I don't want to be an elf!

Thinking this, William's instincts made him suddenly stop in his tracks.

By chance?

Was it really just a coincidence?

William looked out the second-floor window at Tohka Yatogami, who was walking out of the mansion and talking to Nephren and Esther in the front yard, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Thinking about it this way, there are just too many coincidences related to Tohka Yatogami.

She appeared by chance in front of the Second Division's fleet, was mistaken for a Golden Fairy by chance, and was taken to the Fourth Fairy Warehouse by chance...

Now, the plight of the golden fairies has been brought up again in front of him by chance.

At the same time, the speculation he had never told anyone about regarding Tohka Yatogami's true identity resurfaced in his mind.

The Demon King Clan.

A web of clues, some true and some false, wove together in William's mind.

The truth behind humanity's extinction, the reason for the appearance of the Seventeen Beasts, the relationship between the Great Sage and the military, the birth of the Golden Fairy, and the appearance of Yatogami Tohka...

With his intuition as a hero fully activated, he felt himself being blinded by the world, entangled in a web of conspiracy, yet powerless to break free.

At the same time, an invisible hand kept pushing him, forcing him to move forward step by step in this misty world.

"What am I thinking? I'm actually starting to doubt Tohka. If Chtholly finds out, she'll probably say I'm too suspicious."

William shook his head, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts.

Then, I strode into the library.

"There's no use thinking too much. Let's just focus on solving the problem at hand."

Chapter Nineteen: The Battle Begins

In the days that followed, everything proceeded smoothly.

Having vaguely sensed the unfavorable situation faced by the Golden Fairies, William began to conduct continuous research and study.

He wanted to liberate the Golden Fairy.

Through his continued investigation, he discovered that the Golden Fairy was now being used entirely as a weapon.

Undeveloped Golden Fairies whose talents hadn't yet blossomed were sent away, while the adult Golden Fairies were forced to fight to the death. They were also placed on this desolate island, forbidden from contact with the outside world...

All indications suggest that the Golden Fairy has never been granted human rights.

This is unacceptable to William.

Although having Tohka Yatogami as an ally provided reassuring support, using force to coerce the military into elevating the status of the Gold Fairies was a last resort after running out of options.

If a peaceful resolution is possible, then a peaceful resolution is the best option.

However, the peaceful days did not last.

Before William could find a viable solution, a new storm was brewing.

Patrol ships detected a large number of Sixth Beasts rising from the ground, which were approaching the floating continent islands at an extremely fast speed.

The direction in which they floated was the area that the Second Division was responsible for guarding.

Upon learning this intelligence, Gray Rock Skin immediately assembled its army to prepare for battle.

The assembled army naturally included the main force responsible for fighting the Sixth Beast: the Golden Fairies from the Fourth Fairy Warehouse.

Five days after Yatogami Tohka and William formed a cooperative relationship, a warship docked at the harbor of the Fourth Fairy Warehouse floating island.

At the port, the two managers, Nigoran and William, watched as the three fully armed golden fairies departed for the dangerous battlefield.

"Be sure to be careful," Nigolan reminded her again. "Don't think about earning military merits. Those things are meaningless to you. Remember that your own lives are the most important thing."

“I have taught you everything I can. You have all learned how to use the Holy Sword properly. At least you no longer need to burn your life force to gain magic power in battle,” William said. “But even if you have learned how to fight without risking your life, do not underestimate your opponents. Although you are all experienced warriors, you also know that this battle will be more dangerous than ever before.”

“We’ll be careful, and I will definitely come back safely for the sake of our promise,” Chtholly said earnestly.

"Wow, I didn't expect to be subjected to another display of affection before we even set off. I'm totally losing it," Athena exclaimed.

"Let's go quickly, before the troublesome guy arrives," Nephren reminded him.

"You mean Tohka? Don't worry, she's still sleeping at this hour." Aisaya laughed heartily. "But Nephren really cares about Tohka, she even made us all keep this battle a secret from her, isn't she? To avoid making her worry?"

"Because she's an idiot, if she knew, she would definitely insist on coming along."

"Well, that's true. Although that guy is pretty strong, it's still worrying if he actually goes to the battlefield."

Although the people of the Fourth Fairy Warehouse, the cannibals, and the Gold Fairies all knew of Yatogami Tohka's strength, especially William, after personally experiencing her unstoppable momentum like a chariot in that match, everyone, including him, knew that perhaps the strongest in the Fourth Fairy Warehouse was not a Gold Fairy, but this girl whose race was unknown.

Even Chtholly, the strongest golden fairy who can wield the strongest holy sword, would probably be no match for her if she didn't burn her life force to open the Fairy Garden.

However, the battlefield is not a place where strength alone guarantees survival. In that complex and ever-changing environment, while combat power is important, experience is even more crucial.

Having lost her memory, Tohka Yatogami could not possibly have any experience fighting the Sixth Beast.

The Sixth Beast is not an easy opponent to deal with. Even a seasoned Golden Fairy can be caught off guard and suffer a setback if it is not careful.

Moreover, according to military predictions, the number of the Sixth Beast appearing this time will be three times that of previous ones.

This doesn't mean that surviving on the battlefield has become three times more difficult.

If William hadn't taught them the correct way to use the Holy Sword, allowing them to unleash its power without burning their lives, this battle might have been far from certain for them.

Even if they learned the new combat methods taught by William, the chances of everyone returning alive would only increase slightly.

Under such circumstances, it would be even more impossible for them to take a new recruit like Tohka Yatogami to such a brutal battlefield.

“When Tohka wakes up and finds we’re gone, she’ll definitely throw a tantrum,” Nephren said. “We’ll have to trouble you to bear with her then.”

“Look at what you’re saying, Tohka is no stranger to us,” Nigolan said. “Don’t worry, William will just make her something nice to eat.”

“Yes, in fact, I prepared the ingredients yesterday.” William was well-prepared, looking like he had a premonition. “It will be so delicious that she won’t even have the energy to throw a tantrum. This time, I’m using William’s exclusive secret recipe.”

"Wow, this sounds delicious, I'm already hungry."

"Haha, I'll make you an exact copy when you return in triumph."

"It's a promise, right?" Chtholly said expectantly.

"Actually, there is one more thing."

Nephren continued, "Nigolan, make extra for dinner, and save some for a midnight snack, otherwise Tohka will sneak into the kitchen to eat it at night."

“I’ve been making an extra fifteen servings of dinner these past few days, and it still wasn’t enough.” Nigolan shook her head with a chuckle. “So you’ve been practicing your cooking skills all this time because you’re making midnight snacks for Tohka? That must have been really hard work for you.”

"It's not hard work, watching Tohka eat is a very enjoyable thing."

"Haha, that's what I think too."

Afterwards, the five of them gave each other some more instructions, made sure they hadn't forgotten anything, and then waved goodbye.

Carrying their luggage and relics weapons, the three golden fairies boarded the ship, ready to depart.

As the whistle sounded, the warship started up and slowly sailed out of the port.

"Why, are you disappointed?"

Seeing Nephren standing on the deck gazing at the dock, Athena walked up to her with a grin: "You really wanted Tohka to see you off, didn't you?"

"No, I was just thinking about whether I had forgotten anything."

Nephren withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "I was the one who asked everyone to keep it from her. Now that things have come to this, why would we expect her to come and see us off?"

The three of them went into the cabin.

This wasn't their first mission, so everyone seemed quite experienced.

After receiving their cabin assignment from the ship's first mate, the three of them immediately set off for the crew quarters to find their lodgings for the next few days.

As they walked, they brushed past other orc soldiers, allowing Chtholly and her companions to overhear their conversation.

"Have you heard? There's a golden fairy in the cafeteria that I've never seen before."

"Don't say that, I just came back from the cafeteria, sigh, I'm not full at all."

"what happened?"

"What else could it be? She ate it all. She's not that big, but she has the appetite of a troll."

"How much did you eat?"

"Several bowls! I just hope the procurement officer prepared enough food before we set off, otherwise we'll have to beg for food from the other warships!"

Two orc warriors walked past, their voices fading into the distance.

But what they said after that is no longer important.

The three golden fairies stood still, looking at each other.

"I think......"

"should be......"

"Should we...?"

The three of them took a deep breath.

They didn't even leave their things behind, and all ran towards the cafeteria.

Carrying large bags and relic weapons, they pushed open the door of the warship's mess hall under the astonished gazes of the other orc warriors.

Then, I saw that familiar voice.

"Oh, you've finally arrived."

Tohka Yatogami, who had been waiting for them in the cafeteria since early morning, looked up and a bright smile appeared on her lips, which were covered in mashed potatoes.

"I hope you've already eaten at home, because there's no food left here!"

Chapter Twenty: Random Task Issuance

This morning, Yatogami Tohka didn't wake up naturally.

Upon opening my eyes, instead of seeing the ceiling or the floor, I was presented with a task page popped up by the system.

[Random Task Released]