42. I’ll Repair It

An alarm bell rang out across the city of Cygnil.

We had just finished breakfast at the Wildcat Inn and were about to head to the Adventurer’s Guild.

"Let’s head to the guild as planned," I said. "It’s better to regroup with Rei and the rest; the guild might have more information."

"Yeah, okay," Halfa agreed.

As we walked, I observed the people in the streets. No one seemed to have a grasp of the situation yet. While there were no signs of damage around the Wildcat Inn, residents were huddled in small groups, talking anxiously. They were clearly trying to piece together what was happening.

But with the alarm bell ringing incessantly, there was no doubt a crisis was looming over the city.

As we neared the Adventurer’s Guild, we began to encounter the injured. Most were adventurers, suggesting the threat was monster-related.

Many of them were unconscious, burning with fever. The symptoms were all too familiar; Rei had suffered through the exact same thing yesterday after being struck by the Plague-Cursed Black Wolf.

"The Black Wolf is here..." The murmur escaped my lips before I could stop it.

The guild itself appeared to be the epicenter of the attack. The building was scorched, parts of it reduced to rubble. Numerous adventurers lay facedown on the ground; some were clearly no longer among the living.

"Tort! Halfa!"

I stiffened at the gruesome sight, but then I heard voices calling our names. It was Rei and her group, and Dolga-san was with them.

"Rei! The guild...!"

"Yeah, it looks like the Black Wolf struck," she replied. "Let’s get the details first. I’d like to use the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain, but..."

My memory was a bit hazy, but I knew we’d delivered the Prayer Stone to the Guild Master yesterday. Despite that, there was no sign it had been activated. It must have been rendered unusable for some reason. I needed to find someone who knew the full story.

The area in front of the guild was in an uproar. People were clinging to fallen comrades, calling out their names, while others shouted aimlessly out of sheer anxiety. Amidst the chaos, a voice called to us.

"Everyone! Thank goodness, are you safe?"

I looked for the source of the voice and saw Nina-san waving to catch our attention.

"Nina-san, I’m glad you’re safe!"

"Yes, somehow, thanks to the Guild Master... He said he has something he needs to tell you all. Could you come this way?"

Guided by Nina-san, we headed into the office of the crumbling building.

"I’m glad you came..."

The Guild Master greeted us, looking deathly ill. Beads of cold sweat covered his face, and blood seeped through his bandages. He was clearly afflicted by the Plague Curse. It was a testament to his sheer willpower that he was even conscious, let alone waiting for us.

"Guild Master. First, please tell me about the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain. Do you have it on hand?"

I should have asked for the whole story first, but I needed to confirm the status of the stone. If my hunch was right, the situation was about to get a lot better.

"It’s here..."

Moving slowly, the Guild Master held out the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain. However, its radiance was gone; it looked like nothing more than a dull glass bead. It had lost its power. It was just as I’d suspected.

"We were... attacked... by Ludovis... and the Black Wolf."

"Guild Master, we can talk later," I interrupted. "For now, I’ll fix this."

I pulled a small pouch from my Storage Ring. It was the item I’d obtained from a Pandora Gift yesterday. My Appraisal had identified it as ‘Sacred Ash of Time Reversal (Limited).’ Its effect was to revert the time of the target by exactly one day.

However, the item had a specific restriction: it could only be used on ‘tools used for offering prayers.’ The intended use was blindingly obvious.

The moment I’d learned what the ash did, I’d had a hunch that something would happen to the stone in the near future. The timing was almost too convenient, as if the item existed solely for this exact crisis.

I didn't see any point in being coy, so I immediately sprinkled the Sacred Ash over the stone. It regained its luster in an instant. Visually, at least, it was as good as new.

"Tort, what did you do?"

"Oh, yeah. I’ll explain everything later. For now, let’s make it rain. Sally, you’re up."

"Yeah, I got it~"

The Guild Master and Nina-san looked like they’d just witnessed a miracle, but Rei’s group barely batted an eye. I suppose we’d been through enough together that they had grown used to my antics. Explanation later; action now. I had Sally activate the stone.

Just like before, as soon as Sally chanted the prayer, the stone summoned a gentle rain. The Guild Master’s complexion improved visibly within seconds.

"So this is the power of the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain... It’s as if the Plague Curse was all a dream."

The Guild Master rejoiced, but his physical injuries were still severe. Since the city would be in trouble if its leader remained incapacitated, I provided a Healing Potion as well.

Finally, the air in the room settled enough for us to talk.

"So, what happened?" Dolga-san prompted.

The Guild Master began to speak with a grimace. "Ludovis attacked the guild. Or rather, I don't know if I can even call that thing Ludovis anymore. He has merged with the Black Wolf."

Ludovis, now one with the beast, had fought off the adventurers with terrifying power, carving a path straight to this office. His target had been the Prayer Stone.

"Even though I’ve retired from the front lines, I shouldn't have been so slow as to be beaten by the likes of Ludovis. But the power he gained from that fusion is monstrous."

Ludovis had appeared alone; his companions were nowhere to be seen. Given his sudden spike in strength, the Guild Master speculated that Ludovis had sacrificed his own comrades to restore the Black Wolf to its full potential.

"Moreover, he had a Rune Breaker. That’s how he was able to destroy the Prayer Stone."

The Guild Master had originally entrusted a Rune Breaker to a party of veteran adventurers. I didn't want to think about what had happened to them, but the result was the same: we had lost our only way to permanently eliminate the source of the curse.

In any other circumstance, the situation would have been hopeless.

But considering the flow of events so far, I had a feeling the solution was already in my pocket.

I pulled the final Pandora Gift from my Storage Ring. The others watched, bewildered by my sudden move, but I didn't have time to explain. I needed to open it immediately.

The gift dissolved into shimmering particles of light, leaving behind a familiar, knife-like object.

Yeah, just as I thought.

I Appraised it. It was, indeed, a Rune Breaker.

"Just who are you...?" The Guild Master looked at me with eyes that were no longer just curious, but filled with a touch of awe. Personally, I didn't think I was anyone particularly special.

That said, I started to wonder if I really was devoid of a "mission."

Shiroru insisted I didn’t have one, yet I felt as though I were being guided by an invisible hand. Items to repair the stone appeared right when I needed them, and the lost Rune Breaker had found its way back to me through a random gift.

Well, whatever.

Whether it was destiny or just a series of coincidences, I would settle things with Ludovis. For the sake of my own peace and quiet, I had already made up my mind.

"Halfa. Do you think you can manage the Song of Soothing?"

"Probably! I'll be fine!" she answered energetically.

With the Song of Soothing, we could at least make the fight manageable. After that...

"In that case... how about this for a plan?"