Chapter 40

The report was made in the early morning, before the sun had risen. The one who found it was a guard on duty, who was about to return to the guardhouse of the show castle. The captain of the Shining Saber Knights, who had rushed over with his subordinates via the city's Yanma express, understood what the guard meant by "some kind of unknown facility" only after seeing it with his own eyes.

"Well, no wonder the locals aren't familiar with this."

"Captain?"

The mansion, which had been a dilapidated ruin until last night, was now completely renovated. The tall walls at the main entrance were restored and painted in primary colors, depicting familiar animals from Earth like giraffes, lions, elephants, and hippos in a comical style. The leaning gate had been removed and replaced with a new arch welcoming visitors. On it was written, "Welcome to the Thirsty Scorpion's Zoo."

"Pretty harsh joke..."

Inside, the area was divided into several sections with fences, similar to an Earth zoo. However, the creatures inside were far from cute; they were grotesque and bizarre. The former leader, who had been a human, was now a golden golem, shedding tears of gold coins and pleading, "Help me, help me!" A man whose lower body had turned into dozens of human arms was weeping and wailing, his face a mess of sweat, tears, and snot. Another had become a two-meter-wide crystal coin with a face in the center. One had a human face but a horse's body below the neck. Yet another, half-integrated into a tree, was being eaten by a two-meter-long purple caterpillar with a human face, munching away at the bark.

The knights and soldiers who had rushed to the scene were visibly disgusted. Following the Shining Saber's instructions, the area was cordoned off, and the show castle was temporarily closed to the public. The knights, wiping cold sweat, muttered things like, "This isn't human work," and "A demon, perhaps." A tent was set up as a temporary command post, and the Shining Saber and his squad leaders managed to extract the name of the person responsible from the disoriented men.

"Exdiz... that's what they said."

The deputy captain, who had been cautiously observing the surroundings, announced the name, sending a shiver through everyone present.

"Oh, my God."

"What a nightmare..."

"God of the Sun, protect us."

"Why would such a big catch be here?"

While some looked to the sky and prayed, the Shining Saber, who had folded his arms in silence, became the focus of everyone's gaze. Unaware of the admiration he was receiving, he surveyed his subordinates and spoke.

"Hey..."

"Yes, Captain?"

"What's this Exdiz...?"

Everyone present stumbled back in shock.

"You don't know?"

"Never heard of him, is he famous?"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under the disbelieving stares of his subordinates, the Shining Saber listened as the deputy captain provided a brief explanation. According to him, the world was divided between the God of the Sun (God of Light) and the God of Dreams (God of Night). Exdiz was a minor deity under the God of Dreams, known for corrupting and destroying people through various means, and was one of the five major demons.

"Isn't he a demon, not a god?"

"It would be simpler if that were the case. For more details, you should visit a temple."

Religious matters were notoriously complicated. While the area couldn't be sealed off indefinitely, it was decided to transport the transformed individuals to a storage facility outside the city walls in cages.

"Surely there must be a reason why these people were targeted by this demon. Have you heard anything else?"

"Yes, there is, but it's quite mysterious..."

Flipping through the report in his hand,

"It seems they were trying to kidnap the child of an adventurer..."

"An adventurer? Not a noble?"

"The target was Kena, the captain's potential love interest."

"That's not my love interest! Why would they target her child?"

"I don't know that much."

"If they were targeted, the demon must be in the capital. We'll have to ask her."

"Right, let's finish this first, Captain."

As the Shining Saber casually started to walk away, the deputy captain grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back to the scene.

---

Meanwhile, after finishing breakfast, Kena's family headed to the edge of the residential area, near where the knights were just finishing their evacuation. Guided by the sounds of children playing, they found their usual gathering spot. In a narrow alley, there were about a dozen children, including a boy who, despite being part of the group, seemed somewhat isolated due to his unique qualities.

"Ah, Denji!"

"Ah!"

Realizing Kena and the others were there, Denji, who had been facing away, tried to run but was lifted into the air. Kena, holding hands with Luka and Ritt, had caught him with the help of Roxius.

"Should I crush him?"

"Let's not repeat that joke!"

"Hey, how did you catch me!? Let me go!"

Roxius, who had a firm grip on Denji's head with his iron claw, watched as Denji struggled. Kena, after making eye contact, released him, and he dropped to the ground. Ignoring Denji's grumbling, Kena asked the children if they had any stones.

"Do you have any stones?"

"Yeah!"

A child nodded and pulled out an old wooden box, presenting it to Kena. Using the same appraisal magic as before, Kena selected the stones. Only Kena could see the stones glowing, so the children watched curiously.

"From now on, I'll buy them for five copper coins each?"

"Wh-what!?"

Usually, only craftsmen who turned pretty stones into pendants would buy them for one or two copper coins each. Kena handed over three silver coins for the nearly thirty stones, leaving the children wide-eyed with surprise.

"Hey."

While Kena was negotiating with the children, Luka and Ritt, who seemed out of place, stayed behind Roxius. Kena, holding their hands, suggested they visit a friend next. Denji, who had been watching, called out to them.

"Wow, that's rare. I thought you didn't like me?"

"Are you not going to catch me today?"

"Well, Aguido told me to if I had time, but I'm free today."

"Alright. Thanks for these guys..."

"It's just a simple transaction, right?"

Denji, who had been dismissive, then said, "Tch... don't come to places like this, outsider," and tried to chase Kena away. Roxius, who had tensed up, was held back by Kena as they left the scene.

---

They headed to the ferry crossing of the Edged River. Despite more than half of the riverbank being destroyed by monsters, people were starting to extend the docks as before. Luka, who had seen it before and grew up by the sea, wasn't particularly surprised. Ritt, however, was fascinated by the river's flow, which was much wider here compared to the northern village.

"Is this a river?"

"Yes, Ritt. You've only seen the river in the north of the village. It's like this around here."

When Ritt asked, "Really?" Luka thought for a moment, looked up at Kena, and then nodded. She had been comparing it to the sea, which explained her delayed reaction.

With Roxius's help, the children boarded the unstable double-paddle boat. They enjoyed watching the deep green water flow by. Kena, meanwhile, was mistaken for being married to Roxius, surprised that she had children, and even asked how much it would cost to walk on water. By the time they reached the sandbar, Kena was exhausted.

"Kena, Mom... I was asked a lot of questions."

"What did you do here, Kena?"

"You're popular, sis."

Despite regretting her actions, Kena couldn't change what had already happened, so she forced a smile to cover it up.

At the academy, a magic practical was being held on the field. After casting a defensive spell on the children to be safe, they moved along the perimeter to avoid disrupting the class. Students in light green robes were separate from teachers in navy and reddish-brown robes, who were easily visible from a distance. One of the teachers noticed Kena and hurried over. Kena immediately recognized her as her daughter, May.

"Mom!"

"Good morning, May."

May, who had run over, didn't hug her mother in front of the students but stopped and greeted her. She tilted her head, looking at Luka and Ritt, and Kena, smiling wryly, introduced them.

"This is Luka, who will be your new sister. Luka, this is my daughter and your new sister, May. This is Ritt, a friend from the village. And this is the cat-person..."

"I serve Kena, my name is Roxius. Nice to meet you, Miss."

Roxius, who bowed formally, made May slightly uncomfortable. She took Luka's hand and kissed her forehead.

"Nice to meet you, Luka. I'm May, feel free to call me big sister."

"Nice... to meet you?"

May's hesitant response was hard to hear, but she seemed to accept them friendly. This would have been impossible right after the incident.

"May, isn't it class time?"

"Ah, ahaha, I got bored and snuck out..."

"Hey!"

They walked together towards where the students were gathered. May explained to the students and teachers that Kena and the others were visitors. To the casual observer, they looked like a family of four, and Luka and Ritt received warm glances. Some students knew about Kena and May's relationship, and the news spread, causing surprise. Those who knew her as the water-walking person or an adventurer watched from a distance, while those who had met her at the inn or helped her came over to greet her.

"Hi, Kena."

"Thanks for the other day, let's have a drink again."

"Ahaha, no more drinking contests."

"Hello, Kena."

"Thank you for the other day."

"Hello, Ronti and May."

Kena introduced her family to the marchioness's daughter and the princess, explaining their status, which made Luka and Ritt nervous. However, the princess and marchioness's daughter, who had been given permission to interact, were surprised by the reaction from the surrounding students.

The students were casting spells at scarecrows or lighting up their hands, practicing skills they had learned from early quests. Kena, who had been in their shoes, watched with a nostalgic expression.

"Mom, can I take my sisters on a tour of the school?"

"Sure, you want to show Luka around, don't you?"

"Y-yes!"

Noticing May's proud demeanor and her deflated shoulders, Kena turned to Roxius, who nodded, understanding his role.

"Roxius, I'll leave it to you. If May makes them cry, she'll be in trouble."

"Mom, you're overprotective... I need love too sometimes."

Kena, smiling, sent them off with a laugh. She didn't follow them because she could feel hostile gazes. Anticipating that the principal would retreat to the building, someone approached Kena. A well-dressed young man, accompanied by two followers, strutted up to her. The surrounding students began to hiss and whisper. When the young man approached, Ronti explained that he was the princess's maternal cousin. May's troubled expression suggested this was the reason.

"Hello, nameless adventurer. I hear you're the principal's mother, but you don't seem to have a noble title. As a commoner, you should be more modest."

"..."

Not understanding his point, Kena remained silent. Her acquaintances from the inn were making various gestures, warning her to be careful. The young man's intentions became clear.

"So, you're the adventurer with the carriage, right? As an adventurer, you should be able to solve problems with money. I'll offer you a sum that commoners like you have never seen before, so just nod and hand over the carriage. This is your final warning."

(......Is he picking a fight?)

'Is he the mastermind?'

The area fell silent, and students and teachers watched the exchange. The adventurer, who was the mother of the current queen, was facing the heir of the marquis family that had produced the queen. Everyone expected her to agree, except for the princess and the marchioness's daughter.

"Hey, save the nonsense for your dreams."

"Wh-what did you say?"

The young man's confident smile turned into a sneer at Kena's clear rejection. He switched to a contemptuous and arrogant attitude, taking out his staff and pointing it at Kena.

"Fine, if you refuse my generous offer, I'll take it by force. Prepare yourself!"

As students screamed, the spell "Rock Golem Formation" was cast. The ground rose and formed a two-meter-tall, rough-looking rock golem, making a grating noise. Ronti and May, who knew the difference in power, saw this as child's play compared to the white dragon they had encountered. They also understood that the person controlling it was even more powerful.

"What do you want me to do?" Kena asked, looking puzzled. May, with a loving smile, nodded slowly, giving her permission to act. Kena, who was already exasperated, kicked the golem's belly, which was about to punch her, sending it crumbling into a pile of rocks with one hit.

A painful silence filled the air. The golem, created by one of the top students in the academy, had been destroyed with a single kick. The young man, whose face had turned pale, stared at the pile of rocks that had been his servant and then at the calm adventurer. Kena, who was in a position of power but felt confused, sighed deeply.

"Hey, are you good at running?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You might not die, but it's best to run. [Summoning Magic: Load: Thunder Lion Level 3]"

A discharge phenomenon in the air formed a large, glowing lion, which landed and roared, sending shockwaves and lightning bolts through the ground. The students, who had been watching, were intimidated by the lion's presence and moved away from the young man. The pale-faced target, who had fallen on his butt, was approached by the thunder lion, which bit down on his head as if to say, "Here you go."

The lion's electric attacks, accompanied by blinding light and thunderous sounds, and the young man's screams echoed several times. The students and teachers, hugging each other in fear, waited for the terrifying moment to pass. The princess and the marchioness's daughter, who had anticipated this, were the only ones not surprised. By the time May and her group returned, the thunder lion had been dismissed, and a blackened, tattered figure lay on the ground. The students and teachers had moved to the other side of the field to continue their classes.

"What did you do, Mom?"

"He picked a fight, so I took it."

Kena, who said this casually, hugged Luka and Ritt. May and Ronti, who were nearby, confirmed that her statement was mostly accurate, causing May to sweat profusely. She quickly cast a healing spell, called a teacher, and took the young man to the infirmary. Kena, left behind, asked, "Now that we've met, shall we do some more sightseeing?"

When the two nodded, Kena said goodbye to May and Ronti and was about to leave when Ronti noticed three knights entering the main gate.

"May, the knights are here..."

"Really? I wonder what's happened."

"Knights?"

Kena, standing up and turning around, saw a large dragon knight approaching. He bowed to May.

"Princess, I apologize for interrupting your class."

"Captain, is something wrong?"

"No, not today..."

He turned to face Kena, holding his head as if in pain.

"Kena, I have some questions for you."

"Me!?"

---

"Welcome, welcome."

"What are you talking about?"

"This, this."

Kena, who was already drawing attention as the principal's mother, was now the center of attention for talking casually with the captain of the knights. They moved to the edge of the field to discuss the game system. The two accompanying knights were asked to wait.

"..."

"Ah, right. Um, how do I say this... Do you have a skill to summon demons?"

"Yes, I do."

"You do!?"

"I can't use it, though."

"Wait, what? You're a Skill Master, right?"

"Just because I have all the skills doesn't mean I can use everything. Some are restricted by gender or race. Only humans and demons can use demon summoning."

For example, the skill "Mining" can only be used by dwarves. Other races need to hire specialized miners for dungeon creation, but dwarves can dig tunnels alone with this skill. Kena had it but considered it a useless skill.

Seeing the Shining Saber deep in thought, Kena became worried that something had happened.

"Among the people I know, who can use it?"

"Among the Skill Masters who have been to the demon world... I only know about three. My guild has definitely been to the demon world, but I don't know who has learned what skills."

The demon and angel areas are high-level zones for players 700 and above. Successfully navigating these areas alone can lead to maxing out a character.

Kena, realizing the conversation was starting to feel like an interrogation, glared at the Shining Saber