Chapter 702 - Chapter Seven: The Ruined Town ④
By the way, the reason we came this far wasn't to give bait to the Behemoth. It's for preliminary reconnaissance to destroy the labyrinth of the fourth layer with gunpowder. So, we have to advance the exploration before the Behemoth comes back.
Proceeding further in, we go to the tower leading to the fifth layer. Since the entrance is visible, we open the iron door and go inside. From there, we go even further down, and when we open the door that seems to be the exit, we come out onto a floor filled with light.
"Is this the Demon Lord's temple?"
The people from Engrio who are seeing it for the first time are looking up at the temple as if in awe.
"Why is it bright here?"
"It seems to be surrounded by something like mist, but what is beyond that?"
"I heard the temple could not be destroyed, but there really are no traces of destruction, are there?"
I also thought that way when I first saw it.
"Jeanne. Erase the temple."
"Yes. Light!"
When I illuminate with maximum power, the temple disappears.
"I-It disappeared..."
Henry-sama and Will run over and poke the ground around where the temple was with their silver swords and spears, but no holes are made.
"It's the same."
Since they came back, when I turn off the Light, it returns to normal. As long as the caster doesn't operate it, it's the same as the wall with the secret book.
"I-It returned..."
"It's the same. Then shall we go inside?"
"G-Go inside?"
Eleanor-sama is showing a relaxed smile, and the people from Engrio are showing expressions of astonishment.
Just because you know in advance, it's not very commendable to surprise people who don't know, you know.
As a result of going inside, the layout was also the same as the temple in Sertoria. After confirming that it was the same, we went outside.
"This is only this much. Even if the Demon Lord was defeated, he has not perished. Therefore, the Demon Lord will be resurrected any number of times, and this temple built with magic cannot be destroyed. We have left it alone in our country as well, as it is only this kind of place."
The people from Engrio are just nodding 'koku-koku.' They probably understood that they have no choice but to sightsee since it can't be destroyed.
When we came up to the fourth layer after the sightseeing, the Behemoth was in its fixed position. Its basic posture must be sitting facing forward. In that posture, it's looking this way with one of its necks twisted while its rear is toward us.
"T-This won't do!"
The Vice-Captain grabs the sword at his waist and steps forward.
I thought he would draw it, but Henry-sama quickly suppressed his right arm holding the sword.
"There is no bloodlust. Do not lay a hand on it."
"B-But..."
"But or nothing, if the opponent gets serious, we will be wiped out. It is a matter of letting sleeping dogs lie."
"Y-Yes..."
When he let go of the sword, both of the Behemoth's necks faced forward. The one that had been facing forward from the beginning yawns. Did it become sleepy because it ate enough?
"Somehow, didn't we do it? Taming with food."
"That's right. Shall we go near it for a bit? It might even let us pet its head."
Since Beatrix and Eleanor-sama were walking together, I hurriedly stopped them. At any rate, the reconnaissance of the fourth layer isn't finished yet. Before I knew it, the purpose has shifted.
"But, we cannot go outside like this. Or will you use a Teleport magic circle here?"
That's truly wasteful. We could place it on the first floor of the tower of the fifth layer, but then we would always come out behind the Behemoth. We could throw it away, but it's still wasteful.
"What shall we do? The Behemoth is, look, snoring like that."
Before I knew it, it's snoring. Since it's two at the same time with low-frequency sounds, it vibrates in the stomach.
"Shall we at least use Flight Magic? If we slip past while it's sleeping, it shouldn't wake up. Anyway, we have to destroy the labyrinth. Besides, it might eventually become a target for extermination. I think it's better not to get too used to it, though."
Somehow, the person saying it seems to be used to it. However, in the end, the Engrio priest's claim passed, and we decided to slip past while riding in a long, thin medium-sized bowl with a Teleport magic circle laid on the floor.
"Hey, why is it there?"
After successfully slipping past and looking back at the Behemoth that was still snoring, Beatrix said.
"Is it being disciplined?"
The Engrio priest said. Somehow, it feels like it's being treated like a dog kept elsewhere. I don't think it's the type to obediently listen to what the Demon Race says, though.
"Is it a favorite place? It's certainly curious."
Is such a halfway wide passage a favorite place? An animal's favorite place feels like it would be a narrower place.
"Let's investigate a bit. There might be some reason."
Even though we successfully slipped past, she's trying to go back.
"T-The color of the soil is strange. What is that?"
Since the color of the soil on the opposite side is blackened over quite a wide range, I pointed it out while pulling Eleanor-sama's sleeve. At any rate, it's better to stay away from the Behemoth.
"Is that not traces of magic beast blood? It must have been eaten by the Behemoth."
"But, even though the wild boars were so frightened, would other magic beasts come this close?"
"That is also true. Then, let's investigate that part that is discolored."
I was somehow able to prevent us from turning back.
"It's traces of magic beast blood, isn't it?"
When we actually went to the discolored place, Bonnie solved it easily. It's likely from several months ago. Magic beasts of C-rank or higher that felt hunger must have fought each other.
"Why were they killed here? And there are no corpses."
"The corpses were likely hunted and swallowed whole by the Behemoth. However, as Jeanne said, it is strange that other magic beasts come this far."
"Right!"
When we actually approach and observe, something like scratch marks are left on the surrounding rocks.
"The ground is also dug up, so I can only think they fought."
Bonnie said while crouching and looking at the ground.
"It's blurred in places, isn't it?"
"Perhaps the Behemoth licked up the pool of blood."
To think a magic beast would lick a pool of blood from a magic beast it hunted until it was blurred...
"They must have really had no food."
"But how did it maintain such a giant body..."
I see. It's because it couldn't maintain it that it became thin. That's not thinness.
"Even though it's a magic beast, I've somehow started to feel sorry for it."
The ultra-high-level mage said while looking at the Behemoth that was leisurely snoring.
"However, it is also a fact that it has maintained that giant body. Surely, there is some secret..."
Eleanor-sama trailed off as if she noticed something.
"Could it be that a large magic stone is embedded near where the Behemoth is now?"
I see. It's the Behemoth's cave I saw in Finis. In the wild boars' stories, that cave was the Behemoth's habitat. After it grew enough to jump out of that giant hole, it went out to hunt. Until then, the Demon Race likely raised it while giving it wild boars for food.
If so, as I thought...
"Eleanor-sama, that New Model Behemoth can be tamed with food."
"We just have to give it wild boars, don't we?"
As I thought, Eleanor-sama also noticed.
"Yes. But what King Seldic will say..."
"Let's ask him. Let's go home for today."
Driving the people from Engrio, who didn't understand the conversation and were 'kyoton,' into the bowl, we ended up returning.
"It will not do. As long as it becomes a major obstacle for the extermination unit when the Demon Lord is resurrected, it is extermination."
When we talked about taming with food to King Seldic, he flatly opposed it.
Eleanor-sama told him the whole story. That the Behemoth has become a New Model never seen before. That it has a gentle personality and doesn't come charging from its side. That there's likely a large magic stone buried and it's surviving because of that. That it eats wild boars if given. After saying that everything was speculation in advance, she gave the reconnaissance report of the fourth layer.
"However, it is expected that a large amount of damage will occur if we were to exterminate it, but is that alright?"
Rarely, Eleanor-sama is of the moderate faction.
"That would be the case if we were to exterminate it right now, wouldn't it?"
"Are you intending to adjust with the whole island including heroes?"
"There is no need to do such a thing at this point. In short, since there is no need to hurry to exterminate it, we can just leave it alone and eventually exterminate it, right?"
"Are you going to weaken it?"
"That's right. In short, we just have to do something about the magic stone, right? Give it a suitable amount of food, and while it is away from its habitat, destroy the labyrinth and then destroy the magic stone as well."
"Do you think it can be done?"
"As much as possible is fine. If you can successfully do that much, I shall treat it as having been exterminated and issue a separate extermination reward. If it is stronger than a conventional Behemoth, an A-rank reward is fine. How about it, monster exterminators? Will you try it?"
Since he said it like this, Eleanor-sama will do it. There's a feeling of having been successfully manipulated, but in the end, King Seldic's argument passed, and the people who participated in the reconnaissance of the fourth layer this time ended up undertaking the destruction of the labyrinth and the search for the magic stone.
"I don't understand well, but it means to tame it with food and keep it under control until it weakens and dies."
Beatrix says something blunt, but that's probably correct. However, since it's practically like deceiving it and doing a starvation tactic until it succeeds, it might be a battle if you call it a battle. However, Beatrix looks disappointed. She probably dislikes deceiving and doing a starvation tactic.
"Vice-Captain. For the time being, we must gather wild boars. It will continue until the destruction of the labyrinth is finished, so please arrange for the leftovers to gather the wild boars."
"Hah, let's request cooperation from nearby villages."
"Gather five or six hunters. Let's have them take charge of handling the leftovers and wild boar hunting. Since the reward for them can be wild boars, I think it's just right."
I bet the Vice-Captain didn't think he would spend his days running around gathering wild boars. However, gathering wild boars with the leftovers jumped with Teleport as bait and catching them while riding in a bowl. And since a part of it becomes theirs, the hunters will surely be delighted.
When we returned to the fort, night came, and Eleanor-sama's private talk began. Since it's after applying Mute, it's content that needs eavesdropping prevention. Outside the range of Mute's effect, Henry-sama is talking with Will and Bonnie. To my surprise, before I knew it, Bonnie had learned Eleanor-sama's voice imitation. It's a bit slow, but you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference through a wall.
After the two of us poked our heads out of the effect range and confirmed the talk about the 'bukkake' festival by three people in four roles, we pulled our heads back and returned to the private talk.
"Jeanne, Beatrix. That Behemoth will eventually be killed. What do you think?"
"Even though we could finally tame it with food."
"But you don't know what will happen if the Demon Lord is resurrected."
It's an opponent that cancels Megiddo Fire... to be precise, Prominence. It would be terrible if it turned into an enemy. Even if we fired Glaciate, it would likely counter with Prominence. It's a giant body that seems able to withstand the pressure of Maelstrom or Tempest, and all that's left would be Heaven's Roar. Moreover, since its magic defense is powerful, it might be difficult with only ultra-high-level class magic. Over-Ultra-High-Level Heaven's Roar might be necessary. If that happens, for now, one must be prepared to become like an evil spirit of the border Queen.
"I think I'll try consulting with Price once. Whether the church can take it in."
"Price-sama will get angry."
He's a priest who represents the entire church. No matter how much of a non-regular member he is, he has his original position.
"It's fine. Publicly, consulting with Price is about going to the Ice Island."
"Ah! Vice-Demon Lord!"
"That's right. I've promised to introduce the Lich the next time we visit. Those two might think of some good method."
If the Vice-Demon Lord likes it, will he keep it? Certainly, if we send it to the Ice Island, it will be gone from the White Island, so it's the same as having exterminated it.
"But can you jump something that big? Surely not Translate?"
It would be fine if Marcelo-san were there. However, what King Seldic will say... First of all, even if we could jump the Behemoth to the Ice Island, it might fall apart.
"That's why I have to consult with the Vice-Demon Lord. Since it won't do to just jump it far away."
Hmm. I wonder? Well, I think consulting is a good thing, though.
"More than that, the possibility of the Demon Lord being resurrected here is low, isn't it?"
The general opinion is Medioland.
"That is so, but it has not become clear."
"That is so, but if we somehow manage to destroy the magic stone, won't it become smaller?"
"I thought of that too. It's the second plan."
If moving the giant body is impossible, it just has to become smaller. I don't know if it will, though. However, the Behemoth this time, whether because of hunger or because it ate dog-type magic beasts, I don't know, but it's certainly thin. Its weight might have become lighter. Besides, when the Water Dragon moved from the lake to the artificial pond during treatment, it clearly became smaller. If the magic power becomes thin, there's a high possibility it will become smaller.
"Then, we have to do our best to defeat wild boars for bait, and to search for and destroy the magic stone."
Beatrix, who was particular about taming with food, grinned.
"I have a request for Beatrix. Please draw as accurate a likeness of that Behemoth as possible. If possible, cooperate with Bonnie and measure its size roughly."
"Sure. An A-rank reward will be issued, right?"
"King Seldic is generous, after all."
"Alright! I'm feeling motivated. Let's do this."
You, since when did you become such a magic beast lover?