Until now, there had been no known cure for petrification caused by the Catochrists' gas. There were rumors that a high-level healing mage's status ailment removal magic could cure it, but only a few people in the world, those at the level of a Pope, could use such high-level magic.

There was no antidote, and general healing magic couldn't cure petrification. Even in this world, where even serious injuries could be healed with potions and healing magic if the person was still alive, petrification was considered the end, death.

But Ryu had easily cured it. If there was a cure, it was a revolutionary discovery that would change the world.

At the request of the others, Ryu revealed what he had observed about the petrifying gas using the Divine Eye. (He claimed it was a magic eye that could see mana.)

The petrifying gas was a mass of mana. It wasn't just simple mana, but a highly refined mana mist, as if a complex spell formula had been incorporated into it.

It permeated and remained inside the victim, turning them into a stone-like state.

Then, by decomposing and removing the mana trapped inside, or expelling it from the body, there was a chance to reverse the petrification.

Ryu himself couldn't explain exactly how he did it.

But with that hint, healers and alchemists could potentially develop healing magic, medicine, or magic tools to reverse petrification.

With the cooperation of the lord, talented magic users, healers, and alchemists from inside and outside Sindral Territory gathered in Bymark to conduct research. And finally, a magic tool to reverse petrification was developed.

Alchemy produced a golden needle. It was disposable, but when used to pierce a petrified person, the mana in the petrifying gas would leak out like a punctured balloon, reversing the petrification.

This "golden needle" became an essential tool in dungeons with monsters that used petrification attacks, along with healing potions.

By the way, the key figure in this research was Iraira's son, Raal. Because he had been petrified for years, he needed rehabilitation and couldn't return to adventuring immediately. Instead, using his experience of being petrified, he contributed to the research to reverse petrification. That's how he started down the path of alchemy.

Iraira welcomed her son's career change. As a mother, it was reassuring to have him work a safe research job in the city instead of doing dangerous adventuring. Iraira had been strict with herself and others (including her son), but after her son's return from the brink of death, she had become just a mother.

Raal actually had a talent for alchemy. He originally had a talent for magic, but because of his mother's training and his own ambition to become a swordsman, he'd been pushing himself too hard.

But both mother and son discarded their preconceived notions and put their talents to use. As a result, Raal displayed extraordinary talent as an alchemist and became a famous magic tool maker.

"Iraira, may I ask something? On the day I registered as an adventurer, you saw me get punched by Papico, right? You didn't try to help?"

(Ryu avoids using the Divine Eye to look into the minds of people he knows unless it's unavoidable. There are some things it's better to not know. If he looked into the minds of everyone around him, he would become a hermit, he thought.)

"There was no need to help."

"So you saw through the difference in our abilities right away?"

"Basically, those who can't overcome difficulties when they are picked on by their seniors won't survive as adventurers.

...Besides, there's something I want to confirm with you.

It turns out, I have a niece..."

"Huh?"

"...She worked at the Royal Capital Adventurer's Guild, but she was demoted, and then I heard she became the master of Mirmul's Adventurer's Guild."

"What?"

"...But because of the demon attack...we lost contact. She was probably eaten by monsters..."

"Could it be...Catherine?"

"Yes.

Catherine was quite skilled. Not as skilled as me, but she was strong enough that a simple monster attack wouldn't have killed her.

When I heard that Mirmul was destroyed, I gathered information to find out what happened.

I even considered attacking the demon's country.

...But by the time I got the information, everything was over. It takes time for information to spread to a neighboring country.

According to the information I gathered, a mysterious figure named Ryujeen had defeated the demons.

...That's you, right?"

"So you knew who I was from the beginning..."

"Your "identity" is still a mystery.

I was surprised when I saw the newbie's profile. It said Ryujeen, from Mirmul.

But why would an adventurer from Mirmul, someone skilled enough to defeat demons alone, pretend to be a newbie and come to this town?

Then, I had someone investigate Ryujeen further using old contacts, and I got some strange information.

There was indeed a young adventurer named Ryujeen in Mirmul. But he was a perpetual G-rank who only gathered herbs and was ridiculed as useless.

That doesn't sound like the Ryujeen who defeated the demons. Could they be different people, just sharing the same name?

Or was he hiding his strength for some reason?

Moreover, there were reports that this young man had once been abandoned and died in a dungeon. Yet, he supposedly returned alone and then displayed extraordinary strength.

It's like someone replaced him.

After that, there was a demon attack, and Ryujeen resolved it, leading to Garyza Kingdom establishing diplomatic relations with the demons...

But there were rumors circulating that this Ryujeen was an agent working with the demons."

Ryu was surprised. He thought Iraira's information about him was fragmented, but she knew far more than he'd realized...

"So, this Ryujeen comes to this town pretending to be a newbie. Putting that information together, it's incredibly suspicious.

That's why I was keeping an eye on you.

I knew you were using a barrier to protect yourself when Papico punched you. That's why I left you alone.

I found out that you came to this town because of the lord's request. But...

I want to ask you about the Mirmul incident.

I heard you went to the demon city for revenge. But it seems you didn't take revenge, you became friendly with the demons.

Catherine is dead, the city is destroyed, why didn't you take revenge? Did you not care about Mirmul? Or were you an agent working with the demons?"

Next Episode

Iraira learns Silver Mask's true strength...

Stay tuned!