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TLN: Hey guys, Reigokai here!

Happy New Year, everyone! A new year has come. Every year feels like it goes faster than the previous one. It is crazy.

I am truly grateful for the many people that have stuck with me and supported me. The readers, commentators, and patreons! You all are what have been pumping life to my motivation for 6 years! Thank you deeply and I hope this new year will be a great journey as well!

Anyways, enjoy!

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“That’s right, regenerate your arm from the base while picturing the arm that was there before.”

“I see. I am slowly getting the hang of it.”

I was treating my lost arm under the guidance of Barastos.

Blue and Melia were observing this from the side.

After I entrusted Komiha to the Torin Castle, Blue saw the state of my arm in the house of Barastos and made a complicated expression.

Melia had regained her memories, and as soon as she woke up she stiffened up, and was on the verge of crying, saying that it was her fault.

Is it really as Rakura says? Should I avoid a battle style that accepts injuries  even if I can treat them?

“Will it really return to how it was…?” (Melia)

“Recreating the flesh isn’t a unique specialty of demons. You can regenerate the lost parts when treating a wound, right? If you properly understand the workings of it, even a normal human can pull off the same. But the body of a demon is easy to weave with mana. That’s why they can have better regeneration capabilities compared to humans.” (Barastos)

“Uhm…in other words?” (Melia)

“A normal human would need quite the time and technique in order to grow an arm back, but with the body of a demon, you can pull off regrowth with the same difficulty as using healing magic. Ekdoik should be able to learn it pretty fast.” (Barastos)

I have also thought about regrowing parts of my body when I was a human, but I gave up on learning it on my own.

It would be one thing if it is the skin, but weaving the parts like the meat, muscle, and bones was extremely difficult.

But I can tell that it is possible to regenerate my current body.

I could actually regenerate my bones and meat, and at this rate, it might not take long before I recover completely.

“But the consumption of mana and stamina is more intense than I thought.” (Ekdoik)

“Obviously. You are recreating your body with the power of magic, and the ingredients for it are being supplied by your own body.” (Barastos)

“That’s a bit chilling when you think of it like that. It makes you question where you are storing the lost parts of your body.” (Blue)

“Hair and nails grow back, right? Ekdoik hasn’t been a demon for long, so the consumption of things aside from mana are also intense, but once he has adapted to his demon body completely, the construction of his body will be mostly dependent on mana.” (Barastos)

“So I will be able to regenerate satisfactorily as long as I have enough mana. The insane regeneration capabilities of Niruryates must stem from that.” (Ekdoik)

In the end, I consumed way too much of my own mana, and the treatment of today ended with me regenerating until the wrist.

There’s still a lot of waste in my use of mana. I will surely be consuming even more mana when it comes to regenerating the fingers that require precise motions.

“Now then, let’s return to the work that Comrade left me.” (Ekdoik)

“E-Ekdoik-san, it would be better to rest for today…” (Melia)

“That’s right. He didn’t tell you to do it at once, right?” (Blue)

“Don’t worry. Comrade understands my wound. It is a bit of an experiment more than work.” (Ekdoik)

The job Comrade left me with was to have Komiha and Smythos decide on how they will be living from here on.

As long as they are in a position that’s basically the subordinates of Ritial, we can’t add them to our forces in the next Serende operation, but he wanted them to at least choose a path that doesn’t antagonize us.

There normally wouldn’t be a problem to have Comrade do this since he excels in negotiations, but he passed it onto me since the opportunity was there.

These two with combat capabilities are different from the other Illegitimate in that they have been put inside sturdy cells next to each other in the Torin Castle.

Komiha has bracelets with magic seal stones on both arms so that she can’t use stuff like her clothes to create a weapon.

The poisonous arm of Smythos has been sealed with several layers of cloth.

“Is your wound fine now, Komiha?” (Ekdoik)

“Y-Yeah, it is okay… It was sliced up super cleanly, so it was easy to stick back…” (Komiha)

“Worrying about the enemy. You are awfully leisurely.” (Smythos)

“S-Smythos…!” (Komiha)

“It is the truth. What did you come here to do today? We have spilled out the information already. There’s no point associating with you people anymore.” (Smythos)

Smythos is awfully thorny compared to Komiha who is calm.

She has been moving her gaze as if confirming the faces of the people behind me and is directing her attention even further in.

“I didn’t come here to obtain information. Today, Comrade—” (Ekdoik)

“Hiiih!”

The moment I spoke about Comrade, Smythos’s alert shot up.

Her bravado was gone in an instant.

I see, the reason why she was so on guard was because she was searching for Comrade.

“Comrade is not here today. We got enough information to begin with. There’s no reason to interrogate you any further.” (Ekdoik)

“Does that mean…you are already done with us, so you are going to get rid of us?!” (Smythos)

“Calm down. I have come here today to have you two think in regards to that.” (Ekdoik)

“Think…about it?” (Smythos)

“Yeah. First, about the Illegitimate aside from you two. Kuama is going to be sheltering them. To be more precise, it is the site in the Kuama Nether that’s currently being purified though.” (Ekdoik)

Illegitimate have some sort of special talent.

They may not have a talent related to battle, but they can influence society greatly.

If the nations were to learn of their existence, it would be easy to imagine that they would all try to volunteer in taking them in.

But if the nations were to fight each other for the Illegitimate, it would make the point of us fighting meaningless.

“Shelter, huh… Don’t you mean secluding?” (Smythos)

“Now that the nations have learned about the Illegitimate, they would immediately try to stretch their hand if we were to let things take their course. Even if the head of a nation has good conscience, it is not like that would spell the end of it. You two wouldn’t want to be separated either, right?” (Ekdoik)

There’s also people like Seraes. There will most likely be people who would be fine with pulling dirty moves for the sake of profit.

We don’t want them to be dragged in the scheming of such people.

“But we would in the end still be under supervision, right?” (Smythos)

“If the respective person can live independently, it is apparently fine for them to do as they wish. However, we have a demand for you two.” (Ekdoik)

“…Demand?” (Smythos)

“The ones who know the most about the sheltered Illegitimate are you two. That’s why we want at least one of you by the side of those Illegitimate.” (Ekdoik)

The one who is reclaiming the Kuama Nether, Gestaf, had the Illegitimate Haakudoku as a subordinate. That’s why he might have an understanding of people who have special talents, but their understanding between Illegitimate would most likely be higher.

Komiha heard this and hesitantly raised her hand.

“One of us…? Can’t it be us two?” (Komiha)

“It is possible, but you two will be free once the matter of Raheight and his group is done. There’s no need for you two to look after the other Illegitimate as people who can take care of yourselves, right?” (Ekdoik)

“…Eh, we will be free?!” (Komiha)

“Yeah. That said, you have the crime of attacking the Torin army, Komiha. You will most likely have to pay in some way to atone for this.” (Ekdoik)

She was basically just following the orders of Soraid as her position demanded, but there’s no doubt she fought by her own will in order to save Smythos and the Illegitimate.

She must fulfill her duty as the one who lost.

“Uh… Can’t that be paid by looking after the Illegitimate…?” (Komiha)

“It won’t erase your record. Also, this is a separate matter. But if you accept this, we can prepare a method to atone while you are looking after the Illegitimate.” (Ekdoik)

“…That’s fine. If I can stay by their side…” (Komiha)

“I see. Then, I will tell them as such.” (Ekdoik)

“Wait a moment. It is fine for me to join in on that, right?” (Smythos)

This time Smythos grabbed the iron bars of the cell as she asked me this.

Her scared face before has completely disappeared.

“Yeah, it is okay. But there’s already no need for you to obey the orders of Ritial, you know?” (Ekdoik)

“It is true that we were looking after them under the request of Ritial-sama, but it was also something that we wanted. Those people stand out in this world even if they don’t want to. They would be looked at with weird gazes, be ostracized, and would be the target of animosity. Komiha and I don’t want those children to live a tragic life like us.” (Smythos)

“So it is exactly because of that tragic life that you are doing this, huh.” (Ekdoik)

“Are you saying my life wasn’t much? I have heard about your background, but—” (Smythos)

“That’s not what I meant. My life and yours are different. If you say you led a tragic life, then it is. There’s no need to compare that to others.” (Ekdoik)

Everyone lives a different way. There may be differences there, but there’s no point in seeking superiority in it.

What’s necessary is how much worth you seek for ahead of it.

“…I see. Talking with you really throws me off.” (Smythos)

“I am told that often. And so, Smythos, does that mean you are agreeing to looking after the Illegitimate?” (Ekdoik)

“Komiha would spoil them rotten if she were to be left with that job alone.” (Smythos)

“S-So cruel!” (Komiha)

“You two are pretty considerate. But that helps us out. Thanks.” (Ekdoik)

A change in environment is extremely stressful for children. Having understanding comrades nearby would help out greatly.

The existence of these two would be irreplaceable for the young Illegitimate… They will most likely become what Leishia was for me.

“—As I said, you really throw me off… Making a weird face like that.” (Smythos)

“Muh, did I make a weird face?” (Ekdoik)

“N-No, that’s not true—” (Komiha)

“You were making a stupid face.” (Smythos)

“Smythos?!” (Komiha)

I might have loosened a bit too much because I relaxed.

It is true that it is not good to loosen up too much in front of others. I gotta tighten up.

“Then, you two will be the subordinates of Comrade from here on—” (Ekdoik)

“W-Wait a moment! W-We are going to become subordinates of that man?!” (Smythos)

“Is there a problem?” (Ekdoik)

“There’s obviously a problem! I don’t want to be the subordinate of a lowlife like that!” (Smythos)

Muh… Is this the reason why Comrade left the job to me?

Smythos must be remembering the interrogation Comrade did to her, she is trembling in a corner of her cell.

“That stout-hearted Smythos is like this… Just what kind of horrible things did he…” (Komiha)

“No, well…yeah…” (Ekdoik)

The reality is that she was simply made to drink bitter medicine, but Smythos was made to remember it as having been made to drink painful deadly poison over and over.

We will have to clear those misunderstandings in the future.

“B-But I want Smythos to be by my side… Ekdoik, can’t we be your subordinates?” (Komiha)

“…Me?” (Ekdoik)

I pointed at myself and Komiha nodded with a slightly flushed face.

“You were really gentle towards me despite me trying to kill you. There’s rarely any people who can respect their opponent to that degree within a battle of life or death. Also…no, that’s all.” (Komiha)

“T-That! I can trust you! You can at least accommodate that much, right?!” (Smythos)

“No, I am not in a position to have subordinates…” (Ekdoik)

I unconsciously look at Blue, who is my master.

Blue was looking at me with cold eyes for some reason, and Melia was making a questionable face.

“Isn’t it fine? There’s no rule stating that my subordinate can’t have subordinates.” (Blue)

“That’s true, but… By the way, why are you looking at me with those eyes?” (Ekdoik)

“Nothing. I just thought I should be thinking seriously about my future plans.” (Blue)

Blue said this and left.

She is clearly in a bad mood, but she didn’t smash me on the ground like usual.

Did I make her mad in a different way from before?

“Hey, Melia, was there some issue with the negotiation just now?” (Ekdoik)

“Uhm…you can’t do it like how Comrade-san does…is what I think…” (Melia)

“Wa…” (Ekdoik)

I took into account the feelings of Komiha and Smythos to the best of my abilities, and negotiated in a way so that they would cooperate with Comrade though…

So I don’t even get a passing mark from Melia…?

“What was I lacking…?” (Ekdoik)

“On the contrary, I would say you were overqualified…” (Melia)

I told the result to Comrade, and it was decided that Komiha and Smythos will be working in the reclamation of the Kuama Nether as my subordinates.

Comrade encouraged me by saying ‘things will get complicated with those two added, but do your best’.

However, that face of his was a questionable one just like Melia.

—

Mel: “Comrade-san…why did you do something like increasing the number of rivals…?”

MC: “Allow me to apologize a bit seriously here.”

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