“So, you want us to give you the remains of the ‘Colossus’?”
“It’s an extremely valuable resource, both historically and materially. We are prepared to offer the maximum compensation. If not a full transfer, could we at least be allowed to research it during our stay?”
Xanthos said, directing a serious gaze at me and Fiss.
Beside him, Thanasis nodded, “Indeed, indeed!” His eyes were even more bloodshot than Xanthos’s.
“That decision isn’t mine to make. Kouya was the one who defeated the ‘Colossus.’ It’s up to Kouya what happens to it.”
‘Hmm, I guess so…’
I pondered for a moment. Do I really need the remains of the ‘Colossus’? Not really. Once I’ve analyzed it, I can replicate it as much as I want with my 〖Replicant Form〗. Since I’ll be staying in this country for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to gain some favor.
However, the replicated weapons have the drawback of being unmodifiable. I can’t say for sure that there won’t be a time when I’ll need to use them as materials. So, the answer is clear.
‘Alright, I’ll lend it to you while I’m here, and you can continue your research even after I leave. But there might be a time when I absolutely need the remains of the “Colossus.” In that case, I’ll have to use them.’
“No problem, we are in your debt. We will surely repay you accordingly.”
‘Just, wait a bit before handing it over. I want to analyze it first.’
“Oh, so Kouya-dono’s 〖Attribute〗 includes analysis… Ah, you dislike personal inquiries, my apologies, please forget I said that.”
And so, it was decided that the materials from the “Colossus” would be handed over in five days.
Analyzing it should only take a night, but having a backup wouldn’t hurt.
“That’s all from me. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.”
“Then, allow me to ask a few questions. How did you two come to this country? In a thousand years, no visitors have come, so it’s said that it’s impossible to travel here by normal means.”
‘…Huh? Are we the ones being questioned?’
“…My apologies. You can ignore what he said.”
‘Well, I don’t mind talking about it…’
I cleared my throat to signal my intention and began to explain what had happened.
‘I was fighting the “Colossus” that was up there. To defeat it, I unleashed a high-powered attack, and the ground cracked, and I fell into a cave. I went through that, and then I found a jewel demon beast, and when I defeated it, the ground cracked again, and that’s how I found this country.’
I gave a brief explanation. There was also the attack by the Demon Beast Cult after the fight with the “Colossus,” but there was no need to mention that.
“A jewel demon beast… the ‘Jeweled Clawhide,’ you say. To think you defeated it single-handedly… No, considering you defeated the ‘Colossus,’ I suppose it’s not surprising.”
‘Jeweled Clawhide…?’
“That is the name of the demon beast in question. It is a great demon beast that is under a no-contact order.”
Thanasis’s words contained some ominous terms.
‘…Did I do something bad by defeating it?’
“Fuh-fuh, if you were able to defeat it, there is no problem. The Sage-sama forbade contact because he feared that reckless battles would lead to the deaths of warriors and that the ‘Jeweled Clawhide’ would turn its eyes toward this country. That vertical shaft was not important in terms of resources anyway.”
I see, so it was a warning not to provoke it because it was dangerous.
After that, we asked various questions, and Thanasis asked us about the surface world.
We both had many questions left, but the light of the Sunstone was dimming, so we decided to move to the provided residence.
“It’s getting dark, but it’s not sunset… strange.”
In this country, the light of the Sunstone gradually dims as bedtime approaches.
I learned that just now.
“Sunset… what is that?”
“It’s when the sun is falling and turns red.”
Xanthos offered to guide us.
He’s the head of the Wardens—something like the police of this country—so he’s probably keeping an eye on us as well.
“The sun on the surface changes color… why?”
“I don’t know.”
‘I think I heard something about light scattering.’
I dug up some knowledge from a class in my past life.
“Light scattering…?”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard of that… is it knowledge from the surface?”
‘Ah, no, I only vaguely remember it, so I don’t know the details.’
As we were talking, we arrived at our destination.
It wasn’t that far from the plaza we were just in. It was next to the Warden’s headquarters.
‘It’s a magnificent place.’
“It was used as a dormitory for intensive training until recently. It was about to be demolished, but we had it cleaned up in a hurry.”
That’s why a lot of Wardens were bustling about during our discussion.
Normally, I’m about the size of a detached house, but since most of my body is stored in the Space Expansion bag, I should be able to live comfortably in this mansion.
“You may find things different from the surface. I will stay here for a while to teach you about the household chores.”
With that, Xanthos opened the door and walked into the house without taking off his shoes. Fiss followed him.
Both Fiss’s country and this country use Western-style houses. That’s convenient for me since I’m always grounded.
I squeezed my body and went through the door. The entrance was narrow, but the inside was spacious.
It was an entrance hall, with a high ceiling and a large staircase in front leading to the second floor.
Xanthos didn’t go up the stairs but walked to the room on the right.
“You don’t know about Artifacts, do you? Perfect, I’ll show you the bath and teach you how to use it.”
“There’s a bath? In a single house? Not a public bath?”
“Of course, there is. Rather, I’m not familiar with the term ‘public bath.’ Do many citizens on the surface wash their bodies in the same place?”
I had heard before that there was a public bath in the mining town.
In the mountains, they could only use the water in the water tank, and even then, they could only wipe their bodies.
I left that water tank on the surface… but if there’s a bathtub, that’s even better.
Behind Fiss, who seemed to be walking more lightly, I asked a question.
‘How do you get the water for the bath? Do you make it with an Artifact?’
“We use water from the Underground Lake. Artifacts that can create matter are extremely valuable, and they consume a lot of 〖Mana〗. It’s more efficient to draw water, heat it, and use it.”
‘Heeh.’
While we were talking, we arrived at the bathroom.
It was about four times the size of a normal bathroom, with several sets of cloth-like things, soap-like things, buckets, and mysterious tools protruding from the wall.
That was all.
“…Where’s the bathtub?”
“Yokuso? What is that? Is the bath on the surface not a place to wash your body?”
‘So, showers are the norm in the Underground.’
As I was being taught how to use the mysterious tool—a shower Artifact—I thought, “This is a culture shock.”