Chapter 42

It was the fourth day of their stay in Felskeiro.

The original purpose was to introduce the girls and for Ritt to have a field trip, so it could be said that the purpose was almost achieved. Since there was also some extra income, they bought more ingredients to bring back and planned to return to the village in the afternoon. When she told Luka and Ritt this, they said they wanted to buy souvenirs, so she asked Roxilus to accompany them. She also made a point to visit Maimai and Katarutsu to inform them of their return to the village. She added that they were free to visit or even move in, as there were spare rooms.

Maimai seemed quite troubled by this, ... "Is it okay with your husband?" Yesterday, all the fish that were delivered in large quantities were turned into smoked fish using skills, sealed, and stored in the carriage. After having lunch at a restaurant in town, they set off.

On the way back, the girls suggested not to rush and to use the [March] skill to travel slowly. Kena had no reason to oppose this. When they were about to set up camp for the first night out of Felskeiro, Roxilus noticed a luxurious carriage guarded by four horsemen approaching from the direction they were heading and reported it to the leader. The carriage pulled up next to the campsite, and immediately, Scalgo, carrying the 'Rainbow Afterglow,' jumped out. Kena greeted him with a wry smile.

"Oh, Your Highness, to meet you in such a place... I, Scalgo, am grateful to the gods."

The knights ignored the writhing Scalgo and continued with the camp preparations. Kena, who had landed a punch on her son's head, pointed at him and said, "Don't leave it all to the knights; you should help too." Scalgo, feeling a chill from his mother's smile, jumped up, turned around, and went to help the knights. Kena, placing her hand on her forehead, sighed, "Haa~," and called out to Luka and Ritt.

"Did you call me?"

"What is it? Kena-onee-chan."

"Do you think you could ask the knights over there if they'd like to join us for dinner?"

"Okay, I'll try my best."

"Sure! Leave it to me."

As the two held hands and walked off, Roxilus, who was making a fire nearby, burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, Rox?"

"Are you not going to tell Scalgo-sama?"

"Work hard, and you shall eat, right?"

"That's a bit harsh."

"I'm still having trouble gauging the distance with that kid, you know."

While saying, "You don't look like it," Roxilus made tea for everyone and handed cups to Kena and the children who had returned. The knights, who had been planning to do everything themselves, couldn't refuse the children's pleading eyes and agreed. Meanwhile, Scalgo, who had come to complain, "Why didn't you tell me!?" while sobbing, was told by Luka, "Big brother, you slacked off, so it's not allowed," with a glare, and the scene of him petrifying was omitted.

The spicy soup Kena made using her cooking skill, with large clams from the Rujido River, vegetables, and Coltwood meat, filled the pot, but it was almost empty thanks to the knights. Her foolish son, muttering, "Should we eat your mother's cooking with restraint or not?" was silenced by a glare, and Roxilus distributed the tea. After washing the dishes at a stream along the road, the family and Ritt returned, and it was time for a small gathering. Thanks to Kena's prior conversation with Scalgo, the formality was dropped, and the knights' squad leader seemed to be a reasonable person.

After all, the first thing out of the gate was, "Scalgo-sama, could you please stop throwing stars and rainbows at the people you pass by in the carriage? It's embarrassing for us," and complaints flew.

"Oh, I'm sorry for my foolish son. If you want, I can tie him up and take him back to Felskeiro. I give my permission."

"Haa~ haa~ uaa~"

"What are you crying for, Scalgo? I'm being quite serious."

"No denial!?"

Everyone burst out laughing. Scalgo, in tears, collapsed. The knights also asked about the purpose of their trip to Felskeiro, but since there was no need to hide it, she answered that it was to visit her daughter and for the children's field trip. The conversation continued with light topics for a while, but when one of the knights, who had become talkative from the alcohol, let slip a question, the atmosphere turned silent.

"Well, what kind of person was Scalgo-sama's father?"

It was a question that could have come up at some point, but Kena, who hadn't anticipated it, was speechless. At the same time, Scalgo, who usually brightened the surroundings with his effects, lowered his head in pain, and the silence fell. The knight, realizing his slip of the tongue, was nudged by the squad leader and bowed, "I'm sorry." If the conversation had ended there, it would have been a light topic. However, in the awkward silence, Scalgo, who had been looking down, raised his head and looked at Kena.

"Mother, I and my brothers have only heard vague stories about Father. What kind of person was he?"

"Wha—!"

One problem gone, another came. Kena, who had been relieved that the topic was about to be glossed over, mentally cast a maximum fire spell at her son for asking such a direct question.

Strictly speaking, the father of Scalgo and the others was the game system of [VRMMO Riedale] itself. Even if she said that, it wouldn't be understood... Kena, in a panic, started to explain without thinking, using the most familiar male figure as a reference. She said things like, "He was stronger than me," and "He was clever in teasing people." As she spoke, she became increasingly self-loathing, and the biggest relief for Kena was that she didn't have to address why he was stronger than her but wasn't there now.

Seeing Kena, who had become thoroughly dejected, the gathering ended. The knight who had started the conversation was bowing repeatedly, but Kena told him not to worry, as it was his own fault. She called upon Cerberus and the Thunder Spirit for the night's watch and entrusted Scalgo with the task. Cerberus, trying to comfort his dejected summoner by rubbing against him, found that his fur was too rough to be soothing.

Two days later, at another campsite, they met a party of five, including Coral.

"Hey, Kena."

"Oh, weren't you supposed to be on guard duty?"

"Yeah, it was a one-way contract. They said they'd stay at the border for a while. We're just on our way back to Felskeiro."

"Is that so? How about joining us for dinner?"

Coral noticed the children looking at them from behind Kena's shoulder. Kena turned and smiled wryly.

"Will it be a bother?"

"They seem to be looking forward to interacting with others. I'm glad Luka is becoming more sociable."

This time, Coral turned to her companions and asked, "Well, I guess so?" Her companions, who had no objections, readily agreed.

Kena, using her cooking skill again, made a dish similar to paella. While Coral was used to it, her companions were amazed by the 'Ancient Skill' they had never seen before. In fact, the reason Luka and Ritt had been staring at Coral and her companions during the camp was the hope that they might get to eat food made with the cooking skill. After parting ways with Scalgo and his group, the previous night's camp had only had dried meat and vegetable soup made by Roxilus, so the idea that they would get 'guest-worthy food' when someone joined them had taken root. Only Roxilus, who had been asked, "How can we get to eat Mom's cooking skill?" knew this.

As the night deepened and Coral's companions were entertaining the children with their stories, Kena and Coral, having asked their respective companions for a moment, were alone in a place where they could see the dark forest stretching out beyond the carriage. Kena had invited Coral for a private conversation, and Coral had agreed.

"What's this private talk about?"

"Coral, you've been here for ten years, right? I want to ask you something based on your experience..."

"What, so serious? But I've just been living a low-profile life, pretending to be a beginner and hiding my true strength. I don't have the knowledge of a game pro."

"It's a serious matter... yes."

"Sorry."

Kena handed Coral a glass of beer she had prepared in advance. The drawback of this skill was that it could only be made in large barrels each time. Since there was a lot left over from the last encounter with Scalgo, it was perfect that they met Coral and her group here.

"Have you ever encountered an enemy that you could only face with your full strength, excluding the event monsters from the last time?"

"Hmm? Well, as far as I remember, no. Have you, Kena?"

When asked in return, Kena sighed and explained the high-level monsters she had encountered so far. The recent ones were the shark-crocodile monster she had just caught, the dark elf leading the orcs, and the ghost ship that led to Luka's adoption. All of them were defeated at the right time when Kena happened to be there.

"Isn't that just being overconfident?"

"Well, it does feel that way. The problem is that, except for the shark-crocodile, they are all event monsters. The appearance of event monsters is integrated into a series of events triggered by NPC dialogues, so I don't understand why event monsters are active when there are no NPCs or events."

Kena looked down at her glass of fruit wine and spoke matter-of-factly. It sounded like a long-held complaint, and Coral nodded. From what she had heard, it was difficult for Kena to meet fellow players like Coral in her daily life. After all, everyone was an adventurer. Even if she went to the city where they were based, there was no guarantee she would meet them. Talking to servants was not the right approach, and it seemed Kena wanted someone to vent to. Still, hoping to provide some clue, Coral gathered the experience and knowledge she had accumulated over ten years to offer what Kena needed.

"Hmm, have you heard of the 'Ruined City'?"

"Ouch... Are you being sarcastic?"

"Ah! You were the one who turned the capital of the Tea Country into ruins, I forgot."

Following the "weather forecast" from the developers, a large number of monsters appeared in the capital of the Tea Country. To eliminate them, a magic specialist, the highest-level High Elf, and a Skill Master with special equipment that upgraded the destruction of buildings by attacks were used. As a result, hundreds of meteorites rained down, turning the capital of the Tea Country into a pile of rubble. Since then, the capital has been known as the 'Ruined City,' and the nickname 'Silver Ring Witch' for Kena has spread.

"Well, it's the original location of the Tea Country. I heard on my travels that the 'Ruined City' is located on the west side between Felskeiro and Outarokus, and its existence is hidden by an agreement between the three countries."

"Huh? Is it a dangerous place that the countries have to cooperate to hide? Or a place that benefits the countries?"

"I don't know, but it's like an open secret. Half the people believe it exists, and half think it's a fairy tale."

"I understand the situation, but what does it have to do with my story?"

Coral, making a big deal out of it, finished her beer in one gulp and held out her empty glass to Kena with a grin, as if to say, "You know, right?" Kena nodded and went to the carriage, returning to the fire. Sensing the situation, the considerate Roxilus handed her two glasses of beer.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Returning to her original spot, Kena handed both glasses to Coral. He drank one in one gulp, and with his tongue loosened, he continued at Kena's urging.

"I only know it as a fairy tale, but the 'Ruined City' is said to be the place where, about two hundred years ago, when the three countries were founded on the continent, the gods sealed away the remaining calamity."

"... Calamity?"

"I didn't get it at first either, but could it be what you call event monsters?"

"... Oh! I see!!"

"Right, the symbols match, don't they?"

"Indeed..."

Kena, who had a rough idea and was starting to understand, stopped in her tracks, thinking of the reasons why Coral, Shining Saber, Exis, and Quorke were here.

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"Coral, what were you doing on the last day of the service?"

"Ah, I think I was just leveling up with a random party, killing low-level enemies."

"... So, on the last day of service two hundred years ago, if many people had started quests and gathered the conditions for event monsters to appear, and all of them were sealed in the 'Ruined City'...? Why are they out in the first place?"

Coral, understanding what Kena was getting at, broke out in a cold sweat.

The [VRMMO Riedale] was divided into seven countries as servers. The maximum capacity of each server varied, but during war events, the average number of participants per country was about a thousand. On the last day of service, a week before, the servers were decorated, and fireworks were set off in cities and villages. Players who enjoyed festivals, or rather, players who seemed to enjoy festivals, were in the majority. There were also reports of players who had retired coming back for the event. It was possible that the game had the highest number of players during its operation on that day.

In the midst of such a festival, many players, not just Coral, were diligently leveling up as usual until the end of the game. If a few of them had started quests they hadn't done before, and if they were in the middle of a final boss battle when all the servers shut down, it could have left the event monsters in the world. It was unclear how closely the game and this world were connected, but considering Kena's encounter rate, the fairy tale, and the agreement between the three countries, this was the most plausible theory to both of them.

"Shining Saber, as a high-ranking official, might know this information, right?"

"What about your son?"

"Even that kid, I think, would separate his private life from his work. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the country's No. 3."

Coral, who had a carefree attitude but a strange personality, was recognized by Kena. Since Scalgo himself was taking measures to