Helios Orb Chronicle – Chapter 315

I finished reporting on the Krater Labyrinth at the Krater’s Hunter’s Guild, and decided to return to Feel via Yamato’s traveling.
We managed to sell 363 monsters in Krater, but it’s nowhere near the total number of monsters we hunted.
We intend to sell a similar number in Feel, but we’ll also be asking them to process the monsters we’re taking back, so we won’t be selling everything.

“It’s starting to make me not want to hear the details.”
“Even as a survey, this number is unbelievable.”
“Well, it’s a Union with ten Ancient Classes, after all.”

However, when we presented the monsters in the 10th Appraisal Room of the Hunter’s Guild, the Crafter’s Master, Hunter’s Master, and Trader’s Master let out sighs that were almost resignation.
I felt it was a bit rude, but looking at the combat record of Wing Crest, we had no right to retort.

“So, that’s three Garm, two each of White Leo, Lance Merlin, and Virgo Amazoness, and one each of Cannon Monkey, Fake Cactus, Sand Worm, Crater Drake, Magma Spider, Chain Squid, Terra Garm, Sea Viper, Bigfang Whale, Blade Fish, and Great Blade Fish. You’re not selling Tyranosaurus, Stella Garm, Killer Whale, and Sea Serpent, just having them dismantled?”
“Yeah. We want to use the materials they provide, so we plan to take them, including their magic stones.”

Honestly, I wanted to sell the Tyranosaurus, Stella Garm, Killer Whale, and Sea Serpent too, but we didn’t hunt that many this time. Yamato’s Monsters Action Reproduction System, or MARS for short, requires magic stones from high-rank monsters, and the same goes for materials.
While we have magic stones from M-rank monsters for the Dragoon, we don’t have those from A-rank monsters, so it seems those would be preferable.
However, they say that even magic stones from G-rank monsters can be used to reproduce P-rank monsters.
It’s still a prototype, so it’s not perfect yet.
More importantly, MARS feels like a well-chosen abbreviation. I wonder if it wasn’t named with the abbreviation in mind, if you ask me?

“MARS, huh? I’ve heard of it, and it’s quite an amazing magic tool.”
“The Crafter’s Guild would like to be involved, but if we’re going to do it properly, we’ll need a considerably large facility, and it will require a parade of high-rank monster materials. It would be faster for Yamato to collect the materials himself.”

Mr. Mikasa, the Trader’s Master, and Ms. Laberna, the Crafter’s Master, looked a little regretful.
The magic tool MARS, which Yamato is developing, can create stereoscopic images of monsters by setting their magic stones.
It’s intended to generate illusions to reduce unnecessary sacrifices and study monster ecology, but currently, it can barely generate an illusion, and its movements are too sluggish for combat training.
However, it seems capable of reproducing their ecology to some extent, so it should be sufficient for trader research as it is.
But since the monsters’ size is reproduced as well, large monsters can’t easily have holograms created, which inevitably requires a large facility.
This is essential for both research and training, so even if the Guild is enthusiastic, the facility cannot be built without government permission.

“That still requires more research, so it will be quite some time before it’s actually implemented.”

The illusions generated by MARS are, of course, intangible.
So, no matter how much they are attacked, they take no damage, but since that wouldn’t be effective for training, Yamato is also developing magic tools that can deal a certain amount of damage.
That magic tool is still in the conceptual stage, but it’s said to form a field based on the user’s magic power, attack power, and durability. The field decreases when hit by an illusion’s attack, and the user is considered dead when it reaches zero.
The ideal scenario is that attacking the illusion also deals damage, and the illusion disappears if enough damage is inflicted to defeat it.

“That’s quite an elaborate magic tool.”
“I have other things I’m working on, so I can’t concentrate on development. I’m just trying to fit it in when I have free time.”

Well, he’s also working on communication tools.
I heard that they’re close to practical application, so he’ll probably bring a prototype when we go to Solemne.

“So, old man, how long will the dismantling take?”
“For the parts we’re returning to you, about three days. What do you say, Laberna?”
“Around that, I suppose. However, if we prioritize dismantling requests, it will take time to circulate the materials from purchased monsters. So, ideally, we’d like five days.”

Three days is the absolute minimum, even with all the dismantlers working on it.
We’re taking all the monsters for the dismantling request, including their magic stones, so those materials won’t enter the market.
However, the monsters we’re buying are rare, so every guild wants to get them into the market quickly.
So, while prioritizing the dismantling requests, they want to proceed with dismantling the purchased monsters in parallel.

“That’s fine. Please proceed.”
“Understood. We’ll make arrangements to notify you at the Union House when it’s done.”
“Thank you.”

It’s a great help that they’ll notify the Union House.
It incurs an additional fee, but the payment for the monsters we sold will be astronomical, so that’s not a problem at all.

“By the way, about the Krater Labyrinth, was it really that troublesome to navigate?”
“If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t have brought in marine species like that.”
“That may be so, but it’s still hard to believe.”

Linus, the Hunter’s Master, is asking Yamato for details about the Krater Labyrinth.
While marine species do inhabit labyrinths, the floors are usually ones where the island is surrounded by the sea or where many islands are connected by bridges. A floor that is entirely sea like the Krater Labyrinth doesn’t exist.
Also, the third floor was a city floor modeled after Bestia, but they say that doesn’t exist either.

“A complete city and a complete ocean. It’s nothing but a hassle.”
“It really was a hassle. Especially the ocean floor, we would have been stuck without a ship.”
“Before that, you said an Amazoness Queen was guarding the floor-transfer array on the third floor. That’s beyond troublesome.”
“I agree.”

Besides the Krater Labyrinth, the only other labyrinth I’ve been to is the Instant Labyrinth, and I only went in a little, so I don’t know much about it. However, the Helios Orb Labyrinth either has few floors with high-rank monsters from the first floor onward, or many floors with few high-rank monsters.
The Krater Labyrinth falls into the former category, but there are no labyrinths where G-rank monsters appear from the first floor and P-rank monsters appear on the second floor, nor do complete city floors like the third or complete ocean floors like the fourth exist.
It seems to presuppose the existence of Ancient Classes, and it’s said to have been born because over ten people evolved into Ancient Classes at Seryado Volcano, so some speculate that it might have many floors.

“That’s a possibility that can’t be denied. However, to confirm it, we’d need to send in Ancient Classes.”
“That’s true, but we’re going to Solemne, and the others said they’re going into the Instant Labyrinth, so it will take time to investigate.”

Indeed.
Specifically, Gracious Lynx, Falcon’s, Black Army, Wise Rainbow, and Snow Blossom said they were going to the Instant Labyrinth for a rematch, and Sacred Bird is going with them.
Trial Hearts is wary of Retisencia at Polar, and Holy Grave and Riot Flag are on vacation at Float.
Lily Wish seems to be accompanying Sayuri on her healing pilgrimage, so no one is available.

“Well, the third floor seems to be the bottleneck, and we’ve reported on the situation of the fourth floor, so hunters who advance further…”
“Hunter’s Master! It’s an emergency!”

Just as Linus was trying to wrap up, Kamina, a receptionist at the Hunter’s Guild and a Lyxy, rushed into the 10th Appraisal Room.
She seems unusually flustered. Is something wrong?

“What is it, Kamina?”
“Raus and the others have captured the Beast Brain!”

Huh?
Raus and the others?
Well, I don’t know of a raid called Beast Brain, but if Raus and the others captured it, that means they acted unlawfully.

“The Beast Brain again? And they managed to get involved with Raus, how unlucky for them.”
“I agree, but what exactly is this Beast Brain?”
“Ah, you didn’t know.”

According to Linus, the Beast Brain is a group of hunters from Valentia, consisting of two High Classes.
The leader is a level 43 male High Foxy, and the other is a level 41 High Ulfy.
They were also sympathizers of former Prince Leonas, so they are a rather tyrannical hunter raid.

“Leonas’, huh? And why did those scumbags get caught by Raus?”

Prim is making no effort to hide her anger. She’s from Valentia too, and if they have ties to former Prince Leonas, she can immediately judge them as enemies, so it can’t be helped.

“Perhaps while hunting, they spotted Raus and the others and intended to take them hostage to provoke you?”

So they had business with us.
However, since Raus has already captured them, it’s not our place to intervene.

“As the Hunter’s Master says, they spotted us during their hunt and tried to take Reina-chan hostage.”

Okay, that’s unacceptable.
At that point, they were also picking a fight with us.
Since they are sympathizers of former Prince Leonas, perhaps they were seeking revenge?

“So that’s how it is. That scum is causing trouble even after death.”

Prim speaks with deep resentment, and considering they even used enslavement magic tools, she must truly hate them.
Just hearing about it makes me sick.

“Old man, you said they’re Valentian hunters, but even if Amister captured them, there wouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“There’s no way there wouldn’t be a problem. If Valentia were to complain, it could very well lead to war under the worst circumstances. Especially since it’s well-known that the Beast Brain are Leonas’ lackeys.”

Leonas is an enemy of Valentia too, so there’s no worry that the Beast King would protect the Beast Brain.

“If they targeted Raus and the others, it means they were also targeting you, Prim, and Mana-sama, Yuri-sama, and potentially even Lady Hilde.”
“Ah, so that’s how it is. That means Athena is included, so wouldn’t that be picking a fight with the Dragonians as well?”
“It would. Unless the Beast King is an utter fool, he’ll abandon the Beast Brain. That means we don’t need to hold back either.”

From what Baroness Neige, the lord of the Ovest Baronial Territory and Prim’s cousin, has said, the Beast King seems to be not a foolish ruler but a wise one. He wouldn’t commit the folly of making enemies of Amister, Torencia, and the Dragonians, nor would he likely even consider it.
It will cause trouble for the Order’s Guild, so we should probably go and speak with them.