【Ruptured Realm, Sloth】, formerly known as the【City of Sin, Sloth】.
In the northern part of the Isralia continent, this place, which once existed as a city to seal the Dungeon of Sin like the other Sin Cities, came to change its name due to two major “incidents”.
The first was the awakening of the 【Dragon of Sin, Sloth】 100 years ago.
The second was the re-sealing of the 【Dragon of Sin, Sloth】 50 years ago.
Both are matters deeply related to the 【Dragon of Sin, Sloth】.
First, 100 years ago, the 【Dragon of Sin, Sloth】 was awakened. The curse of corrosion and immortality, which had previously remained only inside the dungeon, overflowed outside the dungeon without going through monsters. As a result, the City of Sin, which had been built to seal the Dungeon of Sin, Sloth, entirely turned into a hell overrun by the undead.
That alone was a grim tragedy, but when it was discovered that the undead territory was slowly expanding little by little over the years, the Dragon of Sin, Sloth became a threat that held the fate of the world in its grasp.
And 50 years ago, there was a hero who plunged into the center of that land, the 【Rupture】 where the entire Dungeon of Sin had rotted away, and sealed Sloth once again. That man accomplished the astounding feat of slaying the dragon. Furthermore, he created a nation independent from the 【Grand Federation】 connected to the 【Wise Heavenly King】 in the very land where he sealed Sloth.
Black, a Nameless beastperson.
The man, who gathered the affection of the Nameless, came to be called the 【King】 as a result.
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“I also saw him once when I was a kid. He was a beastperson with jet-black fur, so he was called Black, and he was an old man who was really adored.” -Jain
After much appeasement, Jain finally opened his mouth to explain about 【Sloth】.
Perhaps because he ended up having to speak about its ancient origins as a result of the group’s shallow understanding of Sloth, Jain was initially lazy, but gradually his tongue became smoother.
“How many years ago was that?” -Ur
“20… no, 30 years ago?” -Jain
“Get it together, old man.” -Ur
“Shut up, kid.” -Jain
While dodging the fist swung by Jain, Ur wondered, huh?
“…He was already an old man 20 or 30 years ago, right?” -Ur
“Even taking into account that he’s a beastperson, he was an old man with a scraggly beard. But he had a strangely strong aura.” -Jain
“Several decades have passed since then, and he’s a beastperson… he must be quite old by now.” -Ur
“That’s why I said, I can’t believe he’s still alive.” -Jain
In the first place, living in a place like that means you’re crazy, Jain said.
The area that once became the land of the undead due to the 【Dragon of Sin, Sloth】. And the dwelling of the dragon, which was once the 【Dungeon of Sin】 but had completely rotted away and turned into an endlessly deep hole. 50 years ago, Black, who was known as the strongest adventurer at the time, plunged into its depths alone.
Days passed, and even after a month, he did not return. Just like the other adventurers who challenged the great hole, everyone gave up on Black ever returning. At that very moment, Sloth suddenly ceased its activity.
Everyone was convinced that he had risked his life to stop Sloth.
Minstrels appeared, singing of the tragedy and glory of the hero who would never return.
The Adventurers’ Guild recognized the now-deceased Black as a gold-rank adventurer.
The Temple bestowed upon him an official rank equivalent to that of a Shinta and praised his great deeds.
The world praised his achievements and at the same time firmly believed in his death–but,
“Apparently, after his grand hero’s funeral, he crawled out. That monster.” -Jain
『…The real one? 』-Rock
“He was suspected of being an undead like you, but it seems he was the real deal… and he snatched away all the honors and rewards that the guild and Temple had bestowed upon him for his ‘noble sacrifice.’” -Jain
“…That’s devious.” -Lynne
Black’s return was truly a miracle, and there was no end to those who saw him as a hero, not only among the Nameless but also among the city dwellers and even within the Temple. As a result, if he were dead, there would be no problem, but the Temple had carelessly bestowed various honors that were only nominal, and it became difficult to retract them.
Some accused him of hiding and lurking in anticipation of such an outcome, but the fact remained that he had undeniably stopped the invasion of the 【Dragon of Sin, Sloth】, so the criticism did not persist. He became a hero of the ages recognized even by the Temple and the pinnacle of adventurers, a gold-rank.
“I had heard stories from other Nameless people since long ago about a Nameless hero named Black, but I had no idea it was such an absurd situation…” -Ur
Even Ur, a Nameless himself, was aware of his existence. The story of a hero spoken of as if it were their own by his father’s colleagues, former adventurers. For Ur, who had honestly thought it was a kind of fairy tale, the name on the letter that arrived was also a shock.
However, from what he heard, it seemed that the man’s outrageousness went beyond all expectations.
“So, this old man took the wealth and fame he acquired and, together with the folks who adored him, built 【Ruptured Realm, Sloth】 at the bottom of the huge hole that opened up in the former ‘City of Sin, Sloth’ site. …I’ll say it clearly, that place is also crazy as hell.” -Jain
“I heard it was the final paradise where the Nameless end up… is it really that bad?” -Ur
The old man who had told Ur about Black described it as a paradise where the Nameless live, beyond the vast numbers of undead and the toxic gas from the decay. The old man had also lamented that he himself was too old to pay his respects there anymore.
Not just that old man, but there were not many who could overcome the difficulties and the wasteland swarming with undead that stood in the way of that paradise, and at least among those around Ur, there was no one who knew the actual situation. Just getting there was not easy, and that fueled the legend of Sloth.
So what was the actual situation like? Jain, who knew about it, explained.
“It’s true that you could call it a paradise. After all, it’s the one and only independent nation that’s outside the control of the Grand Federation and the Wise Heavenly King. The Nameless don’t have to pay for their stay there. Once the Nameless get permission, they can live freely in that country. There aren’t even any priests to condemn them.” -Jain
“…How do they sustain it as a country? I mean, how do the residents there even live?” -Ur
Not joining the Grand Federation of the Wise Heavenly King.
It’s easy to say, but it means not receiving the Barrier of the Sun.
There are no priests.
In other words, they can’t borrow the power of the spirits either. They can’t produce food by borrowing the power of the spirits in a production city.
Living outside the city is basically extremely difficult. If it weren’t, the Nameless wouldn’t try to sneak into the city even if they had to pay for their stay, and would live freely in the outside world. It’s because they can’t that the world is the way it is.
No matter how extraordinary a person Black was, as long as it’s a nation, it can’t be sustained without residents living there. It’s unlikely that anyone other than Black is also extraordinary, and Ur didn’t know how they could possibly do such a thing.
“It’s not that complicated, really. If there’s no Barrier of the Sun, you can just create a substitute barrier with magic. If you don’t have the power of the spirits, you can just live by your own power without relying on them.” -Jain
Originally, even the cities that are part of the Grand Federation don’t leave everything to the Barrier of the Sun and the power of the spirits. That’s precisely why the mining of magic stones by adventurers is necessary. They purchase magic stones from them by paying money, and use those magic stones to cover the shortfall in city management.
In theory, there is indeed the idea of substituting for the power of the Sun God and the spirits. But, however,
“If that were easy to do, there wouldn’t be any trouble, right? You should know that better than anyone.” -Ur
Jain, who had desperately fought in search of a place of refuge, should know how unreasonable that is. If it were easy to live outside the city, he wouldn’t have thought of desperately earning money to buy land in the city in the first place.
“And yet, that man Black managed to pull it off.” -Jain
“…How?” -Ur
“There are many reasons why we have no choice but to depend on God and spirits. Tradition, faith, domination, but putting aside such entanglements, the simplest reason is ‘lack of energy.’” -Jain
Magical power is a versatile energy source, but its collection efficiency is not very good. Direct extraction from dungeon monsters and collection from the air and ground alone is far from enough to make up for the absence of God and spirits.
So what do you do? You just need to obtain an energy source that surpasses that.
Jain’s face twisted, half in amusement and half in exasperation, as he spoke.
“Utilizing the resources of the Dragon of Sin, Sloth.” -Jain
“…What?” -Ur
Ur had to doubt his ears.
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“What Black set his sights on was the toxic gas produced by the decaying matter that Sloth had rotted.” -Jain
It rots living beings, turns them into undead, and spreads further through them as a medium.
The 【Slumber】 that held such a terrifying characteristic, which the Temple had sealed even its very mention as a taboo on par with the 【Black Flame】, and which everyone feared to even approach and fight against, was actually effectively utilized by none other than Black.
“Apparently, he realized that with a little magic processing, it could be turned into a highly efficient substance that far surpasses existing fuels.” -Jain
“…Is it okay to process that?” -Ur
“Yeah, as long as you’re willing to take the risk of 【Infinite Corruption】, where one wrong step could rot everything around it and continue to multiply through it as a medium, it’s fine.” -Jain
“I can’t believe he thought of utilizing such a calamity.” -Ur
Even the magicians called seekers of truth never approach the Sin Dragons and the curses associated with them. No matter who it was, the Temple that rules this world had declared the dragons and everything related to them as taboo. Without a purpose such as subjugation, if you think about the risk of accidentally getting close and being exiled from the city, few people would willingly approach them.
Even if there was no such risk, considering the calamities caused by the dragon’s curse, no one would approach it. Even if there were, their fate would be to die cursed, become a part of the curse, or transform into a cultist who brings harm to the world.
But that man repelled the dragon itself,
Built a nation in the heart of the dragon’s curse,
And even utilized the dragon’s curse.
It can only be described as abnormal.
“How did he realize it? The way to utilize the dragon’s curse.” -Ur
“I don’t know. In fact, there are even rumors that sealing Sloth in the first place was actually his aim from the beginning.” -Jain
“That’s ridiculous.” -Ur
“It is ridiculous.” -Jain
Ur couldn’t completely deny that possibility either. It was more than clear that he was an extraordinary person in many ways. And also quite cunning.
“So, Black reused the substances that Sloth had corrupted, produced a large amount of combustible resources, and operated a large number of magical machines that utilized them. Furthermore, he used the 【Rupture】 as a substitute for defensive walls and efficiently wove barriers to complete the defense.” -Jain
That’s how the 【Ruptured Realm, Sloth】 was established.
Naturally, the Temple forbade even openly talking about the existence of the kingdom as a 【Taboo】, just like the existence of the dragon. That’s why Ur’s group, especially Echelle and Lynne, didn’t know much about the existence of Sloth.
However, among the Nameless, its existence was whispered about as if it were true. There is a paradise for the Nameless, where there are no temples.
But it seems that it’s too precarious to be called a paradise.
“By the way, perhaps because there are no temples, 【Sloth】 is a lawless world of gambling, drugs, and anything goes. There are even rumors that it’s a dwelling place for cultists.” -Jain
『Ooh, that sounds a bit interesting. 』-Rock
“Don’t mess around, you delinquent old man.” -Ur
Ur was truly relieved that his late bastard of a father never said he wanted to go there.
It’s definitely not a place where he could take Akane.
“And whenever there’s some problem or disaster in the world, this guy Black crawls out of Sloth and casually meddles in it. As a gold-rank, he seems to save the world from crises and slay dragons, but there are also rumors that he’s done things that piss off the Temple many times.” -Jain
“…And that old man is coming here.” -Ur
Ur thought, I really don’t want him to come.
『What was written in the letter in the first place? 』-Rock
“…It says, ‘I’m coming to play in three days.’” -Ur
『Is he a friend? 』-Rock
“I have no recollection of that.” -Jain
He didn’t want a friend like that.
“Does Gradol know?” -Ur
“When I asked the people at Gradol, they made a sound like a frog being crushed, so they probably don’t know. It’s probably the same for the Envy side. I didn’t tell them, though.” -Jain
The moment he mentioned Black’s name in the communication magic, the reaction of the servant on the receiving end was terrible. After some flustered sounds, communication was cut off with a message saying they would “reply again later.” Now they’re waiting for a response.
“Then, why don’t we just refuse…?” -Ur
“Even if we refuse, where do we send the letter…? We don’t know the seal for the communication magic tool. Even if we request the Postal Guild to send a letter, it will take more than three days… and we don’t even know if they’ll deliver it.” -Jain
Ur wanted to agree with Echelle’s proposal, which could be said to be natural in a sense, but in the first place, there was no physical means to do so. If it were the bird familiar that delivered the letter here, it might be possible to send a reply, but Rabin had just handed over the letter and immediately flew away, so it seems that the other party had no intention of waiting for a reply in the first place.
“Well, even if we had a means of communication, Gradol probably wouldn’t refuse anyway.” -Jain
“…What do you mean by that?” -Ur
Jain pointed to Black’s letter that was sent.
“Even if we refuse in writing, this guy will come.” -Jain
“Wow.” -Ur
“Rather than being rejected and stirred up, it’s better to accept it and let it pass.” -Jain
“Is that some kind of disaster response?” -Ur
It seems that once the letter was sent, his coming was already confirmed. The letter, written on high-quality white paper, began to look like a cursed item.
“…So, what is this person’s purpose in the first place?” -Ur
“Let me ask you instead, do you think you can guess?” -Jain
“…I don’t know.” -Ur
“Correct. We have no idea. The Envy side is much more straightforward.” -Jain
It’s clear that the Envy Knights are targeting Uuga. It’s troublesome, but it’s easy to understand how we need to prepare. On the other hand, as for Black, we have no idea what his objective is at this point.
“…I think he’s after Uuga since he’s trying to butt into the Uuga meeting… but.” -Ur
“I wonder if that’s so?” -Shizuku
Ur tried to find even a small clue, but Shizuku denied it.
“From what I’ve heard, this person has already obtained honor, funds, and status. The value of Uuga is immeasurable, but it doesn’t seem like Uuga is tempting him that much.” -Shizuku
“You’re saying that quite assertively.” -Jain
Jain glared at Shizuku with a bit of suspicion, but Ur silently listened to her. Her insight at times like these is sharp.
“He seems to be a cunning person, but from the way he disregards risks, there’s a tendency towards impulsiveness. Such a person probably doesn’t like petty schemes. In other words–” -Shizuku
Saying that, Shizuku picked up the letter on the table. She flipped it open and showed the contents.
“–There’s a possibility that it’s exactly as written.” -Shizuku
“Coming to play… you mean?” -Ur
No one present said, “That’s ridiculous.” There was a strange sense of raw truth in Shizuku’s words. Even Jain, the only one who knew him, had a look of understanding on his face. The vague outline of Black that had been present throughout the discussion became strangely clear.
“…Then… if he comes to play… what do we do?” -Ur
“We have no choice but to entertain him. Until he gets tired and goes home.” -Shizuku
“…I see…” -Ur
And the conclusion drawn from the most plausible speculation was blunt.
The light novel is releasing on May 24th, so if you’re interested in supporting Akanomani-sensei, you can do so by purchasing it!
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