Ye Uchiha had been in this other world for nearly a month. He had been grinding monsters like mad in the wilderness, crushing them with his Kage-level strength until he reached LV57, though his only magic was still the Undead's Eulogy he had obtained earlier.
Princess Kaguya, meanwhile, stayed comfortably holed up in the inn, reading the magic books Ye Uchiha had bought her. Aside from eating and sleeping, she never put them down, like a star student immersed in a sea of knowledge. Thanks to the party bonus, she received a substantial share of experience even without participating in combat, bringing her level up to LV51.
As time passed, only a few hours remained before the Waves arrived.
Before leaving, Ye Uchiha asked Princess Kaguya whether she wanted to help fight the Waves. Her answer was, "A mere servant, yet thou wouldst ask thy mistress for help? Useless wretch. If thou canst not even handle this trifling matter, thou might as well slit thy throat in apology now."
Then she drove Ye Uchiha out the door and returned to her book, reading with relish and leaving him feeling thoroughly miserable.
The magic books he bought Princess Kaguya were outrageously expensive, and whenever she saw a good one, she wanted it. Almost everything he earned went toward that spendthrift woman. If he refused to buy something, she would get physical. Although Ye Uchiha had the system's protection, it would not intervene unless she intended malicious harm.
After receiving several rounds of his ancient ancestor's "earnest instruction," Ye Uchiha saw the light and mended his ways. He handed ninety percent of his commission earnings over to Princess Kaguya, keeping the remaining ten percent as pocket money.
When he first heard Princess Kaguya's arrangement, Ye Uchiha had been so overcome with emotion that he ultimately shed tears of "gratitude."
A man did not shed tears lightly; he simply had not yet been hurt deeply enough.
Who could have imagined that the Shinobi World's famously aloof ancestor would turn into such a sharp-tongued miser, determined to work him to death? And the money he handed over one day was usually spent by Princess Kaguya the next.
Whenever Ye Uchiha saw the mountains of magic books in Princess Kaguya's room, along with all the jars and bottles of expensive materials for her magical experiments, his heart felt as though it were being carved apart. Even a spendthrift ought to have limits!
You eat my food, use my things, spend my money, and in the end, you won't help me with anything! What good are you as an ancestor?!
Of course, he could only rant about this in his head. If he actually said it to Princess Kaguya's face, he would be in for several vicious beatings.
In the picturesque square of the Capital.
The sky was only just beginning to pale with dawn, but quite a few mercenaries and adventurers had already gathered, discussing the impending Waves of calamity and the commissions their guilds had received.
Ye Uchiha happened to run into a sour-faced Naofumi Iwatani and the beautiful Raphtalia at his side. He had to admit, seeing her grow from a little girl into a mature beauty in just a week or two was simply mind-boggling.
If she had not looked almost exactly like her younger self, Ye Uchiha might not have recognized her. He had nearly wondered whether Naofumi Iwatani had bought another slave.
From a little girl to a grown woman in less than a month-did all demi-humans grow at such a ridiculous rate?
Even a game about raising a little girl wouldn't be this absurdly fast, would it?!
Ye Uchiha smacked his lips, unable to help thinking that.
"You look like everyone owes you money, Naofumi," Ye Uchiha said, looking at his gloomy face.
With that vicious look in his eyes and an outfit that makes him look like a bandit chief, is he heading down the path of a mob boss? A protagonist gone dark?
Hmm, it's not impossible. Maybe once Naofumi Iwatani turns dark, he'll become ruthless and merciless, flying the banner of 'Those who follow me prosper; those who oppose me perish.' Then he'll destroy this country, build a new dynasty on its ruins, quell the Waves across the world, sweep away every faction on the continent, and finally crown himself emperor?
Just thinking about that kind of dark power-fantasy story is a little exciting.
Naofumi Iwatani said irritably, "I ran into Motoyasu earlier. He was with that bitch. He's as punchable as ever. I really wanted to put my fist into his face a few times."
Looks like Motoyasu Kitamura really laid into him with the taunts. Is that why he's so furious?
Seeing Naofumi Iwatani's teeth-grinding expression, Ye Uchiha silently thought that.
"I almost didn't recognize you, Raphtalia. It's only been a week or two, and you've already grown into such a beautiful young lady."
Trying to change the subject, Ye Uchiha freely showered Raphtalia with praise.
Raphtalia blushed as she replied, "Not at all. Thank you for the compliment, Lord Ye."
As Naofumi Iwatani's slave, Raphtalia had heard him talk about Ye Uchiha. He considered Ye a close friend he could trust. Naturally, she could not treat her master's close friend discourteously.
"Hey, Ye. You're not into little girls, are you?"
Naofumi Iwatani eyed Ye Uchiha sidelong as he spoke.
"Huh?"
Bewildered, Ye Uchiha looked at Raphtalia before turning back to Naofumi Iwatani, confusion written across his face.
How does a fully grown beauty with animal ears have anything to do with little girls?
Am I caught in a genjutsu, or is something wrong with Naofumi's eyes?
"The people in this country are beyond saving. They're all into little girls. Raphtalia's only about ten. Sure, she's cute, but everyone keeps going on and on... Even the shopkeeper." Naofumi Iwatani scratched his messy hair and closed his eyes, spouting baffling remarks.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why, but Lord Naofumi seems to still see me as I was when we first met. That's why he's acting this way. Please don't let it bother you."
Raphtalia tugged at the hem of Ye Uchiha's clothes and leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice to an almost pleading whisper.
"Right, I understand."
"Thank you so very much!"
The little raccoon girl, Raphtalia, swished her small tail cheerfully, gratitude written across her face.
So that's it... He's still immersed in his past suffering, lost himself, and refuses to face the future. Even his perception of everything around him is stuck in his old memories?
Ye Uchiha said nothing, giving Naofumi Iwatani a long look as he continued to grumble nonstop.
As he and Naofumi Iwatani caught up on recent events, the arrival of the Waves drew ever closer, and a heavy, eerie atmosphere suddenly settled over their surroundings.
"Looks like it's almost time."
Ye Uchiha spoke as he watched the countdown in his field of vision approach zero.
Meanwhile, the sand in the Dragon Hourglass hidden inside the church was about to run out. The hands on the Clock Tower slowly turned, producing an oppressive sound.
The final countdown.
Ten seconds.
Nine seconds.
Eight seconds.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One second.
The Waves of calamity had arrived!!!
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