As I tilted my head, wondering how the conversation had taken such an unexpected turn, Alice let out an exasperated sigh and spoke.
"Well, there are several reasons for this difference in perception, but first, you two and Kaito-san are forgetting something fundamental."
"Forgetting something?" I asked.
Alice held up an index finger. "Let’s start with the basics. Listen closely: in the Human Realm, magic users are actually quite rare."
"Oh..."
The realization hit Aoi, Hina, and me all at once. Come to think of it, she was right. In the Human Realm, magic was a specialized field; it wasn't a skill everyone possessed. Since Aoi, Hina, and I were constantly surrounded by powerful magic users, the fact had completely slipped our minds.
"Among adventurers, who naturally require combat power, the percentage of users is higher than in the general population... but even then, a fair number of people can't use it at all. The standard career path is to work as a lower-rank adventurer to save up money, attend a magic academy to master the basics, and only then advance to mid-rank or higher. On the other hand, the Order of Knights requires magic proficiency for enlistment, so they can all use it."
"In other words," Aoi said, "the moment you can use magic, you already have the combat potential of a mid-rank adventurer?"
"Exactly, Aoi-san. That’s the correct way to look at it. You might lack actual combat experience, but even so, you're both already stronger than your typical low-rank adventurer."
I see. Being able to use magic was a massive advantage. I suspected "Physical Enhancement" was the biggest factor. Even for someone like me—who clearly lacked any natural talent for it—using magic power to enhance my body increased my physical capabilities by about thirty percent.
That boost in base specs had a radical impact on combat. Physical Enhancement didn't just affect raw muscle power; it sharpened dynamic vision and thought processing speed. The gap between those who could use it and those who couldn't was a literal world of difference.
"And there’s one more reason..." Alice said, shifting her gaze. She gestured toward Bell, who was lounging lazily a short distance away.
Bell immediately hopped up and came bounding toward Alice, his tail wagging furiously. Bell was incredibly attached to Alice since she was the one who had named him. He also seemed to understand that she was someone he could play with using his full strength without holding back, so he was always thrilled whenever she gave him attention.
Alice caught Bell’s massive frame with one hand as he leaped at her, lifting him casually into the air. Bell seemed to think he was being given a "high-up" ride and looked like he was having the time of his life.
"This boy right here is Bellfried."
"Ah, I see where you’re going with this," Kuro said, nodding in realization.
"For these three, their benchmark for a 'monster' is this boy," Alice explained. "They understand that he’s a Behemoth, a legendary magic beast and a top-tier monster... but they assume that while other monsters might not be as strong as Bellfried, they’re still formidable enough to be a threat."
"I get it," Kuro added. "Aside from him, the monsters they've seen are things like the white dragon Rin-chan or Black Bears—all top-class creatures of the Human Realm. No wonder they have a skewed perception."
Alice set Bell down. With a simple hand gesture, she commanded him to lie down. She leaned against him and continued her explanation.
"Listen, in terms of raw power, a Behemoth is an absolute outlier among monsters. They aren't classified as demons because their intelligence is low, but their strength is comparable to high-ranking dragon species. For example, consider the Wyvern, which is the strongest monster in the Human Realm. If a Wyvern survives enough battles for its scales to be stained deep crimson with blood, it evolves into a Special Individual called a Nidhogg. Only then is it considered an equal to a Behemoth."
"Like Flare-san’s species?" I asked.
"No, Kaito-san, she’s an exception among exceptions. She isn't even a natural-born dragon, yet she climbed her way up to becoming the strongest dragon in existence excluding Magnawell-san. Please don't use her as a reference. I’m talking about your average Nidhogg... though it sounds strange to call a Special Individual 'average'."
Is Flare-san really that powerful? She definitely had the aura of a warrior, but to be the strongest behind Magnawell-san... that would likely make her the top subordinate in his entire domain.
"Anyway, back to the point. A Behemoth is so ridiculously powerful that if one appeared in the Human Realm, it would trigger an immediate 'National Emergency Special Decree'."
"A National Emergency Special Decree?"
"Simply put, it’s an order issued directly by the King, bypassing all red tape, to deal with a disaster that could threaten the nation's survival. In this case, it would involve an emergency mobilization of the country’s strongest assets—people like Knight Commander Rachel-san or Lilia-san—to handle the threat personally. In the history of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, it’s only been issued a handful of times."
"Wait, the Kingdom issued one recently, didn't they?" Kuro asked. "Wasn't that... when that Special Individual Black Bear appeared?"
I recalled the incident in Rigforresia. I had been unconscious, so I hadn't seen it, but I’d heard about a Special Individual Black Bear.
"Ah, no, that’s different from what you're thinking of, Kaito-san," Alice clarified. "About two hundred years ago, another Special Individual Black Bear appeared. It coincided with the Founding Festival, and since many people were away from Rigforresia, it caused significant damage. Knight Commander Rachel and her elite squad were deployed under the decree to take it down."
"I see..."
"We’re getting sidetracked again. The point is, while an adult Behemoth is incredibly strong, this Bell is already significantly stronger than an adult Behemoth."
"Wait, really?" I blurted out.
"Yes. In terms of pure power, he’s already at the level of a high-ranking demon, even if he hasn't quite reached Peerage-class yet."
I wondered for a second how he’d gotten so strong so fast, but then the answer hit me: it was definitely the powdered Magnawell-san scales I was mixing into his food. I was the one responsible.
Alice gave me a look that was half-pity, half-exasperation.
"Just so you know, the only reason the government is ignoring the fact that you're keeping him is because you're the owner. That applies to the white dragon, too—the one that’s clearly evolving into a new species unlike any other..."
"Kaito-senpai is consistent as always," Aoi remarked.
"Are you sure you aren't actually a Monster Tamer, Kaito-san?" Hina teased.
I could only manage a wry smile as I stroked the head of Rin, who was tilting her head curiously. I made a mental note to report any strange changes in Rin or Bell to Lilia-san immediately. If I didn't, I was definitely going to get yelled at later.
Bonus: 4 Beings with Actually Super Strong Abilities
- Lilim: 'Charm' The strongest succubus and a user of an incredibly potent 'Charm'. She is the ultimate lower-rank killer, virtually invincible against anyone below the highest tier of Count-class. Anyone who falls into these categories becomes her obedient slave:
- Seeing even a part of her body.
- Hearing her voice, even faintly.
- Catching even a hint of her scent (including perfume).
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Touching even a single strand of her hair. During the battle in the God Realm, if the gods hadn't been under the protective influence of Shiro’s Blessing, Lilim could have neutralized all low-ranking gods and ninety percent of the high-ranking gods by herself. She is specialized for crowd control but lacks a finishing move against opponents of her own caliber.
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Kaito Miyama: 'Shiro's True Blessing' The True Blessing Kaito received from Shiro negates malicious magic directed at him, but it has a hidden property: it also negates the opponent's magic power defense. This is why Lilia—who is durable enough to shatter walls—actually felt pain when Kaito gave her a disciplinary bonk on the head. However, since Kaito's own attack power is so low, ignoring magic defense doesn't actually help him in a real fight.
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Noin: 'Undying Hero' An ability she doesn't even know she has. When she was translocated, Shallow Vernal added a trait: 'she will not die as long as her heart does not break.' It is essentially a guts skill that triggers infinitely as long as she has magic power. This is the secret behind her legend of never falling in battle. Shallow Vernal added this as an insurance policy because Noin was the first Hero, and Shiro didn't want to deal with complaints from the 'Otherworld Monster Complainer' (Eden) if she accidentally died.
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Vulpecula: 'Sympathy Magic' The signature ability of Vulpecula of the Mutsuraboshi. It is incredibly versatile:
- Advanced perception that can read surface thoughts.
- Magic negation by harmonizing with the opponent's mana.
- Copying magic or martial arts after seeing them once.
- An 'Auto-counter' on each of her ten tails that acts independently of her main body.
- Obstructing enemies by forcing emotions onto them.
- Perfect coordination with allies without any time lag.
- The ability to link the power of the Mutsuraboshi together, temporarily boosting one member to Six Kings-class. Because of her, the Mutsuraboshi are considered the strongest in team battles among the Six Kings' subordinates. In a way, she is like a version of Kaito who possesses maximum combat talent. Sympathy Magic itself is an absolute cheat-level ability.