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Operation: Liberate Southleaf Island – Part 05

By evening, Southleaf Island had returned to its former state. The fishing boats that had fled returned, and life resumed. However, with the Adventurers’ Guild in ruins, it would remain closed until new personnel arrived. Gerhardt, upon learning of what happened in the guild, grew so furious that Gogo and his men shuddered.

“Bios will pay for this,” Gerhardt had declared.

A banquet ensued thereafter, combining victory celebrations and mourning for the fallen. Tables lined the main street, and drinks flowed. Beastmen from all over the island gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of Gerhardt, the renowned Leader of Einbiest.

Jillarte and her nine companions recounted the events that unfolded on the island and apologized for their mistakes. Gogo, who had tried to kidnap Jillarte, tearfully confessed his guilt before Gerhardt.

After listening to their apologies, Gerhardt, with a look of disbelief, said, “Are you all morons? In the end, you fought together for Southleaf Island. Let bygones be bygones.”

With the matter resolved, it was time to revel and enjoy the festivities. While everyone was making merry, Jillarte attempted to slip away and head to the inn Biltappo el Debab.

“Jillarte! Here you go.”

The black panther Beastman handed her a bag. Belonging to Jillarte, it contained a huge elemental magic stone.

“Who gave you this?” she asked.

“The young lady with Hikaru. We invited them to the feast, but they declined, saying they don’t drink alcohol. She left me a message for you: ‘Have fun.’”

“I see…”

It was different now. Different from when they had disappeared right after the Ruler’s Rumble tournament.

There was no need to rush; he was there. They could talk tomorrow. She should be able to set aside some time.

“Fulfilling my duties as the Deputy Leader is how I should thank him for his help.”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing. Can you give this to Lord Gerhardt?”

“Whoa! Is that what I think it is?! An elemental magic stone?!”

Gerhardt’s sharp eye spotted it and came over. It happened to be dusk, and the bluish-white light emitted by the water elemental magic stone blended with the crimson hue of sunset.

“What?! We’ve never found an elemental magic stone of that size in the Maze of Magic Locks before!” Gogo exclaimed. “Ah, I see. You found it beyond the locked door.”

News of Jillarte opening the locked door in the dungeon and finding an elemental magic stone spread like wildfire among the residents of Southleaf Island.

“This is incredible! A new dungeon record!”

“How did you do it?! Tell us!”

“What were you even doing while we were gone? I can’t keep up anymore.”

Gerhardt raised his hand, silencing the Beastmen. “Jillarte, tell us about the dungeon. I was excited to fight the Knights Templar, but it was a letdown.”

“Um… well…”

Jillarte was overwhelmed, unsure of how to share what happened while concealing Hikaru’s involvement. Besides, she had no knowledge of sorcery, so she was doubtful if she could even explain it properly.

I swear if you disappear again without saying a word, you’ll be sorry, Silver Face! No, Hikaru!

She made a vow in her heart that, once the feast concluded, she would see Silver Face and tell him how difficult it was to keep his identity secret.

Besides, there were so many things she needed to discuss with him.

---

“That’s about it. To us, this catamaran is our ride, our partner, our wife. We can’t afford to lose it.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the information.”

At the harbor during dusk, Hikaru expressed his gratitude to one of the fishermen and returned to where Lavia and Paula were waiting.

“Are you finished?”

“Yeah. I asked everything I wanted to know. Did you deliver the bag?”

“Yup. I gave it to the black panther Beastman—kya!”

Hikaru suddenly grabbed Lavia’s arms, surprising her. “Did that Beastman try to flirt with you or make advances?”

“N-No. He invited me to the party, but since I don’t drink, I declined.”

“I-I see… That’s good, then.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Lord Hikaru doesn’t want any weird men around Lavia,” Paula teased.

Hikaru’s face turned red.

“Is that so?”

“N-No, it’s not like that.”

“Hikaru, you’re beet red.”

“It’s because of the sunset.”

“Hehehe.”

“It’s because of the sunset! Anyway, let’s hurry back to the inn.”

“Hehehe—Okay.”

Lavia snuggled up to Hikaru and held his arm.

“Oh, no. I shouldn’t have said that,” Paula mumbled behind them. “Now they’re going to be all lovey-dovey right in front of me.”

“By the way, what were you talking about with the fishermen?” Lavia asked.

“Oh, right. I was wondering how they organized and coordinated their actions so efficiently. Since those catamarans and trimarans are vital for their livelihood, and they take pride in being fishermen, they had a lot of interesting stories to tell.”

“I see…”

“Oh! Lord Hikaru, do you know why Lord Gerhardt came here?”

“Oh, that.”

Hikaru told them about how he used the Linga Quill Pen at the Adventurers’ Guild. Although Gerhardt’s arrival was unexpected, he had anticipated some form of reinforcement.

He communicated with two guilds: the Adventurers’ Guild in the Confederacy of Einbiest and the guild at the southern tip of Bios. Knowing how important Jillarte was to Gerhardt, Hikaru expected reinforcements to be stationed near Southleaf Island. He also assumed that they expanded their information network within the Adventurers’ Guild to keep tabs of the situation on the island.

And he was right. If everything went according to plan, reinforcements would arrive by boat within a few days, and the subdued Knights Templar would be handed over to them.

It goes without saying that Hikaru took into account that the SOS signal would reach Bios. Bios itself had sent their forces in the first place, so an SOS wouldn’t be odd to them.

“Wow…”

Impressed or bewildered, it was hard to tell from Paula’s voice.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Lavia asked. “Enter the Maze of Magic Locks again?”

“Well… I’m thinking of returning to Ponsonia for now.”

“Oh? I thought for sure you would want to explore the transformed dungeon.”

“I kinda want to, but with Jillarte obtaining an elemental magic stone, Gogo Zoro and the other adventurers will be more motivated than ever. That means the dungeon will be crowded starting tomorrow. If like before, the doors affect the magic circuits, they’ll need to map all the floors first. Getting immediate results will not be possible.”

“I see… So back to square one.”

“Yeah. We came all this way for nothing. Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m looking forward to exploring a different dungeon!” Lavia said cheerfully.

Hikaru couldn’t help but think it was somewhat inappropriate for a teenage girl to be delighted about exploring a dungeon, but it was probably genuinely what she felt, as she had always longed for adventurers.

“So, tonight will be our last night on Southleaf Island,” Paula murmured softly.

“Yeah… I guess.” Hikaru nodded, looking deep in thought.

---

After returning to the inn, Hikaru asked Daigo’s father to prepare a luxurious meal for their last night. He also invited them for dinner since there were no other guests.

“We are merely hosts. We delight in the smiles on our guests’ faces,” Daigo’s father said awkwardly.

Splendid dishes were served. A whole-grilled giant shrimp that turned blue when cooked, resembling a spiny lobster, sat the center of the table. The sauce drizzled over it was made using fruits from Southleaf Island; it had a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, complementing the tender white flesh of the shrimp.

Small plates with sautéed fish and sashimi sprinkled with rock salt were also served. The chicken, fried in coconut oil and coated with a sweet and salty sauce, was Hikaru’s favorite.

They savored the meal with a slightly tangy and refreshing juice. As they sipped their post-meal tea, Lavia started dozing off, signaling that it was time to retire for the night.

---

“Hey, mister. What’s up? I thought you were already asleep.”

After checking that Lavia and Paula were asleep, Hikaru went to the front desk of the inn. There, Daigo sat alone on a chair, as if he had been waiting for him.

“I didn’t have much sleep last night, so I’m sleepy,” Hikaru said.

“You should rest, then. You did great today, it seems.”

“I wanted to talk to you.” Hikaru approached the puzzled Daigo and took a seat on a nearby chair.

It was already late into the night. Only the glow of magic lamps illuminated the front desk.

“Thanks for the help today,” Hikaru said.

“For what?”

“You called the fishermen, didn’t you? You asked them to take their boats out to effectively seal off the harbor. It made it easy to corner the knights.”

“It wasn’t a big deal.”

“It would seem so.”

Daigo’s smile faded at Hikaru’s suggestive remark.

“I talked to the fishermen before coming back here. I asked them how they managed to coordinate so well with very little time. Their seamless movement was very impressive. Even trained soldiers couldn’t do what they did.”

“…”

“And they all said the same thing: ‘We heard a Faerie’s voice in our heads, and we just followed it.’ Untamed lone wolfs like fishermen would not be able to act with such perfect harmony unless there was someone greater than them giving instructions.”

“…”

“Oh, and thanks for providing the boat. We were able to recover the adventurers’ weapons. I didn’t see the innkeepers at all during the chaos. I assume they were the ones who called the fishermen?”

Daigo let out a long sigh. “It’s not like we were trying to hide it.” His tone sounded as if he was trying to ascertain Hikaru’s true intentions.

“Yeah, you could have done a better job if you wanted to hide it. Besides, I know you don’t mean us harm. It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“I was just curious. Why would forest Faeries living on Southleaf Island run an inn?”

Hikaru had questions about this inn, Biltappo el Debab—no, about Daigo himself.

First of all, Daigo seemed too composed for his age. Then, when Hikaru asked Daigo to guide him around the town so he could gather information, something felt off.

“Few new adventurers have visited in the past decade,” Daigo had said.

Considering his apparent age, the words “in the past decade” were odd, as if he had witnessed the last ten years himself.

More inconsistencies mounted, and after talking to the fishermen, Hikaru concluded that Daigo and his family were, in fact, the very Biltappo el Debab in the island’s folklore.

“Faeries have a tendency to lose their minds and turn into malevolent monsters when they live for a long time,” Daigo began. His shadow, cast by the magic lamp, moved wildly with just a stir. “So we seek pleasure. It just so happened that my family finds pleasure in seeing others enjoy themselves. So we decided to run an inn.”

“You started the inn because you wanted to see the happy faces of your guest, right? But none of the fishermen knew about this inn. There are no guests other than us. That means you haven’t been doing much to attract customers.”

“Yeah. We Faeries can live without eating much, but it’s not the case for Beastmen. They need the money. We didn’t want to steal the few guests they have.”

“Then why did you approach me when we arrived?”

“I thought you could help the adventurers make progress in clearing the Maze of Magic Locks.”

Hikaru’s breath caught. “Why me?”

“Just a hunch.”

Hikaru tried to check Daigo’s Soul Board, but there was no response. He could summon Beastmen’s Soul Boards, however. He guessed this meant that Faeries were completely different creatures.

“A hunch, huh?”

“And it turned out to be correct.”

“You also recognized me as an adventurer. Remarkable intuition you’ve got there.”

“It’s the impeccable way you carry yourself.”

A result of Unken’s hellish training, perhaps.

“Got it. Thanks. That’s all I wanted to talk about,” Hikaru said.

“Is that all? Nothing else, like calling me a liar or something?”

“Why would I do that? This place is quiet, you can hear the waves at night, and you serve delicious food. It’s a wonderful inn.”

Daigo’s eyes widened. “I’m glad you’re satisfied,” he said with a smile.

“Goodnight, Daigo.”

“Goodnight, Sir.”

It was the first time Hikaru saw him smile.