Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Western Heaven
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Western Heaven.
A small village situated in a strategic spot along one of the tributaries of the Amatres River in the central Great Catastrophe, a short distance from the Martial Clan.
Unlike other regions of the Great Catastrophe, this village—home to dwarves, elves, and a small contingent of humans dispatched by the royal family—possessed a unique trait.
While most monster territories had formed organically, Western Heaven was more akin to an artificial fortress, deliberately constructed out of necessity.
One might wonder why anyone would bother building a village smack in the middle of the Great Catastrophe, where humanity was typically shunned. But Western Heaven's utility was boundless.
Rare ores mined exclusively within the Great Catastrophe fueled the dwarves' metallurgy, honing their craft and birthing superior weapons.
The abundant natural mana and ceaseless monster threats provided the elf rangers with much-needed real combat experience.
In essence, it doubled as a training ground to elite-ize dwarves and elves alike.
That wasn't all.
Positioned in the central heartlands, the village also served as an advance outpost, detecting and warning of monster movements in the central zones that the Martial Clan's strike teams alone couldn't fully cover.
"And then... strange things started happening in that vital village a little while ago."
Glacia furrowed her delicate brow, as if painful memories had resurfaced while describing Western Heaven.
"What sort of strange things?"
"Gulp, gulp! Phew... The tributary of the Amatres River passing by the village outskirts has gone completely rotten."
Bardek, the dwarf who had been quietly downing his beer, fielded Ian's question.
"We didn't build Western Heaven along the Turbid Flow's territory—the Amatres River tributary—for no reason. The Amatres waters are utterly pure, without a speck of impurity, making their quality exceptionally high. That's why, even when smelting the same ore into weapons, far superior blades emerge. For us dwarves who quench in water, the Amatres' water quality is more crucial than most ores."
Glacia nodded in agreement with Bardek and chimed in.
"It's the same for us elves. The pristine clarity of the Amatres River greatly enhances our communion with the water spirits."
In short, with a problem arising in the Amatres River's water quality—so crucial to Western Heaven—they wanted the cause investigated.
"There's one thing I don't quite understand... May I ask?"
The two nodded faintly at Ian's question.
"I get that the river's change is a major anomaly. But... shouldn't Western Heaven be able to handle something like that on its own?"
Western Heaven played a pivotal role even across the entire Aslan Kingdom, so its resident forces were far from weak.
Any ordinary monsters approaching those investigating the river would be swept away without mercy.
"Have you forgotten where our village is?"
Bardek took another swig of beer and countered.
"You said it's along a tributary of the Amatres River in the central zone."
"Exactly. Then you must know whose territory this river falls under?"
It went without saying.
Turbid Flow.
Territory under one of the Great Catastrophe's three major powers.
"No matter how much the kingdom invests in Western Heaven, do you think we could settle in such a key spot without the Turbid Flow's permission?"
Ian finally understood at Bardek's words.
"...So you've joined hands with the Turbid Flow."
"Close, but not quite. What we allied with isn't the Turbid Flow itself, but a faction within it."
Bardek corrected Ian.
Not the Turbid Flow, but part of it.
It wasn't wordplay, so Bardek's statement was likely literal.
Glacia continued.
"To be precise, we allied with Regulus, Captain of the Fifth Path—one of the Four Dragons ruling the fifth waterway. In exchange for periodically supplying them with some of our dwarven-forged gear as part of our achievements, he agreed not to attack Western Heaven."
"From Regulus's side, they get stable access to weapons they couldn't craft themselves just by sitting tight, so there was no reason to touch Western Heaven."
'Sacrificing a bit of pride for practical gain. Another lesson learned.'
The Great Catastrophe was a demonic realm teeming with rampaging monsters.
No matter how much effort the kingdom poured in, if the Catastrophe's monsters came at them in earnest, they'd be overwhelmed.
But with a sort of protection—not quite alliance—from the Turbid Flow, many of those threats could be mitigated.
Regulus, too, could steadily bolster his forces, giving him no reason to refuse.
Ian found both sides' choices profoundly wise.
Though locked in a kill-or-be-killed hostility, they'd each yielded a little to reap major benefits.
"But what does that have to do with Western Heaven not investigating itself?"
"That's exactly why... we can't investigate directly."
Swoosh!
In response to Ian's question, Glacia pulled something from her bosom and placed it on the table.
A gleaming blue scale stood out against the table's wooden grain.
"In areas conquered by the Turbid Flow, only those bearing this scale can leave the territory."
'...Conquered?'
"Wait, does that mean...?"
"Yes."
As Ian's eyes widened with realization, Glacia nodded.
"Regulus, Captain of the Turbid Flow's Fifth Path... He judged us responsible for rotting the Amatres tributary, raided Western Heaven, and seized it. So of course... we can't investigate."
The Turbid Flow, one of the Great Catastrophe's colossal powers.
The Amatres River they dominated stretched from the vast Western Sea reaching the Osela continent in the west to the central zones of the Aslan Kingdom—a massive waterway.
This continent-spanning behemoth was called the Amatres River's main current on the southern continent.
The ruler of this vast river and sea, the pinnacle of the Turbid Flow, was the Sea King.
He had selected exceptional warriors from myriad lizardmen, scattering them to oversee waterways across the continent.
Not all tributaries warranted elite warriors—some were mere streams.
Among them, eight major branches were vast enough to sustain several cities.
The Turbid Flow's strongest, bar the Sea King himself, ruled these.
Warriors who earned the Sea King's trust.
The world called them the Four Dragons and Four Ghosts.
Four dragons managing the Amatres' myriad waterways, and four ghosts who executed those defying the Sea King's will.
Regulus, with whom Western Heaven had dealt, was one of the Four Dragons.
"Building Western Heaven inside the Great Catastrophe meant grappling with this from the start. We couldn't use Amatres water without drawing the Turbid Flow's ire. And a tributary large enough to meet dwarven and elven demands... Well, good luck finding one outside the Four Dragons' or Four Ghosts' domains."
Bardek added to Glacia's words.
"The Four Ghosts' territories? We wouldn't even dream of it. They worship the Sea King like a god—his combat weapons. Those lunatics would turn us into fish food just for humans stepping into the Sea King's realm."
Bardek shook his head at the unwelcome memories of the Four Ghosts.
"Fortunately, the Four Dragons were at least reasonable. Regulus was seen as the most rational and moderate among them, so we built Western Heaven where the fifth waterway and minor tributaries converged. He loved the gear we supplied, so we firmly believed it was the best choice."
Not knowing it would prove a catastrophic misjudgment.
Glacia let out a short sigh.
"Regulus is no ordinary monster—he's exceptionally wise. For such a being, investigating why a waterway in his territory was rotting was the obvious next step."
Water rots only if something contaminates it.
It wasn't summer moss bloom; with winter just ending, the rot pointed straight to Western Heaven, where ceaseless iron smelting spewed impurities.
If Regulus was truly wise, reaching that conclusion wouldn't have taken long.
"That's why he occupied our village. Among the Four Ghosts, some already grumbled about Regulus colluding with human forces outside the Catastrophe. If he sat idle and they pinned it on Western Heaven for real... he'd be in a bind."
Indeed.
The Amatres River wasn't vital just to them.
Beyond Aslan, it was the lifeline for most life in the Great Catastrophe's central and southern reaches.
And the one gripping that lifeline... was none other than the Turbid Flow's overlord, the Sea King.
"It's just one tributary now... but who knows, maybe others are already tainted. If this spreads to the main current... the Sea King himself will step in. He won't sit idly by while his beloved waters sicken."
The Turbid Flow centered on aquatic monsters thriving in the Amatres River and Western Sea.
Rotting waters struck at their survival.
Even if Western Heaven was innocent, if the Sea King targeted them... it could escalate to all-out war with the Turbid Flow.
"...I see. That's why you've commissioned us to investigate the cause."
It all clicked now.
Why Regulus had seized Western Heaven without giving them a chance to explain.
Regulus bore guilt too, for dealing with them.
He too risked the Sea King's wrath.
From his view, granting leeway to potential polluters was untenable.
In a pinch, he'd likely sacrifice them to dodge the Sea King's fury.
"We're in a bind too—the Amatres water is critical for us. We stressed it was a misunderstanding every time we used it, but they wouldn't listen. 'We'll investigate ourselves, so stay out,' they said."
Bardek's grumbling solidified Ian's suspicions.
'...This is trickier than I thought.'
Ian frowned inwardly.
Investigation sounded simple, but this mission was anything but.
Regulus, the Turbid Flow executive, was wise.
Wisdom often equated to cunning.
If their own probe found no evidence... he'd gladly frame Western Heaven to fend off the Four Ghosts or other Dragons.
He was moderate and reasonable, but still a Great Catastrophe monster of the Turbid Flow.
Squeeze!
Glacia clasped Ian's hand with both of hers.
"Bardek and I must return to Western Heaven in a week. That's the time Regulus granted out of past favors. At most, ten days by my estimate... You must uncover the Amatres rot's cause and come to the village within that. Beyond it... who knows what Regulus will do. It could fracture ties between the Turbid Flow and Aslan Kingdom. In the worst case..."
Glacia trailed off, but guessing her meaning was easy.
War.
She feared a massive war between the Turbid Flow and Aslan.
...Just as winter ended and spring bloomed, they'd thrust this monstrous mission upon him.
Ian scowled at the unexpectedly heavy burden but ultimately gripped Glacia's hand in return.
"...I'll do my utmost."
Paon's missions always repaid hardships manifold.
With winter gone and flowers blooming, this was the Latent Dragon Squad's first assignment of the new year.
Paon seemed intent on resuming tests of Ian's talents.
With an utterly brutal mission, no less.