Volume 6 - CH 12

It was night when the town had gone to bed.

I was standing alone on the roof of the inn where I was staying.

Dozens of hitogata float in the air around me.

I select a few of them and repeat the process a few times before furrowing my brow and groaning.

“What are you doing? Seika- sama.”

“Oh, it’s divination.”

Yuki says in surprise when I answer.

“Divination… is it? But still, it is unusual for Seika-sama to use divination …… without using  bamboo sticks?”

“Where’s that stuff?”

“You’re right.”

We don’t even know if there are lespedeza or bamboo growing in this world.

There are many plants and animals in common, so it would not be surprising if there were, but at least they would be far away.

“Tools are not the essence. It doesn’t matter as long as you can use it”

“Fufu. You said that in your previous life, and you ruined the face of an old fortune teller who was well remembered by nobles.”

“You remember it well. I was just a young man who didn’t know the truth, who dug his own grave by showing his ignorance.”

Although. Now that I think about it, it might not have been a very praiseworthy behavior.

Because he was trying to sell a dubious fetish to an acquaintance, I gave him a light-hearted blow… but there must have been a way to avoid incurring resentment.

Knowing my petty regrets, Yuki spoke in a carefree tone.

“Even so, why are you fortune-telling again? Was there anything you were worried about?”

“Oh, just a minute.”

I asked after some hesitation.

“Are you aware of ……?”

“What?　What is it?”

“ the flow of power around here,”

I say.

“There’s a dragon vein running down here.”

A dragon vein is the flow of power through the land.

When this is present, the land flourishes. Crops will be bountifully harvested, and many energetic people will gather, which will have a positive influence on their surroundings.

Of course, it is not only people who benefit from the dragon vein, but also other forms of life.

Therefore, in secluded areas where dragon veins run, there were usually powerful ghosts and monsters living.

Yuki said groaning.

“Uhmmm… Dragon Vein, is it? I can feel the presence of power… Is this what it is? I think it’s somewhat different from what we had in Japan…”

“I agree. The power is much different from what it was in the previous life. But there is no doubt that it is a dragon’s vein.”

The land of Astillia was full of power, but this place is even more so. No wonder the city is growing.

“More than that place, is that right? …… Then perhaps a monster more powerful than that dragon lives in this place?”

“No. …… perhaps, but not likely.”

I explain.

“There is apparently no monster in the world more powerful than the dragon. In addition, there is a huge number of monsters here, far more than in Astiria. After all, there are three large dungeons. The more people there are, the less each of them benefits.”

“I see. Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

Yuki said, sounding convinced.

Then she mumbled in a peculiar tone of voice.

“However, the people of this region do wasteful things, don’t they?”

“?”

“I wish they had built the city right above the dragon pit anyway. That way, it would have developed even more.”

A dragon pit is a place where the power flowing through a dragon vein gushes out onto the ground.

It is certainly plausible, since it is a particularly beneficial place in the land of the dragon vein. ……

I say to Yuki, somewhat taken aback.

“Does that mean they should live in a mountain that has become a dungeon? 　You see… how do you live in a place where monsters are everywhere, there is no place to cultivate, and it is difficult for peddlers to come?”

“If you can gain power to that extent, isn’t it trivial?”

“Don’t think of them like youkai. Human beings would be in a lot of trouble.”

Then I add

“Also, there is no dragon pit in this land.”

“……yes?”

Yuki said blankly.

“The three mountains where the monsters are said to dwell in great numbers were not dragon pits?　Then where does the power go……?”

“What can I say ……”

I think for a moment and continue.

“In this world, there are dungeons. It is a different world where powerful monsters, sorcerers, and curses exist as a nucleus, giving birth to monsters and treasures.”

“Yes.”

“This other world does not exist without a price. Even if it is just there, it will gradually reduce the power of the nucleus. I’ve heard that dungeons sometimes disappear spontaneously, but that’s probably because the nucleus has used up all its power.”

To create something, there must always be a price.

This is one of the truths that remains unchanged in all things.

But, as far as spells are concerned, they usually do not break even.

“So, considering the  nucleus, how much dungeon can it sustain? …… Remember that dungeon in the basement of Rodnea? The boss monster, the rainbow Naga, looked quite strong, but even so, the monsters that appeared were all small fry and didn’t have much treasure, right?　That’s how much power is required.”

From what I had read in the school’s books about the dungeon, it seemed that this perception was correct.

“The dungeon in Lacana is of an odd scale when you think about it. Such a thing could only be possible if the nucleus were a high-ranked dragon-class monster or a divine weapon-class cursed object.”

“But …… it exists in reality, doesn’t it?　What does this mean?”

“Perhaps, …… the boss monster is taking the place of the dragon pit.”

I explain.

“In the previous life, there were instances of land deities that had fallen into ruin, sucking the power out of the places they inhabited and decimating homes and villages, right?　In the same way, I wonder if there are monsters in this world that can capture the power of the …… dragon vein more efficiently.”

“Hmm.”

“Once such monsters gained power in this land and eventually became the nucleus that formed dungeons in each mountain. I think what maintains this vast dungeon is not the nucleus, the boss monster itself, but rather the inexhaustible power …… that it sucks up from the dragon’s veins. Perhaps.”

“How ambiguous of you to say that.”

Yuki mutters.

“However, didn’t that slender human tell you that the core of the dungeon is not the monsters?　That it had been defeated several times in the past.”

“Yeah. That’s why I think the dungeon disappeared each time.”

I say.

“The reason the dungeon is still there today is probably because another monster with similar abilities became the new nucleus and re-formed the dungeon. If it becomes a blank area, there will be an influx of monsters from other mountains, and if the conditions are met, naturally the same phenomenon could occur. …… Well, maybe.”

“Maybe, is that so? After all, it’s a very ambiguous way of saying it.”

“It’s just a guess, but at least it’s certain that there’s no dragon pit. This is the most reasonable guess.”

“Well, if you say so, Seika-sama, then I suppose it must be so. But then …… does that still mean that the monsters reigning over each mountain have powers similar to those of the higher dragons?”

“As I said before, probably not. I guess the ability to gain power from the dragon’s veins and simple strength are two different things, …… because otherwise, it’s unlikely that a person would be able to defeat it.”

“It’s hard to believe that there is anyone in the world who could defeat the …… top dragons.”

Then Yuki says dismissively.

“It is a land of convenience, isn’t it, where monsters of inexhaustible wealth reside and yet pose no serious threat. …… I suppose it is because they live in such a blessed land that people of that caliber can be so chic.”

“Well, that may be true,…… but it might have been better if the boss had been as strong as the top dragons,…….”

Yuki asks me curiously, as I say this in a hushed tone of voice.

“Why?　It would be terrible if it were to break out on a whim, as it happens in some other dungeons.”

“That’s true, but it’s also not good to be …… weak.”

I explain.

“If the boss monster that serves as the dragon pit is defeated, the flow of the dragon vein will naturally be blocked. What would happen if that were to happen? ……”

“What do you mean?”

“I do not know”

“yes?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never heard of a case of a dragon hole being plugged in a previous life. There’s no way to know what will happen.”

“Yeah. …….”

Yuki sounds puzzled, but there are things even I don’t know.

“Well, if it’s at least one of them, it won’t matter because there are two other places to go. Eventually, if another monster becomes the new boss, we’ll be back on track. But if …… all three of them were to be defeated, I seriously don’t know what would happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was one hell of a catastrophe.”

“Haha …… I see. So, was it fortune-telling?”

After saying this in an agreeable tone of voice, Yuki continues in a rather sullen tone.

“However, I think you may be worrying a little too much.　There are three of them, so even after one of them is actually defeated ……”

“There are only two more bosses now.

“What?”

“The boss to the north is already gone.”

I say.

“You mentioned that monsters are no longer appearing in the northern mountains now.　And instead, the dungeons in the eastern and southern mountains have a change in difficulty level. …… We’re already starting to see signs. There is, in fact, a bias in the flow of power.”

“What is the meaning of ……?　Have the people of this land defeated them?”

“I don’t know, maybe it is, or maybe it has migratory qualities, like a dragon, and it has moved somewhere else. Well, that’s not the point. What matters is that Lloyd is planning to take down the boss in the east under these circumstances. Once that’s done, what’s left? It’s not an optimistic situation.”

In some cases, it may be necessary to leave this place.

But even if we do so, we do not know where we will go next. I am not sure if I will be able to get Fiona’s cooperation either.

If that is the case, there is always the option of staying here and taking care of the worst case scenario. …… The question is what will happen in that worst case scenario.

“…… earthquakes and eruptions are possible, but these don’t seem to be volcanoes,…… so maybe it’s the stampede that Amiyu was talking about.”

Monster Stampede.

A phenomenon in which large numbers of monsters attack towns and villages.

If it were to happen here in Lakana, it still seemed the most natural.

“Excuse me……”

Yuki says hesitantly.

“I don’t need to tell you, Seika-sama, that you can do anything about …… disasters, can’t you?　In a previous life, didn’t you manage to contain great floods and storms?”

“Of course it would be possible, but it would expose my power to the public.”

“……”

“I know you’re going to say, ….. what the hell are you talking about now?”

I sigh and say to Yuki, who is silent as if she wants to say something.

“I’m not going to use my power to save a complete stranger in this city, let alone someone I’m not close to. Fortunately, Fiona is covering up what happened at the Imperial Castle. I won’t let my good fortune go to waste.”

Despite all that she did, she was really helpful with all of that. I will have to thank her.

I don’t want to do anything that will attract the attention of any more government officials.

A stampede would be difficult to contain in secret, like an earth tremor or a volcanic eruption.

After all, if push comes to shove, we will have no choice but to flee.

“Yuki is …….”

Yuki said timidly.

“Yuki, think’s it’s fine for Seika-sama to live like he did in his previous life…”

“Just like in my previous life, huh?”

“It means being able to use your power to help strangers and spend peaceful days surrounded by lifelong friends and disciples.”

“… what are you saying?”

The tone is unintentionally stiff.

“I guess that’s why I’m in the world I’m in now, because I failed.”

“It’s ……”

Yuki clammed up, hesitated for a moment, and then squeezed out a few words.

“Yes… Thank you very much.”

“…..”

I silently reached out and stroked the demon on my head.

Perhaps Yuki was feeling frustrated with my situation since my reincarnation.

But there was nothing I could do about it.

The world is not so simple that it can be made up of violence alone, and it is not so naive that violence can be left unchecked.

In order not to make enemies of cunning politicians, we have to be cautious.

“……I digress, but that’s the gist of it. I was relying on fortune-telling because I couldn’t decide what was going to happen and what I should do.”

“Yes, ……, Seika-sama. What were the results?”

“The results. Yes. ……”

I look at the floating hitogata and mutter to myself with a sullen look on my face.

I’ve tried changing the target several times, but all I can come up with is an incomprehensible answer to the question. Looking at the hexagram, it didn’t change much.

If I still force an interpretation…

“It seems that if you do something the way you want to do it, it will work out ……”

“It’s a good oracle, isn’t it?”

“It could also read, Don’t lie to yourself. And also that your friends will guide you.”

“What, it seems that a lot of refreshing outcomes have come out ……However, was that the problem this time?　Seika- sama what kind of questions did you ask ?”

“I’m just asking the usual questions about the future.I want to know why this psychobabble comes back……Well, divination is like this.”

It’s not like seeing into the future.

I am by no means all-powerful.