How To Stop A Stampede

If she nodded… that meant there really was a way to stop a Stampede.

“Please tell me the method!”

“Of course I will. In fact, I was planning to ask you to eliminate the Stampede. However, the difficulty is quite high. First of all—how much do you know about dungeons, Luca?”

“A dungeon is… formed when magical particles in the air condense and create a Dungeon Core, and that Dungeon Core moves the earth’s crust to create the dungeon and also produces monsters. I read in a book that a dungeon is like a living creature.”

Perhaps my answer wasn’t too bad, because Lady Seremees nodded.

“Yes. The basic idea is correct. And you also know that when a Dungeon Core is destroyed, the dungeon disappears, right?”

“Yes, I know. Unless the dungeon produces extremely valuable materials, the general goal is to conquer it and destroy the Dungeon Core. …However, when it grows too large, reaching the deepest part becomes extremely difficult, making destruction very challenging.”

The Ant Hell dungeon was one such dungeon. I heard at the Guild that although it was close to the Royal Capital, it was located in a place few people visited. By the time its existence was discovered, it had already grown too large to easily conquer.

“You’re quite knowledgeable. Then you already know the solution to the Stampede, don’t you? If the dungeon disappears, the monsters inside it will also disappear.”

“…Are you saying that we have to go destroy the Dungeon Core of the Ant Hell dungeon right now?”

“That’s correct.”

…That method was even more reckless than I expected. Could something like that really be done? Even with the power of a divine servant, there were limits to what I could accomplish.

“…That will be difficult.”

“No, if that were the only problem, Luca should be able to accomplish it without issue.”

“When you say ‘only problem,’ does that mean there are other problems?”

“Yes. Luca, do you know why Stampedes occur in the first place?”

Why Stampedes occur. That was one of the mysteries frequently studied but never solved. Could it be… that Lady Seremees knew the answer?

I clenched my trembling hands tightly from tension and opened my dry mouth.

“I… don’t know.”

“I see. Stampedes are caused by the servant of the God of Earth. It’s a special ability granted to them by the God of Earth.”

What…? That meant Stampedes were intentionally caused by human hands!?

W-Why would someone do that…? Throughout the long history of the world, the number of people who died in Stampedes must easily exceed several million.

“You look like you can’t understand. Don’t worry, I can’t understand it either. But for the God of Earth, the most important thing is the earth itself. Whether the creatures living on it die or live doesn’t matter. If a Dungeon Core is left alone without releasing its energy, it will eventually cause a massive magical particle explosion, which results in a large earthquake. To prevent that, the God of Earth releases the energy stored in the Dungeon Core in the form of a Stampede.”

…Even among gods, there were different ways of thinking.

At the very least, I was glad I had become a servant of the Goddess of Peace. The God of Earth probably wouldn’t choose someone like me anyway, but even if I had been chosen, I wouldn’t have been able to cause a Stampede.

Still, if the choice was between causing a Stampede or letting a massive earthquake occur, it didn’t feel like something anyone could easily decide.

I had read in a book before that about a hundred years ago there had been a great earthquake that caused many deaths. Maybe that earthquake happened because the servant of the God of Earth failed to act in time…

“So if the servant of the God of Earth is causing the earthquake, does that mean they’re inside Ant Hell?”

“Yes. At the deepest part where the Dungeon Core is located. Though they’re probably taking refuge in the Divine Domain.”

“But you can only stay in the Divine Domain for a maximum of one day, right?”

“That’s correct. But they only need to return for a moment. They can watch through a water mirror and come back once they find an opening, so it isn’t very dangerous.”

That made sense… so the place where the Dungeon Core is located is basically being monitored by the God of Earth.

“If I go to destroy the Dungeon Core, the servant of the God of Earth will try to stop me. —Wait, but is there even a reason to stop me? If the Dungeon Core is destroyed, neither a Stampede nor an earthquake will occur… why wouldn’t the servant of the God of Earth destroy the Dungeon Core themselves?”

Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t really a choice between an earthquake or a Stampede. There was the most peaceful solution of all—destroying the Dungeon Core.

“That’s the part I understand the least. For the God of Earth, the Dungeon Core is part of the earth itself. Rather than destroying it, they choose to cause a Stampede. If you consider only the damage to the earth, apparently a Stampede is the better option.”

Seriously… I couldn’t understand that logic at all. And more than that, there were humans who agreed with that thinking and became their servants. I could hardly believe it.

“I can’t accept it, but I understand that the servant of the God of Earth will be my enemy.”

“I’m glad you understand. In that case, Luca, I know it will be very difficult… but I want you to eliminate the Stampede. This is the first request from the Goddess of Peace.”

At Lady Seremees’s words, I straightened my posture and firmly nodded in response.

“I will do my best.”