Chapter 0276 Intermission
-x-X-x-
It was only by chance that Ryo met a group of individuals who had just finished their audience with the King, just a few days before the mission's departure.
"Ryo!"
Then came along a familiar voice and Sera embraced him, employing her usual sonic dive.
In the past, her fists or elbows would sometimes unintentionally press against his stomach during the sonic dive, but recently Ryo has gotten used to her timing.
He caught her perfectly well as she embraced him.
"Oh, Sera? How come you're in the royal castle?"
Ryo asked the most obvious question.
"Well, to see you, obviously!"
"That's not true."
"Obaba-sama!"
Sera and Ryo both called out the name of the individual who dropped that punchline at the same time.
Sera's connotation, meant, "Why did you say that?"
While Ryo's meant, "I knew it…".
"You'll also be accompanying the delegation to the Western Countries, right? We came to deliver an official letter from the 'Western Forest' to entrust to the delegation."
"Oh, I see."
Ryo nodded to Obaba-sama's explanation.
Ryo had no idea about the situation of elves outside of the Central Nations, but it somehow seemed logical to him that there may be elves in the Western Countries as well.
"Yeah well, that's hardly important."
"What do you mean hardly important… that's what we came all the way here for."
Obaba-sama shook her head slightly at Sera's remark.
"Anyway, Ryo, I haven't been in the royal capital in a long time. And I'm dying for something yummy, so would you please show me around."
Sera smiled as she urged him, looking really happy.
And Ryo loves Sera's smile.
Of course, why would he refuse?
"Sure. A few decent restaurants have opened recently. The hamburger steaks have always been pretty good, so is the spaghetti, and even the curry is now competing with the ones served in Rune."
"Spaghetti? Not pasta?"
"That's right! Spaghetti."
Sera and Ryo were having such a conversation as they walked down the hallway.
Leaving Obaba-sama and the rest of the group from the Western Forest behind.
Then she muttered.
"Could this be what Sera was really after when she joined this group to deliver the official letter…"
The Elven Autonomous Region in the Royal Capital.
Today, it is a building unparalleled in terms of elegance, but with a variety of alchemical artifices.
In the last royal capital disturbance, although they stood their ground to the bitter end, they had to rely on Sera alone in the end, so Obaba-sama explicitly ordered the strengthening of their defenses… and even now, it's being strengthened daily.
As part of this effort, the area surrounding the Autonomous Region has expanded even further than before, with the purchase of some noble's mansion that had fallen to ruin in the royal capital disturbance, and the construction of a new training facility.
"Welcome back, Obaba-sama. Hm? Where is Sera?"
"Hmm. She ran into Ryo at the royal castle…"
"Oh, I see."
With just that little explanation from Obaba-sama, Carson, the chief of the Autonomous Region, got the gist and smiled.
That, she's probably on a date around the royal capital.
Ryo used to visit the 'Western Forest' from the Rondo Forest quite regularly.
It was quite a distance, and he never told anyone how he managed it, but Obaba-sama knew.
Although she didn't know how he pulled it off, only that he always came riding on a gryphon.
And always by jumping off the back of the gryphon.
Even the elves had never heard of a gryphon carrying someone on its back, but Obaba-sama happened to witness it through her telescope, so as inconceivable as it was, she had no choice but to believe it….
However, Obaba-sama never told anyone about it.
Not even Sera.
Because she understood that Ryo didn't want it to be known.
One way or the other, all the elves throughout the Kingdom knew of Ryo.
And after watching his sword fight with Sera, they had come to respect him.
To be able to fight on equal footing against Sera, whom all the elves in the Kingdom probably couldn't defeat even if they worked together….
A most extraordinary feat.
To Carson, the chief of the Autonomous Region, Ryo is also the Premier Duke of the Kingdom.
They sometimes meet in the royal castle, sometimes in meetings with the King, and meetings with the prime minister.
He's without a doubt, recognized as one of the most important figures in the Kingdom.
From such a political angle, it's gratifying that such a person is on good terms with Sera, who is now the most well-known of all the elves in the Kingdom.
After all, Carson's role is to bridge the gap between the elves and the Kingdom.
"So, Carson. How did it go?"
"Right. The expansion of the training facility will be completed by next month. We are also working with Viscount Kenneth Hayward on the defense fortifications so that even if something like the royal capital disturbance occurs again, the Autonomous Region will not fall again."
"Good. I'm counting on ya."
Obaba-sama must have been satisfied with the report.
She nodded broadly and walked toward the building.
Carson muttered.
"And the goal is to erect a fortress in the royal capital…"
-x-X-x-
"Kenneth, Kenneth are you there~?"
That familiar scenario is once again being repeated at the entrance of the Royal Alchemy Workshop.
The person in question is the water-attribute magician, dressed exactly the same as he was back then.
With but one big difference.
"Your Excellency Duke Rondo, we have been expecting you!"
His position had changed so much that there was no longer any need for him to trespass or anything of the sort.
Over the past three years, he had been in and out of the Royal Alchemy Workshop quite often….
So, both the guards and the staff of the alchemy workshop were acquainted with Ryo.
He's the premier duke, even if he is dressed as an adventurer magician.
He is also a disciple of the master of the workshop, Viscount Kenneth Hayward, in the field of alchemy.
Although this is just Ryo's one-sided claim….
Kenneth always gives a strained laugh when he hears it.
However, on this particular day, Ryo was guided straightaway to where Kenneth was without so much as a fuss as usual since he had informed them beforehand, which was unusual.
"Ah, Mr. Ryo, thank you for coming."
Kenneth smiled and said to Ryo as he saw him entering the laboratory.
"I came here because I heard that you have created something interesting."
Ryo seemed even more excited than usual… as he said that.
It was something that Kenneth himself worked on enough to be referred to as 'something interesting'.
He couldn't help being intrigued.
"Oh yes. It's quite interesting. For the time being, I'm calling it 'Soul Resonance'."
"Whoa! "
Talk about a name straight out of a fantasy.
"Simply put, it's an ultra-long-distance communication."
"A-And that just consigned it to something more realistic…"
"Ahaha."
'Soul Resonance' and 'Ultra-Long Distance Communication'… there aren't many word pairs that evoke the perception of such opposites….
"You were also given a long-distance communication tablet, weren't you, Mr. Ryo? I believe it's called 'Communication Tablet' or something?"
"Yes, I left it back in Rondo Forest."
He was talking about the contraption where he received the message to "come to the castle".
"It's an improved, smaller version of that one, only it can be used as often and over a considerable distance, depending on the magic power of the person wearing it."
"Ohh. Now that's amazing."
Kenneth explained and Ryo was astonished.
Ryo's mind then wandered to a certain conversation he once heard in Abel's office.
"Kenneth, you once showed me the research papers of this thing, right? Something about long-distance communication via splitting of magic stones."
"You remembered correctly! That's exactly what it's based on."
In fact, Kenneth gave Ryo 'something' that utilized that technology after that….
But that's another story.
Kenneth brought out what looked like a very small earring.
"Here."
"It's so small!"
The blue magic stone in the earring was no more than one centimeter in diameter.
The sterling silver casing also gave it a stylish look.
It was probably meant to be put on the ear….
"Um~, I'm not really fond of piercing my body…"
Ryo had never had his ears pierced in his entire life.
"That's okay. I thought you might say that, but this one clips to the earlobes like earrings. Once you set it, it automatically adjusts to the perfect size, so it doesn't hurt."
"Wow!"
That's the world of magic for you.
That's the art of alchemy alright.
Gotta hand it to the genius, Kenneth Hayward.
But still….
"I've never seen a blue magic stone before."
"Oh…yeah, blue magic stones are hard to come by. Then again, since it's of the water attribute, they can be obtained from aquatic monsters, but those usually sink to the bottom of the sea after they're subjugated, so…"
"I see."
Ryo nodded in agreement with Kenneth's explanation. Come to think of it, when he fought the Bait Balls, the monsters he defeated sank….
"Since you're a water-attribute magician, the blue magic stone is perfect for you. In fact, I prepared this with you in mind, Mr. Ryo."
"Seriously…"
"You see, this little trinket actually has one amazing feature. Remember Rosalia, the dark-attribute magician in Twilight Land. It's also thanks to her that we were able to create it. That's why we're calling it 'Soul Resonance'…"
Kenneth said, smiling more than ever as he began to explain.
Holding up a ring fitted with a blue magic stone, which seemed to be one of a pair.
The royal castle, the king's office.
King Abel was, same as before, drowning in papers.
However, there were fewer documents than before.
"So, Ryo."
"What is it, Abel?"
Abel called out to Ryo while signing the documents, and Ryo answered passively, lying on the sofa, reading an alchemy-related book.
"You're leaving for the Western Countries tomorrow, are you done with all your necessary preparations?"
"Of course I am. I have already informed Sera, and I've confirmed returning all outstanding books with the chief librarian, except for this one that I am reading now. All that's left is to have curry or hamburger steak at 'Houshoku-tei' tonight and I'm set."
"O-Ohh…"
Abel was a little curious about the menu at 'Houshoku-tei', but decided not to ask for more details.
He thought that now that he was cured, it would be nice to visit there while Ryo was away.
Unfortunately, he couldn't steal a march on his doctor!
"Abel, just because I'm not here, don't overdo it or go out on your own, okay? You're still recovering."
"Y-Yeah, I know that…"
Ryo was staring at Abel while making a gesture as if adjusting his glasses.
He was more like a prosecutor cornering a defendant than a doctor.
"Anyway, so basically, there's nothing else more important to you besides alchemy and food…"
"How rude! The pinnacle of alchemy is still very far away. There is no time to waste. And food is the body's main source of energy. It should never be neglected. If His Majesty the King only has this level of awareness, then I can only say that the future of the Kingdom looks really bleak! "
"I-I kinda feel bad…"
Ryo dissed Abel, and for some reason Abel apologized.
Ryo, who had been watching Abel with a smug look on his face, suddenly exclaimed.
"Oh shit!"
"What?"
Abel asked, looking up from his paperwork.
"I didn't make plans to eat cake at the 'Cafe de Chocolat'."
"Uh, right…that's tough."
The exhausted King Abel I… went right back to signing documents as usual.
Yes, as usual.
But today it didn't end there.
"How unusual, Ryo. Have you ever worn earrings before?"
Abel asked, suddenly taking his eyes off the papers and looking at Ryo.
He noticed a beautiful blue magic stone on Ryo's left ear.
"Oh right! I totally forgot."
"Yeah, you seem pretty forgetful lately…"
Ryo shouted, realizing that he had totally forgotten about it, and Abel having figured as much, was stupefied.
With his imminent departure, he knew for sure that he would forget a lot of things.
"This is Kenneth's invention. It's pretty useful, but apparently it consumes magic power the whole time it's on, so I'm going to be trying it out first."
"Well, your magic power is pretty much inexhaustible after all…"
Even from Abel's point of view, who knows many magicians, the amount of magic power Ryo possesses is extraordinary.
To begin with, he has never seen Ryo's magic power run out.
Then, Ryo stared at Abel intently.
"W-What now?"
Abel asked Ryo, as he rarely saw him look at him that way.
"Abel. Do you trust me from the bottom of your heart?"
"Alright now I'm curious, what's the matter…?"
Abel was even more surprised by Ryo's question.
"If you wish, and if you really trust me from the bottom of your heart, Abel, I can take your soul with me to the Western Countries."
"! "
Grand Master's office, Adventurers' Guild in the royal capital.
"I was told that the acting Grand Master in my absence will be coming today though…"
Hugh McGrath looked restless, but he couldn't pull himself away from the paperwork in front of him.
Ordinarily, there's no way the person in question wouldn't have been informed of who would be taking over their duties.
But King Abel simply told him; "He is the perfect stand-in".
So he deliberately didn't tell him, saying he didn't need to know until just before….
Hugh's mind, however, led him to a possible candidate.
There was a knock on the door, and the receptionist announced the arrival of a visitor.
"He's here, sir."
And then he walked into the office…
"I'm here to take over from you, Hugh."
"Oh, it was you after all, I knew it…"
The one who came in was Finlay Forsythe.
The former Grand Master.
Having survived the fall of the royal capital three years ago, he handed over the position of Grand Master to Hugh, and was now living a comfortable life in retirement.
He is also the father of Hugh's wife, Elsie.
"Well, Lord Forsythe doesn't really need to do anything. I'm planning to call in vice guildmaster Showken, too…"
"Lord Forsythe huh… well, you too will eventually take over the family name and the title of count…. So Showken is the vice guildmaster. Considering how consistent and careful he is in his work, he might be a good choice."
In the past, Showken was the leader of the escort adventurer detail for the delegation to the Twilight Land, and after the fall of the royal capital, he played a leading role in the resistance movement as a prominent adventurer among the 'Rebels'.
He wasn't flashy, but he was highly regarded for his ability to organize people and ensure that they fulfilled their roles.
"I'mma use him very well."
The current Grand Master sighed in his heart at the muttering of the former Grand Master.
Then he prayed… that Showken would be safe and sound until he returned.
The next day, the departure ceremony was held with great fanfare.
Naturally.
It was the first time in history that the Kingdom, together with the Empire, the Union, and other central countries, had sent a delegation to the Western Countries.
The delegations from each country would meet in the city of Gilsbach in the northwestern part of the Empire, hold a meeting, and then set out for the Western Countries.
There were a total of 300 people, including 100 civilian officials and 200 escorts.
What was unique about the 200 escorts was that they were all adventurers.
The Kingdom is the land of adventurers… the saying still holds true.
It's pretty distinctive, like the fact that the 200 escort detail of the Imperial Delegation did not include any adventurers at all for instance.
Of course, a major reason for this was the fact that many of the knight orders of the Kingdom, including the Royal Knights, had suffered greatly from the recent disturbance in the royal capital and the Kingdom Liberation War, and were still recovering.
However, even though the Kingdom boasts a relatively large number of adventurers, it's no walk in the park to gather 200 adventurers, only those of C-rank and above, qualified to take up quests leading across the Kingdom's borders.
Of course, it's possible in terms of numbers, but doing so would bleed the guild across the Kingdom.
And while they're on their way to the Western Countries, the usual requests are still coming in.
If the B and C-rankers were to suddenly drop in droves, there would be situations where those with insufficient skills would have to push themselves to fulfill quests… and naturally, failure in such situations tends to be fatal.
Therefore, an exception was made in this delegation, in that it included some D-rank adventurers.
Of course, the C-rank adventurers were the largest in terms of number.
With even fewer B-rankers than the D-rankers….
The B-rank adventurers were positioned as the elite representing the Kingdom.
"Etho and Amon I understand, but even Niels is also considered the so-called elite B-rank adventurers…"
"Hey, Ryo, I can hear you."
Ryo's muttering was heard by Niels, the leader of the B-rank party 'Room 10'.
Naturally.
Since he was walking right next to Ryo.
"Niels, it's just me talking to myself, so don't worry about it. I know I don't."
"Hey…"
Niels hung his head at Ryo's not-so-subtle remark.
Etho was struggling to hold his laughter, and Amon chuckled.
The little peaceful episode of 'Room 10' was displayed out in the open.
Three adventurers were watching the four of them.
They were the three members of 'Room 11' led by the future Duke Harold.
Harold's expression was particularly complex.
Niels from 'Room 10', whom he respected, was chatting away with the man who had shattered his shoulder….
Needless to say, there wasn't a hint of his respect and admiration for Niels within his expression.
His complex expression primarily had to do with Ryo alone.
The person who shattered his shoulder…. It would be impossible to hold no feelings for such a person.
However, the emotion in Harold's heart right now wasn't 'hatred'.
Nor, of course, was it 'gratitude' for the reprimand.
Nor was it simply 'fear'.
It was a mixture of all of these feelings, feelings that even he did not understand… hence the complex expression on his face.
Harold and the other members of Room 11 and Room 10, including Ryo, were placed at the tail end of the Kingdom's delegation.
The B-rank party 'Coffee Maker' led by Delong was placed at the head of the delegation, and the B-rank party 'Room 10' with Ryo at the tail end.
It was a logical arrangement that the elite be placed at the head and tail of the delegation.
And 'Room 11', being in the custody of 'Room 10', was also placed at the tail as it should be.
All of these arrangements were made by Hugh McGrath, the Grand Master and head of the delegation.
"I wonder how many lodgings there can accommodate a delegation of three hundred people…"
Ryo asked, not particularly directed at anyone.
"Well, we'll be taking the First Highway to the imperial border. It's one of the Kingdom's major highways, though not as great as the third highway in the south. I reckon there should be a couple of large inns in the cities we'll be passing through, don't you think?"
"I'm sure they've already booked a few lodgings beforehand."
Etho added to Niels' answer.
"Meaning, we won't be camping out."
Ryo said, looking pleased.
Of course, as an adventurer, he may be accustomed to camping out in the wild, but it's still preferable to sleep in an inn, on a bed, if possible.
"We shouldn't have any problems getting to Brown Bear, the border town of the Empire. I heard that the knights of each territory will be escorting us from town to town as well."
Upon hearing Niels' words, Ryo turned around and said;
"So, in the meantime, there should be no problem drilling the three from Room 11 to the very last minute!"
"No, it's best if you don't."
Niels intercepted Ryo's radical statement.
Not like a few days of training would make them stronger anyway.
If the three of them were to be wrecked already before the journey began, it would be doubtful whether they would make it to the Western Countries in one piece.
And then Niels saw it.
Room 11's Harold and Gowan, trembling slightly.
Author's note:
'In fact, Kenneth gave Ryo 'something' that utilized that technology after that….
But that's another story.'
Is not written yet. It is material for a possible spin-off story in the future.
-x-X-x-
The only one who wasn't trembling was Priest Zeke, who was talking to Priest Etho from Room 10.
"Etho, can I ask you a question?"
"Hm?"
Zeke glanced at Ryo and continued.
"About Mr. Ryo…"
"Sure but… I may not be able to help much with your question."
Etho chuckled as he said that.
"Who in the world is Mr. Ryo, really?"
"See, I knew it, I can't answer that question."
Etho answered Zeke's question, wearing an even more sullen expression than before.
"Even if you ask me that, I guess I can only tell it exactly as it is. He was our roommate, a water-attribute magician… oh right, and he's always been into alchemy. He's hardly taken up any quest in the last three years, so it seems he's still stuck at C-rank."
"For a magician, his skill with the sword was unbelievable."
"Ah? Have you seen Ryo wield his sword before, Zeke?"
"Yeah… he beat the shit out of me with it."
Zeke looked dejected as he said that.
"Oh, it must have been when he shattered Harold's shoulder, huh? Wait a minute, but according to Ryo, he said your staff technique was pretty good…"
"No, I was no match for him."
"Etho, I can't really say that I'm impressed with you giving away my information for free."
Ryo suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Ahaha…"
Etho chuckled, as he scratched his temple with his index finger.
"You should only give out such information if you're getting paid for it!"
"So it's fine as long as I get paid?"
"Sure. Or in the form of portable cakes, cream puffs, and so on."
Ryo turned to Zeke and said in a strong tone.
"Sorry, but I don't have any cream puffs…"
"I see, that's too bad."
When Zeke told him that he didn't have any, Ryo replied with a look of regret from the bottom of his heart.
He wasn't being mean, he genuinely was just craving for it.
"You see? That's the kind of person he is."
"Yes… I think I understand what you mean a little bit."
Etho said softly, and Zeke replied in an equally soft voice.
"Ah!"
Ryo cried out sharply.
And thus unfolded the reason.
"My cake privilege from Abel… will cease again since I joined the delegation…"
That reality was just dawning on Ryo.
Then, he somehow remembered the 'Soul Resonance' on his left ear.
((Abel, you still alive? Abel, you still alive? Abel, you still alive?))
((I'm alive alright! I mean, can I even call this being alive? It's a very strange feeling. My body is in my office, my vision too, and my daily routine is basically unchanged… except when I switch consciousness, I suppose? When I do that, the scenery reflected in the magic stone is suddenly fed back into my eyes…. And then I'm able to talk to you…. And while I'm doing that, I can also move my body back in the office and take in the view from there. I feel like I've finally gotten used to it…))
Abel said while trying to hold back his excitement.
Abel is an adventurer by nature.
He likes to explore unfamiliar cities and unfamiliar worlds.
((That's amazing. Kenneth said that it might take a few weeks to be able to switch and split your consciousness like that… wow, you really are brilliant, Abel.))
((Oh, no, I don't think I'm that…))
Abel was abashed by Ryo's honest praise.
((So basically, one can see the scenery reflected in this 'Soul Resonance', hear the sounds coming through it, and have a conversation with the person wearing it, that is, you, in this case. In a nutshell.))
((Yeah. But there is certainly a sense of magic power being used all the time, so I guess not just anyone can use it.))
((Any chance of your magic power running out…?))
((Oh no, that shouldn't be a problem. The amount of magic power used seems to be quite negligible.))
((Quite negligible by your standards I bet…))
Abel let out a small sigh.
He felt that if this 'Soul Resonance' could be used by others, it would be useful in so many ways.
Abel was wearing the magic stone-equipped ring that was given to him, but it seemed that the ring does not consume any magic power.
Only Ryo's earring does ….
But the biggest problem was not so much the amount of magic power consumed, but the fact that it interfered with the 'soul' of one of the pair.
That's why it can and should only be used between people who truly trust each other… that was what Kenneth, the inventor, said.
((I'm the only one who can hear your voice, Abel. So it's no use asking for help elsewhere!))
((Okay, now you lost me. Wouldn't Ryo be the one to ask me for help, and not the other way around?))
((I certainly hope not to fall so far as to turn to a swordsman for help requiring a bit of brain work!))
((Well… can't argue with that. Oh right, the cake privilege is on hold for now.))
((Ugh…))
Thus, Abel was partly en route to the western countries while still in the royal capital.
As long as he was physically in the royal capital, he wouldn't be able to escape his work routine, obviously….
Abel, who had successfully suspended Ryo's cake privileges, was of course in the King's office.
The connection via 'Soul Resonance' was temporarily disconnected, so the conversation on his side and Abel's thoughts wouldn't be relayed to Ryo.
Meanwhile, he was recalling something Ryo had said before that bothered him.
"Gochisotei, was it…"
The restaurant where Ryo chose to have his last dinner in the royal capital was Gochisotei.
Abel is by no means a foodie.
However, he likes to eat good food.
So, he decided to escape from the royal castle for a while and go eat at Gochisotei.
However….
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, please refrain from trying to sneak out of the royal castle."
"How …?"
The Prime Minister in front of him knew about his plans.
"Duke Rondo left a message. His Majesty the King will try to escape from the castle and eat out, so I'm to prevent him from doing so. Especially stimulating food like curry is not good for the stomach, so it's off-limits for the time being."
"RYOOOOOoooo!"
Abel's cries faded away in vain.
It took Abel thirty seconds to recover.
"…Fine, I'll forget about eating out for now. So, how's the investigation going?"
"Oh yes. The one on the Eastern Demon, right?"
They've been able to deduce that the cause of Harold's 'Rupture Spirit Curse' was probably the work of the 'Demon Sealed in the East', according to folklore.
However, it was also true that there was no more information about the Eastern Demon than what has been passed down in folklore.
Nevertheless, the viciousness of the 'Demon sealed in the East' was no joke, just from what's recorded in folklore.
According to folklore, it reduced three cities to ashes in a single day.
Humans are hopeless before its legion.
It fought King Richard in deadly combat.
All those were more like legends or fairy tales than folklore.
Although the time periods were sometimes inconsistent… at any rate, it was vicious and powerful.
Moreover, the folklore claimed that the demon wasn't alone, and that it had 'generals' who followed it, with tens of thousands of soldiers….
If it were to be revived in the present day, it was likely that the eastern part of the Kingdom, as well as the western part of the Handal Union, would be destroyed… within a matter of days.
That was based on the analysis of the temple folklore officers, led by Rashata.
And these folklore officers had ventured into the eastern part of the country to investigate the area around the place where Harold was supposedly cursed.
"Viscount Rashata Debuo reported that they had identified the spot where Master Harold was cursed, but that it's highly unlikely for another person to be cursed anew."
"I see."
Abel was clearly relieved by Marquis Heinlein's report.
If nothing else, for ascertaining that it wouldn't turn into a situation where one person after another would end up getting cursed by the 'Rupture Spirit Curse'.
"So, what about where the demon itself is sealed?"
"There's still no progress on that at the moment."
Marquis Heinlein answered Abel's question.
"Honestly…there's not much we can do even if they found it."
"Yeah…"
There's a consensus surrounding entities like demons, as existences that humans can't do anything about.
They are legendary creatures like dragons, griffons, or behemoths.
Humans are helpless to resist them.
Nevertheless, as the king of the country, he could not ignore it.
Even more so now that there's a victim who had fallen under the influence of its spirit curse.
"Speaking of which, the demon sealed in the south flew to the west, right…?"
"Yes. After that, its whereabouts became unknown…"
"I hope the seal on the Eastern Demon hasn't broken either…"
Marquis Heinlein couldn't utter anything in reply to Abel's muttering.
-x-X-x-
The Kingdom delegation reached the Imperial border without any problems.
And they crossed the border without any problems.
There wasn't even a formal inspection.
The reason for this soon became clear.
"They've got the entire delegation surrounded by Imperial troops…"
"It's a little scary…"
"If they suddenly attacked us, we wouldn't stand a chance…"
"This is quite the exaggerated VIP treatment!"
Amon stated the facts, Etho expressed his honest feelings, Niels vented his fears, and Ryo revealed his joy.
That's the way it is with these four.
In this state, they were 'escorted' to the city of Gilsbach, the meeting place of the delegations of each country.
"We clearly look like prisoners being guarded rather than escorted…"
Ryo was about to say something in reply to Niels' words, when he suddenly noticed the stiff expression on the face of priest Zeke, who was walking behind him.
"Zeke, are you nervous?"
"Huh?"
He probably didn't expect to be approached by Ryo.
Priest Zeke reacted a little startled.
"Don't worry, if they dare attack us, I'll take them all down."
"Uh Ryo, that doesn't sound like you're joking, so quit it."
Ryo said in a bid to reassure Zeke, and Niels intercepted him.
"So you wouldn't mind even if Zeke were to become a victim, Niels… seniors who don't care for their juniors are worse than scum, you know?"
"No, I didn't say that."
"If this were Abel, he would protect his juniors even if it meant putting himself in harm's way."
"Long live King Abel!"
Niels reacted almost by conditioned reflex.
Seeing their ad-lib two-man comedy, Zeke bowed his head lightly.
"I'm sorry, I don't have very good memories of the Imperial army."
"Well, Zeke migrated from the Empire after all."
Etho added to what Zeke said.
"I get it."
Ryo nodded his head and said.
"It's because of the name of the country, Debuhi, right? With a name like that, you're practically asking to be bullied. Classy names are still better. Yeah, something like, Grand-Cross-Shooting-Star-Python-Magnum-Galactica Empire, sounds better."
"Wow, I already knew you had zero flair for naming, Ryo."
"! "
Ryo glared at Niels for calling him out so brutally with a look of despair on his face.
Everyone around him, including Zeke himself, was laughing hysterically.
The inn they arrived at in the evening was one with a very large, or rather expansive, garden in the backyard.
Amon was looking at the garden and seemed to want to say something.
Niels and Etho had noticed this, but they dared not say anything.
After hesitating for a while, Amon approached Ryo and said.
"Mr. Ryo, I'd like to ask you a favor."
"Amon?"
It is not often that Amon requests something from Ryo.
Moreover, from the looks of it, he's been brooding over it for a while.
No way, was he about to accuse their leader, Niels, of bullying….
"Hey, Ryo, you thought something weird just now, didn't you?"
"I-It's just your imagination. Okay, Amon, you clearly have something to say, so I'm all ears."
Ryo urged Amon to speak to cover up Niels' bullseye prodding.
"Thank you. Actually, I'd like to request a mock battle."
"Eh…"
Ryo was absolutely stunned by Amon's request.
Niels and Etho nodded their heads with an expression of 'I knew it'.
The three from 'Room 11' looked even more surprised than Ryo.
Needless to say, in their minds, they were reliving the 'duel' with Ryo at the royal castle.
And quite frankly, none of the three wanted to experience it again….
"Amon…what's the matter? Did Niels put you up to this? Rile you up or something like that, I wouldn't put it past him! But he should also know better that I wouldn't put up with such bullying, so don't you worry, okay? Better yet, shall I freeze him for you?"
"Hey, come on, stop it."
Niels yelled after hearing Ryo's disturbing words.
Amon chuckled.
"No, this has nothing to do with Niels. I genuinely wanted to spar with Mr. Ryo…. Or, you would not like to?"
Hearing him say all that, Ryo had no choice but to go along.
Amon genuinely wanted to have a mock battle with him.
Of course, he had no issues with a mock battle… he and Sera do it all the time.
Just….
"I'm all for mock battles, but um, well… I don't have a practice weapon…"
That's right, they weren't at a training ground or drill hall.
There were no swords with blunt edges, and it went without saying, the adventurers on the escort quest wouldn't have brought such a thing….
"Actually… I sneakily stashed mine in the carriage."
Amon said with a wry smile.
He seemed to have planned for the mock battle even before they left.
"I-I see…"
Ryo was amazed at how well-prepared he was.
But it shouldn't be a problem if Amon had his. Since he's all ready, he'll have to reciprocate.
"Well then, I guess I'll use a bladeless ice sword."
Ryo is a water-attribute magician after all.
In the meantime, Etho got permission from the innkeeper that it was okay to have the mock battle in the garden.
At that time.
He was told, "Magic is not allowed…". Which made sense.
Therefore, the mock battle between Ryo and Amon was restricted to only a sword fight.
"Whenever you're ready."
"Then, here I come!"
Amon said firmly, then closed the gap at once followed by a thrust.
Double thrusts, triple thrusts, quadruple thrusts, quintuple thrusts…the thrusts were endless.
(He's fast!)
Ryo was honestly impressed.
He had received many swords blows beyond the typical limit of humans in the past, but the speed of these thrusts was one of the fastest among them.
The speed of the continuous thrusts depends entirely on that of the 'pull'.
If one's thrusts were as fast as their pull, they could effectively prevent their opponent from invading their space.
Amon's endless thrusts were quite fast.
However… because of it….
(It's too fast)
Ryo noticed.
Due to the structure of the human body, whether it is a sword thrust or a fist punch, it's impossible to impart power into the thrust except at the moment of impact as you increase the speed and count of the thrusts.
The jab in boxing is a good example, when just starting, the fist is only lightly clenched.
Naturally, power isn't distributed to the entire arm either.
Then, at the moment of the hit, the fist is clenched… in other words, it is full of power.
Otherwise, it's not possible to reach the desired speed.
Naturally, the same applies to a series of thrusts.
In other words….
(The moment the arm and sword are fully extended by the thrusts, it is full of power, but at other times…)
Ryo stretched his arm and took one of Amon's thrusts with the 'flat' side of his sword.
That was totally unexpected for Amon, and at a timing he had yet to achieve full power.
Amon's sword was greatly repelled backward.
Ryo received it with the flat of his sword, and at the same time, he took a large step forward with his right foot while taking his left hand off the hilt altogether, and with his right hand alone, he swung his sword widely to the side.
It was close to the stance one would have after performing a quick draw.
He thought he had Amon then, but… he struck air.
Amon, whose sword was repelled backward, leaped further backward with only one foot.
The distance he jumped was very little because it was completely unexpected, but that little distance saved him from Ryo's side sweep.
Amon was surprised when his special endless thrusts move was broken.
Niels and Etho nodded their heads as they watched the two attack and defend.
The three 'Room 11' members were speechless at the level of the competition, which was way beyond their imagination, alongside the adventurers, who had somehow gathered to watch the mock battle.
And Ryo grinning wickedly.
But in Ryo's mind….
(Dodging that… Amon, may very well be a genius swordsman…)
He was quite surprised.
"Excuse me~, dinner is ready~"
The force behind that voice was overwhelming.
"Amon"
"'Yes, Mr. Ryo."
Ryo and Amon nodded to each other and put their swords away.
Thus, the mock battle ended abruptly.
In the end, they only crossed swords once, but… with the food ready, there's no helping it.
Yup, no helping it at all.
-x-X-x-
The day following Ryo and Amon's mock battle.
The Kingdom delegation arrived at the next city, Blanshua, in the early afternoon.
Ideally, they would have entered the city in the evening, stayed overnight, and departed the next morning… but the next city from Blanshua was just a day away.
In other words, a night there would be just right.
Just as the Kingdom delegation was about to enter Blanshua city… the sun began to darken.
"An eclipse…"
Ryo muttered, looking around.
The three from 'Room 10' and the three from 'Room 11' also looked up at the darkened sun, but their expressions were the same as usual.
However, only one person noticed Ryo's suspicious behavior.
It was Priest Zeke.
"Mr. Ryo, is something wrong?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing…"
The moment he said that.
The surrounding landscape lost its color.
And then the world inverted.
"This can't be… the sealed corridor…"
Ryo muttered.
Then, Ryo heard a voice.
"No way? Or is it? Like… oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Is that really you, Ryo?"
A beautiful woman with great style… but with horns and a thin black tail, came out of nowhere….
That's right, it was Akuma….
"Leonor…"
Ryo gulped hard when he said that.
"It's been like a billion years since we met like this! Actually, I have other business to attend to, but I guess it's out of my hands now that I've met you. Yeah, it's out of my hands, and it's inevitable, so let's fight!"
"No, why…"
Akuma Leonor suggested with a ghastly smile, and Ryo questioned with a pained look on his face.
"You're currently on your way to the western countries, aren't you, Ryo? It's pretty messy down there right now just so you know. Who's to say you'll make it back in one piece? So if we don't fight now, when will we?"
"The western countries is a mess…"
"What, you want to know more? Well, I certainly don't mind telling you?"
"I bet you're going to suggest I fight you for it if I want to know more…"
"Pretty astute aren't ya!"
Leonor nodded with a smug look on her face.
Ryo already figured that there was no other way besides fighting her anyway.
That being the case…it would be better to at least extract some information while at it.
"Fine. I'll fight. But when you're done, you have to tell me the information about the western countries!"
"Sure, of course! If you're still alive that is!"
"!"
Indeed, if he dies, he won't learn a thing….
And so, for the third time, their battle began.
"
As Akuma Leonor chanted, dozens of stone lances clad in flames appeared around her and were launched.
"
The thick wall of ice grew thicker and thicker all the way from Ryo to Leonor.
Then the two collided.
With a single blow, more than half of the ice wall disappeared, emitting a glittering light.
"Dammit…"
As expected, Ryo was absolutely stunned by the unexpected situation.
"Kukuku, I came up with it just to deal with those thick ice walls of yours. Be sure to savor it thoroughly."
Leonor was getting a real kick out of it.
She grinned devilishly and cast a follow-up spell.
"And one more.
Leonor launched an invisible wind-attribute offensive magic.
Twenty from her right hand, and twenty from her left.
Each took a semicircular trajectory through the boundary of the
Throwing an invisible attack into the mix of a deadlock between the ice walls and the flaming stone lances, no one could possibly avoid that.
However, Ryo, at the moment, wasn't one of those 'no one'.
That's because he activated his
And it could even track invisible attacks.
"
Thirty-two ice lances were launched from his left hand and thirty-two from his right hand to intercept the forty invisible whirlwinds.
Furthermore, the twenty-four ice lances remaining from the interception were directed straight at Leonor as a counterattack.
Reaching its target.
But there was no feedback.
"The perfect attacking position at times like this is from a blind spot. Up!"
He looked up, and at the same time, Murasame's blade emerged… Leonor, who had a freakish smile on her face, struck downward with all her weight.
Clang.
"Ughh."
He managed to receive the strike with Murasame, but the weight bearing down on his sword was terrifyingly heavy.
The wind magic had increased both the weight on the sword and Leonor's acceleration.
While receiving the blow, Ryo involuntarily fell to his knee.
And Leonor gradually put more weight onto it.
Ryo, kneeling on one knee, supported the sword with both hands and managed to keep the sword in front of his forehead.
(
The moment Ryo chanted in his mind, an extremely thick ice lance was generated between Ryo and Leonor, and pierced through Leonor's stomach.
"Ughh…"
It was a super-fast magic generation that exceeded Leonor's prediction and even her reaction speed.
Leonor, who had been pierced, let out an involuntary yelp and instantly retreated.
After she had pulled back, the wound in her gut had already closed.
"That regeneration is unfair…"
Ryo blurted out.
"That generation speed too is unfair…"
Leonor laughed.
The next moment.
Leonor, who had instantly closed the gap, swung down at him.
Clang.
More sword strikes followed.
Clang, clang, clang….
A barrage of attacks with a sword, which was quite unusual of Leonor.
Speaking of Leonor's sword style… Ryo had an impression of her overwhelming her opponent with speed and power… or, striking a blow with a surprise attack.
But this….
"A flurry of blows, how unusual…"
"I've been training myself for a while just so I could fight you. Just trying to get a measure of my progress."
Overhead strike, Upward strike, Diagonal slash, Reverse-diagonal slash, Right sweep, Left sweep… and thrust.
Leonor was testing out her swordsmanship.
She was smiling while doing so and seemed to be really enjoying herself.
Of course, if she got even a single blow in, there was a big chance that Ryo would die at that moment….
When skill is combined with a sturdy sword arm, it becomes quite formidable.
Ryo was experiencing that process firsthand….
"How dreadful…"
"So you say, but you're smiling as you say that."
"It's all in your imagination."
Battle maniacs really… are beyond saving.
Ryo swept Leonor's strike down with his sword, and without a moment's pause, executed a reverse-diagonal strike.
Leonor dodged it with a one-legged step that Ryo had never seen before, and then flew far back.
Then she said.
"Hmmm…. The sealed corridor this time is a little short… and don't think I've got much time left. So, how about I show you something special."
Leonor said, and then chanted confidently.
"
The moment she chanted, seven 'more' of Leonor appeared.
The so-called clones!
"How come…"
Ryo was at a loss for words.
"Kukuku, surprised aren't ya? I'm using the continuous-dimensional generation phenomenon after all. It's impossible for you, who can only manipulate the water attribute."
Leonor smiled proudly.
However….
"My dear silly Leonor, you should be ashamed of your ignorance.
Murasame's sheath glowed just slightly, and Ryo's clones appeared… seven of them.
"That's impossible!"
Leonor exclaimed unintentionally.
"Water-attribute magicians of today can easily create one or two clones."
"Yeah right, like hell they can…"
Leonor was still able to accurately retort to Ryo's lines even at a time like that.
She's such a capable Akuma.
All eight of Leonor remained motionless with frustrated looks on their faces.
All eight of Ryo were waiting, poised and alert.
Then, after about twenty seconds, Leonor shook her head.
"Let's call it quits. The sealed corridor will be broken soon."
Leonor said, and then she dispelled her seven clones.
Ryo, still not letting up… also dispelled his clones. But still kept Murasame at the ready and at alert.
"But I gotta say you really are fascinating, Ryo. You always exceed my expectations."
Leonor said and laughed.
"Well, thanks…"
Ryo replied, since he was complimented in a way.
But he had to ask what he needed to know. Since the time limit on the sealed corridor was approaching….
"So…what were you saying about the western countries?"
"Mm, well, just be sure to come back without dying."
"Wait, what the hell, just advice?"
That's just too much. Everyone obviously wants to come back safely, so….
"The West is in a bundle of mess right now…. Frankly, I don't think even you would be safe if you ran into the most awful parts as you are now."
Akuma Leonor said, shaking her head slightly.
"Then, how about you tell me how to avoid running into that most awful part you were talking about."
"Oh, that's easy! Just don't go that way!"
"Uh, no can do~"
Ryo denied Leonor's extreme suggestion, shaking his head with a face that says it was totally out of the question.
"Mm~, can't help you then. Then, you should be careful about this if nothing else. 'Sacrifice'."
"Sacrifice…?"
Ryo muttered with a frown at Leonor's vague advice.
"Lest I forget, there are Akumas like me out there too. And compared to me who just woke up, they must be stronger, so do be careful."
He heard Leonor's words sounding a little distant.
"Wait, tell me more about that!"
Ryo exclaimed.
Then the world returned to normal.
With six people around Ryo as before.
And Priest Zeke was staring at Ryo curiously.
"Right, Zeke… uh, it's nothing."
Zeke looked somewhat unconvinced by Ryo's words.
-x-X-x-
Five days after the Kingdom's delegation crossed the border.
The delegation arrived in the city of Gilsbach, the rendezvous point.
The delegation was guided to a rather large inn built in the suburbs.
"I heard that it was built specifically for this mission."
Ryo was gawking at the size of the building and its many accommodation buildings when he heard Etho say so.
"Goddamned Debuhi Empire…. That's why they're called an empire!"
"Yeah, although I have no idea what you mean by that, Ryo."
"Nah, it's just that it's pretty classic in fantasy settings for 'empires' to be synonymous with 'powerful'."
"What do you mean by classic…?"
Niels was shaking his head as he quipped on Ryo's classic setting.
"…Lately, I feel like Niels is starting to feel a lot like Abel."
"Long live King Abel!"
He stood corrected. Looks like Niels was the same old Niels after all.
Ryo and the rest of the escorts would take a break upon arrival.
However, for civilian officials, mainly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the real work would begin after their arrival.
Of course, the 'actual real work' begins when they arrive in the Western Countries, but before they get there, they go through several small countries, which are sometimes collectively called corridor countries.
Naturally, various negotiations take place there as well.
And the most troubling thing is that this 'Mission' is not just one country, but a combination of several countries.
First of all, coordination with fellow countries from the Central Nations was imperative.
The same was true for the heads of the delegation.
Among them, the heads of the three great powers of the Empire, the Union, and the Kingdom were to gather first.
"The head of the Kingdom's delegation, Mr. Hugh McGrath, is here."
"Send him in."
A guard announced Hugh's arrival, and Count Hans Kirchhoff, who was in charge of the various details of the occasion, invited him in.
When Hugh entered the room, the other two 'heads' were already there.
The head of the Imperial delegation, former Emperor Rupert.
The head of the Union's delegation, former King Roberto Pirlo.
When Hugh entered the room, they were chatting.
"Thanks to that, we were in for some tough times after the war ended. Quite a few workshops in the country were demolished, and production capacity was practically crawling on the ground. It was because of the support of the Empire that the Union managed to avoid going under."
"Oh please. The stability of the Union is synonymous with the stability of the Central Nations as a whole. It's only natural for the Empire, as a part of the Central Powers, to provide support as soon as possible."
When the former King Roberto Pirlo thanked the Empire for its quick support after the Great War, the former Emperor Rupert replied that it was a matter of course.
Frankly, Hugh wasn't too happy with the story.
Because….
"But I gotta say that King Abel of the Kingdom is a very bold man. To have appointed Hugh McGrath as the head of the delegation that'll be working in cooperation with our Union. Sir McGrath, the hero of the 'Great War'."
Former king Roberto Pirlo said, smiling.
But his eyes were not smiling at all.
(I knew it….)
Hugh was making a sour expression in his mind.
Naturally, he knew that it would come up.
If the snide comments were directed at just him, then it wouldn't be a problem, but in a negotiation between top leaders like this, where national interests clash, all of these things become bargaining chips.
Roberto Pirlo, a former king, and Rupert, the previous emperor, understood all of this.
"I met King Abel in person on the battlefield last time, and well, he truly is a fine man, that's for sure. As one would expect from an adventurer who rose to A-rank. Some call him the King of Adventurers. As the king who leads the Kingdom of Knightley, the land of adventurers, I would say that he is one of the most powerful kings in recent times."
Former Emperor Rupert praised Abel to the point of exaggeration.
Similarly for this too, his eyes weren't smiling at all.
Hugh let out a very deep sigh in his mind and walked to the side of the round table where they were.
"Sir McGrath, please have your seat."
Then Count Hans Kirchhoff showed Hugh his seat.
"Excuse me."
Hugh sat down and took a deep breath.
With that one breath, he stabilized himself mentally.
Both Rupert and Roberto Pirlo understood the reason and the implication of Hugh's breath.
Rupert raised the corners of his mouth just slightly and Roberto Pirlo moved his eyebrows a little.
They could see that Hugh had succeeded in completely letting their words pass him by.
The meeting had already begun.
"Once we leave the imperial territory, the first country among the corridor countries we'll come to is 'Ayteke Bo'."
"That's an unusual name."
"That alone already signifies that we're no longer in the Central Nations."
Amon and Niels commented as Etho explained.
Harold, the swordsman and Gowan, the dual swordsman from 'Room 11', were nodding their heads as they listened in.
Priest Zeke, on the other hand, was looking around restlessly.
Since Zeke doesn't often behave like that, Etho stopped explaining and asked.
"Zeke, what's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing, it's just…. I can't seem to find Mr. Ryo anywhere."
Those words freaked out Harold and Gowan a little, just a little.
Amon noticed this, but decided not to say anything and instead giggled softly.
Because he could sort of understand why.
The dining room of the lodging facility assigned to the kingdom's delegation.
The space was huge enough for all three hundred people to eat at the same time, so small meetings like Niels' were being held here and there.
However, looking around, there was certainly no sign of the water-attribute magician.
"Ryo… I believe, came in here and then left shortly after."
"He must be up to no good…"
Etho said, and Niels drew a conclusion out of dogmatism and prejudice.
Hearing those words probably had nothing to do with it, but…
"Since you like running your mouth however you like, Niels, I guess you won't be having any of these?"
The water-attribute magician in question appeared with his hands full.
"Ryo, what is that…"
"Oh! Mr. Ryo, is that crepe?"
"Correct, Amon! There's a crepe shop right next to our lodging. I tasted it, and it's exactly the same as Whitnash's, a perfect platinum-diamond blend! "
They probably had no idea what he meant by platinum-diamond blend, but they could care less.
Only that if something awesome should come out of it, then it's all good.
To begin with, it's something that Ryo came up with randomly….
Ryo then handed out the crepes one by one.
Etho and Amon, as well as the three from Room 11.
He wasn't about to do anything that would oppress them.
"All right, everyone's got one!"
"Hey, Ryo! I didn't get any!"
A certain B-rank swordsman was ranting.
"Well, since I was up to no good earlier…"
"Oh, I'm sorry, my bad. I sincerely apologize, Mr. Ryo. I am so ashamed of my ignorance. So, please let me have some crepes too!"
The B-rank swordsman succumbed before the greatest crepe flavor….
"Fine."
Saying this, Ryo handed Niels a crepe as well.
Upon receiving it, Niels happily bit into it with a big smile on his face.
Tasty food is justice, indeed!
After everyone had their fill of crepes with coffee lined up, Etho resumed his interrupted explanation.
"The first of the corridor countries, Ayteke-Bo, is also known as the Land of Forests. It is located in the 'Pitch-Black Forest', a vast forest famous for the World Tree, and there is a strong possibility of us running into Treants, a type of tree monster."
(Pitch-Black Forest! What a chuunibyo-like name. And the World Tree too! Come to think of it, there's one in Germany too… Schwarzwald, which translates to Black Forest! Pretty sure the person who named Schwarzwald must have been a chuuni!)
Ryo was having rude thoughts about the famous forest in Germany.
(And finally, Treant! When you talk about forest monsters, it's gotta be the walking tree spirits, Treants, right! Now this is classic fantasy. I have never once seen them in the Rondo Forest…. I wonder why, could it be that monsters have vegetation traits as well?)
Ryo was running such botanical analysis through his mind.
And, of course, it was written all over his face….
"Ryo is…"
"Yeah, he's doing it again…"
"Wracking up his brains on useless thoughts…"
Amon noticed it, Etho pointed it out, and Niels affirmed it.
Ryo wasn't pondering anything particularly complicated… perhaps one could call it a daily routine of his.
Beside them, the three members of 'Room 11' were looking a little anxious.
Priest Zeke was no exception….
On account of the statements their 'Room 10' seniors uttered.
Ryo… seemed to be the name of a pitiable man….
While Ryo and his friends were having a sweet meeting in the lodging dining room with crepes in hand, a reluctant meeting was underway in the lounge of the former Emperor Rupert.
But the reluctance was mainly on Hugh's part….
"In other words… the Empire cannot depart because you aren't done with your preparations. And so you'd like to hand over the lead role of the mission to another…"
"That's exactly right, Sir McGrath. I am, indeed, ashamed to say this. But since my abdication, the discipline of the Imperial government has loosened… it's utterly embarrassing."
The former Emperor Rupert replied to Hugh's confirmation.
Although he sounded remorseful from what he was saying, it was clear from his appearance and facial expression that he didn't feel that way at all.
It was the very definition of 'shameless'.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it if you're not ready yet. Your Majesty Rupert has been emperor for a long time, and recently just abdicated, so, I get that there must be a lot of confusion, still."
The previous king, Roberto Pirlo, nodded repeatedly, giving the impression of an understanding individual.
Then he mentioned his country's delegation.
"There is nothing wrong with our delegation, but my health makes things a little tricky, you see. Since the Empire is unable, I'd like to raise my hand and ask that the Union take on the lead role, but… I guess no one can compete with time, uh."
"No, Your Majesty, you must not be too hard on yourself."
The previous king, Roberto Pirlo, coughed deliberately as he described the difficulties of his health, and the previous Emperor Rupert, nodded his head, looking all understanding.
(These… cunning old geezers! The marching order was supposed to begin with the Empire, then the Union, followed by the other small countries, and finally the Kingdom! And now they want to change that? The leading country is most likely to find itself in the most difficult situation. That's exactly why the Empire opted to take on that role in the first place. And now…. even the Union is saying that it can't do it either? In other words, they want our Kingdom to take the lead…. They're silently working together. This is why I hate these sly old fogies! Fine, since that's how you want to play, let's play! I'll lead the way, be the first to contact the small countries, and come up with a favorable deal with the Kingdom before you old geezers arrive! Shitheads!)
Hugh was screaming in his mind with a mixture of insults, but outwardly he remained completely calm.
Then he said.
"I understand. Then the Kingdom will take the lead in this mission."
-x-X-x-
Leading the mission from the Central Nations was the Kingdom delegation led by Hugh McGrath.
However, the Kingdom delegation had stopped on the way to Ayteke-Bo, one of the corridor countries.
They did not move to the side of the road to rest, but stopped right on the road.
"What soothing spectacle."
Ryo set up ice chairs and a desk, sighed in relief over a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and muttered.
"Y-Yeah…"
Niels, the leader of 'Room 10', while sipping the coffee Ryo brewed for him, agreed in part, though with a puzzled look on his face.
"Well, it's certainly a rare experience, that's for sure."
Etho, the priest of 'Room 10' agreed with a smile on his face while sipping the coffee Ryo had brewed for him.
"It's so spectacular!"
Amon, the swordsman of 'Room 10' said, looking around very gleefully while sipping the coffee Ryo had brewed for him.
Incidentally, Swordsman Harold, Priest Zeke, and Dual Swordsman Gowan of 'Room 11', were all drinking their coffee in silence….
Currently, a clump of tree monsters, Treants, were moving from right to left in front of and behind the Kingdom delegation.
Treants are tree monsters.
Many of them seem to be a type of coniferous trees with legs.
However, upon closer inspection, some of them had legs growing out of what appeared to be hardwood trees.
It seemed that there were many different kinds of 'Treants'.
It was a very, very fantastic sight from the perspective of Ryo who was born on Earth.
Because the trees have legs, and they walk and run, it's totally insane!
Some of them were trotting not too fast, and some were hopping around slowly….
It seemed that there was as much diversity in the Treants as there was in vegetation.
Only, for Ryo, it was a fantastic sight….
The road that these Trents were crossing.
That road wasn't wide.
Nevertheless, a road is a road.
That road runs through the 'Pitch-Black Forest'.
Therefore, monsters moving through the forest inevitably cross the road.
That was an ecological necessity.
That was why there were no warding pillars, such as those found on the highways of the Central Nations, along this road….
Fundamentally, the tree monsters, Treants, are said to be gentle monsters and will not attack unless attacked.
Even so, some people may not feel at ease when there are no less than several thousand of them moving in close proximity to them.
At the very least, not many people will describe it as 'a soothing spectacle'….
"The big ones are kinda dignified in their own way, but the small ones are pretty cute."
"Oh, you think so too, Ryo? If only all monsters were like this~"
Amon nodded and replied to Ryo's words.
"Hell no, it's taking all I got to keep from unsheathing my sword…"
"Hey Niels, calm down a bit. There might be Treants' kids or whatever, so don't accidentally attack them."
Niels expressed his honest opinion, and Etho soothed him with a wry smile.
"But thankfully, it's just a bunch of Treants this time, next time could be a pack of war wolves crossing over, right?"
Priest Zeke spoke up and voiced his concern.
"Yes, that seems highly likely. And apparently running into one could very easily result in the annihilation of an entire party."
The one who answered his concern was Etho, also a priest.
Hearing this, it was probably inevitable that the other two of Room 11 shuddered a little.
Even Niels, their senior B-rank swordsman, shuddered as he pictured the scene in his head….
However, a certain water-attribute magician opened his mouth confidently.
"Don't worry!"
He seemed to be somewhat confident. Then he continued.
"When that happens, we'll leave Niels alone and we'll all run for it!"
"Why me?!"
"You're going to buy us some time while that big body of yours is being eaten…"
"You're assuming I'm going to get eaten…"
Just kidding, of course.
… Of course, he's kidding, right?
Yeah… he's kidding… probably.
While 'Room 10' and 'Room 11' were having such a conversation at the tail end of the Kingdom's delegation, the leader of the delegation, Hugh McGrath, had a difficult look on his face at the forefront of the delegation.
He was holding in his hand what appeared to be a simple map.
"Although there's no helping it… this is going to take up a lot of time. Doesn't look like we'll be able to make it to the campsite we originally planned."
"Looks like it. We'll have to set up camp at the secondary location."
Hugh's words were answered by Delong, the leader of the B-rank party 'Coffee Maker', stationed at the forefront.
'Coffee Maker' is a B-rank party with a great deal of experience.
Their accomplishment in handling escort quests can be said to be among the best in the Kingdom.
It was no coincidence that the first escort quest that 'Room 10', which included Ryo, took on, was a Whitnash round-trip escort quest in cooperation with 'Coffee Maker'.
Hence, 'Coffee Maker' was the lead escort for the Kingdom delegation this time, and Delong, the leader, was also Hugh's advisor.
"Was the secondary campsite on a riverbank?"
"Yes, it is. Along the road. So far there seems to be no danger of flooding, and the only thing to watch out for is…"
"Yeah…. It could be a waterhole."
Most things, whether animals or monsters, need water to survive.
The riverbanks are therefore a watering hole for them, and they would likely come by.
In particular, this 'Pitch-Black Forest' doesn't have many travelers, unlike the forests in the Central Nations.
Not that there weren't any whatsoever, just very few.
So, the monsters in the forest weren't accustomed to humans….
Monsters and humans.
One way or another, a clash would almost certainly break out.
"If only we could make a fence…"
Hugh muttered to himself and suddenly had an idea.
"… Maybe he could?"
"Mr. Hugh, I've more or less used Ice Wall to… I've surrounded the entire delegation with walls of ice."
At Hugh's request, Ryo built an ice wall around the entire mission and arranged it so that even if monsters appeared, the mission would not be attacked.
"G-Great…"
Hugh asked Ryo on a whim, but was at a loss for words when he was told, "I sure can", and saw that he had actually built it.
An ice wall with a radius of 100 meters… and a total circumference of about… 628 meters.
It wasn't something that could be built by a single magician.
Hugh had seen several large-scale magical constructions on the battlefield, including in the last 'Great War'.
He also recalled that it would have taken more than twenty earth-attribute magicians to build an 'Earth Wall' of this scale.
(Ryo… still a monster as usual.)
Hugh muttered in his mind.
"It's pretty large!"
"It's got a roof too, so we can sleep in peace."
"We probably don't even need a lookout."
Hugh was struck by the fact that Niels, Amon, and Etho's impressions were quite normal in the face of such an outrageous thing.
He muttered to himself.
"So, they too, have already been poisoned by Ryo, huh?"
Then he thought.
If perhaps he had made a mistake making those guys from 'Room 10' look after those of 'Room 11'….