Ethan Conrad (3)

“There are no traces left at all?”

“That’s right. Even what little remained disappeared quickly. It seems at least it’s possible to erase it.”

Neru, her disciple who was investigating the erosion site in the cave, nodded as he took off the protective suit covering his body and face.

The investigation itself was in its final stages. After all, it was impossible to dig deeper when only traces remained. But Renia, who had decided to stop all other research and focus on this, couldn’t be satisfied with just this.

“Let the other regions know as well. This definitely isn’t just because this place is adjacent to the forbidden area. It’s possible that something like this could appear elsewhere too.”

“Understood.”

She turned her attention to other places as well. Fortunately, it was quickly suppressed, but if such incidents were to occur simultaneously all over the world, then even more terrible things would happen.

‘If it wasn’t for that person in the first place, what happened here…’

Renia had also seen the sight of goblin magical beasts pouring out of the dimensional gate that caused the erosion, running amok. If they had continued to swarm, the surprised guards and adventurers might have been defeated.

In that case, not only the surrounding villages but even the city could have been damaged. Just imagining the horrific results made Renia’s fur on her tail and ears stand on end.

“By the way, why are you suddenly collecting information about elves?”

“Th-there’s a reason for that. Just send a message, that’s all.”

Lost in thought like that, she startled at Neru’s sudden question and stammered, evading the issue.

The reason she suddenly became interested in elves was only one: because of a connection she hadn’t told anyone about.

The reason this erosion was fortunately able to stop at this level was due to the sacrifice of Kai, who became the medium, and the power of ‘that elf’ who purified the entire erosion.

‘I should report this.’

Renia decided to meet that elf again. The pretext was, of course, to report on the investigation of this incident, but in truth, it was because she wanted to see that unbelievably mysterious being once more.

“What’s this? Who fired a flare in the city?”

“Is there a festival somewhere?”

That’s why she fired a red flare the next day. Smiling faintly at the murmurs around her, Renia quickly put on her hood and rushed to the meeting place.

The meeting place that Isilia and Renia had decided to meet in case of emergency was a forest near the city with few people. Renia, who arrived there first, kept sniffing repeatedly.

‘I’ve already memorized her scent.’

This keen sense of smell was her talent for distinguishing strangers. Indeed, having memorized Isilia’s scent, which no one else could smell, she could detect it from a distance as long as she wasn’t wearing strong perfume.

“Did you find out something?”

“Huh!? H-How!”

But when Isilia suddenly appeared beside her, taking off the hood on her head with a smirk, Renia, who had been diligently detecting only the scent in the air and failed to sense her presence at all, turned to the side in shock.

It wasn’t just a matter of masking or erasing the scent with a strong smell. Literally, there was ‘no’ smell at all.

‘I thought so, and it turns out to be true.’

Isilia raised the corners of her mouth seeing Renia’s reaction. It was because she had succeeded in blocking her own scent using the power of wind spirits and sensing Renia’s presence first using earth spirits.

Handling the power of nature made possible things that beings of the current era, like Renia, couldn’t even imagine.

“It’s not particularly important, is it?”

“Th-that’s right. The investigation is all finished for now, but…”

However, Renia wasn’t close enough to Isilia yet to probe her for that secret. Startled by her smiling appearance, Renia first brought up the main point.

“As a result of the investigation, we couldn’t find out anything. It’s all unknown how such a thing is possible, why no traces remain when such a large dimensional gate opened. If it’s another calamity beyond a simple curse, that would make sense.”

“Hmm… Is that all?”

“B-besides that, we contacted others and searched through almost all the records and documents we could investigate, but there were no records of dimensional gates causing erosion. This is a phenomenon that has appeared for the first time.”

In fact, Isilia wasn’t Renia’s superior or anything, but Renia unconsciously reported the details to her as if she were a subordinate.

Of course, since the two shared the same goal of stopping this unknown erosion, it wasn’t exactly the wrong attitude.

“Erosion harms this land, this world, and those living in it. Just like 10,000 years ago when the Tower collapsed and an era met its end.”

“That is…”

“The Tower heralded the end of this Earth and unleashed calamity and curses. As if literally trying to erase and negate everything, most of the civilization and inhabitants of that era were erased.”

Isilia smiled bitterly and muttered in a dazed voice as if recalling the past. She was just organizing her thoughts based on the information she had experienced and collected, but to Renia, it felt as if an ancient being was telling her about what they had experienced in that era.

‘As expected, this person…!’

Renia’s guess wasn’t wrong. Although Isilia herself doesn’t know exactly how the process happened, it’s true that Isilia is a being who lived in the distant past.

“Why did the curse remain? And why are such problems still occurring even now? If we think of the calamity and curses unleashed by the Tower as a kind of program, wouldn’t that fit somehow?”

“I-I don’t understand what you mean by that.”

“Program? It means a process set to execute in a certain way. This shouldn’t be such a difficult guess, should it?”

Isilia tilted her head as she explained about words that even her language transcending ability as a climber couldn’t understand.

The recent erosion was overwhelming enough to be called a fragment of the calamity that destroyed this world in that distant past.

If the curse left in the world were just a simple trace, such a thing shouldn’t happen.

‘The apocalyptic calamity that began 10,000 years ago, has it not ended yet?’

As Isilia said, Renia, who had regained her composure, immediately drew the conclusion. It was a fact that not only the two of them but anyone who thought a little deeply about the recent erosion could quickly realize.

“The Tower’s purpose was to erase this entire world, but it failed. The proof of that is you all. The descendants of those who were ejected from the Tower when it collapsed. Tens of billions of people perished along with civilization, and only a handful remained, but they were great. Because they survived to the end and finally recreated this world.”

She pointed her finger at Renia. At that tiny finger, Renia could only open and close her mouth. It was because she felt as if she had been acknowledged.

“And your proof is the cause of the failure of the human extinction program executed by the Tower. I don’t know the details, but the extinction program hasn’t ended yet. It’s trying to kill you, kill us again after waiting for as long as 10,000 years. That’s what I thought.”

“But we can overcome it again. Aren’t you a High Elf who has lived since that era, Isilia!?”

“…I’m not qualified.”

The end that they call the mythical era, which ended an era, might be stirring again. Excited by hearing this possibility, Renia called out Isilia’s name.

However, knowing what Renia was misunderstanding, she just smiled weakly at the sight.

“And it might all be a fuss over nothing. You said nothing has been revealed yet, right?”

“That’s right. For now, I’ve sent out contacts to monitor if similar incidents are occurring in other regions, just in case.”

“Then there’s nothing certain yet, so don’t worry too much.”

The atmosphere had become serious, but Isilia waved her hand. As she said, nothing is confirmed yet. Of course, if similar news is heard from other places and the damage increases, it would be evidence that their guess is correct, but for now, it’s still not certain.

“I’ll continue investigating… and contact you.”

‘If all these assumptions turn out to be correct, it’s a major issue that the whole world needs to join hands for. And this person will be at the core of that matter.’

Renia said she would contact her again later, watching Isilia’s reaction. Isilia didn’t particularly object. As Renia thought, this incident is not something that can be ignored due to inconvenience once it grows.

“And if there’s anything you need or want, please call me anytime.”

Therefore, Renia smiled and threw out bait to score a few more points. Although the other party was shrouded in mystery, as a noble class and a renowned scholar and magician, she could provide almost anything.

“Not particularly? I can get whatever I want now anyway.”

‘And I’m a bit distant from public authority too.’

Isilia cut off such bait in one stroke. Renia might provide convenience comparable to Ethan, but Renia was still a person who stood in an official position.

In other words, she wasn’t a suitable person for the freedom and actions that Isilia wanted, who unhesitatingly restored artifacts and sold them at high prices in the black market. This was the reason why she was thinking of helping Ethan, who was in a tight spot these days.