Chapter 311 - Ark (1)
"Ugh...!"
The city hall of Riverungr.
Trovren, the mayor, the highest authority of the city-state and a councilor of the Kailiens, was pacing around the chamber.
Heavy sighs poured out.
The way he chewed his nails as if gnawing them away showed nothing but overflowing anxiety.
"Of all things, why did the one who responded to the emergency summons have to be the Bloodstained Sword... Surely she hasn't sensed something? Or, has it already been discovered? Sandorn, what do you think?"
"Sigh, your chronic anxiety is flaring up again."
Sandorn Gooseav.
One facet of Kailiens' military power, the city guardian of Riverungr. He twirled a goblet of high-acidity wine.
"I've told you several times already. The Bloodstained Sword is too busy with demi-human subjugations. She's only been in the city for a handful of days if you count, and the guild master is stuck to her side the whole time. When would she even have time to find something out? And today again, she left Riverungr saying she's off to subjugate demi-humans, that she'll return in a few days. What on earth are you worrying about?"
"...What if she received a secret order from the Adventurer Guild headquarters? Honestly, that's possible, isn't it?She's the Bloodstained Sword, and it's the Adventurer Guild...! Can you really guarantee we won't be exposed?"
"That's why we hid it so thoroughly. What, is 'corpse trading' something we've only just started? We've done well until now, so why this sudden panic? No matter if she's a Mithril-rank adventurer with a famous epithet, what she doesn't know, she doesn't know. Shut your mouth and drink this."
He tossed the entire bottle that had been on the desk.
The mayor, Trovren, barely managed to catch it in a fluster, then took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
Gulp, gulp.
The bittersweet taste stung his tongue.
The heat of the alcohol contained within it churned in his stomach, warming his body.
"Phew..."
His heart pounded.
His chest heaved up and down with rough breaths.
"Feeling calmer now? No, more than that, damn it, I wasn't the one who decided this, so why do you keep venting at me, huh? Wasn't this something you mayors agreed on amongst yourselves?"
"That was... urgh...!"
Mayor Trovren flinched.
Words that had risen to his throat were forced back down.
It was never by his own will.
Something engraved upon his soul had stretched out its hand, clamped his windpipe shut.
That was the deal.
"What, did something get stuck in your throat all of a sudden?"
"N-no. Anyway, the current situation was unavoidable for me! Even if it was by vote, when the majority supports it, what good would it do for a mere one or two to oppose? What kind of end do you think that would bring!"
"You say that, but your own pockets are stuffed full."
"Cough, ahem!"
Mayor Trovren cleared his throat.
"And, did you hear that a noble came from Estiria this time? Could it be the kingdom caught wind of it and sent someone to act?"
"Gods, that's delusion, a mental illness! What, it's not like an official envoy came, it's just an honorary noble! And only dragging along some knight-looking fellow!"
"But, they say he's an honorary count!"
"And why the hell does that matter!"
Bang! Sandorn slammed down on the armrest.
"And what right would the kingdom even have to interfere with the internal affairs of Kailiens! That country openly shelters a massive underworld syndicate called Roafra! Their situation is worse than ours, definitely not better. At least we don't hang corpses out on the streets!"
"That's true... Then should we just leave them be?"
"Crazy, a mayor leaving the decision to me now. Fine, leave them! They've got nothing to do with us. There's nothing here for them to scavenge, they'll leave soon enough!"
"But what if they don't leave? If they realize something midway and decide to take a share for themselves, then what?"
"Damn it, in that case───"
The city's guardian revealed murderous intent.
"We'll kill them, without a trace."
***
A sensation like every nerve in his body was floating.
That peculiar feeling he had experienced before. At once, Verden suppressed his magic power, lowering resistance as much as possible. A strongly flickering violet light swallowed his entire body.
At the same time, he focused his senses.
The scent of the forest vanished completely.
Beneath his feet, magic power surged. With azure eyes glowing, Verden quietly surveyed his surroundings.
'...An airship?'
Judging from the width of the deck, it was of small scale.
This shouldn't be the final destination.
As he tilted his head slightly in doubt, Leira beside him staggered.
"Ugh...!"
"Lady Leira, are you all right?"
"...Yes, I'm fine."
Taila supported Leira.
Was it nausea caused by spatial teleportation?
She had mentioned attending the Ark's conference before, and as a high-ranking adventurer, she must have experienced teleportation to some extent...
Perhaps embarrassed, Leira glanced at Verden and excused herself.
"...Spatial teleportation just doesn't suit my constitution. Seeing how unaffected you are, you must be quite used to it."
"Well, to some extent."
Not only had he encountered it more than a few times, it was also a phenomenon brought about by magic.
The first time he crossed the continent, it had made his stomach uncomfortable, but in the Demon King's laboratory and now, he felt no discomfort whatsoever.
All the same.
"This doesn't look like a conference hall."
"From here, we must ride this airship, flying and teleporting several times. Because the destination is protected by spatial distortion, it cannot be reached in one go. The procedures are quite complicated."
"...Complicated is an understatement."
To use spatial magic so thoroughly to conceal a location.
Even one of the top three magic towers would find it an immense burden to maintain constantly.
The deeper he looked, the harder it became to measure the Ark's true power.
"I'll rest first, I'm tired."
"I shall escort you."
Taila and Leira headed toward the stern.
After glancing at the two, Verden asked Listener.
"How many days will it take?"
"Precisely three days. Since this is a small airship, it takes some time to recharge the magic power needed for teleportation. We've brought more than enough provisions for the duration. And the living quarters are spacious enough not to be uncomfortable. I will guide you right away."
Three days.
Not particularly long, not especially short.
How should he spend the time?
With deep thought, Verden followed Listener into the interior of the airship.
***
Meanwhile, in Riverungr.
Adrian, left alone, headed to the forge.
"Oh, the customer from before? The appointed date hasn't arrived yet."
"How far has the work progressed?"
"Ah, yes. For now, the scabbard and the mask are completed..."
"I'll take those first."
He paid the remaining balance and picked up the finished items.
After checking by eye whether the size matched, he stored them in his spatial bag. Just as he was about to leave again, the blacksmith discreetly held him back.
"By any chance, is there something urgent you need them for? If so, I could finish it faster..."
Of course, at the cost of additional payment.
Adrian hesitated for a moment.
It wasn't his own money, so he considered carefully.
'If it were my lord....'
The answer would have been obvious.
He would surely have granted permission, telling him not to concern himself with such trivialities.
"How much time would be shortened?"
"Hmm, if I work through the night, it could be completed by dawn. Which means you could come to pick it up tomorrow morning."
Faster than expected.
"Then let's do that."
"Thank you! But, if possible, in cash..."
Nodding, Adrian carefully counted out the bills and handed them over.
And the next morning, he stopped by the forge, collected the equipment right on time, and returned to the inn.
Adrian checked over the gear.
An outfit and belt made of the thin yet tough leather of the magical beast Laxios, tanned for days on end. Altogether, it formed a set of dark leather armor, close to black in tone.
The boots were magical items, with high friction, durability, and the function of [Lightweight].
'He said these were taken from the vault of someone called Grond...'
The design wasn't bad at all.
Next, he strapped on gray metal greaves and armguards.
The Demonic Sword Cadence was sheathed in a new, undecorated black scabbard at his waist, and his long, deep-blue hair was tied back with a leather strap so it wouldn't get in the way.
Finally, he donned a blue robe, pulled the hood down, and covered the lower half of his face with a metal mask matching the color of the leather armor.
Adrian stepped before the full-length mirror in the corner.
"Not bad."
Overall, he was quite satisfied.
With this, preparations were complete.
Now it was time to properly carry out his lord's mission.
***
The days aboard the airship weren't so bad.
Meals showed clear signs of careful attention.
There was hardly any noise, making it easy to sleep soundly.
On the second day, he even played card games with Listener, Taila, and the now-recovered Leira, so he didn't feel particularly lonely either.
If there was a flaw... it was that every time members of the Ark who operated the airship encountered Verden and Leira, they greeted them with excessive formality.
'It seems the time has come.'
The time of arrival was near.
Lying on the bed, Verden stepped outside.
He strolled across the deck, protected by magic circles, and stood at the bow. The surroundings were completely covered in clouds, making it hard to see ahead.
As he stared into the hazy view, Leira approached from behind.
"I wondered where you'd gone when you weren't in your room, and here you are."
"Is something the matter?"
"Not exactly, I just have something I'd like to show you. Listener usually does the introduction, but since we're already here, I'll do it. So... we only need to wait about five minutes."
What was she planning to introduce?
Verden did not ask, simply waited in silence.
The two of them rested their arms on the rail, side by side, gazing forward. Soon, the second hand of Leira's watch circled five times.
It happened then.
"...!"
All of a sudden, space warped.
No sign of magic power, no trace of spellwork. A violet entrance spread wide, engulfing the entire airship. Looking back, he saw the gap closing and vanishing.
'This isn't spatial teleportation.'
He realized instantly, but explaining the phenomenon in detail was difficult.
If he had to compare, it was similar to the spell Princess Silis had once cast.
A sensation as though they had passed into another space.
His gaze returned forward.
The clouds that had filled the world slowly cleared.
And soon, the blocked view opened wide, revealing a vast expanse.
Verden's eyes widened.
"That is..."
"I'll say it in Listener's place."
Leira pointed ahead.
"Welcome to the 'Great Ark'."
High above the earth, where the ground could no longer be seen.
A colossal floating island revealed itself at the center of the sky.
***
In theory, it is possible to make an island float.
The same as with an airship.
A great quantity of top-grade magic stones, processed into a power source.
From its core, magic power branches out, activating magic circles intricately carved within the vessel, all imbued with
This principle can, in theory, be applied elsewhere.
'But it remains only a possibility.'
Especially an island, whose density is far greater than that of an airship.
The difference in weight is overwhelming. In other words, countless magic circles would be required to serve as points of action.
And even if successful, it's still a problem.
Keeping an island aloft consumes an immense amount of magic power.
To prevent the power source from being depleted midair, one would need to madly pour in magic stones to recharge it, but then overheating would inevitably occur.
The island's fall would be inevitable.
Even if small, falling from the sky, it would be like a meteor.
The island would shatter into pieces, and the ground would be devastated.
If there were a city nearby, it would be erased from the map in an instant by shockwaves or earthquakes.
Even in the present age, the most advanced era of magic in history, it would not be possible.
To take the sky as a sanctuary, that was still beyond humanity's reach.
'Then how is that possible?'
Verden could not hide his shock.
Right before his eyes was the floating island.
So vast in scale that it was impossible to gauge its size at a glance. Moreover, several nearby islands of various sizes were connected to it.
Each was considerable in scale, none insignificant.
Below, clouds stretched endlessly white, and above, space itself spread wide.
At the center of this coexistence of darkness and light, the unknown floating island stood.
Upon its land lay massive structures unlike anything seen before.
Surrounding them were countless refined buildings that seemed residential, and on one side stood facilities for producing food. Strong defensive magic circles were laid throughout.
"Is this... truly possible?"
"To lead humanity, one must at least be capable of this, wouldn't you say?"
Listener approached, footsteps sounding.
Then, facing the floating island, he spread both arms wide and said:
"Welcome to the Great Ark,Lord Asher."
A place separated from the world.
Verden had arrived at the very foundation of the Ark.
"I already said those words, though."
Leira laughed softly.
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