Chapter 98

As Luluie emerged, she appeared just as she did the last time I saw her. Heavy chains were attached to her wrists, and her eyes were covered with a blindfold. A cold atmosphere permeated the air, and I felt an involuntary shiver run down my spine.

"Do you really think you can defeat me, foolish humans...?"

Luluie tilted her head slightly, and the corners of her mouth were curled into a faint smile.

"Hey!"

"Kyaaaaa!"

With a casual gesture, Luluie swatted us away, and the force of the wind sent us flying. Thanks to the 'Protection of the Goddess' spell, we didn't take any damage, but being physically blown away was still quite intense.

...Or rather, isn't she even stronger than when she was the final boss of the 'Eternal Monastery'? If Luluie were a boss, we should be able to defeat her now. But looking at the current Luluie, I can't even imagine how to defeat her. If we receive even a single attack... I or the other backline members could become incapacitated, which means certain death in this world.

...I never thought she would be this strong!

I can't help but feel completely unprepared, and my face contorts in frustration.

My adventure has just begun, yet why do I keep encountering such powerful enemies from the start!

...But, is it really like that?

Isn't she too strong? I can't help but think. Perhaps there's some key item or quest needed to defeat Luluie. If that's the case—then it must be the goddess Flodia. Luluie's opposite is Flodia.

...I came to the Crystal Cathedral after rejecting the angel's offer, but was this route a mistake?

I was trying to reclaim the Crystal Cathedral for Titia... but this won't do. Even if we manage to deal with the 'Dark Knight' and Rodney, we won't be able to resolve anything without defeating Luluie.

"...Retreat!"

As I shouted, everyone immediately nodded. The light magic Cocoa used should quickly convey the message to the other knights.

With a sense of regret, we left the Crystal Cathedral.

Luluie, seemingly uninterested in those who don't resist, casually returned to her room.

***

A high-pitched whine echoed through the sky, and a dragon with red wings descended. As expected, when eight dragons land at once, the ground shakes.

"Let's head through the sky above the volcano, shall we?"

"Sure thing, nya!"

At my signal, the dragons took off simultaneously. The sudden ascent into the sky is a strange feeling, and a thrilling sensation runs through my body.

...It's kind of addictive.

We are now at the 'Sleeping Volcano.' We are flying over it on dragons, heading toward the dungeon called 'Flodia's Tombstone,' which the angel guided us to.

...What is a tombstone!?

I thought I might meet the goddess Flodia herself! But the destination turned out to be a tombstone, and it's a dungeon. Moreover, this dungeon is one I don't know—supposedly it was to be implemented on the day I died.

I really want to go! I want to go so much!! But... a newly implemented dungeon is nothing short of hell. To put it mildly, it might be too much for our party... Normally, new dungeons are places where you die repeatedly. Someone dies, gets resurrected, and sometimes the entire party is wiped out and has to start over... Thinking about it, I get chills down my spine.

...But! I want to go so much!!

As I was thinking this and wanted to roll around on the dragon, Kent shouted, "Someone's collapsed!"

"What, in this hot mountain!?"

Looking around anxiously, I saw a person in a white robe lying on the ground. It was Maril. He was the quest target I healed when I became a 'Healer,' and he is a researcher. He was supposed to have come to this volcano for research... but I didn't expect him to collapse here.

...I thought it might be someone related to Rodney, but it seems not.

I called out to everyone, "Let's land for a moment!"

"Phew, thank you. I thought I was going to lose consciousness...," Maril said.

Due to the sweltering heat, Maril seemed to have suffered from heatstroke. After casting a recovery spell, giving him water and salty food, and cooling him down, he quickly regained consciousness.

"I'm glad you're okay. This volcano is quite challenging to walk through."

"Yes, really. I just got absorbed in my research, and before I knew it, I was in this state."

"Please make sure to drink water regularly and take breaks..."

It seems he collapsed while absorbed in his research. I didn't know much about Maril, but he's someone who shouldn't be left alone. If left alone, he might die quickly.

Once Maril had calmed down, I asked him about something that was bothering me.

"...Have you seen any 'Cathedral Knights' around here?"

"'Cathedral Knights'? ...Oh, I saw them heading down. They seemed to be going to the village beyond this volcano. I wanted to talk to them since we're both in the same volcano... but I couldn't catch up."

Maril chuckled, saying, "The knights are really fit, aren't they?"

"I need to build up my stamina for my research too."

"Well, it's always good to have, isn't it?"

I chuckled, thinking about how Maril had collapsed here. Perhaps he's an important character in a quest.

Maril said the 'Cathedral Knights' were heading to the village beyond the volcano. But there was no such village before. This means it's a new village created in the latest patch.

...Can anyone easily enter that village?

"Are you going to that village, Maril?"

"That's the plan. I was curious about this volcano, but there are many things that interest me in the village on the other side. That village—'Eden, the End Village'—is said to be where the goddess Flodia once lived."

"---!!"

Everyone was surprised by Maril's words.

"I've never heard of that."

"Me neither."

Titia and Roi also seemed unaware, and sweat appeared on their foreheads. A hidden village unknown even to the 'Pope'?

But Rodney knew about it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent his son Owen and others.

"This is quite a suspicious situation..."

I muttered, and Maril chuckled.

"Rather, it's a closed village. Information doesn't come out easily. I only found out by chance..."

Upon further inquiry, it turned out that the village existed before the 'Erentz Sacred Kingdom' was established. This explains why Titia didn't know about it. There's a hidden path within this volcano, and you can only get there through that path.

"Wait, so we were lucky to meet you, Maril."

If there's a prepared path, it's likely that you can't get there from the air, or it's a high-difficulty route.

"Still, I'm not that familiar with it. It's my first time going... and there are monsters, so I'm not sure if I can make it."

"I see..."

"In that case, why don't you travel with us, Maril? We can get directions, and you can avoid the danger of monsters."

As I was thinking, Tarte suggested, "What do you think, nya?"

"Is that the best option...? What do you all think?"

"It's fine with me."

I looked around at everyone, and Kent and the others nodded, while Roi confirmed it was no problem. So, Maril joined our party!