episode_0110

“Who are you? And how did you get in here? I clearly set up a defensive barrier when I went out to prevent anyone from entering…”

“A defensive barrier? There was nothing like that when we entered. More importantly, please release Zeke-nim. Otherwise, I will take it as a real challenge to fight.”

‘….?! Aria gave him a chance?!’

I was greatly astonished that Aria didn’t move first and instead chose to converse, especially given the person threatening me from behind. At this point, I definitely felt a little fear regarding Aria’s change… Ah, but this isn’t the time for that!

“As Aria said, let’s talk first!! It’s true that there were no obstacles when we entered the cave!!”

“….. Hmm… It seems to be broken. Alright. My apologies for threatening you.”

“Ohh…. Thank you for understanding…!!!”

As the man behind me removed something from my back, I realized the man in black iron clothing behind me truly had red hair, just as Aria had said, and I was greatly flustered. The red-haired man with short hair, seeing my sudden confusion, tilted his head and asked me,

“Why the sudden expression? Ah… My clothes are indeed unique. Let me explain slowly…”

“H-hold on… Could your name perhaps be Revo?!”

“….? Revo? How do you know that R.S guy? I’m different from him, but…..”

The red-haired man was surprised when I mentioned Revo, asking how I knew him. What… what, he’s not him? Ah… well. How many red-haired people are there in this world anyway…? Good grief… But since there was a red-haired person who looked like an otherworlder behind me, Revo was the only person who came to mind, so I couldn’t help it.

“Anyway, you’re an otherworlder, right? Zeke-nim and I have met two otherworlders so far.”

“…. Oh, interesting. Alright then… how about we introduce ourselves? This is fate, after all.”

“Ohh…. Yes, let’s. My name is Zeke Looprian. I’m an explorer. And this is Aria… she’s a Saintess known as the Black Saintess.”

“Ah, I see. I am Dio V Runner, a technician.”

“…? Is that your name?”

I was flustered when the man in front of me said his name was Dio V Runner. Dio V Runner… what kind of name is that? Seeing my reaction, Dio V Runner chuckled, as if accustomed to it, and said to me,

“Ah, yes. I was born amidst a great war. Since I grew up without parents, I somehow ended up with this alias instead of a real name.”

“Then you’ve never thought about giving yourself a name? Wouldn’t it be better to have both an alias and a real name, like Ricand I. Ru-nim?”

“I don’t know… I’m not someone who cares much about names… Besides, I haven’t had the leisure lately to think of a real name….? Wait. Did you just say Ricand I. Ru, Aria?”

The moment Aria advised him to create a real name to use alongside his alias, like Ricand I. Ru, Dio V Runner was greatly astonished when Ricand’s name came up. Ah… so this person also knows Ricand… He must be that famous…

“Hooah… This is surprising. To think that one of the otherworlders you met was him. Ah, continuing to stand and talk like this might be a bit awkward. I’ll prepare some chairs, so let’s share our stories at leisure.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you… But there’s only one chair…”

“I always carry an extra folding chair, just in case something like this happens. Wait here.”

“Folding… chair?”

A folding chair? What’s that? Aria and I tilted our heads at the unfamiliar name of the object. At that moment, Dio V Runner brought out something flat from beside the bookshelf and began to unfold it….?!

“W-what?! It turned into a chair!!”

“Oh~ So this is an item from the otherworld, Zeke-nim. Isn’t it perfect for documenting?”

“Uh… it is, but… Hmm… Launcher-ssi, may I record this?”

Remembering that Ricand I. Ru had previously asked me not to record anything about him, I asked Dio V Runner if I could record this. Dio V Runner listened to my words, tilted his head, then seemed to realize something and nodded, saying, “Ah~.”

“I see. You must have already heard about the dangers of such things from other otherworlders. It’s fine if you just remember it yourself. Just promise not to tell others.”

“Ah, really?! Thank you!!! Hahahaha….”

As Dio V Runner permitted, saying it was fine if only I knew, I immediately began to write about it in a corner of my record book. A folding chair… and even machines I’d never seen before…!! Haa… This is the kind of thing that makes recording worthwhile!! As I excitedly recorded, Dio V Runner, who had suddenly been looking displeased with my excitement, straightened his face and cautiously asked Aria,

“…. Aria, is he usually like this?”

“He’s someone who lights up (lit. ‘turns on a fire in his eyes’) whenever he sees something new. But he’s still a very wonderful and kind person. And… hehehe… he’s my future husband….”

“…. You’re twisted in some way too. Sigh… I thought it was just those R.S, Kaju, and Busters guys… I guess I just didn’t know the world well enough.”

Dio V Runner sighed deeply, looking at me, who was smiling brightly and recording, and Aria, who was lost in her fantasies. As I continued to record various things, something about Dio V Runner caught my eye, and I asked him about it.

“Launcher-ssi. What’s that black metal rod attached to your arm? And what about the clothes you’re wearing?”

“Ah, this? These iron clothes are a special protective suit. They can block various impacts. And this metal rod… here, if I open this…”

“Hmm?”

When Dio V Runner pressed the middle of the metal rod with his finger, a part of the rod’s center opened like a lid. Then, Dio V Runner took a strange red gem from his pocket, placed it inside, and closed the lid. What did he just put in there?

“Launcher-ssi, what was that just now?”

“Do you know why my alias is Dio V Runner? The gem I just put in is my invention called an ‘Orb.’ And this metal rod… if I do this!”

Dio V Runner, who had been explaining about the Orb, suddenly raised his arm, pointing the metal rod attached to it upwards. At that moment, flames burst out from the metal rod before dying down, and seeing that, I…!!

“Ah… no, what in the world is that?! Is it a tool that can shoot magic?! Is the Orb perhaps a magic stone!?”

“Hmm… it’s similar to a magic stone. An Orb is a gem made by compressing fire elements. And this metal rod… also known as the Orb Flamethrower, is a tool that converts Orbs back into flames. It uses a bit of my energy, but its firepower is incredible.”

“Ohhhhh…!! The Orb Flamethrower…!! It’s truly amazing!! How much can its firepower be increased?! And what are the limits of the Orb?!”

“…. The R.S guys asked this question too, I think.”

As I continued to ask questions with a fire in my eyes, Dio V Runner, looking somewhat troubled, straightened his face and recalled how the R.S people had asked him many questions just like me before. Then, Dio V Runner sat on the unfolded chair and explained to me.

“There are no limits to this Orb. It’s a tool that can be made as long as there’s fire. And as for firepower… Hmm… I recently incinerated a giant creature in a certain forest. It was truly surprising. I was burning it with fire, and suddenly it turned into a creature that was half-human, half-tree.”

“Ohh… can be made with just fire…? W-wait… what did you just say?”

“….?! Half-human, half-tree creature?! Don’t tell me you…”

As I continued to record about the Orb, I dropped the pen I was holding the moment Dio V Runner testified that he had previously incinerated a giant half-human, half-tree creature. Aria, too, seemed greatly flustered by his words, looking at Dio V Runner with a dumbfounded expression. He was burning it with fire…? Wait… then could it be… the scorching I saw back then…?

“Don’t tell me… you were in the Kreeton region? The forest where elves live, called Probellitu…”

“I haven’t seen any elves, but I did see humans there. But their ears were unusually pointed…”

“Uwaaaaaaah?!”

“You were there too?!”

Realizing that Dio V Runner had been burning the World Tree in Probellitu, I was greatly astonished and flinched, and Aria shouted at Dio V Runner in a bewildered voice. Dio V Runner, seeing our reactions, flinched for a moment, then scratched his head and said,

“Well… yeah? I was burning what looked like the main body, and then suddenly it became giant. And then from outside…? Wait… were you the ones who finished it?!”

“Uh… yes…. And the creature you were burning… you know it was the World Tree, right?”

“….? What’s a World Tree? I haven’t traveled through many other worlds, so I don’t know about that…”

When I asked if he knew the creature he was burning was the World Tree, Dio V Runner scratched his head again, saying he didn’t know about the World Tree. Now the mystery was solved. All the vines on the World Tree’s back had been burned by this person. And thanks to him, we were able to subdue the World Tree more easily… If not for him, Aria and I might have both died before awakening the Radiance of the Holy Ring…

“I see. Thank you very much, Launcher-nim. If Launcher-nim hadn’t weakened the World Tree, we would have died by it, and I wouldn’t have been able to protect Zeke-nim.”

“Huh? Something like that happened? Hmm… But do you know that your World Tree revived again underground?”

“….?!”

At Dio V Runner’s shocking testimony that the World Tree, which Aria had defeated, had revived underground, we were so dumbfounded we couldn’t close our mouths. Then, Dio V Runner unclenched his hands and said to us,

“Don’t worry. I burned it down to its roots, so it won’t revive again. Well… it wasn’t exactly a revival, but rather it survived by reconstructing its fragments.”

“Haaah…. It’s a relief that it’s dead. Ah, now that I think about it, resurrection is forbidden, isn’t it?”

“It’s a taboo you absolutely shouldn’t break if you don’t want to see the world perish. If you did, a hundred million R.S soldiers would have come to beat you up, you know?”

“…. A hundred million…? Th-then what is R.S? Launcher-ssi just said earlier that someone named Revo was from R.S, but he…”

“He’s from H.S.A. But H.S.A has already perished. And R.S was founded to inherit its will. The survivors who lived through H.S.A’s destruction founded R.S, and Revo is among them.”

Aria and I were surprised when Dio V Runner said that R.S was a group founded by the surviving H.S.A members and that Revo was still alive. Th-then that means Estur-ssi might have returned to his friends?!

“Is that… is that true?! We actually met someone from H.S.A! He was recuperating here, worried about whether H.S.A had perished and if his friends were alive, and then he left this place once he recovered… Haaah…”

“Hmm… Then it’s highly likely he went to R.S. Their headquarters are built on top of H.S.A, so he would have found his way there.”

“Haaah… That’s a relief. Now, if Elder Akada-nim meets Revo-nim, everything will be resolved.”

I sighed in relief at Dio V Runner’s words. Then I felt reassured once more that if Akada met Revo, the difficulties otherworlders had faced so far would be resolved. Phew… It’s a real relief. Things are working out well…

“What in the world happened to you two? Well… I only have canned goods and tea, but let’s get something to eat and drink ready.”

“Canned goods?”

When Dio V Runner mentioned “canned goods,” Aria tilted her head. Of course, I also tilted my head, not knowing what it was. Then Dio V Runner picked up a small metal can with a picture of food on it, which I had just been curious about, and began to open it with a strange tool. At that moment…

“….? Oh my. Zeke-nim. Smell this. It smells like fruit.”

“Huh? Oh… it really does?!”

As Aria said, when I smelled it, I was greatly flustered to find it really did smell like fruit. Then, when Dio V Runner took out a plate and poured the fruit from the metal can onto it, I was greatly flustered by what I saw.

“I-isn’t this spoiled? Why does it smell like this…”

“This smelly liquid is used to preserve it for a long time. Canned goods are like emergency rations that can be stored for over a hundred years.”

“…. Good heavens… The technology of the otherworld is truly…”

“Alright. Sit on the chair and rest while I prepare the tea. I’ll use the folding chair myself, so…”

“I can’t miss out on experiencing something new like this!! I’ll help too!!”

“…. Have you ever seen such an enthusiastic fellow?”

As I got another chance to experience new culture and my eyes lit up (lit. ‘turned on a fire in his eyes’), Dio V Runner seemed genuinely displeased with me, stating it with a straight face. So, along with Dio V Runner and Aria, I got to experience Dio V Runner’s items. I opened a can with a can opener and used something called a coffee pot. Wow… this isn’t magic?! It’s truly astonishing!! Aria also had a greatly surprised expression, as if she was equally impressed.

“Oh my… If we had things like this, I could be even more helpful to Zeke-nim. But for canned goods… I still think the dishes I make with Zeke-nim taste better.”

“Of course. These are emergency rations, after all. While they are carefully made, they aren’t produced through complex cooking processes because they need to be stored for a long time.”

“Something else! Is there anything else?!”

“Hmm…. Aria, can you turn off the light from your staff?”

As I urged him to show me more, Dio V Runner, unable to resist, began to ponder deeply and then asked Aria to turn off the light from her staff. Aria, surprised, said,

“But if this light is off, we won’t be able to see anything.”

“It’s fine, just turn it off.”

“Hmm… Remember, if you do anything strange to Zeke-nim, I won’t forgive you.”

Aria gave a chilling warning that she wouldn’t forgive him if he did anything strange to me while the light was off, and then extinguished the light from her staff. At that moment, with a clicking sound, light suddenly began to emerge from the cave ceiling. W-what is this?!

“It’s a lamp. A tool that produces light using electricity. Be careful, it gets hot if you touch it.”

“….. Wow. Aria… I think I’m going to collapse.”

“Ugh… Huh?! Zeke-nim?!”

Greatly impressed by the identity of the unimaginably glass-like tool, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I felt like I could faint on the spot. Aria quickly caught me and sat me down on the chair, and Dio V Runner looked at me and said,

“You’re quite emotional, aren’t you?”

“Sniffle… It’s so sad that I can’t tell others about this…”

“This has its own drawbacks, so you don’t have to be *that* impressed, you know? Anyway… I should check how the defensive barrier broke… How about we go outside together and figure out the cause?”

“I’d love to!!! A new discovery!! Of course I’ll go with you!!”

“Whoa?! Z-Zeke-nim, are you alright?!”

At Dio V Runner’s suggestion to find the cause of the malfunction together, I readily accepted, jumping up on the spot. Aria was greatly flustered by my sudden surge of energy, and Dio V Runner, seemingly tired of it, straightened his face. And so, the three of us went outside to figure out what caused the defensive barrier to break. The rain had also stopped, making it easier to find the cause…

“What in the….”

“….”

Aria and I couldn’t say anything as we realized the true nature of the cause, and Dio V Runner was greatly astonished by it. It was the exact spot where Aria had just plunged her staff into the ground to find the cave. And there was something inside the ground.