Chapter 13: To Oz – 10
The next day, we conquered the E-Class Dungeon by midday.
Everyone acquired resistance Skills, but I couldn’t help but notice that Shizuna had gained a new Skill called “Heat Resistance.” It seems this continent has its seasons, and currently, it is spring. As someone accustomed to the convenience of air conditioning, obtaining “Heat Resistance” is a Skill I definitely want before summer arrives.
Upon returning to the city and entering the guild, I sensed a somewhat tense atmosphere in the lobby. About fifty adventurers were gathered, and the noise level felt unusually high.
I spotted the beautiful tiger beastwoman, Karma, and called out to her.
“Karma, it seems a bit tense here. Is something going on?”
“Oh, it’s you, Soushi. There’s been a report of strange monsters appearing near the border, and an emergency subjugation request just came in. The reward isn’t bad, but it seems the monsters are of a high rank. Every party is debating whether to take it or not.”
“What kind of monsters are we talking about?”
“Apparently, they’re Golems made from stitched-together corpses. They were said to have appeared during the previous war, and from what I’ve heard, they are at least B-Rank.”
“What?!”
Hearing Karma’s words, Larni looked at me, and of course, Freinir and Sfenia did as well. It seemed we were all recalling the same thing: the massive crocodile-shaped Golem that attacked the Elf Village. I remember it was said to be controlled by a man known as “Mazero, the Necromancer.”
“Mariane, can we take that request?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Mariane went to the counter and borrowed the ledger.
“No one has taken it yet. There are five confirmed monsters, all of them large quadrupeds. Considering our party’s strength, it would be wise to have at least one more party join us.”
“Hmm…”
To be honest, I felt that five of those crocodile-shaped Golems could be handled by us alone, but perhaps it would be better to heed Mariane’s advice. After all, we can’t rule out the possibility of irregularities.
As I pondered, Karma leaned in closer to me.
“If you’re going, Soushi, then we’ll go too. With two B-Rank parties, we should manage, right?”
“That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.”
Thus, we found ourselves preparing to face an unexpected event, but it seemed unavoidable. The appearance of that Golem likely meant that the Country of Mecalinan was behind it. They had previously attempted to sacrifice innocent people during the incident at the Elf Village, and if they posed a threat to us, we should eliminate them swiftly. An emergency request would also earn us points towards promotion.
The border with Mecalinan was located to the east of Gal-Oz. It would take about seven days of walking to reach it.
Since it was an emergency request from the country, we were provided with high-speed carriages, and “Soul’s Guidance” and “Drunken Tiger” set off towards our destination in two carriages. The horses pulling the carriages were made of earth, known as “Spirits,” and they could run all day without tiring.
The road to the border was well-maintained, and judging by the sensation of speed, we were likely traveling at around 50 kilometers per hour. Honestly, in this world, a vehicle moving at such speed was nothing short of astonishing.
The carriage had a suspension system resembling leaf springs, and the wheels were wrapped in a rubber-like material, making the ride surprisingly comfortable. That said, if I relaxed too much, I might end up biting my tongue.
“This carriage is incredible. With this technology alone, it wouldn’t be surprising if other countries targeted us.”
As I expressed my thoughts, Shizuna puffed out her chest and huffed.
“Indeed. This high-speed carriage is one of Oz’s prides. However, there’s no one to boast to, and bragging would only bring us trouble, as you said, Soushi.”
“Is that part of the reason why you don’t have diplomatic relations with other countries?”
“Yes, that’s right. The techniques for handling Oz’s Spirits are the foundation of our nation. There are concerns about those who can use Spirits venturing into other countries.”
“That technology is indeed quite useful. Perhaps Mecalinan is threatening the border in pursuit of it.”
“Actually, that’s become a problem as well. There are users among both soldiers and farmers, but it seems they often go missing.”
“Are you talking about those who were kidnapped before?”
When Larni asked, Shizuna sighed and nodded, “Yes.”
As the conversation paused, Sfenia looked at me and asked, “By the way, Soushi, do you think there’s something behind the appearance of these Golems?”
“There’s too little information to say for sure without going to the site. However, as you mentioned, Sfenia, there’s likely something more to it. If Mecalinan is behind this, simply unleashing unidentified monsters wouldn’t serve much purpose.”
“That’s true. If they intended to breach a fortress, they would deploy more forces. If there’s a possibility, it might be to frame someone, just like what happened at the Elf Village?”
“I wonder. It feels unlikely they would use the same tactic again… Shizuna, do you notice anything?”
“Provocations are a daily occurrence along the border with Mecalinan. They often send Undead to harass us or advance their troops nearby; they are always doing something.”
“So, this means Oz is being pushed into a war?”
“According to the High Priests, yes. Mecalinan has frequently faced famines and has long coveted Oz’s land. However, the fort along the border with Mecalinan is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Therefore, they likely want to provoke Oz into action.”
I see. Mecalinan wants to find a pretext to invade Oz, but since Oz has no diplomatic relations, they have no grounds to provoke. So, they resort to harassment, waiting for Oz to react. It sounds childish, but such exchanges can indeed happen between nations.
“So, this could be part of that provocation. Still, it feels a bit too extravagant for that.”
“Perhaps Mecalinan is getting serious about it?” Sfenia suggested, and Freinir looked at me with a worried expression.
“If they were serious, they wouldn’t use someone like ‘Mazero, the Necromancer’ behind the scenes; they would act openly. Considering that… it could be a diversion?”
“A diversion? Gathering attention at the border while doing something elsewhere?”
“That’s just a possibility. Well, the High Priestesses are likely keeping an eye on things, so let’s focus on subduing the Golems.”
As I wrapped up my thoughts, Mariane nodded and added, “For adventurers, achieving the request is the priority. However, Soushi, if ‘Mazero, the Necromancer’ is present at the scene, I would like to request that the guild apprehend him.”
“Why?”
“Mazero is also an adventurer. If he is involved in this incident, we must check the records of his Adventurer Card and take appropriate action. Of course, if he poses a threat as a bandit, we can eliminate him if necessary.”