The next morning.
After breakfast, the MASTER had been planning to give me a tour of Starlight City.
But that was canceled when an utterly catastrophic situation arose.
"...I'm sorry. I truly, deeply apologize."
"What happened?"
The MASTER called me over and led me to the great hall where the people of Dolsmakina lay sleeping.
"...It wasn't enough... ---"
The MASTER muttered in a way that seemed utterly dejected.
"Huh? Not enough?"
"...The Talismans and Phoenixes — there weren't enough of them............"
"Th-that's..."
"I confirmed we had sufficient quantities. Multiple times... but, but... there weren't enough. There really weren't enough............"
No way... I held my breath.
The MASTER forced a smile.
"I'm sorry. You went out of your way to help, and it ended up like this."
"MASTER. We have Phoenixes."
"...Eh?"
"I don't have them on hand right now, but I have Phoenix revival eggs. However..."
There are no Talisman eternal eggs.
"...The Talisman eternal eggs... I see. You don't have those, huh."
"I'll manage that too!"
I could handle it. That was the thing.
Master looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"—...Why go so far? Not that I'm complaining—far from it. But why? I'm not doubting you. I know Wof doesn't have much of a hidden side. But to be this invested, to help us this much—there has to be some reason, right?"
Of course. There was a reason.
I—
"When I first came here, this is how it felt. Like a graveyard."
"..."
"Beautiful, but no one's around. Quiet, lonely, and sad. A graveyard."
"Yeah. This place is a graveyard."
Master smiled wryly.
"But I saw it through PO."
"I'm surprised. You can use PO?"
"Oh, if it's all right, could I get a PO? I'd like one."
"Something like that? Sure. I'll hand you the latest model later."
"Thank you."
Nice.
"So what did you see?"
"A whole bunch of Dolsumakina living normal lives."
"…Ah, it did exist once. That radiance."
Master looked like he was about to cry.
"This isn't a graveyard. If what I saw through PO is real… don't you want to see it again?"
"…………"
"Master?"
"No, it's just… somehow. Wof, you remind me of the Chief God."
"Huh?"
"Nothing to do with how you look or anything. I just get this feeling you're similar."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah…"
He'd been at odds with that Chief God, though. So why did he look a little happy about it?
"Master. The Talisman's Eternal Egg — could you leave it to me?"
"Do you have some way to find it?"
"I'll try the method you mentioned."
Ask an acquaintance among the gods to lend you the Chief God's power.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm nothing but a useless god who can only beg like this, and I'm truly sorry."
Master bowed his head and tried to drop to the ground in prostration, so I hurriedly stopped him.
A god performing Soil Under Occara was far too sacrilegious.
Ah, but I wouldn't mind seeing the knife goddess do Soil Under Occara.
Well, she'd never actually do it, though.
Master kept apologizing.
"It's fine. It's something I can do."
Can't be helped. I guess I'll ask that goddess.
The knife goddess.
But still, she's a knife. No matter how wide her connections, she's ultimately just the knife goddess.
Maybe Lady Yomido would be better after all.
That night.
I was standing in a pitch-white mysterious space with mysterious mist curling through it.
"…Ah."
You can tell in an instant. It's that place.
"Wof."
I turned around because I was called.
There she was — a transcendent, mystical beauty radiating a flash and gleam like bladed steel.
She had her arms crossed over her plump, bouncing chest, and was looking at me with a beaming smile.
Yep. The knife goddess.
I kind of figured she'd show up at a time like this.
But is it really possible even from this far away?
"Wof. It's been a while."
"Y-yes. Long time no see. Knife goddess."
"What happened with Knife Magic and Ballistic 6?"
Getting right to it, huh.
She really does stab like a knife, this goddess.
"...I believe you are already aware, but I have set off on my journey. Thank you for everything up until now."
I bow my head with gratitude for her patronage.
The knife goddess lets out a sigh.
"Indeed, Ballistic 6 was an unfortunate accident. You haven't been using Knife Magic much lately, have you? Only on occasion, when it happened to come to mind?"
"I am grateful for it."
I really am grateful—there were times it saved my life.
But she even noticed that I'd only been using it when I happened to remember?
"I understand. Banish's vulnerability was your issue to address."
"Yes. I've gotten stronger thanks to Master."
"Its essence has become 'Vortex,' hasn't it."
"Yes. I haven't tried it out yet."
"When you do, be careful. That essence is closer to the origin than you think—and more powerful."
"Y-yes."
The knife goddess lets out a deep sigh.
"That isn't the main topic, though, is it."
"Before that—one thing. Knife goddess... did you know about Master and the others?"
"Yes, I knew."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
The Knife Goddess looked away with a sorrowful tilt of her head and closed her eyes at my question.
When she opened them, she looked straight at me and spoke.
"The Great War ended long, long ago, and besides, it was a matter between gods. Whether they were once enemies or not has nothing to do with you and the others, Wof. Besides, I thought it would be better for all parties to meet without any preconceptions."
"There are certainly no preconceptions... It wasn't exactly smooth, but I think we were able to get along."
"Yes. However, I did not know that those people, the Druasmachina, had fallen into such a dire state. I didn't think they needed to be left alone."
The Knife Goddess spoke as though she was regretful.
"No, but isn't that not the Knife Goddess's fault?"
Or rather, she hadn't been monitoring them at all.
Was there no need to?
"It's fine, Wof. You want to awaken them, don't you?"
"Yes."
"The Eternal Egg of the talisman that serves as the key is held by Kuun."
"Kuun...? And how do you know that?"
"I asked the Chief God."
That was fast.
"And Kuun is a treasure-class monster. It is in the Royal Capital."
"Treasure? The Royal Capital!? A monster?"
"Because it doesn't look like one."
"You mean... it appears human? Or it's disguised as a human. It has a Relic like that?"
"Yes, something like that. Also, Wof—you are not necessarily unrelated to Kuun."
"Um, what exactly do you mean by that?"
"Do you remember the Relic [Metamorphosis]?"
"Y-yes. Of course."
I gulped.
A terrible Relic that turns humans into Anomalocaris.
"It was Kuun who created that [Metamorphosis]."
"W-wait—a monster did!?"
"They probably created it by adapting the Talisman's Eternal Egg."
"Adapting it?"
"The Talisman's Eternal Egg grants eternal life. But it has a side effect—something called the Talisman's Prank."
That rang a bell somehow.
When I tilted my head, Knife's goddess continued.
"Alhazred=Abmiline. His black panther face was the price of using the Talisman."
"Oh, right."
Alhazred=Abmiline—a Rank I delver, and the boss of the Delver Guild headquarters.
His face was that of a black panther. It was the price he'd paid for using the Talisman's Eternal Egg.
Man, I'd heard about that back during the Great Browns, when I was working as a hireling.
"The Talisman's Eternal Egg, by its very nature, draws out the essence of the soul. Kuun adapted that principle and created a Relic that metamorphoses the soul itself."
"........."
So the mastermind behind the mass production of Anomalocaris turned out to be a monster.
However, the royal capital. And Kuun — that's the Kuun from Kuun Hunt, isn't it?
The Treasure-class monster that Alverd had been chasing for so long he'd even named the clan after it.
I didn't know the details, but Alverd held a grudge against Kuun.
A grudge like no other.
"And also, a message from the Supreme God. Understood? 'Regarding the Skill God Abilita, I have nothing to say. The Great War is over, and the age of the gods has passed. I pray this information will be of some help to you.' That is what he said."
MASTER. So that's what they call it.
The Supreme God had nothing left to say about it. That was good news.
"Understood. I'll be sure to pass it on. Ah, may I ask one thing?"
"What is it?"
"What kind of god is the Supreme God?"
I'd grown just a little curious.
It wasn't enough to call it genuine interest, but I found myself wanting to know.
The Knife Goddess smiled.
It was, somehow, the most radiant smile she'd shown this entire time.
"That is a remarkably good question, coming from you. Understood? The Supreme God is a most noble, great, wise, and magnificent being. A transcendent god brimming with boundless beauty and divine love. The one absolute sovereign who sits upon the supreme throne, radiant above all other gods. The one and only, the ultimate great god who reigns over all deities. And above all else, the Creator. That is the Supreme God. And also, Wof. Understood? Not 'the Main God.' The Supreme God."
"S-sorry about that."
"Understood? Wof. The Supreme God is always watching. Try to be a bit more careful with your behavior. Understood?"
"Y-yes, ma'am."
Wasn't it the Knife Goddess who was always watching?
"And also, Wof. Understood? Kuun is Treasure-class."
"Y-yes, ma'am."
"Treasure-class. It is also called the King of Monsters. Even Alverd von Lutbert has been hunting it, hating it with all his might, and still hasn't managed to slay it. Think carefully about what that means, then go challenge it."
"Yes."
Guess I'm challenging it then.
Personally, I'd be perfectly happy just getting my hands on a Talisman's Eternal Egg, but I guess this is how it's going to be.
Well, can't exactly avoid confronting it.
After all, it's the one that birthed all those mass-produced Anomalocaris Relics.
In other words, it's the Anomalocaris boss.
If that's the case, then I absolutely have to defeat it.
First things first, though. I really do need to meet him.
The clan master of Hydrangea's number-one clan, Kuun Hunt.
Alverd von Lutbert.