Episode 7: Two Clans
After that, we divided our roles. Sensei and I would continue the hunt for the Fog, while Ashley and Anon would head out to negotiate for defensive reinforcements.
“Is there any way to deal with the faint presence of these Fog creatures?”
Sensei and I had moved a bit away from the shrine. Just earlier, I had faced off against several Fog Beasts that had appeared, and I had just unleashed Rain to wipe them out.
“It seems that once we catch sight of them, dealing with them is easier than we thought.”
Sensei stood with his arms crossed, watching my battle from behind.
“This might be a miscalculation. Their presence is fainter than when I last saw them. It seems the Sealed Domain has also grown since then.”
In any case, the monsters that overflowed from the Sealed Domain had a faint presence. I wasn’t particularly bad at sensing presences, but reading the presence of those monsters was challenging. Because of that, Sensei had to accompany me every time.
“Wouldn’t it be better to leave them for a bit longer and then wipe them out all at once?”
“Hmm, no, that wouldn’t be wise. We once thought the same way and ended up failing. If we leave them for too long, the Fog Beasts will start exhibiting the same properties as those currently sealed in the shrine. In other words, they will act as a token to ‘increase the Fog here.’
Then the Fog Beasts will begin to multiply from that point. If we continue to leave them, overlapping areas of influence from the tokens will occur.”
“What happens if they overlap?”
I swallowed hard, imagining something unpleasant.
“As you might expect, the speed of their multiplication will increase exponentially. The tokens will transform into Generators, explosively producing Fog. This is not a metaphor; they will literally multiply exponentially.”
And so, Sensei concluded, “We must eradicate them the moment they appear.”
The transformation of the Fog Beasts. From Fog to Token, and from Token to Generator. In short, we had to eliminate the Fog while they still appeared as Fog.
That meant we needed someone with the ability to sense the presence of the Fog. To take down the Fog, which was said to multiply rapidly with the cracks in the seal, we undoubtedly needed personnel who could read their presence. I would request Anon and Ashley, who were busy gathering defensive forces, to help with that.
We continued to steadily eliminate the Fog for several days. Then, Anon and Ashley, who had not shown up for a while, returned to the mansion. After a few days, we shared a meal together.
“I spoke with the Guild Master and Lord Bordaf.”
Anon’s voice had a somewhat somber tone.
“Lord Bordaf knows about the seal. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t informed, considering how close the town is to the seal. Having the Holy Knight Ashley beside me likely added credibility to the situation. He might have already heard about the blunders of the Hero Party. For that reason, Lord Bordaf agreed to send his private soldiers. Of course, all expenses will be covered by him.”
Ashley, perhaps hungry, left all the explanations to Anon and was busy shoveling steak into his mouth.
“That’s reassuring.”
I couldn’t help but express my joy.
“But I don’t think the Lord’s private soldiers will be enough.”
So, Anon continued, “Along with the Lord, I asked the Guild Master of Bordaf to conduct a large-scale recruitment of Seekers. As a result, the names of the well-known clan, Bienetta, and the mercenary corps, Berserga, came up.”
“What about their strength and numbers?”
“Both are S-rank clans. They have no complaints regarding strength or numbers. If they help us with this matter, things will go quite smoothly. However, Berserga is a bit pricey, and they agreed to deploy only if certain conditions are met. It seems that Bienetta is hesitant to send out Seekers.”
“Are there no other potential forces besides Bienetta?”
Forcing someone to help could lead to half-hearted efforts, which would be detrimental. In this situation, even a single oversight could be fatal. If Bienetta was not enthusiastic and would provide only half-hearted support, it might be better to look for another clan altogether—
“There are others, but there’s a reason I approached these two clans for support.”
“A reason?”
“Yes. Berserga possesses a large number of Eagle Dragons. You rode one when you came here, right? That was rented from Berserga’s Eagle Dragon rental division.”
“I see, so you’re counting on them not just for strength but also for transportation.”
“Exactly. As for Bienetta, they have many members with advanced Presence Detection Skills. That’s why I want to enlist their help for this matter.”
After that, Anon shared more about Bienetta. They had a motto of ‘no overexertion, no recklessness, always ensure a safety margin,’ and they had nurtured their members with care. According to Anon, this was likely why they didn’t want to involve their important members in such a mysterious situation.
“Is money not enough to persuade them?”
Anon nodded solemnly.
“Yes, both the Lord and I tried to persuade them with money, but they refused. They said, ‘No matter how much you offer, we cannot assist this time.'”
Before they could help, it would likely become a situation where they had no choice but to assist when the time came. Anon must have informed them of this as well.
There exists a phenomenon known as Normalcy Bias. Even when a major disaster occurs, people tend to think, ‘It won’t happen to me,’ or ‘Nothing has happened so far, so nothing will happen in the future.’ This unfounded preconception is what we call Normalcy Bias. Because of this, many people make poor judgments in life-threatening situations, leading to catastrophic outcomes.
“I could force them to comply instead of asking nicely, but…”
That sounded illegal, so I rejected the idea.
“Hey, come on. Let’s keep it peaceful. No violence. That’s my motto.”
“That’s quite a clean motto for someone who once broke the limbs of a kidnapper and left them behind. I could almost cry.”
“Why do you say that?”
I felt a crushing sense of powerlessness, like when I lost an argument on social media. I was utterly helpless…
“My apologies, just a joke… What’s with that expression? Oh, I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…”
Thanks to Anon’s attempts to cheer me up with phrases like “Cheer up!” and “I’m counting on you, Dungeon Breaker,” I finally managed to recover.
Now, back to the topic.
“Let’s return to the matter at hand. You don’t need to worry. My specialty is being an Information Broker. Even the most pristine White Clan like Bienetta has weaknesses. Of course, they may not engage in any wrongdoing, but if I trace their family ties, they’ll quickly become my puppets.”
I felt like there was some outrageous ruby being thrown around here!!
“No way! I oppose that! I don’t like the idea of forcing them to comply! But using information might be a good idea! How about this—what are the current troubles or desires of the Clan Master of Bienetta and the other executives?”
Anon lifted her head. Though hidden by her hood, she seemed to have had a sudden realization.
“The Clan Master of Bienetta has a younger brother who is suffering from an unidentified illness. It seems he doesn’t have much time left. I’ve heard that the Clan Master is desperately trying to find a way to heal him.”
Hearing that, I understood what Anon was thinking.
“If Sensei, who healed Ashley, could help, then maybe there’s a chance—right?”
“Exactly,” Anon nodded.
“Then let’s not waste any time. Take me and Sensei to the headquarters of Bienetta.”
“That’s fine. But what will you do if Sensei fails? They’re desperately searching for a way to help your brother. If you just show up and say, ‘It was impossible after all☆,’ it won’t end well.”
“No, that’s not a problem.”
I’ve cleared the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinth multiple times for nothing. I have a trick or two up my sleeve. Even if I have to use one of those tricks, well, it won’t be an issue. This isn’t bravado; it’s just how it is.
Just then, a roar echoed through the mansion.
“GRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!!”
It wasn’t just one or two; it was an overwhelming number of dragon roars. The air felt like it was trembling. We couldn’t withstand the deafening sound and covered our ears. After a minute or two, as the noise began to subside, I cautiously removed my hands from my ears, only to be met with—
“OOOHHHHH!!! I’VE COME FOR YOUUUUUU!!!!”
A terrifyingly fierce bellow shook my eardrums.
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