Chapter 134
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: To the West (2)
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"I was just about to send a report to headquarters anyway. With the ruins' entrance sealed shut, I need to let them know our one and only tourist attraction has finally closed down."
Makina waved toward Hugo in the vegetable garden, then brushed past him. Her footsteps led toward the warehouse on the opposite side of the courtyard.
"You'll need to check carefully for any changes in the nearby ground. The underground ruins were pretty extensive, after all."
"Yeah, we should. But the ruins haven't vanished, have they?"
"Yes, the mana in the ruins is still there intact. It's just the entrance that's blocked now. Investigating will be much harder...."
As we followed Makina and the Silver Guard Knight into the warehouse, the sharp scent of old dust assaulted our noses.
There were the fruit wine barrels Hugo cherished, along with all sorts of preserved rations, mountain gear, and repair materials neatly arranged.
"Looks like you've got a real talent for bringing things crashing down, Liberic."
"......Ugh. Sorry."
Come to think of it, I'd done that a lot lately, so I had nothing else to say.
Makina giggled.
"Just kidding, kidding. Alright, come on up this way. The ladder's rickety, so watch your step."
Makina started climbing an old ladder in the corner of the warehouse.
Following behind her, we emerged into a cramped attic that wasn't visible from outside.
The space was so tight it barely fit the three of us, and right in the center stood a long pole pointing straight up toward the sky.
A yellow pole with a circular basket dangling from it.
"This is from the relay station in Copet...."
"Yeah, it's our line of communication."
Makina pulled out a sheet of paper from a small desk in the corner of the attic and quickly scribbled something down. She nodded toward me as she did.
"Mind pulling that rope over there?"
I spotted the thick rope beside me.
As the Silver Guard Knight and I tugged on the heavy rope together, a pulley mechanism whirred to life above us.
The slanted ceiling overhead swung wide open, flooding the attic with midday sunlight.
"Whoa."
"Can't have the wind falcon smashing the ceiling when it lands."
Makina finished writing, then filled the basket at the base of the pole with grain.
A massive bird called a wind falcon would soon fly here.
The Silver Guard Knight frowned, glancing back and forth between the grain basket and the sky.
"I still don't get how it finds this place."
"Trade secret."
Makina chuckled.
"Let's just say it's thanks to understanding their habits well, thorough training, and a little something special in this grain."
"If we could use a method like this, exchanging information would be so much easier."
"Wind falcons only live in the Quint Mountains, so it's impossible anywhere else. They can't travel that far either. Ah, here it comes."
A massive bird dove toward us at high speed.
I instinctively shrank back.
A fierce gust whipped through the tiny attic like it might blow it away, then gradually died down.
Lifting my head, I saw a wind falcon the size of the roof perched precariously on the pole's perch.
"Hm, no other news.... Good, take this letter to headquarters."
Makina tied the note to the wind falcon's leg.
All the while, it calmly pecked at the grain. Its fierce eyes and enormous wings still looked plenty threatening.
"What did you write?"
"That Prius knights resolved the anomaly and sealed the ruins' entrance. And I asked them to let us know if they have any info on the goddess cult's priests."
"Will we get a reply?"
Makina shrugged at my question.
"The Third Outpost crew will know the situation at least. They'll send a response once they read it."
"Guess we just wait and see."
"Yeah. I mentioned we're heading west too, so we might get info on the way if we time it right."
An utterly efficient and clever method.
Especially impressive that it relied solely on nature and human ingenuity, without a drop of magic or mana.
"Don't push yourself, give up already...!"
"I'll say what I want! You should be the one giving up!"
What was that about?
The shouting voices came from the hill above the warehouse.
I peered out through the open ceiling.
Shuren and Ilenia were trudging up step by step, laden with large and small barrels. It was way beyond what anyone could reasonably carry.
Behind them, empty-handed Max trailed along, at a loss.
"Both of you, stop overdoing it."
"Overdoing? If we just had more barrels, Max, I could've carried way more than this!"
Ilenia shouted confidently, her face beet red.
Even from here, I could see her trembling hands barely gripping the barrels, yet she was full of defiance.
"Saying that with a face red as a tomato kills your credibility."
Shuren said the same, his own face flushed from exertion.
The massive water barrel on his back was clearly custom-sized for Max, and it had Shuren's spine bent double.
"Our faces are naturally like this!"
"Oh? Then water Arbat should be blue?"
They had the leisure for petty banter even while grunting under the weight.
The Silver Guard Knight and Makina, peering out beside me at the noise, wore expressions much like mine.
"Knights, honestly."
Makina snickered, while the Silver Guard Knight let out a small sigh.
After a simple lunch, we began preparations to set out in earnest.
This time, Max would stay at the lodge. With two injured, it was too much for Hugo alone.
Makina assured us the path west wasn't treacherous, and she could guide solo just fine.
Wedin left multiple holy artifacts at the lodge for Fren and Gordon's recovery.
Once they'd regained their strength, they'd head back to Copet under mountain patrol escort.
In the warm afternoon sun, after proper farewells to Hugo, Max, and Gordon, we departed the Fifth Outpost.
Makina took the lead with her usual vigor, just like on the way in.
The differences? Everyone's packs were a bit lighter, and Ilenia had joined in Max's place.
The Silver Guard Knight took rear guard instead of Max, while Ilenia chattered away with Makina up front.
The mood was worlds apart from the trip to the lodge.
"We might have to hunt, right? Rabbits or deer work?"
"Depends on luck. Easier to forage wild fruit. Plenty of game around, but actually catching it? Not simple."
"If Tuehera were here...!"
"She'd turn it to ash, sure."
Shuren's quiet addition made Ilenia whip around with a glare.
Makina burst out laughing.
"I'll let you know if rations run low, Ilenia."
Meaning supplies might dwindle. The trip was lengthening, and our numbers had grown.
But with Makina along, I wasn't too worried.
We'd left the lodge in the afternoon and reached camp as dusk fell.
A small stream, earthen hill, modest lodge ringed by tall trees.
Fewer magical beast signs than before, making the journey far more relaxed.
Can't leave cooking to Makina every time, so the Silver Guard Knight took charge.
Ilenia jumped up to help, and Shuren couldn't stand idly by, pitching in too.
That left me and Wedin to handle setting up beds.
"Ilenia, not enough heat."
"Yes, Silver Guard Knight."
Whoosh!
Her brisk reply barely ended when red flames erupted from Ilenia's palm, engulfing the pot and shooting into the dark night sky.
The campsite blazed bright as day.
"W-Wah! S-Sorry!"
Startled, Ilenia shrieked and hastily doused the flames.
The Silver Guard Knight leaped back from the pot with astonishing reflexes, while Shuren yelped and flopped backward.
The sudden blaze had the cooling stew in the pot boil over, then settle.
"......Ilenia, you're fine here. Go help clean the lodge."
"Ugh... Okay...."
Rather than scold, the Silver Guard Knight gave calm instructions. Ilenia slunk off into the lodge, shoulders slumped.
Shuren stirred the stew, glancing at her retreating figure.
"That girl's been off since earlier. Thought the barrel-carrying contest would've cheered her up."
That bet had ended in a draw, no winner.
Near the lodge, both nearly dropped theirs, so Max had to carry one each.
"Can't even control her firepower now...."
"Arbat abilities are emotional. Hard to rein in without mastering your feelings."
The Silver Guard Knight focused on cooking with his usual stoic face, but Shuren eyed him intently, as if suspecting something. His gaze was dead serious.
"Silver Guard Knight, what did you say to Ilenia?"
I looked back and forth between them.
It took a moment for the Silver Guard Knight to reply.
"......Ilenia quit the Red Guard to come here. To join the Silver Moon Knights. But I told her I'd hold off on deciding."
Ah.
Both Shuren and I stared at him in shock.
I'd assumed she'd join for sure.
Ilenia had been shaken ever since hearing that at the lodge....
"Why?"
Shuren's confused voice rose.
"Didn't she do well in the ruins? Took down a few Shaika too."
The Silver Guard Knight slowly shook his head.
"Not about skill. It's more complicated than that."
Shuren's face darkened. The Silver Guard Knight sighed softly and continued.
"I said I'd hold off, not reject her. She'll stick with us for now, even without official Silver Moon affiliation."
"......Understood."
We had no choice but to accept his call.
But Ilenia... For her, who'd left the Red Guard and come all this way for the Silver Moon Knights, that disappointment must be crushing. Hard to imagine.
With dinner ready, we gathered around the campfire out front.
The Silver Guard Knight and Shuren passed out wooden bowls brimming with hot stew.
Grain stew with meat and potatoes—tasted decent.
"Where to after the Quint Mountains?"
Makina asked the Silver Guard Knight between mouthfuls.
"Delatria. Good stopover before Kirk Volcano."
"Oh, yeah. Big city on the plains, right? Some Duke Delat tried crowning himself king, I think."
"So they say. Didn't get recognition from other nations, though."
"Huh."
Makina let out a flat exclamation before digging back in.
I glanced at Ilenia across the fire.
She'd been a bit down after nearly torching the pot, but now her expression was even stranger.
Face stiff, she'd stopped eating altogether.
"What's wrong, Ilenia?"
The Silver Guard Knight noticed right away.
At her name, Ilenia flinched, shoulders jumping, then forced an awkward smile.
"Oh, uh.... You haven't heard yet, I guess."
"Heard what?"
His voice dropped low.
"Um. Delatria."
Ilenia let out a small sigh.
Come to think of it, unlike us, she'd come from the mountains' west side.
She likely knew news our Prius branch hadn't gotten.
As that clicked, she said quietly,
"Delatria has fallen."