Side Mana
After Yamato and Mako’s wedding ceremony, Grand Priests Master Idea informed us of the oracle’s contents.
We had anticipated that all towns and villages within Retisencia, except for Kobaldia, would be annihilated. However, I hadn’t expected the gods to be aware of it. Apparently, a large quantity of Demon Crystals had been distributed in Retisencia, and with close to a thousand individuals becoming demons, the gods could no longer permit the existence of such a nation.
After I spoke with Idea, we immediately headed for Amagi Castle. My brother had also been informed of the oracle, but the contents had to be delivered to Yamato and Mako first. Thus, our report came as a surprise to him.
“Kobaldia, too, has lost half its population to monsters. Should we dispatch another Scout Order?”
“I advise against that. Near Kobaldia, there are still nearly twenty Catastrophe Species, and more than double that number of Anomalous Species.”
Scout Orders are composed of high-ranking members of the Orders. While there are Orders that have reached level 60 and above thanks to Jade Silver Arms and Armor, only the Celestial Emperor and the Grand Order’s Master know the full picture. As I, who has attained the Lapislazurite Court Title, am aware, only a few dozen individuals are in such a position.
Even a single Catastrophe Species could likely be handled, but facing multiple simultaneously would be difficult for High Class members. Given the sheer number of Anomalous Species, it would be challenging to even confirm Kobaldia’s status by dispatching a Scout Order. An Ancient Order could defeat a Catastrophe Species single-handedly, but they are ill-suited for reconnaissance, which is a dilemma.
“Regarding the demons, it seems that nearly 90% of the surviving soldiers in Kobaldia have become demons. It appears that some soldiers used Demon Crystals after Kobaldia was attacked, and even the Imperial King and the Crown Prince have reportedly become demons.”
“That’s troublesome too.”
My brother scowled at Yamato’s report. Demon Crystals are forbidden crystals originating from Abaricia. Retisencia had acquired them and planned to use them on monsters, evolving them over time to seize Mylight from Amister. Phil was not only isolated by Anomalous Species and Catastrophe Species but also by Hunters Master and Hunters who had infiltrated as spies. Their plan was on the verge of success. However, when Yamato arrived in Feel via the Helios Orb, and Prim, fleeing from Valentia, also arrived in Feel, their plan was completely thwarted, and they even succeeded in apprehending the First Princess who was orchestrating it.
Following that, Retisencia incurred the wrath of the Hunter’s Guild and the Crafter’s Guild. The subsequent withdrawal of various guilds led to Retisencia’s decline. Even though troops were amassed after the First Princess’s execution, supplies could not be gathered as intended. Worse still, their contracted Familiar and Summoned Beasts had their contracts invalidated as they themselves had become demons using Demon Crystals, leading to a humiliating situation where they were attacked by these very creatures. The fall of the nation seemed inevitable.
Nevertheless, the Imperial King did not abandon his invasion of Amister. To protect their own lives, they stationed the gathered soldiers in Kobaldia for regional defense instead of dispatching them for aid. Furthermore, they chose to survive by using Demon Crystals. The Imperial King apparently used Demon Crystals after the G-C rank monster Blue Fenrir infiltrated Kobaldia. The Blue Fenrir was successfully defeated, albeit at the cost of half the stationed soldiers. However, almost simultaneously, the M-C rank monster Flood Crane intruded, causing even the soldiers who possessed Demon Crystals to transform into demons. They barely managed to defeat it. As a result, fewer than a hundred human soldiers remain.
“Nearly a thousand demons. While their High Class presence is unknown, it’s a considerable threat.”
“However, even that High Demon seems aware of the Anomalous and Catastrophe Species in the vicinity, so it doesn’t seem to be leaving Kobaldia.”
That, too, is a precarious situation. Demons are humans transformed by Demon Crystals, a race that didn’t exist in Helios Orb. Hence, they were initially referred to as demons, but the term has somehow stuck. Regardless, even Normal Class demons possess magic comparable to High Class individuals, and a High Demon would be close to Ancient Class. The saving grace is that as a consequence of their transformation, they lose all access to Inn magic, which somewhat mitigates their combat effectiveness. Still, with nearly a thousand soldiers equivalent to High Class, they cannot be underestimated.
“That’s a problem, but an even bigger one is the fact that demons apparently don’t need to eat.”
“That’s the biggest hassle.”
The most surprising revelation from this oracle was that demons do not need to eat. It seems they don’t need to eat entirely, but they can substitute their sustenance with ambient mana, rendering sieges ineffective. This is precisely why the Imperial Royal Family and nobles resorted to using Demon Crystals themselves. The infiltration of Blue Fenrir into Kobaldia was apparently a complete coincidence.
However, my brother and Yamato are not frowning solely because of that. The act of using magic as a substitute for food involves manipulating and absorbing ambient mana to do so. This, in turn, implies an improvement in the precision of physical and magical reinforcement through magic, which serves as a substitute for Physick Ring and Mana Ring. While reinforcement solely through mana is several degrees inferior to Physick Ring and Mana Ring, it is not entirely useless. Although it consumes little magical power, constant use is demanding, and many people habitually use this method. Furthermore, as their magic power increases with levels, so does the intensity of this reinforcement, meaning that if demons become proficient, it’s not impossible for it to achieve effects equal to or greater than Physick Ring and Mana Ring. This is truly troublesome.
“While we could likely conquer Kobaldia head-on, our own casualties would be non-negligible. For now, we can only observe, occasionally having Rex and the others conduct investigations.”
“The gods wish for us to expel the demons from the Philia Continent, but that’s all we can manage in the current circumstances.”
The reason the gods are providing us with so much information about Retisencia is that demons are an unacceptable existence. While demons can substitute food by absorbing mana, the absorbed mana appears to transform, adversely affecting the Treasure Tree. Therefore, the gods are directly protecting the Treasure Trees in Retisencia from the influence of demonic magic. Just as the Amagi Castle is the pillar supporting Helios Orb, the Treasure Trees are said to be the pillars supporting the Philia Continent, hence exceeding the gods’ tolerance. They wish for Retisencia to be destroyed swiftly, and for the demons to be expelled or defeated from the Philia Continent. The gods understand our circumstances, which is a relief, as it means we don’t have to rush.
“Once the new year begins, we can also deploy the newly registered Ritters. If we are to attack Kobaldia, it will be after that.”
“There’s also development and reconstruction to attend to.”
The Philia Continent is currently undergoing reconstruction from war and new development projects. Phil, in particular, is developing its port, while Memoria is expanding the Cherry Tree Garden and constructing a comprehensive school, bustling with development-driven demand. Torencia is also thriving due to the increased number of Hunters entering the Krater Labyrinth, and I heard that trade traffic has intensified in Valentia following the eradication of the eastern nobles. Newly independent small nations are also engaged in building castles and maintaining their castle towns, keeping Crafters and Traders exceptionally busy across the west and east. Construction work should be completed by autumn at the latest, so all tasks should be largely finished within the year. Therefore, focusing on domestic reconstruction and development this year is a common consensus among the kings, including my brother.
“The remaining major issue, as expected, is Gaia-dono’s premonition.”
“That one…”
My brother and Yamato’s frown deepens. Indeed, this is a significant problem. Gaia-sama’s premonition depicted Yamato surrounded by a massive number of demons, facing a desperate situation. Until now, I had assumed that only Abaricia, the creators of Demon Crystals, could deploy such a large demon force. However, the possibility of Retisencia soldiers has now emerged. With Engraving Magic, Yamato can overcome numerical disadvantages, but we cannot afford to be complacent. At that point, I seem to be expecting a child, and Prim, Flam, and Rika also appear to be pregnant, so predicting a timeframe is possible, but the likelihood is certainly not low.
“It is predicted that two humans will save Yamato-kun, and these humans are believed to be the gods. However, given that the gods are said to be protecting the Treasure Tree, that possibility has diminished.”
“However, Gaia-sama’s premonitions have never been wrong.”
“Indeed. The demons from Abaricia are likely more powerful, so that possibility still remains.”
Precisely. Although the location and circumstances are unknown, Yamato has already defeated demons, and he has been forewarned of this premonition. Therefore, he will not be complacent even if the enemy consists of Retisencia soldiers. If he is still cornered, it can only be because the demons are more powerful than anticipated, or that the quality of demons from Retisencia and Abaricia differs. What’s worse, both scenarios are quite plausible.
“Speaking of oracles, the words directed at Yamato-kun and myself are also incomprehensible.”
“Indeed. Was it ‘shingou’? You said that if the two of us were involved, we would understand?”
“We haven’t a clue.”
That was another thing. The phrase “shingou” directed at Yamato and Mako was incomprehensible not only to us but even to them. Well, Mako seems to have a vague idea, given her hesitant demeanor. However, since it is an important matter, I would prefer to hear it if possible.
