Ch.111Dragon King of the Four Seas

The young party arrived at a place where there was nothing. Only the wind and the sound of insects flowed quietly. It was a moment when suspicious glances were cast toward Saeeorin and Alberich.

Alberich, who stepped forward more quickly, scattered his hands around.

Paaat-!

The holy power that flowed with his light gesture gently swept across the ground. Then, the bright light instantly became murky, like dye dissolving in clear water.

“Where the dead have passed, traces always remain. I suspected as much, and I was right. A familiar trickster. It must be someone who crossed over from where I was.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I don’t know who it is. How would I know that? I’m just saying the source of power they use feels familiar.”

Alberich answered Saeeorin’s question while slowly walking forward. The faint holy power emanating from his body spread over a wide area. It was groundwork for finding the path the corpse had walked.

“If they haven’t deliberately broken the trail, we should be able to find their destination soon. If we were just a bit faster, we could catch them before that.”

The traces led deep into the mountains. Saeeorin nodded and stepped forward. A strong will rising from within her heart stirred up the wind, and the wind that bloomed crossed through the forest.

The wind bent undergrowth and branches aside. A path where one could visually confirm the direction of the wind’s movement had been created. Even with Ashen spread out, no human presence could be felt. It meant they had to search on foot.

“Let’s hurry.”

The traces of the dead wandered deep in the mountains. Their movement patterns seemed as if they were searching for something. Without stopping her run, Saeeorin asked Flora a question.

“Flora. Is there something important in this mountain?”

“Something important?”

“I mean like a named weapon, or vast amounts of gold coins. Something like a treasure.”

The Flora that Saeeorin knew was like an encyclopedia who answered questions without hesitation. She was the daughter of a prestigious noble family. With the impressive scholarship she had built since childhood, she knew almost everything.

“Hmm… this place…”

Of course, even Flora didn’t know everything. She gave an awkward smile as she substituted an answer.

There was a wide clearing halfway up the mountain. As if to indicate that human hands had touched it at regular intervals, grown grass and sturdy branches had been cut off and lay on the ground. Even a cursory glance showed these were traces left quite some time ago.

Whoosh-!

With a rough wind, Saeeorin’s party descended onto the wide clearing. They had been running almost as if flying. The wind passage created by Saeeorin had drastically shortened their travel time.

“Is this it?”

In the center of the vast clearing stood a lone man-made structure. The structure built by piling up stones had the form of an entrance, and around it, stone floors were densely embedded.

“That looks like a mausoleum…?”

Flora said. The large structure was built like an entrance leading somewhere. If one opened the door and went inside, there would probably be stairs leading underground. Flora approached slowly and touched the stone tablet engraved beside the entrance of the mausoleum.

“The traces continue inside. It seems they opened the door and went in…”

Alberich said while scattering holy power. Indeed, the murky light was heading beyond the entrance of the mausoleum.

Flora, who had been looking around, fumbled at the entrance of the mausoleum. She seemed to be searching for a mechanism to open it, but found none. Eventually, she tried pushing the door with force or pulling it sideways. Still, the door wouldn’t open.

“It won’t open… It seems to use some special locking mechanism.”

Just as Saeeorin and Theo were about to draw their swords to break down the entrance, Flora frowned and said:

“It would be better not to touch it.”

“Flora.”

“This is a mausoleum owned by a noble family affiliated with Starpeople. If we meddle carelessly, it could become an international issue… It would be better to contact the family that owns this mausoleum.”

Unless it’s the Karma Empire, the Blue Wing cannot wield its vast authority recklessly. Once in another country, they must act in accordance with that country’s ways as much as possible. It was a moment that required a decision. After a long deep breath, Saeeorin spoke.

“Theo and Alberich will stay and guard the entrance. Flora and I will deliver a message to the family that owns this mausoleum in the meantime. Don’t overdo it, Theo.”

It was an urgent situation. With those final words, Saeeorin turned around. Once again, a swirling wind wrapped around Saeeorin and Flora.

Whoosh-!

The wind’s intensity was fierce. What had been a faint breeze turned into a storm. The two girls’ figures disappeared in an instant.

“She was worried about me…?”

Theo clutched his chest. His heartbeat was stronger than usual. Watching this, Alberich swallowed a hollow laugh.

***

The night streets of Starpeople were beautiful. Brilliant lights shaped like sparkling stars were placed throughout the streets, keeping them as bright as day. Toward the outskirts of the city, the light gradually weakened, but the subtle glow still had its own charm to behold.

Two girls descended with the wind onto the city.

Whoosh-!

As they landed, all the light around one of the girls seemed to be drawn in. Her black hair, shimmering in the starlight, and her beautiful appearance resembled a goddess from mythology.

Most people were too entranced to be wary of the intruders; they could only stare in awe.

Saeeorin brushed back her dyed hair. Her sleek, pitch-black hair spread out like the night sky.

“What family did you say it was?”

“The Solis family.”

Flora answered Saeeorin’s question. She had identified the family through the emblem engraved on the mausoleum. It was fortunate that the noble family lived nearby.

Saeeorin approached a nearby soldier. Two girls wrapped in wind—quite a sight. Though their attire was ordinary, the aura they emitted was extraordinary. Anyone could tell they were not ordinary people.

The soldier swallowed hard. He was so captivated by one of the girls that he forgot he should be on guard.

‘What…’

“I need directions. Do you know where the Solis family is located?”

“T-The Solis family…”

Her beautiful appearance made him forget what to say. The soldier mumbled absentmindedly and pointed in one direction. There were many questions he should have asked, but all procedures were skipped. He was enchanted by the mysterious atmosphere surrounding the girl.

“Hmm…”

Saeeorin nodded and shifted her gaze. She was about to show her Blue Wing credentials for credibility, but it didn’t seem necessary. Saeeorin took Flora’s hand and kicked off the ground again.

Whoosh-!

The wind that swept through the city carried the two girls into the air.

Finding the Solis family mansion was very easy. Their emblem was emblazoned on the flag fluttering above an extraordinarily splendid mansion.

The meaning of the walls preventing outside intrusion and the soldiers guarding the entrance was diminished. Saeeorin, treading on the wind in the sky, descended onto the mansion’s terrace.

Because there was a girl who appeared to be a noble there.

Whoosh-!

The moment Saeeorin and Flora landed on the terrace, the wind gathered at her feet instantly dispersed. The girl who had been resting her chin on her hand and looking up at the sky with a bored expression now stared at the two with astonishment.

“S-Saeeorin…? This is trespassing…”

“The situation is urgent. We don’t have time for formalities.”

“If it was going to be like this, it would have been better to just smash the mausoleum entrance…”

Ignoring her friend’s words, Saeeorin turned around. There was a small girl sitting on the floor, looking up at her. A cute girl whose baby fat had not yet completely disappeared.

Saeeorin lowered her upper body to match eye level.

“What’s your name?”

“I-I’m Solis Tina…”

She answered the question well. She seemed like a very good girl. Saeeorin extended her hand to Tina and spoke.

“A reincarnator has hidden in your family’s mausoleum. We need your family’s help to open the door. Can you help me?”

A brief silence descended. Only the sound of the small girl swallowing could be heard loudly. The mansion was still quiet. No one had noticed Saeeorin and Flora’s intrusion.

They had deliberately concealed their presence. Only the suddenly dispersed wind was the trace they had left.

“A-Are you a fairy, miss?”

Saeeorin couldn’t help but smile. It was an innocent question from the girl. Though young, she had a discerning eye. Indeed, her sister’s beauty was comparable to that of a legendary fairy.

“I am Saeeorin of the Karma Empire’s Blue Wing. It seems fairies resemble me, doesn’t it?”

The slowly flowing wind suddenly changed direction. The girl who had been staring at Saeeorin’s outstretched hand absently reached out and took it.

Saeeorin gripped her hand and embraced Tina. The soft cheeks of the two girls briefly touched and parted.

“Do you know how to open the entrance to the mausoleum?”

“Y-Yes. It can be opened using a ring engraved with the family crest.”

In response to Saeeorin’s question, Tina extended her small hand. A sparkling ring sat on her short finger.

“Wait, Saeeorin, are you really taking her? This doesn’t seem right. We should at least inform the adults of the family first…”

Before Flora could finish speaking, a strong wind wrapped around the three girls. The garden of the Solis family shook greatly in the fierce wind that blew like a storm.

No time. Saeeorin’s words scattered with the wind.

Whoosh-!