Chapter 2: The Unspoken Power

Raphilia.

A few dozen more characters were needed to truly address her, but for now, the hero and his companions called her by that name.

Raphilia, the mischievous princess of Wigdrasil, the noble kingdom of the elves. She had a more active and lively personality compared to the hero or the others.

So, even though she joined later than the saintess and the knight, she took on the role of speaking first about the new party member.

“Even if you’re the leader, you should discuss things with us!”

So, first, the elf. The next to speak was the saintess.

“Hmm, the hero did say he needed a mage…but I didn’t expect to meet one so soon.”

The saintess, Aria, looked alternately at the elf archer and the knight with a troubled expression. She was the only one in this party who had journeyed with the hero from the very beginning.

Therefore, in terms of heroine seniority(?), she could be considered the one who had been with the hero the longest.

“Raphilia, calm down. Aswell must have had a reason. Of course, it has to be a reason we can agree with.”

Lastly, the female knight leaned against the wall and spoke with a cool gaze.

Serin Kint. A skilled knight who became a quasi-noble through her own achievements, and even the hero’s first teacher. She was the heroine who showed the most mature side within the party.

“If there’s anything we don’t like, we’ll absolutely oppose it!”

“Hmm, Lia. Calm down. I’ll explain everything.”

Ah, truly the king of the harem. Nicknames flowed out of him as easily as breathing. Raphilia’s anger immediately subsided.

“Ugh.”

“Um… Rui? Would you mind if we talked with my companions for a bit?”

“Sure. Take your time.”

Since the hero had already accepted her, the possibility of them parting ways again was practically zero.

Because there was a heroine who faced much stronger opposition than her.

That heroine, despite not being particularly desired by the other heroines or even the hero himself, eventually joined the party.

So, would she, who had proven her worth, be rejected from joining the party due to the heroines’ opposition? Such a thing couldn’t happen.

While the hero went upstairs with the three, she sat on a chair and summoned a pen from a rift in space.

Since the conversation seemed like it would take a while, she planned to continue her research in the meantime.

“Hmm, let’s skip this part for now. The equation needed for the next process is…”

As the pen moved, glowing letters began to appear in the air, and soon she was able to concentrate on her research to the point where she couldn’t hear the surrounding sounds.

Saintess Aria.
Elf Princess Raphilia.
Female Knight Serin.

These three had different backgrounds, personalities, and appearances, but they shared one thing in common.

They all liked Aswell, the leader of this party, the hero.

Unfortunately, due to Aswell’s lack of awareness despite his other abilities, none of them had confessed their feelings directly, but they hadn’t given up either.

As time passed, they became aware of each other’s feelings and made a promise.

– Let’s not fight amongst ourselves since there might be new companions joining us in the future.

In any case, this party was formed to defeat the Demon King and the demons.

So, if the party were to split up just because of love, the one who would suffer the most would be none other than the hero, Aswell.

Therefore, the three of them maintained a precarious united front and strived to capture Aswell’s heart.

Then, it finally happened.

The arrival of a new companion.

And the moment they saw the new woman who called herself a mage, the three of them were quite shocked.

“Um… Aswell, before we talk, I have one question…”

“What is it?”

“Is it… um… do you prefer small ones…?”

Compared to the three, who all had chests of comparable size, the new mage’s were quite small.

– The hero didn’t notice their affections.
– Do they not like something about us?
– A new companion has arrived? But… she’s small?
– Wait, the hero brought her directly? Don’t tell me…

The result of dozens of agonizing thoughts led to a single speculation.

Could it be that the hero had that kind of preference?

If that were true, it meant the three of them had no chance from the beginning.

Perhaps because of that, they stared at the hero’s mouth with tension.

“Small? What do you mean?”

“No… um…”

“Ah, you didn’t find her yourself?”

“Uh… that’s right? I didn’t know Rui before.”

“Aha…”

The three of them sighed in relief at the same time.

It wasn’t confirmed, but they were relieved that at least he hadn’t revealed any particular preferences.

“…But then it’s even more puzzling. Serin, Raphilia, and I have had plenty of time to assess each other’s skills and build trust.”

Aria looked at Aswell with a worried gaze. She was worried about the more fundamental aspects, like the trust and minimum level of skill that party members should possess.

“Aria is right. Aswell, you were too hasty this time.”

They had to reach the Demon King’s castle in the end. Even though they had grown a lot during their year-long journey, that was only possible because they had the basic talent and skills to back it up.

Serin, who was also the hero’s teacher, pointed this out and criticized Aswell’s actions.

Receiving three gazes filled with worry and distrust, Aswell smiled gently.

“Everyone, I know you’re worried. How could I not know, after fighting and struggling together for a year?”

Then why don’t you know our hearts! The three of them barely managed to suppress their desire to speak out.

“But, despite that, there’s a reason why I quickly recruited Rui as a companion, without even hearing your opinions.”

“What is it?”

“While I was talking with Rui, she did something.”

Aswell recalled what had happened earlier. She had done it with an ordinary expression, as if she were breathing or biting into a piece of fruit, but Aswell couldn’t be so casual about it.

“You know about subspace, right?”

“Subspace? Like a space within a space, a small dimension, and so on?”

Raphilia, who had the best understanding of magic among the three, answered.

“Right. Lia, can you explain subspace to the other two?”

“Hmm~ Simply put, it’s a magic that creates a small space that only the caster can use. The form of the space isn’t fixed, and it takes the shape the caster desires.”

“So what? Is it a difficult spell?”

“Difficult…is it? Anyway, you have to reach a certain level to understand the knowledge of space…I think that’s how it was. But Aswell, subspace alone doesn’t prove someone’s skill.”

Subspace magic was a difficult spell. However, it wasn’t a spell that only a very limited few could use.

If they were to recruit mages based on the condition of knowing subspace magic, they would receive hundreds of applications. It was a surprisingly common spell.

Then, Aswell, with an expression of disbelief, recounted the situation.

“Like Lia said, subspace magic is treated like that. But Rui…she cast subspace magic without a magic circle or chanting.”

“…What?”

“As if taking something out of a pocket, she just flicked her hand to the side, and space split open, showing me a subspace filled with magic tools. She didn’t even seem to be struggling.”

“…Is that even possible?”

“Um…I don’t know much about magic, but I thought you had to chant a spell or create a circle to activate it?”

Even Aria, who had almost no knowledge of magic, said that.

So, it was natural for Raphilia, who knew the limits of magic in more detail, to hesitate.

If she could cast subspace magic without the supposedly essential magic circle and chanting, what about other magic? What about the various magic tools she possessed?

Raphilia swallowed unconsciously. She had been feeling slightly limited by being solely responsible for long-range support.

“Rui said that while showing me that. She added that she couldn’t provide the large-scale firepower we needed. Instead, she said she would manage the weapons and equipment we use.”

“Now that you mention it, my armor has been feeling a little tight lately…”

Serin adjusted her armor, imagining the mage downstairs. That frail body and face, working on equipment like a blacksmith? It was hard to imagine.

“Um… so, did Rui come all the way here to help us?”

“No, she had three conditions for joining us.”

Three conditions?

At those words, Raphilia, who had been momentarily stunned, opened her mouth.

“I knew it! She wanted something! Surely she has ulterior motives for Aswell—!”

“She wants the byproducts of the monsters we kill in battle. Oh, and she asked to be excused from cooking and night watch duty.”

“…Huh.”

After finishing, Aswell coughed to get the three’s attention.

“I felt something when I saw Rui using magic. That I had to bring her in as a companion. If we do, our journey will become much better.”

Blue eyes filled with the hero’s will.

Unfortunately, no one could object after seeing those eyes.

“Hmm… well. If you say so…”

“You’re the leader, Hero…”

“…I’ll keep an eye on her in my own way.”

Aswell, judging that the discussion had finally concluded, gave his thanks with a cheerful smile.

“Thank you!”

The four of them went down the stairs to tell Rui, who was waiting downstairs, the news.

“Rui, we succeeded in persuading them! So now you’re officially a member of our party…”

“…What the…”

What they saw when they went down was a single scene.

A girl with snow-white hair that reached her waist. She was asleep, leaning against a desk, wearing a robe bigger than her body, and holding an antique pen in her right hand.

But what they saw wasn’t her, but what was above her.
Hundreds of golden letters floated in the air, forming dozens of sentences.

Among the storm of letters, various devices and materials revolved, and in the center, they intertwined and even seemed to create something.

A truly surreal sight.

It completely shattered the four’s perception that magic was simply summoning elements to attack enemies.

The girl who seemed to have created this spectacle was asleep. Then, as the magic made a clear, ringing sound, its owner rubbed her eyes and woke up.

Then, seeing the four looking at her, she spoke in a nonchalant tone.

“Are you done talking?