The City Awaiting the Sun (3)

Rubia, where rain falls 365 days a year, emanated its own vibrancy despite being enveloped in dull gray spaces.

One might wonder what’s so great about a place where it rains year-round, but it seems this unique characteristic unavailable elsewhere naturally draws people’s hearts.

Thus Rubia grew through trade, tourism, and the modest addition of hunters’ material gathering.

And all of this was based on population mobility.

That’s why it ended up like this.

The city’s very foundation is crumbling due to a single being.

The emergence of a third force. The merchants’ losses due to that. The deepening rift from perceptions accumulated over long years.

Moreover, with violent tendencies and indiscriminate terrorism, it’s obvious the floating population will decrease.

“She was a monster. At least, she shouldn’t be judged by appearances.”

“Sounds like she was quite something.”

“Yeah. Of course. Did you think hunters would be mature enough to leave someone running wild in our city alone, even without the merchants’ request?”

Well, if they were that mature, they would’ve chosen different work than hunting.

There are plenty of jobs where you can use force. If they were flexible, they would’ve become merchant guards instead of hunters from the start.

They chose to be hunters because that suited their personality better.

“At first there were three.”

When they heard about a troublemaking kid, a drunk hunter nearby went to scold her, he says.

“All three were knocked out cold. But when drunk guys get beaten up, people just treat them like idiots – no one becomes wary of their opponent.”

“So there were more casualties.”

“Right. Those three who got knocked out called more fellow hunters and charged in together this time.”

“How many?”

“Can’t remember the exact number, but around 20 I think.”

“That’s not a small number.”

“Indeed.”

Considering Rubia’s city size, it’s no exaggeration to say 1/10 of all hunters were mobilized.

Though of course, not everyone who rushed in was necessarily a hunter.

“Even so, we had to respond differently this time. On top of causing indiscriminate destruction and violence, we couldn’t leave someone who could take down 20 hunters alone.”

“Did you go personally?”

“Yeah.”

Kruud showed a bitter smile as he rolled up his sleeve.

An arm covered in bruises, with dragon scales embedded here and there.

No, not embedded – those dragon scales must have been there originally.

Most had been completely damaged from the previous battle.

Just looking at the shattered dragon scales gives an idea of the opponent’s strength.

“Nothing special about it. This happened from just one of her kicks. Thanks to that, my dignity is completely shot.”

Kruud’s gaze turned for a moment toward Titan standing behind.

The meaning of that gaze is obvious.

“Honestly, I’m not sure how she’d compare even to your friend there. I can’t gauge her exact strength, but just going by appearances…”

Indeed, is she already a monster just in terms of raw physical abilities?

She’s already a monster at the point where she can be compared to Titan.

If she also possesses abilities like the <Corruptor> that I remember, this becomes an unsolvable problem.

“Were there any other notable points?”

“She was so quick that landing an effective hit was impossible, and attacks wouldn’t even connect. It was like trying to grab mist – she would just scatter.”

“Quite the monster indeed.”

“Yeah, she’s not human. I even considered whether she might be a high-level ghost that gained the ability to exert physical force…”

“But that wasn’t it?”

“She felt too overflowing with life force for that.”

Kruud shrugged his shoulders.

Her physical abilities alone could easily overwhelm a dragonkin, and even if attacks connected, they couldn’t deal effective damage.

“Having someone like that in this place… Honestly, I’d like your help, but I have some shame. I recommend turning back now.”

“Those things in the sky look quite threatening for someone talking about shame.”

“I let them loose to ward off people. They won’t attack unless approached. If you can’t break through those guys, it’s better not to enter Rubia in the first place.”

“Is it okay to do that when the city is already declining?”

“Better than people getting hurt.”

He’s more principled than expected.

He made an objective judgment while setting aside his personal views.

Well, that’s probably how he was able to reach the position of guild master.

“She causes trouble almost daily. If she doesn’t like something, she breaks and hits it.”

“Just like a child.”

“Yeah, exactly like a child. A child who throws tantrums when she doesn’t like something. The problem is that such a child has been given absurd power.”

Purity can be both good and evil. It seems the one who infiltrated Rubia is the latter.

“Rather than regret getting beaten up by a kid, I think you should turn back now.”

“Is that so?”

I ask first.

Unlike previous incidents, I lack certainty about this one.

Even in Nidavellir I had minimal information, but for Rubia all I have is what Kruud told us.

The rest is information I’ll have to obtain myself, but the opponent is who she is.

Thinking about the <Corruptor>’s nature, the <Future Drawer> seems almost cute in comparison.

Moreover, unlike Pinocchio who was restraining himself, the one we’ll meet this time spreads harm around like an unbridled colt.

“Then are we heading to the Empire?”

Titan asks.

His destination is the Empire’s capital. That’s where he hopes to conclude his unfinished duel with Allen Wise.

“That would be a bit difficult.”

“Why?”

“If we don’t pass through here, we’ll have to take a huge detour time-wise. Our prepared supplies are almost gone too, so if we can’t enter Rubia, we’ll have to backtrack the way we came.”

And then find a new path from that point back.

It’s at least a week’s journey just to reach the village we passed before arriving at Rubia.

Moreover, to find a path that doesn’t go through Rubia, we’d need to retreat even further back than that village.

“Why ask when we have to enter anyway? Planning to deceive? Lost. Want your head cracked open?”

“I asked because your thoughts might have changed. Besides, you’re not the only one here. We have Linea and Claire too, so we should ask them.”

“Oh, I’m fine… Though humid places are a bit tough, it should be more comfortable than Nidavellir.”

Linea brushes it off smoothly.

She has no particular purpose for her journey to begin with. Since following us is her goal itself, there’s no reason for her to make new suggestions here.

“Do as you wish?”

Claire is in a similar situation.

She’s half-dependent on us and can’t stand alone without our help, so she can’t assert her own opinions.

Yes, looking at the reality, Titan is right. There was no need to ask.

But that only applies to us.

“That’s what they say. Looks like we’ll have to enter.”

“I see…”

There’s a need to show this side to Kruud before us.

It would only invite unnecessary suspicion to reveal that my target is that child he mentioned.

“Well, can’t be helped then. Since you’ve come this far, I’ll at least guide you.”

Kruud shouldered his spear and took the lead.

However, the wyvern pack was still flying in the sky.

“Are you planning to leave those as is?”

“Like I said earlier, they won’t attack people unless approached. Moreover, that applies when I’m out too. Since she’s adjusted them that way.”

“I see. But does that ‘people’ category include orcs?”

“Uh…?”

Kruud, who had been walking with a relaxed attitude, suddenly stops.

Seems he’s not certain.

And meanwhile, the wyvern pack that had been watching us starts gradually descending toward Titan.

“Though well-trained, they’re still carnivorous magical beasts, aren’t they?”

Even if they don’t attack humans, there’s no reason they wouldn’t attack an orc who doesn’t look human.

“Oh my. Looks like they’re going to attack.”

Kruud lost. But he didn’t die. Additionally, he discovered that attacks don’t work on the opponent.

And simultaneously, that means he was able to land something close to an effective hit on her.

Then his abilities must be closest to the true nature of the one I need to face.

“Please handle this before these poor tourists get attacked.”

For future plans, I need to confirm this once.

To manipulate this seemingly foolish yet good-natured person who strangely resembles Titan, I need to understand.

“These damn birds…”

Kruud cursed as he leaped into the air.

*     *     *

Kruud was strong.

He was truly beyond imagination, surprisingly so.

A master level who could perfectly refine aura.

He exerted maximum power with minimum output.

Tiny fragments of aura scattered like raindrops, each embedding into the wyverns’ bodies and cutting off their breath.

His aura was a pale gray.

Considering Rubia’s environment, it would have almost no visibility as it blended in.

Therefore, a mere wyvern pack couldn’t perfectly grasp his power. Seems I’ll need to modify my plans slightly…

“That was an excellent attack. So when do we duel?”

“We won’t!”

That part seems like it could be well resolved by using this guy.

*     *     *

Pattering rain.

Someone was watching that gray scenery from beyond the window.

Perhaps around Claire’s age?

Purple hair, seemingly neglected and sticking out everywhere, trailed almost to the floor in disarray, and her eyes were eerily red.

Those eyes, considered a symbol of demons and half-demons, were clearly more eerie than Claire’s.

Over light, movement-friendly leather clothes, she wore a black coat with a hood trimmed with fur reminiscent of a lion.

“Hmm…”

When the girl pulled up her hood, she seemed like a black lion stretching before a hunt.

“Heehee.”

The girl began moving with light, free steps, wearing a bright smile as if the pouring rain meant nothing to her.

“Strange.”

She was the <Corruptor> Untouchable’s adopted daughter. The only one of her kind in this world.

“Really strange.”

Swoosh!

The girl spun around once as if dancing and grinned while looking at the group carelessly thrown behind her.

They were people who came to stop her daily rampages.

Even with such violent punishment, they never give up.

That point was immensely enjoyable.

Violence and destruction are fun. They let her feel alive.

It’s even more fun dealing with those who charge at her in opposition.

She had lived in too suppressed a space until now.

Perhaps as a reaction to that, she could only feel truly alive within an intense life.

“You know? It’s so strange it’s fun? What should I call this?”

There is no good or evil in that.

Her standard of good and evil only extends as far as whether she kills people or not.

Therefore, she thought anything was fine as long as she didn’t kill.

Truly pure malice.

“Heeheeheehee!”

Purple energy, transformed as if fluctuating with the girl’s emotions, overflowed.

Demonic energy, however, she was somewhat different from other half-demons or demons.

A half-demon yet not a half-demon.

A demon yet not a demon.

A devil yet not a devil.

Originally, beings who become half-demons cannot refuse orders from those who granted them demonic energy.

And those orders become more absolute the closer to superior beings they get.

But not the girl.

The girl and her father were different.

They were transcendents who had completely broken free from demonic bonds and established their own existence.

“I don’t know.”

The girl laughed. She just laughed as if delighted, without understanding the meaning of the tragedy she created. The girl started running through the pouring rain while smiling brightly like that.

She didn’t even care what happened to those she had knocked down.

She was just happy. Just excited.

She was irritated and angry.

She couldn’t know exactly what the emotions she was feeling meant.

The girl was too immature to grasp that. Therefore, the girl merely expressed doubt.

“Why can I feel Father’s energy?”

The girl, called Lilia, that evil child, could sense the ‘corruption’ that had just entered Rubia.

It was the moment when a clear purpose was engraved into the girl’s previously indiscriminate behavior principles.