Chapter 61

"Hmmmm♪ Huhuhu～♪"

The sky was clear, and her mood was high. Her steps were light, and she felt like running around, carried away by the good weather.

"…Come to think of it, I used to wonder, 'What could be so much fun?' when I heard children running around and playing in the hospital courtyard on sunny days, but now I can understand."

Keena recalled the days spent in the hospital room, where she would just stare at the walls turning from white to yellow, and muttered to herself. Back then, a close friend, a girl who came to visit her, had said, "I wish you could play outside too, Onee-chan?" to which she had replied with a smile, "Maybe someday." However, by that time, her limbs had already lost all their muscle, and even if she had survived, it would have taken months of rehabilitation. It was a bit much to say it would be easy. Before that, her body from the neck down was like a statue, and it was still a mystery how she could have recovered.

"Well, I might as well think of this annoying crowd as a bunch of such people."

She looked around with a somewhat philosophical air. The streets of the western commercial district of Felskeiro, usually bustling, were now packed with people everywhere. Stalls lined the streets, and people were poking their heads in one after another, looking for food or rare items. The ground in this area was not paved with cobblestones, and the compacted earth was bumpy, making it a bit difficult to walk. Being pushed by the waves of people and being short, Keena found it very difficult to make her way through the crowd.

Approaching the square near the west gate, Keena finally managed to escape the crowd and sighed. She rotated her shoulders, which had been bumped by various people and objects, to loosen them up.

"Huff… Ah, I wish I had just moved on the rooftops…"

Either way, moving on the rooftops would have required using the "Invisibility" skill due to the many people around. In fact, she had initially moved through the back alleys, but as the saying goes, "Even a dog will trip over a stick," and she had been caught up in an unnecessary commotion, wasting time. While moving stealthily, she had run into a group of suspiciously dressed people (whose "Stealth" skill was meaningless in front of Keena's super senses), and they had judged her to be a skilled troublemaker, leading to an attack. Of course, she had dealt with them gently, captured them all, and handed them over to the knights.

The west gate, which leads to the western trade route of Felskeiro, was still under lockdown, and the gate was firmly closed with several soldiers and militiamen stationed there. It seemed that they did not like being exposed to their strict gazes all the time, as there were no street vendors in this area. The gazes directed at Keena as she approached were all along the lines of "Who is this girl?" Without being fazed by these gazes, Keena approached the gatehouse and greeted them cheerfully, "Hello~" The guard, taken aback, stammered, "H-hello?" and she explained her business.

"I have permission from the Knight Commander to pass through this gate. Have you heard anything about it?"

"This gate? ...Just a moment."

The guard who responded was a soldier in his thirties, who seemed to be in charge of the area. He pulled out some documents and asked Keena to show her Adventurer Guild Card.

"Here you go."

"Sorry, it's just a rule. Ah, 'Keena'... Yes, I've confirmed it. Could you wait a moment? It seems a knight will accompany you."

"Accompany... a knight? What's that about?"

Tilting her head in confusion, Keena received her Guild Card back from the guard, who then explained. In short, it seemed that a third party's testimony would be needed in case something went wrong. Of course, it was preferable that nothing went wrong, but there was also a duty to monitor and report, so the knight's accompaniment was necessary. For an adventurer to enter an area that the country had closed off, even with the Knight Commander's permission, it was necessary to have the appropriate accessories.

"Ah, I see. ...Is that okay...?"

'You'll be a hindrance.'

The investigation was actually to check the strength of the barrier that covered the area where the vicious event monsters roamed. Depending on the situation, she might have to deal with monsters that had spilled out. The minimum level of the event monsters, which varied widely, was around level seventy-five. A knight at levels forty to fifty would not be a match for them. Keena set a few skills as quick spells, ready to protect herself if necessary. She declined the chair offered by the guard, thanked him, and leaned against the shaded part of the outer wall. The conversation with Ops the day before came to mind.

─── One day ago.

"Alright, let's get serious."

In a room at the inn, with the Combat Festival just three days away, a day had passed since Keena had completed the academy's request.

"Spit it out, already!"

"Right after a threat!?"

Keena, upon confirming that Ops had returned from a guild job, did not offer words of comfort. Instead, she covered the entire room with a "Sealing Barrier," tied Ops to a chair, and began an interrogation as if in an interrogation room. Siren stood quietly behind Keena, as if they had agreed on this beforehand. Incidentally, it was Siren's quick work that had tied Ops to the chair.

"I've been traveling around and just got back... and I was lectured all night last night..."

"Oh, that's tough. But I just got back yesterday too."

"Indeed, you must be tired. However, I wonder about this treatment?"

"Well, there were all sorts of unnecessary things, and I couldn't get to the bottom of things with Ops."

"You could have just asked normally."

"Timing was always off..."

Keena, showing no sign of remorse, was about to be scolded by Ops when Siren intervened, clapping her hands.

"Both of you, stop. We'll just waste time if we keep bickering."

"Oh, right. Thanks, Siren."

"Yes, this is a regular occurrence."

"Hey, Siren. Are you lacking in loyalty to your master?"

"What are you saying, Master? I'm just following your orders to treat Keena-sama as equal to you. Exactly as ordered."

"Then untie these ropes."

"In this case, the one at fault is the secretive master. Of course, if Keena-sama is equal to the master, the information should be shared, right?"

"Ugh..."

While it could be seen as a change of subject, Ops had no choice but to be speechless, as he had given Siren the order. Keena, listening to the conversation between the good master and servant, smiled wryly. In a way, it was a case of "such a master, such a servant."

Once the ropes were untied, Ops sat back in the chair, and Keena sat on the bed opposite.

"Let's hear it, then."

"Who's the subject?"

"The Great Barrier of the Tea Country."

"...Ah, that. I don't know how to start..."

Siren's additional explanation made Ops sigh and cross his arms, muttering. Keena, tilting her head in confusion, used "The Rose Falls Beautifully" to create a gloomy sky above her head, dark clouds that looked like rain was about to pour down.

"What's with that expression of nothing but uncertainty ahead?"

"Well, I think you'll understand once you see it."

"Saharashade is very concerned about the ruins, and I think if the children know enough, they can take appropriate action."

"Who's this Sahana subspecies? It's a very nostalgic name."

"She's a foster child. The queen of Outarokus, appointed by the goddess. In a way, she's like my niece."

"You keep unconsciously adding family members... Don't come crying to me when it gets hard to part with them later."

"That's for when it happens. First, we need to figure out why the ruins are covered by a barrier. The monsters that have been leaking out recently... is the 'Sealing Barrier' starting to wear out?"

"Probably. We've been holed up in that dungeon lately and haven't maintained it properly. The person I left in charge is also reaching their limit, I think."

The "Sealing Barrier" magic, which Keena had used for other purposes before, functioned as a barrier for the ruins. Originally, it was not a semi-permanent spell. It had a set defense and durability, with the defense varying based on the MP poured into it beyond activation, and the durability based on the caster's magic power. As an additional feature, keywords like "do not allow evil things to pass" could be embedded.

For example, if Keena created a "Sealing Barrier" with zero defense by not pouring MP into it beyond activation, it would withstand one full-power attack from Ops, but break on the second. Once cast, it could only be removed by breaking it or the caster dispelling it. This is why some castles and fortresses in the world remain untouched, as the "Sealing Barrier" protecting them cannot be breached.

"The management of the barrier is entrusted to summoned creatures. When I set it up two hundred years ago, there was a risk of chaos spreading to this side of the land cut off from the network. I gathered influential people and entrusted the management of the country to those who were suitable. In other words, to those with the 'Governance' skill."

The 'Governance' skill was for developing areas controlled by players. If you had it when developing a village into a fortress, which was the starting point of offline mode, you would receive a bonus. Otherwise, it was one of the few skills that were mostly useless. There were talks of implementing similar villages in the online side with a version update, but it never happened.

"No, no, according to the legend, the goddess commanded it, right? Ha, did you dress up as a woman, Ops...? Wait, what?"

"Who would do that if asked, you fool! The one who stood in front was this one."

Ops vehemently denied Keena's words and pointed to Siren, who stood at attention beside him. The black-haired elf maid, with a slight blush on her cheeks and a pained expression, nodded slightly in response to Keena's questioning gaze.

"I followed Master's instructions and indeed took on the role. I was told to dye my hair and use the feathered robe equipment."

"Wow..."

Keena's expression changed to one of deep sympathy. She stood up and approached Siren, gently patting her head. Siren, who had somehow produced a handkerchief, wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes at Keena's comfort. "Yes, you must have worked hard...," "Ugh, Keena-sama...," "Think of it as being bitten by a dog and forget it," "Yes, I appreciate your concern," "...Cheer up," "...Yes," the two of them acted out a scene on a 'spotlight-lit stage' as if comforting a junior who had been molested and suffered a mental wound. From their build, it looked like an older sister being comforted by a younger one. Throughout, Ops was the recipient of their dirty looks.

"Hey, what are you two looking at me like that for!"

"‘Worst’"

"Ugh..."

Aware of his guilt, Ops turned away with a guilty expression. Incidentally, the 'feathered robe equipment' was a rare item with the 'Flight' spell added to the clothing. It was a non-combat outfit with a long skirt like a celestial being in an old tale, with a glowing sash floating around and a halo behind. The downside was that the upper part of the fabric was sheer, and it was one of the items female players called 'the developers' lustful equipment.' There were very few people, if any, who could wear such a thing with a straight face.

Indeed, if Siren, who was among the most beautiful, dyed her hair blonde and added the halo of the feathered robe, she could be called a goddess without exaggeration. Keena, who had learned the truth behind the legend, thought of her son who had once spoken passionately about the goddess and shed a tear in her heart. It seemed that the noble fantasies men held for their ideal women were the same everywhere.

"Let's keep this fact to ourselves. Some people might have their creation myths shattered..."

"Yes, truth is stranger than fable, indeed."

The person who created this 'strange' truth said this. Keena wanted a headache medicine, even though it didn't exist in this world.

After that, she received a brief explanation of what happened after the Realdeil broadcast ended. In summary, it was about the establishment of the country, the containment of event monsters in the ruins, and the handling of players who had fallen to this side.

Regarding the establishment of the country, Ops had almost entirely entrusted it to Siren. Siren selected NPCs and foster children with the 'Governance' skill and established the country by dividing the area into northern, central, and southern regions. It seems that all three countries were entrusted with the task of monitoring the ruins. However, it was surprising that after two hundred years, only the southern Outarokus continued to fulfill this task.

"I heard that the king of Felskeiro said that Outarokus is responsible for the monitoring..."

"You've already infiltrated the core. I'm amazed at your disdain for nobles."

"Does the sense of duty towards such things weaken over generations?"

"Even so, it's only been about four generations in two hundred years. It's strange that it would be forgotten in such a short time. Isn't the task given by the goddess more important than power struggles? That's why nobles are so annoying!"

"You're imagining the worst from a completely unrelated place and holding a grudge."

"I'll tell Skullgo later. How do I explain this...? Ah, and changing the subject, is the goddess worship and the five dukes under some god a part of Ops' strategy?"

"What do I know about local beliefs? They probably just fit the situation conveniently."

Next, the players who had fallen to this side were temporarily put on hold, and the ruins were prioritized. The event monsters that had spawned in various places were forcibly gathered into the ruins through spatial connections, isolated with a "Sealing Barrier," and then the management was entirely entrusted to the summoned creatures before the players were protected. It seems that the event monsters that remained in this world were not affected by Keena's power and did not all fall.

"You just keep entrusting everything. If you had dealt with them all at once, you wouldn't be struggling now."

"You can't handle everything at once. What do you expect me to do alone?"

"You say you entrusted it, but you did follow up by visiting various places and inspecting them. In the past fifty years, a considerable number of players have awakened, and you avoided going out to avoid running into them."

Some of the awakened players, like Kan Wu, had left this area. Others had reached the end of their lifespan and passed away, such as the short-lived human and cat people.

"Still, putting players on hold is harsh. I woke up in an inn, too, you know."

"Either way, we copied people's consciousness and transferred it to avatars on this side. It takes time for the mind to adapt to the body. Leaving them in the remaining fortresses, dungeons, castles, and bases until they woke up was to avoid interference. However, it was unexpected that it took over a hundred years for some to wake up. As for Keena, it was outside my control, so I didn't know."

"Even worse!"

‘I protected you in a separate space. I used a bit of consciousness guidance just before you woke up to make the inn people think you had been staying there for a while. I kept it a secret to avoid confusion. I apologize. I'm sorry.’

"Oh, it was Key. Well, then it couldn't be helped. Thanks to you, I met Marell and Ritt, so it turned out well, didn't it?"

‘Thank you for your kind words.’

"Still, the treatment is so different between you and me..."

"Perhaps it's a matter of how you get along, or your personal charm?"

─── ‘...a...ma...’

Regarding the ruins, since the summoned creatures still existed, the details were to be heard from them. When she asked why Ops was avoiding the topic of going together...

"I have some personal business left. I'm sorry, but can you go alone?"

"I'm sorry, Keena-sama. I will properly supervise this incompetent master, so please leave the rest to me."

"Uh, yeah... Another separate mission, huh? What are you up to in secret?"

"Just some warm-up exercises. Don't worry, I think the capital will be safe."

"Your reassurance flew out the window! What are you planning? Hey, what are you planning!? If you do something too outrageous, we'll have a real fight here!"

"If we fight, this place will just become a crater..."

"Please calm down, Keena-sama. If there's any problematic behavior, I'll let you know immediately."

Siren calmed Keena, who was about to pounce with her sleeves rolled up. While she wanted to forcibly take him along by tying a rope around his neck, considering his hard work in supporting the world from behind the scenes, she wanted to let him do as he pleased. However, his somewhat dangerous nature made her hesitant to trust him completely.

─── ‘...ka...sa...’

Just as she was reminiscing, Keena felt as if someone was calling her. Switching her inward-focused mind to the outside, she suddenly heard an alert from Key and hurriedly got up from where she had been leaning against the wall. However, she was tackled by something soft and warm.

Specifically—

"Mommy, I'm here!! Here I come!"

"Huh, puff!?"

...she received a flying hug from her daughter, accompanied by a joyful cry.