No one's POV
After rescuing a nobleman name Bize and accepting his quest, Sora and the others were currently on their way to Ankaji. Sora had been planning on visiting the Grand Gruen Volcano anyway. Plus, he'd been planning on leaving Myu behind at Ankaji while he did so. Strong as he was, he didn't want to bring a four-year-old girl somewhere that dangerous. He could easily pick up the stillstone Bize needed during his quest to reach its center, and since Myu was from a beastman tribe, she was safe from the epidemic that was ravaging Ankaji. She didn't have any mana after all. Either way, all of Bize's problems were something Sora could solve without going out of his way.
Bize: Sora-dono, Hajime-dono, as you two are a gold-ranked adventurer, I have no doubt you could easily procure the stillstone that I need. However, we also need to solve my city's water problem. Can anyone operate this Artifact, or only you, Hajime-dono?
Hajime: Well, everyone here except Kaori and Myu can drive it, but... There's no need to go to the capital. We'll do something about your water problem, so let's head back to Ankaji for now.
Bize: What exactly do you mean by 'do something about it'?
Bize had no doubt of Sora and Hajime's prowess, but he doubted even a gold-ranked adventurer could procure enough water to sustain hundreds of thousands out of nowhere. His doubt was to be expected. However, there was one way to procure water that Bize hadn't thought of. Using strong water magic to collect the moisture in the atmosphere.
Of course, most mages wouldn't be able to draw nearly enough water for that many people, but Sora and Hajime had a genius magician within their party.
Sora, Aishia, and Yue.
And because Sora and Aishia almost had a limitless supply of mana and Yue had multiple ways of restoring her mana quickly, they wouldn't even tire doing it. At the very least, either one of them would be able to provide the town with water long enough for Bize or his father to appeal to the kingdom for aid.
When Hajime told Bize as much, he was skeptical. However, it was also true that he was in no condition to make it to the capital. So with a little persuasion from Kaori, one of Ehit's trusted warriors, he finally gave in and agreed to return to Ankaji.
Bize was shocked to see how much ground Hajime could cover with Brise. However, at that point, it was just one surprise among an endless parade of them. He had no idea why a warrior of Ehit was traveling with these adventurers, why they had a Seaman girl with them, why she called Sora Papa, why a rabbitman was traveling with them, or why the black- haired woman seemed so happy to be insulted. What he did know, though, was that there was still hope left. And that very hope was what allowed him to hold his head high as they continued their journey...
After a short drive, the walls of Ankaji shimmered into view. They were truly a sight to behold, towering higher than even Fuhren's impressive ramparts. The walls and buildings were all built from the same milky-white material, a stark contrast to the brown that surrounded them.
One other thing of note was the pillars of light that jutted from the walls at regular intervals. The pillars of light curved into each other and converged high in the sky, creating a dome that covered the city. Whenever anything hit the dome, ripples spread from the point of impact, as if someone had thrown a stone into a pond. It made for a wondrous sight.
From what Sora could tell, the dome seemed to protect the city from the elements. The desert experienced fierce sandstorms every few months, so the dome was a necessity for the people living there. It turned raging storms into merely a cloudy day for the city's residents.
Sora and the others approached the city gates, which were enshrouded in the same veil of light. It stood to reason that even the gates would need to be ensorcelled if they wanted to be sure of keeping sand out of the city. The gate guards had been mildly surprised to see Brise, but their reactions had been far more subdued than most people who saw it for the first time.
Ankaji's plight was likely occupying most of their attention. They were barely focusing on their job. When they saw their lord sitting in Brise's backseat, however, they instantly snapped to attention.
Ankaji's gate stood at a higher elevation than the rest of the city. Apparently that had been done on purpose so that the first thing visitors would see was the entire city in all its splendor.
The great oasis lay to the east, sparkling in the early afternoon sun. Great big palm trees grew all around it. They were the first bit of green Hajime had seen since entering the desert. Small canals branched out from the oasis, crisscrossing the rest of the city. Though it lay in the middle of the desert, it seemed most people traveled by boat. More trees dotted the streets, and there were entire squares that had been converted into gardens.
To the north was the city's agricultural district. Hajime had read before that many fruit species thrived in Ankaji's warm climate. And it seemed that had been no exaggeration. The fruit groves stretched on past the horizon, further even than Hajime could see with his Farsight. To the west was the royal palace. Unlike the milky-white stone that seemed to be favored in the rest of the city, the palace was made of pure white marble. It set it apart from the rest of the city, which likely had been the intention of the architect. However, the effect was ruined somewhat by the crude rectangular buildings that surrounded it on all sides. Hajime assumed they were other administrative buildings.
Despite being in the middle of a desert, there was more water here than Sora had seen in any other city.
Sora: It looks... amazing.
Aishia: Yeah... It's a beautiful city.
Sora and Aishia muttered, stunned. The others all exclaimed in awe as well.
Myu: But... it feels empty.
Myu said quietly. She was right. Despite its magnificent appearance, an air of gloom hung over the city. Normally, the city squares would be bustling with traders haggling over fruit and fish prices and tourists exploring the city's marvels. Right now, however, the streets were practically empty. Everyone was hiding in their houses, as if waiting out a storm. An eerie silence filled the streets.
Bize: I would loved to show you the dukedom in its most lively state, but there's no time. I promise I'll show you around the city once this crisis has been averted. For now, we must go see my father...
Sora nodded, and the party headed toward the palace.
(Timeskip)
Bize: Father!
???: Bize?! Did you get help...? No, wait, did you get sick, too?!
The party had been able to head straight to the audience hall without being asked any questions thanks to Bize. Though he was still weak from the poison, it seemed Lanzwi had forced himself to continue working, using a combination of healing magic and guts to maintain consciousness. His son had gone out to request aid just yesterday. That wasn't nearly enough time to make it to the capital and back. However, what surprised Lanzwi's more than his son's early return was the state he was in.
Bize clung to the Cross Bit, afraid of falling off, as he explained what had happened to his father. Once he'd explained the situation, a butler came and gave him a small vial of powdered stillstone. The stillstone, combined with Kaori's healing magic, was enough to get Bize back on his feet. He wasn't fully recovered just yet, but it was still a far cry better than how he had been minutes ago.
The biggest issue was that this still hadn't cured him. The stillstone could suppress the symptoms, but the root cause of his mana going berserk, the poison, was still running through his veins. Though it was possible his body would eventually be able to expel the toxin. All they could do for now was wait and see.
Lanzwi: Really? Will you save my nation and its people?
Sora: Yeah. Alright, let's get moving. Kaori and Shea, you two go check up on the patients. Take all the empty magic stones with you. The rest of us are going to get the city some water. Lord Lanzwi, is there a wide open space anywhere in the city? At least two hundred square meters large, if possible.
Lanzwi: Huh? Oh yes, there's one in the agricultural district...
Sora: That's where we're headed, then. Shea, once the magic stones are saturated, bring them over to Aishia and Yue.
Sora swiftly gave out orders. His plan was simple. Kaori would use her Sanctorum to drain the infected people's mana just like she had to Bize. Then, she'd siphon that mana into the empty magic stones Shea would bring her. Once they were full, Shea would pass them to Aishia and Yue, who'd use the mana to create water.
Sora would then use his Spirit Art and Hajime would use his Transmutation to create a makeshift reservoir to store all of that water in, after which they would start investigating the oasis. If either of them could analyze the poison they'd solve the city's problem first. If he couldn't, he'd head to the volcano like he'd originally planned. Simple, but efficient.
Everyone set about their respective tasks.
Kaori and Shea headed off to the makeshift hospitals that had been set up near the palace, while Lanzwi, along with his guards and attendants, led Sora, Hajime, Yue, Aishia, Tio, and Myu to the largest open area in Ankaji.
The open field was over three times as large as Sora's minimum specifications had been. The area was normally used to grow crops, but it had been left fallow this year to let the soil replenish. Lanzwi still wasn't convinced Sora could do what he claimed. If it turned out it was all some sort of elaborate trick, he would order Sora executed on the spot.
His town was in desperate need of water, and he had no time to waste on charlatans. He'd only agreed to this crazy idea at all because he had no better options. Fortunately for everyone involved, Lanzwi's suspicions proved unfounded. Though there was no wind, Aishia's hair started to flutter. The air became so saturated with mana that it glowed blue.
Aishia was using one of the Spirit Art she'd created with the ancient magic she'd acquired.
Aishia: Asura.
A swirling black sphere appeared above the empty farmland. The sphere stretched and flattened until it had morphed into a rectangle 200 square meters in size. After a brief pause, the rectangle silently sank into the ground, crushing the earth beneath it.
A massive depression formed where the rectangle had been. Asura had gouged the earth with such force that it caused a localized earthquake. The shaking stopped relatively quickly, the earth's cries of protest fading away.
In an instant, Aishia had created a massive reservoir to store all the water she was about to summon. Sora snuck a glance at Lanzwi and saw that his jaw was nearly hitting the floor. Him and his attendants were flabbergasted by what had just happened. They were all at a loss for words, which was the only reason they weren't screaming in shock.
Sora ignore the stare and look at Hajime and Yue who was biting Hajime's neck sucking his blood to fill her mana. Once her mana was fully replenished, Yue removed her fangs from Hajime's neck. She looked up at him and kissed him, her lips still stained with his own blood.
The two gazed deeply into each other's eyes for a few seconds until a loud cough brought them back to reality. Lanzwi couldn't bear to see much more of this or his self-control would crumble too. Hajime and Yue smiled awkwardly at each other... before turning away from the group and kissing again.
Sora: If you two are done making out, hurry up and get to work!
Hajime and Yue shrugged their shoulders and reluctantly got back to work. Hajime hopped down into the reservoir and brought Brise out of his Treasure Trove. He drove it around the reservoir, using his Ore Desynthesis skill to separate out the components of the soil that could absorb water from those that couldn't. Once that was done, he coated the surface of the reservoir with a thin layer of metal.
After he finished coating the floor, Yue stuck her arms out and cast a high-level water spell.
Yue: Tidal Wave.
As the name suggested, Tidal Wave was a spell that blasted its opponent with a wave of water.
Normally, the wave wouldn't be that huge, but Yue's spells were on a completely different level than those of an average mage. She summoned forth a wave 150 meters wide and 100 meters tall. It flowed into the reservoir, filling it up a few centimeters. The reservoir was large enough to hold 200,000 tons of water. Yue repeated the process multiple times, stopping every so often to suck Hajime's blood. But he didn't have an infinite supply of blood, and by the time Yue had gotten the reservoir half-full, he was starting to get anemic.
If he lost any more, he'd probably faint. So if worse come to worst, Yue would start sucking Sora's blood much to Hajime's displeasure. Fortunately, it was then that Shea came running over. Her arms were laden with magic stones Kaori had filled. Though she'd only drained a little from each patient, she'd already gone through thousands of people. Altogether, it was quite a lot of mana. What was even more impressive was that it had only been two hours since Kaori had started draining people. It was easy to forget because of how ridiculous Sora and the others' abilities were, but Kaori was pretty overpowered herself.
Shea handed Aishia and Yue all of her magic stones and ran back to help Kaori. A few hours later, the reservoir was filled to the brim with pure, drinkable water.
Lanzwi: How is this possible...?
Lanzwi muttered to himself. He was staring at a reservoir of water nearly as large as the oasis itself. And it had been made from nothing in the span of a few hours. He didn't even know what to say.
Sora: This should last you guys for some time. All that's left now is to investigate the oasis... If we can't purify it, then you should send a messenger to the capital for help. The water here should be enough to sustain you until then.
Lanzwi: O-Okay. There's still a mountain of questions I have for you, but... thank you. Truly. You've saved my people. Let me guide you to the oasis.
Lanzwi still hadn't completely recovered from his shock, but he knew now that Sora and his friends were people he could trust. He no longer suspected them of having ulterior motives.
The party headed east, toward the great oasis. They arrived at a vast sparkling expanse of pure blue water. It was hard to believe something that looked so clear was poisoned. However...
Sora and Hajime: Hm?
Yue: Hajime?
Aishia: Sora?
Sora and Hajime narrowed their eyes, focusing their gaze on a certain location. Aishia and Yue tilted their head, noticing the slight shift in Sora and Hajime's demeanor.
Hajime: It's just, my Demon Eye sensed something...
Sora: Duke, if you don't mind me asking, what areas did your investigation team check?
Lanzwi: They've analyzed the water in the oasis and the rivers that flow out of it, and the ground-water veins. They also examined the underground reservoir. I'm sure my son already told you what we found. The underground reservoirs were the only places that hadn't been poisoned. Basically, we examined everything within a few meters of the oasis. They haven't gotten around to diving to the bottom of the oasis itself.
Hajime: Is there an artifact of some sort inside the oasis?
Lanzwi: Huh? No. We do use certain artifacts for security and management, but those are placed outside the oasis. Normally, the barrier artifact we have in place would make it impossible to pollute the oasis. This is the first time something like this has ever happened.
The barrier artifact Lanzwi was referring to was known as the Judgment of Truth. It was also the source of the dome of light that protected Ankaji.
It allowed things essential for life, like air and water through, while keeping sand and other nuisances out. The wielder of the Judgment of Truth decided what could and couldn't pass through it. Not only that, it could be used as a sensor. Like its barrier component, what it was set to detect was up to its wielder. As it incorporated dark magic into its design, the Judgment of Truth could even be set to react to certain thoughts.
In other words, if Lanzwi had set it to detect anyone who meant the oasis harm, it should have reacted when the person who poisoned the oasis entered the city. That was if Lanzwi had set it like that. Only he knew how he'd formatted the Judgment of Truth. At present, security around the oasis was thin. It had already been polluted, and so many people were going to and from the oasis that Lanzwi had seen little point in keeping a tight guard around it.
Sora: Huh. So what's that, then?
Sora turned away from Lanzwi, who was clenching his fists in frustration, and pointed to the center of the oasis. He had been using Spirit Art to sense the area and he had sensed something emitting mana from the bottom of the oasis.
Lanzwi looked up in surprise. He couldn't believe there was something he wasn't aware of inside there.
Sora: Hajime.
Hajime: Yeah.
Hajime walked up to the water and pulled out something shaped like a water bottle from his Treasure Trove. He then started pouring mana into it. Once he was done, he casually threw it into the oasis, backing up toward Yue as he did. Lanzwi shot them a questioning stare, but neither Sora nor Hajime didn't say anything. Just as Lanzwi was about to run out of patience, there was a huge explosion and a massive pillar of water erupted from the center of the oasis. Lanzwi's jaw dropped open.
Lanzwi: W-What?!
Hajime: Dammit, it's faster than it seems. Or wait, maybe its defense is just really high?
Hajime pulled out a dozen more of his water bottle-shaped explosives and tossed them into the oasis. A few seconds later, another massive spout of water erupted from the center of the oasis.
What he'd thrown were actually custom torpedoes that he'd designed. He'd made them in preparation for their expedition into Melusine. According to Miledi, the sunken ruins were, shockingly, underwater, so Hajime had designed a few prototype torpedoes. And this mystery object had seemed like a perfect test dummy. So far, it appeared while their firepower was sufficient, his torpedoes were lacking in speed and tracking capabilities.
Hajime(mind): Guess I need to refine my design.
Hajime had added ore enchanted with Sense Presence and Tracking into his torpedoes. Once they locked onto a target, they would chase after it until they got within the blast radius and then explode. Right now he'd had them lock onto whatever that mysterious thing in the water was.
Lanzwi: Wait, wait, wait! Hajime-dono, what are you doing?! Ah, you just destroyed the pier! I can see chunks of fish floating up from everywhere! The whole oasis is turning red!
Hajime: How stubborn. Here comes 50 more—
Lanzwi: No, I won't let you!
Hajime ignored Lanzwi's anguished screams and stepped forward, preparing for an even grander attack. Lanzwi's guards clung to Hajime, begging him not to do it.
They couldn't see the thing Hajime was trying to destroy, so to them it looked like he'd just suddenly started throwing explosives into the oasis. He'd already destroyed the pier and killed countless fish, and they needed to stop him before the damage got any worse.
As the Judgment of Truth didn't react, Lanzwi could tell Hajime wasn't trying to harm the oasis. However, that only made his destructive actions more confusing. Regardless, Lanzwi and his guards had a duty to protect the oasis. Annoyed, Hajime brushed Lanzwi's guards off. But before he could throw his next batch of torpedoes—
Lanzwi: Ah!?
Countless tentacles of water suddenly shot out of the oasis and headed straight for Hajime. Hajime pulled out Donner and Schlag while Sora pulled out Kanshou and Bakuya and started shooting them down. Yue froze as many of them as she could, while Aishia evaporated the rest with fire magic.
Lanzwi stared, slack-jawed at the surprising chain of events that had unfolded one after another. Infuriated by Hajime's constant bombardment, the water rose up. Seemingly defying gravity, it created a mound ten meters high.
Lanzwi: What... in Ehit's name...
Lanzwi's hushed voice carried surprisingly far. The water morphed from a mound into a horrific creature. Numerous tentacles wriggled all over its body, and there was a glowing red mana crystal at its center. It resembled a slimes.
However, its size was on a completely different level. It was ten times larger than any slime Sora had ever seen. Also, the slimes Sora remembered hadn't possessed the ability to manipulate water. Nor had they shot water tentacles at people.
Lanzwi: What is that monster? Is it a Bachulum?
Lanzwi tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Bachulum was the scientific name given to the slime species of monsters in Tortus.
Sora: Well, it doesn't really matter what it is. That's the thing that's polluting your oasis. It's unique magic probably has something to do with releasing toxins or something.
Lanzwi: That would certainly make sense. Still, how are you going to defeat it?
The Bachulum had been attacking continually, even while Sora and Lanzwi had been talking. However, Hajime, Yue, Aishia and Tio had kept its tentacles at bay.
Sora, too, had been firing energy beams continually while talking. He was trying to find an opening to shoot the Bachulum's core, but it kept moving around inside the slime, making it hard for Sora to get a clear shot. It was as if it had a will of its own.
Lanzwi had gotten so used to being surprised that Sora's insanely powerful artifacts, his guns, didn't even faze him. Instead, he calmly asked whether or not Hajime had a plan to deal with the Bachulus.
Sora: Yeah, don't worry. I've got it.
Sora barely registered Lanzwi's question and gave a perfunctory reply. His entire focus was on the whizzing mana crystal inside the slime. After a few seconds, he raised his hand forming it into a finger gun.
Then, he wrapped his left arm around his right, bent his left elbow, and spread his feet slightly apart, with his right foot slightly in front of his left. He was copying the Weaver Stance he'd seen back on earth. If he wanted to get the mana crystal, he'd need ungodly precision. Sora's eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and he'd finally grasped the crystal's movement patterns. He held the stance for a few seconds, silently waiting for the perfect opportunity.
A single streak of light trailed through the sky. The mana crystal moved directly into the bullet's path, as if it had been magnetically pulled toward it. It was a clean hit, and the crystal shattered into a thousand pieces. With the slime dead, there was nothing left to control the water. It fell back into the oasis with a splash. Waves of water rippled out from the point of impact, as if signaling an end to the town's pollution problem.
LanzwI: Is it over?
Sora: Should be. I don't sense any mana in the oasis anymore. Though I don't know if getting rid of the monster also purified the water.
Lanzwi couldn't believe Sora had solved their crisis so easily. Ankaji had been on the verge of ruin and he'd just waltzed in and fixed everything. One of his attendants hurried over to the water and appraised the oasis' quality.
Lanzwi: How is it?
Attendant: The water's still polluted...
Lanzwi had been hopeful, but his attendant shook his head. People who'd drank directly from the oasis had gotten sick as well, so everyone had known it was poisoned from the start. Still, it was disappointing that killing the slime hadn't also purified the water.
Aishia: Now now, there's no need to feel so depressed. Now that the source is gone, poisoned water will stop spreading everywhere. The underground reservoir should still be clean, so if you dispose of all the infected water you can replace it with that. Then, you'll have your old oasis back.
Tio: Yes that's right.
Yue: Is as Big Sister said.
Aishia tried to comfort Lanzwi and the others. Their gloomy expressions perked up a little, and they started thinking about how to revive their city. Their determination and unity showed Sora just how much the citizens and their lord cared about the city. Even in these dire straits, no one was thinking of abandoning Ankaji.
Lanzwi: But what was that monster? Did a new species stumble in from the groundwater veins?
Lanzwi tilted his head and stared at the oasis. Hajime was the one who provided him with an answer.
Hajime: My guess is, the Demon did it.
Lanzwi: The Demons?! I'm assuming you have some reason to believe this?
Hajime: Yeah.
Lanzwi quickly recovered from his initial surprise and pressed Sora and Hajime for more information. After seeing how swiftly Sora had dealt with both their water issue and the monster, Lanzwi had a lot of respect for him. Never again would he doubt Sora's abilities.
Since the Bachulus they'd encountered was a type no one had seen before, Hajime had guessed it must have been some new species the demons had created with their ancient magic. The slime had a lot of peculiarities that had matched up with the monsters that had attacked Ur and the ones that had attacked Kaori in Orcus. Chances were, the demons were building up their monster army still. And they wanted the humans as weak as possible before the war started in earnest so they were striking preemptively at the most important assets. Aiko had the potential to revolutionize the kingdom's agriculture, while the heroes the Holy Church had summoned were the humans' strongest trump card. They were definitely people the demons would want to eliminate as soon as possible.
Ankaji, too, was an important lifeline for the kingdom. It was a major crossroads where almost all of the northern continent's seafood passed through. Best of all, since it was in a desert and all it was comparatively isolated. It made for a perfect target. That was why Sora and Hajime's first thought was that demons were responsible. When Sora explained as much to Lanzwi, he groaned.
Lanzwi: We are doing our own research as well, but... we never thought they could control monsters like that. We underestimate them.
Sora: Don't beat yourself up over it. Even people in the capital couldn't have guessed they'd be making new species of monsters. The hero party was attacked barely a few days ago. The whole kingdom's probably in an uproar and hasn't had time to properly spread information.
Lanzwi: I guess the demons are finally making their move. Sora-dono, you said you were an adventurer. But given that inhuman strength of yours, and those artifacts you carry, I can only assume that like Kaori-dono, you too are one of Ehit's warriors.
Sora simply shrugged. Lanzwi guessed that Sora had his own reasons for not elaborating, so he didn't pry. Regardless of what secrets he was hiding, Sora was still Ankaji's savior. Besides, there were more important matters that had to be dealt with at the moment.
Lanzwi: Sora-dono, Hajime-dono, Yue-dono, Aishia-dono, Tio-dono. I, Duke Lanzwi Feuward Zengen, humbly thank you for saving the city of Ankaji and its people. We will forever be in your debt.
Lanzwi and his attendants bowed to Sora and the others.
It was rare for the duke of a city to bow their heads to anyone, but Sora had definitely earned that honor. It didn't matter if he was one of Ehit's warriors or not, his actions had saved thousands of lives. Sora hadn't known Lanzwi for long, but he could tell the duke cared deeply for his people and his country. His attendants knew that as well, which was why they didn't try to stop him when he bowed to Sora, electing to join him instead. Sora could tell where Bize got his personality from. Even their mannerisms were similar.
Sora:...
Sora continue to stare at the bowed down duke but Hajime grinned to himself and addressed Lanzwi.
Hajime: That's right, you guys owe me now. Don't forget it.
Hajime could make use of their gratitude here too. When it came to turning things to his advantage, Hajime had no shame. Lanzwi had been expecting Hajime to be humble about it while covertly trying to curry favor with him, so he was taken by surprise when Hajime just laid it out like that. Still, he'd been planning to repay his debt regardless, so it wasn't a big deal.
Sora: Ignore him. But still, we would appreciate the help if we could ever use one in the future.
Saving Ankaji had been Kaori's request, and he'd had a personal stake in ensuring the city's safety. After all, Sora would need to leave Myu here while he explored the Grand Gruen Volcano.
However, if Lanzwi was showing him gratitude, he would've been a fool not to capitalize on it. The more allies he had when the time finally came to deal with the Holy Church, the better. Lanzwi had been planning on returning Sora's good faith regardless, but as a politician he understood that it was important to officially promise such things.
Lanzwi: Y-Yeah, of course. I'll never forget the service you did us... Unfortunately, my city is still suffering. Could I request your help in healing the patients?
He'd grown accustomed to dealing with odd people in his time as a politician, and so he recovered from his surprise relatively quickly. Then, he smiled ruefully and agreed to Sora's demand that they pay him back. Though he wanted his citizens restored to good health before he would do anything.
Sora: We were planning on heading to the Grand Gruen Volcano anyway, so I don't mind. How much stillstone do you need me to harvest?
Lanzwi: Thank you so much... Hey, someone get me the medical reports.
Lanzwi sighed in relief and ordered one of his attendants to get him the reports on how many patients there were, and how much stillstone they'd need to cure them all. It turned out they needed quite a bit.
Lanzwi: We'll be needing quite a lot. Would you like me to send porters with you?
Sora: Nah, no need. I've got a transportation artifact that merchants would kill to have.
Lanzwi: At this point you could tell me you command the heavens themselves and I'd believe you. It must be the blessings of Ehit that guided you to us.
Lanzwi threw his arms up in amazement.
Lanzwi(mind): Is there anything this boy can't do?
Lanzwi thought to himself with a wry smile.
(Timeskip)
Around the same time, Kaori and Shea were working frantically to treat the patients. Starting with the ones in the worst condition, Kaori absorbed their mana in batches, her Sanctorum reaching everyone within a radius of ten meters. Her area of effect healing spells had about the same range, so she could cast healing magic on them at the same time.
Meanwhile, Shea carried away the patients Kaori had already treated and carried in new ones. Shea would fill an entire cart with people and transport them en masse. And instead of running through the buildings, she'd hop over their rooftops to save time. It was faster to bring patients in critical care to Kaori than to have her running around to each and every makeshift hospital that had been set up.
It was quite a sight, watching a diminutive girl carry entire carts of people across rooftops. Many of the patients thought the disease had made them start hallucinating, and a fair few of them started panicking. Because of that, a few of the hospitals descended into chaos.
All of the doctors were amazed at how effortlessly Kaori juggled multiple high-level healing spells at once. Before long, she'd taken charge of the entire treatment operation and all the healers were taking orders from her.
Kaori: Hajime! Sora!
Shea: Sora! Hajime!
Kaori was still in the middle of healing patients when Sora and the others showed up. When they saw Lanzwi following behind Sora, the patients and healers tried to bow to him. However, he raised up a hand to stop them.
Lanzwi: Listen up, everyone! The source of the pollution of the oasis has been removed! It will take some time, but our oasis is coming back! In addition, we have a supply of water! It is enough to last us until help arrives! Also, these gold-ranked adventurers have accepted the quest of going to the Grand Gruen Volcano to mine Stillstone! It'll only be a few more days! Raise your spirits, let us overcome this hardship together!
His deep voice echoed through the room. Hajime could see why the kingdom had entrusted such an important city to his rule. He possessed both wisdom and charisma.
At first the patients were confused, but Lanzwi's smiling face convinced them that this was no joke, or a white lie to raise their spirits.
Cheers rang out throughout the hospital. The citizens had been in despair, but now hope colored their faces once more. This ordeal could end without more lives being claimed. Families hugged each other, weeping openly. The healers patted each other on the back, relieved that their efforts would not be in vain. A number of people thanked Sora, Hajime, and Kaori for saving them.
Lanzwi glanced over at Sora. Noticing his gaze, Sora turned over and grimaced.
Sora: Duke, you...
Lanzwi: Don't look so concerned. If you don't come back, we'll just fall into despair.
The implicit message of "If you don't save us, we're all dead, so you better not let us down. You promised you'd fulfill my request, so you better hold your end of the bargain," hung in the air. Though he was grateful to Sora, he had no one else he could rely on. He wanted insurance that Sora would keep his end of the bargain. Hundreds of thousands of lives were on the line, after all. And so, Lanzwi had appealed to Sora's conscience. He'd hoped this would make Sora feel too guilty about running away to try it.
Sora: You're a crafty one, huh?
Lanzwi: You have to be, if you want to survive as a noble.
Sora smiled ruefully and Lanzwi shrugged his shoulders. Though in truth, Sora wasn't really mad. He'd expected something like this. In fact, if the duke hadn't tried to secure some kind of insurance, Sora would have begun to doubt his competence. Though Sora wouldn't feel terribly guilty even if he did flee. The destruction of Ankaji and the death of its citizens wouldn't really have weighed on his conscience. Sora turned away from Lanzwi and walked over to Kaori.
Sora: Kaori, we're gonna head to the Grand Gruen Volcano now. How long do you think you can keep this up?
Kaori: Sora...
Kaori smiled when she saw Sora, but then her expression grew serious and she ran the numbers in her head.
Kaori: Two days.
She replied once she'd done the math. That was the longest she could keep the patients alive for.
Kaori: Sora, I'll do everything I can here to heal the patient. Please find the Stillstone. Sorry for all the trouble.
Hajime: Well, it's along the way.
Sora: Besides, I agreed to help. I can hardly leave Myu behind in a city filled with corpses.
Kaori: Hehe, that's right. She's relying on you. Don't worry, I'll look after Myu-chan while you're gone.
Sora: Yes. I'm counting on you.
Sora had explained everything he'd been through to Kaori while they'd driven through the desert. She knew about the mad gods and the fact that Sora prioritized going home over everything else. He'd told her that if she couldn't accept that she was free to return to Kouki's party. But of course she'd elected to stay with him and Hajime
Even if Hajime and Sora would decided to abandon Ankaji, she still wouldn't have left their side. She would have tried to persuade them of course, but if they'd insisted she would have accepted their decision.
That being said, she had still wanted to help the people of Ankaji. Fortunately, her puppy-dog look had been enough to get Sora and Hajime to agree to help. She wasn't conceited enough to think that she could manipulate Hajime with her charms, but she was glad to know that her opinion at least had some influence on his decision-making.
At the same time, though, she felt bad for basically forcing Hajime to go along with her own selfish desires. That was why she'd apologized. However, Hajime apparently hadn't been all that bothered by the decision. He had seen through Kaori's worries, which was why he'd told her that it had been his decision in the end. Kaori, too, could tell Sora and Hajime were just trying to be considerate. She smiled at them, her gaze full of trust and love.
Kaori: I'll do my best, so please come back safely. I'll be waiting for you.
She said the last part looking at Hajime.
Hajime: Y-Yeah.
She sounded like a housewife sending her husband off to war. It was surprisingly touching, and Hajime was at a loss for words. Even back in Japan, Kaori had always been straightforward. She'd talked to Hajime every day in class, ignoring Kouki's warnings and the jealous stares everyone shot Hajime. Eventually, Hajime had gotten used to it, but she'd grown even more bold since confessing to him.
Hajime blushed and looked away, only to find himself face to face with Yue. She was giving him an intensely cold glare. Hajime shivered. But when he turned back, he saw Kaori smiling at him again. Hajime despaired, trapped between two predators. It was then that Myu went and complicated things.
Myu: Kaori-oneechan, are you going to kiss Big Brother like Yue-oneechan did earlier?
Tio: Oh, you saw?
Myu: Hweh? I could see through the gaps in your fingers, Tio-oneechan. Yue- oneechan looked really cute. Myu wants to try kissing Papa too.
Tio: Hmm... Even I have not kissed Master yet. Myu, you'll have to wait until you grow up a little.
Myu: Aww...
Hajime glared at Tio, though there was no way she would have been able to stop Myu from peeking. As always, Tio derived immense pleasure from being glared at. However, Hajime didn't have any time to spare for her. That strange sword-wielding demon had appeared behind Kaori again, and it looked angrier than ever. The arrival of her logic-defying stand was always bad news.
Kaori: What is this? Hmm? You went to work right? Why would you be kissing Yue? How did that happen? What happened to doing your job? Or was kissing her part of your job? Don't tell me you two were off having fun while I was working myself to the bone treating patients. You couldn't possibly have done something so cruel to me, right? How was that important? Were you having fun? Did you forget about me?
The darkness in Kaori's eyes terrified Hajime. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He hurriedly tried to explain himself, but before he could say anything Yue stepped forward. He mistakenly believed that Yue would solve the misunderstanding for him, but expecting anything from Yue when she was like this was a mistake. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out, grinning triumphantly.
Yue: It was great.
Kaori: Ahahahahahahaha.
Yue: Fufufufufufufufu.
Kaori and Yue's laughter echoed through the hospital room. Until that point, the other doctors and patients had all seen Kaori as some kind of saint. But now that they'd seen her true colors, they backed away, pale-faced.
It was only natural. It was impossible to believe someone who had such a demonic spirit in their possession could be a saint. Worse, a giant thunder dragon had started forming behind Yue as well. Everyone was too scared to see what would happen next.
Sighing, Hajime walked between the two of them and flicked both of them on the forehead. It was just a flick, but he put quite a bit of force behind it. Kaori and Yue crouched down in pain, nursing their foreheads. They looked up at him reproachfully. Exasperated, he tried to explain.
Hajime: Kaori. I didn't suggest we split up so I could spend time with Yue. You should know that. Besides, Yue's my lover. You don't have any right to complain about what we do. You agreed to those conditions when you decided to come along.
Kaori: Um... I know, but... I can't control my feelings... Why didn't you stop them Sora?
Sora: You know those two are in their own world when they're like that, right? Nothing I say would convince them to stop.
Kaori hung her head, but she still tried to argue back. Hajime sighed again and turned to scold Yue.
Hajime: And you, stop picking fights with her every chance you get.
Upon hearing his words, Yue turned away, sulking.
Yue: This is a fight between women... You have no right to interfere, Hajime.
Shea: There they go again.
Aishia: Mm...
Tio was still lost in the throes of ecstasy, so she'd missed the confrontation entirely, but Myu wasn't happy to see Kaori and Yue fighting again.
Sora: Are you two gonna fight again in front of Myu? Kaori? Yue?
Yue and Kaori: Eeeeeek
It only took one single glare from the gray haired boy to make Kaori and Yue stop and calm everyone down, but finally they were ready to depart for the Grand Gruen Volcano. As Kaori would be busy tending to all the patients, Sora asked Lanzwi to help her look after Myu. Lanzwi was still stunned at how convoluted the relationships between everyone in Sora's party were. Regardless, he happily agreed to help.
Sora had already told Myu beforehand that he'd need to leave her behind for a bit while he explored the volcano, but she still wasn't happy about it. He bent down and patted her on the head.
Sora: I'm going now, Myu. Will you be a good girl while I'm gone?
Myu: Hic... I will. So please come back soon, Papa.
Sora: Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can.
Myu clung to Sora's shirt, trying her best not to cry. The way he comforted her was just like a real dad. People began to relax again. Sora gave Myu's back a little push, and sent her off to Kaori. Then he turned to Hajime, Yue, Aishia, Shea, and Tio, telling them to get ready. Before they could leave though, Kaori stopped them.
Kaori: Ah, Hajime, Sora... Stay safe.
Hajime: Will do.
Sora: Take care of Myu for me.
Kaori: I will. Also, umm... Hajime...
Hajime: Yeah?
Kaori: So, um... C-Could I give you a kiss...? Like a "see you later" kiss or something...
Everyone:...
Yue: Where did that come from?
Kaori: This us a woman's fight. A kiss on the cheek should be alright, right?
Kaori blushed, but her voice remained firm. She knew that in order to stand any chance against Yue, she needed to be bold. She'd been relatively bold even back in Japan, but all of her restraints had disappeared after her confession.
Shea: Oh, give me one too!
Aishia: I want too!
Sora: -_-
Shea tried to grab Sora's attention, but he ignored her. Aishia then encircle her arms around Sora's right hand and Shea did on the left. Sora opened his mouth, planning to refuse, to kiss them in front of so many people since he's not as bold and Yue and Hajime but Myu butt in before he could.
Myu: Myu wants one too. Myu wants Papa to kiss her!
She had decided she wanted to join the fun as well.
Sora: Myu, you only do that with people you love.
Myu: Eh?! Really?
Sora: T-That's right.
Myu: So Papa doesn't love Myu?
Sora: Gah!
Sora could feel his heart melting at that. In the end, he ended up kissing, Myu, and Aishia and for some reason even Shea on the cheeks. While Hajime did for Kaori. The three of them Aishia, Shea, and Myu, all return by giving Sora a kiss on the cheek each much to his embarrassment.
The doctors and patients all watched on fondly. Feeling too awkward to remain even a second longer, Sora hurriedly left for the Grand Gruen Volcano. Tio had asked for a kiss as well, but Hajime had ended up just slapping her. Her panting had creeped him out way too much.