Chapter 243 - City of Shadows (2)

We walked along the path next to the bleak-looking gray walls of the research institute.

Haley asked the researcher guiding us, "What's the reason for the separate budget cut?"

"A few months ago, the city was thrown into chaos when about a dozen magic creatures being transferred through the central research institute escaped near the square. Since then, the policy has changed, perhaps due to increased anxiety about housing magic creatures in the city."

"What species were the escaped magic creatures?"

"It's confidential information that only city council officials can know. They say a dozen or so hungry magic creatures escaped, but there were no witnesses or victims, and the streets were clean and quiet. I think it was just a ploy to turn public opinion, as the magic creature research institute had been a thorn in their side for a while."

"Why was the institute a thorn in their side? Claridium's research has contributed so much to the northern front."

"But it doesn't provide direct benefits to Claridium. Magic creature research was a project done out of a sense of duty. Money goes out, and citizens are anxious about having magic creatures in their homes. In this city, where magic creatures are unlikely to invade, what's the importance of research?"

"Even so..."

The researcher smiled bitterly and said, "Talented magic engineers and mages left early. Because the city no longer needs them. There's no more research cooperation with the North, Eternia, and the Empire. Claridium will no longer progress. They just want to maintain their legacy and create a comfortable space for themselves."

"That's unfortunate."

Haley's expression darkened somewhat.

The researcher said, "But the exchange competition will still proceed. Because it makes money and is useful for expanding their support base. Let's go."

***

Along the corridor, iron bars stretched out like a detention center. Behind us, two workers followed with a cart. The cart was covered with cloth to hide its contents, but a fishy smell still permeated the air.

The researcher guiding us said, "Don't make loud noises or make eye contact. Magic creatures are easily stimulated by such things."

Zenia, who was following beside me, pushed me forward with a pale face.

"Ah... First-year, you go first."

"Are you scared?"

"No, not at all."

Grrrr!

Just then, the growl of a magic creature echoed through the corridor. Zenia wailed and buried her head in my back.

"Ah, aah, uuuh First-year..."

"..."

"If a magic creature escapes, you get eaten first... I'll run away."

"From the magic creature’s perspective, there's not much to eat on you, Senior."

"...What?"

"Let's go."

Zenia clung tightly to my clothes and moved with a stiff body.

Haley, walking at the front with the researcher, asked, "Do all the magic creatures here appear in the exchange competition?"

"Not all of them. We select carefully chosen magic creatures after appropriate screening for aggressiveness, body size, elemental resistance, and so on."

"...It's more thorough than I thought."

Inside the iron bars, a huge reptile the size of a wagon was coiled up and sleeping. The tip of its long tail was pointed like an arrow, and it had bat-like wings.

"Oh..."

Haley let out a small exclamation.

"It's a wyvern. It's so powerful that it can grab and fly with a bull in its claws."

"It's the species that brought tragedy to the Deirne region, right?"

"That's right. It's hard to fight against wyverns without mages. Moreover, since wyverns move in groups, areas like Deirne where mages are scarce are bound to be annihilated."

Then he opened the cover of the cart and threw some aged fish inside the cage.

"With such a large body, will it be satisfied with fish?"

"Of course not. They need to eat nutritious humans or cows, but unable to do so, they're in a state of chronic malnutrition. We used to continuously supply goats or pigs, but now with lack of management personnel and budget, we bring fish discarded at the port. They're also under a lot of stress from being confined in a small space. So we mix sedatives into their food."

Listening to this, the situation seemed so dire that culling seemed to be the only answer.

The wyvern was not just one. As we moved along the corridor, there seemed to be about a dozen of them. Could the magic creatures contained here also be related to the destruction of Claridium?

If they were all released in an unexpected accident... even if not destruction, it seemed clear that there would be dozens of casualties.

We continued on.

Smaller flying species than wyverns, trolls, and even the familiar species of ghouls were housed.

As we passed through the corridor, Haley stopped in front of an empty enclosure. She tilted her head.

"What's... that? Is that space for magic creatures too?"

All the members stopped in front of it. Attention was drawn to this very different sight from the previous cages covered in magic creature secretions and filth.

There was no magic creature inside the iron bars. Instead, there was a bed, a dusty chair and desk, and books and a mirror. The interior of that cage was set up like a space for humans, not magic creatures.

The researcher said, "I only know that it was a space for housing humanoid magic creatures. I don't know the details. It's been empty since before I came."

"Where did the one inside go?"

"It's said to have escaped long ago."

"..."

Haley glanced at me, exchanging looks.

I also joined in the conversation, "Can you show us any related documents?"

The researcher shook his head.

"That's not possible."

"Is it not to be disclosed to outsiders?"

"No. As someone who's about to leave, I don't have enough loyalty left to protect such things. It's just that there are no remaining documents. The researcher who was managing this enclosure at the time went missing ten days after this magic creature escaped. All related documents were lost."

What on earth does this mean?

"Then where are the fellow researchers who worked here at the time?"

"Sadly, I heard they all left the city. I don't know if they were all replaced or if they left voluntarily. All I know is that it was a magic creature nicknamed 'Professor'."

Haley's eyes meet mine again. Her expression had become serious.

Zenia, who was stuck to my back, poked her face out and said, "Then what's the book on the desk?"

"If I remember correctly... I believe it's 'Continental Who's Who' by Jern Deer, who was a continental traveler. Now, let's move on to see the large species."

***

The researcher left Research Building 1 and moved outside. He was moving towards a huge dome-shaped structure visible in the distance.

As we were walking, the members sensed something strange and became agitated for a moment.

Drrrrrr.

The ground was rumbling as if a weak earthquake had occurred.

The researcher immediately explained and reassured us, "Ah, it's snoring. No need to worry."

Haley asked, "Snoring?"

The researcher smiled lightly.

As we got closer to the huge dome, the low-frequency vibration became painfully noticeable.

"Be careful, the snoring sound might hurt your ears a lot."

The researcher opened a thick iron door.

We expected something huge to come out, but all we could see was an empty space.

Under the dome was a huge well that could fit an entire castle with room to spare.

As we entered, everyone was too shocked to close their mouths.

Inside that large space, two giants were sleeping with their limbs restrained by iron chains. Horns protruded from their foreheads, they had hair like grassroots, a single eye, and bluish skin like a decaying corpse. As far as I knew, this magic creature was...

"...It's a Cyclops."

Haley said the name faster than me.

They were so large that humans would be like toy soldiers in their hands.

I asked, "Was this well made to tame large species?"

"No, it's an ancient structure of unknown purpose that was repaired and modified."

"...How did you bring something like this here?"

"We brought them when they were small enough to fit in a carriage and raised them here."

"Why raise something like this?"

"To test the bravery of the exchange competition participants. Special food is supplied to increase their body size and aggressiveness, and artifacts that defend against magic are attached to their forearms. Although low-grade ore was used, due to their enormous size, they boast an incredibly strong defense ability."

"...It seems excessive for a test."

"Ultra-giant magic creature species have always been like great disasters to humans since the beginning of civilization. The fight against them is an inseparable part of the history of civilization. The development of magic and swordsmanship was also to protect our living spaces from such giant magic creature species."

"..."

"It's a competition to determine the best talent on the continent. You can't prove your ability without facing ultra-giant magic creature species."

The vibration of the Cyclops' snoring was transmitted through our bodies. 

So this is what it feels like to have your body tremble just from sound.

I wasn’t sure about anything else, but it was certainly in a class that could turn Claridium into ruins. At that size, a charging sky sailship would feel like child's play. I was relieved that I wasn't selected as a representative for the exchange competition, but I absolutely didn't want to face this creature in any situation.

"Isn't there a possibility that they could be released by accident?"

"There's no way for the Cyclops to escape on their own. They're surrounded by solid bedrock, so they can't break the walls. They're like frogs in a well."

***

After finishing the tour, all the members returned to their lodgings.

The carriage I was in was heading towards the evening banquet hosted by the mayor. I asked Haley, who was sitting across from me with her legs crossed, looking at a booklet.

"Senior."

"Yes."

"That humanoid magic creature... do you think it's really a vampire?"

Haley closed the booklet and took a deep breath.

"...If it's a magic creature with that level of intelligence... it can only be a vampire."

"..."

Haley turned her head towards the carriage window. I followed her gaze.

"The problem is that this doesn't explain all the strangeness of this city."

We were just passing through the square.

In front of the fountain, just like yesterday, a man was standing on an apple box, preaching to passersby.

And next to him, a sorrowful woman holding a child's portrait was standing exactly the same.

One thing different was that the portrait in her hand depicted a completely different person from the one we saw yesterday.