第４５３堀：侵食 (Part1)
Chapter 453: Erosion
Erosion
Side: Kirika
They say the world moves in ways we cannot perceive, and that is certainly true.
I had assumed that we, situated in the royal capital of the Sword Kingdom, were at the very center of this issue, but it seems that since last night, the focus has shifted to Ranks.
Well, the morning status report stated that the defense was successful without incident and that prisoners had been taken.
Because of that, our operational parameters have shifted again, which is why I made my way to where Mauve-san and the others are staying...
"Guh-gah. Guh-goh."
Mauve-san seems to be sleeping quite magnificently, snoring away.
Raiya-san and Curse-san, who are over by the table, are awake, so it seems they are taking shifts to catch some rest.
"Should I come back later?"
"No, it's fine."
Raiya-san doesn't seem particularly bothered, and he delivers a swift kick toward the sleeping Mauve-san.
"Fugoh!? What!! Is it an enemy!!"
As expected of a top-tier adventurer.
Just before the kick could land, he twisted his body and instantly grasped the knife by his pillow.
It is impressive that he chose a knife suited for the room's space rather than his preferred greatsword in that split second.
It was a moment that reminded me why he isn't just some random middle-aged man.
I can understand why Master relied on him even before we were around.
"It's not an enemy. Kirika is here. Or rather, you've been sleeping ever since that time."
"Eh? It's already morning?"
"Seriously!? My bad!!"
"No, you were the one keeping the most alert, so don't worry about it."
"That’s right. Raiya-san and I were taking turns resting. So, Kirika-san is here, please wake up."
"Ah, I see. Sorry, Kirika."
"Not at all. I am just glad you are awake. However, since you just woke up, it seems you are unaware of the current situation."
"Yeah."
"Then, let us start from there."
I briefly explained the report from Master.
We succeeded in repelling the enemy and taking their commander prisoner. Since there is a high possibility that this prisoner is a core member of the enemy, we are to carry out a public execution.
The instruction is to strengthen surveillance, as Nogosh, who is involved, will surely move once that happens.
"I understand the situation. But our role at the Adventurer's Guild remains the same, right?"
"Yes. However, something even more troublesome has come to light."
"Even more troublesome? What do you mean?"
Yes, this is the main point.
Master's homeland has a sword considered a national treasure, which was brought here by Bicks. Because a terrifying Ogre is sealed within that blade, we need to locate it immediately.
"An Ogre is sealed? Is that really something to be this panicked about?"
"I phrased that poorly. In the classification of this world, it is merely close to an Ogre; it is a type closer to a completely new species. In Master's homeland, it is the highest-ranking monster among the supernatural beings classified as 'Oni.' Furthermore, it is said that the pinnacle of that Oni classification is the Shuten-doji, who is sealed within the Dojigiri Yasutsuna."
"……That sounds incredibly dangerous. But, isn't it like, Yuki can just handle it with a flick of his wrist?"
"I wish that were the case, but legend has it that the Shuten-doji was only defeated because five heroes, each with their own heroic tales, didn't face it head-on but instead waited for it to sleep to cut its throat."
"……Is that okay? Or is it not okay?"
"Determining that is our job. It is highly likely that Bicks or Nogosh is in possession of the Dojigiri where that Oni is sealed. According to Luna-sama, it is not a seal that can be broken easily, but unless the wielder has immense resistance, their spirit will be eroded by the vengeful soul of the Doji dwelling within the blade. If that happens, the wielder might commit atrocities, slaughter people, and absorb malice, eventually breaking the seal."
"A sword that makes people... I've heard stories like that before..."
"Indeed, I have heard of cursed swords."
"Is it that type? Wouldn't that be in the Wraith category?"
Mauve-san and the others don't seem particularly panicked.
Well, they don't know about the three great monsters of Japan, so it’s hard for them to grasp the reality of it.
"I understand the story, but if that guy Nogosh has it, is it really something to worry about that much?"
"No, Mauve. The problem is that it's a national treasure. Even if it was Luna-sama's mistake, the original has arrived, so Yuki and the others will surely be in a hurry to get it back."
"That's true. It affects the nation's face, after all."
"Ah, I see."
"To add to that, there is a possibility that a great monster from Master's homeland could run rampant in this world."
"Well, that's something we can't overlook."
"Fortunately, today is the day of Nogosh's public exhibition match. We should be able to confirm if he has the sword there. Well, even if he has it, I don't know if he will use it in the match, but I have been ordered to follow Nogosh from that match and clarify the location of the sword."
"Ah, right. Today is the public match."
The Sword Kingdom has a "might makes right" philosophy, so the King holds these public matches periodically to recruit soldiers.
From my perspective, it seems like a foolish method, but according to Master, it is a convenient way to gather people with a certain level of power regularly without needing a training facility.
Nogosh himself rarely participates, but if you are recognized in those matches, you are appointed as a knight of the Sword Kingdom regardless of whether you win or lose, making it a good place for social climbing.
This aspect seems to have a different kind of popularity among the commoners compared to aristocracy.
It also seems to serve as a way to attract tourists as a spectacle.
"So, I would like you to come watch the public match with me today. It is a good opportunity to check for the sword and to see Nogosh's own strength."
"Well, we were planning on that anyway, so that's fine, right?"
"Yeah. We were planning on that too."
"Indeed. I don't think we'll find the sword that easily, though..."
As Curse-san says, I don't think it will be that convenient, but since it's more likely than searching blindly, there is no harm in watching.
With that decided, we arrived at the arena for the public match, but...
*Buzz, buzz...*
There are more people than I thought.
For a regular event in a small country, I think it's quite impressive.
"There really are a lot of people."
"You used to come here in the past, didn't you?"
"Well, yeah. I was on the participating side."
"What was the result?"
"Well, you see... there was one strange participant back then. I realized my own lack of training and became an adventurer. Wait a minute? That participant was definitely carrying a sword."
Unexpected information popped up.
He was carrying a sword?
Could it be that there is a possibility that an unknown powerhouse is among the enemy?