Around the time the paralysis gauge was about to run out, the Skeleton King finally ran out of strength.
With a clattering sound, the gigantic bone body began to collapse.
A massive quantity of shattered bones scattered across the floor.
Human and monster bones intermingled, spreading out over the ground.
It almost looked like the aftermath of a mass slaughter.
My level didn't go up.
In fact,
"..."
The strength of the monsters in this ruin really was on a completely different scale.
That much was obvious at a glance.
But the moment it shifted to attack, I realized it was weaker than the monsters in the abandoned ruins.
Perhaps I had been overly cautious due to my experience with the Soul Eater.
Or maybe Mist's explanation had made me overestimate it as a formidable foe.
No——it wasn't fair to blame Mist.
I needed to get better at accurately gauging an opponent's strength myself...
"Was the monster Hati-dono was searching for perhaps the Skeleton King?"
"Yeah."
*Crack*
I stepped on a thin bone fragment and approached the head.
"The reason I came to the Mills Ruins was this monster."
Mist drew in a sharp breath.
I quickly took out the Forbidden Arts Compendium and checked the relevant page.
『Silver Bone Powder』
Good.
"This is definitely it."
I closed the book and returned it to my pack.
I had explained during the luggage check that the Forbidden Arts Compendium was just an old illustrated reference.
The inspectors focused on treasures brought back from the ruins.
They generally didn't delve into minor details of luggage.
Mercenaries also disliked having their belongings scrutinized too closely.
As a result, the only real concern was whether valuables had been pocketed.
That was what the inspector had said.
"So the material was the weak point section."
I took out a small hammer.
Could I separate just the silver bone portion cleanly?
I crouched in front of the bones.
*Tap*
I lightly struck a nearby bone fragment with the hammer.
*Crack*
A small fracture appeared.
"Hm? Surprisingly brittle?"
"Skull-type monster bones seem to lose strength after death," Mist explained from behind.
"I see."
The current Mist carried a somewhat reserved air.
She seemed to have many questions she wanted to ask.
I could sense it from the atmosphere.
But we had an agreement not to pry too deeply into each other's affairs.
She was probably mindful of that.
She had an upright personality.
I stood up and turned around.
"Once we're back on the surface, I'll answer whatever questions I can within reason."
Mist gave a faint, wry smile.
"You saw right through me."
"Actually, I have a few things I want to talk to you about too. But doing it in a place crawling with monsters isn't ideal. Let's save the rest for when we're topside."
"Understood. Still, I was astonished by your power. The Skeleton King is renowned as a powerful foe. For example, I've heard it was confirmed deep underground in Alion's Bone Ruins in the past."
Bone Ruins?
Come to think of it, that name had been marked below the Mills Ruins on the map.
Since the location was unclear, I had prioritized the Mills Ruins.
So it was in Alion.
Mist gazed at the bone king's head.
"There's even a tale passed down through the ages of a skilled otherworld hero who challenged it with death-defying resolve and ended up in a mutual kill... That's how formidable it is reputed to be."
Drawn by her gaze, I also looked at the head.
The head remained largely intact.
"Pi."
"Hm? What's up, Pigi-maru?"
A protrusion extended, pointing at the head.
"Something in there?"
"Pi."
Affirmative green.
I tried peering inside the head.
The interior was hollow.
"Hati-dono? What is it?"
"Yeah, something about the inside caught my attention."
I illuminated it with the leather pouch.
Several human upper bodies were stuck to the inner surface of the skull.
From the torso down, they had fused with the inside of the cranium.
Probably humans absorbed by the Skeleton King.
A fairly eerie sight.
Though by now, I had grown somewhat accustomed to human bones from the abandoned ruins.
"Hm?"
Something was dangling from one of the deeper human bones.
Something wrapped in cloth.
It had been tightly tied around the rib area.
I shattered the surrounding bones.
I picked it up and gently placed it at my feet.
I could feel a rounded shape through the cloth.
Some kind of head, perhaps?
Had it been inside this skull the whole time...?
Carefully, I began unwrapping the cloth.
*Whoosh*
"What the...?"
The cloth began to glow.
I checked the glowing area.
A crest-like pattern had emerged on the surface of the cloth.
Just in case, I stepped back to guard against explosions or the like.
But the light quickly subsided.
It looked like ordinary cloth now...
Had it been some kind of magical fabric?
"Pi."
Once fully unwrapped, the contents were revealed.
"This is——an egg?"
From the shape, it looked like an egg.
Its size was close to an ostrich egg I had seen somewhere online.
What stood out was the color.
A gradient of red, black, and white.
In the previous world, it would have looked like some kind of art piece.
*Tap, tap*
I lightly tapped it with the back of my hand.
Hard.
Extremely hard, in fact.
It reminded me of the skin of monsters in the abandoned ruins.
On the other hand, the weight wasn't much.
It probably wouldn't add significant burden as luggage...
"Pi!"
"What's up, Pigi-maru? Interested in this egg?"
"Pi."
"Want to take it back?"
"...pyu?"
"Is that a no?"
It felt like it was pleading.
It was rare for Pigi-maru to insist on something like this.
"Yeah, if that's what you want, let's take it back."
"Pyuu〜♪"
It seemed to be expressing thanks.
"You've taken care of me a lot in these ruins, after all."
I tucked the unusually colored egg under my arm.
I exited the monster's head.
From behind, Mist asked,
"Was there something inside?"
She was holding her sword at the ready.
She had been keeping watch around us.
Then Mist's eyes widened.
"That's...an egg?"
"It seems to have been something carried by one of the humans absorbed into the skull. It was wrapped in a strange cloth."
Now it was just ordinary cloth.
Channeling magical essence into it did nothing.
Perhaps it had been a one-time-use magical tool.
"Do you have any idea what kind of egg this color belongs to?"
"No...This is the first time I've seen an egg of this coloration. Since it was wrapped in cloth, I doubt it's the Skeleton King's own egg..."
"Well, let's hope it's not a dangerous one."
"Pyuu〜..."
Pigi-maru seemed somewhat apologetic.
"Don't worry about it, Pigi-maru. But if I judge it to be dangerous, I might have to discard it, okay?"
"Pi."
Affirmative green.
With the egg discussion finished, I crouched in front of the silver bone again.
I crushed the silver bone with the hammer.
I broke it into appropriately sized pieces and wrapped them in cloth.
"All right."
The silver bone fit neatly into my pack as well.
"Then let's head back to the surface."
▽
Before returning to the surface, I decided to part ways with Mist for a while.
"I'd prefer to avoid standing out as much as possible."
If word got out that the Dragon-Eye Goblet had been retrieved, it would definitely draw attention.
That was also part of why I had deliberately let her take it.
Mist agreed to the suggestion.
She probably wanted to avoid attention as well.
Still, she seemed to prioritize the reward.
As long as her illusion remained effective, there shouldn't be any issues.
And there was no longer any worry about Monk causing trouble...
Before parting, I called out to Mist.
"Like I said earlier, I have some things to talk about once we're back. Can we meet up later?"
Mist gave a smile free of wariness.
"Of course, I'll make arrangements."
"I'd prefer to talk one-on-one if possible."
"One-on-one?"
Mist pondered for a moment.
"Understood. Where shall we meet?"
"How about one of our inn rooms?"
I had secured the inn room for three days in advance before entering the ruins.
"Ah, I no longer have a room at that inn——"
"Then my room should be fine? I'll let the innkeeper know in advance."
Mist lowered her lashes and gave a soft smile.
"You certainly work quickly, Hati-dono."
"I'm just cautious. See you later, then."
"Um, Hati-dono——"
"I know. I won't breathe a word about your power."
"No, that's not it."
Mist took both of my hands in hers.
Her clear sky-blue eyes gazed straight into mine.
"Once again, thank you for the matter of the Dragon-Eye Goblet. Truly, thank you."
"No need to thank me for something like that."
▽
I returned to the surface a little after Mist.
As expected, a small commotion had erupted.
The mercenaries gathered near the entrance were astonished.
"The Dragon-Eye Goblet!?"
"That looks real!?"
"What!? It was found!? Already!?"
"Hey, weren't you worried about that anomaly!? Huh? You took the gamble!? Damn! Such a pretty face and yet you've got some serious guts!"
"Impressive!"
"Hey! That means the anomaly's no big deal after all! Let's dive back in and grab some other treasures right away!"
I couldn't spot the Sword Tiger Corps.
Looking over, even the inspection officials were in a panic.
"R-report to Lord Cred immediately! Hurry!"
"But we still have other luggage to check——"
"Never mind that! The Dragon-Eye Goblet report takes priority! Just finish checking Mist Barucas's other luggage roughly! I authorize it!"
"Yes, sir!"
I switched to normal mode and approached the inspector.
"I've returned from the ruins."
"Ah, it's you! Uh, right, inspection!"
It was the same inspector as before.
He pulled out his ledger and began checking frantically.
"No issues! No issues! No issues!"
"Ah, I found this bone-type material and this vividly colored egg-shaped stone in the ruins——"
"Hm? Oh, materials are fine to take! Those gems and ornaments——if you want, the marquis will probably buy them! Might even pay a premium as a bonus! Anyway, do whatever you like with the materials! All right, inspection complete! Sorry about this! Right now everyone's focused on the Dragon-Eye Goblet discovery! Hey, you!"
The inspector called over a colleague.
"Make sure to inform the mercenary guild that was recruiting about the discovery as well!"
"Understood!"
It seemed the Dragon-Eye Goblet had served as an excellent smokescreen.
My luggage inspection ended extremely laxly.
"At any rate——"
I gazed at the suddenly bustling plaza in front of the ruins.
"That takes care of my business in the Mills Ruins."