In the Land of Leadale - Volume 1 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – A Daughter, an Academy, a Tower, and a Summoned Beast

Cayna sat uncomfortably for breakfast, trying to quell the nonstop throbbing in her head. She looked so obviously unwell that fellow guests gave her medicine for hangovers. No matter how much of a Skill Master Cayna was, when she drank, it hit hard. After all, Passive Skill: Poison Resistance could only get her so far. 

And that came as a result of vehement opposition from a majority of players in the game world of Leadale. 

Players were allowed to kill one another solely during wartime. It netted you just a negligible amount of experience points, but low-level players nonetheless went wild over it. As a result, they formed factions and targeted higher players, such as Limit Breakers. 

Skills that started as Status Ailment Nullification became Status Ailment Resistance. These were later updated as different variations, like Poison Resistance, Paralysis Resistance, and Silence Resistance. 

The high-level players had thought this was going too far, but the lower ones that made up a majority of users had praised it. 

For someone like Cayna, who specialized in magic, there were several times when she got caught up in a strategic battle and failed because she was outnumbered. She personally would casually think, Guess no one’s perfect, but others didn’t seem to share her opinion. There was one point at which high-level players, like Limit Breakers and Skill Masters, conspired together and formed their own country. When they eventually became undefeatable, the message boards and official site exploded. 

It was most likely this turn of events that led to Cayna’s current lightweight tendencies. When she was still an avatar, whether she was protected against poison depended on probability and the game’s programming. Now that her avatar was her own physical body, she had a feeling that the mentality of “twenty-one and over” and “underage drinking,” as well as a number of other factors, had likely weakened her Poison Resistance. Not to mention that Marelle had told her, “Hangovers are a part of enjoying a few good drinks,” and forbid her from using Poison Purification. Cayna loyally obeyed this command and endured the aftereffects. 

Cayna did as she was told because she saw Marelle as a mother figure in this world. 

Hmm, what’d I come here for again? I said I’d look for the towers, right? But will anyone even know what I mean by Guardian Towers? 

She’d visited the market early in the morning, bought some kirina grass and colt bird hearts, then ate breakfast at the inn before setting out for the Guild. 

Several people she ran into on the way would make comments like “Oh, you’re the girl who walked on water!” She wished dearly that they wouldn’t. 

What am I, a pond skater? 

It was magic that couldn’t be easily shoved under the rug, so there wasn’t much helping it. The more people there are, the faster rumors spread. It had turned into a game of telephone, and there was bound to be plenty of misinformation, but… 

Instead of collecting information in town, wouldn’t people like Elineh’s caravan, who travel to different places, have detailed knowledge of remote areas? I’ll go back to that carriage rest stop and ask. 

She switched directions just before the Guild and headed to the carriage lodgings and found that Elineh and his caravan hadn’t left yet. As Cayna grew near the members she recognized, Elineh immediately came out and got the conversation going. 

“I heard what happened, Lady Cayna. It seems you have parted the river, correct?” 

“Who in the world told you that?!” 

“It was a joke.” 

Realizing he’d been toying with her, Cayna fell to her knees. Waterfalls poured from her eyes as she inched over to Elineh. 

“ELINEEEEEEH!” 

“Yes, yes. I understand, so please cheer up.” 

“Sniff…” 

The thought that her benefactor believed she would resort to such brute force brought Cayna to tears. She wiped her eyes and faced Elineh again. 

“Now then, what could be the matter?” he asked. “It doesn’t seem like you’ve come seeking employment as a guard…” 

Skirting around her title of Skill Master, she asked him if he had any information on structures similar to that of the silver tower near the remote village (which, come to think of it, she had never asked the name of). 

“I see. So, Lady Cayna, you intend to find these towers?” 

“Well, that’s the ultimate goal anyway. After all, there’s nothing else right now that really strikes me.” 

“There does seem to be a beautiful castle floating in the middle of a lake in the northern Kingdom of Helshper that no one is able to enter…but I cannot think of much else otherwise.” 

“The north, huh?” 

The countries to the north included the former Purple Kingdom of Helbehr to the northeast of the former White Kingdom and the old Black Kingdom of Lypras to the west. Every month, the three nations would participate in the furious battle that took place in the Black Kingdom. 

Cayna and her insufferable companion belonged to the Black Kingdom in particular, so the country’s landscape was full of craters, devastated by the powerful magic and Weapon Skills her fellow Skill Masters used in their firefights. She remembered how different things looked after each battle. 

It didn’t have any lasting impact in the world of the game, but if something like that happened now, this capital would turn into more than ruins in an instant and become a wasteland. 

Unsurprisingly, there didn’t appear to be anyone as twisted as the twenty-four Limit Breakers and thirteen Skill Masters to do such a thing (though she did think there were a lot of strange characters). 

When she considered this, Cayna realized how much of a challenge it would be to use her own power. After all, if she waved it about carelessly, she might all too easily kill people. 

“Lady Cayna?” 

“Oh, yes… I’m sorry.” 

“Were you thinking of the past? If it’s not too much trouble, I would like to ask what the world was once like.” 

“Ah, well, I’d say it was a brutal era of constant warfare.” 

Elineh departed after promising to let her know if he discovered anything else about the tower. He told her that the information was free of charge this time, but if he did learn anything, she’d have to pay a fee next time. Merely refraining from talk of money from the outset was a kindness on his part. 

Thinking this over, she headed for her initial destination: the Guild. 

As she went to check out the requests on the wall, the same woman who was at the reception counter the other day greeted her. 

“Ah, Cayna. Would you mind coming over here for a minute?” 

“Of course.” 

Cayna went up to the counter and was handed a small gilt-edged piece of paper that looked like a certificate. It was written in the local language, which would be a pain to decipher, so Cayna decided to just ask. 

“What is this?” 

“You’ve been summoned to the Academy. Maybe it’s a personal request of some sort? It seems to be related to your potion from the other day.” 

“By ‘Academy,’ you mean the one on the sandbar?” 

“Yes, the Royal Academy. The invitation doesn’t give a fixed date, but one can only assume they mean at your earliest convenience.” 

At any rate, going to the Academy would give her the chance to visit Mai-Mai, so Cayna didn’t see a problem with visiting. Cayna had only ever been to elementary school, so she was a bit excited to experience the different world this new school would open up for her. 

When she went to the harbor to cross to the sandbar, many people curiously asked her, “Aren’t you going to walk across the river today?” but she had no intention of being the spectacle she’d been the other day and gave a vague reply of “Uh, maybe later.” She pretended not to hear the particularly stubborn ones and crossed to the sandbar on the commuter boat. Cayna was a bit shocked to find she’d already attained notoriety around the harbor. 

When she showed her summons to the guard at the Academy, they said something to a crystal ball in the guardroom, and the gates opened. Someone would be coming to lead her in, so she was asked to wait for a while. 

After several quiet minutes, a familiar face came quickly pattering out of the building. 

“I—I apologize for the wait. Thank you for responding to our summ… Cayna?!” 

“Hey there, Lonti. Feels like we saw each other only yesterday. So you’re a student here?” 

Unlike the day before, Lonti wore green robes and didn’t have her wand with her. The girl steadied herself and bowed her head. 

“Thank you very much for yesterday. The knights were quite surprised at how quick you were.” 

“That Primo really is hopeless. If I see him in town again, can I catch him with no questions asked?” 

“Y-yes, please do. More importantly, what have you been summoned for?” 

“Hmm, that’s what I’ve come to ask, too. At any rate, do you think you could show me around?” 

“Of course. I was told to first bring you to the headmaster’s office. Right this way.” 

Cayna followed Lonti and entered the school. Along the way, Lonti explained a number of points about the Academy. 

First, she said she belonged to the Vocational Magic Department and had registered with the Adventurers Guild as a part of her classes. There were also other departments like the Holy Department, where one could study healing and purification magic, and the Alchemy Department, where one could learn how to compound medicines. Anyone could enter the Academy so long as they had the necessary magical prowess. (The tuition was minimal, and the country would guarantee the funds for you.) 

“‘Compound’? Not synthesis?” 

“Hmm? It’s common practice to grind and mix materials together when creating medicines. Do high elves use a different method?” 

“…Ah, I see. Player-only skills haven’t been passed down to NPCs.” 

“…Pardon?” 

Cayna couldn’t say for sure without the whole picture, but it appeared that skills once used by players no longer existed in this world. In that case, perhaps the reason Lonti had been so surprised when Cayna used Float the day before was because she hadn’t used a chant. 

“This is the headmaster’s office,” said Lonti. 

While Cayna had been ruminating, Lonti had led her to an impressive door that was different from the rest. Cayna knocked, and a woman bid them enter. Lonti opened the door and stepped inside. 

Trailing behind her, Cayna’s eyes met those of a female elf in red robes. She sat at a stately desk with a large glass window behind her. 

Before Cayna could even notice who she was, there was a sudden swoosh of soft cloth, and the high elf was caught in a tight embrace. 

“…Um, you’re Mai-Mai…right?” 

“Ahhhh, it’s been sooooo long, Mother!” 

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” 

As soon as the first voice cooed above Cayna’s head, Lonti gave a cry of astonishment. 

She’s so tall and soft and slim. Why do I have to be so small? wondered Cayna. 

No matter how messed up the character creation process was, her original body had been all skin and bones, so there was nothing she could do about her appearance. 

Now that Mai-Mai was within reach, Cayna pinched her cheek and forcibly peeled her away. 

“Uwaaaagh, you’re so mean, Mother! We haven’t seen each other in two hundred years!” 

“What do you think you’re doing, acting like this in public? You’re the headmaster! …Hey, Lonti, you okay?” 

“…Yes.” 

Cayna waved her hand over Lonti’s distant eyes to bring the girl back to herself. Fortunately, it seemed as though her soul hadn’t completely left her body, so it didn’t take long. However, she immediately pressed Cayna for answers. 

“U-u-u-um, uh, are you the headmaster’s mother, Cayna?!” 

“That’s right. After all, I’m over two hundred years old.” (A huge lie.) 

“Yaaaay, Mother!” 

Speechless and dumbfounded, Lonti watched as the headmaster of the Academy clung to Cayna from behind like a large child (puppy ears and tail included). 

Unsure of what to do at this point, Cayna chose not to fight back and instead produced a small amount of lightning in her hand. 

As soon as Mai-Mai saw this, she quickly leaped back, straightened herself up, and cleared her throat with a cough. After reassuming her normal appearance, she turned to Lonti. 

“My apologies, Miss Arbalest. You may return to class.” 

“Ah, yes… Please e-excuse me…” 

Possibly hovering between illusion and reality, Lonti gave a bow and excused herself from the office. 

Mai-Mai was about to hug her mother from behind again but froze when she noticed Cayna’s dark aura (the skills Might and Glare, respectively). 

“Hey, Mai-Mai?” 

“Y-yes?! Wh-what is it, M-Mother…?” 

“Why exactly was I called here, I wonder? Was it so you could give me a hug?” 

“N-no, I j-just wanted to discuss something with you!” 

“I won’t tell you not to be so clingy, but save it for when we’re in private. You have a position to uphold, don’t you?” 

“Sniff. Yes, I understand.” 

Cayna tried giving her daughter a proper motherly warning but sensed she’d been slightly off the mark. After all, she had rather vague memories of her own mother. 

Despondent from the rejection, Mai-Mai returned to her desk and removed from a drawer a glass vial filled with red liquid. It was the High Potion Cayna had given the Guild the day before as part of a request. Taking it with her, Mai-Mai instructed her mother to “Please follow me” and exited the headmaster’s office. Cayna felt sorry for sending the elf into a depression and thought perhaps she’d been too harsh. 

“Mai-Mai?” 

“Y-yes? What is it, Mother…?” 

“Do you know about the other Guardian Towers?” 

“…U-um, they are similar to your own silver tower, correct?” 

“Right, those are the ones. There are twelve others in this world.” 

Mai-Mai thought for a moment before shaking her head and responding, “I’ve never heard of the others.” 

“I see,” said Cayna. “Got it. Thanks.” 

Mai-Mai hadn’t heard of the towers, even though she’d been around when the game had lots of players. 

Back in the day, Cayna had used her sub-characters as more than just storage space. They’d also been NPC personnel to whom she’d given a certain degree of movement and had walk alongside her. It was commonplace to have sub-characters trail behind you like little ducklings so they could gain battle experience and level up. 

Cayna had done exactly that with her three sub-characters, all of whom were likely at level 300. Since their skills and magic abilities took the longest to level up, she had thought it would be nicer to have them all at the same level rather than radically different. Cayna had clear memories of approaching other towers and calling upon monsters with Summoning Magic while she helped them gain experience points. 

However, Mai-Mai apparently had no recollection of this. Cayna decided to put that out of her mind for now, since she had no way of looking into it. She would have to check with Skargo and Kartatz later. 

As Cayna stewed over this conundrum, she was led to was seemed to be a class that was in session. Her daughter opened the door without the least bit of hesitation and stepped inside while announcing, “Look who I brought!” 

Several wide desks were lined up inside, and the strong scent of herbs wafted across the room. About twenty students were grinding and mixing ingredients. They did no more than glance at Mai-Mai’s sudden arrival and hardly took their eyes off their work. 

The person she had called out to was a shabby-looking male teacher standing at his desk. He ordered the students to keep working and followed Mai-Mai out to the hall where Cayna was waiting. 

“You’re kidding, right? You brought this little lady here?” 

“Why the heck does everyone call me that…?” 

Cayna sighed at the fact that even this shaggy-haired, unshaven, wayward-looking man had called her “little lady.” 

Noticing Cayna’s irritated expression, Mai-Mai tried to calm her down with a “Now, now.” 

“Not so fast, Lopus. Don’t say things like that. This is my mother, after all.” 

“Come…again?” 

This sudden truth robbed Lopus of all words. 

“Anyway, this is Lopus Harvey. He’s an alchemy teacher as well as my husband.” 

“……What?” 

Cayna wanted to somehow use special effects to show an ice floe behind her, but she managed to keep herself in check. 

Squirming and flailing over her own statement, Mai-Mai blushed and squealed, “Eek, I said it!” Hearts and music notes fluttered everywhere while her mother and husband looked at each other and sighed. 

“I am so sorry. I’m afraid I haven’t always done the best job raising her. It must be hard for you.” 

“No… I’ve learned a lot from her carefree ways, so I wouldn’t say that’s totally true.” 

The two exchanged glances once again and awkward smiles. 

“You’re a good man, Lopus. Take care of her for many days to come.” 

“It looks like miss isn’t the right term here. May I call you Lady Cayna? I’d feel pretty awkward calling you Mother.” 

“Hey, you’re ignoring me! And what’re you two shaking hands for?! What’s with those tepid expressions?!” 

Mai-Mai ground her teeth in frustration without realizing she was the very reason her mother and husband had hit it off. 

Completely ignoring Mai-Mai’s sobbing as she cried them a river, the two got to the subject at hand. Lopus took the vial of red liquid from his wife and handed it to Cayna. 

“Now, about this…,” he began. 

“Someone requested a potion, and I submitted it,” said Cayna. “Was that a bad move?” 

“If something like this started circulating, it would completely change how people view existing compounds. Don’t go flaunting it.” 

This confirmed her suspicions; the process of creating medicine was different in this world. From the glimpses of what she’d seen in the classroom, her skills would make their laborious process unnecessary. 

“…Mai-Mai.” 

“Yes! What is it, Mother?” 

Cayna sighed as her daughter beamed and came rushing over like Pavlov’s dog at the mere mention of her name. 

“You know Potion Creation I, don’t you?” Cayna asked her. 

“Huh? No, you never taught me that.” 

“What? Well, does Kartatz have it?” 

“Who knows? My stup…I mean, I’ve never seen Kartatz make anything like that.” 

Just as Cayna thought her memory might be off, Lopus amusedly poked into the mother-daughter conversation. 

“Hey, Lady Cayna. Do you think you could show us how it’s made?” 

“What?” 

Without waiting for an answer, Lopus walked back into the classroom, left the door open, and urged Cayna forward with a “C’mon!” 

Cayna turned around and asked Mai-Mai if this was such a good idea, but her question fell on deaf ears as her daughter pushed her into the classroom. 

“If Lopus says it’s fine, then it’s fine.” 

The students were used to the officially recognized “Idiot Couple” coming and going, but they looked suspicious as a girl their age walked in with them. 

In addition to the tools used for making compounds, there were several vials filled with brown liquid on the desks. The main lesson of the day had apparently ended, but Lopus told his students they could turn in their finished products later and invited Cayna to the teacher’s desk. 

“We’ll be doing a demonstration now, so you should all pay close attention.” 

Hold on, Lopus! Didn’t you say it’d be bad for the market if this got around? 

Of course, no one could hear her internal commentary. 

Not in the least bothered by the reproachful stares, Lopus lined up the classroom materials on his desk. Before they began, he first pulled Cayna over and introduced her. 

“This is Lady Cayna, a mage. She’s also our headmaster’s mother.” 

This blunt announcement turned all who heard to stone. Then, after a beat, the students let out a unanimous cry of “WHAAAAAAT?!” 

Lopus quieted the class with a wave of his hand. Cayna was surprised by the students’ trained reaction to such a gesture. 

“Go ahead, Lady Cayna.” 

“Hold on a sec, these ingredients aren’t even the ones in my recipe… What’s this?” 

“It’s kaju root and kirina grass bulbs. Do you need more?” 

Cayna determined that this process was fundamentally different from what she was used to based on the ingredients and mixing utensils on the desk before her. She defiantly turned to look at the confused students. 

She took out three round stalks of kirina grass and the frozen colt bird hearts. After she explained what was in her hand, she cast the skill Potion Creation II. 

Commotion stirred within the classroom in an instant. 

Blue dots pulled from the air converged directly in front of Cayna, and a watery sphere immediately swallowed up the ingredients in her hand like a spinning blade. The colors shifted from blue to red to all the colors of the rainbow as the ingredients fused together. 

Finally, extra liquid separated and formed a ring around a red compressed ball that could fit in the palm of your hand. It was like a shining blue-and-red disco ball and released a mysterious energy as if it were a single life force. 

The moment the students gasped at the fantastical sight, there was a loud crack, and the sphere broke apart. Both they and Lopus were left speechless at the shocking phenomenon they had just witnessed. Mai-Mai alone happily murmured, “That’s Mother for you.” 

The only thing that remained in Cayna’s hand was a glass vial of red liquid that looked exactly like Lopus’s. 

“And that is how you create a potion,” she said simply, tossing the finished product to Lopus. 

He safely caught it and compared the potions he was holding. After confirming they were indeed the same, he raised his hand. 

“…Mind answering a question?” 

“Depends.” 

“Where did the vial come from?” 

A heartbreaking silence descended, and a stream of sweat fell down Cayna’s forehead. 

He had no way of knowing this, but this was an issue that drew criticism even in the game. Most items made through the Craft Skill system fit perfectly in their containers. Since these containers usually disappeared once you used up the contents, disposing of them wasn’t too much of a problem. 

However, as in any world, there were those who made it their job to pick a fight about these things. Players split into two camps—those who wanted separate containers and those who were fine with the current setup—and bickered over the topic constantly. Needless to say, since the Admins didn’t get involved, it was a topic of debate that kept cropping up whenever you least expected it. 

Of course, Cayna hadn’t really cared one way or the other, so now that she was being questioned, she couldn’t give a proper answer. 

“That’s just the way it is! …Them’s the rules!” 

She said only as much as she had to and quickly excused herself from the classroom. 

“Huh? Ah, wait! Wh-where are you going, Mother?” 

“Home.” 

“What?!” 

Baffled by Cayna’s sudden displeasure and the way she gave up on the whole affair with a single word, Mai-Mai dashed after her. 

Lopus had a few questions of his own as well, but he understood his mother-in-law’s hurry and gave a small laugh. After all, he knew even the wisest have their unexpected quirks. 

“But we barely got to see each other!” cried Mai-Mai. 

“You can just come visit me, then!” 

“Don’t be like that!” 

Lopus’s shoulders trembled until the mother-daughter conversation faded from the hallway. 

The next day when Cayna showed up at the Guild, the red-haired girl once again called her to the counter and handed over a summons. 

“It looks like this time they want you to be a teacher at the Academy no matter what. That’s really impressive.” 

The woman said this with admiration, but the only thing that popped into Cayna’s mind was her daughter’s happy-go-lucky smile. 

Magic Skill: Load: Curse: Type: B 

Cayna backed away from the counter and muttered a spell under her breath. An instant later, a black skull appeared over the summons form, and a purple flame turned it to ash. 

This skill had been distributed for Halloween and was intended to surprise the target. 

It was one of three types of rewards for a simple quest. 

For Type A, a human-sized pumpkin holding a lantern would follow the target for an hour. 

For Type C, the curse would temporarily render the target despondent, put them in a white kimono, and make them pretend to be a ghost. 

Type B, the most devious of all, deployed a small firecracker to the target. Five seconds later, it would explode in a colorful array of five firework displays. They caused absolutely no bodily harm, but it was a nasty trick that set off another seemingly endless wave of explosions whenever it touched something inorganic. If it exploded in a room as tightly packed as the headmaster’s office, there was no doubt it’d be a blast-o-palooza. 

“Why’s my kid such a weirdo?” 

Cayna was happy Mai-Mai adored her, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about the constant need for attention. Little did Cayna know that it was her eldest son who was the real problem child. 

That night, she heard a tale from the dragoid she befriended who was staying at the same inn. 

“Apparently, there were a bunch of explosions going off in the headmaster’s office today.” 

“Wow, sounds dangerous.” 

“Everyone at the Academy is wondering what happened, and rumors are flying. For better or worse, though, no one was injured.” 

“Wooow.” 

No one seemed to suspect anything despite her sarcastic replies. 

Ten days had passed since Cayna had arrived at the royal capital, though she’d only started her work at the Adventurers Guild the day after she visited the Academy. 

The problem was that there were countless requests on the board. Since Guild members weren’t separated by a ranking system, it was up to each person to determine whether they could handle a quest. 

Cayna was definitely suited for the tougher tasks. However, the Guild preferred that requests like plant harvesting be left for the newbies—nothing Cayna wasn’t capable of, but listening to the plants’ pained cries was a less-than-pleasant option. 

Thus, she decided to leave it to the young receptionist who screened the requests. 

“Excuse me, Almana. I have a favor to ask of you.” 

“Oh, good morning, Miss Cayna. How can I help you?” 

“Please choose a request for me!” 

“Pardon?” 

Almana wasn’t the only one shocked. Cayna had thrown every adventurer present for a loop. 

In other words, they were all thinking, What are you even saying? 

After she said it, Cayna realized how strange she must have sounded. She looked at their reactions and corrected herself. 

“A-ah! S-sorry! It’s not like I can’t read it or don’t know my own strength! I’m just looking for work that isn’t all that destructive! U-um! Um, uh…” 

The receptionist Almana watched Cayna’s desperate panicking and couldn’t help but break into a smile. 

“Understood, Miss Cayna. There’s no need to fret. I shall provide counsel.” 

“O-okay! Thank you very much!” 

Almana’s smile suddenly reminded Cayna of her cousin. They didn’t see each other much before the accident, but she saw Cayna and talked with her almost every day while she was in the hospital. She was like a real older sister, and Cayna worried that her cousin had fallen into grief after her death. 

Cayna tried to prove herself in this world because she didn’t want to worry the people she met here. Almana smiled at this bold display, and Cayna blushed. 

An in-depth conversation at the counter would disturb others, so Almana led her into a small room with nothing more than a table and two three-person sofas. It seemed to be used for discussing personal requests. 

“Well then, Miss Cayna. Since you are a mage, you specialize in magic, correct?” 

Almana took out a book as thick as an encyclopedia and opened it on the table. It was like a smaller version of the request board. These were the forms officially submitted by clients. 

“Do you know the force of your strongest magic spell?” 

“Um, it could probably…blow away a house.” 

“Oh my.” 

This was, of course, a big fat lie. It just sounded like the most plausible answer. 

If Cayna had told the truth, Almana would have either burst into laughter or doubted her actual strength. Even without an Amplification Ring or anything like that, it wasn’t too farfetched to say she could scorch half the city if she unleashed her greatest magic power. That was how much Cayna stood out in this modern world. 

“Can you use anything other than Attack Magic?” 

“Other things… Well, I can make a rock golem, stuff like that.” 

For some reason, it was becoming an ongoing pattern where every time Cayna was about to answer truthfully, she thought better of it and gave a vague answer instead. In this case as well, any single golem she created would be leagues stronger than any knight. Cayna was just now starting to get a feel for how nerve-racking it was to constantly lie about her powers. 

“Well then, in that case…how about this?” offered Almana. 

Almana placed a request in front of Cayna that read “Dye Hunting.” It really didn’t make much sense at all. In Cayna’s mind, she pictured adventurers running around with nets trying to catch paints coming out of tubes. 

She stared with a puzzled expression as Almana explained further. 

“The aim is to capture a monster that is used as an ingredient in a special dye.” 

Cayna wanted to say, Why didn’t they just write that?! but she resisted the urge. After all, this was the kind of scenario that called for shorthand. Any adventurer who took requests regularly would have been able to tell what it meant. 

Next, Cayna was told how to find the company that made this particular dye, and she decided to pay them a visit with the request from the board in hand. 

The building was a small one that specialized in dyed products, but the president of the company, a plump middle-aged man, told her the location was nothing more than an office. The real factory was along the riverbank. 

A team of adventurers had apparently devoted themselves to fulfilling the company’s request earlier, but they were injured in the process and disbanded. Consequently, the company was having difficulty procuring the dye as of late. 

The staff had their doubts about this young girl who offered to take on the request single-handedly. Even so, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, and the company president with whom she spoke bowed his head and said, “We appreciate your help.” 

The clients seemed to be at their wit’s end. Even Cayna started to worry if this was really such a good idea. 

She would find the monster they needed for their dye along a dry riverbed upstream of the capital. The president himself offered to guide her there. In this world, it was dangerous for the average person to go beyond the protection of the walls, but no one ever thought something even stronger than the monsters that lived there would be escorting him. 

As the president led her along while flinching at every leaf rustling in the wind and fish jumping in the river, there it was before them. 

At first glance, it looked a lot like the round-leaved sundews that live in marshes and dissolve insects for sustenance. 

Of course, no sundew in the world stood five meters tall. 

The creature’s organs, which used a sticky liquid to capture bugs, were grotesque tentacle mouths that looked like a cross between horror-movie monster and plant. It wriggled its long stalks and seemed to grab anything that drew close. In fact, Cayna and the president were currently watching it easily catch a laigayanma calmly passing by. The mouths attached to the multiple stalks started tearing the creature to pieces. 

“…So how do people usually collect the material?” Cayna asked. 

“Ah yes. Let me think. I believe the adventurers normally procured us one or two leaves.” 

It seemed their usual team would divert the mouths and just cut off a few leaves. Cayna looked around but couldn’t determine if any more of these monsters were nearby. 

“I see. So is this the only one here?” 

“No, there should be quite a few living along the riverbank.” 

“Understood. In that case, it won’t be a problem if I take it by the roots.” 

“…Pardon?” 

She had the speechless, slack-jawed president step back, then picked up a single pebble from the riverbed. Tightly gripping it in her hand, Cayna focused her magic and cast a spell. 

Magic Skill: Load: Create Rock Golem Level 1 

The pebble she threw stopped in midair, and the surrounding river rocks began forming a large pile that then absorbed the pebble. 

The pile began twisting and turning until it slowly gained a humanlike form. Arms popped out, it grew legs, and a slightly bulging head surfaced. Its eyes were two hollow cavities, one of which emitted a bright-red gleam as the rock golem gave the first cry of its transient life. 

“MOH!!” 

“It talked?!” 

The president looked up at the rock golem in bewilderment. Apparently, normal rock golems couldn’t say a single word. The president’s reaction was new to someone like Cayna, who was used to seeing these creatures while playing the game Leadale. A golem striking a cool, daunting pose and yelling would just be weird. Probably. 

She’d made this golem to be the lowest possible level, but it was still over level 100. 

Its height was half that of the sundew monster, but its abilities were clearly overkill. 

It lumbered over and firmly grasped the stalk’s roots, all while completely ignoring the biting tentacles that twisted around it. With a terrifying gleam in its red eyes, the golem uprooted the sundew from the slippery bank. 

“Is this enough? …Uh, sir?” 

When Cayna confidently turned around to report the good news, she found the president frozen stiff and wide-eyed. 

When people see something so far beyond their expectations, they lose the ability to move. She slapped the president across his face to try to snap him out of his stupor and once again asked if they had enough ingredients. The president nodded stiffly. 

She decided to have the rock golem carry the monster back. However, it was clear that a strange hunk of rock standing nearly two meters tall and carrying a grass monster would draw crowds of curious onlookers. Soon enough, they’d be surrounded by guards and unable to pass through the gate. 

When the president pointed this out to her, Cayna released the rock golem and returned it to pebbles. She considered putting the sundew monster in her Item Box, but she thought maybe showing something like that wasn’t such a good idea and reduced it with magic instead. 

Whistling innocently, the two of them passed through the gate and made their way to the factory where Cayna would return it to normal size. 

The employees had heard from the president that they’d gathered the monster ingredients and were glad to be able to return to work. 

Looking at the daisylike ingredient she took out of her bag, the workers heaved a disappointed sigh as if to say, This is it? However, an instant later, the monster grew into a giant grassy hydra that had people scrambling for safety and falling over. 

“Now we’ll be able to get going again. Thanks!” 

“No, no, I was simply doing my job.” 

The president’s face shone with a lively craftsman’s spirit as he thanked Cayna and signed the request as a final formality. She waved at the employees peeking at her from the shadows, and her first job thus came to an end. 

Next up was a rare direct request from Agaido when he ambushed her in front of the Guild. 

“I’m actually the prime minister of this country.” 

“Wow, how about that.” 

“You really couldn’t care less, huh…?” 

“What kind of country would have a jock prime minister? You’re no Mito Koumon, neither.” 

“‘Jock’? ‘Mito Koumon’? You say the strangest things sometimes.” 

“So anyway, what’s this request about?” 

Apparently, Agaido wanted to do something over in the redevelopment zone but was having troubling making it happen due to lack of funds and whatnot. If nothing was done with the area, it might attract people like Primo who posed a hazard to public safety, so he was wondering if she could help fix it somehow. 

“…By the way, why did you choose me of all people?” 

“I heard the stories. You’re the mother of the headmaster of the Academy and High Priest Skargo, right? I also heard you used some ancient spell at the school. There’s been lots of other reports comin’ in, too.” 

“I’m not gonna get too much into it, but if this request involves me becoming some political tool, then I couldn’t give you a bigger no.” 

“The High Priest is already dead set against that. That’s a fine boy you got there.” 

“I guess it’s because I haven’t seen him yet…” 

At any rate, Cayna took on the request and weighed her next steps. Initially, she considered clearing the land and using her unique high-elf powers to turn it into a forest. However, even if she prepared the spell, the range would extend far beyond the redevelopment zone, so she gave up that idea. 

In the end, she dug into the depths of her memories and used a news program she’d seen in the hospital called “Building a Castle to Rebuild a Village.” She took apart all the dilapidated houses and used the lumber as materials for her Craft Skill: Building: Castle spell. 

In almost an instant, an eight-meter-tall Japanese-style castle was constructed over the empty plot. Cayna felt a little bad for the kids who’d just lost their playground, but when it came to town planning, switching out the old with the new was commonplace. They’d simply have to give up and accept it. Plus, she figured it’d now be much easier for the soldiers to catch Primo. 

Actually, she ended up having to make the castle twice. The first time, she’d thought that putting a cave inside it would be good for tourism and casually knocked away a pillar, which sent the whole thing crumbling down. It was a huge mistake that wasted all the scrap wood. The current and final iteration was a size smaller due to the materials available. 

The next day, the patrolling soldiers discovered the castle, and the resulting clamor turned the capital on its head. Based on investigations conducted by soldiers and officials, the crime rate dropped to zero. Onlookers and vendors soon gathered, and it developed into a pseudo-sightseeing hotspot where one could buy “Mysterious Building Dumplings,” various “Mysterious Building” grilled foods, and “Mysterious Building” miniatures. 

It’s said that its success continued for long after, but that is a tale for another time. 

Cayna’s ecstatic client happily paid a sum of twenty bronze coins for the job. 

Cayna also walked on walls to make some roof repairs, and the crowds of spectators that formed as a result made it difficult to pass through the streets, thus angering the soldiers. 

A personal request came in that said, “My boat has capsized. Please help me pick up my scattered luggage that has fallen to the bottom of the lake.” This seemed to come from someone who had seen her walking on water. 

To solve their dilemma, Cayna walked over the lake’s surface to where the boat had capsized and summoned a Water Spirit to collect all the belongings from the bottom. 

However, since the summoner herself didn’t know exactly what the items were, it ended up hauling everything onto the shore. 

Cayna also had no idea how long this had all been at the bottom of the lake. It would be fairly obvious to figure out what these objects were had they fallen in recently, but many were rotted beyond any recognition. Among the rusty wreckage was something she initially thought was just a sturdy steel box, only to learn it contained a skeleton clutching a stone that was bound with chains. 

Naturally, the guards and knights were called, and she was almost taken in for questioning but showed them the button Agaido had given her and managed to get out of trouble. 

A few days later, even stern-faced adventurers recognized her as that clueless, bumbling little lady who was off-the-charts powerful. They’d occasionally offer her advice, which would in turn lead to enjoying pleasant exchanges and conversations. 

Of course, there were the usual disagreeable and jealous types, but Cayna ignored them as best she could. Cayna would hear interesting tidbits on occasion or word of a delicious food stand, so she made a habit of visiting the Adventurers Guild whenever she had free time. 

Then, on one such day… 

“Huh?” 

“Hmm? What’s up, missy?” a fellow adventurer asked Cayna as she stood at the request board with her head cocked askew. 

She pointed to a request posted near the bottom. 

“Didn’t somebody accept this one earlier?” she asked. 

The burly adventurer who had spoken to her called his friends over to look at it. Other adventurers who seemed to have time on their hands also chimed in, and information started flying left and right. 

Cayna really enjoyed the vibe here. Members normally went their separate ways in other guilds, but the lively conversations made the Adventurers Guild quite a comfortable place to be. 

“Ah, this. I heard someone failed and had to pay a penalty fee.” 

“They were a group of four who ain’t regulars here. I figured they were outsiders.” 

“Anyone who takes on a job just for the pay is gonna run into trouble.” 

The request said, “Please do something about a ghost. — Battle Arena Committee — Eight Silver Coins.” 

“Hmm.” 

Cayna decided the job sounded kind of interesting, and she took it from the board. 

“Whoa, you gonna go for it, miss?” 

“Hey, if you meet the ghost, tell it I said hi.” 

“Well, be careful out there.” 

“I will, thanks.” 

The hardened men smiled pleasantly as Cayna took the paper and called over to Almana at the reception desk. 

Cayna visited the Battle Arena the next day. 

The arena wasn’t located in the city center. Instead, it lay beyond the castle on the hill. 

She took a moment to cross the river (entering and leaving the city via the river itself was prohibited), showed her request form to the guard who stood at the walled gate east of the aristocratic district, and made her way to her destination. 

After circumventing the hill and plugging along on a twenty-minute hike, she arrived at the Battle Arena. 

According to what she’d heard at the Guild, an annual combat tournament was held there. Fearless fighters would gather from all over, and the event generated more requests for guards and defense than any other time of year. It was also apparently used for the knights’ mock battles, testing for the Academy, and the circus. 

Cayna would be leaping for joy at the news of a tournament had it been part of a game, but since this was reality, she didn’t really feel like watching people hurt one another. 

When she showed her request form to the guard at the entrance, he actually gave a look that said he wasn’t expecting much. Well, that would be anyone’s reaction, really. One young girl had come to take on a task at which teams of four and five had failed. 

Inside, the slender-faced supervisor named Max had the same reaction, but they were grasping at straws by this point. 

“Please help us. We appreciate your assistance,” he said with an earnest bow. 

The ghost had suddenly appeared about ten days prior in the corridors and on the stage. Those it constantly and silently shadowed would grow so disturbed that they either quit or skipped work without leave, and it was obstructing their operations. The apparition didn’t have any one form, either; it could be an old man, a child, or anything at all. However, each one was vague, which only sparked greater fear. 

After getting the gist of the situation, Cayna was given permission to stay two or three nights, and she decided to prepare for her meeting with this ghost. 

First, although she understood the basic structure of the Battle Arena, she took a good look around inside as well. It was strikingly similar to the Roman Colosseum she had seen on TV. It was as if they’d restored the famous building in white marble. From what she’d heard, it had been here before the capital was founded, and its creator was a total mystery. 

“They’re really making good use of the arena’s eeriness, aren’t they?” 

“That alone gives me a bad feeling.” 

She agreed with Kee’s suspicion. This time they were facing the undead (?), and the long sword with the red jewel in the hilt she always carried on her was at her waist. 

A salamander lived in the blade, a rare weapon known as the Eternal Flame capable of transforming into the shape of a lizard. It was a nifty kind of item you might see a hero use in an SFX movie to take down baddies. A bizarre gag weapon like this made you wonder why it even needed to look like a sword in the first place. 

She then initiated every Active Skill that would help her find the enemy and slowly continued down the corridor. The Battle Arena administrators were too scared to enter, so Cayna was the only one around. Since surveying such a large facility was impossible, she called out one underling after the other with Summoning Magic and placed one in each area. These beings were connected to the very depths of her consciousness, so even if they were weak, they could serve as security cameras. It felt like a nine-way screen in her mind. 

Of course, 24/7 surveillance wouldn’t be necessary. Those she summoned could differentiate between an intruder, an employee, and a ghost. 

Cayna pretty much finished her rounds before noon. She took foodstuffs out of her Item Box, started a fire in the center of the arena, and began cooking. 

She burned scrap wood from her previous castle construction that wasn’t fit to use, and her ingredients were colt birds she’d bought at the market and a root crop that was part carrot and part radish. 

As to why she decided to cook in such a place, it was because she was laying out the bait. There was no doubt something doing a poor job of hiding itself was following her (although Kee had been the one who had noticed). 

Cayna had laid several traps and thought she’d catch whatever it was if she just did nothing. She never needed a fire to begin with; a Cooking Skill would have perfectly sufficed. 

After a short while, someone’s anguished scream of “GYAAAA!” could be heard from afar. 

Wagging its tail happily, a cerberus the size of a horse appeared in the contestant entrance with the intruder in its mouth. Incidentally, the person being held by the center head was Primo dressed in shabby commoner clothes. 

“Y-yo, what’s the deal with this thing?!” 

“It’s Summoning Magic. So?” 

“I never heard of no magic like this!” 

“That just means you still have a lot to learn. You’re, ah, what’s the word again? ‘Unread’?” 

Agaido treated Primo like a regular kid rather than a royal, and she and the prime minister had an understanding. If she found the wayward prince, Cayna could rough him up as long as she notified the guards to retrieve him. 

Cerberwoof set Primo down, and the boy’s stomach let out a loud growl. He seemed pretty famished, so Cayna handed him a bird leg fresh from the fire, which he took from her and began scarfing down ravenously. The way he acted like a schoolkid who’d forgotten his lunch made her doubt if he was actual royalty. 

After he finished eating, it was interrogation time. When she asked why he was here, he answered, “’Cause I saw you cooking.” 

While she did think, Nothing about this is particularly enticing…, there was no way she could get the guards to leave their posts. 

Normally, Cayna would report him to the guards, but the management was too scared of the ghost and wouldn’t enter the arena. She decided she had no choice but to keep an eye on the boy until the job was finished. When she was about to order Cerberwoof to protect Primo, he insisted he would come along no matter what. 

It didn’t seem as if a specter could cause any bodily harm, but that was just her guess. Cayna had no idea what dangers awaited. She wanted him to stay someplace safe, but the safest place was right next to Cayna. It would be a major pain, but it wasn’t as though she wanted him to meet his maker here. She settled on bringing him along. 

While she was impressed by his fearless grit, she couldn’t tell whether he was being courageous or reckless. Cayna thought it was better not to think too hard about it. 

To make matters worse, the creatures she had summoned into the coliseum were running rampant. Although they weren’t disobeying Cayna’s commands, it was clear that each had a mind of its own. Any one of them could crush an average human in an instant. 

“The heck even is this beast…?” asked Primo. 

Cerberwoof followed Cayna’s orders to keep watch over the boy and trotted behind the two with a three-part panting melody. It had a black body and three sets of blazing red eyes. Its breath went beyond warm and was sometimes scorching. Cayna snickered every time Primo turned around and got freaked out by its rows of sharp fangs. 

Considering it was classified as a single system, summoning most likely had the greatest variety of all Leadale’s magic. Once you knew one Summoning Magic: Beast skill, you could independently register any beast-type monster you defeated. The one restriction was that for each monster type, you could only summon the very first one you’d defeated. 

When Cayna caught the cerberus in the Underworld, it was level 480. There was still some trial and error involved, but it was learning to follow specific commands, even though it had only been able to “Fight” or “Go Back” in the game. Cayna could tell how convenient this creature was. 

There was also Summoning Magic: Dragon, but the dragon that appeared when one gained the skill was the same color as one of the seven nations. You could choose from an intensity level of one to nine and then call upon it. Collectors would go out of their way to frequently visit the Skill Masters, and there also seemed to be those who learned to summon all nine varieties. This astounded hobbyists. 

When summoning a dragon or spirit, the summoned target’s level was calculated using the formula “intensity level × user level × 10 percent.” In Cayna’s case, the minimum was level 110, and the maximum was level 990. 

As for Primo—no, the prince of this country… 

He had zero trust in this adventurer girl named Cayna, whom the prime minister and High Priest spoke of so highly despite her only recent arrival in the royal capital. Even the old yet muscled prime minister, who was known for being both blunt and quick to violence, would say things like “That little lady certainly is interesting.” 

When it came to shaking off the guards, the prince outran them all. 

Or at least he thought so, up until his easy capture via an unfathomable trick that allowed his captor to walk on water. Even in his dreams, he replayed that frustrating scene on an endless loop. 

The High Priest had overheard Primo muttering snide comments to himself about this girl and had been deeply offended. For three hours, the prince had to listen to the High Priest’s wishy-washy argument that far went beyond the mantra of “how great a mother’s love is.” The prince had paid the price for his actions, and his resentment had taken deeper root. 

Thinking he could at the very least unmask her true nature, he’d tried following her and looking into her background, but the more he investigated, the less he understood. 

First, there was the fact that she was a high elf. Even among the elves, they were known for being pure-blooded royalty who sat high above the rest and isolated themselves from the world. He had no idea why one would be trotting around as an adventurer. Rumor had it that high elves fought at the back line and only fired off single, powerful bursts of magic, but from what Primo could see, she had a host of techniques that included walking on water and going up walls. 

Next, someone like her apparently had three kids: the High Priest, the headmaster of the Academy, and a dwarf who worked as a craftsman by the harbor. He realized half the country’s major positions were held by her family members. 

Furthermore, after snooping around for information at the Adventurers Guild, the prince learned that, although she didn’t look it, she was an impressive soldier. That much he could believe after her sword blew his secret weapon to pieces. 

Last, he couldn’t stand the fact that Lonti, the one who had outed him as a royal, held a strange respect for her. This was merely jealously on his part, but he didn’t seem to realize it. 

It was all too good to be true. 

It was for these personal reasons that he followed her through the city. However, just as he’d sneaked into the arena and started feeling hungry, a tantalizing smell had enticed him. No one would have ever guessed a giant three-headed dog would be silently hiding when he went to investigate the enticing aroma. 

He let out a scream and turned to escape, but a crayfish the size of a carriage was standing behind him. 

Its four pinchers were enough to terrify a child with no battle experience. His face grew white, and he froze. The three-headed dog had grabbed him by the nape of the neck. 

Now, he was face-to-face with her. 

The prince considered giving her a piece of his mind, but one fire-roasted chicken leg was enough for him to throw that chance away. 

More than anything else, Primo lamented his own simple-mindedness. 

“Grrrr.” 

“Awoo.” 

There was a terrifying pressure behind him, and he sensed that the three-headed dog was conversing with something. Primo told himself, Don’t turn around, don’t turn around, don’t turn around, and he thought he sensed something heavy send vibrations along the ground. He turned around against his better judgement. 

There it was, across from the black three-headed dog. 

The enormous, towering creature practically grazed the ceiling, its scaly body a fiery crimson hue. Its vicious mouth looked as if it could swallow a person in a single bite. There was a flickering red light as the beast’s fangs gnashed together— 

Before he even realized what this creature was, his gaze met its golden reptilian eyes. An instant later, Primo fell unconscious. 

Hearing something fall to the ground with a thud, Cayna turned around to find Primo sprawled on the ground. 

“Huh? Hey, what’s wrong?” 

Cerberwoof’s nose twitched as it sniffed the air, and just barely squeezed into the corridor behind it was a Red Dragon peering at Cayna as if to say, How’s it lookin’? 

That alone told her what was going on. 

Summoning a low-level monster wasn’t so bad, but high-level ones had the skills to match. To face her undead enemy, she had called upon several fire-type monsters. 

She had sent out a level-700 dragon from her reserves for the time being, since the most powerful undead Cayna ever encountered in the game had been a dullahan that was over level 800. Apparently, this had been a bad idea. (Kee had advised that if she tried to summon a maximum level-990 monster, it’d be impossible to strike a good balance with the other creatures she’d sent out.) 

Cayna ascertained that either Might (largely reduces an enemy’s ability to evade), Pressure (dampens Battle Spirit), or Evil Eye (faint effect) had done Primo in. His face looked incredibly pale, and he seemed to be having a nightmare. There was no way she could leave him. 

Using a Craft Skill, she created a plank with the wood she had previously obtained and added wheels to it, then had Cerberwoof take the dragon to the campground. 

Night had fallen while they were wandering around, so Cayna decided to wait for morning in the center of the arena. 

That aside, Cayna seriously questioned whether it was okay for Primo to be there. She figured the palace was probably in an uproar thinking he’d been kidnapped. If someone were to find them here, there was no question Cayna would be the prime suspect. 

“Still, it doesn’t look like this is the work of the undead…” 

She tried invoking the highest-level Summoning spell, Create Undead, but nothing happened. That only confirmed that what they were facing wasn’t undead. 

In the game world of Leadale, this type of magic wasn’t exactly forbidden, but it was extremely frowned upon. Everywhere in the fields outside the towns, there were so-called filth meters that acted as hidden parameters. These numbers indicated the likelihood of undead spawning during the night. If they hit even 50 percent, there was a possibility undead would appear. 

However, that wasn’t the case here. In other words, there were no impure creatures in the arena. 

The creatures she had summoned were only active for a maximum of six hours at a time. Since she didn’t know what was out there, she only re-summoned the cerberus and let the rest disappear naturally after their time had expired. 

She tried combing through the arena with Manhunt and Search but found nothing. Not even a single hidden door. Skill Master or not, after coming this far without anything to show for it, she was at a complete loss and had no idea what to do next. 

As she opened her Item Box to look for a tool with the idea that she could dig a hole and look for an underground cave, the rarely used Guardian Ring that she had stowed away began blinking. When Cayna hurriedly took it out, it gave a faint blue twinkle. 

“…Wait, it can’t be. This is one?!” 

She leaped into action the second the realization hit her. 

Leaving Primo with the cerberus, Cayna raised the ring and called out the passcode. 

“ One who protects in times of trouble! I beseech you to rescue this depraved world from chaos! ” 

An instant later, countless shining stars appeared in the shape of a cross like a fountain beneath her feet and surrounded Cayna. In the blink of an eye, both she and the stars vanished. 

The fainted prince awoke, perhaps stirred by the bright light, only to find the docile cerberus curled up near an open fire. 

When the radiant light around her faded, Cayna’s surroundings had completely changed. 

She looked upon a perfect half-circle dome that was about fifty meters in diameter. Beneath her feet was a green utilitarian floor demarcated into lined grids. Above her was a video of clouds floating across a blue sky. 

A sun that looked like a cutesy plush toy was floating in the center of it. If she had to call it anything, it was like something from one of those old geocentric miniature model sets. 

In the center of the room was a white sculpted flowerpot like the kind you might buy at any home goods store. The pillar-shaped receptacle reached waist height, and in the packed soil at its center was a small brown maple leaf that was half wilted and just barely hanging on to life. Guessing that this was the Guardian’s core, Cayna poured half of her own MP into it. 

Life immediately returned to the leaf. Smoke spouted from the top and coagulated into a whitish human shape. 

The figure had its right hand on its belly and was bent over. Seemingly unable to solidify, it hovered in wisps as it spoke. 

“Warmest greetings. This is the Guardian Tower of the Ninth Skill Master, Sir Kyotaro. Might I ask the name of our guest?” 

“I’m Cayna, the Third Skill Master. Where’s your master?” 

“I am terribly sorry, Lady Cayna. My master is absent at the moment. Or rather, he shall never return again.” 

“What?! What’s that supposed to mean?!” 

The Ninth Skill Master Kyotaro was a Limit Breaker like Cayna and a member of the dragoid race. He was in a different Guild from her and had even become a guildmaster. When it came to battle, he was a vanguard through and through, which was pretty much the complete opposite of her own fighting style. 

On the day he halted his tower activities, he had apparently announced, “This is my last day,” and “Our dreams will also soon come to an end. Thanks for everything; it was a lot of fun. It was too bad only twelve Skill Masters could get together one last time, but we’ll probably meet again elsewhere.” 

And with that, he left and never returned. The tower went into Sleep Mode afterward, but it had recently felt the presence of a Guardian Ring—Cayna’s Guardian Ring—and thought it should at least try to send a message. However, its MP had run dry, which subsequently sparked the ghost sightings in the arena above. 

Cayna, on the other hand, perceived the circumstances surrounding Kyotaro’s final message. 

“Only twelve other Skill Masters could get together.” = His message took place after Keina Kagami’s death. 

“Our dreams will also soon come to an end.” = The end of Leadale. 

In other words, this world was not “future Leadale,” but “the future Leadale after the players left.” No matter how hard she searched, Cayna would never find a player from a long-lived race. This was the reality she faced. 

“…Shoot, I’m really in trouble now…” 

Truth be told, she’d been hoping to meet another such player. She could hear the cracks forming in her emotional foundation before it shattered into a million pieces. Every ounce of strength left her body, and she sat down. 

She dropped her head and gave such a loud, elongated sigh that anyone who heard might have thought the life was being sucked out of her. 

The white figure held out a Guardian Ring to her. Unlike Cayna’s, it was sky blue. She felt as if she could gaze into its depths forever. 

“Lady Cayna, my master no longer exists. I shall recognize you as the new master of this tower. Please take this.” 

Cayna continued staring at the ring mutely. The figure took her hand and closed it around the ring. It then stepped back and bowed. 

“I await your orders, Master.” 

She looked between her two rings and thought of her own Guardian. This one couldn’t have been more different from that mural of hers. Annoyed with the discrepancy between the two, she sighed and got to her feet. Being down in the dumps would get her nowhere, so she pulled herself together. 

“Hmm. I can’t think of anything in particular. At any rate, let the people above use the arena, okay?” 

“Yes, understood. Do many people appear to be living in the area now?” 

“Oh, right, it’s been about two hundred years. Now the castle of a new country is right across from here.” 

“I see. Incidentally, it seems that a child in the arena above is making a fuss.” 

“Come to think of it, I forgot I left him there. I guess he’s awake now…” 

The shock of everything had completely driven Primo’s situation from her mind. Or she just forgot he existed. 

He was a cheeky, annoying brat, but she had no intention of telling a kid he should keep quiet, even when he had something to say. After all, he was someone else’s child. Surely his education would straighten him out. 

Her mission here was practically done, so she had to switch modes and think about handing Primo over to the guards. 

At any rate, after giving the core the MP she had replenished while they were talking, she decided to head home. 

“Well, I’ll be going now. I’ll come again to fill you back up.” 

“Understood. I shall see you off, then. Do take care.” 

The scenery changed in an instant. Cayna found herself at the very edge of the arena in the nosebleed section. Looking down at the center stage, she instinctively tilted her head at the odd sight before her. 

First off, Primo was still fine. He was cowering behind Cerberwoof with a panicked expression. 

Next, there was the cerberus itself. It protected Primo with three sets of bared fangs and growled ferociously before each head howled in unison. This steadfast pup was following Cayna’s commands spectacularly. 

Last, there were three people in white armor with their swords drawn. They surrounded Cerberwoof and closed in on it with their deft swordplay, but they couldn’t land so much as one measly little scratch. 

“What the heck is going on?” 

Cayna left the spectators’ section and hopped down to the stage below. Upon hearing her feet hit the earth, Primo rushed over. 

“Hey! Do something, will ya?!!” 

“Wait a sec, what’s going on here?!” 

“My father sent these knights to come get me, but your little pet keeps getting in the way. It won’t let them get close!” 

Aha. It appeared even this world had spies and the like. 

In all likelihood, Agaido had probably sent these knights to keep watch over Cayna. 

However, once she ordered the cerberus to protect Primo, they couldn’t follow her anymore. 

“Cerberus! That’s enough! Stop!” 

As soon as it heard its owner’s voice, the cerberus backed off the knights and ran over to Cayna. She stroked its neck lightly as it snuggled up to her. The fur was hard and stiff rather than fluffy. 

The knights approached cautiously, swords still drawn. Cerberwoof and Cayna stepped aside to clear a path, and she pushed Primo in front of them. 

“I apologize for my little pup’s blunder. It’s dangerous to sleep outside at night, so I had the poor thing protect the boy, but…” 

“Are you the adventurer the prime minister spoke of?” 

“Why are you letting such a dangerous monster roam about?! We’re lucky nothing terrible happened!” 

“Your actions are inexcusable. My apologies, but I must ask that you please come with us to the knights’ guardroom.” 

Cayna could somehow tell that these guys were hopeless examples of stubborn red-tapeism. 

“I’m sorry, but I’m in the middle of a request right now. Could we do this another day?” 

“Are you, a mere adventurer, defying us?!” 

Perhaps sensing the tension in the air, Cerberwoof recommenced growling. If Cayna let go of the leash, it would crush the knights’ heads in less than an instant, and it’d be game over. Doing so seemed as if it’d come back to bite her in the future, however. Cayna didn’t really care about personal grudges against her, but she didn’t want to cause problems for the adventurer community. 

As for Primo, he now stood behind the guards and goaded them on with “Yeah, tell her!” 

“Sheesh, looks like authority’s the only thing you’ll answer to.” 

Sighing, Cayna opened her pouch and took out a button with a small bell attached. 

She never thought she’d have to use it for a second time so soon after the first. When she asked Agaido later, he said that possessing it proved she had the support of the Arbalest Marquess. It was a little scary that he’d entrust her with such a thing after fulfilling only two requests. 

Her children’s reactions if they discovered their mother had gotten tossed in jail would be even scarier. It was no joke. She’d heard her eldest son was among the nation’s top three officials, in which case, she had to use her authority to keep these knights from losing their jobs. 

The button presented before them made the knights tremble in fear. After stopping them from kneeling and apologizing for their rudeness, she asked them to take Primo home. They quickly obliged and dragged the flailing prince out of the arena. 

Cayna waited until they disappeared from sight, then sat down by the campfire. Cerberwoof settled behind her to prop her up. 

“Agh, I’m beat! Thinkin’ about all this stuff is just stupid!” 

Letting out a single moan to air her grievances, Cayna took out a pillow and quickly decided to go to sleep. The request would be over by morning. 

Feeling Cerberwoof’s warmth as it nuzzled its nose against her with a happy whine, she drifted off. 

The next day, Cayna cleaned up the campfire and sent Cerberwoof away. She reported to Max, the arena’s supervisor, that the problem had been taken care of. Since they couldn’t trust that information alone, it was decided she would receive payment after it had been confirmed that the ghost was truly gone. 

In the end, the Adventurers Guild paid her eight gold coins three days later.