Chapter 49
『Jiryuu-sama』
「Dad!」
Ann and Tres came running.
Both of them are in a terrible state.
Through thought transmission, I couldn’t grasp their conditions.
Especially Ann’s condition is severe.
I’m impressed that she managed to come this far in such a terrible state.
『Jiryuu-sama… You’re badly injured… I sincerely apologize. I’m a disgrace, unworthy of a subordinate. Please give me any punishment. I will humbly accept it.』
Ann bows her head.
『No, you didn’t do anything wrong. More importantly, I was the one at fault… Both of you. Making you push yourselves to this point… I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Please forgive me.』
『—–!?』
「Huh…?」
Both of them look at me with blank expressions upon hearing my words.
Tres is trembling, and Ann seems like her soul has left her body.
『Eh? What’s wrong?』
As I wonder, Tres suddenly raises her face and clings to me.
「Dad! I love you!」
Gyaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!
Even with the numbness from the white powder, it still hurts!
『T-Tres… Wait… Let go…』
I try to shake her off, but I can’t move my body.
Oh no… My consciousness…
「Tres, stop it already. If you cling to him any more than that, he will really die. Also, if you’re going to cling to someone, cling to a lady instead of a smelly lizard like him. Uheehehehe.」
「NO!」
「Aww, come on… But still, you’re even cuter like this… Uheehehehe.」
I looked towards the direction of the extremely creepy voice and saw Elibel.
「Elibel!… And Berg is here too?」
When I looked towards the cliff, Elibel crawled up with Berg carrying her.
Seeing that, Tres separates from me.
「Ah Uncle, so you found the skeleton you’re looking for!」
Thank goodness. I seriously thought I was going to die from the shock of the pain.
By the way, Ann. How long are you going to be in a daze?
I’ve been sending thought transmission, but there’s absolutely no response.
She’s completely frozen.
Tres continues on towards Berg without stopping.
「Well, as we head deeper, as her subordinate, I can sense Miss Elibel’s presence… I didn’t expect her to be even further down, though.」
「Seriously. I had a tough time because of someone. Oh, Tres, come on, cling to your big sister too. Come on, come on. Huh? Why are you scared? Why are you keeping your distance? Hey, Jiryuu! Why won’t Tres cling to me? Is this your doing?!」
She’s making baseless accusations, but I don’t have the energy to argue now.
『Okay, okay, my bad… I’m sorry.』
「Y-Yeah… Seriously, you’re so obedient, it’s surprising… The power of the white powder, it’s so terrifying… Overwhelming… Overwhelming mental alteration…!」
『Hey, stop saying it like that.』
It’s causing various misunderstandings. Well, not entirely wrong. It’s not entirely wrong, but still.
By the way, Ann, came back to her sense already.
I feel like she’s muttering something in a low voice. Hey, come back to us!
『Huh!?… Why would… Jiryuu-sama… Jiryuu-sama… Hawawawa… Me… Me…』
Ah, she finally came back.
Is she?
Well, whatever.
Everyone is in a terrible state.
「Now, let’s discuss about what we’re gonna do in the future, is that alright with everyone?」
Without even considering the atmosphere, Elibel started talking.
This person is really something.
In a sense, she’s even more unwavering than me on a regular basis.
「But for now, let’s wipe out the forces in the upper floors first. They’re just in the way.」
Elibel says it in a casual manner, like going to a convenience store.
That’s right. The battle isn’t over yet.
Only Wald retreated.
The others are still fighting on the upper floors.
Activate magic perception… There are too many of them…
『It won’t be that easy even for you, I assume?』
「It’s actually not that hard… Anyway, I have to recover first. Jiryuu, can you give me magic stones? The high-purity ones.」
『They’re scattered all around here. I can’t move my body right now, so sorry, but you’ll have to dig them up yourself.』
「Where exactly?」
『A couple of steps back from there. There are probably about five or six buried there.』
「Oh, they really came out. Amazing.」
Elibel eats one magic stone and hands me the rest.
I eat one and give the rest to Ann and Tres.
Tres is feeding the magic stone to Ann.
Ann is eating the magic stone like a machine, crunching on it.
She’s still muttering something. Seriously what’s wrong with her?
「Oh, so this is the Imperial Ant I saw in your memories… Interesting.」
Come to think of it, I have yet to introduce Elibel to Ann.
Ah, I see. That’s why she was so shaken.
Indeed, it’s natural to be confused when someone you don’t know suddenly appears.
I want to do so, but for now, recovery is a priority.
First, let’s all eat the magic stones to recover.
Now, let’s listen to what the sage has to say.
「Well, the plan itself is simple. For now, Jiryuu, I want you to eat the sacred sword. Oh, but leave the hilt intact.」
Saying that, Elibel hands me the sacred sword that was stuck in my arm until earlier.
Tres pulled it out for me when I recovered. It hurt so much.
I receive the sacred sword that was carelessly handed to me.
『……………………』
…Just with that, I knew the content of the plan is.
The me now is very perceptive.
I’m sure we have to do that.
Honestly, I can’t say I have no regrets, but since we’ve been invaded this far, it’s probably the fastest way to resolve this situation.
「…Can you do it?」
Elibel asks, as if she knew I realized what we’re going to do.
Can I do it?
Well, if it were my usual self, I definitely couldn’t.
I’m not gonna lie it’s kind of sad to let it go. After all, I’ve built everything from scratch.
If possible, I don’t want to do it… But if it means preventing further harm to my subordinate…
『…It’s fine, I’ll do it. I just need to eat the blade, right?』
Elibel nods.
「Yes, that’s all you need to do. I’ll use the hilt part.」
『Understood.』
And so, I devour the sacred sword.
Crunch, crunch, crunch… gulp.
…It’s not really tasty.
I’d say the white powder from earlier was more delicious.
And then, the effect of my “Gluttony” ability is activated.
…Oh, this is incredible.
The power of the sacred sword flows into me. Enhanced attack, increased power, imbued attributes… And even “that ability” flows in seamlessly.
There’s also a sensation that I can freely use that power.
Actually, I feel like it’s the first time I’ve consciously used “Gluttony.”
「Did you acquire the power of the sacred sword?」
『Yeah, I’ve obtained it. Let’s proceed.』
「Then give me access to your headline (hotline). Oh, and please send me the map of the dungeon. I’ll give instructions to the creatures inside the dungeon, so you should eat some magic stones and recover your stamina before your turn. Understand so far? Oh, and make sure to tell everyone to listen to my instructions. Most of them don’t know who I am, yet.」
『Yes.』
Using memory transmission, I send Elibel the map of the dungeon, as well as the current situation inside the dungeon, including the locations of the golems and ants.
As the Dungeon Master, I can know the situation anywhere within the dungeon.
I never use it before. Not until the I licked the white powder.
…Seriously, I’m not like my usual self.
I think the effect will wear off soon, but I’m afraid of the backlash it will bring…
『What are you planning to do, Jiryuu-sama?』
An looked at me with an anxious expression.
It seems she has finally recovered.
She probably has guessed what I am about to do.
『Well, listen carefully, everyone.』
I activated the thought transmission, not only with Ann and Tres but with all the creatures in the dungeon.
And then, I explained the plan.
『Are you okay with it?』
After hearing everything, Ann asked with those words.
『Yeah, since it has come to this, we can’t live here anymore. So, this method is the fastest way to settle things. However, I want to make it clear to all of you—』
『I don’t mind.』
An immediately cut in, overlapping with my words.
『I belong next to you, Jiryuu-sama. No matter where that is.』
「I’m fine as long as I’m with everyone,」
Tres added.
『Puruu』
A thought transmission comes from Pururu.
…Oops, I have no idea what she’s saying.
「Pururu says she’s fine with it too,」
Thank goodness Tres can translate it for me.
Signals of agreement are sent from the others as well.
They really are good subordinates…
I’ve been neglecting these guys like this on a regular basis…
That’s not right…
『Alright… It’s decided.』
I look towards Elibel.
Elibel nods.
「Alright, then let’s begin the operation,」
Elibel touches my head and starts giving instructions to everyone.
The final operation has begun.
Near the Eld Desert――――
Eclair was waiting for the reports inside a makeshift tent.
The mapping data was sent surprisingly quickly by Wald and Beldi, so he has been dispatching mobile units to the dungeon one by one.
However, there have been no favorable reports coming in.
On top of that, he has been unable to reach Wald and Beldi through their communication magic stones.
Despite trying to contact them multiple times, there has been no response.
「What’s going on? If the mapping is complete, it means the queen must have been exterminated already… But why they haven’t contact us yet?」
Are they battling the unknown golem?
No, even though that golem had incredible performance, Wald and Beldi should have been able to defeat it without any problems.
Both of them have experience defeating disaster-designated species in the past.
Even from Eclair’s perspective, they are more than capable warriors.
So, what could be the reason?
「Could it be that there really was an ‘Earth Dragon’ there?」
He thought, shaking his head.
No, it’s impossible.
The idea of an Earth Dragon and an Imperial Ant-class monster coexisting is absurd.
Then, why?
And the fluctuations of magical power he has been feeling since earlier…
A terrible, unsettling premonition.
In the next moment.
A tremendous roar echoed.
「――――What on earth?!」
「Lord Eclair, something terrible has happened!」
As if to dissuade Eclair from his thoughts, a knight rushed into the tent.
His face contorted with fear.
「What happened?」
「The… vortex…」
「Vortex?」
「A giant ‘vortex of light’ suddenly appeared at the center of the crack! Everyone who entered the dungeon was swallowed by that vortex of light! I… I was monitoring the dungeon, and suddenly, the area in front of me lit up… and then the vortex, the vortex of light suddenly appeared!」
Trembling, the knight attempted to continue his report.
「What is happening?」
Frustrated by the knight’s futile report, Eclair’s irritation grew.
However, the surging flow of magical power he had been feeling since earlier…
As Eclair stepped outside the tent, he was left speechless.
「What is this…?!」
There was no other way to describe it but as a vortex of light.
A massive vortex, centered around the crevice, was engulfing the dungeon.
In the face of such an extraordinary sight, Eclair found himself momentarily dumbfounded.
「Report… Summon the knights near the vortex! Hurry!」
「Yes… Yes, sir!」
「What is going on…?」
However, as Eclair became increasingly confused, more knights approached the tent.
「I have a report for the commander!」
The knight who entered was a young one who should have been stationed in the rear.
「What now?!」
「Our forces at the rear… are under attack!」the knight stammered.
「An attack? By whom…?」
There should have been troops from another country stationed in the rear.
Although they were less experienced due to being reinforcements, there should have been a few hundred of them.
Could it be a rebellion? Or some kind of banditry?
In this situation? In this location?
No, it couldn’t be possible, Eclair thought. But the knight uttered something even more impossible.
「No… You see, the ones attacking our forces are… just two person… wearing mask.」
「What?」
「They are wreaking havoc in the rear of our forces with terrifying strength… Moreover, some of our own knights have suddenly started attacking their comrades… Our reinforcements and regular army alike have suffered immense casualties…」
Nonsense, Eclair muttered.
「What on earth is happening…?」
Time rewinds a little.
In the forest leading to Eld Desert――――
Una and Dos were facing off against a strange woman.
This woman introduced herself as Rias and smiled as she looked at the two.
Her smile was like that of a doll, Una thought. Ironically, in a sense.
「Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stop you. You’re adventurers, right?」
「Yes, but… Do you need something?」
Drawing her sword, Una immediately assumed a battle stance.
Dos also enveloped his fist in wind, ready for combat.
Both of them were in a hurry.
They couldn’t waste time in a place like this.
We should just kill her quickly.
That’s what Una thought.
「Well, I just wanted to offer you a ‘friendly advice.’」
The woman changed her tone as she spoke.
Her voice, unlike before, was clear and captivating, as if it charmed everyone who heard it.
「Please, fight ‘as usual.’ There’s no need to fear even in the deadly wasteland.」
It was truly just a piece of advice.
Ridiculous, Una thought.
「…Thank you for your advice. However, we must hurry ahead.」
「Oh?」
At that moment, Rias tilted her head.
For the first time, Rias showed an expression.
「Were you not ‘guided’ by my words? Are you perhaps… people from the dungeon side? Are both of you even ‘human’ to begin with?」
Upon hearing those words, Una and Dos’s expressions changed.
Thanks to their masks, their expressions couldn’t be discerned, but the two were undeniably disturbed.
「Ah, I see. So that’s how it is. If that’s the case, I sincerely apologize for trying to stop you.」
The woman lowered her head deeply.
Her attitude had changed completely from before and became quite casual.
「Although it may not be enough to apologize, please take this.」
The woman gestured with her hand.
In the next moment, Una and Dos were enveloped in a faint green light.
「What… What have you done!?」
Una tried to figure out what had happened to her own body.
But before she could do so, Rias answered.
「It’s a ‘support magic.’ It enhances your physical abilities, speed, and restores your stamina. With this, you should be able to make up for the time lost during our conversation. Oh, it lasts for about an hour, but it has the most powerful effect. You should be able to exert greater strength than usual. Amazing, isn’t it?」
「What?!」
After she mentioned it, Una did feel lighter and a surge of strength. Moreover, she felt no fatigue from the intense running just moments ago.
However, at the same time, a sense of distrust and wariness arose.
Who exactly was this woman?
「For now, it would be best to hurry. The dungeon should be ‘destroyed’ already. Did you feel the tremendous earthquake earlier? That was it. If everything went as planned from ‘our side,’ the regular army should have already entered by now. Now, hurry and head there.」
Rias stepped aside and made way for the two.
「We’re going now.」
「Is it fine?」
Dos implicitly asked if they didn’t need to kill this suspicious woman.
But Una shook her head.
「We have our priorities now. Let’s hurry!」
Indeed, for Una, there was nothing more important than her father, Jiryuu.
The two slipped past Rias and continued through the forest.
Rias silently watched their retreating figures.
Once the two had completely disappeared from sight, Rias spoke.
She was drenched in a cold sweat.
「Oh boy, that was nerve-wracking! Wasn’t that a Golem Homunculus or something? Damn, it scared the crap out of me! To think such a forbidden spell still existed in this world. That means there must be a practitioner capable of using it on the dungeon side.」
I’d love to meet them, Rias said.
「But that will have to wait. Well, it seems like this pointless war will be settled soon. Alright then, let’s move on to the finishing touch.」
With a relaxed demeanor, Rias disappeared into the forest.