Chapter 122
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Trap (5)
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A blue ecronium floated gently into the darkened night sky.
With its softly emanating blue glow, it looked just like a star.
The night sky was pitch black, and the moon hid behind the trees without shining through. One could even call this true starlight...
No, focus.
I took a small breath, readjusted my grip on my staff, and extended it toward the ecronium.
Golden letters began to appear around the ecronium, forming a circle.
Information on the magical beasts inhabiting the area nearby, indirect countermeasures against them, ways to warn the people inside the barrier...
This much was the standard defensive barrier I usually used.
"Wow, it's pretty."
Ilenia's innocent remark slightly disrupted my concentration.
I barely managed to steady the distorting letters and layered additional spells and runes on top.
Extending the barrier's duration, reinforcing the exterior, adding information on potential new magical beasts and countermeasures against ice attacks...
"It's keeps growing, huh?"
Ilenia plopped down beside me now. She didn't mind the dirt floor at all.
She stretched out her legs leisurely and gazed up at the barrier I was creating, her eyes sparkling like she was stargazing.
"Liberic, what is this?"
"...A defensive barrier. I'm just reinforcing its performance a bit."
"Oho."
She didn't seem like she could make sense of the magic formulas.
I maintained my focus, organizing the spells and gradually expanding them.
It required quite specific incantations, and the range covered the main lodge, annex, front yard, and fields. I could feel my mana depleting substantially.
"I've never seen a defensive barrier like this. It's been a while since I last saw a mage, too."
"We don't know what might happen when we enter the ruins tomorrow. I want to secure the safety of the place we'll be returning to."
Ilenia nodded with a smile.
"Good thinking."
I began finalizing the spells.
Just a little more. Reinforce the ecronium and add mana replenishment...
"I actually know about you."
The spells wavered. The golden letters adorning the night sky rippled like waves.
I hurriedly seized the flow of mana and looked down at Ilenia in surprise.
"You know me?"
"Yeah, Shuren told me about you once before. Said you had a little brother in Prion."
"...I see."
It was unexpected that Shuren had shared that.
"He said for such a frail little kid, you seemed like you'd vanish off somewhere in a flash, and he felt uneasy if you weren't always in sight. Thinking about it now, it makes sense why Shuren's here."
Ilenia's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Ugh, big bro..."
It was mostly true, so I had nothing to argue back, which only frustrated me more.
"I heard about it too, actually."
"Huh? Heard what?"
Ilenia looked up at me.
"That you two didn't get along well. He was always nagging you."
"Shuren said that?"
She giggled, not seeming particularly flustered.
"Well, yeah. While everyone else was watching my mood, Shuren nagged away happily."
"Watching your mood?"
"Why? My mom's a Red Guard Knight. No matter where I went or who I met, they'd think of her first."
Ilenia reached out toward the defensive magic.
Amid the softly twinkling golden letters, her green eyes quietly settled.
"I hated that, so I came here on my own. I feel sorry toward the Silver Guard Knight. He must be really troubled..."
"B-but he said your skills were reliable."
I said hastily.
I'd poked a sore spot. Whatever her circumstances, being the 'Red Guard Knight's daughter' hadn't made knight life easy.
"Really? He said that?"
Ilenia's eyes widened round. Her sparkling gaze looked delighted.
"Yes. He was a bit taken aback, but..."
"Then I need to work even harder. The Silver Guard Knight evaluates people purely on skill. Very fairly."
That was why Ilenia wanted to follow him. She smiled happily with a soft chuckle.
"So you're officially part of the Silver Moon Knight Order now?"
"Not yet. We agreed to discuss affiliation after the mission. He just gave me one piece of advice."
"Advice?"
"Don't fight with Shuren."
I burst out laughing. The nearly completed defensive barrier wobbled precariously.
Aaaah! I screamed internally and barely clung to the end of the spell.
As Ilenia looked up curiously, I suppressed my laughter and painstakingly finished the barrier.
Midnight.
I opened my eyes. A chill ran through my body, and sleep vanished in an instant.
I pushed off the blanket and sat up in bed.
Shuren was sleeping deeply in the bed opposite. No need to wake him yet.
Ash is... probably outside.
I grabbed the robe hanging by the bedside and left the room.
The lodge was silent. Everyone was asleep, the whole place sunk in slumber.
My footsteps on the old wooden floor felt deafening in the quiet.
"...Liberic."
When I reached the first floor, I spotted the Silver Guard Knight sitting by the hearth.
His hand rested on his sword hilt but released upon seeing me. He looked surprised.
"Silver Guard Knight, what are you doing up at this hour?"
I was equally startled.
The Silver Guard Knight shifted with a hum. He'd been sitting there so long his body had stiffened.
"It's not that I don't trust your defensive barrier, but with the situation as it is, it seemed better for someone to stay awake."
"You were planning to stay up all night?"
"Makina and Max agreed to take shifts. What about you?"
"Something was bothering me."
I let out a small sigh and turned toward the outside of the lodge.
Pulling on my robe and opening the door, cold night air brushed my cheek.
The Silver Guard Knight followed me out.
'He's awake.'
Ash, who had been on the roof, spotted me and came down.
The Silver Guard Knight and I stopped at the railing.
"What was bothering you?"
"Hm, over there."
I pointed into the deep forest.
The forest depths, where even moonlight didn't reach, were so dark you couldn't distinguish trees from sky.
But staring long enough, you could make out the defensive barrier enveloping the surroundings.
And the bluish figure slowly moving just outside it.
Soon, the Silver Guard Knight noticed it too.
"...A shaika?"
"Seems like it. For some reason, it's not attacking."
The shaika prowled around the barrier, surrounded by cold air, sending shivers through my body that had been asleep.
"It's scouting the barrier's shape."
His words made my skin crawl even more.
The shaika could distinguish the barrier. Watching us from afar, it never approached beyond a certain range.
"It'll take some effort to break through and enter."
The Silver Guard Knight shook his head with a hum.
"I don't think it'll try to enter. Those things are very clever hunters. They won't attempt anything reckless."
"Then... we'll just have to stare it down all night, I guess."
Realizing it wouldn't charge, drowsiness suddenly hit me. I covered my mouth and yawned widely.
The Silver Guard Knight chuckled and glanced back at me.
"Leave this to us and go get some sleep inside. If something happens, you'll notice even if you don't want to."
"Ah, but..."
He must be tired too. Was it okay to accept his kindness so readily?
"Go on. You'll have plenty to do tomorrow too."
He gestured firmly for me to head inside.
I smiled a little.
"You're right. Then wake me if needed."
"Sure."
I bowed to the Silver Guard Knight, stroked Ash's forehead once, and reentered the lodge.
The next morning, waking up last, I was relieved that nothing big enough to wake me had happened overnight.
The cold-wreathed shaika had wandered around the barrier all night but hadn't roused me even once.
At breakfast, I asked the Silver Guard Knight, who said the shaika had left as the sun began to rise.
It had watched us through the night.
Because of that, from morning, the Silver Guard Knight circled the lodge perimeter twice with Max, Shuren, and Ilenia.
Only after carefully inspecting and confirming safety did they return to prepare for departure.
"So there's no issue when we come and go?"
"Yes."
I double-checked the defensive barrier set in the center of the front yard.
Makina looked up at the blue ecronium worriedly.
I'd just explained the barrier to her.
I planned to maintain this sturdy defensive barrier for about a day to secure the lodge's safety.
"Wh-what if the magical beasts get inside the barrier?"
"It's hard for them to enter. It's designed to absorb external impacts."
I carefully examined the barrier. No holes, no weak spots.
"Even if it takes a strong hit and breaks, everyone inside will hear a huge noise that startles them awake."
"Then we grab our weapons and head out."
"If it detects an external impact or magical beast aura, the barrier will shake and make noise. You can go out, deal with the beast, and come back."
Makina nodded repeatedly with an "oho."
Even as a former Royal Knight Order member, she hadn't seen much magic like this.
Come to think of it, Elgrace didn't have defensive barrier magic either. The last time was in Beldaine near Prion.
"Defensive barriers are really convenient. Got it, Liberic. Don't worry about this place and go."
Makina adjusted my bag as she spoke.
"Please take care."
Gordon had come down to see us off at the lodge steps.
His face looked much better than yesterday, but his movements were still slow and uncomfortable.
The Silver Guard Knight, shouldering his bag, told him not to worry.
"I don't know how long it'll take, but please focus solely on recovering. That'll help us in the end too."
Gordon nodded in understanding.
Beside him, Wedin was checking Ilenia's ankle.
"Don't move."
Wedin's brow furrowed deeply.
Ilenia, leaning on the railing, kept fidgeting her foot, making the check difficult.
"It's fine. It's completely healed."
"That's why I'm checking it now. If I say it's not healed, you can't come along."
Wedin unwrapped the bandage, and his face stiffened in surprise.
"Huh, it's not fully healed yet..."
"N-no, it's fine, I tell you!"
Ilenia yanked her foot back frantically and clung to the opposite railing. Her left ankle, gripped tightly with both hands, was wrapped in a reddish bandage.
"It's really fine! Staying still would just make it worse!"
Not wanting to stay behind due to injury, Ilenia rolled her panicked eyes toward the Silver Guard Knight.
The Silver Guard Knight decided to go with the holy mage's opinion.
"Wedin?"
"As a holy mage, I don't really agree, but..."
Wedin hummed thoughtfully before concluding.
"It's less healed than expected, but another holy spell should make it okay. If you want to rest, you could stay, but..."
"No, I don't want that."
Ilenia answered quickly, and Wedin chuckled.
"Sit there properly."
At Wedin's words, Ilenia obediently perched on the railing.
Wedin unwrapped the oozing bandage, infused holy power into the wound, and rebandaged it cleanly.
"Don't overdo any movements. ...And no testing the ankle either."
After treatment, Ilenia paused before stepping down gingerly.
"Looks like everyone's ready."
With Ilenia and Wedin coming down to the front yard last, everyone gathered around the Silver Guard Knight.
They exchanged tense glances.
"Let's go."
With Makina, Hugo, and Gordon seeing us off, we set out toward the Nameless Era ruins.