With that settled, it was time for the next box.
Box No. 18.
Inside were several mineral ingots of various sizes. They were organized neatly by type and size—I wondered if the box had arranged them itself? It made things very easy to understand. Just seeing rows of ingots like this was enough to make my heart race, even if I didn't actually know what any of the minerals were.
I decided to leave these to Lu, Tia, and Gatto. I sent a message for them to check these once they finished their debate over the jars of sand.
Next was Box No. 20.
This one was filled with crystals. There were scores of them, all cut into identical shapes and packed inside. These were also arranged neatly, and not a single one appeared to be damaged. Each crystal was roughly the size of something you could hold in one hand, but...
Wait. I had seen these somewhere before. Where was it?
Ah, that was it! They looked just like the image recording crystals used to store footage from a camera—the same kind Raimeiren had given to Ire.
“Precisely. These are image recording crystals.”
Oh, I see. Are all of them like that?
“Yes, they are.”
How many are there?
“There are six hundred and twenty-seven.”
Six hundred and twenty-seven. Even with just one crystal, the filming team had been incredibly active. With this many, I could only imagine what they’d be able to achieve.
As I was marveling at the find, Dos and Raimeiren, who had come to check on the progress, shared a hushed conversation. Suddenly, Dos shifted into his dragon form and took off. He returned from Village Four almost instantly with Bell in tow. The speed was truly incredible.
Bell immediately set to work inspecting the crystals inside Box No. 20. After a brief exchange of looks with Dos and the others, she turned to me.
"I am sorry to say this, but... um... the format is different from the camera Ire uses."
Meaning?
"Unless you have a camera that matches the specific format of these crystals, you cannot use them."
Good grief. No, wait. Don't panic yet. I looked over the boxes I hadn't checked yet. Is there a box with a camera in it?
When I asked, the lid of Box No. 21 opened.
“I have a camera inside me, but... well, the thing is...”
The box sounded hesitant. Was it broken?
“No, I do not believe it is broken. However, I suspect the camera inside me is also a different format.”
When Bell checked, she confirmed that the format was different from both Ire’s crystals and the ones in Box No. 20. That was disappointing.
However, it was too early to be discouraged.
“I also have the crystals that correspond to this camera stored within me.”
Oh! Indeed, there were crystals inside with a slightly different shape from the others.
“There are fifty-three of them.”
So these were a set with the camera. That was a relief. If I gave these to Ire, she would surely find a good use for them. But just as I reached for them, Dos and Raimeiren stopped me.
"Ah—sorry, but we need to check the contents first."
The contents? Ah, right. Since they were recording crystals, there was a chance something had already been saved on them.
"I'm sure it's fine, but there's a possibility they contain information that could be toxic to current civilization. We'd like to hold onto them for a bit."
Well, if they put it that way, there was no helping it. I didn't want to be responsible for holding onto anything dangerous either. I told them I didn't need any compensation for them, so long as they checked them thoroughly.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Draim's Butler, Gucci, appeared and began inspecting the crystals. So Gucci was the technical expert for this.
Gucci started with the Type C crystals from Box No. 21. He finished his audit with frightening speed.
"These crystals contain stories. The content is... mostly comedies, adventures, and romances. I believe they would still be quite entertaining even today."
Which meant?
"There are no issues with these fifty-three crystals."
Excellent! Wait, if they already have stories on them, will it be hard for Ire to use them?
"Not all of them are recorded to their capacity, so additional footage can be added. Furthermore, since we have the camera, the recordings can be transferred."
That was good news. Next, Gucci moved on to the Type B crystals from Box No. 20. I expected another high-speed audit, but he finished after only a brief glance.
"Um, regarding the crystals in Box No. 20..."
Gucci seemed to be having trouble finding the right words. Was something wrong?
"It's not that they are prohibited, exactly, but... well... ahem."
What was it?
"They are all records of animal ecology."
Animal ecology? Were they research materials for a scholar? Just as I was about to accept that explanation, Gucci whispered the truth to me.
"They are video recordings specifically focused on the reproductive acts of animals with males and females."
... And by "animals with males and females," you mean?
"The Human race, Elves, and so on."
I see. So we’re not talking about dogs, cats, or chickens.
"Correct."
All of them?
"Yes, all of them."
... All six hundred and twenty-seven?
"Every last one. If you require it, I can explain the specific details of the content."
No, that’s quite alright. I appreciated his discretion in keeping the conversation away from the women’s ears. Truly well done.
I felt a little bad for Box No. 20, but I requested that they be disposed of as dangerous materials.
"This format has quite a few enthusiasts, so it's possible that cameras for it still exist. I shall simply wipe the video records from the crystals."
You can do that?
"Since they are magically recorded, they can be erased with a strong burst of Magic Power. However, recordings of this... nature... tend to have strangely robust protection on them. It would be helpful if you could give me a little time."
I understood. I told him I’d leave it to him. If it came down to it, I wouldn't mind if he just crushed them.
"Understood."
Gucci gave me a polite bow and headed back to Dos and Raimeiren. I’d leave the explanation to him.
And Bell—you seemed to know what was on them too, didn't you? I gave her a look that said, "Keep quiet about this."
Now, to pull ourselves together for the next box. I opened Box No. 22.
... Empty. I knew that already, but it was still a bit of a letdown.
Apparently, it had been carrying items during transport, but the box had opened its lid in surprise during the fall and spilled everything. I told the box not to be depressed. It had clearly been reflecting on the mistake for a long time, so there was no need to worry about it anymore. I told it I was looking forward to what it would do from here on out.
Finally, the last one. Box No. 4051.
This one was packed with magic tools. Many of them were things I couldn't even begin to guess the purpose of. Dos and Raimeiren checked these as well. I hadn't expected to find problematic items so easily, but...
Wait. Why were Dos and Raimeiren turning pale? They called Gucci over for a consultation. It looked like they found one, then two, then three... actually, quite a large number of them.
I told them I didn't mind if they sealed them away. I didn't need anything in return. I just asked them to hide them before Lu and the others saw them.
The ones left over were all safe, right? Wait, what was this? A bundle of keys? What did these open?
“They are our keys.”
I see. There were fifteen of them in total. ... Does that mean you were never locked? Even though you were carrying all those dangerous things?
“Back then, those were commonplace items.”
Is that so? I suppose they were just everyday household appliances, like refrigerators or vacuum cleaners.
In any case, that concluded the inspection of the boxes. It seemed they had been part of a move for a magic researcher or a technician. I’d have to ask for more details about that later.
One thing about Box No. 1 still nagged at me, though. Why was a box that size carrying only a single grimoire? The book was large, but there was plenty of room for other things. If someone were moving, they would have packed it to the brim.
Did Box No. 1 spill its contents during the fall, just like Box No. 22?
“I did no such thing. However, there is a reason for it.”
Oh?
“A doll was stored inside along with the grimoire.”
A doll?
“Yes, a doll. I do not know the specifics, but it was a magic doll.”
So a magic doll had been inside. And the reason it’s gone now is?
“Because it left on its own.”
...
“Even though I wished for us to be rescued back then, that doll just ignored us and walked away. It is unforgivable!”
Well, if you didn't talk to it, it would probably ignore you... Did the doll leave right after the fall?
“I apologize. I am not entirely certain about the passage of time back then... All I can say is that it was during the period when I could still open my lid, even if not fully...”
In that case, it must have been a very long time ago. If a doll were still wandering around, I’d want to recover it, but that seemed like a lost cause.
Side Note 1:
"I feel like I recall my father mentioning an incident involving a rampaging doll about two thousand years ago..." Dos muttered to himself.
Side Note 2:
"Video recordings specifically focused on the reproductive acts of animals, hmm?" Versa was standing right next to Gucci.
"I am not lying."
"I know it's not a lie. I just wanted to comment on the participants—"
"...Tell me how much you want as a bribe for your silence."
"Couldn't you let me check them a bit before you erase the data? For research purposes."
"...Guh. These do not belong to me, so I cannot agree to that condition."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"H-However, if you were to assist with the erasure process, it's possible that some things might catch your eye during the work, is it not?"
"Hehehe... very well."
"But these, these, and these are absolutely off-limits, understood?"
"It's fine. I already have that series, after all."
"..."
"If I didn't have them, I wouldn't be able to comment on the participants, would I?"
"...Lady Versa. There is something I would like to negotiate with you. Would you care to join me? No, it won't take much of your time."
"I-I understand! Just stop releasing your magic power! It’s terrifying!"