Published: July 3, 2025
On the way back, we did not encounter any monsters.
Just once, we saw a large swarm of caterpillars moving from the direction of Aiteke Bo towards the World Tree in the distance.
"How should I put it... it's a surprisingly violent yet orderly march," Ryo remarked.
"Yeah, I can see why it was hard for you to express that," Eto replied.
This conversation took place between Ryo and Eto as they observed the movement of the caterpillars.
The giant caterpillars pushed down and broke the surrounding trees as they advanced…
However, compared to the faintly red bodies we had seen coming from the direction of the World Tree, it wasn't scary at all.
In an attempt to express this feeling, Ryo struggled and ended up with the phrase 'violent yet orderly.'
"As expected of Eto. You understand this painful feeling of struggle... If it were Nils, I'm sure..."
"Hey, Ryo, I can hear you," Nils interjected.
It seemed like he had indeed heard them.
Of course, he would; he was walking right next to Ryo.
"What I meant to say was that I hope Nils would understand... Really!" Ryo quickly defended.
"That's definitely a lie!" Nils shot back.
"How did you find out?!"
In this world, there are lies that are easily found out...
"I feel like Nils has become sharper lately," Eto noted.
"I don't understand how that conclusion came from our conversation..." Nils replied, baffled.
"Being sharp is a good thing for a swordsman, I think."
"Uh, sure..."
"Of course, the ability to make witty retorts in conversation doesn’t always correlate with swordsmanship. Nils needs to put in more effort in swordplay..."
"Yeah, that makes no sense at all."
Understanding each other can be quite difficult.
"Well, unlike when we came from the World Tree, the caterpillars were much calmer this time."
"It felt like they had accomplished their goal," Eto commented, and Amon agreed.
"It's the difference between Ryo before he got the cake and after he got it," Amon added.
"That's rude! It's the difference between before I got the cake and after I ate it. Please don't mix that up."
"Uh, my bad..."
It seemed like Ryo had added another layer of absurdity to Nils's joke... for some reason, their banter was functioning well.
The four of them returned to Aiteke Bo in the afternoon.
It was two o'clock.
As they arrived at a spot where they could see the entire landscape of Aiteke Bo, they were met with a shocking sight...
"Oh no..."
"What is this...?"
"The castle walls...!"
"The wrath of the earth," Ryo declared dramatically, sounding like some elder.
Nils, Eto, and Amon were left speechless.
For some reason, Ryo's last line sounded like something an old elder would say.
The massive castle walls that Aiteke Bo had proudly boasted about were completely collapsed on the western half.
Furthermore, beyond the walls, likely in the western district, the devastation was severe.
But among all this destruction, the most concentrated area of damage seemed to be...
"The lord of the realm's mansion... it’s completely gone," Eto muttered, and the other three nodded in agreement.
As the four approached the walls...
"Hey, you guys, over here!" a booming voice called out to them.
Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a strong-looking giant man waving.
"Hugh-san," they recognized him.
"It seems that everyone from the delegation is gathered around the grand master," he continued.
"I hope everyone is safe," Amon said.
"The accommodations were all on the eastern shore, so they should be fine..." Ryo confirmed, with Amon adding, and Nils giving his usual sensible observation, while Eto expressed hope.
And indeed...
"It's alright. The entire delegation is safe," Hugh assured them, causing all four to smile with relief.
"...I see. So that was what happened," Eto explained logically, while Knight Commander Hugh McGrath nodded in understanding.
Beside him, Ignis, the chief negotiator and top civil officer, listened intently while nodding repeatedly.
"Over here, a swarm of caterpillars broke through the castle walls, and wolfmen, boars, and snakes ravaged the western district. It seems they were after the World Tree branches located in the lord's mansion, and once they found them, they left..."