Acceleration (4)
Kirian emerged from the restricted area and proposed a kind of 'race' to Obri.
"How about a speed contest on the way back?"
"We need to settle the bet. Who removes their shackles first. If neither does, the first to arrive wins. What do you say?"
"......I've told you a dozen times, they're training weights, not shackles, Kirian."
"I thought you called them shackles too, senior. Did I hear wrong?"
"Ahem!"
The half-elf cleared her throat loudly and stared into the darkness.
It wasn't a bad proposal.
Kirian clearly had a faster route than she knew.
But that path was already exposed.
He'd shown it off to her on the way in.
'I've memorized the basics. If I handle the tricky sections well, I can win.'
Her physical abilities as a werewolf were overwhelming.
It was ridiculous that she was calculating her odds against a first-year junior, but Kirian was that impressive.
Obri sincerely acknowledged it and planned to use every trick to win.
"Fine. Let's do it. I'll use my transformation spell like I did on the way in. You use everything you've got too."
"Yes, of course."
Kirian smiled brightly.
He knew the power of Werewolf Transformation well, yet he was so relaxed. It was unnatural.
He nodded.
"Get ready."
"Hm."
Obri, now in werewolf form, took a light breath and lowered her stance.
She considered giving him a 5-second head start as a senior's grace—
"Go!"
"......!"
Kirian's shout made her leap forward instinctively.
Now that it had started, she had to give it her all to save face as a senior.
Obri shot through the darkness.
In her mind, she rearranged the gravity traps they'd encountered on the way in, in reverse order.
'First, step on the 90-degree bend and leap. Next is the backward drop, so let myself fall and—'
But the next moment.
Obri's body twisted the opposite way.
A completely unexpected gravity direction.
"What......?"
Something was wrong.
Had she messed up the mental replay?
No.
That couldn't be......
"Senior, what are you doing hanging there?"
She'd jammed her claws into the wall to hold on, but Kirian strolled past casually.
Even walking lightly was enough this time.
"Is walking on your hands faster? That would be impressive."
"Damn it! Don't mock me!"
"Yes, yes."
Awoooooooo!
Obri roared in fury, yanked her claws free, kicked off the air, and landed on a new surface.
This time, she'd use the sideways ejection to wall-run over.
But it had changed again.
The spot she stepped on repelled her hard.
"......!"
"Where do you keep going? Should I go to the exit alone?"
Her werewolf bulk slammed into the ceiling.
Now she had no idea where or how to step.
In the chaos, she took one step.
"Argh!"
It felt like a giant hand yanking her.
Unable to resist the reversed gravity, Obri slid endlessly back to the start.
"Damn it......!"
The rough texture under her paws felt mocking.
Was it the confusion?
The route seemed totally different from what she'd memorized.
"How are you doing it?!"
"Dragon's eyeballs, as always."
Kirian sauntered out leisurely.
But Obri couldn't move.
The path was wide open, yet she couldn't advance even a step. Helplessness surged.
Meanwhile, Kirian's back was fading from view.
"Haa......"
She had to decide.
Maximize her advantage.
Obri ripped off the training weights from her ankles and tossed them into her subspace.
Her body felt feather-light, perfect.
After a quick check—
"I lost the bet, but I'll arrive first! Kirian!"
Fwaaash!
Obri became a streak of light and shot forward.
It was the start of a wondrous charge, crushing twisted gravity with raw physical superiority.
* * *
In the end, I lost.
The race was unavoidable.
'Is that really human......?'
[It is a werewolf, after all.]
It is a werewolf, after all.
Obri had charged ahead with insane acrobatics.
I'd asked Dumroad to scramble the trap patterns.
The route I'd shown on the way in.
I figured Obri had memorized it roughly.
'And this check worked perfectly.'
She'd overtaken me, but got flung back repeatedly by the shifting gravity traps.
Yet she overcame it with pure physicality.
Enduring back-and-forth tens of meters per step while I advanced steadily, she caught up relentlessly.
"Ha! I win! Kirian!"
"......"
In the final stretch, gravity flipped every inch, forcing me to mind my steps.
Obri jammed all four claws into the floor and crawled up like rock climbing, overtaking me.
It was absurdly brute-force.
The triumphant werewolf basked in victory.
I clapped.
"Yes, congratulations. You won."
"Right, so......!"
"I won the bet."
"......Damn."
Werewolf Transformation faded, returning Obri to human form.
Sweat-drenched, she stared at me. I demonstratively removed my shackles from my ankles and dropped them.
Obri lifted them to check if the weight had changed.
Of course, the training weights were unchanged.
I'd just walked the whole way, so the weight never bothered me.
Her slightly dejected green eyes met mine.
"Fine. Ask away. I'll answer what I know."
"Don't you have something to do first? Don't try to skip it slyly."
"......Thorough guy."
At my nudge, Obri sighed deeply and drew a single mana particle from her chest.
Then she declared:
I, Obri Iark, solemnly swear before the mystery of my mana. I will answer one question from Kirian Kirchheis with nothing but the truth.
Tssst...
The mana particle spun in response to her vow and sank back into her chest.
Now she couldn't lie or stay silent to my question.
I said simply:
"Senior, do you know where the Elf Forest is?"
"......What?"
"The location of the Elf Forest, root of the elf race."
Obri's eyes shook wildly in shock.
She rolled her eyes like her speech was broken, then barely spoke.
"You... figured out my bloodline? How......?"
"It's my turn to ask. And I didn't ask about your bloodline."
"......"
After the Kirchheis expedition's failure, elves left humanity's side.
All contact ceased, so no more half-elves.
[These days, even if a pointy-eared elf walked by, they'd think it's a costume ball. An era where elves' existence isn't even imagined...]
These days, even if a pointy-eared elf walked by, they'd think it's a costume ball. An era where elves' existence isn't even imagined...
But I'm different.
My Transcendental Eye caught elf traits precisely.
No need to wonder if Obri had real elf blood.
She seemed impressed, taking it that way.
"I see. Just curious about the world's mysteries. That's you, Kirian."
"......?"
Some grand misunderstanding.
Whatever.
Obri composed herself seriously and spoke.
"Regrettably, I don't know where the Elf Forest is."
"Hm......"
"But I know the legend: it left this earth and drifts in 'some high place above.'"
"Pardon? What does that mean?"
"Just as it sounds—an old tale that the Elf Forest ascended from the land and floats in the skies. My father told me."
I scratched my forehead.
Hard to take literally.
'A forest turning into a airship? How did it take off?'
[Perhaps a metaphor for extinction. Returning to the goddess's embrace in the heavens.]
Perhaps a metaphor for extinction. Returning to the goddess's embrace in the heavens.
Elf extinction.
Hierniorn had a point.
The Kirchheis expedition's failure 500 years ago was a huge loss for elves too.
'Lost their center, blended into humans—might as well be extinct.'
That explained romanticizing their end as ascension.
But the story felt too specific.
I hated imagining elves extinct anyway.
Then it hit me.
"Tiberian, human-elf friendship is fragile. For instance, no human has visited the Elf Forest. Just small villages or forts......"
Ulfric had mentioned it offhand 500 years ago.
True, its location was unknown.
We assumed some vast eastern jungle.
So, perhaps:
'The Elf Forest was never on the ground. Iphril gave me a ring key. Solve the ring's riddle, enter the Elf Forest.'
[......Your imagination is overly vivid.]
Your imagination is overly vivid.
True enough.
Even maxing Transcendental Eye, Iphril's ring showed nothing special.
Need another clue?
I glanced at Obri, lying on the stone floor cooling off.
"Does your father know more about the legend? Like where the forest drifts......"
"One question was the deal, Kirian."
"......"
Pretty firm.
I clicked my tongue and scratched my cheek.
But she turned to me with a gentle smile.
"When you go to the Imperial University someday, ask him yourself. He's a Martial Arts professor......"
Her green eyes sparkled warmly again.
"He's endlessly generous to those he acknowledges. A senior I was close to learned his secrets, got a recommendation, and became a southern kingdom's knight commander."
A renowned Martial Arts professor.
I nodded.
Not sure about hints, but I'd meet him if I visited the university.
[Well, as you know, relations between the Empire and Kirchheis are worsening...]
Well, as you know, relations between the Empire and Kirchheis are worsening...
The worried phoenix muttered.
No need to worry now.
Rest over, Obri and I hit the road again.
Time to return to the mansion above.