“Meeting and Parting with My Beloved (Gag)”
“Well then, should I finally make my move to visit the Dispel Stone?”
Putting aside the detours, I’d arrived at the Demon Lord’s capital for my original purpose—to use the Dispel Stone to lift the Magic Power Fixed placed on me. So, I started my actions.
Getting up from the bed in the inn where I was seated, I informed Massana at the reception that I was heading out and handed over the key. Then, I stepped outside the inn.
According to Sara’s information, it was located in an old temple to the west of the royal castle. It was immediately noticeable, or rather, it was impossible to miss.
“Isn’t it huge?”
I was currently walking straight down the main street with the royal castle in front of me. To my left stood a massive stone building, clearly different in appearance from the surrounding structures.
It was probably the temple Sara mentioned. But if I considered the size of the surrounding buildings as one, this temple would be about six times that size. It was really enormous.
Certainly not as grand as the royal castle, but it was taking up way too much space for a building that didn’t seem to have any particular function. The architectural style of the temple clashed with the surrounding buildings, to the point where it might actually improve the aesthetics to tear it down.
Assuming that this temple was important to the demons, I decided to make my way toward it.
As I continued down the main street, there were vendors selling light snacks at stalls just like in a human city, and customers bargaining at stalls selling various goods other than food. Aside from the occasional flying demon, it was not much different from a human town…
Walking around with the eyes of a typical country bumpkin who just came from the countryside, I suddenly found myself in front of the temple. It seemed that even someone completely unfamiliar could find it without getting lost, given how massive it was.
“The entrance… Let’s see. Is this it?”
For the time being, I tried to find the entrance to go inside. There, I noticed a guard, and they called out to me.
“Hey, you there. Do you have some business here?”
“I heard there’s something called a Dispel Stone here.”
“Indeed, there is a Dispel Stone here, but I can’t let you enter.”
“Is that so?”
According to the guard, this place was a shrine where a Dispel Stone used in a major battle of the past was enshrined. This temple had remained untouched for years, no matter what happened.
Apparently, six generations ago, a Demon Lord attempted to dismantle part of the temple to secure living space, but an unprecedented famine and epidemic occurred simultaneously, resulting in many casualties.
After that, every time a plan to dismantle the temple was proposed, some kind of trouble would occur, leading to rumors that the temple might be cursed.
A decisive incident was when the queen of the Demon Lord six generations ago fell mysteriously ill after another attempt to dismantle the temple while she was pregnant. Despite the efforts of the physicians, she passed away along with her unborn child. This tragic event seemed to seal the fate of the temple, as no more discussions about its dismantling took place, and it was decided to leave it untouched in this country.
“So that’s the history. I’m not comfortable guarding this place either. I’d like someone else to take over soon.”
“It’s quite a story. Well, does that mean I can’t see the Dispel Stone?”
“Sorry, but that’s how it is. Please understand.”
“Understood.”
Causing a scene here wouldn’t be wise, so I decided to pretend to give up and leave the area for now. I never imagined there would be guards at the temple. Did Sara intentionally not mention it?
Anyway, since infiltrating during the day would be difficult, I’d have to wait for nightfall. With the goal of seeing the Dispel Stone gone, my only option, for now, was to stick to my usual routine—wandering around the city.
Furthermore, the only magic affected by the current Magic Power Fixed was Conversion Magic, which I could live without it. Still, there were those who might be worried, considering I left the capital without a word. So, ideally, I would like to have it lifted.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to wait until night.”
After that, enjoying some sightseeing as I wandered around, I passed the time until nightfall. Time seemed to pass more quickly than I had anticipated. As the area gradually transitioned to nighttime, I decided to head toward the temple without drawing anyone’s attention.
By the way, after returning to the inn and having dinner, I spent some time in my room engaged in my usual daily activities and production. Time flies when you’re busy.
Unlike during the daytime, I thought there wouldn’t be anyone on the streets, but there were still a few people walking around. Unlike human cities, there were devices resembling street lamps evenly spaced out, emitting faint light. This prevented it from being pitch dark, allowing people to move around using these sources of light. As a result, even during this time, there were still some individuals walking around outside.
In order not to be noticed by these people, I kicked off a building wall and climbed up to the roof, then made my way toward the temple. Thanks to that, I managed to reach the temple without being detected by anyone.
“‘Invisible Curtain’.”
As I arrived at the temple, there was another guard stationed there, different from the one during the day. Leaning on his spear, he seemed rather disinterested, occasionally yawning with a wide open mouth. The security seems lax.
Just to be safe, I used magic to become invisible by surrounding myself with an invisible curtain. This only covered the space around me, so I couldn’t pass through walls or objects. It merely made me invisible.
Approaching in this state, the guard didn’t notice me at all, and I casually walked past him. As expected, the security was quite lax.
Upon entering, the temple’s interior had the same weathered appearance as its exterior, reiterating that this temple was an old structure from years past. Unlike a complex maze, the interior of the temple was more like a straightforward path. It was incredibly spacious. While there was no risk of getting lost, it was still vast. What’s the point of having a passage that’s over twenty meters wide?
Continuing down the path, I finally arrived at a massive door at the end. It stood several meters tall and seven or eight meters wide.
“Were demons from the past really giants like this? No, probably they just thought having something larger would be more dignified. Demons must be pretty loaded with pride.”
Engaging in such musings about ancient demons, I suddenly realize that it didn’t matter now, discarding those thoughts.
Upon touching the door, a magical circle appeared and the door slowly swung open from side to side. It was magical in nature, considering the lack of sound when opening and closing. Cautiously, I slipped through the door, making sure no one noticed.
On the other side, the interior was even more massive than the outside, resembling a rectangular room with a length similar to that of placing four 25-meter swimming pools side by side, two on top and two on the bottom. At the far end, something shining brightly was set up.
“Is that the Dispel Stone? But seriously, did it really need to be placed in a ridiculously huge room like this? It takes several minutes just to walk to the edge of the room. What’s the point?”
Grumbling about the room’s design, it took a few more minutes of walking. Finally, I arrived at the spot where what appeared to be the Dispel Stone was located. However, an unexpected situation arose at this point.
The shining object was indeed there. However, a thin veil-like membrane extended about three meters around it, preventing me from advancing any further.
“A barrier, huh? Well, considering the poor guard, it wouldn’t be surprising if there’s a barrier around the Dispel Stone itself.”
Finally getting a glimpse of the Dispel Stone, I was left disappointed that I couldn’t touch it. Still, I tried to deactivate the barrier. However, even though breaking the barrier with a forceful attack was a possibility, I was avoiding that route because it might alert the guard. Unfortunately, my attempts at dispelling the barrier, which should normally be an easy task, are proving futile this time.
Even though I was tempted to use a stronger method, I fear the guard might notice if I attack the barrier forcefully. However, judging from my experience with the barrier so far, it might not lead to any success even if I do attempt such a method.
“Damn it. You’re right here, within arm’s reach, and yet I can’t touch you…”
Placing both hands on the barrier, I sent an intense gaze toward my beloved Dispel Stone. No matter how intently I looked, the Dispel Stone didn’t respond to my feelings. It just continued to emit its warm light.
Uttering lines that would fit perfectly in a cheesy romance novel, I expressed my frustration, but fortunately, there was no one here to hear it except me.
“What to do… I might need to retreat for now and think about my next move.”
Since I couldn’t seem to do anything about the barrier, staying here wouldn’t change anything. If that were the case, it was much more constructive to leave and search for a way to deal with this barrier.
“I’ll miss you, but I’ll come back to see you. I promise. Please wait for me until then. Farewell.”
Throwing a slightly melodramatic farewell at the Dispel Stone, I received no response, as expected. It was just my own self-indulgence. A bit too much silliness, I suppose.
Afterward, I used the invisibility spell again to bypass the guard, and since there was nothing else to do today, I quietly returned to the inn and went to sleep.
“Meeting and Parting with My Beloved (Gag)”
“Well then, should I finally make my move to visit the Dispel Stone?”
Putting aside the detours, I’d arrived at the Demon Lord’s capital for my original purpose—to use the Dispel Stone to lift the Magic Power Fixed placed on me. So, I started my actions.
Getting up from the bed in the inn where I was seated, I informed Massana at the reception that I was heading out and handed over the key. Then, I stepped outside the inn.
According to Sara’s information, it was located in an old temple to the west of the royal castle. It was immediately noticeable, or rather, it was impossible to miss.
“Isn’t it huge?”
I was currently walking straight down the main street with the royal castle in front of me. To my left stood a massive stone building, clearly different in appearance from the surrounding structures.
It was probably the temple Sara mentioned. But if I considered the size of the surrounding buildings as one, this temple would be about six times that size. It was really enormous.
Certainly not as grand as the royal castle, but it was taking up way too much space for a building that didn’t seem to have any particular function. The architectural style of the temple clashed with the surrounding buildings, to the point where it might actually improve the aesthetics to tear it down.
Assuming that this temple was important to the demons, I decided to make my way toward it.
As I continued down the main street, there were vendors selling light snacks at stalls just like in a human city, and customers bargaining at stalls selling various goods other than food. Aside from the occasional flying demon, it was not much different from a human town…
Walking around with the eyes of a typical country bumpkin who just came from the countryside, I suddenly found myself in front of the temple. It seemed that even someone completely unfamiliar could find it without getting lost, given how massive it was.
“The entrance… Let’s see. Is this it?”
For the time being, I tried to find the entrance to go inside. There, I noticed a guard, and they called out to me.
“Hey, you there. Do you have some business here?”
“I heard there’s something called a Dispel Stone here.”
“Indeed, there is a Dispel Stone here, but I can’t let you enter.”
“Is that so?”
According to the guard, this place was a shrine where a Dispel Stone used in a major battle of the past was enshrined. This temple had remained untouched for years, no matter what happened.
Apparently, six generations ago, a Demon Lord attempted to dismantle part of the temple to secure living space, but an unprecedented famine and epidemic occurred simultaneously, resulting in many casualties.
After that, every time a plan to dismantle the temple was proposed, some kind of trouble would occur, leading to rumors that the temple might be cursed.
A decisive incident was when the queen of the Demon Lord six generations ago fell mysteriously ill after another attempt to dismantle the temple while she was pregnant. Despite the efforts of the physicians, she passed away along with her unborn child. This tragic event seemed to seal the fate of the temple, as no more discussions about its dismantling took place, and it was decided to leave it untouched in this country.
“So that’s the history. I’m not comfortable guarding this place either. I’d like someone else to take over soon.”
“It’s quite a story. Well, does that mean I can’t see the Dispel Stone?”
“Sorry, but that’s how it is. Please understand.”
“Understood.”
Causing a scene here wouldn’t be wise, so I decided to pretend to give up and leave the area for now. I never imagined there would be guards at the temple. Did Sara intentionally not mention it?
Anyway, since infiltrating during the day would be difficult, I’d have to wait for nightfall. With the goal of seeing the Dispel Stone gone, my only option, for now, was to stick to my usual routine—wandering around the city.
Furthermore, the only magic affected by the current Magic Power Fixed was Conversion Magic, which I could live without it. Still, there were those who might be worried, considering I left the capital without a word. So, ideally, I would like to have it lifted.
“Well, I guess I’ll have to wait until night.”
After that, enjoying some sightseeing as I wandered around, I passed the time until nightfall. Time seemed to pass more quickly than I had anticipated. As the area gradually transitioned to nighttime, I decided to head toward the temple without drawing anyone’s attention.
By the way, after returning to the inn and having dinner, I spent some time in my room engaged in my usual daily activities and production. Time flies when you’re busy.
Unlike during the daytime, I thought there wouldn’t be anyone on the streets, but there were still a few people walking around. Unlike human cities, there were devices resembling street lamps evenly spaced out, emitting faint light. This prevented it from being pitch dark, allowing people to move around using these sources of light. As a result, even during this time, there were still some individuals walking around outside.
In order not to be noticed by these people, I kicked off a building wall and climbed up to the roof, then made my way toward the temple. Thanks to that, I managed to reach the temple without being detected by anyone.
“‘Invisible Curtain’.”
As I arrived at the temple, there was another guard stationed there, different from the one during the day. Leaning on his spear, he seemed rather disinterested, occasionally yawning with a wide open mouth. The security seems lax.
Just to be safe, I used magic to become invisible by surrounding myself with an invisible curtain. This only covered the space around me, so I couldn’t pass through walls or objects. It merely made me invisible.
Approaching in this state, the guard didn’t notice me at all, and I casually walked past him. As expected, the security was quite lax.
Upon entering, the temple’s interior had the same weathered appearance as its exterior, reiterating that this temple was an old structure from years past. Unlike a complex maze, the interior of the temple was more like a straightforward path. It was incredibly spacious. While there was no risk of getting lost, it was still vast. What’s the point of having a passage that’s over twenty meters wide?
Continuing down the path, I finally arrived at a massive door at the end. It stood several meters tall and seven or eight meters wide.
“Were demons from the past really giants like this? No, probably they just thought having something larger would be more dignified. Demons must be pretty loaded with pride.”
Engaging in such musings about ancient demons, I suddenly realize that it didn’t matter now, discarding those thoughts.
Upon touching the door, a magical circle appeared and the door slowly swung open from side to side. It was magical in nature, considering the lack of sound when opening and closing. Cautiously, I slipped through the door, making sure no one noticed.
On the other side, the interior was even more massive than the outside, resembling a rectangular room with a length similar to that of placing four 25-meter swimming pools side by side, two on top and two on the bottom. At the far end, something shining brightly was set up.
“Is that the Dispel Stone? But seriously, did it really need to be placed in a ridiculously huge room like this? It takes several minutes just to walk to the edge of the room. What’s the point?”
Grumbling about the room’s design, it took a few more minutes of walking. Finally, I arrived at the spot where what appeared to be the Dispel Stone was located. However, an unexpected situation arose at this point.
The shining object was indeed there. However, a thin veil-like membrane extended about three meters around it, preventing me from advancing any further.
“A barrier, huh? Well, considering the poor guard, it wouldn’t be surprising if there’s a barrier around the Dispel Stone itself.”
Finally getting a glimpse of the Dispel Stone, I was left disappointed that I couldn’t touch it. Still, I tried to deactivate the barrier. However, even though breaking the barrier with a forceful attack was a possibility, I was avoiding that route because it might alert the guard. Unfortunately, my attempts at dispelling the barrier, which should normally be an easy task, are proving futile this time.
Even though I was tempted to use a stronger method, I fear the guard might notice if I attack the barrier forcefully. However, judging from my experience with the barrier so far, it might not lead to any success even if I do attempt such a method.
“Damn it. You’re right here, within arm’s reach, and yet I can’t touch you…”
Placing both hands on the barrier, I sent an intense gaze toward my beloved Dispel Stone. No matter how intently I looked, the Dispel Stone didn’t respond to my feelings. It just continued to emit its warm light.
Uttering lines that would fit perfectly in a cheesy romance novel, I expressed my frustration, but fortunately, there was no one here to hear it except me.
“What to do… I might need to retreat for now and think about my next move.”
Since I couldn’t seem to do anything about the barrier, staying here wouldn’t change anything. If that were the case, it was much more constructive to leave and search for a way to deal with this barrier.
“I’ll miss you, but I’ll come back to see you. I promise. Please wait for me until then. Farewell.”
Throwing a slightly melodramatic farewell at the Dispel Stone, I received no response, as expected. It was just my own self-indulgence. A bit too much silliness, I suppose.
Afterward, I used the invisibility spell again to bypass the guard, and since there was nothing else to do today, I quietly returned to the inn and went to sleep.
