“The miasma is leaking out here. If we don’t deal with it soon, it’s going to have a bad effect on the town of Galt.”
Helena scowled as we made our way through the dark woods.
“I guess we’d better tie up the horses around here. If we leave them by the creek where there’s grass, they’ll be fine for a while.”
Wilt-san judged that the road ahead would be harmful to the horses. It would be better to leave them behind.
After attaching the miasma-warding magic stone to each of the horses, we unloaded our luggage. The backpacks for camping were moderately large and did not interfere with movement even if carried by the women, but there were still quite a few tools inside. They were all imbued with storage magic. It was made so that if the owner chanted the name of the tool they wanted while touching the magic stone that was attached, the tool would come out. It was also very light.
If I passed my magic power through the magic stone of the backpack when using it, no one else would be able to take it without permission. Naturally, it was perfect for packing personal belongings and was very easy to use since it came with a weight reduction spell. Of course, this backpack would have to be returned to the Dairoku once the work was done, but everyone always said that they wished the Dairoku would make and sell them.
Actually, this backpack was based on the backpack Zak made for me that I had used at Cross Island. It had been made with much consideration so that I wouldn’t have any troubles on the island.
I had always thought it would be convenient to have a similar backpack for the Magic Division, so I asked Cerezo if he could make one like this for me, and he did.
Of course, I had asked Zak for permission before consulting with Cerezo. After all, there was a difference between the members of the group going on the expedition and the people of the Dairoku who were in the castle making the magic tools. I thought it would be easier for both parties to understand each other if there was an opportunity to talk directly to each other when necessary.
Since I happened to have a chance to get to know Cerezo, I could talk to him directly like this, but I didn’t usually have a chance to talk to the genius of Dairoku, who was always holed up in the workroom. I knew that if it wasn’t for Cerezo, I wouldn’t have been able to make something so close to what Zak had made.
I dismounted and tied up my horse to a suitable spot and walked towards the destination with my backpack on my back. It was slippery with a layer of soft humus underneath. Tall thickets of trees shaded the area, with many dead tree stumps and fallen trees.
“The footing is bad, be careful.” said Hemmings-san, bluntly and gently.
“It seems that nobody has entered this place for quite some time.”
Wilt-san and Hemmings-san, who stood and walked ahead of the group, moved forward while checking.
Hemmings-san used his wind magic to clear the trees and other obstacles out of the way and make path for us. As we proceeded, we could see that the miasma was getting thicker and thicker to the point where I couldn’t see the person in front of me from a short distance.
With the sound of a light breeze, the various trees were lightly blown aside, paving the way.
“Somehow, it’s pretty impressive…” Hemmings-san blurted out while tilting his head.
“Impressive? What is??”
I looked up at him and asked curiously.
“No, its…”
I stopped talking.
“?”
“As planned, we’ll use the green pillar magic stone (Rutile Emerald) for the pillars. Does everyone have them with them?”
Everyone nodded silently at Wilt’s confirmation. We all possessed a Rutile Emerald each.
“Then I’l start. Can you all step back a bit?”
After confirming that everyone had stepped back, a blue pillar of fire rose from Wilt’s body, who stuck out his hand, and in a moment, a blue flame like a sharp spear pierced the old barrier with a gurgling sound from his palm.
-patink-…
The old barrier broke with a light sound.
For some reason, Wilt-san looked astonished, but he shook his head and walked straight into the broken barrier as if he were jumping right into it.
Four people, other than me, were needed to subdue the green pillar magic stone that would serve as the binding pillar, in order to put up a new barrier. They immediately scattered in all directions.
I was immensely surprised to see the devastation that had been kept closed and maintained for a long time. They must have been tied up here, trapped in deep suffering. The skulls and bones were piled up all around. But I couldn’t afford to look at them in a dumbfounded way. I had a job to do right now.
I imagined my purification magic power resonating with the rutile emerald everyone had, causing the magic power inside my body fly off my fingertips. I felt the strong magic power gush out of my body much faster than usual.
The pile of remains collapsed in an instant. It transformed into the figure of a struggling person and then changed its shape into a mass of black flies that covered the sky. The area had become dark like evening. Phantom-like figures rose up and disappeared here and there, wavering here and there.
-Vwoosh- -vwoosh- the sound of wings swirled about.
[I want to go back.]
[We all want to go home.]
Yet, trapped in captivity, the resentment that had piled up to become like fossils, bonded them to the land.
Even if they went out of the barriers at this point, their souls would not be saved.
-Kwiiiiing-
In that moment, the sound of a tuning fork echoed the completion of the pillar installation, green light shot up from all sides and a new barrier was created.
“‘“It’s done.”””
I could hear four voices coming from my ear cuff.
Each of them wore themselves strongly with magic, and the four of them returned to my surroundings.
“Wow, I’m in good shape, what about you guys?”
Judy was tilting her head.
“Are you in good condition?”
What is it? All four of them looked at me as if they had something to say.
“Fiaragent, what about you?”
I gasped at the sound of Hemmings-san’s voice. I tightened my grip on ‘Saint’s Eyes’ which I had taken out. I released the magic power of purification from my body. It was only then that I realized that my magical power was working even stronger than usual.
“Eh, why…”
For every barrier that was stretched, a green-gold square pillar headed towards the heavens as if with a silent roar. I couldn’t help closing my eyes at the dazzling glare of the cleansing light that struck with the vibration.
The souls that had been tied to the land wound up in the form of black flies and rose to the heavens with the momentum of light.
The soul’s rapture came rushing in.
[Let’s go back.]
[Let’s go back.]
[Let’s go back.]
Like a ripple, yes, it came through.
***
I was supposed to be surrounded by a strong light, but suddenly I was standing in a deep forest.
“Oh, that’s strange, when did I…”
I noticed that the other four people weren’t around. This wasn’t the place I was at just a moment ago. Had they been sent somewhere else? After a while, I noticed something moving.
A blonde child’s head was moving in the grass and trees.
If I looked closely, he seemed to be kneeling on the ground and stirring something with his hands. What is he doing?
“What’s wrong?”
I called out to him.
The boy turned around in surprise and looked at me.
He was dressed like a child of nobility. I could see that he was wearing something quite elegant, made of fine silk.
“…What? Where’s Mary?”
“What? I don’t know. I’m Fiara.”
He stared at me for a while, then tilted his head and said,
“…you know, I was looking for something.”
The boy looked like he was about to cry, his eyebrows lowered, as if he was in trouble. He had big, clear, light blue eyes.
“What are you looking for?”
“A necklace from my mother.”
“Did you drop it?”
“Yes. It’s so important…”
I got down on my knees and also looked around.
“I’ll look for it with you, what kind of necklace is it?”
Then the boy smiled happily.
“It’s a gold chain with a beautiful stone on it.”
“Okay.”
I look around the area. I thought that if I used my magic, perhaps I could find it. Where would it be? I thought it might be near Galt, based on the feeling of the forest.
I felt a little bit like something was catching my attention and looked in that direction. It was as if something was there out of the corner of my eye.
“Oh, it’s a person…”
There was a man lying down in the thicket of trees. For a moment, I thought it was one of my friends, but it was a complete stranger. He was about the same age as me, or perhaps a little older…
I ran up to him and crouched down beside him to see what was going on. His complexion was not good, but his chest was rising and falling slightly, so he seemed to be alive.
“Oh, this?”
The person was lying on his back, but a glittering, delicate gold chain was entwined in his right hand.
Gently opening his palm, I saw that it held a ring filled with a light blue stone along with the broken gold chain in its hand. Ah, this color is a pale, clear light blue, much like the color of the boy’s eyes earlier.
“That’s the one, I was looking for it.”
The boy ran over to me, looking happy.
I gently plucked up the ring by the broken chain and held it out to the boy.
“Thank you!”
He held out his small palm and received it happily, holding it tightly to his chest with both hands.
At that moment, a light suddenly burst, and the boy had disappeared.
***
“Fiara, where are you!?”
“Where’s Fiara?”
“Fiaragent!!!”
Voices suddenly rang out from my ear cuff, and I cowered.
It was four voices. It seems that I had been sent to a different location.
“A-Ah, ummm. Where is this?”
“““Huh?”””
“You don’t have to move. You just stay there. We’ll look for you.”
I could hear Hemmings-san’s agitated voice.
“…Ah, there was a man lying down, so I need some help.”
“Do you know who it is?”
That was Wilt-san’s voice.
“I don’t know him, but…”
I cut off my words. I thought of something, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Okay, so, is Fiaragent hurt?”
“I’m okay.”
“All right, the purification is complete over here too. Good job, guys. Wait just a little longer.”
As soon as I said that, the four of them followed my magic. I was in the forest near the town of Galt, after all.
“Everyone was very surprised because Fiara wasn’t there.”
I patted Helena on the back immediately after she came to get me and said as such. Apparently, at that time, the four of them had fallen unconscious for a while, although it was only for a short time.
When I came to, I noticed that the location was like a vacant lot and there was nothing left.
Then, to my surprise, the fallen man was the son of Treasury Minister Fortes. I had checked his clothes and pictures before we left, so I had thought it might be him.
He had no recollection of the area around where he had gone missing from Galt. Everyone was amazed that he had survived.
And Count Chevali was never found. It seems that he had died under the circumstances.
After that, I checked the portraits of the generations of the Chevali family on display in the lord’s house, and then found the one with blond hair and light blue eyes. In addition, in the portrait of the former lord and his wife, a light blue stone ring that I had seen before was drawn on his finger.
Tomorrow, the royal castle would dispatch a support team to deal with the aftermath. Our work would be finished as soon as the replacements arrived.
The town of Galt was abuzz with all sorts of speculation on the topic of the pillar of light.
And then, out of nowhere, that pillar of light had become the purification light of the saint. When I was told a long time later that there was a rumor that the ungodly land of that horrific forest had been purified by the saint, I had a distant look in my eyes.
***
Shredded parent-chicken meat and vegetables were sizzling on a burning stone.
“Dewishous!”
Judy’s cheek pouches were a mess. She looked just like a squirrel. Naturally, Helena looked at her with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
Other than that, there were deer sausages, stewed vegetables and meat, as well as steamed potatoes. It was a country feast.
“Judy, the food won’t run away. You’re just jamming it down your throat, so eat slowly.”
She just nodded yes even though Helena said the right thing, and her hand reached for the potatoes.
“Judy, it’s hot when you touch it as it is, so you’ll have to use the cloth next to it.”
At the sound of my voice, she nodded, then pulled her hand back and took a cloth. My mouth kept chewing.
“Hey, you guys are okay…”
“Welh gwoing home tmooshow, ivv gwottah eash whaii want (We’re going home tomorrow, I’ve got to eat what I want).”
“What did you say?”
Wilt-san asked back.
“Yes, that’s bad manners. Just talk after eating.”
“Ugwaa!”
Judy’s forehead was smacked by Helena.
“Ah, by the way, Fiaragent…”
“Yes?”
Wilt-san produced his canister of dates, unusually uncomfortable to say anything else.
“Here’s the thing.”
“I don’t have refills.”
“No, I’m not talking about a refill, I’m talking about the power of these dates…”
“Power?”
I was about to put the vegetable and meat stew in my mouth, and I couldn’t help but stop and listen back.
Ahh, I just want to put it in my mouth. What kind of meat is this? The meat is cooked so tenderly that the fibers of the crumbling flesh seem to unravel at the edges. It speaks to me, full in my spoon, telling me to eat it quickly…
“I’ve come to the conclusion that our magical power has doubled because of this date palm, no matter how you look at it. The four of us who mentioned this all had increased magic power. It was only temporary, though. Didn’t Fiaragent feel anything unusual too?”
“Eh? Ehh!?”
The meat that had been scooped up in my large wooden spoon…fell back into the wooden bowl.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T/N: Why do I have the feeling Fiara is now going to start a new date business?
As mentioned in other novel posts, I apologize that it’s been taking me a little longer to post! I am in between moving apartments/houses and also getting ready for a brain surgery in our family, so things have been quite hectic. I promise to post as fast as I can though, so I deeply appreciate everyone’s patience with me 🙂
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