Chapter 108
"Then, let's proceed."
Having acquired the necessary skills, we once again challenged the dense steam shrouding No-Ridge. Ingrid, equipped with the Bracelet of Training, took the lead.
"Air Clean."
The first skill activated was Air Clean.
"This is the effective range?"
"Too narrow. There's no way we can all fit in that."
At its lowest class and level, Air Clean's range was only a one-meter radius around Ingrid. The area around her cleared sharply, the steam dissipating to reveal unobstructed visibility.
"Ingrid! Check your status!"
"Understood."
While maintaining the skill, I had her verify her stats.
"The Air Clean skill level is rising rapidly."
"Which means this steam is artificial—someone's behind it. And they're higher-level than us."
As expected, the skill level was skyrocketing. This confirmed that either an enemy was present or someone was actively causing this phenomenon.
"What should we do...?"
This was bad. Really bad.
"Lady Liberta, my apologies. My mana is already below half."
"Ah, sorry, Ingrid. Take a break when it hits 30%. Once you recover to about 80%, we'll repeat the process in the steam to keep leveling up."
"Understood."
At Ingrid's level, she should normally sustain the skill for thirty minutes without issue. If this were just ordinary steam, the drain wouldn't be so severe. Yet her mana was depleting at an alarming rate.
"...So there's something in there?"
"No doubt about it."
The rate at which a negation skill consumes mana depends on the strength of the effect it's countering. Higher skill levels reduce the cost, but if the opponent's influence is too strong, the cost spikes.
Using this, we confirmed the presence of a hostile force affecting No-Ridge—and the results were clear. The rapid mana drain indicated an opponent far superior in strength.
"Whether it's a monster, someone deliberately causing this, or just an accidental disaster—we can't be sure yet."
From Ingrid's mana consumption, the enemy was at least Class 4. If they were holding back, possibly Class 5—or even 6.
"We shouldn't charge recklessly into the steam."
"Agreed. At the very least, we should wait until Ingrid's skill proficiency increases."
"If we had that luxury, yes. But every moment we wait, more townspeople suffer. That's not acceptable."
Going in unprepared was out of the question.
Frankly, I didn't want to.
Lotus and the others were clearly anxious to secure the town's safety, but rushing in without preparation would only get us hurt.
Claudia understood this too, which was why she didn't push for immediate action—though she made it clear time was running out.
"! Something's coming!"
"An enemy!?"
"Not sure, but I hear something running toward us!"
"Ingrid, fall back!"
Lives were at stake.
As if sensing our urgency, Nel detected movement within the steam.
The dense fog showed no visible changes, and the sulfurous scent masked any other smells. But her ears twitched, straining to catch even the faintest sound.
At her warning, I immediately pulled Ingrid back from the steam.
Lotus ordered the guards to stay alert as the sound—delayed to my ears—finally reached me.
"Hoofbeats?"
Not a light trot, but a full gallop—hooves pounding the ground as if desperate to break through the mist.
"Someone's riding it! And they're injured!"
A chestnut horse burst from the steam, veering off the road rather than heading straight for us.
A man clung to its back, reins in his right hand, left arm dripping blood.
I shouted without thinking.
"Over here! We can treat your injuries!"
At my voice, Lotus and the guards called out, drawing the rider's attention.
He turned his horse toward us.
We rushed to meet him.
"Y-You are...?"
"Of House Edelgard. I am Lotus, the head butler."
The man reeked of sweat and blood, his face haggard—likely from riding through the obscured terrain. His fine clothing marked him as nobility.
"House Edelgard!? Truly!? I am Satos, second son of House No-Ridge! Please—help our people!"
Lotus produced an insignia—a seal bearing the Edelgard crest.
Seeing this, Satos seemed to realize we weren't just any group. He drew a dagger from his coat, showing the family crest engraved on its sheath.
"Calm yourself. First, let us treat your wounds while we talk."
"R-Right."
As he dismounted one-handed, the guards steadied him. But exhaustion took its toll—his knees buckled the moment his feet touched the ground.
"! Wait—Kasim! Where's Kasim!?"
"Stay calm. You'll reopen your wounds. You were the only one who emerged from the mist."
"...What?"
His eyes widened. He scanned the area, then tried to rise, as if hoping to see someone else coming through the fog.
"Who is Kasim?"
"My guard. A knight who's protected me since childhood. He shielded me to get me out of that mist. I told him to come with me, but..."
Realizing no one else would emerge, he slumped forward, hands on the ground.
The exchange made it clear what had happened to Kasim. Our expressions darkened.
"Let me heal you."
"! You—Priest Claudia!?"
Ignoring the heavy atmosphere, Claudia knelt beside Satos and began casting Heal.
As his wounds closed, Satos glanced at her. At first, he seemed too despondent to react—but then recognition struck.
He lunged for her.
"Ghk—!?"
"Stay still. Guard, cut away his clothing and wash the wound."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Before he could grab her, Claudia pinned his face with an iron grip.
She directed the guard to cut and clean the injured area before resuming her healing.
"Lotus, we need to request reinforcements from His Grace. But does this situation meet the conditions for mobilizing a full force?"
"At this stage, it would be difficult to justify deploying the royal army. The most we can expect is the company His Grace promised."
Watching this unfold, I considered the implications. House No-Ridge—the ruling family of this town—was pleading for outside help. Yet even so, Lotus shook his head. Mobilizing the military required stronger justification.
"Even after hearing his story? This smells really bad."
"Even so. The army isn't something to deploy lightly."
"Then... it's up to us?"
"Yes. The outcome depends on your investigation, Lady Liberta."
He placed an absurdly heavy responsibility on my shoulders.
In the game, there had been events where NPC lives were at stake—but that was just a game. This was real.
The pressure was crushing.
"Under normal circumstances, placing such a burden on a child would be unthinkable. But we have no other options."
"...I know I'm abnormal, so I'll do what I can."
"Thank you."
"When this is over, I'll be asking for something very improper in return."
"I swear on my life, I will deliver that request to His Grace."
I couldn't just walk away.
Uneasy but left with no choice, I silently cursed my luck—then made sure Lotus knew I expected compensation.
He understood perfectly, smiling as he assured me it would be handled.
"For now, let's hear Satos's story."
"Agreed. That comes first."
Though his clothes were still bloodstained, his wounds were healed.
"Liberta, the healing is done."
"Got it."
"Huh? A child?"
"Lord Satos, this young man has our master's trust. Disrespect him, and it will reflect poorly on your standing—not to mention my opinion, and Lady Claudia's."
"...I-I see. My apologies for speaking out of turn."
When Lotus and I approached, Satos eyed me with suspicion—my commoner's attire only deepening his disdain. But Lotus's warning cut that short.
The power dynamic was clear: House Edelgard outranked House No-Ridge.
Personally, I understood his skepticism. In a crisis, a child meddling would naturally raise eyebrows.
"No, your reaction is fair."
I wasn't offended. It was a normal response.
Nel and Amina, familiar with noble behavior, took it in stride. Claudia and Ingrid, expecting this, remained unfazed.
If anything, Satos seemed to relax slightly after Lotus's intervention.
"Now, Lord Satos—we need to know the town's situation."
"R-Right. Please listen."
"First, confirm the damage—especially the civilians' condition. I briefly entered the steam earlier. The heat was unbearable. I can't imagine ordinary people lasting long inside."
Lotus took charge of the questioning. Even with Satos's apology, my asking directly would feel awkward.
"Right. The town is hotter than midsummer. The elderly, the sick, children—some have already collapsed. All in just one night. We're rationing water, salt, and ice conjured by our mages, but supplies won't last. The well water is lukewarm, barely drinkable. Visibility is under a meter—distribution is chaos."
"The steam covers the entire town? Then escape is... difficult, I assume."
"Look at my wounds. Some tried to flee early on. The result speaks for itself. If I'm the only one who made it out, you can guess the rest."
"Something is preventing escape?"
At least the townspeople hadn't been instantly wiped out. But surviving in a perpetual sauna was unsustainable.
"No doubt."
"Any idea what's causing this?"
"None. All I know is that something waits in the steam, ambushing anyone who tries to leave. My ten best knights barely got me out. I never even saw the enemy's attacks."
The incident began last night.
An enemy I didn't recognize.
Now then... how do we deal with this?