Chapter 0351 Real Robot Wars
-x-X-x-
Twenty-five hours later.
"All right, it's done. Off you go!"
Neil said, and the last of the Republic Golems left the hangar.
"Well done, sir."
Ryo said and handed him a glass of water.
In times like this, having a cup of water is the best.
"Oh, thank you."
Neil took it and drank it down in one gulp.
"Oh, the water tastes good. Right, Lord Ryo is a water-attribute magician."
"Yeah."
Ryo was impressed.
And feeling that way from simply observing maintenance works was a first for him.
That's how amazing Neil's 'maintenance' was.
"To think the tool you brought with you was a portable maintenance-aid golem."
Ryo said, looking at the golem about a meter and a half tall standing beside Neil.
"I figured I was going to be doing maintenance on the Republic Golems. Thanks to this guy, we got it done in time."
Neil smiled happily as he said that.
"Sir Andersen, Duke Rondo. His Excellency, the Head of State has asked me to escort you both to the command center. From the command center, you can see the battlefield."
A soldier approached them.
"I see, let's go."
Neil nodded, and so did Ryo.
"Sir Andersen, you really did make it in time. Thank you!"
As soon as they entered the command center, Head of State Columbano shook hands with them.
Supreme Advisor Lord Burley also bowed deeply.
Everyone else there bowed to Neil Andersen.
They all understood.
Without Neil Andersen, they would have stood no chance against the Holy Knights, the golems of the Theocracy.
As expected, Neil also chuckled.
"Well, they're certainly stronger now, but whether or not they will emerge victorious is beyond me."
Neil said and headed for the east window.
On the plain visible from there, a battle between golems was about to begin.
Incidentally, Ryo was already clinging to the window to watch.
"A real robot war…"
Ryo's mutter wasn't heard by anyone.
The 'Holy Knights', the golems of the Theocracy, and the 'Civilians', the golems of the Republic, were facing off against each other.
Both were three-meter class golems, designed and built to fight on the battlefield.
The 'Holy Knights' held small shields in their left hands and swords in their right hands and stood in eight rows, with ten in each row.
The sight of ten three-meter class golems standing side by side was quite impressive.
The 'Civilians', on the other hand, held a shield in their left hand that almost covered their bodies entirely, and a spear in their right hand. And they too, stood ten in each row, with five rows.
The front rows were likely to collide head-on….
Basically, the combat golems can act autonomously after given simple commands.
For example, if the golems are ordered to 'Break through the gates' they can think of the best action to take to accomplish that order on their own.
There's no need to give them instructions such as 'Run', 'Jump', 'Thrust with the sword in your right hand', 'Defend with your shield'…and so on.
To begin with, it's not practical to give such orders to dozens of golems.
Since the battles unfold in real-time.
The golems were issued commands through a command control vehicle behind the golems.
It looked like a large box carriage, but it seemed to be loaded with various items.
It was apparently used when there are more than a dozen golems on the 'battlefield', as in this case, and there was one behind the Holy Knights and one behind the Civilians.
The personnel who presumably issued the commands could be seen around the command control vehicle. Several of them…
"So if we just take them out, it would be over…"
Ryo muttered to himself and shook his head hurriedly.
"That would be too tactless."
It shall be resolved through a battle between golems.
Such is the beauty of the battlefield!
It seemed to have that aesthetic tinge, similar to a knight's single combat… he interpreted it as such on his own.
In this battle, the order given to the 'Holy Knights' was to destroy the 'Civilians' in front of them.
The Holy Knights would then take the most appropriate action.
The Holy Knights were given the data on golems of various countries that had been collected by the Theocracy.
Among them, of course, was the data on the Republic's 'Civilian'.
Considering that the Republic was an assumed adversary, it could be said that the data was analyzed in the most detail.
Based on that data, the Holy Knights began to move.
Compared to the Civilians, the Holy Knights were superior in both offense and defense, and their durability was almost the same.
To put it bluntly, if they were to go head-to-head, they would not be defeated.
At 80 against 50, even if they destroyed all 50 of their opponents, there would still be at least 60 of them left standing.
The Holy Knights charged head-on.
The Civilians also charged head-on.
"Their speed has been tweaked up a notch, you know?"
Neil muttered with a grin, but only Ryo, who was standing next to him, could hear him.
The two sides clashed head-on.
But first of all, the difference between the two sides' weapons of choice became evident.
Sword versus spear.
The Republic's Civilians' spears reached first.
Based on the accumulated data, the Holy Knights were supposed to be able to comfortably block the spear thrust of the Civilians with the small shield in their left hand…
However, the speed of the Civilians' thrusts, which had been boosted thanks to Neil, was different from the previous data…
Piercing the throats of the ten units in the front row.
All ten of them were attacked in the throat at the same time, thrust up at the same time, and stopped moving at the same time.
In a sense, it was rather spectacular.
If it were a human, it would be grotesque, but a golem with a plain face, not so much…
Perhaps if it were a golem he had created himself, the feeling would have been different.
The Holy Knights from the second row onwards corrected the discrepancy between the accumulated data and the attack speed received by the Holy Knights in the front row.
As an autonomous golem, that was natural.
The paddy field management golems that Ryo created did not yet have that kind of function…
However, this trip to Western Countries improved Ryo's knowledge and skills in alchemy.
He was beginning to feel confident that he could incorporate that kind of functionality, although it would not be easy….
Due to the inconsistency in the previous data, the Republic's Civilians succeeded in launching a surprise attack, and decommissioned ten of their enemies, while remaining unharmed.
However, the Holy Knights had also modified their data, so an attack like the first strike would no longer work.
"Who says their pattern will be the same for the second row?"
Neil's muttering was still heard only by Ryo next to him.
In the clash between the first rows, the spears of the first row Civilians were still stuck in the neck of the first row Holy Knights.
And the second-row Republic's Civilians dashed toward them.
Then, with an ease unimaginable from their three-meter size, they put one foot on the back of the first-row Civilians and sprung up!
They jumped up and fell on the second row of Holy Knights, their enemies!
Raising the large shield in their left hand, and slamming it down as they landed.
A shield bash with all their weight on it.
The heads of the second row Holy Knights were crushed by a vertical leap that exceeded prior data.
"What a terrifying shield bash!"
Neil answered Ryo's mutter with a faint smile.
"We've crushed twenty of them, but the Holy Knights still have the advantage in numbers."
Currently, there were 60 Holy Knights of the Theocracy and 50 Civilians of the Republic.
"Although I enhanced the performance of the front two rows of Civilians units, the back three rows are different. I directed the enhanced power output to their weapons."
"Weapons?"
Ryo tilted his head at Neil's words.
Indeed, the front two rows exceeded the assumptions of their opponents by unleashing explosive power and other factors.
However, that assumption would soon be revised again.
Anticipating the opponent's revised data on them, he used their weapons… no, wait, 'enhanced power output'?
The tip of the spears held by the third row Civilians glowed red.
"Flame?"
Ryo muttered.
They thrust their spears clad in flames.
The Holy Knights blocked it with their small shield… but the shield melted immediately.
Then they thrust, thrust, and thrust in rapid succession!
The Holy Knights dodged, but they couldn't dodge them all entirely.
Each time the spears struck, that part of the Holy Knights melted away.
Eventually, the third row of the Holy Knights fell after receiving fatal blows.
This time, however, they were not felled by a single blow, as were the previous two rows.
Naturally, the fourth row of the Holy Knights also joined the fray… as did the Civilian fourth row.
It became a brawl.
It was a brawl… but the Holy Knights from the fifth row onward did not participate in the brawl.
Why?
The reason was the weapon of the fifth row Civilians.
Their spear, too, had a shining tip, but it was white, not red.
A mass of white flame was shooting from the tip of the spears… held up in front of them.
"What's that…"
Ryo muttered and exclaimed.
But he soon remembered.
The artificial golems of the Union that he once saw in Inbury Duchy generated plasma at the end of their arms.
Something similar to that was happening…
Perhaps?
More like, how in the world did he even manage that within that thirty-minute total disassembly?
That notion alone terrified the wits out of Ryo.
"If you can hold off the enemy with ranged attacks, then you'll break their formation."
Neil had customized them for combat deployment.
He was not just any alchemist… a frighteningly capable one.
To begin with, Ryo never heard of a golem being able to generate ranged offensive magic… yep, the plasma of the Union's artificial golem wasn't fired.
"So golems too can use ranged offensive magic."
Ryo honestly said what he thought.
But Neil laughed and denied it.
"Actually, not quite, Lord Ryo. The spear itself is an alchemy tool that discharges those balls of fire. The golems hold magic stones inside their body. In other words, it is powered by magic power. When that magic power passes through the spear, the magic circle in the spear is activated, firing the fireball. It's as simple as that."
Yeah, the idea was nothing complicated.
But that also meant that… it would be possible to provide the golems with projectile weapons.
An alchemy tool in the form of a spear that when infused with magic power, would shoot out fireballs.
In itself, is not difficult to craft.
Ryo was witnessing the advancement of weapons in war….
As planned, the twenty Holy Knights embroiled in the brawl were annihilated.
However, the Civilians were not unscathed, and three units were wrecked and put out of action.
"Forty-seven vs. forty. We finally have the numbers. The rest is a battle of strength."
Neil nodded broadly.
Things went as expected and they could finally see a chance.
His expression relaxed a little.
Ryo saw that and thought it was his chance to ask.
He had several questions, but since he was getting some short replies, why not?
"Sir Neil, the third row just now, the ones with the red flame on the tip of their spear, could that possibly be an enchantment?"
"Ohh-ho. So you know about enchantments, Lord Ryo? And here I thought it's a magic that does not exist in the Central Countries…"
Neil was more surprised by Ryo's question.
And Ryo's prediction turned out to be correct.
Enchantment is a spell that temporarily grants magic attributes to a weapon or the user's body, or increases its performance.
Magicians who practice that are called Enchanters.
And enchantment was not in the magic system of the Central Countries.
"Yeah. I met an Enchanter once."
Among the Hero party that came to the Central Countries was the Enchanter, Ash Khan.
That's how Ryo knew about enchantments.
"Yeah. An enchantment formula is inscribed on their bodies."
"Say what?"
Ryo was taken aback by Neil's answer.
And then began to get excited.
Seeing him like that, Neil laughed.
He knew very well why Ryo became like that.
It was only natural for an alchemist.
"Lord Ryo, would you like to see that magic formula?"
"By all means, please!"
Neil asked with a laugh, and Ryo answered clearly.
After that, Ryo's mind was occupied with the enchantment formula rather than the battle between the golems.
In fact, the golem battle had shifted to a battle in which the Civilians were gradually decimating the Holy Knights while minimizing the damage to their forces.
It was only a matter of time before the battle came to a close.
An hour later.
The golem battle was brought to a close.
Eighty Holy Knights were annihilated.
On the Civilian side, six were heavily damaged. Fourteen were slightly damaged. Almost thirty of them were intact.
It was an overwhelming victory.
"The forty-four that can move on their own are to be moved to the hangar, and powered down. Once they are powered down, they won't be able to move temporarily. So be sure to only shut them down once they're in the hangar. Once they're docked, as instructed, divert the magic power from the city walls and start recharging them back up."
Neil gave stern instructions to the soldier messengers.
It probably had to do with the comment he made earlier, "There is no guarantee that you will be able to deploy them in the subsequent battle against the United Kingdom because their magic power will be completely emptied".
Ryo estimated so, but he was more concerned about the enchantment formula…
"Let's go take a look at the six that were wrecked, Lord Ryo. Since there's no way they're getting back to the front lines any time soon, we can take our time."
"Okay!"
-x-X-x-
"Wow, I've learned a lot!"
"U-Umu, I see."
Ryo said with a huge smile.
He was able to understand the enchantment formula to his surprise.
It would be useful for the golems specializing in paddy field management in Rondo Forest.
As to how he would go about utilizing such a thing on the paddy field management golems was, of course, a mystery…
Furthermore, they were also allowed to dismantle the destroyed Holy Knights as they pleased.
However, to be honest, nothing was interesting about them.
Said to be the best golem in the Western Countries, which by the way was, in a sense, a classic golem that used a surprisingly large magic stone to increase its output…
"The core of the Theocracy's golem lies within their Kingsguard, the 'Holy Guards'."
Neil said to Ryo, who was a little downcast because there wasn't much to learn.
Needless to say, Ryo's eyes lit up again when he heard that…
"Someday, I'll dismantle a Holy Guard…"
Ryo's muttering was not heard even by Neil Andersen next to him.
((…))
Instead, the king in a distant place heard it through Soul Resonance but chose to remain silent.
Perhaps because he thought there was no point in saying anything.
They were walking back to the castle, but Neil Andersen glanced behind Ryo.
Behind Ryo were six larger than the usual
Each was carrying a wrecked Civilian.
Ryo was helping to carry them to the hangar.
When Neil first saw these
"I'd rather learn the magic behind those
Neil's words were too hushed to be heard by Ryo, who was in a good mood.
The six wrecked units were placed in the hangar.
The rest, the ones with minor damage, were already being repaired.
In addition, the thirty that were mostly intact had what appeared to be thick cables attached to them.
Perhaps that was the medium diverting the magic power from the castle walls…
"Sir Neil, can I ask you a fundamental question?"
Ryo once again turned to Neil and asked, although he was still smiling.
"Sure."
Neil nodded his head in satisfaction, confirming that everything was going well in the hangar,
He replied.
"Initially, it seemed that the Republic's 'Civilians' were inferior to the Theocracy's 'Holy Knights' in almost every respect, and I'd like to know how they managed to surpass them. Despite the Holy Knights equipped with astonishingly huge magic stones. It stands to reason that they possess considerable output and durability. So how exactly did you do it?"
Ryo asked him squarely.
"Hmm. It's simple. I just made sure to use up all the magic power accumulated in the magic stone."
"Use it all up? So normally, you can't use it up?"
"Yeah. Usually, when about eighty percent of the total is used up, the magic stone is believed to have run out of magic power. In fact, it's impossible to pull out any more magic power from it once that happens. It may be some kind of self-preservation of the magic stone."
Normally, even human beings have some strength left when they say they have exhausted their strength.
Because if they really give it their all, they'll die…
Since they need to retain some strength for the circulation of blood and breathing, right?
It seemed that Neil Andersen made the stones give it all, even those reserves.
If the magic stone was a living thing, it would have been in serious trouble.
"As you know, magic stones can store magic power. And they also can release the magic power they have accumulated. Monsters that have magic stones inside their bodies transform the magic power stored in these stones into their strength to perform such extraordinary magic spells and power."
Neil's explanation was something Ryo also knew, so he nodded.
"But in fact, it is known that the magic stone itself increases the accumulated magic power by itself."
"Eh…"
"The volume is very small and slow… but yes, it does what you might call self-propagation of magic power. In other words, if left alone, the reduced magic power in the magic stone will naturally fill up again with time. However, if it's maneuvered like we did this time and used until the remaining magic power in the magic stone is empty, the magic power will not self-propagate. Multiply one by a hundred and you get a hundred, but multiply zero by a hundred and you still get zero, right? It's the same principle. In this way, a magic stone that has been completely emptied of its magic power… becomes like that."
Saying that, Neil pointed to a Civilian magic stone.
It was a blackened magic stone.
Ryo looked at it and for some reason, it reminded him of the blackened crystal-like thing he had seen on the way back from the dungeon's 40th floor.
"It is pitch black, huh."
"Yeah. Once it becomes like that, its magic power will no longer increase naturally. So, this time, we will forcibly fill the magic stones with the magic power used to power up barriers on the castle walls. And the United Kingdom army is still advancing from the west. So whether or not we can make it in time is…"
Neil said with a small shake of his head.
"For the time being… the Theocracy has been defeated…"
"All that remains is the United Kingdom."
At the command center, Supreme Advisor Lord Burley said, and Head of State Columbano nodded.
"The United Kingdom forces will arrive in the capital in about three days…"
"Yeah. Let's just hope everything goes according to plan."
Columbano let out a loud sigh as he said that.
"If only I could be there, I would make sure of it…"
"The Head of State can't go to the front lines."
"But me being here hasn't been of any assistance either…"
Columbano blurted out.
Though, he knew it in his head.
The role of the head of state is to sit firmly at the high command, make various decisions, and take responsibility for the war.
However, as a man of the sea and someone who has always exposed himself to the front lines of naval battles, he was not comfortable waiting for the results at the official residence of the head of state, far away from the battlefield.
It's much easier to be on the front lines…
"We should see results by the end of the day, still…"
Columbano said with a sigh.
"Even if it goes well, we'll be in trouble if the United Kingdom continues their march."
Lord Burley added with a sigh.
In the end, they both sighed loudly and fell silent.
Head of State Columbano and Lord Burley had two plans.
Both must succeed to achieve the desired result.
And the plans were already in motion.
Whether it would work or not, and what would result from it, was already out of their control.
But they must be held accountable for the outcome.
The two were in agony as they waited for the outcome…
What on Phi was Ryo doing at that moment?
He was having an alchemy discussion with Neil Andersen in a corner of the hangar lined with golems.
They both seemed to be having fun.
It was no surprise that Ryo was smiling, but Neil, who was supposed to be over a hundred years old, also seemed to be really enjoying himself.
Previously, he said that he had lost much of his passion for alchemy over the past decade or so.
But, now, his passion was beginning to bubble back up again after all the things that happened today.
However…
"Eh? When this is over, you're leaving the Republic?"
Ryo was surprised. How come, when there were plans for new ships from the Franzoni Shipping Company?
"Yeah, well, that was the agreement. It's unfortunate, but it can't be helped."
Neil drank his coffee with a bitter smile on his face.
It was brewed with coffee beans from the Dark Continent, brought from the official residence of the head of state.
Holding up the coffee, Neil said:
"I'm going to try to cross over to the Dark Continent."
"Ooohhh! "
Ryo was astounded by Neil's decision but expressed his approval.
The Dark Continent… the very sound of it was kind of cool.
"The people of the Western Countries only trade with the coastal countries of the Dark Continent. I am curious to learn about the hinterlands."
"I get it, I totally get it."
Ryo nodded repeatedly in agreement with Neil's words.
He would like to visit there someday…
"They may have alchemy that I don't even know about there. Like how I didn't know about enchantment when I was in the Central Countries."
Apparently, Neil himself had created the enchantment formula.
Enchantment as a form of magic is rare, but not totally obscure.
However, Neil was the first to manifest the magic phenomenon of enchantment through alchemy…
"Wow, that's amazing…"
Ryo applauded from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, the enchantment formula written on the Civilians was beautiful.
Sometimes, even in mathematics, mathematical formulas appear 'beautiful', and this is something similar, the magic formula version.
The first alchemy book Ryo read was written by Neil.
In other words, it was no exaggeration to say that one of the most fundamental aspects of Ryo's alchemy was Neil's alchemy.
Hence why.
He found the enchantment formula created by Neil beautiful.
Neil, on the other hand, seemed to be very interested in alchemy in the Central Countries after he left, and he asked a lot of questions about it.
Whenever Ryo had time, he would lie down on a certain king's sofa and read alchemy books…
That was, after all, to learn about the development of alchemy in the Central Countries in recent decades.
So he was able to answer Neil's questions quite smoothly.
Both sides were having a good time talking about alchemy.
Finally, a quick horse arrived at the command center from the front lines.
"Reporting! We succeeded in destroying the United Kingdom's ground supply unit and burned their supplies."
"We did it!"
Lord Burley shouted involuntarily.
Head of State Columbano made mini fist pump gestures over and over again.
It was the report they had been waiting for.
However, they're only halfway there.
"All that's left now is the sea."
"The fleet… the very men you trained. We just have to believe in them and wait."
Lord Burley replied to Columbano's muttering with a faint smile.
Two hours later.
Again, a quick horse from the front lines arrived at the command center.
"Reporting! The United Kingdom fleet has been captured off the coast of Grun Island, and we succeeded in sinking all the ships of the supply fleet."
"Goddamn right!"
Head of State Columbano made a flashy fist pump gesture.
Lord Burley nodded repeatedly and said:
"Both plans came through."
"Yeah. Above all, defeating the Theocracy's golem corps, which they must have been relying on, is a heavy blow. They don't have their strongest reinforcements, nor supplies from land or sea. We've done everything we possibly can…"
"It will be impractical for the United Kingdom forces to continue with this war."
It was two hours later that the report came in that the United Kingdom Army, which had been heading for the Republic's capital from the western border, had changed course and turned back toward the border.
However, all was not well.
The Republic's Secret Services Agency.
"Chief, we have a problem! Cesare has escaped from the underground prison!"
"What!"
"We managed to prevent four of Cesare's men from escaping, but in the end, they all committed suicide."
"What a total fiasco…"
Bureau Chief Bonifacio Franzoni lamented.
-x-X-x-
Ryo decided to leave the Republic after one more night at leisure and lodged again in Doge Pietro.
The next day.
Appetizing dinner, comfortable sleep, delicious breakfast.
It was perfect, as it should be.
After breakfast, Ryo did some light stretching and then headed for the reception.
This time for sure, he would be leaving the inn and departing the Republic to return to the Holy Capital.
"Again, I had a wonderful stay. Thank you very much for accommodating me with my sudden extension request. If I ever find myself in the Republic, I will come here again."
"Thank you very much for staying with us. We look forward to seeing you again."
He would say it again a million times. It was perfect.
After that, Ryo headed for the Secret Services Agency.
Before leaving the Republic, he thought he'd ask what they had found out about the 'Concealment' they had promised him earlier.
However…
"Your Excellency, I'm so sorry."
Bureau Chief Bonifacio himself apologized.
Cesare had escaped from prison, and four others had also committed suicide.
As a result, they were unable to analyze most of the data on the 'Concealment' he had been promised.
"The only thing we could find out was that these bracelets they were all wearing were alchemy tools and that they seemed to have something to do with the 'Concealment'…"
"Ohh-ho."
It was some kind of silver bracelet.
Thinking back, all five of them were wearing it on their left wrist…
"So… since we failed to gather the information on the Concealment we promised you… I was wondering if you would forgive us and take one of these bracelets in exchange."
"I see…"
Director Bonifacio suggested in cold sweat and Ryo nodded gravely.
"Is this officially authorized by the government of the Republic?"
"Of course. We received approval from the official residence of the head of state yesterday…"
"All right. Then, let's get it over with."
Needless to say, Ryo was thrilled in his heart.
He might find out something tinkering around with it!
As a matter of fact, that was more exciting than just receiving some reports.
Ryo also stopped by the official residence of the head of state, bid his farewell as he left the country, and departed from the capital by carriage.
It was a rather intense stay.
Especially in alchemy, Ryo was able to gain a lot of experience…
At the same time.
Neil Andersen's residence.
"Coming out here in person… to what do I owe the pleasure."
"Yeah. I have a favor to ask you this time."
Neil asked, and the visitor answered.
The visitor was the man sitting on the sofa at Ciro Pepe's.
"Ohh. The great Cardinal Sacharias coming to lil ol' me for a favor… now I'm even scared to ask."
"You jest."
Cardinal Sacharias smiled cheerfully at Neil's words.
There was a smile on his face, and it appeared so in the depths of his eyes.
But Neil knew better.
That deep in his heart, he wasn't laughing at all.
At his level, it's easy to make even the depths of his eyes appear like someone having a blast.
He had risen to near the top of an organization that would be impossible to survive in otherwise… filled with experiences that calling them spectacular would not do them justice.
"So?"
"Yeah. I heard that Sir Andersen is leaving the Republic. I don't know which way you're headed, but before you do, I would like for you to stop by the Holy Capital."
"That…"
"You misunderstand! It's an invitation from His Holiness the Pope, not me."
When Neil tried to refuse, Cardinal Sacharias cut in and delivered the decisive words.
"Ohh…. The Pope, huh…"
As expected, that came as a surprise to Neil.
And for some reason, he was interested in the invitation.
The reason being…
He had a suspicion that the new Pope might not be human.
(And that same Pope is inviting me? Interesting indeed.)
It's interesting, for sure, but… more than that, he was concerned.
"What if I refuse?"
"Well, that would be unfortunate."
"But that's not all, is it?"
"If Sir Andersen says no, then there is nothing we can do. It's just…"
Cardinal Sacharias remained smiling.
"I can't say what will happen to this maid and her family in a few dozen days."
"Well, that's what I thought."
Neil did not say, "Despicable!", or anything like that.
For people like the one in front of him, such things are a common occurrence.
For those who go against their will, they either intimidate them or pocket them.
Because if left unchecked, they could likely become their doom.
So, they threaten, subdue, or, worst of all, get rid of them.
At the very least, there is no oversight.
It's a matter of course since there is no benefit to leaving them alone.
"Why don't you just kidnap me instead of going through all this trouble?"
"Oh please, that sounds terrifying… We don't have to do that, right?"
Sacharias responded to Neil's suggestion with a shake of his head.
There's no need to kidnap him.
Since he had no other choice but to come to the Holy Capital anyway.
It's always more effective to hint pressure on those around you, such as family members or loved ones, than on the person themselves, no matter the era or world you are in.
In some cases, it is even more cost-effective… because all you have to do is insinuate it.
Of course, it's never a pleasant thing for anyone to hear…
"Sheesh…"
Neil sighed once before continuing.
"All right then. I'll go to the Holy Capital. So leave those who are related to me alone… no, give me assurance of their safety. Guarantee that no accidents, no illnesses, nothing will happen to them. Can you do that?"
"You're asking for quite a lot, but… sure, why not? You have my word."
And with that, Neil Andersen left the Republic for the Holy Capital.
-x-X-x-
Ryo was in a chartered carriage, returning to the Holy City.
((Gotta say, the trip to the Republic was very fulfilling.))
((Is that so, good for you then.))
In contrast to Ryo's happy voice, Abel's voice was dreary.
He was probably covered in papers again today…
Ryo felt sorry for the king.
((Abel, why don't you go around and inspect the country once in a while?))
((Inspect?))
((Yeah. You haven't toured the country like that once since your accession to the throne three years ago, have you? Now that you've recovered from your illness, why don't you go and see the people you're ruling over? Even His Majesty the King's popularity among the people is not something that should be disregarded, right?))
Ryo suggested a tour of the country.
Abel is a very popular king among the people because of how he became king and the fact that he was a former A-rank adventurer.
Therefore, Ryo believed that the people would be more pleased if he traveled around the country on an inspection tour.
A ruler should have the people on his side.
The best way to win the people over is to create a booming economy.
That is a universal truth in any era and any world.
The second way for a ruler to win the people over is through public appearances.
That must always be done after creating a booming economy. The order is important.
Going before the people while the economy is in recession… will be undesirable.
To put it very bluntly, historically speaking, as long as the economy is booming, the people could care less about the politics of the country…
They don't even complain much about the political system, no matter what it is.
"Revolution? Protest? What if they did that and things got worse than they currently are!"
That's why, throughout history, good rulers have always worked hard to improve the economy.
Thinking about that, Ryo shook his head slightly and said:
((I don't want to see Abel ganged up on by the people, you know.))
((What are you talking about…))
((Aside from after a defeat, the economy usually improves during the postwar or post-civil war recovery period, unless something very strange happens, so I am sure Abel will be safe.))
((O-Okay…))
Marquis Alexis Heinlein visited Abel, who had disconnected from 'Soul Resonance'.
And came the daily report.
"That concludes today's report."
"Okay. Thanks."
Abel said, and after seemingly being absorbed in thought for a moment, he opened his mouth.
"Alexis, regarding your earlier suggestion of an inspection of the country… I have decided to do it."
Hearing these words, Marquis Heinlein widened his eyes, a little surprised.
It was true that Marquis Heinlein had proposed the idea before, but he had thought that the busy Abel would not take the initiative.
In fact, when he proposed it, he replied with a single line, "Not happening"…
"Understood, sir. But Your Majesty, why the change of heart?"
"Oh… I had a conversation with Ryo earlier. He told me to tour the country at least once. He said that as the king, I shouldn't disregard my popularity among the people…"
"I see. As expected of the Duke of Rondo."
Marquis Heinlein nodded broadly as he said that.
For some reason, Marquis Heinlein thinks highly of Ryo.
"However, I can't afford to travel all over the Kingdom, obviously."
"Of course. It seems that you already have an idea of which regions to visit."
"The northern and eastern parts of the Kingdom, I suppose, logically speaking."
Many of the nobles in the northern part of the Kingdom sided with Prince Raymond and were crushed.
These fiefs were once administered by the royal family and then given to deserving nobles for their merits in the liberation war, or to newly recruited nobles who were placed in the north.
As a result, enclaves of nobles based in the south and west had sprung up in the north to a certain extent.
Furthermore, those new nobles who took up fiefdoms in the north have only been there for three years, so they are not in a position to be considered firmly established.
The north naturally borders the Empire further to the north, so it would be the front line if a crisis were to occur.
Defending it is impossible for the royal family alone.
So, they needed to deploy nobles to protect the kingdom.
But not just anyone would do.
They wouldn't want a repeat of the betrayal like during the Liberation War after all…
The establishment of new northern nobles, as well as the inspection of the territories under the direct control of the royal family…
Hence the north.
And the east.
During the Eastern uprisings before the Liberation War, a significant number of noble families were ruined or lost their power.
Power here refers to military or economic power.
The knights were destroyed, merchant associations, workshops, and the like were razed to the ground, and the peasants were impoverished.
Recently, Erwin Ortiz of the Shrewsbury Dukedom, the heart of the eastern nobility, finally returned to the east.
Abel believed that was a signal that the region was about to undergo a further recovery.
If he could just encourage that…
His Majesty the King seemed to have a lot to consider too.
-x-X-x-
What were the six members of 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' doing while Ryo was off to the Republic of Mafalda?
After finishing the task Hugh had asked of them, they were taking on the West Dungeon of the Holy Capital.
Taking a look at the composition of the six.
Room 10 has two swordsmen and a priest.
Room 11 has one swordsman, one dual swordsman, and a priest.
Four vanguards and two rearguards.
At first glance, the balance doesn't seem all that bad.
But… in fact, they have neither a magician nor a scout.
That is not a well-balanced party for dungeon exploration.
Which would have been quite tricky, ordinarily.
Yeah, ordinarily.
'Room 11' aside, 'Room 10' was far from ordinary.
Maybe because they've been acquainted with a 'very unordinary' water-attribute magician for three years now…
Or maybe they had that kind of predisposition to begin with…
Having commenced the dungeon dive which they resumed from the 80th floor, they finally arrived at the 100th floor.
In the West Dungeon, there are certain floors called the 'Boss Floor' on every 50th floor, like the 50th, 100th, and 150th floors and so on.
On the boss floor, only the boss, a powerful monster, and his subordinates appear.
However, what appears as a boss seems to be random, so there is no point in taking countermeasures in advance…
In short… a party that's not prepared to deal with whatever pops out, will not be able to advance to the next floor.
And the boss that appeared this time was…
"A wyvern…?"
Niels' muttering said it all.
Wyverns… are the nightmares of the sky.
Wyverns aren't exactly monsters that can't be hunted by adventurers…
However, there are minimum requirements for hunting wyverns.
Gather at least 20 C-rank adventurers or higher.
Gather as many magicians as possible. Preferably fire-attribute magicians with high attack power.
Attack with magic without interruption until the wyverns' 'wind protection membrane' is down.
Then, drive them to the ground and finish them off.
Considering all that, Room 10 and 11 were severely lacking.
Sure, they're all C-rank adventurers or above, but… they're only six.
And most importantly… they did not have a single magician.
"We can retreat on the 100th floor… right?"
Niels asked Etho beside him in a low voice.
"Yeah. We can withdraw at any time against the 100th-floor boss monster. Without any drawback."
Etho nodded as he answered.
A stark difference from the 50th floor.
The 50th floor, so to speak, asks the question, 'Are you really willing to go on and conquer the dungeon'?
If you are not, bow out now.
So retreat isn't an option.
You either advance or die trying.
But the 100th floor is different.
It's more like a boss floor prepared to test your aptitude.
Even though it was meant to test their skills, Niels and Etho both understood that the situation was hopeless.
Although they could retreat at any time, the possibility of dying was, of course, ever-present.
Looking around, both Harold and Gowan were shaking their heads slightly.
As he thought of calling for a retreat… he realized that one of them was actually feeling excited…
"Uh… Amon looks awfully excited."
"Maybe he's picked some of Ryo's bad habits?"
Etho pointed out, and Niels agreed with a small sigh.
Even though he wasn't present, the water-attribute magician was forced to take the blame… poor fellow.
"Um…Zeke too seems like he's raring to go…"
At Harold's report, both Niels and Etho turned toward Zeke.
And sure enough, he was smirking a little…
"Zeke is an excellent priest, but… he is essentially a vanguard so to speak."
Priest Etho muttered, shaking his head slightly again.
"But… seriously, taking on a wyvern with just six people is hopeless, isn't it?"
"I heard that Niels' party and others once hunted a wyvern with nine people."
Harold asked at Niels' words.
"Yeah… that's certainly true, but… That was only possible because we had someone with tremendous strength, like Gorky of 'Six Petals', and on top of that, the wyvern was not too high up…"
"But then again, the ceilings aren't remarkably high here either."
As Niels explained, Etho replied, looking up at the ceiling of the dungeon.
The ceiling was a little over ten meters high.
It was probably preferable to typical wyverns that are impossible to subjugate without ranged magicians because they unleash Air Slashes from a height of several dozen meters.
Nevertheless, the six of them had no means of attack that could reach a height of ten meters…
"Our Light Javelin and this, that's all about it…"
Etho said and raised the rapid-fire crossbow installed on his left arm.
The range of the rapid-fire crossbow is up to 15 meters.
Sure, it can reach it, but will be completely helpless before the wyvern's 'wind protection membrane'.
But in fact, they have a trump card.
"I think we should use that. I was told that the actual battle report needs to be submitted to the royal castle as well…"
"That's right. If it's a wyvern, I'm sure His Majesty Abel will be pleased."
Niels said, and Etho replied with a smile.
Before long, they were leaning toward subjugating the wyvern.
In the end, they are all adventurers…
Hearing the conversation between Niels and Etho, Harold and Gowan tilted their heads.
"It's a top-secret commission undertaken by B-rank parties in the royal capital."
Seeing the two tilting their heads, Amon added with a laugh.
"It was apparently proposed by His Majesty, who is a former adventurer, since we might encounter more powerful monsters than the knights."
"As expected of His Majesty Abel!"
Etho explained further, and Niels nodded broadly.
Even now, the adventurer that Niels respects the most is Abel.
"First, we have to get the wyvern's attention. Gowan, you will protect Etho."
"Got it!"
Niels assigned roles, and Gowan, the dual swordsman, nodded vigorously.
"Amon and I will take the lead from both sides. Harold and Zeke will follow suit."
"Got it!"
Niels said, Amon nodded, and Harold and Zeke replied.
"Etho, I'll leave the timing to you."
"Copy that."
At Niels' words, Etho nodded, holding up the rapid-fire crossbow on his left arm.
"If it turns out to be too much for us, we'll retreat. No need to overdo it."
"Got it!"
Everyone nodded at Niels' final confirmation.
Thus began the six-man attack on the wyvern.
Immediately after they began.
Niels charged toward the wyvern from the right and Amon from the left.
The Wyvern, still on the ground, finally locked onto its enemy.
"Gwah-Oohh!"
The roar would have confused any low-rank adventurer.
But this lot were B and C-rankers.
Harold had yet to reach adulthood, but it was no mean feat for him to have risen to C-rank at his age.
He had undergone a decent number of battles with monsters and was well-trained.
A wyvern's roar was nothing to him.
The wyvern must have realized that the four approaching footsteps weren't about to stop.
It flapped its left and right wings widely.
Unleashing an invisible magic, Air Slash.
Normally, the air slash released by a wyvern is an order of magnitude more powerful than that released by a human wind-attribute magician.
However, the air slash of a wyvern on the ground is not as powerful…
At best, it is several times more powerful than what a person can unleash…
Which is still quite threatening, but an Air Slash all the same.
In other words, if you can spot it and time it right…
Slash.
You can slash with a sword.
Niels and Amon each slashed the Air Slash that was coming at them with their swords and made them disappear.
They carried on and approached the wyvern and attacked it from both sides of its head almost simultaneously… but the wyvern floated up a little and attacked with its left and right arms.
Clang.
The two caught the wyvern's arms, the tips of its wings with their swords, and through the gap between them, Harold and Zeke struck a second blow to the wyvern's eyes.
But they were a moment too late.
The wyvern shook its head widely, blew them away, and at once flapped its wings and began to rise.
And just in time.
Five arrows were shot in rapid succession from Etho's left arm, which was already set to go, without moving at all from his initial position.
There was some kind of fire near the tips of the arrows…
And the moment the trajectory of the arrows locked onto the wyvern's ascending path.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
Explosions sounded.
Yup, the sounds of 'explosion'.
It was processed by mixing the 'black powder' produced in the eastern part of the Kingdom and could be called gunpowder.
That was the party's trump card.
The greatest effect of an 'explosion' is not so much its destructive power as its sound.
The effect of the sound of an explosion on wild animals, in particular, is astonishingly profound.
This is well known in the history of Earth.
In fact, what Etho fired didn't have much destructive power.
It would be bad if his arm were to be blown off by accident after all.
Of course, Etho can use
The arrows focused more on the sound of the explosion than on their destructive power.
Moreover, they were in a dungeon.
The echo was tremendous.
Now, on 'Phi', the effect of 'explosion sounds' on wild creatures is crystal clear.
However, the opponent is no animal but a monster…
Sudden explosions.
Five in a row.
That confused even the wyvern.
Even horses running on the ground would become disoriented, shaking off their riders and, in some cases, lying on the ground or even going wild…
The wyvern, however, was in the air.
What happens if you get disoriented in the air?
First, you lose your bearings.
A condition called spatial disorientation.
If it were the sky, it might have been different.
But it's a dungeon.
The ceiling was only about 10 meters up.
Just by flying a little in confusion, it hit the ceiling… and then hit the ground… and then hit the ceiling again…
Then finally crashed into the ground.
"Let's go!"
With Niels' command, Amon, Harold, and Zeke plunged toward the wyvern as it crashed to the ground.
If only the wyvern had fainted and they could bury their swords into its body while it was unconscious….
But that was wishful thinking.
Maybe because it crashed to the ground.
It realized that it was on the ground.
The wyvern had recovered from the confusion of the explosion.
Its eyes widened and it fired an Air Slash without a moment's pause.
And this time, it did not take off.
It thought that if it flew up, the 'explosion sound' might beset it again.
At the very least, it probably thought that if it stayed on the ground, it wouldn't get disoriented and get smacked around back and forth.
It's learning ability was quite decent.
In fact, Etho had set up a new set of arrows in his rapid-fire crossbow, ready to fire as soon as they were ignited.
Still, the wyvern did not fly up.
Flying wyverns are certainly troublesome foes, but grounded wyverns aren't easy opponents either.
However…
"If it stays on the ground, it can't shoot out sonic blades."
Niels muttered.
A wind-attribute ranged offensive magic, Sonic Blade, in which a single arrow splits into five.
Wyverns cannot release that Sonic Blade when they are on the ground.
Of course, they can release Air Slash, and the 'wind protection membrane' that protects their entire body is still in place, so unless their magic power is depleted or they get stunned, their body will remain impervious to sword stabs…
However, they still have a weakness.
Their eyes.
The 'wind protection membrane' does not extend to their eyes, so they can be defeated by thrusting the sword through their eyes to the brain.
On the ground, their eyes would be at the height of a sword's reach…
As Niels pondered that, the wyvern flapped its wings once and subtly took off.
About two meters, give or take?
A height where if the wyvern itself stretched out its legs a little, it would reach the ground…
"You think that at that height, even if you get disoriented, you can just reach your feet to the ground and get by? Awfully smart for a monster, aren't you?"
Nils said in a bitter voice.
In fact, the weapons of the four guys could not reach the wyvern's head at all.
Its head was… more than four meters off the ground…
Niels glanced at Etho.
Etto nodded, understanding his intent with that alone.
He ignited and immediately fired five shots.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
The explosion sounded again.
But the wyvern was not distraught.
It seemed a little shaken, but not disoriented.
"Tsk."
Niels clicked his tongue, and Amon's voice resonated loudly.
"Zeke, lend me your staff!"
At these words, Zeke tossed over his staff.
"Niels, toss me up!"
"Toss you up?"
Amon ran toward Niels, holding the staff and shouting.
As if to gain momentum.
With that, even Niels understood what Amon was about to do.
"Come!"
Niels said, turning his back to the wyvern and facing the running Amon.
He then put both palms on top of each other in front of his body.
Amon placed the staff on top of Niels' palms.
He then kicked the ground like a skillful acrobat and put all his weight on the staff, and without a pause, Niels lifted the staff.
Amon, standing with one leg on the staff, was lifted up.
Finally, Niels launched the staff up!
At the same time, Amon kicked the staff and jumped!
Reaching the highest point of over four meters!
At that moment, Amon saw it very clearly.
The look of surprise on the wyvern's face.
"Combat Art: Perfect Pierce."
The wyvern died with a look of surprise on its face.
-x-X-x-
"The six of them defeated the wyvern, huh? As expected of the party formed by the Fairy King's favorite. How fascinating."
Saying that, an old man with grey hair wearing a wide red hat, a red robe, and holding a staff laughed.
As long as he's there, he could know almost everything that happens in the dungeon where he resides.
The battle of 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' on the 100th floor was interesting to watch.
He wondered how they would fare without Ryo, the Fairy King's favorite.
The result was very satisfying.
"But… I'm curious about those 'eyes' observing them."
The old man in red frowned slightly.
"It's disgusting… utterly disgusting… I can't help feeling it's them… why care about these guys? Well, I can understand their interest in the Fairy King's favorite. But… these six defeating a wyvern, albeit a dungeon-bred, is quite a feat for a human. Still, no matter how impressive… it's not enough to draw their attention, right?"
No one replied the old man in red.
'Room 10' and 'Room 11' party left the dungeon as soon as they cleared the 100th floor.
They had defeated a wyvern with six men, and as expected, they were mentally exhausted.
But at the same time, they were very happy.
For the time being, they returned to the inn 'Holy City Ginyu' where they lodged in the west dungeon town, washed up, and gathered in the dining room on the first floor of the inn.
Naturally, they were tired, but also equally ecstatic…
"Cheers to clearing the 100th floor!"
"Cheers!"
They held a banquet for just the six of them.
"I wish Ryo was here too."
"Yeah… He went to the Republic to deliver a letter or something, I think? And he has the Holy Seal still."
"If Ryo was around, I don't think we would have had a hard time at all against the wyvern…"
"No kidding."
Amon mentioned Ryo's absence, Niels stated the fact, Zeke commented on Ryo's strength, and Etho agreed.
Harold and Gowan, who were listening at the side, nodded in complete agreement.
Both of them have had mock battles with Ryo, so they knew what he was capable of… maybe not exactly, but they knew that he is quite strong.
"Nah, no matter how good Ryo is, he probably won't have it easy against a wyvern, will he?"
Niels said, biting on a grilled chicken thigh.
"But… I just don't see Ryo struggling."
Amon was tilting his head while eating steak.
While the party was talking about this, the inn's receptionist brought an envelope.
"Excuse me for interrupting your meal. I just received these envelopes for you all."
"Oh, thank you."
Niels received, opened and perused it.
"The Commander wants us back in the Holy Capital. I suppose it's good timing, shall we head back tomorrow?"
"I guess so. We have just conquered the 100th floor… I'd like us to come back and continue when next we get some time off."
Niels proposed returning tomorrow, and Etho agreed.
The other four nodded their heads.
Thus, the next day, the party left the West Dungeon and headed for the Holy Capital.
When they were halfway between the West Dungeon and the Holy City….
The ground glowed.
"What the hell?"
"A magic circle?"
After Niels and Etho uttered those words… everyone's vision went dark.
It was total darkness.
Then it occurred to all six of them… what they had once experienced.
"No way…"
Niels' voice was trembling.
Then, a light appeared before them.
The ground was the same cobblestone pavement…
"From back then…"
Amon's muttering was clearly tinged with fear.
The light rose and stopped at a height of about five meters.
And in front of them was a priest-looking man.
He was the same man who had forcibly teleported the six of them at the crossroads in the lost country of 'Baudelin'.
"Yo, it's been a while."
The priest-looking man sounded the same as before.
But there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Even after making it to the Western Countries, to the Holy Capital, you guys still haven't done anything."
The priest-looking man said, shaking his head slightly.
"What are you talking about?"
Niels asked.
"The Fallen obviously, the Fallen! I'm not saying you should go around and spread the concept of the Fallen… but I expect you to at least confront those church fanatics with the concept of the Fallen, right? It's only natural, isn't it? Don't you agree?"
The priest-looking man was irritated and excited.
He looked very unstable.
Seeing someone in such a state makes one uneasy.
Because one cannot predict how they will act afterward.
"What becomes of an 'existence' that has fallen and separated from God? What shall be done to keep that 'existence' from vanishing? The answer lies in one of the reasons you were called from the Central Countries."
"Huh? What do you mean…?"
Etho was the one who reacted to the priest-looking man's words.
"Geez… Yet, you fools simply sat on your hands. What's it going to take to get you lot into action? Tell me, say, if one of you were to die, would that spring you into action? Would you then become proactive to prevent your head from rolling next? Well, I suppose that should do it."
"What in the world are you talking…"
The priest-looking man's words already sounded incoherent.
Niels was having a bad feeling. No, everyone was…
"Who shall it be? Let's see, there's no need for two priests. And I certainly don't need the one who didn't know the concept of the Fallen."
The priest-looking man said and looked at Zeke.
Zeke couldn't move.
He knew that his life was in danger.
He understood that in his head, but his body just won't move.
"Begone."
At that moment.
Crack.
The world cracked open.
And an old man in red descended in front of the party…
-x-X-x-
"
The moment the old man in red who descended in chanted, the priest-looking man got crushed.
Crushed by space.
But it was only for a moment.
The next moment, the priest-looking man was standing upright as if nothing had happened.
"Bastard… a Spellno?"
The priest-looking man asked in surprise.
"You impertinent Akuma… it's irritating enough that you appeared right next to my dungeon, and now you're trying to mess with these guys."
The old red man was beyond annoyed, he was furious.
"Um, Sir Merlin…?"
Etho called out to the old man in front of them.
"This psycho is bad news. Even I'm not confident I can take him on and survive. So you lot should stand back."
Merlin, the Red Djinn, said and readied his staff.
"After going out of my way to appear near the Holy Capital… to think that the dungeon where a Spellno dwells was so close by… what a blunder."
The priest-looking man… Akuma, as Merlin called him, laughed as he said that.
His words implied how regretful he felt to have made such a careless mistake, but the expression on his face was anything but…
Yes, the word 'ghastly' was perfect to describe his laughter…
"Well, now that we've bumped into each other, we've got to duke it out now don't we? Yes, this is inevitable. It's not my fault. Just the result of one unfortunate event leading to another. There was no way around it, yes, it has to be done."
The Akuma said, laughing.
Thus, the curtain was drawn on the battle between the Djinn Merlin and the Akuma.
"
Merlin cast.
There was no chanting, of course, not even a buildup.
The moment he spoke, the Akuma was… not crushed.
The Akuma moved the moment
"I saw that trick earlier.
The Akuma chanted as he teleported multiple times with fine precision.
Huge flaming bullets shot out from all his afterimages.
"
Merlin waved his staff and chanted, and the trajectories of all the flaming bullets turned and flew back to where they came from.
Reaching there, all the flaming bullets disappeared.
Vanished as if they had never existed.
They were all erased by the Akuma.
The Akuma continued to teleport all around.
Wearing a devilish smile on his face still.
"How bothersome, you really are one pain in the ass Spellno."
The Akuma laughed and chanted as he said this.
"
"
The moment the Akuma chanted, stalagmites began forming around where Merlin was standing, but… as soon as Merlin chanted, they disappeared and the ground returned to normal.
"
The moment the Akuma chanted, ice lances sprang up from all directions and attacked Merlin.
Hundreds of them.
"
Merlin chanted again, waving his staff, and the icicles went back in the direction from which they came….
However….
Thuk.
"Gah."
The moment Merlin waved his staff, the Akuma appeared in front of him and ran the sword he was holding through Merlin's gut.
"I needed to make you wave your staff."
The Akuma said with a terrible smile that could only be described as ominous.
But it was Merlin who grinned.
"…I finally caught you."
"!"
"
Merlin chanted, grabbing the sword that was stabbed into his gut with a wicked smile on his face.
In that instant, the Akuma in front of him vanished under pressure from all directions.
If Ryo had been here, he might have exclaimed.
"Implosion!"
"Kukuku…. That was quite fun, Spellno. But you must be 'sleep deprived'. I hope we do this dance again when you wake up. And you lot possessing knowledge about the Fallen, get your act together. I'll see you soon."
A voice echoed around them.
The Akuma was crushed, but not dead.
Merlin collapsed and fell to his knees.
"Sir Merlin!"
The party rushed to him.
"I'm okay. It'll close up after a while."
Merlin's face twisted in pain, but his voice was firm.
But you lot… have attracted the attention of one real nasty fellow."
"Sir Merlin, who's that exactly?"
"Well… we call them Akuma. Have you heard of them?"
"No…"
The party looked at each other and shook their heads.
Except one person…
"I remember hearing Ryo mention something like that."
"What! "
Amon answered as he traced his memory, and the other five looked at Amon at the same time.
"Ohh, the fairy king's favorite is aware of the existence of Akuma?"
"Well, I'm not sure if he meant Akuma as an entity though…. He once said that coffee is… as black as Akuma, hot as hell, pure as an angel, and sweet as love."
"So according to Ryo, they're comparable to coffee…?"
Niels seemed to have grossly misinterpreted Amon's explanation.
"Ohh. How brave."
Somehow, Merlin too seemed to have misunderstood him.
"The Fairy King's favorite aside, those Akumas are simply bad news. You can't win even if you fight them… and it appears this one was just goofing around this time, so he let things end the way the way it did…"
"That was him goofing around…"
Etho's mutter was heard by Zeke, who was standing next to him.
Zeke, like Etho, frowned and muttered with a small shake of his head.
"That magic isn't something that humans can handle…"
Harold and Gowan nodded.
"Speaking of which…"
Merlin broke the ice, stared at Etho, and continued.
"That Akuma was talking about the Fallen or something. What's he talking about?"
"Oh, that…"
Etho explained about the 'Fallen' that he heard from Ryo.
"I see."
Merlin nodded, then hung his head downward and seemed to be thinking about something.
"Sir Merlin?"
After a minute, Etho called out to him.
"Oh, my bad. That Akuma perhaps knows someone in the upper echelons of the Western Church, or… no, let's just say someone in the upper echelons. He's probably trying to say that someone in the upper echelons is associated with the Fallen. And probably wants to see how the Western Church will react when accused of such allegation."
"That's… Why can't the Akuma do that himself? He can just ask all of those questions personally. By disguising as a human?"
Etho questioned Merlin's explanation.
Incidentally, the other five remained wide-eyed in surprise since the beginning of Merlin's explanation…
"Well…. I heard a long time ago that for Akuma, everything they do is just a means for them to pass the time. Perhaps the matter with the Fallen this time too, is just another way for them to pass the time. What a nuisance of an existance."
Merlin said, shaking his head slightly.
Later that evening, the party, protected by Merlin in the shadows, arrived in the Holy Capital of Marlomar.
When they arrived at the Kingdom delegation quarters, they found a water-attribute magician in the lounge at the back of the lobby, eating a yummy cake with a cup of coffee.
"Ryo!"
Amon called out, and the water-attribute magician turned around, smiled, and waved his hand lightly.
-x-X-x-
"Y'all were taking your sweet time, so I started without you."
"What are you talking about…"
Niels replied to Ryo's words with a small shake of his head.
The six of them left Ryo and went to take a bath.
Ryo was already bathed, so he remained in the lounge.
((Looks like they've gotten themselves mixed up in some nasty business.))
((Even if you say that, it doesn't leave much to go on…))
Ryo was somewhat bored, so he turned to the king in the royal capital, and Abel replied casually.
Even after becoming king, Abel is a good guy.
((I will ask them about it during dinner.))
((So Ryo is eating cake right now… and you're still going to have dinner after this?))
((How did you know!))
((Because Soul Resonance doesn't just transmit sound, but images too…))
((Oh, right. There's something I wanted to report to Abel, or rather, consult you on. This time it's purely about the negotiations between the delegation and the Theocracy.))
((Since you're saying 'this time', until now, I take it that hasn't been the case…))
((…))
((It's alright, I get it, I'm not mad or anything.))
((Really? Well, the Chief Negotiator, Ignis, seemed really perturbed. About the sea trade routes.))
((Hmm. Well, I hear it's quite a distance even by sea…))
((If the Kingdom were to trade with the Western Countries by sea, the central port would be Whitnash, wouldn't it? That's when it occurred to me. That, there was a very cool ship called the Rain Shooter in Whitnash.))
((Ah, yeah…))
Abel's reaction suddenly became dull.
((It sure looked fast, so I thought it could be used for trade with the Western Countries. That's the ship that the royal family had built, right? If Abel allows it, I think it would work out perfectly, what do you think?))
((Yeah…))
Ryo said this with an air of 'what a great idea', but King Abel's reaction was extremely poor.
((At any rate, I, as a noble of the Kingdom, am proposing this after putting some thoughts into it, but what's with that lackluster response of yours, Abel? If you have something to say, then you might as well say it.))
((You're right…. Actually, the Rain Shooter is no more.))
((…Pardon? Sorry, please say that again. I think I misheard you.))
((The Rain Shooter is no more.))
((…Sorry, I must have misheard…))
((Nah, you heard me right! It's gone, the Rain Shooter is gone! A year ago.))
((Gone…))
Ryo became extremely depressed.
Though it didn't matter to Ryo whether it was there or not, it had nothing to do with him…
The Rain Shooter was a trimaran, which was unveiled at the Whitnash Port Opening Festival three years ago and was even called a revolution in shipbuilding.
It was so beautiful that not only Ryo but also the three members of 'Room 10' admired its appearance.
The ship also had a hybrid navigation system, in which water-attribute magic was used below the draft, and wind-attribute magic was used above the draft, and the ship ran with the repulsive force of the wind behind it.
The ship was commissioned by the royal family…
((A ship that cost 370 billion florins to build is gone?))
Ryo's muttering was through 'Soul Resonance', so, of course, it was all transmitted to Abel.
((…I'm surprised you even knew about the cost.))
Abel, too, replied with a deep sigh.
Ryo could understand that Abel himself was also very disappointed.
((A year ago, it sailed out of Whitnash for oceanographic research… and hasn't returned since then.))
((My goodness…. Ahh, don't tell me, a victim of the Kraken…))
((Yeah, very likely. Besides Kraken, there are other huge monsters in the sea…. Of course, they were loaded with both powerful monster repellents and armaments…. Well anyway, that's how the Rain Shooter went missing.))
How very sad.
((What about building another ship?))
((I believe we're in the process of building another ship that specializes in transportation…. It will be a while before it is completed.))
((I see… that's too bad.))
"Eh? Akuma? Etho, did you just say Akuma?"
Ryo's voice quavered slightly in surprise.
"So you know of their existence."
"You once said that coffee is as black as Akuma, hot as hell, pure as an angel, and sweet as love after all."
Niels nodded, and Amon added.
"Huh…ah, sure…"
Ryo admitted it, reluctantly, although he looked like he wanted to clear up a slight misunderstanding.
Then again, he did quote Talleyrand after all.
"I'm glad you survived an encounter with an Akuma…"
Ryo meant it from the bottom of his heart.
"It's all thanks to Sir Merlin who saved us."
Niels answered.
"I see, Sir Merlin did that. A Djinn vs. an Akuma showdown… must've been quite a sight."
"Yeah, the magic battle was beyond anything I've ever seen… that was magic, right?"
"It's probably magic…"
Ryo fantasized, Etho recounted, and Zeke agreed.
It was an enigma far removed from the common magic practices observed in the Central Countries that even Etho and Zeke couldn't comprehend.
From what the two tried their best to explain, Ryo could somehow understand…
Well, not in the literal sense.
"I would have loved to see that…"
Ryo's thoughts were from the bottom of his heart.
"I'm especially interested in that Akuma's clone-like teleportation… but Sir Merlin's magic is just as amazing…. Gravity system? I wonder if it really exist? And the flying flames and ice, and flipping them around to return them to their origin… interference with inertial systems? No, Einstein said that what we think of as gravity is actually the bending of space… so if you can manipulate gravity, that means you can bend space. The Gμν(x) formula. I see, then, it's no big deal to return an opponent's attack by bending space…. Is it perhaps a non-attribute magic if it is not water, fire, earth, or wind, not to mention light or darkness? So intriguing…. Oh, come to think of it, the Southern Djinn also floated in the air when he was released. Anti-gravity! That's what came to mind when I saw it…. Perhaps the Djinns are good at that kind of magic system? Like a trait inherent in their species or something? I'll ask Sir Merlin to show me next time…"
All those words that Ryo thought he was saying in his mind were all leaked.
"I see, so that's what goes on in Ryo's mind!"
"He's even decided to enlist the help of Sir Merlin."
"I already knew he was up to no good."
Amon nodded, Etho chuckled, and Niels shook his head as he expressed his thoughts.
Even though his words didn't seem to contain any disturbing remarks, it may have been due to their impression of Ryo.
The poor magician.
"But still, what are 'Akuma'? Of course, I understand that they are supernatural beings, different from us humans, but they seemed different from the so-called monsters… and different from Djinns like Sir Merlin too…"
Zeke asked no one in particular.
"Perhaps… beings out of this world's biological system."
Ryo's muttering was not loud… on the contrary, it must have been on the lowest possible spectrum, but it reached the ears of all six of them.
"What do you mean, Ryo-san."
The first to take the bait was Zeke.
"Huh… nothing, I just kind of thought so…"
Ryo was anxious with Zeke's inquisitiveness.
Then Ryo became exposed to Zeke's intense gaze.
Ryo gave up and decided to cough out a few things.
"Well… I don't know that much either…. But I do, in fact, have an acquaintance who is an Akuma."
"Eh…"
Ryo's confession left all six of them shocked.
"Oh, I say acquaintance, but we're not buddies… I helped them once, but, well, that was just an act of kindness of sorts…"
The six of them listened to Ryo's words in silence.
"Besides that, we've fought about three times. And I almost died all three times…"
"Holy shit…"
The words escaped from Niels' mouth unintentionally.
Unbeknownst to them, Ryo had survived such life or death crisis.
Against such a supernatural entity!
Then, Ryo remembered.
When he last fought the Akuma Leonor, she gave him information about the Western Countries.
When they parted at the end, she said a few words.
"Come to think of it, I remember what the Akuma said to me. There are Akumas like me out there in the Western Countries, so do be careful."
"I see, that's the Akuma that showed up this time…"
Ryo's explanation was answered with a nod from Etho.
At the same time, Ryo remembered.
Another word that Leonor mentioned.
A keyword she mentioned… 'Sacrifice'.
He recalled it, but at present, he still had no idea what it meant.
Perhaps something will come to light in the future… even so, it was quite a disturbing word.
There were several things that he was clueless about.
Sacrifice… the Fallen… the new Akuma that joined the fray, and Merlin, the Djinn who fought him.
Furthermore, there were wars among nations in the Western Countries, as he had experienced in the Republic.
He had not a clue!
(Don't think about what you don't know! )
You'll figure it out anyway when you have all the information you need.
Until then, you won't be able to solve it no matter how much you think about it…
In times like that, you only need to eat a full meal of delicious cuisine!
Good food makes you forget everything!