The day after the Wily Demon appeared.

The members of the [Four Symbols of the Fine Weather] had received a summons and had come to the Adventurers' Guild.

In the reception room, the guild master, Levine Geonelstar, was waiting, and Alicia was there to report on the Wily Demon incident on behalf of the others.

Then, upon hearing the report, Levin scratched his head in confusion.

"I see, that person with no magical power has appeared again... Not showing their face and having such abnormal strength, I can't figure out what they're thinking."

"That, personally, I don't think it's very bad."

"Well, thanks to that, we were able to keep human casualties to zero. I do appreciate it myself, though."

After saying that, Levin clears his throat with a "hem."

"For now, let's put that matter aside. The main topic starts here."

"Main topic? Wasn't I called to report on the Wily Demon incident?"

"An even more troublesome situation has arisen. Well, to be precise, it also involves the Wily Demon and the Sky Dragon from the other day..."

"Please, tell us."

Watching Alicia straighten her posture, Levin continues.

"First and foremost, you know that the [Deadly Great Forest] has a magical vein running through it, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

The one who nodded in response to Levin's question was Monica, the one among them most knowledgeable about magic.

The term "magical vein" refers to the collective name for the veins that produce magical power deep within the earth.

It is said that in places where magical veins run, powerful magical creatures appear, and plants and animals grow abnormally.

It is common knowledge among adventurers that such magical veins run through the [Deadly Great Forest].

The deeper they go into the interior, the greater the influence, and it is said that this is why many S-rank monsters inhabit the area.

On the other hand, the closer they get to the entrance near the town, the smaller the influence becomes, and it is common for the monsters that appear to be weaker.

However, the situation has been a bit different lately.

"As you all know, recently, monsters that are supposed to inhabit the depths have been frequently spotted just before the Great Forest. The Sky Dragon and the Wily Demon are prime examples of this."

"Yeah. We've never seen anything this strange in the few years we've been active in this town."

Levin nodded in response to Tio's muttering.

"Ah, so that's why the entire guild was investigating the cause, but we finally have a clue."

"What is the cause?"

"You might have already guessed from the context, but it's a magical surge. The magical energy density in the depths of the Great Forest has suddenly increased, causing the monsters affected by it to start behaving abnormally."

"...I see, that certainly makes sense then."

After having come to terms with it, Alicia nodded slightly while realizing the severity of the situation.

"Then, if we don't correct that anomaly as soon as possible, even more monsters might attack."

"Ah. So, I would like to ask you to normalize the magical veins... but the cause is deep in the forest. There are swarms of A-rank monsters, so realistically, we should wait for reinforcements from other towns and tackle the quest together."

Even so, Levin's expression is dark.

Alicia understood the reason well.

"If we are to take on the request together, we need at least an A-rank party... preferably an S-rank one. However, parties of that level are only found in the royal capital. Even if we seek their aid, it would take more than ten days to actually arrive at 'Grandley.' In that time, the likelihood of the magical veins' abnormalities worsening is much higher."

"...Ah, you're right. If it's just a rampaging monster attacking, that's the better scenario. In the worst case, there's a risk of a monster stampede."

"Then, there has only ever been one answer from the beginning."

Alicia asserts.

Each person reacts as if responding to her words.

"If it's the depths of the Great Forest, we've been there many times ourselves. Besides, we were just itching to cause some trouble after our break, so it's perfect."

Ceres appeared to be in high spirits.

"We have been hunting monsters every day, haven't we? Well, I agree that heading out early is a good idea. We need to prevent any further damage from spreading."

Tio calmly analyzed the situation,

"Leave it to me. This time, I'll show you I can be useful."

Monica recalled that she had dropped out during the Sky Dragon battle and, with renewed determination,

And then―

"We will now correct the abnormalities of the great forest."

Leader Alicia declared this with unwavering determination.

Not knowing the shocking truth that awaits them.

Chapter 23: Abnormalities in the Magical Veins [Four Symbols of the Fine Weather] Side