Chapter 104
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Falling Petals (6)
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A magic circle glowing with blue light began rapidly forming above the staff.
The orb of light hovered over it, adjusting the mana flow as it expanded the circle.
The magic circle spread across the street, climbed over the walls into the branch's garden and main building, and even reached the narrow alleys and collapsed structures beyond.
It was also the range influenced by Yongso's mana.
Good. Now, if I designate the purification targets here...
I closed my eyes and focused my mind on the mana flow reaching the tip of the staff.
The orb of light amplified my senses.
With the spirit's help, I eradicated the remnants Kaella had left behind, annihilated the corrupted mana, and filled the voids with pure mana.
Thin tendrils and minor vines withered away with just a nudge of mana.
The onlookers around let out gasps of awe or murmured that something had vanished.
After a long while, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.
A few thick roots remained, but the street was much cleaner now.
A clear, refreshing breeze even seemed to blow through—probably just my imagination.
The orb of light stabilized the surrounding mana before descending slightly from above my head.
‘Task complete.’
“Good work.”
I reached out toward the orb of light, and it slowly settled into my hand before reverting to the spirit's ecronium.
“All done?”
The Silver Guard Knight and Shuren, who had been watching from behind, approached me.
I nodded.
“Yes. I've done everything I can. The rest should come out with some manual pulling.”
“Good job, Lib.”
Shuren patted my shoulder with a grin.
“Well done, mage of Prius!”
Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd behind me.
They were kingdom knights, local citizens and merchants, and workers summoned to repair the streets.
“Not bad skills.”
“I don't know what you did, but the air feels different.”
“Uh, th-thank you.”
Feeling my face flush, I bowed awkwardly to the crowd.
The magic circle was too wide to go unnoticed.
A lot of people had gathered now, drawn by the commotion, and beyond them, I spotted the Magos Troupe's wagons.
“Liberic, follow me.”
The Silver Guard Knight, who had been watching, turned and beckoned me over. He also addressed Shuren.
“Shuren, make sure the cleanup finishes properly.”
“Yes, sir!”
Shuren saluted crisply and headed toward the workers.
Desperate for a place to hide, I hurried after the Silver Guard Knight.
“Back to the medical ward?”
As we crossed the branch garden and entered the main building, the Silver Guard Knight asked.
“Oh, no.”
The garden, main building, and training grounds still bore scars of battle everywhere, with repairs in full swing.
Knights, clerks, and workers bustled about chaotically.
I barely dodged the workers hauling materials and caught up to the Silver Guard Knight with quick steps.
“I need to go to the sealing chamber. Miles is still in his room there.”
And I had to return the spirit's ecronium to the sealing chamber.
The Silver Guard Knight nodded and led the way down a corridor with stairs.
The long hallway where I'd first encountered Kaella was in ruins from the rampant tree roots, but my purification spell had sped up their removal.
Workers easily dug out the dried roots with shovels and patched the gaps with fresh materials.
Leaving the busy crowd behind, we entered the lounge of the Silver Moon Knight Order.
“Let's talk for a bit.”
The Silver Guard Knight pointed to a table in the corner and headed to the small kitchen to prepare tea.
I started to stand, but he waved me off and told me to sit.
Moments later, he set a cup of reddish herbal tea in front of me.
It was one from the tea set my father had bought—apparently in such bulk that every branch kitchen had a box of each variety.
I thanked him and took a sip. The smooth aroma soothed my mind.
“The kingdom knights are tracking the one who helped Kaella Ermis escape. We'll assist as much as we can.”
The Silver Guard Knight said after taking a sip and setting his cup down.
“Ah...”
Can't be helped, I thought bitterly, swallowing my words.
Kaella Ermis, bound by mana restraints and imprisoned, had escaped that day with someone's help.
Someone had stolen her ecronium from the vault's strict custody and utterly demolished her high-security cell.
And in the process, they'd slaughtered every knight and soldier they encountered...
By the time the kingdom knights arrived, it was too late—no survivors.
This had happened on the opposite side of the city while a meeting was underway at the kingdom knights' headquarters.
Most squad leaders were at the meeting, leaving lower ranks lax—a horrific tragedy nonetheless.
The kingdom knights saw it as a stain on their honor if they couldn't catch the culprit themselves.
“Kaella was searching for a mage with a key. That must've been her goal in escaping.”
“The ‘trade item,’ right?”
The Silver Guard Knight stroked his chin and asked again. I nodded.
“Yes. The one who broke her out... was probably a demon.”
“Likely, but we can't be sure. That's why we can't step in directly.”
Prius prioritizes cases involving magical beasts and demons.
But if it's unconfirmed whether the target is a demon or beast—or if it's definitively not Prius's concern—the host nation's forces take precedence.
This was the condition allowing Prius free operation in every nation's territory.
“The raid was swift, efficient, and merciless. No witnesses left alive. Compared to that, you handled Kaella's attack well.”
I was honestly pleased by the praise, but I couldn't just bask in it.
I let out a small sigh and stared down at my hands.
“If that demon had come instead of Kaella... I might not have been able to stop them.”
Even Kaella had been a handful.
What would have happened without Bertharot's help?
“Maybe. Maybe not. Don't dwell on it.”
The Silver Guard Knight said simply before sipping his tea.
“Focus on what you've done so far and what you have ahead. That's plenty to keep you busy.”
It was advice born of experience—no time to mull over hypotheticals.
I clenched my fist and nodded.
“Understood, Silver Guard Knight. I will.”
He gave me a faint smile.
“Until Miles fully recovers, you'll have to keep pushing. If you feel unwell, head back to the medical ward—no overdoing it.”
Thanking him for the kind advice, I hugged the spirit's ecronium and headed to the sealing chamber.
“Ash.”
Ash, who had been guarding the sealing chamber in my and Miles's stead, wagged his tail and emerged from the barrier.
I placed the spirit's ecronium back on the magic circle prepared beside the barrier.
“No issues with the barrier?”
‘Stable.’
Ash stretched his stiffened body lightly as he spoke, just as I'd expected.
“I've stabilized the outer mana, so the barrier should hold for a while.”
‘More importantly, I have one question.’
Ash sat before me, gazing calmly. That was unusual.
“What is it?”
‘Who was that man who brought you here? The one in flashy clothes. He wasn't ordinary.’
“Ah.”
Bertharot.
Ash had tracked my presence and run into Bertharot.
I'd asked Ash to keep it secret, so Shuren and the Silver Guard Knight thought Ash had found and brought me back.
Ash waited for my answer.
I hesitated, then knelt on one knee before him.
“He's... a member of the troupe.”
‘You're lying.’
His firm words drew a wry smile from me as I bowed my head.
I couldn't fool Ash, after all.
“Sorry. I can't tell you right now.”
I couldn't tell Ash the truth because I needed to protect Bertharot's current life.
It wasn't about distrusting Ash—I just couldn't risk even the slightest leak.
“He's not dangerous. Don't worry about that.”
‘I know. He was begging me to save you, tears in his eyes.’
Ash stood, shook himself off lightly, and looked at me with understanding.
‘Fine. I won't ask more. Tell me when you're ready.’
“Thanks, Ash. But that promise from before—still good?”
‘...Promise?’
Ash edged back slightly, looking uneasy.
“We promised in Cornik. You'd let me experiment on you.”
‘Experiment?’
Ash backed up more, so I stepped forward.
‘No, Liberic. I never said anything about experiments.’
“Did I? Maybe I just said I wanted to know? Same difference.”
‘No. Completely different...’
Seizing his moment of distraction, I lunged and grabbed his scruff. His soft, warm body puffed up silver in surprise.
Ash twisted to escape, but I held firm.
“This is my responsibility.”
My voice muffled into his fur.
It hadn't been long since I'd realized Ash and Bertharot weren't so different.
The difference was that Ash could draw enough mana just from being near me, while Bertharot—the mana crystal—needed me to supply it directly or absorb it from lives taken.
Right now, Bertharot sustained himself by buying ecronium with troupe earnings and absorbing its mana. But that wouldn't last.
As more people learned of the dragon's existence, they wouldn't leave him be...
‘Liberic?’
“So you have to help, Ash.”
I gripped his scruff tightly and spoke firmly.
Ash stared at me, bewildered.
‘...Fine. Let go.’
I loosened my grip just a bit, and Ash slipped free in an instant.
He stood a couple paces away.
‘So, what now?’
“First, accelerate the spirit's learning.”
I summoned the orb of light and floated it above my head.
The spirit began learning on its own without orders. It would observe and record everything we did in the sealing chamber.
“Let's try a few simple experiments. Ready?”
‘That word “experiment” rubs me the wrong way.’
Ash furrowed his brow but nodded obediently.
I rolled up my sleeves and stepped toward him.
“Alright, first experiment...”