I hate being wed in a fantasy world!

We'll still need about four days to get to the swamp, and the sky is cloudy again. I can smell that distinct scent in the air, it may be raining again soon. We're currently in some sort of light rain season, so rain is a constant companion on this journey.

Today it's still dry. We'll head to the west first, to get to the Ohl and stock up on our water. Learning about survival from Meldorn and the hunters, and later from Oro'hekk and his guards, taught me that you should always consider the terrain.

Swamps usually don't have much drinkable water, so we should provide it for ourselves. Ara-san may able to create small amounts of water with her magic, but if my guess is right, she's just collecting the humidity around her. So there is a good chance that the germs of the swamp water would also be collected, given the thickness of the air there.

From the Ohl, we'll travel south into the Spirit Swamp and we’ll try our best to cross it.

Until then, we'll make best use of the time left to us. To begin with, I’d like to try out my new [Spirit Magic]-spell, [Share Senses]. Ara-san explained that it allows me to use the senses of someone else as my own.

This is due to a link to the spirit of the target. That means, the weaker the spirit, the easier the connection. In general, plants have the weakest spirits, followed by animals, and finally people. Ara-san suggested to use it first on an animal, eyesight only, as plants can't see at all.

She also insisted on being there, when I do that. This spell is not listed in her [Spirit Magic] and even though she can do some additional stuff, as alfr in general have [Spirit Magic] as a default, only the other spells that she learned as a hero are listed. I think that she doesn't know how to use [Share Senses] and therefore wants to see it first-hand.

“A bird.” I look at the sky and see some blue hawk flying above us, it has a red beak and something like claws protrude from its wing-joint. “Is it a good target, Ara-san?”

“I believe it's the best target.”

The girls stop and everyone looks at me in expectations.

I try to use it first without saying its name, but it doesn't work. Therefore: “[Share Senses]!” I want to use its eyes!

My vision blurs for a moment, only to be cut off entirely as I felt immense pain. It feels like someone just cleaved my head with a burning axe inside and yanked the weapon afterward.

I hit the ground and hear myself screaming like a little girl. It hurts! Why does it hurt!?

“Kenta! [Heal]!” The pain is a bit lighter, but man, it still feels like my brain is tearing.

I hear a slight laughing: “Fuehehe.”

“You did it on purpose!” I yell at the laughing Ara-san.

“Kenta-kun, how could I not let you do it?” Oh, she has fun right now! Her ears are almost flapping!

“Arako?” Kyou-san rubs her fingertips with her thumb, showing that she's ready to give a sharp ear-pinch. “What exactly happened?”

...is she standing up for me? Well, it’s not the first time, but is the first time when I'm not in life-danger, I think?

Nonetheless, that's a question I also want to know!

“I think that it is common sense to you, that many birds of prey have what you'd call 'good eyes,' right? I'm not confident about my knowledge regarding human anatomy, but I do believe that you're unable to see in the ultraviolet spectrum, am I right?”

Ah, I get it. “But those hawks can, right? And my brain can't process it, therefore this headache.”

“Exactly. You've just seen colors you've never seen before that your brain couldn't recognize. A sensory overload.”

“Is this spell useless!? No, wait. When the mercenaries chased us, didn't someone used it on an owl?”

“Most likely the hynoar ranger. He learned [Spirit Magic] by himself, without the help of the hero-system. Therefore he could learn how to filter it and train his brain to process the additional information it wasn't prepared to before. As a hero, you've learned this spell fast and without any practice, so right now you lack the finesse.”

I guess in reality, she already has some experience with her fellow alfr heroes regarding this spell. I can really see her with a bunch of other alfar, laughing at the poor guy who tried it only to get hurt, just like myself.

“Why you didn't tell me beforehand?”

“Fun.”

I knew it.

“So how should I train it?”

“On animals with bad eyesight or you could try to use it on Momo or Katarine-san. Both are human, so you already have similar senses. If you succeed, you can try to put a filter in.”

“Rine, I'll try it on you.”

“OK.” Her ember-eyes are sparking, as she's excited to see what will happen.

“[Share Senses]! Ouch!” I could feel my spirit sense trying to reach Rine's spirit, but I was brushed aside before I had a chance to connect to it, which resulted in another, smaller headache.

“Kenta, everything alright?”

No, I feel bullied.

“Seems like Kenta-kun is still not able to make a deep connection to an alfroid spirit.” Alfroid, the other way to say 'humanoid'. Well, let's not be racist here.

“Phew, let's go.” This rather small interruption of the journey makes me feel bad again. My new skill is almost useless right now. “I'll go scouting.” Regularly, I go ahead, scout the area, check our flanks, and then our back to see if anyone is following us or laying in ambush.

It's also great to get some me-time.

This scouting tour lifts my mind. Nobody before us, nobody flanking us, nobody following us.

The terrain begins to change from grassland to something more woody. In general, I like it, as it gives me more opportunities to hide.

While I skulk around a cluster of trees to see if there are ambushers, I find monsters instead. They are similar to stags, but more canine and with some sort of horns coming out of their knee-joints. They're called hornchasers if I recall it correctly.

I use my whole array of skills and spells to keep myself hidden: [Sneak], [Hide Smell], [Camouflage], and [Mask of Wildlife]. Thirteen hornchasers plus... urks, that one looks like a boss. Twice the size, twice the antlers.

Recalling my experience with the last boss-monster I met, a vicious spider-monkey, I'm not really keen to mess with him and his herd. On the other hand, I can't help but see them as walking XP-bags.

Oro'hekk told me that hornchasers are dangerous. When they charge you, they won't stop. Even after beheading, they would still run for at least ten seconds. Given their stag-like size it might be possible to evade, but they're also fast.

How fast? I don't know, but the way to learn it would be to let them charge me, which would defeat the purpose.

Me against fourteen... I can feel something welling up in me. Excitement? Well, maybe. It's a problem, which has to be solved, a challenge of some sort.

I take my bow from the backpack and open my quiver, but the moment my left hand is about to draw the arrow, I see a faint glimmer on my left hand, which holds the arrow.

It's the cursed ring.

...what am I doing right now!?

Didn't Goldbrunn teach me a lesson about looking for difficult fights by myself?

I mean, I already have a good strategy here, first try to kill the boss using [Seeker] to aim for its throat while doing massive damage due to [Assassinate], then use the trees to stay out of the mobs' reach, trying to tie up some of them, which I’ll shoot afterwards.

If everything fails, I could use [Distraction] and my [Stealth]-repertoire as well.

Yet somehow the excitement from before is replaced by something else. I can't really tell, but I certainly have the feeling that I should go back to the girls.

Wait, is this feeling guilt?

No, it can't be, right? I mean, I know how guilt feels, so... My mouth tastes like shit.

Slowly, I retreat. Using [Farsight] I find the girls and approach them, until I'm close enough for another new spell, targeting Ara-san. “[Whisper]: No pursuers, but I found mobs. Will come back.” My whisper is carried to her, or more like I somehow lightly touch her spirit to make her hear it.

Ara-san talks to the others and we meet again. Then I report what I found.

“I believe that the hornchasers were pushed back to the woods by the Crusaders, they're actually regular-dangerous Wildland-mobs. Would be great to see how we'll fare with the monsters in the Spirit Swamp.”

The Spirit Swamp is one of the most dangerous spots of the Wildlands. Because the Crusaders cleaned monster masses around the trading route, we rarely encountered mobs so far, and usually only the weaker ones, which were beneath those madmen.

Still better than what I faced in Feuerberg, but I’d like to get more XP from tougher foes and get my leveling back on track.

For some reason, this time the girls readily agree. Well, I didn't worry about Rine in the first place, but Ara-san usually doesn't like to exert herself, while Kyou-san bitches around on a regular basis.

First, I plan the escape route which will be vital if anything goes wrong. Then I go over formations: “This may be hardly called a forest, but there are trees nonetheless. So we can rely on [Spirit Magic]. Therefore Ara-san, I like you to keep the small ones busy. Kyou-san, support her. Rine and I will take on the boss.”

“Together?” Rine is clearly happy about that.

“Nope, I'll attack it while hiding, which will be the signal for Ara-san to keep the other hornchasers busy. Then you’ll step forward and finish the deal, while I'll use [Entangle] to restrain its movements. But!” Seeing how Rine's head dropped during my explanation, I add something nice for her: “You can use [Dismember]!”

Rine's ultimate skill, which sadly wasn't very useful up to now. A combat skill makes your body move in certain ways and it's hard to alter those movements. [Dismember] is a skill that will unleash a combo-attack which, well, dismembers.

Its only problem is that it leaves Rine open during this forced movement. Plus, if the enemy is able to avoid it, it'd be easy to counterattack.

I don't need to worry about this though. When we combine the restraining of [Entangle] with the power of [Dismember], we will surely kill the boss.

“Cool!” Yes, Rine likes to use that skill. It's a powerful skill even Ara-san had never heard before, despite being the so-called hero-sage.

“This battle will be short and bloody if everything goes smoothly. I’d rather like to put some stuff into test, but currently we need to see if we have the leeway. So no holding back.”

“““Yes!”””

The way the girls answered in unison somehow gives me goosebumps.

What the heck is going on with them!?

―○●○―

What the heck is going on with him!? Ken's so... focused.

This is not the boy who continually complains about every little thing. Even though I could see this side at times, something has been different since we left Goldbrunn..

He always tended to man up whenever there was an emergency, but now the way he acts is... I can't tell how, but it's different. The way he holds himself, the way he looks me right into the eyes when I talk to him. How his words have some new weight behind them.

Or is it me? Is it because I had that dream? Come on, what is a wet dream now and then?

Still, I can't deny it. This Ken is somewhat... pleasant. No, more like childish? ...that doesn't fit as well.

Argh, I can't tell! What exactly is different from a week ago!? Is it me after all? Because I try to re-evaluate him?

This might be the case, but when did he grow up? When did I stop even looking at him?

Strange, strange, strange, strange.

My fingers wander to the ring, trying to calm down. Strangely, the upcoming battle is less unnerving than this insecurity I feel when I think about Ken, myself, and everything in-between.

―○●○―

Kenta is so cool! He really has grown in his role as a leader. I need to work harder to match his expectations.

My teachers tried to make me understand all the things I need to know for warfare, including strategy, but Kenta, who's just the son of a merchant, already thinks of many factors for battle, even without having the proper training.

I may know that the retreat route is vital, but I'd most likely just forget about it. For him, this was the first thing in mind: Our safety.

I don't regret my decision to look for adventure and freedom, but it's a pity that I won't be able to introduce Kenta to my father as my husband. Or uncle Ludolf. I think uncle Ludolf and Kenta would be friends in a heartbeat. Because he also always thinks of retreat routes first.

...ah, I'm feeling bad. Kenta and I may be in love, but other than in fighting, I can't really match him. He's growing in such large steps, but I'm still the same.

Miriam and Fabian were always a match for each other, in brawn and in smarts.

I slowly use my hand to open up my status. I need it as a focus so it’s easier to look at those miniature symbols at the corner of my field of view without staring at them. Only then the signs will grow.

Operating this status is still strange to me, but I slowly get the hang of it. For some reason, Kenta and Ara are often looking at those screens during our breaks. This is what smart people do.

I don't get it, but I want to learn.

This evening, we'll finally start the magic lessons. With them, I'll become a [Wizard] soon. This way I’ll become smarter and be able to talk with Kenta on the same level.

Please wait for me, Dear.

―○●○―

Something is different with Kenta-kun. I can't tell what, but his spirit looks like it's about to turn inside out. This is interesting.

Sadly, he's also less fun currently as he takes things seriously right now.

This may be my fault, I ear-plugged him. I know it's an intense experience, something to be exchanged between partners as it makes a full spirit connection possible.

I had something like that with Katarine-san and Momo before, but it was fainter. It was made without ear-plugging, therefore, I wanted to compare and decided to do it with Kenta-kun.

The true version is exciting, and I think it was tenfold more surreal as it was between human and alfr. For example, I didn't realize how strong the sense of smell of humans is. How many hormones and emotions are inside them, how ardent they are about everything.

They're also limited and ever-changing. I'm a bit afraid of that.

Since the ear-plugging incident, Kenta-kun and I have never been alone again. I miss conducting experiments with him.

My body aches for him, but this is a phenomenon caused by the curse. This may be the reason why I ear-plugged with him in the first place.

Ah, could it be, that he tries to avoid me? This may be the case.

I said to him that I have no interest in a romantic relationship with him, this might have hurt his feelings. Thinking back how intense human emotions felt for me, I should have considered this earlier.

This may be the reason. Maybe I should ask Momo about it?

No. I'll observe it further. It could be completely unrelated to the ear-plugging-incident.

―○●○―

Quietly, I scout ahead. My senses are sharpened, it's like I'm one with nature. Strange, considering that back home I did a lot which didn't include being outside at all. Like gaming.

Slowly. My feet are making no noise, I have [Sneak] activated. My body looks like the bark of a tree, as I used [Camouflage]. My bodily odor is greatly weakened, that's the effect of [Hide Smell]. Even my presence itself is barely noticeable, [Mask of Wildlife] mashes my spirit with the spirit of wildlife around me. In a forest, there are plenty of plants.

Almost every life-form can sense spirits in some form. It's like a sense I didn't notice before attaining [Spirit Magic], despite using it all the time. Part of the reason why people can feel other people watching them might be this sense. Maybe.

Oro'hekk and the other guards of Aroahenn can use [Mask of Wildlife] to the degree that normal people will just look around them, because they're recognized as grass blades, despite standing right there.

I'm still nowhere near compared to them, but I keep getting better for some strange reason.

It may be the hood which sharpens my sense of spirits and my [Spirit Magic]-ability. As I wear it, my field of view is limited and my hearing is damped, so I rely on my own sense of spirits more.

Of course, the hood is pulled over my head right now as well.

I look at the hornchasers, which are currently eating the bodies of what seem to be other monsters mutilated to the degree that I can't recognize them from this distance.

If I want to use my bow to its best... this tree. I climb it up, taking my time. I can see the boss, who already has had the best bits of meat and is now resting.

I look over my shoulder. I can see the girls, who are trying to get closer as well. I use [Whisper]: “Only as far as my arrow.” Again, my target is Ara-san, as I think that she'll not freak out by this because she more or less can feel me trying to contact her a mile away.

Then I shoot a single arrow, right into the ground. I'm confident that the girls will be able to get this close unnoticed.

Everyone is in position.

I take four arrows from my quiver and put all of them on the string.

Inhale. Exhale.

“[Quadruple Shot]!” All four are aimed for the boss, not the most accurate skill, but four times the [Assassination]-bonus.

*Tonk, tonk, tonk, tonk*

…

Is that all?

I mean, yes, four arrows are stuck in the hornchaser-boss' fur, but that sound, and the fact that I can still see the edges of the arrow tips, tell me that the attack wasn't very effective.

“Dammit!”

At this moment, Rine blurs right under me into the hornchasers, decapitates one while passing, stepped on the head of an eating one, use it as a stepping board to jump, and while in the air, she swings her blade: “[Crescent Moon]!” The vacuum blade cuts into the boss, but not very deep.

““[Entangle]!”” Ara-san and I use the same spell at the same time. The trees and bushes around the hornchasers move, trying to capture and restrain the mobs. My target is, of course, the boss and those around it.

Kyou-san approaches the surprised normal hornchasers only a moment afterward, blowing some powder right into the faces of two of them: “[Sleep Breath]!”

“[Root Lances]!” Then Ara-san uses a spell to impale others, but instead of splashing blood, only a few drops are coming from those rather shallow wounds.

“[Seeker]!” These suckers are tough! Yet [Entangle] keeps them under control, so let's see how well the boss fairs if I shoot into his eye!

Asshole, don't lower your head! Now my arrow is sticking in its forehead, but the boss is not even bothered by it, as it frees itself rather effortlessly from my [Entangle].

“Here we go! [Dismember]!” Rine's blade flashes as she swings it around. Despite the hardness of the hornchaser's body, Rine's magic sword goes through it like a hot knife through butter.

The face of the boss is distorted with shock and disbelief, as it lost its forelegs with the first two strikes and two of the four antlers with the next two. Then comes the head with the fifth one. Rine moves some steps to separate its hindlegs with two more attacks, and the last two are used to cut apart the body even further.

Nine strikes of overwhelming power, the [Dismember]-skill.

This is the difference between Rine and me. The reason why I may never feel strong again. She's someone who shatters common sense by just doing her best without even bragging.

Now that her skill is finished, the body of the boss finally starts to splash great amounts of blood, as if the skill has some inborn measure to ensure epicness. However, Rine doesn't even pay that any attention anymore, as she jump-kicks the still airborne head of the boss into one of the other mobs.

Then she rushes into the fray, ensuring us an easy victory.

“Phew...” Whatever. Just get over this.

This is exactly the feeling you have when you start a popular open MMORPGs. You struggle with monsters of your level, then a high-level character comes in to farm some items, and one-shots every mob you have so much trouble dealing with.

I know this is not a game, and that our lives are at stake with every fight, but I can't help but feel kinda empty right now.

Rine is a monster. More of a monster than those hornchasers. Her level may be below mine, I may have head-ups in some stats, but she's just different from us.

She was like that before becoming a hero due to the curse. Actually, I'm starting to think that the hero-system has to catch up to her stats to make her any stronger.

The worst part is that, according to her, there are even stronger non-heroes: her father, her granduncle, her instructor, and some others she can immediately think of.

Why are heroes summoned in the first place when there are already such people out there?

As I think about that, my hands are moving to shoot more arrows. I still have plenty of them and would like to get more used to them. Plus, the bones of the hornchasers can be processed into weapons, including arrowheads.

The battle is over. “Phew.”

“What is wrong, Kenta?”

You. But I don't say it.

Ara-san has her own idea. “Ah, maybe Kenta-kun wanted to impress us to make it easier for him to seduce us at a later time and you stole his chance?”

“Is that so? I'm sorry Dear.”

“Don't call me 'Dear'!” Two stupid comments and I'm already recovering from the shock of how weak I really am. “And no, I don't try to impress anyone.” Except myself, but I can't help but think about how easy everything would be if I were as powerful as Rine.

“Don't be pathetic, Ken!” Kyou-san is in a rather bad mood. Her lips are trembling, her eyes are fierce. “Everything went according to plan and it's not like we would have lost without Rine-chan.”

Pathetic. That's the right word. I feel pathetic right now.

“Phew...” Something is wrong with me. Two months ago, when I was still solo, I was content with my level and my power, I knew, and still know, that I have little room for mistakes and that I'm easily overpowered.

When did I develop something like pride in my strength? No, not exactly pride, I already lost it. Confidence? No.

Ah, it's worry. The stakes are higher.

I've got a small perfectionist vein. I try to do combat as efficient as possible. Two months ago, I had something like control, or at least things went within my expectations.

Now I have more stuff to worry about. Instead of mobs, I need to worry about mercenaries, my ex-classmates, bounty hunters, and many more. They are way more dangerous, some of them might even hold a grudge.

At least I do.

Too bad that not only the nature of my enemies changed, but also what I had to protect. Before I just needed to care about myself, now I need to keep the three girls here safe so that there will be no chance that the curse will backlash at me for getting one of my wives killed.

Given that Rine can fend for herself and slash through everything which can be harmful should boost my confidence that all of them will be saved, as long as they're with Rine... but I don't want to rely on her completely.

Plus, knowing that she can do it without me doesn't really make me feel better about it. “Phew. Alright, we'll dissect the hornchasers. Are they edible?”

“Yes, I'll make ragout out of them. But I'd like to gather some seasoning here. The bark there can be used, for example, the same goes for those herbs.” Kyou-san easily picks up my urge to change the topic.

“Ragout? Can I help you?” Rine never dwells on anything much.

“Sure. You'll also help, Arako.”

“I do?”

“Or you can start our laundry instead. We didn’t have an opportunity in Goldbrunn to do it.”

“I will be glad to help you with cooking.”

Laundry is a pain in the ass in this fantasy world. I've never used a washing machine myself, but when I return home I'll appreciate it like some sort of deity.

While maintaining equipment every day is a hassle in itself, laundry can take several hours, even with the [Dry]-spell. Of course Ara-san isn't thrilled about it.

“What about Kenta, Kyou?”

“Hm?”

“Kenta. Will he also help?”

Kyou-san looks at Rine as if she just suggested to train a hamster to be a dog. “Erm... well, Ken? Do you want to help?”

I know that she only asks me so that Rine won't bother her anymore. This actually makes me want to say yes, but: “Rine, you know that I'll scout and look for tracks during the cooking. I've got to ensure the safety of the party.”

“Ah, you're right.”

Actually, it's just awkward being around the girls when they cook. Because they become all chatty, then Rine will try to include me into the conversation even if I'm doing something else entirely. Ara-san will begin to make sex jokes at my expense while Kyou-san will say something which will rub me the wrong way, and then we'll fight with each other.

That's why I use their chatty-time to get more me-time instead. Time to think, time to enjoy, time that I can use to just be myself with no strings attached.

“But you will be there for the magic lesson, right?”

That's right, Ara-san will teach Rine the [Wizard]-class, which the alfr girl might have never attained herself, but learning about magic itself will unlock it... in theory. At the same time, Ara-san will also try to unlock Kyou-san's [Arcana]-ability, which allows the user to change the traits of spells.

“Of course.” I'm kinda excited about it. Maybe I'll pick up the [Wizard]-class later on myself, I still have that one empty class-slot. At least I want to unlock the class to have as many options as possible when I finally decide to fill that final slot.

Though I'll also look if there are better choices for it.