Chapter 62 : Urban Legend is Going Too Far

 

After the card collecting battle between Cecil and me was settled, I went upstairs of the guild with Slad-san to hear the details of the difficulty A quest from him.

The second floor of the guild was an inn, so there were several private rooms here.
People sometimes use these rooms to talk about something secret.

「Hanna-chin, listen… The objective of this difficulty A quest is… escorting Princess Marian Granfred…」(Slad)

「Fuーn.」(Hanna)

「Eh…? Why are you not surprised…?」(Slad)

「Well… Doubt told me when I fought him.」(Hanna)

「I see… Aa-ahh… I wanted to see your surprised face, though…」(Slad)

「A, Ahaha…」(Hanna)

He looked really disappointed.

Well, sorry.
If you want to blame someone, blame Doubt for telling me.

「B, But, I’m honored to be able to get closer to the princess! The older sister, Princess Marian, and the younger brother, Prince Elion. They’re beautiful twin sisters and brothers called the【Sacred Twin Stars】, right? Aah~ I want to see them as soon as possible!」(Hanna)

Especially Princess Marian!

It feels good being surrounded by cute girls like Mira-san and Galle-chan.
However, I bet it would feel different when it comes to a beautiful princess!

「Be patient. The Princess is now heading over here while dressing like an adventurer. If all goes well, she should arrive in this city tomorrow.」(Slad)

「Dressing like an adventurer? Is she in disguise? So, she won’t enter Tiaret as a princess?」(Hanna)

「Yeah. This quest concerns the fate of the Kingdom of Grand, so we should do it as secretly as possible.」(Slad)

「I see… So this is a very very important quest, huh…?」(Hanna)

That must be the case since the country appointed a special A-rank adventurer like Slad-san to carry out the quest.

I have prepared myself to help Slad-san with this quest, but honestly, I’m nervous now.

「So… how far are we going to escort the Princess?」(Hanna)

I remember Slad-san said “a certain place”, so perhaps Tiaret is just a relay point for her, not her final destination.

「Hanna-chin, do you know why Tiaret is called “The City of Adventurers”?」(Slad)

「Because there’s the Sortlarc Adventurer Academy here, right?」(Hanna)

「Puuー! Puuー! Incorrect! That school was built not that long ago, you know? Do you know that Tiaret used to have an underground labyrinth?」(Slad)

「Ahー! Yes, I know! But that was long looong ago before the Kingdom of Grand was founded, right?」(Hanna)

Tiaret’s underground labyrinth was the world’s largest labyrinth with more than ten levels that was created in the era of the gods.

Because there was a tremendous amount of treasure hidden in that labyrinth, many people gathered to challenge it.

People started building inns and opening stores on the surface of the labyrinth, and eventually the City of Tiaret was born.

However, the labyrinth’s prosperity didn’t last long.
About thirty years ago, all the treasures in the labyrinth were all gone.
Only the City of Tiaret remained.

In the end, the entrance to the labyrinth was closed forever.

After listening to me telling what I know about the labyrinth, Slad-san burst into laughter.

「Bwahahahahaー!」(Slad)

「W, Why are you laughing? Is there anything funny about that?」(Hanna)

「Haha… ha… Hanna-chin, you said that you’re an adventurer nerd, but you don’t know that story is a lie, huh?」(Slad)

「Eh!? A lie!? What do you mean!?」(Hanna)

「The labyrinth hasn’t been conquered yet. It was said that the deepest part of the labyrinth was the 13th floor, but in fact, there are more than twenty levelsーー No, maybe more than thirty.」(Slad)

「Really? Then, why was it closed thirty years ago?」(Hanna)

If we could go deeper, we might still be able to find treasure there, so I think people would have opposed whoever closed the labyrinth at that time.

「It was because people’s lives were more important than the treasure.」(Slad)

Then, Slad-san explained in more detail.

Three hundred years ago, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, The Black Smoke Dragon, Furiard, began to invade the southern land with a large army of dragons.

At that time, a great magician who once explored the labyrinth saidー
『We have to create a barrier that weakens the Evil God’s power so that the dragons won’t be able to fly within.』

However, enormous magical power was required to create a barrier that could cover half of the continent.

Therefore, the magician used the enormous magical power hidden in the giant magic stone he found in the labyrinth to create a barrier and save people from the threat of dragons.

Since then, people called the land inside the barrier as【Human Land】, and the land outside the barrier as【Demon Land】.

「However, this barrier has two major drawbacks. First, it would lose its effectiveness if the giant magic stone was destroyed. Second, the magician or his kin have to re-create the barrier every thirty years. That’s why the labyrinth has been closed until now. But not only that. The magician also made a plan to ensure his lineage would continue.」(Slad)

「…..That’s….. Could it beー!」(Hanna)

「Yes. The name of the magician who created the barrier is Granfred. And that’s how the Gran Royal Family was born.」(Slad)

「I see….. But, Slad-san… it’s so different from the history I learned…」(Hanna)

「It’s up to you to believe me or not.」(Slad)

「…I believe you.」(Hanna)

So the story about the Gran Royal Family having the blood of God was a lie?

The story about the child of God, who was born before the war against the Evil God, woke up from their deep sleep and started a country to guide people was also a lie?

The common sense I knew was completely overturned.
I couldn’t keep up with it…

Looking at my confused expression, Slad-san put his index finger on his lips and saidー

「Hanna-chin, please don’t tell anyone about this. This is the Gran Royal Family’s secret that has been kept for decades.」(Slad)

「I, I understand. I’ll keep what I’ve heard a secret for the rest of my life…」(Hanna)

 

 

***

 

 

……Slad-san… Please forgive me…

I said I’ll keep it a secret for the rest of my life, but…
It didn’t even last a day…

When I got home and had dinner with Mira-san and Galle-chan as usual, I couldn’t hold the urge to tell them the great secret about the Gran Royal Family.

Because… I, It can’t be helped, right?
Just how many people can keep silent about such a great story?
At least I, as an adventurer nerd, can’t.

W, Well, I don’t think there will be a problem
I believe Mira-san and Galle-chan can seal their mouths better than me.

「Umm… so… what do you mean…?」(Galle)

Galle-chan tilted her head.
Looks like she didn’t understand at all.

I guess I don’t have to worry about Galle-chan telling others about this…

「In short, the founder of the Gran Royal Family is… a somewhat great magician…」(Mira)

Looks like I don’t have to worry about Mira-san as well.
She seems to understand, but I’m sure she can’t tell anyone since she’s not good at talking.

「Anyway, it looks like Slad-san and I have to escort Princess Marian to the giant magic stone in the labyrinth. If she successfully re-creates the barrier, our mission will be complete. It’s a very important mission, but it doesn’t seem to be that difficult.」(Hanna)

According to the current king, it’s been thirty years since the last time the barrier has been re-created.

Princess Marian, who was born with magic talent, was entrusted with the duty to re-create the barrier this time.

The Evil God’s Army knew that it was about time for the Princess to re-create the barrier, so they sent Doubt to kill her.

When I fought Doubt, I was wondering, are demons not that strong?
But it seems that Doubt was weakened by the influence of the barrier.
If I fought him in the Demon Land, I might have struggled a little more.

When I think about it, the barrier is really important…
If it disappeared, demons and monsters could destroy this kingdom easily.

I have to protect Princess Marian at all costs!

「Marian-chan… I wonder how she’s doing now. I haven’t seen her in a long time…」(Galle)

While resting her chin on her hand, Galle-chan said something that surprised me.

「Eh!? Galle-chan, you’re a friend of the Princess!?」(Hanna)

「Yup. I might look like this, but I’ve been treated as a noble’s daughter in the royal capital, you know?」(Galle)

「Ah, I totally forgot about that!」(Hanna)

Yeah, I forgot because she never behaved like a noble’s daughter in front of me.

「Well, now I’m not a noble’s daughter anymore, though. By the way, the last time I played with her was about two years ago, so maybe she has forgotten me… Even if she remembers me, I won’t be able to see her again since we made fake news that I was dead at Ludley Bridge…..」(Galle)

Saying that, Galle-chan made a lonely smile.

To keep the secret that Galle-chan was still alive, we made fake news saying, “A monster killed Galle Arselia and disguised itself as her so that it could keep destroying Ludley Bridge.”

But, looking at her lonely face, I couldn’t help but want to let her meet with the Princess.

Hmm… I wonder if there’s something I can do to make it happen…

 

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