Chapter 71
Then we headed for the forest to the northeast.
We had received information that the giant centipedes had come from there.
Princess Sofia had told us why those giant centipedes had attacked.
Apparently, some members of the army had gone to investigate the 'dormant demon beast' without permission and encountered the giant centipedes there.
Then, after their territory was invaded, the giant centipedes left the forest in pursuit of the fleeing Imperial soldiers.
Afterward, they apparently came toward the areas where people lived in search of food.
This was entirely the Empire's fault.
Princess Sofia had clearly stated, 'The responsibility lies with me,' but Lukie and I knew that until very recently she had been sickly and in no condition to command others.
So we had decided to discuss where the responsibility lay again later.
Besides, Lukie and Chancellor Kelv-san both thought, 'Investigating the giant centipedes comes before assigning blame.'
The Demon Lord's Territory's forces had come to the forest where the giant centipedes appeared to determine what had caused them.
Incidentally, the Imperial soldiers led by Unit Commander Isaac had already entered the forest.
They apparently had something else to investigate.
That was how I ended up entering the northeastern forest with the soldiers of the Demon Lord's Territory, but──
"You can tell where the giant centipedes came from by looking at the ground."
It was a terrible sight.
Trees had been knocked down, and the ground had been gouged out.
The giant centipedes had rampaged through the area. It was only natural for the forest to end up like this.
Those things had truly been formidable enemies. If possible, I never wanted them to appear again.
"So this 'Buzzer' is what made those formidable enemies flinch, yes? You truly have made something wonderful, Thor-dono!"
General Raizenga said this while walking beside me.
He was holding the 'Buzzer' in his palm and examining it with great interest.
He looked just like a child who had been given a new toy.
Mabel had even admonished him, saying, "If you get too carried away, Agnis-sama will laugh at you later."
But the general just laughed as he turned the 'Buzzer' over and squeezed it.
"To think that something so small can stop a demon beast in its tracks. It is truly remarkable."
"Its weakness is that it consumes a lot of magic power. Right now, it has used up all its magic power, so it will only make a sound."
"Hmm. So it makes a sound when magic power is infused into it?"
"That's right. But please don't activate it right now."
"I know that... Oh."
General Raizenga climbed over a fallen tree with his finger still resting on the 'Buzzer.'
It seemed he accidentally put some force into it at that moment──
'──Omawarisan'
Magic power flowed into the 'Buzzer,' and it made a sound.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
"What can I do for you, Thor Kanan? And General Raizenga-dono."
Unit Commander Isaac came over.
"Huh? Huh? W-why?"
"...That's why I told you not to activate it right now."
Of course he came.
Unit Commander Isaac had even changed his name to Isaac Omawarisan Mueller.
When he heard the voice calling, 'Omawarisan,' he naturally thought he had been summoned and came running.
"I'm sorry to bother you while you're busy. Calling you here was our mistake, Unit Commander Isaac-dono."
I bowed to Isaac-san.
"Actually, I was wondering whether any other giant centipedes had been found... Also, it has been quite some time since the Imperial soldiers entered the forest. Are they all right?"
"No fourth centipede has appeared. There do not seem to be any other demon beasts in the forest, either."
Isaac-san dismounted and answered.
"I appreciate your concern. However, please do not call my name so carelessly. When you need me, please send a messenger. I am busy as well, you know."
"I'm sorry, Unit Commander Isaac."
"No, it is fine as long as you understand."
Unit Commander Isaac nodded, then mounted his horse again.
"I owe Thor Kanan a debt for saving Her Highness the Princess. And──General Raizenga-dono."
"Y-yes."
"The Minotaur unit under your command fought with truly dauntless courage. Your refusal to retreat even a single step against those giant centipedes is worthy of respect."
"W-we also had the opportunity to reaffirm the strength of the Imperial soldiers in this battle."
"I hope we can maintain a good relationship with each other. Well, then!"
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
Unit Commander Isaac rode away.
"............Sigh."
I let out a sigh.
Unit Commander Isaac was Princess Sofia's subordinate. Since she trusted him, he could not be a bad person.
But I was still not good at talking with Imperial military officers...
"Please be careful, General Raizenga."
"You must not fiddle with Thor-sama's items carelessly, General-sama."
Mabel and I glared at General Raizenga intently.
"N-no! I am sorry. I never expected this to happen."
"You must not activate the 'Buzzer' carelessly. Otherwise, Omawarisan will come running."
I took the 'Buzzer' back from General Raizenga.
This was why I had not been able to give the 'Buzzer' to Princess Sofia.
If it went off inside the Empire, Unit Commander Isaac would come running.
Later, I would have to make a 'Buzzer' exclusively for Princess Sofia—one that said, 'Not Isaac, Omawarisan!'
"...No... I truly am sorry. I will formally send an envoy to apologize to the Imperial unit commander later."
General Raizenga's shoulders slumped.
"Please don't be so depressed. It was partly my fault for not explaining things properly."
"...Y-yes."
"More importantly, His Majesty and the Chancellor are calling for you at the front of the unit. You should go."
"I understand. I caused trouble for you as well, Thor-dono. Let us talk later."
With that, General Raizenga ran toward the front of the unit.
The Demon Lord's Territory's forces continued deeper into the forest.
When I glanced around, I saw Imperial soldiers gathered beside a river flowing through the forest.
...A horse was lying on the riverbank. Its saddle belonged to an Imperial soldier.
That meant it probably belonged to one of the soldiers who had provoked the giant centipedes. Several other horses were lying nearby as well. But I could not see their riders. The Imperial soldiers were desperately calling out from the riverbank, but──there seemed to be no answer.
"This is where the Imperial soldiers were attacked..."
Mabel, walking beside me, was trembling.
"I saw that demon beast up close as well, so I understand how frightening it was. A new species of giant centipede... But where did that demon beast come from?"
"We don't know where the 'Gargalossa demon beast' came from, either, right?"
"Yes. It is a new species of demon beast... Somehow, it frightens me."
Mabel squeezed my hand tightly.
We chose the easiest path to walk along and continued deeper into the forest.
After walking for a while, we saw a tall rocky cliff. It was a rocky mountain leading into the mountains.
At its foot was the entrance to a large cave.
"We have arrived, Your Majesty. This appears to be the lair of the 'dormant demon beast.'"
General Raizenga said this at the front of the unit.
At the same time, the forces of the Demon Lord's Territory came to a halt.
We could see a large hole gaping open in the rocky cliff before us.
That seemed to be the lair of the dormant demon beast.
Nearby, the Imperial soldiers were conferring.
Unit Commander Isaac and the soldiers kept glancing in our direction.
It seemed they wanted the people of the Demon Lord's Territory to hear what they were discussing.
"We will now divide the unit. Cavalry, search for Adjutant Mariela and her subordinates. Return by sunset. The rest of you will head for the cave of the 'dormant demon beast.' And then──"
With that, Unit Commander Isaac came over to the side of the Demon Lord's Territory.
He knelt before Demon Lord Lukie and spoke.
"I am Isaac Omawarisan Mueller, commander of the Imperial border forces. I have a proposal. Would the people of the Demon Lord's Territory be willing to search the cave of the 'dormant demon beast' together with my unit?"
"──May I ask your reason?"
Chancellor Kelv-san was the one who answered.
Lukie silently looked down at Unit Commander Isaac from horseback.
"This is the first time the Empire has made such a request of us, so I would very much like to know why."
"There are things we do not understand that the people of the Demon Lord's Territory──no, that all of you may understand."
Unit Commander Isaac continued.
"Those giant centipedes are a new species. We do not know why they appeared. If there are clues inside the cave, it would be better for many people to examine it."
"So you trust us?"
"I am Princess Sofia's subordinate. Supporting Her Highness is my mission. Now that Her Highness trusts the Demon Lord's Territory, it is only natural that I follow her wishes."
"I understand. Please wait a moment."
Chancellor Kelv-san returned to Lukie's side.
"You may tell him that we accept."
Lukie made her decision at once.
After a brief discussion, they decided on the procedure for searching the cave.
Several people from each side—the Demon Lord's Territory and the Empire—would enter the cave.
If they sensed danger, they were to return immediately.
Soldiers would be stationed outside the cave so that they could intercept any demon beasts.
"Thor-sama... You are going to participate after all, aren't you?"
"Yes."
I nodded at Mabel's question.
"If we can discover the cause of the demon beasts' appearance, I may be able to deal with it using my 'Over-Alchemy.' If there are clues, I want to examine them."
"Understood. Then I will accompany you."
"Thanks. Before that..."
With Lukie's permission, I left the ranks of the Demon Lord's Territory's forces.
I moved into the shade of a tree with Mabel... and called the Pixies.
"Yes, Benefactor. Soleil has arrived."
"Rune is here as well. Did you need something?"
Soleil, Rune, and the other Pixies were all disguised as owls in their 'dress-up pajamas.'
I had them follow us in secret the entire time since then.
The Imperial soldiers had seen us use 'Chain Lock,' after all.
I would have to remake the pajamas later as well.
"Could you investigate the magic power around that cave? From outside is fine... See whether there might be a demon beast with powerful magic, or what attributes of magic are present around the cave. Can you do it?"
"Of course!"
The Pixies flew up with a whoosh.
They immediately went near the cave──and returned.
"The magic power we sense is a little Darkness, and then Earth and Water."
At Soleil's words, the other Pixies nodded repeatedly.
"We do not sense particularly powerful magic. We do not think there is a demon beast there."
"I understand. Thank you."
"But we are coming with you!" "We shall go as well!"
Soleil and Rune spread their owl wings and declared this.
"Soleil can use Light-Attribute attack magic, so I shall protect you, Benefactor!"
"Rune feels the same way."
"Okay. Then I'll count on you."
We did not know what might be inside the cave.
I would feel safer if the two of them came along.
"In that case, there is something I want to give Soleil and Rune. Is that all right?"
I took some items from the 'Extra-Small Simple Storage' and gave them to the two of them.
Then I went to Lukie and told her what the Pixies had learned and that I wanted to accompany the cave exploration.
"Very well. If that is what Thor wishes, I cannot refuse."
Lukie thought for a moment, then nodded.
"However, return immediately if you sense danger."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Mabel, guard Thor as well. And──Raizenga."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I entrust the cave exploration unit to you. If you find anything suspicious, show it to Thor. I am sure he will think of something useful."
"Understood. I feel reassured with Thor-dono accompanying us as well. By the way..."
"What is it, General?"
"What exactly are the kittens perched on Thor-dono's and Mabel's shoulders?"
"They are guards."
When I answered, the kittens on Mabel's and my shoulders took flight and descended to the ground.
"Meow, Your Majesty?"
"Meow-meow, Your Majesty."
"Are you the Pixies Soleil and Rune!?"
"Yes. Since they said they wanted to serve as guards, I had them transform using cat-shaped 'dress-up pajamas.'"
When we infiltrated the 'Town of Noza,' I had prepared both owl-shaped and cat-shaped pajamas.
In the end, we chose the owl-shaped ones because they were easier to fly in.
But since the two of them wanted to come along this time, I decided to have them use the cat-shaped pajamas.
They were better suited to narrow spaces, and more importantly, they were less conspicuous.
"This is their first appearance."
"Do they suit us?"
"Of course. They were made by Thor-sama, after all."
Mabel stroked the throats of Soleil and Rune, who had become kittens.
As for Lukie──
"...Cute."
She gazed at the kitten forms of Soleil and Rune with a dazed expression.
"............Cute. How... adorable."
"Your Majesty?"
"N-no, it is nothing. Ahem."
Lukie hurriedly cleared her throat.
"I-in any case, be careful. Thor and Mabel, of course, but Raizenga as well, make sure none of the soldiers are injured. Understood!?"
"Yes."
"We will do as you say."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
"Meow."
And so Mabel and I, General Raizenga, Soleil and Rune──along with the Minotaur soldiers──were to enter the cave of the 'dormant demon beast.'
There was a huge cavern at the back of the cave.
It was about the size of a castle's great hall. Withered grass had been piled up in one corner.
That must have been the 'Great Dark Bear's' bed.
There was also the 'Great Dark Bear's' fur.
It had been torn to shreds by the giant centipedes as they devoured it.
I took a few scraps just in case, but it was questionable whether they could be used as materials.
Other than that, there were only traces of the 'Great Dark Bear's' life here.
"This is a problem. There are no clues about those centipedes at all..."
General Raizenga scratched his head.
The surrounding Minotaurs tilted their heads in confusion as well.
I also examined the area here and there with 'Appraisal Comprehension,' but found nothing noteworthy.
Had those giant centipedes come from somewhere else and merely stopped here to feed on the 'Great Dark Bear'...?
If so, was there another place where they had originated?
As I was thinking about this──
"Meow." "Meow, meow."
"...Soleil? Rune?"
──Soleil and Rune, in their cat forms, were scratching at my shoes.
"...What is wrong, you two?"
"............There is something drawn on the ground."
"............It is almost erased, so we cannot make it out clearly."
I asked them in a low voice so the Imperial soldiers would not notice, and received their whispered replies.
The cat Soleil and Rune pointed at the ground with their tiny paws.
There seemed to be something there.
"Mabel, could you shine some light on the ground?"
"Y-yes, Thor-sama."
Mabel brought the 'Magic Lamp' close to the cave floor.
When I brought my face closer, I could indeed see something drawn there.
They looked like lines and geometric shapes.
Could this be... a magic circle used for ritual magic?
"Does this mean someone used large-scale ritual magic here?"
The 'Great Dark Bear,' which had originally lived here, had been dormant.
Could someone have layered sleep magic over it to keep the demon beast from awakening, then drawn a magic circle and activated the spell? And had the giant centipedes come in response to that magic...?
I did not know.
In the first place, there was no guarantee that this magic circle had anything to do with the giant centipedes.
...Hmm.
"General Raizenga, Mabel, could you listen to me for a moment?"
I told General Raizenga and Mabel about the magic circle.
"Of course, there is no guarantee that this is related to magic. But I think it is possible that someone entered this place. What do you think, Mabel?"
"...It is not a magic circle that I recognize."
"I have no knowledge of a shape like this, either."
Mabel and General Raizenga both shook their heads.
Apparently, neither of them had any idea what it was.
Well, even if it was a magic circle, most of it had already been erased, and only part of it remained, so it could not be helped.
"I will copy this down and have Chancellor Kelv-san examine it."
I took parchment and a pen from the 'Extra-Small Simple Storage.'
While checking with Soleil and Rune, I copied the pattern on the ground.
"An Imperial military officer might know what this magic circle is."
General Raizenga said this suddenly.
"This is Imperial territory. If so, it was probably drawn by a human. Why not ask that unit commander?"
"I don't mind, but... are you all right with that, General?"
"I do not mind. Thor-dono taught me that there are good people among humans as well."
General Raizenga smiled.
"Besides, that unit commander proposed a joint investigation of the cave. He must have done so because he trusted us. In that case, we must trust them as well."
General Raizenga seemed to have no hesitation.
As expected, the general was impressive.
I could not bring myself to trust the Empire that completely.
For now, Princess Sofia was about the only person I could trust.
But Unit Commander Isaac was Princess Sofia's aide, and he cared deeply for her. In that case, I had no problem passing the information on to him.
However, Unit Commander Isaac was surrounded by many soldiers elsewhere.
If I approached him and called him over, the other soldiers might follow him.
"I suppose it can't be helped. I feel awkward doing the same thing twice, though..."
I took out the 'Buzzer.'
Click.
'............Omawarisan'
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
"Did you need something?"
Only Unit Commander Isaac came over.
"It is troublesome to be summoned repeatedly when you have no business with me, Thor Kanan."
"Sorry. There was something I wanted you to look at, Isaac-sama."
"For me?"
"This."
I pointed to the remains of the magic circle drawn on the ground.
Unit Commander Isaac brought his face close to the ground and──
"...Y-yes. It certainly appears to be the remains of a magic circle. I feel as though I have seen it somewhere before, but..."
"Do you know what it is?"
"No... I do not. I am a military officer, not a mage..."
"I see. That's too bad."
"However, Princess Sofia may know. Why not meet with her and discuss it?"
"...Huh? Is that all right?"
"I have no objection. You and Her Highness may be able to determine the identity of this magic circle. Would you come to the 'Town of Noza' sometime?"
Then Unit Commander Isaac shook his head and said,
"Besides... I feel as though it would be better if I did not know about this magic circle. There are people I do not want to give this information to. I would prefer to pretend that I saw nothing..."
"Understood."
I nodded.
I understood that there were various factions within the Empire as well.
Unit Commander Isaac probably did not want to give information to Princess Sofia's enemies.
"I will say that I accidentally summoned Isaac Omawarisan Mueller-san."
"That would be helpful."
"Mabel, General, is that all right with you?"
I looked toward Mabel and General Raizenga.
They both nodded.
"Then we will send a letter to Princess Sofia ourselves later and arrange a meeting afterward."
"Understood. Then I shall return to the investigation."
Unit Commander Isaac waved and returned to the unit.
Some time later, the investigation was called off.
In the end, the only thing they found was the 'Great Dark Bear's' fur.
The Imperial soldiers were not told about the traces of the magic circle.
We parted ways with Unit Commander Isaac and the others in front of the cave.
They intended to continue searching for their missing comrades.
The forces of the Demon Lord's Territory, including Mabel and me, left the forest as well, and──
"Everyone! You have done well! The talks with the Empire have──I cannot say they went smoothly, but they are complete. This was all thanks to everyone's efforts!"
Demon Lord Lukie gave us words of appreciation.
"From here, we will return to Raizenga's estate. After that, we will take several days off. Spend your time as you wish and restore your strength. You have all done well this time!"
"Ooooooooooooooh!"
And so Demon Lord Lukie and Princess Sofia's talks ended with great results──
That evening, we returned to the Demon Lord's Territory.