Chapter 73: Growth

　◇ [Enzo’s Perspective]

　——May 6, around 3:00 a.m. Demon King’s mansion (the day after Takumi entered the undeveloped area)

“Turururururu, torururururu……”

　Who on earth is calling me with the ‘mobile telepathy device’ at this hour?

Is it Takumi…? Did something happen?

“Enzo-san, sorry for calling so late, but I surpassed level 60 as promised!”

“What time do you think it is…? Don’t tell me you’ve been fighting without sleep?”

“Yes. I didn’t intend to pull an all-nighter… but various things happened, and I ended up falling into a Killer Ant nest. After that, I’ve been fighting the swarms of Killer Ants continuously. I finally managed to exterminate the nest.”

“…What did you just say? You said you exterminated it.”

Exterminate a Killer Ant nest?

These are monsters known as demon insects, with ecology similar to ants, but they are incredibly tough and ferocious creatures. Killer Ants are ranked C at the lowest, and when they become Queen’s escort ants, they are ranked S. It’s said that no matter how small a nest is, there are more than a thousand Killer Ants in it.

“Yes. If it weren’t for Kuzuha, I would have died. The Queen Ant and her escort ants were incredibly powerful; it was quite dangerous. But it was worth the effort, as I reached level 71.”

“…71!? Did you really exterminate all the Killer Ants in the nest…? Alright, just come back here and rest. The Queen should have an S-ranked magic stone, right? I’ll have you hand it over to me.”

“Don’t worry. I have all the S-ranked magic stones. Um, there are thirteen of them. Oh, and I had Kuzuha confirm if she could communicate with them, and I defeated the ones that couldn’t respond. So I don’t think any of them are acquaintances of Enzo-san.”

“……I see. That’s enough. Be careful and come back.”

With only one additional Nine-Tails, it’s impossible to exterminate a Killer Ant nest. Furthermore, 13 S rank magic stones! There should be about ten of them from the Queen and her escort ants. …Did he defeat three more S-ranked creatures apart from that?

　What happened after we parted?

　I’m curious about the monsters he defeated… but more than that, I’m intrigued by that Nine-Tails named Kuzuha.

It was already strange that she could speak, but her appearance when she transformed into a human was something I’ve never seen before.

Such a thing is inconceivable.

If there was anyone else who could do something like that to a Nine-Tails, it would only be Mia… What on earth did you do?

　◇ [Takumi’s point of view]

“Alright, I’ve finished talking with Enzo-san. Let’s head back.”

“Yes, you’re right. I’m quite tired. But, remember, the journey back home is also part of the excursion, so let’s stay vigilant until the end!”

　Hearing Mia’s words, Kuzuha suddenly became quiet, and her ears drooped down.

“What’s wrong? You’re not still worried about falling into the Killer Ant nest, are you? There’s no need to worry about that,” Takumi reassured her.

The Killer Ant nest was deeply spread underground, much like an ant nest. Kuzuha accidentally fell into the entrance while moving around.

“That’s right, Kuu-chan. You’re not used to your human form yet. Besides, it was Takumi who suggested using this place as a hunting ground,” Mia explained

“Ah, that’s what I thought…like when we were in the Arachne’s den, I thought it would be an excellent hunting ground in narrow passages. I never expected ants to set traps and use magic,” Takumi added.

Kuzuha shook her head sideways and then jumped onto Takumi’s chest, clinging to him.

“That’s not it. Kuu is sad to say goodbye to everyone… Kuu is lonely,” she expressed her feelings.

Huh? Why is she saying goodbye?

“Oh, Kuu thought we were going to leave, so she considered it a farewell here. Fufufufu. But of course, Kuu is coming back with us. …By any chance, is there a reason you can’t leave from here?” Mia inquired, and Kuzuha’s ears stood upright.

“Can I go with you too, is it alright? Yay!” she exclaimed, jumping off Takumi’s chest and bouncing around in joy.

　I see, she thought she would be left behind.

Doing something so dangerous… Impossible, we wouldn’t let her suffer like that.

The Demon King also said to take care of her responsibly. If I let her go freely, I’ll definitely get scolded.

“Let’s return to the section where we developed the skill and set up a ‘Portable Magic Circle’ there. Monsters shouldn’t have spawned in that area,” Takumi suggested.

And so, we decided to return to the Demon King’s mansion.

◇

　——We were transferred through Gonhillrim to the ‘Portable Magic Circle’ placed in the Demon King’s mansion.

　I looked at the clock in my room and it was 4:00. A maid guided us to the reception room. Kuzuha wandered around the room, probably seeing many things for the first time in her life.

Sitting in the chair and waiting, the door opened, and the Demon 

 King entered.

“…You really give off the atmosphere of someone who reached level 71. Has Kuzuha also grown a little?”

Huh? …Oh, it’s true. She looks like an eight-year-old now.

“By any chance, Takumi, did you not notice?”

Uh-oh. Did I unintentionally show such an obvious expression?

I don’t intend to make excuses, but her hairstyle and outfit have been the same. Plus, the growth is gradual, so it’s been hard to notice.

“Sorry. Was it that obvious on my face? I did notice. I also know that the number of times you can use your enchantment magic has increased. Anyway, Enzo-san, what are your plans from now on?”

As I stroked Kuzuha, she smiled happily.

Mia looked at me with sharp eyes, but I ignored it.

“Today, Karla should be able to join forces with Alessandro. I have a bad feeling about this. As soon as I get a message from Karla, you guys will join her and bring them back here. So until then, just rest.”

That’s a relief. Honestly, my body is at its limit…

“After we parted, I also had some urgent business. It took me until the night to get treatment. Later… Hehehe, I’m sorry. You must be really tired. I’ll let you get some rest now… Kuzuha, why do your eyes shine so brightly? Fine, I’ll personally show you around the mansion, so come with me… There are also snacks.”

And so, we successfully fulfilled our promise to the Demon King.

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