Chapter 86

From the oasis emerged a creature ten meters long, flailing countless tentacles and with a magic stone glowing red... a slime. Is that simple enough to understand?

However, the size is quite unusual. Normally, slime-type monsters are at most one meter in length. Moreover, they should not have the ability to manipulate the surrounding water. At least, they should need something like tentacles to manipulate anything outside their own flesh; they shouldn’t be able to directly control water.

“What... What is this monster? A Bachlem...?”

Lands muttered in a daze. Bachlem refers to the slime-type monsters in this world.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what it is. This thing is probably the cause of the oasis being polluted. It likely has an innate magic that produces toxins.”

“...Indeed, that makes more sense. But can we defeat it?”

While Aichi and Lands were talking, the Bachlem in the oasis launched a tentacle attack as if it were enraged. Yuki responded with ice magic, and Thea with fire magic. Aichi also aimed Dona Shuraku during their conversation, deliberately targeting the red magic stone that seemed to be its core. However, the magic stone moved around inside its body as if it had a mind of its own, making it very difficult to aim.

Seeing this, Lands decided to ignore the fact that Aichi had a divine artifact and that Yuki and the others used magic, thinking, “There’s no need to be surprised anymore.” He asked Aichi about his chances of winning with a calm attitude.

“Hmm... Ah, no problem. I’ve got it.”

Aichi gave a casual answer to Lands’ question, squinting his eyes as he tracked the movement of the magic stone. He slowly holstered Shuraku and held Dona with both hands. His right arm was extended straight, and his left elbow was bent for support, with his feet positioned front and back. This is known as the Weaver stance, a precise shooting position for Dona.

Aichi’s eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s, seemingly having completely grasped the movement of the magic stone. Then...

Do Bang!

A flash of light accompanied by a dry cracking sound pierced the sky, hitting the magic stone that seemed to defy the laws of inertia. The bullet hit it dead center, as if attracted by a magnet or as if the magic stone itself had collided with it.

The electromagnetic cannon’s impact and heat instantly destroyed the magic stone. At the same time, the water that made up the Bachlem in the oasis lost its power and turned back into ordinary water. A large amount of water poured down with a splash. Lands and the others watched the oasis, which was now violently undulating.

“...Is it over?”

“Yeah, the oasis no longer has any magical reactions. But I don’t know if removing this thing will purify the oasis.”

Seeing Aichi easily defeat the creature that had put their Ankaji in peril, and speaking so casually about it, Lands and the others felt as if they had been tricked by a fox. However, the culprit had indeed been destroyed right before their eyes, and one of Lands’ subordinates hurriedly went to test the water quality.

“...How is it?”

“...No, it’s still polluted.”

Lands’ voice was full of hope, but his subordinate shook his head in disappointment. People who drank the water from the oasis after it had been polluted would still get sick, which was a predictable outcome. Even with the Bachlem gone, the once-polluted water would still remain, and the reality of this was hard to accept.

“Well, don’t lose heart. Since the culprit is gone, the oasis won’t continue to be polluted. Fresh water will keep flowing from the underground aquifers. Just properly drain the polluted water, and it will eventually return to its original state.”

Thea said this as if to comfort Lands and the others, who then regained their spirits and showed a determination to rebuild. The people of Ankaji, centered around Lands, were united, and it was clear from their appearance that they all loved their country. Perhaps because it was a country in a harsh environment, their patriotism was strong.

“...But, what is that Bachlem-like monster? ...Is it a new species of monster that has infiltrated the underground aquifers?”

Lands, who had regained his spirit, looked at the oasis with confusion. The one who answered him was Aichi.

“Probably... a trick by the Demon Race.”

“!? The Demon Race? Prince Aichi, do you have any idea why you say that?”

Hearing Aichi’s words, Lands looked at him with surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and urged Aichi to continue. Aichi had successfully secured the water source and eliminated the culprit, so Lands trusted and respected him. The initial suspicion in his eyes was completely gone.

Aichi speculated that the Bachlem in the oasis was a new type of monster created by the Demon Race’s ancient magic. This was partly due to the unique characteristics of the Bachlem in the oasis, and partly because the Demon Race had targeted Aiko in the town of Uru and Hikari in the Orkus Great Labyrinth.

The Demon Race was likely preparing a monster army and, before the war broke out, investigating and attacking dangerous, uncertain, and important locations in the northern road. They targeted Aiko, who could potentially revolutionize the food supply in the northern road, and the heroes summoned from another world by the Holy Church to combat the Demon Race. This was strong evidence.

Ankaji, as a transit point for seafood from Elyshan and a major supplier of fruits and other foods, was undoubtedly an important location in terms of food supply. Moreover, being located in the middle of the desert, it would be difficult to call for help if attacked. It was not impossible for the Demon Race to target it.

After explaining this to Lands, the people of Ankaji let out a low groan and showed a bitter expression.

“We have heard of the monsters. We have been investigating them on our own... Our conclusion was that they should not be capable of such feats... We were too optimistic.”

“Well, what can you do? The capital probably doesn’t have information on new species of monsters either. After all, the heroes were only recently attacked. Things are in turmoil everywhere now.”

“Finally, it’s getting serious... Prince Aichi... Although you are registered as an adventurer... that divine artifact and that power... you are just like Princess Aiko...”

Aichi didn’t answer, just shrugged his shoulders. Lands and the others noticed there was something hidden, so they didn’t press further. No matter what had happened, the fact that Ankaji was saved by Aichi and the others wouldn’t change. There were more important things to do than to question their savior uselessly.

“...Prince Aichi, Princess Yuki, Princess Thea. Lands Fowald Zengen, the lord of the Ankaji Principality, thanks you on behalf of the nation. This country has been saved by you.”

Saying this, Lands and the people of Ankaji bowed deeply. A lord should not bow so easily, but regardless of whether Aichi was one of the “Apostles of God,” Lands would have bowed. Even with their brief interaction, his patriotism was evident. Because of this, his subordinates and Lands did not stop bowing to Aichi, who was just registered as an adventurer. This aspect was well-inherited by his son. Their actions and words were almost identical.

Aichi looked at them with a smile. Then,

“Ah, thank us well. And don’t forget this great favor.”

He sold the favor with a flourish. Lands had expected him to say, “No, don’t worry about it. It’s a natural thing to do,” and then have some ulterior motive, so he was surprised. For Lands, he had already planned to repay Aichi for saving the country, so even if Aichi said this, it wasn’t a problem. However, he never expected Aichi to throw a straight pitch.

For Aichi, on one hand, Aiko had asked him to do this, and on the other, he needed to ensure the safety of Ankaji to entrust Miu to them, so he didn’t feel the need to be thanked so much.

However, since it was a rare opportunity to be thanked, and allies were always useful in critical moments, he sold the favor wholeheartedly. He believed that Lands, being a politician, would keep his word.

“Ah, yes. Of course. I will remember it until my death... But, there are still many patients suffering in Ankaji... Could you also help with that?”

Lands, who lived a life of constantly probing the other side as a politician and noble, was slightly confused by Aichi’s straightforward words. After a moment, he nodded with a bitter smile, understanding something. Then, to save the infected, he re-entrusted Aichi and the others with the task of collecting the “Calmstone.”

“Originally, I was going to the ‘Gurun Great Volcano’ for a different reason. That’s not a problem. But, how much do we need to collect at least?”

Aichi agreed readily, and Lands breathed a sigh of relief, conveying the current number of patients and the required amount. The amount was quite large, but Aichi had a “Treasure Vault,” so it wasn’t a problem. Ordinary adventurers would never be able to save all the patients just by the amount they could collect. Lands thanked the gods for bringing him and Aichi together.

In the hospital, Aiko and Sia were seen working hard together. They extracted the magic from critically ill patients and stored it in magic crystals, slowing the progression of the disease within a ten-meter radius while using healing magic to restore their weakened bodies.

To improve efficiency, Sia used her strength to carry the immobile patients in one go. Instead of moving them by cart, she lifted the carts filled with patients and leaped from rooftop to rooftop, moving them to the facilities where Aiko was located, gathering them for treatment.

However, this method had a downside. The seemingly powerless rabbit-eared girl doing such an impossible task made many patients with mild symptoms think they were critically ill and see hallucinations, causing them to despair and rush to the hospital, making it even more chaotic.

The hospital staff, seeing Aiko cast high-level magic and multiple healing spells as if it were natural, moved beyond surprise to deep respect. Now, everyone was following Aiko’s instructions to heal the patients.

While they were busy with Aiko at the center, Aichi and the others came to their side. Then, Lands, who had come with them, loudly announced that the water source had been secured and the culprit eliminated. Everyone cheered. People who were about to die and were in the middle of the desert, where safe water was hard to come by, gradually began to smile again.

The news quickly spread throughout the city, and the sick, hearing that they would be saved if they just held on a little longer, became more energetic and regained their strength.

“Aiko, how much time do we have to challenge the ‘Gurun Great Volcano’ from now?”

“Aichi-kun...”

In the hospital surrounded by cheers, Aichi approached Aiko, who was treating patients, and asked.

Aiko smiled happily at the sight of Aichi, then immediately looked serious and stared into space. After calculating, she looked back at Aichi and said, “Two days.” This was likely based on the limits of the patients’ magic and physical strength.

“Aichi-kun. I will stay here and continue treating the patients. The ‘Calmstone’ is up to you. It’s a valuable mineral... and a large amount is needed, so it’s not possible without you. I’m sorry... even though I know you don’t care about this world...”

“To collect that much, we’ll have to go to the deeper levels. Even if we clean out the upper levels, it probably won’t be enough... We just need to be a bit faster in our strategy. Since it’s on the way, there’s no need to apologize. This is my own decision... Besides, I can’t leave Miu in a place where people are falling and dying one after another.”

“Huh? That’s right. I’ll take good care of Miu-chan.”

Aiko, on the way to Ankaji, had heard from Aichi about the Mad God and the purpose of their journey, as well as his determination to prioritize returning to his homeland even if he had to abandon this world. Aichi had also said, “If you don’t understand, go back to Hikari and the others.” After hearing everything, Aiko did not change her resolve to follow Aichi.

In this situation, if Aichi had decided to abandon Ankaji, she would have tried to persuade him, and if that didn’t work, she would have given up.

However, if possible, Aiko wanted to be a source of strength for the people of Ankaji. When Aichi made his decision, she unconsciously looked at him with a pleading gaze. Aiko believed that her thoughts influenced Aichi’s decision, and she wasn’t just imagining it. When Aichi saw Aiko’s gaze, he slightly smiled and shrugged, indicating that she had indeed influenced him.

So, Aiko’s feelings were complex. She felt that she was imposing her will on Aichi.

However, in response to Aiko’s unintentional apology, Aichi just waved his hand dismissively. As if seeing through Aiko’s thoughts, he said it was his own decision and told her not to worry. Seeing Aichi’s rough concern for her and his casual fatherly behavior, Aiko’s face relaxed, and she looked at him with eyes full of trust and love.

“I’ll do my best... Please come back safely. I’ll be waiting for you...”

“...Ah, yeah.”

Aiko’s loving gaze