The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

or to be precise, the direction your group approached from.”

That made me realize what was up.

We had been fighting a Wilhelm, an S-ranked monster.

I had unleashed the Gatling Lightning, a large magic spell, in order to finish it off.

Of course, its target had been the Wilhelm.

However, due to its sheer power, the spell had pierced through the Wilhelm’s body, and then streaked through the air into the distance.

As for the direction it had gone in… well…

　◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Countless lightning bolts lashed forth around the Spell Circle, rushing straight at the Wilhelm.

They passed cleanly through the monster’s body, streaking through and fading into the ravine behind it.

　◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

‘Fading into the ravine behind it’… Yeah.
So could it be that…?

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I took another look.
A scorch mark, its size proportional to the attack power diminished by distance.

…Looks like I hit the nail on the head.

“…Aha.”

I sounded quite hysterical there, if I say so myself.

And in response to that, the Shi’shichou’s eyes flared up once again with intense murderous intent.

Perhaps even more intense than before, even.

“Now I see that you do remember.
I shall grant you a painless death.
Any preferences?”

“AHHHHHH!! I swear I didn’t mean any harm! We were fighting a monster called the Wilhelm, and that was a powerful spell I used for finishing it off, you see?! And it pierced through the Wilhelm into this direction!! I never intended to aim at you specifically-“

“Would you be so willing to state the same if the victim was one of your own kind?”

“-!”

I was at a loss of words.
An excuse, at the end of the day, would stay an excuse.
I would never be able to say the same if I were to misfire my magic spell and hit another person.

I had been careless with my conversation with the Shi’shichou.

…The meaning of the word ‘conversation’ suggested that two parties were of equal intellectual capacity.

Which was to say, I had considered the Shi’shichou a mere beast – albeit still an immensely powerful one – throughout my bid to survive.

…I really messed up big time.

“Oh-ho, you are laying down your weapon? Commendable.
Any last words?”

Welp… Looks like this is as far as I go.

Let’s just tell him what I ought to, at the very least-

“…Several years from now, the Devil King-“

“Hwah~~~~~~”

The last parts of my last words were drowned out by the yawning of my foolish Familiar.

I’d intended to at least inform a Heavenly Beast of the coming Devil King’s resurrection, but this she just had to interrupt me at the most important part.
Seriously, what’s wrong with her?

Don’t tell me… Pochi is the Devil King and has actively been trying to jeopardize our operations? Hah, now we’re never gonna win.

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Not messing around, the Shi’shichou stared coldly at Pochi while the doggo rubbed her eyes.

“Ah, good morning, Master! …Hmm? Why am I back here?”

Pochi, perhaps still half-asleep, still has not noticed the piercing gaze directed at us.

…Hmm? That piercing gaze… I can feel it slowly ease down?

“You… No – who are you people?”

The look of surprise in its eyes felt stronger than before.
But what in the world could it be surprised about?

While Pochi was busy scratching her neck with her hind leg, the Shi’shichou proceeded to spread its wings wide in front of me.

Its murderous intent has already gone, and it now looked quite calm as it stared at me.
What’s up with this sudden one-eighty?

“…First, you – what is your name?”

“Ah… Asley.”

Upon me telling so, the Shi’shichou kept silent as it stared at me for a while longer.

And Pochi proceeded to scratch her own neck again.

“…I see.
Remember to do me a favor later, and I shall let you off the hook, Asley.”

“Oh-…-kay?”

I tilted my head, questioning whatever that could mean.
However, the Shi’shichou answered nothing as it instantly disappeared from my sight, leaving behind a strong gust of wind.

Pochi, surprised by the wind, made a goofy face as she turned to me – or rather the spot where I had been before that wind had blown me a bit away.

“Whoa-?! Wha… what’s the deal with that wind, sir?!”

“Well, it’s… probably just normal wind, nothing special.”

Staring at the new-empty sky, I could only give a half-hearted reply, with Pochi giving a look of utter confusion in response to that.

And then she realized that Betty, Barun, and Ricky were still on the ground.
Making a big deal out of it, she proceeded to whack the back of my head as I was still stuck in a trance.

“What are you spacing out for, sir?!”

…I sure would like to say that right back at her.
But when all was said and done, we hauled up everyone and headed back to Regalia.

Index