Chapter 59: In the City Forsaken by the Gods (5)
It took several dozen minutes before Drake finally regained his composure. The reinforced chamber, built precisely for emergencies, had barely withstood the last traces of his lost restraint. The result: his office was utterly devastated—yet at least none of the uproar had leaked outside.
Repairs would, of course, be necessary. Thankfully, the 5th Layer's residential restructuring ability could restore everything quickly enough. And the expenses would be drawn directly from Drake's own account. After all, he had hardly touched it in the last 150 years, and his coffers were overflowing. A small deduction would hardly be noticed.
But though Drake had calmed, true peace of mind was still far away.
"You…! You of all people know what the outside is like right now! The Lord could be in danger!"
"And why, exactly, would He be in danger?"
"…Because there are forces out there hunting us, obviously—!"
"And who knows that, aside from us?"
"…What?"
Drake's words faltered. Dangerous—that was what he had thought. Therefore the Lord, too, must be in danger. But when he stopped to think… was He really in danger?
"Let's review carefully. The hostile forces outside are, in all likelihood, targeting Dragon's Dream. Their goals are probably manpower, intelligence, and—this is speculation—resources. Unless a guild of city-scale power like ours had also descended into this world, it would take them years of trial and error to build the means to address such issues. Without the same conditions we enjoyed, even more so."
That was true. The reason the Twelve—the Shinshi—had managed to establish Dragon's Dream so smoothly was not only their overwhelming strength and numbers. The circumstances outside had happened to align perfectly.
It had taken years simply to gather information about the world. And luck had handed them a collaborator: Tsaindoruks Vaision. With his guidance, they'd been able to create an external power base. Without his aid, Dragon's Dream would have been a mess of false starts and setbacks.
Tsaindoruks surely had his own designs, but that had always been part of the calculation. They each used the other. Ea had never revealed herself—she had built the alliance through the High Priests.
Thus was born an adventurer clan with 150 years of history. Now Dragon's Dream stood as a formidable outside force—its foundations solid, its reputation and information networks vast, its power undeniable. For a supposedly "single group," it was almost too tempting a prize.
"Drake, you understand, don't you? That power was built for this very purpose."
"…Yes. I do."
Dragon's Dream was bait.
The sharper among the officers must already have realized this. Dragon's Dream was bait to lure any external power, especially players, that might descend into this world. For newcomers, intelligence gathering would be a priority—and surely, they would notice and investigate this peculiar group called Dragon's Dream.
Players, after all, were typically far stronger than this world's natives. That overwhelming power made them reckless. In turn, they would be noticed. At that point, the Shinshi would watch. If the strangers seemed approachable, they would exchange information and build ties—without ever revealing Shinshi itself. If not, they would cut the bait and disappear, leaving Dragon's Dream to be devoured while Shinshi remained safe.
"But the enemy reacted too quickly. Which means their side has a strategist of considerable talent, or at least someone highly skilled in intelligence gathering."
"Yes… if all had gone according to plan, Monkyspanner would have returned safely. Yet now, with mere days left before his scheduled return, they struck so precisely? That suggests a scheme of no small cunning."
"Exactly. Which is why I now classify this incident as a direct threat to Shinshi—a Category A or higher crisis."
"Then doesn't that make it all the more reckless for the Lord to walk outside alone…?"
Drake could already guess what Ea was trying to say. She was implying that the hostile forces only cared about Dragon's Dream—that the Lord Himself was not their target.
But that was only one possibility. What if Monkyspanner had been captured, coerced into revealing secrets during that blank gap in his memory? What if the enemy already knew?
"Monkyspanner's memory is incomplete. We cannot know what happened in that time. If items, magic, or skills forced him to spill secrets—what then?"
"If that had happened, Monkyspanner would not be here."
"…What? Why not?"
"Have you forgotten, Drake? It was I who insisted that one of the Twelve Attendants, one of the Twelve High Priests, always accompany outside operations. Do you think I would decree that without reason? From the beginning I told you—they are all bait. Recall it, Drake. One hundred and fifty years ago, when we first built our external network, it was you who agreed to this plan."
Ea's rebuke drove Drake's memory back into the distant past. A century and a half ago… even for a dragonkin like him, it was a long, long time. Digging through that haze was exhausting, yet the recollection returned. And once more, he found himself awed by Ea's capacity. Her mind, linked directly to the Guild Weapon, was no mere mortal intellect.
"…Not everyone records and tracks everything like you, Lady Ea. You can't expect me to."
"I know. Which is why I go to the trouble of explaining."
"…This counts as an explanation?"
"Yes. Why—any problem?"
Drake bit back the urge to shout Don't mock me, woman! He had endured her personality for a century and a half, but rarely had he spoken with her this long at once. The anger almost boiled over again. If not for his earlier outburst, he might well have snapped now.
"The mission given to a High Priest was simple: carry false information in case of capture, flee if possible. Because if their minds were seized, whether priest or officer, the end result would be the same—Shinshi's secrets would be at risk."
"…Then why insist it be a High Priest at all? Why not any other officer…?"
"No. It matters precisely because it's a High Priest. Even if their mind were subdued, an enemy would be unlikely to kill them. It's far more efficient to keep them alive."
"…! Are you saying they would brainwash them—turn them into allies?"
"Of course. They're enemies. Why would they show respect? And we're speaking of a level-100 creation, holding a high position, armed with powerful items. Who wouldn't prefer to capture rather than destroy? That's why it holds meaning."
"But then the High Priest would…"
"That would indeed be the worst-case scenario. Of course, there are ways to undo it. I won't explain those to you now, but know this—even if they were enslaved, there are means to break it."
If she already had a method in mind, Drake's thoughts sparked. The worm in the lion's belly? Sacrificing flesh to cut the bone? Either way—or both—it would spell disaster for the enemy.
"In any case, the fact remains that Monkyspanner died. Which proves he wasn't taken over. Meaning Shinshi's secrets were never revealed. If he had given them up and then been killed, that would mean a strategist beyond even my calculations is working against us. But even so, the Lord Himself will never be in danger. He went out wearing the Tarnhelm."
"…You could have said that from the start!"
The Tarnhelm—one of the Lord's constant possessions. A World Item, the ultimate disguise, able to freely alter form and race. That Drake had not thought of it until now was proof of his mind dulling after two centuries—either to age, or the erosion of memory.
But why mention it only now? Could she not have told him sooner?
"It seemed like you needed an explanation. And besides, the fact you didn't think of it is your problem, not mine. ♪"
"Ghh…!"
"In any case, there is no need to worry over the Lord. He is already aware of hostile forces beyond. If He chose to leave alone, then surely He had reason. You know as well as I do: it was His will. We cannot bind Him."
"…That may be so, but still—"
"There's no need for such fear. He hasn't flown straight at the enemy. He merely wished to see this world with His own eyes for the first time. Though He has slept, He has been bound to us for two hundred years. Why not set aside your worries for a moment, and instead look forward to His adventure?"
Adventure. To Drake, that word felt like something from a long-forgotten age.
Since arriving in this world, his excursions outside had never been true adventures. At first, it was information gathering. Then it became the pursuit and punishment of deserters. After that, building power, managing it, and ruling Shinshi.
Adventure—an exhilarating word, but one he had not touched in centuries. It lived only in the memories of Yggdrasil, and in the recollections of his Creator, the Dragon King, who had sought adventure as well.
"Now then, Drake. Return to your duties. Even now, the Lord is savoring His journey. Let us do the same, in our own way."
"…Excuse me? What exactly—"
"Leave the cleanup to yourself. Ah—when you have time, send Chaa an invitation in Shinshi's name. Do not explain why. Understood?"
Flash!
The hologram vanished. She was surely still watching Shinshi, but her sight would no longer rest here.
Drake let out a long sigh. Truly, she was willful—impossibly so. And Chaa… why him?
An invitation now, of all times? For what purpose…?
Could it be for the Lord? If so, nothing good would come of it.
Drake found himself, for once, pitying Tsaindoruks.
Theirs was a long acquaintance. Though they were called friends after all these years, Drake knew well that Chaa kept his distance. Outwardly, they might look close, but in truth, it was nothing more than a partnership, a relationship of mutual use.
One hundred and fifty years of give and take—and in truth, it was Chaa who had gained the most.
If the Lord discovered this… if He saw how Chaa had treated Shinshi all this time… Drake knew there would be no kindness shown.
That was why he felt even more pity. If only they had shown even a little sincerity to one another…
"But regret means nothing now…"
And, as an added blow, Drake's own office. The shattered furniture, the broken fixtures, and Monkyspanner sprawled amidst it all, his eyes rolling in dazed circles—since none of this could be made public, Drake would have to clean it up alone. Just thinking of the scattered paperwork made his vision darken.
Among the debris, he saw the remains of his cherished plants and tea set, ground to dust and mixed with the wreckage. Despair and sorrow welled up, and a single tear slipped from the corner of the dragon's scaled eye.
It was because of that grief that Drake failed to notice the faint explosion among the rubble.
A few dozen meters away, in another chamber on the Fifth Floor—
The room was filled with dolls, cushions, and frills. Round, puffy dolls. Round, puffy cushions. But their colors did not match the softness of their shapes: everything was dyed in gradients of crimson and black.
Though decorated to appear cozy, the clashing palette gave the whole space an unsettling air. And perhaps it was no coincidence that all those decorations—those dolls, those designs—were made not for the room's master herself, but to reflect someone else entirely.
Dragons. Dragons, dragons, dragons. From the plush toys to the ornaments, every corner of the room was saturated with dragons.
And in the center, on an oversized bed, the room's eccentric mistress rolled about.
"Ho… I knew it. When Monkyspanner's report was late, I suspected something—but that it would be such a grave matter… As expected, it was I who foresaw it. Good thing I kept watching. A hundred years of patience has not been wasted."
The soundless laugh that escaped her lips was muffled against her pillow. She dared not speak aloud. Every inch of this city, of these structures, was under her surveillance.
Even if her gaze was not fixed here, her eyes saw everything. Not even this room was safe. One could call the entire city the heart of the enemy's lair. A moment's carelessness would be unforgivable.
"Still, it is vexing. To know that He has awakened—yet my first sight of Him is neither His voice nor His form! Should I have thrown caution aside, defied that woman's gaze, and forced my way in? …No. To face her directly without being certain of meeting Him would be suicide. If I cannot present myself before Him in person, victory is impossible. Hmph. What to do?"
That woman—Ea—was far too powerful. Just the thought of opposing her brought waves of despair. No matter how deeply she buried herself into her soft, plush bed, as long as she remained in this city she could never rebel against Ea. None could, save One.
"But I will not give up. His rightful consort is me. No one else. It will be I, and I alone! That woman must be smirking even now, whispering that His true consort has already been chosen. Fox of a woman. I will pierce that arrogance! Once I seize His affection, no stratagem, no scheme will matter. At His side lies the true seat of power—above all others. If I claim that place, then even she will be left to stew in nothing but her jealousy! Hwahahahaha!"
Her delusions spilled forth, reckless ambition surging straight toward her goal. She wanted to shout her intent aloud—but the truth was laughably girlish. For all her words, she had nothing to do with sorcery.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it another kind of magic. As someone once said: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
For she wielded technology capable of producing phenomena that rivaled sorcery itself. It might not fit the cutesy décor of her room, but every machine in Shinshi ultimately lay under her control.
"With the supplies I smuggled from outside—the pure sciences untouched by magic, the most basic, primitive forms of radio transmission—I have finally done it. I escaped her gaze. Escaped the Guild's system. That woman might already know, of course—pretending otherwise is exactly the sort of trick she would play. But in a crisis like this, she won't simply ignore the fact that I saw it. Ha!"
She rolled across her bed as if sleep-talking, her tail swishing from side to side.
"A century of hiding, of masking myself from her eyes, and at last—I have my chance. I cannot waste it! Patience, patience… Even if I cannot surpass her yet, I stand above the others. That smug Mary most of all. Slowly, steadily, I will climb until at last I can topple Ea. I have waited two hundred years already. What is a few more? I can wait forever!"
Unable to hold back her laughter, she buried her face into her pillow. The wolf ears atop the head of Hati twitched uncontrollably with excitement.
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The Proxy of the City of God
Name: Drake
Titles: Fifth Seat of the Twelve High Priests [Dragon High Priest], Chief High Priest, Proxy of Supreme Authority, Supreme Administrator, Representative in the Name of God.
Residence: Central Tower, Fifth Layer.
Alignment: Good (Karma Score: 150)
Height: 202 cm
Total Level: 100
Racial Levels: Dragonkin 10, Dragon-Demon 10, Others (Total 50 Levels)
Class Levels: Dragon Knight 10, Sword Saint 10, Dual Blade 5, Dragon Marshal 5, Others (Total 50 Levels)
Details:
Drake fills the "hardship" role of Shinshi. Officially ranked #1 in political authority, but in practice only the third most influential. Still, he holds undeniably high office. He is capable of excelling in both combat and administration, yet even he once lost control under the crushing burden of tasks that only the Supercomputer-like Ea could manage flawlessly. To this day, he remains unable to free himself from that position. A pitiable man.
One of his two main weapons, the Demon-Slaying Sword and the True Dragon Sword, had once been taken outside as part of Dragon's Dream's relics, but has since been reclaimed.
Among the Twelve High Priests, his overall combat power is ranked unchallenged at #1.
....
The Wolf Who Loves with All Her Strength
Name: Hati
Titles: Eleventh Seat of the Twelve High Priests [Dog High Priest], Director of Shinshi's Department of Technological Development, Chief Engineer.
Residence: Wolf Mansion, Fifth Layer (located as close as possible to the Central Tower).
Alignment: Neutral → Evil (Karma Score: 0 ~ -100)
Height: 150 cm
Total Level: 100
Racial Levels: Lycanthrope 10, Elder Lycanthrope 10, Others (Total 35 Levels)
Class Levels: Engineer 10, Mechanic 10, Gunner 10, Pilot 10, Stalker 5, Others (Total 65 Levels)
Details:
A female wolf beastkin, she openly vies for the position of official consort.
Her overall combat ranking among the High Priests is 3rd.
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