Translator: AkazaTL
Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
Chapter 128 : Variable
Tshhhhh.
The smoke rising from the culture dium that had finished its processing filled the laboratory.
The green smoke, mixed with the blue light pouring from the ceiling, blurred the vision like a haze.
“Since this much seems finished, go ahead and deliver it. This is a specially refined version, so the effect will be more certain than the last one.”
However, the hand movents of the boy with navy hair standing in the middle of the haze were clear.
“And don’t forget to tell those fellows to record the logs ticulously.”
“Of course.”
“Anyway, the Duke of Esper Kingdom... His na was Gi… Gil...”
“It’s Gilmore McBride.”
“Ah, that’s right. That person must have a quite impatient personality? Seeing as he is already requesting additional supplies when we sent him that much last ti.”
“In my view, he did not seem like a person with such an impatient disposition.”
“Is that so? Then the sweet water coming from Veradora must be very sweet. For a gentleman who isn't even impatient to stick a straw in and suck it up so hurriedly like this.”
In the hands of Zephyros, who was giggling while covering his mouth, was a piece of World Tree bark, similar to the one I, Hein Reichart, received from Eos previously.
It had already been two years since Chimaeranus, the research institute directly under the imperial family managed by Zephyros Madkit and supervised by the 4th Prince Suleiman Tercios, had supplied the culture dium to Gilmore.
For the past two years, Gilmore had been steadily discharging this culture dium into the interior of Veradora.
“Well, for our part, as long as we can obtain test data, we are satisfied with that.”
As a result of this steady act of contamination, the World Tree that protected Veradora was gradually losing its power.
No matter how sturdy the World Tree was, having endured thousands of years, it could not withstand the malice of the Chimaeranus-made special culture dium.
“Hmm, if a little more ti passes, it seems it will reach a point where it is completely irreversible……”
From the expression of Zephyros as he spoke of the complete destruction of the World Tree, not even a shred of guilt could be found.
To him, who looked at the world with eyes distinctly different from ordinary people, the World Tree was ultimately nothing more than a combination of interesting data and numbers.
‘This year will be the last ti I get to play with this. Ah, what should I play with next year?’
When Zephyros was lost in thought while looking for another toy to soothe his boredom.
“Chief Head, I have sothing urgent to tell you.”
A man with a particularly pale impression wearing a gown approached him.
“Everyone else, please leave now. We have sothing to talk about quietly.”
This pale man's na was Belenin.
He was one of the few individuals who knew, even if only vaguely, about Zephyros’s roots.
“I heard that the Great Temple of Kaltuara was completely destroyed last night.”
“……How was it destroyed? Tell more specifically.”
“According to what has been identified so far, a large fire broke out and turned the temple, which was already nearly half in ruins, into a pile of ash. Judging by the progression of the fire, it is estimated not to be spontaneous combustion. I will report again as soon as the detailed cause is revealed.”
Belenin submitted the report urgently, thinking inwardly that Zephyros would show great interest in this incident.
However,
“That’s enough. I won’t stop you if you particularly want to investigate, Sir Belenin, but there is no need to report to separately. Handle it yourself.”
Zephyros was distinctly different from his expectations.
“……Will you really be okay?”
“Yes. I already stole all the necessary information a long ti ago anyway. Whether that gloomy place becos ash or whatever is none of my business, right?”
Zephyros shrugged his shoulders with a relaxed expression.
Actually, those words were a half-truth.
As he just said, it was true that he had already secured what was necessary from the sanctuary of Kaltuara.
But besides that, that place held a special aning for Zephyros.
‘Salvation…… does not…… exist…… in this world…….’
The pain he felt during his childhood.
It served as a purpose to reaffirm the determination he made back then.
But that too was an old story now.
‘Even without mories of the past, I’ve found it fun enough to play with this world now.’
Zephyros, smiling while his milky-white cheeks bobbed, looked as pure as an angel.
Glug-glug.
Soon, Zephyros’s laboratory was filled with the sound of him ‘making this world a little more interesting’.
***
“So, how do you think it will turn out?”
“Hmm, for now, it’s not bad.”
At the question from Hein Reichart, asking about the progress, Sherazade nodded with a cautious expression.
And with a truly serious expression, after checking the state of the butter lting on top of the at, she spoke.
“But I think it would be better if the surface was grilled a bit more crisply. Master, shall I put in so more brushwood?”
“……I’m not talking about the at. You know what I asked of you before. Do you think you can, well, save it?”
“Ah, were you talking about that tree? Sorry, sorry.”
Sherazade, who had been focusing all her nerves on the at while crouching with her knees together, took out the piece of the World Tree with an ‘Ah, that’ expression.
“It seems the condition has improved. Master, do you want to see for yourself?”
I nodded after carefully examining the World Tree bark.
The bark that was crumbly when I first saw it now had a noticeable luster.
“What thod did you use?”
“There wasn’t much else; I just tied that piece of wood and the pendant where the babies are resting together for two hours a day.”
It regained its vitality just by being placed nearby?
If so, it seed my judgnt in choosing spirit power as the thod to treat the World Tree was not wrong.
‘As expected, it seems Scada used this to treat it.’
The sche to make the World Tree ill had also been carried out in my past life.
The one who led the sche back then was Suleiman.
If he was the one leading this sche as well, the work could proceed more easily than expected.
Because there was no way that I, now, could not treat the World Tree that Scada, who used the power of the magic armor incompletely, had treated.
However…….
‘Zephyros.’
In the current Suleiman faction, there exists a variable that did not exist in my past life.
That fact made my head ache.
Ultimately, the fact that the Empire attempted a sche against the World Tree using a nation near Veradora is the sa as my past life.
However, both I and the Empire possess variables that did not exist in the past.
‘Depending on who exerts a greater influence on the situation, Sherazade or Zephyros, the result may vary.’
Clatter.
“……♫♪”
I pushed my plate toward Sherazade, who was repeatedly bringing her fork to her mouth while humming.
“No, I’m fine. Master should eat too.”
Seeing my plate which was practically new, unlike hers which was almost showing the bottom, Sherazade waved her hand.
“I’ve eaten enough. And I don’t originally like rabbit at.”
“……Really? Are you sure you don’t like it?”
Sherazade asked the question cautiously with her fork in her mouth.
I answered instead by picking up bread and spreading jam on it.
“Thank you! Aah!”
Sherazade chewed with her lips moving, making an expression that would make even the observer happy.
“……Eat a lot. Since it seems there will be many things you have to do.”
“Huh? What did you say just now?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
While stuffing the bread ticulously spread with grape jam into my mouth, I turned my gaze south.
Before I knew it, the border area of Veradora and Esper was approaching close at hand.
***
“Master, there’s no one on this side! How about there?”
“It’s the sa.”
I answered while erging from a mobile tent decorated with colorful leather and cloth.
This was the third village we encountered since entering the Veradora territory early this morning.
The colors and shapes varied slightly, but these three places had one thing in common.
“This is already the third ti. Leaving the houses as they are, where did all the villagers go?”
It was the fact that the entire village was completely empty without a single inhabitant.
‘Looking at the style of the tents, it’s a village of a Watub-affiliated tribe. Of all people, the children of Watub even left their tents behind and went sowhere?’
Veradora was a kingdom composed of other races.
Therefore, among the other races forming the kingdom, there were many who adhered to lifestyles distinctly different from the humans of the continent.
The Watub were a nomadic race that lived a mobile life, and they were the greatest experts on the continent when it ca to moving their entire residence.
Yet such Watub had emptied the village while leaving behind even the tents, which could be considered the foundation of their life?
If so, the aning of this fact was one of two things.
Either they didn’t go far and intended to return to the village soon, or-
‘They had to flee so hurriedly that they didn't even have ti to pack their tents. Seeing as three villages in a row are like this, the latter is more likely……’
If so, in the territory of Veradora, what was the reason the residents of Veradora were terrified?
Rustle!
Fortunately, it did not take very long until the identity of that ‘reason’ was revealed.
“Kyaah!”
I instantly grabbed Sherazade’s wrist and pulled her behind my back, then turned my body toward the direction the sound was heard.
“……R-Run away!”
The one that appeared was a girl of another race who looked like she might have just turned ten.
Judging by her dark brown skin and the two cute horns sprouting on both sides of her forehead, she was clearly a mber of the Watub.
“Huff, huff. H-Hurry and run away.”
However, the girl who was repeatedly telling us to run away had a very shabby appearance.
Her arms and legs were full of wounds and her clothes were falling apart.
Her limbs were trembling, and her eyes were shaking, lost in fear.
“What to do, what to do!”
The girl, looking for a place to hide, almost crawled inside a tent to hide herself.
However…….
Whish!
“Kyaah!”
A hook that suddenly appeared in the air caught on the girl’s neck.
The girl scread with a face turned pale.
“Where do you think you’re running, you wench!”
Soon after, the owners of the hook appeared.
With weapons held in both hands, leather clothes, and all too familiar hooking skills.
Even without seeing their fierce expressions and vulgar speech, it was not difficult to guess their identity.
‘Slave traders all the way here? To what extent has the public security of Veradora been ruined?’
Around that ti I was scanning the surroundings to understand a situation that was not common sense at all.
“S-Save . Please!”
The girl with the hook caught on her neck knelt on the spot and begged the slave trader.
Judging by her expression dyed in despair beyond fear, it was not difficult to guess what kind of treatnt the girl had received from them.
“This damn wench, bothering people? Let’s see if you can run away again even after your skin is torn apart by this whip……!”
At that mont,
The man who held the snare and appeared to be the leader of the slave traders finally hardened his expression as if he had discovered and Sherazade.
“What are you doing! Since those two also saw this…… Wait, capture the woman alive.”
The slave trader leader’s thoughts were not long.
Having made a decision on how to handle my group, he imdiately issued an order,
“Hehe, boss. Are you planning to present that wench to the commander too?”
A man of short stature with uniquely slit eyes asked the leader in a secretive voice.
“Don’t do that, let’s have that one ourselves. Even if we present it to that guy, a top-grade product like that won't even reach our turn. Right?”
Just what ‘turn’ were they talking about?
The man with slit eyes had a talent for making the entire surrounding air vulgar with the single common word ‘turn’.
“…….”
When the leader, who heard those words, fell into thought over the problem of handling the blue-haired ‘highest top-grade product’ in front of him,
Swish!
A sharp sound of breaking air was heard.
The snare rope that was strangling the neck of the girl of another race was cut as it was.
“Kyaah!”
The girl, who lost her balance due to the sudden shift in force, fell forward as she was.
“…….”
I, who caught the falling girl as she was, searched the girl’s body with agile hand movents.
Then, after confirming that there were no dangerous items anywhere, I imdiately handed the girl over to Sherazade behind my back.
“Go inside that tent with this kid.”
Judging by the state of their armant or the skill in throwing the snare, they did not seem like guys without any skill at all.
The number of slave traders who revealed themselves was twelve.
Considering the fact that they usually form a team of 25 to 30 people, the following group would arrive here soon.
In a short mont, even before the leader realized the fact that the snare rope had been cut.
I had already finished the calculations.
And I spoke to Sherazade in a calm voice.
“Don’t ever co outside until I say it’s okay to co out.”
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