Chapter 37 – 38

Chapter 37 – A mysterious evolution!!

"So…that means this Substitute Stone can turn into a Dragon Sphere Stone as well… What an incredible thing to have."

Haines, the kobold, answered with an expression of disbelief upon hearing my explanation.

Ashton nodded as well.

"…It is difficult to believe. The existence of this Dragon Sphere Stone alone is…"

"You may think that, but look, Mappa right here was brought back from the dead. You can tell by just looking at the things he makes. He's not from this age."

Erevan muttered as he looked behind him, where Mappa and the slimes were playing.

"Indeed… I have never seen such a naked old man…human…before."

Ashton said. Haines agreed.

"Well, it's not that much more shocking than the Ascending Stone… I'm sorry for getting side-tracked, Lord Heal."

Haines and Ashton bowed.

"No, don't worry about it. This kind of thing is hard to believe. …So, if we could just start with the Ascending Stone."

I picked it up and continued.

"Let's be straight here. Who wants to use it?"

"Yes! Yes! Lord Heal! I want to use it!!"

I giant hand was the first to be thrust into the air…

It was Kamyu.

Well, judging by his reaction earlier, this was not a surprise.

As Kamyu's eyes lit up, Erevan shouted.

"Hey, Kamyu! Do you not have even a shred of restraint! You only just got here!!"

"Wh-who cares! I want to become stronger so I can help protect Lord Heal!"

"You're already strong enough! I bet you just want to use it to become a woman!"

"Become!? Why, I'm already the greatest beauty in the world! You take back what you just said!!"

"The world? Well, you certainly leave people speechless. Or is it breathless? Because it's their last breath?"

"You!! I will not forgive you for this insult!!"

"What? You want to fight?"

Erevan and Kamyu both stood up and started to charge at each other.

"Well, well. Calm down you two!"

Ashton and Haines restrained them. And upon hearing my order, Kamyu and Erevan returned to their seats angrily.

Well, thanks to the taming, they wouldn't have actually been able to fight.

But now that I think about it…so many of the people on this island were fighters.

Erevan, Kamyu, Ashton, Haines were all the best in their tribes.

To be honest, I had quite enough people who could command on this island.

And then Baris opened his mouth.

"Hmm. Lord Heal. While I can see why you would give it to any who desire it, why not use it for the benefit of this island?"

"For the island, huh? In other words, dictating how someone should evolve in order to benefit everyone?"

"Indeed. For instance, evolving so that you can fly, which means being able to scout farther out. Have someone evolve in order to make up for any roles that are lacking here."

"I see…"

"There are still many problems on this island. In terms of food and defense… These need to be resolved."

Baris was always reasonable.

However, I did not like the idea of forcing someone to evolve in a certain way.

…Besides, did the Ascending Stone really make your every wish come true?

I turned to Rienna.

"Rienna… When you evolved, were there things that you wished for that didn't come true?"

"Didn't come true? Let me see… Yes, I also wished for a stronger, tougher body so that I could work harder. And yet, I cam out quite thin…"

Rienna looked very apologetic, but I didn't dislike the results.

…Well, that was a personal preference.

"I see… So, maybe it doesn't work if you have too many wishes."

I answered.

"I think that it's very likely. Two… No, maybe the limit is three wishes."

"That makes sense…"

Of course, it did.

After all, if someone wished for immortality, invincibility and unlimited magic power, and great wisdom…and all of that came true, they would be like a god.

So there had to be a limit.

As Kamyu and Erevan settled down again, Ashton opened his mouth.

"In that case…I believe that Baris should use the Ascending Stone."

Baris looked quite surprised upon hearing this.

However, I agreed. If we were thinking about the island, then Baris should use it first.

Well, part of it was my personal wish…but more than that…

"It would just be a waste on someone like me… Ashton. Why do you think that I should use it?"

"I hope I do not sound rude towards the rest of you, but I've always seen you as Lord Heal's most important assistant. You are the most knowledgable about the island and have worked tirelessly to solve its problems."

Ashton had been watching carefully…

However, Baris was closer to a guardian than an aid.

I was still learning how to be a lord, and would not have gotten anywhere without Baris.

And among so many muscleheads, Baris was the only one here who thought with his head.

"I had only been obeying Lord Heal's orders… It is nothing special. Anyone could do that. You do not have to be old like me."

"No, you are vital for this island."

Rienna and Erevan nodded in agreement.

"Yes… It would help me greatly if you lived longer, Erevan."

"I as well. Baris, you are much too important to us Berdan."

"You two…"

Baris became speechless when he saw just how needed he was.

In the first place, I was sure he had a desire to use it that was stronger than anyone else.

However, he was also aware that it was his own greed.

But even with that considered, he would make good use of it.

Even Baris knew that his power was what the island needed right now…

And so he thought about it for a while and nodded decisively.

"…Very well. If you will allow it, I would like to use the stone in order to help the island."

"Good. Baris has the 'Magic King' crest. If he can use magic, it would be a great benefit."

Everyone nodded at this.

Baris turned to them all and bowed.

"Thank you. Well then, I shall wish for longer life, the ability to use magic, and to be able to fly. That is what I shall use the Ascending Stone for."

No one had any objections.

Upon seeing this, I said,

"Well, it's decided then. Uh, and then there is one more… Any opinions?"

I looked around, but no one raised their hand except for the very eager Kamyu.

Kamyu would probably use it for personal greed.

I didn't really mind that, but considering I had told Fule to use it for everyone, I thought I should at least ask him as well.

"Kamyu…do you mind if I asked you a question? What do you want to do with it?"

"Of course, I'll use it for everyone here! But first, allow me to tell you about my strengths. That way, you'll understand how evolving would help me."

"I see. Very well."

Kamyu replied confidently.

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"First, when it comes to piloting a ship, I am second to no one out of those present! I was born forty years ago and have spent most of my life at sea. My time on land…should not even amount to five years."

Ashton, Haines, and Baris nodded.

Even Erevan had nothing to say against Kamyu's seamanship.

After all, he had captured a royal battleship as their flagship and led a fleet of a hundred ships.

The Leviathan was just the one enemy they couldn't go up against. It should cast no doubt on his capabilities.

"My reasoning is this. Yes, we can all survive on this island as it is. However, there will always be things we can't acquire here. Isn't that right?"

I agreed with a nod.

The current size of the island was limiting in terms of what we could grow.

But what we needed even more was knowledge and skills.

For instance, magic.

I used to have very low magic, and could not use advanced, let alone, mid-range magic.

And so my knowledge of advanced magic was very lacking.

It went without saying, but much of the improvements to our lifestyle was because of magic.

It helped us get water and catch fish. We would be able to do even more if we could use more magic.

Also, we needed people who were skilled farmers and builders… Even having one book could make a big difference.

"Thankfully, this island has a lot that we can probably sell. Such as the Mithril I was shown earlier. I also saw a lot of gold near the smithy."

"In other words, you want to trade with the other countries. Yes, perhaps that is something that will become necessary."

Baris answered.

The others agreed that this was quite reasonable.

However, Erevan had a question.

"We already knew that. But what does this have to do with you evolving?"

"Ugh, you really are an impatient one… To put it simply, I want to be able to move a ship on my own. To look far away and pilot a ship no matter the situation…"

He turned back to me and continued.

"I am confident in saying that my knowledge of the sea is unsurpassed. …But, there are times when knowledge is not enough. That monster was a rather extreme example…but storms would be another."

Indeed. There would be no insurance system if sea voyages were always guaranteed to succeed.

There was always a fear of losing ships and precious cargo. And so people paid in order to be compensated in such an event.

That's how dangerous the business was.

"To be more exact, I too want to be able to use magic and fly in the sky."

"You could use magic to send wind to the sails. And if you could fly, then you could see in the direction that you're going. Is that it?"

Kamyu nodded in reply to me.

…Huh?

That was shockingly reasonable.

And he was right. It would benefit the island.

He then continued as if to hammer the nail in all of the way in.

"The small boats you have now will be no good for sailing out in the sea. But if I evolve, such things will become possible… What do you think?"

The others could only nod in agreement.

Perhaps they found it difficult to justify a claim that they would be more useful than him.

Kamyu looked at me with a smug expression.

He chuckled mischievously. Like a villain…

Well, since no one else was saying anything. He might as well…

"Does anyone have any opinions? We could also ask those who aren't present."

I said. Baris replied.

"No, Lord Heal. I think that in terms of knowledge and skill, Kamyu here is the most fitting to evolve. A person's body might change, but they cannot gain knowledge."

Ashton agreed as well.

"There is none among us kobolds who can do what he does."

"I see. Well, so I suppose we're all in agreement then?"

'No objection!!' The voices sounded.

"It's settled then…alright…"

I handed the Ascending Stone to Baris and Kamyu.

"Thank you. …Now I will be able to use magic as well."

"Ahh! …To think that this day would come… Oh, of course, I shall use it to help you, Lord Heal!"

Both Kamyu and Baris accepted them with great emotion.

"Well, I suppose this meeting should be brought to a close for now. You two can use it now if you want."

"Really!? Then I'll go first!!"

Kamyu said as he raised the stone high into the air.

A light quickly burst from it and surrounded his body.

And when it settled down…

White wings sprouted from the back of a beautiful woman with long brown hair. Her eyes were closed.

She had the face of a goddess…and her overall appearance reminded me of an angel from sacred paintings.

And while she had an ample chest, she was otherwise slender, and there were no traces of the once large physique.

Well, it was about what I had expected. Kamyu wanted to be a beautiful woman after all.

I stared at her for a while.

It was odd, but when someone was this beautiful, impure thoughts did not enter your mind.

…Hmm. Why was it? Normally, I would be averting my eyes…

Huh? …Wait a minute?

I noticed something and looked at a certain part again.

…There was…something there!?

And then I let out a scream.

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Chapter 38 – A Cool Evolution!!!

As I let out a scream, Kamyu also let out a high-pitched scream and covered her ample chest, just a little.

She was, however, not quite covering a certain symbol of masculinity.

"…Oh, Lord Heal. You scoundrel!"

Uh, it was an odd thing to say while flaunting your new body…

"Enough with this foolishness. Cover up this… What does this mean, anyway?"

As Erevan asked this, Rienna handed Kamyu the coat that she had been wearing originally.

I was also curious about this.

Kamyu was now a beautiful woman with wings…

However, one part of her had apparently stayed the same.

Kamyu answered as she wrapped herself in the coat.

"But it's quite simple. And what is it to any of you what I look like? Ah, thank you."

Shiel had moved in front of Kamyu and stretched out like a mirror.

"…Oh, I look just like an angel. Do not get me wrong, I was very beautiful before, but this stone really has quite an effect. I've become even more beautiful."

"You clearly just wanted to become human so the Chief would like you… Well, at least you have wings and can likely fly… Still, was it also your wish to become a woman?"

Kamyu answered Erevan's question immediately.

"Become a woman, you say? How terribly rude! I was a very fine woman already! You know, for such a handsome face, you really have no delicacy!"

Uh, so in other words…

Kamyu's appearance had to do with earning my favor or just a general desire to be more beautiful.

She had not exactly wished to have a woman's body.

So that was the explanation…

As Kamyu and Erevan argued, Rienna interfered.

"You two. Please stop this… In any case, Kamyu. You must put on some proper clothes. That coat is in tatters. We can have the kobolds fix it, as they are so good at sewing."

"Indeed. This body will look even better in clothes now, so I will make some requests to them! Well, see you later, Lord Heal!"

Kamyu blew me a kiss and headed to the cave.

It was quite an evolution… That being said, the wings looked like they would allow her to fly, and I felt magical energy. So I suppose she had kept her promise.

"Hmm… I think that in the future, we should prepare clothes so as to not cause embarrassment. Now, it is my turn."

Baris said as he raised the Ascending Stone high into the air.

And then just like before, Baris was enveloped in a blinding light.

And when it settled down…

Oh, how cool…

I couldn't help but be impressed with the ash-colored person in front of me.

He still had the long ears and face of a goblin, but now he had two horns that looked like they were from a ram.

He was much taller than me and had a muscular physique that any human would be jealous of.

There were black, bat-like wings on his back. He looked like a mythological demon.

And while there were still some wrinkles, his eyes and nose were strong. There was no sense of the frailty that I had once felt in the old man.

"Hmmm… My body feels so much lighter now…"

Baris muttered as he looked at his limbs. His voice sounded much clearer too.

Even Erevan was surprised by this evolution.

"Are you really… Baris?"

"Aye. I feel more than just younger. I feel immense power… Is this what magic does?"

Baris smiled mischievously.

Well, maybe it was just his face. I didn't think he was actually planning on doing something evil…

Erevan seemed a little upset that Baris now had muscles that were comparable, if not superior to his own.

Then Fule, who was now wearing a white shirt, called out to us.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! …Huh? Father? Are you starting to want to evolve as well?"

"…Sh-shut up! I'm the strongest without having to rely on such things!"

"Hmm… But evolving is quite nice. Now I can see on a similar level to you. And I feel so much strength in my body."

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Apparently, both Fule and Baris could sense the presence of magic within them.

If they could sense the magic energy, that meant they acquired the skill that detected it automatically.

And you needed quite a lot of magical energy to acquire it.

So in other words, Baris and Fule would be quite capable when it came to using magic.

As his dream had come true after so many years, Baris was overjoyed. However, he quickly returned to himself.

"…Pardon me, Lord Heal. It seems that Kamyu has returned. We can test our magic some other time."

Kamyu rejoined us, now wearing a shirt. And we all sat around the table.

"So, about this Substitute Stone… I really do think that using it as a Dragon Sphere Stone and bringing someone back to life is the best option? …The problem is…who…"

I said. And then Baris opened his mouth.

"If you are going to resurrect someone, I think it should be the kobold queen…of the Tibris tribe."

Ashton and Haines looked very conflicted upon hearing this suggestion.

Ashton replied.

"It is something that sounds too good to be true… However, I am sure there are many who the others would wish to resurrect. And we have not contributed much yet…."

As Ashton said, many here on this island had lost family in wars.

And many of them would wish to bring their loved ones back.

"No, Ashton. I only made the suggestion with thoughts of the island. I have heard of how powerful the Tibris queen is, and that she can use magic. And I thought that she could do much in helping us."

"I see… Perhaps you are right…"

The kobold baby was currently playing with Mappa and Shiel. If the queen were to return, the baby could reunite with its real mother.

And it would be a great thing for Ashton, Haines, and the other kobolds…

And Baris was probably right about her contributions to the development of the island.

After thinking about it for a moment, Ashton opened his mouth.

"…If I'm to be honest, I want to request that it be done as soon as possible. She was like a mother to us both. …However, would it not be better for the island if you saved the stone?"

"Indeed… One of us might die in the future."

"Yes. I mean no offense…but if something happened to you, Lord Heal… It seems that keeping it would be wise."

For my sake…

It was true that my own death would be a major blow for those that lived here.

I didn't like to think about it, but the tribes would likely start fighting again.

After all, it wasn't so much that they were loyal to me, but that I was an important part of the island.

Baris nodded.

"Yes, there is no need to use it immediately, just because you acquired it. Perhaps it should be kept as insurance for now."

"I agree. Besides, you might find another Dragon Sphere Stone later and yet never find another Substitute Stone… So it should be kept for such an event."

As Rienna said, it was possible that the Substitute Stone was much rarer.

What if I were to find a stone that was the only one of its kind in the world? This would be a replacement for that. So perhaps it was really the most valuable stone of all.

A stone better than the Dragon Sphere Stone… Perhaps a stone that could resurrect many people? If such a thing existed, we would regret using it now…

"…Very well. I think I will save it. Do you all agree?"

I asked, and they all nodded.

And like that, the precious stone returned to my pocket.

After that, we discussed finer details like individual roles on the island and the meeting came to a close.