Claugh." "Sorry for staying out this late." "You're a smart lady." "You seem to understand the position you've been placed in." "If I scream, you'll kill everyone." "Is that it?" "Then, I'd like for you to comply with my orders." "First, shall we have those clothes off?" "Geez, I just don't get women." "Claugh!" "Stop!" "Damn it!" "Noa!" "Are you all right?" "!" "What have you done to her?" " Nothing, yet." " Nothing?" "Then why is she crying?" "In any event, you can't do anything." "Not with that wound." "That's not what I asked." "Why is Noa crying?" "!" "That's what I asked!" "What I seek is thunder!" "From the shape of the mountain, we can tell that our goal, the town of Regit, is just around the corner." "Rumor has it that the town of Regit is cursed by a devil." "It might offer us a solid lead on a hero relic." "Right, Ryner?" " Let's get moving." " Huh?" "Ryner, right now we've been charged with an important mission." "A mission to protect the freedom of all dango from the grip of that overbearing king!" "What the hell are you talking about?" "I shall do my utmost for the dango's sakes." "Hey, wait up!" " Hold it right there, brat!" " Don't do anything stupid!" " You won't get away, you little..." " No!" "Let go!" "Please!" "Knock it off!" "Do you have any idea what you all have caused for us..." "Bro, it's not very cool to beat up children, you know." "What's your problem, you..." "Hey." "You okay?" "Help!" "Please, help!" "Calm down." "Arua..." "Save Arua!" "Please!" "They're wrong!" "They're wrong about Arua!" " Arua?" " Arua is no monster!" "Please, save Arua!" "Arua's no monster!" "What did you say?" "Lady Noa Ehn was attacked?" "Thanks to the efforts of Rear Admiral Klom who fortuitously happened to be nearby, it ended without incident." "Roland and Estabul are following a path of reconciliation, based upon Lady Noa's existence." "If she dies now, another revolt will become inevitable." "And their anger would naturally be focused upon Your Majesty, as Lady Noa's protector." "It's just like them." "They don't consider what benefits the country at all." "They'll do anything to take me down, to get all the influence they want." "What choice will Your Majesty make moving forward?" "What path would you recommend?" "It is as I told you before." "First, ingratiate yourself with the nobility." "Even if they sought Lady Noa's life, Your Majesty must not press them." "Accept them, and feed them sweet honey." "Get them to lower their guard." "Then..." "Slaughter them all?" "If necessary." "But what of the people?" "Even in that short amount of time, many people will be oppressed, and many will die of starvation." "What of it?" "I have everything prepared already." "All I need is your order." "It wasn't you that had Lady Noa attacked, was it?" "It is a rather exciting tactic, isn't it?" "However, I unfortunately had no hand in this matter." " You may leave." " Sir." "Arua is my childhood friend." "We all got along well and lived together." "Our lord suddenly raised the village's taxes by a lot." "A bunch of soldiers came to the village." "My father and my mother were both killed." "The soldiers tried to kill me, too." "When they did, Arua suddenly... used magic..." " Arua!" " Arua had never used magic before." "And, in Arua's eyes..." "Everyone's calling Arua a monster!" "The lord and soldiers took him away, saying they'd investigate in detail!" "Please!" "Arua..." "Save Arua!" "All right." "Shall we be off?" "We can't leave an Alpha Stigma to chance." "It could run wild at any time." "That's..." "Or do you have another problem with this?" "Do you know where Arua was taken?" "Ah, it was probably..." "I see." "Over there, hm?" "Michiru kanashimi subete" "Kaze ni azuketara" "Kanadeyou yasashii serenade" "Kitto negau kono kokoro ga" "Nani yori tashika na eien no michishirube" "Fuete yuku tsumi no umi ni" "Hikari no arashi yo maiagare" "Donna ni kizu darake demo hashiritsuzukete" "Nageki no ame wo kodoku no asa wo" "Kakenuke bokura wa deaeru" "Nagareru hoshi no koe ga kibou furaseru yo" "Tobidatou" "Hajimaru yo truth of my destiny" "To another world" "Alpha Stigma?" "Devil's eyes?" "Bah, this sucks!" "All of you, quit dragging me into this crap!" "We don't have these eyes because we like them, you know!" "This sucks." ""The legend continues at a leisurely pace...""