CH 50

Chapter 50

When Peaceful Times Cease To Exist : Secret Maneuvering, Part 2 — The Sleeping Lion

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

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「Gugo-— Ngoh—」

This is a cave somewhere. It is a very deep, dark, and dank place where fiends, monsters, and strange insects can be found. This place is considered quite dangerous, and there are no demihuman or beastkin or settlements in the vicinity, let alone humans. A large man was sleeping in such a cave, snoring loudly. The man’s hair and beard had grown freely, and he looked exactly like a lion. His unprotected appearance makes him look like an opportunistic prey, but for some reason, demons and insects show no sign of approaching him. Without warning, three mages suddenly appeared near him.

「Uwaah— He really is a blast.」

「Good grief, he’s too slovenly.」

「…Wake up, Beastmaster. Dragleo.」

「Gugogogogoh.」

The man called Dragleo shows no sign of getting up, even at the words of the man called his master. Rather, he was snoring louder and sleeping very comfortably.

「Is this guy all right?」

「Master, may I be a little rough on him?」

「All right.」

Then Hidden suddenly started chanting some magic and suddenly shot out a fireball in front of him. With the roar of the low class explosion, flames flared up in front of his eyes. The smoke from the explosion obscures his vision.

「Dearest Brother, that’s absurd!? He’s going to die!」

「…I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble if he would just wake up like this.」

「Eh?」

Hidden looks reluctant. Doom looks over and sees Dragleo’s figure through the gradually thinning smoke. Apparently he is safe and sound. Rather, Doom thinks it’s strange that he is safe after being hit by magic at such close range without any protection. But what was even more astonishing was that,

「Goh— goh—」

「Seriously, he’s still sleeping.」

「Tch, this son of a bitch.」

「Ugh, I don’t even know if I’d call this languid or not.」

Doom looks at Dragleo, who continues to sleep as if he were dumbfounded.

「…I don’t care about either of you two, just be more flamboyant and kill him. It’s an order.」

Doom and Hidden involuntarily looked at their master, but they had no choice if he said it was an order.

「Then, I’m going to try to blow up this whole cave.」

「If the master commands it…」

The two then began to use their magic in succession. A tremendous explosion and shock echoed around the area, and the fiends and magical beasts in the cave fled in a panic. The very momentum that would cause the cave to collapse. Or rather, the collapse had actually begun. However, the two perform a series of magic moves without regard to the collapsing bedrock. Then, an oversized shot from Hidden finally pierces through the cave to the other side, and sunlight shines through the gaping hole.

「Haah… haah…」

「Wheeze… how about that?」

「…」

The man called “master,” who was watching the scene closely, looked carefully at the smoke and saw a figure rising.

「Kuah~~~~~ I slept well. Oh, it’s another beautiful day.」

Dragleo was up as if nothing had happened. And he was standing tall as if it was a fresh morning. Doom and Hidden limp at the sight of him.

「What the hell is that? How can you take that much magic and not have any damage?」

「You’re as tough as ever.」

After stretching out for a moment, Dragleo turns his back on them and lies down again. He was sleeping twice.

「Don’t you dare sleep—!!!」

Doom, angered indeed by this, fires a huge block of ice at Dragreo, but Dragreo grabs it with his back turned.

「Nnahh? 」

「What do you want… Muh!?」

It seemed that Dragleo had finally noticed them. Everyone was relieved that he had finally noticed them, but what came out of his mouth was even more surprising.

「I want all of…yooooouuuu~!?」

So much Dragreo’s reaction that Doom was unintentionally slipping like a street performer on the spot.

「No, you’re too slow!? You stupid mutt!」

「I’m not stupid!!!」

Dragleo glares at Doom. He cringes at the murderous energy that surges out of him, but

「I am a… fooooooooooooool!!!!!!」

A tremendous roar echoed around the hit, and the trees outside the cave fluttered with the impact. The birds and animals fleeing at a glance, but it seems like a tremendous and unnecessary roar. Doom was somehow becoming unimportant already. He felt like the fatigue from the string of magic attacks is hitting him twice as hard. The blue streak on Hidden next to him would have also increased. But the man called the master, paying no heed to Doom, asked Dragleo in a nonchalant manner.

「It’s been a while, Dragleo.」

「!? This is!」

Dragleo sits upright on the spot for some reason. A moment of relief for Hidden, who wonders if this will all go smoothly.

「Erm… who are you?」

It almost burst Hidden’s defect. Apparently, no common sense at all applies to this man. But the man called the master only smiled at the mouth, which was faintly visible through his robe.

「You really are the same as ever. I am a mage who has made a pact with you. I am the mage, remember?」

「………Ohh!! It’s Master, right!? But it’s not like it’s been a long time, we just met yesterday, right?」

「It has already been five years since you last slept.」

「…Hahhahha! Well, I won’t worry about the details!」

Dragleo laughed and faked some awkwardness. It wouldn’t be detailed at all, Doom thought, but Hidden admonished him with his eyes,「Don’t do it because you’ll get tired just thinking about it,」so he decided to take the advice in stride here. Meanwhile, their conversation continues.

「I have a job I need you to do.」

「Leave the heavy lifting to me!」

「I’d rather do all the heavy lifting myself.」

「Uwahahahaha! 」

At this point, Doom understood one thing. That they would not be able to take care of themselves if they had to go into every single thing with this man.

「(Dearest Brother, we’re supposed to be a group of mages, but can that brainiac use magic?)」

「(I’ve heard. I don’t know what kind of magic it is either.)」

「(I don’t think he could use it at all.)」

「(But I’m sure he’s capable.)」

「(Okay?)」

「Doom.」

「Heh?」

Apparently, before long, the explanation was over for Dragleo. Doom, who had been so absorbed in his secret conversation with Hidden, couldn’t help but make a funny noise.

「What are you talking about? Next time I’ll give you a job.」

「Ah, okay, okay.」

「The first step is to collect the seal. You may use it as you wish after retrieving it. In fact, you are the only one who can use it.」

「? Okay, but…」

Doom nods his head at the mysterious nature of the work.

「After that, I would like you to go and check the strength of certain forces. This time it is just a confirmation, and if you think it is dangerous, you should leave. How far you go is up to your own judgment.」

「…So, depending on who I am dealing with, I can wipe them out?」

Doom smiled gruesomely. The man called the Master also makes a challenging smile.

「If you could.」

「So, who’s the target?」

「The Church of Arnelia’s Master Bishop, Miliazar.」