The first thing Daphne did after coming to her senses was determine Hio Pavlenko’s location.
Hadn’t the Abyss, whose difficulty was supposed to progress step by step, suddenly grown drastically harder?
As if the appearance of a labyrinth were not enough, she had experienced something within it that could not be explained in words.
An experience so chilling that, even thinking back on it, her mind had been weakening without her even realizing it.
Hio Pavlenko, the Supreme Heavenly Demon, had clearly said that place was the abyss.
What was the abyss, and what had those terrifying eyes floating there been?
She had thrashed about in fear, pouring out her skills to their very limit, yet none of her attacks had worked against that grotesque thing.
Hio Pavlenko had stepped forward as if to oppose it, and at the same time light had poured down from the sky, the faint face of a goddess had appeared, and a warm hand had touched her.
What were all of those things, and how had they been able to stand against the grotesque being? How had they escaped that space?
Just… what in the world was happening?
As the head of a guild that enjoyed immense power and fame, as the first Awakened who reigned at the very top of all Awakened—
As a single ranker bearing a heavy burden, Daphne had a duty to know.
Of course, there was also the reason that it was hard to suppress her personal curiosity.
“The direction he disappeared in? You didn’t hear what it was about either?”
“Yes… As I said, he moved immediately without the slightest explanation. And it’s not as though we could grab him or stop him by force.”
Daphne nodded.
It was deeply regrettable that she had not heard his exact destination, but that was far better than acting rashly and earning his displeasure.
After entering and returning from the labyrinth, the importance of the Supreme Heavenly Demon had risen sharply.
He was clearly aware of some secret they did not know.
“For now, he flew straight west.”
“…West.”
“And I tried to estimate it. If you extend that line straight ahead, it ends at the port city of Lugo.”
“If it’s Lugo… surely not.”
“Yes. Arileiya is there.”
A mysterious island about which almost nothing had been revealed, not in the game and not even now.
A secret kingdom that, even after becoming reality, several rankers had taken interest in and investigated, only to find themselves utterly unable to enter.
If the Supreme Heavenly Demon was able to enter and leave a place like that, then this too was quite a major matter.
“First, contact every branch along the route.”
“I’ve already given the order.”
“And are there any Awakened in Lugo right now?”
“There should be. I’ll confirm it precisely.”
“If someone presumed to be Hio Pavlenko appears, reveal your identity and accompany him if possible. If that isn’t possible, at least determine his location for certain. However, if it seems he doesn’t want that, stop immediately and proceed in a way that displeases him as little as possible.”
“……”
After falling silent for a moment at Daphne’s lengthy order, the guild member spoke with difficulty.
“So… if we can accompany him, we should, and if that seems impossible, we should at least determine his destination, but if he seems annoyed, we stop?”
“Yes.”
“Yes… Well, I’ll relay it that way for now.”
From his perspective, he could only feel bewildered.
No matter how one looked at it, wasn’t this an exceedingly cautious attitude?
He knew that Hio Pavlenko was the Supreme Heavenly Demon, but on their side, they had Daphne as well.
Here, she commanded tremendous power through the Adventurers’ Guild, and in terms of martial might, she was one of the strongest among the ten thousand Awakened.
And if one considered the number of ordinary Awakened on Earth as well, Daphne was truly a top predator standing at the peak of millions.
This was the first time such a Daphne had given an order so cautious.
Just what had she seen in the labyrinth, and what had happened there for her to act like this?
“Um… Is Hio Pavlenko a figure we need to be that cautious of?”
Unable to restrain his curiosity, he had no choice but to ask, and Daphne’s answer was simple.
“Yes. Raise his importance to the highest level.”
“…Yes. Then if we discover Hio Pavlenko, will you go personally, Guildmaster?”
At that, Daphne hesitated for a moment.
“No. I won’t.”
She shook her head.
Of course, she was itching to do so, but he would not want it.
If he had needed her, he would have waited for her to wake. He would have at least left a single word behind.
The fact that he had left immediately without leaving any message meant that something urgent had arisen, and it meant Daphne was unnecessary for it.
When it came to such matters, Daphne was rather levelheaded.
“For now, focus only on identifying his destination. That will be enough for now.”
Only then, if another incomprehensible incident occurred, would they be able to find him.
“Then we will…”
“Prepare for the next raid.”
From the 51st floor onward, entrances to the Abyss raid had appeared all across the world. The difficulty had risen dramatically. This was no longer a difficulty that could be cleared with only a handful of people.
They had to gather the strong and prepare a large-scale expedition.
They had drawn up countermeasures, but their preparations were woefully insufficient.
After all, who could have expected the 10th floor to become the 50th overnight?
So there was more than enough work to overflow.
“Still, for the Awakened along the route, determining Hio Pavlenko’s destination is the top priority.”
“Yes. I’ll make sure it is relayed clearly.”
The two left for a meeting without even a moment to rest, and Daphne’s order spread quickly through the guild.
It was delivered at once through the internal communications network of the Awakened affiliated with the Adventurers’ Guild.
* * *
Morel and Bessie, who were in Lugo, a port city in the west of the empire, also confirmed that order.
The instruction had been given to them with even greater emphasis, so they had no choice but to check it.
“Well, now… Hio Pavlenko. Isn’t he the guardian knight who was newly appointed recently?”
“I think it’s that Hio Pavlenko.”
“What would that great emperor’s guardian knight come all the way out here for…”
Hio Pavlenko was a famous figure whose name had recently been spreading at a frightening pace.
The new guardian knight of the new emperor. A symbol of the empire’s military might and a great shield that protected the emperor and the empire.
Wasn’t he even an incredible person about whom rumors were quickly spreading that he had destroyed Black Fang and killed Ataolf, the strongest man on the continent?
Why would such an amazing person come to an insignificant little port city?
That was not the only reason Morel doubted the order that had come down.
“And what? He’ll be wearing a large conical hat, holding a magic staff in his hand, and riding in on a white horse with wings? Just how much of this am I supposed to believe?”
It would have been difficult to believe if it had not been an order that came directly from guild headquarters. And one marked with ★Important★ at the front, at that.
When he had first checked it, he had even wondered if today was April Fools’ Day.
“Actually, there’s something that came to mind when I saw this order.”
At Bessie’s words, Morel turned his head.
“What?”
“The hottest topic right now is that person, Hio Pavlenko, isn’t it? His recent actions have been shocking.”
“That’s true.”
“Maybe that’s why a pretty plausible rumor has been spreading… They say Hio Pavlenko’s true identity is the Supreme Heavenly Demon.”
“…The Supreme Heavenly Demon? The one ranked first?”
“Yes. I was half in doubt too, but if an order like this came directly from headquarters… isn’t it a fairly credible rumor?”
“Hmm… The Supreme Heavenly Demon… If that’s true…”
The doubt vanished from Morel’s face, and a new emotion surfaced.
It was hope.
“This is huge, isn’t it?”
Hope strong enough to overturn all the suspicious oddities.
If Hio Pavlenko really was the Supreme Heavenly Demon and he found him… would that not mean he had accomplished something major?
Reading the order that had come down in detail, it was strangely cautious.
Even if the man was the owner of the most honorable medal on the continent, there was absolutely no reason for Daphne to issue such a cautious order.
She had not even been like this during missions related to Sword Saint Vitalianus.
But if it was the Supreme Heavenly Demon?
Didn’t all the pieces fit together perfectly?
If he could accompany him as ordered, if he could build even a small connection with him—
A greedy smile spread across Morel’s lips.
“Going to headquarters wouldn’t just be a dream… Hehehe.”
If his contribution was recognized, he might even be able to aim for a promotion.
He did not mean the headquarters of the Adventurers’ Guild.
The outside world. In their terms, a promotion in the real world.
Daphne, the most famous and influential woman in the world, who was respected across the globe and showered in every spotlight whenever she appeared.
He found himself imagining standing by that Daphne’s side.
“Ehehehe…”
And Bessie’s shout drove Morel’s delusion to its peak.
“O-over there…!”
His gaze shifted to the sky Bessie was pointing at, and soon he saw an unbelievable sight.
Whoooosh— Something snow-white shot past like an arrow.
“It really is… a white horse with wings…?”
It had passed so quickly that it lasted only an instant, but the figure riding atop it was clearly a person.
And because the rider’s attire was also conspicuous, he was certain.
“Run!”
It was Hio Pavlenko.
“B-but that direction is… the sea.”
“Then hurry up and contact someone to launch a ship!”
“Yes, yes sir!”
Morel and Bessie moved truly quickly.
“That way is Arileiya. He went to Arileiya.”
“The direction is right, but is it even possible to enter Arileiya?”
“That’s why we have to hurry and confirm it.”
They were Awakened affiliated with the Adventurers’ Guild and were fairly strong in their own right, so they had some standing in Lugo. Using that, they launched the fastest ship.
“Oh dear, absolutely not over there. Isn’t that the cursed sea?”
They barely persuaded the captain, who insisted he would not go no matter what, by stuffing several times the usual fare into his hands.
“N-no, this won’t do…”
Somehow or other, they were able to set out.
The ship rapidly cut across the peaceful sea.
At a certain point, it began racing toward the cursed place covered in dark clouds, a sight recklessly foolish beyond measure.
Naturally, tension appeared on Morel’s and Bessie’s faces.
“By the way, how does Hio Pavlenko plan to get through that?”
“Who knows… He must have some idea.”
“Surely he isn’t thinking of fighting that thing in the western sea, is he?”
“…Surely not. Even if he’s the Supreme Heavenly Demon, fighting that thing at sea would just be suicide.”
The surroundings gradually began to darken.
Although they were still some distance from the cursed waters, the aftereffects of the storm blowing from that place caused the wind to rise and the ship to rock violently.
“…We won’t be too late, right?”
“I hope not.”
The worst outcome would be gaining nothing after going this far.
Even if they could not accompany him, they needed definite proof that Hio Pavlenko had headed to Arileiya.
That would become their achievement.
“First, buy a video stone. We need proof.”
“…Me?”
“Then should I do it?”
“Ah, but I haven’t saved up any points…”
At Bessie’s clumsy excuse, Morel chuckled.
“I logged out a few days ago and checked, you know? You were even in the newspaper.”
“Ah…”
“You went to the same Gate as Lord Criton, didn’t you? Then you must have earned a nice bit of fame.”
That was the reason they were so desperate for promotion.
If they went to headquarters, they would have more chances to be with famous rankers, and merely standing beside them often earned fame points.
“Yes…”
“Just in case, buy the highest-grade one. It might be hard to get close.”
“…That price is… Yes, understood.”
It was filthy all over again, but he had no choice but to obey.
Morel was Bessie’s superior, and this was not the sort of workplace one could quit just because something was unfair.
“W-we’re entering! Hold on tight!”
In the midst of all that, the ship finally entered the cursed waters.
* * *
Kwaaaang—!
Thunder roared directly overhead, loud enough to split the ears.
Facing the powerful wind and rain, Hio flew on with a shield spell wrapped around him, looking rather at ease.
“So you’re saying all of this seems to be caused by magic?”
The answer to his murmur rang directly in his head.
— That’s right. There is likely a large-scale magic circle in this place called Arileiya. A magic circle unfolding on this scale… Even maintaining it must be no ordinary task.
Until now, he had thought it was simply the skill of Legarda, the ruler of the western sea.
But the sea where storms raged all year round seemed not to be the result of his skill, but rather the influence of the magic circle formed in Arileiya.
“True… An individual’s mana isn’t infinite. It must be carried out through a magic circle.”
— A magic circle that controls the weather over an area this vast. At least two Archmages must have been involved, if not more.
“What did they go so far for?”
— Won’t we be able to find out little by little from now on?
“Right. And what matters right now isn’t that.”
Hio’s gaze turned straight ahead, slightly downward.
Sharing his vision and sensing something similar, Fernel also agreed with Hio’s opinion, caution seeping into his voice.
— …This won’t be easy.
A storm-tossed sea, with waves surging up to his feet. In the dark depths of that deep ocean, as murky as an abyss, a pair of eyes flashed.
“We finally meet.”
Drawing closer and closer, an enormous creature rose with a violent spray of water.
It looked exactly like a sea dragon of legend.
However, Hio’s gaze was not on that dragon, but on the man standing atop its head.
“Legarda.”
A lone man stood firmly upon its head.
A blue long spear held in his hand.
The ruler of the western sea, Legarda Obier.
His heavy gaze turned toward Hio.
Then came a voice like waves, ringing clearly as it pierced through the fierce storm.
— Turn back.
At the same time, lightning began to gather in the sea dragon’s eyes.