Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Land of Ashes (2)
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Applying for a month's vacation hadn't been much trouble at all.
On the day I stopped by the dean's office to submit the related paperwork, Aron the dean simply nodded. Without any particular questions, he said to me:
"You've done well. I heard about it from the Royal Guard. They say you were a big help in protecting the students."
A gentle voice, a kindly smile.
"I heard you were badly injured. Take the month to rest easy. Between the traitor incident last time and this, I've owed you a great deal."
It was easy to see why so many professors respected him, and why my master had called Aron the dean a 'good man'.
In any case, the vacation paperwork went through without issue.
All that was left was finding someone to cover my classes for the month, but that wasn't difficult either. After all, Aphria already had a mage who'd reached the superhuman realm.
"You're asking me to cover your lectures? The subject you handled... ah, Mana Trading Studies, right."
The superhuman realm mage, Kellrhalim.
"I'm quite familiar with it. I've given several lectures on mana trading and balances before. It was a little over a century ago, but I still remember."
Though better known as a madman, Kellrhalim was originally an educator with a history of managing Artia, the largest academic city in history.
'Honestly, in 'certain' areas, he might even teach better than I do...'
His experience as an educator was on another level.
He was a figure even my master—and Aron the dean—would have to defer to. There was no doubt about his qualifications as a teacher.
"...A special lecture for Resti Eleanor?"
I also entrusted him with a special lecture.
In Chloe's case, Kellrhalim had refused, so there was no choice, but Resti seemed acceptable enough.
'...Above all.'
Resti's talent and class.
For teaching that, Kellrhalim—who'd already taught it once before—was more suitable than me.
"I'll give it a try."
Kellrhalim replied that way. With that, all the preparations before my month-long vacation were complete.
And so, on the early morning of the promised day, I waited for Cardi outside the city walls.
"Huuuuh!"
I stretched languidly, leaning against a tree. The appointed time was approaching, so the cranky old elf would show up soon enough.
Tick-tock.
As I killed time glaring at my pocket watch, footsteps echoed in my ears. Light footsteps. I turned my head just slightly to look behind me.
"You're here."
Right on the dot.
Not a minute early or late—she'd arrived precisely on time, as promised. Seeing Cardi, I let out a short sigh.
"Couldn't you come a bit early?"
"It took a while since it was my first outing in ages and there was a lot to prepare. But I kept to the time, so isn't that fine?"
Cardi straightened her robes.
Grabbing the collar of her robe and tugging it forward a couple times, it billowed dramatically. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the fluttering robe.
A robe based in pure white, embroidered with platinum threads like starlight. The embroidery, resembling constellations, bordered on artwork.
'A robe symbolic of the First Mage Tower Lord.'
It was something I'd coveted fiercely.
"......"
I silently looked down at my own robe.
Clean design with practicality to boot. It wasn't on the level of the robes I'd worn as the Ashen Mage, but it was still superior to most.
Yet for some reason, today my robe felt especially shabby.
"Tch..."
I smacked my lips, glaring at Cardi's robe.
"What're you staring at?"
"Nothing, it's just..."
"Speak up. Come on."
A brief moment of hesitation—not too long—before I slowly opened my mouth.
"...Hey. Can I try that on just once?"
Just once, and I'll give it back. For real.
2.
"I'd like to entrust you with investigating the ruins."
In Knight Commander Heinkel's tent.
Amid the clutter of tactical manuals and maps marking battle lines, two men sat facing each other. One was the tent's owner, Knight Commander Heinkel. The other was the hero, hope of humanity.
"You mean investigating the ruins?"
The hero, Kyle Toven.
He set the sheath of his holy sword on the floor as he asked back. Heinkel nodded at the question.
"You're aware that the Sword Ghost recently joined the battlefield. Under a subordination contract, no less."
"...Yes, I am."
Kyle had encountered the Sword Ghost on the battlefield not long ago. The sight of him wildly sweeping away demonic beasts with hollow eyes... it was downright ghostly.
'He looked broken.'
He hadn't heard the full story.
Just that he'd tried stirring up some incident in the North and been subdued by the Ashen Mage.
'That guy again.'
Though out of sight, the former comrade steadily made his presence felt. Kyle sighed softly at his actions.
"So, is there a problem with the Sword Ghost?"
"I heard some things from him. Specifically, the details of the incident he tried to cause in the North."
Muttering that, Heinkel placed something atop the map strewn with game pieces. It was someone's finger bone.
"...What's this?"
"He said it's the finger of the First Saintess."
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
"...The First Saintess."
"A special figure mentioned only in the forbidden texts of the Delorhim Holy Church. We'd thought her a legendary, fictional person until now... but the Sword Ghost shoved this real thing in my face. Apparently, he planned to use it for a 'resurrection' miracle."
Heinkel let out a long sigh.
"I didn't get the full details, but it seems resurrection requires the sacrifice of many lives. It was clearly crossing a line. That's why Raniel used extreme measures to subdue him."
"...I see."
"So, you're wondering why I'm showing you this, and what it has to do with investigating the ruins."
Heinkel tapped the table twice.
"This finger bone was found in the Land of Ashes."
Land of Ashes.
He'd heard the name before.
"You mean the place full of corruption?"
"Yes. He said it was discovered at a ruin on the outskirts—where the corruption is just beginning—linked to the Delorhim Church."
"...Isn't that a place no one can enter?"
"They used some kind of workaround. In any case, I'd like you to investigate it."
Land of Ashes, the corrupted zone.
The idea of entering there to probe the ruins didn't sit well with Kyle. He laced his fingers under the table.
"...Is this something I have to do?"
"It's something only you can do. I don't want to pull you from the front lines, as your absence would impact them greatly... but the other heroes all failed."
Galahal of the Holy Lance.
Destel of the Subjugation, too—Heinkel said they all failed. Kyle asked why he had to challenge it after their failures.
"What do I gain from it?"
"A holy grail that can elevate someone near superhuman to the realm without losing anything."
"...Holy grail?"
Kyle blinked.
It contradicted the common notion of superhumans. He pointed that out.
"Don't you have to lose something to become a superhuman?"
"Usually, yes. But not in the Sword Sanctuary. According to its records, those near superhuman undergo some kind of 'trial'."
And upon secretly completing the trial... they became superhumans without losing anything.
"By cross-referencing what the Sword Ghost investigated and the forbidden texts I half-forcibly obtained from the Church, I found the answer."
Heinkel spoke up.
"Three chalices holding three lights. A star chalice made to proxy the saintess's blessing, and a holy grail."
It was originally what the Sword Ghost had sought.
The Sword Ghost, who'd combed through countless records and ruins with sheer obsession, had succeeded in pinpointing where the chalice was likely located.
But the Sword Ghost hadn't obtained it.
"One is in Galatrick, the Sword Sanctuary."
Of course he couldn't get it.
The Sword Sanctuary was now the domain of the death sword, Ganikalt.
"Two are in the Black Plains, heart of the demonic realm."
That too was impossible.
The King of Ten Thousand Demons, devouring all that approached, was there.
"The last one is underground in the First Holy Church in the Land of Ashes."
More feasible than the others.
But even Draka couldn't reach it.
A door openable only by one bearing starlight blocked the way.
"But you can."
Heinkel pointed at Kyle.
"Among all heroes, you possess the strongest starlight. I believe you can do it."
He handed Kyle the First Saintess's bone fragment.
"Carry this on you, and with the saintess's help alongside you, you should cross the corrupted land. I'm counting on you, Kyle."
Heinkel's eyes fixed straight on Kyle.
"Without the Ashen Mage, you lost. The front lines worsen by the day. Even to maintain the status quo, we need a new superhuman."
One superhuman could turn the tide of battle.
Now that the Ashen Mage—who surpassed even superhumans—had left, the battlefield yearned for a new one.
"I'm asking you to retrieve the holy grail."
Heinkel bowed his head.
Kyle couldn't bring himself to refuse. He knew his defeat had massively contributed to the current retreat.
"...Understood."
Reluctantly, Kyle accepted the proposal.
3.
"So, why are we heading to the Land of Ashes?"
Raniel tossed out the question casually, and Cardi replied with her chin propped up.
"Didn't the hunting dog lose his eyes?"
"Kalt?"
"Yes. And aren't you looking for a way to restore his eyesight?"
"Yeah... I was thinking if worst comes to worst, I'd drag that lunatic Sara by her hair."
She spoke of her like an object.
Wondering what kind of person this era's saintess was, Cardi continued anyway.
"The Land of Ashes—my homeland—has 'various means'. Using them could restore his eyes. It might even... make him a superhuman."
"...Make him a superhuman?"
"My homeland had quite a few special artifacts."
A wry smile tugged at Cardi's lips.
She didn't bother mentioning that she and Gloria had created most of them together.
"That's welcome news. Kalt wearing that eyepatch looked kinda pitiful."
Raniel asked no more.
She just smiled softly, as if relieved. Seeing that, Cardi sighed.
"...You don't seem in any shape to worry about others."
"Me? This is nothing new."
It was always like this.
In Cardi's eyes, Raniel's body was already broken beyond repair. Lifespan aside, the cracks in her soul were eating away at her, accelerating her life's end.
'...It's worsened even more since the last incident.'
Cardi mentally calculated how long Raniel had left if the acceleration continued. A mere instant for an elf. Not long even from a human perspective.
"Raniel."
Cardi called the girl's name in a subdued voice.
"You know your lifespan is being eaten away, right? That the wear on your soul is accelerating."
"...I know."
"This trip is to fix that. I can't restore the lost lifespan, but there should be a way to halt the acceleration there."
"...Weren't we going to find something for Kalt's eyes?"
Cardi shook her head.
"That's just a side benefit. The real goal is stopping your lifespan's acceleration... and granting you the qualification."
"Qualification?"
"To glimpse the truth. If you reach my homeland's core and 'understand' something, then I can tell you the truth."
Saying that, Cardi looked at Raniel.
Her actions—shattering centuries of silence in a fleeting human life—never ceased to amaze, no matter how often seen.
'Approaching the truth in less than half a century of life.'
Moreover, through this incident, the volume of information she could access had grown. One step closer to the hidden truth.
'She understood the name Arcadia.'
It meant the time had come.
Three contracts with the stars. Cardi intuited it was time for the second.
"After you hear it, just one remains."
"Pretty much."
As they walked side by side, Cardi squinted and glanced sidelong at Raniel.
"By the way, Raniel."
"Yeah? What?"
"How long do you plan to keep wearing that robe?"
She'd said just for a bit, but hadn't returned it.
Raniel's shoulders twitched briefly at Cardi's question. She averted her gaze slightly and muttered in a small voice.
"...Until we arrive."
"Hand it over."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Author's Note
#NoHero
...I was afraid it'd turn into that, so this is an episode where the hero reappears after a long absence.
I was going to have him show up next episode originally, but since so many were curious, I bumped it up a bit :D
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