Chapter 99

Happy New Year!

I saw a Fire Sword RTA and thought, "You're amazing," so I worked hard to keep up and update it! Some say it's because I was watching that stuff that it took me until this hour.

"Hey, hey, old man! Didn't you say you sealed all the ant holes? If by any chance the ants come through here and reach the town..."

Radd, standing in front of the hole in the center of the abandoned house, raised his voice in anger.

I can understand his concern. Although there were no casualties thanks to the swift response, the attack by the monsters on the peaceful town left a shadow on the people's hearts. If ants were to emerge from this hole, it could lead to something irreparable.

But...

"Don't worry, this hole has already been sealed."

"Wh-what?"

I beckoned the frozen Radd and said, "Look," as I let him peer into the hole.

"Huh? This... doesn't lead to a cave?"

As Radd, confused and tilting his head, said, the hole had indeed been filled long ago. Only a few meters of the entrance, which once led to the "Great Cavern," remained.

But, that was enough for my purpose.

"Everyone, stop making those faces and come quickly. You can't use the 'Feather of Return,' right?"

I guided everyone present into the hole that led nowhere and activated the "Feather of Return."

※ ※ ※

"Where... are we?"

The place we arrived at, thanks to the "Feather of Return," was the original entrance to the "Ant Nest" we had visited before.

"H-how? The cave wasn't connected..."

The theoretical Nuek, wide-eyed and confused, but it's nothing complicated. The "Feather of Return" is a system item that, when the user is in a dungeon, teleports them to the entrance of the dungeon.

In short, there's no need for the place where the "Feather of Return" is used to be connected to the entrance, but explaining this to someone without game knowledge would be futile.

"Let's go a little further. There might still be ants left. Don't let your guard down."

I urged Radd and the others to move forward, even though I had told them to be cautious. The ants in this area had already been cleared out. Given the system where monsters are limited, it's impossible for ants to suddenly overflow from yesterday to today.

Without any combat, we followed the same path as before and reached the "bait" transport route where the Hounds had ambushed us.

"Just a little more. Don't get separated."

I called out to the others following behind and led them through the familiar passage into the center of the ant nest.

"Hey, hey."

I glanced sideways at the voice and saw Radd looking up at me, his face filled with unease.

"Are you planning to go through the ant nest and emerge on the side of the capital? I mean, it's impressive that we got to the border of the area in an instant. It's about a week's journey by carriage from the mountains to the capital, right? Then, wouldn't it be better to use a carriage..."

Only then did I realize Radd's misunderstanding.

"Well, this place is fine."

Instead of correcting him, I took an item from my inventory. It was...

"A 'Feather of Return'? But, using it will just take us back to where we started..."

"Let's see, shall we?"

I smiled at the further confused Radd and used the "Feather of Return." A blinding light enveloped us, and when we opened our eyes again, we were standing in a different place.

"Is this the entrance to the nest we were just in?"

Proof is better than words. I pointed to the cave entrance in response to Radd's puzzled voice.

"You'll see where we are once we go outside."

"...Well, if you say so, I'll take a look."

After giving me a suspicious look, Radd walked out of the cave. When he emerged, he let out a loud cry.

"Wh-what!?"

It's no wonder he was shocked. His mouth opened and closed in surprise, and he pointed frantically.

There, in a place that should have taken ten days by carriage from Freelea, stood the grandeur of the "Capital Bright City."

※ ※ ※

"I can't believe it. To think we could reach the 'Capital' in less than half an hour..."

Nuek, looking dazed, expressed his shock. The theoretical Nuek couldn't believe what had just happened, shaking his head repeatedly.

However, it's not that complicated.

"I told you the entrance to the ant nest is different depending on the area. So, if you use the 'Feather of Return' in the Freelea side of the ant nest, you'll be teleported near the mountain. If you use it to return after advancing to the capital or Neeber side, you'll move to the vicinity of those cities."

The main reason I chose ants instead of bees for the major raid event was to search for the "protagonist" at the award ceremony. But that wasn't the only reason.

The dungeon created by the ants during the major raid event, the "Great Cavern," is easy to reach the center from Freelea, making it usable as a shortcut for area transitions.

"However, this shortcut can only be used when going from 'Freelea' to 'Capital' or 'Neeber.' You can't use it to return."

"Still, just thinking about cutting the travel time in half is revolutionary."

When I said that, Nuek, still in shock, responded with a desperate look.

However, only Nuek was showing such a reaction. Resilia, who had heard the plan beforehand, wasn't surprised, and Prana, walking quietly beside me, said, "I had a feeling when we arrived at the abandoned house." Mana, who was briefly surprised, quickly put away her "Traveler's Wisdom" and opened a guide to the 'Capital,' showing that she might be the toughest of the group.

Even Radd, who was the most shocked, seemed to accept it with a vague understanding, saying, "Well, well... it's the old man, after all."

Nuek also managed to adjust his mindset.

Even though we had only reached a place where the 'Capital' was visible, this was still a field where monsters appeared. It's better not to let our guard down.

However, the monsters near the city are generally not very strong. We had a few battles on the way from the ant nest to the 'Capital,' but the leveled-up Radd and the others were no match for them.

(However, it's clear that the enemy's level has increased.)

I remembered the monsters around the 'Capital' well. When I used 'Insight' to check the enemies that appeared, they weren't a threat to us now, but they were definitely at a level that wouldn't have appeared in the initial state. It seems certain that the monsters' level has increased after the 'Twelve Ruins of Darkness' were cleared.

However, aside from that, there was nothing particularly noteworthy, and we smoothly reached the city, stepping into the center of the world for the first time.

"This... is the capital..."

"Wow! Look! That sign is floating with magic!"

While Radd, a newcomer, looked around excitedly, and Mana, swinging Prana's hand in excitement, I was already thinking about the next plan.

"Let's celebrate later. First, let's head to the Adventurer's Guild."

Before we left, I had Veltaran write a note asking the Adventurer's Guild here to help search for the "ruin conqueror."

I don't know what kind of person this person is, but as an adventurer, they will surely come to the guild. And once we find someone who fits the description, they're ours.

(I have a 'trump card' now.)

The 'Demon King' left us more than just experience points. With that, I'm sure I can find the "protagonist"...

While lost in thought, I almost bumped into someone at a corner.

"Oops. Sorry—"

"Ah. Sorry—"

We both bowed slightly and were about to continue walking...

"Wait, what?"

"Wh-what...?"

We froze.

Our eyes met, and we both opened our mouths halfway, as if we had seen something strange.

An indescribable silence. But the other person broke free from the paralysis first.

"Rex! Rex, is that you? Long time no see!"

A perfectly chiseled face beamed with joy, repeating my name happily.

(What a coincidence, this is.)

Luxurious golden hair that could make any woman swoon, a sweet mask with a gentle smile. A face I had never seen in real life but had seen countless times in the game. My mouth naturally spoke his name.

"Ain..."

Just two minutes after arriving in the 'Capital' for the first time, I encountered Rex's friend, the "cheat of cheats," the most important person in the 'Capital,' no, in the country, the 'Prince of Light, Ain.'

The status of the ultimate cheat will be revealed next time!

Scheduled for tomorrow's update!

So, the fifth part is officially underway!

I'd be happy if you could leave a review or comment to support me!

Thank you for your continued support this year!