In the free trade city’s guild meeting room, five people sat around the round table.
“So, why did you call me here? I am pretty busy, so make it short.”
The one who started the discussion was none other than one of the two great nobles in the free trade city, the one who took control of the trades, Vorn Rondo Valois. He was a man with calm eyes, he took over the Valois family from his late father pretty early, and now he was only thirty-four years old.
“I am also busy–is not what I can say. But I want to immerse myself in my hobby. Well, I will do my job according to my position.”
The one who said that was the head of the magician guild, Llanfair. He was a man past middle age with a beard like a dwarf and wearing typical clothes for magicians including a hat and robe.
There were eight seats in the room, one of them was for the guild master, but the one who sat beside him was his assistant Irina. Usually, she stood behind the guild master, but since there were a lot of empty seats, the guild master arrange for her to sit there.
And beside her was A rank adventurer with title, Crysta. Usually, this place was used for a meeting during a state of emergency for two great nobles and six guild masters to decide the course of the plan, so a place for Crysta and Irina to sit never existed, but right now Nigurd paid no attention to it. While Vorn and Llanfair also prefer practicality than form so they also did not raise objections.
In the first place, the six guild masters and two great nobles gather together to talk was a rare occurrence, being too conscious about it would be odd.
“Alright, I will make it short. First about the abnormality in the forest–”
“About that, didn’t we already reach conclusion? If battle did occur you could use my knight corps. And if I worked to protect the city, Eleonora would also move. That woman–excuse me, Eleonora-dono also has magic knights she brought from the capital and she would use them, adding the adventurer guild combat power, it should be no problem right?”
Vorn’s arguments were sound.
He never cut corners on the town’s defense. In the state of emergency, he could muster seven hundred to a thousand professionals. The adventurers guild should also have around one hundreds veteran. Of course, there were many more if you included the nonveteran. Adding the number of Eleonora’s assets if she moved, the combined numbers would become a force to behold.
Although he hate to admit it, the magic knights that were trained in the capital were strong. For fame and mass support, Eleonora would certainly move. That’s why conquering the monster’s attack would be easy.
“Of course we would do our best to solve this issue. However, this time the source still not found–I thought it was Mana Krene at first but Llanfair-dono has denied that possibility.”
Nigurd said with a heavy tone.
Hearing those words, Vorn turned his gaze to Llanfair.
“Could you tell me more about it?”
Hearing those words, Llanfair started to explain after a sigh.
“Yes, let’s leave the more professional stuff. Basically, mana krene appearance has a circle on its own. The reason was, in an easy way, the movement of wind and earth, in this place the direction should be the Yorn forest. That’s why monsters like those places. And in those areas there would be more concentrated areas and become a mana krene. Of course, this is still in the phase of hypothesis, and there might be some influence from the quality of earth, the existence of twin moon, but that was not really important right now–And so we from the magician guild has checked the area where the mana tends to converge and concluded that this would be too early. Considering the rate of the flow, the mana krene would only appear at least fifty-six years later.”
After explaining in one breath, Llanfair slumped back to his seat in a tired expression.
“If it was only movement due to monster that lost its habitat we won’t be this alert. However, according to reports, there were some different monsters that band together and move together. There was not something that have happened before. We from the adventurer guild decided this was an emergency and request the town to band together to deal with it.”
Irina said it with a serious expression.
“For the time being, does Llanfair-dono has a clue what might be the cause of the movement?”
Llanfair shook his head to Nigurd’s question.
“If it was simply a large number of certain monsters, I do have a few theories. But for this case, none. Monsters, although could live long and evolve, as long they did not become demon race, they would not develop wisdom. Working together would always be limited to the same species. There would be kobold following around ogre–well except for one possibility, but I don’t want to consider it.”
“And that was?”
Vorn asked.
“Vorn-dono should also know about it. The ancient demon race could control monsters and make them submit. It was just a legend, of course, it would match with the current case, but it was not realistic.”
Vorn nodded at Llanfair’s words.
Of course.
That kind of rare being, their existence itself was doubtful.
At that time no words were said and silence continue.
After a while, Vorn removed the finger that has been strongly pushed to his temple and opened his mouth.
“I understand. I promise I would stay in caution.”
Nigurd smiled in satisfaction.
And then, he started another topic.
“Let’s move to the main issue.”
Vorn looked puzzled.
Why the town’s safety was not the main topic.
Nigurd glance at Crysta, and then she stood up.
“Rank A adventurer, Ice Empress Crysta Nave Branrichter. This time I would not speak as a noble but as a titled A-rank adventurer. The day before during a request I met a girl–”
Everyone here knew about her quest and how it was a trap made by nobles also.
That’s why they paid attention to what she wanted to say about it.
“–That girl, has outrageous power.”
Hearing those abstract words, Vorn and Llanfair tilted their head.
“Outrageous is it? Could you give more explanation?”
Vorn asked.
“I also could not properly gauge her power because the gap between us was too big. However, if I’m allowed to make a comparison, even if there were a hundred of me, I might not be able to win against that girl.”
“–Ha?”
Vorn was stupefied.
Of course.
Rank A adventurer, and a titled one to boot, should be able to tackle a battalion of magic knights. Literally a one-man army.
And to say that there were a hundred of her, that would roughly equal to a hundred thousand magic knights. So what she said was, the girl she met could defeat a hundred thousand magic knights.
“I swear on my name that this is not a joke. Probably I would be defeated in less than a minute. And my conjecture was approved by guild master and Irina.”
“……I could not believe it…”
As the head of the magician guild, Llanfair know well how potent Ice Empress magic was. Her power should be able to blast a hundred knights with anti-magic preparation in one shot. In terms of ice magic, none in the kingdom could best her.
But the person herself has sworn under her own name, so it’s unlikely a lie.
Crysta was well known as a diligent and honest adventurer.
That’s why she would not make a poor joke like this.
And Vorn also understood it.
“She always said that she was half-human. And her servant said that the other half was a dragon. It’s a bit hard to believe but I think her dragon part would be able to best four great dragons.”
“That sounds unrealistic…”
Vorn could not accept Crysta’s words and said that unconsciously.
“Of course I won’t say that you must believe everything I said. But it was the truth that she defeated Duran. Additionally, she has goodwill toward humans. She did not flaunt her power, and as long we did not impolite toward her, she should interact with us with kindness. Considering all of it, the main topic for today was to not give her stimulation and act with prudence.”
After finished, Crysta sat back in her seat.
“How could you say she has goodwill toward humans, what is the basis? Is she truly not dangerous?”
Vorn looked at Crsyta with a sharp gaze. That gaze was like a military man requesting an explanation from subordinates.
Crysta accepted those gazes head-on and answered.
“After I was defeated by Duran, I was taken as captive and defenseless. However, she did not take us for her own gain. On the contrary, she saved the slaves whom she might not get anything from. Not only that, her demand of remunerations for saving us was mere to gave those slaves support until they could return to society and information. That’s why I believe she has goodwill toward humans.”
To do that using the remuneration that they should be accepting was unthinkable, and never seen before for Crysta. Although the guild would guarantee some things for the captives, Crysta usually never did anything. Or rather she could not. Because it might make misunderstanding that the adventure guild’s job was to rescue and protect them. As long there was no special reward, although it sound cruel, they could not do anything for them.
“Additionally, even if we decided she is dangerous, there is nothing we could do.”
That’s right. From Crysta’s point of view, Nacht was absurd. It was impossible to deal her with power. If they pushed their luck, that would just end badly.
“That’s why we must act with prudence and courtesy”
A heavy atmosphere enveloped the room.
“Nacht stayed at the Inn Twilight Little Bird. It was to prevent adventurers and nobles to make unnecessary contact with her. In that direction, we asked Vorn-dono for cooperation.”
Said Nigurd.
In the silence, after long contemplation, Llanfair laughed.
“Hahahahahaha! I see, so there is an existence like that! Alright, I understand. I, Llanfair will interact with her with my utmost respect. In that regard, is it allowed to talk about magic with her? I am really interested!”
“A-as long Llanfair-dono did nothing disrespectful.”
Irina quickly answered.
“Umu.”
Llanfair nodded with a childish smile on his face.
“…………It is truly hard to believe, but I will take your words sincerely. –I understand, I will do my best to—!?”
His words were cut short.
To be precise, he felt a wave of anger and thus was unable to continue.
As if the wind rage and the earth tremble, that kind of pressure.
They looked timidly at the wooden floor to ascertain whether it was still there.
Even the one most unskilled at the battle, Vorn, could also felt that presence.
Of course, Nigurd, Irina, Crysta, and Llanfair felt the pressure that similar to dragon roar with their sense.
“Nacht….dono…?”
Crysta murmured.
There was none else have this much presence other than that personage.
“I have really bad feeling about this, guild master–”
“–Even if you said it to me–we must quickly grasp the situation.”
And before Nigurd could make a move, a change occurred in the sky.
“What is that…!”
Cloud appear in the clear sky, and clinging to it was a figure of a long and thin dragon.
Sound that breaking the air could be heard multiple times.
“What is that, is that…magic…!?”
Llanfair was the one person who could say it with a smile.
In the end, the dragon decided on a target and descended.
The thunderous explosion almost broke their eardrum.
And thus silence returned.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
For the dragons to descend was not something that they could accept readily.
But Crysta was sure, that it was something Nacht produce with her power.
“Could you understand it now? That was the power of Nacht-dono…please refrain to have rash thoughts against her. She saw humans as people of the same race, and usually pretty gentle.”
Looking at the severe punishment, Crysta, Llanfair, and Irina understood that the scope was minimized.
Between the magic power they felt and the resulting area effect, the discrepancy was too great.
It would need a strenuous effort of mana control–not something a mortal could do.
If Nacht changed her mind, just from that magic power alone, they could imagine their city destroyed.
Crysta and co looking at the scene of the tragedy and guess what happened.
“Understood. I will do my best on my side.”
Vorn could only give those answers.
What stomachache-inducing trouble, Vorn could feel his head throbbing.