episode_0180

There are two large forests in the Central Continent.

One is the Forest of Illusion, where I once retrieved Nix. If you know the route well, like me, you can get through without a map in about an hour, but it’s so complex that beginners might never escape.

And the other is the “Chaos Forest,” situated on the border between the Empire and the Holy Nation.

Both are adjacent to the Tarun Mountains, but their natures are completely different.

If the Forest of Illusion is a tsundere, constantly acting aloof and hiding its true feelings, the Chaos Forest is so honest it feels like it’s baring its soul, throwing everything at you straight.

In short, everything about the forest is honest.

The paths are honest, honestly affected by the outside weather.

The magical beasts are honestly just strong.

The Chaos Forest is significantly larger, so it can be divided into three major zones.

The outer zone, surrounding the edge, contains relatively weak magical beasts. These are typically remnants from territorial disputes pushed to the outside, so if you have enough adventure experience, you should be safe here.

This time, our hunting grounds were in this outer zone, specifically the area facing the Holy Nation. Since it’s near the Tarun Mountains, magical beasts like Gray Wolves frequently appear.

Then the deeper zone is divided into two parts: the spawning zone near the mountains and the conflict zone in the distant plains.

Magical beasts spawn in the spawning zone, undergo growth, and then move to the conflict zone. Those who win the life-or-death battles there settle down, while those who flee or are pushed out move to the outer zone.

Each zone can be distinguished by the types of plants that grow there, so we were careful not to venture too deep.

To be precise, *I* was careful. I went deeper while leaving the priests near the entrance to observe the situation.

This division of labor was possible because I knew the Chaos Forest intimately.

Solid background knowledge allowed me to notice more things.

For example, the “massive magical beast outbreak” that the Holy Nation considered dangerous isn’t actually that dangerous.

The principle is simple. As mentioned earlier, magical beasts don’t immediately attack humans upon spawning.

They go through a process of growth and struggle. Only after a certain amount of time do they move to the outer zone, and only when they are further pushed out from there do they appear near human settlements.

In other words, there’s ample time between their birth and becoming a significant threat.

However, if you can’t properly grasp this process, particularly if the spawning location is a cave or something that obscures the magical beasts’ growth, then… the danger of a dungeon break, like what happened at the Artemis ruins last time, arises.

But the Chaos Forest’s background is different.

Because it’s an honestly honest forest, when magical beasts spawn, they cry out and spread their magical energy, making their presence known far and wide. This is detectable by the Holy Nation.

Gray Wolves usually take about three months to grow, so the fact that they’ve been pushed to the outer zone means that signs of their spawning should have been detected at least three months ago.

But they’re talking about a magical beast threat now and calling us in? Even a stranger might think it’s normal, but they can’t fool me.

The dispatch for magical beast extermination is merely a plausible excuse. I was certain of this and moved secretly, away from Aither’s priests, to discover the true objective.

I didn’t gather conclusive information.

But I had enough time to prepare the groundwork, just in case. That night was a little tiring.

…

The day before, when we returned from the hunt… things didn’t go as smoothly as expected.

As we returned covered in dirt, people who happened to be idly wandering around gathered.

Thud- Thump-

“Whoa… Woah!”

Each time we pulled a Gray Wolf carcass from the subspace storage, voices filled with awe and shock poured out. Some counted how many we’d caught, others clapped excitedly.

“Wow… You guys really caught all of these?”

“Do you think we bought them somewhere?”

All sorts of people gather in the 5th precinct of this place.

From guards with swords at their waists and helmets on their heads, to sentries with bows or staves, and hunters adorned with daggers. It’s a place where various professions from inside and outside the temple gather, exchanging work, supplies, and capital.

Because of this, there’s a wide range of abilities, tastes, ideologies, and values among them. Even to these people, our hunting success was undeniable.

Only the receptionist’s face remained unchanged.

“In total… 134 Gray Wolves confirmed. After internal quality checks, we’ll proceed with processing and payment disbursement.”

“…Is that it?”

Jay stared intently with a bothered expression, and she tilted her head.

“Yes, it seems to be 134. You oversaw the counting process, so it’s unlikely we made a mistake—”

“No, it’s fine… Tch-”

Yes, yes. Good job, Jay. You’d be wasting your energy on that.

“See? Her expression didn’t change at all.”

“She’s tough, really tough… Maybe we need to bring back about a thousand to make her even flinch?”

We felt a sense of accomplishment and received a hefty settlement, but the receptionist’s lackluster reaction left a bitter aftertaste.

It can’t be helped. Fortunately, the payment was substantial, so we took care of the meat and prepared for the next day.

The dispatch period is seven days total. We have to go hunting six more times, so we need to rest properly.

“Alright-!! Let’s amaze the receptionist auntie tomorrow-!!”

They weren’t the type to get discouraged just because of slightly stingy treatment.

With this impressive experience and a reliable supporter (me) by their side, the priests steeled their resolve.

…

Like that, one, two, three days passed. The efficiency of the hunt increased day by day.

Bertie has a high level of magical comprehension. Even when teaching five people equally, she’s always the quickest to understand. She possesses an innate talent, learning two things after understanding one, and she practically took over as the leader.

Clementine’s magic is lacking, but her mana wavelength is highly compatible, resonating with others easily. Just as she’s the type to listen first when having a conversation, in resonance magic she harmonizes the party, making a great contribution to our united strength.

Alex is the most experienced of the five. Because of this experience, his mana control is superb, less prone to exhaustion than anyone else.

Conversely, Jay has the least experience. She possesses what is known as a fragile mana pool, making her exhaust very easily; her youthful age means she can recover quickly, though, making this fact less impactful. Although she does not stop talking.

Tier has the largest mana pool. She’s as skilled as Alex at mana control, and has the largest number of learned incantations. Most notably, she takes the lead in resonance magic; once she focuses, her precision in establishing incantations is remarkable.

Each person’s strengths complemented each others’ weaknesses like puzzle pieces, exceeding the expected party synergy.

Thanks to this, our hunting results increased daily, and on the sixth day, we finally managed to make the administrative office receptionist flinch.

“Uh, why are your eyes so wide?”

“It’s nothing. At this rate, we’ll need to call in another clerk for the count—”

“Woo–!! We finally did it–!! Ms. Philbrogue, did you see that?!”

Jay laughed more brightly and freely than when she accidentally found a high-value herb while hunting monsters. By now, it’s better to consider their goal changed.

“Let’s get together for a drink once this is completely over tomorrow. Counting wolf heads must be exhausting, right?”

“Yes, well…”

“It’s a waste for such a beautiful person to just work here every day.”

“…”

The receptionist’s eyes widened at Jay’s unconscious flirting, and then she quickly turned her head, her cheeks flushed.

Hey, hey… seriously? Could it be that they’ve developed feelings for each other after several days of struggling together?

Such a subtle atmosphere continued for a short while; then, on the final day, the hidden malice began to surface.

* * *

On the sixth day of Nari’s party’s visit to the Holy Nation.

In the deepest part of the Luminary Central Cathedral, the Chapel Luminosa.

“Sir Chiron, Commander of the Holy Knights, greets His Holiness the Pope.”

“…Well done.”

Clang-

Golden armor adorned with decorations, a large greatsword on his back. Chiron, the Holy Knight, with long, lustrous blond hair flowing down, rose from his seat.

“So… what did you see with your own eyes?”

“Exactly as Your Holiness said. The ‘Saint’… possesses sufficient potential.”

“Are you certain?”

Clang-

Seeing Chiron nod, Pope Gregorio couldn’t contain his laughter.

“Kuh, Kuh… Kuhahahaha!! The final, most important puzzle piece was apparently drifting around outside, unbeknownst to me…”

To fulfill the Pope’s lifelong wish, they need light mana. And even at this moment, someone with light mana is being born within the Holy Nation.

However, it is insufficient. Not in quantity, but in quality.

An ordinary light mana awakener, someone without the right qualifications, no matter how many there are, will not significantly contribute to their goal.

A stronger, purer light is needed. In that regard, the potential of the newly appeared Saint was worth noting.

However, the confirmation of her true nature was for the first time.

All preparations are complete.

Tomorrow, the Saint’s presence will be guided here.

The moment the oath is made and the [Debt Sanctuary] is perfectly established…

“I and the people of will witness its boundless glory…!!”