In the Land of Leadale - Volume 5 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - A Sanctuary, a Meeting, a Trip to Otaloquess, and a Reunion

Cayna left Felskeilo to return to the village and was soon greeted by her maid, butler, and adopted daughter.

“Welcome…back, Mommy Cayna.”

“Thanks. Great to be home, Lu. And thanks for watching the house, you two.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“Lady Cayna, didn’t we move here for a more relaxed lifestyle? You seem awfully busy.”

“Ha-ha-ha…”

Cayna couldn’t refute Roxine’s biting remark. Even though she was the one who suggested hiding away in the village, it felt like she was running all over the place.

“Kuu…”

“Oh, Luka.”

Kuu left Cayna to sit on Luka’s shoulder. They patted each other’s heads and played with each other’s hair in a heartwarming scene.

“Mommy Cayna…”

“What’s up, Lu?”

Looking like she had something to say, Luka tugged Cayna’s sleeve without turning away from Kuu on her shoulder. Cayna crouched down to her eye level.

“Go ahead, tell me anything.”

“Can Kuu…sleep with…me?”

Cayna smiled at her timid request and allowed it.

“Just don’t crush her in your sleep, okay?”

“I…would never.” Luka puffed her cheeks in indignation.

“Kuu will sleep with Luka!” The fairy tugged Luka’s hair as if to say, C’mon, it’s bedtime! “Good…night,” Luka said, then left the living room.

Once Cayna was sure Luka was in her room, she turned to Roxilius and Roxine, who had been standing at attention nearby.

“Anything happen while I was away?”

“No, all was quiet.”

“Might I ask why you sound like you ran into trouble, Lady Cayna?”

Cayna let out a deep sigh at Roxine’s joy over another’s misfortune and collapsed onto a mountain of cushions.

“Looks like we’ve got even more cushions,” she said.

“Those are courtesy of Lady Luka. Her needlework is coming along nicely,” Roxine explained.

“Really? What else has she been working on?”

“Her culinary skills need practice, but she can peel potatoes.”

Roxine concluded her report as if she’d just pulled off the perfect prank, and Roxilius’s eyebrow twitched. Even if friendship wasn’t in the cards, Cayna wished they would at least try and get along.

The following morning, Cayna finished breakfast and flew back to Felskeilo. Of course, Kuu came with her. They could apparently be separated inside the house, but the fairy was never far behind whenever Cayna went out.

Since she could finally access it, Cayna used her Guardian Ring to fly to the First Guardian Tower instead of teleporting. The tower spat her out onto the sandbar, and she arrived at her destination. Cayna could have used the ring during the monster attack, but Shining Saber’s sudden message had her so frazzled that she honestly forgot. Using it might have prevented her from stopping the attack on the eastern gate.

Cayna asked the antique clock Guardian if it had noticed anything strange lately, but the tower was being treated as a divine messenger and not much else. She went to check the area along the sandbar but ran into a pile of flower offerings as tall as the castle walls. She wanted to know who was putting these here.

There were multiple reasons for her visit. Including something she wanted to ask Skargo.

“Kuu, do you remember anything else about the sanctuary?”

“Hmm. It was nighttime.”

“…You were in a sanctuary at night?”

“Hmm. I don’t know.”

“Oh boy… Guess I’ll just have to ask Skargo.”

Cayna didn’t know much about religion. The little she did know only amounted to what she’d heard from Sunya, who would stop by as a lecturer when Cayna taught the kids reading, writing, and arithmetic. She was a representative of Lux Contracting.

She tried asking Roxilius and Roxine as well but to no avail. The villagers’ knowledge was limited to simplified legends and fairy tales that claimed the world had two creators. Cayna tried to get more details, but even Sunya told her it was best to ask a holy figure. The church was likely more well versed than most. Since she was unaware of any creation lore in Leadale’s Game Era, it was unclear whether this religion was created within the past two hundred years or if it was a localized belief.

“Still, I have no idea if this Night Sanctuary, or whatever, is in the sky or down on earth. Somewhere impractical would be right up his alley, but I’m stuck if I don’t even know where to start… I bet this is his way of saying, ‘Think for yourself!’”

Keina wasn’t very informed back then, and it was Opus who had taken her under his wing. She remembered how he’d always say, “Think for yourself!” The possibility she had come all this way just for another life lesson from the absent Opus was depressing.

She entered Felskeilo proper and made a beeline for the church. A priest slightly past his middle years greeted her in Skargo’s stead and informed Cayna they would send a messenger when he was available. He was a top national leader with multiple responsibilities, so it was no surprise she had to wait in line.

Next, she visited Arbiter and the Flame Spears’ regular inn to pick up her reward for defending the capital. The Adventurers Guild had informed Cayna that her share had been combined with the Flame Spears’ since Arbiter had bundled their request forms upon completion. The reward for guard duty came from the royal palace and was divided among the mercenaries via the Adventurers Guild. Individual payouts were distributed after a short investigative survey.

Cayna had taken down an entire flying column, so her reward was hefty. It was nice to have cash, but being loaded would be problematic. She brainstormed a bit, then…

“All right, drinks are on me.”

Cayna cut in while Arbiter and his crew were enjoying several rounds to celebrate a job well done. The mercenaries stared at her with incredulous, bug-eyed expressions. Elineh, who had joined them for a few drinks, was surprised as well.

“Are you certain, Lady Cayna? A group of rowdy men like these can burn quite a hole through your pocket.”

“About one gold coin’s worth?”

“Nah, even we couldn’t drink all that. How much did ya get, miss?”

“Thirty gold coins.”

An impressed choir of “Ohhhh!” rose up.

Shining Saber, who heard about the detached column, had sung her praises a bit too well. He must have estimated the damage to the capital if Cayna hadn’t been there.

She was given a special bonus since Felskeilo likely would have been wiped off the map if the horde had attacked the capital in full force. There was also a bit of bribery involved to prevent the citizens from finding out the detached force had threatened their lives in the first place.

The bag Cayna received also included a letter from Prime Minister Agaido explaining the reward amount and how this latest incident would be handled. Incidentally, Arbiter and his mercenaries were given fifty silver coins each.

She took out one gold coin and handed it to Arbiter. He stared at it in his hand, then nodded in satisfaction.

“All right, men! Looks like the miss is buyin’ tonight, so drink up!!”

“““YEAAAAAAAH!!”””

Cheers rattled the inn, and passersby peeked in the tavern to check what was going on. Cayna drank weak fruit wine as she talked business with Elineh.

“Oh, a set schedule for wheat purchases?”

“Sakaiya distributes the final product, but the raw ingredients don’t have to come from a single shop. Your caravan travels the outer trade routes, so you can stop by the village every now and then, right?”

“Well, I’ll have to purchase the ingredients beforehand, but that should be fine. I accept your proposal. Still, my goodness. It’s quite fascinating how much you’ve changed since we first met, Lady Cayna.”

“Gah… Th-that’s true. You and Arbiter brought me this far. It’s high time I repaid you for those first lessons.”

“It is all about give-and-take.”

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Cayna could still buy wheat directly from Sakaiya. However, Caerick had previously informed her “our Sakaiya won’t fall to ruin over this,” so she decided to approach Elineh and reciprocate all the kindness he’d shown her.

The timetable would likely vary, but scheduling a monthly delivery of goods was a huge help. Even if orders from Sakaiya were delayed, she could simply teleport to Helshper and purchase them herself. Elineh’s caravan, on the other hand, was guaranteed to visit the village once a month. Cayna would also need to inform Caerick of this decision.

As Cayna dealt with drunks, had cheap drinks lavished on her, and talked business with Elineh, two women walked into their reserved tavern. Positive she’d just heard her name, Cayna turned around and saw two familiar women trotting up to her.

“Hello, Cayna. It’s been a while.”

“Hmm? It hasn’t been that long, has it?”

“A minor detail. At any rate, we hardly see you.”

“That’s true. Sorry I haven’t been in touch, Lonti, Mye.”

“Pwshaaaaaaaa?!”

The second Arbiter saw Myleene, he sprayed his drink all over his men. After all, who would ever expect a crown princess to suddenly waltz into a downtown tavern?

“Ugh, gross!”

“He just spat his drink all over us!”

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what’s going on?!”

Myleene had made a beeline for Cayna, but the small commotion that broke out quickly caught her attention.

“Ah, Sir Arbiter. It’s been some time.”

“P-P-P-P-P-Prin… Wha…? What are you doing here without an escort?”

Just as Arbiter was about to say Princess, he caught himself and questioned her in a low voice instead.

Myleene smiled brightly and glanced back at the tavern entrance.

“I do have an escort. The captain of the knights himself.”

“…Hello…”

A large silver dragoid in white armor with a sword at his side timidly entered the establishment. Cayna had never seen Shining Saber so meek. For just a second, she wondered, Who is this guy?

He gave a slight bow, and the mercenaries started tackling him. Thick, suntanned arms wrapped around his neck, and the dragoid was forced to crouch down even though he was at least a head above the rest.

“Hey…!”

“How’s it goin’, bossman?”

“Don’t ya think you’ve gotten a bit cocky, greenhorn?”

“Hey, Mr. Big Knight Captain. How about teachin’ your underlings some manners? From what us adventurers can tell, they get a weird look in their eyes and come chargin’ like a bitch in heat.”

“Uh, well… Sorry.”

It might have been the alcohol talking, but the mercenaries unloaded complaints, fists, and knees on Shining Saber. They treated him like a rookie at the bottom of the dogpile. Maybe it was an expression of familiarity.

Lonti and Myleene watched with a smile, and Cayna tilted her head questioningly. The second-in-command quietly explained with a wry smile.

“Actually, half of our mercenaries are former knights. A group joined the boss when he left their ranks. Sir Shining Saber is the boss’s successor, so those who knew him back in the day lovingly treat him like a junior.”

“Huh, I had no idea… Wait, ‘successor’? Arbiter used to be captain of the knights?”

“Yes, he previously held the position.”

Next to them, Myleene overheard their conversation and nodded with a smile. However, this was apparently news to Lonti as well, and she acted just as surprised. The old captain in question grilled Shining Saber.

“Hey, didn’t I tell ya to play nice with adventurers? You wouldn’t be in this mess if you just listened to me. Right?”

“Wait, hold on. Please have mercy, sir!”

“No can do. I’ll show ya what a real defender looks like…”

“Gwagh! You reek of alcohol! Please don’t pick drunken fights!”

As Cayna pondered how to interrupt their awkward feud, Lonti and Myleene grabbed her arms and held on tight. Question marks floating above her head, she looked to the left and right. The pair smiled in unison.

“Come on, let’s get going. The High Priest is waiting,” they declared before dragging her away.

“Huh? Wait, you’re the messengers?! Why would the church send you?”

“Luckily, we were both free. However, that isn’t important right now. Let’s be off!” Myleene said.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming. No need to pull. W-well, Elineh, Arbiter. See you later!”

“Yes, understood. Please take care, Lady Cayna.”

“Right. Later, miss.”

Elineh and the mercenaries waved good-bye. With Shining Saber still at the men’s mercy, the three girls left the tavern.

“Don’t ditch me!”

“What’s that, rookie? You ain’t actin’ indecent toward the miss, right?”

“The boss has a soft spot for ’er. Don’t make us drag ya down an alleyway.”

“Okay, okay, I understand! Please, just let me go!”

This continued for some time, and Shining Saber only reunited with the girls much later.

Lonti and Myleene guided Cayna to a nobles-only boat waiting along the shoreline. Bypassing the sandbar, they boarded the chalky-white cruiser and sailed directly to the aristocratic district on the other side of the river. By this point, the alarm bells in Cayna’s mind were blaring. Kee was quiet as a mouse. If anything, it was her intuition talking.

“Is it just me, or are we headed somewhere really freaky…?”

They traversed the noble district’s main avenue and continued on a straight path down a fine cobblestone road. The trio now stood right in front of their destination: the gigantic building Mai-Mai and Cayna had visited the other day.

Accessible to only a select few, it was the towering symbol of the capital—the castle. Several blue spires rose up against the white exterior. Built by some guild long ago, these intimidating structures gazed down upon all passing on the road below.

Cayna looked back dejectedly, but white armor blocked her view. Shining Saber had managed to escape Arbiter’s clutches and catch up to them. His glare said she wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.

“So what’s up?”

“Nothin’ official. Just a casual meeting. The High Priest will be there, so you can relax… He did have a few complaints for His Majesty, though.”

“ThatdoessoundlikeSkargocatchyalater—”

“Don’t even think about running,” Shining Saber commanded.

Cayna surrendered with an exhausted sigh. Her shoulders fell dejectedly, and she allowed Myleene and Lonti to cheerfully lead her through the castle gates. After entering the castle and passing down a long, fixed hallway, the group climbed several flights of stairs and arrived at a neat little door.

Castles were extremely helpful back in the Game Era. Between taking on quests and dealing with thoroughly unpleasant NPCs, she honestly didn’t have a single pleasant memory of them. Cayna’s opinions on the matter were already set in stone, which disappointed her messengers Lonti and Myleene.

“Do castles bore you, Cayna?” Myleene asked.

“Huh? Oh, there were castles everywhere back in the day. I’m kind of used to ’em.”

“Aww, I wanted to tell you all about them,” she complained.

“Ah-ha-ha, sorry.”

Myleene’s shoulders drooped, and she sighed. Cayna apologized with a wry smile.

Lonti knocked on the door and informed the maid who peeked her head out that Cayna had arrived. She stepped back, and Myleene joined her. It seemed that the two would go no farther. The maid retreated into the room, and the door swung open a moment later.

The room had a large window and was modestly decorated. Even so, it was clean and had a large round table in the middle. Three figures were waiting inside, and they rose to greet her.

The first was Skargo. His arms were crossed sourly, but he relaxed when he saw Cayna.

The second was a keen-eyed man in the prime of life. He wore large priestly robes.

The last was a plump woman in a light green dress who smiled pleasantly.

Given the circumstances, it was obvious who the two strangers with Skargo were. Holding back a groan, Cayna straightened her posture, took a step backward, and gave a slight yet flourished bow. As a high elf, she did not bow in a Japanese-style manner. Otherwise she was certain her son would grow indignant and shout things like, Elven royalty should not bow to human royalty!

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I apologize for the trouble my foolish son always causes you. I am Cayna, a high elf.”

There was a short pause, and the two appeared dumbfounded. The king and queen looked at Cayna, then hurriedly returned the gesture, pressing their right hands to their chests. Skargo seemed to be nursing a headache as he sank into his chair.

Wondering if she did something wrong, Cayna said, “I greeted you like I would anyone else. I hope that’s okay.”

In truth, there was an unspoken rule that the host make their introductions first, so Cayna’s actions had startled the royal couple. Leaving his subordinates to guard the door, Shining Saber prepared to return to his own duties. He whispered that he’d pick Cayna up later and left.

The king and queen awkwardly offered her a seat, and she joined them with a “Pardon me.” Skargo was on her right, and the couple sat across from her. Cayna felt a sense of déjà vu that was as repetitive as the doctors’ candid medical advice. She turned to Skargo, and her sharp eyes questioned why she was there. Her son bolted upright.

“…U-umm, Mother Dear?”

“I apologize, Lady Cayna. We are the ones who selfishly requested your presence. Please do not condemn the High Priest,” the queen implored. Her gentle smile held traces of Cayna’s real mother, and her breath caught in her throat. However, she quickly came to her senses and collected herself.

“I only had a question that I wanted to ask Skargo. Why would Your Highnesses hold a meeting like this?”

“The High Priest told us what happened, and we merely wished to meet the person who has now saved the capital twice. Once you have finished your discussion, I wish to chat for a while.”

The austere, authoritative voice reminded Cayna of her uncle.

Keina’s father was disowned after he ran away from home and entered the family register under her mother’s branch Kagami name. His younger brother (Keina’s uncle) was chosen to replace him as heir to the main Kagami line. Cayna remembered how her uncle would often leave work for a breather and visit her in the hospital.

“Work is a circus,” he used to say.

Each time he’d do nothing but complain. She had no choice but to listen patiently, and his daughter and secretary (Cayna’s cousin) would always come by late to drag him away.

“Shall we do away with formalities? Speaking this way is tiring, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, let’s. You’re quite perceptive, Lady Cayna. I am Triste. This is my wife, Alnassi.”

“Wait, Mother Dear! Please do not be so quick to cast off reservations. As a high elf, you must uphold your dignity!”

“Cut all that fancy nonsense! Besides, this isn’t high-elf territory.”

Skargo gripped his head in agony at his mother’s frank indifference. After all, he could hear any hope of giving Cayna even the slightest advantage in these negotiations shatter into a million pieces. His dear mother had taken Shining Saber’s words at face value. To her, this was nothing more than a meeting with her friend Mye’s parents.

Meanwhile, the image of Cayna that Skargo and Agaido had painted for Triste and Alnassi was bone-chilling. It took her only two moves to mow down the giant monster that had attacked the capital and bested their top knights and mages, and her son and daughter said she could summon powerful creatures to do her bidding.

These incidents Skargo only mentioned reluctantly were duties she had performed as a Transcendental (Skill Master) of the past. After meeting Cayna themselves and noting her easygoing nature, the couple determined they had nothing to worry about.

The maid who had been waiting patiently in the room served tea as directed. Once finished, she bowed and left the room. When the four were alone, King Triste reverently dipped his head.

“First off, I’d like to formally thank you for helping us during both the monster incident and this most recent matter. I’m truly grateful. We’ve caused your sons and daughter great trouble as well. I apologize.”

“Hmm. No need to bow your head, because I don’t remember doing anything that commendable. I decked that giant penguin because it put a bunch of people in danger, and my friend Shining Saber asked for help with the recent monster invasion. Plus, I got hazard pay. I don’t think I did anything worthy of a king’s respect. Besides, Mye is my friend, and Agaido asked me to look after Primo.”

Visibly disappointed, Triste raised his head and exchanged looks with Cayna. She was grinning. This was just her indirect way of saying, I don’t want to owe the country, and I don’t want the country to owe me. The king soon picked up on this and nodded with a satisfied smile.

“I see. In that case, might I consider you a friend of equal standing?”

“I didn’t want to rub elbows with royalty and whatnot, but I guess that’s pretty tough since Skargo is one of the Big Three.”

“Mother Dear?! Please do not speak as if I am at fault!”

“I don’t know the details, but is he actually helpful?”

“Wha…?!”

“Oh, yes. He unifies the church both domestically and abroad. The citizens also love seeing him sparkle and blossom during his sermons.”

King Triste smiled wryly at Cayna’s frank question, but it was Queen Alnassi who answered in her husband’s stead. Cayna reacted to the unremarkable response with an astonished look of Well, whaddaya know and stared at her son.

“…Wh-what is it, Mother Dear? Why do you appear so incredulous?”

“Nah, it’s nothing. If the country’s top leaders say so, I’ll take their word for it.”

“…I would very much like to hear your opinion of me in further detail…”

“Maybe learn to act normal?”

The teary-eyed Skargo tried to get up, but Cayna grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The king’s and queen’s eyes widened at this sudden twist in the conversation between parent and child.

“Hold it. There’s something I want to ask you, Skargo. That’s why I came all this way.”

“Sigh… I cannot guarantee a satisfactory answer, Mother Dear, but I shall listen.”

“Do you know anything about a Night Sanctuary?”

“…Night?!”

Skargo’s eyes abruptly narrowed, and the king and queen fell mysteriously quiet. This question was apparently a bolt from the blue.

“What brought this on, Mother Dear? Have you an interest in the gods now…?”

“That reaction tells me there is a Night Sanctuary. I see. Very interesting.”

The problem was whether or not this “Night Sanctuary” was the place Cayna was looking for.

“It is said one-half of the Creation Gods is enshrined in the Night Sanctuary. What business might you have there?”

“It looks like an acquaintance is hiding away there.”

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-who in the world could coexist with the Lord of Night?!”

Cayna personally thought Opus would have zero trouble living alongside the divine. People like him didn’t understand boundaries. If anything, he was probably driving the god nuts.

Still raving and gripping his head, the elf mumbled to himself as he stared at the ground. Thick storm clouds roiled around him.

“I thought I could be of rare assistance to you, Mother Dear, yet you are curious about the Lord of Night of all things. Although the great Lord of Night is said to be ruthless, the Dream God is quite gentle. While I would never question your circle of companions, I believe not even the Lord of Night would stand a chance against you if such a situation arose. How very like you, Mother Dear! You truly have the most astonishing connections!”

An unsettling concept had apparently struck Skargo mid-thought. A neon sun hung behind him, and Cayna flushed red while her son praised her to the high heavens.

The Dream God was a fragment of the Sun God and protected the night. However, there was a more frightening side of the deity known as the Lord of Night. Similar to a man-eating fiend, it used magic to etch fear in the people’s hearts. One might say it was a superior form of Igzdukyz, who had appeared the other day.

As Skargo’s spirits soared, he realized the eyes of those around him were echoing the lukewarm stares of guardians watching a child at play. He coughed and sat up straight.

“They say the Dream God takes up residence in people’s dreams…but when she becomes the Lord of Night—”

Skargo silently pointed up. He meant the moon.

Even the greatest Skill Master couldn’t reach the moon, and Cayna felt her strength leave her. Just like back in the game, this world had a moon as well. However, there weren’t two, it wasn’t purple, and it wasn’t massive. It was a regular white moon that waxed and waned the same as it did on Earth.

That aside, something Skargo said caught Cayna’s attention and raised even more questions.

“Lord of Night…? …Huh? Where have I heard that name before?”

“It is the name of a deity, so I’m certain you have heard it somewhere. At any rate, even you must take care, Mother Dear. The inquisition will be waiting if you utter its name too openly.”

“Hmm. Well, I’ll deal with that as it comes. Lord of Night. God of Night. Night God Sanctuary? …I swear it’s on the tip of my tongue. How’d it go again?”

 Hey…know…let’s call—

 That…sou…terr—

“Kee!”

“Yes?”

The room grew silent out of consideration for Cayna as she fell into deep contemplation. Unable to remember the rest of the conversation that ran through her mind, she called upon her external memory—Kee. Please ignore the fact that he was one with her in body and soul and could be called upon at any time and place and for any reason.

Of course, since Cayna was the only one who could hear Kee, the king and queen grew concerned when she suddenly began shouting at someone who wasn’t there.

“Check the log for Night Sanctuary!”

“Understood. Just a moment.”

“Um, whatever is Lady Cayna doing?” the queen asked.

“The Holy Spirit accompanies Mother Dear and gives her guidance. However, I cannot begin to surmise what she is searching for.”

“…The Holy Spirit? You mean the same Holy Spirit of legend that appears before holy apostles?” the king questioned.

“I must admit I have not seen it myself,” Skargo replied.

As the High Priest, king, and queen whispered among themselves, their attention fell on the girl presently checking Kee’s log. The space in front of her contained an audio-less transcript of a past conversation, but since it was only visible to Cayna, the three outsiders watched her face grow darker as she stared at nothing. Not surprisingly, Skargo had the horrid feeling he was about to face the brunt of her absurd rage and trembled from head to toe.

The dialogue went as follows:

“Okay, we’re finally done. That was one long month.”

“Um, hey…I’m the only one who was stuck the whole time. Could you maybe not use the game to confine someone who can’t leave her bed in real life?!”

“You can save your little complaints for later. First, let’s celebrate. ‘Cheers!’”

Clink.

“The drinks in this game taste like garbage. Do something about it, will you?”

“I’m sure some strongly worded feedback will resolve the issue.”

“You think I’d mention stupid crap like that?!”

The log soon recorded a howl, a crash, and an explosion.

“…Anyway, this dungeon is seriously gaudy. The whole thing is drenched in gold.”

“It’s just a passion project between two Limit Breaker Skill Masters. I’m sure greedy young players will swarm to it like a roach motel.”

“One point deduction for the vivid word picture. Geez, it’s also packed with ridiculous traps…”

“Idiots trying to make it rich will drop like flies. They’ll be like ambitious knights searching for glory. Hey, I know! We’ll call this dungeon the Knight Dungeon!”

“That sounds really terrible.”

“Okay, how about the Knight Sanctuary?”

“Well, you did put some weird religious statue on the lowest level. Sure, why not?”

“Let’s get the word out. It’ll be fun to watch who falls into hell first.”

“We can start with our own circle. The numbers are small, so rumors will spread like wildfire.”

“All right. Let’s head back, Cayna.”

“Also tell the guild master to lift the ban on binding, Opus.”

“…So it was ‘knight,’ not ‘night’? What the heeeeeeck?! Dammit, Opus! Anyone would mix those up!!”

Her outrage activated several linked Active Skills, and a dense aura abruptly spread around her. The trio, who had been enjoying idle chitchat, were instantly terrified by Cayna’s fury. Nonetheless, Skargo was relatively accustomed to his mother’s eccentric behavior and successfully calmed her down. Peace returned to the room.

“I’m so sorry for losing my composure. I must have frightened you.”

Cayna sincerely apologized to the older king and queen for her shameful behavior. The couple seemed to regard her as a leading figure of a long-lived race and insisted she think nothing of it. Cayna couldn’t say she was just as old as she looked, which made the situation extremely complicated.

She somehow managed to find her own answers—which made Skargo burst into tears—but spent the rest of the day chatting with the royal family. Cayna and Queen Alnassi had plenty to discuss when it came to raising daughters, and the queen said she would give Myleene’s old dresses to Luka if Cayna promised to stop by for tea on occasion. Although Cayna intended it as a one-time affair, neither would it hurt to work on picking less fights and avoiding verbal gaffes. The one who benefited most from this was Luka, who would receive the large volume of dresses as soon as Cayna got home.

As night fell, Cayna left the castle and teleported home. As usual, Luka stuttered as she adorably recapped her day, and Kuu was back in a good mood after escaping the large crowds of people. Roxilius and Roxine joined them in familial bliss. The pair seemed relieved to have Cayna back, but her new role as the queen’s tea companion likely weighed heavily on their minds.

The next morning, Cayna teleported to Helshper to see Caerick. Since she had asked Elineh to handle her next shipment of wheat, she had to tell Sakaiya to freeze her order. However, grandson or not, Caerick was still a veteran merchant. Matters were only settled after a whirlwind of promises and a very complex wheat debate between herself, Caerick, and Elineh.

“Wow, you don’t miss a single detail…”

“Grandmother, a merchant always finds opportunity in oversights.”

“Didn’t you say before that ‘Sakaiya won’t fall to ruin over such a nominal fee’?”

“That is one matter. This is another. Besides, years of experience have taught me it is in my best interest to maintain a business relationship with you, Grandmother.”

“You won’t stop at alcohol, will you?”

Cayna smiled wryly as Caerick proudly thrust out his chest as if to say, Naturally.

After her main business was concluded, Caerick asked Cayna to refine more rhymestones during her visit. Incidentally, the raw ingredients were stones recently gathered by Caerick. A portion was sent to the village earlier, and Cayna used these to create gargoyles and strengthen the village’s defenses. There was plenty left over, though, so she stowed the rest away for future use.

After leaving Sakaiya, Cayna purchased the necessities and groceries on Roxine’s shopping list and returned home. She turned most of the wheat stacked high in the storehouse into alcohol before calling it a day.

“Hmm…”

The next day, Cayna groaned as she spread a map across the dining room table and compared it to the mental game map provided by Kee—one only she could see. Kuu was lazily stretched out on Cayna’s head, and Roxine was doing needlework by a sunlit window. She held one of the dresses Cayna brought home the other day. The fine piece, having once belonged to royalty, was naturally made from high-quality fabric. Unfortunately, it was no outfit for a village girl. The sleeves were too long, and the dress would soon tear if handled carelessly, which made it quite impractical. At any rate, Roxine was in the middle of modifying it into two gowns fit for the outdoors.

Cayna searched the map for the location of the Knight Sanctuary. The sanctuary was Opus’s little pet project created for the sole purpose of screwing with newbie players. She had helped with construction but left the rest to him afterward.

In short, she couldn’t remember where it was for the life of her. She carefully searched the earlier log entry for helpful keywords…or rather, Kee did.

The two clues Cayna did find were Red Kingdom and Near relay point. If the search was indicating a relay point in the game’s Red Kingdom, a giant crystal sat in a hexagonal gazebo in the desert. Just south of that, she vaguely remembered her and Opus making a dungeon in an unexplored region along a mountain range.

Cayna compared this to the Otaloquess map she bought from Elineh. There seemed to be a small village in the overlapping area. It was at the southernmost end of the outer trade route.

“Hmm. Maybe the dungeon has been totally explored after two hundred years?”

It wasn’t impossible to navigate, but it was the work of a certain sly, wicked trickster. Any adventurer whose level was still stuck in the double digits would have a bad time. Pitfalls and iron ball pendulums were one thing, but the place also had nuisances like Spawn Plank: Pop Goes the Monster. By etching a monster silhouette on a tatami-sized magic rhymestone board, this mechanism produced monsters at a set rate. It accumulated small increments of magic daily, and when it finally reached a predetermined number, a monster would be automatically summoned.

Unlike normal summons, the beasts here would continue to exist until they were destroyed. However, limitations on each floor prevented the dungeon from becoming overcrowded.

Since spawn planks were placed on each floor, the best option for players level 100 and above was to rush in as a party and reach the lowest floor. That is, as long as the traps didn’t get them first.

The man himself stated over half were just silly pranks, but how much could he really be trusted? How many hundreds of players had fallen into hardship in times of war thanks to his “mischievous” misdirection? His actions, which just barely toed the lines of regulation, brought great suffering to foes and allies alike.

Regardless, Cayna needed to see things for herself if she hoped to confirm what she’d gleaned from Kuu. It felt like she had brought this on herself, and just now everything was coming full circle. Her initial plan had been to gather her magic, toss in some bonus skills, and unleash an enormous ball of unrivaled destruction to destroy the dungeon, roots and all. However, since there was a village nearby, her only real option was to dive right in.

“Geez, what a pain…”

Back from cleaning the bathhouse, Luka stepped inside with Roxilius. He and Roxine glared at each other for a moment. Once Luka was safely in the room, the butler bowed to Cayna and turned back on his heel. He was likely returning to his daily patrol of the village.

“I’m…home…”

“Welcome back, Lu.”

“Welcome home, Lady Luka.”

“Welcome home, Luka.”

Roxine stood and bowed to Luka, then quickly put away her handiwork.

“I shall start lunch,” she said, heading into the kitchen.

Kuu jumped from Cayna’s head over to Luka’s. The girl dipped a cup into the cask of water always set in a corner of the room and quietly sat by Cayna. After finishing half her drink, Luka peered at the map in front of her mother.

“What’s…that map of…?”

“It’s a southern country called Otaloquess. Wanna come with?”

Luka shook her head. “No, I’ll…stay here… Are you…going, Mommy Cayna?”

“Well, I’ve gotta check some things out, but it’s probably a wild-goose chase. I might be away for a while.”

Cayna shrugged tiredly and patted her adopted daughter’s head with a warm smile. Luka ducked as if she were a little embarrassed. A moment later, she gripped her mother’s hand on her head.

“We’ll…be fine. I’ll…take care of…everything. You don’t…have to worry…Mommy Cayna.”

“Oh my. When did you get so grown-up?”

The fire in Luka’s eyes was nothing like when they first met. Cayna beamed and wrapped her in a tight hug. Again locked in Cayna’s overenthusiastic embrace, Luka quietly sighed with a puckered expression that said, I messed up.

The maid peeked in behind Cayna from the doorway, and Luka’s eyes pleaded to her for rescue. However, Roxine merely gave a pleasant smile and returned to the kitchen. Luka remained in Cayna’s loving embrace awhile longer until lunch was finally ready.

Cayna told her family she would be dungeon crawling for the next several days. That night, she left Luka with Roxine and Roxilius and flew to Felskeilo before the sunrise. She would head to the Otaloquess capital from there.

The outer trade route to the south of the village was shorter in terms of distance, but the long trip to and from Otaloquess required to mark the country as a teleport location was a huge effort. It didn’t seem worth it. If Cayna could set Otaloquess as a destination, she’d have flown there and gotten a move on already. She also had temporary destination markers. However, she was hesitant to use them since it’d be a problem if those left at inns and such were relocated.

She hadn’t visited the Adventurers Guild in Felskeilo in a while and decided to take a quick peek at the requests.

According to her receptionist friend Almana, the outer western trade route connecting Felskeilo and Otaloquess was currently impassable. This was partly thanks to the defensive battle a few days prior, but an investigation into the source of unfamiliar monsters like the leohead was also pending. The giant hole Cayna made was being filled in as well.

Instead, an available route cut horizontally through the continent and provided a direct connection to each major city. Originally open only to royalty and the knights, this road was reserved for urgent messages and emergencies. Since the royals, prime ministers, and other upper ranks of society couldn’t tell what was happening with the Abandoned Capital, they announced the road next to it would be closed until deemed safe.

The knights and adventurers fighting on the western front lines glimpsed both Cayna’s confounding battle strength and the mysterious leohead’s power as well. Even the team-oriented knights couldn’t have predicted what would happen next. After all, the monster used Bewitch from afar and nearly had them at its mercy.

And so, the earlier fighters, including Arbiter and his mercenaries, were now in the middle of an intense training period in an effort to reorganize. There were, of course, suggestions to have Cayna join them, but both Arbiter and Shining Saber said, “She will. Destroy. Us. All,” and rejected the idea.

Since she’d be venturing to Otaloquess, Cayna curiously searched top to bottom for escort missions on the bulletin board. The adventurers around Cayna occasionally stared at her with both admiration and jealousy, but she was too dense to realize. Only after a kind acquaintance brought the matter to her attention did Cayna take note of this (and more hostile emotions). She turned around, and any who made eye contact with the celebrity abruptly cleared their throat.

“Oops, sorry. Am I blocking the board?”

They crashed to the ground as Cayna apologized with a humble smile.

“Oh, there’s a keeper.”

Cayna grabbed a promising request and walked over to Almana. The staff looked between the high elf and the adventurers now picking up collapsed tables and chairs on the other side of the guild and flashed bemused smiles.

Cayna chose the escort request for a minstrel couple traveling to Otaloquess. Most lone travelers traversed on foot, and although stagecoaches used main roads on the regular, they avoided direct routes between capitals. The reasoning was that nothing should impede royal carriages.

The journey took about ten days, but Cayna felt it was time well spent. In addition to tavern songs and town ditties, the minstrels also taught her poems of mythical legends. In return, Cayna taught them her favorite idol songs back in the hospital. Since she had both tunes imported into Kee and background music from the game, their melodies echoed through the air once more. The astonished pair were pleased at the chance to enjoy foreign music.

Cayna also had an attack buff called Enchanted Song but hadn’t used it since arriving in this world. She was happy enough to spend her days letting the music take her.

Frankly, the road to Otaloquess was almost entirely a downhill journey. As the group slowly descended, Cayna watched a deep emerald forest spread across the vast space ahead. Unlike the invigorating green hue of the elevated Helshper forests, this was more akin to a dense jungle. The air grew more humid by degrees. Cayna, who was unaccustomed to such climates, was less than appreciative.

As they approached the capital, the road transformed into a network of wooden bridges suspended between the treetops. Cayna felt like she’d seen something similar on TV. In the center of this city, reminiscent of a treetop-adventure playground, Cayna spied a giant castle that had merged with a tree.

They passed the guard station at the entrance and entered the Otaloquess capital. Before parting, Cayna collected her reward and promised the minstrels they would exchange songs again someday.

Once the couple was out of sight, Cayna turned around and stared up at the gigantic creature beside the castle.

“This must be what Exis and Quolkeh were talking about. What’s Kujo’s tower doing here?”

Cayna hadn’t yet heard about the commotion the tortoise caused. Exis forgot to contact her, and Quolkeh only said her advice was helpful. However, she was positive the two had tackled the tower’s trial.

She glanced around her. The locals were curious about the tortoise, but no one was making a big scene. Since she now knew where the tortoise was and it didn’t seem to be going anywhere, Cayna decided to come back later.

“All righty. Should I head to the guild and get some info on that village?”

First, Cayna opened her Magic-Skill Command screen and confirmed Otaloquess had been added to her list of teleport destinations. After that, she vaguely looked around and tried to determine which identical-looking treehouse she needed.

“Every country has a guild and inn, right?”

She set out to question these locals when a loud voice assailed her from behind.

“AGHHHH ?!?!”

“…Lady Cayna?”

Cayna turned around to find the werecat siblings she recently met in the remote village. They had apparently passed the gate soon after her. The younger sister, Clofia, pointed at her in disgust, and the older brother, Cloffe, stared at Cayna in bewilderment.

“Umm. You’re Cloffe and the little sister who might snap if I speak her name.”

“As if I’d want my name to ever come out of your mouth!!”

“I spoke too soon…”

Cayna knew cranky children back at the hospital, so Clofia’s attitude was nothing new to her. She used to patiently keep each one company and help them open up.

…However, this tale had a dark twist. Once the children finally revealed their hearts, they admitted they had mistaken Keina as a serial stalker at first. She was appalled to discover they only went along with her out of sheer terror.

Slightly disheartened by past memories, Cayna’s spirit withered. All the while, Clofia continued to spit abuse.

“I can’t stand it here!” she yelled before stomping off.

“Please pardon my sister’s rudeness, Lady Cayna…”

“No worries. Anyway…why is everyone staring at us?”

She shivered as the nearby guards and passersby gaped at them. Cayna had no idea, but Cloffe and his sister were Otaloquess’s top adventurers. Clofia’s temperament notwithstanding, the pair were seen as heroes.

Seeing as half of the aforementioned duo despised Cayna, one might say it was only natural for people to eye her critically. There were a few sympathetic looks in the mix, however.

“My apologies, Lady Cayna.”

“Huh? Um, what?”

Cloffe suddenly grasped the situation and swiftly whisked Cayna away by the hand. His notoriety alone was enough to easily secure a private room at the back of the Adventurers Guild, and they both sighed with relief. Incidentally, he proceeded to concisely explain the unwelcome stares.

“That so? I’m guessing everyone at the inn will give me the old stink eye, too.”

“I’m certain the castle will gladly prepare you a private room.”

“People will just get more suspicious and wonder who let some stranger into the castle. It’s not like I came all this way to see Sahalashade.”

“That is true,” Cloffe replied with a nod.

He was keen to know what Cayna was doing in Otaloquess despite her stubborn refusal to meet the queen. The werecat immediately knew it was his duty as a spy to find a motive, join Cayna’s travels to observe her movements if possible, and report his findings to the queen.

“Perhaps you would care to stay with us in our modest home? We have a spare room, so please use it for as long as you please. I wish to atone for my troublesome sister.”

“Hmm. A tempting proposition. Won’t your sister be mad, though?”

“The fault lies with Clofia. I will make her see reason.”

“In that case, I might take you up on the offer… So what are you really after?”

“…As I thought, you are quite perceptive. I wish to accompany you on your travels, Lady Cayna.”

Cayna didn’t know what to say. After all, she was looking for the master of the ghastly dungeon known as the House of Murder and Malice. If someone around level 70 or 80 stepped wrong, she was almost certain they’d be squashed by the rabble of monsters in a split second.

Well, even if they were squashed, Cayna could still use the Revival Magic Skargo had banned. Incidentally, it was taboo because this real-life Leadale categorized revival spells as lost magic. Cloffe would definitely die, which Cayna suspected would cause problems for Clofia. If push came to shove, she had no intention of heeding her son’s warning.

Since an Otaloquess adventurer would be knowledgeable about the nation’s dungeons, Cayna negotiated a series of conditions, then agreed to let him come.

Cloffe listened carefully as she rustled open a map and pointed to a particular area.

“Ah, I know this dungeon. Would you like an explanation?”

“I’m wondering how many levels people have breached so far.”

“I take it this dungeon has existed for some time. Hmm, yes…I believe it was discovered one century ago. Everyone was ecstatic to find the walls were made of solid gold, but I heard there have been multiple deaths on the first, second, and third floors since the very beginning.”

“It’s gotta be those things…”

“Several pieces of treasure great enough to counteract that were supposedly discovered, and the lost adventurers’ friends started to open inns around the cave. The shops of other adventurers were soon added and formed a settlement. I suppose it is now the size of a large village.”

Was there treasure in there? Cayna asked herself. The treasure chests Opus left in the dungeon were just items the two collected to kill time. It was all newbie equipment, like a Strength +1 Bracelet or a small Defense Up Shield with minimal effectiveness. In truth, Cayna had no idea this crafting process was a lost art in the modern world of Leadale. Equivalent skill was achieved by only a few famed artisans.

“There is an Adventurers Guild in the village, but one must be of a certain ability to enter the cave. From what I’ve heard recently, the farthest point achieved…is floor thirteen.”

Thud!

Cayna pitched forward from shock. Naturally, this wasn’t what she’d been expecting.

“No one’s even gotten halfway through in a hundred years?!”

“‘Halfway’? Do you mean the dungeon belongs to…?”

“Yeah. Me and my partner-in-crime made it a long time ago, and there’s a chance he’s hiding out at the very bottom. I wanna see what he’s up to.”

“Ah…I see. So relatives of the queen can create such a dungeon…”

“No, my annoying friend’s the one who built it. I’m pretty sure there are thirty levels, though.”

Back in the Game Era, the field around the relay point was a farming area for low-level players. When Opus told Cayna he was going to make a dungeon to screw with the newbies, she thought he had way too much time on his hands. Still, Cayna couldn’t deny she had gotten carried away, too. She’d had a blast painting the hallways gold with her smug friend.

The dungeon was never meant to challenge experienced players, so anyone who wasn’t a total rookie could easily clear it. Neither could have guessed how weak the world would become.

“Sheesh. Looks like I’m handling those last seventeen levels myself.”

“I may not be of much help, but I will gladly assist where I can.”

Things wouldn’t be as easy as Cayna hoped, and her shoulders drooped in tired annoyance.

Conversely, Cloffe was eager to meet this “annoying friend” who could cause her such grief yet warranted a visit. Determined to accompany her no matter what, the werecat offered his assistance more out of personal interest than duty.

All without knowing the dungeon’s true nature.