I Was Called Incompetent ch.81

Weekly chapters (2/2)

Double chapters!

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Episode 81: Prydwen

As the silver shield shone in bright light, it transformed into a man wearing knightly armor.
His hair, eyes, and armor are all silver. He knelt to me on the spot 

[This shouldst beest the first timeth I beareth the sight of Milord’s form…mine own everything…at thy service…]

[Ah, yes…nice to meet you, Prydwen.]

The finely chiseled face and tall body gave me a strong and reliable impression. But contrary to his appearance, his voice was small and uninspired.
Lacking confidence… If I had to say so myself.

[Maybe it’s because of the cold, so I guess it’s alright. So, sorry to be abrupt, but… we need your power to transform into a ship.]

[Ah… c’rtainly… to traveleth through the snow…]

Prydwen replied with a slightly saddened look on his face.
This man is so tall that even when he’s hunching down, he’s still a head taller than me.
After another sigh, he confessed his problem dispiritedly.

[I…I has’t never been hath used properly as a shield at which hour Arthur wield’d me… I am quite sturdy, but… Excalibur is simply too powerful… so unfair, thee seeth? Arthur couldst just rewind timeth if ‘t be true that he doth take a hit… which means…that he didst not coequal needeth a shield to beginneth with.  Not yond I misprise it.  T’is just…unfair….  Ah, pardon me f’r babbling nonsense…] 

I, uh, I see now… so that’s why he’s like this.
Apparently, Excalibur had accidentally caused him to lose his confidence as a shield… hmm, when did I hear this kind of story before?
I have to help him regain his confidence… sort of.

[Prydwen… that’s surprising.]

[Nn…? P, pard’n me?]

[No… I mean, when I first saw you, I thought that you were a good shield. Fit to fight together… something about you just makes me think so.]

[M…Milord! T, truly!?]

Prydwen bit into it at once.
But I wasn’t lying when I said I thought he’s a good shield.
One strong enough to fend off most attacks.

[Truly. But we won’t be fighting anyone if we don’t move from here… Therefore I require your help. And Prydwen…whether as a ship or a shield, the fact that you are good would not change. You are a shield, but… there is no other shield in this world that can turn into a ship. You are the only one in the entire world. So stand tall and be more confident with yourself, will you?]

[Milord, I…]

Tears were shed and Prydwen’s tall body trembled.
Once he wiped his eyes, he looked at me with a powerful gaze and an expression much different than earlier.

[Understood….! Prithee stepeth backeth a dram!]

As he said so, Prydwen placed his shield on the snow-clad ground.
Then as soon as his hand left the shield, it transformed into a ship before our own eyes.
No, can that even be called a ship…?

[I has’t madeth t big enow to accommodate up to five people! Now, prithee, climb aboard!]

The ‘ship’ was shaped like two or more enlarged shields stacked on top of each other.
Since it was covered in shields, it can also be used as a cover from attacks coming from outside.
No wonder the ship had saved the hero Arthur from many predicaments.

[Ho, a ship that is also a shield… This is wonderful, Prydwen.]

[So, we can ride inside…Not bad at all!]

[With this I can save up my magic power… amazing, Prydwen-san!]

Hearing everyone’s compliment, the man was shaken.
Prydwen straightened his back and puffed his chest, then bravely shouted.

[Prydwen is mine nameth! This sacred shield shalt protecteth mine own kind Lord in his journey! Within mine own ark yond prevents all harm… all obstacles shalt beest overcome! Stormforth… to reclaim Milord’s most precious!!]

The voice was full of energy and confidence.

[Thank you, Prydwen. As for the direction, I beseech you… Lichtweishe!]

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Holy Staff Lichtweishe

A sacred staff made by the Gods.
A beautiful staff that has become an object of worship since ancient times.

It can purify evil and will show the right path for its wielder.　
By watching the black light that is emitted from its head, its wielder can prevent themselves from falling into a disastrous situation.

Rank: 【ＳＳ】
Ability: 【Ｓ】

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(TL Note: リッヒヴェーク　聖杖. We don’t have any idea what kind and which lore this holy staff came from, if you know, feel free to drop it on comment section below.)

In response to my call, a beautiful ornate staff emerged from the notebook.
As soon as I poured magic power in, the gem on the head of the staff lit up, releasing black light in a direction.
According to the note, the threat can be avoided by staying away from the direction of the black light.
We don’t know how many monsters lurk in the forest ahead. Neither do we know how many are allied to the demonkin.  Not to mention that fighting them might alert the demons, we didn’t have enough time to spare to kill them every time.
With Lichtweishe’s power, we can avoid unnecessary battles.

[Yosh, Prydwen… let’s go!]

[Leaveth ‘t to me! Onward!]

As he placed his hands on the ship’s floor and circulated his magic power into it, the shield ship began to move quietly as if sliding through the snow.
From the inside, the outside view was still visible albeit faintly so we can still watch the surroundings while moving. 
This is convenient… not only did we no longer feel cold, but it’s also quite fast.

[Rest assured, Milord.  I shalt carryeth thee to the destination safely.]

Unlike when we first saw him, Prydwen was full of confidence right now.
As he clenched his fist strongly, he smiled. A dependable radiance now shone on his face.
That and the speeding scenery made me excited.
Calm… calm down…
Let it all out when the time is right.
Levi… it’s my turn this time.

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Four Houses.
It is a general term that represents the four strongest people under the Demon King.
Although hidden behind the Demon King Zeno, who is touted as the strongest in history, each one has outstanding combat power.
It is said that each one can rival an SSS-rank adventurer in combat.

The passionate Carla.
The cruel Bernstein.
The young and evil Amy.
And lastly, the strongest among the four, Hadras.

Each one has unique magecraft and is the most trusted aide to the Demon king.
And all of them are in turn loyal to the Demon King due to respect for his overwhelming power.
The four houses are allowed to roam freely.
Hadras and Amy got along well as the two had often traveled together through the human territory to learn about the latest news.
Carla was the army commander, eager to train the soldiers day and night.
Bernstein likes to act alone. He also has a hobby of fighting strong people.

They were the ones behind the attacks on towns with titled monsters. They’re also responsible for collecting information on human territory.
They had subordinates, but they’re not the type to just wait behind the table for a report. They often infiltrated Valhalla personally.
And while reassuring that the time is ripe to invade the human continent, they ended up also finding Levi.

Hadras and Amy used Airy to steal some strands of Levi’s hair during the adventurer fighting tournament.
It was of course to confirm Levi’s identity. At the same time, to investigate her companion, Rhode.
The tracking ability used by the demons under his control was used to grasp Rhode’s position to some extent.

After leaving Celt, Hadras found out that Levi and Rhode were heading back to Ist. So they hired Airy once more.
Once they lowered their vigilance, Hadras and Amy struck out, managing to kidnap Levi without harming anyone.
At that point, Airy, who had no further use, was devoured by Amy, effectively erasing the woman’s presence. Despite knowing that both Amy and Hadras are demons, she still willingly worked with them due to the allure of wealth. Let’s just say that it’s just her desserts.

With Levi captured, all four houses immediately returned to Inhelm after finishing their tasks in Valhalla.
The four people meet together basically only during an audience with the Demon King.
Therefore, they rarely exchanged words with each other. To the point that it was hundreds of years ago the four gathered together outside of the audience.

[It has been a long time; to have all of us standing here.]

Hadras opened with a smile.
He has a soft demeanor for a demon, belying his capability as a Demon King candidate.
However, everyone here knows full well his excellence in combat. 

[Seeing your face is getting tiring though.]

[Ha… I miss your couple’s antics.]

Bernstein laughed as he said so.
The same person had slaughtered who-knows-how-many well-known adventurers, weakening the power of humankind in the process to the point he gained a second name.

[Who is the couple! Are you kidding me!?]

[As usual, you all. You all seem so easy going there…be a little nervous, will you?]

The voice that sounded amazed came from Carla.
Contrary to her beautiful appearance, her fierce behavior when fighting would deter not only humans but also demons.

[You’re still as stiff as ever, Carla. Are you already itching to go training right away? The soldiers were scared every time they saw you.]

[Chi….! Those weaklings….!]

[Haha! Come on now, we don’t gather up here to talk about that. Rebecca’s reeducation isn’t going so well… but it’s progressing. We might need to make preparations.]

[Stupid woman. She escaped, only to be captured and molded into something that was not her… all the proof of how she’s been living up until now will be gone.] 

[What a waste of a demon. If it were up to me, I would’ve cut her down and be done with it…]

[Relax. She’ll be a puppet for His Majesty Demon King, a monster who will slaughter the human she originally loved. That will be enough punishment for her escape.]

[That’s right. After all, no one can escape from fate. No matter where or how the demons live, we are still demons. Well, I’m glad she was alive. Because of that, we can destroy humans. Thank you Rebecca. . You are the light of hope that kills humans… No, darkness suits better, I guess?]

All four had distorted smiles on their faces.
It didn’t matter to them what happened to Levi.
What they cared about was that they’ve obtained another tool to kill humans.
The time limit is just around the corner.