Part 3
---[Underwood] Harvest Festival Headquarters, VIP room.
Yō and the others were invited to the VIP room that was nestled within the centre of the Great Tree. The windows in the room were directly overlooking the centre of the river and the Underground City of [Underwood] that was covered by the net like patterned tree roots.
Sala sat at the seat that had a [One Horn] Flag adorned on it, as she gestured to Yō and the others to be seated as well.
“Well then, let me reintroduce myself. I’m the current leader of [One Horn], Sala Doltrake. As everyone would have known by now, I’m a former member of [Salamandra].”
“Then, the crystal canals of the Underground City is……”
“It’s made by me of course. But don’t be mistaken. That crystal and the technique used to create it in [Underwood] is solely pioneered by me. Don’t make it seem as if I stole something out from my hometown.”
Jin rubbed his chest as he released a breath in relief. That was apparently something that bugged him quite a bit.
“Well then, I had originally wanted the representatives of the two Communities to do a self-introduction……but like what I had expected…Jack, she didn’t come, right?”
“Yes. Unless there’s a special situation, Willa will not leave the Community grounds, and so let me, the one who’s her strategist help her express our greetings to you.”
“Really? I really hoped to be able to invite the famous North Side’s strongest participant to come for a tour in the South Side.”
“…North Side Strongest?” Yō and Asuka asked together.
Ayesha who sat beside them had a proud expression on her face as she swung her twin tails while she answered:
“Of course that would be talking about our leader of [Will-O'-Wisp].”
Sala looked at the girls before nodding and continuing:
“That’s right. [Demon of the Azure Flames]—Willa the Ignis Fatuus is a demon capable of crossing the boundaries of life and death freely and holds the power to interfere with the portals to the other worlds too. But little is known about her current situation. I heard that three years ago when I migrated to the South Side, she had suddenly decided to be more active and was sighted …there was even news of her having sealed [Maxwell Demon Lord]. If that were true, she wouldn’t be of the six digits[56]. Saying that she’s of the top most of the five digits wouldn’t be giving it excessive praise.”
“Yahoho……I wonder about the credibility of those words. But if you really want to talk about it, compared to a power of an individual, the five digit level focuses more on the average power of the Community. Even if there’s a super strong comrade, it will not be able to hold out for long.”
Jack laughed as he changed the topic. Even if one wanted to guess his thoughts from his expressions, one couldn’t possibly glean anything off that pumpkin face to be used as useful information.
Realizing that it was useless to continue in that direction, Sala shifted her sights on Jin.
“Just as Jack said, just by the power of a strong individual it is unable to maintain a five digit Community. For all it takes is the appearance of an enemy that can defeat that individual, the group will easily dissolve……And an example would be [Perseus] of the East side, right Jin?”
“EH?”
“Hehe. There’s no need to hide it. [No Name] of the lowest level defeated a five digit [Perseus] has already become a well-known piece of news. And subsequently defeating that [Black Death Demon Lord] should be you guys too, right?”
“That…That is…”
“No need to hide it. Because the current [Salamandra] doesn’t have what it takes to take down a Demon Lord on its own yet. I had already guessed that it must have been a strong hand that reached out to help from the side. Though I’ve left my hometown, please allow me to express my gratitude…Thank You for Helping [Salamandra].”
“You…Your welcome…”
Sala bowed her head and her red hair had similarly hung downwards. Though her tone always had that pressure of someone of a higher status, but the strange thing was that it didn’t make people feel unpleasant. It was probable that that kind of tone just matched her temperament[57].
Sala swept their faces with her gaze before smiling cheerfully as she asked their opinions on the Harvest Festival:
“Well then, what do you guys think about the Harvest Festival? Was it enjoyable?”
“Yes. Though we’ve just arrived and hadn’t had time to shop around much, but to see it being full of life and laughter when it’s only during the eve of the Harvest Festival, it sure does feel great.”
“Thank goodness. That’s just great to hear. Though the Harvest Festival will only be officially started with the Gift Game events three days from now, but there’s still the street vendors that have temporarily been set up for the Festival that you guys can visit in the meantime. I hope that you guys will be able to enjoy your time in South Side where the customs are more open.”
“Nn. We planned to do that.” Asuka replied with a smile.
While Yō who sat beside her was gazing at the dragon horns on top of Sala’s head with eyes that seem to sparkle from within.
“What’s wrong? Are you interested in the dragon horns on my head?”
“……Nn. It looks really pretty. Different from Sandra’s. It’s not some horn that you adorn on yourself, right?”
“Nn. These are my horns.”
“But didn’t Sala join the Community that’s called [One Horn]? Is it okay to have two horns?”
Yō tilted her head as she asked. Whereas Sala smiled wryly as she answered:
“Indeed. We of the [Draco Greif] Alliance did name our Communities based on the unique qualities on the body of the members, though the numbers are not to be taken into consideration. Otherwise, the four winged races will not have any Community to join won’t they?”
“……Ah. Right.”
“Besides that, the Communities can be differentiated by the tasks that they are responsible for. [One Horn] and [Five Claws] to be responsible for combat; [Two Wings], [Four Footed] and [Three Tails] to be responsible for transportation while [Six Scars] covers the agriculture and commerce aspects. All those Communities together form the [Draco Greif] Alliance.”
“I see.”
Yō gave a short reply as she lifted her head to look at the Alliance flag.
The upper torso was of an eagle and the lower torso of a lion. A Gryphon that had four strong limbs and huge feathery wings.
If a difference were to be pointed out between this Gryphon and a normal Gryphon, that would be the dragon horn that grew from its forehead. And one of its two dragon horns was broken off tragically.
Looking at the flag, Yō felt that something was amiss and she tilted her head quizzically.
“……Eh? Then what does [Six Scars] represent?”
“It’s said that a Gryphon that transforms to its true form of a [Draco Griff] has six scars on its body. If according to the classification of the Communities….Nn. It should be open and accepting to all the various races. After all, the knowledge of Commerce or Agriculture is not something that can be picked up with just any kind of lifestyle.”
“Oh I see.”
“During the Harvest Festival, you guys will also see the flag of [Six Scars] quite often, right? I heard that they have brought in many exotic plants of the South Side this time round. Please feel free to go and have a look if you have time to spare.”
Yō nodded her head---and just happened to meet Kuro Usagi’s gaze.
*Pak!* She clapped her hands, seeming to have remembered something suddenly as she asked Sala:
“Talking about the exotic plans of the South Side, is there…………Rabbit-Eating Plants and the like?”
“Do you still need to bring that topic up again?! That kind of fearsome and nonsensical plant couldn’t possibly……”
“There are.”
“Really? There are?”
“How can such a stupid thing exist?!” Kuro Usagi’s ears stood erect on her head as she shouted.
Yō’s eyes sparkled as she continue to press on:
“Then……is there any Kuro Usagi-Eating Plant?”
“That’s why I asked if there was any reason for you to target Kuro Usagi!”
“There is.”
“How can it be! Just where and whom is that idiot that thinks of keeping this kind of scary plant that targets rabbits?!”
“Hmmm. You asked which idiot... Here’s the order…”
*Pak! Kuro Usagi snatched the order form from Sala’s table top.
The order was written mischievously like this:
[A plant that targets Kuro Usagi: Devourer★Kuro Usagi Plant. Capable of using 80 tentacles to transform the target into a lewd…]
Crumple!
“---……HngHng……There’s no need to confirm the name to know that there’s only one idiotic culprit in the entire world that would do this kind of nonsense.”
Kuro Usagi drooped her head lifelessly. Tears of sorrow quietly flowed down her face.
Kuro Usagi will not even bring this up as a complaint~! She faced the large river as she vented out what seemed to be a howl from her soul, while all the others cast their pitying gaze on her back.
Not too long after, Kuro Usagi who was deep in her depressed state stood up. Her black hair had also undergone a change to sparkle with a glow of a dark vivid red.
“……Sala-sama, I deeply thank you for extending the invitation for us to join the Harvest Festival. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, an urgent matter has arose that requires my immediate attention. So Kuro Usagi will now take her leave. Excuse me.”
“Is…Is it? The Rabbit-eating plant should be in the exhibition plaza of the lowest level.”
“Thank you. And farewell!”
“Wa….Wait a while, Kuro Usagi!”
*Swish! Kuro Usagi grabbed the collars of all the [No Name] members and left without turning back her head.
Sending off Kuro Usagi that was carrying the three others with fluid movements as she hopped away, Sala muttered to herself in a daze.
“Oh my, looks like it’s more tiresome than what the rumors said.”
“Yahoho! Indeed! Well then, since we have already said our greetings, let’s bid our farewells here as well.”
“Oh, no, Wait. I still have something to discuss with you guys. If it’s convenient, I would like you to help me bring the message to the [No Name] as well.”
“Oh?” Jack and Ayesha glanced at each other.
Sala put on a more serious expression as she told the two:
“Please help me tell them that I hope for them to come round for dinner tonight. Regarding the Demon Lord that attacked [Underwood] ten years ago---the Titans, I have something to discuss.”
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