Chapter 97
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Returning Home
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After mercilessly bursting even the human who had been holding out against her attacks for a moment longer thanks to the power of his aura, Aqua wore a refreshed expression for a brief while before sensing something and furrowing her brow.
"Whiiing...."
"Hah! Heuk!"
Among the heroes swept away by the tsunami, one with a frail impression was the only survivor, gasping for breath inside a pristine white barrier.
Holy Relic - Rahula.
Its ability created an absolute barrier that could only be activated once every 24 hours. The barrier was so narrow it could hold just one person, and while it lasted, the person inside couldn't intervene with the outside world either—but in exchange, it boasted the utmost durability.
Mental attacks, curse energy, holy power wielded by fellow humans, forces emitted from other holy relics... No matter the assault, Rahula blocked them all.
The moment he witnessed the tsunami, the hero had reflexively deployed Rahula's barrier. Now, he watched his comrades die in one gruesome fashion after another, plunging him into overwhelming terror.
"Ah.... Aaa....!"
"Whiiiing..."
Though adorable sounds like a baby's babbling leaked out, to the hero's eyes, Aqua looked like a demon risen straight from hell. Water magic users and beings who manipulated water itself weren't uncommon—but pouring massive volumes of water into someone's insides and bursting them apart? Unheard of.
-Srrrrk...
'No, not yet!'
While he drowned in despair, the barrier protecting him began to fade bit by bit. Rahula's protection was absolute, but its duration was woefully short.
The instant this barrier vanished, his life would end too.
"Please... O God. Grant me a sliver of mercy. Save me from this vile evil...!"
While praying frantically, the hero avoided eye contact with the siren curiously tapping at his barrier.
"Whing!"
And as the barrier, which had remained unscathed even against repeated water blasts, grew steadily fainter, Aqua—perceiving it wouldn't hold much longer—prepared her attack to slaughter the hero the moment it shattered.
-Kwarrrrk!!
Once more, every drop of water in the vast lake surged upward. Witnessing the scene—like nature's wrath incarnate—the hero desperately cried out to his god.
And finally, the flickering barrier melted away like wax.
"Ah, aaaaaah...!!"
-Kwarrrrk!!
The moment the despairing hero squeezed his eyes shut.
The [Employee Dispatch] time has ended.
"........?"
No matter how tightly he kept his eyes shut, the awaited impact never came.
'Did I die so fast I didn't even feel pain? Is this heaven?'
As no sounds reached him and no pain came no matter how long he waited, the hero cautiously cracked his eyes open.
"...What? Wh-where...?"
But the siren who had been unleashing her fury just moments ago had vanished in an instant. The still-rippling lake waters and the mutilated corpses of his comrades proved it hadn't been a dream.
-Rustle. Rustle.
"Eek!"
Dazedly grasping the reality, the hero spotted the bushes shaking and the lakeside waters churning anew—prompting him to bolt away in terror.
'I have to tell them! I have to report this!'p>
That a monster lurked in the south!!
"Whing?"
"Good thing. It returns automatically after the time's up."
Aqua, poised to deliver the finishing blow, blinked in confusion as the scenery around her abruptly shifted. Then, a familiar male voice—one she'd heard recently—rang in her ears.
"Whing!"
The [Rage] status has been released.
The instant she heard that voice, Aqua transformed from the merciless human-slayer of moments ago into an unbelievably meek and gentle demeanor, rubbing up against the direction the voice came from.
"Whing whing. Whiiiing."
She even tried explaining the scenes she'd witnessed to the good-smelling half-breed man.
"....Yeah, yeah. Got it."
'What the heck is she saying?'
Of course, Eugene couldn't understand a word of Aqua's chatter.
"Well, no problems seem to have cropped up, so that's a relief."
He simply breathed a sigh of relief that Aqua—dispatched to an unfamiliar place by his own mistake—had returned unscathed.
'I mean, just a little over three hours. And it wasn't some weird distant spot; she just splashed down in a lake nearby.'
If anything had gone wrong in that time, that would've been the real surprise.
"Whing?"
Thankfully, after sending the problem-free(?) Aqua back to the lakeside, I recalled a few facts I'd learned while frantically tinkering with the system during her dispatch, trying to get her back.
1. There's no limit to the number of employees you can dispatch at once. You can send just one, like Aqua this time, or every registered employee in a single go.
'But the [Employee Dispatch] cooldown scales with the number dispatched, right?'
I thought as I swept aside the system message stating I now needed a 24-hour reuse wait after Aqua's return. From the description, it seemed like 24 hours per dispatched employee.
2. Dispatched employees stay in the dispatch area for a minimum of 1 hour up to 5 hours, then auto-return when time expires.
'Did she return after 3 hours because that's the default? Better set it to 1 hour for now, just in case.'
If there were no auto-return, I'd have had to send elves or Erzsebet to retrieve Aqua abandoned at the lakeside. Dodged that bullet. And next...
3. Dispatched employees can earn points.
'....Why'd so many points come rolling in?'
I'd dispatched registered [Employees] outside before. Like when Erzsebet single-handedly demolished the alliance.
But back then, while she was out, I got zero points from her.
'She absorbed all that enemy blood spilled in combat, which should count as cleaning in its own way.'
Similarly, the [Robot Vacuum] outside earned no points. Probably can't earn outside the [Cleaning Zone].
But Aqua, dispatched via [Employee Dispatch], had brought in a massive haul.
'....But did she even clean anything? Why so many points?'
What, did she do some massive water cleanup somewhere? Thousands poured in suddenly—I was shocked. Aqua just got dropped outside; no way she found something point-worthy to do.
'She was still holding the cleaning tools I gave her—maybe she tidied up the lake outside too?'
I just assumed the nearby lake by the ruins was filthy enough and moved on.
Man, it's frustrating though. They give me a function to freely send folks outside, but I still can't go myself? Why not me?
-Thud. Thud.
As I lamented my confinement, I spotted Pandora leading the cursed soldiers outside.
'She said she'd station some cursed soldiers in the minor demons' villages?'
The numerous minor demons who'd visited earlier. They'd refused direct entry as subordinates to the ruins, but after sending Alfred to negotiate, I'd permitted some to build a village nearby.
In exchange, they'd offer periodic tribute to the dungeon... er, this ruin.
'To collect tribute, I gotta guarantee their safety to some degree.'
If their village got smashed, no tribute either. Thus, stationing some forces from the ruins—especially the 'cursed soldiers' from the wrecked alliance.
"Pandora. You're sure those guys listen to you?"
"Yesss. They do. It's safe. Guaranteed. No killing needed. They won't show up anymore..."
"Got it, enough."
I calmed Pandora, who compulsively chanted 'safe' upon hearing my question. She'd overcome the curse soldiers' curse, but as a former bearer, she'd gained partial control from the 'Garden of Curses' Dungeon Master.
But with that Dungeon Master smashed by Erzsebet, their top command now fell to Pandora. Thanks to that, our resident forces had swelled without needing Erzsebet's bloodkin conversion, so we could spare some for the minor demons' village.
-Bow.
"Hm. They know manners, at least."
Some of the cursed soldiers heading out under Pandora's lead bowed deeply to Erzsebet. As if expressing profound gratitude.
"Erzsebet. What'd you do to make them act like that?"
"They simply recognized my nobility."
"Quit joking."
Those cursed soldiers—neither fully alive nor dead—ignored everyone but their commander Pandora, standing like dolls. Yet they always bowed to Erzsebet in thanks whenever passing.
"Hm. Joking aside, isn't it because I slew their creator? Even curse-tainted souls retain some gratitude toward that existence."
"That so?"
Talk of curses and souls was alien to me, so I nodded along vaguely. Point was, stationing troops and securing steady tribute would make my ruins wealthier than ever.
That thought eased the bitterness from not being included in [Employee Dispatch].
"Ah! There you are! Master!"
"Feels like heartburn's back already..."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
The relief was short-lived; spotting Lil hustling over after spotting me mid-busywork brought the heartburn roaring back.
"What is it?"
"Master. Mind if I pop home for a bit?"
"....?"
And just like that, Lil asked to briefly visit her home... the dungeon where the elves stayed.
"Ah! With the Divine Tree too!"
Taking Dryad along, no less.