Earth capital, Ishtar Blaze.

This city where the Earth Church is in, is far away from the Light capital, Apollon City; the Fire capital, Muspelheim; and the Water Capital, Hydra Ville. Because of that, it is a city that's isolated from cultural exchange.

Moreover, at the west of it there's the 'Nameless Desert', and if they want to go to other settlements, there's the danger that they would enter this area, so it made the people not want to move about which strengthened the isolation even more.

It is an isolated nation by nature, and from an outside perspective, it is practically an unexplored region riddled with mysteries.

That is the Earth capital, Ishtar Blaze.

The city where the people that worship one of the five Gods of Creation, Mother Earth Mantle.

I am flying there alone with my flying machine.

"But, to think a Mother Monster would be right in the middle of a city where people live" (Haine)

Ishtar Blaze is an enigmatic city, but it seems like the big tree at the center of the city is somewhat famous even in the outside settlements.

Even if they indeed don't have much cultural exchange, there's still travelers that come to the Earth capital at times when travelling around the world.

In the stories that they brag about, the first thing that comes out is the big tree that serves as the symbol of the city.

The people of the Light, Fire, and Water Churches as well, when I asked them about the Earth capital, Ishtar Blaze, most of it was: 'ah, that city with the big tree huh. I don't know anything aside from that'.

And in truth, when I brought the information I got from Nova about Grandma Wood to Yorishiro, even she said: 'Eh, that was actually one?!' and was surprised.

It is famous, but no one knows that this is one of the roots of those things called monsters. It seems like that's the state it is in.

"And I am just a few ways away from the city where Grandma Wood is. Let's push it till the destination." (Haine)

I turn to the back and say this cheerfully.

No one is there.

Right, this time, I am the only one in this journey.

Even in this distance where I can already see the trunk of Grandma Wood, there's no one at my right or my left.

This is one of the big links that has to be severed in order to eradicate the monsters from this world, but in this journey, I wanted to wrap this out on my own, and because of it, I decided on going alone.

The light hero Karen-san, who I have always been with until now, for this time, I chose not to bring her with me. If I move with a hero, there's a lot of things that have to be accommodated first so it saves me in that part, and it could become a big matter later.

And so, this time, I am alone.

No well, isn't that good? My first journey alone. Let's go freely and carefreely without any constraints.

"Well then, everyone, let's go to the Earth capital, Ishtar Blaze~~!!" (Haine)

Raising my hands high-up, I shout to the back

Ah right, there's no one.

I am not feeling lonely, okay?!

At the mountains that are quite a bit far before arriving at Ishtar Blaze, I got down the flying machine and hid it in the thicket.

The reason why I am doing this is because Yorishiro gave me an advice in the time I was departing.

'Try your utmost to not bring any ethereal machines to Ishtar Blaze', she said.

There was no detailed explanation.

Giving me small amounts of various pieces of information and saying hinting at things is truly just like her.

But Yorishiro is not the type to give advice thoughtlessly, so I should obediently follow what she said and leave the flying machine here.

It is in outline something that's borrowed from the church, or more like, Yorishiro. If I break it, it is something that I definitely won't be able to repay.

I camouflage it by placing grass on top of it and make a specific mark that only I would be able to tell it is one, and so, hiding complete.

Now then, let's head to Ishtar Blaze by feet.

From what I saw when I was riding the flying machine, it would take around 1 day to reach there by feet.

Even so, if I was to go by feet from the very beginning, reaching her from Apollon City would have taken at the very least 1 month. I was able to arrive in only a few days, so the flying machine is still doing its job splendidly.

I could proceed in the 'Nameless Desert' without fearing it. Development really does make humans powerful.

Understanding how amazing the Ethereal era is once again, I continue onward, and at one point, the mountain road suddenly ended.

"Oh~~"

And then, there was an open field that extends as far as I could seebut it was a bit different.

"Oooh!"

This is not something that was made naturally. A green ground that was prepared with human hands; a plantation.

The sections are properly separated, and this agricultural land that had set crops growing from it were extending to the far horizon and from left and right to a point where I can't even see the end from here.

What a big farming zone.

Until now, I have seen many cities like Apollon City, Muspelheim, and Hydra Ville.

As long as there's many humans living there, there's the need to supply their food in some way, and all settlements had their agricultural land in their surroundings.

But I have not seen an agricultural land as big as this one.

If this is all managed by Ishtar Blaze, this is not ordinary.

"The city that's under the divine protection of Mother Earth huh" (Haine)

These words leaked out from my mouth naturally.

Mother Earth Mantle, who governs the earth, is the one who created the ground itself where the humans stand on.

In that sense, it can be said that, for humans, she is the God that is the most familiar with them.

The water blessing, the fire blessing, and even the wind blessing has to pass through the earth at least once before reaching the humans.

The earth is the mother of all living beings. That's why only Mantle is not simply called Earth God, but called with affection as Mother Earth.

The Earth Church that worships Mantle possessing such big farming land can be understandable.

On the plantations, I could see people that looked like peasants here and there, and I could feel liveliness that I wouldn't be able to see in just any agricultural land.

Peaceful and melodious; while thinking something like that, I walked on the road and thenfor some reason, I felt a gaze.

Someone is watching me.

Thinking this, I looked around, and there, my eyes found another strange thing.

The shadow of someone. A silhouette in the shape of a human.

At first, I was so surprised by the ever-extending agricultural land that I didn't notice it, but it is quite big. A height that would require two adult men in order to match its size.

That's obviously not a human.

A doll?

A doll made of earth.

A giant earth doll was moving alone in the plantation.

"Could it bea monster?!" (Haine)

The special trait of this pseudo-lifeforms called monsters is that they release divine power aura, but you can't feel the beat of a soul.

Sensing that irregularity, I noticed immediately that it was a monster, and after noticing one other thing, my alertness raised to its upper limit.

Close to the feet of that earth-humanoid monster wasa human!

An elderly *obsan*.

Her legs have already gotten weak and she can't run at her full-speed. There's no way she can escape from that earth-humanoid.

And then, the earth-humanoid took a step.

At the direction of the Obsan, as if saying 'I will crush you'.

"Watch out!!" (Haine)

I immediately ran there.

"Watch out!!"

I run towards the place.

Towards the place where the old woman was about to be crushed under the step of the giant earth-humanoid.

I don't know the details, but there's no doubt that's a monster.

I somehow made it in time and stand in between the Obsan and the earth-humanoid.

"Oh?"

I heard the voice of the Obsan from behind.

There's no time to hesitate. If I take my time, not only the Obsan, the surroundings will also suffer. I release dark matter and destroy the earth-humanoid without leaving any remains-is what I thought, but I felt a *gong* shock from my back.

"Guogh?!" (Haine)

I was hit by something from my back. Moreover, because it accurately hit my spine, it made a dangerously creaking sound and I fall in pain.

"Dunno who ya are, but don't go jumpin' out suddenly."

The one hitting me was the Obsan.

She gave me one hit with the cane she is holding, moreover, it seems that cane was stronger than I expected, the pain coursing through me was not letting me move at all.

As this happened, the earth-humanoid was approaching.

The steps that were going *doshin* *doshin* were sinking around half of its feet into the earth every time.

This is bad. 'At this rate, the Obsan and I will be crushed beneath this guy's feet!', just when I thought of thisthe earth-humanoid passes by the Obsan and I, and heads towards an unknown destination.

"Eh? Wut?" (Haine)

When the earth-humanoid moves forward for a while, it turns around, and returns here.

"Hua?!"

I thought we would be crushed this time for sure, but as expected, the earth-humanoid passes by us, and after moving for a while, it turns backand continues that process.

"Ya see, this plantation hereI had it take a rest last year. And so, I thought about planting somethin' again this year, so before that, I be thinking ther' be the need to mix the earth fer a bit ya see."

The Obsan says this with a mixed accent. -