An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"Hmm? Oh, that was a close call."

Oscar hurriedly picked up the jewelry, and it seemed he treasured it very much. It was a necklace made of blue ore, but it was a bit crude to be considered Oscar's work.

Meredith guessed it was a gift from someone else.

"I guessed it, it's a woman, right? Which innocent girl did you, a fake gentleman, extend your fangs to this time?"

"Don't say something that could lead to misunderstandings."

Mireidi angrily tried to run past Oscar, but Oscar grabbed her hand.

"Here, this is for you."

“…Huh?”

Seeing the necklace Oscar handed over, Mireddy was dumbfounded.

"I was planning to give it to you after everyone gathered, but it seems there's no point in keeping you in suspense."

"Well……"

Meredith was confused, and Oscar narrowed his eyes gently and said:

"This is from Colleen and Ruth."

“Eh…”

"Because of the war, it's normal for them to be worried about you, right? So this is the amulet they gave you. Colleen found the ingredients, and Ruth forged it."

The new hidden village was in the mountains, rich in minerals. Colleen had stumbled upon a blue ore. Because its blue resembled Meredith's eyes, Colleen figured that since she couldn't do anything else, she could at least make a talisman for Meredith. So, she and Ruth worked together to create this necklace.

"Really?...they gave it to me...Is that so?"

A smirk slithered across Meredith's face. That chain wasn't as potent as Oscar's artifacts. However, the heart within the Azure Amulet would surely protect and support Meredith.

"As expected of my younger sister and brother, you did a great job, didn't you?"

"Ahaha, yeah! That's great! Better than what Ao did, right?"

"I can't lose to them. I have to improve even more."

The children's thoughtfulness and growth made the two of them unable to stop smiling.

"Hey, Ao, can you help me put this on?"

"With great pleasure."

The brother helps put on the gifts given by his younger siblings.

Meredith's expression was full of joy.

Oscar and Meredith were face to face, only one step away from each other. To put on the necklace, he put his arms around Meredith's back as if hugging her.

Even after putting it on, the two people maintain the same distance.

"how?"

"Of course it looks good, how could it not look good?"

"whee."

Then, the two of them gazed at each other from arm's length. Illuminated by the faint light of the spring, the two, dripping with water, smiled at each other—what a dreamlike scene.

We can even be sure that if a famous painter were present, he would definitely try to turn this moment into a painting and preserve it forever.

So, now it must be preserved forever - with a snap.

"Uh-huh!?"

"What was that sound just now!?"

They both looked in the direction of the sound—someone was there. Mei'er, wearing glasses, pressed her hand against the frame, using the camera function to take a series of photos!

Next to her was the blushing, intoxicated Lutilis, and on her shoulders were Xiaowo and Xiaodi. It seemed that the cockroach just now was indeed Xiaowo.

There was also Bando, who looked at Lutilis beside him with a stiff expression on his face, and Natsu, who looked at Oscar with an apologetic expression, as if saying "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop them."

"That's great! Xiao Mi! Onee-sama is so touched!"

“Onee-sama! Me too! They really are that kind of relationship!”

It seemed like they had been watching from the beginning. The reason why they were all unnaturally late was probably because they deliberately staggered their arrival times so that Oscar and Miledy could be alone.

And they were able to get so close without being detected, which must have been due to Lutilis's thick fog. The main culprit was undoubtedly Mei'er.

Like an idol celebrity caught in a scandal, Mireille stood there in a daze. It was then that she finally realized what was happening, and then...

“No, that’s not it~~!! It’s not like that~~~!!”

Meredith used gravity magic to drop horizontally, and towards the playful Mei'er and Lutilis, she unleashed a double Meredith kick, striking them in the chest. "Guaaa!?" the two let out a cry that was not at all feminine, or perhaps rather, something women were not allowed to utter, and flew away together. They squatted on the ground, holding their stomachs, and said:

"Xiao-Xiao-Mi... that's really powerful. Onee-sama's internal organs are about to come out..."

"Huff, I've never felt this kind of pain before... Mimi, I like it..."

Mel and Lutilis groaned at the completely opposite feelings. Meredith ignored them and, after landing, turned back and pointed at Oscar. She chuckled, a look that said, "I'm such a sinful woman," and said, running her hand through her hair.

"Ao, even if Xiao Mi is the cutest girl in the world, you can't have any bad thoughts about her! However, it's a well-known fact that Ao has been completely captivated by Xiao Mi from the very beginning!"

"Ah, well, don't worry. No one would think of that after seeing your annoying expression. I'm more concerned about Her Majesty the Queen holding her belly over there."

Of course, because she was panting and looked dazed no matter how you looked at her. She was completely a different person from the one she had seen in the throne room.

"Oscar, you need to be mentally prepared, and Bandu needs to listen to me calmly."

Natsu's expression was solemn, and with an air of despair that seemed to indicate an irreversible situation, he explained to the two.

"The Republic's Queen, Lutilis, is... a masochist pervert!"

"Thank you for the compliment!"

"And she's 'so lonely she makes friends with bugs,' and has a 'natural' personality. Her naming taste is just as devastatingly bad as Oscar's—she's a truly regrettable queen!"

"What a fierce barrage of words! Ah, no, something seems to be coming~~!!"

Lutilis arched her back and twitched on the ground. "I see. This is truly disgusting. No, this is truly regrettable."

"This reality... I don't want to know."

A member of the same royal family as me, yet he is so wicked... My brother, I renew my sincere respect for you. You must be the greatest king in the world... Bandu thought this, a dead expression on his face as he gazed towards the distant south. Or perhaps it was an escape from reality.

On the other hand, Oscar, who learned the cruel truth...

"Natsu, this is a gift from Sixia and Yunfa. They also made amulets for you."

"Um, y-really?"

He seemed to have decided to pretend he didn't see what happened just now, because they would probably be together for a long time in the future, so it was just a pointless resistance. Even Oscar didn't have the capacity to accept it immediately.

Natsu regained his composure and solemnly accepted the small metal box with a lanyard.

"The box itself was forged by Ruth. Ruth asked me to bring you a message."

"? What?"

"—'For your own good, Natsu-sama, it's best not to look at the contents.'"

Take a look at the small metal box to see what's inside...

"Maybe it's just my imagination, but...after that was done, some of Sixia-chan and Yunfa-chan's hair seemed to have gotten shorter..."

"No need to say more!"

Because Natsu sensed an ominous aura of deep affection! He couldn't dwell on it at this moment; he just knew the box was filled with the sisters' longing for Natsu.

Oscar and Natsu nodded to each other, and in silence, they both thought that there were no normal girls around them. However, Oscar suddenly thought.

Meredith's necklace was perfectly natural. Besides, it was Colleen's idea to give the amulet, and she didn't just give it to Meredith; she also remembered Mel's contribution. In the hidden forest settlement, she diligently cared for everyone, always smiling warmly, no matter how difficult the times. She was a gentle child who cared for others. Though a bit reserved, she was also willing to speak up when it was necessary...

"Huh? My sister is an angel, right?"

"I have no objection to what you said."

The two men shook hands to express their agreement about Colleen's younger sister being an archangel. Oscar and Niaz seemed to hear Colleen saying, "Brother! Niaz! Come on!"

Afterwards, the tea party of the Age of Gods magicians finally began.

Oscar and Bandu also began to call Lutilis by her nicknames, but the two of them firmly refused to be called by them. Lutilis spasmed with pleasure, and everyone felt disgusted...

Although it was noisy, it was a happy time.

Although still at war, they felt a brief moment of peace and hope.

Then, abruptly, the calm before the storm ended.

““““““──!?””””””””

The six people froze together as if paralyzed, because they felt a powerful and terrifying magical aura erupting.

Space trembled, the earth shook. The violent and overwhelming magical power made all creatures in the sea of ​​trees hold their breath.

Meredy, Oscar, and Natsu opened their eyes wide in shock. Mel and Bandu were sweating profusely. Then, Lutilis cried out in a voice that was almost like a wail:

"How could this be?! That's impossible!?"

Her gaze shifted towards the large tree in the center of the city.

In an instant, the view broadened.

The "Mist Barrier" that had provided the Orcs' sacred forest with an impenetrable and absolute defense for centuries seemed to have been blown away and disappeared.

The "Tree of Origin" towered in the distance, revealing itself. It shone with a strange light, radiating waves of magical energy reminiscent of a rainbow. It seemed to be desperately resisting something, or perhaps enduring unbearable pain.

The big tree Kiria Otto was wailing.

Seeing such an unusual situation, Miledi and others finally came to their senses.

"There's no mistaking this aura! Oh, Nai-chan!"

"Yes, that guy."

"Is it under the big tree? Isn't the target Ryu!?"

The rapid conversation made Mei'er and others understand the reason for the unusual situation. At the same time, Bandu clicked his tongue and looked towards the west, with little Bartram sitting on his shoulders.

"I've received a report from Bartram's clone. The fog in the sea of ​​trees has dissipated, and the enemy has launched a full-scale attack."

The enemy attacked again at perfect timing, throwing Meredith and the others into a panic. Lutilis, shocked by the tree's abnormality, prepared to rush over. However, Mei's loud shouting stopped them.

"Cheer up! Emergencies are commonplace for us, right?"

Under Mel's stern gaze, Meredith and the others regained their composure. Meredith expressed her gratitude to Mel with her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Xiao Liu, what did you mean by 'impossible'?"

Hearing Meredith's question, Lutilis replied calmly:

"The tree is incredibly strong. Even if it were broken, the mist barrier wouldn't disappear in an instant."

That level of power will not disappear, and it will grow back with time.

Despite this, this is the situation now.

"The deepest part of the ground is protected by solid ore and numerous tree roots, offering an extremely strong defense against both magical and physical forces. Only those chosen by this protective staff can enter and lead others there—the key point of the great tree. As long as that place remains intact, this kind of situation will never happen."

This means that──

“Where are the apostles?”

That's right. But how he managed to sneak in without being discovered by the tree or Lutilis, who was connected to it, is unclear.

At this time, the captain of the guards, Creed, ran in with a nervous look on his face.

"His Majesty!"

"I know. What about Shim and the others?"

"They've already attacked, and so have Bart and the others."

"Very good, I'll leave the battlefield to Shim. Creed, your Royal Guards will also be under Shim's command."

"What?! But our duty is to protect His Majesty—"

"My days of being protected within the great tree are over. This time, we must mobilize the entire nation to fight. After we resolve this issue here, I will also join the battlefield. Creed, there is no time for questions. This is an imperial decree, so carry it out."

“Yes, yes!”

Receiving Lutilis's explosive command, Creed bowed his head with determination in his eyes. He then sent a look to Natsu, "Your Majesty, I'm counting on you," and left with his guards.