Chapter 359 - Natural Outcome
Azure-san, who had gone to check on the stairs above, returned.
"She really did go back."
"I think it's safe now," Argenta-san said, prompting me to release Stealth and Presence Concealment and return to the room.
Hiding is incredibly tiring. Oh, right, it consumes MP. And Lupi's share too.
"Thanks, you two. Was that... the Demon Kingdom's princess?"
"Yes. That was Nemear, the current Princess of the Demon Kingdom. The figures behind her appeared to be her Imperial Guard, but the person next to her... do you know them?"
"I don't know her personally, but she's quite famous..."
As I watched Lupi go back on lookout, I relayed what I knew about Ice Princess Anshia and the current situation in IRO. Of course, all I really knew was that she was a lord in a developing territory south of the Republic, and that she was making a fortune trading with the Demon Kingdom...
"Doesn't seem like much."
"Hii-sama…"
"I'm more curious about her saying 'next time.' If she only wanted to defeat the demons here, she wouldn't have needed to come herself."
She did say she was going 'next,' didn't she?
She probably already has the eastern side under her thumb…
"Did she head to the southern control room?"
"Indeed. What should we do?"
"For now, we'll leave her be. The Demon Kingdom wouldn't be foolish enough to make an enemy of the Dragonkin. More importantly, Azure, investigate this place a bit further."
"Yes," Azure-san replied, returning to the control console (or whatever it was).
Apparently, he was performing a large-scale Magic Analysis, so there didn't seem to be anything I could help with.
"That princess seemed like a normal person, though..."
"That was a disguise. Like us, she can take human form, but her true self is a Nue, as large as Argenta."
"A Nue..."
Is that why she spoke with a Kansai-like accent?
I thought this was Western fantasy, but maybe the Demon Kingdom has a Japanese style…
"Then, the people behind her were Oni, after all?"
"Yes. They are a race that naturally masters physical enhancements through mana, and possess extremely high combat abilities."
Conversely, it seemed they were poor at Elemental Magic and Spirit Magic.
"And the other one was a Dark Elf?"
"They were once called that, but with the expulsion of demons, they came to be known as 'Sepia Elves.' This was out of their dislike for the God of Twilight and Darkness."
"Hmm..."
It seemed common for the current Demon Kingdom to worship either the Blue Sky Goddess or the Scarlet Goddess. A diverse array of races lived there, but all seemed to have their quirks... I'd heard there would be a Demon Kingdom start in the next update, so the number of selectable races would likely increase.
"They didn't seem very friendly, either."
"It's said that the young Giantkin who caused the catastrophe were also incited by demons."
Whoa, that sounds incredibly complex.
The Giantkin are under the protection of the Dragonkin, but the catastrophe was triggered by demons. And demons are originally Demonkin, so…
『Shou-kun. All large Skeletons have been defeated.』
Oh, is the upstairs part almost over?
"I mostly understand now. To sum it up, this magic facility alone cannot cause a catastrophe. Not even if the other two are present."
Argenta-san visibly relaxed at those words.
"Normally, it manages a part of this city, and in an emergency, it has a mechanism to force-stop the central tower, that mana accumulation device."
"Huh? Then..."
"Yes, I believe the Emergency Magic Crystal Stone was removed before the catastrophe occurred," Azure-san said, looking at the empty slot.
They must have planned it meticulously…
"Did they come here knowing all that?"
"Who knows? If the Princess herself came, I imagine she has other motives."
Motives…
"Is it about managing the city? Or wanting a Transfer Magic Circle like mine?"
"I see."
Since Princess Anshia was with her…
She probably wouldn't do anything without a return, but she's also the type to avoid excessive risks.
"The Demon Kingdom side probably has a Transfer Magic Circle too, and that one's probably already secured by them."
If there was a matching one here, they'd want to retrieve it, just like me.
But which side was the Demon Kingdom on before the catastrophe?
[Multiple alliances have cooperated to defeat Viscount-class Demon Alboras!]
"Ah..."
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, it seems another demon has been defeated. It was a Viscount-class named Alboras."
And then,
『Shou-kun. The demons were defeated by Leona-san. I think it will be over soon.』
"I think the upstairs part is almost finished."
Only the Lich remaining?
I'm not sure why the demons were here, but I'll ask Mion about it later. I also want to hear Bell-buchou and Seth's perspectives.
"Then, let's return too."
"Yes. This location will continue to be...?"
"Yes, as long as there's no Magic Crystal Stone that can be installed, there shouldn't be a problem, but let's leave Vermilion here. It will also serve as a deterrent to the Demon Kingdom."
"Understood."
Princess Anshia was here, so there's a chance they might procure an Emergency Magic Crystal Stone from somewhere.
I'll have Vermilion-san do his best, and send him some wine as thanks…
………
……
…
[World Quest Concluded]
"Ah, it seems it's over. Um, I received a revelation."
The World Announcement came just as we returned to the church. When I relayed it, White Dragon Princess Althena sat on the front pew, looking a little sleepy.
"Can we consider the crisis of catastrophe to have passed?"
『It seems Bell-buchou and others are investigating various things, but most of the facilities seem to be destroyed.』
I see.
Well, if they weren't destroyed, they would probably have been activated, and perhaps the Lich was bound to that place.
"I think it's probably fine."
Oh, right. The results should be out…
[World Quest: Necropolis]
『By the Blessed Ones, the "Core of Wisdom," which was the cause of the catastrophe, has been purified.
Now, the catastrophe has truly ended, and the day is near when this land, once called the Necropolis, will regain its former prosperity.
However, the revealed intervention of demons has had no small impact on the hearts of the people…
・Part One: Negotiation with the Dragonkin: Completed
・Part Two: Liberation of the Necropolis: Completed
・Part Three: Purification of the Core of Wisdom: Completed
・Sub-objective: Defeat the demons infiltrating the Necropolis. Achieved: 12/13』
I was curious about what this "Core of Wisdom" was, but if it's purified, there shouldn't be any problem. My only concern was that one demon got away…
Well, it probably doesn't concern the island, I thought, closing the quest screen.
[Goddess Reward: World Quest Completion Reward: Acquired 15 SP]
[Goddess Reward: World Quest Top 100 Contributor Reward: Acquired 15 SP]
[World Quest Contribution Ranking: You were 1st place!]
...Eh?