Chapter 180 - Our Children Have Changed (1)

1

Of course, I couldn't just brush everything aside with “Nothing happened.” Everyone wanted to know why the Count had been eliminated, so I gave them a rough account of what I'd seen and heard.

“That person really is... beyond pathetic. It's almost sad.”

The Black Dragon leader looked incredulous.

She was usually impassive, that was all. Once the Black Dragon leader actually moved her facial muscles, her emotions showed with startling clarity. For instance, she had a special talent for making someone seem genuinely ridiculous simply by looking incredulous at them. Impressive.

“Choosing the fairy race was the mistake in the first place. The less ambition you have, the easier it is to be satisfied. Once she gave children like that a taste for money, of course they wouldn't spare a glance for anything else.”

“Count...”

The Paladin gazed up into empty space with a sorrowful air. It almost seemed as though the Count's phantom was smiling and waving from there. We observed a moment of silence for the Count's ridiculous existence.

“Oh, what about the points the Count had? Do those get divided among us now?”

“Yep, that's right. But you won't get a windfall like you did with Inquisitor Boy.”

The princess yawned.

“Countie spent every point she earned, carefully putting them all to use. So...”

[The Princess Who Walks Through Mirages is tallying the points.]

[You have gained 2 points!]

[You currently have 8802 Race Points.]

“There aren't many points left to share with you.”

Holy shit. We all shuddered at the Count's miserly instincts.

“Oh, it didn't divide evenly, so there's 1 point left. I'll give it to Sword Gramps. He's number one in your rankings, right? Someone ought to look after him. Take it and be grateful! I'm feeling generous!”

“... Th-thank you.”

“You're welcome!”

In the end, the Count's elimination left us with reflections on a ridiculous existence, an appreciation for every last Race Point, and, finally, miserly elves who'd gone mad for throwing money around.

What was this? Why did our companions scatter nuisances across the universe every time they got eliminated? I was seriously afraid that by the time we cleared floor 40, our Tower's City of Heavenly Ascent would be renamed the City of Heavenly Idiots...

“All right, I'll send you to floor 34 now. Anyone want to buy items before going in? Hurry up and choose.”

“Hmm.”

I glanced through the Civilization Shop. There was a product I had my eye on.

+

[Race Evolution]

Rank: Undetermined

Effect: Your race can evolve a total of twice. The second evolution costs far more than the first!

Cost: 30,000 Race Points

Unlock Condition: Your race must acquire at least six identities.

+

I clicked my tongue. It was too expensive.

'Getting them to their final evolution is still out of reach.'

I wanted to see my children grow big and strong and conquer the whole world as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it seemed that wish would have to wait a little longer.

“You lunatic. What are we supposed to do if they grow any bigger and stronger?!”

'Do you know what happens when Hobgoblins evolve one more time?'

“Huh? Well... Dwarves? Or trolls?”

'You really haven't got a clue, have you?'

I chuckled inwardly.

'Just wait. Once the kids are all grown up, you'll understand why I picked the Earth Spiritfolk. Just don't come crying to me then: Oh, Lord Gongja, oh, I failed to recognize the Earth Spiritfolk's worth, I'm so sorry.'

“Zombie... Don't laugh like that. You look fucking hideous when you snicker.”

That was awfully harsh.

The others each picked items according to their needs. Once we finished preparing, the princess nodded.

“Yep. All the items you bought will be reflected in history! Please understand that refunds aren't possible. Now, if I move time forward to the next stage... This time, 300 years have passed!”

Three hundred years.

Well over a thousand years had passed since the age when the primeval forest burned away.

I remembered that, before my regression, this was when the Flame Emperor's conquest of the world began in earnest. The elves, who worshipped him as the God of Fire, had set the continent ablaze. However you looked at it, their current hobby of making money was healthier than burning people.

“Then I'll open floor 34 for you. There wasn't a quest last time, but there will be this time. Only, it won't be a shared quest you all complete together. These are individual quests! I'll give each race its own.”

The princess put down her pillow and smiled.

“Your children's early childhood is pretty much over now. In human terms, I suppose they're in [puberty]? It's time for the problems festering inside to burst. Time for growing pains.”

CLAP

The princess lightly clapped her hands.

“Good luck, each of you! Be careful—some scary kids have started roaming around!”

Good luck, each of you.

I only understood what she meant after pure white light enveloped us.

As my vision grew hazy, the Tower's voice rang inside my head.

[The Earth Spiritfolk acquire the new trait 'Noblesse Oblige'!]

Apparently, the changes in the Earth Spiritfolk as history unfolded were being reflected.

As I waited for the thirty-fourth-floor stage to appear, another announcement sounded.

[The Earth Spiritfolk's trait 'Doctrine of the Bad Friend' is changing!]

[The Earth Spiritfolk acquire the new trait 'Demonic Cult'!]

'What?'

The Demonic Cult?

Before I could fully ponder what that announcement meant, I was transported to the next era.

2

As soon as I arrived, I noticed a difference from the previous stages.

I stood in the middle of an out-of-the-way street, looking around.

“... Black Dragon leader? Sword Star? Hello? Is anyone here?”

None of my companions were in sight.

The princess's [Good luck, each of you] had literally meant that we'd be separated and have to work on completing our quests individually.

Perhaps we'd each been scattered to a city settled by our own race.

“Ugor. Let's have a drink this evening after training.”

I, too, had landed in an Earth Spiritfolk city.

“Watermelons are in season now. They're delicious blended and mixed into liquor.”

“Doesn't drinking damage the muscles you've worked so hard to build up?”

“You have to soak them in booze now and then to keep your muscles supple.”

Earth Spiritfolk wandered the streets in little groups.

For a race that had risen to hegemony in the previous stage, their city was surprisingly unremarkable. There were no lavish buildings or dazzling streets.

How should I put it? It looked like a neatly constructed termite mound.

Uneven white buildings stretched on and on.

“Cavefire theater tonight! An all-star cast of popular actors! A smash hit for over two years! All seats sold out, and standing room is going fast!”

Here and there in the city stood unusually large, round buildings. Theaters. Out front, ticket sellers smiled brightly as they sold standing-room tickets. Astonishingly, every one of them was an elf.

“Come one, come all! Almost sold out! Almost sold out!”

The play's title was even more astonishing.

“A special experience, tonight only! With your sweetheart! With your friends! Experience [Raviel and Kekereukker], performed by a premier theater company with three hundred years of tradition!”

“Pfft!”

I spat.

“The love story of the century! A heavenly romance! Why did the empire's most beautiful duke's daughter abandon the crown prince and choose the unremarkable Kekereukker? What smooth talk did Kekereukker use to win her over? A story that teaches us what truly matters in life is a silver tongue! [Raviel and Kekereukker]! You, too, can acquire some insane verbal skills!”

“What the hell are these bastards doing?”

I ran toward the theater. Ink-painted posters covered the three-way intersection out front. They included portraits of the actors playing Raviel and me. Naturally enough, both were Hobgoblins.

Hobgoblins stood chatting in front of the Hobgoblin portraits.

“Truly beautiful...”

“Ugor. Honestly, haven't we seen [Raviel and Kekereukker] too many times since we were kids? I could recite every line with my eyes closed now.”

“You don't understand. Reinterpreting classic masterpieces is the trend these days. In the play I saw last time, Raviel and Golden Silk Blossom ended up together.”

“That's ridiculous. Isn't that [Silver Lily and Golden Silk Blossom], not [Raviel and Kekereukker]? The title's a scam.”

“Don't dismiss it. It's become tremendously popular in certain circles...”

“True. I heard someone was so captivated by that play that they poured their entire fortune into it.”

“They say the fairy playwright made a killing.”

That wasn't all.

“A golden opportunity! This is the finest Cavefire play of all! [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] comes to you tonight! Witness the mesmerizing flames demonstrated personally by the Fire River Council's sixteenth-ranked Great Warrior! In the role of the Sword Emperor, a special...”

“A one-of-a-kind, large-scale Cavefire production! Sixty-six extras alone! [Estelle: From Saintess to Witch]! Mud Theater is the only venue in all of Guru capable of staging a play on this scale! Excellent value for your money—book now and receive a free watermelon beer!”

The elves shouted their advertisements at the top of their lungs.

Three or four theaters were clustered around that intersection alone. Competing across a single avenue, they were bound to get aggressive about drumming up customers. Some elven ticket sellers even got into arguments and grabbed each other by the ears.

“Hey! Watermelon beer?! How can you stoop to luring people with food? If you're a theater company, compete fairly on the quality of your plays!”

“There's no such thing as underhanded in business! Develop your own products! Losers sure talk a lot!”

“Ugor? Are you fighting?”

“I'll watch the play of whichever ticket seller wins. I'll referee, so have at it.”

Scenes of shock and horror unfolded before me.

“Those... those lunatics...”

Of course, Uburka had told me.

He'd said he would turn my stories into Cavefire and pass them down through the generations.

But I'd imagined something like a grandmother telling stories to her grandchildren. I'd never dreamed they would commercialize them on such a scale.

“Isn't this the fairy race's influence? You said the elves were crazy about money.”

The attendant spirit chuckled.

“Hey, more importantly, that one looks fun. Let's watch!”

The theater he pointed to was in the middle of a performance of [Raviel and Kekereukker]. Half out of my mind, I followed him.

The round theater resembled an enormous cave. Darkness surrounded us, and the actors recited their lines while freely manipulating aura. It was closer to a musical than a play, perhaps?

“Ah, Lady Raviel. I have come to understand my own heart.”

“Sylvia.”

“A shellfish nurtures an illness in its heart. A white illness. A radiant disease. That illness hardens into a pearl, and my fate is just the same. Lady Raviel, I cannot reject this beautiful disease.”

A Hobgoblin acted onstage. It was an extraordinarily passionate performance. Judging by the name Sylvia, that Hobgoblin was undoubtedly playing Lady Golden Silk Blossom.

“Sylvia, no. Stop. If you say any more...”

“The person I love is not the sun of the empire. Nor is it my butler. Lady Raviel. Your Grace. It is you I adore.”

“Good heavens.”

Good heavens.

“Have you lost your mind, Lady Sylvia, daughter of the baron?!”

These children had lost their minds!

“No. I am perfectly sane. Tomorrow, I shall inform His Highness the Crown Prince that we are parting. He will be furious, but his fury cannot consume my love. No, let it consume me! I will gladly burn.”

“My lady!”

I watched the Cavefire play in a daze.

The plot went like this: Raviel couldn't accept Golden Silk Blossom's feelings. The crown prince and Golden Silk Blossom broke up. Unable to let go even after their breakup, the crown prince plotted an assassination. At last, the climax. Trying to prevent the assassination, Kekereukker the butler died in her place...

“You can't kill me off, you bastards!”

I shouted before I knew it.

You said the title was [Raviel and Kekereukker]! That Hobgoblin had been right—the title was a scam!

But the Earth Spiritfolk children around me couldn't hear my voice. Instead, after the Cavefire play ended, they whispered to each other, clearly moved.

“Wonderful flames again today...”

“This is my fourth time watching, and I'm still not tired of it. Every actor is really good at using aura.”

“Gor. Honestly, I was deeply moved. I want to stand on that stage someday myself!”

No.

Something was wrong.

I sank to my knees at the intersection outside the theater.

“What do I do? My children have become strange...”

The attendant spirit wore an odd expression.

“Your children were strange from the beginning, Zombie.”