Chapter 362 - Interlude: Ice Princess Anshia's Miscalculation
With the Sepia Elf woman leading, Nemear and Anshia walked side-by-side, while the Oni man guarded their rear.
The two guards of the Demon Kingdom's princess had initially been wary of Anshia, but now that atmosphere was gone. They probably didn't perceive her as strong enough to warrant their caution.
"Anshia-chan, what do you think is happening on the south side?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure if they've even noticed the church basement."
Anshia politely answered Princess Nemear's casual question. Originally, the agreement with the Demon Kingdom was twofold:
・Development of a route from the Demon Kingdom city of Werabo to the Necropolis
・Securing the church in the eastern Necropolis and the passage leading from its basement to the central area
The creation of a new approach route to the Necropolis from the Demon Kingdom side was as expected. While it brought no direct benefit to Anshia's southern Republic territory, it served to build connections with the higher echelons in preparation for the rumored Demon Kingdom update.
Anshia had been told to keep the existence of the church's underground passage a secret, so only she and a few close aides knew about it. However, the operational unit responsible for securing it was a person recommended by the Demon Kingdom side, leaving Anshia no room to intervene. She'd only found it somewhat interesting when she heard that the leader of the unit was the sister of `White Silver Princess Seth`, who often acted with Majo Bell.
That operational unit easily secured the church and the underground passage, and Anshia's people maintained the area around the church. Today, the handover to the Demon Kingdom was complete. In other words, the quest was finished. But…
"Here it is."
The Sepia Elf stopped in front of a door. Only a Blessed One, a player, could open this door.
"Anshia-chan, please."
"Yes."
On Anshia's right middle finger was an Azure Star Ring. It was a rare ring that held the authority of a high-ranking administrator of ancient ruins, given to her for guidance and as part of her reward. This door, which only opened when both the blessing and the authority were present, was in a location easily overlooked by players heading further and further inward.
"Opening it."
Appearing before Anshia, who was there to witness the handover, was Nemear, the First Princess of the Demon Kingdom. Anshia had expected to be introduced to a prominent noble of the Demon Kingdom for her achievements, but she never imagined a member of the royal family, let alone the next candidate for Demon King, would appear. Nor did she expect to be asked for a request she couldn't refuse…
"Please."
The unlocked door was not cautiously opened by Anshia, but by the Sepia Elf, who peered inside.
"It seems there's someone inside…"
"A demon?"
"No, they appear to be human."
"Looks like they found us too. Oh well, let's at least greet those who noticed."
There were three churches in the Necropolis. The northwest side, which they had checked earlier, was controlled by the Dragonkin. Moreover, the White Dragon Princess, Silver Dragon, and Azure Dragon were all present. And the south side…
"Oh, I didn't think you were upstairs, but here you are. Are you escorting an important person?"
At the end of the passage, in the room, were four fully-armed warriors and one merchant-like man. Anshia's expression showed a brief moment of surprise when the merchant-like man spoke to her.
"Anshia-chan, do you know them? Could you introduce us?"
"This is Daytron, a merchant from the Republic."
"My name is Daytron. Although I belong to the Republic, I handle goods all the way to the western edge of the Kingdom."
Daytron bowed deeply, his hand on his chest. On his hand, the Azure Star Ring was visible.
"How courteous. I am Nemear, the Princess of the Demon Kingdom. Pleased to meet you."
The warriors stirred, but when the Oni and Sepia Elf glared, they bowed their heads.
"Now, what brings Her Royal Highness here?"
"I'm looking for something. And just checking if there are any demons left. Did you all come from the church?"
"Yes. However, we haven't seen any demons. We only just arrived here ourselves…"
The Oni and Sepia Elf nodded at that answer. It seemed they concluded, based on the warriors' demeanor and the room's situation, that there was no lie in his words.
"Well, the last one probably went back to report."
"Most likely."
Anshia and Daytron nodded at Nemear's and the Sepia Elf's exchange. It was highly probable that the demons who infiltrated the Necropolis had been investigating something related to the catastrophe. However, it was fortunate that they mostly hadn't cooperated. They had acted so disjointedly, almost as if competing for achievement.
"By the way, do you know what kind of facility this is?"
"No, not at all. I've been investigating for a while, but it seems to be beyond my knowledge."
Daytron spread his hands, adding a shrug as a gesture of utter cluelessness.
"Is that so? Well, this is a control room that manages the southern side of the city. If you put a big Magic Crystal Stone in that empty slot and pour mana into it, it'll start working."
Anshia and Daytron instantly pondered the advantages of activating the control room. In their minds, they both thought of the one player who was currently the sole administrator of an ancient ruin…
"...Was it necessary to tell us that?"
"It'd get out from somewhere else anyway. I came here hoping there might be an unused Magic Crystal Stone, but if there isn't one, there's nothing to be done."
There was no Magic Crystal Stone in the eastern control room controlled by the Demon Kingdom. Nor in the control room controlled by the Dragonkin, which they had just visited.
"It seems a considerably large Magic Crystal Stone is required."
"That's right. If one exists… oh, I shouldn't say more than that."
Nemear smiled defiantly, but Daytron replied without flinching.
"I don't mind. At least, I don't think it's within our capabilities right now."
"Is that so. Well then, let's go home."
Her two subordinates nodded at Nemear's words, but Anshia voiced a question that had arisen in her mind.
"How did you discover this place?"
"Perhaps it was the will of the Jade Goddess."
At Daytron's playful answer, Anshia turned on her heel and left the place with Nemear and her escorts.
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