Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Blood and Egg (1)
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"Where the hell are we...?"
A day had passed since the announcement of the accepted students. Ronan and Asel had been wandering through the forest since early morning.
It was the Shemo Forest, rooted just a stone's throw from the capital. Asel, who had been grumbling nonstop, finally asked worriedly,
"R-Ronan... are you sure this is okay?"
"Still on about that? I told you it's fine."
Asel's eyes were shadowed with dark circles from a sleepless night. It was all because of the incident Ronan and Schlieffen had caused the day before.
He felt like assassins hired by Schlieffen would sneak in while he slept and plunge a dagger into his heart.
"Still, he's a noble. What if he decides to get revenge or something..."
Asel was scared. It wasn't just because he'd heard about that scumbag noble named Derian last time.
Not only had he crossed blades with the heir of one of the empire's greatest families right after the imperial household, but he'd also broken his nose and fled. It was enough to worry anyone.
But Ronan shook his head firmly.
"Schlieffen's a good guy. He just loses it in certain situations."
His voice was full of conviction. He wouldn't have bothered with him in the first place if he didn't know Schlieffen well enough.
Despite the short time they'd known each other, it was clear. If not for his pathological obsession with strength, he was the model noble—someone who valued trust, didn't strut around arrogantly, and knew how to protect the weak.
"So relax, man. He's probably taking full responsibility for yesterday."
"No way it's that simple..."
"We didn't get arrested this morning, did we?"
"W-When you put it that way..."
Asel finally let out a sigh of relief. Ronan unfolded the parchment he was holding and tilted it this way and that.
A crude map marked the location of the Penardo Spring leyline. It was hand-drawn by Professor Baren the were-lion.
"He really can't draw for shit. Or maybe I should be impressed he managed this much with those bushy paws..."
Enrollment was two weeks away. Ronan had decided to check out the leyline before heading home.
He'd invited Marya along, but she had to wrap up business with the merchant group, so she couldn't join.
"Definitely around here somewhere..."
It was supposed to be along the river flowing through the heart of Shemo Forest, but the tall birches grew so densely that finding the river was no easy task.
Ronan crumpled the map like trash and spat a curse.
"Damn it, this is hopeless. Give me a lift, Asel. Up to the treetops."
"Got it. Invisible Hand!"
Asel raised his staff. Ronan's body floated into the air. Feeling the dramatically improved speed, Ronan let out an impressed whoop.
"Whoa, you're actually fast now?"
The ride was smoother too. Before, it felt like a kid who couldn't control his strength grabbing wildly. Now, it was like a gentle sister lifting him softly.
Ronan reached the treetop in no time and swung his sword. Slash! The green canopy parted, revealing the full vista of Shemo Forest.
Through the waving trees, he spotted a long, slender river snaking along.
Ronan insisted on traveling by water rather than trudging painfully along the riverbank.
"This takes me back. Time flies, huh."
"Yeah..."
So the two lay side by side on a rickety raft. They watched sheep-like clouds drift across the blue sky.
Ronan took the pipe from his mouth and offered it.
"Wanna try?"
"Huh? Oh, no... I'm good."
"Tch, wuss."
Ronan clamped the pipe back between his teeth and inhaled deeply. Asel, dipping his fingers in the river while lying prone, spoke up.
"Where'd you learn to make a raft?"
"In the army."
"The ar-army? What..."
"It's a thing, man."
Asel could hardly believe his eyes even after seeing it. Ronan had whipped up a decent raft in under an hour. It was one of the survival skills he'd picked up in the penal legion.
The log-and-vine raft carried the boys far more comfortably than walking. Ronan muttered,
"Even so, sharing a leyline only he knows about. That lion really went all out."
"Are leylines that hard to find?"
"Pretty much. Finding one can change your life."
Ronan recalled a conversation with an old man from his past life. The man, who'd devoted his life to hunting leylines, compared them to pools where mana gathered.
Rare puddles formed when mana drifting through the world stagnated in one spot for whatever reason.
"Once word gets out that a leyline's been found, it becomes imperial property. That's why they're so hard to locate—no one shares the info."
"Why not?"
"Every pebble there is worth its weight in gold. Depends on the case, of course."
Some adventurers even called leylines gold mines on land.
Mana pooling in one place seeped into surroundings, turning ordinary rocks into mana stones and nameless weeds into potent herbs.
Asel nodded as if it finally made sense.
"That's why you packed all those waterskins. I was wondering."
"It's called Penardo Spring for a reason."
Water transformed too. Spring water from a leyline became elixir-like or potion-grade.
That's why he'd stuffed his pack with skins and bottles.
"Come to think of it, it might not even be discovered yet..."
He suddenly remembered leylines he'd stumbled upon in his previous life. By then, they'd been nationalized or exploited dry—rocks stripped, grass plucked, left barren.
He knew about five or six. Might be worth visiting them later.
"Oh yeah, Ronan."
"Hm?"
"That egg... it's okay, right? From yesterday..."
"Oh, right."
Ronan pulled Marfez's egg from his inner pocket.
Its ugly, squished horse-dung appearance hadn't changed, but today it looked a bit prettier. It was the MVP for freeing him from Schlieffen's mana beast.
Gazing at the still-silent egg, Ronan murmured,
"You're not sulking like a little girl, are you?"
The egg didn't answer. Of course not. Ronan tossed it in the air and caught it, then closed his eyes.
That night, Ronan and Asel slept on the river. A brilliant starry blanket wouldn't have been out of place overhead.
Ronan dreamed of Marfez spewing fire and burning the capital, and Schlieffen dancing and begging for his life.
The two finally reached Penardo Spring at noon the next day. The leaves of trees influenced by the leyline shimmered faintly.
"This is it. Nice air."
Bubbles rose from the center of the small spring. It was modest in size but seemed fairly deep.
Blue-tinged shrubs grew around it. Mana-stone-corrupted rocks jutted out here and there.
"Kinda underwhelming."
Ronan smacked his lips in mild disappointment. It had its own charm, but compared to the wondrous sights he'd seen, it was pretty plain.
"Hm... something feels off. Just my imagination?"
"Whoaaaaaaaa..."
Asel was different. He reacted like when he first saw the capital's scenery. After a deep breath in and out, he murmured in awe,
"Never seen a place so rich in mana in my life."
"Damn, what's different? I don't see a thing."
"It's just... so much mana. Yeah, like I can see it."
He felt like he could cast way stronger spells now. The pool metaphor was spot on. Mana that usually dispersed invisibly now ripened visibly like fruit everywhere.
"Fucking mana..."
Ronan puffed hard on his pipe. Mana, mana, mana.
At this point, he'd master mana sense out of spite. Then Asel, slowly scanning the area, widened his eyes.
"Huh?!"
"What?"
"R-Ronan! Your pocket!"
Asel pointed his staff at Ronan's pocket. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
"Pocket? Why?"
"The egg...! Take it out! Hurry!"
He could see it. The clumped mana around them swirled, sucked into Ronan's pocket.
Ronan pulled out Marfez's egg. Asel nodded rapidly.
The egg greedily absorbed not just airborne mana but even from the ground and trees.
"What's going on?"
"Th-the egg's absorbing mana!"
Ronan tilted his head. Invisible to him, it seemed random. A dream bird egg absorbing mana? Suddenly?
-Crack!
That's when it happened. The dried-dung shell began cracking bit by bit. Startled, Ronan brought his face close.
"H-Hatching?!"
But contrary to his hopes, no fissures formed.
The color and texture were changing. The rough brown dung-like surface smoothed to glossy black.
"...What the?"
Over minutes, the egg transformed completely.
The new shell was unbelievably beautiful, like flawless black pearl.
Ronan tapped it in disbelief.
"Unreal. Even larvae don't molt. Eggs do?"
"It's still absorbing."
"At this point, steel beak or flame feathers won't cut it. Gotta be something epic."
Change or not, no hatching meant nothing. Ronan grumbled and pocketed it again.
He approached the bubbling spring. Ripples distorted his reflection. His shaggy hair poked his eyes.
"Ah."
A breeze stirred his mind. He sensed the unease he'd felt since arriving. Ronan's mouth slowly opened.
"Asel."
"Yeah?"
"Doesn't this feel weird?"
"...Weird how?"
"That lion said this place draws even phantasmal species sometimes, right?"
Asel tilted his head. Ronan’s hand rested on his sword hilt.
"Y-Yeah...?"
"Phantasmal species are pickier than regular beasts. Naturally, places they live should teem with other animals too, right?"
"...Sure?"
"So why isn't there a single sparrow in sight?"
Asel shut his mouth. Ronan was right—no bird calls at all.
Only the spring's bubbles and rustling leaves in the wind.
Suddenly, chills crawled up their necks.
"Ha... brace yourself, Asel."
"F-For what?"
"Smell blood."
Ronan turned toward the wind.
The tickling breeze carried a fishy metallic tang. His narrowed eyes flashed sharply.
"N-No way...!"
As Asel recoiled, Ronan swung at the air.
Thud. A bisected arrow hit the ground.
Asel's face went sheet-white.
"Eek!"
"Looks like we have early guests."
Ronan grabbed Asel's collar and hurled him behind a nearby rock. Another arrow embedded where he'd stood.
Asel steadied his ragged breaths, staring at Ronan's back. He was already charging the arrow's direction. Asel gripped his staff.
"I-I'm coming too...!"
He wouldn't be dead weight again. Mustering courage, Asel peeked out and aimed his staff at Ronan, chanting,
"Invisible... Hand."
Rumble! Rocks and twigs floated up, orbiting Ronan.
Two arrows from different angles ricocheted off the rocks. Ronan glanced back and grinned.
"Not bad."
"Wh-what the hell is that guy?!"
A panicked shout came from nearby, amid dense bushes taller than a man.
Ronan kicked off and dashed toward it.