"Sigh... Another wasted day, then."
Rei muttered to himself as he lay sprawled across the bed in his room at the Coral Inn of the Blue Sea.
The bounty monster, the Lemures—he simply could not find it. Furthermore, today had been an exercise in mental exhaustion. He’d had to deal with adventurers trying to use him and Seto as decoys, only to end up wasting time saving them when their ship was nearly sunk by a seawater spear.
After leading a magic item ship to the rescue, he had returned to the harbor with the Icebird Shen. He’d paid Hendeka his reward in silver coins and then retreated straight to the inn.
"If I keep this up, I’ll just be treating the symptoms forever. I need to change something fundamental, but..."
He knew what needed to be done, yet the lack of a concrete method made him sigh again.
For the past few days, damage caused by the Lemures had been minimal. To be precise, there were zero casualties among ships leaving the harbor, but several ships attempting to enter had been sent to the bottom.
Fortunately, he hadn't been asked to act as a decoy tomorrow. If he was going to take action, tomorrow was his only window. However, the path forward remained elusive.
"If only I had a magic item that could find an invisible enemy..."
Sighing, he brought up the list of items stored within the Misty Ring in his mind, scanning for anything useful.
"Nothing here that fits the situation, huh?"
His eyes skipped over the list as he let out another breath.
But then... his attention snagged on a specific magic item.
Or rather, it was the person who had given that item to him.
It was a Lich who had lived through the same era as Zephyle, the man with whom Rei’s soul had merged. This individual possessed power that Rei currently couldn't hope to match. While Rei technically held more raw magic power, this person was light-years ahead in terms of technical application.
Unlike Rei, who was limited to flame magic, this person was a true monster capable of wielding space magic, space-time magic, and necromancy.
"...I really don't want to rely on him too much."
Still, judging that he had no other options, Rei pulled the item from the Misty Ring.
It was a crystal the size of a fist. It was a magic item known as the Paired Orbs, which allowed for instantaneous communication with the holder of its magical twin.
As he gripped the crystal and channeled his magic power into it, it began to glow with a faint light. A moment later, the image of a crown-wearing skull appeared within the depths of the orb.
『Oh? This crystal... Is that you, Rei? It has been quite some time indeed.』
The Lich’s voice sounded somewhat amused. Rei allowed a small smile to touch his lips as he replied.
"Yeah, it’s been a while, Grimm."
『I assume contacting me means you are in some sort of bind? Though, of course, I would welcome a call made simply for the sake of idle chatter.』
Because Grimm was a Lich, his skeletal face was incapable of showing expression. Rei knew that even if the man had flesh and skin, he would be no match for the wits of someone who had lived through eternity. He decided to get straight to the point.
"Actually, I'm in a city called Emocion right now. Have you heard of it?"
『Umu. The place known as the gateway to the Kingdom of Mireana. Even for one like myself who is perpetually immersed in research, I know at least that much.』
"In this city, a monster called a Lemures is lurking off the coast, and the upper management has put a bounty on its head."
『Ho? And did you travel there in pursuit of that bounty?』
Grimm’s jawbone rattled as he let out a dry laugh.
Despite it being a conversation through a crystal rather than a face-to-face meeting, Rei felt a slight chill run down his spine. He shook his head.
"I’ll take the money if it's offered, but my main goal is the magic stone. As you know, Grimm, it’s for Seto’s sake."
『Fumu. It is a relief to see you are still dedicated to raising Seto, the being born of beast magic. If you had told me your only interest was gold, I might have had to question your qualifications as the one who inherited Lord Zephyle's legacy.』
"...I see."
The thought crossed Rei's mind that those "qualifications" could easily turn into an "assassin" if he wasn't careful. Rei understood that Grimm respected the late Zephyle from the bottom of his heart, so such a possibility was never truly zero.
『Now then, did you say Lemures? Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with such a creature. Would you care to describe it?』
Rei responded to Grimm’s inquiry with a silent shake of his head.
"That's exactly why I reached out to you through the Paired Orbs."
『Fumu? Give me the details, then.』
"First, we know it can manipulate seawater into spears or tentacles to attack. I don't know if it's a spell or a racial trait."
『For a monster dwelling in the ocean to utilize water magic... no, is it simply called magic now? At any rate, such a thing is hardly rare.』
"Considering it’s surrounded by water, it would be foolish not to use it. But the biggest issue is that no one has any idea where it actually is."
『No one knows where it is?』
Grimm sounded skeptical. Even for a Lich who had lived for millennia, this seemed unexpected. Rei sighed and continued.
"I mean that literally. Since we’re being attacked, the monster named the Lemures definitely exists. But we can't see it anywhere. It’s almost as if it’s casting magic from some distant location."
『It is a monster off the coast of Emocion, yes? Then is it not simply beneath the waves?』
"I thought so, too. But at the very least, I couldn't find it within any visible depth. The sea there is transparent enough to see quite far down... If it’s still invisible, it’s likely hugging the seabed and attacking from there."
『If you have surmised that much, surely there is a way to handle it?』
"It's not that simple. My specialty is flame magic, and I have almost no effective tools against an underwater enemy. Even throwing a spear might work in the shallows, but it won't reach the seabed. Even if it did, the water would strip it of all its power."
Rei let out another sigh, looking completely stymied.
Grimm watched him through the crystal with an air of amusement. Eventually, noticing that Rei’s gaze was becoming increasingly sharp, the Lich spoke.
『Is something the matter? You have quite the look in your eyes.』
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
『Now, I wonder. Regardless, if that is the situation, shall I offer my assistance?』
Rei’s cheek twitched at the offer.
"Specifically, what can you do?"
『Let's see... I could simply annihilate every living thing off the coast of Emocion and turn them into the undead...』
"Don't you dare."
The response was almost reflexive.
"If you did that, the city of Emocion would be ruined."
『Indeed. Well, as a Lich, necromancy is naturally my greatest strength... In that case, perhaps space magic would be more appropriate?』
Grimm conceded easily. He likely hadn't intended to flood the coast with the undead from the start.
Realizing he’d been teased, Rei sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Lead with that next time. ...So, what can you do with space magic?"
『It is simple, really. I could locate this Lemures and use space magic to forcibly teleport it to a specific location.』
"...What?"
The sheer audacity of the solution caught Rei off guard.
How to damage an enemy underwater, how to even find the creature—these were the questions that had been tormenting him. To hear that they could be bypassed so easily was a shock.
"Is that actually possible?"
『Umu. In terms of whether it is possible or impossible, it is very much possible. However, there are several conditions.』
"Conditions?"
『Yes. For instance, depending on the size of the target, a forced teleportation requires immense magic power. There is also the matter of distance; I cannot move it particularly far from the coast of Emocion. Furthermore, since you are the one who must defeat the beast, we cannot do this at night when monsters are at their most ferocious. It must be done during the day. This means that my own power as a Lich will be diminished... or rather, as an undead, my weakening will be more severe than that of a common monster. I can likely manage a single teleportation, but you must assume I will be unable to help further afterward. As I mentioned, necromancy is my forte; my skill in space magic is merely passable.』
As Grimm listed one concern after another, Rei’s brow furrowed.
"Then wouldn't it be faster for you to just kill it yourself, Grimm, instead of me trying to do it?"
『Fool!』
A roar echoed through the crystal. It wasn't a matter of magic power; Rei felt himself physically recoil from the sheer presence of a Lich who had survived for thousands of years.
『Does the one who inherited Lord Zephyle's will and power truly find it so acceptable to beg for my aid over such a trifle? I am willing to set the stage with space magic, but to leave the entire task to me... do you truly think you can make Seto into a beast that surpasses the Fenrir created by Lord Zephyle with that attitude?』
"You're... right. Getting a hand with the setup is one thing, but leaving the whole thing to you is a different story."
Rei took a sharp breath and nodded immediately.
"I get it. I'll leave the summoning to you. But... wait, can you even find the Lemures?"
『Rest assured, such a task is child's play for me.』
"...I've been breaking my back over that. What was I even doing all this time...?"
『That is the difference provided by my centuries of magical study. Regardless, you may leave that to me, but there are other issues to address.』
"Issues?"
『Umu. You understand that I cannot show my face, yes?』
"Well, yeah. Obviously."
If a Lich appeared in the skies off the coast of Emocion, it would cause a panic so great that the Lemures would be forgotten in an instant. Rei nodded, having already expected as much.
『Consequently, when I teleport the Lemures, "someone" must stand in my place. And only you, who knows of my existence, can fill that role.』
"I see."
Rei agreed. If the Lemures just vanished without explanation, it would cause its own kind of trouble.
『Furthermore, someone must be stationed at the destination where I send the Lemures. You understand why?』
"Yeah. Even if we teleport it, the monster will just go on a rampage or try to crawl back to the sea if it's left alone."
『Umu. Therefore, it is essential to have someone capable of suppressing the Lemures until you can arrive on the scene.』
Grimm’s logic was sound, but Rei struggled to think of anyone in Emocion who could help.
Of course, if he put out a call to the adventurers in the city, they would jump at the chance. But they would also demand a cut of the loot, making it difficult for Rei to secure the magic stone and materials for Seto.
(It would be fine if they were satisfied with just the bounty... but with more people, the individual shares get smaller. Someone’s bound to start complaining. Ideally, I need a small group of elites.)
He thought of Hendeka, the tamer he’d hired today, but immediately dismissed the idea. He liked the man, and Seto was fond of his Icebird, but Hendeka was only Rank D. He couldn't be expected to hold off a bounty monster alone until Rei arrived.
(If only there were a few more high-ranking adventurers I could trust...)
Just as Rei was thinking this, the sound of heavy, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.
The noise stopped right outside his door.
"Hey, Rei! We made it, just like we promised! Tell me you haven't taken down that bounty monster yet!"
"Wait, Egret! At least knock first!"
Without waiting for an answer, the door swung open, revealing two familiar figures.
One was a man with a massive frame and a pole-axe strapped to his back. The other was a woman with a whip coiled at her waist.
It was Egret and Miroir, the B-rank adventurers Rei had encountered on his way to the city of Emocion.