So this is the first time we've seen each other since your duel with Lars. You don't look so different, Sora.


　The head of the Adventurer's Guild Ishka Chapter and a first class adventurer, Elgato Kuys, smiled calmly as he said that.

　There was no sense of separation between his words and expression. The faint scent of perfume wafting from the air and the carefully brushed silver hair, he is a stylish man as usual.

　I responded to Elgato coolly.


I'm not going to be able to get the same thing for you. Isn't that the right thing to do?


　He pulls out the greeting and suddenly cuts to the chase. It's an indication that he doesn't intend to fit in.

　Hearing that, Elgato's smile was replaced by a wry smile.

　Liddell, who is standing behind him, gives me a sharp look, but I decide to ignore him with an unwitting look.

　He says what he needs to say and hears what he needs to hear. That's all you have to do now.


'Oh, it's the same. As it turns out, I'm concerned about the outbreak of a demon outburst - the Stampede - based on the circumstances of the last few days.


　When Elgato skipped an explanation and started with a conclusion, we responded in the same way.


In that case, I'll start with the conclusion that the depths of Titis were like a cauldron on the verge of blowing over. With that state of affairs, the demons of the Deep Realm will be appearing on the forest's perimeter sooner or later.


　Once that happened, the demons on the perimeter would flood out of the forest like they were being pushed out.

　Elgato nodded, as if to say 'I knew it'.　


''Does that mean it's only a matter of time before the overflowing outer perimeter demons come towards Ishka?

''Yes. And it will only be a matter of time before the Demons of the Deep Realm follow suit.


　Ishka would experience a demon attack on an unprecedented scale - that was my conclusion after seeing the Titis Forest with my own eyes.

　The demon runaway - Stampede. It was the same conclusion as Elgato's.

　Then Elgato looked up at the ceiling with a somewhat somber face and murmured to himself.


''So........the nightmare of twenty years ago is back.

Twenty years ago?


　When I responded, the Guildmaster of Ishka responded with a sigh.


''This country has gone through stampede in the past, you know. Roughly twenty years ago, when I was younger than you are now. The difference this time is that the anomaly didn't occur in the Titis Forest, but in Mount Skim.


　Many towns and villages were overrun by the stampede, Elgato said.

　Elgato, who was an adventurer at the time, said he and his party lost two of his friends when they fought the stampede.

　The city of Ishka was also unable to avoid damage. I've heard that the current strong wall was built to protect the city from this incident.

　I raise an eyebrow and ask, "What is the cause of this?


'Do you know what caused it?

"It is speculated that the volcanic activity has radically altered the demon's ecosystem.


　

　It may be better than the truth that it was caused by some one's malice, but in any case, it's an untenable story.

　However, now is not the time to dwell on the past.

　The conclusion to be drawn from Elgato's story is that a mutation comparable to volcanic activity is now occurring in the Titis Forest.



　The question is what that mutation is.

　The reason I honestly accepted the guild's invitation was because I wanted this information. Information and connections. In these two respects, the Sword of Blood Smoke is not even close to the Adventurer's Guild. This was a fact that had to be admitted.

　........Well, if the guild had found out what the anomaly was, they wouldn't have to bother listening to me, so they wouldn't be able to get to the core of the matter in that sense.

　However, I knew there was a possibility that they had information that could lead to a solution to the anomaly.

　I knew that I had hit the bull's-eye on this assumption, as Elgato's words proved.



He said: "I don't know if it has anything to do with this, but there is one piece of information that concerns me. It seems that the plague has come to life again in the villages on the upper reaches of the Kale.

'Master!　That's information that has yet to be confirmed!


　Hearing Elgato's words, Liddell emitted a voice that contained surprise and impatience.

　In response, Elgato replied in a calm voice.


I'm sure you'll be able to find it. That's what sharing information is all about.

Yes, yes. I'm sorry, sir, but the exit...


　Clearly unconvinced, Liddell bowed his head and kept his mouth shut.

　I was alone out of the mosquito net, but I could see the implications of this act.


　As I've mentioned before, the source of water for the Kale River is the forest of Titis. So the village on the upper reaches of the Kale River is, in other words, "a village closer to the Forest of Titis than to the city of Ishka".

　It is said that the plague is coming back to life in that village.

　The plague here is caused by the miasma of a basilisk and the miasma of the rotten sea caused by a demon.

　The plague, which was almost wiped out by the antidote made from the fruit of Jiria Ookus, has come back to life.


You mean the antidote is no longer working?

'Seems so. I don't know if the poison has become so strong that the potion doesn't work, or if it has lost its effectiveness. In fact, this information was only brought to the guild this morning, and our staff is now on their way to the village to find out what's going on.

...I see.

'Needless to say, don't tell anyone else about this. The birth of the antidote has calmed down the human mind, and it's disturbing again.


　I nodded at the words. I wasn't going to tell them off without being told. I had no intention of hunting down the guild in that way.

　However, I couldn't help but think about the meaning of this information.

　There was no sign of a new rotten sea when he and Sparrow headed into the deepest area. That meant that it was unlikely that a new basilisk had appeared.


　Nonetheless, is the plague coming to life?　And that's on a level that Jiria Ooks can't affect?


　Moreover, the poison was a poison that was diluted by the water of the river.

　Inevitably, we can infer that the main book is a tremendously deadly poison.

　If this latest mutation of the Ishka was caused by that poisonous poison....


　I had just gotten that far when I thought about it.

　Suddenly the door to the room was slammed violently and a nervous female voice came in from outside the room.


'Excuse me!　Master, this is an urgent report!

Come in.


　Before Elgato's voice was finished or not, the door was opened and the reporter, Parfait, burst into the room.

　The expression on his face was very serious, a change from when we met earlier.


A signal fire has gone up from the forest of Titis. The colors are white, black and red!


　As soon as he heard that, a sharp, blade-like gleam dwelt in Elgato's eyes. Liddell also has a strained expression as if he was exposed to extreme tension.


　Perhaps Elgato had adventurers or staff members in his own right keep an eye on the situation of Titis.

　That watchman contacted me in the form of a wolf smoke.

　It was clear from the expressions on the three men's faces that this was the worst level of bad news.