Chapter 44

This is my second post of the day.

"Finally, it's here, nya."

Last night, Ain slept while being held by Olivia. When he woke up in the morning, he found himself still being held in bed. He wondered when he had moved to the bed, but then he noticed new roots on the carpet and thought Olivia must have moved him after becoming a dryad.

It was very disappointing that he didn't get to see Olivia in her dryad form. However, such feelings were overshadowed by the embarrassing scene he had shown last night.

Olivia didn't seem to care about last night's events at all and spent the morning chatting and having breakfast with Ain, looking very happy. She was in a great mood because she had finally been able to sleep with Ain alone after a long time.

After that, a servant brought a message from Katima, so they got ready and headed to Katima's laboratory. Incidentally, after a night's rest, Ain's arm seemed to have regained some of its function.

"What's up, Katima?"

"I stayed up all night summarizing the information, nya. It's about the magic stone of Rich and the content extracted from the magic stone of the sea dragon, nya."

With a rustling sound, many documents were placed on the table. Katima had continued working in the laboratory after they dispersed last night. It seems Chris offered to help, and the translation progressed as well.

"Which one should I check first?"

"Since it's you, you'll probably know everything, nya. You can go in any order you like, nya. Also, I'll be giving the same report to your father and the others, so be prepared for that. By the way, I had the castle's painter prepare clear illustrations, so you can rest assured, nya."

Ain decided to check them in order from the top. The first one was about the sea dragon.

"By the way, I also got the skill 'Current,' right?"

"Well, you probably can't use it right now, nya. A skill that can cause natural phenomena isn't something you can use easily, nya."

Large monsters have vast amounts of stamina and magic power proportional to their size. That's why they can do certain things. The sea dragon's skill is one of those things.

"By the way, I have a question. Even though you've absorbed so many national treasure-level magic stones, why can't you have the same level of stamina and magic power as the sea dragon and the others?"

"Would you gain 1 kg of weight immediately after eating 1 kg of meat, nya? If you could grow so easily, no one could defeat the monsters by now, nya."

It's something I already knew, but it seems it doesn't work that way.

"More importantly, there's a limit for humanoid beings, which also affects this, nya."

"Limit of stats, you mean?"

"Right, nya. It's a line that, once you reach it, you can hardly go any further, nya. There's a hypothesis that it becomes difficult to increase after reaching 999, nya. However, since there are only a few beings in history who have grown to that level, it can't be definitively stated, nya."

"I see."

"Anyway, we'll conduct an experiment on absorption rates later, so let's put that aside for now, nya. Hurry up and read the documents."

Ain returned his attention to the documents. They contained a lot of information about the sea dragon's ecology, body length, and more.

The estimated stamina is in the hundreds of thousands. Just seeing that number makes you realize how monstrous it truly was. However, since there aren't many reference individuals, the content of the documents is limited. The new information is that the sea dragon primarily engages in physical combat rather than using breath attacks.

"Hey, Katima."

"What is it, nya?"

"Which is stronger, Dullahan or the sea dragon?"

"If there's a foothold, it would be Dullahan, nya."

"So, it's really that strong?"

"A real Dullahan was that monstrous, nya."

Now, it's impossible to see how strong they were. However, based on the information in the documents, Katima thought Dullahan was stronger.

"Hmm... I see."

"By the way, Ain. Your stat growth is similar to that of dangerous monsters, nya."

"What are you talking about all of a sudden? What do you mean?"

"Just listen, nya. Your stamina and magic power are abnormally high, and your defense is also high. It's proof of your high survival ability, nya. Dangerous monsters tend to use their magic power to enhance their bodies and fight, nya. That's why your stats are closer to those of dangerous monsters rather than humans, nya."

"…You mean, like the Named job you mentioned yesterday?"

"I think it's because of that, nya. However, it doesn't change the fact that you can become stronger, nya. I don't think it's a bad thing, nya."

Sea dragons and Dullahan, as dangerous monsters, are first and foremost known for their high survival ability. It's proof that they have lived for a long time. They use their high magic power to enhance their bodies and develop powerful attacks.

"I see... By the way, there's not much information about the sea dragon, is there?"

"There aren't many individuals, and there was no opportunity to observe them, nya..."

"But, I found something interesting."

"!? Tell me, nya!"

"The magic stone of the sea dragon was more delicious than all the food I've eaten so far."

Katima fell off her chair.

"That doesn't help at all, nya!"

"But it was amazing. Remember the sea dragon steak I ate yesterday? It was nothing compared to this..."

Katima swallowed hard. The steak from yesterday was already top-class among the ingredients she had eaten.

Hearing this, she became interested.

"M, maybe... But we can't feel it, so it's ultimately meaningless, nya!"

"Well, that's true."

"Meow!"

Katima, who was usually composed, couldn't help but lash out at Ain, but he easily dodged. Even though his arm couldn't move much, his body could, making it easy to avoid.

"Then, the next document... Ah, this person."

"Really, what a troublesome nephew, nya. ...Nya, this female monster was Dullahan's wife, Elder Rich, nya."

Though only her mouth is visible, her beauty is evident. She is wearing a black robe and holding a large staff, making a strong impression.

"I felt like I did something wrong."

"Nh?"

"If I had known they were a couple from the beginning, I would have introduced them sooner. I wouldn't have sealed them again without scaring them, nya."

"...But now, even though they are inside your body, they are together, nya. So, I think it's a bit better, nya."

Even though they are monsters, after seeing such love and affection, Ain couldn't help but think he should have introduced them sooner. When he absorbed Rich's magic stone, he heard a voice saying "Thank you," which was probably because of this.

"Huh? This sword in the picture?"

"Didn't Chris explain it yesterday? Elder Rich uses her core to create a dagger for her mate, nya."

"I remember. Is this the dagger...?"

"Does it look familiar, nya?"

"Yes, it was my partner, nya."

The black dagger that Ain lost during the sea dragon hunt. The dagger described in the document is exactly that. It felt like a strange connection to see it here.

"The name of this dagger is 'Scrap of the Ancestor of Death.' It's a dagger created by gradually chipping away at Rich's core using her unique method, nya."

"Even hearing the explanation is terrifying."

"...Probably, the sea dragon was finished off thanks to this, nya. This dagger is a talisman meant to be used as a last resort. When its true power is unleashed, the dagger disappears in one strike, but that one strike could be fatal even to a demon king, nya."

"That's a powerful item. Then, why didn't it show its power before, and why do you know so much, Katima?"

"It's an item meant for a mate, so it only works when used by a mate, nya. You absorbed Dullahan's magic stone, nya. That's why its true power was unleashed in a critical moment, nya. Also, all this content was translated by Chris, nya."

Ain silently thanked Chris for her hard work.

"I see. So, it didn't fall to the bottom of the sea."

"It finished off the sea dragon and disappeared, nya. Be grateful, nya... Your heroic deed was possible thanks to Elder Rich, nya."

"Okay... I'll be grateful."

"Probably, when the Dullahan's magic stone was brought to the castle, it was transported from a similar place and stored in the treasure vault, nya."

The Dullahan, Elder Rich, and that dagger. The fact that these elements came together at the source of the demon king's magic stone felt like a strong connection. The vague idea of being drawn to each other strongly influenced Ain's thoughts.

"Let's look at the last one, nya."

Katima took out a few sheets of paper and began to speak. The first page read:

"Hypothesis on the Demon King's Actions and a Suspected Betrayal"

The author, an elf, has lived for a long time and has studied many legends. Among them, he focused on the contradictions in the Demon King's actions.

The Demon King attacked Ishatarika hundreds of years ago. However, it was strange that such a powerful being suddenly appeared. The Demon King's strength was immense, and he could take many lives with a single spell.

Because of this immense power, it was strange that he didn't show up for a while. As a result, after countless sacrifices, the Demon King, Dullahan, and Elder Rich were finally defeated.

However, there were questions about the two subordinates. Why did Dullahan just wait for the enemy without moving, and why did Elder Rich only interfere without using attack spells?

Let me state it clearly. If Dullahan had taken the initiative and Elder Rich had used attack spells to drive people away, Ishatarika would have certainly been destroyed. Therefore, it is strange.

They seemed to despise people, but that's not the case. After all, they maintained their stance until the very end. I find this strange, as I have said many times.

Through long-term research, several things were discovered. When the Demon King was rampaging like a crying child, the movements of Dullahan and Elder Rich seemed to guide people away from the Demon King, as if helping them.

And one more thing. This will be the key.

The other subordinate, a female red fox monster, never moved from the Demon King's base. Despite the Demon King and other subordinates fighting, she did nothing. Her body was never found, and the race she led disappeared. They did not participate in the Demon King's battle.

The red fox monster is still a mysterious race. Known for deceiving people and being hedonistic, their nature is not well understood, and they rarely show themselves, leaving many mysteries.

I considered this beyond my capabilities, so I will end my research here.

Based on what I have learned, I will conclude my research.

"The red fox, a subordinate, was likely the trigger for the Demon King's rampage."

...

"I read it, but what does this mean?"

"The Demon King started rampaging due to some trigger, nya. And the conclusion is that a monster was the trigger, nya."

"Does that mean... the Demon King might not have been inherently violent?"

"That's the idea, nya. Look at this picture, nya."

Ain was handed a picture. A silver-haired girl with a fragile expression, looking about 15 years old.

"Who is this? She's cute, but..."

"The Demon King, nya."

"!? This is the Demon King who caused so many casualties!?"

"The Demon King was seen by many people, nya. This picture is correct, nya."

A girl who looks like she would fit in a flower field. This is the Demon King, Ain thought.

"She was the owner of the magic stone in the audience chamber, nya."

"From her appearance, she doesn't seem like someone who would do such bad things."

"I agree, nya. But looks can be deceiving, nya. ...And if we believe the previous document, something might have happened to her subordinates, nya."

"Can a being like the Demon King be tricked by a subordinate?"

"Never rule out any possibility, nya."

Ain thought it was true. After all, you never know what could happen if they were alive, so it couldn't be said that this possibility was zero.

...

"Graaf-sama! The dissection of the head is complete!"

"Good work. Next, let's move on to..."

His name is Graaf August. Now, he uses a name similar to Graaf August, not August.

This is the capital's port. Last night, Ain and the others brought the sea dragon to land, and the dissection work is underway.

The reason Graaf is at the work site is related to his current job.

In Heim, he was a noble who handled all land transportation, and he was known as a trade mogul.

His achievements were recognized, and he completed several tasks given by Warren. With funding from Ishatarika, a new trading company was established.

The August Trading Company. It has connections with many trading companies and nobles and has gained significant trust. It has become a well-known large trading company in the capital of Ishatarika, with the royal family as one of its investors, providing a significant advantage.

Not only in sales, but also in distribution and development, the company has expanded its reach. This time, it was entrusted by Warren to manage the materials from the sea dragon.

"This is a huge magic stone. Even though it's empty, the monster that held this must have been incredible! The prince is amazing!"

"The future is bright! Next, next!"

Selected skilled workers continue to secure the materials. The sea dragon is a large creature, so this work is important for the business.

"Graaf-sama! Graaf-sama!"

"Mu... Is there a problem?"

A company worker called out to Graaf.

"I need you to confirm something. Please come over here."

"Alright, I understand. Alfred, I'll leave this to you."

"Understood."

Leaving the site to Alfred, Graaf went to confirm. The location was near the sea dragon's belly, still floating in the sea. A worker who was dismantling it on the water found something.

"I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly. Chairman."

"It's fine. What happened?"

"Look at that."

The worker pointed to two large blue objects.

"What are those?"

"They were found in the sea dragon's belly. ...They are moving inside."

"...Could they be eggs?"

"Probably. We can't make any further judgments, so I called you."

The sea dragon Ain defeated was female, so the two sea dragons were likely a pair. However, Graaf couldn't make a judgment on this, so he decided to contact Warren.

...

Upon receiving Graaf's message, two carriages and knights on horseback arrived from the castle.

"...Graaf-dono. I received your message. Are these eggs real