CH ss - 63

[Noelia: Vigo’s True Identity]

• Noelia’s POV

“Please forgive me for the rough driving, I want get to the Abyss Hole as soon as possible, you see.” (Vigo)

I got kidnapped by Vigo; my mouth is gagged and my limbs are tied up.

And right now, I’m sitting inside a wagon that runs even without a horse.

The wagon appears to be made of metal, and its wheels are spinning on their own.

I wonder if it’s something that was made with the technology possessed by Vigo’s organization.

The vehicle made with a technology that is fundamentally different from magic is running toward the Abyss Hole at about five times the speed of a normal wagon.

We already entered the Demon Forest; I feel like we are soon going to arrive at the Abyss Hole.

It may be better not to carelessly try to escape on my own.

Frick-sama and co seems to have already set out this way anyway, I better focus on sending information through my familiar squirrel for the time being.

Vigo’s aim, the enemy’s war potential and its placement.

Frick-sama and the others will surely find that information helpful.

While being shaken in the wagon driven by Vigo, I decide to keep an eye on the surroundings.

After running for a while, the wagon stops at the place where the dense and overgrown forest opened up.

“Now, we have arrived at the destination.” (Vigo)

A gigantic hole, which was said to be the source of the Great Invasion, comes into my sight ahead.

“Please allow me to invite you into the underground facility created by us ‘Foreigners’, Noelia-dono.” (Vigo)

He must be talking about the facility that Father and Al-sama mentioned before.

Speaking of which, they said that the entrance is inside the hole of the Abyss Hole.

However, unlike my expectation, the ground where the wagon is on cracks all of a sudden, before it goes down along with the wagon.

“Nh!?” (Noelia)

“Ahh, the facility was broken in the last Great Invasion, see. It looks like its restoration is over. This makes it easier to go to the underground facility. It will be easier to welcome Frick-dono and co when they arrive, too. Please tell them not to worry with the employment magic.” (Vigo)

“!!” (Noelia)

He knew!? How? I entrusted the squirrel to Meiss even before the attack began.

Vigo should not be able to know that. Just how…

“No need to worry. There is no traitor among the authorities in Youg Hannotes. I got the information from the drones I sent over there for observation. Drones are kind of like familiars used by us ‘Foreigners’. You can think of them as devices to collect audio and visual that can be operated from a long distance.” (Vigo)

If Vigo and his organization have devices similar to familiars, then I better consider that they’ve already knew that Frick-sama and the others have set out this way.

I didn’t see any ambush set up on the way here, though…

“We want to make a deal with Frick-dono, which is why we are preparing a hospitable reception in this facility. Of course, we didn’t set up any ambushes whatsoever, so please tell him to feel free to come in.” (Vigo)

Should I convey Vigo’s words as they are…?

What if this is another trap of his…?

Given Vigo’s deeds so far, I can’t take his words as is.

Anyway, I better tell Frick-sama and the others that their movement has been leaked to Vigo, so they should be careful.

Focusing on the squirrel I controlled, I give the details on this side to Frick-sama and the others who are coming to save me.

“Now, we’ll be entering a clean room where mana has all been removed, so you will finally be able to say goodbye to that gag.” (Vigo)

When the ground that’s descending downwards stops, a door that appears before us open, and this time the ground starts moving forward.

The lamp installed on the ceiling on the large space turns on, emitting red light, and rain falls down from the ceiling like a waterfall.

“I have no problem because I have mana antibody, however, to my compatriots who don’t have it, mana is extremely toxic, you see. It is a rule that those who came from outside are to be rinsed with chemicals like this.” (Vigo)

When the waterfall-like rain stops, my connection with the squirrel that I have been sharing senses with is cut off.

No way, I didn’t lose concentration, and yet, the magic got cancelled on its own!?

Why is this happening!

Because my magic was suddenly cut off, an agitated look surfaces on my face.

“I presumed that employment magic is a magic that shares consciousness through mana that fills the atmosphere, however, it will be interrupted if mana disappears from the surroundings. We have made this room to be free of mana. You can try to chant magic, you know.” (Vigo)

Vigo removes my gag and rope that tied me.

I immediately pick up my staff beside me, and begin to chant magic.

“Become a hot burning arrow and pierce my enemies! Fire Arrow.” (Noelia)

I-it doesn’t come out! Why!

I can’t feel the usual feeling of magic activating.

There’s no sign of magic being activated from the staff I held, either.

“I told you that there is no mana here, didn’t I? Magic, which activated by rousing the mana that stored up in your body to affect the mana that filled up the atmosphere, is ineffective here. In other words, even great mages are just an ordinary person in this underground facility.” (Vigo)

I never heard about something like that from Father or Al-sama.

There had been no mention of magic couldn’t be used in the facility during the investigation.

“You seem to be confused, but this place is a level lower than where your father last investigated. Because the upper level is destroyed during the Great Invasion, mana has filled up the place, so magic can be used there.” (Vigo)

“A level lower…” (Noelia)

“I suppose you can call it the starting place of the ‘Foreigners’, an another world exploration and research unit.” (Vigo)

“Another world? Vigo, who on earth are you all! You guys possess technology different from magic, control atypical creature such as Abyss Walkers, and are trying to destroy this world. Just who—” (Noelia)

“Noelia-dono is mistaken about one thing. We have no intention of destroying this world.” (Vigo)

“Do you think I will believe the words of someone who control the Abyss Walkers that caused the Great Invasion?” (Noelia)

“The Great Invasion was an accident that came from a series of unexpected misfortunes. I can only tell Noelia-dono that the Abyss Walkers, too, were victims of that accident.” (Vigo)

The Great Invasion was an accident? It wasn’t caused intentionally?

Even though things would have been worse if Father hadn’t led the breakthrough unit and destroyed the facility above the Abyss Hole.

The Abyss Walkers were victim, too, he said. Just what on earth…

When Vigo snaps his finger, the side wall begins to move, and the figures of Abyss Walkers submerged in some kind of liquid come into my sight.

“Noelia-dono said that Abyss Walkers are atypical creatures. In a sense, that is correct, and also incorrect. Abyss Walkers are actually humans without mana antibodies who got exposed to a large amount of mana. They then got deformed and thus turned into Abyss Walkers.” (Vigo)

Abyss Walkers that cast shadows on the wall are only half-deformed, I can spot some whose remaining half of the body is human-shaped.

Abyss Walkers were humans!?

Although animals might become monsters due to the influence of mana, for humans to deform into such atypical creatures, I’ve never heard of such a case before.

“You want me to believe that kind of story?” (Noelia)

“You don’t need to believe it, but I want you to take it as a fact. We have confirmed that the deformation doesn’t occur to people of ‘this world’, so please rest assured. Only the inhabitants of our world deform into Abyss Walkers.” (Vigo)

“Our world?” (Noelia)

“It is a world where everything vanishes and perishes, unlike this one. That is our hometown. We, ‘Foreigners’, came in search for a suitable place for migration through the door of the dimension that was connected by chance.” (Vigo)

“Inhabitants of another world… I’ve only ever seen such a description in the literature of the magic civilization era…” (Noelia)

“This Abyss Hole is a singular point where energy that flows from many other worlds intersects. And that singular point happens to be connected to our world.” (Vigo)

To think that Vigo and his organization are another worlders that came from another world, like the ones mentioned in the literature.

No wonder the technology they used is completely different from the one in this world. It is derived from another civilization.

“This world is similar to the world we lived in, so we judged that this was the best place to migrate to, but… we only found out that mana, which filled up the atmosphere and couldn’t be seen by the eye, is extremely toxic to the bodies of our compatriots thanks to the Great Invasion that caused enormous damage to both the people of this world and also of our world.” (Vigo)

“You make the Great Invasion that took the lives of many people sounds like an experiment…” (Noelia)

“Experiment… you may be correct. Thanks to that grand experiment, we were able to use Abyss Walkers as weapons after all, and since it helped us found a way to let our compatriots to live normally in this world, I would say that it was a necessary sacrifice.” (Vigo)

The eyes of Vigo, who spoke about the Great Invasion like some sort of grand experiment, are congested with blood.

“Do you still think your people can migrate to this world after causing such a catastrophe?” (Noelia)

“I wonder. But we don’t have much time left. We can use our overwhelming military power to do it by force, but——” (Vigo)

Armed Abyss Walkers comes out from the back of the room.

“We would like to avoid spilling blood if possible. We would be grateful if Noelia-dono assist us.” (Vigo)

“I have no intention of making a deal with those who caused the Great Invasion. Of course, Frick-sama would be the same, and so would my father.” (Noelia)

“That’s a shame… Then, I would have to use you as a bargaining chip in the upcoming negotiation with Frick-dono.” (Vigo)

After Vigo’s men pushed their cylindrical weapons against my flank, I once again get tied up and taken to another room.