IBHJ Chapter 972

As newcomers to Sanctuary, finding a place to stay was their top priority. But despite their best efforts, Shirou and his party found themselves frustrated at every turn. They had expected inns to be plentiful in such a thriving community, but Sanctuary's prosperity worked against them - most accommodations were already full.

Gilgamesh had been slightly mistaken. It wasn't just adventurers who had reached level 9 that could enter Sanctuary, but also level 8 adventurers on advancement quests, as well as natives and NPCs residing there.

The streets were teeming with activity, filled with beastmen, vampires, humans, fairies... The bustling crowd created a momentary illusion of being transported to another world. It was then that he noticed Kiara suddenly stop and stare into the distance. He approached her and asked, "What's wrong, Kiara?"

"I think... I saw another me," she said hesitantly.

"Another you?" His eye twitched violently at the mere thought, as if he'd just heard of an approaching natural disaster. "Really?"

The idea of encountering another Kiara - potentially Demonic Bodhisattva - sent a chill down his spine. He'd rather face Sixth Seat again than deal with that nasty woman.

"I-I'm not sure," she stammered. "I thought I saw it, but when I looked again, it was gone..."

"Must have been your imagination," he said after a moment's thought.

At the Norse Connection Point, Demonic Bodhisattva had vanished after the tree was revived. If he thought about it, that Beast was probably with the Council now, and this UO-infested Connection Point should be hard for the Council to meddle with.

"Another Kiara?" Artoria also came over, curious. "Is there another one?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Mordred tugged at his pants, looking up with innocent eyes. "Kiara's a good girl, so the other Kiara must be good too, right? We don't have to be so worried if we meet her."

His hand came to rest on Mordred's head, ruffling her hair gently. "Yes, she's definitely a good girl," he said aloud. Silently, he added, 'when it comes to doing what she wants.'

After some searching, he finally located an inn with rooms available, tucked away in a quieter part of town.

Once everyone was settled in, he went to the window and looked outside. The first thing he saw was a pristine white wall, the city wall of this place. Beyond that were bustling streets and a never-ending stream of people.

The Holy Land, or Sanctuary, this floating island that had appeared after the gods were defeated by the UOs, was not the desolate place he'd imagined. It was brimming with life and a sense of wonder. The busy streets and crowds, combined with the beautiful city design and architecture, made it feel like a fantasy world come to life.

He looked to the distance, where a huge structure stood out from the rest of the city. A pyramid, lying on its side, spread across the city's center. It gave off a golden light, its surface shining with a strange, magical glow that seemed to fill the air.

That was the heart of Sanctuary, the place where adventurers undertook their Level 9 advancement quest, and where the Age of Gods magus who had summoned Enkidu resided.

"Are you planning to see the Archbishop about advancing to Level 9?" the passing innkeeper suddenly asked.

Shirou turned, meeting the innkeeper's gaze with a nod. "That's the plan."

"It's not often you see so many people together for the Level 9 advancement quest, outside of the Emperor's Conquest Guild," the innkeeper smiled, then pointed at the pyramid. "But you probably won't be able to do it today."

"Why not?"

"It's Rebirth Day," the innkeeper explained. "Big festival. Whole city'll be celebrating."

Rebirth Day? Shirou raised an eyebrow. This sounded like a festival unique to this Connection Point.

"Oh!" Morrigan exclaimed, slapping her palm. "That's why it's so crowded today! It's Rebirth Day!"

He turned to her, his expression puzzled.

Morrigan explained that Rebirth Day commemorated the birth of adventurers. During the conflict between Gaia and the UOs, the South American Connection Point had become their battleground. The gods who ruled there fell opposing the UOs, and both phantasmal and magical beasts transformed into virtual monsters due to the UOs' invasion.

The various races, left without gods' protection, struggled against the monster attacks. Fortunately, virtualization wasn't limited to beasts alone. Humans were also granted this power, resulting in the creation of adventurers.

Now, every year on this day, all cities, including Sanctuary, held festivals to celebrate. This was Rebirth Day – a reminder of how their world had changed and adapted to survive.

Among all the cities, Sanctuary was the most lively, and as the main NPC of Sanctuary, Archbishop Moirase was the one in charge of the Rebirth Day festivities there.

"During this time, the experience and drop rates for killing monsters are doubled. I used to just focus on grinding monsters," Morrigan said, smacking her lips. Then she added, "But this is good too, we can see the hustle and bustle of Rebirth Day for ourselves. By the way, do you want to go explore the city with me?"

Shirou considered the offer. Archbishop would be busy with the festival today, so they wouldn't be able to do the quest. Besides, if they were going to be active in Sanctuary, it made sense to familiarize themselves with the place. He nodded.

After their meal, he followed Morrigan out of the inn, stepping into the lively streets of Sanctuary.

Morrigan pointed to a distant building adorned with a sword and shield emblem. "See that? It's the Adventurers' Guild. It's where NPCs hand out quests. Adventurers can pick them up for QP, experience, and loot. Most cities in the lower world have one, but I figured you hadn't—"

"Actually, I have," he interrupted, shaking his head. He'd come across the Adventurers' Guild in Zaun and had even been ambushed there.

"That's the weapon shop... and over there's the armor shop..."

Morrigan happily guided him around the floating city. Nothing made her happier than this. However, he wasn't enjoying the moment so much as trying to memorize the layout and geography of Sanctuary.

Their path eventually led them to the city's edge.

She led him up a winding staircase to the top. As they climbed, she continued, "Beyond this, it's all magically corrupted wilderness and unexplored dungeons. Most of the maps have been fully explored by our Emperor's Conquest Guild, but there are still a lot of unknown, high-difficulty maps in the eastern region."

Reaching the top of the wall, she pointed east.

He looked out, seeing a desolate landscape shrouded in a hazy mist of death. He could just make out leaping magical beasts and churning filth.

In the death mist, lights flickered and the clash of steel could be heard now and then, clear signs of adventurers battling outside.

"Oh? Aren't you the famous 'Sweet Girl'?" A passing guard in silver armor suddenly stopped and said to Morrigan.

She blinked, caught off guard. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"It's me! York! You saved my life during last year's beast tide!" the guard said, his eyes shining.

"Uh, beast tide? Oh, you mean the 'Defend the Sanctuary' half-month event? Ah, ah no, that, that..." Morrigan realized she had misspoken and started to stammer, trying to smooth things over with York.

For Morrigan, the former player, the so-called beast tide was just a bi-monthly event, but for York, it was a war where he risked his life and sanity. And clearly, half a month in Chaldea was equal to a year in this Connection Point. Most importantly, she couldn't explain this discrepancy.

Under York's persistent questioning, Morrigan looked at Shirou with a pleading gaze, hoping he'd step in. But to her surprise, he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he turned his attention to the city wall.