Chapter 63: Ancient Truths and the Treasury

“Ugh, uunh…”

Before us sat the Sky King, dragged from his throne and forced to sit seiza on the floor. Rex had said it was because it would be a pain if the throne, being a magic item, had any other defensive functions.

“Now then… why don’t you tell us why you were claiming to be royalty?”

“Y-Yii!?”

A golem’s helmet, sliced clean in two, was thrown down in front of the King, who had been groaning up to that point. If I didn’t know Rex, it would have looked exactly like he was saying, “You’re next.”

…Still, Rex seems a little rougher than usual today. Well, this cool, forceful side… it might not be so bad. Ah, just… speaking hypothetically, of course!

“O-Our ancestors… were humans who once lived on the Sky Continent…”

Having finally resigned himself, the Sky King began to talk.

“It seems the Sky Continent was attacked by the Majin near the end of the war. There were rumors… that they came to conquer it, or that a secret weapon to defeat the Majin had been transported there.”

“So, the Sky Continent was destroyed by the Majin?”

Rex asked, his face serious, about the mystery of the continent’s collapse. When you think about it, this is a major historical discovery. My heart is starting to pound.

“I dont know the details. It’s said they either crashed the Sky Continent into another sky continent—a Majin stronghold—or that they used the continent itself as material for an anti-Majin weapon. But the ancient documents left by my ancestors didn’t have the specifics.”

Huh? So in the end, they don’t know the exact reason for the collapse?

“Then what about your reason for faking your royalty?”

“…Hii!”

The King tried to fall silent again, but this time a broken sword was stabbed into the floor in front of him. Wow. Even broken, it stuck straight into the floor.

“O-Our ancestors were refugees who fled the collapsing Sky Continent! The ancient documents say that to stabilize their new lives on the sky island they’d barely escaped to, and to unite the people who were terrified, they… they had to create a new royal family!”

“I see. That’s not particularly unusual. History is full of stories where self-proclaimed royalty, whose lineage is a bit questionable, rise up against oppressive rulers.”

Surprisingly, even after learning the King was a fake, Rex didn’t seem to blame him for it.

“People tend to be ignorant of things outside their own lands. Setting yourselves up as royalty from an unknown country was probably a good way to unite everyone.”

“Why an unknown country? Wouldn’t a known one be better?”

Rex gave a bitter smile at my question.

“Ah, if they did that, a different problem would have come up.”

“Meaning?”

“If they claimed to be from a known royal family, all the anger—’The Sky Continent was destroyed because you didn’t do your jobs!’—might have been directed right at them.”

Oh, right. Their entire homeland had just been destroyed. Of course they’d be angry. I would be angry.

“And even if they claimed to be from a certain royal family, if there were refugees from a rival nation among them, it would just cause more trouble. So, it was just better to make one up.”

Ah, that would definitely be a problem.

“But is it safe to claim to be from an unknown country? If someone asked where it was, and someone else happened to live nearby, wouldn’t you be exposed?”

“Probably, back then… they didn’t claim to be from the Sky Continent itself. They probably said they were royalty from a small nation on a different sky island. They could have just faked it, saying they were visiting for diplomacy or something.”

Hmph. He thinks of everything, doesn’t he?

“After that, if the leaders of the refugees cooperated to control the information, creating a fictional royal family wouldn’t have been hard. To unite a group, you need collaborators unless you have overwhelming charisma. I’d bet the descendants of those collaborators are the nobles of this country today.”

Rex glanced at the Sky King, who was staring at him, dumbfounded, as if to say, “How did you know all that?” Looks like Rex’s deduction was spot on. …Seriously, he knows so much about history, just like a scholar. Who is this person?

He’s a first-rate warrior and mage, can use healing magic, can fix and make magic items, can even build a house, and on top of all that, knows more about history than a scholar.

Umm… who is he? His parents seemed like normal villagers.

Oh, that’s right… Mina and the others were training in Rex’s village. Maybe I should ask them about it next time.

◆

Hmm. So, even though his ancestors were at the heart of the incident, they were just commoners, so he doesn’t know the details. All he really knows is that the Majin attacked the Sky Continent, and that afterward, the Sky Continent was well and truly destroyed.

Ugh. Is this the limit of the information I can get? I suppose there might be records left in the fortress, but considering the weapons they have are outdated models even for that era, I doubt there’s anything useful left. This sky island was probably treated like a remote, backwater post.

Maybe I should just wash my hands of this country and move on. Oh, wait. I should probably ask about one more thing.

“By the way, why do you call yourselves ‘Sky People’?”

Yeah, I was a little curious about that.

“Why… you ask?”

“Yes, why. On the surface, you saved a town from monsters and they revere you for it. But if you live on this sky island, there’s no need to go to the surface, right? You don’t seem to be trading. I thought maybe a food shortage, but for a place that calls itself a ‘country,’ this island has a lot of undeveloped land. If you just farmed it, you could be self-sufficient.”

They aren’t trying to conquer the surface, but they aren’t exterminating monsters out of pure goodwill, either. I mean, they’re receiving offerings. But those offerings are mostly food, and… I just don’t get the reason.

“That… is because our nation is facing a severe food crisis.”

“A severe food crisis?”

That, I didn’t expect. This island doesn’t look at all like it’s starving.

“In addition to this one, we had territory on another sky island, one we called the ‘Forest Island,’ which was covered in forest and full of animals. Back then, we could survive on the food from the Forest Island and the fields here. But one day… a black, giant monster suddenly appeared. It took over the Forest Island, and not content with that, it began to attack the fields on this island, too.”

The Sky King continued, waving his arms dramatically, like wings in a play.

“Naturally, our ancestors challenged the monster. But even with the power of the Sky Continent’s magic items, they were no match for it. Worse, as if drawn by the monster, other monsters began to cross to the Forest Island. As a result, the Forest Island became a dominion of monsters.”

I see. So their hunting grounds were stolen by an external enemy.

“Why didn’t you just expand the fields on this island?”

At Liliera’s question, the Sky King let out an exaggerated sigh.

“We tried, of course! But the moment the fields reached a certain size, the monsters would attack! Because of that, we can now only produce the absolute bare minimum of food… just enough to not provoke an attack!”

So, once the fields get big enough, the monsters recognize it as a food source. “Hey, lots of food over there!” But if it’s a small amount, they ignore it, like it’s not worth the trip.

“Therefore, our ancestors sought contact with the surface. They thought to trade with the surface to get food.”

Hm? Trade with the surface? Then why is the relationship like it is now?

“But then… for some reason… the surface dwellers mistook us for angels from heaven. According to my predecessor’s diary, the fact that the town was being attacked by a monster horde at that exact moment just reinforced that idea.”

Ah, I get it. You’re in dire straits, praying to the gods, and suddenly people with wings descend from the sky. Yeah, I can see how that misunderstanding would happen.

“It was also lucky that our magic items were effective against the surface monsters. Having no other industry to trade, we succeeded in forming a ‘trade’ agreement: we would protect the surface dwellers in exchange for offerings.”

What a desperate and… well, grubby, truth. But maybe that’s just how reality is. The fact that their magic items were wing-shaped was also a lucky break.

“I see…” So that’s the story behind what was happening on the surface.

“So, what’s the deal with the name ‘Sky People’?”

“That… well, our ancestors… figured it was a better bluff to be mysterious ‘messengers of the gods living in heaven’ than to just honestly say ‘we’re people who live on a sky island’…”

Yeah, I kind of figured.

“Well, whatever. It seems to be a mutually beneficial relationship, so I’ll let it be.”

“Y-You have our thanks for saying so.”

Besides, if I reveal the truth now, I’ll be destroying their livelihood. They were deceiving the town, but they were also protecting them from monsters, so there’s no need to make waves.

Hm-hm. I’ve asked everything I wanted to. I think I’ll just head out. In this state, I’m not going to get an apology for them attacking us. In fact, getting any more involved seems like it’ll just cost me. And I don’t have to do my sky island sightseeing on this particular island.

“Well then, we’ll be going.”

“Wh-What!?”

Having made my decision, I motioned to Liliera, and we turned to leave.

“W-Wait! I beg you, please, lend us your strength!!”

Karm and the others stood in our way. Their faces clearly said, “At least hear our master out!”

“You say that, but you attacked us without even listening to our side of the story.”

“Ugh, that is…”

“I got what I came for. I have no intention of staying on this island any longer.”

Yep. Seeing the classic noble/knight playbook up close and personal has completely drained me of any motivation to help. Ah, if only I’d acted like this in my past…

“Please! With your strength, you should be able to face that monster!”

“Even if I could, you have nothing to offer as a reward, do you?”

“R-Reward!? I, the King, am asking you!”

Oh, dear. He’s still in his “king” mindset.

“That only works on the people of this island who believe you’re a king. It means nothing to us.”

“Wha-!?”

“S-Sir Rex…”

As we tried to leave again, Karm and the others spoke up.

“We are fully aware that we are being selfish. But… please, could you not find it in you to lend us your strength?”

“We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for our rudeness.”

And with that, the two of them bowed deeply to me.

“”Please, lend us your strength!””

Even if they say that… we’re way past the point of negotiation. If they really wanted my help, the Sky King should have asked for my cooperation the moment he heard I was a magic item engineer. He had both the Knight Commander and the Royal Guard Captain vouching for me.

As for Karm and the others attacking us… I can almost give them a pass, since they were following their master’s orders. Although, Baldi’s response was pretty terrible, even taking that into account.

“Nngh… Th-That’s right! The treasury! I’ll give you the magic items from the treasury! You can sell them for a fortune on the surface!”

Suddenly, the Sky King started spouting strange things.

“Magic items from the treasury?”

“That’s right! My castle’s treasury holds many magic items of unknown use! I’ll give them to you!”

“Hah.”

Magic items, huh. He says “unknown use,” but looking at the items they’re using here, my expectations are rock bottom. And what kind of person offers items of ‘unknown use’ as a reward?

“Y-Your Majesty!? Are you serious!?”

Karm and Baldi were extremely agitated by the King’s offer. Is there a problem?

“Of course I am! Hmm, yes, I’ve decided! I shall grant you permission to enter the treasury!”

Ugh. I could just ignore him and leave… but maybe there’s something good, and he just doesn’t realize it. I guess I’ll take a look.

◆

“This is the treasury. His Majesty has said you may take anything you wish from within, as much as you like.”

Karm explained on the King’s behalf, having led us to the “treasury.” For some reason, the King came along, too.

“What do you think of my treasury?” he asked, full of pride. But…

“So this is the treasury, huh.”

Yep. This is a warehouse. And it’s a mountain of junk. It’s just piles of old, useless magic items! You’d get more power just using regular magic! They’re all obsolete models, so their base performance is terrible!

Now I know why Karm and the others were panicking. They knew that even if they’re “magic items,” items of unknown use have no value as a reward. Yep. That’s the normal reaction.

“This is all… junk.”

Some of the items weren’t just useless, they were broken. They probably didn’t know how to fix them, but felt it was a waste to throw them out.

“P-Please don’t say that, Sir Rex! Please, at least look until the end!”

Karm desperately tried to keep us from leaving. He sounds like a desperate shopkeeper in a failing store.

I wonder… does the Sky King even understand the value of this stuff? Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s valuable.

“How is it? The feeling of being honored with entry into my treasury? You must be deeply moved!”

You don’t… you don’t actually think I’m grateful to be here, do you?

“Surely, among all this, there must be a magic item you desire. Choose whatever you like.”

…He really has no clue. I feel like a kid is proudly showing me a rock he just picked up.

“Hm? What’s this…”

In a pile of junk, a certain box caught my eye.

“This is…”

I picked up the box and opened the lid. It was empty.

But, from the feel of the box, I had a certain… conviction. Yes. This could be used to cause some excellent trouble.

“What is it? You want that box?”

The Sky King asked, seeing me holding it.

“Yes. And… may I have the contents as well?”

I said, opening the lid and showing the empty inside to the King.

“What? There’s nothing in it. At best, it’s full of a little dust and garbage. You can have all of that you want.”

Good. I’ve got him on record. I closed the lid, turned the box over, and looked at the bottom. Just as I thought. There was a small gap in the corner of the bottom panel.

“Yep, there it is.”

I slid my fingernail into the tiny gap and opened the false bottom. Inside, it was packed with components that were clearly not part of a normal box.

“Wh-What is that!?”

The King cried out in shock.

That’s right. The box had a false bottom. I flipped a switch I found inside, closed the panel, and turned the box right-side up again.

Then, I opened the lid. Where before there was nothing, the box was now filled with a blackish-purple mist. Without hesitation, I plunged my hand into the mist.

“H-Hey!?”

I ignored the King’s shout and felt around inside. In the space that should have been empty, my fingers touched something hard. I grabbed it and pulled it out of the mist.

“This is… a necklace.”

That’s right. What came out of the box was a necklace. A necklace covered in huge gems, an obvious treasure.

“Wha-!? What is that necklace!?”

The Sky King’s eyes went wide, stunned that a necklace had just appeared from an empty box. Aha. So he really didn’t know.

“Wait… was that box a magic item, too?”

As expected of Liriela. She immediately realized the box was a magic item.

“Yep. It’s called a Magic Box.”

“A Magic Box? That sounds like a Magic Bag… wait, don’t tell me!?”

Whoops. She figured it out already. Was that too obvious?

“Exactly. This is the ancestor of the Magic Bag. It contains a pocket dimension, allowing you to store a massive amount of items.”

I said, as I began pulling various other items out. Jewels. Accessories. Swords that were more decorative than functional. All sorts of things were inside. And every single item was set with huge gems or covered in gold and silver filigree. They were all clearly valuable, even to an amateur. There’s quite a lot in here. This is a real fortune.

And given that this Magic Box, which was holding all this, was disguised as a normal box with a hidden switch… the previous owner really must not have wanted anyone to see inside. But thanks to that, the Sky King never realized this hidden treasure was here.

“I believe you said I could have the contents of the box, too, right?”

I asked the Sky King with a bright smile.

“Eh? Ah, no, wait! Hold on a minute!”

The King’s eyes changed, and he tried to stop me. But I’m not waiting.

“So! If you want me to accept your request… all the contents of this box are mine. Is that acceptable?”

“W-Wait, wait! That box is mine! Therefore, the contents are also…”

“Your Majesty!” “You mustn’t!”

Just as the greedy King was about to go back on his word, Karm and Baldi restrained him.

“Your Majesty! If we can defeat that monster, our food worries will be over!” “That’s right! We can gather treasure later, but treasure can’t defeat that monster! You must endure, Your Majesty!”

“What are you saying!? That box is mine! So it’s only natural that its contents are mine, too!”

“No! You mustn’t say that! What we need is not gold, but food! If we cannot secure food, our nation will collapse!”

“N-Nnggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

And so, the Sky King, forced to give up the hidden treasure, could only scream, turning all his frustration into a mighty, pathetic roar.