After the fierce battle, the next step is to clean up.
Collecting evidence from the blood-stained house seems like a lot of work, but the Black Ops are working silently. After returning to Rose, Felto returns to his personality as Rocco and takes Jen to the military base with Galey for questioning. The two of them hurried off, saying that Rocco's poison was highly poisonous and that Jen would die if they didn't give him an antidote, so they went quickly.
Efergan headed to the inn where Rose was staying to check her safety. He said he was relieved to find out that Rose was safe. After all, the building was only 20 meters away from the monster, so he must have been worried. Most surrounding buildings were destroyed, but this inn was the only safe. Even the inn's owner ran away, but when he saw that his inn was safe, he just said, "It's strange."
It was the power of the Dragon God, Efain said. Just to be safe, Efergan said he would move Rose to the military base on the opposite side of this place. Efergan and the others said they would remain at the scene. They will head to the base after confirming the situation. Rose, Efain, and two soldiers rode the owl to the base.
The town looked terrifying from the sky. It had been in a lot of trouble yesterday because of the thunderbirds, but today many buildings had been destroyed by a monster. There were also many injured soldiers, and many medical staff were busy transporting them to hospitals. They also needed to investigate the bodies's identities used to summon the monster. Efergan's head must be full of these problems.
When they arrived at the base, Hattie came to pick them up. From his face, Hattie was worried about Rose's safety. After the joy of reunion, Rose heard from Hattie about the injured people. Hattie said that the medical wing was very busy and if Rose could use medical magic, Hattie asked her to come and help and Rose nodded. When Rose told Efain she would help, Efain was kind enough to guide her to the ward.
Several of the injured soldiers were quite seriously injured. They had lost consciousness, apparently due to being hit by a high-intensity heat ray attack. They were currently being treated in the intensive care unit. Having heard there was a shortage of manpower, Rose told them that she had come to help out, and was welcomed. Rose immediately used healing magic on one soldier with severe burns. She eased the pain and focused on resting the cells.
Rose was glad she had learned some magic that would be useful to the world, thanks to the medical magic book she had borrowed from Miraiya and read a lot of it. She thought that she would study a bit more next time. With Galey there, if she could combine it with medicine, she would be useful wherever she went in the future.
The cells were beginning to recover, so this time she sent energy into the body to help with stamina. Also, because the temperature in the room was high, she used some ice magic to cool it down. This was highly praised. Rose was tired after caring for the patients for several hours, so she went outside to take a break.
When Rose took a break on a bench before the medical building, she found her cat, Rinka. She had been waiting outside. The guard, Efain, had been standing before the medical building. When Rose hugged Rinka tightly, Rinka kissed her with her cold cat nose. Rose was really tired, so she held Rinka for a while and let her be cuddled. Hearing the cat's purring was very healing.
"Good work, Rose."
Rose heard Efergan's voice. She turned around and saw Efergan with a tired face. But he was smiling.
"Welcome back."
"I'm back."
"That was hard, wasn't it?"
Rose let go of Rinka and greeted Efergan.
"Yeah, the remains of that monster were in the town, and I thought it would be hard to get rid of them, but with Rinka's help, we managed to get rid of them."
"I see. Rinka, you were great."
Rose smiled and stroked Rinka.
"That's right. You were a great help. Thanks to the warriors of Alhatross, the town was saved. I'm grateful."
"That's good."
Rose nodded.
"We... were no match for that monster."
"Hmm, you just didn't use the right magic."
"What do you mean?"
"Now that we know it's immortal, we can burn it with fire attacks, attack it with holy attacks, or cut it with a special weapon. There's another way. We can cut it with wind, which Efergan is good at, but I don't know if Efergan can do that."
"Cut it..."
"Yeah. We could blow it away with the wind or burn it to death with lightning... those are the methods, but monsters with big bodies like that are generally hard and have a lot of stamina. And what's more, they have high defensive power. You can't do much damage unless you scratch it."
When Rose said that, Efergan nodded while thinking.
"I see. How do you know so much, Rose?"
"I've been fighting big wild animals every day since I was little, so I know. So when I fight a monster, if I tie it up with a branch and then wound it with a thorn, it's easier to finish."
Rose nodded and answered.
"Is that so?"
"The monster's attributes are different each time,. But as long as you can wound it, any magic will work. Weapon enchantments are effective, but it becomes much harder when it becomes immortal."
"Immortal?"
"That would be good if you had a holy weapon."
"Such weapons only exist in legends."
"I see."
"But maybe they really did exist in legends. It might be a good idea to look into it while traveling."
Efergan said and nodded.
"Yes."
"But before that, I must review my magic and practice."
"Let's do this together. I'll teach you the magic I can do, and in return, I want you to teach me the magic I can't do."
"That's right. That's a good idea."
"Let's get stronger together, Efergan."
"Yes. I'm still distant from being as good as Rocco, but I've decided to start with what I can do."
Efergan said with a smile.
"Rocco isn't good at magic. If you're good at magic, hone it and aim for the top. To be on a par with Rocco, you should first work on your strengths."
When Rose said this, Efergan looked at Rose and nodded. Certainly, that was correct.
"I'm glad I met Rose. I was really depressed until just now. I still couldn't defeat it even though I fought so hard, and even though I used up much of my magic and stamina. But Rocco finished him off in an instant. I was disappointed, as were Kerzek and the others. I was shocked and wondered why the people of Alhatross were so strong."
"I think it's probably the difference in experience. Even though Rocco looks so young, he's actually quite old... oh, I said it."
This is bad, Rose thought. But Efergan's expression didn't change.
"I see. But I'll try my best from now on. If a monster like that reappears, we must try our best."
"Yeah."
"I'm glad I told Rose about my troubles. That's right, let's all go out to eat tonight. The north side of town is safe and there won't be any damage. Let's grill fish and meat on the beach tonight and enjoy the full moon. I'll invite Rocco too."
"Yay. Really?!"
"Let's give Rinka a rest sometimes. Cooking is pretty hard, especially for Efain and the others' appetites... hahaha."
Efain grinned when he heard Efergan's words.
"I've prepared some clothes for you. They're military uniforms, but please make do with those for tonight. I've also prepared some clothes for Rocco. Everyone will be staying here tonight. Rooms have been prepared. I just sent a soldier to pay for and pick up the clothes sent out for washing."
Efergan said this and looked at Rose.
"Yes."
"Let's all gather in front of the captain's office at dusk. I'm going to meet Rocco and Galey now."
"Yes."
Efergan kissed Rose's hand. His face was much brighter than before.
Around dusk, everyone gathered in front of the captain's office. Dressed in military uniforms, everyone looked somehow dignified, Rose thought. Rose was also wearing small clothes. After all, some birdmen are small, she thought. By the way, there are slits for wings on the back of the clothes, but since they don't have wings, they button them up normally. Suzukinoyama's military uniform is beige with red stripes. It's simple, but it suits them very well with their tanned skin. Alhatross are mainly blue, and their status is indicated by silver buttons and decorations.
In the case of Alhatross, they have the country's crest on their back, a small crest of the region or national army they belong to on the right chest, and a small crest of the unit they belong to on the left chest. In Suzukinoyama, men generally do not wear jackets, so they do not have such a crest. However, their status can be determined by their necklaces and bracelets. Also, if they are of a higher rank, they wear a cloth over their shoulders and secure it with a belt.
Although very few of them, most female soldiers are medical personnel working at the base. Women wear a large apron-like shirt, which they put on over their heads and then fasten with buttons or cloth strings on both sides. It's simple but quite comfortable. By the way, Rose's necklace was an accessory that Efergan had bought somewhere. Rinka's necklace was for guards, the same color as Kerzek and the other guards.
Rocco, who is wearing Suzukinoyama's military uniform, also looks interesting. His scales look beautiful on his back. By the way, Rocco is of a high rank, so he has the cloth properly draped over his shoulders. He seems uncomfortable wearing clothes he is not used to, but he still has his usual calm expression. By the way, the necklace is the color of a captain's class.
"What's wrong, Rose?"
"No..."
Rose was about to say that she wanted to touch the scales again. She'll hold back because she might become a slutty princess...
"Do you want to touch the scales again?"
"Ugh! You found out..."
Rose gave a wry smile.
"Hahaha, it painted on your face."
"Hmm."
"You can touch the scales on my arm."
"Yeah."
Rose tried touching them. As expected, they didn't feel cold like snakeskin. But no matter how she looked at them, they were snake scales. Oh, she noticed that Rocco had scales of a different color on his arm. There was a pattern of red, yellow, white, and green mixed together. Most of the scales were blue, but these scales on his arm..., only six scales were a different color... Six scales... Ah! Rose looked at Rocco, realizing that she had noticed something.
"Hey, Rocco, do you mean... scales?"
Rose asked Rocco in a small voice. Six-pieces in Aotake's slang is "Rokko".
"Did you notice?"
"Did I get it?"
"Yes."
"What! You're kidding!"
Rose and Rocco were whispering when Rinka approached.
"What are you guys whispering about?"
Rinka called out with a displeased look on her face.
"No. It's nothing."
"It's nothing."
Rocco nodded and smiled.
"That's fine, but look, Efergan is here."
Efergan came out of the head of the national army's room. As expected, he was dignified. He was wearing a military uniform and a royal necklace.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. The work talk took a bit longer than expected. Well, let's go. Rose, come with me."
"Yes."
Rose nodded and went towards Efergan. It can't be helped because of the owls, she thought. Because the owls used for transportation are two-seaters. Rocco will ride with Kerzek, and Rinka will ride with her partner Olefa. Galey can't go with them because he's on a job. Galey is a medical doctor on the Black Ops, but busy treating many wounded.
They arrived at the restaurant on the beach that Efergan mentioned. As expected, it had been arranged in advance, and several soldiers were already waiting and guarding. Today, it was reserved for them.
The restaurant had torches at regular intervals. There was a bonfire for grilling fish and meat, and it had a very nice atmosphere. A moment of rest was needed in a continuous tense state. Efergan had noticed this and deliberately planned this nice dinner. Seeing Rose get excited at the sight of the colorful fish laid out before her, Efergan laughed.
Rocco and Kerzek were drinking and chatting in a relaxed atmosphere. Rinka and Olefa were happily grilling fish and meat. The owner occasionally brought in additional orders.
It felt like a long time since Rose could relax and enjoy a meal, and she felt great. Rose was nibbling at her food as she thought this.
It was because she hadn't had much time to enjoy such leisurely time. Next time, she had to use her time more wisely. Rose thought that time spent doing nothing was also important, and she would reflect on it.
Satisfied with her meal, Rose sat alone on a seat on the beach, looking at the sea lit up by the full moon in front of her. The other moon was still a crescent, but it looked beautiful from the ground.
She could hear the sound of the waves crashing. Stars decorated the sky, creating a beautiful scene. Even just staring at it made Rose feel happy.
"What are you looking at?"
Rocco comes and sits next to her. He is holding a glass of alcohol in his hand.
"It's a full moon. There is only one full moon, but can there ever be two full moons in a month?"
"Yes."
Rocco nods and drinks his drink.
"In the old world, there was only one moon."
"There was only one in my world, too."
"I see, it was the same."
"Yeah."
Rocco nods and looks at the moon.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"I ate. It was delicious."
Rocco nods.
"Yeah. There's a lot of fish."
"There isn't much fish in Alhatross."
"Yeah."
As Rocco says this, he places his hand on Rose's.
"The one we caught today was the real Jen. Thanks to Rose and the others."
"Good."
"We're still interrogating him though. He's still poisoned, so we won't be able to get any more information until tomorrow."
"That can't be helped. In that case, we will make good use of our break."
"Yeah."
"Rocco, you could write me letters every once in a while. Oh, basically, you can't do that while on a mission, right?"
"Sorry."
"No. But I've never seen Rocco's handwriting."
"I'm not very good at writing. I've only written reports, invoices, and damage reports."
"It's mostly work-related stuff, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
Rocco laughed.
"It would probably be quicker to go and see you, rather than say I'll write to you after the mission is over."
"Haha, that makes sense."
"Rose is great. You can study well. I'm not that educated."
"But Rocco is a powerful warrior, and has a lot of techniques that I can't imitate."
Rose spoke, and Rocco looked at her.
"Rose doesn't need to copy my techniques. You have a lot of techniques that only you can use."
"That's true, but Rocco is strong. But we're both busy and I don't know when we'll meet again... You haven't forgotten about our promise to hunt, have you?"
"I haven't forgotten. Even now, I want to take you somewhere, just the two of us..."
Rocco said, holding her hand tightly.
"Rocco."
"What is it?"
"I'm glad I became Rocco's friend."
"Me too. But Rose seems within my reach but is out of my reach. I hope I can reach you someday..."
"I'm sorry."
Hearing Rocco's words, Rose bowed her head and apologized.
"It can't be helped. It's a difficult issue due to the difference in status. So I can understand my master's thinking that a warrior's life is easier to understand."
"Did you lead a different life before you joined Father?"
"Yes, I lived a completely different life."
"I see."
"I can't reveal that yet though."
"Yes, I know."
"I'll tell you someday when we're alone."
"Yes."
When Rose nodded, Rocco smiled.
"Is that prince treating you kindly?"
"Yes. He's very kind."
"That's good. Now I can relax and focus on my work again."
Rocco smiled and nodded.
"If it's okay to ask... is your current job as Rocco... or...?"
"Not Rocco."
"I see. So it's Father's order."
Rocco didn't answer but drank the alcohol in his glass.
"But my life belongs to Rose. You were the one who asked for it first, so I gave it to you. That's why I can't die, even if my master orders me to. Without Rose's permission, I can't just throw my life away."
"Yes. I want you to live, so please treasure your life."
Rose nodded.
"If that prince wasn't here, I'd want to hold and kiss you right now."
Rocco said in a small voice.
"Haha."
"He has been watching you from behind the scenes all this time."
"You noticed, huh?"
"Of course."
Rocco said with a laugh.
"That person has good eyes. And good ears."
"Did he hear our conversation earlier?"
"I don't know. But it's a conversation that doesn't matter if you hear it, so it's fine, right?"
"Yeah."
Rose nodded.
"Rocco..."
"Hmm?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep the story about the scales a secret."
Rose whispered in Rocco's ear, and Rocco laughed.
"Hahaha, that's a relief."
"I thought it was a weird name, but you put it in a weird place."
"Hahaha, only Rose noticed."
"Really?"
Rose laughed, and Rocco laughed too.
"That looks fun..."
Efergan came in. He sat next to Rose. The two men glared at each other, with Rose in between them.
"Here's your drink, Rose. I thought you were thirsty, so I brought it."
Efergan took the glass and handed it to Rose.
"Thanks."
Rose nodded and gulped it down.
"It's been a while since we last met. We used to have a lot of pointless conversations like this every night."
"Really?"
Rocco said, and Efergan listened with interest.
"Yeah. It was like this every time. Sometimes we'd talk about something useful, though."
"Did you talk about the starry sky?"
"Yeah. The stories about the seasons were interesting, too."
Rose nodded in response to Efergan's question.
"Hey, Prince, are there any animals in Suzukinoyama that taste good when grilled?"
"Animals... like goats, deer, and wild pigs."
"Rose loves whole roasted animals, so please treat her to a feast sometime."
As Rocco said this, he looked at Efergan.
"Rocco..."
Rose was looking at Rocco.
"Whole roast? Do you roast that whole?"
"What, you've never eaten it?"
"No, I never heard about that kind of dish."
"Next time, go hunting and get Rinka to teach you how to cook it, and treat her to a feast."
"Is that so?"
"I won't be able to see Rose for a while. Once I've finished with Jen, I'll have to start another job. It's a mind-boggling job."
"Working in the Black Ops is hard."
"Yeah."
"I get it. If that's what you want, Rocco. I will roast the beast for Rose next time."
Efergan said and nodded.
"Efergan..."
This time, Rose turned her gaze to Efergan.
"Hey, Prince."
"Yes."
"That great magic you did during the day was amazing."
"Great magic? Ah, you mean the magic of destroying the formula?"
"That's right, destroying magic over a wide area at once is not something anyone can do. In my experience, there have only been two or three people who can do that."
"Thank you..."
Efergan was embarrassed and laughed.
"Efergan is embarrassed..."
"Well... well..."
When Rose spoke, Efergan became a little embarrassed.
"Prince."
"Yes."
"I like Rose. Of course, you're my enemy because you like Rose. But I don't dislike you because you think so hard about Rose and do for her. If it's all for Rose's sake, we can be good rivals from now on."
When Rocco said that, Efergan looked at him with an incredulous look on his face.
"I respect you, too, Rocco."
After a while, Efergan nodded.
"You'll become even stronger from now on."
"I'll spare no effort to protect Rose."
"I can rely on you."
Rocco said to Efergan with a smile.
"You were helpful this afternoon. Thank you."
Efergan bowed his head and thanked him. But Rocco shook his head.
"I did it because Rose cried."
Efergan looked surprised when Rocco said that.
"Rose?"
"That's right. She cried for you. She said she would fight too, so I stopped her. I stopped her because if Jen's allies were there Rose's identity would be revealed. It's already difficult enough now that all royal families universally want Rose, and if things get any more complicated, it'll be unbearable."
As he said this, Rocco held Rose's hand.
"I see, so it's because only the shining girl was known."
"Exactly. That's why I didn't want to send Rose to the battlefield as much as possible."
Rocco looked up at the starry sky and smiled.
"Well, that monster made Rose cry, so I killed her, that's all. It's not something you should thank me for."
Rocco looked at Efergan and smiled.
"I see. So that was your full power, Rocco?"
"You really thought so?"
"Eh?"
"Wasn't that your full power when you killed the enemy in that instant?"
"Well, you see. It's a secret."
Rocco laughed.
"I guess I need to train more after all."
"Yeah. You can't protect Rose unless you get stronger."
"I swear to you that I will protect Rose with all my heart and soul."
"I believe in your words."
"Yes, I will definitely protect her."
Efergan said, looking at Rocco.
"Hey, Prince."
"Yes."
"I'm not a nobleman, as you can see, I'm just a low-ranking executive. I have no wealth or power. But I gave my life to Rose. In short, it belongs to Rose. Anyone who makes Rose cry, even if they're a monster, a king, or a bounty hunter, I will finish them without hesitation."
Rocco looked at Efergan with a serious face.
"I don't want to see Rose cry either."
"I like Rose's smile."
"Me too."
Rocco and Efergan smiled as they said this.
"Both of you."
Rose looked at the two of them with a look of affection.
"So promise me that Rose will smile daily while she's at Suzukinoyama."
"If Rose loves me, what will you do, Rocco?"
"We'll see what happens then. But I intend to always be Rose's friend, and support her from behind the scenes. If Rose is happy, that's fine with me. But if you make her sad and cry, I'll kill you. That's all."
"Then I'm in the same position as you."
"That's fine."
Efergan nodded.
"I understand."
"Thank you."
Rocco bowed his head.
"Why did you two decide on your own? What would you do if the Queen forced me into a political marriage with another man?"
The two answered Rose's question without hesitation.
"I'll kill that man."
"I'll help you to kill him."
Rose sighed after hearing that answer.
"Yeah... that's messed up."
The two laughed at Rose.
"Rocco, this marks the formation of the Rose Alliance."
"An alliance? That's good."
Rocco laughed.
"Oh dear," Rose said with a wry smile. She doesn't know what these men are really thinking. And the two talked about Rose's affairs until late into the night.