"…It's not my power. The power belongs to the relic."
"You're saying you use the Golden Mirror's power? Then isn't it still the Golden Mirror?"
"…With this power, I can only fix what is broken. Because I'm the one using it, not the Golden Mirror."
Even if infinite power remains within an artifact, the entity wielding it has limits. Compared to the Golden Mirror where Demo and Elik's lingering thoughts remained, Peru falls short. Just like me. Actually, even the Golden Mirror—though it could create everything in the world—couldn't properly decorate a city's aesthetics due to the limits of imagination. Everyone in the world has their shortcomings.
"I appreciate you kindly explaining it, but~ hmm, what do we do now."
Hilde put on a troubled face. Even without clear evidence, considering that the Golden Palace collapsed after Peru approached the Golden Mirror, there was no particular reason to doubt her. Even more so if she used the Golden Mirror's power.
However, that was only something Hilde, who witnessed the scene directly, could believe—if it were a matter of a nation, the story would be different.
"Peru. To become the representative of a nation, the many who acknowledge and follow that person as their representative are more important than the individual who claims to be the representative. Just as the Military Nation has no king, yet everyone follows the will of the General Headquarters. No matter how much you call yourself the Golden Guild Master, who would believe you?"
"…The Oppression Guild Master exists."
"That person is dead. 'I' watched with my own two eyes. They approached the Golden Mirror too closely to draw its attention, when there was no need to do so~."
At the unexpected news, Peru received a great shock. As if resonating with her emotions, the golden bell also rang with a tremble. After hesitating for a long while, Peru murmured weakly.
"…I see. Lord Hekto."
"It was a noble sacrifice. Thanks to that or not, at least the objective was achieved! So, what now?"
Hilde pressing Peru wasn't simply because she was being malicious. Hilde still represented the Military Nation's interests, so she acted in whatever way would lead to the best outcome for the Military Nation in any situation. Right now, while negotiating the ceasefire agreement, Hilde needed to extract as much as possible. By pointing out Peru's weaknesses, she was trying to gain the upper hand.
"A self-proclaimed Golden Guild Master. Perhaps, someone who might have even directly annihilated the Golden Mirror! Who would follow you? Even if they did, could they truly trust you!"
…Of course, that doesn't mean she wasn't being malicious.
While Hilde was pressing Peru from various angles, numerous presences were finally felt from behind. Turning around, the jackals who had followed Hekto had arrived late and were poking their heads around. Among them, one person dressed much more neatly than the other jackals approached while receiving everyone's attention.
"Remnant Green Guild Master. I am Dekka, Secretary to the Oppression Guild Master."
It was Hekto's subordinate I had seen a few times in the city. Recognizing his face, Peru answered somberly.
"…The Oppression Guild Master, that."
"I know. I saw it myself."
The one called Dekka briefly closed his eyes as if offering mourning for the guild master he respected, then continued speaking.
"I would like to mourn the Guild Master's death, but because of those jackals, I don't even have that luxury. The moment Lord Hekto passed away, they came to me like cowards and demanded I hand over his assets."
There was distance between them, but his voice was loud enough for the jackals who followed to hear as well. At his words, the jackals bristled and shouted.
"The Oppression Guild Master said if we followed him, he would share his assets with us!"
"We followed him hearing that, so naturally we should get our share!"
Having drawn out sufficient outcry from the jackals, Dekka shouted for all to see.
"Did you see? Having done nothing, having not helped any of you who tried to stop the Golden Mirror! They demand a share simply for having followed behind Lord Hekto! What kind of scheme is this? Furthermore! When the Guild Master passed away, there was no one by his side!"
"Are you crazy? Who'd go there? You'd die!"
"Who in their right mind would bash their head against a wall knowing they'd die?!"
All kinds of jeers and curses poured down on Dekka.
Judging by facts alone, the jackals' words were right, but now that Hekto was dead, the jackals crying out for their shares looked like demons with human faces and beastly hearts. Having secured justification through the jackals' outcries, Dekka appealed to Peru.
"Remnant Green Guild Master. The one who stepped forward to stop the Golden Mirror was you, Remnant Green Guild Master. You saved us, and fulfilled the Oppression Guild Master's will. If there is anyone who can distribute the Oppression Guild Master's assets and trading company, it is only you, Remnant Green Guild Master."
"…I."
"Remnant Green Guild Master. Although the Oppression Guild Master has passed away, our Drum Trading Company is responsible for the food supply of the Ten Nations. If it disintegrates like this, the Ten Nations will starve. We can't let that happen, can we?"
"…Hmm."
Dekka appeared to be genuinely worried about the nation's future, so Peru couldn't easily answer and trailed off. To the seemingly conflicted Peru, Dekka subtly added one more thing.
"And, don't you need a faction as well, Remnant Green Guild Master? The Drum Trading Company can be of help to you."
He was indirectly suggesting that she become the head of the Drum Trading Company if push came to shove. Curious about his true thoughts, I read his mind.
'If we obediently dismantle the trading company and divide the assets here, nothing will come of it! We're running the Ten Nations. Even if Lord Hekto has died, we must still be the Drum Trading Company! Without us, the Ten Nations can't keep running!'
Dekka was certainly sincere. He harbored a slight desire to swagger and a sense of superiority for being different from the other jackals, but his desire to maintain this system even by installing Peru as the new guild master was undeniably genuine. Peru already looked heavily burdened. Becoming the king of the Ten Nations, only to have one side pressuring her for a ceasefire agreement while the other haggled over inheritance issues—she must be at her wits' end. On top of that, her physical condition was at its worst.
Peru looked at me with difficulty and asked.
"…What should I do."
"Huh? Why are you asking me that."
"…There's no one else to ask."
Looking around, Peru answered gloomily. That's true. Hilde is on the Military Nation's side. The Regressor is the muscle. And Hekto, who might have actually been of help, was dead.
"I don't really have an answer either. Wouldn't it be right to ask someone else for help?"
"…Someone else."
"First, we need to look into the details. Where is the Oppression Guild Master's assets? Even if he had a Juggernaut, he wouldn't have carried all of it around."
"…If the assets are large-scale, they're entrusted to Claudia. It's the only city, and… the Thunder Guild Master is trustworthy."
"Then it's decided."
We can't do anything on a road like this anyway. Then there's only one path left.
"Let's go to Claudia. If we meet the Thunder Guild Master there, we can foist most of the problems onto them."
Problems you can't solve should simply be handed off to someone capable. How would you carry a log alone? You share the load.
Reactions to my suggestion were starkly divided.
"Wait. Assets? Are you really planning to distribute the Oppression Guild Master's assets?"
"Geez. It was a chance to swallow up someone who knows nothing~. Whose side are you on, Father?"
Though not as much as the Golden Mirror, Dekka and Hilde didn't welcome a larger force and power. But the others were different.
The jackals cheered, and Peru was convinced. Even Tir welcomed that choice.
"The Cloud Village… it might be good to go see how much it has changed."
'If push comes to shove, I can show Hue the Mist Duchy beyond there.'
The Regressor, who had been thinking deeply, also came out in support.
"Alright. It's decided. Our next destination is Claudia. We had to stop by there eventually anyway."
'There's Cheoneung and Jijan. If I go to Claudia with both, I can imbue the Thunder God within me. Even with Cheoneung and Jijan it's been overwhelming, but if I imbue the Thunder God, things should improve a bit.'
…His thoughts were a bit different, though. Thunder God? What's that? How do you imbue that? Can he get even stronger from here? Someone else only becomes a tad more capable human even after imbuing three Demon Gods!
"…Let's go to Claudia. If there's business, we'll handle it there."
Anyway, a conclusion was reached. Peru tried to board the Golden Ship. At that moment, Dekka blocked her way in excitement. If the Regressor hadn't glared with a chilling aura, he might have laid hands on Peru's body.
"You may certainly go. But, are you planning to bring them along? They'll try to strip the trading company of all its money!"
"…If that's the contract."
"They didn't fulfill the contract!"
"…Including that, I intend to resolve it in Claudia."
"How can you leave something so clear-cut!"
If Peru had been alone, it might have been difficult. But right now, beside Peru was the Regressor, a specialist in cutting things off. When Dekka persisted stubbornly, the Regressor snapped with annoyance and cut off his words.
"Shut up. We're short on time right now, okay? If you're going to get in the way, stay here and grab whatever you can before leaving."
Even so, the survival instinct was still there. Dekka clamped his mouth shut and turned around.
'Unbelievable. I didn't trail behind the Golden Mirror wiping up after them just for this! I can't let our trading company disappear like this!'
It seemed like there would be plenty left to do before all business was finished in Claudia. Reading his departing thoughts, I nodded.
The Golden Ship's whistle blew, and the group heading to Claudia departed all at once.
If Dekka had done one thing right, it was bringing Peru's horse, Aurea. More accurately, Aurea, whom Peru had left behind, had run after Dekka of her own accord, but anyway. Boarding the Golden Ship riding her beloved horse, Peru barely managed to start the engine before collapsing with a flop. Aurea cried as if worried for her master and stayed by Peru's side.
Seeing Peru collapse on the bed groaning, Hilde remarked.
"It seems like she might die before reaching Claudia. Shouldn't we get her written pledge in advance~?"
Saying such harsh things while pretending to have no ill intent. The Regressor also reacted irritably.
"Don't say such ominous things! She won't die that easily."
"No~. 'I' have some expertise in healing arts, and Peru's body seems to be in quite a dangerous state, you know? This can't be healed even with divine power~."
At the mention of divine power, Tir reacted slightly, but Hilde wasn't a fool who would reveal she could use divine power in front of a vampire. She merely dropped the words subtly as if speaking of someone else.
"Right now Peru looks fine, but her energy is tangled, right? It's because she filled her body with a homunculus. Substituting the body with another power—grafting—is the Second Taboo. Once committed, the body cannot be restored even with divine power."
Healing through divine power is restoration. However, in cases like Peru where part of the body has been replaced by power, restoration is impossible. Hilde, formerly a paladin, had seen through that fact and effectively declared a time limit. But the Regressor answered nonchalantly.
"It's fine. There's someone who can treat the Remnant Green Guild Master."
"Treat? Is there a Saintess? No, even a Saintess can't cure someone who committed a taboo, right?"
"Not a Saintess. A Medical Immortal."
"Medical…Immortal?"
Hilde tilted her head. She couldn't help but do so. Earthly Immortal and Demonic Immortal. Just like all other humans, even I, who was skilled at mind-reading, could only think of two immortals. Hilde, who had once led a nation's intelligence agency, was no different.
More than that—a Medical Immortal? When Saintesses and divine power exist openly, an immortal who heals people? Something's strange.
"That's strange~? There's no Medical Immortal among the immortals I know? There shouldn't be enough to cause confusion either?"
"I suppose there wouldn't be."
'She's called the Medical Immortal only in a future that hasn't come yet. Without the Erazer War that brought her fame, she wouldn't be called that. But I know. What kind of person she is. If someone is injured, she'll treat them regardless of the type.'
Come to think of it, I think the Medical Immortal was mentioned when making some kind of medicine in the Bottomless Pit too. An immortal who doesn't exist yet. Only the Regressor knows, right? Regression really is nice. Knowing information others don't.
Unlike me who goes around reading minds, Hilde was skeptical of the Regressor's information. As if grumbling, but sharply analyzing the Regressor in her mind, Hilde asked.
"How do you know information that even 'I,' who was once a national intelligence director, don't know~. It's too suspicious. Shei, what exactly are you?"
"Think what you want."
"Yees~. I'll do that. 'I' will think what I want~."
Ignoring Hilde who sulked like a child, the Regressor glanced at Tir.
'…However, if there's one issue, it's Tirkanjakan… well, it probably won't be a problem. The Medical Immortal is a vampire, but unlike Tirkanjakan, she moves alone.'
What? The Medical Immortal's true identity is a vampire? Wait, a vampire who drinks human blood goes around healing people? Does that make sense? …Well, maybe it's not impossible. Even for humans who prey on beasts, there exists a profession called veterinarian. Though it's not doing something grand enough to be called a Medical Immortal.
Aji, who had been yawning endlessly, whined while hitting the floor with her tail.
"Woof. Bored. Woof."
"Go bother someone with words like usual."
"Woof. I, have tact. Won't bother."
"And a kid like that is saying she's bored?"
Where did you sell off your tact? This is why beasts are like that. Still, a journey where people die left and right must be a bit harsh for Aji. A slight change of pace was necessary. There aren't many chances to spend time like this either. When the next full moon arrives… Aji would have to fight the Wolf King whether she liked it or not. Well, with this fighting force, even the Wolf King wouldn't be a problem. If necessary, they could receive help from another nation, and if necessary, there's even a vampire.
"Let's go out to the deck for a bit. I want some fresh air too."
"Woof!"