Chapter 483: The Empire’s Heroes Advance

While the Mainz Kingdom’s Heroes were heading toward the Empire border, unexpectedly the Empire’s Heroes were also aiming for the same region. In this era there is no such thing as an accurate map, so the borders in the mountain range areas near the border are ambiguous, and both the Mainz Kingdom and the Hagen Empire draw borders as they please, and those greatly enter the other’s territory. Of course neither recognizes the border the other claims.

The Empire’s Heroes, Zhu Biao, Xie Honghua, Li Jing, and Xu Meiyi, the four, accompanied by the Empire’s knight corps and Hütter, have come near the Mainz Kingdom border. From the Empire side, the border with the Mainz Kingdom is far beyond, so no one thinks they are committing border violation and thinks they are doing domestic movement. Only Hütter knows the border set by the Mainz Kingdom, so inwardly he is concerned that there might be something dangerous.

Regarding sword techniques, there is no one in the Empire who can fight on equal terms with Zhu Biao and Li Jing. The knights tremble in fear at the excessive strength. And the beasts that Xu Meiyi controls are harsh and a threat against those who are hostile. However if one becomes intimate with Xu Meiyi, even if one touches the dogs or tigers she is controlling nothing happens, and conversely the beasts sometimes fawn. Maids who like dogs and cats, when they get a holiday, go to Xu Meiyi’s place, and playing with the dogs and tigers has become a daily routine to the point it is liked.

In exact opposite to Zhu Biao, Li Jing, and Xu Meiyi showing overwhelming martial ability, there are many who are drawn to Xie Honghua’s gentleness and inclusiveness. That is the same whether high or low in status, whether noble or knight, or commoner. If one witnesses the figure of Honghua not remaining inside the imperial palace but going outside and going around healing the sick and injured inside the Imperial Capital, everyone is struck in the chest by Honghua’s actions and worships Honghua as a Saintess.

At first High Priest Andropov of the Sophia Theocracy tried to take Honghua into the church, but he was firmly refused by Zhu Biao, and at the same time when hinted at from the Empire government that proselytizing would be stopped in the Empire he had no choice but to give up, and now he has become quiet and is quietly observing Honghua’s actions.

Well, the Heroes had become light-hearted after leaving the Imperial Capital. Inside the Imperial Capital they were fed up with the life of always being monitored. Zhu Biao, even saying prince, his mother was not a high-ranking noble so he did not receive treatment like a prince. If it was a peaceful world, he would have ended his life in the shadows. However when Ming was pressured by the offensive of the Later Jin (later Qing) and pushed south, and powerful generals defected to the Later Jin or died in battle, the number of generals became insufficient so Zhu Biao was suddenly appointed general and came to run around the battlefield. For Zhu Biao who has not experienced a cramped imperial palace life, rather than living inside the imperial palace and always being monitored by Hagen Empire people who look like southern barbarians from Zhu Biao and the others’ view, even if inconvenient, outdoor life is more comfortable. That is the same for Li Jing and the others, and they always follow Zhu Biao and act.

The reason they moved near the border with the Mainz Kingdom is for Zhu Biao and the others to raise combat ability by fighting stronger beasts and magic beasts, to raise magic ability taught by Hütter, and for Xu Meiyi to control stronger beasts or magic beasts.

As an aside, those called magic users rarely have disciples who surpass the master. Disciples generally look at the master’s magic, imitate it, and acquire it. Therefore the more excellent the master is, the more the ability of the disciples who receive that teaching improves. Disciples surpassing the master is extremely difficult, and some kind of breakthrough becomes necessary. Zhu Biao and the others have not yet reached that domain.

For Li Jing to grant magic to the sword as well, Hütter’s guidance is essential. Compared to that, in the Mainz Kingdom where Hütter is gone, only disciples far lower in rank than Hütter remained. Therefore restricted by the disciples’ ability, the magic ability of the Sage Yunosuke Noshima has not improved that much. However Noshima himself has only those with lower ability than himself around him, so he is not aware of the lowness of his own ability. He believes himself to be the highest existence and does not even think of aiming for heights beyond this. Also he did not think there were those who possess magic talent beyond himself.

As Zhu Biao and the party advance aiming for the far-off border, strong beasts and magic beasts started appearing. Starving wolves that were originally wolves, magic tigers that tigers became magic beasts, cows and deer of extraordinary size appear one after another. Cows and deer that are domesticated ones differ about double in size, and the running speed is also a completely different thing. However Zhu Biao and the others easily defeat them.

Xu Meiyi’s taming of magic beasts and such is quite difficult. In order to tame magic tigers or starving wolves, Zhu Biao or Li Jing need to once put the target beast or magic beast into a near-death state, capture it, and bring it in front of Xu Meiyi. If Xu Meiyi can make the taming contract with that, Xie Honghua heals it. And the system of Xu Meiyi using it as she pleases is completed. Making the magic taught by Hütter more powerful, Zhu Biao and Li Jing use it and capture birds and beasts flying in the sky. Rather, the magic has become too powerful and cases of killing them have increased.

"From here on is an unexplored region."

The guiding hunter announces. Until now as well they had been advancing slopes where only beast paths remained. Zhu Biao and the others possess mana bags, but because not much time has passed since coming to this world, the capacity of the mana bags is in the process of growing and they can only store about their own share. Therefore Hütter and the knights have porters and carriages carry their own share of living materials.

Therefore Hütter and the knight party are exhausted, but Zhu Biao and the others do not feel fatigue also due to Hero correction. Xie Honghua casts fatigue reduction magic on the party, but they immediately get tired. Hütter is good at aggressive magic but poor at healing-type magic, and even if he casts healing-type magic on himself he doesn’t feel it worked much. Therefore everyone depends on Xie Honghua for that kind of magic.

Zhu Biao and the others thought that if possible they wanted to shake off the knights’ monitoring and quickly advance deeper by themselves, but for some reason a restriction is applied to the heart. Especially if they take a certain distance from Hütter, the four of Zhu Biao and the others are attacked by headaches and become unable to stand. They understand that some restriction is applied by Hütter. But they do not know how to release that. Therefore even if they leave the knights and go, they have to take only Hütter with them.

Using the hawk that Xu Meiyi is controlling, they are investigating the situation ahead. Of course looking from a bird’s-eye view. With an excited look she started talking.

"Ahead a vast plateau spreads! There is... amazing! There are many beasts, herds of deer are running! Wild cows also have herds of over a hundred! It is a paradise of beasts! Amazing!"

At Xu Meiyi’s report everyone decided to somehow advance to that plateau. If they go that far they will not be troubled for food, and even if they stay it should be no problem.

Night came, and the four of Zhu Biao and the others have decided to pitch tents and stay in a place separated from Hütter and the others. From Zhu Biao and the others’ side, there is that they do not want their conversations heard by the knights and want to be in a situation of not being monitored even a little, and from the knights’ side, even being together with the Heroes who always take distance and do not try to get familiar they use caution so they want time to breathe even a little, and because Zhu Biao has Xie Honghua and Li Jing has Xu Meiyi, beautiful women attending, they are poison to the eyes and there is the reason they want to be separated. Because Hütter has not taught sound-blocking magic to Zhu Biao and the others, talking voices and coquettish voices are completely leaking. Zhu Biao and the others have not been informed that sound-blocking magic exists. Hütter selects the magic to teach Zhu Biao and the others, and is making it so that Zhu Biao and the others cannot escape from Hütter’s hands and cannot have secrets.