We arrived at the port and decided to travel by land after leaving the Living Legend at sea.
The mainland is rich in transportation, and after a short walk through the port town, many carriages that went directly to the country’s capital were lined up.
We borrowed one of these carriages, all of us got in, and headed inland. The road we traveled on was superior to the roads around the Allied Nations, with Magic Stone Lines beautifully laid out on soft earth. Thanks to this, the carriage rocked very little. We were very comfortable due to the carriage we rented, which we were able to afford by spending money and using our influence.
The scenery visible from the carriage windows was also slightly different from that of the Allied Nations, not just the road.
While the former had featureless plains that stretched endlessly, fitting for a place called a frontier, the plains here were often touched by human hands. Small to medium-sized towns were always visible in the distance, and whenever there was a river or forest, there were always a few huts built nearby. Not only did a clear blue sky stretch across the plains, but white smoke, indicative of people’s lives, rose into the air. Buildings that served as both check points and inns were located at regular intervals along the road, with several guards standing watch for public order.
Time passed without boredom, simply by gazing at the differences from the Allied Nations while being rocked by the carriage.
In this way, we arrived at our destination in less than half a day from the port, and we got off the carriage. As we approached our destination, Rustiara, who was incredibly excited about the trip, shouted first.
“—Alright! This time, we really made it! This is the Great Holy Capital! The center of the world! The biggest city in the world! I see! Indeed, I can believe it’s the biggest in the world!”
What spread out before our eyes was the Great Holy Capital, the capital of Fuziaze, the largest country in the world. As Rustiara said, it would not be a mistake to describe it as the biggest city in the world. There was something that made us assert that, unfolding before us now.
A little while ago, I saw the Royal Capital, the capital of Viaisia, the largest city in the Northern Alliance. Coupled with Aid’s magic power, I was impressed by its magnificent, green landscape, a recent memory. However, the Great Holy Capital, the capital of Fuziaze, the largest city in the Southern Alliance, surpassed that shock.
First, unlike the Royal Capital, the Great Holy Capital has no outer wall to prevent invasion by external enemies. Instead, like the Allied Nations, a Magic Stone Line is drawn around the perimeter, and just behind it, sturdy brick houses are lined up at regular intervals.
No matter where I looked to the left or right, I could not find a break in the walls of these houses. It was just vast. The rumor that the Great Holy Capital’s size was more than twice that of the Allied Nations seemed to be true.
I gave up trying to find the edge of the Great Holy Capital and looked ahead. There was one relatively small gate for its size, and carriages wanting to enter the city were lined up there. While heading towards the gate on foot for inspection, I asked Rustiara about something that was on my mind.
“By the way, have you never been here before, Rustiara?”
“If I had, I wouldn’t be like this!”
Despite having Fuziaze in its name, it was revealed that Rustiara had never been to the Great Holy Capital before. Dia, holding Hidaki’s hand, briefly explained the reason.
“It’s said that Rustiara was created as a Magic Stone Human to unite the Allied Nations, so she probably hasn’t had much involvement with the mainland. …Perhaps, among us, I have the most connection here?”
“Yes, you do. Master Dia has the most. …I think only Kanami and the young lady haven’t been to the Great Holy Capital among us. Everyone else has been here at least once.”
Ragune-chan answered my question, and Rainer and Snow did not deny her statement. The two, who grew up as high nobles, seemed deeply connected to the mainland and were unfazed by the Great Holy Capital.
“Well then, I’ll go ahead and talk to the knights at the checkpoint. Leave these trivial matters to me.”
Saying that, Ragune-chan ran ahead alone, skipping the line of carriages, and headed towards the heavily armed knights standing at the gate. She called it a trivial matter, but it was a great help. I had only ever entered towns by trespassing, so being able to enter without issue was a relief.
From what I could see, if one were to cross the Magic Stone Line surrounding the city without permission, guards on patrol would immediately gather. I wanted to avoid forcibly breaking through that Magic Stone Line and needlessly depleting my magic power. After all, we were already entering the battlefield prepared by Nosfy—
“It’s a truly huge city…”
Muttering this, I tried to expand my Dimension to grasp the entirety of this excessively large city. The magic succeeded without any problems. Dimensional magic power enveloped the entire plain, allowing me to see even the table on the deck of the Living Legend, which we had arrived at by sea earlier. However, my Dimension did not penetrate the Great Holy Capital at all. In the sensation of the expanded magic, the part corresponding to the Great Holy Capital was completely hollow. I knew this sensation. I could never forget the memory of the battle in Viaisia. This was the same sensation as the “Love Spell” that Nosfy proudly talked about at the time, which nullified my Dimension. The same thing, utilizing the Magic Stone Line, was applied throughout the entire Great Holy Capital. It was exactly the same situation as Aid’s Viaisia Castle.
“—No doubt. Nosfy is here.”
Before meeting Diplakla, the one we are after, there is an enemy to overcome. This overly obvious countermeasure against Aikawa Uzunami turned my premonition into certainty. Seeing my scowling face, Rustiara, who was knowledgeable about magic, also seemed to notice the enemy’s presence.
“Hmm, is it possible that only dimensional magic is prohibited here? Is this the work of that Nosfy-chan?”
“Ah, that’s the kind of harassment she’s good at.”
It’s possible the person isn’t actually inside.
However, for some reason, I can be certain about Nosfy. I have a conviction that “Nosfy Fuziaze has been waiting here continuously.”
“…Huh, I see. So, what are you planning to do, Kanami?”
“No problem. I plan to enter as is.”
Honestly, if we wanted to, we could destroy this Magic Stone Line. With Rustiara and Dia, who are knowledgeable in magic, a solution could be found to deactivate the spell from outside the Great Holy Capital if we took enough time.
However, that would threaten the peace of the Great Holy Capital. If we deactivated it, we would make enemies of the people from the country likely managing the Magic Stone Line, and our actions within the city would be restricted.
Since we have the chance to enter openly through the front this time, I want to avoid unnecessarily making more enemies.
Snow was worried about my decision.
“Kanami, are you okay even if you can’t use magic? You struggled when fighting Aid…?”
“No, I was in a similar situation when I fought Aid, but honestly, I didn’t have that much trouble. Besides, as long as Rowen’s ‘Sensation’ isn’t taken away, I feel like my power doesn’t change much…”
I denied her worry without hesitation.
I became certain when I fought Aid, but Rowen’s Swordsmanship alone rivals the power of an ordinary Thief of Principles.
On top of that, although it consumes a bit more magic power, I can now use magic of other attributes. Being sealed from Dimensional Magic is no reason to stall.
“Everyone, let’s go. It seems Ragune-chan has already made arrangements.”
Even now, it was Sensation, not Dimension, that allowed me to read Ragune-chan’s movements from afar. I’m already prepared to fight without Dimension.
Frankly, it’s almost cheating to be able to vaguely understand things just by focusing your mind and ears without even using magic power. It is because I trust this skill that Rowen left behind more than anything else that I can enter the battlefield Nosfy prepared without hesitation.
“Everyone! Over here! They said we can walk in, you know!!”
Rustiara was the first to react to Ragune-chan beckoning from afar.
“Yep, coming now! …Snow, let’s go. Since we can still use our magic, if it comes down to it, we just have to protect Kanami together.”
Rustiara insisted that there was nothing to fear if everyone combined their strength and invited them to the Great Holy Capital.
Hearing her words, Snow pondered for a moment, then immediately nodded and started walking. Snow particularly trusts the combined strength of Rustiara and Dia. It seems she understood and was convinced that this was not a battle for any one person, but a battle for everyone.
Led by Ragune-chan, we passed through the gate lined with saluting knights and entered the Great Holy Capital together.
And then, we saw the townscape waiting beyond the gate up close.
My first impression was simply “bright.” It was similar to the Allied Nations Fuziaze, but felt on a larger scale—a very bright townscape.
First, a street adorned with magic stones and jewels stretched straight ahead, with well-built houses lining its sides. Most of these houses were shops with signs, and the area near the gate was clearly a space to welcome visitors from elsewhere.
Occasionally, arched brick bridges spanned overhead, indicating that this Great Holy Capital had a three-dimensional structure.
Given its vastness, the entire grounds couldn’t be flat. Deviating from the main street extending straight from the gate often led to slopes. Thanks to these variations in elevation, the heights of the buildings in the city were not uniform, allowing us to see various houses at once like terraced fields.
Among them, the tallest building in the town was truly massive.
For a moment, I mistook its walls as stretching all the way to the sky.
Looking at the mountain-like structure towering in the center of the town, even I, who was not familiar with this city’s geography, knew it was Fuziaze Castle, the symbol of the Great Holy Capital.
I gazed at the city as I walked along the main street, then observed the people who lived there.
My first impression of the citizens was also—before anything else, the word “bright” came to mind.
Unlike the Allied Nations, which consisted mostly of Explorers, this Great Holy Capital seemed to have many ordinary travelers. Looking left and right, I saw only travelers with cheerful faces. Wealthy-looking people from other countries walked through the city, gazing at each shop.
Of course, as we continued walking, the tendency of the townspeople gradually changed. Houses for residence began to appear alongside shops, and more people living in the Great Holy Capital were visible.
Children running around, adult women chatting with acquaintances. Adult men, likely at work, walked by busily, and an elderly married couple walked hand-in-hand. Similar to the area near the gate, this part was also filled with brightness and vitality.
Even though it was currently a temporary ceasefire, the Southern Alliance was in the midst of war. Nevertheless, this Great Holy Capital alone exuded an atmosphere of peace, as if it would remain completely uninvolved forever.
“Mmm, walking around makes my body feel all warm. I feel great today.”
However, amidst this peace and vitality, there was an unignorable abnormality mixed in. Among my party, Ragune-chan was particularly affected by this abnormality.
With a bright face, just like the people passing by, Ragune-chan took off her top layer of clothing.
Her whole body was likely energized, and her body temperature was rising. Seeing her wipe her sweaty face with her arm, I focused my gaze on her.
[Condition] Elation 0.10 Heartwarming 0.10 Physical Enhancement 0.10 Mental Cleansing 0.
The influence was small, but it was undeniably under the effect of magic.
The abnormality of this city is its excessive brightness. Even for a bright city, it’s strange that not a single person has a gloomy expression.
I use “sensation” to search for the cause of this anomaly.
Along the way, I spot Rainer, who is looking around with a similar expression to mine. It seems he has also noticed the city’s strangeness.
Rainer, who had found the source of the anomaly, pointed to the city’s ground with a stern look.
At the tip of his finger was the city’s “Magic Stone Line.”
I could see a light, different from sunlight, leaking from it.
Reaching my hand towards the light, I directly felt and analyzed the magic.
“This is warm…? No, this isn’t heat, it’s magic that interferes with the spirit… The effect is magic that makes you a little honest, a little kind, and a little more energetic…?”
It wasn’t magic that harmed people.
It was clear from the exceedingly faint light that there was no coercion in its effect.
Even a child could resist this magic from the “Magic Stone Line” if they wanted to. In fact, none of my companions, except for Ragune-chan, were affected. Their magic power levels were too high, so the interfering power didn’t even reach them. It was that weak.
“Huh? Huh? By any chance, are you looking at me, Kanami? I do feel something coming on, but…!”
Sensing our gazes, Ragune-chan panics.
I shake my head in response.
“No, it’s not harmful magic, so I don’t think you need to worry about it…”
“With that look on your face, Kanami, it’s impossible not to worry! Ojou-sama, please dispel it!”
I tried to put on a reassuring expression, but Ragune-chan read the worry deep in my heart and pleaded with her master.
“Hoi hoi. -Remove- you’re done.”
Rustiara, as requested, cast a spell to recover from the status ailment. At the same time, she explained to clear up any misunderstandings about the magic’s effect.
“But Ragune-chan, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It seems more like an enhancement-type divine magic.”
“Huh, enhancement magic…? Is that so?”
“Right? Kanami?”
Rustiara looked at me and asked, and I nodded in return.
This could be classified as enhancement magic without issue. To describe it in more detail, it’s “permanent area enhancement magic that guides people to a slightly happier state.”
If we’re talking about right or wrong, I believe this is the right kind of magic.
Even if it guides people to happiness, it has no coercive force, so it doesn’t twist people’s will.
Still, the reason I frowned deep down was that I knew only Nosfy could construct such a spell.
Even now, I suspect there’s a hidden agenda behind this Nosfy’s magic, and I continue to analyze “permanent area enhancement magic that guides people to a slightly happier state” without letting my guard down.
“…Hmm. In that case, I might not have needed to dispel it.”
“I’m jealous of you, Ragune-chan. With our magic power levels, the magic we normally emanate is too dense, so we can’t receive the benefits of the magic coming from this ‘Magic Stone Line’.”
“Wha-what…? That means… you all have a magic defense barrier deployed at all times… I mean, it’s reliable, but…”
Looking at us, Ragune-chan’s expression turns apprehensive.
However, perhaps thinking it was too late for that, she quickly regained her composure and resumed walking. And with her leading the way, she guided us to our planned destination.
“—While we were talking, we’ve arrived at my recommended spot! You can get permission to visit the World Tree from here, and it’s perfect for searching for people. It’s the most convenient Guild in Fuziaze!”
The recommended spot was located beyond the welcome zone and residential zone of the Great Holy Capital.
It wasn’t quite a castle, but it was a colossal building that rivaled one. Just a glance revealed grounds that could easily accommodate ten aristocratic mansions. Despite its size, there were no unnecessary decorations, and it lacked the opulent gardens often found in large homes.
The front of the building had a grand entrance wide enough for ten people to pass through, with a sign above it proving it was the Guild. Below it, several travelers who looked suited for rough work loitered.
Facing the long-awaited building, only Rustiara and I became visibly excited.
“Wow, so this is the Adventurer Guild I’ve heard about…!”
“Here we go…! Unlike the Allied Nations, the mainland, which lacks labyrinths, is dominated by Explorers rather than Adventurers! This is their headquarters! There are so many Adventurers traveling the world!!”
We, who harbored dreams associated with the word “Adventurer,” gazed up at the sign hanging on that large building with sparkling eyes.
“Well, it’s probably not what you two are expecting… but it is indeed the ‘Adventurer Unified Guild, Fuziaze Branch.’ For now, please come inside.”
Faced with expectations beyond her own, Ragune-chan scratched her cheek with a troubled expression. Then, deciding it would be better to show than to explain, she invited us inside.
Following her lead, our group entered the Adventurer Guild simultaneously and took in the interior.
Immediately at the front was what appeared to be a reception counter, where several well-dressed staff members stood. Looking down, polished stones were arranged, and to the side, boards coated with some kind of magic were lined up.
It was a spacious area, large enough for horses to gallop, with a calm interior decor that was unadorned, much like the outside. Nice benches, presumably for customers, were placed by the windows, with several visitors seated. The entire place was impeccably clean, radiating a sense of immaculate tidiness from end to end.
For a brief moment, I was reminded of my original world rather than this异世界.
It felt like we had stepped into a government building, like a prefectural or city office—it had a modern, orderly feel.
Honestly, when I heard “Adventurer Guild,” I had imagined something like the chaotic atmosphere of a tavern in the Allied Nations.
Unlike Laura Via’s Epic Seekers, I heard that anyone could join, regardless of their country, as long as they applied. I had foolishly assumed it would be a place where rough adventurers always loitered, utterly devoid of cleanliness and brimming with a sense of everyday life. I guess I had been looking forward to a place that felt more like something out of a story, much like Rustiara next to me.
While we were still stunned by the orderliness, Ragune-chan walked to the reception desk and began talking on her own.
“—Greetings! … Huh? You’ve already heard about us? Wow, you’re quick! As expected of the staff in the Great Holy Capital. … So, I just need to go through the north entrance, past the central cafeteria building, and to the Adventurer Request Counter?”
The staff member at the reception seemed to be there to guide visitors through this excessively large Adventurer Guild building. A quick glance at the guild’s map plastered on the wall confirmed its immense size, easily enough to get an adult lost. It was like several noble mansions connected together, forming a small labyrinth.
Ragune-chan, having received service akin to a first-floor reception of a major corporate building, returned to us.
“The higher-ups here have agreed to meet and hear us out. This special treatment might be because they know the Lady is with us. Alright then, this way!”
Led by Ragune-chan once more, we moved deeper into the building, seen off by the reception staff. As we walked down a remarkably high-ceilinged corridor, we passed a few men who appeared to be adventurers. The further we walked, the more adventurers we encountered. By the time we reached the Adventurer Request Counter that the receptionist had mentioned, the reason became clear.
The new room had the same size and interior as the previous area, and the same cleanliness. However, it was filled with an unprecedented fervor. In simple terms, it was exactly as I and Rustiara had expected: adventurers were gathered here.
Adventurers with worn swords at their waists, clad in tattered cloaks, and with stern faces marked by old scars. Some carried bows on their backs, and others held staves. Sensing our party entering the room, several high-level adventurers immediately turned their eyes toward us. As a conspicuously dressed group, other gazes soon followed. The aura of seasoned adventurers, who had likely endured long journeys, permeated the entire room.
We realized that the previous area was merely an entrance hall, and this was the true Adventurer Guild. Rustiara, more than anyone, was delighted. Unfazed by the piercing gazes of those around her, she began to exclaim like a child.
“Oh, it’s finally starting to feel right! I’ve been waiting for this! It’ll be a great reference for writing my hero’s epics!”
“The Lady does love places like this. Well then, I’ll go get permission to approach the World Tree, so you all wait here!”
Ragune-chan, also ignoring the attention, quickly went into action. Thanks to her, things were moving along smoothly. However, lately, I’ve felt as though I haven’t had to do much of anything, thanks to the knights who have been serving me. Even now, Knight Rainer is subtly intimidating the other adventurers to keep them away from our ladies (though it’s unclear who he intends to protect). Realizing that while having a large entourage makes things easy, I might become lazy if I don’t act on my own, I started to walk. As I can’t use Dimension now, I’ll rely on “Sensation” for information gathering. Following the intuition of “Sensation,” I first try to approach the wall of the room without provoking the surrounding adventurers. However, Rustiara, the most eye-catching member of our party, follows close behind me.
“Hehehe… As expected, Kanami. You’re focusing on the right thing. When you think of an Adventurer Guild, it’s got to be the request bulletin board, right?”
Rustiara skipped beside me, her shining hair flowing, as she walked. I wished she would moderate her movements, given her already striking appearance, but I could understand her excitement.
“—Yeah. The bulletin board is definitely what comes to mind with an Adventurer Guild. I’ve actually been quite looking forward to it ever since I heard about this place. I really wanted to see a request bulletin board at least once.”
“Me too!”
And so, us brimming with excitement, we both eagerly looked at the bulletin board on the wall of the room.
“Th-this is…”
“The bulletin board…!”
The reality was slightly different from what I had imagined. Instead of notices being haphazardly plastered everywhere, they were neatly arranged, just like the room itself. As we gazed at the bulletin board like country bumpkins, information about the ‘Great Holy Capital’ gradually came into focus.
First, we learned that the Adventurer Guild was responsible for clearing out monsters around the Great Holy Capital. Under “Extermination Requests,” there was a mention of subjugating the ‘Chimerawolf’ monster appearing in the western area. At the end of the detailed request description were the characters ‘C2’.
It also seemed that they handled everyday problems in the city. There were requests for searching for lost pets and finding lost items, with the characters ‘E5’ at the end of these. Some requests were even at a national level. Reinforcements for the Northern War Zone were listed as ‘D or higher,’ and escorting merchant caravans as ‘Ace.’ The alphabets written on them—though to me they appeared as alphabets now, they were likely translated from the script of Shiso Uzunami a thousand years ago and were probably different characters—must have held some meaning.
I suspect the meaning of these alphabets, from E to A…
“Adventurer Rank…?!”
“Adventurer Rank…?!”
Rainer’s exasperated voice cut in from behind as Rustiara and I exclaimed in admiration at the existence of “Adventurer Rank,” something we’d only ever heard of in books.
“Of course there are, aren’t there? Some kind of ranking system… It’s like a measure of danger. Things would be difficult without it.”
Even with his calm opinion, our eyes remained fixed on the bulletin board. If the alphabet indicated the level of danger, then by looking at the higher ranks, we should be able to understand what was happening in the Great Holy Capital.
I immediately began searching, focusing on the higher-ranked quests. However, along the way, I spotted something clearly out of the ordinary. The quest title read “Murderer in the West Underground City,” and at the end were the words “SacredAce.”
“Rank… Sacred Ace…?”
As I read it aloud, Rainer’s explanation came from behind.
“It’s a special slot above the highest rank of Ace. It’s often abbreviated as SA rank. I think it has a grandiose meaning like ‘Sacred Exemplar,’ and I heard there are only about ten people in the world with it. In essence, someone of that rank means ‘This is a matter for the country, so don’t interfere.'”
“Ohh… That’s a bit elaborate. And calling the top of the A rank ‘Ace’ sounds pretty good too…”
“You think so? Well, apparently this method of ranking has been around for a very long time, so you, who are connected to a thousand years ago, might have a…–”
However, halfway through his explanation, Rainer’s brow furrowed, and he fell silent. He looked as if he had just realized something he didn’t want to acknowledge. Snow, who had been watching silently from the back, spoke up, voicing Rainer’s unspoken thoughts.
“Hey, I just had a thought… Doesn’t this style feel like Kanami’s?”
Dia agreed.
“Rank ‘Sacred Exemplar’… The naming style is similar to Kanami’s magic name.”
As their opinions converged, I mulled over the words “Sacred Exemplar” once more.
Rank “Sacred Exemplar,” Rank SacredAce, SA Rank… —
“――Indeed, this appealing choice of words does feel like something I would come up with.”
I judged it to be a rather good, commendable sense of naming. But my companions seemed to think differently, as Rainer, Dia, and Snow raised voices of doubt one after another.
“Huh?”
“Say, Snow. Is this okay? I think this one is just ridiculously exaggerated.”
“Uh, I can’t really say…”
Amidst their criticism, only one voice agreed with me.
“Eh? It’s cool, isn’t it…?”
It was Rustiara, who possessed a sense of taste closest to mine. I took her hand and called her name.
“Rustiara–!”
“Yup, yup. It’s great, rank ‘Sacred Exemplar.’ Even if it’s a name Kanami thought of a thousand years ago, and even if Kanami is praising himself for it now!”
Rustiara praised my sense of naming with a look of great amusement. I felt a hint of sarcasm in her words but decided to ignore it. For now, I wanted to cherish the understanding I had received from my beloved.
Seeing my reaction, Dia and Snow hastily retracted their previous statements.
“No, now that I think about it, maybe it is cool… ‘Sacred Exemplar,’ it’s not that bad… maybe?”
“Um… I’ve thought this for a while, but… like “Dimension – Decisive Calculation” is cool too!”
My magic name was suddenly brought up for praise. However, my greatly improved ability to discern lies allowed me to see through their intention of “His sense is weird, but let’s praise it for now.”
“…Ah, thank you. Both of you.”
Even though I sensed I wasn’t truly understood, I expressed my gratitude. I was slightly disheartened to realize that throughout our battles until today, they had always thought my magic name was “weird and incomprehensible.” My voice trembled as I thanked them.
“Heh heh. Ahaha–!”
Seeing my dejected state, Rustiara’s amused expression grew even wider, and she laughed. It was a smile that clearly showed she found both my joy and my despair equally entertaining.
“–Sigh. Putting aside Christ’s irrelevant sense of naming, look over here.”
Rainer sighed, his face clearly indicating that he found the topic thoroughly uninteresting and brought the discussion about naming sense to a close. Then, he pointed to a notice posted on the bulletin board.
“The ‘World Tree Contamination Problem’…?”
That was the quest title written on the paper. Incidentally, its rank was ‘SacredAce.’ After a brief read of the details, it stated that the World Tree located within Fuziaze Castle had been occupied by a man. This man specialized in blood-attribute magic and had covered the World Tree in blood, dyeing it a deep red.
“And this one too.”
Rainer pointed to another quest. The title was “Saintess Abduction Incident.” This one also had the same rank, and I quickly read through its details. It stated that a few days ago, the Saintess of Fuziaze, recognized by the Senate, had been kidnapped by a girl. This girl specialized in flame-attribute magic and was holed up in a district of the Great Holy Capital’s underground city, which she had set ablaze.
While I had no idea who the man using blood magic might be, this one was different. The Saintess of Fuziaze and a girl specializing in flames—
“Could it be Nosfy and Maria…?”
I uttered the names of two people I knew well.
