Chapter 69

★ "Silver Scales" ★

The airship rained artillery shells from the sky, bombing the monsters on the ground. Each shell had a high explosive power, sometimes wiping out dozens of monsters at once, but there were also individuals that survived with only their arms blown off. There were many monsters that had never been seen before, such as a dragon-like creature with four arms, a chamois with a single horn charged with lightning, and a venomous spider with an abnormal jumping ability.

At first, the monsters on the ground fought back, but now, with the presence of a large checkpoint, the strategy was shifting towards sealing off the city. As a result, the empire was thrown into chaos over how much wealth could be salvaged. While the state functioned, preventing outright looting and riots, the citizens had to abandon most of their possessions—furniture couldn't be moved, and the banks were shut down—leading to widespread dissatisfaction and anxiety.

"——Zelly, how's it outside?"

When Zelly returned to the tent, Dante asked, and Zelly shook her head.

"Same as always. Everyone's looking down with gloomy faces."

"I see..."

"Can't be helped, I guess."

This was outside the checkpoint, a square where immigration procedures were normally conducted, the same place where the "Silver Scales" members spent a night recently. Only soldiers and adventurers, those with "military power," were allowed to set up tents here. The majority of the general public were further out, housed in large tents hastily set up by the government. There weren't enough tents for everyone, so many were forced to camp out in the open. Some refugees were trying to escape the empire, but since the empire had long been isolationist, few had connections or knowledge of foreign lands.

"It's still okay now that it's summer, but it'll be bad in winter."

"Is it cold around here?"

"Pretty cold. If they have to continue living in tents, there will be a lot of deaths from the cold."

"Ugh."

Neither of them could predict whether the situation would improve by winter. The "Red Crack" in the sky—now called the "Red Gate"—needed to be dealt with for the nation to be rebuilt. The empire was culling the monsters with bombings and sending researchers into the "Labyrinth of Nine Emotions," which still emitted light.

"I heard some good news from the Adventurer's Guild," Dante said.

The Keisugran Federation had offered 100,000 cavalry, and the neighboring Kingdom of Curvaen had offered supplies and would accept imperial citizens if necessary. The Kingdom of Light Knights was "in discussions."

"Wow, the Holy Kingdom, huh?"

"Apparently, the border baronies have already started large-scale preparations for accepting refugees. If they can be ready by winter, many lives will be saved."

"I feel nostalgic for that place."

"We didn't stay long, but you guys were there for about four years..."

The phrase "you guys" made both of them think of Raze. They only learned that he had been "sucked into the sky" after everything was over. The Red Gate had almost completely stabilized, and small to medium-sized monsters were falling from the sky. Many died on impact, but those that survived were extremely dangerous. At the time, Dante was drinking and rushed back to the Mugen Trading Company when he noticed something was wrong. Raze wasn't there, and Mimon insisted on going to look for him, but Dante convinced her to stay and help rescue the citizens who had been left behind. When dawn came and the city's devastation became clear, they learned that Raze had been sucked into the Red Gate along with Princess Anastasia.

"…Dante, what about Mimon and Non?"

"Ah, yeah… Mimon and Non are with Mugen at Lulusha's place."

"Maybe we should go there too."

"Sure. We probably won't be called out for a while."

The Adventurer's Guild had a building outside the checkpoint and was functioning normally. In the first few days, it issued a series of monster hunting requests within the empire, and "Silver Scales" accepted them, hoping to find Raze. But 15 days had passed without any sign of him. The hunts were now being efficiently handled by airship bombings, and the empire had become largely deserted. The emperor, having repaired the "Abundant Sky" to fly despite the large hole, had flown it beyond the checkpoint and set it up as a temporary base for running the country. Near the "Abundant Sky," there were several government agencies, including the "Labyrinth Management Bureau," where Lulusha worked.

"What's going on?! If the Red Gate is closed, the people who were sucked in won't come back!"

"But if we do nothing, many refugees will die from the harsh living conditions in a few months."

"That's true, but...!"

"Mimon, I'm frustrated too. I can't do anything."

"..."

When Dante and the others entered the tent, Lulusha and Mimon were just having a heated argument. Non, Mugen, and for some reason, Aba, were sitting on chairs nearby, watching the two with concern.

"——What's happening?"

"Dante..."

Mimon, with red eyes—she hadn't slept much since then—said that the empire had decided to close the Red Gate as soon as possible based on the research from the "Labyrinth of Nine Emotions."

"I see..."

To be honest, Dante had expected this. If the Red Gate was the source of all evil, the simplest solution would be to destroy or eliminate it. However, the empire had lost the royal elf Anastasia and two military airships to the Red Gate. Dante thought they would at least confirm their status before closing it, to avoid being seen as abandoning them to their fate.

(Things must be that desperate.)

The airship's fuel, shells, and food supplies were limited. The current situation could be maintained for a few more months—or perhaps just a few more days. The rewards for the monster hunting requests from the Adventurer's Guild had not been paid yet and were on hold, with the promise of payment from the empire later. They probably had little cash left.

"I... I...! I couldn't save Raze again...!!"

Tears welled up in Mimon's eyes, but she gritted her teeth to stop them from falling. Dante understood her pain all too well. In the capital of the Ahnenbach Duchy, Mimon had been saved from a dragon, and Dante from petrification. But Raze had disappeared to avoid causing trouble for Dante and the others, despite being pursued by the state. Dante had regretted not chasing after him, even though he was severely injured. When they met again in the Kingdom of Curvaen, Dante felt a sense of joy in being able to repay the favor. In the end, he never got the chance to repay it, and instead, he was saved from Leon's betrayal and the battle with Jaguar in the "Labyrinth of Fear."

And now—how could he repay the favor without saving Raze, who had been sucked into the Red Gate?

(!)

At that moment, Dante was struck by a realization. The empire was trying to close the Red Gate. If so, perhaps they should—.