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"Fatty mouse~?"
"Wonder what's that? It looks like a capybara."
In a room we found in the middle of the way as we chased the officials who went to the basement, we saw babies of capybarlike animals with plasters and people in white robes.
I think they're beastkin but since they're wearing big masks and visor-like sunglasses, I'm not really sure.
When I look closer, I see that there are red crystals which look similar to fragments of magic cores on the plasters.
The capybaras that have been plastered are sent to the next room through a slippery slope.
"Confiscateed?"
"Looks like it's a bit different."
I carry Tama under my arm and peek at the next room.
There's a bath tub filled with entrails and pieces of meat in the room, and the plastered capybarlike animals from earlier are greedily munching on them.
Are they some kind of lab animals?
Men wearing the same clothes as the men from the next room are sprinkling white powder using ladles on the entrails.
They're doing it roughly, yet the capybarlike animals are not minding it as they're busy with the entrails.
"Tch, ran out of powder."
"We're out of stock too, make more of them."
"What a bother."
A man carrying a ladle goes to one part of the room while cursing.
--That's?!
The pill the man took out from a bottle are shown as [Reborn Seeds] on the AR.
It's the same medicine which transformed the creatures in Shiga Kingdom's Royal Capital's sewer into red-rope monsters.
Perhaps, this is the secret factory which produces the red-rope monsters?
"Master, here too~?"
Tama who had slipped out of my binding before I knew it is beckoning me in front of a room next to this.
"Those peculiar vines, are they Hopping Potatoes?"
"Of cour~se."
Tama nods.
Those are monsters that are hunted by rookie explorers and baggage carriers in the Labyrinth City Selbira to raise money.
They're one of the pillars supporting the low earners' food bill in the Labyrinth City.
Perhaps this place is....
Supporting my guess, the next room have [<
The true nature of the cheap military provisions I saw in the village--or rather, these must be the raw materials.
We almost forgot about our purpose, but we arrived at the place right on time using Ground Shrink.
"The miasma is less than ideal but the magic power is slightly over capacity is it...."
By city magic power, he must mean the magic power from the Source that can be gotten through the City Core.
"Didn't you say that the you were low on miasma before?"
The official frowns, not understanding the researchers' explanation.
"He seems to be upset for getting demoted from the imperial university to here, he's been spewing venom in many places."
The researchers told the reason while laughing unpleasantly.
"We originally take care of them by giving them food so they won't die of starvation in order to collect the miasma from their fatigue and envy anyway, isn't it fine."
They're probably using the miasma to produce the pill and raise the monsters.
Still, even if it's efficient, it's terrible for the slum people who have to endure getting abused unilaterally. I can't help but sympathize.
"It's not like there's a rebellion or rise in crime rate, so it should be fine as is."
Don't tell me they're power leveling by defeating the monsters they're cultivating themselves?
A cage in the inner part of the room is opened, and then five Log Rats as big as wild boars jump out of it.
Even though the magic power is leaking, the magic edge itself is stable, he's excellent for a level 30 knight.
However, it's clearly too excessive against level 7 rats, he cuts three rats in one swing of the great sword.
"Fumu, thanks to the magic edge device, there's not even a nick on the blade even after cutting the fat bones of the Log Rats."
Hohouo, so that great sword is a magic sword equipped with a device to generate magic edge huh.
"Then, should we take out the next rats?"
We've seen enough, so I leave that place with Tama.
Tama muttered while pointing at a vent.
--There's a prison below huh.
According to the map, there are numerous isolation cells with people with serious crime inside, there are also a lot of people with mental disorder and zero HP and stamina.
I have a bad feeling about this somehow.
"Private Tama, go back to the surface first and secure the route."
Tama followed my order with a shupin pose, and so I went to the cellar alone.
Among the scratching and grinding sounds, screams and shouts like they're from madmen are reverberating in the cellar.
--Rather than prison, I guess this is more like a torture chamber?
I go to the room in the back where some people who seem to be the guards are.
A man suspended in the air hanging from the ceiling and two jailers are there, there's a transparent wall between the two parties.
"--St-stop it already."
The jailer who cut off the criminal's appeal lowers a lever on the wall.
Apparently, they're using this place to carry out punishments and collect miasma.
"Geez, this is disgusting."
I totally agree.
"Wish my transfer request gets accepted quickly."
Unlike the man who looks like he's going to get sick from the stress, the jailer who's been rhythmically operating the lever looks cheerful without a hint of stress.
It feels like I'll get mentally ill if I remain here any longer, so I teleport back to the top of the spire where Tama is waiting.
Once we got back to the solitary island palace, I told everyone the things we saw in the Weasel Empire's city, and then Arisa said that.
"Arisa, what do you think you're doing likening the weasels to Master! We're talking about weasels here, they must be plotting something."
Liza who hates weasels openly shows her discontent.
"However, their rationality is very like the weasels. You'd normally hesitate to do many things even if you knew they were efficient."
Hikaru seemed like she agreed with several things about the weasels even though she sounded disgusted with them.
"Creating monsters by their own hands.... Such an immoral act as if they've sided with the Demon God."
Sera and Zena find the fact that they're creating monsters deplorable.
"Satou, perhaps that emperor statue can be used to control monster outbreak if we put it in a monster dominion?"
Nana and Mia agreed with the princess.
The problems are the way to replace the emperor statue and to purify the accumulated miasma.
Also, Tama and Pochi who had been quiet were embarking in the journey to the dreamland with Lady Karina in the sunny living room.
Behind Lady Karina and Pochi who are sticking their faces on the Smoke Car's window, Tama is nodding while looking slightly triumphant.
The next day after the meeting, we're enjoying the train trip from Magyuba City to Mogeiba City.
I'm planning to enjoy things later with the three who stayed.
Further, since Liza didn't like the weasel costume, everyone is wearing ratkin character costumes.
"""Ensha~, ensha~""?"
Matching the [March of Smoke Car] music which Mia made impromptu, the youth troupe and the children riding on the Smoke Car are singing in a chorus happily.
They'd be told off, "Shut up" if this were in Japan, but since there are minstrels going around asking money in every train here, there's no problem.
"Station~?"
The Smoke Car lowers its speed and then stops at a small station in a village along the way.
"Something smells good."
Lulu reacted to Liza's remark, Mia pointed at the vendors rushing from the crowd.
"It's tasty and cheap, a set of provisional soup and stick roll, only for five swe~n."
They're quite expensive if we consider the ticket's price, but it seems the people riding on the Smoke Car are relatively well off, they're selling like hot cakes.
The stick roll in the provisional bento is a dish similar to the stick roll I ate in Kansai.
"Liza, purchase slightly more than for our shares."
Liza who consented with a sharp face goes to the bento sellers followed by Tama and Pochi.
"Boar meat~?"
Looks like the beastkin girls have quickly gotten used to the Smoke Car trip.
"It's strangely crowded isn't it."
Arisa and Lulu are surprised with the crowd in the station building.
"It's somehow like Haneda aand Kansai airports before a superstar arrive isn't it."
Arisa expressed her impression.
The part where the crowd paid attention to the noble car and showed disappointment as they checked the last person who got off is also similar.
"It's not this Smoke Car huh...."
Judging from the conversation I heard from the crowd, it appears some Temple Knights will be coming from the Imperial Capital.
"They exterminated a Hydra when they came before, I wonder what are they hunting this time?"
For the time being, all is good as long as they're not coming to fight us.
"Satou-san, looks like we should get off soon."
Since they've announced the permission to disembark, we also get down along with the other passengers.
"Here it comes! It's the Smoke Car from Tegaeba city!"
The crowd who heard the whistle sound shook off the station attendants and rushed to the platform.
After a while, a Smoke Car joined with a luxurious noble car arrived at the next platform.
"""WELCOME BACK! STAR OF MOGEIBA!"""
The crowd are cheering while waving.
"Thank you for welcoming us!"
A weaselkin knight carrying a great sword shouted so at the crowd and stepped aside.
"I am not really fond of such a welcome...."
I heard such conversations with Attentive Ears skill.
The one who appeared was not a weaselkin.
"....She's like someone's imitation huh."
Arisa muttered alone. Just like me, it seems she reminds Arisa of a heroine of a famous fantasy work where the setting is on a cursed island.
The guards who entered the station creates a passage in the crowd, and then Lady Liedill walks in it with a sharp face while leading the weasel knights escort and echoing the clink-clank sounds of her armor.
"She might be more suited to fantasy than the forest girl."
I drop a fist on Arisa who naturally dissed the female knight and wait the line to pass with the girls.
"Li-Liedill-sama."
Lady Liedill walks toward here with her line of sight fixed at here.
"--You, you're not an ordinary person right?"
Contrary to her cool voice, Lady Liedill's eyes are lit with dangerous light.
That means the capybarlike animals earlier are the origin of the dried meat huh....
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"Welcome back, civil official Hokku."
"We've returned. Head Researcher-dono."
The official from before gave the emperor statue and the litmus paper thing to a weaselkin wearing showy clothes in the innermost room.
There are also several other male and female researchers here.
"With this we don't need additional supply of magic power from the city even if the Consul complains."
"Not anymore, thanks to the rookie from Hokku-dono division."
"The one from the imperial university?"
"Entrusting that kind of guy to distribute food, I pity the slum people."
"The miasma collected in the emperor statue installed in the slum is three times the last month's amount."
When the official told them, "Correct the rookie's attitude", they laughed again.
"Ththat's true but...."
"The production amount is increasing and the knights-sama who have come from the central in an official trip are also leveling up smoothly, all is good."
I don't have the right to fault them since I'm doing the same thing in the labyrinth's underground, but unless this city is a special case, the whole Weasel Empire must be raising high level people systematically as such.
No wonder that they're able to rear more than 100 level 50-class Temple Knights.
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"Here we go, Knight-sama."
"Umu, I'll be trying my new sword."
A weaselkin knight produces magic edge on the great sword he's holding, waiting in the center of the room.
The remaining two rats were going to escape from the room, but the knight rushed at blinking speed and skewered them.
I think there are more efficient magic circuits if you're going to put that magic device into it, but I'm not going to criticize someone else's plan.
"Umu, let them come!"
There should be nothing else to be seen here.
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"Master, scream~?"
According to the map there's another floor below and the vent is connected to there.
I'd like to return without seeing it if possible, but I'd hate it if I felt hazy once I did that.
"Aye!"
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"Help me help me help me help me help me--"
"Don't eat me, no don't! Stop it stop stop it--"
It seems this dungeon has been sound proofed with magic.
There's the usual emperor statue put inside the room where the man is.
"Of course I won't rite'? Did you stop when the 29 women you killed asked you to stop? You didn't rite'?"
The man who's suspended in the air hanging from the ceiling gets lowered and then the capybarlike animals below start munching on his feet.
Screams are echoing in the dungeon, the other criminals locked in their isolation cells begin to voice their resentments.
"Don't say that, the emperor decreed to instill 『Don't want to go into prison ever again』 and 『Not worth the crimes』 into the prisoners rite'?"
"Even if it's a national law, disgusting thing is disgusting."
"Thatsso? Executing justice on the bad guys, this is the best workplace for me though~"
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"The way they're doing things is similar to Master if we exclude the science and humanity parts isn't it."
As a former king, perhaps she thinks that the way they're preventing the people from starvation is acceptable.
"Maybe there's a demon lord lurking in the shadow of Weasel Empire?"
"Master, I support the princess's suggestion, so I inform."
"Nn, possible."
It's certainly possible.
I'll investigate the manufacturing process of the emperor statue when I visit the imperial capital.
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"Amazing desuwa!"
"Fast nodesu! Truly really torebiaan nanodesu."
"Of cour~se?"
Hikaru and the princess are staying in the solitary island palace to accompany Sera who has expressed her non-participation since she was feeling hurt from to the persecution of the temples and the matter with monster creation.
Zensan was also going to stay but Pochi and Tama pulled her hands, and she ended up coming.
"""Kyupopo, kyupopo, kyupopo"", nanodesu!"
"""Ensha, ensha, fast~"""
It seems the children like it since the song only has simple lyric that's easy to remember and match with the rhythm along with the repeating simple melody.
"It's a small station nanodesu."
"It smells like a stew perhaps?"
"Vendor."
Looks like they're selling boxed lunch.
"How 'bout a bento of boar meat and roasted pork? Only for 20 swen!"
"Would you like fatty bear stew~ It's 30 swen!"
It's a dish where thin okonomiyaki made from corn instead of wheat is wrapped on a stick.
"Understood. Tama, Pochi, let's go."
"Knowledged~?"
"Understood nanodesu."
The bento sellers who lose to Liza's intensity look slightly timid.
"Hard to leave the fatty bear meat behind too nodesu."
"You two, there's no time to be indecisive. Just like the stations we came across before, we should be only stopping for a short while here."
"Oh no~"
"Hurry nodesu!"
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We enjoyed the Smoke Car trip as such and arrived at Mogeiba City.
Further, since the lunch boxes besides the cheap provisional bento were all delicious, I'm thinking of recreating them with Lulu once we get back to the solitary island palace.
"Master, it's like the marketplace in the Duchy Capital downtown."
It's understandable. The crowd is at least three times bigger than the one in Magyuba City when we departed.
Shouldn't it be Narita for international airlines?
"Like I said. The one Temple Knight-sama is riding on should be coming from the direction of the Imperial Capital Tegaeba."
"There's no news about strong monster recently, maybe the mayor invited them to make a triumphal return to their homeland?"
"Thank you, Zensan."
Since it's dangerous, we wait a bit until the panic settles down a bit.
"""LONG LIVE LIEDILL-SAMA"""
They somehow look similar to the people from the first half of Showa era.
"Liedill-sama, please understand that this is also a job for the Temple Knights."
It's a young longear (Booch) kin woman with emerald eyes and straight blond hair befitting of the expression "white peach".
She's a level 57 knight, and possesses Flickering Movement, Dual Wielding and similar skills, she also has Wind Magic skill.
It's probably due to the long ears peculiar to the longear (Booch)kin she has and her straight blond hair.
Just as the she passed on the passage in front of us, her equipment showed up on my AR reading.
As I was reading it, my eyes met Lady Liedill's.
She's not minding her escort knights' bewilderment.