Episode 283
“Welcome!”
The shelter located underground to the north of the Librey Kingdom.
Upon arriving at the entrance, Hanbit and his party faced the soldiers guarding the outside.
Although they still looked extremely tense, they seemed to have sensed the general atmosphere.
Elencia took a step and returned to her human form.
It was a transformation that occurred naturally as her strength was depleted.
“Was there any trouble?”
“Yes! The tiger… no, the mythical beast you sent was here, and we succeeded in defending the place safely! We are also doing our best to treat the injured!”
The soldier saluted respectfully as he reported the situation inside.
Elencia nodded and looked at Hanbit to ask,
“Will there be any changes to the monsters around the kingdom? Since the barrier created by the demon has disappeared, I think there might be some impact.”
After the demon’s barrier was created, the nearby monsters were pushed far away.
Even in that situation, there were still quite a few individuals attacking, but they were sufficiently handled by their internal forces.
The problem lay in the changes that would occur once that barrier vanished.
Hanbit, having summoned Cheonho with his senses, looked beyond the fortress wall and spoke.
“It should be fine for the time being. A rift has opened, and the monsters that relocated to avoid this place won't approach immediately. In the long run, it would be wise to properly organize our troops and adventurers.” “
…I must inform His Majesty. We cannot afford to collapse because of monsters.”
Elencia nodded in agreement.
It was something Libre was fully capable of doing.
“I have set up a barrier, even if it is temporary. We will have to touch it again later, though.”
Ivela said, patting her shoulder.
“Thank you, Lady Ivela.”
Elencia, looking relieved, bowed and expressed her gratitude.
She turned her gaze and continued,
“The door is open. Shall we go inside?”
The shelter door had opened before anyone realized it.
Everyone except the guards slowly walked inside.
“The structure is fascinating.”
Luna, walking beside them, looked inside with a curious expression.
A curved wall blocking the large waterway leading to the sea.
It was a spacious area built along that path.
“There was an ancient king who dreamed of something like an underground city.”
“An underground city?”
“Yes. It seems he planned it quite seriously, but it fell through because he died in the early stages.”
“What a peculiar king.”
After moving forward for a moment with such conversation,
Hanbit’s party arrived at a place arranged like a village.
This, too, was a remnant of the old underground city plan.
“Ellencia!”
Just then, the King rushed out from inside.
Standing before Ellencia, he checked on his daughter’s condition and said,
“Are you hurt anywhere? If there is even a small problem…”
“I’m fine, Father. Don’t worry.”
Seeing her father in such a quintessential manner, Ellencia smiled and reassured him.
The King, who had been wearing a worried expression despite her words, belatedly turned his head.
All four members of the investigation team clearly bore the marks of battle.
“…I have shown a shameful side.”
Regaining his composure, he looked embarrassed.
Clearing his throat briefly, the King composed himself and spoke.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“Understood. Let’s move to a different location for now.”
“Let’s go this way.”
Nodding, Hanbit followed the King into the inner building.
Sitting in a neatly arranged seat, he recounted everything that had happened outside.
“A demon? Elencia has awakened as a demon?”
The King’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected news.
To him, it was more shocking than any other story.
“It was just a matter of timing; it was bound to happen eventually, wasn’t it? I actually like it.”
“Elencia! Even so…”
“Father, I hate being helplessly defeated even more. Livray could have collapsed at any moment, couldn’t it?”
“…….”
Faced with Elencia’s resolute expression, the King could not continue speaking.
This was because Hanbit had also explained that it would have been difficult without her.
“Phew.”
After a moment of thought, the King let out a deep sigh.
Then, turning his gaze to the investigation team members, he bowed respectfully.
“My thanks are long overdue. Thanks to you all, I was able to protect Livray. Although the situation is not good right now, I will make sure to repay you.”
There was sincerity in those words.
However, rebuilding the damaged kingdom would inevitably take quite a long time.
Not that there was even enough time to do so in the first place.
“Rewards are fine. Now is the time to prepare for the threat of the demons.”
“A threat of the demons? Are you saying it’s not over even though the key is with Elencia!”
The King sprang to his feet and asked back in a frantic voice.
However, the key was merely a tool; there was a way to open it from the demonic realm.
Of course, a more important issue was the risk of another entrance opening.
“Judging by the information obtained from Feria Island, there is a possibility that a formal entrance, not just a rift, will open. That is exactly what our investigation team was concerned about. If an entrance of a different scale opens, the threat will be incomparable to this one.”
“To….”
The King slumped back into his seat, his face filled with astonishment.
Neron’s attack had been nothing more than a warning sign, not the end.
If a threat incomparable to this were to arrive, there would be no way to protect the kingdom.
But even if such a future came, he, as the King, had to protect Livray.
“What… should I do?”
He looked at the investigation team members with eyes filled with desperation.
The resolve that appeared outwardly was steadfast.
“It is impossible to defend completely at the kingdom level. What is needed right now is simply establishing a communication system and setting up a defense system.”
“A communication system… does that mean forming an alliance with other nations?”
“It is still in the planning stage. We intend to select dedicated troops to respond by eliminating demons and monsters. It could potentially lead to a power struggle, but we will need to observe that aspect a bit longer.” “
…Certainly, it would be difficult with just ordinary forces.”
Livray had been on the brink of annihilation even from the invasion of a single demon or monster.
If such beings existed in large numbers, deploying troops capable of confronting them was the only solution.
“I agree, but is it feasible? Even within the investigation team, there aren’t that many capable of dealing with demons. And even those few are stuck in forbidden zones.”
Ivela brought up the practical issues.
There were certainly beings within the investigation team who possessed power beyond the ordinary.
However, considering the number of demons and the monsters inhabiting that territory, it was obvious that it would be difficult given the scale of the war.
“Ivela, what about you? Can you fight demons?”
Ivela, the strongest mage in the investigation team.
The power she wielded to seal the rift in the realm was by no means weak, but looking back, there was a disconnect compared to her reputation.
Information was scarce because I had almost no experience meeting her in the other world.
“Well. An awakening like a princess is difficult, but there is a way to shed the shell in its own way. The problem is that the master who imposed that trial has disappeared.”
“A trial?”
“It’s something like training, so I’ll tell you about it later. Anyway, even considering all of that, a war against demons will be difficult.”
Ivela expressed concern while recalling all the forces, including herself.
Hanbit nodded in agreement.
“We have to do it even if it’s difficult. We have things we’re preparing and things we want to try. Let’s go back to headquarters and discuss this with Charlotte.”
“…That’s interesting in many ways.”
Ivela showed interest in the strange conversation.
A timeline that had been advanced much sooner than Hanbit’s experience and expectations.
However, given that the cause was Sirius of the Holy Body Faction, a response was necessary, even if it meant resorting to somewhat drastic measures.
“What I ask of Your Majesty is data on demons. Anything is fine; I would be grateful if you could gather all relevant records and materials. Of course, at least minimal maintenance should come first.”
“I will do so. Should Elencia come along as well?”
“The Commander is currently away, so I plan to stop by again later. Ultimately, I believe it would be best for the Princess to meet with the Investigation Commander as well. After all, he is the only one who possesses demonic power.”
“…I see.”
The King nodded slowly in agreement.
Rising again, he looked at Hanbit and said,
“I have clearly realized the importance of future countermeasures. I will make sure to prepare thoroughly in accordance with your advice.”
Ding-
[Special Quest completed.]
[Special Quest ends.]
[Rewards increased for first clear.]
[Rewards increased for exceeding overall evaluation criteria. ] [
Special rewards included in the box for achieving a goal that far surpasses current stats.] [
All quests related to the progression are marked as completed, and the corresponding rewards included in the box.]
[You have obtained the Final Lucky Reward Box (Level 8).]
Messages flooded in the moment the conversation ended.
Looking around, it seemed Luna and Rafina had received their results as well.
Hanbit glanced at the message and stood up.
“Thank you. I will see you again soon.”
The party left the area and headed outside the shelter.
In the meantime, Hanbit immediately opened the reward box.
Ding-
[Received 1,000,000,000 Gold.]
[Obtained the Vault of Greed(???).]
[800 Stat Points added.]
[Experience increased by 2,560,000,000.]
[Level increased by 16.]
[16 Stat Points added.]
[Record Points awarded for the first clear of special and related quests.]
[26,700 Record Points added.]
'…They gave a lot.'
The Stage 8 reward was of higher value than the Stage 6 reward received on Feria Island.
The quest itself was only one, but the enemies that appeared were that much stronger.
“How about you two?”
“…Honestly, this is unbelievable.”
“I was incredibly surprised.”
Luna and Rafina each obtained a Stage 6 chest.
Although the difference is significant since the rewards double with each stage, Stage 6 itself was substantial.
'What could this be?'
Hanbit placed the silver vault that appeared as a reward in his hand.
The spherical shape seemed to embody an aesthetic sense from a completely different world.
Since it was an object he had never seen before, Hanbit examined the description.
[Vault of Desire]
Rank:?
Grade:?
Description: It is a vault from another dimension that swallows everything. It seems that if you satisfy your desires, you might obtain something. Perhaps there is a possibility that it might bring you an object from another dimension?
'Another dimension?'
The strange word raised questions.
Where exactly does the 'other dimension' in RP refer to? Or
does such an object even exist properly in the first place?
“What is that?”
“It’s a strangely shaped vault.”
Luna and Rafina, walking beside him, showed interest.
However, it was difficult to explain.
“Huh?”
Just then, Elencia, who had shifted her gaze along with him, approached.
Examining the vault, she spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
“This looks exactly like what I saw in Ashid’s note?”
“Ashid… you mean that wandering merchant?”
“Yes. It was just one, but I obtained a note with a drawing on it from the black market. It looks exactly like that.”
Ashid, the merchant met at the top of the Vortex Tower.
Come to think of it, she felt strangely similar to the chests that spat out items after paying coins.
What was there was a collection of souls, but her physical form also existed somewhere in the world.
“Ivela, don’t you know?”
“Well? I’ve never seen her before.”
To the question thrown out just in case, Ivela shrugged her shoulders and replied.
“…Should I leave it for now?”
Hanbit put the safe away for the time being.
It was a matter that required some deliberation as to whether it would be better to use it immediately or find Ashid.
“Thank you once again for saving Librey.”
Elencia stepped outside and greeted everyone with formal bows. Her words
were filled with the deep sincerity of a king.
“We’re going to help each other from now on anyway,”
Ivela replied, shrugging her shoulders.
Turning her gaze to Hanbit, she asked,
“Then I’ll go help the Captain. What about you guys? Shall I send you to headquarters?”
As they stepped outside, Ivela looked at everyone and asked.
After a moment of contemplation, Hanbit shook his head and replied,
“No, I have a few things to check. I’ll head to headquarters once I’m done.”
“Really? Then I’ll see you later.”
Whoosh—
Ivela vanished with teleportation magic with a brief farewell.
Hanbit looked at Elencia and said,
“We’ll be going now. We’ll stop by as soon as we’re ready to meet the Captain.”
“Yes. I will make sure to find the data on the demon you mentioned.”
With that conversation over, the three of them stepped out of the city.
Hanbit looked at Luna and Rafina and said,
“For now, let’s return to the Nio Guild grounds.”
