Chapter 25
Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Eilsnor Expedition
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Crackle-
The flickering light of the campfire, as it burned low, cast eerie dancing shadows across the seated figures. It was a silent night, devoid even of monstrous howls. If one ignored the short grunts coming from Durel beside him.
"Hah!"
Durel was practicing his swordsmanship.
"If there's anything making you uncomfortable, please tell me in advance."
He looked up at Lionel’s sudden remark. The former knight, always so confident, was somehow watching his reaction. And it wasn’t just him. Rachel and the dwarf Dayker were doing the same.
Uncomfortable? Of course there was, but it was a discomfort shared by the entire party.
"Nothing uncomfortable."
"Ahem…"
"Seems like there’s a misunderstanding. I’m not even from that Remnant Light of Creation School. I’m only about ten years old?"
Despite his sincere explanation, the party’s attitude didn’t change. It had been like this ever since the wolf attack before dusk. They were overly cautious, keeping their distance. Just like how ordinary folk treated mages.
In this world, mages typically wielded magic based on a single attribute. That’s why one could guess a mage’s school just from the characteristics of their spells.
'Hmm.'
But it couldn’t be helped. The attack spell he’d needed right then had been Chain Lightning. Fast, effective, and with wide-area destructive power. It was the only thing that came to mind.
Durel’s words naturally resurfaced. Only one school could incorporate lightning phenomena into their magic.
'Remnant Light of Creation.'
What kind of school was it that changed people’s attitudes so drastically? He regretted a bit not listening to Durel’s overly academic and boring explanation. Glancing sideways at Durel, he saw the mage wearing a subtle smile, clearly pleased with the situation.
"Then, which school do you belong to?"
It was Dayker who asked. His tone was more cautious too, though not as much as Lionel’s or Rachel’s. Maybe because of the racial difference.
"Golden Wind."
"Wind? My knowledge of magic is shallow, but I know the basics. A school’s name is like a symbol representing its magic. Using a name tied to wind while wielding lightning… Hm."
Dayker fell silent after that, but his eyes asked the question. Was he lying? It felt a bit unfair to him.
"My master’s words are true. My school is Golden Wind, and it has no connection to Remnant Light of Creation."
Swish-
Durel, who had finished his practice and approached unnoticed, spoke up. He glanced around, then sat beside him and picked up his rationed dinner.
"But from what I know, mages who handle lightning are from Remnant Light of Creation…"
"It’s a different spell. One newly created by my master, not documented in any academy records—a completely different kind of lightning. I don’t even understand why I’m explaining this. Are you the mages here? It’s laughable trying to judge my master with your superficial knowledge."
He was impressed by Durel’s words. Pure mage-like speech that crushed everyone’s doubts in one go. Perhaps that’s why Lionel nodded as if realizing something.
"I see… You two are the mages. My apologies."
"Consider yourself lucky my master has a good temperament. If it were another mage, your eyes or tongue might’ve…"
Before Durel could finish, he whacked the boy’s head with the wooden spoon in his hand. Thwack—Durel shut his mouth. The tense atmosphere softened considerably.
Crunch-
"Haa…!"
White breath poured from his mouth along with the sound of snow crunching underfoot. Barely cresting a small mountain, a vast white expanse unfolded before them.
As if crossing that single small mountain had transported them to another world, the weather changed abruptly. Snow began falling from the sky, and transparent ice coated the barren trees.
The endless horizon where the blue sky met the pristine snow was bathed in soft sunlight from all directions.
The entire party paused, staring blankly at the scenery. They stood there catching snowflakes on their faces for just a moment. Then Lionel rummaged through his bag and spoke.
"We’ve finally arrived."
"Is this Eilsnor?"
"Just the outskirts. We still need to cross one more mountain, so we’ll need new gear…"
The party’s voices sank oddly. On the horizon, a white wave was rising. Calling it a wave in a landlocked area felt a bit off, but no other word fit.
It was a wave.
Made of wind and snow.
"One of Eilsnor’s natural phenomena. Locals call it ‘Ayk’."
"Shouldn’t we avoid it?"
"Cover your face with some snow and stay put. It says staying still is better than moving."
The party naturally huddled down. Only he stood there, doing nothing. Just as they braced themselves in their own ways against the oncoming wave…
A frigid wind swept in, blanketing the world in white snow. There was no impact pushing their bodies back. No skin scraped raw by the flurry.
'Gentle Wind.'
A barrier of protective wind around his body. The white snow wave rushing toward him parted to either side, revealing the scenery within.
The moment he saw it, he understood. How to channel the mana, how to inscribe the laws. A spell bearing piercing chill took vague shape in his mind.
Right after inscribing starlight and Arcana into his eyes, the entire world became a font of inspiration. Infinite free possibilities. Phenomena akin to self-manifested magic.
His exhaled breath mingled with blue mana. The moment he extended his hand beyond the Gentle Wind barrier, harsh cold crept across his skin and into his body. His blood cooled, his heartbeat slowed.
In that instant.
The wind died down.
Whoosh-
When the wind subsided, the snow riding atop it naturally settled too. The world-engulfing wave slowly receded, revealing the bright world once more.
The sparkling sunlight was beautiful. He lightly shook the snow from his right hand and turned to the party.
Four snowmen huddled tightly. As if unaware the white wave had passed, none of them even thought to look up.
"What are you all doing?"
As his soft voice carried, they began lifting their heads one by one.
"Wh-what…? The Ayk’s already gone…? It should’ve lasted at least three minutes…"
"I-is it… all over?"
"Seems that way…"
The party looked utterly ridiculous as they raised their heads. Rachel and Lionel’s golden hair was entirely white. Dayker had tiny ice granules clinging to his long beard.
Durel was the worst. He was buried in snow, one with it. But he seemed fine extricating himself. Blinking away snow, he finally emerged.
Eilsnor was a profoundly mysterious region. Days and nights were short. Dawns—not quite night nor day—dominated most of the time.
"Time flows differently in Eilsnor, they say. But in truth, it’s the same. The idea that time flows differently is nonsense. It’s just the long dawns playing tricks on you."
"What are you talking about? It’s lunchtime right now. My stomach’s telling me so."
"Quit talking nonsense and climb."
As they ascended the steep slope, Lionel and Dayker bickered. They were crossing a vast white plain, now climbing a massive mountain. According to Lionel, true Eilsnor lay beyond this peak.
Panting alongside the party as they climbed the rugged slope for a while, a certain spell suddenly came to mind. Why go through all this trouble? He was a mage who wielded all manner of mysteries, after all.
'Sunken Vein School, was it…'
Recalling the spell Talisman had used, he channeled his mana. The circle in his heart began to rotate.
Stepping forward, he released mana beneath his foot. It extended into the frozen ground, detecting a boulder slumbering within. Soon, rock masses surged up to the surface through mana-formed passages.
Rumble-
"Wha—landslide…?!"
"Everyone, grab onto something!"
Not a landslide. As the leading party members panicked and huddled, pure white snow churned ahead, revealing tightly packed rocks.
"This is…"
A phenomenon impossible in nature. With the rock staircase appearing, all eyes turned to him. It wasn’t difficult at all. He felt foolish for not thinking of something so simple sooner.
"Let’s climb. We can use it as stairs."
"Now… I don’t know what’s what anymore…"
As Lionel muttered in bewilderment, Durel was the first to ascend the rock stairs. With light movements, he hopped up and called back.
"It’s the path Master made. Everyone, climb gratefully."