Chapter 152
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Shifting Tides
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"What in the world has happened to Lord Lumen?!"
"Ahem..."
The top floor of the temple headquarters was sweltering. Cardinals bearing their titles raised their voices, heating up the conference room.
The main topic of discussion was none other than the Hero of Radiance, whose communications had gone silent. Officially, Lumen was under house arrest by imperial order, but everyone in the room knew the truth of his movements.
He had headed south to avenge the Fallen Lord and follow the Saintess's revelation. It had been nearly weeks since contact with Lord Lumen had been lost.
"Calm down for now. The Temple of Return hasn't activated, so Lord Lumen hasn't fallen in battle or anything..."
"You call that a joke? Two weeks! Two whole weeks for someone who said he was heading into a dungeon! What do you think that means?"
"Ahem. I'm just saying there's a chance he was captured alive..."
"Ha! Wouldn't that be even worse? If you have a brain, shut your trap before—"
"Enough!!"
As the cardinals' voices rose, the elderly man seated at the head of the table intervened in their argument.
The cardinals faltered momentarily, then turned their ire on the mediator—the Pope himself.
"Exactly, Your Holiness! What of the Saintess...? Didn't she head south with Lord Lumen?"
"Same situation. No contact."
"..."
Disappointment clouded the cardinals' faces at the Pope's words. It wasn't the intense reaction they'd had upon hearing of Lumen's disappearance. Just regret.
"Such a shame. This generation's Saintess had exceptional abilities..."
"Let's think positively. We gave her too much freedom because of those abilities, and she kept trying impulsive actions... Just look at this southern excursion."
"We need to manage the next Saintess more rigorously."
Words about the Saintess—God's proxy—that were chillingly cold, unbelievable for such a title.
Without knowing what had befallen the Saintess in the south, the cardinals casually dismissed her with a mere "shame" and were already planning how to handle the next one.
And no one called out that attitude. Or so it seemed.
"...But still, isn't treating the Saintess like that a bit much?"
"Hm?"
In the midst of casually treating the Saintess like a tool and discussing the next one's handling, one cardinal's eyes suddenly cleared. He voiced the complete opposite of the others.
"Your Eminence Ahram, what do you...?"
"...Hm? What did I say? Sorry about that. Must be fatigue. No, the Saintess is an entity that must be managed by the temple. That's right."
But it was fleeting. The cardinal's dazed eyes clouded over again, and he began echoing the others.
In the end, the Saintess's treatment was quickly decided, and their topic returned to the missing Lumen.
"If Lord Lumen truly fell, we're in dire straits. Especially in these chaotic times..."
"Indeed. And lately, reports say the demons across the continents have uniformly grown stronger..."
"Any dissection results?"
"Same as before. No clue why all demons are advancing uniformly."
"Tch... We need to increase live captures. More samples might reveal something..."
The cardinals' expressions darkened as they discussed the continental situation.
When the current Emperor abolished the dungeon maintenance policy and declared war on the demons anew, heroes and priests alike dreamed of a glorious future exterminating all demons.
The heroes' pent-up power after decades of the policy. Mighty 5-star heroes. Southern demons still recovering from the previous Emperor's achievements...
With all that aligned, they had hoped to end the long war against demons in their lifetime. But...
"Damn it... By the original plan, the northern front should be in stalemate by now...!"
"This is all because of Lord Lumen! The three 5-star heroes including him should have stabilized the north quickly...!"
Everything had gone awry.
Lumen's absence prolonged the northern front's deadlock. Heroes and knights dispatched everywhere struggled against unexpectedly powerful demons.
Now, preventing human losses was a blessing; extermination was a distant dream.
"Phew... At least we have the priests."
"This is all divine grace."
Yet hope remained.
As demons grew stronger, priests' powers uniformly advanced too—as if God bestowed extra grace to counter them.
"What of the investigation team to the south?"
"We sent an initial team, but western demons rampaging everywhere have delayed it."
"Phew... We'll handle Lord Lumen's absence once they return. Next item?"
"Lately, some newly awakened or greatly empowered priests show heretical signs..."
"And reports from the Hero of Deception in the east are delayed..."
The diligently proceeding cardinals overflowed with white holy power—subtly dimmer, yet mysteriously brighter than before.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
-Through the [Decompose] function...
"Phew. Done."
I stopped the [Grinder] and dusted off my hands. That finished decomposing all the holy relics bought at auction. I'd planned to set aside usable ones in case [Tool Designation] reactivated, but these were all too meh, so I scrapped them all.
'Though, a bit late to worry, but is grinding up holy relics like this okay?'
I'd done it away from Jeanne's eyes just in case, but now it hit me. They were useful, sure, but God's holy artifacts ground to dust? Back then, I needed points to survive, so no hesitation... but still.
Eh. Too late now?
"Master. Caught another one."
"Phew... Got it."
Just as I finished [Decompose] and paused to rest, demons patrolling outside rushed in with a report.
I clutched my throbbing head and followed my subordinate to the new prison.
"Release me, you vermin! How dare you lay hands on the mighty Grayfang of the Ashen Tribe...!!"
"Sigh..."
In the sturdy prison dwarves had specially reinforced, a gray-furred werewolf raged arrogantly despite his beating and capture.
"How many is this?"
"Sixth one."
"Phew..."
It had been days since Rene's warning of western demons prowling. Already six had come demanding the elves...
Acting like we held their property. Even captured by patrols, their attitudes stayed stiff.
"Master? Ha! A scrawny runt like you is the Dungeon Master? This dungeon's level is obvious..."
-Spurt!!
"Gah!!"
My ears hurt from listening, so I punched a hole in his gut with the [High-Pressure Cleaner]. For prisoner disposal, I asked Alfred, who looked exhausted delegating to subordinates.
"...Are all western demons like this?"
"Not all, but... probably similar."
"Still weird, no? We hid the 5-star hero kill due to fallout, but the 4-star one's spread decently?"
All recent visitors had identical attitudes.
Claiming southern demons, they started with disdain, boldly demanding elves who knew dryads. And all mocked me as scrawny on sight...
Even western demons shouldn't dismiss a dungeon that felled a 4-star hero so casually. What gave them such nerve?
"Hm... Probably two reasons."
"Two?"
"Yes. First, they're posers who didn't properly scout the south."
"Mm."
True. All intruders so far were weaklings. Excluding sleeping Erzsebet, even regular subordinates captured them without Dryna or Lilith stepping in.
"They probably pretended to seek dryads while planning to shake down the south."
"...Shake down?"
So, extortion?
'No wonder they demanded elves, then money if not.'
Probing for easy marks to fleece?
But hitting a dungeon solo? Brainless? Even weak southern dungeons...
"It works well. Some southern dungeons cower and pay even lone intruders."
".......For real?"
"Rarely, some represent western dungeons or packs. Or impersonate them. Southern demons fear even fakes."
For real.
I'd dismissed southern weakness as hype, but... how weak are they?
"Phew... Got the first. Second?"
"Testing waters."
"Testing?"
"As Master knows, dungeon merchants don't deal other dungeons' info. So demons' intel on each other is limited."
"Thus, to gather it, they toss in posers."
Patrol numbers? Races? Traps or barriers? How quick internal takedown?...
Tossing disposable fodder to gauge—all a long demon tradition.
"Tch... Elf sightings leaked, huh?"
"I think not quite."
"Hm?"
I'd assumed elves drew them, but Alfred differed.
"True, our elves know dryads best among races... but elves aren't just us. Plenty hide in forests continent-wide. Records exist too."
"Hm."
No need to fixate on elves for dryads?
"Then why target this place specifically? Not elves..."
"The forest... probably."
"Forest?"
The one outside? Half-burned post-hero fight, now elves and Dryga rapidly restoring...
"Yes. Dryga's grace and our elves' efforts recover it fast—impossible without. Naturally draws eyes."
...Damn. My mistake.
True. Quick recovery of half-charred forest points to dryad naturally.
I thought elves/high elves could pass it off... but speed was too much.
"Couldn't it be magic or special fertilizer?"
"Possible, but inefficient. Most suspect dryad first."
"Damn."
Headache. If true, dryad-seekers won't stop—increasingly stronger ones.
Not these posers, real threats.
'Need a solution...'
I could fight them now, no fear of loss. But endless foes drain resources. Might draw the Western Giant King's eye.
Tch... No way to rout them at once? Deter permanently...?