Fania is the name of a mining town in the northeastern corner of the continent, but the surrounding area is often lumped together as well.

　The mining town is surrounded by mountains as steep as those of Fouzeyards, and has little contact with other countries and territories. Formally, it is under the control of the Hoosiers. But in reality, they are not master and servant, but more like equal trading partners.

　This is because the power of the nobles who rule the provinces is not so different from that of the Fuzzy Yards Country.
　Considering the position and traditions of the continent, Fania has no choice but to obey the Fuzzyards, and is in a position to refuse if a reckless tax is imposed. When the time came, he could have easily turned to another country.

　This was the knowledge of the Fouzeyards' royal family, Tiara Fouzeyards, but the time of need had already come, and Fania would be almost independent of the Fouzeyards, becoming a unique form of city-state, I suppose. They were there.

　To put it bluntly, the Fouzeyards were so miserable and poor that their parent, Fania, had to leave their care early and live on her own.

　For the past few years, Fania has been living on her own, and Fouzeyaz has not been able to observe her life.
　But now, at last, two of the Foozeyars' people had made it to Fania's mining town.

　They felt this entity with their whole body, not just their eyes, and shouted their impressions with their first voice.

''Whew, that's refreshing!　It's great!

　With steam rising from my entire body, clean clothes, and dirt all over my body, I replaced the feeling of being reborn with words.

　Next to me, my master, who, like me, had changed his clothes to local ones, was deeply moved.

'Oh, it's great ....... It's so refreshing. It's great, Fania is ....... The canals are the source of civilization and vibrancy .......

　Or rather, I was crying.
　I nodded sullenly and looked around again and again, continuing to admire the beauty of this city.

　Like my master, I look around the city.
　The area around the public bathhouse we came out of was filled with activity. A number of straightforward stone shops lined the streets, with the smell of food rising up to stimulate the human stomach after a bath.
　A little further away, shops selling non-food items lined the streets, with black smoke rising from their chimneys. There are few shops that deal in daily necessities and clothing, but many of them feel like they are displaying iron artifacts and armor.

　I had heard that this was a mining town, but I hadn't expected it to be accompanied by processing technology, so I was surprised. Looking at the interiors of the shops lightly lined up, I found that most of them were equipped with a workshop with a furnace.

　The surprises never cease.
　The best feature of this city is its brightness.
　The "flame-generating stones" as an example are installed and lit everywhere.
　At both ends of the neatly paved cobblestone streets, flame-generating stones are placed at regular intervals. Flame-generating stones" lamps are always placed next to shop signs. If you look a little further away, you can see a lighthouse with a huge flame-generating stone. This one is as big as the sun, which I've only seen in books.

　In other words, there is no darkness in this town due to the dark clouds of the "demon poison".

　The surprises still continue.
　To top it all off, the city is surrounded by a protective wall, bright and vibrant.
　The city, which is as large as the capital of Huzjaz, is surrounded by an artificial wall, reducing the threat from outside monsters, and even has a proper checkpoint.

　They screened out visitors from the outside and increased the security of the city.
　Thanks to that, there are no gazes of bandits like the ones I encountered in the city not long ago. The eyes of the people walking the streets are not bleary-eyed, nor do they seem to be suffering from hunger.

　The vibrancy that people are supposed to have was present in this city.
　Honestly, it's not just the city on the road, it's even the castle of Hoozeyer's.

''It's really great. This is our loss. ......

　As I finished looking around, I admitted, even though I was Hoozeyards royalty.
　As I mentioned it, a man who seemed to be in a very good mood approached me with a laugh.

''Haha, I see that you have enjoyed the specialties of our Fania territory.

　A young, gray-haired man with conspicuous white hair appeared, dressed in a cloth so fine that only royalty would wear it if it were Hoozeyards.
　He is one of the chambermaids in the service of the city's lord, the Neisha family.

''Please, Lady Tiara. ''I've finished checking.''

　The letter of introduction of the Hoosiers' royal family, which I had given them when I entered the city, was returned to me.
　Thanks to this one thing I kept under my skin, we were now treated as guests in Fania. I've been covered in mud and vomited up by nighttime thieves lately,...... but I'm still a princess from the capital of the country.

'Thanks. I've been very fortunate to have you at the checkpoint in the city. You made it so easy to get things done.

　When we reached the city, we were first subjected to a stern checkpoint.

　We knew that if we entered the city without any handlers, we would have to pay a huge bribe, so we had to use our trump card, the backing of the royal family, as soon as possible. Or rather, it was the only bill we had left to cut.

　And, as a result of this attendant at the checkpoint, who was there to check our referral, we were taken to the city's prized public bathhouse.

　The attendant, who is probably one of the most powerful men in the city, personally hosted us, the emissaries of the Hooziers.

It is my job to receive foreign dignitaries. ...... Incidentally, regarding the hospitality at the lord's mansion, we would like to have tomorrow night. Please allow us a day or so to prepare something suitable for Lady Tiara.

　A banquet tomorrow night for a sudden visit.

　It's quite normal in the expected response. The lord's pride and concern for the royal family would not allow for hasty hospitality. I can see that he is careful not to be rude to the Hoozeyards' messenger.

'Tomorrow night, huh ....... Do I have to answer it?　In this day and age, I don't think any of us can afford it, and it's okay to skip the format and all that, right?　Like I said at the beginning, it's most helpful to be treated lightly. We're just here for a sneak peek, you know.

　Our purpose was to recruit - or rather, abduct - people. I don't want to be a part of the inspection, and I want to avoid any trouble.

''That's not going to happen. Not to welcome Lady Tiara at the pavilion would be tantamount to disrespecting the country of Fuzzyards. Please give our Fania a chance.''
'No, really, I'm the end of the line in Hoosiers, too, right?　Seriously.
'Yes, that's why. That's why Fania wants to do her best to entertain you.

　I tried to emphasize the undisciplined prodigal princess as much as I could, but to no avail. From those two "so-and-so's", I guessed that there were multiple reasons for wanting to entertain me, and I gave up.

'...... Okay, I get it. I'll get it, just for the sake of it.
What a relief. I'll be relieved to hear that. Well, let me show you to the best inn in town. And give you a tour of the city.

　The chamberlain began to escort us away.
　From the slightly forceful flow of this, I suspect that this man is a sentry. It's possible that somewhere our purpose has leaked out and been transmitted to this city ahead of time.

　I cautiously follow behind the man with a fake smile on my face. By the way, Master had a heartfelt smile on his face and started talking to the man of the chamberlain like a child.

''Soooo awesome ......!　These aren't just cobblestones. It's easy to walk on: ......!
Oh, Aikawa-sama has a different kind of eye for detail. Can you tell?　All this ingenuity and hard work.

　By the way, I've given my master an appropriate knighthood in the Hoosiers and treated him as a knight of the guard. On top of that, he's set up to be my swordsmanship instructor.

''I understand. The outer wall is also very ingenious, unlike the Hoozeyards. That shape, that angle, that material, it's not just an enclosure.
There's a lot of special minerals here. We all worked together to come up with something appropriate for it, and we managed to make it happen.
'It's great. No half-hearted monster would be able to destroy that thing.
Yes, sir. So far, no one has reported that it was destroyed. However, there have been a few reports of climbs: ......
Even from that angle?　But if you change the angle any more than that--

　They happen to have similar interests, and they seem to be having a great time talking.
　However, as I listen to them beside me, I very calmly have a different opinion.

　Certainly, this city of Fania is progressive and wonderful.
　But I feel that the essence of it is something else.
　Are these smooth streets really just for the distribution of goods?　Isn't that exquisite height of the exterior wall aware of anything other than a monster?

　It's no surprise that there's a backstory to national politics - but I didn't think the backstory of this city was 'normal', such as being connected to other countries or trading banned goods.
　It smells the same as Hoosier's, which began to gain vitality with the arrival of the masters. Without a doubt, there are 'anomalies' such as 'The One Who Steals the Reason' and 'The Apostle' involved.

　What I feel in particular is the one at the end of the road we're walking on now.
　Just like that, the master goes on to praise it.

''-Thank you!　This 'flame-generating stone' is awesome!　How does it work?!
That's the Flame God's Stone, isn't it? I can't explain it in detail as a mere attendant, but it is produced at the First Magician's Research Institute in this town. The city's blacksmiths process it for us.
Show me!　Research!　...... I see. So this city was looking ahead to the world and trying to figure out that 'demonic poison'.
...... Yeah. Because ever since this 'demonic poison' flooded the world, it has been a challenge for mankind to figure it out.

　.............
　Now, the chamberlain has changed a little bit.
　It was clear to me that he had lied, but the master continued to talk about the bright future fluently.

''Tiara, we'll definitely take this stone home with us!　No, I'd rather scout the techs here!　It will definitely speed up the development of 'spellcraft' over here!
Oh, oh?　Oh no, I wish I could, but I don't think that would be easy. Just because it's our own territory doesn't mean we can't be that reckless. Master.
'What?　Since it's within the Hoosiers' territory, can't they give orders like that?
'I can give orders. However, whether or not you listen to those orders depends on the power of that lord. Honestly, there's no reason for the people here to listen to a failing capital city.
'Well, you can exchange technicians or ....... This one is per Mr. Sith out and .......
Trade?　Hmmm, then--

　He left his master, who was talking about a pretty terrible deal, and glanced at the attendant's face.
　There was just a bitter smile on his face that never nodded.

'Seems no good.'

　Seeing the reaction of the chamberlain, the master seems to have understood the power relationship between Fuzzyards and Fania.
　He snorted in frustration and gave up the abduction of the Research Institute. However, he quickly regains his mind and suggests what he can do now.

''Well then, could you please just take a look?　I'd love to see the city's mineral processing techniques and the labs.
"Processing Technology and Research Institute. ....... Yes, that's of course. There isn't a single thing in our city that we would hide from the Hoosiers' emissaries.
Thank goodness. ......!

　My master is pleased with the boldness of the response, but my disgust at the originally impossible request being granted only deepens.
　Was he prepared to hide anything he was guilty of at any time? Or did they want to show the Hoosiers that they have a skill that can never be duplicated?

　It would be better to move quietly now to find out what this city was thinking.
　In a small voice, I convey my agreement to my mentor alone.

''...... That's right. Let's watch and look for things while we're at it, shall we?
'Yeah ....... Because even if they (...) weren't there, I'd still want to bring back the appropriate information and technology.

　I didn't say what I was looking for, but my master properly nodded at me, thinking of 'what steals the reason'. It's a bit of a relief that he hasn't gotten carried away by tourism and forgotten his original purpose.

　...... Or maybe it's the other way around.

　Is Master floating around like this because he hasn't forgotten his original purpose?
　It's not just a matter of finding 'the one who steals the reason', but also promoting the 'witchcraft' technique for his sister. That's why the search is taking a back seat to a culture (or thing) that seems to be more valuable than 'the one that steals reason'.

　We reaffirm the purpose of our mutual journey and are led by an attendant man.
　Along the way, he shows us the buildings that stand on both sides of the road and tells us about the life of the Fania people.

　And we learn that while the ingenuity of working in the mines and the lives of the blacksmiths are harsh, there is a wealth to match. Everyone who worked in the city was deeply grateful for life here, because they knew the misery outside the city. They were breathing heavily and sweating profusely, but with a sense of contentment on their faces.

　Some of them stood out from the rest.
　I saw a number of groups from earlier that were putting their foreheads on the ground towards the larger 'Fire God's Stone' in the city. It's not that they are doing it out of spite. They are not praying out of desperation, as they did in the city before. They were praying because they wanted to.

　As my master and I stare at it, an attendant man explains to us.

'Is it unusual?'
'No, I've seen it all along the way here, so I don't think it's unusual. As I recall, Fania adheres to something called Altofelism, right?
'That's good news. The missionaries we've sent outside the walls seem to be slowly spreading the word about the greatness of our teaching.
I just couldn't find a city with as many believers as this one: ......
''This Fania is the holy place and headquarters of the Altofel religion. On top of that, the lord is promoting the Altofel religion, so the congregation is large. They also hold regular ceremonies and festivals. Right now, we are in the middle of a festival.
'Oh, it was during the festive period, wasn't it? So, so much activity ......
''However, the shops are still lined up, and it's just a matter of fooling around with masks. In a few days, we're planning to use the 'Flame God's Stone' to hold a fancy event, so I hope the two of you will be able to stay until then.
'............. Heh, that's a full-blown ......

　In the middle of the conversation, Master's face suddenly changed color.
　Even though he seemed to be having so much fun, his eyes sharpened as if he was in a battle stance.

　He hadn't used the Dimension yet.
　That was the last trump card since my master was wearing out. In other words, due to other factors, Master was now preparing to kill each other.

'Yes, we are very much committed to the Altofel religion. By praying on the pillars of worship set up in the city, your wishes can reach the God of Flame's divine body. ...... How about it?　Why don't you pray for once, Aikawa-san?

　Without knowing it, the attendant urged him to worship at a large monument in the city. The master refused to do so with a bitter smile and a distant smile.

'Can you reach it?　Uh, um, that ....... Sorry. I'm not too used to this kind of thing, hahaha ......
...... Oh, I'm sorry. I suggested it lightly, even though it's not a practice that people outside the walls are familiar with. I know it in my head, but living in Fania, I can't help but do it.
'No, I understand the desire to make people aware of something better. If it comes from our own city, that's even better!
'Oh, Aikawa-sama is really very understanding and helpful. It's been a very long time since I've had this much fun showing you around town.

　There was one point of incompatibility, but it didn't seem to be enough to ruin their rapport.

　As if nothing had happened, they walked down the street again, talking about city building. And when they came to the center of the city, they reached the front of a large building that stood out from the rest. The attendant spreads his arms out as if he is proud of it.

'This is the shop with the best workshop in our town. The two of you will have to wait here for a moment. I'll go through the tour first.

　I go into the store ahead of him to ask permission to visit.
　I look off behind him and immediately check with the master next to me.

'Master?'

　He asked the reason for the earlier killing spree.
　However, Master continued to mutter to himself while staring at the air from the moment the samurai man disappeared.

''--Is this 'demonic poison' flowing in one direction ......?　No, is this a converted power?　The same kind of force is at work in my dimension: ....... How?　Who and what is ......--

　I follow that master's gaze, but I don't see anything.
　It seems that something that can only be perceived as 'the thing that steals reason' is stirring in this city.

''-- Could it be that you made this city itself the 'price'?　Does the mere existence of the concept of faith make a deal with the world?　Then you're in that one (・・・・・・・)--

　It sounded very interesting, so I stopped watching and shouted.

'Shhhhhh!　I know you're surprised by something, but tell me about it!

　Coming to himself with a huff, the master replies with a small, apologetic 'Sorry'.

I'm sorry, ...... tiara. But it's going to be a long story, so I'll write it down clearly for you later.

　He doesn't tell me.
　However, I can tell you that there was a threat that only made my master drip cold sweat with nervousness.

''This is such a bad town?''
Oh, no. In fact, it's a very nice city. However, if I were to compete with any of the 'fire-stealers' that might be in this city for the 'magic poison' in the air, I think I would lose. This place is completely in their territory.

　Even with the "spellcraft", it appeals to me with its eyes that there is danger.
　Although my physical abilities have reached the realm of the inhuman with "spellcasting", it seems that we cannot let our guard down.
　I nodded to each other, appealing back with my eyes to the will of caution from me as well.

　That's when an attendant came out from the back of the building and beckoned towards us.

'Come this way, both of you!　It looks like the master here is going to meet you in person!

　The fact that we're going through the back door instead of the front door seems to be a special treat.
　We can't afford to take that kindness for granted, so we rush into the building.

　Thanks to the back door, we can reach the workshop at the back of the shop in a matter of minutes.
　It was a large space, about the size of a castle hall, lined with several huge earthen kettles. The ceilings were built as high as they could go, and soft earth was spread underfoot.
　I only know it from books, but I don't think it's much different from a typical workshop. The only obvious difference is the heat source. In the corner of the room, there was a large quantity of "The Flame God's Stone" stored. They would use it to keep the heat inside the earthen kettle.

　Inside the earthenware cauldron, which was currently on fire, the 'Fiery God's Stone' was shining and scattering sparks.

''This is our guest from Hoosier's Country. This is Tiara-sama and Aikawa-sama.

　As my mentor and I looked around the interior like country folk, we were introduced to a dark-skinned man who was the only one in the workshop.
　I guessed that he was the master, and Master and I hurriedly bowed our heads.

'Oh. I've heard about it. Feel free to take a look.

　The master was friendly and welcoming. From the way he spoke, I could tell that the chamberlain had kept our situation well under wraps.

''Thank you, sir. Despite the urgency of our conversation--'

　Immediately, the master thanked him and spoke to the master of the workshop.

　He's probably curious about the iron-making technology in this city. Without even saying hello, he tries to get an explanation from the master about the facilities and tools in this workshop.
　Even under the barrage of questions, the master did not try to hide his skills. At times, he even began to demonstrate the iron-making process for his master, trying to show him how skilled the city is.

.............

　I listened to that warm and conventional story with him until he was halfway through.
　But soon, I started walking around the workshop alone. I wanted to use my mentor as bait to sneak around and find something interesting.

　As I searched for something that would interest me, I noticed a group of ironware propped up against the wall.
　Everyday pots and scissors, hoes and hammers. Some of them are swords and axes.
　Next to them, there was a pile of "The Flame God's Stone".

　Without it, I take one of the stones and look at it.
　At first glance, it's a red gem.
　However, upon closer inspection, I saw that there was 'Devil's Poison' and a black liquid - and some kind of inscription inside. The person who made this was most likely to have had the same idea as his master's 'jutsu formula'. Although the workmanship of the 'Jutsu Formula' is inferior to that of my master, it is very impressive that it has succeeded in my plan of mass production.

　I turn my gaze to the nearby sword as well.
　Its sword blade was engraved with characters other than decorations.
　Like the stone, it also contains 'Demon Poison'

　--I need (...)

　I definitely need this technique.
　I turn to go back, thinking that I should listen to the master as well as the master, and I turn to go back. But the master was already standing behind me.

'Are you more interested in weapons than stories, young lady?'

　I thought I would be accused of walking around without permission, but the master smiled happily as he saw me staring at the weapons propped up against the wall.

'Oh, yeah ....... I thought I'd like something for self-defense .......

　I nodded back, giving a good reason.

'Yeah, I see. ...... It's true, things are a bit rowdy these days. I don't feel safe within the walls because of that murderer you mentioned.
You're a murderer!

　Then the unexpected story came back to me and I went out in a fit of glee.

'Hmm?　Isn't there a lot of talk in this town right now about a killer who shows up in the middle of the night?
'Nope. I've never heard of it before: ......

　Pretending to be frail and frightened, I turn to face the man in the chamberlain's service who has been quiet.

'I wasn't hiding it from you, but ....... Yes, I'm sure.'

　This is not something to talk about openly to a guest. I wouldn't blame him for that, but I couldn't bear to hear the details.

'I mean, a murderer?　Not a bandit or something?
Yeah, murderer, all right. You don't f*ck with your victims, you don't steal from them. They just kill. He often goes after happy Altofelites. If you're a Christian, you might want to be careful.
No, I'm not a Christian, so it's okay.
Oh, yeah. By the way, we call him the Black Hanged. From what little we've seen, we just know it's a man standing on the ceiling.
"Hmmm. A killer nowadays. ...... You have guts in a world like this: ......

　It's an 'anomaly'.
　It is most likely our original purpose. Master seemed to agree with that, and he nodded lightly back when I turned to him.

　When we were happy to have gotten good information, the master continued to sell the goods.

'I think it's good to have a knife for self-defense, just in case,' he said. All of ours are one item, and we have the blessing of the flame god Altofel-sama. I like this one for my brother the guard.

　He was introduced to the sword that was propped up, and his master looked at it happily.

　Knowing the threat of the intended 'reason-stealers', Master was willing to take up arms. Fortunately, thanks to the hidden gold coins, the purchase wasn't that painful.

　Master mended a suitable light sword and put it on his waist.
　He also holds another sword in his hand and holds it out to me.

''Hold this one for a moment. If it's a tiara, this size won't be a problem, right?
What, me too?　If my master has it, I'm good. And it would be a waste of money.

　A master would be masterful, but a short (little) guy like me would feel uncomfortable holding a sword. I shook my head to avoid a bad look, but my master would not approve of that.

'No, Tiara is the one you should have. You're the one who's stronger.
''There's a 'body technique' that my sister Yotaki taught me, and I don't think I need it: ......
'It means a lot to have it. It's an appeal to those around me that if I'm attacked, I'm ready to resist with this. Aside from the killer, I think it's a deterrent to people like the ones we used to chase away.

　A bit forceful.
　From the way he spoke and the expression on his face, I knew that his true intentions were different.

　Master would want to ensure my safety, as much as possible.
　I knew that Master was stubborn when it came to this, so I would give up and choose a suitable one. It's an even smaller one than the one Master has.

'Well, I'll take this one: ......

　It's smaller than a sword, but bigger than a knife. At this length, it seems to be very versatile, cutting ivy from the trees along the way, cutting food, and so on.

　I wear it with it peeking out a bit from the hem of my clothing.
　Then, without pause, the master compliments me.

'Yeah, it looks good on you. It looks really cool. It makes me feel more like a traveler.
...... Really?　Well, all right then.

　I suppress the flush on my face and thank him lightly.

　Truly, my master is off.
　The value of a royal woman is how she can captivate men. If I had to say it, I'd say beauty and dainty, but he proudly compliments me on the exact opposite.

　I continue to make lighthearted remarks so that he doesn't realize that the brilliant master has tugged at my heartstrings.

''Haha, really, Master can't help it... Mmmm... ....... With this sword, I'll protect Master well, so don't worry.
Thank you ....... I'll protect my tiara too. No matter what, absolutely.

　However, what came back was an even heavier word.
　This one might have tugged on some of Master's heartstrings as well, but it was too heavy.

　Ah, really Master.
　Just being able to stare at me like that is a lot of trouble for me.
　I mean, does this person go around doing the same thing to other women?　If so, it's a venerable problem. Now we know why the maidservants in the castle of Fuzzyards were so uptight. We need to solve it as soon as possible.

　Just as I was pondering this in my boiled head, the master of the castle gave chase.

''--Heh. At first I thought you two were brother and sister or something, but are you two lovers (...)?
Lover (...) ......!
-Oh!

　Me and my mentor take a lot of damage at the same time.
　Even though I'm good at expressionlessness, my turmoil was completely evident. No, my emotions had been leaking out into the open for a little while now, and maybe the master sensed it.

　I remained silent, but the master hurriedly denied it.

''No!　No, no!　It's not like that!
Hmm?　Is that the kind of response (・・・・・・) you're going to get (・・・・・)?　Ah, so that's what you mean. Haha, that's quite a first.

　The master looked at the two of us and gave us a very strange look.
　Then, with a smile on his face, he took the liberty of gaining knowledge and adding his own tricks to the game.

I'm sorry to hear that. I'll give you a small discount for that.
'Ho, it's really not: ....... Me and Tiara are at .......
Yeah, I know. I apologize, I apologize.

　It had already been decided in my master's mind that we were both in such a relationship.
　The master, realizing belatedly that it was impossible to deny me, shushed me with an embarrassed look on his face and carried out the bill.

　Thus, we get the specialty of Fania.
　However, the master didn't like the master's scowl, and it was decided that he would give up on continuing the tour and hurry out of the workshop.

　I agreed with him.
　If we didn't do it soon, we would never get it back. All along, Master and I had been traveling carefully to avoid an atmosphere like this. We don't want to let that go down the drain here.

　Once outside, Master and I work together to try to dilute the events of the present.
　But first our eyes meet.

'............'
............

　The word I've been avoiding for a long time, 'lover', comes to mind.
　As if to shake it off, we make small talk.

'Yes, good stuff, Tiara!　And I got some good stuff for it!
'Yes. I learned a lot, even if it's not my specialty. I feel like there was something in that workshop that we were missing.
Yeah. We've been trying to get by with what we have, but now we understand the importance of getting cooperation from other countries.
Yeah. To be honest, I guess there were limits to what we could do with just Hoosier's.

　After speaking appropriately, the master asks the chamberlain to move on.

''Well then, let's move on!　Please!
'Hmmm. Yeah, I guess I'd better get going. ......

　The attendant's gaze was a little warm.
　It felt like it was turning into something to watch over the smiling ones, just like the master, but we had to accept it.

　We walked through the city again, led by the chamberlain.
　And without much time, we reached our next destination. The building was located near the best workshop in the city.

''Then, the next stop is the 'First Demonic Research Institute'. This is going to be the last one. It's about time for the time to be 'The Night That Was'.

　The building was huge, but it was very different from the architecture of the Hoosiers. Instead of stretching high into the sky, it was a stone building that crawled on the ground and spread out on a flat surface.
　The stone walls stretched out endlessly to the side, and the 'Flame God's Stone' was decorated at regular intervals, making it impossible to see the edges of the building.

　There was only one entrance.
　A huge gate that could hold dozens of people at a time opened its mouth, and the people of the city were constantly coming and going.

''By 'the night that was' do you mean the time when the lights are turned off as an example?''
Did you know, Mr. Aikawa? That's right. In this Fania, we don't just rely on the Flame God, we also set aside time to thank him for his blessings. That is the 'night of existence' when all the 'Flame God's Stones' lose their power.
'I see. ....... Does it have a religious significance and at the same time set the time for the whole city?
'Yes. There are many other reasons, but those are the two main ones. I personally believe that the most damaging effect of the dark cloud covering the sky is that it has taken time away from people. For example, the downside of that is--

　While I'm observing my surroundings, the master and the chamberlain talk to each other.
　When it comes to the culture of the city, these two are tricky because they talk so fast and never stop talking.

　Leaving those two alone, I compare the people of the city.
　There was a clear difference between those who entered and those who walked past the 'First Demonic Research Institute'.　

''Sick ......?''

　There was no doubt about it.
　Those who were pale or had some kind of physical problem had gathered in this building.

''Ah, Lady Tiara. That is. It's because this place plays an aspect of a hospital as well.''

　As if it were nothing, the chamberlain replied.
　Indeed, it's not that surprising that the two are in the same place, but ....... This is like .......

''It's not surprising that Lady Tiara would be suspicious. However, if you can see inside this, I think you'll be convinced. In fact, this is a truly special place, not only because of its role as a research institute and hospital, but also because of its important third role.
What, there are more than two: ......?
'You said not long ago that Fania is home to the holy site of the Altofel religion, and is also the headquarters of the Patriarchate, didn't you?

　When he entered this topic, the chamberlain's enthusiasm gradually began to rise. Fists clenched, tongues rolled faster, and eyes sparkled as they bragged about the most wonderful thing about their city.

'This institute is the largest facility in the city. It's the place where we first found and started producing the 'Fire God's Stone', the blood of Fania. In other words--

　You can feel that this is an unusual place.
　I also understand the cause of the 'anomaly' that is floating around this city.

''This is the holy place where the Goddess of Flame, Altoffel-sama's deity is located!　Hence the people of Fania travel so far to seek the miracle of the Godhead!　For I know that the holy fire here is the last medical care in this darkened place!　Here you go!　To our Fania's pride and joy, the First Institute of Demonology!

　The attendant who walked in front of us held out his hands and emphatically indicated this 'First Demonic Research Institute' and invited us inside.