Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Ruby's Memory
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Just before the morning sun rose, the swamp's mist filled the surroundings.
The moisture-laden fog was so thick it felt like drowning, the campfire had long gone out, and relighting it was impossible. With the temperature plummeting, Jade sniffled and coughed nonstop.
Merald, who had announced they would move after sunrise, watched the situation before deciding to set off anyway. Jade agreed without hesitation.
"I've been thinking all night."
Ruby, who hadn't slept a wink and had been lost in deep thought, finally spoke with a serious expression, as if her silence had been building to this.
"What about?"
Merald asked before Jade could.
While Jade and Saf packed their belongings, Merald was maintaining his weapons. Sharpening his dagger and checking his bowstring looked like the start of his daily routine.
"It wasn't meant for you."
Ruby shot Merald a glare.
Jade shouldered his bag of food and clothes and asked,
"What were you thinking about?"
Jade braced himself, expecting her to expound on demon weapons. But Ruby said something unexpected.
"I think I've met Sage before."
"You've met old lady Sage? When?"
Merald looked more shocked.
"I told you it wasn't for you!"
Ruby turned back to Jade.
Jade took Merald's question and threw it right back.
"When?"
"I can't remember."
"You say you've met her, but you can't remember? What's that about?"
"It's hazy. It came up when I was asleep from the Heldra poison, so memories are all jumbled together."
Ruby pressed her fingers to her temples and twirled them as she continued.
"My head's full of memory fragments swirling like a vortex. I can't tell which came first, which last, or if they're real or just my imagination. It's a damn annoying situation."
Jade struggled to follow.
"Just tell me whatever memories you do recall."
"I'm wandering all over Elf Forest."
Ruby clutched her head with both hands, closed her eyes, and began speaking in the present tense.
"I'm searching for the sage. The one who'll tell me who I am and answer all my questions. Humans said only the elves have sages that wise. So I roam Elf Forest. Until I find one!"
Ruby's voice grew quieter.
Merald approached her, curiosity sparking in a way Jade had never seen.
"Describe the trees you're seeing right now."
Ruby complied with her eyes still shut.
"The trees sparkle. Especially in the sunlight—they're blindingly bright."
"Sunlight Tree Forest, then. Did you see Sage there?"
"I go further. East? North? I don't know. Not just sparkling trees— all sorts tangled together. Tons of animals. At night, they sparkle even more."
Merald understood easily.
"Moonshadow Forest. Right next to Sunlight Tree Forest. Is that where you met Sage?"
"I did. But it's not the Sage I know. Not named Sage either."
Jade listened intently, frowning, then asked,
"So what's the name of this Sage you're meeting?"
"I only know it's not Sage. Not a mage either."
Jade tilted his head in confusion, but Merald got it.
"What you're seeing is probably the city of Seimurasha. Or the forest nearby. Old lady Sage was from there. Keep going. What did you talk about with her?"
Merald pressed.
Ruby's eyes snapped open, and she dropped her hands from her head.
"Why are you giving orders?"
"Just asking. What did you talk about?"
"Because you interrupted, the memory fragment flew away."
Ruby shook her hands like flicking off water and went on.
"Now that I think about it, it's damn unfair. Fine for me, but she must remember meeting me! She pretended not to know! That sneaky old hag. Next time I see her, maybe I'll stuff a bouquet up her nose."
Ruby spat curses as if Sage were standing somewhere in the swamp.
Merald snorted in anger.
"You insolent brat! How dare you talk about her like that?"
"How dare I? Do I owe that old bat any respect?"
"Didn't she save your life?"
"I'm grateful for that!"
Ruby said it casually.
Merald seemed momentarily speechless, then asked again.
"So you remember nothing of what you talked about with old lady Sage?"
"A little. I found the sage to answer all my questions, thought it was her. But she said she wasn't that sage—told me to go to the Eastern Continent."
"Eastern Continent?"
Saf asked in surprise.
Ruby put her hands back to her head. But this time, she didn't use present tense.
"Yeah, the sage was an orc! That orc told me where the angels live, and thanks to him, I met them."
Ruby rattled off the fantastical tale nonchalantly, then lowered her hands and reflected.
"Too many gaps in between. Coming here jogged the old hag memory, so if I go to the Eastern Continent and meet that sage, the rest should come back."
Jade felt like a passing merchant who'd overheard the secrets of creation—utterly absurd.
Unable to hold back, Jade asked,
"While you're remembering, tell me more. So where do the angels live? On clouds? In the sky?"
"Clouds below, so it feels like up in the sky? Angels fly anyway, so who cares."
Ruby said offhandedly. It sounded less believable than a sailor riding a ghost ship, boozing with phantoms, and scoring a treasure map.
Ruby shook her head again.
"No, my memory's off! I don't remember crossing the sea to the Eastern Continent."
"Did you fly there?"
Jade asked.
"I walked."
"Walked across the Mediterranean? You can walk on water?"
"No. Regular land. I swam rivers or lakes for hours sometimes, but no memory of crossing a wide ocean. Wait, I did go by sea, but that was after meeting the angels... Or before?"
Ruby grew more confused.
Merald sorted it out.
"Did you maybe keep going north?"
"Don't know directions. But I remember this: trees frozen like ice, sparkling like jewels. Wait!
There were watchers there too, like you? Unlike you, though—they were all nice and guided me."
Ruby jabbed.
"That's the northernmost Ice Forest in Elf Forest. Guarded by watchers preparing for the end times. My sister Artemis is one of them."
Merald recited.
"Past Ice Forest, further north, it's no longer Elf Forest or elven lands—just icy, snowy desert. Breath freezes mid-air and shatters on the ground—that brutal cold. Beyond is the Eastern Continent."
Jade pictured a mental map and asked,
"Keep north, then turn east?"
"No. Straight north hits the Eastern Continent. Never been, but it's a familiar tale."
"...Where's that even?"
"It exists. You wouldn't get it. Let's move."
Merald had seemed uneasy since Ice Forest came up. He hurried off now, like he was eager to leave.
With the guide moving, the rest had no choice.
"So this is your second time meeting Sage?"
Merald asked, eyes forward.
"Third."
Ruby tapped her back. With each tap, Buffalord's blade appeared and vanished.
"To find a weapon to beat the angels. I decided to win, I needed the opposite attribute—demon weapons."
Jade shivered at her reasoning.
Combat efficiency... Ruby had no morals when it came to victory.
"So second time was asking Sage how to get a demon weapon? She must've refused, right?"
Jade jumped to conclusions.
"Didn't seem to refuse?"
"She didn't refuse?" The shocks kept coming.
"I remember this advice clearly."
Ruby touched her head again, reconstructing Sage's words.
"...Fighting angels fun? To keep it fun, never get a demon weapon. The moment you do, joyful battles become desperate ones, and you'll always cry..."
Ruby lowered her hands and continued.
"She told me to find a dwarf blacksmith's weapon instead. Got the Umparuton staff. Satisfying result."
Jade finally relaxed.
Merald pretended disinterest, trudging through the swamp. But fiddling with Buffalord's dagger showed he cared.
"That Umparuton staff... like an angel weapon?"
Jade yawned hugely.
Early morning, plus no real sleep last night—he was exhausted. But some rest was better than none.
"Not all angels use them, but many have Umparuton weapons."
"Then let's find one like that. No need for demon weapons then, right?"
"Close enough works. Then I can toss this boring sword like you want."
Ruby slapped her back again.
For a split second, the black blade flashed with a metallic ting, then turned transparent.
Escaping Whispering Swamp took another half day.
Ruby itched to rush ahead alone, take on Kauking, end it in one go.
Even if she couldn't hunt the Grail alone for Jade's "various reasons," offing the demon boss seemed fine solo.
Simple plan.
Knew their base. Yell "Kauking, come out!" Someone shows—slash. Repeat till Kauking appears.
Kill him.
Done.
Jade and Merald arrive, slowed by Jade's pace.
Ruby brags to Merald, half superior, half annoyed.
'You're done here. I handled it all.'
In her fantasy, Ruby slew Kauking, hurried the journey, ditched her neck chains. Found the Grail on Eastern Continent, handed it to Jade, parted ways, then off for angel revenge. But snapping back, slow-footed Jade was stuck in another bog, dragging them down.
'Wasting time. I don't even need Light of Dissolution anymore.'
Ruby hoped the fish-like Komora would attack again. Show off mowing them down with Buffalord—maybe convince Jade a bit.
She suddenly thought her current weapon might beat angel-exclusive Umparuton ones.
In her memories, Umparuton weapons lacked demon-slaying "functions." Her chains and shackles were Umparuton too, but useless against demons—proof.
"Now that I think, angels always prepared for demons but didn't carry anti-demon weapons."
To Ruby, it linked thoughts. To Jade, it came out of nowhere.
"You just blurt stuff out of the blue. Continuing the angel weapon talk?"
They'd left the swamp; firm dirt path at last. Grass and trees, not reeds and moss.
"Angels have 'innate weapons,' so most don't need Umparuton. They use light magic—maybe no need for demon-killers."
Ruby monologued to conclusion.
"Innate weapons? Blades from their bodies?"
Jade asked.
"Flames, claws, wings suffice. Some angels suck at those three, but most are damn strong. I lacked them, so angels ignored and discriminated against me."
"If you remember angels, explain more."
Jade said, intrigued.
"What's to explain? All in the scriptures. You excommunicated, but read them? Saf surely has."
Ruby glanced between Jade and Saf.
Saf spoke first.
"Scriptures say angels appear with light, fire, wind. Sometimes clouds, thunder, lightning. Really?"
"Angels love flash. They did when hunting me. Could've ambushed quietly but whipped up wind, crashed down KABOOOM! Humans think thunder and lightning."
Ruby clenched her fist.
"I can make that noise without weapons. Lived on a peak once—triggered avalanches on purpose. Locals called me Demon of the Snowy Mountains. Hahaha."
"Triggered avalanches on purpose? Why do something so evil?"
Saf asked.
"Sometimes better that way. No one died."
"Avalanches are terrifying disasters. Better when?"
"If you don't know, shut it, you idiot!"
"...That insult's lame."
"You're whining like a bee drowning in honey! Insults are meant to sting!"
Merald stopped.
"Sorry to interrupt, but quiet voices from now on."
"No more to say. Why?"
Ruby defiantly kept volume up.
"We've reached the destination."
"Don't they have eye magic? They know we're coming!"
"No need to draw extra attention."
"Hmph!"
Ruby snorted loud one last time, then shut up.
"Destination... you mean those... here?"
Jade trailed off.
Merald whispered back.
"Yes. Buffalord's tale plus Captain Byuren's words—this is Kauking's lair."
Merald halted.
A massive lake blocked their path.