Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Ownerless Outpost
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The inscrutable natural magic aptitude Rishir had displayed that day.
That glimpse of talent.
It left the Green Tower Lord and the elf ancestors with profound questions.
And equally intense curiosity.
"A human utterly ignorant of nature magic, acknowledged so thoroughly by the first green mage... Just what did that first green mage's will see in you?"
In the end, the Green Tower was thrown into great turmoil.
And from that incident, the Tower Lord stepped up as this human's personal tutor.
Over more than a century as Tower Lord, he'd taken on no more than five disciples—
The Green Tower Lord himself.
Afterward, Rishir's stay in Ilratten became full-fledged.
Honing nature magic under Lunadien's tutelage—
Days spent awaiting the Teal Pavilion's resolution on the World Tree spirit's disposition.
And so, a fortnight passed since Rishir had remained in Ilratten.
"Ratsil. The Teal Pavilion— Has Lord Caroer sent no word yet?"
"Seems not!? It's only been a fortnight after all!"
"...Only a fortnight?"
"Yes! This is a grave matter concerning the World Tree and its spirit, right!?"
"Ah, true enough. I thought since you elves have a different sense of time from mine..."
"Psh, no need to fuss! Sure, we elves live a bit longer than humans, but it's not like!!! A day feels like an hour or anything!"
"Haha, probably not."
"So, another half year should be plenty, right?"
"?"
"Hahaha! Joke! Joke!"
"Uhaha, oh man, that's hilarious."
"Not half a year— three months should do it!"
"?"
"Huh? What's up? Do we really sense time differently? Three months is a blink, no? Honestly, even that's pushing it short."
"If it's alright, could you send a letter to Lord Caroer?"
It was the day— 'mere' a fortnight into Rishir's stay in Ilratten— that this exchange took place.
Acting Councilor Fienne.
She was feeling that one man's absence more acutely than ever right now.
Not for some emotional reason like 'Someone I could meet anytime if I wanted is now far away where I can't—'
"What in the world is going on... The moment this man steps away, it feels like incidents never stop piling up..."
Until recently, Fienne had thought Bondalles a remarkably peaceful city.
Geographically, all sorts of continental criminals and riffraff flowed in, yet no major incidents occurred.
However.
Now, Fienne thought differently.
The peace of Bondalles might have been an illusion born solely from 'that man's' presence.
About a fortnight had passed since Rishir left for some reason.
It matched exactly with the period when specific incidents began occurring continuously in Bondalles.
The girl in white rubbed her brow unwittingly and murmured.
"If only that man were here..."
Then she snapped to with an 'Ah!' and shook her head.
Get it together, Fienne.
Can't rely on that man too much.
I'm an acting councilor too, aren't I?
'Acting for that man who was acting for the councilor, so technically acting acting councilor— whatever.'
As a bona fide city authority and guard captain (acting for Gadum, the former acting guard captain)—
She couldn't keep running to him for every little thing.
Especially not matters tied to her duties!
The reaction she wanted to draw from him wasn't 'Only you for me?' but 'No one but Fienne!'
Though either worked fine, it was a matter of pride—
And for the True Ancestor Fienne, before even acting councilor, pride was the gravest issue imaginable.
Fienne reaffirmed her resolve.
She'd solve this problem with her own strength alone.
And when that man returned, report it to elicit—
'No one but Fienne!'
"Hoo..."
Another sigh escaped her.
High spirits were admirable,
but with no clear solution in sight right now.
"No matter how I look, this isn't some ordinary diseas—"
The specific incident continuously occurring in Bondalles lately.
An epidemic of unidentified disease.
Or phenomenon.
It blackened the extremities of victims, corrupting their energy.
Fienne believed it the work of someone with a specific agenda.
"So, Fienne, that's what you want to say? That this is some deliberate scheme?"
A neutral beauty seated nearby asked.
Rona, who'd taken on secretary duties since 'saint' alone felt insufficient.
"Suspicious points galore."
"Like what?"
"Mainly how it targets city power holders. Familiar to you, isn't it?"
"Familiar to me?"
"You rose to fame healing illnesses among city noble ladies."
"...Fienne, someone might think I spread the diseases."
"Oh? Wasn't that it? I was impressed in all sorts of ways."
"Guess I should apologize for disappointing? Anyway, I get what you mean. Soon some guy shows up to 'heal' the city powers and seize power—"
"Spot on. On that note, what about that thing you mentioned before? How'd it go, Saint?"
Rona smiled wryly.
"Best proof I'm not the one spreading it?"
"A disease even your power can't heal?"
Fienne's refined face filled with shock.
Rona's healing, ever advancing, had reached saint-worthy levels by now.
"If even you can't do anything..."
The girl in white.
Her pale face darkened further with shadow.
"Fienne, don't worry too much. Surely there's no illness without a cure?"
"...That's not what worries me."
"Then?"
"If my hunch is right, and someone spreading this disease— this power— for their goals exists, what level of power do they hold?"
"..."
The shadow on Fienne's face spread to Rona.
"Could the culprit be a black mage, perhaps?"
Rona's deepest concern voiced aloud.
The girl in white and the noble exchanged ruminative silence awhile.
"..."
"..."
Suddenly, wry chuckles escaped both.
"Why laugh?"
"No, just thought of that guy. He'd probably grin at 'black mage'—"
Fienne nodded.
"Forgot for a sec thanks to that man. How loathsome and horrific black mages are..."
Just then, as the girl in white and noble reminisced about one man.
"Fi, Fienne ma'am...!"
A Bondalles guardsman burst in urgently.
"An, another case confirmed!"
"...And?"
Fienne read the ominous tone in his demeanor and pressed.
Dray ye Masti'en.
The great noble's name from the guardsman's lips.
"The new victim is none other than the talent collector!"
"..."
Good lord.
Lay a hand on the heir of a great noble house?
Rona and Fienne were stunned.
If a mastermind behind this existed—
They were beyond mad, for sure.
"Fienne ma'am!!!"
Another guardsman rushed in.
"Good lord, really!? Another victim besides the talent collector!? Who's it now!?"
"Yes!? L, Lord Dray has that disease...?"
"Agh...! Fine, tell me, who else?"
"Pardon? Ah! No, that's not the report— Another one's sprouted! That mystery tree!"
"..."
Fienne rubbed her brow against the headache.
Yet another incident since 'that man' left.
Right now.
Plants of all kinds sprouted wildly across Bondalles.
As if suddenly blessed by nature.
Of course.
No natural blessings fell on a city swarming with black mages and criminals.
Nature's judgment, maybe.
Thus, people saw it as another incident.
"Rona..."
"Yeah, Fienne. Listening."
"Just to check... If that man were here, would these incidents resolve right away?"
"...What was the last incident he flagged as priority?"
—Oh right, almost forgot. Caught two high cultists and the demon they served. They're behind that nightmare incident.
Recalling the man's voice, the girl in white paled in dismay.
"Anyway, let's move. Check Lord Dray's condition and seek Eol-eunsum's counsel."
"...What the hell is all this?"
The first impression of Fienne and Rona upon visiting Goose Mansion.
"Fienne, my memory's fuzzy, but— was this mansion always this vibe?"
Right now.
A bizarre phenomenon of plants (growing at insane speeds) sprouting everywhere in Bondalles.
To the two, Goose Mansion looked like ground zero.
Not just sprouting across the grounds, but overtaking the luxurious building's walls and roof.
"First report of tree growth was this mansion, yeah..."
"G, Goose— no, why'd Eol-eunsum just sit idle?"
The reason emerged soon enough.
"Felt like something related to Rishir, so I waited."
"...!"
Rona and Fienne were shocked.
Such baseless speculation from a grand mage!?
"B, but— that man is elsewhere now!"
"True."
"Then why—"
"Hm. Seems you haven't heard that far? Rishir. He's learning nature magic under a great mage acquaintance of mine."
"What!? A great mage!?"
Rishir was staying with his master's acquaintance.
So no worries.
That was the news from Meltas.
Now suddenly learning nature magic under a great mage?
"No, that's not the shocking part. But how's him learning nature magic connect to this mansion overrun by plants—"
Rona and Fienne objected to the link.
Perfectly reasonable thinking.
But.
Their questioning mouths suddenly stopped.
Rishir learning nature magic.
His habitat suddenly overrun by plants.
They sensed the correlation.
"N, no way— Is the city suddenly going all nature-y because Rishir's learning nature magic!?"
"Hm. Reaching that conclusion so quick. Miss Fienne, your condition's severe too."
The grand mage looked pityingly on the girl in white yet nodded.
"Separate issue, but for now, that's the most logical conclusion."
"...Know which room that man uses?"
"Of course. Why suddenly?"
"Hunch his room's a mess. More than that— hunch the answer to all this lies in that mess."
"O, oooh...!"
Pallag admired the girl in white's baseless conjecture.
Fitting for Rishir's acquaintance.
She's got great insight too!?
"Makes sense! Let's check now!"
'Who the hell is that woman?'
First impression of Fienne and Rona arriving at Rishir's door behind Pallag.
A woman was emerging from Rishir's room.
Tall woman with short navy hair that suited her well.
'Wait, seen her somewhere?'
As the two recalled, then.
"Klana? Heading to Rishir's room?"
Pallag addressed the woman.
The woman, Klana, replied with a bright smile.
"Ah! Yes! Rishir's away briefly, so thought I'd tidy his room in the meantime!"
Admirable mindset, yet it irked the two for some reason.
Who the hell are you?
Given the situation, they shelved the gripe (doubt) for now.
"Huh? Wait—"
Fienne brushed past surprised Klana into the room.
Rona and Pallag hurried after.
"...Ha."
Wry laughs burst from all three simultaneously.
A young tree radiating extraordinary aura stood smack in Rishir's room center.
—Ri, Rishir!!! Rishir!? N, no...
A sword radiating extraordinary aura was there too, but irrelevant now.
They rushed to the tree and examined it.
Soon.
Fienne murmured.
"Lord Pallag. Shall we bring Lord Dray here?"
"What odd suggestion? Do it now!"
Moments later.
"Th, this place...?"
Talent collector Dray, unconscious from the disease, regained senses.
Result of contact with the young World Tree sapling in Rishir's room.
Ignoring flustered Dray, the three fell into chaos.
"No way, no way..."
They gazed at the tree in bewilderment, murmuring.
"What... in the world is this tree?"
At the same time.
Rishir had just finished nature magic practice in the space Lunadien prepared in a corner of the Green Tower.
Next, he prepared to head to the altar of elf ancestors beneath the Green Tower.
Nature's embrace.
To confirm his aptitude once more there.
He who, even before learning nature magic, had faced what was called the 'End Tree' form of nature.
Green mages believed contact with the End Tree the path to nature magic's 'pinnacle.'
However.
What if that wasn't the end.
What if something lay beyond?
That was why Lunadien actively taught Rishir nature magic.
They held hopes and fears for him.
Wondering if he might touch something beyond the End Tree.
Just as Rishir prepared to head to the altar.
"Rishir!"
"Hm?"
Monitor Ratsil arrived at Rishir's room in the Green Tower.
"Lord Caroer replied to the letter!"
"Oh! Finally!!!"
Rishir set aside the altar visit and headed to the Teal Pavilion.
Rishir arrived at the Teal Pavilion.
There, he faced a situation far from expected.
"So... You planted the World Tree seed here?"
"Indeed."
Rishir looked at the soil the high elves including Caroer indicated.
Visibly fertile soil, perfectly flat.
Unimaginable as the spot where that vigorously growing World Tree seed was planted.
"Worried about the World Tree's condition. Any guesses?"
"..."
No way.
No way.
Gotta be.
Rishir desperately shook off the myriad possibilities flooding his mind.