Chapter 400

Haruto closed his eyes, savoring the extraordinary flavor lingering in his mouth.

At the same time, his Gourmet Cells were greedily absorbing the magicules contained within the Charybdis meat, becoming unusually active as they assimilated the concentrated energy.

Just then—

Whooooosh!

A fierce gust of wind swept across the banquet grounds without warning, sending wineglasses and plates rattling across the tables. Several lighter objects were blown completely out of place.

Haruto opened his eyes and turned toward the source of the disturbance.

Not far away, Kagura had become completely enveloped in an enormous tornado.

The swirling column of wind was a translucent pale green, with countless wind blades spinning rapidly within it. Their movements produced a continuous, piercing whistle that echoed across the banquet grounds.

Kagura floated at the very center of the storm, her eyes closed.

Her long hair whipped wildly around her, and her clothes fluttered violently beneath the tremendous force of the wind.

More importantly, the energy radiating from her body was rapidly increasing.

Haruto watched for a moment before a knowing smile appeared on his face.

"Just as I thought. Charybdis really was the perfect ingredient for Kagura."

Kagura had always possessed the ability to manipulate wind, while many of Charybdis’s powers were similarly associated with wind and storms.

For her Gourmet Cells, a dish prepared from Charybdis was practically the ideal nourishment for evolution.

"What’s going on?"

Rimuru looked toward Kagura with unconcealed curiosity.

"That’s some incredible energy..." Benimaru murmured.

He narrowed his eyes, sensing the increasingly powerful pressure surrounding her.

"Is Miss Kagura undergoing some kind of breakthrough?"

"Perhaps she acquired an especially powerful skill from the Charybdis dish," Shuna suggested.

The surrounding monsters began gathering nearby, watching the enormous tornado with fascination.

Most of them assumed that Kagura had obtained an extraordinary new skill.

After all, everyone in the settlement already knew that eating Haruto’s cooking could grant special abilities.

It seemed only natural that an ingredient as unusual as Charybdis would produce an equally remarkable result.

None of them realized that Kagura wasn’t simply acquiring another skill.

Her Gourmet Cells were undergoing a comprehensive evolution.

Only Milim noticed that something more complicated was happening.

Using her Milim Eye, she could perceive the extraordinary changes taking place within Kagura’s body.

"Hmm... That looks interesting."

Milim tilted her head thoughtfully, still chewing a mouthful of Charybdis steak.

Although she found the phenomenon intriguing, she had no intention of interfering.

After watching for a short while, she simply turned back toward her plate and continued enjoying the delicious meat.

Before long, Kagura’s rapidly increasing energy reached its peak.

Then it gradually began settling down.

The enormous tornado surrounding her became increasingly transparent, and its once-violent currents slowly weakened.

What had been a raging storm transformed into a gentle spiral of wind.

Finally, the tornado dispersed completely.

Kagura opened her eyes.

At first glance, her appearance hadn’t changed very much.

However, anyone who examined her carefully would notice that faint currents of wind still circulated around her body.

Those nearly invisible breezes gently lifted her hair and the edges of her clothing, giving her an ethereal appearance, as though she were no longer entirely bound by the ground beneath her feet.

Haruto approached her.

"How do you feel?"

Kagura clenched her fist experimentally, sensing the power flowing through her body.

A delighted expression appeared on her face.

"Incredible! I’m at least twice as strong as before!"

She raised her hand, allowing a delicate current of wind to swirl around her fingers.

"And my control over wind has improved tremendously, too."

"That’s good."

Haruto nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed his decision to preserve the essence of Charybdis and turn it into a dish had been worthwhile.

...

After the banquet ended, Haruto spent another day resting in Rimuru’s town.

He also took the opportunity to wander around and see how the settlement had developed.

Although the town hadn’t existed for very long, it was already full of life.

New buildings were rising throughout the settlement, the streets were becoming increasingly organized, and monsters of different races worked together with remarkable enthusiasm.

Everywhere Haruto looked, he could see evidence of Rimuru’s efforts to build a proper nation.

He spent most of the day exploring, enjoying the atmosphere and observing the changes that had taken place since his arrival.

That evening, he finally sought out Rimuru to say goodbye.

"You’re leaving?"

Rimuru looked visibly reluctant.

"That’s right."

Haruto nodded.

"I’ve already had the chance to taste Charybdis, and there isn’t much else keeping me here. I’m planning to leave the Great Forest of Jura and head toward the northern seas."

"The northern seas?"

Rimuru blinked.

Then realization dawned.

"Oh! You’re going to look for new ingredients, aren’t you?"

"Exactly."

Haruto smiled.

"I’ve heard there are all kinds of unusual seafood in the northern waters, along with some exceptionally powerful monsters. I’d like to see whether I can find anything interesting."

"I see..."

Rimuru’s expression remained somewhat disappointed.

He’d grown quite accustomed to having Haruto around.

Not only was the young chef an excellent cook, but his presence had also brought plenty of benefits to the town.

Thanks to Haruto’s meals, Rimuru and several of his companions had acquired numerous new skills.

And, of course, there was the food itself.

It was difficult to imagine returning to ordinary meals after enjoying so many extraordinary dishes.

Still, Rimuru had spent enough time with Haruto to understand his personality.

The young chef possessed an almost boundless passion for discovering new ingredients and developing new recipes.

Someone like that was never going to remain in one place forever.

Rimuru couldn’t reasonably ask him to abandon his travels just so he could continue enjoying his cooking.

After saying goodbye to Rimuru, Haruto went to find Milim.

Naturally, the Demon Lord was even less enthusiastic about his departure.

She had become thoroughly accustomed to bringing him unusual monsters and having them transformed into delicious meals.

The thought of losing her personal source of extraordinary food was almost unbearable.

Fortunately, Haruto knew exactly how to deal with her.

He prepared a generous supply of delicious food for Milim to enjoy after he left.

Only after receiving those treats did she finally calm down and reluctantly accept his decision.

...

When dawn arrived, Haruto was ready to depart.

Rimuru and Milim had come to see him off, along with Shuna, Shion, Gobta, and several other residents of the town.

Everyone gathered in an open area, watching as Haruto summoned Charizard.

The enormous Flame Dragon King appeared with an imposing presence, its dark golden-red scales gleaming beneath the morning sunlight.

Its gigantic wings shifted slightly, sending a warm breeze across the gathering.

"Well, it’s time for us to go."

Haruto leaped onto Charizard’s broad back.

Kagura, Kanna, and Gardevoir followed him, settling into their usual places.

Once everyone was comfortably seated, Haruto turned toward the people below.

"See you later, Rimuru! Milim!"

"Goodbye!"

"Make sure you visit again!"

The villagers waved enthusiastically, calling out their farewells.

With one powerful beat of its enormous wings, Charizard launched itself into the sky.

The great dragon climbed rapidly, carrying Haruto and his companions higher and higher.

Before long, its massive figure had become little more than a tiny speck against the distant sky.

Then it disappeared among the clouds.

...

After leaving the Great Forest of Jura, Haruto didn’t immediately rush toward the northern seas.

There was no particular urgency to his journey.

Rather than flying directly to his destination, he decided to take his time and explore the regions along the way.

He could collect unusual ingredients, visit different towns, and experience the customs and lifestyles of the people living in this world.

For Haruto, that was much more enjoyable than simply traveling from one destination to another as quickly as possible.

Whenever they approached a town, he would have Charizard land somewhere out of sight.

He would then summon Rapidash and its carriage, allowing the group to enter the settlement at a leisurely pace.

Rapidash had also received a name and undergone an evolution by this point.

However, unlike Charizard, its outward appearance hadn’t changed particularly dramatically.

It was still recognizable as a magnificent horse Pokémon, albeit one with an unmistakably extraordinary presence.

This arrangement proved rather convenient.

Charizard’s enormous size and overwhelming draconic aura would undoubtedly cause widespread panic if it appeared directly above an ordinary town.

Rapidash, on the other hand, could travel along the roads without creating nearly as much commotion.

At the same time, its remarkable appearance and powerful presence discouraged many of the minor troubles that ordinary travelers might encounter.

Unfortunately, there was one drawback to this relaxed style of traveling.

Their movements were relatively easy to track.

After all, a group traveling in a carriage pulled by an exceptionally unusual horse was hardly inconspicuous.

Anyone specifically searching for them would have a reasonable chance of following their route.

And eventually, someone did.

...

One day, Haruto and his companions approached a moderately sized town.

As usual, Charizard landed in a forest some distance from the settlement.

Haruto allowed the dragon to spend some time roaming the surrounding area on its own before summoning Rapidash.

The group then boarded their carriage and began traveling toward the town at an unhurried pace.

However, they hadn’t gone particularly far when four people appeared ahead of them, blocking the road.

Haruto examined the strangers.

The person standing at the front was a young man with short blond hair.

He wore a set of rather exquisite adventuring equipment, and a longsword hung at his waist.

There was something peculiar about his presence.

Despite not behaving in any particularly impressive manner, the young man seemed to radiate a natural sense of authority and reliability.

Merely looking at him inspired an almost instinctive feeling of trust.

Standing behind him were three companions.

On the left was a female elf wearing a long robe. She carried a staff embedded with a precious gemstone, marking her as a magic user.

On the right stood a tall, heavily muscled man dressed in light leather armor.

His rugged appearance and fierce demeanor made him look like someone who was always eager for a fight.

The final member of the group was a young man wearing glasses.

Unlike the others, he wore a somewhat resigned expression, as though he already expected the situation to become troublesome.

Haruto’s gaze moved across the four of them.

He recognized their identities almost immediately.

’Well, this is unexpected.’

The blond young man standing at the front was none other than Masayuki Honjou, the adventurer known throughout the region as the Lightspeed Hero.

Masayuki was a rather extraordinary individual.

His luck was so absurdly good that it almost defied explanation.

Thanks to his Unique Skill, Chosen One, he had somehow become a widely admired Hero despite not possessing particularly impressive combat abilities of his own.

The skill passively inspired trust and admiration in the people around him, while his unbelievable good fortune ensured that situations constantly worked out in his favor.

As a result, Masayuki had repeatedly found himself receiving credit for heroic accomplishments, even when he hadn’t intended to do anything remarkable.

The three people accompanying him were also familiar.

The elven mage was Jiwu.

The muscular warrior was Jinrai, an adventurer known as the Crazed Wolf.

And the bespectacled young man at the rear was Bernie, another Otherworlder.

Together, the four formed Masayuki’s well-known adventuring party.

Haruto had barely finished identifying them when Jinrai stepped forward.

"You’re the bastard who tried to assassinate the king of Falmuth, aren’t you?!"

His voice was loud and aggressive.

Combined with his intimidating physique, the accusation carried considerable force.

Masayuki also took a step forward, although his manner was much more restrained.

"Um, I don’t know why you tried to assassinate the king, but I think it’d be best if you surrendered peacefully."

He looked at Haruto with a serious expression.

Although Masayuki himself wasn’t especially strong, his three companions possessed considerable combat ability.

Over the course of their adventures, their party had resolved numerous dangerous situations and defeated plenty of powerful opponents.

So far, they hadn’t encountered an enemy they were completely incapable of handling.

That history had naturally given the group a certain amount of confidence.

Haruto, however, merely sighed.

’What a pain.’

He wasn’t particularly worried about fighting these people.

To be perfectly frank, even if all four attacked together, they wouldn’t pose much of a threat to him.

The real problem was Masayuki himself.

His Unique Skill, Chosen One, was already troublesome enough.

Not only did it passively encourage admiration and trust among those around him, but Masayuki also possessed an almost ridiculous degree of luck.

However, there was something even more important about his identity.

Masayuki was the reincarnation of Rudra, the former Hero.

And Rudra’s younger sister, Lucia, was Milim’s mother.

In other words...

’Doesn’t that technically make Masayuki Milim’s uncle?’

Haruto considered the matter for a moment.

’Well, his reincarnation, anyway.’

The relationship was somewhat complicated, but it was close enough to make Haruto reluctant to attack him.

He had only recently established a friendly relationship with Milim.

Getting into a fight with someone connected to her family would be an entirely unnecessary complication.

Besides, Masayuki himself wasn’t a particularly bad person.

There was no reason to turn this encounter into a battle if it could be avoided.

With that in mind, Haruto addressed the four adventurers.

"How about hearing my side of the story first?"

Unfortunately, Jinrai didn’t seem interested in discussing the matter.

"There’ll be plenty of time for explanations after we capture you!"

He immediately assumed a fighting stance, clearly preparing to attack.

However, before Jinrai could make a move, Masayuki raised his hand and stopped him.

"Wait a moment."

Jinrai turned toward him.

"Masayuki?"

"I think we should hear what he has to say."

Masayuki spoke with unusual seriousness.

In truth, he’d had a strange feeling about this entire mission from the very beginning.

Something about the assignment simply didn’t sit right with him.

The idea that someone had attempted to assassinate the king of Falmuth was already suspicious enough.

More importantly, the information provided in the commission had been remarkably vague.

Several details didn’t seem to match, and certain parts of the official account were difficult to reconcile.

After everything Masayuki had experienced since arriving in this world, he’d learned to place considerable trust in his instincts.

His luck had always been extraordinary, and his intuition rarely led him astray.

Since the young man in front of him was willing to explain himself, Masayuki felt that hearing him out was the sensible thing to do.

Seeing Masayuki restrain Jinrai, Haruto decided to get straight to the point.

"The king of Falmuth has been deliberately summoning people from other worlds and placing them under magical control."

Masayuki’s expression changed slightly.

Haruto continued.

"As for me, I happened to encounter one of their summoning circles. That’s how I ended up in this world."

He proceeded to describe the circumstances of his arrival, the summoning ritual inside the royal palace, and the methods King Edmaris and Razen had used to control the summoned Otherworlders.

He also explained the general course of the confrontation that had followed.

Naturally, Haruto didn’t reveal every detail.

There was no need to explain all of his abilities or discuss the more complicated circumstances surrounding his travels between different worlds.

He simply gave Masayuki and his companions a broad account of what had happened and why he’d come into conflict with the king.

For now, that should be enough to let them understand that the Kingdom of Falmuth’s official accusation was far from the whole story.