Chapter 85

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

In the wind, cherry petals danced, and Misaki opened the old diary, reading the words of promise written inside.

---

"Anyway, that's how it is. If there's not enough, we can go get more. We can secure as much mithril as we need. Can you gather the people?"

"…Yes, if we increase the workforce to match the shipbuilding pace, I think we can gather enough."

"Then do that. Any other issues?"

"No, none. It's fun to see the shop grow."

After that, he negotiated with shipbuilders and smelters to make detailed plans for shipbuilding. The decided shipbuilding pace was one ship every two weeks. Since he entrusted this to two shipyards, it was effectively one ship per week. In the original world, this would be an astonishingly fast pace, but in this world, it was rather slow.

While preparing the distillation apparatus, high-performance grass-cutting scythes, and transportation equipment needed for increased production, the victory celebration date was set. By the time the new farmland on the selected island was ready, the day of the victory celebration arrived.

The venue was Fotoren. The participants were mainly guild-related people, researchers, craftsmen, and those from large chambers of commerce who supported the transportation and material procurement. The attendees from our side were me, Merxia, and Catherine, representing the Maple Chamber of Commerce.

The craftsmen seemed to gather among themselves, and Catherine was also in that group. There were no nobles or other important figures besides the lord of Fotoren. The venue was just a rented large hall. There were many people, but it was still a celebration for those involved.

There were no complicated rules for entry or seating arrangements. When people gathered in the venue, the host began to speak. The host was the Guild Master of the Basis Kingdom (this country) Adventurer's Guild, Braver.

"Everyone, thank you for coming! We will now hold the celebration for the successful dragon slaying operation!"

Loud cheers rose from various tables. I don't know if it was proper etiquette for the Guild Master, but it was much better than being formal. I joined in the cheers.

After the cheers subsided, Braver spoke again.

"This operation would not have succeeded without the information, equipment, and transportation. Therefore, this victory belongs to everyone here!"

Cheers rose again.

"…However, among all of you, there is one person whose outstanding performance is undeniable."

With those words, the Guild Master's gaze turned toward me. At the same time, several people began to nod in my direction.

Of course, I realized it was about me as soon as he said it. After all, while the guild mobilized all its resources for the preparation, I was the only one who fought the dragon directly.

"Adventurer Kaede, come forward!"

As soon as he said that, as if it had been rehearsed, the people between the small magical amplifier (a valuable item) used by the Guild Master and me parted to make a path. Upon closer inspection, the table arrangement seemed to have been designed with this in mind. Was it intentional?

When I reached the amplifier, the Guild Master spoke to me again. Of course, his voice was amplified and heard throughout the venue.

"Do you have your guild card?"

"Yes."

"It will be updated. Please hand over your old card."

...I have a bad feeling about this. But of course, there's no option to refuse. When I handed over my guild card, the Guild Master smiled and took out a card.

However, it was clearly different from any guild card I had seen before. For one, it was thicker. A guild card thicker than 3 millimeters? In any world? The design also exuded a special feel. The body emitted a white glow, with a golden edge. My name was engraved in what looked like mithril. Not only that, but everything except the frequently rewritten parts like request completion history and slaying history was engraved in shining metal. Next to the guild emblem, there was a national emblem, which did not exist on ordinary guild cards. ...The glittering everywhere was hurting my eyes. How much did they spend on the processing of this guild card?

Finally, looking at the bottom right, I understood the guild's intention with a sense of "Ah, this kind of pattern..."

There, in large letters, was "Rank S" and "Basis Kingdom Adventurer's Guild" prominently engraved. The emphasis on the country name compared to ordinary cards was likely to prevent poaching. And the main reason, of course, was this rank. As if to prove it, the Guild Master declared loudly.

"Adventurer Kaede, in recognition of your great contributions to the Adventurer's Guild and your outstanding abilities, you are promoted to the first-ever S-rank adventurer in guild history!"

Cheers rose from the hall, far louder than before. In some parts, a "Kaede" chant started, and researchers dove into the crowd of craftsmen, who were questioning whether it was due to the equipment, to explain the hopelessness of the dragon and the abnormality of me defeating it. Both were embarrassing, so I wished they would stop. The Guild Master tried to calm the crowd a little but seemed to realize it was futile and said, "Alright, enjoy the drinks and the noise!" before returning to his seat and starting to drink with the people around him. Perhaps the victory celebration was mainly about drinking and having fun, and my promotion announcement was just a prelude.

Seeing this, I tried to return to my seat, holding the guild card that glowed painfully. However, with the Guild Master no longer an obstacle, the crowd that wanted to celebrate me did not miss the opportunity. My magic and strength were not precise enough to control in this chaotic situation without harming friendly people. Therefore, I could not resist and was quickly mobbed. I don't remember much after that. I shouldn't get drunk, but...

When I came to, it was the next evening. Not the next morning, but the evening of the next day. The participants continued to party until the sun rose, then slept and woke up in the evening. The meeting today was set for a little after evening, as if they had anticipated this. This meeting, unlike the victory celebration, was a serious discussion about the future. The number of participants was significantly reduced, with a few representatives from each role. The Guild Master declared the start of the meeting, but without the amplifier.

"Let's begin the meeting on monster countermeasures after the dragon slaying. Tupon, please explain the current situation."

The one who stood up in response was an elderly man who looked like a researcher.

"Recently, we successfully slayed the dragon, but we now face two issues. One is the dragon. Based on the mana concentration, the next dragon is expected to appear in as little as 15 years. We need to prepare for the next dragon by then."

Some craftsmen and merchants gasped in surprise. Researchers and guild-related people seemed to already know this and remained calm.

After that, discussions on specific methods were held, and the following decisions were made. First, analyze ancient texts to enable the creation of artifacts beyond the basics. Using the technology developed, we aim to complete the Magic Freeze (the blueprint has been found).

With the ability to decipher ancient texts, research on artifacts is progressing at an unprecedented speed. Many are difficult to create due to processing issues, and there is a lack of materials for the principles. However, experiments combining existing artifacts to achieve different effects have been successful for some relatively simple ones. This is a significant discovery for artifacts, which previously only performed their designed functions.

The right to participate in the creation and research is limited to chambers of commerce that participated in this operation. The Maple Chamber of Commerce is considering joining. My knowledge from Japan might be useful, and if successful, we could make a fortune with artifacts. Not that I need more money, but living without doing anything would be boring.

In addition to artifacts, preparations are being made for the possibility that I might have to fight again if the Magic Freeze fails. This mainly involves stockpiling powerful magical items.

After the discussion on the dragon, the next issue was presented.

"The second issue, which was recently discovered, is the more pressing problem of monster outbreaks. In short, there is a possibility of sporadic large-scale outbreaks of special monsters over the next few years."

This time, even some guild-related people gasped in surprise.

"What do you mean by 'special'? What is the scale of the outbreak?"

The question was asked by a branch manager of the Adventurer's Guild from a large city.

"I'll explain one by one. The cause is the imbalance in mana concentration created by the appearance and disappearance of the dragon, which has led to areas with very high mana density. This phenomenon occurred almost every time in the era when the ancient texts were written. The frequency is about once a week on average. The number is estimated to be between several thousand and ten thousand, most of which are flying types."

"Once a week, ten thousand flying types! Even without a dragon, this could lead to the destruction of the planet!"

The branch manager shouted. With ten thousand flying types, which are difficult to handle even one at a time, such a reaction is understandable.

"Fortunately, or rather, it won't be that bad. The monsters created by the mana anomaly will disappear within a day after the outbreak subsides. Considering that the outbreak lasts about half a day, the actual duration is about one and a half days. Also, if they don't appear near populated areas, there's no need to worry. Some cities may suffer damage, but it won't lead to human extinction."

"...I apologize for losing my composure."

The branch manager apologized and returned to his seat. Tupon spoke again.

"The issue is how to minimize the damage. We can narrow down the outbreak locations to a radius of about 100 kilometers within two weeks using existing facilities. We would like to request the large chambers of commerce to assist with evacuation. Of course, the country will provide appropriate compensation. The details will be discussed later."

The representatives from the chambers of commerce nodded. While it won't be a charity, the details will be discussed later among the relevant parties. However, the monsters will move. With thousands of flying types, some might reach other cities and cause damage. Countermeasures are needed for this as well...

"However, there are limits to evacuation. It will be challenging to move people from the most dangerous areas. We also need to protect the cities, fields, and surrounding areas... For this, we need the power of someone who can handle thousands of flying monsters..."

I felt the eyes of the people in the meeting room turn toward me. This kind of task is almost certainly going to be mine. Yes, I knew it.