Chapter 10: Her exposition and a volcano.

"Let me see if I understood correctly. My lance can turn into a holy sword too whenever I wish, right?"

I ask Nerinne while I put my armor on. She said I could just do it with magic, but I refused because then there wouldn't be a fanservice shot of my under-boobs while I put the breast plate on. Or a shot of my thighs while I slowly put the leg armor. And how could I forget the armpit close shot!

Got to check those ecchi fetish boxes! THEY. ARE. IMPORTANT!

"Yes. I did that because giving you two holy weapons could be preferential treatment."

"Hoooh~. And the thirteen seals both forms have?"

"Ah, think of those being locked effects and abilities. They will be unlocked when I deem it necessary or if the situation calls for it. Like a boss battle after everything seems lost."

Shounen power ups. Check.

"But since Yawue's Divine Protection gives you a high luck rank, I don't think you should be worried."

Pretty much a deus ex machina then. Check.

"And then there's the Golem mode. I am the only one who can activate it, so don't get any ideas of using it as a decoy or something. "

First companion and heroine. Check! Oh yes! My journey hasn't even started and its already looking, and feeling, good!

"Fufufu~~, I'm glad you are having fun with my exposition, but...!"

Ow! She is pinching my cheeks and pulling them!

"...pay proper attention when I'm talking! Understood?"

"Y-yesh..."

"Where was I? Ah, yes. Holy weapons are the epitome of weapons, so you don't have to worry about durability or sharpness. They won't degrade, and they can cut or destroy almost everything."

"Even Dragon Lord skin."

"Even Dragon Lord skin but don't get conceited and...! You!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Sh-shorry! I w-won't do it again!"

My cheeks...they feel like balloons...it hurts…

*sniff*

"*ahem* We made an incredibly powerful body, Auros. But if we ever encounter a Dragon Lord do not get conceited and think you can beat them all in one swing. Please."

She is worried...

Man, now I even feel bad.

"I'm sorry, I was letting the excitement get to my head."

"It is fine to be excited. After all, this is all new to you. But don't let it blind you, alright?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, in regard to magic, you just need to picture it in your head and then recite something that acts as a trigger. Since my Divine Protection gives you automatic translation and comprehension of languages, you don't need to worry about the different magical tongues and arcane formulas for the different elements. So, as you sometimes say, just shoot."

"That is actually really useful. It would be a waste to have all these affinities and not be able to use them right away."

"If that poor old man at the magic academy could hear you, he would be already on the reincarnation system. Fufu~~."

She murmured.

"And what about my health and resistances?"

I can already guess…ok, I know for sure that it is on the OP side. But I must hear her say it, you know? It's isekai tradition.

"You have complete resistance to the elements you have affinities with. They even heal you instead of hurting you. The other elements' damage varies depending on the caster. So be careful even if your defense is already high because of your race and type."

Huh? That is one interesting word right there.

"Type?"

"Yes, type. You are a pure Dragon Lord since we made that body from zero."

She started to ponder something. Oh, she even put on some shining glasses!

"Hmm...you know, you could very well fit the description of a High Dragon Lord. Hehe...look at that, the very being of their legends is the one who is going to beat them into submission. Kukuku…that is good...veeery good..."

Dark Nerinne has come out. I repeat Dark Nerinne has come out.

"Oh my, that wasn't very divine of me. I apologize. Your health is fine. You even have [Health Regeneration], combine that with your racial longevity and it is a non-issue."

She switched back fast. Scary. I must make sure to never fall in that side of her. Wait, racial longevity?

"Yes. Dragon Lords live up to 5000 years, but you might be an exception and live for 10,000 years. I know of some who have, so it is not unheard of. Still, now that I think about it, you could actually have an indefinite lifespan since you wield the holy weapon..."

I'm immortal, that is what you are trying to say? Because if it is, I am not shocked. AT ALL.

"No, you are not immortal since you can be hurt. Why do you think I worry? It’s just that you won't be dying of old age in any time near, maybe ever. Still, don't go making dangerous assumptions, Auros, or I'll get angry."

She says so with a serious face.

"Yes, ma'am."

"And finally, you need a place to anchor your personal space so it can grow and turn into a reliable fortress."

"I can't take it wherever I go?"

"Yes, you can. But it will only be this room. It will never grow to the scale you want."

Seriously? And here I thought it would be cool to just summon my castle anywhere I wanted.

"Indeed. That would be fun to watch. But you see, a personal space needs the planet's energies to grow and expand. If it remains disconnected it would just stay the same."

"And can't it grow from me gaining powerful companions like in..."

"No. It can't."

"Aw..."

"Besides, where are you going to put those companions if you only have this one room?"

"Ok, ok. I understand. I will find a place to anchor it."

"Then, without further ado grab my waist."

She grabs my helmet and walks right in front of me with a playful smile. Then, I do as she says and grab her waist.

She kisses me and puts my helmet on right after.

"That was a reward for completing the character tutorial."

She winks and then she starts shining brightly.

"Go and open the door to get out of your personal space."

The blinding light fades and an ominous looking lance rests on my hand. It looks almost identical to my waifu's lance except for some differences here and there. The main one being the handle, which has a design that reminds me of Nerinne.

"Heh, a black colored holy weapon. Nice way of tricking people."

It looks heavy because of its size but it is quite light for me, as if it was part of my arm.

Now, let’s see where this door leads me.

I open it and I find myself inside a cave. Its walls look a bit charred, like something hot passed through here.

I look behind me and as expected there is no door there.

I walk for a bit and find the exit.

"Wow, this is truly a fantasy world!"

Cliché phrase of amazement. Cheeeeck!

An epic view expands from where I stand, a forest to my left and dirt road on the right. The air tastes clean and the weather is fair. I look at my back and I see where I was just inside of.

"A mountain? No...there is a bit of smoke coming from the top...a volcano!"

That’s awesome!

Hm? There’s also signs of something impacting this place and leaving some craters. I wonder what happened? It wasn't me that's for sure.

But appearing inside a volcanic cave must be a sign. You could say that my waifu's presence is like that of this volcano.

Umu. Umu. I know what to do now.

"Nerinne, are you here?"

"Yes, I'm always with you and even if I'm not physically here, I can talk to you directly into your mind like this."

Ohhh.

“I can also talk through your lance.”

She’s right, her voice is coming out from the handle of the lance now. Oh, it is even glowing a bit.

But I digress.

"What do I have to do to anchor my personal space?"

"Here?"

"Yes."

"It is a volcano, Auros."

"Indeed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"...just stick the lance in the volcano's surface and announce that you claim this place as yours. Then you say your name and title."

"Like this?"

I stick the point of the lance in the surface with a bit of strength and it goes right in. It didn't even feel like volcanic rock or something.

"I claim this place as mine! I, Auros, High Dragon Lord of the Goddess! Great Volcano become my fortress and my shield!!"

Oooooh, I sound so cool!!!

I had a feeling that something good might happen if I added that last part. It might be my seemingly all-purpose instinct.

"...!"

A magical circle appears below me. I can even hear the energy crackling wildly.

Oi, it looks ominous with that dark red color it has. It gives the impression I just did something villainous. I didn't, right?!

"No, you didn't. That is just how it is."

"But it is really evil looking..."

"Says the black knight with an ominous looking full armor and weapon."

"..."

The circle starts expanding and it seems that is going to cover all the area where this volcano is. It starts spinning and then it disappears.

"Ouch!"

I feel a slight burn in my right hand, which makes me take off the gauntlet to see what happened. There, on the back of my hand I see a tattoo, a crest, in the form of a volcano with the silhouette of a dragon's head.

Nice!

"That mark is proof that this place belongs to you now. Congratulations Auros!"

"Thank you, Nerinne!"

She is the best. She is even dependable enough to help me get a volcano.

"Fufufu~~, I am glad. Now what are you going to do?"

"Well, I was thinking. Should I go to the forest, get attacked by a beast that I defeat and turn it into a monster girl companion? Or go to the obviously bandit-controlled road and find a companion there that might be a princess?"

I feel that I'm making the smile of someone who is up to no good. Hehehe.

I wonder...

To be continued...(cue foreshadowing scene from the pov of poor next companion)

Glossary Entry #8:

Monster-girl: A girl that has features of a monster. Not a monstrous girl...well, it can also be that too. Slimes that look like human girls. Arachnes, Lamias, Centaurs, all of this can be turned into cute and moe girls! All for justice!