Chapter 59 – Karahan (5)

“Hephaestus, calm down.”

“Haa… huu… haaa…”

Mariel looked utterly confused, and I was just as bewildered.

The fact that a plant cherished by a criminal organization had been created by Hephaestus’s master was unsettling.

Of course, having seen Yuria in the game, I knew she wasn’t the type to be abducted by some low-level crime syndicate.

Which meant one of two things:

Either Yuria had been wronged by someone extremely powerful…

Or, Yuria was somehow… affiliated with that organization.

And the fact that the members took leaves from the plant to their boss suggested they understood its powers.

“I’m okay now. Go ahead and ask me whatever you want,” Hephaestus said with a determined look, clearly more composed.

“Good, you did well. So, you’re saying that the plant Mariel described and the Eliximona you know are the same?” Rubia asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. Every time Master Yuria went on a trip, she would bring a portable pot with her. I remember it clearly. And she took it with her on this mission too…”

Rubia nodded slightly at Hephaestus’s words.

“Eliximona… that’s a new one for me. Do you know what its leaves are used for?”

“No… I only know that it’s remarkable, but I don’t know the specifics…” Hephaestus trailed off, her voice growing softer as she bowed her head.

Rubia too seemed deep in thought, gently tapping her chin.

An oppressive silence settled over us.

And it was me who broke it.

“S-so, should we go back to Ursphere…? M-Mariel did escape, so… s-she might know the general location… or… maybe not…” I stammered, freezing under the sudden stares.

Just three people, but still!

Why am I so nervous even with just three people?!

But their expressions… They all looked so grim.

What if they got mad at me for no reason…?

“Ugh…”

I hunched over, fumbling with my words, when Rubia gently placed her hand over mine.

“It’s okay, Noah. Keep talking.”

Rubia’s warm touch helped me relax just a bit.

“Um… h-how about we go to Ursphere…? Since Mariel escaped, she might… roughly know the location of where she was… or maybe not…”

“That makes sense,” Rubia said, her voice a little louder as she turned to Mariel. “Mariel, do you think you could guide us to where you escaped from?”

Mariel flinched, startled by Rubia’s sudden question, but she soon opened her mouth to speak.

“Ah… Yes, if we get to Ursphere, I could show you the general area, but…”

“That’s all we need. We can take care of the rest. Right, Noah?”

Huh?

Suddenly, me?

I tilted my head in confusion, and Rubia whispered quietly.

“Can’t you use your senses to scan inside the buildings?”

“Ah…! Yes, I can!”

Rubia, you’re a genius!

An actual genius!

“So, Mariel, all you need to do is guide us to the location, and then you can head to a safe place. Maybe the temple or a hospital—I’ll explain it to them for you.”

“If that’s the case… I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Mariel clenched her fists and nodded resolutely.

At the same time, Hephaestus looked up, her expression showing slight improvement.

“But, we can’t head down the mountain right now. Let’s get some rest tonight and leave early in the morning.”

“Yeah, okay… but… what if—”

“Hephaestus. It’ll be fine. You said your master wouldn’t do something like that, right?”

“Y-yes, but still… sniff—”

“It’ll be okay. Nothing bad will happen. Let’s get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

With one hand holding mine and the other patting Hephaestus’s shoulder, Rubia looked like a saint, radiating calm and assurance.

“Rubia, Sis… I’m so grateful. Really.”

“Nothing to thank me for. Now, wash your face and get some sleep. You’ll wake up all puffy tomorrow if you don’t.”

“Yeah… okay.”

As Hephaestus trudged off to the basin to wash up, Rubia turned to Mariel.

“Mariel, I still have more questions, but for now, you should sleep. You’ll need your strength to move tomorrow morning. We’ll be carrying a lot of gear, and you’ll have to walk with us at least to the city outskirts.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Mariel also rose and headed towards where Hephaestus was.

And now, Rubia’s gaze shifted toward me.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at how busy Rubia had been.

“Noah? What’s so funny?”

“Heh… uh, nothing, really… I just find it funny how busy you are, Rubia.”

“My head and neck are killing me, but you think I’m funny?”

Her voice dripped with playful annoyance as she pinched my cheek hard.

“Ugh! A-ah… I’m sowwy!”

“Haha, you silly thing. Alright, get ready for bed. We’ve got to wake up early tomorrow.”

She let go of my cheek and patted me on the back.

“O-okay, I’ll go brush my teeth first.”

“Go ahead.”

I left Rubia waving behind me and slowly made my way toward the luggage.

On the way, I thought I heard Rubia talking to herself.

But there are no phones in this world, so it must’ve been my imagination.

***

As Rubia said, we woke up early the next morning, packed up, and headed straight for Ursphere.

Since Mariel was a regular person and lacked stamina, our pace was slower, but we still reached the outskirts of the city before sundown.

Our first climb up Karahan Mountain… ended much more anticlimactically than I had expected.

“It’s still as noisy as ever here,” Hephaestus said, her voice sharp as she glanced around.

“Yeah… it really is…”

I looked around too, though not with the same irritation as Hephaestus. I was more focused on how hungry I was…

We rushed down the mountain without eating a single meal, and now my stomach was growling like crazy…

But the atmosphere was too heavy to say anything, so I stayed quiet, clutching my empty belly as I trudged along.

Then, Rubia spoke up.

“So, what should we do now? Should we go straight there or rest and head out in the morning?”

“Logically, it would make sense to rest up and go when we’re in better condition. But…” Hephaestus bit her lip, clearly struggling.

She wanted to go immediately, I could tell.

“I’m okay with whatever you all decide,” Mariel chimed in, willing to go along with anything.

Rubia and Hephaestus both looked at me.

“Uh… I-I…”

“Don’t worry about it, Noah. I know I’m the one talking, but your opinion is the most important,” Rubia said.

“W-what?”

“If something happens, you’ll be the first one to engage with the enemies… Unless I can neutralize the situation first.”

Hmm… that’s true.

I quietly expanded my senses and focused on Hephaestus’s expression.

Her face was twisted in frustration, her lips pressed tightly together as if holding something back.

If I were in her shoes…

If Rubia had been the one kidnapped…

“We should go right now.”

There’s nothing more to think about.

“Huh? Sis, are you sure?”

“B-but…”

Hephaestus’s face brightened for a moment but quickly darkened again.

This is embarrassing, but…

While I tightly gripped the hilt of my greatsword, my stomach growled, loud enough to echo through the street.

Hephaestus tilted her head, and Rubia’s expression was a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Mariel looked… uneasy?

“L-let’s eat first… I-I’m starving…”

“Oh, right. We haven’t eaten, have we?”

Hephaestus finally realized that we were all running on empty.

“Yeah, we should eat something first.”

Rubia still looked amused.

And Mariel… did she smile?

It wasn’t an obvious grin, more like a subtle movement in the muscles of her face, but it seemed like a smile.

“Sorry to interrupt, but… could I use the restroom?” Mariel asked, her face now flushed with embarrassment.

Something about this feels… off.

“Oh, sure. Go ahead.”

“I’ll—”

“Hephaestus, how about we look around for a restaurant instead?” Rubia interrupted, grabbing Hephaestus’s shoulder.

“Huh…? But, I was going to—”

“Noah, want to come along?” Rubia asked, cutting Hephaestus off again.

“Uh… sure…”

Rubia’s expression was serious, almost intimidating.

Her intense gaze made me nod without thinking.

“Great. Mariel, we’ll be nearby.”

“Okay. I’ll be quick.”

Rubia smiled kindly as Mariel walked away.

But the moment she disappeared, Rubia’s expression turned harsh.

“Listen up.”

The moment Mariel was out of sight, Rubia’s voice became stern.

“There’s no way Hephaestus’s master or the Eliximona plant is at the Red Scorpion base.”

“Huh? W-what do you mean—”

“No time for questions. Just listen. And take this.”

Rubia pulled a small stone out of her pocket.

“Wha…?”

It was the tracking artifact we’d removed from Mariel’s abdomen.

But… weren’t we supposed to have destroyed that?

“It’s not the kind that works remotely. It needs to be activated by the person carrying it.”

“Huh…?”

“Yeah…?”

Rubia took a deep breath and continued.

“I might’ve let it slide, but when Mariel saw me earlier… she started pressing on her stomach, like she was searching for something.”

Her teeth clenched as she spoke, a growl slipping into her voice.

“That damn woman… She’s from Red Scorpion. I’m sure of it.”

“Sis…?”

Hephaestus’s voice trembled with confusion as Rubia muttered something to herself.

“Those bastards… How dare they try to mess with what’s mine?”

Rubia’s face—like a wrathful demon—turned to me.

“Hic!”