Chapter 65

I've made a slight change to the title.

"Come on, relax. Don't worry, the pain will only last a moment, hehehehehe."

"Mom, that makes me even more anxious!"

Keena spread her arms wide like a conductor, and immediately, her daughter's sharp retort flew. Keena, with a look of dissatisfaction as if she had bitten into a bitter bug, pouted.

"Really, Mai Mai, you have no sense of the moment. In situations like this, it's customary to say shyly, 'Don't hurt me, okay?'"

"Such a custom doesn't exist! Where did you hear such a weird story, Keena?"

"From a hidden demon."

"Who is that...?"

Ark, who was puzzled by the question, held his head in confusion at the incomprehensible answer. No, he probably understood that it was a player, but he couldn't identify who it was. The culprit was the Skill Master No. 12, the hidden demon, an eccentric old man.

The day after meeting Argent and Shubes, Keena and her group started moving early in the morning. Mai Mai had already contacted Kerrick and Scalgo the night before and received a response from both saying they would "advise the king." Keena summoned a green dragon and sent a letter summarizing the conversation about the ruined city's barrier to Oudarques' Sahara Shade. She had already contacted Opus via friend communication, but had not yet received a response. Keena, who was upset by this, had been in a bad mood since then.

"Damn, that guy is up to something..."

"Mother, you really speak ill of Uncle..."

"Of course he's up to something! This is all from experience. During the war, he would come up with crazy plans."

Like the time he lured over 80% of the enemy country's forces to the border area and activated a monster generation event that covered the entire area. At that time, only three guild members, including Keena, were defending the base. She summoned a large number of dragons to act as a wall and had to fight over a thousand players for four hours with just the three of them. The rest of the day, they were exhausted. The relay point for the enemy country's players to respawn was also within that area, so the participants spent the rest of the day in a cycle of resurrection and death.

Another time, he disguised himself and infiltrated the red country, which did not border the black country. Ten minutes before the end of the war, he dropped a meteor on the border area, blowing away the red and blue factions indiscriminately. As a result, the black country occupied the area. Later, the official site and various bulletin boards were filled with boos. Thanks to this, the occupation rules were changed. Looking back, it seemed like they were forced to do this to change the rules.

Of course, Keena, who followed orders without question, also bears some responsibility, but it's hard to resist when she is talked into it. The only one who could talk back to her was Eberope, the former sub-guild master. Every time she thinks about it, she recalls the frustration and falls silent. Mai Mai, misunderstanding her silence as terrifying, turned pale.

"Well, it's fine. I'll send us all to Felskeiro, so let's gather—"

Qu!

Just as she was speaking, Izuna-e, who was facing south, sensed something and let out a sharp warning cry. Before the summoned Cerberus, Thunder Lion, Herau, and Sfulth could react, Keena, without warning, cast her spell.

【Magic Skill: Ice Tear Bomb: Ready Set】

"Oh, come on!"

Keena's left arm, extended southward, was surrounded by dancing ice crystals, forming several ice bullets. They were fired as she spat out her words. The ice bullets flew into the forest to the south, quickly disappearing from sight, and a series of explosions could be heard from a nearby location. The power of the attack was such that a large, spiky, ice formation, resembling a sea urchin, could be seen jutting out from the trees. It was a ranged attack spell that froze the area and had an ice effect.

However, the target seemed to have reacted immediately, as a shadow passed over Keena's head. She quickly extended her staff and swung it at the target, which clashed with the large sword the target was holding. A loud, rough metallic sound echoed, and sparks flew. A familiar, panicked voice stopped Keena's follow-up attack.

"Hey, are you trying to kill us right away?!"

"…Oh my."

A gray dragon person was holding a large sword with both hands in a defensive stance. The broad blade was locked in a clash with the staff, both trembling as they pushed against each other. The woman, who had jumped over at the same time, was using a saber to help stop the staff from the side.

"If you're there, say so. I thought you were a monster."

"At least give a warning before using magic! Don't just start with an indiscriminate attack!"

It was Exis and Quorke. They had moved in a straight line through the forest and river from the abandoned fishing village to a location they thought would be suitable for camping, using movement skills. Thanks to their experience traveling to various locations for guild jobs, they had pinpointed Keena's location. Just as they were about to reach the location and feel relieved, a familiar, extremely powerful area-of-effect spell flew at them. They quickly grabbed Quorke and used an amplified jump to avoid it. They kicked off the ice block formed by the initial explosion and passed over Keena, landing at the scene.

Keena put her staff in her chest pocket. Quorke, who had put away her sword, was exhausted from the tension and the rough journey, and Mai Mai apologized for her mother's actions. Exis, seeing Ark, who was still in shock, ran over to him.

"I'm sorry, Mother caused trouble."

"R-really, she's your daughter... Ah, ah, no, it's fine, it's fine, it's nothing on my part."

"Sure enough, you're here! Sister!"

"What are you doing here?!"

No, as she tried to run over, she was stopped by Herau, who glared at her. Sfulth, with his hand on his sword, also stood in front of Ark to protect him from Exis. From a third-person perspective, it might look like a dragon person was about to attack an unknown woman. Keena, who understood the situation, decided to intervene. First, she called out to the person who seemed completely unaware of the tension.

"Mr. Ark."

"Ah, yes, what is it?"

"That's Exis, a different account of Tartaros. In other words, the brother you mentioned yesterday."

"Eh, eh?!"

Recalling yesterday's conversation, Herau and Sfulth relaxed their guard, saying, "If that's the case, it's fine." It was a surprisingly straightforward reaction. The two, now facing each other at close range—though Ark had to look up—stared at each other. After a moment of silence, Ark suddenly became dejected.

"...Ros-chan, you've become so fierce-looking..."

"Huh? No, Sister?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha."

Exis was taken aback by this far cry from a touching reunion, and Quorke and Keena burst out laughing. "No, this is just a racial characteristic," the dragon person tried to explain, which was quite comical to watch. After a while, Mai Mai stepped in to calm down the flustered Exis.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Calm down a bit. Ark, you're just being mean."

"Oh, you noticed? As expected, Teacher, you see right through me."

"Huh? Eh?!"

It turned out that what looked like trembling and looking down was just her trying to hold back laughter. With a sudden smile, Ark greeted Exis like a child who had succeeded in a prank.

"Yup, it's been a while, Ros-chan. I'm relieved you're still the same. I'm glad you're doing well."

"......Yeah, that's what you're like..."

Exis, with her shoulders slumped and a pale face, looked defeated. Keena, remembering how Tartaros was teased in the guild for his funny reactions, understood that this was probably a daily occurrence in real life as well. It made sense that he would seek refuge in a different account, given that he was teased in both real life and the game. It was surprising that he hadn't retired.

"Wow, you look so strong and tough," "Leave me alone!" and so on, the siblings were confirming their bond (or so it seemed). Keena left them alone. Quorke, who had been told about Exis's situation on the way, was watching the scene with interest. Keena calmly asked for their help.

"Since you're here, it's perfect timing. Please help us."

"Perfect timing? That's a pretty harsh way to put it, isn't it?"

"If you can still be surprised by this level of unfairness, you're still lucky."

"How much more unfairness is there to come?!"

"Anyway, would you like to join us in 'exterminating the monsters in the ruined city'?"

"「We (I) don't want to be involved in a strategy that only a Skill Master can attempt!」

Keena's proposal, to which Quorke and apparently Exis, who had been listening, responded with full force. She explained that they were being involved, mentioning the speculation that "monsters might be increasing in the ruined city" and the fact that "Argent's barrier is reaching its lifespan."

"Former colleagues, don't refuse. I'm not asking you to be on the front lines, but at least take care of the smaller monsters that have escaped."

"Hmm, ...but the ruined city is quite large. How many monsters do you think are infesting it?"

During the game, the capital cities of the seven countries were randomly selected as starting points for players. As a result, one of the roles of the capital was to support beginners, with well-equipped facilities for selling basic weapons and items. Additionally, there were stalls for materials and items that players had gathered from hunting and for specialized production players. Each region had different specialties based on the items that could be obtained there. Furthermore, to allow intermediate players (up to level 500) to play in the vicinity of the capital, there were usually large dungeons under the city. These dungeons could be ancient cities buried before the capital was built, secret bases created by mages for fun, or facilities sealed off due to a biohazard. The worst of these was the black country, where death priests regularly spawned in the capital. It was said that in the underground caves, there were still descendants of the demon king waiting to dominate the surface. It was a harsh country for beginners, to say the least.

This was exactly what Exis was concerned about. If the monsters were only on the surface, it would be one thing, but if the underground facilities were included, the area of the capital would be more than three times larger. If the area was densely populated with monsters, how could a few players possibly exterminate them? Of course, Keena, who had also played to the point of being a shut-in, was well aware of this.

"There are all sorts of monsters, from the weakest to the strongest."

"That's awfully casual! Isn't it impossible to clear them with just three people?"

"I've also called Opus. Well, we'll have to figure something out. I don't want to create more kids like Luka. I'm already using all my connections to ask the three countries for defense."

"Your connections are impressive, but I can't believe you have connections to ask the three countries for help..."

Keena could only smile wryly at Quorke's comment. For some reason, many of the people who ran the countries or held important positions were related to her or her family. Even Mai Mai, who was smiling in front of them, was no exception.

"How did it come to this..."

"It's all thanks to Mother's virtue!"

"Two hundred years of virtue? I don't get it..."

It was enough to make one sigh. Just as she was about to sigh, another cause for sighing appeared with a high-pitched roar. A black dragon, with a body as large as a gymnasium and large wings, landed, digging into the ground. Among the [Dragon Summoning] skills, the black dragon, like the red dragon, was known for its powerful attacks, especially its area-of-effect attacks. It was a familiar summon for Keena, who often used it during the war. Two people jumped off its back: Opus in a black coat and Siren in her usual maid outfit.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Keena-sama."

"What, you're still hanging around here?"

"Uncle?"

"Opus!?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

These were the reactions of Mai Mai, Exis, and Keena, reflecting their long relationship.

"Why are the participants of the tournament here?" was a question only Mai Mai would ask, as the knights were unaware of the underlying situation. The sight of "Ryadale's Kongming" and "Silver Ring's Witch" together made Quorke and Ark genuinely uneasy. Exis, seeing the two of them together, felt a chill, as if it were the eve of a decisive battle. Keena, who had always been suspicious of Opus's intentions to participate in the tournament, felt a danger signal based on past experiences, knowing it wouldn't end well.

---

Meanwhile, in Felskeiro, where some of the performers had left.

The individual matches held in the morning went as expected, with the adventurer Krophia from Oudarques, who had somehow joined, winning. However, her fighting style was much more solid than what those who knew her from before would expect. Some people tilted their heads in confusion, but no one argued, as her dominance was overwhelming. The scheduled time for the matches was significantly shortened, and the semi-final of the team matches, originally scheduled for the afternoon, was moved up. However...

"This is not right, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

For both individual and team matches, there were seats set up in the arena. Two of the seats that should have been occupied early in the morning were empty. The "Triumph Armor" PT members were looking at the empty seats, waiting for the tournament officials to make a decision. The air in the arena was starting to suggest that they would be declared the winners by default.

Suddenly, without any warning, something appeared in the sky above the arena, shining brighter than the sun.

The Shining Sabers, who were guarding the royal family, immediately took a protective stance. The athletes in the arena, including Coral, and the spectators all looked up, their mouths agape. The object that appeared above the arena was clearly visible from the capital. It was so prominent that no one, whether a resident, traveler, adventurer, knight, merchant, or vagrant, could help but look up in shock.

At the same time, the object was observed not only in Felskeiro but also in Oudarques and Helsper. It appeared above various villages scattered across the continent, leaving all the inhabitants in awe. The Queen of Sahara Shade, who had just handed a letter to Keena's summoned green dragon, froze. In Helsper, Keina looked up from the window with the king, and in a border village, the villagers, who had noticed the strange occurrence, rushed out of Maleur's inn one after another.

What was observed simultaneously in various places was a being with a pair of white wings on its back, holding a stone tablet in one hand, and a smile on its face that seemed almost unreal. It was an [Angel].

As soon as the [Angel] appeared, most people fell to their knees in prayer. A very small number of people did not, as they recognized the [Angel].

[To announce]

A voice, neither male nor female, echoed in the minds of those who saw the [Angel]. After a long pause, the next words were unfamiliar to the inhabitants of the continent.

[From the Ryadale Operations Committee to the players, we announce the final event.]

Nothing appeared above Keena and the others, but the voice echoed in their minds. Exis and Quorke, who had heard it many times before, glared at the sky. Keena, seeing Opus's smug face, sighed, knowing it was too late