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Translator: Barnnn
“Well then, let’s begin my presentation!” Takada announced.
Izumi, sitting across from him, responded with a light round of applause.
It had been a full week since Takada began gathering information, and now he was ready to unveil his findings — a summary of the state of this world, particularly the kingdom in which they currently resided as well as the nations surrounding it. Though Izumi had picked up fragments of what he had discovered along the way, no substantial decisions had been made yet — they hadn’t even decided on where they should head next. Today, after listening to Takada’s full report, the time would come to discuss their course of action.
On a lighter note, Takada had celebrated his second fifteenth birthday just a few days prior. He had insisted that Izumi not make a fuss over it, but she had known in her heart that doing nothing to mark the occasion would feel wrong. In secret, she had ventured into the pantry, looting a fine-looking bottle of wine and an assortment of lavish dishes for an impromptu celebration.
Though theft didn’t sit well with her conscience, she had managed to justify it in her own mind. After all, it was the Queen who had summoned them to this world against their will — what harm was there in claiming a little compensation? Even Takada had agreed with this logic of hers.
“First of all, let’s discuss the current state of affairs here in the Kingdom of Lazulseed…”
The Kingdom of Lazulseed, where Izumi, Takada, and the others had been summoned, was a major power located in the central-southern region of the Western Continent. It was a land that brimmed with both opportunity and danger, for scattered throughout its vast territory were a number of Dungeons — otherworldly spaces teeming with mystery and peril. These Dungeons had transformed Lazulseed into a thriving hub, drawing adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants from distant lands. Alongside the Dungeons, the kingdom’s rich natural resources had fueled its prosperity.
The Dungeons themselves were sorted by difficulty, from Rank 1 to Rank 5; the lower the number, the more perilous the Dungeon. However, no matter their rank, all Dungeons shared a common trait: they periodically went over capacity. This dreaded event was known as the Deluge, a time when the Mystic Beasts lurking within the Dungeon overflowed into the outside world. The lower-ranked Dungeons had shorter Deluge cycles, resulting in more frequent but less devastating surges that were generally manageable. On the other hand, the higher-ranked Dungeons, though taking far longer to reach their breaking point, unleashed a far greater and more destructive force when they finally did.
Presently, the kingdom’s most dangerous Dungeon, a Rank 1, was expected to overflow within the next few years.
There were, of course, methods to stave off such calamities. The most straightforward and widely practiced method was to explore the Dungeon thoroughly, depleting its resources. This approach worked well for smaller Dungeons, which were easier to control and manage.
However, for the larger, more intricate Dungeons, this tactic proved far less feasible. Instead, for these greater challenges, the more accepted strategy was to allow the Deluge to run its course, then mobilize forces to suppress the threat from the outside. Yet, within the confines of a bustling city, this could be an exceptionally perilous undertaking. Depending on which Mystic Beasts emerged from the depths, countless lives might be lost in the chaos.
The Queen of Lazulseed, unwilling to witness such devastation upon her people or the decimation of her Kingdom’s military, had made a fateful decision…
“Summon people from another world,” she had decreed, “and have them conquer the Dungeon.”
Thus, Izumi and the others — six in all — had been summoned to this foreign land.
It was said that those summoned from other worlds were invariably young and imbued with an array of formidable abilities.
In fact, history recorded instances of summoned individuals wielding powers so vast they bordered on the apocalyptic. They had, in those rare cases, cleared even the most fearsome, high-ranked Dungeons, rendering them dormant for decades.
Curiously, the summoning ritual itself could only be performed when a Rank 1 Dungeon Deluge was near at hand. Attempting it under any other circumstance would cause the ritual’s most crucial element, the Crystal, to lose its brilliance.
“A Crystal? You mean, like in Final Fa–“
“Stop,” Takada interrupted swiftly. “Don’t say it. And yeah, the Crystal… As a Deluge approaches, its light intensifies. It’s what powers the summoning. You noticed how there were no magic circles on the floor of that hall when we were summoned? No wizards, either. The Crystal must have been hidden somewhere nearby.”
“So the bright light we saw… that was from the summoning Crystal?”
“Most likely.”
“And once the ritual is complete… the light fades?”
“…Yeah. From what I’ve heard, it’s not glowing anymore.”
“I see…”
It was widely anticipated that the recent summoning would soon be made public. Once the announcement was formalized, the four newly summoned individuals would be introduced with all the grandeur their arrival warranted.
“So, that’s the general state of the Kingdom of Lazulseed. Not a bad place, really, but still far from ideal. The Queen… well, she’s the one calling most of the shots. It’s clear she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice otherworlders like us if it meant safeguarding and advancing her kingdom’s interests.”
“I guess it makes sense. She wouldn’t want to lose her own people if she could have some clueless aliens do the heavy lifting instead.”
“Exactly.”
Over the past week, while they explored the castle, they had occasionally caught sight of the four high school students who had been summoned alongside them.
The two girls always appeared dressed in intricately embroidered gowns. As for the boys, one was outfitted in a mage’s robes, the other in the attire of a knight, and it was apparent that all four were being treated with an abundance of care.
One day, they had spied on them training, working through magic spells and combat techniques. There had been no signs, so far, that they were being forced into anything dangerous or unreasonable
“Do you think they’ll also attend the coming-of-age ceremony?” Izumi asked.
“It’s hard to say. We’ve only seen them from a distance, and even then, just from behind. I can’t tell if they’ve been de-aged like me.”
“Right, and we can’t exactly risk getting a closer look — there’s no telling it’s safe to approach fellow otherworlders when we’re unaware of their abilities. I can’t shake the feeling that one of the girls has some kind of detection skill, too…”
“If that’s the case, they might be able to sense me appraising them. I’d assume that mages are attuned to that kind of thing, and they’ve got three of them.”
Despite the uncertainties, they had come to a shared conclusion: for the time being, the other group of summoned students would likely be fine.
Even after leaving Lazulseed, Takada and Izumi could continue to gather information on the Dungeon Deluge in the region. By doing so, they could also track the situation with the otherworlders.
As such, they set themselves another goal: strengthen themselves over the years leading up to the Deluge, so that if the situation ever changed — if those four faced any mistreatment — they would be ready to return and offer help.
“All right, I think that about covers what we need to know about Lazulseed…” Takada said, shifting the conversation. His expression grew more serious, though his features, mere days over fifteen, gave him the look of someone just coming into adulthood. “Let’s move on to the kingdom’s neighbors.”
Izumi straightened in her seat, shifting her attention fully onto him.
“Lazulseed shares its borders with two major nations,” Takada continued, “To the northwest is the Kingdom of Tajellia, and to the east, dominating the eastern part of the continent as well as the islands in the Eastern Sea, is the Adoghan Republic.”
The Kingdom of Tajellia was, without question, a formidable rival to Lazulseed. It was home to more Dungeons than any other nation on the continent, including several high-ranked ones.
Tajellia was home to a certain legend: a long time ago, they had summoned an immensely powerful otherworlder, who had proceeded to conquer numerous high-difficulty Dungeons with terrifying efficiency. While this might have seemed like a blessing at the time, it had come at an inadvertent cost: Dungeons, once rendered dormant, offered no resources — and they would stay that way for decades. The kingdom, no longer able to extract essential materials from the Dungeons, had been left economically vulnerable for quite a while.
On a more recent note, two years ago, a Rank 1 Dungeon in Tajellia had overflowed. However, instead of turning to otherworlders, the kingdom had relied on its own long-term preparations and strategic planning, and had managed to overcome the Deluge with minimal casualties.
“Do you think they dislike otherworlders?” Izumi asked, pondering the two stories with curiosity and concern.
“With the information we have right now, I can’t really say for sure…”
“Can’t blame them if they do, I guess — even summoned heroes in novels like to go wild and cause trouble all over the place.”
“…True.”
“By the way, Takada-san… your Eye of Appraisal isn’t going to suddenly act up and transform into some kind of cursed power, is it?”
“Nah, I’m sure it won’t. And you’d better not abuse your Stealth to manipulate things from behind the scenes like some kind of Eminence in Sha–“
“Whoa,” Izumi interrupted swiftly. “Stop right there. I promise I won’t.”
Satisfied with their banter, Takada returned his focus to the main topic. With their discussion of Tajellia over with, he moved on to his notes on the Adoghan Republic.
Adoghan, unlike the uniform structure of the two other nations, was a republic born from the unification of over thirty islands and mainland territories. Each region maintained its distinctive culture, and all were governed by their own tribe.
The most powerful of these tribes resided on the mainland, sharing power with the mercantile unions, whose influence extended deeply into the workings of the national assembly.
Unlike Tajellia, Adoghan was completely free of Rank 1 Dungeons. Its lands and islands were dotted with minor Dungeons instead.
“I have to admit,” Izumi said with a wistful smile, “those islands sound pretty tempting. I’d love to try some fresh seafood.”
Takada nodded. “That’s the Japanese instinct speaking. I feel the same way, but there’s an issue.”
“What kind of issue?”
“Geography. Or, more specifically, transportation,” said Takada as he pulled out his tablet and brought up a photograph of a map. He held it up for Izumi to see. “Lazulseed is here, and we’re currently in the capital… here.”
Izumi leaned in for a closer look as Takada pointed to the southern part of the diamond-shaped continent.
“Tajellia is up over here…” He traced his finger slightly towards the north-west, then lightly tapped the diamond’s north-east end. “…and Adoghan is on this side.”
“So… what’s the problem, exactly?” Izumi asked, still slightly confused.
Takada pinched the screen with two fingers, zooming in to the wide, ominous black-shaded region in between eastern Lazulseed and western Adoghan.
“This right there,” Takada said, pointing to the dark zone, “is the problem.”
“What is THIS, anyway? Why is it all black?”
“It’s the Great Forest… more commonly known as the Sea of Decay. It’s been this way for centuries now.”
Izumi blinked. “Sea of Decay? As in… it’s all rotting?”
“Yup. Centuries ago, a Rank 1 Dungeon Deluge occurred there. They couldn’t contain it in time, and ever since, it’s been a dangerous, contaminated wasteland that no one can venture into.”
“That’s… horrifying.”
“Anyway! We’ve got two potential routes to Adoghan.” Takada held up two fingers in a peace sign and wiggled them as he proceeded to explain, “First option: we head north into Tajellia, pass through it, and enter mainland Adoghan from there. That way, we’ll spend less time in Lazulseed. The second option is to head straight east, staying in Lazulseed the whole way — you know, since the capital is in the kingdom’s western region. After that, we’ll skirt around the Sea of Decay and make our way to a port city on the east coast, then take ships from one island to the next until we reach Adoghan Republic territory.”
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