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TL: ALT
Chapter 206 – Day 37 of Management Life
“Unfortunately, exporting magic stones from Cliff Garuda to the Meiju Kingdom is impossible. The nation is devoting all its resources to rebuilding the South. Since there’s no other way, we’ll have to leave it to the demonic land.”
The sorcerer informed me matter-of-factly.
The Meiju Kingdom’s civil war is imminent, but we’ve located the magic stone mines. All that remains is transportation and negotiation.
“This incident made it clear that Cliff Garuda’s survival depends entirely on the situation in the demonic land. I intend to advise the royal family strongly about their relationship with the demonic land, including its history. They must accept that peaceful times are over and adapt.”
We also plan to relocate giant magical beasts to the “Great Hole,” so keep that in mind.
“I guess we can’t refuse, huh?”
“If I don’t do it, someone else will. I’ve learned something from this, too. It’s best not to change the flow of time. Ancient cities that defied it became disasters for future generations. This demonic land proves that when the balance is broken, the land becomes uninhabitable.”
“Yes…”
Though he seemed convinced, the sorcerer who removed his mask wore a gloomy expression. Seeing the future clearly must also mean seeing the troubles ahead.
Accompanied by sorcerers and witchcraft practitioners, we inhabitants of the demonic land retraced the altered earth veins and returned from the west.
A mountain range stretches from north to south in the southwestern part of the land.
Low-growing grasses cover the mountain slopes, and small monsters abound. A herd of deer was being chased by a black, two-headed wolf. The deer were fast, however, and didn’t seem likely to be caught. Perhaps the wolf’s legs were slow, or maybe the two heads couldn’t coordinate—he was a poor hunter.
A large bird flew high in the sky, showing no sign of attacking us.
However, the grass secreted a slippery mucus, and I nearly fell.
“Kyaaa!”
Jennifer took a solid tumble, landing with her butt exposed.
“Did you see that!?”
She protested, clutching her priest’s robes, but it was impossible not to notice.
“Just be careful not to get a rash from the grass mucus.”
As I said this, Chel and Sylvia lifted Jennifer’s hem and applied medicinal herbs to her bottom.
“Stop it!”
“Just hold still!”
“Huh? It’s just to suppress the inflammation.”
Jennifer and Lipa were the only ones blushing in embarrassment. Even Kahiman, the dwarf who had recently arrived in the demonic land, just stared blankly.
“Maybe we’re missing something important.”
“What’s with you all of a sudden?”
Hel looked concerned.
“In the demonic land, we don’t feel embarrassed seeing each other naked anymore. But when we go elsewhere, normal people do.”
“I sure do feel embarrassed! I’m not a beast!”
Jennifer angrily scratched her butt.
“Exactly. Until now, we could only survive in the demonic land like beasts, but now we’re active outside of it, too. I always thought clothes were just something to wear. But if we wear torn clothes, people might laugh at us. Negotiations might not go well either.”
“But if we live in the demonic land, clothes will just get torn anyway.”
Chel scratched Jennifer’s butt. Strangely, Jennifer didn’t get angry about that. What kind of relationship did they have?
“I was thinking that when we go outside, it would be easier if we wore clothes that clearly show we’re from the demonic land. Remember how the sorcerers’ robes and the refugees’ clothes in Cliff Garuda had patterns on them? Maybe we need something like that?”
The people of Cliff Garuda wore clothes with patterns that resembled bird wings.
“That’s because they have faith in the sky,”
Lipa, who was from Cliff Garuda, had told me this. He said the Birdfolk had many words for rain and clouds.
“May rains, drizzles, evening showers. Sardine clouds, sheep clouds, cumulonimbus clouds. They live looking up at the sky. So, wing patterns are popular among the Birdfolk, or rather, familiar.”
“I wish the demonic land had something like that, too…”
Still, the demonic land has so many elements that this doesn’t come to mind immediately.
“There’s no real faith to speak of.”
“Survival, maybe?”
“Even if it’s for a bountiful harvest, there aren’t any fields.”
“H-harshness, perhaps?”
“Well, think about it while we run.”
Muttering to pass the time, we headed north.
I gradually got used to the grass’s sticky sap and ran with smaller steps to avoid tripping.
We hunted birds in flight, skewered them, and ate them for dinner. We let the night owls, Hel and Sylvia, take a nap. Unlike in the desert, there were shrubs and rocks to rest on, and the heat didn’t make us sweat or sap our strength.
At that point, there were no noticeable effects from pulling the “Sealing Wedge.” Shortly after we started running again after the break, however, large boulders scattered across the path began rolling down from the mountain peaks. Looking inside the rocks revealed no magical devices—just ordinary stones.
“Maybe it’s the effect of the Earth’s veins shifting?”
“There weren’t any before.”
Plants were crushed flat, and small monsters had begun building nests in the shadows of the rocks.
Pondering this, we continued northward. Smoke rose from the middle of the mountain range.
The nearby plants were charred black, and the surrounding stench was awful. Even monsters avoided the area.
The ground was cracked open, and hot magma fumes were billowing out.
“Magic power is gushing out, too.”
“It’s close to the road leading to the western port town.”
Several golems working on the road noticed us.
“Did that fissure start yesterday?”
The golem couldn’t speak, but he nodded vigorously.
“Since magic power seems to be erupting, too, maybe we should get closer when we rest.”
When I said that, the golem waved its hand sideways in confusion. It seemed worried that the cracked ground might collapse further.
I cautiously probed the ground. The crack definitely had the potential to spread further. Was the continent already beginning to split apart in such a short time? Maybe my predictions were wrong.
“For now, it’s safe as long as you stay within the area of the discolored plants. Keep working, but watch your step.”
The golems waved and saw me off.
“Makyo-san!”
Jennifer and the others called out as they ran toward me.
“We’re heading straight for the desert army base. I think Katan-chan and the others are worried.”
“Understood. The effects might be spreading farther from the ‘Great Hole.’ Be careful.”
“Roger.”
Jennifer, Lipa, and Kahiman headed for the desert base.
Sylvia and Hel were already asleep on Chel and my backs.
The sun was setting, so we quickly headed north along the Earth’s veins.
The mountain range became lower, and we plunged into the forest. We crossed several cliffs, but the ground was cracked only in one place, near where the road was being repaired.
Passing the ant nest and going upstream along the creek led us to the entrance where the slimes were.
The elf guard noticed us immediately and came out of the hut.
“Hey! Has anything happened in the last couple of days?”
“There was an earthquake! Also…”
Just as the elf guard was about to say something, a green tiger emerged from the forest. I thought it had come out to be petted, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Instead, it bit my sleeve and tried to pull me deeper into the forest.
“What the hell? What’s wrong?”
For the time being, I let it lead me deeper into the forest.
The moment I entered, I felt that something was off. Something I had always heard was missing.
“I can’t hear the imps.”
Their usual shrill cries were completely absent. It didn’t feel like a normal sunset.
“Come to think of it, maybe you’re right…”
Chel also seemed to sense danger and became alert. Sylvia and Hel, who had been sleeping on their backs, woke up.
Not only the imps, but the plants weren’t attacking either. It was as if something were controlling them.
We passed by the cave that served as our home and headed towards the swamp. The haze turtles, perhaps frightened by something, were sleeping with their necks tucked in along the shore.
Roar!
In the pitch-black darkness after sunset, faint fires burned near the crocodile park.
As I approached, a black shadow flew above the park.
The rock crocodiles in the park used magic to spew rocks and defend themselves against the aerial attack.
Thud!
Spreading wings as large as a golden bat, the creature glided through the air, snatched a rock, and hurled it far away.
Roar!
The black shadow spat fire from its mouth, scorching the tough hides of the rock crocodiles.
Its jaws were lined with sharp teeth, and its face, illuminated by the flames, bore a striking resemblance to a Maeshitsukawazu.
“The dragon has awakened…”
The dragon that had been sleeping in the Genetic Research Institute’s dungeon had emerged.
Gyaaahhh!!
Looking up, they saw numerous dragons flying through the sky.
As if declaring their territory, the dragons arrogantly breathed fire, scorching the forest. The flames spread to the dry leaves and threatened to become a wildfire.
In the burning forest, ginkgo treants spewed water in all directions to combat the flames. Sleeping birds flitted about.
“What should we do?”
Chel had countless water spheres floating in the air.
“Physical attacks probably won’t do much damage. Its bones have such high magical conductivity that its skin and bones should be incredibly hard!”
Hel shouted, sharing her knowledge of dragons.
“Just one drop! If we get some blood, we can analyze its weaknesses and personality!”
Sylvia shouted while donning her leather armor.
“Hel, burn something—a sleeping potion or paralysis agent—and turn it into smoke. We don’t know how effective it’ll be, but with a nose that big, it’ll inhale it.”
“Got it!”
“Chel, let’s go!”
“Yeah!”
Chel and I dove straight at the dragon soaring above the crocodile park.
It wasn’t planned, but just as the dragon opened its mouth to breathe fire, we slammed a water sphere into its head, freezing it solid.
Crunch!
The ice shattered instantly, but that split second was all we needed.
A simple impact on the dragon’s body meant nothing. The target was its heart.
I slammed my palm against the dragon’s chest and channeled spinning magic toward its highly conductive spine. There was some resistance, but I pushed the magic in as if in a magic sparring match.
The shockwave from the spinning magic spread out like ripples.
Gah!
The dragon spat ice and rolled its eyes back.
I turned and locked eyes with Chel, who was falling.
“Can you handle it?”
“It seems like it just woke up and can’t control its magic yet.”
“Go on!”
As Chel swung her arm, my body rode the wind, soaring high into the sky.
“Damn it! The Nushi’s handling is sloppy.”
I opened my eyes and saw the dragon charging straight at me.
I placed my hand on its snout, mouth open, and poured in the sticky, kneaded magic power.
Gwaaah!?
The dragon didn’t even try to bite me. It kept its mouth open, slowly bent its neck, and plummeted to the ground.
The dragon herd, sensing their comrade’s change, swarmed toward me.
Unlike the Nushi, their magic doesn’t swirl; it flows straight through them. Dealing with it isn’t that hard.
If I make the magic spin or change its properties before sending it into their bodies, it’ll disrupt their movements.
Just then, the smoke from the sleeping potion Hel had burned rose up.
“Hey! I’m falling!”
Chel climbed up, using the floating water sphere as a foothold.
“I came to save you, you know.”
“Thanks. Freeze the water sphere for me.”
We descended to the ground using the frozen water sphere as a foothold.
White smoke filled the area, and all the flying dragons were asleep.
Sylvia was wearing a mask and sharpening her sword.
“Ah, I’ll handle the rest.”
“Don’t dissect them.”
“I won’t. After the ecological research is complete, we’ll use whatever we can. If real dragons appear, we have to protect everything, from their claws to their shed skin. If they escape the demonic land, the elf shops will be flooded with them.”
Hel, who explained this, also wore a mask.
“Let’s go see the dungeon folk!”
Together with Chel, we headed to the Genetic Research Institute’s dungeon.
As expected, several dungeon dwellers who had tried to stop the dragon horde were injured, so Hel treated them.
“Suddenly, as if responding to some signal, they all woke up at once…”
The director, who had been looking up at the sky outside the dungeon, told us, stunned.
“Then there was an earthquake, and they took flight.”
“The dragons entered the earth’s veins. Maybe they synchronized because members of the same species awoke.”
“What should we do? We’ve unleashed the dragons…”
“Ah, they’ve already been captured. Hel and Sylvia are conducting an ecological survey. You should go see them.”
“Eh…?”
“That’s about all that’s changed, I suppose?”
“We still don’t know about the northern part.”
Chel emerged from the dungeon.
“Yeah. But it’s already dark, so let’s do it tomorrow.”
With the giant magical beast’s attack looming, work was piling up.
Puu~
Saty, the satyr, practiced his horn while gazing up at the stars.
“Are you being carefree?”
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