I Became the Strongest With The Failure Frame 【Abnormal State Skill】As I Devastated Everything

Sleeping Beauty

On the way down to the lower floors, I introduced Pigimaru to Mist.

[I was worried because I’ve always felt a presence nearby, even though I couldn’t see any monster around the area. So, it’s actually him I’ve been sensing.]

I remembered the conversation that we had right after we alighted the hidden stairs.

“There seems to be no monsters at the moment.”

“Hati-dono, actually—”

At that time, it seems that Mist was about to ask something.

It’s as if she wanted to say that she have felt the presence of a monster.

I would have said “monsters other than Pigimaru” if she had known about his existence before..

[Come on, Pigimaru.]

[—Pii.]

The frightened Pigimaru timidly extends his protrusion towards Mist.

Mist also reached out her hand towards Pigimaru.

She sneakily glanced at me.

[It… won’t bite, right?]

[Yeah.]

[Pyiii~… Pii, pii… Pii…?]

It seems that Pigimaru is still on guard against her.

He’s poking Mist’s fingertip with his protrusion.

Punii, punyuu…

I feel that he’s still quite timid in regards to her.

Mist’s lips turned to a smile and her eyes softened.

[My name is Mist Barkas. Nice to meet you, Pigimaru-dono?]

[Pii? Pyiii… Piii….. Pyuuuu~♪!]

Pigimaru began to rub Mist’s finger with his protrusion.

His color has turned into a light pink.

It seems like he liked her. (T/N: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I’m sorry.)

[Fufu, It’s a really cute slime. I strangely feel at ease with him.]

[Pii~ ♪ ]

[It seems that you’re quite liked by Pigimaru… I think this is the first time that I’ve seen him being friendly with others.]

[Pii!? Pyuuu~!]

His protrusion suddenly reached out towards me.

Punyuu, punyuu~

I could feel Pigimaru’s squishy protrusion on my cheek.

Pigimaru’s color turned into a really bold pink.

Mist covers her mouth with her hand.

Pfft…

[Nevertheless, It seems that he really likes Hati-dono the best.]

[Pii ♪]

v

Monsters came attacking us at regular intervals.

However, Mist was always the one who slays them every time they appear.

Mist doesn’t to be that much in danger in these battles.

It seems that she stands up against them quite well.

I feel like she’s already used to battle.

We proceed further down into another floor.

I arrived at a place that kind of resembles another residential area.

[Hmm?]

A familiar door gets into my sight.

They look like the jewels that I had seen before.

This is exactly that door that opens when you inject magic energy into them.

I placed my hand on the jewel and inject my magic energy.

With a subtle vibration, the door began to open.

I promptly check inside the room while being alert for ambushes.

It seems that the room is completely empty.

I step inside and look around the room.

There was nothing particularly eye catching that I could see.

Old furniture were already arranged inside the room.

There doesn’t seem to be any traces of traps…

I call out towards Mist that was standing guard outside of the room.

[You can come in now.]

[I understand. Excuse me.]

Mist enters the room.

[………..]

[What is it?]

[Nothing.]

Was that “Excuse me.” earlier really that necessary?

I closed the door and placed down my luggage on the floor.

I take out my pocket watch and checked for the time.

[We will take a break in here.]

[Roger that.]

[You can take some sleep, you know? I will just wake you up when we’re about to leave.]

Mist paused for a while before replying back.

[No, I’m fine.]

[I can see that you lack some some sleep though… I swear I would wake you up when we would start to go. That’s why I want for you to get some sleep, but…]

Mist covers her eyes.

[I think I would surely not get some sleep though.]

[I heard that you would remove some of your fatigue even when you just lie down for a bit. How about you just lay down in a sleeping bag on the floor?I would also be troubled if you suddenly collapsed on the way.]

Mist began to ponder about it.

She exhaled out a sigh and smiled.

[I understand… Well then, I’ll be lying down for a bit.]

Mist began removing her bracers while leaving her forehead protector that’s emitting light.

Next, she laid down a sleeping bag and laid down.

In a posture that’s turning away from me.

[Pigimaru.]

[Pii.]

I secretly gave some instructions to him earlier.

I would have him distract her.

Punyonn~

Pigimaru jumps down to the floor and turned back into its round shape.

While he’s in that rounded form, he crept in front of Mist.

He finally stops when he’s in front of her face.

[Pii!]

[Pigimaru-dono…? What’s the matter?]

[Pii!]

[<Sleep>]

[—-…suu…]

I invoked <Sleep> towards Mist.

I will let her sleep until the gauge runs out.

This deep sleep that she would have may have been just for a short time, but it would still restore some of her fatigue.

I’ve read that somewhere in the net before.

[If the duration of her sleep is longer, it may even be used to treat insomnia…]

Well, it’s not really clear yet whether <Sleep> would make someone have some peaceful sleep.

[Pii, pii, pii, pii, pii.]

Pigimaru is swaying left and right in front of her.

Somehow, he looks like he’s moving like a metronome.

Is he… watching over Mist?

[Pii?]

At that time,

[Pipiii~!?]

Mist’s forehead protector disappeared.

The bracer that was placed beside the sleeping bag also disappeared.

Immediately after that, I could see Mist’s figure suddenly changed.

[————-]

Her ears completely deformed…

–into pointed long ears.

Elf…

I stood in front of the sleeping Mist.

[Pii?]

“What happened to her?”

It seems that Pigimaru is asking something like that.

[I’ve already had some premonition about her true identity. It’s just that—]

I looked towards Mist again.

[This is really surprising.]

The change wasn’t just her ears.

Even her face has changed.

“Something” must have been cancelled out when I used <Sleep> earlier.

I also feel that her hair is a bit different.

Her face was evidently different.

My breathing almost stopped when I saw her face.

Mist’s face before she changed was indeed that of a beautiful woman you could find back in my world.

However, now—

She’s way beyond that.

I’m already used to seeing beautiful women.

For example, I can say that my aunt was a beautiful woman.

Even back in Class 2-C, there’s Sogou Ayaka.

There’s also the Takao sisters that you could call the pinnacle of beauty.

Therefore, I had only regarded Mist as a “beautiful woman” on the same category as them.

However, the current Mist Barkas was very different from just that.

How do I say this…?

It’s as if she’s not real.

Rather than the face of a living being, it’s as if her face is something that was sculpted by an artist who’s in search for the pinnacle of beauty.

[I see…]

“I’ve heard that the men and women Elves were so beautiful that your eyeballs would pop out after you see them.”

I remembered the conversation I heard in the tavern.

[So this is how High Elves looks like.]

I also remember his words.

Monk Dorogetti.

He’s the man who tried to pick a fight with Mist in the middle of the crowd and was shamed because of his mistake.

Though, he later died here in Mills Ruins.

After he tried to pick a fight with Mist in the plaza, I kind of felt something out of place.

It’s because Monk was too confident.

Why is he so confident with his words?

I became a bit worried about this.

Mist’s head has been covered with a hood at that time.

Ordinarily, he shouldn’t have been certain with his words.

He haven’t even seen Mist’s face after all.

First of all, it is just natural to consider the possibility that he has mistaken someone for another person.

However, Monk was absolutely sure at that time.

What does that mean?

It means that— he had some kind of basis that has led to his belief for his accusation towards Mist.

An example of this is when I had heard her voice at that time. I was immediately certain about my thoughts.

That Mist is “the girl that I had met back in the dark forest”.

Monk must have also been certain about something.

He must have heard Mist’s voice.

She could probably change her face and ears with some kind of special power.

However, it seems that only her appearance can be changed.

In short, her “voice” can’t be changed.

Monk had been extremely obsessed with “Seras Ashrain”.

I remember her voice because her voice is something you can’t easily forget.

And, he must have heard her voice before.

As far as Monk could see, the voice of “Seras Ashrain” and “Mist Barkas” must have been exactly the same.

[……….]

There’s another thing that I’ve noticed.

My sight… moved towards Mist’s chest.

There appears to be no change that has happened when in comes to her body— or so that’s what I think.

As far as I could see, only her head has changes.

I thought about what Monk has said before.

“Even that already ripe part of yours, that pathetic excuse of a pair of breasts! I remember it all!”

He was so confident that he had burned her “breast” into his memory.

No, I don’t think it’s just because he had burned her breast into his memory…

Moreover, her body had been concealed under her clothing.

However, her personality must have made Monk absolutely sure.

Her voice and her breast.

Her personality must have also been burned into his memory.

It was burned into his mind so much, that he became completely convinced that she is Seras Ashrain.

That’s why, when he had removed her hood, Monk became terribly confused.

That’s because the face she’s wearing and the shape of her ear doesn’t match with the one on her memory.

Monk wouldn’t have understood the reason why.

Her voice and the shape of her body were completely the same.

However, just her face and ears weren’t exactly the same…

“That’s… a lie… I’m not mistaken. Everything’s a lie…”

It had also been in her favor when he became confused.

I then looked towards her pointed ears.

Monk had tried to reach out his hand and touch Mist’s ear.

Mist strongly slapped his hand away and glared at him.

[In other words… This is how it originally looks, huh… Rather than changing her body, this ability of hers changes the “information” that was reflected in other people’s eyes..?]

For examples, through the use of Illusory Techniques. (T/N: Genjutsu)

I see.

When you touch her ear, you could feel inconsistencies between the “information that you had seen” and the “information that your hand could feel”.

That’s why, is this the reason why Mist strongly dislike being touched by others?

“By the way, are elves strong?”

“They fight by borrowing the power of the spirits.”

The men has talked about this back at the tavern in the inn.

[Is this illusion technique the power of the spirit…?]

It may also be the power of the spirit that made her have the ability to see through lies.

Her forehead protector.

Her bracer.

Her armor.

All of these equipment must have been made with the power of the spirits.

Now, it seems that the power of Mist’s spirits has been released.

When she was incapacitated because of <Paralyze>, the effect of the spirit’s power were sustained.

However,

[It seems that the power of the spirit would be temporarily disappear when I casted <Sleep> towards them…]

Unexpectedly, I’ve discovered the advantage of <Sleep>.

I look down towards the beautiful face of my guard who’s gently sleeping right now.

The blue gauge above her head is steadily decreasing.

[……….]

It is still not clear yet.

It could just be said that the premonition I held before was reinforced with this.

However, I am almost certain…

–that she’s the former knight leader who has disappeared from the Holy Kingdom of Neia.

The Princess of the High Elves.

The true identity of Mist Barkas is—

[The Princess Knight, Seras Ashrain.]