Chapter 258: Deus Ex Machina Part 4

On our way to the trade city of Creta, we came across some new information.

“He didn’t stop the escape…”

We had discovered a procession of refugees leaving Creta. Judging by their expressions, it seemed nothing too serious had happened.

Ariel who had been helping to calm the refugees tilted her head and asked,

“Does that mean he’s keeping the bare minimum of decency?”

“Who knows. It’s hard to say.”

Is he really keeping the bare minimum standards of human decency?

That’s hard to believe, considering he massacred the gears in the Veldani Mountains.

Sure, he did it by using someone else’s hand, but the fact remains…he made the conscious decision to kill others. There’s no denying that.

And now, he’s not even using the citizens of Creta as hostages, but letting them go?

“Maybe it means he’s confident.”

Confident he can resolve things quickly, or perhaps he knows the Empire won’t get involved.

Or maybe… he has another plan altogether.

“In any case, I wouldn’t say the situation is good.”

According to what we heard from the refugee procession, Theseus and Immun went straight to confront the Scriptwriter and there’s been no word from them since. This procession stems from that.

Once people believed the pillar of strength Theseus had fallen, they must’ve felt too afraid to stay in Creta without a plan.

Honestly, I’d have done the same.

“Think that old guy’s dead?”

“Probably not.”

The reason Deus went out of his way to break Theseus mentally was because he was a real threat.

Second only to the Emperor, Theseus was a monster who could wield the power of Destruction freely. Leaving him unchecked would’ve been too risky.

And in that kind of situation, would he really drive Immun to death? You never know what people might do when pushed to their limits.

Unless Deus was absolutely sure he could kill Theseus, his course of action was obvious.

“Either trapped somewhere… or wandering aimlessly.”

Most likely, the two of them have been thoroughly restrained.

A stalled situation like that would probably be the most efficient strategy.

“Whatever the case, we’ll know once we check for ourselves.”

Off in the distance, we could see Creta wrapped in a blue barrier.

Even from afar, the dome-shaped blue barrier was clearly visible. As we got closer, its scale was almost overwhelming.

It looked solid even at a glance.

Even if I swung my sword at full power, it probably wouldn’t leave a scratch.

Is this the first barrier we’ll have to break through?

“Ariel.”

Still, I wasn’t worried.

Bringing down fortresses was a mage’s job. And with an Archmage like Ariel with us, even a fortress built by the Scriptwriter wouldn’t hold out for long.

“I had a quick look. It’s a barrier with exceptional magical resistance.”

“Oh, is it going to be tough?”

“Not really?”

Ariel tilted her head slightly, as if wondering why I’d ask something so strange, then slowly raised her staff.

And then, a storm began to rise.

Tornadoes started forming one by one around the outskirts of Creta.

They formed a ring-like formation, and at the center of that huge circle, energy began to converge.

This was Ariel’s new ultimate spell. The one she used to bring down the great warrior previously.

The very same power that once opened a huge sinkhole in the heart of the Empire now came crashing down toward the center of Creta.

Craack!

The sound wasn’t all that loud. But rather than being weak, it was proof of how precisely the spell struck a single point.

And Ariel’s magic didn’t stop there.

Crack-crack-crack!

The immense physical force that rained down from the sky onto Creta’s center easily shattered the barrier, and like a plague spreading outward, it began to tear the shield apart into pieces.

This wasn’t just breaking through.

It was total destruction.

The barrier couldn’t withstand Ariel’s power and burst like a balloon.

“Shall we go in?”

“…Yes.”

Even after witnessing that display, I couldn’t bring myself to smile comfortably.

Am I really about to marry someone who can reduce an entire city to dust…?

If we ever had a marital argument, I’d be dead for sure.

Well, I suppose the answer is to never start a fight in the first place…

“Haah…”

Still, I’m not sure it’ll be that easy.

And so, we stepped into the now-empty city of Creta.

***

The streets were desolate.

It had once been a bustling city, worthy of being called a trade hub. But thanks to one of the Scriptwriter’s antics, it had ended up like this.

It was impossible to even imagine the losses the merchant guilds must have suffered.

“At this point, shouldn’t Cattleya have gotten down on her knees and begged me for help?”

And she dared to ignore me?

If she weren’t Emily’s older sister, I wouldn’t have let that slide.

“Right? Merchants really have no conscience.”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but that’s just how merchants are.”

With Yuna and Ariel backing me up, I knew I wasn’t wrong.

“Well then.”

I glanced around the street.

I checked to see if anyone might’ve been injured or startled by Ariel’s magic, but thankfully, Creta was completely deserted.

That made our next destination obvious.

There was a place Theseus, Immun, and the merchant guild’s guards had headed to in an attempt to deal with this situation.

“The castle… A castle, huh.”

Strange structures had sprung up in Creta, ones that hadn’t been there before.

The metal cables stretching across the streets and the mechanical devices were one thing,

But the most eye-catching by far was the structure that looked unmistakably like a huge castle.

A mechanical fortress that had devoured buildings and streets alike, growing in size. As if it were the center of everything.

If we wanted to meet the Scriptwriter, we’d have to enter that fortress first.

“Dietrich, break down the door.”

“Yes!”

Clank!

Obviously, it wasn’t a real castle.

It was just a structure that looked like one.

There wasn’t anything that could really be called a front gate, so breaking in seemed like the right call.

“I cut it clean so we could pass through easily. Almost like a real door.”

“Nice work.”

As expected of the Sword Saint.

He only swung his sword a few times, and a door appeared in the metal machine structure.

He even carved out hinge details, so he must’ve been feeling relaxed.

“Ha, back in the day, I used to live in a place just like this…a castle and all.”

“Don’t talk like you’re full of regrets, you little thing, Helena.”

“A tragic past, you know.”

“…It really is tragic, so I don’t even know how to respond.”

Since Helena’s whole family was massacred and she’s been on the run ever since, it was hard to tell if she was joking or being serious.

I’m pretty sure it started as a joke, but…

“Let’s go! Let’s send that villain of a Scriptwriter straight to my brother!”

“……”

Well… yeah.

Anyway, she seems to be doing fine, living her life with strength. That’s what matters.

“Senior, which way should we go?”

Let’s think in clichés.

In setups like this, like a Demon King’s castle, the final boss is usually at the top floor.

The others probably had the same idea and headed for the stairs going up.

But I’m different.

I know what the Scriptwriter is trying to do, so naturally, my perspective is broader.

Thud! Thud!

I stomped my foot a few times.

Just as I thought… there’s space underneath.

“Make another door down below.”

“Yes, Senior. I’ll cut it square like an attic hatch.”

“Yeah, good. This castle’s dreary enough as it is. Might as well add a few cozy little touches.”

Clank!

He opened a space below us.

The lower floor had a corridor layout similar to the one we were standing in.

“At this point, you can probably guess what I’m going to do next.”

“So we should walk around and look for places with space underneath?”

“Exactly, Dietrich. You’re sharp.”

“Well, I was part of Class S, after all.”

It’s not because you were smart. You beat me up and dragged yourself in. And for the record, the Cradle doesn’t even do that kind of class ranking anymore. You primitive little thing.

“But Dietrich, your role isn’t to go down.”

“Huh?”

“You, Helena, and Jeff are going up for now.”

“Understood.”

Dietrich didn’t even hesitate at a command that might have sounded a little strange. His trust in me is starting to feel a bit heavy.

Why does he listen so well? Everyone else around me is like an unbroken colt.

“As you go up, rescue any injured people you find, and smash any suspicious-looking devices.”

“I’m not really sure what counts as suspicious, so I’ll just head all the way to the top and destroy everything.”

“That works too. If you happen to run into Prince Theseus or Immun, tell them to come down to the lower floors. And if, by any chance, you meet the Scriptwriter…”

“Should I take him down?”

“First, say I wanted to talk to him. If that doesn’t work, then fight.”

“Yes, understood.”

With that, the destinations for our Misfits was decided.

Compared to our side…with Ariel, Yuna, and even Emily, their group might look a little weaker, but honestly, they might be more stable than us.

With just Jeff’s barriers and Helena’s support, they should be able to make it back alive in most cases.

They’re more suited for defense and rescue than offense, so they’ll manage just fine on their own.

“All right, let’s go too.”

And with that, we split into two groups.

I’d have liked to divide us up even further to search more thoroughly, but… it’s probably not wise to split up any more than this.

What could be waiting for us ahead…? All we could do now was take a step into the unknown.

***

The castle that had formed inside Creta Castle was a huge mechanical structure.

After exploring through its interior, I finally realized what it really was.

“A vibration…”

The deeper I went, the more I could feel vibrations coming up from the floor.

There were two causes of these vibrations.

One of them…

“Whoa! Johan, watch out! This wall’s starting to move!”

“This is seriously getting on my nerves…”

The vibrations were caused by the building itself moving.

This castle is a huge labyrinth.

And not just any labyrinth. It was the worst kind, tangled and twisted from top to bottom.

No wonder things had felt a little too easy.

They must’ve figured it didn’t matter if people escaped. This whole setup was just a way to stall for time.

“The most annoying part is that they don’t even consider us a threat.”

“Johan, the source of the vibrations is getting farther away. I think we need to hurry.”

Ariel had her rabbit ears perked up, listening intently.

She was tracking the origin point of the vibrations we were feeling.

And that brings us to the second reason why this place is shaking.

“Let’s pick up the pace.”

The Scriptwriter is already digging.

Based on what I heard from the Wonder Mage, it’s obvious where that tunnel is headed.

“We have to stop the Scriptwriter before he reaches the inner core.”

The digging speed is fast. Meanwhile, we’re stuck in this labyrinth, struggling just to reach the lower floors.

Of course, there’s no need to panic just yet.

Sure, right now he was tearing through the ground at breakneck speed, but that wouldn’t last much longer.

“He’ll soon have to deal with pressure and heat. The tunnels heading downward will narrow, and the outer walls will get thicker and tougher. What’s the plan then?”

That was Emily, our expert.

Well, it’s a problem anyone could’ve seen coming, even without Emily’s input.

“What about hacking?”

“Not possible.”

“Keep trying anyway. At the very least, he might recognize our presence.”

We have to try everything we can.

And with that in mind, I’d say this team lineup is actually pretty solid.

Ariel is tracking the source of the vibrations. Emily’s working with the mechanical systems, trying to hack into them.

And Yuna…

“Johan! Looks like he’s finally activating defenses against intruders. There’s a trap in this passage!”

She’s our scout.

And me? I’m the center of this party…the brain and the leader. The one responsible for making the right calls at all times.

I laid out our next move.

“Then go in first and smash everything.”

Perfect. Couldn’t have come up with a better plan.