Black Iron Magician

「Hey, why are you being melancholic?」

「… Well, I knew it would become like this.」

I’m alive. Not just me, but Haru, Chinatsu, and everyone else are alive. And the next thing I knew, there was Nell in front of me.

「W-What happened?」

「The wall of flames rose as soon as the barriers were destroyed…. Did Leader save us?」

Yeah, the barriers around Nell and Maria were destroyed, but there were bright red walls instead. The energy was enclosed in the wall of flames and its enormous power was extinguished without leaking to the outside. And the walls disappeared at the same time as Nell’s voice a moment ago.

「Hey, Nell. Why are you leaving the fight? It will be my win if you withdraw, but… are you sure?」

「I don’t mind. Yes, I lost. Are you happy now?」

「E-Ehh!?」

「What’s with that surprised look? It’s a matter of course, you know? Is there a wife who would let the husband die even though he has set up this much to fulfill our selfishness? I will make up for what he lacks, and support him when he’s about to fall. That’s what a wife is, right, Senpai?」

「~~~~!」

My true trump card was to believe in Nell. Will Nell, whom I’ve known for more than a dozen years, immersing herself in a useless quarrel that will get me, our acquaintances, and our disciples involved? Needless to say, the answer is definitely a no. No matter how much she likes to charge at the enemy, she hasn’t lost her discretion. Well, it was a little unexpected that she talked about pride as a wife at the end. Maria is a married person, so calling her ‘Senpai’ was completely a surprise attack for her.

「A-As expected of Leader! Uooooh!」

「What a wonderful play!」

The guests gave a loud applause. Good, we somehow managed to cover it up.

「D-Deris-san. Were you expecting something like this too…?」

「Of course. I believed in Nell after all. Otherwise, I wouldn’t allow the battle on the premise that the barriers would be destroyed.」

「Jeez, look who’s talking….」

「Waah, Nell-san looks so happy!」

「S-Shut up!」

「Ahaha. Then, let me say something. I really thought I was going to die. Seriously….」

Now that it’s over, they might see it as a fixed battle. When the barriers were about to break, Nell left the battle, supported me, and protected everyone. This is what true collaboration work is about.

「Why did you settle it neatly like that!? Could it be that you were using me? I was standing out, but I was a supporting character, not the protagonist!?」

「Yeah, you were used. Deris, I thought you were planning something, but I didn’t expect you to use Mary to make a play like this. We were planning to celebrate it, but on the contrary, you were the one who surprised us.」

「Ugaaah! I can’t accept it~!」

「That’s good to hear. But Vakala, you completely forgot about your job as the emcee, didn’t you?」

「Hm?」

After a few seconds of silence, the old man turned around to the guests.

「Everyone! This concludes the biggest event of the reception, the collaborative work by the bride and the groom! Let’s give them a round of applause once again!」

――――Clap clap clap!

Using this chance, he quickly transformed himself from an onlooker to an emcee.

「That skeleton, he covered it up better than I did….」

「Now, now~. More importantly, Shishō, Nell-san! The reception is still going on, so please eat the food and restore your energy while you can! I and everyone at the kitchen did our best to prepare the food for today!」

「Ooh, I’m looking forward to it. I’m so hungry, and I’m out of magic power.」

Haru has acquired the 『Cooking』 Skill and has been raising it, so her cooking is not only delicious, but also has the effect of recovering magic power. I’ve never met anyone who has improved this Skill more than Haru, so I’m hoping that it will have even more effects when it’s improved more than now. And above all, it’s delicious.

Guided by Haru to the reserved seats, I and Nell are enjoying the meat and wine. Then, Maria came, looking very unhappy.

「Nell! You owe me one for today, so let’s settle it again someday!」

「Settle it, you said? I left the battle halfway and you won, right? What more do you want?」

「I won the battle, but I lost the war! You are also a woman, so you have to understand this delicate maiden’s heart!」

It’s impossible to understand a maiden’s heart of unknown age even for the same sex. I will be strangled if I say it, so I won’t.

「I see. Then, I will consider it if you help me train my disciple.」

「Disciple?」

「… Eh? N-Nell-shishō…?」

「Wha, Nell!?」

Oi oi oi! Why Maria of all people!? I think that she’s the best among the Great Eight Demons only in terms of abilities, but she has no talent for teaching, you know!?

「Ah, please train me too!」

「M-Me too…!」

Haru and Touko also started to raise their hands. Are you suicidal or something?

「Then, these girls too――」

「Wait, wait a minute. Nell, calm down. No matter how you think about it, it’s too early to let Maria teach them. And that’s in a double meaning!」

「Hey, what do you mean by that?」

It’s too early for the girls, and it also means that you don’t have the sense to teach things to others…! Maria doesn’t know how to hold back, so even the girls will be broken.

「If you want them to train under the Great Eight Demons, isn’t it better to ask Hund, whose strength is closer to them? You see, he’s in the process of making agreements with each country, so I can make adjustments for that!」

「What’s the point of asking someone weaker than us? The higher the level, the more time and effort it will take to move up to the next level. Considering their growth in the future, they have to overcome a little unreasonableness. Hund is too weak and his teaching method seems to be careful, so they won’t have any hardship at all!」

You, can you say that in front of Chinatsu, who looks like about to die? …… Yeah, she can, that’s why she said it here. Still, that’s not ‘a little unreasonableness’, but completely reckless.

「Is Hund-san really that weak?」

「He’s hopeless for the Great Eight Demons! If the aggressor was Rimudo, he would have blown up the entire continent of Jiba with his breath in the previous war!」

「Ah, I agree with you~. Hund-chan needs to work harder from now on~」

「Ugh….」

I heard a sulky voice again! It’s definitely not my imagination this time! I’m sure there’s Hund around here! You guys, stop talking about him!

「Well, I don’t mind doing it as long as Nell promises me~. But, I can’t stay on this continent for long, so come to my country when you feel like it. I’ll be at the castle most of the time, and I’ll talk to my subordinates about it.」

「That’s a deal. We will visit you someday.」

「Waah, I’m looking forward to it! Right, Chinatsu-chan, Touko-chan!」

「T-That’s right….」

「Yeah, I can get even stronger!」

There’s a huge difference in the mood between Haru and Touko, and me and Chinatsu.