Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Time for Learning
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Rattle, rattle.
Looking out at the Republic's landscape from the carriage, Deia felt an inexplicable irritation.
She had known from the moment she saw the invitation that it would come to this, but now that it actually had, she could only sigh deeply.
An invitation had been sent to the Griffin royal family as well. From Griffin's perspective, they couldn't ignore the banquet since the Clock Republic had bowed its head first.
Thus, they had no choice but to attend the banquet.
"Don't hate it so much. People live here too."
"So that's why you're active in the Resistance?"
"It's just that there are more beasts than people."
Pindenai smirked and shrugged, pointing out the window.
"Flower Garden? Are we stopping there?"
"Yeah, the horses are tired from going around the mountains, so we'll rest here for a day."
"Hmm, not the best decision."
"Why?"
The village sign reading "Flower Garden" matched its name, creating a bright atmosphere welcoming visitors from North Wedden.
Especially the yellow flowers visible in the distant greenhouses, which lent the entire scene a poetic vibe.
"Tsk, I've heard this place name before."
Deia muttered, rubbing her chin.
The Clock Republic was so secretive that she'd seen plenty of unmapped villages like this on the way here.
But Flower Garden felt oddly familiar, like she'd heard it somewhere.
The answer came from Pindenai.
"Emily. The girl who turned into a bone centipede in your mansion's basement— this is her hometown."
"Ah!"
Emily, the girl who loved flowers.
She had spoken of her hometown's yellow flowers, so even Deus Verdi would leave flowers at her grave in the North Wedden Mountains.
"Those are flowers a child like her would love."
"......"
Pindenai said nothing, just stared out the window impassively.
There was no need for her to voice the truth they'd learn anyway and earn resentment.
As they approached, yellow pollen visibly thickened around the village. That alone gave Deia a strange sense of unease.
"Cough! Cough! Keok! Kek!"
The elderly coachman suddenly struggled to breathe, coughing violently.
"Ah, damn it."
Pindenai looked exasperated as she stepped out, stopped the carriage, and brought the coachman inside.
The other carriages following behind also pulled up in a line.
"Hek! Heeeek!"
"What's going on! Why is this happening!"
Ignoring Deia's question, Pindenai urgently fetched water. The coachman's face was swelling.
Only then did his breathing stabilize. Pindenai sighed as she watched.
"Does he have chronic bronchitis or something? We haven't even gotten close yet— why are symptoms showing already?"
Pindenai rolled her shoulders in frustration. As Deia stared, demanding an answer, she shrugged.
"Flower Garden. The Republic's largest drug production site."
"What? Drugs?!"
"Yeah, all those flowers are drug precursors. The Republic specially breeds them, and even raw, they're pretty harmful to humans."
Deia stared incredulously at the distant flower fields, then whipped her head around.
"Then Emily..."
"We heard her lingering thoughts. Her parents never let her touch yellow flowers."
"Ah......"
That's why Emily longed for and loved them. She had never even touched one.
"You can think of that village as a kind of colony. They even have laws that only apply to them."
For example, no dating until age 20.
"Dating?"
It seemed oddly specific, but Pindenai shrugged and explained the truth.
"After about twenty years in there, you build up some immunity, right? It's saying only breed among those people."
"......"
"That way, kids keep cycling through. Don't have ones that won't survive. Something like that."
"Crazy bastards."
Pindenai silently agreed with Deia's reaction. It was the moment she understood why people fled Flower Garden toward the North Wedden Mountains.
Two figures appeared at the carriage window. Masks with purifiers like gas masks covering their entire faces.
Rifles slung over their shoulders, but they knocked politely on the carriage.
"Guests from the Griffin Kingdom?"
Word must have gotten around.
Deia nodded from inside.
"Yeah, that's us. We don't need food... It's late today, so we just want to rest briefly."
No way food from a place like that was safe.
"Entering the village is impossible. However, you may park your carriages outside and pitch tents."
Normally, even approaching was forbidden. As an official delegation, this was decent treatment.
"If needed, we can provide gas masks. Not many, though."
"Bring them quick."
Deia nodded urgently. Before leaving, the two in masks glanced at Pindenai beside Deia but pretended not to see and departed.
She was wanted, but as part of the Griffin delegation now, they couldn't arrest her recklessly.
"Cover your face if possible when out."
"Look how they can't arrest me even staring— isn't it fucking exhilarating?"
Grinning, Pindenai agreed anyway and advised.
"Don't stay long, but it's not so bad you can't go out. Don't worry. They wear masks because they're not from Flower Garden and have to stay nearby long-term."
Pindenai slipped out. Deia wiped the coachman's sweat with a cloth and followed.
"Ah."
The air felt stuffy, congested, but at this distance, it wasn't a big issue.
The coachman was just old, so his immunity was low, causing a dramatic reaction.
Aria Rias and Erica Bright descended from the carriage right behind.
They'd accompanied in case of trouble.
"Hwaaang! Can we switch carriages?! The professor keeps trying to teach me! Asked if I wanted to TA for her!"
"Ahem."
Alone with the student in the carriage, the professor's instincts must have kicked in. Erica turned her head slightly, feigning ignorance out of embarrassment.
"Hm?"
"This..."
But being sensitive, they quickly noticed the odd air and furrowed their brows.
Behind their carriage.
From the largest, most luxurious Verdi carriage stepped two more.
Darius Verdi and Deus Verdi.
"Deia, what's wrong?"
Darius reacted a beat late, as if woken from a nap. His hair was messy with bedhead, drool on his lips.
Deia was about to comment when.
"Sniff! Sniff sniff sniff sniff!"
"You madman!"
Deus sniffed the air like inhaling something. Deia immediately snapped.
"Get that bastard back in the carriage now! Pindenai, get the gas masks! Put one on him!"
Even among the fine pollen in the air, Deus instinctively detected and inhaled it.
Addicted to drugs, he'd knelt before local thugs despite being a count's son.
Even if Deus now regretted his past and sought atonement.
Addiction wasn't solved by will alone.
Losing his mind, eyes rolling back, Deus began instinctively sucking in the airborne particles.
"Ugh! Just knock him out!"
"Sorry, little bro!"
Darius's clenched fist slammed perfectly into the red-eyed Deus charging toward Flower Garden as he ran.
Thwack!
Deus collapsed unconscious.
"Haa."
Deia grumbled, unable to not curse.
Pindenai rushed back with gas masks, Erica prepared some magic.
And Aria covering her eyes with both hands.
"...What are you doing?"
Thinking something got in her eyes, Aria smiled brightly.
"I don't want to ruin my image of Professor."
"......"
"Professor is invincible! Dignified! Smart! Genius! Elegant! Cool! Kind! Insanely sexy and lethal— I don't want to see her ruined because of that idiot."
"Your evaluation is fanatically high?"
But in another way.
"Damn wise too."
Yeah, what a wise girl.
"If only I could close my eyes too."
As Deia sighed, golden mana spread from Erica's hands, expanding outward.
Erica's circular spell purified the air inside.
"You know spirit magic too."
Magic borrowing nature-attuned spirits' aid. No need for masks; airborne impurities were gone.
"Still, put a mask on him."
Pindenai dashed off at Deia's gesture toward the fallen Deus.
* * *
Clunk!
Something shook.
Doubting it was imagination, considering where I was— probably something wrong with Deus's body?
"So how long are we staying like this?"
This time, the scene was a lake.
No fish swam; clear, transparent water held stars.
Like a night lake reflecting the sky— exactly that.
Stella and I held fishing rods pointlessly before it.
Fishing for time— that's what this felt like.
"Huh?"
Stella beside me panicked at my question.
"D-Did you hate it?"
"Not hate."
"Truth is, I always wanted to try a fishing date."
"......"
That blocked words, but I swallowed and continued.
"It was nice. But staying still like this won't do. I got comfort and rest thanks to you. Now we go back."
"Is that so."
Stella looked disappointed. Her gaze nearly softened me, but we had to return.
Slowly standing, Stella followed with a smile.
"Sorry. I wanted to spend selfishly long with you."
"Huh?"
"See you next time."
Crunch!
Stella waved farewell; horns sprouted from her forehead. Her eyes turned demonic.
"Enjoyed Stella enough? Now enjoy me!"
"What are you saying."
I'd said we had to go— what was this? Belica promptly raised her middle finger.
"What else? Not letting you go."
Did she have to use Stella's body for that gesture?
"What are you planning out there? Fight Magan again and actually die?"
"......"
"Rough, but true. You die, and demons swarm for me, Stella, plus you— know how many?"
My life wasn't just mine.
Two women inside to protect.
"Lost Remegaton, your right hand too."
Power drastically reduced.
Fighting Magan again? Certain defeat.
"Idiot. A necromancer leaving his greatest asset behind to fight— that's why."
"Greatest asset?"
Glancing doubtingly, Belica proudly pointed at herself.
"To fight an archdemon, don't you need one of equal rank?!"
Introducing herself as secret weapon, she grinned ear to ear.
"You have such talent, right? Stella bragged all day."
"......"
"Man at the boundary of living and dead! Kiha! Sounds fun!"
Boom!
Belica stomped hard; the ground shook, scenery shifting rapidly.
Lake vanished, black sky's stars faded.
In pure darkness, only Belica's eerie eyes glared, unextinguished.
"How about it, necromancer? Can you handle me?"