The ship is... missing?

　The big boat that had been in front of me earlier had suddenly disappeared. It may seem inappropriate at this point in time, but I was reminded of the magic show where the magician makes the trailer disappear. It's like that, in my mind's eye.

'Did he dive into the subterranean lake...?
'No, I don't think you can dive in that instant. Besides, you see, there's not a single wave on the lake.

　I reject Yumina's idea.
　Probably transition magic........ I'm not going to be able to get a good deal more than just a few.
　In the meantime, I ran over to the dock and confirmed that there was nothing there.

Search. Ark.
"Searching for a match................

　I can't get caught in [search]. Did you set up a ward?
　Furthermore, I activate 【Search】 with Divine Qi, but unlike magic element, Divine Qi is not in the atmosphere, so I have to release it myself. It's impossible to search this whole world with a stone. At least not near here.

'That man with the weird mask........' I think it's a man, but you said something that bothered me.
"The Apostle of the Evil One,

　Leanne's words raise the same question for me. He said that clearly. Or is it another one?
　Evil gods are born from earthly divine instruments. The divine artifacts that absorb people's evil intentions have a will and become mourning gods with divine power.
　Right now, the only divine artifact on this earth should be my phone. And the twin divine swords that Ende brought from other worlds are left in [Storage]. I take out the World God's special smartphone from my pocket. ........It's all there, right?

''Messenger of the Evil God........ Grandmother Tokie's fears were correct. I knew it, Rimugu!
Shh!

　Huh?　When I turned around, Kuhn was holding Aasia's mouth from behind.
　It's like I just heard something I couldn't hear........
　I stare at Kuhn, and the other side dismisses it with a sooty look in the opposite direction. Hey, guys. What's that suspicious attitude? Don't whistle on purpose.

"...Kuhn. What do you know?
No, Father. I don't know anything about it.

　My daughter smiles back at me when I ask her about it. She's so good at playing innocent, isn't she, Konnyaro?

"Speak up or you're banned from entering Babylon.
I know, Father!　Please don't let that happen!

　It's so easy. I'm finally figuring out how to control this girl. Wait a minute, Miss Lean. Don't look at me like that.

"Uh.... It's not safe here, can we just do it when we get back?
All right. And for goodness sake, just let Aasia go.
Pfft!

　Arthia, whose mouth had been covered, regains her breath.
　There are some people from the Search Engineers Seekers, and Grandma Tokie might have to give us permission. For now, let's ask them after we return.

I don't understand, but.... I don't know, but does that mean the ship was stolen after all?
It seems. They probably used transference magic to transfer it.

　I had to answer that to old Mario. Hearing my words, he disappointedly slumped his shoulders.
　Similarly, the knights of Gandiris are also looking down in frustration. It's understandable. The legacy left by the genius magician of ancient times has been lost. It would be a great loss for the country.

'Who the hell are they?　I've never seen a four-armed golem like that.
That's right. That thing is a hybrid, a hybrid made up of various parts pieced together. Normally, it wouldn't even be able to move properly. There's a freakin' technician behind them. That guy stole the Ark........I have a bad feeling about this.

　Mario's old man replies to the knight's mumbling. That four-armed golem, huh? He was certainly strong there.
　But was that a mish-mash of golems? And that level of perfection........unless they stole it from somewhere, there's a high probability that they have an excellent creator, a "Meister" in their ranks.
　Yumina turns her attention to Albus.

"Arbus. What is the function of the Ark?
The Ark is Crom Ranchez's private factory. I will be able to mass produce the raw materials needed to make the ARK.
"Mass production? You don't mean 'crown'?

　I was surprised by Albus's answer and shouted out. If the "crown" was mass produced, it would be a terrible thing.

No, it is impossible to mass-produce a "crown". No, it is impossible to mass produce a 'crown'.
Don't surprise me...

　When I think about it, if such a thing was possible, even Crom Ranches would have produced more "crowns". Then again, it must be my personal Golem Factory.

''But it's the Golem engineer's Factory, who was said to be a genius. It should be different from an ordinary factory. It's hard to know what other functions it has.

　As Engineer Erca said, if it falls into the wrong hands, we could be in big trouble. But then I remembered the words "Messenger of the Evil One" and realized that we've already fallen into the hands of the "strange ones".

The Ark's function is activated by the crown. The function of 'Ark' is activated by 'Crown', the key to 'Ark'.
'Really?　So you're saying that the next target might be Golem from 'The Crown'.......

　If they want the power of the Ark, then that's possible. Fortunately, Brunhild has four "crowns". Of those, Luna's purple one has lost its ability, so it's actually three. Should I call attention to the other 'crowns' as well.......

''No. No. The attacker already has the crown in his possession.
... what?

　I had been thinking of contacting Robert the "Blue" and King Rhea the "Green", but Albus' words surprised me again.
　You already have the "crown" in your hand?　When I asked him how he knew that, Albus pointed to the passage we had come through.

The door to that passage is opened by the crown man. Therefore, there is a good chance that the bandit will be wearing the crown.
''Wait a minute. After all this time, how many 'crowns' are there?
Red, blue, green, purple, black, white, and six bodies.

　Of the six bodies that Albus answered, four of them are in Brunhild. So are you saying that the Blue or the Green that are not in Brunhild fell into their hands?

'No. No. Crom Ranchette is an unfinished plane that has not yet been built, after crossing the world. Gold and silver.
'Gold' and 'silver'?　That looks fancy again...

　Chrom Ranches used the White and Black Golem skills to jump across the world's wards from the underworld to the surface world.
　As I recall, at the destination of the jump, he encountered the great invasion of the Freys, and started to develop a new "crown" in hopes of somehow returning to the original world without the cost, but he didn't make it in time..........
　The unfinished "gold" and "silver" seem to be the aircraft that was used at that time.
　In other words, the bandits obtained the "gold" or "silver" from somewhere and invaded the ruins.
　........it's kind of strange. I feel like I'm being too deliberate in my preparation.
　Did they obtain the "Ark" in advance in order to get the "Ark", or was it because they had the "Ark" that they wanted the "Ark"?
　The information on the Ark isn't something that can be obtained easily in the first place.

Anyway, we need to inform His Majesty the King of Gandiris about this. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you're going to have to come with me.　I don't know how to explain the shifting magic thing.
'That's fine. As long as you're here in Gandiris, there's going to be a problem if you leave without saying hello.

　I wanted to meet His Majesty the King of Gandiris as well, so we crossed over.
　Once on the ground, we'll leave most of the Gandiris knights in the garrison, while the others will board the Seekers' airship and we'll board the Balmunks.
　It's not far from here to the capital of Gandiris.
　The airship of the Searching Engineers Seekers will lead us slowly to the city. I don't want them to make a fuss over the Balmunks.
　Therefore, we are the only people in Ballymunck at the moment.

Well, well. Well, let's hear it. What's the Messenger of Evil?

　He glares at Aasia and Kuhn, who are sitting across the table from him. ........I don't know if they are listening or not.

''We don't know the details either, but........ It is said that the 'Messenger of the Evil God' is the residue of the Evil God that your father defeated in the past, the 'Zanshi'.
Hmm?　Residue.... what do you mean by that?
You could say it's the squeeze-out. It's like okara, which is created when the soy milk is strained out of soybeans during the tofu production process.

　Arthia likened it to cooking, but it's as confusing as it is easy to understand. Neat God's squeeze?　That's disgusting........

''Ah, what do you mean, that guy is an evil god in disguise?
''I heard there are several of them, or rather, 'them,' though. Grandmother Tokie didn't tell us that much, so I don't really know. It's just that they were an obstacle to us. If nothing happens, we will be able to return safely to the future, but if the 'Messenger of the Evil One' is involved, it will be difficult for us to return because of the uncertainties created by the power of the gods...
''I heard that the chances of the 'Messenger of the Evil God' waking up were slim. I was told that it was only a small precaution. I was told to keep this matter a secret from your fathers...

　What does that mean?　If we don't do something about that "Messenger of the Evil One" or whatever it is, will our children be able to return to the future safely?
　With the appearance of the 'Apostle of the Evil God', a tributary to other futures is being created........?

''I don't know, but you've found them to be troublesome.

　Leanne murmurs with a sigh.

'But it's a squeeze, right?　They're not much of a....
It's sweet, father. "Sweet, father, even okara (bean curdles) can be a great dish if you use it in the right way. Both are made from soybeans. They are all equal in quality.

　Arthia is very good at talking about it, but you've been talking about something different for a while now, haven't you?
　Well, I guess I'm trying to tell you that you can't let your guard down.
　Even if you're a bogeyman, you're still the edge of a god, for one thing. So you could have created a family member.

''What's the purpose of those guys?　Is this for my revenge?　The resurrection of an evil god?
Now, you don't have to go that far, but I'm sure you're up to no good.

　I don't think it's possible to say, "The resurrection of an evil god," for starters. Because his entire soul was shattered. At the very least, that neat god won't be revived.
　However, it's possible that a 'new evil god' could be born. That would require something with divine power inside it, like a divine artifact........
　If that neat god had left behind such a divine artifact........no, no way.

''I think we've arrived at King's Landing.

　The doctor's voice comes from the bridge. We looked out the window at the landscape outside.
　The capital was located in a place surrounded by high mountains. A river flowing from the mountains divided the capital into north and south, and a sturdy castle was located to the north of the river.
　To the east of the castle was an open area where another airship was anchored. It was probably Gandiris's airship.
　The airship of the "Searching Engineer Corps [Seekers]" descends next to it. I guess I'm supposed to get off here.
　But unfortunately, there is not enough space for Balmunks to get off.

Sorry. Do you think the doctors can wait up here in the sky?
"Sure. "We'll be waiting to break up the golems. Call us if you need anything.

　That golem, that golem, is probably the four-armed golem of the 'Apostle of the Evil God' that you picked up at the ruins. You're going to reveal it right away. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

''Father!''
Yeah, yeah, you can keep your coon.
'That's great!　I understand the story!

　Kuhn jumps around a bit. I'm getting used to this pattern. Keep your head down, Leanne. I feel the same way.

"Arthia is....
I, too, will stay behind. I'll take care of the food, so please don't join us for dinner. Father, please bring out the food.

　Food?　There is also a small kitchen in "Ballymunks". Do you make it there?　Well, okay..... To be honest, it's just too much trouble to explain about Kuhn and Arcia to them.
　While Mario's old man and Ripple-san descended from the airship of the "Searching Engineer Group" airship, we also descended to the ground by [teleportation]. The four members who descended were me, Yumina, Lou and Lean.

'Welcome to Gandiris. We will guide you to the king.

　A young man who seemed to be a civilian who was talking to a knight in the garrison approached me.
　Following the guide, I walked through the castle and eventually arrived in front of a room.
　We entered an unpretentious, yet heavily decorated office, where three figures greeted us.
　One of them was Cordelia Terra Gandiris. She is the second princess of this Gandiris kingdom. And the maid with glasses behind her is Parrelle. This is the daughter of Mario's old man and Ripple from the Search Engineers Seekers who came with us.
　I'm acquainted with these two after the blind date party incident in Leafs. It's been a long time since we've seen each other and we exchange a quick hello.
　And one more. An elderly figure rises from his desk in the office. He is a stocky, stoutly built man with a white beard.

Welcome to Gandiris. "Welcome to Gandiris, His Majesty King Brunhild. I am the king, Gallivan Zillah Gandiris.
It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. Duke of Brunhild, Fuyao Mochizuki. This is Yumina, Lucia, and Leanne. These are my wives.
Oh, it's your wives. Take it easy.

　I sat down in a chair as recommended by His Majesty the King of Gandiris. After the greetings, Mario's old man began to talk about what happened.

I'm sorry, my king. I'm sorry, my king, but I've had my ship stolen in good time.
No, it was a result of our lack of security. It's not your fault. It's a shame we didn't get Crom Ranchette's skills, but I must say I'm glad none of us died.

　King Gandiris smiles at Mario's old man who bows his head. I see. He certainly looks like a warm-hearted king.

"Lord Brunhild," he says, "where do you think they are going? Where do you think they are headed?
'I don't know. Not only did they use shifting magic to escape, but they seem to be cloaked as well, and they don't fall for my search magic. They seem to be pretty cautious.
"Hmm......... So there's nothing we can do about it now........

　King Gandiris folds his arms and exhales in disappointment.
　The figure of Princess Cordelia, who has been glancing at me from earlier beside her, comes into view. ........what?

Oh, um!　If that's the case, it would be a great help to us if you could contact us when you have a problem!
Yes, of course it is.
So, you see...

　What is the point?　I don't understand, though, because I fidgeted. I exchanged glances with Yumina, who was next to me, but the other side also tilted their heads in a small way.
　Then Parrel-san let out a small sigh and blurted out a few words.

''The princess has received a 'smurfing' from His Majesty the Duke, and is shallowly thinking that she wants to enjoy a sweet conversation with her beloved Emperor Galdio at night.''
Language!

　Princess Cordelia yells at me with tears in her eyes. Parrel-san is the same type as our Sheska........ No, although Sheska is M and Parrelle-san is S. I think they have a lot in common. They're both maids, and I think they have a lot in common.

Oh, that little all-purpose transmitter?　Emperor Galdio and the Holy King of Arendt both had it. Can I have that?

　No, well, I was going to give it to him later anyway, so it's fine.
　I brought out a mass-produced smartphone and a set of instructions from [Storage] onto the table.
　As I was teaching His Majesty King Gandiris and Princess Cordelia how to use it, Mario's old man, Ripple-san, and Parrel-san's parent daughter looked at me covetously.
　No, I know he's not a bad person with Yumina's magical eye, so I can give it to him.......

'Please don't ever disassemble (take apart) it, okay?　I probably can't fix it, and I won't give it to you again, okay?

　And I reminded the old man Mario in particular. Mass-produced smartphones are not easily broken because they are given 【Protection】 and 【Shield】, but if you want to take them apart, there's nothing you can't do. However, I want you to understand that at that point, the trust between us will fall to the ground.
　Right off the bat, Princess Cordelia asked me for Emperor Galdio's number. But since it's not a good idea for a stranger to give it to you, I sent an email to ask if I could give it to His Majesty the Emperor.
　The reply came back as an instant OK. That was quick.
　However, Princess Cordelia, who gave us her number, is reluctant to make a phone call. Everyone is watching over her with concern.

I can't call them if they're all looking at me like that!

You're right.