Chapter 53
Chapter 53
The Antennae (2)
“Director. The Imperial Knight Order has requested a meeting.”
“……Who is it?”
“It’s the Vice-Commander.”
The Director, who had been peacefully attending to her work, frowned at the secretary’s words. The Vice-Commander was the most troublesome of all—smooth-tongued to the extreme, and no matter where you poked, the reaction you’d get was always predetermined.
Whenever I saw her bring up difficult requests or delicate matters with that gentle and affable face, it was enough to send chills down my spine.
“Is it an important matter?”
“She says it is a grave issue.”
“……Let her in.”
Fortunately, she had come at a time when things weren’t too busy. Thinking that, I left a request with the secretary and began brewing coffee myself.
—Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Not long after, I heard a knock. With my permission, the firmly shut door opened, and Sheila appeared.
“Welcome. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“It’s been a while, Director. I’d be grateful.”
Please, have a seat. I stole a glance at Sheila as she sat where I indicated and let out a sigh inwardly.
It seemed she had prepared something substantial again. The smile she always wore was gone. Was it serious enough to compare to an attack?
“So. What brings you here?”
“First. This report.”
Sheila took out a document from her briefcase and handed it to me. With a puzzled look, I accepted it and slowly read through it.
It was a report on an abnormal phenomenon discovered by a student party that had explored the dangerous dungeon known as [Swamp of Gehenna].
Certainly, if it was something like this, then it was indeed a serious matter.
“A Hellhorn Bull. That’s suspicious.”
“Yes. The Imperial Knight Order believes the Hellhorn Bull’s movement was caused by a territorial dispute.”
Only after Sheila added that explanation did a wrinkle begin to form between my brows. I was already worried about wrinkles with my age as it was.
“I see. I understand what you mean. The academy will also send support.”
“Thank you. By any chance, do you know anything about this?”
The report stated that only wounds inflicted by the students were visible. That meant there had been no fight in a territorial dispute, and that the notoriously aggressive Hellhorn Bull had fled without even fighting.
Unfortunately, I could roughly picture what had happened. Having been at the Academy for 80 years, including my time as a student, I recalled that time.
A monster I had encountered 60 years ago, when I was still a student.
“There is a lake at the center of the swamp. You’re aware of that, correct?”
“Of course.”
“Do you know the name of that lake?”
“I’m not certain.”
“It’s called Paillet Lake. That lake has existed since Museion Island first came into being.”
Sheila tilted her head slightly but listened carefully to my words. She couldn’t immediately grasp my intent, but after all, it was the Director speaking.
“That lake has an owner. The Vice-Commander likely knows as well.”
“Yes. I’ve never seen it myself, so I don’t know the details, but I do know that it was dressed in pure white and was extremely dangerous.”
“That much is enough. In truth, I saw the owner of the lake when I was a student.”
The answer that followed piqued my interest slightly. The lake’s owner—something no one truly knew, surrounded only by rampant rumors. In other words, the strongest being in the swamp.
“It certainly wasn’t human, but it was difficult to consider it a monster either.”
“Pardon?”
“Its intelligent eyes held a glimmer of reason within them. It did not show even the slightest hostility toward humans.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Rather than a living creature, it felt more like magic itself.”
More like magic than a living being. It wasn’t exactly an expression that immediately resonated with me. Still, I found it to be a rather novel way of putting it.
Watching Sheila nod quietly, I continued.
“The Imperial Knight Order’s assumption is likely correct. It must have reacted to something and moved. As a result, the Hellhorn Bull moved as well.”
“I see.”
“This may be mere concern, but there is also the possibility that something has happened to the lake’s owner. Unless it is someone on the level of the Knight Commander or myself, dealing with it would be impossible.”
That was quite a blow to one’s pride. Sheila had reached the realm of a Quadra-class magic user. She was someone with enough potential to be treated as a kind of strategic weapon.
But she did not waver. Knowing one’s limits was the key to living long. Someone who had become the Director would not speak carelessly.
Which meant it was a creature even more dangerous than she had imagined. If anything, she was simply grateful to have her guard raised in advance.
“Originally, this is the Imperial Knight Order’s responsibility. I will select and dispatch individuals who will be of sufficient help and useful in investigating the phenomenon.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It is a symbiotic relationship, after all.”
A cooperation concluded smoothly. It was an achievement made possible by the fact that both of us wished to leave this 자리 as soon as possible.
“More importantly, Vice-Commander.”
“Yes?”
“How is the student Davide?”
“Matters concerning students are the academy’s expertise, are they not?”
Why are you asking me that? That was the meaning behind it. I touched my face, which was gradually losing its vitality.
“I heard that Davide was there this time as well?”
“Yes. I heard he entered the swamp for a request. It seems he did not directly witness the abnormal phenomenon.”
It could hardly be called a coincidence. Recently, Davide had been displaying peculiar behavior. And the abnormal phenomenon had occurred just as he entered.
On top of that, the Imperial Knight Order had been showing excessive interest in Davide. Something felt off. Could there be some sort of connection?
Having experienced countless battles and rolled around in the political arena, I was the type to suspect even things that seemed impossible.
The fact that suspicions like these had proven correct more often than expected kept me from ever letting them go.
“I see. In any case, we will not spare our support.”
Looking into Sheila’s calmly settled eyes, I judged that there was nothing more to glean. At my words signaling the end of the meeting, she promptly gave her farewell and left.
***
“What are you?”
“I’m Davide.”
“Right. I heard that before. What I want to ask is this.”
I had followed the Vice-Commander to what was essentially a workshop. It was the very place where I had obtained Winter’s knuckles and the Astral Gauntlet. As soon as I arrived, I was met with a sharp glare.
The shop owner looked at Worden and me with open displeasure. Frankly, I couldn’t understand her reaction.
“I brought the finest materials.”
“That? You mean those disgusting-looking things?”
There was far too much to drag along on my own. So I had brought Worden, who had been loafing around in the chapel.
Worden and I had our backs loaded with Swamp Ant antennae. Lacking physical strength, Worden eventually stopped listening altogether and collapsed.
In another sense, Worden had nearly experienced death.
“…….”
Watching the entire sequence unfold, the owner let out a deep sigh, as if from the depths of the world. I pulled out one antenna and handed it to her.
“Hmm. Hm.”
She accepted the antenna with the expression of someone touching something revolting. She struck it, bent it, examined it closely, and eventually even swung it against the counter.
“What is this? You could call it a flexible blunt weapon and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”
“It’s a Swamp Ant’s antenna.”
“Ah. A Swamp Ant. A Swamp Ant!?”
“Hmm? A Swamp Ant.”
The owner, who had almost brushed it off, jolted in shock. Worden, sprawled on the floor and gasping roughly, shot me a resentful look.
He was resenting me for not taking him to such a dangerous place. What a lunatic.
Judging by the reaction, the Swamp Ant’s notoriety must have been considerable. Of course, to me, it had been nothing more than a piece of gum.
“……Why the antennae of all things? You left the exoskeletons behind?”
“How was I supposed to cut all of those off?”
“That’s true……. Wait. You. Did you handle this many all by yourself?”
When I nodded, the owner’s face sank.
Sadly, it was an expression I knew all too well. The look of someone who had given up on something. I had been seeing it frequently these days.
Like sister, like brother, I suppose. A pair of monsters. Even the way they claimed to be keeping quiet rang clearly in my ears.
“Fine. Let’s say that’s the case. So, what are you planning to do with the antennae?”
“I came to ask you to process the materials.”
“Process the materials?”
The puzzled look didn’t leave her face. The thought, What on earth is he trying to do with this junk, was written all over it.
“I’m saying this out of concern, but it doesn’t seem like a very productive endeavor. It’s fairly tough, but not impossible to cut. It’s sturdy, but not exactly hard either. It’s an ambiguous material at best.”
“That’s true in its raw state.”
The method used in the game wasn’t popular at this point in the episode yet. Swamp Ants weren’t that common, and their materials weren’t widely circulated in the market, which was why this had happened.
Originally, this material only revealed its true value after being soaked in oil and dried. It possessed defensive power that rivaled most leather armor.
Leather materials had to go through a process called hardening to serve properly as armor. During that process, they inevitably became rigid. But this was a little different.
“There’s a herb called Boromin.”
“Yes. A fragrant herb with excellent detoxifying effects. Many people look for it.”
“If you boil this in oil infused with that herb and then dry it, you’ll get something remarkable.”
When hardened that way, it retained its unique elasticity while becoming firm. It was distinctly different from other leather armors that, while effective against slashing attacks, would split apart under powerful blows like those from axes.
Of course, it wasn’t quite as hard as those, which was somewhat unfortunate. But what mattered was that it compensated with various advantages that encompassed that weakness.
On top of that, the Boromin herb had excellent antibacterial and moisture-resistant properties, so it hardly decayed and lasted a long time. It even carried a distinct herbal scent. There was hardly a more versatile material than this.
“If you’re paying a commission, I’ll do it. Hm.”
The owner nodded readily. After hearing all that, she seemed intrigued. She even asked me about the method, seeing that I knew quite a bit.
I explained in as much detail as possible what I had learned in the game. She expressed admiration, saying it was a method she had never even considered.
“About how many are we talking?”
“342.”
“……What?”
“342.”
“…….”
The owner, who had been about to agree without hesitation, froze upon hearing the number. She picked at her ear and tapped her head a few times, wondering if she had misheard, then asked again.
I could only give the same answer as before. Only after hearing my confirmation did she scratch roughly at the corner of her eye and begin muttering curses under her breath.
“Cult Leader?”
“Hmm?”
Only then did I hear Worden call out to me, having recovered some stamina. He was usually quite resilient, but he still looked thoroughly exhausted.
Sweeping back his sweat-drenched hair, Worden pointed at the antennae with a face full of questions. Come to think of it, I had gone straight to the chapel and brought him here immediately.
“What are they for?”
“The antennae?”
“Yes.”
“Our priest robes.”
“?”
“?”
The owner and Worden wore identical expressions at the same time. I could practically feel their stares physically.
“So you’re telling me you’re going to make clothes out of this? Not armor?”
“It’s a versatile garment no different from armor. It’ll perform in daily life as well as in battle.”
“From a monster’s corpse?”
The owner didn’t even try to hide her distaste.
This is going to be trendy in the future, you know? I tried my best to explain, but I couldn’t make the two of them understand.
“I’ll pay, right? And I’ll take responsibility for any losses, right?”
“That’s…… true.”
“Then that’s it. And I’m the Cult Leader, right? Try wearing what I make. You can decide after that.”
“I never said I refused?”
“……Be quiet.”
In the end, they both fell silent.