Chapter 169
Snap-.
With the light sound of a finger snapping, four magic circles appeared in the air. Soon after, chains made of magic power shot out from the magic circles and bound leviathan.
[Kugh…! Let go of me…!]
Leviathan struggled to escape the restraints, but the chains made of magic power didn’t budge.
If it had been before it was weakened, it would have easily shattered such magic, but for the current guy, even something this simple was too much.
“Leviathan, I’m going to ask you a few questions.”
[Do you think I’ll answer you so obediently!]
Seeing how arrogant it was, it seemed not to have grasped the situation properly yet.
As Franz gestured in the air, the chains bound it even tighter, as if to crush his body.
This was a silent threat, a threat that he would kill it at any moment if it didn’t comply.
[Kueugh…! Where did a monster like you…]
A monster? Whom was it calling a monster?
Anyway, it seemed to have grasped the situation to some extent, so it was time to continue the questions.
“What kind of being is the Demon God?”
According to the damn hologram window, meeting the Demon God in the future was inevitable. So, he needed to find out about him.
It was written in the Goddess Church’s bible, but as is common with such sacred texts, it was unreasonable to accept it as pure information.
[Why would I tell you…]
“Did your brain shrink along with your body?”
Snap-.
As Franz snapped his fingers, a tiny shard of ice shot out and struck its face.
Starting from the struck area, pure white frost slowly began to eat away at its body.
[Do you think I’ll yield to such a mere threat…!]
“If it had been going to end at a threat, I wouldn’t have even tried in the first place.”
[What does that…]
“It means to die.”
If it wasn’t going to be helpful, there was no reason to keep it alive, so it was right to kill the calamity of the Mythical Era right here.
Wasn’t it a guy that might threaten the world again someday? It could be said to be a natural outcome.
Even as they spoke, the pure white frost was covering its body. At this rate, its becoming a frozen eel was only a matter of time.
[…I will speak. As far as I know.]
If it had cooperated from the start, there wouldn’t have been a need to use magic.
Franz thought so and snapped his fingers, and the frost eating away at its body vanished without a trace as if it had never been there.
“I’ll ask you again, what kind of being is the Demon God?”
[Unfortunately, I don’t know either.]
“I know you’re a being created by the Demon God, but you still don’t know?”
[Right, I was merely thrown into this world. I have never met him directly.]
It was a truly empty answer.
Since it had refused so vehemently, he thought it might know some important information, but it seemed that was just an act of rebellion.
Of course, it wasn’t completely impossible that the guy was lying, but he decided to let that part slide. If he started doubting, there would truly be no end to it.
“Do you happen to know about the holy relics of the Mythical Era?”
[If you mean the five tools used by humans, I remember them.]
Seeing how it even got the exact number right, it definitely seemed to know.
“Can you perhaps feel their aura, or know the locations of the items?”
Currently, Franz holds a total of four armaments.
A sword blade, a spearhead, an arrowhead, and a shield.
If he just gathered the last remaining axe blade, he could clear the quest given by the notification window, including the Red Witch’s Ring.
But the real problem lay after that.
“What the hell is confronting the Demon God…”
If he thought of it as a game, there was no problem at all. It was an amazing story of subjugating the mid-boss, the Demon Lord, and confronting the final boss, the Demon God.
The problem was that the one experiencing that story was none other than himself.
Didn’t they say life is a comedy from afar and a tragedy up close? When experienced firsthand, there was no greater unfairness in the world.
Haa-.
Franz exhaled those thoughts with a sigh. It seemed better to focus on the problem in front of him for now.
[It is possible. However, because I am in this state, faintly feeling them is all I can do.]
That meant, in its original giant state, it could accurately pinpoint the locations of the holy relics.
Magic power aside, in this specific area, the guy was one step ahead.
Anyway, if it could feel them even faintly, it would be of sufficient help.
“If you promise to cooperate with me, I’ll guarantee your life.”
[And if I don’t?]
“I’ll have no choice but to torture you for information and then kill you.”
[Then there is only one option. I will cooperate.]
Franz immediately snapped his fingers and used magic. A tiny magic circle was drawn over its body, and a chain-shaped mark was soon engraved on it.
He had used Contract Magic, just like he had done with Zeni-ah and Seri-ah.
Who knew what would happen if a guy who was a calamity of the Mythical Era changed his mind? There was nothing wrong with being prepared.
“Leviathan, do you ever feel your body moving against your will, or experience violent emotions?”
[I haven’t particularly experienced that.]
He had considered the possibility of the Demon God’s brainwashing or manipulation, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Thanks to that, there would be no need for additional mental brainwashing, which made things easier for Franz as well.
“Then attacking humans was of your own will.”
[Because that was the first mission I received upon being born, I merely considered it natural. But now, I don’t really have any particular thoughts about it. Having lived through a long time, I have learned things too.]
“Then why did you attack us?”
[Would you stay still if ants suddenly bit your leg?]
Franz was subtly displeased by being compared to an ant, but he decided to just let it slide. He clearly understood what it meant, after all.
[Anyway, when I look at you, there’s no way humans will go extinct.]
“What does that mean?”
[You’re certainly putting effort into the prosperity of your descendants, aren’t you.]
Should he have cast a silencing magic on it?
Franz thought so and let out a long sigh.
The four women who were listening to their conversation were strangely squirming, but Franz himself was unaware of that fact.
Not long after that, Franz and the group returned to the villa.
An eel was flying in the air beside them; Leviathan was with them too.
“Franz, I couldn’t ask earlier, but are you sure it’s really okay…?”
Yusti-ah glanced sideways at leviathan, revealing her anxiety.
As the Saintess of the Goddess Church, she knew the myth of leviathan better than anyone else, so it was natural for her to be anxious.
“It’s fine. If anything happens, you can just scold it with your fists.”
“R-Right, I did win earlier, after all.”
Of course, such a situation would absolutely never come.
The reason Franz had placed a contract on it earlier was to prevent such a situation.
[I’m now completely a neighborhood punching bag.]
Leviathan lamented its situation, but no one paid it any mind.
“Then I’ll go prepare dinner now.”
“I will go too.”
Yusti-ah and Hera, who had tied for last place in the fishing bet, headed to the kitchen.
With their cooking skills, they would surely produce passably delicious food, so it was fine to look forward to it.
“Is today the last day for this kind of leisure…”
Unfortunately, tomorrow was the day they would return to the Magic Tower. Thinking about going back to that hellish daily life made his head throb needlessly.
But even so, he couldn’t avoid going back. He had to do his best in the work he was entrusted with, for now.
Then, if he ever got exhausted, couldn’t he just come play with everyone like this again?
It was about recharging the energy to return to his daily life.
Having organized his thoughts like that, Franz asked leviathan.
“Do you know where the holy relics are?”
[I know they are to the north, but I don’t know the details.]
With its current abilities, figuring out the direction seemed to be the best it could do.
But considering that Ganiphus was at the southernmost tip of the continent, couldn’t anyone give a similar answer?
Considering that, it felt like leviathan wasn’t much help at all.
[W-What can I do? I ended up like this after getting beaten by you.]
“I didn’t say anything.”
As they spent time like that, Yusti-ah and Hera had finished preparing dinner before they knew it.
They had cooked the fish they caught today in their own way and had served it, and it was more delicious than he had expected.
“P-Praising me won’t get you anything, you know.”
“If you want, I can make it for you as much as you’d like in the future. For the rest of our lives, of course.”
“H-Hera?! If you say that, what does that make me?!”
The last dinner in Ganiphus concluded amidst such a commotion.
Returning straight to his room, Franz reached into his bag and immediately pulled out a giant shield.
The giant shield, so large it almost touched the ceiling, was shining with a brilliant golden light.
“Then I shall get started slowly.”
It seemed it was time to meet the Goddess.