The reaction from Dialogo and Seis was swift once they learned that the Dungeon Core—the root cause of the purple mist that paralyzed any who touched it—had already been destroyed.
As if operating in perfect synchronicity, Seis nodded the moment Dialogo turned a sharp gaze his way.
"Indeed. If the slimes generating the mist and the Dungeon Core producing those slimes are gone, the matter is straightforward. If we can disperse the remaining mist before the damage spreads further, we can put this turmoil to rest."
"But Seis-san, the problem is how we manage that," one of the middle-aged men in the office pointed out. The others in the room nodded in agreement.
The fact that the core was gone was a welcome development for everyone present, but it only made the question of how to finalize the situation more urgent. It was no exaggeration to say that the men in this room represented the collective interests of the City of Baar's residents. It was only natural for them to worry about potential missteps.
Still, the reason the atmosphere remained this stable was because they trusted the administrative skills of Dialogo and Seis, who had governed the city in place of the original noble. If the city's original lord had been sitting there instead of Dialogo...
A dark imagination flickered through the mind of the middle-aged man.
Being a noble obsessed with magic, a Dungeon Core would have been an irresistibly alluring prize to the lord. It was entirely possible he might have sacrificed the residents to grow the core, eventually turning the entire city into a labyrinth.
A cold shiver ran down the man's spine, but he quickly shook his head and turned toward the Guild Master. He prayed that Seis, the highest-ranking mage in the city, would have a solution.
"Hmm. If that purple mist is truly just mist, the simplest way would be to blow it out of the city with Wind Magic. Alternatively, we could raise the temperature to burn the fog away... but those are merely countermeasures for ordinary mist. I can't say for certain if they'll work without trying."
"Wind aside, fire is too dangerous," Dialogo cut in. "Especially in the East Storage Facility where the distilled liquor is kept. One spark and the whole place could ignite."
Wind and fire. Seis had proposed two solutions, but Dialogo immediately vetoed the use of flames.
Sazanas nodded in agreement, and Rei let out a small sigh. As a flame-specialized mage, it seemed there would be little for him to do.
Noticing the sigh, Seis looked at Rei with curiosity.
"Rei. With your level of magic power, I imagine you can cast considerably powerful spells. Can you handle Wind Magic?"
"...No. Unfortunately not," Rei admitted. "I possess a large amount of magic power, but I am fundamentally a flame-specialized mage. I can use basic wind spells to some extent, but as of now, the most I can do is fire off flying slashes or control Wind Hands."
"I see... No, it's certainly true that when one possesses such immense magic power, it can be difficult to master attributes outside of one's specialty. This is a problem."
Seis let out a long sigh as he looked at Rei.
To be honest, the Guild Master had hoped they might be able to resolve everything simply by having Rei cast a spell. However, that hope was easily dashed.
(If I were somewhere out of sight, I might be able to manage with Seto's Tornado and the Death Scythe's Wind Hand... Well, I'll keep that as a last resort if nothing else works,) Rei thought.
Still, looking at Seis, who carried the unmistakable air of a top-tier mage, Rei suspected the man had another trick up his sleeve.
His intuition was proven correct almost immediately.
Seis, who had been lost in thought, suddenly turned a sharp, intense gaze toward Rei.
Finding Seis's behavior suspicious, Dialogo eventually spoke up.
"Seis, what is it? Do you have a plan?"
"...Yes. I do, though it's a bit embarrassing for me to rely on it. Do you remember the magic item we found in the dungeon once?"
"What? What are you talking about so suddenly?"
Dialogo was bewildered by the shift in subject, but Seis ignored him, keeping his eyes fixed on Rei.
"It's the magic item we found in the Pure White Labyrinth. Do you remember? Marina used it back when my own magic power wasn't enough to finish off that Aqua Golem."
Dialogo thought for a few seconds, searching his memory, and then his eyes widened. He clapped his hands together as if he had found a ray of hope.
"Ah, the Resonance Necklace!"
"Exactly. Do you remember its effect?"
"It allowed one person to send their magic power into another... Wait!?"
Dialogo realized what Seis was suggesting. Like Seis—no, even more intensely—he directed a powerful gaze at Rei.
"Dialogo-san, Seis-san. I'm sorry, but could you please explain it so we can understand? Don't just have a private moment between yourselves," Sazanas cut in.
Everyone else in the room nodded, turning questioning looks toward the two.
Dialogo and Seis exchanged a silent conversation through eye contact before Dialogo gave a firm nod. Seis then turned to address the group.
"I possess a magic item called the Resonance Necklace. As Dialogo mentioned, it requires two mages to function. From that alone, you can understand it isn't the most practical tool. There are also some side effects for the person receiving the magic power—in this case, me."
Everyone in the room, Rei included, nodded.
Mages were few and far between. A magic item that only functioned when two were together was indeed impractical.
"It's a set of two necklaces. One person sends their magic power to the other, effectively allowing one spell to be cast with the magic power of two people. Of course, some loss occurs during the transfer, so it's not a perfect doubling. But here we have me, specializing in water and wind, and we have Rei, who possesses massive magic power. I think you see where I'm going with this."
The others finally realized they had a way to deal with the mist. Their faces lit up with hope.
"Can you do it right now?" one asked.
Faced with the hopeful question, Seis turned to Rei.
"I'm ready whenever. Rei... what do you say? It would be a great help if you'd do this for the sake of the city."
"Yeah, I don't mind. It would be a waste if all our work dealing with the Magic Fever amounted to nothing because of some leftover mist."
Rei had briefly considered asking for an additional reward, but since his original mission was to investigate the cause of the Magic Fever, he judged that clearing the resulting mist fell within the scope of the request. He gave a firm nod.
Hearing his agreement, the men in the office broke into wide smiles, finally seeing an end to the crisis.
"Alright. Let's finish this before the mist does any more damage. Seis, where is the Resonance Necklace?"
"In the guild office."
"Can you get it immediately?"
"Of course."
Seis replied instantly. His face was filled with relief at the prospect of finally saving the city from the purple fog. Neither Seis nor Dialogo had been born in the City of Baar, but after years of governing and working here, they had developed a deep attachment to the place.
"Good. Seis, go get the necklaces. Rei, wait for him outside. We start the operation the moment Seis returns."
Following Dialogo's instructions, the room burst into activity. Seis hurried toward the guild, and Dialogo left the office to issue further commands.
Rei intended to head outside as well to wrap up this troublesome business as quickly as possible, but a voice stopped him.
"Rei!"
He paused and looked back at Sazanas.
"What is it?"
"I... I don't really know how to put it into words. But... please, save this city."
Sazanas's lighthearted attitude from earlier today was gone, replaced by the serious demeanor of a guard captain.
(I guess he knows how to separate his professional and personal feelings. Or maybe it's this side of him that makes his men respect him despite his quirks,) Rei thought.
Rei gave a small nod.
"Leave it to me. Though, based on what the Guild Master said, I'm just acting as a magic power supplier. Shouldn't you be saying that to him instead?"
"Seis-san is the Guild Master of this city. It's his duty to protect it. But you're different, aren't you? Your original job was just to deliver relief supplies and the Aurani Grass powder. Yet you accepted the request to investigate the Magic Fever and even put yourself in danger to destroy the core."
"Look, I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I don't know if you've heard, but whether it was the transport or this investigation, I was promised rewards that made it worth my while. And as for the Magic Fever, it was clear from the start that I wouldn't get infected with my magic power anyway."
"Even so. I am still grateful to you for acting for this city."
Rei let out a small sigh at Sazanas's stubbornness.
"Fine. Think what you want. If that's all, I'm going. I want to be waiting outside when the Guild Master gets back. I want to finish this mess quickly so I can spend my remaining week in this city sleeping."
"Yeah. I have to command the guards to help the paralyzed residents, so I can't join you... but I'm counting on you."
Sent off by Sazanas and the expectant gazes of the other men in the office, Rei stepped out of the Lord's Mansion.
"Guruuuu!"
Seto, who had been watching for mist from the rooftop, quickly spotted Rei. The griffon flapped its wings and landed gracefully on the ground.
The residents nearby flinched for a moment at the sight, but once they recognized Rei, they nodded in understanding and went back to their tasks—tending to the paralyzed or calming panicked friends and family.
Rei and Seto walked through the streets. The evacuation from the east side of the city seemed to have reached a lull. They passed through the gates and met up with Dialogo, who was barking orders nearby.
"Ah, you're here. Seis should be back any minute. Just wait a little longer."
"No problem. I'm ready to move whenever. Focus on your instructions, Dialogo-san."
"Thanks. Hey! Carry the injured and the sick into the Lord's Mansion! Those with Magic Fever go inside the building! Anyone paralyzed by the mist stays in the courtyard!"
"Yes, sir!"
"And start the soup kitchen! We need to calm the evacuees. We still have enough food, right?"
"Understood!"
While Dialogo issued his commands, Rei turned his gaze toward the east side of the city.
Fortunately, the mist shrouding the eastern district hadn't spread any further; it just sat there, heavy and stagnant. Rei's split-second decision to destroy the Dungeon Core had been the right one. If he had retreated from the storage facility without acting when the slimes began to appear, half the city would likely be purple by now.
(The generation has stopped. Now, we just have to clear what's left.)
As he was thinking, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
He turned to see Seis. The man was dressed in his green robe and carried a staff nearly a meter and a half long, his expression taut and focused. He was clearly prepared for battle. Despite his age, the sheer presence he radiated reminded Rei that the man was indeed a top-tier mage.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's go."
"Right."
"Guruu!"
Rei nodded, and he and Seto followed close behind the Guild Master.
"Seis, Rei! I'm counting on you both!" Dialogo called out.
"Hmph. Leave it to us. You just make sure to manage the residents so no one else gets hurt," Seis shot back.
"Don't worry," Rei added. "We'll wipe out that loathsome mist in no time."
Receiving Dialogo's encouragement and the hopeful gazes of the residents nearby, the two men and one beast advanced toward the eastern side of the city.