Chapter 122

“Hyah?!” “How long do you plan on laughing?” Cayna’s cold stare and icy smile made Sahalashade stiffen and compose herself. “A-are you upset?” the queen asked with puppy-dog eyes. Cayna dropped her grumpy act and shrugged. Sahalashade’s shoulders fell with relief, and she properly introduced her aunt to avoid poking the hornet’s nest further. “Well then, Guan Koh. This is my dearest Aunt Cayna, who rejected our proposal to cooperate the other day.” “You couldn’t phrase that any better?” “And this is the knight captain of Otaloquess Kingdom, Guan Koh. He is also a Foster Child.” “Huh?” “Oh, wow… I’ve heard much about you from my father,” said Guan Koh. “…‘Father’?” Cayna had a terrible feeling and went on high alert. This was apparently news to Sahalashade as well, and she was all ears. “Yes, my father’s name is Guan Yu. He journeyed to the east over twenty years ago, and I haven’t heard from him since…” The name made Cayna do a spit take. “Wh…WHAAAAT?! Guan Yu was here?!” Not only was the name familiar, but she knew the person all too well. She couldn’t believe the man’s name came up here, of all places, and took a good look at Guan Koh’s face. “Can’t say I see the resemblance. Uh, sorry.” “Actually, I get that quite often.” Cayna quickly apologized for the verbal faux pas, but Guan Koh shook his head with a wry grin. “Did you know Guan Koh’s father, Aunt Cayna?” “Yeah, we met before. You know how it is.” Cayna thought back to the Game Era as the memories came flooding back. Guys like him were best in small doses. In a way, the player Guan Yu was a lot like an old man. In the latter half of the Game Era, when Keina was still alive, they would often form temporary parties for various events and quests. Sometimes it was the two of them, and sometimes they’d join a group for a boss raid. Guan Yu, along with Kyotaro and several others, also took on the final quest and became a Limit Breaker. He was the one non-Cream Cheese member to do so. As one might assume, his name came from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He’d modded his avatar to look like an old Asian man in astounding detail and, for a variety of reasons, became famous as an oddball player. The majority of players had Western facial features, so Cayna remembered how he stuck out like a sore thumb. Guan Yu was straightforward and honest and didn’t sweat the small stuff. As someone who deeply valued justice, he came to the aid of the weak, put the strong in their place, and loathed inequality. Cayna also recalled how his larger-than-life character conversely created a slew of problems. “Still, twenty years, huh?” she said. “That wasn’t too long ago. I’ve been meaning to get in touch.” “Oh, I have no doubt my heroic father is the same no matter where life takes him.” “So you say he traveled east. Perhaps he has crossed the mountain range?” Sahalashade offered. “Yes, I suspect he has drilled his way through somehow. I hope he’s doing well.” “Crossed the mountain range”? It’s true there’s one out that way, but… Back in the game, the eastern mountains were a new map area waiting to be updated. Cohral never mentioned it, so Cayna figured the game must have ended service before it ever became available. Maybe her need for details was proof she was addicted to the game. In this new reality where the mountain peaks stretched upward like the tip of a blade, players could in all likelihood still cross them with ease. The problem was whether Cayna’s system extended beyond the mountains or if those who had never returned lost their abilities as players. Guan Yu’s registered age was over thirty, so did he establish roots at his destination? Something might’ve killed him unless he was careful. Cayna was obviously hesitant to say such a thing out loud and only nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Even if your father has rushed into the mountains, I’m most certain he’s crossed safely!” the queen said. “How succinctly put. I do hope we can meet again in my lifetime.” “The east, huh? I could try making a highway out there when I have time.” According to Opus, those who settled down in Leadale had come from all over in pursuit of their dreams. In that case, there were likely other countries outside the region. In the game, there were unfinished regions to the east that held nothing but monsters. If properly maintained, another nation could have easily been added. After Guan Koh left in a good mood, silence temporarily returned to the room. Sahalashade instructed the maid to prepare more tea to give themselves privacy. After the maid bowed and left the room, the atmosphere tensed. Suddenly eager to escape the pressure, Cayna naturally sat up straight. “Aunt Cayna, there is something I wish to ask before you leave. Do you mind?” “A question? Sure, that’s fine. Just don’t throw me any curveballs.” Cayna tried joking around to lighten the mood, but Sahalashade’s expression remained as solemn as ever. She prepared herself for whatever the queen had in store. “It’s about the Abandoned Capital…” “Ohhh, that.” Come to think of it, Cayna forgot to ask Opus more about it after talking to Cohral. The overload of shocking revelations had completely wiped the subject from her mind. Kee, you should’ve said something sooner. “I was not given advance instruction.” Ah, right. A thousand pardons. “Sorry, but I don’t know anything, either. I’ll wring the info out of Opus next time and give you an update.” “Opus? Who is he?” “His name is Opuskettenshultheimer Crosstettbomber. He’s a literal demon and awful friend I can’t seem to get off my back. He was with me earlier.” “Oh, him. So even you have friends, my dear Aunt.” “What’s that supposed to mean…?” First her children, and now her niece—their less-than-glowing opinions of her made Cayna want to cry. “That man…” That man was presumably Opus. Sahalashade looked troubled. If anything, she seemed to be conflicted. “You mean Opus? Have you two met before?” From what Cayna could remember, Sahana had brought Sahalashade with her only one time. Sahana and Opus tended to butt heads, so Cayna made sure not to meet up with him whenever she was active in the high elf community. “No, it’s merely my intuition.” “Intuition?” “I have a feeling he and I will not get along.” “Pffft!” Like mother like daughter. More tickled than shocked, Cayna failed to contain her laughter. “Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!” “Wait, why are you laughing?!” “No, it’s noth—! Pfft! Heh, hee-hee-hee-hee.” This was payback for Sahalashade’s earlier giggles, so now they were even. Cayna kept chuckling as the queen sulked and asked, “What? What did I say?” “Phew, sorry about that. You’re just two peas in a pod.” “I understand now. So Mother hated him as well. That is all I need to know.” Cayna fully explained what set her off, but Sahalashade was still put out. Since Cayna wasn’t sure what else to say, she could only bow her head in apology. The queen wasn’t too upset, though. “I was simply being petulant,” she said. “Please forgive me.” After chatting for a while longer, Cayna stood. “Well, I better get going. You-know-who is waiting for me.” In the far distance, Opus was atop the rim of the tortoise’s shell staring at her as if to say, I worked something out, just like I said. Get back here. “He could’ve sent a message.” “He was being considerate.” “I guess miracles really do happen.” Cayna said her good-byes to Sahalashade and opened the window, when her niece grabbed the edge of her cloak. “U-um, Aunt Cayna? We’ll meet again, won’t we?” Sahalashade asked meekly. “Sure. As long as I don’t interrupt your work.” Cayna instinctively petted the queen’s head. She wondered if this was too forward, since this woman wasn’t her child, but Sahalashade didn’t seem to mind at all. She beamed. “Yes! I shall be waiting for you.” “Sounds like a plan. But I’m not climbing into any more windows.” “Not to worry; I’ll inform the gatekeepers.” Cayna left Sahalashade’s room unconvinced that informing the gatekeepers would make them any happier to see her. “Sorry for the wait.” “Right.” When Cayna reached Opus and looked behind her, Sahalashade was still waving. She briefly waved back, and the queen finally returned inside the castle. “Is everyone you know some kind of elite?” “Hey, I’m not the one who put a bunch of Foster Children in charge!” This question had been puzzling Cayna as well, so she really had no right to give Opus a hard time. “I don’t understand it. Maybe the system inside you is interpreting data in a way that makes your life easier.” “What?! No way!” Lightning struck behind her with a loud crack! It wasn’t completely impossible. Cayna started swaying from the shock. “The system should not have such specific criteria.” “Bah. It could have been interesting if you just played along, Snake,” said Opus. Kee immediately ruled out this hypothesis, so Cayna suffered minimal damage. Once Opus let slip that he was pulling Cayna’s leg, Cayna cast a sharp glare his way. And she wasn’t the only one staring daggers at him—there was also the individual floating over Opus’s head. Struck by an ominous feeling, he slowly looked up and found Kuu coming straight at him with a crimson arrow. “Gwaaah!” Kuu sliced through the air at record speed and dropped the arrow on him, but he dodged. The projectile’s upper half stuck into the tortoise’s shell. It was unclear whether this was a benefit of the subsystem, but the power alone was terrifying. “Kuu missed!” the fairy whined. “Sheesh, Kuu, you’re scary,” said Cayna. “My master had it coming to him, quite honestly,” added Siren. “Argh… Ahem. So as I was saying…,” Opus began as he brushed off Siren’s disapproval by switching topics. “Hey, Kuu, why did you run away from Sahalashade earlier?” Cayna asked. “’Cause she’s scary.” “Who? Sahalashade?” “Uh-huh.” Kuu returned to Cayna and explained why she’d fled, but it didn’t make much sense. Cayna had no idea what about the queen was the least bit scary. She’d spoken with Sahalashade at length, but aside from that last question about the Abandoned Capital, the queen didn’t seem determined to pry. Otherwise, had Cayna simply been careless, Sahalashade might have gathered a wealth of information during the course of their conversation. Even so, besides talk of relatives, the most Sahalashade could have gleaned were details about the players. She had no recollection of mentioning the system, so nothing directly involved Cayna. “I’m telling you to listen,” said Opus. “Oh, sorry.” While Cayna sank into thought as to why Kuu hated Sahalashade so much, Opus grabbed her head and turned it in his direction. She couldn’t remember if he’d been trying to tell her anything in the first place, but she lent an ear once again. “It’s really not that difficult,” he said. “Just set up an Isolation Barrier, and I’ll simply connect the domain to someplace else.” “…That’s it?” “Yes, but the Isolation Barrier needs to be large enough to hold this giant tortoise. Can you do it?” “We won’t know until we try.” Cayna glanced around the shell, then walked over to the edge and eyeballed the estimated height. “We should be fine.” She wasn’t totally confident in her answer, but she felt like someone was giving her a mental thumbs-up. She went along with this feeling and brushed aside Opus’s skeptical glance. If anything, though, Cayna had to admit she could never manage it all on her own. “Anyway—Kee, Kuu. I’m counting on you guys. I don’t know where you’re connecting this thing, Opus, but can you handle the size?” “I’ll be fine. Focus on your control.” “Yeah, guess I might need that.” Cayna took a deep breath and exchanged looks with Kuu on her shoulder. “Ready when you are,” the fairy said with a smile. Cayna nodded and closed her eyes as she expanded the massive Isolation Barrier that Kee had erected. As Sahalashade glanced up through her castle window, she watched a spacious dome envelop the giant tortoise. Before she could even blink in surprise, the creature and barrier were gone. It all happened so fast, but a commotion had apparently stirred up in the castle town and sent concerned citizens into confusion. Sahalashade didn’t doubt Cayna’s power, but neither did she expect such an instant solution. “Inform the knights that what happened just now was the work of a trusted mage and will not affect the townspeople,” she instructed her maid. Guan Koh would no doubt realize her intentions and send his subordinates to the castle town. She was treating her aunt like one of her own subjects, but Cayna would surely forgive her for trying to ease local anxieties. Sahalashade looked over at the sofa Cayna had just been sitting on, and then turned to the collection of vials Cayna had left behind on the table. They were filled with red liquid. “By the way, I heard you have a lot of injured knights,” she’d said. “You’re quite informed.” “Skargo told me after the attack in Felskeilo. I just made a whole bunch, so go ahead and take them.” The queen had picked one and gasped at the treasure in her hand. After all, a single vial could save at least four soldiers on the verge of death. Sahalashade and Guan Koh, who had both been Foster Children, knew this potion well. Two centuries prior, it had been an utterly average item that sold for 1,000 gil. After adjusting for inflation, it was currently a first-rate item worth well over 100 gold coins. Furthermore, the technique was lost in the modern era. Even a single vial found in a dungeon could be sold for outrageous prices. This was the reason behind the misgivings Lopus had previously mentioned to Cayna. The ability to effortlessly gather such a priceless item was enough to shock even a queen. Something else took Sahalashade by surprise. She had spoken with the High Priest Skargo countless times in her capacity as queen, and it turned out that he was Cayna’s son. It came as quite a shock when Cayna revealed this; Sahalashade was accustomed to Skargo singing his mother’s praises, but she didn’t know he was referring to Cayna, since he’d never mentioned her by name. That meant Sahalashade and Skargo were cousins. “The next time we meet and the subject arises, I imagine I’ll be able to hear more about Aunt Cayna from Sir Skargo,” she said aloud to herself. Sahalashade couldn’t help but smile. Although she didn’t know the whereabouts of her mother, Sahana, she was overjoyed to discover another relative and was eager to share this happiness with someone. Nevertheless, she couldn’t afford to simply celebrate; there was still much work to be done. She once again called in her maid, who gingerly collected the vials and took them to the castle medics. Sahalashade closed the curtains against her newly unobstructed view and took a single document from the pile that awaited her as she returned to work. “Well, then. I suppose all I can do now is leave the rest up to Aunt Cayna…” The queen earnestly hoped she would bring more news of the Abandoned Capital the next time they met. There was a rumble and great tremor. Together with the giant tortoise, Cayna’s group landed in the middle of the mountains despite her previous concerns. It was forest, forest, and more forest as far as the eye could see. The familiar-looking mountain ahead suggested they were near the eastern coastline. Nevertheless, no one knew the area well enough to pinpoint their precise location. “So greeeeen!” Kuu shouted in excitement after taking a deep breath. “What is this place? Where’d we fly off to?” Cayna removed the Isolation Barrier and blinked as her vision cleared. Nothing seemed to ring a bell. However, since she couldn’t see the Ejidd River from the direction instinct told her was north, it was pretty obvious they were nowhere near the remote village. “Lady Cayna.” “What is it, Siren?” “Everything ought to become clear if you look down.” “Down?” Following Siren’s suggestion, Cayna glanced down from the edge of the tortoise’s shell and saw the layout of a familiar village. Most of the people had run outside in a state of panic and were now staring up alongside visiting adventurers. Their frantic, scattered movements made it clear the tortoise had caused a ruckus. “Isn’t that the dungeon village?” Cayna asked. When she looked over at Opus, he had his arms crossed arrogantly and wore a self-satisfied look. “This tortoise is a huge source of tourism for Otaloquess. Removing it from the country was out of the question, so this was our only option.”