87-Episode 87: All over

So let's get this emergency meeting going.　

In one of the rooms of the castle in the capital city, there are many nobles and knights, and even some high officials from the temple.

They are all powerful nobles who hold important positions.

You can't help but notice that the head of the adventurer's guild in the capital, Urs, is the only commoner among them.

This meeting was held on the spur of the moment to report to the nation on the shocking events that took place in the ruins of a former mine located deep within the forbidden territory.

Well, if you read the report seriously, the contents of the report are just as bad as a joke.

''Guild leader, let's hear your explanation.''

It was His Majesty the King himself who told me this, to my horror.

Normally, a minister, a vassal, is supposed to facilitate the meeting, but since this is an emergency meeting, there's no need to do anything formal.

Well, since all the powerful aristocrats are gathered here, regardless of their factions, it's probably because they would get into trouble if the content is too formal.

But thanks to the arrangement of His Majesty, I, as a commoner, am allowed to speak at the meeting, so it's not all bad.

''It all stems from the mass emergence of high-ranked demons from the prohibited realm...''

And I will report the incident in front of the nobles.

◆

When I finished my report, the conference room was in an uproar, as expected.

''A demon?　Wasn't that a fairytale being?

''Who are these S-ranked adventurers who are claiming to have investigated ahead of us!　It's the kind of thing that would need an army of knights to fight a large one.　Is it true that only a few people took it down?　What was the plan to defeat them?　I hear it was those adventurers who brought down the demons!

Wait, wait, wait, wait, Bahamut?　What's an S-ranked hexenbiest doing in a cave?

No, what's more important is that the ancient chimera manufacturing facility is still operational!　With this, our country will have an inexhaustible army of chimeras!

Hmm, the original agenda was to report on the resolution of the mass appearance of demons.

However, none of these discoveries could be handled by the Adventurer's Guild alone.

It's a level of concern that the country is obligated to report.

"I don't care about the adventurers and Bahamut. Rather, the problem would be the magician. Was it really a witch?　Even if he was a real witch, how powerful would he be on his own?　This is the first time we have encountered a demon in this era. We have to gather information about the witch before other countries know about it.

And one of the noblemen asks me a question.

Well, if the natural enemy of humanity that was thought to be a legend was real, it would be a matter of considerable importance for national security.

''Baron Norman, haven't you heard the report on the investigation of the demons in the Inner Sea?　Wasn't there a report of a witch's presence in that case as well?

'No, no, I've heard the stories, but I thought it was bullshit made up by the Navy...'

The incident of the defeat of the giant demon that appeared in the Inner Ocean, and the incident between the demon and the giant monster that started it all, is information that I have also obtained.

The huge demon that plagued the seaside country has affected the Inner Sea, and the existence that caused it was that demon man.

It's not just a matter of time before he or she will be able to get the job done.

And the witch's custody was supposed to be managed jointly with the seaside country....

However, it ended in a disastrous way when the legendary monster Bahamut suddenly appeared while transporting the mage and took the entire ship away.

It's also a good idea to have a good time with them.

The situation changed drastically when the ship that was taken with them returned to the capital a few days later to be reborn as a flying ship or some other insane entity.

After all, the ship flew across the sky above the capital, right?

The royal capital was in an up-and-down frenzy, from the nobles to the commoners.

The guild even received an absurd request to investigate that flying ship from the nobles who did not know the ship's affiliation.

With such an incident, I thought that the existence of demons could no longer be dismissed as nonsense, but the people who holed up in their domains and mansions and didn't see the actual thing didn't seem to realize it.

And unintentionally, this scene highlighted the difference in the nobles' ability to gather information.

It's going to be tough for Baron Norman and the other noblemen who were caught behind in information gathering at this meeting.

''Calm down, all of you.

It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends.

It's a good thing that the king's words are as good as his own, because the nobles who were chirping like baby birds neatly shut up.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about this.

''Yes, that's right. Thanks to the efforts of the S-ranked adventurers in our guild, many of the dangerous chimeras and vicious demons have been defeated. If you can see the chimera materials I delivered to you the other day, you will understand the power of our guild's elite.

I have seen those chimeras' corpses as well. The ability of a small group of people to defeat a chimera that is over several dozens of meters tall is just as impressive as those S-ranked adventurers.

The huge chimera I brought in without dismantling it to lend credibility to my report, I believe it was called a prototype chimera or something like that, and by seeing that thing, His Majesty judged my report to be true.

"Knight Commander, if it is a chimera of a few dozen meters, how much of a threat does the Order consider it?

''Haha, a typical chimera is about three to six meters long. A chimera is a very troublesome creature with the abilities of multiple creatures, so it requires at least three platoons. They are rated B according to the Adventurer's Guild. But if you have a platoon of seven, plus a wizard and a priest, you'll get an A. A creature over ten meters tall is just bigger and more dangerous. This is also A-ranked. The strength required will be increased in proportion to its size.

And here, the Knight Commander gives a beat.

''However, when it's a chimera of several tens of meters, it's probably even more of a threat. It's an unprecedented size in the past, and from the reports, it's an individual with special abilities that are equal to magic. Without a doubt, it's at the same level as an S-ranked demon, or even higher, and I think it's at the level where it can finally be dealt with by sending out all of the Knights and mobilizing all of the court mages and church monks...''

The air in the room froze as I listened to the Knight Commander's statement.

''So, you're a threat on par with the top-tier dragons?

That's right.

His Majesty's statement caused the place to buzz again.

''A dragon...?

Could the ancients have created such a being artificially?

There's no need to fear, gentlemen. So, Guild Master, is it true that all the chimeras created by the demons and the ruins have been defeated by S-rank adventurers?

No, the demons have been defeated, but I can't be sure about the Chimera without examining the entire cave.

Then, I shall involve the knights in defeating the remaining demons and chimeras. Also, after we have retrieved everything we can from the ruins, we shall seal the hole that leads to the mine and reopen it in the future.

Right, since the demons and chimeras in the ruins that were the cause of the appearance of the high level demons were defeated, there would no longer be any advantage to discard the mine as a dangerous area.

This was a reasonable idea.

Well, in reality, they're going to use the reopening of the state-run mine as an excuse to keep adventurers out, and the state is going to monopolize the ruins.

For that matter, the guild will be given the benefit of discovering the ruins, so there's no problem with that.

It would also be a bargaining card for future problems that might arise.

More than anything else, it would only be troublesome if the guild monopolized the technology to develop the chimera.

If the country is going to get suspicious of you, a wise adult would rather just hand over the technology to the country and receive the compensation and rights.

But it's the S-ranked adventurers. I'm sure they have powerful magic items found in the ruins and lost magic revived from ancient knowledge.　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that we were able to overcome this unprecedented crisis thanks to a group of fierce people who were fortunate enough to master these powers. I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who are willing to help you. I praise you, Guild Master.　

Haha, thank you very much.

Well, it's only one of them that's really bad.

You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway, so I'll shut up.

To be honest, the more I hear about that Bowles' performance, the more I lose faith in my own ears and sanity.

I'm also concerned about the existence of the white disaster monster that has defeated both the ancients and the mages. If we can make use of this chimera development facility, it will be a great help to our race's future.

''Yes, you're right, if we can produce enough chimeras for S-ranked adventurers to struggle, then our military advantage over other countries is immeasurable.

And one of the noblemen who was debating the Norman Baron earlier agrees as he slips in.

There's an S-rank who easily defeated those chimeras, so don't get too carried away!

I've been studying the ruins, and I'm not sure what to expect. It's a very good thing that the undead who were studying the ruins have disappeared.

Well, I'm curious about that part too, but I only found out about it after everything was over and I got the report.

''What, there is only one undead after all. If they have turned against our country, all we have to do is force them to be purified by the monks' expulsion magic.

And the knights and priests laugh and chest out, but before they do, are they not thinking about the new chimera that the undead will create?

"And this white beast of mischief doesn't even exist in the ancient legends. There's no need to take it too seriously.　Moreover, even the chimera that was created to defeat the monster was defeated by the adventurers. Our Royal Capital Knights are a group of knights who have been training for a long time since this country was founded. No matter how strong they are, they are just one monster monster. It's nothing to be afraid of if we are well prepared to face it.

That's right, Your Majesty. To begin with, demons are the stuff of legends. Even if they existed, it doesn't mean that they are really strong enough to be talked about in legends. It's only a matter of a few adventurers getting together to defeat them. If it's that kind of opponent, there's no reason why we can't defeat it.

The knights are here to rub the adventurers the wrong way and start talking about their usefulness.

I mean, you guys, your vaunted knights are going to fight in a cave wielding f*cking heavy armor and spears!

Your strength is only as strong as your numbers and your horses and your magic.

Don't measure up to the strength of the adventurers with the strength of yours!

However, it's not good for me, the head of the guild, to utter remarks that deny the knights, in many ways.

I'll just have to be patient here.

I've told them what needs to be said, so now I just need to concentrate on how to pass this tedious and troublesome meeting without incident.

We were completely relieved that all the problems were solved, but we still didn't know that a few days later, there would be an uproar when we heard that the Chimera Development Facility and its materials inside the ruins had disappeared without a trace.

◆

I'm home.

Welcome back, brother!

Hey, welcome back.

When we returned home after work, Jairo and his friends would greet us.

''Hey, brother, what was the nature of the S-rank nomination request?''

As soon as I came back, Jairo came begging me to tell him a story.

"Look, look, I'm tired after work, let me at least sit in a chair.

I'll go make some tea.

Mina chides me and Norbu prepares tea for me.

Ah, it feels like I'm home.

So what adventures have you had?

But then, Mina and the others are also sitting in their chairs, ready to listen to what we have to say.

Oh, they're going to listen to our adventures instead of tea.

''Yes, yes.''

Then I began to tell Jairo and the others about what adventures I had been on.

◆

So after I defeated the prototype chimera on the lowest level, I spent a few days eliminating the demons and chimera in the cave. And now that I couldn't find any more worms, I was able to successfully complete my mission. And here is the reward of 1,500 gold coins, the demon's materials and the history book that was left in the archaeological site's archives.

With a few tea breaks along the way, I finished recounting my adventures this time, and placed on the table the reward gold coins, the best looking material from the demon materials I had divided up, and finally a history book I had found in the archives.

''.........''

But for some reason, Jairo and his friends were silent after listening to our adventure, without saying a word.

Oh, was it boring?

Well, it wasn't a great adventure.

''........That's amazing. So you're saying that Lex and the others have obtained research materials from the ancient civilization and the technology to create chimeras?

I thought, but then Mina's cheeks flushed and she sounded excited.

''Is that awesome?''

In contrast to the excited Mina, Megri, who is unfamiliar with the technical aspects of the project, nodded her head.

Instead, Megri's gaze is glued to the demon material on the table.

''That's right!　The Chimera's engineering!　Chimeras are life created by the technology of an ancient civilization that multiplied multiple animal elements, but that technology is not left in the modern world!　So to say that you've got that knowledge is an amazing thing!

Huh?　Was the technology for making Chimera lost in this day and age?

Come to think of it, I didn't see the pet chimera I used to see in my previous life in King's Landing.

I'm not sure.

Well anyway, it's an amazing technology that's been lost now.

Well.....

Mina let out a sigh at Megri-san's apparent lack of interest in technical matters and told her as much.

But I heard later that the main materials and equipment in the ruins disappeared without a trace when we were returning to the capital from the mine.

"What?　What's that?　Did someone steal it?　By whom?

Mina's eyes widen in astonishment when she hears that her hard-earned technology has disappeared.

"Maybe Gan-ei-san took it away to make a new chimera.　Originally, she was the one who managed the ruins, and since she found out where the ruins were, she must have taken them away to continue her research elsewhere so that she wouldn't be disturbed.

Well, that's what researchers do.

Oh, I see.

Apparently, Mina is curious about my knowledge of chimera development.

Maybe next time I'll show you what I know about chimera technology.

Well, that's why the only things we've accomplished are the demons, the chimera material and some of the materials we got from the archives.

It's too good to be true~.

Well, our original goal was to figure out and solve the reason for the demon's abnormal appearance, so it's good that we've fully fulfilled our purpose.

''........''

'Huh?　What's the matter, Mr. Gyro?

And Norbu talked to Jairo, who had been silent for a long time.

Come to think of it, it's rare that Jairo-kun doesn't shout.

'.....Ku.

""Huh?"

It's so frustrating!

What?　What?

What's the matter with you?

Mina asks Jairo-kun, who suddenly becomes frustrated, in a languid manner.

He seems to have lost interest in the fact that he didn't get the knowledge of the chimera.

'Because, you know, my brothers had such an awesome adventure and we couldn't fight with them!　You're frustrating!

Oh, Jairo, you're sorry you didn't get to explore with us.

'It can't be helped. We've only been adventurers for a short time.

'Naturally, thanks to Lex, I'm rising through the ranks much faster than an ordinary adventurer.

''That's right, we who became adventurers just a few days ago have already surpassed the D-rank, which is a full-fledged person. That's rather amazing.

And everyone is comforting Gyro-kun.

It's good to have an understanding companion in a situation like this.

But still, you know, it's frustrating for a man not to be able to participate in such a great adventure.

Don't be selfish.

Mina looks at Jairo-kun, who is still unconvinced and frustrated, with a dumbfounded gaze.

''But I can understand that feeling.

It was Liliella who said, "Oh, do you understand, Liliella's sister?

'Oh, do you understand, Liliera's sister, ouch!

With Liliera-san's consent, Mina-san kicks Jairo-kun's leg, which stood up at my will, to silence him.

Yeah, I don't envy the familiarity between us at times like this.

''What do you mean by that?''

'Lex-san and I got this request together, but I honestly felt that I wasn't strong enough for the fight against the chimeras... I thought I was getting pretty strong.

Hmm, I don't think so.

I interjected.

In fact, I think Liliela did a good job.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. I don't think I could have done it without Lex's help. I can't repay you for your kindness to Lex-san, even if it were possible.

Come to think of it, the reason Lilliera-san became one of mine was to return the favor.

She's really a serious person.

''But an adventurer's skills aren't just in their prowess. Didn't I say in the adventures of the great swordsman Rygaard?　He who wins without fighting is invincible, and winning the adventure with wisdom is also a form of strength.

This is a line from one of my favorite great swordsman Rygaard's adventures, the story of the mastery of enemylessness.

When Rygaard and his friends were adventuring in a cave, a wise man they met by chance defeated an enemy that neither swords nor bows were good enough for them with his wisdom.

I've spent my previous life and previous lives developing battle techniques and defeating people by force, so this is my favorite story that doesn't rely on force alone.

The main purpose of an adventurer is adventure. We fight only as a means to accomplish our requests, and the resolution of battles is the true purpose of knights and mercenaries.

Norbu-san and Megri-san nodded in agreement with my words.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a solution without having to fight. In that sense, the idea of a technique for settling things without fighting is understandable.

Mina affirmed my words.

But hey, I think it's better to be strong. There are problems that can only be solved if you win.

But it seems that Jairo-kun and Liliella-san are still unhappy with their lack of power.

Hmm, well, I don't really understand what they're trying to say.

It's true that such a possibility may emerge in the future.

So, our next destination is.....

So, your next adventure will be to a place where you can test your strength as well as your training?

Let's go!

Jairo-kun and Liliera's voices hummed beautifully.

''Ookay, so let's train against the dragons next time.

Oh, dragons!　That's going to make my arms ring....huh?

Yeah, if a dragon is a trainee, it's not enough for them to... what?

And that's when Liliera-san stops speaking and everyone comes to stare at us.

''........eh?''

Yes, the next stop is Dragonia, the land of the dragon knights, the sacred land of dragons!

Yeah, after all, when it comes to training partners, dragons are the perfect choice!

There's no shortage of dragons there, so there's no shortage of people to train with!

""Huh?!"

Yeah, yeah, everyone's really into it before we leave.