- Lu: I told you about when I defeated the previous lord and ended a long standing tyranny.
- Lu: Though I didn't mention earlier... The last lord Bifron had a child.
- Diana: Gasp! You mean...
- Diana: The child of the previous ruler with a grudge... causing a rebellion...
- Lu: No.
- Iccus: Then, in order claim the throne, the child of the previous ruler is...
- Lu: Stop that line of thought! What do you see me as?
- Lu: Sigh, the little one did no wrong. It's not like a child can choose their sire.
- Lu: I still remember the day I open the dungeon door and met the child for the first time.
- Lu: He was a kind, intelligent child unlike his father. He was crying because he failed to stop his father's tyranny.
- Ara: He must have been very young. It must have been terrifying...
- Noah: Wait, you're telling us that the tyrant also locked his own child in the dungeon?
- Lu: Yes. It seems the child's words have rubbed Bifron the wrong way.
- Lu: Though, I believe the child already knew how his father would eventually meet his demise.
- Ara: He must have made a lot of enemies, if even his child accepted defeat gracefully.
- Vasili: Bifron... I'm not familiar with the name, but I remember hearing about a tyrant that existed long ago.
- Lu: Anyway... The child was very devoted. Much like my loyal subordinate...
- Lu: Hmph! Much like my 'once' loyal subordinate, Barkat. The land governed by the Steel Queen, the Land of Steel opened a new era with them.
- Lu: Sigh... Would you think it cliché if I say, I thought everything would end happily ever after?
- Lu: Actually, my expectation wasn't even that high. I only thought I could be better than the legacy left by a tyrant.
- Lu: But that didn't last long.
- Eve: .......
- Lu: ... First, we noticed the plants were getting sick.
- Lu: The grass turned yellow, the trees began to dry out, and the leaves would burn. My land was slowly drying out.
- Lu: While the Land of Steel was never prosperous, we never lacked food. However, it didn't take long for the Land of Steel to become barren...
- Ain: Did you find the cause?
- Lu: We did not... But we found where it started. We closed down several villages and ordered mass evacuation as an immediate solution.
- Lu: But an immediate solution was not a permanent one, and the Land of Steel was shrouded in grief and uncertainty.
- Lu: Many believed and feared that the plague was a curse from the previous lord.
- Add: If it affected plants first, it must be fatal for the Queen of Gold who transformed her body into a plant.
- Elesis: Though I can't forgive her for attacking us, I think... I can understand the desperation.
- Rena: That disease. Was it safe for people?
- Lu: It wasn't. That's why my loyal... ... ....
- Eris: Uh huh...?
- Iccus: ......Your loyal...?
- Lu: ... When did I get so many listeners?
- Diana: Ooook! Everyone! Time to get back to work! Go on!
- Eris: Tsk, fiiiine.
- Diana: What can you do. They flock whenever they hear something interesting. Just full of curiosity, all of them.
- Zero: Aren't you the same?
- Rena: Oh! I have an idea. You have a lot of books, right? We're looking for legends or rumors about gems, can you help us?
- Vasili: What gem?
- Rena: All the gems! Gems, treasures, anything you can find!
- Ain: Ah, to find a lead about the Dark El?
- Rena: Yeah. Since we found out in the Abyss that there's a limit to searching with the compass.
- Diana: I see. Leave it to us! We'll take a look.
- Add: I don't know how much help collecting wild rumors would be. It would be better to create a device that amplifies the signal from the El.
- Eve: I'll help too. The data I collected from the Abyss should be of assistance.
- Zero: Hm, hm! That's right. The Dark El might be hidden deep inside somewhere like the Abyss where the frequencies are hard to read.
- Clamor: Oh, hey, Noah!
- Noah: What is it, Clamor? Do you have a suggestion as well?
- Clamor: C, can you ask if I can watch?
- Noah: .......
- Ara: We also need to find a way around the Abyss to go to the Land of Steel. Ideally without encountering Tortas.
- Iccus: I'll check the maps. Leave it to me.
- Eris: Do you need eyes? Betty! Hello, Betty! Where are all the Betties!
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