Karen awakened a short while after the tornado disappeared.

  「Uu…..this is……」


  「Yo, how are you feeling?」


  She seemed fatigued, but from her voice it looks like she was back to normal.

  「Haa, thank goodness, Karen ——!」


  「Princess Athena…and…Dacihi…….? Huh…….what was I….uuu!?」


  She placed her hand on her head as she unsteadily stood.

  I had healed her using the potions stored in the armor, but it seems she still had a headache.

  「Are you ok?」


  「Wh-Yes. This is……..simply pain from overusing my magic. After that one blow—–wait that one blow………!? Th-that’s right, I remember!」


  Halfway through, Karen opened her eyes wide.

  She hugged herself while trembling.

  「I was, controlled…..I was so afraid…then I felt my survival instincts kick in…part of my consciousness was reawakened then…….what happened during the spirits’ rampage!? Is the town safe!?」


  As she talked through the mess in her head, Karen asked me.

  Maybe prioritizing their friends and other people is a characteristic of Dragon Kings I thought and answered her.

  「The town is alright. All the spirits have been captured…..in fact they’re holding me….」


  I said and looked down. There…


  「Fu~」「Sui~」「Sha~」「Guu~」


  The Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind Spirits were all clutching onto my legs.

  「This is the pendant right? I picked it up over there.」


  I handed the pendant back to Karen.

  However, the pendant’s color was no longer pitch black like before…it was crystal clear…practically transparent.

  「It’s not broken right?」


  「Wa…yes……amazing, the magic of the rampaging spirits was completely used up….it’s amazing that I was able to survive an attack of such power….」


  Karen shook as she said that.

  I could even see it from here. She was shaking from head to toe. Was she that scared?

  「…..well, I thought I adjusted the power appropriately though…..」


  「Huh?」


  I said and Karen suddenly reacted.

  「A-adjusted…….that? Adjusted it so that the spirits’ power would be used up….without killing me?」


  「Yeah.」


  I would feel really bad if someone I knew died like that.

  That’s why I did my absolute best to adjust the power to only get rid of the tornado.

  「But still…there was more power than I thought and you got caught up in it…I’m sorry you got blown away and hurt a bit…」


  「N-no, please I don’t really mind that but……I hadn’t thought I’d be able to return from this situation alive…for this to be possible……..」


  Karen appeared dumbfounded as she turned to look at Hesty who tottered over.

  In her hand was the mallet (basically he made a pile bunker) which I had fired out from my armor.

  「…….here, look at this. The power, of this magic stone, has only been, half used.」


  Hesty said while patting the mallet.

  She could tell just by looking at it…amazing.

  「n, normally, if the magic stone, has all its power used, the color will change.」


  「Is that so?」


  「You didn’t know that, when you, used it? Could this, be the first, time you’ve used, it?」


  「No, I’ve done a couple trial runs. It’s just that its power is really strong.」


  I had tested it at about 60% power in the basement under the store, but it opened a huge hole in the ground.

  「…..somehow I feel like the direction was a little off, but I’m glad I was able to use it properly.」


  Originally I had made it to make apple juicing easier…it was for cooking, but it was too powerful. I was a bit sad about that, but since it was useful here, then it all turned out well.

  「Well, thanks to the trial I was able to control the power. It’s about two times the power of Hesty’s breath maybe?」


  「No no no, I can’t output, that much, at once.」


  Hesty said while shaking her head, she then came over and touched my hand.

  「……You, did very well in controlling, the power. If you were unable, to judge your, opponent’s power, this result would be, impossible.」


  「Woah, I was praised by Hesty-sensei…I’m happy.」


  Compared to when I first came to this world I was getting used to things.

  I was glad that I was finally able to control things properly. As I was thinking that…


  「Daichi………」


  Karen approached unsteadily.

  She had her hands against her stomach as she swayed while looking at me.

  「Hm? What’s up?」


  「Daichi…I want to have a match against you someday….!」


  Karen said, eyes shining with a feverish glow.

  「No…I’m not really into sports…Ok?」


  「No, that power. It’s been a while since I’ve been so fired up…! All day long, locking eyes with each other, facing power with power, magic with magic, I want to have a match….! How wonderful…with a man…that I can’t defeat…wonderful…!!!」


  She said with a burning gaze.

  Honestly it’s a bit troubling.

  「…Hesty, could you say something to her?」


  「You defeated, the very competitive, Karen, it can’t be helped. It’s something like, what happened with Anne, and me.」


  Oioi! I shiver to think that she might follow me around exactly like Anne.

  「I kind of suspected that was the case…but it really came true.」


  「What do mean by that?」 (Karen)

  「After all, he’s Karen’s ideal man. She has always been, looking for someone who could, come at her head on, and defeat her.」


  Her ideal is too dangerous.

  She’s been looking for someone like that?

  「The reason that, she has gone around as a, bodyguard and teacher, are all to search for a person, who can do just that…….and now, she’s found you.」


  Wait, I don’t remember trying to raise these flags for this route.

  「You did it, so it can’t be helped……basically you can ignore, her I think. Most Dragon Kings know right, from wrong.」


  「Really…..?」


  Looking at Anne’s eccentric behavior I find it hard to believe that.

  Well, in front of people she doesn’t know she acts properly I suppose.

  「That’s right Daichi. If it will cause trouble I won’t lock eyes and hit our magic power against each other! The moment you think it’s annoying I’ll stop, you can basically just ignore it…it’s fine!」


  「Ha, haa……this is the first time I’ve seen Karen be so passionate…..」


  I think this is a little stranger than just being passionate.

  「Well as long as you don’t cause me any trouble…fine…」


  If she does as she says, then I have nothing to say.

  「Be that as it is……..the big problem’s been solved right? Let’s head back.」


  And so we headed back into town under the light of the setting sun.