Hello :)
Sorry for the delay, peace!
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/Shuaa.../
"What do you want me to do again?" Silver asked as he turned to Hermes, feeling the faint breeze pass through his hair as he watched the horizon
"Nothing much… Simple work."
"I need you the check the integrity of the Seal." He replied as he pointed at the water
"... Why didn't you send anyone before?"
"Well... Aside from the fact no one is suitable to fight underwater were a monster to appear..."
"There's something strange in the water." Hermes said as his gaze darkened
"..."
So he noticed it already.
"I'll give you a quick summary, the rest we can discuss on the way..." Hermes said as he touched his chin
"When we started our investigation and even now, we kept our identities a secret and moved slowly, asking questions here and there whenever possible."
"And that was when we made a discovery."
"Compared to Orario which can easily import fish and other products from other cities deeper in the Continent, Melen has to provide for itself."
"And albeit being the closest city to Orario and technically being its gate to the Ocean, Melen is rather average, maybe even poor economically."
"Their biggest problem are the monsters in the lake as even the weakest marine creature could topple a boat and no matter how many sailors receive the blessing, the strongest Ship captain in this city is but Level 2, that being the Captain of the Njord Familia."
"The monsters prevent the fishermen from going into the sea to the point that even if Njord himself were to try his best to set up a massive fishing boat, he would always lose a few sailors. Always."
"The only boats that can travel long distances in the Ocean are special sturdy ships developed for long-distance travel, they are unsuitable as fishing boats and are rather expensive to maintain."
"But that in itself wasn't surprising to me, this has always been the case... And before you ask me why Orario does nothing to help Melen, I would like to remind you that we can barely keep ourselves afloat."
"... Things weren't looking so good for us a few years ago either, in some ways, nothing's changed." He said as he looked at the distance
"Hum... You speak as if the sailors solved this issue, as if this wasn't a problem anymore." Silver pointed out as he crossed his arms
"Because it isn't… You see, they fixed that recently. The monster problem." Hermes said as he turned to Asfi
/Grab…/
'She took something from her robe, a small pouch that had a heavy fishy smell, Asfi seemed happy to finally be able to part with it as Silver grabbed it.'
'Opening the sack revealed a mass of minced dried flesh and grains ground into a fine powder, it looked a bit disgusting due to its heavy smell.'
"..."
'Silver's eyes did not change as he looked at the powder, despite knowing what it was.'
'But he kept his expression neutral, after all, he wasn't supposed to know yet.'
"Was this supposed to be? Fish bait?" He asked as he held onto the bag
'He took a little bit into his hands, and after using his Plasmids to separate its contents, he immediately detected what he wanted to find.'
Magic Stone Dust, from the looks of it Hermes has yet to find out about this.
It's mixed with the fish, it's almost impossible to notice but there's an entire magic stone ground into powder inside this pouch.
"Heh, it technically is bait… Just not for fish." Hermes said as he smiled slightly
"You see, Melen's situation was terrible due to the reasons I just said, but that was only until a few years ago, around three to four years ago."
"That was when this powder started being commercialized… Or better put, distributed to all fishermen."
"Spreading this powder in the water seemingly prevents them from being attacked by monsters, and that works with 100% efficacy." Hermes added as he raised his index finger
'This didn't surprise Silver, but he acted as if he was a bit interested, raising his right eyebrow at his words.'
"That makes no sense… I've seen what a monster repellent looks like, and a bunch of minced flesh won't prevent monsters from attacking them, it'll do the contrary."
"Maybe if it was the flesh or appendage of a specific monster, as that can irritate the senses of some monsters but... This doesn't look effective on the water unless they mixed in some 'seasoning'."
"That was what Asfi thought as well, the Alchemy of this mixture couldn't in any possible scenario prevent monsters from attacking us… At least, not in a general sense."
"So that was when we decided to test it."
"And the result was… There's something in the water." Hermes said as he pointed at the Lake
"... You mean that…"
"Yes, whatever this powder is targeting, it's certainly not the monsters in the lake."
"There's something beneath the water that is attracted to it, and then, instead of attacking the fishermen, it kills all monsters in the vicinity, allowing them to fish unharmed or escape."
"And it isn't just any monster, it's a pretty strong monster as even when I had Falgar try to reel in one, he was almost pulled to the ocean due to the monster's strength."
"We only have a faint outline of what it may look like, Falgar said it looks like a giant snake, bigger than a fishing boat."
"We estimate that it is a Level 4 monster, but 3 at a minimum since it could just be stronger while in water."
"A Level 3 undisclosed monster... That makes no sense…"
"Ok, let's try this again." Silver said as he touched his head
So this is what he knows... But is it really?
Hermes has been in this place for almost an entire week.
How much does he actually know?... Where does his lies end and his probing begin?
... Am I being too paranoid?
"You said this is being distributed, who is doing so?" Silver asked as he looked at the powder
"The ruling family of Melen, the one that has done so for generations, the Murdocks."
"The Governor is doing so? Do they have a history with Alchemy or Taming of any kind?"
/Shake.../
'Hermes shook his head.'
"This makes even less sense, if they don't have an alchemist to make this, then is this really just a mass of flesh that somehow causes monsters to fight each other?"
"It sounds too simple to be true, I find it odd that no one ever figured it out over the centuries."
"I think so too, so I bet that this is a diversion." Asfi said as she scratched her nose
"There is likely a tamer involved, one that taught its monsters how to react to smells in the water and how to attack other monsters."
"But if that were the case, why would the Murdocks keep quiet about it? For the safety and peace of the citizens?... Did you...?"
"No, we have yet to directly question any of the ruling forces since so far, we were focused on gathering information on the situation."
"I was waiting for you to perform those." Hermes added with a proud smile as he posed
"So... The only thing left now is to confirm it all." Silver said as he looked at the city in the distance
"Melen only has one Familia and it sure has no tammers, unless Njord is hiding one."
"That's the problem... Even if there was a Tamer, there's no way it's a local one." Asfi said as she let out a sigh
"We've thought of that but that's not the only issue, we've made further research and no monster could possibly have ever existed in the Lolog Lake to permit such behavior to be even possible, even the strongest monsters in the lake aren't capable enough to do so."
"There was never an 'Apex' predator in these waters."
"And considering what we know Evilus was doing with the smuggling of monsters…"
"You went to check the Sewer entrance, thinking the monster and tamer in question came from outside the city and somehow brought in monsters." Silver said as he cut Asfi
"Yes... But we found nothing. The entrance was completely intact, as if nothing had touched it in years." Hermes replied as he shook his head
"Then… There must be a hidden entrance point. However, this can't be something…"
"Yes, I know, the Governor isn't the only suspicious group here, though I don't have much on them for now." Hermes said as he adjusted his hat
"..."
From an outside perspective, this is quite a complicate issue... But it becomes simple to understand when all of the cards are gathered since its rather straightforward.
'Melen had three dominant groups, the Guild, The Njord Familia, and the Governing force, the Murdock family.'
'If the Murdock family had somehow created a perfect solution to their monster problem, that still doesn't explain where the smuggling is taking place.'
'This entire issue of the Governor sharing Magic powder with the fishermen could be only a side issue, but Hermes was a thorough person and wouldn't leave such strange subjects unturned.'
"Are you thinking that the Njord Familia is involved somewhat in the smuggling operations?" Silver asked as he turned to the ports
"The Port is only so big, and unless they... No, all three groups are involved, there's no way, not even a whisper would reach my years after all these years."
"If not for our recent... 'Dealings' with the Ikelos Familia, I wouldn't have even thought Melen was suspicious."
"And albeit there were signs of this happening outside, I would've never linked these dots." Hermes added as he crossed his arms
"..."
'Silver remained silent, deep in thought.'
"Hum... If Evilus did contact the Njord Familia... Then we must think about what they can offer them in exchange for help with the smuggling." Hermes said as he raised his hand, pacing around like a detective as he walked around in the sand
"And unless they're being forced into this, which is perfectly possible, there is a pretty good thing they can offer."
"If a tamer were to control a monster or group of said monsters to protect the shipboats, then everything would fit."
"We can also connect the Mayor to this plot as he is loved by all and it would be within his interest to see them safe, so by colluding with Evilus, a group that despite their reputation, gave them a solution to their problems, then he would be inclined to accept."
"By creating a diversion, he can make sure the citizens don't overthink things while also preventing word from going beyond Melen's Walls."
"Still, that doesn't explain the fact this 'Magic Powder' was never reported to the main Branch, meaning..."
"The Guild must be involved as well to prevent the news from spreading." Silver said as he completed Hermes' words
"Bingo."
"..."
This doesn't solve everything though, after all, why would the Guild do such a thing?
It's not in its interest to promote illegal trade under its watch, unless the Branch Leader is a compassionate person who does not wish to see the people suffer.
But is it so simple?
'Silver remained silent, as if pensive... But in truth, he was smiling inside, impressed with how close Hermes' deductions were from the truth.'
If he knew of the existence of the Demi Spirits, would he be able to deduce everything perfectly?
Well, doesn't matter, I'll just lead him to said truth.
"We'll have to check those all later... But in any case, if you wish to check the seal then you have yet to find out where that hidden entrance is I assume?"
"It's a bit shameful of me but yes, I've kept my distance from the Njord Familia for the sake of gathering information first, though we did poke them a bit but to no avail."
"We imagine that whoever knows of this must be either Njord himself or his Captain, other members are likely under the impression they're just doing their usual loading and unloading tasks in the port."
"Aside from that, it cannot be an individual of the Familia as the scale of the smuggling is too large for such to handle alone, much less while evading the eyes of a God."
"Njord has to be involved, in one way or another."
"However... Part of me doesn't want to believe Njord would cooperate with Evilus, he's a good guy, always charismatic, and someone that deeply loves his children." Hermes said as his expression turned soft
"He's the kind of guy that will sacrifice himself for his children..."
"But given the weight of our investigation… I have to put him into consideration."
"Right, we can't look past anyone." Silver said with a nod, agreeing to Hermes' words
/Splash…/
'Silver looked at the water, his eyes staring at his reflection in the waves.'
"You know, you're one piece of ass for leaving this job for me, you won't risk your children but I'm fine, huh?"
"S-S-Silver-Kun! Your way of speaking is really hurting!" Hermes retorted as sweat fell from his forehead
"You do know that I…"
"I'm just messing with you." Silver said with a chuckle as he raised his hands
I know I'm good at my job, professionals have standards.
"Ahem... And then Moses parted the seas…" He mumbled as he spread his arms apart
/Splish… Splash… Fwoosh!/
"... Y-You can't be serious…" Keaks said for the first time as he rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing
"..."
"Oi oi, Silver-Kun, can't you take things down a notch? I feel like you're taking all of the spotlights from my Asfi, leave some for her please…"
/BONK!/
"No unnecessary comments." Asfi added as she knocked her fist against Hermes
"A-Asfi-Chan… Why are you hitting me?..." Hermes said pitifully as he massaged the back of his head
In front of them, the edges of the lake slowly opened, revealing a tunnel of water leading deep into the lake.
"Follow me, let's take a look at this seal ourselves and judge from there." Silver said as he stepped into the wet sand
"If you can't keep up then get ready for a splash, you better know how to swim."
"... You heard him, let's go." Asfi said as she stepped into the sand, going after Silver
"W-Wait for me, Captain!" Keaks said as he rushed after her
"..."
These kids…
'Hermes eyes sharpened momentarily.'
And he... He knows something.
You may keep quiet, your facial expressions may tell otherwise... But I have the feeling you already know everything.
This is a game I've played many, many times... Countless times against the biggest of players, both in Heaven and Earth.
You can hide from my poor Asfi and Keaks, but from us?...
Ohhh Silver... What do you know?...
And what do you don't?
This is so exciting!
'Amused, Hermes held his hand, smiling in wonder as he followed them into this magical journey as his eyes flashed golden.'
…
/Later.../
'The way down was rather uneventful.'
'They saw many exotic types of fishes and algae, some large, some small, some curious, a few fearful...'
'In this underwater world, plants were everywhere, much to Hermes' displeasure as he kept tripping on them due to his rather weak body when compared to Keaks who was a Level 3 adventurer, and Asfi who was a Level 4 adventurer.'
'This led to Asfi making fun of him with words such as, "Having difficulty Hermes-Sama? How about we rest once we're out of the lake?", obviously hinting at how he kept overworking them every nook and cranny.'
"H-Haha… A-Asfi-Chan… I'm not that bad…!" He said as he tried to touch the 'wall' next to him, only to realize too late that it wasn't solid as he fell into the water
/SPLASH!/
"..."
"Pfft…"
"You should be more careful Hermes-Sama." Asfi said with an amused grin as she looked at Hermes as the water tickled down his hair
/Sniff.../
They're bullying me!
'With a crying expression, Hermes never felt more pitiful… Maybe he did, though that was many years ago…'
…
/SPLASH!/
/SLAP!/
"..."
'Midway through their descent, a few monsters tried to get in their way, like a large fish monster that was about the size of a large adult, a Level 2 monster, something that would put fear in the entire Njord Familia!'
'But as it jumped out of the water, Silver slapped it back into it, causing it to turn into dust soon after as it dissipated into the water… It died with the slightest of touch.'
""...""
"We're almost there." Silver said as he saw the bottom of the lake
'Lolog Lake was pretty large, but it was also very 'shallow', at least in this part.'
'But that was the part that mattered as the Dungeon entrance that had been sealed was located here, just a few hundred meters beneath the surface, hidden by the algae and rocks.'
/Stop…/
"Here it is." Silver said as he raised his head as he looked at the humongous seal in front of him
'The seal was like a cork in every sense of the word, being shaped like a disk and shoved into the hole to prevent anything from crossing.'
'The seal itself was about 200 meters in diameter, containing within the Skeleton of one of the Great Beasts, the Leviathan.'
'To prevent monsters from crossing, the Skeleton was encased in stone, but the stone isn't what prevents beasts from crossing over, it's the monster's Aura, the mighty presence of a monster of unknown proportions, something that if alive now, maybe it would have no match even if all adventurers were to be gathered.'
'A monster so big that even with the Seal's great size, its skeleton twisted multiple times within the confines of the disk, and Silver suspected most of its body was likely still hidden from sight.'
(Image)
"... I don't see anything unusual, there's no cracks on sight." Silver said as he looked at the seal
"Anything unusual?" Asfi asked as she adjusted her glasses
"Hum... No water currents, no hidden holes all around..."
"I've checked everything, this place's safe unless the enemy can move this."
"That's not possible, it would leave behind traces." Hermes said as he shook his head
"Then that confirms it." Asfi said as she adjusted her glasses
"..."
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Asfi asked as she saw both Silver's and Hermes' faces
/Silence.../
'But instead of any words, she was welcomed with pure silence as both of them stared at the seal above their heads.'
"... Can I ask you a question?" Silver said without taking his eyes off the Leviathan
"... Do you even want the answer?" Hermes replied as he pulled his hat down
/Silence…/
'Silver didn't say anything… Though he eventually asked:'
"Where you there?"
"From afar, yes, me and many others, you know why."
'Despite his short answer, there was a lot of emotion contained within his words.'
'Scenes of a catastrophic fight, one that ended with the echoes of a gigantic bell.'
'The start of a myth, one that ended in death, like many others before...'
"... Just what did it drop?"
"Apart from this big bone? Well… There was the Leviathan Blue finn, it was used to make the School District's shuttlecock… Before it was called that of course."
"In truth, it was just a spoil of war to decorate their now useless War-Ship."
"... So you're saying the Leviathan didn't drop any meat for a barbecue?"
"Wh… HAHAHA! Yes, of course… I mean… I did drop a bit, but a certain guy ate it all so I didn't manage to have a taste." Hermes said with a hearty laugh as he remembered the past
"A shame… I would've liked to taste it..."
"How deep do you think I would have to go to fish something like this?"
"..."
'This time, Hermes said nothing, even his faint smile vanished.'
"Yeah, right, forget I asked that… Boring ass God." Silver mumbled to himself as he passed by him
You guys are only useful to these stupid things, when the real questions are asked...
"OI! I heard that!" Hermes exclaimed as he turned his head to side with a 'humph'
"..."
'In the end, they all followed Silver on the way back up, with Keaks only taking one last look at the gargantuan creature and gulping dry as he shook his head, following after his team as the water took over their previous space, washing all of their traces as if they were never there.'
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Notes