kscans

Chapter 258 - The Returnees

A few days later, Ney returned to the game.

The members of Kokuryu who had been helping Ney in the real world had all logged in as well, and they all came to the base. And so, Hayato told Ney about the incident with Rosalie.

Upon hearing it, Ney looked down and her shoulders trembled.

"H, hey, Ney, are you okay?"

When Hayato called out to her, Ney's head shot up. The phrase "a smile as bright as the sun" must have been coined for moments like this.

"Rosalie was worried about me! I have to contact her right away!"

Ney moved away from Hayato to the side of the wall and began talking happily. Hayato and the members of Kokuryu watched her with smiles, assuming she was talking to Rosalie via voice chat.

Ney was a member of the Foundation, one of the organizations that controlled the world. There were probably many people who worried about her, but that was likely because she was a member of the Foundation.

For someone to worry about the real Ney was a precious and rare thing for her.

Before Hayato and the others knew about Ney's situation, they too had worried about what might have happened on the days she didn't log in, and he remembered how overjoyed she had been at that time.

This time was no different, and they all watched her with the feelings of a guardian, knowing she must be incredibly happy.

After about ten minutes, she seemed to be satisfied and returned with a smile.

"It was fun talking to Rosalie after so long! And what's more, I made a promise to go with not just Rosalie, but all of the Black Rose, to clear a dungeon in the Demon Country. Apparently, they need things like thread and cloth to get materials for a dress for Lunaria."

"Like Arachne silk, maybe?"

An Arachne is a monster with the upper body of a woman attached to the torso of a spider. The silk from an Arachne has the ability to enhance the stats of cloth equipment made from it. It is also an essential and very expensive material for some high-performance robes.

"Yeah, she said something like that. She said that aside from the Arachne, it's not a difficult dungeon, so there shouldn't be any problems. That aside, I'm heading to the Demon Lord's Castle!"

"Huh? Right now?"

"I can't just sit still! Voice chat isn't enough. I'm going to charge into the Demon Lord's Castle to see Rosalie in person. It'll be a surprise!"

"Why are you charging in? She'll be surprised, sure, but you'll get in trouble."

"Speaking of getting in trouble, I have a message from Rosalie for you, Hayato. She told me to tell you, 'I didn't say I was lonely. I'll get you for this later.'"

"...It would be helpful if you could try to get on her good side as much as possible. Um, is everyone else okay with this?"

Ney was raring to go, but Hayato looked around, wondering what the other members thought.

But he could tell from their faces without even having to ask. It seemed they were all fired up. They must have been stressed from not being able to play the game for so long. In fact, their expressions seemed to say they were ready for a fight.

"It's been a while, so don't push yourselves too hard. And be prepared to get in trouble when you go. It's a surprise, but you're still charging into the Demon Lord's Castle."

Hayato said this and sent them off.

That night, a voice chat from the Demon Lord, Lunaria, reached Hayato.

"Ney and her group came charging in demanding to see Rosalie-chan, so we intercepted them. Forcing the Demon Lord to sally forth, I think Ney would make a good Hero. By the way, was that your doing, Hayato-san? I'd like to confirm as the Demon Lord. Depending on your answer, something so terrible will happen that I can't even say it out loud."

"No, no, that's not it at all. Ney just went to see Rosalie-san. And did you really go out to intercept them, Lunaria-san?"

"Yes. They charged into the Demon Lord's Castle with such force, and Rosalie-chan and the others seemed to be having fun intercepting them. I'm not averse to participating in such things. In fact, it's not good to be left out."

"You intercepted them because they looked like they were having fun? So you all fought...? Well, that's fine, but are Ney and the others still at the Demon Lord's Castle?"

"It looks like they're staying at the Demon Lord's Castle tonight. They're going to play card games, so I'll show them the power of the Demon Lord."

"I'm relieved to see that the Demon Lord's Castle is as peaceful as ever."

"You think so? But I'm going to plunge them into the depths of terror after this, so it's still too early to be relieved."

"...With card games?"

"If you play card games in the Demon Lord's Castle, the Demon Lord rules are activated. Therefore, the Demon Lord cannot lose. They should be terrified by their own powerlessness."

"That does sound scary. Please go a little easy on them. It's cooler for the Demon Lord to show enough composure and confidence to lose once in a while."

"That is a good opinion. I have a new respect for you."

"I'm being re-evaluated for that...? And what did you think of me before you re-evaluated... she hung up."

Hayato thought, oh well, and began making products to sell in the shop tomorrow.

A few more days passed, and Hayato received a message from Mist saying that she had gathered all ten of the Undead at her mansion. She then formally requested his cooperation in gathering knowledge about the medicine.

Hayato naturally accepted. In fact, he had been preparing for this, so there was no option to refuse. However, being asked again undoubtedly boosted Hayato's motivation.

Mist was going to explain the details now, so he gathered the members who were scheduled to participate at the base.

Esha, Ash, Ren, Maris, and Diite. Diite knew more about the situation than Mist, so she didn't need to hear the explanation, but she participated as a fellow member of "Daedalus."

Outside of the clan members, Simon was also there.

In Simon's case, he was cooperating more to take Hayato to the Eastern Country than to help Mist, so he wasn't that proactive. However, he seemed to be looking forward to the chance to fight strong monsters on the expedition.

And Mist, Damian, and Ruth would, of course, be participating in the expedition.

Ney and the others were also scheduled to participate, but for the time being, they were acting separately to get their groove back. They also had a promise with Rosalie, so that took priority.

Everyone except Ney's group was seated at the table, and the women were each eating their favorite desserts.

After watching the women with a smile, Mist opened her mouth.

"Well then, everyone, thank you for your cooperation. I would now like to explain the details."

Mist explained the situation. However, it was only the situation within the virtual reality, and of course, she didn't talk about the real world. That was because some of the members here didn't know about the real world.

Eventually, Damian and Ruth would also need to regain their memories, but now was not the time. Mist proceeded with her explanation, being careful not to stimulate their real-world memories.

"...And so, we need to find the recipe for the Panacea, the medicine that will awaken them from their undying sleep. God has already told us the location, so I will explain it now."

The Panacea was just a game item, but it was also a medicine to cure an incurable disease in the real world. By using this medicine in the game, the medicine would be injected into the cryosleep pods in the real world.

Mist would learn the knowledge of that medicine and, based on that knowledge, be able to create the Panacea.

It was only to learn the creation method, not the Panacea itself, but Infinity, which constructed this game, had interpreted Diite's request in a strange way and it had taken this form.

However, even if it was just a game story, they couldn't not do it since it could create a medicine that would affect the real world. To begin with, it was a disease that couldn't be cured on Earth or in the colonies because it required the components of rare plants that only existed inside the Aphrodite.

"As for the locations of the necessary knowledge, there are three. First is 'Skyscraper Babel.' It's a huge tower in the Demon Country."

"It's difficult to fight inside a building."

When Esha said that, Maris also nodded. Neither Esha nor Maris could fully demonstrate their power in a narrow space.

"Yes. So I think the members other than Esha-san and Maris-san will go there. There is a place where the two of you can exert more of your power, so I have high hopes for you there. That is 'Sacred Peak Takamagahara.' I think Simon-san is more familiar with this."

"It is the highest mountain in the Eastern Country. There are some who have been to the summit, but I have not. Well, if you say we are going there, I can guide you."

"That would be helpful. And finally, 'Underwater Temple Atlantis.' We don't even know where this is. I think it's somewhere in the sea, though."

(Atlantis, huh? There's a colony with that name, but that's probably not related, right?)

As Hayato was thinking that, Diite, who was drinking coffee, lightly raised her right hand.

"Diite-san? Do you have a question?"

"Not a question, an answer. 'Underwater Temple Atlantis' is at the bottom of the sea further east of the Eastern Country. In the Eastern Country, it's called 'Ryugu.' I think Simon-kun should know the detailed location, right?"

"The Underwater Temple is Ryugu? I know the location, but I've never been. I thought it was just a tourist attraction."

(It's a tourist attraction...? Well, I guess we'll find out when we go.)

Mist lightly bowed her head to Diite and Simon, then opened her mouth.

"I thought it would take time because we didn't know the location of Atlantis, but thanks to Diite-san and Simon-san, we found out easily. Does that mean it would be more efficient to clear Babel first and then go to the Eastern Country?"

Mist's question was met with a shake of Diite's head.

"No, I think it would be better to clear Takamagahara and Ryugu in the Eastern Country. Besides, Babel allows for teleportation via portal, just like the Necropolis. If possible, it would be more efficient to have Ney-kun and the others clear it."

"Oh, actually, Ney and the others want to go to the Eastern Country too. If we left them behind, there might be a bit of a problem."

"I see. I thought it would be good to clear it in parallel with Babel, but it seems that will be difficult."

"Does it matter who clears it?"

Ash suddenly said that, and Diite nodded at his question.

"Of course, anyone can do it. As for the portal, if even one person has been to that location, everyone can teleport there."

"Then let's ask my father and his group. He said he finally has some free time."

Ash said that, then drank the coffee Hayato had made as if nothing had happened.