Late night.
The Jinryuu family's main residence.
A thunderous crash as the front gate was destroyed.
Over a dozen guards poured in all at once.
Leading them was the stunning butler Giza.
And Hoss, clad in dwarf armor.
"Halt, halt! What's the meaning of this?!"
Lined up in front of the main residence were Barow's private soldiers.
They wore impressive armor, but every last one of them had an unsavory face.
The large man at the front, holding a massive halberd, was particularly ugly-looking.
Hardly the image of a dignified soldier.
"I am the head butler of the Zenzera household. Giza."
"Zenzera, you say...?"
"Barow, the head of the family, is already dead. This estate was purchased by our Zenzera household at auction."
"Wh-what did you say...? Impossible..."
"Barow's private soldiers. You lot have earned nothing but ill repute. As of now, all of you are dismissed."
Giza drew his sword. Not his real one. His rapier.
"Like hell we are, you bastards. Let's get 'em!"
"Where's Luma?!"
Hoss roared, leveling Halberd at the large mercenary.
He wore old leather armor. Dwarf-forged plate.
It looked like ancient hide, but it was actually metal.
An alloy of magic copper, magic silver, and magic iron—light, flexible, and highly protective.
It was a dwarf's battle raiment.
"What the hell are you staring at?"
"Never mind that. Where's Luma?"
"Luma? Oh, that girl. Could've been Lord Barrow's wife, but you lot had to tag along, and now none of us get to have fun with such a fine piece anymore."
"What did you..."
"The other toys are all dead or sold off, anyway. But hey, as long as Lord Barrow's around—oh? That one in the butler's getup over there. She's a looker, isn't she?"
He leered at Giza, appraising her with a disgusting gaze.
"Scum. Barrow's dead."
"Still talking out of your ass, I see. As long as Lady Raada's here, that's impossible. You really thought you could slip in while we were away? What a bunch of morons. Alright. Decision made. Everyone but you dies. You're going to be our new toy."
"Luma, where's she at?"
"Argh? You've been whining about Luma nonstop. Relax. After you're dead, I'll have my fun with that woman too, then send her straight to hell where you are! She can hang out with that kid Samanya or whatever!"
The large mercenary swung his bardiche at Hoss.
The weapon was massive, befitting his hulking frame, and its power was undeniable.
But Hoss didn't dodge. He caught the bardiche on his glowing white Halberd and split it open.
The weapon shattered like sugar candy.
"Huh? Hey, are you fucking kidding me!?"
"Go to hell by yourself."
He cleaved the mercenary brute in half with a single horizontal swing of his glowing white halberd.
The sharpness was unbelievable. The mercenaries fell into a panic.
"Whaaat?! Captain!?"
"The captain got taken out!?"
"You're kidding, right!? He was the leader of the whole bandit gang!!"
"He had[Great Strength]enhancing him and he went down that easily!?"
"Oh my. Not bad, Hoss."
"Now move along already."
"You lot, bind these men. They're bandits!"
At Gieza's command, the guards swarmed in one after another, seizing the mercenaries.
Any who resisted were cut down without mercy.
Hoss and Gieza entered the main mansion, interrogated the servants, and crushed any mercenaries who stood in their way.
Those who claimed to be the Jinryu family's guardian knights were likewise struck down if they proved obstacles.
Gieza, of course. But Hoss was powerful too. When they spoke of a fearsome presence, this must be what they meant.
And in the underground jail beneath the basement, they found Ruma and Samaniya.
Hoss was overjoyed.
Late at night. The Mobile Palace. An unknown room.
Had just one night... really been this long?
After that, an even more massive incident had erupted — one that dwarfed the battle with Raada.
The culprit was the witch.
She really had tried to put Baarou's corpse up for VIP auction, and had been stopped.
But she wielded every ounce of her title, reputation, influence, and power to force it through anyway.
As a result, the VIP auction apparently turned into an absolute disaster.
"It turned into a Jinryuu family disassembly show."
"...Huh?"
Why had the witch pushed that far? Was she being reckless? Just goofing around?
Seilan asked out of raw emotion. The witch smiled and said:
She was angry at Baarou and the three great families over this whole affair.
And the VIP crowd that swarmed the three great families to suck out their honey were equally guilty.
So she put the corpse of Baarou—the next head of the Jinryuu family and the root cause—up for auction.
The listing name for the lot was apparently, "This is what happens to all of you someday."
Of course there was backlash.
Especially the relatives and faction of the Jinryuu family, who had suddenly lost their next head, turned completely hostile.
They screamed that the witch was the one who killed him. That was the beginning of the end for them.
They fell right into the trap, deftly provoked by the witch's innocence and purity.
They were dragged into a hopeless contest, deploying multiple Relic users to question the truth.
As a result, the Jinryuu family's mansions and assets all became the witch's property.
But she said she didn't want any of it, so she put it all up for auction.
The Zenzera family and the Gouro family competed fiercely, and the Jinryuu family was finished.
It seems the Jinryuu family's servants and clan members are defecting to the Zenzera and Gouro families.
The remaining relatives have also become subordinates of the two great families.
As for the mansion, it now belongs to the Zenzera family.
When the Gouro family learned of Luma and Samaniya's existence, they withdrew.
And once word got out about Luma and Samaniya, some of the relatives and servants were arrested.
Right now, Hoss and Giza are heading to the Jinryuu family's main residence with a squad of guards.
The two great families jointly won the auction for Baarou's corpse.
After being displayed in Haizen's main square for about a week, it's scheduled to be cremated.
"Apparently, it's been centuries since a corpse was displayed in Haizen."
"I'd really prefer it never came back to life again."
"Honestly, this time it's so frustrating, but we lost to that vixen. I really felt just how little Pon and the others were keeping an eye on Haizen. When the first female slayer was abducted, nobody moved."
"..."
"Even after they confirmed it was Baarou, they didn't take immediate action."
"..."
"It was all just someone else's problem until actual damage occurred."
"I get the feeling the witch had already pictured this exact scenario the moment she heard about eliminating Baarou."
"So requesting the VIP area was all part of that plan too?"
Seiran looked at me awkwardly, gauging my reaction.
"Probably, yes. Opening the shop was likely for the same reason. She must have really been pissed off."
I'd thought it was strange how that witch had suddenly become so proactive.
And the witch is also someone who just does whatever she wants to do.
Even more so than me.
"...I need to do some serious self-reflection..."
Seiran looked downcast.
This was the Zenzera family's exclusive area in the mobile palace.
The VIP room — Seiran's room.
The witch had raged to her heart's content and was now back at the shop.
Chardina and Anna Kreuzen were continuing to mind the store.
Mineha had also stayed behind at the shop.
So why was I in her room?
Because she'd invited me to keep her company for a light tea, and that was that.
I was drinking tea brewed from high-end tea leaves, served in a fancy cup on an expensive-looking table.
Sure enough, the high-end tea leaves had a deep, rich aroma.
"Witch's apprentice — what do you plan to do from here on out?"
"Let's see. I haven't really had a chance to relax, so I'll take it easy for a bit and then head home."
"Are you joining the Forest Wave?"
"Hmm. I'll have to ask everyone first."
Personally, after fighting Laada, I'd had my fill.
I wanted to take my time and leisurely sightsee around Heizen.
"The Gouro family is really going all out this year. They were dead set on taking down the Scarred One — going so far as to team up with the Kuun Hunt."
"…So the 'Scarred One.' You're saying the Sword of Swords failed to take them down?"
"Yes, and that's not all. The reason the Scarred One still hasn't been taken down is because of their Relic. A Relic that erases the opponent's Relic. Not just its effects — it erases the opponent's Relic itself."
A counter-Relic. And a powerful one at that.
"I've heard that if you defeat them, you get that Relic."
I can understand wanting it on a personal level.
But is it really that desirable? It's convenient and gives you an edge, but it's dangerous too.
Erasing someone else's Relic comes with huge risks. You wouldn't be able to use it carelessly.
"The reason the Gouro family wants it so badly is the curse."
"The curse…?"
"The head of the Gouro family did something foolish. He tampered with the forbidden zone in the Heizen Great Forest, and his daughter ended up cursed. They've tried all sorts of ways to break the curse, but nothing worked."
"The forbidden zone?"
"It's deep in the Heizen Great Forest. They say it's a domain you must never enter. If you step inside, a curse falls upon you."
"And his daughter was hit by that curse?"
"She's kept quiet about it lately, but that crab old man used to be incredibly greedy. Of the Three Great Families, they were the most powerful."
"Crab? You mean he literally has a crab for a head?"
I remembered my conversation with the witch.
That was quite the impression.
"Yes. The Gouro family patriarch — Poor Man's Club."
I thought about it for a moment.
"A crab head… is the curse?"
"That's not a curse."
"Not a curse?"
"No. His head being a crab isn't a curse. It's natural."
A crab… a crab head.
"Born with a crab head? And does his daughter happen to have a crab head too?"
"No. She's an elf. Besides, he has several sons and daughters. And a wife."
"…Sons? Do the sons happen to have crab heads?"
"No. They don't."
"Is that so. Maybe when you become the patriarch, your head turns into a crab?"
"That makes no sense at all."
"I see."
So then what's up with that crab head?
A fish for a head, and now a crab. Seriously, what is the deal with those guys?
How much longer until the Full Moon Bazaar wraps up?
Ah… this tea is good.
The Heisen Great Forest.
"He went that way! Riv!"
"Hm… Celestial Purgatory… My Abyss Blade…"
Riv's blade glowed red, and a crimson slash tore through and scattered the water-spirit dancer.
Lupinus raised her shield. What she was protecting was Pakira, clad in a white dancing costume, singing and swaying.
"<Ritahara. Kararita. Remurita. Rita. Hararita. Ra. Rita. Shuku. Hara. Shuku. Rita. Amurita. Hararita. Shukurita. Rita. Ka. Rita.>"
She tapped the ground once with the butt of her staff.
Rainbow light rippled outward in an octagon for just a single instant.
Keeping time with her steps like a dance, Pakira spun with her staff planted on the ground.
A mysterious, sacred atmosphere drifted through the air.
Above a section of the Great Forest, a colossal vortex of clouds was forming.
Every now and then, pale blue lightning flickered within. The swirling clouds grew steadily larger.
Pakira twirled her staff, spun her body, and sang, chanted, and danced.
"<I pray. A prayer for the myriad heavens. A prayer for the festival. A prayer for the dragons. Shuku shuku. Ka. Hararita. Hararita. Ritahara. Amurita. Ra. Shuku. Rita. Shuku. Hararita. Ur. Shukurita. Hararita. On——!> I beseech you. Come forth. <Mausoleum's Light of Un—>…!"
The instant after, a single beam of pale blue light poured down from the swirling clouds.
It pierced straight into the High Crystal Gacharock Turtle and the swarm of monsters directly below.
In that moment, the flash expanded into a dome and detonated.
After the blast, rainbow light rippled outward in an octagon once more, spreading across the surroundings before fading away.
Silence descended. Timing her approach, Riv set foot at the epicenter.
"Riv. How'd it go?"
"Hm… Gacha… No good… Blue-Red Crystal."
"Again, huh."
"Whew. It's been a while since I danced, and it sure is tiring. So then, how'd it look?"
Riv proudly held up the blue-and-red crystal.
Pakira let out a sigh.
"Again with that?"
"…I could sell it and make decent money… but… Riv's bored of it…"
"Well, at least you won't have to worry about income."
"That's true."
Lupinus and Pakira exchanged wry smiles.
In the distance, birds were singing.