Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 23: Moryu Grass, Part (6)
I gasped instinctively.
“That’s like a pulverizer.”
“…Boy, it’s dangerous… Move farther back…”
“Y-Yes, I’m sorry!”
I obeyed and stepped back further.
The mini-tornado from the hobgoblin’s saber sent razor-sharp wind blades slicing through the air.
The winds raged around it, making it extremely hazardous.
A stray stone deflected by the winds even came flying my way.
I used my relic, Vanish, to erase it.
With that kind of defense, getting close recklessly would be impossible.
Even a half-hearted attack would likely have no effect.
What is Liv planning to do?
“…Sky Style… Pleiades… Keraine Blade!”
Her blade glowed yellow as Liv casually tossed it.
Wait, what? If she throws it like that, then—
As expected, the blade was effortlessly deflected by the mini-tornado.
The hobgoblin sneered.
Why would she do something so reckless?
The blade arced high into the air and then froze mid-flight.
Froze?
Then, it curved downward in a perfect arc, descending vertically.
The hobgoblin, unaware that the very top of its tornado was completely unguarded, stood there as the blade struck directly from above—only to be deflected by the winds once more.
“…Huh…?”
The sword spun away and embedded itself in the cave wall.
“…Hmm.”
Liv flicked her fingers, and the blade dislodged itself from the wall, floating back into her hand.
The hobgoblin sneered again.
It surrounded its saber with wind and unleashed three small tornadoes at Liv.
“…Sky Style… Pleiades… Maia Blade.”
Liv’s blade glowed red as she slashed through all three tornadoes—
But just before they were destroyed, they exploded.
“Ugh…!”
Liv was thrown violently but somehow managed to stay on her feet. However, her blade slipped from her grasp.
The hobgoblin didn’t miss that opening.
With lightning speed, it charged at her, aiming for her torso with its wind-clad saber.
“Ah…!”
Liv was struck with a devastating gust and slammed into a jagged rock wall, collapsing in a heap.
“Liv!”
Without thinking, I ran toward her.
“…Good. She’s only unconscious.”
Her extraordinary equipment must have saved her.
Liv’s earlier strategy—attacking from above—was a good one.
But even that had been anticipated by the hobgoblin.
The hobgoblin now wore a wicked, triumphant grin.
It had completely mastered its Wind Relic and OOPArts.
I couldn’t deny it—it was strong.
Even a monster can become this powerful when equipped with a relic-compatible OOPArts.
Liv is not weak—she’s a Grade III explorer.
If this hobgoblin only had a relic, Liv would’ve won easily.
But with the addition of OOPArts… the difference is staggering.
“…What’s so funny?”
I asked, my anger quietly rising.
The hobgoblin sneered again, pointing its saber at me.
Small tornadoes began forming around the wind-clad saber.
It was flaunting its power—I could see that clearly.
The way it carried itself was not as a mere victor, but as if it were a king.
Power?
Was it the relic? The OOPArts?
I see. Perhaps finding a compatible OOPArts was part luck, but also a testament to its capability.
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It was born with its relic, after all.
Seeing that as its strength is one way to look at it.
Combining its relic and OOPArts to assert itself as a strong being—yes, I understand now.
It’s proclaiming itself a king, reveling in its own power.
Fine then. If you’re so proud of your power…
I’ll show you something worth seeing.
Essence of Power….
I activated my fourth relic, [■■■■■].
In an instant, my hair and eyes turned a vibrant purple.
‘!?’
The hobgoblin froze in shock.
It directed all its small tornadoes toward me.
But it was futile.
“It’s over.”
I raised my hand and activated my fifth relic, [Phantasmagoria].
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Countless instances of [Vanish] manifested, systematically erasing the tornadoes and the hobgoblin itself.
There were no screams, no resistance—just silence as it disappeared.
The only sound that remained was the faint clatter of its saber falling to the ground, followed by an oppressive stillness.
I sighed deeply.
“Is this what you call power? Ridiculous.”
I deactivated the fourth relic, and my hair and eyes returned to normal.
I walked over to Liv’s side. Her blade had already returned—probably in auto-mode.
I waited quietly for Liv to wake up.
“…Boy…”
“Yes, are you okay?”
“…Safe…”
“I’m fine. No injuries at all.”
“…Good…”
She let out a faint, relieved smile and slowly stood up.
“Liv, are you sure you’re alright to move?”
“…Liv, why…?”
“You were thrown by the tornado.”
That much was true. Liv slowly looked around, taking in her surroundings.
“…Hob… goblin…?”
“After your attack, the tornado tore it apart.”
Liv fell silent, then reached for the saber on the ground.
“What will you do with that?”
“…It’s an OOPArts… bringing it back… Boy, your… objective…?”
“Oh, um…”
We had searched the cave thoroughly under Liv’s guidance.
This was the only place left to check.
I frantically scanned the area, looking for the Moryu Grass—and there it was!
Tucked away in the corner behind where the hobgoblin had stood, the crimson plant grew.
“…Boy…”
“I found it! This is it!”
I double-checked it against the illustration I had.
There was no mistake. Even when I first saw the drawing, I couldn’t help but think—
It looked exactly like the tulips from my previous life.
“…That’s what you were looking for…?”
“Y-Yes! A tulip—no, wait, I mean Moryu Grass!”
I blurted out the wrong name in my excitement.
The Moryu Grass was a dead ringer for a bright red tulip.
The resemblance was uncanny.
Though its properties were undoubtedly different, it looked just like the flowers I remembered.
Looking at it stirred feelings of nostalgia.
Back in my previous life, when I was in elementary school,
our summer homework always included keeping an observation diary of tulips.
But I would inevitably forget, and by the time I remembered, the plants had withered.
It was a bitter memory.
After that, I stopped paying attention to tulips.
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To think I’d encounter something so similar in this world—it was astonishing.
“…Boy… I’m glad… for you.”
“Y-Yes, thank you.”
I harvested five stalks of Moryu Grass.
“…Boy… to your side…”
“Huh? Whoa—!”
Suddenly, something appeared next to me!
Next to the Moryu Grass, a decayed corpse in tattered armor sat slumped against the wall.
The body was completely skeletal.
“…This scabbard…”
Without hesitation, Liv picked up the leather scabbard that had been strapped to the corpse.
The saber fit perfectly into it.
“Was this the owner of the saber?”
“…Probably…”
As Liv moved the corpse, it toppled over and crumbled into dust, leaving behind only the tattered armor and clothing.
Instinctively, I clasped my hands together and offered a silent prayer.
Namu Amida Butsu. May you rest in peace.
“…What are you doing…?”
“Saying a quick prayer.”
“…A prayer… Oh.”
Liv reached into the pile of bone dust and pulled something out without hesitation.
Her ability to touch the remains without flinching was remarkable.
“What’s that?”
“…A tag… an explorer’s ID… It was glowing… so I noticed.”
“This person was an explorer, then?”
“…Yes… a Grade IV explorer…”
“What about the emblem? What will you do with it?”
“…I’ll take it to the guild… It’s protocol… something to pass on as a keepsake…”
“Interesting…”
For a moment, I wondered.
If I became an explorer and ended up dying alone somewhere,
would someone retrieve my tag and bring it to the guild as a keepsake?
Though, realistically, I could die even before becoming an explorer.
It wouldn’t be surprising if something happened tomorrow that ended my life.
This corpse could very well be a reflection of my own future.
“…Boy, let’s head back…”
“Alright.”
And so, we left the cave.