第５３１堀：諸々の調査結果 (Part2)
"Ah, I forgot to mention, but it was thanks to Aslin that we realized the Lizardmen handed over weren't produced, but actually summoned."
"Aslin? Wait, she’s that talented Monster Tamer, right?"
"Yes. Even I’m not quite omnipotent, so I asked the young lady of the monsters for her assistance. The interrogation revealed that the Lizardmen were located in the marshlands near the Holy Kingdom of Litea on the Rogari Continent—the land of the Beast God."
"From our own continent!?"
"Thanks to that, I’ve gained the conviction that my predictions were correct."
"Well, that certainly explains why you’re so sure. So, why did those summoned guys listen to a guy like that? Wild monsters aren't usually that reasonable."
They have a sense of self, after all.
Monsters born from a dungeon, like the ones that are basically dolls with almost no ego, are a pain in the neck during their early stages.
Actually, they’re still a pain even now.
They’re always trying to slack off or produce nothing but cucumbers; it makes no sense.
"That’s likely because there’s some secret to that core-like object that the man named Clay possessed. My apologies, but I couldn't investigate that object in just a day or two. Comet only just started looking into it this morning."
"Can't blame you for that. Well, thanks to this, we have a new direction..."
*Bang!!*
Just as I was about to stand up, the door at the back of the laboratory swung open violently, and Comet walked in.
"Hey, hey, Yuki-kun. I’ve just finished examining this."
Comet approached me, holding the core with a confident look.
Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she’s part of the all-nighter club with me.
...Wait, why does an undead Lich have dark circles...?
Hm? Did I miss something?
No, never mind. The core is the priority right now.
"So, is that core the real deal?"
"It’s genuine, I’d say. But it won't function as a dungeon core anymore. The internal spell formulas have been completely rewritten."
"Rewritten?"
While I was asking, Comet sat down next to me and snatched the tea I was drinking, downing it in one go.
"Phew, I haven't had anything to eat or drink since the day before yesterday, so I feel like I've come back to life. Well, I’m technically dead, though."
"Why are you taking my tea? You could have just asked Ria or Jessica for theirs."
"I have no intention of stealing tea from the ladies standing guard behind us. Zargis pulled an all-nighter too, you know. In that case, it’s more efficient to take it from you, since you’re fully recharged after having a 'good time' yesterday, right?"
"...How do you know about that?"
Though, in reality, I was the one who got eaten.
Well, I got my revenge by eating her back later.
"Well, we had a morning bath together yesterday. Samantha and Cleena were looking radiant, and Jessica too... man, I envy the youth. But that’s beside the point. Regarding the modifications, I’ve tweaked cores before to create systems that connect to swords and directly harvest DP. Hifi embedded cores into those Holy Sword users, applying the function-maintenance system to human bodies to prevent aging, and even gave them limited dungeon functions. This is a variation of that."
Saying this, Comet placed the core on the table.
"The reason the contents are completely different is that they’ve stripped away most of the dungeon system to dedicate it entirely to summoning, translation, maintenance, and subjugation. There’s almost no trace of its original multi-functionality. Well, looking at the situation on the New Continent, you could say it’s a logical way to use it. Since you can't deploy a full dungeon with 5,000 times the efficiency, they probably reduced the functions to use it more effectively."
"Does that mean it’s not 5,000 times more efficient if you use this core?"
"Exactly. The contents are different. It’s likely not even recognized as a dungeon skill system anymore. It runs on about the same amount of magic power as a standard spell. Well, since the system is written directly into this core, there’s no wasted magic, so you could probably summon targets for less than half the magic power it would take to cast the spell yourself. Still, you’re pulling them from another continent, so it’s going to require a fair amount of power."
So that’s why they targeted Princess Carrie and Kagura, who possess vast amounts of magic.
They couldn't exactly ask Duke Kamishiro, the head of the family, for help.
He might have accused them of treason on the spot, and they probably came to kill him because he would have been an obstacle.
That seems like the most plausible theory.
However, Clay himself claimed it was for research.
It’s dangerous to jump to conclusions.
"As for when this core was modified or created, it’s hard to say. I can't tell without knowing the level of magical technology on the New Continent."
"That’s true. Still, we’ve gathered more information than I expected, so this helps. You two should get some sleep."
"I’ll take you up on that."
"My head is spinning from the lack of sleep, so I’ll do just that."
With that, the two of them left the laboratory.
After seeing them off, I left with the report in hand, but there was still one more troublesome thing to deal with.
"...A visit from the Useless Goddess, huh. What a pain."
Things are finally starting to come together.
The technicians under Weed’s employ are truly skilled.
And in the next chapter, Yuki finally comes face-to-face with his natural enemy!!