It's been two hours since Xellos entered the ruins of Ether Lante, and Iris and the other mercenaries have had nothing but time on their hands.
　The occasional crushing sound from the back of the room let them know that Xellos was alive and well. The mercenaries listened to it with a sense of annoyance.
　There were many magical tools and jewels lying in the ruins, and this was a chance to make a fortune.
　However, many of the monsters inside are beyond our control, and we would be throwing away an opportunity to earn a lot of money.
　What's more, this is the site of a national project, and as long as ancient ruins have been discovered here, we are not allowed to enter until the government orders us to do so. After all, it is a living ancient ruin. It is only natural if you estimate its value.
　Moreover, it is infested with countless undead, and a half-heartedly competent person would be like going to die.
　In addition, the Duke of Delsacis has already been informed of these ruins, and behind the scenes, the figure of a summoner running at a crazy speed can be seen. For some reason, [High Speed Jonathan] was very active.
　Moreover, he reported the incident the day before the mercenaries were rounded up, and he had already returned with the imperial order when he was excavating the city gate the next day. Because of this, the duke's family issued an imperial decree and the mercenaries were unable to sneak into Ether Lante. The main reason for this is the presence of undead and cursed tools.

　The undead are the enemies of the living who have accumulated a lot of negative emotions in their magical power, materialized and possessed the dead. Many cursed things are found in the ruins where such demons exist.
　There is nothing wrong with a few bad status effects, but some of them are deadly and dangerous.
　There are many mercenaries whose minds are taken over by the equipment and they are killed as madmen.
　In order not to cause unnecessary casualties, the ruins of Ether Lante were temporarily sealed off.
　Currently, a group of knights and solitaire mages are preparing to head this way, with the exception of Xellos, who has been granted permission to enter as a researcher.
　Well, it's an after-the-fact approval, but it's better than having casualties.
　But the mercenaries are not smart enough to accept that. Or, in this case, they are not sensible.

Why can't that mage get in?　What if he has the treasure all to himself?
Yeah, we can take on a skeleton like that!　Let us in!
It's not that easy to get a big one!　Just let us go too!

　And so it goes. There is a saying that the weaker the dog, the more it barks, and these guys are a perfect example.
　They are basically low-ranked mercenaries who only work for a quick buck every day. On top of that, they were a bunch of miserable people who looked down on competent newcomers. The decent mercenaries just watched them from afar.
　Staring at them were the craftsmen of the construction companies, including Hanba Civil Engineering.
　They often go to work in harsh places and are far more skilled than ordinary mercenaries. They often have to deal with demons and bandits, and are truly construction warriors.

"This is the site of a national project. Those ruins are undiscovered, and no one knows what's inside. And if undead were born there, there is a high possibility that the miasma has contaminated many things.
So what?
There's a lot of stuff out there that will curse you just for holding it. I don't mind if you guys get cursed, but I can't let that kind of thing get out into the world!
I don't care about that!　I want my money, and if the government comes, they'll confiscate it all!

　Greedy people don't listen to people.
　It was the same with the other mercenaries, who were having a row with the construction workers.

"Are you going to do it, you lousy mercenaries!　Yeah?
You're good!　I'll shave your beard off. You rotten dwarf!

　---Gwasha!

　The mercenary and Nagri's fists crossed, and they both slammed their fists into each other's faces.
　But it was the mercenary who was blown away. But it was the mercenary who was blown away, and Naguri's face was unharmed.
　The blown mercenary kept rolling and bouncing on the ground over and over, and eventually stopped when he slammed into the stone wall.
　Of course, he's passed out with the whites of his eyes.

"d*mn!　I don't know how you can be a mercenary with nothing more than your mouth. You're a small fry, aren't you?
"Jodow!　You did it, old man!
I don't have a f*cking kid like you!　I'm not sure what to make of this.　The mage who went before me did it single-handedly!
The mage who went before me did it single-handedly!　Get out of here!
I won't let you!　I'll stop these fools!
「「「「 ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh! 」」」」
「「「「 Don't interfere with my earning! 」」」」

　And the great battle that begins .
　Greedy fools and workaholics get into it and beat each other with their fists.
　By unspoken agreement, it is forbidden to bring weapons to such fisticuffs, and the men try to settle everything with stegos. If a man were to bring a weapon to such a fistfight, he would be discredited as a mercenary or a craftsman.
　A man's inability to back down depends on whether or not he can settle a dispute with his fists. No matter how rotten or stubborn they are, deep down there is a rule that must not be discarded.

Men are so stupid. ....... You'll always be a child.
If you think so, why don't you go stop it?　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it.


I don't want to. I'd love it if there was a girl there that I liked, but all they have are disgusting men.
"Lena, ......, you're awful. So, what do we do now?

　The question is whether to go inside the ruins of Ether Lante or just sit on the sidelines.
　In the first place, their job is to escort the construction workers, and their purpose is to steal the demons that roam the earth on a regular basis. Exploring the ruins is not included in the request.
　Moreover, this is the site of a national project, and we are obliged to wait for the arrival of the search team and the survey team to receive reports about the ruins.
　The men who only care about getting rich are trying to break the rule and enter the ruins of Ether Lante.
　They are obliged to obey the law when they discover the site of a national project, unless they discover and explore the undiscovered ruins themselves. If you ignore the law and go ahead, you will be forced to work for a while as a criminal. After all, this was an old ruin, and the discovery of another ruin had been taken into consideration.

We'd better keep guarding it. If you do something wrong and become a criminal, you'll be wasting your time and you won't be able to talk about love with a cute boy.
"How far will you go with your hobby?" ....... In a way, you're a very reliable mercenary. I don't know about that.
Beautiful boys are good, you know?　They're untainted, pure and lovely. When they grow up, they'll be dirty and ruined by the rough and tumble of reality.
"Lena, ......, that's just plain criminal, okay?

　Lena is unflappable. She was a calm and collected shota.
　She didn't want to go exploring the ruins because if she wasted her time being locked up as a criminal, she could do something good with the boys for that time.
　She is living in a twisted love.
　Be that as it may, there are more than a few devious men among the men she fights. They are small scoundrels who don't even have a sense of pride that should not be abandoned.
　The man had escaped from the brawl and was heading for the gate of the Ether Lante ruins to escape alone.

"Heck, you idiots can beat each other up all you want. I'm going to get the treasure from ...... hehehe.

　Even if their character is rotten, those who can hit each other one on one are trusted in some way.
　However, there are a lot of slightly clever scoundrels who can't even get into that category, who are always looking to outsmart others and are vigilantly watching for the moment when they can get the upper hand on the strongest person. This man was one of them.
　In front of the man, he saw mercenaries hobbling towards him with unsteady steps.
　There were four of them. And the mercenaries looked familiar to the man.

"Mokkos!　And Poluchinov...... is still alive!

　It was the figure of the mercenary who had been his companion.
　He had drunk the day before, and while he slept off the hangover, his companion had slipped away and headed for the ruins.
　They never came back.

Oh, hey, ...... are you okay?
Oh, ...... oh, .......

　Perhaps faced with too much fear, his companion's voice trailed off.
　The man hesitates to go beyond the gate.
　Mokkos, the mercenary, was a bold man with no fear. At worst, he is rough and unthinking, but when it comes to battle, there is no one more reliable.
　This man walks up to me with an exhausted expression and not a trace of life in him.
　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
　At any rate, if he ignored his weakened comrades, he would lose the trust of many mercenaries.
　It wasn't that they trusted each other, but considering the eyes of the people around him, he had no choice but to approach Mockos. He is too cunning to care about what others think.

"Hey, Mokkos!　What's wrong with you?

　The moment the man approached, the man called Mokkos suddenly embraced him and bit him on the neck.
　Then, with unrestrained force, he tore into the flesh.

And then, with unrestrained force, he tore into the flesh.

　There was a scream and a lot of blood splatter, and the scream interrupted the huge brawl.
　Everyone turned around and saw the mercenary biting at the bleeding man.

"Oh, hey,......, what are they doing,......?
"Are you eating ......?　They're eating people. ......
No, that's not .........
It's ........ No way. Those guys were normal humans until recently. ......
Wait, look in the back!

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.
　Some of the skeletons are familiar to me.

I'm not sure how quickly they turned into ghouls.　That's impossible. ......
And that many skeletons ....... What the heck is that mage doing?
It doesn't matter how strong he is, he's alone!　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　The number of undead continues to increase.
　At this rate, the place will be filled with skeletons and ghouls.

"d*mn it!　I'm going to make a wall of protection!
「「「「 Come on!　[Gaia Control] [Rock Forming] 」」」」

　The first to move were the craftsmen of Hanba Civil Engineering.


　They were quick to move and build a wall of protection. They were terribly used to rough stuff.

"Concentrate on the ones coming over the wall!
「「「「 ohhhhhhhhhhh! 」」」」

　Ghouls and skeletons that have been quarantined for a long time are almost incapable of thinking.
　They are like machines that simply attack the living and absorb their vitality to sustain themselves. As such, their movements are monotonous. However, there are many of them.

I'll go with you, Iris, use your magic to reduce their numbers!
Got it!
I'll try to reduce the number of skeletons as much as possible. I'll try to reduce the number of skeletons as much as possible. There are a lot of mercenaries, so be careful not to fight each other.

　The skeletons and ghouls are trying to get past the barrier, but they can't. They're also moving too slowly for each other.
　And because they move so slowly, it's easy to destroy them individually.
　The main reason for this was the middle-aged mage who had infiltrated the interior, using himself as a decoy to eliminate them when they gathered in groups with his [Shining Nova].
　Since undead are naturally attracted to life and strong magic, they can only be eradicated unilaterally.
　If they had any intelligence left, the situation would have been different, but since they had been trapped underground for over 2000 years, all they had left were their instincts. Even so, their levels are quite high, and each one of them is around 300, making them strong enemies.
　They have surprisingly high magic resistance due to their location near the magic pool, and they seem to be compensating for physical attacks by strengthening their magic power, but since they were originally possessed by a pseudo-magic body and are only moving, they are self-destructing.
　In any case, the more it is attacked, the more magic power it consumes. Moreover, they have no intelligence, so they don't even know when they are weak.
　There were many of them, but they weren't at a disadvantage.

"Oraa!　Bring it on, I'll smash every last one of them!
I'm stressed out because I can't do my job!　Let me break it down!
These guys are craftsmen, right?　Why are they so strong? ......
I don't know. I don't know. I've been in a fight with some crazy people. ......

　The axes and hammers wielded by the dwarves crush the skeletons with ease.
　The level of the skeletons must be higher than the mercenaries, but they were able to defeat them with a single blow.
　The main reason for this was because of the earthwork magic they were constantly using.

　Dwarves have high magic power, but they are basically warriors. They have been able to manipulate magic and increase the amount of magic they possess through their work in the field, so they naturally have the ability to handle magic at will.
　The skeleton's strength depends on the amount of magic power of the spirit of death that possesses its bones, and if it is struck by a hammer filled with magic power, it will not be able to maintain its own existence. Of course, if the amount of magic power of the spirit of death is uncommonly high, it will not be defeated, but if the amount of magic power is so high, it should have been transformed into an imp or a demon.
　The essence of an undead spirit is the same as that of a fairy, and they are comparatively weak to attacks with magic power. The craftsmen crushed such undead from one side to the other, leaving the mercenaries speechless.

The mercenaries were speechless.　I'll sink you into the cement of the foundation if you keep playing around!
「「「「 Sir Yessir! 」」」」

　Nagri takes control of the mercenaries.
　Mercenaries are a world of meritocracy. They were supposed to be professionals in combat, but the craftsmen were much stronger.
　Naguri, who was in a position to command others, naturally took command of the mercenaries, who were unorganized from the start.
　Above all, the fact that he was stronger than ordinary warriors was a major factor.

"d*mn, there's another group here.
"Don't bother, we'll just destroy them all!

　The warriors were a sight to behold.
　They wielded huge hammers that smashed skeletons while cleaving them, skillfully handled pickaxes as if they were boomerangs, cut them in two with shovels, and used chains to move cranes up and down in a combined offensive and defensive attack.
　The power of these craftsmen was so out of the ordinary that it was impossible to determine if they were really craftsmen.
　The construction warriors were professionals who skillfully used both their construction and combat skills.

"Magic attack, here we go!　[Air Burst]!

　In the underground world, you can't use fire magic, so Iris uses wind magic to blow away skeletons and ghouls.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
　There is no need to be shy since they are dead bodies.

"Aaah!

　Jarnae cut the ghoul in half with his greatsword, and without losing his momentum, he destroyed the skeletons that came near him, and then activated the magic in his sword to burn the skeletons behind him.
　This is a sword that Xellos made in the past, and when you put magic into it, the sword will be enveloped in flames and can also be launched as a [fireball]. It is a weapon commonly called a magic sword.

It's a magical sword.　You don't want to start a fire in this place.
It's not arson!

　It's not arson!" Lena catches the skeleton's sword with her shield and uses the curvature to catch it, then smashes its head with her scimitar. She was constantly moving to avoid being surrounded and slashing with her magic as she saw an opening.
　He was probably the most skillful of the three. He would be a good mercenary if he didn't have any strange hobbies, but that's a pity.

Skeletons don't make me feel like I've defeated them. "I don't feel like killing skeletons.
"It's a good thing they're old bones and not brittle. If they were brand-new bones, I'd have a hard time with them. ...... Ghouls are tricky, though.
But ghouls are a pain in the ass, so let's just purify them. I'm not sure what to do.

　A rain of lightning rains down from right above the skeletons.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　The mercenaries know that light magic is the best way to deal with the undead.

"Cool, ......, maybe I'll learn some magic too?
"You're buying this from Solstice Trading Company?　I'm not sure what to do.


But I like the power of it. It'll broaden your combat range.

　The Solstice Chamber of Commerce is affiliated with the Mercenary Guild.
　In order to purchase magic, you must put your name on the guild's list as well as the merchant guild's list, and you must be carefully screened before you can purchase magic. Of course, if you are of bad behavior or have not lived in the city of Santor for 15 years, you will be excluded from the screening process and will not be able to purchase magic.
　Since magic is often used for criminal purposes, strict screening is also required.
　Those who break into unexplored ruins without reporting to the authorities for a small amount of money will certainly not be registered in the list. All that is required for registration is contribution to the people and trust.

Ghouls are tricky. Not only are they faster than skeletons, they're stronger. ......
Yeah, they died a stupid death too.

　The ghouls are basically the same as skeletons, they are demons possessed by the dead.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Since it is a corpse, there is no need to think about the burden on the body, and by using the memories of the person who was alive, the fighting style is comparable to that of a human. The most important problem was that the corpses were fresh.
　The fresher the corpse, the stronger the ghoul. Moreover, if the possessed dead spirit is a "Legion" that has fused with multiple dead spirits, its strength will increase dramatically.
　The ghouls rushed forward and started running towards Iris.

I'm not sure what to do.
Oh, look out!

　When Iris was able to see the ghoul charging at her, it was already in front of her.
　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

I'm not sure what to say.

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea. Another ghoul attacked him from behind with a sword.
　As Iris slightly deflected, the sword slammed into the ground. This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.

I can see it. ......
I can see it ...... I can see the ghoul's movements too!　Thank you, Master Meikei. ......

　Iris looked up into the void for a moment and saw a pure white cockerel, "Cocker, cocker, cocker. It's not something you see, it's something you feel with your whole body. I can see a pure white cockerel smiling.
　He also taught me to never let my guard down in a fight.
　To the fallen ghoul, Iris immediately shifts to a magic attack.

"[Shining Gaze]!

　The girl's small hand made a fist and struck the ground with it. It's also a great way to get the most out of your business. The ghoul soared high into the air.
　The spirit of death that possessed the ghoul was cleansed and returned to a mere corpse.
　Iris, who had longed to be a wizard, had successfully turned into a "punching mage" in this other world.
　This is the result of training by Kokko and the others, but from the perspective of a mage, something seems different.
　I'm curious to know where Iris is going with this.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.
I'm not sure if it's because he's stronger than us or because of his training with the cockerels.
That's not how ...... mages fight, is it?
...... Yes. Do you want to try training with the coccoa?
"...... No.

　In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.
　I'm not sure what to make of that. That's a promise.
　Anyway, the attack of the undead was prevented by the craftsmen and mercenaries.

　It was four days later that the Knights arrived in the area.

　...

Lightning Rain.

　Countless lightning bolts kicked away the spreading undead, and Xelloss walked effortlessly through the darkness of lightlessness.
　Only a few magical lights illuminated his path, and the skeletons and ghosts that appeared from the darkness were annihilated without question.
　Among them, he could see the figures of the Imp and the Lesser Demon.
　Other than that, he ran through the vastness of the city, decimating large monsters such as [Skeleton Kaiser] from one side to the other.
The Skeleton Kaiser is a demon made up of countless skeletons, so if you don't crush it all at once, it might separate and become an army. It's easy to defeat, but we can't let it get out.
　As you can see, wiping them out with the【Shining Nova】consumes a lot of magic power, and there is no way to destroy them except by using yourself as a decoy to attract them to one place. That's how big the city of Ether Lante is.
　Fortunately, the undead are demons with bare magic power, so you can locate them with your [Detect Magic Power] skill.
　The undead hiding in the building were also extinguished, but there were too many of them.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　Dead spirits are vulnerable to light and tend to disappear quickly in the natural world. The main reason for this is that they are magical bodies composed of negative emotions.
　Living things emit magic power as long as they are alive. This is true not only for people and animals, but also for plants.
　Under such circumstances where magical power is active, it is difficult for the distorted existence of spirits of the dead to exist.
　You may think that they will not be affected because they are magical bodies, but in fact, the spirits of the dead, which are composed of magical energy that has turned into miasma, are incompatible with the magical energy of the living, which is always active.
　It is not only negative emotions that can be affected by magic. It also includes positive emotions such as joy and compassion. Conflicting magical powers cannot be absorbed.


　This is why the spirits of the dead lurk in secluded places, waiting for intruders to come to them while suppressing their magical power consumption, and instilling fear in their prey so that they can easily absorb magical power.
　It is easiest to absorb the magic that contains the emotion of suffering and dying. And since the positive magic is at its highest during the daytime, the spirits of the dead rarely appear in the daytime.
　If they do appear, it is probably because there is some strong emotion left in the memory of the magic that turned them into spirits of death.

If the world of Sword and Sorcery is based on this world, then the control panel that activates the [Illuminating Crystal] should also be located right under the consulate. But why are there no daemons?
　If there is this much miasma and evil spirits, it would not be surprising if a demon was born.

　Xelloss felt a sense of discomfort.
　As I think I explained before in the fairy village, [demons] are born from the miasma-infested magic pools.
　The city of Ether Lante is indeed a huge reservoir of magic power, and considering that it has been untouched for 2000 years, it would be strange if there were no [demons].
　Normally, it would not be surprising if there were countless 【Lesser Demons】 in the city.
　I can't find any such [Demon] at all.

Well, we'll find out soon enough. But the smell of death is terrible.

　A city that has been abandoned for 2000 years still has the unpleasant smell of dead bodies everywhere.
　This was probably due to the lack of air convection and the fact that the city had been left unattended for so long.
　Even Xelloss distorted his face and felt fed up with this peculiar smell.

I'm not sure what to say.　I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

　Xelloss decided to get what he wanted, and as soon as he started walking, he discovered something.
　It's a bike without wheels, so to speak. It was a motorcycle with no wheels, something unsuitable for the underground world. The old man starts running without thinking.

It's an Air Rider!　Why is there such a thing in the underground city ......?

Air Rider. It's a bike that can literally fly through the air.
　It has the ability to levitate using gravity control magic, and moves forward by expelling air like a jet.
　The speed can be adjusted by releasing the【Aero Jet】and the【Air Nozzle】at the front. It was truly a wonderful magical tool full of dreams.
　The old man gasped as he encountered an existence that symbolized the height of the ancient magical civilization.
　In the world of [Sword and Sorcery], there are very few of these in existence, and they are often found as wreckage in ruins. It was a vehicle that NPCs rarely remembered riding during raids, and a useful item that everyone wanted was randomly placed in front of them.

I'm not sure if it's okay to take this ...... thing.

　It's in good condition, though it's covered with dust and the metal parts are rusty.
　If you can't get it here, you'll never be able to get it.
　After all, if the knights of the country visit this place, all the magic tools left here will be confiscated. Now is the best chance, and the old man can carry it away without anyone knowing.
　Yes, he has a four-dimensional pocket called an inventory.
　But stealing at the site of a national project is a serious crime. Especially if it is an ancient relic.

What to do: ....... What should I do ......?

　The old man looks to his right.
　No one is there.
　He looks to his left, but there's no one there.

The old man smiles and stores the Air Rider in his inventory.
　If you collect it, you'll have an excuse later. If you want to have a good time, you need to have a good time.
　On this day, the old man embezzled. In the magical kingdom of Solistea, it is a crime to recover ancient relics.
　But that didn't stop me from overflowing.

　And Xellos left without incident. Skipping along in a good mood: .......
　I can't help but think that the ability of reincarnation is cowardly.