NOVEL WEB Chapter 114: A Whole New World
Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Independent Merchant Republic of Fuhren.
"Big Sis Tio, when is big brother coming back?" Myu asked while sitting in Shea's lap.
Currently, four hours have passed since Tatsuo, Sumire, and James entered Fuhren. Meanwhile, outside of the city, Aletia, Shea, and Tio were sitting outside the collapsable house while watching the children play in small groups. Also, Myu, who had become more attached to Tatsuo's group, was sitting with them instead of playing with the other children.
"It shouldn't be too long." Tio replied with a gentle smile. A moment later, however, her smile turned sloppy while her face reddened and her nostrils flared. "And when he comes back, perhaps he'll be willing to spar with me. Then, he'll--- Kya!"
*Zap!*
*Bang!*
Before Tio's perverted thoughts could leak from her mouth in front of Myu, Aletia, using a combination of [Lightning Magic] and [Gravity Magic] to create a large, solid, hand, slapped Tio upside the head.
As a result, Tio was slammed face first into the ground. Then, she began to twitch thanks to the lightning flowing through her system.
"Well, I can't say I didn't see that coming." Shea said while shaking her head.
Meinnwhile, Myu only watched Tio with a confused expression on her face. Especially since Tio was still I the middle of her explanation. Shen then tilted her head back and looked up at Shea.
"Is Big Sis Tio going to be okay, Big Sis Shea?" Myu asked innocently.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be fine." Shea replied while patting Myu on the head.
"Hey, we're back!" Tatsuo shouted as he, Sumire, and James approached the group from the direction of Fuhren's gate.
Then, as if to prove Shea correct, Tio jumped to her feet as if she had never been hit. She then rushed towards Tatsuo at full speed. And just before she reached him, she leaped into the air while performing a splendid Lupan dive.
"Damn... Talk about perfect form." James said with a grin spreading across his face.
"*Sigh* Things are only going to get worse with this." Sumire said in an exasperated toen.
At the same time, Tatsuo, reacting on instinct, made a half turn to his right, avoiding Tio's dive while raising his right arm above his head. Then, just as Tio flew past him, he brought his elbow down, striking Tio in the top of her head with the point of his elbow.
*Bang!*
"Mmm~~~~~~!" Tio moaned in ecstasy thanks to the pain.
While continuing to moan in pleasure, Tio was slammed face first into the ground once again. Unfortunately, that only made Tio's reaction even more intense. And just like before, her body began to twitch as she lay there next to Tatsuo's feet.
"Damn it... I did it again." Tatsuo muttered while watching Tio with a complicated expression on his face.
"Yes! Master! Ravage me more!" Tio shouted in euphoria. "But before you continue, please allow me to take off my panties. I don't want to ruin another pair."
"Yeah, I'm glad she's your problem and not mine." James said while stepping around Tio. "Ayame is enough for me."
Tatsuo could only groan in response.
"Get up, Tio." Tatsuo said, deciding to not think about this problem for now. he then continued in a solemn tone. "We've got some things to discuss."
Once again, as if nothing was wrong, Tio shot up to her feet. On top of that, she looked just as elegant as she had when she first appeared before the group... Before they found out about her... preferences.
"Yes, Mast--- *Cough* I mean, Tatsuo." Tio replied as she took her fan out of her robe's sleeve to cover the blush on her face. "Still, do you think we could hold off on the conversation for a few minutes? I would still like to change my panties. They still managed to get rather wet just now."
"*Sigh* Just go." Tatsuo replied in a tired tone. "I swear, the last thirty seconds has worn me out more than the two hours I spent killing slaver trash."
Meanwhile, Tio nodded her head politely before quickly, yet elegantly, walking away while swaying her hips.
"*Sigh* I can't say that I hate to see her leave." James said while shaking his head. "But watching her walk away ain't so bad."
Tatsuo nodded his head absent-mindedly while watching Tio leave. However, he snapped to his senses a moment later. Then, he quickly looked away when he saw Tio smiling at him from over her shoulder.
"Damn it..." Tatsuo muttered after being caught staring.
Meanwhile, Sumire, while watching all this happen, could only smile. She could tell, just like herself, Aletia, and Shea, Tatsuo had no intention of letting Tio go. Especially after she called him Master. As she had surmised before, Tatsuo saw all of them as part of his hoard... His treasure. And with dragon blood in his veins, she understood just how possessive of them he had become.
'At least he doesn't see us as objects.' Sumire thought to herself while smiling at Tatsuo lovingly. 'It's easy to see, he genuinely cares about us. And I guess that's good enough for me.'
Not long after that, Tatsuo, Sumire, and James reached Aletia, Shea, and Myu. Shortly after that, Tio, who went to change, emerged from the collapsable house before joining the rest of the group with a smile on her face and her fan covering her mouth.
"Alright, now that we're all here, let me explain what happened in the city." Sumire said.
Once all eyes were focused on her, Sumire went onto explain what happened. How Tatsuo and James wiped out the members of Freidhof. How they then met with Ilwa Chang, the Branch Chief of the Fuhren Adventurer's Guild. How they discussed what would happen next. And how Ilwa sent a number of adventurers to investigate the fifty Freidhof hideouts.
"... and once the investigations are over, Chang-San will send some adventurers to come get us." Sumire said, wrapping up her explanation. "After that, they'll take the children to the Adventurer's Guild to try and find out where they are all from before creating quests to have the children returned to their parents and homes."
"Phew! I'm just glad everything worked out in the end." Shea said quietly while patting her chest in relief.
"That's right." Tatsuo replied with a smile with Myu sitting in his lap. "So, until the adventurers show up, all we have to do is wait."
"What should we do while waiting?" Aletia asked.
"Well, we can do anything we want." Tatsuo replied. "We just have to make sure to keep the kids safe."
"Since that's the case, why don't we have a barbeque?" James asked with a smile. "Although I suck when it comes to cooking in a kitchen, I'm pretty good on a grill, you know?"
"I remember you mentioning that before." Sumire said. "Well then, I guess I'll help you prepare the ingredients."
"Thanks." James said, a wide smile spreading across his face. He then turned to look at Tatsuo. "I'll just need a grill. So, Tatsuo, if I give you the specifications, do you think you could make one for me?"
"Sure." Tatsuo replied with a shrug.
"What should the rest of us do, Master... Um... I mean Tatsuo?" Tio asked while blushing slightly.
In response, Tatsuo glanced at Tio from the corner of his eyes, feeling very uncomfortable due to the term of address. However, his look only caused Tio to fidget while blush intensified.
"*Sigh* We'll just play with the kids until the meal is ready." Tatsuo replied, sounding even more tired. "Then, we'll eat before putting the kids down to sleep. It's getting pretty late, after all."
Receiving nods from everyone, Tatsuo, with Myu still in his arms, took some materials out of his [Inventory]. Then, under James' instructions, he used [Alchemy] to create a few grills. On top of that, he took some of the wood from the Treants he and Sumire hunted in the Orcus Great Labyrinth and turned it into charcoal at James' request, as well.
Meanwhile, Aletia, Shea, and Tio started playing with the kids once again. And Aletia, despite her stoic nature, became many of the children's favorite playmate among the group, mainly because he appeared to be closest to them in age, despite the fact that she was the second oldest among all those gathered.
Two hours later, after everyone finished eating, the children were all seated together in a group. Meanwhile, Sumire was telling the story of Sleeping Beauty while the children listened with rapt attention. However, because of the story, none of the kids fell asleep, too engrossed in the story to do so.
Tatsuo, on the other hand, was a little bit away from the group with James, Aletia, Shea, Tio, and Myu. And he was putting the finishing touches on an item he had been crafting with the help of [Alchemy].
"Big Brother, what is that?' Myu asked curiously as Tatsuo fiddled with the item.
"Oh, I was wondering why I had never seen you with a piano, Tatsuo." James said, answering Myu's question. "You've always said you were pretty good at playing one, but now I'll finally get to hear it for myself."
"A piano?" Myu asked while tilting her head cutely.
"I can tell it's an instrument." Tio added. "But I must admit, I've never seen one like this before."
"It's a common instrument in worlds like mine, James', and Sumire-San's." Tatsuo replied while tuning the newly created piano. "I've been wanting to play for a while, but too much has been going on for me to make one."
With that said, Tatsuo sat on the piano bench. Then, he flipped the keylid before stretching his fingers.
"Now, what should I play?" Tatsuo muttered to himself while lowering his head in deep thought.
While in deep thought, Tatsuo thought back to everything he had been through since the [System] he was born with was upgraded. The worlds he had been to, the people he had met, and the adventures he's had. Then, the perfect song came to mind. On top of being perfect for the occasion, it was also something he was sure Myu would like.
With that, Tatsuo rested his fingers on the piano's keys. The, he started playing gently.
{BGM: "A Whole New World (Piano Version)" – The Chillest}
"♪ I can show you the world. Shining shimmering splendid.♪" Tatsuo began to sing. Then, for the next line, he looked at Myu with a smile on his face. "♪Tell me, Princess, now when did you last let your heart decide. ♪"
Realizing that Tatsuo was calling her a princess, Myu could not help giggling happily. Meanwhile, James, Aletia, Shea, and Tio watched with smiles. At the same time, the four older members of the group were in awe of how well Tatsuo played the piano and sang.
Tatsuo, on the other hand, while continuing to sing and play the piano, thought back to some [Notifications] he had not yet read.
'I can't believe I left these unchecked for so long.' Tatsuo thought to himself while his fingers continued to dance across the piano's keys. 'I got these during the fight with Tio back then. But I left them unread this whole time.'
{[Notifications]
-New [Skill] learned: [Wind Magic: Blitz Hammer – D]
-New [Skill] Learned: [Fire Magic: Spiral Blaze – C-]
-New [Skill] Learned: [Wind Magic: Updraft – D-]
-New [Skill] Learned: [Fire Magic: Flame Bullet – D+]
-New [Skill] Learned: [Fire Magic: Flame Fangs – C+]}
Seeing the new [Skills] he had learned, Tatsuo smiled internally while continuing to play the piano.
'I thought I might have been able to learn James' [Devil Magic] from when he messed with Shimizu's mind, too.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'But I guess since that was a racial thing, I couldn't learn it. But why didn't I learn Tio's [Dragon Breath] or those [Flame Claws]? Hmm... I can think about it later. For now, let's check out my [Status]."
{[Status]
[Personal Information]
Name: Soramoto Tatsuo
Age: 15
Race: Human/Void Dragon
Title: Prince of the Void
Coins: 453,515
[Physical Attributes]
Comprehensive Physical Evaluation: B
Strength: B-
Agility: B
Dexterity: B
Endurance: B-
Intelligence: B
Perception: B
Energy: B+
Charm: A-
[Skills]
Language: E+
Pianist: D
Singing: E+
Vale Tudo: C-
Weapon Mastery: D+
Dagger Master: C+
Firearms Mastery: C-
Cooking: F+
First Aid: E+
Hacking: D
Stealth: B-
Blacksmithing: C+
Leatherworking: C-
Tailoring: C-
Programming: E+
Blink: C+
Spatial Slash: C
Spatial Rend: C
Return: S-
Back Stab: D+
Enchanting: C+
Light Speed: B-
Acting: D
Alchemy – B+
Lightning Clad – B-
Air Walk – B-
Air Claw – C+
Wind Magic: Blitz Hammer – D
Wind Magic: Updraft – D-
Fire Magic: Spiral Blaze – C-
Fire Magic: Flame Bullet – D+
Fire Magic: Flame Fangs – C+
[Abilities]
Mana Reactor: A+
Dragon Fear: S+
The End – SS+
Half Dragon Transformation – A+
[Affinities]
Space – S
Lightning - B
Fire – A+
[Resistances]
Space - S
Time – C+
Light – C+
Dark – C+
Earth – C+
Wind – C+
Fire – A+
Water – D+
Lightning – B-
Physical B
Petrification – B-
Poison – B-
Paralysis – B-
[Note: The average values of an average adult are F+. Trained Athletes have values of E-. Those at the peak of their field have values of E. Those at the peak of humanity have values of E+. Anything D- or higher is considered supernatural, usually requiring the infusion of mana or an equivalent energy to achieve.]}
'Hmm... Not bad.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'My overall power level has gone up. But this [Status Page] is getting a little too long. I wonder if there is a way for me to condense it? Eh... I'll think about that after I get back home.'
Around that time, the song Tatsuo was playing came to an end and he was singing the last few notes. However, instead of just James, Aletia, Shea, Tio, and Myu listening to him. By now, Sumire and the rest of the children had crowded around to hear the music, as well.
Not only them, but even the adventurers Ilwa sent from Fuhren had gathered around the group of children. However, not wanting to disturb the performance, they remained silent and enjoyed the music like the others.
And when Tatsuo noticed all of the members of the new, bigger, audience, he smiled before standing up from the piano bench. At the same time, everyone listening applauded happily. However, the applause did not last long, as Tatsuo made his way towards the adventurers.
"I guess the investigations are complete, right?" Tatsuo asked once he was in front of the group of three adventurers, two men and a woman.
"That's right." The man leading the party of adventurers replied with a nod. "And I must say, that was a wonderful performance. But I've never seen an instrument like that before."
Tatsuo only smiled in response.
"You can talk about that later." Sumire said while walking up from behind Tatsuo. "For now, what has been decided in regard to this case?"
Immediately, the three smiling adventurers dropped their smiles, replacing them with solemn expressions.
"Please bring the children to the Adventurer's Guild." The second man said in a serios tone. "There's a temporary living space being set up for them there."
"I see." Tatsuo replied with a nod.
"We'll get them loaded up." James added. "But what should we do with the only living members of Freidhof?"
"You can bring them along, too." The first man said. "Mr. Chang would like to interrogate them. He would like to speak to all of you, as well."
"Got it." Tatsuo replied. "Then, we'll get everything cleaned up here."
"And you don't have to worry, we have great staff that is suited for taking care of children rescued from kidnappers." The woman among the adventurers added as Tatsuo's group turned around. "I promise, those kids will be in good hands."
"For yours and the Adventurer's Guild's sake, I hope so." Tatsuo replied in a cold tone without turning around. "I don't like those who kidnap, mistreat, or experiment on children, you see."
The frost in Tatsuo's tone made the three adventurers shiver. Luckily, no one in the Fuhren Branch of the Adventurer's Guild would ever do something like that. Especially since they were not even sure that the most powerful Gold-Ranked Adventurer would be able to do anything if Tatsuo became their enemy.
About an hour and a half later, all the children, other than Myu, were safely situated in the temporary housing set up by the Adventurer's guild. Meanwhile, Myu was sleeping in a hotel room that Tatsuo and his group had booked for the two or so days they intended to spend in Fuhren before they made their way back to the Heiligh Kingdom to see the rest of their classmates.
As for the reason Myu was with Tatsuo and not the other children, that is because Ilwa gave them the quest to return Myu to the Coastal City of Erisen on the west coast of Tortus. However, that happened after the entire group, even James, who had only become an adventurer in Ur, to Gold-Rank.