Chapter 316 (1/2)

Within the Canal Kingdom, the Alva rampaged as if to intervene in the civil war.

The report that the intelligence operative Ein, who was investigating the Alva’s movements together with the situation within the kingdom, had infiltrated the place called the 「Dimensional Gap」 was immediately brought to the Zadark Kingdom by Zwei.

The 「Dimensional Gap」, which was seen as the Alva’s stronghold.

There was no means of reaching that place, and the Alva problem had turned into a deadlock, but this meant that there was finally a breakthrough with it.

Having received the report from Zwei, Vermudol immediately composed an appropriate force with those that were able to move about, accompanied them, and headed to the site that was connected to the 「Dimensional Gap」.

「……Why do we have this lineup?」

「What, are you dissatisfied with it?」

「No, not really. But, isn’t a time like this where you should use your prided Hero?」

Vermudol nodded at Ykslaas who spoke about the Mazoku Hero Sancreed and shrugged her shoulders in the mountains.

「Pretty much. But, Sancreed is also a cornerstone to protecting the Zadark Kingdom. It would be best to avoid the situation where both Sancreed and I are separated from the country at the same time as much as possible.」

「Hーn. I thought that we were moving with the intent to annihilate the Alva with this chance though?」

Ykslaas asked that while checking the soil of the place where Ein vanished.

Looking down at that, Vermudol shook his head sideways and denied it.

「I do intend on doing that if it’s possible. But, I don’t believe that the opponent is that clumsy. IF we think of the possibility of there being some sort of trap, we should keep the fighting power to move to a minimum.」

「Well, it’s fine for you to do as you like. But, it would be better for you to stop gambling like that.」

「What do you mean by that?」

「I’m sure that you’re the type that can’t wager everything. Although you won’t fall into ruin, you won’t profit either.」

In response to Ykslaas who stood up and turned around to him, Vermudol made a gesture as if pondering.

「Is that why you rushed in along with the Dimensional Castle at that time?」

「Ara, you’re going to turn the talk into about me there? Well, let’s see. It think that it wasn’t a situation where I could win by holding back from playing all of my cards in hand. My subordinates were……」

Speaking that far, Ykslaas’s words came to a stop.

「What’s wrong?」

Seeing Ykslaas cover her mouth with her hand and make a grimace, Vermudol made a puzzled face.

「……It’s nothing. I felt like there were subordinates other than Shironos and the others, but I was mistaken. My subordinates were just Shironos’s group after all.」

「Did you call?」

Reacting to that Ykslaas’s voice, Shironos noisily came out from the grassy place.「Ara, Shironos. Did you find any traces?」

「……No, unfortunately, we haven’t discovered any disturbances in magical power. How about you all?」

Ykslaas raised up both hands as if to show that she had given up.

「We haven’t found any traces at all. As we thought, the Alva’s Airspace Movement is different from the normal Transfer.」

「Right……No, to begin with, their Airspace Movement technique, it would probably be best to think that it’s grounded on a theory that differs from ordinary magic. By some chance, it might not even be magic.」

「Hey, Vermudol. You made full use of your magical power and broke into the Grand Temple of Wind, right? Can’t you use something similar?」

Asked that, Vermudol frowned.

「Don’t say something so disreputable.」

「But it’s the truth, right? So, how about it?」

「……It’s impossible. That was only possible because normal airspace and the Grand Temple of Wind are always connected. It isn’t all that different from opening a door with a lock. But, this is different. There is nothing here.」

The use of magic would considerably disturb the surrounding magical power. The influence would increase the larger the magic it was, and if it was magic on the level of Airspace Transfer, traces would definitely be left behind.

However, they confirmed that with the Alva’s Airspace Movement, a phenomenon that differed from normal Transfer Magic happens.

In the Airspace Transfer that the Mazoku use, or even the Transmission Magic, there is a need to specify the coordinates of the departure spot and the arrival spot. Conducting the movement between those two points in an instant is what the Mazoku’s Airspace Transfer was.

As for its weaknesses, it was that they were unable to confirm the situation of the place they were Transferring to beforehand, and that since Transfer light would appear in the place that they were Transferring to, it could easily be understood that they would be Transferring in if the light was witnessed.

In contrast, in the case of the Alva’s Airspace Movement, first, cracks would be produced in the airspace that they were moving to as a precursor, and after that, the Alva would directly come out from the connected airspace.

And then, this time, the new pattern of dragging people from the airspace at the spot where they were moving to was observed.

Going by this fact, he conjectured that this was not an 「airspace connecting」 magic that existed even in the Grand Temple of Wind, but……even after coming to the scene like this, traces of magical power couldn’t be found at all.

Like this, it was effectively impossible to enter the 「Dimensional Gap」 from their side.

「What will we do, Vermudol. Shall we try lying in wait for the Alva to come along in this place?」

「……」

Hearing Ykslaas’s query, Vermudol fell silent.

The reason why the Alva abducted the participants of the 「Chivalric Order Member screening」 was unknown, but he thought that taking them away was their aim.

In that case, it probably meant that the possibility that the Alva would connect to the airspace of this place again was low.

Rather than idly wasting time here, waiting for Ein’s return and taking action should be a better choice.

「……We have no choice but to temporarily return. Let’s station several intelligence operatives, including Zwei, here.」

「That sounds good. I don’t think there’s anything more to be obtained here.」

After Ykslaas nodded and lightly beckoned him over, Shironos, who was in waiting in a separated place, came up and approached the two.

「Well then, I shall start up the Transfer Magic.」

At the instant that Shironos was about to deploy the magic formation.

A *pakin* sound resounded――and a person with a blood covered full body armored figure came falling from the cracked sky.

「……! Shironos, catch him!」

「As you wish!」

After Shironos shouted, using the nearby tree branches as footholds, he jumped higher and higher.

The branches would break from being unable to endure Shironos’s weight as he wore heavy armor, but Shironos moved to the next branch before they fell.

「……And with this!」

Jumping while stepping on and breaking branches, Shironos extended his hands to the falling full body armor, grabbed him, and pulled him towards him.

「Nuu……kuah!」