Chapter 49: Full Moon Bazaar ⑨

Late at night.
Jinryuu Family Main Estate.

A loud CRASH shook the main gate—it was destroyed.

A dozen or so guards charged in like an avalanche.

At the forefront stood the elegant Giza, dressed as a butler, and Hoss, clad in Dwarf armor.

“Stop! Stop! What’s the meaning of this?!”

Line after line of Barrow’s private soldiers had formed in front of the estate.

They wore fine armor, but every one of them looked menacing.

A massive man in armor wielding a huge axe-pike was especially terrifying. He did not look like a proper soldier.

“I am Giza, chief butler of the Zensera family.”
“Z-Zensera…?!”
“Barrow, the head, is already dead. This estate has been purchased at auction by our Zensera family.”
“W-What… Impossible…”

“Barrow’s private soldiers! You’ve always had a bad reputation. You’re all fired immediately!”

Giza drew his sword—not his true weapon, but a rapier.

“Don’t mess with us, you bastards! We’ll take care of them!”
“Where’s Ruma?!”

Hoss roared, pointing his halberd at the large private soldier. The man wore old leather armor—actually a Dwarf-made metal alloy of magic copper, silver, and iron: light, flexible, and strong.

“What the hell are you?”
“That’s irrelevant. Where’s Ruma?”
“Ruma? Oh, that girl. She could have been Barrow’s wife, but she had extras attached, so even though she’s a fine woman, we couldn’t… play with her.”
“What…?”

“All the other toys are dead or sold anyway. But as long as Barrow was alive—oh? That butler-looking one is pretty nice.”

The large soldier leered at Giza inappropriately.

“Scum! Barrow is dead.”
“You’re still dreaming. As long as Laada exists, that’s impossible. You thought you could strike while we were away? Fools. Fine. I’ve decided. Everyone else dies. You’ll become our new toy.”

“Where’s Ruma, huh?”
“Argh!? Stop screaming Ruma already! Don’t worry—you’ll die first, then we’ll toy with her before sending her to the same hell as you! With that brat Samaniya too!”

The private soldier swung his massive axe-pike at Hoss. Perfect for his size, deadly.

Hoss did not dodge. He struck the axe-pike with his glowing white halberd, slicing it to pieces like sugar candy.

“Huh? N-No way!?”
“Go to hell alone.”

Hoss swung his halberd in a horizontal arc, cutting the giant soldier clean in two.

The private soldiers were in shock.

“Whaaa?! Captain!?”
“That captain… is down!?”
“No way! He was the thief gang leader!”
“Even enhanced by great strength, and he went down easily!?”

“Impressive. Well done, Hoss.”
“Move ahead first.”

“You, capture these! They’re thieves!”

Under Giza’s command, guards rounded up the private soldiers one by one. Those who resisted were slain without mercy.

Hoss and Giza stormed the estate, interrogating servants and clearing any private soldiers in their way.

Even those claiming to be Jinryuu’s guardian knights were cut down if obstructive.

Both were incredibly strong. The aura of imminent danger emanating from them was palpable.

Eventually, they found Ruma and Samaniya in the estate’s dungeon. Hoss was elated.

Late at night. Mobile Palace, ??? Room.

Just one night… and it felt this long.

After fighting Laada, an even bigger incident occurred.

The culprit? The witch.

She had tried to put Barrow’s corpse up for VIP auction, but was stopped.

Still, she leveraged every title, rumor, and authority she had, forcing her way through. The VIP auction became an absolute chaos.

“Basically, the Jinryuu Family demolition show,” someone remarked.
“…Huh?”

Why did the witch go that far? Was it reckless, malicious, or just mischief?

Seiran asked, driven by emotion. The witch laughed.

She was angry at Barrow and the three main families. The VIPs swarming to take advantage were equally guilty.

So she auctioned Barrow’s corpse—the source of the problem—as the Jinryuu family’s next heir. The item was titled, “You too will end up like this someday.”

Naturally, there was backlash. Especially relatives of the Jinryuu family who suddenly lost the heir—they fully opposed it. They raged at the witch for killing Barrow. That was the beginning of their end.

They had fallen into the trap of provoking an innocent witch, and were drawn into a losing fight using several Relic wielders to question the truth.

As a result, the Jinryuu estate and inheritance became the witch’s. But she did not want it and auctioned everything.

The Zensera and Gouro families competed, ending the Jinryuu family. Their servants and clan shifted allegiance to the two families. Remaining relatives also became subordinates.

The estate went to the Zensera family. The Gouro family backed off once they learned of Ruma and Samaniya.

Once Ruma and Samaniya’s existence was known, some relatives and servants were captured. Hoss and Giza were now heading to the Jinryuu estate with guards.

Barrow’s corpse was jointly purchased by the two families, displayed for a week in Haizen’s main plaza, then incinerated.

“Exposing a corpse in Haizen… it’s been centuries,” someone remarked.
“I hope it never happens again.”
“Indeed… but this time, frustrating as it is, that she-witch won. We realized how little Pon and the others were paying attention to Haizen. When the first female hunter was abducted, we did nothing.”
“….”
“Even when it was confirmed as Barrow, we didn’t act immediately.”
“….”
“We treated it as someone else’s problem until actual damage occurred.”
“The witch must have planned this visual from the moment she got news to eliminate Barrow.”
“The VIP area demand was part of that plan too?”

Seiran looked awkwardly at my face.

“Probably. Yes. Even running the shop had that as the real purpose. She must’ve been really pissed.”

That witch seemed suspiciously proactive, which was unusual. She just does what she wants, more than I do.

“…We need to reflect seriously.”

Seiran was downcast. This was the Zensera family VIP area in the Mobile Palace, her room.

The witch had rampaged and returned to the shop. Shaldina and Anna Kreutzen continued tending the shop. Mineha stayed as well.

Why was I in her room? She invited me to join for light tea.

I sipped tea brewed from expensive leaves, in expensive cups on an elegant table. Indeed, high-quality tea has a profound aroma.

“Witch’s apprentice, what do you intend to do next?”
“Well… haven’t had much downtime, so I’ll relax a bit, then return home.”
“Will you participate in Forest Wave?”
“Hmm… I’ll ask everyone first.”

Personally, I’m already full from fighting Laada. I want to tour Haizen slowly.

“This year, the Gouro family is determined. They’re targeting the ‘Kizumono’ and even teamed with Coon Hunt.”
“…‘Kizumono’? Something the Sword of Swords failed to finish?”
“Yes, and more. The reason the Kizumono hasn’t been caught yet is due to a Relic—a Relic that erases the opponent’s Relic. Not just an effect, it erases the opponent’s Relic itself.”

A counter-Relic… and powerful.

“I hear whoever defeats it will obtain that Relic.”

I understand the desire, but is it worth the risk? Erasing another’s Relic is dangerous.

“The reason Gouro wants it so badly is a curse.”
“Curse…?”
“The Gouro head made a mistake. Entered Haizen’s forbidden forest and his daughter was cursed. Attempts to remove it failed.”
“Forbidden forest?”
“In Heizen’s deep forest. Said to be off-limits. Entering causes a curse.”
“And the daughter was cursed by it.”

“Now subdued, but that crab guy was very greedy. The most ambitious of the three families.”
“Crab? You mean… the one with a crab head?”

I recalled talking with the witch. That was impactful.

“Yes. The Gouro head, Puaman Club.”

I pondered a bit.

“His crab head is the curse?”
“No. It’s not a curse.”
“Not a curse?”
“Yes, he’s naturally born with a crab head.”

A crab head—naturally?

“Then his daughter?”
“No, she’s an elf. He also has several sons, and a wife.”
“…Sons? Any with crab heads?”
“No.”
“Becoming the head makes the head crab-shaped?”
“No way.”
“Ah, I see.”

Then what’s with that crab head? Fish heads too—what’s up with them?

Also… how much longer until the Full Moon Bazaar ends?

Sigh… this tea is delicious.

Heizen Great Forest.

“They went that way! Liv!”
“Mm… Sora no Subaru… My Blade…”

Liv’s blade glowed red, sending red slashes that scattered the water-dancer monsters.

Lupinas raised her shield. She was protecting Pakira, a white-clad dancer.

“<Ritahara. Kararita. Remurita. Rita. Hararita. Ra. Rita. Shuku. Hara. Shuku. Rita. Amrita. Hararita. Shukurita. Rita. Ka. Rita.>”

She tapped the staff on the ground. Rainbow-colored ripples spread in an octagon briefly.

Pakira spun gracefully, twirling the staff, singing, and dancing. A mysterious, sacred aura filled the air.

A giant whirlpool cloud began forming above part of the forest. Occasional bluish-white lightning flashed. The whirlpool grew steadily.

Pakira spun her staff, twirling her body, singing and dancing.

“<I pray. Prayer of all heavens. Prayer of the festival. Prayer of the Dragon. Shukushuku. Ka. Hararita. Hararita. Ritahara. Amrita. Ra. Shuku. Rita. Shuku. Hararita. Uru. Shukurita. Hararita. On—Come, Light of Mausoleum>…!”

Immediately, a beam of bluish-white light poured from the cloud, striking the High-Crystal Gacharocturtle and surrounding monsters.

A dome-shaped flash erupted, followed by an explosion.

Rainbow-colored ripples spread briefly, then vanished.

Silence returned. Liv cautiously set foot at the epicenter.

“Liv… how is it?”
“Mm… Gacha… miss… Blue-Red Crystal.”
“Again?”
“Phew… dancing tires me. So, how was it?”

Liv proudly displayed the blue-red crystal. Pakira sighed.

“Again with that.”
“…I could sell it… but… Liv’s bored…”
“Well, at least you’re not struggling financially.”
“Yes, indeed.”

Lupinas and Pakira exchanged wry smiles.

In the distance, birds chirped.