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I patiently waited as Chris tried earnestly to articulate his thoughts.

“This time around, there are lots of impressive individuals here. Being tasked with safeguarding important figures, there’s a distinct air of seriousness about them. …Someone mentioned that the lightning striking down here is the evil god’s doing, right?”
“…That’s correct.”

I believe Chris was mentally prepared for it. Even in the face of my affirmation, Chris didn’t display any notable reaction. So, I continued speaking in the same manner.

“Though I said there are amazing people here, I understand that each one alone wouldn’t be a match for the evil god… including us… But!”

Chris’ words grew more resolute at this point.

“But, it’s not just one person here! If one person’s not enough, then ten people… and if ten aren’t enough, then twenty…! If that’s not enough either, then we’ll go at it with all of us and we can win! I don’t think it’s right for us to keep depending solely on you forever. That’s why, this time… I want us to take it down on our own. I wanna start believing that we can do things on our own. Before confronting the real challenge.”
“I see”
“…Maybe I’m just being foolish. Do you think I’m being self-centered, Illya…?”

Despite the strong words Chris used, his voice seemed to lose some of its vigor, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. However, let me make it clear that I wasn’t mocking him, nor did I hold any such thought.

“Not at all.”
“…Is that right? Yeah! I believed in you, Illya!”
“But don’t get carried away by that.”
“Uh… yes.”

Exactly.

As long as he doesn’t let his confidence run wild and rush recklessly, Chris’ straightforwardness could be a guiding light for those in need. Even if he feels uneasy alone, he has two dependable compadres.

“It’s not like I understand everything either. I can’t always offer advice, and it’s not good to misunderstand that my advice is the reason things go well.”

In that sense, Chris’ words were convenient and reassuring to me. Or so I was thinking…

“…Is that so?”

But he answered back skeptically.

I mean, I can learn things if I look into them, but there are many things I don’t know. As I said earlier, I don’t know whether Selena formed the contract, for example.

“Anyway, a little recklessness is acceptable, but don’t push yourself beyond your limits. If it genuinely seems too much, please reach out and let me know. I’ll keep the connection ready for you.”
“Got it!”

What else… Oh, right.

“If the clan leaders become too troublesome, say this —Please act uprightly for the sake of your citizens. Or else… The assembly hall will be destroyed again, you know?— tell them that.”
“The assembly hall? That place with all those protective barriers? What’s the meaning behind that?”

It was exactly as it sounded. To describe it in a different way…

“It’s a spell to calm down the tribe leaders… you could say?”

With the ending of the call with Chris’ group, I was done with places with evil gods. Orbwight was next. Although I probably wouldn’t be directly connecting to the kingdom.

“Orion, can you hear me?”
“—Yup. Quick as always, aren’t you? Have you dealt with the other places?”
“…So you can tell.”

Orion laughed at my reply mixed with surprise and annoyance.

“Haha, I didn’t expect you to go out of your way to inquire only about my situation. You probably wanna ask about our neighboring kingdom, right?”
“Yes, exactly. Do you know what the current state is?”
“We do maintain diplomatic ties. This is only what I heard through the messenger, but things aren’t looking good.”

With that introduction, Orion proceeded to fill me in on the state of our neighboring country, Orbwight.

At the outset, the sandstorms of abnormal weather began to arise, accompanied by the emergence of monsters.

The nation was plunged into turmoil due to the disruption caused by the sandstorms, resulting in a tangled web of information. The Guild’s communication network also faltered, adding to the general confusion.

Up to this point, this was the account I had gathered from all the familiars.

So, in a situation where the management of the crisis was uncertain, and even the collection of information was precarious, frustrated guild members took it upon themselves to initiate their own actions.

However, simultaneously, there were instances of clashes between the military and guild members due to the rise in activities of anti-government groups and crimes within the impoverished segments of society.

At this juncture, the accumulated grievances and stress from the abnormal circumstances appeared to erupt into c.o.m.p.l.e.t.e　c.h.a.o.s.

“…That’s the general idea. Haha.”
“Um, it’s not exactly a laughing matter…”
“Is that right? Well, maybe it was a kind of divine retribution coming our way!”

He sounded quite pleased…

Orion clearly had a deep attachment to his homeland, no matter how you sliced it.

Well, I understand he was not the type to intentionally bring harm to his own kingdom. In any case, the situation was quite critical. Could this potentially be the most significant threat to the nation’s survival thus far?

“I apologize, Orion. I’ll call you back shortly.”
“Hmm? Alright.”

Now, how should I proceed?

I’ve distributed communication crystals to various individuals, but I haven’t managed to reach the king or anyone in close proximity…

That left me with only one feasible option.

“Lord Dragon King, may I have a moment of your time?”
“Hello, Illya. Your voice is truly captivating, resonating more profoundly within the heart than that of other elves.”

Ignoring that.
There was no time for that either.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”
“S-Sure.”
“Whether it was you or your ancestor, I’m unsure, but the current king of Orbwight is Dragon God’s dependent, right? I’ve even heard him boast about it. I have a crucial message to deliver, and I need you to convey it to him, either as a relative or as the master of a dependent. Please, ensure it reaches him. —Do your work— …convey that.”
“G-G-Got it. I’ll make sure to do so!”
“Glad to hear it. Then, please do.”

Come on, why do you sound so frightened? I’m just asking for a favor here.

Anyway, I suppose this should finally get that foolish king to take action.

The whole arena incident was most likely a result of the unchecked nobles, especially since that fool is completely indifferent to politics.

And as for the war with the Empire, I can just imagine him saying he was fine with it as long as he could fight.

Honestly, the way the kingdom is being governed under a fool is just… Let’s just stop. It’s a waste of time.

“I’m sorry for the delay.”
“Hmm? We’re all good here. After all, I’ve got the Divine Spear here to keep intruders at bay.”

It’s reassuring to see that he’s using it effectively.

“I’ve just sent a message using some connections, so I anticipate there will be some activity within Orbwight soon.”
“I see. Should I take any specific actions?”
“If there’s a request for assistance, please consider offering your help. Given the growing number of refugees, Piscroza could potentially face a significant burden.”
“True.”

Orion agreed and continued.

“Following the recent incident, our kingdom has become somewhat cautious about admitting individuals from other countries. Prioritizing the defense of the granary regions seems to be the primary concern.”
“I’ll leave the decision to you.”

However, it’s likely that most of the villagers have sought refuge in nearby cities, which should have some defensive capabilities. The crux of the matter lay in the availability of provisions. The decision comes down to whether it’s more expedient to provide direct aid or await the restoration of functionality within the military and guilds.

However, embarking on an expedition required careful consideration of supply lines and logistics. Ultimately, entrusting this task to someone well-versed in the local geography seemed to be the most prudent approach.

“Well, in any case. Once things settle down, make sure to come pay her a visit too.”
“Yes, certainly.”

Why now?

I pondered, only to recall my earlier advice to him to prioritize what he wished to do. This might be the reason for his suggestion, as he sensed my potential hesitancy.

“Understood. When the time comes, Haku will likely be accompanying me as well.”
“He’s like a grandchild, isn’t he? She’ll be delighted.”

The stars adorning the sky of this world aren’t distant planets, but rather the luminance of the souls waiting to be reincarnated. I didn’t know if the otherworlder Anna’s soul was part of that sparkling sky… that cycle of reincarnation said to be managed by the Human God.

But Orion said so, as if to declare that it didn’t matter where the actual soul was.

Well, he’s someone who never cared about things like the otherworldly origins, differences in culture, common sense, species, and so on.

I wish everyone else thought like him, even a little… On second thought…

“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, apologies. It’s nothing.”

When I imagined it, it sounded problematic in its own way, but I’ll keep it a secret.

“Please contact me through the crystal if something happens again. I’ll keep it connected as much as I can.”
“Got it. Haha! I’ll try my best so it doesn’t have to come to that.”
“Please make sure not to push yourself.”
“Sure, sure.”

With that casual sign-off, the conversation concluded. For now, it seems like everything has been addressed…

…Oh, the elven village, right… Wait a second.

Now that I think about it, when I got in touch with Jean, he mentioned something about the elves. I have a faint recollection of that. If he took the trouble to bring it up, it probably means he had an encounter with other elves.

Most likely, these encounters were infrequent, perhaps limited to trade or some such. If they happened to be passing through at the moment, they might come across this abnormal situation.

And if that’s the case, Jean would probably jump in to help. He’s pretty lenient with his kin.

……Well, I wonder if things will work out after all? Just to be cautious, I’ll put in place a contingency plan, just in case.

“Undine, tell me if things turn too bad.”

Okay! I’ll hear about it through the spirit network with this! York should’ve gotten the crystal too, so it should work out!

And with this, I was really done with communicating. Now it was time to focus on settling local problems.