—-- Leon Greyrat —--

It was the year K417 of the Armoured Dragon Calendar, and instead of finding myself in the peaceful countryside of the Fittoa Region, I found myself in the Demon Continent. 

At least that was where I assumed I was.

Now this on its own would be… a predicament, to say the least, but right now…

I wasn’t alone. 

And that… wasn’t a good thing.

“T-The Demon Continent? B-But… how!? We were just on the hill a moment ago before that crazy guy attacked us!” Eris shouts, looking frantically around at the surroundings.

Feeling Aisha and Norn tighten their grip on my shirt, I gently rub their heads in an attempt to calm their nerves.

“Yeah… this scenery is familiar with what my teacher Roxy told me about her homeland,” I say. “And as for how we got here… I think… we were teleported.”

Okay. Deep breaths.

We’re in quite a dilemma, but that didn’t mean there was no way out of this.

I had to calm down, be their rock, and figure something out.

“T-That’s… really bad, isn’t it?” Eris stammers out.

Yes… quite. 

But I didn’t want to vocalize it.

After all, stress would only make this more difficult of a situation. There was no need for the other three to worry.

So I lied.

“No. It’ll be fine. I promise,” I say confidently.

I was a dual Water and Sword Saint, while also being able to cast every magic without an incantation, save for summoning magic.

I could create water with magic, create a shelter with earth magic, and create a source of heat with fire magic, so the basics of survival were covered.

But there were two- or rather, three issues.

Food, safety, and knowledge.

I knew the basics of the Demon Continent, as well as the language, from Roxy’s nighttime lessons, but I had absolutely no clue as to where we were, nor what monsters roamed around here.

And that leads to the second issue… safety.

I was confident in being able to survive in this land on my own, but that was just the thing… I wasn’t alone. 

Eris was probably strong enough to at least survive against most monsters, as long as I could prevent any surprise attacks… but my sisters? Who were not even four years old?

No… I was not as confident about that. But… I would try my best. I would have to.

If I had to watch them- No. That won’t happen.

I’d die before I let anything hurt them, much less kill them.

But… sleep would be a problem. Maybe I could create a barrier for that? But I wouldn’t want to trust it completely…

No, those were problems for later.

What we needed to secure was the third issue, and honestly, the biggest: Food.

There were no plants to be seen around us, and even if there were, I had no way to know if they were edible.

The only way I could think of to get food was to hunt monsters. But according to Roxy, they were strong, and oftentimes inedible or poisonous, at least to races that were not familiar with the meat, which we were very much not.

My mind went through various problems that could arise and various solutions to them, but ultimately to no effect.

I was stressed and at a complete loss as to what to do.

Right… we needed to get moving. To find some town, or some settlement, where I could get a bearing on where we were and what to do next.

But first…

“You don’t have your sword, do you?” I ask Eris.

“H-Huh? No, I didn’t bring it…” she says, averting her eyes.

Right. While she was a good swordsman, she still felt no need to carry a sword with her.

Unfortunately, that would need to change.

Perhaps at the next town, I could purchase one, or maybe even find a corpse if we were lucky, but for now, this would have to do.

Crouching to the ground, I release my mana into the rocky earth below, condensing and concentrating it into the shape of a sword for a few moments before pulling it out.

It was simple and crude, in the shape of a one-sided sabre like Eris’ training sword, but it was sharp. And while its durability wasn’t anything amazing, I could always make her a new one if she needed it.

In short, it would have to do.

“Here. Use this for now,” I say, handing the makeshift blade to her.

I would like to give her mine, as I already had magic and superior sword skills for combat, but I didn’t plan on letting her do the fighting.

“Eri. I’ll take the front and eliminate any enemies. I need you to stay back and protect these two whenever I do. Can you do that for me?” I ask.

Looking into her eyes to convey my sincerity, she frowns slightly before reluctantly nodding.

Good.

“Brother?” Aisha says, pulling on my pant leg. “What are we going to do now?”

Smiling down at her, I gently rub her hair, “We’ll be walking home, is all. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but we’ll get through it together.”

She nods before biting her lip, “But… what about the others?”

And that was the other question, wasn’t it?

With this smart sister of mine, I should have known I wouldn’t be able to avoid it.

The problems with our group getting sent to the Demon Continent were numerous, but they were manageable. Because I was here.

But that light, which most certainly was the cause for our teleportation, reached all of us gathered on that hill, and all the citizens of Roa.

Sylphy… Rudy… Mama and Lilia… I wouldn’t be able to do a single thing to help them. Unless they somehow wound up here in the Demon Continent with us.

Hilda, Philip, and Ghislaine would be fine no matter where they ended up. Ghislaine was strong, and Philip was smart, so they would be able to find their way out of any situation save for being teleported directly into the sky… now that was a scary thought.

Rudy should be fine too, as he was both strong and smart. I was a little bit worried about his naivete to the world, but he should be able to survive as long as he didn’t get full of himself or do anything stupid.

Sylphy… that was a bit scarier.

She was strong, and most importantly, she knew chantless healing magic, so she should be able to survive. But with her hair and her timidness… that might get her into problems.

And lastly was Mama and Lilia… I was worried about them too.

Lilia had no way to properly defend herself, and Mama was only good for healing, as even her elemental magic was used more as a utility than attacks while she was an adventurer.

But with Mama’s connections and adventuring experience, as well as Lilia’s cleverness, they should be able to get out of any non-violent situation.

I was worried about bandits, both for my mothers and Sylphy, but ultimately, my worries were useless when I had no way to help.

No. Considering how it would only stress me out, worrying about such things would be less than useless, and rather detrimental to my mental state.

I needed to focus on keeping my sisters and Eris safe while navigating this unknown land. Everything else could come afterward.

Thinking about that, there was a saying that remained in my mind… where from, I did not know, much like the rest of my Miko-granted knowledge.

‘We stand on the shoulders of giants’... or something to that effect.

Yeah. I promise- No, I vow to protect my siblings, even at the cost of my life. And if possible, ensure that they remain happy through this arduous journey.

“Let’s go, girls.”

I will give it my all for their survival. I shall become their giant.

—-- Information on the Six-Faced World —--

Demon Continent

The Demon Continent is a large land located to the east of the Central Continent, separated by the Ringus Sea, and north of the Milis Continent. It is a continent where the Demon Race lives and is a land infested with monsters, often being much stronger than those of the Central and Milis Continents.

There are no roads in the Demon Continent, but there is a path that connects the major cities, with branches for smaller villages and tribes. It is an exceedingly harsh land that is mostly unfertilizable, with monsters and animals being the primary source of food. Due to this, it is mostly uninhabited, save for individual tribes and villages, and larger populations that are often ruled by a Demon lord.

It is an extremely dangerous place where many warriors go to hone their skills, though most never return alive. It is extremely inhospitable, save for the Demon Races that have lived in the land for many years and have adapted to the conditions.

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

“Are we there yet?” 

“We don’t even know where ‘there’ is, Aisha.”

“But I’m tired!” 

“Then here, come on up with Norn.”

I then scoop up the complaining Aisha into my arms, hanging her slightly over my shoulder opposite the sleeping Norn, who had an iron grip on both me and her stuffy with a hand each.

“Comfy?” I ask.

“Mhmm! I’m gonna- huam~ gonna take a nap,” she says, stretching her arms.

“Alright. We’ll be camping soon, okay? I just want to get to high ground first,” I say.

“Alright…”

And with that, she was out.

As it turned out, walking down a mountainside was not an activity meant for children barely past being a toddler, so here I was, being treated as a carriage.

I didn’t mind, of course, but I was a bit worried if combat had to occur.

I should be able to rely on my magic for most enemies, and if not, I could always throw the two over to Eris.

“Leon? Are you all right?” Eris asks from my side.

The girl was, from what I could see, quite happy about this adventure, at least if the light skip in her step was anything to go by. But she was still a little nervous, especially when it came to my sisters.

I was glad she was taking this situation somewhat seriously, at least in that regard, but I still felt she was lacking the understanding of just how bad of a situation we were in.

Haa… well, not like having her worry about it would help.

“Yeah. When we find a good place, I’m going to make a fort and leave you and my sisters in it, okay?” I say.

“What? Then what are you going to do?” she asks.

“Get us some dinner. Or rather, breakfast, if I end up having a hard time,” I answer. “Just make sure you stay awake until I’m back, okay?”

She nods in response.

“Good… and Eris?”

“Hm?” she looks back at me.

“Thank you. For being here, with me. And… I’m sorry, but I’ll have to rely on you a little… can you help me?” I ask.

To think I would be asking the girl I was hired to protect something like this…

Was it pathetic? 

Probably. But I didn’t care.

I would bow down and lick the feet of anyone if it meant having my sisters be happy and healthy, so losing some dignity didn’t mean anything to me.

“O-of course! Of course, you can rely on me!” Eris says with a smile.

Huh… I thought she would be a little more… haughty, but from the little smirk pulling at the end of her lips that she tried to hide, she was genuinely happy about me asking for her aide.

Hmm… I liked that look on her. It was cute.

Crossing over the ridge, I look over the small flat plain in front of us, giving us a wide view of the surroundings.

“This should be perfect,” I say, readjusting my sisters. “Now… let’s see how this goes.”

Stomping my foot, I create an array of spikes across the hill, which I was hoping would keep away any would-be attackers from trying their luck.

And then, with another stomp, a small hut was made.

With earth magic, the effects of manipulating the terrain were permanent but still obeyed the laws of physics.

If you made a pillar of dirt, it would crumble after you lost your focus, and rock formations would fall under their own weight.

But if you made a dome with enough mana and concentration, crafted in a way that would support its structure naturally… it would hold.

Which is what I did.

It was pretty ugly, but it was secure. And with a small vent at the top, we’d be able to have a small fire inside, if I was able to find any firewood, that is.

“Eri, we don’t have a bed or blanket, so do you mind letting them rest on you for now? You three can use me as a pillow when I get back,” I say, entering the hut.

“R-Really!? I-I mean… yeah, I can do that,” Eris says, following behind me.

Hm? Was she that excited to act like a big sister to them?

Heh. I always knew she was the type.

“Anyway, keep them safe, and keep sharp. I’ll be around the area, so if anything happens, just yell, okay?” I say. “For now, here’s some water. I’ll get us some food, okay?”

She nods in response before suddenly frowning.

“But… why can’t I go hunt?” she asks.

“Because I’m stronger than you,” I explain.

That was the big thing. And while she was miffed about it, she couldn’t refute it, so she just pouted.

But that wasn’t the main reason. 

“And most importantly, I can use detoxification magic.”

Her expression morphs from dissatisfaction into confusion. “Why would that matter? Do you think they’ll have poison attacks or something?”

My lips stretch into a forced smile, “No, it’s because we don’t know what’s safe and good to eat, so I have to… do some trial runs, you could say.”

Luckily, I would easily be able to identify any poisonous or inedible things, and also keep myself safe from toxins, but the process would be gross.

After all, the spell I was planning to use worked by forcing the body to expel any harmful substances in the form of puking.

“But before that, I’ll need to add some security.”

Sending a blade of sharp wind across my hand, I slice a fairly deep cut before squeezing out the blood, letting it pool in my palm.

“What are you doing!?” Eris asks, her face blanched.

“Shh. Don’t worry, I’ll heal it after, okay?” I say.

Looking over to my sisters, I noticed that Norn was now awake and looking at me with surprise and worry. Her large green eyes focused on my bleeding hand, trembling slightly at the sight.

…That was something else I’d have to accept.

As much as I wanted to keep my sweet sisters innocent of the ugliness of the world, I don’t think I’d be able to create such an ideal scenario in our current situation.

Not only was it dangerous to be ignorant of such things, but I doubted I would be able to hide everything during our long and difficult journey back home.

Those two… they would have to grow up faster than I ever wanted them to.

“It’s fine, Norn. Just think of it as paint, okay?” I say, crouching down in front of her. “I’m gonna make a cool magic symbol that will keep you safe, okay? So don’t worry.”

Her slight trembling comes to a stop as she watches me draw onto the ground, with my blood as the ink.

What I said to her, while meant to calm her down, was not necessarily a lie.

You see, while I was quite bad at magic circles for most magic, due to their uselessness in combat and general control, there was one school where magic circles were forced into my head.

Protection magic.

As there were no chants for the Intermediate rank, I first needed to get a feel for the magic by observing how the magic circle worked, before memorizing it in my head and transforming that feeling into one of my own that I would then use to cast without an incantation or a magic circle.

It was complicated, and as a result, I still had trouble forming barriers to the Intermediate rank without an incantation. And even when I did create one, they would disappear soon after casting, especially when I was far away. 

So for the barrier to remain strong while I was outside, I would need to do this and go back to the basics.

The usual ingredient for magic circles was an ink made from crushed magic stone at its rawest form, and a bunch of other things mixed in as you got more expensive concoctions.

But as I figured out along my studies, blood was also able to be used for this task.

Blood was extremely good at conducting mana, as it was closely linked to the ‘mana veins’ that were in the body, or at least from what I had learned through training.

But while blood was good at conducting mana, that was only the case for me. Or rather, someone who had a fairly large magic power pool. Rudy would probably be an amazing ‘material’ considering his insane mana stores.

Anyway, I knew this by using a bit of Ghislaine’s blood and discovering how badly it performed as a magic circle’s ink.

But my blood, while good for mana conductivity, was still an inferior product to the regular magic circle ink, that was made with magic stones, as it quickly burned through its use.

This fact, alongside the ethics and the difficulty of getting a strong magician’s blood, was likely why magic ink remained the sole ingredient for making magic circles.

Anyway, while blood was an inferior product, it also had an added benefit that regular ink didn’t have.

That being the ability to pump it full of mana and have it work without a magic stone as a battery.

Having set up the barrier around the hut, I heal my hand before taking out my sword.

“All right. I’ll be back soon, okay? Get some sleep while you can, and once you get up, I’ll have some food,” I say to my sisters.

“You’re leaving?” Norn says, shaking a bit.

“Just for a little hunt. Just like Daddy sometimes did in the fall,” I say, rubbing her head. “I won’t be gone long, so just hang in there. Got it, Aisha?”

Her closed eyes widen, “Huh!? Umm, okay!”

Haa... While she tried to hide it, it was quite obvious that she was awake.

Did she do that so I would keep carrying her?

Such a little brat.

…She’s lucky she’s cute.

Getting back up, I create a small pot before filling it with water.

“Alright. I’m off.”

And with that, I then set out into the quickly darkening mountains. Hoping that I would quickly find some food, and if I was lucky, some fur I could make into a sleeping mat too.

—-- Eris Boreas Greyrat —--

I had been teleported away from home, whisked away in an instant.

One moment, there was that masked guy who attacked Rudeus, and then he fought with Ghislaine and Leon, and a moment later, I found myself on the mountainside of an unknown land. 

According to Leon, this unknown land was the Demon Continent.

I had heard about this place, from both Leon and Ghislaine. Mainly about how dangerous it was.

It was a land of monsters. And strong ones too. Monsters you would expect to find in a dungeon or a labyrinth in the Central Continent roamed the surface like it was nothing.

Dangerous. Even for someone who loved adventure like me.

But luckily, I wasn’t alone.

I had Leon, the most reliable person in the world, and one I could trust to protect me. And also… his sisters.

They were cute, but they wouldn’t help much in this situation. If anything, they would be a hindrance.

But I would keep them safe, just like I promised Leon. 

After all, for all the times I had relied on him and made his life harder, now… I could help him. 

He trusted me. 

He needed me.

There was no chance I would let this moment slip by.

I would probably- no, knowing me, I would definitely end up relying on Leon for our journey home, but if I could just support him… just make his life easier, by a minuscule amount… it’d bring me immense relief.

With the two children sleeping on my crossed legs, I keep my eye trained on the hole in the hut, waiting for Leon to come back and keeping my senses sharp.

I was worried, but most importantly, impatient.

I wanted to do something productive. Whether that meant stirring a pot, surveying the land, or even sleeping, it didn’t matter. I just hated sitting still like this.

As if my prayers had been heard and answered, Leon appeared from the entrance, his clothes drenched in blood and his hair dripping with sweat as he set the room alight in a pale flame held at the tip of his finger.

Ignoring the annoyance that was bubbling to the surface at the sight, I greeted him, “You’re back! Did you… get anything?”

He nods, “Yeah. I got a few monsters, but I only brought three different corpses back. I decided it would be better to get them butchered here since I could keep watch. But first… this.”

He then lays out a rolled-up mat of fur.

“It’s not the best, as I had to roughly clean it with magic, but it should be better than the ground,” Leon says before turning around. “I’m going to go test the meat.”

“Wait. I’ll go with you,” I say.

“No,” he shakes his head. “Just start getting some sleep, okay? Even if it’s fine to eat, it doesn’t mean it won’t be disgusting, so I’ll have to find a way to make it edible.”

“And? What does that have to do with anything?” I ask.

“It means I’ll be up for a while, so you should get some sleep. We’ll be going again in the morning,” he says.

“But…” my voice trembles. “What about you?”

He looks my way, eyebrows arched in surprise before his face calmed into a smile.

“Sorry,” he says, “I guess I did promise that I’d be your pillow, huh? The fur should be enough, but I’ll try to finish early anyway.”

“That’s not…” I felt annoyed, different from the usual feeling I felt around him, but I decided to swallow it down. “Never mind. Just… you need sleep too, okay?” I say.

He shrugs, “Maybe, but it’s getting pretty cold. Unless I suddenly find some fuel, I’m going to have to keep a flame going. But… thanks, Eri.”

As he headed back outside, I then lay down Norn and Aisha on the makeshift rug, with Norn clutching her teddy close and Aisha curling into a ball as they continued sleeping soundly.

Hmm… I kind of wanted to practice my swordsmanship, but I think it would be better to get some rest, just like Leon told me.

But ugh… the ground? Even adventurers have a bedroll or something similar.

I guess this won’t be as fun as I imagined, huh? 

Oh, but I could always use my shirt as a pillow.

But then I’d be left in my bra… okay, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

I would want to show him that just yet-

“Blegh! H-Hughhh!”

Hearing the retching sound, I quickly shot up before crawling over to the entryway to see what was happening.

As I peek my head around the hut’s walls, I come across the sight of Leon hunched over, wiping a trail of puke and saliva from his lips.

“Ahh, fuck. I guess that one’s a no, huh? At least it got us the fur…” he laments with a frown.

“L-Leon?” I say hesitantly.

“Hm?” he turns to face me. “Didn’t I say to go to sleep? It’s not anything interesting-”

“Not that, you idiot!” I shout. 

Not loud enough to wake the sleeping girls, hopefully, but loud enough to convey my seriousness and annoyance.

“I… I’m worried about you! You idiot! Why are you… why?” I say, my voice cracking at the end.

His lips curl into a frown as he generates a large ball of flames, before shooting it at the skinned corpse and setting it on fire.

“Expel Toxins is an Advanced rank detoxification spell that can remove any poisons from the body, no matter how powerful, as long as they aren’t digested by, well, you can get the picture. It makes you puke it out,” he explains. “Since I don’t know what is safe to eat here, I can’t take any risks. Especially since my sisters are fragile. And as you can see,” he gestures to the puddle of chewed-up food and bile. “It seems I was right to be cautious.”

I… I got it. I understood. 

After all, with all those times we bought food from street stalls, he always put into my mind how food could be poisoned, even without anyone meaning to.

But still! I… seeing him do this… I hate it.

“Can you… not? We can wait until we meet some locals, right?” I plead.

“Sorry, but I don’t think we can,” he refutes. “Not only do we not know when we’ll meet anyone, but who is to say they would know what’s safe for humans? This is the Demon Continent, after all.”

Looking toward me with a sad smile, he then walks over before crouching in front of me and pulling me into a hug.

“It doesn’t hurt, Eri. It’s just a little gross. So… don’t worry about me too much, okay?” he soothes. “Just the thought alone makes me happy.”

Dammit. How… how could I not worry?

Why couldn’t he understand how much I hated it!?

He was so! So stupid!

“But you’re right. There’s no need to do it right now.”

…Huh? But… didn’t he say he wanted to have a meal ready for tomorrow?

Getting up, he starts heading inside, pulling my arm along with him.

“Let’s head to bed, Eri. It’ll be a tough day tomorrow.”

I was still confused, but just like usual, I went along with his pace, letting him lead me into the hut as he sat down next to his sisters.

“They’re knocked out, huh? Well, that’s to be expected. It’s been a big day, after all,” Leon says, a loving smile on his face as he brushed the hair out of Aisha’s eyes. “Hmm… I should probably close the door, huh?”

And then, with him placing his hand on the ground, a wall of earth rises to cover the entryway, leaving us in pitch-black darkness.

At least, it was like that before Leon’s hands were set alight with flames.

“There. That’s good,” he says with a nod.

With the room bathed in a warm glow, and a warm temperature, Leon then sits down, pulling his sisters closer to him before looking at me.

“What are you waiting for?” he asks, patting his leg. “Sleep is important, you know.”

My voice gets caught in my throat.

I wanted to ask how he was, how he felt… to let his worries loose on me when his sisters were asleep. 

I wanted to ask why he was sitting like that if he was going to lie down and sleep, and what we would do tomorrow. 

But with such an invitation… all those questions and worries melted away, leaving me only with a feeling of want.

Of need.

And as I had always done… I blindly followed my instincts.

“T-Thank you… and… goodnight,” I say, letting my head rest against his thigh.

“Don’t worry about it. Have a good sleep, Eri,” he says, letting his hand run through my hair.

It felt nice. I felt… safe. Loved.

And so, feeling my eyes become heavy, I cuddle closer as I prepare for sleep, thinking about today’s events and possible future ones.

Yes… I would definitely end up relying on Leon. And knowing him, quite a lot too.

After all, I was already doing so, and even going as far as to indulge in these small comforts.

But… in exchange, I would keep his sisters safe.

And when he needed it… when he wanted it… I’d keep Leon safe too. I’d support him with my all, just like he’s done for me.

Promising myself such, I closed my eyes before quickly drifting off to sleep.