章節 207: Chapter 366
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[I have no plans. I only have a purpose.]
The purpose Sheila was talking about was to assist Jin, Solderet's thousand-year contractor, in safely reaching the fourth tomb of Temar.
[Myla. It seems that she, along with other children, disliked the idea of keeping the promise with Solderet. They think that all the descendants of the fairy race are making unnecessary sacrifices. Or they think I harbor meaningless hopes.]
"So, are they practically dethroning you and allowing Myla to take control of the forest, Ms. Sheila?"
[Yes. Waiting for you is too uncertain, and the rewards are unclear. However, there are those who are willing to provide everything we want with just a little information. In some ways, betrayal is a natural course of action.]
"What do the descendants of the fairy tribe want?"
[To reclaim our original forms.]
Sheila said with a melancholic voice.
[...We'll talk more about this later when there's a chance. For now, it's important to get over this situation and guide you to Temar's fourth tomb.]
Priing...!
Shining particles spread from Sheila's wings. The view became brighter, revealing the surface of tangled trees. The dim cave interior felt like the insides of a colossal beast.
[Lulu, Miru.]
[Yes.]
[Temar's fourth tomb doesn't exist in this cave.]
Sheila had foreseen the betrayal by Myla and the other fairies for a long time.
That's why she hadn't revealed the true location of the fourth tomb to anyone. All descendants of the fairy tribe, except for Sheila, believed that Temar's tomb existed at the end of this cave.
[Then where...?]
[The Red Lake. It's the source of water in the Wantaramo Forest.]
The Red Lake was the largest water source in the Wantaramo Forest, connecting to the external Yulphi River. All life in the forest, including the descendants of the fairy tribe, relied on the Red Lake for survival.
[We need to get there as soon as possible. The contractor must reach Temar's tomb before the trackers arrive. Summon the Ruby cat, Jin Runcandel.]
Sheila had learned that Jin was Shuri's contractor from the Felinoid Tribe.
Whoosh!
[Meow!]
After being summoned, Shuri carried the group on her back and ran. They had to move to the cave's end first to avoid detection and then head to the Red Lake.
The cave was much deeper than Jin and Valeria had imagined. They had been riding Shuri at maximum speed for over 30 minutes.
By the time they reached the end, they could see a massive door made of magic.
'It's similar to the door of the secret library beneath the storm castle.'
Like that door, this one required activation words to open but this door will be destroyed without fairy language. It was even more powerful than the door of the Secret Library in the Storm Castle.
As Sheila spoke the activation words in the fairy language, the door opened, revealing the interior.
[Myla believes that beyond this door lies my crown, Temar's fourth tomb, and the incredible legacy left by our ancestors…]
However, beyond the door was simply an empty space.
Undressed rocks substituted for walls, and only a faint breeze rustled from an unknown source, welcoming the group.
[There's nothing here. Someday, when Myla becomes an adult, I thought of showing her this empty landscape. I hoped she would come to understand why we became such a hollow race.]
Despite Myla's age exceeding two thousand, according to Sheila, she wasn't much different from newly-born fairy descendants.
Seeing a younger sibling who couldn't grow and might have made wrong choices, and the fact that she might have to kill that sibling, was naturally a painful experience for Sheila.
Swoosh...!
The door closed.
[Oh, I got lost in thought for a moment. Keep moving. From here on, Lulu and Miru, your abilities might be needed.]
Sheila referred to the dimension abilities unique to the Felinoid Tribe.
[Do we have to create a passage leading to the Red Lake?]
[Yes. If time permits, it would be great to create a way to confuse the trackers.]
[How much time do we have left?]
Upon hearing those words, Jin and Valeria both thought of the same thing.
'Where's the closest Magic tower to the Kiken?'
'Where was the nearest Zipfel's Magic Tower?'
3rd Magic Tower.
They reached the same conclusion. The 3rd Magic tower was on Rachan Island, situated between the Lutero Magic Federation and the Vermont Sea territory. If Zipfel received the signal and deployed their forces, it undoubtedly came from there.
"About three hours."
"Probably around three hours. Assuming Myla can inform Zipfel within an hour."
Jin and Valeria both answered at the same time, looking at each other.
[Both of you are quicker at calculations than I am. It has been a long time since I have been outside of Kiken, so I got confused.]
[We can definitely create a maze in three hours.]
While Lulu and Miru said this confidently, Sheila shook her head.
[But there's one thing that both of you missed. Do you know about the Zipfel Magic Tower Masters' staff?"
The staff of the Magic Tower Master.
Those staffs were inscribed with special runic symbols. The annoying rune text that Valeria had experienced in both previous and current life.
"Did Zipfel inscribe runic symbols for summoning Magic Tower mages in the Wantaramo Forest?"
[Most likely. In the past, when Kelliark came to ask for the Drink of regal hymn, he gifted a staff to Myla. I suspected that the staff would have runic symbols similar to those of the Magic tower masters.]
Myla's betrayal had already happened decades ago. Naturally, they must have had a means for immediate summoning.
[Two hours. That's the time we have left. Lulu, Miru, do you think you can do it?]
[We'll give it a shot.]
Lulu and Miru pulled out an item that looked like a claw from their pockets.
[Jin Runcandel, you'll have to treat us well in the future.]
Lulu grinned mischievously.
However, Jin could read the regret hidden behind that smile.
"...divine artifact."
As Jin said, it was a long time ago when the god of the Felinoid tribe gave their claws as a gift.
[Yes. I used this divine artifact to protect you and the small beastmen even in the cave. Fortunately, two of them are left.]
One was with Neru, and the other with Lulu and Miru.
Divine artifacts were the only means through which the felinoid tribe could communicate with their previous gods.
The felinoid tribe used most of it for Jin and the small beastmen.
"Ms. Sheila, is it impossible to force our way through with strength?"
Jin spoke with frustration.
The cave was made up of trees at most. There was no way he couldn't cut through them with his strength.
[If we rashly clear the cave, we'll lose our way due to the rampaging trees. Since Myla holds control over the Wantaramo Forest, if the trees within the cave start going wild, even I might lose my sense of direction. I'm sorry.]
I am sorry.
Every time situations like this arose, Jin hated hearing those words. He couldn't understand why people who had sacrificed for a thousand years were apologizing to him.
However, he knew that venting his anger or displaying his annoyance unnecessarily would only distress the people who had made such great sacrifices for him.
So, he suppressed whatever was gnawing at his heart, putting on a composed expression.
His intention was to show them results deserving of their sacrifices without making them feel sorry.
And Valeria looked at Jin and thought:
'At our first meeting, I was quite disappointed, but the more I see, the more he seems like a human with a somewhat deep side. When he faces me, it doesn't seem like he's filled only with intentions of using me…'
Valeria moved beside Lulu and Miru.
"I'll help."
[Huh? In creating a subspace and forming a dimensional portal?]
"Yes."
[Although I'm grateful, it's too complex a task for humans.]
"Even though the Felinoid tribe' spatial abilities are close to omnipotence, parts of it still contain mana, right? I'll only read the flow of mana and assist where magic is required."
[Uh, well. It's just better to wait quietly. But how did you know that our abilities include mana?]
"Because I can sense the scent of mana from you. People who don't use mana often can't have it so strongly."
[Mana has a scent?]
"Just let me know if it becomes a hindrance. I'll quietly step back. Or are you worried that I might discover the secret of the Felinoid tribe' abilities?"
[No, it's not that…]
Valeria sat down and as soon as she did, Lulu and Miru alternately looked at her and then shrugged their shoulders. Clearly, you might become a hindrance... that's the face they had on.
It was as if they were sending Jin a look that said, "Stop her."
However, since Jin wasn't in a position to command her, he just shook his head helplessly.
[Can't be helped, I guess. Alright, but if we say you are causing a hindrance, you'll have to leave immediately. We don't have time.]
"Understood."
Lulu and Miru cautiously touched the divine claw of the god of felinoids and mumbled in an unknown language.
Then, just like when Neru had opened the third tomb, a mystical purple energy began to spread in all directions. Clearly, as Valeria had said, mana was mixed in.
'Could she have instantly recognized that the Felinoid tribe also uses mana, something I had no idea about?'
Indeed, Valeria was a person who could be called a 'teacher.'
'Moreover, she's saying she can assist by just observing the flow of a mana she's never seen before?'
This time, even Jin couldn't help but doubt Valeria.
It was something that felt utterly impossible even for him, a genius among geniuses. It was a natural response.
However, Valeria seemed to dismiss those concerns with a laugh, and she was reading the flow of mana that the Felinoid tribe were unfolding with such ease.
Within it, she was already infusing her own mana, accelerating the formation of the dimensional portal and the subspace.
[Th-This is possible?]
[W-What on earth are you!?]
Lulu and Miru stared at Valeria in shock.
"I said it would be possible."
Valeria calmly replied, but she was sweating like rain was pouring down.
She was giving her all to read the flow of mana.
Her robe was quickly becoming soaked, and the heat radiating from her body was so intense that it melted away her hair dye.
Eventually, Valeria's red hair became visible.
Sheila couldn't take her eyes off Valeria's hair and had a thoughtful expression on her face.
章節 208: Chapter 367
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A long time passed, and the heat continued to emanate from Valeria.
Now, there was no trace of dye left in her hair. Hot stream rose from her sweaty robe, and her red hair, fluttering in the mana, looked like a bundle of flames.
[Hister's descendant, huh. Where did you meet that child?]
"I met her in the lawless city of Mamit."
Jin didn't tell her more details because Sheila didn't seem overly curious.
Sheila's pupils deepened.
[Fortunately, she is a strong child who doesn't need your protection. However, not only humans but all living beings must ultimately protect each other. There is no life that can exist alone.]
It was a sudden conversation, but Jin nodded in agreement. He didn't mind Sheila's words.
[While my friends and your ally are suffering, we should think about the variables.]
"Are there other issues you're considering aside from the Zipfel's mages?"
[This is the land of Vermont. Among my kin, some might be collaborating with them.]
"Well, it's not likely that the splitted fragments of your absolute power would have gone to just one person like Myla. Vermont... It's quite possible."
[Furthermore, there might be some attached to your Runcandel.]
"That's something I hope isn't the case. Already dealing with both Zipfel and Vermont together is headache enough. For now, it's best to assume that we will definitely encounter Zipfel and Vermont."
Vermont is searching for the body of Temar. Jin thought, keeping that fact in mind.
'There's almost a 100% chance that among the descendants of the fairy tribe, someone is colluded with Vermont.'
Jin remembered what Kashmir had accidentally heard as a child about the former emperors and advisors. Perhaps their negotiations with the Wantaramo Forest were related to information about the insider.
'Perhaps Vermont began searching for the body of Temar because a descendant of the Fairy tribe had leaked information about his tomb from the start.'
If not, Vermont could not be searching for Temar's tomb, which even Runcandel might not know about, except for Chiron, Rosa, and a few key elders(even this is speculation).
"Vermont will likely send the special task force or Imperial guards. Large-scale troop movements would only advertise that there's something in the Wantaramo Forest."
I might come face to face with familiar faces.
Jin thought so and shrugged his shoulders.
[Special task force and Imperial guards. Are they stronger than you?]
Jin could answer without hesitation.
"The commanders might be stronger than me. However, I can easily subdue those below that rank."
Jin concluded this based on his encounters with the commander of the special task force, Latz, and Alisa, the former commander, during his days as a reserve flagbearer.
"There are four of them. They won't all gather at once."
Commander and Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard and Special Task Force,. If all four of them came at once, even Luna would find it burdensome, let alone Jin.
"Ms. Sheila, how much combat strength do you possess?"
Asking such a question to the descendant of the fairy tribe's ruler felt a bit strange. However, it was a matter that needed to be known. Understanding the strength of allies was a natural thing.
'Not only Zipfel and Vermont, but I might also have to fight against the guardian of the fourth tomb.'
Guardian, Zipfel, Vermont. Regardless of which side they fought first, Jin needed to conserve enough stamina to face the final opponent.
Of course, if there were no guardians like in the case of the third tomb, it would be the best scenario, but it was necessary to consider worse possibilities.
[Well, I haven't experienced fighting for a very long time, so I'm not quite sure. Just know that I'm not very weak.]
"Can you give me a more specific answer?"
At that, Sheila seemed to be in thought, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes.
[...I really don't know. Even when my kin kills intruders, I've hardly used my strength.]
"Understood."
It seemed that he would have to fight without relying on Sheila's strength. Jin felt a bit regretful for not bringing Murakan. There are two reasons why Jin hadn't brought him.
First, it was to assist in Bellop's undercover mission (if it were to be revealed that Bellop was performing Jin's duties, it could become a significant problem). Second, it was because Valeria hadn't met Murakan yet.
Although their cooperative relationship had improved since, Jin still felt a bit uneasy about confronting Valeria with a powerful ally. It might trigger her caution again, which she had loosen up a little.
'If the situation becomes dire, I might have to create a three-front battle formation.'
Jin had a rough plan, but there were too many variables. He didn't know which enemies they would encounter first, whether they should prioritize dealing with them or directly find the tomb, and what if they had to retreat after the enemy found their location...
While Jin was thinking, Sheila spoke up.
[Jin Runcandel.]
"Yes."
[There's one thing I want to tell you. The battles must take place only within the limits that the forest can regenerate without permanent damage.]
The Wantaramo Forest was a 'common good' of beings at the pinnacle of power. They were all consumers of the Drink of Regal Hymn.
The fact that Jin and his allies hadn't known about the existence of the forest until now was not due to ignorance but the result of the powerful beings concealing it to avoid any issues arising within the forest.
If the forest were to be damaged, those beings would undoubtedly scrutinize the situation and hold the one most responsible accountable for appropriate compensation.
Jin smirked.
'Then whether it's fighting individually or in a three-front battle formation, I'll have an overwhelming advantage.'
A melee battle while refraining from damaging the surrounding.
Given the nature of the power called "shadow force," there was likely no arrangement where Jin could be more effective than that.
"I understand. Actually, that might be better."
[In that case, lucky for us. Even after a thousand years, the influence of your ancestor is still shaking the world.]
"It seems you know my ancestor well."
[I don't remember many details. You have looked back at the past tombs, so you might know, the Runcandels of that era have almost been forgotten. However, I distinctly remember that Temar's actions at that time had a vast impact on the world.]
Sheila looked into Jin's eyes.
[Now, you'll have to replace his shadow. Or cast a new shadow called Jin Runcandel upon the world.]
The Felinoid tribesmen and Valeria had finished their work by then.
[Hooah!]
[We're done...!]
An hour and thirty minutes.
The Felinoid tribesmen found it hard to believe that they had created passageways leading to the red lake and trap routes to confuse Zipfel, all in such a short time.
Fourteen purple entrances they had made shimmered on the cave walls. Among them, only one was the real passage to the red lake; the others were fake, leading to the middle of the forest.
[The entrances change location randomly each time they're used. Unless Zipfel's mages are incredibly lucky and not very smart, they won't be able to guess the correct one on their first try.]
With fourteen entrances to choose from, splitting up and entering was the obvious choice. As Lulu had said, unless they were an astoundingly dim-witted bunch, it was unlikely they would get it right in one go.
Slam!
Jin handed a water pouch to Valeria. She received it with her throat parched and immediately started gulping it down.
"Jin Runcandel, give me a moment to refine my mana before we depart. I think I have bought that much time."
Seeing Valeria stabilize her mana while sitting cross-legged, Lulu and Miru grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
[Thanks to her, we saved our artifact.]
[We were able to save half of it!]
Lulu and Miru displayed the felinoid god's claw, of which only half remained, and smiled.
Wobbling a bit, Valeria stood up, and when she staggered, Jin steadied her.
"Are you alright?"
"I just got a bit dizzy for a moment."
She didn't add that she had exerted herself more than she intended to protect half of the artifact. It was an action that even Valeria herself couldn't quite understand.
Initially, she had offered to help the Felinoid tribesmen due to efficiency concerns, but using more power than necessary for the sake of the Felinoid tribe had been an impulsive decision.
"You can rest for about ten more minutes."
"No need. I know my body. Just keep the promise you made on the way here."
Unlike when she initially volunteered to help the Felinoid tribe, her tone now sounded somewhat assertive.
Valeria was afraid that she might be acting strangely since meeting Jin.
-Last time, you said you obtained the recording device from the Felinoid Tribe's hideout... was it actually the tomb of Runcandel's first patriarch?
-The tomb of the first patriarch was located in the hideout of the felinoid tribe.
-You're playing with words.
-We're in the stage of getting to know each other, aren't we? You also must have many things you haven't told me. No, you're probably hiding much more than I am. Since I told you about Temar's tomb, my secrets are nearly over.
-Well, fine. I won't think you deceived me. After hearing your explanation about Temar's tomb, I can imagine how surprised you must have been when you obtained the Helluram's shadow force marble at Joshua Runcandel's mansion.
-It was more surprising when you examined that shadow force marble and misunderstood me.
-Anyway, we need to get clues about Temar's fourth tomb from the Felinoid tribe... When we discover the fourth tomb, let me take a look too. Can you make that happen?
-I will do that. Promise.
Valeria recalled her conversation with Jin as they came to the Wantaramo Forest. The promise she mentioned referred to entering the tomb together with Jin.
'It's only been a few hours since I had that conversation with Jin Runcandel, and yet I didn't expect to find the fourth tomb this quickly. I thought it would take at least a few months to save the felinoid tribe and get clues about the tomb from them.'
Could she confirm new traces left by her ancestors in that tomb?
Alone, without any help.
Tracing the messages left by her ancestors, reclaiming the magic of Hister—truly, these were unspeakably lonely tasks.
Somewhere along the line, she didn't realize just how lonely it was. Her life had been all about practicing magic, finding the messages and legacy of her ancestors, and roaming the world since she opened her eyes.
However, now, so easily...
If she were to anticipate a new discovery about Hister thanks to someone other than herself, and if she were to find the traces of her ancestors through another's doing...
Then, were the dark, bitter times of the past a futile struggle?
It was due to such thoughts that her tone had sharpened without her realizing it.
"...I was a bit on edge."
"You must have been tired. I didn't feel bad, there's no need to apologize."
Valeria's brow trembled slightly.
"Now we need to enter the passage. It should be fine for me to support you until we reach the red lake. If you're uncomfortable with that, let me know."
Jin said while taking the water pouch from Valeria.
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