Olaf's head fell to the floor.

The powerful villain who had killed Yuria's father in the novel was meeting his end at the hands of the villainess's butler.

'Haah...'

I couldn't believe it.

I couldn't believe that I had killed a Messenger of God with my own hands. The fact that I had killed such a powerful Messenger who had never lost to anyone... To be honest, I had prepared myself to die together with him, so I was relieved things had worked out well.

I moved the Messenger's head that had fallen to the floor to a place where Miss couldn't see it, and muttered quietly.

"It's over."

After all, Miss should only see beautiful things, not something like this.

After hiding the Messenger's body behind some building debris, I confirmed that Olaf's body was no longer moving and looked at my clenched fist.

-Crack...

It was the same fist as always, but it felt different. A feeling of solidity and overflowing power. It felt like I had a different body.

So this is what being a Sword Master feels like.

Nothing seems to have changed specifically, but I feel like I can do anything. Enough not to be intimidated even when facing the Empire's sword.

I was about to call out to my status window in my mind, but I hesitated and checked on Miss's well-being first. Though the extended lifespan was good, Miss's health was the priority.

I couldn't imagine that Miss's body would be fine after using black magic powerful enough to overwhelm a Messenger of God.

Serious internal injuries.

Or aftereffects.

With an ominous feeling, I quickly turned my gaze toward Miss.

"Miss!"

"Mnya."

Miss was leaning against the wall with a haggard expression, slumped over. Fortunately, it seemed she had only suffered minor internal injuries, as she was waving her hand at me with peaceful eyes.

"Miss?!"

There was one special thing though.

"Bleh."

Miss's body had changed.

I looked at Miss with a surprised voice. Looking down at Miss who had become small, like a dwarf.

It wasn't anything particularly strange.

She didn't grow four arms, nor did just her torso shrink like a dwarf.

It was more like...

Her cheeks had become plumper.

Her eyes had become more fierce-looking.

She had changed to the point where she wouldn't look evil no matter what she did.

"Pfft..."

"Don't laugh!"

Seeing Miss's childlike appearance after a long time, I burst into laughter and called out to her.

"What is that appearance?!"

Miss had changed. She had become a 7-year-old child, like when I first met her.

"Hahaha! No, kuh... khuhuh."

"Eeek...!"

Miss raised her head and looked at me. She was glaring at me with clenched fists, puffing up her already plump cheeks.

"Don't laugh!"

"But how can I not laugh? Your body is khu..."

"Eeek... I said don't laugh."

"...Haah."

I felt like Miss would cry if I teased her any more, so I decided to stop and approached her.

"Why did your body become like that?"

Miss shook her head and answered me in an innocent voice.

"Don't know."

"This is a problem."

"It's not a problem."

"No?"

Miss nodded while looking at her shortened hands.

"I think I'll return to normal after a day."

"Oh..."

"It's because I'm lacking black magic power, so I'll return soon."

"...Hm?"

"It's okay. I can fill it up quickly."

"How?"

Miss smiled like a villain and said it was a secret.

"It's a secret."

A villainess who uses black magic.

I wanted to scold Miss who now truly looked like a villain, but I couldn't bring myself to scold her when she looked so cute, so I sighed softly and shook my head.

Miss spread her arms and looked at me. I opened my eyes wide and shook my head as Miss looked at me with sparkling eyes, as if asking me to hug her.

"Hug me..."

"Miss."

"Hmm?"

I looked at Miss's legs.

"Miss, right now..."

I looked at Miss's short legs standing on two feet with eyes full of emotion.

Even though I knew it was temporary, even though I knew it was a side effect of black magic, I hadn't seen Miss standing on two legs for a long time. I felt like I was going to cry.

I spoke to Miss with a trembling voice.

"Miss... you're standing right now."

"Hmm?"

Miss lowered her head to look at her legs.

She wiggled her white toes, put a question mark over her head, and then changed it to an exclamation mark as she moved her legs above her knees, and started making strange noises.

"Hiiieek?! Eeeeek?!"

"Miss..."

Miss looked at me with a tearful expression, overcome with emotion.

"Ricardo..."

"Miss."

"Still, hug me."

"..."

Miss was someone who didn't understand emotion, as always.

I sighed deeply and picked up Miss. I easily lifted Miss's small body in a princess carry and carefully began to move her away from the gruesome sights.

Miss wiggled her small fingers and touched my cheek.

Checking if I was hurt anywhere, if anything was painful. Miss, who was stretching my cheek with a bright smile, furrowed her brow and spoke to me.

"You're not hurt?"

I looked at Miss warmly and said.

"No."

"Really?"

"I'm really not hurt."

"Hehe."

At my confident answer, Miss smiled at me. Her worried touch continued without stopping.

The smile wouldn't leave my face. I liked Miss's constant concern despite my assurances that I was fine.

"But do you really think you'll return to normal?"

"Mmm. Why? Do I look that strange?"

"No. I like you as you are now too, but personally, I prefer Miss with her treasure pouches."

"Treasure..."

Miss looked down at her chest after hearing the words "treasure pouches" and made an expression like she had lost the world with her eyes wide open.

"Hiiieek!!!"

She was really a funny person.

"My treasures!"

"I'll take care of them separately later."

"Mmm. Don't sneak them into Ricardo's pocket."

"...Was I caught?"

"Yes."

I smiled at Miss's joke and continued walking.

Miss, cradled in my arms, lowered the corners of her mouth and said to me.

"Ricardo. Am I not heavy?"

"You're light. You were always light, but now you're as light as a feather."

"Heheh... Hey, Ricardo."

"Yes."

"Doesn't it hurt getting beaten up by that man?"

"..."

Miss, who had seen only the unsightly parts and not the cool parts, struck a nerve with her words. Asking if it hurt getting beaten up. That was a bit painful to hear.

I flicked Miss's forehead and gave her a small smile.

"I hit him more."

"Liar."

"It's true."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Miss, who had a butler who was on the verge of becoming a Sword Master, or rather, who had a Sword Master as her butler, still seemed to see me as a weak butler as she continued to stroke my cheek. She was truly someone I couldn't hate.

After that, Miss, sitting in her wheelchair, covered herself with a blanket she had found somewhere and said while looking at the collapsed inn.

"But, Ricardo, where are we going to sleep?"

"Good question."

It seems like there's a lot to deal with.

I smiled bitterly as I looked at the vanished inn.

'I wonder if there's home insurance in this other world.'

It would be nice if there was.

Well, we'll figure something out.

I thought I should finish the battle first, putting aside personal matters. Olaf was dead, but there was still one enemy left.

"Daddy..."

I carefully moved my steps and looked down with mixed feelings at the black entity that was squirming.

The sight of a monster looking for its father even as it was dying somehow tugged at my heart.

In the novel, this monster died along with Olaf at Yuria's hands. To be more precise, it would be correct to say it achieved enlightenment, since it died from holy power. Whatever the case, it was a creature that shouldn't be alive...

Holding Tirving, I fell into contemplation.

"Miss."

"Yes?"

I pointed at the monster with my sword and asked. To ask Miss what I should do. While I thought in my head that it should be killed, I felt uncomfortable killing someone with a story.

Miss looked at the black creature and shrugged.

"Don't know."

"I see."

"Mmm."

I don't know.

But it seems like it will die even if I don't finish it off.

I put Tirving back in its scabbard and spoke to the dying monster.

"I'm sorry."

".."

"I'm sorry that you suffered misfortune because of me."

The monster carefully reached out its hand to me.

It was difficult to describe it as a hand, but there seemed to be warmth in the touch I felt. As if to comfort me, saying it was okay, the monster's hand patted my shoulder and embraced me warmly.

-Thank you.

The monster's voice was faintly heard.

It was a funny thing, but I couldn't laugh. It didn't seem right to hear words of gratitude from someone whose father I had killed, and whom I had killed.

I bowed my head.

"Thank you."

And so.

Olaf's daughter breathed her last.

I don't know where she'll go.

Whether to hell or heaven. I don't really know. It's funny that I, who doesn't even believe in the afterlife, would hope for her to go to a good place.

I nodded slightly and placed my hand on the disappearing girl's body.

"You've worked hard."

In the place where the girl had departed, a small piece of paper was slightly emerging from the black ashes.

I bent down and held the paper that had come from the girl's body up to the sunlight, and smiled bitterly.

'...'

The paper contained a photo of a young Olaf and a little girl smiling brightly.

I spoke to Miss, who was picking her nose. When our eyes met, she quickly hid her hand behind her back, and I burst into laughter and said.

"May I build a grave for this person?"

It was the last respect I could offer.

*

The Magic Tower branch in the capital.

Yuria stood in front of the spatial movement magic circle, reading the letter she had received from Shartia.

-Yuria!

The letter that Yuria had received from Princess Shartia, who had urgently knocked on her dormitory door at dawn, contained something Yuria had never imagined.

It was a photo.

A photo of a red-haired man fighting with a heretic. And below that photo, her house had collapsed, and her father was nowhere to be seen.

Yuria couldn't shake off the ominous feeling.

After all, no one in the world would think "It's okay" when seeing their burning hometown.

Yuria was afraid.

Yuria was scared that the worst thing she could imagine might happen.

Shartia said to Yuria.

"Everything's ready."

"Yes."

"It'll be okay."

Shartia's worried hand patting her shoulder was no comfort to Yuria.

And so.

Yuria entrusted herself to the portal heading north.