Chapter 93 - Fake Royal Capital
「Trapped by demons? What do you mean by that? Were they attacked? 」
When Ariante asked, Hunt god showed a gesture of holding his head with both hands, which is surprisingly human-like.
「That person’s situation, I’ll tell you. If you can, help them. 」
Then, the Hunt God began to talk about what happened to Rēvendia.
As we went closer to the royal capital, the fog on the plain deepened.
It’s not an ordinary fog either. No matter how hard you look, you can’t see anything but a few steps ahead.
「I, I’m tired……」
However, I can’t afford to doubt the extreme weather.
Being controlled by spirit-san’s power and running explosively nonstop, my fatigue (including mental fatigue) has already reached its peak.
「Awawa, I’m very sorry about that Evil Dragon-sama. But we will probably arrive soon. I don’t know why there is a terrible fog, but distance-wise we will be arriving soon. If it was sunny, we’d be able to see the royal capital by now. 」
Sheina says while looking at a compass. Special made by an alchemist, that compass seems to be able to show our current position and the destination accurately even in this fog.
「Then, I don’t need to be boosted by spirit-san anymore, right? 」
「Un. It stopped already so rest assured. 」
「Thank goodness…… 」
If it continued any longer, I wouldn’t be able to keep my consciousness anymore.
When we enter the royal capital, Rēko will probably cause various problems again, so I’ll take a good rest before that.
Then, Rēko, who was a little far away, walked up to us from the fog.
「Fuh, Sheina. You seem to have grown a lot in this journey. It seems that you have been able to communicate with Evil Dragon-sama by receiving his thoughts that he sent from afar. 」
「Ah, yes. That’s right. 」
「But overconfidence is forbidden. As a kin, I constantly receive more sophisticated and complex thoughts from Evil Dragon-sama. You are only touching a piece of Evil Dragon-sama’s will. If you go deep and touch Evil Dragon-sama’s true darkness, it will inevitably collapse your mind. Be very careful. 」
「…… By the way, what does Rēko-chan hear from Evil Dragon-sama? 」
Rēko sat upright in front of Sheina with her eyes shining.
「It’s extremely difficult to verbalize. After all, the communication between Evil Dragon-sama and me is done through the soul, so it goes beyond the scope of human understanding. But, if I dare to speak it in human language, then the overwhelming urge to kill the Demon King as well as destroy all things are the topics that cannot be ignored. Oops, but this is also dangerous for ordinary people if I talk about it in too much detail……」
「Is that so? 」
「Don’t ask me. I’ll have trouble answering. 」
I sweated and responded to Sheina who looked at me instead of Rēko.
「Well, maybe what Rēko wants to say is, “Don’t just talk to me (with thoughts), but come over here” or something like that. Unexpectedly, that girl really wants to talk with people. 」
「What. So it’s something like that. She’s really not straightforward. 」
When Sheina said that and began to poke Rēko’s cheeks, something strange happened.
The fog cleared suddenly and the sunlight shone down, revealing the appearance of the royal castle towering over the plains.
「……The fog disappeared with some really tremendous momentum. 」
「The sunlight is also getting stronger……wonder if there’s a limit to it. 」
Sheina and I are getting suspicious. It was obviously not a normal climatic change.
Moreover, the fog swirls disturbingly above the royal capital that we are aiming for.
「Did you receive my thoughts, Evil Dragon-sama. I was already close to the royal capital. Yes……rest assured……I will give this city to you as a puppet nation. First, I will imprint the fear thoroughly. And after that, I will give them Evil Dragon-sama’s mercy……This is the perfect carrot and stick strategy. 」
「 Rēko. Hold on a bit. Listen to my true voice. I did not deliver such a dark intention. 」
Rēko began to receive something strange so I shook her shoulders.
Rēko was muttering a disturbing plan while staring at the void for a while, but her eyes soon focused on me.
「Yes. Is this an emergency communication from Evil Dragon-sama? What are your orders? 」
「Be calm. Don’t have such a dangerous attitude with the people in this country. That’s because you are actually a kind child.」
「I understand……you mean to wipe out the sweetness that still remains in me, right? 」
「Don’t do that. Never wipe out your last conscience. 」
However, Rēko seemed eager to make her first mission successful, and my restraint was no longer effective.
All I did was cling to their hems while they pushed me forward.
Toward the royal capital where apparently strange fog swirled.
「Then, they entered the royal capital and I couldn’t see anymore. 」
Ariante heard the series of events and sighed.
「It’s a trap no matter what you think about it. That fog is certainly the work of a demon……There is no information that Rēvendia and the others entered the royal capital of Granard, so they are probably wrapped in fog before getting trapped in a barrier disguised as the royal capital. 」
「I, think so too. But strange. Why, Rēko, didn’t notice? 」
「That girl……is too strong, so she’s less alert. Even if there is a monster with decent strength, she can’t distinguish it from small fry. Well, that monster may actually be just a small fry to that girl. That dragon over there also has been mistaken as some children’s plaything by that girl. 」
Doradora who was pointed at looked at the sky and laughed.
「Fuh, that sort of thing happened……when I think about it now, it’s a story of a distant past……」
「Don’t try to casually bury it in the past. It hasn’t even been a month yet. 」
「I’m growing stronger day by day. The next time she sees me, she will never mistake me for a children’s plaything. At that moment, that girl will know. The Proud Dragon of Fierce Winds Doradora’s true name—」
「We deviated from the topic. So, Hunt God. Just to be sure, but Rēvendia and the others disappeared in the plain just before the royal capital, right? 」
「Probably. 」
But the search team has already searched that place thoroughly.
A certain amount of magic power is needed to create a barrier. The Saintess at Seiren is good at it, but that was a skill that she could only do within her own territory.
If a monster that could create a barrier big enough to trap Rēvendia appeared in the vicinity of the royal capital, it would create a lot of turmoil…
「Ah, by the way. Few days ago, a Demon King Army’s executive was defeated. Maybe, it has something to do with it. 」
「An executive from the Demon King’s Army? 」
「Un, a person that looks like a rabbit stuffed animal. 」
「A rabbit stuffed animal……? 」
Stuffed Animal.
A feeling of discomfort stuck in my head for a moment, but it quickly melted.
「I’ve heard from Granard’s adventurer’s guild that they found a stuffed animal before. Maybe it’s pretending to be dead. 」
Aliante signals Doradora to spread his wings.
「Oh God of Hunting who has given me your assistance. I will return here at some time. At that time, please give me one lesson on hunting. 」
「Un, be at ease. You, great potential. 」
I jumped on Doradora’s back, and the ground vanished from below me in a blink of an eye.
「Go to the royal capital of Granard. We will collect the stuffed animal and see if it’s a monster. 」
「I understand—but, I’m not quite convinced by the story just now. 」
「What do you mean? 」
「Aside from that kin girl, why did Rēvendia not notice the strangeness of the royal capital? With his power, any kind barrier will just be instantly broken. But why are they still trapped? 」
「……that’s true when you think about it. 」
If Rēvendia says, “This is a fake royal capital,” the space will be destroyed with a single swing of that kin’s dagger. No, even if he is not sure that it’s a fake, if he says, ”This looks somewhat strange,” that girl would immediately know the existence of the barrier with clairvoyance.
—but he didn’t do it. Or is he in a situation where he can’t?
「Whatever it is, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a very good situation. Rēvendia……」
Ariante bit her lip in frustration.
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