HTACS 45

Chapter 45

Why is she suddenly like this?

“What’s with the change of heart?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Sanctuary of Flowers is at the end of the Eastern Forest zone. If it were just forest terrain, that’d be one thing—but getting there is dangerous.”

“Yes. But if we slowly open a path and spread the flames, wouldn’t all this pollen be purified too?”

Only purifying flames can return everything to its original state.

Eve’s insane idea made all the fine hairs on my body stand on end.

The Eastern Forest zone, being Area 1, doesn’t have a particularly tough final boss.

But the extra field—or hidden field—called the Sanctuary of Flowers has a surprisingly high difficulty.

However—if you ask whether Eve von Lohengrin’s forces couldn’t burn it down…

It’s possible. Mana 22 is no joke. Surpassing 17—the human limit—and 19—called genius—this is a divinely blessed number. She alone could burn the earth and shoot meteors from the sky.

Of course, that requires training, and right now Eve is talented but lacks real combat experience—but anyway, if she says she’ll shoot purifying flames, she’ll shoot them.

Now what I need to consider is the ending when this Golden Eve burns down the Sanctuary of Flowers, drinks from the fairies’ blood, and wraps herself in their hatred.

“There’s no profit in this.”

“…What did you say?”

“Don’t say nonsense about burning down the Sanctuary of Flowers. Is that something a ruler should say?”

“…I never expected you of all people to say that.”

Oh, you think so too?

Honestly, same here.

But I have to stop what needs to be stopped.

Funny enough—this is actually an episode with a solution.

“Anyway—that’s not something a ruler should say.”

“Ugh. On that point… I should reflect. Yes. I said it in the heat of the moment.”

“That’s exactly what I mean. And what—are you planning to burn all the fairies inside to death?”

“…There are fairies in the Sanctuary of Flowers?”

Ah.

Right.

That’s a story revealed later. To be precise, it’s the story that unfolds when Kelterus, Eve, and their cheerful friends enter that area.

Hmm.

I’ll have to bluff my way through here.

“Of course. They exist.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s written in the Imperial archives too.”

It really is. It’s written there.

“You’ve never been to the Imperial library, have you? Read some books. Not for grades—you need intelligence. Intelligence doesn’t represent wisdom.”

“…I was planning to go in and read after summer break this year!”

Of course you were.

Because the books you’ll read while holed up in the Imperial library during summer break have fairy traditions in them.

Using that as a clue, you can summon fairies in a corner of the 1-1 map, and afterward, you can recruit the fairy clan as allies.

Well—it’s a common thing.

Hidden stages from Act 1 usually open up around Act 4.

“Anyway—the pollen flying from the Sanctuary of Flowers—the hay fever problem—I can solve it to some extent.”

“…Really? Truly?”

“At the very least, I can make it so you can live without worrying about pollen.”

“Ha. You’re not bluffing, are you?”

I tilted my head.

“Me? Bluff? In front of you? Why?”

“Don’t cut me off like that! It makes me even angrier because it sounds like you’re genuinely confused!”

“Anyway—I think I can solve it to some extent.”

“…Hmm. Ahem. Well, if you do that, I have no complaints. What’s gotten into you? Doing something good for me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Give and take. Let’s start discussing the price now.”

“…………”

Nothing in this world is free.

—

The first thing I requested was access to Wolfram’s warehouse.

“…This is the warehouse where you stashed the items from your corrupt hoarding—the ones you couldn’t sell.”

“Hmm.”

“So you’ve hidden something amazing in there, I suppose?”

“No. There’s nothing like that.”

Eve looked at me with suspicious eyes—but there really is nothing.

This is truly a miscellaneous warehouse.

In the main story, Eve had scraped together and sold all of Wolfram’s possessions for academy operations—so it’s just a junk warehouse.

Normally, if someone says “This is where the former president’s treasures lie dormant!” you’d expect them to open it around Act 8 and find a weapon that could carry you to the ending—wouldn’t you?

But Wolfram’s corruption was all within the academy, so Eve could scrape it all together and sell it. So what’s left inside is truly garbage. How lamentable.

But—inside, there is one genuinely useful item.

And it’s specialized for this episode.

I found glass bottles filled with sloshing brown liquid.

About fifteen boxes worth.

I was worried if they wouldn’t be there—but seeing them, I’m truly relieved.

“Found it.”

“Ah, it’s here. I’ll take this from among the items inside. We’ll settle the rest separately.”

“……? What is that?”

I didn’t answer.

That’s because I couldn’t exactly say it was an Easter egg.

—

Easter egg—a term derived from Easter eggs.

In games, Easter eggs refer to fun hidden elements—like putting one raw egg among the decorated Easter eggs.

And D/Z SAGA has several Easter eggs—one of them is in Wolfram’s corruption warehouse.

“The thing you brought is alcohol, right?”

“Hmm. That’s right.”

“…You said there was no expensive alcohol inside.”

“It’s not expensive alcohol. The type matters.”

“The type?”

“It needs to be whiskey, rum, or gin.”

“You’re detailed about alcohol types.”

“Develop your intelligence. In a few years, you’ll have to step into banquet halls where only that alcohol flows.”

“………EEK!!”

After verbally knocking Eve down, I continued working.

I was really nervous about whether they’d be there—but thankfully, they were.

“Hmm. This should be enough.”

“What are you making?”

“Bonbons.”

“…Bonbons?”

Eve tilted her head at my work.

“You put alcohol inside hollow chocolates. Then cover the hole with more chocolate. Simply put, that’s it.”

“Ah—so when you eat it, the alcohol inside comes out. That sounds flavorful.”

“Hmm.”

“Chocolate… Nice. I’ve had it a few times in the Imperial household too.”

As I worked, Eve’s eyes sparkled.

Her target is probably the chocolate, not the alcohol.

“Instead of wandering around like that, eat this.”

“…Ha. Black bread? To me, Eve von Lohengrin?”

“There’s chocolate cream in the middle.”

“I’ll enjoy it. …Hehe.”

Watching Eve leisurely eat the cream-filled black bread, I focused back on my work.

The size of the bonbons I needed to make was very small, requiring extremely meticulous craftsmanship.

“This is difficult.”

Honestly—it’s incredibly difficult.

Should I just give up?

Do I really need to work this hard for Eve?

Even if Eve is sniffling and drooling with her strength draining away—does it really affect Wolfram von Lohengrin’s life at all?

As I was genuinely agonizing over that—

**【Repeated actions have a minor effect on dexterity.**】

……

I’ll keep going.

—

After that—

Eve and I headed toward the Eastern Forest zone.

“…I have to come too?”

“That’s right.”

“Why? If you need an escort, there are plenty of good people around, not just me?”

“I think so too—but it can’t be helped.”

“…The Eastern Forest has pollen flying everywhere.”

“Then wear that full-face helmet. What’s the matter—Golden Eve suits you.”

“Stop calling me Golden!”

Eve let out a deep sigh and ultimately conceded, donning the Golden Helmet.

“Phew. *Hiss.* *Hiiiiss*…”

“Then let’s go.”

“Yesss… This is really uncomfortable to breathe in. Seriously…”

Well.

It’s probably like walking on a training ground with a gas mask.

“Good work.”

“Ha. Comforting me now of all times.”

“No—I’m immune to pollen, so I don’t know the struggle—I’m just saying you’re working hard.”

“Someday when you die, I’ll be the culprit.”

Hmm.

Can I report her and have her arrested right now?

—

At the entrance of the Eastern Forest, we turned aside immediately.

Standing in an empty lot, we stared at the empty space. Ahead, dense trees blocked the path.

“What is it? There’s nothing here! …*Hiiiiss*.”

“Watch closely.”

Hidden maps are always at the dungeon entrance. Eve is a game noob. Anyway, a game noob.

“What is it, really…”

“You see what you know.”

“Something about this makes me really angry…”

Alright. First, activate the skill here.

I took a sip of the mana potion Aila had prepared, and activated Imperial Bloodline.

“【Old friend with whom an ancient oath was shared could not be present, but their descendant has now come. In the name of one with rightful qualification, I call upon you. Open the door and reveal yourselves.】”

“…Wh-what was that all of a sudden?”

“Phew. Watch closely—changes are about to happen.”

Afterward—*crack*—a fissure appeared in the empty space that had been blocked by nothing.

“…Ugh.”

“Hmm.”

And from within, something intense—something even Wolfram with mana 3 could sense—began to seep out.

It looked like light, felt like darkness, and held the heat of fire and the brilliance of shadow.

The word to encompass it all was simply—aura.

An aura that wasn’t even the main body.

Soon, from within that crack, a red wolf appeared.

“…I confirm the bloodline of an old friend.”

“Is that so.”

“My old friend who remembers the oath—it’s been a hundred and fifty years. But even an old friend cannot enter with a stranger. If you wish to enter, prove your qualification.”

“Qualification?”

“The martial might to set foot on this fairy land!”

Saying that, the wolf bared its fangs.

Oh, an intense aura. No joke. I’m confident I’d die in one second, truly.

But this Imperial Bloodline skill—it never allows me to show an ugly side, no matter the time or place.

“W-Wolfram, step back. I’ll handle—”

“No need.”

“Y-you’ll die! Step b-back and—”

“O red spirit.”

“Yes. Will you challenge the trial?”

The trial.

From now on, I just have to fight my heart out with this guy.

Actually, in the original, only Eve met the requirements.

Due to some agreement with the First Emperor or whatever, only Imperial Bloodline was allowed entry.

And there, Eve proudly declared:

【When we set foot on the spirit land—Kelterus and all of us will step on it together.】

【Because we all came here by joining forces!】

So in the end, they challenge the spirit’s trial. The reasoning part was fun, and the trial itself was a puzzle-style battle, so it was enjoyable.

“Ah—I forgot to mention. This girl here is also a child of the oath.”

“…So come at—what?”

But—what does that matter.

“She also has Imperial Bloodline. Now, won’t you step aside?”

“…U-um. Ahh. I-Is that so. Uh, yeah. Right…”

“Ah—according to the oath, I’d appreciate some hospitality when we enter. Oh, and tell the flowers to clear away the pollen too.”

“Ah, uh?”

“The oath was made between the Fairy Queen and our great ancestor. Surely it’s only proper to meet the Fairy Queen first, no?”

“Th-that’s right…”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Ah, okay. Yeah… I suppose we’ll do that.”

The wolf lowered its tail and stepped aside, and I and Eve slipped inside.

“…Wolfram.”

“What?”

“I don’t really get it, but this feels wrong somehow… Is it just my imagination?”

Ah.

Come to think of it—the story where she and all her comrades, through friendship and effort, set foot on the fairy land together—has been completely wrecked.

Hmm. Hmmm.

“It’s your imagination.”

“Is that… so? Right…?”

“It’s your imagination.”

“…Yes.”

Puzzles? Deduction? Everyone’s friendship? Who cares.

Do I have the time to worry about that?