Chapter 0283 The Six …
-x-X-x-
It was the third day since the Kingdom's delegation had begun to advance along the 'Pitch-Black Forest' road.
There were no signs, so accuracy might be a little off, but they had reached the halfway point to the small country of 'Ayteke-Bo'.
The delegation was in high spirits, having had a good night's rest on both the first and second nights.
Both were probably since they were able to sleep under the protection of a huge wall of ice.
Seeing this, the leader of the mission, a former A-rank adventurer and Adventurers' Guild Grand Master, said,
"Well, this certainly changes the whole concept of camping outside."
He muttered to himself.
It was certainly nice to be able to sleep peacefully at night.
"Are all water-attribute magicians this extraordinary?"
"Nah, it's just Ryo that's out of the ordinary."
Harold, the swordsman of 'Room 11', muttered, and Etho, the priest of 'Room 10', refuted it with a wry smile.
Probably because Zeke, the priest of 'Room 11', often talks to Etho.
Harold, the swordsman of 'Room 11', and Gowan, the dual swordsman of 'Room 11', both seem to be comfortable talking to Etho.
"You'll do well not to think that all water-attribute magicians are like that."
"But I remember Ryo's disciples building ice walls too…"
Etho asked Harold to correct his perception, but Niels the swordsman muttered, recalling a scene he once saw.
It was a scene he had seen in the garden of the Gecko Trading Company.
"Mr. Ryo's disciples…? They must be very powerful adventurers."
"Nope…merchants…"
"Huh…"
Harold was immensely surprised by what he just heard from Etho.
Merchants who are more powerful than adventurers…. Maybe a plot line in some RPG world….
But the leisurely movement of the mission was interrupted by the urgent news of the scouts.
The mission, of course, was moving forward while leaving the scouts to probe for problems ahead.
And the one overseeing that task was Lasrino, the scout from the B-rank party 'Coffee Maker'.
With him at the center, the scouts of each party took turns reporting.
"Grand Master, the road ahead is being swept away by the rising river."
"Rising river? Swept away? What the hell are you talking about? The map provided by the Empire doesn't show a river running across the road."
"Maybe something happened that changed the flow of the river. The rising river is about 300 meters to the opposite bank…"
"Dammit. Stuff like this is why I never wanted us to be in the lead. Fuck it, let's see if we can find a place upstream where we can cross. Since we'll be going through the forest, we're bound to run into some monsters. Scouts, get some rest. I'll send adventurers who are combat-ready instead."
Based on Lasrino's report, Hugh decided to look for a place where they could bypass the cut-off road.
The mission took a short break.
Ryo served coffee to the scouts, and when he returned to his previous location, the three guys of Room 10 and the three of Room 11 were gone.
"Huh?"
What were the odds of all six of them vanishing?
Just then, the members of the C-rank party 'Tenzan' passed by.
'Tenzan' was the adventurer party walking in front of Room 10 in the formation, so they also recognized Ryo.
"Um, have you seen my boys…"
Ryo asked, as if he were inquiring about the whereabouts of a lost child.
"Oh, Ryo. Niels and the others have gone to find a detour route under the direction of the Grand Master."
"Detour? uh…"
Ryo tilted his head.
Since there was no point in asking further, he went to ask Hugh directly.
"Mr. Hugh, I heard you asked Niels and the others to find a detour?"
"Oh, Ryo. That's right. I had Rooms 10 and 11 go looking for any suitable point upstream we could cross."
"Um… if it's all the same, we could just cross an ice bridge…"
"Ah…"
At that moment, Hugh realized his blunder.
That's right. There's someone in their midst who could build such a gigantic wall of ice.
He should have thought… that he could just as easily build an ice bridge.
But the words that came out of his mouth were….
"Ryo, you should have mentioned this a little sooner."
"Uh…. How's that my fault…?"
It seems that in any world, unreasonable words from superiors are as old as civilization itself.
It may be inevitable that even a superior as competent as Hugh would just let it slip out of his mouth….
For now, Ryo used passive sonar to probe the six people who left to find a detour route.
(400 meters away, on the move with no problems.)
But the moment he confirmed that… the six stopped moving.
Then, five of those reactions went completely still. As if they had passed out and collapsed on the spot.
"Mr. Hugh, I'm going to go check on those six for a bit."
Without waiting for Hugh's reply, Ryo took off.
The 400-meter dash was an anaerobic exercise.
He ran through it in less than a minute without breathing.
Of course, while running, Ryo gathered more information.
"
Therefore, it cannot read information about objects that have existed before the sonar is activated or are not moving.
Five people were crumpled on the ground.
The only one left…priest Zeke was barely standing…?
There was a foreign substance in the air around them….
"Is that, a paralyzing poison?"
A sense of déjà vu that Ryo… had felt in the past.
"I've come across this thing while using sonar once before…. But when? A paralyzing poison? But the target is unknown?"
Then it finally occurred to him.
"It was when I sent Abel back from Rondo Forest!"
Ryo arrived at the six at that very moment.
As he had discovered with sonar, only Zeke was barely standing with his staff as a support, while the other five had completely collapsed to the ground.
All five were conscious, but were paralyzed.
"
First, the paralyzing poison floating in the air was cleared away by a shower.
Then, he looked closely behind them.
"There they are!"
At first glance, nothing appeared to be there, but the space seemed to be 'swaying' just slightly.
"
And then, perhaps because of a change in refractive index caused by being frozen in ice.
There were five frozen plant monsters that looked exactly like Rafflesia.
-x-X-x-
After confirming that there were no other Rafflesia Mimics, Ryo nodded lightly to himself and looked at Zeke.
Priest Zeke seemed to have resisted the paralysis effect.
"Amazing Zeke…"
Muttering that involuntarily, Ryo took out a homemade antidote potion from his usual bag.
Zeke accepted it silently and drank the potion by himself with sluggish movements.
After confirming that, Ryo made the five people who had collapsed on the ground drink antidote potions one by one.
Although they had all collapsed, they were all in different conditions.
Amon and Harold were the least affected.
Amon appeared to have noticed something. Ryo didn't know why he felt that way, but somehow.
As a member of the royal family, it felt like Harold had been trained to become more resistant to poison… although Ryo couldn't tell at first glance if it was through inhumane practices…
Still, it was possible.
Since ancient times, one of the things that privileged people fear most was poison.
The next to have milder symptoms was Niels. And then Gowan and Etho.
Those three couldn't seem to move a finger.
Such fearsome paralyzing poison!
After drinking the antidote potion, everyone recovered as usual in five minutes.
However, their complexions were bad.
"Eh? Did my antidote potion taste bad?"
Ryo was worried about their pale complexions.
It was a potion to remove poison, so he would prefer if they tried to put up with the bad taste…
"No, Ryo, you saved us."
Niels opened his mouth first.
Still, his voice was a little wobbly.
After recovering from a paralyzing poison, it seems it would take time before a person can speak normally.
The body recovers fairly quickly, but the muscles around the mouth may require delicate control.
"But… what was that? Suddenly, my whole body was paralyzed."
"Yeah, I was surprised. Even if it is paralysis, this kind that instantly paralyzes the whole body …"
"It's because of that plant that Ryo-san froze, right?"
Niels remembered with a bitter face, Etho traced his painful memories, and Amon looked at the frozen Rafflesias with a refreshed expression without even a trace of bitterness.
"Thank you very much, Ryo…"
"You have my thanks."
"Thank you for coming."
Harold, Gowan, and Zeke of Room 11 also properly thanked Ryo.
They seemed to be pretty solid in that aspect.
Niels and the others might have said something.
Words from someone you admire have an overwhelming impact.
Niels was terrified, while Amon was thrilled to see something for the first time and approached the frozen Rafflesia Mimics.
"There wasn't a monster like this before…"
"Perhaps we just didn't see it?"
Niels and Amon are exchanging opinions.
"I've met this monster before on a trip with Abel, but I think it can reflect like a mirror and blend in with the scenery around it."
Ryo explained briefly.
"It's the first time I've heard of a plant-type monster that can't be seen."
"Maybe it's not found in the Central Nations."
"Eh? But, Ryo and Abel seen them before…"
Niels and Etho gave their impressions, and Amon asked back about the information Ryo just gave.
"Ah… I met Abel on the other side of the Devil's Mountain. You can't really call that part of the Central Nations."
Ryo's words were met with astonished gazes from the other six people.
"Beyond the Devil's Mountain… I'm shocked you both survived from such a place…"
"Or rather, it just shows how great His Majesty Abel is."
"I would think there would be tremendous monsters on the other side of the Devil's Mountain!"
Etho muttered, Niels respected the person he admired even more, and Amon spat out words as if he was stepping on the road to becoming a battle junkie.
Of course, the three people of Room 11 were silent.
The three of them were trembling just a little… they kept that a secret, as usual.
It wasn't as though the three people of Room 11 were weaker than or inferior to the others.
The three people of Room 10 were just weird.
Especially when it came to Ryo.
This and that couldn't be helped…
Time will fix everything… or at least it should.
"Even so, to think that there is such a terrifying monster just off the road… the Pitch-Black Forest is terrifying, isn't it?"
While Ryo nodded, he expressed his impressions with a triumphant look.
"…This plant-type monster doesn't move, does it?"
Amon murmured while looking at the feet of the frozen Rafflesia Mimics.
"Ah… that's true, these guys aren't connected to the ground."
Niels looked at the Rafflesia Mimic's feet and answered.
"I've heard that there are quite a few plant-type monsters that can move, albeit slowly, so maybe this is the case too?"
Etho nodded a few times and commented.
"The Treants looked cute but these…"
Ryo said while knocking on the ice coffin.
"Well, I think it's strange to judge based on cuteness."
Niels' mutter was too soft to reach Ryo.
"If this monster doesn't spit out paralyzing poison, it might look cute."
Amon tilted his head and said.
Amon's sense may be a little unique.
"Well, they moved to a place like this, which is pretty close to the road, didn't they? Maybe something disturbing is happening in the depths of the forest."
"Ryo…you're saying something serious, but you're smiling."
"No, I wouldn't!"
Ryo pretended to be serious, and Niels points out his mismatched expression, which surprised Ryo.
"I-I purposely smiled to ease the tension in this place."
"… I'm amazed you can say something so blatant that no one will believe."
Niels ignored Ryo's resistance.
"Kuh… Recently, I've been seeing Niels as Abel."
"Long live His Majesty Abel!"
Admiration makes a person grow… maybe.
Such a conversation between the two of them was a common sight in 'Room 10' from long ago.
Eto and Amon smiled wryly.
The three people of Room 11 stopped trembling, but their complexions were getting worse…
Maybe it was all because of Ryo.
Instead of relaxing the mood, he made their complexions worse…
Smiling can be such a difficult expression.
-x-X-x-
Ryo built a 300-meter ice bridge without any problems and the Kingdom mission successfully crossed it.
"Okay, Ryo, just erase the bridge."
Hugh said after confirming that everyone had crossed over.
"Huh? Are you sure? But the missions from the other countries will be behind us …"
"Is it? I don't know anything."
He was probably still holding a grudge against being forced to take the lead through the conspiracy of the former emperor and the former king…
Well, with the power of the Empire and the Union, it would be possible to get the earth attribute magicians to build a bridge, so he just wanted to make them suffer a little.
"It will buy us some time, and in the meantime, we will conclude a trade treaty that is more advantageous to the Kingdom than to the Empire or the Union."
It was never Hugh's personal resentment or narrow-mindedness.
It was a decision made for the sake of the country!
"You old farts, former emperor and former king, don't look down on me. Putting in some effort will be good for your old bones."
… Maybe for the sake of the country.
After crossing the ice bridge, the mission continued to move.
Room 10 and the members of Room 11, whom they are in charge of, were protecting the rearmost part of the mission just like before the river crossing.
However, two priests among them, Etho and Zeke, were looking around while walking with something in their hands.
Naturally, Ryo saw that scene and became curious.
"Etho, Zeke, what are you holding in your hands?"
Rather than their act of looking around, he seemed to be more interested in what they were holding.
That's because it looked like a booklet made by bundling dozens of sheets of paper and binding them with thread.
"This? This is a summary of the places the mission will visit. The Kingdom has a tradition of making something like this and distributing one to each party when sending a large number of long-distance envoys. I heard it's an old tradition from the days of King Richard."
"I heard it is called a 'travel guide'."
Etho and Zeke answered while showing the booklet.
"Travel guide…"
What a non-fantasy word…
The idea stank of a reincarnated person… or rather, King Richard was definitely a reincarnated person … Ryo's premonition turned into conviction.
It was like a school trip booklet…
"So, what were you looking around with that travel guide in one hand?"
"Yeah. According to this, we should be able to see the 'World Tree' soon. It's supposed to be such a huge tree that it appears to prop up the sky, so it should be easily visible and we're looking for it, but I can't see it."
"While there are many trees on the left and right sides of the road, but I was just talking with Etho-san that it's strange that the World Tree can't be seen."
Ryo asked a question, and Etho and Zeke answered that it was strange that they couldn't see the World Tree.
By the way, it appeared that the four other swordsmen were not interested in the World Tree at all.
Etho, Zeke, and the other four… Looking at the contrast, Ryo thought deeply about the reason for the existence of intellectual curiosity…
When Ryo looked around, quite a few adventurers were walking around with booklets, looking around.
Perhaps they were also trying to see the World Tree.
However, they couldn't seem to find anything that looked like a World Tree.
"Maybe it's dried up…"
Ryo mutters.
In general, when people talk about the World Tree on Earth, it refers to Yggdrasil, which appears in Norse mythology.
In the third scene of Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung, part 4, 'Twilight of the Gods', the god Odin makes a spear from a branch of the World Tree, but in the end, the world tree Yggdrasil withered.
A World Tree that withers due to the actions of gods.
What a suggestive scene!
"People are stupid, but God is stupid too…"
Ryo shook his head slightly, looked to the side, and continued.
"Niels too…"
"Yeah, Ryo, choose your next words carefully, okay?"
Niels, who was walking beside Ryo and listening to the line "People are stupid~" said while putting his hand on his sword.
"Niels too… has become similar to Abel."
"Long live King Abel!"
Even if it wasn't as fast as Abel's sword draw, Ryo understood that he was at a disadvantage at this distance.
Niels is a B-rank swordsman… he had to be careful!
At the rear of the mission, such a scene was unfolding.
At the front.
The leader, Hugh McGrath, who was usually in the lead carriage, was visiting the second carriage.
The second carriage was ridden by the chief negotiator who oversees a hundred civil officials.
"Ignis, are you sure about this report about the ruler of Ayteke-Bo?"
"Ah, Leader. Yes, I'm almost 100% sure. It's not just from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Intelligence Department, it's also consistent with the information from Lord Heinlein."
"I see~"
Chief Negotiator Ignis Hagrid.
The second son of the Marquis Hope family, a large aristocrat in the West, and a high-ranking bureaucrat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the past, he served as a negotiator in the mission to Twilight Land, and in the battle for the liberation of the Kingdom, he persuaded his father, Marquis Hope, to quickly join King Abel. An excellent man who succeeded in making the Marquis of Hope's prestige clearer in the subsequent Kingdom than ever before.
He looks like a person who is always smiling and is very easy to talk to, but he also has a very quick mind.
"Lord Zuransu, the lord of Ayteke-Bo, seems to be self-conceited … so the negotiations will be difficult. It may be difficult to conclude a treaty in favor of the Kingdom before the Empire and Union catch up."
"Seems like it~"
Hugh frowned at Ignis's calm remark.
When he first read the report, he thought it would be so, but he couldn't help but feel even more depressed when the person in charge of negotiations agreed.
"Okay. We'll at least occupy all the inns with the Kingdom's mission. The Empire and the Union are going to be camping outside the city!"
Hearing Hugh's words, even Ignis couldn't help but smile bitterly.
-x-X-x-
'Ayteke-Bo' is the name of the country as well as the name of the city.
In other words, that one city can be considered the whole country, a city-state.
Ayteke-Bo is surrounded by high walls, and it seemed that even if monsters attacked, they would be able to stop them from entering the city.
As a diplomatic mission, the Kingdom Mission entered Ayteke-Bo without any special inspection.
The city of Ayteke-Bo is divided into east and west by a fairly large river running through the center.
The aristocratic district centering on the lord's mansion spreads out on the west bank, and the urban area spreads out on the east bank.
All the inns were in the east bank area.
Nonetheless, there was no such thing as a huge accommodation facility like where the Kingdom mission stayed when they stopped over in the Empire.
While they do have trade with the Empire's outer cities … by the standards of the Central Nations, it was quite small.
Even the largest inn could only accommodate about forty people.
Therefore, the Kingdom mission was divided into a total of thirteen inns.
In the beginning, they planned for each country to take four lodgings each for the envoys of the Kingdom, the Empire, and the Union, and the remaining two lodgings were for smaller country envoys…
However, at the will of Hugh McGrath, the head of the Kingdom mission, the Kingdom mission decided to occupy 13 of the 14 houses.
Narrow-mindedness?
No such thing!
That was also for the sake of the Kingdom… it must be… it should be… hopefully…
The manager of the civil officials was Chief Negotiator Ignis, but the escorting adventurers' manager was Delong, the leader of the B-rank party 'Coffee Maker'.
'Room 10' was also a B-rank party, but 'Coffee Maker' was their senior among B-rank parties, and above all, they were one of the parties that had completed the most escort requests among the adventurers of the Kingdom.
Of course, Niels and others in 'Room 10' didn't find any issue with that.
Partly also because the two parties had built a good relationship ever since they teamed up with Coffee Maker for the escort to Whitnash, which was the first escort request for Room 10.
As expected, it wasn't the same as regular escorting work where the work ended the moment they enter the city. Such as on the way to the Western Countries, when they stayed in Gilsbach in the Empire, they couldn't consider their work done after entering the city.
They couldn't know what would happen in the cities.
Regardless of after arriving in the Western Countries, they were always on escorting duty the entire way.
It was also the same when they were at the inn.
"I'm sorry, Niels. I'll entrust the guard duty for the 'Enticing Moonlit Night' inn to 'Room 10'."
"Yes, Mr. Delong. Leave it to us."
"Hey… like I said before, we're the same B-rank, so please don't call me that…"
Niels still had a mischievous air, but he is the type to respect his seniors.
"As planned, we'll be guarding the 'Spring Sun' inn, so if anything happens, gather over there."
"Got it."
'Spring Sun' was the largest inn in Ayteke-Bo, so the leader Hugh and the chief negotiator Ignis were supposed to stay there.
It was, so to speak, the most important base for the escort mission.
Delong's professionalism was evident when he volunteered to take on the most troublesome place.
His actions might be proof of Abel's training on the adventurers of the City of Rune from three years back.
Ayteke-Bo, audience room.
There, an audience was held for the Knightley Kingdom Delegation by Lord Zuransu, the lord of Ayteke-Bo.
"So, what will the Kingdom offer this country for accepting the mission this time?"
Commander Hugh McGrath was at a loss for words due to the excessive words of Lord Zuransu.
It was surprising that he made such a sudden request in the first audience, but it was also difficult to understand the use of expressions such as 'offer this country' in the first place.
Although he didn't want to go so far as to say that he should consider the difference in national power between the two countries, but wasn't there a better way to say it?
When Hugh looked up to say something, Chief Negotiator Ignis took the lead and opened his mouth.
"Your Majesty, I hope that we will be able to clarify this at the negotiation table starting tomorrow. I foolishly think that it will be of mutual benefit if both of us get what your country wants, rather than something the Kingdom unilaterally offers."
"Hmm. That makes sense. I look forward to the negotiations starting tomorrow."
Saying that, Lord Zuransu left and the audience ended.
"As expected of Ignis… you ended the audience without offending them. I was about to lose my temper…"
"Hahaha. Leader, if you don't open your mouth, you won't shower them with rude words. My main role is to be the negotiator after all. That said, in that audience, he displayed even more self-conceit than expected … or rather, it was leaning toward arrogance. It looks like this will take some time."
"It can't be helped if it will take some time. I've already given up on it. I leave the rest to you."
To be honest, Hugh was beginning to think that he wanted to move on quickly before trouble occurred.
However, due to the agreements of the Central Nations, it was decided that they would wait in Ayteke-Bo for the Empire and Union to catch up, so they couldn't proceed on their own.
"I just heard about it, but it seems that the World Tree disappeared about two months ago."
"They claim that the World Tree was hidden."
Priest Etho and Priest Zeke, who seemed to have picked up information about the World Tree in the city, reported that to Ryo.
"Hidden…?"
Ryo asked while tilting his head.
"Yeah. It disappeared overnight."
Etho nodded and answered.
"The trunk of the world tree is said to be in a forest more than ten kilometers away from here. So, it seemed that adventurers and soldiers were dispatched to find out what happened, but no one has returned."
Zeke said while frowning.
"Something terrible might be happening."
Ryo, with a somber atmosphere, pointed out the possibility that it was a serious situation.
For the second time.
However, putting aside the members of 'Room 11', the members of 'Room 10', who have known him for a long time, weren't deceived.
"Ryo, you're saying that with a serious feeling, but…"
"Yeah, he's still the same…"
"The face of a man thinking about bad things…"
Amon, Etho, and Niels looked at Ryo's face and commented.
"How did you find out!?"
Ryo was surprised to be pointed out.
The person himself seemed to have wanted to put on a serious face.
Ryo may have difficulty acting serious…
-x-X-x-
Three days had passed since the Kingdom delegation arrived in Ayteke-Bo.
"Maratha, are you taking me for a fool?"
"Y-Your Majesty… I dare not."
A room in the Ayteke-Bo Palace.
Maratha, the Knight Captain, was on his knees in front of Lord Zuransu, who was reprimanding him.
There was only one other person in the room besides the Lord's chamberlain.
And that person was smiling wryly and looking at the reprimanded Knight Captain as if ridiculing him.
But he didn't say a thing.
He knew that Lord Zuransu hated, more than anything else, to be interrupted.
"Maratha, it's been two months. How are you still unable to determine what's going on with the World Tree after a good two months?!"
"We have sent out knights and adventurers, but not a single one has returned…"
"Yes, I heard about that! And it is your duty as the Knight Captain to do something about it!"
"Yes sir. My apologies."
Knight Captain Maratha bowed his head even more to display his apology.
"Good grief. If only you were a tenth as capable as Gujia, this wouldn't pose much of a challenge…. Ain't that right, Gujia?"
Lord Zuransu looked at Gujia, the captain of the guard standing beside him.
Gujia's wry smile had already been wiped off, and he bowed his head with a serious expression on his face.
"I'm humbled by your praise my lord, but I'm sure that things just aren't going according to the Knight Captain's wishes is all. Speaking of the knights, I hear that discipline has been slack recently. With such subordinates alone, it's not surprising that they've been unable to get a fix on the World Tree."
"You bastard!"
Maratha shouted angrily at Gujia's sarcasm.
But….
"Restrain yourself!"
Lord Zuransu rebuked him again.
"Ugh…. My apologies."
Maratha, the Knight Commander, who had completely lost the trust of the lord of the land, could only apologize.
"At least Gujia cut branches of the World Tree and brought them back. He has something to show for his efforts!"
"With all due respect, those so-called efforts may be the very reason why the World Tree disappeared…"
"You still dare talk back to me in your predicament? What? Are you implying that I was wrong to order they cut some branches of the World Tree?"
"N-Not at all…"
When Lord Zuransu said so, Maratha couldn't say anything else in response.
The cutting of the branches of the World Tree was indeed ordered by Lord Zuransu three months ago.
And Gujia, the captain of the guards standing beside him, brought the cut-off branches of the World Tree back to Ayteke-Bo.
Those were all facts.
At the same time, it was also a fact that since then, reports of strange things happening in the forest had begun to emerge.
Those reports should have reached Lord Zuransu from various sources….
Perhaps Lord Zuransu himself had yet to receive them.
They were being covered up by those around him.
Because such a report would surely offend Lord Zuransu.
Only such controversial reports that wouldn't make anyone happy were covered up.
"If the Knights are unreliable… what other option is there…?"
Lord Zuransu pondered.
Even he would like to know what exactly was going on with the World Tree.
All this fuss over a tree….
Then an idea struck him.
"Hmm. Come to think of it, we do have some useful people staying here at the moment, right?"
"What is the meaning of this, Sir Dandan?"
The office of the Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister's Office.
Dandan, the Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister's Office, was the chief negotiator on Ayteke-Bo's side.
The one who came in with a piece of paper and asked the question was the negotiator on the Kingdom side, Chief Negotiator Ignis.
That said, the person in question was Ignis.
He didn't yell.
He was polite and tender.
"Oh, Sir Ignis, I am so sorry. But His Majesty…"
Deputy Minister Dandan said with a frown on his face, looking truly apologetic.
It's only natural.
Negotiations between the two countries had reached a critical point.
They had reached the point where they could sign the treaty tomorrow or the day after.
However, when the lord of the country intervened, and the content of the request was something that would endanger the adventurers of the other country, they were in a quandary….
The request from the lord of Ayteke-Bo was that "All negotiations will be suspended until the Kingdom adventurers have observed the situation of the World Tree and reported it back to the Ayteke-Bo government".
"I knew it…. But even for Lord Zuransu, this is too much."
Ignis' expression and language were gentle as usual, but the look on his face was not.
And those eyes were exerting an intangible pressure on Deputy Minister Dandan.
"I-I know. I am really sorry. The Prime Minister also tried speaking directly to His Majesty, but he was unable to meet with him…. Moreover, before that, Sir Maratha, the Knight Captain who failed to gather information on the World Tree, was also dismissed… I'm truly sorry about this…"
Deputy Minister Dandan was about to burst into tears.
For him, negotiating a trade deal with one of the Central Nations was a once-in-a-lifetime undertaking.
And just as he was about to seal it, he was interrupted.
And by the lord of his own country to boot.
It was enough to make him want to cry.
As an experienced negotiator, Ignis knew the feeling quite well.
So, in the end, he could only say one thing.
"…I'll bring it back and discuss it with them."
"In other words, unless we get information about the World Tree, negotiations are over?"
"Yeah…. I told you to leave everything to me only to have this mess on our hands… I am ashamed of myself."
Hugh McGrath, head of the Kingdom Delegation, and Ignis, chief negotiator of the Kingdom Delegation, were discussing in the dining room of the 'Spring Sun' inn where they were staying.
In front of Hugh were the papers that Ignis had just taken to the Prime Minister's Office, as well as the papers with the results of the negotiations written on them.
"The proposals are very good. This will shut up those obnoxious lot back in the country. And I especially like the last clause… that the Knights will give us directions to Schulz, the next country we are aiming for."
"Yes…. The content was satisfactory, but…"
Hugh complimented the proposals, and Ignis frowned and shook his head at everything but the content.
"From what I've heard, none of the knights or adventurers have returned in the last two months."
"Yeah. So, I think it's safe to say that something disturbing is going on."
"The best course of action would have been to send out some scouts to gather information in advance, but the lord of the country won't stand for such a leisurely approach…. Because I'm sure by reporting, he meant… to go, have a look, and come back. Although we won't need to do anything else… what do we do?"
The reason that leader Hugh McGrath came to the 'Enticing Moonlit Night' was, of course, because he had given it some thought.
But even so, he had yet to reach a decision.
The escort party in the 'Enticing Moonlit Night' was 'Room 10'.
One of only two B-rank parties in the Kingdom delegation.
Of course, compared to the other B-rank party, 'Coffee Maker', it's hard to say which is stronger in terms of strength, but there's one big difference.
Which is….
"Oh, Mr. Hugh, what's up? I don't remember any meeting being hosted here though."
The water-attribute magician in front of him.
Without knowing what could happen.
Or knowing what to expect.
And no guarantee what the outcome would be….
If they were going to jump into such a situation, he'd rather their strongest force lead the way.
Hugh looked at Ryo and decided.
"Ryo, I need to talk to you and the three members of 'Room 10'."
-x-X-x-
"I didn't expect the success or failure of the negotiations to rest on our shoulders…"
"Failure is not an option then."
"Ten kilometers one way, twenty kilometers round trip, that's a five-hour round trip if we only count the walking time."
"Shall we head straight to where the World Tree used to be, cutting down all the trees along the way with
Niels understood the gravity of the situation, Etho affirmed it, Amon ran the calculations, and Ryo proposed the best course of action.
It goes without saying, only Ryo thought that was the best course of action.
"No, I'd rather you travel without excessively disturbing the area…"
The leader Hugh McGrath shut down Ryo's suggestion.
"Well then, it can't be helped. Hear that Niels, looks like we're taking the long way there."
"Sure. Except for Ryo, everyone else was going to walk through the forest like a normal person."
Ryo said with a sigh and Niels replied with a deeper sigh.
It was not until seven in the morning that the four of them departed.
Yesterday, they had received a request from Hugh to search for the World Tree, and the four of them had decided to leave after a night's rest.
Even an ordinary forest at night is no place for humans to venture into.
And even less so the 'Pitch-Black Forest'.
Even Lasrino, the B-rank scout from 'Coffee Maker', who led the scouting party, was absolutely opposed to scouting the Pitch-Black Forest at night.
Even scouts refuse to go into the Pitch-Black Forest at night.
Risks ought to be minimized as much as possible.
Big risks ought to be minimized to small risks, and small risks minimized to none.
To avoid an untimely end, the ability to assess risk is an absolute necessity.
"The forest is getting pretty close to the castle walls, huh."
Niels said as he stood outside the walls, looking at the walls and forest surrounding Ayteke-Bo.
"I suppose the walls are about five meters high? But the trees in the forest are just as tall."
Etho said, comparing the height of the walls and the trees.
Ryo tilted his head without a word.
Seeing this, Amon called out to him.
"Ryo, what's wrong?"
"Yeah…. I'm not picking up any monster presence, whatsoever, within a one-kilometer radius…"
Ryo's
However, there wasn't a single monster within that radius.
And to make things worse, there wasn't any presence of ordinary animals either.
"That's indeed strange."
Etho responded.
It's a forest after all.
And compared to the plains, forests are home to a greater number of monsters and animals.
Yet the fact that there's nothing within a kilometer radius is very unusual, no matter what kind of forest it is.
"Anyway, let's just proceed with caution."
Niels said, and the other three nodded.
The folks in 'Room 10' are an able-bodied bunch.
Forest or not, the twenty kilometers round-trip distance should be a breeze for them.
But one never knows what might happen.
Hence why these four were chosen….
Then something strange occurred halfway between Ayteke-Bo and the World Tree.
"A staggering number of monsters are heading this way. Warwolves…more than five hundred of 'em."
"What the hell!"
Niels raised his voice in a frenzy at Ryo's report.
Warwolves do indeed move in packs, but at most fifty of them.
More than ten times that acting together was unheard of.
"What are they after? Ryo, can we weather this by erecting an ice wall?"
"Maybe…"
Niels came up with a plan, and Ryo nodded.
He nodded but…couldn't say for certain because of something entirely different.
"Following behind the Warwolves are…snakes…a lot of 'em…"
"Eh…"
Priest Etho frowned in disgust and exclaimed in exasperation at Ryo's additional report.
It seemed that Etho isn't good with snakes.
Neither is Ryo, of course….
"This should do for now,
A wall of ice surrounding the four of them in all directions materialized, and after a few moments, 'they' appeared.
Countless wolves with eyes glowing brightly, were charging straight at them.
However, it seemed that they weren't exactly paying attention to the four of them ahead, and then got deflected as they slammed into the ice wall.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
A seemingly endless wave of wolves.
And next came the snakes.
And then….
"Ahhh, and here comes wild boars… boar types are on the way…"
Ryo sighed as he kept up with the reports.
"Seriously…"
Niels sighed as he replied.
Then, without speaking, Etho and Amon too, sighed.
Then Niels made a decision.
"Ryo, can you move while maintaining this ice wall?"
"Sure, I can?"
"Great. Then maintain the ice wall around us. We'll make our way to the World Tree as is."
Etho, Amon, and Ryo nodded at Niels' decision.
Although they were smack-dab in the middle of a monster swarm with no end in sight, time wasn't on their side.
Despite securing ample time according to the estimates, if they couldn't make it back to Ayteke-Bo by nightfall….
Even the four of them, experienced adventurers that they were, were horrified at the thought of spending the night in the 'Pitch-Black Forest'.
Even with Ryo's
Ryo slightly adjusted the shape of the
The tip toward the direction of the World Tree was made pointed to make it easier to wade through the swarm of monsters.
The broken swarm of monsters passed by the ice wall, merging and pressing onward behind the four of them.
It would be quite a spectacular sight, if only the thought of the ice wall suddenly breaking wasn't lurking in their minds.
The boars were not only lesser boars, but also normal boars, and even the occasional greater boars in the mix.
All of the boars came charging with red eyes and menacing looks….
"At first I thought they were being chased by something horrible…"
"Yeah, that doesn't seem to be the case. Rather than running away, it's more like they're heading somewhere to ravage the place or anything in their way."
Ryo gave his opinion, and Priest Etho agreed.
After a few thousand boars passed by, Ryo sensed something else approaching them.
However….
"Hmm, I don't know what kind of monster this one is. It's about ten meters long?"
"If you don't know it, then it must not be around Rune."
Niels replied, pondering Ryo's words.
And then it came into view.
"They're here!"
They were over ten meters long. And more than three meters tall.
They looked like gigantic….
"Caterpillars…"
An illustration of thousands of caterpillars the size of a large trailer, charging toward you at a speed fast enough to drive on the highway….
For some people, that would be a traumatizing sight.
But Ryo thought….
"If they had lots of eyeballs, that'd make them the king of forest bugs in some anime…"
The caterpillars in front of them had no visible part that could be considered an eye, but a thin tentacle-like thing wiggling around.
"Oh…those are caterpillars…"
Niels seemed to know about the caterpillar monsters.
"Caterpillar… the English version of the word…"
Ryo's muttering was too soft and was drowned out by the clamor of their surroundings.
"Their bodies are slightly reddish."
Etho also seemed to know about this caterpillar monster.
"I remember that it turns red when provoked."
Amon seemed to know about this caterpillar monster as well.
"How come you all know this monster…?"
Ryo was the only one without knowledge of it….
He became a little depressed.
Seeing this, Etho chuckled and explained.
"We saw it when we went to the northern part of the Kingdom on a quest, all three of us. It's a monster that doesn't exist in the southern part of the Kingdom, where Rune is located, so it's no wonder you don't know about it, Ryo."
As expected of B-rank adventurers.
They venture all around the Kingdom.
Very unlike Ryo, the recluse, apparently.
"E-Even so, I won't lose!"
"And who exactly are you fighting, Ryo…?"
Niels sighed quietly and snapped back at Ryo's muttering.
-x-X-x-
"Movement has become easier."
"Ki-kinda…"
"It is just a straight road now."
"I could understand why the adventurers and knights couldn't return if they encountered that flood of monsters …"
Ryo expressed his feelings, Niels agreed, Amon stated the facts, and Etho considers the tragedy that must have been met by those who did not return.
After the caterpillars passed by, all the trees had been knocked down, leaving a straight path.
Monsters such as wolves, snakes, and boars all moved while avoiding trees, but the caterpillar charged forward while toppling the trees down.
Therefore, the four of them smoothly approached the World Tree through the path that the caterpillar had passed.
And then, Ryo's
"Um~, sonar… ah, according to my magical search, there is something over 1km tall about 800 meters away."
"Huh?"
Niels answered with a hysterical question to Ryo's report.
And then, all four of them, including Ryo, look ahead about 800 meters.
"Looks normal …"
"It's a forest."
"But if it's over a kilometer tall…"
"Yeah, I think it's probably a World Tree…"
Niels said, Amon agreed, Etho asked a confirmation question, and Ryo answered.
But it didn't look like there was anything.
"Unless …
"As expected! There's probably a lot of Rafflesia imitations stuck to the surface of the World Tree!"
"Rafflesia mimics … Oh, those invisible plant-type monsters!"
The three people of Room 10 remembered.
When they went out to search for a point where theyyy could cross the river, they couldn't move because of the paralyzing poison released by the monster.
Moreover, the plant-type monster couldn't be seen until it was frozen.
"They're on the surface of the World Tree?"
"Yes. Probably thousands or tens of thousands…"
"I guess it's normal that we can't see it if that is the case."
"If we get close, we'll be paralyzed again, right?"
They weren't opponents that Niels, Ryo, Etho, and Amon would want to fight.
With Ryo's
"It's not about fighting or dispelling the illusion, it's about investigating. Let's verify a few more facts before we leave without antagonizing them."
Etho made the most realistic proposal.
Yes, the fact that the four of them came this time was just to investigate.
They just needed to investigate and return to report.
The World Tree exists, but it is covered with invisible plant-type monsters.
However, things develop beyond their expectations.
"Something is falling from the sky."
At the same time as Ryo said that, the three of them looked up.
"A person?"
"A humanoid monster?"
"Three are coming."
Humanoid monsters that Niels, Etho, and Amon had never seen before.
Three bodies landed in front of the four of them.
They were not a people.
Their entire body was gray and flat, with no eyes, nose, mouth, ears… nothing.
It was easy to tell at a glance that they were monsters.
However, they were 180cm tall, walked on two legs, and had two hands, a one-handed sword in their right hand and a small shield in their left hand.
And, at the same time as they landed, they were in battle stance, and they felt murderous intent roll over them …
"No way, are those the Shadow Stalker we've heard about? Either way, this … we have no choice but to fight. Me, Amon, and Ryo will fight in close quarters. Etho will be rear support."
The moment Niels gave the order, the three monsters came toward them.
Clang.
Clang.
Swush.
One-on-one combat occurred in three places.
The Shadow Stalkers were strong.
They were crossing blows with B-rank swordsman, Niels and Amon, at the same level.
Of course, Ryo…
((Abel, are you alive, Abel~?))
Through the echoes of his soul, Ryo spoke to Abel while clashing swords.
((Oh, I'm still alive, but I'm a little busy right now… Hn? You're fighting an unusual one. A shadow Stalker, I guess. Moreover, this is the first time I've seen them with a weapon.))
((I knew Abel's knowledge would be useful. When you are fired from being His Majesty the King, you could start an adventurer guide business. I'm sure you can make a living.))
((What the hell are you going on about an adventurer guide… Putting that aside, Shadow Stalkers are strong. Be careful. They're said to be illusions created by the forest… The bigger the forest… the more powerful they seem to be.))
((Although they're illusions, they're actually real, right? After all, they're holding a sword… and blocking with a shield.))
((It's probably the gears of adventurers who died in the forest. The reason they are called 'illusions' is because they don't have magic stones… I think? It's a monster we rarely see in the Kingdom, so I don't know the full details either.))
While listening to Abel's commentary, Ryo and the Shadow Stalker's swordplay continued.
The Shadow Stalker's swordsmanship was faithful to the basics.
Strangely, the monster's swordsmanship was faithful to the basics to the point that it was similar to Abel's and Amon's swordsmanship.
It's Hume-style swordsmanship in the Kingdom.
For that reason, Ryo was familiar with it.
That's why…
"Readable"
Until then, Murasame had politely parried the sword and he showed that he would receive it this time as well, before dodging it.
When the Shadow Stalker slashed diagonally downward, he stepped out with his left leg to dodge, and when the monster lost its balance, he cut off its head with a single stroke.
As soon as its head fell, the Shadow Stalker disappeared.
A second later, the one-handed sword and small shield it was using fell to the ground.
At about the same time, Amon and Niels also defeated their Shadow Stalkers.
"Phew, I had a lot of trouble."
"These swords and shields appear to belong to the adventurers and knights who died in the forest."
Niels and Amon had such a conversation, and when Etho and Ryo were about to join them, a voice echoed around them.
[Children of men, I ask you. What is your purpose in visiting the forest?]
It felt like it was coming from the entire area, or it was echoing from the bottom of the earth… it was a first for all four of them.
"This is..."
"Is this the voice of the forest itself?"
Niels and Amon whispered such a conversation.
(The voice of the forest itself, what a fantasy! It's a phenomenon that didn't appear in Sera's 'West Forest'.)
In his heart, Ryo was feeling excited.
In that case, naturally, the negotiator would be the priest Etho.
"The reason we came was to learn about the current state of the World Tree. It's not to fight or destroy the forest. It wasn't our intentions to fight with the three earlier."
As expected of a priest who dedicated himself to God.
Even if the other party was thought to be the pitch-black forest itself, he was able to speak confidently.
Ryo was frankly impressed by his appearance.
"As expected of Etho. At times like this, you're very reliable."
"I agree, but Ryo, why are you looking at me while saying that?"
"I-it doesn't have a deeper meaning?"
Ryo hurriedly averted his gaze as he answered Niels' question.
Feeling that spectacle beside him, Etho was able to negotiate with the pitch-black forest in a more relaxed way than before… although he's sure the two of them didn't intend for that effect …
[I understand that you all hold enough power but came without harming the things of the forest.]
(Is it saying that even though we have enough power to defeat the Shadow Stalkers, we surrounded ourselves with ice walls all the time and didn't choose to decimate the monsters?)
Ryo thought about that.
In that case, Niels' decision to move with the ice wall was correct.
[If the weak become food for the strong is the law of the forest, I will not stop the children of men from hunting the beings who live in the forest. You can do so freely. But the children of men who lived in the city broke the promise. Breaking the promise not to touch the 'tree', he cut off a branch and took it home. Therefore, I will not allow you to come any closer.]
"It means …"
"Yes. Three months ago, there was a rumor that Lord Zuransu ordered a branch from the World Tree to be brought back to Ayteke-Bo."
Amon and Etho exchanged their thoughts.
It seemed that it was in the story they heard in the city.
"Great One, we understand. That reply is enough. We will bring it back to the city and report it."
After saying that, Etho bowed.
(The other party is probably the forest, but I didn't know what to call it, so he chose to call him 'Great One'… As expected of Etho. If it was Niels, what would have happened…)
"Hey, Ryo. You were thinking of something very rude again, weren't you?"
After getting seen through by Niels, Ryo opened his eyes wide, looked at Niels and said.
"You're great at sensing that!"
"Hey, even if you have to lie, you should at least say something like it's not like that, right …?"
Niels let out a huge sigh.
-x-X-x-
On the way back, they didn't encounter any monsters.
Only once, they saw a large group of caterpillars moving from the direction of Ayteke-Bo to the direction of the World Tree from a distance.
"Somehow… it's a surprisingly violent yet orderly march."
"Yeah, I understand Ryo's pain trying to express that…"
That was the conversation Ryo and Etho exchanged after watching the caterpillars move.
A caterpillar that uses its giant body to push down nearby trees and fold them as it advances…a caterpillar.
However, compared to the time when they were heading towards the World Tree, when their body surface was slightly red, it wasn't that scary…
He tried to express it, and the result of the painstaking effort was the expression 'violent yet orderly'.
"As expected of Etho. You can understand my pains… if it was Niels …"
"Hey Ryo, I can hear you."
Niels responded to Ryo's words.
It appeared that he heard it.
Of course.
Niels was walking next to Ryo.
"I was trying to say that if it was Niels … it would be nice if he could understand too. I'm saying the truth."
"I am absolutely sure that's a lie!"
"How did you find out!"
In this world, there is such a thing as a lie that will be exposed…
"I feel like Niels is getting sharper these days."
"I don't understand why you are coming up with such impressions from our conversation just now…"
"I think being sharp is a good thing for a swordsman."
"Oh, oh…"
"Of course, there is not necessarily a proportional relationship between thrusting into a conversation and thrusting a sword. Niels needs to work harder at thrusting his sword…"
"Yeah, I don't understand what you're talking about at all."
Understanding each other is quite difficult.
"Well, the caterpillars were quite calm compared to when they came from the World Tree."
"I felt like they had achieved their goal."
Etho and Amon discussed the change in the caterpillars.
"It's the difference between before and after Ryo gets a cake."
"Excuse me! Before I get a cake and after I eat it. Please don't mistake it."
"O-oh, my bad…"
For some reason when Ryo speaks with Niels, it becomes a comedy act with both acting as the fool.
It was afternoon when the four returned to Ayteke-Bo.
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
The four of them arrived at a position where there was a path cut through the forest and they could see the whole view of Ayteke-Bo.
The sight they saw there was…
"Acha~"
"This is..."
"The castle walls…"
"The wrath of nature."
Niels, Etho, and even Amon were at a loss for words.
For some reason, Ryo at the end spoke like an old lady.
The western half of Ayteke-Bo's massive wall had completely collapsed.
Beyond the ramparts, perhaps in the West Bank, the situation was also dire.
However, among them, the one that seemed to have the most concentrated damage was…
"The Lord's Mansion… there's no trace of it."
The other three nodded to Etho's mutter.
When the four approach the castle wall…
"Hey, you guys, over here!"
A loud voice called out to the four.
When they looked in the direction of the voice, they saw a fierce-looking giant man waving his hand.
"Hugh."
"Everyone in the delegation seems to be around Grandmaster."
"I'm glad everyone is okay."
"All the inns were on the East Bank, so they would have been fine…"
Ryo confirmed, Amon supplemented, Niels gave a common-sense impression, and Etho voiced his hopes.
And the result ….
"It's okay. Everyone from the delegation is safe."
All four of them smiled when they heard Hugh's words.
"… I see. So that happen?"
Etho made a coherent report, and Commander Hugh McGrath understood and nodded.
Beside him, the top civil negotiator, Ignis, was listening while nodding repeatedly.
"Over here, hordes of caterpillars tore down the ramparts, and warwolves, boars, and snakes overran the West Bank. It seemed that their purpose was the branch of the World Tree that was in the Lord's Mansion, and it seems that they left after they found it…"
At that point, Hugh paused and continued his words with a frown.
"There weren't as many casualties as it appears, but it seems Lord Zuransu and several of his aides were involved."
"Therefore, the trade agreement this time is void…"
Chief negotiator Ignis shook his head slightly as he continued.
"I'm sorry for making you all go out of your way."
"No, chief negotiator-dono doesn't have to apologize…"
At Ignis' apology, Niels bowed his head in a hurry.
Once the new government is inaugurated and the situation stabilizes, they agreed to send a delegation from Ayteke-Bo to the Kingdom and conclude a trade agreement.
(What would they do about the Empire in between us?)
Ryo thought so but decided not to think about it further.
That was because there may be loopholes or detours that Ryo didn't know about.
Or something else.
Yes, for example, using a ship that floats in the sky…
In Ryo's head, the Golden Hind, which he saw in the Kingdom Liberation Battle, was floating.
A flying ship with amazing grace and power.
Even as he thought about it, he really did want to own one.
"It must be expensive~"
Hearing Ryo's murmur, Niels next to him gave him a questioning look.
"No, it's not a big deal. I was just wondering how much the aerial battleship Golden Hind, which I saw in the Kingdom Liberation Battle, would cost."
"As always, you're thinking of something outrageous, Ryo…"
Niels answered Ryo's words with a slight shake of his head.
"5 trillion Florins just for material costs."
"Ha..."
Etho answered with a smile, and Ryo was literally at a loss for words.
"Rune's Knight Commander, Neville Black-sama said it. In a joking manner though."
Etho revealed why he knew that amount.
"You can't buy it as an individual."
"Oh, so it's impossible…"
Ryo lamented and Niels gave up trying to retort.
It's not a ship that an individual can build…
After that, the Imperial delegation, the Union delegation, and the delegation of the smaller countries joined them, and it was five days after the Lord's Mansion collapsed that they departed for the next country, 'Shultz'.
-x-X-x-
Intermission 10 Interlude – the last moments of Lord Zuransu
-x-X-x-
A thunderous roar overwhelmed the surroundings.
The residents of Ayteke-Bo saw it for the first time in their lives.
The image of a huge castle wall crumbling down.
Some people didn't know what was happening but started running.
Some people sat down and stared at the scene in a daze.
And some people just stood there and screamed…
But they were not unlucky.
Because they were able to continue watching that scene.
In other words, it didn't mean that their lives were in danger …
They were the residents of the East Bank.
The crumbling wall was on the West Bank.
Those who broke down the castle wall rushed forward, straight to the Lord's Mansion… and punched through it.
"What, what's happening!?"
Lord Zuransu shouted.
Gujia, the captain of the guards, who was always by his side, didn't understand what was going on either.
Naturally, no one could answer the question from Lord Zuransu.
The answer came from outside the door.
"E-emergency! Monsters…"
Countless warwolves approach from behind the guards who hastily rushed to report.
"Y-you idiot, close the door…"
Gujia's screams were drowned out in vain by a group of warwolves that jumped in…
The guard captain left the world without being able to resist.
What the monsters wanted…
"Heee…"
Lord Zuransu couldn't even raise a scream.
Because he was surrounded.
wolves.
boars.
snakes.
And the growing tentacles of the caterpillars…
Their aim was the spear that Lord Zuransu had in his hand.
Needless to say, it was a spear made from a branch of the World Tree taken by order of Lord Zuransu…
At that point, he finally realized.
The cause of everything was this spear, the order he gave himself, and his foolishness.
But it was too late.
"Ah..."
The caterpillar's tentacles took the spear.
The murderous intent in the eyes of the monsters was still aimed at Lord Zuransu.
They knew.
Who gave the order to take the branch.
The 'Forest' knows everything.
The business of the people of the city.
Also the structure of the people's country.
And who should be responsible of the people's actions…
He was held accountable…
Lord Zuransu's life ended.
At that instant, the aggression in all the monsters subsided and they began to retreat.
In the West Bank, there were quite a few people whose lives were barely saved.
On the East Bank, the inhabitants and members of the Kingdom delegation were completely unscathed.
However, the Lord's Mansion, with its foundation destroyed, eventually collapsed.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0291 Intermission – King Hahn.
-x-X-x-
To the north of 'Schulz' and other corridor countries, stretches vast grasslands.
It lies further north of the Pitch-Black Forest around Ayteke-Bo.
To be precise, it's more of a desolate land than a grassland.
And not one that's suitable for farming.
For this reason, no country has ever been established there, much less a village.
However, some people live there.
They are the equestrian tribes.
They live by riding horses, herding sheep, and moving from one grassy plain to another.
Many of them are said to have migrated from the north of the Eastern Countries to the east of the Pitch-Black Forest, through the northern lands of the Central Nations.
The northern lands of the Eastern Countries have traditionally been home to many dominant equestrian tribes.
Should a mighty king emerge from their midst, he may lead the tribes to conquer the entire Eastern Countries.
A remnant of that tribe.
However, that was more than 200 years ago, and today they have no contact with the East at all.
Shortly before the departure of the mission from the Central Nations to the Western Countries.
Representatives of the equestrian tribes of the corridor were gathered in one place.
For the first time in two hundred years.
"It's settled then."
A man with one crushed eye announced in a reverberating tone.
The attendees nodded in unison at the sound of his voice.
Only one person, a reddish-orange-haired young man, sat in front of the attendees with his arms folded and eyes closed, not even twitching.
He's the man who was elected 'King' at this meeting.
"From this day forward, we will gather under King Hahn. And destroy Schultz!"
"Ooohhh!"
The one-eyed man declared, and the attendees stood up and shouted in a frenzy.
The shouts spread quickly outside the tent, from mouth to mouth, among the thousands of horsemen gathered there.
Each of the horsemen returned to their respective tribes.
To convey the results of the meeting.
Of course, the outcome of the meeting was as originally planned, so there would be no confusion in any tribe.
And the next time all the tribesmen gather, it will be with their warriors…
"When will the doors open?"
"Exactly one hundred days from today. As I have already told you."
The young man with reddish-orange hair, King Hahn, replied to Juddah's question.
"I never thought it would be for this reason that we, the horsemen of the Corridor, would be united for the first time…"
King Hahn muttered with a frown.
"It needed to be done. Over the past decade, every tribe has fallen victim to 'Schulz's' child hunters. I'd say it's about goddamn time if you ask me."
Juddah replied with a faraway look in his eyes.
Although Juddah led the largest tribe among the horsemen, he understood that it would be impossible for his tribe alone to defeat 'Schulz'.
However, if the number of children continued to go down, the equestrian tribe would spontaneously become extinct.
After overcoming many difficulties, Juddah was finally able to unite the equestrian tribes.
But he understood that this was just the beginning.
"So, the door is in the central basement of the royal castle…. Where would the king and his entourage be then?"
"It's best if they are in the audience chamber. But a little troublesome should they be in their offices."
King Hahn replied to Juddah's muttering, picturing the interior of the castle in his mind.
Then he continued.
"But we can't back down just because it's going to get a little tough. The door opens only once every two years. If we miss the hundredth day, it won't open again for another two years."
"I guess so. Well, then, I should head back. What about you, Your Majesty?"
The one-eyed Juddah asked.
And King Hahn answered with a sarcastic smile.
"The grandson of an exiled tribe is now the king, huh…. Oh well. I'll join you soon."
"All right."
King Hahn headed toward his companions waiting a short distance away.
They were six of his most trusted confidants….
"Brother."
"Soi, when we go in, your magic will be our trump card. I'm counting on you."
"Please leave it to me."
A pretty young woman of about fifteen or so years of age approached her brother, King Hahn.
She's Soi, Hahn's younger sister.
Soi must have been happy to be of assistance to her brother, whom she trusted with all her heart.
She nodded her head with a smile all over her face.
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Chapter 0292 The Acclaimed …
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"I can't believe what I'm seeing right now…"
"Ryo…it's amazing, isn't it…"
"…"
Ryo and Amon were amazed, while Niels and Etho were totally speechless.
Incidentally, the three from 'Room 11' didn't seem to get what was so surprising to begin with.
What all seven of them were currently staring at.
The reason for their bemusement….
"Why is that crepe shop even in this city…?"
The shopkeeper was an old lady who looked to be over seventy years old.
And customers leaving with their orders, which, as far as he could see from the side, was the same as the usual crepes he's had in the Kingdom and the Empire.
Perhaps, even down to the recipe….
"Excuse me, can I have one crepe, please?"
"Sure, thanks for your patronage. That'd be one silver coin."
Unable to resist, Ryo ordered, and the old lady deftly wrapped it up with whipped cream and bananas.
"Here you go."
Ryo's hands were trembling slightly as he received the crepe the old lady handed to him.
And then…innocently took a bite.
At that moment, his eyes widened.
His mouth opened and gobbled it up.
"So delicious…"
He muttered unintentionally.
For a taste of this, even an angel might defy God's doctrines….
That's right….
"I probably won't regret becoming a fallen* if it meant having this." (TLN: Fallen Angel)
Ryo's muttering sparked a slight reaction from Etho.
And as Ryo predicted, it was the same blend.
Ryo arbitrarily named it, the platinum-diamond blend.
The same crepe shop that he came across for the first time in Whitnash, and then patronized in Rune city, the Royal Capital, and even Gilsbach city in the Empire…had expanded into the land of 'Schulz'.
What kind of business philosophy did the management have…?
Ryo couldn't even begin to imagine.
But there was no point thinking too hard about it.
"It is definitely the same crepe."
Ryo announced emphatically to Amon, Niels, and Etho.
The three nodded and bought some too….
The second of the corridor countries, 'Schulz', is a city-state, just like the first country, 'Ayteke-Bo'.
One city occupies its entire land.
The only major difference from Ayteke-Bo is that there is a large area of farmland surrounding the walled city, in other words, outside the city walls.
Ayteke-Bo was in the middle of a forest, while 'Schulz' is in the middle of a plain.
However, since it's rare for even travelers, let alone large trading companies, to visit the area, there were no inns.
There were barely three lodgings that could be called guesthouses.
So, the delegation set up hundreds of tents in the town square to serve as temporary lodgings.
That was not well received by the civilian officials.
It's not surprising.
Compared to staying entirely in the wild, it's like heaven, but compared to staying in a proper inn…well, it's plain awful.
Of course, there were no complaints from the escorting adventurers and soldiers.
During adventures and operations, sleeping out in the open was a norm.
Sometimes they slept in caves, in the hollows of large trees, or even in the trees.
For them to be able to sleep in a tent, it might as well be paradise… that was probably an exaggeration, but they didn't have much to complain about.
Ryo, on the other hand, was grappling with some thoughts.
(But…if they don't trade with any large trading companies, how on earth does a city, or rather a country of this size maintains its economy…)
"There are quite a few nomads, or equestrian tribes and the like, around the area, and it seems they carry out trades with them."
Priest Etho answered Ryo's question while looking at the acclaimed 'Travel Guide'.
All hail the 'Travel Guide'!
"But it contains some really disturbing info…"
"Disturbing?"
"Yeah. The current king has had a very bad relationship with these equestrian tribes since he became king."
Etho frowned as he showed Ryo a passage from the 'Travel Guide'.
"He stole the treasures of the equestrian tribes…?"
Ryo read the passage aloud.
It's beyond disturbing, it's already a flag for something catastrophic to happen….
Ryo shook his head slightly, lamenting life's uncertainties.
"It says here that the Western Church has a founder."
Ryo was a little curious, so he asked to see the 'Travel Guide'.
"Yes, the one called Founder New."
Etho nodded and replied.
In the Central Temple, they also learn about the history of the Western Church.
Although their doctrines differ, they share some things in common as people of faith.
"Is this Founder New a prophet or a child of God?"
Ryo's question was based on the knowledge of Earth.
"Ummm, he couldn't have been a prophet, I think?"
"Nor have I heard anything about him being a child of God or whatever, either."
Priest Etho and Priest Zeke answered based on the knowledge they had learned.
It seemed that the Western Church was completely different from the Roman Catholic Church and the rest on Earth.
They only share the same ranks such as 'Archbishop'….
Ryo nodded to himself.
Etho then asked Ryo.
"So, Ryo."
"What is it, Etho?"
"What is that 'becoming a fallen' that you mentioned earlier?"
He seemed to be interested in the remark, "I probably won't regret becoming a fallen if it meant having this", that Ryo muttered after eating the crepe.
Although, he could hazard a guess seeing as the word 'Heaven' was involved.
However, Ryo couldn't say if the concept of 'fallen angels' exists on 'Phi'.
Wondering if the place where they're to fall to even exists…in the first place.
'Demons' are not fallen angels, as Michael (pseudonym) clearly wrote in 'Monster Encyclopedia: Beginner's Edition'.
And 'Devils' are too weak to be what becomes of supernatural beings like angels after they fall.
And he doesn't know of any other similar creatures….
"Fallen is the term used to describe something holy that then turned evil."
In the end, that was the best explanation Ryo could come up with.
"Oh, so that's what it is…"
Etho nodded a few times, as if he had something in mind, and said.
"Humans are weak creatures after all…"
The expression on Etho's face was somewhat sad when he said that.
Before the sun went down, Ryo slipped out of the tent and headed to the crepe shop once more.
Not because talking about 'Fallen Angels' with Etho made him think about the crepe shop or anything.
Nor was he thinking about just satisfying himself alone.
He was going to include everyone and bring back a total of seven crepes.
But he ordered eight.
Huh? Well, of course, he would eat one on his way back, and after getting back to the tent, he would have another alongside everyone else….
However, Ryo's plan was foiled.
"Huh? It should've been right here?"
It was there during the day.
And thriving too.
But the crepe shop was gone.
Not because it was closing time, but because it had completely closed down.
Everything was gone.
"What the hell…"
Ryo became depressed.
Beating himself up that he should have bought it all up during lunchtime when he had the chance.
He had no choice but to settle for the meat skewers in the next stall.
"Ohh! The sauce is quite good!"
Whether it be crepes or meat skewers, good food is justice.
In a dark place somewhere in 'Schulz'.
"Are we still set for tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure about this? Delegations from the Central Nations are currently here. They showed up much later than they were supposed to and now their presence is coinciding with our plans…"
"Then I suppose it's inevitable. The doors are set to open at ten tomorrow. Nothing can stop it now. And I could care less about who's there. Everyone in the audience chamber will die…"