Night fell.
The campfire crackled in the breeze, orange-gold light pushing back the darkness. The smoky scent of burning wood mixed with a faint resinous tang of pine.
Three rabbits Sukarma had snared in the forest were skewered over the fire, fat sizzling as it dripped, sending out an irresistible aroma.
"First-Tier Spell · Spice Creation."
Lillinett raised her staff and chanted softly. A green magic circle bloomed at the tip, and the pile of wild herbs they'd collected that afternoon shimmered, transforming into neat piles of refined spices. She passed them to Sukarma, who was carefully turning the rabbits to keep them from burning.
Then Lillinett settled down beside Soren, gaze drifting toward the darkness where the rogue and male magic caster had disappeared that afternoon. Her brows knit.
"They've been gone all afternoon… why aren't they back yet?"
"They're mythril-rank adventurers," Soren replied. "They know their limits. Either they've discovered something… or something's keeping them."
At that, Sukarma's hands paused. She lifted her head, worry flickering in her eyes.
"Even if they couldn't catch up to the carriage, one of them should've come back by now with a report."
Firelight softened her face, but couldn't hide the tension there.
She looked between Soren and Lillinett, voice dropping.
"Soren-sama, Lillinett—we might be in trouble."
There were really only two possibilities.
Either the rogue and caster had failed to find the stolen carriage and, terrified of Soren's anger, had chosen to run.
Or something had happened, and they hadn't even had the chance to return.
Sukarma dismissed the first option immediately. Eight fine horses plus that enchanted noble carriage… expensive, yes, but not beyond redemption. Sell off two or three of [Four Weapons]' magic items and they could scrape together ten thousand gold.
The second possibility, though—the one where even mythril-rank adventurers couldn't extricate themselves—that was what gnawed at her.
"Whatever kind of trouble it is," Soren said mildly, "we'll face it better on a full stomach."
He understood perfectly well what she was worrying about. After all, this afternoon's "mount and seat" game had left a rather vivid impression on him. Next time he'd have his main body come over and play real horseback riding.
He tightened his arm around Lillinett's waist and, without another word, silently dumped a handful of Ascension Points into his clone's level.
Then he took a small flare from inside his coat—one only his clones carried—and fired it into the sky.
The flare screamed upward, leaving a bright tail, then burst with a boom into a ring of orange smoke that glowed fiercely against the night. It hung there like a burning flower, impossible to miss.
His movements were so smooth that both Lillinett and Sukarma stared for a moment.
"We'll eat rabbit and wait."
Soren pinched Lillinett's nose lightly, then smiled at Sukarma. "I don't just have you two watching my back."
A clone's body cost almost nothing to make. But once he'd dumped Ascension Points into it, Soren had no intention of letting that investment go to waste.
[Four Weapons] were competent, but still a bit lacking. Any one of Konoha's jōnin could handle things at this level. If it hadn't been for the special… personal interest he had in their warrior and priestess, he'd never have chosen to travel with them in person. He'd have just planted backups and gone alone.
"But Soren-sama, a signal like that…" Sukarma frowned. "It'll attract other people too."
Soren waved lazily.
"Good. Saves me the trouble of hunting them down."
He glanced at the sky. "My guards aren't 'ordinary' people."
At that, both women relaxed a little. They remembered the coachman from the start of the journey—just a "driver," yet a hero-class figure. Lillinett hooked her arms around Soren's neck, leaning in for a kiss—only for him to pat her back and stop her.
"My guard's here."
Following his gaze, she saw something drop from above and land beside the fire with a heavy thump—a two-meter-tall red toad, blue cape draped over its shoulders, a bead hanging at its throat.
In Lillinett's lap, her body stiffened. Sukarma instinctively snatched up her magic hand-axe and moved in front of Soren.
The toad, however, bent one knee and bowed deeply to him.
"Gamakichi, reporting to the Supreme Leader!"
The voice was rough and heavy, but still carried a youthful pitch. He was enormous by human standards, but among the toads of Mount Myōboku, especially next to his father Gamabunta, Gamakichi was barely a teenager—small fry.
Even so, after being strengthened by sage chakra, he packed special-jōnin-class power. Among "mortals" on this world, he could easily crush a typical adamantite-rank adventurer—as long as he wasn't facing some hidden freak.
Konoha's jōnin were swamped with work lately. Soren couldn't be bothered to use high-calibre cannons to swat flies, and since the Mount Myōboku toads had been lazing around with nothing to do, he'd pulled them into service as guards.
Because this clone body had no chakra of its own, he'd had to prepare a workaround.
The flare he'd fired wasn't just a flare; it carried a built-in summoning seal and pre-loaded chakra. Once fired, it automatically triggered the summoning.
Orange flares called "Third-Gen"—the third generation of Myōboku's main fighting toads, all recently boosted by the Great Toad Sage to around Gamakichi's size.
Red flares called the Second Gen—Gamabunta and his siblings, the three great battle toads.
And First Gen…
That was the Great Toad Sage himself. If he ever appeared on the field, it would be because Soren's main body was standing toe-to-toe with a True Dragon King wielding Origin Magic.
"Supreme Leader, Gamatatsu came too!"
A flustered voice called from behind Gamakichi, and moments later another toad bounded into the firelight—a plump, yellow toad with a decidedly dopey, good-natured face.
Soren's brow ticked upward.
"Kichi, catch him. Don't let him land and kick dust into the food."
(You clumsy idiot.)
Gamakichi shot the roasting rabbits a resentful look and sprang up, intercepting the incoming Gamatatsu mid-leap and landing lightly with him in his arms. The two of them shuffled back to the fire and knelt.
Lillinett and Sukarma swapped a look.
So when Soren said "not ordinary people"… he'd meant "not people" at all.
(Are these like… some kind of 'Forest Sage' high-class magical beasts?)
Both women started quietly appraising the newcomers. Gamakichi's muscles were clearly defined even under his warty skin, and the pressure rolling off him was obvious.
The yellow one—Gamatatsu—looked more like the idiot son of a rich landlord.
"We've had a little unexpected trouble," Soren said calmly. "I need you two to clean it up."
He sketched out what had happened. Gamakichi nodded briskly.
The more reliable elder brother immediately took the job of tracking and investigation.
The more scatter-brained, pampered Gamatatsu was ordered to stay as camp guard.
Once they realised these toads weren't hostile, and that Soren clearly trusted their strength, Sukarma and Lillinett finally let their shoulders drop.
Lillinett tugged lightly at Soren's collar, eyes shining with curiosity.
"Soren-sama… why do they call you 'Supreme Leader'?"
"That's just a matter of titles. You'll understand later."
Soren brushed it off, but his mind was already elsewhere—specifically, on how to get Guang to keep covering for him at home.
He wasn't like that Overlord player who had to disguise himself as the adventurer Momonga. He'd come over here with his real face and real name, so sooner or later his wives would hear about his "heroic deeds" abroad.
If Guang was on his side, Soren could safely confess to "some minor indiscretions" without getting murdered.
At the fire, Sukarma continued turning the spit. She could feel Gamatatsu's stare on her, and when she glanced his way, his big, round eyes darted from her to the rabbits and back again.
He looked, frankly, adorable. That took most of the tension out of her.
(Can't say anything. Can't ask for a bite. If I want to eat, I'll go back to Myōboku—or find Minister Minako.)
Gamatatsu sniffed deeply, nearly drooling from the rich smell of roasting meat. He recalled the Great Toad Sage's stern warnings, wrenched his gaze away from the rabbits, and forced himself to look into the trees instead.
His pudgy fingers tightened.
"Supreme Leader—someone's coming."
All three of them sat up a little straighter.
They followed Gamatatsu's pointing hand, but all they saw was darkness and swaying leaves. In the firelight, the shadow under the trees looked thick and warped, like it was full of peering eyes.
Lillinett and Sukarma shivered.
"Sukarma, share out the rabbits."
"Gamatatsu, flush out our guest."
Soren patted Lillinett's hip.
"Go on, fetch the food. This will be our after-dinner entertainment."
"Yes, Supreme Leader!"
Gamatatsu raised his hand and spat out a water sphere that shot forward like a cannonball.
"Water Style · Iron Bullet!"
The water orb smashed into the ground, exploding in a thunderous crash. Earth shook, leaves flew, and muddy droplets fanned out like shrapnel.
"Damn it!"
A hooded figure sprang from the shadows, narrowly avoiding the impact. The blast left a deep crater where he'd been standing. The flying "water pebbles" struck him in a stinging hail.
Firelight caught his face as he skidded to a stop—pale skin, gaunt cheeks, sharp, vulture-like eyes brimming with malice.
Sukarma's breath caught.
She'd seen that man's portrait on wanted posters.
Her pupils shrank.
"Infamous [Eight Fingers] security branch…"
"One of the Six Arms—the illusionist Dune Lundt!"
The rabbits dropped from her hands. She snatched up her magic hand-axe and stepped in front of Soren, voice tight.
"Lillinett, take Soren-sama and run! Every member of the Six Arms is at least adamantite level—we can't take them head-on!"
Her tone was grim and resolute.
"Soren-sama… you may be a scumbag noble, but I really did fall for you. If I survive this, I'll keep being your mount."
(You like being ridden way too much.)
Lillinett's heart clenched, even as she mentally snarked. Her hands, however, moved fast—reaching for Soren to drag him away, only for him to catch her wrist and pull her firmly into his arms instead.
"Sukarma, I'm honoured you like me."
He sighed. "But I'm not thrilled by your choice of words."
He gave Lillinett a reassuring look, then slapped a gauntleted hand lightly against Sukarma's back. The clang echoed in the clearing.
"You're already my 'mare.' There's nothing in this kingdom worth you fearing."
He pointed lazily at the hooded man.
"Just another clown. Gamatatsu can handle him."
Soren nudged her knee. "Sit down. You're blocking my view."
"Eh?!"
Thrown off balance, Sukarma plopped down at his feet. Before she could protest, a hot, juicy chunk of rabbit was stuffed into her mouth.
On the other side of the fire, Dune Lundt's expression twisted.
He swept his gaze past the three of them—one noble lounging between two women, one fat toad waddling forward—and fixed on Gamatatsu.
This unknown yellow toad made him deeply uneasy.
(The rogue and caster said nothing about a toad that can throw fourth-tier spells.)
Still, grudge was grudge. That flare had been meant as a beacon. The horses and carriage were worth a fortune. If he backed down now, he'd be the laughingstock of Eight Fingers.
And those two women…
He flicked another glance at Lillinett's curves and Sukarma's long legs.
(Both worth good coin once properly broken in.)
He tapped his boots, awakening their enchantments. The magic ring on his finger hummed softly, magnifying his power. Then he drew his mythril enchantment sword and sprang toward Gamatatsu.
Three more Dune Lundts peeled away from him as he ran, each one as detailed and solid as the original.
"Multiple Afterimages!"
(Die, you overgrown frog. Let my unseen blades be the last thing you never see.)
"Water Style · Iron Bullet."
Gamatatsu just spat again.
The water sphere cut straight toward the real Lundt, ignoring the three fakes.
His brows twitched.
(Lucky shot?)
He twisted aside. The chainmail under his clothes—enchanted "Cat's Grace" adamantite mail—flared with blue light, lending him extra agility. The three illusions mirrored his motion perfectly, scrambling out of the water bullet's path.
As a hybrid light warrior / illusionist magic caster, Dune Lundt's forte was speed and trickery.
He couldn't take a hit like a true frontline fighter, but he could easily avoid most attacks and weave illusions between his sword strikes. Once he slipped into an enemy's blind spot, his mythril blade danced like an elegant performer, harvesting lives with each step.
(This idiot.)
Gamatatsu, respecting his opponent's effort to put on a show, simply watched the footwork. As Lundt came in again, he spat another iron bullet at the real one.
"Damn you, frog! How are you tracking me?!"
Once was luck. Twice? No.
Dune Lundt's face darkened.
"Flash-Gloom Blind Point!"
Light flared, then smeared. For a moment, everything in front of them warped and went dark, like someone had smeared soot over their eyes.
(New genjutsu?)
Gamatatsu blinked. He couldn't see a thing—but he still had his sage-enhanced senses.
For a pampered idiot, he'd been drilled relentlessly. The basics were ingrained in his bones.
"Water Style · Water Formation Wall!"
He spat a surging waterfall forward. Water surged up in a sweeping arc, forming a tall defensive wall. Without pause, he continued firing iron bullets, hammering anything that moved beyond it.
On the other side of the water, Dune Lundt swore under his breath, forced into a constant scramble by the relentless barrage.
(That pressure… he's one step from hero-class! This is a monster toad!)
As the blind spell wore off, Soren scowled.
He kneaded one of Lillinett's "large white rabbits" through her robe, earning a breathy glare, then flicked out a hand.
Second-Tier Spell · Multiple Magic Arrow.
Second-Tier Spell · Corrosive Arrow.
Magic arrows hissed through the air, pinning Lundt's routes of escape and forcing him into ever tighter dodges.
"Soren-sama, say 'ah~'."
Feeling safe now, Lillinett tore off a strip of rabbit and lifted it to his lips, eyes shining, cheeks pink from more than just the fire.
"You really do know how to play, priestess."
Soren murmured an appreciative comment while accepting the bite from her glossy lips—still gleaming with oil and steam.
One hand enjoyed the taste of rabbit. The other guided his spells, driving Dune Lundt to the brink.
Then he scooped Sukarma into his lap.
One rabbit. Three mouths. Each bite "shared" mouth-to-mouth.
"You damned noble!"
Driven half-mad by the combined barrage of toad and spells, soaked, singed, and taunted, Dune Lundt dodged a corrosive arrow by a hair, slipped past an iron bullet, and slashed a volley of magic arrows from the air.
He'd had enough.
If he couldn't cut down the frog, he'd take the man responsible.
He veered suddenly, sword angling toward Soren, planning to seize the noble and make him scream—one piece at a time—until the frog broke.
But just as he lunged, something whispered through the air behind him.
A dark green streak slammed into his back—another corrosive arrow.
The hood of his cloak flared with protective light and absorbed most of the impact, but the force still jerked him off-balance. An iron bullet whistled past where his head had been a split second earlier.
"You really are loaded with magic toys, aren't you?"
Soren gave him one lazy glance, then let Lillinett shove another piece of rabbit into his mouth.
"Gamatatsu—wrap this up. I want him alive."
"Yes, Supreme Leader."
Even Gamatatsu's usually goofy expression hardened.
"I'm tired of playing whack-a-mole."
He inhaled deeply.
"Sage Art · Syrup Iron Cannon!"
This time the water that shot from his mouth was thick and viscous, a spray of highly adhesive syrup-like projectiles that splattered in a wide cone.
(I'm dead.)
Lundt managed to twist his upper body clear, but his legs weren't so lucky. From the waist down, he was instantly glued to the ground, syrup hardening like resin.
He struggled once. Twice. Nothing.
"Supreme Leader, he's secured."
Gamatatsu scratched his bald head, looking awkwardly at Soren—who was currently occupied with two women clinging to him like ivy.
It took a while before Soren had a hand free to wave.
"Nice work, Gamatatsu."
He nodded toward the immobilised man. "Go interrogate him. Find out who he is, what he wants, and what happened to [Four Weapons]' rogue and caster."
Sukarma made as if to stand up and follow, but Soren tugged her back down.
"Leave it to Gamatatsu."
(I don't know any interrogation jutsu…)
Gamatatsu grumbled inwardly, but he dared not complain out loud. He heaved a sigh and waddled toward Dune Lundt.
The man tried for dignity, but his eyes shone with fear.
Gamatatsu did his best to squeeze his round face into something fearsome.
"If you don't answer honestly," he rumbled, "I'll swallow you whole and let you feel your body dissolve in stomach acid. Slowly."
That did it.
Dune Lundt, who had always had a soft spine, broke almost immediately.
He spewed information in a confused flood—names, departments, orders, routes.
Gamatatsu's head began to pound. He paced back and forth, increasingly frustrated, then finally slapped Lundt across the face.
"Make it simple."
(This damned toad…)
Dune Lundt howled inwardly.
He was the strongest combatant attached to Eight Fingers' Slave Department, one of Six Arms, feared throughout the underworld. When had he ever been treated like this?
(When I get out of here, I'll take it all out on the slaves—every last bit.)
He thought of a golden-haired slave girl with an unbreakable will to live and smiled a little in his heart.
(I'll take my time killing you.)
Out loud, he forced his face into a fawning smile.
"Honoured toad-sama… I serve Eight Fingers' Security Branch as one of Six Arms."
"Recently, the Slave Department's minister hired me to 'assist' with certain purchases."
He swallowed.
"The carriage your noble lord lost is close by. But my men… accidentally killed the rogue and mage he'd hired."
"I'll turn those idiots over to your noble master and let him deal with them however he likes!"
"And if he needs compensation, I have many, many beautiful slave girls I can present to him!"
He did not hesitate to shove all blame onto his subordinates.
In his mind, he'd already decided—if necessary, he'd chop off their heads himself and present them to this noble as a peace offering. If that wasn't enough, the Slave Department had plenty of docile beauties. Surely that lustful noble youth would be satisfied.
"You could've just said that from the start."
Gamatatsu delivered another slap on principle, hard enough that Lundt's vision went white and he sagged unconscious in the syrup.
The sage chakra humming in his body couldn't label pure good and pure evil like Nine-Tails chakra could—but the foul, heavy malice caked in Dune Lundt's soul was impossible to miss.
The elders had been very clear:
When you meet bad people—hit them.
Hit them hard. Hit them until they don't get back up.
"Supreme Leader, I've got the intel."
Soren gently patted the hips of the two women pressed against him. They obediently slid aside and sat up straighter, eyes following his every movement with warm, syrupy devotion.
First there'd been the "coachman" stronger than any noble's bodyguard had a right to be. Then Soren's own freakish talent. Now even the backup toads he'd casually summoned had flattened one of the infamous Six Arms.
As far as Lillinett and Sukarma were concerned, their future was decided.
They were going to follow this man.
Gamatatsu's report was jumbled, but Soren had the original novel in his head. It was enough to piece things together.
He flicked his fingers.
"Kill him. He's an eyesore."
"Yes, Supreme Leader."
One last iron bullet, and Dune Lundt became a smear of mud and blood in the syrup.
After that, Soren turned to the two women, whose eyes were starting to shine with grief.
They'd been comrades for seven or eight years. Together with the rogue and caster, they'd built the reputation of [Four Weapons] in E·Naeur, and were finally on the verge of stepping into noble status and marrying well.
Only to lose two of their own to Dune Lundt's butchery.
He soothed them as best he could until the sound of hoofbeats broke through the night.
Gamakichi rode back in with the missing carriage, spattered in blood.
"Supreme Leader, we recovered the carriage. But the two you mentioned… are dead."
He glanced toward Gamatatsu. "He already squeezed it out of the slave-traders' boss."
Soren gave the women's waists a reassuring squeeze, then nodded at Gamakichi.
"And the slavers and their captives?"
"The slavers talked, then died."
Gamakichi's voice was flat. "We gave the innocent captives some money. They're heading home on their own."
Soren approved with a nod. After cross-checking the details with Gamakichi, he dismissed both toads back to Mount Myōboku.
Then he called for his main body.
The switch was seamless.
Soren—Soren—stepped into the carriage, a slow grin spreading across his face.
Time to properly test his newly-completed "Beast-of-Burden Duo."
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