The time for playing around didn't last long.
At that moment, a strong gust of wind swept in.
The thoroughly soaked Sein couldn't help sneezing several times, a bit of snot running down as he crossed his arms over his chest and shivered nonstop.
"Achoo! Achoo! So cold…"
"Ah, sorry Sein, it's all my fault for not holding the bucket steady." Stark hurried over, took off his coat, and draped it over Sein.
"It's fine, you can't be blamed for it." Sein waved his hands repeatedly. "Thank you for the coat. I feel much better."
Seeing this, Dio narrowed his eyes slightly. Thoughts flashed through his mind until an idea struck like a laser.
Smack!
"Kuru~ How about we go soak in a hot spring?" Dio clapped his hands, tilted his head with a nod, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. "I remember there's a hot spring inn in the volcanic area near the Etoville Mountains in the northern countries. Let's go soak and drive away the cold."
"A hot spring inn? I think I still have some impression…" Alicia tilted her head, carefully recalling for a moment before blushing and asking uncertainly, "Could it be… the one from back then with Dio…?"
At Alicia's words, the dormant memories in Mabel's mind also awakened. "Ah, I know, I know! Alicia soaked with Dio back then! How sly!"
"Mabel!" Alicia was ashamed and indignant, her voice shooting up several degrees.
"Eeh?! What's wrong!! You clearly secretly soaked in the hot spring with Dio back then!!!"
To this, Frieren casually quipped, "What's the big deal? It's just soaking in a hot spring."
"Could it be Frieren also soaked with Dio?" Mabel turned around and asked in shock.
"Aren't we companions? (wearing yukata) Soaking in the hot spring together is normal…"
Mabel covered her ears and pitifully wailed, "I don't want to hear it!"
On the other side…
"Lord Dio… won't it be too much trouble?" Longing leaked through Sein's words, but on the surface he only blushed, turned his head away, and scratched his cheek in refusal. "Let's just hurry on our way. I'm fine."
"You bastard… Are you looking down on kono Dio? Do I look like someone who enjoys tormenting subordinates?"
Dio furrowed his brows, his voice carrying a hint of impatience.
The wind sprites formed an emerald-green circular magic array. He stepped forward and grabbed Sein by the collar…
Here goes!
Sein was thrown into the array. The wind sprites carried him away and disappeared into the distant sky.
Whoosh!
"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"
The emerald-green array remained where it was. Dio looked at Stark and Fern, who were steadily backing away, the corner of his mouth curving upward as he walked toward them again.
"Lord Dio, we can walk by ourselves." With Sein's screams still echoing in her ears, Fern widened her eyes and readied flight magic to escape.
As a warrior, Stark glanced up at Fern in the sky, then at Dio right in front of him. Knowing escape was impossible, he consciously stepped into the array.
Whoosh!
"So scary—————————!!!"
Stark's figure gradually faded into the distance. Dio retracted his gaze and turned it toward Fern fleeing through the sky, slightly lost in thought.
Flight magic…
Yeah. After all, seventy-nine years had already passed.
Although the scary monsters had reported to him, seeing it with his own eyes still felt different. Magic had actually developed to this level.
During the Demon King subjugation era, the sky had belonged to demons and monsters.
For Dio, the only flying beings he had seen besides demons were that legendary mage Serie.
A few seconds later, Dio set aside his感慨 about the passage of time and casually asked, "Speaking of which, Fern, do you know how long humans have been using magic to fly into the sky?"
"…Less than forty years." Fern, still fleeing, paused for a moment before answering and flying off again.
"Very clever. As expected of Alicia's disciple." Dio lowered his gaze, quietly listening to Fern's answer, a faint arc forming at the corner of his lips as he praised her. "But do you know? Humans' flight magic was born by directly copying the demons' magic formulas without any changes."
Fern's flight speed visibly dropped.
Dio continued showing off. "I bet you don't know… No, you definitely don't know. After all, Alicia is just a priest. She couldn't properly teach you the details of magic."
"The maximum speed of flight magic is barely different from an ordinary person running at full strength. There are many factors—air resistance, for one, and the magic system still being immature."
"Humans' flight magic was learned from demons, after all. They can't treat flying as casually as eating or drinking the way demons do. Even objects larger than a person can only float for a short time."
"If I had magic power, I could surely improve this magic. No—perhaps during the Demon King subjugation era, humans could have seized air superiority…"
At that point, in Fern's line of sight, Dio dejectedly lowered his head. At the same time, the magic array formed by the wind sprites closed.
Fern couldn't bear it and subconsciously comforted him. "Lord Dio, this isn't your fault. You've already sacrificed so much for humanity…"
"Got you."
Fallen leaves were swept up by the fierce wind. Dio vanished from the spot, leaped into the air, appeared behind Fern, and placed his hands on her shoulders. His tone was completely calm, with no trace of the previous dejection.
"That's why I've always felt that today's mages might have regressed compared to before. I'm just a warrior with zero magic power—how could you so easily believe my words? You know, demons are the pests most skilled at deceiving humans. Don't be negligent, dear little Fern~"
"So fast…" Fern was still immersed in the shock and fear of a warrior suddenly getting in a mage's face when, in the next instant, her vision flipped several times and the familiar array appeared before her.
Whoosh!
Fern departed following the other two.
"No choice. After all, that damn place is still quite far from here. At flight magic speed it would probably take several days." Dio nodded in satisfaction, landed gracefully, and chuckled. "Don't blame me. The time for the spirit summoning is limited, and this Dio also wants to soak in the hot spring."
"Aaah, it's starting again. Any journey with Dio always ends up so thrilling." Frieren's voice carried a hint of complaint.
Even so, in her heart—no, in the hearts of Alicia, Mabel, and Frieren—an inevitable sense of nostalgia welled up.
After all, occasionally thrilling adventures aren't so bad either.
Thud, thud, thud…
Seeing Dio approach, the villagers gathered around the Hero of the South's statue consciously cleared a path.
Dio stopped before the South Hero's statue, his gaze complex. He reached out and knocked on the base, his words still frivolous, as if speaking to the man himself. "You've made something of yourself, Hero of the South. Even letting this Dio bring juniors to clean your statue for you—was this also in your predicted future?"
Talking about seeing the future, yet understanding nothing in the end. That's why this Dio hates saviors. Their heads contain nothing but the whole world and other people's lives.
"This is my gift. A gift from another world." Dio raised his middle finger and said sarcastically, "What are you pretending for, you damn mysterious prophecy guy."
Hmph…
Dio turned and left, a barely detectable light smile at the corner of his mouth.
The smile continued to widen as he approached Mabel, Alicia, and Frieren. He placed his hands on their heads and rubbed them.
In contrast to Mabel, who had her eyes narrowed in complete enjoyment, and Alicia, whose head was steaming, Frieren was very resistant. She raised both arms in protest. "Don't touch my head!"
"Alright, alright. Let's set off too." Dio helplessly withdrew his hands and, with another light smile, picked up the three of them like kittens.
(After seeing the four arrive, Stark: Eh? So you can even have Master carry you while flying over?)
...
I am Dio Brando, the foremost warrior in the current world. As you can see, the Demon King was slain by me.
According to the plots of the storybooks I read as a child, whenever the Demon King is defeated, the story fast-forwards to the hero's happy life.
For example, being proposed to by the valiant female swordswoman in the party, or after leaving the party being persistently pursued by an animal-type girl who won't give up, or bickering with a naive and ignorant long-lived elf, or even being chased after by the female hero…
Although I am a criminal, not a hero.
However… if one obtains the merit of slaying the Demon King, why couldn't kono Dio be enthroned as a hero?
I originally thought my life would turn out like that too—at least not too different. But if it weren't for the two grown men soaking in the hot spring with me right now, I would have almost believed it.
Hmph!
— Northern Countries, Secret Hot Spring in the Etoville Mountains —
Unlike more than half a century ago, this group's hot spring journey encountered no obstacles whatsoever.
On the contrary, they received a warm welcome from the hot spring inn owner's family. This stark contrast left Dio, who had been prepared to punch the owner first, stunned for a moment. He silently reverted his dinosaur-transformed claws and abandoned the idea of beating up the tactless owner before enjoying the hot spring.
He got to enjoy the hot spring as he had hoped.
His exhausted body relaxed under the embrace of the gurgling flowing water, and his spirit obtained an unprecedented sense of relaxation. The warm spring water cleansed his body.
To be fair, in terms of the experience, Dio was quite satisfied.
But there was one thing that made him very displeased.
Why were the ones accompanying kono Dio to enjoy the hot spring Stark and Sein…
When before, it had always been Alicia and the others who accompanied him to soak…
And this displeasure, which was almost visibly condensing into a tangible form, made it miserable for Stark and Sein hiding in a corner of the hot spring. The two, watching Dio's frowning expression and the unnatural twitching of his facial muscles, trembled even more violently than before.
Why on earth is Master (Lord Dio) angry!!!
He was clearly in a good mood before soaking in the hot spring!!!
Drip…
The sound of water droplets falling into the hot spring reached the two's ears.
Sein gulped and, with a trembling hand, reached out to wipe away the water droplet flowing down his forehead.
Water droplet…? Where did it come from?
Could it be raining? Or did the mist condense into droplets?
No, that's not right. This is an indoor hot spring. There's no way rain would fall, and they had only just started soaking—there was no time for that.
The only answer was that these were beads of sweat. He was sweating profusely because he couldn't handle the pressure. Hurry up and think of something, Stark!!
You're Lord Dio's disciple—you must have a way!!
Sein turned his head to look at Stark beside him. His hopeful gaze instantly froze solid.
Stark, you useless bastard! Aren't you master and disciple?! Why did you directly faint!!!
Regrettably, Stark had been one step ahead in being unable to withstand the pressure. His brain activated its escape mechanism and he instantly passed out.
Gurgle gurgle…
Amid the hazy sensation mixed with rising steam, Sein's originally trembling body suddenly stiffened. It was because from behind came the sound of slow footsteps wading through the water.
Sein's voice trembled. "Dio… Lord Dio…"
This mature, goatee-wearing uncle had no choice but to directly confront the fear that the demons of the previous century had faced.
"Gorilla warrior and goatee priest… I've looked into your affairs. In terms of being a priest, you have innate talent, yet because of your best friend's departure and your worry for your brother, you chose to remain in a small village." Dio's voice came from behind Sein. "Frankly speaking, this is truly a foolish notion."
"Turn around, Sein."
Dio's voice seemed to possess a kind of magic that made Sein feel at ease involuntarily. His body's unnatural trembling gradually subsided as a result.
Turning his head back, what met Sein's eyes was Dio's body, which could be called a work of art, along with that handsome face.
Sein had not yet recovered from this visually overwhelming sight when he heard Dio speak again, that magnetic voice ringing out: "Frieren and the others should have already used magic to investigate the whereabouts of your best friend, the gorilla warrior who left home ten years ago, right?"
"..."
Sein was in a daze and slightly nodded. The steadiness carved by the years was evident on him, yet it hadn't allowed him to come to terms with this matter.
He slowly lowered his head, as if in silent affirmation.
"I have more detailed information about him here. Do you want to hear it?" Dio leaned closer and closer, to the point where Sein could almost feel his hot breath.
I want to know.
But Sein did not reply. He couldn't bring himself to say it. He also clearly understood that something must have happened to his best friend the gorilla warrior; otherwise, he wouldn't have broken the three-year promise to return home and left with no word for ten years.
He longed for the answer, yet feared obtaining it.
What if he was no longer the best friend from his memories?
What if that helpful gorilla warrior from back then had already disappeared?
What if the promise from back then was something only he cared about?
Sein had been a coward from beginning to end, always seeking someone who could push him into making a decision.
Smack…
A broad, large hand gently patted Sein's face, warm and reassuring.
"Lord Dio, I…"
"Shadow Warrior 『Blacksmith』 Kreis."
The words Sein wanted to say were interrupted by Dio's casual remark.
"Sein… you—do you know your best friend's real name?"
"Isn't he called Gorilla Warrior?"
"..." Dio was silent for a long while before letting out a "pfft" laugh. With a smile, he asked, "Are you two really best friends? This is way too ridiculous, hahaha!"