'Huh?　There are two ruins of a mobile city that are landmarks. I heard it was one...

'Mew, the other one doesn't look like a ruin.

'That being said, yes. Strangely enough, it's new... or was it maintained properly?

It looks like there's a handful of people in there.



　We left the rocky mountainous area where we had been waiting for the sand quake to settle, but we were happy to see the ruins of a mobile city that was marked on the map as a landmark, but next to it, we saw a mobile city that still seemed to be in operation.

'A mobile city is a multi-legged structure.

　The neighboring mobile city, for some reason, had no visible legs to support the upper level of the city, so I was very curious as to how the city, which was about a kilometer in diameter, was able to move through the desert.
　At the bottom of the mobile city, which appeared to be alive, I could see hundreds of artificial arms that resembled insect legs, which seemed to be moving the mobile city on foot.

''But why are they here?''

　According to the map, there should only be one remnant of an abandoned mobile city here.
　This is a good signpost for sailing ships, but the other one was likely to have been moved here in a short period of time.
　If it had been here before, it would be on the map, or at least rumored among the sailors.

'Mr. Taro, that mobile city seems to have been attacked by sand beasts.

It's true.

　When I looked towards the mobile city, I saw that there were about hundreds of deformed creatures in flight, attacking the mobile city.

''What's that thing?''

'Gremlins'. These are sand beasts that appear near the tops of high-altitude rocky mountains and in abandoned mobile cities.

　On Earth, as I recall, I've heard that they are fairies who do bad things to machines and are distant relatives of gnomes and goblins.
　I heard that they crippled military planes during World War II and annoyed pilots.
　They may be fanciful creatures, but in this world, they're attacking the legacy of an ancient civilization like a mobile city.

'What do we do now, Mr. Taro?　I suppose you wouldn't mind if we left it at that.

　So if we fought off the Gremlins and saved a mobile city that appears to be alive, I don't see how it would be beneficial to us.
　It's such a huge mobile city that even if we get it, we might not be able to move it with this many people.

''Even a gremlin can become an Eidolc if you defeat it. There might be some interesting treasures in that mobile city.

Searching for ruins and treasure. Sounds like fun.

So it's time to hunt down some gremlins.

　Larabelle drew her sword and we began to approach the mobile city.
　Then many of the gremlins who found our ship attacked us.
　I see.
　I wondered if they are not sand beasts that are only concerned with the mobile city.
　When I was thinking this, the gremlins disappeared one after another after being hit by Mew's 'Ice Bullet' and Frau's arrows.

''That's two hundred thousand druk in one piece.

　It's a sand beast out there and not very strong, so this is what it is.

'You're soft.'

　Gremlins were numerous, but many of the individuals who were able to approach our ship were also cut down one by one by Larabell's brilliant swordplay as he stood at the bow of the ship.

''Not strong enough, are they?''

　As expected of a level 300+, even I was able to defeat him pretty smoothly.
　Using my spear, I slaughtered the gremlins one after another, though not as much as Larabell.
　After fighting for a while, the number of gremlins seemed to have decreased considerably.

''Taro-dono, let's land in the mobile city.

Well, I'll stay on board just in case.

　With Mew as a stay-at-home, we docked and landed in a mobile city that still had a hundred or so gremlins attached to it, and began a mission to clean up the rest of the gremlins.

'Frau!　Are you okay?

Master Lalabelle, I'm fine.

　Frau keeps firing arrows behind me and Larabell, and Larabell takes the lead himself, provoking the gremlin to cut down the gremlin that attacked him.
　Gremlins are flying sand beasts, but unlike the sand monster birds, when they see a human, they descend close to the ground to attack.
　Larabell's sword was in great use.
　As usual, it's so strong that I'm in love with it.
　I was........unusually moderately active.

''Lalabelle, it looks like the main force of the Gremlins are trying to pry open that door over there.

　There was a room in the center of the mobile city that probably controlled this mobile city, and it was the door, but dozens of gremlins were trying to force the door open.

''Guess!''

" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " "

Well, I guess we have a deal.

　I don't think it's going to be a good one anyway...

"Mister Taro, I think I'll kill any of you who stand in my way.

I knew it?

The gremlins stopped their hands from prying open the door and attacked to take care of us who were in their way first.

'Frau, behind me,'

Yes, sir.

　I tried to dress it up for a change, but Frau was firing arrow after arrow at the gremlins, taking them down.

'I should have at least prepared another order of magnitude more companions. You're still soft, after all.''

　Most of the gremlins are taken down one by one by Larabell's dancing swordplay, which translates into Eidolk.
　That's the source of the goods that will satisfy our stomachs and hearts tomorrow.
　I also wielded my spear and took down a dozen or so of them, but without a doubt, Larabell could have afforded to do it alone without me.

''Is that it?''

I don't need to say a word, but I'm sure Mew will be searching for it with his magic.

　This is a mobile city with a lot of shielding, so we are afraid of being caught by surprise.
　We waited for Miu Miu to get here while we continued to be on guard.

''Sorry to keep you waiting. You must have been very unhappy with us and this door that you couldn't pry open.''

Because it's the hub and power source of a mobile city?

　After all, he was a gremlin, so was he interested in machines?
　But I don't know how a mobile city, the legacy of an ancient civilization, works, do I?

'I've heard that the desert elves are operating them.

''I've heard that no human has been able to reactivate a mobile city. However, even the Kingdom of Burt doesn't know everything about its own self-proclaimed territory. I can't say it's zero, but it's true that the desert elves have reactivated many mobile cities and are using them as a base for their lives.

　So the point of restarting a mobile city is to find something that desert elves can do that humans can't?

Aside from the fact that it's restarting, I'm curious to know what's inside this door.

Yeah.

　It's called simple intellectual curiosity.
　I don't think I want to lose that kind of mind when I'm an old man.

"But will it open?

We could have dozens of gremlins attacking us, and we wouldn't even budge.

You don't have a key or anything?

　Despite being attacked by dozens of gremlins, the door was unscathed.
　I see.
　An ancient civilization must have had advanced technology.

''Can you open it with Lalabell-sama's monster power?

''Mew, even I can't do that........''

　As we were talking about such things, the door suddenly opened without any warning.

'Taro-san, is it a trap?'

No, I don't think so.

　If you don't bother to open the door to lure us in, the center of this mobile city is safe as long as you don't open the door.
　There is no advantage to luring people into the back.

They might have something to do. Let's hear what he has to say.

'What?　The power source for the mobile city?

''Maybe this mobile city isn't working with the tricks that Mew and I think it is. Let's go in.

Yeah. We won't know anything until we get inside. I'll do my best to be careful. Let's go in.

　We began our search for the center of the mobile city, the power source, through a door that had suddenly opened.