Forbidden Master – Part 9/Chapter 435

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Chapter 435 – Do Nothing

It was a desolate land ravaged by a natural disaster.

Yet, the people living there worked energetically toward rebuilding.

They all shared the same thought, “We will revive this land once more”.

This was because they wanted to be able to welcome their loved ones with pride when they eventually returned to this land.

However, in the midst of all this……

　

“Punch! Punch! Punch!”

　

A little girl, wearing cotton-padded gloves, was hitting a sandbag hung from a tree.

Her small cheeks were puffed out in displeasure, and her eyes were swollen from crying a lot.

　

“The High Priestess, the Goddess, and Older brother…… even Sister Shinobu are all liars! Dummies! Punch! Punch!”

　

The girl, Amae, was venting her frustration by repeatedly pounding the sandbag.

This wasn’t training or anything like that, it was simply a rage-fueled display of stress relief.

Her family and friends watched over her with strained expressions and wry smiles.

　

“Ah, haha, Amae, maybe it’s time to stop? Look, let’s play that string game Shinobu left behind. Or maybe the spinning top? Big Sis will play with you. Uncle Machio too, right?”

“Um, well. I’m done with today’s workload and my training, so I’ll join you.”

　

For the past few days, Amae has been crying, grumpy, sulking, and has even started lashing out at objects.

At first, her older sister Tsukshi had left her be, thinking “If it distracts her even a little…”, but seeing how Amae’s punches, though childish, were starting to pack a real punch, she felt it was becoming a problem.

　

“…No. Big sister is clumsy. Uncle cuts the string, and when we play with the tops, he puts holes in the ground.”

“Ugh……”

　

She sensed a crisis—if she didn’t somehow cheer Amae up, the girl might become twisted. However, Amae, completely sulking, showed little willingness to open up.

　

“A, Amae, I’ll be your big sister and play with you! How about it? Since you’re Earth’s little sister, you’re like a little sister to me too!”

“…… Phianse?”

“Um, yes, that’s right! W, well, you see, though I am currently… way behind, nothing much yet… still, someday in the future, Earth and I――――”

“No way! Older brother’s bride is the goddess. Phianse, no way!”

“Hagh!?”

“Older brother’s bride is the goddess! Next are Sister Shinobu and Sister Sadiz!”

“H, hold on, that’s bigamy! That’s not allowed, Amae! Or wait, even with bigamy, am I still not included!?”

　

And so, Phianse, who desperately wanted to deepen her bond with Amae, struggled because she was clumsy at such things.

　

“Ugh…… I can’t even open or heal the heart of a child… I’m still as immature as ever……”

“How pitiful…… Phianse……”

“Don’t say that, Rebal. The princess is doing her best…… With the reconstruction work and her training, she should be completely exhausted… And she has so many other things on her mind……”

　

Seeing Phianse tearfully struggling like this, Rebal and Fu couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her as her childhood friends.

However, although the atmosphere might seem laughable to an outsider, Phianse suddenly sighed……

　

“That’s true… Fu…… There are mountains of things weighing on my mind…… You must feel the same, right? I understand your worry, but why don’t you get some rest too?”

“U, un…… I know… but… but I just can’t sleep much.”

“Fu…… so, you still haven’t received any telepathic messages either? From Lord Benlinerve…….”

“…… no……”

“…… I see…… I pressed Father about it too, but he wouldn’t tell me anything. He even forbade me from getting involved with matters concerning Japone…….”

　

Phianse bit her lip with a complicated expression on her face, while Fu nodded, his eyes heavy with worry, dark circles forming beneath them.

　

“The joint investigation team with the Demon Realm went missing in Japone… there’s been no progress… and apparently the political situation within Japone is turbulent… I’m sure that’s also why Shinobu disappeared without a word……”

“Yes. I’ve told Father about Shinobu too. He said he is currently gathering information through his close acquaintance, Lord Mikado, and Master Koujiro of the Seven Heroes, but……”

　

Phianse and the others, who were staying in Cacretale, had also heard about the trouble that had occurred in Japone, where the joint investigation team from the Empire and the Demon Realm had gone missing.

Moreover, the leader of the Imperial investigation team was Benlinerve, one of the Seven Heroes and Fu’s father.

Shinobu’s disappearance must also be connected to the Japone incident. It was impossible not to be concerned.

　

“At first, I thought Shinobu stole a head-start to chase after Earth. But her vanishing at this timing… it’s almost certainly because something happened in Japone…….”

“That’s right. Shinobu seemed to live life as she pleased, freely and unrestricted. The fact that she prioritized this over chasing Earth or honing her own skills… when I think about it……”

　

Since Cacretale is a closed country, regular news sources like newspapers didn’t reach them. All information came only after contact from the Empire and inevitably arrived late.

Originally, Fu had wanted to go to Japone alone, but with the Empire also warning him, he found himself unable to move, growing increasingly restless.

　

“You two are both overthinking this.”

　

However, Rebal, unusually, calmed the two of them.

　

“Lord Benlinerve is an Archmage who made his mark in history as one of the Seven Heroes…… no matter what trouble he faces, he is not the type to fall easily.”

“Rebal ……”

“More importantly, Fu. Rather than worrying, you should focus on what you were told: ‘Do nothing’. If we possessed true strength, the kind that wouldn’t cause anyone to worry… His Majesty would surely have ordered us to go to Japone immediately… The fact that he hasn’t given us that order means that we are still considered powerless.”

　

Fu hung his head at Rebal’s words. Phianse also accepted it.

　

“The Demon Realm investigation team has Norja, one of the Six Supremacy…… A being on a par with Paripi, who we couldn’t lay a finger on even when we banded together…… The Seven Heroes are meant to be the counterparts to the Six Supremacy…… as we are now, we’ll just be in the way…… a hindrance…… we have no choice but to acknowledge that.”

　

Rebal was naturally worried about Benlinerve, the father of his childhood friend and someone who had taken care of him since he was a child.

However, since they had been explicitly told, “Do nothing,” they had no choice but to acknowledge that, as they were now, there was nothing they themselves could do.

So, what were they, who could do nothing, supposed to do?

　

“Yeah, that’s right, Rebal… You’re absolutely right……”

“Then you should rest. Adequate rest is also a part of training. Didn’t Mr. Machio and Master both say that? In your current state, it’d be counterproductive. If you keep going like this, you’ll be the only one left behind.”

“Ahaha, I wouldn’t want that… yeah… I get it. I want to get stronger, after all. I wouldn’t want to stay weak if… if someday His Majesty the Emperor says, ‘Go after all’……”

　

What they could do. They had no choice but to prepare by becoming stronger, even just a little, as quickly as possible.

Fu was also aware of this and decided to rest for a while.

But before that……

　

“Hey…… Rebal…….”

“What?”

“Still…… if it was Earth… not the Earth from childhood, not the Earth from the Academy… but the Earth who keeps charging forward now… what would he have done? Would he have ignored the warning and gone to Japone anyway?”

　

What would Earth, who had been at the center pulling them along since childhood, do? What would the current Earth, who was charging ever forward to heights far above where they stood now, do?

At that question, Rebal pouted and…….

　

“Unlike us, he has the right to choose what to do with his strength. After all, he not only defeated the Six Supremacy, he made them his subordinates…”

“Haha, that’s right.”

　

Fu and even Phianse couldn’t help but laugh at Rebal’s uncharacteristically sulky words.

That’s right. While they themselves had no choice but to act this way now, the current Earth could choose his path. Both Phianse and Fu came to the realization that this difference likely reflected the gap in their current power levels.

　

“That’s enough!”

　

And then, it happened.

　

“Hmm? Amae?”

　

Amae, who had been taking out her frustration on the sandbag and giving everyone trying to soothe her the cold shoulder, suddenly raised her voice.

Phianse, who was also one of the people rejected, turned around without thinking……

　

“Amae’s going to get even stronger! I’m going to Vasu’s place and get him to make me stronger!”

“Wait, Amaeeeee!”

　

Seeing Amae’s small figure running toward Vasalar’s place, determined to become stronger in her own way, Phianse and the others broke into wry smiles and chased after her.

　

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