Chapter 95

Aichi and Kaori looked up at the sailboat, a super-large-scale giant ship that was rare even on Earth.

Over 300 meters long, just the visible structure on the ground had ten floors. It was adorned with solemn decorations, and even in its decay, it could still move people. It was astonishing that a wooden ship could be completed to such a degree, and even Aichi, who was skilled in craftsmanship, couldn't help but respect the craftsmen of the time.

Aichi carried Kaori and used [Aerokinesis] to fly onto the ship, landing on the balcony at the top of the luxury liner. As expected, the space around them began to distort.

"Here it comes again... Kaori, be ready to purify. It won't be a proper scene anyway."

"…Yeah. No problem."

Kaori's response was delayed. Aichi regretted his comment; it was something that shouldn't have been said lightly during a dungeon exploration. Clearly, Kaori's spirits were low. Aichi was certain it was something that needed to be said, but perhaps the timing could have been better. Kaori's face showed a faint, ethereal smile, different from the one Aichi knew, which had already disappeared... At least until they cleared the [Merquine Underwater Ruins], Aichi thought, scratching his head.

During this time, the scenery around them completely changed, and they found themselves on a luxury liner floating on the sea.

It was night, and the full moon shone in the night sky. The luxury liner was filled with dazzling lights, and the deck was lined with various decorations and standing buffet tables, where many people enjoyed luxurious meals and chatted happily with those around them.

"A party...?"

"Yeah, quite lavish... Did they misunderstand the concept of Merquine?"

Far from the expected tragic scene, Aichi and Kaori stood on a balcony clearly higher than where the crew was, overlooking the grand deck below.

At that moment, the door behind them opened, and several crew members appeared. They started smoking and chatting a short distance away, taking a break.

Aichi listened to their conversation. It seemed that this sea party was held to celebrate the end of a long war. The war, which had lasted for years, did not end through the annihilation or invasion of the enemy but through the signing of a peace treaty. The crew members were also happy about it. If you looked closely, not only humans but also demons and demi-humans were present, all mingling without regard for race.

"There was such an era."

"Those who worked for peace were indeed great. I wonder how many years have passed since the end of the war... Not all grudges have been erased... That level of mutual smiles..."

"Surely, the people in those positions worked hard for it, didn't they? Not everyone can smile at each other right away..."

"Yeah..."

Seeing the joyful and bright expressions of the people, Aichi and Kaori's faces naturally relaxed. After a while, a man in his fifties climbed onto a prepared podium on the deck and began waving to the crowd. People immediately stopped chatting and focused on the man, their eyes filled with respect.

Beside the elderly man stood a trusted aide and a hooded figure. Given the time and place, it seemed quite rude... but no one seemed to notice the hood.

Soon, everyone's attention was on the podium, and the elderly man's speech began.

"Gentlemen, you have risked your lives for peace, traversing the chaos of war. You are brave and messengers of peace. Today, I am truly happy to be here with you. This long war has finally ended in my generation, and through the signing of a peace treaty, I can witness this dream-like scene... My heart trembles with emotion."

The opening remarks ended, and the formal speech began. Everyone listened intently. The speech progressed smoothly, recounting the events that led to peace, the many reckless actions taken to avert near-misses and suspicions, and the friends who died before their mission was complete... As the speech continued, people looked into the distance, reminisced about the past, or looked up at the sky, trying to hold back tears.

Clearly, the elderly man was the king of a human nation. Even among humans, he had been working secretly for peace from a very early stage. It was understandable why people respected him.

The speech was nearing its end. The king seemed to be growing more passionate. The atmosphere on the scene also grew more intense. However, Aichi felt that he had seen that expression of the king somewhere before, and as soon as he thought that, an unpleasant premonition came over him.

"– After the peace treaty was signed, after a year of reflection... It was truly foolish."

For a moment, a question mark appeared over the heads of those present. Did they hear wrong? They exchanged glances with their companions. During this time, the king's passionate speech continued.

"Yes, it was truly foolish. Whether it was toasting with beasts or discussing the future with heretics... It was all foolish. You understand, gentlemen. Yes, it's you."

"Wh-What are you talking about! Alistair! Why are you saying–!?"

In response to King Alistair's sudden change, a demon ran forward, pushing through the crowd. He seemed to be about to confront King Alistair... but a sword pierced his chest.

The demon, who had been stabbed, turned his head over his shoulder – his expression twisted in shock at the human behind him. From his expression, it was clear that they were close. With an expression of disbelief, the demon fell to the ground.

Pandemonium broke out on the deck. "Your Majesty!" Several men and women cried out and ran to the fallen demon.

"Then, gentlemen, as I said at the beginning, I am truly happy to be here with you. The evil races that have been abandoned by my god and have擅自建立国家，竟然打算与我们人类平起平坐，这种难以忍受的状况，背离了作为唯一神的创世神【埃希德大人】！不得不暂时、将崇拜无聊的异教之神的愚者们放置，这份痛苦，也将在今天这个日子结束！只有全部歼灭一途，才能迎来真正的和平！因此，在今天这个能将各国的重要人物一次性清剿的日子里，我喜不自胜啊！好了，忠于神的仆人们！向野兽之流和异教徒们降下制裁的铁锤吧！啊啊～，埃希德大人！您正在看着我吗！！！"

King Alistair knelt and laughed to the sky. Following his signal, the soldiers disguised as crew members appeared, completely surrounding the party on the deck.

The deck was flanked by the sea on both sides, and the front and back were a ten-story building and a huge mast, forming a pincer. Soldiers could be seen occupying the balconies and masts, staring intently at the targets below. Being at sea, people had nowhere to run, and the soldiers had the absolute advantage. The faces of the important figures from various countries turned to despair.

In the next moment, finally, a barrage of magic spells rained down on the deck like a storm. Despite their disadvantageous position, the passengers fought back desperately... but exposed to one-sided tyranny, their resistance was futile, and they fell one by one.

It seemed that some managed to escape into the ship, but most were already unconscious, and the situation changed rapidly, turning the deck into a sea of blood. The splendor and beauty of just a few minutes ago seemed like a lie. Some people jumped into the sea, but countless crew members in small boats were waiting, and they were quickly killed, turning the sea red with blood.

"Ugh..."

"Kaori..."

Kaori, trying to suppress her nausea, leaned on the railing, covering her mouth with one hand. The scene was too gruesome, and it was understandable. Aichi supported Kaori, and King Alistair, accompanied by his subordinates, returned to the ship. Because a few people had quickly escaped into the ship, he went to eliminate them... or rather, it felt like he was going to hunt them.

The man following him and the hooded figure also disappeared into the ship.

At that moment, the hooded figure suddenly turned to look at the deck. In that instant, from the hem of the hood, reflecting the moonlight, Aichi felt he saw a tuft of shining silver hair.

The surroundings began to distort. Probably, the previous scene was just to be seen. Soon, Aichi and Kaori returned to the originally decayed luxury liner.

"Kaori, take a short rest."

"Ah, I'm fine. Just a bit nauseous... More importantly, that's over? We didn't do anything..."

"Here, this is likely the end of the ship's graveyard. It's impossible to explore the sea beyond the barrier... Generally, if you want to proceed, you should explore deeper into the ship, isn't that the idea? It's also possible that the purpose itself was to show that scene. To imprint the tragedy caused by the god in the memory of the challengers before they explore the ship... Quite a sadistic design. Especially for the people of this world."

The people of this world mostly have faith, and the end of that faith is such a tragedy, which would be a cruel blow to the mind. Moreover, this dungeon mainly affects the mental state of the explorers, and the key to exploration is magic power. In a sense, it's the opposite of the [Lysen Great Labyrinth]. Even Aichi and Kaori, being from another world, felt a significant mental pressure.

The two looked down at the deck, recalling the gruesome massacre that had taken place there, and their expressions naturally turned grim. Aichi seemed to be simply uninterested.

The two decided to fly down to the deck and enter the ship through the door that Alistair and his group had entered.

The inside of the ship was completely shrouded in darkness. Given the brightness outside, it wouldn't be strange for light to seep through the cracks in the rotten wood, but for some reason, no light reached here. Aichi took out a green light stone from the [Treasure Vault] to dispel the darkness.

"Was that scene... after the war ended, the king betrayed the other countries, right?"

"It seems so... but, doesn't it feel a bit unnatural? When he stepped onto the podium, he was always surrounded by eyes full of respect and love... If he hated demi-humans or demons, would he really be admired like that?"

"...Yeah... From his tone, it seems something changed him during the year after the war ended... That seems more reasonable... The question is, what happened..."

"Sure, it must be related to the god. His final cry also felt dangerous."

"Yeah, like Mr. Ishtar... immersed in a trance. Heartbreaking."

Clearly, the Pope of the Holy Church, being called a very painful person by a high school girl, made Aichi feel a bit sympathetic. The two continued forward while discussing the scene, and as they turned the corner, Aichi's light revealed something white and floating.

Aichi and Kaori stopped and slowly raised the light. The thing turned out to be a girl. A girl in a white dress, standing at the end of the corridor with her head down, swaying.

Aichi and Kaori strongly felt an unpleasant premonition. Especially, Kaori's expression tightened. Aichi, on the other hand, remained calm, thinking it was impossible for a girl to be there, and decided to shoot first. He pointed Dona's gun forward.

At that moment, the girl fell to the floor with a thud. Her limbs bent at impossible angles, moving like a spider, and she rushed straight toward Aichi and Kaori!

Clack clack clack clack clack clack clack clack!

A strange laugh echoed in the corridor. Her eyes glowed, piercing through Aichi and Kaori from the gap in her bangs, and her approaching figure resembled an urban legend.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!