To Become a King and a Magician 561-565

Title: The Unconscious Fujimaru

Chaldea, Control Room.

This place, previously engulfed in fire and explosions, gradually crumbling into an inferno, now showed no trace of flames at all.

The blaze caused by the explosion had long since extinguished, and the control room, which should have been reduced to rubble by the fire, now stood intact as if nothing had ever happened.

The three quantum transfer pods at the center of the control room were the same. During the explosion, although these three pods hadn’t taken direct damage, they had sustained varying degrees of structural harm from the residual shockwaves. Yet now, they had been fully repaired.

For Chaldea at this moment, the pods were devices that absolutely could not fail. Not only because they were essential equipment for Chaldea’s future operations, but also because the three people inside them—Ritsuka and her companions—had not yet returned.

It had been several minutes since they received Naoki’s instruction to initiate quantum transfer. During that time, every staff member in the control room remained intensely tense. If the quantum transfer failed, Ritsuka and the other two still in Singularity F would never be able to return to this world.

*KREK!*

Just as everyone was at their most anxious, the protective covers over the three pods suddenly opened simultaneously. Then, as if struggling to crawl out from beneath the earth, a trembling hand emerged from one pod, reaching for the edge to pull the body inside upward.

“Hah… Does this mean we’re back?”

Hinako was the first to emerge.

On the other side, in a similar state, Mash also struggled out of her pod, supporting herself on her knees with both hands. “This really is Chaldea… We’re back, Akuta-Senpai.”

“Yes… but what’s wrong with this kid?”

Hinako looked toward Ritsuka’s pod on the other side. The pod was now fully open, but she showed no sign of getting out. Her eyes remained tightly shut.

Could it be she didn’t return?

The thought crossed both Hinako’s and Mash’s minds simultaneously.

“Mash! Akuta!”

Just then, Roman’s voice, filled with panic and relief, suddenly came from nearby.

“Thank goodness! The quantum transfer finally succeeded at the last moment! I managed to bring you all back!”

If one were to ask who was the most worried person in Chaldea, it would undoubtedly be Roman. He didn’t care at all whether Naoki and Rei could return on their own. After all, the two of them were people who could travel to Singularities alone—so naturally, they could return alone too.

But Mash and the others were different. The only way for them to return was through quantum transfer. If they failed to come back, Naoki would definitely kill him!

“But Doctor, Senpai hasn’t woken up.”

Seeing Roman arrive, Mash felt momentarily relieved, but she immediately remembered Ritsuka was still unconscious. She quickly pulled Roman toward Ritsuka’s pod.

Looking at Ritsuka, still unconscious inside the pod, Roman stepped forward and examined her carefully. “She seems to have passed out… But I can’t check her specific condition here. Mash, can you bring Fujimaru with me to the medical room? I want to give her a full-body examination. And you and Akuta too—I need to make sure you’re both—”

“I don’t need it.”

Before Roman could finish speaking, Hinako immediately refused. “My body has absolutely no issues. I know my condition better than you do. Focus your limited time and energy on those two.”

Hinako refused the physical checkup. This had been the case ever since she joined Chaldea. Back then, maybe it was fine, but now they had just experienced a Singularity. Even if Hinako could freely replace her body, she couldn’t be that indifferent to potential problems.

“Akuta…”

“Take Fujimaru to the medical room first, Roman.”

Roman wanted to say something, but before he could, alongside the appearance of a light portal, Rei’s voice and figure emerged in the control room.

“Miss Rei!”

“Rei! You’re back? Wait, where’s Natsukawa? Didn’t he come back with you?” Roman, surprised for less than a second, immediately realized something was wrong.

Rei nodded. “The Master said he wanted to briefly greet King Solomon and stay behind to hold the rear. I think he’ll return soon. You know how he is—anyway, Fujimaru’s condition can’t be left like this, right? Though I don’t think there’s anything serious, still…”

“A-ah, I know! Mash, please—damn it, that bastard Natsukawa! I told him not to act recklessly! Holding the rear… He’s not invincible, why show off his power like that!”

Alongside Mash, who carried Ritsuka on her back, Roman grumbled as he quickly left the control room.

And as the three of them exited, Gray rushed into the room. She hurried to Rei with a worried expression. “Sister Rei, you’re finally back. Are you all alright?”

“Yes, we’re fine. It’s just that the Master still has some matters to settle, so he’ll return a bit later.” Rei smiled. “By the way, Gray, could you stay here and wait for the Master to return? I still have some tasks the Master assigned me to complete.”

“Some tasks? Alright, I understand, Sister Rei. Go ahead, I’ll welcome my brother back here.”

“Then I leave it to you.”

After nodding, Rei quickly left the control room.

Watching her departing back and Gray, who remained in place, Hinako, leaning against the pod, raised an eyebrow. “You’re really calm, even though that person hasn’t returned yet… Don’t you ever think he might not come back?”

“No.” Gray answered firmly. “Brother may be reckless, doing reckless things without caring who’s watching, but every time, he always comes back.”

Gray and Naoki had been together for nearly twenty years. She knew better than anyone what her brother was like. No matter where he was, he would always return in the end. That’s how he was in the past, and that’s how he’ll be now.

There had never been an exception in twenty years.

As if responding to Gray’s words, not long after her voice faded…

*WHOOSH!*

Just like when Rei returned, a light portal appeared in the control room. Seeing Naoki step out from it, Hinako sneered, then silently let out a sigh of relief.

And Gray immediately stepped forward—

“Welcome back, brother.”

“Yeah, I’m back, Gray.”

-

Title: Director, You’re Safe!

An unfamiliar ceiling.

Waking from drowsiness, Ritsuka sat up on the bed and looked around the room in confusion.

The room was completely white, spotless, and though it contained some unusual furnishings, it was so clean it felt unnatural.

“Where is this…”

Ritsuka’s memories were slightly chaotic. Various fragments surfaced in her mind.

A burning city, shattered ground, terrifying monsters—

“Chaldea? Earlier, I…”

Gradually, she sorted through her jumbled memories and recalled the events she had experienced.

She was now in an organization called Chaldea, which had suffered an explosion during quantum transfer, then traveled to Fuyuki City in 2004, and afterward…

“Oh, right! Department Head!”

The final part of the memory came back. Ritsuka remembered it clearly. At the end in Fuyuki, because they encountered a final boss-like enemy, Department Head Natsukawa stayed behind to guard the rear so she could return safely.

Then during the extraction… after that…

“Ugh, I can’t remember… My head’s still a bit foggy.”

“Fou~”

As Ritsuka held her head, a familiar sound drew her attention to the side of the bed. On the chair beside it, Fou sat there, staring straight at her.

About this small animal, Ritsuka had heard a little from Mash in Fuyuki. One could say he was an urban legend within Chaldea.

Why was he in her room?

“Fou!”

Jumping off the chair, Fou ran to the door, turned back, waved his front paw at Ritsuka, then quickly dashed out of the room.

(Does that mean he’s telling me to follow him?)

Fou was a small animal that was oddly too intelligent. Mash had mentioned it before, but Ritsuka never expected him to be this smart.

(By the way, Mash and Akuta-Senpai must be fine, right?)

Ritsuka still remembered bits about the two of them. But at that time, her mind had only been focused on escaping as fast as possible, so she hadn’t paid much attention to their conditions. Since she had returned to Chaldea, they should’ve returned too, right?

She really hoped both of them were safe.

“Fou-san?”

As she followed Fou down the Chaldea hallway, a voice suddenly came from ahead.

Ritsuka looked forward and saw Mash, now back in her Chaldea uniform, bowing and cradling Fou in her arms.

“Ah, Senpai, you’ve finally woken up.”

Seeing Ritsuka arriving with Fou, Mash immediately showed a relieved smile. “Even though Doctor Roman said Senpai wasn’t seriously injured, you didn’t wake up for so long—it really worried me. Good morning, Senpai.”

“Yeah, good morning… Eh? Wait? Does that mean I was unconscious for quite a while?”

Mash nodded. “About two and a half days in physical time. Senpai is really good at sleeping.”

“No, I’m not… Guuurrr…”

A sudden sound interrupted Ritsuka’s defense. Blushing, she held her stomach and smiled awkwardly. “Sorry… I think I’m hungry…”

“Hungry? That is a serious issue. But considering Senpai hasn’t eaten since arriving at Chaldea, I’m actually a little impressed by your endurance. Not eating or drinking for two days is quite impressive.”

“Ah… Yeah… Anyway, could you take me to the cafeteria first, Mash?”

“Of course, please follow me.”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Chaldea Cafeteria.

After following Mash here, Ritsuka’s first reaction was to freeze in place.

She was too shocked.

“Senpai, please order here. Today’s specialty is… Senpai?”

Mash, used to the routine, walked to the counter and prepared to introduce the cafeteria to Ritsuka. But when she turned, she saw Ritsuka with a confused expression.

“Senpai? What’s wrong?”

“Mash… Is this really the cafeteria?”

“Yes, I don’t think I’m mistaken. For the years I’ve lived in Chaldea, I’ve always eaten here.” Mash tilted her head slightly, confused. “Does Senpai have a question about the cafeteria?”

More than a question—it was shock.

After all, for a mere cafeteria, this place was truly…

“Too luxurious!”

Just from the ordering counters Ritsuka could see, there were already over ten. Each counter displayed available dishes: Japanese style, Western style, Chinese style, Indian style, French style… Almost every famous dish from around the world was available here.

In addition, there were desserts, drinks, bread—so many varieties it made one wonder if they were in a high-end academy restaurant.

“Mash, is the food situation at Chaldea really this good?”

“Yes, because Chaldea’s staff come from all over the world, and some have special dietary preferences, so Chaldea pays great attention to this aspect of dining. But right now, only a few counters can be opened.”

“Eh? Why?”

“The massive explosion caused by Professor Lev injured many staff, and among them were quite a few kitchen staff. Unlike others, kitchen staff are ordinary people without much ability to protect themselves from explosions. Though there were no fatalities, they haven’t recovered enough for the cafeteria to operate at full capacity. Other departments are roughly in the same situation.”

The explosion.

Since she had been inside the pod at the time, Ritsuka didn’t have a clear picture of the damage Chaldea had suffered. But judging from the state of the cafeteria, it must’ve been very serious, right?

“In that case, I’ll order…”

“I was wondering why this restaurant was a bit noisy. Turns out you’re here.”

Just then, a slightly dissatisfied voice reached Ritsuka’s ears. Then, at a nearby table, someone eating turned around.

“Director?!”

“Don’t speak loudly while eating. That’s basic etiquette. Remember that well, newcomer.”

Sitting there was none other than Olga Marie.

-

Title: Please Don’t Throw Flash Grenades in Public Places

Seeing Marie sitting there, Ritsuka quickly walked over.

“I’m glad the Director is safe too.”

“If someone like you, a newcomer, is fine, how could I possibly not be? Or are you underestimating me?”

“No, no, no! Not at all!” Ritsuka shook her head like a bobblehead. “It’s just that earlier, when I met the Department Head and Miss Rei, I didn’t see the Director, so I thought something bad might’ve happened to you…”

In the end at Fuyuki City, when Naoki and Rei arrived, Ritsuka hadn’t seen Marie. At the time, she thought something terrible might have happened to the Director, but the situation didn’t allow her to ask.

Now, seeing Marie safe and sound, Ritsuka truly felt relieved.

Seeing this newcomer so concerned about her, after a brief silence, Marie let out a small sigh. “Though I’m fine… I can’t say I’m completely fine. At the very least, right now, like those injured and unable to work, I’m still a patient.”

“Eh? A patient?”

Ritsuka frowned. “Did the Director get injured?”

“No, Senpai, the injury the Director suffered isn’t physical—it’s damage to the soul. Senpai, this is today’s special menu. I thought since you’re Japanese, you might want to try this.”

Mash said this while bringing over a plate of food.

After receiving her first meal, Ritsuka asked curiously, “Damage to the soul? What do you mean by that?”

“You really need to learn a lot about magecraft. How can you carry out the restoration of the Human Order like this… Haaa, let me explain.” Marie massaged her temples. “Humans consist of three parts: body, soul, and consciousness. All three must be combined to form a complete human.”

“In the previous explosion, my body suffered severe damage. As a result, my soul temporarily left my body and got trapped in the quantum transfer. Although my soul eventually returned to my body with Rei’s help, healing after separation naturally takes time.”

She had died.

After being revived by Rei and learning this fact, Marie herself was shocked, but thinking about it, it wasn’t too hard to accept.

After all, she had undergone quantum transfer.

As Chaldea’s Director, Marie technically didn’t qualify for quantum transfer, yet she managed to arrive in Singularity F through it. This alone indicated a problem. The only plausible possibility was that she hadn’t gone through the normal process, but completed the transfer in spirit form.

After all, quantum transfer was technology designed for spirits.

Initially, she shouldn’t have been able to return and would’ve vanished along with Singularity F—if not for Naoki and Rei.

(I owe them both so much, I can never repay it…)

Over the years, Naoki had said he’d only help Marie three times, but in reality, he’d helped her countless times. He didn’t mind and called it a small thing, but Marie, who valued her pride, didn’t want to easily accept his kindness. So each time, she’d say she’d owe him one and repay it later.

People from the Animusphere family disliked being indebted.

But… those who understood knew that repaying Naoki’s kindness wasn’t easy. Especially when she tried to repay him, she often ended up gaining even more favors. As a result, Marie was still in a state of “accumulated debt” to this day.

According to Rei, she might never repay it, even if she sold herself to Naoki.

Ritsuka still didn’t understand magecraft at all. She only half-understood what Marie had said. But at least she could grasp that Marie’s current condition wasn’t great. “I see… Then the Director should rest well! Here, I’ll share half my lunch with you. Eating well helps you recover faster!”

“Hah? I don’t want it. Besides, I’m already full. Eating with commoners… Hey! I told you not to give it to me!”

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

About half an hour later.

Leaving the restaurant, Ritsuka looked very satisfied, patting her slightly bloated stomach.

“I’m full… Chaldea’s food is delicious. I’m jealous of Mash. Back then, she must’ve eaten delicious food every day.”

“No, I don’t come to the cafeteria often. I usually prepare my own meals.” Mash shook her head unexpectedly. “The cafeteria food is indeed very tasty, but the nutrition is somewhat unbalanced. After all, with so many staff, it’s hard to achieve perfect balance.”

Chaldea had over three hundred staff members. Ensuring both taste suited everyone’s preferences and nutrition remained balanced was indeed challenging for the chefs. Ritsuka could understand that.

“By the way, Mash, where are we going now?”

Ritsuka asked, confused.

After eating what should’ve been breakfast, Mash said there was a place she needed to take her.

“To the control room. I was near your room earlier because I wanted to check if you’d woken up. My brother said that if you woke up, I should bring you to the control room. I didn’t expect you to wake up on your own.”

“Brother… The Department Head! Has he returned?”

“Yes, not long after we came back.”

(He really came back?)

Ritsuka knew her Department Head was incredibly strong—so strong he didn’t seem human. But since his opponent was the super Demon King Solomon, she couldn’t help but worry whether the Department Head might not return.

Turns out, her worry was unnecessary.

And quickly, as Ritsuka and Mash chatted, the control room door came into view. After Mash opened it with her ID, they hadn’t even entered yet when they heard Roman’s complaint from inside—

“I said, can you two stop showing off your affection in the control room! This is a public place! If you want to feed each other mouth-to-mouth, please go outside!”

“It’s not my fault, Roman. Rei’s the one forcing me…”

“Master, don’t get distracted while eating. Come on, Aaaaaah~”

“That’s enough! Can’t you two stop ruining this harmonious work environment!”

Seeing Roman sitting in the command chair, “angrily helpless.” and Naoki on the other side, hugging Rei while being fed mouth-to-mouth, Ritsuka suddenly felt she might’ve come at the wrong time.

(The Department Head and Miss Rei are that bold? Ugh, I can even hear the wet kissing sounds.)

Ritsuka, only 17 years old and with no experience with the opposite sex, had never seen such intimate contact as what Naoki and Rei were doing. She froze in place, her face turning bright red.

After recharging his mana with a kiss, Rei noticed Ritsuka and Mash standing at the door and waved with a smile. “Good morning, Mash, and also Fujimaru. You finally woke up after such a long sleep?”

-

Title: Department Head, Your Age Is a Lie, Right?!

In the lounge area outside the control room.

Handing a bottle of drink to Ritsuka, who was sitting on a bench, Naoki smiled helplessly. “Sorry, Fujimaru, you just witnessed something inappropriate… Erm, if you could forget what just happened, it would be greatly appreciated.”

Forget…

Recalling what she had just seen, Ritsuka shook her head regretfully. “It’s hard to forget. In fact, because it was so shocking, I’ll unconsciously remember it again even if I don’t think about it… Are the Department Head and Miss Rei always like that?”

According to Chaldea’s time, it was around noon—still daytime.

Engaging in such intimate physical contact in broad daylight, right in front of so many staff in the control room—Ritsuka didn’t know what to say. Did this mean their relationship was just that close?

Naoki gave a wry smile. “That’s undeniable. Rei has a more possessive nature than most people. Besides, it’s also one of the ways she expresses her love for me… Well, something like that.”

“I’m amazed the Department Head can accept it.”

If her future partner did something like that every day, Ritsuka herself knew she wouldn’t be able to accept it. After all, it was just too embarrassing.

“Rather than ‘accepting,’ it’s more accurate to say I’ve gotten used to it. It’s been ten years, after all. At first, I couldn’t accept it either.”

“I see… Eh?”

Unconsciously responding to Naoki, in the next second, she realized an important, unignorable piece of information hidden in Naoki’s words. Though spoken casually, Ritsuka, who was quite sensitive about such things, immediately caught on.

“Ten years? Department Head, have you and Miss Rei been together for ten years?”

“Yes, but if calculated specifically, it’s actually been twenty years.”

Twenty years?!

Ritsuka looked incredulous. “Department Head… Um… you’re not joking, right? Knowing each other for twenty years… How old are you actually?”

Judging by his appearance, Ritsuka had assumed Naoki was around her age. After all, he looked like a very handsome high school or university student—maybe twenty-one or twenty-two at most, right?

If he’d known Rei twenty years ago, didn’t that mean they’d known each other since they were babies?

Asked like that, Naoki paused for a moment. “Age, huh… True. I haven’t really paid attention to it these past few years. After all, for me now, one day and one year are basically no different. But if counted in the normal way, I should be nearly forty by now.”

“Forty years old?!”

Ritsuka couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

(He must be joking, right? The Department Head is almost forty?! The same age as my mom?! But this face doesn’t look at all like a forty-year-old uncle’s face! Way too young!)

Honestly, even if Naoki were placed into a high school, Ritsuka was certain there’d be no mismatch at all. He looked far too young. This couldn’t be explained by just “looking young” anymore!

“Department Head, do you… have some kind of youth-preserving method?”

“No, how could I have something like that? It’s just because my body is a bit special.” Naoki laughed. “Actually, I’m not human, Fujimaru. You seem to read a lot of light novels, so you must know about fairies, right?”

Ritsuka nodded. “Yes, I know. In fact, in today’s light novels, as long as it’s an isekai or fantasy genre, fairies are a staple character.”

“I am a fairy, though I might not be exactly the same as the fairies you know from novels—by the way, Senior Hinako is one too.”

Naoki casually revealed his identity. “For the details, you can ask Roman later. Though he’s not a magus, he’s like an encyclopedia on these topics. Conveniently, he can give you some basic knowledge you’ll need to know.”

“Anyway, Fujimaru, in Chaldea now, you are the most important person. You can’t keep being in the dark like this.”

(The most important?)

(Me?)

Naoki’s sudden shift to seriousness made Ritsuka slightly confused. “Department Head, what… do you mean by that? Me being the most important… Why do you say that?”

“It’s the final conclusion reached by all of Chaldea after discussing all available information. When ranked by importance, first is you, Fujimaru, then the rest of us. I know this is hard to accept, but I’ll briefly explain the specific situation now.”

As he spoke, Naoki activated a device on his wrist. A screen appeared in the air, showing the image of Solomon he had seen earlier in Fuyuki City. On the other side of the screen was a special, glowing red globe.

“First, I’ll tell you the current situation. The image on the left is CHALDEAS. Originally, it was an observation tool to see whether human history could continue a hundred years into the future. But now, it can’t observe that far ahead. This glowing red form represents Earth being completely burned up in the near future.”

“No, more accurately, human history. Humanity will vanish entirely from this planet, leaving no trace—everything will be burned away. And the one causing this situation is him, King Solomon.”

Pointing to Solomon’s image, Naoki continued his explanation. “Destroying all of human history isn’t easy. To achieve this, King Solomon created seven Singularities across human history.”

“Singularities?”

“It means he disrupted normal history. For example, the reason our current lives are full of light is because the electric light bulb was invented, right? But if Edison hadn’t invented the light bulb, human history afterward would have drastically changed—do you understand?”

Ritsuka nodded with difficulty. She could understand, but it was hard to fully accept.

“You don’t need to accept it now. We’ll give you time to process it—simply put, because of the existence of these seven Singularities, the burning of human history has become possible. Therefore, human history is destined to end in 2015. If we want to reclaim our future, we must defeat this man.”

“That is the only confirmed goal right now.”

“And in this process, Fujimaru, you are the most important person. Chaldea can lose anyone else, but it cannot lose you.”

Again, Naoki said those words.

Ritsuka was still confused. “But why me? Compared to me, the Department Head, the Director, Senior Akuta… and even Doctor Roman—you’re all far more important, right?”

“The reason is simple. Because, Fujimaru, you are the only human in Chaldea with quantum transfer adaptation. And the only person currently capable of defeating King Solomon.”

-

Title: Actually, Our Strength Is Quite Adequate

(Am I really the only one who might defeat Solomon?)

Ritsuka felt Naoki might be joking.

“Department Head, you must be kidding, right? How could I possibly defeat an enemy as strong as… that…? Shouldn’t you, the Department Head, be the most likely one to defeat him?”

Earlier, Rei had mentioned that ten years ago, Naoki had defeated Solomon once. If so, defeating him again should be no problem, right?

Naoki shook his head. “If it were just King Solomon, yes, no problem. But this person isn’t the real King Solomon.”

“Not the real one?”

“I met King Solomon ten years ago. He was a fool who would never do something like destroying the world. On the contrary, he was a fool who would sacrifice everything to protect it. He could never destroy the world.” Naoki said, tapping Solomon’s image. “So I’m certain this person isn’t the true King Solomon.”

“If not him… then who is he?” Ritsuka asked.

If the one trying to destroy the world wasn’t Solomon, then who was the Solomon who appeared before them?

Naoki replied, “Of course, it’s someone connected to King Solomon. After all, he’s indeed using the body… or rather, the remnants of King Solomon’s body. Of course, his identity is also easy to guess. Since he’s producing things like Demon God Pillars, it’s practically introducing himself.”

“The collection of the seventy-two Demon God Pillars that King Solomon possessed in life—or rather, their king—Goetia.”

“This is his true form.”

Goetia.

The King of Demons.

Listening to Naoki’s explanation, Ritsuka felt this was a being she should fear. But as a complete novice who still didn’t understand magecraft, she didn’t fully grasp the impact.

“But… what does this have to do with me?” Ritsuka asked. “Why do you say only I can defeat him?”

“Because of his nature.”

“Hmm, explaining it in detail would take a long time and involve several related terms. So here, I’ll use an example from a light novel or game you’d understand. Which one do you prefer?”

(Why did he suddenly become so relaxed again?)

(Aren’t they discussing something extremely important? Why can the Department Head continue explaining as if it’s no big deal?)

“Just use a game.”

“Okay~ So imagine Goetia as a massive final boss placed at the end of an RPG story. He’s the ultimate enemy the hero party must face. But to defeat this enemy, regardless of earlier progress, the final blow must be delivered directly by the ‘main character,’ or using a specific weapon. Otherwise, the enemy will never die.”

“Do you get it now? What’s needed to defeat Goetia isn’t just combat power strong enough to beat him. Though that’s important, even more crucial is the ‘weapon’ capable of delivering the final blow.”

By now, Ritsuka understood. “So… that’s me?”

“Yes. Besides being the Demon King, Goetia is also a great calamity that all of human history must face. By nature, he’s a monster born from human hatred, growing alongside human history. Humanity’s stain, the mud within human history.”

“Therefore, only a human can destroy him. That is, only the one who caused the problem can solve it. Now you understand, right? Why you’re the most important.”

Ritsuka nodded seriously.

Since Goetia was evil that only a human could defeat, in Chaldea right now, the only one capable of defeating him truly was herself.

“But…”

Seeing the serious expression on Ritsuka’s face, Naoki suddenly slapped her back hard. “Even though I said I’m leaving it to you, it doesn’t mean I’m leaving everything to you. Though I can’t destroy him completely, I can make him ‘half-dead.’”

“Eh? So you mean…”

“Yes. When we meet again, I’ll use all my strength to make him ‘half-dead.’ I’ll break all his arms and legs and nail them to the ground. You just need to come and deliver the final blow.”

Naoki said, giving her a thumbs-up.

“…”

The tension vanished instantly. In fact, due to the extreme contrast, Ritsuka suddenly felt empty and deflated. But she understood why Naoki said this.

(He doesn’t want me to be too stressed…)

Don’t carry all the pressure alone—pressure no one could bear solo. If alone, she truly couldn’t do anything. But now, in Chaldea, there were many people who could share that pressure with Ritsuka. She wouldn’t truly face Goetia alone.

“Thank you, Department Head.”

“I haven’t done anything worth thanking me for.” Naoki smiled and patted her head. “I’m your Department Head, your senior. It’s only natural for a senior to prepare the path for their junior. Even if it’s a crisis on the scale of world destruction, I’ll definitely resolve it for you.”

He would save the world.

Words coming from Naoki’s mouth—if anyone else said them, Ritsuka wouldn’t have believed them. But for some reason, she felt her Department Head truly could do it. If it was the starlight she saw at the end of Fuyuki City earlier, he surely could, right?

“Then, since everything’s explained, it’s time I take you to the next place, right? They’ve probably been waiting long enough there.”

“Eh? To another place?”

Seeing Naoki stand up, Ritsuka was slightly confused.

“I originally sent Mash to find you because I wanted to explain some things and take you to several places. During your earlier tour of Chaldea, time was short, so there were several places you didn’t visit. Those places are Chaldea’s core.”

“Besides, I think they’ll be places you’ll visit often later. Though I’ll protect you, I won’t help you with everything. You also need to work hard, train, and become a great warrior.”

“Ugh… I-I understand!”

Ritsuka understood Naoki’s intention. If she kept being protected, even if she eventually reached Goetia, she might not be able to deliver that fatal blow.

She couldn’t always be protected; she also had to grow strong.

“Then, Department Head, where are we going now? The training room?”

“That’s also a place we’ll visit, but for now, let’s go somewhere else first—simply put, let’s buy some nice clothes you’ll wear in the future!”

“Eh?”

They were… going shopping for clothes?