63-Episode 63: Old Truth and Treasure Vault

Uh-uh...

In front of us was the Sky King being dragged down from his throne and forced to sit upright on the floor.

According to Lex-san, it was because it would be troublesome if the throne, which was a magic item, had any other defensive functions.

''Now, shall I ask you to tell me why you were calling yourself royalty?''

''Hii!''

A golem's helmet that was cut in half is thrown in front of the Sky King, who was just roaring from earlier, in front of him.

If you don't know Lex-san's character, it looks like he's telling you that you're going to be like this next time.

Yeah, but even so, Lex-san seems a little rougher than usual today.

Well, this kind of cool or forcefulness isn't bad, either.

I'm just saying in generalities, okay?

''Wow, our ancestors were humans who once lived in the Sky Continent........''

Finally seemingly having given up on the idea, the Sky King begins to speak.

''It seems that the Sky Continent was attacked by the enemy at the end of the battle with the demons. It was rumored that it was because they wanted to control the sky continent and also because a secret weapon was brought to the sky continent to defeat the demons.

''So you're saying that the Sky Continent was destroyed by demons?''

Lex-san listens to the mystery of the collapse of the Celestial Continent with a serious face.

When I think about it, this is a huge historical discovery.

I'm starting to get a little nervous.

''I don't know the details. It is said that the Celestial Continent was hit by another Celestial Continent, which is the base of demons, and that they used the Celestial Continent as an ingredient for anti-magic weapons, but the details were not written in the ancient documents left behind by our ancestors.

Huh?　So we don't know the detailed reasons why the Sky Continent collapsed after all, right?

"Then why did you guys cheat on the royal family?

Hi!

The Sky King tried to be silent again, but this time the snapped sword stabbed in front of him.

''Yeah, it was broken and then it stabbed into the floor.

''Wow, our ancestors are refugees who fled from the collapsing Sky Continent!　It was necessary to create a new royal family to unite the anxious and frightened people in order to stabilize their lives on the empty island that barely escaped, according to the ancient texts!

Well, that in itself is not so unusual. In the past, there have been many stories of self-proclaimed royalty, unsure if they are really royalty, standing up to the oppressive royal family.

Surprisingly, Lex-san didn't say anything to blame when he found out that the Sky King was a fake royalty.

''Humans are not familiar with anything other than the land they live in, so I guess the setting of a royal family from an unknown country was good for uniting everyone.

Why don't we know the country?　Wouldn't it be better in a country you know?

Mr. Lex chuckles at my question.

'Oh, and if you do that, you'll have another problem this time.

What do you mean?

''If you're royalty from a country you know, you might get angry that this Sky Continent was destroyed because you didn't do your job properly.

I see, the place we were living in has been ruined, right?

I'd be angry. I'd be angry too.

And if you claimed to be the royal family of some country and some of the refugees were from countries that were hostile to that country, it would still be a source of trouble. If that's the case, it's even better to call it a country you don't know.

Oh, that certainly wouldn't help.

'But is it okay to call yourself royalty from a country you don't know?　They ask me where it is or something, and if anyone lives near it, I think they'd know.

''Maybe, but at the time, they were probably set up as a small royal family living on another empty island, not in the Sky Continent.　I think we could have fooled them by telling other countries that we came here for diplomacy.

Wow, how did you come up with that?

If the leadership of the refugees at that time cooperated with each other and manipulated the information, it wouldn't have been difficult to create an imaginary royal family. As long as the group is united, unless they are very charismatic, they must have had collaborators. Perhaps the descendants of those collaborators are the current nobles of this country.

When Lex-san glanced at the Sky King, he was dumbfounded with a face that said how he knew so much.

It seems that Lex-san's guess was correct.

I mean, he knows a lot about the history of those days like a scholar, but I wonder who he really is?

He's a top-notch warrior and wizard, he can heal, he can fix and create magic items, he can build houses, and he knows history like a scholar.

Hmm, who is he really?

Your parents looked like normal villagers.

Oh, by the way, I remember that Mina and her friends were apprenticing in Lex's village.

I wonder if I should ask her about that area next time.

Hmm, although they were in the middle of the incident, their ancestors were ordinary people, so I guess we don't know much more about them.

What I do know is that a demon attacked the Sky Continent, and that the Sky Continent really collapsed afterwards.

Hmm, is this the best we can get?

As far as I'm concerned, the armament deployed is old equipment that is out of shape even for those days, so as far as I'm concerned, there's probably no information left in the fort.

Maybe this empty island was treated as a remote island or frontier land.

I'll stop getting involved in this country, and I'll go to the next country.

Oh, let me ask you about that, too.

Why do they call themselves celestial beings?

Yeah, I was just curious about this one.

Why?

Yes, why? It seems that on earth, you were respected for saving the people of the town from being attacked by a demon, but if you're going to live on this empty island, why would you bother to come down to earth?　And there's no sign of trade. I thought there might be a food shortage, but this empty island has a lot of land that hasn't been cultivated for a country that calls itself a country. I think we can be self-sufficient in food if we develop the land.

We're not taking the fight to the ground, and that doesn't mean we're exterminating demons with good intentions alone. Because I'm just getting a tribute, you know.

But for that, the tribute is all foodstuffs, and I don't know why.

''It's because ... our country is experiencing a serious food crisis.

A serious food crisis?

I was surprised at the unexpected answer as expected.

This Empty Island doesn't look like a land that would have such a shortage of food.

''Besides this Empty Island, our territory was the forest-covered Empty Island, which we called Morishima, where there are many animals. At the time, we were able to survive on the food we could get from the fields of Morishima and Kuujima, but one day, a huge black monster appeared. The monster took over Morishima and, unsatisfied with its presence, began to uproot the empty island's fields as well.

The Sky King continued to speak, moving his arms wide like wings like a play.

''Of course our ancestors challenged the demons. But even with the power of the magic items in the sky continent, they were no match for the demons, and even other demons, perhaps attracted to the demons, came to Morishima. As a result, Morishima Island has turned into a land ruled by demons.

I see. A hunting ground that had been providing food for them has been stolen by foreign enemies.

"Couldn't you have expanded your farm on this empty island?

The Sky King lets out an exaggerated sigh at Liliera's question.

''Of course we tried. But as soon as the size of the field grew, the demons attacked. That's why the current empty island can only produce just enough food to keep the demons from attacking!

Maybe when the field reaches a certain size, the demons will recognize it as food.

There's a lot of food here.

On the other hand, if it's only a small amount of food, they'll just ignore it, thinking it's too much trouble to go there.

"So our ancestors sought to communicate with the earth. They wanted to trade with the earth and obtain food.　

Hmm?　Trade with the ground?　If that's the case, why are we in a relationship like we are now?

Then, for some reason, the people on earth thought we were heavenly messengers. The fact that the town happened to be attacked by a horde of demons at the time also encouraged this, according to my predecessor's diary.

Oh, I see, I was in trouble and was praying to the gods, when all of a sudden, people with wings came from the sky, I must have been mistaken.

It's fortunate that we were able to defeat the demons on the ground with our magic items. Without any industry to trade with, we have succeeded in forming a trade that earns us tribute by protecting the humans on the ground.

What a sincere and raw truth.

Well, maybe this is what reality is all about.

It's also fortunate that the magic item was a feather shape.

I see.

So that's the reason behind the events on earth.

So, what's the name of the celestial man after all?

''That's because our ancestors said that it's better to call the bluff of a mysterious divine messenger who lives in the heavens than to answer honestly with the same people who live in the Sky Island...''

Well, I had a feeling about that.

Well, I don't care about that. It's more or less like we've got each other's back.

Well, I'm glad to hear it.

Or rather, if I tell them the truth here, they will lose their food.

Although he was tricking the townspeople, it seems to be true that he was protecting them from demons, so there's no need to make waves.

Hmmm, now that we don't really have anything to ask, let's just go home.

I can't make them apologize for attacking us in this state, and further involvement in this matter would be an unnecessary expense.

It's not necessary to visit the island to see the empty island.

I'm sure you'll be able to find it.

What?

I decide to leave and urge Liliella to leave.

Wait, wait!　Please lend us your power!

Mr. Calm and the others stood in front of us.

They want you to at least listen to the Lord first.

It's a very good idea. You have been attacking us for a long time without even listening to our situation.

Ugh, that's...

I've heard what you want to hear, and I don't plan to stay on the island for long.

Yeah, it's been a long time since I've seen the way nobles and knights do things, so I don't have an ounce of desire to help.

Ah, I wish I had done this in the past.

''Please!　With your power, you should be able to fight that demon!

That said, you don't have any rewards to offer, do you?

Your reward?　I, the king, asked you for a reward?

Does he still feel like a king?

That's only understood by the people of this empty island who believe you're the king. That doesn't mean anything to us.

What?

Lord Lex...

As we were about to leave the room again, Mr. Calm and the others spoke to us.

We understand that this is a selfish argument. However, could you please help us?

"I wish to apologize for my failure to do so.

Then they bow deeply to me.

"Please give us the help we need.

Even if you say, "I don't know.

I've already crossed the line of compromise.

If he really wanted my help, the Sky King should have asked for my cooperation when he found out that I was a magic item technician.

The Knight Commander and the Captain of the Kinsmen's Guard are both testifying about it.

The fact that Calm and the others attacked us is an order from their master, the Sky King, so there are extenuating circumstances.

However, Bardi-san's response was no good even if you take that into account, though.

''Nuh-uh........!　Yeah, yeah!　It's a treasure trove!　The magic item in the treasure room is yours to keep!　A magic item would be worth its weight in gold on earth!

Suddenly the Sky King said a strange thing.

"A magic item in the treasure room?

The castle's treasure room is filled with magic items of unknown use. I will give them to you.

Huh.

Magic items.

It's called "useless", but when I look at the magic items used here, I can't expect to see anything useful.

I mean, don't go recommending items that you don't know the use for.

''Heh, Your Majesty!　Are you seriously saying that!

Calm and the others are very upset by the Sky King's proposal.

What is the problem?

Of course!　Mm, I've decided!　I'll give you permission to enter the treasury!

Hmmm, I could ignore it and go home, but maybe there's something good there that he doesn't even know about, so I'll just take a look at it for now.

◆

'This will be our treasure room. His Majesty is free to take as many objects as he likes out of here as long as they are in here.

And Carm, who brought us to the treasure room, explains on behalf of the Sky King.

I mean, for some reason, the Sky King is following us.　

''How's my treasure room?''

What a boastful thing to say, but....

This is the treasure room.

Yeah, it's a warehouse for all intents and purposes.

And it's a pile of junk as far as the eye can see.

It's just old magic items and stuff, you know, all useless!

This would be more powerful with regular magic, I promise!

They're all unmolded magic items, which is why they're not very good to begin with!

Now I understand why Calm and the others were so upset.

Even though it was a magic item, they must have thought that an item that they didn't know how to use was worthless as a reward.

Yeah, that's normal.

''This is not good.''

Some of them were even broken rather than useless.

I don't know how to fix this one, but I guess they left it behind because it would be a waste to throw it away.

''Well, don't say that, just go to the end and look at it, Lex-dono!

Mr. Calm desperately tries to hold us back.

It's kind of a line like a clerk in a store that doesn't sell.

I mean, does the Sky King understand the value of these magic items?

Just because it's old doesn't mean it's worth it, right?

What do you think?　How does it feel to have the honor of entering my treasure room?　Isn't it inspiring?

You don't think I'm going to thank you for putting me in the treasury or anything, do you?

And I'm sure there are some magic items in here that you'd like to try. Take what you like.

........You seriously don't know the value of this.

I feel like I'm being bragged about the stones I've found.

Hm?　This is.....

Amidst the pile of junk I noticed a box.

'This is....'

I pick up the box and open its lid.

There's nothing in it, it's empty.

But the feel of the box convinces me of something.

Yes, this will serve as a good harassment tool.

What's the matter?　Do you want that box?

The Sky King speaks to me as I take the box in my hand.

''Yes, can I have the contents as well?''

With that, I open the lid and show the inside of the box to the Sky King.

There's nothing in there. I'm sure there's nothing more than a small piece of dust in there. I'll give you all those things you want.

Okay, I've got a quarrel.

Once I close the lid, I turn the box over and look at the bottom.

When I look at the box I turned it over, I notice a small gap in the edge of the bottom plate.

'Yeah, I knew it was there.'

I inserted my fingernail into the gap that was slightly open in the bottom board and opened the bottom board.

Then, there was clearly more than just a box of parts laid inside.

''What is this?

The Celestial King, seeing the contents, shouts in surprise.

Yes, the box had a double bottom.

I turned on the switch attached to the inside and put the bottom plate back and turned the box upside down again.

When I opened the lid, there was a dark purple blur that hadn't been there before.

And I don't hesitate to put my hand into the blur.

''Oh, hey!?''

I ignore the Sky King's voice and search inside the box.

I'm sure there was nothing in the box a moment ago, but I felt a hard touch on my fingertips.

I grabbed it and pulled it out of the moya.

''This is ... a necklace,''

Yes, what came out of the box was a necklace.

However, it's clearly a priceless necklace with large gems all over it.

Huh?　What's that necklace?

The Sky King rolls his eyes at the sudden appearance of the necklace from an empty box.

I'm sure you didn't notice.

"Could it be that box was a magic item too?

As expected of Liliera-san, she immediately realized that this box was a magic item.

''Yes, its name is also a magic box.

The magic box?　It's like a magic bag.......no way!

Oops, have you noticed already?

It's a bit too obvious, don't you think?

Yes, that's right. This is the ancestor of the magic bag. There is a sub-space inside the box that can hold a large amount of goods.

With that said, I took out various items that were stored inside.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on them.

Moreover, all of the items are encrusted with large gems, gold and silverwork, and they are all clearly priceless even to the untrained eye.

The quantity is quite large, and this will be a fortune.

And this magic box that contained that many items, the previous owner must not have wanted people to see what was inside, as he deliberately hid the switch and disguised it as a normal box.

Well, that's why the Sky King couldn't find these hidden treasures.

''As I recall, you're allowed to keep the contents of the box too, right?

I check with the Sky King with a smile.

'Huh?　Oh, no, wait, wait a minute!

The Sky King, whose eyes have changed color, stops me.

But I won't wait.

So, if you want me to take the commission, everything in this box will be mine, if you don't mind.

"Wait, wait, wait!　That box is mine!　So what's inside is also my...

Your Majesty!

No, sir!

Just when the Celestial King, driven by greed, was about to rebuff the request, Mr. Carm and Mr. Bardi restrained the Celestial King.

''Your Majesty!　If we can slay that demon, we won't have to worry about food!

'Yes, sir!　Treasures can be collected later, but those demons can't be defeated with treasures!　Patience here, Your Majesty!

Don't talk to me, you people!　I own that box!　So it's no surprise that the contents of the box are also mine!

No, sir!　You must not say that!　We don't need money, we need food!　If we can't get food, our country will go bankrupt!

''Nuh, nuggaaaa!''

Thus, the Sky King, who was forced to give up the treasure hidden in the box, turned his frustration into a yell and shouted.