Chapter 50: Trading City Haizen ⑭ – Seema’s Work ①

Two days had passed since the Full Moon Bazaar.

At breakfast, finally with everyone gathered, the witch spoke.

“By the way, we’ve secured cooperation with Puaman.”
“Really!?”

Hoss leapt up energetically.

Unintentionally, all eyes turned to him, and he slowly sank back into his seat, shrinking a little.

“Yes, yes. Not only will he participate in the Forest Wave to hunt the ‘Kizumono,’ but he also gladly agreed to the use of any relics afterward.”
“That’s good…”
“That’s great!”
“Good stuff!”
“Na!”

The women all spoke warmly to Hoss. That was nice, but…

“…Participate, you say?”
“Well, well, it came from their side. Young Wof’s participation was an absolute condition.”
“Uh, well, that’s fine, I guess…”

It’s an emergency situation—fine. But an absolute condition?

They must know about my history with Coon Hunt. I don’t think they would interfere in this situation… yet the phrasing “absolute condition” was worrisome.

Still, because of Ruma, refusing was not an option.

On that day—the day of the Full Moon Bazaar—Hoss and the others had stormed the Jinryuu estate.

I’d heard he had performed brilliantly in the intense battle.

They found the basement and discovered Samaniya and Ruma.

But Ruma was… still sleeping on the bed in the guest room on the second floor of this hideout.

Even killing Barrow did not break her curse. If anything, it worsened.

Since being discovered, she has been bedridden with no signs of waking. Elixirs were ineffective.

According to the witch, the curse violates the effective area of elixirs, so they simply don’t work.

And it was determined to be Laada’s curse, not Barrow’s.

Even in death, Barrow continued to cause trouble.

Currently, Samaniya is nursing her.

The witch said she wouldn’t last long. Finding a method to remove the curse seemed hopeless.

The only possible hope lies with the relic of the ‘Kizumono’.

A relic that can erase other relics could also erase the relic that is this curse.

To maximize certainty, they decided to rely on the Gouro family’s ‘Kizumono’ hunt.

The Gouro family is allied with Coon Hunt, with whom I have a history.

But now is not the time to worry about that.

Competing with Gouro or inefficiently hunting the Kizumono isn’t the point.

Ruma’s life is on the line.

Seiran mediated, and the witch negotiated with the head of the Puaman Club.

Surprisingly, he was friendly and immediately agreed when told the situation. He mentioned something about being a servant of the queen, though what that meant was unclear.

“Na?”
“I’m participating. Of course for Ruma, but I have history with the ‘Kizumono’.”
“…History?”
“Of course. First and foremost, to save Ruma!”

Hoss’s eyes blazed.

“I’m participating too. I want some exercise, try out what I’ve received, and ‘Torquetam’ is over there!”
“Seems so.”

‘Torquetam’.

Samaniya, who lived with us, confirmed its location in the Haizen Great Forest.

There were things to give them, and things Liv would need to fix.

“By the way, Kon won’t participate. Too many things to handle here.”

“Shaldina also won’t join. Must take care of household matters.”

“…!”
“Anna Kreutzen said she’s staying behind too.”
“Na!”
“Dagaa says she’ll join.”
“I, for my part, cannot participate. I need to board today’s ship back to the mainland.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Reluctantly, but we’ll meet again if fate allows.”
“Na!”

That left Mineha.

She ate breakfast quietly in her faerial form, slightly looking down.

“So, Mineha, what will you do?”
“…I—”
“Do I have to decide immediately?”

I offered a small intervention; the witch seemed to sense it.

“No, no, there’s still time. This year’s Forest Wave—apparently, the first round is three days from now.”
“That’s barely any time!”
“No, no, Young Wof. You should aim for the second or last round.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The Kizumono doesn’t appear in the first round. The first is just a preliminary. If it appears, it’ll be the second. No, the last. The Kizumono is the king of the Haizen Great Forest, after all.”
“I see…”
“Well, either way, it takes four days to get there.”

Torquetam could not participate in the Full Moon Bazaar, likely because the days were miscalculated.

After breakfast, I spoke to the witch and Mineha.

“Um, there’s something I want both of you to see.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Do I need to? It’s that thing… the spear-like thing.”
“Yes, that one.”
“Oh? How interesting.”
“I’ll show it here.”

I took the spear from my pouch.

The witch’s expression changed when she saw it.

“Hmm… well, well… could it be… this…?”
“Witch?”

It was slightly different from usual—a gaze filled with deep emotion.

“This is so boring,” Mineha spat.

“Hmmm… Young Wof, could you put this away for now and follow Kon? Mineha, you too.”
“Understood.”
“Me too?”
“Go on, go now.”

We left the hideout, following the witch down the narrow streets of Haizen.

“Everything here is narrow, isn’t it?” 

Mineha grumbled, hood up, in her larger form.

I smiled faintly, replying vaguely.

“Indeed, the streets are unusually narrow and twisting.”
“Yeah, easy to get lost here.”
“Truly a strange city.”
“Hmm… yes, strange cities are like that.”

Strange city indeed—an isolated trade city, Haizen.

Stretching across the mainland from one edge of Lake Reeve to the other, the streets are narrow and winding.

The Heizen Plains divide the Haizen Great Forest, home to monsters. Here, they’re called hunters, not explorers.

Each year, the Moon Bazaar occurs on the plains, and the Forest Wave brings massive monster outbreaks in the forest.

The city was once controlled by three great families, now only two.

Perhaps strange, yes. One of the heads has a crab-like head—strange indeed.

Amid this chatter, we arrived at the harbor warehouse.

This is where the Skiaer Coffin Ele is stored.

Inside the warehouse, a massive black coffin sat. The witch opened the door of the giant carriage.

We went upstairs to her workshop. Another room contained Haiyaan’s body—simply laid on a bed.

Normally, soulless bodies decay, but thanks to the Talisman Eternal Egg, Haiyaan’s body is immortal.

It neither decays nor is bound by natural law.

The owner, Haiyaan, would decide its fate if it returned. I had a hunch she wouldn’t go back—likely live as a rabbit.

“Now, Young Wof, can you take out that black spear?”
“Yes.”

I placed it on the table. Looking again, it hardly resembled a spear.

Four black rectangles and several overlapping thin boards created a strange shape. The center had a round hole.

That must be the handle… but it’s missing. Still a spear?

There were unclear patterns in the center. Even in bright light, hard to see.

But the relic [Circle of Fortune] had specified it, so it is undoubtedly a spear.

Mineha scoffed, “Who’d pay a thousand Oro for this junk?”

Harsh, but even I had found it and tried to buy it.

The lights mixed blue and yellow—unusual. The shady shop and shopkeeper also influenced me.

I couldn’t believe a pseudo-Chinese person was running it. A thousand Oro, but still cheaper than three trips to Hydrangea’s junkyard.

The witch studied the strange spear curiously.

“Witch, what could possibly be in this junk?”
“—Hmm… yes, indeed.”

She stepped back and looked straight at Mineha.

“What?”
“Did you figure it out?”
“Yes… this spear is unfinished.”
“Unfinished…?”
“It’s incomplete. Not trash, just incomplete. And this… is unmistakably Seema’s work.”
“Seema?”
“—What did you say, witch…?”
“Mineha?”

Her voice trembled slightly.

“Indeed… this is Seema’s work.”
“Seema… my father…!?”
“Huh? Your father?”

I widened my eyes.

Mineha nodded hesitantly.

“Seema is… the name of my deceased father.”

Mineha’s father.