You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

I've been adventuring with this guy for so long and completed quite a few "side quests," but there hasn't been a single art style CG!

I've watched a lot of bond CGs and regular CGs, but I just can't get the "art style" to appear!

It's strange, Iori has done so much—conquering dungeons, repelling hordes of monsters, annihilating bandit groups…and saved countless lives, directly or indirectly—yet he never seems to get any art style points…

Once separated from Yosuke, Iori teamed up with the Elf Girl to defeat the Demon Poison Dragon and made a declaration to the people in the square—both of which earned her five points of art style points!

It's pathetic, but that's the total value we've gained so far...

This makes Iori suspect that someone is influencing his art style!

This guy is a complete black hole when it comes to art style... He and Kageno Minoru are at completely opposite extremes.

In comparison, the elf lady was more normal. Her bond and art style were successfully unlocked. What was rare was her exquisite and aloof appearance. In this other world where the average appearance is quite good, she could be considered a great beauty. Iori felt that having a preference for art style points should not be considered prioritizing beauty over friendship.

Besides, having a "confession battle of wits" with a beautiful girl is much better than watching Yosuke constantly pull off some incredible feats...

Let's agree on a time and place to meet.

"Both of us possess flight magic, allowing us to quickly travel to any location. Therefore, there's no need to worry about distance. Let's meet every five days, starting tomorrow. As for the location..."

Iori pondered for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on her lips: "Right in the royal capital!"

"The royal capital?"

"I heard that there is a national library in the capital. Let's meet there. We can exchange information and look up some documents at the same time."

"Oh! Maximizing efficiency, you even thought of that!"

Yosuke sighed in admiration, then looked dejected: "So, we'll be parting ways tomorrow?"

The thought of his only "fellow villager" leaving him, even though they would meet again soon, made Yang Jie feel sad.

"I feel like I have so much to say, but I have absolutely no idea what to say... I can only wish you good luck in your military campaign and a safe journey."

Upon hearing this, Iori felt a pang of sympathy. He had spent so much time with this person and genuinely considered him a friend. Although he had his reasons for doing so, he still felt somewhat guilty.

"Why don't we sleep side by side tonight?"

Yosuke excitedly suggested, "Just like the three sworn brothers of the Peach Garden in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms!"

"..."

Taking a deep breath, the reluctance in her heart instantly vanished, and a gentle yet firm smile appeared on Iori's face.

"No, thank you, but I often kill people in my dreams, so it's not convenient."

"Huh?" Yang Jie asked in surprise, "You have this problem? I've never seen it before."

"If you persist, you'll see it today."

-

"Sayonara~ Don't forget to go to the capital!"

"No, no, no..."

Waving goodbye from afar, as Yosuke turned around, Iori decisively activated Shunpo and vanished into the wilderness.

As Yosuke walked along, lost in thought, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to look for Iori. But there was no one there, only a bleak wind blowing softly...

"Is that so? Iori has already... From now on, I'll have to rely on myself... Hmm!"

Patting his face, Yosuke cheered himself up: "Go for it!"

...Hidden in the treetop, watching Yosuke's figure completely disappear below the horizon, Iori frowned slightly.

What's going on... this feeling of chasing cats and dogs out of the house...

"Have I been with him for so long that even my thinking is starting to go haywire?"

"Hey, is what you're doing really okay?"

Under the tree, the elf lady, dressed in a long-sleeved skirt suit, looked up and said, "He seems very reluctant to part with you."

"He's just not used to it. After all, he was suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar environment, and he was in that kind of situation at the beginning. What he felt was pure malice... When he met a 'fellow countryman' with whom he could communicate, he would naturally see him as a lifeline."

Iori said calmly, "He is perfectly capable of surviving on his own; he's just used to relying on me... But this can't go on forever. Even fledglings eventually have to leave the nest, don't they?"

“A fledgling…” The elf understood the meaning of these words, but in her eyes, Yosuke’s appearance was rather peculiar. And since people are visual creatures, it was really hard for her to feel sympathy for someone like Yosuke.

"So, where are you going next?" the elf asked, sounding a little nervous but trying to sound casual.

"Hmm?" Iori jumped down from the tree and thought for a moment. "I don't have a specific goal... I might explore a high-difficulty dungeon."

"Really? For example?"

"I've heard there's an underground city in the southwest left behind by an evil sorcerer. Some people have seen chimeras inside. I'm quite interested in these magical creatures."

Is it the 'labyrinth of quicksand'?

The elf crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and said smugly, "What a coincidence! I was just thinking of going there to look for ancient magical artifacts. If you need any help, just ask... Hey, wait for me!"

Don't just turn around and leave without saying a word, I'm going too!

"Seriously, at least let me finish what I have to say, you idiot!"

Chapter 264: My Uncle's Mental Crazy Choices (4.5K)

After "releasing" Yosuke, Iori's otherworldly adventure finally got on track. He began to focus on exploring the ancient ruins. The elf lady also had her own things to do and didn't always pester Iori, but the two would always meet unexpectedly... She said it was purely coincidental, and Iori believed her for the time being and didn't expose her little scheme.

Well, this kind of tsundere (initially cold but later warmer) personality is quite rare these days, and it's actually quite amusing to tease him about it occasionally.

After spending a considerable amount of time in "Grangbahamar," Iori gained a relatively accurate understanding of the power levels in this world:

The strength of extraordinary beings is generally average, but the existence of immortals and gods makes the theoretical upper limit of this world very high!

Fairies, as personifications of a certain concept, are beings similar to nature deities, possessing the essence of magic and even capable of altering the geography and climate of the entire world.

However, they possess only a very vague sense of self, and their methods of perceiving the world are vastly different from those of ordinary creatures. To them, humans and magical beasts are no different; they are all part of the world. As for so-called "life," it is something akin to a natural phenomenon, requiring no further attention.

Therefore, whether it's humans or magical beasts, they won't actively interfere when magic is used; most of the time, they just exist as background characters.

In fact, the warriors and magicians of this world are completely unaware of the existence of "fairies" when they trigger supernatural phenomena. In their minds, "fairies" are merely things that exist in fairy tales, and no one would seriously study them.

Perhaps for this reason, they generally do not have much power; being able to reach the passing grade of an anti-military Noble Phantasm is already considered a rare strength.

—Yosuke Shimazaki was the only exception.

He may be the first being in the entire history of this other world to communicate with the spirits through his own consciousness... hence his monstrous strength, and the magic he casually uses may be at the level of forbidden spells.

If we disregard Yosuke's cheat-like abilities, then the Elf Girl is a very typical top-tier powerhouse:

Excellent physical qualities and reflexes, proficiency in various magics and royal secret arts, powerful armor of ancient heritage level, and powerful magical strength and terrifying resilience that can fight against the Demon Poison Dragon for a day and a night.

If they fought without restraint, the Elf Lady would have the ability to conquer a city single-handedly. Even disregarding her royal status, she could absolutely roam freely in this world.

Iori had personally fought the elf lady, and with his level of skill, he would naturally not make a misjudgment:

His mobility and destructive power are both commendable, and his combat skills are quite good. If he were in "Bleach," he would far surpass an average vice-captain. With good synergy, he could even contend with some weaker captains.

—But that's the limit.

Without special methods like Yosuke's, Miss Elf's current setup would make her a top-tier "Grangbahamar" expert, with little room for further advancement.

In such a world, there shouldn't be anything that could significantly enhance Iori's strength, but he still seemed to enjoy the exploration process and actively conquered the various dungeons.

After all, magic has a wide range of uses. Putting aside ordinary elemental magic, skills like transformation magic, memory magic, and storage magic are very practical and rare. Since you have the opportunity, you should definitely master them.

First, he consulted Yosuke about various obscure magics, then he learned the storage secrets passed down in the Elf Lady's family, and then he unearthed relics from various dungeons...

【The Usurper of Greed】at this time, it acts as a simulator, allowing Iori's computer to run various types of software. Although it is not a permanent possession, it allows the body and brain to accumulate experience, quickly get started and explore in depth.

Because this other world has a unique "fairy magic system," magic learned here may become ineffective or buggy in other worlds. To avoid this, Iori has put a lot of effort into modifying it.

He made his body remember the corresponding sensations, and his brain built a universal data model until he could break free from the world system and use his own magic to run these spells... only then could he be considered to have truly mastered a spell!

The "materialization of the soul" allows him to rely on his own magic power in any world, making it the most foolproof method—even in a completely magic-free everyday world, he can independently unleash various abilities without relying on an energy system.

Fulfilling times always pass quickly, and several months flew by in the blink of an eye. Iori did not forget her promise to Yosuke, and would go to the royal capital to meet him every five days. However, except for the first time when she honestly flew there, she would use the [Dimensional Array] to teleport directly afterward, which was just a blink of an eye for Iori.

Today is also the day of the meeting, but it's a little special:

"What a coincidence, to run into you in a place like this."

At the entrance of the National Library, Iori and the elf girl walking towards them have a "chance" encounter.

Today, the elf is no longer dressed in her adventure attire; instead, she wears a yellow short-sleeved jumpsuit. The lace trim undulates like gentle waves along the hem of the skirt, swaying lightly in the breeze, making her appear as if she is moving gracefully.

She braided her long, smooth, golden-brown hair into a large braid, which wrapped around her fair neck and hung down to her chest. A delicate red gemstone on her forehead shimmered like the sun, reflecting off her jade-like eyes.

—Stunning.

She has lost some of the adventurous spirit but gained more gentleness and elegance. The charm of the elven princess needs no further praise; it can be seen from the amazed looks of passersby.

"Where did this noble young lady come from?" Iori's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, seemingly also impressed by the elf lady's glamorous transformation, but he quickly calmly joked.

"It feels like we keep bumping into each other in different places. Is this fate?"

“Even so, it’s a tragic fate.” The elf’s eyes were half-open, as if he was somewhat displeased. “I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

"I really wish you could say this when we're fighting monsters and exploring ruins together."

Iori's lips curled up: "But if it's not fate, then it's intentional, someone deliberately created this chance encounter... Who could it be?"

“…Perhaps it’s just a cruel fate.” A hint of panic flashed in the elf’s eyes, but her expression remained unchanged.

"Anyway, I have serious business to attend to at the library and I'm here to consult ancient books. It's definitely not for anything else."

"Of course, after all, your time is very precious, Miss—may I ask what it is?"

"Forehead……"

Do you need me to make one for you on the spot?

“…You bastard!”

Just as Miss Elf was about to lose her temper, Iori raised her hand to signal her to calm down and begin to observe the surrounding situation. In the course of the joint operations, Iori's accurate judgment was constantly proven, and she had subconsciously begun to accept Iori's command.

However, this was a bustling area of ​​the capital, so naturally no monsters would fall from the ceiling. What interrupted the two's "reminiscing" was a familiar figure, a man and a woman.

"Hey! I got here before you this time, Iori~"

"It's been a long time, Lord Aizen."

Even from more than ten meters away, Yosuke called out loudly and generously, while the appraiser, Ms. Farrell, only greeted him politely when she was several meters away.

"Ah, Miss Elf is here too, what a coincidence... Miss Appraiser, this is... um, I usually call her Miss Elf."

This is Miss Farrell, a friend Iori and I met in the starting village—no, in the border city—but she's currently studying in the royal capital.

Yosuke originally wanted to introduce the two of them, but after explaining the basic information, he didn't know how to start the conversation.

He reunited with the appraiser two months ago. It is said that Farrell is studying under a famous scholar, and because of her profession, she often comes to the library to look up things. After doing so many times, she naturally met Yosuke, who was waiting for Iori there...

Yosuke was initially just happy to run into someone he knew, but he quickly realized something was wrong:

This country is so big, how come we were able to reunite so easily?

To call it a coincidence is too simplistic... It's definitely Pharrell who's deliberately waiting here to see Iori!

Yosuke, who thought he had understood the girl's heart, was deeply moved and impressed by Farrell's determination and action, which made him even more determined to cheer her on.

Of course, he didn't notice how strange Farrell's eyes looked as he said these words...

This is no coincidence! This address was something she and Iori had planned in advance!

But why is this man, who looks like a subspecies of orc, so clueless?

—The above describes Yosuke's mental state before today.

But now that he has seen Iori and the fairy "meeting in secret," his thoughts have begun to change.

In his view, the Elf Girl was undoubtedly pursuing Iori relentlessly, and her initiative was no less than that of Farrell... As an observer, he shouldn't be biased towards one over the other.

What should we do? Which one should we support?

Amidst this dilemma, Yosuke got stuck. Fortunately, everyone knew he wasn't good at socializing and hadn't expected him to make things harmonious. Hearing him suddenly stop, they assumed it was a normal reaction, and the three of them began to communicate amicably.

During the conversation, Farrell mentioned that tomorrow was the "Earth God Festival," a celebration second only to the Harvest Festival. She said that from the royal family to the common people, there would be a lot of celebrations, and the whole city would be immersed in joy. She suggested that Iori and Yosuke stay and relax for a day before setting off.

Iori and Farrell exchanged a glance. The Death God boy, somewhat helpless but unable to refuse, could only nod slowly.

"Okay, it's nothing serious anyway."

"Thank you, Lord Aizen!"