Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Late Lunch (3)
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“Hah, I never thought a day like this would come. Maybe now I can live a slightly different life?”
The wound hadn't healed, but she had certainly broken out of her shell. All that remained was to forge a new life while vividly feeling the pain of the past.
“What will you do now? I heard you have pursuers.”
Freeman said.
“We're leaving. We started as mercenaries, so we'll live as mercenaries. My men would want that too. Of course, in this country, we've been absurdly branded as bandits.”
Marsha's eyes filled with sorrow. A mercenary's life is one of fighting. It was because she was always prepared to die that she could bury the deaths of her comrades in her heart and still smile.
She had never fought for a great cause or some shallow sense of justice. But she had always been proud and never shied away from an enemy who challenged her.
At the very least, Marsha wanted to give them the title of valiant warriors. She believed they shouldn't be buried in their graves wearing the label of bandits.
Understanding Marsha's feelings, Tess offered words of comfort.
“Truthfully, there's only a fine line between a bandit and a mercenary. In a way, the same goes for a knight and a mercenary. They are beings who fight and die for their own beliefs. The side that loses politically becomes the villain, but I believe the tables can turn someday.”
Rian thought similarly. Shirone and Amy, who were dedicated to their studies, might not understand, but it was something anyone aspiring to be a knight had to be prepared for.
“My family faced threats in the past, too. For staying neutral. Come to think of it, Tess, your father must have it tough as well.”
“Well, yeah. Here, my father is a hero, but in the colonies, he's treated as an invader. That's just how it is. That's politics for you.”
Marsha smiled. She knew Rian and Tess were deliberately sharing such stories for her sake.
Though she still harbored suspicions about the world, she had now come to believe that genuine people did exist.
‘Such warm kids. Just like Shirone’s friends.’
Marsha collapsed onto the table, resting her chin on her hands like a lazy cat. Immersed in a long-awaited peace, she raised only her index finger and pointed at Shirone.
“But what about you all? Planning to do a lot of sightseeing from now on?”
“Ah, we’re going to the Kergo Ruins.”
“Kergo? What would a group of young men and women be doing there?”
“Well, actually…”
Shirone explained why they had come to the island. Marsha, who had been listening with interest, nodded her head in surprise.
“Oh? So the ruins held such a secret. I actually didn't know the details since I was away from the island. Freeman, did you know?”
“To some extent. I heard stories from the natives.”
“Hmm, is that so? So you’re saying you want to enter the Kergo Autonomous Zone?”
“Yes. But the difficulty of the Chamber of Achievement and Sacrifice is so high, I don’t know if we can pass.”
“And if you can’t get in, that’s it?”
“Probably. I have one idea, but it’s not a sure thing.”
Having heard that much, Freeman spoke up.
“We can help with that.”
“What? The Chamber of Achievement and Sacrifice?”
“No, you can enter the autonomous zone without necessarily going through there. Falcoa seemed to have been trading loot with them. If you show them a pass from Freeman's organization, they'll let you in. He was a pretty competent guy in that regard, at least.”
Shirone’s group wore blank expressions. This was the first they’d heard of being able to enter the native autonomous zone without taking the test.
Amy tilted her head and asked.
“Wouldn't the passage be different then? If there were two routes from the start, why would they even need to create the trial gateway?”
“I don’t know about that. What’s clear is that both routes lead to the same place. This has already been confirmed by someone who entered through the trial gateway.”
Hearing this, Shirone was also puzzled. He had at least expected that passing the trial gateway would lead to a different area.
“It’s the same place, but one route requires passing a test. Why would they do that?”
Tess said.
“Who knows. It could be a tradition. Older cultures tend to have things like that. Another possibility is that it’s to avoid suspicion.”
“How does that help?”
“It gives the impression that there's nothing special in the autonomous zone. In fact, after hearing the story, even our expectations for the Chamber of Achievement and Sacrifice have lowered, haven't they?”
Freeman concluded.
“In any case, you can find out for yourselves. If you need it, we can create a pass for you. We could probably do it right now.”
“Yes, please.”
Shirone decided to accept it for now. He hadn't decided which route to take yet, but the more ways they had to access the native autonomous zone, the better.
After calling a subordinate and instructing him to issue the pass, Freeman turned back to Shirone’s group.
“Getting in won’t be a problem, but you’ll need someone who can speak the native language. None of my men can.”
“Oh? Then how did Falcoa make his deals?”
“After coming to the island, Falcoa built his own power base independently. To be precise, you could say the existing mercenary group didn't associate with him. Of course, now that Falcoa is dead, his private organization will likely fall apart, but at the time, he seemed to frequently associate with smugglers from that side. It seems one of them was a translator.”
“Hmm, then we’ll need to find an interpreter as well.”
Yuna tentatively raised her hand.
“Um, I don’t know if I should say this, but…”
“Hm? It’s okay. You can say anything.”
“Actually, my brother can speak a little Kergo.”
Amy showed interest.
“Oh, Jis can? How did he learn?”
“My brother did a lot of different jobs to take care of me since we were little. Before he became a tout at the port, he also worked part-time in tourism. I think he learned it then.”
Freeman said.
“That’s perfect. Then we’ll ask Jis. We’d like to help, but with Marsha back, it’s dangerous for us to stay on the island. The Magic Association is still after us.”
Shirone nodded readily. He didn’t want to burden Marsha, who was being pursued on a national level, any further.
With that, the conversation concluded, and Shirone’s group left the building before the sun set.
Marsha fastened bracelets on their wrists that enabled spatial movement.
Using them was simple. The bracelets themselves possessed a Spirit Zone, so all one had to do was think of the coordinates as if casting a spell.
Shirone examined the bracelet Marsha had put on him.
People used them without a second thought, but linking a magical artifact with a magic circle was truly an extraordinary idea.
A technique impossible without connecting two Spirit Zones located in different spaces.
This could also be thought of as the view of the spot Marsha had shown them, but from the outside.
In other words, a person in the spot would only see a single hole in space, but from the outside, one would discover two spots: an entrance and an exit.
‘A labyrinth of space-time. Perhaps this world is already inside a great secret.’
At first, he thought it was a special event that had happened only to him. But as it turned out, she had been a disciple of Alpheas.
Digging deeper, he learned of a connection to the Kergo Ruins.
Furthermore, space-time magic was even now being incorporated into magical artifacts and spreading throughout the world.
Shirone suddenly felt a sense of dread. Perhaps, just as the Headmaster had said, he was now trying to find something he should never know.
While Shirone was lost in thought, Marsha approached him with a final word of caution.
“There'll be a carriage waiting at the foot of the mountain. We might see each other once more before we leave, but be careful either way. And when you get back, make sure to find a healing mage and get treated.”
“I will. Thank you for your concern.”
“Ho ho! What are you saying? Between us?”
Marsha covered her mouth as she playfully slapped Shirone’s arm. She no longer needed to hide herself, yet she was no different from when they first met. Perhaps she had lived her life revealing herself behind the shield of falsehood.
“We’ll get going. If we don’t see you on the island, please contact us at the magic academy.”
“Don’t worry. Clay Marsha can find you anytime, anywhere.”
Marsha said spiritedly, rolling up her sleeves. She was, as always, someone who knew how to lift another’s spirits.
Freeman stood by her side, assisting her. It seemed like one was receiving far superior treatment to be called friends, but in a way, this dynamic seemed to suit them well.
As Shirone entered the forest, Marsha, who had been standing there for a long time, asked.
“The Kergo Ruins. Will they be alright?”
“Probably… they won’t be.”
Marsha frowned and looked back at Freeman. But Freeman, as always, spoke his mind calmly.
“But they’ll overcome it. They’re strong kids.”
Marsha smiled wistfully and looked up at the sky. The sound of spatial movement, born from within the forest, split the heavens.
A Dangerous Deal (1)
By the time Shirone's group returned to the villa by carriage, it was already evening.
Jis, who had been pacing the living room with his aching body, spun around the moment the door opened.
“Ah…”
Tears welled up in Jis’s eyes. His one and only sister, Yuna, was walking into the villa, safe and unharmed.
“Brother!”
“Yuna!”
With a tearful face, Jis hugged Yuna. The siblings held each other and burst into tears.
It had been a truly difficult ordeal for them. They had faced an enemy so formidable that even Shirone, whose mental fortitude was second to none, had wanted to fall to his knees more than once.
Having been tormented by such people, he could now truly feel how hopeless and frustrated Jis and Yuna must have been.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. My brother and sisters saved me. What happened to you? How badly were you hurt to be wrapped in bandages?”
“I’m fine. As long as you’re back, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
In truth, even walking was difficult for Jis. But he couldn't let Yuna see it. The fear Yuna must have felt would have been many times greater than the pain he had suffered.
Jis looked back at Shirone’s group with eyes drenched in emotion. Then, he bowed his head so deeply it seemed his sincerity would overflow.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! I will never forget this kindness.”
Tess patted Jis on the shoulder as if to say it was nothing. Having heard the story from Freeman, gloating could wait until later.
“Ho ho! You can forget all about this. As long as you remember what I said when we left. If you're really grateful, you'll have to start showing it with your actions, right?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Jis blinked, not understanding Tess’s words. Not only Shirone’s group but even Yuna was looking at him with a smile.
* * *
After putting the exhausted Yuna to bed, Jis came out of the room and returned to the table. He took a sip of herbal tea and resumed the conversation that had been briefly interrupted.
“So, you’re entering the autonomous zone through the Kergo Ruins? And that’s why you need an interpreter.”
“Yes. From what Yuna said, she thought you could do it. I wanted to know what your proficiency level is.”
“Everyday conversation shouldn’t be a problem. I can be your guide. Hmm, but entering the native autonomous zone…”
Jis stroked his chin with a peculiar expression.
“What’s wrong? You don’t look happy. Is something bothering you?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll guide you, by all means. I just don’t know what you’re going there for, but that place is special. Not that it’s secretive, but it’s a zone where the Galliante government strictly controls entry. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”