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The Scales that Announce Global Upheaval – Part 07

“B-But Rikido is such a lame name. Granryuk is much cooler! N-No, that’s beside the point. The issue is whether the information from these humans can be trusted.”

“Nonsense. The Distant Girdle’s job involves obtaining information from none other than humans. It is the humans who prosper most across the entire continent.”

“Oh? That’s quite a departure from our usual skepticism towards human affairs. Are you blindly trusting them just because Raiga brought them?”

Hikaru initially felt the accusation was aimed at him, but it was clear it was directed at Raiga. Despite Raiga’s composed demeanor, the other Man Gnomes near Granryuk appeared uneasy.

The Grand Elder heaved a deep sigh and raised a hand. Gradually, the murmurs among the Man Gnomes subsided.

“We called upon you, disrupted your schedules to gather here, and this is how you behave, throwing tantrums like a child?”

“A child?! As head of Distant Girdle, I possess extensive knowledge of the outside world—”

“Head? Don’t make me laugh. There are no ranks here. You can’t even adhere to the basic teachings of our people? If you wish to resign from the Distant Girdle…”

At that moment, even Hikaru, observing from the sidelines, felt as if the Grand Elder had grown bigger.

“…I can help you with it.”

Pressure. Hikaru had thought she must be formidable to claim the title of Grand Elder, but the power the old woman possessed was a completely different weapon from what Hikaru had expected.

“Ugh.”

Granryuk, who faced it head-on, fell quiet under its weight. A few seconds passed in silence.

“With the revival of the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas,” the Grand Elder went on matter-of-factly, “the world’s magical energy consumption has significantly risen. Not only because of the Saak family’s dungeon, but the revival of other dungeons as well. However, our primary concern is the return of Soaarunay Saak.”

All ears were on the Grand Elder, absorbing every word.

“There are two main strategies we can pursue. First, we need to uncover the cause behind the revival of these dungeons and, if possible, seal them once more. Second, we must investigate the Great Labyrinth of Runay-aas. Depending on what we find, a direct confrontation with Soaarunay Saak might become necessary.”

Gasps rose from all over.

“While our era of prolonged peace may come to an end, the Man Gnomes must act for the sake of this world’s tranquility. Starting today, we will fully support the Distant Girdle and Ultimate Mirk. Distant Girdle will follow the directives of the Second Elder, and Ultimate Mirk will follow those of the Third Elder.”

On either side of the Grand Elder stood two elderly women.

“The other elders and Attending Awl will likely remain in the council chamber. Everyone, be prepared for any unforeseen events and actions at any time.”

With that, the Grand Elder concluded her speech.

---

The sun had set, enveloping the village in pitch-black darkness devoid of stars or moonlight. Softly glowing pathways and buildings provided the only illumination. The lack of mana signatures suggested luminescent capabilities or some other source of power. This village showed a unique kind of progress.

“We’re heading into a meeting now, so let’s visit Ultimate Mirk tomorrow,” said the Seventh Elder.

Hikaru and Paula were once again guided to the assembly hall, but this time, they found food waiting. Oil lamps lit the table graced with bread, stew, and cheese. A very standard meal.

“It’s surprisingly ordinary,” Hikaru remarked.

“Yeah,” Paula agreed. “I very much appreciate it.”

The pitcher contained water. The freshly baked bread was delicious, and the stew was seasoned well. Renka complained about life in the village being dull, but at least the meals were satisfying.

“There’s no meat.”

The stew contained only vegetables and mushrooms. It was tasty, but Hikaru wondered if it was enough for growing children.

Just then, a knock came at the door. Hikaru and Paula exchanged glances.

“Come in,” Hikaru said.

“Okay… Hmm? Hey, it’s locked! Could you open up?”

Hikaru and Paula exchanged another glance.

“The door is supposed to be locked from the outside,” Hikaru said.

“That’s nonsense. Doors are supposed to be secured from the inside—oh, wait, you’re right. Why is the lock on the outside?!”

With a clatter, the door swung open, revealing a Man Gnome. He held a rare magic lamp not often seen in the village, its cold, dazzling light illuminating his face.

“Uh, I believe your name was Gran… Rikido?”

“It’s Granryuk! Why correct yourself?!”

“So, what brings you here, Rikido?”

“It’s Granryuk! Gran-ryu-k!”

A pause between the ryu and k? Hikaru thought.

“No, seriously, why are you here?”

Given the earlier exchange between him and the Grand Elder, he seemed to hold an unfavorable opinion of Silver Face.

Granryuk closed the door behind him with one hand—no, left it slightly ajar, as if afraid it might lock, then cleared his throat and entered.

Ignoring Paula, Granryuk scrutinized Hikaru from head to toe. Hikaru remained vigilant, ready to draw the dagger from his waist at any moment.

“…”

“…”

After several seconds of silence…

“W-Would you shake my hand?” Granryuk said.

“…”

What?

“I-I’ve always wondered what you were like. Mr. Kagurai rarely praises anyone, yet he spoke highly of you. And you even helped Mr. Unken. I’ve been wanting to meet you!”

Granryuk bowed at a 90-degree angle and extended his right hand like he was asking someone out.

Hikaru and Paula exchanged glances, both slightly agape, before Hikaru cleared his throat.

“Um, well… sure.”

As he stood up to shake hands, Granryuk lifted his face and broke into a broad smile. Hikaru realized that a smile from a pretty man could disarm even another guy. Just in case the handshake was a trick for an attack, Hikaru kept his left hand free, but his caution turned out to be unnecessary.

“So, why?” Hikaru asked after the handshake.

Granryuk, grinning while looking at his hand, said, “Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you blast me in front of everyone earlier? You made it sound like you didn’t trust me at all.”

“Blast you?! That was just a bit of a jab. It was the elders who initially expressed distrust in you.”

Hikaru tilted his head in confusion. If they didn’t trust him, why call him here?

As Granryuk began to speak, Hikaru gestured to a chair, but Granryuk declined, saying, “I prefer standing. I’ll get nervous sitting around the same table as you.”

“You stole the antidote for the Accursed Toxin for us, didn’t you?” Granryuk went on.

“If you’re talking about the ones I handed over to the Empire’s spies, then yes.”

“When I heard that story, I was totally impressed! Sneaking into the legendary Tower that even the Empire’s legendary spy, Black Blade Unken, couldn’t infiltrate and stealing the antidote! Ah, why wasn’t I assigned to the Bios team? Don’t get me wrong. Forestia is fascinating, but it’s just not up to par.”

“Granryuk, you’re getting off track,” Hikaru interrupted.

“Oh, sorry. Anyway, the elders initially didn’t trust your actions. They couldn’t believe you could obtain the antidote that even the Distant Girdle stationed in Quinbrand couldn’t get.”

“I get it. It’s normal to suspect that I conspired with the enemy and brought fake antidotes.”

“Wh-What?!” Granryuk’s despair was evident.

“I’m just saying it’s natural to be suspicious,” Hikaru clarified. “The issue is that once you verify it, you can confirm whether it’s genuine.”

“Right?! But…” Granryuk furrowed his brow and sighed.

“What’s wrong? From what I heard, the antidote was delivered to Quinbrand and worked wonders.”

Hikaru glanced at Paula, who nodded back. At that time, Paula had been in Quinbrand’s imperial capital with Sophie and Sara, tirelessly treating patients.

“Using the Black Wedge Gate would’ve allowed for a faster delivery.”

Hikaru gave a start. The man was right. With the Black Wedge Gate—a revolutionary logistics device—they could have transported the antidote from Bios to Quinbrand in an instant. But in reality, that didn’t happen. It had been transported overland.

“Since not everything about the Accursed Toxin was clear, the elders temporarily closed the gate connecting us to Quinbrand. They were worried about it spreading to the village. So, we couldn’t use the Black Wedge Gate to transport the antidote.”

An uncomfortable silence settled in. Granryuk’s frustration was palpable. Preventing the spread of an unknown epidemic was understandable. But refusing to transport the antidote, even when it was right in front of them… How many lives were lost in those few days?

If only they had trusted Silver Face even a little, if they had just confirmed its effectiveness, the antidote could have been transported via the Black Wedge Gate to the Quinbrand Empire, saving even more people.

Paula’s hands were balled into fists on her knees. She had been at the frontlines during that chaotic period.