The eleven golems that headed toward the Kingdom delegation were defeated, but it seemed that the turmoil in the royal castle still hadn't subsided.
Commander Hugh McGrath folded his arms and didn't say a word.
They were in a foreign country, and to be honest, he couldn't judge how far they should stick their heads in their affairs.
If they attacked, he would retaliate but other than that…
The B-rank and C-rank parties that remained on land were also gathering and talking.
Except for one person.
All immediate issues resolved, Ryo was sitting next to the eleventh golem he defeated, dismantling, disassembling, and reading something.
The six from Room 10 and 11 gathered there.
"Ryo is…"
"Probably alchemy…"
"This is probably all he wishes for."
Etho muttered, Amon speculated, and Niels concluded.
The three people from Room 11 were silent as they watched.
They were correct.
Ryo had disassembled the eleventh golem and was analyzing its mechanism and magic formula.
Of course, magic formulas are 'unique languages by each designer', so it was not easy to decipher.
It was the same even for Ryo, who had acquired knowledge and experience in alchemy that was incomparable to what he had three years ago.
However, it was not completely incomprehensible.
Even if he didn't understand the details, he knew the gist of it.
"This is amazing… I guess you could call it power saving or magic power saving at its peak… it's powered by a single earth-attribute magic stone, which isn't that big. To be able to power a golem… both the design and manufacturing are very refined."
Ryo muttered with admiration.
He didn't even notice the six people who approached him.
"It's obvious that it's autonomous … but it can do various things with simple instructions… It's like artificial intelligence on Earth… It's like that Fuzzy Logic model… Hn? Eh? It looks like the attack target was forcibly rewritten?"
In the process of deciphering the magic formula, Ryo seemed to have found something unexpected.
There, he finally realized that there were six people around him from Room 10 and 11.
"Ah, nice timing. Niels, please call Hugh. I have found what seems to be the cause of this commotion."
"Ryo, what did you find?"
"Hugh, this mess was not caused by golems going haywire or anything like that. In the golem's 'Attack Target' settings, it is clearly set as 1. Destruction of the delegation's lodgings, 2. Attack the delegation at a specified time."
"Oh damn …"
As expected, not only Hugh but also the six people from Room 10 and 11 were at a loss for words.
Of course, since they were so clearly attacked, they didn't think it was just the golems going haywire, but they didn't want to consider that the raid on the delegation was explicitly stated.
Well, considering that the first ten golems threw their spears at the ship, it could be said that their intentions were clear at that point…
"Ryo, you said that the attack was ordered at a specified time, but do you know when that order was issued?"
"I don't know the exact time, but I know it was yesterday."
He found the location that recorded change history.
It had yesterday's date on it.
"It was early this morning when the river calmed down and we decided to set sail. That means that not only the Kingdom mission, but the entire mission was the target of the attack…"
Hugh spoke slowly to confirm.
However, unsolved mysteries remained.
Why did they attack the delegation?
"The castle is still in chaos. There is a high possibility that other golems are malfunctioning too… Scouting would be difficult too. I guess our option is to hold and wait for further developments."
After Hugh muttered that, he raised his voice.
"Kingdom delegation, all members, standby until further notice!"
"Yes!"
The adventurers replied and nodded.
In addition to being the leader, Hugh was also the Grand Master of the Kingdom's Adventurer's Guild, in other words, the general manager of the adventurers.
His authority to take command of the adventurers was high.
After Hugh gave instructions, he turned around and looked at Ryo and said.
"Ryo, good job. When you started dismantling the golem, I was wondering what were you planning to do, but you were searching for the cause of this huh, well done."
"Thank you!"
Hugh praised him and Ryo replied with a bright smile.
However, the three people from Room 10 knew better.
"Grand Master came to that conclusion but …"
"I think Ryo was absolutely just prioritizing his hobbies…"
"So he linked his hobby to results… Ryo, that's amazing…"
Amon questioned the conclusion, Etho was spot on the truth, and Niels was impressed in a different way.
Of course, the evaluations from the three from Room 10 were much closer to the truth than Hugh McGrath's.
That may be due to the length of their relationship with Ryo.
Nonetheless, there was no one to stop Ryo from disassembling the golem again.
Ryo, who had even obtained the leader's permission, continued to tinker with the golem happily.
At that time, in the castle.
In the square, there were many corpses on the ground, especially those who were close to Duke Yuri X of the QC Duchy, such as his royal guards or the First Knights.
A young man watched the spectacle from a slightly distant tower.
"We've succeeded in considerably cutting down the strength of father's retinue whom he trained from young. Moreover, the fact that he had attacked the delegation was also established. The Golem Corps attacked the delegation that His Holiness ordered to host… Father could even be banished by the Western Church. We've almost secured complete success for this conspiracy."
An old man entered the young man's room with a knock.
"Your Highness Crown Prince, eleven golems were destroyed by the Central Nations delegation. Furthermore, the four golems that attacked the castle have stopped due to their mana running out."
"Destroyed, you say?"
The prince frowned and asked.
"Yes. It seems that all eleven were decapitated at a fairly early stage."
The old man reported without a change in expression.
"… and the damage to the mission."
"Zero deaths."
"Impossible!"
The prince unconsciously raised his voice at the old man's report.
However, he immediately lowered his tone and asked.
"It was eleven golems, mind you? Nobody died in that attack? No matter how elite the escorts are, how is that possible!"
A soft but sharp interrogative tone.
However, the old man answered without changing his expression at all.
"It's the truth."
"Kuh… I understand. Thank you for the report."
When the prince said that with a bitter expression, the old man bowed and left the room.
At the same time.
Within the castle, in the audience room, the Duke of QC, Yuri X, was there.
He sat on the throne, hand on his forehead, frowning.
A few sighs had escaped from his mouth since earlier.
"Why is this happening…"
He repeated the words like crazy.
"The alchemists and mechanics are currently investigating the cause…"
The Minister of Home Affairs, who was responsible for public safety within the dukedom, answered while sweating profusely.
However, Yuri's response was weak.
"His Holiness the Pope will not forgive me… The mission we were told to entertain was attacked by our country's golems… Moreover, the deaths of many Royal Guards and First Knights…"
Having said that far, the garrison commander reported.
"Your Excellency, the head of the mission, Hugh McGrath, is requesting a visit."
"I see… I can't afford not to meet them, let them enter."
"Commander McGrath, I'm sorry."
From the offset, Duke Yuri X of QC apologized.
It was beyond Hugh's expectations.
He thought he would apologize, but not from the very start.
"There's no need… Fortunately, there was no damage to our mission."
"Huh? Were there no deaths?"
Yuri asked Hugh dumbfoundedly.
Reports said that eleven golems attacked the mission.
In the end, it seemed that the movement of the four golems that had rampaged inside the castle stopped, but there were no reports of the casualties from the mission.
Rather than that, he prioritized investigating the cause of the golem's malfunction.
"Yes. Several of our injured were healed by the healing magic of the priests. The golems… were heavily damaged, but there was no damage to the mission or the ship."
Hugh answered with the eleventh golem disassembled by Ryo in mind.
It had been disassembled into quite small pieces, and it was in such a state that it was hard to believe that it could be reassembled.
"Oh… I see, I see… that's good…"
Yuri said while shedding tears.
It was the slightest silver lining amid a terrible disaster.
The Minister of Home Affairs, who was in charge of investigating the cause, began to explain the current situation on behalf of Yuri.
"The cause of the malfunction is still not well understood."
There, he paused before continuing.
"The four golems that attacked the castle eventually stopped moving due to their mana running out. We're still investigating the cause…"
He frowned and reported that to Hugh.
Hugh nodded once.
"Regarding that, there is something I would like to report. Actually, someone on our side adept in alchemy has obtained information from the defeated golems… In the golem's 'Attack Target' setting, he found that it was clearly set as 1. Destruction of the delegation's lodgings, 2. Attack the delegation at a specified time."
"What!?"
The Minister of Home Affairs raised a voice of surprise.
"However, since he is not familiar with the magic formulas of the duchy's golems, I was told that it would be better to have an expert take a look at it… what do you think? Do want you to see the golems we defeated?"
"We would love to request that of you!"
After saying that, the Minister of Home Affairs looked at Yuri.
Yuri also nodded repeatedly.
At last, they could see a light that seemed to bring them closer to investigating the cause of this uproar.
Ryo told Hugh that an expert should take a look, but he had no intention of handing over the eleventh golem he dismantled.
In the first place, the remaining 10 golems were on the battlefield with their heads cut off by the Kingdom mission, so no one tried to forcefully confiscate the golem that Ryo had dismantled.
In fact, the golem, which had been disassembled by Ryo, barely resembled its original form and was in such a state that even the duchy's proud alchemy team and mechanics did not believe that it could be reassembled.
Unlike the golems in the castle that stopped due to running out of mana, the ones with their heads cut off did not have their change history disappear.
In the first place, the security around the change history is high and cannot be easily corrected or deleted.
Only when the power of the magic stone that serves as the power source is exhausted will the change history disappear… it seemed that they could only engineer it to function that far.
Basically, it's impossible for a normal human to defeat a battle golem and the only way to stop it is for it to run out of mana from the magic stone…
If so, there was no problem with the workmanship.
However, they were 'defeated midway' because of a certain water-attribute magician.
As a result, traces of forced writing were found in the attack target setting.
And as a result of detailed analysis, the authority used for the forced writing was…
"This can't be… His Highness the Crown Prince's order…"
Upon receiving the report, the Minister of Home Affairs was unable to continue.
However, the one who was more shocked than him was probably Yuri X, Duke of QC.
Hearing the report, he couldn't utter a single word… his face turned pale.
But a minute later, his face was flushed.
His facial expression switched from stunned to that of rage.
However, his tone of command was rather calm.
"Apprehend the Crown Prince, no, Kirill."
Even the Minister of Home Affairs, who had worked closely with him, had never heard that voice devoid of emotion.
He could imagine the depth of Yuri's anger, even if he didn't want to…
An hour later.
They confirmed that Crown Prince Kirill was not inside the palace.
They found that he had left the castle at about the same time as the alchemists and mechanics went to the golems that the mission had been defeated.
If the golem had run out of magic power, the information on the golems would have disappeared, but since they were defeated, the information on the change history would not disappear, and he may have realized that the truth would be revealed.
Immediately, an announcement was made that the Crown Prince would be deprived of his status.
But even after that, Kirill's whereabouts were unknown…
-x-X-x-
Chapter 0309 Changes in the Corridor Countries
-x-X-x-
In the end, the ship of the Kingdom delegation did not set sail until the morning of the following day.
Because even though the sailors who were already on board the ship when the members of the delegation boarded were safe, the ones who were still in the castle were caught in the commotion, and many of them died.
They managed to even leave the next morning, partly because the Duchy forcibly ordered the sailors to set sail…
During their sojourn, which was extended by a day, the delegation spent their time as they pleased.
But of course, a certain water-attribute magician was avidly examining the information on the disassembled golem…
Incidentally, it's worth noting that although Ryo intended it to be 'disassembly', it was 'dismantling' in the eyes of many.
The difference is, disassembly does not involve destruction while dismantling does….
"I'm starting to understand the technology behind this mana-saving aspect little by little…"
The six from Room 10 and 11 were also trying to steer clear of Ryo, who was smiling devilishly as he muttered that.
The mutual understanding was, "Let's leave him be".
Except when it was time to eat.
"Ryo, let's go have dinner in the cafeteria."
When Amon said so, Ryo looked up and stood up.
"Sure, let's go."
The phrase 'Alchemy over three-square meals' didn't seem to apply to Ryo…
Although he didn't miss a single meal, in the end, Ryo spent the entire voyage analyzing the disassembled golem.
Naturally, Commander Hugh McGrath approached the Duchy, and ownership of the disassembled golem was officially transferred to Ryo, albeit with some conditions.
The comment from the alchemists and mechanics that, "It's impossible to restore it from that state", was probably the deciding factor.
Normally, they wouldn't hand over something that could be called a state secret to an adventurer from another country, no matter how much they had contributed…
Ryo had no intention of assembling it again… he understood that it was impossible to do so in the first place… then again, it was a good deal for Ryo as he was able to considerably increase his knowledge of golems through alchemy.
At the same time, a major anomaly was taking place in the corridor countries.
In order of proximity to the Central Nations, are 'Ayteke-Bo' and 'Schulz'.
Both of these countries are city-states and can be said to be quite small compared to the 'countries' in the Central Nations.
Nonetheless, they have a population of several hundred thousand and, to a certain extent, have functioning governments.
However, in Ayteke-Bo, due to the foolish act of Lord Zuransu, a swarm of caterpillars attacked the city and the State House, and Lord Zuransu was killed.
Some of the key figures in the government were also killed.
In addition, the city walls, of which Ayteke-Bo was so proud, were destroyed quite extensively by those caterpillars.
That was a rather grim situation for a country located right in the middle of the Pitch-Black Forest.
Since the Pitch-Black Forest is known to have more monsters than ordinary forests.
That said, they're still monsters after all.
Several measures can be taken to prevent them from invading the city.
As one might expect, a swarm of caterpillars like the one experienced that time would be out of the question, but such an event would occur only once every few decades or even a hundred years.
So, it was nothing to worry about.
They could just take their time to repair the walls. Or at least, that should have been sufficient enough…
Until now.
"It's no use, it won't hold!"
"How can those guys ride horses in the middle of the forest!?"
"They're even shooting arrows at us while mounted!"
"Report! The First Knight Order has been wiped out…"
"The horse riders have entered the city through the collapsed walls!"
"They're pouring in one after the other…"
On this day, after only one day of engagement, Ayteke-Bo fell.
Lord Lansui, who had succeeded the former lord, Lord Zuransu as the head of state, accepted the recommendation to surrender.
Ayteke-Bo fell to King Hahn, the new king of the Schulz.
He is the man who previously led the horsemen to invade Schulz.
He's also the man who swore that he would never forgive Rupert, the former emperor of the Debuhi Empire, for hurting his sister.
Thus, 'Ayteke-Bo' became a vassal state of 'Schulz'.
With the annexation of Ayteke-Bo, there were no more obstacles between King Hahn and the Debuhi Empire.
"I will surely keep my oath."
King Hahn's muttering did not reach former emperor Rupert, of course…
The fall of Ayteke-Bo reached Marquis Heinlein in the faraway royal capital of the Kingdom of Knightley, three days later.
It was also reported to King Abel.
"Ayteke-Bo has fallen… The mission will have a hard time on their way back, won't they?"
"Yeah. They have no choice but to take a route that largely bypasses Schulz and Ayteke-Bo. But then, replenishing supplies will become extremely arduous, as will their safety. It is also reported that King Hahn of Schulz does not have a good impression of the delegation from the Central Nations. Especially His Majesty former emperor Rupert."
"Yeah, so I heard. Because he hurt King Hahn's sister… And now he holds a grudge, which I get…. still, this is troubling."
Abel frowned and took a sip of the coffee beside him.
"Schulz and Ayteke-Bo are pretty far apart, right? That's why they haven't interfered with each other until now…"
"Yeah. Well, they have the horsemen to thank for that…"
"Mm-hmm…"
King Hahn originally led the horsemen who had been persecuted by Schulz.
Their mobility and sphere of activity were astonishingly wide.
The mobility of these people, all of whom were on horseback, led to the first battle in history between the corridor countries, Schulz's attack on Ayteke-Bo.
And it concluded in just one day.
The king's madness overturned the tyranny of distance…
"They really are a force to be reckoned with, the horsemen."
"Yeah. I think it's safe to say that the Kingdom's mainland won't fall under attack, but I can't say that the mission won't hit a stumbling block taking a major detour on its way back from the Western Countries. Looks like we'll need to build a proper intelligence network in the corridor countries as well."
"Currently… aren't we already getting some pretty detailed information, but you're saying it's not properly set up yet?"
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I'll get it running as soon as possible."
"Uh, sure…"
Marquis Heinlein's definition of 'proper' seemed to be far beyond Abel's expectations…
-x-X-x-
After a relaxing four-day cruise, the Kingdom delegation arrived at Valpegara, a city on the northern border of the Van De Vie Theocracy.
From Valpegara, the delegation would then travel by land to Marlomar, the holy capital of the Van De Vie Theocracy.
"Hey, Ryo."
"What is it, Niels?"
"Uh, what are those things following behind you…?"
"You mean my water-attribute magic,
Three ice carts were following Ryo as he alighted.
They were slightly upgraded versions of the previous
Of course, inside them were the disassembled QC Duchy golems.
"When the Duchy gave me this golem, it was under the condition that I would dispose of it without a trace when I get to Van De Vie Theocracy… I've learned a lot from it, so I feel like it's a bit of a waste, but I must keep to my word."
The Duchy most likely didn't want intel on the golem to leak to other countries in the same Western Countries if they could help it.
In the first place, even though they were from the Central Nations and bagged the credit of having prevented an insurrection, or rather a coup d'etat, giving out a dismantled golem to the delegation, which Ryo is a part of, seemed rather unusual in itself.
Along with gratitude, it was probably meant as a hush fee.
And Ryo is a man who keeps his promises.
"But, neither magic nor swords could make a dent in the golem's armor."
"Yeah, that was a tough one for all the parties."
Amon and Etho said as they recalled their battle with the golems.
"How do you plan to get rid of it?"
Niels must have realized the difficulty of disposing of such a golem.
He looked alternately at Ryo and the
Ryo also turned around, looked at the
"The armor is sturdy all right. The best way to dispose of it is to burn it at high temperatures… well, melting it would be ideal I suppose. Kenneth once told me that they melted down the captured Union golems when they fled the royal capital, preventing them from falling into the hands of the Empire."
"Sure, but you're a water-attribute magician… or are you going to burn it with water?"
Niels made a very good point.
Sure, he couldn't burn it with ordinary water.
Rather, water extinguishes a burning fire…
But…
"There's actually water that burns."
Ryo replied.
And the answer is water plasma.
Take ordinary water, apply voltage to it and it generates plasma… and that plasma torch would burn at 10,000 or 20,000 degrees Celsius…
It would 'evaporate' most things, let alone 'melt'.
Iron melts at 2,000 degrees Celsius… that is, it goes from solid to liquid, but if exposed to plasma, it quickly becomes a gas and diffuses into the air.
It literally vanishes.
In 21st-century Japan, it had already been commercialized and gone beyond the experimental stage.
There were vehicle-mounted water plasma generators that were going to be used to power the treatment of waste materials…
When waste is treated with water plasma, hydrogen is released.
That should be a great method for a society that is trying to move toward a hydrogen society.
If all the garbage incinerators in the city were replaced with incinerators with water plasma, all the waste that could only be disposed of by burying could be incinerated… without producing dioxins, of course… and it would produce a lot of hydrogen for use in society…
That's the gist of a water plasma, however… unfortunately, Ryo had yet to succeed in producing it.
Even for a water-attribute magician as good as Ryo, it was a tall order…
(But I will master water plasma sooner or later!)
Although he swore firmly in his heart, he couldn't employ it to deal with the golem parts at hand.
However, Ryo was familiar with another water-related plasma.
It's the snapping shrimp.
The same one that once knocked him unconscious underwater after he was hit by the shockwave from the gigantic snapping shrimp.
It's called 'underwater plasma' or 'in-liquid plasma'.
Although it sounds similar to 'water plasma', they are completely different!
Called cavitation or bubble collapse, the phenomenon occurs in water.
A snapping shrimp can generate temperatures as high as 4,400 degrees Celsius just by closing its claws together…
Of course, because it is underwater, the high temperature subsides quickly.
In that case!
It was just a matter of putting the golem parts underwater and generating high temperatures on its surface!
Since it's possible to generate high temperatures far exceeding the melting point of iron of 2,000 degrees Celsius with underwater plasma.
And Ryo had already mastered the cavitation application of the snapping shrimp.
He uses it to remove millet from the paddy fields back in Rondo Duchy… several times a day…
Ryo filled the load tray of one of the three
The golem parts, all of which must have been made of metal, all sank with not a piece afloat.
He extended his right hand with his thumb and forefinger outstretched towards it.
Took aim…
"
Boom.
A fairly loud sound echoed from the water in the load tray.
The
Amon approached the Wagon and observed what had happened.
"Ryo… it's actually melting… but only very, very slightly."
"W-What?"
Ryo then hurriedly approached and checked it.
The hole was about the size of the tip of his index finger…
"Ugh…
Every time Ryo chanted, a heavy bass sound overlapped continuously.
Amon, who was watching closely, got hooked by the sight, but the other five watching from a little distance were worried for Amon's safety…
Of course, since it was being carried out inside the
Dozens of the 256 consecutive shots came to an end.
At long last…
"Ryo, it's completely gone! Wow, that's amazing!"
"W-Well, with water-attribute magic, this much is a breeze!"
Amon looked at Ryo with a respectful gaze, and Ryo declared while adjusting his somewhat heavy breathing.
"Two more Wagons to go!"
"Y-Yeah… I got this…"
Amon said innocently, and Ryo, aware of the difficulty of reaching the goal, broke out in a cold sweat.
And the five watched over the two in silence….
Waste disposal has always been a demanding task…
The leader of the group, Hugh McGrath, was watching the seven of them from even farther away.
"Those guys… what are they up to over there?"
"He mentioned something about disposing of the golem parts earlier."
DeLong of the B-rank party 'Coffee Maker' beside him answered Hugh's question.
DeLong, the most experienced of the Kingdom's adventurers at escort quests, was currently serving as Hugh's right-hand man in this mission, assisting him in organizing the adventurers.
As such, he was usually at the forefront of the delegation line or beside Commander Hugh.
"Ah… come to think of it, the QC Duchy did ask something like that of him. I thought he was going to crush it with ice or something, but that just now sounded like some kind of heavy bass, and it seems to be something that I have absolutely no clue about…"
"Well, Ryo is special."
DeLong replied to Hugh's muttering with a wry smile.
Ryo seemed to be considered special by the other party leaders…
"I don't think Ryo can be fully managed unless he's around Abel."
"I guess His Majesty Abel is special in a way too. Being a former A-rank adventurer and all…"
"True."
And they laughed out loud.
Abel was also considered special by many, apparently…
Could Ryo and Abel be two of a kind…?
When the Kingdom delegation arrived at Valpegara, of course, the Empire and Union delegations had arrived earlier.
"Commander McGrath, we heard what happened, tough luck."
"As expected of the Kingdom adventurers who easily defeated our artificial golem. I'm delighted to see that you all made it here safely."
Former emperor Rupert and former king Roberto Pirlo both ostensibly congratulated the Kingdom delegation on their safe arrival.
Since the three great powers were potentially enemies, well, in light of the current circumstances…
The itinerary for the rest of the trip was to spend the night in Valpegara and leave early the next morning.
Accommodation for the mission was also prepared by the Van De Vie Theocracy.
The finest, obviously.
But that evening, an unscheduled visit was made to the leader of the Kingdom delegation…
-x-X-x-
Midnight.
A silhouette descended on the balcony of Commander Hugh McGrath's bedroom in the Kingdom delegation quarters.
In perfect silence, it opened the window and entered the room.
Then, looking toward the bed… it froze.
Hugh McGrath was still lying on the bed, head turned toward it, eyes wide open.
"I-I mean no harm…"
The silhouette finally spoke, in a woman's voice.
"Sure, I remember you. As I recall, you're Maurice of the Hero Party, right?"
Hugh said in a low voice.
He had previously joined forces with the Hero Roman's party to defeat the vampire Count Haskill Kalinikos on the outskirts of Kona Village in the Kingdom.
The scout of that party was Maurice, who just entered the room.
So, it was Maurice all right, but….
What he didn't understand was why they were trying to make contact at this time.
And why in that manner….
As Hugh got up, Maurice approached.
Then she pulled an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Hugh, saying:
"It's a letter from Graham."
"From Graham?"
Graham was the priest of the Hero Party.
His position in the Western Church was archbishop.
Which could be said to be a fairly high position.
Moreover, according to the words uttered by Count Haskill Kalinikos just before he was put to death, he was the head of the Inquisition and a vampire hunter….
Hugh wasn't sure what it meant, but it certainly didn't sound like some cosy position.
Maurice, the scout who brought the letter from Graham, deliberately kept it out of the sight of others.
The situation must be that serious.
After Hugh received Graham's letter, he turned on the lantern alchemy tool, dimming the light as low as possible, and read the letter.
"…You mean to tell me that that red light waterfall back in QC Duchy happened in another place too? And there's a good chance it's happening in conjunction with our mission?"
Hugh looked at Maurice, the scout in front of him, as questioning her.
But Maurice, seeing that, shook her head hurriedly.
"I don't know much either. Just that the Holy City, Marlomar is becoming more and more sketchy as of late. Or, more precisely, the priests of the Holy City."
"Hmmm… Is Graham in the Holy City?"
"No, Graham is in the Eastern Kingdom of Lasha, where he is assigned. Since he is ranked first among the archbishops, he'll attend the Pope's inauguration… so he'll probably be in the Holy City in a couple of months or so."
"Hah. He's ranked first, wow, that's friggin amazing."
"Yes. At his age, yeah, it's certainly remarkable. He's the leading candidate to fill the vacant slot of the twelve cardinals."
The hierarchical ranks of the Western Church in descending order are:
Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and abbots, priests, and deacons.
One pope, twelve cardinals, twenty-four archbishops, forty-eight bishops, forty-eight abbots, and many priests and deacons….
That was the structure, but in recent years the number of bishops and below had increased considerably.
"…And to top it all off, the mission is under close surveillance. That explains why you chose to sneak in in the middle of the night."
"Yeah. Though I have to say that I didn't expect to be caught by Master McGrath, despite erasing my presence and moving quietly."
"I'm a former A-rank adventurer, after all."
Saying that, Hugh shrugged his shoulders.
Nevertheless, as a foreign delegation, they could not act arbitrarily.
Having been sent to the Pope's inauguration ceremony as a representative of the country, of course, not attending wasn't an option.
Since their attendance was already a foregone conclusion. They'd best conduct themselves in a way that wouldn't strain relations between the two countries….
The Pope's inauguration was about three months away.
"I heard that the whole of the Western Countries has been informed of the arrival of the mission from the Central Nations, so I doubt they'd make any move in particular until the inauguration…"
"Yeah, Graham said the same thing. And, that you should spend the next three months cautiously."
"What's with that…"
He was trying to imply that they should be careful as they went about their daily routines.
The problem was the day of the inauguration… or the days leading to it.
"Well, got it. Thanks for the letter. Give Graham my regards. Oh, by the way, where are the rest of the Hero Party?"
Hugh asked, only superficially, but….
"The four magicians are fine. But Roman…"
Maurice continued with a sad look on her face.
"Roman is missing…"
The morning after Hugh received a late-night visit.
The delegation, of course, had an uneventful and peaceful morning.
After breakfast in the lodging dining hall, Hugh had called Ryo.
"Ryo, just to let you know, we, as in the mission, are being watched."
"Okay."
"Although there's nothing we can do about it. And…I'm not saying that it's okay, but I understand that this is the situation we find ourselves in, so try not to meddle with the guys monitoring us."
"Got it."
Hugh felt a little uneasy when Ryo nodded his head in a surprisingly straightforward manner.
"O-Oh no, please don't tell me that you already did?"
"Geez~ of course not~. What do you take me for~? A-ha-ha-ha-ha~"
Ryo replied with a fresh smile.
"Oh good. In that case, it's fine."
"Just so you know, there were ten of them watching this lodging last night."
"What?"
"But not to worry. I didn't do anything."
"I-I see…"
In fact, Hugh, of course, didn't know that the following conversation took place between Ryo and Abel last night.
((Abel, suspicious people are surrounding our quarters. I'll attack first.))
((No, wait, Ryo.))
((Abel, don't stop me!))
((No, stop. Those guys are lookout dispatched by the Theocracy. Along with surveillance, they also serve as security, I suppose. As in, say some agitator was to attack the mission's quarters, the Theocracy will be completely disgraced.))
((Man…))
((Just be careful, and if they do attack, you can go ahead and intercept them.))
((Taking such a passive stance, are you sure about this!?))
((What do you mean passive…. It's okay, just trust me.))
((Is that so? Sure why not… I trust you.))
Thanks to that exchange, Ryo didn't launch a preemptive attack.
World peace may be maintained by people whom no one knows….
With all that going on, it was now the fourth day since the mission left the northern border town of Valpegara.
"We'll be in the Holy City of Marlomar by midday today, right?"
"Before that, I hear that you can even see the dungeon north of Marlomar from the road."
Amon asked for confirmation, and Etho added some information that could not be ignored.
"Dungeon!?"
And naturally, Ryo latched on to it.
"That's right. There are four dungeons around the Holy City of Marlomar. One in the east, west, north, and south. This road passes near the northern dungeon, so we could see it."
Etho explained while looking at the 'Travel Guide'.
What an extraordinary encyclopedia of information, the 'Travel Guide'.
Ryo then remembered the dungeon beginner's course he once attended in Rune City.
As he recalled, the guild official who served as the instructor had said…
"I heard that some dungeons in the Western Countries have a transfer function to a floor once cleared, does it say whether the dungeons around the Holy City have that function…?"
Ryo asked, trembling slightly.
If they do, he would love to explore them all the way to the bottom…
After Etho flipped through the 'Travel Guide'….
"Got it, yeah it does. It says that the dungeon to the west of the Holy City of Marlomar has that function."
"Ooohhh!"
Ryo rejoiced.
He had not explored many dungeons back in Rune City, but he was by no means uninterested.
To clear it to the lowest floor! Wasn't exactly his objective, however….
"It says here that the lowest floor reached so far is the 150th floor."
"150…"
"That's pretty deep…"
"Monsters on the 150th floor would likely be very strong!"
Etho provided the information, Amon exclaimed, Niels was astounded, and Ryo was all riled up thinking about the monsters of the 150th floor that he had yet to see…
Zeke and Gowan from Room 11 looked on in stunned amazement.
Except one of them who was absent-minded.
"Harold, are you okay?"
Noticing this, Ryo called out.
"Uh, oh, yeah…"
Harold, the swordsman, finally came back to his senses.
Harold was initially included in the delegation so he could be liberated from the Fiend's 'Rupture Spirit Curse'.
And the way to break the curse was to put, 'A drop of the Demon Lord's blood on his forehead'.
And it's said that the blood of the Demon Lord is kept in the Western Church.
"Don't you worry. Mr. Hugh should be able to negotiate and work something out. If not, I'll freeze the whole of the Holy City and go get it!"
"Ughh, this blockhead, would you cut it out."
Ryo, being the senior adventurer that he is, tried to reassure his junior, but was denied by Niels.
"I guess Niels is someone who would say such a terrible thing even when his junior is in need."
"No, I didn't mean that. I'm only saying that you don't have to freeze the Holy City, we can figure out another way…"
"Like what, exactly?"
"Well, uh..okay, like sneaking into where it's being kept…"
"That's a crime!"
"Like you're one to talk!"
Listening to their conversation, Harold smiled a little.
Zeke and Gowan then put their hands on Harold's shoulders from behind.
-x-X-x-
The Holy City of Marlomar is surrounded by several satellite towns, and further outside of these cities are dungeons in the north, south, east, and west.
The dungeons are not at equal distances… the north dungeon is about a three-hour walk from the Holy City of Marlomar.
The area around the north dungeon had developed into a small town.
As adventurers come to the dungeon, stores were built to cater to them.
Along with inns for both adventurers and merchants.
And apparently, there are also guild offices for these adventurers.
As for whether they were the same as the ones in the Central Nations was anyone's guess….
At any rate, the mission would be heading straight to the Holy City of Marlomar.
They didn't even enter the town, which is conveniently called the North Dungeon Town, but continued down a road that runs a short distance away from it.
"I wonder if the Great Tidal Bore also occurs in that dungeon."
The priests, Etho and Zeke, replied, "That's a good question", to Amon's muttering as they flipped through the 'Travel Guide'.
However, it seemed that there was not much information on it.
"I certainly hope not."
Niels then nodded and muttered to Etho's wishful thinking.
"It's not easy dealing with that event."
Three hours later, the mission arrived safely at the north gate of the Holy City of Marlomar.
The Holy City of Marlomar is a megacity with many gates, of which the North Gate is one of the largest.
And above all… the ones guarding the gates….
"Golems!"
Ryo exclaimed unintentionally.
Two on each side of the gate, a total of four Golems were standing there.
Three meters in height… almost the same size as the golems of the Duchy.
They stood with their swords thrust into the ground in front of their bodies, their hands on the hilts.
However, they seemed to be motionless.
"Huh? I thought the golems would do some kind of identity check or search for suspicious objects…"
"It appears they don't."
"I heard that the gates of the Holy City of Marlomar are always open. It says here that believers from all over the Western Countries can enter the Holy City at any time."
Ryo looked as if his guess was off, Niels affirmed it, and Etho provided information from the 'Travel Guide'.
"F-Fine then. If they won't move, I can always get up close and take a good look at…"
"Nope."
Niels grabbed Ryo, who was trying to approach the golem, and dragged him back to the line.
The somewhat familiar scene was being repeated.
"Niels, please don't stop me!"
"Like hell I won't. The mission is about to enter the castle."
The Empire delegation, the Union delegation, and the Kingdom delegation were to enter the Holy City of Marlomar in that order and attend a welcoming ceremony at the Papal Palace.
"Then go ahead. I'll stay back and observe the golem…"
"Give it up."
Ryo resisted, and Niels caught him.
After several exchanges, Ryo eventually gave in.
"Well, the golems aren't going anywhere."
He told himself that and backed down…
The other six were smiling as usual.
The welcoming ceremony for the mission of the Central Nations at the Papal Palace.
Ryo and the others stood in line, waiting for the ceremony to get underway.
The Kingdom delegation was behind the Empire's and the Union's, with Room 10 and 11 at the very end of the line.
The carriages were, of course, parked outside the banquet hall, and the civilian officials who rode in the carriages were also in line.
It was quite a distance to the Pope from the very end of the line….
"I can't see the Pope's face at all."
"Not when we're this far out."
"Being the head of the Western Church, I guess his magic must be amazing too."
Niels blurted out, Etho affirmed, and Amon expressed his excitement.
The three from Room 11 also nodded their heads.
Only Ryo, however, was tilting his head repeatedly.
Priest Etho saw that and asked:
"What's the matter, Ryo?"
"Hmm~ how should I say this, it's hard to put in words, but… something feels strange."
"Strange?"
"Yeah. I don't really know how to put this, but… the Pope… kinda feels hollow inside."
"Inside?"
"Hollow?"
Niels and Amon, both tilt their heads in a questioning manner.
From what the six people other than Ryo could see, the Pope's face was barely visible, but his movements seemed normal as was the way he addressed the Commanders…
In the end, Ryo's unsettled feelings remained unresolved, and before the six of them could even understand it, the welcoming ceremony for the mission ended without incident.
The Empire, Union, and Kingdom delegations moved to their assigned lodgings.
The assigned inn was huge and adjacent to the Papal Palace.
The inns of the three countries were side by side.
Since the Holy City of Marlomar is the headquarters of the Western Church, it often receives envoys from abroad.
The inns adjacent to the Papal Palace were often used on such occasions.
Priest Zeke was the one who obtained the information.
Since he's very capable.
"Finally… we're here, aren't we?"
Niels opened a dialogue with that as they entered the inn and got to their rooms.
"Yeah. It took more than a month one way… yeap, that's quite long alright."
Etho nodded as he answered.
"Yeah, but it wasn't any harder than a regular escort quest, was it?"
Amon answered happily.
"Surely after this, meteorites will rain down from the sky, rivers will turn blood red, a plague of locusts will descend, and the nightly cries of parents whose eldest sons have been killed will fill the Holy City."
"Please quit making up sinister tales."
Ryo frighteningly narrated the story and Niels denied it with a frown.
"…Anyway, our work as escort adventurers is basically over until the Pope's inauguration ceremony in three months. I mean, since they said that matters relating to security in the Holy City, including lodgings and transportation of the civilian officials to and from the Papal Palace, will be the responsibility of the Van De Vie Theocracy."
"Put another way, we'll be under surveillance… though, they've been watching us since the moment we entered the Theocracy."
Etho said, to which Niels replied, remembering how people were watching around the inn every night after they entered Van De Vie Theocracy.
"I don't blame them. They're letting a suspicious person like Niels into their country under the cover of one of the escort detail of the mission. The least they can do is keep an eye on your movements."
"Me, you mean you, right?"
"Perish the thought, a harmless and gentle water-attribute magician like me, like, take a look at me."
Ryo said proudly and dignified.
But none of the six present there acknowledged it.
Ryo lamented the lack of understanding of those around him….
The quarters assigned to the Union delegation.
The commander's room.
Inside the room was former king Roberto Pirlo, the commander of the Union delegation, and Guard Captain Groen.
"So that's the Pope, uh…"
Roberto Pirlo muttered as he recalled the welcoming ceremony earlier.
"Your Majesty?"
Guard Captain Groen called out to him.
"He just might be… a double."
"A double? You mean that wasn't the real Pope?"
Groen was surprised at Roberto Pirlo's words.
It's only natural.
It would be unthinkable to have a fraud welcome for a delegation that had finally arrived after such a long journey.
Then again, what is common sense in the Central Nations may not necessarily apply in the Western Countries….
"He is too ordinary to be a pope, nah… worse than ordinary… more like a puppet…"
"B-But, he spoke to all the commanders of the delegations, including Your Majesty, right?"
"Yeah. That's exactly why… I just can't for the life of me believe that that was the pinnacle of the Western Church that unites the Western Countries…"
Roberto Pirlo shook his head several times when he said that.
Roberto Pirlo was a former king, but he was also a well-known magician in the Central Nations.
No, not just well-known…but a top-class magician in the Union.
Which was precisely why he could tell.
The Pope's impotence.
"As the head of the Western Church, he must be able to use light-attribute magic. Far better than the average person, too. Naturally. And if you are a magician, you will inevitably leak a little bit of magic from your body… or should I say, emanate magic. And that goes double the stronger the magician. But I didn't feel any of that at all from the Pope…"
The undeniable magic leak that's emitted by strong magicians….
But then Roberto Pirlo remembered.
The only exception he knew of.
Then, smiling slightly, he said:
"No, the premier duke of the Kingdom doesn't leak magic, come to think of it…"
He remembered that Ryo, unexpectedly, did not leak out magic as he sat around the stone table at the coffee party that evening.
Of course, he knew beforehand that he was a powerful magician….
"I guess there are exceptions like him…"
It was the first time in his seventy-plus years of living that he had ever experienced such a thing.
The powerful magicians he had fought… such as Ilarion Baraha of the Kingdom, or Arthur Verasis, were 'clad' in magic.
Of course, it was on another level compared to that of the run-of-the-mill magicians today… it felt like they were veiled in intricately woven magic….
Just confronting them was so terrifying that he felt as if his blood was freezing… as he recalled.
The premier duke of the Kingdom, Ryo, however, was different.
"Yeah, he felt… gentle… I didn't feel any magic, but… perhaps, it was his aura…?"
Thinking about it, Roberto Pirlo shook his head several times.
Then he continued.
"No worries. We have three months until the inauguration. That's more than enough time to dispel some of our doubts."
-x-X-x-
The day after the delegation arrived in the Holy City of Marlomar, a civil officials conference was held.
But think about it.
The Central Nations and the Western Countries are incredibly far apart.
It takes more than a month to travel one way, with a myriad of difficulties along the way.
What in the world would two such regions hold a conference about?
In fact, that was a topic of discussion among the governments of the Central Nations.
In the Kingdom, in the Union, even in the Empire, which led the mission.
However, the first letter from the Theocracy that arrived in the Empire stated, 'We would like to conduct trade negotiations, so send civilian officials as well'.
What were they planning?
"Connecting the Central and Western countries by sea…?"
Ignis, the Kingdom's Chief Negotiator, muttered involuntarily when he heard the proposal from the civilian officials of the Theocracy.
The first trade negotiations were attended by ten top civilian officials from the Empire, the Union, and the Kingdom, respectively.
Not only the Kingdom but also the civilian officials of the Empire and the Union were probably hearing about the proposal for the first time too.
The entire mission from the Central Nations was in an uproar.
Makes sense.
Since, according to rumors, there's a considerable distance between the Central Nations and the Western Countries, even by sea.
Yes, 'according to rumors'.
No one has measured exactly how far it is.
At the very least, no government has that data.
Of course, the exact sea route is also unknown.
And, it goes without saying, there are sea monsters in the sea….
The more he thought about it, the more problems sprung up.
Ignis literally held his head in his hands.
Currently, it wasn't looking feasible…
Even as experienced a negotiator as he was, he had no idea what to expect in the next three months of negotiations.
The civilian officials were just getting started.
The escorts, on the other hand, were basically free.
Each of them was unwinding in their own way.
The first and most active of the lot was probably the water-attribute magician from the Kingdom.
He went to the 'Kingdom Delegation Reception Section', which served as the liaison for the Kingdom delegation and made a proposal.
The reception section was located at the first-floor front desk of the Kingdom delegation's dormitory…
"A golem…tour?"
They were taken aback by Ryo's petition.
And the content was 'permission to see the golems'.
Yup, 'just to see them'.
He wanted permission to observe the golems standing like guards at the gate, not the ones in the warehouse.
Because, naturally, he knew that if he said that he wanted to tinker with or look at their magic formulas, it would be rejected immediately.
Even Ryo knew that unless under unusual circumstances, such as the one back in QC Duchy, they wouldn't show anyone from another country any part of the golem related to its confidentiality.
Hence why he applied for permission to just observe.
That was something the reception section had not anticipated, and a discussion ensued.
After sufficient discussion, the application was approved.
Everyone saw Ryo walking around in front of the front desk, striking several mini fist-pump poses like a tennis player.
And some of them felt relieved.
That Ryo didn't blurt out something like freezing the Holy City.
That's right, those people were the guys from 'Room 10' and 'Room 11'.
The three members of 'Room 10' decided to go out into the city for the time being.
At that time, they invited the three members of 'Room 11' to join them, but Harold, Zeke, and Gowan politely declined.
Because they weren't in the mood to go out into the city yet….
On account of Harold's 'Rupture Spirit Curse', of course.
They weren't in the mood because Commander Hugh McGrath was scheduled to negotiate with the Western Church on that matter tomorrow.
Figuring as much, the three from Room 10 then went ahead without forcing them.
"You could have just gone with them without minding me."
"As if."
"That's right."
Harold said, Zeke dismissed him, and Gowan agreed.
To break Harold's curse, Zeke and Gowan also joined this mission to the Western Countries.
They were in no mood for a tour of the city when the success or failure of the matter might be decided tomorrow….
Thus, the three spent the night worrying as they greeted the next morning.
Accompanied by Commander Hugh McGrath, the three members of 'Room 11' headed to the Papal Palace.
Of course, the appointment had been made the day before, so they were ushered into the reception room without waiting.
A minute later.
An elderly man wearing scarlet vestments entered the reception room.
"Hello there. I am Cardinal Oskar, tasked with this matter. Pleased to meet you."
Cardinals are just below the Pope in the hierarchy of the Western Church, of which there are only twelve.
(Whoa…looks like we got ourselves a big shot.)
Hugh sat down thinking that after returning his greeting.
"So, let me get this straight, you have someone who's suffering from the 'Rupture Spirit Curse' and you'd like to break the curse. Correct?"
Cardinal Oskar asked in a calm tone.
"That's right. Harold, here, is the one afflicted with the 'Rupture Spirit Curse'."
Hugh identified Harold beside him.
Oskar nodded once, but continued with a slight frown.
"As you well know, to break the 'Rupture Spirit Curse', a drop of the Demon Lord's blood must be applied to the victim's forehead. Also, here in the Western Countries, every year, quite a number of people suffer from the Rupture Spirit Curse, so the church stores the Demon Lord's blood… in normal circumstances."
"Normal circumstances?"
Hugh parroted back and frowned as well.
(Looks like this matter is developing in an undesirable direction…)
"Actually, two weeks ago, someone attacked the first storage facility, where the Demon Lord's blood also happened to be stored. The jar that contained the Demon Lord's blood broke and it spilled out."
"…"
Hugh and the three from Room 11 were crestfallen.
"We have a spare in the second storage facility outside the Holy City, and I will arrange to have it brought to you."
"Ohh…"
Harold, or perhaps Gowan, involuntary let out such a sound.
"Although we were going to move it only after the first storage facility had been repaired, I'm going to contact them now to transport it over… let's see, it shouldn't take more than three days. I'm sorry for the delay."
Saying that, Cardinal Oskar bowed his head.
"No no please, we can wait… for three days, right?"
Hugh asked, looking at Harold.
"Yeah."
Harold nodded.
His face was brighter than ever.
Of course, there was no immediate solution, but he knew that if he waited three days, he could have the curse lifted.
It's the uncertainty that drives people crazy.
As long as there's a lead on the prospect, waiting a little is no problem.
"I will send for you in your dormitory in three days once it arrives."
Three days later, Ryo visited the golems at the North Gate, and Hugh and the three members of Room 11 visited the Papal Palace.
"Phew, now I've conquered the golems in the east, west, south, and north."
Ryo muttered to himself as he returned to the mission dormitory with the members of the 'Reception Section' after enjoying the tour of the golems at the West Gate.
That's right, he had seen the golems at the north gate on the first day, the east gate golems on the next day, the south gate golems the day after that…and the west gate golems today.
By now, Ryo had become a splendid golem enthusiast…
"The QC Duchy's golems and the golems of the Holy City both fall under the three-meter class, which is a kind of strength on its own. My 1.5-meter golems would be no match for it in battle."
Ryo had suddenly become an amateur golem critic by creating his own classification such as the three-meter class golems.
Incidentally, the golems managing the paddy fields that Ryo built in the Rondo Duchy were 1.5 meters in height.
After all, the golems were designed to enter and manage the paddy fields, and if they were tall, in other words, their center of gravity were high, they would fall over quite easily.
And they weren't designed for combat in the first place.
Not just golems, but anything, the size of which depends on its use.
Ryo, who for some reason, began to think of it as a battle between a 3-meter class vs. a 1.5-meter class, must have started developing muscles for brain, in other words, becoming a musclebrain….
When Ryo entered the dining hall of the dormitory, he found it deserted.
Perhaps it was only natural since most of the civilian officials were already pretty occupied at the Papal Palace and the escort adventurers had taken to the streets.
But….
"Ah, Ryo!"
Amon spotted Ryo entering the dining hall and called out to him.
Alongside him were members of Rooms 10 and 11, as well as Commander Hugh McGrath.
But he felt it strange.
The Demon Lord's blood was scheduled to arrive at the Papal Palace from the second storage facility and then they were to proceed to dispel Harold's curse.
And yet… how was it that Harold and the others as well as Hugh, were there?
"I'm back. But why are you guys here? And what about dispelling the curse?"
When Ryo said that, Hugh's frown deepened.
Then he said.
"The Demon Lord's blood is gone."
"Eh? What does that mean…?"
Ryo asked, and instead of Hugh, who was thinking about something with his arms crossed, Priest Zeke began to explain.
"Apparently, the second storage facility came under attack and at that time the jar that contained the demon king's blood shattered."
"Wait… was that not the same thing that happened at the first storage facility?"
"Yeah…"
The same thing happened in the second storage facility.
What in the world was going on?
"The cardinal in charge said that the third and fourth storage facilities were also attacked in the same way. But those didn't contain the Demon Lord's blood, according to him… With the church's storage facilities getting raided… there is no doubt that something terrible is going on."
As a priest, Zeke probably did not feel good about religious facilities coming under attack.
"Where else can we find the Demon Lord's blood?"
"We can't, apparently. In the first place, it seems that the Demon Lord's blood cannot be stored for a long time in an ordinary jar, and that to do so, it needs to be stored in a jar that's specially made with alchemy… And only the church has it."
"But then, that would put Harold in a bad spot, same for the others who are suffering from the 'Rupture Spirit Curse'…"
"Yeah…"
In the Central Nations, Harold was the first person in a long time to be plagued by this 'spirit curse' as far as is known, but it's a common 'spirit curse' there in the Western Countries.
Hence why the Western Church kept the Demon Lord's blood… and if it were to be lost, it would put a lot of people in a hopeless situation.
Until then, Hugh had been thinking with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.
"I guess there's no way around it…"
As he muttered, he opened his eyes and announced.
"Niels, Etho, Amon, and Ryo. I order you to cooperate with the three from Room 11 to search for the Demon Lord's blood."
"Eh?"
All seven of them opened their mouths in unison.
"What do you mean…?"
Niels asked, speaking for the others.
"More precisely, I want you to find the Demon Lord and take his blood."
All seven of them were speechless after hearing those words…
-x-X-x-
'There is only one hero in any age.'
When he dies, another newborn baby becomes the hero.
The principle of the birth of the hero is fairly well known.
While that of the Demon Lord, quite frankly, is completely shrouded in mystery.
Sometimes the Demon Lord appears in the western countries, and sometimes in the central countries.
Rumor has it that they sometimes appear in the eastern countries too….
Also, according to the doctrine taught in the Central Temples of the Central Countries, one of the four Demon Princes spawned by the Devil would become the Demon Lord… or so they teach.
The same Devil Prince that Ryo chopped up on the 40th floor of the Rune dungeon.
But is it true?
In fact, no one knows.
Probably just another wild theory.
To begin with, the only humans who have had contact with the Demon Lord are… the heroes who defeat him.
From the human side of things, they have no idea where, or why the Demon Lord appears, or even what the Demon Lord is in terms of biology.
What they do know is…
The Demon Lord can control monsters.
It is a being that brings harm to humans.
And fairly strong… apparently.
There is no record of anyone other than the hero defeating him…which means that even if someone other than the hero had challenged him, they were all crushed.
So he can't possibly be weak.
"But the Demon Lord was defeated by Roman three years ago, wasn't he?"
Ryo muttered to himself.
That's right, the Demon Lord was defeated by the hero Roman.
That information was conveyed to the central countries as well.
Even Ryo, who was not well versed in the affairs of the world, had heard about it, so it must have been spread widely.
"Yeah. It was announced by the Western Church."
Priest Zeke answered.
"If the Demon Prince became the Demon Lord after that, then it hasn't been that long, and shouldn't be too strong… right?"
"Well, I don't know about that. To be honest, some priests are not sure that a Demon Prince will really become the Demon Lord."
Priest Etho answered Ryo's question with a small shake of his head.
"That aside, the Demon Prince isn't weak in the first place…"
The vanguard group of Amon, Harold, and Gowan chuckled at Niels's bewildered retort.
It was late in the evening when Hugh, who had once again gone to the Papal Palace to sort out some stuff, returned to his quarters.
"Mr. Hugh!"
DeLong, the leader of the B-rank party 'Coffee Maker', spotted him and called out.
"I heard. About sending those guys to search for the Demon Lord."
DeLong asked in a quiet voice from the corner of the dormitory lobby.
"Yeah, that's right. I just came from the Papal Palace to try and get them something that can prove their identity and they mentioned the 'Holy Seal', so I've been negotiating with them to issue that. I managed to get them to issue it, so they should have no problems moving freely within the western countries."
The 'Holy Seal' is more like a letter of guarantee issued by the Papacy of the Western Church rather than Van De Vie Theocracy.
Therefore, it is an exception to the rule to have it issued to a foreigner, as was the case this time.
Or so, the cardinal in charge of their case, Cardinal Oskar told Hugh.
Cardinal Oskar was the one who persuaded the Papacy, which was reluctant to issue the seal, and Oskar himself had been on Hugh's side from the beginning.
And Hugh was really grateful for that.
If it had been an inflexible person or someone that would say something like, "The raid on the storage facilities? Sorry, but that's an entirely different matter", had been their liaison personnel, it would have been much more difficult.
"Getting the 'Holy Seal' is all good and all, but still…"
"Yeah, I know. It's going to be an extremely difficult quest."
DeLong said with a frown, to which Hugh replied with a frown as well.
A group of people completely unfamiliar with the geography of the western countries must search for an entity with no clue as to where to begin and is one that is most certainly proactively hiding from the outside world too.
No one thought it'd be easy.
But….
"Still, we have to do it. Since the 'Rupture Spirit Curse' can just go off at any time."
Nothing happens for a year after receiving the spirit curse, but past that point, there is no guarantee of anything. Once the spirit curse is triggered, Harold's body will literally burst.
Although he still needs to grow as a person, it doesn't change the fact that he's a direct descendant of the precious royal blood.
The Kingdom wants to save him at all costs.
"I get that, but…. 'Room 10' is a B-rank party, same as us. And even though 'Room 11' is led by Harold, who is still inexperienced, he listens to Niels, so they should be fine. And with Ryo tagging along, they can't hope for more in terms of strength. Moreover, they're going to remain in the western countries until they find him, right…?"
"Yeah…that's right…"
In three month's time, after the Pope's inauguration ceremony is over and the mission from the central countries returns home, if the Demon Lord's blood has not been obtained and Harold's curse has not been lifted…the seven will remain in the western countries and continue their search….
Of course, Room 10, Room 11, and Ryo realized that much as they took it up.
Such a harsh quest….
Moreover….
"Basically, they can't expect any assistance from the Theocracy."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Although we got the 'Holy Seal', it's a kind of goodwill from His Eminence Cardinal Oskar, who was in charge of our case. For not being able to lift Harold's curse on account of the raids on the storage facilities. So we can't expect any support from the Theocracy itself, as well as the Church. On the contrary, they could even turn against us."
"No way…"
"Since the Church also wants the blood of the Demon Lord. Quite a few people are afflicted with the 'Rupture Spirit Curse' in the western countries. They have to do something about it. They will probably start looking for the Demon Lord soon. Or maybe they have already started. In which case, the church may see the seven of them as a thorn in their flesh."
Hearing Hugh's words, DeLong became speechless.
After a minute of silence, DeLong replied.
"The real question is, even if they find the Demon Lord, will they be able to defeat him?"
"Only the hero can defeat the Demon Lord. And the hero Roman is missing."
"That's…"
"I've got a few ideas. Once they leave, 'Coffee Maker' will be the only B-rank party. It's going to be a lot of work, but I'll be relying on you."
"You got it! You can count on us."
Hugh bowed and asked, and DeLong nodded vigorously in reply.
Compared to his fellow adventurers who were searching for the mysterious Demon Lord, it was no trouble at all.
DeLong thought so and sighed in his mind at the difficulties ahead of the seven.
Two days later.
The 'Holy Seal' from the Papacy was issued without a hitch, and they were ready to begin their journey, well almost.
"Except for the horse-riding part…"
"What can I say! How are we supposed to be able to ride a horse in two days!"
Ryo said, Niels countered, and Etho and Amon chuckled.
The three from Room 11 and Ryo could ride, but the three from Room 10 couldn't….
The ideal would have been for all of them to be mounted for mobility, but since that was not possible, they ended up with a larger eight-seater carriage.
Niels, who is a big man, was in the carriage, but Gowan moved to the coachman's seat, so it wasn't so tight.
Both Harold and Zeke are well-toned, but they aren't exactly stout.
Ryo initially thought it would be nice to move around on horseback.
He likes riding horses after all.
But… a word from the A-rank adventurer king in his ear made him give up the idea.
((Riding in the rain is hell, you know.))
"Well, riding in a carriage too has its merits. Since we were able to carry quite a bit of cargo."
Ryo decided to look only at the positive side of things.
Such flexibility is a must-have to survive in society!
"We've got tons of Kona coffee on board too!"
"W-Well…I suppose you can't get Kona coffee here…"
Niels nodded in agreement with Ryo's assurance.
A cup of coffee is a precious, enriching part of life!
"Also, the delegation provided us with a substantial amount of funds for our quest."
Priest Etho added.
"Even if we run out, we can just stop by the delegation again to replenish our supplies."
Adding some more desirable information.
"Ooohhh!"
"Well, our first order of business lies up north, the Eastern Kingdom of Lasha."
"That's Graham's place, isn't it? I hope we can get some leads there. About the Demon Lord and Hero Roman."
Niels confirmed the destination, and Ryo confirmed the objectives.
Thus, the party headed for the Eastern Kingdom of Lasha, the place where Priest Graham was appointed.
-x-X-x-
At the same time, in the central countries, in the Kingdom of Knightley, His Majesty the King was greatly perplexed.
He knew that Ryo and his party had left the mission.
Not from Marquis Heinlein's intelligence network, obviously, but through 'Soul Resonance'.
Even Marquis Heinlein's intelligence network had not yet extended to the western countries.
Abel's 'Soul Resonance', which is with Ryo, has left the mission.
Meaning that information from the mission will no longer be accessible.
Of course, he wasn't blaming Hugh McGrath's decision.
He too thought it was an impeccable decision.
Hence why he's holding his head.
Since there's nothing he could do about it.
"Even gods can't have it all…"
The most popular quote of King Richard, the founder of the Kingdom.
Abel muttered.
A young boy was ushered into the king's office.
"Welcome, Sir Erwin. Please."
Abel indicated that he should sit on the sofa.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The boy called Erwin sat down gracefully.
The boy's name was Erwin Ortiz. He is the head of the Shrewsbury Dukedom, a great noble family in the eastern part of the kingdom.
However, the Shrewsbury Dukedom is currently under suspension of its ducal authority and is in the custody of the royal family.
As things stand, the suspension is scheduled to be lifted and the dukedom officially reopened when Erwin becomes an adult, that is, eighteen years old.
Erwin's position was also complicated in many ways.
At the end of Stafford IV's reign, the eastern region was in turmoil.
Many nobles died, were replaced, and lost their power….
The Shrewsbury Dukedom, the largest noble family in the East, was no exception.
All direct lineage, male and female, had died out, leaving only Erwin.
In addition, the eastern nobles who had supported the Shrewsbury Dukedom for generations were eventually overrun by the imperial army and nearly all of them had died out.
Since the Kingdom Liberation War, the eastern part of the Kingdom had been in an unusual situation, with most of the nobles who had been there for generations having ceased to exist.
Presently, much of the eastern part of the kingdom is controlled by the royal family.
As a reward for the liberation war, some land was given in the form of estates, but much of it is still under royal control.
However, this situation is far from desirable.
If the area is too large, the royal family will not be able to keep an eye on it, thereby having a greater chance of breeding injustice.
The ideal would be to have loyal and wise nobles rule… and pay their taxes properly.
Although most of the nobles in the East have ceased to exist, it doesn't mean that they're entirely without successors.
The only problem is that many of them are still minors.
Like Erwin of the Shrewsbury Dukedom.
"Hmmm. So, you're saying, you want to go back to the East and learn to rule…"
Abel confirmed this upon hearing Erwin's request.
He wouldn't mind the ducal authority being returned in five years.
But until then, he would like to return to the East to learn to actually manage a fiefdom….
And he came to the castle this time to make that request.
"That's right, Your Majesty. Since I didn't get the chance to learn the process from my father, unfortunately. Also, there are few nobles in the East now, so I believe the people living there must be feeling insecure. Wondering who is going to lead them. Of course, His Majesty the King leads the country, but I think it is necessary to have nobles who are closer to the people than Your Majesty, and who are there for the people daily. I would like to be such a noble."
"Hmm…"
Frankly, Abel was quite troubled as to how to go about handling Erwin Ortiz.
In a way, he's a beacon of hope for the people of the East.
But with him in the royal capital, and the royal family controlling most of the eastern part….
Naturally, the impression of the eastern people towards the royal family can't be a good one.
And keeping him in the royal capital doesn't bring any benefit to the royal family.
"All right. I will think about it."
"I see. You're thinking of sending Sir Erwin back to Wingston."
Wingston is the capital of Shrewsbury Dukedom.
When Marquis Heinlein heard the gist from Abel, he thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Okay then. I will make arrangements for Sir Erwin's return to Wingston. We will also announce the fact to the whole country."
"Yeah, thanks."
That said, he still couldn't shake off the touch of uneasiness in his mind.
As for what exactly, he did not know….
Wingston, the eastern part of the Kingdom.
The Silverdale Knights were staying at an inn adjacent to the lord's mansion.
In the Kingdom, the knight orders held by lords are usually called 'territorial knights'.
For example, the Marquis Heinlein Knight Order, Rune Frontier County Knight Order, and so on.
Of course, they may also be called the Rune Knights or Heinlein Knights….
But the knight order of the Silverdale Dukedom is referred to as the 'Silverdale Knights' even in official documents.
Rather than the Silverdale Dukedom Knight Order.
This is because the name of the knight order that Lines Stafford, the first Duke of Silverdale, trained and led since he was a royal prince, was the 'Silverdale Knights', and when he established the Silverdale Dukedom, he named the dukedom after it and led his knights into the territory, thus, the name is still used today.
Because of its origins, the Silverdale Dukedom is known as one of the most prominent military families in the Kingdom.
The current Duke of Silverdale is the seventh generation head of the family, Lawson.
The Silverdale fiefdom is located in the central part of the Kingdom same as the royal capital. Lawson is also there.
For the past month, however, Faith, the next head of the family, had been leading half of the Silverdale Knights on a training expedition in the eastern part of the Kingdom.
The place where they stayed was Wingston.
This is because the Silverdale Knights have traditionally used Wingston, the capital of the Shrewsbury Dukedom, as their base when they conduct exercises in the eastern part of the Kingdom.
"What? Sir Erwin is coming back to Wingston?"
After returning from a drill, Faith received the report in a room at the inn.
It was a rather surprising report.
Erwin was only thirteen years old.
Since the royal capital is the most advanced in terms of academics, local nobles are eager to send their children to the academy in the royal capital until they reach adulthood.
Yet returning to the fiefdom at the age of thirteen was something that Faith did not quite understand.
"Anyway. When will he arrive here?"
"In two weeks."
"That's pretty far off. Our expedition here will come to an end the day after tomorrow, right?"
"That's right. We'll be rounding off our training expedition the day after tomorrow and returning to Silverdale."
"Even if we don't see each other this time, we can always meet another time."
Faith concluded, and then she put Erwin out of her mind.
When Erwin still had older siblings, he was to be Faith's fiancé.
But then came the Eastern Uprising, and then the imperial invasion… and the plans went up in smoke.
Today, Erwin is the head of a dukedom.
And Faith is the next head of a dukedom.
Marriage between the two of them will never come to pass.
That's the thing about dukedoms.
A room at the Papal Palace in the Holy City of Marlomar.
"A 'Holy Seal' was issued? To mere adventurers no less…. What in god's name is going on?
"Uh yes. His Eminence Oskar…"
"Oh good gracious… that's uncalled for. So, how is the search for the Demon Lord and the Hero progressing on our side?"
"Well, nothing yet…"
"Then pick up the pace. Get rid of anything that gets in the way. Especially those adventurers from the central countries, their timing couldn't be any worse. Before they learn of something they aren't supposed to…"
"Yes, sir."