“I see. So the Facility A-3 Sealing Facility has been damaged. That is unexpected….”
After quietly listening to the entire story, Doumar finally spoke. He seemed to regard the situation as fairly serious.
“I believed it had been maintained safely. Perhaps the Access Control Device was damaged. I cannot imagine how mere Goblins managed to enter the facility. Hmm….”
“I was wondering the same thing. How could Goblins with no worthwhile technology possibly… Wait.”
I suddenly realized something and frowned.
“You knew there was an Ancient Dragon sealing facility there?”
“Of course. How could I not know about something Lord Ragna himself accomplished?”
“And you never said a word about it? There is an Ancient Dragon sleeping inside my territory.”
This was absurd.
He knew that a monster capable of causing a catastrophic disaster was sealed within my territory, yet he had kept completely silent?
“Should you not have told me about this much earlier? What were you thinking?”
“What was I thinking? I judged that there was no reason to mention it because the seal was naturally supposed to remain secure.”
“What?!”
“The seal remained perfectly intact for thousands of years without a single problem. It endured even while you humans waged wars, fought Dragons, and turned this land upside down in every imaginable manner. Why would I suddenly have reason to worry about it now?”
“……”
“Furthermore, the seal remains active. Nokaled has not broken free and begun rampaging, has he? Stop frightening yourself and making such a commotion before anything has even happened.”
Doumar’s indifferent answer gradually calmed me.
He was not wrong.
The situation was still safe, and panicking would accomplish nothing.
“In any case, look.”
CLANK.
Doumar extended a hand, and a translucent image appeared in the air above it.
The ghostlike figure took the form of a Dragon standing proudly and roaring.
[Nokaled]
[An Ancient Dragon imbued with the Fire Element. It possesses an exceedingly violent temperament and refuses even to associate with other members of Dragonkind. Its power, which shakes the earth and spews forth flame and lava, resembles that of a living volcano.]
“This is the one, correct? The Ancient Dragon sealed inside the facility.”
“Yes. It looks exactly the same.”
I answered while reading the description that appeared in the air.
With wings that seemed to glow with molten lava and a body covered in scales resembling volcanic rock, the expression “living volcano” suited it perfectly.
“Nokaled was considered dangerous even among the Ancient Dragons. It was not on the level of the King of the Ancient Dragons, who was Lord Ragna’s archrival, but subduing and sealing it was still far from easy.”
“When people say Ragna defeated the Ancient Dragons, do they actually mean he sealed them?”
It was something I had wanted to ask about for some time.
I knew that Ragna had defeated many Ancient Dragons in the past, but this was the first time I had heard that he had sealed them.
That was precisely why I had been so shocked when I first saw Nokaled sleeping inside the enormous crystal.
“Correct. One of Lord Ragna’s greatest accomplishments during his lifetime was subjugating the Ancient Dragons and sealing them in secure locations throughout the world so they could no longer bring harm to it. Most of the Ancient Dragons active at the time were defeated by Lord Ragna and became eternal prisoners.”
“Most of them… But why seal them at all? If they were that dangerous and powerful, would it not have been better to kill them and eliminate the threat permanently?”
“Because they are Immortals.”
Doumar answered as though it were obvious, but it was certainly not obvious to me.
“Do not tell me you were unaware. Good grief. Your ignorance truly knows no bounds….”
“If they are Immortals, does that mean they cannot be killed?”
“Essentially. Even if their physical bodies are destroyed, their souls remain. They cannot be completely annihilated and may eventually resurrect. Even Lord Ragna was unable to utterly destroy the souls of Ancient Dragons, so he chose to seal them permanently instead.”
After hearing that explanation, I naturally nodded.
I finally understood why the Ancient Dragons, which had once ruled the world, had suddenly vanished from history and why Ragna had chosen to seal them rather than kill them.
“In any case, nothing will happen immediately. Although the seal is gradually weakening, it remains sturdy enough that I would not consider the situation dangerous yet.”
“Is that so?”
“Correct. If approximately twenty percent of the seal has been damaged, it should remain safe for at least another year. With good fortune, it may endure even longer.”
That was far longer than I had expected.
It was a relief.
I had even considered the worst possible scenario in which the seal might collapse tomorrow and release Nokaled.
“After that, however, the situation will gradually become dangerous. The rate at which the seal weakens will continue to accelerate, while the Sealed Entity, currently in Suspended Animation, will slowly regain consciousness. Eventually, it will recover its strength and break the seal from within.”
Merely imagining it was horrifying.
I hurriedly asked,
“How can I repair the Seal Module? Tell me.”
“The damaged magic must be restored, so you will require a Mage. Naturally, an ordinary one will not suffice. You will need someone powerful enough to be called an Archmage.”
“I see. Magic….”
I remembered something I had momentarily forgotten.
To prevent information about the seal from leaking, I would have to find a Mage who did not belong to Starseeker.
Furthermore, that Mage would have to possess extraordinary ability.
There was no chance that would be easy.
“Of course, you could attempt to train in magic yourself, but your talent is far too inadequate for that.”
“I did not come all the way here to listen to insults—”
“No. That was not an insult. I am entirely serious. Your aptitude for magic is exceedingly ordinary. Even if you devoted yourself completely to training from this moment onward, you would never reach the level of an Archmage within your lifetime.”
Doumar’s voice remained calm.
Apparently, his words had been an objective assessment without the slightest malice.
“Come to think of it, finding an Archmage capable of reaching even Lord Ragna’s heels will not be easy. There were very few such individuals even during his lifetime… Hmm. If this goes poorly, Nokaled may actually break free.”
Ordinarily, I might have mistaken his words for sarcasm or an attempt to evade responsibility.
However, judging by his serious demeanor, he was genuinely considering the problem.
Then an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
“Wait. Why do you not help me yourself?”
“Me?”
Doumar’s voice wavered in surprise.
Now that I thought about it, it was an excellent solution.
I wondered why I had not considered it earlier.
“You seem capable of using magic, and you possess a great deal of knowledge. Surely you could help me repair the seal. Am I wrong?”
“That is impossible. I cannot take a single step outside this tomb.”
Doumar answered curtly.
The voice emerging from beneath his helmet had suddenly become exceedingly cold.
“Is that so? Then Ragna must have—”
“Let us simply say that I am bound by certain restrictions. I do not wish to discuss the matter further. That is all you need to know.”
“Well… Very well. I understand.”
Perhaps I had touched a nerve.
I had no desire to provoke him when he was clearly angry, so I fell silent.
‘Ragna must have placed those restrictions on him. I probably would have done the same.’
From Ragna’s perspective, it was a rational choice.
Doumar had been created for a distant future that might come hundreds or even thousands of years later. By then, his creator would no longer exist in this world.
Therefore, imposing various restrictions upon his creation to ensure that it followed the intended plan was perfectly reasonable.
Of course, Doumar had probably spent thousands of years trapped in this place because of those restrictions.
It was understandable that he would dislike the subject.
“Hmph. Very well… There is no helping it.”
“What?”
“I will tell you one more thing. Another method exists for repairing the seal.”
Doumar crossed his arms and continued.
“As the administrator of the trials, I should not need to assist you to this extent. However, given the circumstances, there is little choice. Listen carefully.”
“Yes. Hurry and tell me.”
It seemed he truly considered the situation serious.
I urged him onward and listened intently.
“Search for records concerning Dwarven Technology. You may be able to find a solution there.”
“Dwarven Technology?”
“Dwarves were a race born from the very beginning to serve Dragonkind. In other words, they had an intimate connection with the Ancient Dragons and possessed technology of an extraordinary level. The Seal Module you brought here was also created by Lord Ragna using Dwarven Technology.”
“This was made using Dwarven Technology?”
Startled, I immediately looked down at the cube in my hand.
That was because the Dwarves, like the Ancient Dragons, were a race that had vanished from the world long ago.
“Correct. To explain further, an Archmage should be capable of applying new sealing magic to the module, compensating for the damage and stabilizing the seal. On the other hand, if you study Dwarven Technology, you may discover a way to repair the module’s mechanical failure and restore its lost functions.”
“I see. Magic and technology… Two different methods of repairing the same object.”
That made sense.
Dwarven technology was said to have far surpassed that of humanity.
If so, they might well have possessed the ability to manufacture and repair an object powerful enough to seal an Ancient Dragon.
“But Dwarves exist only in legends now. People say their entire race vanished thousands of years ago like the Ancient Dragons, or that only a very small number survive while hiding somewhere no one can find. Dwarven records are exceedingly rare as well….”
“That is your problem to solve. I have told you everything I can. Either find an Archmage capable of rivaling Lord Ragna or search through records of Dwarven Technology for a clue to repairing the module.”
“……”
“That is all. If your business here is finished, leave.”
His voice had returned to its usual rigid tone.
“Very well. I will go. I will see you again.”
I turned and left the stone chamber before climbing the stairs toward the entrance of the tomb.
When I emerged into the bright outdoors, Hakon and Rolf, who had been waiting for me, immediately approached.
“How did it go, my lord?”
“Did you discover anything? Was something written in the ancient texts?”
I had lied to them, claiming that valuable books and records were stored inside the tomb and that I would search them for information.
Since anyone without the blood of Vermont could not enter the tomb, there was little chance of my lie being exposed.
“For now, we can relax. It appears that nothing will happen for approximately a year.”
“A year… I see. That is not bad.”
“That is fortunate, my lord. It is difficult to call a year a long time, but at least we have some breathing room.”
“Yes. Let us return to the castle for now. There is a great deal we need to discuss.”
I took the lead, guiding the visibly relieved pair away.
At the same time, I reflected upon what Doumar had told me.
‘Dwarven records….’
Somehow, searching for those seemed easier than recruiting an Archmage.
Methods of locating Dwarven records rapidly began forming in my mind.
“Is everyone gathered?”
Standing atop a pile of cargo in the middle of the village, I swept my gaze across the residents assembled before me.
There appeared to be seventy or eighty people, which meant nearly everyone currently in the village had gathered.
“Then listen carefully. The Goblins of the forest have been defeated and scattered. As the lord of Bricks, I hereby declare that this village is now free from the threat of the Goblins!”
“Waaaaah!”
“Long live His Lordship!”
Before I had even finished speaking, the villagers erupted into cheers, embracing one another in joy.
Many had been killed or wounded, but they had ultimately triumphed over the Goblins.
Naturally, their joy was all the greater because of what they had endured.
After the cheers finally subsided and everyone calmed somewhat, I raised my voice.
“Unfortunately, however, not every threat has disappeared! Because of an ongoing abnormal phenomenon, High-Tier Monsters from the highlands are descending into the lowlands. Their numbers will only continue to increase.”
“Th-That cannot be!”
“Come to think of it, I heard someone mention something like that. Are Wyverns and Drakes going to start appearing near the village all the time?”
The villagers immediately fell into agitation and began murmuring anxiously.
Their livelihoods—and even their very survival—were now at risk.
“Naturally, hunting monsters will become far more difficult than before, and your lives will become much harsher. Therefore, as your lord, I have a proposal.”
I cleared my throat and paused briefly.
It was time to address the true purpose of today’s gathering, an exceedingly sensitive matter.
“I propose that you leave this village and relocate beyond the forest.”
“What?! Relocate?”
“How can you say such a thing, my lord?”
“Leave the village? Good heavens….”
Their reaction was precisely what I had expected.
Every resident stared in confusion and whispered among themselves.
To them, being told to leave the village carried tremendous significance.
“I understand what this village means to all of you. It is the home where your families have lived for hundreds of years, and it is sacred ground where the graves of your ancestors remain. Until now, you probably never even considered leaving the village and entering the outside world. However, given our present circumstances, is it not time to consider another path?”
“……”
“I intend to make the land of Bricks a better place to live. To accomplish that, I need all of you. I need people to cultivate the land and grow crops, raise livestock, and cut timber.”
Developing the territory and making it a better place for its people was naturally part of my responsibility as its lord.
As I had just said, that development required labor.
Relocating the indigenous people was therefore essential.
“Raise livestock? Grow crops?”
“We have never done anything like that in our lives. We would not even know how!”
“What are we supposed to do out in the wider world?”
Naturally, the villagers remained bewildered.
They had spent their entire lives doing little except hunting. They had probably never even imagined living by another trade.
Their reaction was perfectly understandable.
Furthermore, they had lived isolated from the outside world for generations.
They undoubtedly felt considerable fear and resistance toward leaving that isolation now.
At that moment, Rolf, who had been standing beside Hakon, stepped forward.
“I, Rolf, will follow His Lordship! He may be an outsider, but was he not the savior who rescued our village when we stood on the brink of destruction? I have already sworn my loyalty to repay that debt!”
“……”
“Think carefully, everyone. We cannot remain trapped inside this dangerous forest forever. Perhaps the time has finally come for us to step into the outside world! Not for ourselves, but for our children!”
“H-He is right! Besides, have we not heard that the forest is becoming increasingly dangerous?”
“I would rather see my son take up some profession other than monster hunting. Something safer.”
Several people voiced their agreement amid the murmuring crowd.
Before long, those voices began spreading and growing louder.
As expected, the words of their Village Chief carried considerable influence.
Taking advantage of the momentum, I spoke again.
“I called this a proposal earlier, but I will correct myself. I am not asking you this as your lord, but as another person of Bricks. I am asking for your help! Help me. Let us combine our strength and transform this land, our home, into a place where all of us can live well!”
For a nobleman, the words were extraordinary.
I had effectively lowered myself and placed myself beside them as an equal inhabitant of Bricks.
The villagers became even more unsettled.
“Chief Rolf and His Lordship are right. Perhaps the time really has come for us to leave the village.”
“Then what about our ancestors’ graves? Who will protect them?”
“What choice do we have? How long could we survive if Wyverns and Ogres began attacking the village every day? We should follow them!”
As the voices of agreement continued growing louder, I hoped everyone would accept the decision and follow willingly.
Otherwise, I might have to employ a somewhat more forceful method.