Chapter 51
After the three of us spent the entire day holed up in the guild's library archive room, all we learned was that we knew nothing.
Of course, there was some useful information, like the location of the Church supposedly built in the Demonlands, but it was all dated, and there was nothing about the current state of things.
The old maps included paths leading to the Church in the Demonlands, but we're talking about the Demonlands—there's no way those paths still exist.
The fact that only outdated information remains speaks volumes about how devastating that tragedy was—the one that forced humanity to retreat from the Demonlands they had once carved out.
Losing a large number of skilled adventurers is effectively the same as losing the next generation of skilled adventurers.
Hekatai, having lost many outstanding adventurers who could have trained and nurtured their successors, still hasn't recovered from the blow.
The current boundary between the Demonlands and human territory, still far behind its peak, is proof enough.
*
"So, what do we do now?"
Shara asked, blinking her overworked eyes.
I sipped water from a wooden cup, thinking about how to answer.
We were at the diner for adventurers, bustling with those who had just finished their jobs—just the right atmosphere for discussing the Church in the Demonlands.
"Even digging through the archives doesn't tell us anything about the current state of the Demonlands."
If we want to complete the request properly, we'll have to start by taking the time to gather intel on the Demonlands ourselves.
Normally, you'd want at least a few months to prepare for a journey to the Church in the Demonlands.
But the Church probably won't allow that.
They'll definitely come up with some excuse to rush us.
"Right, in that case, we should take our time gathering information on the Demonlands and prepare slowly."
See? They're rushing us already... Wait, what?
I stared at Shara in surprise as she said something perfectly reasonable.
Shara tilted her head slightly.
"What is it?"
"No, I just assumed you'd say we should move to retrieve it as quickly as possible."
"Even I don't think this request is going to be easy. We should spend at least a few months just on research."
I couldn't help but stare at Shara as she said something so obvious like it was the most natural thing in the world.
What is she thinking? Does she have some reason to want the Church to take its time? I don't get it.
Still, maybe I should see this as a stroke of luck.
I don't know what the Church is up to, but I might as well go along with it.
Just as I was about to voice my agreement—
"What are you talking about?"
I heard Erika's voice, one I knew all too well.
A bad feeling welled up inside me.
That tone of voice—yeah, it's that one.
It's the tone Erika uses when underclassmen or classmates come to her for advice at the academy.
"Even if we use tomorrow for preparations, we're entering the Demonlands the day after, alright?"
——Huh?
Shara let out a sound like she'd just heard a really bad joke, and then quickly closed her mouth before she could say, "Are you serious?"—which, honestly, was probably for the best.
Erika Solnzari has this kind of quirk.
Sometimes she forgets that she's in the genius category.
It shows in different ways—like unconsciously expecting others to understand things at her level, or judging magic and swordsmanship based on her own standards.
But the common thread is this: when Erika acts like that, it's because she holds the person she's talking to in high regard.
In this case, it's probably because our recent missions have all gone well, just by chance.
But that's a misunderstanding.
Whether it was the Golden Ogre, the Forest Dragon, or that assassin who turned into a demon—
The only reason we got through unscathed was because Erika was there.
That part isn't factored into her high evaluation, which is how we ended up with this declaration.
Still, denying that high evaluation now would be a bad move.
Why? I don't know why, but when Erika gets like this, she doesn't change her mind easily.
I've seen it many times at the academy—people crushed by the weight of her expectations.
As far as I know, the only one who ever survived Erika's barrage of high expectations was the Priestess of Light.
That was the biggest wall between Erika and the priestess—what people called "Erika's Wall."
But this time, we're dealing with monsters from the Demonlands. It's not like we just happened to ace some tests or had a perfect showing with magic or swordsmanship.
Her evaluation may be off, and while Erika's presence means we'll probably be fine, it's still undeniably dangerous.
I have to clear up this misunderstanding—
"I mean, Shin is with us, isn't he?"
I closed my mouth.
"I do claim to be somewhat capable myself. With the two of us, the middle layer of the Demonlands is nothing to fear."
Don't you agree?
Erika smiled at me as she said that, and I silently nodded back.
...Hey, I'm a guy too, you know.
Of course I want to look good in front of the girl I like.
I quietly looked away from Shara, who was frozen with a look of utter despair.