第８８０堀：古の森人の示す道 (Part2)
Seraria and Ria looked troubled, but they agreed that it was the right thing to do.
Well, I suppose it’s the same as leaving the judgment of executing one's own kin to Tori and Riel...
"Well, putting that aside, the cake buffet is almost over. Time for the final sprint!"
"That's right."
"Yes! Let's eat as much as we can! Come on, Yuki-san!"
"Ah, yeah..."
I gave a vague reply and reached for the cake, but honestly, two pieces were my limit. Needless to say, I ended up with a bad case of heartburn just watching my wives and Queen Miyabi shovel cake into their mouths.
"Why do you look so sick, Yuki-dono, when you barely ate anything?"
"…I’m just not built to consume sweets infinitely like that."
We moved to the conference room to continue our discussion, but my condition hadn't improved.
"Well, my husband will recover on his own eventually. But the real reason Queen Miyabi wanted to talk isn't about the cake buffet, is it?"
"Indeed. That was just small talk. The same goes for the matter of the country called Seasypho and the punishment of the families. The main topic is the magical power depletion phenomenon."
At that, I lifted my head.
"Did you find something out?"
"No, it’s not that convenient. However, I have an idea of who might know. Or rather, if the topic of the depletion phenomenon comes up from the Rogari Continent during this conference, I suspect that is where it will start."
"Oh? And where is that?"
"The Dragon Mountain, said to be inhabited by the Dragon Tribe, which has existed on this continent since ancient times."
"How cliché... But Dragon Mountain? The Dragon Tribe? That sounds familiar... Ah, come to think of it, I remember hearing about them in an introduction to the races of this world. Dragonewts, was it?"
Now that I think about it, I remember hearing something like that long ago, back when I first created the dungeon.
"That is correct, the Dragonewts. I have heard they worship a true Dragon God. Since we worship the Tiger as a god, I cannot say that is a lie."
"I see. So, the first step is to gather information from there."
"Indeed. Preventing the inability to use the Gates is something that must be stopped not only in the Rogari Continent but also in the If Continent and the New Continent. Everyone is that serious about it. Therefore, I shall be the first to strike. I expect preferential treatment."
"Preferential treatment, you say... Still, the topic of Dragonewts has never come up before. Seraria, why is that?"
When I asked Seraria, she made an incredibly difficult face...
"Honestly, it’s considered a tall tale. They say 'Dragonewt,' but it’s widely believed they’re just a type of Lizardman. Sure, once every ten years, you hear a rumor that someone saw one somewhere, but even then, they’re rare. You never hear of them being enslaved. That’s why Mauve and the others never bought any, and we’ve accepted countless slaves, but we’ve never had one, right?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, that's true."
"And this Dragon Mountain that Queen Miyabi speaks of—the monsters living there are incredibly strong, but more than that, dragons are constantly flying around the summit. Though, I hear it’s rare to see them because it’s always covered in clouds."
...If the summit is covered in clouds, that means it's at least 2,000 meters above sea level.
That’s not a place where ordinary living things can survive.
It’s a zone where even trees don't grow.
How on earth are they living up there?
Then, I understood what Seraria was getting at.
"…Ah, so that’s why it’s considered a tall tale."
"Exactly. People wonder if anyone could even live in such a death trap. That’s probably why no one has mentioned it until now. You wouldn't go out of your way to send people to a land where you don't even know if there’s anything to gain, would you?"
"I wouldn't. Plus, there are dragons. If we had flown planes there carelessly, it would have been a war."
"Is that so? I don't think a fighter jet would lose to a dragon, though?"
"The cleanup and the war costs would be astronomical. Are you okay with that?"
"No, I suppose not. But since Queen Miyabi went out of her way to bring this information, it must not be a tall tale after all. Right, Queen Miyabi?"
"Indeed. I have actually met them once before. It was back when Touya was still alive. As the hero who defeated the Demon King, I was granted the right to visit the Dragonewt village and received this jewel as proof. However, I never ended up going. If I recall, Touya said... there was no reason to go out of his way to meet a 'hidden boss'."
Ah, I see.
Indeed, that sounds like a hidden boss.
"And so, this is that jewel. I shall present it to you, Yuki-dono."
With that, Queen Miyabi placed the jewel on the table with a clatter, as if it were of no importance.
So that’s the stage after the Intercontinental Exchange Conference and the wedding.
Opening a route to the hidden boss.
Well, there’s the conference and the wedding before that, of course.
Thus, the first source of information for the Rogari Continent is Dragon Mountain.
Now then, I wonder what other information will turn up?