Chapter 133
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: To the West (1)
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“A person? Originally?”
Ilenia asked again for the second time. As she did, she stared at Ashy, who was sitting obediently beside me, as if she could hardly believe it.
Ashy, who had been licking its front paw, locked eyes with Ilenia and narrowed them sharply.
Ilenia flinched in surprise and took a small step back. Thanks to yesterday's events, it seemed she'd given up on her ridiculous dream of trying to hug Ashy.
“The circumstances are complicated to explain. But one thing is clear: right now, Ashy follows Liberic completely.”
It was hard to tell if Ilenia fully understood the Silver Guard Knight's explanation.
She stood there awkwardly, keeping some distance from Ashy, and nodded.
I guess I need to explain more about Ashy.
“Ashy has an incredible sense of smell and moves lightly. It can communicate with me, too.”
“Ah. I thought you just had an amazing imagination.”
During my conversations with Ashy, it must have looked like I was just talking to myself...
I let out a small chuckle, and Ilenia took a deep breath, as if trying to accept the facts.
“Hmm, got it. So it's not just a pet.”
Ashy growled in dissatisfaction, and Ilenia flinched again before speaking cautiously.
“S-sorry. Ashy... If I'd known the situation, I would've been more careful.”
'Be more careful from now on.'
“It says to take good care of it from now on.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than Ashy started growling and climbing onto my shoulder.
Before I knew it, it had extended its short claws and was scratching up my arms and shoulders.
“Ow, Ashy, claws!”
“That's enough of that story. Ilenia, come with me for a moment.”
“Ah, yes.”
Even after the Silver Guard Knight and Ilenia left the room, Ashy kept growling and clawing at me.
Only after the threads of my robe were completely unraveled did Ashy's punishment finally stop.
The robe was already torn and worn in places, but now it looked even more pathetic.
I hugged my throbbing body and staggered out of the room.
Ashy snorted and darted down the stairs.
Just then, Shuren was coming up from below.
“Talk go well? Does Ilenia believe it?”
“After seeing Ashy with her own eyes yesterday, she has no choice but to believe.”
I shrugged.
Shuren and Wedin had been around Ashy since they were twelve, so they were used to it, but Ilenia would probably take some time to adjust.
“I hardly ever saw Ashy's human form myself.”
Shuren scratched his chin with a hum. I let out a small sigh.
“It was like a last resort or something...”
I never imagined I'd have to use it here.
“Hold on, what happened to your clothes?”
Shuren grabbed the tattered robe.
The tear from yesterday when Shaika injured my arm still had dried bloodstains, and now Ashy's claws had sent threads flying everywhere.
“Give it here. I'll fix it.”
“You can do that too?”
I was surprised but handed over the robe without protest.
Shuren clicked his tongue and headed to his room with it.
“You think a seamstress pops up every time your clothes wear out on a trip? You need to learn to handle simple stuff yourself.”
Shuren pulled a small sewing kit with needle and thread from his bag and started repairing it skillfully.
I watched in amazement as his hands moved without hesitation.
Patching it with spare fabric and stitching meticulously—it was no beginner's work.
“Brother, you didn't drink too much last night?”
“Not really?”
Shuren answered casually, then frowned slightly.
“I think I heard some weird, droning music all night. It gave me a bit of a headache, but it's way better than when I drank with those envoy folks last time. Barely any hangover.”
“That's a relief.”
“Hugo said it was made with a brewing secret from Feira. Good aroma, clear, and low hangover even if you drink a lot.”
“Ah... Should've tried some.”
“No way. There, done.”
Shuren shook out the repaired robe and draped it over my shoulders.
The repairs were visible, but no more ragged tears or loose threads, and it felt sturdy.
“Wow. Thanks.”
“Handle simple things yourself from now on. It'll come in handy later.”
“You sound just like Dad...”
I muttered softly so he wouldn't hear, but Shuren raised his eyebrows sharply.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, just thanks.”
I brushed it off and stood up.
Just then, I saw Wedin hurrying out into the hallway from the inner room.
That's definitely Fren's room...
“Fren's awake.”
Wedin said as soon as he spotted us.
Fren was sitting up in bed by the window, where warm sunlight streamed in.
Beside the pillow, the Lamp of Life scattered a gentle red glow, and three red rubyol beads sat clustered nearby.
“Ah.”
Fren, who had been slowly sipping water, blinked when he saw me. His face was full of vitality.
“You... I remember you.”
“Really?”
I was surprised.
I quietly closed the door behind me. Wedin went to fetch Gordon, and Shuren went for the Silver Guard Knight.
“When I came out of the tree... you were there.”
Fren stared straight at my face.
My face itched. I pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat quietly.
“I'm Liberic.”
“Ah, I'm Fren. ...Though you probably know that already.”
I smiled a little and shook his hand.
“Do you remember what happened inside the tree?”
“Well, I'm... not really sure.”
Fren took another sip of water, his expression confused.
“I barely remember anything clearly. I still can't believe what happened in the ruins. It was hard to tell hallucination from reality.”
“...That makes sense. You used the ruins' magic to create a maze. To keep others from going in. Do you remember that?”
“Ah, right. It was too dangerous, so I tried to block people from entering. That space maze is installed at the Elgrace branch—except for specific conditions, you can't reach the center.”
“Yes, I know. Miles's handiwork.”
“Yeah, Senior's... You know Senior?”
Fren's eyes widened. I realized I'd skipped some explanation.
“Guess I need to reintroduce myself. I'm a barrier mage with the Silver Moon Knights. I came through the Elgrace branch's seal chamber, so of course I know Miles.”
“B-barrier mage...!?”
“Fren!”
At that moment, the door burst open as Gordon rushed in, followed by the Silver Guard Knight and Wedin.
I stepped aside for Gordon.
“Sir Gordon, I'm glad you're safe.”
Fren shook hands with Gordon, his voice a mix of surprise and emotion.
Gordon laughed heartily and clapped Fren on the shoulder.
“That's my line. I never dreamed you'd still be alive.”
“I'm glad we could talk before I leave, Fren.”
The Silver Guard Knight sighed in relief and gave Fren a brief rundown of what had happened.
I stood a step back with Wedin, watching them.
Like Gordon, Fren's memories of the ruins were a jumble of confusion and shock.
His recollections were fragmented, and he had no memory at all of what happened inside the tree.
He didn't even remember speaking to me and Wedin. He only vaguely recalled that final moment of emerging from the tree.
After the talk, we wished him a speedy recovery, and Fren drifted off to sleep, looking weary.
Wedin decided to stay a bit longer to monitor his condition.
“Looks like his recovery won't take long.”
Gordon said as he headed back to his room.
“Shall we depart this afternoon? Don't worry about things here—I'll handle the report to the Elgrace branch properly.”
“I'll leave it to you, Sir Gordon.”
Gordon said he needed rest if he was to see us off and headed straight to bed. I went downstairs with the Silver Guard Knight.
“Fren didn't know about the seed.”
“Yeah.”
During our conversation with Fren, I'd shown him the image of the seed I'd seen.
But he said he didn't know—it was something he'd never seen before.
It wasn't something I'd seen directly; it was a memory imprinted in the mana. Unlike me, who had absorbed that mana while trapped in the tree, Fren had merely been captured by it.
The first floor of the lodge was unusually quiet.
Hugo and Max were nowhere in sight, probably outside, and neither were Shuren or Ilenia.
Makina was slumped over the dining table, asleep.
“Ugh... No more magical beasts...”
Her arm flailed in the air, and pathetic groans escaped from her face pressed against the table.
“Makina.”
The Silver Guard Knight called softly, and Makina's shoulders twitched.
“Makina, I have a question for you.”
“Uh, yeah? Hunter?”
Makina rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up. She blinked, gradually waking.
“Are you alright? Did you not sleep well last night...?”
“Ah, no, nothing like that. Just recharging before we head out later. So, what's up? If you're looking for Shuren and Ilenia, they kindly went to the northern spring for water. Said they wanted to stretch their legs or something.”
“I see.”
The Silver Guard Knight nodded and pulled a rough sheet of paper from his pocket. It bore an image of the seed.
“That's what I wanted to ask about. Have you ever seen this seed?”
“Hmm.”
Makina pulled the paper closer and examined it closely.
“No, never seen it. Was this inside the ruins?”
“Yes. This seed entered the ruins, and that's what caused all this.”
“A seed of disaster, literally.”
She handed the paper back with a grim expression, and the Silver Guard Knight folded it away.
“Besides us, was there anyone else who went near the ruins recently?”
“One of our mountain guards?”
No, I added, rephrasing the question.
“Excluding mountain guards and Prius knights.”
“Hmm...”
Makina furrowed her brow, digging through old memories.
Since anomalies started before the knights like Fren and Gordon arrived, it had to be even earlier.
“Not sure how many months ago. Before the weird stuff was noticeable. A group of priests from the Amadelia Goddess Church visited the ruins.”
“Priests from the Goddess Church?”
I asked in surprise at the unexpected info. Makina scratched her head awkwardly.
“The ruins are our jurisdiction, but that priest group wasn't. I think the Third Outpost crew guided them.”
“The Third Outpost—the path farther north from here, right?”
The Silver Guard Knight said, and Makina nodded.
“Yeah. You went that way before, Hunter, right? It's a distance from the ruins, but apparently the priests got lost along the way and came down near them. That's what I heard, anyway.”
“You didn't meet them personally?”
“No. Their outpost crew found them at the ruins and guided them back to the main path. As far as I know, they were the last visitors before the anomalies started.”
We three fell silent for a moment.
“Anything else you heard? Who they were, how they got lost, if the ruins were their goal?”
The Silver Guard Knight asked after some thought, but Makina shrugged.
“We checked around the ruins after the report, but nothing unusual. As you know, we don't go inside, so even if a seed rolled in there...”
“Impossible to know.”
“Yeah. But we can look into it from now on.”
With that, Makina sprang to her feet.
“Follow me.”
She beckoned us and strode out of the lodge purposefully.