In the center of Karamala, Lily walks alone on a busy main street.
Her platinum long hair dances in the wind, and the light blue apron dress she wears flutters gracefully. But what stands out the most are the softly shimmering, rainbow-colored wings that sway on her back.
As a life-sized fairy, her rare appearance and, above all, her beautiful girl’s looks turn the heads of passersby, regardless of gender.
She cannot help but notice the overwhelming gazes directed at her, yet she continues to walk elegantly as if unaware of them, further enhancing her charm and grace.
Although Lily exudes an elegance that even the daughters of noble families cannot match, internally, she is far from calm; her feelings are complex and tumultuous.
“This is the Original Monolith of Karamala… indeed, it’s exposed so defenselessly that it makes me uneasy.”
In the entrance on the first floor of the iconic high-rise building ‘Temen Nigru’ that juts out in the center of Karamala, the Original Monolith, stained entirely in gray, sits like a mere object.
As proposed the night before, Lily has come here to secure the Original Monolith of Karamala as her primary objective.
This long journey’s biggest goal. There were various troubles along the way, but she has finally arrived here.
However, there is no sense of accomplishment in her heart.
Standing here is Lily alone. Chrono is not by her side. Just that alone robs all events of their meaning.
Feeling a void in her chest, a sense of unbearable loneliness creeps in, but Lily suppresses these sentiments with pragmatism and focuses on what she must do now.
“…There’s particularly no guard or barrier. For the people of this city, the Monolith is truly just an object.”
Lily first cautiously surveyed her surroundings near the entrance.
If anyone knew the value of the Monolith, or if strict preservation had become tradition like in other countries, it would be impossible for the Original to be so unguarded.
However, the fact that nothing exists to protect it suggests that indeed, that must be the case.
This entrance is not merely the gateway to Temen Nigru. More famously, it serves as the entrance to the Great Maze.
When the Great Maze of Karamala was first discovered, the entrance was this one location.
A large circular magic circle drawn around the seated Original Monolith emanates teleportation effects that lead to the entrance of the Great Maze.
Though many entrances have since been discovered, reducing the frequency of use compared to its peak, this Temen Nigru Entrance has become more symbolic, reserved for high-ranking adventurers of Rank 4 and above.
While there aren’t many users at the current entrance, those present are all high-level adventurers clad in quality equipment.
They cast a glance at Lily’s noticeable figure, but it’s clear they are uninterested.
Everyone seems busy with their own tasks, and it’s evident that they have no interest in Lily or the Monolith.
For the people here, this gray stone slab is nothing more than part of their daily scenery.
At least, those who follow the teachings of the Cross Religion do not appear to be here hunting the Original.
“Then, I’ll take it without hesitation.”
Thus, Lily touched the surface of the Original Monolith with her small white palm without anyone stopping her.
She is already proficient in operating the Monolith. After all, she has never seen anyone superior to herself.
The founder of the “Judgment Arrow” was just a fortunate amateur who happened to succeed in activating it.
However, unlike that founder, Lily harbors no arrogance about having obtained a unique and absolute power.
Even if she is not on the Pandora continent, she is on the Ark continent.
The Ancient Golem, or rather, the humanoid heavy machine “Taurus,” deployed during the Galahad War. Lily understands well just how much technical prowess is required to deploy that in battle.
Compared to the technology possessed by the Crusaders at the ancient ruins, Pandora’s side is hopelessly lagging behind. If another major war breaks out, it’s likely that an improved Taurus will appear, and in the worst case, production could become possible.
The ancient power vastly exceeds modern magical technology. It is already lagging behind and if the Original Monolith, which wields decisive influence over that land, falls into their hands, the Pandora continent will be trampled without a fighting chance.
Because Lily possesses superior ancient knowledge, she recognizes the danger more than anyone.
That’s why, even for the blackening task of the Original Monolith, which she usually handles with ease, she proceeds without a moment’s negligence.
There are no abnormalities. Having touched the Original Monolith in all locations except for Fahren, Lily feels that everything is proceeding smoothly, just as before.
It’s the first time it has turned gray, but it seems to just require a slightly greater flow of magical power than usual. Once she fills the Original Monolith, which is in a halted state, with the necessary black magic to restart it, the operation should complete just like always— or so she thought.
“What is this… it’s connected somewhere deep underground…?”
With a murmur, Lily’s eyes snapped wide open and before her stood the already-blackened Original Monolith.
Both sensorially and visually, the blackening was a success.
However, she noticed a point that was decisively different.
“What does this mean? This is definitely the Original Monolith, but… the core is underground.”
She has roughly confirmed the functionality of the Original Monolith.
Normally, with just that, she should be able to control everything in the ancient ruins of Karamala, which still functions.
However, it seems that this Original’s effects only extend to the surface of Karamala, to the outskirts of the city.
Management from the center to the depths of the Great Maze is completely separated from its function.
And apparently, the true core that governs all functions of the ancient ruins of Karamala is located deep within the Great Maze.
This Original is merely in a state where it has been delegated partial control authority from the core in the deepest part.
“If I want to control this city, I’ll need to go there.”
Then, with the strength of a Rank 5 adventurer, she considers whether she can conquer the Great Maze of Karamala to its deepest part— but this thought is immediately interrupted by another flash of insight.
“No, if it’s just a matter of managing urban functions, the Original alone should be sufficient.”
Manipulating the darkened Original Monolith already under her control, Lily searches for information about the core.
Of course, since the information authority is higher with the core, access is generally blocked, and the information obtained is only fragmented, but one thing is clear.
“What is this enormous ether consumption… what is it being used for?”
The ley lines running through the Atlas Desert converge at the Dragon Hole, which is the site of Karamala’s location. The ancient ruins were originally facilities meant to harness this natural magic power… but in the currently operational Karamala, it seems they are using the extraordinary ether that fills the Dragon Hole for something.
Such a response has not been seen in any of the Originals she’d encountered so far.
There is some function that requires a staggering amount of ether, activated only in this unique Karamala.
What could that possibly be?
“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“—Indeed, that’s something you should not touch.”
The moment she heard that unfamiliar voice, Lily drew her “Meteor Striker.”
The child standing before the gun she silently aimed is one she recognizes.
“Should I say nice to meet you? Iris’s daughter, Fairy Princess Lily.”
The child appeared exactly as Chrono had described.
Shiny black hair and gleaming crimson eyes. With youthful features that could pass for either boy or girl, they exuded androgyny.
And above all, the crimson magic circle that had appeared on the black Original Monolith made it clear to Lily that this situation was undoubtedly true.
“Relax, you don’t have to be so formal.”
Before the legendary Demon King revered in Pandora, the fact that she pointed her gun, the fact that she did not kneel. None of it was a concern for Mia, who restrained Lily’s movements.
“…Why are you here?”
“Thanks to you, I finally managed to come to Karamala.”
It means that by blackening the Original Monolith, she can now manifest her presence here, but what Lily questioned did not concern such an obvious circumstance.
“So, you’re saying you refuse to answer.”
“Don’t worry, this is our circumstance. It’s not entirely unrelated to you, but… well, it’s like we’ll understand when the time comes?”
“Does that mean until Chrono returns to me?”
“Ah, that’s just like Iris.”
Mia smiled wryly, as if saying what a pain it is.
Whether she is being natural or accidentally slipped up, her demeanor gives the impression of an innocent child.
“Then I’ll be going. It would help if you could forget about me.”
With that, she turned her back on Lily, her enormous black cloak billowing behind her.
Instantly, a gust of wind blew through, and Lily instinctively shut her eyes—
“…Hmm.”
When she opened her eyes, the small Demon King was nowhere to be seen.
“Hehe, I suppose you truly were weak against mental magic.”
The Demon King Mia had appeared.
Lily clearly remembered that occurrence.
“The resistance was barely successful… I’m grateful for Your Majesty the Queen’s blessing.”
Somehow, she had sensed that the relationship between Demon King Mia and Fairy Queen Iris wasn’t particularly good.
That’s why she activated her mental barriers with all her might to prevent Mia from erasing the memory of their meeting after she had used some form of mental magic.
Normally, it would be impossible for Lily, still in human form, to counter a god’s magic, but… she felt that Iris, being a same god, had lent her support.
“In any case, it’s a relief that unnecessary commotion did not arise.”
Lily looked back again at the blackened Original Monolith.
Then, she confirmed that the flow of people around them had returned to normal.
From the moment Mia appeared, this place had transformed into a divine domain. There had been no one else, a disconnected space.
With Mia’s departure, everything had returned to its original state.
Then, to make her final confirmation, Lily called out to a nearby adventurer.
“Hey, was that stone slab that color before?”
“Huh? It was black before, but does it look different to you?”
The expression of a woman, likely a healer (priest) who appeared puzzled by such a trivial question, said everything.
“Excuse me, it seems I was mistaken.”
With Lily’s exceedingly radiant smile, the woman didn’t mind the odd question at all, and with that, she and her companions were teleported to the Great Maze.
“Memory alteration or recognition obstruction… whatever it is, the fact that no one notices the Original has turned black will make things easier from here on.”
That night, Lily, Fiona, and Sariel faced each other around a map of Karamala.
“For now, I’ve submitted a simple request to the guild for a person search.”
“However, we can’t expect much.”
First, Fiona and Sariel reported their findings from the day.
The two had been engaged in the search for Chrono, separate from Lily.
Lily was certain that Chrono had reached Karamala and was lurking somewhere in the city, thanks to her intuition. Now that it’s the storm season, he wouldn’t be leaving the city. So all that’s left is to search.
If a request for a person search were to be made, it would be directed to the Adventurer Guild. However, Fiona and her companions had little expectation for its success.
“The adventurers in this city don’t seem very reliable.”
“The gang’s influence in Karamala is very strong. Most low-ranking adventurers are also members of gangs, while high-ranking adventurers are focused on conquering the Great Maze.”
“In other words, it means that no one would seriously take on a dull person search request.”
The quality of adventurers varies greatly by country and location, and in that respect, Karamala’s adventurers are of the lowest quality due to the strong influence of gangs.
To effectively manage them, one would need to establish relations with the gangs and gain a certain level of status.
“It would be more reliable to ask an information dealer than to search them directly. In a city this crowded, they have extensive networks.”
“I have obtained decisive information regarding the whereabouts of the Master.”
It seems they have started on a better footing than expected. However, from Fiona’s cold expression, Lily sensed that the news wasn’t particularly good, prompting her to encourage Sariel to continue.
“The slave merchant ship, White Wish No. 4, affiliated with the gang ‘Silvarian Familia,’ was attacked when it returned to the back port of Karamala, resulting in the escape of two slaves who killed the ship’s captain.”
“Ah, I already dread where this is heading.”
“It was lucky to have encountered the information dealer who was providing information to the gang while also informing them about the attack.”
“I don’t want to know the details, but I’m prepared to listen.”
Lily already showed an exasperated expression, but Sariel continued her report in a calm manner.
“The attackers were two girls who were Rank 3 adventurers. They launched the assault to rescue the children that the captain had bought as slaves.”
However, the information dealer, from the beginning, had been in league with Silvarian Familia. The dealer had been relaying detailed information about the attack to the target, the captain himself.
As a result, the information dealer was in a position to collect money from both the attackers and the target.
It was a risky move driven by greed, but it had turned out well for the dealer. However, he realized for the first time at noon today that being involved in this incident was indeed unfortunate.
“You certainly admitted that rather easily.”
“That’s because Sariel is skilled in interrogation.”
“No, I have only learned basic skills. I am not a specialist.”
It’s simple when someone speaks willingly after being beaten. There’s no need for Lily to use telepathy to forcibly extract confirmations of memories.
“So, Chrono, who was picked up as a slave on the ship, helped those poor girls and escaped with them?”
“The captain reportedly took the children as hostages and threatened the two adventurer girls.”
“That’s the worst form of vile behavior in front of Chrono.”
She could picture him driven by righteous indignation, rushing to save them without a second thought.
“And then what happened?”
“The captain, being a member of the gang’s board of directors, immediately took action for revenge. That very night, he attacked their hideout.”
It was only the low-ranking members he brought along, along with a few guards ranked from 3 to 4.
Faced with the furious Chrono, such meager strength would only lead to unnecessary casualties.
“The Master broke through the gang’s encirclement, leading a group of a dozen other children who were hidden in the apartment, killing several dozen people in the process, and fled into the Great Maze.”
“What happened after that?”
“Unknown. ‘Silvarian Familia’ is still searching for the Master and the others.”
“There was a bounty placed. It’s only a mere million.”
“Now that’s quite the poor compensation for the job.”
It’s uncertain how much of his memory Chrono has lost, but his physical capabilities are among the highest for a Rank 5 adventurer. Certainly, it would be impossible for a meager bounty of just one million clans to be placed on his head for subduing Rank 5 monsters—it’s three zeros too low.
“There’s no need to worry about Chrono being taken down by gang members or bounty hunters… but it’s certainly become a troublesome issue.”
Given that the bounty is only one million clans, the gang has not accurately assessed Chrono’s abilities yet. If Chrono begins to turn the tables and increase the casualties, they will gradually recognize the degree of danger he represents.
At that time, if the gang decides to pull back due to the low reward, it would be ideal, but… if they stubbornly cling to their pride and seem to go after Chrono’s life, that would become troublesome. With enough money, it wouldn’t be impossible for the gangs in this city to hire Rank 5 adventurers who could undertake dirty work as needed.
“Well then, shall we go crush them?”
“We need to remain here until the storm passes, so we shouldn’t start anything too flashy.”
Lily shot an incredulous look at Fiona, who spoke with a serious tone about a simplistic solution. If left unaddressed, she might really consider setting fire to the gang’s headquarters.
“That said, I won’t go so far as to let it slide.”
“Lily-sama, is there a plan?”
“Karamala’s gangs are broadly divided into three factions.”
Lily pointed at the map spread out on the table.
After securing the Original Monolith, Lily had begun her own information gathering. She already had a fair amount of insight into Karamala’s factional dynamics, including some behind-the-scenes dealings.
“First, there’s the pesky ‘Silvarian Familia,’ which controls the northwest part of Karamala. Among the three gangs, it’s the largest faction.”
It is the oldest gang in Karamala and still boasts the greatest influence. Its members are primarily humans, and the current leader, Annemarie Silvarian, is notoriously known for her aversion to non-human races.
“Next, the ‘Chaos Legion’ controls the southern part.”
The next most powerful faction after Silvarian is this ‘Chaos Legion.’
The leader is Joseph Rodriguez from the rare Diabolos clan of demons.
The gang is composed of a majority of demon-like species, as well as goblins and orcs, which are minorities in Karamala.
“Finally, there’s the ‘Extreme Wolf Association’ which governs the eastern part.”
An emerging power that has risen within the past few decades. They swiftly devoured through the various small organizations competing in the eastern regions and established themselves as one of the three major gangs.
The leader is Andrei Libertus.
His distinctive black-clad appearance indicates he hails from the Lagna Principality, a major nation in the western part of Pandora. Rumors say he was a former nobleman who was exiled from the country.
“A gang like that shouldn’t require us to trouble ourselves. If we prepare appropriate opponents fitting to Silvarian, that should suffice.”
“Then do we instigate either the ‘Chaos Legion’ or ‘Extreme Wolf Association’? Is that really going to work?”
“For that, we utilize the Original Monolith.”
In response to Fiona’s innocent question, Lily smiled with a youthful face.
“Thanks to the existence of the mysterious core, we cannot currently wrest control from the Xanadu conglomerate governing Karamala… but the city outskirts outside of the Great Maze and the core are already mine.”