Three days from that night I spent with a group of mercenaries who felt good inside.
Did they make it to the Gardeus garrison safely?
Although it is a one-off meeting, the situation is the situation. I pay some attention.
"Going down the road that leads this way, it's a Sphere Garden, right?
"It should be, but honestly, we would be bandits, but no matter what happens, we're going to be able to forcibly break through ourselves..."
"That's right... I'm rather talking about crusading armies being formed, so how about even martial arts to improve the memory of the empire?
"Although I'm an ant as an option...... I'm looking forward to Reis, and I figured I'd head to Sphere Garden, as originally planned"
"Hehe, right? I just wanted to say it for once. City of art… I'm interested because I like woodworking too"
That Reis, but she was sleeping last night, so now she's sleeping in the passenger car.
As far as the map is concerned, we expect to be able to reach the Sphere Garden before evening, around 3pm.
By then she'll wake up, too, and I'm looking forward to seeing how she reacts.
"Well, let's go, then, to the art city of Sphere Garden!
In this world, there are few opportunities for too common human beings to come into contact with the 'arts' that are understandable.
In a broad sense, I think it would be art if you poke around something called craftsmanship or even cooking, but it's not like the popular term 'statue' or 'painting' or 'music' is overflowing everyday.
Well, I guess we're not common in that respect. Reyce is the owner of a club that originally featured artistic items, and both me and Rhue have had good days for it.
but as such a cutting-edge or easy-to-enjoy culture, born of the idea that 'art is something that everyone can freely enjoy', neither Lace nor Leue should have much experience.
In other words, as soon as I entered the city, I was already obsessed with the various tones that were played from all over the place and came into my ears.
"Wow! That's a guy called Violin, right?!? Is it that big? You sound like Jean on your chest!
"That's an instrument called cello. Look, I thought you were in the semi-final dinner band."
"Oh, was I? I couldn't afford to care less about my surroundings then..."
Here and there, a gentleman of aristocratic style, inclined to a cup of slightly bizarre design, with humans in private clothes playing instruments thoughtfully and listening to such performances nearby.
With a large number of galleries on his back around him, the painter running the brush in acrobatic motion had been transported from an atelier somewhere, a carriage loaded with many wood-carved statues on the carrier and the sight that anyone could already see as the 'Capital of the Arts'.
"The surrounding buildings also have a strange design that stands out...... kind of like a theme park"
"Ooh... there's a tower on the roof... I wonder if that's where it comes from, a suspension bridge?
"Ha, I honestly don't want to go through there, but that's a really unusual city"
"If you look closely, you have enhanced surgery over there. Otherwise, I can't support that unbalanced thing."
Even physically impossible buildings in the previous world had such a strange sight that they were plainly burying overhead or as if there were another city in the air.
Then, mixed with the hustle and bustle around him, there was a noise of sleigh from the passenger car behind him.
"Reis, are you awake? Look out the window."
"Ugh... yes"
At the same time as the curtains and windows opened, he heard Reis thrilled as if he were a child.
"Doh, what shall we do, Mr. Kai? So much nice stuff...... you shouldn't be able to slow it down, but it makes you want to take your time!
"Ha, yeah. Nao, I'll come back when I can join you."
"But that's exactly where we're staying for the night, right? Tomorrow I'll use the information set for the rest of the day... aren't you willing to go sightseeing or something?
Seeking a place to stop a one-end carriage, it comes to the halls of this city, places like.
They say that someone who wants to start an activity here comes to the process, or someone wants to be a patron of a particular person, or a facility visited by someone who wants to start a new business.
For once, you think you also play a role like a tourist information center?
"Sure, this is a neutral zone... well, maybe we can gather some information"
"Is it true!? Hehe, then we have to do our best to get to different places!
"Hehe, right, Reis"
If you two look like you're having so much fun, that would be good too.
Except I don't think it's going to be that deadly, and in fact, this place is going to be able to get information about the countries involved in the war on either side of the camp.
First of all, I need to decide on an inn, and I'll ask the receptionist if there's any good accommodation.
"Well, if you can show us the number of nights and your budget, we'll show you the accommodation that matches it."
"The stay is two days. If you're on a budget...... right, there's no ceiling. It's a good place to have as much fun as possible."
We're not adventurers, we're not mercenaries, we're warriors, we're tourists.
Then what stray would it be to stay in a place worthy of my own nostalgia?
The tie "Innkeeper makes his own money" hasn't worked properly in a long time, and it's nothing good.
"Hehe, I got it. Well then...... the architects living in this city are open for arms races every three years, but the building that won the contest opened last year remains open as a hotel. What about you?
"Oh...... what a pleasure that is. Okay, I want to be there."
"Now bring this reference and a map. It's accompanied by a brochure, so make sure you look through it."
Passing the brochure to the wacky, hand-moving Lue, Rayce glances at it too.
He took two of those excited people to the hotel.
"Heh! That's kind of awesome, like an old temple... though a little different from majestic... I can't say it in words"
"Kind of looks a little like Leila's mansion, doesn't it?
"The Master Greener took the cue from the architecture left over from the ancient ruins of the Mirage Desert on this continent and turned it into a sculptor and architect…"
Arriving hotels pushed such reproductions to the extreme as if 'wouldn't this be the case if the ruins of the past were brought back to modern times' and tried to recreate here as if it were a mythical era? It was such a building, feeling the temper.
I don't know the myths of this world in detail. Even I feel that way, I'm probably quite in the mood.
"Traces of magic everywhere... will it be the source... you have an amazing basic, simple crest engraved everywhere. Maybe this is handed down to today's magic."
"Maybe so...... even signs that the building itself is breathing"
"I see. Sounds like a great hotel, let's check in soon."
The building also housed miniatures of many of the buildings that its architects would have worked on in the past, and, naturally, many paintings were on display in the lobby and lounge.
So much so that Rayce is sighing with admiration as she looks around at them while she checks in. Perhaps all of these are top-notch products.
"Is that...? Hey Kai-kun, I recognize this painting..."
Finish the process and head to the two of you. Then Rue stopped in front of a single painting, twisting her head and just thinking about it.
Apparently it's a person painting...... Hmm, she's quite beautiful.
A full-body painting with a peachy long draped from shoulder to front and sitting on an antique chair.
Hmm...... it does look familiar somewhere, it doesn't seem so......
"Don't you know Rayce? It's this painting."
"It's a person painting, right? Hmmm... I think it's the work of the Elverson Gate to see from the way this shadow is put on and the way it's contoured... you don't have a name for the work, you don't have a signature..."
When it comes to not knowing even the most arteful Reis of all... Hmm, did you even see a replica of this painting somewhere?
"No, I'm afraid I saw this as the work of the Elverson Gate."
Then a man's voice is called from behind, and he looks back.
There, a man who was slightly too middle-aged, well-dressed, how gentleman, and a Gentleman, was smiling with one hand in his travel bag.
"Why hasn't a gate famous for leaving its name been left in this painting? That's because this is something that was painted for an extremely personal purpose."
"Uh... excuse me, but what the hell are you..."
"Hehe, he's just a shitty tourist who was staying here. I pinched my mouth on the words of someone with a great observational eye inside. I'm sorry."
"Yes, no! Again, this is definitely one Elverson Gate piece, right? Wow... I've never seen anything like this before... and I can't believe it's private."
"Heh heh, that's what the first Elverson line, the third generation Elverson, portrayed his mother."
Hmm, does that mean this woman is the daughter of someone who will be Elverson?
I mean, he said it was a second generation Elverson portrait.
Rayce, who heard it, stares again at the painting, an excited face that is hard to show.
"I can't believe this... second generation Elverson... was such a nice woman"
"As a matter of fact, not much is known, but Elverson is a woman to all who have inherited his name from the first generation to the modern age."
"Well! Were you? I just thought I was a man..."
"Well, at the time, many women were negative about painting, and the idea prevailed that art was the privilege of the limited. So the first Elverson also used a pseudonym to make his work world-wide."
Thoughts catch his story.
I stare at the painting again and see why I recognize this person...... try to carry the words caught in my thoughts and drag my memory up.
...... Elverson. Famous painter......
"So Elverson itself is a pseudonym. According to the literature, the real name is-"
"... el. The real name is" El Burson, "right?
"Oh? Yeah, you're right. That's a sharp read."
Well... you must look familiar. This peach-haired figure resembles the painting that was once decorated in that membership-based restaurant, Lian Ethernel, that Oink made famous painters paint, the one that reproduced our game-era appearance.
I mean... one of our teammates, El.
... should be similar. It's in the picture that's here now because it's that El's daughter...
"... you've got a daughter..."
I mean, she got life expectancy, and she had full tenure in this world. I guess that's what this is about.
"Oops, time for the Devil's Car is approaching so I'll be excused for this. As a matter of fact, I have a little bit of a mental illness in me, and I have to hurry back."
"Oh, I'm sorry about that, I think I pulled it off. Wishing your family well."
"Yeah, I hope it gets better! Thanks for all the interesting stories!
"Be careful on the road. Thank you so much for sharing your valuable stories."
Dropping off a man walking away refreshed and staring at the painting once now.
... there is a shadow. Elle's appearance age doesn't even reach twenty, she looked somewhere younger than young, but this depicted woman, probably in her forties. Around having a son who has grown up somewhat, I'm pretty sure.
Hair color, eye color, slightly sauce-eyed, somewhere howanly eyed.
That's unlimited proximity to the expectation that if El grew up, this would happen.
Perhaps Lue came to the same conclusion as I did. He had some kind of cut look on his face and stared at the woman in the painting.
"... when you can have children, you get life expectancy. Yes, you did."
"Oh. Just like Julia's parents did,"
"... well. Elle must have been happy."
"Oh. Loved by a lot of kids and apprentices, and that's still loved by everyone... I guess I was awesome and happy"
EL thing EL was a player who didn't really like adventure.
It was a nasty offense, a different race than I am, but still there was interaction with the same team at their behest, but honestly I wasn't that close to her at the time.
It wasn't mean to be evil... but somewhere we were shying away from each other, like that.
But when was it? She once asked me for an escort because there was a place she wanted to see and there was a place she wanted to take a screenshot.
"... that's when I started looking at the world itself."
Give thought to the background and the sense of the world. She taught me to be thought-provoking, other than on the gaming, systemic side. Probably wouldn't have kept playing without that one.
"Um... you two can't be..."
"The first Elverson... apparently, was one of my and Lue's teammates. Ha ha... I'm sure Reis must have had some acquaintance too. Oink dresses and weapons. And Elle gave you the accessories to adjust the shades of the gear."
At the time, many humans handed over various pieces of equipment and valuable items to Reyes, who had just been made.
accessories that are gear colorants or appearance changing items.
Dress type armor, or demon bow. Some of our team would have been born Rayce the last time. They've all worked together in a new way.
"Oh, I can't believe that... I can't believe that Elverson... had anything to do with me... what an honor... I can't believe I had such an edge..."
"Rue and Reyes have a place they definitely want to take if they ever go to the semi-final continent next. There's a painting of Elle. I'll definitely take you."
At that time, Shun and Dahlia are going to take him.
Unexpectedly, we knew the footsteps of a former companion, and we were getting sentimental somewhere.
but I decided to head to the museum sights near here first because I don't have time to move.
But that's just how Reyce took out the accessories of the day and watched quietly, whether the earlier matter was still pulling its tail, a nostalgic item, that is, I left her equipped.
"Because it's a memento, I usually put it in... this was Elle's gift..."
"It doesn't have any special effect, but it must have been quite valuable. Sure, Elle gave me a gift because she doesn't look good on herself, because she would look good on an adult Lace."
"You were... Next time, if there's anything to hold, I'd like to wear this necklace"
"Yeah, she'd be happy to do that, too," she said.
"I don't know... I remember Elle telling me a lot of difficult things, right?" I want you to escort me to the last observation deck in Sky Castle "or something. I'm on my own, right? Eight Ethereal Dragons. I'm the only one who's defending Elle, right? Isn't that great?
"Ha... that's definitely tough"
I remember. When I was training RYUE at the time, if I was somewhat equipped, I would have been asked to escort one person...
No, I do have to say that even though I was cultivating for a build that could go anywhere with a solo, it's crazy inside to take non-combatants into the hardest corner and go solo.
As we went down the road, we saw a bunch of armored men rushing to the city.
Looks like some kind of private army, mercenary, or knighthood, to see from a unified design.
"That's kind of nasty... was there a case too?
"I'm kind of worried... though it's a neutral zone, it's at war..."
"Right...... apparently it's scattered, maybe you're looking for someone. Shall I stay out of this as long as I can?"
The museum, which arrived with a slightly disturbing atmosphere, was once again a pioneering, slightly exquisite looking building.
Sounds like a teasing mansion in an amusement park......
"Let's get in quick! Look, it's funny how you open the door! They're going to lift it up."
"Well... you've never seen a structure like this before"
"... sounds like a garage shutter"
Stepping into that building, which is odd from the beginning, it is likely to start with a glare at the unfriendly colors in its eyes.
I don't know, the whole wall is picasso or something.
When you pay the entrance fee, the mysterious object that first sits in front of you catches your eye.
It was supposed to be "ball coaster" or something. Indeed, it was decorated in the Children's Science Museum or sold in an assembly ceremony as an interior.
When I was in Japan, I saw you several times.
"What is that... is it an object made of very large wire..."
"What is it? It's a whirlpool, there's a staircase..."
"Look, there's a handle down there, right? Turn it around and you'll see."
Is this also a kind of art? Well, maybe it's more familiar as one of the arts than science has developed, not penetrated...
Well, calculated physical arithmetic? Maybe that's a kind of art, too.
When Rhue turns the handle, the tower with the spiral course is turned, and the metal balls rise on top of it.
And the balls that reached the apex rolled out the course made of wire in bits and bits, showing retreats and various movements, rolling endlessly, and flying around reflecting light as if it were a meteor.
"Wow! Awesome! Look, there! I jumped and fell into a hole."
"This doesn't sound magical, does it? It seems to run beautifully where there is always a constant movement and no course..."
"Ha-ha-ha... sounds like a lot of elaborate calculations. Maybe a little funny."
You liked it a lot, Lue had turned the steering wheel firmly and started rolling a lot of iron balls one after the other.
No, no, it's time to go check out the next exhibit, right?
"Stay put... because I want to watch a little more... it might come time for the iron ball to fall in the wrong place... see, I feel a little weaker than that earlier..."
"Ha ha... then you can play here a little more. Apparently, we have a route ahead of us, so will you call me when you're ready?
"Yeah, I will. Look, I'm falling, now!... Oh, no. I'm in pretty."
Hey, that's just a calculated physical phenomenon, so I don't think madness will occur unless it's also some external factor.
but I'm going to leave it like this for a while now because it's adorable to sparkle my eyes and chase iron balls that move as if they were children.
... sounds kind of healing to all the other tourists and staff?
"It's a really fun place... I'm sure the object earlier must be manifesting a person's destiny... turning the steering wheel means working hard to get up and down. And once it falls, it is flushed around, flirting with a fate that I can't help myself... Eventually, even if I can escape the rail, it still cannot change and falls into a hole... it is a very profound work that manifests the fate of a human past like a meteor..."
"... well, maybe there's an interpretation of that."
Mr. Reyes, I think maybe that was just born with the playfulness of a scholar who learns physics.
Thus, when I saw and walked through a number of various avant-garde works with Reis, I still saw things like human thought, culture, and sensibility, such as whether the world would develop in the same way differently, works like I had seen somewhere, and a naked husband statue of a crystal that inspired a slightly unpleasant memory.
I also felt like I heard a small voice whining 'Kai is better...'... did you see... you...
That's how it happened half way past the route.
In this quiet museum... the screaming of an angry lue echoed.
'Get off me!!!! Give that to me!!!
"Huh!? Race, I'm running!
"Yes!"
Walking backwards the way and jumping back into our eyes in the first lobby were the blood-running eyes, Lue, who now just pulled his sword out of his waist, and the armored men with their asses around him.
"Give it back! thats my loved one bought it, first time, a gift!!!
"... definitely, consistent with the characteristics. Was it still flushed to some quality...... hey daughter, apparently you just bought this so I'm gonna miss it. You should buy something new with this money."
With that said, one of the soldiers throws a leather bag at Lühe.
But...... Rhue plays it with his hands and scatters tons of gold coins on the floor.
"Give it back! Otherwise...! Everybody!"
At that moment when I tried to pull the sword out, my hand manages to push it away.
"Lue, calm down"
"Kai-kun! My, my Kai-kun gave me some hair decorations!
Look, the feather-shaped hair ornament I've been wearing since I gave it away was disappearing from her hair.
"... what do you mean? That's the hair ornament I bought her. I took it away from her."
"Hmm, this is stolen goods. You can buy something new with that money and give it to them."
"... that's strange. I bought the hair decorations at a grocery store on the Endoresian continent over six months ago."
"Is that possible? I'm not going to ask you any more questions, but if you're going to say more... I'm going to have to look you up as a bunch of bandits?
Katakata and her sword with power make a noise.
The more disturbed he was, the more important he took care of me.
Is that what you're giving me here?
But at the same time...
"... Lue, just be patient now"
"Huh! How could you!? That's my greatest treasure! I don't need anything else, I don't need a replacement! I don't want to be robbed of your first gift!
"Huh! Still! Now, just be patient. I'll take care of it."
The soldier who was watching this exchange also gave it to the other soldiers who were holding off on hair decorations while the bat looked bad somewhere, which could fit in a luxurious jewelry box.
And then Lue picks up the flying leather bag, re-packs the gold coins, and now he pushes it on me.
"... she's a rough daughter. Shut up and take this.... instead you give something extraordinarily good."
……
No choice but to take it.
It doesn't seem like a bad guy... After all, there must be some reason.
Besides, if my predictions are correct...
Adults drop off the soldiers walking away. Then, once in my arms, Lue shouted out...
"Give it back!!! My treasure!!!! Mine! Give it back!!!! Idiot!!!!"
"... Later, I'll be sure to take it back. I'll be sure to tell you why later... just calm down."
In her arms, she trembles. I made you cry, me.
But... still, now we have to figure out where that soldier is going back.
"... maybe what they were looking for was a pair of Rhue hair decorations"
"... Huh?
"At least six months ago, we couldn't be looking for the hair decorations that existed in Endoresia any more dramatically now. I'm sure... one crack must have been stolen recently"
"... what are you going to do, Kai-kun"
It is decided. Once upon a time, words said by Lainey Linnealis.
"Do you remember what Mr. Rainey said?
"'Whatever means you use to find the same thing, get it'... but... if my hair decorations are enough to take away..."
"I won't let that happen. Absolutely."
To move that word to execution.
I know that man's words illuminate our journey as if he were looking to the future.
'At the end of your journey, you will face what you have acquired, the path you have chosen, what you have lost, what you have thrown away. as a major obstacle'
Now that I think about it, it must have been something I left behind in Japan, starting with my family, Chise.
I don't know by what principle she looked at my future, my destiny, but if she were to say, 'Use any means you can get'... you can't ignore me.
"Lue is waiting in this city with Reis. I'll get my hair decorations and information."
"... absolutely, take it back. Because it's really important..."
We came late. Tell Reyce what's going on and I'll go after the soldiers who disappeared.
I'm sure this choice will change our destiny.