episode_0071

“…These lowly creatures are going crazy, trying to disrupt the long rest of the baggage.”

The sensation of heavy pressure in the air was vividly felt.

It was due to the atmosphere emanating from Tia in front of us and the mana.

Tia, looking down at us with an expressionless face. Something alien, different from her usual self, could be sensed.

Was it really Tia from the start?

The round eyes that seemed timid due to her personality were nowhere to be seen, replaced by sharp, piercing eyes. The crimson aura flickering within her pupils and her precise posture.

It felt almost like possession.

I asked Tia in front of me,

“Who are you…?”

“……”

Even to my question, Tia remained silent, gazing at us intently.

Instead of a response, she reached out towards us.

And then, right after that.

“…! Lucy, Aria! Run away!”

“Why are you-”

-Whoosh!

-Crack! Crackling!

-Twack!

In an instant, the nearby forest area turned into a sea of flames.

Just 0.1 seconds after Tia reached out her hand.

Something resembling a spirit magic circle appeared, and dozens of fiery boulders attacked us as if unleashed.

Lucy and Aria were thrown far away before they could react, appearing weak and unconscious where they landed.

“Ugh….”

“…Did I block it?”

In that brief moment when Tia reached out her hand, I activated Aura. I managed to fend off all the fiery boulders that appeared around us. It was a close call.

‘I should have dodged… No, maybe I was too late.’

Although I deflected all the boulders, they were explosive. As a result, I also suffered significant burns.

“This is unpleasant.”

Tia reached out her hand again.

“Just a moment-!”

“……?”

At that moment, I shouted with all my might.

I had to block it. If I continued to sustain injuries and fall here, not only would I be in danger, but Lucy and Aria would be too.

This place was at the edge of the center of the Delusion Forest.

Even if her attack didn’t kill instantly, we didn’t know when or where ghouls and corrupted spirits would come rushing in. Moreover, the surroundings were ablaze.

If I collapsed as well, death from carbon monoxide poisoning would be inevitable.

“Why on earth are you attacking?! We haven’t done anything to you!”

“…Did you not disturb my long slumber?”

“It’s a misunderstanding! It was the corrupted spirits who disturbed your sleep! Look around!”

“……?”

She slowly scanned her surroundings at my words.

“This is the Delusion Forest where corrupted spirits dwell. Can’t you feel the negative energy?”

“Indeed… I can sense it now.”

She nodded, understanding, while touching her chin.

A sense of relief washed over me.

‘We can communicate…! She doesn’t act solely on instinct like the corrupted spirits!’

As if concluding her thoughts, she asked me,

“I’ll ask. Why is the contractor here?”

If she mentioned Tia, she must be referring to the contractor.

I explained as calmly as possible,

“Tia was taking an exam. The grading test organized by the Ariel Academy she attends. The final stage is here in the Delusion Forest, where she must obtain the tears of the fairies while evading the corrupted spirits. Look at your hands.”

“……”

She now noticed that she held dozens of fairy tears in her hands.

“We were being chased by corrupted spirits while trying to obtain them. That’s when you appeared.”

“…I see. Your explanation doesn’t sound like a lie.”

“Yes! So, then-”

“However.”

She reached out her hand again.

Around her outstretched hand, flames began to gather once more in the empty space.

Formed was blue flames. Flames of a temperature incomparable to before.

“Is it not also due to your incompetence in failing to protect the contractor that I have been awakened?”

“What…?”

“Everything has a process, hence there is a result. You might be factors in that process. I’m not sure if these are words that insignificant creatures can understand.”

“……”

I sensed it at that moment.

That bastard possessing Tia was insane.

From the start, they were not a reasonable opponent.

“This damn…,”

The level of elemental magic I feel is at least 6th circle.

If I were to block it with a regular sword, I would turn to ashes along with the sword without a trace.

“Disappear. Lowly creatures.”

The psycho-like figure possessing Tia activated magic again with an emotionless face.

-Zzzz!

A huge blue pillar of fire shot out from within the crimson magic circle towards me.

Incredible speed. It was a magic I couldn’t possibly avoid as someone at the late stage of the 4th rank.

‘…Fight or die.’

In a brief moment, I placed my hand on my waist.

And then, right after that.

-Kwaaaaah!

For a moment, a bright light so blinding that it illuminated the dark forest area brightly and an enormous roar resounded.

Hazy smoke obscured the view.

Far away, Ariya and Lucy, who had fallen, were unharmed. Because…

“-What!”

Just before the blue pillar of fire reached me, I countered with all my magical power.

If it were a normal counter, I wouldn’t have been able to stop it.

From my hand, an aura more intense than any time I had summoned an aura before was emanating.

Magic stone sword.

Once again, I received help. Although I barely managed to block the 6th circle magic, there was a price to pay.

Even using it normally consumes a vast amount of magical power and is inefficient, but since I poured all my magical power into it…

“Ugh….”

After countering her attack, my strength immediately gave way, and I collapsed.

I couldn’t even move a finger. It felt like not even 10% of my magical power remained. To recover it all, I would need to lie down for at least half a day.

“Darn it… I managed to block it once, but now what should I do…”

In a desperate situation, as I pondered internally, that was when…

“…This is ridiculous!”

The psycho-like figure who cast the spell shouted loudly.

“It can’t be. That this body didn’t notice…?”

That guy. What’s with all the noise he’s been making since earlier?

The enigmatic presence possessing Tia slowly approached me.

…But something was off.

The arrogant expression and nonchalant attitude had disappeared, replaced by a hesitant and cautious demeanor as she walked towards me.

Approaching me closely, who had collapsed before her eyes, she spoke.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“……?”

“There seems to have been a misunderstanding. Shall we keep this a secret from Ifrit?”

“Ifrit…?”

Ifrit, then….

I remember. Ifrit is the fire spirit that one of the party members of the protagonist Cain had contracted.

High-grade, top-grade, supreme-grade… Furthermore, Ifrit had reached the highest level a spirit could achieve as the Spirit King Ifrit. I couldn’t understand why that name was coming from her.

Although I couldn’t understand….

One thing was clear.

Slightly trembling eyelids, almost unnoticeable unless you looked closely, and occasionally shifting focus.

She was anxious.

Her previous demeanor of being a lowly and incompetent being just moments ago had completely vanished, replaced by a clear display of anxiety towards me.

I decided to take advantage of this situation. Slowly, I began to play my cards.

“Who are you, exactly?”

“Selena. I manage the children of fire by Ifrit’s side. Even though our first meeting was based on a misunderstanding, I hope you can forgive with broad-mindedness, human warrior…”

…Selena?

I remember this name too.

Selena is the right-hand woman of the Spirit King Ifrit and the first supreme-grade fire spirit.

During the heyday of the seasoned warrior, Ifrit once summoned the female fire spirit Selena to prove my qualifications as a veteran.

To be able to defeat someone like Selena, who was just an extension of my right arm, meant I could take down the Demon King alongside my contractor. Of course, I defeated her in just 10 seconds.

…That guy who seemed possessed by Tia called himself Selena.

And he referred to me as a hero.

In an instant, my mind raced.

I don’t know why, but she is currently misunderstanding. Thinking that I am a hero.

‘From what I remember, a hero is a being not to be trifled with, even by the Spirit King. Heroes receive direct protection from the Goddess Freya.’

The goddess is a being one level above the Spirit King. If a mere spirit were to provoke a hero before incurring the wrath of the goddess, the hero would likely obliterate that spirit.

Now, everything she did made sense to me.

‘If I play my cards right… I can use this situation to my advantage.’

I spoke to her, who was still flustered.

“If you’re the high-level spirit Selena… you must also be capable of healing magic, right?”

“It’s possible. My healing magic exceeds seven circles by human standards.”

“Then… heal those girls lying over there. In return… I’ll forgive everything.”

“…Understood.”

Selena approached Lucy and Aria, who were lying on the ground. She softly chanted something akin to healing magic and a faint red flame enveloped Lucy and Aria.

-Whoosh.

Thinking they were under attack again, I panicked, but seeing their burns heal and their complexion gradually returning to normal, I could relax.

After finishing the healing, Selena healed me as well and said,

“Hero. Due to expending a lot of energy, I will soon fall into a deep slumber. So, I hope this settles things.”

“…Promise kept.”

“Thank you.”

The red glow vanished from Tia’s eyes.

As if realizing when she had been awake all along, she suddenly collapsed to the side as if falling asleep. It looked like she had fainted again.

Having recovered my magic power and body through Selena’s spirit healing magic, I quickly got up.

“Kehehehe….”

“Kilik, Kirik.”

“Kyahahaha!”

With Selena’s overwhelming presence gone, corrupt spirits began to gather around again.

“Ugh… so disgustingly heavy!”

I carried Lucy, Aria, and Tia on my back.

Looking up at the sky, dawn was breaking. The time to finish the test was approaching.

I reinforced my body with magic and dashed towards the foot of the mountain, carrying them.

Things had gotten quite complicated, but with this speed, we should arrive at the entrance where everyone is waiting on time.

All the events that had happened so far and thoughts about Tia could wait.

Right now, the priority was to safely complete the test.

I ran until my feet were sore. It was too heavy; I almost considered leaving Lucy, Aria, or Tia in the outskirts, but I managed to hold on.

Students’ excited voices could be heard.

Not only students but also the instructors and professors standing at the entrance of the Forest of Delusion were all focused on me.

…Was it because I brought three unconscious women?

But it seemed like it wasn’t just that.

“What… is all this?”

Standing in front of countless students and professors, Bahamut, the instructor, asked me in surprise, his face puzzled.

I coolly replied,

“…These are tears of a fairy.”

“No, that’s a well-known fact but…”

It was a headache.

I promised myself not to stand out, but I did.

“How can you bring so many tears of a fairy like this?”

I had forgotten that Tia had dropped the tears of the fairy she had taken from the students on the way back.

Roughly estimating, there were easily more than 40.

“…Today seems to have been a feast day for the corrupt spirits.”