The Journey to the Empire (Part 2)
Fett’s suggestion.
The master’s research and his astonishing invention.
Throughout her days, Lacitea had been activating ice magic, but now she finally understood everything was real.
She let out a sigh of admiration.
Reproducing artificial sounds. How incredibly difficult.
The sound bomb invented in Fett’s workshop proved his exceptional skill.
She was not disappointed that they could not defeat the Snake God. Ordinary humans were no match for such a being anyway.
Dealing with mutated monsters alone would suffice.
The mutated creatures had devastated the ecosystem near the city. If left unchecked, the situation would only worsen.
Lacitea was shaken by Fett’s proposal.
At that exact moment, Sorap interrupted.
“To barge in at the most critical moment… how very rude.”
Fett muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated.
Sorap ignored him completely and turned to the leader.
“My apologies for the intrusion during your discussion. However, the situation is urgent.”
“…Depending on the context, it may vary. Please explain.”
Even as lieutenant, interrupting a private audience was improper.
Lacitea gave him a slightly reprimanding look.
Though she had anticipated this, Sorap showed no sign of backing down.
“Before I explain, you should see this.”
He pulled out an organ.
When he placed it on the workshop desk, both women’s attention focused on it.
“This is…?”
“It resembles a precious gem casket.”
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary metal box.
Yet it was impossible for such a simple object to interrupt the leader’s audience.
Every eye demanded a detailed explanation.
Sorap started the device without a word.
A slow, haunting melody began to resonate.
Fett and Lacitea, who had looked puzzled, suddenly widened their eyes in shock.
Silence descended.
No one spoke while the music continued to echo through the room for a long time.
Thud!
Sorap stopped the device.
Only then did the room regain its liveliness, as if awakening from a dream.
“It is truly beautiful…”
Lacitea murmured, still dazed.
A melody that felt like nature itself, yet one where light and darkness coexisted.
She could briefly forget the harsh reality.
Memories of days when she had run and played carefree, with her father smiling kindly, flashed through her mind.
“What… what is this… How is it even possible…?”
Meanwhile, Fett was astonished.
Instead of appreciating the beauty, he was analyzing the organ, the result of years working under the obsessive Agnatz and developing a high threshold for stimulation.
Even Lacitea, who had been swayed by the melody, soon realized this object was impossible.
Naturally, both turned their gaze to the only person who could possibly hold the answer.
“This item is called an organ.”
“An organ…”
“The wise leader would immediately recognize the true value of an organ. It is not the time for even a single researcher to covet it.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
Fett snapped.
“A single researcher?! I am the disciple of Agnatz and a mid-level researcher who has produced countless results. I am no mere researcher, and this is no invention unworthy of respect!”
“Leader, do you know the potential of an organ?”
Sorap continued without a care, staring at Lacitea. She touched her lips, lost in thought.
The line of reasoning Sorap had used when he first showed her the organ was now replaying in her mind.
This… is a treasure.
She had never heard of or seen anything like this before.
Unless another item existed, it would become a powerful card. It could instantly elevate the family’s standing.
If used skillfully, it could forge connections with nobles across the continent and even fetch enormous sums if sold.
Even as research material, it held equal or superior value to Agnatz himself.
“The mutated monsters are a grave problem, but we do not need to contract with such an unbelievable being. With the organ, we will obtain sufficient power to rescue the monsters.”
He was right.
Even without wisdom, one could gather large mercenary forces by selling it at a high price.
Fett, sensing danger, stepped forward.
“That is not the case. That… that object is certainly amazing, but using it that way would result in enormous losses. The sound bomb is a revolutionary tool against mutated monsters. It is not comparable to mercenaries!”
“Your invention only produces an effect for an instant.”
“Precisely. Unfortunately, that is the limit. So? I can swear there is no tool in the continent that targets mutated monsters except the one I created.”
“This organ can operate indefinitely. What if its effect matches yours?”
Fett laughed as if he found it absurd.
“Haha… no way. Did you not hear my explanation? Mutated monsters only respond to ‘specific sounds.’ Of course, the organ’s music does carry the scent of nature, but music is not reality. That is impossible.”
“That may be true. But possibilities exist. So, leader, postpone the decision.”
Sorap also believed the organ had little chance of affecting monsters.
It was merely an excuse to delay the contract.
Now the Crase family’s position was precarious, and they had nothing worthwhile to offer.
Fett could push hard, but if time was bought, conditions could still be negotiated even if the contract was signed.
The perceptive Lacitea immediately understood his intent.
“That is right. Experiment with the organ first, then we can discuss the contract again. Shall we postpone it?”
“Leader, you say postpone? It is not up to your discretion…”
“However, Sorap, where did this object come from?”
The family head of Crase and a disciple of Agnatz were both high-ranking figures. What kind of treasure would suddenly surface from them?
Sorap recalled Quillere.
“She is quite an enigmatic person, so I have no information… but the woman heading toward the empire possessed it. It seems she used it in place of currency.”
“A woman?”
“She had dazzling blue-white hair and wore clothing rarely seen. She may have come from a distant kingdom…”
“Wait, what?”
Lacitea was startled by the word “dazzling”, which did not suit Sorap’s usual tone.
Before she could react, Fett opened his eyes wide.
“Could it be a woman in exotic white clothes with a cold expression?”
“Oh… so someone else knew as well.”
Sorap’s eyes sparkled.
This was the first proper reaction from him, but Fett could not accept it.
“Was it not a mirage…?”
He murmured dazedly and then made a fresh proposal.
“She is certainly a mysterious woman. My intuition is warning me to investigate her. Very well, we postpone the contract. But under the condition that I ‘cooperate’ in investigating her.”
Cooperation meant sharing any information discovered. Sorap frowned.
Perhaps information about her was even rarer than the Snake God.
But the final decision rested with his lord, the leader.
When he looked at Lacitea, the woman who had felt excluded raised her eyes in question.
“…Who exactly is that person?”
“I am a member of the adventurer guild, and this is my colleague. Perhaps you will travel together…”
“No.”
“The clothing is quite distinctive. May I ask where you are from…?”
“No.”
“I fell in love at first sight! Could you be lovers…?”
“Move.”
Anasha was indeed well-versed in geography.
Despite being hastily assembled, the journey proceeded smoothly. Once outside the city, with a sense of relief, many people tried to start conversations with her.
All of them she cut off like a blade.
It was the birth of the hated setting.
The harsh tone was so chilling that it even sent a chill down her spine. The few who had the courage to speak fell silent, their faces pale.
In the end, no one spoke to her again.
She walked alone, keeping a little distance from the group, lost in her own thoughts. This way was actually better.
The sun was beginning to set.
“Hello, now I can introduce myself. My name is Anasha Sheril.”
Anasha approached, sensing her unease as a lone traveler.
She responded to the natural greeting with a blunt reply.
“Quillere.”
An unconscious coldness seeped through.
It was an uncontrollable part of her.
Most people would consider this attitude rude on first meeting.
Anasha did not avoid the gaze.
Instead, she smiled faintly.
“I have not seen your face in the city. Did you arrive recently?”
The mage lady seemed to have some social experience. It was slightly unfair to her.
No matter how she responded, her attitude would never change.
“Do you know everyone in that small city?”
A cold tone.
This time a hint of sharpness was added.
Anasha turned her head for a moment, then faced her again with a small smile.
“A face that cannot be forgotten in one glance.”
Though she looked relaxed, the corners of her mouth trembled slightly.
It was not unaffected by her.
So why did she insist on continuing the conversation?
She was the most popular member of the group. Besides being the leader, it was largely due to her personality.
Bright, confident, and kind to others. She carried dignity.
Perhaps she genuinely wanted to help her because she seemed too kind.
Since she did not seem like someone who would turn away, she would give it her best effort.
“I arrived today and will leave today.”
“Why?”
“Because I must go to the empire.”
Anasha did not ask for further details.
She changed the subject with a bright tone.
“Then, you have not seen the Snake God rumored to be terrorizing the city? That would be fortunate.”
“No, I have seen it.”
The overwhelming presence that could crush stone buildings was still vivid. But what was there to be fortunate about?
When she inquired, Anasha laughed mischievously.
“It is frightening. If you saw it and developed trauma, what then? It is a pity that you did.”
She was an amazing woman.
To casually joke with someone who had an iron wall personality.
Soon Anasha leaned in and whispered softly.
“How do we catch such a thing? I suggested eradicating it in the empire, but honestly the prospects are slim.”
She chuckled as if sharing a secret, but the words were true.
The Snake God was no laughing matter.
Unlike in the player days, it was now a genuine monster. The fact that even the Snake God, one of the lesser gods, had seized the city single-handedly answered everything.
If she were Hero Class, maybe. But not even at the criminal level.
Of course, she… knew a way.
“It can be caught.”
“…What?”
The thought slipped out before she could stop it.
Anasha asked, but she pretended not to notice.
In reality, it was impossible with the Snow Woman’s specs.
If the match-up was bad, even normal monsters could not be defeated. A lesser god was an extreme natural enemy.
But for the Snake God, it was possible.
Provided she had one artifact.
Artifacts were special items not listed on the grade table, obtained by exploring various ruins, unlike obelisks.
Each had unique performance and value.
One of the keywords she personally considered important. The utility was limitless.
Some ruins were difficult, and raw strength might not suffice, but at the thousand-year mark, many untouched ruins still existed.
Whether she could reach them was another question, but anyway.
It would be a good preparation for the worst-case scenario.
If she came near an unknown ruin, she would obtain an artifact. Even if it was not the necessary one, she would not go after the Snake God with her single life on the line.
It was simply insurance.
“Um, what does that mean…?”
“Anasha.”
A man interrupted Anasha.
“The sun has completely set. Should we not prepare for the night camp?”
“…Ah, yes. That is right.”
Anasha nodded slightly and moved toward the center of the group. She followed quietly.
“Damn it, no way.”
“It would take a lifetime to light a fire with branches.”
“Is there really no one who brought flint?”
The group was troubled on the open ground surrounded by suitable bushes.
They seemed unable to start a bonfire. One member turned to Anasha with a smile.
“Oh, Anasha! Have you learned fire magic? Then we could make a bonfire…”
The expectation toward the mage was clear, but the party member’s expression darkened.
“Sorry. My specialty is wind magic, so fire magic…”
“Ah, I see… Never mind, it cannot be helped.”
What now…?
They continued discussing while surrounded by branches. It would take too long, so she decided to help.
Of course, she could not use fire magic either.
Setting that aside, the Snow Woman could never handle the fire attribute. But she had a multiversal bag.
She opened her tote bag and took out an item.
Various items selected for every situation.
The fire kit was one of them.
She held up a red rod toward the center. All eyes turned to her. She did not need to strike it.
She simply swung it toward the firewood pile.
Whoosh-!
The fire ignited.
“…”
The flickering flames left the people dumbfounded.
She struck first before they could complain.
“We should also take turns on watch duty.”
She declared it casually.
“I will handle it.”
Then she turned her back.
Countless gazes followed her, but she paid them no attention.
It was not kindness or goodwill.
It was simply because she did not need sleep, so she created a sense of duty by staying awake.
She stopped in front of the shaded mountain. She contemplated while gazing at the natural scenery.
After a while, she took out a map.
“We need to split here.”
Surprisingly, Anasha’s leadership ability was outstanding.
She was proficient in geography and excellent at command, so the march was very fast. They arrived earlier than expected.
She looked up at one side.
The River Hai lay in a straight line on that side.
She could reach the empire by following the river with ease.
But Anasha’s group would move to the opposite side of the river. They could not use her method.
That would not do.
It would take far longer, and she would have to sit on a cushion the whole way.
So, she would leave the group tomorrow as planned.
“Tomorrow morning.”
She would take the night watch duty as promised.
If she simply disappeared, it would be rude.
She would explain the situation roughly tomorrow and part ways cleanly.
“Huh?”
When she reached the conclusion, an odd noise rang out.
Sasak- The sound of cutting grass.
She snapped to attention. It came from all directions and was disturbingly loud. Her vision caught it moving.
“Kyaaah!”
A scream echoed.
She turned her head in surprise and saw the scene.
By the light of the bonfire, a crowd had gathered.
Black snakes pouring into that only brightly lit area.
Only then did she realize.
They were surrounded by a terrifyingly large number of black snakes.