The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

Aside from being a battle maniac, Maeve was a very refined madam.

The meal was more lavish than I expected, with monster meat laid out in abundance on the table.

The seasoning was simple, just salt and a few herbs. Though simple, the combination of salt and herbs is crazy popular even in modern Japan.

I liked this seasoning too.

There was plenty of meat but almost no carbohydrates. The menu centered around meat, nuts, and mushrooms.

"I haven't eaten this much in years..." Nagi muttered softly.

Tears faintly glistened in her dark, sunken eyes.

Perhaps realizing she was about to cry, she closed her eyes tightly and looked up as if remembering something.

Maybe she had never even eaten her fill before. I'll leave her be for a while.

"Master, this is bitter~"

"That herb isn't for eating."

Seori made a face next to me. As I removed the decorative herb from her tongue, I suddenly remembered my younger stepsister from long ago. She must be about 12 now... I wonder if she's doing well.

Maeve smiled as she watched us.

"How is it? Does it suit your taste?"

"Yes, it's delicious."

By the way, Maeve's house is located inside the golem's mouth.

The cockpit is at the top of the head, so this is a completely separate area. Even in the same head, it's quite far. As expected of a golem bigger than Tokyo Tower.

"By the way, where were you headed? The desert?"

"Yes, we have some business with Saturn."

"My, my. Could it be a fight? Ah, to be young."

The madam puts her hand to her cheek and sighs dreamily.

She's got too much blood in her veins.

"But be careful. Saturn is one of the 'Six Demon Lords', you know."

"The 'Six Demon Lords'?"

This is another term I'm hearing for the first time.

I glanced at Nagi, but she shook her head. She didn't know either.

Realizing our lack of knowledge, Maeve explained while cutting up meat on a large platter.

"The 'Six Demon Lords' are the six high-ranking demons vying for supremacy in the demon realm. Saturn is one of them, so he's much stronger than someone like me."

"I see. But I heard that even Saturn respects you and doesn't lay a hand on you."

"Saturn is cunning. He just doesn't do things that have no benefit, like dealing with an old woman like me."

"Is that so?"

I'm completely unfamiliar with demon power dynamics, so I honestly try to learn.

Roze only told me that Saturn rarely shows himself in public, but that's about all I know.

"Have you ever met Saturn directly, Maeve-san?"

"Yes, just twice. When was the last time... about 300 years ago, I think."

"300 years? Do demons live that long?"

"Oh yes. High-ranking demons can live for 500 years. Come to think of it, humans have short lifespans, don't they?"

"Our lifespan is about 80 years at most, it seems..."

"So short-lived. But in exchange, you have lots of children, right? You'll have to do your best too, boy."

I don't think that's something to say during a meal.

And why is Seori blushing? Please stop, Maeve's gaze looking at her fondly is painful.

...But come to think of it, humans really are short-lived.

"Elves, the longest-lived among human species, live just over 400 years, and beastmen live at least 100 to 200 years... I heard dwarves live about that long too. Could it be that humans are the only ones who can't live to 100?"

"That's right. But in exchange--"

"I know! We have strong sex drives!"

"Oh my? I was going to say that in exchange, human civilization progresses quickly."

What... did you say...

I covered my face with both hands in despair.

"...Nagi, please kill me...!"

"Self-destruction, I see."

"M-Master..."

Stop looking at me, leave me alone!

As I sobbed, Maeve kindly ignored it.

"With another 500 years, humans might be able to create something as good as holy relics."

"...Holy relics? Have you seen them, Maeve-san?"

The clear history of this continent only goes back about two thousand years.

However, occasionally, tools from a civilization said to have flourished long before that are excavated all over the world. All of them are said to have incredible performance, as written in various stories.

Many have valuable and powerful effects, and weapons and armor with similar performance are called "holy relic class". In other words, over-technology or out-of-place artifacts.

Maeve nodded.

"Probably just once, when I was young. When I was still a mid-ranking demon, I went on a sightseeing trip to human territory with my husband... I only happened to see it then, so I don't know much about it."

"In human territory? You were able to cross the Great Lunera Forest?"

"Yes. My husband had the ability to cross the magic tree forest."

Maeve's eyes grew distant.

She didn't say it outright, but they probably parted due to death. I didn't pry further.

"Are you boys interested in holy relics? I hear all humans are very curious."

"Yes, I'm interested. What kind of holy relic did you see, Maeve-san?"

"It was some kind of device. It made people float in the air without using magic... Such technology is only possible with holy relics, don't you think?"

"That's true."

Gravity is in the domain of dark attributes. It's not even mystical arts.

Even current theory is far from that realm, so it must indeed be a holy relic. Maeve seems to be evaluating that humans could advance their technology to that level in another 500 years.

But levitation, huh. I wonder what the principle is. Magnetic force, wind power, or perhaps a means of manipulating gravity itself...

As I pondered about holy relics, Maeve narrowed her eyes, recalling memories of the past.

"Those days were full of adventure and fun. I wish I could tour the human realm one more time before I die. The food was delicious, and the cities were bright and fun. ...Nagi-chan, was it? You have magic deficiency syndrome, right? Don't you want to cross the Great Lunera Forest?"

"Nagi lives to kill Saturn. I have no interest in... the human realm."

"Oh, I see."

Maeve stared intently at Nagi, who had lowered her gaze.

Feeling a slight oddity in that conversation, I decided to ask Maeve directly about my doubt.

"Can those with magic deficiency syndrome cross the Great Lunera Forest?"

"If they're lucky. Those with high magic power suffer just by approaching the magic trees, so it's enviable."

"May I ask why?"

"The magic trees disrupt the magic power in your body, right? Unlike other races, our magic power is aggressive. If it's disrupted even a little, it can hurt ourselves. Even high-ranking demons can die just by entering the great forest."

"I see..."

So the magic tree forest wasn't just a barrier.

Thinking about it that way, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the demons. Despite living in a survival of the fittest society, the stronger they become, the more they're bound to the demon realm.

"And... well. You're going to Saturn's place from here, right? Since this is a chance meeting, let me give you one piece of advice."

"Advice?"

"Yes. Saturn is called the 'Sand King', a specialist in earth magic. You could say that almost anything classified as sand is under his control. But what you really need to be careful of isn't his magic, but his skill."

Maeve's words were tinged with a hint of anger, hidden discreetly behind her refined smile.

"He has a skill called 'Usurpation'. It's a skill that can steal one thing from the opponent. I underestimated him in the past and paid for it... If you suddenly find yourself unable to do something, you can assume that power has been stolen. It won't return unless you defeat Saturn, so don't get confused when it happens."

"I understand. We'll be careful."

That sounds like a troublesome skill.

I hope my "Domain Arbitration" can prevent it...

Thinking this, we continued our dinner.

"Romance... this is romance..."

It was a clear day. Under a cloudless, crystal-clear sky, I was enjoying the view.

Having lost our mount Salad, we were given a ride to the desert region on Maeve's golem, thanks to her kindness.

Taking advantage of this ultra-giant golem march, Seori and I are sitting on top of the control room - the top of the head - savoring the scenery.

"It's still no match for the height of us dragons..."

"The good part is riding a giant robot itself. It's not about the height."

"Hmph. Even I can't comprehend the master's lofty thoughts..."

It seems Seori doesn't get it. If Saaya were here, we could probably get excited together.

Even though we're on top of the head, it's as wide as a basketball court, so although it shakes a bit, there's no worry of falling. Even the timid Seori was enjoying the scenery without worry.

However, there aren't any other notable events, so Nagi is resting and waiting inside the house. I didn't force her to join us. Though I did think it was a waste.

"Is that the desert region?"

With no clouds and a clear view to the horizon, the distant scenery had changed slightly.

The reddish soil color was shifting to a yellowish sand color.

"Thanks to its huge stride, it's much faster than the salamander."

"M-My wings would be--"

"Quiet, you."

"Aww..."

This was our usual exchange.

Within less than three hours, the golem had reached the edge of the desert region.

The golem's body is made entirely of rock, so it would lose balance in a sandbox. If it got caught in quicksand, it would be half-buried alive, so according to Maeve, she rarely approaches the desert region.

Still, we thanked her for bringing us this far as we said our goodbyes.

"Thank you very much. If we have the chance to meet again, could we possibly bring our other companions for a ride too?"

"Of course. I enjoyed it as well. Take care on your journey."

"...Thank you for your hospitality."

"We are grateful!"

After parting with Maeve, we stepped into the desert region.

After advancing a bit, we looked back to see the golem waving at us. I waved back like a child who had just seen a hero show. Again and again. As many times as I could.

"How long are you going to keep doing that?"

My clothes were tugged. Nagi looked exasperated.

"This is Depth III from here on. It's Saturn's direct domain, so we shouldn't let our guard down. The monster levels are higher, and there should be more monsters near the boundary of the depths."

"Ah... it seems that way indeed."

We had only taken a few steps into the desert region.

Yet, as if lying in wait for prey, monsters were hiding, camouflaged as sand and cacti.

Poison Lizards... 6 B-rank monsters.

Flare Scorpions... about 10 C-rank monsters.

Sabotage Cacti... 4 C-rank monsters.

Acid Sand Worms... 7 B-rank monsters.

Just a glance around revealed that many were observing us.

Including those underground, twice as many monsters had noticed us.

"...And we have to get through this?"

I felt dejected.

Isn't this the time for an aerial journey? Come on, Seori. It would be much faster than walking on sand, and less tiring... Hey, why are you looking away, Seori? I haven't said anything yet.

"We can't avoid them anyway, so Nagi will take the lead."

"Sigh. Alright, I'll help."

We have no choice.

I ready my short sword as well.

Nagi advances, crunching the sand beneath her feet. When monsters approach, she stops cautiously, silently intimidating them. She doesn't let them get too close easily.

Although she shouldn't have a presence detection skill, she seems to sense the monsters' presence through technique alone. I'm impressed anew by this strength that doesn't show up in numbers.

We continue to advance while engaging in this dance of maintaining distance with the monsters.

According to what we've heard, it's about a 5-day walk to Saturn's castle. Thanks to Salad and the golem, we crossed the wasteland in just 2 days, so we've saved a considerable amount of time.

We have plenty of water and food stored in our item boxes, so a 5-day journey through the desert shouldn't be a problem as long as we're careful of monsters and the heat.

"Be careful. There's a strong monster nearby."

It's troublesome to keep stopping like this.

By the way, what Nagi sensed was an A-rank monster, a Gigant Sand Worm, hiding underground. Its size is so massive that it could swallow a whole house...

...Well, maybe because we just saw the golem, it doesn't feel that big.

Let's just defeat it quickly.

"'Rending Bullet'"

I launch a coordinate attack towards the Gigant Sand Worm I've seen through clairvoyance underground.

Caught off guard and having part of its body blown away, the Sand Worm, either surprised or in pain, burst out of the ground while writhing.

Nagi doesn't miss this opening and cuts it in two with a single stroke.

Nice combination.

"...Ruruk attacked underground?"

"You noticed? That was mystical arts."

"I see. Then, please handle the underground threats."

"Sure thing."

Nagi handles the surface, I handle underground.

If enemies appear in the sky, we can have Seori's laser beam take care of them.

We decided to clearly divide our roles as we advanced, but...

"'Rending Bullet', 'Blade Shift', 'Fist Shift', 'Reflection' and 'Blade Shift' again... Hey, aren't there too many in the sand!?"

They're mostly hiding.

Well, I guess that makes sense. There's no cover in this sandy terrain. Even monsters must have a food chain among themselves, so they need places to hide...

But I'm the only one working here.

"Hmph, the sand wind is calling me..."

"This is easy."

"At least show some appreciation!?"

Because most enemies are underground, I've ended up walking in the front.

The two of them were just leisurely following me.

Sure, this is the most logical division of roles, but... come on, isn't there something more?

"Master, do your best."

"Do your best, indeed."

Thanks for the heartless encouragement!

Ah~ I need some healing. I want to hug Punisuke and have him cool me down. Lately, Punisuke has been sticking to Elenora all the time except when sleeping... When we get back, I'll squish him to my heart's content.

While thinking about this, I continue to dispatch monsters.

This is like a hell where monsters appear endlessly. Is this the baptism of Depth III?

Well, at least I've stopped holding back, so I'm defeating them in an assembly-line fashion, which means our speed isn't slowing down. That's better than nothing.

And when I look back, we've come far enough that we can't see the wasteland anymore, so I have no complaints other than how busy I am.

If I had to say something, I wish we had a camel. I wonder if there are any wild camels around.

"...Aren't you using teleportation?"

"Yeah. Maeve-san said not to use it because the desert has quicksand and monsters hiding underfoot, so there's a high risk in moving all at once. We're not in that much of a hurry, so I plan to advance steadily."

"I see."

Nagi looked a bit disappointed.

I continue walking while searching for camels. There's no way normal animals would be in this monster-infested sandy area, but I believe in that tiny possibility. Come out, Mr. Camel. Our employment conditions aren't bad. It's a homey workplace~.

As we crossed several sand dunes, taking breaks for hydration, we came to a completely flat area.

As far as the eye can see, there are strange tracks on the ground as if something huge had been dragged across it.

"What's this place?"

Could it be one of those? Would it look like geoglyphs if seen from the air? The scale is too large to understand from the ground.

I was hoping for a development where we'd unravel some historical mystery, but the moment I used clairvoyance on the ground below, I understood everything.

...Well.

It was a nest of a Gigant Sand Worm swarm.

About 30 of them.

In the sandy expanse as far as the eye could see, Gigant Sand Worms were crowded together underground.

To think such a number of A-rank monsters would casually make a nest here, as expected of Depth III.

Defeating all of these would probably raise Seori's level to about 20.

Well, it's too dangerous to fight them, so I have no intention of doing so.

"Ruruk, there's an incredible presence. Should we turn back?"

"Well..."

Unless we can fly, it would be difficult to safely break through here. I might manage alone, but if this many burst out all at once, who knows what would happen. It might even cause quicksand.

Normally, we should turn back here and look for another route, but...

I grinned.

"Alright, let's force our way through."

"Huh?"

"Wha?"

I hoist Seori and Nagi onto my shoulders.

We could use teleportation to move through the air, but that wouldn't be very exciting.

I have two healthy legs, after all.

"Don't bite your tongues... Ready, set, go!"

I kicked the ground with all my might.