Chapter 7
IN THE WEEK after the final battle with Chimera Clausen, the situation changed rapidly.
First, the remnants of Chimera Clausen hiding in Sentopoli were all flushed out and arrested by the church. Those captured ranged from adventurers to civil servants. Each time, they were thoroughly questioned, and Isuzu’s forces worked with the Guild Union to conquer bases one after another thanks to the influx of information. For the purposes of this effort, Isuzu began calling itself the Local Deity Corps. It seemed they planned to keep up their environmental protection organization façade to the end.
However, the arrests swept up so many government workers that they caused shortages in various departments. Apparently, the captured officials had actually been doing their day jobs even as they’d worked with Chimera Clausen.
Those who weren’t deeply involved with Chimera Clausen were allowed to remain and train their replacements. Of course, they were given special surveillance devices created by Isuzu, minimum wage, and forced to work weekends; truly, the Isuzu Alliance was a harsh master. Yet if the church had taken them, they’d either have been sentenced to long-term forced labor or death. Most of them were happy to agree to these conditions, such as they were.
Isaac, former diplomat for Sentopoli, was one such example. It would naturally be impossible to return to his old position, but his knowledge of foreign affairs helped him train the new diplomats. Thanks to his innate character and cultivated abilities, he was able to acclimate to his new environment quickly and became a hard worker.
As for Jamal, he likewise accepted the conditions and, surprisingly, joined the hunt for remnants of Chimera.
His former job had been to hunt down and eliminate Chimera Clausen members that had either exhausted their usefulness or betrayed the organization. In a way, he was ideal anti-Chimera personnel. His abilities were used to the fullest, and he put in tremendous effort.
Once Isuzu had finished mopping up the remnants, Jamal would join the military forces of Sentopoli—still with the same restrictions, of course.
Alioth was fighting hard, though he still had a long struggle ahead of him. It was just a matter of time until Sentopoli was settled.
***
Over in Roslein, which had had its leading family toppled overnight, things were heated. Companies and merchants that did business with Melville Commerce were investigated by international legal affairs. Half of them were found to have been working with Chimera and were arrested. Roslein was just as poisoned by Chimera’s foul influence as Sentopoli itself. What’s more, Roslein was a major conduit for trade with the Ark Continent to the west, which only intensified the resulting chaos.
But a ray of hope remained: Urashis, the pure and innocent CEO of Ebatess Commerce, was unsullied by Chimera’s influence. A few weeks later, he took the seat of duke and was welcomed with open arms by the people of Roslein. He used his skilled and elaborate handiwork to bring the economic crisis to an end in no time. Under his supervision, the trade routes were more lucrative than ever.
This was all thanks to being prepared for the fall of Chimera Clausen. The deep and vast roots of Chimera, the fall of Melville Commerce, the uncovering of accomplices, the resulting panic— Urashis had been ready for it all, with the help of his secret partner Solomon.
Despite the circumstances, Urashis managed to earn the trust of the citizens and corporations of Roslein. Then, he expanded the commerce nation’s size and power. He took advantage of the opportunity to publicly declare positive relations with the Kingdom of Alcait and began trading with them directly. The reasons were kept vague, though he did state that they had played a major role in dealing with the national emergency.
The turmoil in Roslein was quickly put to an end. Though there was still some unrest, it wouldn’t lead to any major problems. It was only a matter of time until everything was back to normal.
And what of the alchemist Johan, his mansion in Roslein, his family, and his pupil in Millene? They would stay at Isuzu Alliance Headquarters for the time being.
Research was the major reason. Albatinus and other alchemists were still at Isuzu HQ. Despite the destruction of Chimera Clausen, the material that was the source of their technological advantage—the black mist ore—still contained many mysteries. Albatinus had shown great interest in it, and he would not allow the one who’d worked closest to it to escape his grasp quite yet. According to those who knew Albatinus well, he would not release Johan until his thirst for knowledge was slaked.
But equally important when it came to reasons to stay was Johan’s daughter, Anne. She’d taken a liking to the underwater base, and she didn’t want to leave. Who could blame her? She’d been locked in a tiny warehouse for so long.
The people at Isuzu headquarters spoiled Anne to no end, filling her days with happiness. Every day, she wandered around the city and the Forest of Seasons beyond.
Johan spent every day dealing with Albatinus. When he returned home exhausted, he took medicine created by Albatinus himself that would fill him with energy by the next morning, allowing them to repeat the process over again.
Millene joined the research effort as Johan’s assistant. She enjoyed their daily new discoveries, and her skill as an alchemist was clearly growing.
Johan’s wife, Angelique, spent her days lovingly watching over her family in quiet peace. She was the daughter of a farmer, and helped out with field work whenever she was able. Everyone noticed that the crops were thriving. Perhaps inspired by her alchemist husband, she experimented with various mixes of fertilizer. Before long, she began selectively breeding the crops.
While its main objective had been accomplished, the Isuzu Alliance home base wasn’t going anywhere yet.
***
The elite Hidden had joined Scorpion and Snake in Roslein to expose and arrest all those who’d worked with Chimera Clausen via Melville Commerce. Things were going well; Scorpion complained that, while it was refreshing, the work was never-ending. Snake was always busy with daily interrogations. When she mused that she might go too far as a result, the captives shuddered.
Half of the Hidden would join the church to make rounds through other nations on the continent once Roslein was squared away. Investigation had found traces of Chimera knowledge and technology leaks, so the Hidden remained vigilant during their hunt for Chimera remnants. They could not allow the spirits to be hurt in such a way ever again.
As for the other half that included Scorpion and Snake, they would join the international legal affairs group on their voyage to the Ark Continent once things were over. There, they would follow traces of leaked knowledge and technology to deal with any Chimera stragglers thoroughly.
The Ark Continent didn’t have many churches, so international legal affairs had to step in. Due to the harshness of the environment, they would definitely be needing elites like Snake and Scorpion.
“The Ark Continent, hm?” Mira mused. “That place is teeming with powerful monsters. Watch yourselves out there.”
“Yeah, leave it to us,” Scorpion replied. “I think I’ve gotten stronger from this war, and Lady Uzume says we’re ready for the challenge.”
“Me too,” Snake agreed. “I’ve learned a lot.”
Mira and the Hidden duo were in a jail below a church. Scorpion glanced around at the cells filled with prisoners and sighed, “I think it’s gonna be a while, though…”
Mira, who’d come to ask them how things were going, had to sympathize. This would take some time.
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