"Purifying the inside of a dungeon... That’s a tough one."
I let out a low groan as I sat inside the Magic House. I had already consulted with everyone after receiving the request from Lord Rozeph and Madrus, and they were thinking it over with me. That said, no particularly good ideas had come to mind yet.
"I think we should just swarm them!" Shiroru declared. "We should turn the magic tools into golems and send in a whole bunch at once!"
Her suggestion was straightforward: turn the purification magic tools into golems so they could act autonomously and have them charge into the dungeon. Since the enemy was undoubtedly lying in wait, one or two would likely be destroyed before they could even activate their purification abilities. However, if we sent in enough to overwhelm their defenses, at least one of them should be able to trigger the effect. It was a brute-force strategy, but since a single area purification could wipe out all nearby Silver forces, it wasn't a bad plan if we could pull it off.
"I wonder if that’s realistic," I mused.
"The definition of 'realistic' is starting to feel a bit loose," Lowell cut in. "Normally, that wouldn't be realistic at all."
I let out a small "Is that so?" Was it? Well, if it could be done, then it was realistic enough for me. Probably.
But there was one thing bothering me...
"Are you worried about the time, Tort?" Spira asked, tilting her head. She seemed to have noticed my lack of enthusiasm.
"Yeah, exactly."
The preparation for that plan would take too long. While I could perform Golemification instantly, gathering enough Area Purification Magic Tools was a different story. Since we didn't know what the enemy was plotting, wasting a month or two on preparations felt far too risky.
"In that case, we should just mix some dummies in with the golems we send," Garna suggested.
"Ah, I see. We don't have to make all of them out of actual magic tools."
Garna’s idea had merit. Not every golem sent into the dungeon had to be a high-cost tool. As long as they looked identical, the enemy would be forced to guess which ones to prioritize. By using enough decoys, the chances of the real magic tool golems reaching their destination would increase significantly.
"But... hmm."
Still, relying on only one or two real units felt unreliable. That meant we’d still need a significant amount of preparation time. Plus, no matter how many we built, a single wide-range attack could wipe them all out instantly. I couldn't ignore the possibility of the entire plan failing due to some unforeseen variable.
"Hey, Tort."
Halfa spoke up softly as I agonized over the details. Her voice was quiet, yet it resonated strangely deep within me.
"What is it?" I asked.
"It's not just that. You're worried about Cygnil, aren't you? You want to go there yourself and see what's happening."
I felt a jolt of realization.
The plan wasn't bad. Success wasn't guaranteed, but the risk was minimal. If we repurposed the magic tools Lang had collected from the branches, we could even cut down on the preparation time. Usually, I would have just given it a shot.
The reason I was hesitating... it was exactly what Halfa said.
"Maybe you're right... How did you know?"
"Hehe, I just knew," she said with a gentle smile. "Because I feel the same way. That city is where my—no, where our adventure began, right?"
Her words struck a chord in my heart.
She was right. That was it. That was the city where I became an adventurer. It was where I met Halfa and Shiroru. Even meeting Lowell and Spira was only possible because I’d taken that first step there.
And now Cygnil was in danger. I couldn't just stand by and watch from afar. It hurt too much. My friends were there—the ones who had entrusted the "Glory's Steps" to me.
"Oh, are we going? I'm all for it!" Shiroru shouted, hopping up and clinging to my leg. She shook her head excitedly, clearly fired up. "Those guys are squatting in my bedroom!"
By "bedroom," she meant the dungeon. She had spent a long time sleeping there before we met.
"If that's the case, I have no objections," Lowell added. "The birthplace of Tort the adventurer, huh? I’m interested."
"Since it’s Tort, I bet there are all sorts of legendary stories left behind!" Spira chirped.
Neither of them opposed the idea. In fact, they seemed thrilled. I didn't think I had any "legendary stories," though.
Now, the only problem was how to convince the Gods and the Guild. I was currently seen as the ultimate trump card against the Sticky Silver Species. I wasn't sure if they would let me rush off to a single region so easily.
I glanced at Garna, who gave a small nod.
"No need to worry. We have already entrusted our fate to you. I doubt anyone in the Guild would dare object. Besides... I suspect this will be the quickest way to handle things anyway."
"Entrusting their fate" sounded a bit dramatic, but it meant she was giving me her blessing.
If I went to Cygnil personally, I could get a better grasp of the situation and take effective action.
Alright, let's do this!
Filled with determination, I pulled the Dream-Viewing Mirror from my Storage Ring. With this, I could travel instantly to any location where someone I knew was present.
I was just about to activate the item when a panicked Garna stopped me.
"Wait! Even if you are going, at least tell someone first! If you suddenly vanish and can't be reached, the Guild will descend into absolute chaos!"
...She had a point.
Well, that was slightly embarrassing.