◇Houghtow City—Fli-o'-Rys General Store◇
The Fli-o'-Rys General Store was busy, as always. They had only just
opened their doors, but there were already more customers than could fit
inside.
"I am terribly sorry," said Balirossa, who was working in the store that
day. "We are currently full. Please wait your turn in line. When the
customers in the store have finished, we will call you in."
Inside the shop, Flio greeted a regular customer with one of his usual
easygoing smiles. "Good morning, Mister Sireul. How can I help you
today?"
"Good morning to you too, Mister Flio," said Sireul. "I was hoping I
could ask you to take a look at my sword, if you please..."
"Your sword?"
"Yes. I think something's wrong. The enchantments have been behaving
a little strangely..." Flio took the sword from Sireul and touched the magic
gem set in the sword's blade. "I had the weapon shop proprietor in the town
I was staying in take a look at it, but they couldn't tell what was wrong..."
As Sireul spoke, Flio waved his hand two, then three times above the
magic gem. "All right," he said. "That should do it."
"I've tested it lots of times, but the enchantment just won't..." Sireul
started. "W-Wait! You're done?!" He hadn't even finished his explanation
before Flio handed the sword back to him, a smile on his face. Sireul gave
the blade a couple of experimental swings. "I-It works! The magic's
flowing perfectly!"
"There was a small fracture in the setting of the magic gem," Flio
explained. "When I passed magic through the gem, all it did was spill out
into its immediate area. It wasn't connecting at all. But I fixed the fracture
with magic. It should be all right now."
Sireul's eyes went wide. "The weapon shop proprietor couldn't even tell
what was wrong..." he said. "You really are the best, Mister Flio! Thank
you so much!" Finally smiling himself, Sireul bowed again and again.
"That's quite all right," Flio said. "I'm just happy I could help!" He
smiled kindly and bowed his head.
But then...
"Mister Flio, can you look at my weapon too?"
"There's something wrong with my magic staff..."
"Oh, I also have something I need looked at!"
A mob of customers crowded around Flio all at once.
"All right," Flio said. "I'll get to all of you. Would you please form a
line?"
Just then, Hiya, Damalynas, and Maglion all appeared behind Flio.
"Exalted One," said Hiya. "The three of us would be happy to assist you in
matters of magic."
"Oh! Thank you, you three! I appreciate it," said Flio. Hiya and the
others stood to Flio's left and right, and together they divided up the work
of seeing to the guests' needs.
Flio looked at the three beside him. Hiya is the djinn who commands the
origin of light and darkness... he thought. And Damalynas is the Grand
Magus of Midnight. Not to mention Maglion, a great wizard from the Realm
of Evil—a different world entirely! It feels strange, somehow, having such
incredible spellcasters helping with my work...
◇ ◇ ◇
With questions related to magic safely in the hands of Hiya and their
companions, Flio turned his attention to the rest of the shop. As he glanced
around, his eyes fell on one corner in particular.
"Hm...?" Flio muttered as he noticed a conspicuous woman standing in
front of the display case by the counter where the most expensive potions
and magic gems were kept. She was putting on a bit of a display herself—
her face was pressed right up against the glass as she looked the
merchandise up and down, paying no heed whatsoever to the other
customers.
Flio smirked to himself as he approached the woman by the display
case. "Good afternoon, Miss Zofina."
There was no response.
"Excuse me..." Flio repeated. "Miss Zofina?" But even as he called her
name, Zofina, the woman in question, continued staring fixedly at the
contents of the display case.
Flio tried a third time. "E-Excuse me... Miss Zofina?"
"A-Ah!" Zofina said with a start, finally realizing that Flio was aware of
her presence. She whipped around on her feet. "M-Mister Flio?! H-How
long have you been standing there?!" Then, heedless of the mark she had
gotten on her forehead from pressing too close to the display case, she
leaned in to whisper in Flio's ear. "Um... May I ask where you keep the
Calamity Healing Potions, by any chance...?"
Once, a divine beast known as the Calamity Wyrm had wandered into
the world of Klyrode by mistake, only to be exterminated by Flio himself.
Having vanquished the beast, he used its blood and bones and all sorts of
other ingredients to make the coveted Calamity Healing Potions.
"They were in this case the last time I was here, I believe..." she
continued.
Flio watched with his usual easygoing smile as Zofina turned again to
check the contents of the case. "I'm afraid they are no longer on display,"
Flio said. "But we do still have a number in stock."
He waved a single finger on his right hand and a dark magic circle
appeared before him. Flio thrust his hand inside, connecting to an
extradimensional storage space, before withdrawing his hand with two
bottles of Calamity Healing Potion.
Zofina beamed delightedly at the sight. "Th-Thank you! I brought my
lady goddess the potions last time personally, but she immediately started
asking when I was going to get more! And some of the other goddesses
have been complaining that they didn't get enough last time..."
Zofina was currently disguised as a human, but her true form was that of
an angel, a disciple in service to the goddesses of the Celestial Plane. Not
long ago, another angel had obtained one of Flio's Calamity Healing
Potions while on a mission and presented it to her supervisor goddess, who
discovered it to have phenomenal efficacy even by a goddess's standards.
Soon, Flio's potions were the talk of the Celestial Plane, much desired as a
health and nutritional aid, a beauty product said to do wonders for one's
skin, and an energy supplement.
Some goddesses had tried to obtain ingredients from other Beasts of
Disaster to try and create Calamity Healing Potions of their own, but a
Beast of Disaster's bones were too hard to use in fabrication, to say nothing
of the technical difficulty of synthesizing medicinal substances of any sort
from the creatures. None of them had been able to replicate the feat.
In the end, Zofina, a disciple of the goddess in charge of observing the
world of Klyrode, was sent to procure more of the potions. Ever since then,
she had shown up regularly at the Fli-o'-Rys General Store, looking to get
her hands on more of the precious substance.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mister Flio. I look forward to our
continued business together." Zofina bowed her head as she paid for the
potions. But as she spoke, a dark expression crossed over Flio's face.
"Mister Flio?" Zofina asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Well..." Flio said. "The truth is, it's getting a bit tricky to keep making
the Calamity Healing Potions."
"Wh-What did you say?!" Zofina's eyes went wide.
"You see..." Flio began, lowering his head apologetically. "I'm starting
to run out of ingredients. I only killed the one Calamity Wyrm. It takes a
considerable volume of bone and flesh to synthesize a single bottle, you
see. That's why I had to pull them from the display case." Well... he added
to himself. That, and Rys and the other women in the house want to keep as
much of it as they can for themselves...
Zofina didn't even try to hide her dismay. This is bad! she thought. I
don't dare imagine the tantrums the goddesses will throw if I can't get any
more! The rage! The despair! Ahh... I really wish they would act their age
sometimes...
Her superior goddess had told her, "If you cannot obtain that potion,
there is bound to be another Celestial Calamity..." Those words were
playing endlessly in a loop in her head. I think she might have meant it too...
What do I do?!
Zofina thought as hard as she could for a solution. After a moment, it
struck her. Her eyes lit up. "Mister Flio, please allow me some time!"
"O-Oh! Well, all right!"
Zofina waved her hand before vanishing in a blink.
"I wonder what she's up to...?" Flio wondered aloud, cocking his head
as he frowned at the spot where Zofina had been standing moments prior.
◇The Following Morning—Flio's House◇
The next morning, Zofina showed up again, this time at the front door of
Flio's house. Flio let down the barrier around the house to allow her in and
showed her to the parlor.
"Mister Flio," she said after some brief pleasantries. "I come to you
today with a proposition." A projection appeared before Flio's eyes,
showing the scenery of some unknown world. "The world you see is the
Hell World Dogorogma. It is there that the gods of the Celestial Plane send
beings that even they cannot otherwise handle. There, you will find many
Beasts of Disaster and other divine-tier magic beasts sealed away. If it
should please you, perhaps you may travel to Dogorogma yourself to
capture magic beasts to use for ingredients in your potions?"
For a second, Flio could only stare blankly at Zofina's words.
I suppose that's only to be expected, Zofina thought, an expression of
resignation clouding her face. We disciples of the Celestial Plane can't
restrain the beasts well enough to bring them to him, so we are just asking
him to go get them himself. This is a world full of divine-tier magic beasts—
the ones even groups of angels from our world struggle to control...
Yesterday, Zofina had returned to the Celestial Plane and approached her
direct superior with the troubling news that they might soon be unable to
obtain any more of the Calamity Healing Potion. However, she also came
with a plan. "This is, of course, only a suggestion...but perhaps we can hunt
the divine-tier magic beasts sealed in Dogorogma and give their remains to
Mister Flio for use in his potions?"
"Your suggestion to offer him the Beasts of Calamity sealed in
Dogorogma has merit..." the goddess had said, deadly serious as she
considered Zofina's plan. "However, who precisely shall hunt the beasts?"
Under the goddess's sharp gaze, Zofina had proposed idea after idea
until, in the end, she had resolved to ask Flio himself if he had any interest
in hunting in Dogorogma.
I suppose it was a bit too much to ask, even of someone like Mister Flio,
Zofina thought with a sigh. He may have defeated the Calamity Wyrm, but
going hunting in a world teeming with divine-tier magic beasts? That is not
an errand one can take on lightly...
But Flio responded with, "Would it be all right if I brought my family
with me?"
Zofina was sure she had misunderstood. "Excuse me?" she asked, eyes
blinking open and mouth hanging agape.
Flio smiled kindly. "Well, it isn't every day you can make a trip to a
place like that. I thought it'd be nice to take my family and the rest of the
people living here!"
Finally, it dawned on Zofina what Flio had actually said. "M-Mister
Flio?" she replied, plainly worried. "I-I believe I mentioned this earlier, but
Dogorogma is a world teeming with divine-tier magic beasts. I-I'm afraid I
cannot assure the safety of your family should you choose to bring them
along..."
"Everyone here is quite powerful, you know—not just me," Flio said
with one of his easygoing smiles. "I'm sure they'll be all right."
I-I suppose Mister Flio defeated the Calamity Wyrm on his own quite
easily... Zofina thought. If someone with his record says they'll be all right,
I'm sure he's not mistaken. A-And yet!
Lost in her thoughts, it was some time before Zofina was able to
articulate a reply.
◇Houghtow City—Flio's House◇
That night at dinner, Flio made an announcement. "Zofina, a disciple of
the Celestial Plane, came to me with a proposition today: to go hunting
magic beasts in a world called Dogorogma. I'm thinking of taking her up on
it."
"Mister Flio!" said Ghozal, shooting up from his seat with astonishing
force and briefly startling Flio. "You'll let me come too, won't you?!" Then,
he folded his arms and began muttering to himself. "Dogorogma, huh...?
I've heard the name mentioned in myth, but I had no idea it actually
existed! Hrm... I had better get warmed up!" Ghozal began doing stretches
on the spot, seeming to have forgotten that they were still eating dinner.
Uliminas smirked at her husband's antics. "Hang on a meowment,
Ghozal. I know meow're all worked up 'cause you haven't gotten to take
part in any of our justice activities lately, but we're not gonna go to
Dogorogma this instant! Sit down and eat meowr dinner."
"Hrm. I suppose you're right," Ghozal said, sitting down dutifully. "BBut I'll go warm up right after dinner!"
Flio glanced in Ghozal and Uliminas's direction before continuing. "To
be clear, this first time we'll only be going to test if everything is working
properly. Our only objective will be to see what kind of world this
Dogorogma is for ourselves. I was only planning on taking Zofina from the
Celestial Plane and a few others."
Rys, who was sitting next to Flio, shot out of her seat. "My lord
husband!" she said, pressing up against him. "Please, take me with you! I
cannot abide the idea of you alone with some strange bony woman!"
Flio was taken aback by his wife's sudden surge of energy. I-I mean, he
thought, smirking to himself, Zofina's real body is half-skeleton and halfgirl...but isn't it a bit rude to call her a "strange bony woman"?
"Dad! I wanna come too!" said Garyl, standing up and raising his hand
high.
Elinàsze followed after her brother. "I want to come along as well,
papa!" she said, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "How dreamy... A
world I've only read about before in books! I wouldn't miss it for
anything!"
Next came Wyne, butting in between Garyl and Elinàsze. "If dada and
mama and Gare-Gare and Eli-Eli are all going, then I'm going-going too!"
she said, her cheeks bulging out from the quantity of food she was still
chewing as she spoke.
With Flio's family all standing, Ghozal glanced around and shot back up
to his feet. "Mister Flio!" he said, practically leaning over the table towards
Flio. "I asked first! So...can I come along?"
Next to him, Balirossa clenched her right hand into a fist. "If Sir Ghozal
is to go, then I should like to accompany him. A wife is meant to
accompany her husband—even more so if he goes into danger!"
"Mreow..." Uliminas grumbled, scowling as she clenched her fist tight.
"If Balirossa's gonna say all that, then what choice do I have?"
Next to stand was Sleip. "I can't sleep on a trip to the legendary
Dogorogma either!" he declared with a boisterous laugh. "I'll come too!"
"Papa!" said Rislei. "What are you saying?! You shouldn't do such
reckless things at your age!"
"B-But Rislei!" Sleip objected. "If I let this chance go, I might never get
another one!"
"Don't be so immature!" exclaimed Rislei. "But if you're going, I'm
going...to keep an eye on you," she added, looking off to the side.
"Ooh!" Sleip cried joyfully, picking Rislei up and squeezing her tight.
"You don't like to show it, but you do love your old man, don't you, Rislei?
Gwa ha ha!"
"P-Papa?!" Rislei exclaimed, her face turning bright red with
embarrassment. "D-Don't!"
"Gwa ha ha!" laughed Sleip as he began spinning his daughter in the air.
"Rislei, I loooove you!"
Byleri watched the two with a smile on her face. "Well, like, if you two
are going, I'm, like, totally coming too! I'd be all lonely without you, after
all!" Grinning, she clenched her fist in determination.
Tanya, who had been serving the family their dinner, bowed deeply. "If
you intend to travel to a distant world, you will need someone to take care
of various necessities. To that end, I volunteer to accompany you."
"If big bro Garyl's going, then I'm going!" declared Folmina, running
up beside her beloved Garyl.
"And I'm going if big sis Folmina is..." said Ghoro, tottering after.
"Exalted One!" said Hiya, emerging in an evident hurry from their
mindscape. "Please forgive your lowly servant for their foolishness, but I
have always dreamed of seeing Dogorogma myself..."
"Snuffle, snuffle!" went Sybe in its unicorn rabbit form as it hopped
circles around Flio's legs.
"Dogorogma, is it?" said Calsi'im as he sipped his cup of tea. "What do
you say, Tia? Care for a trip?"
"Calsi'im," replied Tia, taking a sip from her own cup, "I would gladly
accompany you wheresoever you go."
Belano gave Minilio a silent glance. Minilio nodded, equally wordlessly.
"I dunno..." Blossom said between bites of rice. "I got work to do on the
farm..."
The family dinner was completely forgotten. The household spent the
rest of the day talking about Dogorogma late into the night...
◇Some Days Later—Flio's House◇
The day had come. Fli-o'-Rys was closed for a regular holiday.
Everyone had gathered in front of the house, Flio and Rys at the head of the
group.
"My lord husband," Rys said. "I made sure to prepare plenty of boxed
lunches for the trip."
"Yaaaay!" cheered Wyne. "Mama's boxed lunches!"
"Dogorogma..." said Elinàsze. "I wonder what kind of place it truly is. I
am so excited to visit a world I've only read about!"
Everyone was chatting in high spirits, as if they were headed out for a
peaceful day of hiking. Zofina, who had only just arrived from the Celestial
Plane, couldn't believe her eyes. Flio noticed the angel's shock and winced,
bowing his head apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "Everyone's just been
looking forward to the trip, you see."
"N-Not at all," said Zofina, a troubled expression on her face. "That's
quite all right. B-But...will you truly be able to protect such a large group in
an emergency?" She cleared her throat. Zofina was not in her usual human
form, but her true form as an angel from the Celestial Plane—half-skeleton
and half-young girl, wearing a tattered cloak.
Flio smiled his usual easy-going smile. "Ahh," he said. "No need to
worry. If something happens, I'll do everything I can to protect them."
"I-I'm glad to hear that..." Zofina said. I cannot deny that Mister Flio
defeated the Calamity Wyrm, she thought. But that was only one! What if
they're attacked by dozens of divine-tier beasts at once...? She shook her
head, clearing her thoughts. I suppose there's no use dwelling on what may
happen. There's no guarantee they will even encounter a magic beast,
anyway. All I have to do is properly guide Mister Flio and his household to
Dogorogma and then return them to the world of Klyrode.
Zofina muttered quietly to herself as she gripped the haft of her scythe.
"It's time..." She swung the implement in a wide arc as she began casting a
spell. Soon, a magic circle appeared on the ground at her feet. A great black
door emerged from its center. Zofina looked over the door to make sure
everything was in order. "Very well," she said, looking back over her
shoulder at Flio and the rest. "I shall now show you and your companions to
the world of Dogorogma."
As she spoke, several more angels appeared, apparently Zofina's
subordinates. Like her, their bodies were half-flesh and half-skeleton under
their tattered cloaks, and each of them carried a scythe. Zofina turned to
face them and raised her arm. The other angels raised their own arms in
response.
"Now," said Zofina, "Let us be sure to treat Mister Flio and his
household with the utmost of care. Are you ready?"
The angels nodded.
Zofina turned and opened the door to Dogorogma with a mighty
creeeak. Flio cocked his head curiously as he watched. "Huh!" he said. "I
heard that this world was just a dumping ground, but it doesn't look all that
different from Klyrode, does it?"
"You're right, papa." Elinàsze nodded, holding Flio's hand as she
watched. "I was expecting something more dramatic."
"Dogorogma was originally a planetoid world, like Klyrode," said
Zofina, glancing back over her shoulder. "But because of certain
circumstances, it ended up in the Subaltern Plane. As it is now, those who
find their way there can never escape. You understand why I hope you will
take great care to follow our instructions to the letter while you are in
Dogorogma."
"Ah!" cried Wyne, suddenly. "Look! There's a something! A
something!" Her dragon wings appeared on her back as she took off,
charging for the door with tremendous speed.
"Huh? Wh-What?!" Zofina was caught flat-footed by Wyne's incredible
speed, but she recovered quickly and hurried after the dragonewt. Ahead,
she could see a great forest stretching in all directions—along with an
enormous dragon. Its upper body towered above the tops of the trees. And
Wyne was flying straight for it, full speed ahead.
Zofina readied her scythe. "A Calamity Earthdrake..." she said. "Its
scales are harder than the Calamity Wyrm's, and it can move underground
through the earth at great speeds. Its body, too, is nimble, despite its great
size. To think that such a deadly beast would be so near at hand..." Clicking
her tongue, she flew straight towards the dragon, her angels following along
behind.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Wyne cackled as she soared through the air
ahead of them, diving straight for the Calamity Earthdrake's head,
seemingly intent on headbutting it. "Charge! Charge!" Upon impact, a
thunderous noise rang out. When the dust cleared, the Calamity
Earthdrake's upper body had been slammed straight into the ground,
twitching.
"Yeah!" Wyne cheered. "Again! Again!" Her second flying headbutt did
the trick. The beast stopped moving entirely.
"What?!" Zofina and the other angels couldn't believe their eyes. They
stopped still in midair. I-I don't believe it! Zofina thought. She quelled a
Calamity Earthdrake of that size with only two headbutts?!
As Zofina stared, Elinàsze came running up to her big sister. "Honestly,
Wyne! You're going to dent your head one of these days!"
"Ehe he!" Wyne smirked, sticking out her tongue. "My head's hardhard!"
Elinàsze pressed her hand against Wyne's forehead and cast a healing
spell. "You're a girl too, Wyne. You must take care not to injure your face!"
"Ah ha ha! Okay-kay!" Wyne laughed.
Elinàsze sighed. "Oh, Wyne. You never change, do you..."
Zofina watched the sisters argue from her vantage point in the sky. If
Miss Wyne hadn't been here, we may have taken a direct hit from the
Calamity Earthdrake's breath... I had completely failed to take note of its
presence!
"Hrm..." Ghozal grumbled. "And here I thought I'd finally have a
chance to go wild..."
"Now, now," said Sleip. "We can have our fun later."
"Yes, precisely," agreed Hiya as the three stepped through the door.
They all had their arms outstretched, magic circles at the ready to attack at
any time.
I-I don't believe it... Zofina thought, cold sweat running down her brow
as she watched. Those three noticed the Calamity Earthdrake as well...
"Shall we be off too, Zofina?" said Flio, smiling as usual as he looked
up at her from the ground.
"A-Ah! Y-Yes, let us be off..." was all Zofina could say.
Not long afterwards, yet another dragon showed itself before the group.
"I-Is that Mushu-Fushu?!" Zofina cried, drawing her blade. Mushu-Fushu
was a monster of terrifying strength created by one of the Grand Magi of
Midnight in order to defeat a war god of the Celestial Plane. I can't believe
this! Zofina thought, clicking her tongue as she interposed herself between
Flio's group and Mushu-Fushu. Mushu-Fushu itself... Of all the magic
beasts imprisoned in Dogorogma, Mushu-Fushu is at least among the
strongest ten...
Mushu-Fushu opened its gaping maw and prepared to spew forth an
immense torrent of crimson flames.
The Crimson Lotus Eruption! Zofina thought. There's no way I can take
that attack head-on. B-But there's no time to dodge! Screwing up her face,
she swung her scythe, conjuring a magic shield in the air.
But then...
"Hrm..." mumbled Ghozal. "I've never seen a dragon like that in
Klyrode! Now...let's see if it can take one of my attacks!" His horn began to
glow. "Hammer of the Dark One!" he bellowed. He raised his arm, and an
enormous fist of light appeared in front of him, hovering above MushuFushu's head, poised to clobber.
Mushu-Fushu, however, sensing an abnormal presence, aimed its head
skywards and released its Crimson Lotus Eruption in an attempt to dispel
Ghozal's attack. An inferno spewed from its mouth with tremendous force
—enough destructive power to send even the mightiest of magics flying.
However...
"Nice trick," Ghozal said. "But too little, too late! Hah!" He brought his
arm down with a shout, and the giant fist followed suit, crashing through
the inferno and coming down atop Mushu-Fushu's head, squashing it flat. A
terrible cacophony echoed afar as the enormous dragon fell to the earth,
kicking up a prodigious cloud of sand and dust. When the debris settled,
Mushu-Fushu's body was buried, much the same as the Earthdrake had
been before.
Uliminas couldn't help letting out a gasp. "Haven't seen that meown for
a while..." she mused. "Ghozal's Hammer of the Dark Meown... It's just as
ameowzing as I remember..." A pink flush came to her cheeks as she
admired the sheer force of Ghozal's attack. He's still got it, she thought,
falling in love with her husband all over again.
Flio walked up to the body of Mushu-Fushu, half-buried in the ground.
He held out his arm and muttered a quick incantation. A magic circle
appeared, enveloping the dragon, which grew smaller and smaller before
their eyes until it was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.
"It looks like my magic works fine here too," Flio said, picking up the
magic circle with the dragon inside. He nodded, satisfied, as he cast a
healing spell on Mushu-Fushu.
Before long, Mushu-Fushu opened its eyes, only to be greeted by the
sight of Flio's face, which was many times bigger than its own body.
Startled, it began flying around in panicked circles.
"Hey, hang on, Mister Flio," Ghozal said, glancing between Flio and
Mushu-Fushu. "What's this about? Whatcha gonna do with a miniature
magic beast?"
Mushu-Fushu seemed to recognize that Ghozal had been the one to take
it out with his Hammer of the Dark One attack. It clung tightly to Flio and
began shaking as the former Dark One approached. Flio petted it gently on
the head, smiling down at it with his usual easygoing smile.
"I was just testing whether my magic would work on the magic beasts in
this world," Flio said as he held the dragon in his arms, regarding it fondly
as it rumbled affectionately. But what to do? he thought. If it's gotten so
attached to me already, I'd feel terrible using it for potion ingredients...
Zofina watched in disbelief as Flio and Ghozal carried on their
conversation, the miniaturized Mushu-Fushu between them. Th-They
knocked out the Mushu-Fushu with a single blow. And not only that, but
they also shrunk it down?! B-But Mushu-Fushu is said to be highly resistant
to magic!
Zofina could only watch silently from the air, not moving a muscle until
Flio eventually came to get her.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Kyu! Kyu!" the miniaturized Mushu-Fushu cried cutely in Elinàsze's
arms as the girl doted on the tiny dragon.
"Aha ha!" Elinàsze giggled. "Mushy's such a sweet little thing!"
"Wow!" Folmina exclaimed, beaming. "Mushy's the cutest!"
"It really is adorable," added Rislei, a smile on her face as well.
Sybe scampered up in its unicorn rabbit form. "Snuffle, snuffle!"
Elinàsze smiled brightly when she noticed the newcomer and squatted
down close to the ground. "Of course, you're adorable too, Sybe! I love you
very much! I'm sure you and Mushy will make wonderful friends."
Sybe stepped up right in front of Mushu-Fushu's face. "Snuffle!"
"Kyu!" cried Mushu-Fushu.
The two glared into each other's eyes, butting their foreheads together.
"Oh, tut tut..." said Elinàsze, quickly pulling Mushu-Fushu out of Sybe's
reach. "It looks like it will take some time for these two to become friends."
Mushu-Fushu blew a raspberry from the safety of Elinàsze's arms as Sybe
jumped up to bat at the dragon with its forepaws.
Sweat ran down Zofina's brow as she led the party along, glancing at the
scene from the corner of her eyes. "T-To think that the terrible MushuFushu would be so well-behaved. You'd think it was that girl's pet..." she
muttered in disbelief.
"Well, it doesn't seem like it can use its Crimson Lotus Eruption at that
size, and it appears to be fond of us as well," said Flio, smiling his usual
easygoing smile. "I don't see any harm in keeping it."
"A-Ah..." said Zofina after some time, speaking in a somewhat hollowsounding voice. "I see..." But I can hardly believe Mister Flio is a human...
she thought, stealing glances as she walked along at the head of the group.
And he had no trouble using his magic to store the Calamity Earthdrake
Miss Wyne defeated either...
The party continued through the forest, Zofina cutting away the massive
trees and thick undergrowth with her scythe to create a path. Above them,
the blue sky filtered through the canopy. They could hear the sound of
rushing water, likely that of a waterfall.
"Walking through a forest like this, you'd think we were still in the
world of Klyrode," said Flio, taking stock of their surroundings.
"I quite agree," said Rys, nodding and smiling as she walked along
beside him. "We've encountered a few magic beasts, but nothing that seems
especially out of the ordinary."
N-No! Zofina wanted to shout, but she managed to barely restrain
herself. Th-Those magic beasts we encountered earlier each held enough
power to destroy an entire world!
"My lord husband," said Rys, looking up at Flio. "We are going to be
spending the night in this world, correct? In that case, I would like to set up
our base somewhere near the water."
"Okay," said Flio. "Good idea." He waved his hand and cast the spell
Search. A window appeared in front of him, displaying a map of the
immediate area. Flio pored it over. "It looks like there's a big waterfall
feeding into a lake on the other side of this forest. Shall we set up camp
over there?"
Rys nodded happily. "Yes, that sounds perfect."
Zofina, who was standing at the head of the group, cast the spell Search
herself, using the full incantation. But the chaotic magnetic field of
Dogorogma dispersed her spell, leaving her none the wiser about her
immediate surroundings.
I-I've tried to cast this spell many times to show me the way in this
world, but not once have I succeeded, she thought, sighing loudly. But I
suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything Mister Flio is capable of, at
this point...
Zofina gave up on overthinking the situation and immediately felt much
better. She smiled. From then on, Zofina and the rest of the angels who had
come along to guide Flio through this world walked along at the back of the
group. It seemed the other angels bore Zofina no ill will—what else could
she do, under the circumstances?
◇ ◇ ◇
As they passed a corner of woods, suddenly, the area opened up wide.
Before them stood an enormous lake. To the north they could see a
torrential waterfall coming down from the sheer cliff above.
"Wow! It's so pretty-pretty!" Wyne darted forward, her eyes shining. As
she ran, she tossed off her clothes this way and that. Before anyone realized
what was happening, she was stark naked.
"W-Wait, Young Mistress Wyne! You mustn't do such shameful things!
I will not allow it!" Tanya chased after the dragonewt, skillfully snatching
the strewn-about clothes out of the air. Heedless of her own garter belt
showing through the slit in her skirt, she pelted after Wyne in the direction
of the lake.
Zofina smirked at the scene playing out in front of her. She and Tanya
had once served the same goddess as disciples of the Celestial Plane. "I
never thought I'd see our sulky work-hating Tanyalite be so aggressive in
pursuing her duties..." she remarked as Tanya pulled Wyne out of the lake
by the neck, back onto shore.
Flio watched the antics with wry amusement and then turned to look at
the lake itself. "Let me see..." he said. "That spot looks like a good place to
set up our base."
"R-Really? Over there?" Rys asked, following where Flio was pointing
with a dumbfounded expression on her face. The spot Flio had indicated
was none other than the massive waterfall itself.
"Yeah!" Flio confirmed. "Just watch." His usual easygoing smile on his
face, he made his way along the shore of the lake, towards the waterfall.
Rys followed along behind.
Not much later, Rys stepped inside the base Flio had set up. Her eyes
went wide. "I-I hardly expected such extravagant lodgings!"
The rest of Flio's household followed after her, their eyes going wide in
turn. Flio had excavated the rock wall on the other side of the waterfall with
magic, using the craggy stone as material for a splendid stonework manor.
"My goodness!" exclaimed Elinàsze, running up to look out the window.
"You can see the waterfall right outside!"
"Whoa!" Garyl agreed. "That's amazing!"
The rest of the young children—Rislei and Folmina and Ghoro—
mobbed in after them.
"Amazing!" said Sleip, clapping his fist into his hand. "That's Mister
Flio for you. Who else would have thought of this?"
"Hrm..." Ghozal nodded. "It's a pretty defensible position with the
waterfall in front of us and the rock wall in back. We shouldn't have to
worry too much about magic beast attacks like this."
"I'm still going to set up a barrier while we're here, just in case," Flio
said. "This is a different world, after all. Who knows what kind of magic
beasts might be around."
Sleip and Ghozal nodded, glad to be assured of their safety.
"And drawing water will be ever so easy with the waterfall right here!"
Rys said, beaming.
"The water is passable as well," Tia remarked happily, catching the
water in her cupped hands and trying a sip. "I will be able to make good tea
with this."
"The floor plan is the same as the house in Houghtow," said Flio. "You
can use your usual spots for your rooms if you like."
"Thank you!!!" cried the party—although the children's voices were the
loudest.
The house was built into the cliff face, meaning that farther inside from
the front entrance, the sunlight didn't reach at all. But Flio used projection
art magic in the places where the house's windows were supposed to be,
giving them a view of the surrounding area and also illuminating the rooms.
"All right!" declared Garyl. "Let's leave the luggage in our room and go
play in the lake!"
"Okay!" said Folmina. "I'm coming too!"
"If big sis Folmina's going, I'm going..." said Ghoro.
"Ah ha ha ha ha!" Wyne laughed. "I'm coming too!"
"Now, Wyne, you mustn't take off your clothes this time!" insisted
Elinàsze. "At the very least, put on a swimsuit before— Oh no, she's
already naked..."
The children chatted happily as they made their way upstairs towards the
kids' bedroom.
Zofina took a look around the base. Just like Flio had said, it was a
perfect copy of his house in Klyrode. She smiled dryly. Behind her, her
subordinate angels had nearly identical expressions on their own faces. I
expected to be sleeping in the open air, or perhaps in a tent... she thought. I
can't believe it. He built an actual mansion in the middle of Dogorogma...
"Still," she muttered aloud. "I suppose we've seen Mister Flio do far
more impressive things already, haven't we...?" The other disciples of the
Celestial Plane nodded in agreement. Their senses were starting to feel
numb after experiencing so many outlandish feats one after another.
Flio came up to the angels, who were standing around in the living
room. "Hello, Zofina. There don't seem to be any more of the giant magic
beasts from earlier around the base. We're thinking of hunting for our
dinner tonight in the nearby area. Would you care to join us?"
"I-I see," Zofina said. "I have been intending to make a survey of
Dogorogma's present state myself. I'd be happy to accompany you."
"In that case, we'll set out as soon as everyone's ready. Oh, and all of
you, please feel free to use the bedrooms on the third floor. I created enough
for each of you to have a private room."
"A-Ah! Th-Thank you. For all sorts of things..." Zofina said, bowing her
head. Her original plan had been to find a decent camping spot and set up a
tent, and for herself and all the angels to stand guard to ensure the safety of
Flio and the rest of his group. She had been spared the all-nighter, but
instead she found herself mostly worrying about whether she was getting in
Flio's way.
◇ ◇ ◇
They set out from the base and headed up to explore the forest at the
head of the waterfall. Zofina and the other angels were on guard, scythes in
hand...but they were the only ones. Rys walked along carrying a picnic
basket. Tia had brought a parasol and strolled along at a leisurely pace.
Sybe had reverted to its psychobear form, with a smiling Elinàsze riding on
its shoulders. Folmina and Garyl were frolicking together and chatting
happily. All in all, it was the very picture of a happy family.
Flio, who was walking at the head of the group, came to a stop. They
had come to the river that fed the waterfall below. It flowed gently as it
snaked and zig-zagged its way to the cliff. There was a decent amount of
empty space at its bank.
"This looks like a good spot to set up in," Flio said.
"Understood," Tanya replied, stepping forward. "Allow me..." She
waved her arm, and her scythe appeared in her hand. She swung it once,
and a table and set of chairs appeared in the middle of the empty space,
followed by a stone oven for cooking.
"Wow!" Wyne gasped in awe. "That was awesome-awesome, Tanya!"
"I could hardly call myself a maid of Master Flio's house if I could not
do at least this much, Young Mistress Wyne," Tanya said, bowing deeply.
Zofina winced at the sight. "N-No, Tanyalite... You are a disciple of the
Celestial Plane like us, are you not...?"
Indeed, just as Zofina said, Tanya had been an angel from the Celestial
Plane who had been ordered to investigate Flio, but a freak collision with
Wyne had left her utterly bereft of memories. One way or another, she had
ended up falling into the role of Flio's household maid.
"Disciple of the Celestial Plane?" Tanya asked. "I'm afraid I have no
idea what you are talking about." Her face showed no recognition
whatsoever.
Zofina was completely at a loss.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Please do let me know if any of you would like more tea," Tia said as
she poured her own homemade black tea for everyone in the party.
"Ahhh!" Calsi'im sighed as he drained his cup. "Lady Rys and Lady
Tanya make quite a cup of tea themselves, but nobody does it better than
Tia, as far as I'm concerned!" His bony jaw rattled with laughter.
"Goodness, Calsi'im!" Tia said, refilling the skeleton's empty cup. "If
you're going to say such kind things, what can I do but pour you another
cup?"
Tia really does have quite a range of expressions for a magic doll... Flio
thought as he watched. You'd think she was a living being... He spent a bit
of time observing Tia's behavior. Come to think of it, I read that book about
magic dolls back when I first made Minilio... Didn't it say something like,
"A magic doll that learns the true joy of life may become something
indistinguishable from a living person"?
"Papa!" said Elinàsze, pulling him out of his thoughts. "I'll set up our
defenses!" She began her incantation, conjuring a number of magic circles.
Inside the circles appeared what looked to be armored knights with mighty
wings on their backs, each holding a spear and shield. This was the spell
Guardian Angel, one of Elinàsze's specialties. Summoning magic was
difficult even for advanced magic users, but Elinàsze could use it handily.
The knights moved to the perimeter of the camp, keeping watch over
everything inside.
"Okay!" said Garyl, taking off past the guards. "I'll go hunting in that
field over there!"
"Gare-Gare! I'm coming too!" Wyne declared, munching on a sandwich
as she followed along.
"Me too!" said Folmina.
"M-Me too...!" Ghoro said, following along shyly.
"H-Hold on a moment, Ghoro!" said Rislei. "It's dangerous to go alone.
I'm coming with you!" She smiled, happy to look after the other children.
"Ha ha ha!" Ghozal laughed as he watched. "Seems like everyone's
having a good time in Dogorogma."
"Yes." Balirossa smiled. "It warms my heart to see the children having
so much fun."
"Hm?" Suddenly, Flio's expression turned curious as he cocked his
head.
"What is the matter, my lord husband?" Rys asked, taking a sip of tea.
"Oh," said Flio. "It looks like something's headed our way..."
"Indeed? I'm afraid my own ability to sense the presence of beings
doesn't work as well in Dogorogma..."
Rys took to her feet and got ready for a fight. Next to her, Sleip and
Tanya readied their weapons. Zofina and the rest of the angels took off after
the children, scythes in hand.
Ghozal, however, just laughed. "What's got you all so worried? Mister
Flio seems perfectly relaxed!"
◇ ◇ ◇
Garyl had left the forest behind him and was running through the grassy
fields when he sensed a presence. He stopped in his tracks, peering out
across the plains. "Huh? Is something coming?"
"Something's coming-coming?" Wyne came to an abrupt halt beside
Garyl, following his gaze with an expression of eager excitement on her
face.
"What is it, big brother?" asked Folmina, clutching Garyl's arm and
looking up with worry.
They saw something rustle in the tall grass, charging in their direction
with alarming force.
"What is it? What's coming?" Rislei let go of Ghoro's hand, hastily
transforming into her lichsteed centaur form and getting ready to fight.
Garyl stepped in front of Rislei before she could do anything. "I'm not
sure..." he said. "But here—lemme try something..." He lowered his body
into a fighting stance and faced forward.
As if in response, a bloodcurdling cry came from the field ahead.
"Graaaaaaaaah!!!"
Garyl's eyes went wide as he got a good look at the thing. "Whoa... This
one's out of this world!" It had the head of a maned wolf, the wings of a
bat, and a scorpion's tail to boot.
Just then, Flio himself emerged from the forest. He was looking at a
window that showed an image of the magic beast charging towards Garyl
and the other children. "'The manticore, a chimera magic beast'..." He read.
"'A Beast of Disaster that appeared in the world of Lillica, made of many
different magic beasts fused together'... It doesn't look like it can use
magic, but that poisonous tail might be bad news." Flio waved a single
finger and the manticore's tail vanished into thin air. "Okay, I managed to
take its tail and put it in storage. Everyone, be careful of its claws! Make
sure it doesn't get you with a jump attack!"
"Got it, dad!" Garyl nodded and darted towards the manticore.
"W-Wait! Big brother?!" Rislei, who had been waiting for the beast to
come to them, was startled for a moment and then went trotting after Garyl.
Wyne wasn't far behind. "Gare-Gare! Leave it to your big sis Wyne!"
"Big brother!" said Folmina. "I can fight too!"
"W-Well, if Folmina's fighting, I will too...!" Ghoro followed along after
the others.
Garyl's hands transformed into lupine claws as he ran, charging straight
for the manticore. The beast tried to raise its scorpion tail, only to realize
belatedly that it was no longer there. Perturbed, it bent its powerful legs and
leapt high into the air. It came hurtling down towards Garyl, its massive
claws poised to skewer the boy like a shish kebab. However...
The manticore looked around, puzzled. The boy who had been running
straight towards it was nowhere in sight. It spread its massive wings and
flew in a circle, inspecting the ground below.
"Dad told me to watch out for your jumps." Garyl's voice came from
above the manticore's head. It looked up to see Garyl, who had jumped
even higher than the manticore itself. He swung his lupine claws as he came
down on the beast's head. The manticore tried to dodge, but Garyl was
faster. That one attack was all it took to send it plummeting towards the
ground.
"Kyeeeeeee!" As the manticore fell, Wyne rose up to meet it with
alarming speed, flapping her dragon wings for all they were worth,
headbutting it right in the underbelly. Garyl and Wyne's combination attack
was more than the manticore could take—it collapsed to the ground.
Folmina came running up as the manticore tried to pull itself to its feet,
swinging her right arm in wide circles, not particularly fast. "Fol! Mi! Na!
Punch!!!" she cried as she swung her arm at the manticore's face. It struck
with far more power than the tiny girl looked capable of producing,
knocking the monster back on its belly.
Ghoro came running up behind. "I-If Folmina's fighting, I have to do
my best..." he said, swinging his own fist, striking the manticore in almost
the exact same place as his sister once, then twice, then three times. With
each punch, a horrifying crunching sound filled the air. After six of the
deadly blows, the monster was no longer so much as twitching.
"B-But..." Rislei said, frowning. "I didn't get a turn..."
"I really didn't expect that to be so one-sided..." Flio said. The magic
circle he had prepared in case some emergency happened vanished, and he
strolled up to gather the manticore the kids had vanquished only to stop
halfway. "Huh?" Flio looked in the direction of the grassy plain the
manticore had come from. "Hmm... It looks like there's a whole herd of
smaller magic beasts over there. None of them are on the level of the
manticore, but they'll make good side dishes for tonight's dinner." He put
the manticore in storage and headed in the direction of the magic beasts'
habitat, his usual easygoing smile on his face.
Garyl came running up to his father. "Dad! Let me come too!"
"Ah ha ha!" Wyne laughed, coming to land from the sky right behind
Garyl. "Let's play-play more!"
"Just make sure you let me do something this time!" said Rislei, running
behind in her centaur form.
"I'll do my best too!" said Folmina, once again swinging her arm in
those wide circles.
"I-If Folmina's coming, I'll come too..." said Ghoro, staying close by
Folmina's side and swinging his own arm in an imitation of her.
Zofina watched the children with a smile on her face. "Even without its
tail, a manticore is enough of a threat to destroy an entire kingdom on its
own. Although, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything Flio and the
others' children can do..." Her smile had a strange quality to it, as if she had
completely given up on understanding the things happening around her.
The other angels nodded in silent agreement.
As for the children in question, they were advancing cheerfully with
Garyl at the head of the group, taking out magic beast after magic beast.
"All right! Another!"
"Ah ha ha! Another, another!"
"Hah! Eat my hooves!"
"Fol! Mi! Na! Punch!!!"
"M-Me too... Punch!!!"
Flio had taken a step back, allowing the children to fight the magic
beasts on their own using all kinds of advanced skills and magic while he
casually gave them support, sealing the beasts' magic or nullifying their
attacks, and putting the beasts' carcasses in storage upon defeat.
Zofina and the other angels watched with blank-eyed smiles on their
faces. What else could they do?
"Excuse me, good angels," said Tia, coming up from behind with a pot
of tea in her hand. "Would any of you care for another cup?" Preparations at
the campsite now finished, Tia had come along with everyone else to check
on how the children and angels were getting along.
"O-Oh!" said an angel. "Yes, thank you very much."
"Thank you most graciously for the tea," said another.
With practiced elegant gestures, Tia filled a cup of black tea for each of
the disciples of the Celestial Plane. Zofina looked deep into her own cup.
"This turned out to be a very laid-back mission, didn't it...?"
The angels had come to Dogorogma as guides and protectors. Zofina
had been expecting the worst. But here they were, lazing about, sitting on
fallen logs or stones and drinking tea. Some of the angels were so relaxed
that they had started to yawn as they watched the mountain of magic beasts
felled by Garyl and the others grow larger and larger.
◇ ◇ ◇
Eventually, the children wrapped up their hunt and headed back to the
base to rest.
"I'm gonna look around the area a little bit while dinner's being made,"
Flio said. He went off on his own, and soon enough he found himself
entering the canyon a little ways away from the base.
The river that flowed into the lake in front of their base was surrounded
by steep cliffs, making it hard to explore on foot, so Flio used the spell Fly
to explore from the air. "The magic energy is so chaotic in this world," he
remarked. "I keep having trouble with my Search spell..." His Search
window was open to the side of his field of vision, keeping him updated on
his surroundings, but it was having trouble. From time to time it would go
blank, reading only: "Unable to display due to chaotic magic energy."
The magic of Dogorogma was chaotic enough that the Zofina and the
other disciples of the Celestial Plane were almost entirely unable to use
spells like Search. It was so bad that even Flio sometimes experienced
minor interference.
"I shouldn't take too long," Flio said to himself as he flew along the
canyon. "I don't want to make Rys worry."
Suddenly, a number of large flashing red dots appeared in the window,
in the direction Flio was headed. "Looks like something's there..." he
muttered, looking ahead before continuing on.
There was a loud rumbling sound from all over. Whatever was ahead
had sensed Flio coming. Then, from within the canyon, a magic beast
emerged.
Flio stopped in midair and looked around. There were no fewer than six
enormous dragons, each with their own peculiarities to their bodies. It was
clear that they were the same sort of thing as the Calamity Wyrm that had
stumbled into the world of Klyrode and Flio's path not long ago—fearsome
Beasts of Disaster with enough power to destroy entire worlds, reviled
throughout the cosmos as bringers of ruin.
Even among the many types of magic beasts born from a world's
corruption, these were particularly deadly, with hard scales that deflected
magic back at the caster. It had taken dozens of goddesses and angels from
the Celestial Plane to capture a single one and bring it here to Dogorogma
where it could be imprisoned.
The canyon Flio had entered was one of the places in Dogorogma where
Calamity Wyrms made their nests. If Zofina and the others had encountered
such a group, they would have fled immediately and called for backup from
the Celestial Plane. Flio, however...
"Six of them, huh?" he said, a big smile on his face. "Looks like we
don't need to worry about finding more ingredients for the Calamity
Healing Potion for a while!" He spread his arms, and a number of enormous
magic circles appeared in the sky, rotating slowly.
Something about the magic circles seemed to frighten the Calamity
Wyrms. They roared menacingly, but Flio continued casting as the wyrms
flew up into the air and descended upon Flio to blow him out of the sky.
The moment before they attacked, Flio pointed his arms straight ahead.
The magic circles moved suddenly towards the Calamity Wyrms. Sensing
something was wrong, the dragons unleashed their breath on the circles,
intending to destroy them before they could unleash magic. Flio and the
circles alike were engulfed in the flame...only for all of it to be harmlessly
absorbed by the magic circles.
The magic circles made contact with the wyrms. They scattered, trying
to escape, but the circles were faster. They engulfed the dragons, whose
enormous bodies began to shrink and shrink. A couple wyrms saw what
was happening to their companions and beat their wings, trying to escape
into the canyon. Flio followed their movements, waving his arms, and one
of the magic circles changed course, following the survivors with unerring
accuracy. Before long, all six had been captured.
"All right," Flio said. "Looks like that's all of them." He checked his
extradimensional storage box and confirmed that six Calamity Wyrms were
listed among its contents. Flio nodded, satisfied. "Dinner's probably ready
by now," he said. "I should get back before anyone starts to worry."
With his usual easygoing smile on his face, Flio flew back in the
direction of the base as the sky turned red with the sunset.
◇Dogorogma—Flio's Home Base◇
"Oh, welcome home, my lord husband!" Rys waved eagerly, running out
from behind the waterfall where she had been preparing dinner when she'd
seen Flio coming from overhead.
"I'm home, Rys!" said Flio.
"You're just in time. I finished making dinner only moments ago. Now,
come! This way!" She took Flio by the arm and led him inside. The table
and chairs from the campsite had been moved to the lakeshore, laden with
plates of hot food waiting for them. Flio recognized them as the ones Tanya
had conjured back at the campsite. The stone oven was there as well; Tanya
was busy using it to sear a large chunk of meat.
"Wow!" said Garyl, drooling. "It smells so good!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" agreed Wyne. She was drooling so much her face was
wet with slobber. "So good! So good!"
All around them, Byleri, Balirossa, and Belano were busy carrying
plates of food to the table.
Blossom was squatting on the ground a short distance away. "Huh," she
said. "Y'know, Dogorogma has some pretty good soil. I bet I could make a
decent farm with this stuff!"
"Bworf!" cried Sybe, nodding happily.
Ghozal, meanwhile, had a fishing rod in his hand, line cast into the
nearby lake. He was wearing a straw hat and watching the line closely.
Suddenly, he got a hit, the lure sinking beneath the surface. "Mh?" Not
missing a beat, he pulled on his rod. Suddenly, the placid lake surface began
to froth and bubble. "Hrm! I got one!"
"Wow!" Folmina jumped for joy. "You're amazing, papa!"
"Ha ha ha!" Ghozal laughed. "The fish here are easy! I suppose they've
never had to deal with a fisherman before!" True to his words, there was
already a great pile of fish behind him.
The fish, of course, were not regular fish at all. They were Fish of
Disaster, each with enough magic power to destroy a fleet of merchant
ships. Ghozal, however, was using his own magic to enhance his fishing,
and simply pulled them out of the water one after the other. Excited for
another catch, he gave a boisterous laugh and pulled his rod up as hard as
he could.
Splash! With a tremendous sound, a massive fish flew out of the water,
fully ten meters in length. Ghozal hoisted it up with supernatural strength
and tossed it onto the pile, where it flopped and splashed all around.
Ghoro came tottering up to the struggling fish. "T-Take that...!" he said,
punching it hard in the face and knocking it up into the air. It came down
again on top of the fish pile, perfectly still.
Rys smiled as she watched. "The children hunted a great deal of magic
beasts this afternoon, while Ghozal's been fishing up one magic fish beast
after another. I thought it only made sense to do a barbecue for dinner
tonight."
Flio nodded, smiling. "That's a good idea. It'll be a fun time for
everyone, after coming all this way." He took to his feet. "I guess I should
go pitch in."
Rys, however, placed a hand on Flio's shoulder, pushing him back down
in his chair. "No, my lord husband. You've already done a great deal today.
You should take the opportunity to rest. Just leave everything to your
beloved Rys!" A smile on her face, she darted back to the stove.
Flio smiled as he watched her run off. "I suppose I'll let her dote on me
a bit for tonight, then."
"Excuse me, Mister Flio..." Zofina said, stepping up to him. "Perhaps
we can discuss our plans for tomorrow before our dinner?"
"Our plans for tomorrow?" Flio asked.
"Yes. We need to discuss where to look for magic beasts that can serve
as materials for your Calamity Healing Potions." Zofina conjured a
window, displaying a map of the area.
The other angels were on standby behind her. They had done nothing all
day except relax and watch Garyl and the other children hunt, but their real
mission was to secure Beasts of Calamity that Flio could use for
ingredients. They couldn't just relax the entire time they were here. They
seemed stressed, in fact—the awareness of their mission must have been
weighing on them the entire time.
Flio gave her his usual easygoing smile. "Oh," he said. "There's no need
to worry about that. I just caught six more Calamity Wyrms while I was on
a walk earlier."
"Excuse me?!" the angels exclaimed in pure shock, eyes opened wide.
"U-Um, Mister Flio..." Zofina ventured. "You mean to say you have
already captured the Calamity Wyrms...?"
"Yes, that's right."
"A-And, six of them?"
"Yes, that's right."
"A-And don't tell me...you did this...by yourself?"
"Yes, that's right."
Flio answered all of Zofina's questions with a smile on his face. The
angels stared in disbelief, their eyes showing no sign of going back to
normal.
"The meat is ready! Zofina, you and your angels go ahead and sit
down!" Rys came back from the kitchen, carrying a platter of sliced meat.
Everyone took their seats.
"S-So..." one of the angels said. "Lady Zofina... What are we going to
do tomorrow?"
"It doesn't matter," Zofina said, smirking. "Our mission is already
complete. Why don't we just spend our time relaxing at Mister Flio's
house?" This was supposed to be a dangerous mission, she thought,
nodding to herself. Hardly anyone wanted to come along. I can hardly
believe it turned out like this... Behind her, Tanya was cutting the heads off
the magic fish beast Ghozal had caught using an oversized saw.
The sky was already dark, but the lakeshore was lit up by a large wood
fire Flio and the others had made and the area was full of cheerful voices.
◇Klyrode Castle—A Few Days Later◇
One night, a knock came on the door of the Third Princess's private
chambers.
The Third Princess had finished her work for the night and gotten
absorbed in her reading "Come in!" she said. "The door's open!"
The Maiden Queen stepped in, clad in casual clothes, a troubled look on
her face. "Excuse me, Swann. Do you have a moment?"
"Of course, my sister the Queen. Whatever is the matter?" Swann, the
third princess of Klyrode, looked up vacantly at her sister.
"Well..." she began. "I know how much you love books, Swann. I was
wondering if you had heard of Dogorogma, by chance?"
"I have," Swann said. "It comes up in stories from time to time.
Dogorogma is a world full of terrible magic beasts. There are a number of
famous tales about it, such as the one in which a great wizard takes their
family on a trip to Dogorogma, and the one about a hero of legend who was
deceived and transformed into a dragon..."
"And these are...fictional stories?"
"Yes, precisely. Do you really believe there's a place full of imprisoned
magic beasts from other worlds?" Swann laughed at her sister's question.
"I-I see..." the Maiden Queen said. "I apologize for bothering you so late
at night."
"Is that all?" Swann asked.
"Y-Yes, thank you very much." The Maiden Queen forced a smile and
left the room.
The Maiden Queen glanced at the communication ring on her finger that
let her speak with Garyl as she walked down the hallway back to her own
room. Yes, that's right... she thought. Dogorogma is a world that appears in
fictional stories. S-So, why would Garyl tell me that he had been "hanging
out in Dogorogma"...? She tilted her head and thought about it some more,
but the Maiden Queen simply could not find a satisfactory explanation.