ch81-ch100 · 098-ch82

Chapter 82

Sai and Hexaria had broken through the twenty-fifth floor of Shinjuku Tower.

This news became a massive topic worldwide.

Tower-type dungeons had existed around the world for over twenty years, and yet none of them had been fully conquered. In some locations, they hadn't even made it past the twentieth floor or so.

And now — the twenty-fifth floor Floor Boss. Shadow, now known as Brad.

A monster that had been an enigmatic lifeform shrouded in black mist had become human.

This too became a huge talking point.

In fact, there were monsters called "Shadow" in other dungeons as well.

Apparently, around the same time, "Shadows" in other dungeons had also transformed into humans or beastmen.

However, the only "Shadow" that was contacted and communicated with was Brad in Shinjuku Tower. Footage of them conversing was also fully streamed (though the image was garbled due to radio interference).

Furthermore, this Brad had used something called a Forced Summon.

The woman forcibly summoned was, of all things, a member of the fantastical race — a "beastman."

The content of the communication and the beastman woman inevitably drew massive attention to Sai and the others.

How to explain it — Sai and the others consulted with the Shinjuku Guild and the government, but they already had their own platform to make public announcements.

Hexaria's lectures.

This matter would be disclosed and streamed as a "Special Lecture."

That said, since it was a special lecture, it would be held on a different day from the regular ones, and the attendees would be different too.

The regular magical power and magical engineering lectures had many researchers, but this time there were many attendees from other professions as well. Adventurers, government officials, and even people from private companies.

That was how much more attention this special lecture was drawing than usual.

◇

The special lecture began in a calm atmosphere.

During previous lectures, they had already explained the other world and had suggested that the dungeons might be connected to it.

There were many similarities — monsters, magic ore appearing in drop items, and so on — so they had already discussed the possibility of some kind of connection between Earth and the other world.

Also, regarding Cyril — just as with Sai's case — Hexaria had declared her to be "a beastman under my protection."

With that, every nation including the Japanese government was in no position to say anything (because Hexaria was terrifying).

In fact, there had been another wave of media, curiosity seekers, and officials from some country trying to assault Sai's house again — all of them were politely sent home.

But with more other-world people appearing, doubts and suspicions were bound to arise.

That was probably the result.

Brad was an acquaintance of Hexaria and Sai.

While much remained unknown, there was something supernatural about Shinjuku Tower.

Those were things that wouldn't be understood until full conquest.

After explaining all of that — it was time for the Q&A session.

A man who appeared to be from overseas raised his hand.

"Hexaria-san, may I ask a question?"

"Go ahead. Speak."

"The twenty-fifth floor Floor Boss 'Shadow' turned out to an artificial body carrying the soul of someone from the other world — someone you and Sai-san knew. And the woman summoned via Forced Summon, Cyril-san, was also an acquaintance. I understand that much, but..."

The questioner paused there for a moment.

Then, just as Hexaria was about to respond, he spoke over her:

"...Isn't it all a little too convenient?"

It was a classic tactic of the type who aimed to talk their opponent into a corner. To demolish them with rhetoric.

The man grinned as he raised his doubts.

In contrast, Hexaria answered without looking at him.

"What are you trying to say?"

"In other words, Hexaria-san. I'm asking whether you came to Earth in order to invade it."

A murmur rippled through the entire venue.

Indeed, Hexaria was an other-world person who had appeared suddenly.

Why had she come to Earth specifically? That point had remained hidden from the public all along. If "to invade Earth" was added to that hidden blank — what would happen?

The nations of Earth were in the position of receiving instruction on magical power and magical engineering from Hexaria — but put differently, couldn't it mean she was providing culture while simultaneously starting an invasion?

That was a form of invasion that had happened on Earth in the past.

Making contact with other nations through culture, religion, or trade, gaining local influence through that contact, then intervening militarily or politically, followed by domination. Or exploitation.

Throughout history, this method had been used all over the world.

Was it possible Hexaria was doing the exact same thing?

But the High Elf before them did not waver.

"...What would be the point of doing such a thing?"

"New land. New territory to develop. With your level of magical power, we would be like undeveloped primitives to you. The possibility exists that you used the tower as a vanguard for invasion."

What was cunning about this line of argument was that Hexaria couldn't deny it.

Even if she did deny it, those words wouldn't reach anyone.

The questioner had lit the spark of possibility.

After that, the surrounding atmosphere would fan it into a great flame all on its own.

Even noticing that flow, Hexaria's answer remained unchanged.

"Impossible."

The questioner continued to grin.

"But still..."

That was when Hexaria finally looked at the questioner.

It was a devil's proof. There was no causal relationship between the dungeon and Hexaria.

But proving a negative was also impossible under current circumstances.

Probably with that in mind, the questioner wasn't asking a question — he was inciting the crowd.

But Hexaria had no intention of indulging a conversation designed solely to bring her down.

Hexaria felt the urge to use her power of "Charm."

The moment she decided to crush the questioner —

Sai, who had been waiting in the back, stepped forward.

Half-forcing the microphone from Hexaria's hands, Sai held up a hand to stop her.

"Saria, wait. Let me handle this."

◇

Sai had noticed that Hexaria was getting angry.

And he predicted what was coming.

Right now, this questioner had deliberately provoked Hexaria into anger.

Deliberately angering her, to make her use her "Charm" ability in this venue, or to provoke her into violence. And then, the people positioned near the questioner would loudly egg the crowd on.

Ever since this started, Sai had been observing the people in the lecture hall with his scout's instincts, and he'd spotted several people secretly sending signals through eye movements and hand gestures.

This was Sai's guess, but they were probably pawns prepared to bring down Hexaria's standing.

Prepared by someone to crush an "individual" who had gained too much influence.

"Allow me to address that matter."

"I am asking Hexaria-san a question. Her property should stay quiet."

The questioner kept prodding.

Deliberately provoking anger — either to publicize being subjected to violence, or to keep hinting at malicious possibilities and bring down Hexaria's position.

If so, there was no need to fall into their trap.

"Everyone — why do you think she came to Japan from the other world? And you — the person who asked the question — and you, and you, and you too..."

Sai pointed at the people who appeared to be from the same organization as the questioner.

'I know you're here.'

That was the message he was sending.

If you looked closely, they were all maintaining composed expressions, but their eyes were faintly wavering.

To a battle-hardened adventurer, that was more than enough.

Centered around the recklessly provocative questioner, the shills were making noise, trying to shut down this lecture.

"...And I'm sure everyone attending here today, and everyone watching the stream. You've all been wondering about it, haven't you?"

He looked around the lecture hall.

The questioner shouted.

"That's why I'm asking you — her property! She has an obligation to explain!"

Hexaria, having lost her temper, took a step forward.

Sai, maintaining his Five Senses Enhancement, felt the sound of her footsteps.

She was probably about to crush the one lurking behind the questioner — the one who had orchestrated this provocation, but who wasn't here.

But that approach was dangerous.

It couldn't dispel the malicious suspicion.

This "one lurking behind" could actually afford to take a hit.

The enemy's goal was simply to plant the seed of doubt in the general public — "Maybe Hexaria is actually evil?"

That alone would make the seed grow slowly, unnoticed.

And the sprout that grew would bloom into a flower of malice in a place Sai and the others couldn't see.

That was their objective.

But such malice was not something Hexaria's partner would allow.

The questioner tried to speak again.

"——"

"Weren't you all wondering? Why I could speak the language of the other world."

Just as the questioner had done to Hexaria earlier, now Sai interjected at the precise moment the questioner was about to open his mouth.

"Saria, I'll explain, so just stand back and watch."

Sai deliberately spoke through the microphone, directing his words at Hexaria.

Hearing that, the venue murmured.

He was calling Hexaria "Saria" — a nickname.

As the murmuring hall quieted down, Sai spoke.

"To put it simply. The reason she came to Japan — that's because of me."

"Wh——!"

The questioner's voice cracked in surprise, and the attendees gasped, "Whoa!"

"I was originally born in Japan, but I actually spent about thirty years as an adventurer in the other world. However, around the middle of last year... about this time of year, I suppose. I messed up during an adventure and got teleported from the other world to Japan. And then it was about half a year, I think.

This woman — worried about me, who'd been missing for half a year — came after me. That's the story."

The questioner raised his voice.

"You expect anyone to believe that! You're just her property!"

Despite having been so eloquently inciting the crowd earlier, this was a remarkably inarticulate statement at this point. Looking closely, the questioner's expression had gone strange, and the shills around him were making sour faces. They'd realized the operation had failed.

With this, Sai was certain about the questioner.

This questioner was a pawn under mental domination.

His mind controlled, his soul dominated, reduced to someone's puppet.

The shills might have been subjected to the same mental domination as well.

Even so, Sai didn't say "this person is under mental domination."

Even if he said that, in this world, equipment for proving mental domination (mental magic) wasn't widely available. Even if he claimed it, the shills aside from the questioner would dismiss it as nonsense.

That was why he'd decided on this approach.

"It's true she came looking for me... I get that it's hard to believe. A human and a High Elf. ...Would this help?"

While speaking, Sai pulled out a necklace with a ring on it from under his collar.

Normally hidden under his shirt, the ring hadn't been visible.

A ring symbolizing the bond between Sai and Hexaria.

That ring — a wedding ring — he held up boldly to the lecture hall, to the camera for the stream, and then slid it onto the ring finger of his left hand, showing his left hand to everyone.

The attendees watched in silence.

"There are many ways to put it, but my relationship with her... is this."

A massive bomb had been dropped from Sai's mouth.

Behind him, Cyril, who hadn't said a word, let out a whistle.

That whistle was the trigger — the previously silent lecture hall erupted into commotion. "That ring!" "I knew it!" "Whoaaaaa!" and so on.

A great uproar began.

It was only natural.

The relationship between Sai and Hexaria had been suspected for a long time.

But even when Hexaria started wearing a wedding ring, Sai hadn't been wearing one, so there was suspicion but no confirmation — that had been the state of things.

But now, proof had been established that these two were together.

The reason the High Elf came to Japan was not invasion — but to stand beside the man she loved.

That had been revealed to the entire world.

The malicious nonsense had been replaced by a love story.

The questioner, even then, kept shouting.

"R-Ridiculous! You expect me to believe that!"

But continuing to raise his voice in this situation, the questioner and his fellow pawns stood out awkwardly.

The other attendees were flushed with excitement over a romance story, while these ones were clicking their tongues and glaring with hostility.

The questioner, unable to come up with any counterargument, had been reduced to a screaming puppet.

The wedding ring's effect had been overwhelming.

Smoothly, Sai turned to Hexaria, removing his microphone, and spoke.

"You know who the spellcaster is, right?"

"Of course. I've dispatched the little maids."

"Okay. Then let's wrap this up."

Sai kissed Hexaria.

Hexaria's face turned redder than it had ever been before.

"Even if you don't believe it, this is the truth."

Sai made sure not to look at Hexaria.

Because, honestly, Sai was embarrassed too.

"I will continue adventuring with Saria. On top of that, let me declare once more:

We will conquer Shinjuku Tower to the thirtieth floor — together with Saria and Cyril-nee."

Then, taking a breath.

With renewed resolve, Sai projected his voice toward the lecture hall and the stream — carrying the weight of 'let this reach them.'

"Five floors left. Look forward to it."

And thus, Sai's marital status was revealed on Earth.

Hexaria — the "Great Mage," a High Elf who had come from the other world.

The revelation that her husband was a middle-aged man became huge news in every country (though it had apparently been rumored in some corners of the internet).

================ Thank you very much for reading.